CHAPTER RATING: T (Language, Violence)

A/N: I wish I could have kept the titles consistent, but I think this is for the better.

Published on: 01/01/2020

Chapter 19: The Price for an Exiled Princess

A few hours after they parted ways, Azula spent the majority of the time watching the Earth Kingdom capital shrink on the horizon, thoughts running through her mind as the Smart and his girlfriend spoke freely, as if she wasn't even with them.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" She asks him.

"I don't know. I don't think so. I'll have to meditate some more and talk to the previous Avatars. To see if they know why I'm having trouble staying in the Avatar State."

"Okay. We can rest while you meditate."

"Yeah, it'll take some time." He says before closing his eyes.

Azula doesn't speak. The news they share is distressing, but what could she do to help? For now, her plan had succeeded, she was out of Ba Sing Se.

But other than that, she didn't have much choice but to follow the Avatar, wherever he went.

Her heart jumps when her eyes catch the sight of where they are headed; below them, a clear glass crescent of an oasis, dotted with flowers from every nation, and grass as colorful as the most precious of emerald gemstones.

The memories of a night long ago return to her.

"You two can go on ahead." The Avatar's girlfriend says. "I'll take Appa and head to the Shady Palms Oasis. I need to send a messenger hawk to my father; let him know that I'm alright." She turns to Azula. "I-I want to thank you for helping me escape from Ba Sing Se. I wish that I could do more."

"You've done a lot for me. Thank you." Azula sees the Avatar's eyes soften; she turns back to his girlfriend. "I trust you. And I hope you can say the same about me."

"I...I can." Katara nods "While I'm gone, please watch over Aang. I'll be back soon."

"I will. Come back safe." Azula bows; something she never imagine she'd do towards Katara. But does so genuinely, before helping the meditating, unresponsive Avatar into the cottage, and onto a bed. Outside, she hears the sky bison take off, and turns to the Avatar.

"There is something I wanted to tell you…" Azula's voice shrinks when she turns to him, seeing how tranquil he is, as if he had no cares in the world, unaware of it all. "But I suppose it will have to wait." She signs. "I forgot how unresponsive you become when meditating." The silence that answers her only proves her point. "I don't have the right to say this; but don't keep me waiting too long." She says to only his peaceful, silent response before she heads outside.

…

Stepping out of the shade, she's surrounded by silence; not a lonely silence, but a peaceful silence. The sun strikes her back and warmth fills her.

With power.

With ambition.

With fire.

And in it all, she yearns to return to a place where all of that…was gone.

Azula gazed around her; emerald grass and a rainbow spectrum of flowers waved with the wind, small rippled waves ebbed across the large lake, only interrupted by a small fish every now and then. With another deep breath, she looked at her own trembling reflection and sits down.

I can do this… She thinks to herself.

Just like before…

With another deep breath, she closes her eyes, and counts down from ten.

Ten…Nine…Eight…Seven…Six…Five…Four…Three…Two…One.

The warmth of the sun envelopes her, she opens her eyes, and is met with disappointment. Before her is not the Enlightening Sunrise that she wanted, but instead, she sees the physical lake she is sitting by.

She takes another deep breath.

Once more… She repeats to herself.

Ten…Nine…

Something changes. Something pulses. Something unfamiliar.

Azula looks down, her eyes widen, and she feels her heart races. Protruding out of her sternum is a brilliant, glowing cord that waves as freely as a bird's wings in flight. She reaches out to it, and it passes through her hands as if they didn't exist.

She looks around, still, she sits in front of a giant lake, the grass and flowers waving as freely in the wind as her Spirit Cord.

Another pulse rocks her senses. She turns, and within the cottage, sees an outline of the Avatar, a similar cord sprouting from his sternum, and a faint trail of where she had carried him.

Just like he said...I can sense others around me.

Another pulse. Azula lifts her head and sees five others coming her way from the dessert.

Oh no. Think. What was it that he said?

Focus. Azula thought to herself, took another breath, and honed her thoughts. She closed her eyes, and then opened them. Her Spirit Cord was gone, her hands absently grasping at an ethereal presence that was no longer there.

