Just a heads up, I changed some of the OC's names to make them sound a lot more...I guess Asian-influenced? Either way, I changed their names. Oh, and...I changed the ritual a little bit to like...make it have symbolic meaning or something. Just read chapter 9 again where The Order is all talking, and you'll all see. In fact, just read the last parts of Chapter 9 for me, will ya? XP
= Vucen, Kura, and Waten =
12:50 PM
The three kept walking in the dark, trying not to stumble on their feet while holding the flames in their hands, as they huddled together.
So far, they were still searching for Azula. And while they were searching for her, they also kept their eyes out for any of these creations that 'God' had purposely made.
However, as they tread further on, it seemed that...nothing was happening.
Waten was still in front of the couple, guarding his brother and sister-in-law as he looked around their surroundings almost frantically.
The town was still shadowed like it was nighttime, and they felt like they were walking for at least forty minutes...which they left a little early around noon...
Honestly, everything was so dark, they could be walking around in circles.
Kura held close to her husband, Vucen, as they trekked through the darkness...
"...We haven't seen God's creations in a very good while," Kura said to her husband and Waten.
"No...we haven't," Vucen muttered.
Waten looked around some more. "...Maybe...Maybe they're where the sacrifices are?"
Vucen pursed his lips in thought. "Maybe...but if that's the case...where are the sacrifices then?"
Kura also had a dreadful thought as she held tighter to her husband, "Actually...if we do encounter these sacrifices...what if they are hostile?"
Vucen and Waten paused, the former looking back at his sister-in-law, and the latter turning his head to his wife.
"Kura...Darling," Vucen told her as he extinguished the flame in his hand and placed it tenderly on her cheek, "Do not worry. I, as well as Waten, will protect you from any hostiles, whether it be a creation of God or a person."
Kura smiled warmly at her husband. "Thank you. I know your reassurance is true, my love."
Smiling warmly back at his wife, he let go of her face and turned to Waten, "Okay, brother. We shall continue onward."
A smile came on Waten's face as he nodded, "Right."
As they continued to walk forward, one thought, though, came to Waten as he was leading the way.
They look so happy...I wish I could find someone...
As he kept making his way forward, he thought of any woman that he met other than his mother, Kura, and Risa...
...Well, there were those two women that we took to the island, but...they are part of the sacrifices. Besides, they must've done something horrible to be part of the ritual...
...
...Well, there is Princess Azula...but she's very young, maybe around fifteen to sixteen...but I surely can't deny that she looks quite...beautiful...
...Waten lowered his head in thought as he walked.
...Perhaps...I should ask...mother? …Or, maybe I should ask-
"I wonder how long the cleansing has been?" Kura asked either one of the brothers.
"It probably should be over by now," Vucen informed, "I mean...I can't tell the day at this moment, but maybe it'll be finished soon."
Waten threw in his pieces, "It feels like we've been walking for hours."
"Oh come now, Waten, I don't think we've been walking that much..." Vucen looked around the area. "...Although, I don't know where we...are..."
Waten seemed to have winced at that, "Um...actually, I'm just...walking through this path...I-I don't really know where we're going, really."
Vucen and Kura froze as they stopped in their tracks.
"Wait...you don't know where we're going, Waten?" Kura asked him.
The younger brother stopped and sheepishly turned around, "W-Well, I thought I did, but...after maybe, twenty minutes or so, I just kept going...I thought I would recognize where we are sooner or later, but...there seems to be nothing that looks, uh, familiar here in this darkness."
Vucen looked at his brother in disbelief. "Brother, you don't know where we are? We could be walking in circles right now!"
"I-I know! I know, I just, I didn't want you and Kura to worry, and I just kind of thought if I walked around in the pitch blackness for a while, it would go away and we could see again!" Waten explained himself.
"But still, you could've just said you were lost!" Vucen exclaimed.
"I'm sorry! I-I'm so sorry! I-I know, I should've said something! I-I'm so stupid, I should've-should've told you and Kura, I just-I-I-I-I just-" Waten seemed to be frantically explaining himself, almost hyperventilating. He took some fast deep breaths and tried to calm himself down, placing his free hand on his chest, the flame in his hand going in and out.
Vucen's eyes widened upon realizing his mistake. Letting go of Kura, he extinguished the flame in his hand and went over to his brother.
"Waten," Vucen softly said, "Please, no, I-I'm sorry. Waten, I'm so sorry, I'm not mad at you," he placed his hands on his younger brother's shoulders, making Waten flinch, "I'm sorry, Brother, please, just...calm down. I really am sorry."
Waten's breaths were slowing down into much slower breathing.
"Waten, look at me. Look at me," Vucen told his brother.
He looked at his older brother, with eyes widened with fear.
Vucen said his words carefully and sincerely, "I am in no way, mad at you. I will not punish you for it. I will not...I will not harm you..." he paused and then said the next thing, "I am not Mother...I am your brother..."
Waten's breaths were now even, as he calmed himself down.
"It's okay...you're alright...you'll be fine..." Vucen told him.
After one last deep breath, Waten's panic attack finally subsided.
"...I love you, Brother. You know that, right?" Vucen told him softly.
"...R-Right..." Waten nodded, looking at his older brother. "I...I love you too, Brother. I-I love you very much."
Vucen smiled tenderly at his brother and gave him a warm hug. Waten hugged him back appreciatively.
"It's alright, Brother..." Vucen reassured.
Kura watched the moving scene, the feeling of warmth going through her as she saw her husband and her brother-in-law exchange their brotherly love.
They let go of their embrace, with Vucen looking back at him, giving him a comforting nod, "Are you okay, Waten?"
Waten looked at his brother for a second and nodded, relief washed over him, "Yes...Yes, I'm alright now. Thank you, Brother."
