Chapter 1: Dark Purposes
The moon hung serenely in a star-studded sky over a vast desert. The moonlight illuminated the dunes softly and all seemed at peace in the world. But then movement was seen on a dune top where several dark shapes had congregated.
Azula paced the sand dune with large, unladylike strides. "Where is she?" she snarled at a shadow near her.
"I don't know, Azula, but calm down. She'll be here soon," the figure soothed.
"Calm down?" the princess growled as a gust of wind whipped her cloak and dust about her. "Why? I hate this desert!" Azula kicked the sand. "I have sand jammed in places in places I didn't even know you could have sand stuck! And Miss I'm-the-best-tracker-slash-bounty-hunter-you'll-ever-see is dilly-dallying doing Agni knows what!"
"She'll be here," the shape repeated.
"Say that one more time and you'll have no more words to say…ever," the impatient princess snarled. There were no more comments from the threatened companion.
Azula turned and squinted through the darkness. She wished the darkness wasn't so thick. She longed for more light. That way she could see the approach of that good-for-nothing Jun. The wind rose again and Azula blinked fiercely as sand was flung into her eye. Her eye didn't water all that much. It almost seemed it was incapable of that reaction because it resembled tears and weakness too much.
"Ack! Ptui!" a higher, more childish voice rose above the wind. "I think I just swallowed a bucket of sand." Silence filled in the pause. "And a bug," the voice said disgustedly.
"I have cuts all over from the sand," the former comforter complained. "Why did we pick the desert as a meeting place? I think I would jump in slurry rather than wait here."
"Maybe I just swallowed a humongous bug," the other voice mused aloud. Then she seemed to comprehend her companion's comment. "Would you really jump in slurry rather than be in the desert?"
"Well, the way I view it slurry's the lesser of two evils," the reply was dull and emotionless.
"SHUT IT!"
Mai and Ty blinked as Azula appeared in front of them with a scorching globe of fire inches from their faces.
"It seems someone got out on the wrong side of the bed this morning," a new voice tinged with amusement remarked. Jun, a tall, dark-haired woman of eighteen, slid off her Sheershoo.
"Do you have it?" Azula asked eagerly.
"I had to paralyze a few souls but I have it," Jun brought out half of a golden firefly from her sash.
Azula reached for it eagerly. Two dark shadows behind her leaned forward. Jun smiled at the princess's face which was hard with greed and malice.
"Ah, ah, ah!" Jun moved away as she held the trinket in plain sight and tantalizingly out of reach. "The fat man's weight in gold."
Jun never saw the signal Azula gave to her underling but the next thing Jun knew Ty Lee had flipped forward and snatched the sparkling piece of metal.
"No!" Jun shouted unconsciously as she watched the gymnast dance back to Azula and hand the princess the gold firefly. "What about our deal? I want my money," the bounty hunter snarled as she snapped her whip experimentally.
"You shall have it soon enough," Azula assured Jun. Azula reached into her cloak and withdrew the other half firefly. Azula connected the two halves with a grim smile. She gasped as the amulet came to life. She let go of the living insect and watched it hover before her, testing its wings' abilities. Then the firefly zipped away, leaving the princess and her minions staring at its golden dust trail.
"Follow that thing!" Azula cried as she stirred and mounted her komodo rhino. Ty and Mai hurriedly mounted their komodo rhinos while Jun mounted her Sheershoo. The quartet set off at breakneck speed after the bug.
Azula felt sand scrape her skin as her mount barreled into the wind. Mai was right. This was the worst place to meet. If only that idiot magician had placed the Cave of Wonders in the Fire Nation capital. But then, it would be too easy to find.
The women caught up with their guide and followed it. The insect stopped at a dune and then split and imbedded itself in the sand. The ladies reined in their animals and waited for something. A rumbling sound began as the sand under their feet began to rise and expand.
The mounts stumbled away roaring and Ty shrieked as she fell. Azula's eyes widened as a giant dragon's head loomed over them. The dragon waited only a moment before speaking.
"Who disturbs my slumber?" the dragon roared.
"It is I, Jun, the bounty hunter," Jun replied as she bowed low and felt the sand scratch her tender, sunburned cheeks.
The dragon narrowed its glowing eyes. "Know this: only one may enter here. One whose worth lies far within. The diamond in the rough," the dragon let its jaw fall open. Its sandy tongue moved slightly as its smoky breath rushed out and a lungful of pure air was drawn in.
Jun glanced back at Azula hesitantly as if she wanted permission.
"Well?" Azula snapped. "Go on! But remember! The rest of the treasure is yours but the teapot—is mine."
Jun approached the open maw and nearly choked on the blast of smoke-reeking air. She peered down into the mouth and watched in wonder as the tongue became a staircase. Jun paused in fear then shrugged her shoulders in an effort to relax. She drew in a deep breath and stepped onto the first step. She cringed waiting for the dragon's mouth to snap close with her inside. When nothing happened, she sighed in relief.
"Raaaaaaaaaawrrrrrrrr!" the dragon roared as its mouth began to collapse and close. It almost seemed like it was waiting until Jun was relaxed and escape had no part of her thoughts to attack.
"Aaaaaaaah!" Jun screamed as she scrambled for the entrance. She couldn't die! She was the strongest in so many taverns! Uncontested at arm wrestling and at tracking! She was Jun! She couldn't die this death! How pathetic to die because she got trapped in some sand! Jun shouldn't be brought down because of such a simple and stupid thing. Jun's thoughts were cut off as the sand slammed on top of her, swallowing her and crushing her bones.
"NOO!" Azula screamed as she shielded her face from the stinging sand. When the wind subsided, Azula turned her scintillating gaze to the place where Jun and the Cave of Wonders had vanished.
"Know this: only one can enter here. The diamond in, the diamond in, the diamond in the rough…" the dragon's voice echoed as the talisman firefly tumbled to her boots' curved toes.
"Ugh!" Mai huffed. "I can't believe this! I mean look at me! I'm sweating like a pig! I'm positive now! Slurry is better than this blasted desert!"
Mai stifled herself when Azula let out a lethal bolt of lightning. She panted for a second then smiled wickedly. "Patience, Mai," Azula repeated Mai's advice to her. "We shall have to find this… diamond in the rough. Apparently Jun was not worthy."
"Oh! There's big surprise there!" Mai shouted. "I think I'm gonna have a heart attack because that surprise!"
"We shall just have to find this diamond in the rough," Azula muttered to herself.
Ty made a face. "I think I just swallowed another bug," she said, scraping her tongue.
The pink-clad girl did not notice her two companions' shaking heads.
