Chapter 5

A Change of Plans

"So, what are you anyway?" She asked him.

It was the first question she'd asked him since they'd made landfall. As soon as they reached shore, she'd jumped from the poorly tied together barrel raft and started moving through the woods. Not knowing what else to do, Yu followed behind her. Her leg chains and shackles made moving through the thick brush slow, though not as much as he would have assumed. He was once again surprised by how easily she was able to move in her restraints.

Earlier, he tried to suggest she ride piggyback, but the look he received halfway through that proposal had shut him up until now.

"Uh... I'm Yu" He stammered out, a little surprised by the question after such a prolonged silence.

She stopped and turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised.

"I think you're a little confused"

Yu shook his head a bit. Why did I stick with this name he wondered. It wasn't the first time in the last month he regretted his decision to keep this name.

"No, I didn't mean "you"." he said while motioning his hands at her. "It's my name, Yu"

"Perhaps I wasn't speaking clearly enough" She said, becoming agitated. "I didn't ask for your name, nor do I care. I'm curious as to what you are. You're not a firebender, at least like none I've ever seen."

"Oh that... well, I don't... It's a bit complicated"

"It'll wait then" She said while turning and continuing to move again. This wasn't the time for drawn out discussions. Azula knew her brother would be hearing about her escape anytime now, if he hadn't already. She'd need to find out more about this "Yu" later.

It's wasn't that she had any particular interest in him. She simply needed to know how useful he might be. Being fireproof was a nice trick, but it didn't do her much good. Being a walking firebomb was equally useless if, as she assumed, he had no ability to control it.

She stole a glance at her shackled hands while making a quick hop over a fallen tree, her leg irons making any sort of acrobatics that much more difficult. If anything, she thought, I'll at least need to keep him around until I can get these off.

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A few hours had passed when something caught Azula's attention. Through the trees to her left was what look like a small cabin. She changed direction and moved toward it. Yu followed.

The tree's opened into a clearing. The remains of a shallow rock wall partly surrounded the tiny shack, which was nothing more than a single room. Half the thatched roof was missing, no glass remained in the windows (if there ever was any in the first place), and the entire shack leaned a bit to the side. It had obviously not been occupied for years.

"Why'd we stop here?" Yu asked

Azula looked down at her shackles, then back up to the cabin.

"I need a key"

"A key?"

"Just look for anything small thin and metal"

It took Yu a few pulls on the door before it relented and began to open. A coating of rust broke off the hinges as the door was pulled slowly open. The shriek of grinding metal sent birds soaring out of the thatched roof that had become their nests.

They entered the cabin. The inside was covered in cob webs and bird dropping's, coated over with a thick layer of dust. A small warped table sat against one wall, a single rickety chair in front of it. A small rust covered wood burning stove sat in the corner, it's broken smoke stack lay on the floor beside it. A small set of cabinets, with only one door still intact, lined the wall across from it. What used to be a mattress, now just a sanctuary for rodents and insects, sat in another corner.

Azula pulled the chair out from the table with her foot. She scanned it, making sure it wasn't covered in anything she'd rather not sit in, then sat down.

Yu searched the cabin, looking for something that fit her description. In the back of one of the cabinets was a rusty fork with two tines missing.

"Guess it'll have to do" he whispered to himself while turning to Azula.

"You'll need to make a small bend in the tip" Azula instructed.

Not having any tolls around, Yu had to improvise, stabbing the fork into the table top then bending it backward. It was a bit crude, but did the trick.

"These shackles may look impressive, after all they are meant to restrain me." Azula said, instructing him on how to pick the lock as he slipped the makeshift tool into the latch "But the lock itself is fairly simple. Just..."

'CLICK'

The shackles popped off her hands before she even began explaining how to do it. Yu looked at the pick with a small smile on his face.

"Huh, just lucky I guess" He said while adding in his head, Maybe I used to be a thief or something?

She curled her hands into fists, then flexed them open. A surge of anger washed over her as she looked down at the discarded shackles lying on the tabletop. How dare they do this to me! They'll pay for this, He'll pay for this.

She snatched the lock pick from Yu's hands and removed her leg irons.