Vucen smiled, "Anytime..." he frowned just slightly, "You...You do know that Mother did all that because...sh-she wants you to learn, right? She did it all because...she loves you...right?"
Nodding his head, Waten said, "I-I know. I...I was a very disobedient child back then...I-I don't want to make Mother mad at me anymore...and I haven't. Not anymore...no more. I'm...I'm one with The Order."
"Yes...it's okay," Vucen said, a smile coming back to his mouth, "Soon, when the seventh sacrifice is slain, Kura and I will...well, we'll bring God to this world. And then, we will be in Paradise...with our father."
"Yes...a-and Kura will be with her mother...and her grandfather..." Waten added.
"Yes...we'll be all together again..." Vucen nodded with a tender smile, "We'll be one family."
Waten smiled at that term.
Family.
...However, Waten frowned and said one thing, "But..." he glanced at Kura, who was looking at them. He cuffed his hand over Vucen's ear and whispered, "What about Risa? Mother never punishes her because she's a woman, but she has been disobedient at times...more recently, actually."
Vucen frowned at that fact. "...Well, maybe we can let Risa be with us as we're finding Azula? We can help her understand that this day is very important for all of us."
"But where could she be?" Waten asked his brother.
"She may be at her home...maybe..." Vucen shook his head in uncertainty, "I honestly don't know."
"Well..." Waten seemed to be thinking, "...Maybe I can search for Azula while you and Kura can find Risa?"
Vucen looked at Waten with a vague surprised look, "You...want to search for Azula...alone?"
"Well...I mean, it would seem that the creations and the sacrifices aren't here as of now, so I thought I would check around really quickly by illuminating the area we are in. O-Or, we can just wait until the cleansing disappears and we can go in separate directions?"
Vucen thought about it, "...Well, depending on when the cleansing will fade, maybe we can wait for a moment until this darkness evaporates?"
Waten nodded, "That sounds like a good plan."
"Darling? Waten?" Kura asked the brothers as she cautiously went up to them, "Is everything alright?"
Both brothers turn to the woman, Vucen saying, "Oh, sorry, Dear. Yes, everything is good."
Waten nodded again to her, "Yes. I'm alright now."
"Okay..." Kura smiled, "It was just that you were talking to each other rather long."
"Well, Kura, we actually decided to, uh, let Waten go search for Azula, while we search for your sister," Vucen told her.
"My sister?" Kura's eyes widened, "Is she okay?"
"Oh don't worry, my Darling, she's fine," Vucen reassured her, "It's just...this is a special day, and we think Risa should be able to prepare herself when we bring God into this world."
"Oh...well, yes, that would be most wise," Kura said with a nod and a relieved smile. However, she asked either Vucen or Waten, "But, can we really separate and find who we're looking for?"
"I mean, we can wait for when the cleansing is over-" Waten explained, but then...
There was a growing light...the light pierced through the darkness like a spear, a ray of sunlight hitting the ground. The surroundings were still dark, but there was light to be shown. The sky now looked cloudy with dark clouds and the fog was present around them...
"...Oh...wow. I...guess the cleansing passed," Waten said with a dumbfounded look.
Even Vucen and Kura were stunned.
"...My, that...it felt like...like the cleansing would've lasted a bit longer," Vucen commented.
"Um...well...I guess, either way, whatever time it is, we can make this an opportunity to find who we're looking for," Kura said.
"Oh! Right!" Waten looked around the town to see their surroundings. He then spotted a sign that was in the fog. "...Wait right here."
Waten then walked to where the sign was, conjuring up a flame in his hand so he could read it.
The sign was pointing to the right as it said:
The Lakeview Hotel
Waten now knows where they are...as well as just having a thought.
He walked back to the couple and said to them, "I think we're near where the Lakeview Hotel is!"
"Really?" Vucen asked a little confused, "It felt like we were walking a lot further town..."
"Well, that's good to know, at least!" Kura assured.
"Yeah..." Waten looked back at the path where the hotel was, "I...I'm thinking maybe Azula could be resting in the hotel," he turned back to the couple, "I'm going to look for her there."
"Oh! Well, okay then, Waten. I mean, if you can go on your own..." Vucen asked him with hesitation.
"Well, it's not dark anymore, so I think I can manage," Waten assured.
"Well...alright," Vucen nodded and turned to his wife, "Well, Kura-Darling, I think we should go find your sister. Maybe she's at her home. It would take a while for us to get to her place, but we're going to try there first."
"Right," Kura nodded. She turned to Waten, "I hope you'll find Azula, Waten."
Waten nodded and smiled, "Thank you. You two be careful, alright?"
"Certainly. You be careful too, okay?" Vucen reminded him.
"Sure! Until we meet up again," Waten declared.
They said their farewells and left to go where they were needed...
= Katara =
1:20 PM
She kept going...following that voice...
Her mother's voice.
"Mom!?" called out Katara.
Katara went through the fog, the mist obscuring her vision on seeing where she was going.
Katara...Katara-Dear...
"Mom!?" she called out, her eyes watering with tears as she ran to the voice, "Where are you!?"
...Katara...Katara...Katara...
"Please! Where are you!? I-I need to see you! Just one more time!"
...Katara...
"Mom!" Katara exclaimed.
And then, in her tired state of running to find her mother, she tripped and fell on her knees.
"AH!" Katara yelped as she placed her hands on the ground and knelt there.
It was then the sound of silence rang through the fog...Katara's heaving breaths were the only thing that was audible. Her haggard breaths sounded tired...exhausted...
But moreover, she was just confused...
This place...what is this place's connection to spirits? Am what I hearing...is it my mother?
Her eyes focus on the cobbled pavement as her fingers clench on the ground. She closes her eyes as she lets a few tears run down her face.
