Book I, Act V: Elementary(2/3), Chapter II

Edited by: Bieverdog AO3: GalavantingGoose

Book I, Imbalance

Act V: Elementary, Part II

Chapter II:

Nozomi opened her eyes slowly. She was in a white room and tied tightly to a chair. In front of her sat a man with a leather bag on his lap. To his right, there was a machine with a large disk on top.

"Hello, miss." She looked at him and gasped. It was the doctor. The old man's eyes were unexpressive and cold. To him, it appeared to be routine.

"P- P- Please, just let me go! I swear I wasn't doing anything. J-just let me go back, please!" She couldn't contain her nerves and burst into tears. He only observed indifferently.

"Sh, sh. Easy now; don't cry." He reached over to wipe away her tears. Lifting her chin, he smiled politely, his dead eyes still fixed on her.

"I have to be honest with you: I don't like it when my guests lie; so, let's make a little deal. I'll ask you some routine questions, you'll answer them honestly, and as soon as we are done, I promise you'll get comfier accommodations. Sound fair?" He released her, and she nodded as her tears fell.

"Hmm?" He arched a brow and returned to his polite tone, "I take that as a yes." The doctor took a notebook and a pen from his leather bag and looked at her. "How are you finding your stay here?"

There was a knot in her throat. "I…I find it very… pleasant." She smiled weakly.

He scribbled some more without taking his eyes off of her. "Is something making you angry? Perhaps a certain affliction or illness? Maybe it is your new roommate?"

She widened her eyes, maybe he had captured Azula as well. "No!... I mean no… I'm not angry."

"I see." He stopped scribbling to look at her. "Why did you attack your roommate, then?"

"I didn't… I was only trying to help."

The man made another jot and continued, "Are you feeling sad lately? Perhaps you feel some impotence from it… or resentment?"

"No, it's nothing like that… please, I–"

The doctor stood up and grabbed an iron band. As he did so, the wires connecting it to the machine slithered. "You know what I think? I think you had a little relapse and attacked your roommate. I did say I didn't like it when my guests lied."

She began to panic and struggle against her bindings as tears fell from her eyes. "It's the truth! I swear!"

The man placed the iron band on Nozomi's forehead. "Do not worry; this is so you don't hurt yourself again. You know, coincidentally, I found your roommate to be very responsive to my treatment. Perhaps it will do you some good as well."

"No, no. Please, no!" The room was blurred with tears.

The doctor reached for his pocket to pull out a wooden slab. "You'll feel much better after." He slipped the piece into her mouth. "Bite down." The man cranked the handle as if he were in a factory instead of a hospital.

Her muffled screams were masked by the crackling electricity. "No! N–" Her body tensed and burned as the electricity coursed through her.

The last thing she saw was a pair of emotionless, tawny eyes.

***

The shadows dissipated, and Azula could see light. It blinded her slightly. She was outside. The first thing she saw was the bright blue of Nozomi's eyes; she was crying. A few moments before, the darkness had taken her away, and her mother was there.

"Look at me! Look at me, okay? You're here with me; there's no one else. Calm down."

"Nozomi?" She stared, paralyzed, as she saw the doctor approaching from behind her. They jabbed a needle into her neck and took her away as nurses grabbed Azula's wheelchair.

"Where are you taking her? Wait! N–" She felt her shoulder being grabbed tightly and a pinch as her limp acquaintance was dragged away. She tried to stand, but her vision was blurring; tried to speak, but her tongue was numb. She felt another hand on her shoulder and turned to see her mother's eyes before they faded away.

She lifted her heavy eyelids. An empty bed; a taken ally. She hobbled to the door and heard a laugh behind her. In the darkness of her room, there was that thing with flaming eyes. It had a mocking grin.

"There is no time. Don't forget."

"Shut up!"

"Oh, you stupid girl, forget her; you're a hopeless case. Forget her; she's not coming back. Don't you see? It was all a trick of your mother's. You're all alone here; you've only got me. Nobody cares about you. You're nobody without me."

"Shut up! Shut up!" Still bound by the straitjacket, she could only manage to throw out her shoulder at it; but it had burst into shadows to reappear on Nozomi's bed.

Its mouth disfigured into a twisted smile. "Deny it all you want; you know well what we are. Embrace it; it's your destiny. No one will tell us what we can or cannot do; no one will stop us."

