AHHHH! I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN SO LONG! I am soooo sorry! I got very busy!
hope this makes up for it- so here you go!
enjoy!
-TSA
Chapter 20:
"Control your own destiny or someone else will."Jack Welch
It felt like a thousand things had been packed away, thousands of tiny memories that she would have been thankful to have, though now she wanted them to be whisked away. Then she wouldn't have to feel guilty for any of it. She could just go on living as she always had- a diplomat free to travel the world. No rules binding her to a throne, to being an advisor. Her sister had been willing to give her the freedom to go about as she pleased. But the night she died, the night she gave birth at the cost of her life and the child's, freedom wasn't an option anymore.
The night she was told to care for Briar, a ten year old with a stone cold complexion, something that had saddened her mother, she hadn't even experienced responsibility. A ten year old with exceptional skill in bending, though the secret pleasure of dabbling in the dark tactics of war, she hardly spoke a word when her father was near. What that man had told her was beyond Hikaru, but it didn't sit any better in her stomach. Hikaru was of the belief that her sister had died of heartbreak, a sickness that took the child as well.
Her father had no right in wanting that child to be a spy. A cunning, deceptive ruler that would be able to destroy a city by squeezing it dry like a python. What was the purpose of it all? A daughter with the cold, loyal nature of a serpent-
Hikaru shook her head, hands curling around the handle of the giant hammer that sat in the corner of the apartment. It was a gift to Briar from her father while he was on his deathbed. How fitting from the man with not a single drop of kindness in his heart? A marriage purely of power, the unhappy years of her sister's life…What limited joy came from Briar when she was a tiny toddler? Those years had not lasted long enough to heal a broken heart.
Slinging the hammer over her shoulder, she made her way outside to find Iroh standing there with his hands hidden in his sleeves. She gave him a nod of the head as they strolled down the empty street. She cursed the silence for it was leaving her to a thousand miserable thoughts. Tears threatened her eyes, her heart wishing she had done as her sister wished- raise Briar. What could she have done? Briar was corrupted.
"There's nothing more you can do, Hikaru."
"I'm not satisfied by that." She sighed while tugging a letter from her sash, "I found this sitting at your desk. It's addressed to Lord Chronos."
Iroh lifted a brow, "Zuko found it in her bag when we first arrived in Ba Sing Se. I took it from him as I assumed it was none of his business the contents of it."
"I didn't read it. I only saw who it was addressed to." Hikaru sighed while fiddling with the folded parchment, "I wanted to read it. I wanted to understand her. But it's not meant for my eyes."
"We can want a thousand things, though the Spirits only grant us one or two of them." Iroh smiled while entwining his fingers with hers as they wandered down the dusty roads, "I can think of one that we both can have."
Hikaru blushed, shaking her head while tugging her hand from his, "It's not that easy, Iroh."
"It's only difficult if you want it to be-"
"Iroh, please listen." She stopped walking, feeling silly as she bit on her bottom lip, "We can't make this work unless your brother is destroyed." Her brow furrowed as she looked past him, not wanting to see his somber eyes, "We can't marry outside our nations-"
"I wouldn't say can't." Iroh smiled, still his optimistic self, as he gently pressed his palm to her cheek to draw her gaze to his, "It's a matter of won't."
Hikaru laughed a little, "What is left in our lives anyway? It's not like we can have our own family-" She paused, seeing Iroh's eyes glisten with tears, "Iroh, wait I didn't mean-"
"Have I ever told you why I never conquered Ba Sing Se?" She shook her head, worried to know the truth. Iroh started walking again with her close beside him, "It was my greatest feat I had ever attempted as a general, though my greatest disappointment. I had no heart to destroy Ba Sing Se when I lost my son." Hikaru suppressed her gasp, though her look of alarm couldn't be helped, "I forfeited my breech of the wall as well as the crown to my nation."
Hikaru kept silent for a moment, watching the buildings disappear behind them as their walk led them along the deserted streets. She took in a deep breath, "I was never able to have children." Iroh could see her fighting with the tears that had already begun to build in her eyes, "I was told I was barren when I was twenty one. I had a husband, a soldier I trusted my life with. He left me because I could never give him the son he wanted."
