The Officer and the Princess: The Flames Of War

Chapter 51

Sung had been in more than one close call in his life, Kretin Valley, Wan Hill, The Boiling Rock. But each time he had survived by the hair on his chin. But here now as he found himself surrounded he didn't see any way out. He'd be damned if he was going to let Kurn hang him up like a Fire Days Festival goose again. They were the definition of surrounded, people in front, people behind, and people on the sides. More than he could shake a stick at. He certainly wished he had his armor, and his sword. Neither of those items would have increased his chances of survival against so many numbers but at least he would have felt better.

So much was happening so fast that it was sending his mind into a full blown tumble, first off the messages that the Loyalists had been getting had been from Azula, second Azula hadn't betrayed him like he had thought but was trying to help in her own way , third Daichi was here, and fourth he could really use a nap. Though a very long very permeant nap looked to be in his future.

"Azula." Ozai had said. "What do you think you're doing?" Sung had learned a very long time ago that there was a time to talk then there was a time to listen, this certainly was one of those times where it was better to listen...he certainly didn't want to die with a tired jaw.

Azula looked tense as she looked at her father and Sung couldn't blame her, he'll he was tense too. "We're leaving father." Azula said, a bit of shakiness in her voice, she was afraid. If Azula of all people was afraid then the situation surely was a dire one, he had seen her shaken up, truly shaken up only a few times in all the years he had known her.

Ozai didn't look like he had enjoyed her answer very much. His face got pure red, and Sung was at least thankful that the Avatar had taken his bending away, or they'd all be eating fire balls right about now. "Leave...and where pray tell do you plan to go? There is nothing for you out there Azula."

What struck Sung as odd about this was Kurn was letting it happen, he was watching with great interest, like he had hoping that this confrontation happened much sooner. Kurn must be tired of pandering to Ozai, tired of pretending that Ozai held all the cards when the man hadn't even looked at the deck. "My brother is out there for one." Azula replied. "Since we were children you made us compete with each other, compete for your love. But you never loved either of us. The only reason you even paid a fraction of attention to me was because I was better at Firebending, I idolized you father!" She was screaming now, years of anger pouring out of her like a broken floodgate. "You were not worth idolizing!"

Ozai wasn't having any of it. "You dare talk to me like that!" He shouted. "After everything I did for you, I made sure you got the best education possible, anything you wanted I gave you! You certainly never went hungry."

"Oh congratulations!" Azula said clapping sarcastically. "You made sure I didn't die and I could read, you did the bare minimum of what a father was supposed to do! I bet you feel accomplished!" She suddenly pointed at Sung. "His father was more of a father to me than you ever were! Hell, Uncle Iroh was more of a father to me than you ever were and I treated him horribly. If I could go back in time and do everything all over again...when you banished Zuko, YOUR SON, I would have gone with him."

Sung was almost certain that Ozai popped a blood vessel. "You insolent little brat, you were once my greatest accomplishment, look at you know. You're no better than a commoner. Your time alone has changed you!"

Azula laughed now. "You're right, it did change me. It changed me for the better. I see through you now OZAI, you're not the perfect man I once thought you were. Deep down you are a coward, a scared little boy, who is nothing without his crown. I'm nothing like you are, I don't need a crown to define me."

Ozai looked to Kurn. "KILL THEM ALL!" Ozai shouted.

"All of you hold your positions." Kurn said, crossing his arms. Many of his soldiers looked to him now, absolutely shocked that he would ignore an order from their king, their rightful ruler. "No one moves without my order."