gemsofformenos: This next chapter is going to provide even more insight, though still somewhat limited. "She's still in a bad shape and she knows it" it certainly doesn't help that she is pushing herself. "But I love how you've planted the fear of abandonment even deeper in her soul. To be afraid of being left alone and isolated is always a part of her character in my opinion." Agreed, I feel like canon Azula fears isolation. And being chained to a grate has only made that worse. There's a bit of trauma there. "Still she's a strong and clever girl and she manages to help herself leaving her room." xP I can't see Azula just sitting still and letting it happen. She has to know what's going on. "I love this idea, that the comet has somehow affected people." Thank you. Tbh I'm surprised that there aren't more stories that involve Sozin's Comet causing an apocalypse lol. "I love how you describe this vague horror, how something has possessed or infected minds, still we don't know what it was." Thank you again. I usually work with more gore type horror and I've been meaning to try my hand at a more ambiguous sort. "The former General isn't a fan of her," at least one person has to question her presence lol. "Her sharp mind as useful." Her cleverness is pretty much what keeps her alive. "Great job so far, keep on having fun with your stories." Thank you once again and have a wonderful week!
CryingZombie: That's an interesting theory. :)
Lord Of Memory: In some way it did end up helping her. Though it did her a great deal of damage to so it was a double edged sword. But yes, in the end her madness did have a good hand in keeping her alive. This is another interesting theory. :P
CeCeHigganbotham: That's awesome to hear! The Mist is one of my many favorite horror movies! (Following the Conjuring, Saw, and Resident Evil franchises).
Li walks alongside Lo, the halls are painfully quiet, any conversation is held in hushed tones. "Good luck." One of the younger serving girls whispers as they pass. "She's in a mood." Adds another. Li isn't particularly worried; taking care of the girl since before the crown could fit on her head, she has seen the princess in all sorts of is abundantly aware that the princess can be difficult, she is long past being intimidated by it.
They enter the throne room. "Good evening, princess." They greet. The princess looks anything but cheerful. In fact the princess looks bleak-eyed and exhausted and yet there is a fierce glimmer in her eyes, a warning glimmer. When it is pleasantly clear that she will not be returning their greeting, Li opts to get straight to the point. "Azula, we heard what happened. Why have you banished all your servants?"
"All your Dai Li agents…" Lo continues.
"And the imperial firebenders." Li finishes.
"None of them could be trusted. Sooner or later, they all would have betrayed me. Just like Mai and Ty Lee did." Azula replies. Her voice holds sharp overtones of anger and more subtle undertones of hurt and anxiety.
In unison with her sister, Li speaks, "Azula, we are concerned for you and your well-being." Truly, Li sympathizes with the girl having seen just how much pressure she places upon herself. How much more pressure that her father adds.
The princess only lashes out further. "My father asked you to come here and talk to me, didn't he ? He thinks I can't handle the responsibility of being Fire Lord. But I will be the greatest leader in Fire Nation history."
She is much more temperamental than Li is used to. Really they ought to tread carefully, but Lo speaks first. "I'm sure you will. But considering everything that has happened today…"
Li cringes to herself, though, maybe the princess would find it more patronizing if they tried to sugarcoat things so Li continues, "perhaps it's best if you postponed your coronation."
Rage flares to life in Azula's intense gold eyes. They have made a mistake. "What?! Which one of you just said that?"
Li exchanges a glance with her sister as Azula continues speaking, "what a shame. There's only one way to resolve this. You two must duel each other. I order you to fight an Agni Kai!"
Rather flabbergasted Li leaves Lo to speak first. "But…"
Li joins the conversation. "We're not firebenders."
"Alright, fine." The princess seems to reluctantly accept this reminder. Pointing at Li, she declares, "Lo, you're banished." And then to Lo, "Li, you can stay." The girl walks away before they can question her a second time.
"I think it would be best if we both took our leave." Li says.
"Or we can make our way into one of the hidden passageways and wait for her state to pass." Lo suggests.
Li considers. Venturing beyond the palace walls with the war reaching its climax posed a . But was the risk greater than the one the princess herself posed should she discover them? "Her mind is elsewhere." Lo continues. "She won't search us out."
Li nods, "let's stop at the kitchen along the way."
The duo wanders down a long flight of stairs that make several twists and turns before opening into a hallway that they follow for a length of time. They make themselves comfortable in rather small, secret underground annex. But it is spacious enough to be comfortably livable, at least for a few days while the comet unfolds. Fixed on the ceiling, there is a narrow, horizontal window that lets light in and offers a view, albeit a limited one, of the outside world.
The few days leading up to the comet pass remotely uneventfully. The most excitement they receive is watching cataipede crawl up the wall and begin the first stages of chrysalis. The day after provides a shift in the atmosphere.
Li thinks, at first, that it is the effect of the midday sky warming into the orange and red hues of a sunset. "It is beginning." Lo notes.
