‹ Prequel: The Sake of Hope
The Secret Weapon
Azula's Battle
"Why, Princess Azula, I've been waiting for you."
A harsh voice came from an even harsher man, sitting at the end of long, decorated table. This man was the Firelord.
Firelord Ozai sat unmoving at the head of a large dining table, covered in dishes plated in gold and silver and full of hot, steaming food that I had to put out of my mind in order to focus on the situation at hand; I was hungrier than I thought.
"I see also, that you've brought a guest," he said, and frowned as he said it, his piercing gaze locking onto my own. "Who is this girl?" he asked, sounding even less patient than he did to begin with.
"Hello, Father," Azula said, leaving me where I stood to take her seat to her father's left. "This is Sake Lyamsu from the Earth Kingdom. I captured her in place of my brother," she said simply, proud of what she had accomplished.
"What?" Ozai asked, on the verge of being enraged. His glare turned to his daughter and for once I was relieved. I breathed again, realizing I hadn't done so in a very long time. "What would I- what would the Fire Nation want with an earth kingdom peasant?!"
"Father," Azula stated, taking one glance at me, and then matching her father's eyes once more, "This girl is a dual bender- a living legend. She is without a doubt more powerful and far more useful than pathetic little Zuko."
Ozai thought for a moment, staring intently at his daughter. His frown disappeared, but it was replaced by nothing. He was expressionless and impossible to read. Finally, he looked back at me, as if the truth would somehow present itself. Without warning he grinned evilly and sat back in his ornate dining chair.
"Prove it," was all he muttered before he grabbed a cup and took a long swig of his drink.
Both sets of eyes were now on me- Azula's and Ozai's, and it dawned on me that they were waiting for me to bend. All they wanted was for me to prove myself as their newfound weapon. I wouldn't do it.
"Well, go on then," Azula said, impatient. I could tell she didn't want to be made a fool of in front of her father. It was the first time I saw Azula act beneath someone; it was the first time I knew she felt vulnerable.
I did the only thing I could think to do: I put my hands together in my sleeves and simply turned my head away from them. It was the most insulting thing I could think, and the only way I could regain some nerves after their baleful stares.
"Why, you-" I heard Azula start, and then I heard her chair scoot back and in the corner of my eye I saw her stand. She pointed at me and looked at Ozai. "It's true, Father. She can bend both Earth and Fire. I saw it myself in Dim Jan. As did many of my warriors. They can vouch," she added quickly. I could tell she was on edge.
"Hmm," Ozai considered this. "Very well. Provoke her then," he said simply. At this I turned my head back to look at him, as did Azula. "Duel her," he said last, taking another drink. I met Azula's eyes at his words and she glared angrily. It seemed strange and foreign to me that a father would ask his daughter to duel a dangerous prisoner. Granted, I didn't believe he considered me to be much of a threat, but still. He was barely concerned with the situation.
"Very well," Azula said through gritted teeth. I couldn't believe it, but all I could do was turn my head again.
I heard Azula walk over to stand in front of me, and out of the corner of my eye I saw her take a stance and bow, as if this were a proper duel.
"Still not interested then? We'll fix that," she said confidently, but I could hear the difference in her voice. The tension of her credibility being on the line was making her crack ever so slightly.
I still didn't look at her, but I paid very close attention to her movements through the vibrations in the floor. She balled her fist and shot flames right through what would have been my head if I hadn't dodged before they came near me. I spun quickly out of way and was now crouched to Azula's left. She did the same again, and again I dodged. Move after move left her more frazzled, but I wouldn't fight back. I wouldn't give either of them the satisfaction of seeing me "perform." And that's all it would be to them- a performance. A test run. It was ridiculous, and I wouldn't give away my dignity so rashly.
The battle, or, rather, Azula's battle, continued on for a few more minutes, scarring the walls and even the table with scorch marks and broken glass. Finally, Ozai had had enough.
"Azula, enough of this," he said, standing. "This is absurd. She is useless, and you failed," he spat last, sitting back down to his meal.
Azula was in the corner, her fingertips aimed in my direction still, and she looked all but frantic. Her perfect hair was sticking up in more than one place, having come loose from its tight bun, and she had a look in her eyes that I couldn't even name. It was part rage and part disgust, but there was another part in them that I couldn't place.
"But, Father, I-" she said, trying to fight back.
"Azula!" he yelled, obviously ending the situation. She closed her mouth and looked away, beaten.
It seemed strange to me, this relationship, even more than it did just moments before. Firelord Ozai continued his interrupted meal as if nothing had taken place. As if he hadn't ordered his daughter to duel me. And now, in the midst of not being properly fought, Azula felt beaten and ashamed- as if she had lost. It didn't make sense.
"Take the prisoner to a cell to be with the other useless foreigners," Ozai mumbled from the table. Azula then looked at me again, her eyes full of contempt and rage. My eyes, however, went over to Ozai. Useless foreigners... Prisoner... His words enraged me more than I thought possible. Not only that, but, for once, I felt... bad for Azula. Well, bad was a strong word. I felt conflicted for her. And the only solution to this conflict was to fight her. For both herself and myself. As crazy as it seemed, I knew it would help us both.
"Come on," she said harshly, reaching for my wrist. I was too quick for her though. I shot flames from my hand as I pulled back, into a stance. She was too shocked at first to fight back, so I took this as my opportunity. I pulled a great square of earth from the floor and bombarded her with it, square in the stomach. The force of it sent her sprawling to the floor, sliding all the way to the wall. Before either of us could make another move, however, guards pulled both of my hands behind me. I hadn't even remembered they were there, and had been there, the entire time.
Azula stayed on the ground, shocked and catching her breath, still full of rage. Ozai didn't look at either of us, but, rather, kept his eyes forward as he took another drink.
