The sound of the horn made him frown, and the small, glittering flame in front of him blinked and flickered when his concentration wavered. A deep groan left his throat, and he extinguished the candle before standing up, turning to leave the room.
The Head Sage had been startled by the sound, and his unease only increased when he saw the Fire Lord had left the meditation chamber at haste. Ozai's eyes blazed fiercely, and he glared at the Sage as though the horn's noise were his responsibility. Ozai didn't know it, but perhaps it really was.
"T-the alarm, my lord…" mumbled the Head Sage nervously, as though he thought Ozai didn't understand what the sound meant.
"I heard it as well, Sage, I'm not deaf," he grunted. "The Capital is in danger. You know your cues. The city must be vacated at once. This is no drill: go immediately."
"Yes, my lord!" said the Sage, bowing and nodding before heading off to find the rest of the sages. They would hide in the catacombs underneath the Capital, where the noblemen hid during emergencies until the army had cleared the city away from whatever might be threatening it. Most soldiers would deal with the threat above ground, while others aided the noblemen escape, and they also protected the tunnels from the inside.
Ozai turned to find his own way down towards the catacombs. He was the most important person in the Fire Nation, his safety was the main priority and he was well aware of it. His curiosity wanted to get the better of him, though. What had happened? What was this emergency about? He wished to know, but he knew better than to put his life at risk to find out right away.
His Imperial Guards waited on the hallway, and they were eager to lead the Fire Lord to the catacombs. Ozai allowed them to escort him, but not before questioning them about what peril the Fire Nation was facing this time around.
"It seems to have been a break-out of some sort, my Lord," replied one of the guards. "The alarm came from the Prison Tower, or so it seemed. We do not know what makes the situation so dangerous, though."
"A break-out?" asked Ozai, frowning. "Which prisoners could have escaped from the Prison Tower?"
"Do not worry, my Lord," said another guard, as they opened a gate of the Temple using their firebending. The door slid out of the way to welcome the procession into a dark tunnel that spiraled down into the catacombs. "We will keep you safe. The army will take care of the escapees."
Ozai questioned that. He didn't mistrust his men… what he mistrusted was the need to sound the alarm horn if the army could take care of this matter without much ado. If there was truly no danger, they would have captured the escaped prisoners by now and there would have been no need to evacuate the city…
But he didn't speak his thoughts aloud. He was being needlessly paranoid, clearly. He would be safe, and his noblemen would be, too. Drills were performed on a yearly basis, and no resident of the Capital should be unaware as to where they could find entrances into the catacombs. The army would subdue these criminals without much effort; not in vain had the Fire Nation's soldiers been triumphant for a hundred years of war. There was nothing for him to worry about.
People appeared and disappeared on the streets, and Sokka didn't know where they were going in such a rush. He tried tailing a few of them, but they vanished before he could reach them, and he never figured out where they had gone. Had they taken a turn at another corner, maybe? Or were they hiding in the nearby houses? They wouldn't talk to him either: he almost managed to stop two of them but they were so desperate to get away that they wouldn't stop to explain anything to a complete stranger. To get away from what, though? The question still bothered Sokka, and with every passing moment it bothered him more.
He stood in the middle of the city's roads, still wondering what on earth was happening, when a man ran past him.
"Wait! Hey, pal, stop!" he yelled, but he was ignored yet again.
Sokka chased after him into another street, but this time he managed to catch sight of the man, who was jumping through a trapdoor into what could only be an underground tunnel. Sokka tried to reach the tunnel, but someone else shut the door from within before Sokka could reach it, someone who seemed to be clad in crimson clothing; in all likelihood, it was a soldier.
"Hey! HEY!" he yelled, pounding at the closed door. "Open up! What's going on?! Where did you people go to?!"
But there were no answers to his questions. Sokka gritted his teeth and tried to force open the trapdoor, but it was perfectly sealed and he had no idea how to get the people below to open it. Maybe he could only open this trapdoor from the outside through firebending. Given the strange pattern and carvings on it, there was a chance that was the case. Sokka gritted his teeth and walked away, his anxiety increasing. The city was growing emptier, and Sokka was losing his hope of figuring out what was happening. But chances were he might discover something if he went to the Palace…
He had left the house without letting Song know where he was going. Whatever was happening, there was a chance Azula would understand it much better than he did, but he doubted asking her about it would be a good idea. Azula was badly sick, and telling her that there was trouble in her hometown surely wouldn't help her feel any better. Knowing her, she was bound to run off to sort everything out on her own. Sokka could only hope she hadn't heard the horn herself: she shouldn't have to worry about anything while she was dealing with that cold. He would find out what was happening, and… and what came afterwards was still a mystery. First of all, he had to find out what that horn meant.
Sokka wondered for a moment if perhaps heading to Ty Lee's place might be some use, but he decided against it quickly. If most people were hiding already, chances were she would have left by now as well. Could she have snuck through those firebending-powered doors? Chances were the soldiers within had opened it for her. Sokka shook his head. He couldn't bet his luck on her still being above ground. The safest destination would have to be the Palace. There had to be a guard of some sort there, a soldier, someone who would be willing to tell him what was going on…
To his relief, the Palace actually seemed crowded. He sighed in relief and raced towards the gates, hoping to run into one of Azula's guards, since they would know him immediately. He sped up when he caught sight of a group of men in Royal Guards' robes, panting when he finally reached them.
"Hey… HEY!" he yelled, and for once he wasn't ignored.
Not only were these Azula's guards, but the Captain himself was amongst them. They turned towards him, but the Captain was the only one who spoke.
"You… Gladiator!" yelled Rui Shi, speeding towards him as well.
"Captain!" said Sokka, upon recognizing him. "Thank goodness, finally someone with a smidge of common sense! What on earth is…?
"Where is she?! Is she with you?! Where is the Princess, Sokka?!" asked the Captain, grabbing Sokka by the shoulders when he reached him.
