Book I, Act IV: Change of Fortune, Chapter III

Edited by: Bieverdog

Book I, Imbalance

Act IV: Change of Fortune

Chapter III

Azula's mind was hazy and unable to recall things for long. She remembered falling leaves, the face of her mother, and darkness… Numbing pain all over her body. Her reactions had become almost mechanical. A tremble at every sound and mental paralysis. It was an ever-present fear. She tried to shield her mind, thinking of the outside and longing to feel the sun again even for the briefest moment. To feel the breeze. To breathe fresh air. It provided her comfort through the long hours.

She listened tensely as footsteps approached her room. The door opened and she lowered her gaze, trying her best to control her shaking. They unstrapped her and hefted her into a wheelchair. She raised her gaze under her eyelids to see Mother and averted her eyes.

"Wh– Where are you taking m-me?"

"Sh."

Her breath quickened. "Please…" As they took her away, she saw her mother had stayed, watching.

"Sh."

"Haven't you had enough?!" She began to shiver, thinking of the awaiting horrors.

"No, no, no! No, please take me back!" There was the familiar prick of a needle, and she saw her mother blurrily approach.

She awoke unrestrained and shivering in a dark room. Looking into the mirror before her, she saw an unrecognizable reflection. Bewildered, she touched her face. The reflection was wearing her armor; she had forgotten that she once did. She noticed a pale blue fire burning in the background. She turned around– It wasn't there.

Familiar voices bit her mind.

"The world is yours to take, my daughter."

"You're the best little sister!"

"I will be the greatest leader in Fire Nation history."

"We love you, Azula."

"I want to be the best, father; I truly do."

"Azula! It is so good to see you!"

"Put them somewhere I'll never have to see their faces again and let them rot!"

"Stop it, all of you. Shut up!" She covered her ears.

A soft voice silenced the others. "Azula, your destiny awaits you. It's not over yet."

A second voice thundered, "The path to greatness is long and hard…" with a manic laugh.

A crack cascaded across the mirror, and the shards crashed as the room disintegrated.

She awoke with a start. She was restrained only by a straitjacket. It was another padded room; but at least, it had more light… and a bed. And… There was another person there sitting on the other bed. The girl appeared to be the same height as the princess, with pale skin and shoulder-length, black hair. The girl's round face turned to her potential new friend. Her Ty-Lee-like, blue eyes fixed on her with concern.

"Are you alright? You scared me. I thought you were going to die of fever there."

"What is this place?"

"I don't know; they just brought me here. I'm Nozomi, by the way."

"I have to leave."

"Well, I'm not sure how you plan on doing that. In the meantime, I think we should… get to know each other, I guess. My last roommate didn't speak that much, you know." Nozomi Smiled. "So, where were you from?"

"Do I seem like the talkative type to you, savage?"

"You sound like you're from the capital. Straight to the point and all bossy. Cool! I was from the northern islands. It was a bit colder there than here, but, you know, still nice. I miss it. So, what did you say your name was?"

"I didn't."

"Let me guess… Oh, I bet it starts with N, just like mine!" She looked excited.

Azula rolled her eyes. "Yes, my name is Nun. Nun of your business."

She snorted. "At least, you're funny."

"Leave me alone." Azula turned her back to her.

"Ok, grumpy Miss 'None of Your Business'."

***

The passing of the days didn't ease Zuko's obsession. Thankfully, Mai had helped organize every file he had on the case. She had also passed out from exhaustion on his bed. It was still well into the night when Zuko tried to piece things together. He had thoroughly memorized the routine of the colonists. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't find the connection. They had never gone that far; the owner was always in the shop; and no one left the weapon there. He looked at the maps Renhao had given him; hundreds of iron workers worked nearby at the Royal Factory of Taramaguro. He widened his eyes, dropped the map, and bolted out.

