Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Prophesied ❯ When You Didn't Have To ( Chapter 12 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 12: When You Never Had To

A young crimson dragon, perhaps a few weeks old, barely two feet long from his snout to the tip of his spiked tail, walked amongst his peers, his nostrils flared and searching. But no matter how he searched, he could not find the scent he was looking for.

The young dragon let out a plaintive wail which was echoed by those around him. Not a single dragon on the hidden plateau was more than a year and a half old. Their colors ranged from the deepest crimson to the clearest sapphire. And they were alone.

On the same day that Katara and Zuko raced against the blizzard, on the same day that Princess Azula ran into a rebel teenager, on the same day Aang found out he was not the last air-bender, a teenage boy walked along the beaches of Cascata.

The waves rolled around his feet, and for a moment in his turmoil filled life, he was happy. He was dressed in black loose pants and a navy blue tunic, bare feet burying themselves into the sand.

Golden eyes gazed out over the waves, a rarity in the Earth Kingdom, impossible in the Water Tribe village in which he lived. Solid black hair waved in the soft sea breeze, and a rude scar interrupted his otherwise pleasant features over his left eye.

As his thoughts turned to this scar, his joyous mood vanished as he remembered.

SMACK.

He went sprawling into the wall. His father was drunk again, his mother cowering in the corner, but he had to protect her and Midori.

“Teach you to be late home…”

“Mother knew where I was…”

SMACK

“Damned if I care about that woman you half-breed…”

He struggled to regain his feet when he felt the toe of his father's boot collide with his ribs, sending him face down into the dirt again.

“Stop it Heng! You're hurting him! Can't you tell he's in pain?”

He slapped her and she fell with a cry.

“Pain? Pain woman?”

The brute of a man turned towards the fire, drew out a burning log, and turned towards his weeping son.

“I'll teach you the meaning of pain boy…”

Then he thrust the burning log into his son's eye and he screamed.

Everyone in the village heard his scream that night and the truth about his father finally came out. The marshal came the next day and took his father to a prison, far away. Since then he and his little sister, Midori, had lived with their mother until she died.

“I should've known I'd find you here.”

He turned around to find Midori coming down the hill to join him on the sands. She was the perfect model of a water-bender while he'd always been a bit…different. She smiled at him.

“I'm going to practice my water-bending. Going to watch?”

He nodded and sat down as she advanced towards the rolling waves. He could get lost in the movements of the water as she bended it around her, and she knew that it soothed him, so she bended often. He remembered the nights after their father had beaten him that she would bend for him. This was how she'd learned she could heal.

After their mother had died, they'd come here to live with their aunt. Aunt Sera was a very nice woman, despite having lived in the Fire Nation for several years. She was a midwife and claimed to have served as midwife to the Fire Lord's wife, but everyone knew it wasn't true.

Two elk stirred in the pen near their house, their names Zana and Tokul. They had been Aunt Sera's birthday present to them, and it had been so much fun to learn to ride them.

“Ziri! Midori! Come inside, it's time for dinner!”

Midori gave her brother and smile and together they raced inside to dinner. After dinner, they washed up and went to bed. The siblings shared a room in Aunt Sera's small house and there was a small curtain in the middle to allow them some privacy.

The young boy had only been in bed a few minutes before his aunt came in.

“Ziri? Are you awake?”

He sat up. “Yes, I'm awake, Aunt Sera.”

She nodded. “Come into the kitchen. I need to speak with you Ziri.”

Ziri stood and followed his aunt into the kitchen and sat down at the table with her. She poured some tea into a cup and gave it to him after adding a little sugar and as he drank, she gave a huge sigh.

“What's wrong Aunt?”

She sighed again. “There is something I must tell you.”

Ziri looked at her, concern narrowing his amber eyes. Tears filled her blue eyes.

“Ziri,” she whispered. “Have you ever noticed that you are somewhat different from the other children your age? Physically?”

He nodded and she sighed in relief. “Tomorrow is your seventeenth birthday Ziri, and I must tell you this.”

She reached a hand over and tilted his chin up, he liked it when she did this, it made him feel loved.

“Ziri, you are not of the Water Nation.”

He shrugged. “I've always thought I had some Earth Kingdom in me.”

Sera shook her head. “You are not Water, nor are you Earth. Ziri, you are Fire.”

Ziri stared at her, his eyes wide and his jaw dropped. “I can't be!”

A single tear fell from her eyes. “Not only that, but you are a fire-bender.”

He shook his head, desperately wishing to go back to sleep and forget this.

“I cannot be one of those ruthless killers!”

Instantly she was across the table and cradling him as she had done so often after his mother died.

“No, you are not, my precious Ziri. You are not. But you are Fire. I brought you to your mother after your birth mother suffered complications. She loved you, and I love you. Your birth mother gave you your name, but we made you who you are.”

