Hey guys ! Sorry for the late update but I've been busy uploading this story to AO3 these past few weeks and I may have hit a writer's block with this chapter. Thankfully the worse is over now and we can get back on track.
Big thanks to Hammertide for both beta reading and editing this chapter !
Also heads-up to everybody but you need to turn on your email notification for updates. If you don't, then you won't be able to see update notifications for this story and others.
With that said, let's get this chapter started.
Kazumi considered herself a humble person and seldom does she ever take pride on something, but she always impresses herself knowing how fast she can assess who her guests could be.
The two children from the water tribe, one was a bender based on how she carried no other weapon besides a waterskin tied to her waist, and the boy was clearly a fighter considering he had a boomerang and sword strapped to his back. The earth kingdom girl upon closer inspection was blind based on the whiteness of her eyes, but she didn't seem to be using any sort of help to navigate. Bender definitely, was she using the vibrations in the ground to see where she was going ?
Very interesting and shows that she is likely a very talented earth bender. The tracker from before was equipped with a sword and bow, nothing too dangerous but the boy...the boy was what interested her. The boy at the very front had the tattoos of an airbender and wielding an air glider, considering that all the airbenders had been wiped out and Kazumi had heard whispers that the recent Avatar was an airbender...it was very likely that this young boy was the Avatar.
Despite all the talents and gifts in the world that Kazumi possess, having to be in front of the avatar and deciding to attack would be a folly. Talents, she might possess but still, it isn't enough to the one who saved the world.
Kazumi kept her calm and polite smile on as she greeted them, much to their surprise.
" Um...good day miss, my name is Aang and this is my group " Aang introduced himself, flashing his pearly white teeth with a character similar to that of a happy child. Kazumi is a bit caught off guard that the avatar could be so unassuming in regards to appearance.
The older woman nods her head in acknowledgement, feigning a welcoming aura." Nice to meet you Aang...and I see you brought a familiar face with you " Kazumi turned to the tracker, their eyes met but it was Shin who broke the tensed stare, he still felt unnerved. " Didn't expect to see you again, Shin was it ? "
" Y-Yes ma'am...we're sorry to intrude on your abode, but I really do need to complete my assignment " Shin spokes.
An assignment that required the most powerful individual in the world, I should have taken the chance in the forest were you were alone. Kazumi said nothing more to him as she turned back to the kids "And who are the rest of you?" Kazumi smiled towards them, the boy with the sword and boomerang seems to enraptured at the sight of her.
" I'm Katara and this is my brother Sokka " The water tribe girl introduced herself with a bow.
" Nice to meet you miss...and can I say that you are most beautiful woman, I've met before " Sokka said out loud, making Katara nudge him in the shoulder.
" Don't say that !"
" What ?"
Kazumi fake giggled a little, the pretentious smile was starting to get to her. It isn't everyday where she has to entertain unwanted guests. " It's fine, you wouldn't be the first to say that to me "
Guests that would dare take away my loved one.
" Name's Toph, pleasure to be on your patch of land " The short girl greeted herself.
" Well, it is pleasant to meet all of you...and if you don't mind me saying Aang, I can't help but notice some of your tattoos are those of the air nomads, but I thought they went extinct ?" Kazumi asked to confirm his identity.
" Yes well...I suppose there's no point in trying to hide it, I am actually the Avatar " Aang came out and admitted it.
" The Avatar, well this is certainly an unexpected surprise " Kazumi decided to feign ignorance " What is the Avatar doing assisting a tracker in this forest ? "
" We're looking for somebody. A girl " Katara stepped up to explain " She fled into the forest a long time ago and we need to find her before she hurts others or herself "
Kazumi kept her cool as she knew they were talking about Azula and tried her best not to be offended at that.
" Well, like I told this enterprising gentlemen a while back, I have not seen or heard anyone like that in this forest "
" Can we come inside ? We've been walking for a while and could use a break " Aang asked politely.
Kazumi glanced at the group and they all looked tired from walking, didn't mean they weren't dangerous.
