Chap. 11

Interlude Part 2

The light from the torches danced on the walls of the temple, as the red-robed monks inside carefully tended the torches on the altar of Darya, as their ancestors had done since the birth of the Fire Nation itself. Every hour, they added fuel to the sacred fires, making sure that they would never burn out. For these flames were sacred to Darya, God of the Fire Nation and Father of its people. As long as they burned, the Fire God would know that his people heard him and asked for his blessings in all they did. Granted, his blessings had mostly gone towards the war for the last century, but the monks knew that Darya's wisdom and kindness of heart were as great as his strength in battle. As long as his people prayed to him, he would give the answer they needed.

As the monks finished adding to the fires, they heard a series of chimes sounds through the room. Nodding to each other, they finished their tasks and then moved to the front of the altar. Bowing in front of it, they removed their hoods, and began to offer their nightly prayers to the statue of Darya that rested on top of the altar. They whispered the sacred words in the reverent and hushed tones. If someone had come in to the room, they would not have known that the monks were praying, unless they saw the rapid movements of their lips. So devoted were the monks to their God, so intent were they on their prayers, that they did not hear the large doors open behind them, did not hear the soft, careful footsteps as someone entered the room behind them, until that person cleared her throat.

Startled, the monks halted in their prayers and turned to face their visitor. Upon seeing her, the oldest monk gasped, and then quickly rose to his feet.

"My apologies, Princess. We did not hear you enter." He said, bowing to the Fire Princess, as the other monks did the same.

"It does not matter, Brother. I could see you were deep in prayer." Azula replied. "I would like to pray to Darya myself. Since this room is the most sacred within the Temple…."

"Of course, Princess. The Royal Family always has the right to pray in the most holy room within the Temple." The old monk replied. "My brothers and I shall retire to another sanctuary and resume our prayers there. I hope that there is nothing that troubles you and the Fire Nation too greatly this night. I was informed that you left to find your brother and uncle, as well as the Avatar."

"Indeed. But my father needed me here for political matters. I will resume my search soon. But since I am home, I would like to offer my prayers to Darya, as well as ask for his aid."

"Of course." The monk replied. Bowing once again, the old man quietly walked past Azula, the other monks following. Within moments, they had left for another room with barely a sound, closing the great doors behind them. Once they were gone, Azula moved to the altar and awkwardly knelt down. Truthfully, Azula had desired this room because she knew she could watch the monks performing their nightly prayers, a task she had never done before. Azula had only journeyed to this Temple on the holy days of the Fire Nation, and only because it was required of the Royal Family. Azula had always been bored at those functions, staring at the ceiling impatiently as the monks gave their long, boring sermons. She had never understood why anyone cared to pray. They had no proof that Darya even existed. Like her father, Azula put her faith into what she could see and touch with her own two hands. Darya had always been a fantasy of the people; one Azula had knelt to and pretended to pray to keep them quiet and content. But now, as she knelt in front of the altar, her hands clasped together, Azula hoped that she had been wrong, that Darya did exist somewhere, and that he heard the cries of all his people. Because without his guidance, Azula did not believe she could survive her father much longer.

"Are you sure that you don't want us to go in with you?" Ty Lee asked. "Your dad might want to talk to all of us."

"If he did, the message would've said so." Azula snapped, as she walked through the corridors of the palace, Mai and Ty Lee at her heels. The trio had arrived in the Fire Nation just a day ago, where they had found an escort at the docks, waiting to escort them to the capital city and the royal palace. The ride back had taken another day, one that only Ty Lee had enjoyed. The acrobat had not been home in many years, and seeing all the sights once again made her happy and nostalgic. Mai had been rather bored as usual, and Azula had been strangely morose and quiet, barely even giving an order to Ty Lee to shut up. Mai had noticed this, but chose not to say anything. She knew that the Fire Lord had a vicious streak a mile wide, and he did not take news of failure well. He had likely expected Azula to return with Zuko and Iroh within a week of sending her out. But Azula had failed at every opportunity, a fact that gave Mai a strange sense of happiness.

Still, Mai worried for Azula. Ozai had already scared his only son and heir for his failure. Azula had never failed before, but there was no telling what Ozai would do. Mai imagined that she and Ty Lee might hear screams coming from the throne room soon, though she prayed she was wrong.

"Azula, what do you think your father wants with you?" she asked suddenly.

"I don't know. He said that he needed information that only I could give." Azula replied, as the trio came to the door of the great throne room. Seeing the Princess, the guards quickly bowed and stepped away from the door.

"I'm sure it will be fine." Azula said. "Now stop with your incessant worrying!"

"Sorry. I'm just curious as to…"

"Oh stuff it! My father is Fire Lord! If he wants my help, then I will give it to him gladly!" Azula yelled at Mai. Even Ty Lee was taken aback by Azula's outburst, though Mai seemed to have no real response, save a tightening of her lip. Azula spun on her heel and marched through the door to the throne room. But as she walked inside, he face briefly changed from a mask of anger to one of fear.

"I have come as you requested, Father." Azula said, as she approached the Fire Lord's throne. Her voice was strong and cold now, without a trace of the fear that gripped her as she'd entered the room. As the flames danced in front of her father, Azula knelt down. But Ozai held up his hand and said, "Raise, my daughter. There is no need for ceremony."

"Very well Father. What is it that you request?" Azula asked.

"To know that my loyal daughter is alive and well, and has all she requires to do what I ask of her."

"You have supplied me well Father. There is nothing else I require."

