~o~
A Moth to Flame
Hina awoke with a start.
She was surrounded by the other kids, who looked down at her with worry. When she sat up, she looked around, surprised to see them.
"Hey!" she said, "You're the missing kids!"
"You were having a bad dream. You were crying." one of the younger boys said, "Are you okay?"
Hina rubbed her eyes, somewhat wounded by his inquiry, even if it was genuine. She was thinking about the spirit of her dead mother who had tried to help her away from the dark spirit. But then the Kemurikage had shown up and brought her here?
"Where are we?" Hina asked.
She looked through the group of kids and grinned when she spotted Kiyi and Tom-Tom together. She stood up and made her way over to them, embracing them both. They were just as relieved to see her there and returned her hug.
"Did you see mom? Is she okay?" Kiyi asked.
Hina shook her head, unsure. She hadn't seen Ursa before she was taken. "I don't know. I'm sorry. I didn't see her."
"You guys! I'm glad you're here!" she said. Then, she made a face, realizing what she'd said. "Well, I mean, not HERE, exactly. But at least you're okay."
A few hesitant nods and smiles from those around her.
Hina looked around the room and frowned thoughtfully. "So...how do we get out of here?"
"I don't know." another younger girl said, worried, "They only come down to feed us. They said we're safe here, but I miss my mom and dad."
"Me too." another child replied, worry on his face.
Hina made a thoughtful noise and walked toward a thick, steel door nearby. She took the handle and gave it a few sharp tugs before sighing.
"We already tried it..."
"They have it locked up good."
Then, they could make out the sounds of voices above and Hina grinned with delight when she recognized the familiar sound of Azula's voice.
"Mom!" she yelled.
Kiyi stood up and leaned her ear near the door to hear better. "Are you sure it's her?"
Azula and Yui were wandering into the abandoned temple and Azula argued with Yui about the location of choice. Yui didn't believe they would be here.
"Hina would have come here, I know it!" Azula told her. "She's a child, but she's resourceful. She'd go where the animals will have gone to stay safe."
Yui looked at her curiously. "The animals?"
"Yes. When Hina was a child, she was led to safety by the birds - or so she told me. This temple was abandoned and animals roost here all the time. I'm sure Hina will be hiding where they will be."
Yui smiled a little now. "Incredible. You've bonded so well to your child."
"Of course I have." Azula gave her a look. "Any decent mother would know what her child's doing or her feelings. And I surpass Ursa in every way with my own daughter."
Yui brightened, despite that bit of snark in her words. "Azula, that's it!" she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "In that, you've managed to overcome something about yourself. You no longer see yourself as the monster."
Azula frowned, uncertain. "What are you talking about?"
"Since we are not in my office, I can just tell you; you've broken the cycle," Yui explained. "You are not your father. You are not your mother. You are Azula and you are a wonderful mother."
Azula thought about that. She made a thoughtful note, glancing down before smiling a little. "Maybe I have, I..."
Then, she looked up, catching the sounds of knocking in the distance. She made her way toward it and was amazed to find the door where Hina was reaching through the bars.
"Mom!" Hina cried, happily. "I'm right here! You found us!"
Azula smiled and peered into the room, spotting the other children with her. "Well, it seems you are all safe for the time being. Now back away. I'll make short work of this door."
Immediately, the children backed away as far from the door as possible. Azula stood in a bending stance and she could briefly make out conversations between the children from the other side.
"Your mom is princess Azula?"
"Yeah! She's really great!"
"She seems way nicer than my mom told me she was."
"She is! And really cool and strong, too!"
"I heard she took down Ba Sing Se all by herself! And she was a kid!"
"I heard about that. My mom says I can't even clean my room..."
Azula lowered her hands slightly, smiling a little at Hina's words to the others. She wouldn't deny that it made her feel happy to hear it. After all, how often did children usually spend their time praising her for anything instead of running away from her?
Yui caught the look on her face and her expression warmed a little.
Snapping out of her thoughts for the moment, Azula focused her bending on the door; she concentrated with every bit of strength that she had, sending a jet of blue flames at the handle. It made short work of it, melting it down so that the door could creak open.