Free,of her restraints she stood up and walked outside into the clearing behind the cabin. She stretched out, performing a few basic fire Kata. She closed her eyes while maintaining her movements, concentrating on the energy flowing through her. Her eyes flashed open, and in a sudden flurry of motion a, she jumped high into the air, twisting her body sideways, blue flames tracing through the air behind her right foot. She landed, planting her flaming foot onto the ground, a perfect circle of blue flame billowed out around her.

She stood up and smiled. Reveling in the feeling of being able to expend her powers once again.

Yu, who was leaning against the frame of the open door, had watched the entire display in awed silence. Before, while she was still in chains, he'd been impressed by how easily she was still able to move, but it was nothing compared to Azula's unrestrained grace , her movements were almost poetic to watch. He was equally impressed by her blue flames. He'd never seen that before.

"I knew you were a strong bender when I first felt you but..."

"Felt me!" She spat back at him, as her head snapped in his direction. The smile quickly fading from her face as her eyes narrowed and pierced into him.

Yu straightened up and tried to stammer out a response

"Uh, that's... that's not... I didn't uh... that was a really bad choice of words."

"Then, for the sake of your own continued well being, I suggest you "choose" better words." She replied in a silky cold voice that was even more unsettling than her stare.

"I can fee... sense when benders are around." Yu tried explaining.

The anger in her eyes faded, replaced with a slightly bemused look "Really" she said, . An insidious smile spread across her face as she now looked him over, one eyebrow raised. He wasn't sure he liked this any better.

"Then once again I'll have to ask. Exactly, what are you?"

Yu shrugged his shoulders "That's what I was at the hospital in the first place." Yu said to her.

She gave him a sideways glance, as though she was trying to ascertain whether or not he was lying.

He sensed that she wasn't exactly satisfied with that answer. So he went into more detail "I don't even know who I am. Much less why I can do what I can do. I can only remember the last month or so, nothing before that. I was really hoping they could help. But... well, you know what happened."

Without warning, she hit him with a blast of fire directly in the chest. Yu had no time to react and the fire hit him, the flames curled around his body and evaporated into the air. He looked down at where she just struck him, then slowly looked back up at her in slight disbelief.

She stood about 10 feet from him a devious smile on her face, one hand on her chin.

"Any other talents I should know about" She asked him.

Her fire blast reminded him of a question that had been on his mind all morning. So instead of answering her question, he asked one of his own.

"When you used your fire breath on me this morning, to fool the guards. How did you know it wouldn't hurt me?"

"Oh that" she said "I wasn't entirely sure it wouldn't. Though, based on what I'd already seen, I was willing to take the risk"

Yu stared at her for a moment, unable to say anything. Was... she serious? He realized with a dawning horror that she was.

"You were willing to take the risk..." He stammered, anger starting to boil up inside him. "I'm the one..."

"Well yes" She responded coolly. "Had you caught on fire I'm sure your screaming and thrashing about would have briefly served a useful distraction. Though, hobbled as I was, I doubt I would have made it very far, much less been able to pilot the boat. So it worked out rather well for both of us that you were."

He stood with his mouth agape. He couldn't believe what she was saying. No wonder she was being held at that hospital, this girl really was crazy.

He'd had enough, it was time to wash his hands of this and get out of here.

"Listen, thanks for helping me out an all, but now that you've been... deshackled. I really don't see that you need my help anymore. So I'll be on my way" Yu turned around and started walking away.

No, Azula thought, I could care less about his other abilities, but if he can sense when benders are around... That's something I could use.

She knew her brother would have men after her soon enough. With no troops, servants or friends to rely on anymore, having someone around that could give her early warning of an approaching threat or impending ambush could prove invaluable. No, this was far to advantageous to simply let him walk away.

"Oh, I don't know if that's such a good idea" He heard her say from behind him. The politeness in her voice seemed intentional insincere, as though she knew something important that he didn't, and that worried him.

He turned to face her. She was already slowly walking toward him, a crooked sly smile on worming it's way across her face.

"After all, not only did you just destroy part of a hospital. You also kidnapped and threatened a princess in the process"

"A princess!?" Yu replied "Yeah, and I'm the Earth King"

So, that's why she was in there. He thought. She thinks she's a princess.

