Book I, Act VII: Back to Square One, Chapter I

Edited by: Bieverdog AO3: GalavantingGoose

Book I, Imbalance

Act VII: Back to Square One

Music: Atrium Carceri & Cities Last Broadcast - Prepare the Stage of Night

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YALJeN_JY5o

Chapter I:

She opened her eyes, the unbearable cold piercing her skin like needles in every part of her body. Disoriented, she looked around, catching a glimpse of a blurry woman. As soon as the woman saw her move, she ran out of the room in panic. In her place came four guards who stood watching her.

Still half asleep, she could sense that she could not move, since her body was rigid, well supported. She could only feel the rattling of chains every time she moved. As her eyes focused on the blinding light, she could make out how small pieces fell everywhere. It looked like snow until some of it fell so near her face she could see it: ashes. Her eyelids felt heavier as she tried to stay awake, waking up to the sound of a finger snap behind her ears.

She cracked her eyes wide open, startled to see the doctor's face staring back at her with his cold eyes. "Good day. I see we meet again, though I wish it were under different circumstances." The man leaned back in his chair and took a notebook from a bag on his lap.

"We will begin with a few questions: What is your name?"

She gulped, her throat burning from the cold, still uncertain what the man was up to. She managed a whisper, "A-zu… la."

"Good enough. Now nod to answer. Are you aware of where you are?" Her head wobbled limply as she saw the blurred image of the doctor; she fluttered her eyes, struggling to stay awake.

She could hear the doctor standing as he murmured, "We might have to redo this later. Now sleep."

Azula felt only a slight pinch on her neck, then she could barely see the man leaving before her eyes drooped shut. When she opened her eyes again, she was underwater, drifting and sinking, holding her breath. There were no sounds. She was weightless, at peace, without a care in the world. She let go, for just like that all, her problems would float away. She welcomed the water in. Then, it all rushed in at once: the burning pain, the fear, desperation. She swam towards the surface, trying to escape; but no matter how hard she tried, the journey seemed endless.

Above, she could see a face staring at her passively as she drowned. She could not stand it anymore, desperately kicking and flailing, trying to get out. A hand reached out, and she extended hers only to be dragged below. She looked down to see a monster with a gruesome, changing face gripping her leg. It was Mother, then Ty Lee, Mai, Zuko, the farmers, and herself. She struggled against it, but her strength faded as she drowned, the life fading from her. As her body fell limp, she could see its face staring sadly at her.

She jolted awake with a chill running down her spine to bright, unforgiving lights. The same pattern from before emerged: the woman, the guards; and just like clockwork, he appeared again.

The doctor bowed politely, bringing a chair in front of her. "Good morning. Feeling better now?"

"Wh-what do you want?"

The man ignored the question as he meticulously removed a notebook from his bag. He gave her a sidelong glance as he prepared a syringe. His tone was his usual monotone. "As with all patients, my only motive is to cure your ailment; though, I must admit, your case has been… far more troublesome than I first expected."

She meekly rattled the chains attached to her hands. "J-just let me go."

"Let's move on to our questions, shall we?" He sat down and dusted off his lap as he held the notebook in one hand.

Azula couldn't do anything but plead. "Please…"

"What made you leave? Was it telling you what to do?" The lights on the room flickered for a second before returning to normal. She remained silent, puzzled as to how he knew, and afraid.

The doctor didn't take kindly to her silence, his impervious face showing signs of impatience. "Please answer the question so we may move on."

Again, she remained in silence for a moment, and as the man rose– "...No one tells me what to do anymore." The lights on the room flickered again as the doctor fixed his eyes on hers, and she averted his gaze.

"Interesting…" He sat back on his chair, meticulously putting the notebook away. "What brought you to murder all those people?" As Azula turned to look at him, the doctor's face was replaced with the half burnt face of the farmer, and she recoiled. Another flash of darkness, and it was back to normal.

She shivered. "I-I didn't. No…"

The lights died.

Azula could still see the doctor's eyes almost shining in the dark. Without taking them off of her, he approached, whispering, "Was it her? The presence you spoke of? Those people–did you consider their lives worthless?" The light shone dimly on the room again. She shot her gaze to the corners, swearing she could see something moving about. Whispering from behind. The faint noise of something creeping on the ground.

"Why did you kill us, Azula? We were innocent." The sizzling sound of burnt flesh echoed from all over like a brood of vipers.

