Chapter 40
Blowing Up
"I've got it!" Katara cried, standing up. "Uncle Iroh. He can get us to Zuko and we should be able to get an audience with him."
"You might have to assert your authority as Lady of the Fire Nation and refer to him as the general." Kaili pointed out.
"I know and I'll apologize profusely later but at the moment it's just what I'll have to do if I want to set things right. I've been silent for too long." Katara said.
She threw open the doors to her study and made the quick journey to the government wing of the palace where she was sure her husband would be.
"What? I command you to get out of my way and let me see Zuko NOW!"
"Mai?" Katara whispered, recognizing the female voice coming from up the hall.
"The Fire Lord will see no one."
Katara rounded the corner and found Mai glaring at the guards blocking her path.
"Mai!" Katara called, embracing the other woman.
"Katara, please, I need to get in to see Zuko. You've got to believe me Azula is different now. I've known her all my life and I would stake my life on…" Mai started.
"I know, I know. I've been trying to get in to see Zuko as well and they won't even let me through." Katara sighed.
"What?" Mai gasped turning to the guards. "Have you no respect for your Lady..."
"The Fire Lord said he was not to be interrupted." A guard sighed, clearly as tired of saying it as the girls were of hearing it.
"Then is Iroh, Dragon of the West available?" Kaili cut in.
"No," Katara said. "Not is he available, you will send a messenger to him at once. He will come to tea in one hour and if the Fire Lord does not agree to this tell him to come see me personally."
Mai and Kaili were looking at her as if she was crazy for adding the last bit that challenged the Fire Lord's authority but Katara could care less at the moment. She was done being silent. She wasn't Fire Nation and at the moment she'd decided to hell with their procedures.
"Uh…uh, the message will be delivered at once Lady."A guard said uncertain of how he was going to deliver that message without losing his head.
"Good, I'll be waiting in the breakfast nook." With that said, Katara turned on her heels and stalked to her desired meeting spot. Mai and Kaili followed after her silently.
- -
"It would seem the Avatar is against us." Hiromu said nervously. "Will people still go along with this without his support?"
"Of course they will." Kawamura said rolling his eyes. "Clearly the Avatar has been bribed by the Fire Nation. He's played right into my hands as well."
"Oh?" Hiromu asked curiously.
"Now the Fire Nation is harboring a fugitive." Kawamura smirked. "Not only did the Fire Lord send his sister to kill off our King but then he bribed the Avatar to give her back her bending and save her from her punishment by law."
A grin appeared across Hiromu's face as he took in this new information. "Wow, you certainly thought of everything, didn't you General?"
"Of course I did. That's how I always win."
--
Appa landed heavily in the vast gardens of the Fire Nation palace.
"Thanks buddy, stay here, I know you're tired." Aang smiled, stroking the bison's fur. They'd never made the trip that fast before and Aang was incredibly thankful that Appa seemed to pick up on the severity of the moment.
"Come on, we have to find Zuko." Ty Lee said.
They had barely taken two steps when they heard the sounds of running feet.
"Halt who goes there?" A guard shouted.
"Where is my brother?" Azula demanded.
"Princess?" Another guard asked.
"Yes! What? Why are you all looking at me like that?" Azula felt a sinking feeling inside. The news had clearly beaten them here. "I must speak with my brother, now."
"Apprehend her!" One of the guards ordered.
"What? No, I order you to stand down until I have seen my brother." Azula shouted.
"Princess, you're wanted for treason." The first guard said.
"Treason?" She gasped.
"She hasn't done anything wrong." Aang snapped. "We have to go see Fire Lord Zuko now. It's really important."
"I'm sorry Avatar but the order still stands."
"Well Zuko will want to see his sister before she's thrown in prison. We're not letting you take her without a fight." Ty Lee jumped in.
The first guard relented. "Fine then, but she will be escorted in by my men."
"Fine." Azula said in clipped voice. "We're going to see him now."
"We will have to request an…"
"No, there will be no requesting of anything. We are going in now. I've been accuse of treason, which is punishable by death, breaking in on council meeting is in no way worse. Get out of my way, I will not be deterred." Azula commanded, brushing past the guards.
--
"We have to get in to see Zuko." Katara pleaded. "I don't know what he's thinking but its absolute madness and one of us has to be able to change his mind about all this foolishness."
"Yes, yes perhaps he will listen to one of you. My words fall on deaf ears now and I cannot reason with him. I do not believe Azula is guilty of killing King Kuei. We must convince the Earth Kingdom to send her to us for punishment."
"Oh no, punishment, I didn't think of that. We must act quickly before something bad happens to her." Katara said standing up.
