A/N: Alriiiight... my dearest readers, ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the finale of Part II! Consider this as a two-part series ;). Because length-wise, that's what it is. Definitely. Ugh. Here we go! :)
-16-
BUT DON'T GIVE ME CHOICE
When Sureen had managed to regain her composure enough to move again, she scurried up the basement stairs and hid right beside the entrance to the living room. Carefully, she leaned around the corner to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside.
There was an entire squad of Dai Li agents in rows. Two agents, having forced Zuko to a seated position on the couch, kept restraining him in place, sitting closely to his left and his right. Marla sat in the armchair, her eyes frantically wandering between Zuko and the rows of Dai Li in front of her.
Suddenly, Sureen heard the front door creak. Not a moment to spare, she managed to jump behind a nearby cupboard. A nimble figure swept into the living room, stopping right in front of the Dai Li squad.
When the figure turned around to address Zuko, Sureen's blood curdled: she recognized the face before her.
It emitted the same cold, calculating self-satisfaction as it had back in the abandoned village. She had seen that exact same smirk after the firebender had killed Iroh. Only this time, it was her brother she was smirking at. Sureen's breath caught.
"Well, well, what a pleasant surprise… don't you think so, Zuko? Wouldn't have expected our paths to cross so soon." Azula's voice was as sweet as honey. "Oh, but have you met the Dai Li? They're earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that's so firebender. I just love it."
Zuko answered his sister with a furious glare that seemed to gain intensity the longer he maintained it.
"I'm tired of running," he growled eventually. "This time, I'll face you, Azula. I hereby challenge you to an Agni Kai!" The prince started up from the couch, managing to shake off the two Dai Li with the sudden move.
Azula burst out laughing, only to turn serious a second later. "You're being sooo dramatic, Zuzu. No, thanks."
With a casual wave of her hand, she instructed the Dai Li agents to take care of the issue and then turned away. In the blink of an eye, countless clods of earth shot in Zuko's direction, trapping his entire upper body in a narrow tube of solid earth and effectively keeping him from using his arms. The prince couldn't help but wince in pain as he felt the tightness and the sudden pressure against his bruises and his broken rib.
"Take him away." Azula's cold voice echoed through the living room.
Sureen's mind raced. NO way. This is NOT gonna happen again. And I'm NOT gonna hide and watch until it's too late, again. I swear I won't let it hap-
"Don't you DARE, Princess." Before she really knew what she was doing, Sureen jumped out of her hideout, right into the middle of the living room. She stood with her hands on her hips, her own furious glare nothing short of Zuko's.
"Oh, look who's here. Another unexpected meeting. This really seems to be quite the reunion-day, doesn't it?" Azula smiled icily. "So you found yourself a little girlfriend, Zuzu? Aawww, how cute is th-?"
"She's NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"
"Yeah, sure. I have no doubts Mai would be… well, surprised to hear that. Especially as you seem to have decided in favor of a member of the avatar's group. But it's no wonder, considering how keen you were on teaming up with them back in Hicksville. Although you ought to have learned your lesson a little better out there: it's pointless to team up with ANYONE when you're facing ME." Azula spat out the words, wandering towards her brother, and throwing a disparaging look at him in passing. Eventually, she idled over to Sureen, stopping right in front of her. Azula folded her arms and craned her neck while addressing the other girl with a patronizing tone. "... And it's particularly pointless when they aren't even A BENDER." The fire princess paused for a moment to judgementally look Sureen over from head to toe.
But the second Azula dropped her arms and passed her adversary with cool nonchalance, the element of surprise was on Sureen's side.
In a wink, the princess was brought to the floor.
Now it was Sureen's turn to smirk at the crumpled figure at her feet. "Pointless. Sure." Note to self: nevertheless, even a simple non-bender hip-throw can be pretty effective, the girl added mentally.
Azula hurried to her feet. "Agents! Remove the prisoner... and make sure a certain OBSTACLE doesn't get in my way again," she commanded furiously while sweeping out of the room and out the front door.
Immediately, another series of clods came hurtling towards Sureen, catapulting her backwards and pinning her to the corridor wall. No. No, nonoNO! Please NO! She was trapped. They dragged Zuko right past her, and she couldn't stop them. After all, it was happening again. They were taking him away, and she was close enough to see the shock in his eyes... but there was nothing she could do. Just HOW MANY times!? How many times is my life gonna give me this goddamn déjà-vu?! No, please! ZUKO! NO!
While she inwardly screamed in despair, the girl ceaselessly writhed in her trap, trying to jerk herself free from those clods of earth. But they didn't move an inch. She was forced to stay put while Zuko was marched off.
The moment the front door slammed shut behind the last Dai Li agent, the clods limply slumped to the ground. So did Sureen. At the end of the day, she was nothing but a powerless drop in the ocean. Zuko had been wrong about her.
Marla, who had finally managed to push herself off the armchair and hurry to the corridor, stood helpless in the face of an overwrought young woman crying bitter tears at the realization that, again, she hadn't been able to protect the ones she cared for most.
x-x-x
No, there must be something I can do, I'm not gonna give up just like that... just... something, anything, I don't care! But it was pointless. He was wrapped in a narrow, tube-like thing made of solid earth, and he couldn't break free... which made his injured ribcage hurt as hell... and they had forced him past Sureen and out of the house... and he had never seen her look that helpless. But all he could do was feel every bit as helpless... and sorry. He felt sorry because this was all wrong. He wasn't supposed to be defeated like this. And they weren't supposed to part company like that! AAAARRGH! Damnit! Desperately, the prince clenched his fists.
