Making a fast actualization, hopefully you enjoy this chapter!
….
Chapter 15: A tale of Ba Sing Se: Azula's Story
There was no time to rest after what happened to Omashu, and the Blue Fire Raiders knew it, as they were approaching via the Serpent Pass to Ba Sing Se, on a pretty big number and with better armors than before, both Ty Lee and Ozai were looking to the city, the phoenix king took a deep breath while contemplating it
"Oh, the always stubborn Ba Sing Se, doesn't it give you memories, Ty Lee?"
Not good ones of course "Yeah, with Azula and Mai we managed to conquer the city, pretty fun but…"
"But what?"
It was not a difficult thing to analyze "Well, they should be reinforced now, an assault is going to be more difficult after your first failed attempt."
"But they are still idiotic, a good strategy would make those immense walls fall again" Ozai said
"Yeah… a good disguise should make it…" Ty Lee had an idea "Soldiers, I need your help…"
The Phoenix King would for sure hate the idea, and even more after looking at the result, as both him and the acrobat were disguised as two old people walking near the entrance
"If this doesn't work, I for sure will break your throat, circus freak."
Ty Lee on the other hand was having a lot of fun, noticeable on her smile "Ah come on, besides, having some fun is not bad."
"We're not here for fun…!" but Ty Lee made Ozai to shut up as they were close to the entrance
"Identify yourselves" a guard said
Ty Lee had to present them, as Ozai didn't want to talk "I am…Li Hao Jun, and he is my husband, Zu Lao Hun…"
Another guard extended his hand "Your passports."
Damn, something that was not considered "Ehhh, passports?" as Ty Lee didn't knew how to react, Ozai just slapped his face
"Yeah, due to the recent invasion, the earth king ordered to ask for any type of identification to anyone who wants to enter on Ba Sing Se."
Something that caught the acrobat totally unaware "Uuuhhhh, we forgot them, jaja."
"Get lost…" but then the guard received a little bag on his hand, Ozai, or "Zu Lao" was the one giving it
"Consider this our "passport""
As the guard opened the bag, it contained 25 gold pieces "Fine for me, welcome to Ba Sing Se, you can go to the train station at the bottom right."
As both Ozai and Ty Lee went inside the wall, she talked to the mayor one "I have to admit that it was clever."
"You didn't consider that, didn't you?" Ty lee negated it "Well, now time to go and visit my daughter on prison."
"Uuuummmm, first things first, we need to explore as much as the city as possible in order to identify the best possible places to start the attack."
"Right."
….
But inside the city, on Sweet Toast Café Shop, the fire princess Azula was passing probably the worst days of her life, not like it was a torture, but because she was still not fully used to give service and to work on things that she considered it was only for peasants, still, after a full month on that place, she had to learn how to cook and give service, on that moment she was preparing an egg and cheese omelet as a test for Lena, once she finished to cook it and serve it on a dish, the old lady gave a test
"So…"
After some seconds of tasting at, Lena gave a verdict "It has no flavor, needs a little more of salt."
"Agh, come on, It should be fine for now!"
"You still have room to improve, and you know it."
"This is ridiculous, I'm following your instructions step by step, yet you still reject my dishes" Lena gave Azula her own dish, as she gave a taste from it, she sighed "You were right, is flavorless."
"From practice comes perfection, not all people are talented for all things" something that reminded Azula on how perfect she was on fire bending "Now go out and start serving the dishes."
It was a pretty busy day, but somehow, not so difficult as when she started to work there, taking orders was not as bothersome as before, and by now she was serving the correct dishes, even in fact one client dared to tell something to her.
"Thanks, you know, you're really beautiful."
"Oh… I knew that…"
As that, the work day was finally over, Lena started to make accounts of the money obtained during the day, and talking to Azula who was sitting in front of her
"Well this time no incorrect orders were noticed and even some clients said that were satisfied with your job, for the first time since you arrived here, god job Azula."
"Phew, finally…" then she noticed that the old one gave her some silver and bronze coins "Why?"
"It is a little prize for your efforts here, take a rest, go to a place that you like, maybe to the market"
Taking the coins make her to remember the past, before she was surrounded by any type of luxury, but now those coins were the only thing she was able to manage… yet for some reason, it felt better to have that little amount of money.
"I don't know what to say."
"A thanks is enough for now…" but Azula was on silence "Guess that it is still difficult for you, young one."
"Kind of…"
"Is there a place that you want to go?" that took Azula by surprise "I can see on your face that you didn't like the idea of going to the market."