The kids applauded her and Azula sighed, stepping inside. Immediately, she knelt down and embraced Hina when her daughter rushed over to hug her. The force nearly knocked her over and Yui smiled at the sight.
"Mom! I'm so glad you're okay!" she said.
"I could say the same for you." Azula replied. She parted, looking at Hina and checking for any wounds. "Are you hurt at all?"
Hina shook her head. "No. The spirit just..." She frowned thoughtfully, rubbing her head. "She put me to sleep somehow after I hid and brought me here."
Azula's brow wrinkled slightly.
She stood up and looked at the other children. "Alright, which of you knows how to firebend?"
Hina's hand immediately shot up and two more hesitantly raised their hands. Azula smiled her approval and nodded once at the other two.
"Good." she said. "We will need all the fire power we can get. Can you bend well?"
The boy and girl who had risen their hands looked at one another, unsure.
"I'm not that good." the girl said.
"Me neither." the boy answered.
Azula shrugged her shoulders. "It's fine. Stay confident and listen to me. When I tell you to use your bending, you use it. Understood?"
After a moment, the two children smiled a little, pleased to hear that.
The group filed their way out of the room and Hina put her arms around Azula's shoulders, resting her chin against her back as they started forward.
"I saw her when I was looking for you." Hina said, quietly.
"Hm? Who?" Azula asked.
"My mom. Before you." Hina replied, her voice softer. "She helped me hide from a bad spirit. It wanted to hurt me, but she told me where to go. But...I know this might sound a little crazy...I think the ones taking the kids aren't so bad."
Azula made a snort now. "Right. They take children out of the goodness of their souls."
Hina was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "I almost forgot what she looked like; my mom before you. But she's all burned up. I wish I knew why."
Azula's features smoothed out as she considered Hina's words. It wasn't unusual for the truth to have been kept hidden from her by the orphanage. Most of the children probably led terrible lives during the war and suffered many losses. She had personally seen to some of them. Still, Hina had been very young when it had happened and she probably had little to no memory of it.
But Azula knew.
O
They made their way slowly out of the temple, watching around them for signs of spirits and New Ozai Members. Azula had a feeling that there was more to this fog than she'd previously believed. It was good that her instincts were still there despite years of peace. She would not let that hinder any part of her, even if her lightning was blocked.
"...I can bend fire like this, see?"
"Ooh! A moth!"
"Mom taught me how to do that."
Azula could hear the chatter from Hina and the other kids behind her and it made her chuckle a little. She relished the praise from them. She looked at Yui, who also seemed pleased to hear the news. But then, her mind wandered and she found herself curious that Yui had not seen things that could torment her in the fog. But there was something. Everyone had regrets.
She didn't know why she even bothered to ask her; perhaps talking was preferable to thinking about what was going on with the fog.
"I assume your parents were born here in the Capital?" Azula asked.
Yui nodded her head. "Yes, they were merchants, originally. But my father earned a higher status later in life. He became a Fire Sage."
"Did he want you to be the same?"
"Yes." Yui replied. "But I wanted to help people in other ways. I told him I wanted to help those in need in my own way."
Azula frowned slightly. "Was he disappointed?"
"Not at all." Yui continued, "When I finally earned my status and became a doctor, he was there in the crowd to applaud me."
"And your mother?"
Yui's smile thinned slightly. "I never knew her."
Azula chuckled a little, smirking down at her. "Ah, so you have regrets after all."
"No, I don't." Yui replied, with a small sigh. "As I see it, things happen sometimes. These things we can't always control. But what we can control is what we do afterwards."
Well, Azula could believe that to a point.
When they arrived at the temple's edge, they stopped when they noticed two Kemurikage materializing before them through the fog. Azula stood in a bending stance and the children immediately hid behind her and Yui. The spirits said nothing for a moment before one step forward.
"The children." she whispered. "Do not take them. We are trying to keep them safe."
"They are not yours to protect!" Azula said, with an angry scowl.
