Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender or its characters. I do not own Teen Titans or its characters. I own only the plots/ideas/situations that I have place the characters in and my OCs.
Trigger Warning! There's some dicey dialogue in this that alludes to rape and torture. Please proceed with caution!
ALSO: If you can't read this or other chapters with TWs, feel free to PM for a summery of the chapter's plot points. Important notes at the bottom.
Fractured Minds
Chapter 22: Origin Of The Flames
Council Tent/Day 60
Lily had Daoru deposit her behind the council tent; Dao would locate the master firebender faster without her. There was a small shaded alcove in the earth wall surrounding the camp. Her mother asked General Toph to put it there for a quiet getaway. It also afforded an excellent and comfy seat to eavesdrop on meetings that were held in the council tent.
She shifted in the seat, trying to get comfy but gave up after a few moments. I know Rook had to have felt the same familiarity. Why would he lie about it? I shouldn't have told him that I think she's our mother.
Her thoughts were halted when she heard Shen's voice. "Lord Zuko. In light of recent events I feel it would be prudent to increase Lily and Roku's training. I would like to take them on a training trip. We would stay on Kyoshi but be far enough away that, should those invaders follow us, they will be out of the direct line of fire."
I am not going anywhere with him.
"How long?"
"Two months should be sufficient for what I plan to teach them." Her ears perked up as she heard a slight shake in his tone. If she didn't know any better, it sounded like Shen was afraid. What's got him spooked?
"Very well. You may leave with them as soon as you are able."
"Thank you lord Zuko." Something was definitely off about Shen today. There was a commotion on the other side of the tent. Lily heard a ear-piercing scream and an inhuman snarl that rattled her bones. It took her a long time to realize that she was still shaking from the sound. Even longer to get her body to stop shaking.
From the corner of her eye she saw Daoru's gold and black form, appear next to her. Daoru's presence brought her a small measure of comfort. Her blood ran cold as she heard Raven speak, "He's in league with the Brotherhood. They have plans for Rook and Lily."
I've got to warn him. As she turned to send Dao to Rook, she saw that Daoru was already flickering out. Her stomach was churning and it was all she could do to not vomit. I've never liked Shen, he was always too intent on our training and he was mean to Rook.
"They are not your children, are they?" Lily waited for her mom or dad to say something but they never did. The churning in her stomach got even worse. "Do you even know, that your general," The sheer amount of disdain that Raven's tone conveyed in one word, raised the hairs on the back of her neck. "is their father?"
The flickering bright orange visage of Kuutak was an unwelcome intrusion. With venom in her voice she hissed, "What does Rook want Kuutak?"
'He sent me to bring you back to the tent.'
"I'm not going. Kuu, Return to Rook." Kuutak's form flickered in alarm at the malevolence in her aura. "Go or I'll have Dao make you leave."
'He's worried about you.'
Kuutak had little time to react as Daoru rushed him. A single black and gold fist struck their center. The only evidence that another entity had been present, were the dissipating bright orange sparks.
"Thank you." She said giving her guardian a slight nod.
Daoru inclined their head.
"Azula is her mother.
Everything narrowed to those gold eyes filled with bleak shadows and despair. "Please take me to that woman-" Dao was next to her in an instant, the guardian's hands hovering to either side of her shoulders. "Take me to Azula."
Zuko's rage clouded her empathy; it was all she could feel. Rage was feeding on it. "Is that bastard dead?!"
The tension grew as they waited for an answer. It was clear to whom he spoke. The minutes passed and not a sound escaped from Raven. Her skin burned as it darkened. She allowed the inferno that was Rage's will to shine through. Her soul-self distorted the shadows in the tent to reflect her true form over her physical body.
"Foolish human." She glanced toward her humans then back to her enemy. He had drawn back. She decided that that simply would not do. Her form shifted and twisted until she towered over in him. "Death is too neat, too clean, too painless, too pleasant for him." With a wave of her hand the blue cloak transformed to red, she let it flare wide, hundreds of pairs of red eyes were in the shadow it cast over him. "His abilities are the reason he was not cast into a demon infested pit and left to rot as they devoured his soul."
Two thin red lines of her soul-self coiled around him, more strands gathered beneath him to hold him firmly in place. "And instead of being able to hunt him, I am stuck here explaining myself to you. The next time our path's cross, he will not escape me."
As she willed her soul-self to constrict around him, the kaleidoscope of fury was siphoned off. "Azarath MetrionZinthos"
"Raven what-" Robin stopped mid sentence as he moved forward to catch his collapsing teammate. Heedless of the appearance of her birthmarks and the purple-black rings of soul-self shrouding her. "Cyborg I want a diagnostic scan now."
