Nothing.
It's a commonly used term, nothing, but there are not many who truly understand what it means, this word. It is an absence of all that we have to come to understand as existing. It is a state where our senses do not work, for there is nothing for them to sense. An infinite abyss, an abyss of infinity. To exist in such a state of pure oblivion is unknown to any who live, as it is only to be reached by the dead, and the dead may not return.
It was through this endless void Azula found herself tumbling, or perhaps even flying. Up and down didn't matter, if they even existed at all, and she found that one way or the other, she simply didn't care. She wondered if there was still anything she could bring herself to care about, but only briefly. The answer she quickly arrived at was, unsurprisingly, nothing.
In an existence where all is the same and all is none, any slight variation or difference was as noticeable as an inferno in a flower garden. This is exactly why she was able to notice the pinpoint hole in the horizon, and, curious, she made her way towards it. She didn't have any clue what it could be, but it was something, and right now that's all that mattered to her.
The hole grew in the blackness, a stark white spot amidst a universe of black. At first, that's all it was was just a simple, plain, unblemished white, but the larger it seemed to get the more she found she could make out. Other colors, greens, blues, browns, yellows, they all seemed to melt and mix together beyond that hole in nothing. Fuzzy and smudged the colors appeared to her eyes, but that made no difference. She dove headfirst into the white hole that now consumed practically every corner of her vision, disappearing into the beautiful colors beyond.
So slightly did her eyes open at first, that the girl sitting nearby didn't even notice anything change. At first all she could see was an agonizing white light, but it quickly subsided to reveal multiple trees overhead and a bright blue sky beyond that. There wasn't a cloud in sight, and as her hearing slowly faded back into reality, the first thing her ears picked up was the soft sound of some birds singing all around.
Azula turned her head to try and look around her, but as her right temple made contact with the ground she winced in visible pain, hissing loud enough to grab Ty Lee's attention.
"You're awake!" She cried, loud enough to startle all the birds and replace their music with an uncomfortable silence. Azula could only manage to stare, confusion plain on her face but with an unmistakeable fear rightfully placed over it. As if things weren't bad enough for her, now as she tried to move her limbs she found them numb and stiff, almost entirely unable to respond to her commands. Yet, as she looked up at Ty Lee, she could sense no malice coming from her.
Unable to make heads from tails of the situation, Azula found that at least her voice still worked and so asked, "Ty Lee?" Blinking and shaking her head, she found the other girl to still be there and decided she must be real. "What... what's going on? Where..."
"It's alright, you're safe for now." Ty Lee assured her upon hearing the panic quickly growing in her friend's voice. "We're, uhh, in a forest... somewhere." She admitted sheepishly, her face turning a faint pink as she realized she had no clue exactly where they were.
"Ty Lee, that's not-" Azula started but cut herself off with an audible curse as the pain in the side of her head seared and all thoughts turned to how excruciating it was.
"Careful, you got a pretty nasty cut." Her friend pointed out, and only now did she notice how matted and sticky her hair was. The acrid stench of blood filled her nostrils and she looked to the acrobat sitting nearby for answers. It was then that she noticed the dark red stains on the girl's shoulder.
There were too many questions and not enough answers, so, after taking a deep, calming breath, Azula asked, in a more or less demanding tone, "Ty Lee, what the hell happened."
Uncertainty was plain on the girl's face as she recalled, "Well..."
"I'm sorry Azula. I love you." Ty Lee clenched her eyes shut as she jabbed the exact right spots along her lover's spine. She waited for the sound of the body hitting the ground, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill at any moment.
The dead thud that soon followed convinced the acrobat to peak her eyes open, only to be greeted by the horrifying sight of blood pooling around her friend's head. It spread out at such a frightening rate that at first, Ty Lee could only stare in open mouthed terror. She felt a tear drip off of her chin that she didn't remember shedding.
The sound of the door being thrown open forced Ty Lee to jump from surprise and spin around in a heartbeat. She relaxed immediately upon seeing Mai standing there, and in short order she recalled her priorities.
"She's bleeding Mai!" The girl in pink exclaimed, pointing to the ominous crimson puddle as if it weren't the most obvious thing in the room. "She's bleeding real badly I don't know-"
"Ty Lee, calm down." Years of experience with the eccentric acrobat gave Mai the advantageous ability of sensing her hysterics coming and knowing how to snuff them before they could give her a headache. "It looks like it's a head wound, probably some shards of glass that were still on the floor. It'll bleed bad but she'll be fine if we get some bandages on her."
Her friend's words struck a chord and, realizing she was probably right, Ty Lee calmed down visibly. "I thought she was... I had.." She put a hand to her own mouth to prevent the words she never wanted to say from coming out.
"She'll be fine, but only if we stick to the plan. I doubt you have much time, get her and let's get moving." Mai reminded her, a stern foreboding in her voice. Giving her a nod, Ty Lee stooped to lift the unconscious body onto her shoulders. Although it probably infuriated her to no end, Azula had always been the smallest one of the group, in stature anyways, and it was this fact alone that Ty Lee was grateful for as she hoisted the petit girl onto her shoulders.