"Well, not so much but…" and she sighed "While I didn't like him, I want to visit my uncle's graveyard, I overheard that he was buried on this city."
"Oh the dragon of the west, he made the best tea on the city" Lena giggled "My daughter loved to visit his tea shop."
"So, if he is that famous, can you tell me where he is?"
"On a mount near the walls on the middle ring of the city."
Azula nodded "Thanks, well I'm leaving now, maybe after going there I can go to the market."
As the princess was leaving the restaurant, Lena said for herself "Reminds me of Jin when she was younger…"
"You are one of her hopes to change, Lena."
The woman smiled "Do you think so? I'm not doing a good job, master Iroh."
The spirit of the legendary western dragon appeared, smiling "Jeje, I have my faith."
"Maybe I'm not the one to do that job."
"Maybe not, but we can have hopes that eventually my niece will do it by her own, with help from another."
Lena sighed "I'm just hoping that what you told to me, that incoming danger doesn't affect me and her."
"But if it does, remember that you have a mission."
The woman went back to the kitchen, and looking to the decorations, she found a little statue of a golden dragon, on its claws had a little white tile
The sunset was coming to the city, for the first time on her life she had to do something she was unaware to do, use public transport
"Well, this is something… odd, I never expected people to travel on an uncomfortable thing like this" then her face showed her disgust when a fat stinky man sat at one side of her "Gugh, gross…"
Finally, after almost an hour of traveling on that transport, she was able to reach the mount, it was… so simple, only two trees, one more little than the other
"I don't know why I'm here, it was a stupid idea, Iroh hated me, he even dared to say that I was hopeless" But was she really? She approached to the trees, as on the big one was a little letter glued to it, after reading it she was speechless "I can't believe it, the other tree was planted in honor to cousin Lu Ten."
Memories were coming to her mind on that second, specially that one in which she knew of their defeat on that same city, Ba Sing Se, such a cursed place for one part of her family
"I always thought that Iroh was a coward, but I never thought that about you cousin, you were brave, you stood firm until the end of your days and your father was unable to…"
But no, that wasn't true, because of Lu Ten dying was the reason of Iroh flying away from the invasion, he really cared about his only son, not the same could be said about her own father, Ozai left her alone on the very moment that she needed him the most, remembering that frustrated her a lot
"I can't understand it, you always fought and were worried for others Iroh… and I hate you so much for that" Azula clinched her teeth "Once you lost Lu Ten it had to be always about Zuko, everyone loved him, respected him, he is the perfect being but me? You hated me, you said that I'm hopeless, well look who is hopeless now!"
She wanted to punch the tree, but for some reason she stopped, that was even more frustrating
"Then why I was so shocked of watching you die? I had to be jumping of joy of watching you, old hag, finally receive what you deserved, but I wasn't I was in pure shock, not happy, not sad, just nothing at all, but it shouldn't be like this, I'm an assassin just like…!"
Was she really? Even if she always had the intentions, she was never able to kill anyone, not even the avatar himself after receiving that thunderstruck on his back, he came back, her kill count was absolute 0, how was that possible? Everyone thought that she was a monster, but even a monster like her was unable to kill someone, that frustrated her even more, redirecting her anger
"People like you, they hated met, or they were afraid, you didn't care for me the same way as Zuko!... No one did, and no one will truly care of me…"
After saying that, she left the place, wanting to go anywhere, then she remembered that she promised Lena to go to the market, even if it was to explore
"But then I have to travel on that thing again" Azula sighed "What a nightmare"
Once at the market, being at night, Azula was able to look at what people had to offer, how strange, on the fire nation she didn't even care on visiting a place like that, but since being on the earth kingdom and working on the restaurant, Lena made her to do lots of chores, from cooking, to give client service and visiting the market, but this time, it was for her personal joy
"Such a strange place" people offering their products, some other discussing, even children playing, certainly a market was the perfect place to show regular people on their natural environment "Yet I still don't know what to do."
"Test your might, ladies and gentleman, a huge prize for the person who shots the 3 darts on the center of the circle, huge price of course!"
That made Azula to stop, test her might, why not to have fun with that? Besides, if she was powerless, at least she had her reflexes intact, so she approached to the seller
"How much it costs?"
"5 bronze pieces or 3 silver pieces" Azula paid with the second option "Here you have its lady, good luck."
"Luck is for losers" as expected, and as fast as she could, she shot the 3 darts on the center of the circle "Yes!"
That made everyone totally surprised, even the seller "Whoa, we have the first winner of the day, you deserve your price!"
"Thanks" but as a not so pleasant surprise, she received 2 key chains with turtle duck figures on it "Oh, so that's the big price."
