Hey Guys! Here's Chapter Four! Just as I promised, it's up before the New Year (barely, but still, I made the deadline). I had a bit of trouble with this one, so tell me if you like it. I'm sorry if it's too long. Enjoy!
p.s- I can't believe I'm up to 50 reviews already! Thanks soo much! You guys are the best readers that a girl could have. ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or the Legend of Korra
Previously on Avatar-Blast from the Past: Korra, Mako and Bolin traveled with Zaron and Peia to the Fire Nation Capital, where they ran into Princess Azula.
Book One: Fire (火)
Chapter 4-Into the Inferno
Azula surveyed the group, a disgusted look forming on her face. As a princess, she had no tolerance for insolent peasants. Not that she had come across any before, though. The citizens of the Fire Nation feared her more than they respected her, and obeyed her every order. She crossed her arms expectantly. "Well?" she demanded. "I said bow!"
Mako and Bolin exchanged a worried glance before reluctantly dropping to their knees, not wanting to anger the Princess any further. They had heard about Azula's psychotic episodes during the time of Avatar Aang, and knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to get on her bad side.
But Korra had different plans.
She stood defiantly in front of Azula, cocking her head to the side. "I think I'll keep standing," she said coolly. The onlookers in the crowd around her gasped in shock at her disrespectful actions, but Korra didn't care. Something about this girl just ticked her off. Her superior attitude towards them was enough to annoy anyone.
Mako mentally groaned. Of course Korra would just have to challenge Fire Lord Zuko's crazy sister. He normally admired her courage, but there was a difference between bravery and stupidity. Korra was about to get herself killed.
Azula clenched her fists in anger. "I ordered you to bow to me, Peasant. I am your Princess. You will show me respect!"
Korra pretended to consider this. "Yeah, I don't think so. I don't take orders from anybody, especially not from the likes of- Oomph!"
She never got to finish her sentence. Mako roughly yanked her arm, making her fall to the ground beside him and Bolin. She glared at him. What the hell was that for?
He gave her a disapproving stare. Behave. Korra sighed in defeat. He was probably right, as always, but Korra was proud. Being forced to grovel at Azula's feet bruised her ego.
Azula smirked cruelly. "I see your friend has more sense than you, girl. He knows what I'm capable of. He knows that I don't respond well to people who offend me. She paused. "And I am deeply offended by your actions."
She paced back and forth in front of them, her smile growing wider. "Do you have any idea what happens to people who make me angry?" she asked innocently. She stopped in her tracks. "I punish them."
She whirled around, brandishing two fists glowing with sapphire flames. Korra's eyes widened. Holy Shit!
The Princess stepped closer, placing a flame dangerously close to Bolin's face. He whimpered, shrinking back from the searing heat. "Now," she barked. "What are your names?"
Bolin trembled. "Well, I'm D-Dante, a-and this is my cousin, K-Kai-"
"Liar!" Azula screeched, making Bolin flinch. "I can tell that you're fibbing. Just like I can smell your fear." She studied their faces. "Your name's not really Dante, is it? And she isn't really your cousin." She sniffed. " Unless you're somehow related to a water tribe girl."
Korra's face dropped. No, no, NO! She thought. How could Azula possibly see through their act? They had fooled everyone else. Now it looked like their luck was running out.
"You've blocked the path of my palanquin, blatantly disrespected me in public, and now you're lying to me." Azula's face contorted in rage. "I should put an end to your pathetic lives. But I'm feeling merciful today."
Mako cleared his throat, daring to hope for the best. Could Azula really be letting them off, scot free? "So…you'll let us go, then?"
Azula snorted. "You can't be stupid enough to think that. No, normally I would dispose of you for your insubordination, but, as I said before, I'm in a good mood." She was silent for a moment. "Instead I'll sentence you to…one year of servitude at the Royal Palace."
