Wow I am so sorry this took so long. Schools been hella hard lol. Like I'm in IM 2 and pretty much gotta teach myself. So I've been spending a lot of time on that. I'll try to get a chapter up by this weekend. Hope you enjoy lovelies.
Azula's anger didn't stop with Zhao's death, it burned on, white flames engulfing her world. She was aware of screaming and running, but she couldn't stop it. Not that she wanted to. It felt good, so she let it out, all of her pain. Her voice became a scream as the house was reduced to ash. She smelled the burning flesh, and so her friends began to melt before her eyes. Their skin first, then their bones. Soon, they too were reduced to ash. And, Azula laughed. She laughed maniacally as she saw her friends disappear. She was free. Free of the burden. She felt the a power running through her viens, a power she hadnt felt since the stupid voice in her head started. She felt a darkness growing inside her, and she loved it. But, she shouldn't, she couldn't. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the world.
And then she was falling, the floor approaching her too rapidly. She was too weak to do anything about it, and allowed herself to give in. she felt arms grab her from behind, supporting her weight as she was slowly released back down. Azula's eyes began to flutter close, her mind desperately seeking the safety of the abyss. And, eventually she found it, or more accurately, it found her. She was once again enveloped in fog, and she was once again at peace.
However, it wasn't like that for long. Soon, Azula began to hear a voice. It sounded male, but somehow she knew it was not, it was a spirit. The voice was weak and far off, but it was intelligible nonetheless.
Azula, it moaned. And, that was all, over and over again, not getting louder but not getting any quieter.
She tried to block it out, but it was impossible. It invaded her mind, calling to her. She felt it pulling her closer to the sound. She resisted as best she could, refusing to give into the darkness. But, she wasn't strong enough. She aproached were the voice was coming from, and found a women laying on the floor, blocking her path.
"Run Azula, run!" She was screaming the words, but the girl did not know what they meant. Who was Azula, why must she run? Suddenly it dawned on her that she was Azula was, and She had to run. She could suddenly feel her feet on the ground, though she was unable to before. She could feel her legs, and She could suddenly feel her presence. Without waiting for an explanation she ran, her feet barely touching the ground as She sprinted away from her screams. Hot tears began to roll down her eyes, but I did not know why. It could have been due to the fact that she just saw her mother, bleeding out on the floor, but it wasn't. She would waist no tears for that women. For, the were not deserved. No, the tears were a result of the smoke that threatened to suffocate her.
The tears began to pour faster and the smoke stung her lungs as she inhaled. She hagan to run faster. Her feet burned as they hit the hot ground and she felt as if her whole body was going to burst into flames from the heat. She began to tire but did not stop running, the flames licking at Azulas ankles, trying so desperately to claim her.
The flames were abnormal. Azula was made aware of this not only by the fact that she couldn't bend them, but the flames were black. The were more than black, it was as if the were sucking in all the light. They were darkness. But, Azula didn't have time to digest the meaning behind them, for the were gaining on her. She pushed past the fairigued that threatened to overwhelm her and kept running. She didn't know where she was running to, and she didn't care. All she knew was that she had to keep going.
Run, the voice spoke again. However this time the voice was not alone, it was joined by many others. She recognized the chorus of voices and knew immediately, these were the avatars. She wanted to ask why, why was she running like her life depended on it. But, she couldn't. Every time she opened her mouth the poisonous spoke invaded her lungs. So, she did as the said, she ran.
With each breath she became more woozy, the smoke causing her mind to begin to numb. The voices telling her to run became quieter, and the voice calling out her name became louder. As the light decreased the darkness grew. The flames burning through her soul as she tried desperately to escape them. But, they caught up.
She cried out in pain as the began eating away at her body. She could feel everything, the flames as they slowly destroyed her flesh. She could smell it, the burning of her body. She could taste the feeling of helplessness. She began to cry, her tears pouring from her golden eyes.
Her tears were red, and smelled of blood. They poured fast and thick, quenching the fire and healing her body. But, they didn't stop. Not when the fire was gone, not when the began to cover Azulas body, and not when she was surrounded in them.
