Morality Chain
Really sorry for the long wait, guys.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"Ow!" the cry of pain was sharp and piercing. Azula glanced up, her features settling into a frown.
"Zuzu? What happened?"
"Nothing, it's just…" Zuko glared down at his thumb. "Got a splinter. Stupid."
"Splinter?" her interest piqued, the princess trotted over to her brother's side. "From what?"
"This," Zuko held up a piece of wood that had been carved to vaguely resemble a turtle-duck. "A bit broke off."
"Why are you playing with that shoddy looking thing anyway?" Azula questioned as she picked it from her brother and turned it over in her hands.
"Mai said she made it for me," Zuko shrugged. "So I thought…"
"Well, if that's the case we know Mai isn't going to ever be a good woodcarver," although at least she's using those knives she keeps carrying around for something, Azula thought. "Anyway," she continued as she tossed the wooden toy carelessly to the ground. "Let me see that splinter."
"What? Why?"
"So I can help you fix it, dum-dum," she snorted.
"No way, Az!" Zuko had jerked up and away from her. "There's no way I'm trusting you to do something like that! I'll just go find mom."
"Oh. Of course you would," Azula rolled her eyes and flopped back onto a chair. "Well, off you go then, Zuzu. Go crying to mother just like you always do."
Her brother glared at her for a moment, then turned away. Two steps later, he'd turned back to face her. "You're sure you can get this splinter out?"
"Uh huh. Here, hold out your thumb," clambering back onto her feet, her own hands reaching out to seize Zuko's hesitantly offered one. "Now, I need you to hold absolutely still…"
"Uh… Az?" Zuko began hesitantly. "Don't you usually use a pair of-"
"Hah!" Concentrating fiercely, Azula released the rush of energy she had been storing up, and felt a flash of exultation as it left her body in precisely the way she'd wanted it to, and –
"AGH!" Zuko jumped back, frantically waving his thumb up and down. "Ow! OW! What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.
"Stop being such a baby and just channel the heat away. Any first year student can do that," she snorted. "And as for what I was doing, I was removing the splinter in the most efficient manner possible."
"You were…" Zuko stared down at his finger, not making the connection for several long seconds. "You burnt it away?"
"No need to thank me," she replied primly as she settled herself back onto her chair.
(X)
In the dead of the night, the Inner Ring of Ba Sing Se was quiet. Most of the citizens who dwelt within the Inner Ring had already retired for the night, or gone to one of the innumerable parties hosted by this aristocrat or other. That, or ventured under cover of darkness into the Outer Ring in search of less refined leisures.
Just the way he liked it, Long Feng, Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se, reflected as he stepped down the path. In the silence and darkness, he was free to plot the course that he and the grand city was to follow. And of course, to deal with the any particular problems that merited his attention.
The Avatar's search for his accursed Bison has only intensified ever since my last warning. Shaking his head, he pursed his lips. I'll need to find some way to mislead him. Maybe drop a rumour that some noble from a distant land has recently purchased an exotic animal. Best to keep it vague and hope he bites at the lead. And if that didn't work… well his pool of resources to draw from was vast. The Avatar was a single boy – along with a handful of friends. As long as they remained within the city walls, it wouldn't be difficult to isolate them and deal with them individually. Maybe even Lake Laogai…
Thoughts of the correctional facility under the Lake also reminded Long Feng of the second problem that had only recently been brought to his attention.
A Firebender. Captured within city walls. He'd always known as a matter of course that the Fire Nation would seek to send spies to observe and potentially undermine Ba Sing Se's defences, but the Dai Li had thus far been extremely efficient in rooting them out. Most of them had been summarily disposed of, with a select few being reconditioned into sending back false and misleading messages to whatever passed as intelligence headquarters in the Fire Nation. But all this had been carried out in absolute secrecy, with none of the local populace being allowed to know of the Fire Nation presence within the walls. Now, though…
A public demonstration of Firebending. A suicidal gesture if there ever was one. And an administrative headache for me. Silencing the witnesses would be of utmost importance, and his frown only deepened as he thought of the incompetents who had arrested the youth without bothering to deal with the crowd gathered. Also disturbing was the most recent report he had received from the correctional facility. Resistant to attempts to convert him. Wonderful. I should order him executed and be done with it. But the possibility of more of his kind having snuck in alongside him made drawing as much information out of him as possible the first priority.
