Eek...
This is SO incredibly late... I feel stink as about it, don't worry, it won't happen again (Until my finals haha)
But still, you guys should totally check out my oneshot that only got three reviews hahahaha. Yes, that was shameless self-advertising. No, I don't care.
Disclaimer: I own nothing here. Poops.
Unsurprisingly, Zuko was overcome with the very real sensation that he might collapse to his knees and throw up.
He kept a stable facade, face as stiff and white as marble, a weakly crackling flame flickering in his hand, which refused to give way to trembling. Inside, however, was intense turbulence. There were three things that he was sure of. One, Katara hated him. She had fallen silent after her explosion towards the teenager, but he certainly noticed the hefty number of absolutely poisonous glances that were thrown his way as they walked, worming their way through a thick crust of rock. She despised every aspect of him, and it didn't look as though it were going to change any time soon.
Two, her sister was here. That was enough to send a shiver of fear down his back. He was terrified of her. He always had been, really, although his feelings, hovering close to the surface during his childhood, were never fully realised. Another emotion welled up in his chest at her mental image, too. Hate. This was fresh. He'd disliked her, feared her, but hadn't hated her. That, of course changed after she hit Iroh with lightning in a successful attempt to escape. His rage towards Azula burned afresh as he recalled the painful memory. He would get revenge for this. Even though she aimed to incapacitate, not kill, it didn't subside Zuko's blind fury in the slightest. He was bent towards punishing her for what she had done. But as he thought of doing so, the fear swirled in his chest again, a wave of sickening terror. He wanted to punish her, but was frightened of her at the same time. Damn.
Three, and most importantly, Ba Sing Se was on the edge of collapse. The Dai Li had control of the city, and Azula had control of the Dai Li. Aang was too far away to help, and he had no other possible allies to call on. If Ba Sing Se were to fall, his father would have essentially won the war. There would be no real enemy for him to face. Zuko couldn't let that happen. It wasn't a simple matter of being on the 'good side'. To Zuko, those words were empty and hollow. He didn't really like the label of being a 'good guy'. What drove him was a strong desire to follow what he thought was right. True, his moral compass had been a more than a little off-course in the past, but Zuko had convinced himself that he couldn't let this pass. He had all intention of remaining neutral, no matter what happened. He felt it was the only option, with his loyalty between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation so deeply divided. But a coup, overturning the authority of Ba Sing Se, benefitted nobody but the Fire Lord himself. The people of the Fire Nation, the middling and lower classes, who he now felt a great compassion and affinity for after his period of forced poverty, wouldn't feel any positive economic effects from this. Any money that was to be made would go straight into his fathers' pockets.
He'd formed a plan in his exhausted mind, one that he hoped would work out, and solve most of his problems. He would go Iroh, of course, and ask the elderly General for his very valuable advice. After all, for all of his military and political experience, surely he knew of a successful way to stop Azula's coup before it was too late. He was going to have to persuade Katara to join him. That part, he didn't like. But, unfortunately, he couldn't see any other option. She was an excellent fighter, he'd seen her drastic improvement, but more importantly, he really didn't want her running around, a loose cannon. If she was caught, or found, they would know she escaped. Azula would know something was up, and they would lose the crucial element of surprise. Of course, therein laid the problem: convincing someone that reviled him that it was in her best interest to join his side.
"What do you think the time is?" Jin spoke up over the nearly consistent rumbling of the earth. They walked in single file, Jin in the front, tunnelling a way forward, Zuko behind her, holding a handful of fire to illuminate the claustrophobic space, Katara behind him, watching every move he made with intense mistrust, and Meng at the rear, sealing the space behind them, while forcing back light-headedness and exhaustion.
"Who knows." Zuko mumbled. "We've been walking for a while... I'd say it's at least dawn."
"Great." She yawned loudly. "You know Meng, you're really lucky that it's my day off. Mrs. Chan would have fired me if I showed up in this state."
"Do you still work in that laundry?" He inquired, an eyebrow raised.
"Yes." Jin shot back defensively. "Finding another job is tough, all right? And at least there, I only work 'til noon."
"Yeah, but I'm sure you can do better. Work for Lifen or Uncle Renshu or something?" Jin only rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, because Ma would really let me. You know how she hates getting charity." She sighed and shrugged. "Oh well. She's going to be really happy to see you, you know."
"Ma?" Meng's face tightened a little "So she's not mad at me?"
"She was never mad at you, dope." The girl rolled her eyes. "Besides, you're twenty years old now. Even if she was mad, what is she going to do, ground you?"
"I don't know, she's pretty strict... You and Jiro must get a bit now." Four years. He felt a little sick. How was he going to be able to cope? Four years of his life, the crucial four years where one transformed, from a boy to a man, were gone, spent trapped alone and miserable in an underground cell. How was he going to be able to go on? How could he go from a prisoner to a normal person? It was impossible. He was never going to be the same. And the thought of that made his stomach churn, a sick wave of nausea rising in his chest. He hated them. He hated the Dai Li more than he could ever articulate, and he knew it was going to be hard, seeing them in the street, lurking in the shadows, hundreds of pairs of ever-watchful eyes, knowing that he would be totally powerless against them. It would only be a matter of time before the disaster which occurred four years ago would repeat itself, Meng knew.
"Yeah..." Jin winced. At least when I get home I won't be in trouble. Ma will be so happy to see him, she won't even remember I ran off and stayed out all night. I hope... "We're close." She reported. "Just a little more and we're..." The thin shell of rock crumbled, the flame in Zuko's hand extinguishing as the tiny cavern filled with a pale, wan light.
"Thank goodness." Jin stepped into the light. It was a side alley, thankfully, not exactly where they had gone in, but close enough. And better yet, she knew where she was. With a yawn and a stretch, she leaned against the side of a house, watching silently as the other three emerged from the darkness into the fresh, early-morning air.