He struggled to remain calm, not to cry, but this was such a hard truth to believe! Not only adopted but born of the Fire Nation as well! What would Midori think? Would she hate him?

“Who was my mother?”

His aunt pulled away from him and hung her head. “I cannot say.”

“Tell me Aunt Sera! Please!” he begged.

She opened her mouth and suddenly the door burst in, flung from its hinges. Sera called out in warning to the intruder but Ziri knew that walk.

It was his father.

“Run Aunt Sera! Get Midori and run!”

But she did something he never expected, she lunged towards the man, drawing a knife from the fold of her dress as she did. Ziri stood there as if frozen as they struggled and suddenly Sera was thrown back and landed on the floor, her throat slit.

Moonlight reflected off the blade now in his father's hands and the gaze of a madman settled on him.

“I knew I'd find you boy. Now go fetch your sister. The three of us have to talk.”

He stood there a moment, and Midori came in, sleepy-eyed and wondering at the cause of all the commotion. She quickly found out as their father advanced on Ziri.

Ziri looked down and stared at his hands, hands capable of dealing such destruction.

Please, if I am a fire-bender, let it show now.

He took a stance he'd seen a fire-bender take once, and felt something well up within him, an angry heat. Thrusting his open palm forward, he was insanely surprised when a huge column of flame burst from his hand and caught the man he once called father in the stomach and blew him out the front door.

Midori stared at him as he caught her hand and dragged her outside. A whistle brought the elks and they both mounted without hesitation. Soon they were running from the village, from their home of more than four years, from the bane of their existence.

After they'd run for miles and felt reasonably safe, they slowed to let the elks drink at a stream. Midori stared at her brother in a mixture of fear, awe, and confusion.

“You fire-bended Ziri.”

He nodded but maintained his empty stare forward. Man, had created no words in any language known to order all his thoughts, but one question stood out strong in his mind.

Who am I?

Samir walked through the Spirit World, no real destination in mind. A large centipede roamed through the trees and suddenly lunged down directly at his face. Without surprise, without emotion, he responded to the intimidating face before him.

“Hello Koh.”

Koh the Face-Stealer gave a general hiss and went on his way, and Samir continued on through the swamp, his element drying the land he walked on. He became lost in his own thoughts and was barely able to dodge a boulder of earth that was suddenly hurled his way.

“Peace Mamoru.”

The Earth God turned and glared at the golden dragon beside him before resuming him place on the grass, muttering coldly under his breath. Samir lowered his eyes and started to walk past the other two gods until he was spoken to.

“Join us Samir.”

This apparently surprised Mamoru. “Agni?”

Agni turned one flame red eye on the Earth God before returning his gaze to Samir.

“Join us.”

After the invitation had been extended, Samir calmly walked over and sat near Agni, but so he could view Mamoru if he decided to retaliate once more. Agni was considerably calm, and this in itself was rather unnerving, the usual playful and happy god reduced to this. Samir couldn't help but sigh as he sat, his eyes full of unshared pain.

Mamoru crossed his arms and leaned back as the earth rose up to meet him in a natural chair.

“What are you doing here Samir?”

Samir glared at him. “The Spirit World is free for me to walk through is it not?”

“The Spirit World is limitless, why did you come here?”

“I wanted to be alone.”

Agni blew a small flame at Mamoru, bidding him be silent.

“What is bothering you Samir?”

Samir crossed his arms and turned his head away. “Nothing is bothering me, I am fine.”

“You wouldn't want to be alone if everything was all right.”

“Yes, he'd prefer to be off making bastards.”

Samir's gaze softened but he made no comment to the remark and Agni tilted his head.

“Do you care not if Mamoru insults you?”

“You two just go back to your conversation. Let me sit in peace.”

Mamoru grinned. “I'd be more than happy to. Like I was saying before we were rudely interrupted, I couldn't find…”

He was once again silenced with a look from Agni.

“Samir…I can smell your pain from here. What is wrong?”

“I don't know…my life has been happy and now I feel…”

“Like a lecher?” Agni glared at Mamoru.

“Empty.”

Both gods looked at him as if expecting further explanation and Mamoru felt like he couldn't keep glaring at him. Such pain was reflected in his eyes that neither knew quite what to do.

Mamoru was unable to keep a slight edge from his voice as he spoke.

“Why do you feel so empty? Isn't all the ill-fated love you've received enough? Is it not enough that you have the eye of nearly every woman you come into contact with, including my wife?”

Samir gave a huge sigh and seemed to shrink.

“I never slept with Kaia.”

Both of them looked at him but Agni looked knowingly as Mamoru did in shock.

“You didn't?”

Samir shook his head. “I claimed her child was mine because…”

“Because?” Agni prompted him.

“Because I wanted a child.”

Agni looked at him strangely. “But Samir, you have a son.”

