The journey across the northern sea had passed without incident, although some of the storms were alarming; the Winter Solstice was only a day away, after all. Azula stood near the prow of the war balloon, her eyes on the dark horizon. Ty Lee huddled in a seat just behind the furnace, wrapped in her ibex-hide cloak, silently watching the coast drift by below.
She knew they were heading northeast, based on the sun's movement and the coastline; if they'd been heading southeast, she would have seen the port towns of the United Republic by now. They were speeding toward the northernmost regions of the main continent, home to the world's largest and harshest mountain range, the Dragon's Back. Except for the Si-Wong Desert, it was perhaps the most sparsely populated land in the Earth Kingdom.
Escape had never completely left Ty Lee's mind, but if she injured herself along the way, there was no chance of getting help. For now, she was still at Azula's mercy...
Not that Azula was gloating about it. She'd barely spoken to Ty Lee since they left the Air Nomad lands. Whenever they landed, she immediately went hunting, never coming back empty-handed despite the frequent snowfall. Each time, she wordlessly offered Ty Lee a share of her food and water, which was accepted with equal silence. Even after they'd left all signs of civilization behind them, Azula only traveled at night, ignoring the severe cold. She brought the balloon down during the early hours of each morning. They were going at a breakneck pace- Azula's enhanced blue flames gave the furnace far more heat than a standard Firebender could. All the same, she only kept them grounded for seven to eight hours at most, before moving on.
Despite her uncertainty, Ty Lee was sure she was getting more rest than Azula. At least she was able to nod off for periods, while they were in the air. The Princess paced endlessly around the edges of the gondola, scanning the sky and boosting the furnace with her Firebending. She always drank her unusual tea each day after eating, to guarantee herself a few hours of sleep. However, that sleep was still far from peaceful; she frequently woke Ty Lee with her thrashing and hyperventilating.
In spite of everything, each time this happened, Ty Lee lay next to Azula and held her until the fit passed. Azula hadn't asked her to do so, since back at the cave; her newfound silence was nearly as cold as when she was domineering and insulting. She was probably trying to squash any vestiges of her moment of vulnerability, pretend it hadn't happened. But Ty Lee hadn't forgotten. When she closed her eyes, she could still see the ripples of scar tissue on Azula's perfect shoulder blade. As raw and malevolent as Zuko's eye, just better hidden.
Azula suddenly glanced back and caught her eye, as if she knew what Ty Lee was thinking. The Kiyoshi Warrior felt her face burn, but she fought the instinct to look away, willing herself to meet Azula's imperious gaze. To her surprise, the Firebender's cheekbones turned slightly pink. She turned away quickly and jabbed her hand at the open door of the furnace, feeding the balloon another burst of flames. Ty Lee was bewildered. Was Azula reciprocating her childhood feelings, after all this time? Though, even if she did she would dismiss them as a distraction.
Azula stalked past Ty Lee and adjusted the tiller, her eyes sweeping the mountain range to their right. For the first time in days she spoke, curtly. "Don't look at me like that."
"Or what? You'll pitch me over the side?" Ty Lee was startled by how quickly the words came to her mouth- and how scornful they were. "You could have done that at any time since we started traveling, and there's no consequences for you. if anything, you'd reach Takeo faster."
"You're absolutely right. And yet, I'm choosing not to." Azula's tone was cold, but not with her usual mocking contempt. "That is what you seem to value so desperately, isn't it, Ty? The opportunity to choose? I've been giving it to you every time we've landed. Even if you don't believe me, your wounds have healed enough that you could escape me, while I've drugged myself."
It was true, this possibility had been on Ty Lee's mind several times in the last few days. She could make a sufficient head-start to get away from Azula- and given how urgently they were rushing back to Takeo, she doubted Azula would take the time to track down and re-capture her. But she wouldn't know which way to go, given the unfamiliar, harsh terrain and weather. Even if it cleared enough for her to navigate by the stars, she might not survive long enough to reach civilization.
"...I'm choosing survival."
"Is that really what you're choosing, by remaining with me?" Azula rolled her eyes. " Sounds more like you're looking for the best way to stay alive long enough to reveal my designs to Zuzu and Mai. Or, could it be that you just want to stay with poor, broken Azula long enough to fix her?" Her tone sharpened. "If you're concerned about me suffering a hallucinogenic breakdown as soon as you've left, don't bother. I've spent fifteen years learning how to manage one distraction, and I don't aim to replace it with another one made of flesh and blood."
Ty Lee tried to ignore her, to dull her aura to an ice-blue shade... but Azula's words left her already-confused emotions simmering. Despite her words, despite what Suki had drilled into her on Kiyoshi Island, survival hadn't really been her top priority since sneaking into Omori. It would be ideal if she could somehow help Zuko, Mai and Azula... hence, her fruitless hours of trying to think up a solution.
"...You didn't leave me a real choice on that matter." Ty Lee finally replied, bitterly. "Once again, you're trying to force me to choose between people I love-"
"Oh, but I didn't force you at all. You could have stayed in the cave, and set off your little Kiyoshi flare after I left."
Ty Lee froze. If Azula had seen her attempt to signal the Air Fleet, back at Omori-
"I could have incinerated you in seconds, along with that piece of magnesium." Azula's voice was quiet, neither malevolent nor coaxing... her most dangerous tone. "But again, I chose not to. Because even if you'd survived long enough to warn the Air Fleet, it would have been too late to affect the battle of Omori, and you know it."