Sokka's eyes snapped wide open at the man's demanding questions. He couldn't see his face, masked as he always was, but the Captain was clearly more shaken than Sokka had ever seen him before.
"Tell me! Is she with you?!" the man demanded, before Sokka could react to his questions.
"Y-yeah! She's at my place!" said Sokka, nodding and hoping his response would soothe the Captain. "Are you alright, Captain?"
The Captain let go of Sokka, his hands trembling. He was silent for a moment, as though he didn't know what to make of this new information. A hand on his forehead, his body hunched over, he didn't seem to care for answering Sokka's question at the moment.
"What's the matter, Captain?" asked Sokka. "Why are you so desperate to know…?"
"She should be here," muttered the Captain, shaking his head. "She needs to take cover immediately. But… but your home is too far away, bringing her here now might just worsen everything…"
"She's sick, Captain," muttered Sokka, frowning. "I planned to bring her to the Palace once the rain stopped, but then I heard that sound… what's going on? Why do you need her to take cover?"
"I…" said the Captain, sighing and looking over his shoulder nervously, studying the circumstances in the Palace with his gaze. He turned towards Sokka again. "You said she's sick? What sort of sickness?"
"It's a cold, but a very nasty one from what I could gather," said Sokka. "She has a bad fever, she can't bend and she can barely move on her own because of how bad she feels. She tried to beat me to a pulp and she couldn't do it: reach your own conclusions."
"It's bad, then," said the Captain, frowning under his mask. "Really bad. If she can barely move then all the more reason she shouldn't be brought to the Palace…"
"Song is looking after her; she's a healer, she can take care of Azula while…" said Sokka before stopping on his tracks. "While what, really? What's going on? Isn't it about time you explain? I came here to find out what that horn was, and why people are disappearing from the city. Where is everyone going? And why, Captain?"
The Captain sighed, as though explaining matters to Sokka were taking up more time than he had to spare. Yet it would be best if he knew what was happening. If the situation was as troublesome as it seemed, there was no point in keeping him from the truth, especially knowing just how prone the gladiator was to making a mess of things.
"There has been a break-out. I don't know who escaped from the Prison Tower, but that's where the alarm came from, so it can't be anything else," muttered the Captain. "The horn signals for an immediate lockdown of the city, which means that all the city's residents are to hide in the catacombs below ground for their own protection. If they called for a lockdown, it must mean the escapees aren't aware of the Capital's means of defense, much like you weren't. To sneak into the catacombs amongst the rest of the city, they would need to either tap the proper code into the trapdoors so that the soldier watching the gate from within opens it, or they must be able to firebend to open it. But if this defense mechanism was activated, chances are the escapees aren't capable of doing either thing… so the criminals are still at large, but it shouldn't be too long before we find them. They couldn't have gotten too far just yet."
"But you don't know who these escaped prisoners are, and you don't know where they are," muttered Sokka, frowning. "Sounds like things are going really well, huh?"
"Y-you… don't ridicule us," grunted the Captain. "This is an emergency, there's no time for witty comments like those! The Princess… will she truly be safe at your house? Can you protect her?"
"Well… yeah, I think I can," said Sokka, startled by the Captain's request.
"You already did it once before," said the Captain, earnestly. "You saved her life in that forest, you can do it again. I hate having to ask this of you, but we're left with no other choice. Promise me you'll keep her safe, especially now that she's as helpless as she is."
"Y-yeah… I promise," said Sokka, nodding. "But then… shouldn't we go underground as well?"
"I don't know the code for the trapdoor in your area," muttered the Captain. "I would help you enter the catacombs, but the code varies on every street. And if she can't bend, she can't open the gate. You'll… you'll have to stay above ground. It's a dangerous gamble, but it's the only thing we can do. If the Princess's health is as frail as you say, it would be best for her to stay where she is. Make sure she doesn't leave. And try not to tell her about what's happening until she's feeling better. She is having a hard enough time as it is: hearing about the situation…"
"Won't help her, I know," finished Sokka, nodding. "I thought the same thing. I'll get on with it, then. Catch those guys, Captain. I'll keep her safe, you do your job as a soldier!"
The Captain wanted to point out that his actual job was protecting Azula specifically, but he decided against it. Rambling on would get them nowhere.
"Go now, then. Protect her, Sokka. Keep the Princess safe," the Captain almost begged him, and Sokka nodded with determination.
"I will. See you when this disaster is over!" Sokka said, turning on his heels and starting back towards his house.
The Captain watched him run, wishing he didn't have such a bad feeling about all this. It wasn't that he didn't trust Sokka, or that he was aghast to hear that the Princess had fallen sick when they were in the midst of this catastrophe: it was that he had no idea of what said catastrophe really was about. There was no information at all; they didn't know who the enemy was or why they were such a dangerous foe that evacuating the city was necessary to capture them.
Ignorance definitely wasn't bliss, not when you understood just how ignorant you truly were.
Sitting silently within his safe chamber underground, Ozai was sipping tea calmly when a man stormed into the room, unannounced. Ozai raised his eyes to find Captain Kuo panting heavily, looking disheveled and desperate. The Fire Lord's eyebrows contracted slowly as he regarded the man before him coldly.
"I was told you were the one who knows what's happening, Captain Kuo. Are you the one to blame for this sudden emergency, even…?"
"My Lord, I tried to reach you earlier…"
"This better not be an overreaction, Captain," grunted Ozai, glaring at him. "If you have sent my entire city underground for no reason…"
"My Lord, on the contrary, this is an emergency. The worst the Capital has faced up until now, as far as I know," said Kuo, gasping for breath as he approached Ozai, several soldiers following him into the chamber. "Last night I caught a group of men in the middle of illegal business, my Lord… and they were members of that White Lotus organization."
