Chapter 12: Fallout
Sokka yawned deeply as he stretched in the morning sun, at the doors of the palace. He had slept deeply and undisturbed for almost ten hours. Now it was time to start with his regular morning customs (or midday customs from other people's perspectives, but what did they know?). He looked around the yard, beginning to wonder what exactly was out of place. Usually, before his daily inspection, guards would be at their stations, like at the front doors, to salute him. Today, there was no one to salute him.
He walked out in to the courtyard, curious at the lack of people. Besides the guards usually stationed around the courtyard missing, there were no other people around either. As the administrative center of the entire Tribe, there were always people waiting to complain to those in charge. Today the entire yard was completely barren. Sokka gulped nervously.
Suddenly he heard voices coming from around one of the palace's corners (it wasn't a corner in the strict sense of the word, as corners are usually pointy, and it definitely wasn't pointy since the Southern Tribe's unique architecture style didn't allow sharp edges, just gently curving parts). He walked towards the sounds hesitantly, not sure of what to expect once he reached the "corner".
As he carefully looked around the bend, he found a surprisingly large amount of icy rubble on the ground. Several men were lifting the smaller pieces and carrying them away while a couple of waterbenders were disposing of the larger chunks. He looked up and noticed that one of the beautiful towers was missing a considerable piece from it. He stared gaping at for a few moments before his shocked mind started picking up a conversation.
"Don't know how we're gonna go about fixing this one," One of the waterbenders said disapprovingly as he gave the side of the building a quick look. "It was such a hassle putting this thing together in the first place. Remember? All those years ago?"
The other waterbender, a young woman, nodded knowingly. "I know. I came down here from the North to work on something great and meaningful, but after all the trouble it was building it the first time, I can't help but look at the thing with anything but loathing. Sure it looks nice and all, but it wasn't really worth all the trouble. Just a reflection of that Sokka guy's vanity. You know, I think he's just trying to compensate for something with all these long, thick, high towers he insisted on."
"Hey!" Sokka exclaimed indignantly as he ran to face his insulter. "It wasn't about that! Uh, not that there's a problem like that, but, you know, we needed to impress the other nations, by showing how big and awesome we are!"
The woman looked sideways at her companion, with a face that looked like she was sucking on a lemon. "To show them how big and awesome we are… See, what did I just say about compensating?"
The man chuckled briefly. "C'mon, let's go and take a break, we've been working since dawn."
As the couple started to leave, Sokka leapt in front of them, arms spread and waving frantically to stop their departure. "Oi! Wait a sec! What happened here?"
The pair looked at each other, both raising a surprised eyebrow. The woman turned to Sokka and replied, "Cleaning up the mess a'course."
"I can see that, but what caused it?!" Sokka asked, exasperated by everyone's seemingly calm take on a massive portion of the palace missing.
"The mess was made by your new guest. I hear she's a real hothead."
Sokka sprinted down a hall, ducked under a servant's cart, jumped over a group of kids playing cards in a hallway, and finally barrelled his way into Katara's room.
"Katara! There's a huge chunk missing from the palace! What – oh, did I come at a bad moment?" Sokka asked as he noticed all the other people in the room. Katara was standing in the middle, along with a furious Zuko, both now staring at him with frightening intensity. Ty Lee was also there, but sitting in a corner along with another woman. Long, dark hair concealed her lowered face, but judging by the casual yet formal red clothing she was in, guessing her identity wasn't hard at all. It was Azula. She was fiddling with something in her hands, but Sokka couldn't quite make out what it was.
"Yes, Sokka, this isn't a very good time," Katara answered him with an exasperated air to her usually calm, collected voice.
"No, last night wasn't a very good time!" Zuko exclaimed. "Apparently, someone tried to kill my sister! I want to know who it was, why and if there's any more danger to her. I brought her here because I thought this place was safe!"