Ty Lee flinched as Azula's hand suddenly descended on her shoulder. To her surprise, the Princess's touch was gentle; the heat from her fingertips was soothing, not burning. "I said before that I would never kill you, and I meant it. But if you're caught up on the wrong side when Takeo and I strike, I can't save you, either. You've never been in a position to prevent our victory, it's been too long in the making. But if you choose to join us, your loyalty must be absolute. Takeo won't defy me, but Long Feng can't be trusted, and he'll remember how you helped me bring him down."
Ty Lee kept her eyes on the sea, but she could feel her aura flaring from purple to angry red, as it had after Jeonsa's death. That Azula was willing to touch her like that, after all the indifference, rage and insults, that she was still squashing her feelings toward her family and Ty Lee, and yet still she remained totally in control of the situation...
"It doesn't matter to me whether you leave, try to stop us or join us, you understand." Azula shrugged, running her nails lightly along Ty Lee's arm before moving to the other side of the gondola. "I can read your every move, I always have."
Ty Lee stood up suddenly, ignoring the icy mountain air as her cloak fell from her shoulders. If words and planning weren't bringing any results, action was all that was left.
"Azula, I challenge you to an Agni Kai."
The Princess didn't turn around. "You're not a Firebender."
"And yet, I'm challenging you to an Agni Kai." Ty Lee felt a pulse of hot anger in her chest, yet her breathing was still calm and measured; there were no tremors in her arms or legs. It was as if her body had been waiting for her to challenge Azula, despite her mind screaming that this was suicidal to even consider.
After a prolonged pause, Azula shrugged. "As you wish. Let me bring us down to the ground, and we'll get this over with." She jerked the tiller, and the balloon swerved toward the mountains on their right, nearly knocking Ty Lee off her feet. Azula reached up and tugged the balloon's rip-cord, opening a vent at the top of the balloon to release hot air. "I suppose you have... conditions for the victor?"
"I win, and you come back to the Fire Nation with me. You stop your plan against Zuko before it goes any further-"
"It's far too late for that, dear." Azula cracked her knuckles. "I gave orders for the capture of Zuzu's daughter, the day we left the cave. By now, the Dai Li and Takeo's troops probably have her in their custody."
Ty Lee felt her heart turn to ice; all her composure disappeared instantly. Zuko had spent the last twenty years building a more peaceful world, both with the other Nations and among his own people. The Fire Nation had seen victory snatched from them at the last second, leaving both the military and the civilians full of unrest and resentment. Yet Zuko had successfully persevered with his agenda of reform and diplomacy, despite skeptics among both his allies and his enemies. Mai hadn't been as interested in politics when she married Zuko, but her natural talent for administration eventually drew her into them. Both would rather die than see their hard work undone, or give up their position of power.
Which, of course, was why Azula and Takeo had targeted Izumi: the one thing Zuko and Mai valued more than the Fire Nation or each other. Ty Lee had been more concerned about Ursa being the target, given what she'd overheard in Omori about an attack on Hira'a. Azula's hateful comments about her mother had reinforced that concern. Now, she realized the entire Hira'a incident had been a distraction, to turn Zuko and Mai's eyes away from the real target.
Izumi was well-protected, of course, and the Capital's defenses had been upgraded since the Day of Black Sun. But Takeo had captured and defended many fortresses, in his long military career. And Azula was the one who had taken Ba Sing Se without a shot fired. Add in the Dai Li, a secret police force for whom stealth was second nature, and infiltrating the Capital seemed frighteningly possible.
Ty Lee found her voice, at last. "Do they... already have her?"
"When Natsu returns, she should have news of the girl's capture." Azula brushed her hair out of her face as a gust of wind shook the gondola. "She won't be harmed, if that's what you're worried about; we need her as leverage against my brother."
"And once you've dealt with Zuko, you'll kill her anyway?"
"Certainly not. Provided she's... raised the right way, without her father's weakness, she would make a perfect heir."
Ty Lee was suddenly transported back, ten years ago. Mai was resting on the bed next to her, her dark hair slick with sweat, two attendants cleaning blood from her legs and propping her up with pillows. Only moments before, she'd had Ty Lee's hand clenched in a death-grip. Zuko sat at the other side of Mai's bed, Iroh standing at his shoulder. Their eyes were fixed on the doctor who was brusquely patting the newborn's back. For a moment, there was a terrible silence, except for Mai's ragged breathing; she had a narrow frame, and the birth had been hard on her. Ty Lee flashed her friend an encouraging smile, but she could feel Mai's aura flickering from purple to grey, and her own throat was tight. Mai had suffered a miscarriage, two years before; would this child survive?
Then, out of nowhere, a piercing, indignant squall. Ty Lee gasped, realizing she'd been holding her breath. Zuko slumped back in his chair, cradling Mai's hand to his chest, tears in his mismatched eyes. Iroh beamed, clapping his nephew gently on the shoulder. The doctor handed the infant to another attendant for cleaning, then turned to the Royal couple and bowed. "My Lord, my Lady, congratulations. The Fire Nation has an heir."
Ty Lee thought her wording was rather cold, and Zuko clearly agreed; his eyes, already shadowed with anxiety, narrowed as he stood up. "She's much more than heir to the Fire Nation, Doctor."
