We Walked for hours more, keeping up are pace trying to stay ahead of the people we were shure would still be comeing for are heads.
They were annoying loud and complaining most of the time everyone was rather hungry, tired, needed to go to the bathroom or somehow hurt themselves while I wasn't paying attention.
Pokku managed to walk straight thrue a path of poison ivy and didn't tell us his legs were burning until Zulon looked at the rashes growing up his legs and made him lay down.
The two of them rubbed mud on his burns and we had to set up camp for the night.
The next day While I had to deal with his complaining Zulon decided he was sick of eating vegetables fruits and nuts and claimed he would find us some meat.
Wich meant that I soon had to help pull out the quills of a boar-q-pine out of his back.
"Jesus Girl THAT HURTS! could you be a little less brutal"
" Oh stop being a baby its your fault for jumping on top of it"
I have know I idea how to cook so I left Kumara to that. Which in hindsight was not a good Idea because we ended up eating burned boar-q-pine that you could grind to char in your mouth it was that crispy.
Third Day was going great we had almost made it to the fire nations capital on foot until The wound on my back got infected.
I got quite the high fever and I honestly don't remember much from that whole day other then asking for more water and throwing up in a lake. Zulon had the nerve to call me disgusting so shoved him in that lake.
I thought I was going to die out in the woods with the only people to know how I died being these idouts. While the rest of my family thought I was killed by an assassin. How pathetic that story is a princess killed by an infection with a bunch of mentally unstable children.
Finally we made it to the city we smelled like actual death and my fever was still pretty high but we made it all the way here on foot.
Capital city looked different there were lights decorating the city and bright orange and red flowers hung from the tops of buildings.
I could hear the sounds of construction while they chipped away at the statue of my father. He had always prized that statue he wanted it to show power and to strike fear in the eyes of any of his enemies. it did just that I couldn't bring myself to look into his glaring eyes. I wonder if Zuko knows about fathers death.
I krept into the back yard of a sauna and found the clothes hanging on the wires.
I hid behind a bush thats leaves scratched my skin and watched closely at the windows of the building makeing sure nobody would look out and stop us. I had to hush the three toddlers that stumbled behind me.
Pokku tapped on my shoulder
" don't you think stealings wrong we can't take these"
This boy acts as if he's never committed a crime in his life.
" Pokku that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard now go grab some shorts I'm sick of smelling you all"
I quickly ran up the back and noticed the much darker clothing they hung to dry. Black and dark red shirts shorts and dresses hung like bleek curtains over the wires.
These were funeral clothes but why so many I looked down at the other homes hanging laundry and discovered a similar color pallet that repeated itself from house to house the farther I looked down.
I remember when my cousin Prince Lu ten died the streets looked similar flowers and lights and everyone in the nation was expected to wear white for 49 days during the period of mourning.
Was this my funeral?
Zulon looked at the clothes and came to the same conclusion
" You gonna tell your brother your alive or you just gonna drag this out"
" I never want to see his face again it doesn't matter if he thinks I'm dead as long as he stops chaseing me and locking me in those hospitals"
" Yah I mean I get that, the way they treated you was awful but the kingdoms grieving the longer you drag this out the worse it will be when he finds out"
He wasn't completely wrong I would probably eventually have to tell Zuko I was alive still, but He probably doesn't care that much anyway and it's not like he can control my life anymore.
He always said he was trying to do what was best for me but the only good thing about those damn hospitals was Amasi and she's gone now.
I grabbed a small black dress with a dark red silk belt that wrapped around my waist and crossed over my chest and around my neck.
This wasn't what I would consider my style but it would have to do. I peeked through the window of the Sauna they had stopped running the water and the building looked empty.
I climbed into the window careful not to slip into the water and managed my way down to the salon. I had my own hairdresser at the palace so it was rare I ever got my hair cut outside those walls.
I looked into the mirror at my choppy black bob the ends didn't meet and it was the shortest its ever been I doubt I could even put in a bun. It would be foolish to cry over things like hair that grow back but while I struggled to clean up the choppy ends of my hair I could feel myself getting worked up again.
Hair this short men't you'd been dishonored someone publicly shamed you in some way. People would assume just by looking at me I'd done something awful and unforgivable, And I geuss they wouldn't be wrong.
Kumara startled me from behind I only saw her from the reflection of the mirror she must have seen my displeasure with my new hair style because she seemed sympathetic as she slid closer to me.
" I can help you clean it up a bit it is my fault you had to cut it after all"
" Are you any good "
" I know my way around a pair of scissors remember I had to dye my hair for years that makes lots of dry ends"
I nodded and handed her the pair of silver scissors left on the desk. I sat down in the chair infront of the mirror. She immediately got to work combing out my hair gently.
I can't explain it but it was relaxing and strangely familiar. I remember sitting in my mother's room when she waved the servants away wordlessly and combed my hair with her own beautiful golden comb we stayed silent I liked the feeling of the brush gliding thrue my hair.
" Azula You have such beautiful hair"
I jerked up against the chair hearing her voice almost like a wisper in my ear. The soft sounds of her breath brought me back to reality while she snipped the ends carefully so it reached just above my shoulders.