"And a coupon to eat free on the best restaurant of the middle ring of Ba Sing Se… Sweet Toast Café Shop!"
What a waste…
But little did she knew that near to her, on the same market, both Ty Lee and Ozai were exploring the place, as she moved to look all the interesting places, the phoenix king was disgusted
"This filthy people are so disorganized…, we shouldn't waste too much time here."
But Ty Lee was looking all the place like she wasn't there before "Oh, come on, we have time until tomorrow."
Ozai was unable to stand her attitude "Stupid little brat."
But then Ty Lee looked something that caught her eye, at the other side of the street, and without noticing anything, there she was, taking the prize and leaving the place
"Azula, what are you doing here?" Ty lee said on low voice
Some seconds passed and Ozai then approached to Ty lee "What are you watching?"
"Ah… ummmm…" With some doubts she answered "Look, there is a darts shot practice there, don't you want to have some fun?"
Ozai heard the attendant of the place screaming "Bets are increased now!"
Well, not like he couldn't have a little of fun "… Fine…"
Once there, the disguised as an old man approached to the store "How much it costs?"
"5 bronze pieces or 3 silver pieces."
"I only have gold."
"Oh sweet, with 1 gold coin will be enough" the king paid the price "3 chances, now go."
If something, Azula got her precision from her father, as he showed exactly the same after hitting the central circle 3 times in a row
"Whoa, 2 people in a row have made it today!"
Something that caught Ozai's attention "I'm the 2nd?"
"Yeah, the first one was a beautiful young lady with a fierce face."
Somehow that little description was familiar for him "I see…"
"Well, here is your price."
Something that Ozai wouldn't like, a big Koala plushie and a coupon for certain restaurant
"Pitiful…" but then he noticed something "Wait a second, where the hell is that child?"
…
She didn't want to lose her track, as Azula was leaving the place but, where? After some minutes she noticed, as her ex friend was entering to a restaurant that was closed, fortunately not noticing that she was being followed
"So, she was not on prison, how?"
Ty Lee approached to the place, wanting to hear something on a room, then another, spying her but to no avail, until she arrived to a window, there she was, Azula just landed on her bed, not wanting to do anything, the acrobat was paying attention to all sounds and whatever it could be heard
But inside, the door was being opened, Lena was entering with a dish of food "Your dinner… I know, you don't want to talk."
-Thanks- this time it was a clear one, as Azula was sitting on the bed -But I have a question, why you always want me to talk?
"Because I want to know your perspective, you know mine and, as we live together now, probably is the best for our convivence..." something that was difficult of course "Was that hard?"
"It was, I'm still the princess of the fire nation, but my honor was destroyed, before the arrival of the avatar I had everything, an empire, luxury, power, a father that loved me and people that respected me, I was the perfect princess, nothing to be afraid of, I even had some friends but… that was an illusion."
"How?"
Remembering that was truly painful for Azula "Treason, everyone decided to leave me alone."
"And why do you think that happened?"
"Because they were afraid of me, they didn't respected me enough to help me, even my friends left me alone and, when I thought that I had my place in the world, that my father wanted me to be at my side, he also left me alone… everyone just hates me."
Hearing that from the outside was hurting Ty Lee "But Azula… on the boiling rock, you gave me no choice…"
Then something that caught her attention, Lena would say "And you though on the perspective of the others?"
"What?" Azula asked
"Life is about perspectives young one, I didn't realize it until my daughter left me, but maybe it was for her best, besides, the karma always acts according to people's action, didn't you consider that maybe it was your fault everything that happened to you? You even told me that before."
Some tears appeared on the young one's face "Maybe…"
"You sure?"
"It is just… I didn't want to lose anything that I had and when I did it was so frustrating, I didn't want anything to change, I wanted to stay on charge, for people to obey me, it was my life since childhood, why it had to change?!"
"You were afraid, like me" Lena touched Azula's hand "Maybe the changes are not bad, maybe we are just too afraid to accept them and turn them from the best, don't you think so?"
Then something that would surprise even someone like Ty Lee, Azula would say -Probably is true… maybe my friends were so afraid of me that because of that they attacked me.
"Accept your responsibility young Azula, maybe then you can also accept the fact that you can change for the best" then Lena went to the door "It was nice to talk with you, now eat, the food is getting cold."
"Thank you" As Azula took the dish and started to eat slowly, she had a question "Wonder what Mai or Ty Lee will be doing by now?"