"Do not worry Katara they will need proof before they can kill her. She will sit in prison first or at least that is my hope. It is General Kawamura who leads the city now and I believe he's had a hand in all this." Iroh commented.
"Of course he has." Katara said, beginning to pace. "Yes, yes he definitely had to just think about it. This all benefits him. He wanted to go to war, now he has a war. He was a greedy man, now he has the power. Oh Kami, it's all been a set up, hasn't it?"
"We cannot be completely sure but your theory sounds good." Iroh said.
"But how do we convince Zuko of that?" Mai asked.
"I'm going." Katara announced.
"Going?" Kaili asked.
"I need to speak with Zuko and I'm doing it now. I don't care if he busy. I'm going into that meeting right now and I don't care if he punishes me that at least mean he devoted some time to thinking about me." Katara proclaimed, pushing through the doors and storming towards the meeting room.
- -
"Everyone to arms, take messengers to Omashu and gather any of the willing, from there we will move to start the attack on the Fire Nation at first light. The Avatar has betrayed us. He will tell the Fire Lord of our plans." General Kawamura ordered.
- -
The doors to the meeting hall burst open to be greeted by a number of enraged shouts.
"How dare you just burst in here?"
"Who permitted you to enter?"
Azula ignored them all. Her only focus was her brother.
"Zuko!" She cried relief washing over her.
"Guards!" Zuko's face was an emotionless mask as he spoke.
Azula couldn't move, or even think, she was so shocked. Had he really just called for the guards? He hadn't even given her a chance to speak.
"Zuko, you should really hear this." Aang started.
"I've heard enough." Zuko snapped. "Apprehend her and put her back in her cell. Thanks to your shenanigans I don't have the time to decide if you'll be punished here or if I should send you back to the Earth Kingdom for what you deserve."
"What?" She gasped harshly.
"Well, you heard the man." Sokka agreed looking at the guards and gesturing towards Azula.
"Sokka shut up!" Suki growled.
"Azula, you're back." Katara's voice turned everyone's attention back to the open doorway where she stood with Kaili, Mai, and Iroh.
"I don't understand why there is still a traitor standing before me." Zuko said pointedly. "Take her now."
"It wasn't me. I swear. It's General Kawamura, he's been plotting this entire thing." Azula shouted.
"Zuko, it's true." Aang butted in.
The Fire Lord was ignoring them and gestured to his guards to cuff her. Azula was too shocked to even fight them off at the moment.
"You can't be serious." Katara breathed. "Zuko, what are you thinking? Aang just told you she didn't do anything wrong."
"You know it wasn't me Zuzu. I'm a good person now. Why would I betray you?" Azula cried desperately.
"Because it's you Azula! I should have never trusted you in the first place. You'd think I'd have figured out by now, you always lie. You ruin everything for me because you've always hated me." Zuko yelled back.
"You've got to believe me." Azula said shaking her head as if to rid herself of her brother's words.
"Get her out of my sight." Zuko ordered.
Azula found herself cuffed again and her friends were held back to stop from attempting to free her as she removed from the room.
"Zuko!" Mai barked.
"How can you condemn your own sister to death? Can't you see all the people standing before you telling you that you're completely out of your mind to think she's done anything wrong?" Katara snapped, stepping forward.
"It's what I should have done a long time ago." Zuko replied coldly. A dark expression clouded his face as he turned and strode out of the room.
"ZUKO!" Katara shouted after him. "I GAVE YOU A SECOND CHANCE!"
He flinched but didn't turn around.
Mai and Iroh stepped back away from Katara. Her face was red with anger and frustration. She had, had enough. A chill filled the room and the tinkling of the fountain outside crackled as it iced over. Kaili had never felt anything so terrifying as the pure angry energy of the waterbender standing next to him. He felt was so cold, he felt as if all the warmth had been stolen from his body.
Pushing the guards and advisers, who attempted to stop her, out of the way Katara followed after Zuko. She caught up to him in a hallway open to the garden. The setting sun would have been beautiful if she hadn't been so angry. The rising moon ought to have terrified Zuko if he hadn't been so absorbed in his own thoughts to realize Katara was ready to kill him.
- -
"Well, well Azula. It seems you have been betrayed again. You were so very foolish to trust them." Ozai's voice filled Azula's head.
"Go away!" Azula growled. The guards outside her cell looked at her strangely but didn't move.
"What are you going to do Azula? You can hardly let this go?"
"Stop it! I'm not listening to you. My friends will come for me." She said
"Come for you, hah. They didn't even fight to stop them from taking you away."
"They don't do everything by violence. They'll figure it out."
