Hehe Hello my lovelies…I'm still inspired to write so I decided to chuck out another chapter :3
And to answer some reviews:
Toxiclynne-Thank you xD I've been working hard to keep Azula in character as much as possible because everyone else has had time to change over the last ten years or so but she's been in a coma…frozen in time. As for Aang letting the purging happen…Imagine you were given a red button and someone told you that you could save ten of your closest friends if you pressed the button but by pressing the button you'd kill at least 100 people you didn't know. It's a lose-lose situation because either way someone gets hurt and that's how Aang feels. He doesn't want anyone to get hurt so he's playing the fence…and I can't say much about your guesses because if I give you an answer that's gonna unveil more of the plot than I'm comfortable with, and I promise I will trump last chapter eventually. It's only a matter of time.
BlueLion: Yes, the next few chapters after this one are gonna be devoted to Ty Lee's character development, as well as looking at how the other characters became what they are today…and I'd love to take full credit for that quote but I read it for the first time in a piece on here by Princess Alexandria. Her work is incredible :3
Arcus Iris: Yes Azula and Toph are very strong so putting them together should be interesting xD
Anddddd that's it.
Read and Enjoy people~
"Welcome Princess."
Lady Grey's gravelly voice washed over Azula, soothing her and at the same time irritating her. She wasn't sure what her emotional status was at the moment-especially where the masked monarch was concerned. Upon arriving to the underground kingdom: Safe Haven as it was called, Azula was introduced to an entirely new world. She was shocked at the vast buildings, the exotic shops, and the genuinely honest people. Ever since her impromptu arrival, she was dealt with offhandishly. No one treated her like the ignominious traitor, but they didn't welcome her either.
They regarded her silently as she was dragged through the streets, but no one rebuked her presence. No one declared her evil and demanded her death even though she was positive some of these people were victims of her treachery. On the contrary, she was led to the nearest healer and instructed to bathe until they could see her natural skin color again, and then forced to remain compliant until her wounds were tended to.
Navaro and the General shadowed her, never leaving her alone for any extended amount of time. They were either protecting her, or protecting anyone foolish enough to remain in her presence alone.
Their intentions were still unclear.
It was not reassuring when she finally remembered who the General was: The Avatar's earthbending teacher. The little stripling of a blind girl had grown into someone fairly dangerous. Azula could see it in the way she held herself; arrogantly, invulnerably. She walked like a woman with the weight of the world on her shoulders, but smiled like one who embraced the burden. The changes didn't cease at her attitude either. Gone was the ephemeral peasant outfit the earthbender used to wear. Gone was the short cropped hair that completed her heathenish look. Instead, the blind earthbender now possessed a more regal appearance, one that was complemented nicely by the were-jaguar at her side.
Azula wasn't thrilled to see the large hulking beast trailing after her either. She wasn't even aware were-jaguars still existed.
Recalling the Avatar's earthbending teacher did little to assuage her suspicions. It didn't add to her peace of mind- for her it only cemented the fact that something insidious was afoot.
She was brought here for a reason.
She couldn't discern what that reason was because she lacked so much pertinent information. Why were the Four Nations so incredibly dangerous? What drove them to these ends? What was the Purging? What caused the divide between the Avatar's earthbender and the other members of their little group? Why was Ty Lee working with the blind girl and this masked woman? How did they build this underground kingdom? What were their goals? What did they want with her?
A maelstrom of questions raced through her mind, but she had no one to voice them too. She didn't trust anyone.
However, despite her paranoia and the contempt she had for the people around her the fact remained that her ignorance was dangerous.
The blind earthbender had reassured her as her wounds were being bandaged that she wasn't a prisoner-saying simply that; The masked woman-the one the people had affectionately dubbed Lady Grey wished to speak with her and after that she could do whatever she wanted.
Azula all but scoffed at her. She knew her escape came at a price.
Despite the unsavory show of generosity she had been graced with-everyone required compensation. Nothing was ever given freely. Most things had to be bargained for or taken.
So here she was, dressed in silk, bathed, scrubbed, and fed staring at the masked monarch of Safe Haven. She was prepared to bargain. Her life, after all came at a hefty price.
Unbidden, one of her last conversations with Navaro shifted to the forefront of her mind-taunting her.
"Do you care?" Navaro's voice tentatively broke the quiet again and the tapping stopped completely.
