OMG LIKE WOWOW
I AM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE!
Blame my college lecturers, dumping ASSLOADS of shit on me. Because, yeah, I apparently don't have a life (Yes, I consider writing fanfic a life. Shut up. Hey, YOU'RE the one reading this!)
That, and this caused problems for me. See if you can spot where (it's not hard).
As a side note, I saw a few eyebrows had arched over chapter 14. I know the circumstances were a little bit out there but, come on, this is Avatar we're talking about here. The entire universe is pretty much working (or attempting to work) in Aang's favour to lay the smack down.
-coughMAGICALPROJECTINGROCKRESTORINGAANG'SAVATARSTATEJUSTWHENALLHOPEISLOSTcough-
Sorry, just had a frog in my throat. On with the chapter, shall we?
"This is the place."
The young man bit down on his lower lip as he stood up, wavering slightly on the sheet of ice, and pressed his palm against the rusting metal surface. He recounted slowly in his head, going over the instructions in his mind, the turns and number of manhole openings throughout the confusing labyrinth of tunnels which made the complicated sewerage system of the Upper Ring and Palace. Meng nodded slowly, convinced that he was right.
"Great." Jin's nose wrinkled, the overwhelming odour causing the meat and bread in her stomach to churn uncomfortably. "I'm sure we could have found an easier way in..."
"Not likely." Meng pushed at the metal lid, hoping it wasn't locked. "Apparently, this brings us right inside the Palace." With a rusty scrape, he was able to push the flat metal free, the lid making an uncomfortable clang on the stone floor above.
"I still can't believe that Dai Shi's brother told you about this." Jin muttered as Meng hoisted himself upwards, the wasted muscles of his arms trembling with the strain. "Why didn't he tell me?" Katara easily leaped out of the sewer, and into the dark little room, frowning lightly.
"What is this place?" She peered through the gloom, making out a few vague shapes, but nothing distinct. "Some sort of storage room?"
"Probably maintenance." Iroh strained a little as he hoisted himself into the room. "There's a similar system in the Fire Nation palace to this... But nothing so sophisticated..."
"Don't tell that to Firelord Ozai." Katara murmured, still more than a little shaken.
"To be honest, I could comfortably go without seeing my brother for the rest of my life." Iroh summoned a small flame in his hand, the cheery light illuminating the room. "Ah, there's the door."
"That definitely makes two of us." Zuko sounded unsettled as he lifted himself out of the metal sewerage pipe. Katara stared at him, her frown deepening. Why? For the first time, Katara realised that she actually had no idea why Zuko had been sent to hunt down Aang, why he was so ruthlessly determined to avoid failure. He leaned downwards, extending an arm to Jin. Although she could have easily gotten up herself, she gladly accepted the chivalric gesture.
"Anyone have any idea where we actually are?" Katara enquired hopefully, Meng running his fingers across the brickwork, looking for a door.
"Not a clue." He paused, frowning. "There's no door..."
"So?" Jin straightened herself, brushing at her dress. "You're an awesome bender. Make one."
"Yeah, but where?" Meng was still deep in thought. "I don't know which way anything is."
"Well, the sewer cover is by the wall." Zuko slowly lowered the lid back, muffling the pungent smell. "So I'd guess it's directly opposite."
"Yeah." He cautiously pressed his hands against the stone. "I'm a little worried hordes of Dai Li are going to rush in or something."
"This far down?" Iroh shook his head. "Don't worry."
"Hurry up Meng, before I do it." Jin muttered, drawing her clothing tightly around herself. "This darkness is giving me the creeps..."
"Oh, all right." With a wave of his hand, the stone slid apart silently, leaving a space big enough for the others to escape. The five found themselves in a long, dark corridor, lit only by green lanterns on the walls. "What the..."
"Some kind of passage." Iroh looked thoughtful. "... Right." He started to walk slowly. "Now, I hate to say this, but we're going to have to split up."
"I figured." Meng raised his eyes to the ceiling, apparently deep in thought. "Hey... Look, I can take care of the Earth King, if you want."
"What?" Zuko frowned. "Are you sure?"
"Look, from what you've told me, that Azula sounds like a real handful. And I've been sneaking in an out of places since before you were born."
"But-"
"I know it's a big job. I know you think I can't handle it. But which one of you is going to go, and leave the other two to face Azula?" Meng paused, studying the three's reactions.
"... He's got a point." Katara spoke up. "Besides, an earth bender would find it a lot easier to find their way around a palace of stone."
"Exactly. Look, you guys going and doing your thing is really, really important. Jin and I can find the Earth King, and get him somewhere safe."
"No." Jin argued stoutly. Meng turned to her, frowning. "I'm not going with you." She clarified, hands curling into fists.
"Yes, you are." Meng repeated, his voice just as firm. "What, do you honestly think that I'm just going to leave you?"
"Meng-"
"I am not letting my little sister run into that kind of trouble." He cut over Jin quickly. "No way, not ever. You're coming with me."
"No!" She shot back. "You're not the boss of me, Meng. I'm not twelve anymore, times have changed. And you can't tell me what to do."
"Jin." Zuko eventually spoke up, the girl wheeling around to stare at him. "Jin, you don't want to be there for this."
"It's nothing I can't handle-"
"It's not that." Zuko pleaded. "I know my sister. I know what she's capable of. She'll do something sneaky, underhanded."
"What do you mean, like fighting dirty?" Isn't that something to be expected? Who actually sticks to decent rules when they're fighting?
"Beyond fighting dirty." Iroh clarified what Zuko was evidently too embarrassed to say. "Jin, while you're there, Azula will have a very strong handle on Zuko." Katara stared at Zuko, who clenched the sleeves of his robe in his hands, fingers digging into the hem. It was so hard to think of Zuko as having a weakness, aside from his Uncle. But this wasn't a close relative, who was usually perfectly capable of taking care of himself. This was a girl.