It would look way too suspicious if I tried to turn them away without giving them a proper reason. There is none I can really give to make them leave. Need to persuade them to leave of their own volition by playing along and misleading them.
" Of course, you can come in but can you please give me a few moments to talk to my daughter ? We weren't expecting guests and she's shy around new people " Kazumi asked.
" Sure, we don't mind " Aang agreed easily.
" Wonderful " Kazumi said as she quickly walked back inside the house and found Azula already off the coach and looked pale as a ghost. Her stare says it all for Kazumi. Her dearest adopted daughter being deathly afraid of being taken, she'll be damned if she lets that happen to her. And she would make sure that none would take her, even if the person would be the avatar himself. Like a tigerdillo defending its own cub, her claws too were ready.
Azula wordlessly went up to her and handed her a piece of paper, Kazumi took and read it.
" Kazumi, I saw them outside from the window. They are here for me. The short dirt girl has heightened hearing and can tell when someone is lying "
Heightened hearing...then I would have to pick my words carefully, be calm that not even the slightest difference of my breathing would give myself away.
Kazumi narrowed her eyes at the difficulty of having to fake everything and quickly wrote something on the back and showed it to Azula.
" Stay calm and act natural, my dearest. I promise I won't let them take you " Kazumi wrote as she gently put her hand on her shoulder.
Azula took a deep breath to reorganize herself, it has been awhile since she had last encountered the blind earthbender, she prided herself on being able to lie perfectly that not even the greatest of earth benders could see through her act, but now she doubts herself as Kazumi walked outside to invite the rest of the group in. The disguised princess watched as the Avatar, the dirt girl, the tracker and that water tribe wench and her brother enter her home.
She would not let them take this from her.
A few minutes later, they were all seated in the living room with the Avatar and his group glancing about the decorum of the house. Azula doing her best to remain calm and keep her poker face, she thanked Agni that her skills as a liar still remained despite having to experience a number of mental episodes. She didn't even bother to sit on a furniture, all she wanted was Kazumi's warmth beside her; a source of comfort in such a stressful situation.
" Your home is beautiful Kazumi, thank you for inviting us in " The Avatar said kindly as he sat on the couch.
" It is my pleasure " Kazumi had a fake smile of politeness on her face, as she turned over to Azula " Everyone, this is my daughter Shami "
If I speak, then they'll catch on that I'm not who they say I am. Gotta stay quiet as possible.
Azula thought to herself, her eyes particularly scanning at the sight of the blind earthbender. I'm a pretty good liar She had once lied with pride to the renowned earth bender and she needs to do so again. I am a four hundred foot platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings. She remembered so clearly.
'Shami' gently nodded to them all, not saying a word, she wanted to keep her lips tight knowing the implications if she ever speaks. The Gaang giving Kazumi strange looks as if they were suspicious of them already.
" Please excuse my daughter, she is incredibly shy around new people " Kazumi came up with an excuse " Shami, be a dear and bring out some tea for our guests "
Azula nodded and went to the kitchen quietly, her head hanging low to avoid any eye contact, content to leave Kazumi to handle their new guests.
" Your daughter seems...nice ?" Katara said out loud, unable to form an opinion on the younger girl.
" Oh please excuse her, she hasn't really had much time to get used to people. We're pretty isolated out here and rarely get visitors, so my daughter hasn't had much of a chance to interact with kids her own age " Kazumi explained away Azula's acting and silent nature.
" Why do you live all the way out here ? " Sokka asked, giving Kazumi a suspicious look " No offense, but from what Shin over here tells us and what we've seen this forest is hardly the kind of place you want to live in. So we're wondering why anyone would want to live out here...no offense "
" None taken and I suppose it is natural for you to be curious " Kazumi thought for a moment about what she should say and decided to tell part of the truth " Well, I guess you could say that my family has lived in this forest since it was first formed and have grown...attuned to the forest "
" Attuned to the forest ? What does that-" Katara's questioning was cut off when a disguised Azula returned with their tea, carrying a tray with teacups and the whole pot.
