Book II, Act I: Dark Crescendo, Chapter III

Edited by: Bieverdog AO3: GalavantingGoose

Book II, Flow

Act I: Dark Crescendo

Music:

City of Ruin - Fallout 3 OST

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLq1gcbmyZc

Into Darkness - Skyrim OST

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjTX4TzRaYg

Atrium Carceri & Cities Last Broadcast -An Atrementous City https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoM7GlnA7Uw

Chapter III

Hazily, Azula opened her eyes. She knew the place; it was one of the many rooms where the doctor had performed his tests. Its walls were painted white as snow, and the hanging overhead lights blinded her. She felt like she had seen it a thousand times already. Chained, she tried to move her arms, to no avail. Of course they put her in a straitjacket. Her senses came to her slowly, and faint voices grew louder. She felt confused, on edge. Then the fear struck that her mother could come for her at any moment, for it hadn't been the first time she had come tormenting. She froze when she heard the doctor's voice. "Please make sure to run these tests; everything has to be perfect."

"What if she isn't ready?"

"She will be. The last treatments have proven successful, more than I even imagined. The results have been replicated twice–" The doctor suddenly held his breath, and she heard a knock on the door.

"Sir, a message arrived from the Capital." A harsh, straightforward tone. It was a soldier; she was sure of it.

"What is it, sir?"

"He has rescheduled his visit…"

The nurse sounded nervous. "Should we still run the tests then?"

"They won't be necessary. Take her back." When she heard steps approaching, she closed her eyes. Not that it mattered, for she felt the clomp of the nurse's steps and a sharp pinch in her neck' Her heart slowed, she grew drowsy; and the next thing she knew, she was dumped onto her bed again. She tried to sit up, but there came a sharp pang in her head. She backed up against the wall, trying to inch herself up. As she winced in pain, she noticed her roommate on the other side of the room.

Zirin sat staring at her, her legs crossed. She was smirking at her, and after the guards left, she snorted. "Back again, huh? Great, was feeling lonely already."

Azula clutched her head. It was hard to remember; she knew he had been with her before. Maybe a couple of hours ago? Or a few days ago? They were talking, then she started to look at her and... She remembered seeing Zuko, her mother… Remembered hearing the doctor's voice. Her ears rang. She closed her eyes, wiping the sweat from her brow, and looked to her roommate for answers. "What happened?"

The girl sat up, her brown eyes staring at her coldly. "...What always happens to you. At least, they didn't blame me this time."

The throbbing stopped subtly, then Azula stared at her sharply. "How informative."

Zirin only returned a bored smile. Something sparkled her amusement, as she kicked her feet back up, looking at the ceiling. "Boy, they must have fried your brain already. Is there still something up there at all?"

She grit her teeth. "Oh, I don't know. I might snap, and your face could be a smoldering mess."

Zirin rolled her eyes, turning her head lazily. Azula noticed some of her wounds had healed, so perhaps a few days had passed. "Hmm. Good, good luck with the guards after that."

"I think it would be less painful."

She traced her finger along the lines of the padded wall, unphased by Azula's words. "Whatever. While you were over there dozed off, I managed to do something useful."

"Tsk...Go on. Tell me what unparalleled accomplishment the great Zirin has done."

Zirin sat facing her, her face turned serious."There's someone coming over, some high up that must be making the doc nervous."

Azula narrowed her eyes. "And how is that of any help?"

"Well, I heard most of the soldiers will be used to guard the perimeter. We'll be back to normal numbers over here during the visit… Or I think that will be the case. You said I should wait for a chance; now here's one." There was a hint of skepticism in her voice. She could tell Zirin wasn't completely sure about it.

Azula snorted. "That's what you call a chance? One slip up and they'll come rushing in to beat us bloody."

Zirin sighed then laughed off her reply. "There's two ways this could go. It either goes smoothly and, by some miracle, we escape… or we fight. There's a tiny detail, though–this higher up will be in the main hall. The doctor will be there too, which means they'll be locked in with us."

What she proposed was suicide either way. They wouldn't get far before they found them. "Hostage taking. And what will we do when they open fire as we leave the building?"

"We just take them with us to the forest, gut them there, and run. Easy."

Azula softly rested her head on her pillow. "Wake me up when you have a real plan."

"So you think they won't let us through if we have the Fire Lord as a hostage? Funny how that mind of yours works."

"The…Fire Lord?" She got up so quickly. She felt dizzy. Or perhaps the news had made her so.

"Oh, what? Are you going to pass out on me now?"