And with that, he pulled to a halt, glancing over his shoulder. "I know you're there," his voice was flat. "What do you want?"
For a long moment, there was only silence. And then a soft chuckle. Female. Long Feng half turned, trying to peer into the inscrutable darkness of the alcove. She's in there… isn't she? After a moment, he tapped the ground with his toe once, sending out a brief wave through the earth, trying to pinpoint his stalker's exact location.
Nothing.
"So you are an Earthbender. I suspected as much," the voice said. "I was right to take precautions after all."
Keeping his expression studiously neutral, Long Feng closed his eyes. "I repeat: What do you want?"
"Oh, nothing much," A pause. "But what I do want, only the one who rules Ba Sing Se can provide."
"You wish to meet the King? I'm afraid I cannot permit-"
"We both know that's not who I'm talking about. I want the head of the Dai Li. And I do believe he's standing in front of me."
Perhaps he could find her location on the basis of her voice… but here, in the midst of so many buildings, it would be a most difficult affair. And if she had a line of sight to him, she'd be able to tell if he started searching.
And so after a long pause, he said, "Well, then. Let's say I do indeed have the authority to give you whatever it is you want. And what is that?"
"One day ago, you apprehended a Firebender and carted him off to whatever hole passes for a prison in this city. I would like him released, if you would be so kind."
"A member of the Fire Nation, then," Long Feng's voice grew hard. "And what on earth possessed you to make such an absurd request?" The Dai Li should notice if I divert too much from my schedule. Perhaps I can delay her long enough…
"Well, the way I see it, you really don't have any use for a random Fire Nation refugee."
A refugee. Indeed. "I'll be the judge of that."
"Hm. Well, more importantly, if you give him up, I could lead you to a far greater prize."
This was too much. Long Feng barked out a harsh laugh. "A greater prize? I suppose you'll deliver me the Fire Lord's head on a platter?"
"Don't be absurd," there was a confident quality in the woman's voice that Long Feng found himself disliking. "But I'm sure what I can offer will be more than enough."
"Indeed. And what is that?"
"Well, Grand Secretariat, permit me to ask you a question. Who, in these past hundred years of war, has done the greatest damage to great Ba Sing Se? Who was it that besieged this place for six hundred days? Who was the one who smashed straight through the walls of the city?"
"You cannot mean…"
"The Dragon of the West. One General Iroh," the voice continued. "And he can be your prisoner within twenty four hours – if only you agree to a trade."
"And I am supposed to believe some random Fire Nation whore knows how to capture the great General?"
"You don't need to trust my words. Trust the results. If I don't deliver, then there'll be no trade, and you'll be no worse off than you are right now."
"… And how," he said after a long moment of hesitation. "Will I know when you're ready to deliver?"
"Oh, don't worry. I'll find you. Now, do we have a deal, or not?"
He closed his eyes and chuckled. "Hm. A hard bargainer, are you not? Very well, we have a deal. Give me the General, and I'll let the boy go."
There was no reply, and after a very long moment, Long Feng shook his head and continued walking.
Hopelessly naïve, that one. He nodded, trying to convince himself of what he'd just thought. We're going to have to accelerate our program with that boy. I must find out what exactly it is he knows.
(X)
"You're sure he's the one?" Resting in the shade of a large building to avoid the worst of the midday sun, Azula gave the youth sitting at the roadside stall a closer look. He was flanked by two others, and a quick scan of them told her that they had seen their fair share of combat before – not enough to be a match for her or her friends, of course.
Ty Lee nodded, her expression unusually sombre. "There's no way I'd forget that face. And no one else has swords like his. I trailed him all the way from last night like you told me to, and he never left my sight once."
