"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"Are we there yet?"
"NO!"
"Are we there yet?"
"Damn it, Toph! What part of 'no' don't you understand?"
Toph smiled in satisfaction, leaning back with her arms crossed behind her head. She loved to get a rise out of Sokka; it was the only thing that got her up in the morning.
"Will you two lovebirds shut up?" Zuko hissed. "Some people enjoy the peace and quiet."
Sokka gaped at him. Just when he was about to protest, Toph told the banished prince to "can it" and kicked him in the shin. After being cramped on Appa for so very long, everyone was getting quite crabby. While Sokka, Toph, and Zuko argued on who should be the one to shut the hell up, the Earth King and Iroh were bickering over which brand of tea was the finest, and Katara was yelling at Jet to "please stop throwing leechey nuts at the prisoner". Even Momo and Bosco were getting into a squabble. Ultimately, the flying lemur had taken to pulling the bear's fur out in order to line the nest he was building in the Earth King's ornate skirts. Aang, himself, was watching them all with wide eyes, particularly fearful of the hot sparks flying from Azula's flaring nostrils.
"What did you call me?" Sokka shrieked, shoving Zuko into the very unfortunate Bosco.
"IT IS JASMINE, I SAY!" Iroh roared, throwing his hands into the air to emphasize his point.
"JET! DON'T PUT THEM UP HER NOSE!" Katara bellowed, slapping Jet in the head.
"Gerlernerrbrvvvvn!" Momo squawked with malicious eyes, pawing Bosco's ear.
"Guys!" Aang called desperately. No one even looked up. Zuko and Sokka continued to insult each other with increasingly ridiculous names, Jet persisted into poking leechey nuts up Azula's nose, Iroh and the Earth King glared at each other, and Momo would not stop torturing the poor bear that had had enough for one day. Aang sighed as he sank back down on Appa's head.
"Are we there yet?" Toph lazily called over the quarreling.
Aang looked up, and smiled. He turned to look over his shoulder. "I believe we are."
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They landed just on the outskirts of town, away from any suspicious or prodding eyes. The Fire Nation still reined over Omashu and it wouldn't be good if the gang was caught strolling through the market. Also, they were certain that the resistance would be close.
Toph did a belly-flop on her sweet, sweet ground. Jet dragged Azula off by the neck and sat her on the ground as Katara pulled Momo off of the bear and told him to behave himself.
"Out of my way, moron," Zuko snapped, elbowing Sokka in the ribs.
"Idiot," Sokka shot.
"Oaf," Zuko retorted.
"Butthead."
Zuko stared. "Butthead?" he repeated slowly, cocking an eyebrow.
"I didn't stutter," said Sokka, sniffing.
"I can't believe you just called me a butthead," Zuko said, shaking his head.
"I canth belief you justht called me a butthshead," said Sokka in exaggeration, poking fun at Zuko's slight lisp.
"Stop that!"
"Ssthhop that!" Sokka laughed. "Dear god, you sound like a spider-snake!"
Just before Zuko could pound on him a little, there came a small scream. Zuko and Sokka stared at each other before turning to look at Katara. Her face was bloodless and pale.
"Did you just squeal?" Zuko asked in disbelief.
"Hey!" Sokka shot at him. "Don't make fun of my sister." Sokka then turned to face Katara. "Did you just squeal?" Katara stared ahead of her, something to the right of Sokka...Something in the bushes. "What, did you see a spider or something?" He took out his boomerang, as if that could do anything. Katara did not reply. Her bottom lip trembled. "Katara?" Sokka took a step forward to properly see what she was looking at. He gasped. "Oh my god."
Katara's hands shook. "No," she whispered. "No."
Zuko walked up and shoved Sokka out of the way. He shrank back at the sight. Three women were sprawled out on the ground; they were stark-naked...And they were dead.
