Chapter 16 - Calvary
Previously on Black Sun:
- Ten days earlier, during an outing with Ty Lee, Azula savagely attacked Kojiro who had been too enterprising. She fled after being seen by witnesses to the scene.
- Zuko has a date with Azula in their father's room to sleep with her. He hesitates to go. As he confides in Aang and Toph, Kadao has come looking for him to alert him of a problem related to Azula.
- The situation in the settlements continues to worsen. The colonists have been attacked by the natives since Lu Fang, the Minister of the Earth Kingdom's armies, decided to no longer provide security. The settlers are forced to flee to the Fire Nation.
* Spirophore: Device invented in the 19th century used to bring the drowned or asphyxiated back to life, by precipitating the outside air through the mouth into the lungs.
The room was dark, windowless, lit only by a few candles, whose pale light barely allowed visitors to reach without tripping the bed in the center of the room. When he got out, a few minutes later, Zuko was dazzled by the sudden brightness of the antechamber. Supported by Toph on one side, Aang on the other, and under Kadao's worried gaze, Zuko staggered to a horseshoe chair in which his friends sat him down. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust.
"His eyelids have been completely burnt. Although he lost one eye, the other is still valid and he can no longer stand the daylight", the nurse had explained to them in the dark room, while they gazed in amazement at the ravaged face of the boy who was sleeping in front of them, deeply sedated. His chest rose and fell to the pace of his irregular breathing. That alone, and the indistinct groans that sometimes escaped his parched throat, proved that he was still alive.
Still feverish, Zuko got up from his chair to face the Commander Tsuneo who had just joined them in the vestibule. The man he had known as a boy, when he was still captain of the guards in Azulon's service, looked at him with an expression of defiance and hatred that the Fire Lord would not have tolerated from anyone in other circumstances.
But the severe and furious face that stared at him now was not that of any man. It was that of a father whose child had been mutilated.
"Does-", Zuko began, swallowing hard, "Does he have any chance of surviving?"
Tsuneo's shoulders slumped and Zuko felt like all his fighting spirit was leaving him when he answered him in a voice pierced with an unimaginable distress:
"Until the day before yesterday, he was very unstable. The wounds became infected and his doctors asked me to prepare myself for the worst."
Zuko met Aang and Kadao's gaze and knew they were thinking the same: what could be worse? What kind of life could this poor boy hope for after that? Beside the mush he had just seen on Kojiro's face, his own scar looked like a simple slash.
"But yesterday", the father continued "the fever miraculously subsided and he began to breathe on his own, without the spirophore* assistance. This is why I didn't come earlier. I didn't want to be away if... if he happened to... But hey, he lives. They want to keep him for several more weeks under strict observation, but according to them, if the infection does not spread to the damaged tissues again, he will live."
His voice broke at this point. Zuko understood that, like him, like his friends, Tsuneo was aware of what such a life meant.
Suppressing the urge to lay a friendly hand on his shoulder – he doubted such a gesture would have been well received – Zuko sat up to compose a more regal attitude and looking his General waiting at his side, he announced:
"You and your son will receive an annuity for the rest of your life. I will send you the best doctors in the nation and they will stay night and day by your son's bedside until he is healed. Have you already called for the services of a waterbender?"
"No my Lord" Tsuneo said, obviously not moved by all these promises. "I don't know any of them."
"Master Katara and Master Taïma, two brilliant healers whom I count among my closest friends, are both from the Water Tribes. One of them will come this evening to treat Kojiro and relieve his pain."
The nurse had explained to them that Kojiro had been drugged almost continuously since he woke up, more than twenty-four hours after the assault. His suffering was intolerable according to her. The smell of dead flesh came back to Zuko's memory, as if scents had escaped from the closed room behind them.
"Thank you for your great generosity, Sire", Tsuneo replied, bowing stiffly. "But I am afraid that this is not enough to repair the damage. I told you who was responsible for his condition. What I expect from you is not money. I have gold. What I want is justice!"
Zuko felt the fury wash over him and, with a wave of his hand, held back Aang who had crept up behind him and seemed ready to contain him if Zuko lost control of his nerves again.
"I won't do anything until we have formal proof of what you are saying. Your accusations are for the moment only allegations, not to say calumnies! Princess Azula lives within the walls of my palace and never leaves it. It is highly unlikely that it is her who did this to your son."
"Witnesses to the scene say otherwise," Tsuneo replied, seeking Kadao's support.
Indeed, the General had spent hours, the day before, to question the witnesses of the attack. All were unanimous. The description of the young woman who attacked Kojiro matched Azula's in every way.
"I don't care about those fools! As long as you don't provide me with material proof that my sister is responsible for this… this carnage, I won't do anything against her!" Zuko said, beginning to lose patience and whose voice betrayed a dangerously growing anger.
"Blue flames, Sire. Dozens of people claim she bend blue flames. And that she fled by propelling herself through the air, using her firebending. They say she looked like she was flying."
Zuko looked down, denying the obvious.
"It sounds like Azula." Aang admitted shyly from behind him. And before Zuko had a chance to whirl to give him a fierce look, he hastened to add:
"However, we have no tangible evidence that the Princess is the only person capable of such a feat. Blue flames are rare, it's true..."
Unique, Zuko thought, his stomach capsizing once again.
"But we have to deepen this investigation", the Avatar continued. "We will question the princess, Commander, I promise you. If you allow me, I would like to see what I can do to relieve Kojiro while awaiting the arrival of Masters Katara or Taïma. General Kadao, Sifu Toph, could you escort the Fire Lord to the palace?"
Too stunned and still too shocked by what he had just discovered, Zuko forgot to take offense at this obvious lack of consideration towards him. After all, Aang was the Avatar. If anyone could challenge his authority, it was he. And if he was being completely honest, he had to admit it was safer for everyone to leave this spooky house in which death seemed to have invited itself, watching for the right moment to strike the poor boy sleeping on the other side of the closed door.
"Thank you Avatar Aang" Tsuneo replied, "if you don't mind, I'll go with you."
He turned to Zuko and nodded at him. A gesture contrary to the protocol which required that one bow before the Fire Lord with the traditional hand-to-palm salute. But Zuko, far from being offended, judged that he did not deserve such a mark of consideration. Followed by Kadao and Toph, he stalked out of the Commander's house and climbed back into the palanquin that was waiting for them outside in the courtyard.
They did not speak a word on the way back to the palace and when they arrived he asked his companions to leave him alone.
He saw the concern and solicitude on their faces, but he ignored them and walked towards the Throne Room, which he double locked.
As soon as he was sure to be alone, he dug his fingers deep into his sockets and let out all the emotions he had been trying to suppress since that awful revelation.
He let out a cry of rage that echoed throughout the room, similar to the one he had let out the night Azula knelt in front of him in the bathroom. The brazier across from the throne ignited spontaneously and the room, which was first plunged into darkness, lit up.
"Azula, what have you done?" He breathed as scalding tears beaded his eyelids.
