After such difficult months and suffering, who wouldn't need a little vacation? In this chapter, our favorite siblings go to rest on Ember Island with the Gaang. Meanwhile, Ty Lee investigates and makes unpleasant discovery.
This chapter has not yet been proofread and corrected. You may notice some errors. This will be rectified in the coming days/weeks. But if you notice anything huge, please tell me!
Chapter 26 – Vacation
"Vacation? You want to go on vacation?" Uncle Iroh echoed him, his eyes wide in great disbelief.
Zuko's stomach twisted. It was exactly the reaction he had feared. But he was determined to carry out this project. He couldn't find Azula tonight and tell her that Uncle Iroh had refused their request.
"Who put such an idea in your head, Zuko? Now is not the time to take a vacation! The Fire Nation lives under the constant threat of a surprise attack from Lu Fang. Anger continues to rise among the inhabitants of the capital. And you, you want to go on vacation?"
"It's Azula's idea," Zuko admitted reluctantly. "She thinks it would be a good way to bond with my friends again. She really wants them to forgive her for everything she did to them. And so do I," he hastened to add… "The Avatar is the best ally we have. We need his support."
The revelation didn't seem to surprise Uncle Iroh.
"Obviously, she's the one who gave you the idea." Then he added, looking deeply displeased. "Like all the ideas you've had over the past few months.
"What are you complaining about?" Zuko growled. "Has the curfew failed to reduce crime? The murders have stopped, haven't they? And it's thanks to Azula!"
"Don't underestimate the sleeping dragon, my nephew. You don't take a country as powerful as the Fire Nation in one battle. Didn't your sister teach you that during those interminable evenings you spend alone in her company? It's all about patience and Lu Fang knows that better than anyone! Just like the fanatics who prey on settlers across the country."
"Azula thinks that if the Earth Kingdom and the Sons of Agni see that Aang is fully on our side, it will deter them from coming after us… Everyone seems to know what Azula did. Rumors are already circulating claiming that the Avatar and the Fire Lord are no longer on the same page. This can only weaken us in our enemies' eyes!"
"And so you think that by taking your sister to summer camp with them, you'll be able to convince your foes to go home quietly and give up their offensive?"
Zuko clenched his fists and smoke escaped his nostrils as he snorted furiously.
"You sound like Azula! Sarcasm doesn't suit you, Uncle! I thought you would understand with all your speeches and sayings about the importance of friendship! My sister almost died. Protecting her is my priority. And it should be yours too!"
"But who takes care of protecting you?" Iroh asked him, looking deeply worried.
"I don't need protection right now. I'm more powerful than ever. Despite his threats, Kuei hasn't declared war yet. Lu Fang will do nothing without his approval! The Fire Nation is and will remain the most mighty of the four nations. We have the military and financial advantage. All of their hatred is directed at one person: Azula. She's the most vulnerable. I want her to have as many allies as possible."
"Zuko… I understand that you want to protect your sister. But what she did to that dear Suki and Ty Lee. And this poor Kojiro who is suffering terribly. How can you ask your friends..."
"I thought a man like you knew the virtues of clemency and forgiveness. Or were all your fine principles just empty words?"
"No Zuko," Iroh replied calmly. "However, forgiveness is a matter of time and patience. It's a long process which requires taking some distance. By rushing things between your sister and your friends, you risk making the situation worse, and I'm afraid that..."
"Why do you act like she's nothing?" Zuko suddenly lost his temper. "She's also part of your family in case you forgot!"
"I'm afraid I'm not the only one in this room who has forgotten that," Uncle Iroh retorted coldly, his face suddenly closed off.
Zuko said nothing. And he knew that if he didn't interrupt it, this silence could become all the confession Iroh was waiting for.
His uncle reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded parchment that was crumpled and yellowed. He unfolded it and placed it on the huge varnished oak desk between them.
Zuko looked down at it and his face turned pale. He knew that such posters had spread throughout the Earth Kingdom over the past months. Kadao had told him about them. But to see one with his own eyes...And one so gross!
His first, incoherent thought was: her breasts are smaller.
He controlled himself just in time not to make this absurd observation aloud and put on a face that he hoped looked indifferent.
"So what? What do you want me to do with this horror? It's a propaganda poster! Lies and slander are the basis of this process. I'm not teaching you that, am I?"
Iroh remained silent and took the poster back and stuffed it in his pocket again. How long had he kept this filth with him? Zuko was certain that he had hidden it all this time and was just waiting for the right moment to show it off before his eyes.
"You see, Zuko, the advantage of having, like me, renounced your royal status, is the trust the people suddenly place in you. They are no longer afraid to speak to me because I see them and speak to them as my equals. I assure you that this little detail loosens the tongues much better than the painful interrogations to which your men submit all those who are accused, often without proof, of divulging rumors about you and your sister. And all under your orders if I'm not wrong."
Zuko's heart skipped a beat. How did he know? Even Kadao was unaware of these interrogations conducted by the chief of police whom Zuko had spoken to in secret. He had instructed him to tell him about every information concerning criminals accused of defamation on royalty."
"It's amazing, Uncle continued, how these men and women, reluctant to speak under torture, confide more willingly to someone who pours boiling tea into a cup instead of throwing it on their bodies."
"I never allowed… I mean… They don't… These people have no right to tarnish my image like they do! I am the Fire Lord, chosen of Agni! Accusing me like this of... It's sedition!"
"You are only Fire Lord because I renounced my throne in your favor, Zuko. Try to remember that."
A little ashamed, Zuko scowled and turned his back on his uncle. When would this idealistic old fool finally realize that Azula was right? That you don't run a country with good feelings and invitations to tea?"
"Zuko," his uncle pursued, more gently. "I came to help you. I don't want you to follow the same path as my brother, and my father and my grandfather before them. You are a good person. Don't let the sirens of temptation distract you from..."
"If you are talking about Azula, just call her by her name! And since you want to know it so much, Uncle, I'll save you the trouble of asking the question: no, I don't sleep with my sister! I have never done it and I never will! Here! Are you reassured?"