"Let's go." With that, she stepped towards the balcony, only to bolt immediately for the door and the hallway beyond. Mai was a step and a half ahead of her, ready to distract anyone and anything long enough for Ty Lee to get away. They had barely made it around the first corner when something small and sharp flew past. A few somethings, Mai realized as she heard them make almost synchronized impacts on the opposite wall. They had reminded her eerily of throwing knives, yet somehow not. Looking at where she was certain they had collided with the wall, she saw nothing in the way of knives or shurikens. She couldn't even make out signs of impact marring the paint.
"Keep going Ty, I'll hold them off for you." Mai ordered in a tone that brokered no argument. Glancing behind her, the Fire Lady could tell that her friend had misgivings about leaving her to fend for herself, but she quickly dispelled that notion. "I'll be fine, just get going and get her out of here. I'll meet up with you at the door." Nodding in understanding, Ty lee turned on her heel and continued running down the labyrinth of corridors as fast as she could.
Mai was fully prepared for whatever was going to come around that corner, her arms crossed and loaded with three knives in each hand. She listened as the unmistakeable sound of footsteps grew closer and closer, until they were just a few steps from the corner. Her breath held in her chest as she tensed, counting the steps and adjusting as necessary. The instant she saw the black cloak appear she let all six knives fly, whistling as they tore their way through the air to their target.
Without missing a beat, the man rolled forward, right under the knives as though he could watch them moving through the air, and continued to rush towards the young woman who had thrown them. Mai reacted without hesitation, pulling twin three-point shuriken from within her robes and hurling them forward, one high and one low in anticipation of a repeat trick from her new adversary.
The man in the black cloak grinned sadistically from beneath his hood, merely side-stepping the weapons with a twitch of his body and allowing them to continue on harmlessly past him.
A tinge of fear pinged it's way through Mai. This guy's quick, and if I can't hit him I can't stop him. Steeling her nerves, she waited for him to draw just a bit closer. He closed the distance at a frightening pace, now no more than several steps away. It was the perfect time for Mai to unleash a hail of arrows from the holsters strapped to her forearms. It was too much moving too fast and at too close of a distance, and so Vzad was forced to roll to the side to avoid becoming a pin cushion. It was all the distraction she needed, which was good because it was all that she was going to get, and with that Mai turned and prepared to chase after Ty Lee. I just can't do it alone.
She made it a few meager steps, however, when all the bones in her body told her to roll out of the way, and fast. Trusting an instinct that had been born of constant combat, she did exactly that, rolling just as she heard something tiny go whistling by. It was the same as last time, and this time she was sure of where they hit. Still, not a trace of evidence existed to testify to the projectiles that were coming from seemingly nowhere. Turning her head, Mai saw a second cloaked figure joining the first, this one much smaller but no less menacing in that emotionless black cloak.
"She's getting away." Mai heard the second figure, apparently a woman, tell her companion. The man nodded, realizing his mistake in chasing after this woman who was clearly not his target. The two took off in a different direction, and Mai didn't waste a moment in turning to chase after Ty Lee. Focused and determined as she was, she still couldn't help but let her mind wonder about those curious projectiles that seemed to disappear on impact.
As she sped along the maze of corridors, she almost passed by a patrol of guards without noticing them. It was only as one of them called out to their Fire Lady that she paused and considered them briefly.
"Get Fire Lord Zuko out of his room and into the throne room, have a dozen men protecting him at all times. There are assassin's in the palace." She demanded with an alien urgency in her voice. The guards had never known the young woman to talk in anything but a dead monotone, and when it dawned on them how serious the situation could be they turned at once and made their way towards the Fire Lord's personal quarters. As an afterthought, she called after them, "And alert the Avatar as well." Mai then quickly turned and continued on her previous course.
Turning the last corner before their agreed upon meeting spot, Mai's attitude brightened slightly upon seeing Ty Lee standing there, unharmed and alone, save the unconscious girl hoisted on her shoulders.
"Mai! I was starting to worry about you-"
"Shh, Ty! I wasn't able to stop them, you have to be quiet and go quick. Here, take this map, it will take you straight to the outside. Otherwise, you could end up wandering around down there forever." The knife throwing wife of royalty handed a small parchment to her friend in pink, and, looking around to ensure their solitude, she reached up the side of a large but otherwise innocuous painting until her finger found a small release latch. Flipping it, a small passageway appeared in the wall, leading down into a tunnel system that had been created for this exact purpose.
"Thank you Mai, I owe you one." Ty Lee said with watery eyes as tears of gratitude began to swell up.
"As far as I'm concerned, we're even Ty." Mai replied flatly, a hint of thanks that, while easily overlooked by anyone else, was clear as day to her acrobatic friend. "Now go, you don't have much time." With that, Ty Lee entered the passageway and, giving one final farewell glance over her shoulder, she made her way into the dark depths of the tunnels below.