Too dumbfounded to speak, she tried and failed to think of what reason could her brother possibly have to be there. "No, it's that– This changes things. Maybe he's coming to gloat. Or maybe watch– No, finish me off himself! And she'll stand back and smile." She snarled, and her heart beat faster. Her anger flared as if she was reliving that moment again.

At first, Zirin was taken aback by her sudden change of mood, but she threw on her tough persona. "So, you're that type of crazy, huh? Why would that guy even waste his time coming to see a nutcase such as you?"

Why would he waste his time? Oh, this peasant! "Because I am Princess Azula!"

Zirin wheezed with laughter and had to breathe for a moment. "Oh, I am so sorry, Your Highness. Do you need me to wash your feet?"

Azula trembled in rage before breathing deeply for a long moment. "Believe whatever you want, peasant. If he's coming here, then I'll help."

"Oh please, I've seen a few who claim to be the Fire Lord around here. Another nut who claims to be the princess makes no difference to me. You could be Puppetmaster Zei for all I care."

She lay down on her bed, ignoring her. Then, Zirin gestured lazily at the door. "Besides, if anyone is a peasant here, it's those guards and nurses. In case you haven't noticed, sweetheart, we're the broken dishes our so noble families swept under the rug. They just couldn't afford to make us have tragic accidents."

After a few minutes of silence passed, she cooled off as best she could. "...Why are you here anyway?"

"Oh, so now that you actually want to help, you think we're suddenly friends and all? Ha. Yeah, I don't think so." She muttered, "Princess… Next, you'll tell me you have dragon blood."

"I guess it's a pitiful reason."

"I'll tell you what: amuse me. Tell me how you ended up here, then I'll tell you."

"Fine, I was the heir to the Dragon Throne, destined to rule, then my mother and brother conspired against me to imprison me here and torture me."

Zirin snorted. "Yeah, and my mother's a goose-goat."

"Amused, then?"

"…Ah sparks. Who's gonna care? I was the 'rebellious' daughter of Lord Wen and Lady Kotone." Azula hadn't heard of them, for most minor nobles were undeserving of her attention. "Let's just say I didn't like their ostentatious parties, or their fake guests. You probably know how the game works…"

Not only did Azula know it, she had mastered it. Being the only princess in court, the mind games and the double edged conversations were a daily part of her life. It was as useful a tool as her firebending, not that it served her much. It had made her blind to those closest to her.

"...false compliments there and there. It was boring as ash, but my mother thought doing anything beyond sitting and saying 'please' and 'thank you' was dirty peasant behavior. So, I was just the target of gossip for hanging out with commoners and doing things that weren't proper for someone of my stature."

Azula could tell she was reliving those moments, for the anger was etched in her face. There was, however, a tinge of sadness, maybe regret or longing.

Zirin sighed. "It all went to The Lair the day they announced I was getting married… And that's as far as I'll tell you. Anyway, they considered me a deviant–that somehow… there must have been something wrong with my head–so they put me in here. Needless to say, my parents didn't shed any tears for me. They just abandoned me in this... prison." Her eyes glimmered, but her face remained as hard as stone.

Her cellmate huffed a bitter laugh. "Imagine my surprise when I found out that not even half of the people here had any real problems. They were just more skeletons of parents who wanted to save their 'reputation'." Her eyes were frank yet arrogant. "And to be straight with you, you're not one of them."

Azula hummed. "And here I thought you had something more to it…. But no, you were never important." She glumly stared at the ceiling. "Good news is that isn't of much value at the moment."

"Thanks for stating the obvious. So, now that you want in… What are your thoughts about our little opportunity?"

"What you told me is barely enough. We still don't know how many guards they'll keep in our area, plus you can bet that the main hall will be secured on all sides. There's no way we're going to be able to use the doors. Also, we risk their escape if the guards on our side raise the alarm. We're going to need another way in there. Do you know anyone who passes through there regularly?"

Zirin looked away in thought. "Yeah, actually… Hana does. I barely even see her anymore… but I could get one of the others to pass the message."

"The sooner we have more information on that place, the better."

"Okay… I'll do that–get you what you need." She turned to look at her. "Just let me get this straight: I'm doing this for them, and I'm not falling for any of your tricks now. If you try to double cross me again, I'll kill you. Understand?"

"If you do your part, I'll do mine. My quarrel is with the Fire Lord, not you." Before, she had tried to escape; now, it was the least of her worries. Getting to Zuko had become her priority. She knew that wherever he was, Mother would have to be near. And if she wasn't, she'd somehow come to protect him like she always did.