No matter how much he denied, he knew Tsuneo was telling the truth. Azula was responsible for that.
He remembered her awkward gait that night, and the gash on her cheek that had healed since.
His sister had mutilated a young man, disfigured him for life, almost killed him, then had returned quietly to the palace. She had accepted Zuko's affection without hesitation, had let him kiss and caress her, without letting anything show of the crime she had just committed.
What was he going to say when he would see her again?
Night had long fallen and he knew that by now Azula, no doubt, was still waiting for him in their father's room, burning to see him arrive, ready to offer herself to him.
How could he protect her now that she was such a danger to herself and others? How to silence voices who raised everywhere, demanding her imprisonment, extradition or execution?
On the run that brought them to Tsuneo's house, Kadao, who had stayed with him in his palanquin, had explained to him in detail the results of his investigation. No less than sixteen witnesses claimed to have seen Azula burn Kojiro's face, sitting astride him, shouting like an enraged beast, spouting foolish words. Thirteen had seen her generate a glowing ball of energy that had exploded, propelling three people away - thankfully all recovered from their injuries - then fleeing using her exceptional ability to propel herself through the sky.
Blue flames were a unique gift. No one else in the world, in living memory, had ever been able to produce a heat intense enough to give fire this azure hue. Kojiro's face, under such ardor, had melted like wax.
Zuko closed his eyes to dispel the memory of the horrible figure he had discovered two hours earlier in the Commander's house, once the nurse had removed the bandages. But the image seemed inscribed in indelible ink in his memory, with a tremendous precision.
This blackened, demolished face, peeling in places... Infection had finished ravaging the few inches of skin the burns had spared. Kojiro's right cheek seemed devoured by worms. Some face areas were excruciatingly swollen while others had suffered a singular sagging. These roughness gave his face the strange and irregular appearance of a landscape devastated by war.
One could see the shiny bone of his cheekbone piercing his skin through a purulent hole whose charred edges turned yellow.
The contrast between the dazzling whiteness of the bone and the browned skin had made him think of a dying carp swollen and whitish belly, floating on the surface of a brackish pond. It's odd for a burn, Zuko had thought absently. Fascinated, he couldn't take his eyes off it.
There was no more nose: instead, a gaping hole led the air to Kojiro's lungs. Leaning over this cavity, one could make out pink, oozing walls and something indistinct that throbbed at the bottom. Only the mouth and part of the chin were intact, miraculously spared, although a tip of the upper lip was missing. It had merged with the surrounding flesh, curled up in a sinister grin that revealed his strangely shiny gums.
He had lost his right eye. The absence of eyelids made visible the hole the globe had sunk into when Azula's fingers had pressed on it. The surgeon who had taken care of Kojiro had gone to retrieve it at his orbit bottom. That's what Tsuneo had told him laconically as Zuko, a hand over his mouth to keep from throwing up, gazed at the carnage.
The left eye was still functional and Zuko could see his golden iris glowing in the flames, under a thin film of skin, last vestige of his second eyelid, barely transparent veil, useless bulwark against the dazzlinglight of the day.
All of this smelled like a horrible and strange odor of ashes and dead meat lining the back of the palate.
Azula had done this.
And he had once called his father a monster for giving him the ridiculous scar he sported since he was thirteen. This scar he had carried like a burden, symbol of his shame and dishonor. What life was left to Kojiro? He did not even have for himself the protection that royalty afforded Zuko.
Azula had done this.
The sister he loved, whom he had defended in front of all his assembled ministers, whom he protected from Lu Fang and Kuei, whom he treasured close to him, his sister for whom he had almost trampled on his marriage and his friendship with Aang… She had betrayed him, had lied to him. And she didn't express the slightest remorse.
Nothing happened with this boy, she claimed.
Today, he would have preferred a thousand times that what he had feared at first had happened.
Deeply disgusted, he thought back to the caresses, the embraces exchanged that very same evening, his hands and his eager lips on her face, on her neck, her breasts.
He had desired a monster. And to think that he had once considered joining her, giving in to temptation, sleeping with her in their father's bed. Just once... to know... to exorcise those unnatural feelings that were growing inside him. These thoughts sometimes assailed him when his foggy brain wandered between wakefulness and sleep, at a time when ideas invite themselves, when one no longer distinguish good from evil, where shame and morality do not mean nothing more.
"What do I have to do?" He moaned out loud.
Alone, lost in the vastness of the Throne room, he fell on at all four and wept. The ripping sound of his sobs echoed against the walls, between the columns, before raising towards the ceiling, lost in indifferent darkness.
Palace, the same evening, former Ozai's apartments.
Something is wrong, Azula thought immediately.
The room was dark, cold, the torches were out. And yet she could feel a presence lurking around the place.
Could it be…?
She immediately dismissed this idea, which was as absurd as it was terrifying. Blaming herself for her cowardice, she swallowed and whispered:
"Zuko? Is that you?"
"You would like…" answered a cold and deep female voice arising from the darkness only a few yards from her.
With a quick wave of her hand, Azula lit up the room. But in panic, she could not control her flames intensity and she was dazzled for a moment.
It was all her opponent needed to act.
Something whistled across the room and Azula was pinned to the wall.
Two sharp blades had pierced the sleeves of her coat as they crashed into the wall, and she was momentarily unable to move, too stunned to react.
Before she could gather her thoughts, a long, thin face barred with heavy black bangs loomed close to hers.
"Sorry, maybe you were expecting someone else?" Mai asked her in her usual drawling voice.
A rush of hatred invaded Azula and distorted her usually symmetrical and delicate features.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed. "Where is my brother?"
"Your brother?" Mai asked, raising her eyebrows as if to feign deep astonishment. "I thought you were waiting for your lover!"
Azula fell silent and closed her mouth, unable to keep her lips and chin from shaking violently.
"But I believe you and Zuko are beyond such distinction, am I wrong?" Mai continued, bringing her face closer to Azula's, close enough to kiss her.
Azula would have freed herself without hesitation and thrown at her sister-in-law without a shadow of remorse if the latter had not held just under her throat a blade so sharp that she was certain that a simple application against her skin would have been enough to create a fatal hemorrhage.
Since she couldn't do anything, she might as well have a chat. At least the sound of their words would drown out the frantic beating of her own heart. She couldn't let Mai find out how scared she was.
"Did Zuko tell you?" she managed to ask despite her dry throat and jaw tremors. "Couldn't that fool keep his mouth shut up? What did you do to make him talk? Did you put a knife to his throat like for me? Or did you use softer methods?" She concludes, a mean smile spreading over her face.
Mai said nothing and scowled.
"I don't know what effect you have on him,"Azula continued, who couldn't help but provoking her former friend despite the danger. "But with me he's usually too exhausted to talk after."
"Shut up miserable little bitch!" Mai exploded as she brought the blade closer to Azula's throat, who recoiled against the wall, her eyes widening in fear. "I wouldn't play this little game if I was you. And I know that nothing has happened with Zuko since the night of the treaty!"
