Chapter 13: The Western Castle

*********** Fire Nation Colonial Castle ************

My cell was of Fire Nation design, a metal cage in a stone room with an outer wooden door. After I was put in my cell and the guard left several of the girls in the other cells asked me questions about who I was, why I was here, and some questions about what was happening where they lived. I lied and said I was called Ruikei, I'd been mistaken for Azula, and I didn't know the answer to any the other questions (why would I know about what's happening where they're from). After I'd finished talking one of the girls (I couldn't see her since the door blocked my view of the corridor) said that all the girls here had been mistaken for Azula and no one knew why they were here. As they'd been in here longer than me I decided to asked them some questions about this place.

Unfortunately the only things I learned about this place were that the soldiers called it the Western Castle and it was run by a Colonel (they didn't know who he was). The only other things I learned were that when the cells became full the guards would take a girl for interrogation but would never bring her back, and there were two guys in the cells (neither of them had been mistaken for me). When I asked them why they were here they both said that they didn't know. From the pitch of their voices I could tell that one was about my age, the other was much older, and both were lying about not knowing why they were here. Since it wasn't important why they were here I didn't inquire any further.

As it was late and I was still feeling unwell I decided to rest. I unwrapped the blanket from around my waist, put it under the blanket that was in my cell, and went to sleep. I don't know how long I slept but I was a woken by a loud noise. When I asked what that noise was a girl replied that it was time for the evening meal. I quickly hid my second blanket under my cell's blanket (the guards would definitely confiscate it if they saw it). A shot time later a guard open the outer door of my cell, came in, put a tray of food by the bars of my cage, then left. The food seemed to be a noodle dish, some bread, and cup of cold tea; hardly befitting a princess. However I knew that I would have to endure this until I was able to escape. Nevertheless I had no intention of eating cold food, so I heated it up using my Firebending before eating it. While eating I heard some of the girls talking but couldn't make out what they were saying. I'd have to learn to ignore this chatter if I wanted to get any sleep.

After eating my food I decided to wait until the guard collected my tray before going to sleep. While I was waiting I kept thinking about Poppy Tea and how good it made me feel. It was hard to resist these urges but I needed to resist them. If I want to escape I need to be alert at all times, I didn't have time to relax. Eventually the guard came and took my tray. After he left I pulled my blankets over myself and went to sleep. Even though some of the girls were still talking I found it much easier to get to sleep in here.

When I woke up the next morning my stomach pains had almost completely disappeared. I don't know whether it was because they had been secretly poisoning my food or because I changed my clothes but as I was recovering so soon after leaving them they must of been poisoning me. Running away from them was the right decision. However I wasn't just going to sit around waiting to get better, I didn't have the time to do that. If I wanted to escape I would need to resume my training immediately.

Before I could resume my training I'd need to know exactly what condition my body was in. First I tested my stamina by performing sit ups and push ups; both of these tired me more quickly than normal and took longer. Then I tested my Firebending by shooting fireballs through the bars of the cage at the opposing wall. Though it was easier to concentrate now that I wasn't being poisoned the power of my fire was only half of what it once was and I tired far more quickly than normal. Finally I tested my lighting, this worked first time but it took me longer than normal to separate my chi. While I recovered from these exercises I assessed my current fighting capacity. Since I was now much slower, weaker, and had less stamina I should avoid fighting until I was stronger. My best weapon was my lighting since it was just as deadly even in my current state. Consequently I decided to focus solely on lighting training.

I practised firing my lighting into the bars of my cage again and again until late in the evening, only stopping when I was too tired to stand or a guard came by with food. It was hard work but I was now able to separate my positive and negative chi, and recombine it much faster. Though my lighting was now a deadly weapon again it had a fatal flaw. Since I needed some time to separate and recombine my chi before I could fire my lighting I was very vulnerable between lighting bolts. Normally Firebenders used their Firebending to protect themselves until they can find a safe place to separated and recombined their chi but my weakened Firebending would be insufficient.

Fortunately my father had tried to develop a way to remove this vulnerability. He had first mastered firing lighting out of both hands, then mastered firing one lighting bolt while delaying the other. This enabled him to continuously shoot lighting for a short period of time before the pain caused by storing lighting in his body became too great. It was unlikely that I'd have enough time to master continuously shooting lighting but if I could master shooting lighting with both hands I could attack two guards at once. But before I could shoot lighting with both hands I need to be able to shoot it out of my left hand. As it was very late I decide to resume my training at first light tomorrow.

