Authors Note: I would like to thank you everyone who has read this far and continues to follow this story! It's a little late for me to be saying that seeing as we are eight chapters in but I feel the need to thank you all now! For those of you that have been reading from the beginning just know that I will try to add an Authors Note to chapter one where I will mention some of my inspirations and thought process for this story and for those of you that may have already read it just ignore this and keep reading.
Thank you all again and I hope you continue to enjoy this story!
Azula and Angara stared each other down at the end of each corridor waiting for the other to make the first move. The three young Ke'Kuvon standing behind the older huntress as if she was an impenetrable wall while the three other passengers looked on in dread as to what's to come.
"Everybody who's not me or her, get out!" Angara announced, the other passengers made no hesitation to run off. She leaned back not taking her eyes off her opponent, "That goes for you three as well."
"But, big sis..." Tyto pleaded.
"Beat it!" She ordered.
Tyto grabbed his cousins and pulled them behind the sliding door leaving Angara and Azula alone.
"You can turn back now princess. We can forget this ever happened and just walk away." She said, grabbing her broken helmet from the seat.
"Getting cold feet already? I thought you were braver than that."
Angara cracked her knuckles against her chin, "It's good sport to allow the weaker opponent to walk away."
Azula let out an exasperated laugh as she ran her fingers through her hair, straightening it out, "I'm going to enjoy this far more than I should." Her expression shifted to one of detachment as her analytical mind took over.
Compared to the previous group of untrained misfits Angara was a force to be reckoned with. Covered almost head to toe in armor that turned her into a living tank along with a series of gadgets. Azula knew she was at a disadvantage, the only edge she had was her firebending but the chase and earlier fight had sapped her of a lot of strength. If she was going to stand any chance against Angara she needed to bait her into making the first move. It shouldn't be hard, after all she was like Zuko, an emotional brute who attacks in blind rage.
"I was such a fool thinking I could make peace with you. A savage filthy peasant, part of a sad dying and defeated people. Too prideful to recognize their own weakness!"
Angara's snarl grew wider as she growled like a feral wolf bat, nostrils flaring, "That's it! I'm gonna smash every bone connected to that mouth of yours!"
Angara took the bait and charged blindly. Azula smirked as she quickly lined up a shot and sent a small blast of blue fire towards her eye's. Angara reacted quickly and blocked the shot with her helmet before throwing it with all her might.
Azula ducked out of the way as the helmet nearly collided with her face but could not recover in time to stop the punch to her stomach, the force of which nearly knocked her off her feet. Angara followed up with another swing this time directed towards her face. On instinct Azula shot a blast of fire with her foot into Angara's stomach pushing both opponents away from each other.
Azula clenched her stomach as she braced herself against a seat. She had received very few direct physical blows like that in her life but that one was by far the strongest and most painful one she's ever taken.
Angara quickly shot up to her feet, her padded stomach covered in scorch marks, and was quick to go back on the offensive.
Azula bolted up ignoring the pain and shot a continuous cone of fire at her. Angara threw up her arm with her energy shield unfolding and sent the blast in every other direction as she closed the distance between them, stopping the blast with a swift back handed swipe with the shield. With the shield retracted Angara sent a flurry of powerful blows with Azula ducking and weaving out of each but struggled to keep up until one struck her face almost sending her to the floor
The baited attack didn't work so now Azula must remain on the defensive and wait for an opening.
Angara's attacks were relentless with her strategy clearly being to overwhelm Azula, her offense simultaneously being her defense, thankfully for Azula Angara's movements were slowed down by both the weight of her armor and the high gravity. She couldn't use her firebending at this range as the narrow train cart gave her very little room to bend without the risk of burning herself.
The only obvious weak point was her head so Azula focused on sending a jab or punch to it any chance she got with the Ke'Kuvon woman taking each shot like it was nothing.
Azula went for another jab to her jaw but Angara caught her by the wrist and pulled her in to deliver a devastating headbutt, her thorny head spikes digging into the princess's forehead. Heavily dazed from the attack, Azula was wide open for another that Angara greedily took by hammering her head two more times into Azula's but in the process put herself in a similar daze.
The two stumbled away from each other, Angara bracing herself against a pole trying to regain her senses while Azula was in a worse state sprawled out on the ground, forehead bleeding. She was on the edge of consciousness, the world spinning around her, ears ringing and nausea setting in but she refused to go down. She would not allow herself to be defeated in such a manner and she slowly pushed herself up and saw Angara attempting to reorient herself.
She forced herself up and shot two more fireballs at her, one dispersing on her chest plate and the other hitting the edge of her armored skirt burning through the fabric of her side, Angara cried out holding her side leaving her open to a flying knee that collided with the side of her face sending her sprawling to the floor on her stomach.
Azula wasted no time wrapping an arm around her neck putting her in a choke hold. Angara struggled against her grip but her position didn't allow for much flexibility. With her opposing hand Azula summoned a plume of fire with Angara grabbing hold of her wrists before the flame could be jammed into her face.
"You know, my brother has this awful burn in the side of his face!" She attempted to inch the flame closer to Angara's right eye, "I loved to make fun of it and watch him get angry knowing he couldn't do anything about it! But I haven't seen him in a long time and I'm growing a little homesick!" Angara struggled to keep the fire away, its light blinding, "Why don't I make you my new Zuzu?!"
Angara couldn't keep this up forever so she reached for her jetpack controls on her hip activating the thrusters and propelling them both into the roof of the compartment, Azula taking the brunt of the blow and broke the hold she had over her.
Angara summoned the blade from her gauntlet and swung backwards landing a deep cut just under the princess's eye. Angara swung the blade savagely roaring out with fury trying to slice up the princess. Azula caught her arm, stopping her assault until the huntress grabbed the back of Azula's head and attempted to pull her neck onto the edge of her blade.
"Still think you got the upper hand here, princess?" She let a feral smile creep up on her face.
With the blade inching closer and closer to her throat Azula found it difficult to breathe. With one last deep breath Azula shot a small burst of fire singing the Ke'Kuvon's scarlet bangs with Azula kicking her away.