"I believe you've used up your number of saves for the day."
"Go away. Please, please go away."
"Listen to you, you're begging. It's disgraceful. I'm disgusted."
"Well then you have no reason to be tormenting me."
"I'm not here to torment you Azula. I love you. I want to welcome you back to my good graces. You've still got the skills. You just need to prove your worth."
"My worth?"
"Kill your brother. Kill Zuko. Show this nation what a real Fire Lord can do."
'NO!' Azula jumped at the sudden outburst from Aang.
'No, what?'Azula asked fearing that he could hear her father as well.
'You were thinking about killing Zuko and that's bad. You're good. We'll get you out of this. Katara just went after him. If anybody can get him to change his mind, she can. Please just be patient.'
'Yes, yes I can be patient. Please just keep talking to me. Don't let him talk to me anymore.'
'Who?' She felt Aang's confusion.
'It doesn't matter. Just don't leave me alone.'
'I won't. I promise.'
- -
"Zuko!" Her voice was ice, as she grabbed his arm and gave a sharp yank that caused him to face her.
"Katar-"He started.
"NO!" She screamed. "You are listening to me now! I don't want to hear a word out of you."
"Please cal-"
"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! I'm tired of being told to calm down. Why don't you calm down and maybe take a look around you and see what a complete jerk you are being." Katara shouted.
Zuko opened his mouth to speak.
"NO!" Katara shouted again, raising a hand up and rapidly clenching her hand into a fist. His eyes widened as his mouth snapped shut.
It was only then he realized she was absolutely furious. His eyes rose to just over her shoulder and realized he was in dangerous territory. A full moon was rising, she was pissed, and he had just experienced blood bending for the first time.
"Why don't you sit?" It was more of a demand than a suggestion and he didn't exactly get the choice as she smacked her palms down in a flat motion and he was slammed down onto a nearby bench. His eyes followed her momentary pacing and he opted not to try talking again until she calmed down or tired herself out. It only occurred to him now that he hadn't seen her in weeks as he considered the fact that until this moment he hadn't even realized she was angry with him.
"Where do I even begin?" Her hands were shaking, she was so angry. "From the moment I met you, your arrogance and your presumptuousness, your complete selfish disdain for other's feelings has been a barrier between us. It's something that I can't stand about you, no, HATE about you. You are the last person to talk about changing. I thought you changed but I guess not. I wish I could show you what a monster you have been lately. This recent display has revived such an unshakeable dislike for you that I've realized you are the last man on earth I could possibly want to spend the rest of my life with but I am stuck with you. It was beginning to seem like a bad thing until I realized guess what, you're stuck with me too and short of killing me you can't get rid of me. I am not fire nation, I am doing you a courtesy by obeying your laws but not anymore."
Zuko felt like he'd just been punched in the gut. How long had this anger been boiling up inside her? Did she really hate him? They had been so happy, hadn't they?
"We are supposed to be doing this together, Zuko. So far all you've done is cut me out. Do you even remember the last time we sat down and talked? Because I don't. Did you even notice that I've moved out of joint wing? It seems to me you're nothing but a spoiled irrational child married to your work and I'm the other woman. If you'd just let me in I'd show you how your brash actions are hurting more than helping anyone right now. You're on some senseless killing spree because beheading generals isn't stopping a mad man who isn't even in the fire nation. I've been sitting in my study all day long listening to the servants gossip and managed to figure out who's pulling the strings why can't you? Your sister isn't a liar she was kidnapped." Katara shouted. "In fact, we can probably solve this entire thing if you'd just listen to whatever it is she found out while she was missing."
Zuko sat snapping out of his highly depressed state at the sudden silence. Katara's eyes were closed and she wore a frown that suggested pain across her face. She pressed a hand lightly took her stomach and took a slow steadying breath.
"Katara?" He asked tentatively. He didn't waste a moment to celebrate the fact that he could open his mouth again. Instead, he rushed to her side placing an arm around her waist and his free hand rubbed her arm. "Are you alright, Katara?"
His voice was soothing but her rage was not broken. She pushed him away from her and drew back in a defensive position.
"I'm fine, I got light headed for a moment." She snapped.
He frowned, eyes going to her stomach. Light headed?
"Kami, you literally make me sick." She muttered, closing her eyes again. She really needed to finish yelling at Zuko but that sudden bout of pain had partially grabbed her attention. Perhaps she did need to talk to the healers. She glared at Zuko. She would kill him if he caused her to lose this baby. She remembered once as a girl a woman in the village had lost her baby. She had been young so gran-gran had said it was the sadness of her husband leaving for war which was true enough. The young mother had been so stressed about the possibility that her husband would die that she had lost her baby.
