Here's another chapter! I don't own AtlA or LoK!
Later that night Toph and her officers had stormed twelve Triple Threat Bases with nothing and things were starting to get very frustrating for the Chief of Police. That is until they arrived at the thirteenth base with the Avatar not far behind. Storming the base went on as routine would have it only this time they took fifteen men and woman into custody and all were transported to Police headquarters where they were to be interrogated...
Back with Azula Dreamscaping...
After what seemed like hours of more walking through the forest in the distance I could see another house this some nothing like the one before, it was bigger and nearly reduced to rubble. I breathed deeply letting Azula's memories and mine merge together was rather hard but for every bad memory she's had of her mother or brother, there was a good memory of my family to balance it out and vice versa.
There was more good memories in Azula's younger memories of her brother, who was as loving as he was as a grown up. Often times I found myself making comparisons to how much this reminded me of my childhood and often times I found I was feeling her interjections on my memories more then hearing her voice in my head. Now though it was time for me to experience another part of Princess Azula's memories. I walked into the house...
Everything changed around me, the room changed into fire nation royal rooms where there sat a five year old Princess Azula with her brother playing a game.
"Come on Zuzu!" The princess exclaimed pulling at her brother's hand.
"But 'Zula I don't wanna! I'm tired." A young Zuko groaned.
"You said you wanted to learn how to Firebend like me! Come on Zuzu please!" She pulled out her brother's hand and he shook his head.
"No, 'Zula later... It's late," He crawled into his bed.
"Zuko, you said you'd help me!" Azula exclaimed close to hysteria.
"Dad isn't going to do anything to you 'Zula just go to sleep..." Zuko sighed.
"No! Zuko why won't you listen to me! I- I don't want to hurt anyone Zuzu please," Azula begged her brother to listen but... he didn't.
"I'm tired 'Zula just go to bed. Nothing will happen." He said, Azula turned away tears glittering in her eyes head bowed, shoulders slumped. I walked with her to her rooms although she didn't see me.
That night she was pulled from her bed and pushed toward the throne room where her father waited. I watched through narrowed eyes as he pushed her to the brink of exhaustion firing daggers at her, she was able to dodge most of the impacts but some cut through her thin shirt leaving burning flesh in its wake. This must have been her third or fourth time faced with her father, so there were little cries of pain and hysteria at her father's brutal attacks. She stood the pain as long as it took for her father to tire for the night.
"Practice dodging blows using firebending tomorrow. I will test you on that tomorrow. Understood." His dark voice growled and she nodded;
"Yes father." He swept away and Azula slid down the wall letting the tears fall. Pain, fear, anger so much anger at her father, brother, mother but most of all at herself. She thought she was weak for showing this kind of emotion, her father never showed these kinds of emotions... She had to be just like him, he's the only one who praised her for being the best at her Firebending...
She never knew how things should be, a loving father would never hurt his children but she didn't know that. All she knew at that age was... She wanted her father's affections. She didn't get anything from her mother so she'd get it somewhere and if enduring these rigorous sessions at night pleased her father... Than so be it.
No one realized it was then that things changed for the five year old Princess Azula.
When her brother turned his back on her pleas for help of any kind. It was also that night she went back to her brothers room and stood outside in the dark well her mother read to her wide awake brother, tears streamed down her cheeks and she slowly slunk away in the shadows... I followed her to her room and knelt beside her bed as she slept fitfully.
"I understand how it started..." I whispered and placed a hand on her forehead. She woke with a start;
"Who are you?" I just gave a kind smile and held out my hand.
"Come with me Princess I have someone to introduce you too." The room faded and I was standing in the living room of the house where my five year old self stood.
"Do you want to play with me?" She asked the girl to my right.
"No, my father says I don't play with peasant children." A five year old Princess stood arms crossed beside me. My five year old self just smiled;
"Come on Azula, I'm not that bad to play with... But maybe we don't have to play- We can practice firebending."
"You're a firebender!" The Princess exclaimed, my five year old self nodded.
"Sure am Princess. Come on! I'll show you some new things!" She held out her hand which the fire Princess took. A soft light filled the room and the two five year old's merged and disappeared. I breathed deeply and left the room settling down just outside the house in time for the onslaught of memories to flash through my head... The next six years of her life and mine.
Toph Bei Fong Interrogation Room...
Toph walked up to her officers as they angrily slammed the door of the interrogation room.
"What happened? What have you found out?" She asked glaring down the two misfortunate interrogators.
"Nothing... Nothing at all Chief we've tried everything legal. The mad won't budge." The first stated and swallowed thickly at the anger that swirled in Toph cloudy gray/green eyes.
"Very well... You're dismissed." The tightness in her jaw combined with her clenched fists and stormy eyes had them hightailing it out of the building. A slow deliberate breath and she approached the guards.
"Leave." The command rang in the air for a split second.
"But Chief-" The man was cut off.
"Did I ask for back talk! Desk work three months now get going!" He rushed off followed by the second guard composing herself once again she slipped into the interrogation room.
The man at the table was sitting smugly in his chair light brown eyes and sandy brown hair.
"I will only ask you this once and I'm going to be very nice about it." She turned to the man letting him fully take in her demeanor, color drained from his features.
"Please-" The word was said with a sweet yet equally as dark and menacing tone. "Tell me where my daughter is." She ended with a semi-sadistic smile teeth bared eyes promising a slow and painful death.
"I-I d-d." He couldn't get anything out at that moment and slamming her hands onto the metal desk sent him into the wall the table wrapping around his frame in a deadly grip. Toph's hand was almost clenched at her side ready to make the motion that would crush the life of this poor soul.
"Speak clearly and Tell. Me. Where. My. Daughter. Is. Who you are working for. Or spirits help me I will crush the life out of you slowly very painfully!" Her voice raised with each other.
"Al-Alright! I'll-I'll tell you everything I know! Just please don't kill me!" Toph relaxed but didn't let him free just yet.
"I- I work for a man,"
"Who?"
"I-I don't know his name! I was contacted by a woman who also works for him! I was to spread the word that there was a bounty on the first born daughter of The Chief of Police! I knew exactly who to go to: A man I know by the name of Talon, he's the best bounty hunter around and I was told with every job I get him I'd get five percent of the money a-and I re-"
"Back to the point!" The metal tightened around him.
"Well Once he had her, I helped him set her up in a storage area underground. Kept really cold and in control of a serious waterbender. Don't know his name but I kinda got the feeling he's the big guns if she wakes up." He ended.
"What was the mans name? And where is this storage area?" She asked turning her head as if to hear him better.
"I-I don't remember exactly Akone or something like that, I don't know! I wasn't exactly paying attention to where we were going-" He felt the metal tightening and let out a shrill of terror when a knock sounded at the door and Toph let him go straightening out the table and leaving the room.
"What do you want Sugar Queen? Who's this?"
"What is going on in there? Is somebody hurt?"
"No, no one's hurt. But someone will be if I don't figure out why I was interupted while in interrogation." She crossed her arms.
"This man came to the Island earlier, he say's he can help us. But Toph I need you to listen to him and not kill him alright. You have to promise me." Katara explained.
"Why would I kill him?" She crossed her arms.
"Just promise me alright." Katara stated once again.
"Fine. I promise I won't kill him. Happy." Katara motioned to the man with dark brown hair and eyes.
"Hello Chief Bei Fong, I'm Talon..."
Hope you liked it... Sorry it took me a while to update. As always comments, questions or concerns are welcomed!