But Uncle Iroh did not look satisfied. After several minutes of a venomous and fruitless conversation, he reluctantly agreed to take the reins of the kingdom as long as Zuko and his friends would stay on Ember Island.
"I agree to take your place during this insane stay, Zuko. But when you get back, we will have a little chat about some of the letters that, if I've been told right, are coming to you regularly."
Zuko nearly choked.
"How do you know?" he stifled.
"I'm afraid you're underestimating the threat. Like the folk of the valley, you only fear the storm when it leaves the mountain to fall on your house. I think you are making a huge mistake."
Zuko lowered his head. There was no point in prolonging the discussion. If he wanted to leave with Azula and his friends, some concessions had to be made.
"Very well, Uncle," he said, giving his voice a humbling inflection. "I give you my word that we will look into these letters as soon as I return."
"Did you tell Azula about them?"
Zuko paused. Certainly Uncle wouldn't like the truth. If the old man found out that his nephew shared information he was hiding from him with Azula, that would only upset him even more.
"No," he lied. "I didn't want to worry her. She's still fragile..."
"It's perfect. I think it would be wiser for you not to tell her until we have solved the case. I'm afraid that, under emotion, her advice lacks in… circumspection."
A little bewildered but in a hurry to get out of the conversation as soon as possible before his uncle changed his mind, Zuko promised. That same evening, he asked the servants to pack his things for their trip.
Azula threw herself into his arms when he came to tell her that they were leaving the next day and suddenly all his doubts disappeared. How much easier everything was when he held her against him!
Then she insisted for him to stay with her and after dismissing Ty Lee from the bedroom, she invited him to lie down next to her on the bed. Zuko thought he risked nothing by granting her this favor. Had she had any ideas in mind, she wouldn't have just fired Ty Lee sans explanation.
There, curled up against him, she asked him to read to her. She took from the bedside a book with a motley cover and put it in his hands.
"Page one hundred and sixty," she announced, resting her head against his chest.
Zuko grabbed it and began to read.
As he progressed in his reading, Zuko felt appalled. Since when did Azula read romance novels? Was she mocking him?
Finally, her fall must have had more serious consequences than we thought, he considered while reading a particularly sentimental passage in which the hero and heroine swore eternal love to each other.
From what he understood, the novel was about an impossible love between two young people from feuding families. It was sickeningly insipid and had very little to do with Azula.
But, as he approached the end of the story, a growing discomfort swelled in his entrails. The two lovers discovered that they were in fact half-brother and sister. Their father having had an affair with his enemy's wife, he had given her a child.
"Wow! I was not expecting that at all!" Azula blurted out, her voice feigning great astonishment in a way Zuko found almost insulting and that made him cringe. "What a twist! A forbidden love! Have you ever heard something so romantic? This author is truly a genius, isn't he?"
Zuko avoided answering and just mumbled something before reading on.
His sister listened to him without a word, gently stroking the scar on Zuko's chest, a serene smile curling her lips. She placed a kiss on the back of his neck every now and then, sending shivers through his whole body. Zuko chose to play the indifference card and continued to read, pretending not to have seized the irony of the situation.
The discovery of the secret upset the lives of the two lovers who decided to run away to live their love away from their families. But their father found them, forced them to separate and the young girl killed herself. Her lover, discovering her lifeless body, stuck a sword in his heart and fell on her corpse.
Azula fell asleep shortly before the end and Zuko laid her down on her pillows, pulled the covers over her and quietly left the room. On his way out, he asked the guards to watch over her until Ty Lee returned.
He made his way to his own chambers, a deep sense of unease gnawing at him. He was sure that Azula hadn't chosen this book randomly and he was very confused.
That night again, Zuko slipped through the palace walls and went to town. He would have preferred not to, but his sister left him little choice. There wouldn't be nocturnal escapade, nor outlet during their stay on Ember Island. And Azula seemed determined to test his limits.
The offshore swell jolted the ship. The white sail sparkled in the dazzling sunlight and Zuko had to lower his eyes not to be blinded by its brilliance. Land had been out of sight for several hours and they wouldn't reach Ember Island before sunset.
Zuko had chosen this simple pleasure boat to make the trip. Such a vessel guaranteed them greater discretion than the Imperial ships. And the Fire Lord's priority was precisely not to draw attention. The other option, flying on Appa's back, had been ruled out by Azula who didn't want to hear about it.
"There is no way I ride that hairy monster," she said in disgust in front of Katara and Aang, who both frowned. "I don't want my clothes to be full of hair when I unpack them. And I know only too well how much this beast loses its hair in flight."
"Oh, don't worry, Azula. We know it too," Katara retorted, her cheeks flushed.
A little embarrassed, Zuko remembered Aang's tale of that exhausting hunt through the Earth Kingdom almost six years ago that nearly killed from exhaustion the brave Appa and those traveling on his back.
Azula burst into a crystalline laugh and replied, "I'm sure this stay will do us the greatest good! It will be so nice to recall old memories by the fireside, as some commoners!"
So it had been decided to borrow this pleasure boat that Kadao used when he was on leave. The crew would drop them off and pick them up two weeks later. Sokka and Suki were following them on the back of Appa who adapted his flight pace to that of the boat and they saw him flying quietly above them.
This choice delighted Azula who kept coming and going on deck, ecstatic and amused by the rudimentary and picturesque appearance of this ship so unworthy, according to her, of their people's genius.
"It's so romantic!" she cooed, clinging to Zuko's arm as he and Katara watched a pod of dolphins following them performing stupendous leaps.
He kept his head low. He preferred not to see Katara raise an eyebrow.
"Am I not right, Zuzu? You and me, on such a crude boat. We look like two wandering adventurers! Not to mention those clothes straight out of the tales Mother used to read to us!" she said happily as she gracefully spun around to show off the outfit she was wearing. It consisted of scarlet harem pants and a matching sleeveless top that fastened at her neck with a simple cord of gold beads. Her glowing belly was showing and when Zuko was sure she wasn't looking, he saw the beginning of the scar he had noticed by watching her between the trees. He knew now that it was a burn and he kept wondering how she got it. But how ask her without revealing he had spied on her during her bath?
