A/N: Wow, it's been a long time. Sorry for taking forever to update, things have been busy to say the least, but all in good ways ;-) As always, a huge thanks to those who favorited and reviewed and all who continue to read this story. In response to reviewers from Chapter 16:
AnnaAza: Oh, poor Genshi. I hope we see more of her and have her perhaps be confident enough to use it again (it can be very useful).
Looks like Ozai is feeling...er...(throws out terrible fire pun) conflicted about Katara. He is a man after all, and what man wouldn't stare at a woman in her underwraps? Katara, on the other hand...wonder what was with her? Was it like trying to see the goodness in him, or was it because he just looked...peaceful (hard to imagine, but going on a limb) while sleeping?
Go Appa! Fly!
= = =To answer your Katara question, the direction I was going in was – she's been so conflicted about her developing feelings for/attraction to Ozai and been trying to suppress it that when things are quiet and slowed down in the middle of the night, she finally lets herself admit them without any reservations. I don't think it's that difficult to believe that he might look peaceful while sleeping, or at least peaceful compared to his normal countenance. As Katara finally admitted these things to herself, she felt braver and her attraction to him kind of took hold of her for a moment and the urge to touch him was too irresistible. Stupid of her of course, but she wasn't exactly thinking clearly. Anyway, that's the way I saw it.
Luna de Papel: Katara x Ozai: crack shipping at its finest. I love Zutara but I'm losing the battle faster than our favorite waterbender... I should have found this story earlier in its conception, now nobody's going to give me my hours of sleep back!
= = =Haha I know, right? I could only fight the battle so long before I gave in. Still love Zutara too though, don't get me wrong there. Thank you for the review!
Emily: Absolutely love this story, you write so descriptively, I read this story all the way through in one sitting, completely hooked! I can see where you're going with the Ozai/Katara thing, trying to show him in a light other then being a soul-less monster, i HOPE it will turn out to become an act of compassion later on his part when they all finally confront each other...pleasee don't end it with Katara and Ozai being together though, too creepy! Zuko and Katara all the way! :)
= = =Wow, thank you so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying it that much. I'm not going to say anything in regards to how I'm going to end it now, so we'll just have to wait and see haha :) Thank you for the review and I hope you keep reading and leaving feedback!
Jane Keyboard: Okay, yay! Nice to know I'm not the only one enjoying the oogie Katara/Ozai stuff (*cough*glittery-princess*kiwi-starr*). I think Katara's feelings are right on, but Ozai isn't actually starting to "fall for" Katara, is he? He seems more manipulative than that.
Couldn't help but notice you do the same thing as me when I'm on a roll with writing and haven't come up with a clever name for something. Better thing up something soon to fill in that space! :) "Many years ago, a sect of the Earth Kingdom's government known as the _ had been put into place by the Earth King..."
= = =Yiiiiikes… I can't believe I left it like that and didn't notice! That's what I get for writing and submitting the chapter in the middle of the night, super tired before going to bed. Hah, how embarrassing. Thanks for pointing it out anyway, it'll keep me on my guard :)
I wouldn't say Ozai is falling for her at the moment, but I think his feelings for her (especially hating that he finds her somewhat attractive) are definitely conflicted. But we'll have to wait and see how things unfold between them ;-) Thanks so much for the review!
BeingWhoIWishIWas: Great story, it's an interesting idea and very well written!
= = =Thank you! So glad you like it :)
AngeliqueRox: Very interesting story! I can't wait to see how things turn out between Ozai and Katara. I wonder what's going on with Aang as well. Oh, and the part where Katara got out the river naked and Ozai couldn't help but stare, what man couldn't? I mean Katara has a nice body and there's not really any guy who could resist not looking at a hot female body in front of them, regardless of whether they liked the girl or not. Just saying, LOL. Anyway, keep up the good work and update soon.
= = = Hehe thank you. Hopefully we'll start to unravel what the beef is with Aang soon ;-)
drakangrl9: Whoa, yikes! This is really good! You really know how to keep a story interesting. Please update again soon! :)
= = = Thank you very much :)
tvrox23: Maybe the reason Katara has been having these "feelings" toward Ozai is because he reminds her of Zuko...
= = = I'm sure that could certainly have something to do with it. Thank you so much for reading and I'm glad you're enjoying it so far! (Thanks a bunch for all your other recent chapter reviews too!)
