A/N:As always, beta'ed by the wonderful GoddessxNyte2! I'm so fortunate to have her and I hope you're grateful, too!
*Any familiar diaglogue is from the show itself (when it comes to Azula and interactions with her family).
Thank you for the continued support, my lovelies.
Hope you're all staying well (still).
ALSO: I'm currently taking Human Diseases, Molecular Biology, and Biological Anthropology classes.
So, I'm a little busy. Definitely going to try to update regularly but just letting y'all know ahead of time!
The hair on Bella's arms was raised with anticipation, her skin tingling with nerves, her breath rapid with fear.
Aang had missed their nightly meetup and it was with overwhelming anxiety that she entered the meditative state to wait for him the next morning.
And exploded the moment he arrived.
"Where the hell were you?! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"
"Um, well, I can kind of feel it. I'm sorry—we were so busy that I forgot and fell asleep as soon as we got home!"
"What happened?"
"The king arrested Long Feng, and later, one of the king's guards found these files the Dai Li were keeping about us. Even you were in there! But it didn't have much. Anyway, Long Feng was intercepting our mail!"
"Seriously?! That's really scary…"
"Yeah, but it's okay now! Toph has a letter from her mom—she's here in Ba Sing Se and wants to see her! Katara and Sokka had a message about their father, so Sokka is going to go find him. and I got a letter from a guru at the Eastern Air Temple! He can teach me how to control the Avatar state!"
"That's great, Aang!"
Bella was genuinely pleased for them…and yet, something was gnawing at her.
"But?"
"If it sounds too good to be true…it probably is."
Aang was silent, considering her rational words.
"I don't think we have a choice."
"I agree with you…do you know how long you'll be gone?"
"I don't, but hopefully not more than a week or two."
"I'll do my best to keep watch over things on this end."
"Katara will be here as well."
"Ah."
"I'm sorry about all that…"
Aang's embarrassment was evident, and Bella pitied the boy.
"You didn't do anything."
"No, but you two didn't deserve that kind of…scrutiny."
"I'm not ashamed of my relationship with Zuko, even if it doesn't look the way other people think relationships should look."
She felt Aang's answering smile, and something like hope that he tried to keep locked away and private. Bella made a point to let him keep his secret and moved forward.
"Just promise you'll keep me updated? I can pop-in for an hour each evening around nightfall. That way you don't have to worry about a strict schedule."
"That's great! Thank you."
"Of course, Aang. I wish you well."
The time Bella spent waiting for Aang to "show up" the night before had taken a toll on her, and she faded in and out of wakefulness during the morning, much to Zuko's dismay.
Stupid Avatar.
Instead of stewing in his annoyance, Zuko untangled himself gently from Bella, who woke ever so slightly to study him.
"I'm just going to go talk to uncle then make some tea and breakfast," he reassured her.
She reached out for him and her want was abundantly clear.
Zuko leaned down and kissed her softly, pressing her body back against the bed with his. When she finally relaxed beneath him, he took his leave, careful not to disturb her with the sound of her door.
Iroh was, of course, in the kitchen already, preparing a white tea blend to start the day.
"Good morning, uncle," Zuko addressed the man with a smile.
"Nephew! Good morning!" He looked around expectantly. "Where is Bella?"
"She had a stressful night and is resting still. It has been too long since she has heard from her friends and it made her nervous."
Zuko hoped his words were enough to explain she had been restless that Aang missed their usual time.
"Ah. Well, that can't be helped, I'm afraid. Though, I do hope it isn't a repeated issue."
Zuko nodded and moved through the kitchen and set to work readying food for the three of them.
"Today feels like a new day," Iroh remarked pointedly.
Different than before.
Zuko paused and listened closely to the world around them. His uncle was right…something was different. "Quiet, isn't it?"
"Too quiet," Iroh muttered.
"What time do you open today?"
"I have another hour or so."
Zuko studied the older man for a few moments, gauging his expression. "And?"
"I think you and Bella should stay behind and pack our traveling bags," he breathed softly.
Zuko's body clenched in response and realized that the time was finally upon them. Rather than questioning his uncle, he nodded and finished making breakfast.
"I'll talk to her," he murmured.
"Take her some tea. It'll help the news go down."
