Hellur my lovelies. New chapter. Bear with me on this one , mkay? xD
Read and enjoy.
Aang glanced miserably around, his eyes casting around for a friend-one of the Fire Nation advisers had ambushed him as soon as he crossed the threshold into the war room where everyone was already waiting. He was late, horribly, incredibly, terribly late. Toph had completely sidetracked him with her off the wall request.
He still didn't know if he was going to indulge her.
If he did things were going to change irrevocably.
"Avatar so glad you can join us..."
"Sorry I'm late-I was helping one of the Earth Nation colonies get some supplies." Aang winced at the lie. Several pairs of eyes fixed on him and he shifted uncomfortably in the doorway twirling his glider expertly between his fingers-a nervous habit he had developed over the years.
At the centre of the room Zuko, the Fire Nation's esteemed Lord stood rigidly, a tolerant smile firmly in place. "Fair enough. The Avatar's work is never finished." He demurred, transferring a stack of papers from the long table in front of him to one of the attendees hovering nearby. "Sit Aang, we were just about to begin."
Complying eagerly, Aang studied the long table looking for an open seat. Zuko naturally stood at the head of the table-The Earth King Kuei stood at his right. To his left were Katara and Sokka to represent the Southern Water Tribes and next to them were the Northern Tribe representatives. Farther down the line were the Fire Nation's council-Zuko's advisers. There was a spot open at the other end of the table directly across from the Firelord. Aang quickly flitted over to the spot, sliding gracefully into the mahogany seat. He slid his glider across his lap, fingering the edges thoughtfully.
"Alright now that everyone's here we can begin the deliberations." Zuko said, taking a seat in his own chair and assuming an authoritative stance.
"First off is this a trial, or are we just planning what day to execute her?" The Earth King leaned in conspiratorially and adjusted his spectacles. His hands clasped together underneath his chin as he feigned extreme interest in the answer.
"We're doing a trial first. We need to determine the extent of her crimes before we decide on her punishment." Zuko confirmed, his onyx eyes sharpening at the question.
One of the advisers snorted. "What is there to discuss? She's a traitor. She deserves a traitor's punishment. Anything else would be a travesty."
Aang spread his palms flat on the table, and cleared his throat. Several curious gazes slid to him. He hadn't said anything since the start of this meeting, and people always assumed he had something wise and insightful to add to the conversation. Although, it wasn't always the insight they desired-so he was frequently ignored.
"Before all else Azula is a Fire Nation citizen, and a former princess. She deserves a fair trial just like every other war time criminal." he interjected smoothly, stunning the majority of the people in the room. Despite his position as Avatar and the keeper of the peace people still managed to be surprised when he advocated for the bad guy.
Gazes shifted uncomfortably back and forth and Aang resisted the urge to sigh.
"And who all is going to be present at this trial?" Sokka's deep timber broke through the silence, and all the assembled people studied him with deep measuring looks. Aang sent him a grateful grin and received a subtle wink in return. Everything considered Sokka was still his friend. He would still support him in most cases…
Although, Sokka was probably just taking his side cuz inevitably the trial was going to end with Azula hanging anyways, Aang conceded-grumbling internally.
Zuko looked to be mentally ticking off the people participating in the trial. As if to emphasize that point his fingers tapped quietly against the table-systematically pausing every few seconds as he counted. "Well there will be the judge-someone of my choosing, most likely Fei Juon because he's the oldest adviser present and will deal with this matter frugally, witnesses-So anyone that has had contact with Azula and could verify her crimes and character, and of course the jury," he gestured in the direction of the table. "Which is us-We're deciding her fate once we've heard all of her crimes."
Aang frowned.
There was no mention of a legal defense. Azula was representing herself in a courtroom where everyone was out for her blood.
No one who had this misfortune of meeting her would listen to her. They would assume every word from her mouth was a lie, or an attempt at manipulating the jurors into her favor.
This method of sentencing would crucify her.
"Any other questions?" Zuko asked, glancing around expectantly.
No one said anything, and Aang keenly felt the tension trickling into the room. They were eager to get this discussion started an earnest.
