Author's Disclaimer: I don't own a thing belonging to "Avatar: the last Airbender"! Not a durn thing.
Author's notes: And here we go! Further down the road. I'm sure all of you who have a beef with Zuko will just love what I do to him here. All of you reviewers, I luv you. For reals. Thanks for your valid concerns and arguments. I know it comes from a place of passion.
Maraghoul: As ever, my first thanks goes to you, for helping me form the story in the first place. My many thanks, my friend.
QueenTyzula. Well, you will love the first scene, I imagine! :P Tell me you don't.
CharlieBarrow: My heartfelt thanks to Charlie for the idea behind Azula's dream. All credits to you for Azula dragon! The image was so cute I had to write it.
Harley Quinn Davidson: I hope you enjoy! ^_^
Sanchez97: I love the paragraph responses you have. Thanks for understanding my ideas for Zuko's actions.
Lance58: whether she will or not is still up in the air for me. We'll see….first, Ty Lee would have to get her to trust her.
My guest reviewers: thank you for all the passionate posts. I'm glad you're all enjoying the story.
"Stoking the Fire"
Chapter fifty "Mountainside Manor"
Zuko was more than a little concerned. He was downright worried. He had knocked on Ty Lee's apartment door, but no answer. With Mai on his heels, he pushed through and found the rooms void of people; no Ty Lee, no Ying, no Tsung, and far more distressing, no Izumi. He had no idea where anyone, let alone his child, was.
"Where are they? Where's the baby?!" Zuko yelped. Mai clutched his sleeve. She herself was frantic with concern over their infant. They darted around the apartment rooms, looking for a note, a clue, anything.
It came with Iroh who they almost slammed into running out the front door.
"Zuko, stop," Iroh said gently. Zuko's eyes were whirling with panic.
"For what? We have to find Ty Lee. Tsung and Ying are gone. And where is the baby?!" he demanded. Mai paled at his last words. If Ty Lee had gone, where WAS Izumi? The primal fearful thoughts of finding her daughter whirled through Mai's frantic mind. She clutched Zuko's sleeve, ready to dart around him and his uncle if need be.
Iroh's large hand extended and in it was a sealed scroll. His eyes were very sad. "Ty Lee has explained it all in here. And fear not; the princess is with your mother, Zuko."
Zuko faltered, staggered and whirled. He processed all that in about ten seconds and he squeezed Mai's wrists, keeping her rooted at his side. "She's with Mother….okay…." He accepted the scroll from Iroh and looked at it curiously. "What is this?"
"Lady Ty Lee has made a decision. She asked that I deliver this to your hand and apologize on her behalf," Iroh said. Mai and Zuko darted a glance at each other. Zuko regrettably broke the seal on the scroll and unrolled it. His chest hurt as his heart beat a staccato rhythm.
The elegant characters brushed by Ty Lee's hand sprang off the paper at Zuko. He blinked, anxiety roiling through him as he read. He didn't hide the scroll as Mai read over his shoulder.
'…..And I am sorry for doing this to you yet again. I would never want to hurt you, Mai, or your family. I've left under care of help for Azula. Yes, I arranged to take her from your prison. I hope you'll forgive me that. Zuko, please take care of our daughter. I hope your affection for me will keep me high in your regard.
Sincerely, Ty Lee.'
Iroh felt bad as he watched the array of emotions play across Zuko's face. Bewilderment, confusion, hurt and anger roiled across his features. Mai clutched Zuko's arm hard. Zuko's fingers creased the edges of the scroll as he almost tore it in half with the gesture.
"She left again? And with Azula?!" Zuko snarled. Mai grabbed his arm. She turned her angry husband toward her and clutched his face with both hands.
"Zuko, look at me. Let's get our daughter. Ty will tell us eventually if she's alright…."
"But Mai!" Zuko grasped her elbows in his hands, but didn't fight out of his wife's grasp. Her hands on his face soothed his ire a fraction of a hair. "It's enough she left me…..but Azula! She'll rip her apart!"
