The Last Airbender is not my creation, the people at the Nickelodeon Studios created it, but that will not stop me from making my own little episodes of excitement and romance.
The only thing I own is the plot on your screen. If you plan to take my ideas and put them into your own fanfic, claiming to be your own mind that thought them up, get a hobby. Plagiarism is wrong, don't do it!
The sun's rays peeked through the dark red curtains of the nursery, giving the four beings within the room a ghastly glow that matched the atmosphere that surrounded them. Zula stood a few paces in front of the curtained window, facing the Fire Lord, his wife, and the retired old General Iroh. A smile danced on the woman's pink lips as the small babe whined quietly in her thin arms.
"Put her down Zula, she did nothing to you," the Fire Lord ordered quietly as he took a small step forward. His hands were unconsciously fisted and his heart thumped fiercely within his heavily armored chest.
"Don't get any closer!" the woman roared and stepped back in short panic. "Don't make me do it sooner than I planned," she added threateningly when she felt the cold steel blade of her hidden dagger press against her side.
Zuko locked eyes with his frightened daughter and forced a smile, trying to calm the child from the short - but ever so long - distance between them. "Don't hurt her--"
"Or what?" she sneered and tightened her grip on her niece. "You'll kill me? …Please brother, do you actually believe I'm afraid of you?" No answer left the Lord and she smiled, she expected as much.
"Please put her down," Katara asked quietly.
Zula sent the waterbender a scowl before returning her gaze towards her brother. "I honestly don't know what you see in that stupid girl. I have seen much more beautiful women that actually belong to the Fire Nation." She held the young Princess in front of her, displaying her to the inhabitants of the room. "Look at this disgraceful excuse for an heir that she produced for you. It's absolutely disgus--"
"Shut up!" Zuko ordered with a growl. Curls of smoke emitted from his tightly fisted hands. "SHUT UP!"
"No!" Zula barked backed and flinched momentarily when Luna let out a brief scream. "I won't shut up, Zuko! I have wanted to do this for years and now I have the chance. I won't pass it up."
"MA!" the Princess whined loudly, reaching towards her mother.
Katara instinctively took a step forward, causing Zula to grab her knife.
"Get back!" she warned and swung the metal in the air.
The Lady froze in her tracks as she watched the knife intently. "Please--"
"Shut up!" the former Princess ordered and Katara followed instruction, saying nothing more.
Zula's golden eyes shone brightly with evil that Zuko never knew existed. And for the first time in his life, the Fire Lord was weak with fright. He nodded obediently and unclenched his hands, admitting defeat. His daughter was in danger and there was nothing he could do, except comply to his deranged sister's orders until she released the child.
"You have dishonored our family," she accused while pointing the sharp knife towards her brother. "You married this water wench and made this." She pointed at the babe with the weapon and smirked when she noticed Iroh close his eyes.
"And you, uncle? You agreed to this marriage and welcomed this--," Zula eyed Katara with brief repugnance before continuing, "--commoner to our home. The Fire Nation Palace, the place where Zuko and I grew up."
The tired General looked into his niece's golden eyes before retreating his gaze to the ground. How she's changed. She was no longer the sweet little girl that played Pai Cho with her old uncle in the afternoons. She had outgrown the whiny attitude that she sprouted whenever she went to etiquette lessons. The beautiful young preteen that once joked with her brother, no longer existed. Somewhere between Prince Zuko's banishment and the new Fire Lord crowning, Zula became a bitter woman whose mind dwelled in revenge. What a shame, he thought and closed his eyes when he heard a soft cry fill the air.
"Why are you here?" asked the Fire Lord, his voice weak and distant with distress.
"I'm glad you asked," she responded and held her knife upward, admiring its smooth silver blade. "You see, I'm here to fix everything." The Fire Lord's sister smiled as she lowered her stiletto and tucked it easily behind her belt, just in case.
Katara raised an eyebrow in curiosity and watched Zula take notice of the questioning eyes of all three royals.
