Soliel knew she had slept past training but she couldn't bring herself to care. All she was focussed on was how good it felt to be standing in the sun light. A gentle knock sounded on the door and Soliel turned to see Linus walking in carrying a tray ladened with food.
"Well I'm glad to see you decided not to spend the entire day sleeping after all! Are you hungry?"
Before Soliel could respond her stomach grumbled loudly causing her checks to redden. "I'll take that as a yes then?"
Linus put the tray down on the table and began dishing out some wonderful smelling food onto a plate.
"Thank you for doing this, I feel like I haven't eaten in days."
"Honestly you really haven't. You've been picking at your food and skipping meals, it's probably one of the reasons you collapsed. Your body is forcing you to take care of it again."
"I do take care of myself, really. I just pushed myself to hard, that's all."
"Well either way your body is going to be needing more rest than your giving it. I'm not saying you need to be an invalid, just remember you have a limit. Anyways I have a note for you from the Captain."
"The Captain? He's not kicking me off the squad is he?"
"How would I know? I haven't read it."
Soliel moved to step towards Linus when she felt a familiar dizziness. She tried to move but she could feel her spirit slowly slipping out of her body and watched helplessly as it crumpled into a heap on the floor. Linus dropped the tray as he reached for her calling her name, but it was no use. Her spirit was now traveling the well known route to the Spirit World. She could only shrug and hope that Linus wouldn't get too worked up about it.
She found herself transported directly into the fire realms just outside of the throne room. Before she could take a step red blood robes swirled around her as large arms scooped her up and held her tightly. She could feel the pain, weariness and tension she had been carrying around drain away and a calm numbing sensation replace the burning ache that she had grown so accustomed to being in her lower abdomen.
"I'd forgotten you could do that."
"Well there are a good many things we've forgotten my dear and I mean to make us remember." Agni regarded his daughter carefully. She was thinner and her face lacked the usual spark. The battle her body was fighting was exhausting her and he could see she was slowly loosing.
"That Son of Bitch."
"Baba?"
Agni turned toward Fate as the surrounding flames climbed the walls with his rage.
"Who in Hell does he think he is that he can do this to my daughter?"
"Agni, calm down. Overheating Hell isn't going to make anything better."
"I cannot allow this to continue. Look at her Fate! Really look at her! This is killing her!"
"Um dad, I'm still standing her you know?"
"Agni listen, Soliel is fine. Yes she's weak, but a little food and rest and she'll be ship shape faster than Thaltali can drop a man's pants. I know you're worried but you've removed most of the pain and while she's here her body can take a break and properly heal."
"I really do feel much better dad. I can tell my body is healing more quickly than it was." Soliel gave what she hoped was a reassuring smile to her father.
"I'm fine. Really."
The flames went down a little and Agni took a deep breath.
"How long can we keep her here Fate?"
"Not as long as you're intending to, I can tell you that. We might be able to hide her for a couple of days but soon someone will sense her and then we'll have a lot of covering up to do."
"I really can't stay long anyway, I've got to get back to training with the Elites."
"You will stay for three days and I will hear no arguments or complaints."
"Yes Sir."
Agni turned around surprised.
"You're not going to argue, refusing to be told how to live your life?"
"I wasn't planning on it but if it would make you feel better I can throw a small fit, but I'm kind of tired and all…"
Fate laughed and threw her arm around Soliel drawing her down the main walkway.
"What you need my dear is a hot lava bath and some good old fashioned tea. We'll have you better in no time."
"I'd like to stop by and see Ran and Shou while I'm here."
"Of course dear we'll take care of everything, don't you worry your pretty little head about a thing."
Linus gripped his head in his hands as he stared down at the pale figure lying on the bed. It had been two days and yet still no sign of her waking up. He had felt his heart stop as he saw the confusion in her eyes as she fell to the floor. She had looked like an angel in her white nightdress, standing with her arms holding the french doors open as the sunlight streamed in. She was loosing consiousness much too frequently and he began to fear there was something terribly wrong with her. She was under untold amounts of stress, but her body was not reacting to mere stress. Something else was causing all of this, only he couldn't begin to say what. The way in which this now fragile lady had captured his heart was unbearable. Soliel was fiery, stubborn, confident, bossy, reckless, passionate, kind, generous, smart, and the most utterly beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. Shaking his head he stood up and began picking up the untouched food tray. I've got to stop thinking about her this way. She never can be anything more to me than a friend. Just a friend. He checked on her once more as he made his way through the door and out into the hall.
"Linus!"
"Your Grace!"
"I um, I was just coming to check on her um progress."
"Soliel's progress Sir?"
"Yes, um Soliel's progress."
"I'm afraid she's the same as she was yesterday my Lord. Onigata said she hasn't so much as batted an eyelid since she collapsed."
"Damn it. What chance is there do you think of her attending a dinner party?"
"A dinner party! By Agni, Prince Zuko you can't be serious?"
"I wish I wasn't. My sweet little sister has assembled some sort of gathering in order to torture the two of us further. So far she's invited four or five of father's advisors and a few generals. She means to make a spectacle out of the both of us."
"When is this gathering scheduled for? She's been unconscious for two whole days now and we really have no idea of when she might wake up!"
"It's in two weeks. That should be plenty of time for her to up and um functional, right?"
"I can't say Sir, but the real question is will that be enough time for you convince her to go?"
"Convince her? She doesn't have a choice! That's what happens when you become someone's slave."
"Well then you better tell her that quickly. She doesn't like being told what to do, especially by someone who calls themselves her master."
"You sure sound quite chummy with her, Linus. How well do you know her?"
"Well i've been attending to her, um, basic needs daily my Lord. We've not done anything improper I swear to you."
