A/N: A thousand apologies for the late update! Anyhoo, next chapter here you go.
Chapter 14: Permanent
Katara gets thrown into a grungy, filthy cell as two slovenly-looking guards hurl her onto the hay-cluttered ground, full of rat remains.
"Ow!" she yells as she lands on her knees, consequently bruising them badly. This causes the men to snigger out of amusement as they continue mistreat the foreign bender by intensifying the heat in the atmosphere.
Katara can't breathe. The air is getting too thick and hot for her as she is now gasping desperately for it. She loosens the collar around her neck, sensing continuous drips of sweat trickling down the edges of her face and to her robes.
That's when she hears it – the sound of wrath presenting itself in the stronghold.
The dominant voice – the virility of it sounds recognizable to her. She struggles through her blurry vision and right before her is what appears to be Azula... fighting.
She's fighting those men – her men – the very best she knows how – with fire.
"Azula?" the water bender garners all of her might to speak and pull herself together. She feels arms steadying her, holding her up to her feet.
"I'm getting you out of here," the princess states nonchalantly. Katara barely sees her figure.
"Zuko..." Katara mutters feebly, barely opening her eyes, "Y-you need to... You need to h-help him..." Her condition doesn't stop her from worrying about Zuko. She knows he's in trouble.
That's all Katara says before she blacks out completely.
Azula wants to help, but she doesn't know how. She doesn't think she can. It's her father. She never disobeys him.
"He's in the throne room. The Fire Lord isn't happy with him," the guard on duty reports to her.
The princess nods at him, "You may leave." The man anxiously flees the scene in a matter of seconds, away from the terror-loaded girl.
Azula spins around and lowers her gaze at the unconscious water bender resting on her bed. Not in a million years would she have let anyone in her chambers, but Katara is the exception. She admires her strong will, her unfailing kindness... in spite of all she has done to imperil the foreign bender.
All this while, she has always believed that Zuko is better off without Katara. She has made him vulnerable, but Azula doesn't know if that's a good thing. But after recent events, Azula thinks she has changed her mind. She doesn't understand why they would sacrifice so much for each other, but she guesses people do silly things when they're in love.
Secretly, Azula wishes she has someone like that too, someone to... love her. That's all she has ever wanted, needed, but never gotten. Everyone, Ozai especially, expects so much of her that sometimes they forget she's just a girl – a girl who lost her mother too young and was forced to grow up too fast.
She leaves her chambers, hurries past the grand hallways and stops just right outside the throne room. Before she can move a step further, the main guard halts her entry by raising an arm.
"The Fire Lord has banned all visitors at this hour, including the princess," he explains sternly, "Perhaps you could return later in the day."
Azula folds her arm in discontentment, brushing her back against the wall, "Fine. I'll wait here then."
"As you wish, my lady," he replies monotonously, much to her annoyance.
A few minutes have gone by and Azula concludes that she doesn't do waiting very well. Impatience runs in her blood, after all.
"Just tell me what's going on in there. Will Zuko be... alright?" she asks the same guard as if he had all the answers.
His face turns sour immediately, "I'm afraid not, your Highness. The prince has failed the Fire Lord. He will be facing some serious consequences."
Then, a scream occupied the entire hallway – this piercing, relentless scream, filling Azula entirely with dread.
Zuko knows what's coming. At least he thinks he knows.
Two of his father's imperial guards have brought him to the solemn, candle-lit throne room where his father is awaiting him.
The men disrespectfully lunge him on the carpeted floors, forcing him to kneel down before the Fire Lord.
"Father," Zuko looks up dejectedly at his frowning father.
Fire Lord Ozai rises from his throne, "How dare you address me as your father? I have no such cowardly son! Do you realize what an embarrassment you are to the nation?"
"I'm sorry I lost the Agni Kai," Zuko stares at the floor instead, "I'm sorry I don't live to your expectations. I never did, so why bother trying?"
"It's not just the Agni Kai. It's what you did for the water bender. Time in time again, you went behind my back to save her. As far as I am concerned, you are no better than a traitor," the Fire Lord nods at himself, "That's what you are."
Zuko yells back, "She's human too! Just because she is not like us, it doesn't mean you have the right to get rid of her." He adds fearlessly, "A monster, that's what you are."
"You sound just like your mother."
The second Ozai mentions Ursa, he sees his son begin to ache in choler. The Fire Lord likes what he sees in Zuko's eyes – pain.
"She didn't die peacefully, if that's what you're wondering," the Fire Lord grins devilishly.
Zuko feels his heart sink to the very bottom. The last memories of his mother start to come back to him, stirring up tears in his untamed gold eyes.
He stammers, "Y-you c-couldn't have –"
Ozai gladly finishes the sentence for him, "– killed her. I killed her, Zuko. Does that madden you? Does that make you want to hurt me the way I hurt your mother?"