The doctor stepped back, uneasily. Iroh hastily moved in front of his nephew. "Dr. Haruyama is only observing the royal protocol, Zuko. I was told the same when Lu Ten was born-"
"Then maybe it's time we changed the protocol." Zuko replied curtly. "I've just seen my daughter born, I don't need to be told trivial facts that everyone knows-"
"She's not wrong, Zuko." Mai's voice, faint and reedy from exhaustion, interrupted him. "She's ours for now, but when she's grown... she'll belong to the Fire Nation. So we should spend what time we have with her, now." She stretched out her left hand. "Bring her... to me. Then call in our parents and siblings."
"My Lady, you shouldn't exert yourself-"
"Do as she says." Ty Lee cut her off, surprised by her own sharpness. She stepped forward and took the newborn carefully as the attendants finished wrapping her. The infant's lips moved soundlessly; one tiny hand, protruding from the blanket, grasped at nothing. Then her eyelids flickered open briefly, and Ty Lee glimpsed a shade of gold identical to Zuko's. She felt tears welling in her own eyes as she laid the child in Mai's arms, and silently thanked the Spirits she wasn't wearing her Kiyoshi face-paint; it would have run everywhere. Zuko leaned close as Mai put the baby to her breast, wrapping his arms loosely around them both.
"Izumi." Mai murmured as she kissed her daughter's head; her voice, usually calm or even flat, was trembling. "That's... her name. Izumi." Her narrow grey eyes, almost closed with exhaustion, flicked to Ty Lee. "She's... our future, Ty. A future... without war. Without the cruelty we were taught. Please... help us keep that future safe."
Mai's words repeated through Ty Lee's mind as the balloon began to descend among the mountain peaks. Azula's revelation had thrown her off at first, but now her resolve hardened again; her aura flared an orange-bronze. There was no way she would let Izumi suffer a fate like her father... or her aunt.
She finally found her voice again. "If I win the duel... assuming Izumi's already been kidnapped, you help me get her back. Compared to taking Ba Sing Se, that should be an easy one for you. After that, you can go where you please... assuming Zuko doesn't pardon you."
"Fine." Azula replied dryly. "On the generous assumption that you, a Nonbender, defeat me in an Agni Kai... I'll give you that one." She extended two fingers towards the furnace's open door, drawing all the remaining heat out. The balloon's propeller chuffed to a halt, and their descent quickened. "What, in turn, will you give me... when I win?"
"I'll serve you. The way I did during the hunt for the Avatar, the way I've served Zuko and Mai since the end of the war." She was relieved that her voice stayed steady, despite the lie. Even though neither of them trusted each other, Azula had given her a choice this time, and she would use that to her advantage.
"Not much of an offer." Azula leaned over the gondola's rail as it scraped the top of a pine. "Would you... travel with me, after this is done?"
"Travel with you?" Ty Lee turned around, bewildered.
"Travel the world. Let me show you what I've learned, in my years of exile. Let me pass it on to you." Azula didn't turn, but her voice was suddenly softer. Was she being... sentimental? Though, if that was all she would demand of Ty Lee, it was worth staying close to her... and by extension, Izumi.
"...I accept your terms."
Azula nodded and turned the tiller. The balloon shifted direction towards a clearing in the trees, broken only by a mountain stream. "Traditionally, the challenger makes the first move."
As the balloon drifted to the ground, a streak of grey light brightened the jagged, mountainous horizon; dawn was on its' way. Ty Lee cracked her neck and entwined her arms behind her back, rotating her joints to make sure she had full flexibility back. Shifting her sheathed sword and fan from her belt to her shoulder-bandolier, she undid the straps of her armor and let it fall away, piece by piece; she was lighter and faster without it. As the gondola bumped across the stones of the riverbank, she hopped over the rail. Azula pulled the deflating envelope clear of the furnace and propeller, then followed her. The Kiyoshi warrior stopped where the water met the treeline, keeping the brightening daylight at her back. If the sun emerged from behind the clouds, she might try to disorient her opponent.
She turned and pressed her fist to her palm, bowing slightly. Azula returned the gesture, then bent her knees and drew her left foot back, her hands loose at her sides. Her expression had become oddly blank; none of the tension from the cave was visible. Given her mantra of "survival or death", it wasn't surprising that the prospect of a fight calmed her.
Ty Lee knew her best chance to match Azula in a fair fight, was now. Her wounds were healed, while Azula was sleep-deprived, and with the Winter Solstice tomorrow, her Firebending was at its' low ebb. Unfortunately, those were Ty Lee's only advantages. And even if she somehow won, there was very little chance Azula would actually keep her word...
Dashing her doubts from her mind, Ty Lee drew her tessen fan, flicked it open and hurled it at Azula like a shuriken. The Princess lazily kicked it aside, but in the half-second that her vision was blocked, Ty Lee darted forward, her feet barely touching the ground. Her extended fingers shot towards Azula's shoulder, ready to disable her chi-path and paralyze her arm in a single strike.
But Azula's hand caught her wrist with a chopping blow, redirecting the strike wide and almost knocking her off-balance. Ty Lee spun, feint-kicked with her right foot, landed on it, kicked again with the left, then ducked low and jabbed her fist at Azula's solar plexus. Azula ignored the feint, leaned out of range of the actual kick and intercepted the punch with her left hand. She gave a powerful shove, and Ty Lee was thrown backward, landing on her rear in a cascade of smooth river stones.
