This can be considering "Part One" of as an anonymous reviewer so elegantly put it, "The Pop Off Chapter". It also marks the beginning of what you can consider as section one of this story. It's kind of a lot going on, so if it seems faster than normal...um, sorry?
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender
The order of royalty in the Water Tribes is somewhat peculiar, in Yue's opinion. There were the two chiefs who ruled on equal footing and their consorts. Yue had noticed that Kya had a bit more power than her own mother. Perhaps that was why she liked Lady Kya so much. Beneath the chief and his queen were of course, their heirs. The chiefs of the two main tribes came together and decided on a king for their province. This king-or rather, his council- was allowed to make decisions for their city, but they had to be approved by superiors. Yue had met the present king.
His name was Kuei. The man wasn't that much older than her, but he had peculiar tastes in finery. He had light skin, bright green eyes, and brown hair and he wore small rimmed glasses, as if he couldn't see very well. His voice was shrill and to Yue, he always acted younger than he was. She was certain that much wouldn't change, once she saw him again. He had a pet, too, and Yue had never seen anything like it. It was a "bear". It was big and brown, and made strange noises. Yue, along with the others, would attend a celebration for their return. Part of her was excited for the celebration, but she dreaded it as well. There were times when she hated being royalty.
Ba Sing Se's palace was surrounded by great blocks of rock that were wreathed in flags of the Water Tribes. There were several gardens and courtyards on the complex, each having their own theme of beauty. During her few visits here as a child, Yue had explored them. Her favorite was the sun poppy, for it remained yellow and orange for most of the time of the year. Sometimes she wished the flower could grow at the poles, where she could see it whenever she wanted, but she was satisfied with the rare sight. Yellow was a bright, happy color that seemed to make everything brilliant. Perhaps that was why Aang brightened her mood. She liked yellow.
And so naturally, she asked for the color to be added in her wardrobe for her time in Ba Sing Se. And since she was princess, the servants obliged almost immediately. Several handmaidens, too old to be her friends, presented her before a mirror and she smiled at her reflection. The dress they had dressed her in was light green with sleeves that fell over her hands. It was trimmed in yellow and the handmaids had taken her hair from the braids and instead left it wavy. She felt pretty and according to the servants holding the mirror, she looked pretty, too.
Yue looked towards her vanity where the amulet that held the sacred water lay on its side. It wouldn't match her outfit and she figured it would be safer in her room, where it didn't have the potential to be broken. Her neck felt bare without it, though, and her hand drifted up towards her throat, brushing her fingers over the smooth, exposed skin.
A flash of light hair caught her attention in the mirror and the Northern Water Tribe princess turned. Her breath hitched in her throat. It was the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, Suki. Yue didn't know that girl that well, since Suki spent most of her time with Katara. For that reason alone, Yue wasn't sure if she could trust the warrior or not. Anyone who was Katara's friend had to have some level of cunning. Perhaps Suki was a nice person. Was she wrong for assuming such things?
Before now, Yue had yet to see Suki without her face paint. But now, the young woman's face was clean of paint and her true appearance shown through. Yue thought she was rather pretty-after all, it wasn't every day you saw such light hair. The clothes Suki wore were more form fitting than her normal uniform, but Yue could see the two iron war fans at her belt, easily within reach should the need arise.
"You're escorting me?" Yue inquired, turning to face the auburn haired warrior. Suki was slightly taller than her and she seemed even taller when her chest swelled with pride. Yue supposed than when her home was occupied by an army since long before she was born, she was taught to cling to her confidence when she had nothing else. It led Yue wonder if she had been so proud if she had been in Suki's place. Probably not.
Suki nodded, her lips turning up into a smile. "Yep." She stepped back, "Is Sokka your brother?" She asked as Yue moved into the hallway just outside of her door. At her question, Yue felt another smile forming. It wasn't the first time that someone had mistaken Sokka as her brother, considering how close they were. Sometimes Yue wished Sokka was her brother; she could share all her thoughts with him, then.
But the waterbender shook her head, her hair brushing her cheeks. "I thought Katara would have told you that Sokka's her brother, not mine." She said pointedly as she followed the ununiformed warrior down the corridor towards the innermost sanctum of the palace. There were servants in the halls, carrying decorations for the ball room. There would be plenty of dancing-dance was an expressive art in the Water Tribes. Yue had heard that long ago-when there was no war- certain dances had ritualistic meanings and messages. There were others that were simply for entertainment and were still practiced today, hundreds of years after they had been created.