Mom...I just...I just want to see you again...one more time...to say I'm sorry...to say that I could've been a lot stronger...
...Then, she smelled something...
...It smelled like burnt ash.
Katara opened her eyes and looked up slowly to see if what she smelled wasn't what she thought it was...
There were small orange particles in the cloudy sky, falling lightly down in the air, descending onto the ground...and soon, on Katara's face.
It held a warmth...a dangerous warmth.
"...Ash..." Katara's eyes went wide in horror.
The sky...it was raining ash.
H-...How...?
Her senses were flooded, her time when she was just a child all coming back to her, memories of her when she was small, when she tried to stop that Fire Nation soldier - Yon Rha - from burning her mother...
Katara started to breathe heavily, her breathing becoming more and more frantic. Hyperventilating, she started to close her eyes again, trying to drown out the now intense hot feeling that was surrounding her. She ignored the smells, the feeling, the sounds that were going through her head...
"M-Mom...Mom...MOMMA!" Katara exclaimed, opening her eyes as the tears came down.
...Everything felt...normal...
It was all back to normal.
The fog was still there, the heat was gone, and the sky...wasn't raining ash...
...Confused, Katara gradually got up from her knees, slowly getting her bearings. Once she was on her feet, she looked around the area where she was at, wondering if whatever she encountered just then...
Was...Was it all even real?
...No answer to her thought...
...Am...Am I going crazy? Just, what...how...
Her mind went back to the infirmary...back to Jemusu...to those monsters...spirits? She doesn't know...
"...I...I left Jemusu...but...was he real? Was everything in that infirmary even real?" Katara paused for a moment to think it all over, "...What was...What was even my purpose in waking up there? Why was I...there...?"
Wait...that Zhong guy...the mailman...who was he? I mean...is this place roaming with spirits? Just what-
"Hello?"
Katara looked up, startled as she gazed through the fog.
There was someone there...a silhouette of a woman in the mist...
The waterbender's eyes widened.
"Mom?"
"H-Hello?" said the woman's voice.
It doesn't sound like her mother...
Katara waited until the woman got closer...when she was in full view now, the young girl could see that it wasn't her mother. It was indeed a dark-haired woman who seemed to be in her early twenties.
The woman looked surprised by Katara's appearance in front of her. "Oh! H-Hi...there..."
Katara looked at the woman...unsure if she was a friend or foe...
"...Who...Who are you?" Katara asked her.
The woman stood there, looking a little confused...until her eyes widened in realization, "Oh...u-uh, I'm...well, my name is Risa. And...a-are you looking for someone?"
The young teenager left her guard down just a bit, "Um, yes. I'm looking for..."
My mother? Or...my friends?"
"...My friends," Katara told her.
I need to find my friends.
The woman named Risa looked surprised, "Oh...y-you are?"
Blinking at how she was acting, Katara said, "Uh, yeah..."
"W-Well...I just met a boy who was looking for his friends," Risa revealed.
Katara's eyes widened in shock, "A boy? D-Did he have a blue arrow on his head?"
Risa blinked, "Um, yes..."
"Oh, that's great!" Katara said in relief, "I need to find my friends as soon as possible! The boy is named Aang, do you know where he is?"
"Oh, well...Aang is just back there where the square is," Risa informed.
"Uh, okay..." Katara looked sheepish, "Where is that?"
"Oh! Well, um, the square is at the bottom of the town."
"...I'm sorry, but...I don't know where the bottom of the town is. I'm, uh, not from here," Katara said with a wince, feeling like she said too much.
"...Oh. Um, I-I mean, yes..." Risa then looked a little hesitant, until she asked, "Um, can I ask you your name?"
"Oh, uh, sorry! My name is Katara."
"Okay then...now, can I ask you something?"
"Um, sure..."
"Okay...well, is there...any reason why you and your friends are here?"
Katara froze as she stood there, "Um..."
Oh...is this woman...is she involved with the prison escape?
"Uh..." Katara shifted her eyes from left to right, trying to think of what to say next.
I mean, I could use that same yet true excuse I used on...Jemusu...
"...My friends and I are looking for my mo-I mean, my friend's mother," Katara answered.
My mother's...my mother is dead...I can't let myself be consumed by grief in trying to find her.
"Oh..." Risa then frowned, a look of understanding on her face, "Well, I hope you find who you're looking for, as well as Aang..." she paused to think, "...Excuse me for asking, but...what is an Avatar?"
Katara blinked and looked at her dumbfounded, "Huh? You...You don't know...who or what the Avatar is?"
Risa looked a little embarrassed, "Well, Aang is talking about how he was the Avatar...oh! Actually, he said you and a guy named...Sokka? Anyway, he said you were from the Water Tribes! And he also said something about a blind girl, an older man, and another woman. And then a...Fire Lord? C-Could you tell me what that one is as well? I-...w-well, we never left the island ever since we were born, and I do...well, I do want to know what is beyond here. I mean, Mother Daria said that the outside world is evil, but, there are so many good story scrolls that came from the outside world, that I don't really think people from outside the island can be really evil. I mean...d-don't tell Mother Daria I said that."
...Katara just blinked in stupefaction at this information overload.
"Um...okay, first of all...you never left this island? And you don't know what the Avatar and even the Fire Lord are?"
"Uh...n-no. No on both questions," Risa said, looking a little uncomfortable as she rubbed her arm.
"Okay...also, who is Mother Daria?" Katara asked her.
"W-Well, she is our High Priestess! A worker from God!"
"God?" Katara raised her eyebrow in confusion, "Who is that?"