Iroh chose silence while Hikaru twirled Briar's hammer in circles. He watched her force the tears back with a few sniffles before setting the hammer back on her shoulder. There were hardly any words that could soothe a woman unable to bear a child of her own, "I'm sorry, Hikaru."
"I coped with it after my sister lost a son in birth. I realize that the pain is one in the same." She gave him a smile, "I'm sorry too, Iroh."
"The pain remains some days." He titled his bamboo shade further over his eyes, "But maybe it will subside when Zuko finally realizes who he is?"
. . . .
Destiny is not determined by the Spirits, her father had told her. It is determined by those strong enough to combat it. Reasonable enough? She wasn't sure anymore. Sitting in her chambers, staring at the luxuries of her royal status, she tried to decide what path she wanted to wander down. Zuko was no longer in her life, for they had both split off to find wherever it was they were supposed to go. Knowing him, he'd already figured out what he wanted.
As for her, she wasn't having much luck.
Braiding her waist length brown hair, she stared at the proud warrior that reflected in the mirror of her vanity desk. It was back to her traditional, skin tight dress that she had worn upon her arrival in Ba Sing Se. The only thing missing was her hammer, which she had foolishly forgotten upon spinning her web of deceit inside the palace. It was the last thing her father had left her with when he died. The handle fit perfectly in her hands, calloused from years of combat training under his ever watchful eye. Had he lived, he'd have made her the perfect soldier and commander.
Hikaru had softened her, though only a little. Behind the sugary smile were those stone eyes, the ones she constantly told herself Zuko hated. Spirits, she missed him already. A day or two had passed, she was hardly keeping track due to her sleepless nights. She was too afraid that Azula would kill her in her sleep. She'd heard no word from Nalren and was afraid that Azula knew full well of her extended plans.
Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she tightened the braces on her forearms, the leather strings pulling with ease from how often they used to be worn. The metal was a bit rusted, though they served their purpose in her form of fighting. It was all power, dangerous movements that were aimed to kill fast. She'd never actually killed someone with her own hands, but she was beginning to think that whatever innocence she had left was about to be expended.
As far as she could tell, she had a few paths to choose from. One was to live as the traitor to her nation and join Azula on their voyage home once Ba Sing Se was conquered. The second was to backstab Azula as she had done everyone else and hope she could unite the Earth Kingdom's soldiers to defeat the Fire Lord on the Day of the Black Sun. And third…
She smirked while tucking a stiletto into the sash around her waist. Third…a lovely option that she had assumed would be practically suicidal, but she liked the idea of it. All it would take was her purest form of her seduction art and the swiftness of a knife. The throat, as Azula had told her, was the quickest way to kill. There would be no chance of survival, though she hoped that meant she could get out of there alive. The chances of life after it were slim, for the Day of the Black Sun only lasted eight minutes.
Walking from her chambers, she slinked down the empty hallways, searching for the passageway to the crystal catacombs. She hardly remembered the twists and turns Azula had showed her when she was allowed to see Zuko. Hands pressed to the wall, she tried to find the weakened pulse of the earth that would give way to a tunnel. Focusing became an issue as she began to panic about whether Nalren had rescued Chronos or not.
That was when a moment of fear swept over her. The letter, the letter from her bag…It hadn't been in there when she looked for it. Fuck! Someone had taken her letter addressed to Chronos! How stupid had she been for not looking for it when she had the chance?
Deciding that it was too late to worry about such a thing, she finally found the passageway she was looking for. She glided along the dark tunnel, her toes digging into the cold earth, which made her smile. She would always be a warrior before she was a princess, a temptress, and a spy. Though she could admit to being rusty, she had never lost her sense for a good fight. Verbal or physical, she was ready for anything this time. For the moment, she had chosen her destiny.
She rushed into the cavern where Zuko had been kept, finding that no one was there. Eyes narrowing, she kept her hand on the hilt of her stiletto until she was seized around the shoulders and hoisted off the ground. She kicked and yelled, the arm going around her throat, but she grabbed her assailant's wrist and threw him over her shoulder once she managed to get her feet on the ground. Fists raised, she was blasted into the wall when a boulder pummeled her.