Zuko smiled at his uncle's unwavering confidence in the brew. He wasn't so sure himself, but did as recommended and carried two cups of tea to her room.
Bella's eyes opened the moment he sat day beside her, and she smiled gratefully at the sight of tea. "That smells amazing."
"I'm glad," Zuko said and set his own down on the bedside table.
"Something's wrong." It wasn't a question, and Zuko couldn't pretend it wasn't anything to worry about.
"We pack this morning and meet uncle at the shop."
Bella nodded. "I figured as much. He told me something weird this morning…"
Zuko knew who she meant and raised a questioning brow in response.
"It seems like someone is trying to get them all to leave here. But he's so hopeful…"
"That he's ignoring the risk of splitting up," Zuko realized with a sigh.
"Yes, and he will have started to move forward with the plans already. But I do think the potential for him to learn more is worth it, at least for his sake. For whatever is coming."
Zuko nodded his understanding. "Well, if it can help and means less risk to you in the long run, it's worth it."
After breakfast and cleaning up, they were fully packed and ready to go within minutes; after all, there was almost nothing they had picked up in Ba Sing Se that would be beneficial on their journey.
Bella and Zuko even spent a few minutes stretching, as they had been for weeks in lieu of training. But this time, they took the time to move the couches and briefly tested each other's skills.
She was sure she would be rusty, but the movements came naturally. She could feel the lightning building inside of her, connecting her tissues, strengthening her muscles.
"Can I try something that may or may not kill you?"
Zuko snorted at the question but held her gaze. "Like what?"
"I…I want to try sharing. Something with you."
Bella was relatively certain she would be able to keep from harming him as she hadn't hurt him when he held her hand in the tunnels, but was worried it could have a negative impact on his body. Though, the lightning association with firebending might offer a level of adaptability to her own energy.
"We're not all that different," Bella offered quietly.
Zuko thought for a few moments then nodded and approached her. Much like in the tunnel, he gripped her hands and waited for her lightning to connect them.
Bella closed her eyes and concentrated on her energy. Branches of power broke free from her hands, but seemed to recognize Zuko. She felt his flames, felt the energy connect with hers, and yet neither burned in the process.
There was something intimate about the joining, as though connecting their energy bonded them more tightly together than their bodies could. That's when she understood.
The energy didn't have to come from her pain, from her fear, from her anger…it was strongest, most easily controlled, when it came from deep inside where all of her love resided. She felt him step closer and grinned as his lips pressed against hers, and their combined energy danced joyously between them, pleased to be united.
She was bombarded by his presence, an immense heat that filled her entirely, warming her from the inside out, and from the sound of Zuko's gasp of pleasure, he was experiencing much the same.
This is worth anything that comes our way.
This is worth protecting.
He is.
His lips claimed hers, and his fingers clutched at her hair and pressed into the small of her back, taking her breath away. Even as her hands pulled away to explore the familiar landscape under them, their energy remained entwined. Her blood was dancing under her skin, every nerve ending electrified.
Their fingers worked frantically, jerking and flinging clothing away, lips roaming, teeth nipping. Desperate to etch every breath and moan, every taste and feel, every trace of the other, deeply into their minds.
He plunged inside of her, bringing him close to filling her entirely. It was heaven and she didn't want to move to lose him for a second. But it was hell, too, because she needed him; all of him.
His movements stilled as she looped her arms through the undersides of her knees to hold her legs aside and accommodate the last few inches of his length. Hands gripping her shoulders tightly to keep her from sliding, he thrust roughly, rubbing against a sensitive spot inside, filling her abdomen with tightly coiled energy already.
Her head fell back to the floor as his lips descended on hers, swallowing her every gasp and moan. Each hard snap of his hips ground his pelvis against her clit, teasing her and building her release quickly.
He drew one of her nipples into his mouth, flicking the tip of his tongue against the sensitive point before moving onto the other and doing the same. His lips trailed up and down her neck before reaching her mouth and slipping his tongue inside.
It's perfect.
He's perfect.
We're perfect.
Something wet landed on her cheek, and her eyes snapped open to find he was trying and failing to hold back tears. She leaned up and kissed away the trails of each drop, and pressed her forehead to his as she let a wave of emotion overtake her.