" Ah, right on time. Thank you dear " Kazumi thanked the girl as she placed the tray on the table in front of them " Please have some tea, you all must be thirsty from your long walk here "
" Thank you so much for your hospitality miss Kazumi " Katara thanked her as she reached out for one of the pre-filled cups. The others taking their own cups of tea too.
Azula did her best to keep her calm...but she hated being around every single last one of these people. Everything in her body telling her to attack and rip them to shreds. She hated this water tribe wench the most, the thief who had stolen her victory during the Comet. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that stupid smile off her face and give her a taste of the hell she went through because of her.
But she takes a deep breath, mustering the same composure of her former self, knowing that the blind earth bender hears everything that her body does even the tiniest change of the beat of your heart, she manages to stay her blade as Kazumi continues talking to the group.
" Hey kid, aren't you going to have some tea ?" Shin's sudden ask snapped Azula out of her stupor and she saw that he was staring at her " Sorry, I couldn't help but notice you hadn't even touched your tea...or talked a single word since we've been here for that matter "
Kazumi kept her calm but she was growing tired of the man's questioning, how can one be so nosy in regards to anyone's affairs? " She's just tired is all, no need to-"
" Kid, are you okay ?" Shin asked kindly, looking at Azula.
Her lack of response garnered some attention from the rest of their guests and she was put on the spot to say something. But she couldn't and Kazumi knows this.
The second she speaks, an all out fight is going to break out. She will have to kill to defend her home.
Kazumi watched with bated breath as to what Azula was going to-
"-Yes sir, I am feeling quite alright "
Azula broke the ice and finally spoke...but it wasn't her voice that came out of her mouth. It sounded different, higher pitched and...sounded like a much younger version of Kazumi's voice, much to the surprise of the younger woman.
" So you can speak, here I thought you were a mute " Toph said bluntly, her blind eyes was supposed to look at Azula, but she was staring at nothing but the walls of the house.
" I prefer not to speak when I have nothing to say to people " Azula let out the slightest bit of spite out of her tone, which seemed to confuse the Gaang more than anything. And especially not to any of you that had destroyed everything that was dear to me. Shin particularly was a bit embarrassed, perhaps realizing that he pressed more than he should knowing that they were welcomed as guests, not interrogators.
" You know, I can't help but ask Avatar but how did you find our little place of residence in the forest ? This little clearing is very well hidden in order to avoid, uninvited guests in the forest " Kazumi asked, giving her eyes shifting towards Aang, and Aang being the light hearted avatar that he is, did not even notice the intensity of the older woman's stare.
" Sorry about that, but I actually felt a strong surge of...concentrated energy in this part of the forest " Aang struggled to explain in detail " I sorta tapped into the spiritual energy permeating throughout the forest and felt a strong source of it here " He casually explained.
" Ah, I see...that explains it..." Kazumi thought about this new information, she had known that the avatars are well attuned to the spirit world but having to just sense it in a blink of an eye was eye opening. " Well, I don't know anything about that since my family built this house long before I was born so I had no idea this spot in the forest held so much energy "
Katara pressed forward to speak" Have you really not seen any girl...maybe around our age, black hair and golden eyes ?"
" Clearly crazy and wanting to murder everyone around her ? " Sokka added to which Azula felt offended and resisted to urge to just burn him where he sat, but she remained composed still, the small twitch of her brow showing her frustration.
Kazumi gave both Katara and Sokka a hard look which made them straighten up " No...I haven't encountered any girl like that...I believe I would recall meeting a girl with that description "
The Gaang collectively let out a sigh of defeat.
" Well miss, have you ever seen a...woman in this forest ? Pale-ish, long black hair and dressed in a white kimono ? " Shin describes " This woman may appear human but has the feel...of a terrifying monster behind her "
" A spirit, huh ? Now what would I know about those kinds of things " Kazumi seemed to feign ignorance " I have encountered spirits but none in the form you are speaking about...there are many spirits that dwell in this forest, some are good, some are evil...and some are just in the middle of it all and don't know what to do with themselves " Kazumi explained with a melancholic look on her face " This spirit lady you speak of-"
" We're calling her the Fire Lady " Shin added.
