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Chapter 16: Let Me Do This
Water lapped against the rocky shore of Shimazu Island. A tiny metal boat, built for three people at the most, made a harsh grinding sound as it moved out of the waves and across the rocks. One man jumped onto the beach and picked his way easily along the black stone, never making a misstep. The boat moved back out into the water and was soon out of sight. It rounded a corner and headed back to Tokoma Island.
Maho sensed a change at Sacred Flame Academy. It was late afternoon of the day after she met Tomiko in the bathroom. In that brief span of time, strange, furtive activity had increased and it felt as if everything and everyone was waiting for something dramatic to happen. She needed to investigate further; damn the consequences. Things were happening under her nose and all around her and Maho wanted to know, had to know what those things were.
The young woman gave her final hallway for the day a last vigorous sweep. The physical activity helped to relieve her tension and she already had a reputation among her 'peers' as an overachiever (if one put a positive spin on it) or brown nose (if one put a negative spin on it). Kyo Nomura, the head caretaker, stopped in front of Maho and put a light hand on her shoulder.
"Leave some floor for tomorrow, Izumi," he joked.
"Uh, yeah," she replied and laughed lightly.
She didn't know the man very well and in fact her first impression of him had not been very flattering, but now Maho felt affection for Nomura. He was genuinely kind, if a little grumpy at times and seemed almost as concerned as she was about the state of the school.
"This isn't your real job is it?" the older man asked.
Maho's body grew instantly rigid.
"What do you mean?" she asked calmly.
Nomura's brown eyes searched her grey ones. His gaze was powerful and Maho couldn't look away. She bit her lip and heaved a huge sigh.
"This isn't your real job, is it?" he repeated.
"What do you think my real job is?" Maho asked evasively.
"Come into my office. We need to talk."
She followed him reluctantly but sat when he indicated a chair. Maho didn't say anything, just fiddled with the rough cotton sash of her uniform and looked down at the floor.
"It's alright. You can tell me. I'm pretty good at reading people. The way someone moves his body, carries himself and speaks says a lot. I've been watching you, Izumi. You've been trained, in combat perhaps or at least martial arts. I was a soldier once. I was good at it too. I loved my country and fought hard for it. But after a few years I began to wonder why exactly the Fire Nation was fighting. Why were we so determined to crush the rest of the world? How could killing innocent villagers or imprisoning people be considered spreading our glory? We were spreading our hate and our violence."
Maho listened intently though she kept her eyes focused on her lap, not Nomura's face.
"I was injured in a raid on a small Earth Kingdom town. It was bad enough that they sent me home to recover. In a way I was glad that I got hurt. It seemed only fair after all that I had done. Have you noticed my limp?"
Maho nodded. It was slight but if you looked hard enough, you could see it.
"My leg was very badly broken. It took months to get the use of it back and it's never been completely right since. So the army let me go and I took up this occupation instead. I liked being near children. It gave me hope. This place is different, though. I don't feel hope here. I feel despair and fear."
"How do I know that you're not trying to trick me? Maybe you're Headmaster Oono's favorite employee."
"You don't know for certain. Look at me, Izumi. Do you think I'm lying?"
She looked, looked hard and she knew that he told the truth. It was a tremendous relief to have someone here besides a little boy who realized that Sacred Flame Academy was nothing but a training ground for future Ozais; nothing but the end product of years of planning the murder of Fire Lord Zuko and anyone else who carried Roku's blood in their veins. She took a deep breath and began to speak.
"You're right. I'm a soldier. Fire Lord Zuko sent me here to investigate. He has suspicions about Oono and other people here."
"And you've found out something terrible, haven't you?" Nomura asked softly.
"Yes, Oono and his supporters plan to kill Lord Zuko if he shows up here for a visit. They've invited him to come. You see, his wife's young brother is at the school."
"Ah, I understand."
"But it's worse than that. He wants to kill Lord Zuko's pregnant wife and his two children as well. The children carry the blood of Avatar Roku and Oono thinks that makes them inferior. He will make Ozai the Fire Lord again but wants to control the throne himself. He plans to wed his own daughter to Ozai. And she's happy about it. When they produce an heir, that heir will be Fire Lord when he or she reaches maturity."
"I have seen the killing of children," Nomura stated darkly. "I will not witness it again…not if I can do anything to stop it."
The former soldier seemed to lose himself in the past for a few minutes. Anger and sorrow both showed on his lined face. Maho could only imagine the horrors he had witnessed in the name of Fire Nation glory. She reached out and touched the man's hand gently. The touch broke him out of his reverie and he gave the young woman a smile.
"I've sent word to Zuko."
"The letter….of course," Nomura exclaimed.
"Yes, he will have it by now and can prepare."
"That's good. Now what can I do to help?"
"I'm sure that I can use you for something," she grinned. "And by the way, my name is Maho Shimane."
Five of Piandao's one time students, those he considered exceptionally able, guarded both the doors in Mai's training room. The knife thrower herself was taking her anger, frustration and fear out on the targets that decorated the walls. The twins sat near the guards and from the looks on their little faces, anyone could see that they were confused and a little afraid.
Mai sympathized and her motherly instincts told her to cuddle them close and whisper words that would assuage their terror. That instinct was doing battle with her survival one. She wanted to be as strong and sharp and alert as she could be; if she wasn't, there may not be children to comfort.
So she threw her knives and her shuriken and let loose her darts over and over until she was exhausted. The door that opened out into the small garden was wide open and a cool breeze blew into the room, yet Mai was still soaked with sweat. She reached for the pitcher of water that sat on a small table and poured a cupful, drinking deeply for a few seconds.