"Alright, let's go over the list of known crimes we're charging her with, and determine what witnesses we should bring in."
Murmuring swept across the room, and Aang slowly accepted the paper handed to him. Skimming it's contents his gaze paused on the list of suggested witnesses. Some of them he had expected but the names at the bottom led him to pause. He gaped disbelievingly.
Zuko couldn't be serious…
In quick succession it read:
The Avatar
General Iroh
Former Firelord Ozai.
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Toph adjusted her many layers of black before spreading her hands over the table-feeling for her pouches that she normally hid in her sash. Did she even leave her survival case on the table? She couldn't remember. Every time she left for the surface she had to prepare herself, and it was difficult because she had a terrible habit of leaving her possessions lying haphazardly around.
Onteel's cold nose bumped against her hand, vying for her attention. She absentmindedly threaded her fingers through his fur, marveling at the soft texture. "Do you know where my pouch is?" She asked her companion only half expecting a response. For some reason were-jaguars possessed a keen intelligence. They couldn't verbally respond to humans but they understood everything that was said. As a species-they were exceedingly rare, and extremely coveted.
It was remarkable they found any.
Onteel and his brother Horatio were found wandering aimlessly around some ruins one day while Toph was in the middle of a retrieval. Two little mewling cubs caught the attention of the search party, and when the little beasts were finally excavated from the ruins they immediately glued themselves to Safe Haven's masked matriarch, and to Toph's consternation—herself.
Onteel had refused to leave her side since.
He was her stalwart companion, just like Horatio was the masked woman's and Appa was Aangs.
A coarse tongue ghosted over her fingertips, reminding her she still had preparations to make. A second later, a leather pouch was dropped into her fingers, and she felt sharp fangs gently grazing against her hand. "Thanks Onteel." She patted his head, genuinely grateful, before sliding the pouch into her sash.
"And now…I need to go find Navaro." She hummed thoughtfully shaking her head. Earth knows where her impudent student had skulked off to. Since becoming the General, she had taken up several responsibilities: retrieving the surface dweller's plagued by the regulators, building an intricate spynetwork to keep tabs on the Four Nations, and most recently training her only pupil-Navaro.
He was another straggler she found wandering around, but unlike Onteel, her hard headed student suffered from an acute sense of guilt and self loathing. He was broken in a way no sixteen year old should be, and she was the only one who knew why. He harbored a terrible secret-one that would haunt him from years to come and Safe Haven was the only place he felt comfortable staying in.
Toph kept him occupied-distracting him from his destructive thoughts by expanding his knowledge of earthbending. He was a quick study, absorbing her words quietly and soaking up all of her lessons. After almost five years of shadowing Toph he mirrored her in personality-channeling her terse attitude and no nonsense demeanor. He was dry and witty, but much quieter and tactful than she was. He complemented her well.
On occasion she could even admit she liked the little turd.
Chuckling she strode through the doorway, ducking under the archway as she left her stone quarters. She was mindful of Onteel's quiet pawsteps behind her as they made their way down the dense hallways. Before they reached the entrance of the vast stone estate, a familiar gravelly voice stopped them.
"General."
Toph paused midstep, tilting her head to the side.
"Lady." She replied evenly, staring blankly in front of her.
No one knew who the masked woman was except Aang. Toph had never bothered to inquire about the identity of her fellow ruler. Not knowing who was behind the mask didn't put anyone at risk. Knowing who was behind the mask wouldn't change anything and everyone was entitled to their secrets. She knew all she needed to know. She knew that inherently, the masked woman had a good heart. She knew she trusted her with her life. She knew that the people perceived her as their savior and affectionately dubbed her Lady Grey-or just Lady.
Toph simply didn't care about the other menial details.
"You're leaving for the surface now?" As always the masked woman's voice was muffled by the cloth covering her face.
A smirk crossed the earthbender's features. "Yes, I'm leaving as soon as I find Navaro."
"You're taking him with you?" Lady's voice was curious not accusing but it still made Toph stand up a bit straighter. She always felt like she was under intense scrutiny in the masked woman's presence.