She shook her head and scrambled into the house.

"Avatar! Wake up!" She cried to no response. "Please! Return to your body!"

He gave no response.

Damn it! She thought to herself. Those five figures were closing in. What can I do?

Azula turns to a small know she finds in the house, and quickly, sloppily hacks of a portion of her hair that had grown longer than usual.

I'll fix it after they leave.

She closes the doors on her way out.

…

"I can do this." Azula tells herself, a sandstorm from the approaching figures builds. Five figures riding large sand-salamanders approach and dismount.

"Greetings!" One of them steps forward.

Keep calm.

"Greetings...How may I help you, gentlemen?" Azula replies.

"I speak for my men here." The first one to speak continues. "We're a bunch of weary travelers, looking for some shelter in this oppressive heat. My name is Fong, a pleasure to meet you, may I ask your name, miss?"

"Ziku." Azula bows to him. "The pleasure is all mine. Unfortunately, I can't provide you with any shelter. As you can see, the only shelter I have is quite small. Please, be on your way."

"I promise we won't take long...Miss Ziku. We don't want to intrude, all we ask is a few minutes rest, and perhaps an opportunity to refill our empty canteens in this fine body of water your have here." His voice, his tone, make her uneasy.

Please, Avatar. Get back soon.

"I suppose that would be fine. Please, fill your canteens, and take some time to rest in the shade." She hopes her tone doesn't betray her bluff. Azula turns to the sky, hoping to see a puff of white that could signal the arrival of Appa and Katara, but there isn't a single cloud to be seen. Her eyes shift towards the house, which doors in silence.

In the corner of her eyes, she sees them gathering water from the lake in their blackened metal canteens.

Then she sees something that makes fear surge through her.

Two of the men walk off and start a fire to boil the water they gathered-with firebending.

A random group of firebenders in the middle of the Earth Kingdom? Something isn't right.

Azula turns and reaches for the door.

"Miss Ziku…" Azula feels a pressure on her shoulder, and a force pulls her around just as Fong's voice enters her ears. "I must apologize." Two others stand behind him. "I haven't been completely honest with you about who we are."

"Is that so…" Azula pulls back with lightning skipping between her fingertips.

"Yes. We're bounty hunters. I apologise for the dishonesty." He grins. "But I must say, you have not given us that same courtesy, Princess Azula."

She strikes like the lightning in her hands; fingers pointed outward, she thrusts her nails towards his neck, grasping it and drawing blood from the intensity of her grip.

Fong screams as lightning crawls and crackles up his head, making his body go limp; Azula pushes him towards the man on her left; they collide and impact the ground.

The one to her right grabs her arm, the fire almost searing through her clothes and into her skin; her left arm free, Azula grabs the wrist of his right hand, sending a numbing bolt of lightning through him; his grip loosens until she is able to slide her right leg in front of his right foot, and pulling his left arm by the wrist, slam him into the ground.

I need to get away. Her mind races while her eyes search.

The sand-salamanders.

She takes off, looking back towards the three just getting back up to their feet, and searches for the other two.

Her heart begins to race.

Where are they? She looks around again but can't find them.

It's too late now.

Azula raises her hands, trying to calm one of the mounts that she's planning to take. To her surprise, they seem calm. She grabs the reins of one and jumps into the saddle.

"Let's go!"

An explosion of fire crashes beside her.

A sharp, biting pain pierces through her shoulder.

A green liquid drips down into the sand, with a haunting hiss from the lizards around her.

Her vision begins to go blurry.

"Slow down boys!" A voice begins to fade with the light of the world. "Let the venom do its work."

Please, Avatar. Help.

The warmth of the sand is the last thing she feels before the world fades to black.

A/N:

Yes, I realize that "having problems staying in the Avatar State" can be seen as another way to say "unable to maintain an erection." (considering what I write.)

I assure you that it is not.

It was an unfortunately unavoidable coincidence.

Happy New Year. Let's hope I can finish this story before I have to say that again.

Thank you for reading.