hi! i'm back from my little vacation so here's a chapter! i am sorry that my updates won't be as frequent, but i promise to complete this story!
have fun reading. reviews are appreciated. thank you for the faves/alerts/reviews already!
enjoy!
-TSA
Chapter 23:
"He who has never experienced hurt, cannot experience true love." ~Tristan J. Leo
Acceptance at last, yet he didn't feel good about it. And how could he? Azula had made their father believe that he had killed the Avatar, but deep in his heart he knew that it wasn't true. He didn't even deliver the blow that debilitated him. Storming into his bedroom chambers, he threw off his armor, listening to it clatter against the floors. When he tossed off his tunic, he heard a knock at the door. He stared at it for what felt like thirty minutes before finally walking over and opening it.
He caught his breath in his chest, wanting more than the world to not have seen her standing there. If it was later in the night and they weren't in the Fire Nation, he knew he would have snapped. She was wearing a new dress, a silk the color of wine underneath a sheer, white robe. He shivered at the sight of her lips, painted a crimson red, but he shook his head to keep his composure.
"We've been looking for you." Briar leaned in the doorway, the scent of her orchid skin intoxicating, "Dinner is ready."
"Why'd they send you?" he replied.
She laughed, running a finger under his chin, "I volunteered."
"I have a girlfriend, Briar-"
"You're missing the 'princess' part." She turned on her heel, sauntering down the hallway, "You call her a girlfriend, I call her a distraction. But that's just a preference." She glanced over her shoulder at him, "Are you coming or not?"
"I'll be there in ten minutes."
She shrugged, "Don't make it sound like it's a burden."
She disappeared around the corner, met by Nalren, who was trying to break the buttons of the collar of his jacket. She laughed when he finally succeeded and strode up to her side to accompany her to the dining chamber.
"Now that you're back to square one with Prince Zuko, what am I supposed to do?" Nalren muttered.
Briar linked her arm with his, "Do you figure you can seduce Mai?"
"I'm not very good with women…"
"Then just be your charming self!" She pinched his cheek, which made his face turn red, "She's bound to fall for you!"
He glared at her, "You're mocking me."
"I think I'm going to have to give you a lesson on romance."
"Does that mean we'll be engaging in awkward situations?"
She laughed, "Only if you make them awkward!"
Entering the dining chamber, she found that Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee were already eating. They were quick to follow suit, especially in Nalren's case as he felt like he hadn't eaten a decent meal in weeks. Briar found herself poking at her dish, zoning out, until Zuko walked in. He parked himself in a seat next to her, but she didn't give him any notion that she knew he was there.
"Are you enjoying your stay in the Fire Nation, Princess Briar?" Azula asked, hissing her words.
Briar caught her stare, "It's certainly a different climate to adjust to, though I feel that I'm adapting well."
"I've been wondering about something…" Azula rested her elbows on the table and held her chin in her palms, "How fares your kingdom?"
"You know the conditions of my home. I'm waiting for our bargain to be set into motion."
"Oh…about that…" Azula smirked while rising to her feet to face the tapestry, with the Fire Nation emblem, behind her. She crossed her arms over her chest, "I don't see how I can agree to all of it. You failed to kill the Earth King-"
"But he died nonetheless. My kingdom needs help."
"I'll consider it. I'm not so sure my father would agree to help the Earth Kingdom, not even when you've betrayed them and handed us Ba Sing Se."
Briar's hand was clenched into a fist under the table, but a hand wrapped around hers until she relaxed her fingers. She didn't glance at Zuko, didn't want to let anyone know about his gesture. She held her head higher while Azula paced around before sitting back at the head of the table, "Then I guess I will need to prove my loyalty, Princess Azula."
"It would seem as such." Azula lifted her chalice in a toast, "But for now, here's to victory."
Briar didn't follow suit and she was surprised to see that Zuko didn't either. She glanced over at him to watch as he bowed his head and stared off to the right. Underneath the table, she carefully interwove his fingers with hers in a loose embrace until he pulled away from her to finish eating. She tapped her feet while watching the other faces that sat around the table. It made her smile when she saw Mai's eyes on Nalren, which didn't seem to bother Zuko…
Leaving from the table, Briar wove around the hallways of the palace, examining the towering pillars of stone that were painted a fiery red. She ran her hand along the wall, mesmerized by the cold feel of it underneath her fingertips. She leaned against it, her robe falling down off her shoulders and resting on her elbows. When she closed her eyes, she heard footsteps along the hallway. With an airy sigh, she waited to see if the person would stop.
"A fruitless victory, right?"
She grinned, "I'll just need to force Azula to give me what we bargained for."
"You should have known better than to trust her."
She opened her eyes, which danced gleefully, "Funny, we've run into the same problem."