Mai's lips pressed into a fine line as she frowned. "Ty Lee should know what she's doing….I hope she does!" she admitted.
Iroh coughed. "Let's go get your daughter…"
Zuko whirled past his uncle, hurt roiling through his chi. Mai ran to keep up. The royal couple kept pace as they jogged to the royal mother's family's apartments. Iroh followed. Inside, they found Kiyi playing with Izumi on a blanket on the floor. Ursa and Noren carefully supervised.
Noren gave a welcoming smile to the Fire Lord and Kiyi called out to him happily. But Zuko was quick to notice his mother looked guarded when she usually looked happy to see him. There was something to that. And he would know of what.
"There she is…." Zuko couldn't keep a small smile from his face as his baby noticed his flexing chi and reacted. She wriggled her tiny legs, golden eyes shining. When she was this bubbly, Zuko could see Ty Lee in her features. He swallowed hard and knelt down to collect Izumi into his arms. Kiyi handed him a cloth in case she dribbled.
"She's so good, Zuzu!" Kiyi said. "I helped with her!"
"Thanks, Kiyi," Zuko said gently. Mai leaned in and let the baby grab up her finger. The look of relief on her face was palpable and hurt Zuko to see. "Noren, can you show Kiyi the new scrolls I've sent for her? In her room?"
Noren got the hint to leave rather subtly. He nodded and gestured to his daughter. "Come on, Kiyi, let's go read over some of your new stories a moment."
"Really? Why?" Kiyi turned to her brother with a pouty look. "Don't go anywhere without saying so first! I rarely see you these days."
Guilt filled Zuko's heart. He nodded. "You can come play with the baby with Mai and me right after."
"Promise," Mai added. Zuko was glad they were both working in tandem again. At least there was THAT.
"Hurray!" Kiyi finally relented to leave the sitting room with her father in tow. Once the door closed behind them, Zuko bundled Izumi into the crook of one arm. He watched his mother and uncle who acted as if they had a lot to cover up.
"So, you just had that letter from Ty Lee, Uncle? Or did you have something to do with all this?" Zuko got right to the point. His uncle's eyes were unreadable.
"Whether I did or not is not your main concern….."
"You're right. I want to know where you decided to help her spirit a traitor to the crown to," Zuko snapped. Iroh sighed.
"Is it merely for the sake of your concubine?" Iroh gently prodded. Zuko winced.
"Well, yes," Zuko snapped. "Of course, I want to ensure she's alright."
"And what about Azula?" Ursa spoke up. She sat, regal and tall, in her chair. "Lady Ty Lee offered to help when we needed someone close at hand."
Zuko frowned, darting a glance between his mother and uncle. "Mother, you too? Well, you and Uncle sure are in cahoots!"
Ursa folded her hands on the table. "I wouldn't call it that, Zuko. We just formed a way to send Azula away and safely."
"And sent my concubine along with," Zuko complained. Mai frowned slightly at her husband.
"Zuko, we know Ty can take care of herself. Please…"
Zuko touched her cheek with one palm. He handed the princess to her. Mai clasped her in her arms and supported her neck up. "She can, but Azula is hardly someone you'd want to unleash on someone."
Ursa winced. "I wish I'd never been forced to leave you both. Perhaps you would have grown up to be actual siblings instead of at each other's throats."
Everyone winced openly at her vulnerable words. And Zuko look like he'd been slapped.
"Mother….."
"She'll be safe to heal and far from here." Ursa folded her arms and leaned back. Zuko frowned.
"Tell me. Where'd you and Uncle send her?"
"So you can send a regiment of soldiers to bring her back? No, Zuko. Just, no," Ursa said. She sounded as if she were chastising a child. The look of incredulous fury on Zuko's face was alarming to see. He flushed with anger.
"Mother!" he sounded in pain. Ursa frowned slightly.
Iroh sat at the table beside Ursa. He stroked his long beard. "We took this up in our hands for this reason. It's not as if you'd torture your closest family members."