"She did." Suki replied and if she caught the barb in Yue's words, she didn't acknowledge it. "I can't believe the Avatar is a twelve year old boy!" She looked back over her shoulder at Yue, "Before Avatar Roku, there was Avatar Kyoshi. Did you know she came from my village?" That explained her pride. "She also created the Kyoshi Warriors."
Yue nodded to let Suki know she was listening and looked down at the floor as she walked upon it. It was a polished marble, a depthless emerald with intricate flecks of lighter shades of green and blue. When Yue was younger, she would imagine it was a glade and she was dancing over it. But she had merely been a child back then. Almost subconsciously, she skipped a step just to see if the motion gave her the same wave of excitement it had when she had been little.
It didn't.
Sometimes she wondered if she had ever really been a child. Sure, she got to run around and make messes, but she was always expected to be the perfect princess when the time called for it. Most little girls only dreamed they were princesses, she was one. Her dreams had been of what like might have been like if she was a commoner. And as she got older, if there had been no war. She wouldn't of had the luxuries she often took for granted and her home would probably been much quieter with no servants offering to do trivial tasks for her.
And then, she wondered what would have happened if she hadn't been touched by the Moon Spirit. It was only by the spirit's blessing that she breathed. Perhaps, if she hadn't been so lucky, Aang would have never been discovered and the world would be without an Avatar. Or maybe, Katara would have found him.
There wouldn't be an Avatar, then.
What if she had been born like a normal baby? Would her hair be black? Or brown? She wouldn't be Yue, if she had. The Northern Water Tribe princess lifted her head, looking up at the great door of the Ba Sing Se palace ballroom. It loomed high above her head and was almost as thick as her waist, engraved in gold, blue, and green. It would take two men to open the door and Yue knew that she could never open it, even if she used every muscle in her body.
Standing on either side of the entrance, there were two men. Just from their frame, Yue could tell they were earthbenders. They stood stoically, their eyes staring straight before them. They were intimidating, with their bulk of muscle barely hidden by the military issued uniforms. Born and bred as soldiers, through and through.
When Yue and Suki stood before them, the great guards of the palace dipped at the waist in a respectful bow to their princess. "Hello," Yue greeted softly, craning her neck to look up at the men. The taller of the two had blue eyes. Almost the same color as her own. A blue eyed earthbender. He wore his hair in the Water Tribe style of a warrior's wolf tail, pulled high above his head. She felt impossibly small and insignificant next to the warrior. "Can we go in please?"
"Of course, princess," Said the green eyed man, obviously the older of the two. His voice was a raspy rumble, muffled by his beard. "Anything for you." He grabbed onto one side of the door's handle, bracing his body and setting his jaw. His assistant set his hands above his and together they gave a massive heave.
Yue stepped back as the door was pulled open by the force of the two men. She could have never done such a thing. As the door opened, she could see the ballroom. Or at least, part of it. Like the Southern Water Tribe palace, the ballroom had a dome ceiling. Only where the palace's roof was close-topped, the roof of the ballroom was made of glass, allowing light to stream down into the room.
With Suki behind her, the Northern Water Tribe princess stepped inside, fighting the urge to wring her hands. The celebrations wouldn't start until much later, but Water Tribe siblings had decided to spend the time before the party in the ballroom. Yue had no doubt that they would be given gifts, most likely things that they already had hundreds of.
The ballroom, though, amazed Yue with its decorations. By the entrance, there was a statue crafted of stone in the shape of a wolflion rearing onto its great hind legs, paws reaching towards the sky. Its open jaws exposed intricate detailed fangs and its eyes were half-lidded. Yue thought it would take a mastermind to create such a thing. She brushed her fingers over it, feeling the rough texture of the stone against the pad of her fingers.
"Yue, over here!" A flash of orange caught her eye. To the far left of the wide room, there was Aang. He called out to her again, smiling broadly. Behind him was Sokka, seated at one of the tables, leaning over what looked like a map. Yue smiled back and this time, it reached her eyes. There was Katara, looking over Sokka's shoulder and gesturing animatedly to something.
Her feet nearly ghosting over the floor, Yue approached her companions. Sokka looked up at her briefly, grunted a greeting, and turned back to his sister. They were arguing over how fast it would be to reach some Earth Kingdom city, both having conflicting opinions. Yue shook her head and looked towards Aang.
The Air Nomad boy was staring at her with glazed over eyes, mouth agape. Yue widened her eyes in surprise, raising a pale eyebrow. "Aang?" She asked, waving a hand lightly in front of his face. "Are you still in there, Aang?"