Ozai's arrogant calm façade disappeared as soon as he heard the last sentence. The cup he had been holding fell to the ground, cracking and spilling its remaining content.
"The White…? Why wasn't I informed of this immediately, Captain Kuo?!" exclaimed Ozai, angrily.
"I tried to let you know today, once they had been secured in jail, my Lord!" replied Kuo. "I sought you out, but you were meditating and the Head Sage would not let me through to you!"
"You pathetic fool!" said Ozai, shaking his head and standing up, stomping as he paced before his seat. "You should have come to me regardless! Do you truly believe my meditation session was more important than this terrorist threat?!"
"I knew it wasn't, but…!"
"You are trained in martial combat, Captain Kuo! Do you intend to say you could not subdue a Sage who can only perform ceremonial firebending if you understood you had to inform me of what happened?!"
"It… it was only… I apologize, my Lord, but…"
"You fool, you… Where are they?! How did they escape?! How did you allow this to happen?! Secured in jail, you said?! How could they be secured and yet get away?!"
"My Lord… it was not my fault, my Lord!" exclaimed Kuo. "If you are to unleash your anger at someone, it should be at Warden Poon! The criminals were in his custody when this disaster began!"
"I will unleash my anger on whomever I see fit, Captain Kuo, and the more you speak, the more I'm willing to do so upon you!" shouted Ozai. "Get out of my sight! Find them, seize them, secure them at once! Don't show your face before me again until you have brought my city to safety, you worthless fool! Go now!"
"Y-yes, my Lord…" muttered Kuo, gulping and bowing down before Ozai.
"Send out all our available military forces" grunted Ozai, looking at the leader of his Imperial Guards. "Every single house in this city will be searched thoroughly until these White Lotus scum are found! Close down the port, don't even think about letting them get away or I'll have your head instead of theirs! Get on with it immediately!"
"Yes, my Lord," said the Guard, performing a quick salute towards Ozai and leaving the room to convey the Fire Lord's orders.
Ozai's frown was almost heavy enough for his eyes to be hidden under his eyebrows. His amber eyes burned with the fire in his heart, a fire fueled by hatred and rage. He would burn the world to the ground if it was needed, but he would annihilate the Order of the White Lotus one day. They had been a threat to his father, who had underestimated them and believed they could do him no harm… but Ozai always knew they would come back to haunt the Fire Nation one day. They had always sat in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to attack. Was this it? Would the White Lotus triumph today? No, he wouldn't allow it. His men would win. They would trample over every single one of those traitors and rebels, so that all those miserable fugitives would regret having dared defy Fire Lord Ozai's rule.
Azula took her seat again on the couch, her head still heavy, as though an invisible weight had been strapped to it. Despite the pain, she actually felt better than before. The bath had helped, no matter how uncomfortable it had been. It wasn't as though Azula had never been aided in baths, if anything she should be used to having servants help her through it, but Song wasn't a Palace servant: the girl had been ridiculously nervous, so much that Azula feared she'd be no help at all. Nevertheless, she had managed to overcome her awkwardness eventually, and she had assisted the Princess as promised.
Song had helped her sit down, and she stood next to Azula, struggling to figure out what to do next. It was very strange to see the Princess of the Fire Nation in such humble outfit: surely Sokka would find it just as strange as she did. And speaking of which…
"Where did he go?" muttered Song, looking around herself. "Sokka? Sokka?"
She called out through the house several times until she realized her voice wasn't helping Azula. The Princess winced at her loudness, and Song made an apologetic grimace.
"I'm so sorry! I'll go look for him, I'll be quiet now…" she said, leaving Azula to herself as she walked through the house, trying to find the gladiator.
Sokka's absence made Azula frown. Where did he go? To take a nap? He said he would be here, didn't he…? Oh, she was acting like a fool. As if she needed him.
But the thought of Sokka having disappeared actually bothered her more than she cared to admit. Thinking about everything he had done lately made her head hurt even more. That kiss, how worried he had been while they were fighting, the way he had let her rest on his lap and then caressed her face… No, she shouldn't think about it, truly. It wasn't a good time to lose herself in the useless feelings that slave would awaken within her.
Yet there was one thing she couldn't keep out of her mind: how had her lightning failed to reach him? Why? Her eyesight had been quite blurry by the time she finished bending her attack, yet she thought she had seen him catch the electric blast with his sword… how had he done that? She didn't recall ever having heard of such thing. But then again, she never had heard of someone being bold enough to fight against lightning with a sword. Who knew if someone else had succeeded in doing that before? As soon as she felt better, she would force Sokka to try that again. She needed to understand what the nature of such a strange phenomenon was.
"Well… I have no idea where he went. He's not in the house, it seems," said Song, climbing down the stairs again and standing by Azula on the couch. "I think he wanted to take you to the Palace now, the rain has stopped at last… but I could make something for you to eat before you go back, it might help you feel better. Would that be okay?"
Azula blinked a few times before nodding weakly, resting against the back of the couch.
"If it'll help…" she mumbled.
"I'll get on it right away, then. But first…" said Song. She touched Azula's forehead with a hand carefully, and she smiled enthusiastically at Azula. "I think your temperature isn't as high as it was before. You're getting better, Princess. You'll be on your feet right away, you'll see."
"Huh…" was Azula's response, and Song put her hand away.
"I'll go get the food done, then," said the girl. "Rest for now, Princess. I'm sure Sokka will be back in a bit, and I'll punch him for you for disappearing just like that."
"So what if he disappeared…?" grunted Azula. "We're all better off without him…"
Song smiled and nodded, although she could tell the Princess didn't mean her words. Maybe it was because of her condition, but Azula wasn't as intimidating today as she always was. Song walked away, but not before sneaking one last glance at the Princess. She was looking at the couch with a frown on her face, but her hand was where Sokka had been sitting before, when the Princess had rested atop his lap. Better off without him? Song couldn't hold back a smirk as she headed into the kitchen. Perhaps Sokka wasn't the only one who was a little in love after all.