"It's always strange to go outside and find that it's morning." Zuko remarked, rubbing at the back of his neck. "What a night."
"Thank you Jin and Meng." Katara said shortly, pointedly, ignoring the young Prince. "I owe you two a lot for this."
"Where do you think you're going?" Zuko frowned as Katara began to walk away, the tribal girl freezing.
"Excuse me?" She turned around, eyes flashing. "Why is it any of your business?" Zuko winced, realising that his tone was too harsh, and accusing.
"That came out wrong." He explained carefully. "I just meant that it's perhaps not a very good idea to go off by yourself. If the Dai Li see you, they'll know something's up. You'll just wind up in jail and Azula will tighten her plans even further."
"Well, what do you think I should do then?" Damn, he was right again. She crossed her arms as she waited for a reply, eyes narrowed. Try as she might, Katara hadn't been able to get Zuko out of her head while she walked. Her sense of mistrust hadn't lessened. The wounds were too deep, too fresh for her to think of Zuko in any other light. Sure, he was against Azula, but just because they shared a common enemy, it hardly made then allies. And just because he was doing something good (for what she thought was the first time ever) it hardly made him a good person. Besides, this Jin girl probably pushed him into it.
"Come with me to see my Uncle." Zuko pleaded. "Tell him everything. He'll know what to do, Katara. Think about it. Without everyone else, you don't have a chance, not if Azula has the Dai Li behind her. Look, I'm not saying we should become best buddies. I hardly want that myself. But we're the only hope Ba Sing Se has. Isn't that worth setting enmity aside for, just for one day?"
"Zuko, why do you even care about Ba Sing Se?" She demanded, angry that he was making so much sense. "You've never cared about anyone but yourself!"
"I know." He sounded regretful. "That was wrong of me. Look, Katara... Thing's.... They're different now. I don't want Aang. I swear. Even if I gave his head to my father on a silver platter, I don't think I could avoid execution. I want to do the right thing. I do. I want to protect and defend the people who are most important to me. Tolerating one another, co-operation and working together, it's the only thing that's going to save this city. Isn't that what you want?"
"Of course I want Ba Sing Se to remain safe!" Katara shot back. "And I bet I want it more than you!"
"I live here." He reminded the girl. "I'm not going to leave any time soon. I have a life here. Friends. I'm happier than I've been in years. I'll do anything I can to make sure Ba Sing Se is safe, Katara." Jin, whose eyes were slowly starting to close, snapped open.
"Oh, I'm sure." Jin gritted her teeth. What is her damn problem?
"I'm serious." He was getting frustrated, voice tightening. "Why aren't you listening to me?"
"Do you honestly think that I can trust you? After everything you have done to us? Do you think I'll ever believe anything you'll say?"
"I never lied to you." Zuko was being purely honest as he stood a few feet opposite from her, hands at his sides.
"Oh, just because you-"
"Do you know who released your bison from under Lake Laogai?" Zuko cut over the girl. Katara froze.
"You mean... It was you?"
"Yes." Jin stepped forward, laying a hand on Zuko's arm. He was obviously on edge, his discomfort becoming infectious. "It was me. What, do you think he just magically escaped?"
"Well, no but..." Katara trailed off, eyes lowering. "Wh... Why?"
"Because I wanted to do the right thing." All right, so that was a slight stretch of the truth, but she didn't need to know that. Zuko was desperate to get Katara on her side, conscious of the precious seconds that ticked past. "Katara... I... I was a real jerk. I know I was. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the hurt I've caused. You have... no idea how guilty I feel about it." Jin squeezed his arm sympathetically. "Please, come with me and see my Uncle."
"... It doesn't make us friends." She muttered after a few moments of deep consideration.
"Of course it doesn't." To be honest, Zuko wasn't exactly jumping at the opportunity to be best buddies with her either. "Come on. We have to get going. We've wasted enough time already."
"Of course." Jin stepped forward, her hand resting on her brothers shoulder. "Meng? Come on, we're moving." She bit her lip as she saw that he was stood silent, eyes closed. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." He murmured after a second of silence. "It's just nice... Fresh air... A breeze... You have no idea how much you miss just being outdoors until you're locked away from it for so long..." Meng opened his eyes, looked over at his sister, giving a weak smile. "Just the stupid little things..."
"Yeah. I know." She took his wrist, turning back to the previously squabbling pair. "All right. So, the quickest way from here is if we head north-west and get to the-"
"What?" Zuko was startled. "We? Jin, what are you talking about?"
"What are you talking about?" She frowned. "What, did you think we weren't coming?"
"Jin, this is dangerous." He protested. "You can't... What if you get hurt?"
"Zuko, I'm insulted." Her expression hardened. "This is my city on the line here. I grew up on these streets. Sure, it's not the greatest place in the world, but it's home. It's been home for my entire life. My family live here, and all of my friends. I would do anything to protect them. Do you honestly think I'm just going to go home and pretend that nothing has happened? That this whole night never existed?"
"Jin, I don't want you to get hurt." He argued. She was so stubborn. "I-I don't know what I'd do." Zuko looked at the ground intently, refusing to look at anyone else.
"That's so sweet." She sighed. Katara crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "But no. Okay. Meng, you're welcome to go home. You're dead on your feet, and I know you miss Ma and the others like crazy."
"Yeah. And let my baby sister walk into a pit of vipers." He shook his head. "Besides, do any of you know how to get into the palace?"
"I've been there lots." Katara argued.
"Let me rephrase that then. Do you know how to get into the palace without the Dai Li knowing?"
"What?" Jin gasped. "You can get into the palace? Who told you? When? And why didn't you tell me?"
"Dai Shi's elder brother, nearly five years ago, and because you would only tell Jiro and he'd wind up arrested." He rubbed at his aching neck. "I've never actually been in, but I know it exists. And I kind of remember where it is."
