Chap. 29

A Flame Goes Out

The rest of the night passed quietly. No other emergencies were reported, no other nightmares were had. Sleep reigned over the camp until the rising of the sun. And when the day began, the camp awoke and began the day's work. The various soldiers assembled and worked through training with their commanders until the time came for the teamwork exercise…..

"That was very good. You almost had it that time." Ozena said, as the latest team walked off from the tree. Haru, the team's Earthbender, gave a weak smile, but it was obvious he was bothered by the loss, as were the other members of his team. Of course, they were not the only ones. Since the exercise had been established, no one had been able to climb the tree and reach the arrow. The Elementals were excellent at changing their approaches, and no team faced the same obstacles twice. They stood at the sides, waiting for the next team to run the course.

"I'm starting to wonder if this was a little too much." How said, as Ozena called out the next team.

"What do you mean?" Iroh asked. "They've all been able to work together perfectly. No matter how many times we switch them up, they can always function with each other. I would call that a success."

"Yes, but none of them can win." How said. "Not one team has been able to get that arrow down. Teamwork like this is only a success if it leads to victory."

"You worry too much my friend." Iroh said. "We're not teaching them to win. We are teaching them to understand each other's strengths and limits and be a better unit."

"Maybe, but I'd still feel better if someone could win." How said.

"There is still time. They may yet." Iroh said.

How nodded, but then cocked his head as he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. He turned to see a figure approaching the camp. He groaned inwardly as he recognized him, as did Iroh a second later.

"Hahn. You are late." How said grimly, as the young Watertribesman approached.

"Hey, I overslept. It happens." Hahn replied, his voice sure and cocky. "Besides, you just started, I didn't miss anything."

"Maybe not. But you missed whatever instruction that the rest of the Water Tribe soldiers got today." Iroh said.

"So what? It isn't like I have to answer to you about it." Hahn snapped. "You're just in charge of the other sections. I don't have to care what you say."

"No, but you do have to care about what I say." Ozena said angrily, as he approached them. Looking right at his subordinate, Ozena grabbed Hahn's ponytail and used it to pull the boy right over to him.

"I have had enough of your disrespect Hahn." Ozena growled. "Since you entered this Army, you have been half-assing your way through everything. I don't know if this arrogance comes from your upbringing or the fact that you have claim to the throne back home, but let me make something very clear to you. No one here gives a damn. They don't give a damn that I'm the prince. They don't give a damn where you came from. So you are going to stop antagonizing people that are quite willing to hurt you in order to shut your mouth."

"You can't let them hurt me. You swore that you'd protect me." Hahn snapped.

"I said I would keep you alive. That doesn't mean that I can't let you get hurt. Now, apologize to General How and General Iroh, then get in line."

Ozena released Hahn's hair and the boy immediately moved away. He shot am angry glance over at Ozena, but then turned to Iroh and How and muttered an apology. They nodded their acceptance silently, and Hahn began to walk over to the other Watertribesmen. As he walked, he muttered, "Sure, respect them. Respect the ones who let the crazy Fire bitch into the Army."

But Hahn did not mutter quietly enough, and Ozena grabbed him again. Holding him in place, he said, "Perhaps she is crazy, but unlike you, she was on time and ready to train. Apparently, she was the first to arrive at Iroh's training spot this morning. Now keep your mouth shut, or I will do it for you."

Hahn grumbled again, but nodded and moved into rank, as Iroh came to the front and began to speak.

"Everyone here has managed to do an excellent job working together with the different members of different nations." Iroh said. "Whether bender or not, everyone has been tested the fullest of their ability. As the day of the attack draws closer, we have decided to up the ante somewhat. Today, we shall select two teams at a time and they shall compete against one another for the arrow. Since we have just selected one team, General Ozena will read off the names of the opposing teams. Hahn was only mildly surprised to hear his name be called. He quietly moved out to meet the other members of his team, an Earthbender who continually referred to himself as the Boulder, and a Firebender named Jee. He stole a glance over at the other team, and then allowed himself a small smile. This would nothing he couldn't handle.

"Do you two know each other?" Hali, the Watertribesman, asked his two teammates.

"Somewhat." Jin said as she glared over at Azula. But the Fire Princess only looked ahead, right at the arrow. Why am I not surprised? Jin thought to herself. Taking a break from glaring at Azula, she turned her attention to the opposing team. That dumbass Hahn was there, along the Boulder and that lieutenant from Zuko's old ship. Jin was a little sad to be competing against them; Boulder had grown on everyone in the Army, and Zuko had introduced her to Jee, who was quite respectful and intelligent. At least I can get at Hahn, or I might not want to fight these guys. Jin thought. Of course, her royal highness won't make this any easier. She added, as both teams moved to stand next to Iroh.

"On my mark, you may begin." Iroh said. "Elementals ready?"