" Yes, Fire Lady...sounds like a malevolent spirit and one that should not be trifled with if you all know what is best for you all " Kazumi warned.
" Well, its a good thing we have the Avatar here " Sokka turned to Aang who gave a smile.
" We have reason to believe that the girl we're looking for has been taken by this spirit, so we need to look for her " Katara explained.
Kazumi and Azula shared a look, as Kazumi continued " I see...and will you be staying in the forest long or will you be departing soon ? "
" No, we plan on camping for a few days within the forest to try and find this Fire Lady and try to figure out who she is " Aang gave their plans away free of charge.
" Well, do please stay safe. This forest has many spirits that would drive most men insane " Kazumi warned " Watch your backs..."
The gaang looked both confused and unsettled by that subtle warning, but took it as nothing more.
" U-Um, thank you anyway Kazumi " Aang put his tea cup back on the tray" But we really should get going "
" Yes, perhaps that is best...goodbye Aang "
The Gaang filtered out of through the front door and the two women watched their group disappear into the treeline. Never taking their eyes off of them until they were completely gone and out of sight.
When they were out of sight and gone from their safe haven-
Azula collapsed to the floor, her legs unable to keep her standing up, Kazumi quickly holding and pulling her close into a hug.
" It is okay my dearest, we're safe now...we're safe..." Kazumi whispered as Azula's breathing turned from erratic to normal.
It wasn't over though. This was just the beginning.
An hour or so later, Azula was seated on the coach with Kazumi sitting next to her. Both of them unsure of what to say after that sudden visit.
It was Kazumi who decided to break the ice first.
" So Azula..." Kazumi started as Azula braced for the first question.
" How did you manage to change your voice back there ? " Kazumi's question caught her off guard which made Azula give her a strange look.
" Seriously ? That's your first question ?" Azula said surprised.
" Well, I am curious to know how you managed to change your voice to sound entirely different on the fly " Kazumi pushed the question.
Azula rolled her eyes but answered nonetheless " I'll admit that I sorta panicked when Shin called on me, but I managed to channel some spiritual power through the Mimic ability to my throat to alter my voice "
" I never taught you to do that " Kazumi said, sounding impressed.
" You didn't. But I had to come up with something or else we would have devolved into a full-on fight " Azula explained.
" Impressive..." Kazumi allowed herself to be proud of Azula for a minute before getting back on topic " Putting that aside for now...can you tell me why the Avatar himself is helping that tracker in looking for you ?"
Azula sucked in a breath as she tried to think of what to say. She had never technically lied to Kazumi about where she came from...but she had never told her the full truth.
She's not sure how she would even say it: Hey Kazumi, sorry I didn't tell you months before but I'm actually the Princess of this nation and my brother is the Fire Lord. Can you pass the miso soup ?
She can't even imagine how that would go, probably not well...
" I...Its complicated Kazumi..." Azula struggled to find the right words " My family has some connections and that's how I got the Avatar and his posse tracking me and-"
" Azula you don't need to answer if you don't want to " Kazumi interrupted surprising Azula " I understand if its a difficult subject to approach...but if its too painful to revisit than I will not push you. Even if I am curious a little bit "
Azula wasn't sure of what to say, how could Kazumi trust her so simply ?
Or maybe Kazumi just didn't care about her past. Perhaps that was for the best.
" Putting that aside for a moment, we still have some uninvited guests to deal with...think they'll give up the search if we just wait them out ? " Kazumi asked.
" Maybe. But knowing them, they'll probably come back and question us some more if they feel the need to and that up's the chance that they'll notice something's off. If they see us using our gifts, there's no way they won't figure out who I am eventually " Azula explained.
