A/N: Summer's finally hereeee! YAY! It's really hot in Amish country, blegh. I have a feeling that summer's going to be great, but it's also going to be UBER boring. So writing this story is going to help me do something productive! Today I was watching "Whose Wedding is it Anyway?" I love it, lol. My mom got me into it...but I noticed that not many brides become bride-zillas. Teehee. Ummm...my bestest friend is getting me back into Inuyasha and Avatar, thus my continuing this story!! :) WOOHOO!
Chapter 12: Deception
There are many reasons for insomnias, one being nightmares. Sayamiko's nightmares were always the same.
A girl with luminous eyes and glossy dark hair ran through the palace hallways frantically in a white gown that flowed to the floor, so she had to constantly lift it as she ran. She would look down at the dirty handkerchief, clutch it to her chest, and tremble. Eventually she had run back to the room where a boy lay helplessly sprawled on his bed, receiving countless beatings. The girl could only stand by and watch—now unable to cry out because there was no one to hear other than the abuser and his victim.
A droplet of cold sweat accumulated on Sayamiko's temple and, being the light sleeper that she was, she woke up with a start. Once she realized her dark surroundings and the nightmare, she relaxed and exhaled heavily, leveling her breathing gradually. With her head in her hands, soft gasps were emitted from her upon thinking of the boy- Zuko, and she remembered that she had been warned to say nothing of the happening.
In about an hour, the sun had already begun to rise in the east, and Sayamiko thought that there was no sense in trying to fall back to sleep. She laid her head on the pillows, but did not close her eyes. The only things she had to fear were betrayal, or her own nightmares.
She centered her thoughts on Zuko now. Was it a cruel act or did he really mean what he said and did? Am I supposed to act like nothing happened? She pondered, knowing she still wanted a way to make their love work and help him follow the right path again.
"So how have you all slept?" Iroh asked as he sipped a ginseng tea. Sokka rubbed his shoulder furiously, glaring at Lee. It turned out that they both had to sleep on the same mattress.
"Sokka kept hogging up the major side of the bed! Now my poor wrist hurts!" Lee exclaimed.
"Hey, Lee- you kept tossing and turning during the night, not to mention you were kicking me! Now my shoulder's bruised big-time! So I don't even want to hear it!"
"Keh, I don't know what you were dreaming about, but you were-"
"Silence, children!" Iroh shouted above the two. "Let's just forget I asked and keep eating breakfast in peace."
Saya held her cup of tea loosely, staring off into space. "I had another nightmare. So I couldn't go back to sleep. It was the same nightmare I've had for a long time."
"Well, well. Somebody's had a rough night," Sokka stupidly commented. She formed a fist and brought it down upon his head.
"Just shut up," she said, not spilling a drop of tea. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration.
"Sokka, don't you even think the least bit that it was rude?" Iroh said before sipping more tea.
Sokka said nothing for a minute. Then when he got up from the table, he only said, "I'm going to browse around the market for a while. Anyone care to join?"
"It's fine by me," Aang proclaimed excitedly, air bending himself to his feet. "I'm coming with you."
"Me too—who knows what trouble you guys could get into without supervision," Katara agreed.
"Same here. I'm finished eating anyway," Toph joined in.
The four comrades walked off after saying their 'thank you', and left Iroh, Lee, and Sayamiko to themselves.
"Saya, I need to speak with you. It's about Zuko," Iroh mumbled before sipping his tea. Sayamiko's ears pricked upon hearing the name and looked up.
"What about him?" she asked hesitantly. Lee looked between the two and shuddered.
"I have a feeling that I don't wanna hear this. It could get ugly."
"Go ahead, you can go," Sayamiko blurted rudely. When he walked out, everything was silent. Sayamiko turned back to Iroh, now all-ears.
"It seems that getting fonder and closer to Zuko might not be such a good idea," Iroh said hesitantly.
Sayamiko knotted her eyebrows and asked, "What exactly are you trying to tell me? Didn't you say a female could change him?" She took a sip of her tea after her opinion.
"True," he replied, "but it seems that Azula is closing in on us. She is getting suspicious and soon she will find Lee and me."