"I don't know what you're referring to, but the answer is most likely no." Azula said icily, not even bothering to open her eyes.
"Your friend just died...Do you care?" He clarified himself.
She scowled at the image, burying it to unearth at a later date. She didn't have the time or the inclination to be bogged down by emotional turmoil. She refused to let death have that kind of control over her. She had to focus on what she could do now with the life she was struggling to hold onto. Her amber gaze focused on the masked woman in front of her, shifting from her to the blind earth bender beside her. She purposely ignored the were-jaguars curled at their feet, because they would just distract her from her task.
Right now they had the advantage.
If she could figure out what they wanted, she would have something work with.
"I'm no longer a princess. Address me by name: It's Azula…just Azula." She corrected the Lady forcefully, wincing at how rustic her voice sounded. She had not held a true conversation in ages. Her verbal skills were severely lacking.
The masked woman inclined her head. "Very well, Azula. Firstly I'd like to welcome you to Safe Haven. You are a guest here, and will be treated with the utmost courtesy. You can leave anytime you wish, but know this is the safest place for you. If you go back to the surface you will be hunted down. I don't know if we will be able to stop Zuko from killing you a second time."
Azula arched one slender eyebrow. "I'm not even sure why you bothered liberating me from that cell the first time. I hear that was your doing?" She asked slyly, her question coming out as more of a statement.
"I played a small part in that. I did want your life to be spared." The masked woman artfully dodged the real question, making Azula frown.
"Why?" She demanded, her temper flaring dangerously. She was used to slippery politicians but finding one in an underground kingdom? Leagues below the surface? What were the odds? Her displeasure showed visibly on her face. She didn't feel like relying on practiced apathy at the moment. She wanted answers.
"You meant a great deal to Ty Lee, and you mean a great deal to me as well." Lady Grey said, purposefully being difficult. She circumvented a real answer and gave Azula the vaguest reply possible.
With non-descript responses like that Azula would never pry the truth from her, and every word she chose to say was alien to her. Azula never understood people who expressly admitted to their feelings. She meant a lot to Lady Grey? The idea was ludicrous: A vain hope at worst, a pitiful lie at best. Azula didn't form friendships. She built mutual hate-hate relationships with people.
This woman-whoever she was, was no exception.
"And who are you?" She deadpanned, shaking her head.
She didn't truly expect an answer because clearly the masked woman wanted her identity to remain a secret. A muffled chuckled erupted from behind the cloth, and Azula's eyes narrowed at the laughing woman. "Perhaps one day I'll tell you." The masked woman compromised, and the faintest hint of a smirk made the mask crease in correlation with her lips.
That did not help at all.
This conversation served no purpose except to aggravate her.
Sick of this game she fixed the masked monarch with a scalding glare. "What do you want from me?"
Stormy eyes locked with hers, and the masked woman gentled her tone. "I want to help you."
The familiar phrase made her stiffen. Ty Lee's lifeless hazel eyes came to mind and a bitter smile tugged at Azula's lips. "The last person to say those words to me lies dead on the Capital's cobblestone streets. Believe me, when I tell you I don't want your help."
Her harsh words were met with calm acceptance. Lady Grey didn't even have the decency to flinch. "Bane's loss will be felt for years to come Azula, but that doesn't change what I'm telling you now. We're going to help you back to full health, and tell you everything you need to know about surviving in this era. Bane wanted you to live. It was one of her last wishes, and I will oblige her…"
"You'll tell me anything?" Azula ignored everything else she said, focusing on the bit that would benefit her the most. Learning more about the time she had been in a coma would equal the playing field for her. Knowledge was power.
"Anything within reason." Lady Grey acquiesced dipping her head.
Azula studied the pair before her searching for any trace of deceit. Under her intense scrutiny only guileless conviction stood out among emotions dominating the duo's faces. Such empty feelings were deceptive. They would have to do though. She'll talk false pretenses and foolish idealism over being woefully uninformed. Sifting through her thoughts, Azula picked the most obvious event that needed explaining, her molten gaze sharpening. "What's the Purging? And why did it occur?"
"The Purging-"Lady Grey intoned, her voice pondering and low like she was starting a long monologue.
"Don't answer that." The blind earthbender abruptly cut her off.
The masked woman turned towards her companion, an unasked question in her gaze. Azula's temper boiled over, blue sparks trailing to her fingertips. Unlike Lady Grey her stare wasn't a query. It was poisonous, and if the earthbender hadn't been blind it would have pierced her with clarity, and all the lethalness of a sword.