"Give us the children," the other Kemurikage warned, her tone as frigid as the air around them, "We will not ask again before we take them from you."
Azula looked back at the children who had maintained their hiding place behind her. Then, she smirked, her tone a challenge.
"Spirit or not, I'd love to see you try and taken them from me."
Just then, Enenra appeared at their side with Aang, Mai and Zuko in tow before a fight could begin. She focused on her sisters and stepped between them and the humans.
"Sisters, you must stop," she told them, "The Avatar has agreed to help free us from that woman. We don't need to take the children."
"The Avatar." the first spirit said, as if unsure.
Zuko looked at Azula and gave her a brief nod of acknowledgement. She returned the gesture and looked at the children behind her briefly before frowning at Aang. She noticed that Sen wasn't with them and for a second, she felt an foreign emotion - fear.
"Where's Sen?" she demanded.
"Not with us. She hasn't found you, yet?" Aang asked, worried.
"No." Azula scowled now. "Wait, you don't know where she is?"
"Katara's gone, too. We have to find them."
Enenra floated gracefully toward them. "Perhaps I can help you." she offered. "Do you have something that belongs to either of them?"
Hina reached into her shirt, removing the spirit water vial that Katara had given her. Azula reached into her robes and pulled out a small, metal figurine of a moth that Sen had crafted for her from Star Metal. When she caught the looks from those around her, she snorted, her cheeks darkening.
"What are all of you staring at?" she snapped, "Sen gave this to me for my birthday. What of it?"
Yui leaned over her shoulder to see. "Oh! She has talent. It's cute!"
Enenra reached out and the two placed the objects into her palms. She sighed and tilted her head before letting out a warm chuckle.
"This moth made up of metal radiates with warmth and love," she said. She looked at the vial. "And this was a gift for the child. This was made with the intent to bring protection and healing. Katara and Sen play important roles in your lives."
She handed the offerings back to them, tucked her hands in her robes before peering through the fog. "Sen's life feels...distant. She's been tainted by a spirit. You must find her. Follow me."
They followed behind her, but Zuko paused when he caught Azula's strange look; it was new on her and one he couldn't help but focus on. She sensed his stare and frowned at him.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing it's..." Zuko looked worried. "I've never seen you look scared before."
"And you still haven't." Azula lied.
She had to maintain control. She just had to.
Meanwhile, the vengeful spirits slowly stalked their way in the fog, led by a single spirit with an eye missing. He was dressed in Fire Nation noble clothes that had been burned. He looked around briefly before smiling at two old men hiding behind a statue.
Passing through the statue and facing them, the spirit's eyes narrowed as they whimpered and cowered.
"Fire Lord Ozai." he said, "Bring him to us."
The two men watching didn't know how to answer. They were frightened and shaking before the spirits and simply ignored as they moved forward.
They had wandered for so long. They would keep on doing so, if they had to.
O
Katara saw nothing in front of her.
She had no idea how long they'd been walking and how long Sen was going to hold up; she was trying to carry her on her shoulder, but Sen was heavy and almost twice her size. Her body had been giving out on her and it made it harder for her to walk.
"Katara..." Sen breathed, her voice hoarse. "Please, stop. I need to rest for a moment."
Katara grunted, nodding once as she spotted a nearby fallen tree, laying Sen against it. Sen looked worse and worse every second; her palm was covered in sickly green and her nails looked as if they were hardened into wood. Katara studied the effects, horrified.
"It's...It's getting worse." she gasped.
Sen mumbled weakly, head lolling on her shoulders. "Katara, I don't know if we'll find Aang in time." she mumbled. "So I have something for you to give Azula...I..."
She reached into her pockets, removing the container that housed the ring she'd made. Her hands started to shake uncontrollably and she bit back a curse as she dropped it to the ground. Katara looked down in surprise and Sen let out a shaky grunt.
"Sorry, I don't have much feeling in my hands right now." she told her.
Katara took the container and opened it, shock lighting her face. "Sen, it's - "
"A ring, yes," Sen replied, "I was...hoping to give it to Azula and ask her to marry me."
"It's beautiful."