"Come on!" Katara's said in a short voice.
"Where are we going?" Zuko asked confused.
She didn't answer, just marched back in the direction of the meeting room. He didn't dare disagree. He trailed behind her wondering if it was safe to talk now. She had made it very clear that they were in desperate need or a serious conversation.
Everyone snapped to attention as the doors to the meeting room were thrown open and Katara stood before them with an abashed looking Zuko behind her.
"Bring me Princess Azula at once." Katara ordered.
The guards made a flinching movement and then stopped to look at Zuko for instruction.
"Now!" Katara shouted before Zuko could even open his mouth to speak. He just nodded like a terrified child from behind her and his men got the message.
"Everyone is going to sit down and listen. I don't want to hear a word if your name isn't Aang or Azula." Katara hissed. "Now sit!"
Sokka and Haru smashed into each other scrambling for a seat. Ty Lee dropped straight to the ground and Suki took a step behind Toph who was smiling at the authority Katara was finally exerting. Kaili was attempting to see around Katara. She was his responsibility but he also had a duty to the Fire Lord. Considering he currently looked scared out of his wits Kaili thought it might be wise to be sure Katara hadn't beat him too badly.
"Isn't love beautiful?" Kaili joked before slipping from between Mai and Iroh to get a closer look. Mai stared at him as if he was insane and Iroh chuckled as he found himself a seat as well.
- -
'I think Katara and Zuko had a fight….She won and you're free. They're coming to get you!' Aang's voice sounded jubilantly in Azula's head.
Azula didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the sheer ridiculousness of this day. Patience had paid off and while her life was still full of so many uncertainties there was one thing she could be sure of. She had friends. She had a dumb brother who deep down inside loved her and sometimes needed his wife to smack some sense back into her.
Sighing and taking a deep and relieved breath she knew what she had to do. If she was ever truly going to be better she had to get her father out of her head. She couldn't let him torment her into doubting her friends and family. She couldn't let him release the years of hurt and anger that the last month or so had started to clear.
Closing her eyes, she first put up a barrier between herself and Aang. She had to do this on her own. It didn't take long for the disinterested tone to reappear in her head. He was always there, a constant temptation and she was sick of it.
"Get out of my head." She demanded before the degrading words could even form.
"You're nothing without me."
"I am great without you. I don't need you. I've never needed you."
"You're sitting in a prison cell. There's nothing great about that. Being Fire Lord, now that is greatness. It was meant to be yours. It was your destiny. Your brother stole it from you. Take it back."
"No! Stop it, I don't want to hear you anymore."
"You can't honestly trust them, Azula. How many times have these people betrayed you? They are liars. All of them."
"They're my friends."
"You don't need friends. Friends can't be trusted. You need power. You need respect."
"No, I need you to go away. I hate you."
"You need me. Where would you be without me? Who has been there for you all these years?"
"Well, I don't need you anymore." Azula raged at the image of her father that had formulated in her mind. "I hate you. All my life you made me believe I was only worth the number of people I hurt or the land I conquered. I was never good enough for you and look at what it did to me. All I wanted was for you to love the way mother loved Zuko but I had no one. Not any more though, I have friends now. I have people who care about me. People who love me and I'm going to be good now. I'm not listening to you anymore. I don't need you anymore. Get out of my head. GET OUT, GET OUT, GET OUT!"
Azula's eyes snapped open, hands still over her ears. Her eyes darted around as she listened. She listened and heard nothing, no voices, not taunting or mocking, no hatred or disapproval. He was gone. She was free. A tear slid down her cheek. She was free.
Her smile drained from her face at the sight of the two guards posted before her cell peeking in at her and exchanging worried looks. She just smiled at them and they seemed to draw back even more disturbed by her sudden smiles after her apparent argument with herself.
- -
Aang tapped his foot impatiently. Why was Azula blocking him out? Hadn't he just given her good new? He briefly panicked thinking she'd been captured again but was relieved to see the doors to the meeting room opening and hear the sounds of clinking chains.
Azula was brought in and Katara scowled at the chains on her wrists. "Get them off of her now!"
This time the guards didn't hesitate to carry out her orders. They retreated to the corners of the room figuring that was far safer than being within Katara's sight. When they were gone Katara smiled pleasantly at Azula.
"I'm sorry your brother has been under the impression that acting like a petulant child is okay." Katara apologized ignoring the intake of breath of the offended advisors sitting around the room. "Will you please tell us what's really been going on?"
A/N: Please review guys. It's kind of depressing to see 150 hits...4 review...