Zuko narrowed his eyes on her as she danced around the columns of the hallway, hiding for moments then reappearing in a flash of white from the sunset reflecting off her white robe. He followed after, though each time he looked around a pillar, she wasn't there. He moved closer and closer in pursuit of the twirl of the skirt of her dress, but when he thought he'd caught her, she slipped away. As he leaned against the column, he felt a hand slink along his arm.
He smiled, letting out an airy breath as her fingertips caressed his neck, slowly running along underneath his chin. Stumbling forward, he closed his eyes upon the feel of her lips against his. Tongues brushing over one another's, he backed her up against a column while tugging her robe from her shoulders. He titled his head to the side, gaining better access to her mouth as she moaned-a quiet, chilling sound to his ears. The sunset's dying rays scorched his skin, but he refused to let her go.
"You're…" He rested his forehead against hers, "…seducing me."
"Would you rather it be any other way?" she whispered.
Her hands slid around his waist, her lips tickling the side of his neck. He bit his lip while trying to breathe as steadily as he could, "St-Stop."
"Of course…"
But she didn't get far in trying to push him away. Her back was against the smooth stone of the column, his mouth claiming hers and muffling her gasp. She tried to keep herself from laughing, thrilled to be in a familiar tangle with him. But that thrill hardly lasted as he tore himself away from her, eyes cast to the floor while his hands gripped into her bare shoulders. His brow furrowed and he shook his head while she gently placed her hand against his cheek.
"Leave."
She stepped away from him, sauntering around the pillar to disappear in the sunset's glow. A smirk decorated her pretty features as she slipped along another hallway to her bedroom chambers. A fruitless victory? Not in the slightest way. If Azula wouldn't give her what she needed for her kingdom, then she'd just have to spend a little more time in the Fire Nation. Fine by her.
She wandered a bit farther, past her chambers, until she came to the entrance to the courtyard. Sitting down under the shade of a tree, she slid her robe back over her shoulders while staring at the grass beneath her. She pulled at the blades absentmindedly, staring off at the white walls that surrounded her. When she felt her mind gone, she licked her lips in hope of tasting Zuko's kiss that had scalded the sensitive skin. But she tasted nothing-
"You're going to love this."
She glanced over her shoulder to see Nalren walking up to her, waving a letter in his hands, "Don't tell me that's from my aunt."
"Actually, it's from your ex-fiancé." He handed her the envelope, which she hastily tore open, "Maybe he's assembled the armies-?"
"He's on his way to Ba Sing Se," she interrupted him. Rising to her feet, she paced around, "He plans to take back his city before the Day of the Black Sun."
Nalren took the letter back from her, eyes wide, "Is he's suicidal?"
"You tell me! He's your best friend!"
"That doesn't mean I expect this behavior from him!"
Briar grabbed the note back, skimming over it again. She couldn't believe he was going to risk that much after Ba Sing Se had just been conquered!
Queen Amaterasu,
Your letter appalled me, and I didn't want to believe that there was any spark of "good" inside of you. I ask that you continue to surprise me by succeeding in killing the Fire Lord. Now, it would seem that it is my turn to surprise you- I am inside the Western Earth Kingdom assembling anyone willing to revolt. I'm taking my new kingdom back from the Fire Nation. My own army inside the Southern Earth Kingdom will not be able to assist me as they have been amassed by my advisor, Ulysses, and your aunt, Hikaru. (I find it a bit amusing how poorly they get along)
I'm working my way through this great nation in pursuit of supporters. I will let you know that word has gotten around about your betrayal. Upon your request, I will vanquish these, though I have come to believe that it is what you want. You've asked that I wait for the Day of the Black Sun, but I must inform you that Ba Sing Se cannot wait that long. Her people suffer with each hour I take to build a strong enough force to take her back.
I am the rightful Fifty Third Earth King and I want my throne. I am under the impression that I am the only one who can unite this nation that has been torn apart by fire benders. Though I've been told it's an arrogant statement, you believe it is my path. I can't say I trust you, but for the moment you leave me no choice. I ask that you don't disappoint me or double cross me as I would like to avoid being thrown into a cell without food and water and limited light. Not sure my body can handle that for another time…
I'm running out of ink, which seems a better excuse than "running out of time". I'm moving into the Northern Earth Kingdom then back down along the coast. The next destination you can reach me in will be Ba Sing Se. I think you have the ability to send letters there since you are technically from the Fire Nation now. I will be there in a couple days at most and have my true army assembled by the Day of the Black Sun. By the next time you see me, I'll be coroneted under a new city emblem.
Sincerely,
Lord Chronos
"He's going to get killed…" Briar groaned.
"He's such a prideful son of a bitch," Nalren chimed.