It was close. It had to be. Surely another bend or two in the path, another couple of miles…
It was the mantra that Ozai had been repeating to himself for longer than he cared to admit. There had been nothing but thick forest and underbrush for days. Not a substantial stone or boulder in sight, and certainly not any rock formation that resembled a jackal wolf. The map had explicitly noted this landmark, citing him to make a sharp turn off the path at this point and continue into the forest until he reached a small, flat boulder that resembled a gravestone. On this stone was engraved an inscription in the same archaic language he had become familiar with years ago. It was one of the only things that had served to keep this artifact safe and hidden these many years.
If he remembered correctly…
The storm clouds in the distance were growing heavy, grumbling an imminent warning and reaching toward the earth to smother autumn's proud treetops.
What if he had gone too far? Or worse, what if he had strayed in the wrong direction? There would be no hope of salvaging his bearings then. Not in this labyrinth of a forest. He had been relying on instinct and whatever mental image of the map he had retained. By no means a reliable formula, not entirely. There was too much room for error; error that he could not afford.
Damn the spirits.
Another thunderous growl rumbled overhead, markedly closer this time. Let the skies do their worst, he challenged, scowling at the heavens.
"Maybe we should stop, find some shelter," came a voice from behind. It was the first time the waterbender had spoken all morning.
Nothing except for that irksome girl, he corrected himself.
"Surely a waterbender's not afraid of a little rain now, is she?" he mocked through diligent footsteps, not bothering to turn around.
"Don't be ridiculous," she spat back. "Of course I'm not. But if the storm takes a turn for the worst–"
"We're not stopping, girl. That's the end of it. We're pressing on through it, whatever comes."
Silence resumed its place between them, broken only by snarls of ornery thunder. Ozai was beginning to think that he had finally succeeded in subduing the girl when her voice shattered his focus again.
"You're not going to get away with this. With… whatever it is you're planning. Even if Aang doesn't come for me, we both know Zuko is out there right now, tracking you down like a bloodfox. It's just a matter of time, and getting shorter by the hour."
Ozai kicked a branch of dead leaves out of his path, allowing a few moments to pass before responding. "You seem to think you know an awful lot about my son, that he's split himself open for you, dusted off every nook and cranny of his murky past." He let out a condescending chuckle. "Poor naïve girl. It's a shame how men like him think they can swindle and manipulate the women who love them to get what they want."
"What are you talking about? Zuko's not that kind of person. He's not like you."
"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that. I don't suppose he ever told you about his little rendezvous with Mai's friend, Ty Lee…" The girl remained silent, prompting him to continue. "Mai had left town to attend the funeral of a family friend. A boy Mai used to play with as a child. It was a sudden death, tragic for Mai and her family. While she was gone… well, I guess you could say that Zuko and Ty Lee got… better acquainted. Much better. Mai never did find out about it, poor girl, but I knew."
"You're lying," she snapped. "Zuko wouldn't do a thing like that."
"Wouldn't he?" he drawled, smirking at her over his shoulder.
The waterbender's face flushed as she glowered at the ground. "He would have at least told me if that were true," she said, the guilt in her eyes weighing her gaze downward.
"Yes. I'm sure it merely slipped his mind," he said, turning his eyes forward again. "Surely then he's mentioned his rather embarrassing escapade with Mai's cousin, Sora. They were caught by Sora's mother in a considerably suggestive position in the girl's bedroom. The only reason Mai never heard of it was because my son paid her family a hefty sum to keep it under wraps. He didn't want his engagement to Mai to be jeopardized, being that he was the crown prince and was soon expected to marry and produce an heir."
The girl's response came once again in the form of silence.
"You see, my son's always been quite fond of the ladies. I'm afraid they're a dime a dozen as far as he's concerned. His royal status is an asset that he's shown no shame in exploiting. You'd be a fool to believe you're the exception. You are simply one of the many 'other women'." A grumble of thunder was his only response. "Oh, don't fret about it, my dear. Better you know the truth now than after it's too late, don't you think?"
A gust of wind crashed through the vibrant canopy overhead, tearing several leaves from their branches, as the pair of them trekked on in silence. "I don't believe you," the girl managed, her voice low and harsh, but with a shakiness that betrayed her uncertainty.
The seeds of doubt were growing. Ozai smiled to himself.