I let myself relax in the chair while she hummed an unfamiliar melody. She stood infront and examined my bangs that had grown out passed my forehead now.
" Want me to snip them or you growing them out"
" I'll let them be I never liked haveing bangs that much anyway there more Mai's thing"
" Who's Mai"
I often forget we haven't known each other for that long and how little she actually knows about my passed life
" She was an old freind of mine before the end of the war "
" Your not freinds anymore?"
" Disappointingly Yes she betrayed me some time ago and I can't see us ever makeing up after she left me for my brother"
" That's to bad, if it makes you feel better she's really missing out"
I wanted to correct I did tell her we were not freinds but if she lets herself think that it's not like it will relatively effect me.
She finished cutting my hair and combing it behind my ear she plucked a golden pin with a small red ruby at the top and slid it to keep the hair in place.
" I won't tell if you won't they won't miss one little pin anyway"
" Thank you I was concerned my hair would bring attention to myself"
" Well I can't say I helped very much then cause I don't think anyone could stop looking at you "
" Oh... Thanks you have nice hair to"
She laughed at my awkwardness I felt the heat go back into my face she lept back out the window were the two boys were checking themselves out in there new clothes.
" Today should be my funeral so the streets will already be busy, I geuss the best thing we can do is get Zukos attention on the assassins so he can deal with them"
" What if there's more of them"
Zulon fastened his belt and slicked back his hair with his hand.
"What do you mean"
" Well I mean logically they were planning to kill you and the rest of the royal faimly I'm just saying it's possible they could be apart of a bigger group"
I puzzled over his words he was right killing off the royalty was a huge endeavor that would take lots of planning I don't think only four people could have come up with this.
" I geuss if there's more of them I'll need to stay in hideing but it's not like I'd be doing anything different"
" Where will you go?"
" My best bet is the earth kingdom probably ba sing sai its crowded less likely to be spotted "
She tugged at the two boys sleeves and pulled them into a circle to whisper I didn't like people talking about me in secret. They turned back around and she smiled at me as if nothing happened.
" we where thinking maybe you would want to stay with us, I mean obviously we wouldn't go back to the hospital after all they put you through but maybe if you're up to it would want to stay with us like freinds?"
I blinked at them while she dug her foot into the dirt and pokku looked down at the floor embarrassed. Zulon stayed the same he didn't seem to care either way.
" Hah yah thanks but no, I don't move in groups anymore Ill be fine on my own "
" But you're just a kid like us you don't have to be alone anymore"
" I'm not just anything my only goal it to find the avatar and make him give me my bending back then take back the throne"
" Oh- you still want that huh"
" It's all I've ever wanted its everything to me even more so now that my father is... well gone I can't let him down this was his greatest wish for me"
" I geuss, but promise you'll think it over"
She seemed sad but I wasn't sure why shirley she didn't expect me to stay with them I'm royalty and there a bunch of banished dishonored children.
" I hope you can be happy, choosing that"
" why wouldn't I be "
She continued on her way brushing me off like I'm the one who said something wrong. The two boys followed after her like sheep avoiding my eyes.
These people were so confusing I have the feeling I said something wrong but I don't know what and why would she think I'd say yes I've known her for less then a week.
Arrgghhhh she's so frustrating why won't she just tell me what I said So I can tell her she's being stupid for getting upset.
She huffed ahead of me not bothering to look back as we entered the busiest part of the city.
The smell of spicy food permeated throughout the streets. There was less talk people seemed to move on there way getting things done with little time to stop and chat.
Kumara led us down th streets and downtown where most of the decorations were placed. I saw my crown displayed on every banner down the rode.
Shops yelled out for costumers to buy candles and flowers. No one recognized me its not that I would expect they would most citizens have never seen my face and if they did it was specifically generals and soldiers, Never the common people.
I got some looks it was rare for any girl to have there hair cut this short some children looked bug eyed and pointed while adults glanced in my direction trying not to be caught staring.
We walked in a small restaurant and one of the waiters led us to a table in the back. It was small the building didn't look like it was exactly high class dining. You could hear the sounds of laughter and drinks clinking together a polar opposite from the quite almost terrified to speak crowd outside.
The best food I ever had was in Ba sing Sai with Mai and Tylee are victory meal was delicious and I couldn't help but agree it was better then the food back home.
The waiter asked for are order and we only started speaking until she walked out of ear shot.
" So my best bet is that they'll try and attack during the ceremony I doubt they stopped following us I just don't know who there planning on attacking first Azula or the fire lord"
Zulon surprisingly had something going on between his ears because that wasn't entirely stupid.
" my brother will be showing his face to the public and guiding whatever there barrying in the garden of tranquil souls"
" What's that "
" It's a secret place in the palace you can only find after going through a labyrinth its where they barry all fire nation royalty and high class nobles"
" So what's the plan" He said it like he expected me to understand everything about what was going on already
" I geuss are best bet is wait until they make an attack they'll probably do it in the garden with the least amount of people, I know how to get in we just need to wait until they figure out how and take them out"
" No offense but last time we tryed fighting them it didn't exactly go well"
"This time my brother and his freinds will be there I'm assuming with all of us there we can take them out"
The waitress walked back with a full platter of food and lowered it down to the table passing out each of are dishes.