After wiping her face off with a towel, she approached the twins with a smile. They jumped up from the floor and ran to her, wrapping themselves around her legs. The guards, meanwhile, ever alert, formed a loose circle around Mai and the children and continued to watch the doors closely.
"Why they here, Mommy?" Miyako asked as she set smoldering golden eyes on the group of men.
Mai guided the two children over to a pile of cushions near her meditation table and instructed them to sit. The five guards still watched the entrances but also inched closer to Mai's new position. Mai took another swig of water, sat down beside the twins, sighed and began her explanation.
"First," she said, "I want you to know that those men are here to protect you. They're good men."
"But why they here?" Miyako persisited.
"There are some people who want to hurt you and me and Daddy. Iroh sent Piandao and these men to help us."
"Why they wanna hurt us?" Ryuhito asked.
"They don't like who we are or the way that Daddy does his job."
"But Daddy good and we good," the little girl insisted.
"Yes, your daddy is very good and so are you two. Sometimes bad people want to hurt good people. Those guys over there will protect you and so will I. Daddy needs to leave soon to take care of those people who want to hurt us."
"They look after Grandma too?" Ryuhito wondered with concern.
"Yes, Grandma too."
"And you, Mommy?" Miyako added.
Mai nodded to the little girl and gave her a hopeful smile.
"I don't want Daddy leave," the little princess said sorrowfully and looked at Mai with tear filled eyes.
"I don't want him to go either, Miya," Mai replied sadly.
She briefly thought of all that could happen to Zuko on Tokoma Island and couldn't stop the shuddering that wracked her body.
"But, it's something he needs to do."
While Mai trained, Zuko, Toph, Jee and Piandao along with some of his men, strategized. They sat in the huge council room (Zuko had canceled a meeting, feigning illness) drinking pot after pot of tea and batted ideas back and forth. They all agreed that Oono's force would be formidable. He was, after all, a great military mind and had had more than six years to inspire, manipulate and train his people as well as hone their skills. No doubt the man would have powerful benders, skilled archers and small weapons specialists in his crew.
The battle would be a cramped affair. Given the rocky nature of Tokoma Island, the fight would have to take place near the school and its other buildings, where hundreds of innocent children and staff resided. That fact bothered Zuko more than anything. One would think that Oono would protect his investment, so to speak. Those kids were to be his future generation of supporters. The Fire Lord had a terrible feeling, however, that Oono was the type of man capable of sacrificing those children without a thought.
"What if he uses Tomiko somehow?" Toph asked. "I mean, he knows you're close to him. He could threaten to kill him if you don't surrender."
Zuko put his head in his hands and groaned. He rubbed his hands over tired eyes and looked to Piandao for help.
"That could very well happen," the sword master agreed.
"I'm not going to let him kill Tomiko," the Fire Lord almost shouted.
"We know that, Zuko," Toph shouted back. "But what will you do?"
"Some of us need to say hidden or circle around behind the school area somehow. What about letting a small boatload of fighters off before the main docking area? They would have to make their way across the rocks somehow to the school and take Oono out or distract him enough so that he forgets about Tomiko long enough for us to grab him."
"That requires a lot of luck, Zuko," Piandao stated. "But it's all we have and I agree with your proposal."
"Let's not forget who the target is," Toph said darkly. "They don't care about the rest of us. It's Zuko they want dead and I'd bet my life that this Oono jerk will do anything to achieve that goal. He's been working toward it for years. I don't doubt your skills, Grumpy, but we can't leave you on your own, not for a second."
"Toph's right," Piandao agreed. "As soon as we dock and get off that ship, you will be surrounded by guards, guards who can stop just about anything. If an all out battle occurs, we will still surround you."
"We need to take out Oono," Zuko insisted. "Once he's down, the rest of them will fall apart. They need their leader."
"Don't worry. Some of us will concentrate on getting to that filth. He'll either surrender himself or die, by my hands happily."
"So our plan is basically show up and fight as hard as we can and protect Zuko," Toph summarized. She cracked her knuckles and grinned like a maniac. "I can get behind that. I love a fight."
"We'll also bring as many infantrymen as we can," Piandao added. "There is power in numbers."
"Now," Zuko said forcefully, "What about Mai and the children and my mother? How can I guarantee their safety? I've doubled the number of guards surrounding the palace but I only have so many. Piandao, your five will stay here with them and Mai is a force unto herself, pregnant or not. What else can I do?"
"Obviously, the children must never be alone or wander off. I want them with Mai and my men at all times. They are not to leave the palace until all this is over. Toph's talked to all the staff. She's convinced they are all loyal to you."
Toph nodded vigorously.
"Right then," Piandao continued, "that means an assassin has to make it past all the guards and somehow get into the palace. I'm not saying it couldn't happen because anything is possible. But, it will be difficult and require a lot of planning. I don't see more than one or two making it inside. I'm positive my men can take care of two killers."
"Why doesn't that make me feel better?" Zuko asked.
"Because you love your wife and children," Piandao answered simply.
"If they're hurt or….." Zuko began but was overcome with emotion.
He hung his head again and fought to compose himself. Toph punched him lightly in the arm. Zuko looked up and smiled weakly, scrubbing at his damp eyes.
"Why didn't I see this coming?" he lamented. "How could a plot to overthrow me, eliminate Roku's bloodline and reinstate Ozai go unnoticed? Just how stupid can I be? I sat back. I assumed that everything was going well, that the people were happy."