The smell itself made Zuko want to retch. The corpses had started decomposing in the summer heat, the flies licking at their flesh. Although several parts were missing, as if gnawed off by wild animals, their faces were easy to distinguish. Smeared red and white makeup covered most of their countenances, their hair making a halo about their faces.
"Suki," Sokka murmured, dropping his boomerang. "Suki..." He fell to his knees. Katara whimpered beside him, unable to look away. Toph had her back to everything. Although she couldn't see, she could smell the rotting of flesh.
"How...awful" was all Iroh managed to get out.
"Who could have done such a...?" Zuko whispered.
"I know who," said Sokka menacingly. He stood up, his face contorted in rage. He spun to confront Azula. He kicked her. She fell, her head bobbing on her neck. He kicked her again and again. "YOU KILLED HER! I KNOW YOU DID! YOU BITCH! GET UP!"
Azula could not get up. She was sticky with blood and she could barely move. She couldn't feel anything except the repeated blows to her ribs and face.
"Stop," she managed to croak. Sokka ignored her. Zuko wrestled with him, yelling something that Azula couldn't make out. The world was crashing down around her. Everyone was shouting; Azula couldn't take it anymore. The last thing she remembered before she blacked out was watching the crystalline tears blur her vision, trickling down her cheeks, mingling with the blood and dust. She found herself horrified to realize that she was not crying because of the pain, but because of what she had done.
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Sokka cried that night. He sobbed and sobbed until there were no tears left, and when that happened, he began to scream. He cursed anything and everything. He wanted to kill her, he truly did. He wanted to make Azula pay. He would have too if Zuko hadn't punched him in the mouth. Sokka felt his lip. It was still swollen from previous assault.
She's gone. She's really gone, he thought, utterly devastated. I knew this would happen. Just like Yue. I warned Suki! She wouldn't let me protect her, and look what happened. Oh, Suki...I'm going to kill Azula.
"Sokka?"
To Sokka's surprise, it was Zuko who walked towards him through the brush. He hesitated, waiting to see if Sokka would attack him or not. When the Water Tribe boy did not rise, Zuko took a step forward.
"You almost killed my sister," he said.
Sokka didn't answer.
"This girl, Suki...Did you know her well?"
"I loved her," said Sokka numbly.
Zuko frowned. There was a long pause. "I don't really know what to say. My uncle made me come here to apologize. Honestly, I don't know why. If I hadn't punched you, my sister would be dead..." Zuko stole a glance at him. "How's the lip?"
"Go away," said Sokka with a sigh.
"I'm just trying to help," said Zuko heatedly. "You don't always have to be a jerk about everything."
"YOUR SISTER KILLED MY FRIEND!" Sokka bellowed. "I think I have every right to act this way." Sokka glared at him. "Now," he continued, trying to keep his voice steady, "go away."
Zuko's shoulders sagged as he slowly turned around and went back the way he had come, kicking up loose stones and brush. "Have it your way," the firebender whispered. He then looked once more at Sokka before adding, "Just for the record, I didn't kill her. So don't take it out on me...I know that we aren't exactly friends...and I doubt that we'll ever become so; but...," Zuko gritted his teeth, "it will do all of us good if we show each other a bit more respect. I'm sorry for your loss...I don't know if this means anything to you, but I know what it is like to lose a loved one. Don't act like you're the only one." Zuko didn't wait for Sokka to answer before making his way back to the campsite.
Sokka wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his chin on his knees. He glanced at the puddle beside him with a sigh. In the reflection, he could see the full moon high above him in the sky.
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"I'm almost reluctant to do this myself," said Katara solemnly to Aang, "but we need her alive. Sokka may come back any time now, and he isn't going to understand why I healed her. Either way, it isn't going to be good." The Water Tribe girl leaned over the wounded firebender. It seemed as if Azula wasn't having the best of luck. For Appa to stop in the same clearing of where three Kyoshi Warriors were murdered by the Fire Princess's hand...It had to be fate.