Zuko looked stunned, as if he were a child being punished. Mai felt sorry for her husband. She tapped her forehead against his shoulder, as her arms were full of the baby.
"I can't believe…you'd!..." Zuko sounded as if he were choking. He turned angry eyes to his wife. His golden gaze softened as she sent reassurance through his chi. She twined it around his. "You both….will be on house arrest….until further notice!"
Ursa raised an eyebrow. "As you wish, son."
Zuko gestured and put his arm around Mai's waist. "Kiyi!" he called loudly. Noren brought his half-sister back by the hand. Kiyi scampered to him and Zuko held her up on his shoulder in a loving gesture.
Ursa was relieved he would be placated by her daughter. Zuko was held in place by their planning….wasn't he?
Zuko gave her an anguished look. "Don't look at me that way, Mother. I would never let anything happen to Kiyi."
Kiyi hugged an arm over his dark head and pressed her cheek into his hair. "No, you wouldn't!"
Mai gave a bow to the royals and Noren as they left. Back in their chambers, Zuko sat on the sitting room sofa, and Mai gently laid Izumi into the girl's arms.
"Hold her head up….just like that…." She said. Kiyi beamed.
"I'm a great aunt, aren't I?"
"Yes, you are," Zuko agreed. He and Mai shared a tortured look over the girl's head.
'What are we gonna do?' was the shared thought. While Kiyi was with them, they had to play as if all were normal. They didn't want to involve the girl into the actions of the royal games as it were. When Suki entered, Mai calmly handed her the scroll left behind, as it also explained what had happened to Ying and Tsung. Suki frowned and would have cursed aloud, were Kiyi not there. The three adults scowled together.
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The second day of traveling was far longer. Maybe because they had left so early in the day, shortly after dawn. Each jump and jolt in the forest roadways made everyone bounce inside the carriage. Azula's body jolted on each impact. Ty Lee kept her head in her lap or arms, trying to shield her from the worst of the impact. It was a good thing Azula was out; the traveling was not comfortable in the slightest.
The healer kept a sharp watch on Azula's sleeping, his tired eyes lined with dark circles. A few times he took her pulse and gauged her breathing. Once after mid-day, he ordered the carriage stopped. As the women and driver pissed in the bushes, the healer added another dose of sleeping medicine to Azula's veins. Ty Lee, climbing back into the carriage, was startled to hear a loud broken snore from the princess. She cradled her head back in her lap and smoothed her dark bangs out of her closed eyes.
Ying climbed back up into the carriage and met Ty Lee's eyes. Her eyes were sad. Ty Lee shrugged but she knew her anxiety showed in her eyes.
"The driver says we'll stop in a few hours for the night," Tsung announced. She climbed in, and sat across from the healer. The driver closed the door and climbed up onto the driver's bench on top. Soon the chicken horses were off again and the carriage bounced.
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Azula was lost to her dreams. Darkness encroached upon her at every turn and nipped at her heels. She was shoeless, feet bare to the sifting clouds of blackness they churned up. Her uniform trousers were scuffed at the hem, as if she had been wandering a long time. Azula was non-plussed. What had happened to her usual impeccable appearance? She rolled up the sleeves of her tunic up to the elbow and grunted. It felt as if Agni's fire were inside her veins. Several cuts and small wounds upon her arms, legs, and surprisingly her belly, hurt as she continued walking.
She blinked and in the next instant, she was laying on something half comfortable. Her legs were twisted, but her face was pressed to something warm. A familiar scent came from the person who wrapped their arms around her head and the soothing coils of chi made her relax her limbs. Wind seemed to push against Azula's face, smoothing her loose hair back and when she opened her eyes, she was soaring through the air. She made to uncoil her limbs, and tiny clawed feet answered her call. Azula flicked golden eyes left and right, craning to look down at herself as she floated through the clouds.
Red and gold scales shimmered in her peripheral vision. Azula huffed, steam rising from her nostrils. Well, the Fire Nation royal family had tried to win the dragons to leave their ancient dwellings. A few of the more smitten ancestors may even have wanted to mate the creatures; fools really. But as Azula streamed along on the wind, scales glistening under the sun, she wondered if that hadn't really happened in her family's distant past. A strange thought.