Azula considered a moment the possibility to deny, but the icy touch of the blade against her throat incited her to prudence. She found it best not to speak at all, fearing that the mere act of swallowing would be enough to force the sharp metal into her throat, where the skin was most tender.
"Mai…" she just said , looking down at the blade.
As if it was a signal, Mai moved the blade a few inches away, allowing Azula to catch her breath and swallow her saliva. But she left her close enough to pose a serious threat. Azula still couldn't move.
"If he didn't tell you, then how did you know?"
"As always, you miscalculated Azula. Did you really think your little childish games would prevent me from accessing the information I needed?"
"The poem", Azula said blankly. "Did you manage to decipher it?"
"Of course I did, poor foolish girl! We invented this code together!" Mai cried out.
Oddly enough, this oversight seemed to hurt her almost as much as Zuko's betrayal.
"But of course," Mai added, "As always, you are too self-centered and far too narcissistic to admit that you are not the little genius that you claim to be. I created this code with you when we were seven! This is how we communicate when we send hawks out of our bedroom windows."
How could Azula have forgotten something so important? Too obsessed with Zuko, finally confident that he wanted her, she had greatly underestimated Mai. It was a mistake she had already made once. An error that she had sworn never to reproduce.
The love whose Mai enveloped Zuko was at least as twisted and fierce as hers. It was probably no coincidence that her brother chose the one of her two friends who most resembled Azula.
"So what are you going to do to me?" she asked, her lips twitching in a wild sneer. "Are you going to kill me and let me bleed in this room? Hoping that no one will ever find me there? But Zuko knows I'm here, and if he doesn't see me tomorrow, he'll come get me there. And who do you think people will blame first when seeing my body slashed with a knife? Do you think Zuko will forgive you?"
"Zuko has a choice to make", Mai replied, bringing her thin face closer to Azula's who was still looking at her with her mocking smile. "And as always, he rushes to the bad one before coming back to his senses. You may have managed to seduce him Azula, but in the end he will come back to me. And you already know it."
"That's presumptuous, even to the Fire Lady herself," Azula sneered, more confident now that the blade was a reasonable distance from her throat. "If I were you I'd be less sure. Do you know where Zuko was the night I went out with Ty Lee? Do you know who he came to find by taking the secret passages? Do you know it, Mai?"
Mai blinked once, then blinked a second time and Azula saw doubt creep into her rival's heart, latch onto it solidly and darken her features.
"You should have heard him when he sighed my name pulling me against him," Azula continued, giving her voice a dreamy inflection. "You should have seen how hard he got for me. Oh, Mai, if you only knew how hot his hands were when he slipped them under my robe!"
And before Mai could react, she breathed in her face a mighty jet of blue flames that the young knife thrower narrowly dodged thanks to her excellent reflexes.
Azula took advantage of the confusion to free herself from the blades that held her prisoner, threw one to the ground which she kicked back. The object finishes its course under the bed enthroned in the middle of the room. Azula's gaze fell on the portrait above the headboard, which was staring at her severely. His eyes seemed to blame her the same as the day she had returned from the Western Air Temple to announce her defeat at the Boiling Rock and the betrayal of her two friends.
"You are no better than your brother. And to think that I trusted you. You are such a disappointment, my poor daughter."
Since her punishment, on the day of the Black Sun, Azula multiplied the errors of judgment. One more failure and he would send her to marry some fool in the Fire Nation. He had already warned her. She no longer had the right to make mistakes.
She had once again underestimated Mai and she was paying the price again.
In front of her, Mai watched her, ready to attack, an expression of pure hatred distorting every feature of her usually impassive face.
"You little whore!" She blurted out. Her long locks of hair fluttered on either side of her head, as if a strong wind had swept through the room.
"I would prefer a less offensive term if you don't mind. But if you can't do better…" Azula replied calmly and confidently, shrugging her shoulders . "I do want to be a whore, as long as I'm his."
Azula narrowly dodged the swarm of razor-sharp blades flying towards her by slipping to the ground, one foot forward, the other tucked under her knee. She landed on the palms of her hands, which she leaned on and jumped up, throwing a kick from which a fireball burst through the air and nearly hit Mai's elbow. .
Mai dodged easily by crouching down and retaliated by sending four new sharp blades towards Azula's feet who jumped again and executed a graceful pirouette that brought her onto the large four-poster bed where she landed. The mattress sank a little under her weight and she had to restore her balance.
Mai seized the opportunity to rush over her, a keen dagger in her right hand, ready to use it against the one she once called her friend. Azula reacted in time but the mattress hampered her momentum and her jump did not propel her as high as she had expected. A blade brushed her and she let out an exclamation of outraged pain. The knife had pierced the coat she was still wearing and cut a gash in her left arm. She quickly removed the cloak that was impeding her movements and set it ablaze before kicking it towards her enemy who was picking up the blades littering the floor at the bed foot.
Mai gasped in amazement as the flaming garment landed at her feet and she jumped back. Azula took advantage of her distraction to rush at her and pin her to the ground. Groping, she grabbed a blade that was to her right and pointed it directly at Mai's neck, right on the carotid artery.
The same rage that had invaded her at the edge of the canal when Kojiro had touched her washed over her and it took all the strength of her will not to sink the blade into the livid skin where an artery throbbed.
Kill her...
Panting, lying on her back, Mai looked at her without blinking, her usually slanted eyes rounded in stupor. An expression of terror, that Azula had never seen in her, spread on her porcelain face.
"Are you going to kill me?" Mai asked breathlessly. "Is that your evil plan to steal Zuko from me? Didn't you have anything more subtle?"
Apparently fear wasn't enough to overcome Mai's sarcasm. It was another personality trait they shared. Azula couldn't help but smile and replied in the same tone:
"Mai, we didn't have to come to this mess. If you had been ready to share, as I am, we could almost have come to an understanding..."
Ignoring the grimace of revulsion that momentarily distorted Mai's features, Azula asked again the question that obsessed her:
"How did you know about the letter? Don't tell me Zuzu was stupid enough to let it lie around?"
It was Mai's turn to smirk. Azula saw an evil gleam pass through her silver eyes before she answered:
"It looks like Zuko has been taking lessons in stealth lately. I happen to have my sources..."
"Tell me who!" Azula demanded, thrusting the blade into Mai's neck, just enough for a drop of blood to bead on her white skin without risking serious injury.
Kill her ...
Azula shook her head violently as if to chase away a gnat and had to resist the urge to cover her ears.
You can do it. You will have Zuko all to yourself if she dies...
"But he will never forgive me if I do!"
Azula realized too late that she had spoken out loud. The tone she used was almost pleading. Mai looked at her strangely, frowning. Refusing to reveal her confusion, Azula strengthened her position and approached Mai's face.
"Tell me!" She ordered again, her voice breaking slightly.
"I doubt you want to know the answer", Mai replied in the neutral tone she would have used to comment on the weather, "But since you asked so nicely, I'll give you a hint. To tell the truth, I am quite disappointed..."