Korra's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Being a Fire Nation slave was out of the question. She was on her feet in an instant, along with Mako and Bolin. "You…You can't do this!" she seethed. "We haven't done anything wrong-"
"Silence!" Azula wielded her blue fire threateningly. "I can do whatever I please, Peasant. I am Royalty. You, however, are powerless." She nodded to the team of guards waiting beside the palanquin. "Seize them."
The group backed away apprehensively as the guards moved forward, fire whips forming in their hands. Korra mentally counted them. Fifteen guards, ten palanquin bearers and one deranged Princess. She stole a sideways glance at Mako. "Can we take them?" she whispered.
Mako seriously doubted it , but he wasn't about to go down without a fight. "We can try."
They never got the chance.
The guards lunged at them, and in an instant, long streams of fire were wrapped around their arms and legs, the flames biting their flesh, leaving angry red wounds. Korra cried out, trying to break free of her bonds, but it was no use. She was trapped, and so were Mako and Bolin. She screamed in fury. This wasn't supposed to happen. They weren't supposed be in the past. They weren't supposed be enslaved by Zuko's mentally unstable sister. Everything was utterly and completely wrong.
Azula chuckled at the sight of the teens being forced into submission. Serves them right, she thought. She extinguished her flames and calmly walked back to the palanquin. "Continue on to the Palace," she told her servers as she climbed in. "My father will be pleased when I inform him about the new additions to his collection of slaves."
The procession started up again, with Azula's palanquin at the front. Members of the observing crowd watched in horror as Korra, Mako and Bolin were unceremoniously dragged behind it, struggling and stumbling all the way.
But there was one person who was particularly bothered by the sight of it.
Prince Zuko scowled from behind the curtain of his palanquin, turning away. He had ordered his palanquin bearers to hang back after he saw that Azula had stopped the procession. He knew that she frequently enjoyed harassing the citizens of the Capital, and he didn't want to be a part of that. Now, he wished that he had been there. Maybe could have talked her out of it. In fact, he could speak up now. One word from him, the Crown Prince, and the girl and her companions would be free.
He said nothing.
He finally had everything he wanted. He was home, with his friends and family, and most of all, his father had finally accepted him. Zuko was happy. Whatever happened to the girl and her friends was not his concern.
Or at least, that's what he told himself. His thoughts were interrupted by a delicate hand stroking his forearm. Mai.
She rested her head on Zuko's shoulder, her eyes full of worry. Zuko smiled on the inside. Mai's face was always blank, always unreadable, but her eyes gave her away every time.
"Are you ok, Zuko?" she asked.
He hesitated. Outside, only a few feet away, three teenagers were being forced into servitude, against their will. He had the power to stop it, and yet, he was just sitting there, curled up with his girlfriend. Doing nothing. What kind of a person did that make him? He frowned. If Uncle were here, he would be appalled by his behavior. But Uncle isn't here, he reminded himself. He's in prison, and he's never getting out. Good deeds don't get you very far.
Zuko tentatively touched his crown, the symbol of his power. It's not my problem. Not my problem.
He turned to look at Mai, ignoring the scene outside. "I'm Fine," he said curtly.
If only that were true.
This. Was. Humiliating.
Korra staggered through the palace gates, Mako and Bolin by her side. Her head hung in defeat. They were on their way inside the home of the Fire Lord, to be slaves. Korra grimaced. How could she let this happen? First the Spirits, and then this! She was a failure. I'm probably the worst Avatar on record, she thought.
The procession slowed down, stopping in front of the palace. Korra lifted her head.
She nearly stopped breathing.
In front of her was a large, imposing structure, adorned with intricate carvings. Gold trimmings covered the roof, reminding her of fire itself. It loomed over her, casting a shadow over everything. But what really caught her attention was the gleaming spire on top of the main tower, its point piercing the sky like a fiery spear.
The building reminded her of a dragon. An ominous fire breathing dragon.
She was literally walking into the belly of the beast.
