Chapter X:
Winds of Change
Wind whipped frantically at Raya's long white hair as RaiJin carried her quickly through the air. She had wrestled with herself for a moment about whether she should take the hulking beast – so precious he was to her; she wasn't sure she was willing to take the risk of placing him in the way of Azula. But he was fast, even faster than her glider, and it felt like every moment counted now. She needed to fix everything she had set into motion because of her perceived weakness.
Perceived. . .
The word echoed in her mind. She knew she was strong and a very capable bender. But all this time she had spent holding herself back because of moral conflicts had only served to harm herself and those closest to her. It had taken all this time – far too much time – for her to realize that she, as the Demitar, didn't have the right to forgo her sacred duties in order maintain some kind of moral equilibrium within herself. It wasn't a luxury the world could afford, and being the Demitar was a life fraught with sacrifice.
She had watched Aang bend over backwards for years trying to hold fast to the lifestyle and teachings that defined him as a human being, and it was hard. More than hard, it was impossible. To fulfill the duties of an Avatar or Demitar there was a point where it must be accepted that they didn't fully belong to themselves, or their values, or their preferences. They belonged to the world, to the spirits, and to the delicate structure that was balance between the two.
As the market square came into view, Raya felt her hands tighten over RaiJins reigns. So close now. The dragon, picking up on his companion's anxiety, hurtled them forward even more ferociously, causing the ground to streak below them in a wild blur. No matter what the cost now, she was going to make amends for all the time she had wasted discovering the person she needed to be. Even if it meant the end of a life. Her jaw set, and eyes burning with conviction, she leapt from the great white dragons' back, and began to plummet to the earth below.
"Go back to Iroh!" Raya instructed the dragon over roaring wind. She didn't want him in the middle of a fire fight. Even if Azula planned a secret siege of the palace, Iroh could use RaiJin to make a swift exit if things went poorly.
The square rushed up underneath her rapidly, and as she entered the point of no return, her arms moved with practiced speed. A massive cushion of air rose to meet her and allowed her to hit the ground at a firm yet acceptable speed. She crouched into the landing, still feeling an aggressive shock creep up her legs from the impact. A cloud of dust swirled around the Demitar as she straightened to take in the scene around her.
With another motion of her arms, palms open and downward facing, she brought the dust cloud into submission. The filth in the air dissipated almost immediately, and she could see clearly the desolation of the market. The stalls that lined the stone walls surrounding the square were empty, all the vendors having abandoned their wares to seek shelter. The wind sent random pieces of litter and debris tumbling over the dry ground, no longer having foot traffic to impede their senseless journey.
As her eyes flicked across the scene, she finally landed on the large wooden platform that would normally display the local street performers. Most often a stage for a local acting troupe, it now held something infinitely more important.
Raya felt her breath catch as her eyes landed on Zuko. He was slumped against a large pole that protruded up from the center of the platform. Normally its function would have been to stabilize the structure as well as serving as a mounting point for fabric, flags, or other decorations to adorn the setting created by the acting troupe. Instead, it now served to keep the Fire Lord bound in place. He didn't seem to be conscious, or if he was, he wasn't strong enough to stay alert. She took a small step forward, her conviction momentarily swallowed by the sight of him. Her hand lifted subtly in his direction.
"My, my. I didn't expect you to make such a grand entry. You really are as stupid as I thought." Azula's cold voice doused her like ice, snapping her out of her own thoughts. The fire in her blood surged then, and she felt her skin prickling with heat.
"This ends right here, Azula," Raya said, beginning to walk toward the disgraced Fire Princess. A wild and wicked grin appeared on Azula's face, revealing the mentally unwell young woman that lurked just below the surface.
"Oh, I think that's something we can both agree on," she said, snapping her fingers. Raya stopped, and took up a bending stance, bracing herself for an offensive strike. None came, however, and she noticed that instead, dozens of people were now appearing from the alleyways surrounding the Market Square. They leapt down from sun baked clay roof tops and slunk out into the full view of the Demitar. As they collected before her, she realized they were creating a wall of human beings between herself and Azula.
"I never pegged you for being a coward," Raya said, her voice harsh and deliberate as she took in the crowd forming around her. Her mind was already calculating the amount of force she would be able to use in order to keep from harming all of these people.