And where was he being taken now? Back to Lake Laogai? It was the same kind of vehicle as had carried Jet away... only last time, Zuko had clung to its roof. This time, everything was different. The vehicle didn't leave the city - it headed right for its center. He was being brought to the palace.
x-x-x
The shadow of the assault still lingered heavily on the dwelling. Sureen and Marla sat on the couch in the living room, blankly gazing out of the window or at the steaming cups of hot tea in front of them. Still too shocked to hold a conversation - especially because Sureen had lapsed into a trance shortly after the Dai Li had left. Her sobs had faded away surprisingly quickly, leaving her face dull, empty eyes unfocusedly staring into space.
At least Marla eventually convinced the girl to get up from the corridor floor and take a seat on the couch.
With an effort, the older woman broke the silence. "Well... alright then, listen. This is bad. If that girl... the Fire Nation Princess, Azula, is it? If Princess Azula is the one commanding the Dai Li now, I'm positive it means she's overthrown the Earth King and taken over Ba Sing Se. Seems like after all these years of ignorance about the war, the city of Ba Sing Se has fallen. And apparently, it happened in next to no time. There haven't been any rumors about a looming invasion. No one saw this coming. And it's all just happened - otherwise I'd have known."
"Whatever." Sureen shrugged her shoulders. Truth be told, she couldn't care less about who was or wasn't the ruler of Ba Sing Se right then.
"Well, I'm mentioning it because..." Apparently, Sureen's thoughts were clearly written on her face, because Marla slowly trailed off upon seeing it. However, she continued to explain her idea. "Obviously, the princess' overall plan includes not only taking over Ba Sing Se, but also toying with... your companion. Or should I rather call him the banished prince of the Fire Nation?" The woman added, suddenly turning harsh, and folded her arms, glaring fiercely at Sureen. "Oh well, " she eventually sighed. "Either way, it seems that the boy's sister is ruthless when it comes to getting where she wants. And considering that she's commanding the Dai Li, has taken over the entire city, and has made sure Prince Zuko can't frustrate her plans anymore, it's evident that she's the one who pulls the strings. Which means to nip things in the bud, we have to find a way to stop Azula. Once we do that, we'll also free your friend. Because it all boils down to the same thing, or rather the same person." Marla gave a short, assertive nod, her eyes sparkling with resolve. "Have faith in the intuition of an old woman, my dear."
Sureen was taken aback. She hadn't expected the elderly lady to be so intent on defeating Azula.
"O-okay," the girl stuttered. "If that's the case, can your intuition give us anything to stop Azula? I mean... you sound like you already have some kind of plan."
"Well... I wouldn't necessarily go as far as to call it a plan... and it's not so much based on my intuition as on some information I happen to have. When it comes to stopping the Fire Nation, I think there's someone that could help us." Marla took a deep breath before she went on. "Rumor has it that the avatar has been staying in Ba Sing Se for a while now."
Sureen's heart skipped a beat. "Wha- Avatar A-aang? He's... they're HERE?" Oh God, if that's really true, then yes, of course, they're gonna help us - but wait... they're NEVER gonna help me free Zuko! Never. The girl's mind reeled, stumbling from enthusiastic to petrified to frantic, pondering how to free Zuko "by accident", unnoticed in the whole "defeating Azula" mess -
"Right. He's here," Marla interjected, interrupting Sureen's hectic considerations. "And I take it he and his friends are staying at the Earth King's guest house. I know where that is. So go pack anything you'd like to take with you. And then we need to hurry - there's no time to lose!"
Wide-eyed, Sureen nodded. "Yeah... um... sure."
She turned around and headed for the basement stairs, confusedly scratching her head. Something felt weird. Zuko, Azula AND Aang - suddenly everyone happens to be at the same place. That's a bit too much of a coincidence, isn't it? Wait... Azula AND AANG... oh my God. THE SCROLL. The day after I had gone back to Zuko, right after he had burned dow- whoa, that giant explosion! Anyway... back then, he told me about that scroll by the Fire Lord... Zuko's words - his voice dull and jaded - leapt into the girl's mind: 'Seems like my fa... the Fire Lord has recently sent a scroll to my attention. It served to inform me that... that he is sorely disappointed that my mission to capture the avatar has had no success since the day of my banishment. Therefore, he additionally commissioned my sister with this mission.' '... He hopes that his measure will increase my efforts to do whatever is necessary to redeem my honor.'
The insight hit her like a hammer on the head. Abruptly, she turned back to the older woman. "Marla! You're right... a-and you're wrong! Azula is behind everything, and she has a plan... but it's because the Fire Lord sent her. A-Azula... she's hunting for the avatar! She KNOWS he's in the city! Oh God, we REALLY have to hu-!"
Even before finishing her sentence, Sureen whirled around and dashed down the basement stairs, packing her things as she was told. Finding Aang as fast as possible really was their only option.
x-x-x
How many secret catacombs did this city conceal? Apparently, there was a second whole world of caves right beneath the palace. It almost looked like another city: there were large buildings that looked like another palace, parks with fountains, and everything was bathed in a dim golden glow.
In different circumstances, Zuko would've been impressed by the sight. But at the moment, he was more than a little unsettled realizing there was a second hidden underground realm. Just like below Lake Laogai, cave after cave adjoined one another in an endless net of chambers and corridors far below the ground. There was no way Sureen could know about this place. But he wasn't relying on the girl to come. He could definitely get himself out on his own! Um... right? Of course! After all, he still was the prince of the Fire Nation. His firebending skills still were far above average. This wouldn't be too much of a problem for him... would it?