"... Oh." Jin swallowed. I didn't think about it like that... Zuko's eyes were focused intently on the ground, hands invisibly in his sleeves. Oh, that is still so sweet though... "I-I didn't think..."
"Azula will exploit every possible weakness that she possible can." Iroh said gravely. "If we have her trapped, as we will, then she will doubtlessly resort to something dishonourable again."
"Again?" Jin frowned, noticing how Zuko tensed dramatically. "What did she..."
"Shot General Iroh with lightning, seconds after claiming to surrender." This time, it was Katara who spoke up. Jin's eyes widened. "I was there. It was six on one, we had her completely trapped."
"That's... Who does that?" Jin was shocked. No wonder Zuko hates her so much... But for someone so 'perfect', that's a really low blow.
"My sister." Zuko said, his voice shaking slightly, as the painful memories of the abandoned desert town were dragged back to the surface. "Let's keep moving. A maintenance worker might come down and see us."
"Good idea." Meng trailed his hand along the stone as he walked, trying to get some sort of feel for the place. "We need to find a staircase... Or perhaps make one..."
"We may want to keep that as a last resort." Katara bit her lip. "The moment that the Dai Li get wind of us being here..."
"Yeah, we're pretty much screwed." Jin said drily. "Just curiously though, what does the Fire Nation do to war criminals?"
"Oh, Zuko and I face torture and execution if we're ever caught." Iroh spoke rather mildly in regards to the grisly topic. Zuko's jaw tensed, the teenager trying very, very hard not to think about such an outcome. Katara felt something flip uncomfortably in her stomach, thinking about Azula's indulgent phrasing on the same subject. "War criminals are usually sent either to a prison in the capital, of if they're special enough, the Boiling Rock."
"Ugh, don't mention that place." Zuko muttered, shuddering visibly. "I'm glad I never had to visit that prison. Azula used to give me nightmares telling stories about that place."
"All true, sadly." Iroh sighed. "Such a place is not fit for prisoners of war. Murderers, thieves, and the like, perhaps..." He shook his head. "You do not want to hear of that prison."
"Sounds like a bad place." Jin breathed. "Let's... Just try and avoid that outcome then, shall we?" The passage narrowed into a claustrophobic, spiralling staircase, Zuko taking the lead, hand on his swords, Jin directly behind him.
"Don't have to tell me again." Meng muttered. "I'm not going back to prison. Death would be better."
"You would be surprised, how many captured soldiers we would find dead in their cells. Unfortunately, the Fire Nation has garnished an infamous reputation for their cruelty." Iroh's voice was heavy with regret as he spoke, with the inflection of a man who had seen and done too many things in his time, jaded and world-weary. "The sooner this war is over..."
"Sooner life can get back to normal." Katara sighed. Normal. That was an alien term to her. Since when had things ever been normal? She'd felt as though her world was slowly crashing down around her, piece by piece. How was anything supposed to be normal again? How could she ever return home whole, unchanged, after everything she had seen and done? Things would never be normal for her again.
"I don't think anything will ever make life normal." Zuko commented in a low voice. "They haven't been for a long time." Jin reached forward, finding Zuko's hand. She gave it a comforting squeeze, nails digging gently. She felt him squeeze back for a moment, then let go. Katara opened her mouth, about to speak, but then closed it again, frowning. Why does he feel exactly as I do? "Door." Zuko pressed his hand against the stone. "Of sorts. It's another one you have to open by earth bending."
"I got it." Jin stepped forward, the stone shifting with a groan and a shudder. "They're a big fan of invisible doorways, aren't they?"
"No kidding." Katara stood in the hallway, blinking a little in the mid-morning light. "Hey. I know where we are." She stared around herself. "Yes, I know exactly where we are. I came here trying to find Momo a couple of days ago, after he flew off looking for the kitchens. This is on one of the lower floors. The Earth's Kings private apartments are way at the top. He's usually there in the mornings. There's a back staircase which the servants use at the end of the hallway somewhere."
"Knock a couple out and steal their uniforms." Meng nodded. "Perfect. We won't even have to bother hiding."
"What about Azula?" Zuko asked. "Where will she be? She could be anywhere in the castle."
"I'm willing to bet she's in the throne room." Katara muttered. "Besides, that place is watched by the Earth King's personal guard, not the Dai Li. So are the private apartments. They won't know anything is wrong, so we should just get in."
"All right." Meng took Jin's wrist. "We should clear out now, before we're seen."
"Yes." Iroh blinked. "Oh! Before you go, are either of you two aware of the Dancing Monkey?"
"... The tavern?" Meng frowned. "Kind of near the iron factories? Has a pretty good brew?"
"One and the same." Iroh nodded. "Ask for Minsheng, the barkeeper or his brother Jing. They will look after the Earth King and make sure he is safe." Jin frowned.
"So, they know who you are?" Jin tested carefully, the night she spent in the tavern pumping the drunken man for information coming back to her.
"Yes, I've met up with them several times since I arrived here. Jing is quite a worthy opponent at Pai Sho, but hardly an equal match, if I do say so myself." Zuko shook his head, rolling his eyes. "What?"
"How is it that even when we're in ridiculous danger like this, all you can think about is Pai Sho?" Exasperation was clear in his voice, but everyone could see that Zuko was smiling.
"Priorities, my nephew." He smiled widely in return. "Now, quickly."
"Yes." Meng began to walk, his clamp on Jin's wrist as tight as ever. "Good luck, you guys!" He called, Jin's eyes widening. She tugged herself free of his grasp, heart thudding. "Jin, what are you doing?"
