Hello everybody. The third update in one week. I'm so happy, that I could manage this task. I have add a vital changing for a character in this chapter, compared to the cartoon and the comics, but all of you will see, what I mean during reading. The full idea behind it will be shown in the next chapter or in the chapter after the next one. The story is still in progress and I haven't decide yet, how long the next one will be in the end.
In this chapter Azula fights hard to protect her siblings and she gets support in a way, she had never expected. I wish all of you a lot of fun with this new chapter.
Between -...- Azula's thoughts
Dragonhunt
Azula saw the look of her sister and as this dangerous smile rushed over her lips, she knew that Kiyi had a plan. And so she made herself ready.
- Count on me, Kiyi. -
"Stop! Scaring! My! Sister!"
The cold rage and the strength of these words gave her power. More power, than she ever had felt in her life. She saw Kiyi stamping on the ground and she took a surprised gasp, as she saw Kokaso loosing control over his fire to Kiyi for a moment. She recognized the flames burning his hands and face with great satisfaction. Instantly, Kiyi started to run upstairs, as Kokaso released her from his grip. Azula also jumped forward, cause she saw Kokaso trying to reach her sister again.
- Not this time! -
She tackled the man down with all her might. Burning wasn't enough for her anymore. Now, with Kiyi out of his range, she wanted to release all her rage and hate with her bare hands. But Kokaso was able to block her first punch and got a good grab on her wrist.
- Damn it -
She suddenly realized, that it has been a mistake to start a wrestling fight with this tall man. Her rage had made her blind for this again, but now she had to deal with it. At least long enough to protect her brother.
"Kiyi run! Call the guards!"
Azula tried to free herself from the grip and started to punch with her free arm at Kokaso, but he managed to block her strikes and started to try to twist her wrist painful around in order to get her off from him. She managed place a hit at his left shoulder and Kokaso screamed in pain and released her wrist.
- His shoulder must have been hurt. I bet Toph had hit him there some hours before. -
She didn't hesitate and placed one punch after another on the wounded shoulder. Kokaso was moaning and screaming, but suddenly her world exploded in pain as the man graped her at her hair and ripped her head forcefully backwards. With a loud and painful scream, she felt backwards and hit the ground with her head. Her sight was fading for a moment and she had to struggle against the blackness, which tried to swallow her. The kick in her stomach mad her gasp and cough, painfully. She was fighting to get air back into her lungs, when a second kick at her ribcage made her spinning around on the floor. Her hard coughing made her taste some blood. She was laying on her side, curled together like a child, helpless grabbing in the air in order to reach something to get up again.
"So weak."
His voice was hard and cold.
- This is it. -
"Tell me, Princess. Did you have found strength in the love of your siblings?"
She forced herself to face Kokaso for the last time. He was standing in the doorway, while she was laying before the stairs. His face was burned and also his hand, but he had a victorious smile on his lips. He was lighting up a flame in his hands. But she also saw another person. And the movements of this person made her eyes widened in surprise.
- Impossible! -
This look made Kokaso hesitate. He tended his head aside an frowned at her. A smile grew on Azula's face, as she recognized the sparks dancing around Zuko's hands, while he was doing wide circles with his arms. The buzzing sound of the electricity made Kokaso's face change into a shocking mask. Azula spitted out with a deadly smile.
"Yes, I have."
The cracking sound of Zuko's lightning echoed back from the walls. The strong lightning bolt had hit Kokaso in the back. The man felt down on his face, cramping on the ground. Zuko was standing in the room, darting with his index and middle finger at the doorway. He had never looked so determined before. He took his arm down and ran to his sister. Azula winced in pain, as he aided her standing up. He guided her back in the room. While they passed Kokaso, she kicked his jerking body in the stomach with a satisfied grunt. Zuko placed her on the chair behind the desk. Azula recognized the worried look of her brother, while she was holding her ribcage. She smiled warm at him and touched gently his scar. He pressed her hand at his cheek with his own.
"You saved me, Zuzu."
He smiled back at her.
"You saved me first"
Azula rolled her eyes.
"Yes, but you saved me, before I saved you, Dum-Dum."
