A pair of warm brown eyes opened, staring up at the dusty ceiling as if to discern meaning from the whorls of cobwebs. They were as if startled, wide with the vividity of the dream and the suddenness of it's close. "Naina!" Her door opened, the bright chink of light falling directly across her face. "Naina, it's late. You need to get ready so you're not late again. Naina! Wake up!" She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yes, mamá, I will!"
As mamá walked away, she reached over to the side of her bed, flicking on the flame of her lamp. The room was flooded with even more light, driving her dreams away. She listened, waiting until her mother had reached the kitchen below, where the noises of the morning streamed in through the window.
Naina rolled off her bed, landing silently like a cat, on all fours. Peeking beneath the too-long sheets, she withdrew her worn notebook and jumped up. Grabbing her writing brush, she tried as best as she could to empty onto the paper her overflowing mind.
Interrupted by the soft footsteps penetrating past her door, she gasped, shoving the book out of sight. Quickly moving to her closet, she listened for her mother's entrance while pretending to rummage for the appropriate clothes. "Naina! What are you doing?! You need to be in the shower now if you don't want to be late! What is it with you!"
Mamá stood with her arms crossed, glaring impatiently at her procrastinating daughter. Naina sighed, wincing in frustration. No more writing just then. She grabbed clothes randomly, walking to the bathroom under mamá's admonishing stare.
"I don't know what to do with you," mamá sighed. "Somehow, you always waste just enough time to be in late." Not receiving an answer, she threw up her hands, muttering in Solanese. From inside the bathroom, Naina said tiredly, "Mamá, I'm not wasting time. I had to choose clothes and make sure that they are fitting for today's schedule."
Of course, lying was wrong, but, in her opinion, it was necessary when circumstance called for it. Unfortunately enough, circumstance presented itself more often that not. Besides, no one ever caught her lying; she was too accomplished in the task. Her face was always sincere, even when her mouth went in an opposite direction.
After brushing her teeth, showering, and attending to the more mundane activities of life, she glanced at the old clock on the wall with a grin. She'd be able to write on the way – she had a few extra minutes and could afford to walk slowly. Dancing across the room, she put her tattered notebook into her bag, hefting it onto her shoulders.
Downstairs, she paused to take a pastry to eat on the way, and again to wear her shoes. "Bye Mamá, bye Pador!" Her father looked up from his breakfast, giving her a smile in return as mamá called out from another room. Squeezing past the tiny space left by the giant decorative potted plant to leave, she walked a ways, until her actions couldn't be seen from her house.
Looking up, she noticed the dark, writhing mass of clouds above, and streaks of lightning at the edges of the storm. Shrugging, she grabbed her book from her bag, pulling up the hood of her cloak in anticipation of the storm to come.
Carefully, she penned part of her story, writing about a dangerous escapee from prison.
Zaira tread carefully, knowing that Azula would be arriving soon. How would she explain the disappearance of the second in command? She kept her keen eyes trained ahead, while pacing silently, trying in vain to come up with a reason for why she, a stranger and a servant was there to meet Azula, a ruthless leader. In her thoughts, she nearly missed a curious sight ahead.
One of the squirabbits hopping about had been traversing a straight path suddenly veered to the left, rolling in its surprise – something had blocked it from going ahead. Curious, it sniffed the area, bumping its sensitive nose against what had seemed to be air, but solid.
Zaira frowned – it was odd behavior for any animal, and furthermore, air couldn't rebound a running creature. It was impossible. She walked forward, dropping down suddenly as she crossed the space. Air had tripped her. She fell face first, her cloak's hood falling over her head as it came forward.
In her focus, she forgot to watch her feet, and they broke the steady yet silent rhythm they usually kept, falling on the roots of a protruding tree.
Just before she hit the ground, she saw the lightning as it came towards her, preceding the rain that usually marked it.
Azula frowned, ducking beneath the trees as the guards passed. She was reduced to hiding in the shadows, like a thief before her own home. But not for long; soon she would be returned to her position as the commander of a most powerful Fire Nation Army, and she would fight. She would fight for her country, to bring it back, alive, from the realms of humiliation.
She delved deeper into the forest, seeking her rendezvous' with the second of the rebel group she was the spearhead of. Her lethally golden eyes flicked about, her feet making no sound among the dried leaves littering the ground. Such dirty work for someone of such high class, picking among the underbrush with nigh a servant. All there are here are these horrid animals running across my feet. But I mustn't complain, it's beneath me.
Something larger than squirabbit moved across the periphery of her vision, almost tripping as it walked. With not a though of hesitation, she channeled the energy of the world, shooting it through her outstretched fingertips.
Naina gasped as the lightning hit her side with full electrical energy, sending jolts throughout her bloodstream, full of electrolytes. It spread from her hip through her torso, flowing to the extremities and –
- And receding, leaving an odd tingling sensation in her fingertips. She looked up, vision slightly blurred from the fall and the electricity's combined effects, to find herself in a forest.