"Just a sec." Zuko's eyes widened as Jin flung herself into his arms, lips parted in a breathless gasp. Her arms wound themselves about his neck as she kissed him, fingers digging into the brown cloth of his robe. It was several seconds before Jin allowed herself to pull apart, a burning ember in her throat. "Come back." She breathed shakily in his ear, their eyes meeting for just a moment as they pulled apart. Then, she broke away, biting down hard on her lower lip to stop it from trembling.
"Come on." Iroh tugged at Zuko's shoulder gently, Jin turning away, breaking into a jog as she made her way to her brother. "Focus, Zuko." He muttered lowly, eyes boring into the young Prince for a few seconds before he began to walk, a still-shaken, but increasingly resolute Katara following quickly.
"You too." Zuko breathed the words, a faintest whisper, knowing that there was no real way that Jin could have heard. He backed away, feet carrying him in a slow, dream-like state while he stared at her retreating figure. She made him weak in the knees. I can't feel like this! He admonished himself quickly. Not when we're going to face Azula, not today.
I have to put her away, in the back of my mind. Zuko's stomach contracted painfully. And... Keep her there. He turned, away from her, his gut positively in pain. No matter what happens today, I'm leaving Ba Sing Se behind me. I'm leaving her behind.
No!
Instinctively, he stopped in his walk, turning about on his heel. His breath stalled in his throat, and he clenched his hands tightly, feeling his palms slicken with sweat. She knew. She understood that things were going to change forever and it was over. That was why she was crying, although she refused to show it. I can't... Zuko watched her, a green smudge at the end of the hallway, shrinking further before turning a corner and disappearing. What else am I going to do? He heard his Uncle pull up short in his walk, heard a soft sigh of annoyance. What! Zuko screamed mentally, eyes screwed up tight. What do you want from me, Uncle? To just turn away and forget her completely? You set us up, you told me to go out with her!
"Zuko-"
"I'm never going to see her again." His voice trembled in the last syllable, a testament to his shaking figure.
"We have to hurry." Iroh pushed at Zuko's shoulder firmly, coaxing him to walk. "Azula must be under control before the Dai Li begin their coup. Time is of the utmost importance Zuko. Focus." He repeated, voice hardening.
With a slight nod, Zuko nodded, his bones and organs feeling as fragile and brittle as glass and paper.
"You... You feeling better?"
The question was double-layered. Sokka tightened his arm, which he had draped around the young girls' shoulders some time ago.
"Can't see just yet." Toph's toes curled against the smooth metal, the balloon of panic in her chest only inflating. The vibrations were a dull, low hum, flat and monotonous. Not the song she was used to. It was still terrifying, but a stronger consolation than the dead silence. That, at least, was dissipating. They were trapped in this metal cell, and without her bending, there was no way they could escape. And more importantly... Aang's dead...
"It's not permanent." Sokka tried to sound consoling, his voice stretched and thin in the dim green half-light. "You'll be okay soon."
"No." Her fingers had twisted into the blue cloth of his tunic. She was clinging to him. "I won't... Sokka... Aang is-"
"I know." He cut over the young girl quietly, the nausea as strong as ever. "He's... Gone."
I killed him.
It was an outrageous claim, making sense only in Sokka's mind, maddened with grief. If he had never stepped in front of Azula, Aang wouldn't have backed down. She wouldn't have had her fatal edge against him. What he had done was as good as murder, in his eyes. If he had known that Azula would be so horribly underhanded, he would have never tried to save her. But I wasn't saving her. I was saving Aang... Sokka tried to imagine how Aang would have reacted when he snapped out of his rage and realised that he had killed Azula. He would have probably gone insane with grief and self-loathing. His common restraint in the battlefield, which increased with his skill, was a testament to his very strong fear that he would betray the values of his people. He would have hated me for not trying to stop him... But nowhere near as much as he would hate himself for taking a life...
We aren't cut out for this. Sokka leaned his head against the smooth metal, eyes closed. We really are just a bunch of kids. And what's going to happen to us now? I don't even want to think... Despite himself, images of horror filtered through his mind. What are we going to do without Aang? Go back home? We could try and find the next Avatar... He's going to be from the Water Tribe after all...
Oh spirits. Sokka's eyes snapped open, nausea increasing tenfold, crippling his stomach. They're going to look for the new Avatar. They're going to do to my people what they did to the Air Nomads a hundred years ago. They'll burn everything to the ground and leave no survivors...
"Sokka?" Toph's tired voice broke through the gloom. "Your heartbeat just spiked. What's wrong?"
"T-Toph..." He realised with a start his teeth were chattering. "Now Aang's... The next Avatar is going to be from the Water Tribes."
"Yeah?" Toph didn't understand Sokka's intense fear. "We'll find who it is, and... I don't know... Raise them, I guess. Teach them the elements and stuff... Although without airbending I don't know h-"
"No, Toph." Sokka cut over the young girl urgently. "We can't... Wh-what is the Fire Nation way of killing an Avatar?"
"I-Oh." She paused, and swallowed. "I... I don't know..."
"They're going to wipe them out." Sokka mumbled blankly. "Every last one of them. They won't let the Avatar slip through their fingers again. They'll make sure this time. Even if we hid, they would scour the entire world, making sure-"
"All right, shut up." Toph stood up, fingers twisted in her hair. "Sokka, you're torturing yourself with evil thoughts. Stop it."
"I can't help it!" Sokka snapped back. "They... They can't... Not everything... They've tried before, at the North Pole, and they couldn't..."
