Of Fire
Chapter 20
Resembling snakes, the group of armed men surreptitiously moved through the underbrush of the forest. Their dull green and brown clothing camouflaged them from their intended victims. Two women, three children, loads of supplies and four mongoose lizards. Surely, they would stand no chance against the ten men who stalked them. It hadn't taken much to convince the traveling group to get off the well-worn road to Omashu, a sign conveniently turned down the wrong path and a seemingly inept map reader had been all it took. The slight rustling of leaves was the only hint that they were even there, not something women and children would notice.
"You know," One of the children said loudly, brushing her, or his – they really couldn't tell – wild black hair out of her (or his) eyes as she (or he) pulled the reins of the mongoose lizard, slowing the stride so that they were walking beside the child with stark white hair. The child patted one of the pale arms wrapped around his waist before continuing. "It's awfully quiet out here in this forest. No birds or anything." Red eyes glanced into the underbrush, eyeing a man who had suddenly stilled and gulped as those demon eyes narrowing into devious slits. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that something was about to happen."
The older of the adults chuckled darkly, her charcoal black hair done up in a perfect Fire Nation topknot. "As if they'd dare."
"You're right of course," the dark haired child agreed. "Only complete idiots would even think of robbing the Princess of the Fire Nation," she said louder than necessary, watching in amusement as all of the men following them tensed.
"Stop yelling," the pale child whined, slapping her riding partner's shoulder lightly before nuzzling back into the dark haired girl's back and allowing the steady sway of their ride to lull her back to sleep.
"Sorry, sweetheart," the dark haired child whispered as she brought a pale hand to her lips and kissed the knuckles, smiling at the pleased mumble it produced from her riding partner.
The ten men paused. They had heard rumors and stories about how powerful the Princess of the Fire Nation was and of feats no human could possibly commit. Silently, they debated their assault, weighing the pros and cons of this new information via bird calls and animal sounds. The travelers continued on their way, ignoring the would-be thieves. "You know," Angi started again, looking at her surroundings. "This place is pretty green for it to be almost winter."
"We're near the equator," Ty Lee informed the young appearing fire bender, sensing the presence of the men following them start to catch up but ignoring them like everyone else. They were hardly a threat. "It's green year round here." Angi nodded.
"Is that a person standing in the middle of the road?" Azula asked rhetorically, bringing the attention of everyone to the large man dressed mainly in a green tunic blocking their path.
"It looks that way," Detia answered anyways, pulling the lizard to halt in accordance with her companions and parents.
"Ladies," he nodded gently to them, his crooked smile revealing straight white teeth. "Gentlemen," he said nodding to Angi who only lifted an eyebrow before glaring as Detia barely stifled a chuckle. No one spoke for a long minute as the group of women gauged the man in front of them. "These roads are dangerous, you know," he stated, brushing a large, rough hand through his short brown hair.
"Oh?" Angi answered, not the least bit interested as her senses caught the body heat of the ten men following them.
The thieves stopped and waited but nothing happened, indicating that the man in front of them was not a thief or their leader. "Yes, there have been a lot of thieves roaming around in this area. Fine ladies like yourselves should be careful." Catching on quickly that Angi was not male.
"We appreciate your concern," Azula nearly lied, seeing as she really didn't care, as she beckoned her lizard to the front of the group. "But I assure you we can take care of ourselves."
His smile grew wider, and he held up his hands in surrender. "I believe you," he stated as he rapidly lowered his hands. The grunts and groans of the thieves echoed through the suddenly silent area as the earth below them literally swallowed them. "But such beautiful women should not have to get their hands dirty with such filth." Azula eyed her surroundings, easily sensing the men who were following them, before they darted back to the apparent earth bender in front of her. "Now that that's done, I'll be on my way. Have a safe journey." He smiled and bowed before he casually continued toward the way they had came, whistling tunelessly.
"That was odd," Ty Lee stated as they watched his retreating form.
Azula and Detia nodded, Angi only continued staring. "Did you catch his name?" The smaller Fire bender asked as she turned her attention to her friend.
"Ohev," Detia answered with a shrug. "He's a nomad. Just traveling."