"Why are you interfering? Stay out of this." She advised the blind woman coldly.
"You have no idea what you're asking. You aren't ready to hear that answer Azula…" The earthbender remained unmoved by the malice in her words, and almost appeared bored by her entirely. The blind woman was infuriating in the same way all her companions were. Even more so because she presumed to know what Azula was ready for. Indignation warred with fury, and Azula's hands clenched into trembling fists.
"Tell me." She hissed, refusing to let this matter drop. Her emotions were frayed, as battered and abused as her body, and she felt her control over herself slipping. It was like she was sliding on a steep slope, unable to control how fast she descended or how hard she impacted against the ground.
"I see no reason to keep this from her." Lady Grey said quietly, fixing her companion with a peculiar look.
Unaffected by their annoyed looks the blind woman's milky gaze stared in Azula's direction, the timeless knowledge hidden in those pale green pools was an unwelcome reminder of how little power she had here. Azula sat clothed in new silk, her pale skin gleaming after her first bath in years, but that didn't hide the effect being imprisoned had on her body. Every bone was still visible, every wound still curved jaggedly into her flesh, a stark contrast to the flawless perfection it was before.
All of these inadequacies reflected her. She was scarred, broken, and right now she was out of her league, with no way to level the playing field.
The knowledge burdened her, ravaged her, and left her aching for her former glory. In the old days she would have these woman shaking like sheep laid out for the ravenous wolves to feed on. Now they just stood staring, their gaze measuring as she seethed in her seat because her legs were too weak to support her.
"Are you another hypocrite? Another piece of common filth meant to stifle me?" Azula sneered at the earthbender, using words as her primary assault. "Zuzu tried the same tactic. He'd preach about how reformed he is, and then he'd tell me what I deserved in graphic detail. Are you doing the same thing? It was my understanding I could ask anything. Apparently that's not the case. Do you fools always promise things you have no intention of delivering?" Her words were like daggers, meant to skewer the women in front of her. Her smile held the same inherent cruelty that possessed her before the war.
"Toph…" The masked woman finally addressed her companion by name, exasperation coloring her tone, and the name sparked immediate recognition in her.
Toph Bei Fong: That was the General's name- The unknown child of the reputable Bei Fongs-of course.
The blind earthbender shook her head, a mask of indifference settling over her features. Instead of acknowledging the heavy reprimand in Lady Grey's tone, she stared heatedly in Azula's direction. "How much loss can you take in one day princess?"
The question was asked bluntly, and Azula's eyes narrowed, her mind already wandering to derive the meaning behind the earthbender's words. Loss? The word itself was empty and worthless. It didn't affect her in one way or another. Her amber gaze flickered, staring at the earthbender intently.
"I have nothing left to lose." She said-her voice lacking its usual ice.
"You're an idiot." Toph said quietly, her hand reaching down to caress the were-jaguar at her side. The beast rumbled in contentment, gently prodding the earthbender's rough fingers with his nose, insisting to be touched. "The origins of the Purging are seeped in death- Namely the deaths of Suki the Kyoshi warrior… and Mai."
A roaring filled Azula's ears, and despair's cold icy fingers curled in her stomach. She couldn't breathe for second. Ty Lee's murder was still fresh in her mind, and now Mai—Mai was dead too. Her sanity had been hanging on by a danerously thin thread since her awakening. She remembered the first two years of being imprisoned-she had cursed everyone until her throat bled and her voice was raw. After waking up from her coma clarity had pierced through the thick fog settling over her mind, and she had returned to old habits to suvive.
Now she felt herself spiraling back down into the abyss.
Everything she worked so hard to maintain shattered in an instant, and her world just like her heart went black.
She would not wake for some time.
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"Has there been any word?" Zuko asked, a frightening calm lacing over his scarred features. He couldn't believe how inept his regulators were. They hadn't found any trace of his sister in the last three days since her disappearance. They had no idea who freed her, and the only person they managed to link to her escape was Ty Lee. He shivered, remembering the acrobat's lifeless hazel eyes as she bled out into the street. He couldn't believe it when his guards arrived saying they found the chi manipulator's corpse. Ty Lee had disappeared without a word a year after Azula fell into her coma.
They had not heard from her since.
Until now.