"Kind of?" Zuko winced a little. "We can't rely on 'kind of' here."
"I'm pretty sure I know where it is." Meng defended himself. "Trust me on this."
"We've got nothing else to go on." Katara rather liked this odd young man, who at least tried to keep her optimism up during the night. "Let's just go."
"We gotta keep to the back streets." Jin peered down the narrow side-alley. "This part of town is particularly notorious, it's always crawling with Dai Li, trying to crack down on street violence." She began to walk, her heart thudding with anticipation, hands trembling with nerves. It was almost impossible to believe that his was happening. Talk to going to the palace, saving the city, it was incomprehensible to her. I knew dating Zuko was going to be an adventure, but...
"Can you still use the Underground route, or was that blocked up?" Meng asked his sister, trying so hard to quell the violent shaking of his limbs. Calm down...
"Blocked two years ago." Jin sighed. "A few people went missing over that... We think that they were caught en route to the Upper Ring... Did you hear anything about that in... You know..."
"Jin, I killed a Dai Li agent. They locked me up in solitary. The only person I ever saw was the agent that brought me food." Meng didn't look at anyone, eyes locked on his trembling hands.
"It's such a Labyrinth down there." Katara shook her head. "So much care and labour taken to create that prison..."
"I've seen worse." Zuko spoke up softly. "When I was eleven, my father took me to see..." He trailed off, staring at Katara. I can't tell her.
"What?" She demanded quickly. "To see what? Some kind of torture chamber?"
"... Where they used to kept the water benders." Jins fingers bound about his, clenching tightly against his skin. Katara froze.
"Used to..." She swallowed. "So... They're all..."
"I'm sorry." Zuko said honestly, wishing he'd never mentioned the prison. "Really, Katara, I'm-"
"Whatever." She turned away abruptly, crossing her arms. "Let's just go. We're wasting time." Katara walked briskly, purposefully looking away, so no one could see the tears in her eyes. She had hoped, even when she was a little girl, before the last raid that took her mother from her, that they might still be alive. Although it wasn't spoken in earshot of children, Katara had heard her parents, several nights, while they were sleeping. Her great-grandfather Amaguk had been taken, just six years after her grandfather had been born, and Hakoda sometimes wondered if his great-grandfather was somehow still alive, being moderately young when he was taken. But too much time had passed. Even Hama, who had been spoken of as the last to be taken, would have passed on by now. Even so, Katara carried a seed of hope, and on some sleepless nights, indulged herself in ridiculous fantasies, of somehow finding and rescuing the trapped people of her tribe. Although she respected and admired Pakku greatly, and was eternally grateful to receive his teaching, he was still not one of her people. The traditions and customs between the tribes were too different. Katara knew that the Southern water benders would have had their own distinct style and technique, which was carried on only in the minds of the benders themselves. She hoped even, one day, that when Aang won the war, they could be freed, and maybe they could even teach her, old as they would have been. But they were all, truly, dead. The cells were empty, and would have fallen into disuse. Azula had spoken of such a thing, but of course, Katara didn't trust her, thinking – hoping – that she was lying, just wanting to cause pain for Katara. But she had been telling the truth...
They're gone... I really am the last water bender of the Southern Tribes...
Despite the fact that three people walked with her, that the sounds of the awakening city began to fill the early morning air, in that moment, Katara felt lonelier, more isolated than she ever had in her young life.
"Azula! There you are."
Ty Lee stilled in the doorway, eyes widening a little. She had been wandering about, trying to find Azula, who sat on the carved stool before the vanity, staring rather blankly at her own reflection. Her hair trailed down her back, unbound, the simple green headdress on the wooden surface of the vanity.
"What's wrong?" She approached the young Princess somewhat cautiously, frowning a little in concern. Azula's face flickered, but gave no other indication that she recognized her presence. "A-Azula...?" Seconds dragged.
"Did you know that Zuko is formally still next in line for the throne?" Azula spoke up suddenly, still gazing at her own reflection. Ty Lee blinked.
"Really?" She was a little confused. "Even after everything that's happened?"
"Even after everything that's happened." Azula agreed. "There's no chance of redemption. Uncle has gotten to him. Even if he brought the Avatar back to Father in chains, he would probably still order Zuko's execution. The fact that my brother has somehow retained his birthright seems ridiculous, no?"
"Well, yeah, it does." Ty Lee agreed with that, even if she struggled to understand exactly what he had done to warrant death. There must have been something that Azula had kept secret from her and Mai...
"Do you know why Father has done this?"
"No?" Ty Lee froze when she saw that Azula's hands, clenched in her lap, were shaking. "A-Azula? Are you all right?"
"It has been twelve hundred years since a woman has ruled the Fire Nation." Azula murmured, still gazing at her own reflection. Ty Lee walked slowly up to the Princess, standing behind her. "They always exercise every possible alternative before giving the throne to a woman."
"You don't need to worry about that!" Ty Lee plastered a smile on her face. "Fire Lord Ozai is proud of you Azula. And he should! I mean, gosh... Look at what you've done."
"Exactly." Azula's expression darkened. "Look at what I've done. For the past few months, I've failed. Father set me a task, and I have yet to fulfil it."
"But you will!" Ty Lee rested a hand on Azula's shoulder, feeling her tense. "Your plan is excellent, Azula, there's no way anything can go wrong!" Despite her smiling facade, however, Ty Lee was rattled. She had never seen Azula react in this way before, never seen her so... insecure.
"I know that, of course." Azula lifted her head a little, back straightening. "There is no questioning this." She still looked thoughtful, a little... anxious. In an attempt to calm her, Ty took the comb from the vanity surface, beginning to work the slim teeth through the Princess' hair.
"That's not what's really bothering you, is it?" Ty Lee gently tried to push Azula into revealing what was hurting her. "Azula... What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong." Azula said shortly, eyes slowly sliding from her reflection and onto the polished wood. After a moment, she sighed. It was futile, trying to hide everything from Ty Lee. "I just have a lot on my mind, Ty Lee."