"Good, good." Ozai said. "Then I shall move on. I have recently heard rumors, Azula. Very troubling rumors. Ones that have troubled so, I needed you here, to tell me if they were true."

"What rumors are they, Father?" Azula asked, her voice staying hard, despite the knot that had formed in her stomach.

"I have heard that the Avatar has gathered new allies to him. Your brother and uncle, for one."

"Yes Father. Zuko and Iroh have turned their backs to you. Honorless dogs." Azula replied.

"I see. I have also heard that the Avatar now has guardians, ones so fantastic I did not believe it until I heard the same tale from nearly fifty people. Have the Elemental Knights come down, Azula? Have they proven themselves real?"

"Yes Father. The beings you speak of are truly the Elementals. They are man-beasts, as the legends say, and have been able to perform bending we long thought impossible. They say that they have been sent to return to the balance and end your reign."

Ozai nodded, and then got up from his throne. As the flames around him extinguished, he walked down from the dais, and next to his daughter. Taking her face in his hands, he brought her in close to him.

"You have done well to tell me these things Azula." He said. "You have always been loyal to me, never failing in the tasks I gave you. But that is why this last rumor troubles me so. The rumor says that you and a troop of Fire Nation soldiers were brought inside Ba Sing Se. Once you were there, you actually fought with the Avatar and his companions against some sort of creature. Then, when the city was weak and defenseless, you left, rather then conquer it and finally bring me the last piece of the Earth Kingdom."

"It is this rumor that troubles me most of all, daughter." Ozai continued. "I do not want to believe that my loyal daughter could commit such treason. Now, please daughter, tell me what the truth is."

Azula's throat had gone dry. Swallowing deep, she began to tell her father what had happened. If it had been anyone else, she could have spun off an elegant lie that would have saved her. But against Ozai, Azula had no defense. She told him of the Chaos Demon, of the threat it carried not just for Ba Sing Se, but also for the world. She told her father of how the Elementals had saved Ty Lee, and how she had owed them a debt of honor for saving her friend. Ozai listened to all of it, his face impassive and open. Finally, Azula finished her tale, and looked up at her father, waiting for his response. Ozai nodded, his face devoid of emotion. For a second, Azula thought that perhaps, she would come out of this all right.

Then Ozai's hand came down, snapping Azula's face back and knocking her to the ground. Stunned, she grasped her cheek as Ozai drew himself up.

"After all I have done for you, you dare dishonor me this way?!" Ozai roared. "Do you think I care about your piddling debts? If those Elementals were foolish enough to save your friend, you should have destroyed them once they had done so! Just as you should have taken Ba Sing Se when it was weak and defenseless! You failed to bring me the end of this war, Azula! If you had done your duty, I would be ruler of the world at last, and you would be the conqueror of Ba Sing Se. Instead, I have nothing more, and you have let the Earth Kingdom slip through your fingers."

"You have only failed me once before, Azula." Ozai continued, as he grabbed his daughter's shirt and drew her up.

"When you failed me then, I gave you a gift to teach you what failure meant. It seems I will need to give this gift to you once again."

Azula's eyes went wide, as she saw Ozai bring out another gift for her. "No Father, please!" She begged. "I have always been loyal to you! I am sorry I failed! Please, give me another chance! I will do anything you ask."

Ozai paused, looked at his daughter, and then finally let go of her shirt. "You are fortunate that you have only failed me once before, Azula. I will give you a final chance to regain your honor. You will remain here until the opportunity to do so shows itself."

"Thank you, Father." Azula said, kneeling deeply.

Ozai shrugged, and began to walk back towards his throne. But before he reached it, Azula said, "I have heard a rumor as well, Father. A rumor from the mouths of the Elementals. A rumor about Mother."

At that, Ozai stopped. Slowly, he turned around, as Azula continued to speak.

"The Knight of Earth said that Zuko and I aren't pure Fire Nation. He said that we are a mix of Fire Nation and Water Tribe. He said that Mother was a Water-Tribe girl you captured, and that she was only Zuko's mother. That I am a product of you and another captive Water-Tribe girl. Is that true?"

Ozai was silent, then he asked, "Who else heard this?"

"The Elemental announced it aboard my ship. Most of the crew heard it. I swore them to secrecy, on pain of death. But Father, I-I don't know if it is a lie. Why would he make something up like that? What is the truth?"

Ozai looked at his daughter, then said, "Now you know why I cannot tolerate failure from you. It shows your weaker half. Forget what you have been told. Return to your ship and wait there until I send you out again. I will have to make sure your crew keeps silent. You may send me a request for new soldiers in a week. You are dismissed."

Azula stared at her father in shock, then drew herself up and nodded. Bowing to her father, she turned and left the throne room.

It had been only two hours since then, but Azula had not gotten back to the ship yet. After giving Mai and Ty Lee an effective lie, she had walked around the city, then as the sun had begun to set, she had come across the Temple of Darya. For the first time in her life, she had felt compelled to go inside, and ask for guidance.

"Please, great Darya, your humble daughter asks for your help." Azula whispered to the statue. "I need your infinite wisdom to help me. I-I need to know what the right path is. It's always been what my father wanted, even though he scares me. He's always scared me so much. I thought that if I did what he wanted, I wouldn't be scared anymore But I was wrong. Please, Darya, tell me what do."

Azula waited in silence for a response, for some sign of what to do. But there was nothing. The Fire God had nothing to say to her. Sighing, Azula stared at the altar of Darya, tears running down her face. She knew then, that she was truly alone.