Znpk, thanks. :)
How on Earth are we already at the Season 2 finale?!
~ The Crossroads of Destiny~
Ryuu POV
"Hold still!"
Zuko desperately tried to swat me away as I straightened up his collar. He pouted and gave in when I caught his arm and gave his bicep a good squeeze. He put his forehead against mine and huffed.
"I look fine. Get off me, woman!"
I scoffed and let go of him. It had to be said, he did look good. Very good. Ugh, anyway. He ruffled his hair, which Iroh had previously slicked around pulled a face as I struggled to do the button just under my neck. Quinn's wife leant me the dress saying that she'd outgrown it. A QiPao. Tight fitting (very tight!), Silken green and two slits that reached halfway up my thighs.
My hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. Zuko snorted as he reached around and did the button up. I turned in his arms and smiled up at him. He wrapped his arms tighter - forming a hug. I giggled as he lay a kiss on my neck.
"You moron. I love you."
Zuko scoffed but lay a kiss on my lips. We were in the rather awkward position as Iroh entered the room. He tilted his head but made no remark.
"Uh?!" Zuko yelled, leaping back, "Should we go now?"
He crashed and fell over a chair. I snikered but helped him up. Iroh took up a teapot filled with herbs and spices. I took up four cups and my staff, while Zuko draped an arm around my waist. We began making our way towards the royal palace.
It was early morning and something did strike me as odd. First off, it was only three days since the Tea House opened. Second, the road up to the palace was abandoned. Practically. Occasionally, I would spy a Da Li agent gliding by incognito.
I tightened my grip on the ornate staff.
"Many times I imagined myself here, at the threshold of the palace. But I 9always thought I would be here as a conqueror. Instead, we are the Earth King's personal guests, here to serve him tea. Destiny is a funny thing," Iroh cradled his tea pot.
"Hmm..." I muttered, attempting to join in but more interested in a flash of green uniform.
Zuko grinned, "It sure is, Uncle. "
The gates opened before us to reveal a secret city of complex allies and beautiful buildings. A woman called Joo Dee led us to the Earth King's tea room. I observed the delicate architecture around us. Nothing like rag-tag Omashu with King Bumi. The Earth King was born into luxury - unlike our elected kings (generally, most powerful earthbender, none dare to disagree).
"This is sweet living..." I hissed.
An expression quickly passed Zuko's face, "Yet nothing like the Fire Nation palace. That was... repressive. "
Out of the corner of my eye, I swear I sore a Da Li agent. I complained about it to Zuko, but he dismissed it with a laugh. Joo Dee turned to walk backwards with a fake smile. She stared me straight on and laughed:
"Yes. Don't you love our wonderful government. "
She maintained the staging into my soul while freakishly walking backwards. She turned her head before her body caught up. Then walked forward like nothing happened. Iroh asked Joo Dee all sorts of questions, but she replied in the same monotonous voice:
"Yes. Don't you love our wonderful government."
That. That was odd. Zuko removed his hand from my waist as we entered the tea room. The atmosphere was weird. Apprehensive, like calm before storm. I took a careful breath as Joo Dee left us alone. I waved bye but all she said was:
"Yes. Don't you love our wonderful government."
...
I chewed my lip and glanced at our surroundings. Zuko tapped his thighs impatiently and Iroh was organising the cups. I checked the sundial in the court below us through the window. Half an hour had passed. I started popping my lips until Zuko smacked my shoulder.
"Sorry..."
Iroh then started popping his lips. Zuko groaned loudly. He snapped:
"What's taking so long?!"
Iroh shrugged, "Maybe the Earth King overslept?"
I heard movement from the doorway and braced an arm infront of Zuko. He shot me a confused look as I got to my feet and readied my staff. Iroh cottened on to what I was doing as Da Li swept in and surrounded us. The horribly constricting QiPao I wore prevented me from a proper fighting stance.
"Something's not right."
I gaped at Zuko, "Duh!"
A malicious yet recognizable voice called through the door. Azula.
"It's Tea Time!" She mocked. Zuko shot to his feet.
I mentally apologised to Quon's wife as I forced the dress to rip so I could fight. Zuko, despite the serious nature of the current situation, was still a teenage boy so took a quick gaze at my upper thighs peeking from my dress. I scowled at him and he coughed, looking back at Azula.
"Have you met the Dai Li? They're earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that's so firebender. I just love it," She clapped her hands like little girl - her eyes told a different story. They burrowed into each of us in turn. They were golden, like Zuko's, but unlike Zuko's, they only shone hatred and vengeance.
Iroh calmly took up a cup of tea he had poured for himself and stared into it. Azula raised her hands to Firebend. Iroh turned his gaze to Azula.
"Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname "The Dragon of the West"?"
Azula scoffed and changed position - to look at her nails, "I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle."
Iroh smirked before downing his tea, "It's more of a demonstration, really."
Zuko grabbed me and smiled up at his Uncle. I was completely confused, to say the least, but Zuko grinned. Then Iroh thumped his chest and breathed fire. Chemical reaction of some sort.. He ran towards Azula while doing breath of Fire- she dodged it, shocked.
He blast a hole in the wall and we scrambled away. Rock gloves flew past us, missing our heads by inches. Zuko had taken my hand by now and was dragging me along. Iroh blasted a hole in the corridor wall with lightning. He leapt out into a bush below.
"Come on! You'll be fine!"