"Yes, thank you. I-I had Toph help," Sen continued, "Sorry I kept that from you but..." She grinned weakly, chuckling. "You are awful at keeping secrets, you know."
A tearful laugh from the other woman. It was true.
"If I die, give me your word you will care well for Hina." Sen continued, with another weak shudder through her frame, "And Azula - "
"Shut up!" Katara snapped down at her. "Stop talking like that." Her tone was trembling as she fought to keep herself calm. "You're going to live. You're going to get married to Azula and she's probably going to rub it in my face for weeks on end and you know what? I'll deal with that! We're going to find our way out of here. I won't stop until we do and I'm not letting you stop either."
Sen smiled, trying to laugh as much as she could.
Then, she looked beyond Katara, noticing the shapes of spirits watching them, surrounding them with cold, bitter stares. They were those she had known in life; the people she had claimed during the war. They haunted her, even now when she was close to death herself.
"I see them!" she gasped. "They won't leave me alone. I suppose I deserve it after what I did to them, don't I? Save yourself, Katara. Let me go. I deserve this." She mumbled deliriously. "What am I even doing? Nothing changes, no matter how hard I try to do good. I always end up like this..."
Katara didn't want to hear her talk like that anymore; but she knew that Sen also HAD to talk. She had to keep talking to stay alive.
"Sen, that's not true..." Her voice trembled as she spoke. "All of those things you did? They were horrible. You did bad and terrible things but... You've grown from them. You're helping people now and they know that."
A bitter scoff. "Please."
"It's true!" Katara argued with her, smiling tearfully. "I know there are people who still need time to see you change for the better. That's probably never going to go away either. But the important thing is you're trying and there's always hope it will change. You're proof that there is always good left in someone and they're never too far gone to be saved. You're my friend, Sen. I won't turn my back on my friends."
Sen's eyes filled with tears and she let out a shaking, anguished laugh. "Why do you say things like that? It's..."
She looked beyond Katara and her vision dimmed, even though the other woman was speaking to her. She was laying on the floor now in a dark room and Arashi was there, passing through the shadows. Sen remembered the room where he'd fought with her; he'd ordered her to duel him and when she had lost the duel, he'd beaten her.
"You turned your back on your enemy, Sen," he told her, "What have I always taught you?"
Sen blinked, eyes widening in horror. She was no longer in fog, but surrounded by the dead; familiar faces from her past. Not enemies, but faces of those she'd held close to her.
One of them had been a Sea Raven she had lost during a battle. She was leaning beside Sen now, smiling. "You don't have to keep going, Sen." she said. "This life wasn't meant for you. But it is good that you were trying. Most people don't."
There was an older woman Sen had passed in life - a merchant? Her mind couldn't remember much about her personal life. But she'd walked through a Fire Nation village and the woman had been kind to her; it had been for a second when Sen had been sitting alone and the old woman had sat down beside her, not terrified by her presence as most had been. She had offered Sen food. It had been a nice conversation afterwards.
"No, that's not true," the old woman said, "There is always something to live for, child. You know that. What did you tell me when we first met? Do you remember?"
Sen blinked slowly. "I said... I said no one will remember me but as the monster I was made to be."
The old woman nodded. "And I told you that you have to make your own memories. You are the master of your own destiny. Not the one made by your father."
Arashi paced around the room, smiling coldly down at the woman. "Your eyes were open, Sen. I gave you the strength to deal with this world. You were meant to adapt, to change. But you always had your mother's weakness. And it was my mother, wasn't it? She's the one who did this to you. You know she is, Sen. But you don't want to see it." He stopped, arms behind his back. "You don't want to see that one moment you spared a life, you caused your own demise. Just as I always told you would happen."
"That's ridiculous."
Sen looked over and saw her mother kneeling beside her now. Her eyes filled with tears. "Mother?"
"Kindness doesn't create destruction, Sen." Chikako assured her, with a warm smile. "You were not the cause of this just as you were not the cause of my death."
Sen stared at her before she shuddered, letting out small sobbing sounds.