"You heard me right, " she assured. "I'm here to fix everything." It was then that the merciless woman lifted the young Princess in the air, glaring hatefully at the waterbender. "This child is tainted with Water Tribe blood. She is unworthy of the Fire Nation throne."
"Ahhh!" Luna yelled in annoyance and waved her arms in the air. She didn't like the woman who was holding her and she wanted out. The young babe scanned the room and smiled when she saw her father standing a few feet from her. "Da?" she questioned and reached out towards him. He didn't move. "Da?" the Princess asked again, a hint of panic in her voice. He still didn't move. Tears began to run down her fair cheeks and her attempts to bring her father forth increased.
Zula laughed cruelly as she watched the young firebender cry for her dad. "Reminds you of someone, doesn't it?" she asked and lowered the child. "She's calling you Zuko, why won't you listen?" A smirk played on her lips and she knew that he was hurting.
The young man's heart dropped to his stomach as he continued to watch his daughter cry for him. "Stop," he pleaded and closed his eyes.
"You should enjoy your daughter's voice while you can," the female firebender warned. "Because after today, you won't ever hear her cry or laughter again. Today is the last day of existence for this little girl."
Salty droplets of water began to form behind the light blue eyes of the Water Tribe girl. "Oh," she breathed hopelessly and placed a hand over her beating heart. "Please, she's just a baby…" Her voice was soft and her cerulean eyes were bright with forming tears.
"She's just a baby," Zula mocked. "Wrong. She's the heir to the Fire Nation throne. She is a mutt. Our family has been soiled with Water Tribe blood. Princess Luna, daughter of the Fire Lord, is a disgrace to the Fire Nation."
"Zula," Iroh began with the calm voice of a wise man, "please consider the consequences to your actions. If you murder the child you will be apprehended and sentenced to death--"
"I don't care!" The lady's eyes were filled with an unspoken rage that frightened all within the room. "I am willing to sacrifice myself for my country. I am not afraid!" Angry tears ran down the girl's cheeks. "I am not afraid!" she repeated and snatched the knife from her belt, holding it against the Princess' bare throat.
Katara cried out as she watched her child being pressed against the insane woman with a sharp blade against her young skin. "My baby!" she exclaimed and reached out for the babe that she had given birth to not so long ago.
The Fire Lord stood helpless before his sister. He couldn't move.
General Iroh took a step forward in the midst of the momentary chaos and took hold of Katara's shaking hand. He squeezed it tenderly, the way a father would, and nodded softly at Zuko. Everything will be OK, he assured mentally and knew that his nephew understood. "My beloved niece," he stated and watched with slightly anxious eyes that Zula calmed, "do not do this. Put the child back in her crib and take a seat. We can have some tea…"
The woman raised her eyebrows at her elderly uncle before realizing what he was thinking. "You think I'm crazy," she snarled violently and stepped back.
Iroh simply shook his head and released Katara's hand when he lifted his own in defense. "I do not think this," he lied convincingly. "I simply want to converse with you. I haven't spoken to you in years--"
"Because I was banished!" she accused and shot an angry glare towards her brother, who was staring sadly at his daughter. "Zuko banished me and forced me to stay away from the place that I loved. My home was taken away from me! My throne! My HONOR!" Her voice was that of a maniac's, spine-chilling and loud.
The room fell deadly quiet.
"My own brother - my blood - placed me in permanent exile," Zula continued, her voice filled with a mixture of sadness and resentment. She shook her head and shifted the weight of the child, her arms were beginning to ache. "I will never forgive you for that."
Zuko furrowed his brow. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. When he was scarred, he was constantly taunted by her. On the day of his banishment, she smiled triumphantly at him from the port. She tried to capture the Avatar before him! And here she was, four years later, resenting him for things that could not possibly compare to the ill treatment that he received from her.
A significant gust of wind stirred the curtains behind Zula and Katara couldn't help but raise her eyebrows. She was sure that she had closed the windows when she set Luna down for her nap. She scanned the room discreetly and mistakenly gasped when she saw the figure of a boy standing behind Zuko.
