Went to th
Author's Disclaimer: I don't own a thing belonging to "Avatar: the Last Airbender!" Not a damn thing.
Author's Notes: And to get to something plot-pointy! Read on! :P
Maraghoul: Yup, Zuko's finally getting a taste of his own medicine. And it is BITTER! _ :P
QueenTyzula: I'm definitely keeping in mind the chi signatures….that could come into play :P And Azula does scare the pants off anyone :P
Harley Quinn Davidson: That would be a turn for Mai, wouldn't it? But I think she really loves Zuko. Kicked while she's down or not.
CharlieBarrow: As above to QueenT, you brought up an interesting point. I'm not sure how chi signatures will go for pups but I'll be glad to take a look at this. Could raise some eyebrows around the palace for sure… unless Zuko gets the pups to imprint on him or something. Looks and chi signatures between sibling would have to be so similar that it could be passable…. That is a good notion to explore! My thanks :P
"Stoking the Fire"
Chapter twenty-three "Early Winter"
"This can't keep going on…" Ty Lee murmured. Zuko flashed a concerned look to her. She had opted for a morning walk and happened on Azula's newest 'gift.' Another of the palace soldiers, his imperial armor stained red near the throat, very dead. His throat had been slit, the gaping slash wide and ugly. His expression was one of incredulous surprise. His accusing eyes seemed to follow Zuko. Zuko put a hand on Ty Lee's arm when she knelt with difficulty.
Her small hand reached out to gently close the young man's eyes. Her thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion. How could Azula do this? This young man was not Zuko and had nothing to do with who sat the Fire throne. He was barely old enough to shave. Ty Lee's heart hurt for his family. They would be devastated. And more than likely blame Zuko for those caught up in the game of thrones.
The newest note found on the body was definitely in Azula's handwriting. Zuko and Ty Lee both recognized it. The characters were mocking, promising more of the kind.
"We're searching the palace. Wherever the Kemurikage are hiding, it's a good spot," Zuko groused. He knelt beside Ty Lee and helped lift her to stand. Her belly was rounder and she placed a hand against the child inside. "I don't even know how many of them are in the palace…."
"Are you safe? Is the baby?" Ty Lee's eyes were wide. Zuko slung an arm around her waist.
"I'll be fine," he promised. "It's everyone else I'm worried about."
Ty Lee pressed her face into his chest. Her cheek rubbed against the fabric of his tunic. A few of the Kyoshi Warriors jogged up, Iroh in their wake. They balked at the sight of the newest deceased.
"Again… how are they DOING this?!" Suki cursed. Iroh gazed at the young man regretfully.
"My niece has a thirst for blood the likes of which I've never seen….." he wondered in his heart of hearts if he shouldn't have tried to mentor her in her youth as well. Zuko had the right heart to go his way. Azula would have had to be dragged, kicking and screaming.
Zuko's eyes were full of anguish as Iroh met them. 'What are we going to DO?' his gaze screamed. Iroh tried to smile.
"Let's bring the young man home. Ladies?" Iroh bent and Suki and the others knelt as well. Between everyone, carrying the dead soldier was an easy task.
Zuko sighed, feeling his day darken already. Even Ty Lee's round belly couldn't rouse any joy at the moment. He sighed and walked her back to her apartments. Ying followed in their wake, still in her bed robe.
"Azula can't be far off in something big if she keeps making these kind of moves," Ying reflected. Ty Lee flushed. She went to the washroom to comb her hair. Zuko nodded to Ying.
"I think you're right. She only makes moves that are worthy of attention. It's almost like she wants us to know she can do this. For the sake of knowing," he bit off. He sighed. "Please, excuse me, Ying."
Ying went in her bedroom in search of her Kyoshi Warrior garb. In Ty Lee's washroom, Zuko shut the door. He leaned against the long sink, and favored Ty Lee with a soft smile.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Ty Lee flushed. Zuko was always considerate of her feelings and seemed to be asking that a lot of late. As of late, when they had free time, he lavished attention on her and wanted to fulfill her physically. A lot of the times she took him up on the offers when she wasn't exhausted.
"Just tired," Ty Lee confessed. "I can only get so much sleep."
Azula's child gave her little peace as it grew bigger, and combined with the attacks on the new palace guards, was a reminder of its sire's bad temperament. Why not ask the Fire Lord for back and foot rubs and spread for him?