Both siblings started to laugh, but Azula instantly regretted, to have done so. The pain was far to present, so she simply smiled back at Zuko.
"We shouldn't forget Kiyi, Zuzu. I think she has also saved us, somehow."
Zuko shook his head with a mischievous smile.
"Could we simply say, that we have all saved each other, somehow?"
Azula nodded at him.
"I think, this is an acceptable compromise." But then an impish sparkle came to her eyes. "But we'll still have to discuss, which of us has started with saving the other and which action was the most important one."
Zuko carefully hugged Azula. He whispered softly in her ear.
"Do you really want to discuss this, Azula?"
She shook her head and pushed Zuko softly back to face his look.
"No, but I think Kiyi would like to discuss this problem at length."
Zuko chuckled at this quote and nodded with a little worried face. He was about to answer, as they started to hear alarmed voices. Azula's smile faded. She finally realized, that she was trapped and injured. Zuko didn't missed that.
"Do you trust me, Azula?"
She looked worried at him, but nodded. He smiled back at her and stood up.
"Wait here. I will return with help. I'll call for someone to check your injuries. A person, I think I can trust to keep a secret. When she has checked you, you may go as you pleased. But I want to talk to you, before you leave.
Azula looked a bit sad at him.
"Do you want me to leave?"
He smiled warm back at her.
"No, but I think, you want to return to your girls, to check if everything is okay. I have send troops to protect them, too, but I will recall them when I know, that they're not in danger anymore. But you may also stay here, if you want. I don't want to force you. I'll explain everything later. I hope you can wait so long. For now, it's important to keep you save and out of sight of the guards."
- He's not lying at me. He let me decide. -
She nodded at him and his smile grew.
"Thank you, Zuzu. I trust you. I'll wait."
He finally left the room and closed the door behind him.
Azula woke up, as her brother gently touched her shoulder. She winced and was about to raise her arms to defend herself, but the pain made her yelp.
"Hey, it's okay. It's me. Come on, let me help you to get upstairs."
Azula nodded. Her body was so sore and the results of the last night started to kick in. She was terribly exhausted. Zuko guided her upstairs.
"What time of the day is it, Zuzu? How long have I slept?"
Azula was sure, that some of her pains were a result of her rest on the chair downstairs.
"I don't know. But it has took some hours to prepare everything. It's late morning, the sun still hasn't reached its highest point, yet."
Azula nodded but some worries rushed over her face.
"What about Kiyi?"
"Still a little shocked, but she's fine. She's telling mother, Noren and Iroh, how Toph's lessons have helped her to free herself. She bursts with pride about this fact."
Azula nodded at him.
"She should be. This was remarkable. I bet, mother is almost dying, because all of this."
Zuko's face showed sadness at this quote.
"Of cause she does. We all were worried about her carelessness. Things might have ended badly for her."
Azula bit her bottom lip. She nodded at him.
"She was also worried about you, Azula."
His sister snorted annoyed, but didn't started a protest.
"I know, dangerous subject." He sighed and focused on guiding her upstairs. "Let's get you upstairs, to check you injuries."
As they finally reached his room again, Azula recognized a sharp breath. A woman, probably a member of the Northern Water Tribe, due to their clothes, was waiting for them. Azula could see the flicker of anger in her face but the woman walked to the siblings and helped Zuko to place Azula on his bed. She started to check Azula's injuries, but she wasn't very gentle with her. Azula kept quite and barley winced as the healer skillfully found the most hurting parts of her sore body. Zuko observed both with obviously shown nervousness.
"She'll be alright, but I have to treat her injuries. Would the Fire Lord be so kind, please and leave the room, while I'll do my work."
Azula's eyes flickered in anger about this insult and also Zuko seemed to be a bit upset, too. He hesitated until Azula turned to him.
"Let the woman do her work, Zuzu."
To her surprise, she recognized a sparkle in the healers eyes. Zuko walked to Azula and gave her a kiss on her cheek.
"Alright. I'll check my wardrobe, until Rakana is finished with her work. It seems, that I have to check some of my belts."
He smiled impish at her and Azula had to chuckle, which she instantly regretted, because of the stinging pains.