She'd never forgotten how superb a fighter Azula was. At the back of her mind, she'd known she had almost no chance of beating the Princess. But Ty Lee had at least expected it to be more of a contest, after her years of training on Kiyoshi Island. She sucked in a deep breath, let it out as a shrill battle cry and sprang up, darting forward in a zigzag pattern, evading any missiles that might come her way. But no blue flames roared past. Azula wasn't even resorting to her Firebending, and yet she was toying with her.
Well, if she really wasn't using her best weapon, Ty Lee would take advantage of that. She hopped sideways, bent her knees and catapulted herself off a fallen log, flying toward her opponent, her booted feet extended in a double-kick. Azula easily moved out of range, but Ty Lee landed almost directly in front of her and kept advancing, continuing to throw chi-blocking jabs in every direction. In reality, she was only using half the force necessary, conserving her reserves of energy. She was waiting for a counterattack; all she had to do was intercept one of Azula's limbs, or get within range of her neck.
But Azula still wouldn't take the bait. She kept moving silently back, giving ground but controlling the fight, her golden eyes cold but calm. Her lack of sleep didn't seem to be troubling her at all. Ty Lee had expected the Firebender to taunt her mercilessly, as she'd taunted Zuko during their endless childhood fights. But now, the Princess's silence was even more maddening than her insults. Ty Lee could feel her reserves of angry resolve depleting, as Azula continued to dodge or deflect all her mock-attacks. Her window of opportunity, barely open to begin with, was closing.
Then, Ty Lee felt a faint warmth on the right side of her body. A section of the clouds had swirled back, briefly bathing the riverbank in sunlight. Immediately, she jumped back and rolled to the right, drawing her katana as she sprang up. As Azula turned to face her, Ty Lee angled the sword, reflecting the sunlight off the blade directly at her face. The Firebender threw her hand up, shielding her eyes. Rushing at Azula's vulnerable left side, Ty Lee raised her sword in a two-handed grip. The golden eyes stared back at her, wide with alarm.
At the last second Ty Lee reversed her katana in mid-air, swinging the pommel instead of the curved blade. As her arm came down, Azula's expression suddenly changed; she threw herself sideways and sprang up as Ty Lee rushed past her. Her hand chopped down on the back of Ty Lee's neck, sending a jolt of pain through her head and upper torso as her teeth clacked together. The Kiyoshi Warrior dropped on the riverbank; the katana slipped from her hand, rattling on the icy stones.
"What was that idiocy?" Azula snapped, from behind her. "If your only chance is to kill your opponent, you take it! Kiyoshi swords aren't made for half-measures; you cut your opponent down in one blow!"
Ty Lee wheezed in a ragged breath. The pain from Azula's blow blurred her vision, and her whole body- especially her face- was aching from the impact. She forced herself to slowly roll over, her jaw clenched in pain and fury. "You... haven't fought a Kiyoshi Warrior... since before Ba Sing Se-"
"You think I don't remember every detail about that fight?" Azula cut her off, tapping her temple. Her lips were set in a grim line that looked oddly like frustration. "I already told you, Ty, I can read your every move. I could have struck both your injuries during that first, foolish charge and crippled you in an instant. This personal stand of yours is only prolonging the inevitable. End it now, before you get hurt-"
"Then HURT me!" Ty Lee snapped, pushing herself half-upright. She could feel the pain in her head fading, slowly. Behind her back, her fingers closed around several river-stones. "Fight back with everything you have, you coward!"
Azula's eyes flashed dangerously, and her jaw tightened, but she didn't lose control. "I have no reason to be afraid of you."
"And yet, you're afraid to kill me. You've never held back before-"
"You need to learn." Azula cut her off, her voice rising. "You need to learn to survive, not get yourself killed or wounded needlessly. You have to get over this foolish need to avoid finishing your opponents!"
"What, like you're doing now?!" Ty Lee yelled back. "You could have dodged when I used the sunlight against you; you could have used your Firebending from the beginning! But you're holding back, more than I am! Ozai would be so disappointed-"
"Shut up." Azula hissed, smoke rising from her long nails. "Ozai's spent the last twenty years powerless, rotting in a dungeon. I don't give a damn what he thinks-"
"Oh, really?" Ty Lee sneered, surprised by the venom in her voice. "You say that him maiming you for crying is 'correcting a weakness', and you don't care what he thinks? And you're so indifferent about what Ursa supposedly thinks of you, that you hallucinate about her? You went mad because you couldn't decide which of your parents betrayed you more, you couldn't trust either example when you became Fire Lord! You've never trusted anyone, which is why you were destined to fail-"
Azula suddenly lunged forward with a cry of rage, blue fire flaring to life on both her hands. Ty Lee threw herself sideways, rolled as far as she could and jumped up, hurling her fistful of stones at Azula's face. The Princess swept her arm diagonally, and an arc of blue flame shattered them into fragments of ash. The calm was gone from her face; her eyes were blazing with savage fury.
