Agni's disease
Hey hello everybody and thanks for all of your support. I'd never imagined I'd get so many followers and reviews on the first day that I posted this story.
All of you guys and girls really made my day.
There might also have been I slight misunderstanding because people started begging me not to discontinue this story. Well I'm not planning on, I was actually talking about a different story that I'm writing. But that doesn't matter.
Enjoy the next chapter. Oh and before I forget I'm going to put a voting poll up where you can choose whether Azula will get pregnant with Hiten's child or not.
please vote, please!
Chapter 2: Palace troubles
Zuko's private chambers/12 hours later.
Zuko had passed out during the calling of the sun ceremony while bursting into flames. The flames seemed to have left his skin untouched. It didn't seem to burn him at all. Even though he was apparently experiencing extreme pain.
Even though the flames on his body could not be extinguished by anyone bender or not, they had somehow found a way to transport the prince to his chambers. By the time the ceremony had ended and the sun had risen the entire capitol of the fire-nation knew about the prince's sudden illness whispers of assassins and poison could be heard in the back streets of the capitol, but the most favored and least spoken theory was that of the princess finally having made her move.
Now Zuko was resting on his own king sized bed, the flames had calmed down but hadn't disappeared either. His silk sheets had been replaced with something more fireproof and three physicians were now buzzing around the prince, observing him closely while staying a safe distance from the flames.
Zuko's uncle, General Iroh was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. He didn't trust the physicians entirely any single one of them could be one of Azula's puppets sent to kill his nephew.
It wasn't fair. Life just wasn't fair. First he loses his wife and then his son. Then his own brother takes the throne away from him, even though he had accepted his fate at that point he started hanging out and teaching Zuko, trying to make him into a great fire lord one day.
He still regrets the day he invited his nephew into the war council. If he hadn't then Zuko wouldn't have had to fight his father and become scarred and lose his place as crown prince. And now Zuko had been stricken ill with what seemed to be an unknown and serious disease, possibly even deadly.
Iroh sighed for the hundredth time and left the room to get something to drink. When he stepped outside into the hallway he could feel the difference in temperature. The hallway that had always had an acceptable temperature thanks to the torches on the walls now felt cool and fresh like a spring breeze against his face.
He was just about to close the door when a servant girl carrying a jug of water, meant for the physicians, fainted from a heatstroke. The silver jug fell to the floor and the water spilled against his shoes. The cold water felt pleasant but he couldn't enjoy it long as he ran over to help the servant girl away from the oven like chambers of the prince.
Fire lord throne room/ two days later.
It had been two and a half days since Zuko had collapsed. Ozai was sitting on his cushion behind the wall of flames created by him as he listened to his generals discussing the upcoming attack on Omashu. The conversation had started to bore him as once again his generals had started arguing about the rumors being heard over the world that the avatar has been sighted.
Two generals had forgotten in who's presence they were and had almost started an agni kai when the doors were violently swung open. Everyone's attention was drawn to one of the physicians and the fire sage behind him.
Both men walked forward, past the generals ignoring them completely and fell down to one knee in front of Ozai.
"Any news about my son?!" He asked sternly.
"Yes, lord Ozai son of Azulon and Ilah." The physician said.
"Well then let's hear it!" Ozai commanded.
"Yes of course… Whatever disease as befallen prince Zuko it has never been seen in the medical world before, however I have advised the fire sages on this matter and they seem to have found the answer to your son's mystery disease."
"Is this true?" Ozai asked looking at the fire sage beside the physician.
"Yes my lord. After searching through thousands of scrolls at the fire temple we have stumbled upon a scroll which mentions a disease, describing the exact same symptoms as the prince is showing. It seems prince Zuko has been chosen by Agni himself to undergo a trial. This disease which goes by two names, Agni's curse and Agni's gift."
The wall of flames seemed to decrease in height and intensity and the sage could see the eyebrows of fire lord Ozai moving up in surprise.
"Generals! Leave us!" and on his command the generals stood up and left the room.
"Continue!" Ozai spoke with a softer voice.
Unknown to him or anyone else Azula was hiding behind one of the pillars inside the room.