"With the power of this comet you all keep going about, they would." Toph approached the door, pressing her palms against the metal. She took a long, slow breath, trying to quell her racing heart. This required intense concentration and focus. "Sokka, that's months away. We can make everyone safe in that time." She tried to feel the grain of the metal, drumming her fingers against the surface to feel the vibrations. Although she hadn't regained her full bending, chi paths still partially blocked, she thought – hoped – that she had enough in her to break the bolt on the door.
With a deep breath, Toph withdrew a clenched fist, bringing it against the door. The thud sounded agonizing to Sokka's ears, and Toph gasped, rapidly shaking her inflamed hand. But the metal had caved, even if just a couple of inches.
With a smirk of determination, Toph cracked her knuckles. Easy.
"Are you going to be all right?" Meng spoke gently, his hand resting on Jin's arm. They had paused after turning a corner, the wide hallway airy and silent. She stared at the ground for another lingering moment, before lifting her gaze. Her eyes were astonishingly dark, somewhat glazed. "Look, you can go home. I can take care of this if you w-"
"No." She shook her head slowly, as though the motion strained her. "I can do this." Jin closed her eyes, and let out a long breath through pursed lips. "I just... What if something happens? And... This is it?"
"Then make sure nothing happens." Her brother said simply, rubbing at the blue shadows under his eyes. "Jin, I don't want to do this either. To be honest, I just want to go home. I want to sleep and I want to pretend that these past four years have just been nothing but this one long fucking nightmare." Jin jumped as the rather sizeable rock crashed into the hefty stone wall, feeling nauseated with guilt. "Come on." His voice was rough, the harsh, thin consistency of sandpaper.
"I... am so sorry." She eventually choked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. "I-I didn't-"
"Don't apologize." He walked in front of her, taking short, quick steps. "I told you to stop."
"All right." Jin spoke carefully, a needle of fear piercing her heart. "Meng... Are you... Okay?"
"... Yes." He answered after several seconds of tense quietness. "I'm just a little... You have to understand, Jin."
"I do." The young woman stared at her brothers' face for a second, studying the hollows and angles of his cheeks. "I think. I'm trying."
"Good." He paused a moment, breaking into a tired, false smile. "So... Can you fill me in on this Fire Nation Prince you're going out with?"
"Oh!" Jin coloured hotly. "You mean Zuko? Yeah... He's been living in Ba Sing Se for a month or so now... He and his uncle came here as refugees after becoming enemies of the state. I know that they're from the Fire Nation and most people would think that scary. I did too, when I first found out, I was terrified and I tried to stop myself from seeing him but I-"
"Jin, shut up." He gave her a short hug with one arm, wrapping the limb across her shoulders. "I never could see you settling down with a regular craftsman. You always were a strange one, Jin. Look, he's a nice guy, I can tell that already. And anyone willing to risk their neck for me is okay in my book and more decent that nearly everyone else in this city."
"Yeah..." She rubbed the back of his neck. "He is... Nothing like anyone else. But Meng... Don't tell Ma and Dad and the rest. Please. Around the others he's just Lee the tea-shop boy."
"Understood." He nodded. "What the.... Oh crap." The sound of footsteps caught Meng's ear, and with a start, he reached Jin's sleeve. They leapt through the nearest door, a storage room, Jin straightening her clothes while the young male held the door closed, listening keenly. "Hope they're not Dai Li..."
"... You're joking. You're joking."
"I'm not. Xin Fan saw his body herself." It was two servant girls, probably on their way to the kitchens. Jin stood very still, a deep frown etched on her features. Whose body... "She said he looked dead. She saw them in the chambers in the eastern wing, near where those Kiyoshi girls are staying."
"That is horrible! I just... I can't believe it..." Both of the girls sounded distraught, a painful sensation in Jin's stomach increasing. "What's going to happen now? I thought that our army was going to help the Avatar fight the Fire Nation... And now he's dead?"
"No." Jin gasped aloud, knees weak. Meng hushed her anxiously, ear pressed against the door, heart thudding madly. But how... He's not meant to be here...
"I know... But shush! No one knows yet. Don't let anyone know I told you. Something is up here... Everything is so tense..." Their speech filtered away, leaving the stunned pair in silence. With a low groan, Meng leaned his forehead against the door, Jin shaking uncontrollably.
"It's... He's not... dead." She swallowed the word like a vile medicine. "They got it wrong..."
"Mistaking the Avatar?" Meng's voice was quivering. "I... I don't think so. He's..."
"No..." Jin wiped at her eyes, ribcage wracked with irrepressible, hyperventilating gasps. "H-he... h-how..."
"Jin." His hands on her shoulder quelled the girls' torpor in its infancy. "Jin, listen to me. You have to go and find the others. Tell them about what we heard. Maybe those servants were wrong. But either way, they have to find the Avatar."
"A-All right." Jin took several deep breaths. "But I... What about you? What are you going to do?"
"Same thing as before." He said shortly. "I'll take care of the Earth King, don't worry. You go and find the others before that Azula gets to them and everything really does go to pot."
"Meng-"
"Just go." He pushed the door open, stepping into the light. "Quick." The man pulled on her wrist, yanking her into the hall.
"Okay." Jin looked ill. "But... If something happens to me-"
"-You love Ma and the others." He spoke dismissively, with the air of someone who was positive that she was going to be all right. "I know I know. Get going, will you?" With a final nod, Jin backed away, staring at her brother for a few seconds, before breaking into a run, fingers skimming the stone wall, footsteps echoing along the wide passage.
"Any plans?"
Sokka looked over to the blind girl, who had doubled over on her hands and knees, panting. And no wonder. They had just cleared a good deal of the palace, thankfully without any disturbances, and were getting quite close to the outside courtyard, where Sokka planned to find Appa – although without that damned whistle he had no idea how it was going to work.