Redness crept up the boy's cheeks and he scratched his head awkwardly, looking off to the side. "Sorry! I just thought that you looked pretty. Sorry." And he smiled then, as if he knew that his grin could make Yue forgive him. It worked, too, because she felt her ire slip away. She could always forgive Aang easily, he was her friend.
The map on the table clattered to the floor and Yue turned to see Suki crouching on the floor, one arm on the table with her hand clasping Sokka's, her eyes narrowed determinedly. Sokka was opposite of her, holding her right hand with his left. Sokka glared at the female warrior. "Don't question my masculinity!" He said and Yue blinked slowly, curious of what had led to this challenge.
Suki smirked and flexed her arm. She didn't speak as she pressed against Sokka's hand, forcing it down towards the tabletop. Yue could see alarm flash in Sokka's eyes as he realized he was nearing defeat before he had even began. Suki seemed to be giving little effort and to Yue, she looked almost disinterested. The Kyoshi Warrior slammed the prince's hand to the table and tore her grip away, smiling lopsidedly. "I consider your argument invalid."
Yue giggled and even Katara laughed. Sokka turned an indignant shade of red, discreetly holding his arm where it had met the table. "I don't think it was funny," He sniffed, jutting his chin skyward. "I could have been severely injured."
"Oh stop whining!" Katara scoffed, shaking her head at her older brother. "Maybe you're not as masculine as you thought you were, Sokka."
From across the room, the door opened. Yue turned and raised her eyebrows toward her hair line. It was a man, tall and lanky, with brown hair and small spectacles that made his eyes appear to be larger than they really were. The king of Ba Sing Se, Kuei. At his side was a lumbering, brown furred animal adorning a round black hair on its head. The "bear", whose name Yue remembered to be Bosco.
Kuei, Yue decided, had never been taught to walk properly. His stride was too big for his body and for every step his right foot took, his left foot took two. His left leg was shorter than his right and Yue thought that if he had been taught properly to mask his disability, he wouldn't have looked so dopey. But despite this, he grinned and waved, leaning down to his peculiar pet. Behind him, there were two other men. One was dressed in dark green robes, sporting a dark braid that swished when he walked. The second was shorter and instead of green, his clothes were blue. Kuei's advisors.
"There you are!" Cried the king and he crossed the distance towards the children. For a heartbeat, he stumbled and the green robed advisor reached out to hold him upright. Kuei needed no help, though, as he greeted his guests. He looked at Aang, as if he couldn't quite believe that such a small boy could be the Avatar. Sometimes Yue couldn't believe it, either. The man leaned back, his hand reaching down to pat the head of his beast. "You remember Bosco, don't you?" He smiled lovingly at his pet. "And Long Feng and Bima, don't you remember them?"
Perhaps because he looked more Water Tribe, Yue only remembered seeing Bima's face, briefly. The flask he wore at his hip detailed that he was a waterbender and he looked softer than his earthbending counterpart, Long Feng. The taller man had green eyes that appeared to be as hard as flint, glittering in the light that shone down from the ceiling. But she offered a greeting anyway, because it was the polite thing to do.
Bosco, the bear, grumbled as Aang patted his huge flank. Maybe, Yue thought, he reminded the boy of Appa. Said bison was situated in his own courtyard, most likely being pampered with whatever flying bison liked. Maybe she would grow to tolerate the animal, but it wouldn't be anytime soon.
"So, when are the celebrations going to start?" Inquired Sokka, shooting a sour glance at Suki. Yue figured that her dear friend was simply being melodramatic. "How many people will be attending?" He seemed to be measuring the room in his head, as if he was figuring out the capacity of the ballroom.
Before Kuei could reply, the blue clad advisor cleared his throat. "The celebration for your return will begin in less than a candle mark," Bima informed him, tucking his hands into his sleeves. "Only nobility will attend, including several families from the Earth Kingdom."
Yue's eyes widened, wondering if she had heard correctly. Beside her, Katara snorted, leaning her head towards hers. "Don't look so dumbfounded, Yue, of course Earth Kingdom nobility will be invited. They have a right to be, since they pay their tithes." Yue frowned and Katara made a tsk sound. "Why do you think we haven't pushed further into the Earth Kingdom? Why do you think we have so much funding? But eventually we'll invade them."
"Why?" Yue quipped, furrowing her brow. "How come we can't leave them alone? They pay their dues, so shouldn't they live in peace?"