Little did she knew that the last one heard everything, as leaving the place with little tears on her eyes, she was feeling strange
"Azula is changing, that is… so nice…" then she started to feel weird, like having the urge to puke but not doing it, it lasted for some seconds that, once she felt it disappearing, it was pretty confusing "Wow, what was that?"
As that, she started to move her hands, then her legs, she felt happy for that
"Cool, how it happened?"
But once on the street, Ozai confronted her "Why you were there?"
"Oh shit, how did you find me?"
"Not so difficult for someone like me" then he looked at the restaurant "Is anyone you know inside?"
"Uuuuhhhh well…"
Ozai just smiled "Umph, I will know it Ty Lee, besides, tomorrow I have a free lunch on this same restaurant, don't you want to come?"
Even if she wanted to retaliate, to protect Azula from her psychopath father, Ty Lee had to nod, it was not the moment to fight
"Sure…"
…
At the next day, Azula had another test, this time with a toast with 3 syrups, and then Lena gave a taste
"Good enough."
"Just… that?"
Lena nodded "It is fine lady, you're improving" Azula sighed "Now you know what to do."
The princess got hands to work as a waitress, as that she didn't notice when certain someone's arrived to the restaurant and took seat, not letting their faces to be seen until their turn came, as that, both him and his companion were whispering
"We sent the message early today, our army must be near here by now" the man said "As we explored the town, there are 2 weak points on the downtowns that are the least protected from Ba Sing Se."
"Well, hopefully everything goes as expected…"
"Yeah, now is time to convince certain someone to attack…"
Then it was finally their turn "Welcome to Sweet Toast Café Shop, I'm Azula and I'm ready to take your order, how can I help you?"
"Well, well, you look pretty nice on those clothes, but still is a disgrace that you're on a situation like that…"
The horror and surprise, as Azula dropped everything she had on her hands, producing a sound so hard, that even Lena went out of the kitchen
"No way…"
Lena came from the kitchen with an angry face "Azula, what the hell just happened?!" the old lady said, but she also gasped in horror when the man revealed his identity, and then everyone inside the restaurant ran for their lives "Oh mercy, is the demon himself!"
Azula gasped "Father… how?" He pointed at his company, Ty Lee "You, again?"
The acrobat looked really sad "I'm sorry Azula."
"Why are you here? Especially after what happened the last time."
"We had no option, your brother cut the only way to escape and you were injured, so we had to leave, but here I am, back to you."
"You left me aside, you promised me that you will ever be at my side, and look at me now!"
"I know, but listen daughter, don't you want to recover what for your birth right is yours? Ba Sing Se, this city that you conquered once, we have the chance to do it once more."
"And where is your friend?" Azula asked
"She is not important now, I can manage it on my own, but I want you at my side, what do you think? You're the person that I care the most in the world, my dear daughter."
It was difficult of course, Lena was behind her and in front of her, Ty Lee and Ozai, wondering about her options, her previous and current life styles, which one was better? The answer was pretty obvious, alongside her father on the fire nation, as a princess, of course she would like to have all of that back, living the life of a filthy peasant was unworthy of her, that made her to feel a headache…
"I just, need to think…"
"You know that you want to go back."
That voice, so familiar yet made her to feel anxious, it was in front of her, it was her younger self, the cruel and calculating teen Azula, princess of the fire nation, then she looked at herself, the teenager was on the throne on the war chamber of the fire nation palace, while the adult was in the hall, somehow, that felt familiar
"My my, just look at yourself, no bending, no luxuries, working as a peasant, you surely hit bottom this time, pathetic!"
"Am I pathetic?"
"Yes, I mean, why in your right mind would want to help the avatar?"
"It was for vengeance, nothing else, you know what happened and so do I, my father, Ozai, he left me behind, I wanted my revenge!"
"Liar" The adult Azula was surprised by hearing that "Oh come on, you were starting to feel good with them being at your side, and thinking how it would have been different, are you the same person as me? That's why you lost your powers so easily, you considered an option that was not in yourself!"
"Then I had no option left, my father is a traitor, I trusted on him!"
"And he is giving you the opportunity to come back, did he really want to leave you behind?" Azula didn't know what to think on that moment, she was for sure to accept "Come on here, where you belong."
She was there walking towards her younger self, but then she stopped when a voice came to her mind
"There is another option Azula, and you are just starting to realize it"
That voice again, so frustrating to hear "Why are you here uncle?" the adult said
"Just to tell you, you will realize it by yourself."
If only doing that, going back, would be that easy, because the dragons gave their verdict, because she was like that is how she is now, but then she looked at the only person that cared for herself on a real way, Lena
"Are you ok Azula?" the old lady said
But then Ozai asked "You were thinking for too long daughter, are you going to answer or not?"