But when Zuko fell asleep after each exhausting day, Ty Lee caressed her belly, and thought of Azula so often her heart felt as limp as a rag. She felt wrung out and exhausted from her emotions. Why couldn't she have fallen in love with Zuko? Why did Azula capture her memories, and her attention? Carrying her child certainly didn't put her out of her mind, despite Zuko's best intentions to gain her full attention.
Zuko frowned. "Wake me up next time. I'll rub you down until you fall asleep."
Ty Lee shook her head. "You need your sleep too. I can't do that to you."
"Well, we're in this together, Ty," Zuko said. He leaned and pressed his forehead against Ty Lee's. Ty Lee held the back of his neck in her hands and closed her eyes.
She had dreamt about Azula again. In the dream, she was destroying the palace soldiers, killing those who tried to stop her in a blaze of fire….until she noticed Ty Lee's belly. She had stopped what she was doing, smiled, and prowled closer to collect her in her arms.
"I am so lucky you're carrying my pup," she had murmured against her lips. Ty Lee had clung to her until she woke up.
Ty Lee's heart lurched. It was a wishful dream, nothing more. It wasn't Zuko's fault she was dreaming like this. She clung to the Fire Lord, trying to calm down as his hands smoothed along her belly.
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"Aang? Are you alright?" Katara asked. Aang blinked. They had left the Fire Nation islands a couple of days ago and took their time flying back to Yu Dao. Zuko had insisted he and Iroh had things well in hand. Plus, Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors were there. He had to trust they were up to the task, with or without palace soldiers. He shook his head and stood up.
"Fine, Katara! I was just lost in thought…" he muttered, wiping sand off his trousers. Katara sidled close to hug his waist.
"I thought you were meditating," she confessed. "I didn't want to disturb you. Then I noticed you watching the water…."
The pair had landed Appa on a small island off the outskirts of the Earth Kingdom continent. Aang turned and cast his gaze back across the ocean. Involuntarily, he was facing the Fire Nation islands they had left behind.
"I can't help feeling something awful is going to happen… Zuko needs more help than he indicates," Aang confessed. Katara slung her arms around his neck. They pressed brows together.
"Zuko knows what he's doing. You always try to help everyone. Sometimes they can handle things on their own," she said, trying to sound wise. Aang blinked, staring into her blue eyes.
"That doesn't help the feeling of dread I'm having. The Fire Nation is heading towards an upheaval. We worked really hard to get Zuko to his rightful place on the throne. Azula's not at peace, and she's not letting Zuko be at peace. We have to be ready to help," Aang groused. Katara rubbed her nose against his. It made her boyfriend smile.
"Aang…..is there anything I can do to get your mind off of Zuko's problems?" she asked. Aang wanted to say Zuko's problems were very well his problems to a degree, but his bodily needs surged to the front of his mind. He thought of the glimpses of Katara's flesh he had seen when she undressed for a bath. He smiled, heart thumping hard. The Avatar was still a young man, after all.
"Well, I could make you a nice fire and we could have a quiet evening," he grinned. Katara blushed.
"I love you, sweetie," she said. Aang kissed her softly.
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Ty Lee took to walking around the palace to get her exercise in. Ying was ever at her side for protection. Her belly was getting positively round and the second trimester was almost over. They had glimpsed Mai with her brother and a retinue of servants following in their wake and Ty Lee and Ying had beat feet to avoid a confrontation.
Ty Lee hated that she was seemingly fleeing the Fire Lady, but she was exhausted as it was, physically and emotionally. She would have to chi block Mai to get away from her if she had started a fight.
"We should head back to the apartment. The Fire Lord doesn't want us out in the open so often," Ying murmured. Ty Lee nodded, pushing her braid over one shoulder.
"This can't keep going on…..Azula will come," Ty Lee murmured. Ying watched her, concerned. Almost on cue at the mention of its sire, Ty Lee felt a fluttering inside her. She gasped and pressed both hands against her belly.
"Ty Lee! Are you alright?" Ying grasped her elbow and helped steady her. But Ty Lee was smiling, tears in the corner of her eyes.
"The baby just kicked me. Oh, Ying, it's getting so big…." Tears overflowed in her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Ying slid an arm around her waist and helped her walk along. She was beaming.
"Lord Zuko will be glad to know that. Maybe it'll kick for him?" she suggested. Ty Lee nodded, mind awhirl. She wished she had let Azula claim her. She wished she knew she was carrying her pup….
But it was a far-off possibility that was nigh impossible. She had agreed to Zuko's proposal and for all intents and purposes, was his woman. Ty Lee sighed as they entered her apartment. Tsung and Yoshiko were on guard at her door and nodded as they entered.