It shape-shifted into a dense fog that settled softly next to Azula. Its face reappeared with that twisted smile. "Can't you see? You were born to be a monster. Why deny it? Why turn your back on your potential? Decide! Deny her her revenge."

Her mother appeared sitting on her bed, dissecting her with her sad eyes.

"Daughter... don't listen to him; that's not who you are. I only want the best for you. He only wants to deceive you."

The shadow enveloped around her shoulders, whispering in her ear. "More lies; more tricks. She thinks you're a monster; she's afraid of you; she's afraid of what you can accomplish!"

"Azula, my daughter, I love you. Don't believe what he tells you; the only fear I have is that you will hurt yourself!"

"She never told you the truth… She always wanted what was best for Zuko. She doesn't even care about you!"

"Shut up! Leave me alone! Get out of my head!"

She closed her eyes tightly, trying to suppress the voices piercing deep in the recesses of her mind. She opened her eyes. Nozomi was in front of her, slightly befuddled but concerned.

"Hey, Azula, are you feeling okay? Don't worry, there's no one else here."

"You? I thought you left. You were taken away–"

Nozomi burst out laughing. "That story sounds fascinating; but no, silly, I'm here."

Azula stood up and hugged her tightly.

"Hey, that's new. What's up with you today? You're kinda freaking me out… a little bit."

"I thought you…left…Don't leave me alone here."

Nozomi smiled at her but looked back a little confused. "Hey, relax; I won't. You know you can count on me, girl. Well, just not for the night watches."

Wait a second, how come I'm not tied? No… Azula's face turned pale, and she took a few steps back. "Wait... This– You– None of this is real."

Nozomi looked at her in confusion and approached with hands outspread. "What are you talking about, Azula?"

"Get away from me!" She fell into a bending stance reflexively. "I know it's you!"

Nozomi tried to grab her hand, but she threw a blast of fire at her in rage. The fire cleaved the girl in two and she turned into mist.

The room burst into a blue inferno as Azula fell to her knees and clutched her hair screaming.

"Leave me alone!"

As the fire consumed everything around her, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath–

She shot up in bed, gasping. She looked beside her at Nozomi's empty bed and glanced around to check that she was really alone. She let just one tear escape. Focus, Azula. Focus! Only this way can you get out of here. There was the creak of the door opening. A nurse looked at her with a stone face and grunted. It was her shorthand for I hate this; let's get it over with. Without a word, she marched in and dumped Azula into her wheelchair to take her to the dining room.

***

Nozomi sat concentrated on her painting, coloring it out with the details she remembered from the day before, when she was playing with her mother in the snow outside her house. It stood tall in a clearing in the pine forest, with a clear road to the town. According to her mother, it was their winter home; but they could stay as long as they liked. She thought it was rather far from the town; but other than that, she didn't mind, for she loved it.

No one was mean to her there–it was just her mother and Yoko–and her mother was always near and eager to play with her. She loved that they had an expansive garden to play in; that no one said anything when she was being loud running around in the halls; and that her mother had given her the biggest bedroom. She was reluctant to take it at first, but her mother insisted. The girl loved that she woke up every morning to the rising sun shining through her window, even if it was a bit blinding. She drew and painted red the imposing wooden walls of the house and added some of the statues for detail.

Finished, she took the drawing straight to her mother, who was reading a letter as she sat on her daughter's bed. "Mommy, look! That's you and me!" Nozomi showed her mother a crude painting of them playing in the snow. Her mother knelt to her height, brushed a few strands of hair from her face, and stroked her cheek as she smiled at her.

"Oh, we're looking very pretty there. It's beautiful, my love; you truly outdid yourself this time…" She noticed that her mother's golden eyes were shining. Her mother rubbed her eyes; she was crying.

"What is it, Mommy? You didn't like it?" Nozomi looked at her, confused and a little offended.

Her mother stood up and turned away. "Oh, no, no. It's beautiful, really. I just, I–" Her mother broke down in tears.

"Why are you crying, mom?"

"I love you, Nozomi; you know that, right?"

"Of course, I know; I love you, too. Forever and ever, really!"

"Oh, my sweet child, could you– Could you just play a song for me? Whatever song you like."