Mai wasted little time in closing the passageway behind her friend, and as the door slid shut two dark shapes appeared in her peripheral vision. She whipped around, knives already in hand and ready for release, but the two didn't appear to be interested in picking up where they had left off.
"So, it's you again is it?" The man inquired, although he didn't really expect an answer, which was good as Mai had no intention of giving one. "How annoying."
A tense minute passed by in silence, as each waited patiently for the other to make the first move. The unmistakeable sound of foot steps scurrying down the hallway arose, and Vzad considered the situation only briefly before turning to Nida and telling her, "I do believe it's time we took our leave. This isn't our target, and if our target isn't here then we've no reason to remain ourselves."
Mai saw her opportunity to stall them and wait for backup to arrive, but even as she sent the knives screaming down the hall, the two proved much too quick and, dodging the projectiles expertly, they disappeared behind a corner. Deciding that a chase would prove fruitless, Mai let them go, satisfied that Ty Lee had been able to escape and accepting that as good enough.
"We aren't going to chase them down that tunnel?" Nida asked, curious, as they sped down the corridors.
"Don't you know, my dear Nida? You never chase a rabbit down it's own hole; you wait for it to come out on it's own." Vzad answered with his usual confidence. Still, she could sense the anger and discouragement inside of him at having let their target escape in the first place.
As the two cloaked assassins were making their escape of the palace, Ty Lee was herself making the long, winding, and downright confusing journey through the underground labyrinth that was the palace escape tunnels. In truth, the tunnels weren't merely for escape. There was a metal reinforced bunker deep beneath the palace that Fire Lords would use in times where it was unsafe for them to remain in the throne room, but necessary for them to remain close at hand for military command.
There was, of course, a path leading to the outside of the volcanic crater, for emergency evacuations. The greatest strength of the tunnels, however, lay within their perplexing design. A labyrinth if ever there was one, the twisting, winding, and splitting paths could easily lead someone on and on until dehydration claimed them. The stifling heat helped in speeding this process up. Throughout history, there were many would-be assassins who had believed themselves lucky in discovering this secret tunnel, only to find themselves wandering aimlessly in the dark for days upon days, until at last they collapsed, exhausted, to die lost and alone.
Ty Lee thanked Mai again for the map as she struggled through the dark tunnels, all the while being beaten down on by the ever oppressive heat that seemed to permeate the place. It was all she could do to not shout for joy when she finally eyed the escape.
Bursting out of the tunnel with a newfound speed, she nearly ran straight off the side of the volcano, forgetting momentarily where the path would be leading her and all to excited about breathing the fresh air once more and allowing the night breeze to flow about her. Studying the small path that lay before her, she decided it wouldn't be very easy, nor safe, to traverse with a body on her back, so she decided to shift the unconscious girl from her back to cradling her in her arms.
She was making her way steadily down the path when out of nowhere it sounded as though someone had sent two massive boulders hurtling at each other, shattering them on impact. The world around her shook, and she nearly lost her own footing as rocks gave way beneath her. Falling backwards and landing on her rear was about all she could do to prevent the two of them from falling a long, long ways down.
What on Earth...Ever the victim of her own curiosity, Ty Lee couldn't help but look back up and above the crater's peak, only to spot a column of black smoke rising high into the night. Ty Lee didn't know much, but she knew the one thing that every citizen of the Fire Nation knew: Where there was smoke, there was fire. As much as she wanted to rush back and make sure her friends were alright, she knew better. She had come this far for a purpose, and she had to see it through.
Hoisting Azula in her arms once more, Ty Lee did the only thing she could, and as her legs carried her down the mountainside, all she could do was think of Mai and trust that she had everything taken care of. She reached the bottom at long last and felt the soft, sweet relief of grass on her feet. Not wasting any time to enjoy it though, she headed swiftly in the direction of the trees ahead of her. If she went quickly, she was certain she could make it before day break...
...And, well, here we are." Ty Lee said as she finished her explanation of the previous night's events. "I just made it to this little clearing before I pretty much collapsed of exhaustion..."
In hindsight, demanding to know everything immediately after waking up from a concussion induced sleep wasn't her brightest move. It was a lot to take in all at once, and it didn't help the situation one bit that her body was still mostly numb and unresponsive, aside from her head which, if she was being perfectly honest, felt like it was being split open by a dull axe, and hurt like all hell. Even so, she still hadn't gotten the answers she wanted.
"That still doesn't explain why you found it necessary to knock me unconscious."
"I did it for your own good Azula, as strange as that sounds."
"You're right, it sounds very strange. What good does it do me to be unconscious and what's more, paralyzed, when there are assassins after me?"
"Because I know you Azula, and you would have tried to fight them without a second thought!"