" I see..." Kazumi said as she stood up and paced around the room " So they won't leave until they have you...or at least found out what happened to you, correct ? "
" Essentially " Azula said carefully unsure of what Kazumi is thinking " The Avatar is a formidable opponent, the dirt girl is a master earthbender, the waterbender, her brother and the tracker shouldn't be too much to handle but it might be difficult if they have the Avatar backing them up "
The older woman was silent as she thought about what to do...and a dark idea came to mind.
One that would be spitting on every code in her family's tradition.
" Kazumi...what are you going to do ? "
The older woman gave Azula a hard look that reminded Azula of father briefly.
" Something...that breaks every rule in the book "
A few hours after leaving Kazumi's place and finding a good spot to set up camp. It was a good thing they had an experienced tracker like Shin in their group with them who had spent literal months getting a lay of the land and knew all the good spots to set up their camp, which some like Katara was genuinely appreciative about. So the Gaang spent their evening getting acquainted with the forest, and so far...things had seemed to be going well.
" So Kazumi seemed nice " Katara said as she finished cleaning up after dinner.
" Yeah, but there was something...off about her " Toph said out loud as she leaned back against a tree " I can't quite put my finger on it "
" Was she lying about anything ? " Sokka asked, glancing at the dirt girl.
" No, she wasn't lying as far as I could tell...but it was her breathing and heart rate that disturbed me " Toph said, sitting up straight.
" Her breathing and heart rate ?" Aang asked.
" Yeah, like when somebody lies, there's usually a change in heart rate and breathing. It becomes faster and more hitched, even experienced liars have a subtle change in the way their breathing and heart rate goes " Toph explained " But that lady...it was perfectly consistent throughout. No changes at all that I wasn't even totally sure whether she was lying or not " Toph groaned as she leaned back " It was like being around crazy blue when she lied. Perfectly consistent and could lie as easy as breathing "
" I agree with the girl. There was something off about that lady and her daughter...something unnatural about them, that almost seemed otherworldly " Shin gave his two cents.
" Well, we can't just keep going back and talking with Kazumi and her daughter " Aang cut in " We don't even have a real reason to assume that they might be lying aside from the possibility Toph's lie detection being off-"
" Hey ! My lie detection is perfect ! " Toph defended " Crazy blue is just the exception "
" Whatever the case may be, let's just stay the night in the forest and try to pick up some more clues in the morning " Katara suggested.
" Agreed. We'll need somebody to stand watch " Shin nodded his head in agreement " I'll take first watch, you kids can go to sleep first "
" You can talk to us like normal Shin " Katara said, a bit upset at being treated like a kid even if she was one.
" Sorry, never thought I would ever work with the Avatar and his team before now " Shin shrugged as poked at the fire with a stick.
" Its fine so uh Shin...how long have you been with the Yuyan Archers ?" Sokka tried to break the ice.
" 25 years. Never regretted a damn day of it. Got married to my wife when I was younger and-"
" Wait, you're married ? " Toph said in surprise.
" Is that such a huge surprise ? "
" Sorry, I just never expected you Fire Nation grunts to have lives outside of the military. I thought you guys were all ' Praise Agni ! Praise the Fire Nation !' and what have you " Toph said with a laugh.
" Contrary to popular belief, we all have a reason for fighting. Patriotism is just one of the few " Shin defended.
" So why did you join up with the military ? " Aang asked.
" To be frank ? Didn't really have many other prospects. I grew up in a backwater village, life there wasn't outright terrible, but there were few opportunities outside of being a farmer or laborer. I was a young kid with big hopes and dreams, but knew that the only way I was ever gonna get out of my village was through the military. So when the recruiter came to my village looking for some young poor saps to bring into the Yuyan Archers, I joined up " Shin let out a sigh of nostalgia " Spent the next 20 plus years doing my time, met my wife, got married and got a house...feels like I've lived a good life up till now "
" Do you ever think about retiring ? " Katara asked.
" Some days. I've served out of my years and I'm getting close to retirement age. My wife and I have been talking about having our own child but we've put it off since my job takes me out of the house for long periods of time " Shin said with a smile on his face " I'm luckier than most. I heard a lot stories about guys getting cheated on back home while they were on duty. Thank Agni my Mei is faithful to me "
" That sounds wonderful, I wish you and your wife the best " Katara said with a smile.