"With what?" Azula spat, who didn't have the patience for mind games. She didn't like the sarcastic tone she heard in Mai's voice, and hated the feeling of fear and doubt that slowly crept inside her.
Could it be that Zuko himself had sent Mai to…?
"You would always said that trust was for fools," Mai said, "You should have stuck to your old credo. You've made the same mistake in the past. You probably thought she would choose you this time?"
"She?" Azula asked, her amber eyes widening with incomprehension. "Who? Answer,now!" She urged, shouting in a shrill voice, close to hysteria, she couldn't control.
How had she managed to get in touch with Mai? No one else could see her though, could they? How could Mother have talked to this bitch?
"The poor girl came to me, completely upset. She was terribly afraid of betraying you again. She took hours to tell me the truth! But in the end, she chose the right side, as always."
Azula's entrails liquefied in her stomach. She didn't even realize she had let go of the blade and it was the sound of metal hitting the ground that pulled her out of the trance she was in.
"Ty..." she whispered in a blank voice.
Ty Lee had seen the letter. She was with her when Azula wrote it. She knew that her friend had guessed its contents. Her friend had spent the last few days trying to deter her from meeting Zuko. She disapproved of their relationship, was disgusted with it, like everyone else. Azula had given up asking for her help to seduce Zuko, but she had at least believed that she could trust her and rely on her discretion.
Completely dazed by this unexpected revelation, Azula hadn't even noticed that Mai had pushed her away. The Fire Lady was getting up now and when she was on her feet, she carelessly dusted off the shoulder pads of her dress. She then looked down at Azula and a contemptuous smile stretched her thin lips as she eyed her from her full height.
"Did you think Zuko sent me here? Poor Azula. He never even intended to come. He left in a palanquin earlier with Kadao and the Avatar without a thought for you. He forgot you, you are nothing to him. A small whim at most… A dark spot in his reign history, a mistake which will be quickly forgotten."
It became hard to breathe. Kneeling on the stone floor, Azula buried her head in her hands and planted her sharp fingernails in her temples and forehead.
"No… No, no, no, no, no!" she choked. "You are lying! I don't believe you!"
"It's really hard, isn't it, when one of the people who mean the most to you betrays you?" Mai asked, her voice loaded with false concern. "But this is nothing new to you. How do you feel, Azula?"
Azula didn't look up, unable to bear the jubilation that must have lit Mai's usually impassive gaze.
"Maybe you should better trust your hallucinations. They never let you down, did they? It's strange, isn't it? It's like real people can't love you." she concluded, faking the bewilderment of someone who would make an unexpected discovery.
Azula couldn't help but look up and saw a flame dance in her former friend's half-moon eyes that she had never seen before. Did she know? Did she know that Azula had gone crazy again? But how? She was hiding it so desperately from everyone, how could she know when even Ty Lee, who never left her, was ignoring it?
"How's your mom Azula? Is she here with us contemplating your downfall? Can she hear me? I would love to say hello to her."
This latter repartee carried Azula to the edge of what she could endure. But as she expected to utter a cry of fury, it was a long, desperate moan that crossed her lips. She brought her hands to her chest and pressed them to her bruised heart, as if to protect it from another assault.
She wouldn't have felt more humiliated if Mai had her pinned to the ground and stepped on her in the triumphant stance of a hunter subduing his prey.
"You can fuck all the imaginary brothers your degenerate mind will be willing to show you. The real one will always be mine!"
The sob that Azula had been holding for a moment suddenly erupted when Mai struck the killing blow. A shower of postilion fell on her knees, painfully reminding Azula of a similar scene, years earlier, in the narrow space of the cell where she had been locked in the asylum. But the ruthless young woman standing in front of her was very real this time. As were the cruel words she had just thrown in his face.
Visibly satisfied, the Fire Lady whirled, her back straight, her walk stiff, and left the room, abandoning a defeated Azula on the icy slabs of her father's room.
Azula stumbled through the halls, ignoring where she was going. More than once she had to hold back against the wall so as not to collapse on her shaky legs. She didn't dare turn around. She knew what she would see if she did. She could hear them approaching her, sliding on the floor. They whispered words she didn't understand. Convinced that others were lurking in the shadows right in front of her, as she entered a new corridor, she leaned against the wall, panting loudly.
"Leave me alone!" she cried in a pleading voice that echoed through the hallway and vanished in the darkness.
Deaf to her prayers, the shadows were overtaking her. Soon they would grab her by the ankles and drag her into the murk.
Count to ten Zula, and they'll disappear!
She stopped and closed her eyelids tightly, clutching the exposed bricks on the wall. She counted to five, straining to catch her breath.
It is not real. None of this is real.
Crawling men and shadows were just a trick of her imagination and sick brain. But then, why was she already feeling their long, twisted fingers slide down her arms and close over her throat?
6,7,8,9,10… Keep your eyes closed a few more seconds.
In the asylum, she had learned to distinguish what was real and what was not. The creatures that had started following her when she had left her father's room a few minutes earlier fell into the second category. They couldn't do anything to her. Azula could stay there, in that hallway, and wait until someone came to pick her up and take her back to her rooms.
They were at least ten gathered around her and they caressed her, brushed her. Their murmurs grew and changed into a loud hum that drowned out the sound of Azula's panicked gasps.
"Go away!" she suddenly yelled. "Go away from me!"
The murmurs died and she felt nothing but the cold stones of the wall against her back.
After a while, she dared to open her eyes again and saw only her reflection flickering in the window in front of her. She lifts off the wall and peers into the darkness. Nothing. They were gone.
Azula heaved a deep sigh of relief. She was about to resume her journey when a violent cramp in her stomach threw her to her knees. She gasped in pain and cupped her stomach in her hands moaning, swaying in place, her head almost touching the stone floor.
She stayed like that for a while, until the spasms subsided and her stomach relaxed again. When she felt better, she sat down against the wall, her forehead covered with sweat.
It had been a week now since the cramps had started. At first she hadn't worried about it. She had already experienced comparable pain during her monthly time. Taïma had told her, one day when she had complained to her at the asylum, that abdominal pain was frequent during bleeding.
But Azula had stopped bleeding for four days now; and the cramps, far from subsiding, seemed to get worse. A few nights earlier, she must have gotten up hurriedly and run into the bathroom. There she had vomited into the stone tub. When she raised her head to see her reflection in the mirror hanging above, it returned her the image of a livid face with black circled eyes. A thin drizzle of blood trickled from the corners of her trembling lips.
Panicked, she had quickly turned on the faucet to drain the disgusting substance from the tub.
Ty Lee's sleepy voice called out to her from across the door. Azula had hastened to reassure her and told her to go back to bed.
Ty Lee, from whom there was nothing she could hid, had noticed that something was wrong. She would surprise sometimes painful grimaces on Azula's face, or the hand she suddenly put on her stomach when a new spasm folded her in half. Ty Lee had strongly advised her to go see Taïma or the doctor, but Azula silenced her with a gesture and asked her to show her a second time the complicated blocking she was teaching her in the practice yard.