And then, Ty Lee was the one giving ground. Her flight instincts kicked into overdrive, leading her left, right, zigzagging, flipping from rock to rock across the bank, the roar of Azula's bending right behind her. She ducked behind a tree, then dove away almost immediately as a charged fireball blew it apart. Rolling under the trunk of another fallen tree, she sprang up, ducked as a blue fire-jet snarled over her head, and darted back across the clearing, where her dropped tessen fan lay. She snatched it up and leaped onto a rock at the center of the stream, managing to keep her balance despite its' icy surface.
As Ty Lee turned, Azula shot toward her, using her Firebending to propel herself like a rocket. The Kiyoshi Warrior leaped sideways at the last second and landed waist-deep in the river, ignoring the sting of the icy water. Azula plowed past and landed in the shallows, the fire-jets projecting from her hands evaporating the water around her feet. Spinning, she launched a blazing kick at her opponent's face. Ty Lee angled her head sideways, barely avoiding the blast, but a sudden burst of heat near her scalp told her that her plait had caught fire. Instinctively, she plunged herself under the stream, extinguishing the flames. Her body convulsed involuntarily as the cold assaulted her from all sides, like thousands of needles.
Before she could surface or swim away, a hand caught her collar in an iron grip, yanking her upright and out of the water. As Azula spun her around, Ty Lee snapped her tessen open and slashed at Azula's throat, but the Firebender jerked her head sideways and the strike grazed her cheek instead. She swatted the steel-edged fan from Ty Lee's grip, then drew her free hand back, a blue fire-dagger flickering around her fist.
Ty Lee felt her heartbeat thundering in her ears; her legs would have been numb even if she wasn't standing in freezing water, but her face felt as if she were leaning over a volcano. Azula was inches away, her tangled hair slicked to her scalp and neck, blood running from her cheek wound. Her teeth were bared in a snarl, her golden eyes staring straight through Ty Lee. The fire-dagger started to descend...
Ty Lee resisted the urge to close her eyes. She couldn't move, she couldn't breathe, but she would at least face her death head-on.
Then, Azula's grip on her collar went slack. Ty Lee fell backward, hyperventilating as the frigid water lapped against her torso. Staggering back against a boulder, she struggled to pull herself out of the stream, her breath coming in silvery clouds. She dragged herself onto the bank, gasping, then collapsed, her eyes barely open.
After a few minutes, she heard faint splashing sounds behind her, then the scrape of boots on stones and snow. Drawing a deep breath through her nose, she forced herself onto an elbow; she was shaking so much, she barely managed it. Azula was approaching the balloon, her face turned away from Ty Lee. Wordlessly, she undid the bolts and cords that held the furnace in place, then lifted the entire mechanism free and began half-dragging it back toward the bank. She dropped it a few feet from Ty Lee, kicked the door open and ignited the contents with a small burst of blue fire.
Still not looking at her, Azula tossed a yeti-ibex cloak at Ty Lee and turned away, drawing the kukri knife from her belt. "Strip off your wet clothes quickly, or you'll freeze. Put on the cloak and warm up, I'll find fuel and food."
Ty Lee could still feel her heart pounding in her ears. "Azula... I..."
"Don't." Azula's voice was so faint she almost didn't hear it. "I'll... be back soon."
In fact, Azula was gone for some time. After wringing out her soaked Kiyoshi jumpsuit and laying it to dry, Ty Lee checked herself for injuries; multiple hard landings had left her bruised, and the upper part of her plait had been badly scorched. After moment of hesitation, she removed the jade ring from the end of her braid, then cut most of it off with her katana. All her years in the circus, the ringmaster had refused to let her cut her hair or style it another way; after she'd left, she kept it, as a means of looking different from her six sisters. Now... her aura felt different, but not in a bad way. And there was far less pressure on her scalp.
Finally satisfied that her joints were still in working order, Ty Lee pulled the cloak closely around her naked form and huddled next to the furnace, staring into the embers. The duel had left her shaken, but mostly confused; she found herself going over it in her head, blow by blow. Azula had handled her easily, which should have been normal- except she'd been holding back. She'd frozen during the one moment Ty Lee had gained the advantage, then became angry when she was spared.
You need to learn. Had she been testing Ty Lee? They'd both been prodding at each other, uncertain of their motives. Yet Azula still hadn't attacked with deadly force, until Ty Lee provoked her into a rage- and even then, at the last moment she'd restrained herself from a fatal blow. Why now? She'd succumbed to her fury before, with Mai on the Boiling Rock, and with Zuko and Katara during Sozin's Comet.
Unstable or clearheaded, Azula always aimed to kill, without hesitation. Except when Ty Lee became involved...
A harsh shriek and the sound of heavy wingbeats interrupted her thoughts. Natsu came circling down from the clouds, landing on the now-blackened log. She preened her neck feathers, staring at Ty Lee with fierce eyes that looked remarkably like her master's.
"Azula's not here. She's off hunting." Ty Lee muttered, drawing the cloak more tightly around herself. Not that a raven-eagle cared what her body looked like, but still... Her eyes fell on a small scroll tied to the bird's left talon, stamped with a seal in the shape of a kirin. "You want to leave that with me? I'll keep it safe for her, you can rest or go hunt for yourself."
Natsu cocked her head sideways, as if confused, then made a flapping leap to the ground and hopped toward Ty Lee, plucking the scroll free with her beak. Ty Lee reached out tentatively as the bird approached, stroking her head around the scars as she'd seen Azula do. Natsu dropped the scroll at her feet, nuzzled her fingers in search of food, then gave a croaking screech of disappointment when she found none. Turning away, she pumped her huge wings twice and lifted off.