She put down my dish of Spicy Crab noodles that smelled so good after a week in the forest.
I started eating controlling my rumbling belly so I wouldn't gorge myself. I can't say the same for the other three because as soon as she set there food down they started shoving there faces with toasted duck Komodo chicken and dumplings.
While I slurped up my noodles and filled my plate with pickled lettuce I noticed are very present lack of money.
" How do we plan on paying for all of this"
The three looked at each other and back at me in panic and Kumara looked over her own half empty plate.
" I geuss we assumed because your royalty it would be covered but I geuss that doesn't count if they think you're dead"
" Ill figure this out so we don't cause to much attention the last thing we want is getting arrested tonight"
I stood up from the table slowly and walked across the aisle like I owned the building. There sitting with two of his freinds was a young rich boy you could tell his families wealth from the way he he dressed and smiled with confidence. I used to smile like that.
I few steps forward and a smile was all it took for me to catch his eyes. " Hi there hot stuff wanna hang out with us for a while"
I giggled but really wanted to vomit this wasn't about makeing freinds it was about takeing money I don't need to worry about makeing him feel funny or powerful I just need to get his gaurd down as low as possible.
" I don't know my freinds wouldn't be to happy if I left them to hang with you guys"
He looked at me something unfamiliar in his eyes told me he wanted more I leaned in close and he turned a shade of red.
" Woh,you're a confident one arnt you"
I slipped my hand to his back pocket and unhooked the small bag of coins just when he went to look to see what I was doing I sat down on his lap to talk with his freinds.
" You guys are so funny I'm glad, everyone else has been so gloomy"
" I know right all because the princess died was she even a princess anymore she was always on Ozais side anyway so what are we mourning for"
His words were ignorant but realistic lots of people in the kingdom cursed my name they had no reason to see me any different then my father but why would I want them to.
I quickly pulled the pouch and slipped it into my dress while laughing at there poor attempts to make me laugh.
" Ill be at the festival I hope to see you there"
He nodded and I had to resist my hand from going back to smack them across the face when I felt his hand touch my backside. I smirked it off and waltzed my way back to the table.
" Holy crap Azula that was... awesome"
Zulon was shocked his jaw practically hiting the table.
" well we have money now we can make are way into the palace I hope"
I put down a few coins and dashed out the door before the rich boy noticed I nabbed his cash. With my stomach full and head clear we made are way down the busy streets trying to avoid as many eyes as possible. The palace doors were heavily guarded and there was no way we could just break in.
Servants walked in carrying foods and decorations while guards let them in the front gate.
" I have a plan follow me this way" I sneaked into the back of the line and motiond for kumara to bend some water from the fountain over to us. The water poured thrue the cracks in the street towards us like small snakes slithering down the street.
Can you make that into an ice sculpture of my old crown. " I could try but I never was much of an artist" She gracefully pulled the water up and shifted it until it looked more and more like my golden fire emblem crown. " A little sharper there, and good" It looked good enough and if they said it looked choppy I could just say we could fix it inside.
I told them exactly what to say and told Kumara and Zulon to lift the sculpture and carry it to the front gate. A woman holding a fruit basket stood in front of us she marvled at the statue and let us cut in front of her seeing how heavy it was.
The soldier at the front looked old hot standing out in the sun all day he saw us comeing forward and flipped thrue the clipbored.
" We don't have an Ice sculpture listed here" " I'm sorry sir but we really don't have time this thing is going to melt and the fire lord just ordered for it to be here" He puzzled and looked at the Zulon and Kumara pretending to be exhausted from holding the ice. " I'm not sure they said to be very specific and careful"
" I completely understand sir it's just the fire lord ordered this last minute and we of course don't want to make anything harder for him in his time of grief" The soldier looked solemn and turned to look back at the palace window. " Fine but make sure you get it inside quick I can see it's already melting"
Success! people are so easily fooled when it comes to protecting my poor brothers fragile feelings. He open the large red gates for us and Kumara thanked him while we rushed up the stone walkway.
People came in and out of the palace rushing to get things done. I saw an all to familiar face sitting on the front steps it was Suki the kyoshi warrior.
I hushed my breath and hid behind the wall of ice she would definitely recognize me if she saw me. She didn't look up at us but she did marvel at the icy sculpture.
" Do you all have a waterbender with you " Kumara stifled her surprise and let me grab hold of the ice. " I am yes we're just taking this into the banquet hall" Suki was annoying but had great observation skills if we looked even a little suspicious she would probably stop us.
"Pokku I need you to trip someone make a scene so she stops focusing on us"
" That's awful I can't do that" I swear this kid really needs to drop the moral code because I'm getting sick of it. "Pokku just do it thats a kyoshi warrior we need her off are back"
He thought about it and stomped his foot behind him and shut his eyes tight a small brick lifted above the rest right infront of some servants holding desserts. With a loud crash they tripped over each other and splattered the cake and pudding all over themselves. I wanted to laugh but we really had to be on are way. Suki ran towards to help them up completely forgetting about us.