"Anahi, Etka, get up."
Naheel was grabbing me by the arm, and I realized that I must have fallen asleep at some point. "What is it?" I muttered groggily, as Etka rolled over beside me.
"It's the Firelord," Naheel's eyes were huge, and looking behind him, I saw two soldiers standing in the doorway, their silhouettes of their helmets making them look like those of demons. Instantly, my heart kickstarted, and adrenaline rushed through my veins. I sprung out of bed, ready to take them out.
"Firelord Ozai demands an audience with you," A faceless soldier said sharply. "Immediately."
"What about them?" I demanded. Beside me, Etka sleepily stood up, stifling a yawn.
"His Majesty doesn't want them, he wants you," The opposite continued. "You will come with us."
I glanced quickly over at Etka and Naheel, and slowly raised my hands to calm them. "Stay awake," I said firmly, striding forward towards the soldiers. One of them grabbed me roughly by the arm, and Etka started forward.
"Hey!" He shouted, balls of fire appearing around his fists, and I brusquely shoved the soldier's arm off of me.
"Etka," I warned him, pleading with him to stop before he got us all killed. His eyes met mine, and I saw the genuine fear he felt. "I'll be fine." I met Naheel's gaze, and he nodded firmly, taking a step in front of Etka.
"Come on," One of the soldiers grabbed my arm again, propelling me forward, and I jerked free from his grasp.
"Enough! I will go with you!" I snapped, striding pointedly before them. They accompanied me out of the apartment, where I saw two more soldiers were stationed by the door. The silvery light of the full moon shone against their armor, and I tried to ignore the fear settling into my heart as we approached the throne room.
We I arrived, Ozai didn't even give me time to kneel before striding quickly towards me. Dark crescent moons hung underneath his eyes, and a few pieces of hair had slipped from his topknot, and framing his almost manic expression. "Anahi," He said raggedly, and I was so sure that he was going to kill me right then that I stepped back, conjuring fire in each hand.
Ozai stopped in his tracks, more shocked than anything else. I stayed standing, ready to fight. "You're...you're a fire bender," He muttered numbly.
"Yes," I said firmly, staying put in my stance.
"Relax," He said, loosening his shoulders. Untrustingly, I put out my fire. "I'm not going to attack you."
"Why have you called me here?" I asked, and if Ozai cared that I had dropped all use of formalities, he didn't show it.
"I wanted to talk to you," He said, his voice softening. "About your mother."
That hit me unexpectedly, and I struggled to hide my surprise. Did Ozai know where my mother might be? The Firelord's face softened as he looked into my eyes. "You look just like she did," He said, remembering her. "She wasn't much older than you when we met."
"What was she like?" The words came out of my mouth in a barely audible whisper before I could stop them.
"She was very kind, kind to everyone from the lowest servants to the nobility," Ozai said softly. "She was always so patient, but timid. I think firebending frightened her, at least, mine always did." He had turned away now, and I got the sense that he was lost in his thoughts, and I was only privy to listening to them. I was startled, and a little alarmed to see the Firelord like this - a completely different man than when I had last seen him.
"Your Majesty," I asked, pulling him back to reality. "Do you know where she could have gone?" Ozai turned back to me, his face composed, cold once more.
"No," He said, and I stopped completely.
There was a time when Naheel and I were young, and had gone penguin sledding on a group of otter penguins nearby our village. I remembered the rush of the wind in my hair, the icy, biting cold on my face and the spray of tiny bits of ice and snow that would go up in my wake. I remembered the happy, euphoric feeling I had, laughing so hard my cheeks hurt, and thinking that I was flying, or close to it.
On one such day, the otter penguin I was riding hit a bump in the snow, and I was so small that I went flying off the otter penguins back and hit the ice so hard that the wind was knocked right out of me.
At first, I hadn't processed the pain, but then it hit all of a sudden, and I was struggling to breathe, and my entire chest hurt where I had landed. Naheel had come running over straight away, and back at home, my mother had said that I had broken two ribs.
Right now, it felt like had when I hit the ice. All that I had come here for, everything that I had left behind at home meant nothing now. I was back to square one. My mother was just as lost and gone as she had always been.
"No?" I repeated, exhaling shakily. "You have no idea?"
"It was many years ago," The Firelord replied.
"Well, what about her family?" I persisted. "Do you know where they live?"
"Where they live?" Ozai cried, as if the very notion was impossible. "The Firelord does not associate with the peasantry."
"You 'associated with' my mother, or is she an exception?" I snapped, furious. I spun around on my heel, and began to stride towards the door.
"Anahi!" Ozai shouted, and I stopped, staring hard at the doors. "I haven't been completely truthful with you. I didn't really call you in here to talk about Ki - your mother."
I turned around, facing him again. "Then why am I here?" I knew I was being bold, too bold, but I no longer cared.
"You can't stay here any longer."
"Good. My friends and I will leave the palace," I said bluntly.
"No, you must leave the Fire Nation altogether," Ozai corrected me, a smug, cold look on his face. "Having you here is a threat to my authority. Zuko and Azula can be my only children."
My hands clenched into fists, and I felt anger boil inside of me. "And you forget that I was your child first!" I shouted at him. "You can't just send me away because you don't want to acknowledge that I exist! It's not my fault that you were screwing around with my mother and she got pregnant!"
Ozai looked behind me, and I saw a pair of soldiers coming, no doubt to take me away. "I'll tell them!" I said savagely. "I'll tell Zuko, and Azula, and the whole kingdom! They'll all know what you did!"
"Silence!" The Firelord roared, as the two soldiers grabbed me by the arms. I let them drag me back, glaring furiously at Ozai. His shoulders rippled as he struggled to keep back his anger.
"You will pay for this!" He shouted. "You cannot threaten the Firelord!"
Etka knelt before the Firelord, his head pressed against the marble floor in submission, as he had been taught. His heart was leaping around in his chest, as he awaited orders.
"Captain Song Etka," The Firelord said coolly, his voice almost serpent-like. "Tell me, are you loyal to the Fire Nation?"
"Yes, My Lord," Etka said, still staying prostrated on the ground. When they had sent for him, Etka had told Naheel to escape, to get out of the Palace any way he could and to make it to the Temple, the rendezvous point. When Naheel had asked about Anahi, Etka promised him that he'd get her out of here as soon as he could. Truthfully, if things went south, this way Naheel wouldn't be a factor in leaving the palace, if the need arose.
"And are you loyal to me?" The Firelord was testing him, and Etka knew it.
"Yes, My Lord," Etka said, feeling as though he had just swallowed a bitter drink.
"Good," Came the reply, and Etka bristled, slowly raising his head but staying on his knees. "Captain Song, I need you to...execute a very important mission for me."
"What is it, My Lord?"
"I need you to kill Anahi," He said, and Etka felt his blood freeze in his veins.
"H - Here, My Lord?" He managed. It felt like someone's fingers were closing around his throat. Etka bowed his head; he couldn't bear to look at him.
"No, not here," The Firelord scoffed, but he was pleased by his young captain's obedience. "I don't want the bastard's blood spilt in my home. Take her out into the jungles and do it. Leave her body there, and no one will find it."
Etka was shocked, horrified at how callous and cruel the Firelord could be to his own child. Suddenly, he felt Ozai's fingers take up his chin, lifting his head up to face the Firelord. It took everything Etka had not to recoil in disgust. "Will you do this for me, Captain?" He asked, and Etka realized then how utterly and completely trapped he was.
He could no longer look the Firelord in the eye. "Yes, My Lord."