"I like the one where we get the hell out of here." Toph muttered between short, heaving breaths. "But we're not gonna go anywhere without the Sugar Queen, are we?"
"Of course we aren't!" Sokka snapped. "She's gotta be somewhere in the palace. We've checked all the cells, so she's locked in a room somewhere. With Appa we can break down a few more walls and get out of here when it gets too hot."
"I figured." Inwardly, Toph felt like crumbling to the floor. "And we should find A-Aangs' body." She swallowed, trying to force back the bitter sensation building in her throat. "Bury him in his home."
"Yeah." Sokka was crying, Toph could tell from his heartrate and breathing. "I-I don't know how Air Nomads were laid to rest. Are they burned or buried, or what?"
"How should I know?" Toph pressed her hand against the stone, summoning forth her bending with all her might, chi paths still not completely clear. "We'll find some wall painting somewhere showing it." It was killing her to be so practical, when all she wanted to do was curl up and cry, but with Sokka so beside himself, someone had to remain stable, keep them together.
"I-I guess." Sokka swallowed deeply, burying the heel of his hands into his eyes. "But-"
"Shh!" Toph whispered, pressing her ear against the stone wall. Sokka froze. "I... I think it's..."
"Who?" Sokka breathed impatiently. "Who is it?"
"Quiet!" She snapped in return, straining to feel them. "It's three people. They're walking fast. I think one of them may be Katara."
"What?" Sokka hissed, grabbing Tophs' shoulder. "Are you sure?"
"Pretty sure." Toph bit her lip. "They're in the next passage over, heading towards us. But... This makes no sense..." Her frown deepened. "She's with Prince Zuko and General Iroh."
"What?" Sokka repeated. "No way! How? Why? Are you sure?"
"Zuko has the most depressed, heavy-footed walk I've ever felt." Toph remarked. "General Iroh's is almost as distinctive. I can't explain it properly, but yeah, it's them." Relief flooded her insides.
"Oh man, this gets worse!" Sokka bemoaned. "What are they doing to her? If they hurt my sister I'll-"
"They're not." Toph stepped back. "General Iroh's been on our side for ages." She recalled the conversation they had together, how with a little prodding on Tophs' part, Iroh had revealed a lot about his past, his stance, his future intentions, to her. "Guess Zuko finally came around." She parted the stone wall, leaping through lightly. Bewildered, having no idea of what Toph was on about, Sokka followed, pulling his sword from his waist.
"Toph!" The males froze as the young earthbender leaped out in front of them, Katara starting. "What are you doing here?"
"I should ask you the same thing." Toph spoke shakily, Katara noticed with an unsettling feeling in her stomach. Toph never lost her composure.
"Sokka?" Katara was stunned to see her brother follow, wide-eyed. "You're meant to be with Dad. What happened?"
"Katara." The girl gasped as she was tightly embraced, anxiety rising. "I... Oh Spirits, I'm just so happy you're okay."
"Azula was holding you?" Iroh rightly guessed, earning a nod from Toph. "But... why are you two here?"
"Was Aang with you at all?" Katara pulled apart from her brother. "Where is he? We could really use his help right now."
"Katara..." Sokka closed his eyes for a moment, words tangling together on his tongue. "Aang... He's..."
"He's what?" She stilled. "Sokka, wh-what happened?"
"He's dead." Toph spoke up after a moment of stilted silence. She felt three pairs of hearts race, Katara's most of all. The girl let out a cry, Sokka having to support her as her knees weakened in shock.
"What?" Zuko breathed. "You're... how?"
"Your sister." Tophs' voice shook violently. "She got him with lightning... He was off-guard..."
"No." Katara started to hyperventilate, burying her face into Sokka's shoulder. Zuko stood open-mouthed, ears ringing with shock. There's no way...
"Are you sure?" Iroh sounded almost pleading. "Lightning is survivable, and not always an instant kill..."
"He wasn't gone when he was carried off." Sokka spoke quietly, arms wrapped around his sister. How long had it been since she tried to seek comfort from him? "But... It was two hours ago... He can't still be alive, it's not possible."
"Anything is possible." Iroh murmured. Especially with the Avatar... "Do you know where he might be? Any idea at all?"
"Azula said something about a room near hers..." Toph spoke up, wiping hurriedly at her sightless eyes. "I don't know what she meant though..."
"I-I do..." Katara spoke through short, punctuated gasps. "Th-the room they were in whi-while in disguise. I kn-know where it is."
"We have to go now." Iroh spoke firmly, rattled to the core. "If we're lucky, we may get there in time..." Katara's hand tightened around the amulet she wore at her neck. The Spirit Water...
"I can heal him." Katara's hands shook as she pulled the water from under her clothes. "Even if he's... g-gone, I might be able to do something..."
"Come on." Renewed, Sokka pulled at Katara's hand, her palm slick and sweaty against his. "We might just make it..." They all began to walk, a flurry of movement. Zuko stood stock still however, mind racing. She did it... She did what I couldn't... What I tried to do for so long... Even if any part of me still wanted to go home...
"Come, nephew." Iroh spoke gently in his ear, the hand on his Zuko's wrist warm. He knew better than anyone the anguished thoughts that ran through Zuko's mind, aching for the teenager.
Perhaps now my nephew will truly make the right decision. Iroh dared to hope. That is, if he's still alive. If not...
He closed his mind to the possibility, the ramifications of something so catastrophic too painful for even the aged, worldly General to consider.
This isn't happening. She tried, so hard, to calm herself. It was a mistake... There's no way. The Avatar can't be dead! Not the only chance we have left... Not our last hope...