"No word Firelord, we have cleansed her blood from the streets but we haven't found any evidence of who might have helped her liberate Azula. Although judging from the damage to the streets and the walls, an earthbender was present."
Zuko nodded slowly. That was disappointing, but he had expected as much. He was going to have to approach this a different way. "Alright you're dismissed."
Immediately the guard turned to leave anxious to remove himself from the FireLord's presence. Before he could exit the throne room entirely though Zuko's voice forced him to pause, and he did so with great reluctance. Turning once again to face the monarch he wiped his face of all emotion, playing the part of a dutiful soldier. "Yes FireLord."
"On your way out I want you find my uncle and tell him I wish to speak with him, and tell one of the lesser servants to bring The Southern Water tribe representatives to the throne room."
The guard blinked in confusion behind the lip of his helmet. He clearly wanted to ask why these people needed summoning, but he contained himself. Asking would be detrimental to his health. Questioning the Firelord is not an intelligent idea. Zuko watched with narrowed eyes as the guard bit his tongue, bowing stiffly. "Yes, Firelord."
With new purpose in his steps, the Fire Nation soldier swiftly left the throne room leaving Zuko alone with his thoughts. It was a dreadful place to be, because no matter how long he contemplated and agonized over an answer to his problem he still came up short and wanting.
He was truly at a loss of how to handle his sister. The Four Nation's council had assembled to decide her fate but Azula, defiant and disgustingly uncouth as always—managed to stage an escape that shouldn't have been possible. She was in no condition to move on her own, he had seen to that, and even with only Ty Lee's help she shouldn't have even made it out of the palace.
Someone was helping them.
The guard's preemptive report told him as much.
Identifying the conspirator as an earthbender told him nothing though. There were millions of earthbenders residing in the Four Nations. He couldn't punish them all-as much as it irked him to admit it. It was galling how little he could do right now. He was the Firelord for Agni's sake, no problem should be beyond his ability-No issue beyond his grasp. He couldn't rectify a situation when he had no facts to work with though. He had nothing concrete to punish anyone with- and he had nothing useful to track Azula's location-which is why he so desperately needed his uncle's advice.
Following the bitter culmination of the war, and the unprecedented death of his wife Iroh had served as an invaluable source of comfort. He had consoled him, and advised him when all else failed, and all other words fell on deaf ears. Because there was no one on Earth Zuko trusted, or respected more-he had made Iroh a general in the aftermath of the war, when everything was falling apart.
His uncle accepted the change in station humbly, and went out of his way to do as Zuko asked to alleviate some of the stress off his favored nephew.
On the Eve of Purging, Iroh amassed an army of fire, earth, and waterbenders, and labeled them the regulators. They were an elite group of benders that promised judgment to everyone that endangered the Four Nations. They uprooted every bad seed that would corrupt, and eventually destroy their people.
Zuko depended on him then to help ease his burden, and now, once again he needed his advice, and perhaps his help.
Speak of the devil…
"Uncle!" He exclaimed rising from his seat as Iroh entered the throne room. Over the years the old man had aged significantly, his hair going white with age and worry, and his face expanding with new more defined wrinkles. Despite how old he looked, he still had that familiar twinkle in his eye, and a smile quirking his lips.
It was a melancholic sight.
"Zuko, my favorite nephew-you called?" Iroh groused, striding towards the throne. Zuko walked quickly down the steps, shivering as his poorly covered feet made contact with the cold floor. Smiling widely he met his uncle halfway, clasping forearms with him affectionately.
"I did I need your help Uncle." He released him after a moment and his hand waved to the centre of the room where he had a table set up earlier that day. He had anticipated this discussion as well as several others and had prepared accordingly. Walking together they ambled over to the table, and slid into seats opposite from each other. Zuko settled onto his futon, crossing his legs Indian style beneath him.
Iroh settled heavily onto his knees directly across from him, his hands resting in his lap. "I'm going to assume this is about your sister." He said quietly, his tone unusually serious.
Zuko nodded, his face pinching in annoyance. "I don't know what to do about her. I have no idea where she is, or with who."
"Well Azula always has been resourceful." Iroh remarked dryly.
"But not like this." He ran a hand through his auburn stresses, his voice lowering in frustration. "She has no contacts anymore-no one who wants her alive-who could have done this?"
"That's what we must find out. Someone wants Azula in the flesh and breathing. If you find out who…you'll find her."
"Easier said than done." Zuko grunted, shaking his head.