Clad in black, Zuko left the palace, heading directly for Harbor City. The poorer areas of the Fire Nation were alive during the night, for some factories worked nonstop. The buildings were blackened with soot. Workers ambled down the cobblestone streets. He saw people begging on the streets, some maimed claiming to be war veterans, others the unfortunate unemployed or street urchins. Such rank destitution was hidden far away from the caldera.

As he neared the Taramaguro factory, he couldn't see any residential buildings nearby. He noticed an old man in a greasy apron smoking a pipe.

"Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to know where Tegakari lives."

"How deep is that burn of yours? Where every worker lives! Right there." He pointed to the factory in front with his pipe.

"Uh… thanks."

"What is some rich city boy doing around here at this time of night anyway?"

"None of your business, old man."

"Relax, I can pass him whatever you're bringing with you. He's been hiding away from the guards. I can tell you're one of those who came looking for him the other day."

"...What I have I'll deliver to him only."

"Suit yourself, but you better pay me, too. Follow me."

The man led him past a few alleys that seemed to shrink as they went. There were a few homeless squatters there. As they ventured deeper into the city, he noticed the old man sweating.

"How much further?"

"Huh? Oh, we're close." The alleys became less populated until they reached a dead end.

"Get him now!" The old man ran to a fence and jumped. Zuko downed him first with a flaming punch. A group of six surrounded him. They pounced. Zuko blocked an incoming fireball as he disarmed a man of his club. He bent a wave of fire around him that swept them off their feet. Two stood and charged; but he kicked one backwards and twisted the other's knife away, punched him in the throat, and slammed his head against a wall, knocking him cold. The remaining assailant retreated; but Zuko cut off her path with a flaming whip.

"Who are you?"

"I'd rather die than tell you, pretender!"

He gritted his teeth as he knocked her out and noticed the old man trying to crawl out of the alley. "Don't move."

"Hey, this was just… just a misunderstanding." He chuckled nervously. "We could work something out right?" The old man turned around to face him, holding his hands out in surrender.

Zuko pounced on him, holding him up by his apron. "Where is Tegakari?!"

The man winced. "I don't know. I don't know! He's been missing. I swear to you by my mother's spirit."

"Then who paid you to bring me here?"

"I don't know, some crazies from the colonies. They gave me some jewels to bring anyone asking for Tegakari here."

"Jewels?"

"Yeah. You know, like the ones rich people always wear."

"I see. I'm going to need those."

"What? And what of my payment?"

"Consider it a great service to your nation. If you try something else, you'll end up worse than them."

The man took him to the factory. The workers were packed like tunardines in rooms swarming with bunk beds. They were beggars pulled in off the streets, only receiving subsistence wages. The man looked around warily as he reached into a hole in his bed. His face flashed from vigilance to manic desperation. "It– It's not here. I swear I left it here." He couldn't hold back his tears. "That was my way out of this dump."

Zuko shoved him away and searched for the jewels with the same desperation on his face, finally giving up after a few minutes. He sat on the bed as the man continued to weep on the floor. He pulled two golden tamago from his pocket. "Here."

"What? Would you? Really? Thank you… I– I am sorry for doing this to you."

"Good luck, old man." Zuko left the factory, disappearing into the crowded streets as the sun rose over the horizon. He wouldn't be deterred in his search; he was close to finding the last piece of the puzzle, and they knew it.

***

"Morning. You mumble in your sleep a lot, you know. It doesn't bother me, but, uh…"

Azula sighed forcefully. "What do you care, savage?"

Nozomi shrugged expressively. "Well, some people are bothered by it. Just wanted to let you know that I'm completely fine with it, like one hundred percent fine."

"Right."

"So, you're new, huh? What's your story?" She rested her chin on her fists. "Black koala-sheep of the family? Bastard child of a noble? Maybe the underachieving child? Family embarrassment?... Are you really crazy?"

Azula slammed her head back. "Would you even consider being silent for one, solitary moment?!"

She held up a eureka finger. "Definitely the black koala-sheep, though you look a little scary. So, maybe a bit crazy too."

"Argh!" Azula buried her face in the pillow.