She had feelings for Zuko in the evidence of their affection, but it wasn't love. She saw the way Zuko's eyes softened toward her. Maybe he was already heading that way and it made her heart hurt for him.
She loved Azula, not him.
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Zuko sped up as he neared the Fire Lady's family's apartments. He paused and knocked at the door. The servants answered and bowed to him. Zuko adjusted his cloak and waited.
His Fire Lady swept out to the sitting room and on cue, scowled at him. "What?" she snapped.
A fine line appeared between Zuko's brows. "Just checking on you. How many of the Kyoshi Warriors are watching your family?"
"Enough," Mai said. She placed a hand to her belly and sank to the sofa. Her flat belly had a bit of a pop to it and Zuko's eyes roamed low, tracking how the fabric of her robe was pushed out. "Zuko…."
"Hmm?" Zuko's eyes flashed to her face. The look on Mai's face was unreadable but he shivered at her words. "I'm going to need you again. Keep an appointment for me tonight."
Zuko flushed. He hated leaving Ty Lee alone, but the pheromones his wife gave off attracted him. They were mated and he longed to run his tongue over the bite mark across her throat as he pressed her into the floor beneath his weight…. Maybe it was because she was carrying someone else's child. He had the primitive need to claim her physically over and over…
He coughed, bringing himself to the present.
"I will," he gave a half bow at the waist. Five Kyoshi Warriors filed out of her mother's bed chamber and bent the knee, noticing him. Zuko inclined his head politely. "Please watch after my lady."
"We will, Lord Zuko," One of the Kyoshi Warriors said. The others nodded. Zuko sighed and left her family's apartment.
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Ty Lee was pouring tea for Ursa and Kiyi when Zuko found them. He gave a smile and sat next to Ty Lee. He leaned to kiss her cheek as she poured for him also. Ying was at her elbow, scanning the sitting room. He had to tell her he was going to be elsewhere tonight and wanted to kick himself.
It felt so strange to feel guilty about spending time with his wife over Ty Lee. But Ying would protect her. It wouldn't mean he wouldn't miss her. Zuko sighed. "Thank you…"
Ty Lee gave a soft smile. "You're welcome. How was your council meeting?"
Zuko gave her a slow wink. "The farming idea seems to be working. The capital reserves are being stocked up."
"It won't be that bad of a winter," Ursa worried. "Usually you can feel if it's going to rain. And the snow is a long way off."
Zuko nodded, glancing out of the window. The fall sun was bright and still warm and he relaxed. "What about Kiyi's lessons? Are you keeping up with your characters?" he asked.
His half-sister frowned. "Yessssss. Even though Tutor Yumiko is a ninny."
Ursa raised an eyebrow. "Ninny or not, you listen to what she says, young lady."
Kiyi sighed. "Yes, Mom."
Zuko sighed when Ty Lee's hand went under the table and squeezed his thigh. After tea, he took a few moments alone to twine with her privately. Ty Lee's arms slung around his neck as they lay on the sofa of their sitting room. He pressed a few kisses along her bare throat.
"Mai's asked to see me tonight. I won't be here…" he explained gently. Ty Lee sighed. She cupped his cheek with her palm.
"Make things up to her. I know she needs you," she said. Zuko frowned sadly. He kissed her softly. Ty Lee closed her eyes and clung to him.
"Have Ying massage your back if you can't fall asleep," he said. Ty Lee kissed him.
"I will…" She started and gasped. Zuko raised on one elbow.
"Are you okay?" he asked for what had to be the hundredth time that week. Ty Lee smiled and angled his hand between them to rest on the roundness of her belly.
"I meant to tell you but it wanted to let you know….the baby started kicking today," she smiled. Zuko's joy was genuine and brought tears to her eyes. Zuko's hand rubbed her belly and he looked up, startled.
"Oh, Ty…. It's okay," he said, leaning to kiss the corners of her eyes. Ty Lee sniffled against him. "This is great! It's getting so big."
"It knows you're here," Ty Lee agreed. The child shifted within her and gave another hard kick. She gasped. Zuko crooned and rubbed her belly, trying to assuage any discomfort.
"Hey, little pup. Hey…..this is your papa," he said. The words made Ty Lee want to weep. But Zuko would almost tear the room down trying to get her to stop crying. She held any further tears back.
"Yes…" she said.