"Zuko!" It was a very, very bad idea to scream for the teenager in the hall, but Jin was beyond desperate at this point. "Iroh? Katara! Where did you go?" She was in the main hall again, where they had parted, and she ploughed on ahead, barely able to breathe. "Guys?" She paused at a fork in the hall, struggling for air. Looking right, then left, she chose the wide stone passageway with the ridiculously huge double-doors. In retrospect, it was a horrible idea to just go plunging through those unguarded doors, but Jin was desperate. She thought that they would be in there, after all, where else would they be? The idea that Azula would have already told them had failed to register with her, and to be perfectly honest a large part of her was desperate to reunite with Zuko. She couldn't face this alone.
"Zuko! Iroh!" She pushed the doors apart, aided by her natural bending, running into the room. "You wo-" Jin stopped short as she realised that there were only three figures in the room, all female. Leaf-green eyes instantly locked on the girl in the middle, widening in sick recognition. She understood the connection in an instant. The golden-flame eyes, deathly pale skin, aristocratic high-boned features...
Azula.
Jin's breath seized in her throat, heart thudding painfully in her ribcage. No. Legs wobbling, she backed away slowly, mouth dry. Azula stared at her coldly, mind behind those burning eyes going at full tick. Jin started, making to leave, but unfortunately for her, she had no idea of what the black-haired girl to Azula's left was capable of. Mai let Jin get to the door before she let the blades fly, her aim fatally accurate. Her scream cut through the air, causing Ty Lee to shiver and Azula to smile. Three darts snagged her left sleeve, pinning her to the door. Jin would have been able to pull herself free from this, but Mai had cleverly sent a dart through the palm of her right hand, her entire arm paralyzed with pain.
"Now." Pinned against the grandiose door, Jin heard Azula's voice, low cold and deadly in her ear. "Who are you and why are you calling for my brother and uncle?"
"I-I don't know what you're- Ah!" She screamed as her hand was roughly yanked free of the wall, Azula's perfectly manicured nails digging sharply into her wrist.
"Don't even try lying to me, peasant." The Princess hissed in Jin's ear, the weak-kneed girl fighting back stinging tears. "Where. Are. They."
"I-I don't know!" Jin howled, unable to think through the blinding pain and terror. She was vaguely aware of the ground rushing up to her knees, Azula's fingers tightening around her hand. "Please, I don't!"
"You thought they were here." She spoke slowly, evenly, stepping back. Azula could tell in an instant that this girl, whoever she was, wasn't a fighter, and if she was too frightened, she'd simply become hysterical and it would be impossible to get any information out of her.
"I-I don't know where they are..." Jin tried desperately to steady her breathing, head spinning. "P-please... I thought they would be here..."
"For me?" Jin looked up, cradling her damaged hand against her chest. After a moment, she nodded, trembling visibly. Azula narrowed her eyes, staring into space. "How did they know I was here?"
"I-I don't know." Jin stuttered. She thought momentarily about Katara. If they found out she was missing, the Dai Li would be aware of her brothers' disappearance as well. Hopefully, they wouldn't care, having far more on their plate, but Jin didn't dare to run the risk. What am I doing, trying to lie to her? She'll burn me alive without a second thought... "I just-"
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Azula snapped. Jin froze. "Aside from the Dai Li, only a tiny handful of people know that I'm here. Who told that useless brother of mine, and what do you have to do with it?" She crouched down, meeting Jin's eyes. "Don't think you're saving them by keeping quiet. I have eyes and ears all over this palace." Jin sat very, very still as Azula's outstretched palm burst into blue flames, mouth bone-dry. "Don't make it harder on yourself."
"I-It was Katara." Azula's eyes widened. "She told Zuko everything, and he-"
"Decided to play the hero." She finished, tone dripping with humoured derision. "Idiot." Azula flicked a gaze to the two prone girls who stood by the throne, noticing that Mai was visibly tense. "I'll finally get rid of him this time-"
"No!" It was an instantaneous reflex, one that Jin regretted in a heartbeat. Azula's head whipped around to meet her, frowning.
"You... no." Azula burst out laughing, Jin's heart sinking even further. "Oh, that is just funny." The Princess' chuckling faded as her eyes fell on the gold necklace around Jins' neck. "What..." She muttered, taking the pendant and yanking hard. Jin let out a cry of indignant protest as Azula held the necklace, staring at the ornately carved dragon. It was simple to put two and two together. Really, where else was a peasant from Ba Sing Se going to get a finely crafted necklace featuring a dragon? "Oh Zuko." She chuckled again, Jin feeling sick. "I'm almost not surprised." Azula straightened up, biting her lip hard in thought. Everything is falling so perfectly into place... Agni is smiling on me today. I've got you now, Zuko. She cast another quick eye at the peasant girl, who was looking very pale. I can finally put you where you belong. "I suppose it's all he's worth now." She eyed Mai carefully, watching her bristle. Ugh. She still thinks well of him... She hasn't even seen him since his banishment. What is wrong with her?
I'll ratify that right now. She looked down at the pendant in her hand, smiling. She could take Zuko, probably without even breaking a sweat. Problem was, their damn uncle was with him, and he was a much more significant problem. I need to break them up in order to crush them both... and who knows, Zuko may even be useful... Azula smirked at Jin, who was trying to summon her courage and inner strength. Given the right motivation, he'll do anything I ask. Oh, Zuko was just so easy to get a handle on. Desperate little whelp.
"Oh, Mai." She summoned the taller girl, toying with the pendant in her fingers. Glaring down at Jin, incensed that a simple peasant was the one to have what she desired, Mai approached Azula, smirking. "Can you run an errand for me?"