The sensory overload reached her electrified brain, making her faint just as a woman with outstretched fingertips came into view.
Azula stared for a moment, debating whether to finish the wretch or to question her. Unfortunately enough, she hadn't quite regained her powers just yet, her temporary trip to the lands of insanity leaving its mark on her pride. Otherwise, the girl would have died with that first bolt.
Just as she was gathering the energy to strike again, the girl stirred, blinking confused eyes and looking up at her. "Who are you," Azula demanded.
"My name is Na-Zaira, ma'am." Naina cursed internally, keeping her face passive. She didn't know how or why, but she was talking – face to face even – with one of the characters in her story. A character more lethal and dangerous than any other. All she knew was that Zaira had been there, waiting for Azula, who had never met her before. So that's the name she took.
Azula frowned. "Why did you hesitate?" Her piercing glare stood almost on par with Naina's passive one. There was no way a lie could be detected.
Naina stood, bowing deeply in the traditional Fire Nation style, fist below palm. "I go by many names, Your Highness; I had to give the one most befitting a humble servant to a leader of your class."
Azula raised an eyebrow. "A peasant who has learned respect. How refreshing," she said contemptuously. "You have not answered fully my question. I did not ask a name, I asked for who you are."
"Pardon me, Your Highness. I come here in place of Ri Chan, who was second in command of the Mehrs. Master Ri was killed in a skirmish only yesterday. I was his page." Naina thanked her stars that she had planned out this part of Zaira's tale. Unfortunately, after this, she was left to a blank.
"And why was no one intelligent enough to tell me of this…new complication until now?" Every detail of her plans had to be mapped; there was no getting around them. And now, she would be forced to rethink her tactics after losing such a high officer.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness; I was only told a few hours ago, as I am but a simple page. I do not know why there was no dispatch to get you this information." Hopefully, there would be no consequences in such a vague lie.
She alone knew that the Fire Nation's underground secret service, the Zinnias, had intercepted and killed the messenger. But word had not gotten out that this had happened; the general assumption was that Azula had finished the boy off in her anger.
"Hmm. There is something different about you. Where are you from?" Azula stared at her tanned face.
Naina quickly bowed again, supplying the truth this time. "From where I come, we call it Solan, the land of the Sun. He is of the highest veneration."
"It must be an early colony of the Fire Nation then, from Fire Lord Sozin's time. I take it you are a Firebender?"
Naina gave another internal sigh; this time relieved. Back at the university, one of her courses was Fire Magery. And by her luck, she was not new to being a Fire Mage; her power had been discovered at an early age. However, she knew nothing of the styles of Firebending, nor was her control impeccable.
"Yes, I do have the ability to control fire; yet I have never had a Sifu, so I am a novice bender. Back in Solan, I was working for my family, so never had the time to find a master. But I progressed, since I am capable with a sword." Fencing was another of her abilities. True to her word, she excelled in that class, close to beating the master himself.
"Fine. Since I do not employ non-benders, nor do I care for uncontrolled bending, I shall have my cousin, Rokon, teach you. He has little patience for sniffles and cowards, so you had better progress quickly." Azula had taken to this peasant girl; there was something about her that made her intriguing. There was no use killing her now, when she could have the pleasure of defeating the child in an Agni Kai.
Naina's impassive mask gave way to surprise; she had just won over Princess Azula, known for her ruthlessness and disdain for peasantry. Such a diplomatic friendship would surely spare her life. Bowing even lower, she expressed her gratitude both towards the Princess and to whatever spirit out there who had saved her life. "Thank you, Your Highness."
"Yes. Now take me to base headquarters. I need to evaluate the soldiers once again; there shall be no more trifling losses to my cavalcade. Your Ri Chan will be the last of my regiment to die when not under my will." She looked forward, perfectly groomed hair fluttering in the gentle wind.
"This way." Naina extended her arm to the North. Though she knew not the location of base headquarters for the Mehrs, she knew that there would be stationed spies at the edge of the forest, ready to be bodyguards for their Princess.
Let me know if something is confusing and ambiguous, I'll be happy to explain!
But something that you should know for the next chapter: the Mehrs are a rebel group to the new Fire Nation leadership (Zuko), and are spearheaded by Azula. The Zinnias are similar to the CIA in the US, as a secret underground organization that protects the nation and its ruler. They are not directly under the control of Fire Lord Zuko, but under the new Fire Nation bureaucracy. He is not a dictator, unlike previous Fire Lords.
The names of OCs in this story are mostly made up, with the exception of Naina and Ri Chan. Their names mean eyes and Sun (Ri), respectfully. Chan is just a word of respect given to teachers, sifus, or gurus.
Review please!