"At this very moment prince Zuko is being drawn into the spirit world where he will face one or more challenges made by Agni himself to test him. If the prince completes these challenges to Agni's satisfaction then he will wake up again with the Flames of Agni burning inside his hart."
"Explain yourself! What does this mean?" Ozai demanded.
"To put it bluntly. If prince Zuko survives his ordeals then he will wake up with his bending powers increased a hundred fold." The sage explained his voice becoming laced with worship at the idea of a godlike fire-bender amongst the living.
"And if he fails his trials, what then?" Ozai asked.
"If prince Zuko were to fail his trails then the fires surrounding him will consume him, leaving nothing put a pile of ashes. From ashes to fire and back to ashes as must we all!" the sage explained reciting an old religious phrase from the fire-nation.
Both the physician and fire lord Ozai himself repeated the phrase and bowed their heads for a moment.
"All that has been said in this room must remain confidential! If the people find out about this, they will see him as Agni's favored child. And if he were to die the people would surely suspect an assassination and they will revolt against us. Claiming that we murdered the one chosen by mighty Agni himself. Is that understood? Failure to do so will result in death!" Ozai declared as he looked at the men in front of him.
"Yes lord Ozai, we understand."
"Good! Now leave! I have much to think about." And with that the two left the room. Even Azula sneaked back out.
Palace hallways.
Azula was walking down the palace's halls, after what she'd heard she needed time to think. 'If Zuko survives this ordeal he'll be a threat to me and my position as heir to the crown.' Azula thought to herself.
'Then again, Zuko is failure. Always has been and always will be. If Lord Agni's trials are even the slightest bit dangerous he'd most likely stumble over his own feet and kill himself in the process.' Azula amused herself with the thought.
But she couldn't take any chances on this, even if he was the biggest failure and shame to the fire lord. Even if there was the smallest chance that sweet Zuzu would complete his trials, she wasn't going to take that bet. No, she'd make sure he'd never wake up again. She'd do it herself if he must.
Her customary sadistic grin plastered her beautiful face making her seem slightly psychotic. But then she remembered the words her father had spoken.
"If the people find out about this, they will see him as Agni's favored child. And if he were to die the people would surely suspect an assassination and they will revolt against us."
If her future subjects had already or will ever find out about the situation and she had assassinated her brother then those subjects would turn against her. She could of course force the people to follow her through fear, but she knew that approach only worked on the more wealthy people of higher stature because they had more to lose.
The common peasant needed to be controlled with sweet words and kind gestures. Since most only had their lives to lose.
Not that there was a lot of poverty and homeless people in the fire-nation. Of course they had more than the water tribes and the air nomads never really had a society where there existed poor or rich people. But compared to the earth kingdom the fire-nation was a wealthy land were more than 99.99% had enough money to survive and not resort to crime.
Yes! The fire-nation was truly the greatest of all the elemental nations. At least in Azula's mind. Her train of thought earned her a genuine smile of pride.
It was then her attention was drawn to a single voice further down the hall apparently making a commotion.
"I'm sorry lady Mai but we've received specific orders to let nobody passed this point!" One of five guards yelled as they blocked the way into the hall that led towards Zuko's room.
"I'm just here for a visit, you may escort me if you must but I WILL see prince Zuko." Mai replied calmly seemingly not at all intimidated by the guard who now stood mere inches from her and glared straight into her face.
"I told you already! The prince is in no condition to receive visitors right now!" the guard repeated for the tenth time.
"And I told you that I'm not just any visitor. I'm his girlfriend and you will let me through." Mai repeated for the tenth time as well.
"Noooooo!" The guard said dragging out the word as if she were a deaf person allowing her to read his lips.
Mai's eyebrows formed a deadly scowl as a bit of spit from the man hit beneath her eye. She moved her hands into her sleeves to reach for her throwing knives and two of the five guards drew their swords and the other three fired up a flame prepared to subdue or even kill.
"What is going on here!" Azula demanded with a stern voice.
Mai lowered her hands out of her sleeves and the guards lowered their weapons or doused their flames.
"Princess Azula…" the guard begun before he was interrupted by Azula "That is Crown princess, don't forget it!" she threatened.