"Yeah, I know… It sucks. They never come back… I can tell you that, at least, some have spent their whole lives here waiting… If you came here sane, they might just drive you insane."

"Yes, a day in here would work wonders."

"Hah, tell me about it. Luckily, you have me to get through it all; so, don't worry, my good roommate."

Azula moaned into her pillow.

"Soon, you'll get to meet the others. They are cool, you know. I'm like best friends with all of them! I'll introduce you; wouldn't that be great?"

"You are the stuff of dreams."

"I knew you'd like that idea!"

She spent the whole morning trying to tune out her new roommate, who kept ruminating about the beautiful gardens, how she was friends with the other patients, and the history of the asylum. It's like she never ran out of things to talk about.

Thankfully, the door of their room opened, and the nurses brought in a wheelchair. Now, of course, her insufferable roommate knew their names and delayed them ten more minutes, asking them how their day was. Finally, they agreed to let her carry Azula.

Nozomi turned to wave the nurses goodbye as she carried Azula. "They are so nice. Did you know, usually, they are not allowed to talk to us?"

Azula rolled her eyes. "They seem to be incapable of resisting your charm."

"Oh, laugh all you want, miss; but at least, we're sticking together."

"What a blessing!"

"It is! If you want me to introduce you to the others… Hey there, Zirin!" She waved at a group of girls sitting together at a table. Only one of them was standing up, a girl with a ponytail and freckles. They looked a bit older than them, maybe around Mai's age. The freckled girl turned around to face them.

"What do you want, savage? What's that Thing you're carrying there?"

Nozomi held her hips. "Hey, don't call her that! She's my new roommate!"

Azula was thoroughly done with everything. "By default."

"Sure, whatever. What's up with you, huh? They tied you up because you bite?"

"Come closer and find out."

"Ha, ha." Zirin smiled viciously at her. "Whose idea was it to set you up with the savage?"

Nozomi frowned. "Come on; let's go. Every time she is in a bad mood, she gets like this." Nozomi turned Azula's wheelchair around, but the freckled girl stepped on one of the wheels and shoved Nozomi.

"I'm not done yet, savage. Bring your pet over here." Her cronies laughed.

"Get off me, Zirin; leave us alone." Nozomi pushed the wheelchair.

The girl stopped them. "Or what? You're going to cry until one of the nurses comes to save you? And you, you caused all that fuss the other week, didn't you? What's up with you? I wouldn't want to be near that thing if I were you, savage; she's the doctor's favorite." She laughed.

Nozomi glared at her. "What's your problem, Zirin? Are you bitter your daddy never came back to see you?"

The girl stopped laughing to glare back. "What did you say, half-blood bastard?" She shoved her again.

"I'd rather be a bastard than a good for nothing dimwit who played the rebel child to get some attention."

Zirin was furious. "You're going to regret that!" Smoke rose from her palm. She was about to throw a punch when a nurse strutted their way. "No bending allowed!"

Zirin held up her hands to the nurse, smiling and patting Nozomi's head. "Saved again, savage. You won't be so lucky next time." She threw a malicious smirk before sauntering back to her group.

"Nice meeting your 'friends'...So, that's what it took for you to finally shut up. Good..."

Nozomi sighed. "I'll… get us some food."

"Sure, I'll wait here." Azula muttered, "Not like I can go anywhere."

They had a wordless lunch. Azula enjoyed the quiet.

* * *

Nozomi wordlessly left Azula on her bed, and she gave back the wheelchair to the nurses. When their door was closed, she went to her bed and cried softly, hugging her pillow.

"If it makes you feel better, I think you held your own pretty well."

"You… think so?"

"Yes, though you don't need to defend me. Trust me; she would have lost a finger if she tried something."

"Thanks…"

"Azula."

"...Huh?"

Azula quirked a smile. "My name is Azula."

***

A few days had passed, and Zuko was no closer to finding any clues. He paced around his room, eyeing a parchment and a quill, only to return to his pacing. He reached for a chest under his bed, lifting the lid and pulling out a portrait of his uncle.