The two glared daggers at each other and were about to lung until one of the doors slid open pausing their battle momentarily as an elderly alien slug woman pushed a cart of refreshments down the aisle. She was so old that she didn't seem to notice the carnage of battle on the two passengers.
Not wanting the old woman to get involved in their fight the two girls shifted out of their fighting stances and pretended to be passengers enjoying the ride while using this time to regain their strength.
The old woman's droopy eye stalks turned to them, "Refreshments?"
"No, we're good." Angara said in a rushed response, wanting the old train attendant gone.
"Actually," Azula called to the attendant, "I'm feeling a little parched. Do you have any water with you?"
Angara's glare intensified as the old woman searched the cart and presented her a bottle of water, "Twelve units, please."
Azula took the bottle and feigned concern as she patted her pockets, "Oh no, it would seem I don't have enough money on me." She turned to the smoldering Angara, "You don't mind, do you?" She asked before opening the bottle and taking a gulp from it.
Angara's face tightened further in rage to the point she was grinding her teeth as she reached for her wallet and presented a card to the attendant not wanting to continue the fight while the older woman was still present.
After scanning her card the elderly slug woman returned the card before slowly slithering out the opposite door.
"You owe me twelve units." Angara spat out bitterly.
"Is that a lot?" She took another long sip.
"For a bottle of water, yes."
"Thank you for your sacrifice then." She gave her a snobbish smile before taking another sip.
Angara gave her a long hard stare as she watched her drink the overly priced water she was forced to pay for, "I hate you."
Azula screwed the lid back onto the half empty bottle, "The feeling is mutual."
She then threw it as hard as she could, managing to hit the bounty hunter in the corner of her forehead and disorienting her long enough for Azula to deliver a push kick into her stomach and send her into the cart window, the window cracking as Angara's jetpack made contact. She followed up with another blast of fire that Angara narrowly dodged.
After rolling out of the way of another wave of fire Angara grabbed her helmet from the floor and swung it hitting Azula in her side, interrupting her attack before going on the offensive again.
Azula attempted to throw another jab to her nose hoping to blindside her long enough for a more devastating attack but found herself punching the metal helmet Angara used as a shield at full force.
After recoiling from the pain Angara lunged towards her, tackling the princess through the sliding door, the door bending and breaking off its hinges and glass from its window shattering.
Both opponents were exhausted and hurt but neither were willing to stop the fight, however Azula was hitting her limit and she was struggling to get up. Angara still had her strength though and pulled herself up and knelt over her.
"I said... I was going to... smash every bone... attached to your mouth..." Angara said in between breaths.
Azula's eyes widened as she raised the helmet over her head and aimed for Azula's mouth.
"I always... keep my promises!" Before she could hammer the helmet down a metallic voice cut through the air.
"Freeze!"
Angara turned to see two law enforcement officers standing behind them with their weapons drawn.
"Weapons down! Appendages in the air!" The other officer shouted.
Angara slowly lowered the helmet and got off Azula doing as instructed.
Azula stumbled up attempting to smooth over her appearance, "Officer... there's been a misunderstanding here..." she attempted to smooth things over.
"Appendages in the air!" He repeated more forcefully.
She couldn't bargain her way out of this situation so she just had to comply.
One of the officers began to list out their crimes as he made his way to arrest them. While doing so Angara looked to her right towards the flexible membrane between the carts. She summoned her wrist blade and with a quick swing sliced it open with the sudden shock of the outside wind shooting in disorienting everyone present she leapt out.
Seeing an opportunity to escape Azula followed diving through the hole before the officer could catch her.
Azula plummeted to the ground below, throwing her arms to her side shooting jets of fire to slow her descent until she made an ungraceful landing in a dirt mound.
The train sped away following the elevated tracks towards its destination leaving both of them behind in the badlands of Kazima. Azula looked around herself seeing nothing but pink sevanna and sparse red trees. She attempted to stand but her limbs buckled. She had used up all of her strength and couldn't continue with her vision blurring until she fell on her face unconscious.
Angara walked following the tracks until she saw Azula face down in the dirt. She snarled in frustration, "You've got to be kidding me!"
Angara marched up to her, flipping her over, finding that she was unconscious. A rhythmic vibrating came from one of her pockets. Angara reached into it pulling out a communicator and answered it.
"Azula, finally! I've been trying to reach you for an hour now!" My'Rell's voice came through loudly in annoyance, "Where are you, right now?"
"The princess is currently knocked out in the badlands, captain." She answered in a tired tone.
"Angara? Why are you answering Azula's communicator and what do you mean she's knocked out?"
Angara looked down on the unconscious princess wanting nothing more than to bash her face in but her honor prevented her from striking an unconscious opponent.
She sighed, "How much time do you have, captain?"
Azula awoke to water being poured over her face making her jump up in surprise.
"Wakey, wakey princess." Angara said with a sneer holding a canteen over her.
"What happened?" She asked frantically.
"We're stranded in the badlands because of you." She said sitting on a rock, "Horizon city is an eight hour walk back the way we came and the nearest place of refuge is the Ke'Kuvon camp which is three hours that way." She pointed in a direction away from the other end of the tracks.
Azula hissed in pain as she slowly tried to pull herself up, "Then let's make for the camp and try to-"
"Sit down." Angara ordered, drawing her blaster.
Azula furrowed her brow in frustration not wanting to deal with another argument.
"Listen! If we are going to survive we need to-"
A bright red plasma blast struck the ground by her feet, silencing her instantly, "Sit. Down."
Azula slowly complied.
"You know, I could redirect that beam." She cautiously reminded her.
Angara flipped a switch on her blaster, "Let's see if you can redirect rapid-fire, then."
She looked to the sky staring at the great ring and two moons orbiting overhead, "So are we just going to sit here and wait for whatever passes for man-eating animals to eat us or are we going to try and get out of here?"
"We are going to sit right here and wait until My'Rell comes with the shuttle and picks you up. Then I'm going to go back to my people and try and forget you exist."