She turned to Mako, when she suddenly felt herself being roughly pulled forward. A guard yanked on her restraints, leading her away from Mako and Bolin. The gears clicked inside her brain. The guards intended to separate them. She resisted, thrashing wildly. "No!" she cried. Her friends were the only thing that she had left. She didn't know if she could handle being without them.
Mako looked pained as he and his brother were escorted in a different direction. He was on the verge of a breakdown. But he had to be strong. "Korra!" he called.
Her eyes met his.
"Lay low," he warned. He didn't want her to do anything rash in his absence. "Don't draw attention to yourself. Do what they tell you. We'll find a way out of this."
Korra nodded. She caught a final glimpse of Mako and Bolin before they disappeared from sight.
She hoped they would be okay.
"Hurry up, girl," the old woman barked. "You don't want to keep the lieutenant waiting."
Korra trudged through the palace, accompanied by Madame Kuang, the overseer of the royal servants. She had been scrubbed down by attendants and was scantily clad in slave girl's uniform, wearing a halter top and a skirt so indecent that Tenzin would've blown a gasket if he had spotted her in it. Korra sighed. She missed Tenzin, along with everyone else back home. Not to mention Mako and Bolin. Of course, she was working on an escape plan, but with the royal guards leering at her at every turn, making a run for it probably wasn't the smartest idea.
Madame Kuang stopped in front of room with a mahogany door. "He's in there," she said, smirking. "Have fun."
Korra walked into the room, tightly gripping the tray in her hands. Elegant red tapestries hung from the walls, and patterned rugs covered the floor. It was a richly decorated room, but Korra didn't stop to admire its grandeur. Her mind was occupied with other, pressing matters.
She was on edge, her muscles tense. She didn't know what she was walking into. Sure, the task seemed simple enough- deliver tea to a man named Lieutenant Hao. Easy. Except the smirk on Madame Kuang's face had been unnerving. From what Korra surmised, being assigned to the lieutenant wasn't a good thing, and She didn't want to imagine why- although she had a pretty good idea. Rape. Beatings. Death…
She shook herself out of her stupor. She had a job to do. "Hello?" Korra tried. "Anyone here? I brought your tea. Hey! "
No one answered.
Korra scowled. Was this some kind of joke? She thought about leaving, but she didn't want Madame Kuang to yell at her. She was already on rocky terms with her since she was a new arrival, and she definitely didn't want to get punished. She remembered Mako's last words to her before they were separated: " Lay low," he said. Don't draw attention to yourself. Do what they tell you. We'll find a way out of this." She sighed, and looked around. There was a sliding panel toward the back of the room. If she hadn't looked carefully, she wouldn't' have seen it. Korra cautiously approached it. She could hear muffled voices coming from the room behind it.
Bingo.
She awkwardly balanced the tea tray in one hand and wrenched open the door. The small room was full of men, probably palace guards. They were playing cards, but they stopped once they saw her. They looked young, except for the man at the head of the table. The creases around his eyes hinted that he was probably middle aged, but that wasn't what startled Korra. It was the hungry, almost predatory look that he gave her. His eyes raked across her body, taking in her form.
Korra trembled. Come on, you can do this! She told herself. You're the Avatar. You can handle whatever they throw at you. She hoped that was true, for her sake.
She looked the man straight in the eye, her gaze unwavering. "Here's your tea," she said. She set the tray on the table, a little too forcefully, making a loud banging noise. She turned to leave.
"I didn't dismiss you." Lieutenant Hao laid his cards on the table, his expression cold and hard. "You're staying here for a little while. To entertain us."
Korra faltered, before regaining her composure. This situation was taking a turn for the worst. She needed to diffuse the tension. "Okay," she said, crossing her arms. She could play their little game. "What do you want me to do? Juggle?"
One guard snorted at her remark, but the lieutenant frowned, unamused. "Come," he beckoned her. "Let me get a good look at that pretty little face of yours." His voice was sweet and smooth, like honey.
It sickened Korra.