"You're damn right I would have! I would have fought them and they would have-"
"Killed you! Azula, please, you're out of practice, and you don't know the first thing about them! I just... I wanted to keep you safe, that's all." Ty Lee's eyes fell to the ground, a clear sign she was finished arguing, and feeling just a tad guilty about the whole situation.
Even if Azula had wanted to continue arguing, the throbbing in her head was becoming too much to bear, and so with an exasperated huff she said, "It doesn't matter anymore, what's done is done. What's important now is that we stay one step ahead of these people, whoever they are, until we can find out more about them. How much longer should I be like this?"
Ty Lee though about it for a moment before deciding, "Maybe another 10 minutes? I'm not sure, it varies person to person. Can you try to wiggle a finger?"
Azula did indeed try just that, and found, much to her surprise, that the digit twitched, if only so slightly. She concentrated intensely on her finger, and after a few more grueling attempts she managed to move the entire thing about an inch off the ground. "More or less," she replied.
Beaming happily and with relief plainly evident on her face, Ty Lee jovially informed her, "That's great! It shouldn't take too long for the rest of your body to start responding as well."
Sure enough, as the time passed by in the relative peace and serenity of the late morning, Azula could feel as the strength re-entered her limbs and when at last she had regained full control of her body, she stood and stretched, reaching up to touch the sun and then down to her feet, out, like the wings of a hawk, and finally back to her middle, centering her energy. Inhaling deeply, she felt a tingling sensation surge through her as the cosmic energy raced through her chi pathways once more. As inconvenient as it was having them blocked, she had to admit, there was something to be said for the sensation one felt when they re-opened. It was one of renewal, and left you feeling completely cleansed from the inside out.
Taking one final, relieving inhalation, she gauged the sun's location in the sky and attempted to discern where they might be, to no avail however. So, with an aggravated huff, Azula turned to Ty Lee and asked, "So do you have any idea where we might be? Besides, 'in a forest'?" She added, cutting Ty Lee off even as her mouth was opening. This gave the acrobat pause, as she had to think a little harder about the situation.
"... North?" She ventured hesitantly, and even that much she didn't necessarily know so much as remember from the map, which showed the exit being on the north face of the volcanic mountain, which coupled with the fact she had only gone straight from there led her to conclude that they must be north of the capitol, to some degree or another.
Azula hung her head in her hand, and whereas Ty Lee was certain she was going to be furious, the Firebender was incredibly, astoundingly... chuckling? At first she thought she must have been hearing things, her mind playing tricks on her or something but then, sure enough, Azula began openly laughing, louder and louder until there could be no mistake. It wasn't insane, maniacal, hysteric cackling, just pure, wholesome, humorous laughter, as if there weren't a funnier thing in the whole damn world. Confusing as it was, Ty Lee couldn't help but let herself be lost in the titillating sound that had gone unsung for all too long. She couldn't remember for the life of her the last time she had heard her friend laugh like that, and only hearing it now reminded her of how much she had missed it.
"We would have to be lost..." Azula mused, more or less to herself.
"What?" Ty Lee asked, honestly having not heard what her friend had said.
"You've never gambled, have you Ty Lee?" The ex-princess asked, although in the manner of one who already knew the answer.
"No..." She responded, not entirely sure what it had to do anything and it showed in her tone.
"It's a rather old, unspoken rule of turning one's luck around." She informed, turning to face the other girl as she concluded, "Sometimes, you have to lose it all before you can build it back up again." Ty Lee considered this for a moment, an adorable, quizzical expression of contemplation on her face.
"I don't see how this is 'losing it all,' Azula. Sure we're lost but..."
"And what have we got? Between the two of us, what have we got, hmm? No money, nothing but what we're wearing, and no idea where we even are." Azula listed, though to her credit, she didn't sound nearly as annoyed as she should have.
"We've got each other." Ty Lee pointed out, sounding just a tad disappointed that that much hadn't occurred to her newfound lover. This statement caught the other girl off guard, and with a roll of her eyes and a huff of breath in which she cursed herself under, she moved towards her companion and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry Ty Lee, that's not what I meant." Azula apologized in a softer tone. Trying not to hurt Ty Lee's feelings is beginning to be quite the chore... "It's just, I was thinking of more... tangible things. Our love isn't going to get us out of this mess we're in." A curious gurgling, grumbling noise interrupted her, and she added quickly afterwards with a bit of a chuckle, "Or keep us fed." Ty Lee couldn't help herself but to grin as well. "Now come on, first thing's first let's get out of here. We have a whole day to worry about the rest."
"But, how do you even know which way to go?" Asked Ty Lee, her words ripe with bewilderment.
"Well, you were quite adamant about having gone north, so I can only assume that we're closer to the southern border of this forest than any of the others. We'll get out of here and head for civilization." Azula explained plainly, pleased with herself at still being quick with her wits. Ty Lee, however, had some misgivings about this, if the sudden change in expression was any indication.
"What if they followed us?" She warned, only to be scoffed at.