"How long is that going to take?"
"However long it needs to be."
"She could pick me up at the camp-"
For the third time Angara interrupted her, "There is no way in hell I will ever let you anywhere near that camp!" Angara stood over her, fury in her eyes but winced at the pain caused by the burn on her side, "You chased three members of my clan all over town and tried to burn them over five units. My people already have a lot to deal with, I'm not going to bring a psychopath like you into the mix."
"Would you have simply let it go?"
"No I wouldn't, but I saw Tyto's face. Yeah, maybe he deserved it. He's a stupid kid who can't keep his nose out of trouble but you got your retribution, so you should have just taken the money and walked away! That's what I would've done." Angara sat back down attempting to calm herself, "You may have been the head of the pack on that primitive rock you call a home but you're not there anymore. Out here you're not a princess you're just some pup biting at bigger predators you think are prey." She chuckled to herself, "You know, I think that'll be my nickname for you. Pup. After all, I don't want to feed your ego by calling you a princess."
"That's enough!" Azula exploded attempting to stand but her wounds kept her down, "I will not sit here and be lectured to like I am lesser than! Especially by someone like you!"
Angara raised the weapon, "Careful pup, in case you forgot I won that fight and you're in no condition for a rematch."
Azula glared at her before taking a seated position, "I was exhausted, both from the chase, my fight with this Tyto and his lackeys along with just how heavy everything is around here... that's the only reason you won."
"Right." Angara said slowly.
Azula then turned to her glaring and with an edge to her voice, "If you ever call me pup again I'll-"
"You'll what? Break your nose on my fist?" Angara responded with just as much edge.
Azula turned away seeing a small watering hole, "I'm going to wash my face, or is that a problem?"
Angara gave her a long hard stare before responding, "Stay in my line of sight."
Azula stood up and slowly hobbled to the pool of water and kneeled down and looked at her reflection. She was a disheveled mess. Her pristine skin sullied with bruises and cuts. Her topknot was a tangled lopsided mess, strands out of place and hanging in her face.
She looked just like she did on the day of the comet. Imperfect, broken, insane... monstrous. She looked at her hands and noticed they were shaking.
"Azula." A familiar voice called out from across the watering hole.
She looked up and saw her mother standing amongst the pink grass, her red robes looking as though they belonged with the surrounding environment.
She can't snap not here. She can't show anyone else her weakness. Not again.
She shoved her hands into the water getting rid of the image, scooping up some water and cleansing her face. Azula looked up again, the apparition gone.
She sighed in relief then undid her hair, redoing it so that not one hair was out of place. She had to be perfect, it's the only way to keep her focused, keep her sane.
Her skin was somewhat back to its original appearance save for the cuts and bruises and her beautiful hair was perfectly tied back into its normal topknot except for one thing, her right strand of hair that she allowed to hang loose to emphasize her jawline was cut in half lining up with the cut beneath her eye. An imperfection created by the Ke'Kuvon woman sitting behind her, one that drove her ire as she clutched it in her hand wanting to pull the offending imperfection away.
"Hurry up, Pup!" Angara called out.
Angara's communicator buzzed, My'Rell was calling, "Captain. You on your way?"
"I've got some bad news." The captain's voice came in with clear annoyance.
Angara snarled, pressing the sights of her blaster into her forehead as if to quell an oncoming headache, "What is it now?"
My'Rell stood before the shuttle, arms crossed and a vein throbbing on her forehead, staring at a bright yellow clamp attached to the upper platform of the landing pad with its opposite end locked around one of the the shuttles legs with a thick cable connecting them.
She brought her communicator up to speak, "Proxly clamped the shuttle and he's not answering any of my calls."
Angara roared out a series of curses drawing Azula's attention, "How long until you can get here?"
"I have no idea. You know how Proxly likes to drag things out." Her voice came through, "Listen, I know you're not going to like this but..."
"No! I am not bringing her there! I don't want her anywhere near the camp!"
"Then the both of you will be stuck out in the wilderness with no supplies!" My'Rell's voice came through like a mother scolding her child, "I don't like this anymore than you do but the camp is closer to you than the city. Just keep an eye on her until the morning, we should have this sorted out by then."
Angara continued to growl like an animal but deep down she knew the captain was right, "Fine, but if she burns anybody I'll kill her."
"Let me talk to her."
Angara called out to her using her new nickname then tossed her the communicator.
"Captain." Azula called, still not used to using such a device.
My'Rell's voice came through with a serious and careful tone, "Listen closely Azula. You'll be going with Angara to the Ke'Kuvon camp. They're not very welcoming to outsiders so I need you to follow and do everything Angara says."
"But-"
"No buts Azula. If you do anything to offend the Ke'Kuvon you could end up dead or worse. You think Angara is a pain? She's nice compared to some of the other members in that camp. Do you understand?"
Azula gritted her teeth and agreed. My'Rell hung up leaving the two to themselves.
"Alright pup it's a three hour hike, so keep up or I'll leave you behind!" Angara took back her communicator and marched towards the direction of the camp looking up at the sun, "It's going to get dark pretty soon so we better hurry."
Azula grumbled to herself and followed her as they began their trek through the pink grass hating every moment of being stuck with the bounty hunter, but at least the scenery was pleasant.
My'Rell knelt at a table within her and her crews favorite restaurant Nogshita's with Sev and Gax as she messaged her temples trying to sooth away a migraine. First she spent all day running around the market looking were Azula took off too, then tried calling her eleven times on her communicator only to hit voice-mail every time, then when she finally does get through it is Angara who answers only to tell her that Azula was unconscious and mildly injured because they got into a fight on a train over Azula trying to inflict capital punishment herself for petty theft. Not to mention Proxly clamping their shuttle down because of the detour they took.
"The petty bastard." My'Rell kept repeating in her head.
Now she can't help but worry that her newest recruit is going to get herself killed either on the way to the camp by either Angara or some wild animal or in the camp. Things were truly a mess.