He didn't know where to begin searching. He could uproot every place she would most likely go and he still might not find her. Unearthing entire districts was an extreme measure he wasn't sure he was willing to institute just yet. If Iroh didn't give him a more diplomatic solution that's what he was going to have to do though.
"Why don't we do this then: You do some research- Make of list of anyone that Azula had dealings with and question them. Maybe one of them sympathized and decided to help her. In the meantime I'll take the regulators out and start a comprehensive search for your sister. We'll overturn every rock and search in every hole. One of us is bound to turn up something."
Zuko blinked, absorbing his words. He could found no fault with his uncle's logic. With both of them searching mechanically through the nations, and through Azula's connections- they had to discover something.
"Alright let's do it." Zuko chuckled, relieved they had a plan of action. He had been stressing over what to do for hours and turned up blank. With Iroh's insight he was actually able to accomplish something.
They might still turn the tides.
"And one more thing Zuko, what are you going to do with Ty Lee?"
Zuko frowned his features hardening. He had been ruminating over what to do with the acrobat on his downtime while he wasn't deliberating over his sister. On the one hand she was a childhood friend and a respected part of Fire Nation nobility, on the other hand she was Azula's friend first and foremost and a traitor to the Nation. He still had not forgiven her for the last words she said to him before disappearing, and disliked her even more now that he knew she was instrumental to Azula's escape.
She didn't deserve to be buried the traditional way.
"We're going to publically announce her treachery, and then discard her corpse in the wasteland beyond the Fire Nation borders for the carrions to feed on." He said coldly.
Iroh opened his mouth as if to say something, than shut it abruptly, a strained expression crossing over his face. "As you wish Firelord." He murmured resignedly.
Exactly.
The world was at his feet.
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The Next Day
Azula stirred, her eyes fluttering open and closed. She was painfully aware of how stiff her limbs were, and the suddenness of being drawn into the waking world was like being doused by cold water. As she became more coherent, her gaze flicked around the room perusing her surroundings. She had been moved to a different room this time. It was sparse, almost bare.
There was a table, laden with food of all kinds.
She saw fruit, and some kind of spiced meat as well as a plethora of green vegetables. Most of them were Earth Nation delicacies but she could detect a hint of Fire Nation seasoning-the scent made her stomach twinge uncomfortably. She hadn't eaten since she arrived, and found herself licking her lips as she stared at the plate. Adjacent to the food, a large stack of books towered at the edge of the table, most of them were oddly ridged with unusual sharp edges. She couldn't read the titles from her position on the Futon.
As far as she could discern she was by herself.
The masked monarch, and that earthbender filth was nowhere in sight.
Good...
She exhaled-a soft puff of air escaping her lips, and stared at her trembling hands.
Stop it.
She rebuked her weakness trying to steady herself.
Her hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Mai was gone. Ty Lee was gone.
Of the unstoppable trio-she was the only one left. Everyone else was dead. It was a sobering thought, one that left her feeling cold, and helpless in her mortality. Her world was collapsing around her again. Mai-dead. Ty Lee-dead. Her name was lost to her. Her title. Her birthright. Zuko's stupidity, and that of his friends had cost her everything. A strangled sound escaped her throat and for the first time since her awakening she felt her chi swarming through her, burning a fiery trail just beneath her skin.
"You were my princess 'Zula…no one can take what's yours by birth."
Her shoulders shook, and her eyes bright with tears she would never shed, darted around the room. Her pulse pounded in her ears, taunting her with her racing heartbeat that should have stopped years ago. Adrenaline laced through her limbs, filling them with the urge to move. To destroy. She burned with indignation, with grief, and with barely controlled rage. Everything else needed to be set ablaze to burn with her.
She stood up rigidly, ignoring the violent way her legs protested at the movement. Her knees almost buckled.
She didn't care.
Unbidden, the familiar blue flame erupted from her fingertips, and she unleashed her fury on everything-and on nothing. The azure flame slammed against the table, and the flimsy piece of wood was sent careening towards the stone walls. It exploded in a fiery show of sparks, pieces of singed paper flaking to the ground from the books her flame had consumed.
Azula's amber eyes shined, and she grimly pointed two fingers at the sturdy walls containing her. Focusing her chi, she channeled all her anger, all the feelings of injustice and all of the grief tormenting her, to one central point. Lightning crackled around her hand, and a stream of jagged blue shot from her fingertips, zig zagging before slicing through the stone with eerie precision.