Ty Lee broke the seal and unrolled the scroll, bracing herself for the worst. A part of her noticed the characters were oddly small and uniform, as if printed or stamped on the paper instead of hand-drawn. She felt a fresh chill run through her as she read the message:
Fire Lord Azula,
I regret to inform you that, despite our successful evacuation of Omori, your brother survives; Nishi failed to kill him, and is now Zuko's captive. Whether he can be saved is unknown. However, our collaboration with the Dai Li has won us a far greater prize: my son Shingen has sent me a hawk to say that your niece, Princess Izumi, has been taken hostage. General Iroh was injured, perhaps seriously, during the abduction. If he dies, Zuko will have no alternate heir once he and Izumi are in our custody, making your path to the throne much easier. Shingen is on his way back to Zamyn Togsgol with the Princess; we eagerly await both her arrival and yours.
For the good of the Fire Nation.
General Takeo.
Ty Lee crumpled the scroll into her palm. She stretched her arm out toward the furnace, as if she could banish the terrible events as easily as the wad of parchment. But at the pace they'd been flying, Azula would find out anyway, as soon as they reached Zamyn Togsgol.
A bundle of thick pine branches clattered to the ground in front of her, breaking her concentration. Azula strode past her, a hog-rabbit and a scorched ptarmigan draped over her shoulders. She dumped the carcasses next to the furnace, then sat down across from Ty Lee and began skinning the hog-rabbit with her knife. "Feed the fire. I'll get the meal ready." Her eyes flicked to the crumpled paper. "Natsu found us, did she? What does Takeo have to say?"
"Shingen's kidnapped Izumi, and he's bringing her back to Zamyn Togsgol." Ty Lee replied in a flat tone, tossing the scroll at Azula's feet. If she wanted to help Izumi, she needed to stay close to Azula. And Takeo's suspicions would be raised, if he realized his message had been intercepted or withheld. "But Zuko's taken Omori. Nishi's been captured."
Azula glanced at the scroll briefly, then scoffed and threw it into the furnace. "Nothing I didn't expect. That up-jumped fool Nishi was never going to get the better of Zuzu; he shouldn't have underestimated the loyalty my brother commands. If you try to remove a reigning monarch before they lose the Mandate of Heaven, their cause becomes all the stronger." She tossed the bloodied hide onto the riverbank, then set about sharpening a narrow branch into a skewer. "Which is why you should always go for their heirs, first. Then, you can force them to give the Mandate up, and destroy them at your leisure."
Ty Lee let the words pass over her like a wave, kept her face blank. She inhaled slowly and silently through her nose, feeling her aura finally reach the ice-blue shade she'd been hoping for. At least she knew where they were all headed, now. "When do we reach Zamyn Togsgol?"
Azula glanced at her, one eyebrow arched. "If we camp here till sunset, we should be there by the day after tomorrow." She paused, then set the skewer and knife down and leaned forward. "By the time we're there... you should have your priorities in order."
"And if I don't?" Ty Lee tossed two sticks of wood into the furnace; the pine resin crackled and hissed as it burned. "If I act against you, and General Takeo tries to have me executed?"
"He won't touch you. Not if it means defying me." Azula replied firmly. But there was a touch of uncertainty, beneath her frustration; it was almost as if she was pleading. Azula never asked, let alone begged, anyone for anything. Except that night in the cave, when she'd asked Ty Lee to lie next to her while she slept...
"Suppose Long Feng and the Dai Li decide I'm untrustworthy?" For about the hundredth time, Ty Lee wondered why she was being so foolish. Azula was the enemy of everyone she loved, had tried to kill her only hours before, and still she was willing to bait her? To test her limits, when she knew how quickly the Firebender could shift to murderous rage? And yet, her voice was more calm and collected than ever. "You don't have any authority over them. If they thought I was expendable-"
Azula's hand found her jaw, and turned her face, gently. Ty Lee stared into the hypnotic golden eyes, her heart suddenly racing.
"I would kill all of them, if they laid a hand on you." Azula whispered, her fingers caressing Ty Lee's cheek. "Do you hear me? All of them." She took a deep breath. "I respect your will to fight, Ty, but your cause is lost. And if you prove yourself our enemy... no protection is foolproof." As she let go, she muttered, almost to herself, "Not even mine."
Ty Lee stared at her. "Thanks...but I don't think I want your protection. Your madness almost drove you to kill me-"
"My 'madness' is what saved you." Azula interrupted. "In the river, earlier...It was the vision of my mother that urged me to spare you."
Ty Lee blinked. "Ursa's the parent you always defied and hated, when you were a child. Why listen to an illusion of her now?"
Azula shrugged, unconvincingly. "Distractions can sometimes be... solutions." Her expression became serious again. "I won't ever harm you again, Ty. I know you don't trust me, but I meant it when I said I've never lied to you. I'll change course and drop you off in an Earth Kingdom village, if you don't want to go further. Because if you come with me, you will have to choose. Survival, or death; those have always been the only options-"
"You're wrong." Ty Lee stood up. She felt her heart racing, but she didn't break Azula's gaze. "There are always more choices, within both survival and death. I chose to fight, because I won't let you take those choices away from Izumi... the choices Zuko and Mai gave her, the choices you were never given by either of your parents. That's worth more than just survival, to me."