It would be hard to resist Azula during these two weeks of relaxation, deprived of his new outlet. The shame he felt every time he thought about his new nightlife rushed back into his mind, unwelcomed.
It's still better than trying to fuck your own sister, isn't it? Mai's voice mocked in his head. Even if it remains particularly sordid.
Zuko ignored her, as he had done since he started leaving the palace at night.
The presence of his friends would be the best safeguard, but Azula didn't seem to care as much as he did. The rest of the day and their arrival on Ember Island confirmed his fears. She was now able to walk without help. Everyone in the palace had been amazed at how quickly she had recovered from that potentially fatal fall. This freedom of movement filled her with joy. Zuko had never seen her in such a good mood.
Unfortunately, no one else seemed to share her joviality and Azula made everyone feel uncomfortable. She kept clinging to her brother's arm, kissing his cheek, and tossing around improper jokes that didn't amuse anyone.
She even allowed herself dubious insinuations when the time came to allocate the rooms of their family's old villa, sparkling clean after Zuko had ordered it to be prepared in anticipation of their stay.
"Take the rooms you like, she volunteered. "You are our guests. Zuzu and I will settle for what's left. The sofa in the small living room will be perfect. Or a straw mattress stretched out on the beach, under the stars. We don't care as long as we are together. Don't we, darling?"
And she clenched Zuko's arm tightly, looking up at him, an expression of adoration etched on her features.
The frankly embarrassed expression that appeared on his friends' faces and the way Zuko had turned pale forced her to justify herself:
"Come on! If we can't even laugh anymore! Our Uncle Fatso would tell you that it's important to be able to laugh at all situations, even the most serious. Isn't that what he would say? Sokka!" she called out to him, as he stood back, his face more disgusted than all the others, "I've been told that you are the champion of humor in this group. Zuzu always tells me how hilarious you are. Wasn't my joke funny?"
"Not really, no," Sokka replied coldly. "Well, if you don't mind, I'll look for a room with Suki. The flight has sickened her," he added, glaring accusingly at Azula, as if she were responsible for the young woman's condition. "She needs to rest."
After that, an awkward silence fell and everyone decided to go back to their room for some rest.
"Let's meet at sunset to prepare the meal," Katara suggested.
"Prepare the meal? What for?" Azula wondered.
The others exchanged embarrassed looks and Zuko felt his throat tighten.
"Well...to eat..." Katara answered slowly, raising an eyebrow.
And Azula burst out laughing. Everyone looked at her, dumbfounded and she finally realized it.
"What? It wasn't a joke?" she asked, turning to her brother. "You don't seriously expect me to lower myself to cooking. There are servants for that."
"I asked the staff who came to do the cleaning to leave before our arrival. We want to be as discreet as possible, you remember? and we will take care of preparing our meals and maintaining the house ourselves until we leave," Zuko explained to her.
Azula looked at them all, speechless, her mouth half open. Her expression could almost have seemed comical to Zuko if he hadn't feared a disproportionate reaction from his sister. Finally Azula seemed to regain the use of speech:
"Are you kidding? If you think I'm going to help wash the salad and set the table like a common peasant, you're seriously mistaken, Zuzu! What got into you to dismiss the staff? Who will wash our clothes and tidy up our rooms, make our beds, take care of my hair?"
"We'll take care of it ourselves, Azula," Suki ventured, obviously as worried as Zuko about upsetting the princess. "And for your hair, don't worry, I'm a pretty good hairdresser."
"Excuse me, did you talk to me? I'm not sure I understood correctly..." Azula asked, positively startled, blinking several times in obvious contempt.
"It's enough!" Zuko interjected.
And grabbing his sister by the wrist, he picked up their bag and dragged her behind him, to a corridor leading to the bedrooms on the ground floor. He ignored her when he heard her protest and she let out a painful moan. The freshly healed fracture in her pelvis did not yet allow Azula to walk briskly or climb stairs without pain.
He chose not to pay attention despite the guilt that gripped his throat and pushed the door of the sumptuous room he had had prepared for his sister, just opposite his. There, Zuko helped Azula carry and unpack her things, silently.
"I want you to stop behaving like that in front of my friends," he finally said, his back turned to Azula as he spread silk sheets on the large four poster bed, similar to the one she would sleep on in the palace.
"What? What do you mean? What did I do wrong?" she defended herself.
"Your jokes aren't funny and make everyone uncomfortable," he grumbled. "And your spoiled princess' caprices are annoying everyone! We are no longer in the palace and here I want you to treat my friends as your equals. Behave normally, that's all, and make an effort to participate in common tasks. Do you want them to like you? Start by treating them with more respect! And I want you to stop making inappropriate allusions: I'm not your boyfriend, but your brother and this is how you should treat me! That's all I ask you!"
Azula didn't answer. Zuko turned to her. She stood there, standing in the middle of the room, wringing her hands awkwardly, tears streaming down her cheeks. This sight made Zuko feel like some evil spirit had sucked his insides out and all his anger left him in an instant.
Since her accident, Azula was extremely sensitive and often cried for nothing. Each time it melted Zuko's heart and he couldn't help but grant all of her requests.
"Forgive me Zuzu. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It's just… I really want to make amends with your friends. I really want them to like me but I… I'm not used to living with… normal people."
"I know, Azula," he said, softening. "It's not that bad. Excuse me for being so rude to you. I want my friends to love you and see you as I do."
As he spoke, he approached her and put an arm around her waist. He tucked a strand of hair that had escaped from her bun and took Azula's hand that was hanging at her side, bringing it to his lips.
"Normal people, as you say, prefer to avoid jokes on sensitive subjects. I understand that you wanted to play down the situation but it is still too early for that."
"I-I understand," she replied softly. "It's just… I was so excited about this vacation with you."
Zuko smiled kindly at her and kissed the back of her hand again.
"Me too, I'm happy to be here with you. We are going to have a great vacation and we will return home rested. My friends will get to know you and everything will be better. I am sure."
Azula gave him a beautiful smile that for once seemed devoid of any artifice. He hugged her for a few moments and released her very quickly, anxious to avoid any misunderstanding.
"Take a nap" he ordered her. "I'll take care of everything."