A single drop of rain splattered against his cheek as it came into view. No, surely it wasn't… Yes, it had to be! There was no mistaking its size and shape. The way the rocks came together, they really did resemble a jackal wolf. Finally. He was nearly there. So close now he could taste the sweet victory.
"This way, girl," he said as he veered left through a thicket of brushwood into the untamed wilderness surrounding them.
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
The rain came down and ruined what remained of her waning optimism. Her cloak clung heavily around her body, soaked through to her skin. Drops of water trickled down her hood in front of her face, dripped off her nose. In the distance the thunder grew weaker, rolling off into a lazy slumber, leaving in its wake a steady downpour of rain. The kind of rain that seemed intent on overstaying its welcome. Which was just fine by her.
Other women… Was that all she was then? The other woman?
One of many.
No. Zuko loved her. He did. What they had was too real to be nothing more than a game to him. This was just another trick, another one of Ozai's deceptions.
But Mai… when she discovered them in that cave, she said she had known about them. For how long? Why was she so suspicious of Zuko so early on? Could there possibly be truth in Ozai's story? It could explain why she was so quick to jump to that conclusion prior to any physical proof. Maybe she was not so oblivious to Zuko's extracurricular endeavors.
Oh gods, it couldn't be true…
A raven cried mournfully up ahead. How many days had it been now? At least two weeks, maybe three, though it felt like months. For the life of her, she could not remember. She had finally lost count. And not the smallest sign of pursuit from anyone. At last it was starting to sink in. No one was coming for her.
In a way, it made sense. The cost of one life weighed against the potential loss of thousands, many of which were more valuable than her own, if Ozai were caught and cornered… The decision would be clear. Wait for him to surface and enact his plan first, then swarm him and clean up the mess later. Easier and less collateral damage.
No, her only hope of escape now lied in herself. It was a slim chance at best against this one-man militia, even with her bending. But at least it was an advantage he did not have. If she ever wanted to survive this, she would have to take that risk and fight back.
And what better chance than during a rainstorm? Thank you, Spirits.
Katara took in a long, slow breath, keeping a sharp eye on the man ahead of her. She would have only one chance; she needed to make it count. Her fingers splayed out discreetly at her sides, raindrops fusing into ribbons of water around her hands, as she studied Ozai's movement. The way his feet touched down on the ground, how his head would turn now and then to confirm their solitude, trying to distinguish any kind of pattern. His mannerisms were more erratic than she was comfortable with, but that was out of her control and time was wasting. It was now or never.
She drew her arms back slowly, pulling in the water around her, its force building as she took one last breath. Her arms shot forward with as much power as she could muster, sending a violent jet of water bursting forth. A surge of defiance and then hope welled up inside her as she realized her freedom might actually be within reach. But in that same instant, Ozai turned his head just enough to catch the attack in his peripheral vision. Her hopes came crashing down as he leapt backward. But his reflexes weren't fast enough. The water jet sliced into his side just below his ribcage, nearly knocking him off his feet as he clutched his side in agony.
Katara didn't waste another second. She dashed off, her feet tearing into the spongy, water logged earth. Her mind was racing to conjure a new plan of escape. She had been so close! But now by she might as well have dug her own grave. There was no telling the torturous depths Ozai might stoop to if he caught her.
She couldn't let that happen.
She didn't need to turn around to know that Ozai was back on his feet and rapidly gaining on her. Where her advantage was bending, his was speed. Katara zigzagged through the trees and crashed through a grove of underbrush, her foot nearly snagging in a net of thorns. Her legs burned, her lungs ached as every fiber of her strength fought to get away. The sloshing footsteps behind her grew louder and then suddenly a hand shot into her peripheral vision. Katara ducked and swerved as Ozai lunged for her. But his fingers caught onto the end of her hood and as he tugged her backward, his grip slipped and sent her reeling into a large tree.
Through a spinning haze Katara could see Ozai barreling toward her, his clawed hands nearly upon her again. She thrusted herself from the tree, sending a shower of ice spikes behind her just as Ozai sprung off the tree after her.
Her movements were frantic now, her focus waning. Desperation was taking over. She raised her arms and launched a wave over her shoulder. It barely seemed to slow him down as he charged right through it. Rain and sweat streamed into her eyes, the forest becoming a sea of brown and grey. And then suddenly her foot caught in the crook of a concealed tree root and, as though in a nightmare, she felt her body crash to the ground.