"Perfect."
A harsh voice came from an even harsher man, sitting at the end of long, decorated table. This man was the Firelord.
Firelord Ozai sat unmoving at the head of a large dining table, covered in dishes plated in gold and silver and full of hot, steaming food that I had to put out of my mind in order to focus on the situation at hand; I was hungrier than I thought.
"I see also, that you've brought a guest," he said, and frowned as he said it, his piercing gaze locking onto my own. "Who is this girl?" he asked, sounding even less patient than he did to begin with.
"Hello, Father," Azula said, leaving me where I stood to take her seat to her father's left. "This is Sake Lyamsu from the Earth Kingdom. I captured her in place of my brother," she said simply, proud of what she had accomplished.
"What?" Ozai asked, on the verge of being enraged. His glare turned to his daughter and for once I was relieved. I breathed again, realizing I hadn't done so in a very long time. "What would I- what would the Fire Nation want with an earth kingdom peasant?!"
"Father," Azula stated, taking one glance at me, and then matching her father's eyes once more, "This girl is a dual bender- a living legend. She is without a doubt more powerful and far more useful than pathetic little Zuko."
Ozai thought for a moment, staring intently at his daughter. His frown disappeared, but it was replaced by nothing. He was expressionless and impossible to read. Finally, he looked back at me, as if the truth would somehow present itself. Without warning he grinned evilly and sat back in his ornate dining chair.
"Prove it," was all he muttered before he grabbed a cup and took a long swig of his drink.
Both sets of eyes were now on me- Azula's and Ozai's, and it dawned on me that they were waiting for me to bend. All they wanted was for me to prove myself as their newfound weapon. I wouldn't do it.
"Well, go on then," Azula said, impatient. I could tell she didn't want to be made a fool of in front of her father. It was the first time I saw Azula act beneath someone; it was the first time I knew she felt vulnerable.
I did the only thing I could think to do: I put my hands together in my sleeves and simply turned my head away from them. It was the most insulting thing I could think, and the only way I could regain some nerves after their baleful stares.
"Why, you-" I heard Azula start, and then I heard her chair scoot back and in the corner of my eye I saw her stand. She pointed at me and looked at Ozai. "It's true, Father. She can bend both Earth and Fire. I saw it myself in Dim Jan. As did many of my warriors. They can vouch," she added quickly. I could tell she was on edge.
"Hmm," Ozai considered this. "Very well. Provoke her then," he said simply. At this I turned my head back to look at him, as did Azula. "Duel her," he said last, taking another drink. I met Azula's eyes at his words and she glared angrily. It seemed strange and foreign to me that a father would ask his daughter to duel a dangerous prisoner. Granted, I didn't believe he considered me to be much of a threat, but still. He was barely concerned with the situation.
"Very well," Azula said through gritted teeth. I couldn't believe it, but all I could do was turn my head again.
I heard Azula walk over to stand in front of me, and out of the corner of my eye I saw her take a stance and bow, as if this were a proper duel.
"Still not interested then? We'll fix that," she said confidently, but I could hear the difference in her voice. The tension of her credibility being on the line was making her crack ever so slightly.
I still didn't look at her, but I paid very close attention to her movements through the vibrations in the floor. She balled her fist and shot flames right through what would have been my head if I hadn't dodged before they came near me. I spun quickly out of way and was now crouched to Azula's left. She did the same again, and again I dodged. Move after move left her more frazzled, but I wouldn't fight back. I wouldn't give either of them the satisfaction of seeing me "perform." And that's all it would be to them- a performance. A test run. It was ridiculous, and I wouldn't give away my dignity so rashly.
The battle, or, rather, Azula's battle, continued on for a few more minutes, scarring the walls and even the table with scorch marks and broken glass. Finally, Ozai had had enough.
"Azula, enough of this," he said, standing. "This is absurd. She is useless, and you failed," he spat last, sitting back down to his meal.
Azula was in the corner, her fingertips aimed in my direction still, and she looked all but frantic. Her perfect hair was sticking up in more than one place, having come loose from its tight bun, and she had a look in her eyes that I couldn't even name. It was part rage and part disgust, but there was another part in them that I couldn't place.
"But, Father, I-" she said, trying to fight back.
"Azula!" he yelled, obviously ending the situation. She closed her mouth and looked away, beaten.
It seemed strange to me, this relationship, even more than it did just moments before. Firelord Ozai continued his interrupted meal as if nothing had taken place. As if he hadn't ordered his daughter to duel me. And now, in the midst of not being properly fought, Azula felt beaten and ashamed- as if she had lost. It didn't make sense.
"Take the prisoner to a cell to be with the other useless foreigners," Ozai mumbled from the table. Azula then looked at me again, her eyes full of contempt and rage. My eyes, however, went over to Ozai. Useless foreigners... Prisoner... His words enraged me more than I thought possible. Not only that, but, for once, I felt... bad for Azula. Well, bad was a strong word. I felt conflicted for her. And the only solution to this conflict was to fight her. For both herself and myself. As crazy as it seemed, I knew it would help us both.
"Come on," she said harshly, reaching for my wrist. I was too quick for her though. I shot flames from my hand as I pulled back, into a stance. She was too shocked at first to fight back, so I took this as my opportunity. I pulled a great square of earth from the floor and bombarded her with it, square in the stomach. The force of it sent her sprawling to the floor, sliding all the way to the wall. Before either of us could make another move, however, guards pulled both of my hands behind me. I hadn't even remembered they were there, and had been there, the entire time.
Azula stayed on the ground, shocked and catching her breath, still full of rage. Ozai didn't look at either of us, but, rather, kept his eyes forward as he took another drink.
"Perfect."
♠ ♠ ♠
Wa-Bam.