"Of course, Azula." Jin bowed her head, trying to regulate her breathing. This isn't happening oh spirits this isn't happening it can't be. This whole thing... How...
"Can you go fetch our dear Zuko for me?" She pressed the pendant into Mai's hand. "I'm sure he'll come running when he hears that his precious damsel is in distress." Jin's stomach tightened, the girl becoming swamped with the uncomfortable sensation of swallowing a lump of ice. No. I can't let her do that!
"Of course I- Ah!" Mai cried out in shock as she went flying, a wedge of rock hitting her hard in the stomach. Winded, she hit the floor with a hard thump, a good twenty feet from where she previously stood. Azula had been thrown a similar distance, the Princess catching a glimpse of green disappearing through the door as she righted herself.
"Ty Lee!" Her call rang through the throne room, but she needn't have bothered. The acrobatic girl had already begun to pursue the fleeing peasant, sipping nimbly through the doors. Getting to her feet with a wince of pain, suspecting a few cracked ribs, Azula heard a gasp in the hall, and a cry. A few moments later, Ty Lee returned to the hall with a smile. Jin was carried by two Dai Li agents who grasped her arms, completely paralyzed. Azula's own smirk widened as Jin was deposited rather unceremoniously at her feet, the Princess giving her a little kick of pure spite.
"So, the peasant can throw rocks." Fire-gold eyes narrowed. "Interesting. No matter, that's been taken care of. By the time you'll be able to move again, it'll be far too late. Mai, get going. Take those two with you." She referred to the Dai Li agents, who bowed deeply in response. The noblemans' repressed daughter nodded, Jin getting only a glimpse of her shoes from her slumped position on the floor. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, cursing her stupidity. Why did I do this? Why couldn't I have just stayed with Meng? Why did I have to come bursting in like this?
"Are you sure it's a good idea to send Mai after him?" Ty Lee enquired cautiously, watching as Azula held a hand against her left side, perfect white teeth digging into her lower lip. The Princess was in obvious pain, but Ty Lee knew better than to broach such a subject, especially in front of the hostage who caused the damage. "I mean... You know she feels about him... And you're essentially bringing him to his death."
"Oh, I know." Azula swallowed, straightening herself entirely. Jins' eyes were glistening with tears. "I could have sent you, Ty Lee, but I know where your loyalties lie. I know you would betray anyone else in a heartbeat for me, no matter who it is. But Mai..."
"You're testing her?" Ty Lee was confused. "But... Why? It's Mai. She'd never betray you Azula."
"Yes, yes, I know." She bent down, and grabbed Jin by the hair, the elder girl crying out in pain. "But she's unhappy with the situation, Ty Lee. She doesn't like what I'm doing. You know if things were different, if Zuko had been smarter, it could have happened. Her birth is high enough, her father is close enough with ours." Azula sighed, straightening a little, Jin forced to her paralyzed knees. "I just want to make sure of where her loyalties lie. He's going to die, and she is going to be partly responsible for it." Jin's breath was little more than a strangled gasp, fraught with terror. "But I don't know what I'm going to do about this one." Azula tugged harder on Jin's hair, forcing her head back. "Where are you from, peasant? Please tell me it's at least the Middle Ring."
"L-Lower." Jin finally managed to breathe. Azula groaned.
"Oh, Agni. I almost want to keep you alive, so you can tell Father in person." Jin was scared, literally, out of her wits. She could barely think straight at all. "Do you think Zuko could rub salt any harder into the proverbial wound, Ty Lee? If it was a noblewoman, or at least the daughter of a rich merchant, it wouldn't be quite so bad. But a peasant... That's just embarrassing. Funny, but embarrassing." Jin bore the insult silently, trying very hard just to breathe.
Please Zuko. She thought desperately. Help. It was horrible of her to want him to come, and she knew it. But she didn't want to die. She refused to meet an untimely end at the hands of this psychotic bitch, but due to her irrational, thoughtless behaviour, she had gotten herself stuck in this mess and as far as she could tell, there was no way of escaping, not while she was a prisoner of her own paralysis.
Iroh was right. Jin realised with a fresh wave of nausea, screwing her eyes up tight. Azula did ger her handle on Zuko, after all.
All right. Calm down, deep breaths, keep your back straight and look like you're meant to be here.
Meng licked his dry lips as he walked along the ornate passage, pushing the ornately-carved trolley in his hands. Made of the finest oak, and bearing a massive covered silver platter, it was laden with an array of fine, delicate foods. Sweetmeats, cuts of cold meat, glazed vegetables, thinly-sliced fruit, and other tasty treats Meng couldn't even identify were hidden under that massive silver lid, and it made his mouth water with jealousy. So much good stuff there... He won't even finish half of it. What a damn waste. He could feed our family for a month for the same cost of that one meal. Good old class distinction. It's how it always was in Ba Sing Se. The top had everything, the bottom nothing. It was a futile waste of energy to feel anger, hatred, or even exasperation towards it.
That's gotta be it. The green doors were at least eight feet high, edged with gold, and more importantly, flanked by two Dai Li agents. Mengs' heart sank.
Dai Li?
His chest strangely tight, palms sweating, Meng continued his walk towards the double doors that led to the Earth Kings' chambers. He kept his back straight, head erect. The silken sleeves of the servants' robe fell to his knuckles, the arms a little too long. The servant he had essentially mugged had been a good four inches taller, his shoes hopelessly too large. He had ditched them for bare feet, the hem of the robe hiding his grimy toes. Every part of him was grubby and dirty. He had licked a serviette and wiped the worst of the grime off his face, eyeing himself critically in the smooth surface of the spotless silverware, and pulled the greasy shoulder-length tangles from his face, binding the locks with a silken ribbon. It was going to be hard to pull this off, act like a personal servant to the Earth King himself when he was a dirty prisoner, and he knew it. The daunting guard at the door only served to heighten his intense discomfort.