"Alright," she replied, stifling a yawn and heading to her bed where she curled up in a ball.
Zuko looked at her and felt a wave of affection overwhelming him. And for once, he wasn't ashamed of that feeling, because it was a pure, innocent tenderness that had nothing to do with the unnatural lust that had been troubling him for the past few weeks.
Zuko was glad. His nocturnal excursions, though mortifying every time he thought about them, had the desired effect. He could look at Azula without dwelling on her tempting curves and think of her without wondering how it would be to slip his hand between her alabaster legs.
He put away the last clothes in the large walnut wardrobe. When he turned around, Azula had already fallen asleep and he left the room cautiously, careful not to wake her.
When he joined his friends to prepare dinner that evening, he excused Azula by telling them that the trip had exhausted her and that she was resting. The others exchanged eloquent glances but had the wisdom to keep quiet.
Jaw clenched, brow furrowed, Zuko turned to the tub and began to wash the vegetables.
The cohabitation promised to be difficult. The image of a tightrope walker on his wire fleetingly crossed his mind. Just as the circus artist must be careful to keep his balance to avoid a fatal fall, he would have to maintain the fragile understanding between the capricious princess and his friends, already hostile to her presence. If at least Ty Lee had been there, she could have played the intermediary perfectly. Her joy, her cordiality and her natural optimism could have eased the tensions.
As he grabbed a knife to peel his vegetables, Zuko wondered how to regain his friends' trust while preserving Azula. This vacation was not going to be easy and he tried not to pay attention of his uncle's satisfied voice that, in his mind, was saying, waving a reproving index finger in his direction: "I told you so!"
If I succeed in this mission and return in one piece from this stay, bringing peace and balance to the Fire Nation will be just a formality! he thought bitterly.
Ty Lee looked around with a mixture of embarrassment and apprehension. If she had anticipated that the mission Azula had entrusted her with would lead her to a place like this, she would have politely refused and suggested that the princess find another way.
She heaved a deep sigh. She too would have liked to go to Ember Island to relax with the others. But Azula had been formal. If Ty Lee came, it would complicate things and make it harder for Azula to bond with the Gaang. Finally Ty Lee had given her reason and when Azula had started talking to her in a confidential tone to give her a mission that only she could fulfill, Ty Lee had felt her heart swell with pride.
The young girl hadn't forgotten the promise she had made to herself when she was climbing the high tower of the prison. She would help Azula to get the happiness she longed for, even if it was not to Ty Lee's taste or if it forced her to accept the unacceptable.
By dint of seeing her friend interact with Zuko, Ty Lee had ended up thinking that they would really make a beautiful couple, had not been this tiny detail that made their story so disgusting and inconceivable!
Ty Lee tried not to display her revulsion too much when Azula would talk to her about Zuko with dreamy eyes or each time she described to her the delicious moments she had spent with him in the spa. She even wondered if Azula didn't exaggerate a little to make her uncomfortable or to test her loyalty.
Ty Lee was certain however that while several limits had been crossed, Azula and Zuko had not yet committed the irreparable. And she clung to the increasingly tenuous hope that their relationship wouldn't go further than this unhealthy game of seduction and this affection that was a little too intense to be only fraternal.
If Zuko's enemies needed more proof of the royal family's amorality, this is exactly the kind of place they should have conducted their search, Ty Lee mused, looking a few feet away at two young attractive women seated on either side of a guard who had just finished his shift and was now stroking their bare hips shamelessly.
She had feared what she would discover by following Zuko through the streets of the Capital at such a late hour, the day before they left for Ember Island. But if she had known that her investigation would lead her to one of the most infamous brothels in the city...
What would Azula say?
A falsely hushed atmosphere reigned in the room where couples were kissing languidly and caressing each other without shame in the eyes of all on sofas covered with dubiously clean blankets, all under the squeaky sound of poorly tuned shamisen. Naked women, their bodies adorned with trinkets, were passing between the worm-eaten wooden tables, tray in hand. They proposed a drink or a treat that they offered directly to customers who asked for it, without taking the time to lead them to one of the seedy rooms upstairs. One could sometimes hear, through the closed doors, the cries of women who exaggerated their pleasure to satisfy the virility of the customers. Ty Lee was on the verge of nausea.
The tall, busty woman, with her face so covered in make-up that it was hard to guess her true features, walked over to the counter where Ty Lee was waiting for her, a red smile spreading across her slightly puffy face.
"So, beauty, what canna do for ya? It's not very common to see women hangin' around here, but at home, there's something for everyone and yer secret's well kept. Don't worry about that!"
"Oh no, no! I don't come for that!" she replied with a smile that she tried to make friendly. "Actually, I need a work, and I heard you were looking for girls around here."
"Work? A pretty girl who talks well, like yourself, should work in more appropriate places, right? Ya donna look like you're from the neighborhood, am I wrong?"
"No, you aren't,"Ty Lee replied, looking down at the dirty counter. "I come from a wealthy bourgeois family from the city center. My father chased me away because I had a lover and I got pregnant. But my lover left me when he heard the news… My father didn't want to hear from me after that and… you understand…. My poor baby. He only has me."
"And where's yer baby now?"
"A friend is watching over him. She was the one who told me about this place. She told me you were looking for hostesses," she said, glancing at a waitress walking past her hips swaying outrageously.
"Poor thing. Are ya sure you wanna do this? I warn you, it will change ya from lace and silk!"
"I would do anything to save my child,"Ty Lee said with determination.
"How old is yer little one?"
"A year and a half."
"Are ya still breastfeedin' him?"
"No. I haven't had enough to feed him for months. That's why I come here."
"Okay, sweetie, Am askin' because there're gentlemen who might dislike it. There're others who like. Here there's something for ever'one. What ya sweetie are ya ready to do to get this job?"
"Everything, I will do everything! Thanks! I really need this job!" she shouted in excitement.
The woman gave Ty Lee a suspicious look half-hidden under false eyelashes and a thick layer of greenish makeup.
"When can you start?"
"Immediately if necessary! Oh thank you ma'am!"