"Because," Katara said, as if the answer was dreadfully obvious. Perhaps it was. "If we show them mercy, they'll stab us in the back and try to destroy all we've worked for. We'll run out of funding and then the Fire Nation will close in. Think about it, Yue, if we don't destroy them, they'll destroy us. And as long as everything stays the same, no one will get hurt. It's nice to avoid violence, don't you think?" She smiled, "Of course," She set her hands on the table. "Of course, you probably don't think so."
Yue didn't know how to answer. Katara had thrown a barb she couldn't avoid and if she answered wrong, she would lose her head. There shouldn't have been a war in the first place, she thinks, but she wasn't going to tell Katara that. She knew what the younger princess was getting at and she refused to play along with her. If she said something she shouldn't, Katara would turn right around and use it against her. So she bit her tongue and shrugged.
Katara looked at her for a moment and Yue thought she saw a flicker of sadness flash across her eyes. If Katara had been a different person, Yue may have wondered if she had hurt her feelings. But sometimes, she wondered if Katara even had feelings.
The Northern Water Tribe princess sat back, settling her hands in her lap. Only a little more time to be patient. She could wait.
Really, she could.
The Higher ring of Ba Sing Se is quiet. Azula has noticed this in just the short time she has been in the city, though they weren't technically in the upper class section of the great city. There is a great wall that divides the two sections, though it wasn't as nearly as large and intricate as the outer walls. There are no guards patrolling the wall. There is only silence. Between the wall and line of moderately rundown houses, there was a stretch of empty space. There was no trash or noise in this area.
It is quiet.
It is empty.
From where Azula stood, she could see the "dead zone" as Zuko so eloquently described it. There was only bare stone leading up to the wall. Azula thought the stretch of space felt rather ominous when she stepped near it and had she been a different person, she would have been unnerved by the place. Still, part of her wished that Lu Ten had found a better base of operations for them, instead of the rundown, decaying old house that they had now.
To Azula, the house was older than the Fire Nation palace. It appeared to lean to the side and the inside was layered in dust. Perhaps the previous owner had passed away and the home had been left standing to overlook the division wall, empty and lonely. Surprisingly, it had several bedrooms-enough for the girls to have privacy without feeling disrupted-and had furniture.
After wandering aimlessly through the streets of Ba Sing Se, the group had somehow come across the house. Despite herself, Azula had been too tired to map out their path and she had relied on Lu Ten's directions. She didn't always trust her older cousin's judgment, but sometimes she didn't have a choice.
The house was rather easy to break into due to its neglect and the shaky lock on the door had been broken with little effort. It had only two windows, both facing the dividing wall and even though Azula found the place to be dirty, dusty, and generally an unsuitable place for a princess such as herself to reside in, she thought that the place would be the best they could find outside of the upper class section. The house had three rooms and they were far enough apart to give sense of privacy. Azula didn't exactly mind sharing a room with Mai and Ty Lee, they were her friends. Considering everything, she had no complaint except, Ty Lee talked too much sometimes and she didn't want to hurt her feelings-Azula liked Ty Lee, she was one of the few people she had never gotten angry at. But for such a rundown house, Azula thought she could deal with it. Perhaps Lu Ten wasn't such a bad leader after all. Her cousin had left with Zhao in search of a map for the city. They would need it.
The princess of the Fire Nation stood on the small, half-rotted porch, her hands clasped behind her back as she stared at the wall, as if she was willing it to disappear and allow them passage. But the wall remains firmly intact, unrelenting. Unmoving. She hadn't expected the wall to move, anyway. Azula may have been powerful, but she wasn't an earthbender, and she couldn't move things with her mind, either.
Azula looked up at the sky, spotting several gray clouds passing overhead. There was a light cool breeze, similar to the ones that blew during the cooler Fire Nation seasons and she is reminded of home. It was the first time she had really thought of the Fire Nation since their departure and she found herself missing what she had known. Was her father alright? Did he miss her? And what about her mother? She misses only Zuko.
Her thoughts travelled to her dragon, Sanjiv. The dragon had left her before they had entered Ba Sing Se and she hadn't seen him since. She hadn't searched the skies since the day the dragon had disappeared and she wished that Sanjiv would reappear, if for just one more time, so she could remember the feel of every scale on the dragon's body, every curve of its wings. If she knew how to call a dragon, she would.
"You miss home, don't you?"
Azula turned her head, looking over her shoulder at brother had pulled his hair from its topknot and it fell over his eyes. To Azula, it looked haggard. She had heard the door open and close behind her and she had acknowledged the noise without knowing who had come out to visit her. Her older brother came to her side, standing a safe distance away from her, as if she was going to lash out at him. But she felt civil today, and besides, she did miss home. This place wasn't what she had thought it to be.
