"Useless cowards, the whole lot of them!" Fire flew around the room, a magnificent blue shine to it. It scorched the metal walls of the cabin and lit the large map of the world on fire. "To leave now, how pathetic." She bit out under her breath.
"Hey, calm down princess, no need to get so angry." Out of the corner, the man sitting relaxed on the chair said. "I mean, I get it, fewer meat shields for the fight, but still." He casually said, which didn't seem to go well with the woman.
"Raa!" A roar left her mouth as she flung her arm, fire shooting out, scorching another part of the room.
'Man, it's been a decade already yet she is fiery as ever.' The man gave a thought as his hand gripped the familiar roughness of his weapon.
Both stayed silent for a while, neither talking, both just breathing, thinking.
"Heh, you are right..." She finally said, huffing out her answer. "...it's not like it matters now, they would make no difference." Bitter are the emotions that are in her voice.
The man stayed still, he offered no words of condolence, no comforting shoulder to lean on, no warm body to hug. No, he had done plenty of that in the past decade, yet now is not the time for that, they both knew.
"Well, look at it this way, at least it won't be said-" Whatever he was planning to tell got derailed as a loud shout came from outside.
"Azula!" A loud yell rang out. It was quickly followed up. "Thorkell!"
Two names, the two names of the only two people left in the room. The two of them exchanged glances as silence settled for a moment.
"Come out of the cabin so that you may face the justice of the Avatar for your crimes!" The verdict finally rang out, and they both knew what the punishment will be, if not by them then self-imposed.
A grin split upon Thorkell's face as Azula let out an exastrabatd huff. "The time has come Princess, off to the gallows it is with us." He told her, the grin constantly on his face.
His words are chilling, yet said with joy and glee hard to associate with such a situation.
She said nothing, yet as he bent over to pick up his axe she rushed over to him, and before he knew it she enveloped him in a hug.
They stayed silent for a second, both of them still, unmoving.
"Thank you." In the end, she whispered into his ear. "For all that you have done." She said.
"And forgive me." She added. "For what I'm forcing you to do." She hugged him tighter at that.
He stayed silent for a moment before his arms wrapped around her in return. "You forced me into nothing Princess, this is a path I have chosen myself, and gladly followed." He said, for the first time sounding serious, and without a smile on his face.
She tried to say something, yet he cut her off. "I have chosen this, and I regret nothing. If I could do it over I would still make the same choice to follow you." He said. "After all, I am your Special Guard." He added, almost as an afterthought, as his eyes crinkled in mirth.
Hers did too, and for a moment they exchanged a glance, some joy seeped from their eyes at the unmentioned joke as they both looked at one another.
Without warning she tilted her body, leaning in close and planting a kiss on his lips. It is a long, passionate yet loving kiss, with no lust behind it, nothing but love loaded in it.
When it was over they separated with gloom, they both wanted it to last longer, forever really, yet that can not be done with an army at their front door.
"Well then, as your princess, I promise you, my Special Guard..." She took a moment to compose herself. "...I promise you that I will never forget you, even in death, I will remember, and pine over you, seek you even in death." She finished, looking into his eyes.
Another moment passed, and this time he kissed her. A short, brief kiss, yet one filled with emotions.
They stayed hugged like that for another few more moments before he spoke out. "While I'd love to stay with you like this, I believe it's rude to keep one's guests waiting, even if you are a princess." He said.
She huffed and released him, allowing him to grab his axe as they both moved towards the front door.
Along the way, she spotted a mirror and looked over herself she found a hair out of place, something she quickly corrected. "Almost perfect huh..." She said under her breath.
"Y'know, now that I think about it, I do regret one thing." He told her.
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow in interest at his words.
"I regret not being born bigger, that way I could wield 2 axes." He said. "Damn, imagine how awesome that would be." He told her with glee in his voice and stars in his eyes.
She looked at him baffled for a moment before she giggled slightly. 'What did I expect.' She told herself between giggles.
He waited for a moment for her giggles to subside, before they both faced the door, ready for their destiny.
His arm reached out and pushed, and soon enough light flooded in and blinded them for a second, yet they stepped out, one calm and serious, the other grinning like a madman.
What they found waiting for them is what they expected. A literal army surrounds them, yet directly before them, in a semi-circle of open space, stood Team Avatar.
"Look Princess, the whole lineup is here." He whispered to her joyfully, and right he is.
The avatar, now older, taller and broader, yet still shaved bald with something resembling a beard beginning to grow.
Leader of the water tribes, Sokka. Pelted out in all his tribal glory, boomerang and club in hand and sword on hip.
The head of the Kyoshi warriors, in traditional garb, is right next to him.
Behind them was a minuscule yet scowling woman, her milky eyes and lack of an arm indicated who she was.