Azula sighed and closed her eyes, hoping that sleeping would help her feel better. Yet instead of losing herself to a careless slumber, images began flashing in her mind. It took her a moment to realize it was the Fire Nation Capital, seen from above… it was Xin Long who was looking at it, and he was sending what he was seeing. Azula frowned when she saw the empty streets and the Palace swarming with soldiers. What was going on…?
Xin Long let her know he had heard a strange noise not too long ago. Azula's frown deepened and she sat up straight on the couch as Xin Long repeated the sound in his mind so that she could hear it.
Her hands balled into fists: it was the alarm for evacuation, the sound that instructed the Capital's people to hide within the catacombs under the city. It wasn't the first time she had heard the alarm, drills were performed often so that the Capital's residents knew what to do in case of emergency… yet there had been no notice of a drill this time. This time the alarm was ringing for real.
"What's…? Xin, what can you see…?" she muttered, her headache intensifying as she stood up brusquely. "There… there has to be a reason why… Xin, tell me… is there an attack?"
The dragon looked over the city and moved towards the port afterwards, guessing an attack would be prone to come from there. Soldiers were lining the docks, and it seemed as though no ships would be allowed to leave, yet if there was an attack, it wasn't coming from the seas.
"Then why…?" grunted Azula, confused. "No… never mind. Watching won't help, Xin… Come back. Come get me now."
The dragon seemed surprised by her strange behavior. He could sense her illness, even though he wasn't affected directly by it. Was it a good idea to lift her into the skies while she was feeling unwell?
"Just do as I say, damn it…" Azula grunted, limping on her way towards the yard.
Xin Long wasn't too pleased by her last message, but he obeyed her nonetheless. He turned around in midair and headed back to Sokka's house. Azula stood on the yard, waiting for him, and she glanced back at the house for an instant. Surely Song would lose it if Azula disappeared all of sudden too… but it couldn't be avoided. The safety of her nation was her priority, it always would be. Song would have to deal with her disappearance, all the same as she had dealt with Sokka's.
The dragon descended on the grass after a short while, and Azula greeted him with a sharp nod. She approached him firmly, even though she was still in pain. Climbing atop him wasn't easy, but Xin Long helped her by leaning down so that she wouldn't need to push herself onto the saddle too brusquely.
"Let's go, Xin," said Azula, taking the reins in her hands and patting the dragon's neck, as always. Xin Long waited for her to inform him of their destination before blasting off into the sky swiftly. "To the Palace."
"Princess…" said Song, walking out to the living room again only brief moments after the dragon was gone. "Would soup be to your liking? I can make you chicken noodle soup if you…"
She stopped on her tracks when she realized she wasn't talking to anyone. She gazed about herself, worrying instantly. Azula was in no fit state to wander around on her own, where was she…?
"Princess? Princess!" she called out, much like she had called Sokka previously. Why was everyone disappearing so suddenly today?
But Sokka's disappearance was definitely less worrisome than Azula's. Song looked through the entire house just to return to the living room, empty-handed and aghast. What was happening? Where had she gone? And just how mad Sokka would be at her when he found out Azula had escaped while under her watch…?
Captain Rui Shi was surprised when Captain Kuo appeared on the Palace's premises at dusk, looking shaken and troubled. The soldiers nearby flocked towards him: word had it that he had been the one to set off the alarm in the first place.
"Captain Kuo," said the Captain of Azula's Royal Guards, bowing his head curtly towards him. "What are the Fire Lord's orders? What are we to do?"
"Find them, that's what," said Kuo, grimacing.
"How?" asked a soldier. "These men could be anywhere right now!"
"The Fire Lord wants every house in the Capital searched," replied Kuo. "I believe the General of his Imperial Guard has already begun with that. Yet I… I don't know…"
"Who are we trying to find anyways?" asked a guard, crossing his arms. "We don't even know who our target is!"
"Three members of that White Lotus Group" said Kuo, sighing. "One is an old man, with a large beard. The others are younger, tall, dark haired… they have Earth Kingdom looks to them, both…"
"They escaped the prison, then? An old man and two others?" asked Captain Rui Shi. "How?"
"Poon was fooled by some men posing as my own. He let them take these criminals, he thought they would bring them before the Fire Lord…" said Kuo, shaking his head.
"They couldn't have gotten away yet, could they?" asked the guard. "Are you certain they're still in the city…?"
"They must be," said Kuo, looking desperate. "If not, then we're doomed…"
"Who are these White Lotus men anyways?" asked another guard, but Kuo didn't reply.
"Get ready to defend the Palace in case there are more of these White Lotus scum than I thought at first," commanded Kuo. "Who knows what might happen if they decide to attack the Fire Nation instead of escaping it…"
"A… an actual attack to the Fire Nation Capital?" asked the first soldier. "Is that even…?"
"Possible? We'll find out today," muttered Kuo. "Spread out! We will defend this city with our lives!"
The men were about to obey him immediately, but Captain Rui Shi raised a hand to stop them.
"Wait a moment. You said they were released from prison because Poon was tricked, didn't you, Kuo?" repeated Rui Shi. "He thought your men had come to drag the criminals to the Fire Lord…"
"Yes, but my men were resting, we spent the night dealing with these White Lotus scum…"
"Of course," said Rui Shi, frowning. "But if Poon was tricked into believing it was them…"
It was Kuo's turn to frown as Rui Shi's stomach sank. The Captain of the Royal Guards looked at his fellow soldier, dread written all over his concealed features.
"Kuo, they were impersonating your men. They were pretending to be soldiers… they might still be doing so."
Kuo's eyes widened as he stared at Rui Shi in shock. The rest of the guards seemed to be as shocked as he was.
"Y-you mean…"
"They're amongst us. The White Lotus men, the ones you caught and whoever is helping them, Kuo…!"