In which case, with the princess presumably attending her coronation, it is safe to emerge from hiding. Li vocalizes as much before standing up and stretching very stiff limbs. If the palace was sushed before, it is gravely quiet now. With the servants and much of the palace staff gone, the place is oppressively eerie. Their footsteps echo down the expansive hallway. A hallway that seems almost elongated by the change in atmosphere.
"How long do you think her coronation will last?" Lo asks.
"Long enough for us to restock our food supply and get some fresh air." Li replies. The pair scavenge the kitchen before making their way into the outside world. The sun may be blotted out by clouds (both natural and born of war machines and comet dust) but the comet itself provides plenty of light as begins to make its way across the horizon.
The sky is tinged red, its reflection in the royal garden's pond gives the waters an uncanny, coppery, resemblance to a pool of blood. She and Lo wander to the nearest bench and unwrap simple sandwiches; a meal for their comet viewing.
Distantly, they can hear the sounds of war balloons taking off and as the comet progresses comes the sound of a battle. The roar of fire slapping against fire, of explosions, the sounds of an agni kai. It is almost too close for comfort and keeps Li from fully enjoying her sandwich.
She has her meal finished and is discussing their next move with Lo when comes an astoundingly bright bolt of lightning. She can imagine that it could be seen well and clear over the rim of the volcano. It is accented by terribly loud rumble of thunder.
Thunder rocks the ground before all goes silent.
Disturbingly so.
Every now and again the sound of flames roar in the distant but they become less and less frequent as the comet reaches zenith. And then it does, it reaches its highest point and bursts into a brighter flare.
A flare and then burst.
Mayhaps it is that her sight isn't what it used to be, but she swears that something-just a small chunk-has broken away from the comet.
Li looks to Lo who gives a shrug.
"We need to be gone when the princess comes home, maybe we should have a look." Lo suggests.
"These old bones, walking that far?" Li asks.
Her sister laughs, "no one is around we have our pick of any of the tanks."
Li returns the wheezing cackle. "Like in the good ol' days."
Interesting, in retrospect, to know that they were seeking out a taste of the past in something that would only distance them much further from it.
The city passes in a blur, several times, Lo almost sends them careening into a building. By the fifth time Li grumbles, "let me drive you old moth-bat!"
"Not a chance!" Lo clings to the wheel. "I haven't done this in years!" Her laughter is of the howling variety and Li grins am almost toothless grin. She turns her head and spies the coronation square. She gives her own hooting laugh at the prospect of defying the princess in such close proximity. It is exhilarating, she will save feeling guilty for a later time.
A thin trail of dark smoke acts as a beacon, guiding them to where the space rock had collided. Lo rolls the tank to a stop near the rim of Capital City's volcano. Li grimances, "do you think your old legs can carry you all the way up there?"
"It don't matter." Lo replies. "I'm only getting older, if I'm gonna go out, I might as well make it fun."
Li frowns. "You don't have to rush to your grave."
"Eh, who said this is gonna kill me." She calls down, for the old coon has already scrambled herself halfway up the craggy rim.
"You let me know what's up there. My old legs won't carry me that far." She chuckles to herself. Of course her sister still has her agility. She herself would rather stay where things are safe. She listened to the sound of Lo shuffling around.
"Well I don't know what this is." Lo calls at last.
"What does it look like?"
Lo's face peeks over the edge. "I can't say. Every time I think that I've found the words for it, it changes."
"Has the princess driven you mad too?" Li asks. She doesn't get an answer. "Lo?" The lengthy pause leaves her jittery. "Lo?" She calls again. She shudders, there is an unpleasant rippling in her soul.
An incomprehensible blackness that seems to wedge itself into the interweaved souls of she and her sister. "Lo!?" She calls out a third time, louder, more desperate.
Something is wrong, she can feel it in her core and yet she can't say why it is wrong.
It is an alteration. Perhaps not directly to her soul. But inadvertently as some type of spiritual poison works into Lo's soul.
Her sister comes back into view, providing only a fleeting moment of relief before Li notices her shambling gait. She is moving slower and her descent from the rim is more uncanny than the bloody reflection on the garden pond.
She forces a smile and tries to ignore the feeling of terror. "Lo, I told you that you shouldn't have made that climb. Now you've gone and hurt yourself." Li scolds. With any luck Azula's coronation will have left her in a better, more generous mood. And perhaps she will allow for Lo to receive adequate care. "Let's get you to the place." She adds when Lo doesn't respond.
Her sister's gaze never leaves the floor and her hands seem to stiffly twitch every few minutes. And as they walk back to the tank she takes pause every now and again as her whole body shudders.
It isn't normal.
Not even slightly.
But Li wants to believe that her sister is fine.
"How about you tell me what you found up there?"
She is met only with raspy breathing.