"It is," Katara insisted, "We just didn't expect –"
"Of course you didn't! Who could? That's why they're called assassinations. And from what I've been able to find out from my sister, the attempt on her life was made by someone from the Water Tribe. If she's going to face danger here, from your people, I should just take her and leave."
"Zuko, calm down. We can't even be sure if it was someone from the Tribe."
"Azula described him well enough. He wore your clothing and had one of those stupid wolf masks you have. I even went to check her room, and I found a Water Tribe knife."
"Someone could be trying to frame us."
"Why? It's not like I have any real political power anymore. I couldn't go to war with the Tribe for something like this even if I wanted to. This was a personal attack, and from your people. There's no way someone could have set this up in a couple of days if they were my dethroners. Just finding us would take weeks."
Katara sighed. "Maybe you're right, but I promise you, there isn't going to be any more danger to her, not from our people at least. We've made peace with your nation and forgiven old crimes."
"Apparently not all of you were at that particular town meeting where you agreed on it!"
"Zuko, please, calm down," Ty Lee said from the corner with a surprisingly authoritative tone. "All of your shouting is starting to upset Azula." She carefully patted Azula's shoulder as she whispered calmingly to her. Azula had started fidgeting more furiously with whatever she held in her hands, staring fixedly at whatever it was she found so interesting.
Zuko looked at his sister, noticeably settling down instantly. He walked to her, kneeling down in front of her as he took hold of her hands. "Calm down, Azula, I'm here, I'm here for you. I promise I won't leave you again," he whispered gently to her.
Azula's hands stopped moving. She sat there, motionless, until quietly, she asked him, "Promise?"
"I do," Zuko swore solemnly.
Azula sprung for him suddenly. The surprisingly fast movement from the previously motionless woman caused both Katara and Sokka to draw froth their personal weaponry of choice, a snake of water from a water pouch and a sword from a scabbard. They both halted however, when they noticed that Azula had merely wrapped her arms around Zuko in a loving embrace. Zuko was slightly taken aback himself, but quickly melted into the hug, holding her back.
The Water Tribe siblings gave each other a quizzical look before they turned to take another look at the Fire Nation siblings. Ty Lee sat next to them, smiling warmly at the show of affection between the pair. Sokka and Katara both decided that they had seemingly overreacted and replaced their respective weapons into their containers, although slowly and grudgingly. Could anyone really blame them?
Zuko released his sister from his embrace, making to stand up, but Azula was unwilling to let go.
"Azula, I need to get up," Zuko spoke to her softly.
Azula shook her head and said, "You promised."
"I'm not leaving you. I just have some business to finish with these people. Don't worry, they're friends," Zuko explained as he indicated towards Katara and Sokka, who both tried to smile weakly.
At this, Azula finally raised her head, with her golden eyes scanning the room and its occupants properly for the first time. Her searching eyes settled on Katara, and squinted slightly as a memory was triggered within the dark maze of her mind.
Azula stood up suddenly, raising her taloned hand as she summoned a batch of azure tinted flames. Sokka and Katara both made to reach for their weapons, but both lost in speed to Zuko and Ty Lee. Both of them had captured Azula's raised hand in an iron vice.
"Let go of me!" Azula shouted at them, a fiery glaze in her eyes, rivalling that of the blue flames that lighted them. "That's the peasant girl who tricked me, imprisoned me! Let go! I'm going to burn that face of hers right off!"
"Azula, stop! Please!" Ty Lee insisted from behind her. "Please don't make me cut off your bending."
"Azula look at me," Zuko commanded, causing a slight response from Azula. "Calm down. You've got nothing to prove, to me or anyone. It's just you; you have to decide to do the right thing, for your own sake, not for anyone else. Stop, for you own sake."
Azula stared back into her brother's eyes and found some sort of calming force in them. She closed her hand into a fist, snuffing out the flames. Zuko and Ty Lee released her hand, allowing it to drop limply to her side. She still held it in a fist, but seemed to have relaxed otherwise. Her shoulders slouched slightly and she looked away from Zuko. "Sorry, Zuzu," she muttered quietly, sounding truly remorseful.