"I think you can get a good look at me from where I'm standing." There was no way in hell she was going near him. Not when she knew what he wanted from her.
Lieutenant stood up, knocking his chair over. "You will obey me." He lunged for Korra, grabbing her face with his hand. His fingers dug into her cheeks, smashing them together.
Korra's eyes went wide. "Mmmph!" Let me go! It took every ounce of self control she possessed to keep from hitting him. She tried pushing him away, to no avail.
Hao sneered. "It looks like we've got ourselves a nice, young water tribe girl," he said, his eyes searching her face. The men hooted in excitement. Hao tightened his grip on her. "I've never tasted water tribe flesh before."
He forced his lips on hers, his breath reeking of stale firewhiskey and cigars.
Hell. No.
Korra didn't think- she just reacted. She kneed him in the groin, eliciting a groan from him as he sank to the ground in pain.
She backed away from him, gasping. She had to get out of there. But Korra didn't have a chance to move. The other men were closing in on her. They didn't take too kindly to her assaulting their leader.
"You little Bitch!" A guard backhanded her, knocking her to the floor. Korra crawled to her hands and knees, panting heavily. Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth.
That. Was. It.
She looked up, wiping the blood away. "You're going to regret that."
The guard scoffed. "What are you going to do?" he gestured to the teapot. "Bend tea at us?"
The other men guffawed, obviously mocking her. The lieutenant was beginning to recover, and stood up. He stared at her in disgust. "Get up," he snarled.
Korra dragged herself to her feet, assuming a fighting stance. She was livid. "You think you're so brave don't you?" she spat. "Fight me."
The lieutenant raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
Korra growled. "I said, fight me, you Bastard!"
He didn't need to be told twice. He had every intention of teaching her a lesson. He came at her, fists aflame, determination in his eyes.
Korra didn't even flinch. She met him head on, sending a flaming kick to the chest his way.
He dropped like a stone, the wind knocked out of him.
Korra ignited her hands with fire, her expression smug. "Anyone else want a piece of me?"
The other guards stood, shell shocked. The water tribe girl had firebended. Impossible...
They came to their senses, all of them rushing her at once. Korra quickly surveyed the situation. Four against one. Not the best odds, but she could work with them.
Korra dodged every single blow, ducking and weaving. The guards may have been stronger, but she was faster. She flipped her body through the air, gaining enough momentum for a powerful kick that that took out two of the guards at once. They crumpled in a heap, out cold.
One man caught her by surprise with a fiery punch to the gut. Korra hissed at the pain caused by the burn, but she quickly retaliated, firing two explosive fire blasts at him. He staggered backward, but regained his balanced. Korra didn't give up. She generated a blazing arc, slicing the air with her flames before she made contact with the man's face. It took one, two, three blows, before he tumbled to the ground.
Only one guard remained. The one who had hit her earlier. Korra smirked. This would be easy. She delivered quick, fiery jabs across his body, finishing with a firm kick in the shins that swept his feet out from under him. He landed on his back with a "thud".
Korra stood, chest heaving, as she took in the scene in front of her. Five men, including Lieutenant Hao, were lying unconscious on the floor.
Oh she was so going to get it.
A man started to stir on the ground, groaning in pain. Korra bolted for the door, running as fast as she could. The man turned his head in her direction, catching a glimpse of her leaving. "Somebody, stop her!" he shouted.
Korra raced through the corridors of the palace, heart pounding, her arms and legs pumping wildly. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get away. Maybe she could find Mako and Bolin, and they could escape. She rounded a corner, picking up speed. This was it. She was free.
She heard the pounding of footsteps behind her. "Guards! Stop her!" Korra ran even faster. She didn't go through all of this for nothing. She would be damned if she got caught.
She turned another corner. Come, on you're almost there…
She slammed into something. Hard.
"Arrgh!" She toppled to the floor, dazed. She looked up to find herself sprawled on top of a body adorned with ceremonial armor. Her eyes traveled further to find the person's face. A pair of golden eyes bored into hers, mirroring her shocked expression.
