Trust is for Fools

Bjorn

Well-Known Member
#1
This is the first part of what will be a fairly long oneshot. I'm just putting it up so that I can get some CC on character voices and stuff, since this is my first Avatar fic and I've only watched the series through once.

This is set several months after the end of Avatar canon.

------------

The guards bowed once and silently withdrew, the only sound in the great antechamber the crackling of flame. The curtain of fire jumped once before guttering out and the figure on the throne hurried down, his excitement evident from every movement of his body.

"Not that I don't appreciate the chance to see my dearest nephew," Iroh said as the Fire Lord knelt beside him, "but the summons by airship was rather sudden, don't you think? I had to actually stop the Earth King from getting on with me, you know." He took a small sip of tea and smiled. "But I can tell you're bursting with the need to tell me something. Come on, out with it."

The words tripped over themselves in their rush to leave Zuko's mouth. "I found her! She was on Ember Island! All along! I can't believe-"

"Calm down, Fire Lord Zuko. Let's start from the beginning."

"...My mother, uncle. I found where she's beind held."

"I see."

Iroh took another long sip of tea, held it in his mouth until the taste and scent filled him, then swallowed. Beside him, Zuko fidgeted.

"Well?" Iroh asked after a moment, putting down his cup. "Is that it?"

Zuko gaped. "Is that it?" he said, incredulous. "My mother, uncle!" He sounded hurt and shocked at the same time.
"Don't you realize-"

"Oh, I realize what this means to you well enough," Iroh said, smiling slightly. "But isn't there someone else you should share the good news with?"

Zuko drew back, confused. "I was hoping to tell Aang and the others after I brought mother back..."

"Not your friends," Iroh said, shaking his head. "Someone closer."

Zuko frowned. "Closer? Other than you, uncle..." He paled abruptly, his good eye widening in alarm. "You don't mean...? You can't be-"

Iroh merely held his nephew's gaze, and in the end it was Zuko who turned away first.

"I can't let her out. She's a prisoner. A war criminal."

"You are the Fire Lord, Zuko. Your word is law."

"She's insane. She didn't even love mother; she smiled when she told me Mother'd been exiled." Zuko stopped, searching for words. "She's evil," he finally said, irritated. "She's been that way since she was old enough to walk and she always will be."

Iroh shook his head. "People change, Zuko. You of all people should know that."

"I-" Zuko's teeth made an audible click as he closed his mouth. He glared daggers at the older man and said, "That was a low blow, uncle."

Iroh smiled briefly. "Azula is not so evil that she deserves to be punished this way."

"You should have seen her, Uncle! She was completely insane. Completely evil - she was fighting to kill. She almost killed Aang. She almost killed me!"

"Zuko," Iroh said, sighing. "I know what it's like when someone crosses the line and is lost."

"You do?" Zuko thought it over for a moment, and grimaced. "Yeah, you do."

"Azula hasn't crossed that line yet." Iroh offered his nephew another small smile. "I just don't want you to repeat the same mistakes that I made."

Zuko floundered for a decent excuse in the face of what his uncle had revealed. "Aang's not going to be happy if I free the person who nearly killed him." It was a weak and flimsy excuse at best, and they both knew it.

"The Avatar is more than capable of taking care of himself." Iroh fixed Zuko with a piercing look, suddenly reminding his nephew that the old man in front of him had once been trusted with command of the Fire Nation's army. "I am not forcing you to do this, Zuko. Only reminding you that everyone deserves..." He laid one hand on his own chest, the other on Zuko's shoulder.

"A second chance."

Zuko's shoulders slumped and he looked away, staring at the floor. He sighed, was silent for a moment, then said, "Let me think about it."

Iroh smiled, amusement again glinting in his eyes. "That is all I wanted to hear," he said. He finished his tea, grimacing slightly. "Look at what you made me do, nephew! It's gotten cold."

Despite himself, Zuko couldn't help but chuckle at the mock dismay in his uncle's voice.

Iroh mulled over his thoughts before saying, "Just ask yourself if you really want to deprive Azula of something that could help heal-"

"I get the point, uncle," Zuko mock growled, hiding his smile as he got to his feet and extended a hand to help the older man. "I told you I'd think about it, and if you keep badgering me about it I'll pass a law outlawing tea in the Fire Nation." The smile turned into a grimace as he turned away, and he was unable to keep the strain from his voice as he left, leading Iroh out of the throne room.

"I just need some time."

---

It was cold. Her arms and legs ached, the pain so familiar and constant that she could almost ignore it. Almost. She growled and resisted the need to spit flames, to struggle against the bonds holding her in place. A princess should be above such petty urges.

She heaved her body back and forth a moment later, hissing. The flames inside her chafed to be let free but she swallowed them. Mad they might think her, but the still-healing burns on her face and wrists provided their own special kind of sanity.

It was cold.

Someone was standing at the door of her cell.

Who...?

"Leave us."

Oh. You.

"I..."

Come on, speak up now. You can't stand there fidgeting forever.

"I didn't mean for it to be like this."

Then how did you mean it to be, Zuzu?

"You're still my sister."

And you're still master of the obvious, I see.

"I'm sorry."

Come here to gloat, then, have you? Spirits, how insufferable you look, in the robes that should be mine to wear.

"The doctors say that you've improved a lot since..."

Since you usurped my rightful place as Fire Lord.

"Since Sozin's Comet."

Such a load of bullshit.

"...Are you even listening to me? Damn it, Azula, I came here to tell you..."

Temper, temper, Zuzu. Wouldn't do to have the great Fire Lord shouting at little old me.

What? Did you expect me to break down in tears or something? Beg for forgiveness upon seeing your ugly scarred face?


"I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

Like hell you didn't. I don't know what you came here to do, but-

"I found out where Mother's prison is."