- I have missed talking like that so much. -
Azula tore off her suit with Rakana's help and the healer started to treat her wounds with her healing abilities.
"You're in luck. He hasn't injured you too much."
Azula didn't miss some anger in the voice of the healer. She nodded at the healer.
"That's right."
She took a little break, while the files, she had found about all the manipulations, he had managed with her father, flashed through her mind.
"At least not physically."
Rakana stopped in motion. Azula saw a flicker of shock rushing over the face of the waterbender. It woke up Azula's anger a bit.
"No, not that way." Again, she took a break. It was hurting. The truth was still hurting her. "Nothing you have to care about."
She saw the sparkle in the eyes of the healer again. Rakana nodded at her and continued her work.
"I may have sound disrespectful, as I talked to your brother, but that's only because I'm afraid, what might happens, if his risks don't pay off."
Rakana's quote made Azula look at her in surprise. The healer smirked at her.
"He has saved your friend, Zirin. And he has protect her the whole night in personal."
Azula nodded with closed eyes, but she kept quiet, so Rakana talked to her again, while she continued her work.
"I think, he's the best thing, what could have happened to this world and this Nation and the things, he's doing for you, is a dangerous path for him. I have no doubt, that he could handle this task, but a slight mistake may cost all of us a lot more than we might believe."
Azula frowned at Rakana, while the woman took some dressings out of her bag for her arm. The face of the healer turned into a look full of sadness and grief.
"I have lost my siblings at the siege of the North Pole. My hate for the Fire Nation was beyond limits after this dreadful day. But after the end of the war I started to realize, that no healing could start without forgiveness and so I started to take a closer look on the actions of the new Fire Lord. A person, who was once part of all this madness. And I saw his struggle to fix the damage, his Nation has done. His tries to build up something new out of the ashes, this war has left and I realized, that he really tries to fight for a better future, not only for his Nation, for all of us. So I decided to be part of this new chance. I dared to give him a chance and so I was chosen to be the first official healer from the Northern Water Tribe at the Royal Palace for over a hundred years."
She bowed down to Azula.
"Do you know, what has impressed me the most on your brother?"
Azula faced her look and due to the smile, that grew on Rakana's face, it was the reaction, she had hoped for.
"He never has tried to hide away his mistakes. He's taking the responsibility for his own faults every day. And he also takes the responsibility for all the mistakes of the Fire Lords of the last hundred years. Could he have done better, than he has? Maybe. But due to this heavy burden, he has to deal with, every day, he could have done much worse, than he has. For this struggle, he has earned my highest respect and my absolute loyalty. That's why I act so harsh with him. I only risk my reputation for people I really care."
Azula kept focused on Rakana, during her explanation. She could see the fire in her eyes. She smirked at her and nodded.
"I understand."
She saw a smile rushing over the lips of Rakana. The healer finished her treatment and handed Azula some clothes, Zuko had prepared for her, before he had brought her upstairs. The firebender started to dress herself. The pains weren't completely vanished, but they were much better.
"The way might be rockier and longer for you, but today you have made some steps in the right direction."
Azula rolled her eyes at Rakana's quote but the healer just laughed at her reaction. The laughter died slowly and her face showed a slight sadness again.
"I also understand him. I understand, why he has to fight for you. I would give my own life gladly, if this sacrifice would bring my brother and my sister back to life. And I know that his former decision to put you into this sanatorium is gnawing at him. He has explained me everything during our watch for your friend. That's why I'm helping you as well."
Her face returned to a serious look.
"You haven't earned my trust yet, but you have proven, that you're worthy to give you a chance. It'll be up to you, what you want to do with this chance."
Rakana stood up and was about to leave, when Azula's voice made her stop.
"Healer Rakana of the Northern Water Tribe."
Rakana turned around with a surprised look on her face.
"Thank you for saving Zirin and thank you for supporting my brother. I know, my Nation has done no good to you and in one way or another I was part of it as well. I don't know, if this may count for you, but I appreciate your genuine support for him very much."
She bowed short before Rakana. The healer watched her action with surprise, but then she smiled and also bowed before Azula.
"You may believe it or not, but it does count for me. Thank you, Princess Azula."