Shin smiled a little " Thanks kid...you know, you and your group ain't half bad than I imagi-"
Shin was cut off as he felt the hairs on his neck stand up straight, his instincts flaring up telling him that danger was close. He looked around and saw a fog suddenly roll in from the tall trees that surrounded him, a feeling of dread building up in his stomach.
" What the-" Sokka shouted as he grabbed his sword.
" Where did this fog come from ?! " Katara shouted as she got into stance, along with Aang and Toph.
" Stay close to each other ! She's here !" Shin took out his sword and scanned the trees.
" Who ?"
" The Fire Lady ! She's here !" Shin shouted as he shouted and the whole Gaang tensed up at the feeling of fear flooding the air.
Shin tried to scan the area around them but the fog was too damn thick that it was impossible to see anything. It seemed almost as if the fog was being controlled as it stayed at the edges of their little camp, encircling them and cutting off their ability to see anything beyond what the light from their camp fire illuminated, which wasn't very much.
" Toph can you hear anything ?"
" Yes, I can hear some movement over, what the-! " Toph was about to point in a specific direction when she sounded thrown off by something " Something's moving in the treeline ! I can't pin it down on where its coming from " Toph tried to focus her hearing, but there were too many sensitive sounds going off all around them combined with the heavy breathing of her own teammates for her to pick anything up.
" Shit..." Shin cursed.
" Aang can you try to dispel the fog ?" Katara suggested.
" Got it ! Just let-URK !" Aang was about to airbend, when an object flew from the fog and hit him square in the neck, causing the avatar to grasp his neck and fall to the ground in pain.
" AANG !" Katara was quick to go to Aang as he doubled over and collapsed to the ground fully.
" What's wrong with twinkletoes ? "Toph asked sounding concerned.
" I don't know he got hit by some kind of-" Katara was cut off when another object flew from the fog and hit Toph square in the back.
" Toph !" Sokka grabbed her before the earthbender could kiss the floor, seeing some kind of black dart imbedded into her back.
" They are not dead, they've just been knocked out by these darts. Stay together !" Katara said.
" Goddamnit, we need to leave ! Katara pick up Aang and Toph and let's get out of here !" Shin ordered, trying to take control of the situation.
" I'll help ! Let me just-WOOOOOAAAAHHH !" Sokka shouted as some kind of chain whip emerged from the darkness, wrapped around his leg and began dragging him into the fog " Help me !"
" Sokka !" Katara and Shin grabbed the water tribe boy by the arms as the chain that was wrapped around his leg kept trying to pull him into the darkness.
" Don't let go !"
" I won't ! Just hang on ! " Katara shouted by her eyes widened as more darts shot out from the fog, making both her and Shin jump away in reaction.
" HELP ME !" Sokka shouted as he was dragged into the fog.
" SOKKA NO !" Katara was about to run into the fog if he wasn't being stopped by Shin holding her back " Let me go ! We need to get my brother back !"
" We'll be killed if we go into that forest ! Get it together !" Shin shouted at her " Listen, we need to get Aang and Toph to safety and then-" Shin turned back to where their unconscious teammates were, only to see that they two had disappeared.
" Where the fuck did they go ? " Shin asked in a panic at their now two missing teammates.
" We were only turned around for a second and they are gone, what in the spirits is going in this forest ?! " Katara shouted in frustration.
" Many things, my dear girl, many things beyond your understanding are happening..."
A new voice cut into their silence and they both turned in horror to see a woman, dressed in a white kimono with the hood pulled up approach their camp.
Katara should have went straight for her waterskin, but she couldn't. She was paralyzed to do anything. Shin was in the same boat, unable to go for his weapon.
Why ? Why couldn't she move ?
It was like an overwhelming feeling of terror washed over, a bloodlust she had never felt directed at her...being face to face with this...monster was unlike anything she had ever faced before in her life.