"Me? No, definitely not," Azula said, now studying her nails with an air of indifference. "You on the other hand. What ever will you do? The great pacifist." Azula's lips curled back into a devious smile, and she folded her arms across her chest.
Raya's teeth clenched together hard enough to produce a gritting sound in her own ears. And then she breathed, slowly. She straightened her back and brought her arms up into a bending stance. Her eyes closed and she continued to inhale deeply, seeking. A light wind had begun to pick up, and the litter that had been ambling aimlessly across the dirt square was now beginning to whip turbulently.
Azula cocked her head to the side quizzically before saying, "Well, she's certainly making it easy for you, what are you waiting for?"
The Loyalists glanced nervously at one other, the wind now becoming a violent and whipping thing. A few of them began to step forward, and then others followed. Suddenly they were all moving forward. As the Demitar remained unmoving, they all took this as a sign to charge. Dozens of feet began to pound against the ground as the group surged toward her.
Azula knelt so that she was level with her brother and lifted his head by a fistful of long brown hair. He opened bleary eyes and began trying to focus on the scene before him. His unburnt eye suddenly widened in shock and a choking noise emitted from his parched throat.
"Look brother, I want you to witness the Demitars demise. A fitting punishment, I think, as a traitor," Azula hissed in his ear. She delighted in the gut-wrenching pain washing over his face. He struggled weakly against his restraints and Azula gave a sharp laugh.
"Raya!" Zuko managed to cry out, his voice hoarse and dry from disuse and lack of drinking water. It was drowned out by the stampeding footsteps racing toward the Demitar.
Some Loyalists at the front of the charge began to step into bending range, and the glow of fire began to erupt from several members. Azula watched, unsure of what the Demitars plan was, but waiting eagerly for the first blow to find its mark.
Bright glowing eyes opened to the world, then, and a fireball that was coming directly for Raya was deflected suddenly. It rocketed off into the sky overhead and dissipated into nothing. The bender stumbled forward out of shock and the Demitar, in a rare and powerful form, reached out. Her hand caught the attackers hand deftly as he attempted to emit another blast and with a distinct crack broke something in his wrist. The man cried out and lurched forward, tumbling into the dirt.
The other Loyalists surging forward faltered, and many began crashing into one another. Raya lifted her gaze to the group before her and gasps of surprise and fear began to echo through the pack. The Demitar took this moment of hesitation to plant her feet and bring her fists together. A large gale of air erupted from her center and raced outward into the mass of bodies. With nowhere to go that would save them from the blast, they were plowed over, into, and on top of one another.
A chorus of groans and cries of pain rang out from the mob of fallen Loyalists, and Raya began to move froward. The wind in the Market Square whipped about furiously now, and those who were well enough and able began to desert the mass of bodies on the ground to seek safety. There was no resistance or wavering in the Demitars face. The bright light that emitted from her eyes and tattoos had turned her into another creature entirely.
Across the way, Azula began to frown, and anger seeped into her as she watched the Demitars intimidation working. One by one, and then more and more, people fled the scene. Those who continued to hesitate looked back at Azula for instruction. It was clear that their fear of her still outweighed their fear of the Demitar.
"What are you waiting for?" Azula snarled at them, the crazed look that she had become known for began to creep back into her eyes.
"Stop now," came the ringing voice of every Demitar passed. "Leave this place, and flee, or this will be your end." The word end was heavy and filled with implications. No one standing before the Demitar misunderstood the ultimatum that she had proffered. The moment stretched out into heartbeats, and then as if in sync with one another the remaining Loyalists began to flee. Azula's anger flared as she glared down at the fleeing party members.
"So, you did come to play," Azula said, her teeth clenched, blue fire already blazing out of her fisted hands.
"This is the only warning I offer," Raya said, her voice cutting through the myriad that echoed behind her. "Go, and I will let you. Stay, and I will do whatever it takes to leave here with Zuko." The glow began to dissipate, and Raya looked up at Azula steadily. There was no fear or reluctance in her voice. She was steady, her eyes firm, as she faced down the Fire Princess, and her promise was unyielding.
The only reply Azula gave was an enraged shriek. Raya let Azula come to her, taking a steadying breath and watching as a blazing blue flame streaked toward her. A quick motion of her hand dissipated the flame around her, and as it subsided Azula appeared. Her eyes were fierce, and her attacks were dealt in rapid succession. Heat swallowed Raya as she deflected blow after blow, waiting for her moment to strike.