"Please, if that were the case they would have caught up to us while we've been sitting here. Besides, you said so yourself, they gave up back at the Palace, there's no feasible way they could have known we came here. Now if that's all then, perhaps we can be on our way. We're burning daylight." Ty Lee couldn't help but snicker at the old Fire Nation cliche, and as they started making their way she felt all the worry and tension flutter off of her shoulders.
Only to return all too soon. They had been making their way, uneventful enough, but with every step they took she couldn't help but shake the unmistakeable feeling of being watched and followed. Every twig that snapped, every bird that flew off as they came too near, every unidentifiable shadow, it all made the young acrobat more than a tad uneasy as the dread pooled in her stomach and terror crept up her spine.
After an hour or so of solid walking, at long last the tree line was in ahead of them, opening up into the wide, open grassland that filled the void between the forest and the ominous volcano looming in the distance. Clear, bright blue sky was visible beyond the leafy treetops, and as she drew nearer and nearer Ty Lee was beginning to feel slightly better about their situation, even starting to laugh at herself for her inane paranoia.
"You see Ty Lee, I told you, we'd be absolutely fine. There's no assassin's waiting for us to poke our heads out like hunted animals-" Her words were cut off the instant they cleared the forest by an arrow striking the tree only inches away from her face. The color drained from her, her heart jumped into her throat and she may very well have peed herself just a little. From behind her, Ty Lee's terrified shriek sent every bird within a mile scattering for the skies.
Seconds passed, each more horrifying and heart stopping than the last. Sweat beaded out of every pour, gliding across her skin and pulling her clothing to her body. Azula felt the blood course throughout her entire body with every beat of her heart, and with it the thrilling pulse of adrenaline. Drawing breath, kindling her inner fire and preparing herself to strike out in any direction at a moments notice, Azula-
"Renji you blind bastard!" A man's voice yelled, as intimidating as it was authoritative, which was to say, not very.
-exhaled in stark relief as two very common looking men appeared from behind a large boulder, an obvious generation gap between them, perhaps even two.
"That look like a jack'o'lope to you boy!" The older man continued berating the younger boy as they drew nearer to the two girls. When they were closer he shouted out, "Sorry about that ladies, I hope the boy didn't scare you too bad. Was tryin' to teach him to hunt, but first he'll need to learn the difference between people and animals!" He aimed this last part in a less than pleased tone directed at the boy, who could only hang his head and look to the ground in shame.
"Sorry grandad."
"Aint me you should be apologizin' to boy." The man pointed out, directing his grandson's attention to the two girls standing before them.
The boy fidgeted a bit at first, but eventually raised his head just high enough to look the first young woman in her golden eyes and apologized, "S-sorry miss, I seen somethin' move in the trees and I-I got nervous. The arrow slipped, I didn't mean to shoot I swear it!"
Azula studied the boy for a moment, her heart and blood still racing from what could have easily been her death, but she had enough experience controlling her body to keep it from showing. As the boy stood there, he couldn't help but remember something his mother had always told him about the girls of his country. Pick a fight with any boy you wish, Renji, but don't you go angering the girls of fire. Even I can't identify an ash pile.He gulped loudly, and as if on cue, the girl's lip curved into a terrifyingly mischievous smirk.
"It's fight, Renji." She stated, and the boy blinked, unsure if she had even spoken or if it were simply his head playing tricks on him.
"Wha-?"
"The difference, between people and animals, it's fight." Realization dawned across the boy's features, and noticing this, she continued, "animals will run out of instinct, nothing more than a drive to survive. But people... people can fight back. Remember that, Renji. People always have the choice to fight back."
"And a wise man," The boy's grandfather began, snapping the transfixed child's stare from that of the intriguing young woman, "picks the people he's going to fight carefully." Renji thought about it for a few seconds, glanced at the golden eyed woman once more and then nodded in understanding. His grandfather likewise turned his attention and went on, "I apologize again for the boy's mistake, he learns quick but he's still a little green behind the ears."
"It's alright, youth is about making mistakes, and learning from them. If anything, I would say work on his aim. He was close, but sometimes close, isn't good enough." She informed with a sly slant of her eyes.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right about that." The old man chuckled, then remembering himself he offered his hand and introduced himself. "Name's Toshi, Toshi Sunoyaki at your service miss."
"Anya, charmed." Azula provided, lying about her name without missing a beat or batting an eyelash. Gesturing to the girl behind her she added, "And this is my good friend, Tera." Ty Lee took the hint easily enough and edged forward to shake the man's hand.
"Nice to meet you sir."
"The pleasure is all mine ladies. But now, there's still a question itchin' to be asked here; what're you ladies doing out here all by yourselves an' such?" He studied them carefully, a cautious suspicion slowly leaking through his features. Ty Lee was about to answer him, sensing Azula's unease at the question, only to be cut off by something she certainly hadn't expected to hear.