"There are many ways you can break someone, Sen..." Arashi paced around her like a hungry animal. "Burn their flesh, break their bones. But breaking someone's spirit? That's how you truly destroy them. My mother knows that well. That was her plan for you, after all."
Sen laid there, remembering the day she had spared them. This had been their plan the entire time. She knew. She'd always known about it.
She let out a groan that transformed into a snarl of bared teeth.
O
"My fault... It's all my fault..."
Katara grunted as she struggled to help Sen into a wagon; she ignored the woman's delirious words, spotting Goro and Gin fending off a few animals from a stand. When they saw her, they were never more relieved and came running up to her.
"Thank the spirits!" Gin sighed, "It's you! One of Sen's friends!"
"Sen, she's with me," Katara told him, anguish in her eyes, "She's been poisoned and she's delirious. We need to get to Aang so that he can help her! Can you help me?"
Goro and Gin immediately made their way to Sen's side and her head was rolling, face shining with sweat. Goro cupped her cheeks, studied her condition.
"Sen?" he said. "Can you hear me?"
Sen blinked weakly and looked at him. "Yes..." She glanced over at Katara. "I'm thirsty. Please."
Katara nodded and brought forth water from her pouch. She gave Sen a little to drink and smiled when she noticed the other woman seemed to be a little better for it.
Gin cupped his mouth, yelling into the fog. "AVATAR!"
Goro swatted his shoulder. "That doesn't help!"
"And sitting here waiting for her to die, is?" Gin shot back.
Goro sighed, shaking his head. "We've tried to help you before, Sen. It feels like we're failing you again." He looked down at the woman. "I'm so sorry."
Sen laughed weakly. "It's funny, really."
"What is?" Gin asked, troubled.
"All these years, no one has been able to kill me," Sen's voice was hoarse, despite the laughter, "And yet, here I am...about to die. To a little poison."
She laughed hysterically again and Katara shook her head, not having a single bit of this any longer. "Alright, you're not going to give up!" she told her, "Not now. Not when you've done so much!"
Meanwhile, Aang and the others were making their way through the fog when they heard the distant call of Aang's name carried through the air. Then, they noticed the dancing shape of a fiery bird. The very same that had led Aang to the others. He held up a hand and Hina reacted with a surprised sound.
"Wait, that's just like what mom makes," she said.
Azula's eyes darkened with realization and she sensed the movement behind her, whirling and bending a blast of blue flame from her heel that struck a man clad in armor and a mask. He fell to the ground with a grunt of pain and Azula was immediately on him, yanking his mask from his face.
It was Katsu, holding up his hands in surrender. "Please! Please, wait!"
"Katsu?" Azula said. Her grin was malicious. "Where's your wife? Hiding around in this fog waiting for us to find her?"
Katsu shook his head anxiously. "No! Listen to me, my wife..." he told them. "She planned all of this. She wanted revenge on Sen for exiling us from the Fire Nation. At first, I wanted that, too. But I didn't realize the extent of what she had planned."
"Oh! So you felt a little guilty and came right here where I can burn you down where you stand?" Azula hissed, grabbing him by his collar with one hand and producing a ball of flame with the other.
"No, no, please! I can help you release the Kemurikage from Cho's control!" Katsu pleaded, frightened, "I know where Cho is hiding right now. Please..." He looked at each suspicious face. "I just want this to be over."
Aang held up a hand to Azula. "Let him go."
Azula sighed, letting out a long-suffering groan to follow and extinguishing the flame in her hand. "Fine."
She opened her other hand and Katsu laughed nervously when he was released, straightening his collar before looking toward the Kemurikage. "You'll find the tokens in the mines."
Immediately, two of them departed without hesitation. Enenra looked up, indicating the place ahead of them. "They are near." she said. "Come."
Aang parted the fog before them with a powerful blast of airbending, revealing Katara and the others at the wagon; they reacted with shocked sounds.
"Sen!" Azula shouted, eyes widening when she saw her condition.
Hina quickly rushed at Sen's side, desperation in her voice. "Mom!"
Sen blinked weakly when she felt herself surrounded by them. She laughed softly, reaching up to hold Hina when her daughter's arms went around her.