"My apologies, crown princess Azula. This woman is trying to enter the prince's chambers. We've received specific orders from your father, fire lord Ozai to let nobody pass through this hallway." The guard explained as he fell on one knee.
"Very well. you're just doing as ordered no fault befalls you. Continue as instructed!" Azula ordered.
"Mai, it seems my brothers illness is quite severe and he can't receive visitors right now. How about you join me in my chambers so we can catch up. I didn't have a chance to talk to you during the ceremony." Azula suggested.
"I'd like that very much crown princess Azula." Mai said as she bowed slightly.
"Come on Mai. We went to the same school together, you and Ty Lee are my best friends so just call me Azula!" She said with her girly and graceful princess act.
The two girls were about to walk passed the guards but they didn't budge, to Azula's annoyance. "Would you kindly step aside so I may return to my chambers?" Azula said with her sugar sweet voice. Everyone knew that voice meant that you were already close to the edge of Azula's patience.
"My apologies crown princess but It's as I said earlier. We received specific order to let NOBODY pass through this hallway." The guard looked at her apologetically hoping she would understand that he feared her father's wrath as much as hers.
"Surely that doesn't extent to the fire lords daughter." Azula tried after closing her eyes and taking a breath to calm herself.
"Your father, fire lord Ozai, was VERY specific. I'm afraid you'll have to take a detour and walk around." The guard said.
"Did you just tell me to walk around?!" Azula softly asked as a thick mark appeared on her forehead and her eyes seemed to be covered with a shadow.
"I uhm, I'm sorry but…" and that was as far as he was able to get as Azula spun around sending a horizontal wave of fire towards him. The flame knocking four out of five guards in the chest sending them flying to the floor. The fifth was taken care of by Mai as she threw her knives at him pinning him against the wall by the edges of his uniform, her aim was perfect as every and he didn't receive a single scratch. He fell unconscious as his helmet had fallen off of him and his head had hit the wall.
"Mai! Let's go!" Azula said still fuming with anger.
As they walked through the hallway the temperature of the room started to rise with every step. 20 steps removed from Zuko's chamber door Mai collapsed under the heat. Azula however didn't notice and kept stomping ahead.
The air around Azula was now waving in the heat, just like in the dessert. As the temperature increased, Azula's anger decreased. She was now standing in front of Zuko's door. She hadn't been interested in how Zuko has been doing, why should she? But the warmth and light coming through the cracks of the door fed her curiosity.
As her hand slowly reached for the door, her mind grew fuzzy. 'What am I doing? Why am I doing this? What is the use of looking in that room? What will it accomplish?'
The moment Azula's hand made contact with the door handle she backed away screaming. She hadn't noticed because the handle had been made of solid gold. It was therefore hard to see whether the metal had been heated or not.
Azula looked down at her right hand where she could already see the burn marks appearing. The handle had been heated to the point that even a firebender couldn't safely touch it. Azula's gaze switched from her hand to the door and back again. You'd think that by burning her hand she'd learned her lesson and would simply stay away from the door from now on.
But Azula's curiosity only intensified. What could possibly be going on behind that door? Had Zuko's ordeals already begun? Once more Azula reached for the door, this time she used her bending to shield her from the handles burn.
Azula turned the handle, a click was heard, and started pulling open the door. As she did her father came around the corner at the end of the hallway, he was still very far away from her. It would take him 10 seconds at least to get to her.
Ozai walked around the corner, one of the guards he had ordered to block off the hallway to Zuko's chambers had appeared before him. The guard had told him that his daughter had made a scene and had knocked him and his fellow guards out cold.
Fearing that his daughter would do something stupid he immediately rushed towards Zuko's chambers.
Now Ozai watched as Azula opened the door to Zuko's chambers with a heavily breathing and sweating Mai on her hands and knees a slight distance away.
"Azula! Don't!" Ozai yelled but it was already too late. The moment Azula pulled on the door, something on the other side started pushing with extreme force. The door flew open and a blazing inferno blasted out of the room, hitting Azula head on.
It was only because she was such a genius, only because she was so gifted that she'd been able to start putting up a shield of her own fire to keep the inferno from burning her completely. However the force with which the inferno was unleashed had thrown her into the air and against the wall opposite of the door.