"Well, that was nice of him to take care of our little problem. Not that we couldn't do it ourselves," Angi stated, not sounding the least bit pleased, before she sighed what sounded like 'that was so anti-climatic.'
Ty Lee chuckled softly at the fire bender's comment. "Shall we be on our way then?" the acrobat asked, lashing her reigns and prompting the lizard forward.
"Omashu here we come!" Angi yelled slightly, but not enough to wake her passenger, with little enthusiasm.
~A little before sunset~
Ty Lee frowned as she looked up at the large mansion for what seemed like the hundredth time. The sounds of laughter, and sometimes sounds of something breaking, echoed down the mountain the mansion precariously sat on, falling on the ears of the acrobat and the ex-princess. Azula chuckled at her wife. "Ty Lee," she chided lightly, "the mansion looks sound. It's not going to cave in while they're running around. They'll be fine."
Though the acrobat nodded, she didn't stop looking at the very old mansion, watching as the wind blew through the tall trees near it and imagining it swaying as well. She sighed. She had tried to talk her child and her friends out of running around the place as harshly as they were. They listened for about a minute before the instigator in the group decided that walking around the creaky old mansion was boring. Eventually, Ty Lee stopped insisting they calm down and simply left the house, refusing to stay the night. Azula watched amused as she followed her wife to the clearing down the mountain, away from the mansion.
"I know," Ty Lee answered finally, going to the rather large, deep stream they were camping beside to fill a thermos with fresh mountain water. "Do you think they'll sleep up there?" she asked innocently, running her nimble hand through the cool water.
Azula's sharp eyes watched her lover carefully, not sure why she was suddenly asking if the children would sleep up in the mansion. In fact, just a second ago, she would have thought Ty Lee would insist on having the children sleep down in the tents with them. "They could be convinced," Azula finally answered once Ty Lee's mischievous grey eyes cast to her.
Ty Lee smirked and turned back to the water, actually surprised that it wasn't colder but quite happy that it wasn't. "How long do you think they'll stay up there?" Azula stood, silently making her way to her wife. Without making a sound, the princess knelt behind her acrobat. "Azula?" Ty Lee called lightly when Azula didn't immediately answer.
"I'm sure it'll be a while," the princess answered as she snaked her arms around Ty Lee's thin waist, leaning against her back and kissing her neck.
Ty Lee shivered, suppressing a slight moan. It only took a slight push to send them tumbling into the water, clothes and all. The acrobat screamed before she hit the water, jumping up instantly, the cool water reaching her neck. She glared at her wife's chuckling, but equally wet, form. "That was mean!" Ty Lee accused and began splashing Azula.
Azula skipped the inferior form of water battle and simply tackled the acrobat, using her height advantage to move through the water just swift enough for Ty Lee to be unable to stop her.
~x~
"Your parents are weird," Angi pointed out, standing in front of a broken window watching Azula and Ty Lee play down by the tents. Then she added with a smirk as the two adults locked into a passionate kiss before Ty Lee wrapped a leg around Azula's and swiftly pulled it out from under her, sending the ex-princess under the water. "That's some odd foreplay."
Detia slapped her arm. 'Stop watching my parents, pervert. We have to find Yuna.'
"Why?" Angi asked, still watching the couple despite the fact that Detia told her to stop. Though she was only doing it to get on the lightning bender's nerves. "This is so much more fun. Damn, I didn't know your mom could bend like that."
Detia ignored her friend, finding that apathy got to her friend more than any response could. The children stood at the window for a second before Detia finally turned away and started down a hall, past an old, newly-broken table. The last thing the lightning bender wanted to do was watch her parents 'play', even though the only thing they were doing at the moment was playing tag in the river. "Hey," Yuna's voice interrupted their steady, silent walk as she appeared, popping up from a hidden passage in the floor. "Come look at what I found."
Without protest, the two other children easily jumped down into the dark, secret passageway under the house. "Where does it go?" Angi asked following behind Yuna carefully as the floor sloped downward.
"You'll see," Yuna answered cryptically. "So shut up," she added before the fire bender could open her mouth and say something else.