"Zuko," Piandao said sternly, placing a hand on the Fire Lord's arm. "Most of the people are happyand you're doing a great job. These rebels who want a return to the ways of your father and grandfather are few. And they've worked quietly, within the law for years, building up a base of people who think like they do. You can't see everything. You can't punish people who haven't done wrong and you cannot predict the future. Deal with what's in front of you now and stop whining."
The Fire Lord looked sharply at Piandao and then grinned. "You're right," he stated calmly. "We'll take care of Oono and his cronies and when we're done they will pay and pay severely."
"That's the spirit," Toph exclaimed.
"Now, I want to see my wife."
Zuko excused himself and went in search of Mai. Quietly, Piandao's men rose from their seats and followed the Fire Lord.
Ursa sat at her desk and worked on a letter to Hideo. She was trying her best to explain why they couldn't see each other for a few days without worrying him unnecessarily.
"How exactly can I make the threat of death seem harmless?" she joked to herself.
It really was no laughing matter, however. Some rabid Ozai loyalists wanted to murder all those (well almost all) close to her simply because the blood of Roku, her grandfather, was part of them. That kind of thinking enraged Ursa. It terrified her and she just couldn't understand it. Roku was a good man and she was proud of her heritage. How dare some elitist bastard decide that Avatar blood was somehow wrong or inferior? She shook her head and once again tried to think of the right words. Ursa settled for these:
My dear Hideo,
There's a bit of trouble here at the palace and Zuko insists that I stay put for a few days. Please do not worry or come charging in here to see what's going on. I'll write again soon.
With much affection,
Ursa
It would have to do, vagueness and all. She pulled the bell for a servant and gave the girl instructions. Hideo would have it in his hands shortly.
"Knowing him, he'll do exactly what I asked him not too," she sighed.
Part of her wanted just that.
Azula ate daintily but with a healthy appetite. The food at the asylum was tasty and almost sickeningly wholesome. She finished the stew, drained the last of the tea from her cup and then ate her bowlful of fruit. The young woman, a resident of the facility for more than six years now, sat at her own table in the small dining hall. Azula wanted nothing to do with the lowly, weak minded peasants who populated the asylum and they wanted nothing to do with her.
All she had to do was look at them with her haughty dark gold eyes and they turned away in fear. She may not be the Fire Lord (yet) but Azula was still a princess; royal blood still coursed through her veins. The asylum was a temporary stop off point, she told herself. Part of her was ashamed because of her 'illness' or her loss of control. But she decided to move beyond it. Really, what choice did she have?
Once lunch was over, the patients moved out into the gardens for their daily dose of fresh air. Doctor Tochihara walked amongst them, making small talk here and saying a few encouraging words there. Supervision wasn't strict or overbearing. Most of the patients were harmless and special teas kept the asylum population very docile anyway. Azula and perhaps two others were the only ones who posed any kind of threat at all. A few guards milled about the garden as the men and women walked or sat on benches or talked to themselves.
Bored and definitely not interested in horticulture (that was her mother's domain), Azula sat on a crude wooden bench tucked in between two large willow trees. Their branches draped downward, almost hiding the princess behind a curtain of green. She closed her eyes and listened, an exercise she liked to perform. It improved her awareness, honed her senses, senses that struggled under the weight of that chi crushing tea she drank every day. As she sat and took in the sounds around her, soft, warm breath tickled the back of her neck.
"Hello, Azula," someone whispered and then was gone.
The teacher droned on and on and on about the uncivilized hordes who occupied the Earth Kingdom. Tomiko thought about Toph encasing the nasty man in a tomb of dirt and smiled.
"You find my lesson amusing, do you, Tomiko?" the strong looking middle aged teacher asked.
"No sir," the boy replied truthfully.
"Then why are you smiling?"
"I was thinking about an earthbender I know."
"Oh, that's right," the man replied in a horribly fake saccharine voice. "You fraternize with savages. What about those Water Tribe peasants who fight with clubs? You know some of them too, don't you?"
Tomiko took the bait.
"They aren't savages or peasants," the boy practically growled. "They're my friends and they helped stop the war."
The teacher, his name was Isao Ageda, raised his eyebrows and looked around at the rest of the class as if to say, 'see how misguided your fellow student is.'
"This boy," Ageda said lightly but with angry eyes, "is a disgrace to Sacred Flame Academy."
He approached Tomiko and grabbed him by the hair, pulling him up and out of his seat.
"This boy doesn't realize that our nation, The Fire Nation, is the one true power. He thinks that all people are equal, that a waterbender is as good as a firebender, that an earthbender deserves to live side by side with a firebender, that the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom are as important as our nation. What do you think of that, children?"
The class booed and jeered while Tomiko stood with Ageda's powerful hand pressing down on his shoulder.
"I think this boy needs to be punished. Write the Fire Nation oath down on your scrolls while I'm gone. Jiro, you make sure that everyone behaves. I'll be back shortly."
He dragged Tomiko out into the hallway. His grip on the boy's arm was painful and Tomiko winced.
"I'm taking you to the headmaster. Perhaps Mr. Oono can do something with you."
While striding down the hallway, they met another teacher. Ageda stopped to talk for a moment, telling the attractive woman all about Tom's insolence and ignorance. His attention wavered for a moment and his grip loosened. The boy made a run for it; breaking free and taking off down the hall as fast as he could go. He didn't have a plan. He had no idea where to go. But he did know that he wouldn't just sit back and wait to be hurt anymore. Part of him felt badly; he recalled Zuko's words about blending in. That seemed impossible for the brother of the Fire Lady, a woman very much despised at Sacred Flame, married to a man even more despised at the school. It was time to fight back in any small way he could.