Katara scrambled to turn over just in time to see the glint of metal in Ozai's hand. Panic gripped her stomach. She scarcely had time to forge an ice shield before the dagger chiseled into it, the weight of Ozai's body forcing the shield down upon her. His hand reached around it and grabbed onto her shoulder, trying to pry her from underneath her barricade. Her energy was fading quickly as she writhed and struggled against him. She knew she couldn't keep this up much longer. With all her might, Katara liquefied the shield and blasted him off of her.
She pulled herself off the ground as Ozai staggered to his feet. The two of them stood facing each other, frozen in the grey of the pouring rain, waiting on edge for the other to make the next move, separated by a mere few strides. She was struggling for breath, her breasts rising and falling with every inhale and exhale. But her face displayed no hint of fear, that defiant glare never veering from her face, challenging him, refusing to back down.
"You can't beat me, girl. Surrend–"
"I can! And I will."
The faintest hint of a smirk crept across his face, his head cocked just so, as though to say he found her so pitiful it was actually fascinating.
"Where will you run to? Back to that half-man you people call an Avatar? You think he'd let you just waltz on back to him? That he'll offer his forgiveness simply because you will him to?" A sardonic chuckle resonated in his throat. "Or perhaps back to your pathetic, two-timing lecher who sits on the throne? I suppose you two deserve each other... though it's unlikely he'll want you back now that he's had his fun with you."
An emptiness began growing inside her, the truth in his words searing her heart. She had no one to return to now. Nowhere to go.
Ozai must have read it in her face.
"The only place left for you is right here. With me. I've taken care of you, have I not? I'm a man of my word, my dear. I promised no harm would come to you if you complied, and thus you have not been harmed… yet. I'm willing to forget this little slip in judgment if you come quietly. Now."
Maybe he was right. Maybe this was her life now. A fate she deserved if she were honest with herself. There could be worse things… couldn't there? Being with him wasn't all that terrible. It was true, he hadn't harmed her. He needed her, so at least she would be safe for the foreseeable future…
Wait, what am I saying?! I'm not actually considering staying with this monster! He is a monster, remember?
No! No way! She would rather waste away in the city slums than spend what remained of her life with him! Already her mind was being poisoned by his lies. It was either escape now or helplessly watch herself unravel before him.
Katara planted her foot into the soggy earth, leaving a muddy crater in her wake as she took off as fast as her legs could carry her, praying to the spirits for a miracle. The next town was likely miles away; there was no telling when she might be able to find help. The only way to escape him now was to take him out. And the only way to do that, it seemed, was to catch him off-guard.
Quickly she spread a sheet of ice in front of her and skidded onto it. Katara maneuvered it into a ramp, sliding full-speed in the opposite direction toward Ozai. With only seconds to spare, a deadly ice spear had scarcely left her hand when it suddenly liquefied as Ozai's strong hand clasped around her wrist and wrenched her down from the ramp.
Katara cried out in pain, her knee turning awkwardly as she landed. No! She hadn't been quick enough! A weight formed in her stomach, her chest tightening. She was as good as dead now.
Ozai forced Katara to the ground, pinning her down, his weight twisting her shoulder up and back. She shrieked in agony as she felt it dislocate and frantically fought to bring her good arm up, hoping to heal herself quickly and put up whatever fight was left in her. Ozai abruptly constricted her other arm, as though he could hear her thoughts, his breathing heavy and livid in her ear.
"Foolish little peasant girl. I offered you clemency and yet you chose defiance. You might have just made the last mistake of your life if you were of no use to me. Count yourself lucky, for the time being."
The weight of Ozai's body lifted as he pushed himself off the ground. Katara clenched her teeth and groaned in pain as he bound her hands and hoisted her over his shoulder. Her eyes squeezed shut and she forced her mind to drift away with the hypnotic rhythm of Ozai's footsteps.
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
The groans and whispers of winter were growing louder and louder from the restless earth. What Zuko had hoped would only take a few days to locate Katara was taking far longer. Genshi's conjuring ability was proving rustier than he had expected. To her credit, she had warned him. The conjuring sessions had been painful, often agonizing, and less than productive. She had improved slightly with each one, perhaps, but the progress was meager at best. He was sure he wasn't the only one beginning to second guess their decision to trust Genshi with something of this magnitude. But what choice did they have?