"Either way..." Azula continued, hardly taking notice of the insult "That still doesn't change the fact that you did kidnap me."

"What!? But... but that was your idea" Yu protested, he didn't like where this was going.

"While that is true, you and I are the only ones that know that"

She started to circle him as she continued to talk.

"All anyone else saw was you dragging away a poor helpless girl, barely coherent enough to walk on her own. And after such a violent and unprovoked attack on a hospital of all places."

Yu started to understand the position he was in. She'd manipulated him like a puppet, using his fear and panic to gain total control of the situation.

She continued. The fake politeness in her voice somehow driving the point even harder.

"If we separate now, and I get found first, well... after what they witnessed, I can just tell them anything I want now can't I. After all, I am the hapless victim in all this." She stopped, and stood to his left, tilting her head slightly and looking at him from the corner of her eyes.

"Now, if you happen to get captured without me around, do you honestly think they'll believe anything you have to say. In fact, they'll most likely assume you left me to drown or possibly just killed me yourself."

She'd lifted her hand in front of her face and casually looked at her nails, as though the conversation were boring her.

"I believe swift execution is how they generally deal with murderer's in the Fire Nation."

She looked up from her examining her nails and locked eyes with him.

"But, the decision really is yours. I'm sure you would have gotten out of that situation just fine without my help. You should have no trouble at all evading half the Fire Nation military on your own".

Her sarcasm wasn't lost on him. The only reason he hadn't been captured and thrown in a cell this morning was because of her. He also realized that, now that he was wanted, he wouldn't last long without her help. On top of that, he'd just told her that he didn't even remember who he was, so she knew he had nowhere to go or on no one to turn to.

Doesn't look like I have much of a choice. he lamented.

He couldn't figure out if he was more angry or impressed, so he settled on a little of both.

"Looks like you came up with the perfect plan." He said to her. Azula turned and started to walk back toward the cabin. She stopped and spoke to him over her shoulder.

"Instead of standing there, why don't you make yourself useful and see what you can do about finding some food. And do hurry, It's already getting and we still have ground to cover."

"Fine, princess" he said back, wishing he could've come up with something more clever to say.

Azula, satisfied that she'd made her point, walked into the cabin and sat at the small table.

Perfect plan? she thought, recalling what he'd just said, hardly...

The taking of Ba Sing Se was the perfect plan. Misleading and capturing the invasion force during the eclipse, that was the perfect plan. Today was far from "perfect". It was desperate, she simply had no other options. It was sloppy, she new nothing about this "Yu" at the time and had no guarantee he'd actually listen to here . Worst of all, it relied far too much on chance, and Azula never left anything to chance.

...At least, she didn't used too.

No, there was nothing "perfect" about it. It had worked, that was the best she could say.

If only I didn't have to worry about...

"Those people were trying to help you Azula" came a womans voice to her ears.

Azula's eyes narrowed and she gritted her teeth. The cabin was empty, she knew no one else could be there, but she heard the voice anyway. Her mother's voice.

"I was wondering when you'd show up." Azula said, her voice quiet and calm.

"Please Azula, don't do this"

"Sorry mother, you'll have to be a little more specific. I do have a very busy schedule after all"

"I know what your planning Azula. Your brother isn't..."

"Of course."She interrupted, a short laugh escaping as she spoke "Trying to save Zuzu again." The smile left her face, replaced by a scowl. "...Like always"

"It's not your brother I'm trying to save."

"LIAR!" Azula yelled, jumping up from her chair. She spun around and kicked the rickety old chair against the wall, Splinters of wood exploded everywhere as the chair exploded on impact. Everything she'd been withholding since being placed in the hospital now boiled over. Unrestrained, her rage took hold of her.

"ALL YOU'VE EVER CARED ABOUT WAS HIM!" She screamed, a stream of blue fire shot from her hand and splashed against the wall. The old dry wood of the small cabin caught erupted into flames instantly.

"YOU NEVER CARED ABOUT ME! DON'T PRETEND TO CARE ABOUT ME NOW!" Her voice was strained and tears started flowing down her face. She spun around and blasted another wall, the cabin quickly becoming engulfed in flames. She momentarily stood in the growing inferno, breathing heavily while staring into the fires that raged around her, threatening to consume her with the cabin. She turned and ran out of the doorway as flames began to wrap around the frame.