"Amongst us?!" said another of the guards, looking panicked. "B-but then…"
It could have been comical for the guards to glare at each other in suspicion, but when a block of earth flew at Rui Shi, their fears were proved right. There was nothing amusing about the situation anymore.
The soldier, the first to intervene in the conversation between the captains, had been the one to earthbend at them. There were earthbenders in the army nowadays, but not amongst the soldiers who served at the Capital. And thus he had panicked, fearing the other soldiers would realize he was one of the men they were after.
Rui Shi struck the patch of earth with a fist, but the blow still managed to knock him off balance. He fell to the ground while the others stared at the soldier they had thought was their ally, horrified.
"You're the one that got away last night!" shouted Kuo, recognizing the infiltrate's fighting skills. "Seize him! He's not one of us! We must capture him immediately!"
The earthbender clad in soldier's clothing fled, followed closely by men who flung fire at him in an attempt to stop him. Rui Shi got to his feet again, but they had disappeared before he could help the others give chase to the rebel. He turned towards the Palace, the feeling of dread making his stomach sink. If this was as bad as it looked, the army might be destroyed from within, by a handful of people he didn't know anything about. How had they developed such an effective plan? Where had they obtained uniforms to impersonate soldiers? How many White Lotus infiltrates were there? What was their ultimate goal?
There were too many questions, and not enough answers. The only thing he knew for certain right now was that the White Lotus had turned the Fire Nation against itself: they couldn't even trust their own men anymore.
The city was completely empty by the time Sokka was hiking his way back to his house. He looked around himself warily from time to time, wondering if perhaps he might run into the men who had escaped from prison. He saw no one, though. The skies were darkening, and it was still rather cloudy. There was nobody to light up the lanterns in the streets, the Capital was being enveloped by darkness… did they really think they would find those criminals after nightfall in these conditions? It seemed rather unlikely to Sokka that they would.
Yet, what purpose did it serve to get out of prison if you didn't know what your next step would be? He had considered fleeing from Hui Yi back in the day, but even if he had been able to make it past the barrack's guards and slipped out of the town, what next? Where was he supposed to go, and how was he going to get there? Those thoughts had never failed to hold him back. So these men were either too stupid to think ahead, or they actually had a plan to escape from the Capital… but Sokka had no clue what the nature of such a plan might be. He didn't know any ways out of the city other than through the port, and if the authorities were competent enough, they would have blocked it already to keep the rebels from escaping. So how…?
The questions scrolled through his mind as he finally reached his house. He frowned as he made his way to the front door, wondering what to do about Azula now. She really shouldn't hear about the situation yet, it wouldn't help her recover, but she surely wouldn't forgive him if he kept the truth from her for her own protection. Sokka sighed and shook his head. Why did everything have to be so difficult when it came to Azula? Perhaps he was making too much of this matter, though. Maybe she would be sleeping placidly by now, and he wouldn't have to inform her of anything until she woke up.
Hoping to find her dozing off on the couch, Sokka opened the door and entered the house carefully. He slipped inside the dim living room, where Song had lit some candles. At least, he guessed it had been her. Azula shouldn't have been using her powers to light anything up: if she had he would scold her, no matter how ridiculous it might seem for a slave to tell off his master. Bending would only worsen her condition, that was the only thing he knew for certain about her cold.
Yet he didn't find Azula in the living room. Was she in the kitchen, perhaps? Or maybe Song had let her sleep in her room… or even his? The idea made him gulp. Azula sleeping on his bed…?
His delusions were interrupted when he heard a gasp from the kitchen. He turned to find Song looking at him in horror, as though she hadn't wanted to see him. The look of distress on her face made him forget his previous thoughts completely.
"Song? What's the matter?" he asked. "Is everything alright?"
"S-Sokka, you're home…" she said, a hand going to her mouth as she looked at the floor nervously.
"Yeah, is it such a bad thing?" asked Sokka, confused. "What's wrong with you? Is… is she okay, Song? Did something happen to her? Is she worse, or…?"
The look of desolation on Song's face made Sokka fear the worst. The blood drained from his face as he stared at her in disbelief. It was just a cold, there was no way a cold could knock Azula down like that. It was impossible that she would be rendered completely helpless against one, or that Song wouldn't know how to treat her…
"Song, what happened?" he asked, his voice grave. He couldn't jump to conclusions just yet. She needed to explain herself first. "What happened to her? Song…"
"I'm sorry, Sokka, I…" she muttered. "She was there, on the couch, but then I left to see what meal I should make for her and when I came back…"
"S-she was… gone?" Sokka finished, his eyes wide as plates.
"I'm sorry…" said Song, on the verge of tears.
But Sokka truly wasn't mad at her. He shook his head in disbelief, his hands balling into fists. That girl… indeed, nothing could ever be easy when it came to her. He had already thought so enough times today, but this was much worse than anything he had prepared for. Hell knew where she had gone to, or how she planned on getting there, especially in her condition. Well… at the very least he didn't have to worry anymore about either telling Azula about what was happening in the city or keeping the truth from her. She was certain to find out through her own means soon enough.
Azula gripped Xin Long's reins firmly, the wind buffeting her face as she urged the dragon to move faster. Deep down she knew she was being rather reckless by what she was doing… but her common sense was overwhelmed by her urge to discover what was happening to her nation. She needed to know: she needed to ensure the Capital's safety.
The city was too dark for her to see anything from above, though. She gritted her teeth and shook her head, guiding Xin Long towards the silhouettes of the Palace's tall towers. She could barely make out shadows moving in the garden until some of them unleashed fire blasts that lit the grounds long enough for her to see there was a battle below. Azula frowned, trying to figure out the situation. The garden's soil looked uneven, which betrayed the unequivocal proof of the presence of earthbenders. More fire blasts were shot, but they were extinguished through means Azula couldn't discern from high above. Water? Were there waterbenders in the Palace as well?