"So, what do we do?" To anyone else, Mai would have been a picture of impassivity, but Azula could read her well enough to know that she was boiling over with impatience. "I don't think attacking them in broad daylight is a good idea."
"No. No, it's not," she glanced over at Ty Lee. "We'll just have to improvise, then."
A nod from her friends.
"All right then, this is what we'll do."
(X)
Jet had been in a rather foul mood for the past two days. And as much as he hated to think about it, it was all tied up with that boy – Lee.
A part of Jet could still barely believe Lee had been from the Fire Nation. Another part howled endlessly at him for not being able to spot the tell-tale signs sooner. And yet another part…
"Jet, stop it! I'm not your enemy!"
Jet shook his head. Nonsense. He was from the Fire Nation! That meant he was an enemy. He was probably a spy or something that had wormed his way into the Fire Nation to gain their trust and had been waiting for the perfect moment –
"I'm going back," he snapped as he stood from his seat. Both Longshot and Smellerbee started at him but didn't say anything. They hadn't said much to him to past couple of days, actually. For some reason, that just made him madder.
Fists clenched, his gaze fixed on the ground directly in front of him, Jet barely noticed when he bumped into someone on the street. But something about that jostle had been different. Off.
What's… my arm? Hurriedly, he tried to flex his fingers, but his entire arm had gone dead. What happened-
"Oh, hello there!" Jet jerked reflexively at the sound of a woman's voice in his ear as a strange girl he'd never seen before clamped down on his other arm. She tightened he grip, and he felt his other arm grow dead as well. "It's this way!" she continued in a perky voice as she yanked him into the darkened interior of a nearby building. To anyone who might have been observing, it would have looked like nothing more than a friend displaying more enthusiasm than was strictly necessary as she brought Jet into a room.
Once inside, she twisted, using the momentum to send Jet staggering forward. Unable to use his arms, he collapsed heavily onto a chair, glaring angrily at the girl.
"What do you want?" he snapped.
"It's not what she wants," another voice came from the corner of the room. Shifting his gaze, he caught sight of a girl dressed in green, a cruel glint in her golden eyes. "It's what you've taken from me."
"What?"
"Feeling a little slow today, are we?" she circled a table, walking closer to him. "Let me spell it out nicely and clearly for you then. You got my brother arrested. That ring any bells?"
His eyes widened for a brief moment before narrowing in fury. "Then you're from the Fire Nation too!"
"Clearly we're dealing with a genius here," the girl folded her arms. "And don't try to yell, or I'll have my friend her paralyse your jaw as well. I'm going to be talking either way, but I'd really prefer if the conversation weren't entirely one sided."
Jet grit his teeth. "If you want your revenge, then go ahead. But don't expect me to give you the satisfaction of begging for my life!"
"Now why would I want that?" she shook her head. "I came to give you a chance."
"A… chance?"
"Mm hm," a thoughtful nod. "To make recompense. To help me get my brother out of prison again."
"What?" he nearly spat out the words. "Never! You think I'd lift a finger to help the Fire Nation?"
"Who said you'd be helping the Fire Nation?" the girl shook her head. "I want you to be helping me."
"Your brother's a firebender," Jet's voice was thick with rage. "That spells Fire Nation to me. You're all the same – liars, warmongers, and murderers. I'd sooner die than aid any of y-"
"Shut up," the girl's voice took on a new cast – quivering with pent up fury and emotion. "That's how it is, isn't it? We're firebenders, and so we're part of the big, bad Fire Nation! Do you know why my brother was even here in Ba Sing Se, Jet? He's an exile! For refusing to support a battle plan that would result in civilian casualties. How do you think he got that scar? He was burned, punished, marked for life – because his honour refused to let him sit idly by and let those atrocities happen," her voice trailed off and she shrugged. "But I suppose none of that is anyway near as important as the country he happened to be born in, isn't it?" shaking her head, she turned and headed for the doorway of the room. "Your arms will recover in about five minutes. Thanks for nothing."
