Book One: The Oracle
Chapter Ten: From The Ashes, Part 1: The Mask
A/N: As you may recall from the last chapter (or you could just go read the Author's Note...), I said "This (chapter nine) is the last consecutive "gaang" chapter." Now, if you didn't understand, here's what I've been talking about. This chapter is not focused on the gaang, but rather, a more interesting point of view. But don't worry. I assume some of you only read this for the fluff, but there has to be some drama, hmm? So, with that said, let's go onward shall we?
Bwahahaha! Be afraid. Be very afraid. This chapter is a HUGE and TERRIBLE cliffhanger. -sorry- :)
By the way, I'm dedicating chapters to certain people now. Yay. It'll be right above the Disclaimer.
arizony: Thank you, tremendously. I'm glad to read your reviews!
Mr.Kataang: I'm happy you're enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it.
Avatar Wolf: I'm with you there... Thank you.
DuHSPaZZiNGFeL: Perfect, huh? Wow. Thanks!
avatar209: Fluff is truly amazing... but I must explore!
Jeni27: Haha, I love your rants. Thank you so much! And also, thanks for the new word to add to my vocabulary.
Randomicity: Okay. I know you don't mind fluff and all, but I also know you want to read some of this chapter, too. Well, I hope you do... I had to thicken the plot somehow...
XxFaithXxHopeXxLoveXx777: Well, I appreciate the reviews as always. And I've noted your name. Thanks for sticking around!
Glistening blue eyes: Kataang fluff, Kataang fluff. My favorite thing of all. But I have to please all my readers, so endure this chapter, please? -for me?-
RandomWarning: I should hit you. But I can't. I don't want to end up like my brother. Or Sokka... And yes. When I say Kataang fluff, I mean KATAANG FLUFF! xD Thanks for review 100, by the way. :D
Nasecoeur42: Ahh, review 101. It's nice. Lol. Thank you. I'm loving your enthusiam, and like I've said to others, please endure this chapter. And the next, I guess. But there will be Kataang fluff like you wouldn't imagine. I promise you!
hsm2fangurl: I'm going, I'm going! :P Thanks, so much!
This chapter is dedicated to Randomicity. I know you were dying to bathe in the action.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of the characters within it.
Yulla was her name.
It surprised many people that the Earth King would recruit someone from the Fire Nation as an assistant and personal advisor. She was one of those people who didn't trust anyone unless she was instructed to, and Kuei took an immediate liking to her for that very reason. She got things done, but, it was her identity that caused her to be so precise rather than her passion for her career. She took it all very seriously; possibly too seriously. She was the reason the curtains were pulled aside to let the performers free, so to speak. She'd steer clear of being part of the actual entertainment. But, all in all, she was okay with that. Yulla had already done a far better job with the Earth Kingdom than Long Feng could've dreamed, and Kuei adored her for it.
Her life was a chaotic one. At the age of three, she was imprisoned for disobedience. She was personally grateful to the Avatar for setting the world straight, even though she believed Ozai deserved the death penalty for his deeds. She dispised the Fire Nation on account of the war and the agony it bestowed on her childhood. She was relentless when it came to venturing there, even for meetings. Problems and arguments ensued, causing the Earth King to reluctantly let her stay home, instead of journeying where she felt uncomfortable.
Although her life was not perfect, everything she wished for was beginning to fall into place and she realized she was happy. She wondered how long it would last.
Her question was soon answered. One afternoon, out of nowhere, she was suddenly overcome with a feeling of paranoia and anxiety. Every turn on the road home was a nightmare. She could hear the footsteps, the soft laughter, and the ignition of flames. Someone was following her. Calm silences and nice dreams were a thing of the past as they all turned to fear of the unknown. Her pulse quickened with every breath she took outside the confines of the King's palace. For the first time, she felt vulnerable within the walls of Ba Sing Se.