"Already done." The scans told him nothing useful or good, he growled. "Whatever Slade and that crazy fire asshole did, its still doing a number on her."
"How long will she be out for?" He asked as he wrapped her as best as he could in her cloak; her skin would be highly sensitive to light for awhile.
"Best case she'll be up in a few hours, worst case a week."
Robin gently handed Raven to Cyborg before turning to Suki. "Is there anywhere that she can rest? Where she won't be around a lot of people and in a room devoid of light?"
"She's not going anywhere-" Zuko let out a high pitched yelp when Mai elbowed him in the side. When he looked to be about to continue Mai's death glare made him keep his mouth shut.
"All of you can crash at my place. Raven can rest in my cellar." Suki said with a hard edge to her voice. She hoped that Zuko would object, so she could hit him too. Robin and Cyborg couldn't hide their surprise at Suki's over-protectiveness; she didn't seemed bothered that Raven had gone full Red Menace on Zuko.
The flaps to the tent were thrown open as four imperial firebenders, a Kyoshi warrior, Gar, Iroh, and Starfire entered the tent. At the same time that Gar opened his mouth, the small figure surrounded by the firebenders spoke too.
"There are fires breaking out all over the island."
"I can't find Lily."
The Lake/Day 60
Her breathing did not change as she felt the fluctuating fire chi again. It was the same as those fire spirits from the tower's infirmary. She did not elect to bring it to the attention of her companions. The fire spirit hadn't yet breached the valley.
I've seen them before, but where? This question was on a non-stop loop ever since her and Raven appeared in the palace. Her emotes were alarmingly silent when her thoughts focused on the fire spirits or the children they belonged to.
"Whoa slow down, X. Cliff notes!" Jinx's sharp tone drew her out of her headache inducing thoughts. "Fires breaking out across the island, Shen's been working for the Brotherhood and has teleportation abilities, Princess Lily is missing, and Raven pushed herself too far and is out of commission. Robin wanted me to contact you, said your Black Magic's leader. He, Cyborg, and Beast Boy are helping the more isolated villages. Starfire is hunting for Shen and searching for the missing kid. Mam and Giz are helping with fire suppression on the other side of the Bay. Kyd's been helping with evac."
"Get back to Giz and Mam, have Kyd go to Suki for a familiar face and get to the biggest fire. The familiar face will explain to the locals that you're there to help. You and Kyd are to help with evac of civilians trapped in buildings. Giz and Mam are on fire suppression with the local Kyoshi warriors. Rinse, lather, repeat. Me and Zen will help Starfire look for the kid." There a was snap and than a frustrated groan. She heard a startled gasp from the waterbender.
Azula cracked an eye open to see what caused it. She nearly gasped herself. One of the giant boulders along the lake's shore had shattered into a million pebbles. Tiny sparks of pink ran along each pebble.
"Jinx we can't leave Azula here, especially if everyone is running around the island putting out fires. If Zuko or any Kyoshi warriors find her here...they'll kill her." Zen's worry for her well being, birthed a warmth in her chest. It was nice to know that she had someone else, besides the Titans, that would look out her.
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me, but we don't have a choice. From what X said, Shen tried to take Lily and Rook. Whatever the Brotherhood has planned for this world, it involves them. Will you be able to live with yourself, when he gets to Lily first?"
Before Zen could protest further or offer a counter-argument, Azula's cutting tone drew their attention. "Stop bickering and go find the girl." Her gaze shifted to Zen, "I have no intention of letting anyone find me. Nor do I have any intention of leaving this valley. I'm not well enough to face what's out there. My bending isn't reliable and lightning is off limits for the time being."
"You're damn right it is. I can't believe you were fool enough to try it with your chi in the condition that it's in." Zen mumbled under her breath.
"Just go." Both Zen and Jinx spared one last glance at her before Jinx grabbed Zen's arm and they disappeared in a flash of pink.
She once more measured her breathing and focused only on the even in and out. Meditation wasn't something she'd ever had to do to feel for her chi. When asked by her fire masters, she had answered that she had always felt it. They declared her a prodigy then.
It was odd finding herself in the palace but she knew it wasn't his. He would never let the rubble strewn about remain. She walked among the splintered wood, cracked titles, and torn tapestries to the gaping hole that was the entrance to the throne room. Today she was greeted by Intelligence and her wall of yellow flames. The wall lowered to stand at only half height as she moved further into the throne room.