"He asked to come. Better that he comes with me now, instead of me finding out he tagged along unnoticed later. It's safer for everyone this way." Toph mused out loud, her voice dry and amused. She didn't doubt Navaro's defiant nature. He would travel with her no matter what she said.
"And the Avatar agreed to your plan?"
Toph recalled Aang's anxious shuffling when she told him what she wanted. "It's up to him. I'm proceeding with my plan anyways. I'll know when we enter the Fire Nation in a few hours if he is backing out or not."
"Are you taking your Beta with you too?"
Toph started, her brows furrowing in thought. She completely forgot about her second-in-command. "Bane will want to come." She agreed lightly.
"This mission in particular would be important to her." Lady pointed out.
"It's important to you too." Toph observed quietly. She knew intuitively that Lady Grey would neither confirm nor deny how much this meant to her, in the same way Bane would never acknowledge it either.
Bane was given her name because despite her bubbly persona, she was the bane of her peers existence. She never asked for anything, never begged to be anywhere but this time she would fight to come along. She wouldn't be left out of this plan. Lady Grey also invested a certain measure of hope into Toph's harebrained scheme. The only reason Toph was bothering with this venture at all is because it was important to them, and might work out in their favor later.
Lady Grey shifted, and Toph heard her tapping her foot in rhythm against the cool stone floor. "This plan is dangerous. Are you positive about this?" It was a rare moment indeed when Toph heard uncertainty trickle into the masked woman's voice. She actually took a moment to relish in the experience before a slow wicked smile crept across her face.
"Of course I'm positive. What kind of general shies from danger? I welcome it with open arms."
"Oh dear…"
Toph smirked evilly.
Oh dear, indeed.
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Meanwhile in the Fire Nation
Aang rested his head against Appa's thick fur, his entire body trembling with exhaustion. He had been cooped up in a war room for hours with nothing but bloodthirsty delegates for company. They argued, and debated for a long time. After several hours an outline was finally made of Azula's many offenses. It was a start, a very small start but no progress was made after that. Following the creation of the outline-all of the assembled representatives stood around gossiping about Azula's many grievances and the discussion never got anywhere.
At long last Zuko finally called the deliberations to a halt-telling the room's occupants to take a break, and meet in the long hall for dinner later. They would fine tune Azula's list of grievances tomorrow. By the time he left the war room his head was pounding, and every step cost him an obscene amount of effort. He couldn't believe the complexities surrounding this case.
Azula was going to be tried by people that hated her.
She was going to be judged by a man that had no personal dealings with her.
The people testifying against her were her own flesh and blood : Ozai, Iroh, and Zuko.
She was going to be condemned by her own family.
There was no levity. At all.
It was sickening.
"Appa, this is terrible…" he breathed, burying his face into his bison's thick creamy fur. In all this political madness and royal intrigue he needed space lots of fresh air, and a friendly face. He wouldn't be finding that inside the palace so he had quietly excused himself to the stable where he could be alone with the only creatures on Earth he trusted more than his Safe Haven friends.
He couldn't say he trusted his old friends after tonight. He hardly knew them anymore. They had all changed. Katara had grown into a beautiful woman worthy of all the adoring looks she received, but somewhere along the way to womanhood she had lost her unbiased view of the world. She regarded everyone coolly, studying them, observing them and disregarding them. People who offended her newly defined sensibilities were met with a frosty glare that hardly seemed out of character for her these days. She wasn't the same soft hearted girl he remembered. Her smile used to ignite unbridled joy in him- now every time a grin quirked her lips it worried him. In the old days he would have done anything to see that smile…
He used to love her.
Not anymore-now she was a stranger.
Everyone was.
When Sokka arrived, Aang hardly recognized him at all.
The scrawny boy had turned into a stocky man haunted by past transgressions. In that respect both the Firelord and Sokka were very similar. They had grown into large intimidating men, with visible shadows darkening their features. The years following the war had not been kind to them. Losing Suki and Mai had ruined any chance of happiness in their future. They were hollow shells of what they used to be, and stood treading dangerously on the edge of depravity.