Her brain foraged only struggling and attempting to claw at her attacker, while her lungs failed miserably in allowing her to scream. In the end, the last thing she remembered was blackness, followed by a sudden calm and soothing feeling. Yulla fluttered her eyelids, viewing three figures in her blurry vision as they stared her down and cranned their necks to study her. Her eyes darted from them to a small yellow light floating above the ground in a circular motion. The figures spoke in a soft, reassuring tone. They were words she couldn't even comprehend, but drowziness swept over her like wind.
Now her master was the perfect Yulla. She was five feet, six inches, with cropped, black hair and cat-like golden eyes. She wore petal blossom perfume, a long silver cloak, and thin, black rimmed glasses. She would coax herself in the shadows to soothe her broken spirit until the plan was set in motion. She disliked the fact she had to reside under the name of another, less significant being than herself, no matter the reward that could stem from the sacrifice. There was no turning back now, and simple 'dislike' wasn't enough to change her mindset. Time was of the essence.
The person who was Yulla in every way, the one who was raised as a prisoner of war, was no more. Unbeknownst to the citizens of Ba Sing Se, to the royal guard of the palace, and even to his royal highness himself, she was revolutionary. Yulla was replaced behind the scenes by the one person who had the power to bring chaos to the world.
So now, she was Yulla. Yulla was her name.
There had been an extent of following - or stalking as some would say - to achieve this goal, but it came to be of use for the new Yulla. At the moment, she was on a ship of the royal guard, signing papers to allow her access to the Fire Nation's Capitol City palace. The Earth King's seal could get anything accomplished and Kuei seemed quite pleased she was getting over her hard feelings. Hard feelings, indeed.
How nice it would be to visit home.
She folded the paper pristinely and perfectly as she'd watched Yulla do so many times before. She used to be such the perfectionist. But all those quirks and little things that made her an individual human being were dissolved and replaced in less than an hour's time. Some people were so easily fooled into loyalty, it was heartbreaking.
She scoffed silently under her breath. People were so predictable.
After tucking the paperwork into her suave green, silk handbag, she stood and wandered to the rail. The water below was being forced out of the way of the propellers and thrown backwards, causing a thick trail of foamy white to spew from the rear of the ship. The steel blades slowly rolled to a stop as they came into port. She glided off the large piece of metal, clutching a suitcase and her bag to her sides, and was instantly approached by a man in a white and red outfit.
"Would you like an escort, ma'am?" the man asked politely. He gestured to several others and the deep red of their clothing was appealing to her eyes.
She nodded curtly. "If you insist."
They were members of the new royal guard, she assumed, knowing the insignia like the back of her hand. It had changed a bit, the symbol of fire tweaked in the slightest and giving the meaning a whole new touch. This angered her. How dare Zuzu change the essence of the symbol for the royal guard! Such a thing was preposterous.
The group walked in silence to the Capitol City. It was a long road, unlike she remembered and things had changed.
The security inside the city was high-end. So many people, not even ones of importance or royalty, flooded the Capitol City. The group the royal guard had provided her with formed two straight lines on each side of her and walked her pace down the cobblestone path. Once they'd reached the threshold of the outer palace, the shimmering gates were opened for them. Six of the men joined the others at the gate and she was left with one on each side. She couldn't think of anything she'd need protection from, even though her alias lacked any form of bending. If rebels were the problem, she didn't know how they'd get into the Capitol City. The new Fire Lord was too important to leave unsheltered.
After entering the front doors to the palace, the remaining two men left her. Another, leaner man removed her coat and bowed in a humble manner.
"I understand you are here to inspect," he said vaguely, gulping nervously at the break of the sentence.
She nodded. "I have business to attend to, if you don't mind. I will begin your inspection at the break of dawn." She unbuttoned the pouch of her bag and handed him the note with the green seal of Kuei.
A short scam was all he needed to shake his head.
"Don't give this to me. I'd be fired if I took it."
She gave him a quizzical look, "Who do I give it to?"
"I'm not entirely sure. The Earth King doesn't usually stamp his permission on anything that isn't a treaty. I'm here to show you to your room, but I'll need to examine your luggage first," he explained.
Her voice caught in her throat after his last statement was in the air. She blinked back emotions of minute terror away and replaced it with a sly smirk.