Sitting in the dark hallway, in the middle of the night, Azula told herself that Ty Lee was right. She should go see Taïma. But the healer would inevitably notice that Azula had lost her mind again. This woman was on the lookout for any sign, any clue. She would see the little spasms that sometimes contracted the pretty face of the princess. She would find that Azula had started to hear voices again. And they would send her back to the asylum. Zuko wouldn't want her anymore. The priority was to return to her room, or to find Ty Lee. The apparitions manifested less in others' presence. At least Azula was managing to keep them at bay.
To find Ty Lee... To tell her what? That she had discovered her vile betrayal? Thinking of her friend, Azula only felt a great cold in her chest. She knew from the start that the acrobat disapproved of her relationship with Zuko, that she would do anything to prevent it. But to involve Mai in this matter? To send her there, knowing full well how this meeting would end!
Traitor! You traitor! Miserable little whore!
How could a girl who slept with half the men of the Caldera, noble and commoner, dare to interfere and take offense at Azula's romantic affairs? Other than her brother, she had never let a man touch her, ever! At least when she had been able to prevent it. And she was the one people accused of scandalous conduct?
Where to go then? To Zuko's? If what Mai had said was true, he had left the palace. She didn't even know where to join him. For a moment she thought of Katara. The young Waterbender had been helpful on some occasions in the past. And although she did not like her much, her presence, in this desperate time, seemed comforting to her. But with her there would be the Avatar.
She didn't like being in his presence. She knew what was hidden under his gentle and compassionate gaze, under his exasperating peaceful speeches of wisdom: a fierce hatred, an unfulfilled desire for revenge. She had almost killed him. She had believed in his death, wished for it and enjoyed it.
It was because of him that Zuko had abandoned her. It was for him that he had come back and faced her for an Agni Kai. She was sure that the Avatar would do anything to put Zuko back on the right path, to deter him from giving in to his unnatural desires.
Why did everyone have to interfere?
Their parents had pitted them against each other in their youth. Iroh, their good-for-nothing uncle, had perverted her brother's mind with his extravagant ideas and philosophical principles. There had been Mai. Then the Avatar. Now Ty Lee. All of the people who pretended to care about them, to love them. All of them are lasting obstacles to their happiness.
Azula would not allow it. She wouldn't allow it anymore. A hand still clinging to her belly, a fiery flame burning in her chest, she stumbled away, determined to rid the world of anyone who dared stand between her and her brother.
A gray dawn had risen. A shy sun, whose pale and cold rays failed to pierce the opaque cloudy layer, did not yet warm the roofs of the sleeping houses. A foggy sheet rose from the paved ground and seemed to seep into the buildings foundations. The whole town seemed numb. One would have said it was dead without the distant song of the morning birds that pierced the thick silence enveloping the world.
Two lonely figures walked side by side in the deserted alleys of the Caldera.
They had not exchanged a word since leaving the Commandant's home where they had spent the night, taking turns trying to relieve the suffering of the poor boy whose face had been ravaged by flames.
Katara kept thinking about the ugly face she had discovered in the dark room that smelled death and disease. The heart in her throat, she could not take her eyes off it first. Kojiro's functional eye was firmly fixed on her and his chest heaved rapidly, proving that he was awake and probably conscious.
Struggling fiercely against the disgust she felt, she had pulled a chair near the bed and took Kojiro's hand in hers. Then, taking her most reassuring and warmer voice, she had whispered words of comfort.
Aang, standing behind her, had witnessed the scene. He had let Katara introduce herself and watched her expert hands hovering over Kojiro's ruined face, using a shining silvery water from the skin she always carried. He had looked at her as she modeled and conducted the precious liquid as she pleased.
"The flesh is too damaged", she whispered to Aang after a while. I can't do anything to fix his face..."
Head down, Aang nodded. He already knew it. But it was their duty to do everything they could to relieve the young man who was suffering an excruciating pain.
They had therefore spent the night there. Katara had changed Kojiro's bandages, cleaned up the dead flesh and showed the nurses how to bandage while limiting the risk of infection. They left, promising Tsuneo to come back the next day. Kojiro was then sound asleep, momentarily appeased by this healing session.
Now they were returning to the palace, heads bowed, both to protect themselves from the penetrating cold of this chilly morning, and suffocated by the violence and anguish of that long night.
Zuko was in trouble. It was nothing to say.
Deep inside, Katara had always feared something like this would happen since the day Azula was allowed to return to the palace. She had tried to dissuade Zuko from bringing her back. But he had been intractable. He wanted his sister with him. He wanted to replenish what little family he had left before it was too late.
Certainly, in appearance, the princess seemed more stable. She no longer displayed any violence and no longer responded to her hallucinations. But during their last visits to the asylum, Katara and Aang had both felt great disturbances in her chi. Azula was far from at peace with herself and with her memories. An old proverb from her tribe said that there was nothing more dangerous than sleeping water.
What about the fire? And in particular of the one that has been smothered for years?
Aang and Katara weren't there when Azula left the asylum to the palace, and only returned to the Caldera a few months later. It was clear that, thanks to Taïma and Zuko's efforts, the princess seemed to be doing better. But Katara couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in her presence ; and the way Azula was looking at Zuko disturbed her deeply. It seemed to her that at any moment she was going to throw a tornado of azure flames upon him and tear off the crown from his head. She had always known that Azula, despite her efforts to look normal, was still a terribly dangerous person. The way she had assaulted Kojiro was proof of that.
As she pondered these dark thoughts, Katara felt a hand grab hers and squeeze it. She turned her head and looked into Aang's brown eyes, who was looking at her with a look that expressed the same pain and concern as hers.
"Do you want me to talk to him?" he asked, as if he had read her mind.
"He won't take it well..." she answered, squeezing Aang's hand in turn.
"No. I know. This is why it is better if it's me..."
Katara turned her head towards him and read on the Avatar's usually serene face, a deep sadness she had only seen a few times: on their first visit to the Southern Air Temple, when he had discovered the tragic disappearance of his people, then when they lost Appa in the desert. Like her, Aang understood that the discussion they were about to have with Zuko might irreparably compromise their friendship. The fact that he wanted to talk to the Fire Lord himself only meant one thing: he was worried the conversation would escalate.
"Before the Agni Kai", Katara began, "I was convinced that Zuko dreamed to get rid of Azula. That he saw in her only a rival, a threat to the world peace, to his throne. On the way back to the palace, when we left to face her, he didn't seem to care what would happen to her. He was worried about you."