"Oh..." She continued to run the comb through silken hair. "Do... You want to talk about it?"
"... No." Azula spoke firmly, but Ty Lee noticed that it took her a considerable amount of time before she spoke up. "I'll be fine, Ty Lee."
"All right." The acrobatic young girl took the headdress from the table, beginning to wind Azula's glossy dark hair about the green-and-black metal. "But... I'm here if you need me, Azula." Ty Lee smiled at the young Princess in the mirror. "I'll never abandon you."
"... I know." Azula swallowed, watching as Ty Lee continued to bind her hair. The nobleman's daughter worked silently, fastening the headpiece to Azula's hair with long, sharp hairpins. When she had finished, the girl stood back with a small smile. "Thank you, Ty Lee." Azula inclined her head slightly in a nod.
"Any time, Azula." Ty Lee's smile grew.
Azula turned away, back to the large round window, hand clenched behind her back. She looked away from her friend, purposefully, so Ty Lee couldn't see the minute quiver of her bottom lip.
Everything has been planned. She mused. The tiniest factor has been mentally analysed. There is nothing that can possibly go wrong.
Then why did she have such an unusual sensation of unease in the pit of her stomach?
I should go to work.
Iroh lifted himself up from the low table with a groan, hands behind his back as he turned to stare out of the large window. True, he should have left at least half an hour ago, but the elderly man just couldn't bring himself to leave the apartment. His mind was torturing him, with images of his nephew, who never came home last night. Hopefully (and he knew it was perhaps not a very good thing to wish for), he had spent the night with Jin, and hadn't had a nasty run in with the Dai Li or a group of thugs. It was really entirely unlike him to not come home at all like this. Iroh had passed a restless night, keeping an ear open for both Zuko's return and an unwelcome visit from the Dai Li. He finally pulled himself out of bed, and after several cups of tea, was able to calm his increasingly strained nerves, at least in part. Inwardly, he knew he was overacting, just a little, despite the situation. It just seemed so strikingly normal for a boy of sixteen to go on a date with a girl and not come home that night. Perhaps that was why he struggled to associate such a situation with his nephew. Sure, he was a whole different person in comparison to the angry young Prince he travelled with just last year, but he was still a far cry from a socially fluent, well-adjusted young man... like his own son, when he was the same age...
Iroh put the thought in the back of his mind as he bent down to collect his tea cup and kettle. They were set on the counter beside the sink, and with a long sigh, he turned towards the door. He really couldn't put it off any longer. If he kept procrastinating, he would then have to explain to his new employee's as to why he was late, and that had the opportunity to turn into a somewhat delicate situation. Stepping into his shoes, Iroh pulled the door open. What he saw when he did so, however, made him freeze.
"Zuko!" The breath was literally knocked out of the boys lungs as his uncle embraced him with a crushing force. Jin hid a small smile as Zuko endured the bear-like embrace, before Iroh pulled apart, blinking rapidly. "I was so worried."
"Let's just get inside." Zuko gently pushed the elderly man back through the doorway, nodding lightly to the other three. They filed through, Meng peering anxiously up and down the street before closing the door, sliding the bolt home.
"Katara?" Iroh noticed with a start. "What... What's going on?"
"I-I don't know where to begin." She sank on her knees at the low table, staring at the tabletop. "It... So much has happened."
"Azula." Zuko said bluntly. Iroh froze. "She's taken charge of the Dai Li, and is planning a coup. Aang is too far away to help."
"Well..." Iroh murmured slowly, carefully. He stared at the four, his nephew, Jin, Katara, and a strange young man he'd never seen before.
"What the hell do we do." Zuko's voice was shaking slightly. "We can't sit back and let this happen, but there's no way we can stop her!"
"He's right." Katara's head was in her hands. "What do we do, General Iroh? How can we stop this from happening?"
"Ah." He nodded. "All right. I know just what to do." Four hearts lifted, and four brows furrowed in confusion as Iroh turned to his stove, stoking the flames.
"Uncle... What are you doing?" Zuko demanded as the retired General busied himself with a kettle. "Are... Are you making tea?"
"Yes, my nephew." Iroh spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. Zuko let out a cry, and stood up, incensed.
"What is wrong with you?" The teenager fumed. "Ba Sing Se is about to fall! Azula is about to win! And you want us to sit here and drink tea?"
"Zuko, sit down." Iroh turned, his voice and features hard and sharp. Jaw tight, he did so, Jin's hand on his shoulder doing nothing to alleviate his tremors. "I have no intentions of allowing any of you to storm the Palace in this state."
"What state?" Jin asked with a frown, as Iroh opened a cupboard, looking for something quick and easy he could fix for them.
"Well," He turned back to regard the youngsters. "It's a little obvious Jin, that the four of you have been up all night, under immense stress." Iroh set the steaming teapot down on the low table, along with five cups. "Pour yourself some." He offered. "Ginkgo tea is excellent for improving focus and concentration." An eyebrow raised, Jin did as the elderly man instructed, raising the golden-rimmed up to her lips. "Now my nephew, are you going to tell me what on earth you were doing to run into this situation?" Iroh rifled around for the largest butchers' knife, a side of salted meat wrapped in cloth resting on the counter. "I thought you two were just going on a date."
"W-We were." Zuko accepted the cup that Jin had poured for him, looking into the amber-coloured water. Despite herself, Katara's lips twitched in the barest suggestion of a smile. Prince Zuko? on a date? It was laughable. "But then... we kind of went to break Jins' elder brother Meng out of jail." The twenty year old gave a small wave, draining the last of his tea, the first drink that wasn't smelly, somewhat stagnant water, he'd had to drink in four years, with a sigh of satisfaction.