Angi humphed loudly but otherwise remained silent. It wasn't long until the small passageway leveled out and expanded. Before she was even asked, Angi lit the lamps hanging on the wall, the smell of old oil telling her where they were. Detia gasped as the cavern lit up. The walls, reaching twenty feet above her, were painted from top to bottom, depicting many scenes from a war long forgotten. Surprisingly, whatever was used to paint the wall remained relatively intact; the paintings were faded, yes. And there was slight cracking, but the ancient flowing script written in a language just as old was easily legible.
Although many pictures donned the wall, there was only one that drew the lightning bender's attention. On the far right, a picture of a fierce warrior dressed in only white leading a charge of fire warriors was painted surrounded by lightning. "Linka?" Detia mouth, barely aware she had said the name as she examined the woman she barely recognized.
All of her memories of her oldest daughter depicted a calm reserved, if not severe young woman. Never once had the heir of the lightning kingdom gave inkling to being a warrior. "She was fierce," Angi noted with approval, coming to stand beside her friend as the lightning bender touched what she could of the painting. "They called her the Blazing White Warrior during the war. She lead my troops through many a battle, striking down the enemy like a white blaze of pure power. It was amazing. I was even awed when I watched her."
"You put my daughter in a war!" Detia yelled, turning to her friend in anger.
"No," Angi answered, her tone clipped and clearly displeased as it rose. "You put your daughter in a war!" In an unexpected burst of anger, the fire bender shoved Detia against the wall, surprising the lightning bender. "The war wouldn't have even started if you hadn't selfishly decided to disappear. You didn't even tell your children you were leaving. You just vanished. And don't even get me started on how that effected Terren." She shoved the white-haired girl again, pushing her further into the wall, sending cracks along the surface and making her wince at the slight sting. "He loved you. We all thought you loved him back, but apparently…"
"Agni!" Yuna's strict tone yelled and pale arms around the tanned girl's waist abruptly stopped her from talking. "You said you were over this. It's in the past. Let it go," she whispered.
Angi sighed, letting her anger go with a puff of smoke. "I'm not apologizing," the Fire bender intoned, glaring at the lightning bender.
Detia brushed the dirt from her white outfit as she sighed. "I don't expect you to," Detia admitted. "I'm sorry for leaving. I thought you could get along without me."
"When have we ever gotten along without you?" Yuna inquired, noticing an excuse when she heard one, as Angi rolled her eyes and nodded.
Detia remained silent, her fist clenching the only indication that she was caught. "You are the balance," Angi pointed out, not catching the subtle hint of Detia's state of mind. "It's your job to balance us out. You shouldn't have just left without saying anything."
The lightning bender bit her lip, unable to meet her friend's piercing gaze. Agni was only waiting for an answer, but it was Yuna's piercing gaze that got to her. "I couldn't…" she paused, her fist clenching, tightening. "I couldn't do anything else." They only gave her questioning looks. "My people were murdered in front of me. My kingdom fell. And I couldn't do anything to stop it. We weren't a war oriented people. I fought as best as I could, harder than I ever fought before in my entire life, and I still failed. I prided myself on being the best; I could easily beat any one of you, physically and mentally. And I…I failed the people who meant the most to me." She chocked back the sob from deep in her throat, biting her lip to stop the tears that threatened to fall. "I felt useless and helpless. Like I couldn't do anything and I kept thinking that everything would be better without me."
"That's just stupid," Angi interrupted. "There wouldn't be anything without you."
Detia smiled slightly. Sometimes the fire bender's complete obliviousness to emotion was a relief. "I didn't say it was logical thought. In retrospect, I know it was stupid. But I'm not perfect, despite how perfect I may seem."
Yuna chuckled and hugged her friend. "You do give off the air of being perfect."
A frown plastered the lightning bender's lips as she pushed the water bender away and glared at the pale girl. It only caused the water bender to chuckle, especially when the lightning bender turned back around to look at the painting of Linka. 'So she was a warrior?'