"Let 'em loose Iroh." Tierra replied, clenching his fist in anticipation.

"Very well. GO!"

With that, both teams leapt forward, racing towards the tree. But almost instantly, the ground under their feet began to buckle up and down, as if someone was shaking it like a rug. But both teams were able to adapt. Hali quickly drew out the water from his skin and wrapped it around a nearby branch like a rope. Azula and Jin managed to latch onto his belt and the Waterbender swung them over the raging ground. On the other side, Jee leapt onto Boulder's shoulders and quickly gave a set of instructions. Boulder nodded, and using his Earthbending to keep balance, began to spin around, as Jee let loose two constant streams of fire, frying the rampaging earth and reducing it to blackened rubble. Hahn just stumbled around them, barely able to keep his balance enough to move. But finally, the ground below them was still, and the group began to move forward, trying hard to catch up to the other team.

But as both teams came close, the ground rumbled again, as streams of liquid flame shot up from deep under the earth. The ground quickly became a lake of fire, completely uncrossable.

"Any ideas?" Azula asked.

"This one's out of my range." Hali said.

"There might be one way." Jin said thoughtfully.

"And what's that?" Azula asked.

"This." she said, as she suddenly grabbed her staff and through it at a large, dying trees near them. The staff sank deep into the tree, and with a crack it fell towards them, only to land on the fiery ground. It stretched across the ground as a perfect landbridge.

"Well, that works." Hali said.

"Come on, it won't last long." Jin said, as she hopped on the tree and began to run across it, as the wood already began to burn. Jin and Hali followed, just making it across as the tree was completely enflamed by the lava. Unfazed, the trio kept moving, even as the other side used Boulder's earthbending to cross over the ground. However, this Jin and the others enough time to finally reach the tree that held the arrow. Once they were at it, they began to climb up the trunk, doing their best to get up and grab the arrow.

But this was not to be either. As they began to climb, the tree itself began to move and shake, as its branches began to swipe and grab at its invaders. The trio moved quickly, leaping between the branches just as they came close, just barley managing to avoid them. All the while, they continued to move up, as the rest of the soldiers watched in amazement. Even the opposing team, which couldn't climb the tree in that state, watched open-mouthed. Except for Hahn, who just cursed his bad luck at losing.

Jin leapt up, dodging the invading branch and hurling herself towards another one. She managed to land on it, but then that branch began to sway back and forth, causing Jin to lose her balance and cling to the branch as it swung. As Jin hung on for dear life, she saw that Hali was having similar problems on the other side. But Azula was still managing to make her way to the top. For a second, Jin felt a stab of jealousy towards her. Once again, Azula would claim victory, at the cost of everyone else's work. She never changed, no matter what.

But before Jin could think any further, she felt her grasp slip. She tried to grab hold again, but the swaying was too much and she finally fell from the tree. As she descended, she heard a crack and a yell of pain and then Hali began to fall with her. Jin tried to grab for a branch, but everything moved away from her, as her fall quickened. Jin saw the ground approaching and prayed that she wouldn't suffer too much. But before she hit, she felt something wrap around her, and then with a sharp pull her fall was averted, as she was dragged up to one of the few stationary branches left on the tree. Gasping, she grabbed the branch and turned her head to see Azula holding a long vine and carefully laying Hali down near the trunk, as he cradled his arm.

"What are you doing? You could've kept going and gotten the arrow." Jin asked.

"I could have, but I saw you guys falling, and that decided everything." Azula said, as she took a look at Hali's arm. Turning back to Jin, she said, "It's broken. There's no way he can keep climbing."

"So what do we do?" Jin asked.

"I can get him back to the ground. The Elementals can heal him there." Azula replied, as she handed Jin the vine. "You'll have to climb up and get the arrow."

"A-Are you sure?" Jin sputtered, unable to believe she was hearing this from the selfish Fire Nation Princess.

"Yes. Besides, you're just as good a climber as I am. I'm sure you can do it." Azula said. "Now come on. We need to win this, if only to shut Hahn up."

Jin stared a moment longer, then nodded and began to climb the vine, as Azula slung Hali over her shoulders and began to make her way back down. Jin climbed the vine quickly, as the branches swarmed around her, trying to knock her off. But Jin clung stubbornly to the vine, refusing to stop or let go. But then, one of the branches snagged the vine and began to swing it back and forth. But Jin had already made too much progress. She jumped onto another branch then swiftly began to leap from branch to branch, as agile as any monkey. Then, after another few leaps, she saw the branch just below the arrow. Jin's eyes narrowed, as she crouched down and with one final leap, reached out for the arrow. Her hand wrapped around the shaft just as she landed on the branch, and with a final tug, she pulled it out.