"Oh, God is an all-powerful Spirit! And I-I think God resides here on the island! I-I mean, I think...Mother Daria said that God is basically in the Spirit World and can hear anything and do anything for us! Maybe God is in the Spirit World version of this island! I...I read some historical scrolls and documents at the museum, in the Silent Hills Historical Society, and they say that the Spirits here, which this Spirit is actually God, will grant anyone prosperity if they have pure intentions and are of pure heart! God was made known around four years after this town's completion...but at the same time, there was a tragedy before God was revealed. You see, God took pity on the one who was suffering that day, a man who lost his wife, but his spouse bore a baby from her dying womb. The husband kept care of the baby...oh! I'm sorry, I probably should explain the story to you! Would you like to hear it? I mean, the story itself is pretty sad, so...I mean, if you can't take sad stories, then I won't tell it. But it was the start of something glorious after that...until some of the people expose their real evil intentions..."
...Once again, Katara stood there stunned at the information overload.
"...Um...uh, n-no, I...I think I'm good at not hearing the story, but...well...I-I mean, I believe in Spirits, but...I never heard of a Spirit named...'God' before?" Katara said a little cautiously.
Risa frowned, "Well...I haven't really seen God, but...Mother Daria said that God is there."
"...Okay..." Now feeling comfortable about this conversation, Katara said, "Uh, look, I, um, really got to find my friends, so...it was nice meeting you, uh, Risa."
"Oh, um, thank you! It was nice meeting you too!" Risa nodded with a smile.
"Y-Yeah..." Katara then walked past Risa and was about to go further, when Risa stopped her.
"Oh, wait! Uh, Katara?" she called out.
Katara turned her head behind her to look at Risa, "Um, yes?"
"...There may be some things that only..." she looked bothered by something, but continued, "That...That only people with guilt can see."
Katara's eyes widened in shock at that information.
"I...I met up with that boy named Aang...he said he saw some things...and, well I told him to run away from it if he sees something that isn't right...I just want to say, if you're feeling guilty about something...don't let the guilt consume you," Risa explained.
Katara's mouth partly opened in surprise, her eyes widening further.
Risa continued, "And if you see something, something that isn't right at all...then run away from it. Okay? I...I should know how that feels."
"...Okay..." Katara said, stunned.
Nodding her head, Risa said, "Okay. Well, I hope you find your friends...goodbye."
She then turned around and walked off further into the fog...
...leaving Katara alone by herself...
...Katara thought about what Risa said.
Don't let the guilt consume you.
"...What is this place?" Katara asked herself.
She turned her attention to the path in front of her.
"...I need to find my friends," Katara said in determination.
She then made her way further into the fog...picking up the pace as she ran...
= Zuko =
1:30 PM
The teenage Fire Lord kept walking through the fog, wondering where he was going even...
"What is with this fog?" Zuko asked out loud. The fog obscured his vision just a bit, but he still kept going in order to find his friends and uncle. And once he does, he definitely needs to find his sister, father, and the rest of these prisoners.
Maybe I could even find my mother...if she's even here.
Zuko paused in his step at that as he frowned.
...Is my mother here? Was that letter even...was it all a lie?
It was then he realized...
Zuko blinked.
...Wait. That old guy...the mailman...Zhong, was it? He could've...I mean, he could've sent that letter to me...maybe? He did say he was the mailman of the town, but...is he the only mailman in this town?
He stood there and thought more about it...
...No, that couldn't be right. Why would he write that letter...I mean, that was definitely my mother's handwriting...
"...I should've asked him..." Zuko frowned again, feeling that the opportunity was gone.
I mean...he seemed out of it. Maybe he was going senile. Still, who sent that letter...the letter…
Zuko got the piece of paper out again and viewed it, making sure what he saw was...well, still not there.
...It wasn't. It was a blank piece of paper.
Zuko scowled, "Ugh, this is all so confusing!" he shook his head in aggravation.
Putting the piece of paper inside his pocket (for whatever reason, he felt like the message would pop up again), he just trekked forward.
I can't focus on that right now...I-I want to, but...my friends and uncle are more important. ...No, I mean, my mother is important too, but...
Zuko stopped again, standing in the silence of the fog.
"...Okay, I really need to get my priorities in check," he said, taking a deep breath, "First, I'll find my friends...wherever they may be. And then we can find uncle...and then...we can find my father, Azula, and these prisoners, as well as these people who helped them escape."
...He knows there are some flaws in this plan, which is why he shook his head with a frustrated grunt.
"No, I don't even know where to begin! We got knocked out somehow and then...I was way back there! And then..." he remembered Herai being stabbed by a spear, his blood on Zuko's face. He shivered at that, "He...He didn't need to die. Herai and everyone else didn't need to die needlessly...because of me."
No. Stop. You are not like Father...
The young Fire Lord frowned in resolve. "I need to find someone. Whether it's my friends, my family, the prisoners, or whoever is in this town, I need to find someone. So I have to keep going."
Nodding to that, Zuko kept going forward, still walking inside the fog of this town.
Passing by businesses and cafes, he kept walking on the one road, hoping to encounter anyone, anyone that could be familiar or not...
As soon as Zuko walked for around three minutes, he was starting to think this whole search is probably hopeless, until-
Zuko paused once again.
He can hear...voices...
One a man, and one a woman.
It was far off, but he could hear them.
"...-Don't worry, my love, I will watch over you," said the voice of the man.
"But, who will watch over you?" said the voice of the woman.
"Darling, I can handle myself. I mean, we aren't chosen for a reason. Besides, I think the worst is over by no-"
...Zuko can see the two silhouette figures in the fog.
As did the two figures who can see Zuko's silhouette.
"...Hello?" the man's voice was cautious.
The woman didn't say anything, supposedly as cautious as well.
Zuko, now being seen by these new strangers, carefully took a step forward and said, "Hello?"
The two figures were silent for a moment, but they seemed to be getting closer, although in a wary fashion.
"Who...Who goes there?" the man asked Zuko.