Four men followed Zuko through the corridors of the palace as he made his way to the bedrooms, hoping to find Mai and the children. Sure enough, they along with Ursa,all sat in his and Mai's room, playing with toys, reading and looking blankly off into space.
"Daddy here," Miyako shrieked.
She dropped her blocks without a thought and ran to the scarred man. She hung on to him fiercely and Zuko stroked her head, running a hand along her shiny black pony tail.
"What's with the welcome?" he asked his daughter.
Miayko frowned thoughtfully for a moment before answering.
"Mommy say you going away."
"I don't have a choice," Zuko sighed.
"Dat what Mommy say," Ryuhito piped up.
He walked over to his father and reached up, waiting for the larger hand to take hold of his small one. Zuko obliged. He rubbed a thumb across the back of his son's hand and smiled down at him.
"Your mother is almost always right."
"Almost?" Mai said questioningly and looked at her husband.
"Okay, she always right," he whispered conspiratorially to his children.
They laughed and moved back to their toys. Ursa greeted her son and patted the seat between her and Mai. He took it gratefully, slumping down on the sofa and edging closer to his wife. He wanted his body touching hers, no matter how minimal the contact.
"Oh," he groaned, "I've been sitting all day but I'm still tired."
"What did you accomplish?" Mai asked.
"We've got a plan, of sorts," he sighed in response.
"And what is this plan?" she prodded.
"Take as many people as we can and beat them." Zuko replied with total seriousness.
"That's not funny," Mai replied.
Her thin lips formed a hard straight line and she gave Zuko a glare.
"It's not supposed to be funny. That is the plan."
"Zuko's got Toph and Piandao and all those wonderful swordsmen and other firebenders too. I'm sure they can defeat Oono's forces," Ursa said calmly.
"And he's got benders and lackeys and maybe even some bloody Yu Yan Archers," Mai snapped.
Zuko wrapped his arm around Mai but she jerked away angrily.
"Don't," she hissed.
The Fire Lord dropped his arm back down and tried to explain things a little better.
"Some of the men will take a smaller boat and land somewhere else. They might be able to come up from behind Oono and his people. And I'll be covered at all times, if possible. Does that make you feel better?"
"No," Mai answered bluntly.
"I'm worried about you too," Zuko stated.
"Why don't the two of you go have a cup of tea and something to eat?" Ursa suggested. "I think you need to talk. I'm fine with the twins and there are plenty of guards out in the hall."
"Mai?" Zuko said softly.
She nodded and then struggled to get up from her sitting position.
"We'll be back soon," she told the children.
The couple walked down to the kitchen and sat down while Rezu fixed them a very late lunch. They said nothing, just watched the cook's movements as she bustled happily about the kitchen. When everything was ready, Zuko carried the tray into the small dining room and shut the door, making sure to lock it.
Ageda's panicked and angry voice followed Tomiko down the hallway, through a left turn, and then another left. His footsteps were growing fainter, however. Tom was young and agile and terrified; a potent combination for swift movement. He saw a door that opened onto a small office up ahead and as he was about to pass, a hand grabbed and pulled him inside.
"Whaaa," he exclaimed, but the hand, lightly calloused but otherwise smooth, covered his mouth.
He looked upward into the curious gray eyes of Maho. Tomiko felt so relieved that his knees gave out and he sunk onto the floor.
"Is this the boy, then?" a gruff but friendly voice inquired.
"Yeah, this is Tomiko Matsuo, Fire Lady Mai's brother."
"Well, young man, looks like you're in some trouble now. Eh, it really doesn't matter anymore. Maho and I, we're going to get into some trouble of our own."
"What happened?" Maho asked the boy.
"The teacher, he was mad because I spoke out in class. I was just defending my friends."
"What friends?" Maho continued.
"Toph…"
"What did he say about Toph?" she demanded.
"He thinks everyone except Fire Nation people are, are not as good as we are. He's the stupid one. Anyway, he was gonna take me to see the headmaster. I got scared and when he was talking to a lady, I got away. And I'm not going back. I don't care what anyone says."
"What are we going to do with him?" Nomura asked, turning to Maho.
"Looks like we'll have some company tonight; if you turn yourself in, Tomiko, I'm afraid of what they'll do to you. Mr. Nomura and I," Maho pointed to the older man, "are going snooping tonight. Would you like to come?"
"Will it help Zuko and Mai?" the boy asked.
"That's what we're trying to do, son," Nomura stated.
"Then I wanna come."
"You'll have to sleep outside and we may not be able to come back here at all. Remember, we're all supposed to be in our dormitories after dinner. If people notice us missing, they'll look."
"Can we make a camp somewhere away from the school?" Tomiko asked.
He seemed excited now rather than afraid, and eager to help put an end to Sacred Flame Academy for good.
"Yep, we've already got quite a bit of food and I'm sure there's plenty of water out there. I'm going to the dining hall for my dinner and I'll sneak more out. I'll even go to my room but I won't stay. Nomura has his own room because he's the head caretaker. It's easier for him to sneak around than it is for us. You can stay here with him. It's okay, Tomiko, you can trust him."
The young boy looked reluctant.
"Zuko said not to trust anyone but you."
"Yes, but I trust Mr. Nomura so you can trust him too."
"Okay….."
"I've gotta go now, kiddo. Listen to Nomura. He's pretty smart. I'll meet you two later."
Maho trudged back to her dormitory looking as though the weight of the world were on her shoulders. She was worried about Tomiko; dragging a kid into their exploits had not been the plan, but she didn't have much choice. The boy had been determined to escape; better he stay with her and Nomura than on his own. She wondered, though, what would happen if they were all caught. Somehow, she had an easy time believing that Oono would delight in hurting or even killing some allies of Zuko.