"The best," Angi answered, choosing to ignore her friend's emotional display – seeing as she didn't really understand it. "By the way, she wasn't angry with you. She, like Maya and Alia, didn't blame you for leaving. They understood."
"It's true," Yuna agreed, answering Detia's shocked gaze. "But Neos isn't too happy with you. So if we do see him, which we may not, he won't stop to talk to you or anything."
Detia nodded, the frown showing her obvious displeasure. She understood, she really did, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. If she hadn't left then his people probably wouldn't have been systematically killed as well. Agni wasn't known to discriminate when she fought, and the majority of the people who attacked the kingdom of lightning were people of the Air. Though it did bring up a good question, at least to her it did. 'I understand why he feels that way, and I understand why Terren doesn't, but why are you two here with me? I wasn't particularly close to either of you in the past. Well, at least not more so than I was to Neos.'
The two other children looked at each other, a silent conversation going on between them. Angi scratched her neck in embarrassment. "Well you see," the fire bender started.
"You were like our mother," Yuna offered, still diverting from the real reason. "You were always separating us when we fought."
"Which was every chance we could get," Angi put in with a sly smile.
"Right," Yuna agreed.
'I don't understand what you're trying to tell me,' Detia admitted.
Angi sighed. "To put it simply, your leaving was the best thing that ever happened to us."
Yuna nodded, smiling sweetly at the Fire bender for a brief second. "They even did this truly horrible play about it on Ember Island a while back."
'Their plays are horrible,' Detia agreed.
"I like them," Angi intoned.
"You would," Yuna countered, laughing lightly and patted the fire bender's cheek as Angi's frown deepened.
Angi only grunted and crossed her arms over her chest. "So is this the only thing you found?"
Yuna scowled. "There is a large chunk of forgotten history on the walls around us. What could be more valuable?"
"Gold," Angi answered as if she were talking to a little child. "Rubies. Sapphires. Diamonds. Silver. Hell, even a clay pot would be worth more than these old paintings. It's not like I can take them off the walls and display them." then added in a whisper, "Or sell them."
The water bender glared at her chosen companion. Detia listened only silently as she continued to examine the paintings. The further away she got from Linka's picture, the earlier the pictures got. It was like reading a book backwards. She stopped on the far side of the cavern, the wall on the direct opposite side of Linka's painting, and stopped breathing. The painting depicted the fall of her city, and unexpectedly, she was thrust back to that time, carried in Terren's strong arms as she watched helplessly as her city fell from the sky, crashing into the water.
The smell of smoke and blood clung to her clothing like an unwanted perfume. She remembered very well the feel of that spear that punctured her body and the pain as she ripped it out. The feel of her metal-laced clothing soaking in her blood like a sponge, how it weighted her down. But she still fought, ignoring the pain when the wound ripped open further as she moved to attack her enemy, to protect her people – no matter how futile an attempt it was – until she was made to stop. Until Terren stopped her. Even now, she could hear her people scream. It echoed over the ocean like a plea as she rode to safety. And then there was nothing, only an eerie silence. "Detia," Yuna's calming voice offered, drawing her back into the real world. "Are you okay?" she asked.
Detia didn't answer as she drew in a ragged breath and rushed out of the cavern, not looking back and not really looking forward as she somehow managed hit the tree line of the forest and continued until she simply collapsed on the edge of a cliff, letting the tears fall freely. She didn't know how long she sat there with her knees pulled to her chest, but the sound of air shifting irregularly made her look back. Oddly, her expression didn't change at the sight of the blond adult air bender, covered in a long sleeved yellow tunic, light blue loin cloth held on by an orange fabric belt. The high collared small orange poncho that came down to the top of his ribs and circled around his torso rustled with the wind. The hate she saw in his sky blue eyes made her flinch.
"It hurts doesn't it?" he spoke first, his tone holding no sympathy, as Detia wiped the streaks of tears from her eyes. The lightning bender didn't reply. "To see your people die and be able to do nothing." Golden eyes cast down to the ground, the only indication that she agreed. "My people could have been spared," his voice lowered.