A large gaping hole was left by her attack, and small pieces of stone crumbled to the ground.
Azula panted heavily-sweat beading down her forehead.
Even though the room was in shambles, and even though she was delighted her bending was still intact-she felt no better.
She smiled listlessly, leaning heavily on one leg.
In fact-she was now keenly aware of the emptiness devouring her, and how no matter how hard she resisted no matter how hard she fought against gravity, she kept falling. Endlessly. Piteously. She had fallen off the edge years ago, she had taken the plunge knowingly. She didn't regret it. There was no room for regrets in her life.
The only thing she despised was how long it was taking to impact.
It wasn't the fall that was going to kill her.
It was when she finally hit the ground, and she hadn't reached that point yet.
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Five before Azula woke up…
"I had forgotten about Mai."
Toph snorted, shaking her head ruefully at the masked monarch. "It's no big deal. Mai wasn't like Ty Lee. You had no prior dealings with her, and she was dead long before we built Safe Haven. It was easy to forget her connection with Azula if you hadn't known about them before."
"General, Azula went into shock when you mentioned her. I think that's a huge deal." Lady Grey replied leaning back against her chair. They were both sitting in the masked woman's quarters discussing what had happened several hours ago. It was a habit they had developed over time. They frequently invaded each other's rooms and discussed the day's happenings in length. Sometimes they forgot to sleep.
Toph found the conversations lethargic. They relaxed her, because Lady Grey had a simplistic view on life and the world despite the trials they endured on a regular basis. It was different from the talks she had with any of the girls she knew now, or even from the talks she used to have with Katara. Lady Grey was a good conversationalist because she didn't force her views down your throat, and she didn't place any expectations on you when you answered.
Toph valued that.
She hated when people tried to manipulate her into feeling or being something that was against her nature.
Lady Grey understood that so they got along wonderfully.
She grumbled, trying to herd her wandering thoughts back to the topic at hand: Azula.
"It's not, trust me. The princess may be all over the place right now, but she's the most pigheaded arrogant wench I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. Odds are she will bounce back." Toph said blandly, her pale green eyes twinkling in amusement.
"You don't like her?" Lady Grey asked curiously.
"This is Azula…I don't think anyone likes her. People tolerate her." She replied truthfully. Every time she'd met the Fire Nation princess they were clashing-fighting to get the upperhand to see who would gain control of the Nation. Toph and her friends won, but if she could go back she'd help Azula pulverize the Avatar's group a thousand times over. The government that was instituted, and the monarch that replaced her made things infinitely worse than before: Zuko was truly not meant to wear the crown.
As far as she was concerned no one from Ozai's line should be on the throne.
They were all underhanded, untrustworthy, and unreliable.
Speaking of which…
"Is there a reason I have to tolerate her staying in my room by the way? We might kill each other." She stated matter-a-factly, her fingers tapping impatiently against the table in front of her.
"You're the only one who's had some dealings with her, and as you've stated so many times before she's dangerous. We can't just put her up anywhere. You're the most qualified person to stay with her till she recovers" Lady Grey said soothingly, her voice soft, but Toph didn't miss the subtle humor underlying her tone.
"Don't give me that. She could just as easily stay with you. You're the one that wanted her rescued." She pointed accusingly at the woman in front of her, a frown marring her features.
"That's a bad idea…" The masked monarch shook her head and Toph heard shuffling as Lady Grey readjusted herself to get comfortable in her seat. She had the nasty feeling she wasn't going to win this argument, and inevitably, Azula was going to be staying in her quarters till she was better.
"Look I know you're not fond of the idea but-"
Lady Grey was abruptly cut off as the very foundations of the building shook. Toph stood up as the earth convulsed beneath her, and she dug her heels into the ground to keep her balance. Crashes resounded throughout the room and she tilted her head to the side, listening as Lady Grey stumbled around. She reached out with a steadying hand, grasping the older woman's arm and dragging her to her feet.
"What is that?" She droned, guiding them both to the door.
"I have no idea."
Grunting as the floor ceased to come alive, she stared blankly ahead taking huge purposeful steps towards the source of the noise. As she walked her feet arched, as they came into contact with sharp stones that hadn't been on the ground earlier. Whatever caused the shaking must have also damaged the wall for the hallway to be covered in rubble. She was surprised Onteel wasn't charging forward to check things out, but then again the large were-jaguar was curled up next to Horatio in Lady Grey's room. The beast could sleep through anything, even an earthquake it seemed.