"Oh?" Iroh pulled out a large loaf of bread from the cupboard, still good, which he started to slice. He smiled, knowing already the answer to the next question, but asking it anyway. For vanities sake, maybe, to make his heart lift a little. "Why?"
"Because. Why not?" Katara watched Zuko intently, frowning slightly. "It would be a wrong of me to not do anything about it, when I was perfectly capable of it."
Since when did you care about right and wrong! Katara screamed at the teenager in her mind, infuriated. No one could undergo such a metamorphosis so quickly, it wasn't possible! Katara, however, wasn't around to see what Jin, and particularly Iroh saw, the moral corner he had backed himself into, the stress and tension and angst he had forced upon himself. What she had to notice, however, was that he didn't speak with pride, or self-indulgence. He kept his eyes lowered at his tea, almost as though he were ashamed of what he had done.
"So how did you two run into Katara then?" Iroh's voice sounded calm, and in control, but in reality, his mind was going at full tick, trying so hard to comprehend the information which had just been dumped on him.
"I was in his cell." Katara explained shortly. Iroh frowned.
"Hmmm..."
"What?" Zuko looked up at his Uncle as he set the laden plate of food down. It was just bread and meat, simple sandwiches, but it didn't stop Jin and Meng digging in as though it was their last meal. Iroh was still frowning, looking very far away. "What is it?"
"Oh... nothing." He eventually said evasively, settling down at the table beside his nephew. "Just thinking... That was a very wonderful piece of luck, wasn't it? All of the hundreds of cells, the nearly infinite possibilities." Zuko paused, the simple sandwich halfway to his mouth.
"What are you saying?" He narrowed his eyes slightly. There was an edge to his voice, a strong undercurrent of anger. Iroh mentally cringed, wanting to hit himself for his apparent bluntness. He was trying to be as subtle as possible, knowing of Zuko's jaded outlook on fate and destiny. But Iroh himself was a deeply spiritual man, and refused to believe that the meeting between the four was simply chance, or good luck. He himself put it down to divine intervention, the spirits working to bring the four together, but didn't dare to voice his opinion, unsure of how it would be taken.
"Nothing." Iroh said quickly, busying himself with his cup of tea. Zuko continued to regard him suspiciously, somewhat aware of what the elderly man had been hinting at. "Nothing, my nephew." Iroh repeated, forcing a smile.
"Well, it's not that much of an amazing feat." Meng spoke up, swallowing his mouthful of food. "I was still locked in a solitary cell, where most were in pairs or threes. Guess they didn't have many places to shove you into, Katara."
"I... Guess." Katara shook her head. "Look, we're wasting time here." She turned to the elderly man, biting her lip. "General Iroh... What do we do? Is there anything we even can do?"
"Of course there are things we can do." Iroh sipped his tea thoughtfully. "The most important thing is to get Azula under control, and the Earth King to safety. Without Azula at the helm, the Dai Li will find themselves without a leader, and without guidance. Cut off the head, and the body will follow."
"But... Without Azula, the Dai Li will just go back to obeying Long Feng." Katara argued. "From what I gathered, they've been following him all along, she's just controlling them for the coup."
"Oh, don't worry about Long Feng." Iroh waved his hand dismissively. "From the stories I've heard, he's nothing I can't handle. You think I haven't dealt with one of his types before?" He smiled, the lines around his eyes creasing. Zuko blinked, remembering once more that his Uncle was actually an elderly man. He looked down at his half-eaten sandwich, stomach churning uncomfortably. It was an agonizing thought, the idea that one day, Iroh wouldn't be there for him. Zuko tried to console himself in the knowledge that Royalty in the Fire Nation had a tendency to live for ages (Sozin, after all, was over a hundred and fifty when he died), but it was hardly enough to dispel the strong sense of discomfort. Even though it was a long time away, the thought of life without his Uncle was enough to send his heart racing in panic. Zuko took a sip of his tea, staring at the retired General.
"He's frightening." Meng said quietly, staring at the remains of his tea. Jin paused, the sandwich halfway to her mouth, then turned to look at him.
"Y-You... met him?" Katara blinked. "He is a real fright, isn't he?"
"It was only for a moment. I was dragged before him a few days after I was arrested. I was one of many in the chamber. The agent said I murdered one of their own, and asked if he wanted to get rid of me. Long Feng said I was merely a child, and told them to lock me up. Then I was waved away. That was the closest I ever got to any sort of trial." Meng murmured softly, eyes very far away. Iroh frowned deeply.
"But... He's not all bad, then." Jin ventured softly. "I mean, he could have had you killed... Isn't that what happens to the few who actually kill a Dai Li Agent?"
"It's one of the very few things that warrant death." Meng sighed. "But you have to understand... A life sentence at sixteen hardly sounds more attractive."
"Yeah, but it wasn't a life sentence, in the end." Jin squeezed her brothers' shoulder. He rubbed his eyes tiredly, saying nothing. "Meng?"
"I-I know Jin." He eventually murmured, forcing a smile. The others, especially Iroh, understood what Jin didn't. That some things stuck, forever, and to think that he would be ever completely okay again was foolish naivety. It would affect him deeply for the rest of his life, and in that sense, he was just as condemned in freedom as he was in prison.
"I think we need to focus on two main missions." Iroh spoke up after a few moments of contemplative silence. "What matters most is getting the Earth King out to safety, and containing Azula. The Earth King isn't safe under the eyes of the Dai Li, and if Azula does succeed, he'll become a prisoner and would probably face execution." It was the number one rule of conquest; kill the dethroned monarch, and all his heirs, lest you want any competition for your newly acquired dominion. "Does he have any children?"
"No." Katara shook her head. "He's not married yet. I think he's betrothed though..." Iroh nodded.
"That's good." He spoke with an utterly flawless air of composure and serenity, soothing the frazzled nerves of the younger four. "Smuggling him out of the castle will be simple."