As soon as she left with the other girl following behind her, Smellerbee and Longshot burst into the room. "Jet!" Smellerbee cried as she rushed forward. "You all right?"
"Arms can't move. It'll get better soon," he grunted.
"Sorry we couldn't come in sooner. There was another one of the girls outside and she wouldn't budge, and, well-"
"It's okay. No big deal."
"…" Smellerbee glanced around the room. "What did they want?"
Jet closed his eyes and let out a long, heavy sigh. "They wanted me to help them rescue Lee. One of the girls is his sister, apparently."
"…" Longshot tilted his head to one side and raised an eyebrow.
"Of course I said no! They're Fire Nation!"
Smellerbee folded her arms. "Jet… don't you think that might not be a good enough reason?"
"What? Have you forgotten what the Fire Nation did to our village? To our families?"
"No! I won't forget! I'll never forget what Fire Nation army did to us! But Jet, these are just people!"
"They're probably spies."
Smellerbee sighed. "Jet, from what you told me, the only reason Lee firebended was to save your life, remember?"
"It was a trick," he insisted, but even he could tell that his argument was weak. Closing his eyes, he slumped back down in his chair, and cursed under his breath.
(X)
Azula stood in the doorway of a store, pretending to be intently studying the goods on display within.
Three.
Ty Lee was within the store proper, excitedly gushing over what appeared to be a set of antique teapots.
Two.
To her side, Mai was sitting on a bench, gazing steadily down at the door. She knew her friend would still be stewing about Zuko, and there really wasn't much to talk to her about right now.
One.
She felt the hand tap her hesitantly on the shoulder, and she turned to regard Jet, flanked on both sides by his two friends. She raised a single eyebrow in iniquity.
"Let's make something very clear," Jet said, hands in pockets. "I don't trust you. Not as far as I can throw you. And I don't trust Lee either," he paused, obviously struggling with the next words. "But he saved my life. And I don't like going through life owing things to other people. So I'll help you bust him out. But once I've done that, we're done. Got it?"
Azula let a smile play across her features. "I never expected anything more."
(X)
Everything… blurry… What's going on? Where…
Darkness. Brief bursts of light.
Light…? Was it bad? He remembered stabbing fear and pain… but he always remembered warmth. Comfort.
Where was he?
Who was he?
I am… Lee… an Earth Kingdom refugee… he'd repeated those lines again and again to vague shadowy figures for the past… he didn't know how long.
I am Lee… something… didn't seem right about that. Wasn't it true? Earth Kingdom… Kingdom…. King? Fire?
Why was there Fire?
Fire… Nation. Was he from the Fire Nation? Was he from… hard to concentrate. Hard to… think…
"Remember this Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are."
… Mother?
And suddenly clarity flooded his mind again.
Not Lee. Not Earth Kingdom. I am… Zuko.
Pain. His head hurt. Everything hurt.
I am Zuko!
Sweating, snarling, he grit his teeth and focused his mind and will.
I am Zuko! Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai! Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne!
He gasped and lay back, panting. He knew where he was. He knew who he was.
They haven't broken me. Not yet. Not ever. Forcing himself into a sitting position, Zuko steeled his mind for the next, inevitable encounter with his captors.
(X)
"You're not going to tell me your name?" the boy questioned.
"No. What would be the point? We're not friends. We're partners. We've a job to do, and once we've accomplished it, we can part ways again."
"But knowing each other's names couldn't hurt. I'm Jet."
"That's wonderful. I didn't ask." Azula replied. Jet sighed audibly.
"Are all Fire Nation types as grouchy as you?"
"No. Most of them haven't had their brother unjustly arrested while in exile in a foreign land."
"… Fine. What is it you want me to do?"
"I need you to tail the Dai Li. My brother isn't being kept in one of the conventional prisons."
"I guess not. After all, he's a Firebender."