"What does this have to do with Zuko, though?"
"Azula might soon find out about your true identity the more time you spend in the open with Zuko." He gently put down his cup, and sighed. "And it's too dangerous for you to be with him in secret, because the Dai Li are always watching." After a while of looking him in the eye, she gave him a hard glare.
"Iroh, you were spying yesterday, weren't you?" She didn't wait for an answer- "I can't believe this."
"I couldn't sleep either, you know," he said. "Now, you mustn't blow your cover."
"I know what I'm doing, Iroh," she mumbled with clenched teeth. With that, she stood up and stormed over to her dresser. Sayamiko put up her hair and pinned on her headdress. "I'm going," she said, marching out the door.
Once the door was shut, he shook his head and rubbed his temples. This was not going to be easy. Teen love meddled with everything. In this situation, the pair would be able to put the rest of the group into danger. For some selfish reason, Sayamiko would not heed Iroh.
Sayamiko floated down the corridors, still frustrated for the way things turned out. She had never gotten what she desired, and this was the first time. She blinked back tears and suppressed a lump in her throat.
The others hadn't walked off too far before Sayamiko could catch up to them. They awaited her patiently.
"So where are we looking around exactly?" Sayamiko asked.
"We're looking for stuff in the market. People say there are lots of great bargains, but I'm just going to browse," Katara replied enthusiastically, "Hopefully some real jewelry will be on sale."
"That sounds cool."
"Oh no, we're not buying jewelry with our money! We're low on that, so we need necessities, Sokka interrupted.
Sayamiko grabbed him by the arm, smirked, and said with irritation in her voice, "The last time you said that, you bought some candy. And plus, she'll get this stuff with my money- not yours; and…what necessities do you really need? We're living off the free meals and services of the palace."
"Not to mention that the plan will soon be blown to bits," Sokka retorted. He always remained a skeptical young man.
"Oh, quit spoiling everybody's fun, Sokka," said Toph.
"I'm just stating the facts," Sokka declared proudly, folding his arms. Aang simply rolled his eyes, knowing that it wasn't the right decision to argue with him. Sokka was too stubborn to give in.
"Forget you," Sayamiko said jokingly. They walked on in silence. "Did I mention that tonight, they're hosting a huge party in the palace and we're expected to join?"
"What?" they all said in unison quite astonished. Each of them spun around to stare at her.
"You'd better be kidding about this, Saya," Aang worried.
"Yes, I'm serious. So you boys and girls had better get yourselves something dressy." Sayamiko looked around and a newly opened Fire nation clothing shop was in plain view, "and I know just the place to get that."
They had all begun browsing the racks and shelves, already bored by the same color scheme. Sayamiko went up to the front counter, sliding her party invitation to the surface. "You have many customers for a fancy occasion, am I right?"
"Of course."
"Seven pairs of formal attire, please."
"Seven?" Aang asked, "but there's only-"
"Shhhh—relax, Aang," she whispered as the employee went to the back room, "I'm getting two for Iroh and Lee. Then, if I'm lucky, I'll be able to give them both good haircuts."
"Oh, I see," he replied, "clever."
"Thank you." The worker came out with various kinds of clothing, ranging from white to black, to maroons, reds, oranges, gold, silvers, even royal purple.
"Who is first?" he asked politely. Sayamiko playfully shoved Sokka onto the platform. He took measurements and asked him what color he wanted. The employee approached him with a maroon robe, elegant enough for the occasion, and a matching hat.
Next was Aang, up on the platform. The man did the same for him, and selected a scarlet set of pleated trousers and a tunic. This attire seemed to make Aang look older, and the others chuckled to themselves.
After Aang was made over, Toph walked up. Dark purple suited her out of the array of colors. This set consisted of a long, wide dress, with a white bow that tied in the back. Katara stepped up next. A silver and black kimono was selected for her. The large sleeves were lacy at the edges. When Sayamiko's turn came, a crimson dress was selected for her, and the design had been very oriental-inspired, much like Katara's outfit. There were wide sleeves, and a golden, silk hem.
When Sayamiko paid for all the garments and took the two extra suits, the rest had begun to browse for accessories.