Zuko set his jaw and drew my into a rushed hug. As soon as I pulled away, trying to get him to leap of of the ledge, he kissed me. It was a desperate kiss that knocked the breath from my lungs. He drew himself from me and literally pushed me from the ledge towards Iroh.
"What the-?" I waved my staff.
He readied a fighting stance, "No! I'm tired of running! It's time I faced Azula!"
Iroh facepalmed as Zuko disappeared into the shadowy green hallway. I screamed up at him, but he ignored me. Iroh caught my hand and started to pull me away, towards a distant apartment block - situated just outside the palace walls. I stared at him with shock.
"We need backup and - if the Avatar is here - then so will be the blind Earthbender. "
...
The apartment they were staying in was swanky, but I didn't take in that much detail as I was panicked and dragging a Da Li agent along. Iroh tamely knocked on the door and it was swung open by our little friend. She beamed broadly, but her companions were less than pleased.
As we described the situation, Water boy, Suki... Sock.. Sukka...Sokka! Sokka scoffed.
" 'Good inside him' isn't enough! Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay?"
I snarled at him and pointed the tip of my ornate staff at his throat, "This city changed him. He's different. "
"Different, Staff girl, is not going to work!" Sokka batted away my staff.
Aang screwed his nose up and waved his arms about, "Katara's in trouble. All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble. Working together is our best chance."
Sokka grumbled under his breath but - wanting to save his sister - understood. Iroh went out into the hall and dragged our knocked out Da Li agent in. Toph extended some Earth pillars to trap him and snorted. Aang shot some water, from a vase, in his face to wake him up. The agent scrambled around but knew he was beaten. He was oh so helpful.
"Azula and Long Feng are plotting a coup! They're going to overthrow the Earth King!" He blurted.
Sokka ran at the caged agent, made him flinch, then yelled, "My Sister! Where are they keeping her?"
The agent fell backwards, onto his rear, "In the Crystal Catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace."
With a collective gasp, we ran outside for Toph to use 'Seismic Sense'. Basically, it's very, very cool. She stomped her foot and smirked at the results. But then her expression changed - to one of dread.
"Well, what'd you know? There is an ancient city down there. But it's deep."
Sokka massaged his temples profusely and started ordering us about, "We should split up. Aang, you go with Iroh to look for Katara and the angry jerk - no offense."
Iroh shrugged, "None taken."
I clutched my staff, "It's fine."
Then, Sokka put a hand on Toph's shoulder, "And I'll go with Toph to warn the Earth King of Azula's coup."
Scowling, I raised an eyebrow, "What do I do?"
The group glanced at Sokka, who pinch the bridge of his nose. Something hit across his face. He pointed at me using his free hand.
"Sneak about, find another way in. You look like you can do that. "
I gave a singular nod and ran off in the direction of a divit in the earth I had seen Da Li agents hoarding too. The other members ran off in respective ways, each with a very important duty.
...
It was at that point, I really wished I could bend an element. Anyone would've done. But I had the next best thing to any element. Stick! In stories my grandmother used to tell me, wood was also an element, but untameable by anything - even lion turtles. So I gave it a try. By try, I mean repeatedly smacking the divit with the staff.
I got it eventually and the earth clicked. Then droned. Then groaned as it pulled apart. Trap door. Ingenious. Inside was pitch black, but at the very end, something glowed brilliant green. I tried to step steadily, but slipped. It didn't have stairs, only a smooth tunnel. I screamed as I shouted down it.
Someone was at the end. Firebending. Against Aang. I was in two minds as I rocketed towards them. I hoped it was Azula as I didn't want Zuko to revert back to old habits, but the flame was orangey red - Zuko's flame. I swore as I scrambled about, trying to stop myself.
But the tunnel was completely smooth.
"Incoming! " I forewarned.
The tunnel ended and I was shot out into - surprise surprise - Zuko. Told you he was my crashmat. I hit him full of as he changed targets, to Katara. She yelled at him until I appeared from the tunnel.
"I thought you- what?"
Zuko and I tumbled in a mass of limbs into the side of the cave. We both grunted as the cave wall stopped us. I gripped Zuko's collar between my fingers and growled as he pushed me off. I had a tight grip - however.
"What the Bardgermole are you doing?!" I shoved him against the wall. He lit a fire dagger and warded me off. I snarled in defiance and only tightened my grip against his collar. He closed his eyes and a tear rolled down his cheek as he moved the fire dagger quickly into my side.
I didn't have enough time to react as the searing hot blade stabbed into my arm. I was lucky it was my arm too because if I hadn't moved and blocked my abdomen... fatal injuries. I leapt back in surprise and clutched my bicep.
"Zuko? Why?"
Clenching my jaw, I let Zuko go. But then adrenaline pumped through my veins as he ran off. The next few moments were a blurred mess. The Avatar got shot with lightning, then he and Katara disappeared - leaving Iroh and I to fight Azula and Zuko.
"Ryuu," Iroh gasped mid-flight, "You're injured!"
I snarled and blocked Azula's fire blast, "It'll take an army to kill me."
Iroh screamed as he was propelled backwards by a Da Li attack. He was now trapped in crystals, leaving me to fight alone. I grunted and lowered my horse stance - staring Zuko in the eye, I noticed tears welling up. His previously clear gold eyes had become speckled with red again. I shook my head slowly Despite that, he lit up his hands. Azula smirked and taunted me.
"Give up and I may take it easy..."
I returned the smirk, hiding my pain, "Never."