"We're being chased by assassin's, ruthless, bloodthirsty killers that won't stop until they have my head on a stick." The... truth? Of all the times Azula had chosen to tell the truth in her life (and there weren't many), Ty Lee certainly hadn't expected this to be one of them.
After studying the young woman for a few intense moments, Toshi's expression began to brighten and he started chuckling lightly. "Well of course ya' are! I shoulda known just by lookin' at you, eh?" He continued laughing out loud, to which Azula herself joined in along with a still uncertain and slightly reluctant Ty Lee. Renji appeared to be just about as confused as any young child could when caught in an adult joke.
"Hoo-ee, I haven't laughed like that with a total stranger in ages. How would you ladies like to come and stay at my place for the night? Warm beds, hot food and good company. It's a bit far, but I just couldn't live with myself if I left two pretty young girls to the mercy of bloodthirsty killers out here in the wilderness." Toshi offered, his tone making very clear that "no" would not be an acceptable answer.
"We really shouldn't..." Azula started, attempting to strafe the issue only to be cut off by Ty Lee's overzealous cry.
"We'd love to!" And that was that. The rest of Azula's words escaped her in a defeated sigh, already knowing she had lost this one.
"So which way then?" She asked, deciding that if they were going to go somewhere, they may as well get there sooner then later. The idea of food and some real, honest sleep were becoming very appealing.
Toshi pointed, indicating the direction of his house, but warned them, "It's a bit of a hike from here, I'm afraid. Should be there before sundown though!" Sundown! Azula thought to herself in outrage, looking up at the sun. That's at least 4 hours from now!She groaned, more or less to herself, as the prospect of walking for the next 4 hours settled on her, with all of it's inescapable boredom.
As they walked, however, Azula found it wasn't nearly as boring as she had expected. The old man Toshi actually had dozens of interesting stories from his past, much of which dealing with the war (unsurprisingly really).
"Really, you served with the Dragon of the West?" Azula inquired, genuinely interested in hearing about it. Before he had turned into a tea-making pacifist, she had actually looked up to her uncle, enthralled by all of his exhilarating conquests and campaigns throughout the Earth Kingdoms. General Iroh, the Dragon of the West had, at his height, been the most respected name in all the Fire Nation military, and the most feared by all of their enemies.
"Oh spirits, yes. It was quite a ways back now, but I can still remember old General Iroh in all his burnin' glory. He was a great leader, he was. Uncompromising, but honest and fair. He'd never ask us to do anything he wouldn't do himself, and personally led every attack he oversaw." Toshi explained as his eyes shone with a light of one who was reliving past triumphs.
"And the famous siege of Ba Sing Se? Where you there for that as well?" Azula asked, anxious to hear a real, honest firsthand account of the events that transpired there in those 600 days.
"Yes, I surely was miss Anya. Not a particularly pleasant memory, mind you. We lost so many... I don't think you want to hear about that, young lady." He concluded sadly, a forlorn fog glazing over his eyes. Azula considered badgering him more, but decided it would be to no avail. Perhaps there was another way...
"I'm sorry," She started, sounding every bit as though she were, "it's just that my cousin, he died in the battle. I was just hoping to hear about the fight from a survivor, to know that his death wasn't entirely in vain." She had to give herself credit, this sympathy act was getting to be more and more second nature to her. A touch of moisture to the eyes and...
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry to hear that. What was his name?"
"Mushi." She lied without skipping a beat, reading the conversation like an open book. War veterans, they alwayswanted names to see if they knew the person in question. There was something to be said for camaraderie.
Toshi thought quietly for a moment before shaking his head. "No, can't say I remember a Mushi." He sighed heavily, an obvious, painful burden weighing on his heart. "We lost so many men and women, good men and women. They didn't want to be there, never asked for it, hell many of them didn't even agree with the war itself, but when it came down to it, we were there and we were willing to do whatever it took to keep each other alive." Azula looked at him with a barely noticeable quirk of her eyebrow, and he caught the questioning glance as he locked eyes with her.
"You see miss Anya, that's the thing most folks don't realize about war and soldiers. It's not about the battle, the conquest and the thrill of combat. It's about the ones fighting next to you, the ones you serve with and fight alongside. You shed blood and tears with them, and when it comes down to it you'll gladly lay down your own life to save even just one of theirs. I think so long as your cousin upheld that code of the warrior, then nobody can say his death was in vain." He finished by placing a comforting hand on Azula's shoulder, which she only barely registered and acknowledged. She found herself thinking, almost without even meaning to or knowing why exactly, about her cousin. Not her made up one, Mushi, but the real one who had died in the siege. Lu Ten...
"I know it may not count for much either, but he died in good company." She gave him a look that asked for clarification, which he obliged. "The general lost his own son in that battle. Lu Ten I believe was his name, a good man and an excellent Firebender." Azula flinched almost imperceptibly at the mention of her deceased cousin, a response that was noticed by none.