All of a sudden, the Dai Li agents guiding him stopped, turning towards the wall on their left. With one fluent, synchronous move, they slid a part of it aside. Behind it was a narrow cave that sloped steeply downwards. While it was too dark to see what was at the end, Zuko had a bad feeling that he was about to find out.
He wasn't given the time to succumb to his misgivings. A violent kick in the back made him lose his balance and tumble forward. The tube of earth wrapped around his torso burst into countless pieces, and he couldn't help but groan in pain as his injured ribcage once more collided with the ground over and over again. This time, he forced himself to stay conscious. If he wanted to escape, fainting would definitely be the least useful thing he could do.
It didn't take long for the ground to become flat again, slowing Zuko's fall. A few deep breaths later, his vision became clear. The cave in which he found himself looked as if it were made from ice: tremendous icicles radiated and reflected a cold blue light. On closer inspection, though, the prince noticed that the cavern's ground, walls and ceiling were, in fact, covered by huge aquamarine rock crystals.
Furthermore - Zuko's breath caught and his eyes turned wide - evidently, he wasn't even the only prisoner down there.
On the opposite side of the cave stood a certain waterbender girl, glaring at him furiously.
x-x-x
Sometimes, surprises appear when you expect them least - the happy as well as the the sad ones.
The moment the door of the guest house opened, Aang's, Sokka's and - in a way - even Momo's jaws dropped in astonishment. Only Toph didn't look surprised at all. Sureen was sure it was because she had heard their steps or smelled them ages before their arrival. They all gave her a rapturous welcome, almost forgetting about the elderly lady that attended their visitor. But Marla didn't mind. She gladly stepped back and watched the welcome.
"Guys, it's great to see you again," Sureen smiled brightly. "But isn't there someone missing? Where's Katara?"
Suddenly, their happiness vanished.
"She's disappeared. J-just like in my vision. B-but the Earth King told us sh-she's fine and she went to see the Kyoshi Warriors and, and... then we went back home, 'cause w-we were sure she'd be here by now, but she isn't, she's gone, we don't kn-"
Marla cut off the boy's hectic stammering, approaching the group with firm steps. "Avatar Aang, excuse me for interrupting, but... when exactly did you meet the Earth King? Was he still in the palace?"
"Oh. Sorry, guys. Forgot to introduce you - that's Marla. She's, um, the owner of the hotel in the marketplace and my boss, in a way... or more like... oh, well. Luckily, she brought me here, and I'll explain the rest later, 'cause right now we really have to hurry! When and where did you meet the Earth King, Aang?"
"O-okay... well, um, why, we're just coming back from the palace. And yes, that's where we met the Earth King. I mean... where else would we meet him if not in his palace?" Aang's eyes wandered skeptically between Marla and Sureen.
"Aang, listen. You're in danger. Azula is here. The Fire Lord sent her. She's after you. She controls the Dai Li. She ordered them to capture Zuko, right before my eyes, and I couldn't even - ... A-anyway, the thing is -"
"She's managed to put herself in command of the Dai Li. Which means she's about to overthrow the Earth King and take over Ba Sing Se. And as she didn't hesitate to capture Prince Zuko, I have a feeling she might be behind the disappearance of your friend Katara, too," Marla interjected.
"Of course! She must have Katara," Aang agreed.
"But be careful, young avatar. I'm afraid Azula's trying to lure you into a trap by capturing your friend," the older woman countered.
The boy sighed. "I see. But... I don't care. I NEED to find Katara! I won't let her down. Sureen, welcome back to our team, I guess." He gave his newly-returned team member a short, approving nod before he continued. "We'll work together to fight Azula, and free Katara. And Zuko," Aang added determinedly, meeting Sureen's gaze. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Whoa there! You lost me at 'Zuko'," Sokka interrupted.
Sureen couldn't help but stick up for her friend. "Oh, Sokka, c'mon, I know how you feel about him, but... he isn't all that bad, there's good inside him, I'm telling you!"
"Yeah, sure. But 'good inside him' isn't enough! Why don't you come back when it's outside him, too, okay?" In a huff, Sokka folded his arms.
"Katara's in trouble. All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble. Working together is our best chance," Aang concluded firmly.
"Wow, okay. Right, thanks," Sureen replied with a relieved smile, only to become disheartened again a second later. "It's just... we don't have a clue where they're being held captive."
"Well, m-maybe I know. Like, kind of. I mean, um, I had that vision," Aang explained hesitantly. "I saw Katara being taken away... to, um, a weird place beneath the ground that looked like a cave, but all the walls were covered by large blue rock crystals and there was a cold blue glow all ar-"
"The crystal catacombs!" Marla exclaimed. "They're part of the ancient city, right below the palace, deep underground. That's where they have to be!"
x-x-x
He honestly couldn't tell what the worse part was: being captured in a hidden cave far underground; being captured while being somewhat - well, say, 'out of it', physically and mentally; or being captured with a waterbender. The girl was a pain, to say the least. The tantrum she threw upon seeing him was ridiculous, her accusations were pointless and superficial, revealing that she didn't have a clue about anything. Her words were miles away from the truth, yet they made Zuko's blood boil with rage.
Clenching his fists and teeth, the prince turned his back to the girl. It was all he could do to keep himself from losing it and yelling back at her, which he knew would be in vain. And what's more - he was not accountable to her. There was no need for him to justify himself. That would be like admitting that Katara had, in fact, hit a nerve. Which he wouldn't admit, because it simply wasn't true... was it? He couldn't deny that, lately, his nerves were pretty on edge - so maybe it wasn't that difficult to hit one of them. Frustrated with himself and his state of mind, Zuko rolled his eyes and gave a low growl.
x-x-x
They walked in comfortable silence: Aang extending the tunnel every now and then, Sureen holding a torch so they could see where they were going. It was the first time the girl had been surrounded by silence since she'd left Marla's house. It put her mind at ease. It was as though she could release a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding... ever since Zuko had been captured.