She was surrounded in dark red, think liquid. Unable to move and unable to think. The only thing She was aware of were her lungs, begging for air. The heavy liquid held her down, however She kept swimming upward, reaching for whatever was above her. A silent scream, something she knew was there though she couldn't hear. Her whole body was aching, her lungs trying to breath through her closed mouth and clogged nose. Her eyes stung, and the blood made it impossible to see. She reached up with my hand, praying to feel air. By some miracle, her prayers were answered.
The wind felt cool on Azulas blood soaked flesh and She pulled myself out of the liquid. She was now laying on some sort of material, marble maybe. The surface that must have once been white was now stained red with blood. But whose? Whose blood was She coughing up as She gasped for air. She knew the answer, only didn't want to admit it.
She knew it was no longer her blood, but the blood of the women that lay floating in the pool of red liquid. The blood of the men who lay streacthing out as far as the eye could see. She tried to wash it off, but there was too much. She had to much blood on her hands. No matter how many lives she saved, she would not be able to make up for the ones she had taken.
So now you see, a voice from behind her spoke. Azula recognized that voice, for it was the same one that had called her name, the same one that had sent it's flames of darkness trying to consume her. She turned around, facing the source of the demonic voice.
She saw a man, covered in a red light. His eyes glowing black and a strange tattoo visible on his face. However, she knew this man. His black hair, strong chin. Most of all the fear she felt looking at him.
"Father?" Her voice shook with fear as she began to back away from him.
A demonic laugh shook the world they resided in, and sent a strange look on the mans face. "No child, I appeared in this form thinking it would appease you. But from what I can see that's not the case." A hint of amusement was detectable in the voice of the monster. The red light became brighter and he shifted, forming a whole knew type of monster. Claws, fangs, everything meant to intimidate. But, Azulas heart relaxed as she saw him in this form, for, whatever Monterey this truly was, it wasn't her father.
"Who are you?" She asked, her voice no longer shaking in fear.
The monster found this amusing, the girl was more scared of her father than his true form. However, it was a mystery for a different time. "I am you, the part of you the avatars wish to hide. The part of you that has been growing since Raava split herself from the boy." He said, as if that was explained anything. Seeing that she didn't understand, he tried to simplify it for her. "If you need a name child, I am Vaatu."
She walked closer to him, the nearly form scarsly scaring her. Who was Vaatu? What did he have to do with Raava. She was sure if it was important she would have known.
"I can help you win this war and kill your father, if that is truly what you seek." He said reading the mind of the girl. Yes, that was what she had wanted. But, she was unable to before. Because, why? The avatars wanted her to, but something else hadn't. And, it wasn't her as she so earlier had guessed. No, it was something more powerful, bigger than her. Something demanding she never stray the path of light.
"Stop this Vaatu." The familiar female voice spoke. Slowly, light began to pour into the world, forming the shape of a women. "How dare you venture where you are not wanted?"
"I ventured no where Raava," he said as the earth around the began to disappear. They were once again unguided in blackness, but this time she was not alone. "You see, she came to me." He snarled as the creator pointed in the directions of the girl. Raava glanced at the girl for a second, seeing the confusion written on her face.
"You tricked her, now release us." The spirit commanded.
A demonic laugh once again filled the domain. "But, I am you Raava, as much as you are me and as much as we are her."
The voices began to fade as Azulas mind retreated back into the fog. It was her haven, it kept the voices of both spirits at bay. But, the other voices became louder. The voices that seemed to come from outside the realm in which she dwelled in. She reached for them, allowing them to pull her towards consciousness.
The instant Zhao died, the flames disappeared. Azula, tired and worn out, began falling to the ground. Without hesitating, Tylee rushed to her friend's side, supporting her as she fell. She nimbly jumped over the ruble and clutter that blocked her path until she reached her. With two fingers, Tylee carefully tapped Azula's wrist. The veins popped to the top, a sign she was still alive. The acrobat sighed in relief, thanking Agni her friend was okay.
She looked over her shoulders to see four very confused people staring back. Tylee described it was better not to explain, and to leave the lying up to her friend. Agni knew if she said one wrong word Azula would have her head when she woke up. So instead she told them that Azula would explain once she woke up. All except the cute boy in blue seemed to buy this, and they helped her move her friend to the closest room (that wasn't destroyed).