"...So be it." Azula glanced away. "Don't say I didn't warn you." She nodded at Ty Lee's shorn hair. "I'm sorry about your plait, by the way. It looks like we both have different hairstyles, now."
Ty Lee raised an eyebrow, surprised. "I think...that may have been the first time you've ever apologized to me."
A small smirk touched Azula's mouth. "Are you disappointed that it was about something as trivial as hair?"
"No, but not surprised either." Ty Lee felt a smile tug at the corner of her lips. This reminded her of how it had been, during their years at the Academy: the two of them bantering and planning pranks on Zuko or Mai, chasing each other through the grounds. If only she'd known what Azula was going through, at the time...
"...Ty." The glow of the furnace cast wavering highlights in Azula's eyes as she stood up. Her tone was pleading again, but this time for something else. Slowly, her hand stretched out to caress Ty Lee's face again, then stopped, fingers curling back. Ty Lee felt her cheeks burn, wishing she had clothes on under the cloak. She understood now, how the Princess felt, behind her blind, possessive gestures. But Azula was too afraid to go further. Whether she was paranoid about showing 'weakness' or unable to articulate her feelings, she kept holding herself back.
Ty Lee's own feelings were in a turmoil. There was too much happening now, for her to think about something as trivial as a relationship, especially with someone bent on overthrowing her best friends. But here, and back in the cave, she'd seen Azula gradually emerging from the shell of her former self. She seemed more... human. There couldn't be any harm in nudging her in that direction, slow and dangerous though it might be. It wasn't anything Ty Lee hadn't wondered abut herself, in the past...
She stepped closer, put her hand out and laced her fingers through the other woman's. Azula looked startled, but she didn't pull away. Ty Lee smiled, feeling her aura brighten slightly.
"It's okay, Azula. You don't need the tea, nothing's going to hurt you." She leaned forward suddenly, brushing her lips across the Princess's. After a brief pause, Azula leaned in, returning the kiss. Ty Lee felt another surge of adrenaline in her veins, but this time she had no urge to run away.
She kissed her again, then let her mouth drift lower, towards Azula's throat. Her fingers fumbled to undo the clasps on the ibex-hide jacket. The Princess stiffened for a second, then closed her eyes and let Ty Lee continue.
"Nothing's... going to hurt you, either." She slid her free hand beneath Ty Lee's cloak, her breath coming faster. "I promise."
"The Fire Princess has just landed, Grand Secretariat. Takeo is waiting for you at the entrance."
Long Feng didn't open his eyes. "She's... alone?"
"No. She has a... companion with her, a woman. She looks Fire Nation, but her armor and weapons are Kiyoshi-made."
The Grand Secretariat chuckled darkly. "How fitting, that Azula returns with another false Kiyoshi Warrior. Though perhaps it really is one of the same girls, from Ba Sing Se." He rose from his meditation and turned around. "Speaking of which, how is Princess Hou-Ting?"
The Dai Li agent grimaced. "Much the same as before. Threatening guards with the wrath of the entire Earth Kingdom, demanding to be released and escorted back to Ba Sing Se with all due deference. Joo Dee's doing her best to placate her, but perhaps you should speak with her."
"Perhaps I should." Long Feng nodded thoughtfully. He'd made an effort to charm Hou-Ting since her arrival, with mixed results. She needed to be handled... diplomatically, rather like some of the Earth Kingdom warlords he was trying to coax to his side. "Thank you, Yuesheng. I'll meet with the Fire Nationals in a moment."
Yuesheng bowed, then swept out. Long Feng glanced up at the luminous crystals projecting from the ceiling, illuminating a statue of an Air Nomad carved into the far wall. Centuries before, these mountain caverns had been a secret sanctuary for monks from the Northern Air Temple. Abandoned before the genocide of Sozin's Comet, the hidden shrine had been re-discovered by nearby villagers from Zamyn Togsgol, many years later. And, now that those villagers were re-educated, the sanctuary would be forgotten again... by everyone, except the Dai Li.
Long Feng bowed his head mockingly to the statue, then raised the cowl of his black cloak and left the chamber. His forces were growing stronger by the day; while many of his officers had been sent on infiltration missions across the Earth Kingdom, their ranks were filled by 'volunteers' sent by General Fong. Although the recent loss of Captain Xi was a heavy blow, his protege Genpei seemed a suitable replacement- and, if he proved less than ideal, there were always others. A few more mock-clashes with Takeo's rebels in Earth Kingdom villages, and the rest of Kuei's vassals would be begging for his support against the Fire Nation. Takeo was in no position to refuse; now that he'd fled Omori, he and his followers were dependent on the Dai Li for refuge. Moreover, his losses at Omori and the Caldera Cavern weren't replaceable, at least until Zuko was removed. The rebels still had their cache of Fire Nation machinery and munitions, but they could only play that card once.
With the Winter Solstice passing, it was tempting to deal with the Fire Nationals now, before they could make their own gains... but he hadn't gathered all the targets together yet. Particularly Azula. For all his boasting of powerful allies and connections in the Fire Nation, Takeo was a frontline commander at heart; outmaneuvering him would be simple. The Fire Princess was another matter entirely. Again and again, Long Feng went over his advantages in his head, down to the last detail, making certain there was no way she might outmaneuver or outfight him. But the memory of his defeat in Ba Sing Se, swept all reassurances aside. Whether Azula had really gone insane or not, Long Feng could not afford to let his guard down again.
