Rubik's Cube
A/N: I honestly want to get the stats for the story up, enjoy!
Chapter Nine: The Wolf Spirit
As they came closer and closer to the small island of Hira'a, Azula stood. Everyone looked back at her, weary of what she'd do. "Azula…" Zuko trailed off.
Her eyes widened, her pupils shrank, and it scared them. Is this what being in a Fire Nation institution for a year does to someone? She smirked and got up on the ledge of the saddle "Azula, get down from there!" yelled Zuko.
Her face simply dawned the broken grin from the day they fought "I can't tell you what a pleasure it's been riding with you all, listening to you bicker. Too bad not all siblings get along as well as Zuzu and me!" Her grin widened "But now that Hira'a is just a hop, skip, and a jump away, it's time to but farewell.
"I'll be sure to give her your best regards." And with that, she had jumped.
"No, Azula! We're too high up!" Zuko yelled after her before looking at Aang. "Aang, you have to do something!" With a nod, Aang had his glider out and was flying to get the falling girl.
Once he was close enough, he grabbed her. "I don't need you help, Avatar!" Azula had sent a small lick of fire into the wing of Aang's glider, sending him spiraling away from her. With a couple of flips, she had landed gracefully on the ground and started running; until she jumped a river that is.
She stood straight, looking at her surroundings. She was going to find the traitorous woman on her own. Her mind started scanning through her thoughts then, a familiar voice cut through the air "You're only hurting yourself, my daughter." No. Not here, not now.
She turned to look at the river and instead of seeing her own reflection; the woman who haunted her very being was there. "Don't pretend to care about me!" yelled Azula. She would not have her win. Not this time, not ever again.
"You thought you could break me, didn't you!" Her voice hitched in her throat "Didn't you?!" her eyes got wider in realization, her pupils dilating with her crazed rage and paranoia. "You thought you could break me by having Zuko lock me up in that-that institution!" she cut her hand across her body as if the emphasize her point.
She managed a guttural growl "But I'm stronger than you realize! I used all that time that I was in chains to figure out the truth!" she pointed to the woman's reflection "The truth about you, about your plans…
"You've been conspiring to take me down ever since the day I was born! Even when I was and infant… You saw in me something you never had! Power," she glared at the anomaly "That is why you think I'm a monster! You fear me; you fear my power!"
"No, Azula," said the reflection softly "I love you."
"Why mother? Why is it every day I'm in that institution… And every day I'm out of it you haunt me!" Azula grasped her head tightly, nails digging into her scalp.
"Because, Azula; I think you're confused. All your life you've had such a tight grip on everything, forcing yourself to have control. And then your grip loosened with every failure,"
"Shut up!"
"Every betrayal,"
"Stop it!" Azula choked back a sob.
"And every time you were called a monster, your grip got looser."
"Aargh! I still haven't figured out the details! How did you contact Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee after you left? How did you teach that snow peasant Katara how to make me fall!" She turned away, gripping her head harder "Luckily… Luckily Father was able to fend off your conniving long enough to lead me to this!"
The young girl pulled a letter out of her boot "Now… Now I have all the evidence I need to take myrightful place on the throne!" She looked back at the older woman's reflection "But I can't become Fire Lord with you constantly conspiring to undo me! That –that is why I'm going to find you, Mother.
"I'm going to find you… And when I do, you won't bother me any more. Because… I'm going to end you!"
"I love you, Azula. Please… Find yourself."
"This – This must be your most treacherous act, Mother! You've turned my own mind against me!" Azula yelled in agony, firing a blast of lightning into the river; causing the apparition to disappear.
Zuko, who was sent after her, had finally caught up to see a panting princess. He heard her yells, her angered words; but who were they directed at? "Who are you talking to?" He asked eyes wide with worry.
"Quit pretending to care!"
"Keep to our deal, Azula, we'll find her together."
"Don't be silly," said the princess whose hands were sparking with electricity "you need me, Zuzu. I have information that you don't. But now–now that we're so close to Hira'a, I don't really need you anymore."
"Please Azula, I don't want to fight."
Just as Azula was about to send out an attack, she was encased in ice "Out of the way, Zuko!" Azula growled as she hit the ground with a loud thud. "I don't appreciate you trying to set my boyfriend on fire!"
The two girls were completely unaware of what was really going on with the boys as Aang face contorted into well, an angry face. Zuko was confused "Aang, why are you making that face?"
"I feel a strange presence…" he grit out, unable to put his face back to normal.
"Of all the conspirators that she could have chosen, why an uncultured-" Azula cut herself off as a giant shadow loomed over them all. It was a wolf, well, a giant wolf. With –coincidently– the pattern of the face that Aang was making on its chest.
While Azula was still trapped in ice, the others decided to try and fend off the creature. The princess rolled her eyes at how they bickered as they fought, those fools. She wished her hands were free so she could drive her face into her palm as the Avatar tried to reason with the beast.
The young monk gestured to her bound form and said something to it. Surprisingly, when the spirit looked at her, he stopped his onslaught for a short moment. But seconds passed and the beast started attacking again. Azula watched as they tried attacking it with bending, but then it merely ate it. Moments later, the Avatar's bison came into play.
Appa's offense was going well, but the moment was short lived as the spirit released a swarm of moth-wasps from its mouth. Azula was tired of watching. "Free me, Zuzu and I'll take care those spirits for you."
"We don't need your help, Azula."
"Oh, of course, because you and your friends have it completely under control," Azula said rolling her eyes. "I'll admit it, alright? I shouldn't have run off on my own like I did. After all, we did make a deal." Azula smirked, knowing just the right cards to pull to gain control of her brother. "And if you can't trust your own family, who else can you trust?"
She knew she played the perfect cards when Zuko sent a blast at her icy confines, turning them to mere water. Azula kneeled, forming a ball of electricity; letting it grow larger and larger. As soon as she deemed it worthy, she sent it off into the distance, both the wolf spirit and the moth-wasps chasing after it.
The expression's on the Gaang's face were that of bewilderment as the princess got into a position to bow and said with a smirk graced upon her face "You're welcome."
A/N: Well, there's chapter nine. I think I'll slow down a little bit because I don't want to say something then The Search doing the opposite y'know? Let me tell you something though, I hate Kataang. In all honesty, I am going to refuse to write it. I can, but I won't. Kataang and Makorra are the only pairings that make bile rise in my throat. So, there is going to be an eventual Zutara; and maybe even some Azuchan. So on that note, TTFN MY FAIR READERS!