Aang listened to her attentively, staring at her. Zuko and Katara had always remained strangely secret about the final fight between the young firebender and his maniacal, deadly sister. It had always seemed to him that this memory they shared had brought them closer in a way that was not accessible to him. He had long felt jealousy about that. When Katara would accompany Zuko to the asylum, when they came back exchanging somewhat sad looks, when Katara laid a compassionate hand and a look of concern on him, Aang couldn't help but fear that she was escaping him. At the time, he was still a thirteen years boy, not very charismatic, still small and although he was an accomplished master of the four elements, he lacked that thing that made Zuko so attractive in girls' eyes, despite his ravaged face. Water had flowed under the bridges since then and Aang had gained the self-confidence he lacked. His body had undergone noticeable changes. He was now taller than Sokka and Zuko and had developed a musculature that had nothing to envy to his friends. As an Avatar, he enjoyed the respect of all and a special aura.
"Even when we saw her fall at the Western Air Temple, he didn't seem to be afraid of losing her. I remember it shocked me at the time. What kind of person could be so detached from the fate of a member of his own family."
She looked for Aang's gaze, who nodded to let her know he understood. He himself had been a little bewildered. This feeling grew stronger when he listened to Zuko encourage him to end Ozai's life, without feeling the slightest remorse.
"If Sokka had looked at me like that when I was about to die… If he had sought to challenge me to a duel to the death… I don't know if I could have recovered."
"Your relationship with Sokka is nothing like that of Zuko and Azula", Aang replied, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Yours is healthy and fulfilling. Their own is troubled and destructive. For a while, I thought that Zuko's presence was doing Azula good, sincerely. But lately..."
He paused, wondering how far he could push his confidences.
He never hid anything from Katara. But the secret Zuko had told him was of a different nature. The kind of secret that can ruin a life, or many. Aang wasn't sure Katara could understand. He himself had been struggling with his own principles and beliefs for over a month now, since Zuko had told him what had happened in Azula's bathroom.
"Aang ... if you know something, you have to tell me."
Katara had stopped and placed in front of him, one hand in his, the other resting on his arm. Aang had never been able to refuse her anything. He allowed himself to dive into the ocean eyes and marveled, as always, at the contrast they made with her dark skin. What was he risking telling her the truth? Hadn't Katara repeatedly proven her worth and loyalty?
It would probably be easier to deal with the Fire sibling's problem with Katara by his side. He brushed aside the wave of guilt that washed over him at the thought of the promise he had made to Zuko the day before, just before Kadao interrupted them to break them to the terrible news of the assault on the Commander's son.
"I think… I think Azula's feelings for Zuko aren't… very orthodox… and neither are Zuko's."
As he had expected, Katara's sapphire eyes widened immeasurably and he knew he was right in thinking that his fiancée would not be one of those who could understand and accept. But seeing what Zuko's love for his sister made him do and tolerate was arguably worse than losing his friendship. The fate and security of an entire nation, – and more, given the turmoil in the colonies – , seemed to hang on the evolution of this unhealthy and destructive relationship. There was Mai too. Mai who, hurt as she was, felt like a volcano about to explode. The Fire Lady was well deserving of her title, although she wasn't a bender. The anger that engulfed her heart and mind was matched only by the destructive power of Azula's flames.
"How… what… But how can you imagine something so… so abject?" Katara replied, only coming back from her amazement. "Did you see or learn something?"
"Zuko confessed to me that things had happened with Azula. Things that shouldn't have happened between them. I don't know much more about that, Katara, no need to ask me for details. But what is certain is that Zuko can no longer see clearly when it comes to his sister.
"Do you think she's manipulating him?"
"Yeah, maybe" he replied, thinking about this possibility, which seemed less and less likely as the situation progressed. "But from what Ty Lee told me yesterday, Azula is not doing very well. Unless she fakes a relapse to protect herself after what she did to Kojiro… but that would be really twisted, right?"
"It would sound like Azula…" Katara sighed. "Aang… if everything you're telling me is true… I think it would be unwise to talk to Zuko now. He must still be terribly upset by what he found out. If we tell him that we think Azula should be locked up again, he might get mad after us. Do you remember his attitude at the Council the other day? He almost attacked Toph! I mean ... what person would be insane enough to challenge Toph?"
Aang couldn't help but smile. Although he was the Avatar and his mastery of the other elements gave him an advantage over the blind girl, he was not sure that he would have exposed himself to the risk of a serious confrontation with her, especially since she bended metal. This gift made her even more dangerous.
"You are right" he said to Katara, hugging her.
He felt his fiancée's body relax against him. The rising sun warmed his back and the firebender in him felt at the same time awaken the impatient fire that burned in his entrails.
"You're right" he repeated, plunging his face into Katara's neck where he placed a gentle kiss causing her to shiver. "We may not be the right people to reason with Zuko today. But I know who could..."
Katara slightly pulled away from him, both hands resting flat on Aang's chest and gazed up at her fiancé's bark-colored irises. A flash of understanding passed between them. It was what she loved most about their relationship: the ability they had to understand each other without having to say a word. She wouldn't have traded that for the world.
"I agree. We left him apart for too long."
He had made it clear that his greatest desire was to enjoy his retirement, far from the business of this world and politics. But he would never refuse his help to his dear nephew.
"How are we going to do it?" she asked him. "Even if we write to him now, it may be too late when he arrives."
Aang turned and looked towards east. Katara imitated him and she watched with him the bloody disc of the sun rising little by little above the houses whose tiles were turning in a tender pink. Soon, the light dissipated the shadows and one could hear the slamming of shutters against the walls, a child's giggling, the voice of a woman ordering her daughter to fetch water from the well, the clinking of dishes reaching them from open windows. The city was awakening.
"We will send a hawk to Omashu as soon as we get back to the palace" Aang said. "This is the fastest way. There, Bumi will be able to contact him thanks to the members of the White Lotus: they have much more effective means of communicating. I'll fly out at dawn in two days and go there and wait for him."
"I'm coming with you", she announced immediately.
"No" Aang replied firmly, although it was costing him to part again with the woman he loved. "I want you to stay here to watch Zuko and prevent him from acting impulsively. I want there to be at least two benders around him while I am away. Toph and you must stay."
Katara looked sad but nodded then leaned against him. Aang put an arm around her shoulders and they allowed themselves a few minutes to enjoy the spectacle of the streets coming alive. Behind them, under a still dark sky the first daylight never seemed to illuminate, stood the palace, huge and threatening.
The time had come for the Dragon of the West to return to his homeland.
If a walker strolling through the upper ring of Ba Sing Se, in search of calm and serenity, was looking for a pleasant place to enjoy a steaming cup of tea with subtle aromas, undoubtedly the neighborhood would have unanimously advised him to go to the Jasmine Dragon. Once mediocre lounge where customers were served tasteless infusions at a high price, the establishment had become the favorite spot for lovers of teas and tisanes of all kinds. Rare and sought-after teas, extracts of plants, flowers and fruits from all over the world, were served there at a reasonable price as well as refined and generous pastries which satisfied the most delicate palates.
People also came there for the pleasant, serene atmosphere, charged with spirituality which emanated both from the delicate prints adorning the walls, from the smell of incense and dried flowers, but also from the bewitching sound of the shamisen played, several times per week, by a young musician girl with soft features, kneeling on the platform.