His fingers twitched, grazing her neck and shoulders with his nails as he dug into her flesh more tightly. "I love you so much fucking much," he panted, his eyes locked on hers.
And those seven words were enough to shove her over the edge, a cry of pleasure and satisfaction bursting from her lips. "I love you too," she gasped, her muscles clamping down on him tightly. She held his gaze, even as her eyes watered with the weight of the intimacy of the action. "I love you, I love you, I love you. Oh, fuck I lo—"
The rigid length throbbed inside of her, causing her muscles to clench reflexively, and the rest of her breathy words were drowned out by the low groan of his release, eyes still on hers.
His hands clutched her face, fingers winding into her hair, pulling her closer to him to kiss her deeply while his hips snapped more gently against hers. "I will never stop fucking fighting for you," he whispered when he pulled away to take a breath before claiming her again.
She released the hold she had on her legs with a soft groan and reached to cup his face in her hands. "Neither the fuck will I," she answered with a smile against his lips.
Within minutes of their arrival to the shop, a messenger from the king arrived.
"We have been invited to serve tea at the palace," Iroh announced to Zuko and Bella cheerfully, though his smile didn't even come close to reaching his eyes.
"That's wonderful, uncle," Zuko congratulated him with a quick nod.
They prepared mostly in silence and Zuko was grateful Bella had the foresight to make sure they were wearing all of their training gear underneath their robes.
Iroh wasn't quite so fortunate, but was certainly capable of handling himself.
Probably.
The trio was led through winding hallways but were taken to a room that was blessedly close to an external wall. At the very least, they wouldn't have far to run to hit open air if they had to make an escape. They settled in on soft cushions surrounding a low tea table, and placed the cups, kettle, and tea leaves in a beautiful arrangement.
The king was nowhere in sight, and the sound of Bosco scratching desperately on the other side of one of the three doors leading into the room was enough to make Bella shake with energy.
"He won't hurt you," one of the guards directed to her, assuming her trembling was due to fear.
She simply nodded in response, while the animal crashed his body repeatedly against the wood until it began to splinter.
Before anyone could stop her, Bella rose and opened the door for the bear, who was immensely grateful to be in her presence. Bosco pressed her against the wall to nuzzle roughly against her sides, much to her amusement. "Well aren't you a delight."
A quick glance around the room revealed they were surrounded by the Dai Li and a moment later, Zuko's blood ran cold.
Entering through a door opposite the one Bosco nearly demolished was Azula. Her cruel, glinting eyes landed on Bella, and Zuko felt like he couldn't breathe. He and his uncle were on their feet in a flash, readying for a fight.
No. No. No.
"It's tea-time," she announced. "Have you met the Dai Li? They're earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that's so…firebender. I just love it!"
Iroh stooped to grab a cup of tea. "Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname the "Dragon of the West?"
Azula rolled her eyes at the man's obvious attempt to buy some time. "I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle."
"Well, it's more of a demonstration, really."
Iroh took a long sip from the cup and an instant later was blowing flames out of his mouth with the water. While he could breathe fire, the liquid helped to extend his range impressively and startled the guards away.
His uncle grabbed Zuko's hand, and they were running through the halls, though Bella was nowhere in sight.
If he had to guess, she and Bosco made a run for it a few moments before they did…where they went was impossible to guess.
She can handle herself.
She can handle herself.
She can handle herself.
They led the Dai Li through the halls, always a corner ahead of them, flashes of their clothes and the sound of their feet were the only things that gave them away, and Zuko could only hope Bella had gone in the opposite direction.
"We have to jump," Iroh commanded as he fired a blast that created a massive hole in the outer wall.
"You go," Zuko fired back the instant his uncle hit the height of his jump; when it was too late for Iroh to stop him.
It's time to face Azula.
Bella followed Bosco through a series of low tunnels through walls, winding in and out of long unused rooms in the palace that had clearly been made specifically for the bear's convenience. They managed to put so much distance between themselves and the Dai Li that she could no longer hear them, much to her relief.
When they reached a dark room filled with what appeared to be somewhat dusty looking weapons, Bosco allowed her time to catch her breath. He never stopped pacing between her and the next hole, however, and Bella guessed that King Kuei was probably on the other side of the wall.