Aang was terrified for both of them.
In fact-he was worried for everyone.
All of his friends were battling their own demons. He feared one day they'd cease to fight them entirely…
With Azula's trial approaching-that day might be arriving sooner than later.
His hand's clenched in the bison's fur.
"Alright Appa we're gonna go along with Toph's plan. Do you remember what you're supposed to do?" The giant beast grumbled lightly bumping his massive head against Aang's chest. The airbender chuckled tracing the contour's of the beast's forehead with one callous hand. "Alright then. Let me get your saddle off."
He spent the next several minutes unstrapping leather, and unbuckling latches. He swept himself up in a gust of wind, agilely flipping onto the sky bison's back. Landing deftly on both feet he slid to a crouch. With practiced ease he slid the giant saddle from Appa, watching as it crumpled to the ground with a loud thud. With a quick smile he kicked off the remaining leather clasps that got stuck in the bison's fur before lithely following them to the Earth.
"Alright buddy. Better get going on your nightly flight. You need the exercise because you're getting edgy remember?"
The Bison snorted, swiping his giant tongue down the length of Aang's body affectionately. Aang grimaced as his clothes dripped with bison spit.
"Thanks boy…" He said flatly, shivering in the cool night air as the wet clothes clung to his skin. He watched with narrowed eyes as the great beast huffed in laughter before climbing into the sky, little tendrils of fur flaking to the ground behind him. "Suppose this means I have to go change for dinner." He sighed glancing morosely back at the palace.
Oh joy.
With an annoyed he grunt he slowly trudged back to the inner courtyard, striding silently past the stables. He would have to airbend himself up to his balcony and sneak into his room. There was a change of clothes in his satchel, although he didn't bring anything formal enough for a dinner with every prominent politician in the Four Nations. Maybe next visit-he throught wryly to himself.
Bunching his legs, he lowered himself to the ground his muscles coiled to spring into the air-a second later he elevated himself to the fourth floor, arching lightly in the air before landing silently on the balcony, wisps of air lowering him gently to the ground. He bounded over to the double doors, unlatching them with deft fingers and swinging them open.
His room was just as he left it.
With quick unhurried steps he waltzed over to the bed, grasping the edge of his satchel and flipping it open. He dug around for a second looking for appropriate dresswear for the evening. Being the Avatar gave him slack when it came to appearances, but it was vague and rather obscure. He was still expected to dress a certain way, and conduct himself in a certain manner.
After a moment of searching he found a reasonably clean tunic, and brown pants.
This would have to do.
He discarded his wet clothing to floor, goosebumps traveling down the length of his arms as his skin was exposed to the crisp night air. He shuffled uncomfortably in the frigid cold before sliding the dry tunic over his head, and stepping into the brown pants. A second later he was fully dressed, and glancing around for his glider.
It was leaning against the wall by the door.
Aang adjusted his shirt resisting the urge to sigh, and palmed the wooden staff in his hand. He turned and slowly trudged through the doorway, every progressive step enforcing his desire to turn back. The sound of his footsteps reminded him eerily of a nail being driven into a coffin. He was walking to his metaphorical death. With some trepidation he ghosted down the hallway towards the dining hall, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
He wasn't nervous, nope not at all.
…Right about now the monks should be rolling in their grave.
Tonight he wasn't playing the fence anymore. He was making his position clear. His indecisive streak ended tonight. Friends be damned…okay that wasn't true. Aang couldn't function without his friends. He needed them like he needed air. It physically hurt him to think of life without them. Maybe he shouldn't go through with this. If things went wrong he might lose them forever. He rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly.
He wondered what Toph would do in his shoes.
A snide voice in the back of his head mocked him.
Well she probably wouldn't sit outside the dining hall like a lost puppy.
Yes, well, clearly, he wasn't Toph.
When Aang finally summoned the courage to cross the threshold into the dining hall he mentally steeled himself. It was too late to back out now-he already sent Appa off to do his part. Toph and Lady Grey were depending on him. His hands clenched into fists. Calm down Aang. He relaxed reluctantly and took a shaky breath, before focusing on his surroundings. He had to be aware of what was going on. As soon as he slipped past the doors he was met with boisterous people, and bustling activity. He gulped unsteadily, and fought to control his scattered nerves.