Zuko…
The sound of footsteps grew closer. Before Korra had time to react, Zuko hauled her to her feet, roughly grabbing her by her waist. She felt a searing heat against her neck. A fire dagger. She started to fight against his grip, when he whispered harshly in her ear. "Don't. Move." Zuko pressed the tips of his fingers into her waist, emphasizing his message.
A team of palace guards came into view, breathing hard from running. They froze when they saw that Zuko had apprehended Korra.
"Your Highness," panted a guard. "I see you've caught the girl."
"I did," Zuko said, his eyes narrowing. "What happened? How'd she get away?"
Lieutenant Hao stepped into view. Korra noticed that he had a slight limp. "That little whore attacked me and my men. She just ran out the door."
Zuko gritted his teeth. "You mean to tell me that you let this girl overpower you?" You and your team are supposed to be the best guards in the palace. How was she able to get the best of you?"
Hao flushed. "Well…she can firebend , Prince Zuko."
Korra expected Zuko to be surprised by this revelation. But if he was, he didn't show it. He simply nodded, not showing any emotion. "I'll see to it that she's punished. Severely."
Korra gasped at his statement, and started struggling. Had she been wrong about Zuko? She knew that he'd turned good at some point during the hundred year war. What was he going to do to her?
The Lieutenant chuckled. "Of course. Good day, Your Highness."
Zuko merely grunted in response.
He dragged her down a series of hallways, finally stopping when they were out of earshot. He released her, clearly annoyed. "What part of 'Don't move' don't you understand?"
Korra looked dumbfounded. "What?"
Zuko shook his head. "Never mind. Come on." He grabbed her arm, but Korra pulled away.
"Hold on," she said suspiciously. "Where are you taking me?"
He sighed. "I'm having you reassigned to a different servant's position. For obvious reasons. No one should have to serve Lieutenant Hao."
"Well, that's nice and all but…why are you helping me?" Her blue eyes shone with curiosity.
Zuko paused for a moment. Why was he helping her? He didn't have anything to gain by doing it. He was a Prince, and she was just a lowly peasant. But in the back of his mind, Zuko knew the reason. He'd seen her as she was forcibly dragged through the streets with her friends, to the palace. He saw her being forced into servitude, and he did nothing to stop it. This was his chance for redemption. "It doesn't matter," he finally said. "Now come on. I don't have all day."
He steered her down various hallways before stopping at the entrance to the servant's quarter. "We're here," he said, turning to Korra. "I'm not going in with you. Tell Madame Kuang that I've arranged for you to be assigned to a position in the kitchens."
Korra nodded. Her fingers swept aside the red curtain that covered the doorway. She looked back at Zuko. "Thank you. For doing this."
Zuko froze, glaring at her. "You really shouldn't be thanking me." It's partly my fault that you're in this situation, he thought. I could've helped you earlier. But I didn't.
Korra furrowed her brow, puzzled. "But-"
"Trust me," he said. "I haven't done anything to deserve praise."
He stormed away, leaving a confused Korra in his wake.
Azula lurked in the shadows, smiling deviously as she watched her brother walk away from the water tribe girl. He'd helped her. He went out of his way, when he didn't have to. Personally, Azula would've left the girl with the lieutenant, but it looked like Zuko had a heart. How sweet, she thought dully.
And then a realization came over her.
Zuko was aiding the slave that she captured. He was undermining her authority. Azula growled. She'd intended for the girl to be punished, not become her brother's pet.
She had an idea.
She was going to teach him a lesson. If Zuko liked the water tribe girl so much, then he would get her.
Azula would make sure of that.
So how was it? Let me know what you think in the review section. Also, just to let you know, I'm currently looking for a Beta reader, so if anyone would like to volunteer, I would really appreciate it. Otherwise, I'll just have to go Beta shopping (lol!) :). Anyway, I hope that every one has a safe and happy New Year! :D See you in 2013!