Those two questions, so different on nature, yet she sighed, the choice was rather easy due to her circumstance
"It's a good offer father, but without my powers I don't think I can do much to help."
Something that surprised her father "What?"
"I'm not a fire bender anymore, my powers are gone."
"How did you…?" Then Ozai realized it, something that made him clinch his teeth "Change of nature, you are on the same path as your brother."
Pretty hard to admit, even if she liked her past life, what her father said, was a fact, something inside her was making her change, even if she was not sure about what
"Well, that is something hard, it is confusing for me."
"I see…" then everyone inside heard a little explosion on the distance, it was clear why it happened "It is too bad, I really considered you a prodigy Azula, but now I see that the only one that had some value on our family was me…"
"What?"
But as he pointed his hand ready to shot a barrage of fire, Ty Lee punched him on that arm, making Ozai to step back
"Even you?!"
"Ty Lee…" that action surprised Azula
"Sorry Ozai, but I cannot let you to hurt my friend" the acrobat went at one side of the princess
"Friend…?" Azula was confused "What are you doing?"
"Protecting you, as I should have done before."
"Fine then, all of you, including that old woman will perish here!"
As he launched another barrage, Azula went one step ahead covering herself with her arms, making both Ty Lee and Lena to worry a lot
"Azula!" the two screamed in horror
But as a surprise, the princess was able to dispel the attack, surprising Ozai in the process, then herself
"What? I just reacted…"
"You liar, you wanted to treason me!" Ozai then was furious
Not sure if she would be able to do it again, the three women went inside the kitchen, avoiding the fire attack, as that, the phoenix king felt really angry, then he noticed some guards coming behind him
"Guess that I will discharge my frustration against you first"
As that was happening, the three ladies were escaping from behind of the house, gasping after that adrenaline rush
"My father will never change; he is a psycho!"
"We have to escape now Azula, once the raiders realize about us, they would want to kill me too."
"Use my bird horse to escape from an emergency exit on the city" Lena went to a kind of a garage, then took the animal, a camping bag and from one of her sleeves, some silver, bronze and gold coins "It is everything I have now."
-What… but what about you, Lena, aren't you coming with us? - the old lady negated it -You sure?
-The horse won't be able to carry the three of us fast enough to escape, it is better for me to stay here, earning you some time if I have to.
While Ty Lee was already on the horse, Azula not, she was unable to process what was just happening "You don't have to do this, people like me are not worthy, what about the discussion about changing and accepting it?"
"Is not about me now, is about you Azula, I'm old now but you two have a lot to live, just do it."
But the princess was unable to process everything correctly "I can't still understand it…"
"But you will" then the old one hugged the princess, as she corresponded the gesture even with some confusion "Thanks for your time here Azula, you made my life better."
A minute later and both Azula and Ty Lee were leaving the house, as Lena was watching them escaping from an alley, then turned back her attention as the demon himself, Ozai, was approaching to her
"They're gone, and you will never be able to catch them."
The "phoenix king" was starting to get of her mind "You will be enough for now…"
"Yeah, come for me, stupid."
As moments later the entire building was burning on fire, Ozai was smiling, even if he was being surrounded by more guards and even some Dai Li, making them a total of 15, his psycho state was at his max
"Even if outnumbered, even if those who are my enemies underestimate me, they will realize with horror the true face of evil."
As that, while the defense line threw their attacks, the phoenix king jumped high using his powers and with his hands, shoot lots of little lightning balls against his opponents, who while not killed, were really affected by the attack
But then Ozai would show his worst face, by preparing a thunder whip he got rid of the enemies really easily, so fast and which such brutality that he enjoyed it, the carnage, the adrenaline, he was more powerful than ever before, and no one would ever be against him, even if temporary, there was someone
"Shaina, your teachings are being helpful- then he looked behind him, the corpses of his dead enemies on the floor "Being on the throne private me of such pleasure, and with all of this, I will do what my own brother was unable to do."
As that, the carnage started…
…
The two ex-friends managed to escape from an emergency exit at one side of the walls, like a lot of people who were being evacuated by the guards, looking at the distance how some battles on the upper side of the wall was happening
But as Ty Lee was not sure of what to say, still a little uncomfortable of being near to the princess, Azula was whispering for herself
"Why it has to be like this? I just can't understand."
Ty Lee then said, even if slowly "We can't understand some things, it is something that we have to overcome"
Surrounded by doubts, Azula and Ty Lee started a new adventure, the two alone on an earth kingdom that was shattered once more by the war