"I know," Detia finally answered. "I'm sorry. I just…"
"You're sorry," Neos repeated, his laugh cold and forced. "Thousands of my people died because you decided to leave. You're no better than the people who murdered them, slaughtered them like cattle without discrimination. Women, children, the elderly. All of them killed. And for what? Because you couldn't handle the pain. You're worse than those murders."
"I'm not!" Detia denied, standing to defend herself, even though he was a good three feet taller than her. "I can't control what the others do. I can only make suggestions. If you had kept better track of your people, maybe they wouldn't have attacked mine! Then the war never would have started!"
His teeth grit together as he fought the desire to strike her. His clenched fist trembling as his blunt nails dug into his palm. "My people weren't the only ones who attacked yours."
"You're right," Detia agreed, standing tall even though she didn't feel any of the strength she was demonstrating. "And when those who survived the attack on my kingdom went back to their own, do you know what the others did to them. They killed them. But what did your people do?"
"That's not our way," Neos explained angrily.
"I know," the lightning bender's tone softened. "Your way is forgiveness and understanding."
"I know what my people's ways are!" he yelled. "I don't need someone like you telling me! You're weak and pathetic." She stood and took the verbal abuse. "I used to look up to you. You were what I wanted to be. But…" he shook his head biting his lower lip. "How could I look up to someone who abandons their responsibilities and people at a whim? You're pathetic and I…I hate you."
Her fists clenched as her gaze fell to the ground. The air shifting was the only warning that he had left. She let the tears fall as she replayed his words, the sting only slightly tolerable. Quickly, she ran back to the clearing where her parents were, finding Azula sitting next to the fire, wearing different clothes, and Ty Lee messing around in their tent. Azula's golden eyes looked up at the sound of the crisp grass being broken. "Detia?" the ex-princess questioned, taking in the slightly dirty white tunic and the tear streaks down her cheeks. Their gazes met for only a second before Azula found her daughter in her arms. "Detia, what happened?" she asked worriedly, glancing at the tent as Ty Lee rummaged around their bags.
Azula looked down at the little monster in her arms, running a hand through her white hair and trying her best to comfort the little girl. 'Do you think I'm weak?' Detia asked after a minute or so.
"What?" Azula asked, unsure she had heard correctly. "Why would you think that?"
Detia breathed in deeply, trying in vain to stop her tears. 'I left. I left everyone, and so many bad things happened.'
The ex-princess kissed the top of her daughter's head. "You had no control over the things that happened after you left." Azula's long hand ran through white hair to rest on her daughter's chin, prompting the child to look up. "From the way I understand it, they relied too heavily on you to make their decisions. I can understand why they did; you are a very intelligent young woman and always seem to know the right answer to all the questions. You can't be blamed for giving them the power to make their own choices and them screwing up. So, no," Azula answered, "I don't think you're weak for leaving. I do think you should have done it much sooner, though."
Detia chuckled through her sob. "Thank you."
Azula smiled. "You're welcome. What brought all of this on?"
The younger lightning bender only shook her head in the negative as she snuggled deeper into her mother's embrace. "You shouldn't lie to her," Ty Lee reprimanded gently after Detia was fast asleep.
"I wasn't lying," Azula remarked. "I don't think she's weak."
The acrobat nodded as she poured spices she had brought from the fire nation into the pot on the fire. "True," Ty Lee admitted. "But if anyone else had come to you with that scenario would you still feel the same way?"
Azula thought for a second, her hand running through white hair. "No, I suppose not. But it wasn't anyone else. It's my little girl, and she is not weak."
Ty lee smiled and nodded. "Tomorrow we'll continue on our way then?"
"Yes," Azula answered. "I have a feeling that we are fairly lost."
~x~
Everyone was silent. It was around noon and the trail – if it could be called that – was such that they couldn't ride the mongoose lizards for fear of getting hurt. Except Sunstone, who was curled up in one of the empty saddlebags sleeping soundly. Angi was leading the pack, her head in the map. Yuna was behind her pulling one of their lizards, getting angrier as the seconds passed. Detia followed Yuna's lizard, leading the one she was riding. Her parents were behind her with their lizard. Yuna growled as another hour of them walking along a mock trail passed. Grinding her teeth, the water bender dropped the reins of the lizard and snatched the map from the fire bender. "Hey!" Angi yelled at the sudden lack of map in her hands.