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As Zuko waited in the royal apartments, his mind was awhirl. For all intents and purposes, the world thought he was about to have two children. His sister was still Spirits knew where, and his palace soldiers were being systematically killed. He should just put Mai off and patrol with his uncle tonight. There had to be a clue they were missing…..there had to be something he could do…
The front door to the apartment opened and he sighed. He sat up on the sofa as the front door was closed and locked behind Mai. She leaned against the door, looking flat. He rose to take her in his arms.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly. Mai pressed a hand against his chest. She pushed him toward the bedchamber. Zuko followed, sighing in his head. As of late, sharing a bed with Mai felt like mating with a cheetah-deer. He was getting raked by claw and antlers all at once.
"I'm fine," she snapped. "If you want to help, you can rub my back."
Zuko sighed, feeling his chest lighten. Mai loosened her bedrobe and lay on her side, keeping off her belly on the mattress. He climbed after, lapels of his robe pulling open across his chest. He applied his hands to Mai's lower back and began there. By and by she gave small sighs of appreciation. When he was certain she would roll over and kiss him, his heart surged. He longed to kiss her, look into her eyes and see the evidence of his mating mark on her throat. But instead, Mai loosened her bed robe so it fell open around her hips and rolled onto her knees.
"Zuko," she ordered. Zuko gazed between her legs, glimpsing all of her waiting for him. He opened his robe, took himself in hand and stroked himself to hardness. Climbing up behind her, he made sure his penetration was considerate. Mai cried out and pushed back against him. Zuko leaned across her back and draped a few kisses along her shoulders and the back of her throat.
Even though he couldn't see his mating mark, his wife shivered beneath him. She clenched around him and her fingers clutched the sheets around them. Zuko slowly began to thrust. Her soft cries gave him pause to hope.
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"We sure waited long enough," Zirin muttered. Azula raised an eyebrow at her out of the corner of her eye.
"But now everything should be ready. Your tactics were a good idea, but now it's time for brute force," Azula grinned. She was clad in a red tunic, her trousers perfectly pressed. Her boots were polished to a fine shine, and her topknot was elegantly tied. Two long perfect strands of her bangs fell around her shining golden eyes and smirk.
Zirin and the Kemurikage were similarly dressed. Their purple and black cloaks were wrapped up and placed into their packs. All of the soldiers, men and women alike, were clad in imperial armor, weapons in hand or tied to their belts. They waited in formation, proud expressions of expectation on their faces.
"I can't wait," Zirin murmured. She was certain the way would be clear for a decisive strike inside the palace. Azula turned to face the lines of soldiers and raised her arm in the air.
"Forward, soldiers! Let us take back the capital!" she yelled. The men and women raised their arms and cheered. The self-assured look on Azula's face was justified at the volume of their calls.
"Azula! Azula FIRE LORD AZULA!" they yelled. The Kemurikage flanked Azula as she took the lead. The lines of soldiers followed behind and finally the retinue of people were well on their way. Lady Sachiko stood in the courtyard, held up by a servant girl. She waved in their general direction, milky eyes wide open.
Zirin tried to relax the feeling of dread in her belly as they marched through the woods. They were finally on their way. Finally. They had enough soldiers to strike a harsh entrance and they could very well win. She hoped she was right. Azula was smiling beside her. She would have to hope the Fire Princess was going to ride her manic high until the coup was over.
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"Aang? Are you alright?" Katara asked. Aang blinked slowly, gaze going across the horizon of the ocean. They hadn't left the small island at his insistence and after sun bathing, he had gotten noticeably agitated. First, he fidgeted, then he got up and paced. Appa seemed to sense his frustration and gave a low bellow.
Now Aang was at the water's edge of the sand, grey eyes following the sun's trek at the far horizon where sea met sky. He was shirtless, tunic scattered beside their towel, and his pectoral muscles flexed with his sharp inhales and exhales. Katara had seen an old timer at their home village breathing hard this way before having a heart attack. The similarity scared her, but Aang was young and fit; he was in excellent health. This was silly!
"Aang?" she asked softly. Aang blinked. He shivered noticeably, even though it was a hot day. His hands hovered at his sides, fingers extended. She blinked as the air rippled around her boyfriend, buffeting his trousers. He had to be airbending. But then, Aang's mouth hung open. Katara clasped his shoulder and turned him toward her.
When his eyes met hers, they were pale and filled with the otherworldly but familiar light of the Avatar State. "This isn't right. I can't let this happen," he intoned, his familiar voice mixed with the androgynous tones of Raava. Images flashed behind Aang's eyes. Zuko fallen, his wife and Ty Lee weeping over him. Zuko laying in a golden coffin, cover removed so the capital could mourn their Fire Lord. Elements were being drawn into place to make that path possible…. It was going to come to fruition!