The words ring in Zuko's head as he begins to lose all his senses to his pain.
"You bastard," he utters while shedding a tear. Zuko cracks his knuckles, his fists beginning to itch with fury.
"Are you challenging me to an Agni Kai?" the Fire Lord's eyes widen in delight, igniting his hands with deadly fire. He steps down the slight fleet of stairs to the carpeted grounds, heading towards his son.
Zuko remains as motionless as he is emotionless.
"Fight me," Ozai effortlessly pulls Zuko up from his knees by the collar, "Ursa would want you to avenge her demise. You should've seen the look on her face when she did. The fear in her eyes –"
Zuko barks with a commanding voice, "Stop." He charges forward, releasing himself from his father's grasp.
Ozai is displeased, "I'm afraid you have to make me."
But Zuko holds himself back, because his mother's voice is in his head. Son, don't do this.
"Fight me, damn it!" Ozai's echoing roar fills the room, following a mighty blast that circles Zuko.
"I won't," Zuko speaks inanimately, "I won't fight my own father."
The Fire Lord is embarrassed by the prince's response. He realizes what he must do.
"Very well. I gave you a chance to redeem yourself, but you choose otherwise. Now, you shall face the consequences."
That's when he did it.
The irascible fire.
The torrid burn.
The endless pain.
Zuko screams.
Zuko can't see.
Zuko doesn't feel half of his face.
He hears the Fire Lord's voice whispering in his ear, "You have not only disgraced the nation, but me as well. As punishment, you are striped of your title, your crown, your glory... As of now, you do not serve me. Do not wish to ever again."
Zuko doesn't know what is hurting him more – his father's words or the terrible ache.
Then, footsteps.
"Father..." Azula exclaims horridly, "What have you done?"
"He deserved what he got. Listen carefully my dear, you should never disappoint me. If you do, this is what you get. Find me the Avatar, and the reward will be unimaginable."
She doesn't reply.
She picks her brother up despite his refusal, supporting him up with an arm around his waist and another around his neck. She knows all he sees is darkness, because his eyes are shut together.
She leads him to his room. When at the door, he pushes her away so he can lock the door in between them.
Zuko slides his back on the wall as he falls on his knees, breaking down in misery.
In that very moment, he wants nothing more than to stay like that.
I deserved what I got. He repeats Ozai's words in his head, flooding himself with tears as he did so.
Azula rushes to her chambers.
She sees Katara on her bed. She shakes her body violently; calling out, "Wake up, Katara! It's Zuko."
The water bender sits upright at the sound of Zuko's name. Her eyes widen with fear, "W-what... what happened?"
Azula is crying, "It's Zuko. He needs you. He's... he's... he's –" The princess searches for the right word, but fails at it instead. She struggles to explain. Heck, it's too hard.
Katara yells, "He's what?"
"He's in his room," Azula merely says.
She tries to forget her brother's face – the way it haunted her at first sight, but to no avail.
She wonders how Katara can help him. She hopes, with all of her heart, that the water bender can.
Katara is Zuko's last hope.
A/N: Whew, that was challenging to write. Come back next week for new updates. In the meantime, either read on my responses to some of your reviews, or just go ahead and review the chapter! See ya next time.
Responses:
Guest: awesome story are you going to finish the story soon?
Nope! This fiction will last for another ten chapters, approximately. As far as I'm concerned, there's still way too much for me to write before I end it. So no worries.
sunflower13: 97% of the time I'm full-on Kaang, but the other 3% I'm this crazy mad Zutara fangirl. Good story, like how you changed the background so there's no conflicting Kaang stuff, because that would bug me to no end.
Gah, sorry to break this to you but Aang will be in the fiction. I swear I have no intentions of bugging you, but it's just that Aang plays a huge role in this so I can't really cut him out. My sincere apologies. Nonetheless I hope you continue reading!
VictoriaM: Man, you really know how to make someone try to find your house and make you continue the story. By the way where is your house? KIDDING! even if i knew(which i don't need or want to)i wouldn't be able to visit you. Tecnical difficulties :D You're the Best! ;D
Aww, such sweet words... thank you! And also for the continuous reviews. You are way too kind.
MissFree: I've always loved the couple Zutara, and the hurt/comfort story with any couple really. But I'm a sucker for water/fire pairings in general :) Makorra! I am loving this story, and the change in the chain of events. Really brilliant idea, by the way. It's great how you kind of made them "forbidden" childhood friends. Keep it up!
Thank you, dear! What a sweetheart you are. And I'm glad you're enjoying the change in the chain of cannon events. Happy reading!
As for the rest of you, you have no idea how thankful I am of your reviews, especially to those who review after every chapter. Such big motivators you guys are. Really. Thanks again! :)