This update was going to be longer, however, for the sake of getting this out before the end of my holiday, it was reduced. Yet it serves its purpose. Drop a review if you'd like. Enjoy!
"Not here! Please, my daughter is asleep in our bedroom".
A woman's hands were raised from her kneeling position in a small, quaint kitchenette. Her dark hair was entangled in rough fingers by one masked Imperial Firebender, while two others, wreaked havoc on her home, smashing picture frames of her three-member family and burning handmade furniture that was passed down by her husband's family.
All that Yasuko could think of during the intense moments was her sweet daughter sleeping peacefully despite the noise. She's all I have. Agni, have mercy. She prayed silently, wincing as the impatient soldier holding onto her hair pulled hard, forcing her to rise to her feet.
"Fire Lord Zuko has reigned for years and this how you show respect?" Snarled the soldier, pointing to a painting of Fire Lord Ozai.
Yasuko instead glanced at a photo of four teens hanging next to it. The picture of the former fire lord was her husband's, yet the other was one of her most treasured possessions. She knew very little about the teens in the photo, other than the fire lord in his teen years. According to the caretaker, Suki, she was found in a small basinet with the painting in her possession. Though she recognized Fire Lord Zuko and his Fire Lady, Yasuko always wondered who the two young ladies in the painting were. Suki had told her stories about the wide-smiling one. Ty Lee, she called her. The two were close until she vanished one day with the other that she only called "The Princess".
A sharp pain against her cheekbone brought Yasuko back to reality. A splatter of blood hit the floor from her nose.
"You will answer when spoken to, Woman!" Cried another soldier.
"They're not mine," she sputtered.
"This one's a tough wench, huh?" Chuckled the soldier, holding her hair.
"Well, the fire lord wants answers. His family has been threatened, so we're not leaving until she talks".
The soldier looked about the kitchen, focusing on the staircase. "Find the child. Maybe that will-"
"NO!" Roared Yasuko, eyes wide as blue fire emitted from her mouth.
The soldier who had given her the blow across the face collapsed instantly from the intense flames to his face. Horrified at her actions, Yasuko was tossed to the floor of her home, moments later she felt heat from her right meet her arm.
"You're a bender!"
Yasuko was just as surprised as he. She had never displayed such abilities. Her husband would certainly be surprised, yet she had other matters to settle before telling him. The Imperial Firebenders assumed a stance. Clenching her fists, she mimicked them.
"Mommy!"
Yasuko's heart dropped. Asami emerged from the bedroom, rubbing her eyes. "Stay back, Darling! It's a dream. Go back to sleep for Mommy!"
"Get her!" One of the two surviving soldiers.
Yasuko felt her sleeping chi boil to the surface and stretched a fist. As she hoped, a fireball of blue lit up a nearby drapery, causing the soldiers to turn their attention back to her.
"Amateur," taunted the soldier aiming two balls of flames back at her.
Yasuko screamed as one of the flames caught her skirt. She rolled along the wood floor, ceasing the flames. The shrill of her child caught her attention. The soldier she had missed had her daughter hanging from his shoulder.
"Put her down! Or I…I…will kill all of you!" She threatened through coughs from the smoke that surrounded the home.
She could only watch helplessly as her only daughter was taken from their home. Falling to her knees in surrender, Yasuko hung her head as the lone soldier approached her.
"That was a poor decision," he said, stepping over his dead comrade. "Lucky for you, your child will live".
Yasuko did not hear any more of his words. She knew her fate for killing a soldier. She was just thrilled her child would not witness it. Tears stung her eyes in those final moments. She had not known her own parents. At least Asami would have Hiroshi.
My sweet Asami, I want nothing more than the chance to see you live happily. The lone soldier raised electrified fingers towards her. Yasuko bared her teeth at him. She would not let this man see weakness in her. We will meet again, Asami. Mommy loves you. Thought Yasuko as she stared down the incoming lightning bolt.
#
Asami jerked awake. "Mother!" She called to the darkness. Looking around, she felt a slow dread. "Korra?"
