Chapter 7: A Ghost in the Palace
'We're not so different, you and I.' Danny had heard those words before in countless movies. It was a fun trope that writers would use to make their protagonists feel insecure especially when a villain would say the words. The idea that the hero had more similarities with the villain was always a terrifying prospect. Even Danny himself had been scared of the idea when Vlad said the same words to him.
Danny's jealousy during the Gregor/Eliot situation was slightly similar to Vlad's jealousy over his parents. And the fact that they were both half human half ghost hybrids didn't do much to set Danny's mind at ease. Both Danny and Vlad could be incredibly petty if they wanted to. Overall there were quite a few similarities between them. But of course, for every similarity, there were a thousand differences.
Danny had friends. He wasn't as alone as Vlad was. Danny had Sam and Tucker to help him through all of his dark times back when he lived in Amity Park. Eventually, he got Jazz, Valerie, Frostbite, Wulf and Dora on his side. When the war started he got more allies and friends like Paulina, Dash, his parents, Ember, Skulker, Johnny and Kitty. Vlad was alone till the end. A bitter old man with no allies to rely on. Ultimately although they were similar, in all the ways that they weren't that's what made the difference in the end.
Regardless, Danny couldn't help but be reminded of that old phrase as he watched Azula train relentlessly. Saiijin had gotten under her skin these past couple of days and her flames matched the intensity of her emotions. Azula's firebending was typically performed gracefully and elegantly. Her flames came out like thin streams instead of the aggressive and wildfire style of other firebenders. But right now her flames had a wilder shape, more like she was putting less effort into controlling her flames.
In this way, she was like him. It was no secret that ghosts, especially hybrids, could get more power under emotional duress. For regular ghosts, it was typically a power boost but for Danny, he could get whole new abilities if his mood was foul enough or if the situation was dire enough. But at the same time, his power tended to become unstable when people pushed the right buttons. His usual laser-like ecto blasts became deformed and the energy output increased to sometimes concerning levels.
The fact that Azula's attacks seemed to lose their precision while becoming more powerful was enough of a telltale sight of their similarities. If she continued like this she'd probably wear herself out before her training reached a stage that she deemed respectable.
"Hey Azula," Danny called out.
"Adress me with my title peasant," Azula said through grit teeth as she maintained her focus on her training.
"Your form sucks and the way you're training isn't efficient," Danny said flatly.
If Azula was annoyed before, she was pissed off now. The stream of flames coming from her hand changed from blue to yellow as her concentration broke. She snapped towards Danny and shot a fierce glare in his direction.
"How dare you!" Azula growled as she contemplated frying the impartial look off Danny's face.
Danny in the meanwhile shrugged carelessly. Azula had a lot of misplaced teenage aggression and no one to tell her how to use it. Her usual instructors, Lo and Li weren't present right now as this was a separate training session that Azula was doing outside of her usual studies. So he'd have to be the one to show her the flaws of her ways.
Danny stood from his seat before he leapt into the arena where Azula was training.
"You're too angry and it's affecting your bending," Danny said. "You let Saiijin mess with you and now your bending is sloppy."
"I'll show you sloppy!" Azula roared as she sent a blast of fire towards Danny.
It seems her patience had worn thin and she was on the offence. Danny barely had to move to dodge the blast. He simply leaned slightly to the left as the flame flew past him harmlessly. He returned with a small blast of ecto energy from the finger guns he made. The blast didn't connect but it did fly past Azula's face. She barely had enough time to register the attack. She only seemed to notice the single thread of hair which had been separated. If Danny had actually been aiming for her head, it would have hit and she wouldn't have reacted in time.
Something about the ease at which and prison of his attack seemed to calm Azula down.
"I don't think you need me to explain how your bending works," Danny stated with a matter-of-fact tone. "If you don't control your emotions, sure your firepower will be stronger but you'll exhaust yourself quicker. In a real fight, you'd be at a severe disadvantage.
"Your moves become predictable when you're angry and you lose your self-control," Danny said. "When you let your enemy get under your skin you're letting them win."
"I'm not sure if you are aware, but a firebender's power comes from their drive and their emotions," Azula retorted.
"Maybe," Danny said with a shrug. "But maybe you should learn to channel your anger instead of letting it distract you."
Azula glared at Danny before she allowed herself to smirk. If Danny thought he could be a teacher to her, then maybe she'd reverse his lesson back onto him.
"Bold words for a peasant," She responded as she began to produce her flames. "Can you back up your claims or…"
As she was speaking Danny felt a familiar sensation well up within him. He gasped as a little blue puff of air escaped his mouth. This felt different from his usual ghost sense but it did point to a location in the vicinity.
"Wait what?" Danny muttered to himself before he turned his attention away from Azula and hopped out of the Arena.
Azula was floored by Danny's disinterest in her taunting.