"I believe you there but since you do know her better than I obviously do why don't you convince tell her about the dinner party, ok?"
"Me? Why on earth should I be the one to do that?"
"I can't be bothered trying to convince a head strong young girl to follow orders. I've got too much to worry about all ready."
"You're going to have to meet her sooner or later you know."
"Yes, yes I know." Zuko ran his hand through his shaggy black hair. He looked earnestly at Linus.
"Can you get her to come without a fuss?"
Linus sighed.
"Yes. I can try to get her to go. But sir?"
"Yeah?"
"You have to talk to her before the dinner. You've got to try and make some effort to get to know her or both your heads will be at risk."
"I will Linus, as much as I hate the thought, I will."
"Very good then sir, I'll get everything ready."
"Linus?"
"Yes Sir?"
"Thanks."
"Of course Sir."
Aang smiled as he listened to his friends bickering as Appa sailed through the sky. After he had gotten back to camp with Toph, Katara had been waiting for him. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and Sokka stood protectively behind her watching both of them worriedly. Aang had apologized profusely and Katara seemed to understand. She never asked about Soliel though, and Toph never mentioned her again. He looked up at the setting sun. It was time to leave the past behind.
On the morning of Soliel's third day in the Fire Realms Soliel woke up, smiled and lazily stretched her way out of bed. She padded on bare feet across the warm obsidian floor towards the large in ground bath. Originally Agni had placed a lava bath in her room, and as relaxing as those were she had grown very found of steam rising up out of hot water. Tui and La had paid her a visit, both expressing their wishes for her to get better. She had a hunch that they were more concerned for her leaving the Spirit Realm as soon as possible than for her quick recovery. As a get well gift they had brought some water from the spirit oasis. Agni had the lava removed and instead a lovely, steaming spirit water bath sat in its place. The natural heat in the floors kept the water at the perfect temperature and Soliel had made it a habit to take a couple of baths a day. As she removed her night dress she couldn't help but feel that something was off, different about today. She knew it was her last day in the her fathers home and while that saddened her to no end something else was bothering her. Shrugging she lowered herself into the bath, raising the temperature slightly, and then let her body float weightlessly in the softly glowing water. After a few moments her head snapped forward suddenly.
"I can't feel it!"
A huge smile spread across her face. The pain was gone! For the first time since the Fire Lord had put the shackles on her she couldn't feel any pain. Her fingers grazed her bare wrist. The golden cuffs were never present in the Spirit Realm and the part of her that was divine allowed her to bend. She sunk lower into the bath, her smile fading quickly. Why can't I just here with you Baba? I'm supposed to be here.
"That's quite the sad aura you've got there missy. Missing us already?"
"Fate!"
The blind goddess sauntered in and sat on a nearby chair, her glossy eyes regarding Soliel with a smile.
"How are you feeling this morning?"
"I can't feel anything! The pain is gone!"
"Well I'm glad to hear it, its about time you caught a break."
"Training will be so much easier now that I won't have to divide my chi between suppressing the pain and concentrating on fighting!"
"Soliel, darling, you need to listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you. I don't want to burst your bubble per say but the pain is going to be there once you return. The fact you could feel it here in the Spirit Realm speaks volumes of how intense it is. You no longer feeling it here means that your mortal body is now able to manage it without your divinity interfering. You will have a lot more energy now but you will still be in pain, although much less than before."
Soliel tried to not feel disappointed. She pulled her legs up to her chest under the water.
"Please don't make me go back Fate."
"Oh sweetie, you know you can't ask that of me."
"But please won't the gods understand? I'm dying, burning from the inside out. I'll stay here in the Fire Realms and I won't cause any trouble."
"As much as I want to believe you, darling I can't. While you feel at ease here now, that won't last in the long run. One of the reasons that the Jade Emperor forbade gods and mortals from marrying and having offspring is because no matter what world they lived in, they would never be satisfied. You are born of two worlds, my dear. No matter which world you are in, a part of you will always yearn for the other."
"But the dragons…"
"Their duality is why they are so feared. They exist in a bridge realm so to speak, they are neither here in the Spirit Realm nor there in the mortal realm. Even so, they have the power to influence both worlds without ever being affected by the consequences of either. This is why when men began hunting them while the dragons were young, the Jade Emperor allowed it. So you see dear, if there were beings who were not just half spirit have mortal creature, but half god and half mortal both realms would be in grave danger. Therefore, your inner goddess was sealed by your father and you were placed in the mortal realm in the hopes that it would be your mortal side that would grow strong and eventually drown out your divinity. You always have been a fighter though, and so it is that both parts of your nature have grown strong together. Bringing you to the Spirit Realm threatens that balance. If you were ever to fully embrace your divinity, the results could be catastrophic—for both our worlds. The Jade Emperor cannot allow that threat to remain so in order to protect you Agni was banned from the mortal world and you were forbidden to enter the Sprit World. Bringing you here is not only risking Agni's position but also your life. The Emperor will not hesitate to destroy you should it become apparent that you pose a threat once again."
Soliel stared dumbly at Fate, trying desperately to absorb all the goddess had told her. She couldn't make her brain understand and she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to.
"Soliel?"
"So you're telling me that I will never be able to live in the Spirit World?"
"No, you will not. You have two choices. Either you can give up your divinity, live and die as all mortals do, and then join them in the Plains of the Dead, or you can give up your mortality and be terminated by the Jade the Emperor."
"And if I continue to live as I am now embracing both sides equally?"
"That path is one you have forged for yourself. Not even I can tell you the possible outcomes."
"So I'm stuck. No matter what I choose, I can never win."
"That's the thing about winning my dear, it is never guaranteed. But losing. You will always lose if you walk away and leave your cards at the table."