Earlier, Marla had guided them close to the palace, telling them it would be the place beneath which, according to her knowledge, the crystal catacombs were located. She'd declared that it was where they had to say goodbye, as saving Ba Sing Se from the Fire Nation's claws definitely wasn't a job for an old woman. She'd wished all of them the best of luck and bid farewell to Sureen with a heartfelt embrace.
Sokka had decided that it would be most effective for them to split up - Sureen and Aang using earthbending to reach the catacombs; Toph and Sokka hurrying into the palace, trying to find and warn the Earth King. Immediately, Aang had begun to bend a tunnel into the ground, heading in the direction he'd been told. Sureen had grabbed one of the burning torches adjoining the broad stairs that led up to the palace. Provided with the torch, she'd hurried back to catch up with Aang, who had moved further into the ground.
"Actually, it wasn't even that long ago that we parted ways back in that destroyed village, right?" Aang suddenly thought aloud. "But it feels like that was ages ago, because so much has happened since, hasn't it?"
"Mhm... definitely." A deep-drawn sigh escaped Sureen's lungs. "A lot has happened recently. More than I could... ugh... just... it kind of was too much."
"Yeah." Even Aang couldn't help but sigh. Apparently, they'd both had some unpleasant experiences of late. "I guess I pretty much messed up my visit to the guru," the boy eventually added.
"Guru? Sounds... uh... weird."
"Yeah, it was. Actually, things went really well... like, at the beginning. I went to see him so he could teach me how to master the avatar state. And he told me it's all about opening my chakras. Which is like, I dunno, focusing on stuff that blocks you. Finding out what it is and then letting it go. And the final chakra's about 'leaving behind your earthly boundaries' or something. To get there you have to let go of the ones you love most. But... I couldn't. I mean, well, the one I love most... um... I would've had to let go of Katara..." The boy couldn't help but blush and hastily avert his gaze to avoid the telling glance Sureen gave him. "And I refused to do that, cause it felt all wrong. I just couldn't." Aang sighed. "That's how I screwed it up. 'Cause unless I open all my chakras, I'll never be able to master the avatar state. That's what the guru told me. I blew it."
"Hmm... I see," Sureen mumbled. "But maybe it always feels wrong to let go of someone you love. I mean, I... On our way to Ba Sing Se, I met someone. Well, it was more like some kind of reunion, as we had been best friends as children. But for years, I was sure I was the only survivor. I had no clue he'd survived, too. So we met again -"
"He? Ooohh, lemme guess: you guys fell in love? NO WAY! So you -"
"Aang..."
"- have a boyfriend now? For real?! Where -"
"Aang!"
"- is he right now? Can I meet hi-?"
"Geez! AANG! SHUT IT! Seriously!"
"Oh. Sorry."
"I don't have a boyfriend now, 'cause he isn't alive anymore, okay?" Sureen hissed at the boy. "I-it's a long story, kind of. The Dai Li... th-they... it was them."
"Oh... I... I'm sorry t-to hear that. So you also had to let g-... I'm so sorry," Aang whispered.
"Right. Um... thanks." Sheepishly, Sureen wiped her eyes with her sleeve. "Only I can't let go, either. He's on my mind pretty much all the time. It almost feels like the moment I let him go will be the moment he really disappears. Like, I dunno... like I'll ultimately lose him the moment I decide to move on."
"Yeah... I think I know what you mean." Aang nodded understandingly.
"I guess letting go is always difficult to do. 'Specially when it's someone real important to you." The girl's head drooped. "'Cause like you said - it feels all wrong. But... I don't want to sound mean or anything... but at least Katara's still alive and won't disappear from your side. So even when you let her go, she wo- WHOA!" Sureen was awestruck and blinded by the sight she beheld. In front of her lay a wide cave, its walls, floor and ceiling completely covered by glowing aquamarine rock crystals.
With a smooth earthbending move Aang had extended their tunnel again - and finally, it seemed as though they had reached their destination.
x-x-x
What the... the avatar! AND Sureen! Yeah, sure, so much for 'I'm on no one's side, blahblah.' Who do you think you're kidding?
Zuko's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in rage at seeing his only friend with his worst enemy. He'd been foolish enough to fall for Sureen's promises the day they had first met - only to see her team up with the avatar as soon as their paths crossed. Feeling a sickening pain in his chest, the prince leapt back from the waterbender girl, already regretting all that had happened between them.
"Sureen! What the hell are you doing here with THE AVATAR? How dare you? Just... why?!" His words sounded more desperate than he wanted; he tried to cover up his failed attempt of intimidation by looking at Aang as though he could firebend with his eyes. The avatar immediately glared back. Apparently, today really was, to use Azula's words, 'reunion-day'.
"Well... would his Majesty excuse my oh-so-outrageous endeavour to save his royal derrière? THAT'S WHAT I'm doing here," the girl snapped back at the furious prince. Then she turned to the avatar. "Aang, just... head back to the palace with Katara, will you? We'll catch up with you later. Just give us a minute."
Aang didn't reply. With a quick nod, he grabbed Katara's sleeve and hurried to leave the catacombs.
"Zuko, I -" Sureen began.
"Oh, shut it! Seriously, you couldn't wait to team up with him again, could you? Why did you - h-HEY!"