"Where are you going?" Azula demanded.
"There's something here," Danny responded as he walked away.
Azula felt her anger rising. She did not like being ignored, especially during her training. She was tempted to strike Danny down as he retreated but she decided against it. There was no honour in striking down an opponent who was retreating. That was something her Uncle taught her once. However, she wouldn't be ignored so she decided to end her training early and follow Danny.
Danny noticed that Azula was following him. Of course, the thirteen-year-old girl never stopped complaining as she followed him. She was trying to grab his attention and force him into facing her but Danny's focus was on whatever ghost or likely spirit had entered the Palace.
Eventually, they reached an ornate door that looked incredible, but it also looked like it hadn't been used in a hundred years and Azula quieted down when she realised where Danny had led her.
"What's this room?" Danny asked.
Azula didn't respond immediately as she gave Danny a measured and calculated gaze.
"This is the Avatar's room?" Azula asked.
"Isn't the Avatar the enemy of the Fire Nation?" Danny asked.
"The current Avatar is our enemy but historically the Avatar, wherever staying in the Fire Nation would live in this room," Azula said. "Why are you here?"
"I can detect a spirit inside," Danny said. "I'm going in."
Azula didn't stop him, she was just as curious about who or what could be inside. Although she couldn't claim to care as much about history she couldn't deny that she was also curious about the Avatar's room. The room had been perfectly preserved for thousands of years ever since the First Fire Lord had united the Fire Islands and warring clans.
Danny swung the doors open and stepped into the room. The room was well maintained even if it hadn't been used in over a hundred years. A large bed was in the middle of the room, large enough that two people could battle on top of it. The room although decorated in the red of the Fire Nation, was filled with tapestry, paintings and antiques from the four nations. Excluding the furniture, the room seemed empty but Danny could tell there was someone inside.
"I know you're in here," Danny said. "I can't speak for the princess but I just want to talk."
Before Azula could respond a figure faded into the visibility spectrum. He was an elder gentleman in the robes of a Fire Nation official. He wore an amused yet curious smile. Azula of course recognised the man from all the paintings of him in the Fire Nation. He was considered one of the greeted Fire Nation Avatars of all time after all.
"How interesting. In my many years spent visiting this place, I have never been discovered," Avatar Szeto said. "Greetings, My name is Szeto, former Avatar of the Fire Nation. And you are?"
"Danny Fenton," Danny answered. "And this is Princess Azula."
Szeto didn't look happy to see that Azula but he quickly masked his disapproval with a calm smile before he placed a closed fist underneath his open palm and bowed before the princess. As far as Danny was aware, that was the traditional Fire Nation bowing form.
"A pleasure to meet you, Princess Azula," Avatar Szeto said. "And you as well Danny Fenton. Although I must say, you are certainly a unique one."
It wasn't too hard to notice exactly what Szeto was talking about. Danny still didn't wear a topknot like other Fire Nation citizens. And his armour easily marked him as a soldier of sorts but it was noticeably incomplete. Overall he looked sloppy and undeserving of his spot at the Princess's side which also made him an interesting person to Szeto.
"Are you really Avatar Szeto?" Azula asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
Azula assessed the spirit in front of her as she looked for any sign of falsehood in his words. He looked like the Szeto of the paintings but she had never heard of a past Avatar appearing in the physical world before.
"Yes," Szeto responded. "Or at the very least his spirit."
"Can you prove your claim?" Azula challenged.
"Yes," Szeto said. "During my era, there was large instability within the Fire Nation and I decided to dedicate my efforts to supporting the Fire Nation as a Minister acting under the Fire Lord.
"Although history would remember Fire Lord Jiryu as the fire lord of my era, the truth is that he passed away before he could rule. His wife, a non-bender from the Northern Water Tribe acted as the ruler in her husband's stead. The lie was told to the people that he simply did not wish to be seen. It was only a few years later when Fire Lord Yosor came of age that he became the Fire Lord publicly and I was able to assist him to my fullest," Szeto explained. "I trust that my knowledge of such confidential information can vouch for my authenticity."
"Yes, it does," Azula said before she sent a sharp look at Danny. "Don't say a word of this to anyone, it would hurt our reputation if the public knew that the Fire Nation was once ruled by a Water Tribe woman."
"My lips are sealed," Danny said as he made a zipping motion in front of his lips.
"Avatar Szeto, I wasn't aware that a past Avatar could visit the physical world," Azula said.
"We do it all the time. But we endeavour to remain hidden," Szeto answered with a hearty laugh. "The spirit world can get quite boring at times. And so the Avatars travel constantly. Sometimes to see how their descendants are doing. Other times to offer wisdom to select people. I believe Kuruk loves to visit Agna Qel'a just to see how their young princess is doing."