'I often forget that we are good at most things we set our mind too.' The yellow armor didn't rattle at all as the emote shifted into a more comfortable position on the throne.
Intelligence did not speak until she was settled. ' But no matter how many times you come nor how many times you inquire, my answer will remain the same. Let this go.'
"We both know that I can't. Our panic attack wasn't just caused by being in his palace. Those children triggered it and I need to know why." The wall of yellow flames guttered as the air grew heavy. "Tell me where I've seen them."
The emote pushed back against the heaviness, she snapped, 'Sifu there's a reason you've blocked out the last six years at Crescent Isles.'
The horror struck look that spread across Intelligence's face when she realized what she'd let slip, was jarring to see. Azula paid it very little mind as she latched onto the unintended hint. "That's where I've seen them."
The horror struck look on the emote's face morphed into one of pure agony as the memories rose around them. A crackle and a flash of red were her only warnings. The bolt of red lighting flung her through the wall of red and yellow flames.
Her breaths gushed out in rapid pants that tasted like sand. She was laying face down on the sandy shore of the lake, her back was numb. She sighed before rolling over onto her back, she relished the pain it caused. It was tolerable, it felt like pressing a hand to a bruise. Her eyes shut trying to block out the fleeting images and sensations that always indicated a trip into Raven's memories.
Her back spasmed, the muscles were taut as a bow string. Her lungs were screaming for air, her legs wobbled dangerously, but she kept running. The first bolas glanced off her shoulder and nearly sent her face first to the ground. She felt her knee give a warning twinge, but she ran on. The second bolas found its mark, as she toppled over, she spun with the momentum of the throw to land on her back.
The air was forced from her lungs by the impact. She gave in to the enticing black spots across her vision. She fought against the blackness to claw her way back to consciousness. She woke long enough to see him leaving her to die, she wasn't needed anymore; he had what he wanted but not everything.
She let the swirling images fade. Those were my memories... She was too pre-occupied with what she saw to sense the approach of the fire spirit. When its black and gold form flicked into being, a small figure detached from it. The fire spirit's companion captured her attention; the fire spirit appeared with one of those kids.
The girl's eyes zeroed in on her and than back to the fire spirit. "Daoru stay close. Those other two could come back and Shen's probably lurking around somewhere too."
'As you command.' Daoru bowed its head then flickered out of view. Daoru's fiery form reappeared on the lake's opposite shore.
"Is your name Azula?" Lily wasted no time in getting down to business.
"It is." She answered looking directly into eyes like hers. "You're princess Lily, I presume?"
Lily ignored the question and searched gold eyes for any sign or spark of recognition. As the minutes passed she found nothing in them. Lily's voice trembled as tears rolled down her face. "You don't even remember us. R-Rook was right. You're not her. You can't be our mother."
Our mother. Like the beat of a drum this thought pounded through her head.
"There's a fire in the city of pictures, leaving nothing but ashes below. Its only forever for a day. Tomorrow is burning away." Her voice shook as she sung the strangely familiar words. "Burn away, burn away, burn away."
There was a beat of silence between mother and daughter. Lily's tears slowed as their eyes met. "That song, so you do remember us."
"No...I..." Her voice was little more than a pained whisper. The breath had been robbed from her lungs. Images flashed across her vision, she did her best to shut them out.
Ursa's footsteps were silent as she approached her slumbering daughter. The sight of her little firefly sleeping soundly put a small smile on her face. Her smile was short lived. She tasted salt when the moisture caught at the corners of her mouth;the tears wouldn't be her last before this night was over. Her hand gently pulled the covers up and over Azula's small form.
Her heart raced as Azula rolled beneath the blanket. She began to sing, "She's out of sight. He's out of mind, they've always lived in the castle. The frozen nights and moving lights, they're inside out of the window. There's a fire in the city of pictures, leaving nothing but ashes below. Its only forever for a day. Tomorrow is burning away. Burn away, burn away, burn away."
As she watched her daughter settle,Ursa breathed a little easier. No one could know she was here. Ozai told her to choose, who she'd say goodbye to but she was done playing his games. She leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her forehead, "Sweet dreams, my little firefly and remember this lullaby; I hope you sing it to your little ones, someday."
As she reached the door, she glanced back to burn the image of her daughter's face into her memory. Her tears refused to stop.
"She's out of touch. He's out of time. They'll always live in the castle. The fading flower, the passing hours, they fall like sand through their fingers." By the time she rasped out the last line of the lullaby, the baby in her arms had settled as had the one she was leaving in the crib. Every step toward the window was physically painful, but she knew that she wasn't strong enough to keep running with both. She looked back once; he would be seen by too many people. Shen wouldn't be able to secret him away.