"Right, which means there's a special facility somewhere the public doesn't know about. The Dai Li are our best bet for finding them. Six of us should be able to pick up a lead."
Jet was nodding and rubbing his chin. "All right, I get what you're saying. And when do we meet up again?"
Azula smirked. "Where we first met up, of course. See you later, Jet."
(X)
As soon as the girl left, Jet whirled, a glare on his face. "She's toying with us, somehow."
Smellerbee glanced after her. "You sure about that?"
"Of course I'm sure! Everything about her is just… off. She won't even tell us her name!" It'd probably be a fake name anyway.
Smellerbee sighed. "Jet, remember, we talked about this. You keep seeing monsters in people as long as they're Fire Nation. That's got to stop, all right?"
Jet closed his eyes and took in several deep breaths. "All right. Fine. Got it. I'm cool," he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Come on. We're supposed to be tracking Dai Li, so let's split up and find some Dai Li to track."
"Right. On it."
And with that, the three of them headed out.
(X)
"Excuse me! A red jasmine with almond lacing, a mint with extra mint, and a white dragon special!"
"Coming right up!" Iroh called back as he wiped his hands. "Ah, business is booming. I couldn't have asked for a better start for the Jasmine Dragon! Wouldn't you say so, Jin?"
"Hm? Oh… right," she nodded and took another glance at the doorway. Iroh frowned.
"Is anything the matter?"
"Hm? Oh… oh, no. I just… never mind," she shook her head. "Is the next batch ready?"
"Indeed it is," he nodded as he placed the tea tray in her hands. "These are for the fine gentlemen sitting over at table four."
"Got it, Iiroh!" she nodded, smiled and headed off, although not without another sidelong glance at the doorway of the Jasmine Dragon. Noting this, a frown crossed Iroh's face.
I really should have a chat with her when I get the time. Well, after we've closed down for the day, I suppose.
(X)
"Still nothing?" Long Feng's expression was dark. "I thought I told you to escalate the drug treatments."
"We… we did, Grand Secretariat. It seemed to have some initial effect, but the prisoner appears to have rebounded."
Clenching his fists, Long Feng sighed and shook his head. "Fine. Clear my appointment with the general tomorrow."
"Sir?"
"I'll be heading down in person. We need to finish this affair quickly before that girl gets back with her offer, assuming she can deliver at all. Let's see if I can't help with applying my own personal touches to the system," he hesitated, shifting his glance to another scroll. "And what of the Avatar?"
"Oh, making the Joo Dee assigned them more helpful has done wonders. The boy appears to be trusting to a fault. He's chasing false leads all over the city – soon we'll be able to feed the rumour of the beat being sold off to a foreign land."
"And he'll be out of my hair, then," one less problem to worry about. "Very well, as you were."
As the agent departed, leaving Long Feng alone in the chamber, he cupped his chin, dark eyes staring at the fireplace and yet seeing only shadows.
The girl… no, the woman who waylaid me that night. Something about her voice… her tone. He would never admit it to another living soul, but something about that voice, had scared him.
I need to find the identity of that person. And quickly.
(X)
"So this is the meeting spot," Jet glanced around. "Where're the girls?"
"No one here?" Smellerbee scratched her forehead. "That's odd."
"…" Longshot glanced left and right.
"Nah, they wouldn't have bailed on us. The girl's really bent up about finding her brother. She's probably late or something."
"Wait," walking over, Jet picked up a scrap of paper that had been folded neatly and left on the table in the room. "What's this?" quickly, he unfolded the paper, and his frown deepened as he read the contents.
"Follow these instructions exactly," he said softly. "Upon leaving the room, turn to your right and walk until you pass the vegetable vendor with the orange sign on his store. Turn to the left, head straight down to the warehouses district until you pass a square that has a fountain with three spigots in the centre, and then-" he broke reading and shook his head in disgust. "Is this what those three wasted their time with instead of tracking the Dai Li?"
"Well, are we gonna follow their instructions or not?" Smellerbee asked.
Jet pursed his lips and let out a low growl of frustration.
