Ch4
A couple of days had crept by since the crash of the particular airship flight in question. What should have been an ordinary, regularly scheduled, transfer flight turned out to cause great alarm within the Fire Nation capital. With Aang and Zuko off trying to defuse an impending second world war, the news that one the Fire Nation's two top captives, the manipulative and still influential one, running about freely was cause for worry. As the Fire Lord and the Avatar were off in the colony of Yu Dao, they had not yet heard of the issue yet. But given how stressful the situation already was, those who did know of it wanted to do whatever they could to try and control the situation before it got out of hand while avoiding any undue stress. Though, the prospect of tying down the former princess once again would be difficult,and those who took the task on their own shoulders knew it all too well.
Standing atop the towering banyan grove tree at the center of the spiritual swamp, was the soon to future chief of the Southern Water Tribe, and the captain of the Kyoshi Warriors, hand in hand. Admittedly, though they were trying to work quickly, this quest had quickly evolved into being a long term date as well.
Between the assistance in peacekeeping duties with Aang and the supervising of the modernization of the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka had been all but tied up and kept away from his long time girlfriend. On the green side of things, Suki had been fully occupied in the guard duties within the Fire Nation royal palace. For now, as a result of a few assasination attempts, her girls and she had been fully booked as the last and strongest line of defense of Fire Lord Zuko. The two had been missing each other, and longing for quality time together. And what better setting than on a battlefield of sorts.
"It's so...vast," Suki remarked as she looked over the green blanket of trees which extended in all directions.
"I know," Sokka affirmed. "And once we descend back down to the forest floor, we are certainly going to be at risk of losing our heading again. This isn't the first time I've been here. This forest is..really trippy." He remarked about the forest solemnly. Sokka remembered what who saw, last he was here.
Suki looked down to the ginormous tree root they stood on desolately. "You saw..Princess Yue last time," she recalled, barely remembering the name. Sokka had told her one night of his time in the Northern Water Tribe and of the time in this swamp. She knew what his memory of this place was.
"Yeah...I did," he simply replied, continuing to look through his field telescope. Sokka grimly scanned the horizon, looking for their indicator. Suki could sense the sorrow in his voice at the memory. She cozied up to the crouched warrior, wrapping her arms around his waist as he stared through the optics.
Sokka flinched slightly, feeling his heart race and his cheeks heating up. A smile crept across his face. He enjoyed the show of affection so much, he could care less of the metal and leather bracers of her uniform constricting his waste and digging in. Her bronze headpiece would sometimes knock or jab him in the head as well, but he didn't take any mind to it. Both being warriors with their own respective uniforms, Sokka wouldn't have it any other way when out in the field. Of course, the bedroom was much more relaxed.
"There!" Sokka pointed out to the horizon finally, passing the telescope to Suki whose chin rested on Sokka's shoulder. She took the scope and peered in the direction he pointed. "See that? That's the tail of a Fire Nation airship. That has to be it!"
Sure enough, in the distance, rising up above the canopy at a steep angle was the tail and rudders of a surely smashed airship. From the looks of it, the vessel definitely went down hard.
"Do you think she had something to do with that?" Suki asked. In her mind, Azula undoubtedly must have brought the airship down. They should have placed her and her girls onboard to escort the former princess, then maybe this wouldn't have happened.
"It's possible, but on this one I'm not so sure," Sokka responded. "This swamp does things. It's like it has a mind of its own."
"Oh, right I see," she simply replies. She was convinced he thought the same too, but she put it past her. "You ready to do this?"
"Yeahhh, how bad could it be?" Sokka's voice was optimistic sounding. "It's just the girl who nearly killed me on a few occasions at this point, I'm sure it will go by just swell," he sarcastically remarked.
Suki chuckled, warmly laughing at his remark. "I know, I'm in the same boat. I'm due for a rematch, and she owes me," she paused. "It isn't the first time I've confronted her in the woods before you know. I'm not going down so easily this time."
Sokka put a hand softly on her cheek. "I have you with me this time," he smiled. "It'll be different, I'm sure. We got this."
Suki placed her hand over his, pressing her cheek further into his palms and closing her eyes. She had a soft spot for his touch. "You're with me too, spirits help her if she lays even a hand on you," she softly said. "I miss this," she paused. "I missed you."
A smile stretched across his face. He couldn't find the words to say.
A moment went by as the two simply held each other before they returned their focus to the mission at hand.
"We'll have to be careful. She's still on top of her game and probably very dangerous. Azula is still Azula."
It had been days now since she had crashed and since she had that nightmare. It had been several nights now since she had truly rested. The days passed exhaustedly, full of climbing, tumbling , wading, and running. The nights, although quiet, provided no rest. Azula shuddered in her sleep and did not drift off into a deep sleep, preventing her from resting.