Nothing about the situation boded well for the Fire Nation. How had their enemies penetrated their defenses to this extent? Azula didn't know… but her mind was set on ridding her home from these invaders. Whoever they were, they would regret challenging the Fire Nation as they had.
Xin Long's descent upon the Palace grounds was as gentle as possible. He landed on an area at the back of the Palace, which seemed clear from battles, for the Princess's sake. The dragon knew Azula was in no fit state to jump head-first into any fights, even if that was what she wished to do. He could sense there was pain coming from her, and he wanted to keep her from feeling any worse than she already did. Fighting could only aggravate her illness.
Still, Azula didn't seem to care much for appeasing her head's throbbing. She climbed off Xin Long's saddle with difficulty, stumbling as she stood on solid grounds with bare feet. Xin Long groaned at her, and Azula patted his neck a few times, trying to convince him that she would be fine.
"Stay here, Xin. I'll be back… just stay, okay? Don't go into the Palace… and don't try to scorch anyone unless they attack you. Whatever's going on… I'll go figure it out and I'll let you know what to do about it. Got it?"
Xin Long didn't seem too pleased by her command, but he lacked the means to contradict her wishes. He watched her as she made her way towards the Palace, and he was unable to keep his unease at bay. She was in no fit state to do anything right now… not by herself. She needed help, but he couldn't enter the Palace. She had always told him not to, he was too big and he might get stuck in the hallways.
Yet there was someone else who could help her: a human, just like Azula, who wouldn't tear down the Palace if he entered it, much unlike Xin Long. And surely, he would be able to help her. He had saved Azula in the past, hadn't he? Couldn't he do the same this time around? Xin Long wasn't sure if he was making rushed decisions, or if Azula would get mad at him for fetching Sokka… but he was certain it was the best thing he could do for her sake right now.
And thus he took up into the sky just after Azula had entered the building, supporting herself with a hand against the wall as she walked through the corridors. Some torches were lit, to her relief, but there were no guards or soldiers in sight for her to question regarding what was happening. She cringed as her nose began to itch, and she sneezed three times, too loudly.
Yet the sound was what brought forth, at long last, a soldier. He didn't wear the crimson robes of the guards, only the soldier's uniform; he wasn't one of her men. Still, he recognized her instantly.
"Princess…! P-Princess? What's with that getup, and…? Why are you here, Princess?! You should be in safety! Your guards were looking for you, but Captain Rui Shi said you would be safe…!"
"Shut up," Azula groaned, and the man was startled by her anger. "What is happening? Speak. Now."
"W-well… apparently we've been infiltrated by members of a White Lotus gang, I don't know what it's about exactly…"
"White…? White Lotus, you said?" repeated Azula, frowning.
Images flashed through her head as she was taken to a few months earlier. Her last visit to Shu Jing: the White Lotus symbol on Space Sword's hilt, on the back yard, on the gates, on the tapestry, and on the tile Piandao left behind for Sokka…
"According to Captain Kuo, he had caught some members of the group yesterday," said the soldier. "They escaped today, helped by men disguised as soldiers like myself. They're amongst us right now, and we're trying to subdue them, but they're devilishly quick and we don't know what their purpose is. We keep losing track of them because they're dressed all the same as us… one of the Royal Guards attacked a fellow soldier because he mistook him for an infiltrate."
"He…? Fool," said Azula, shaking her head in disapproval. "You don't know what their purpose is? If they broke their allies out, they obviously seek to get out of the city and escape together. Is the port…?"
"It was shut down, by your lord father's command," said the soldier.
"Good," said Azula, frowning. "Then keep fighting. Seize all of them and…"
"But we don't know what to do, Princess" admitted the soldier. "How will we know who we're fighting with if they're disguised as our own? If they're hiding behind our own masks?"
"Why, you fool, there's a very simple way to solve that issue," grunted the Princess. "Take off your mask… tell all the soldiers and guards to remove them. Tell them I have commanded it. Whoever refuses to do so will be regarded as a suspect. You know your fellow soldier's faces, do you not?"
"Yes, of course…" said the soldier, blinking in surprise.
"Well, then, go get the job done, soldier," Azula commanded. "Find them and seize them all… Take off your helmet and mask so that they know you're a true Fire Nation warrior."
"Yes, Princess!" said the soldier, removing his helmet hastily and running off through the hall, shouting loudly. "TAKE OFF YOUR MASKS! REVEAL YOUR FACES SO THAT WE KNOW WHO OUR MEN TRULY ARE! REVEAL YOUR FACES!"
Azula sighed in relief. If this was done efficiently, chances were their enemies would have nowhere to hide soon. She could have feared this man was only another infiltrate, but she was certain no one would have recognized her while she was wearing such strange clothes, and when she didn't have her hairpiece either, unless they were a regular member of the army or Palace servitude. The man had spoken casually about Captain Rui Shi as well, and it was unlikely that an infiltrate would have known who the Captain of her guards was. She had decided to trust him… and it seemed she had done the right thing.
Yet there was one thing that bothered her… if these enemies of theirs, these White Lotus people, were trying to escape, what were they trying to accomplish by hiding amongst guards in the Palace? If she had been trying to orchestrate an escape, the first thing to do was to ensure an escape route; in fact, more than one just in case something went wrong. So why return to the Palace after they had what they needed…?
Perhaps they didn't have what they needed. Perhaps these White Lotus men were far greedier than she took them for. She knew too little about them to judge them properly as it was. Perhaps they sought to tear down the Fire Nation, although she rather doubted there were enough members of the association involved in this operation to fight against all the soldiers and guards that protected the city.
But perhaps… perhaps the Palace was their way out.
The thought made her feel nauseous. There was a way out of the Fire Nation Palace, a secret route that wasn't often spoken of… a route that members of a rebel group shouldn't be familiar with, unless someone had tipped them off about it. Could it be that they were attempting to escape through the secret river?