"What the hell!" Yuna yelled as she slapped the map. "Look at this map and tell me what you see?"
"I have been looking at the map!" Angi countered.
"No," Yuna said. "Because if you were looking at the map, then you would realize that it's ancient. The very land has changed since then!" she yelled again, ignoring the other three as they approached to see what was going on.
Angi looked at the map then crossed her arms. "It's an honest mistake."
"Honest?" Yuna repeated, her hands gripping the map so hard it tore in half.
"Hey, that's old," Angi argued.
"We are lost in the Earth Kingdom!" Yuna yelled. "And you're worried about your stupid map?"
"Well yeah, it's an original," Angi stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Yuna gave a blood curling scream and tackled Angi suddenly, sending both tumbling down an incline and through the underbrush till Angi landed on solid ground, the air knocked from her lungs. Without even bothering to bend, Yuna punched the firebender, ignoring the dirt and twigs and leaves that covered both of their clothing. Detia, Ty Lee, and Azula followed them through the dense underbrush, carefully leading their lizards down to the area. By the time they got there, Angi was on her feet, a ring of fire stealing the oxygen in front of her as she blocked a dagger of ice sent her way. "Aren't you going to stop them?" Ty Lee inquired, her grey eyes never leaving the fight.
'No,' Detia answered. 'At least, not yet. Let them fight it out.'
Azula chuckled as she patted her mongoose lizard to calm it down. "Besides, they landed on a path."
Detia nodded her agreement, noticing the well-worn road her friends had landed on. 'There's a village close by. We can head toward there once these idiots get finished.'
"I wonder how long it'll take them to notice," Azula questioned.
Detia shrugged as the dirt at Yuna's feet became mud, staining her clothing. 'Probably not long,' she answered cryptically.
"Um," A young male voice interrupted the fight, causing everyone aside from Detia to turn to him. "Is everything okay here?"
Yuna loosened her stance after swiping her hands and forcing the mud from her clothing. Angi lit her entire body on fire, burning the debris on her to a crisp. "Just fantastic," Angi snarled. "I knew what I was doing."
"I'm sorry," Yuna said sarcastically, her arms crossed.
Red eyes glared at the water bender, who just looked away. The young man looked around at the tore up road, back at the little girls who were fighting, then back at the road. "Damn it, this is our only road," he whined, his hands finding a hold in his short brown hair.
"Suck it up," Azula commanded, drawing the attention of the boy to her. He stared at her, his eyes widening in surprise. "It's just a road. It can be fixed." He nodded , still too surprised to speak. "Show us to your village," Azula suggested in annoyance after a few seconds of him only staring at her, causing Ty Lee to giggle.
"Ri..right," he stuttered. "This way."
The village was surprisingly large considering where it was located. Azula judged that it was about as large as Ba Sing Se's lower ring. A large wall even surrounded the village. Though its purpose was to push back the forest's hungry advance and not keep the classes separated. As they entered the village, everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at the group. It was odd, but everyone seemed to be staring only at Azula. "Do I have something on me?" the ex-princess whispered to her wife.
The acrobat quickly glanced over her wife and shook her head in the negative. "Not that I can see," she replied.
Azula scowled, "Detia," she called but didn't get an answer. "Detia?"
Ty Lee giggled and nudged her wife, grabbing her attention. "She was dragged off by Yuna and Angi just a second ago to explore the village. They didn't even give her time to tell us. I only noticed because her aura began to drift away."
Azula nodded, though the scowl only grew. The couple was lead to the village center, where everyone was gathered. "Our leader," the young man said as an old man, walking with a cane though his back was as straight as a board, stepped forward.
A long white beard hung from his chin, and when he smiled, his brown eyes sparkled. "Welcome," he said warmly, putting his weight on his cane. "It has been a while since we've had visitors. What brings you to our village?"
"Our guide got lost," Ty Lee answered with a slight giggle. "Apparently, she was using the wrong map."