Staggering to stay on her feet, she brought a hand to the back of her head, feeling for any sign of blood. She took up her defensive stance, though her assailant had ceased his advancement. Her body went rigid as she realized that he had all intentions of burying her in the ground.
"You're time is up, Briar."
She wrinkled her nose at the way he hissed her name, "Don't do this, Chronos."
"Why not?" He slammed his hands into the ground, cracking a fissure between them that nearly sent her through the floor, "You betrayed the Earth Kingdom! You tried to get me killed! You murdered the Earth King-!"
"Shut up, Chronos!" She uprooted a pillar and sent it crashing into him, though he hardly budged while shattering it, "You are correct on only one account. My hand did not slay the Earth King and I have no intention of letting you get killed."
He circled around her, the ground shaking under their feet, though he remained perfectly upright, "What do you expect me to say to that? I'm a loyal knight and will follow your twisted plans? Well, fuck that!" He lunged at her, grabbing her by her collar and slamming her up against the wall. His thumbs pressed into her trachea, enough to make her gasp though enough to keep her breathing, "What do you want with me?"
Briar clawed at his hands, "Y-You mu-must prot-tect our n-nat-tion!"
He threw her into the ground, "That's not a good enough answer." He knelt over her, holding her wrists above her head with one hand while taking out her stiletto from her sash, "Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you."
His eyes were glazed with bloodlust, the blade slowly digging into the skin of her neck, which trembled under the notion that he truly wanted to kill her. Setting her eyes to stone, she took in a deep breath, "I can't die here, Chronos."
He let out a cry, the blade starting at incision below her chin, but he was hurtled off her by a barrage of flames.
Briar brought her hand to her neck, feeling the small cut that was dripping with blood. Eyes staring up in disbelief, she eagerly accepted the hand that was held out to her. She wanted to envelope him an endless embrace, though she knew that now wasn't the time for such displays. Dusting off her dress, she glanced over at Chronos, who was unconscious against the ground.
"What are you doing here, Zuko?" she asked while making her way down the tunnel before her.
"Am I supposed to have a reason? I heard your scuffle from around the way." He hesitated reaching out to take her hand, though it bounced so close to his, "I thought I could find a way out of this place."
"You need to avoid Azula for as long as possible. She's going to kill you-"
"And what about you, Briar?" She stopped walking and stared up at him, sighing as those amber eyes found hers, "You're in as much danger as me."
She lightly tapped him on the cheek, "Danger is fun for me."
"I don't care what it is for you." He grabbed her wrist, afraid to fall victim to her sensual caresses, "We've said our goodbyes, but that doesn't mean I've stopped caring for you."
"I like you better when you hate me." She gave him a tiny shove before strolling down the tunnel until they were greeted by a bright cavern with a high ceiling. A pool lay in the middle that was fed by the raging waterfall that echoed in the vastness surrounding them. Washing her dirty feet off, she saw Zuko circling around while watching her, "I decided my destiny, Zuko."
"I haven't been as fortunate." He stopped on the other side of the water, staring at her playful smirk, "I don't know where I'm going."
"I can't make that decision for you."
"But I can."
Zuko turned around, hands clenching to fists as Azula sauntered over to him, flanked by Dai Li officers, "My destiny is my own, Azula."
She shrugged, sighing as if uninterested in him, "Where that may be true, others can certainly affect it." She set her eyes on him while squaring her shoulders, "I never expected such treachery from you. You've easily forgotten who you are-"
"Who am I?" he bellowed.
"You are Prince Zuko." She glanced over at Briar, who was staring at the waterfall, "You are many things, but a traitor is not one of them. Join me, and we'll end this day in victory, restoring your honor. You'll be welcomed home as a hero. Isn't that what you want? Father's love?"
Zuko was glaring at Briar, hoping that he could find an answer in her complacent expression, but she gave him no further indication of what he should do. He waded through the water while taking hold of her hands to keep her where she stood. He looked up at her, pulling her down until their lips ghosted over one another's, "What if I followed you?"