.oOo.
It is a miracle that Zuko is the one to greet her and with a grand and glorious tale of victory. Li wishes that she can share in his joy. Instead she forces Lo forward. "I don't know what's wrong with her, Fire Lord Zuko. But you need to allow her to see the royal physicians."
Zuko gives a sympathetic nod. "What happened?"
"We saw something break off of the comet. Lo and I wanted to see what it was."
Zuko pinches the bridge of his nose. "What is with you old people and doing crazy things? I think the comet has driven everyone nuts!"
"You might be right there, Fire Lord." But exactly what kind of madness has befallen Lo.
Zuko escorts the twins to the infirmary. Lo is surprisingly strong as she resists Zuko's attempts to lay her down. It is a silent protest, but the old woman refuses to get in bed. Zuko seems to grimace. "Maybe I should have her taken to the institution with Azula…"
In need of a distraction she inquires, "what has become of the girl."
"She started screaming. Just screaming. And breathing fire…" Zuko trails off. "She wasn't...she wasn't her."
"Yes." Li nods. "She was unusually cross with Lo and I."
Lo gives another full body tremor and collapses onto the bed.
Her skin doesn't begin to liquify for another day. But when it does, it is absolutely putrid.
Her eyes go red first. Completely red as each and every blood vessel seems to rupture. Li watches it happen; first her right eye and then the left. Li tries not to stare for too long lest she be forced to accept that there is something silvery-white, fog-like, slithering in the pits of red.
Li can't help but be reminded of the pond.
She begins to think of it as an omen.
An omen she had failed to recognize.
"Lo, are you still in there?" Li asks on the second day.
Whatever it is that festers within Lo's soul, only seems to grow. Li feels it in her own soul and wonders if she will fall to the madness too.
Lo's lips move and Li regrets having coaxed it. That same silver-white smoke seems to ebb with in her mouth. But it isn't like any natural mist, it doesn't waft up. It doesn't leave Lo's mouth at all. It simply clings to the corners of her mouth as though waiting.
The third day is when the first glob of flesh slouches down Lo's cheek. It peels from the corner of Lo's right eye.
Li darts up faster than she thought her aged body ever could. "Fire Lord Zuko!" She calls. But what is he going to do? He is no doctor. Perhaps it is only the instinct of years of being an advisor that compels her to inform him of what is going on before sending for a doctor. Or maybe it is that she is used to Azula's wit and quick thinking; the girl may not possess a friendly demeanor, but she had always granted them access to quality healthcare.
Whatever the reason, she is at Zuko's side. And the Fire Lord is on his feet in seconds.
"Sit down, Fire Lord. If the woman is sick, you need to keep far from her." A guard declares. "In fact, have this one quarintined."
Zuko bites his cheek, his eyes go downcast. "She's…"
"Fire Lord." The man continues. "If this is the same thing that has emerged near the west rim…" He trails off. "There is already talk of getting you evacuated."
"Evacuated?" Zuko snaps. "What the hell is going on here?"
She can see it on him, the stress weeps off of him like Lo's decaying skin. He probably hasn't even finished the paperwork that would have his sister institutionalized, much less has he had the time to get used to how the crown feels on his head.
"I'm in the middle of planning a victory and coronation ceremony. I still have to unchain…"
"Those things can wait." Says a second guard.
"My sister…"
"We will take care of that." Says the first guard. He eyes Li. "Will someone take this old moth-bat into quarantine. Agnidammit!"
"Be careful with her!" Zuko shouts as a pair of particularly uncaring hands grab her by her frail elbows.
She scowls at the rudeness of the soldiers, she isn't one to pull rank, but, spirits, she would think that they'd handle a royal advisor-especially one so aged as she-with a little more attentiveness.
"We'll give you a few days. If your eyes don't go red we'll let you out." Says the man as he closes the door. It's thick metal seals her away from the answers that she years for. It only opens once more for a different guard to hand her at least four days worth of food and drink.
She doesn't see another human being for those four days.
It gives her time to think.
Think and agonize over what she doesn't know and never will.
No she never does find out what Lo had seen; what caused her body to jerk and shudder. Li is glad that her bones creak and groan too much for her to have seen it for herself. But only partially so. The other part of her knows that she should have been there.
They were born together.
They were supposed to die together.
If only they would have stayed in hiding.
If only they had feared Azula's wrath more.
Day five rolls around-day two of her quarantine-and she knows that Lo is dead. In the same why she has felt the unintelligible vileness, she feels that the other half of her soul has been snuffed out.
She stops eating on day five.
She is disturbed to realize that she feels hollow and free in equal measure; the death of her twin frees her soul and crushes it all at once.
On day six, a guard-Shinu, as she comes to know him-comes to free her, which is more kindness than was, apparently, extended to the princess.
She steps out of quarantine and back into the world.
By then, most of it is gone.