She could hear voices through the tapestry covering the entry and knelt next to the hole to better listen to what was being said. From the sound of it, Katara was addressing the Kyoshi warriors…except that was Azula's voice, wasn't it?
The Fire Nation princess wasn't alone, as the sound of two other voices registered in Bella's ears. She had never heard them before, but thought Azula had addressed them as Ty Lee and Mei.
A strangled yelp that Bella supposed came from Katara, followed by the sound of her body crashing to the floor was all the weatherbender could hear.
What if she's dead?!
She backed slowly away from the hole, but bumped into a low shelf along the wall. A moment later, the sound of running footsteps approaching the hole was all she could focus on.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Bella ducked behind a worktable, taking care to keep her traveling bag tight against her body, lest it brush against anything else.
Thankfully, Bosco seemed ready to defend her and gave a low rumbling growl as he exited through the hole, preventing whoever was coming for her from entering the room as well.
"Oh. It was just Bosco!" One of the unfamiliar voices announced cheerfully.
"Filthy animal," Azula retorted.
"Hey! He's not filthy!"
"Whatever. Both of you, come with me. We need to find my uncle and that little bitch."
If they only need to find Iroh and me…she has Zuko already.
"Still mad?" A gloomy voice seemed to tease the fire princess.
"After what she did to my face? She'll be lucky if she survives the night, Mei," Azula snapped, the rage in her voice obvious, even through the wall.
You deserved it.
Their voices faded, and the sound of a door opposite her tunnel closing reached her eyes. Then, the sound of Bosco growing excited could be heard.
"Hello, Bosco baby!"
Kuei.
If her ears weren't deceiving her, the king had just arrived and settled in his seat; Bella knew she had to take the risk.
She began to move to join Bosco on the other side of the curtain when she heard the chamber's doors burst open and halted her progress.
"Hello, young Avatar," the king addressed him politely.
The young boy launched into a story about a vision he had of Katara being captured, but the king dismissed his fears quickly.
"Katara is fine! You have nothing to worry about."
"But, in my vision, I felt so sure she was in trouble."
"Well, she met with the council of generals to plan the invasion, and since then, she's been off with your friends, the Kyoshi warriors."
Sokka made a sarcastic comment about the girls being back home talking about "makeup or something" and the king reassured the Avatar that if there was any danger at all, Bosco would let him know.
Well, he let someone know.
The Avatar and his friends moved to leave, and Bella darted quickly through the Bosco's maze to meet them outside the doors of the King's chamber.
"We need to talk," she breathed quietly. "Take me to your home."
The journey was brief on the large animal and Bella wished there was more time to get to know this "Appa" that seemed to have bonded with Aang.
Once inside the home, the group found it was abandoned.
"There's no one here," Aang said in a defeated tone.
"They have Katara," Bella whispered slowly. "And the Kyoshi Warriors are not who they say they are."
"What do you mean by that?" Sokka asked with a defensive glare.
"I mean they aren't the women you were expecting. It's Azula and two others, Mei and Ty Lee."
"Oh no," Sokka moaned, clearly terrified of what happened to the Kyoshi Warriors.
A knock came from the door, and everyone but Bella and Toph froze.
"If it's the Dai Li they wouldn't have knocked," Bella whispered with a roll of her eyes.
"Actually, I know who it is!" Toph said after a moment. "It's an old friend of mine." She opened the door to reveal Iroh, who rushed in the moment he laid eyes on Bella.
He embraced her the weatherbender tightly. "I'm so glad you're safe."
"I think she has Zuko," Bella answered. She finally let herself process the information and tears welled in her eyes. "Azula said something about finding you and me…but no mention of him, so she has to have him."
Iroh broke the hug to look into her eyes. "We'll get him back, Bella."
She nodded numbly, and listened in to the conversation Sokka and Aang were having with Toph.
"—Well, I met him in the woods once. When I knocked him down. Then he gave me tea and some very good advice."
That wasn't enough to convince Sokka as to why they should work as a group to save both Katara and Zuko, but it wasn't like there was much choice.
"I know how you must feel about my nephew, but believe me when I tell you there is good in him," Iroh asserted.