"Aang it's about time you made it." A heavy arm slung across his shoulders, and he fought to stay upright under the unexpected weight. He turned to see who was crushing him, and was surprised to see Sokka's calm visage grinning back at him. Red stained the tanned warriors cheeks and Aang could detect the faint smell of alcohol stymieing from his breath.
"Your drunk." He stated matter-a-factly.
Sokka's blotchy face colored in surprise. "No my friend…You are just incredibly sober."
Aang shrugged the tribesman's hand off his shoulder, watching in amusement as he struggled to stay upright by himself. "What exactly did they give you?"
"Love. Ecstasy. Unrestrained-"
"Iroh's special Elixir?" He cut his drunken friend off, his lips tugging upward into a smile.
"Iroh's special Elixir." Sokka slurred, far too much glee brightening his features.
Aang held his hand out steady the swaying warrior. "Maybe you should sit down…drink some water?" He suggested balefully, reaching for the bottle cradled in Sokka's left hand. As soon as his hand brushed against the glass it disappeared from his reach and Sokka waved one finger lazily in the air.
"Nurr. My bottle of love. Your gonna have to find your own Twinkle toes." The warrior crowed happily and lifted the dark bottle to take another swig. Aang arched an eyebrow as he watched the liquid drain into his friend's throat, a few droplets splashing down the corner of his mouth. "Eat. Be merry. We're gonna slay a dragon later." Sokka swayed unsteadily on his feet, and Aang watched with wide eyes the warrior brushed past him, and paused to whisper in his ear. "Water is for the weak."
"O…kay…then." He said eyeing his friend strangely as he disappeared into the crowd. Sokka was a terrible drunk, he mused quietly to himself. Before he could ruminate about his inebriated friend or examine the other occupants of the room-Another hand fell heavily on his shoulder. Aang turned, anxiousness written in every line of his face.
A familiar wrinkled face with kind twinkling eyes greeted him. "Hello young Avatar."
He inclined his head, grinning tentatively. "Hello General Iroh."
The Dragon of the West folded his hands into the sleeves of his robes, his gaze skimming over the crowd before falling on Sokka who was now on the other side of the room flirting incessantly with some Fire Nation noblewoman. "I fear I might have given him too much freedom in my wine cellar." He said chuckling in bemusement.
"I agree." Aang said, shaking his head at his friend's antics. "If he remembers anything tomorrow I will be surprised."
Iroh smirked in the subtle way all older gentlemen did when they were reminiscing about doing the same thing the younger stupider generation was doing in the present. "Yes…he's going to have quite the hangover in the morning, but enjoying a good drink is fine on occasion. I have found it has a cleansing effect on the mind." He remarked serenely.
Aang fixed him with an incredulous expression. "Cleansing huh…I find meditation cleansing, and less painful." He replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He was twenty-two and had never touched an alcoholic beverage. He generally avoided things that dulled the senses, and the monk's never believed in consuming alcohol.
Although tonight he was so very tempted.
"Perhaps." Iroh shrugged, an imperceptible shift of his shoulders. "So how has Fire Nation hospitality been treating you, Avatar?" He asked curiously, his shaggy eyebrows drawing together as he waited for an answer.
"Fine. I've been well attended too." Aang responded with the politically correct answer wondering why Iroh was engaging in small talk. The old man never did anything spur of the moment. He carefully calculated every word, and always had a secondary reason for asking.
"Good, good. I'll leave you to enjoy the party then-I doubt you want to waste perfectly good leisure time with an old general like myself." Iroh grinned lightly, his eyes crinkling at his self deprecating humor. "Perhaps we'll speak again in the next few days."
Aang blinked as Iroh turned away and at the last second remembered to bow-acknowledging the general's title and age. "I'll be looking forward to it." He lied smoothly, knowing that his actions tonight would prove to be contrary to his words. If anyone looked forward to seeing him after tonight it would shock him.