"Here, ever'one calls me Boss. I've to warn ya. Not only innocent people pass here. You risk becoming a little disenchanted, sweetie." And before Ty Lee could answer, she called out in a loud voice that drowned out the laughter and noises of conversation in the common room: "Hachiko! Run here! There's a new one!"
The so-called Hachiko ran up and Ty Lee jumped slightly when she saw her features.
She was a beautiful girl with long, thick, silky black hair whose delicacy contrasted with the rudeness of the owner and the dirtiness of the place. Two long locks framed her face with a slightly angular jawline that ended in high cheekbones. The face remained soft and was illuminated by two almond-shaped eyes of pure gold, surmounted by well-defined arched eyebrows. The young woman, unlike her colleagues, wore a light outfit that hid her breasts and secret parts.
"Yes, Boss?" she asked in a shy voice.
Hachiko couldn't be much older than Ty Lee. A deep sense of unease gripped the young acrobat as she discovered other similarities with Azula. The resemblance was striking. If one excluded the eyes which were lighter than those of the Princess, one could have taken them for twins. Ty Lee wondered, stifling a sigh, in what kind of sordid story she had just stepped again.
"Hachiko is our best girl," the owner explained, placing both hands on the counter. "She'll show ya ever'thing and explain it to ya. The first three nights, we let our girls take their marks. First you will serve the customers in the room. For additional services, it will wait until next week: your salary will depend on customer requests. Hachiko will show ya the house. She had cops issues no long ago. She'll tell you how to get out if ya get arrested."
"Comin'?" Hachiko asked Ty Lee with a smile, "I'm going to show ya the house!"
The illusion shattered a bit when she opened her mouth. Hearing Azula speak in a popular accent might have seemed comical in other circumstances. Ty Lee felt like she was watching a bad play by the Ember Island Players. She followed the girl anyway, sneaking through the tables, using her contortionist skills to avoid the wandering hands and the lustful gazes of the customers who watched them pass, laughing at them. She noticed that Hachiko had a certain talent for welcoming with a dignified smile the demonstrations of affection of these depraved men. Her smile was softer than Azula's. She also was slightly taller maybe.
As she walked behind her, Ty Lee clung to the smallest detail that differentiated Azula from her improbable doppelganger.
Ty Lee had first wondered why Zuko had bothered to come this far to find something he could have had in the Caldera under far better answer was now before her eyes, moving gracefully between the tables and was named Hachiko.
With a distracted ear, she listened to the explanations of Hachiko who was detailing for her the functioning and the rules of the brothel. The visit was quickly made. Although populated, the place was tiny. There were no more than four single rooms where the women received their guests.
Hachiko took advantage that one of them was unoccupied to show it to Ty Lee who nodded vaguely.
"Normally this room should be occupied by Ayame. But after what happened to her, poor girl..."
"What?" Ty Lee asked, suddenly snapped out of her numbness.
"Well, you dunno? The neighborhood only talk about that lately! It's also because of that that I've been caught. The patrol has been hanging around here non-stop since."
"I haven't been in the neighborhood for very long," Ty Lee explained with a smile that she hoped would encourage Hachiko to continue.
"This poor Ayame was leaving the brothel at cockcrow when suddenly she disappeared! Poof! Like that!"
She mimed the disappearance by snapping her fingers.
"They found her three days later in a pile of garbage two blocks away," she said. "She was in a sad state. It was the Sons of Agni! We know it because of the symbol that was tattooed on her chest and on her forehead. Since then, the girls are all afraid to go out. The Boss promised us an escort but for the moment, there's still nothing. So some clients, nicer than others, agree to stay until morning to take us home. The Boss gives them a rebate."
Ty Lee had completely forgotten about Zuko as she listened to the young woman's tale.
"And you, aren't you afraid?"
"Me? I donna really like it, but I don't have to worry. These freaks only attack girls who come from the colonies. I correspond to the "type" as they say."
Ty Lee then remembered what Hikaru had told her about the famous racial selection criteria decreed by the Sons of Agni the day they had seen them on this stage. Right after they lost Azula and Kojiro in the crowd.
"Ayame'd only been here two months," continued Hachiko who didn't seem to have noticed the way Ty Lee's face had suddenly darkened. "But since she did good job, the Boss had left her this room. Nobody wants to work there. Girls say it's cursed now!" she laughs. "But I don't believe in those bullshit!"
Hachiko suddenly took Ty Lee by the arm and forced her to turn towards her.
"Besides, you donna come from the colonies, do you? We can't say that you really have the "type". Don't wanna offend ya or scare ya, but it might not be safe for ya to hang around here."
This time, Ty Lee didn't have to force herself to smile at her.
"Oh, I'm not worried about that. I was born in the Caldera. And I have some rudiments of combat. I can defend myself!"
"If you say so," Hachiko, shrugging. "But I've warned ya!"
Ty Lee took the opportunity to change the subject slightly: "You said you had trouble with the police. Can you tell me more?"
"Well, there's no much to say," Hachiko answered, shrugging her shoulders again. "They actually came to interrogate me after a guy started some rumors. Not a bad boy, but a bit silly and talky with that. He fucked me once or twice and one day when he was drunk, he shouted from the rooftops he had sex with Princess Azula. It seems that I look like her! Can you believe it? I dunno, I've only seen her in portrait. But the guards who summoned me said that I really looked like her and they quickly released me after that, asking me to stay silent. Don't talk about it, huh?" she asked hastily, turning once again to Ty Lee.
"Don't worry about that. Between girls, we must help each other, right? I have a little boy, you know, I don't want to get me any trouble!"
"Okay, I prefer that," Hachiko answered, visibly relieved. "Anyway, the end of the story is that they left me alone. But the guy, we never saw him again. He came at least once or twice a week before. Even his wife dunno where he went apparently. I hear there's a new law that forbids saying dirty things about the Fire Lord and his sister in public. It's always been like that. There's always been twisted clients who asked girls to play roles. Apparently that was a lot when the former Fire Lord's wife was at the palace. She was a beauty, it seems. And now it looks like her daughter has replaced her. She might be crazy and all, but it makes some guys horny. And with all these rumors and stories of incest, it adds a little salt, I guess! The client I'm talking about picked the wrong moment. If he hadn't been dumb enough to open his mouth, he'd probably be here tonight asking me for his weird stuff! Poor guy, come on!"