" You know, I don't take kindly to visitors in my forest, they always end up causing some more unnecessary destruction in pursuit of their own selfish ideals..." The woman said, her voice laced with venom and ice.
Shin and Katara couldn't breath as she turned to them.
" Let me ask you this...am I pretty ? "
" Y-Yes..."
The monster edged her head to the side as she pulled down her hood...
Revealing her face of horror. Blood pouring out of her eyes, mouth and nose. Her skin pale white as the moon. Blood starting to drip onto her pure white kimono and staining it red.
" Am I still pretty...? "
" Oh my spirits..." Katara gasped.
" Yes, that is an appropriate response " The monster said before it disappeared from their sight-
" Right behind you "
Katara and Shin screamed as the monster reappeared behind them as if she vanished from existence itself. Shin was about to swing his sword when the monster quickly wrapped her hand around his throat and slammed him into the ground, knocking him out.
The monster then turned her, her blood red eyes shining in the darkness.
Katara backed away from this horrible monster who had taken all her friends, managing to wrestle the strength to send a few ice spikes at the head of the monster, but she easily dodged it by tilting her head to the side.
" Nice try..." The monster held out her hand and a powerful force suddenly pulled her over to her, it was so strong that Katara was taken off guard and couldn't even resist in time as the monster had wrapped her hands around her neck.
She tried to summon some more water, but the monster grabbed her waterskin and threw it off into the fog.
Katara couldn't breath as she was choked out...was this how she died ? Killed by a spirit in the middle of nowhere ?
She couldn't fight back or do anything as she felt her consciousness slip away. Forced to look into the blood red eyes of this...monster.
The last thing she heard were a few words.
" Sweet dreams...may you awaken to a fresh nightmare "
The monster's horrifying face was the last thing she saw.
Katara felt her consciousness stir at the smell of...burning ? Her nose scrunched up as she could smell something burning.
Her eyes snapped open and the first thing she saw was Aang's unconscious face laid down next to her's. She shot up from her sitting position and looked around her to see her friends sprawled out around her, still unconscious.
" Aang ! Aang wake up are you okay ? " Katara was quick to her feet and crawled over to Aang to shake him awake.
" K-Katara ? Ugh, what happened...?" Aang said sitting up " I remember getting hit by something and-" The airbender was cut off when a burning sensation invaded his nostrils, as they did Katara's.
" What's that...smell ? "
The two of them turned in front of them where the smell was coming from, to see a charred body with smoke coming off of it.
" Oh my-" Katara clamped a hand over her mouth " Is that..."
" Azula ? "
I am not sorry in the slightest for cliffhanging all of you. I have waited a long damn time to get to this arc and I am going to enjoy every minute of it.
To be frank, it took me a long time to figure out how this chapter and meeting between Kazumi and the group would play out. It honestly didn't turn out the way I expected it to, but I think this chapter works quite well.
Now let's answer some reviews shall we ?
To SmarmySmirk:
Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
:)
To Phoenix Fist:
Sorry if this chapter was disappointing to you ! But I hope the scene with the Gaang made it up at least.
To Lord 770:
Oh yes, I plan on fleshing out the dark spirits later but not quite in the way any of you will expect.
I apologize if this chapter wasn't quite what you were expecting in terms of a fight, but Kazumi prefers a more...subtle way of doing things.
To ltbutterfly 287:
Yeah, I'll be honest I'm sorta basing a lot of how Azula processes her emotions on myself or more accurately how I wish I could process my emotions. I won't deny that I self project a little in this story, but don't we all ?
Putting that aside, that is a fair complaint to make about the story...but I never said that how Azula was dealing with her problems was healthy or even a permanent solution. This was shown in some of the earlier chapters where she tried to ignore some of her hallucinations and it didn't work.
And the direction of this story will be changing very soon, I'm just sorry it has taken so long to get to this point because for more than half of this story, I was just improvising/making it up as I go along.
With that said, I will see you all in the next one.
Angel Out.