At dawn I practised shooting lighting from my left hand. After some practise I was able to shoot lighting out of my left hand but I had little control over where it went. Though after practising for the rest of the day I was able to shoot lighting more accurately, but not as accurately as I could using my right hand. Though I could increase my left hand's accuracy by practising more tomorrow this would be a waste of my time, since my goal was shoot lighting from both hands not accurately from my left hand. As this would be difficult and it was already after dark I decided to have an early night and start practising in the morning.

Again I awoke at dawn and began by shooting lighting out of my right hand, then my left. I was able to do both with ease. Now I would see whether I could shoot lighting out of both of my hands at the same time. As a precaution I would only create enough lighting for a normal lighting bolt in case I was only able to shoot it out of one arm (I didn't want any excess lighting remaining in my body). I separated my chi, recombined it, then began channelling the released energy along my arms. Most of the lighting came out of my right hand, though a little came out of my left. I tried again, this time trying to channel more energy to my left hand. The is resulted in a slightly large lighting bolt coming out of my left hand but the one coming out of my right hand still most of the energy. I practised again and again, trying to produce two lighting bolts of identical size.

It wasn't until the afternoon that I was finally able to get it right, though my accuracy was low since I was trying to channel the energy in two different directions at the same time. Unless I attacked two guard at close range I won't be able to hit either of them. Though my lack of accuracy may be due to a lack of energy, since I'm only using the amount of chi needed to create one lighting bolt. It I separated and recombined more chi when creating my lighting bolts they may become more accurate. I then spent the rest of the day trying to create more powerful lighting bolts. Unfortunately by the evening I had only managed to create two lightning bolts that were 75% as powerful as a normal lighting bolt and my accuracy was still low. This lighting would be no use in combat. I would need to train extra hard tomorrow if I wanted to get this right.

The next morning I got up at dawn and practised shooting lighting bolts out of both of my hands. I continued practising until midmorning when the guards suddenly came to our cells. As it was too early for lunch they must want something.

"Ladies it's interrogation time, who wants to come with us today?" a male voice said.

Nobody said anything. Most seemed afraid to volunteer in case they'd be tortured then killed to prevent them talking about this place. However I wasn't weak like them, if I could kill the guards with my lighting after I got out of my cell I'd be free. Though it would be risky, since I couldn't control my lighting perfectly, I couldn't let this chance slip by.

"I'll go," I said.

*********** Fire Nation Royal Palace ************

Examining hundreds of Fire Nation accounts for evidence of embezzlement was a long and gruelling process, made even more difficult by the large number of doctored reports. But eventually I identified 4 governors and 3 generals who were exceptionally corrupt and had hidden their corruption poorly. After finding evidence of their corruption I had issued orders for them to come before me and explain the inaccuracies in their reports. If they were unable to explain these inaccuracies they would lose their position and be imprisoned. Punishing them would send a clear message that I would no longer tolerate corruption and reassert my authority in the Colonies.

I was also suspicious of the large numbers of soldiers recently requested by the generals in the northern part of the colonies. Their reports stated that Azula was leading a campaign of terror in the north but according to Sokka Azula isn't leading anything. If this is a lie then why do the generals want the soldiers? Though they could use the soldiers to conquer the Earth Kingdom areas the soldiers they've requested are more suitable for scouting than fighting, so what are they trying to find? The Kyoshi Warriors, they're hunting the Kyoshi Warriors. If they've found proof that Azula is a puppet then they must have found something the generals don't want me to know about, that's why the generals are hunting them. I have to help them but I don't want to let my general know that I know what they're really doing. Revoking their command over the soldiers would be too obvious, I need to be more subtle. If I issued an order requiring all scouts to receive special training and require the generals to audit all their soldiers this would remove the scouts from the generals and reduce the number of soldiers that they can dispatch because soldiers being trained and undergoing audits are excused from regular duties. I immediately issued the order, only hoping that I'm not too late.

Notes:

1) Azula's stomach pains and sleeping problems disappear because the physical withdrawal symptoms of opium only last for 8-12 days after the last dose. It is unrelated to her leaving the Kyoshi Warriors or going to the Western Castle.

2) The metal bars of Azula's cage attract the lighting she shoots, she's not deliberately aiming at the cage. Also she doesn't electrocute herself because there are no bars on the floor of her cage and she's not stupid enough to touch the metal cage while shooting lighting into it. Since the lighting will quickly be earthed by the stone surrounding the cage, so no one will get a shock if they touch the bars.