Bath lovers lined up to reserve a spot in the famous onsen adjoining the living room.
But above all, one came to enjoy the owner's company and that of his adorable assistant. Everyone appreciated the affability, tinged with wisdom, of the old Iroh who gladly gave his advice and philosophy to souls in search of answers. But customers also liked the dynamism and the know-how of Kurei, the young woman whom the owner had employed three years before and who, by her joviality and her humor, ensured a loyal clientele to his boss, a younger clientele who mingled harmoniously with retirees coming to spend the day here looking for some company.
That day although, the boss of the Jasmine Dragon was not treating his customers with his usual good mood. Gloomy and preoccupied, he stayed in the kitchen where he hid from the small crowd that populated his shop. He had left Kurei alone in the room and he would sometimes see her appear in the kitchen, disheveled and obviously annoyed, to get a new teapot or a pastry which she quickly brought back into the crowded room. Iroh sometimes felt a tinge of guilt seeing her bustle like this, but he was too worried to really pay attention. Hidden behind a mass of parchments, he pretended to do his accounts and answer mail from his suppliers and buyers. But every time Kurei walked back to the noisy room from which heavy laughter burst out, he would pull out of the heap of papers a poster that he had been hiding since he had torn it from a wall in town the day before and which occupied all his thoughts.
To run a teashop frequented by Ba Sing Se's most prominent people, was a good way to stay informed about intrigue and political affairs. Iroh had therefore widely heard of the disturbances agitating the colonies for several weeks and as Grand Lotus, had made sure to send members of the secret organization under there in order to calm the tensions. But their number was insufficient and made it impossible to fill the void left by Lu Fang's armies. It was said that the latter had withdrawn overnight, leaving the chaos to settle in lands now left in the only hands of Fire Nation troops who were struggling to stem the mounting anger.
There were plenty of things to worry about for Iroh, but none of this had upset him as much as the sordid rumors that had been circulating for several weeks now about his dear nephew and his unpredictable niece. The poster picked up from the dusty alleys of the Outer Ring only increased his unease and anxiety.
As a former General and Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, Iroh knew well that rumors were the inevitable ransom of power. And it would have been easy not to pay attention to these disgusting allegations one made about his nephews, if he hadn't heard about them all day long since the propaganda campaign orchestrated by Kuei and Lu Fang had started.
Posters similar to the one he now held in his hands were plastered on all the walls of Ba Sing Se. Zuko could be seen there, sometimes alone or surrounded by a powerful army made up of countless legionaries and armored tanks. The young Fire Lord was easily recognizable by the five flames crown he wore but especially by the ugly scar that disfigured his face. He was often portrayed as a bloodthirsty giant, a terrifying monster with a cruel smile who marched over the Earth Kingdom, sometimes crushing the roofs of houses, sometimes burning entire cities. But these pamphlets weren't the worst. The one he now had in front of him was literally making him sick.
It showed Zuko, his face swooning with admiration, caught in the web of a gigantic anthropomorphized and outrageously sexualized spider. The face of the filthy creature was easily identifiable to anyone who had known Princess Azula. The artist had represented her fine and harmonious features, her black hair and scarlet lips, her great beauty, but also a cunning and devilish expression that, unfortunately, matched the character rather well, Iroh thought. Large, bare breasts protruded from the thorax of the arachnid, completing the clarification of the message for anyone who did not immediately understand it.
In the web, Zuko, his hands outstretched, caressed the spider's grotesque nipples and an improbable outgrowth distorted the crotch of his pants.
A legend written in large red characters delivered the following message: "The true Fire Lord and his prey."
Comparable posters have adorned the walls and panels of Ba Sing Se for the past two weeks, some more explicit than others. But on them, still the same odious implication.
As Iroh rolled up the parchment in disgust, Kurei burst into the kitchen, more agitated than ever. Her little round glasses fell over her nose and her dark brown locks escaped her ponytail. Barely disguised fury gleamed in her water-green eyes, and Iroh knew from experience that if he didn't come to her aid right away, impending trouble was to be expected. Momentarily pushing Zuko and Azula out of his thoughts, he cleared his throat and gave a look full of innocence in the direction of his young assistant.
"Excuse me Kurei, I was responding to important mails that couldn't wait. How are things going indoors?" He asked her.
Although Kurei embodied kindness and good mood, he had long learned that it was never good to anger her.
"How are things going?" She echoed him. "I'll tell you, Boss! If you don't get that bunch of jerks out of here within five minutes, I'll give you my resignation! Now they are asking for bottles of rice liquor from your stash!"
Iroh walked over to the arched opening into the hall and risked a glance at the table where the main source of commotion was coming from. A gang of fully armed Earth Kingdom soldiers were loudly exchanging jokes and their laughter erupted regularly, causing irritation from nearby customers.
Composing of a benevolent smile, Iroh approached them:
"Well Gentlemen, I am happy to welcome here the honorable members of the Close Guard of His Majesty the Earth King. Unfortunatly, I'm afraid it's a calm place and people come here in order to seek serenity above all. Perhaps you would be more comfortable in the neighboring tavern where my colleague will be happy to serve you what you want and will not impose the same restraint on you."
All turned to him and one of them -the captain according to the badge he wore on his chest- replied bravely, his brown eyes sparkling with mischief:
"Come on Boss, don't be a stick in the mood! It's not every day that we celebrate a victory! Isn't that true, guys? Cheers!"
And he held up a flask of sake which he banged violently against the porcelain teapot placed in the middle of the table. Iroh winced at the loud ringing and before he could help himself, grabbed the precious object. He felt the familiar sensation of the rising fire boil in him. But his voice was as leisurely and kind as usual when he spoke again:
"Gentlemen, I regret having to tell you that it's forbidden to consume outdoor products in my teashop, let alone alcohol. I'm going to have to ask you to put this away and calm down, or else get out of my shop. You are annoying my clients."
The captain glanced around and returned his attention to Iroh.
"Come on, Grandpa, you're going to be nice and leave the real men alone. We are here to celebrate a big event and you are not going to spoil the fun with such details. We stay a little partying, then we will leave, leaving your dinette intact, don't panic! We're fine here, aren't we guys?"
The others groaned approvingly and all laughed in chorus.
Iroh was going to retort something but he was interrupted by Kurei, at his right, slightly behind, who spoke:
"What event are you talking about?"
"You don't know, sweetheart?"
Iroh closed his eyes to calm down. He could take their rudeness as long as it remained directed at him. But that these boors were disrespecting his young assistant that way pissed him off.
"The lords of fire's domination time is finally coming to an end!" explained the captain. The colonies will soon be fully owned by the Earth Kingdom again !"
"What are you talking about? Iroh couldn't help but ask the question. He kept himself conscientiously informed of politics and was astonished to be thus ahead on such a crucial issue. After all, he had to follow the case closely when it was his nephew who was responsible for the management of the settlements.