"Guess we can't get caught then," Maho reasoned.
"We're sorry to bother you, Lady Ursa, but there's a man out here who wants to see you. The guards outside let him in because they know him."
"Ursa, it's me. Let go, for Agni's sake. I'm not going to hurt anyone."
Getting up from her seat on the floor, Ursa walked to the door and opened it without hesitation.
"I told you to stay away," she said harshly but her lips were itching to pull upwards in a smile. "It's alright, men. This gentleman is Hideo Koga and we're close friends."
"Go ahead," one of Piandao's finest said with a grin. "The lady says you're okay."
"I know that I'm okay," Hideo huffed.
He walked in and shut the door abruptly. "What's going on? Why are there so many guards out there? Did they have to manhandle me?"
Hideo was so flustered that Ursa just had to laugh. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head against his shoulder, muffling the sound of her mirth.
"So happy I amuse you," the professor continued.
He was smiling now too and the happy sounds infected the twins who also began to giggle.
"You're babysitting, I see," the man observed. "Hello Miyako and Ryuhito."
"Hi," they both replied and giggled some more.
"There's been a shortage of laughter here over the last couple of days," Ursa began. "I didn't want to involve you, but now that you're here…."
"I want to know what's going on if it involves your safety."
"We'll talk over there," she said and indicated Mai's vanity.
It was far enough away from the twins that they couldn't hear the serious conversation.
"You sit," Hideo insisted.
"Alright; I'm going to make this brief."
Ursa summarized Oono's plot while Hideo listened, his face growing paler and paler the more she revealed.
"I don't know how to respond to all that. Children, they would murder children."
"Yes," Ursa replied quietly. "You understand why we're being careful. I hope that it's all over by the end of the week. I'm terrified for Zuko, though, and I'm terrified for Mai and for them. And Azula, she's so vulnerable stuck on that island."
"I guess that I need to worry about you then."
"Worry all you want but I won't have you caught up in this mess."
"Oh, no you don't, Ursa. I'm not leaving. I'll write the university. They can do without me for a little while."
"Hideo, no, you don't need to do that."
"I told you once that when I say something, I mean it. I'm not leaving you here when your life is being threatened. I want to help protect you."
"You're not a fighter. You're a teacher, for Agni's sake."
"That may be so, but if someone's trying to hurt you, I'll do what I have to do.
"Oh, Hideo…."
"Now can a man get a cup of tea around here?"
"Sure," Ursa sighed. "Kids, how would you like a snack?"
"K, Grandma," Ryuhito replied agreeably.
"Yess," Miyako said with great enthusiasm. "I hungry again."
"Alright then; let's go get some food."
Ursa opened the door to the bedroom again and informed the guards that they would all be in the kitchen for an hour or so.
"Oh, and you have someone else to guard too," she joked and gave Hideo a kiss on the cheek. "My friend is staying."
Azula felt fear. It was an unfamiliar emotion for her, one that was difficult to process and understand. The voice she had heard was smoothly confident and slightly taunting. It sounded like a male version of her voice. Had she really heard it? Was she starting to imagine things again? She recalled the day of her 'defeat', the day she saw her mother in the mirror, looking so heartbroken, the day she had smashed the glass, wanting her mother and her mother's lies gone.
Seeing things that weren't there meant loss of control again and Azula would not stand for that. She was well again; she was powerful and brilliant and if she heard a voice, by Agni, that voice was real.
"Who's there?" she hissed angrily. "What do you want?"
There was no response. She got up from the bench and looked carefullyaround. The rest of the patients were still wandering amongst the flower beds and the few guards looked half asleep. Doctor Tochihara was trying to comfort some blubbering mess. No one was thinking about Azula. She took the opportunity and walked through the other side of the willow's canopy into a sparsely wooded area. She heard the trickle of a stream nearby and moved toward it. She saw no one and heard nothing but the wind in the trees, the chirping of birds and the water.
The stream was narrow and shallow so the princess decided to walk across caring little if her hospital slippers got wet. Once on the other side she stood still and cocked her head, listening. There it was again.
"Azula, come here princess."
She tried to summon fire but all she managed was a pitiful spark that died on the end of her blunt fingertips.
"Damn tea," she cursed. "I don't need fire to break a neck."
Inching closer, taking small, regulated steps, she followed the voice which continued to beckon her. It held mirth now, like the voice's owner wanted to play.
"I have a game for you," the princess shouted. "Why don't you come out so I can see you?"
Sinister laughter rang out from a dense clump of trees perhaps one hundred steps away.
"I'm waiting," the voice said seductively.
Azula continued to walk.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Zuko asked. "Remember the baby."
"I never forget the baby," Mai replied icily."Here, I'm eating. Are you satisfied?"
She stabbed the delicate porcelain bowl with her chopsticks and picked out a piece of meat which she stuffed into her mouth, chewed and swallowed as thought eating were a chore to get through.
"You're angry at me," Zuko stated. "I'm sorry that all this is happening."
"I'm not angry at you. I'm just angry and I've been holding it in like a good little girl, for the kids' sakes, but I can't anymore."
"Say what you need to say," Zuko encouraged his wife.
"I hate them all," she said, dragging out each word for emphasis, making each one sound like a knife hitting one of her targets. "I will not hesitate to kill anyone who invades my home and tries to harm my children or your mother or me. How dare the bastards? How dare they?"
I know, I know," Zuko said comfortingly, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him. "I want to stay with you so badly."
"If Oono hurts you, Agni help him," Mai stated viciously.
"I'll do my best not to get killed," Zuko replied light heartedly. Then more seriously he added, "I've got so much to live for."