Azula closed her eyes, sweat dripping from her forehead. "No, I– I was defending myself. I never wanted to–"

"You destroy everything you touch, don't you?" The man's smile was cool yet manic. "Always blaming others for your mistakes? It's so easy, isn't it? I wonder why we make room here for people like you; but then I remember that this is where those dregs of society end up, things so rotten and twisted that no one could stand the thought of them, much less see them. If you have at least some dignity, you will end the farce that is your life. And I think a family visit is out of the picture, I'm afraid. A pity; they would love to see you die."

The room lit up on fire, the bodies all standing up, burning, and looking at her as their flesh was consumed in ash and smoke. "No!" Her screams were silenced by the fire as it consumed her as well, a raging firestorm through her veins. She opened her eyes. She was still in the same room, now empty, hanging from her chains.

"I don't like being here…" The voice was higher, softer, girlish, traitorous. Ty Lee?

"Have you heard?" Bored, and distant, and tinged with sarcasm. That had to be Mai.

"About what?" Ty Lee sounded surprised.

"She killed them all: Ling, Hime, Yuri, Shan. They were sent on that patrol; they never came back." Azula widened her eyes. Could it be?

Ty Lee, naive and disbelieving as always. "That can't be… I saw them just last week."

"They said she was found on a pile of bones–just bones. Turned them all to ash… The bones themselves were black as coal!" It felt like a rarity to be able to listen to Mai's voice so animated. Breaking free of her father's mold, was she?

Ty Lee began to quaver. "That's… Why is the doctor keeping her here? She's going to kill us all!"

Another voice weighed in with distinct annoyance, gravelly and sage. "Stop scaring the rookie. I've seen lunatics like this one come and go; she's harmless here." What is Uncle doing here? The door opened, and she lowered her gaze immediately, closing her eyes. She felt the tap of a lance against her stomach, and she struggled not to hiss. Her uncle laughed.

Mai was being dramatic again. "They said her fire was blue! I've heard stories: a single blast and your face is melted off!" The door closed, and she opened her eyes, looking through the window on her door.

"Oh, so now we're talking about myths and fables? How about a dragon story?" Uncle fluttered his fingers like a spirit. "Ooh! Akumu the Devourer destroys another village! Knock it off, will you? I was trying to sleep here." The laughing died as she heard footsteps coming from outside. They all stood firm.

"Doctor Tsume, sir," they replied in unison.

There was a tinge of interest in the doctor's voice, but nothing more. "Did the patient seem responsive?"

"Uh… no, sir, the patient has been very quiet, sir."

"Good. I will see her now. You are dismissed for now. You may patrol the hall until further orders." Her door creaked open to reveal the doctor accompanied by a nurse carrying a metal tray.

The nurse gave him a nervous, sideways glance. "Doctor, she's awake."

He waved it off nonchalantly. "Sedate her. We will begin as soon as she's unconscious." The nurse stepped forward fearfully. A safe distance away, she prepped a syringe.

Azula felt familiar, cold steel; and a routine sensation rushed through her body again: the burning in her veins, the blurry vision, then nothing.

* * *

Azula awoke to a ringing sound, the blinding lights, and a throbbing pain in the back of her head that made her wince in pain. It moved left and right; and as her eyes focused, she saw him, her eyes widening.

"I'm glad to see you are finally awake. How are you feeling?" The doctor moved away the light, eyeing her curiously.

The unbearable headache was more than enough to divert her attention from the man. "My head–"

Ignoring her, the doctor hammered her knee and pinched her hand. "Oh, yes, I know. I can imagine. It will pass." He smiled, then muttered as he wrote in his notebook, "Reflexes… fine."

Her eyes narrowed from the pain, still looking at him in horror. "What did you do?"

"And I can see you are perfectly aware. Good. Would you mind answering some questions?"

Before the doctor opened his mouth again, the door opened, and a guard peeked in. "Doctor, pardon the interruption; the Colonel is looking for you."

He didn't turn his eyes away from her as he waved off the guard. "Tell him I am busy at the moment. Tend to him for the time being."

"He has been very insistent, sir. He wants to…"

Tsume sighed and turned to the guard. "Go on."

The man grimaced. "He wants to see her. Again."

The doctor frowned before nodding. "Right. Well, you know what to do. Room T140–get it prepped; take them there."

The guard looked up in thought. "But… why don't we bring him here? She's ready and–"

Tsume's voice was firm. "She isn't ready yet; I haven't made an assessment. Once she recuperates fully, we may accept visits."

The doctor turned to the nurse. "After we placate the Colonel, we will continue. Promptly."

In a way, she was relieved that the man had left but terrified that he would return. She felt helpless, without any control, and at the mercy of that maniac. She was tired, in pain, trapped with no way out. Her torture had no end in sight.

The nurse unceremoniously dumped Azula on her bed, and she let the tears leak out.