"Uncle… how have you been? Things aren't… as good as I thought they would be. Some people still want Father on the throne, people willing to kill me to see him back. I've been trying my best to bring them peace…"

"They have no room for it in their hearts… I can't understand it; please help me understand, Uncle." He sighed. "I don't want to be like my father. I don't want the people to fear me… I really wish you were here. You would know…" He glanced at the blank parchment again. He closed his eyes.

"Like a tree in Autumn that loses its leaves only to regain them, you may lose your way only to find it again."

Zuko smiled. "Always with your riddles… You've earned your rest, Uncle. I won't let you down; I promise." He heard a knock on his door. He closed the chest and slid it back under his bed.

"Colonel Mak is here to see you, Your Majesty."

The Colonel entered and bowed. "Fire Lord, sorry to interrupt you. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but… None of them confessed anything; but we found out some of them are from the Capital. This group certainly has reach beyond the Yu Jin colonists. I beg you, My Lord, you must consider your security now."

"Thank you, Colonel. I will consider it."

Mak sighed and nodded. "I almost forgot: a letter for you, sir."

"Thanks…" The colonel bowed and left. Zuko walked to his bedroom window and untied the scroll.

Hey Zuko!

It's been some time since I last wrote to you. Sorry about that. Currently, we are on Kyoshi island. When you get this letter, we won't be too far away. I can't wait to see you again! I hope you are getting better; we're still very worried about you. But hey, I don't want to get you down. We had a great time here; Ty Lee officially became a Kyoshi warrior; and she invited us to a party. I didn't know they danced; you should have seen them! Sadly, we didn't stay long at the party since we had to leave early, but it was great. I have to cut this short; Katara says it's time to leave. We'll have plenty of time to talk about it later. See you soon!

P.S: Ty Lee: Hi Mai! Hi Zuko! How is my favorite couple doing? Aang said it would be fine if I put this in his letter. Just wanted to let you know my aura here is deep red; I've never felt better! I miss you so much; write back soon!

"I miss you guys too." Movement outside the palace caught the Fire Lord's eye. He saw a man wearing long robes walking the path towards the main gate. Taiku? What was he doing in the palace today? There's been no council. The man quickened his pace; the guards opened the door; and a carriage was waiting outside for the overseer. Intrigued, Zuko donned his cloak and darted outside. Asking the guards at the gate, they told him Taiku was headed for Harbor City. He couldn't believe his luck. He pulled up his hood and borrowed a Komodo Rhino from a guard, making haste to follow Taiku's trail. He found the carriage just at the exit of the caldera and followed Taiku from a distance.

Shortly after entering Harbor City, the carriage stopped at a tea shop. Zuko followed the Overseer close behind. Taiku greeted the waiters, and they directed him to a Pai Sho board. The Fire Lord sat nearby in a corner booth, ordering a white tea. He waited for half an hour. Taiku had been playing alone the whole time. Finally, a hooded woman sat at his table. She stared, obscured under her hood.

"You have everything I asked for?"

Taiku nodded and took a small envelope from his robe, sliding it discreetly under the table. The woman nabbed it. "I'm doing this for the Fire Nation; don't think otherwise."

"It's not my job to care. Is everything there?"

"It's half; you'll get the rest when you complete your task. They won't give you any trouble; I've made sure of that."

"It's not what we arranged."

The woman was about to leave, but Taiku held out a hand. Do you want the job or not?"

She grunted. "Fine. But you'll give me double once it's done."

Before Taiku could reply, a waitress came to their table and whispered something in his ear. He looked in Zuko's direction, and he avoided his gaze. When some waiters began to approach the Fire Lord, he darted out as they chased after him. He hopped on his Komodo Rhino and bolted away. After Zuko was a safe distance away, he relaxed a little. He had a feeling before, but now he was certain Taiku was involved as well. How deep does this go? He was close to find out.

He noticed a dot in the sky, shielded his eyes from the sun, and realized– Appa!