Zuko looked at the wall, his amber gaze thoughtful. "There's Water Tribe royalty beyond that wall," He said quietly, "There's the Avatar with them." He paused, "What do you think we're going to do once we find them? Once we find the Avatar?"
"We take their city. And the Avatar is probably an old man by now," Azula answered, "The Avatar hasn't done anything to help anyone in the last hundred years. That means he's weak. And if he's helping the Water Tribes, then he's going down, too." She turned her gaze towards her brother, "It is due time we've stopped idling and started making things happen by force."
Her brother is silent for a moment, and then he nods. "You're right." He turns his stare back towards the wall and Azula thinks he is wishing the same thing she was. For the wall to disappear, so they could become legendary.
"I know I am." Azula says and a tiny blue flame forms at the tip of her fingers. She let the fire dance along her hand, rolling it into the palm of her hand and kindling it until she could feel the heat warming her skin. "When this city is ours, we'll have to change it. Things will be much more orderly and clean. It seems that Water Tribe heathens are so absorbed in warmongering that they can't maintain a neat city. Besides, this place needs more red to liven it up."
"I'm sure that's not true…" Zuko said and his voice trailed off, as if he had reconsidered his argument. "It's so quiet out here, compared to the other half of the city. There's no one walking the streets and…don't you feel watched? Like your skin is being prickled?"
Azula held out her other arm and felt the breeze tickle her skin. She looked up at the sky, at the moving clouds, and shook her head. "It's quiet and mysterious, but no one is watching us. There's no one here to watch us, and there are so many people here that a few golden eyed people wouldn't make a difference."
Zuko frowned and turned his gaze. "You know everything," He said rather spitefully and grunted, "Maybe you're right."
The Fire Nation princess tipped the corners of her mouth up into a smirk. "There is no maybe, darling brother. There is no maybe." She let the still-going fire in her hand flare up, almost licking her chin, before it dissipated. "Out with the old and in with the new, yes?"
Zuko shrugged, and then to Azula's surprise, he smiled. "I guess so."
"That's the spirit, Zuzu!" Azula sneered, suddenly put into high spirits again. Perhaps, she thought, a little dirt never hurt anyone that much.
Time flew by too fast for Yue's taste. Somewhere, a candle winks and goes out. Yue watches as the great door to the ballroom is thrown open once more. She smells the rich aromas of freshly cooked food and spices as servants of the palace carry in trays of steaming food towards the long table in the center of the room. They light lanterns in the corners of the room, hanging them from the ceiling.
And slowly, noblemen and their lovely wives enter the ballroom, dressed finely for the occasion. The noblewomen have their thin lips painted to appear larger. Even here, at the celebrations, they are competing for who can be the prettiest, most impressive lady there is. For them, it was always a battle.
Yue slumped into her seat, trying to fade into the shadows. It wasn't that she didn't like parties, but she didn't feel as though she could truly be open here, especially not among foreign nobility. The Northern Water Tribe princess watched as noblewomen with pretty painted eyes laughed as though they were friends and then hid their smirks behind their fans.
She is disgusted.
She sighs.
A group of refined musicians began to play a soft, quiet melody from their tiny station in the farthest corner of the ballroom. Yue knows the names of all the instruments that are being played, but she cannot recall the soft song that was slowly being plucked out. It is comforting all the same, though, and she feels the building tension in her shoulders recede.
Sokka had taken Aang to mingle among the crowd with Suki trailing behind. Even though the people attending the celebrations were mostly wealthy and arrogant, it didn't necessarily rule out the chance that someone would try to assassinate the gangly Southern Water Tribe prince and the free-spirited Avatar. Yue could hear Aang's childish laughter over the noise and she smiles.
"Princess Katara," Yue turned, startled at the sudden voice. A young man-most likely a nobleman's son-was standing in front of the Southern Water Tribe princess. Yue didn't think he was very attractive, at least not in the way the word was used nowadays; he was awkwardly balanced and his eyes seemed to bulge from his face. Yue could see surprise and mild disgust in Katara's eyes when she opened them. The younger girl had been unusually quiet as she sat across from Yue and the agitated stare she gave the boy led Yue to think that she had been daydreaming. Or had she been asleep?
"Would you like to share a dance, Princess?" The boy earnestly repeated his question and to Yue's surprise, Katara suddenly seemed very flustered. Her brown skin turned a sharp shade of red and she looked off to the side. She's blushing? Had Katara been another person, Yue would have been amused.
The boy held out his hand and Katara slowly placed her smaller palm in his. She stood up and stepped towards the center floor, pausing to cast a glare at Yue so ferocious that the older girl winced. It was as if she blamed her for her embarrassment. Yue straightened in her seat.