Sev seeing the captain's dejected domenor decided to offer some friendly words, "Hey Captain, want some squig?" He held out a green cube shaped bottle.
She snatched the bottle and took a long gulp from it slamming it back down before him.
"I uhh... meant a glass but... alright."
"That girl..." My'Rell ran her hands through her ebony hair, "She's only been with us for, what? Two? Three days? And she's already causing trouble and giving me stress headaches... Angara didn't even do that and she was a massive pain when she first joined."
Sev reached above them and pulled a hose down from the jellyfish shaped hookah machine that hung above their table and offered it to her, "Take a hit of some spice. It'll cool your nerves."
My'Rell did just that, inhaling the fumes of the herb and puffing out a cloud of pastel blue smoke. She could already feel its calming effects take hold, "Maybe I should just assign her to mess hall duty."
Sev puffed out a cloud of blue smoke as well, "It's just one bad day cap. We've all got our bad days. The firespitter is new to how things work out here. Maybe this'll be a humbling experience for her. Right Gax?"
Gax sat in a squat position, his large eyes drooped as blue smoke leaked from his nostrils, "Goora ka ni keshka." His voice was mellow and soft as the spice took hold of him.
"See, he agrees with me."
My'Rell wasn't even sure if that was true, after all she barely understood what Gax says. She shook her head as she let the hose retract back into the machine, "I just don't trust her. Do you two?"
"Not particularly, no." Sev answered, "But I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt and offering her a hand in friendship. Hopefully she doesn't spit in it."
"Gachita gunda Kora kata." Gax said with Sev chuckling.
"He says he trusts her as far as he can shoot her. You didn't exactly trust us when we first joined the crew and look at us now! Two of your finest weapons engineers! And that was after we tried stealing your ship."
"I was in a good mood that day. Any other day I would have thrown you out into space." My'Rell jabbed, taking the bottle of squig.
Gax let out another cloud of smoke letting the hose retract, "Kera kuru shi gal?" He said calmly to the captain.
She looked to the mechanical giant, "Sev, translate."
"He's asking why you let her join if you don't trust her so much." Sev drank from his glass, "Why her and not some other person from her planet?"
"The practical answer, she was already on-board and willing to work."
"And the not so practical answer?"
My'Rell thought long and hard about what to say, "I see a little bit of myself in her. Young, arrogant, dogmatic..." she shook her head at the memory of her younger self, "I also see someone who is confused, lost and alone. I guess my motherly instincts kicked in and decided I should take her under my wing. She had nowhere else to go and an ability that we could use so I offered her the job and thought that maybe I'd offer her a second chance after whatever happened on her world. After all, almost everyone in the storm is there for a second chance."
Sev and Gax accepted this answer.
"I just hope she doesn't get herself killed before then." she poured herself a glass and downed it, "While we're here keep your ears to the ground." She changed the subject with her expression shifting to one of stoney indifference, "Someone wants us dead and I have a feeling they're not gonna stop just yet."
Sev shifted his weight with his jolly demeanor shifting with it, "There's a lot of people that want us dead cap; syndicates, pirates, rival mercs. Hell, most of them want us dead because the storm is a Pendaren run group."
"I know but we can narrow it down to whoever hired the Death's Head to grab the fabricator. Duritax said they were offered a bonus to kill us. Typically a client would just tell them to get the job done but this one made it a point to pay extra to have us gone. Something tells me this was personal."
"The only people who knew about the client were Duritax's inner circle and the firespitter shot them all out into space and we already interrogated all our new members about it and got nothing."
"They would keep a record of it in their home base. We just need to access it, find out who hired them for the job and... persuade them from taking further action."
Sev and Gax gave each other a look, "Hitting Death's Head HQ? That's a tall order cap."
"I know but without Duritax the group is disorganized and panicked. However we have another issue, Courtix."
Both Sev and Gax grimaced at the name, "The butcher of Axelon four."
"He's going to want revenge and he'll strike soon. He's not exactly known for his patience."
"What should we do then? Just wait for him to show up on our doorstep."
My'Rell sighed as she poured herself another drink, "We might have to, but thankfully for us he's a thick skulled idiot so he'll be easy to strategize against."
"He might be lacking in the strategy department but he's a sledge hammer that hits like a runaway hover truck." Sev warned.
"But if you see the truck coming you can get out of the way." My'Rell countered before downing her drink, "Enough talk about work. I'm tired and I want to at least enjoy some of my time planetside."
With that said My'Rell and her two crewmen ceased all conversations involving their line of work.
Azula and Angara continued their journey in relative silence through the rose colored grasslands, the sun beginning to set over the horizon turning the orange sky into shades of dark purple. The hot dry air was beginning to cool down and creatures of the night began to call out to one another. Azula may have had time to rest while unconscious but it did little to help regain her stamina with the high gravity continuing to sap away her strength with it beginning to become a struggle to keep up with Angara's brisk pace.
As Angara walked she continuously attempted to make contact with the camp but the signal within the badlands was proving to be spotty.
"Hey! This is Angara. Can anyone hear me?" She was only met with static, "Angara to camp! Your signal sucks! I don't know if you can hear me or not but I'm hiking to the camp after falling off the train. I've got a plus one with me so don't kill her... at least until I say so." Only more static came.
Azula eventually stopped, placing her hands on her knees as she tried to regain her breath, "Hold on... I need... a few minutes."
Angara looked over her shoulder, "Every moment we waste is a moment we can use to keep going."
"I'm exhausted!"
"And I'm mad that I'm stuck here with you, but you don't see me complaining!"
"You did plenty of that earlier." Azula muttered under her breath.
"What was that?" Angara hissed.
"Five minutes! That's all I need. Then we can continue."
Angara growled, "Fine. You get five minutes, pup."
Azula growled in annoyance, "Stop calling me that!"
"I'll stop when you beat me in a one on one fight." The snark in her voice only further rubbed salt in the wound for Azula who only growled in response.
Azula saw the canteen strapped to Angara's side, "I'm thirsty, give me some water." She trusted her hand out expectantly.