"I can't promise that we'll ever find 'happily ever after'." She nuzzled her nose against his, "But your destiny is your own."
He would have kissed her, but a loud crash erupted from behind them. He spun around, eyes narrowing as The Avatar appeared. Moments of waiting, moments of wanting to be welcomed back home, they were all bottled up. Hands clenching to fists, he wasted little time before sprinting forward with fire shooting from each of his punches. He wasn't sure if he was making contact with anything, but he was succeeding in backing Aang into a corner.
Briar watched with intrigued until a tidal wave sent her across the floor. Coughing while rising to her feet, her dress drenched, she started to laugh as the water bending girl began preparing for her next move. She rolled her eyes before slamming her hands to the ground. Her nails dug into the ground as the floor began to shake until a fissure formed and threw the girl off balance so that she was late to react to the column that crushed her.
Cracking her knuckles, Briar stood overtop her, grabbing her by her collar and hoisting her off her feet, "You've got nothing on me, Water Bending Bitch."
She pounded her into the ground, burying her in a crater that slowly began to fill with water. Briar was quick to summon a slab from the ground to block the whips of water that crashed against her barriers. When she went to counter with an offensive strike, she was thrown into the pool, finding that she was being bound underneath. Her lungs began to heave and she tried to keep herself from opening her mouth, but soon the water rushed into her system.
She wasn't sure when she was released, but she was grateful to be breathing in oxygen. Clambering out of the pool, she shook out her limbs until feeling had been restored. When she looked up, pushing wisps of her hair from her eyes, she saw Zuko engaged against the water bender and Azula fighting the Avatar. A moment to breath was much appreciated-
That thought was cut short as she rolled to the side, a pillar dropping from the ceiling and nearly crushing her. Rising to her feet, she broke the boulder hurtled at her in half, though at the expense of a couple fingers jamming enough to break. She ignored the pain in her hands as her aunt dropped down from the waterfall, wielding her hammer. Briar's eyes were wide as Hikaru slammed the weapon into the ground, the impact enough to completely split the earth.
Briar fell through the floor, unsure of where she would land. Crashing onto the unpaved ground, she fought to inhale as much oxygen as she could, but the wind was knocked out of her. Her hand came around her side, feeling for the scab of her wound and the ache of her ribcage. She sat back on her legs while her breathing steadied, though she felt broken. A sharp stabbing was pulsing through her chest.
Propelling herself out of the chasm, she wobbling gained her footing, but was soon pummeled back into a crater by the swinging hammer her aunt wielded madly. The metal head pounded against her thighs before driving her into the ground. She screamed from the pain roaring through her body, tears trickling down her cheeks. Struggling to her feet, she summoned the crystals around her, creating an armor to protect her breaking body.
Skating forward, she dodged each swing her aunt delivered until she found an opening. Crashing an upper cut under Hikaru's jaw, Briar drove her into the waterfall. At her feet now lay her hammer, which she gratefully gathered in her hands. When she saw her aunt push through the raging waters, she swung her hammer over her head a few times to build her momentum before shattering the earth by slamming it into the ground at her feet.
The entire catacomb began to shake, throwing everyone off balance, but she had achieved her victory. The floor caved in, opening a giant chasm below Hikaru. Her aunt dropped through the floor while boulders from the ceiling trapped her underneath. Breathing heavily, Briar fought against the guilt rising in her chest as she saw no movement from her aunt's earthly grave. Hammer resting over her shoulder; she looked over to see Aang shot out of the air by a bolt of lightning from Azula.
She watched as Aang fell to the ground, quickly caught by a fleeting Katara. Her heart beat slower in her chest as the water bender gazed at them with pleading eyes. Sighing, she shed her armor of crystal while limping over to where Zuko stood, about to deliver what she would have assumed to be a deathblow. But Zuko and Azula were both thrown backward as Iroh dropped from the ceiling, fire spouting from his mouth. Katara left in a hurry, Aang bundled in her arms as the Dai Li captured a surrendering Iroh.
Ba Sing Se had finally been conquered.
