Hello! Here is Chapter 1. I'm surprised I was able to do it today so yay! One more note that I forgot to mention in the Prologue is that Azula's character might be slightly different.
In the show, at least in my opinion, she was portrayed as irredeemable in some cases and definitely not someone to be near children but in my story, since these kids have been in her life for some time, she is a little softer than the one in the series. None of the series events have changed and I have tried to stay true to her nature as much as I could but with a softer nature, especially considering these two.
As always, reviews are appreciated. I would love to hear your perspectives and advice to improve my own! Most importantly, I would love your opinions about Nakura and Hakan. These two characters are my own creation so if anyone has any advice on how I can help flesh out their characters more it would be greatly appreciated.
Lastly, if you have not figured out from this chapter or the Prologue, I plan on doing italics for thoughts and normal lettering for dialogue and description.
Now, on to the story. Enjoy!
NAKURA
"Come on Nakura, this is the easiest way to slip in!" said Hakan. Nakura looked at her brother and then at the stone decorated wall into the fire palace,
"I'm not sure Hakan, maybe its somewhere else?"
"No! Remember what Azula said if we ever need to reach her, go through the stone garden entrance on the east wall, cut through the hallways until your reach a door that has the eternal flame on it, this takes us to the throne room where she will help us from there." Hakan's eagerness and annoyance was starting to show.
"Come on! This is the only way we can have an audience with Fire Lord Zuko" said Hakan while rolling his eyes
Nakura just sighed and followed her younger brother. Both siblings passed a family of turtle ducks and a beautiful garden of fire lilies before they entered the main palace. Thankfully, Azula's instructions were given when she knew the guards would be rotating their shifts. It seemed even that was not needed as since anyone they crept past seemed to be deep in gossip.
As they entered the palace Nakura could not help but admire the portraits that lined the long hallway, she paused at one portrait of the most recent royal family. There was a tall man with a frown, underneath him was a boy about her brother's age who looked slightly scared, a beautiful Fire Lady who matched her son's expression, and then a girl who looked as if she commanded the world underneath. "Azula", she thought suddenly when she recognized the girl and a smile overtook Nakura's face.
Both siblings continued on the endless maze of hallways until they finally reached the imposing double door entrance of the throne room. The eternal flame was carved on it emphasizing the fury of fire. As they both slipped in, they could hear voices coming from the inside.
"I don't know what to do with her! She's crazy! We are all thinking it". A frustrated groan came after that.
Nakura looked at the figures. The one who just spoke had his back turned to them and was gesturing to a lady. There was another figure she could not decipher because she was too far away.
"I know, she hurt me too Zuko. I thought I was going to die on Boiling Rock". Nakura heard the lady say in a bored tone with a note of fear beneath it.
Both siblings slowly creeped to the end of the throne room only a few meters away from the individuals. Hakan was signaling Nakura about something when suddenly a third voice exclaimed "Guys there's someone in here".
Nakura panicked and tried to pull Hakan away from the voices. Before they could take a step a tall lady with jet black hair pinned into braids cut them off with a pair of knives. Her eyes widened in surprise and confusion as she slowly put the knives away and dragged the siblings into the middle of the throne room.
As Nakura was kneeling down two more figures came into view. The first she saw was the grey eyes of the Avatar giving a confused look before turning to look at Lord Zuko who was sporting a similar look.
"They're just children" she heard the Fire Lord mutter to himself before approaching her and her brother with all the authority of a royal.
"Who are you and how did you get in this palace undetected?" she heard the Fire Lord ask calmly
Before her brother could answer Nakura spoke "My name is Nakura Azar and this is my brother Hakan Azar. We are sorry for coming into the palace like this but we could not think of another way to get the Fire Lord's attention without coming in undetected into his home"
The lady, Nakura now recognized as Lady Mai, and the Avatar shared an indecipherable look. Fire Lord Zuko had his lips pursed before he asked "It is nice to meet both of you and I am sorry you felt like you could not get my attention but that does not give you the right to break into the palace. You could be sentenced for this. However, since your just children, I am willing to let it go" he said with slight amusement. "Still" he continued "you didn't answer my second question, how did you get in here undetected?"
Nakura heard her brother mumble Azula under his breath. Before her brother could jump in, Nakura spoke again "Princess Azula gave us a path to come into the palace undetected if we ever needed her help".
At the mention of Azula's name the flames in the room rose ten feet higher. Both Mai and Zuko had expressions of anger and confusion while the Avatar looked intrigued and almost happy.
"Did she send you here" he asked incredulously. With a look of disgust he started again, "Two children to help her escape so she can plan her next attack on my nation to prove that, what, her idiot brother is not fit to be Fire Lord!"
"Excuse me!" Nakura thought
He started pacing back and forth now, any hint of warmth towards the two children gone.
"ZUKO! They are just children; you need to calm down" she heard the Avatar exclaim in an attempt to deescalate.
Nakura, however, heard none of this as she was more concerned on what Hakan will do. Her own anger started to rise with the way Zuko was callously speaking about his sister so she could not imagine what her brother must be thinking. He was always more vocal about his affection for the Fire Princess, connecting with her in ways even she couldn't because of their fire bending.
"Oh no" Nakura thought as she saw Hakan gearing up for a fight. Her brother's lack of filter always got him in trouble. Nakura was about to step in again until Hakan jumped up with a righteous rage and shouted "You don't know anything about her". His body was trembling and tears started to form in his eyes.
All three adults had various expressions of disbelief and shock that a 9-year-old child was shouting at them. Hakan seemed like he was ready to attack, pink flames dancing around his fingertips to convey what he couldn't in words.
"Listen" Nakura hissed interrupting Hakan not before giving him a glare to back down "we need to see Azula because she is the only one that we are willing to accept help from"
"Why her?" asked the Avatar "you have three of the most powerful people in the room here willing to help we can do whatever you need us to do"
Nakura shifted as her anger began to fizzle away into grief. She looked at all three of them in the eyes and a vulnerability overtook her "Because she's the only one I can trust"
The Fire Lord looked taken aback while Lady Mai seemed thoughtful. The Avatar then pulled Fire Lord and Lady Mai aside and whispered to them.
Nakura glanced at her brother who seemed equally as worried then to the group who seemed to be whispering harshly to each other. Before she could say anything however, the trio came back.
Fire Lord Zuko stepped up again. "We have come to a tentative decision for now but it needs to further be discussed" he said roughly. "My sister will be present tomorrow to hear any changes in her imprisonment terms. For now, however, there is a guest bedroom ready for the night, tomorrow a servant will get you to this same room to hear the decision." The Fire Lord left quickly after that with Lady Mai and the Avatar trailing behind him.
Nakura and Hakan stood up and were greeted by a servant who took them to their rooms. Once they changed, Hakan stood near Nakura's bed with tears in his eyes. "I hope they let her come" he says brokenly. These were the times Nakura forgot that he's only 9 and she, 12.
"They will" Nakura said with determination as she hugged her brother, "and if they don't, we'll break her out ourselves." She said and started smirking.
Hakan gave a small smile then went to his bed where he soon fell asleep
Nakura started drifting while watching her brother's shoulders rise and fall, her last thought being a prayer to the spirits that Azula helps them before darkness encompasses her.