SWOOSH! Zuko didn't finish his sentence, either. All of a sudden, a hissing sound that made him whirl around filled the air. Three figures came sliding down the opposite cave wall – two Dai Li creating their path as they went closely followed by Azula. A creepily low, crackling noise made the prince spin back to Sureen - just in time to see a narrow cage of blue crystals rapidly grow around her, enveloping her whole body except for her head. Seeing the petrified look in the girl's eyes, Zuko couldn't help it –
"What's going on?! LET HER GO!"
Azula and the two Dai Li came to a halt right beside Zuko. "Oh, how cute. Big brother still defending his little girlf-"
"I told you she's NOT MY G-"
"Yeah, whatever. Maybe you should've taken the time to look into who that girl really was. BEFORE falling for her, I mean. But don't worry, I've done some research for you, Zuzu. Have I mentioned that I love the Dai Li? They have the means to provide you with uninterrupted reports concerning the lives of all citizens of Ba Sing Se. They can trace everyone's life story back to their date of birth. It's impressive, really." An evil smirk spread across Azula's face.
"Oh, and some general knowledge in Fire Nation history wouldn't hurt, either. But in order to obtain such knowledge, one would've had to pay attention in class, or at least attend school more often rather than pretend to be sick and spending the mornings crying in mommy's arms… but oh, well."
Zuko limited himself to frowning. Ignoring him, his sister continued.
"To sum up: there once was a tribe of savage natives living in our country's forests. The Fire Nation kindly tolerated them and let them live on their own - until, during the war, it became mandatory for every citizen of the Fire Nation to do their share to support our glorious army. Unfortunately, the forest people weren't exactly cooperative. Although they were offered the great honor of living at the Fire Palace and of directly reporting to the Fire Lord, they refused obedience and remained unwilling to put their special abilities in the Fire Nation's services. Naturally, such high treason deserved the death penalty." Dismissively, Azula folded her arms. "That's what you could've learned at school, Zuzu. Oh, and of course we also learned about the forest people's extraordinary skills. Which I also doubt you recall. Or am I wrong?" the fire princess asked oh-so-innocently in a singsong voice.
The prince glared back at her. This time, she was wrong. He knew about Sureen's skills, that much was certain. Regardless of what he had - or hadn't - learned back in school.
"They were spies." Azula squinted perfidiously, throwing a telltale look at Sureen. "They only had to look at someone to know their thoughts, their feelings, all of their deepest fears, best-hidden secrets and weaknesses. They could read other people like books, Zuko." The malicious joy in Azula's eyes couldn't be missed.
"That's where the findings of the Dai Li come in. Seems like our soldiers didn't manage to wipe out the entire tribe of forest people. Apparently, there was a survivor. A girl got away. She managed to remain undiscovered, probably because she spent most of her time wandering the world, concealing her past and her supernatural skills. Until, eventually, she met the avatar and joined his team. After travelling together for a while, they decided to part ways, because they had found a more suitable task for their new team member."
Smirking calculatingly, Azula let her eyes wander from Sureen to Zuko before she went on. "Don't you see, Zuzu? Your little friend over there took her sweet time to study you. She followed you to find out about your every weakness and discover your vulnerable spots. And she subtly directed your paths to Ba Sing Se. That was the place where she'd arranged to abandon you and return to the avatar. It's all been part of the plan, Zuko. A plan the avatar and this girl made to spy on you. And, obviously, you were oblivious enough to fall for it." The princess' smirk grew wider.
Wait, WHAT?! Sureen couldn't believe her ears. Her mind raced while panic gripped her heart, and her body started trembling in her narrow cage of rock crystals. N-no! Just… NO! I would never - it wasn't planned! But damnit, it makes sense… Oh God, the way she put it does sound logical, but… shit, it's not true! I swear there's no plan behind this! AZULA's the one with the plan. SHE came here on purpose, but I'm not… I didn't even… Oh my God, Zuko, PLEASE!
"Zuko, no..." Her voice was barely audible. "I didn't have a clue Aang was here. W-we didn't plan anything. But… don't you remember that scroll the Fire Lord sent you? You should know why your sister came to Ba Sing Se. She's the one who knew Aang was here, Zuko. I... you know why I came back to the village that day. I told you why. I didn't lie to you. I'd never lie to you, I-I couldn't... I... Zuko, please... d-don't..." Ultimately, her voice cracked. Taking a shaky breath, Sureen averted her gaze.
Unimpressed, Azula ignored the other girl's words and continued, "Well, at least I expected this kind of treachery from the little savage-girl. But Zuko, Prince Zuko, you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?" The manipulative undertone of Azula's voice made Sureen sick. But the fire princess was far from finishing her speech. "It's not too late for you. You can still redeem yourself. I need you, Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day, this glorious day in Fire Nation history, and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have father's love. You will have everything you want. Oh... and if savage-girl over there truly is your friend, as she claims to be, I'm sure she'll come with us. The last survivor of the forest tribe finally making up her mind to cooperate with the Fire Nation - just imagine how pleased father would be if you brought him such a precious gift." Her sneer and tone dripped with triumph.
Sureen's eyes widened in shock. No... no. Please, Zuko, no, I can't do that, don't ask me to... don't ask... please don't.
He didn't ask. Not verbally, at least. But when their eyes met, the question was written all over his face, mixed with a faint hope that maybe Azula had been wrong and his companion, in fact, hadn't teamed up with the avatar and was still on his side. 'Cause Azula always lies... Azula ALWAYS LIES...