"So where exactly are we going to get out jewelry?" Toph asked. She seemed rather happy about this occasion.
"We're going to look around until we find something, Toph. Don't worry," Katara answered.
That's easy for you to say. I don't get a say because I can't look around and see anything I like, Toph thought.
"And make-up?" Sayamiko asked impatiently.
"We'll go to the day spa."
"Oh great; you ladies are going to take a very long time just shopping!" Sokka whined, "I'll never be able to understand women and their habits!"
"Sokka, be quiet, will you?" Toph asked.
"I couldn't agree more," Sayamiko stated.
Sokka could only scoff in reply, with no comeback. Sayamiko pat his shoulder lightly, "It's something that men will never understand."
The girls soon found a jewelry cart full of precious gems and expensive metals. Katara selected silver, diamond, chandelier earrings, and a diamond necklace. Wile the other girls were helping each other choose their jewelry, Aang decided coyly to make a move. As he approached Katara and adrenaline rush caused his heart rate to increase.
"Aang, what do you think?" she asked him as she sensed him near her. She remained looking into the mirror.
With a silent, deep breath, he replied, "It looks beautiful- on you, of course." He laughed nervously. She turned to him with an excited grin on her face and Aang thought he was in trouble. Instead, Katara barely brushed her lips against his forehead.
She pulled inches away. "Thank you, Aang." She returned to looking in the mirror. Aang thought he was hallucinating, but he could barely see a blush on her cheeks. He smiled pleasantly to himself and sighted quietly enough so that she could not hear him.
Sayamiko helped Toph pick pearl earrings and a matching necklace, and a decorative hair comb. "Trust me, Toph—you look wonderful and gorgeous," Sayamiko assured her.
She proceeded to pick her own jewelry. After much toil, she decided on golden chandelier earrings, and a matching ruby necklace. She bought herself a lacy crimson headpiece which trailed like a veil down to her waist.
At the spa, Sayamiko's hair had been combed straight and pulled up in an elaborate up do, accompanied by her headpiece. The make-up was smoky around her eyes, enhancing her autumnal color, and her cheeks were slightly flushed against pale skin. Her lips were so thin (as the stylists complained) that they had to plump them with a crimson gloss.
Katara's face had been powdered quite a bit after much fuss and coughing over it. Her lips were glossed a natural color and the ladies added glittery powder to her eyelids. They sculpted her hair into bouncy waves and pinned up a few strands in the back.
Toph's fair skin complexion did not need much. All they did for make-up was give her a soft, smoky color for her eyes and added color to her lips. The stylists fixed her hair so that it was tied low in the back, leaving a few strands to frame her porcelain face.
"Finally we're done," Toph sighed. "Now when is this party, exactly?"
"It begins at sunset, and we need to be there an hour before," Sayamiko explained. Toph dropped her jaw.
"It's midday, for crying out loud! You mean I have to stay in this for more than about ten hours?" she exclaimed in outrage.
"Okay, relax. It's just until the party ends, or if you decide to head back to the room to sleep," Sayamiko replied patiently.
It was two hours past noon by the time they got to the palace. Just as expected, Iroh remained in the room. Sayamiko felt sad for him, knowing that he didn't like being cooped up, and neither did Lee. "Ah, you've all returned and are ready for the party I presume," Iroh stated.
"Yes, we are," Saya said as she handed him is maroon suit, "and you'll be ready too. You're coming."
Iroh looked surprised as he looked at the fancy fire nation clothes. He gazed up at her with a questioning look. She nodded, signaling that she was certain that her mind was made up. He was invited and there was no way around it.
"All you'll have to do is cut your hair and put a traditional hat on. They'll hardly recognize you."
"I'll trim, that's all I will be willing to do for now, Sayamiko," Iroh replied gratefully, "thank you." She nodded in response.
Aang and Sokka were practicing their gentleman's speech while Toph and Katara socialized. Lee sat on the corner of his mattress.
Saya walked over and sat next to him with his crimson and orange suit in her lap. She looked down at it and held it out to him. "Thanks," he muttered.
"Lee, I'm sorry you have to be brought into this. I didn't mean to practically drag you here."