. . . .
"I'm pretty sure you're the biggest idiot I've met."
"You must have a lot of encounters with idiots…"
"How could you let him walk off? He was standing right next to you!"
"I'm sorry I don't have a seismic sense that can tell his every footstep."
Nalren yelped while rushing ahead of Toph to avoid her smashing her foot into his shin. When he straightened himself out, he saw Chronos lying on the ground at his feet. His lord wearily sat up, rubbing his aching head. Kneeling beside him, Nalren helped him stand, which resulted in his lord leaning against him.
Toph snickered, "Looks like we found your partner, Captain Awesome."
"I told you I don't like that name!" Nalren bellowed.
Chronos lifted a brow, "What does that make me?"
Toph was smirking while trying to restrain her laughter, "Mr. Fabulous…"
Chronos would have lunged at her, but his head was reeling. Lolling against Nalren, he followed Toph down the tunnel, where she opened a new passageway that she had created by herself. But he was still confused about her nicknames, "Toph, what the fuck is up with the nickname?"
"You two are practically attached at the hip." She began to laugh, "Aside from the fact that Nalren lost you-"
"Shut up…"
"So basically, you two are such 'bros' that I came up with something fun to address you two by."
"I hate it," Chronos bitched.
"Oh, you know you like it, Mr. Fabulous."
Nalren shifted Chronos' weight that was bearing against his left side as the tunnel wound round and round. Reaching into his belt, he tugged a letter out that was crumbled and a bit tattered, but it was still legible. Once they were outside of the catacombs, met by the flying bison that Sokka was sitting atop, Nalren handed the note to Chronos. This was as far as he went. Unfortunately, Briar would need him if she expected to survive in the Fire Nation.
"This letter is for you, Chronos. Princess Briar explains everything in it. She has one last mission for you." Nalren bowed his head as his lord took the paper from him, "I have chosen to stay behind, for the queen needs my protection."
Chronos wrinkled his nose, "I thought you served me, General."
"And I do, Milord." Nalren clapped him on the shoulder, "But I have sworn my allegiance to her as well. You'll be safe with Toph, trust me." He spared a tiny laugh, "Lady Susanoo told me to give it to you as I'm sure it was Briar's wish as well."
"You need to be careful. I don't know where you're headed, but I can't imagine it's safe."
"I will, Milord…that much I can promise you."
There was a rushed embrace before Nalren helped Chronos onto Appa, who was lowing for them to leave. Watching his lord disappear into the sky was a relief, for he had at least kept his promise to keep him safe. Now, he was in Toph's hands, which he wasn't sure was a good thing. Wandering back into the catacombs, he hoped not to find himself too lost in his search for the entrance back to the palace. When he meandered into the main chamber, he found a peculiar emptiness.
His eyes soon found a pile of boulders that were shaking. Rushing over, he helped move the rocks until he released Hikaru from her tomb. She collapsed into his arms, lungs suckling the oxygen around her while she coughed violently. He cradled her in his arms while staring down at her bruised face.
"Lady Susanoo-?"
"General, where's Briar?"
He shrugged, "I believe she will be on her way to the Fire Nation, though I beg that you don't chase after her."
Hikaru wasn't strong enough to argue with him, "Did Ulysses ever contact you about that date?"
"I haven't received his letter-"
"I fear that the Fire Nation has a hold of my kingdom." Hikaru, with Nalren's help, rose to her feet, "I need to return to the Southern Earth Kingdom. As for you-" She seized him by the collar of his tunic and dragged his face down to hers, "-you will follow Briar like her shadow. Should you suspect that her treachery goes beyond this, I hereby order you to kill her."
Nalren cringed, "That's not my duty, Lady Susanoo."
"It is now if you wish to return to the Earth Kingdom alive." She gave him a shove while limping behind the waterfall, "That's an order, General."
Nalren sighed, slapping himself on the forehead while thinking over the craziness of the past situation. He had met Lady Susanoo as he was running around looking for Chronos. She gave him little explanation for anything when she gave him the tattered letter and few instructions. But to take an order from her? She must not have read the note, which was a noble thing for her to have done. He just had to pray that Chronos would do as he was instructed. There wasn't much time left before the Day of the Black Sun would be upon them.
