ＣＨＡＰＴＥＲ ＮＩＮＥ
ＧＨＯＳＴＳ ＯＦ ＴＨＥ ＰＡＳＴ
•
"ＳＯＵＮＤ ＴＨＥ alarm, the Fire Lord is missing!"
Korra woke up to the sounds of screaming and chaos in the guest wing of the palace. She rushes to get out of bed and walks out of her room in her nightclothes. When she stepped outside she could see Mako, Bolin, Asami and Tenzin and his family do the exact same.
At the end of the hallway they see two guards arguing, who didn't seem to notice all their guests joining them in the corridor. "But where could she be," an older man yells at a young man.
Korra recognizes the older man as General Fazhou, the head of the Fire Lord's guard. She had seen him back in Republic City as part of her security detail.
The younger guard cowers underneath the fiery gaze of the other man. "I don't know, General. I am not even sure how she managed to leave unnoticed. None of the guards posted by her chambers have seen anything."
"Well, look harder! Leave no stone unturned. We may have arrested the leaders of the rebellion, but that does not mean we have eradicated it yet." General Fazhou sends the young guard on his way and turns around, finally taking notice of the surprised looks on the royal guests.
"Pardon for the commotion. We are dealing with a slight inconvenience, which will be solved shortly. Can I show you the way to the dining hall," the general asks. He sounds calm, appearing collected. He did not want to spread panic on the missing Fire Lord, that much was clear to Korra.
She crosses her arms before her chest, arching her eyebrow up. "I can hardly think about what I want for breakfast when my friend goes missing, shortly after a group of people tried to kill her. So, tell us what is going on and maybe we can help find her."
General Fazhou tries to keep his composure, but fails moments later. He sighs in defeat. "Then please follow me as we brief the Royal Family. They have gathered in the throne room."
The general leads them through the many halls of the palace to the throne room where Iroh, Izumi and Zuko were already dressed in their normal attire and standing by the seat of the Fire Lord.
The Royal Family looks down from where they were standing. Their eyebrows are arched similarly, almost exactly the same manner. They were awaiting an answer from the guard.
General Fazhou bows his head. "My Lady, my Lords-" But Zuko raises his hand, stopping him in the middle of his sentence. "Is there news about Daiyin?"
"Still no word, my Lord. The guards are doing everything they can. But, speaking from experience, if Daiyin does not want to be found, she is usually not found."
Korra was in disbelief. She crosses her toned arms before her chest and stares at the general.
"How did this even happen? We've just squashed a rebellion in which the Fire Lord got hurt, shouldn't she be under constant observation?"
General Fazhou sighs, followed by a tired chuckle. "You've not known the princess as long as I have, Avatar. She is quite resourceful when she does not want to have her guards around her. This is not the first time she has escaped the palace."
Zuko rubs his temple. His heart beat was pounding. He knew that, if Daiyin were there, she would remind him of keeping his temper in check for his bloodpressure.
But she was not there. She could be anywhere, perhaps even hurt. Because, although Daiyin believes otherwise, she was not invincible.
"Send guards. Cover every nook and corner of the city. I want my granddaughter returned by the end of the day," Zuko orders, his voice stern and his tone commanding.
The general bows his head. "As you wish, my Lord."
He turns around to leave the hall, but stops when the doors open again. This time two men entered. The older man struts inside with decisive steps, clutching the collar of the much younger man. Both were dressed in the armor of a Fire Nation soldier.
The older man drags the younger one, perhaps nineteen years old, forward. He pulls him onto his feet and turns him around so he would face them. The boy was a sickly pale, gulping as he stares at the Royal Family and their esteemed guests.
"Tell them what you told me, Azulo," the older man grumbles. He crosses his arms before his chest. But the boy seemed unable to speak. They could see his knobbly knees shaking from a distance.
Lord Zuko was the first to notice that most of his nervousness stems from having to address him and his family and friends, the leaders of the world and their close associates. He softens his hardened exterior and smiles politely at the young soldier.
"Please, share whatever you wish to tell with us." Azulo glances between the former Fire Lord and his general. He rests his eyes on the Fire Lord again, but didn't dare to look him in his eyes. "I-I told General Suzo that I-I might.."
The soldier falls silent. He twists his thumbs and keeps his eyes on the tiled floor. "I might know where the Fire Lord has gone to."
Korra was about to burst out of her seams. She stares at the soldier, making him even more nervous. "Well, tell us where!" Tenzin lays a calming hand on the young Avatar's shoulder. "Korra, be polite. But, do tell, young man." The airbender glances at the soldier, but his gaze was intense and stern.