Zula noticed the look on the Lady's face and scowled. "What's going on?" she asked suspiciously and turned her head, scanning the room for anything irregular.
The Fire Lord glanced over at his wife, giving her a questioning expression when her blue eyes met his golden ones. Whatever she was up to, he needed to know. Their daughter was in fatal danger and he couldn't risk Katara trying to save the Princess on her own.
"The Avatar," the waterbender mouthed quickly and returned to her previous position.
Zuko's eyes widened. He wasn't sure if having the Avatar present was a good thing. The boy could compel Zula to panic and murder the child without a second thought. His heart began to beat faster. No, she won't kill my daughter…
The woman returned her attention to the trio and raised her eyebrows at Zuko's nervous expression. Something was up. "Alright," she ordered, "tell me what's going on. Now."
Another breeze brushed the room's atmosphere and Zuko caught on to what the Avatar wanted to do. He wanted himself known. "The Avatar," the Fire Lord said, trying to cover the anxiety in his voice. He cast Katara a sidelong glance when he felt her burning gaze fall in him. He could almost hear her thoughts. What are you doing? Do you want your insane sister hurting our daughter?
Zula furrowed her eyebrows at her brother as she stood there with the child in her arms. "…What?" she asked at last, finding her voice through the bewilderment in her mind.
"The Avatar," Zuko repeated and watched his sister lower her knife in confusion.
"What about the Avatar?" the angry sister asked, her voice containing an utmost annoyance. She didn't have time for these barbaric riddles.
"He's here," Aang stated, casually walking past the royal family. He gave the Fire Lord a quick nod before stopping beside him.
Zula smiled viciously at the Avatar. "Well," she sung, "what a pleasant surprise. Are you here for the show?"
The Avatar took a step past Zuko, glowering. "There isn't going to be a show."
The woman continued smiling. "Oh Avatar," she began, "the show's already begun." She lifted her knife a small bit.
Katara panicked. "Stop Aang!" she yelled with the worried voice of a mother.
The teenage boy ignored her and took another step.
"You should probably listen to your lover over there," Zula mocked.
"I'm not afraid of you."
"I never asked you to be." The former Princess lifted the knife another smidgen and smirked. "But you should be afraid for the child."
Aang smiled. "She's brave."
"You are too confident for your own good."
Another step. "Maybe."
"Get back Avatar," Zula warned quietly.
"No," he answered harshly and took another step. "I won't let you hurt her."
She laughed. "Oh Gods, you sound just like Zuko."
The young Avatar fisted his hands and punched the air in front of Zula's legs, sending a strong current at them. He watched the silver blade leave the woman's hands when she tried to keep her balance. As soon as the 'cling' of metal hitting marble filled the air, Aang kicked the weapon aside and smiled victoriously. She was now unarmed.
The firebender growled in rage and stepped back against the window, tightening her grip on babe. "Stupid boy," she jeered. "Stupid stupid boy." She lit a fireball in her hand and neared it to the Princess' face. "Now you get to watch her burn to death." She glanced at Zuko momentarily. "Or maybe I can scar her and let her live with a marred face instead."
"Stop this Zula," came the angry voice of the Fire Lord.
"No!" The woman neared the blaze closer to the girl's face. "I'll do it Zuko, I swear I will…"
Princess Luna stared at the dancing orange flames with wide wondering eyes. A soft entertained smile filled her little young face as she watched the fire change from red to yellow to orange every millisecond. The warm element looked so smooth and soft. Oh, she wanted to touch it. She looked down at one of her hands and frowned disappointedly when she didn't have the colorful liquid dancing on her palm. She glanced up at the fire and then at Aang.
"Ire?" she asked with one small finger pointing at Zula's flame.
The Avatar raised an eyebrow at the baby's innocent curiosity. Didn't she realize that she was in danger of getting burned or even murdered by the flame that she so admires. He smiled gently at her and nodded. "Fire," he whispered and made a fireball of his own, realizing that the child was still a baby and had no clue what the word 'danger' was.