(X)
"You took longer than I expected," Azula said pleasantly as Jet and his friends entered the room.
"Shut up."
"I'm sorry, but you understand that I have to take precautions. You could have contacted the Dai Li and set up an ambush at that place."
"And aren't you the expert in avoiding ambushes."
"It comes with being a Firebender in the Earth Kingdom," Azula shrugged and sat up straighter. "All right, what have you found out?"
Jet paused for a moment. "First off, the three Dai Li we trailed didn't go anywhere that looked like a prison."
Azula kept her face impassive. "Go on."
"But, after we compared notes we realized that all three of them came from the same place – the gate at this end of the city. Now, I'm not saying it's for real, it could be a coincidence, but-"
There was the soft rustling of paper as Azula brought out the map she'd worked on alongside Ty lee and Mai. She looked down at it. Two of the paths – Mai's and her own – could both be traced to start somewhere near the gate Jet had pointed out. The last – Ty Lee's – started out near the centre of the city but had eventually worked its way to the border of the city, at the same gate that all the others had started from.
Jet nodded solemenly. "It looks like we've found our target," he pointed down at the map of the city. "Most of this area out here is farmland – you can't build something like a prison out there. With all the earthbending they do to till the soil, it'd only be a matter of time before it gets discovered. There's only one large area that's also usually undisturbed…"
"The lake," Azula finished. "Probably underground, from the looks of it."
Jet nodded. "So your brother's probably in there. Now what?"
Azula paused, pursed her lips. "Breaking him out might take some work… We'd need firepower."
"The Dai Li only hire from earthbenders," the girl – Smellerbee – said. "If we're getting into a scrap, it'll be a tough fight, no matter how you look at it."
"True," Azula sighed. "And that leaves us with a bit of a conundrum, doesn't it? What to do…"
As she talked, Azula could sense from the telltale signs that Mai had left the room, likely as soon as they'd determined the Lake as the most probable location. Good. Now all that remained was to lead the three people sitting in front of her in circles for a while, and then they could be safely dropped from her plans for the time being.
(X)
Gaining entrance to the Inner Ring had been relatively simple – with the passes Azula had acquired the other day, plus their upbringing in the courts of the Fire Nation, none of the people had given them a second glance as they entered the privileged quarters of the greatest Earth Kingdom city in the world.
And despite the reluctance of many people to speak of the Avatar, it wasn't long before they'd found the home he'd been assigned for the duration of their stay in Ba Sing Se.
"Empty," Mai said tonelessly as she gazed in through the window.
"Well, of course! The Avatar and his friends should be in the city looking for their pet bison. That's why Azula sent us here now, isn't it?"
"Right," Mai glanced down at the scroll in her hand. "Let's get this over with, then." With a single smooth movement she'd thrown it in through the bars of the window, letting it land perfectly on the pillow of one of the mattresses in the house.
"Come on, let's go," pausing for one last glance back (and to memorize the location of the place should she ever need to return, Mai and Ty Lee left the place.
(X)
"Ugggh," Sokka mumbled as he stumbled through the doorway of the place. "My feet are killing me."
"I hate to say I told you so, but – 'I told you so'," Toph shook her head from behind Sokka. "I grew up with these noble types, remember. They'll say whatever rumours come to mind and pass it along just like that. Chasing these things is like chasing… I dunno, things that are hard to chase and aren't worth it. You know what I'm talking about."
"If they give us any leads on Appa, they're worth it," Aang said. "And I don't care how long it takes, I'm going to keep searching until I find him."
"Even that 'sold to Whaletail Island' rumour?" Toph sighed as she settled herself on a chair, elbow rest on the table and propping up her head. "Not that I won't be glad to get out of this city, Twinkletoes, but it's a long shot with very little to go on."
"I don't care. If it-"
"What's this?" Sokka picked up the scroll that had somehow found its way onto his pillow. "A scroll?"
"What's it say?" her sister leaned over his shoulder as he unfurled it.