For a moment, she teetered on the branch, but regained her balance, and as the tree began to return to normal, she held the arrow up in triumph as the soldiers below let out a mighty cheer. But as she looked down, she also saw Azula handing Hali off to Fuego, who quickly began to work his magic on the man's wounds. Azula then turned back to the tree, and pumped her fist in triumph. Jin returned the gesture, although she still had a confused expression on her face when she did so.

Though Jin and her team where congratulated for their efforts, Azula was strangely quiet during that time, only offering moderate thanks for the praise. The arrow was placed back into the tree and the exercise resumed, and continued for the rest of the day. It was nearing sunset when they returned to camp and were given dinner. They ate well and afterwards, were told they were allowed to relax until lights out. The soldiers took this as cause for celebration, and quickly took time to find old friends and enjoy themselves. Except again, for Azula, who told Ty Lee and Mai that she wanted to be alone that night, and returned to the barracks, where she sat on her bed in silence. She sat there in meditation with a set of candles, although on what, no could tell. Especially not the visitor she had that night, who had just finished a long meeting with the generals concerning the state of the weapon known as "Sozen Reborn."

"I see you took my advice." Zuko said, as he looked over the clean area of barracks Azula was responsible for.

"Yeah. It wasn't so bad when I got down to it." Azula said, as she slowly brought herself out of meditation.

"I didn't know you used the candle method." Zuko said, noticing the lit candles.

"It was an early method they showed me. It's always worked for me." Azula replied morosely.

"Me too." Zuko said, as he sat down on the bed next to her. Clearing his throat, he said, "Jin told me what happened today. How you saved her life and helped her get the arrow."

"She did that herself. She didn't need me."

"She did when she was falling off the tree." Zuko insisted. "I came here to thank you for that."

"You're welcome. I know she means a lot to you." Azula replied.

Zuko seemed startled at that, but managed to say, "I'm not trying to be ungrateful here, but I have to ask Azula- why did you save her? It seems so…."

"Unlike me?" Azula answered, turning to face her brother. Zuko carefully nodded.

Azula sighed and said, "I know it is. I never used to care about anyone. Everything was about me. I didn't even really care about Ty Lee and Mai all that much. But lately, I've been…. Taking another look at myself. Seeing who I was, and who I could've been."

"And you didn't like it." Zuko said.

"No. I……after everything he did me Zuko, I couldn't stop being our father's child. Why? If I hate him so much, why am I so scared to be anything but his image of me?"

"Because he's our father." Zuko answered. "Because it hurts to admit that one of the people that gave us life doesn't care about us. I felt the same way when I was on the sea. I think I knew about him then, but I couldn't admit it to myself. I wanted my father's love; I thought I was entitled to it. But he has no love in him. I don't think he ever did."

Azula was quiet as she absorbed that, and then asked, "When did you do it Zuko? When did you finally get over him?"

"When Oscuridad told me that the things that scared me so much were true." He replied. "But he also told me that I was right to be scared of them."

"Should I be scared too?"

"That depends. What are you scared of? Is it just being his child, or is it something else?"

Again, Azula was quiet then said, "I'm scared of myself. I don't know who I am. All I've ever been is his daughter, the Fire Princess. Now I'm not that anymore, and I don't know where to start. It's like….. it's like he stopped me from growing when I was six, and now that he's gone, I'm back there again, scared and alone."

"I felt the same way." Zuko said. "I wasted so much of my life trying to be what he wanted, I didn't become anything else. If it hadn't been for Mom, I think I would still be hunting the Avatar. And it is hard to get away from that, no matter what. But you made a big step today. You did something that was against everything that Ozai taught you. And if you can do that, then you can find out who you are. You're in a situation with people that would love to see you change anyway."

"Well, that's true." Azula said with a smirk. "Of course, more of them would like to destroy me too."

"Me too." Zuko replied. "Thankfully, you won't have to deal with a dog-man who controls the earth like I did. Well, I think you won't."

Both of them smirked at that, then Azula said, "Do you realize that this is the first time we've had a real conversation in almost five years?"

"Has it been that long?" Zuko wondered. "Wow. You do realize I was banished for two years?"

"And I've been a bitch for longer." Azula mused. "Well, if I'm going to change, maybe this can be something to work on." With that, she got up from the bed and said, "I'm gonna go find Ty Lee and Mai. But thanks for the talk Zuzu."

"You're welcome, Lula." Zuko replied.

Azula nodded and started to leave, but then paused and cocked her head.

"Do you hear something?" she asked.

Zuko cocked his head as well, then his eyes widened and he let out a groan. "I know exactly what it is." He said. "It's Uncle."

"Uncle? But it sounds like…"

"I know. He did this every fourth night on the ship. Even after I tossed the sumki horn overboard. Come on, he'll be waiting for us."

Azula was confused, but nevertheless, she followed her brother out of the tent and to whatever it was their uncle had planned.