Two sparrowkeets rustled the browning leaves up above, nestling together to fend off the chill in the air. They were running out of time.
Zuko cleared his throat. "Genshi, maybe we can try again …"
"I'm sorry, my lord," she interrupted. "I told you my ability probably wasn't what it used to be." Her voice weakened under the weight of impending tears. "But you pressured me into it anyway. I never wanted to do this again, and I never promised I could actually help you find –"
"Genshi," Suki chimed in, her tone soothing and empathetic. "It's okay. You were honest about the risks beforehand. We made our decision knowing what we were going into. It's not your fault."
"But Zuko's right," said Hakoda, as their caravan came to a slow halt. "We can't keep wandering about the forest chasing a vision in one direction or another that might only be partly accurate. If the visions for Katara aren't performing the way we need them to, maybe we should try focusing on someone else."
"Like Aang or Toph," Sokka piped up.
"Precisely."
"Why would that change anything?" asked Suki.
"It might not. But nothing else is working. It's worth a try." When the others agreed, Hakoda continued. "Though I'm not sure it's such a good idea for Zuko to continue being the channel for the vision. He's undergone enough pressure and duress under them for now and it might help the visions if he takes a break for a while."
"I'll do it." Sokka straightened up in his saddle, a look of solemn determination on his face.
"Sokka, are you sure," Suki asked hesitantly.
"If it means getting any closer to Katara, I'll do whatever it takes. Genshi…" he prompted the conjurer, stepping down from his ostrich-horse.
Genshi followed suit and came to stand face to face with the young Water Tribe warrior. She placed her fingertips on either side of his temples.
"I need you to breathe in deeply, and exhale slowly while thinking about Aang with as much clarity as you possibly can. Are you ready?"
Sokka nodded and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it go slowly. His forehead creased, his brows furrowed and twitched as though enduring a series of escalating shocks. Beads of sweat began to form on his face and suddenly he let out a growl of pain as his body slumped to the ground.
"Sokka!" Suki cried out.
"He's okay." Hakoda placed a reassuring hand on the girl's arm.
Sokka grimaced and massaged his temples, sitting up with a groan. "Oh man, Zuko. I feel your pain. Literally."
"Did you see anything?" the Fire Lord asked, ignoring his inopportune attempt at humor.
"Actually, yeah. For a few seconds, it was really clear. It looked like Toph was leading Appa, and Aang was just kinda slouched in Appa's saddle."
"Toph was leading Appa? While Aang was lying there motionless? Something doesn't feel right."
"Maybe he was sleeping…?"
"I don't think so. I don't know why but I have a bad feeling about this. Genshi, what do you think?"
The conjurer was unresponsive, staring off as though in a daze.
"Genshi?"
"I… can't believe… I thought I'd lost that ability."
"What are you talking about?" Zuko prodded.
"In the vision, I could faintly see your friends' auras, the life force emanating from within them. I was one of the only conjurers ever known to have that gift. I thought I'd lost it, it's been so long since I've been able to do it."
"And what does that mean in terms of finding them?"
"Well nothing, not directly anyway. But it can clue us into the emotional and physical state of your friends, their wellbeing. If they're happy, sad, in danger or distress, we'll know before we get there. And if the visions start improving it can help us to prioritize our efforts and plan accordingly."
"Well, what did you see?"
"Toph's aura was light blue with flecks of green and the bison's aura was white. The flecks of green tell me that she's stressed out and has a lot on her shoulders. Not surprising considering our situation. The Avatar, on the other hand…" Genshi paused, her mouth still open, as though the words had escaped her lips and she was trying to find them again.
"What? What did you see?!" Zuko yelled impatiently.
"His aura was in between orange and red, clouded with a murky dark grey."
"That… doesn't sound promising," said Sokka.
"What does all this aura stuff mean, Genshi?" prompted Zuko.
"People who are generally good have auras that range in color from white to light blue. People who tend to struggle over the line of good and evil have auras that range from yellow to orange. And people who are generally evil have auras in various shades of red and, in rare cases, black. Different flecks of colors within indicate certain emotions and their well-being."
"I knew it," Zuko muttered under his breath. "I knew something wasn't right with Aang. Something's happened to him. How will we deal with my father if he's like this?"