"Don't be—I'm fine," he lied. From the fake way he grinned, she could tell he was disappointed. His smile fell. "It's just that I thought we'd have a lot more adventure and fun, kind of like when we were escaping your sister."
She put an arm around his shoulders and sighed, shaking her head. How could he think that nearly dying while trying to escape could be fun? It seemed completely dangerous. "Lee, near-death experiences are not fun. Plus, if you thought Natsume nearly killed us, think again. We're in more grave danger with Azula than with anyone else."
"But she's just a girl."
"-a girl who is a prodigy, they say," she interrupted, rolling her eyes.
"Oh, jealousy, huh?" he assumed. She snapped her head in his direction and jabbed him playfully.
"I may be a little jealous now, but I won't be for long. I'm getting better at my fire bending and strategies as I go. Soon, I might be better than her." She only received silence. "Lee, with disguises, we'll be able to stay safe. In a little while we'll be okay to have fun adventures, you'll see."
He turned his gaze to her, doubtful, "Promise?"
"I promise. Now, we need to cut your hair for this party." Lee had allowed her to cut his hair. When she was done, the unkempt hair was gone, and all that was left was fairly short, spiky hair. After dropping his jaw while looking in the mirror, Lee started to nod in approval.
"Wow, you've done a good job, Saya."
"Thank you. Now go get changed."
Lee came out in the same style of suit which Aang wore. "Aw, you look great, Lee."
"Thanks," he said, looking in the mirror, "do they really wear this in the Fire nation when there's a formal occasion?"
"Yeah—well maybe not, since I haven't been there for a couple years," Saya replied.
"So for the time being," Iroh began as he neatly trimmed his beard, "what shall we do?"
"That I do not know the answer to," Saya replied again, "we wait." A couple groans came from the others. Sayamiko rolled her eyes and walked out of the chamber, "I'm going to walk around."
"That's fine by us," Toph said, obviously not paying attention as she nuzzled Momo. "Say, where's Appa again?"
"With the Guru," Aang answered. "When we're ready to escape, they will be outside the wall, waiting for us."
"I miss Appa," she whined.
"I know; we all miss him. We'll see him soon," Katara assured, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Sayamiko had been thinking heavily for the past hour. Azula seemed to be buying their disguises more than planned, and for her age, she was not that gullible. It all seemed too easy to pull off. As she was thinking intensely on that thought, she stumbled into something solid. She would have fallen back if it were not for the two hands which caught her wrists and pulled her up again.
She looked up into amber eyes with dark hair nearly covering them. Then her heart stopped for an instant.
"Zuko, what are you doing here? I thought you were busy preparing things for the party or something; not to mention Azula's going to flip when-"
"It's servant's business. Besides, Azula has more important things to focus on, leaving me bored. Relax."
"But what about the Dai Li, or Ty Lee, or Mei?" she asked frantically.
"Don't worry about them, either. I'm sure they're busy with other things."
Sayamiko slowly nodded, although she doubted him. "So are you still thinking about joining us?" she whispered, her lips hovering inches from his.
"Again with the persuasion… is that all you think about?"
"And is capturing the Avatar or gaining your unworthy father's and sister's trust all you think about?" Sayamiko asked.
"Don't mock me," he said through clenched teeth, squinting his eyes. His grip on their entwined fingers tightened.
"Who said I was?"
"You know what I mean. Don't act dumb."
"I'm not," she lied. Zuko wasn't convinced, not by a long shot. "Maybe I am, but I'm trying to make a point here. You said you needed me—that I was important. Well, it turns out that you were lying and that I'm not significant enough to change your mind."
She turned to leave, but Zuko still held her back. He was taken aback by her statement, starting to realize what he was doing. "You know, you're very self-centered," he tried denying her, "Do you think a mere girl is more important than my entire honor? I worked for three whole years on trying to get it back-"
"Zuko, we already talked this over-"
"-and I'm not going to let you ruin it for me. You're lucky that I don't blow the Avatar's cover. And I'm not a liar. I said I liked you, I said I needed you, and I swear I still do, but I never said that you were more important than my goal-"
"Zuko!" she interrupted. He finally stopped his ranting. "Do you even hear yourself? It's never enough for you if you don't have your honor. You're the self-centered one here. Now did anything I said last night get to your head?" She tried walking off again, but he would not allow her. "Let go, Prince Zuko."