The soldier swallows a lump away and fumbles with his hands.
"When.. When she was still the princess, Fire Lord Daiyin sometimes went to the dungeons."
Zuko feels his heart contracting. A vein pops up on his forehead. "What for?" The soldier was really ready to sink through the ground at that moment, but one stern look from his general told him to finish his story.
"To.. to visit Lord Ozai and Princess Azula, fire bless her soul."
That sent the entire room into disarray. Everyone was talking, all sharing the same feelings of concern. But Zuko overtowers all the noise and beckons everyone to silence. "And why would you never tell me this," the former Fire Lord asks. The soldier takes a step back, cowering in fear. Even Korra lowers her gaze in fear of the older man's rage.
"She told me that, if I did so, she would know I did it and make me regret it. Pardon me, Lord Zuko, but Fire Lord Daiyin can be very.. dominating."
Zuko sighs. He didn't need to be told what his granddaughter was like. She is headstrong and stubborn, nonetheless very domineering when she wants to be. Those can be great qualities in a ruler, although they could also make it a lot more difficult to find someone who does not want to be found.
He did not enjoy the prospect of going to the dungeons. He has not gone there since his sister Azula died more than ten years ago. But if his granddaughter was there it was his obligation to go. Even if he has to meet the eyes of the man who disfigured him.
"It appears we must go to the dungeons."
•
ＫＯＲＲＡ ＣＯＵＬＤＮ'Ｔ believe she was standing eye to eye with the nemesis of her former life, the infamous former Fire Lord Ozai.
She had seen his portrait hanging in the hallway of the palace. She couldn't imagine that this shell of a man, basically a skeleton with the pale skin pulled tightly over it, was once this powerful bender who made the world tremble in fear.
But the years had done Ozai no good, especially those he had spent in captivity.
Lord Zuko was standing in front of them all, facing his father who was sitting on the dusty cell floor in rags. He stares impassively that the caged man, who grins in evil delight while his eyes hold a dark sparkle. The crazed look made shivers of fear rush over the spines of many, even Korra. All except Zuko.
"Where is my granddaughter," he demands.
Ozai smirks, which looks strange on his sharp facial features. "So you finally figured it out. I thought you never would." The old man leans backwards, his back resting against the cold stone of the prison wall.
"I thought you would keep a tighter leash on the girl. Especially after what happened to her father.."
Zuko's jaw ticks forward, but that was all he did to show his growing rage. Korra was surprised at his restraint. If she had been in his place, she would have started throwing punches the moment she entered the prison. But she also thought it would not take long for Zuko to explode.
"How I raise my granddaughter is my business. And you will not invoke the name of my son as you are not worth of even thinking of him. Now, you will tell me if she was here or I can make your life here in this cell even more unpleasant than it already is, father."
Ozai's smirk was wiped away. Amber eyes narrow down in hatred and disgust at his only son. "She was here the day before her coronation. After that she has not visited," the man responds, his glaring eyes still drilling into those of Zuko.
Zuko turns around swiftly, his robes spinning around him. He marches out of the cell, ignoring the burning gaze of his father. The others glance between the two of them before following the former Fire Lord out of the dungeons.
"So, what do we do now," Asami questions as they all gather in the corridor outside of Ozai's cell. Zuko stays quiet, looking down at his feet while his daughter and grandson were standing by his side supportingly.
"Well, we think. We all know Daiyin much better than Ozai, even though he believes otherwise. We must think like her," Korra responds. She closes her eyes and rubs her temples, thinking deeply about her friend.
Daiyin has been by her side for so long, but it was always difficult for Korra to say if she truly knew the girl. When they went to Republic City she was one of the few who knew her secret identity as Fire Nation princess, although she was left in the dark about the threats to her life.
But some things have always been the same, in the compound where she grew up as in Republic City.
Daiyin is fiery. She doesn't take anyone's bullshit, nor sugarcoats what she thinks. But she is the most loyal person Korra has ever met. Deep inside she was caring and thoughtful, offering to keep her mind off the troubles with Amon by suggesting to go spar with her. She is highly spiritual as well, which brings Korra to a brilliant idea.
"Lord Zuko, are there any quiet, not-known-to-many places for someone to meditate?"
Zuko's eyes brighten. He knows the Avatar was going in the right direction the way she was thinking.
"There is the hillside, a few miles outside of the capital. It is peaceful and quiet, but because of its vast size and since barely anyone lives there it is very secluded."
Korra grins.
"Then that is where we should go."