The sun was rising slowly when he emerged from the sanctuary. Several Fire Nationals were crouching just outside the main entrance, concealed behind various Air Nomad statues and snow-capped boulders; Takeo was peering over the top of a four-foot stone projection. Beside him stood an elderly woman in worn-looking purple silk robes, a red phoenix headband around her brow. Takeo's sunken amber eyes were fixed on two cloaked figures, picking their way up the icy slope toward the cavern.
As Long Feng drew level with Takeo, he made a chopping gesture with his right hand. Stone barriers erupted across the entrance, sealing it. Dai Li agents stepped out from various concealed positions, encircling the newcomers.
"Lower your hoods, now!" Yuesheng barked, raising his stone-encased hand. "Make a move we don't like, and you die where you stand!"
The woman with the phoenix headband glanced irritably at Long Feng. "Call the Mudslingers off. She won't take this well-"
"Not until they show their faces. I'm not letting my headquarters be infiltrated, the way yours were at Omori."
The woman conjured a fireball, but Takeo grabbed her wrist as she raised her arm; the first cloaked figure had already stepped forward. "You want to see who I am?" Her voice rang out harshly. "I have nothing to hide from you, traitors!" Then she pulled the hood back.
Long Feng felt the blood drain from his face. It was Azula, there was no doubt. Her clothes were mostly furs and hides, her features made weathered and gaunt by time. A half-healed gash marred her perfect cheekbones, and her hair was gathered into a loose tail behind her head, rather than a topknot and tresses. But there was no mistaking those predatory golden eyes.
Takeo limped out from behind the rock projections, prostrating himself before Azula. The rest of the Fire Nationals hastily followed his lead. "Fire Lord Azula, welcome to Zamyn Togsgol-"
"Don't act as though you're in my good graces, General." Azula cut him off. "Because of your choice of that idiot Nishi, my brother is still breathing! Unless it was the Dai Li who tipped him off? It wouldn't be the first time they've stabbed me in the back!"
"On the contrary, Fire Lord." Takeo didn't rise from his bow. "The Dai Li have proved very useful allies. Without them, we could never have secured Princess Izumi-"
"They aren't back yet, though, are they? There's still time for them to cut the brat loose and defect-"
"The Dai Li's loyalty is far stronger than it was during the Hundred Year War, Princess Azula." Long Feng finally found his voice as he stepped out from behind the rocks. "They are committed entirely to the new doctrine I established for them... since you corrupted the previous one so severely."
Takeo's eyes flashed angrily at the disrespect, but Azula's mouth curved into a contemptuous smirk. "It's been a while, Long Feng. Still seeking the divine right to rule that was never yours to begin with?" She gestured at the Dai Li agents. "Tell your officers to stand down. We've had a long journey, and I'll need rest before we prepare for my niece's arrival."
Long Feng curled his lip. Azula's imperious attitude seemed more of a forced performance, compared to what he remembered. He glanced at the other cloaked figure. "Tell your companion to show her face, first." His eyes fell on the katana hilt and grip protruding over her belt. "You might have chosen a less obvious disguise than a Kiyoshi Warrior, considering our mutual history-"
"I am a Kiyoshi Warrior." The other woman interrupted, lowering her hood. "Or at least, I was. Now, I serve Azula."
Long Feng stared at her, astonished. He'd never seen her without the Kiyoshi face-paint before, and the braid that once ran the length of her back was gone. But there was no question, it was one of the girls who had helped Azula take Ba Sing Se. Unlike the Fire Princess, she didn't look smug; her mouth was set in a thin line and her grey eyes were wary.
The hairs on the back of Long Feng's neck stood up. This one was trouble, he was sure of it. Takeo also looked startled by the newcomer; he straightened up hastily, a flame flickering in his hand. "Fire Lord, this is the woman who betrayed and attacked you at the Boiling Rock- Ty Lee! She's served as Zuko and Mai's spy for more than a decade-"
"You think I don't know that?!" Azula whirled on him, her eyes blazing. Her hand rested protectively on Ty Lee's shoulder. "The Boiling Rock incident has been settled between us. Ty Lee is with me, now. Touch her, or even look at her the wrong way, and you'll wish you'd never been born."
Before Takeo could respond, the elderly Fire Nation woman stepped forward and prostrated herself at Azula's feet. "If it is the will of the Fire Lord, then Lady Ty Lee's protection is our duty. The New Ozai Society pledges itself to Fire Lord Azula, and welcomes you both. "
Azula glanced down at her. "Lady Tomoe. At last, someone whose loyalty has never wavered."
Tomoe and Takeo both bowed again, going through the act of groveling to Azula, feeding her assurances. But Long Feng was no longer listening. When Azula had warned them away from Ty Lee... She'd dropped her facade. Her threat had been no bluff. Which meant the Fire Princess cared for her companion, something he hadn't thought possible of her.
He watched the way she squeezed Ty Lee's shoulder, watched the brief glance the women shared. He wasn't sure, just how strong the attachment was; he would have to find out, very carefully. For the first time, he realized his nemesis had a vulnerability... a weakness.