She but her nails anxiously as Katara tended to the unconscious form of her best friend. What if Azula didn't wake up, her thoughts began to wonder. What if she left, just like that. Her eyes began to fill to the brim with tears. Why was she doing this to her? Agni damn it, it was the second time this week. Tylee couldn't keep doing this, didn't Azula know she was her world.
As the acrobat sat silently asking herself those pointless questions, Mai stared nonchalantly ahead. However, her mind was doing it's work as well. She had just seen her friend bend white flames. Those weren't real. Well, only in myths. Only in ancient stories about vengeful spirits of dragons. It was said white flames were the fire of death. They destroyed all. When the dragon hunting began, the families of the dragons taken would come back to destroy the town of the people responsible. Apparently their flames were white. But, Azula wasn't a dragon. And she wasn't vengeful. Spiteful, yes. Petty, yes. But not vengeful. She had never seen her friend enjoy killing. It was always a task, a chore. Sometimes Azula may look like she liked it, but she was trying to convince her father as much as herself. So, how was it that her flames had burned white like those of a dragons. This was the thought absorbed her mind, the question that plagued her.
Sokka stared at the raven haired girl with gold eyes. He knew she was fire nation. She had to be, he had seen her bend fire. Or whatever that was. But, what about the other elements. He had seen her bend air as well as water. How was that possible. It wasn't. It couldn't be. Aang was the avatar. Unless…. he was in the ice 100 years, it could have been seen as if he was dead. But, how where there two?? This question preoccupied his mind as he staired into the girls golden irises.
Toph stared at nothing, she was blind. But, she felt everything. She could feel were everyone was, the position of everything in the room. She felt the Safires heart beating faintly, as if she was in a deep sleep. She tried to focus on that, unable to think with the raised heartbeats of everyone in the room. Except Mai, that girl barely had a heartbeat, toph scoffed. Toph didn't really care what had happened, unlike the rest of them, she truly didn't need to know. All she needed to know was that Azula had killed Zhao in seconds, with fire that felt hotter than anything she had ever experienced. Everyone else was saying it was white, and they weren't lying. It was badass. With Azula they could crush the fire nation. Who the hell cared about her backstory. Not Toph.
But Aang did, he cared. He wanted to find out exactly who the girl was and how it was she could bend more than one element. And most importantly, why he felt a strange connection to her. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breaths. In and out, in and out. He became lost in the rhythm, until what felt like hours passed. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the house, but it a forest.
He was surrounded by trees, branches woven overhead to block out the sky. The grass beneath his was a lush, vibrant green and felt like silk was he ran his hands through it. The way the faces appeared carved into the trees, the strange creatures flying about. Aang knew where he was. The spirit world. It was beautiful, he had been here before but never in such a colorful part. The spirits themselves were full of color and light, and he felt at peace. He had to remind himself he was here for a reaso and force himself to stand from the silken grass.
The instant he stood up the scenery changed. He was no longer in a lush green forest, but a desert. His bare feet felt burning on the hot sand below them. The sand that stretched out for miles and miles. Forming mounts and hills and patterns with different colors. Swirling all around him making him nasuaos. Why was he here? He closed his eyes, focusing on the avatars within him.
When he opened them, the avatars had appeared infront of him. They were semi see through as they always were when they appeared to the young monk, but something was off. The expression Roku wore.
"Aang, there is something we must tell you."
Katara scrunched her eyes as she felt for Azula's chi. It was all wrong. Her water chakra was completely blocked off, which must have had to do with why she seemed unable to water bend. Katara was trying to keep it moving as much as possible, but needless to say it was difficult. She tried to block out all external noises, the sound of toph picking her nose, her brother eating. She simply focused on the girl, and began pulling her back into the world of consciousness. Pulling, at her energy, drawing her back to Katara.
As Azula drew closer to the voices, the fog began to thin. It began to give away to light. And Azula felt herself being pulled towards it. Tired of fighting, she gave in and allowed the voices to pull her.
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