"Good inside him isn't enough!" Sokka protested angrily. "Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay."
Bella felt lightning tangle inside of her, threatening to burst free and destroy the man in front of her.
"Fuck you," Bella snarled angrily. "You don't know shit about him." Her words were a blend of their languages, but her meaning and her anger was clear.
"I brought someone along that might be able to help us," Iroh offered to cut the tension.
The group followed him curiously, giving Bella a chance to reign in her power. She rounded the corner of the door just as Toph erected a stone enclosure around the man that was bound at his feet and hands.
The man spoke as soon as Iroh removed the gag and said, "Azula and Long Feng are plotting a coup. They're going to overthrow the Earth King!"
Bella launched herself at the man and felt lightning tingling across her face, mere centimeters from his own. "Where is Prince Zuko being held?"
The man was clearly terrified, and probably would have sold out the entire palace guard if she had asked him to.
"In the crystal catacombs of Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace."
When he woke, Zuko found himself in a cave lit by annoyingly vibrant, green crystal clusters. The last thing he remembered was challenging Azula to an Agni Kai…and Azula passing dishonorably.
What did I expect?
That he had been captured was painfully obvious.
Zuko laid on the cold ground, taking stock of his physical health and slowly sat up. He was surprised to see Katara sitting on the other side of the cave, illuminated only by glowing rocks, glaring daggers at him.
"Why are you here?"
"If you hadn't noticed," Zuko snapped at her, "I'm a prisoner too."
Katara huffed an angry breath through her nose and turned her face away from him.
"How could you?" she hissed, unable to keep from turning to him once more.
"How could I what?"
"Oh, like you didn't plan this all along? Like this isn't some trap so that when Aang comes to save me you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches?" Katara paced when he failed to acknowledge he ever heard her. "You're a terrible person, you know that? Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood."
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"I don't? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through. Me personally. The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."
For the first time since meeting her, Zuko felt as though he actually could understand the Water Tribe girl.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "That's something we have in common."
She returned to her place on the far end and a silence built between them. It wasn't comfortable, but it was less tense than before, and Zuko let himself relax against the wall and rubbed some of the soreness out of his shoulder and head.
I must have landed on my head.
And if Bella hadn't charged me up…
This could have gone another way entirely.
His chest swelled with gratitude for the woman he desperately hoped to one day take as his wife. At that thought, he realized exactly why each and every snide remark from the wonder twins burned him so deeply, regardless of how Bella handled them.
She will be mine, as much as I am hers.
We are equals, and for them to say what they did…
How dare they speak to the future Fire Lady in such a way?
"I'm sorry I yelled at you before," Katara's voice rang out through the cave, the sound of her approaching footsteps indicating this was going to be an actual conversation, and not a shouting match.
"It doesn't matter."
Just go away.
"It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face."
Zuko thought of his scar, of the way his father had marred him so thoroughly, so irreparably. For a moment, he was filled with the same old shame, but then another part of him, a warmer part of him, worked to remind himself what Bella explained to him one night.
Scars tell the story of where we came from and what we have survived. And you've survived hell. That's something to be proud of.
"My face, huh? I see."
"No, no, that's not what I meant."
"It's okay. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark."
"Maybe you could be free of it," Katara answered thoughtfully.
"What?" Zuko was shocked, more than anything, and wasn't entirely sure how to feel about this development.
Hopeful?
Terrified?
Unwilling?
"I have healing abilities."
"It's a scar. It is healed."
Katara dug through her layers of clothing and withdrew a vial strung around her neck. "This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole. It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important. I don't know if it would work, but…"
"Well, what do ya know? There is an ancient city down there! But it's deep," Toph announced happily.
Bella, Iroh, and Aang stared down the mouth of a tunnel that the earthbender formed and split off from Sokka and Toph. They were left with a cutting remark from Sokka about her partner, however, and Bella once again had to quell the urge to slaughter him.
She fell behind Aang and Iroh, half listening to their conversation, and half thinking of where Zuko might be and how they could get out of this situation.
"…supposed to help me master the Avatar state, and control this great power. But to do it, I had to let go of someone I love, and I just couldn't."
God dammit
It was all for nothing.
Him leaving was a waste of time.