If she drifted too far into rest, her own mind would torment her once more. Just how far did her mother- they all go out to seek her demise. Going so far as to turn her own mind against her? No, she wouldn't allow them to further scratch at her. She had settled, choosing to simply not sleep. Not until she escaped from this forsaken place.
She grasped her head with both of her hands. Her mind was spinning! No sleep. No reason. No further. Azula had to get out of this place!
Water splashed as she barreled through puddles and streams. The former princess was now bruised and scraped as a result of tripping, falling, and tumbling through the swamp's treacherous terrain.
Her breathing was rapid as she made a dash through the woods. She looked back over her shoulder repeatedly. She was being chased, and had been for the past two days now. A combination of her sleeplessness and injuries made the matter much worse. Nothing behind her. She smirked and looked ahead.
A fireball landed a few yards in front of her! Her heels skidded in the mud as she immediately hit the brakes in her sprint. "You again," she hissed under her labored breath.
Turning around, she saw her again. The same twisted apparition that had been chasing her throughout the past nights, and now days, constantly. Initially she wasn't phased by her, but the unsettled fear of being unable to escape began to set in. No matter how much she tried to fight her, or how many times she employed her firebending, limited but still powerful and destructive, she couldn't get away nor could she phase her pursuer. Her evasive maneuvers were beginning to wear on her. Azula could not catch a break, and it was both frustrating, infuriating, and scary. Tears began to form in her eyes as she sprinted.
She flipped around, quickly transitioning into an upward kick which sent a large blast of blue flame careening toward her pursuing entity. She watched the rocket detonate as it hit the tree where she last saw the demented reflection of herself. Somehow the tree did not ignite, despite the sheer volume and impact of fire. Her fatigued eyes gazed, frustrated, at the impact spot looking for confirmation that she had scored a hit. Anything, any effect would suffice!
The deposed princess heard demented and crazed laughter echo throughout the swamp from the dark and foggy surroundings. Her eyes made their way down the massive tree trunk, following the wooden pillar to the ground level. It had appeared from the surrounding wooded area standing, unphased, between the massive trees. How did it get down there so fast?
"Almost isn't good enough!" It laughed, maniacally. She watched it start a terrifying sprint directly at her, seeming to glide over the water as no splashed appeared beneath its feet. She watched the covered face and terrifyingly unkempt hair make a dash for her.
Azula threw a final futile fire blast with her fist at it while turning to run again. She hoped it would at least hinder her pursuer enough to get away. She held back the tears of fear as she ran. Though they flooded her vision at times.
Was anybody there? Anybody at all? She wished someone accompanied her, for the first time in a long time. Anyone!
"Hey! Stop!"
Azula didn't hear or acknowledge the call out. She was too busy looking behind her. When she returned her gaze ahead once again it was too late. Her eyes widened and she gasped.
"Hey- Ahh!"
Azula collided full force with the uniformed kyoshi warrior. All the combined training and combative agility between the two girls was useless in stopping the basic combative maneuver of a charging moose lion.
Both girls hit the ground hard, falling from atop an elevated tree root and landing in the soft dirt and mud ground floor. Azula was winded from the impact of the fall, though Suki's body absorbed most of the impact. Suki, being the more unlucky of the two winced as her back side landed flat on the surface. Azula's weight crashing down on her waist, despite her armored uniform, crushed the wind from her forcefully. Her stomach pained as she struggled to fill her lungs. Additionally, the fire nation princess's forehead bashed into Suki's painted lips during the fall. Blood flowed from a gash in her lower lip, the wound stung sharply as well. Her bronze headpiece was knocked off her head and clanged as it bounced off the ground nearby.
Both women groaned in pain from the impact, Suki tried to muster the strength to push Azula off of her. Azula had bigger problems, not even acknowledging her former enemy. The princess's hand found its way to Suki's belt, grabbing a hold of one of the metal war fans which were tucked in.
Sharply, Azula flung around, quickly throwing the folded metal fan directly at the treeline above them where she last saw the apparition of herself. The fan flew through the air, a projectile in a similar manner to one of Mai's thrown stiletto knives, slamming into the tree trunk at a great velocity. It simply clacked as it struck the tree and fell to the ground, there was nothing there.
Azula looked down at the painted face of the person who cushioned her fall. "Out of my way, peasant!" She propped herself up, pushing off of the downed captain to get up.
"Hey!" Suki coughed. "Ge- Get back here!" She coughed and struggled, trying to get up and give chase. Azula was gone, she had already disappeared through the vegetation.
"Sokka!" Suki shouted as she stumbled to her feet. Azula was running on a collision course with her boyfriend.