"I hate to say it," added Hakoda, "but we're gonna have to track down Toph and Aang and sort that out before we can effectively confront Ozai." The others nodded in reluctant agreement.
"By your lead, Genshi. Let's make tracks."
.:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:. .:.
The first thing Aang noticed when he opened his eyes was a harsh, blinding whiteness all around him. He squinted and blinked, struggling to focus. Slowly he stood up and shaded his eyes, scanning them across the landscape. It was as flat as a Pai Sho board, dotted here and there with knobby, wind-worn rock formations. There wasn't a tree or shrub, or any form of life at all, anywhere in sight.
Where am I?
As far as he could see in any direction, the land was barren and desolate, accentuated by the pallid, wide open sky. The hard, pebbly ground was alabaster white, dry and cracked, an occasional dried-out creek bed slithering through it.
"Toph?" he called out, his words falling stagnant to the ground, suffocated by the heavy silence. No matter where he turned, everything looked the same. A wave of disorientation crashed over him. He took a few bewildered steps in one direction then stopped. The sound of his own footsteps was deafening in the quiet.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Avatar," a disembodied voice echoed around him.
"Wh– Who are you? What am I doing here?"
"You're being here," said the voice in a coy tone.
"Okay… where is 'here'?"
"Here… is where you are."
"Are you going to keep toying with me or are you actually gonna answer my questions? Tell me how I got here."
"I brought you here."
A rippling miasma appeared on the horizon as though the ground were suddenly radiating with the heat of a mid-summer day. The miasma began to change shape and a form slowly materialized from within it. The creature that emerged was both fascinating and eerie, though Aang could not pinpoint the reason exactly. Its body and tail were that of a wolf's, ashen grey in color, with the legs and hooves of a stag. It had six raven antlers, fused together at the base, that twisted and split off from one another like tree limbs.
Perhaps what lent an eerie quality to the creature, Aang thought, was its face. It had three pairs of crimson eyes, one below the other and each one smaller than the one above. His face appeared frozen in one expression, as though he wore a mask – just a trace of a smile, wide-awake eyes that drilled into Aang and never seemed to blink.
"I am Jaaku," said the creature, "the spirit of desolation."
Of course, it made sense now. He was in the spirit world. Why didn't he remember going into it?
"The spirit of desolation?"
"Loneliness. Seclusion. Waste. Grief. Havoc. Sadness…"
"Okay, okay, I get it," Aang cut him off. "You said you brought me here. Why?"
"Why else? Your heart is troubled, is it not? Your soul in upheaval. Those you love have all fallen short, turned their backs on you. You have never felt so betrayed, so alone. Am I right?"
"How do you know all this?"
"You are the Avatar. You are deeply connected to the spirit world. And I have a strong sensitivity to such things. You needed a place to uncoil, to talk to someone who can empathize and understand what you're going through."
"And you think you can?"
Jaaku did not respond right away, as though mocking him in silence. His face remained unchanging, those uncanny wide-awake eyes ceaselessly laughing at him, his mouth never moving even as he spoke. It made Aang shudder faintly.
"You feel that no one understands you, all of your so-called friends are sweeping the shattered pieces of your heart under the rug. They can't seem to be bothered by your misery, as though you endured nothing more than a skinned knee. She was your true love, your one and only, and without as much as a second thought, she betrayed you. She's spun her own web of fate. She deserves what's come to her. And the others… well, true friends wouldn't put her rescue above your agony."
Aang wasn't sure what to say. It was as though Jaaku had read his own thoughts aloud. A sense of reprieve and validation welled up within him, a renewed sting of bitterness coursing through his veins. Finally, someone on his side.
"Being the Avatar doesn't mean you always have to put others before yourself. Rescuing her would be like saying what she did was okay; it would be letting her get away with it."
Aang's brows raised and then pulled in, his gaze turning cold as his muscles tensed.
"Sometimes revenge is the right path. And the sweetest revenge is to sit back and watch Fate take its just and deserved course."
Jaaku was right. He couldn't let her get away with what she did. And he couldn't let the others intervene. Perhaps he would just stay here for a while. Let them fuss and sweat over the situation. And if they got too close to success… well, he might just have to make sure that they didn't.
A/N: Thanks to all you awesome readers. Reviews are awesome and appreciated but not required. I hope you enjoy :)