"The Earth King has confided in me that I not show these important documents to anyone," she bluffed fluidly, "I wouldn't want such a kind man like yourself to make a poor mistake that could get you fired, as you've said before. This," she wavered the note in front of him, "is merely a hall pass of sorts. But this," the briefcase was pulled upwards with a bend of her elbow, "is top secret material."
She could see the fear in the mans eyes for even thinking about saying such a thing. Taking even a peak inside would be a foul act. His nod was brittle.
"I s-see..."
She flashed him a smile and he swallowed again, gesturing with his hand for her to follow him. After she nodded, he brought her upstairs and into a room. A guest room. A sudden feeling of resentment washed over her for losing her grand and beautiful room. She'd lost being adored and constantly catered on as well. Succeeding against all odds was the only way to win everything back.
Her face stiffened as she watched him depart. She had every move planned out before she started to put the works in progress, expecting the worst. There hadn't been any predicaments and no one had seen through her nearly flawless persona, but it all seemed too easy. Zuko wasn't even on the same landmass as her at the moment, something she'd found out from the Earth King himself. He was going to Ba Sing Se. Hah! He wouldn't be around to recognize her as only a brother could. She was home free.
A smirk was on her face after her thoughts rotated through. She loved herself for the encouragement.
Azula tapped the door to her room, not closing it completely, and walked to her bed. She was in no hurry. The briefcase was popped open with a click and she held the top part firmly in her hand. Removing a shimmering dagger with a faded blue hilt, she grimaced at the reflection staring back at her. She didn't look like herself! The ex-fire lord rolled her eyes and she withdrew the black clothing within.
She redressed and slipped a midnight glove over each hand, closing the case and tossing it under the bed skirt. She emptied her bag on the mattress and left the note from the Earth King sitting upright on the nightstand.
Tip-toeing at a swift pace, the princess made her way to the door. She grasped a hand on the clip in her hair before tugging the claws and letting it fall to the ground. Her hair shaped her face as she discarded the glasses on the floor as well, stomping on them with her black boots. One side shattered and the glass stumbled out of the black rim, the shards pinned down by her firm footing. She made a low grumble, almost like a growl and placed her eyes back on the door.
Her hand pulled it open as slow as it could manage. Azula's eyes shifted back and forth as she stared out the entrance, visualizing no one and leaping into the hallway. The movement was fierce, yet stealthy, but she almost lost her footing on the landing. It took her only a brief second to regain her composure, but she felt lightheaded, a strange sensation to her powerful body.
The girl looked to each side of her again, her head shaking in quick jabs at the air, while her hair sprayed in both directions. She nodded, as if to reassure herself and quirked an eyebrow. After her strange performance ended, she placed a hand on her hip.
"Azula," she whispered in the softest of tones, "you are beautiful.
"Azula, you are keen.
"Azula, you are precise.
"Azula... you are perfect."
She laughed a cackling laughter, but it was hushed, just as her silenced whisper. She stalked off to the right, the opposite way she was led to the room, and made her way out of the palace. The front entrance was far too risky, knowing that not everyone would be asleep. She took another exit instead.
It was to the far right side of the vast building, and it led to a small garden. She spent barely any time in this place. It was nearly opposite to the courtyard with the turtle-ducks. The ones she used to just love to play with. Arrogant, mindless creatures. So fun to torture...
She dove under the canopy of a short tree when she heard a screech of the wind. It felt as if a presence was about her, but she saw and heard no one. She narrowed her eyes, trying to raise the precision of her sight. Even in the cold, black night, nothing truly feared her. The worst they could do was lock her up, and she knew that wouldn't happen. She could evade anyone. Even the Avatar.
As if on impulse, her body slinked forward like a bullet. Her eyes seemed to scan everywhere at once, defying human nature. Her limbs were nimble during their swim across the grass-padded surface, and only slow, steady breaths were allowed access to her lungs.
Something glittered a distance away from her as she hurried through the open garden and down a cobblestone path. She smiled. Her memory was accurate as well.