Katara said that the Earth King had royal guards at his door...
Heart hammering in his chest, Meng stood before the Dai Li agents, knuckles white under the silk. They eyed him, looking bored. The doors were pushed open a moment later, Meng slowly pushing his cart through into the large chamber. As the doors slid closed, the young mans' breath caught in his throat, eyes as large as saucers as he stared at the room. It was huge, at least five times the size of his family's entire flat, a myriad of plants, pots and statues, emerald draperies embroidered with gold, spindly, heavily cushioned furniture, with three tall bookshelves carved from rosewood, two double doors, leading to a bathroom and a wardrobe, and an impossibly large four-poster bed hung with green in one corner.
"Ah, Xin-Li, I was just wonderi..." With a look of surprise, Kuei lowered the book he was reading, eyebrows shooting skywards rapidly. "Who are you?"
"Y-Your Majesty." Meng released his grip on the wooden cart, rushing over to the King. "I don't have much time to explain," Kuei's eyes widened at the sight of the grubby young man, trying to pass himself off as one of his personal servants. "We have to go now, before they-"
"What are you talking about?" The elder of the pair rose from the heavily cushioned recliner, a frown etched deep into his features. "Are you insane? What did you do to Xin-Li? G-Guards, there's a lunatic in my-mph!" He shouted indignantly as his voice was muffled by Mengs' trembling hand.
"Listen to me." He spoke quietly, his voice shaking slightly. "I know this is weird. I know you don't believe me, I hardly believe it myself. But you have to trust me. Your entire palace is under an internal siege. The Dai Li have revolted, under the command of the Fire Princess Azula. She's infiltrated the castle, disguised as a Kiyoshi warrior. She plans to capture and imprison you and your five High Generals at noon today. The only way you can get out of here is if you follow me." He let go of the Earth King reluctantly, watching him huff as he straightened his robes. "If you don't believe me, then open those doors." Meng pointed. "Beyond them, you won't find your normal guard. You'll find Dai Li agents. They're here to make sure that you don't try to escape."
"You... Certainly you must be joking." Kuei spoke faintly, holding a hand to his head. "I can't... How..."
"I wish I was." Meng cast an eye to the door, anticipation growing. "Please Your Majesty, we have to go now, of they'll wonder what's taking so long."
"This is a trick." Kuei said firmly. "A plot, cooked up by a group of rebels. How is the Princess of the Fire Nation going to infiltrate these wonderful walls? Tell me, sirrah, do you think that I would not have been warned of something this great?" Mengs' heart sank even further. "Guards!" He called firmly, Meng backing away slowly. "Guards, quick!" He ran to the double doors, pulling at them frantically. "A rogue has... in..." Kuei froze in the doorway at the sight of the two Dai Li agents, wearing an identical cold stare. "No."
"Shit." Meng cursed under his breath, eyeing the exits, planning the fastest escape route. He was hoping for something a little more... covert, but he'd been in stickier situations before, and had made it out in one piece. Although I'm more than a little rusty... And I get the feeling his Majesty isn't quite up to a close escape...
"What is going on?" Kuei demanded, hands on his hips. "I never ordered you here! Where are my guards? I demand you return to your original post!"
"Deepest apologies, Your Majesty." They had ignored Meng for the minute, the young man fleetingly considering an escape without the Earth King, abandoning the thought as quickly as it arose. "But we're under orders to make sure you stay in your chambers. There's an unfortunate political situation at the moment. This is for your own safety, Your Majesty."
"What is going on?" Kuei's voice was desperate, the authoritative tone slipping away. "What are you doing to my Kingdom?" The Dai Li agent to the left opened his mouth to speak, a sneer on his lips and cold glint of disdain in his eye, but before a syllable passed his lips, Meng struck, sending a piece of the highly polished marble floor flying straight towards his chest. The force of the blow sent the agent flying, crashing through a paper screen, knocking over a spindly end table containing a vase of lilies, and finally crashing into a large earthenware pot against the wall, sliding to the floor, where he lay in a crumpled, unmoving heap. The remaining Dai Li agent started, turning his cold stare on the former prisoner. Meng gasped, and managed to fend off the mans' stone gloves, trepidation escalating. Ooh, I've gotten myself into it now... Shit, I can't beat these guys face to face.
What happened next became something like an urban legend amongst Ba Sing Se, dismissed by many as an utter falsehood, Kuei himself admitting that the entire thing was a fluke, an adrenalin-charged moment of valour. He grabbed the statuette which resided on the low, long table before his reading couch. Made of solid gold, it was somewhat eccentric birthday gift from King Bumi, depicting a ridiculously spindly tree, amassed with a flock of birds instead of leaves. With all of his might, Kuei struck the preoccupied Dai Li agent across the back of his head, the man collapsing to the floor with a muted groan.
"N-Now do you believe me?" Meng panted after a moment of stunned silence, the statue making a loud thump as it was dropped to the floor. Kuei blinked behind his glasses, eyes locked on the prone figure, the back of his head already wet with blood. After a long moment, he lifted his head to the other male, nodding in stunned silence. "Great." Meng stepped forward, seizing the King by the sleeve of his morning robe. "Time to go." He pushed Kuei out the door quickly, pausing on the threshold to stare at the two crumpled bodies.
Wonder if the others are having just as much fun. Meng thought wryly as he pulled the large doors closed, shutting out the grisly scene.
Woot!
At least, I think.
Next chapter will be MUCH sooner. I suspect (hope) a week, but we shall see :D
Review my pretties! :3