"Oh you mean this?" Angara unhooked the canteen, "Twelve units!" she demanded before strapping it back in, "You thought I forgot about that, huh?"
Azula rolled her eyes and focused back to regaining her strength.
"Twelve units for a freakin water bottle." She continued to grumble to herself, "By the way. You can definitely forget about trying to win me over as a mentor."
"Like listening to you shout at me all day for inconsequential things would do me any good." She sat down and decided to change the subject before it turned into another argument, "I imagine your siblings would have returned by now and informed them of me. So what should I expect when we arrive?"
"They're not my siblings." Angara corrected.
"I'm sure I heard them call you, big sis."
Angara groaned, "None of my siblings are at the camp and all the kids call me that for some reason. As for when we get there, don't expect a friendly welcome. They don't like outsiders, especially Pendaren's for reasons I'm sure you already know." She scoffed, both of them recalled Azula's baited words.
"I'm not a Pendaren." Azula growled in annoyance.
"But you look like one and that's bound to cause some problems, so when we get there let me do all the talking. Don't say anything to anyone, don't go anywhere without me and keep that fire magic to yourself."
"Bending."
"Whatever." Angara looked over the horizon and saw several streams of smoke emanating from behind a patch of trees. The camp wasn't far but during her scan she spotted on a hill a dark purple feline creature staring at them.
"Crap." She cursed loud enough to draw Azula's attention.
"What is it?" She stood back up and followed her line of sight to the animal.
"Laugh cats." Angara answered, unholstering her blaster.
Azula snorted at her reaction to the small creature, "It doesn't look so tough."
"The problem with laugh cat's is that there's never just one." She fired her blaster in its direction with the creature disappearing into the grass with a whooping call, "Your five minutes are up, let's go."
Azula didn't feel anymore rested than she was before but followed anyway. She just wanted this trip to be over and done with and was happy to continue their journey in silence.
The silence didn't last as Angara began muttering to herself, "I knew I should've just taken my ship down here, but no I wanted to save up on gas and take a shuttle down then take the train. And look where that got me. Stuck in the badlands with a pyromaniac."
"You know I can hear you, right?"
"I said it loud enough to be heard, didn't I?"
Azula groaned, "Alright, I get it. You are angry with me, sulking about it isn't going to get us anywhere."
Angara ignored her retort.
The sound of high pitched laughter came from behind and she spun to face it only to be met with tall grass that sturred with the movement of something within it. She quickened her pace to match Angara's.
"How much further is the camp?"
"We're getting close, keep up or they'll drag you away. It's the dry season, you know. They can't afford to be picky." She responded in a taunting manner as more barks and howls began to join them.
Azula made sure to do just that as she caught glimpses of small creatures scurrying about in the tall grass.
"They'll disperse once we get to the camp." Angara lazily assured then fired her blaster into the brush. Several whooping barks followed.
"You mean if we make it." Azula muttered as she summoned a torch in her hand, its sudden appearance causing some of the creatures to stir in apprehension.
"If you don't make it you mean. I ain't dying here, not yet." Angara fired again to her left, two creatures bolted away.
"You sound so certain that you'll be able to fight off however many of these things there are." Azula swiped the air to her right, throwing a wave of fire after hearing another laughing howl that was too close for her liking.
"It'll take a lot more than a pack of laugh cats to take me down." She roared at one of the creatures before firing again, this time with a loud yelp following, "Besides, I can't die knowing that he is still alive." The determination and bitterness in that explanation caught Azula's full attention.
"Really? And who exactly is he?"
Angara didn't answer for a while before finally saying, "Just forget it. Focus on getting to the camp."
Azula's expression fell into disappointment, just when she was actually starting to get interested in what she had to say.
The eerie whooping laughs continued until they were impossible to ignore. She could hear the grass crumple under multiple sets of feet, the gaunt features of the creatures poking out of the openings in the grass and she could even smell the thick odor of wild animals surrounding them.
"Pick up the pace, Pup!" Angara commanded as she marched, firing her blaster ahead of her with Azula throwing waves of fire behind them. The fire illuminates a dozen sets of eyes.
It didn't matter how many times they shot or threw fire at them, the laugh cats pursued them relentlessly. Azula wished to hit them directly but the slow decline of daylight made pinpointing each individual creature difficult and with the added knowledge that it was the dry season meant there was risk of causing a wildfire if she is careless. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in an inferno of her own making.
She continued to tail Angara until a pair of small hands grabbed hold of her ankle. She stumbled down, turning over while throwing out yet another arc of fire to repel her attacker and under the blue light she got a clear view of the creature gripping her leg.
It was the size of a dog with a skinny emaciated body covered in dark purple skin, a line of dark hair running along its back, its clawed forelimbs firmly grasping her trousers with a second pair behind them. The most unsettling thing about it was its face as it had small beady sunken in eyes that had a look of boundless hunger within them above its toothy maw that took the shape of a wide unsettling ear to ear smile, saliva dripping from it.
She was horrified at the sight of it, to think that something like this was just a simple animal yet it looked like a sinister spirit that belonged to stories meant to frighten children all the while emanating a ghoulish bark that sounded like inhuman laughter.
She ripped her foot from its grasp and planted a hard kick in its grinning face and ran back to Angara's side as she summoned her shield and started swinging at them.
She continued to wave flames at them but the smiling creatures refused to be scared off, "There's too many of them!"
"Thanks for stating the obvious!" Angara shot two more and struck another with her shield, "Think you can use that fire to fly?"
Azula shot a fire ball striking another creature then kicked another, "Not for long periods."
"Better than nothing, follow my lead!" She activated her jetpack and ascended.
With both arms Azula pushed the creatures back with a tornado of azure flames before boosting herself into the air behind Angara.
In the air they saw that they had been completely surrounded by the laugh cats who gave chase.
Azula couldn't maintain her altitude for long, firebenders were never meant for prolonged flight without the aid of the comet, and she found herself slowly descending.
"Keep up or you'll end up as dinner!" Angara called out.