Samir's head shot up. “I do? How? You've seen him? What's he like?”

Agni chuckled deep within his throat. “No, I haven't seen him, but have you never heard of the Prophecy of Four?”

The look in Samir's eyes said simply that he didn't.

Agni tilted his head towards the rising moon. “I'm not sure of the entire prophecy, but I know its general idea. Four beings would rise to end the war of the nations. The Son of Agni, the Daughter of Nen, the Daughter of Kaia…”

He turned towards Samir.

“…And the Son of Samir.”

Samir just looked at him so Agni continued.

“I thought that Prince Iroh's birth would trigger this prophecy, but it failed. In fact, I lost faith that the prophecy itself would come true. I fathered Zuko merely to put one of my own on the Fire Throne. But then…”

Both the Earth and Air Gods were listening rapturously. “Then what?”

“Then Nen ran away to marry the Water Tribesman. The Daughter of Nen was born.”

Mamoru looked at the ground. “Kaia had a daughter about eleven years ago…the only one missing is the Son of Samir.”

Agni gazed at Samir. “And I have an idea who it is…”

Azula sent an arc of flame at the rebel who nimbly dodged it and disappeared into the trees. After a moment he burst from them, leaping at her throat with one sword flung out at her face, but she caught it and twisted him lightly, sending the rebel crashing into the railing of her ship.

He stood and wiped a small trail of blood from his lip.

“Looks like I underestimated you princess.”

Azula laughed at the pet name and spun an arc of flame around her in a childish display of abilities.

“And I you little boy.”

He came at her again, hook swords twirling through the air as she sought to block every advance with a flaming fist. Once she was nearly cut and once he was nearly singed but neither could gain an edge on the other. He pushed her away with crossed swords and she herself allowed the motion to push her back several feet where they glared at each other.

“What's a strong fighter like you doing this deep into my woods?”

She looked at him, taking strong breaths to fuel her fire.

“I'm seeking the Avatar and my brother.”

He grinned. “The Avatar has long been gone from here. He nearly helped me clear the Fire Nation from this valley until he and the Water brat realized that it would hurt the villagers too.”

Nearly losing her stance, she was astonished. “He was here? Then you must know where he was going and you will tell me!”

He snorted and leaned back, hook-swords easing. “Why should I?”

Zula tilted her head, knowing threats wouldn't be enough and she couldn't very well defeat him in a fair fight. Then it dawned upon her.

“I'll clear the Fire Nation from this valley…within the hour…if you promise to help me capture the Avatar.”

The boy grinned. “I'll think about it…if you can do as you promise.”

She hissed in anger but wouldn't fall for his bait. “I can do as I promise, but only if you agree to my terms.”

He seemed to consider for a moment. “All right, I'll help you capture the Avatar if you get rid of the Fire Nation and leave the girl he's traveling with to me. She and I have some unfinished business.”

She nodded. “Agreed.”

The boy held out his hand and Azula sighed as she took his hand in her own, sealing their pact. After a moment he didn't seem to want to let her go and she allowed the heat to flow into her palm. He leaped back with a yelp and glared at her.

“Just so you know we aren't friends.” She smirked.

He growled his annoyance but she smiled. “Show me to the village.”

Again he grinned. “I think introductions should be made first. My name is Jet.”

She tossed her head annoyed. “Princess Azula. Now we know each other. Show me to the village! I'm eager to be on my way with you in tow if I must.”

Ziri sighed and watched his sister in the fading sunlight. It had been nearly two days since they'd run away from Cascata, and she was exhausted. They had done nothing but run since that fateful night, the elks never complaining or disobeying a command.

Now Zana was curled up next to Midori and she had snuggled into the elk's fur for warmth. They'd left so suddenly that they had nothing, only the grim hope that they were going in the right direction.

Tokul, Ziri's elk, was laying behind him, giving him something to lean on as he thought back on the eventful 36 hours that had unfolded. Tokul watched him ceaselessly and Ziri knew the elk would not rest until he did, despite how tired the poor beast was.

For the sake of the elk, Ziri stretched out on the unforgiving ground and moved closer to the warmth of Tokul's fur. The elk pulled him a bit closer before laying down his antlered head.

But even trapped in this cocoon of unwavering protection, Ziri could not sleep. How could he when from within his own body came the greatest danger, from the fire he was born with? Unwillingly, he looked at his hand, now wound tightly in Tokul's thick neck fur. He knew if he concentrated that fire would burst from the hand, burning his only friend. What happened if he could not control it?

Tears leapt unbidden to his eyes. Midori had accepted him after he had proven himself to be the brother she'd known and grown up with. This was hardly a fitting sixteenth birthday present to her, the event barely three days off, and she had been stripped from her home and sent on the run.

Silently, he cried into the fur of his only and closest friend, the only one he knew and trusted not to abandon him. He thought of the woman he'd called mother for so many years. Why had she taken him in? Did she know who he was? All the answers to these questions had died first with his mother and then with his aunt.