Iroh commended the boy, but Bella stewed on this new turn of events and wondered just what being unable to reach the Avatar state would mean for them.
A few minutes later, Aang burst through the tunnel wall to reveal a cavern, lit by dimly glowing mineral deposits. A large rectangular pool sat against the back wall, filled by a massive waterfall, and emptying through a rather large hole in the rocks off to the side. The floor had a circular pattern carved into the center of the room and Bella wondered what it might have been used for— not that it mattered.
With each passing minute, Bella grew more and more sure that they would never find Zuko, that even though he promised he would never leave her behind, might be forced into leaving her…as a prisoner.
Then what?
Then what?
Then what?
…
Then I'll just have to find him.
Katara laid her palm against his face and he tensed, both wanting and not wanting to pull away at the chance his scar could be removed.
Bella would never have to see it again.
But what if she meant it when she said she likes it?
What if she wouldn't like my face anymore, without my scar?
Just then, a rumble of earth sounded, and rocks exploded outward from the wall to reveal Aang, Iroh, and Bella.
Bella's eyes narrowed in on the hand pressed against Zuko's cheek and a flicker of hurt flashed through her eyes before she could compose herself.
No, no, no!
Aang moved to embrace his friend quickly, followed immediately by Iroh who needed to hug his nephew.
Bella dithered near the wall and watched as Aang and Katara left to help their other friends at Iroh's promise they would catch up soon.
Katara shot Zuko a parting glance, filled with something that looked like pity mixed with longing, and he wasn't comfortable with it in any way shape or form.
Not that Bella knows that.
Zuko broke free from his uncle's embrace and reached Bella. He took her hands in his and waited for her to decide what was and wasn't okay while her feelings were hurt.
Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears, and in a split-second her arms were wrapped tightly around him. "I'm so glad you're alive," she whispered against his neck where she was pressing soft kisses to him.
Zuko held her back, her solid form feeling reassuring under his hands; he didn't realize how much he had truly been worrying until he felt her again. "I told you I won't leave you behind," he answered her quietly. "Not now, not ever."
He felt Bella nod against his shoulder and winced. She pulled back and gave it a quick squeeze, helping to ease the strain.
They were interrupted, however, by another explosion of the wall.
Shards of the green mineral deposits shot up from the ground, trapping both his uncle and Bella, who snarled and struggled wildly in response.
Azula descended from the tunnel along with members of the Dai Li, who were clearly under her control. The coup was apparently going well.
"I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko, Prince Zuko, you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?" The Fire Princess arched an eyebrow in Bella's direction, daring Zuko to defy his sister openly.
"Release them immediately!" Zuko was relieved that his voice sounded braver than he felt and braced himself for Azula's wrath.
"It's not too late for you, Zuko," Azula toyed with him. "You can still redeem yourself."
"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you," his uncle called out, his voice begging Zuko to not give in.
Azula narrowed her eyes to shoot a glare at the older man. "Why don't you let him decide, Uncle?" With her attention back on her brother, she continued. "I need you Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day, this glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we can win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have Father's love. You will have everything you want."
Azula paused, letting her words sink in, while Iroh worked to counter her. "Zuko. I am begging you. Look into your heart and see what it is you truly want."
Bella.
Always.
Every time.
But how can I save her?
How can I possibly keep her and Uncle safe?
"You are free to choose," Azula shot at her brother and proceeded through the tunnel alone, but not before shooting Bella a smirk, promising she would return for the weatherbender later.
Zuko knew what he had to do.
He lowered his head, ashamed of what he was coming next. He frowned at his uncle. "It's the only way," he whispered.
Zuko moved on to Bella, who had a horrified look on her face. "This is what I have to do to keep you safe."
"No," Bella begged him as she struggled against the rocks that held her. "Don't do this! Stay with me and fight!"
"There is no winning for us today. Only survival," he faltered at the crushed look on her face. "I'm sorry for disappointing you, but you are everything to me, Bella. If I'm going to lose anything today, it damn well isn't going to be you." Tears streamed down her face, cutting Zuko to his core. "Whatever happens in the next hour, the next days, weeks, months, trust that I love you and will do anything to keep you so we can live to see another day together.
"Let them capture you. Don't use your powers. Don't believe anything I say. Don't speak anything other than English. You can't understand what's being said around you, okay?"