"Um, maybe not." Katara winced. "He's a bit... Sheltered, if you understand me. He'd never left the palace until we got here. I don't really see him sneaking out of his own castle and going into hiding."
"Oh, he'll do as he is told." Iroh said mildly, draining the last of his second cup of tea. "He knows you rather well, I'm sure you can talk him into it."
"I... Guess." Katara bit her lip, mind still whirling. It was still so hard to understand all of this. It's insane...
"What about Azula." Zuko interjected firmly. "We can't just walk in there."
"No, we can't." Iroh looked thoughtful. "An ambush may be the best idea. It's easy enough to get information out of a palace guard if need be. It's a three-on-one situation, my nephew."
"No, it's not." Katara spoke up. "More like three-on-three." Zuko stilled. "Her friends Mai and Ty Lee will be there to back her up."
"M-Mai and Ty Lee?" Zuko stammered. Jin stared at him carefully. "They're here?"
"Well, yes." Katara frowned. "How do you know them?"
"They've been Azula's friends for years." The young Prince rested his head in his hands. "I was forced to play with them when we were kids." Katara's eyes narrowed in his direction. "It was really another way just another way for Azula to torture me." He defended himself, cheeks flushed at the memory of the burning apple. All the same... I don't think I could hurt them... I know I couldn't hurt them. Which makes me more of an enemy in Katara's eyes...
"Even so, we will be all right." Iroh brought the pair from their edge of explosion, the air tense. Everyone could tell that Katara longed to scream at him for his acquaintance with the two girls she despised so deeply. "But I need the pair of you to be civil."
"We are-"
"I am serious, Zuko." Iroh said, somewhat sternly, directing his stare at the boy who slowly raised his head. "I know you don't like each other, but if you cannot co-operate, then everything will quickly fall apart."
"I never said I didn't like Katara." Zuko argued. It was true. What he had felt for her had been nothing but indifference and at times contempt. She was just one of Aang's companions. He'd never hated her. Under the table, Jin squeezed his hand, giving the male a small smile. Katara looked as though she wanted to say something unkind, and probably justified, but she held it back, taking a final bite of her sandwich.
"Lets... Just go." Iroh slowly stood up from the table. "We need to move as fast as possible if we want to get there in time."
"All right." Jin and Zuko stood up, still holding hands. Katara stood up silently, walking past Zuko without speaking. She pushed open the front door, and waited outside, arms crossed. "What is her problem?" Jin breathed. "You're bending over backwards and she doesn't even care..."
"She's still hurting." Zuko whispered. "After what I've done, I can't blame her, really." Jin sighed, but remained silent, wanting to kick Zuko yet again for his melancholy behaviour. True, this Zuko was better than the angry jerk he once was, but she was starting to get aggravated with his guilt. Sure, it wasn't really his fault, and it was something he had little control over. She understood that in Ba Sing Se, with a new name and her persona, Zuko was able to put his past behind him, and look forward, establish a new life for himself. But Katara's appearance tore the off bandages before he had healed. It was an ugly reminder that he had the capability to be a monster, that he was a despicable person just a few short months ago. Her attitude hardly helped things, either. Jin tightened her hold on Zuko's hand, resting her free limb across his back as he paused in the doorway, staring around at the bright little living room.
"What are you doing?" She rested her chin on his shoulder, doing all she could to comfort him. Although he tried to hide it, from her especially, Zuko was afraid. It made her ache, his insecurities, and although she found several completely ridiculous, that didn't lesson her affection towards him, her desire to comfort him.
"Just..." Zuko sighed. "Just trying to remember things... In case I don't come back here." He turned, and swallowed.
"You will, Zuko." Jin said, watching as he closed the door. "You're going to be fine. Everything will be okay."
"... I know." Zuko said after a small stretch of silence, somewhat unconvincingly. He had a terrible feeling, however, in the pit of his stomach, that everyone was somehow going to go horribly, unimaginatively wrong.
Unfortunately for them all, Zuko's gut instincts were right.
It looked so... peaceful.
There was a lump in Aang's throat as he stared down at the city, where shadow still pooled in the city, the sun not yet high enough to shine over the astronomically high wall. He could see the speck-like figures of people, moving about in the streets, a low hum of voices hovering on the very edge of his earshot.
"You all right there, Twinkletoes?" Aang blinked, and looked over to the girl, who clung to Sokka's arm. The pair had found her before dawn, well, to be more correct, they found a massive dust cloud moving at a vast rate of knots. He forced a weak smile, and nodded, before realising that she, of course, couldn't see him.
"Fine." His voice shook, to his dismay, and he looked away, swallowing. At his side, Sokka rubbed his shoulder sympathetically. "I'm fine, Sokka." He said firmly, shrugging away from the elder boy. "Let's head down." He said shortly, beginning to tug on the reins.
"Reckon we'll be able to get in all right?" Toph asked, tightening her hold on Sokka's arm as Appa dipped in the air.
"No one's shooting anything at us yet." The three arched their back instinctively as Appa dropped dramatically. "We should be fine." The younger children were hardly comforted by Sokka's words, and as the bison landed in the front courtyard, the children slid to the ground silently.
"Dai Li." Toph spoke up instantly, the moment her feet touched the stone. The two boys instinctively froze, Aang clutching his staff and Sokka reaching for his boomerang. "On the roof to our right. They're going now, probably warning Azula that we're here. Don't make a scene you two. They could just spring out of nowhere. Let's just get to the Earth King."
"... All right." As Sokka and Toph began to climb the ostentatious stairs, Aang turned back to Appa. "Maybe you should stay away, buddy." He forced a smile. "I'll call you when we need help, all right?" With a roar, Appa crashed his tail against the stone, ascending into the sky.
"Aang, come on!" Sokka called from halfway up the stairs. "We're burning daylight! Get your butt up here!"