"I'm guessing that you're having second thoughts."
Nalren slowly turned around as Briar strolled up beside him, "I no longer doubt you, Queen Amaterasu."
"That's kind of you." She gave him a little nudge to the shoulder, "My aunt is alive, is she not?"
"Yes, Milady." He gave her his leering eye that he always did when he figured her out, "You buried her underneath there to avoid her being captured."
"It was a long shot that she'd survive, but I knew she would have been executed the minute we set foot on Fire Nation soil."
Nalren shook his head with a laugh, "You take more risks than any commander I have ever encountered."
"I'm just more than willing to expend people." She linked her arm with his, "You sure you want to venture to the Fire Nation with me?"
"I figure that means I can keep an eye on you. You claim that there is only one piece left, which would be a relief for me." He began walking with her, "But if you so much as step out of line, I have orders to kill you."
She smirked, "You would tell me that…"
"I'm giving you a warning. I thought you would appreciate me letting you know my intentions should they be asked of me."
"I'm beginning to think that you trust me."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Queen Amaterasu."
She kept close to him as they wandered into the palace, which felt empty and lifeless. She still couldn't shake the guilt of the Earth King dying. That was the plan from the beginning, though she had tried her hardest to avoid it being set into motion. Pushing her thoughts away and cursing the silence, she wandered into the throne room to find Azula sitting on a throne while Zuko stood beside her. She gave him a nod of the head before Azula addressed her.
"You've outdone yourself, Queen Amaterasu." Azula began to laugh, "Killing your aunt in cold blood!"
"People are expendable," Briar shrugged.
"Spoken like a true ruler."
Briar toned out the rest of Azula's rant, not wanting to listen to the bullshit she'd come up with about power. She turned her eyes to Zuko, who looked to be fighting with himself. Slowly walking up to him, she slid her hand along his bicep and leaned against him, lips pressed delicately against the back of his neck, "I'm sorry, Zuko."
She felt him sigh heavily, "I betrayed my uncle."
She let him go, realizing that he needed to be left alone. Upon stepping down the throne room steps, a young woman swept into the chamber. Her eyes narrowed on the black haired beauty that strode along the isle. Briar caught her bored glare, but she strode past her to stand in front of Zuko. Refusing to look at whatever display was made, she gestured for Nalren, who followed her out into the hallway. There were no words to be said and she didn't want to bother with any form of emotion.
She was too worried about the task ahead.
. . . .
Dear Lord Chronos,
I wish I were the type of person that actually felt sorry for my actions, but there are few things that I have ever regretted in my life. I ask that you understand this and understand me as not a traitor, but as a ruler. I have risked my kingdom for a chance to end this war. No, I am not a defector to the Fire Nation. I am what I have practiced to be- a spy.
Ba Sing Se has fallen and the Earth King with her. I know that Ulysses has secured you as the rightful heir in the instance that Kuei did not have a son. You must protect the Earth Kingdom, for she is now in your hands. The rest of the nation will follow you as you are strong enough to lead them. They need to stand up for themselves or the Fire Nation has already won.
There are very few things that I can tell you, but here goes nothing.
The Day of the Black Sun will happen on the ninth day of the seventh month. During this time, I ask that you assemble the armies of the Earth Kingdom and band together with the Avatar. Eight minutes is how long the eclipse will last, in which all fire benders will lose their ability to bend. I ask that you keep their forces distracted. My work is a much simpler job in that it requires me to make one move. I am putting my life and crown on the line, but I feel that I have no choice.
I am planning on assassinating Fire Lord Ozai on the Day of the Black Sun.
Did you like it? What are you're thoughts on Briar's little plan? Hope you all realize just what her events have led her up to... :)
nalren will remain her loyal guardian and Chronos needs to decide if he's going to help her.
And OH NO! Mai and Zuko- is that for real?
guess you'll find out next chapter. haha.
thanks everyone for the faves/alerts/reviews. love ya tons!
review!
-TSA