Just as Azula was going to respond, one of the laugh cats leapt from the grass and clamped its maw around Angara's ankle. The armor protected her however the creature's added weight was pulling her down. Another jumped and latched onto her front trying to bite at her throat only for her to throw it off. Another jumped and used its four forelimbs to grab hold of her other leg.
The added weight had pulled her back to the ground tumbling into an exposed patch of land where the rest of the pack exited the tall grass and began to surround her, each taking turns leaping on her only to be thrown off or beaten back with her glowing shield and wrist blade.
None of the creatures attempted to leap at Azula, the jets of fire deterring them. The laugh cats seemed to have settled for Angara circling around her like a living tornado of starving animals. She could easily leave her there to serve as a distraction however Azula knew that if she were to show up to the camp without her the Ke'Kuvon would definitely kill her and walking back to Horizon city was not an option.
Azula growled in irritation as she turned around and boosted herself higher in the air again to fly back. Angara will owe her for this.
Angara switched her blaster to rapid fire and sent a flurry of blasts hitting several of the creatures dead with the rest scattering momentarily before regrouping. As she was going to fire again another cat lunged, catching her gauntlet in its jaws, the sudden shifting in weight flinging the blaster out of her hand. She jammed the edge of her shield into the creature's face forcing it to let go of her before another jumped on her back biting at her shoulder pad, its claws being dragged over the vital components of her jetpack.
She threw this one off into another and summoned her wrist blade, slashing another. She then summoned her needle launcher as a substitute only to be attacked by another that pulled the launcher off her suit.
The laugh cats continued their manic calls as they scampered around her relentlessly. She let out a furious roar, baring her fangs in defiance of them. If she is going to die here then she won't make it easy for them.
Just as a large group of them began to make a move they were disrupted as a ball of blue fire collided with the ground below them. Azula came soaring back, kicking several waves of fire at the laugh cats, scattering them further before landing by Angara's side.
"So you do have enough heart to not let me get eaten alive." Angara said, taking a defensive stance.
"Shut up! I'm only doing this because I need you alive." She swept an arch of fire at another group.
Now standing back to back the two fought the horde of laughing creatures as they boldly leapt at them, Angara slapping them away with her shield and striking back with her blade while Azula put up walls of fire between them and the pack following up with quick shots of fire managing to hit several of them.
One laugh cat leapt past their defenses colliding with Azula throwing her to the ground. Before it could wrap its jaws around her throat she grabbed it by the neck using all of her strength to push its grinning visage away from her. Its jaws snapping viciously just inches away from her face as saliva was flung into it all the while it snarled savagely.
Angara sent a powerful kick to its stomach, sending it flying off of her and pulling her up before another could take its place. Azula spotted three coming up behind the bounty hunter and quickly dashed behind her, sending a smoldering roundhouse kick coating them in fire.
This attack left Azula open with another cat flanking her side but Angara plunged her blade into the creature before it could get close enough to strike. The two switched positions with Azula swinging her legs into a low swipe sending a blast into another group while Angara brought the edge of her shield down on the neck of another.
They continued to attack and defend each other while sustaining damage from the swipe of their claws and shallow bites until Azula shot a jet of fire at the ground and ran around her and the huntress in a circle dragging the flame with her until a ring of fire separated the both of them from the pack, Angara tossing and kicking the few that were trapped in with them out as the blue flames faded to orange.
With the fire barrier set the two women are momentarily safe from the pack. The laugh cats circled the ring barking, hissing and laughing as they poked and prodded for weaknesses.
Both Azula and Angara fell to their knees exhausted and took the time they needed to catch their breaths. Azula studied the animals as they failed to break her defenses and began to settle down themselves and lick their wounds, they were clearly not going anywhere.
"What's the plan now?"
Angara shifted to a sitting position holding her burn, "Don't know... let me try and call the camp again, see if the signal is any better."
Azula focused on maintaining the fire as it was their only barrier against the feral beasts and watched the laugh cats circle them, hunger still present in their eyes. Many of them licked their wounds or that of a neighbor while others began to cannibalize the dead. She couldn't help but wince in disgust of these feral creatures and it didn't help that they had a permanent smile plastered on their faces.
Her eyes landed on one that had a severe burn on the left side of its face, almost completely covering the eye, it whimpered as it limped around the fire until another began licking the wound. The burn reminded her of Zuko and she began to wonder if the Avatar informed the new fire lord of what happened to his dear little sister. Does anybody know or would anyone believe the Avatar and his friends? It didn't matter, once she takes control of the Crimson Storm she'll show them her new found might... that is if she manages to escape these creatures.
She couldn't help but think of how rotten her luck had become as of late. Nothing came easy to her anymore, people were looking down on her more often, people were less afraid of her and now she's stuck with a savage that came closer than most to almost completely destroying her face surrounded by starving monsters. It was as if the universe was working against her. What happened to her being born lucky?
"Oh Azula..." a voice came from beyond the fire.
She looked on seeing the scarred laugh cat staring at her.
"...were you ever truly lucky?" it said in a distorted voice that she vaguely recognized.
Azula gasped at the creature and looked behind her to Angara seeing that she did not react at all to the voice that was loud and clear to her.
"Think about it, Azula. What was so lucky about you?" The creature's face began to distort as it circled the fire, "Did you ever have anyone to look out for you, who really cared?"
The creatures face distorted further, its dark purple skin turning pale white, the thin line of hair on its head growing longer and thicker along with its face changing shape until it took on the haunting visage of Zuko but still had the wide unnerving fanged smile of the laugh cat.
She was hallucinating, she knew it and cursed her broken mind for choosing now of all times to have an episode. She brought her knees to her chest, covered her ears and looked away, repeating to herself internally that this wasn't real hoping that the illusion would go away.
"You had all of our father's love and acceptance but where was that during the day of Sozin's comet, when father abandoned you?"
"He didn't abandon me!" She muttered under her breath, "He crowned me Fire Lord!"