Chances were that was the case. And if it was, she couldn't waste another second dawdling while trying to figure out what to do. She'd reach that river immediately to make sure they couldn't get away… she wouldn't let them. The Fire Nation would not bow down before anyone, not tonight.
She stumbled on her way to the Throne Room, her determination unwavering. Long ago, she had discovered a quick route from the Throne Room to the secret river under the Palace. An old Fire Lord, Sozin, Hizuo, perhaps even Azulon, had built a tunnel through which they would reach the river much faster than through regular means, in the unlikely case that they might need to escape the Palace. Azula had found it once by chance during one of her many expeditions to discover the hidden passageways of the Royal Palace. She didn't know if her father was aware of the existence of this tunnel, in fact, she rather doubted he was. There was another entrance to the river, the one most people knew about, located in the Palace's basement. That tunnel was longer and more winding than the one in the Throne Room, and thus Azula hoped she would be able to intercept their enemies if she took the latter, in the likely case that her assumptions about their plans were correct.
What would she do once she found them? She had no idea. She aware of her current frail state, and she feared she would fail to hold her own if she had to fight against them. Yet what choice did she have? She had to do whatever it took to stop them…
She walked past a window through which she could see guards and soldiers, now unmasked and without hoods to cover their heads, fighting against three men who had refused to reveal their faces. Fire flew towards them, to meet towers of earth the infiltrates were using to their defense. Azula gritted her teeth and carried on, hoping the army would manage to subdue these men. But there were sure to be more of them. Where had they come from? How had they snuck into their army so easily? Azula cringed as her head's throbbing intensified. No matter. These men could be questioned about their methods once they had been captured. It was no use thinking about it now.
The way to the Throne Room seemed longer than ever before. She had to make it there as soon as possible, and hope to find a soldier or a guard who wasn't engaged in battle to assist her. In normal circumstances, the thought wouldn't even have crossed her mind, but it was unavoidable when she was feeling as weak as she was.
Yet the next men she found, in a long, dark hallway, weren't bound to accept helping her. Azula froze when she saw them, still wearing their masks. The order had already spread out, she had just confirmed that Fire Nation soldiers were fighting without covering their faces… had these two failed to hear her command? Or were they enemies? They were whispering nervously, angrily even. Azula frowned and listened silently to their discussion, hoping to determine if they were either friend or foe, without revealing herself just yet as she hid behind a wall.
"… we can't just leave like this!"
"We need to get out immediately. The ones we leave behind will understand…"
"Understand what? We came here to save our men! If the others were worth saving, so are they!"
"And how do you plan on saving them?! We can't do this anymore! The operation has failed, that's all the truth of it! We should have asked for advice from the higher members of the Order before trying to…!"
"But we can't give up! If we give up, they'll win!"
"And you think they haven't won yet?"
"We're in the Royal Palace right now! We could wreck their damn city, tear it apart so that…!"
"So that they kill us when they catch us?! We're not strong enough to make a stand against the Fire Nation's forces right now! We have to leave before it's too late! The old man is already on the ship, so let's just get this over with!"
"But…!"
"Let's go!" shouted one of the men, grabbing the other by the wrist and pulling him down the hall.
But before they could turn around to leave, a blast of blue fire flew towards them. One of the men pushed the other down, protecting him from the attack.
"What…?!" gasped the man who had been pushed, looking towards the direction from where the unusual fire had appeared.
The woman that stood with her fist raised towards them was almost unrecognizable. Her black hair was disheveled, her clothes were simple and common and her feet were bare. Her cheeks were flushed, and she seemed to be sweating as well.
Those angry golden eyes would have given away her identity, if the blue fire hadn't done so in the first place.
"And where exactly… do you two think you're going?" she asked, glaring at them dangerously.
"It can't be… Princess Azula?" asked one of the White Lotus members, as they both stared at her, terrified.
Azula couldn't keep from smirking at the looks on their faces. Their fear fueled her, it gave her strength, enough strength to defeat them despite what ailed her… or so she hoped.
"Well?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
"We're soldiers, Princess, your allies…" one of the White Lotus members lied, trying to save their lives desperately.
"Shameful, truly, that you'd try to fight us with such underhanded tactics…" said Azula "Who provided those outfits, I wonder?"
The men stood up, glaring at her from within the masks. They struck their battle stances, and the Princess's face grew stern as she tried her hardest to keep steady. She had to fight them… to defeat them for her Nation, for her Father. She would protect the Fire Nation, no matter how weak she felt today. Her weakest was still stronger than anything these rebels could do, she was sure of it.
"So you'll fight me… such a wise move," she mocked them.
"Don't come any closer, or we'll attack!" shouted one of the White Lotus members, stomping on the ground to raise a large boulder from the floor.
"You… now that's truly shameless," said Azula, looking at the hole left on the ground. "How do you propose we fix that gap now? This is the Royal Palace, you pest. You can't just tear the floor as you just did."
"Stop me, then," grunted the man, challenging her.
"Believe me, I intend to," said Azula, lifting her arms before her, her index and middle fingers stretched.
As chunks of the floor flew in her direction, Azula readied herself to fight to her fullest. The faster she was done with this battle, the better. And thus she summoned her azure blazes, snarling as she unleashed an inferno upon her foes…
"Ah, she's just unbelievable, I swear!" shouted Sokka, walking back and forth on the living room. "Why must she never fail to make things more difficult than they already are?! Every single time I think I have things under control she has to go and pull one of her stunts…!"
Song watched him in surprise, her eyes wide as she saw how angry he was. She had expected him to lash out at her, for not keeping an eye on the Princess, but it seemed he was only angry at Azula.
"So… you're not mad at me?" asked Song, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him warily.