He kissed the top of her head and she lifted her tear stained face, looking him directly in the eyes.
"Die and I'll hunt you down and kill you again!"
Chuckling, Zuko kissed her. He had two days worth of unspent passion boiling away in his veins and the kiss got much more heated. Mai felt it too and kissed back forcefully, tangling her hands in her husband's perpetually messy dark hair. She opened her mouth willingly to allow Zuko entrance. He guided her down on to the floor and pulled at her sash with frustration.
"Let me do it," Mai said eagerly as she untied the maroon silk and wriggled out of the silky fabric.
She wore only her breast bindings and underwear now, Zuko having managed to drag her pants down over her bottom and legs. He placed kisses on her belly while whispering nonsense words of love to the baby inside. Mai undid the clasp that held her bindings in place. The Fire Lord's attention was drawn to her breasts now and Mai uttered pleased sounds as he tended to them.
"Zuko, I need you now," she pleaded and he obliged her happily.
He was tall and extremely thin, almost gaunt, and he was covered with knives. They were strapped to his arms, his ankles and his thighs. He wore a band of them around his hips, all tucked into a leather belt type thing with loops to hold the blades. It was a wonder he didn't slice himself into tiny pieces every time he moved. His small gold eyes gleamed with anticipation for the kill. His prey had come to him, just as he had planned. Azula stared at him and then smiled.
"Did Zuko send you?" she asked.
The man laughed. The sound was surprisingly musical and seemed out of place with the body it emerged from.
"Quite the opposite, my dear princess; an enemy of your brother's sent me."
"I'm not sure that I understand," Azula replied, her nose in the air and her arms crossed.
"You're going to die. What's the point of understanding anything now?"
"Call it royal curiosity. My you remind me of that traitor bitch, Mai."
"Oh, I'm much better at killing than she'll ever be," the man laughed again.
"You won't tell me who you are then or who sent you?"
"I'm doing a little clean up," the assassin stated. "You carry some, hmmm, bad blood and my boss wants it all gone."
"So, Zuko's going to die too, and his brats and our mother? That almost makes my death worth it."
The young woman considered briefly allowing the man to kill her. There would be no more worries and no more struggles. She could just close her eyes and enter the black nothingness she was sure awaited her. Azula brushed aside the thought like she would an annoying insect. She felt her fire inside begin to strengthen and wondered why. A few moments earlier she could hardly make a spark. Perhaps it was the adrenaline. Perhaps it was pure fear or perhaps it was that all too common desire to live, even when there wasn't yet much to live for. She concentrated, stoking the flames within until they blazed a cool blue.
"It isn't over yet," she warned the assassin. "I'm feeling surprisingly good."
"Have you seen a young boy? He's nine years old and he's taken it upon himself to run away."
"Hmmm, I heard a commotion earlier but I couldn't be bothered to look. I'm too busy to take breaks like that," Nomura replied to the frustrated looking teacher.
"Well, if you see the little brat, grab him by the scruff of the neck and turn him into Headmaster Oono. He's in for some real punishment now."
"I'll do that," the caretaker stated enthusiastically. "Good luck, sir."
Once the instructor left, Nomura looked down the hallway and checked for other stray people. When he was sure that all was clear, he opened the cramped closet that Tomiko was stuffed into.
"Let's go, young man. We're going to have a look around while everyone's busy eating."
"Okay," Tomiko agreed.
He walked alongside the older man, through the empty school, as they looked in this room and that, opened closets and investigated, finding nothing of interest. Next was the gymnasium, a large building with a domed roof that sat adjacent to the school. Nomura had the master key and opened the door. Both man and boy looked around furtively before entering the training area. They walked around its perimeter and again found nothing unusual. Tomiko looked in the girls' changing room and noticed a barrel sitting in the corner.
"Hey, Mr. Nomura, I found something," he exclaimed excitedly.
"Hang on, boy. Let me see."
Nomura entered the room and almost immediately spotted the barrel. It looked all too familiar; red with a hinged lid and four tiny holes in front to receive the fire that would set it off.
"What's that doing here?" he snarled and Tomiko backed away from both the barrel and the man. "Agni, I wonder if they've placed barrels all over the school."
"What's in it?" Tomiko asked.
"Dangerous stuff that could explode; we need to get it out of here."
Nomura began to move the barrel, putting it on its side and rolling it out of the changing room.
"Help me, son," he asked.
The pair got the barrel out of the gymnasium and onto the pathway outside.
"Now where can we put this so it won't hurt anyone and how many other barrels are there?" the caretaker asked.
"Hey," a voice called from up the street. "What did you find?"
"Blasting jelly," Nomura replied as Maho got closer.
"Agni," she breathed. "Oono is one sick man. I'll start looking for some more while you guys roll that one off into the trees."
"Yes, miss," Nomura replied with a grin. "I'm always happy to take orders from a pretty young lady.
"Mommy and Daddy still gone," Miyako observed with a pout. "What they doing?"
Ursa looked at Hideo and winked shamelessly. "They needed some time alone together…..to talk. And they might be resting too. It's been hard to sleep the last few nights."
"We sleep in the big bed," Ryuhito said proudly to Hideo. "We sleep with Mommy and Daddy."
"Ah, I see," the scholar flushed. "Let's not rush your mother and father then. How about we play some games or I could read a story."
Miyako promptly reached for her favorite book and handed it to the man. He took it with a smile and settled himself on the floor between the two children.
"They've taken to you," Ursa whispered in his ear as she leaned over closer to him.