"Right… because your brother stole your throne…" Zirin looked up in frustration. "And this is what I have to rely on…"

Azula shook her head. "Doesn't seem like you have much of a choice."

Zirin crossed her arms. "I could always take my chances."

She smiled, almost laughing at her imbecilic confidence. "Yet you can't. For all the time you were locked up here, you couldn't find a way out. I doubt you'd even be able to do it if you had a hundred years to plan it. You need me whether you like it or not."

Zirin sighed. "What do you want with him anyway?" She appeared worried, but it was understandable. Anyone in their right mind who hailed from the Fire Nation would naturally be afraid of the Fire Lord or the consequences that attempting to endanger him would entail.

"I need him alive if that's what you're worried about… until I find her."

Zirin looked less tense, but her eyes told her she was still feeling uncertain about her motives. "Okay... Until you… do whatever it is you want to do, what do you say? Truce?" Azula nodded.

Her cellmate took a deep breath; she had gotten what she wanted. She sat down again and held her chin. "Now all you have to do is wait. I know there's not much you can do from here, but I'll take care of getting you the information you need. You take care of the plan."

Plan? She can't be serious. With the scraps she knew so far, she couldn't piece out a plan. It didn't help that she couldn't get any information on her own, for she was trapped in that room. She was only taken out for emergencies or because the doctor had ordered it. So far, they had been extremely careful with her. "I won't be able to do anything from here..."

Zirin scoffed. "And you think I get to decide if they let you out? Do you think the doctor will let you? I don't think so."

"He thinks I'm harmless now; that I can't do anything..."

"Correction: you think he thinks that. You look down on me like I don't know anything, but you're an idiot if you think that man considers you harmless. I mean, look at you."

Azula shrugged. No one else would let her go out but the doctor, but she feared the idea of facing the man, despised it with every fiber of her being. She couldn't help but freeze in his presence, but he was the only one with the authority to free her. "It's worth a try; otherwise, there's no way we can get out."

"If you think that... then... how can you get the ass to see you?" There was only one way she knew how to get the guards' attention. She wouldn't be able to fake an illness without the doctor noticing, and a request for a meeting would be easily ignored or passed on so slowly as to be pointless. But if Zirin attacked her… they'd take her right to him.

She looked at Zirin; but her associate's eyes widened at their simultaneous realization, and her voice shook. "Oh no! Don't even think about it!"

"This way, they'll take me right to him."

"Yeah, and I'll take a beating…" She was right, for the guards hadn't been exactly kind to her. And at best, she'd be bedridden for a week, time they couldn't afford to lose. At worst, they'd kill her, rendering any chance of getting information null. But now, Azula barely even cared about caution. She'd get to Zuko no matter the cost, would do anything to throttle her mother.

Zirin pointed at herself. "How about you attack me? That would be better, wouldn't it?"

She took a deep breath, and they went for it without wasting any time. A few scratches and screaming did the trick. Her roommate desperately banged the door. "Help! Please help! She went crazy! I need help!"

Azula could hear steps sprinting down the corridor, at least four. They stopped right outside, no doubt about to come flooding in. There came a hoarse voice. "Step away from the door." Zirin slid to the side, and the door slammed open. Two immediately restrained her cellmate, and another two took hold of her, quickly jabbing a syringe in her neck. She faintly felt how she was being dragged away, heard the sound of the metal door closing.

When she opened her eyes, she felt a familiar pain–a chill ache. She felt like she was spinning. Nauseated, she found it hard to identify her surroundings. She spotted a metal table with surgical tools and what looked like a water basin. Unsurprisingly, she couldn't move, as her body was tightly restrained, so much so that her limbs tingled with numbness.

A tired sigh came from behind her. "Thought I wasn't going to see you here again. Yet here you are… Guards say you attacked your roommate. Now you know that kind of behavior is not tolerated here." The doctor placed a stool in front of her. Azula tried her best to stop her shivering and began to think her mother might have intended for this to happen. It was the reason why she hadn't heard her voice before. When she raised her gaze, she saw her behind him.

Her lips trembled. "Sh-she–" Her mother walked closer to her, looking at her pitifully.

"Shh… Don't want to hear any of it, not now. Aren't you safe here? Happy? Cared for? You know, I thought you were making progress, but perhaps I had it wrong all along."

Her mother looked down, clenching her fists.

The doctor began to clean the tools, so she knew she had to say something, anything that could make him stop. "I see her…"

He looked at her confused, narrowing his void eyes. "Who?"