Azula didn't respond instantly as she took in the information that she had just been given. She glanced at Danny and frustratingly he refused to meet her eye. It seems like he wouldn't offer anything useful here.
"I need you to do one last act of service for the Fire Nation," Azula said. "You need to tell me where your current incarnation is. The Air Bender, if they are even still alive, is the only person who poses a threat to the Fire Nation now."
"Forgive me Princess, but I will not," Szeto said firmly.
"This isn't a request Szeto," Azula said.
"Hey, Azula maybe you don't make your Nation's hero angry," Danny muttered. "I don't know about you but I don't feel like fighting Avatars today even if he is already dead."
"Quiet peasant!" Azula snapped. "Avatar Szeto, you are a citizen of the Fire Nation and your responsibility is to answer to the orders of the Fire Nation Royal Family."
"My duty to the Fire Nation ended the day Yangchen was born," Szeto said. "I cannot in good consciousness reveal the location of Avatar Aang, especially with the current actions of the Fire Nation."
"So you're a traitor?" Azula glowered.
"My Loyalty was to Yosor and the Fire Nation of five hundred years ago," Szeto said. "You may bear his blood Princess Azula but you are not him. And I may have served the Fire Nation, but the Fire Nation I served died when Fire Lord Zoryu almost executed an innocent clan for crimes they didn't commit. Its memory was spat upon when Fire Lord Sozin began this foolish war."
Azula paused and her anger faded slightly. Throughout her studies, she had come to learn that the Fire Nation was the most prosperous of the Four Nations. Many would attribute that to Szeto's contributions centuries ago. Not only did he bring the Fire Nation out of financial ruin but he also singlehandedly strengthened the government's power. His name would constantly be quoted constantly both in and out of the Fire Nation in the following centuries. His actions were popular among the Zongdus of the Platinum Affair. So to hear of his disappointment in the Fire Nation felt like a punch to the face.
"I must be leaving now," Szeto said. "At the very least it was nice to speak with you two from the living world."
His eyes lingered on Danny for a moment. Danny grinned in response. Unlike the princess, there wasn't any malice in his smile. He had a genuine friendly grin. Szeto didn't say anything more before he faded away from sight. Danny could tell that he was still in the room but he decided he wouldn't let Azula know.
"So that was eventful," He said.
"I'm confused," Azula muttered. "I never expected Avatar Szeto would disapprove of my great grandfather's actions."
"I mean it makes sense," Danny said with a shrug. "He's the Avatar, right? Isn't the Avatar supposed to care about the world and not just one Nation?"
Danny then paused before he turned to face Azula and looked her in the eye. He got close to her face as if looking for something.
"What are you doing?" Azula demanded.
"You're ancestrally Water Tribe right?" Danny asked. "Just checking if there's any blue in there. Aren't they supposed to have blue eyes?"
Azula scoffed in irritation as she pushed Danny out of her personal space. Danny had a cheeky grin on his face. Azula was way too easy to mess with.
"As entertaining as this was, I should report this. My father would like to know about Avatar Szeto's visit." Azula said as she walked away.
Danny didn't follow immediately. He stayed in the Avatar's room for a while longer.
"Hey, Szeto? Do you think there's any chance that the Fire Nation will end this war without needing to conquer the world?" Danny asked.
"If the princess is any indication, I doubt it," Szeto responded.
That was all he said before his spirit vanished from the room. Danny couldn't sense him anymore so he decided to make his way out of the room. His thoughts were a whir as he considered what he had learnt. Although the conversation had been brief he had learned a lot from talking with the past Avatar.
The first was the fact that the Fire Nation still seemed to respect the Avatar even if the current Avatar was their enemy. The Avatar's Quarters being in pristine condition was a testament to that. Someone had to come in every few days to clean it up and make sure that it was presentable. Other than that Azula seemed to react to Szeto's disproval of the Fire Nation's actions. It proved that there was a level of respect that she had for the Avatar, or at the very least the previous avatar.
Danny was pulled out of his thoughts as a shiver passed through his body. His ghost sense didn't go off but it felt like there was one nearby. Almost immediately Danny could hear the rain falling outside the palace walls. The half-ghost hybrid frowned this was the fourth time that a seemingly unexplained storm popped out of nowhere. During one of the random storms, he flew away to investigate but he hadn't found anything of note so he left it alone. Danny was tempted to do that again today but he decided against it. He hoped it was just how the weather felt in this world.
CyberActors15: Another chapter down. This one was short but it allowed Azula to meet Avatar Szeto. Because Kyoshi appeared before Suki in Suki alone, I had a feeling that I could justify Szeto's appearance in front of Azula and Danny. If you enjoyed it, feel free to leave a review also check out my Linktree (linktr dot ee /CyberActors15) for more of my story content. If you didn't like it, feel free to leave a review and tell me why. Feedback is always appreciated, and criticism only makes me a better writer. Until next time, peace!