"... Coming!" Aang struck his staff against the ground, the paper wings of his glider unfurling. He flew to the top of the staircase, wanting to save time and energy, trying and failing to shake off pangs of tiredness.
"Great." The trio knew their way to the throne room like the back of their hands by now, having gone there several times since their first intrusion.
"Hopefully we're not too early." Toph mused, keeping her ears and feet out for any Dai Li.
"The sun rose like, two hours ago." Sokka argued. "Who the heck isn't up by now?"
"My father never got up before lunch if he could help it." Toph argued. "Nobility and Royalty like to sleep in, Sokka. Not like they have much else to do, really."
"If he's not there, we'll go to his royal chambers." Aang said firmly. "I don't care if it's rude. This is important."
"Of course it is." The large doors to the throne room had been thrown open, unattended. Sokka led the way, but he hadn't even taken half a dozen steps into the room before he noticed the kneeling girls, in front of an empty throne.
"Hello!" The girl on the left spoke up brightly. The three recognized her as the acrobatic Ty Lee, especially Toph, who wasn't hampered by visual disguise. "What are you-"
"Cut the lies!" Aang stepped forward, brandishing his staff threateningly. "Where's Katara!" The two stilled. "Come out Azula!" He shouted. "Stop being a coward! Come out and fight me!"
"With pleasure." Aang had barely a second before a jet of blue flame issued from his left, the nomad leaping out of the way. As he dropped lightly to the floor, Azula emerged from behind the tall pillar, hands crackling with fire.
It was on. Ty Lee made a dash for Toph, intent on taking her out first. Sensing her movements, the girl tried to knock her down by shifting massive slabs of rock wherever Ty Lee landed, but instead of stumbling, the nimble girl used the force to her advantage, the last propelling her high enough so that she was able to grasp at one of the many strings of lanterns that crossed the massive throne room. She hoisted herself up onto the wire, which was really no different to the many tight-ropes she had performed and practised on over the years, and crouched, waiting for the blind girl to let her guard down.
Mai, on the other hand, was being slightly less serious. Sokka was able to beat away most of what was thrown at him with his blade, panting with the strain of trying to keep up with a girl whose agility far outstripped his own. She was toying with him really, treating him as a mildly interesting human target. With a well-placed throw, she was able to hit the male in the wrist – due to the leather and cloth that Sokka had wrapped around them, the darts' penetration was shallow, less than half an inch deep, but Sokka still yelped, his tribal sword clattering to the floor. Mai smirked, hands dripping afresh with knives, but as she let them fly, Toph hastily drew up a wall of earth between them, sprinting to Sokka. As she did so, Mai looked up, and, seeing Ty Lee still suspended on the string of lanterns, reached for a specific curved blade hidden beneath her armour.
Aang was having a much harder time. Azula's attacks were relentless, and as he had no water, he was forced to fight without the most powerful counter-element to her blue flames. He was being defensive, he knew, and as a result, Azula became playful, as though it was a game of catch. She would hurl a nasty burst of flame his way, and he was forced to either dodge, or try and block it. He tried a throwing a few rocks at her, but nothing could stick. She was winning, without a doubt.
"What's the matter?" Azula paused, speaking mockingly to the young nomad. "Is this really the best you can do, Avatar?"
"I'll show you!" Angered, Aang forced a wave of stone against her, the princess crying out as she was thrown a good twenty feet. "Is that enough?"
"My, my." Her hair falling out of the simple headdress, Azula smirked, narrowing her eyes. She was moderately impressed, and more than a little pleased. This was fun.
"Where is she?" Aang demanded again, his staff pointed threateningly to her as she straightened up. "What did you do to Katara?"
"Oh, the water tribe girl?" Azula walked in a slow arc, reminiscent of a tigress hunting her prey. "Is that why you're here?" Aang's jaw clenched, hands tightening on his staff. "She's locked up nice and tight, Avatar." Her hands curled into fists. "Don't worry." Another handful of fire was flung towards Aang; this time, he simply blew it away with a massive gust of wind, shaking madly.
"Nice one, Sokka." Behind the curtain of stone, Toph rolled her blind eyes as the boy clutched his wrist, biting his lip in pain.
"She stabbed me in the arm, Toph!" Sokka howled, gritting his teeth, and clenching on to the slim weapon protruding from his wrist. Eyes clenched tightly, he tugged hard at the dart, attempting to pull it free. Both of them didn't notice Ty Lee's graceful swoop to the ground, trailing by the freshly-sliced string of lanterns, Sokka being fixated on his wounded arm, Toph unable to tell what was going on in the air. The acrobatic young girl landed lightly on the stone, just a few feet away from Toph, her landing calculated perfectly. Toph gasped at the contact, turning. Her reflexes were in this case, however, too slow, Ty Lee was too close. The young girl cried out as she was hit in the side, and went to force Ty Lee away with a boulder. However, a split second after she'd been hit, Toph realised exactly what Ty Lee had done.
"No!" Her instant reaction was to panic, grasping wildly for something to hold on to. "S-Sokka? Where are you! Sokka!" The stone felt dead under her feet, cold and unmoving. She was actually blind. Toph took several steps, trying desperately to find the boy. Her voice was catching in her throat, breathing on the verge of hyperventilation. Toph rarely lost her composure, But she was terrified, the dead earth beneath her a painful reminder of her younger, darker days, unable to tell what was going on around her. "Sokka!"
"Toph!" He seized her wrist with his good hand, backing away from Ty Lee. "It's okay." He said breathlessly. "I got you." He eyed his sword on the ground, too far away to be of any use, and gulped. Not good not good... This is so not good...
"Stop playing around, Avatar." Azula smirked, eyes narrowed almost to slits. "You and I both know you can do better." Aang gasped, barely dodging another blast. "Come on." She flung her arms out, smirk widening. Seizing the opportunity, Aang flung a rather sizable boulder her way, hoping to knock the girl to the ground again. He was successful – the breath was knocked out of Azula's lungs as she crashed against the wall of the throne room. Aangs' jaw had tightened, his hands still trembling.