"Oh? Well, it's fortunate that you found our village," the old man replied. "Where is your guide?"
"She and her friend grabbed our daughter and ran off to explore," Azula answered as if she had better things to do, and though it was rude, Ty Lee was glad for the semblance of normality.
"Your daughter?" he asked, looking between the two women – determining that they were both female. He sighed, decided that it wasn't the oddest thing he had heard in his life, and from the golden glare he was receiving from the black haired woman that looked so familiar he decided not to further question it. "This is a large village. Are you not afraid she could get lost?"
Azula scoffed and crossed her arms, still holding the reins of two of the lizards in one hand. The other one was in Ty Lee's hands. "She has a knack for finding us," Ty Lee offered with a smile that rivaled her mate's scowl. "If you could just point us to an inn and a safe place to leave our mongoose lizards, we won't be much trouble."
He nodded kindly. "We have but one inn," he stated, gesturing generally. "It is the large house in the west; no doubt you passed it on your way here. You can leave your lizards in the stable attached to the inn."
"Thank you," Ty Lee said as she turned and screamed. The old man – and everyone watching – tensed and Azula turned ready to fight off whatever had frightened her wife. "Damn it, Sunstone."
Azula chuckled as her dragon crawled out of the saddlebag and onto Azula's extended arm. Her red eyes sparkled in amusement as she wrapped around her chosen's torso. "Be nice," she chided the baby dragon lightly. "She's just a baby, Ty," Azula defended the little thing, whose red eyes widened innocently.
Ty Lee huffed indignantly. "You need to teach that overgrown garden snake some manners."
A puff of smoke rose from the dragon's nose as she lifted her head, but Azula chuckled. "You made her mad, Sun. What did I tell you about doing that?"
"By the gods," the village leader exclaimed. "Do my eyes deceive me? It that really a dragon?"
Ty Lee huffed again. "Yes," Azula answered seriously, rubbing the golden scales between the dragon's head. "This is Sunstone," To reaffirm the statement, Sunstone squawked.
"Such a magnificent creature." He stepped closer in amazement but caught himself and strengthened back up at the sound of Sunstone's low growl. "You must be a very powerful Fire Bender to command such a creature."
It was small, the reaction from the ex-princess. One wouldn't have even noticed if they were actively looking. Of course, Ty Lee noticed the subtle changes in her wife's stance, the curl of her sharp nails into her palm, and the slight creases by her lips as her frown reasserted itself. That particular fire had been extinguished, and though a new one emerged to take its place, the identity being a Fire Bender gave Azula was all she knew. Not having that identity, that sense of self, was still hard for the once firebender, but she hid it well. She had always hid her 'weaker' emotions well. Ty Lee could tell how much it hurt her wife to have everything she thought she was taken from her and did everything in her power to support Azula. She had no doubt that her support and their daughter's was the only reason Azula hadn't fallen back into insanity.
It did not surprise Ty Lee when Azula didn't answer, it was none of their business. However, it did surprise both women when Detia suddenly appeared behind them and answered for her mother. "The best. She's the best Fire Bender ever!" The white haired child walked beside her mother, forcing the woman's hand to uncurl with just a touch before taking the hand.
The girl's golden eyes, so much like her mother, turned to the surprised old man's. According to his thoughts, he was trying to remember where he had seen such a unique appearance. Detia searched his memory, finding it rich with knowledge of the world of long ago. He had found many old scrolls in a cave somewhere near the village that described Detia's people and that's where he had 'seen' someone with her unique appearance. Easily, she blocked these memories. There was no need for him to start making accusations just yet.
The lightning bender turned to her mother with a devious smirk that made Azula smile softly. 'What did you do?' Azula thought.
Detia only shrugged. "Is there someplace we can leave our stuff? There's an arena on the far end of the village where we can practice."
"Really?" Azula answered, truly surprised. Apparently, the place was bigger than she thought.
Detia nodded, looking over to her mommy and smiling, reaching out for her hand. Ty Lee took the offered hand with a warm smile. The acrobat turned to the village leader and bowed slightly. "It is a pleasure to meet you. My wife and I are tired from our travel and wish to rest." The old man nodded his understanding, though his brown eyes never left Detia. "Come along."