Her gaze shifted between him and her mother. "My mother… She's here now; she provoked me. I'm fine otherwise, I swear."

He left his scalpel in the tray, pulling out his notebook. He flitted through the pages and stabbed one with a finger. "Your mother… Lady Ursa, is it? Curious… If I recall well, you told me you didn't see her anymore after the last procedure."

Her eyes shifted. "I–I didn't, I was telling the truth, but sometimes she returns. it didn't happen before; It just happens when I start thinking about her… see something that reminds me of her."

The man pulled out a pencil and sat in front of her again, scribbling something. "Hmm… Tell me, then, what brings her back? You mentioned she talks to you. Does she say anything? "

Azula looked down. "I… I can't tell. I just know that ever since I've been locked away, I see her more often. It helps me to focus on different things… She doesn't talk to me; she just stares at me." She had to find a way to save the situation, still needed to get out. "It didn't happen as often when I could go outside. I think having some fresh air could really help me."

The man was silent as he continued scribbling in his notebook. As he closed it, he finally looked to her. "I suppose that counts as an improvement… I'll tell you what: you will get some time outside and extra therapy. Then, you will answer some questions, and you will be good to go on about your day. You have shown much progress. Let's keep it that way. We will begin now."

Her mother pearlclutched. "Do you hate me and your brother so much, Azula? When we care for you?"

Azula gritted her teeth. The doctor stepped in front of her, obstructing her view. "Are you alright?"

She slightly shook her head. "Yes… Thank you, I feel better already." The man walked away; and from behind her, he brought a machine she knew too well. She anticipated the pain already, clenching her fists so tightly that she felt she was cutting herself.

He brought some nurses to the room, and they attached wires to her body. "Oh, another thing–you are going to be placed alone. We can't have guests arguing with each other, right? A temporary measure. Now please sit still."

A nurse put a wooden guard in her mouth, and she closed her eyes in anticipation as the electricity coursed through her body. But even with her eyes closed, she could see her there.

Every time she was stricken with the agony, she thought the pain would diminish, sting less, but it couldn't have been further from the truth. Her hands balled into fists for a moment, compelled by the current. She thought she could feel the lightning moving through her body, almost as if she could command it. But she couldn't endure it for any longer and let go.

It felt like being in a dream, hazy yet so real to her. Her skin still tingled as if the electricity remained. When she looked around, she noticed she had been locked up alone again, her straitjacket tightly pressing her arms together. She sat down in a corner and took a deep breath, trying to clear her head.

Just as she did so, Mother was sitting at the other side of the room. "Is this what you wanted, Azula?"

She closed her eyes, trying to wish her away, but it was to no avail.

"That man is only–"

"He is doing as you order him. Isn't that right, Mother? He's holding back until Zuko arrives. I know it's just a matter of time… You want me to die here, don't you?! It would be so convenient for you two."

"I do not wish for your death, Azula. You think holding your brother hostage will do you any good, daughter? "

"Don't call me that!"

Her mother looked down. "If anything, you'd only be showing everyone that you truly have lost it… That isn't you, Azula; you are better than that."

"You don't know anything! I know you're scared that I'm coming for you. You won't be able to hide behind Zuzu this time!"

"I never have and never will. Are you looking for a way to punish yourself, Azula? Much of this has been your doing. You think I am somehow working against you when I am just trying to protect you."

She shuddered. "I– No, I won't allow you to turn my mind against me! Not anymore!"

Her mother pursed her lips, and her eyes were teary. "Only you can stop this, Azula. The path you wish to walk will only bring more destruction. Even if you kill me, it won't bring you peace. You will only harm yourself in the end."

"Then maybe I don't want peace." Azula smiled sharply. "I only wish for you to suffer like I have."

Her mother shook her head and disappeared. Just like that, she would appear to mess with her–to stall her. She knew what she had to do, even though, deep in her heart, the things she had done haunted her. But she had always tried to find a justification.

Before, everything she did was for the good of her nation, for her father. But now? Now, it was only for her sake… or rather to avenge what she had lost. After all, her mother and brother were responsible for her ending up in that place; therefore, they were responsible for everything that had happened to her and what she had to do to survive. But the next time she left that place, there was no way she would go back, for she would achieve her goal no matter the cost. She just needed that chance. And she would get it!

She imagined her hands pressing her mother's throat; how she'd squeeze then burn her skin. She would give her a scar to match her precious Zuzu's; and as she crawled away pleading for mercy, she'd burn her. Inch. By. Inch.