As Iroh melted into the crowd, his gaze flicked around the room searching for any other familiar faces. He was looking for one in particular. After a moment he found her standing alone in the corner sipping an emerald colored drink from a glass. Aang sighed disparagingly, hating the situation he was in. He closed his eyes taking a minute to gather himself before looking up and plastering a happy smile on his face.
He surged into the crowd, weaving in and out of the tangled web of people till he freed himself from the dense ocean of limbs and over dressed nobles. He stopped directly in front of his target, gently tapping her shoulder to get her attention.
Stunning azure eyes glanced up at him. "Hey Aang," Katara's soft voice washed over him.
"Hello Katara." He greeted his longtime crush, his tone mellow, and indiscernible.
"How are you?" She asked, concern darkening her gaze.
"I'm fine. How are you? How have you been doing?" He deflected her question focusing the conversation on her. He wasn't in the mood to divulge his lifestory. They weren't close like that anymore.
"I've been fine, just busy." She sighed in exasperation, running a hand anxiously through her auburn tresses. "I have so many new students, and responsibilities as the Southern Water tribe liaison. I'm always finding something to sign, trade or teach. It's exhausting." She laughed.
Aang faked an interested sound. She forgot to mention her contribution to the Four Nation's regulators. She deserved credit there too. Thanks to Katara water benders were much easier to capture and incarcerate. "I see…are you getting enough rest?"
A small crease formed between her eyebrows as she studied him, and he fought the urge to fidget underneath her examination. "You haven't changed have you? Even after all this time…you still…" She trailed off, and Aang tilted his head to the side curiously waiting for her to continue. She reached out timidly, softly tracing his cheek with the tips of her fingers. It was far too tender and intimate for him.
He grasped her exploring hand, throwing it away from his face and took a step away from her. "Don't." He said shortly, his voice coming out tight and strained.
"I miss you so much…Sometimes I-"
"Katara." He whisper-yelled, his voice coming out harsher than he intended. He meant it as a warning. They could not get into this here. At his tone several curious looks slanted in there direction but he never tore his gaze from the pretty waterbender. A hurt look crossed her face and she opened her mouth to protest.
"Aang you can't ignore this forever-"
"I'm not ignoring it. I'm telling you there's nothing to talk about. So leave it alone." His voice lowered an octave in anger, even as a large crowd began to gather around them. Under normal circumstances he would never dream of instigating something with Katara of all people but he had to keep pushing.
"You broke up with me." Katara said frustration coloring her tone. Her hands clenched into trembling fists at her side. "At least have the decency to tell me why. You said it wasn't working out. It wasn't me-it was you. Those were your words. Why won't you consider it-Even now? What changed Aang?"
"Everyone did!" His voice cracked like a whip across the room, and by now everyone was silently watching their exchange. "I don't know any of you anymore. You've all turned into different people. Ever since the Purging you've all become colder, less predictable, less understandable. It's like half of your humanity died in the war. You're my friends, and I love all of you, but I don't trust you anymore. Any of you." He took a deep breath as he felt energy dancing along the vast expanse of skin beneath his tunic. His sky blue arrows illuminated the room as his Avatar State hovered at the edge of his awareness. He held his power tightly in his grasp waiting for the right moment to release it and lose himself in the rush. Slowly, long jagged wisps of wind circulated around him as he defied gravity lifting off the floor.
He had to drive this home.
"And I can't do this anymore…I'm withdrawing myself from the Four Nation's treaty, as of right now I'm a rogue party-separate from the government." He said quietly, before his eyes glowed an unearthly white and he lost himself in the Avatar state.
Vaguely he was aware of everyone gaping at him, but enveloped in all that power only one thought permeated through the haze, pricking at his consciousness.
His decision was momentous in and of itself, but what these people didn't know is that he was only the distraction.