The walk to the inn wasn't as long as Azula thought it would be. With Detia leading the way through the maze of houses and business, it took less than five minutes. Azula plastered a glare on her regal face as the people of the village continued to stare. When Ty Lee asked Detia what they were staring at, the lightning bender answered that Azula reminded them of one of the younger villagers. She even admitted that from the villager's mind's eyes the two looked very much alike. The ex-princess only huffed and continued to glare at the villagers until they reached the building with a sign that stated: Inn.
The inn was decorated in warm earth tones, not that that surprised either of the three entering the two story building. The mongoose lizards had been tied up in the stables. The saddlebags were brought in by a helpful stable hand and placed on the floor by the door. "It's kinda cozy," Ty Lee offered optimistically.
"In an Earth Kingdom kind of way, sure," Azula agreed pessimistically, just to hear her daughter – who had never let go of her hand – giggle.
Detia didn't disappoint, but Ty Lee did lightly slap her arm. "Hi," a friendly female voice called from behind the previously unoccupied counter. "Are you here for a room?"
Azula looked up from her child, having already smiled at her wife, and into golden eyes that matched her own. Had she been a lesser person, she would have backed up in surprise at the identical, but younger, woman that stood behind the counter of the inn. As it was, Azula's grip on Detia's hand tightened for a second before loosening. Ty Lee gasped, her hands going to her mouth, but neither of the two other women took notice. The girl standing behind the counter fiddled with the hem of her green tunic as her golden eyes widened. Her charcoal hair was swept back into a loose pony tail, random strands falling to frame her sharp, royal, distinctively fire nation features. Azula barely suppressed a growl and ground her teeth together to do so. The girl became even more rigid at Azula's reaction.
Detia watched as if she were a third party, noting the similarities and difference between the girl and her mother. They had the same features, eye color, skin tone and hair color. Had a stranger walked in the two would probably be mistaken for sisters, for the girl was obviously younger. The subtle differences were what set them apart, aside from age. Azula was a warrior and a princess, a person who constantly strived and worked vigorously at what she was, and held herself as such. Even when she was relaxed, she still exuded a sense of command and superiority. The girl did not give off such a demanding presence. Though she did give off a presence that demanded attention, it wasn't the same as one given off by royalty. It was a presence much like Zuko's, Detia decided, soft and gentle. A presence of someone who got everything they wanted in life with little effort.
The little lightning bender stared at the girl's gold eyes. The girl had never seen war or death or insanity. She had never felt real fear or hatred, had never felt as if there was no one she could trust, no one to love who would love you in return. The girl knew only love and adoration and safety from harm. There was innocence in her eyes that even Detia did not possess, an innocence that reminded the young outcast of Ursa and Lu Ten. Azula's eyes were hard and observant, the eyes of a warrior. Even now when the war was long over, they still spoke of the things she had endured. The things she had seen and felt; the loneliness she had to endure her whole life since she was a child.
"Mom!" the girl called behind her, never breaking contact with the ex-fire bender and bringing everyone's attention to the older woman who emerged from someplace in the back.
The older woman, probably somewhere in her late forties or early fifties came from the back, drying her long, wrinkled hands on an apron. Her hair fell in a long braid, the white sprinkled here and there through the otherwise black hair. "Aza I'm busy," the older woman chided lightly, her face still cast down as she brushed her apron of flour. "What is it that you need?"
At the sound of the woman's voice, Azula gasped lightly and stepped back just once, fighting the anger that boiled in her and the tears that threatened to fall. Detia let go of her mother's hand as she continued to observe. The older woman looked up, her golden eyes widening at the women who stood on the other side of the counter. Ty Lee seemed to be frozen in place, far too surprised to so much as make a noise. Detia recognized the older woman instantly, even though she was older – her features more weathered than in the many pictures she had seen thought out her life. "Mother," Azula hissed, sounding much like an accusation rather than a statement of joy.
"Azula," the woman answered back, her tone surprised but regal and calm.
TBC