The Fire Lord decided to just stay there until they came to him. "Um...the name is, uh, Zu."
Might as well use that alias.
"Oh...okay," said the man in the fog a little hesitantly.
As soon as they got closer, Zuko could make out the people clearly. They were indeed a man and a woman, ones that he hadn't seen before. The most notable thing about them was that the male had glasses on, while the woman was barefooted.
The male then paused once he could see Zuko, along with the woman, "Um...hello. My, uh, my name is Vucen. And this is my wife, Kura."
"H-Hello," said Kura, a little hesitant herself.
"Um...hi," Zuko said uneasily.
Okay, so a couple just walked up to me...just who are they? Are they residents of this town?
"Um, do you two...live in this town?" Zuko asked.
The two looked at each other with dumbfounded blinking eyes, and they turned back to the young man, with Vucen saying, "Um, yes, we do."
Okay, that answers that question.
Zuko nodded, "Okay...uh, can you...help me find someone?" he said carefully.
"Find someone? Who would that be?" Kura asked curiously.
"Well...I'm actually looking for more than one person. I'm looking for my friends and uncle...a-and my...my sister and father," Zuko told them, the last part sounding unsure.
"Oh..." Vucen looked at Kura and she herself looked bothered. He turned back to Zuko and adjusted his glasses as he said, "How, um, many friends do you have? I mean, how many came with you?"
"Um...well, about five of my friends came. As well as my uncle. I-I am looking for my...um, for my sister and father, though. They..." Zuko paused, thinking about if he should even reveal his sister and father's identities...he didn't know if these people were the ones that broke them out of prison.
Crap. Okay, think, think...
"Um, Zu?" Vucen spoke out, breaking out of Zuko's thoughts, "I, uh, have to ask...but how did you, your friends, and, um, uncle, sister, and father get here?"
Uh-oh. Okay, think quickly!
"Um...on a ship," Zuko answered.
"Oh..." Vucen looked at Zuko in interest, "You mean...your friends, uncle, sister, and father want to stop by on our island?"
"Um...yes..." Zuko felt a little nervous at how he, as well as how Vucen, worded that.
I really feel like I'm cornered right now...
Kura then looked at Zuko's face intently, and noticed his scar, "Oh my...your face. It's...It's burnt on your left side."
Zuko flinched, "Uh..."
Vucen gazed at Zuko's face attentively. His eyes then widened as he gasped, "I-It is! What happened to your face, Zu?"
Zuko winced, "...I got this from an accident."
"Oh...well, I'm sorry for noticing it," Kura said, genuinely apologetic.
"Yes, we're very much sorry about that. It must have been a horrible accident," Vucen said with sympathy.
"...It was," Zuko frowned as he gazed at the ground.
"Hello!?" said another female's voice...
"Huh?" Zuko turned his head back to see who was calling.
"Who's there?" the female voice asked in the fog.
Vucen and Kura blinked, but then Kura said, "Wait...Risa?"
Zuko turned back to the couple, "Risa?"
"Th-That's my sister!" Kura confirmed.
"Risa?" Vucen said, "Risa! It's us! Vucen and your sister, Kura!"
"Kura? Vucen? Wait, I-I think I see you two in the fog! And...there's someone there with you, I think!" the voice named Risa called out.
"There is! His, uh, his name is Zu!" Kura told her as she called out.
"Zu?" Risa sounded confused. "There's another person on the island?"
"A-Another person?" Kura asked in surprise.
"Wait, another person?" Zuko said in shock, turning back behind him to try and find this Risa. "Um, Risa, is it? Who was this other person? Were they maybe a young boy with an arrow tattoo on his head?"
Kura And Vucen both blinked at that detail.
"Oh, um...y-yes! That was one of them!" Risa confirmed, "Do you know Aang?"
"Aang?" Zuko said with wide eyes, "Yes, I do!"
"Oh..." Risa came a little closer to the group, the younger woman now visible from the fog, "Um, do you happen to know a...Katara?"
Zuko's eyes widened another inch, "Yes! Wh-Where are they?"
"Um, they were heading over that way. I-I met Aang first at the square, and Katara a little ways back," Risa told him.
Zuko nodded in determination, "Thank you, Risa!" he turned to Vucen and Kura, "I have to go and search for my friends. Thank you as well, Vucen and Kura. And...I guess stay safe around here. I don't know what's wrong with your town, but it might be connected with Spirits and the Spirit World."
The couple blinked in confusion at Zuko again. Even Risa looked confused.
"Spirit World?" Vucen asked, a little puzzled.
"Yeah. I wish I could explain, but I got to find my friends!" Before Zuko turned around and rushed through the fog, Vucen stopped him by calling out to him.
"Wait! Zu!"
Zuko stopped next to Risa, "What?"
"Uh...I-I want to ask you something," Vucen said, a little confused and...troubled?
"Well, I need to hurry, but what is it?" Zuko asked him.
"...Why...Why are you here?" Vucen asked.
Zuko paused at that question...until he said, "I'm looking for my mother. Now I need to go! Thank you all again!"
And with that, Zuko dashed off, passing Risa.
However, Risa called out to him, "U-Uh, don't lose yourself around here!"
Zuko stopped briefly and turned to look at Risa, a little surprised by that comment. "Um...I won't!" He then went off further into the fog...
= Vucen, Kura, and Risa =
The three residents of the town stood in the fog, wondering what had occurred...
Until Kura said, "R-Risa! Where were you?"
Risa turned to her sister, "Kura! I-...well, I-"
"Risa, you weren't there at our meeting. Even at your lesson," Vucen said to her softly, "Mother would be furious with you. The meeting was also very important."
"And father would...I mean, at the shrine, he looked so..." Kura didn't want to say it. Disappointed.