Her eyes finally focused on a quaint coffee table at the far corner of the room. She noticed red tapestries that blocked all sunlight. The walls were gold with several sconces lit in a beautiful, blue flame. Asami felt the silk of the bed she was lying on.
"Where?" She gasped.
"You're awake".
Asami looked down to see Korra opening an eyelid. "What happened? Lord Zuko? Azula? Ty Lee?"
Korra chuckled. "Whoa, whoa, calm down. One question at a time," she said, sitting up on her elbows. "Ya' know, you and her are a lot alike, actually. Maybe there's something to this story Ty Lee told us".
Asami jerked the silk sheets away from their bodies, surprised to see Korra's nakedness underneath. "What the hell, Korra?"
Blushing, the avatar found a bedrobe and stood to put it on. Tying it around her waist, she opened the bedroom door. No sooner after she opened it, a young, pretty servant groveled to her.
"Avatar Korra, may I assist you with anything?" She asked, sweetly.
Asami cocked an eyebrow as Korra gave a list of pastries and special, Fire Nation wine to the servant.
"Yes, Madam," the young lady said with a bow.
Korra closed the door and smiled widely at her staring girlfriend. After moments and a not smiling Asami, Korra rubbed her neck bashfully. "I guess, I should have asked before stripping to my nothing in your bed, huh?"
Asami crossed her arms from where she sat on the bed. "Korra, I don't have time for this. What's going on? I can't believe I don't remember anything".
The avatar opened her mouth to speak when a knock at the door startled both girls.
"Come in," called Asami, uneasily.
The red door opened slowly, revealing the dark-haired woman with piercing, golden eyes and porcelain skin behind it. Her face was cold, though not as intimidating as Asami remembered when she first appeared on the airship.
"Azula," stated Korra.
Asami was surprised at the avatar's calm demeanor.
"Avatar, if you don't mind, I would like to take a walk with Ms. Sato," said the woman with a slight smirk.
Korra shrugged. "Sure, she's never listened to me, anyway," she grumbled.
"If what I was told by Ty Lee is true, then it's a family trait," said Azula. Korra chuckled, then cleared her throat when she realized the pun wasn't intentional. Turning her eyes back to the engineer, the infamous Azure Dragon gave the young woman a once over. "Well?" She asked.
Asami swallowed and looked down at her bed-robe. She clearly looked fresh from bed. Touching her face, she gasped to herself. My make-up!
As if reading her mind, Azula spoke. "Don't worry, Ty Lee has already arranged a royal pampering for you when we meet her in the throne room".
Asami couldn't help smiling. "She will be with us?" She asked.
Azula nodded. "Yes, of course. Your girlfriend can join us later if you'd like. Now come. There's much to discuss".
My girlfriend? Asami glanced at a smirking Korra.
She wanted to ask just how much the avatar had revealed about their relationship, but decided to hurry along with Azula.
"Have fun!" Called Korra. "I'll be right here!"
Azula led the nervous engineer down the corridor of the Fire Nation's temple. Neither woman spoke, though Azula had many questions. Seeing the woman on the airship was like looking at her own mother. She had thought she was cracking when she first saw her on the airship. She watched the young woman run her hand over the temple's wall. Her eyes gazed at the paintings of Lord Sozin and Zuko.
"This place. Such beauty," she remarked.
"Yes, your ancestry lies within these walls," answered Azula.
The girls stopped at a painting of Lady Ursa. Asami brought her hands to her face. "She looks like my mother," she gasped.
Azula grimaced at the painting. "Yes, well, she was your mother's grandmother".
"What was she like?" Asked the woman.
Azula shrugged. "I wouldn't know. She chose to forget," she said, turning away.
Asami wanted to ask her meaning, but decided against it. Azula was very different from Ty Lee. The acrobat radiated sweetness and a friendly nature. This woman was quite terrifying despite little words exchanged between them. How do they work? Thought the engineer.
Azula stopped at the entrance to the throne room. "Enter," she simply said with a gesture of her hand.