"I heard about that." She offered in response, a slightly queasy feeling stirring in her gut for reasons unknown to her. She couldn't recall ever really caring all that much for her cousin, or so she thought. "It led General Iroh to abandon the siege if I recall. Some went so far as to call him out as a failure and a coward." Indignant rage burned in the old man's eyes almost immediately, a blatant expression of outrage and insult that Azula noticed at once.
"General Iroh was anything but a coward!" He roared, startling both his grandson and Ty Lee who had been preoccupied with a casual conversation of their own until that point. Azula felt a bead of sweat trailing down the back of her neck, but schooled her features so as not to reveal her sudden discomfort.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by that, that's just what I heard..." She attempted, albeit poorly, to bridge the sudden gap between them, but it did nothing to quell Toshi's fiery fury.
"Well you heard wrong, miss Anya. Dead wrong! That man saved more men than I can count, willingly putting himself in harm's way to safeguard common soldiers! His honor is unquestionable!" Azula opened her mouth to reply immediately, but stopped and thought for a moment, doubt suddenly crossing her features.
"I never realized..." She admitted, sounding and looking rightfully defeated. She looked up at Toshi again, looking him in the eye before saying plainly, "I'm sorry. He.. certainly sounds like an honorable, courageous leader."
Toshi calmed down, letting a loud sigh go, his anger with it. "No, I'm sorry Anya. I shouldn't have exploded like that, you didn't know any better. General Iroh personally saved my son from certain death, along with countless others and it's just that... I just can't stand all the bad mouthing I hear about the man. It's bad enough his own brother betrayed him and stole his throne, he deserved better for all he's done for the Fire Nation."
Azula, oddly enough and yet unsurprisingly, was at a loss for words. At the time she had eagerly embraced her father's plot to cheat her uncle out of the crown, but the more she heard the queasier she felt. Such blatant, unapologetic betrayal...Being betrayed by someone so close to you was one of the worst feelings in the world, and she should know. She decided she would have to have a long, honest heart to heart with her uncle the next time she could. It was far overdue.
"Yes, yes he certainly does." Azula commented, that still very alien sound of sincerity in her voice.
As the sun drew nearer to the horizon, and after what seemed like an eternity of walking, at long last a small town became visible in the distance. It wouldn't be until practically sundown that they actually arrived at their gracious host's home. The town in which Toshi lived was hardly worth any note, and his own house reflected that very same bland anonymity rather well. It was a simple two story, white walled house with a red shingled roof that sloped down and have upwards curving points at the corners. Observing proper guest etiquette, Azula and Ty Lee both removed their footwear immediately upon entering the old man's home. While it may have been quaint and unassuming, it was certainly kept clean and humble.
"Lin, Shin, you guys home?" Toshi called out after removing his own shoes and crossing the threshold into the living room. It was scarcely a moment before a woman's voice replied.
"Back here pa, just gettin' supper ready. Figured you and Renj would be back sooner than later, was hoping to have it all prepared when you got here though. Guess my timing was off a little." Lin appeared from around a corner at the far end of a hallway opposite the front door, frantically drying off her hands with a towel so she could give Toshi a hug.
"That's alright sweetheart, but where's Shin, shouldn't he be helping you?" The old man looked at the woman, somewhere in her late 20's to early 30's by Azula's guess, with a puzzled look in his eyes.
"Oh, Shinobi headed to the capital to pick up some groceries and other supplies, as well as to find out what happened last night, what with that smoke cloud and the rumbling noise. I expect he'll be returning sometime in the early morning." She told him, and only then did she glance past her father and notice their two guests. "Oh, we have guests. Where on Earth..?"
Remembering the two girls that had accompanied him, Toshi suddenly turned and introduced them. "Ahem, yes, pardon me I almost forgot. Lin, sweetheart, this is Anya, and her friend Tara, two travelers we happened to meet on the way home. I offered them a hot meal and a warm bed for the night, I'm sure you don't mind." He pointed to the two girls as he announced their respective fake names, and in turn they inclined their heads to the older woman.
"Oh not at all father," She replied, immediately adopting an appropriate tone of formality, "I'll have the guest room made up after I finish preparing the food." She inclined her head to the two young women before turning back to her food preparation.
The old man scoffed though, saying "Oh, nonsense, you've done enough. I'll go get the room ready." His daughter made to argue with him, but he silenced her with a simple wave of his hand, claiming "Now I may be old but I can make a bed dammit." Lin let out an exasperated sigh and accepted defeat in this matter. She knew better than anyone the extent of her father's stubbornness.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable and at home. Supper shouldn't be much more than another hour, would you like some tea in the meantime?" She called from the kitchen, suddenly remembering proper etiquette towards guests. In her own defense, they didn't get many.