"It's okay, Azula, it's okay," Zuko said soothingly as he brushed loose strands of hair from her face. "Your hair is all messed up. Why don't you go with Ty Lee and fix it up?"
Azula peered at her bangs, surprised to find them covering her eyes. "You're right, I'm a complete mess. Come, Ty Lee, to my royal chambers. I can't be the Fire Lord's sister and look like this. It's unbecoming of royalty."
"Sure Azula," Ty Lee said as she took Azula's hand and guided her out of the room. "How would you like it?"
"What do you think Zuzu would like?" Azula's voice drifted back into the room as she was lead into the hallways.
Katara and Sokka stared expressionlessly at her departure, before they relaxed, once again putting their weapons away. They turned to look at Zuko who stood in the middle of the room, looking quite isolated.
"I thought you said she'd gotten better?" Sokka asked Zuko.
Zuko responded with a cold stare, before he said, "She has."
"You call threatening to burn my sister's face off as a sign of a well adjusted person?" Sokka asked incredulously.
"Trust me, it was a lot worse a few years back," Zuko responded, the earlier frustration beginning to creep back into his word. "She's improved by strides."
"Whoopdidoo, instead of eating our livers, she just wants to burn our faces off. Maybe you should have just kept her locked up."
"Shut up! How'd you like it if something happened to Katara? We had a difficult childhood, hell, she even tried to kill me later, but she's still family, and family sticks together. In spite of all the bad things we've been through, we've shared some great moments too. I remember, a long time ago, when we were on Ember Island; we had the best summer of our lives together. Laughing and playing in the surf. It's one of my earliest and dearest memories. You have no idea what it felt like, remembering all the things we'd done together, even after we'd sort of drifted apart before my banishment as my father took to raising her alone, when she came after me, wanting to kill me. It's not really her fault, all of this crap that tore us apart. She might have had a mean streak to her when she was younger, but it was my father's fault how it developed into this... this murderous, power hungry rage. Seeing her wasting away, locked up and alone… I just couldn't stand it. Everyone should have a chance to atone… like I did. I'd always been her older brother; my mom said it was my job to look after her. It's what big brothers do," Zuko said, trying to explain how he felt about his sister.
"Yeah, you're right," Sokka said, looking briefly at Katara. "Sorry about that earlier remark. I had no idea she meant that much to you," he said, still slightly in awe of what had been said. There had been real devotion and conviction in Zuko's words, a maturity few people ever reached in their lives.
Zuko looked down at the ground, noticing the thing Azula had been fiddling with. It was a dagger, one he knew very well. It was the one he had been given by his Uncle. He picked it up, unsheathed it and looked at the familiar inscription. He sheathed it with a snap, causing the remaining siblings to flinch, as they had now noticed as well what Azula had been preoccupied with. Both felt rather nervous about Azula again, even after the heartfelt speech Zuko had given. Zuko stowed the knife in a pocket, wondering how Azula had gotten a hold of it. She'd probably snuck into his room, when he'd been away, and kept it as a reminder of him. Still, he didn't feel all too well about Azula with sharp objects yet either, even if he felt she was getting better.
"Well, we'll be putting Azula into a safer room and doubling the guards, if that'll be ok," Katara said.
"No, I think I should stay with her. My room's big enough for us both, or if you want to, we can go to the room you suggested," Zuko said contemplatively.
"Oh, I think we can manage that. It's not really a problem," Katara said relatively uneasily. "Well if that's all, I think I should go check on the repairs."
She walked out of the room briskly. Sokka made to follow her out, but was stopped by Zuko's hand grabbing his shoulder. He peered back over it and asked worriedly, "What? No bad blood between us, right?"
"No, but I need to talk to you," Zuko said mysteriously.
"About what?" Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"About taking back the Fire Nation."