Smiling, Hideo read the story, changing his voice for different characters, growling when it fit and generally making a happy fool of himself. The children lapped it up; eyes as round as soup bowls and mouths hanging open. When the story was finished and the children cleaned up for bed, Mai and Zuko returned.
"Sorry we took so long," the Fire Lord said apologetically as soon as he made his way through the throng of guards and pushed open the door. "Hello, Hideo."
The professor gave Zuko a nod and a smile.
"No problem," Ursa replied. "I figured that you and Mai needed some 'time' together."
"Thanks, Ursa," Mai said and gave her mother-in-law a smirk, her lips twitching with amusement.
"I'm sure you made good use of your 'time'," Ursa continued.
"We did," Mai agreed.
A blushing Zuko glared at the two women.
"We had better stop," Mai continued. "He looks angry."
"Seriously, do you feel better, Mai?" Ursa asked her daughter-in-law.
"A bit, but…I just want it over with. Waiting is torture."
"Are you okay here for awhile?" Zuko turned to his wife. "Piandao and I are going to spar a bit, if I can find him."
"Oh, that might be fun to watch," Mai enthused.
"Come along then. The kids can come too. Or are you guys sleepy?"
"Come, come," they both cried.
"Now you and Hideo can have some time alone," Mai joked with Ursa.
Poor Hideo flushed bright red yet again at the implication.
"We'll have some more tea in my room. How's that Hideo?"
"Sure, Ursa, whatever you say. And Zuko, I intend to stay here throughout this crisis. Your mother has told me everything and I will not abandon her."
"Okay, that's between my mom and you."
"Good, then," Hideo replied, sounding relieved. "Shall we go, Ursa?"
The couple left, heading for Ursa's room down the hall. Mai and Zuko followed close behind, children in tow and went in search of Piandao. They found him in a disused room near the Fire Lord's lair (now called simply 'the meeting room'). He was already sparring with two of his former students, quite handily keeping them at bay.
When he spotted Zuko, he brought up his hand in a gesture that meant stop and bowed to his young opponents. They bowed in return and moved aside for the Fire Lord.
"Let's see what you've got, young man," the sword master smirked.
Mai and the children stood well off to the side and watched as Zuko kept pace with Piando, using his dual swords against the master's one. Both men were skilled, but Piandao's years of experience and exceptional talent won out in the end.
"You're quite good," he complimented the Fire Lord. "But you could be better. Perhaps I'll give you some lessons once this distasteful mission is over."
"I would like that," Zuko replied politely.
"Your skill with the swords combined with your bending must make for a formidable force. I'd like to see that."
"You probably will, very soon," Zuko stated. "Mai's brother would really appreciate some time with you. He's quite taken with the sword."
"I'll see what I can do, then. I'm going to clean up and retire for the night."
"Are your rooms comfortable?" Mai asked, playing the perfect hostess.
"Yes, thank you, my lady. The rooms are everything we could ask for."
"Good," she nodded. "The children need to get bed, Zuko. I'm heading off."
"I'll be there in a minute," he replied. The Fire Lord waited until his wife was out in the hall before posing a question to Piandao. "Have you been struck with any great ideas?"
"No, I'm afraid the plan remains the same. But I'm confident that we can win and bring this Oono traitor to his knees."
Zuko thought for a moment and then nodded. "Goodnight, Piandao," he said and left the room.
The assassin was only mildly surprised by Azula's confidence. From what he knew, the princess was always sure of herself and highly skilled as well. He'd heard tales of her terrifying blue fire and her lightning along with her cruelty and craving for power. It really was a shame that such a beautiful and powerful creature had been reduced to this, a weakened shell of her former glorious self. It really was a shame that she carried the blood of the Fire Nation's greatest enemy in her veins.
"Let's begin, Princess," he stated as he pulled out one of his many knives.
"I'm ready," she responded and brought her hands up into the old familiar position.
Her fingers tingled with warmth from her internal fire, a fire she was about to make external. She watched the man closely, paying special attention to his hands and his eyes. As he made a flicking motion with his wrist and sent the blade flying straight toward her heart, Azula edged sideways and shot a weak blast of fire in his direction.
"Is that all you have, the great Azula?" he mocked her.
"You could have killed me when I sat on the bench; why didn't you? Isn't that what you're paid to do?"
"I'm paid to kill you anyway I please. If I want to play with my victim first, no one cares. And I like to play."
He flashed a sadistic grin and whipped another blade her way. Azula didn't move out of the way quite fast enough and the knife landed in the muscle of her upper arm. She didn't cry out though the pain was immense. Instead she pulled the blade out disdainfully and tossed it aside. Warm red trickled inside the sleeve of her frumpy hospital tunic.
Before she could summon her fire for the second time, another knife landed in firm flesh, this time her left thigh. Again, she pulled out the blade and tried to ignore the sharp, radiating pain. Her pant leg clung to her skin, sticky and heavy with blood. Azula narrowed her eyes and focused all her effort on making strong fire. She couldn't understand why he was giving her a chance. She wouldn't, not even for fun. Make the kill quickly and cleanly, that was her belief. This time her fire blast was quite powerful. The lanky man dove out of the way, landing with a thump on the hard ground. He managed to throw another blade, however, and it nicked her side, causing more blood to flow.
With the wind knocked out of him, it took the assassin a few moments to regain his breath. He knew that he had made a crucial error, letting any of her fire get close to him. Azula ran at the man, shooting multiple blasts of fire. He tried to roll out of the way, but one hit him directly in the back. He screamed despite himself. The princess relished the sound; it was like that of a wounded animal, one you needed to put out of its misery. Standing over the writhing man, she peppered him with blasts until he stopped moving. Not convinced he was dead, she took one the knives from his ankle holster and stabbed his chest over and over. His blood coated her hand and ran down her wrist, falling in fat drops onto the ground below. She didn't stop until her arm gave out.