Katara sighed as she swept her shimmering hand across Azula's face, then working on the ugly bruises along the firebender's ribs."Why did I have to be a waterbender?" Katara muttered to herself. It would be easier if I couldn't heal her, then I wouldn't have to choose between saving the war and my brother.
Toph came and sat down next to her. "I buried them," she whispered, lifting her sightless eyes to Katara. "I couldn't stand the smell."
Katara nodded. "Thank you, Toph. Now we only have to worry about Sokka."
"He's impossible," came a voice. Katara looked up to see Zuko. His face was blank and unsmiling. "It was wrong for Uncle to send me; I think I just made it worse. Jet is trying to talk with him now. This isn't working. The rest of us have gone to speak with him and he only responds by blowing up in our faces! You need to talk to him. Look, you're all done with Azula, meaning you have no more excuses not to talk to him."
"Sometimes, Zuko," said Katara, "it is best not to talk. Maybe he would just like company...to know that we're there for him." She sighed. "And you're right; I have no more excuses. I'm just scared, that's all. My brother didn't bode well with Yue's death. This probably has pushed him over the edge...I don't want to see him like that."
"Well, then; he needs your company now," said Zuko simply.
Katara nodded silently before standing up on shaky legs to see her brother.
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"Since when did you care?" Toph asked.
"What?" asked Zuko, turning his head to look at her.
"Sokka," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Since when did you care?"
"I don't," he said, crossing his arms, "but having him get over this will get us moving quicker. That's all I care about."
"Right," said Toph, though she didn't sound at all convinced.
Zuko stared ahead of him into the flames.
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"WHAT?" the Fire Lord roared, fire jumping at his feet.
The messenger fell backwards on the ground, trembling. "I-I'm s-sorry, m-my l-lord!" he stuttered. "H-her s-steed came b-back w-without her! I w-was s-sent t-to you a-at once."
The Fire Lord's voice was dangerous. "And why, for Agni's sake, didn't you all go after her?"
"She t-told us n-not to!" he cried.
"The Avatar has my daughter! Do you know what this means?"
The messenger shook his head vigorously.
"It means, you remarkable twit, that he is going to use her against me. It means that the Avatar now has an upper hand in this war. Princess Azula is a key to this whole thing. She is my greatest aide in dominating the other nations." The Fire Lord stood up. "I hope this will help you understand why I am about to kill you."
"P-please!" he cried; but it was too late. The Fire Lord raised his hands and electrocuted him. The messenger fell to the ground...He was dead.
"Guards," said Fire Lord Ozai, "come back with my daughter or don't bother coming back at all."
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A/N: Don't kill me. I know some of you may like the Kyoshi warriors, but seeing as Azula did steal their clothes, I didn't think it likely that all of them survived. Well, I suppose it wasn't likely that Jet survived either but...whatever.
To answer a few questions:
Is Azula starting to become a good guy now?
Not really, no. She's still evil and don't even think about her joining them. Not happening.
Wouldn't Azula become Fire LADY if she took the throne?
Well, I guess she would; but seeing as there have only really been Fire Lords, I thought I would keep the traditional title.
Pairings?
Eh, I'm not a fan of writing romance, but I'll do what I can. I am going to try and keep it realistic with the show (with only a FEW surprises).
And the whole thing about why didn't Toph just bend off Jet's shackles...well...my bad. I should have thought of that. shrugs If you guys really want me to, I'll go back and change it. Yeah, I guess trying to hit it with a rock wasn't the best idea. Also with Toph, about not hearing the vibrations of Azula coming towards them; I actually had thought of that. I only wanted Zuko to see her first because...well because. Toph was preoccupied in chatting and drinking tea, so that is my excuse. And no, I don't have all of the chapters on my computer. I didn't realize that I was writing fast. So, if there are anymore questions, I would be happy to answer them! Thank you for all the reviews! They make me feel special.