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Azula lay prone against the floor her breath coming in frail uneven paints. It hurt to breathe. She could barely muster the energy to lift her head. Every muscle, every sinew, every obscure inch of her body ached. Interrogation was by the far the most unpleasant thing she had endured during her captivity. After determining she had nothing to say-her antagonists decided to simply torture her for pleasure. Blood matted her hair, and crusted along her body, reminding her of every torture method she had suffered through in the last couple of days.
The pain was unbearable.
If she shifted, her ribs sent mind numbing pain coursing through her limbs.
Every time she took a short ragged breath, tears pricked the corner of her eyes as her diaphragm contracted. Her chest was a huge source of discomfort and pain, and her arm hung limply at an awkward angle.
Her vision faded in and out, and she licked her cracked lips. Delirium was altogether a terrible experience. "I should've pushed Zuzu into killing me a week ago." She murmured to herself resting her head against cool metal floor of her cage.
She lay there for awhile slipping in and out of coherency until finally several loud aggressive noises roused her to the waking world. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room. When she could finally see distinct outlines, she blinked blearily unsure of how to respond to the scene in front of her. A fight had broken erupted directly outside her cage. She watched detachedly as Maron's body collapsed limply to the ground in a heap of useless limbs. He crumpled to the ground as if someone had rendered all his bones useless.
She couldn't see his attacker though.
"Hello?" She asked peering questioningly into the darkness.
She didn't see anyone.
Two distorted figures separated themselves from the shadows, and Azula's amber eyes sharpened as she studied the hooded one first, noting the distinctly feminine shape beneath the cloak. Her eyes slanted to the boy next to her who looked to be about fourteen, maybe younger. He was decked out in commoner's clothes, but had a certain regal air about him. Azula got the distinct impression she should be wary of them both.
"Well well, aren't you all the life of the party?" She rasped weakly.
"Oh my god, Azula…" The female bit her lip, her voice coming out an agonized whisper.
"Is that her Bane?" The young boy asked studying Azula's face with interest.
"That's her. Can you get her chains off Navaro?" The woman-formally dubbed Bane inclined her head at the shackles encircling Azula's wrist. The ex princess glanced disbelievingly between the two unknown intruders. Who the hell were these people? She couldn't fathom why two people had invaded her cell intent on freeing her, nor could she discern how they slipped into the palace so easily. Where were the guards Zuko was so proud of? Sleeping?
The boy snorted derisively. "Have you met my bendingmaster? This is nothing." Azula blinked as the boy slid into an earthbending stance, exhibiting all the immobility and strength of a boulder. His hands arched in a smooth circle diagonal to his body, and Azula watched carefully as he pulled his palms back to his chest. The shackles fell away from her wrist and ankles, clattering to the floor with a resounding clang.
She blinked again, an acute sense of whiplash washing over her.
She was free…?
"Can you move?" Azula held back a hiss as the cloaked female was suddenly next to her gently pressing callous hands against her wounds.
The feeling of hands prodding against her abused flesh caused her to bite her tongue so hard she bled, in order to subdue a whimper of pain that threatened to escape her lips. "Who are you?" She murmured
Bane paused in her ministrations and reached up with a hand deftly shoving her hood back.
"Long time no see 'Zula."
She almost sagged to the floor in relief at seeing a familiar, albeit severely scarred face. "Ty Lee." She breathed, stifling a surprised sound. Her friend was rescuing her? Even after what she did to her? After the war? After imprisoning her at Boiling rock? Even now she didn't understand the inner workings of Ty Lees mind. The former acrobat should be looking forward to Azula's inevitable demise. The ex-princess wouldn't have been surprised if Ty Lee had decided to dance on her grave. "What are you doing here?"
"Helping you." Was the simple reply.
For one insane moment, Azula deigned to believe her.
For a second she decided to perceive Ty Lee as an acquaintance with no ulterior motives.
Than reality crashed into her, breaking her all over again.
"I'm beyond help Ty." She admitted lowly, her voice resigned.
There was no rest for the wicked.
Alrighty then. End of chapter...more bad things happen next update. The plot thickens.
What do you all think? xD
Questions? Comments?
oh yeah and I noticed lots of mistakes in the last few chapters because Fanfiction likes cutting off my sentences. I'll go back and fix those at some point .