Now Azula was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, her hands in front of her. Still fighting the inferno with her own, now seemingly insignificant, flames. Ozai quickly ordered the guard to find and bring all firebenders in the direct environment here.
"It doesn't matter if they are nobles, generals or soldiers or citizens! Send every bender you can find over here!" Ozai ordered and the guard took off running. Ozai now sprinted towards the flames that were still violently forcing their way out of the room in a storm. Azula, his precious daughter and heir to his throne was stuck in those flames. Unable to get out.
In the meantime Mai had picked herself up from the ground and tried to help her friend and princess. But she wouldn't know how, she wasn't a bender after all and what good would her knives do here? She startled as she was roughly spun around by her shoulders. It was Ozai who had grabbed her, she was about to kneel before him from force of habit but he stopped her.
"There's no time for that, there isn't much you can do here. Search the palace, tell every bender to come over here to help contain the flames! Go! Now!" he yelled as he pushed her back in the direction from where he came. Mai took off immediately, for the first in a long time she was expressing her emotions as tears streamed down her face.
'Azula, hang in there!' she prayed.
Ozai was now battling the flames as he used his bending to try and force the raging flames back into the room and away from his daughter. Several seconds went by and he wasn't accomplishing much. He could only hear Azula scream out in pain once in a while when her focus would falter and the flames would penetrate her shield.
Ozai was however joined by his older brother Iroh, the dragon of the west was a welcome sight to him and what was even more welcome was the difference he made. Yes, Iroh certainly lived up to his title of dragon as the flames visibly diminished several meters with only three controlled breaths of his older brother. But still not enough to free his daughter from the flames. It was at this moment that fire lord Ozai could hear voices behind him and on the other side of the wall of fire. It would seem some had chosen to fight the fire on the other side. A basic fire-nation strategy, the pincer attack, where the forces would split in two groups and hit the enemy in the sides.
As the other benders joined them in their attempt to subdue the flames they were finally able to drag princess Azula away from the flames. Ozai took a moment to look at his daughter to reassure himself she'd be fine.
Azula had sustained several third degree burns and many more of the second and first degree. Her hair had caught fire and her face was slightly mutilated by the burns. For a moment he wondered why it caused him so much pain to see her like that while he'd felt nothing when he had caused the same kind of injuries to his son.
When the man who'd dragged her out of the fire had assured him that she was still alive he continued to focus on the wall of flames. Behind him he could hear the voice of the man speaking to him.
"I'm going to take the princess to the physician, the sooner she's treated the better." The voice said. Ozai nodded giving the man his approval, somehow the face and voice of that man had felt familiar to him, but he couldn't linger on that right now.
Palace hospital.
Three hours after successfully containing and locking away the flames into the room, Azula started waking up. A deep breath, fresh air and then pain.
Azula triad to move, her battle instincts coming to live again. Had she been captured?
She soon found that she was unable to move, not just because of the pain but because she was wrapped in bandages from head to toe. As she struggled to set herself into a more upright position she heard footsteps approaching her.
She felt two strong arms gently lifting her so she was now in a seated position. "Please try not to move too much your highness. You're still recovering from your injuries." A voice sounded right next to her.
Azula slowly moved her head to see who this man was. As she turned she noticed a chair positioned right beside her bed, it looked like someone had recently sat there for several hours.
Then the face of the man came into her sight as he crouched down to her eye level. And suddenly she remembered.
She remembered the flames trapping her against the wall, she remembered her father yelling out to her to hold on. And she remembered the man who had dragged her to safety, performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and had brought her to the hospital.
"H-Hiten?!" Azula asked receiving a nod and the most beautiful smile Azula had ever seen, from the young man.
"At your service your highness."
End chapter 2: Palace troubles
Hey everyone thank you for reading, please follow and favorite and leave a review.
I'm sad to announce that there won't be any new chapters for a while since I've decided it's time that I put more time into my first story and finish it before I take this one any further.
But good news as well, while I'm working on a different story you can all cast your vote on a poll for THIS story, it's about whether or not Azula will end up getting pregnant with Hiten's child or not. So go and cast your vote!
See you next time!