But Azula had no idea she was dreaming as she enjoyed her afternoon fly. She wound around the tops of a nearby mountain, serpentine body coiling neatly around the dips and bends without striking rock. As she glided through the side of the mountain, neatly carved passages opened before her. Azula smiled in her head as she wound through, passing several caves cut deep into the mountain top. As she passed, Azula glimpsed aboriginal Fire Nation tribes from long ago, dressed in scratchy cotton red robes. Silk must not have been discovered by watching the silk butterfly-worms weave. The ancient beginning of her land's people cheered noting her arrival, and women and small children clad in red, long black hair streaming, ran to the edges of their caves to watch her.
Azula paid them no mind. She would go where she wanted, shrill screaming of the masses aside. The higher most cavern beckoned her, and its edges were marred with scratch marks from her claws from earlier entrances. Azula clung to the edge of the stone with her small clawed feet and angled to crawl inside. The cavern wound on, flattering murals of her painted on the stone walls.
Azula padded into the long main room of the cavern, where a fire was blazing in a stone hearth. Curled on the ground before it, wrapped in a blanket, was Ty Lee. The woman was wearing only a short shift and her naked thighs showed as she pulled her knees high and around the object in her arms. Azula blinked. At first, she thought the round shape was Ty Lee's belly, but looking again, she saw it was a large egg, splotched with scales of red and orange.
Ty Lee was no dragon, and Azula could shift from human's form back to her dragon form, so the egg was really no surprise to her. Azula coiled her long body around the girl, and their egg. Ty Lee's warmth radiate out against her scales like the warmth of the sun. Azula closed her eyes and set her head beside Ty Lee's face. The small hand that settled on her snout was warm and soothing.
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Ty Lee grit her teeth as the carriage swayed into the private courtyard and road of the manor. The second and third days of travel seemed to be never ending, with the princess sound asleep in her lap. But at long last, their short journey was at an end. Ty Lee didn't know who to silently thank; the spirits or the healer's intravenous sleep medicine.
"Oh, we're here. Thank spirits," the bearded healer said, voicing Ty Lee's thoughts. Tsung and Ying exchanged a smile.
"We made it," Ying said happily. Ty Lee didn't want to celebrate too soon. She craned her heard to look out of the carriage's opening. The driver was stopping the chicken horses inside of an enclosed structure. The creatures pawed the dirt floor, making small squawking sounds. Tsung opened the carriage door as the driver climbed down. Everyone helped Ty Lee carry Azula's prone body out. Her head dipped back, loose hair spilling.
Protective instinct slammed through Ty Lee at the vulnerable position. She just wanted Azula wrapped up in bed to sleep off the last effects of her drugging. But when she awoke….who knew what demon would await them?
A few bearded healers filed up in the carriage housing, and their healer sidled up, opening his satchel and sharing what was left of his supplies with the other bearded men. Ty Lee reflected his heavy lifting was over with the hope of reinforcements. Tsung and Ying helped support Azula's weight until a few servants pushed through to collect her. Ty Lee kept pace as they wound into the large estate house, and up a staircase. The stairs had been carved into rock; the manor had been settled right into the side of a mountain after all. It was remote and far from imperial view.
Ty Lee didn't have long to ponder. The lord of the estate, a skinny youth just a few years older than she, approached the group and bowed at the waist.
"When Lord Iroh asks for help, my family will answer the call. Hello, Lady Ty Lee. Welcome to Mountainside Manor. I am Lord Takumi."
"Thank you, my lord. We're going to need your help," Ty Lee said. The servants continued up the stairs with Azula in their arms. Tsung and Ying kept pace with Ty Lee and the young lord as they ascended after her.
End for now
End notes: Like it? Smash that button and do that review thing. Stay strong, my lovelies! Sorry so short. More to come next week :P
Most sincerely, pen
6/30/2017