"I-I know! I know, I'm-I'm so sorry! I...I was just...I-I read some more stories, and-"
"Risa, I told Vucen about...I-I told him about how you went into the museum to read the records of the town!" Kura confessed.
"You did?" Risa looked shocked.
"Don't worry, I won't tell Mother," Vucen assured, "But...that place is off-limits, Risa. At least tell us you put the records back where you found them?"
Risa looked ashamed, "I...no..."
Kura and Vucen frowned in concern.
"Risa..." Kura said first, "You have to put those records back where they are. Vucen is right, Mother Daria would not be happy that you trespassed in there."
"Yes, and who knows what your father would say," Vucen told her.
"I know, I...I hid them, though. Father might be looking for me, which is who I'm avoiding," Risa explained.
Kura's eyes widened in shock, "Risa, Father would be even more furious if you left your home."
"...I don't know about that," Risa muttered a little bitterly.
Kura frowned at the tone her sister gave, "Risa, Father loves you more than you know."
"Yeah, well, he may just love you a lot more," Risa muttered.
"Risa!" Kura exclaimed, a little hurt, "I'm serious, Father doesn't hate you!"
"...Then why doesn't he…" Risa frowned, "Why doesn't he just talk to me normally like back when we were young? He was fine, a great dad even in our younger years, but ever since I turned fifteen, he changed, and I'm just more...I'm more baggage to him!"
Kura felt sympathy for her sister as she glanced down at the ground with another frown. Kura then reached out and grabbed Risa's hands, in which Risa looked up at her older sister. "Risa..." she sighed, "...I've been so involved with Mother Daria's teachings, that...I think I really have neglected you and Father's relationship...but I know Father loves you still. I just know it."
"...What makes you say that?" Risa asked softly.
"Because...well, he hasn't harmed you. No matter how many times he yells at you, or how angry he gets, he never harmed you," Kura told her.
"...I get the feeling he might someday, though," Risa mumbled.
Kura looked shocked and even bothered by that comment as she let go of Risa's hands. Vucen, who was silent throughout the whole conversation, said, "No, don't say that, Risa. Your father Maikera may be gruff around the edges, but...he was like a teddy lion-bear back when we were younger. It's just we're adults now, and...he probably doesn't treat us like kids anymore."
"But he still was that 'teddy lion-bear' when we were teenagers..." Risa looked thoughtful as she frowned, "Something changed when I turned fifteen. And I don't know what."
"...What makes you say he changed when you were that age?" Kura asked her.
"...He just seemed...distant…like he didn't want to look at me..." Risa mumbled as she felt a wave of sadness wash over her.
Vucen frowned as well from all this depressing talk, "Risa...my mother may be unbearable at times-"
"Vucen!" Kura exclaimed in surprise.
"Well, she is! I feel bad for Waten whenever she punished him!" Vucen said to his wife. He turned to Risa, "But either way, I still love my mother, and Waten...he loves her too. She does these things for a reason...like God does things for a reason. She does these things out of love...but if I were to pick which parent I would want to grow up with, I would pick your father."
Risa looked surprised at that as she looked at him.
"I mean, I knew bits of my father, but Waten never did...he was almost like a father figure into our lives..." Vucen looked troubled, "Although...he is a lot stern as of lately...but I know that he loves you and Kura. And maybe even Waten and I."
Risa stood there in contemplative silence...not sure about what to say to all of this...
Kura then spoke out, "Come on, Risa. I feel like if we go to Mother Daria right now, she will forgive you. As well as Father."
Vucen halted his wife. "Wait a minute, Darling. Your sister hasn't come up to date with the ritual."
"Oh! Right! The ritual!" Kura turned to Risa, "There are four, maybe five dead sinners who are sacrificed in our town right now. Once one or maybe two more have been killed, we shall...well, me and Vucen will be together as one, and form God in my womb. When that happens, seven more sinners will remain to be sacrificed."
...Risa looked up at Kura, the younger woman looking rather...confused by that news.
"...What?" Risa asked them in confusion, a little disturbed.
Vucen blinked as well as Kura, the latter saying, "Um...you do know about the ritual...right?"
"R-Ritual? Sacrifices?" Risa asked them, "I...What do you mean by that?"
"What do we mean?" Vucen was now confused himself, "Didn't...Didn't my mother tell you about the ritual of the town's founding? About there must be thirteen sacrifices, six before our 'union', letting it be the sign and signal to make God, and letting there be seven deaths after our 'union'? A-And God grants the wish to the Pheonix King on burning all of the sinning world to make Paradise?"
"...N-...No," Risa looked...completely bothered by that information.
"What?" Kura said with wide eyes full of shock, "But Mother Daria told Vucen, Waten, and Father about the ritual at the end of the first month of this year. I...already knew beforehand. But...you didn't?"
"H-How many lessons did you miss, Risa?" Vucen wondered, now alarmed.
"I-I just missed four...this would be the fourth lesson I missed..." Risa told him, "Mother Daria never mentioned this ritual that you're telling me whenever I started to go to these weekly lessons. Sh-She didn't even inform me about anything important during the course of those two months!"
"But...Mother Daria told me about it after Vucen and I got married around four months ago. She didn't tell the men until a month ago, because she wants the time to be right. And you said you missed the lessons around four times, so...it's the beginning of the first Spring month. Did you happen to go to her teachings until recently and during last month?" Kura asked her.
"I...no..." Risa said, shaking her head.
"W-Well...did she say anything that resembles or refers to the ritual when you did go over to some of her lessons?"
"...I don't think so," Risa frowned.
Kura looked disturbed herself, "You were never told about the ritual?"
"...I...I think I haven't...she never taught me anything about this ritual..." Risa said, feeling a little worried.
Vucen and Kura were at a loss.