"Wait," he muttered nervously. This caught her attention. Zuko's other hand caught hers, beckoning her to turn to him. "I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for?"
"I'm sorry for talking to you like that. I'm confused. Two paths lead to different, unknown ends," he explained.
"I know what you mean," she said in a calm voice. Her fingers entwined with his again. "I was there until I realized I'd been tricked into a trap. Zuko, I can only tell you that the Avatar will win—I know it. I'm pretty sure that you know, too."
He shook his head in denial.
"You'll understand someday. Azula lied to you so many times. Don't give in because I know you're not that weak," she took his chin and tilted his doubtful face up to meet hers, "You need to choose your own destiny. Not your father's not your uncle's, not your sister's, not even mine—yours."
He thought for a minute. Tilting her chin in return, Zuko pressed his lips onto hers, feeling a sense of serenity consume him. He still did not know what to do, or which side to choose. After a long time, the anger dissolved completely, and melted into the passion he felt in kissing her, loving her. For a moment, Sayamiko thought her heartbeat stopped.
They reluctantly pulled away, but neither moved away from their arms. "I'll see you at the party," he said almost breathlessly. Then he walked past her, down the corridor. She sighed, able to breathe again.
Sayamiko fluidly walked down the opposite corridor and froze.
"You almost had me fooled," the feline voice snapped. Her amber eyes stared her down, almost burning her. "I knew there was something…peculiar about you." Sayamiko stayed speechless, trying to regain moisture in her throat to speak. The figure walked toward her and stopped right in front of her. "Now it's your fault that your friends' lives are on the line," she continued acidly. "Obey my request and they won't be harmed, understand?"
Sayamiko nodded. It was amazing how intimidating Azula could be—Sayamiko still stood frozen to the spot. The Princess took out a dagger from her garments and held it out to her. "When you're alone with Zuzu, you'll take this dagger along with you. You will and must stab him, so it will kill him almost instantly. You have experience with that, yes?"
Sayamiko cleared her throat and asked with a shaky voice "But why me?"
The Princess scoffed in disbelief, "Why not you? Of course you, because you've become the closest to him. And besides, he trusts you even more than he trusts me, and it's all thanks to you."
"He distrusts you for a good reason, too."
"I didn't say you could answer," she raised her voice. "Now either Prince Zuko of the Fire nation dies, or the Avatar and his friends die. Take your pick."
Sayamiko tried thinking even though her mind was all a blur. She had to choose between someone she liked, or possibly loved, and the group of people who were sure to save the world from Fire nation tyranny. Any choice she made would alter the course of history. "And if it doesn't work? What if I get caught?"
"It will work. You're stealthy enough, aren't you? But if Zuko catches you trying to kill him, he could throw you in the dungeons along with your friends, so I advise that you end him quickly. Either way, Saya, I win." With that, Azula shoved the dagger into Sayamiko's grasp and walked down the dark corridor.
She looked around when she heard footsteps coming her way. With no other way to hide it, she hid the dagger in the sash that wound around her waist.
"Did you get lost or something?" Lee asked, causing Sayamiko to jump and whirl around.
"Nope, everything's perfectly fine, Lee," she lied, hoping he would buy into it. Apparently he did, to her surprise.
"Come on, it's already four hours past noon, and we have to get ready."
"Get…ready?"
"Yeah—the boys are getting their hats and you ladies are getting your fans," he explained enthusiastically, pulling her along by the sleeve. They ran into the chamber and finished preparing themselves. Tonight isn't going to be easy, she thought.
A/N: Thank you Krista Lee Marie Losito for making me fall in love with anime againnnn! Yep, I just had to say that. My boyfriend thinks anime is just poor animation though. He doesn't even appreciate it. Ugh! Can you believe him?! Ha ha-ha. I love him anyway. :) Read and review pleasies?? Thank you bunches!! Really helpful!