"Where's Katara!" Azula had barely a heartbeat to leap out of the way, before being struck by another boulder. She righted herself, panting a little. "What have you done with her?"
"Nothing..." Azula's tone was deceptively innocent. "... Much." She was lying, really. Beyond paralyzing her and having her locked up, they hadn't hurt the girl. Azula always lied. However, Aang, who had horrible visions of Katara facing torture and abuse, took her words for truth. Azula clenched her fists, taking a fighting stance, an eyebrow raised. He looked furious. Appears I've touched a rather painful nerve... Before she could attack, however, Aang struck. With a cry, Azula found herself encased in stone to the knee. She tried to move, planning to blast herself free, but before she moved another inch, the ground beneath her shifted. The breath was knocked from Azula's lungs as Aang crushed her against the stone, wrists encircled with rock, cementing her to the wall.
"Hey!" The other four had stopped at the sound of Azula's yelp, Ty Lee near tears, Mai's knives clattering to the floor. Sokka looked from Azula, who struggled in vain, to Aang, who brought his left foot to the ground, bringing forth a very large, very heavy rock, his heart plummeting in sick terror.
He's going to kill her.
He had seconds at best. The boy didn't even know what he was doing as he sprinted towards the trapped Princess, heart thudding in his ears. I can't... He said I had to stop him... There was no mercy in Aang's eyes as he raised his staff. Whatever Azula had said to him, it had obviously been horrible. He was gone, deaf to verbal reason. His breath a hollow rasp in his throat, Sokka flung himself in front of Azula, arms splayed, chest heaving.
"Don't!" He pleaded in a gasp, looking Aang straight in the eye. "Aang, stop!" Sokka was trembling, thinking that for a horrible, heart-breaking second, that Aang wouldn't stop, and that the pair would both be dead. The Princess stared at Sokka, confused. What is that idiot peasant doing? He'll get himself killed! Aang froze, Sokka's earnest, terrified face piercing through his haze of rage.
"S-Sokka?" He breathed, eyes widening. "What are you doing?"
"Y-You said if you lost it that I-I had to..." The chunk of stone fell to the floor, Aang's head bowed. Behind Sokka, Azula exhaled deeply, more than a little shaken. "You don't want to kill her." Aang slowly lifted his head, and Sokka saw that he had tears in his eyes.
What have I done? Aang felt sick as he stared past Sokka, and to Azula, who had actually lost her composure, visibly shaking. I... I was going to kill her. His heart still thudded with rage, the nausea in his stomach rising. Whether she deserved it or not didn't matter at all. He would never be anyone's executioner. Aang's staff slid from his fingers as he closed his eyes, trying to force the bile from his throat. He thought he was literally going to be sick. He'd lost control before, but this was worse. This was entirely his doing. He couldn't blame uncontrollable spiritual energy on this. He was actually going to kill her... He was capable...
A heartbeat later, Azula's stone manacles crumbled, Aang releasing her. She didn't waste a moment, righting herself, pushing her loose hair out of her face. The Avatar was down. Azula didn't know what was running through his head, and frankly, she didn't care. She pushed Sokka aside easily, the teenager gasped as he fell to the floor, instinctively throwing out his bad wrist to save himself. He pulled himself to a half-sitting position, pain coursing through his forearm.
"AANG!" Sokka shouted at the top of his lungs, heart apparently frozen in his chest. Azula's hands sizzled with lightning, an eery blue halo radiating around her athletic frame. Snapping out of his torpor, Aang gasped, but he was far too late. Sokka screamed as the bolt of lightning flew, fatally accurate. Aang was hit squarely in the chest, the force of the blow flinging him across the massive throne room. He crumpled against the wall, a broken doll, completely still, eyes closed.
"Almost too easy." Azula began to cross the room coolly, while Sokka remained on the floor, completely frozen in shock. He was vaguely aware of an odd rushing in his ears, eyes stinging with tears. "Huh." A sickening wave of nausea rose in Sokka's chest as Azula seized the lifeless body with a perfectly manicured hand. She held Aang by the front of his torn clothing, two fingers pressed against his throat, trying to find a pulse. It was weak, a stutter, but it was there. Stubborn little brat.
"Not quite dead." The words hit Sokka like a sledgehammer, the teenager unable to breathe. "He'll be gone within the hour." She gave a derisive chuckle. "It took us a hundred years to do that?" Azula turned away from Aang. "Father will be very happy to know that I defeated the Avatar and Ba Sing Se in the same day." She examined the other figures in the room, eyes roving from Mai, who wore a blank mask, to a very shaken Ty Lee, to Toph, whose hair hid her tearstained face, and finally to Sokka, who was trying very hard to fight back a retch. The Dai Li filed in quietly, the only sound they made the soft scrape of bare feet on stone.
This isn't happening. Sokka bowed his head, convinced he was going to vomit. This can't be happening... He's not... He can't be... Oh Spiritswhat have I done? If I knew she would pull something that sneaky... I wouldn't have saved her... But I wasn't saving her, I was saving Aang... But...
"Clean this mess up before the Earth King arrives." Azula called out to the rigid lines of Dai Li. "Put those two in a cell, and the Avatar in a room near mine. I want to keep an eye on him. Dismissed."
Rough hands dragged Sokka on to his feet, hands quickly encased in stone, but the teenager barely noticed. His chest felt hollow, heart banging in his ears like a drum. He was in shock – beyond shock. Aang was dying, thrown carelessly over the shoulder of a Dai Li agent, the torn front of his shirt already blossoming red.
It's over. Sokka closed his eyes, trying to stop the horrible wheeling of the earth beneath his feet. We've... lost.
OMG LIKE CLIFFHANGER!
Sort of. Next chapter should be fun party times :D
R&R peoples! Make me happy lol