Maho, Tomiko and Nomura spent the rest of the evening looking for more blasting jelly. They found three more barrels and struggled with them, rolling them as noiselessly through the now dark streets as possible and out into the trees and bushes that surrounded the school.
"We need to immerse these in water," Nomura suggested.
He looked tired and sweat dripped off him despite the coolness of the evening.
"Are you okay?" Maho asked, her face pinched and tired too.
"Fine," the older man replied curtly. "Let's just get these damn barrels into the stream. There's one down that way. It's more of a river actually. That's where the school gets its water from."
Tomiko watched the two adults as he gamely pushed at a barrel, doing his best to move it along.
"I hope everyone's inside," he whispered. "If we get caught, the headmaster will be really mad."
"Don't worry," Maho replied.
She wondered to herself, though, if there was another secret meeting tonight. If there was, the upper echelon of school personnel could be wandering around the grounds, headed to their meeting place. The young woman pushed with renewed vigor. She thought the boy must be hungry and thirsty, but he hadn't complained.
Finally, all the barrels were immersed in the clear water of the river. They sunk slowly to the bottom. Nomura and Maho both looked relieved and almost happy. The young soldier turned spy handed Tomiko a partially squished roll and some pieces of meat that she had stuffed inside a napkin. He ate enthusiastically and then drank from the river, taking a long time to satisfy his thirst.
"Now what?" he asked brightly.
"Now, we stay out here. I'm sure Zuko will arrive in a few days. Until then, we have to stay hidden," Maho answered the boy.
"Zuko will make everything better," Tomiko said with the innocent confidence of the very young.
"Headmaster Oono is busy. He wants no visitors right now," Isa pleaded with weapons instructor Akagi.
"Get out of my way," the teacher shouted, pushing Oono's assistant forcefully aside.
Hearing Akagi's almost panicked voice, Oono opened the door to his office and gestured for the man to come in. The teacher threw Isa a withering glance before shutting the door in his face.
"What is it?" Oono asked harshly. "Hurry up. I'm hungry and want my breakfast now, not whining or needless conversation."
"The blasting jelly…it's gone."
"I'm sorry. Did you say that the blasting jelly is gone?" Oono asked calmly.
"Yes, sir; it was taken sometime late yesterday. All four barrels have disappeared."
"Along with the Matsuo boy," Oono mused. "People are slipping up and ruining my plans. That makes me unhappy," he snarled.
"You think that brat found the barrels and removed them by himself?"
"No, you fool, I think someone helped him. I want them found and I want the barrels recovered. Now!" he shouted.
"Yes sir," Akagi simpered and slithered out the door, thinking desperately about just how he would find the culprits and the explosive.
"Perhaps a nice cup of tea would be helpful, sir," Isa suggested to his superior.
He held a steaming cup in his hand ready to place on Oono's desk.
Without even looking up from his papers, the headmaster breathed deeply, made fire and shot the bright orange flames at his assistant. The man's sleeve lit up and he screamed, batting at the fire until it was extinguished. The tea cup dropped onto the wooden floor, breaking into two neat pieces and the warm amber liquid made a large puddle.
"I told you never to come in here without knocking. Now get me my breakfast," Oono demanded. "And clean up that mess."
Tomiko awoke from a deep sleep. His friends, Maho and Nomura were already awake and conversing intensely over by the huge trunk of a very old and tall palm tree. He relieved his bladder behind some bushes and drank from the river once again, splashing water on his face and scrubbing.
"Here," Maho said with a strained smile and tossed him a banana.
"Thanks," he replied.
Camping out wasn't as fun as he imagined it would be.
"They must know that something's going on by now," Nomura insisted. "They'll be looking so we should move further away from the school. Think of the boy."
"I know," Maho agreed. "Come on, Tomiko; we need to get moving."
"Shhh," Nomura hissed. "I hear something."
Sure enough the sound of feet making their way along the rough path could be heard distinctly now.
"Take the boy and go," Nomura said firmly.
"Hey, no, I'm the soldier here; you take the boy."
"You're young; I've lived a full life already. I want you to go. Run as far and as fast as you can and don't get caught."
"But…." Maho said as tears filled her gray eyes.
"Please," Nomura whispered. "Let me do this for you and for our country."
"Tomiko, NOW!" she exclaimed.
She took the boy's hand and began to run. Tomiko looked over his shoulder and watched Nomura standing proudly as he awaited the posse from Sacred Flame Academy.
The last thing Maho and Tomiko heard was a shrill scream of agony.
A/N: I didn't want to kill Azula (well, part of me did) so I had the intensity of her feelings and the danger of her situation, allow her to access her fire, despite the tea she drinks every day.
I figure Oono sent an assassin to the asylum first because it's close by and by the time the news of her death (if her body was found) got back to the palace, Zuko would already have left anyway. I guess Tochihara didn't get the letter about extra protection for Azula or he doesn't open his mail right away.
I'm proud of Tomiko for taking a stand.
I'm kind of proud of Hideo and Nomura too. Thanks to Jadeling for planting the idea in my head that one of the school staff had war experiences that changed him forever and made him want to maintain the progressive times of Zuko's reign.
Re: blasting jelly, which is a real product invented by Nobel…I don't know what submerging the barrels in water would do, but I assume wetting the explosive materials would 'dampen' (ha, ha) their effectiveness.
Until next time,
Thanks very much for reading and special thanks to those who write me reviews and/or message me with ideas or questions.
Alabaster