"Hina? You're here!"
Azula was kneeling at her side, staring down at the venom that had already crept up to her face and chapped her lips. She looked horrid; her eyes were barely open and her head swayed weakly on her shoulders. She wasn't used to seeing her so weak.
"Sen! Sen, what happened to you?" Azula reached down and put a hand on Sen's shoulder, but came back soaked with crimson.
"She was poisoned," Katara explained to them, "The New Ozai Society was working with Cho the entire time. She wanted revenge and asked that snake spirit for help."
"Can't you do something, Avatar?" Azula's tone was shrill, losing all semblance of calm. "This is your speciality, isn't it?"
Hina was crying, holding onto Sen tightly. Sen looked at her with a gentle smile and put a hand on her back. Everyone was arguing and talking around her, but she just wanted to stay focused on her daughter.
"When I decided to be a mother, I was so scared." she told her. "I didn't know if I was able to be good. I wanted you to have everything that I never could. I wanted you to know it was okay to be you; to be silly, to laugh and to enjoy bending the way you wanted."
Aang worked to pull the venom from Sen's body; his tattoos began to glow and his hands moved smoothly through the air. He furrowed his brow with effort, looking at Katara with uncertainty.
Azula scowled down at Sen. "You're not dying, Sen! You won't! Now get up! I'm..." She forced authority in her voice, trying a tactic she was familiar with. "That's an order from your princess!"
"I'm sorry, Azula... for the first time...that may be an order I can't follow..."
"If you even THINK about dying, I'm going to the spirit world myself and dragging you out of it!"
Sen smiled sadly. "I know. I know you would. That's what I love so much about you. You're strong and you will do anything you can to get what you want." Another hoarse laugh. "It's such a lovely thing to fight for me and I...still never believe myself worthy of it."
Azula's eyes were wide, brimming with tears. She scowled now, panting heavily through her nostrils. "Avatar, what are you doing?" she spat. "Get that poison out of her, now!"
Aang looked at her, grunting with effort. "It's so far inside of her, Azula. I'm trying!"
"TRY HARDER! What kind of Avatar are you?!"
Sen's eyes were closing and she murmured a soft series of words that eventually ended with "I'm sorry". She was still and Hina's breath hitched with anguish. Azula shook her head, tears of rage trickling down her face as she shook Sen's shoulders.
"Sen? Sen, no you don't!" she hissed, her voice high and shrill, "Don't you DARE. Don't you DARE!"
Hina was starting to cry as she held Katara, all the while they watched Azula become frantic, enraged and something no one had seen since she was bound to the floor of the arena as a child.
"Fight!" Azula shouted, her voice hitching, trembling with pain as she punched Sen's chest in a blind effort to revive her. The only sounds around them were her mad chants and the thump of her fist striking Sen's chest. "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Nothing.
Hina held Sen and cried hard in her shoulder. Zuko shut his eyes, looking away. The others said nothing and Katsu had begun to cry as well.
Enenra looked down at Hina, noticing the spirit water she still held in her hand. She approached Katara, holding it up to her.
"This water." Enenra told her. "You may be able to save her life with it."
"Wait, that's..." Katara began, stunned. She grinned, taking it. "Hina, your spirit water! I can still save her!"
Azula let out a tearful scoff of disbelief. "Of course. Now hurry! Do it!"
Hina looked up, stunned at the sight of the glowing water Katara produced from the vial. Aang assisted her with the bending and they brought it to Sen's lips, guiding it into her. There was a brief flash and a moment of silence. Katara was pleading softly for it to work and Azula watched with anxious breath.
The discolored veins in Sen's hands slowly began to vanish.
"Look!" Enenra whispered, stunned. "Her hand!"
Hina took Sen's hand and Azula covered both with her own. She leaned in close, whispering in Sen's ear something no one else could hear. They watched with tense, bated breath.
Suddenly, Sen abruptly shot up with a loud, choked gasp.
O
Note - A part of this chapter was inspired by "Ruin Sentinels". An OST from Dark Souls 2.