"But...why wouldn't Mother tell your sister about the ritual, Kura?" Vucen asked his wife.
"I...I don't know," Kura answered, stumped.
Vucen glanced at the ground in thought, truly troubled.
Risa, though, was thinking...until something dreadful came to her mind.
"Wait a minute...that...that boy...that young woman...and that young man. They...they're...not to be sacrificed, are they?" Risa asked them.
Kura and Vucen looked up at Risa, the shock in their eyes evident.
"What?" Kura said, "N-...No. I mean...the sacrifices were supposed to be of wicked sinners..."
"But...then, why would...why would there be kids here? Zu and his friends...his family...why would they...be here...?" Vucen asked himself mostly.
"That boy named Zu...he said he was looking for his mother...but...he's not part of the sacrifices...is he?" Kura asked either Vucen or Risa.
Risa, however, now was even a lot more perturbed. "That boy...Aang...no, he...he can't be part of this...ritual, is he? They're just...They're just looking for their friends..."
...The three stood there contemplating...
"...I…" Kura shook her head, "Something...Something isn't right."
"Yeah...a family is here...and if what Risa said was true...then there's also children here as well...like Zu..." Vucen looked ahead at the fog to see where Zuko went off to in the distance...
"...Was...Were who you met before Zu, Risa...were they shady-looking people?" Kura asked her sister.
Risa thought hard on that, "...No. Definitely not Aang. Not Katara even. And that Zu person really seemed intent on finding his mother..." she looked at her sister again, "I agree, something isn't right, Sister."
"Wait, I mean...Mother must have a reason as to why there are kids here, as well as a family here on the island...right?" Vucen asked them, a little frightened by the possibility that these people could...very well be the sacrifices.
"...I don't know," Risa said, "But..." she then remembered someone, "Wait, what about Waten? Where is he?"
"Oh, um...my brother is going to the Lakeview Hotel to see if...the Phoenix King's daughter, Azula, is in there," Vucen answered.
"Um…okay...why is that?" Risa asked him with a raised eyebrow.
"Because Mother Daria said...she might have...something special for her in store?" Vucen said with a confused shrug, at a loss.
Risa stood there in silence, trying to make sense out of all of this.
"...Something definitely isn't right," Risa muttered the phrase again. She then looked at the couple, "I'm going to follow those kids again. Wish me luck."
As soon as she was about to turn around, Kura called out to her, "Wait! Maybe we should come too!"
Vucen looked at his wife, "W-We should?"
"Of course!" Kura said to her husband, "If what Risa said was true, then a child is here! Perhaps more! And a family is on this island! Thi-This can't be some kind of coincidence on the town's founding!"
"I mean..." Vucen looked at Risa and back at Kura, "...You know what? I think we should find Zu and these kids. Then maybe we can ask my mother about all of this as well as these visitors on the island after we find them."
"Oh! But what about your brother?" Kura asked Vucen.
"Waten...right," Vucen nodded as he thought about it for a moment.
But then, Risa said, "Wait. Maybe I could check up on Waten? I...I kind of forgot about...Father."
"Are you sure, Risa?" Kura asked her, a little worried.
Risa nodded, "Yes. I could even meet up with Waten and tell him about all of this."
"Well...okay..." Kura felt worried for her sister, but Vucen comforted her by putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, my Love, Risa will be alright. Nothing is happening as of right now, and if she can survive the cleansing, then she can certainly keep going," Vucen reassured.
Kura smiled warmly at her husband. "Thank you, Darling," she turned to her sister with the same smile on her face, "Well, I guess we'll search for the kids then. Just be careful, okay, Risa?"
Risa smiled back at her sister, "Don't worry. I'm very good at sneaking around. But yes, I'll go to Waten," she paused, "...I...I think I also need to talk to you about...w-well, I'll tell you, Vucen, and Waten later."
Blinking at that, Vucen and Kura looked at Risa in concern.
"Oh don't worry, it's nothing...I mean...well...it's something about the records I read in the museum archives...I'll tell you all another time. Until then, I'll see you two later."
"Um...okay then," Kura said hesitantly, "Well, we will take our leave as well. Farewell for now, my Sister," Kura said.
"Uh, yes. Farewell, Risa," Vucen said.
After saying their goodbyes, Risa went up, while Kura and Vucen went down toward the town...
= Ozai =
1:30 PM
...Ozai...Honey...
It's time to wake up, Dear.
...It's time...
Wake up.
...The ex-Fire Lord woke up, his eyes shooting open.
...He was lying on his front...
"...Ur-...Ursa?" Ozai muttered on the floor.
He picked himself up, kneeling on the ground as he grabbed his head to ease the pounding in his head.
He looked around as he knelt there...
...He was in a building...
But not just any building...
He was in...a courtroom...
The light that was shining outside pierced through the dark courtroom, with the room having a high podium in front of him where the judge sits and the witness box seat to the right of the judge's seat, as well as the jury booth on the right side of the room. Around him were the defendant's and prosecutor's seats behind him, as well as the pews of the public seating area with some sliding doors that led out of the courtroom.
Ozai looked at his surroundings and could only think of one thing.
...Why...am I here?
"...Hello?" Ozai then stood up and got on guard, "Is anyone here?"
...Not a sound was in place...
"...How did I get here?" Ozai muttered to himself, "Did someone bring me here?"
...No answers...
"...Hmph," Ozai harrumphed, "I would like to know what's going on."
He then heard one of the sliding doors behind him open up.
Turning around quickly, he brought his guard up and saw who came inside the room.
...It was Mother Daria.
"Ah, there you are," Daria said with a mysterious smile on her face.
Ozai just frowned, "What is the meaning of this?"
"Do not fret. God's servants have brought you here," Daria assured.
Raising an eyebrow at that, Ozai asked, "God? Who is that?"