"There's a fire in the city of pictures, leaving nothing but ashes below. Its only forever for a day. Tomorrow is burning away. Burn away, burn away, burn away. " She fought to keep calm, knowing that it wouldn't be long now. He would find them, take her away, and Azula had to let him.
The memory that washed over her, left her emotionally gutted. The song was her mother's lullaby. She had sung it to her children; to Lily and Rook. "He was going to secret you and your brother away. I-I couldn't let that happen. I escaped to make a scene so that even if that monster took you, he couldn't disappear with you, either of you."
"If anyone here has a claim to the title of monster," Both mother and daughter's heads turned in Shen's direction. In the blink of an eye, Azula was on her feet and placed herself in between him and Lily. "its you, princess."
His hand pulled a cylindrical object from his belt, Azula tensed at seeing the grenade, but it wasn't for them. He pulled the pin and dropped it before shifting. Daoru's flickering from collided with the white vaporous cloud and collapsed into smoke.
"Pathetic. You couldn't beat me with your fire guardian before, Lil. And you never will." He spat from their left.
Azula grabbed blindly for Lily, when their hands met, her mind was clear of the frenzied panic that his sudden appearance brought. "Stay behind me."
"You lose." He whispered, she spun lashing out with a kick but her leg sliced through empty air. Her mind was on the edge of panic again as she scanned the valley for any sign of him.
Azula forced herself to take a deep breath. She dropped into the first form of Towering Drake. As she waited she willed her unstable chi to obey its master. Her right arm burned with a deep chill, she shifted her body slightly to her left as the red runes glowed brightly. Her first volley of fire struck a startled Shen as he re-appeared and the heat of her blue flames, made him release Lily. She launched herself high in the air, at the highest point of her jump she fired her second volley of fireballs.
Her feet hit the ground before the fireballs were half way to their target. She pulled Lily close to her before sending a third volley to violently explode the second. The collision of fire sent waves of it over half of the valley. As the fire rained down she sped through two sets of katas. Azula's movements were measured, precise, and fluid like a waterbender.
The last motion of the katas brought both her arms over her chest in an X, she paused to lock on to Shen's position and broke the X. The fire spun and writhed in the air, twisting around itself as it converged on Shen. The head of a massive dragon rose to tower over him. The dragon's maw opened wide in a silent roar. Its snake-like body coiling, keeping Shen penned in.
The soothing emptiness answered her call as it always had. The arcs of blue-white sparks grew larger with each motion. Her left leg slid forward as her right locked in place, the bolt of lighting scattered her flame dragon. The clap of thunder was deafening, so much so that she didn't hear him draw the daggers from their sheaths or Lily's shout.
She jerked away from him when she felt his breath on her ear. The blood was warm as it spread down her back. The rough motion threatened to rip the daggers' hilts out of his hands and he reflexively tried to pull them back to him. The daggers were torn from her upper and lower back.
"I've always loved," Her body refused to move as he crouched down to cup her cheek with his left hand, his thumb stroked it. She spat blue flames into thin air. He reappeared holding Lily flush to him with a hand around her throat. "and hated how much fight is in you. This little firefly is going to be quite the handful when she's older. Its too bad that you won't be around to see it."
"Over my dead body." She hissed as she tried to rise from the ground only to start coughing up blood. A small pool of it was seeping into the sand, staining it red; the runes on her arm were slowly disappearing one by one.
"I'm curious, what could you possibly do?" He sneered at her. He adjusted his grip on Lily and readied himself for a shift. "When you're more dead than alive."
"Not me."
He screamed as the left half of his body was enveloped in bright orange flames. The fire guardian flickered away with Lily in its arms. The defiance drained out of her then and she let her eyes close. "Never, say never."
Shen's breathing was ragged, his voice hoarse from the screaming, "First I'll kill you and then I'll kill her. I only need one."
The rasp of metal on stone rang out across the water, she heard a distant hum. His feet dislodged and scattered rocks as he stumbled near, she heard the gentle lap of the water as it broke around the large stones dotting the lake's shore. She never heard his sharp intake of breath as he forced his left arm up with his right nor did she hear as another scream rent the night air. The flash of light that slammed into him was swallowed up by the growing darkness; it beckoned to her and she went willingly.
So there's another cliffhanger at the end of this one...Sorry, not sorry. The song in this chapter is called Burn Away by The Birthday Massacre.