Ty Lee answered in the affirmative right before Azula could decline. Tea it is then...she thought bitterly. The two moved themselves into the decently spacious sitting room and, folding their legs beneath them, sat at opposite ends of a small chesnut table. Ty Lee was beaming happily, a blissful ignorance that was only all too Ty Lee emanating from her face. In the past, it might have annoyed Azula, but now she simply felt her own face lighting up because of it. That damn smile was infectious. It didn't take long for the Firebender to notice her friend's eyes upon her, and she felt compelled to know why.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" She asked cautiously, curiosity evident in her voice.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was staring it's just... I mean, well, you should do that more often." Ty Lee fidgetted nervously, unsure exactly what to say.
"Do what..?" Azula questioned slowly, not entirely following her friend's meaning. Ty Lee simply giggled, the sound provoking a warm tingle to tickle her companion's belly.
"Smile silly. And really smile, not that creepy smirk you like to do so much. It really brings out your eyes and makes you look pretty." She informed with a wide, typical Ty Lee smile plastered across her face. Azula felt her own cheeks growing warm at the honest compliment, and she felt guilty because of it. "Er!" Ty Lee added as an afterthought, "Pretty-er! You were already pretty of course."
"Yes, well, I suppose I'll try to keep that in mind." Azula gave her a gracious smile, then added earnestly, "Thank you." She was accustomed to receiving praise and admiring remarks from her father and mentors, but they were always in regards to how well she was advancing in her training and the like. Honest to goodness compliments about how good she looked were seldom, if ever, heard, and despite everything else that she was, she was still, at her core, a girl, and as such compliments about her looks were always cherished and appreciated.
Lin came bustling into the room carrying a basic clay teapot and two matching cups. She knelt at the table, placed a cup before each girl and poured a full cup for each. "It's jasmine," she informed them politely, then stood and made her way back towards the kitchen, calling over her shoulder as she went, "Supper should be ready within the half hour!"
The two girls both grasped their cups, enjoying the warmth for a brief moment before raising them to their faces. Ty Lee inhaled the aroma wafting out of her cup, appreciating the sweet scent of the tea before taking a careful sip. Azula simply raised her cup to her lips and gulped it down, her nature as a Firebender granting her an innate resistance to the extreme heat of the liquid. She grimaced at the taste, not at all impressed with the quality of the brew. Ty Lee fought back a snort of laughter as she watched, which Azula noticed and felt compelled to question.
"What?"
"You don't gulp it down, that's not how you drink tea! No wonder you don't like it you goof." The acrobat teased, taking infinite joy in doing so. Her companion responded with a huff of annoyance as she felt irritated at being told how to drink tea.
"And how do you drink tea?" Azula drawled out in clear irritation. Honestly, telling her the right way to drink tea?
"Why you sip it, of course." Before Ty Lee had a chance to respond, Toshi had come from around the corner, having just finished setting up the guest room and apparently overhearing the question. He sat down at the table and, producing a cup of his own, grasped the teapot and carefully filled it before continuing. "Yes, the old Dragon of the West was quite the fan of tea, and taught me everything I know of the stuff. This jasmine, it's a white tea, very light and sweet. It's meant to be sipped, to bring out the full flavor without overpowering."
Azula rolled her eyes inwardly, it seems it didn't matter where you went in the world, if tea was involved then her uncle somehow was as well. Ty Lee had taken it upon herself to pour a fresh cup for her, either forgetting or simply ignoring the fact that she didn't really care for the stuff. At the ceaseless encouragement of the giddy acrobat, Azula finally humored her with a test sip, fully expecting the same bland bitterness. To her surprise she found it to be sweet and, though she was loathe to admit it, slightly pleasant.
After a short while of casual conversation and continued tea sipping, Lin appeared with a dish laden tray. It was a simple, traditional Fire Nation meal, complete with roasted duck, steamed vegetables and plenty of noodles. The meal itself went by with little incident and casual conversation from around the table. When they were finished, the guests thanked their host for the meal and were led by Toshi to their room for the night.
"There's only one bed, I hope that's not an issue." He explained as they reached the door. The two girls shared a quick glance before answering that it wouldn't be a problem. Nodding, the old man returned down the hallway towards his own room, leaving the two to examine their overnight lodgings. It was a simple room, with a window on the left wall and a bed against the far one. A painting of a beach on a clear, almost cloudless day hung on the third wall, and the fourth wall, the one into which the door was built, remained bare and featureless.
"Well, we may as well get some sleep. We're going to have our hands full tomorrow just trying to figure out what to do and where to go next." Azula commented offhandedly. Agreeing, Ty Lee joined her in removing her clothes down to her wrappings and then sliding into the bed. She hesitated at first, but then wrapped her arms around the smaller girls middle. She was so unbelievably warm, her skin so undeniably soft that Ty Lee had to fight the strong urge to caress it.
At some point in the middle of the night, while still entirely asleep, Azula rolled over and snuggled her head in the crook under Ty Lee's chin, inhaling deeply and unconsciously smiling. For the first time in over a year, she found herself having a wonderful, enjoyable dream.
Author's Note: I know, not very action packed or riveting but hey, I do what I can. Expect things to escalate in the next one, though I can't guarantee how soon that one may be... As always, thanks for taking the time.