She ran a few yards from the burning cabin, then turned and unleashed another torrent of fire, forcing every last bit of energy she could into the flames. She couldn't attack the voice in her head, but she needed to destroy something, she needed the release She screamed, pouring all of her anger, frustration, pain, and loathing into the fire erupting from her hands, as though doing so would cleanse her of those emotions.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she poured wave after wave of brilliant blue fire onto the small building, continuing even after it's structure collapsed under the intensity of the onslaught. But still she didn't relent, her fire cascading onto the debris. She started to strain, her fire began to weaken. Her barrage of fire thinned and sputtered until it became a trickle, then weaker still until only a few weak puffs of flame remained.

Spent, she fell to her knees. She stared down at the ground in front of her. Watching the light from the fire dance across the ground. Her body was shaking, her breath came in short heavy bursts, like an exhausted animal after making a kill. Small puffs of blue fire issued from her mouth with the exhale of every breath.

She tried to calm herself, turning her face up towards the flames, eyes closed, basking in the heat. She held her eyes closed even tighter. Her breathing slowed and her tears stopped. She stood up and opened her eyes, looking at the fire.

"Just leave me alone." she said while staring at the building she'd just annihilated.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Yu wasn't looking for food. He went into the woods and sat against a tree, trying to figure his way out of this. He'd not been there long before he heard a scream, primal and angry, from the direction of the cabin. He jumped to his feet and went running back toward the cabin, wondering if they;d been found this quickly, maybe they were under attack.

He came out of the woods to see Azula standing in front of a burning pile of rubble. He could tell from the rhythm of her body's movement that she was breathing heavily.

"What just..."

Surprised, she spun around and hit him with a blast of flame. He put up his hands out reflexively as the fire impacted and swirled around him. Even though safe from the fire itself, the impact of the attack was still enough to send him reeling backward.

"Whoa whoa, what.. what are you doing!"

Yu put his hands down and surveyed the situation. The girl (who's name he still didn't know) was standing in front of him. Her face contorted in anger and breathing heavily.

That's it, Yu thought. I'll take my chances on my own. I've gotta get away from this girl. She's completely...

Then he noticed her eyes, red and puffy, and saw the wet streaks running down her face.

He hadn't noticed it right away, being somewhat preoccupied with being lit on fire, but she looked as though... as though she'd been crying?

"Are... are you alrigh..." He began to ask before realizing the absurdity of the situation.

What am I doing? He thought. She just tried to kill me!, why am I asking if she's alright?

"We're leaving" she spat back at him. She gave one last look to the remains of the cabin. "There's nothing left here anyway"

She turned on her feet and headed back into the woods.

Yu didn't know what to think. He looked at her as she walked away. Then back to the smoldering pile that had recently been a cabin. Then behind him at the woods, away from this crazy girl.. If he was going to run, now would be the time. He took a deep breath and made his decision.

Yu turned and followed Azula.

"This is a really bad idea" he whispered under his breath.

Azula looked back and made sure Yu was following. Though she wouldn't admit it to herself, there was another reason she wanted him around. It was the very same reason she had submitted herself to being shackled and chained just so she could be allowed out into the hospitals inner courtyard. Out were she'd be surrounded by other people. Her mother's voice only came to her when she was alone.

"It's not Zuko I'm trying to save"

She kept hearing the last thing her mother said to her only moments ago...

Azula walked on, lost in thought. Save who then, me! From what? The only thing I need saving from is you. I just want you out of my head. I don't know how you're doing it, but I think I know how to make it stop. After all, if Zuko weren't around, you'd have no one to protect, and I can finally be free of you.

Zuko. He'd taken everything from her, and she wasn't going to stand for it! There would be no "Agni Kai" this time. This wasn't a matter of Honor. Her brother cared about such things, she didn't. Nor was this about getting her throne back. What was the point when everyone was just waiting to betray you. The desire for power that once fueled her ambitions had now given way to something more primal.

All she wanted now was revenge. Regardless of the consequences, she would see her brother dead.