No…. he couldn't allow that to happen! Aang gave a silent scream, his jaw opening further as the elements surged around him. Clouds blotted out the sun and the waves of the ocean crashed wildly.
"Aang!" Katara started. She balked when he turned from her and waterbended, keeping himself above the water, seemingly walking on the surface of it. She followed, taking shallow steps in the deepening water as she bended to keep after her seemingly lost boyfriend. "Aang!"
A good distance out, Aang raised his arms in front of him and made a grand sweeping motion. All of the elements he could bend that he was touching, air and water, surged from him. Katara kept herself above the water's surface, clutching at his side, trying not to be swept away. She almost jumped and lost her concentration when Aang stomped one foot into the water and the earth far below on the water floor jolted, surging upward. The jolt of earth created a massive tidal wave that was picking up speed and shape; it became a veritable tsunami as it careened away.
Toward the Fire Nation islands. Aang gave an audible scream, his natural tone half blurred out by Raava's voice. The clouds overhead darkened until the sun was blotted out and day became instant night. The storm ahead followed the tsunami, lighting pitchforking out of the massive clouds. Aang's jaw slowly closed and he took a step backward. His right foot sank beneath the surface of the water and Katara bended his limb, keeping him above water.
"Aang!" she slung an arm around his waist, supporting him. Aang blinked slowly, and the light was gone from his eyes. His familiar grey orbs met hers, serious and wondering.
"I had to do it. I had to," he insisted. Katara wasn't even certain what he had done, besides stir up the ocean and create a storm.
As they waterbended back to shore, she had no idea the earthquake and tsunami and storms would create an impact that would affect nature itself.
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When the storm hit, the air was punched from Zirin's lungs. It was no sudden fall storm, quick and warm as summer storms were. The rain that fell was freezing, a true shower of sleet as ice rushed in to harden the ground.
Azula growled, and raised her arm, to command the march to continue. But the black clouds blotted out the sun and the rain fell hard, wetting armor and clothing, and hardening the fabric with the sudden lurch in low temperature. Zirin exhaled, matching Azula, as they breathed out steam, trying to warm their bodies as they moved. All of the firebenders were doing this. The nonbender soldiers suffered the cold without such a failsafe.
"What the fuck IS THIS?" Azula muttered under her breath. Her irritation rolled off her in waves and Zirin shivered with the cold. She clutched her cloak around her, but the folds didn't do much to warm her.
"I don't know, princess! But we may have to turn back," Zirin pleaded. Azula flashed an angry look at her. Ice encrusted her eyelashes and the corners of her red lips. She had to be freezing. But she merely kept inhaling and exhaling steam, trying to regulate her body's temperature with warmth. Her pristine martial appearance was tinged white by the swirling ice winds. Zirin knew she and the others looked and fared no better.
It was getting so they could barely make a step forward. The winds swirled at the backs of their bodies, buffeting their movements, and swirling on a back pass to prevent them from moving it seemed! An hour into this, Azula had to give up with disgust.
"Make camp! We'll see how it fares in the morning," she growled. The soldiers set their packs down and began pitching tents and making camp fires, with great relief. It was so cold, the nonbenders clung close to the firebenders, trying to absorb some of their warmth. That they broke protocol to do so was an indication to the danger they all were in of hypothermia.
Azula blazed a huge campfire in front of the tent her Kemurikage were setting up. She hunkered on her heels and glowered into the blue flames. Zirin knelt beside her, leaning close in an almost friendly matter. She handed Azula her purple and black Kemurikage cloak and the princess slung it over her shoulders, and ducked into the hood.
"This is freaking ridiculous! Winter wasn't due for another month or two!" Azula growled.
Zirin shook her head. She blinked, knocking residues of ice from her lashes. "What could have caused this?"
"I don't know….but we are still getting to the capital. Everyone rest up!" Azula yelled suddenly. Some of the soldiers snapped to attention at the sound of her voice. "We travel at first light!"
As the camp started dinner and tried to get some rest and shelter from the swirling ice winds, Zirin had a sinking feeling they weren't going anywhere.
End for now
End notes: Let's just say I was watching some documentary on ancient disasters (think earthquake underwater causing a tsunami storm of kinds in the Mediterranean) and I kept imagining Aang at the center of it :P
I'm not exactly sure when a fetus starts kicking, but I pegged a guess at end of second trimester. It's been forever since my sisters were born.
Stay strong, my lovelies.
Most sincerely, pen
1/06/2017