"Yes! Then you won't feel sad, right? It always helps me too." Nozomi ran up to a stand and took an adorned flute eagerly, almost toppling the stand. She knelt near her mother and began to play a soothing melody. Her mother closed her eyes and sighed. She could still see the tears dripping from along her face but continued to play harmoniously. Her mother hugged her, and she stopped.

"Are you feeling any better now, Mommy?"

"There is something I have to tell you… I– I've been meaning to tell you for some time now…" She held Nozomi's hands. "I know things haven't been easy for you here… I tried to protect you all your life and I– I failed…"

"...What do you mean mommy?"

"...I'm trying to do this for your own good… Remember what I always told you? When people are mean to you?"

"Because they are… jealous, right?"

"There are some people that are very jealous of you… People who… would like to take you away… Mommy can't keep them away much longer–"

"You're scaring me mom…"

"Please listen; I don't want anyone to hurt you ever again. Tonight, we will go on a little trip, just you and me, and we will get far away from all those jealous people, ok?"

"But… I like it here..."

"It won't be forever… Where we're going there is tons of snow for you to play with."

"Really?" Nozomi jumped excitedly.

"Yes, really. Yoko will help you pack your things, okay? We won't need much."

She stuffed into her bag what mattered most to her in the world: her flute, her pencils, a stuffed wolf-fox toy, and some coats. Yoko helped her put on a black cloak; and before she knew it, it was already getting dark. Through the window in her room, she could see the snow falling. In the distance, covered by a blanket of darkness, she noticed a mob of lights approaching the house in the middle of the forest. The door to her room opened to reveal her mother cloaked and packed as well. She took her hand tightly; and together, they walked towards the back of the mansion. There was the thud of fists against the door. Yoko motioned for them to go, and the old woman headed for the door as the banging continued.

"Open up! We're here for the girl." As they snuck away, they could hear the door creak open.

Her mother unlocked the back door and whispered in her ear, "Let's be really quiet now, okay?" She nodded as they ran for cover among the hedges and sculptures in the garden, her mother peeking around every corner. Nozomi felt her grasp tightening on her hand with each pass. Her mother was concentrating on reaching the forest behind her house. She took a deep breath and ran, jumping over the wall that separated the garden from the outside. As both of them tried to run–

"Now!" they froze as soldiers sprung up from their hiding places. Her mother instinctively held her back. Another group closed in from the sides. Yoko was with them…

"Don't move! We just want the girl." The man's voice was cold and gruff. She hid behind her mother. She was staring apoplectically at the stone-faced servant.

Her mother muttered, "Yoko… how could you?" The soldiers slowly creeped in with their weapons readied.

"Give us the child, my lady. Orders from Lord She." The falling snow began to melt around them. Without warning, her mother bent a wave of fire that sent the soldiers tumbling to the ground and set the trees behind ablaze, opening a clear path.

She took Nozomi's arm and pulled her, but the girl slipped into a puddle. "Run, Nozomi; run!" Other soldiers rushed to her mother, who countered their hits and attacked anyone who tried to get near to Nozomi. Her daughter lay paralyzed in fear as wounded soldiers crawled in the mud.

"Just go! I'll be right behind you!" Her mother's shouts cleared her mind, and she ran into the burning forest. "Get the girl!" It was that gruff voice again. She turned back to see her mother still struggling. A shrill scream sent shivers down her spine. She could barely make out the face of her mother lying against the ground with her teary eyes looking back at her.

"Mom, no!" She couldn't hold back the tears.

The soldiers looked in her direction. "Find her now!" She ran through the forest, scraping against the dense foliage, the tramp of the soldiers closing in and the raging fire roaring–

Nozomi tripped and fell, rolling down a hill and falling out of consciousness.

* * *

Her throat itched, and her whole body felt numb. She opened her eyes in pain, feeling a metallic taste in her mouth. She was tied to a bed, but there was no sign of the man. There was the smell of over-used sheets and the sight of a white ceiling and a cold, white half-smile. The nurse shoved a tray onto the bed and walked out, lazily shutting the door.

A nurse was walking by. Nozomi croaked, "Please…"

The woman stood perplexed, then recognition burst on her face. "Nozomi! Why are you here?"

Her weak voice trembled. "Water…"

"Oh, no."