"Does he really think-?" She caught herself with a laugh and a shake of her head, "Of course, he does. Who am I kidding?" She turned her eyes to Nalren, who was rubbing the crease between his eyes, "I just hope that he manages to do so without being killed."
"That would defeat the purpose of it all, wouldn't it?"
She smirked, "I wonder if he knows that…?"
. . . .
The village of Makapu, at the base of Mt. Makapu, was possibly the most beautiful thing he had seen in a long time. The streets were clean, paved smooth, the buildings were perfectly aligned, the people were smiling-! (This seemed a feat in itself…) Linking his arm with Toph's, much to her displeasure, Chronos walked further into the village where venders were shouting for him to buy fresh fruit. He continued on his way, feeling Toph struggle to keep up with his stopping and starting.
He was searching for a reason to get these people to revolt with him, but it didn't look like there was anything he could say that would rouse them. They had a perfect life, untouched by the Fire Nation as of the moment. Of course, he wasn't sure that anyone really knew about this place. Spirits, he had merely stumbled upon it himself! His small battalion of rebels was waiting out in the forests for his direction toward Ba Sing Se, but what he really wanted was a good night's sleep.
"You're tired, aren't you?" Toph whispered.
Chronos sighed, "I'd like to spend a night at an inn, but I have a small army waiting out in the woods."
"Then let's just set up camp. You're not exactly going to take over a city when you can hardly stand up straight."
Chronos circled around the market place before deciding that he needed to just go back to the forest. Toph still on his arm, which he was beginning to assume that she liked, they trekked along the beaten path. The sun was beginning to set, the sky a hazy orange, and in his bitter state, all it made him think of was the Fire Nation. Why had he so easily fallen into Briar's hands? Though she stated that she had a pure motive, he could have at least prevented the takeover of Ba Sing Se.
The takeover of my city…that was such an interesting thought...It seemed effortless for him to take the throne, since no one would argue in the current state of the Earth Kingdom. But was that fair to this great nation that he called home? Would they honor and follow him even at his young age? He shook his head as their path brought them out to a river where his battalion was seated freshening up for the next journey. Toph let go of his arm, which he had to admit brought a chill down his spine, and explained to each traveler that they would be spending the night out here. He was surprised to find that none argued.
Standing by the river shore, he removed his sandals and stepped in. The water felt cold for the first few minutes, pebbles washing between his toes as he curled and uncurled them into the sandy bottom. He stared across to the other bank, watching the trees and bushes. The longer he spent looking at them, the more he began to think that something was over there. Wading into the water, he made his way across the river, but upon reaching the other shoreline, a stream of fire came hurtling towards him.
He collapsed under the water, surfacing quickly to prepare for the next strike. Staring with wide eyes, he watched as Fire Nation soldiers burst from the forests. He clambered out of the river with his hands sweeping across the ground. He buried the first two soldiers while shouting for his battalion to take cover in the woods. It didn't take him long to find Toph, who was sending boulders from across the shore, pummeling the fire benders that were in his blind spots. He danced around each blast of fire, keeping near shore for the instance that he would be burned.
Driving a column into the three soldiers charging toward him, he didn't see the knife hurtling toward him. With an arm sweeping to protect his face, the blade buried into skin and muscle, the tip breaking to the other side between his eyes. He crashed into the river, blood seeping around him only to be swept away by the current. His vision was blurry, his head swimming while he tried to find where Toph was amongst the barrages of fire.
His vision went black and he didn't know for how long, but when he regained his sight, he saw Toph standing over him, hands on her hips. He grimaced while pulling himself up into a sitting position, hand reaching for the hit of the dagger embedded into his arm. Holding his breath, he yanked it out, though was unable to suppress a cry of agony, "Are the others alright?"
Toph knelt beside him in the water, hand hovering over the wound on his forearm, "They're fine…" Chronos swore that a look of worry glossed over her eyes, "Will you be ok?"
"Of course, Toph." He wearily rose to his feet, "It's just a scratch."
He glanced down at the dagger, which now sat under the water. The blood was washed away in the blink of an eye, but there was something that he couldn't put his finger on. Who knew he was here? Ulysses and Briar were the last people he contacted, but he didn't think that Briar would try to kill him. That just meant that someone had followed them or there was a leak in his battalion. Wandering along another path into the forest with Toph at his side, he tried to come up with a list of who he knew that was after him.
Every thought linked back to Briar, but he was sure that she wasn't trying to kill him.
But that wasn't comforting enough a thought.
I hope you liked it! please leave a review as i would like to know how you felt about this chapter and the story so far. :)
well then, i will be working on the next chapter and look for an update in a week.
btw: TophxChronos is my new obsession. haha
-TSA