"And you lost it because you weren't strong enough to keep it. You were weak, everyone abandoned you because they saw your weakness and saw how strong I was with the Avatar on my side." His already wide grin seemed to grow wider, "Mai saw it too and came to my aid, then Ty Lee followed."
The laughs of the surrounding creatures seemed to grow louder as if to mock her.
On impulse she shot a flame bolt at the thing wearing her brother's face with it scurrying away.
A familiar giggle crept in from her right, one she recognized as belonging to someone she once thought of as friend.
"Poor little Azula..." She turned to face it and found another laugh cat with Ty Lee's face, unsettling grin and all, "With an aura as inky and black as yours it's no wonder you're so unlucky. An aura fit for a lonely monster!" It laughed harder with a distorted convulsion that was a mix of human and laugh cat.
"It's a shame really..." Another voice droned from her left, this time coming from a lounging laugh cat with the visage of Mai that was even more unsettling as like the others she too had the wide grin on her usual dour face, "Someone as mighty and powerful as you lost it all because of how weak you really are. I should have abandoned you sooner."
The laughter grew louder and louder, "You betrayed me because of your foolish love for Zuko!"
"And look where he is now, sitting on a throne surrounded by people who love him while you're sitting out here waiting to be eaten alive." The Mai creature began laughing.
Mocking laughter filled her ears forcing her to cover them to try and drown them all out.
"I guess you weren't really born lucky at all, Azula." the Zuko creature approached, "You were just lucky to be born."
The creature cackled loudly in disgusting delight with the hallucinations of her former friends joining in with the inhuman laughs of other creatures turning into the familiar laughs of humans mocking her, mocking her failures, mocking what she has lost and what she has become. Her breath was becoming labored as she was beginning to lose control with the ring of fire shining blue and growing more wild.
"Hey!" A sharp jab to her side from Angara's elbow brought Azula out of her trance, "What's up with you? You're breathing like you're about to have a heart attack."
Azula looked around, the laughter returning to alien barks, laugh cats continued circling them with normal animalistic faces. The cat with the half burned face just sat there licking a wound on its paw. The fire grew shorter and returned to orange.
"N-nothing. I'm just... tired." She breathed clutching her head in a desperate attempt to maintain her sanity, "Were you able to contact the camp?"
Angara sighed as she leaned back against Azula, "Nope. Couldn't get a signal through."
"Great." Azula sighed sarcastically.
"If Tyto and the twins made it back to the camp then there's probably a search party looking for me. So we'll just have to wait until they show up."
"If they show up." Azula said cynically.
"Then get your strength back and be ready to fight again." Angara sat more comfortably.
The two sat in silence for what felt like hours. Many of the laugh cats continued to circle them continuing their laughing howls while most lounged about as the sun fully set in the east with the stary night sky above them.
The darkness that was only making things worse for Azula as every now and then the creature's barks turned into derisive laughs. Her eyes darted between the creatures trying to spot any wearing the faces of people she knew.
She couldn't take this, the hallucinations always came when she was unfocused and left alone with her thoughts. As much as she hates Angara she needed to hold a conversation with her just to keep her sanity.
"Say something."
"What?"
"Just say something! Anything. This silence is going to make me go insane."
Angara didn't know just how literally she was being with that statement.
Angara relented with a sigh. It wouldn't do her any good if the person responsible for their current defense lost it, "You held yourself pretty well against these things."
Azula didn't expect a compliment to be the first thing out of her mouth but took it for what it's worth, "Thanks. I was trained to fight people and equally skilled benders, not wild animals. But I suppose those skills transferred over nicely." She rubbed at a deep cut on her upper arm.
"I'll admit, even against me you did pretty good." Angara dragged her finger tips over her bruised jaw remembering the knee to the face she took, "Definitely didn't make it easy for me."
"Of course. I was taught never to show mercy in a fight."
The pain from the burn on Angara's side shot up her body as she shifted her weight, "I noticed." Once in a comfortable position she continued, "So who taught you how to fight like that?"
Normally Azula wouldn't be privy to speaking about the inner workings of her life but training was the rare topic on which she was open about and it gave her a reason to boast about her skills, "My father trained me himself in the art of firebending, and several tutors filled in for him when he was too busy to give me lessons. Being Fire Lord didn't give him much free time. What about you? Did your father train you in your savage way of fighting?"
Angara's face dropped at the mention of her father, "No. My father died when I was young. The other warriors at the camp taught me what I know."
"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, they taught you well. Although you could use a lesson in being more graceful, fighting you felt like fighting an animal." Azula begrudgingly complimented her.
Angara smirked at her words, "Thanks pup, I appreciate that."
Azula gave her a scornful look, "That last part wasn't a compliment."
"Well I took it as one."
There was a long pause filled only with the chatter of the laugh cats until Angara suddenly asked a question, "Your brother. Did you put that scar on him?"
Of all things to talk about it just had to be about her brother, "No. He did that himself with his own foolishness." Thoughts of Zuko's Agni Kai flashed in her mind.
"So that means you're not fireproof?"
"No I'm not."
Angara smirked and with a chipper attitude said, "Good to know."
Azula didn't like the way she said that, another weakness she exposed to her enemy.
"Older or younger?"
"Older, by two years."
"Well... there's something we've got in common. We're both the runt of our litter."
"I thought you said you didn't have siblings."
"I said I didn't have any siblings at the camp, not that I didn't have any."
"So then, how many do you have?"
"Three. Two brothers and an older sister."
Azula couldn't imagine having so many siblings, Zuko alone was already exhausting enough sometimes, "That must have been a constant fight for attention."
"Not really. My oldest brother and sister were in their twenties the last time I saw them and getting ready to have families of their own. Sure we fought sometimes but we were all very close." Angara's mood of irritation changed to one of nostalgia of the many times her brothers would play with her and how her sister would braid her hair the way she liked. Angara looked over her shoulder, "You don't seem like the kind and caring sister type."