But Sureen couldn't do it. Zuko was her friend, and she wanted to follow him wherever he asked her to... but this time, she simply couldn't. She'd never betray her people. Why couldn't he see that?
"Anyway, I gotta go. The choice is yours." With those words, the princess turned around, disappearing in the same direction Aang and Katara had gone.
The shake of Sureen's head was hardly visible. But it was enough. Enough to squash the hope flickering in Zuko's eyes. To make his gaze turn so lost and then so cold that her heart winced.
"I-I'm sor -" But it was too late. Trapped in her crystal cage, she could only watch her friend whirl around and storm out of the cavern, following his sister, going after Aang and Katara.
Left alone in the crystal catacombs, Sureen helplessly tried to blink away the tears that welled up in her eyes.
She'd lost him.
x-x-x
He was the prince of the Fire Nation and his mission was to capture the avatar and redeem his honor. How could he ever stray from those objectives?
Blind rage burned within him. Just as it had the day he had burned down the remains of that abandoned village, the feeling took hold of his heart and soul, consuming his consciousness until there was no other thought left inside him. He would strike back and nothing could stop him, for he could take no more. Again, the world had fooled him and he had been gullible enough to let it happen. He'd had it, once and for all.
When Zuko made out the avatar in the wide cave adjoining the crystal catacombs, two whips of fire shot out of his palms, reaching for their prey. In next to no time, Aang was separated from Katara. While Azula held the waterbender at bay, the prince focused on his enemy, ruthlessly attacking him with his fire whips.
He would beat and capture the avatar. Finally, his goal was in his grasp, and for the sake of his redemption and his future, he would not miss his chance. Azula had been right. Apparently, for once, she hadn't lied.
x-x-x
Sureen was hiding behind a ledge, watching the scene with disbelief. It couldn't be real... please, this can't be true!
When she'd left the crystal catacombs, she couldn't help but limp. She'd felt as though she had bruises all over her body, and each movement hurt like hell.
Shortly after Zuko had disappeared through the tunnel, Sureen began to writhe in her trap. Noticing the gaps between the crystals, the girl decided there had to be a way out. Frantically, she tried to squirm free of her cage, bending her arms and legs at almost impossible ankles. Eventually, inch by inch, the edges of the crystals pressing sharply against her skin and leaving behind bruises and cuts, Sureen managed to move forward. At last, she was free. Leaning against the crystal cage, panting heavily, she took awhile to catch her breath enough to follow Zuko. But she had to find out what was going on in the other cave! So she clenched her teeth and began to run - until she collapsed behind the ledge, her knees buckling when she realized what was happening.
Now all she could do was watch, helpless and petrified, her breath coming in hurried, strangled thuds.
Aang did his best to escape Zuko's attacks, jumping from rock to rock, fighting off his opponent with either airbending or earthbending. Sometimes he even seemed to be gaining the upper hand, knocking Zuko down - the girl's breath always caught - but the prince always got back to his feet, lunging for the avatar even more aggressively. The same applied to Azula and Katara. The four of them were entangled in the most intense fight Sureen had ever seen. They were all aware that it was all or nothing. And none of them were willing to give in.
All of a sudden, the cave was filled with Dai Li agents. They had come sliding down the rocky walls from each side of the wide cavern. While they were closing in on Katara, Aang seemed to make up some kind of plan, as he suddenly drew back and sat down in a meditation position, shielding himself under a roof of crystals he hurriedly created above his head. In the meantime, Katara fought desperately to hold the Dai Li at bay, using waterbending katas to form octopus-like arms of water that shot out at every direction. But still...
"Damnit, they're outnumbered, they can't win this..." Sureen's voice was reduced to a terrified whisper. "Marla was right - it's a trap."
However, she suddenly noticed a bright light out of the corner of her eye. Its source looked like a giant glowing bubble, Aang floating in its center, his eyes beaming blindingly white - oh wow, he's made it, he's mastering the avatar state! But the next second, everything fell apart. A tremendous blue lightning bolt hit Aang in the back. Sureen's heart stopped beating. Azula's sudden attack had hit home. Aang's body in the glowing bubble twitched a few times before it went limp and his eyes fell shut. Sureen watched the scene in horror, scared stiff, too shaken to scream.
The next thing she remembered was something nudging her shoulder. Wincing in shock, the girl spun around, sucking in a shaky breath... only to release it with relief a moment later. The panic in her eyes was replaced with firm resolve, and she nodded determinedly. "Alright, let's go!"
x-x-x
Katara somehow managed to create a giant wave that caught Aang's fall and simultaneously wash away all the Dai Li agents standing between her and him. When she hurried over to his limp form on the ground, helplessly trying to fight back her tears, she saw Zuko and Azula approaching. The siblings prepared for their final attack. When the girl sunk to her knees, desperately wrapping her arms around her unconscious friend, she knew that that was it. They'd lost. They would die here.
... But all of a sudden, a huge black albatross-horse seemed to appear from nowhere, carrying Sureen on its back. The creature effectively blocked the space between Aang and Katara and their assailants.
"Katara! Get out of here! Carry him out! MOVE!" Sureen yelled, meeting Katara's stunned gaze. Turning to Zuko, she added, "I'll keep them busy as long as I can!" Zuko's and Sureen's eyes locked for a second; they both stared at each other coldly and crushingly. Enemies. Like we're... enemies. The girl's blood ran cold. "Hurry, Katara!"
Sera was truly amazing. The way she spread out her wings to shield Aang and Katara from the attacks, and the way she managed to draw their assailants' attention to herself by lunging down upon them from above: the flying horse seemed to know exactly what it was doing. All that was left for Sureen to do was watch their backs and to slightly guide Sera. The rest of the job was done by the girl's flying companion with instinctive assurance.