"And…" Ty Lee began, wondering how to ask her question without her interest appearing suspect. "Does it often happen to you that customers take you for Azu… for the princess?"
"No' very often. Ya know, around here, there aren't many people who have seen the princess in person. For him, that was different. He was once a soldier of the former Fire Lord. He knew the princess personally so when he saw me, he imagined things. He drank like a fish! It's possible he really thought I was her!"
"And so he's the only one who…"
"Well, not long ago, this weird guy started coming. He doesn't want to give his name and he always wears his hood and a funny blue mask when he comes. He keeps it on all the time until we turn off the light. I think he's got a nasty slash he doesn't want us to see or something. I felt it by kissing him. We see plenty of guys like him who come here because no woman wants them. It's a shame because besides, he's pretty good I must say!"
Ty Lee's eyes widened.
"And no one worried to see such a weird guy show up, after all that murder and kidnapping stuff?"
"At first the Boss disagree. But he gave her a big bag of gold and she said we had to do what he asked. I just had to let her know if it got too weird. I'm her best girl she says. She doesn't want me to be too damaged," she replied with a hint of pride that made Ty Lee feel very sad for her.
"Does he ask to see other girls?"
Seeing that Hachiko was frowning – Agni! How she looked like Azula when she did that – she hastened to add:
"Excuse me for asking all these questions! It's just that I'm just starting out and I admit that… I'm a little worried about what's to come."
Hachiko seemed satisfied with her answer and, a little more confident, she continued:
"Until then, he asked only me. At first I was a little scared because of his weird mask but in the end he's nice. He always leaves me an extra coin and he allowed me to keep the kimono, lipstick and perfume he brought with him the first time. And it's quality, you can believe me! The girls were mad with envy when they saw this! But they know they have no interest in stripped me because if the customer comes back and it's gone, he won't be happy. And since he pays well, the Boss doesn't want him to be upset. You never know when he's coming, but if he does, she changes my schedule for him."
Ty Lee's heart was beating a little too fast and she was almost afraid that Hachiko could hear it.
"And…you say he's asking you to play the role of the princess?"
"He says her name sometimes during sex. He makes me wear the objects I told you and then he takes out a crown which he asks me to put on my head. He keeps it every time. I sometimes wonder if it's not a real one as he handles it with care!"
Ty Lee felt on the verge of nausea. She wasn't sure she wanted to know more. Besides, there was no question of saying a word about this sordid affair to Azula. Telling her that the boy she loved would spend his nights in a seedy brothel in the capital would be difficult enough as it was. She was already thinking about the opportunity of lying to her friend when Hachiko, whom these confidences had made talkative, spoke again:
"It's a little creepy actually but not very bad. Usually he wants us to start in the bathroom. There he asked me to kiss him on the neck and go down little by little, you see. The only thing that bothers me is when I come across that horrible scar on his chest. This stuff, I can't help it, it's always disgusted me! Then, well you know, huh! I'm not going to draw you a picture! When I've done my business, we go to bed. He asks me to turn off the light and he takes off his mask. After that it's classic stuff. He is rather gentle and respectful and it's even pleasant often. His only demand is that I don't talk too much."
"Really?" Ty Lee asked vaguely to continue to feign a little interest when she only dreamed of one thing: to leave this place as soon as possible. And maybe the palace and this nation ruled by a couple of twisted degenerates.
"Sometimes I even pity him a bit. He has such a sad voice."
Ty Lee looked down at the floor, unable to answer because of the lump that seemed to be growing in her throat.
"Oh yes!" Hachiko shouted. "There's also one thing that made me laugh at first! Do ya wanna me to tell ya?"
"Go on," Ty Lee replied with a shrug, sure that whatever that revelation was, it couldn't be worse.
Hachiko proved her wrong.
"You'll find it funny, but in the end, when I'm coming, he wants me to call him Zuzu!" And she laughed. "It's cute, isn't it?"
Azula sighed.
Ten days, she thought, ten more days to spend with those louts on that stupid decadent island.
Although Zuko preferred that they go to the small private cove below the house – the one where they had met with Mai and Ty Lee after the disaster of Chan's party- the boomerang farmer had managed to convince everyone to go to the largest beach where many holidaymakers came to relax, play ball over a net and swim in the clear, rushing waters.
All day, she had to bear the antics of the Avatar and Katara who rode the waves without the aid of the boards that the other bathers carried. They were making a sensation. One wasn't used to seeing waterbenders on Ember Island.
The Avatar had the good sense to cover himself with a scarf that concealed the horrible blue arrow adorning his bald head and avoided using the other elements. But the relative anonymity that this guaranteed them did not prevent the crowds of curious people who gathered to watch his hilarious performances.
At least people didn't care about the other important young man whose appearance was also likely to betray their identity.
Azula turned to her brother, who was watching Aang and Katara from his towel, a stiff smile on his face. These two idiots were rising at least two feet above the waves with the help of a water tornado they had spurted out of the ocean. Katara looked up at the Avatar with eyes dripping with love and silliness. It was simply disgusting. Azula hoped with all her might that such a cutesy expression would never appear on her own face.
She took advantage of the fact that his attention was drawn elsewhere to observe her brother. Azula was on his left, lying on her stomach, and therefore had full view of his scar which gave his profile a fierce look. He was so handsome, despite everything. Perhaps even more beautiful than if he didn't have it. Azula couldn't remember what he looked like before, although she had known him for eleven years with an intact face.
Zuko had given up wearing a hat to hide his scar. After all, in their Nation, there were many people who, following an accident or a war wound, sported a similar injury.
Zuko's left eye looked smaller than the other amid the charred flesh, but it still shone with an almost solar golden glow. Much to Azula's delight, Zuko had removed his tunic and she could fully enjoy the pleasing sight of Zuko's bare chest and bulging muscles.