"You? You did nothing wrong!" said Sokka. "I'd be a worse fool than I am to think you're to blame for this. She's the one who's being completely thoughtless and reckless! She's always loved taking risks that no normal human being should take, and because she's amazing she always pulls through! But she's sick right now! She could barely beat me up, how far could she go if she's like this? How much can she endure?"
"I have no idea… but, if she couldn't have gone too far, why didn't you run into her on your way back home?" asked Song, confused.
"I don't know," muttered Sokka, before giving her question some thought. "I didn't run into her… because she didn't walk, that's why. She must have taken off on Xin Long, curse it. And it was so dark outside that they must have flown over me and I didn't even notice it!"
"But if she flew, where did she go to?" asked Song, confused.
"Where else?" muttered Sokka. "The Palace, obviously. Because, as I said, she had the urge to make things worse than they already were, and that's pretty much the worst thing she could have done right now."
"But… what's so wrong about her going to the Palace?" asked Song, confused.
"There's trouble in the Capital, Song. Some prisoners escaped from jail," said Sokka, frowning. "I don't know who they are, but the Captain told me as much. The entire city was evacuated… save for us, because we're new here and we have no idea what to do during emergencies. Maybe you didn't hear the alarm, but some horn was blowing and I didn't know what it was, so I went to figure it out. I saw the Captain at the Palace, and he told me to keep Azula safe here. And I told him I would, but upon my return, she's gone. Just wonderful, isn't it?"
"The Captain?" repeated Song, gulping. "But wouldn't it be dangerous for us to stay here? If they evacuated the entire city…"
"I doubt the escapees will come hide in our very house, Song, so I don't think we need to worry. I think that ploy of getting everyone underground is just for the sake of keeping noblemen as safe as possible in dire circumstances like these; they could be kidnapped and used as leverage, for instance, by the escaped prisoners, if the situation allowed it. We're not noblemen, though, so they'd gain nothing from kidnapping us. We'll be fine."
"I hope you're right about that," said Song, worried. "What now, then? Will you go find her, or…?"
"I… I should, I guess, but what use would it be?" asked Sokka, grimacing. "Going on foot to the Palace again will take long, and she'll probably be properly protected by her guards by the time I get there…"
"And what if she isn't?" asked Song.
Sokka's heart sank at her question. Truly, what if she wasn't? It wouldn't be the first time her guards failed to defend her when she needed them most… But then what?
"But if… if that's the case then I'll be too late, Song," he said, panic written all over his face. "Even if I take off now, I won't make it in time…"
"Sokka, maybe…" said Song, looking quite desperate as well.
But whatever words of encouragement she wanted to say to him were forgotten when something crashed unexpectedly on their backyard. A current of wind slipped through the backdoor and windows, buffeting both Sokka and Song furiously.
"What…?" said the girl, but Sokka instantly knew what it was.
"Xin Long…" he said, breaking into a run as he headed outside. "It's Xin Long!"
His fears were appeased shortly as he thought Azula had returned. She would likely be feeling worse than before, but that wouldn't keep him from berating her for her recklessness. How could she flee that way, without saying anything at all?
"Azula, you…!" he started upon walking outside… when he realized the saddle on the dragon's back was vacant. "A… Azula?"
She wasn't there. She wasn't back. Xin Long had returned without her… where was she? What had happened to her? Despair was washing over him in waves, making him feel more helpless with every passing moment. She wasn't there…
Xin Long roared at him, as though to bring him back to his senses. The dragon kept making sounds and noises, but Sokka failed to understand what he was trying to convey.
"Xin… hold on a moment, I don't know what you're saying, I… I don't get you! I'm not Azula, remember?!" said Sokka, trying to approach the dragon to appease him.
Xin Long seemed to grow impatient at Sokka's lack of understanding. He bent his body down, tilting sideways to allow Sokka to climb atop him, and if the message wasn't clear enough, he used the tip of his tail to point at the saddle. Sokka stared at him in shock, unable to give his eyes credit.
"Y-you want me to ride…? You'll take me to her, Xin?!" he asked, looking at the dragon hopefully now.
Xin Long actually rolled his eyes, as though he couldn't believe how dense Sokka was. He was wasting valuable time! Sokka stared at the saddle, determination building up inside of him. He turned towards Song, who was standing by the edge of the house, still slightly intimidated by the dragon.
"Song… stay safe, alright? Don't go out. Lock the doors, don't let anyone in… especially not escaped prisoners, got it?"
"Sokka," she said, worriedly. "Stay safe! And find her, and…"
"I'll keep my promise to the Captain," said Sokka, nodding. "I'll get her out of the mess she jumped into. I'll protect her, Song. And then I'll bring her here again so you can finish healing her."
"That sounds about right," said Song, smiling weakly.
Sokka nodded at her once more before turning towards Xin Long. He grasped the saddle and heaved himself onto the front seat for the very first time. He gulped as he reached out for the reins, feeling completely out of place as he did.
"When she hears about this, lizard, she's going to kill us both. Me for riding you, and you for letting me," said Sokka.
Xin Long seemed to disagree: he was certain Azula would choose solely to blame Sokka for this, even when it hadn't been his idea. But thinking about what Azula would say was just further time wasted, and they both knew it.
Sokka frowned with determination and shook the reins in his hands… to Xin Long's confusion. Sokka looked at him with a raised eyebrow and pressed his heels into Xin Long's sides, again to no avail.
"Well, how am I supposed to tell you to take off, huh?" asked Sokka, looking at the dragon with a skeptical frown.
Xin Long rolled his eyes again before jumping into the sky so brusquely that Sokka almost flew off the saddle. He held on to the reins as tightly as he could, leaning forward to help the dragon fly even faster. They had to reach the Palace right away: he had to find her. He had to keep his promises to her this time around. He would protect Azula with his life…
And thus, Xin Long flew as fast as he could through the darkness, just as determined as his temporary rider to reach the Palace quickly while blasting at full speed through the air.