Chapter 4: Fight
The sunlight poured into Mori's room, falling across her as she lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Normally she'd be long gone by this time – her balcony gave hear easy access to the back wall with a bit of climbing – but she'd barely slept that night with Chang's conversation weighing so heavily on her.
She might've stayed there all day were it not for the sounds of a sudden stampede down the hallway. By the synchronized footsteps, she could tell they were soldiers. She sat bolt upright. She'd never seen a single soldier aside from Chang in this part of the house. There had to be a reason, and it couldn't be good.
Mori scrambled out of bed and pulled on her clothes. Within a minute she stumbled into the hallway and ran in the direction the soldiers had gone, and from where she now heard Chang's voice booming, though she couldn't make out the words over the pounding of her heart and the rush of her fear.
The soldiers, some of them armed with spears, were gathered outside of Chihiro's room, their backs to Mori. She pushed her way through them and burst into her brother's room. She saw General Chang, flanked by two more soldiers, his back to her, standing in front of her father and brother. Each had two soldiers holding him by the arms in a way that could only mean they were being arrested.
"I apologize for making you bear this humiliation, Denjiro, but with your son resisting arrest, I had to call in more of my men, and I thought that knowing his father would be going with him might calm the boy."
There was a look of hatred so strong and pure on Chihiro's face, Mori almost had to look away. "Is this how you treat your new family?" he snarled. "I knew from the start you were no good, but this?"
"Our earthbender policy has become stricter across the region, so your father's departure is no fault of mine. But you, Chihiro," Chang stepped closer to him, clearly savoring the power he had. "You've only yourself to blame for your fate. Your rudeness, your insubordination –"
"Why should a man be subordinate to a worm?" Chihiro asked, lurching forward, bringing his face within inches of Chang's.
"You'll regret this."
"Regret what? Standing up for myself? Speaking my mind?"
Chang grinned evilly and snapped his fingers. Two soldiers in the doorway came forward and grabbed Mori before she had the chance to fight back. Of course. He knew she'd come.
"I thought you'd turn up," Chang said, turning to her. Mori couldn't hide her rage, but at least she kept the pain from her face – she could feel fingerprint bruises being raised on her arms; the soldiers' grip was so tight. Chang turned back to Chihiro. He'd missed the shadow of fear that had passed over Chihiro's face upon his sister's detainment. "With her father and brother gone, I'll be in charge of dear little Mori," he said, his voice slick with sick synthetic sweetness.
"And what about her mother?" Chihiro said, thought Mori could hear the doubt in his voice.
"Do you really think her mother will stand up to me?" Chang asked. Denjiro's head dropped, and he let out a sound like a choked sob. Chihiro looked at Mori. Both of their parents had long since been broken by Chang. They were on their own.
"I didn't think so," the general sneered in response to Chihiro's silence.
"You SNAKE!" Mori burst out, swinging her legs up and kicking Chang's back before the soldiers could pull her back. Chang caught himself before he fell. There was a moment of tense silence, and then he roared and rounded on Mori, fire engulfing one of his fists. Mori could only register that his flaming hand was headed straight for her face when she heard Chihiro shout, "Mori, get down!" as he pulled himself free from the soldiers and leapt forward. He slammed the general to the floor, and Mori felt the heat vanish in front of her face, an instant before it burned her.
The soldiers holding her released her to help General Chang to his feet while Chihiro's soldiers pulled him back, their hands so tight around his arms he grimaced. As Chang stood up, his breathing was audibly heavy with anger. First he rounded on Chihiro and roared, "You can go rot with the rest of the earth swine!" Then he turned to Mori with a deranged, furious, and revenge-thirsty look. "And you . . ." his voice was now a low growl, like an animal preparing to attack its prey. "You'll be sent to the colonies to learn how to behave, and the second I find someone with the patience to tame a beast like you, I'll marry you off!"
Mori lunged forward but was caught by a pair of soldiers at the last second.
"Like hell you will!" she shouted.
She was reeling from Chang's blow before she realized he'd hit her. The entire left side of her face stung.
"Mori!" Chihiro shouted, struggling against his soldiers.
"Get them out of here!" Chang ordered, his eyes on fire. The soldiers began filing out, first those with Denjiro, but his son wouldn't go so easily.
"Don't let them take your freedom, Mori!" Chihiro shouted, struggling against the soldiers as they tried to steer him out, digging his heels into the ground.
"Shut up!" Chang screamed, but there was nothing more he could do to them now.
"Remember what you fight for!" Chihiro shouted. Furious and desperate, Chang punched him. Blood gushed from Chihiro's nose and his head hung; he was barely conscious. Mori heard him murmur softly, "Remember . . . what you fight for . . . Mori."
"I'll remember! I'll remember!" Mori struggled to follow them, but the soldiers still on either side of her held her back. She watched as her brother disappeared down the hallway. "I'll remember." Tears streamed down her face and she hung limply between the guards, as if the weight of her grief was too much to bear. Chang gave her one last condescending look just before he walked out.
"You can leave her," he sneered. "She won't be any trouble anymore."
Mori dropped to her knees as the soldiers let go of her and walked out, closing the door, leaving her alone. More alone than she'd ever been, or would be again. She looked around the room desperately, as though she might find something to make it all right.
Remember what you fight for.
Mori stood up and wiped the tears from her face, setting her eyes in a hard stare. She decided that this would be the last time the Fire Nation would make her cry. She'd never be powerless again. She moved around Chihiro's room slowly, deliberately, looking for the things that had been most important to him, anything he wouldn't have wanted the Fire Nation to have. She took his swords, the canteen he'd had since before Mori was born, his blue headband, and on his dresser she found a wrapped package.
For Smellerbeeread the tag. Curious, she picked it up and slowly, gently, unwrapped it. Inside was a dagger in a leather sheath, attached to a belt. The blade was so smooth and perfectly shined that she could see her own reflection as clear as though it were a mirror. The handle was wrapped in thick, strong leather. She picked it up and made a few slashing movements in the air, feeling its weight in her hand, feeling her power return to her.
"I'll remember what I fight for."