However, after dodging the attacks for a while, Sureen felt Sera's heavy panting. Her sides heaved and fell against her riders thighs in hurried snatches. There was no question that covering Aang's and Katara's backs was an exhausting task that brought the albatross horse to its limits. Damn, she's not gonna last much longer! But when the girl eventually managed to look behind her, she noticed with relief that her friends had left the cave. Or at least they were out of sight.
"Sera, they're gone! They made it! WE made it!" She'd barely finished her last sentence when her winged friend dashed forward, past Zuko and Azula, into one of the tunnels. Guess that's how she got down here... that's why she knows the way back, she thought, hastily clinging to Sera's mane as the rocky cave walls shot dangerously close by. Desperately, Sureen closed her eyes, pressing her body even closer to the horse's neck.
After a while, she felt the wind playing with her hair. When she carefully opened her eyes, she realized that Sera had soared into the night sky above Ba Sing Se. They rose above the city, the palace as well as its surrounding buildings and streets becoming tinier and tinier beneath them.
Sera headed for a distant mountain adjoining Lake Laogai. It was over. They had made it out.
x-x-x
[Song for this next bit: Ludovico Einaudi - Giorni Dispari]
After the albatross horse had alighted somewhere close to the mountaintop, Sureen slid off its back, stepping closer to the steep abyss in front of her. Somewhere deep below, there was the wide, black surface of the lake, reflecting the moonlight, calm and peaceful. On its opposite shore, Sureen saw the massive outer wall of Ba Sing Se. The city itself was hidden behind the wall, but its golden glow lit up the night. It was a warm light that captivated the eyes. Altogether, the scene was... shockingly beautiful. How can something so horrific and detestable look so damn beautiful?
The city had ruined it all. It had turned a friend into an enemy again, perhaps irreversibly. The city had Jet's death on its conscience, and she could only hope that Aang had made it out alive. But Aang had Katara... at least she was a healer and had more helpful skills than Sureen. Sureen's skills were either useless or simply not there when it mattered, but they did make her feel other people's emotions at times when she didn't even want to. They did make her a spy.
Scanning her surroundings, the girl tried to figure out where the Earth King's Palace - the FORMER Earth King's Palace - was located. Zuko was still in there, wasn't he? Yeah... like, celebrating his glorious victory together with his sick psycho sister, who had managed to find exactly the right words to turn everything upside down. Sureen clenched her fists. Just HOW could things go so awfully wrong?
While Sureen was staring at Ba Sing Se's golden glow, the memories of the day she had decided to leave Aang and his friends and go back to Zuko began to sneak up on her.
How she'd ignored the prince's protest and attacks when he'd noticed she'd returned and how she eventually crouched down beside him. "You know, years ago, I concluded that no one should ever be forced to face something like that all by oneself. No matter if it's the Prince of the Fire Nation or... some unknown girl from an unknown tribe..."
How the prince had buried his uncle that night, so close to his breaking-point and yet so distanced and unapproachable. But at least she could convince him to take a seat by the fire. Sureen remembered the way his hands had been shaking when he had grabbed the bowl of rice. "I've ALWAYS had to look after myself the last years, no matter what. Thus I can't just… I mean… I just…" That night was the first time he tried to talk to her. And although he barely managed to put his thoughts into words, Sureen genuinely appreciated his efforts to let her catch a glimpse of what was going on behind his defensive walls.
How she'd heard his muffled sobs later that night and - for lack of a better plan - started telling him almost her entire life story, which made Zuko even more bemused. "WHY?! Why do you care? I never asked you to do that; your compassion is unnecessary... you're wasting your breath. I'm getting along just fine on my own, as I ALWAYS have!"... "I saw you traveling with the avatar... so I know you're on THEIR side! They sent you to spy on me– to find some kind of... weakness or whatever!" - He'd seen it coming right from the start, hadn't he? But he apologized right away. "I... I'm sorry. It's just that... suddenly everything has changed... nothing's like it's used to be... I can't tell what's right or wrong anymore. It's been so long... since I've been able to trust someone... without worrying that they'd use my weakness against me."
The girl sank to her knees. Oh, God. Down in the catacombs I did just that. Her vision began to blur with guilty tears. I'm sorry, Zuko. I'm so sorry.
She also remembered Zuko burning down the remains of that village, so helpless and furious in his situation that he'd just lost it. How he broke down afterwards, and the first time he didn't reject Sureen's careful attempts to comfort him. How he'd trusted her enough to let Sera carry them through the air, although he was so scared that he almost couldn't do it.
And she would never forget the first night in the cave on the mountain when she'd had to staunch Zuko's wound using her scorching hot knife. She'd been unaware that the familiar pain would throw the prince back to a day he wished he could erase from his memory. Sureen could see – and literally feel – the painful assault that burnt itself not only into his face, but into his soul.
Not once did Suree leave Zuko's side when he was struggling for dear life the days that followed.
And after he'd returned from his little trip to the mountaintop and Sureen found him collapsed in an unconscious heap in front of the cave, how he tried to tell her what she meant to him. "No. You're not. You're not just a drop in the ocean. I - I mean... f-for me... You're not just a drop."
Burying her face in her hands, Sureen doubled over, her shoulders wracked with sobs.
She'd betrayed his trust. She'd done everything she ever told him she wouldn't do. She'd let him down. It was no wonder he'd turned against her. Azula's promises had sounded so much more appealing and realistic, and the princess' whole line of argument had been so spot-on that it was no wonder Zuko had acted the way he had. Given the choice between the person who had oh-so-clearly betrayed him - and the option to redeem his honor, to regain his father's love and appreciation. It wasn't exactly difficult, was it?