...

"I got Father to tell me."

...

"She's at Ember Island. There's a hidden cell at the center of the island; only Father knew where it is. She was right under our noses the entire time and-"

"Get out."

"What?"

"You heard me. Leave."

"Azula, I'm telling you this because I know you love Moth-"

"Get out of my sight, Zuko!"

"...Fine."

He's really going to leave.

"Wait."

---

"Wait."

Zuko turned around, scarcely able to believe his ears. From the looks of it, Azula was nearly as surprised as he was. He stepped up to the bars and waited as the shock on Azula's face turned into molten fury. Silence hung like a tangible thing over the room.

Zuko saw his sister pale and disheveled, her hair grown long and unkempt. Her hands and feet were encased in thick metal mitts, the mitts in turn chained to the wall behind her. A matching half-mask covered the lower half of her face, with slits for air - apparently someone had heard about Azula's own volatile version of their uncle's dragon breath. Something in his chest lurched hard at the sight. Nobody should ever have to be treated this way, he thought, his hand half-rising from his side before he made it stop.

Azula's furious glare revealed nothing to Zuko save blazing, open hostility.

"So what are you going to do now, Fire Lord?" Azula said suddenly, her mocking voice echoing oddly from the steel muzzle. "Now that you've gloated, I supposed you're off to Ember Island and a tearful reunion with Mother?" She hawked and spat - Zuko didn't know whether she'd forgotten the muzzle or just didn't care - and spittle began to drip from the slits.

He frowned, biting back the familiar ire that rose in him. "Azula, listen to me. I had a talk with Uncle Iroh, and he said that maybe-"

Azula's voice was sharp and cutting, reminding Zuko unpleasantly of the scorn she'd routinely heaped on him just half a year ago. "So it was his idea. I should've known you wouldn't have the spine to come on your own. My entire family turning against me!"

"Azula-"

She ignored him, raising her voice to overcome his own. "Nobody was ever on my side. Only father ever tried to spend any time with me, and even then I had to work for his approval. Mother always favored you." Zuko recoiled at the bitterness in his sister's voice. "She thought I was a monster. The bitch."

Zuko's expression darkened, the anger that had been his constant companion until recently abruptly roaring over him and tainting his view with red. "You can say what you want about me, Azula," he snarled, "but I don't have to stand here and listen to you insult our family." He turned sharply on his heel, reaching for the exit.

"Wait! Don't leave me! The note of utter desperation in Azula's voice and the sudden rattle of chains was enough to stop him dead in his tracks.

He faced her and watched as tried to school her features back into the veneer of cold detachment she'd cultivated since they were children. It was not, Zuko observed, working very well. Eventually she seemed to give up on it altogether and settled on a sullen glare.

"Why did you come here, then?"

Zuko stared at her for a moment before speaking. "I want you to come along with me." Again, he watched a gamut of emotions play openly across his sister's face - so different from how she'd been before, hiding everything behind a icily amused mask. "She's your mother just as much as she is mine, and nobody deserves to be kept from a parent."

She giggled. The short, off-key sound made Zuko uneasy. "What makes you think I'd want to go?" she asked, her voice shaking badly. It was obvious that the words had meant to be a stinging retort, but all Zuko felt was a wave of pity and an odd pain in his chest at how far his sister had fallen.

He didn't answer for a moment, closing his eyes. If he really let Azula out, there would be questions. Some of his advisors might take it as a sign that he was unfit to rule, an immature man-child easily governed by his emotions. Releasing his sister, even if he did stay with her, was nothing short of madness. The chances that this would do anything good for either of them were so slim as to be nonexistant.

Unbidden, the thought of Azula wasting away in this place, the days stretching to months stretching to years, rose in his mind. Could he truly say he was trying to rule with compassion when he'd left his own blood sister to rot in a prison cell for the rest of her life, insane and afraid? The tone of Azula's voice when she'd begged him to stay...

He made a decision and stepped forward, drawing a key from inside his sleeve and opening Azula's cell door.

"What are you-"

His nose wrinkled as he drew nearer. From the smell of it, Azula hadn't bathed much - perhaps not at all - since she'd arrived months ago. Zuko unlinked the gloves and let them fall to the floor, then knelt to open the steel "boots."

Azula rose from her knees cautiously, flexing her fingers experimentally and showing open wonder at the sensation despite herself. Her eyes widened as her legs buckled underneath her, and if Zuko hadn't caught her by the arm to support her she would have fallen to the floor. Easily holding her up with one arm - a part of him was very concerned about how light she'd become - he reached up with his other hand.

"Trust me," he said, undoing the lock that held Azula's muzzle in place. He yelped as it fell away and Azula promptly snorted once, a small burst of flame jetting from her nostrils to singe his fingers. "Azula!" Apprehension flared suddenly in his chest, and he suddenly found himself regretting the decision to dismiss the guards around Azula's cell. He relaxed a little when she didn't follow up on her attack, apparently content with burning Zuko's fingers for the time being.

Azula sniffed and wrenched her arm from his grasp. She turned away, stubbornly refusing his supporting hand and forcing herself to stand straight.

"Trust is for fools."

------------

So, like it? Hate it? Thought it sucked balls?
 

aledeth

Well-Known Member
#2
I didn't think it was bad at all.

Maybe it's that I've seen the show recently, but I was able to put voice to every character in my head, which I think shows that you've managed to keep everyone's speech the same way it was from the show.

It'll be interesting to see where things end up going.
 

Ina_meishou

Well-Known Member
#3
you bastard...now your going to have me eging you along even more than I have been.

Good show, characters fit.

Mostly, Zuko still seems a bit too "Good" but I suppose I can go with Mai having had a good time the night before or something.
 
Top