Azula was strong. Raw power flowed from her fingertips as she pressed Raya backwards. The Demitar felt the tingle of fear begin to flutter in her stomach but held her resolve. No one could keep up such violent and powerful strikes forever. The blind rage in Azula's eyes meant that she would slip, and soon. Raya just had to hold on until that happened.
Just as Raya began to feel Azula's attacks slow, the Princess stopped suddenly and leapt back. Her chest heaved with the effort of her exertion. A fine sweat was forming on her brow and several strands of fine brown hair had slipped from their fixed place within her pin. Raya moved into an offensive stance, ready to capture her moment. Before she could, however, Azula turned on her heal and began to run from the Demitar.
Raya's mind raced. Would she really deal Azula's final blow to her back. This wasn't something she had anticipated. As her mind wrestled with the paralyzing dilemma of what she was willing to do next she realized that Azula wasn't running away. She was running towards Zuko. Her heart faltered and she felt her breath catch, choking her.
Her eyes locked onto the Fire Lord, and it was then that she noticed he was alert and watching her with frantic eyes. How long had he been watching her? She hadn't noticed, but now her heart leapt into full gear. She didn't know exactly what Azula now intended, but she imagined if she couldn't hit her physically, she would find another way to land a devastating blow. This had spiraled for the Fire Princess far beyond her initial intentions. This was now a matter of inflicting the most pain she possibly could. Defeat wasn't an option after she had spent so long building the Loyalists and bringing her plans to fruition.
Raya felt a jolt of power surge into her being. Light exploded from her eyes and tattoos and the power of every Demitar before her flooded into her veins. She moved her arms up with a hard twist of her torso and brought her arms into herself. The sound of rushing air burst into the Markest Square, but instead of rushing out of her, it rushed into her. A ring of gale force winds ripped Azula off her feet and sent her flying backwards. She skittered brutally across the hard ground, the wind flinging her carelessly.
A pained euf came from Azula as the breath was knocked from her lungs. She was completely still for a moment before movement began to twitch back into her splayed limbs. Raya's eyes flicked back to Zuko, torn between watching whether Azula would rise again, or remain slumped on the ground. He was watching her intently, his face wrought with intensity and concern. His body was tense, his muscles taut as he strained against his restraints.
Without another moment of hesitation, Raya launched herself forward. She had no way to contain the Fire Princess and she wasn't a cold-blooded killer. If she wasn't fighting Raya would leave her where she sprawled. Adrenaline and anticipation washed through her, leaving its signature tang on her tongue as she grew nearer to Zuko. The closer she got to him; the more hopeful relief began to filter into the chaos written across his face.
Ten more steps. She was so close she could almost imagine the warmth of him beneath her fingertips. A smile even dared to blossom on the Demitars face. Zuko began to return her smile, then faltered. His face wrenched into sheer panic. His eyes were no longer locked onto her and had become fixed on something that seemed to be just beyond herself.
"Behind you!" Zuko's shout was strained with force against his hoarse throat. Raya's gate faltered, her feet stuttering beneath her as their speed drastically reduced. She began to turn her head, trying to reorient her body along with it to face the likely cause for Zuko's concern. She didn't need to see to know whose hand was suddenly buried in her hair.
A solid jerk of Azula's hand in the Demitars white hair made her head snap back with enough force to drive her feet out from under her. Her teeth clacked painfully together as she hit the ground with a graceless whomp. Clouds of dust from the dry, packed earth exploded around her as her assailant appeared above her.
She squinted up into the blazing blue sky, it's intensity boring into her already swimming vision. Azula leaned over her with a triumphant sneer, and the sky's blue abyss halo'd her, casting an Azula shaped shadow over the Demitar's recumbent form. Raya's arms moved in a disoriented attempt to right herself. Azula's hand grasped her hair once more, and her arms scrabbled up to find Azula's wrist, trying to disengage her iron grip. As the Fire Princess hauled her up onto her knees, she braced herself as much as she could with her hands still clasped on Azula's arm.
Head and neck now throbbing with sickening waves of pain, she clenched her teeth, and squeezed her eyes shut. She knew if she opened them the devastating look on Zuko's face would greet her. The thought alone caused a pit of anguish to flair in her stomach. Before she could dwell on it further, she felt herself being shaken back and forth roughly by her head.