And after all, it hadn't been Zuko who had turned against Sureen. At the end of the day, she'd been the one who answered in the negative when the prince asked her to come with him. She'd been the one unable to rise above herself.
The day they met in that village, she was firmly convinced of how she would and wouldn't act towards him - only to violate her own principles in the end. She'd overestimated herself to a ridiculously large extent only to witness her ultimate failure. This was punishment. She had it coming to her. All she could do about it was promise herself to never make any promises to anyone ever again. She'd never betray anyone by making them promises she wouldn't keep once it mattered.
Not only useless, imprudent, incalculable and untrustworthy… but also pathetic and wallowing in self-pity. Goodness, just why… why did I survive back then? It was so damn pointless. 'Cause all I ever do is mess things up. Her entire body shook from the vehemence of her sobs.
After a while, she felt another soft nudge on her shoulder. When she slowly lifted her head to look to her right, she noticed that her albatross horse had crouched down right beside her. The girl couldn't help but wrap both arms around Sera's neck, hiding her tearstained face in the horse's mane and letting it muffle her desperate sobs.
Eventually, she managed to recover herself enough to pull her limp body back up on Sera's back. Filled with bitterness, Sureen experienced an intense sensation of déjà-vu. She clearly remembered the night when she had tediously climbed onto Sera's back just like this, her eyes red-rimmed, her body numb and weak from spending the entire day crying. She'd asked her friend to take her… it didn't matter where, just far away.
"Sera, girl... get me out of here. Anywhere, I don't care. The farther, the better. I know you've done it before, so just... do it again. Please. I can't... just... please..." Sureen's voice was reduced to a whisper. Regardless, the winged horse carefully got to its feet, bracing itself for a long flight.
x-x-x
At the end of that day, nothing was the same.
Somewhere at the outskirts of Ba Sing Se, a sad elderly lady sat on the bed of one of the makeshift bedrooms in her basement, sensing that something must have gone awfully wrong, and her two young guests would never return.
Somewhere a huge white flying bison escaped from the city, and with him the former Earth King as well as Toph, Sokka and Katara, all of them worried to death for the severely injured friend in Katara's arms, his face pale as a sheet, his features contorted. As he winced ever so slightly and blinkingly opened his eyes, a wave of relief washed over Katara, and she carefully tightened her embrace, letting Aang know that he was safe and that everything would be alright. Although she couldn't tell how things would ever be alright again after what had happened.
Somewhere was the prince of the Fire Nation, standing next to his sister, who had taken her place on the throne of the Earth Palace. They would return to the Fire Nation as the glorious conquerors of Ba Sing Se. While the smirk of victory was still on the Fire Princess' face, nagging doubts slowly began to insinuate themselves into the prince's thoughts, making him frown deeply. What if Sureen really was my friend? What if she was right and there was no plan to spy on me? What if I've let her down? Zuko swallowed hard and clenched his teeth to bite down the oppressive feeling taking hold of him.
And somewhere there was a gracious black albatross horse, dashing through the night sky, carrying its trembling, barely conscious load to a far away destination, to a safer place... somewhere Sureen would, eventually, find her peace of mind again.
Hello, hello.
There is no place I cannot go.
My mind is muddy but
my heart is heavy. Does it show?
I lose the track that loses me
So here I go.
And so I sent some men to fight
And one came back at dead of night.
Said he'd seen my enemy.
Said he looked just like me.
So I set out to cut myself
And here I go.
... ...
And maybe someday we will meet
And maybe talk and not just speak.
Don't buy the promises 'cause
There are no promises I keep.
And my reflection troubles me
So here I go.
I'm not calling for a second chance,
I'm screaming at the top of my voice.
Give me reason but don't give me choice
'Cause I'll just make the same mistake.
I'm not calling for a second chance,
I'm screaming at the top of my voice.
Give me reason but don't give me choice
'Cause I'll just make the same mistake again.
... ...
Saw the world turning in my sheets.
And once again I cannot sleep.
Walk out the door and up the street.
Look at the stars.
Look at the stars fall down.
And wonder where
did I go wrong.
[SAME MISTAKE - JAMES BLUNT]
x-x-x. END OF PART II .x-x-x
A/N: *sighs* Yeah. So this last bit is part of the reason why the last two updates took my that long, I guess. Cause right after a break-up with your boyfriend, such a thing is just not what you want to think and/or write about. And I knew this would become pretty personal. But well. Anyway. Apparently, I wrote it and survived.
But just for the record: there's an entire Part III that's yet to come! So nothing ends at this point! I could never end a story like this, with everything being messed up and all. Cause "Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end." :)
Oh and I know those last two chapters, again, have been pretty close to the actual episodes, plot-wise (and I guess that's why I'm not really happy with them). But yeah... I hope that's gonna change with the next part. Or at least in my brain it feels like the storyline of Part III is gonna be more "independent" (as in, there are gonna be less connections to the "real canon").
[OT: The No. 6-analogies-challenge still runs, btw! Or well, it's finished exactly at his point.^^]
Yup :). And besides... OMG I'M SO DONE. This is the longest thing I've EVER written (as a chapter, in one go, I mean)... and now my brain's so knotted, I feel like I can hardly spell my name anymore. fgperäkhzrojhksüdkjhbvpaödaeqyü me dead. Gtg. Afk. Ttyl. Gn8. TC. U guys don't 4get 2 r&r, tho. C u once I'm alive again. -.-