Azula scoffed as she waved some fire at another laugh cat, "My brother and I used to get along and play with each other every day." She looked distant into the stars, "That was a long time ago, now... I can't even think about him without wanting to light something on fire." The flames grew higher as she remembered seeing him standing over her, the water peasant by his side with pity in their eyes, "He took everything from me."
Angara chuckled, "Well, there's another thing we've got in common. Family that betrayed us."
Now her interest had been peaked, "Oh? Is this the same person you want dead."
Angara gave her a look that almost made it look as if she regretted mentioning it but continued, "Yeah. My uncle murdered my father, his brother, and paved the way for Tunbani's destruction."
Azula didn't expect such a level of betrayal that it took her by surprise that gave way to confusion at how such a thing could lead to the destruction of an entire world, "That's... well, I don't exactly know what to say to that."
Angara only grumbled before continuing, "Yeah well, don't ask for more detail. It's not something I like remembering."
"Wait. How did that turn of events lead to Tunbani? If that were the case then your father must have been quite important."
Angara's eyes widened in realization as she turned away to focus on the current threat still kept at bay.
Her analytical mind took over as she disregarded the pack of hungry animals and began probing for more information, information she could use, "You know, the captain mentioned how after she saved your people she accepted you as repayment. Strange how she could have demanded that they all work for her, or at least a good portion of them, but she settled for just you." She got up and began pacing around the fire, "I wonder, what is so special about you?" Her tone was like that of a mischievous child asking an obvious question.
"Drop it." Angara growled.
"You said that the death of your father led the way for the Pendaren's victory which means he was a very important person."
"I said drop it!" Angara's tone grew more hostile.
Azula continued to pace thinking aloud, "He could have been a resistance leader maybe, an important military commander, politician or maybe even a king of sorts." She glanced at her and noticed a slight twitch at the last statement. A smile grew on her lips and she pounced on it like a starving laugh cat, "That's it isn't it? Your father was a king wasn't he? Which would make you a princess as well."
Angara shot up, grabbing her by the collar and lifting her off her feet, roaring out in fury.
"Kill me and you kill the fire!" Azula reminded smugly, "Remember, I'm the only thing keeping you from them." She gestured to the crowd of grinning faces that watched them intently, drool still dripping from their fangs.
Angara reluctantly eased her down, baring her teeth, "Don't ever mention that!"
Azula fixed her shirt and suit collar, "And why is that? The warrior princess of the former king has a nice ring to it. I can see why My'Rell would want you as a pawn."
"Shut up! I haven't been a princess since I was eight years old, and keep your damn mouth shut about that! Only a few people in the storm know."
"Why hide it? You're royalty, or whatever passes for royalty by your peoples standards. Your title alone could rally all the support you'd need to lead your own campaign."
"Like my oldest brother did? After our father was killed and the empire came through he was trapped off world and did just that and was slaughtered by my uncle's forces and the Pendaren's!" She scoffed, "Nothing good would come from using my former status to lead yet another doomed resistance. Besides, I'm not a princess anymore. I'm just a bounty hunter, and that's all I ever want to be."
Angara's words had a weight of finality to them suggesting that the conversation was over with her turning away from Azula and sitting back down going back to watching the beasts.
Azula on the other hand couldn't believe her, she had what she craved; people with a shared hatred for a common enemy, access to military power and resources yet does nothing to take revenge against the one who wronged her and is complacent with being a nobody. She was beginning to think that she and Angara were quite similar but now she was certain that they couldn't be anymore different.
She shook her head before taking a seat on the dirt, "You're pathetic! I thought you of all people would want nothing more than to make your uncle suffer."
"Just because I have no interest in raising an army doesn't mean I'm gonna let him just get away with that. I'm going to kill him. I'm just doing it my way, without anyone else to get in my way."
They went back to sitting back to back in the ring of fire with Azula spotting the scared laugh cat staring at her and panting. Her grimace tightened, "I'll be sure to take you down my own way as well Zuko. With an army to rain hell on you." She declared to the creature under her breath glaring daggers at it while it only stared at her with blind hunger despite the nasty burn it suffered.
The laugh cats continued to circle them however some started to let out a panicked yelp causing them to scatter in fear.
The two princess's shot to their feet and took on defensive stances.
"What's going on?" Azula questioned.
"Don't know, a pack of laugh cats don't spook very easily... unless..."
"Unless what?"
A twig snapped, catching both of their attention as a much larger creature crept from the darkness; a bulky beast with ridged plated skin as pink as the tall grass covered in black stripes held up by six thick clawed limbs, quills on its rear that resembled the grass and a face that looked like a pig with long tusks.
It approached the fire slowly with no fear of it while emitting a low rumbling noise.
"So... what is this thing?" Azula asked, annoyed at yet another obstacle that fate decided to throw her way.
"Theron, biggest land carnivore on this side of the planet." Angara answered as she extended her wrist blade once more, "Also the biggest cause of death for travelers in the badlands."
"Oh that's just great!" Azula shot a bolt of fire at the large creature however it bounced off its thick hide.
This action only angered the creature as it roared out in fury and reared up on its hind legs standing almost at a height Azula estimated to be thirteen feet.
"Now would be a really good time to do that lightning trick you did before!"
"I need time to charge it!"
"I don't think he's gonna give us that!" Angara summoned her shield as the beast approached.
It was about to clear the ring of fire until a bright yellow plasma bolt collided with its shoulder drawing its attention away.
From the brush came the sound of thunderous footsteps until a large six limbed rhino creature came stampeding, throwing its horned head side to side with a man riding on its back clad in armor just like Angara's carrying a rifle.
The theron recoiled as the rider fired more blasts at the beast's underbelly forcing it back on all six limbs. A second rhino came stomping behind it with its own rider firing at it as well. The rhinos roared like deep pitched trumpets as they threw their large nasal horns into the theron's sides until the predator galloped back into the darkness, one of the riders firing several more shots as it ran off.
One of the riders turned to them removing his silver helmet revealing an older Ke'Kuvon man with a receding hairline of brown hair, longer head spikes and wrinkled features.
Angara's face relaxed into a happy smile, "About damn time!"