"Let's see… 'Avatar, we know where your bison is being held'," there was a gasp from Aang and a whoosh of wind later, he was reading over Sokka's other shoulder. "'East of the city limits is a lake known as Lake Laogai. Underneath it is a facility run by the Dai Li. If the Dai Li were to keep a sky- bison like that prisoner, then that is the only location that it could possibly be in. Please understand, we cannot speak in public about this. We are taking a massive risk as it is'," he looked up as he finished reading the letter. "And it's not signed."
Toph sighed. "Boy, this has 'trap' written all over it."
"You think so?" Katara glanced down at the parchment. "It makes sense that it'd be anonymous. We've seen how the Dai Li run things in this place."
"Plus, if Appa's in the hands of the Dai Li, it'd make sense that they'd use him for leverage," Sokka was pacing back and forth now, hands cupped in his chin.
"Well, it's definitely a better place to start than Whaletail Island," Toph stood and stretched. "So how are we doing this? Right now?"
Aang glanced down at the scroll. "Yes. Right now"
"Well then, what are we waiting for?"
"Do the trains run at this hour? If we have to walk all the way there…" Aang and Katara both turned to glare at him, and he put his hands up defensively. "I'm kidding, okay?"
(X)
"You think he'll make his move now or later?"
"Now. The Avatar's an impulsive one," Azula turned to face Mai and Ty Lee. "And that means we'll need to be moving out too." Using the Avatar as a distraction to find Zuko… Well, strange times call for strange bedfellows.
Her friends nodded and turned to the door. "Wait," came Azula's voice.
"I can't afford to be identified. One of the advantages I have is that Long Feng doesn't know who I am yet. I can't let him see me."
Ty Lee scratched her forehead. "You have something in mind, Azula?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," with a clatter, Azula lifted up a set of carved masks. "Call it a little bit of Zuzu's exploits leaking over into ours."
(X)
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" A red blast of flame exploded from her hands, slamming into the polished wall of her room. It had long been reinforced against errant flame and so no fire caught on the wall, leaving nothing but a sooty stain on the wall.
Pausing to take another deep breath and to brush a strand of hair from her forehead, Azula's features tightened again and she launched another wave of searing heat out at nothing.
"HAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
"Az! What-!"
Again. Another burst of fire. Again. Aga-
"Az! Stop it!" hands grasped her shoulder and she swung around, glaring at her brother. At the expression on her face he stepped back instinctively, eyes widening in shock.
"WHAT!" she snapped. "What are you doing in my room? Just leave me alone!" Why? Why is it so easy for you, Zuzu? What do you have that I don't?
"You know you can't Firebend inside your room! If Mom or Dad found out, they'd be furious!"
"Hah," she spat out a bitter, angry laugh. "Mom's already furious with me anyway! So what does it matter!" despite her words, she let her arms fall to her sides as she glanced around at the dozens of scorch marks around the room. With a shake of her head, she reached up to wipe the sweat from her temples.
"…" Zuko stared at her. "What happened?"
After a long moment of silence, she shook her head and softly began to tell of how she'd met her mother earlier in the day, when Ursa had idly inquired if anything had happened that day, and Azula had launched into an enthusiastic account of how she'd helped to remove a splinter from her brother's thumb.
Even as she spoke, she could feel the pride and enthusiasm that had slowly melted away to an icy cold trickle of unease at the expression on her mother's face. And then the sharp reproof from her mother that had stung even more than usual.
She shook her head and walked over to her bed. "She told me that I was being careless! Careless! Does mother even know me?" she snarled as she flopped down on the soft mattress. "I'm never careless. I'm not allowed to be careless."
After a moment, Zuko shrugged and settled down on the bed next to her. "Well, trying to remove a splinter by burning it probably wasn't very safe."
"Maybe for a Firebender that isn't as good as I am," she muttered. "And why are you complaining? I helped you, didn't I?"
Zuko paused, and after a moment, he chuckled. "Yeah, Az. You did."
Chapter End
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