Katara looked genuinely nervous as the small band of musicians began to play a more up-beat ballad. It had a sharp strumming pattern and it seemed more tribal than sophisticated. Yue listened, tapping her feet as the ocarina breathed out a soft, haunting melody in time with the snap of the drum. There are others dancing now. The ladies snap their fans and moved in time with the drum's beats, smiling and laughing with their partners.
She sees Aang dancing in a circle with Sokka and Suki. Even from where she sits, she can see his gray eyes twinkling. It makes her happy to see him happy, even if she isn't the one causing his joy. The dance he does is unfamiliar, but Yue figured it was an Air Nomad dance that he had learned. Before they were massacred.
Well, that ruined her mood.
Yue smiles at the sight and sits back, turning her attention to her immediate surroundings. She hadn't moved since the celebrations began and she didn't intend to. She preferred to watch what was going on around her. She likes to be observant.
It is only then that she sees the person sitting only feet away from her.
It is a stout bodied little girl dressed in a pretty green and white dress that bears the Earth Kingdom symbol on its sleeve. Her thick black hair is pulled away from her face and is a sharp contrast to her pale skin. She looked to be about Aang's age and Yue finds her to look almost like a doll, with her delicate appearance and long lashes. She was pretty. Her eyes were closed as she sat with her tiny hands folded in her lap. How did she get here? "Um…Hello?" The princess says awkwardly, quietly.
The doll-faced little girl opens her eyes and Yue jumps. The Earth Kingdom girl's eyes were a startling, glazed milk white color. Yue digs her fingernails into her palm, suddenly feeling very awkward and nervous. The child was blind. "Mmm," The child hums, nodding her head to show that she had acknowledged Yue.
Yue opened her mouth to speak again, and then closed it. Then, she tried again, "My name is Yue. I'm the princess of the Northern Water Tribe. Maybe you've heard about it…" What a horrible thing to say! "What's your name?" It was the best she could do. She had never seen a blind person before and the way the girl stared blankly ahead unnerved her.
"Look," The little girl suddenly said, her voice sharp and dripping with irritation. "You don't have to pretend I'm all delicate and everything. You don't have to soften your voice; I'm blind, not fragile." She said and the corners of her lips turned up into a smirk, "The name is Toph. Toph Bei Fong. From Gaoling. Maybe you've heard about it."
Wincing, the tribal princess looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry," She said softly and she taps her feet. "I didn't mean to offend you." She had never felt so awkward. "It's very nice to meet you, too, Toph," She held out her hand as an offer to shake it. She's blind, Yue. Get it through your skull! The white haired teenager placed her palm back on her lap, biting her bottom lip. "Sorry."
Toph gave a very unladylike snort and clenched her tiny fist. Without warning, the ground under Yue's seat shook violently for a moment and the princess grasped the table edge, her eyes bulging from her head. Toph tilted her lips up and sneered. "I'm not fragile."
"You're an earthbender!" Yue cried her mouth agape. The girl was blind and an earthbender. The princess looked startled. She had never expected to meet someone so particular. "And I'm sorry about thinking you were fragile…"
The blind girl smiled. "Of course I'm an earthbender. A darn good one, too," She smirked, "The best in the whole world!" She ruffled the collar of her dress, "You know, if I do say so myself. And it's nice to know that someone doesn't think I'm fragile. I'm not. That's why my name is Toph, because it sounds like tough!"
Not only was the girl blind, but she was also arrogant. Yue smiled, and then she remembered that Toph couldn't see it. "How do you know I'm still here, if you can't see me?" She asked. She had stopped tapping her feet after the music ended and the only way Toph could have known she was still there was by her talking.
"I'm blind," Toph repeated, "Not deaf." She placed a hand across her chest, "I can sense your heartbeat and the vibrations you make. Your heartbeat goes thump fhump fhump thump." She tapped her knuckles on the table as a demonstration. "So I can hear you. Unless you…die."
Yue blanched.
"A lot of people think I'm weak because I'm blind, even though I could whup them with my eyes closed. And I wouldn't even need to close my eyes because I blind! You get where I coming from, don't you?" Toph said, "Sometimes you have to assert your dominance and be solid in what you believe in, y'know?"
Be solid in what you believe in. Yue blinked, her teeth grazing her lip. Be solid in what you believe in. That was something she needed to work on. She looked at Toph and was about to reply, but she clamped her jaw shut. Believe in what you think is right, it's the only way. No matter how much the truth hurt, it had to be told. She couldn't be satisfied with herself knowing that she was a liar. She just couldn't.