"Come on, it's not fun if you don't watch," Azula's cold voice crooned. Once more in control of the situation, her air of haughty confidence returned. It was tinged only slightly with the allusion of her insanity, as though a curtain had been drawn over that part of her. Raya's eyes cracked open, allowing the scene around her to slowly bleed into focus. As she had anticipated, Zuko watched her with desperate eyes. His distress was made even clearer by how violently he was now pulling at his bonds.
"Stop Azula!" Zuko rasped. "You've done enough! Just take me, have your revenge on me and be done with it already. Let her go."
"Oh ZuZu. . . Sweet brother, you always were such a noble creature. Weak and pathetic. It makes me . . ." Azula trailed off as her talon-like nails scraped painfully against Raya's scalp. "Sick," Azula finished in a voice tinged with disgust.
A blue glow filled the edge of Raya's peripheral vision and her hands fell from Azula's wrist. Zuko's face was contorted into extreme panic now. He couldn't strain any harder against the post he was bound to if he tried, and Raya suspected he'd already caused severe trauma to his wrists and hands in doing so.
"Azula!" Beyond panic now, pain bled into every syllable of Zuko's plea. "Please!"
"Consider this a lesson, Zuko. The first in a very long series of punishments fitting a traitor." Azula's voice was like ice, cruel and unwavering.
Without thinking, a fine green blaze lit at the tips of the Demitars right hand. Using the adrenaline of panic, she willed her chi paths to funnel as much power as she could into her flame. The concentrated fire bending was so intense the heat began to scorch her clothing. Left hand rising, she clasped firmly onto Azula's wrist, causing her to take pause in a moment of confusion. Raya used her hesitation to execute her last desperate bid for escape.
With a green flash, Raya brought her makeshift blade of flames up and through her pale hair. Strands of singed white hung in the air as Raya waited for the release of the tension Azula's hand had been creating. The moment she knew she was free; she slammed her fists together and set a dome of turbulent air out around herself. A surprised gasp came from Azula as she was lifted into the air, propelled backwards by the air bending. There was a dull thud followed by light scuffs against the ground as her body made contact.
Raya leaned forward onto her hands, bracing herself as she breathed heavily. The acrid smell of singed hair filled her nostrils and made her stomach roil. She could feel the unfamiliar itch of the newly shortened hairs brushing against the sides of her face. A hand slowly crept up to feel out the planes of the now shoulder length hair.
Hair was a great symbol of honor in the Fire Nation. Cutting of one's hair could be one of many indications of shame. From exile to dishonor, there was a lot one could glean from the hair. Long and luxurious hair in half top knot was something traditionally reserved for royalty or those with high and honorable rank among the nation. And now hers was destroyed. The wind began to stir up the severed strands and gently scatter the ground in soft white.
Not far from where she knelt, the crowned prince's hair piece lay abandoned in the dirt, having dislodged from its resting place upon her head. She scraped it toward herself and gazed at the dusty metal hair ornament for a moment before tucking it into a pocket of her robes. With a concentrated effort, she pushed herself up off the ground then and looked back to find Azula. The fire bender must have fallen awkwardly on her head, as she remained still now, one arm skewed awkwardly beneath her back as she lay on the ground. Satisfied that she could finally approach Zuko without being interrupted, she marched forward once more. Her steps were slower, the shock of the moment created a dulled sense of reality around her. Her head and neck still thrummed with pain, but she would bare it. She would bare it all to make it to Zuko's side.
He watched her closely, his face searching hers intently as she finally came to stand beside where he knelt. She dropped to her knees beside him and slipped a hand behind his back.
"Raya?" he asked, his voice quietly searching. He spoke softly now. With her free hand she pushed his long hair from his face so she could see all of him. His lips were cracked, and smears of grime sat on his skin, but his amber eyes were still bright and strong. Regardless of what Azula put him through, it was clear that his spirit remained unbroken.
Once she was satisfied with her inspection of his immediate person, she turned her attention to his bindings. Large iron manacles were clasped around his wrists, and the iron band that connected them held him fast to the post. A white flash of light filled her eyes and tattoos for a moment before the sound of metal-on-metal wrang out. She had used fire bending to cut the iron bar between the manacles in half, allowing his hands to move freely once more.