He didn't have the impressive build of Father, nor that of the Avatar. Zuko was slightly shorter, but he looked proud and haughty like royalty, and she shivered when her eyes fell on the star-shaped scar adorning his chest. She remembered how she had kissed it, weeks before. As well as she remembered the thrill that had gripped her at the thought of giving him such intense pleasure. She would have liked to be alone with him. There, on this beach, she would have pressed her lips on the old wound and this time, Zuzu would not have pushed her away.
Azula was lost in her reverie when her brother's voice came to pull her out.
"Aren't you too hot?" he asked abruptly, glancing at the white skin of her bare shoulders. "You shouldn't expose yourself to the sun like this..."
"I am a firebender, Zuzu. I am not afraid of the sun."
"Still, I would prefer that you take shelter. The sun is very strong at this hour. I don't want you to get a sunstroke."
And before she could protest, he stood up, fetched the folded umbrella he had brought and opened it above Azula before planting it in the sand beside her. Azula rolled onto her side and sat down to better enjoy the shadow.
"Here," Zuko said, satisfied, before returning to his place two steps away from Azula.
She couldn't hold back a tender smile and turned her head so he wouldn't see her blush.
Zuko was adorable. He took care of her, made sure she felt good, checked if she ate enough and made sure she felt like she belonged in the group. It eased her misery. It was easier to bear the company of her brother's friends knowing he was by her side, devoted and full of concern for her.
However, the presence of the others did not leave them as many moments of intimacy as she would have hoped.
Certainly she had suggested the idea of this vacation to Zuko, assuring him that it would be a perfect way to regain their confidence. Although she didn't like him very much, Azula knew that the Avatar was the lifeline that kept the ship afloat. Without Aang on board, Zuko's empire, cracked on all sides, would inevitably crumble. He was already taking on water. And Azula meant to fix it. Nothing and no one had the right to stand before her brother, and if that meant enduring the company of a few undereducated peasants for a few days, Azula thought she could live with it. And her Zuzu seemed happy to reconnect with his friends.
Still, a few private moments with Zuko wouldn't have spoiled anything. He who never left her unattended at the palace for a second, she had hoped that he would make up for the absence of guards and Ty Lee during this holiday with his own watchful presence.
The first night, she had waited, heart pounding, for him to push her bedroom door and come to find her. In vain. He hadn't come the following nights either.
There, under the sheets, between the four walls of her bedroom, he and she could have loved each other in secret. If they had been able to hide their attraction from a hundred guards and an equal number of servants over the past few months, it wasn't five simpletons who were going to find out.
There was still the little Beifong and her freaky ability to detect lies. But she seemed indifferent to everything that was happening between her and Zuko. The more time she spent with them, the more Azula found herself liking her. Her sarcasm reminded her a little of Mai, when she wasn't yet a traitor of the worst kind.
Of course, the young girl remained an abominable boor unworthy of her rank, but at least her blindness freed Azula from the murderous glances that Sokka regularly threw at her.
Azula quickly realized that his case was hopeless. If she could get anything out of these peasants, she wouldn't look to this muzzle. Let him go back to wading through the snow with his slut of Kyoshi! Truth be told, Azula was glad they were avoiding her. This spared her the distressing spectacle of their happiness. The girl's belly, which grew a little more each day, seemed to insult Azula, shouting at her every second what she had lost, even before knowing that she craved for it.
Azula generally avoided thinking about what Taïma had told her a few days after she woke up. And besides, she didn't quite know what to think of it. Either way, Zuko would never have agree to give her a baby and she was sure she didn't want to offer herself to anyone else. So it wasn't that bad, was it?
Besides, Azula had never really imagined that she might one day become a mother. How to give to a child the love that she herself had not received? These things are transmitted, right?
So why was it so painful to see Suki caressing her baby bump with such a serene smile? Why did her own belly seem so empty all of a sudden?
Stop thinking about it, she chided herself.
That little bitch Mai! At least Azula could console herself with the thought that she too would never know that happiness that was said to be the blessing of women. Her belly was as empty and sere as her heart withered with jealousy and bitterness.
That was not a true consolation. Sooner or later, Zuko would need an heir, and he would quickly seek out a pretty firebender with sufficiently wide and fertile hips to carry his powerful lineage.
Our children would have been true prodigies, she thought regretfully, glancing at Zuko who was still staring out to sea, lost in thought beside her.
"As long as they aren't born with two heads or one arm in the middle of their back…Or imagine they're crazy like you. It's more of a blessing that the poison made you unable to give birth."
Azula gritted her teeth but didn't turn her head to answer. Although still a daily occurrence, Ursa's appearances were becoming less frequent and it was easier for her to ignore her when she was around other people. She knew that soon she would disappear altogether thanks to the medicine. Azula was trying to prepare for this new separation. Even though she exhausted her with her sarcasm and reproaches, Azula had grown accustomed to her mother's presence and feared that she would feel lost again when she left. This time at least, maybe Mom would come and say goodbye?
In the meantime, Azula was making great efforts to fix the benevolent and gentle features of her mother's face in her memory . At the palace, she had drawn a portrait which she had concealed in a lockable chest. The portrait painted years before by the official painter of the royal family and which she had hidden under her pillow had mysteriously disappeared. And Azula didn't dare to ask Zuko what had happened to it. Just like Zuko's letters that she hadn't been able to find despite frantic searches.
"Do you remember that one time we played with Mai and Ty Lee?"
It was her brother who had spoken and Azula jumped slightly. Zuko stared at a gang of teenagers who were engaged in a fierce match on either side of a net erected between them on the fine sand. The white ball rose in the sky, dazzling like a meteor and one could almost hear its hissing when one of the youngsters would kick it towards the opposing camp.
"Of course, I do" she replied, amused, smiling at the memory. "We had humiliated them."
"Do you think we could still do it? Or have we grown too old?"
"You're twenty-two, Zuko, and frankly, you've never been so… athletic," she said after hesitation, blushing a little. "Me, on the other hand…"
"I'm sure you'll soon regain all your abilities," Zuko replied fervently, placing his hand on hers. "Be patient. I'm sure in a few weeks you'll be terrorizing the training yard again and giving me a hard time! You are a prodigy!"
"If you say so," Azula muttered, conjuring up a small, hopelessly orange ball of fire in her hand, which swirled for a moment like a small sun and vanished into the scorching air of that hot summer day. "That's all that's left of the prodigy for now..."