And suddenly there was the heavy scent of perfume and a woman was at Toph's side, enveloping her in her arms and pressing her to her bosom, lightly and gently, as if the girl would break if she held her too hard. Yue saw that she had the same light skin and dark hair that Toph had. Her mother. "Toph, darling, why aren't you sitting where you can be seen? You could get hurt or trampled!"
Toph stiffened and she pointed a finger at Yue's general direction. "Because, I was talking to the princess of the Northern Water Tribe. You know the tribe that invited us here." Her voice was softer than when she had been speaking to Yue, which led the princess to think that Toph was more open to strangers than to her mother.
Mrs. Bei Fong turned to look at Yue and her green eyes widened in surprise. She stepped back, clasped her hands together in front of her chest and bowed at the waist, murmuring hasty apologies. "I'm so sorry, Princess! I didn't see you!" She cried and bowed again.
Yue forced herself to smile. "That's alright," She replied, "I understand. I was just talking to your daughter. She's a lovely little girl," She looked at Toph and smiled. The blind girl seemed to have shrunken into herself when her mother approached. "She told me you were from Gaoling."
"Ah, yes!" The noblewoman answered with vigor, "Maybe you should visit one day, Princess." She took Toph's hand in her own-they looked smooth and soft-and the little girl rose to her feet. "I'm afraid we'll have to leave the celebration, soon," She said, "It's Toph's bedtime. You know, she's needs a lot of rest to stay healthy. We'll be staying in Ba Sing Se for a week."
The Northern Water Tribe princess nodded as the Bei Fong woman slowly led her daughter through the crowd. "Goodbye, Toph," Yue called after her and rose to her feet. The crowd that had once filled the room had diminished since the beginning of her conversation with Toph and the skylight was black. Night. Brushing the wrinkles from her dress, the princess moved to navigate her way through the remaining celebrators.
Without only a burning oil lamp to light the room, Azula leaned over the unrolled map of the inner workings of Ba Sing Se. The oil was made from animal fat-which disgusted her to a level she couldn't quite comprehend-and Lu Ten had used firebending to light it. The rest of the room was shrouded in dark, almost impenetrable shadows and Azula could only see the distorted faces of her comrades. The map Lu Ten had acquired was up-to-date, even though there was a mysterious red smudge in the corner, but she ignored it as she traced her finger along the division wall, her brow furrowed. "And so here," She explained ,looking up as she addressed her audience "Along this wall, we can scale it-"
Lu Ten knelt next to her, biting the tip of his finger as he analyzed her ideas. Azula bit her tongue, resisting the urge to growl. She knew her plans would work, and had she not been interrupted, she would have explained them. "But that would make us risk being seen. We don't know what kind of security this place has," Lu Ten interrupted, looking at her with an almost sympathetic light in his eyes and Azula narrowed her own golden eyes at him, sending her cousin a deathly glare that said very well what she thought of him at the moment.
"I was saying," Azula growled, scowling, "We can try to scale this wall and sneak into the upper ring, or something can lure those barbarians on this side of the ring and," The lamplight flared blue for a heartbeat and she clenched her fists, "We'll take the city."
"Yeah," Mai said from where she sat slumped over in the shadows, her slender arms crossed with her hands tucked in her sleeves. "That sounds nice and all," She drawled, "But the last time I checked, we don't have a distraction to lure anyone."
The Fire Nation's Crown Prince looked towards the girl. "Excellent point, Mai." He said and grinned, "We do need a distraction, but I'm afraid we don't have one…" He looked at Ty Lee, who was sitting next to Mai with a broad smile on her face. "Of course, there is one person who doesn't exactly look Fire Nation," He smirked, "Ty Lee, darling, would you do us a favor?"
Azula looked towards Ty Lee, who was suddenly gushing with budding excitement. The girl didn't have the dark hair and amber eyes that betrayed the others' nationality and her bubbly personality would most likely allow her to pass where they couldn't. Ty Lee and her abilities, Azula decided, would prove to be a valuable asset.
Lu Ten looked down at the map where there was a green mark that depicted the palace of Ba Sing Se. "We put Ty Lee here," He said, pointing to the palace, "And then she lures the princesses and the prince out to the wall. And then, that's when we come in." Lu Ten turned to Azula, "How does that sound, dear niece?"
To Azula, it sounded like a good plan, but would it work? She looked at Ty Lee, then at Mai. Her gaze travelled over Zuko and Lu Ten, and the captain Zhao. With such an elite team, how could it not work? The corners of her lips turned up into a devious smile. "That sounds…perfect."