So many times his said `mother' had promised him that no one loved him more than she did, and this memory brought another wave of tears from the heart broken boy.

“Why,” he whispered brokenly. “…Did you love me when you didn't have to?”

Jet nodded to the princess and promptly leapt off the ship, presumably to lead her to the village. Azula deployed the anchor before following him. The way he led her seemed to be excessively confusing to make sure she couldn't find her way back without him, but unknown to him, every tree she touched came away with a small scorch mark. She wouldn't be taken advantage off.

Finally, he parted the branches on a tree before them.

“There's the village.”

Azula nodded. “All right. Stay here. I'll be right back.”

Jet shook his head. “No. I'm coming with you. For all I know you could be giving those bastards specific orders to burn the forest down.”

She smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “Why would I do that?”

Stupid Earth Kingdom brat. Now I might have to change my plan a bit.

Slowly, a new plan formed its way into her brilliant mind and her smile broadened slightly.

“All right Seth.”

“It's Jet.”

She shook her head. “As if it matters. Does your pathetic little rebel group have a name or are you just the nameless patrol of idiots?”

Jet glowered at her. “We're the Freedom Fighters.”

Azula snorted. “How original. Come on then.”

Without a second thought she walked down the hill and into the Earth Kingdom village. It didn't take her long to locate a high-ranking official. With the rebel right behind her, she walked directly up to him and jabbed two fingers into his chest.

“You, are you the commanding officer of this rat-trap?”

He stared at her and then recognized the flame emblem she always wore in her hair.

“Yes, your Highness, I am.”

“Good.” She smirked. “Do you realize how much trouble you've caused me?”

He looked horrified at the prospect that he might have caused her to stub her toe, let alone hinder her in some great deed. She decided this could be fun.

“My father and I have been using the Freedom Fighters as Earth Kingdom spies for a long time now…”

“But your Highness…”

“Shut up. Believe me, it's true. Why we would've told the likes of you escapes me so keep your mindless drivel to yourself.”

Behind her, Jet smirked. He could begin to like this girl.

“With your attempts to eradicate this feigned rebel group, you've interfered several times with secret missions that I and my carefully selected crews have been sent to complete. You've interfered with our plans to invade Ba Sing Se itself!”

If there was any color left in the officer's face, it left then. Azula couldn't help it, this was too fun! She stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest.

“My father decided that it was best if a new better-trained corps took up post here. They are already en-route, soldiers hand picked by my father.”

“But your Highness…”

She narrowed her golden eyes on the officer. “Do you dare to question my father's orders? Do you dare to question me directly? You will do as you are ordered! There is a ship waiting for you and your men in the river. You are to be gone from this miserable village by dawn and you are to report to Kusho Di for training. If you do not report, you will all be counted as deserters and treated as such. Have I made myself clear?”

Every Fire Nation soldier in the square gave her a quick bow. She nodded in affirmation.

“Now get to it before I decide to transfer you all to the front lines of the Northern Water Tribe siege!”

They scattered and Azula grinned triumphantly at the rebel. Jet returned her smile.

“See? That was all you had to do little boy.”

His smile grew a little wider. “Drop in on the Fire Nation Princess and make a deal with her? Perhaps that is something I should do more often.”

She smirked and gave a derisive snort. “Just tell me where the Avatar is headed.”

He smirked. “You aren't getting off that easy. I'm coming with you.”

Her smirk vanished. “That was not part of our deal.”

His smile, however, widened. “If I remember correctly you said you were `eager to be on your way with me in tow if you must.'”

Azula silently cursed. “Fine.”

“Good. Now let me go get a few things along with a few men.”

“All…Hang on one moment! I did not agree to transport your rebel friends! What's your name...Hat! Get back here!”

But he was already leaping laughingly into the trees and it was all Azula could do to keep up on foot.

As the sun set, it began to ran in a small Earth Kingdom town perhaps a ferry ride and a day's walk south of Kyoshi Island. A woman stood in the rain at the corner of an alley, a dark cloak covering her face, the rain soaking through the dark green wool until she was shivering from the deathly cold, but still she waited.

At long last, her waiting paid off as a spindly man came up, holding a single scroll. She snatched it from him and opened it, checking to make sure it was what she wanted before she tossed the bag of gold at his feet. Being the Fire Lady for nearly 12 years had helped her in being cold and cruel.

Returning to the inn she'd purchased a room at,Ursa was finally able to discard the ruined cloak in the safety of her room. She practically fell onto the bed as she opened the scroll once more. Just as she had asked him to, her hired man had not taken the original scroll, but copied the contents onto sturdier paper.

Tears sprang to her eyes as she finally held the piece of parchment that would shape the destiny of the two people she held most dear.

She held the Prophecy of Four.