The moment his arms were free, Zuko wrapped them around Raya, drawing her into his chest. She embraced him in return, pushing her face into his warmth and comfort. She felt his chin come to rest atop her head and thought the smell of her hair must be overwhelming. If it was, he didn't show it. After a few more moments passed, he finally pulled back and they looked at each other with solemn relief. His hands found her face, and he rested his palms on her neck, thumbs caressing the peeks of her cheeks slowly.
"I'm so sorry, Zuko," Raya said after she found herself unable to take the silence any longer. Of all the ways she expected him to react, confused wasn't one of them.
"Sorry? You fought for me. You saved me."
"It's my fault any of this happened in the first place. I should have been faster, I should have
done-"
"Raya," Zuko cut her off abruptly and stared into her eyes intently. "She was going to find a way to make this happen whether you were protecting me or not. This was always going to be the end game. It's why I never wanted you here in the first place. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to protect you, and I was right."
"It's not your job to protect me Zuko. It's my job to protect you. And all people, actually," she added as an afterthought.
"But I want to, I'm always going to want to. You have no idea how much—" he stopped himself and took a breath. "How much I care about you."
She felt like he was restraining himself but wasn't going to press him for more. She could feel the intensity of his emotions through his gaze, through his hands, and the way he held her to him. His hand slid up into her hair and she flinched a bit. She had no way of knowing how she looked but she was certain it wasn't good. He ran his hand through the soft white that remained and inspected the singed ends of a cluster of strands, expression thoughtful.
"It looks—"
"Awful," she cut in, lifting a hand to cover her face.
"I was going to say good," he said, his voice gentle. "Beautiful, even. You're beautiful."
She doubted that could possibly be true at this moment. Both were smeared with dust and grime, and so disheveled that they were likely closer to looking like vagrants. But she accepted that perhaps he saw something in her that went deeper than burned robes and singed hair. A pink blush spread over her cheeks, as he brought her hand down from her face and looked at her as though seeing her fully.
Before either could act further, a low rumble sounded from overhead, and a familiar white dragon hurtled above them. RaiJin landed near the platform and from his back slid two more familiar sights. Unlce Iroh and Kai landed on their feet, one a little more stiffly than the other, and moved toward the Demitar and Fire Lord swiftly. Kai moved beyond them, toward Azula. Raya's eyes followed him as he approached the Princess. He moved her limbs carefully, so that she was now lying flat on her back, arms at her sides. A quick succession of chi blocking strikes landed on various parts of her body and she stirred briefly, though she did not wake.
"Chi blocking, in case she comes to," Kai said once he noticed Raya's gaze.
"Good idea," Iroh said, clambering up the steps of the platform to kneel beside Zuko and the Demitar.
"Uncle," Zuko said, both in greeting and relief. Raya imagined it was a great comfort to finally be surrounded by familiar faces instead of foes.
"I am glad to see you are both alright," he said, looking over the two of them. His hand came to rest on Raya's shoulder, and he looked at her hair somberly. "Mostly alright," he amended.
"What are we going to do with Azula?" She found herself asking as Kai produced a rope to bind the arms and legs of the bender in question.
"Prison, for now," Zuko said, his voice hard. He glared down at his sister's limp form being shuffled around by the young non-bender.
"We'll take care of it. A troupe of palace guards set out right behind us. You two should take RaiJin back to the palace. The only thing left for you to do now is tend to your wounds," Uncle advised, rising to stand. Raya and Zuko did the same.
"The palace?" Raya asked, wondering if Azula had made an attempt while their battle raged in the Market Square.
"We can talk about everything once we return to the palace, and everyone has had a moment to recover." Iroh patted both of their shoulders and gave Zuko a warm smile, his eyes shining with relief.
RaiJin lowered his belly to the ground, his scales creating a scuffling sound against it. Raya helped Zuko settle in the saddle, and pulled herself up behind him, using a bit of air bending to make the effort easier. Now that the adrenaline had dissipated and the danger was behind them, she felt her body sagging under the weight of every kind of exhaustion.
RaiJin pushed off the ground in a great bound, and as they soared toward the safety of the Palace gates, Raya let herself lean back against Zuko, luxuriating in the feel of his arms wrapped securely around her waist.