Zula stared at the Princess with slight amusement. "Smart kid, I'll give you that."
Luna looked up at the woman who held her and pointed at her mother. "Ma no ire!" she exclaimed strangely. She glanced at her father and furrowed her brow, trying to mimic the way he looks when angry. "Da ire." She pointed at her Grandfather Iroh. "Pa ire." The babe lifted her blue eyes towards Zula and smiled. "You ire." She pointed to herself. "I ire."
"Right…" Zula said dully. "Listen little girl, you are going to die."
Luna stopped smiling.
"Yeah, that's what I thought." The woman returned her attention towards Avatar and smirked. "What are you going to do now?
"He's not going to do anything," Katara said and splashed water on the flame that threatened to burn her child. Zula's hand hissed with the death of the fire as Katara lifted a large orb of water from a nearby flower vase. "You should've paid more attention to us," she taunted and neared the criminal.
The firebender panicked at she watched Katara and Aang getting closer to her. No! I won't let them get away with this! she yelled mentally and looked briefly around the room, holding the Princess tightly within her arms. She backed up against the window and watched Zuko smiling triumphantly at her from across the room. She growled. The window! she remembered and kicked the glass behind her with her metal boot, shattering it to a million of pieces.
Katara dropped her orb of water and the Avatar stepped back while Iroh began walking forward. The Fire Lord immediately ran after his sister, who had escaped onto the balcony. "Uncle! Katara! Call the guards!" he ordered and stepped onto the marble terrace to find Zula carefully climbing down the side of it with the young babe over her shoulder.
Zuko growled as he watched her near the end of the wall.
"G'bye dear brother!" Zula shouted and stepped onto the grass of the palace gardens. She waved at him with a fake sweetness and positioned the child more comfortably on her arms.
Zuko looked frantically for any oncoming guards. Nobody.
"Luna!" Katara yelled desperately as she ran into the balcony and saw the malicious woman running off with her child. She lifted a leg over the balcony railing with tears in her eyes. "My baby," she wailed when she felt an arm around her waist.
"No Katara. By the time you get down there, she'll be gone," the Fire Lord said.
"Let me go!" she demanded and slapped at his arms. "Luna! My Luna!" Hot tears ran down her face as her slaps weakened. "My baby! Let me go! I need to save her!"
Zuko turned his wife around and looked into her crying blue eyes. "Don't worry," he whispered, trying to appear calm and in control of things. But deep inside he was hurting and afraid. Deep inside he wanted to cry. "Calm down Katara…"
"My baby!" the waterbender cried and tried to push him away. She didn't want to hear this garbage. She needed to go after her baby. "Let me go, please…" Katara pressed her hands against Zuko's armored chest and cried when he wouldn't budge.
The Fire Lord brought his wife closer to him and hugged her.
Below, Zuko could hear the yells of angry men. The running of searching guards. The loud shouting of Sokka, who had somehow been informed of the happenings. He could hear the rustling of leaves as strong feet trampled them.
"My baby," Katara cried quietly against the metal of her husband's armor. "Our baby."
"She'll be OK…" the young husband assured and hoped that he was right.
A/N- Most likely, in the real series, Katara will know that Zuko has a sister and that it's Zula. But just pretend that she didn't have a clue here, OK? Thanks!
PLEASE REVIEW!
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I'll leave you with something "funny" that happend to me. I was writing this chapter and without thinking I wrote the following. Yeah, that's how tired I was...
Blooper
Zuko: Luna's a firebender.
Zula: Really?
Zuko: Yep.
Zula: (holds up Luna) Wow, she looks nothing like one.
Aang: (snatches Luna and stares at Zula) Are you new at the whole taking-someone-hostage thing?
Zula: (stares at her empty hands) Shit! I did it again…
Iroh: (whispering to Zuko) A.D.D.
Zuko: Yeah, I know.
I'm serious, I actually wrote that in earlier and cracked up when I saw what I did. I had to delete that whole part and start over. Grr.