Daria just chuckled, "It is who we worship. Surely you know what a god is, right? Agni created the firebenders, thus he is your god, isn't he?"
"...What is happening here?" Ozai only asked this because he was a little frustrated and confused. "First I heard my wife's voice in the hotel, then there was a woman who looked almost like my wife, Ai was her name, and now I'm knocked out and taken to a courthouse! Just what is going on!? I only agreed to escape the prison to get my firebending back!"
"Patience," Daria said with her hand up to silence him, "I have but...a few questions to ask of you, Phoenix King Ozai."
Narrowing his eyes at how she used that title for him, Ozai gruffly said, "Be done with it then! I'm tired of playing games!"
"First, I do not know who this Ai is...perhaps she is a servant of God that I haven't met yet. I wouldn't be surprised if she is," Daria smirked, "As for the questions, I have three to ask you. The first one: Why do you think you are here?"
"Why...do I think I'm here?" Ozai looked at her like she was crazy. "I came so I can have my firebending back, I just told you!"
"Indeed...and that shall be your answer," Daria nodded, "The second question is: How much do you know of...gods?"
Ozai still looked at her strangely, "I know the powerful Agni is who we worship. What does this god you worship have that Agni doesn't?"
"Well, I shall answer that. You see, our God has many names...but we prefer to call the god, God. For God shall pave the way to Paradise in this filthy world you live in. Our God is someplace in the Spirit World, perhaps resting where the Spirit World's version of this island is. And we are trying to birth God into our world, the world of the living. Once God is born, God will grant you the wish to have your firebending back. In fact, it'll be even stronger when you use it on the day of Sozin's Comet."
...Ozai was trying to wrap his head around this.
"Wait...this…'god' will grant any wish once it's born? And it can bring my firebending back? Making it even stronger? And what is this god's gender? You keep referring to this god as just 'God' and not being a 'he' or a 'she'."
"Correct on all three of those questions. But as for God's gender...well, once God is born, we will know," Daria said with a smirk.
"...This is absurd," Ozai grunted, "I can't believe I escaped and was rescued by a bunch of...cultists!"
"Actually, that was the last question," Daria commented, "Do you happen...to believe in the gods?"
Ozai scowled, "I believe in Agni's greatness. I don't know what you and your followers believe, but I can tell you right now, what you believe is absolute rubbish!"
"Is it now?" Daria tilted her head curiously, "Then I must tell you about this land we are on as well as our ritual."
"Feh! Save it!" Ozai went up to the seating area and came up to Daria as he said, "This was a sheer waste of my time. If you're trying to let me join your religion, then you're utterly mistaken!"
"I'm not letting you join. I'm letting you believe what I have to say," Daria said with a disturbing smile, "God has a way of letting any non-believer begin to believe what resides here on this island."
"Well, I'm through listening! I will find my daughter and we will leave here!" Ozai snarled as he came up to Daria.
"Hm...pity...cause your daughter plays an important part in this ritual."
Ozai's glare softened, "...What do you mean?"
"Well, this land, where God will be born on, is special. Your daughter...is special," Daria said with a demented smile, "You see, we have but now five deaths here today in this town. When there will be one more death here, then one of my sons...will impregnate her."
Ozai just looked at her in slight shock.
"Then, seven more deaths will start the birth...the birth of God. I told one of my most devoted followers that she was to birth God with one of my sons at the end of this year. I even married my eldest son to her five months ago. But it was then at the beginning of this year, I saw your daughter in a vision. As well as you trying to burn down the Earth Kingdom. It was then, that I decided that your daughter, Azula, would be the perfect vessel to birth God. And you, you are the perfect tool for God to use to burn down this sinful world!"
...Ozai kept quiet as he stared at her...
"...Either way, the father of God could be my oldest or my youngest son...whoever reaches your daughter first. However, one more death must be made to officially start the ritual."
"...You're crazy," Ozai sneered scornfully.
"Well, I guess you should know that your son and the Avatar, along with his friends, and your brother are here on this island right now, trying to find you and your daughter, as well as the prisoners that escaped."
"What?" Ozai's eyes widened in surprise.
"Also, those five people that died were soldiers sent by your son...but God made sure they didn't last very long. Thus, they were our first sacrifices," Daria said with a twisted grin.
"...I'm going to find my daughter," Ozai remarked darkly.
As soon as he walked around Daria, she spoke out and said, "I wonder why you chose to bring your daughter along either way? Does she happen to remind you of anyone?"
Ozai stopped as he stood in front of the sliding doors.
Daria smirked, "Yes...she looks awfully like her mother, doesn't she?"
...Ozai was silent...
"...Hm. I won't judge. I mean, I surely have dealt with...depravity before..."
...He turned his body to Daria, glaring at her, but not saying anything.
Daria fully turned to face him with a wicked smile, "Just know...that this whole island where God is...knows your darkest secrets..."
...Scowling at her, Ozai turned his body to the doors and grabbed the handle of one of them. Pulling it open, he exited the courtroom.
...Daria couldn't help but chuckle.
"Hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hm-hmmmm..."
Soon...your daughter will hold and bear God...and it will be glorious.
End of Chapter 18
Okay! So that's the chapter as of now! I hope it's interesting still! Also, I edit a lot of stuff here, so I hope I got everything settled! XP
Oh, also, yeah, I kind of lied. Aang and Toph will appear in the next chapter! So hold onto that! :)
And look, Daria is just a crazy lady here at this point, she can't make up her mind. LOL! But yeah, just know, they'll call out on her bullcrap sooner or later. XD
Alright then! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Also, if you have any questions about Daria and how she knows certain things, you can PM me!
Until then, thank you all for reading! Leave a review, follow, and a fave! I love them all!
With that said, keep on rocking everybody! :)
-TSP