Really, it did.
"Thank you for attending!" Yue said to yet another departing nobleman, dipping into a respectful bow. She had been unfortunate enough to step near the door in search of Aang and Sokka while another family was leaving. It was expected of a princess to be respectful, even towards those who were her underlings.
She sighed as the man and his wife moved through the door, their arms hooked together. The man's wife held her fan over her mouth, batting her dark lashes at Yue in a way that clearly said she didn't like the Northern Water Tribe princess. Yue's eyes widened as the woman vanished from her view. She wasn't liked by everyone, she knew, but no one had ever been so rude as to blatantly show their displeasure. It hurt her to see someone so disrespectful at a celebration for her, but she decided it wasn't worth getting upset over.
Besides, she had to get to Aang. Her conversation with Toph, the little blind earthbending girl, had inspired to do what she should have done long ago, when she had first met the airbending Avatar. Something that had begun to eat away at her.
She was going to tell Aang the truth about his people, and she was going to do it now. Part of her felt as if she had no choice but to do it now, because if she didn't, when would she? It would tear away at her conscience and the web of lies that had spawned would begin to thicken, running rampant like weeds.
She hears laughter coming from a corner of the room, heard over the music. There were only a few visitors left, but it was enough to drown out "Kirima's Lament" that was being played by the ocarina. Yue searched for a familiar face, scanning the room once, twice…there.
Aang was standing with Sokka, his face flushed as he held his sides, obviously deeply amused. Yue inhaled, her lips suddenly being tugged down into a frown. She would ruin his mood. She would ruin his life. But he deserved to know the real truth, even if it hurt him. Besides, she would rather he would find out the truth from her, instead of someone like Katara.
The Northern Water Tribe moved through the throng of nobility, pardoning herself quietly as she made her way towards the Air Nomad. She willed him to look up, for him to meet her gaze and at least know she needed something. Her foot got caught in her skirts and she paused long enough to rip it free without tripping.
As she approached, Sokka looked up at her and his smile fell when he caught sight of her expression. "What's wrong?" He asked, concerned for the feelings of his childhood friend. "Are you okay?" He reached out to put his hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off.
"I have to talk to Aang," Yue answered, setting a firm stare on the prince. At the mention of his name, Aang's face shifted into a more somber one. He understood her tone and he had read her face. Something was wrong. Something was about to happen. She bent down in front of him, eye to eye and she reached forward to clasp her hands on his shoulders.
"What's wrong, Yue?" Aang asked, looking at her with an alarmed light in his eyes. Yue shook her head. She couldn't let her resolve slip away now. Not when she was so close to telling him the truth. He needed this. He needed this.
Yue's azure eyes met Aang's gray ones and she sighed. "I'm sorry," She whispered softly, her voice barely heard even to her ears. "I'm sorry. Aang…" How did she say this? How did she tell someone that her ancestors had killed his people? That he was truly the last of his kind and that he was meant to be dead? "Aang, you know how I said that the Water Tribes had done really bad things in the past? And how I said you couldn't be corrupted by evil?" The boy nodded. "Well, one of those bad things was that a hundred years ago, the moon came to its closet point to the earth and it influenced waterbenders. And during that time, the Water Tribes…"
"Killed all your people." Sokka finished for her, looking off to the side. "We've been keeping it from you because we didn't want you to get hurt. We didn't want you to be used as a war machine. To the others, you're just a pawn," He said blatantly, "And they were going to get rid of you."
The look that came across Aang's face transitioned from disbelief, to hurt, and then finally into an expression so full of pain that it hurt Yue just to look at him. His eyes well up with heavy tears and Yue feels as if everything she has loved is now tumbling to the ground around her. She feels terrible. She is terrible. Aang jerks himself away from her and clenches his fists, speechless.
Hurt.
Betrayed.
And Yue stands there, her stomach in knots too tight to pull free. Sokka stood beside her, as if he was judging Aang's reaction. The little boy was boiling under the surface and had they not been in the center of a party, Yue was sure he would have imploded. Perhaps he was about to.
Someone cleared their throat. Yue gasped and Sokka suddenly had an appalled facial expression. Aang's eyes widened and Yue turned. There was Katara, with her arms crossed. Her lips were a thin line as she looked down at the Northern Water Tribe princesss.
"Hi, Yue," She says and then, she smiles.
Oh, there's so much I wanted to add in this chapter, but it wouldn't work. Maybe later. Is it possible I can have another chapter by the end of September? No.