Author's Note:
Alright, I know you guys probably hate me for not updating for, what, FOUR MONTHS, but I'm back with two whole chapters for you, so don't kill me, 'kay?
I haven't been updating because I was really, really busy with betaing another friend of mine's story.
Disclaimer: Azula?
Azula: "If she owned A:TLA, I'd be the Fire Lord by now."
So without further ado, I present Chapter 7!
Ty Lee's POV
We left the canyon after a delicious dinner, made by Jien, of course. Azula's cooking is usually burnt by the time she gets done with it.
I'm still kinda scared, after Azula's freak-out earlier. She's walking ahead of me, talking animatedly to Jien about weapons, mostly swords. I have no experience with weapons except Mai's daggers, and I still don't know much about how she uses them.
"Um, Azula?"
She glances back at me and laughs a bit.
"Oh, Jien, I think we're leaving Ty Lee out of the conversation. Would you tell her about the capabilities of Dual Daos?"
He nods, smiling, and over the next hour, he tells me about different weapons and the special abilities of each one, and by the time we stop for the night, I know how a battle-axe is correctly swung and exactly how to maneuver it to disarm an opponent.
We stop in a clearing by twilight. There's a stream not far from us, so I go and get some water for our dinner. When I get back, Azula is sitting on her sleeping bag, maps spread out in front of her, with Jien digging a fire pit on the other side of the camp. I set down the water and gather a pile of stones to line the pit's edge. Then Jien pulls out his Dual Daos and cuts some firewood. Azula glances away from her maps long enough to shoot a blast of fire into the pit, and Jien and I start on the stew.
When the stew is done, I set a bowl by Azula and she picks it up, setting down the map in her hands. Jien takes a loaf of bread from his pack and slices off three pieces, one for each of us.
Half an hour later…
"Alright, I think that's enough maps for the night. Jien. Put the swords away."
Jien and I pause in the middle of sword practice. He's been teaching me the basics of Dual Dao fighting. I hand him the swords and walk over to my sleeping bag.
Azula sets down her maps, rolling them up and putting them in her satchel. She pulls her hair out of its bun and sets the hairpiece on the satchel, snuggling into her sleeping bag. Jien and I follow suit and soon we are all asleep.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Azula's POV
Shadows swirl around me, twisting and twirling, morphing into the faces of the people I trusted.
Mai.
"You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you."
Ty Lee.
"Come on! Let's get out of here!"
Zuko.
"Sorry, but you're not going to become Fire Lord today. I am."
Father.
"I've decided to lead the fleet of airships to Ba Sing Se alone. You will remain here in the Fire Nation."
Mother.
"No. I love you, Azula. I do."
The shadows clear and my mother stands before me, dressed in her red robes. She stretches out a hand to me, and I step forward to take it.
But as I do, I see her eyes.
Black.
Cold.
Empty.
She lunges toward me, and I scream in terror as her fingers turn into claws.
The shadows swirl around me, and I am once again engulfed in black.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
I wake, breathing heavily, my chest feeling tight and my throat feeling small.
Clumsily pulling on my boots, I stumble to the stream and splash my face with water, sinking to my knees on the bank of the stream.
"I love you, Azula. I do."
I gasp, the ghostly voice echoing in my head and around me, as the shadow s in the forest taunt me, shapes swirling in the darkness.
"Azula?"
I whirl around, my hair flying out behind me, and see Ty Lee, her blanket pulled around her shoulders and a worried look on her face.
"Azula, was it another nightmare?"
I get to my feet and brush the dirt and grass from my knees.
"No, of course not. Go back to bed. I'm fine."
She frowns, flicking a strand of hair away from her face.
"Azula, you may be good at lying, but I can tell when you're doing it. Tell the truth."
I shift my gaze to the stream.
"Nothing."
"Azula. Don't lie."
I grit my teeth and sigh in exasperation.
"Azula, tell me what reall-"
"It's NOTHING! Go to bed and leave me alone!"
I storm back to the campsite and sit down in front of the dying fire.
I flick my finger and the flames flare up again.
Curling up in my sleeping bag, I watch the fire flicker, praying that it won't die and leave me in the darkness.
Even if I do have nightmares, nobody can know that I'm weak.
0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Ty Lee's POV
I trudge slowly back to the camp, Azula's outburst replaying in my head.
She seemed uncomfortable and guarded, but her aura had betrayed her and told me how she was really feeling.
It was a dark gray, the color of fear.
Azula was scared.
She tried to hide it, though. Why?
Then I remember that Azula was always the bravest of the three of us, when it was just me, Mai and Azula. She would protect me from bullies at school and stand up to Mai's dad.
She's scared to show that she's weak.
I come to a stop at the edge of the campsite and look over the scene in front of me.
Jien is asleep, curled up and cuddling with his Dual Dao scabbard.
The fire is blazing high, red flames shedding light across the clearing.
And Azula is sitting in front of it, curled up in a sleeping bag, golden eyes never moving from the fire.
I sigh and walk over to my pile of blankets, jumping in and burrowing in them.
Her eyes flick over to me for a second, and then go back to watching the fire.
"You know, Azula, it's not bad to be weak. Everyone is."
She doesn't look over, but a single tear falls from her cheek, and I realize just how scared she is, because Azula never cries.
The last time Azula even got close to crying was on Ember Island, when she was talking about her mother.
I get up from my pile of blankets and walk over, sitting down next to her. She leans over and rests her head on my shoulder, the tears now flowing freely from her eyes. I smile sadly and hand her one of my blankets.
"We'll find her, Azula. Don't worry."
End of Chapter 7.