"There was an attack on a Fire Nation barracks in Yu Dao", the man explained, his eyes shining in satisfaction. Insurgents rushed into it in the middle of the night and destroyed everything. The soldiers were obviously not prepared."
Iroh wasn't either. His shoulders suddenly slumped and he received such a shock that he let some smoke escape from his fingers. He quickly hid his hands behind his back. Few of his customers knew that the owner of their favorite establishment was the former Crown Prince of Fire Nation and it didn't seem very wise to him to reveal that fact right now.
"And was there no reinforcement? Did other soldiers come in time to rescue them? What were the Earth Kingdom troops doing?" Kurei asked, rushing to the table, pushing Iroh slightly in the process.
"Ahaha! No! Minister Lu Fang has been withdrawing his troops for days! The Fire Nation Soldiers weren't numerous enough and most were in the barracks by this time for further instructions! They were taken by surprise."
"And what about the settlers?" asked Iroh, who had just regained the use of speech. "Who is protecting them?"
Around them, many customers had risen to listen to the conversation.
The four seated soldiers exchanged glances and laughed, all at the same time. One of them, a boy with a thin and slightly crooked face, turned to Iroh and replied:
"No one, Grandpa! Why else do you think we would party in your lousy place? The settlers are on their own. Apparently most of them started packing their belongings and ran off with the survivors of the barracks. The Fire Lord must expect an influx of refugees in the next days. As for those who decide to stay, it is in their interest to keep a low profile! I don't bet on their safety now that the natives have regained what is rightfully theirs!"
Then he turned his head away and returned his attention to his comrades, refusing to pay Iroh any more attention. The old man closed his eyes to fight against the emotions that this news aroused in him. Then, unexpectedly, he put both hands on the table, in a gesture so violent that the guards jumped.
"Aren't you okay, Grandpa?" Growled their captain, getting up, his tone heavy with threats. Do you need to express yourself?"
The man was at least two heads taller than Iroh, but the Western Dragon was not a man to be fazed.
"Absolutely..." he replied without backing down nor losing his composure, although he felt the fire lick his entrails and spread through his veins. "Thank you for giving me your attention. We don't talk politics in my living room, and alcohol is prohibited there. I'll ask you one last time to come out. This time, I would appreciate enough to be heard because I I would be totally mortified to scare my clients by making a scandal."
The man, staring at him, gave him a stunned look and laughed out loud before whirling to his comrades who were witnessing the scene with a mixture of satisfaction and apprehension. Customers gathered around Iroh, some obviously eager to intervene in the event of an attack. Others, on the contrary, retreated to the back of the room or discreetly took the exit.
Before the soldier could respond, Kurei stood between him and Iroh, arms outstretched, her small round glasses falling over her nose once more.
"My boss asked you something." She hissed, grinding her teeth.
The captain burst into a thunderous laugh and was quickly followed by his comrades. He placed a big callused hand on Kurei's cheek who didn't blink.
"Do you see that, Grandpa? Your little waitress stands up for you. If it's not cute! But tell me, you choose them very young, right? She could be your grand-daughter, you old pervert!"
"How dare you?" Kurei uttered indignantly. "If you don't get out immediately, I..."
"And what exactly do you plan to do against four highly trained soldiers from the Earth King's Close Guard? Blow on our hot cups? All right, guys, you take care of the old man, I have something to say to the pretty young lady."
As he said this, he took her by the arm, pretending to take her with him. Iroh's blood only swirled around. The fire started from his gut and went up in his stomach then up his esophagus. He felt it lick his throat and cause a tingling in his mouth before taking the form of a dazzling spray of fire that exploded against the wall just above the table where the three other soldiers was standing.
Terrified, they got up, obviously hesitating on what to do.
Smoke was still billowing from the corners of Iroh's lips, who stared hard at them. The soldier holding Kurei by the arm let go and stepped back slightly.
"Don't make me start over, Gentlemen, I don't like to be rude. I am asking you for the last time to leave my place."
The man gave him a nasty look and motioned to his comrades:
"Come on guys, let's get out of here. This place stinks!"
His men complied and obediently followed him. The crooked face one purposely knocked over another teapot which crashed and shattered to the ground. Iroh didn't flinch and continued to held their gaze.
Before leaving, the captain turned one last time and gave Iroh a disgusted look.
"The King will hear about it, believe me!"
"Great," Iroh replied with a cordial smile. "Kuei is a good friend, I will be happy to clarify this point with him. Have a nice day, gentlemen."
Visibly suppressing an exclamation of rage, the soldier left after his men.
Suddenly calm fell on the scene and Iroh did not turn immediately. He heard Kurei asking the customers to go back to their seats and not worry: she and Iroh had the situation under control.
The atmosphere gradually relaxed in the room and Iroh, with a look full of gratitude, asked Kurei to make him a cup of tea.
A few hours later, as the last customers were leaving, Iroh turned to his assistant, who was busy cleaning the tables, a damp rag in her hand.
"You can take your evening, my dear, it's been a hard day. I'm not holding you back." He told her.
"Are you sure, Boss? With all the clients we had today, there is a lot of work. I can stay a bit."
"No thanks Kurei. You have done much more than your share today and I am infinitely grateful to you for defend me in front of these fools earlier, but I don't want to hold you back any longer."
"But – What if they come back?" She worried. Iroh could see genuine concern spread through the misted lenses of her glasses and he smiled fondly. He put a hand on her shoulder and reassured her:
"I'm not worried about them coming back, Kurei. These men were not even earthbenders, I have nothing to fear from them. It's you that I'm worried about. You shouldn't have challenged them like that. I want you to go home. I'll take care of closing the teashop."
The tone was benevolent but firm. Kurei tilted her head, let go of her rag, and nodded.
"Very well..."
Iroh smiled.
"I suppose a young girl your age has better things to do than spend her evening with an old debris like me! Isn't there someone outside waiting for you?"
Kurei smiled slightly and looked down, blushing.
"Maybe..."
"Then go find him! This boy is very lucky! We will meet again tomorrow. Good night Kurei. "
"Good night, Boss!"
He watched her leave the room, suddenly feeling a great wave of nostalgia grabbed him. This fiery-tempered young earth girl reminded him of a young boy who had once worked here with him. A boy who had a lot to worry about according to the latest news.
Iroh had wanted to stay away to give Zuko the possibility of becoming a responsible and autonomous ruler. But he might need his support and wisdom in these troubled times.
He put a hand in his pocket and took out the crumpled poster he had examined earlier. In the glow of the dancing flames emanating from the still-lit candles on the tables, Azula's eyes seemed to burn with a malevolent gleam. He wanted to believe, like Zuko, that his niece had changed, that she sincerely loved her brother and no longer had any claim to the throne. But he would feel better if he could make sure by himself.
He looked again at the door through which Kurei had just disappeared.
The time had undoubtedly come for the young woman to take some vacation, and for him, to go to bed. A long journey awaited him.
* To clear up any misunderstanding, Iroh hasn't yet received Aang's message when he makes the decision to leave Ba Sing Se.