"General, there's a giant hole in your wall…"
Toph frowned at the observation.
She had taken special care in crafting her room to her liking. It had taken over a day, and she had finally polished and furnished everything in a way so she had easy access to the things she needed. All of her work had been destroyed in a matter of minutes. It didn't take a genius to figure out who dismantled her wall. She shuddered to think of the damage done to the inside of her room.
"I'm going to kill her." She deadpanned, brushing past the masked woman and into the shambles of what used to be her room.
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Azula watched with narrowed eyes as the little earthbender crossed over the threshold and into the room, stepping precariously over the rubble on the ground. The Former Fire princess noted how she seemed to know exactly where to step, and wondered how she accomplished such a feat without the use of her eyes. Then she found she didn't care. It was irrelevant.
Azula shifted, her gaze sharpening into a glare as the blind woman stepped closer, and as soon as she moved, those pale green eyes were focused on her. The intensity in the milky orbs was disquieting. When studying the earthbender's face she was able to single out the emotions splaying across her expression. The primary feeling emanating from the blind woman was anger, and if Azula was to hazard a guess most of that anger was for her.
She glared defiantly at her, even as the earthbender held up coarse hands, making a swift cutting motion with her palm held up towards the ceiling. Azula grunted as crutched pyramids erupted from the earth, jutting up into her wrists, and to a sensitive area behind her knees. Her legs buckled, and she fell to the ground-a soft hiss escaping her lips. The earthen pyramids forced her to sit up, and held her arms out rigidly, and at the same time encircled her wrists so she couldn't move. Another mound of earth overlapped her legs leaving her immobile, and vulnerable to the earthbender's mercy.
"What exactly did you think you were doing princess?" The earthbender strode over to the captured woman, her expression fierce.
Azula didn't respond.
She saw no reason to answer.
Speaking was pointless.
"What? Suddenly you can't talk?"
The words were taunting, but it would take far more than a few mocking taunts to force her to speak. She wasn't in the mood for these games. Her gaze slanted to the side, and she stared blankly at the wall, her face clean of all emotion. She just wanted to be left alone.
Growing frustrated at her lack of response the blind earthbender made a quick movement with her fist, and the earth keeping Azula uncomfortably inert descended swiftly into the ground. With her support, and prison gone Azula all but collapsed, her legs giving way completely. Before she forcefully became acquainted with the ground again, a callous hand shot out to steady her.
She stared at the appendage keeping her upright, and her gaze traced it back to its owner. She gazed up at the blind earthbender who suddenly seemed a lot less infuriated.
" You know…you're strange princess." She mused thoughtfully. "Most people cry when everything is going wrong. You just set things on fire."
Erupting into a violent rage was the least degrading of her options when it came to venting.
Crying was beneath her.
The earthbender shook her head, standing up after a moment. She must have figured out Azula didn't plan on acknowledging her anytime soon. "Look Azula, we're going to have to talk about your recovery, and what you plan to do with yourself later, but for now we need to talk about what happened with Ty Lee."
Azula stiffened.
A vivid image of Ty Lee's blood trickling over the paved stone streets, made her throat clench uncomfortably. She had no desire to talk about the acrobat.
The subject annoyed her.
Her lips tingled and she remembered the chaste kiss the bubbly woman had bestowed on her before leaving this world entirely.
Scratch that. The subject severely annoyed her and wasn't up for discussion.
"Listen Ty Lee's gone now, but she had a house not too far from here. She would want you to have it, and as soon as you've healed enough you're welcome to stay there. In the meantime Lady Grey has ordered me to stay with you."
Azula closed her eyes, far from thrilled at the news. She didn't want the masked monarch's little lapdog following her around. She was already living in barely tolerable conditions. Forcing terrible company on her seemed extreme, if not cruel.
"Oh and one more thing…"
The blind earthbender went on to explain the "one more thing" that correlated with Ty Lee's demise. This time when she was talking, Azula was straining to listen to her instead of pointedly ignoring her. When she finished explaining, the former princess fixed her with an incredulous look.
You've got to be kidding me…
Alright what do you think? XD Questions? Comments?
Next chapter we explore Azula's recovery and see what that one more thing is…
The plot slows down a tad from here, but it'll pick up again in a few chapters.