Bella nodded in defeat and wriggled against the minerals for a parting kiss.
"I promise I won't leave you behind," he whispered against her lips. With a heavy heart and feet that felt like lead, Zuko walked away from the only woman he had ever, and would ever love, praying to any god that was listening to spare her life.
Bella could hear the sound of battle coming from the direction Zuko headed and worked quickly.
Hoping against hope that it would work, Bella concentrated on gathering her power, feeling tension wind inside of her. It coiled, tighter and tighter, and for a second, she thought her body wasn't going to survive.
The jagged crystals that held her in place exploded violently from the pressure of her energy. She worked more quickly on Iroh's cluster, now that she knew what she had to do. He pointed for a tunnel that led upward, and she paused.
"Go," he ordered. "I will go help Zuko. You can find a way to assist from above if it comes down to it, but Azula means to kill you, and would not hesitate to do so the moment you enter the cavern.
She saw the logic of his plan, but her gut twisted at the thought.
"Be careful," she said quietly. "I can't lose either of you."
"You won't," he answered with a smile. "We'll figure this out."
She nodded and they quickly parted ways.
The tunnel was surprisingly long, sloping up and merging into a cave that was situated before a waterfall.
Probably the one from earlier…which means there's a way out.
The battle below reached a fever pitch, Azula calling out to Zuko to choose a side, and her answering cackle when he chose hers.
A glow of white light.
A feeling of Aang in her head.
A burst of lightning echoing on cave walls.
And then, a cry of anguish.
Iroh shouting for people, for Aang and Katara, to get out of there, that he would hold them off.
Please don't let Iroh die.
Someone was coming up, up, up, through the waterfall and landed sloppily in the space Bella occupied.
Katara was holding Aang's lifeless body in her arms and Bella gestured for her to set him down. The girl didn't seem to know what to do and finally relented when Bella placed a hand on her arm.
Once Aang was on the ground, Bella took his pulse.
There was none.
"I can only heal superficial wounds," Katara moaned at her side and rubbed her hands vigorously over her face, as though the action would erase the image in front of her.
Bella brought lightning to her hand, not knowing if it would work, but not really having any other options.
She did her best to estimate the power defibrillators used, then realized she didn't even know how much power she put out.
Fuck.
Okay, then.
I do this by feel.
With a heavy sigh, Bella placed both hands over the boy's heart and sent a jolt of electricity through his body.
Moments of nothingness passed, and Katara clapped her hands over her mouth to contain the sound of her sobs.
Bella prepped for another round, and right before she made contact, she felt his heart beating under her fingers and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Go," she whispered. "Take the waterfall up and you'll come to a chamber. The tunnel we travelled down will still be there and will take you to where we separated from your brother and Toph. Heal the rest when you can…tell Aang I had to stay behind."
The waterbender didn't need to be told twice, and was gone in a matter of seconds.
From the sounds coming from below, Iroh had been captured, and it was only a matter of time before they found Bella.
Deciding it was better to get it over with, Bella allowed herself to drop into the pool below, grateful that everything important in her bag had been wrapped in scraps of her raincoat.
Agents of the Dai Li descended upon her quickly, and the rocks under her feet burst upward to enclose her in a stone prison. She was slid across the floor in the same manner and came to a stop alongside Iroh.
"Now, now. What do we have here?"
Bella couldn't help herself. She spit at Azula, who only laughed wickedly in response.
"Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you where you stand."
Zuko spoke then, his voice ringing clear, making Bella's heart flutter.
"She doesn't understand you."
"What do you mean?" Azula snapped, her attention back on her brother.
"She doesn't speak our language."
"She isn't from here?"
"No," Zuko answered her firmly. "That much is obvious," he allowed his eyes to explore Bella with disdain.
He's faking it.
This means nothing.
He's doing what he has to.
The words were a mantra that Bella played in her head, ignoring further discussion in the hopes she wouldn't accidentally react to something Azula said. She wasn't supposed to understand, after all.
Azula eyed Bella warily. "Well, you may have a point, brother. That Father would be interested is…an understatement."
Well, that's one way to ensure I'm not left behind.
Show some love and review?
Purdy plrz?