Asami went in first. The throne room was illuminated by blue fire, there was no sign of the fire lord or Ty Lee. Feeling nervous, Asami contemplated running from this woman claiming to be her grandmother.
"Who's side are you on?" Azula suddenly piped.
Asami glanced to her side where Azula, half-hidden by darkness, analyzed a pillar. "What?"
The Azure Dragon ground her nails into the pillar in silent frustration. "Does your avatar know your purpose for coming here?" She asked.
Asami looked to her feet. "No," she spoke, honestly. She had not told Korra her reason for answering Fire Lord Izumi's call.
"Good. Luckily, she trusts you, then. You did well to have such a strong ally. Tell me, do you trust her?"
Asami sensed a hidden meaning in the words. "I don't trust very many people. My father tried to use me".
"Hmm, well, you are smarter than you look. You know well then of the consequences of trust".
Asami shook her head. "It's not that. People can be selfish sometimes, but it's ok to trust them".
"Then you're a fool". Azula snapped softly. "A fool who is obviously confused. You say you trust your avatar, yet she does not know about your killing machines beneath our feet".
Asami clenched her fists. "They're not killing machines! The meta-suits are just for defensive purposes. It's just business".
Azula turned to her. "You're right. And when the fire lord uses them to crush the earth kingdom, that will just be business, too".
No. Thought Asami. Izumi had been very evasive about the purpose of her machines. "No they're defensive weapons".
Azula shrugged passively, inching closer to the engineer with a glare. "Either way, you trust your avatar once she finds out your role in creating these defensive weapons?" She paused to let Asami ponder on the question. "Will she turn on you as she did before? According to my sources, it didn't take much on your airship".
Asami wanted to deny the woman, but what she said was true. Can I really trust Korra? She wondered.
"My goal is simple," continued Azula. "The rulers of this nation have taken things too far. We must even the score. With this information you can take down this power hungry woman and claim the throne for yourself".
Asami took a step back. "Wha—no. I don't want the throne".
"It is your destiny. Izumi's father has wreaked havoc on countless lives. He tried to destroy my son, Zaheer and my daughter. Your mother. You can't stay on the fence forever. You will have to choose a side".
Before she could blink, the dragon was behind her, the shorter woman nearly touching her shoulder with her nose. "You have the avatar. She will follow you, if you believe she trusts you, that is," she said smoothly.
Asami frowned. "But Zaheer, your son, tried to kill her".
"Which is why he will not be the one sitting on that throne," Azula announced, coldly.
Asami stared at the empty throne with blue fire engulfing it, as Azula pointed to it with a long nail.
"There you two are!"
Both women turned to see the fire lord emerge from the shadows.
"Fire Lord," said Azula with a calm bow and a smirk.
Asami was surprised at the woman's calmness despite the treason that they were just discussing. It was possible that Fire Lord Izumi could have heard the end of their conversation. Instead of ordering guards, the fire lord responded with, "'Zu," before turning to Asami. "Ms. Sato, do you like the new look of the throne room? My father would not have approved, I'm sure".
"Lord Zuko's ok?" She asked with a wrinkled brow.
"Of course he is. 'Zu here is quite the matchmaker. He and my mother have reconciled and he hurried to be with her instead of returning home. I will let him know you asked about him". Asami's teeth clenched as she thought of her dream. She wanted to know more about her mother's murder and Zuko was the person she needed to see. "But besides that, you must know that your machines are fabulous! We're to field test them later today".
Asami nodded. "I will prepare then".
Izumi held up her hand. "Oh, no need, Dear. Your workers are doing fine. Please allow 'Zu to make your stay here enjoyable," with that, she left hastily.
Asami looked to the smirking Azula. "She wouldn't hurt anyone with them, right?"
Azula shrugged. "Let's trust her and find out," she said plainly.
"I have to tell Korra," she said.
"And be charged as aiding a war criminal?"
Asami stopped in her tracks, biting her lips. Azula took the taller woman by the elbow, giving her a genuine smile.
"Come, Legacy, we have a day of pampering to enjoy".