She looked down at the sand, a miserable look on her face, and let out a deep sigh. Perhaps Zuko would take pity on her and come to comfort her?
Instead, the fool let go of her hand and looked away, looking embarrassed, like every time she mentioned her condition.
If Zuzu was the most caring of the brothers, he was far from a satisfying lover.
Azula had realized after a few days on Ember Island that he was avoiding her. At least he would avoid close contact with her. No matter how much she spent hours choosing her outfits in the morning and adorning herself with the most beautiful jewelry, he wasn't paying her a compliment.
Azula was sure his friends had something to do with this sudden coldness. Ten days before their departure, Zuko never missed an opportunity to take her in his arms and he would touch her at the slightest pretext. She had sensed him about to give in. This holiday should have rushed things between them. When she noticed he had been disappearing at night, Azula got worried. Had he met someone? In doubt, she had to act!
Perhaps Azula hadn't been entirely honest with Zuko when explaining why this vacation was a good idea. But there was no harm in taking advantage of the situation after all.
Azula thought of Ty Lee left alone at the Caldera. She wondered if her friend's investigation was progressing. They had both agreed that it was best that she didn't send Azula a falcon. It would have drawn unnecessary attention.
Had her friend discovered something? Did Zuko's distance during this vacation confirm Azula's worst fears? She wasn't sure she could keep calm if she learned that Zuko spent his nights in the arms of another when she herself did everything to invite him into hers.
Her frustration was growing every day. Being stuck here for almost a fortnight with these detestable people, and not even getting a kiss out of him?
And here they're coming, she thought bitterly, her eyes rolling in annoyance! She hadn't even been alone with her brother for half an hour. Katara and the Avatar reappeared, their bodies covered in droplets of water that dribbled across the sand and onto their towels, a large, goofy smile spreading across their stupid faces.
"You two don't want to bathe?" the Avatar asked them.
"Actually, we do" Azula replied, "as I'm speaking to you, I'm making rodeo above the waves with a horned whale dolphin. Can't you see it?"
"Azula!" Zuko immediately flew into a rage.
This also was terribly frustrating. Zuzu was constantly scolding her or berating her.
These ingrates were offended for nothing. Azula had to constantly justify herself or explain that she was joking. When Zuko wasn't just humiliating her in front of them by ordering her to apologize. Azula would comply, thinking about the necessity to gain their sympathy. But how to remain friendly and courteous when they said such nonsense or asked totally stupid and uninteresting questions?
They were already depriving her of the time she could have spent alone with Zuko. They also had to impose their horrifying company and such superficial conversations on her!
"A simple joke, Zuko, don't get upset. I was joking", she repeated to the Avatar, giving him her most beautiful smile. "I prefer to stay on the sand. I don't like bathing very much," she added in a tone that she tried to make pleasant.
"You're missing something!" Aang exclaimed, a large, happy smile lighting up his still childish face. I know that fire and water have trouble living together, but I'm sure it would help you relax."
"I think Azula means that she's tired and prefers to rest," intervened Zuko who must have felt the annoyance radiate from his sister's body.
"Very well," Aang concluded with a shy smile that failed to reach his grey eyes.
Much to Azula's delight, he fell silent and offered Katara to go get some sorbet. They volunteered to bring something to Zuko and Azula who refused and they disappeared.
"I want you to be polite to my friends," Zuko began, clenching teeth.
"Okay, okay! Very well, I know! But first, tell them to stop forcing me to share their childish games! I don't like to bathe."
"You loved it when we were kids" he reminded her.
"That was before Zuzu. It's in the past."
Yes, once Azula liked to bathe. She used to spend hours in the little green lake where Mother took them when it was too hot to stay on the beach. She liked to jump into the waves with Father who held her by the hand as soon as a wave came to her feet and made her jump so high that she felt as if she would reach the clouds. She would howl of laughter when he dragged her with him into the waves and from the shore Mother, would yell at them to be careful.
But that was before. Before Father started looking at her differently. Before a terrible mark on her hip no longer allowed her to wear a bathing outfits or short clothes without shame and fear of curious looks.
On her left, Mom's hand moved forward a little and rested on her own, a light warmthless veil. The sensation immediately vanished.
Azula's eyes began to sting and it had nothing to do with the sand that sometimes swirled around them, forcing them to shield their faces with their arms.
"I want to go home," she whispered miserably.
Zuko turned to her with a worried look. He looked around the beach, as if to make sure no one was watching them, and approached Azula, taking her by the shoulder. He leaned to press a gentle kiss on her hair, held back in a bun, and hugged her closer to him. Azula's heart swelled with happiness.
"Give me time to warn the others. I'll walk you home," Zuko offered kindly.
Azula flinched in spite of the heat.
On the way back to the vacation home, Azula slipped her hand into Zuko's. To her delight, he agreed to take it and they returned in silence. The song of the cicadas in the pines that bordered the path accompanied them all the way. The sun was setting in the west and its orange light lengthened their shadows on the ground. In the ditch beside the road, koi carp lazily swam in the fresh water.
Perhaps Azula had been wrong to promise Zuko that spending time with his friends would help them bring order and peace to their nation. It was together, brother and sister, that they would restore the Fire Nation to its former power and glory. The philanthropic speeches of the Avatar and his friends, each evening during dinner, convinced her a little more of the futility of their utopian projects.
Worse, their presence only drove Zuko away from her when she had hoped to get closer to him.
Maybe it was time for Zuko to make his choice.
They walked for a while along the small path lined with old and abandoned wooden houses, and brightly colored flowers. It was only when they reached their family's house hidden by a towering white sand dune, far from the Avatar and his friends, that Azula truly began to feel better.
Dark Zuko is on the place. What do you think of his new outlet? What will happen when Azula finds out what he does at night? How will Gaang's stay with the Firesiblings evolve? Let me know your presumptions and your opinion on this chapter, which I hope you had as much fun reading as I did writing it. In chapter 27, to use Zuko's words, things will once again get a little out of hand between the Firesiblings. Is this a teaser to force you to cling to the story? Absolutely not!