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~ The Runaway ~
(Or, The Plan of Action)
Zuko POV
As I made my way to my room for the night, Azula was waiting for me. I didn't notice her until she flickered her signature blue flame between her fingers. I stepped back in surprise - Azula smirked and leant against the door frame.
"Oh, hello Zuzu."
Gritting my teeth, I squared my shoulders, "What are you doing here?"
My sister rocked to her feet and pretended to pout. I was used to her games by now, but some glint in her eye told me that she had a vicious plan in mind. Both her hands were lit up with blue fire now - I gulped and shuffled around a bit.
"A little birdy told me that a certain someone was cheating on his girlfriend. "
Mai. Did she know about me kissing Ryuu? What if she did. I chewed my lip and avoided my sister's gaze. Azula padded towards me and extinguished her flames. The hallway light level dipped again, but Azula's eyes shone with malicious light. She started circling me.
"That's... not true."
Azula stopped by my left shoulder, "You hesitated... So, it's true."
Stepping away from her, I raised my hands, "No. Azula - it's not true."
It was clear that Azula didn't believe me at all. She chuckled and took a semi-step backwards.
"I'm not going to tell Mai... but that servant of yours is in danger. Trust me, Zuzu, if father hears-"
"-If father hears," I interrupted, "he won't. You wouldn't dare."
My little sister was always the golden child. Manipulative and sneaky, she could always weasel out of every problem that came her way. I, however, was always unlucky and unfortunate. My father always placed blame on me for everything that went wrong. I screwed my eyes up to hold back the tears as Azula cackled in my ear.
"Oh, I would. But - I feel nice today - so, you will be let off of this... if you do something for me..."
...
It was little short of blackmail. In fact, it was blackmail. As I slowed my pace from a run, one thousand thoughts ran through my mind. If I could send a quick message to the docks, then Ryuu may have a chance of surviving in the Fire Nation alone. Might.
A servant trotted past, until I put a hand up and they gasped in surprise. I ground my teeth and recited a well thought threw message. The servant bowed and skittered off to find a messenger to relay a message to the docks.
I knew were Ryuu was, as the Chamberlain had told me. The Chamberlain, it seems, had quite the matchmaking scheme in her head. It was quite annoying sometimes... I marched through the corridors - a spare change of clothes bundled under my arm - towards the courtyard where she was.
I had to get her out of here.
...
Ryuu POV
The air was increasingly cooler as the sun dipped below the horizon. Yet work was still to be done. Rangi dumped the pile of dirty linin on the floor. She heaved the heavy clay pot onto her head and groaned under its weight. I instantly ran over to her when she looked in real threat of falling over.
Rangi, despite her age, was always persistent that she was as strong and youthful as always.
"Ryuu, I'm fine," She laughed it off, "Get me the tub."
I did as instructed and heaved the great tub across the cobblestones to the centre of the courtyard. Rangi dropped the water into the tub and sighed as the wieght was taken off of her head. We began our task of washing the dirty lining, when Zuko appeared in the one doorway - the only entrance and exit.
"Go on, m'dear," Rangi encouraged.
He lured me over with one figure - the old Chamberlain winked at me and took my linin from my hands, if forcibly. I shot to my feet and grudgingly marched towards the beckoning Prince. He grabbed my forearm and pulled me further into the palace complex. He was peculiarly silent.
"Sir? Where are we going?"
No answer, he just gripped harder onto my arm. Now, I was getting scared. We reached a hall - the first one I had been in, I seemed to remember. Zuko stopped suddenly, jerking me to a halt beside him. He turned and gripped my shoulders - his nails began digging into my skin.
"It's not safe."
I raised a brow at him, "Zuko? What's going on?"
He went to kiss me, but yanked his head back instantly, like an electric current had zapped up his back. His golden eyes met mine as he hesitantly let me go. I was really weirded out. My only conclusion was Azula had gotten to him.
"Princess... Am I getting sent to pri-"
"No," Zuko snapped firmly, "Not if I get you away first."
I put a hand to Jee's charm and echoed, "Get me away?"
"Azula's beginning to find someway of getting me killed or exiled and it involves you, Ryuu-" he jabbed a finger at my heart "- She's got something up her sleeve and- and I don't want you hurt. So, I'm sending you to find an old... acquaintance of mine. Mai's also beginning to see something's up. She's clever enough..."
As he trailed off, I got the feeling it was about being a moving target. Zuko forced a smile as he handed me a bundle of red clothing and patted my arm. In turn, I knitted my brow and leant on my good leg. Azula was ambitious but surely even she wouldn't kill her own brother. Right?
"Hang on, I'm leaving now? As in now-now? As in present time now? What the Badgermole is going on?"
With a stern look, Zuko silenced me. He shifted his gaze quickly around the hall before returning it to me - his odd behaviour was the thing scaring me the most. He pecked my cheek and told me to run as fast as I could. If he was thinking that would calm me, then he was dead wrong.
"The guy will call you Aimi. Trust me on this. Go, before anyone notices."
I stood, paralysed. Zuko licked his lips and pushed a hall door open a tad, gesturing for me to go. Carefully, I followed him, but was weary about it. We met eyes briefly - Zuko's golden gaze was filled with regret and sadness. He was serious about the threat to me. But it was also against him. I couldn't leave him.
As if by reading my mind, Zuko let a smile slip quickly across his face, "Mai and Ty Lee are here. And the old Chamberlain. I can Firebend, remember? So, go! Go, Ryuu."
If he was this serious, I should really obey him. I cupped a hand over his cheek and beamed - before dlipping through the door and clutching the change of clothes to my chest as I ran through the capital - the night falling behind me.
...
I was given odd looks as I raced through the capital and down to the docks. Zuko had told me not to stop until I was approached by a guy calling me Aimi. If it was true that Azula had a plan to dispose of Zuko using me, than I had to get as far away as possible. If anything, it was for the Prince's sake. I definitely did not want him dead...
My lungs burnt and legs ached from running. Panting, I started to straggle down the zigzag path to the docks. The capital was sure well protected. I'd barely made it through the gates to the city in one piece. Something told me that the rest of the Fire Nation would be like that... but ten times worse.