To the side of the avatar stood another, taller person. With long black hair and a scar on his eye, it is easy to see who he is.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
And on his side, two girls, beautiful in appearance, yet deadly in skill. One is nimble and bouncy, the other serious and sharp.
One person is noticeably missing, a certain water-bending prodigy. Yet they both knew why that is.
Behind the main group stood many more dangerous figures. Former generals, marsh folk waterbenders, masters of the blade, engineers, rebels, freedom fighters, soldiers, and everything in between, all of them aiming for their heads.
"Quite a lineup for just us two ay?" He joked with her as he tapped his axe, and she smiled at him back.
It was silent for a moment before the avatar stepped out to speak.
"Former Princess of the Fire Nation Azula and Commander-General Thorkell. For your crimes against the world and the people, we sentence you to have your bending taken away and then be thrown into the Teardrop Tower, the greatest of prisons." He said it all in one breath, all the while clutching his staff/glider thing.
The two people looked at each other, quite a lenient sentence for what they had done, and yet as the whole army held their breath they both burst out laughing.
"Ha, ha ha, ooooh, aaaa! Ha ha ha..." Thorkell laughed loudly and boisterously, holding his belly as he did so.
"Ha ha ha ha ha." Azula laughed more subdued, more like a lady, yet still, her whole body shook from laughing.
It took them both a minute to finally finish laughing and compose themselves enough to answer.
"Haaa, oooh. He, he. Excuse us, but what you said is just so funny." Thorkell said. "As for me, well, I decline your offer, tempting though it may be..." He said. "...not." At that, they both giggled once more.
"I'd rather die with honor than live the life of destitute misery you have planned for me, I refuse as well," Azula said with an arrogant humph.
Now the whole army was tense, they all knew what these individuals are capable of, what they can do. In a battle like this, it is hard to estimate casualties.
"Told you," Sokka said as he stared at the two of them.
They were all calm, peaceful, and quietly settled for a moment, before Thorkell blew it all off.
"Haaa!" With speed unexpected of his larger physique he closed the distance between himself and the team within a blink of an eye.
Yet a decade of combat did much to sharpen their senses, they all jumped back as he swung his axe, only Mei getting cut on the leg for being too slow.
Such an act we expected, however, before they could react fire burst from behind Thorkell, they dodged yet Suki's shoulder singed.
No time to rest, however, as once again Thorkell was upon them, his swing powerful and wide, herding them to the side.
Lighting fleet, Sokka was just in time and evaded it, although it still buzzed him and allowed Thorkell to get a grazing hit across his chest.
"Sokka!" Suki called out, yet he stopped her.
"I'm all right, just a surface cut." He responded as they regrouped. Throkell and Azula did the same, one behind the other they stood.
'We need to separate them.' The thought came to the whole group all at once, they exchanged looks, and nodded.
Thorkell shifted, about to charge, yet Aang was faster, a great blow of wind coming their way.
Azula evaded while Thorkell dug in, weathering the storm, and as it passed they were both assaulted.
Suki, Ty Lee, Zuko, and Aang on Azula, Sokka, Toph, and Mei on Thorkell.
Thorkell blocked an attack from Sokka as knives flew toward him. He ignored them, and with the strength of a bear he shrugged off Sokka as the knives dug into his flesh.
It did little to stop him however as he swung his axe. Sokka would be split in half now if it weren't for Toph who bent the metal underneath them to block his axe.
But a futile effort it is as Thorkell just marched on, the axe dragging against the ground as he leaped forth and with his fist struck Sokka in the face, sending him tumbling back.
With the momentum generated Thorkell brought the axe up at Toph, who tried to shift his footing, yet it did little.
Three more knives hit his leg, it made him stumble but he still swung.
A red line appeared on Toph's leg as blood gushed forth, Thorkell grinned wider at that.
*Bam*
The crack of lightning caught his attention, he looked over to see Azula locked in a stalemate with Zuko redirecting her bolts and the others keeping pressure on her.
With a crazy idea in his head Thorkell jumped back to avoid a hit, and observed, just as Azula released another bolt he acted.
His axe files from his hand, with speed and strength behind it the others had little time to react, although react they did.
Zuko pulled back, it saved his arm most likely, get it still cost him a hand as the axe passed, mangling his fist.
"Aaa!" He screamed in pain, it gave Azula the breather she needed as she fire off another lightning bolt, this time hitting Ty Lee full force.
Thorkell grinned at the success, yet it is short-lived as soon he feels several objects strike his back.
"Ah!" Knives, clubs and a whole chunk of steel strike him, eliciting a yelp as he stumbles.
He turns, dazed towards his opponents, only for a knife to strike into his eyes.
Blind, hot, searing pain shoots up his body. He conceals a yell with a growl and clenches his teeth. His one good eye sees his targets and he leaps forth.
They were prepared, yet not enough for his sudden leap. He managed to grab Mei by the leg and swing her to the floor, she crashed with a loud thud before getting thrown off behind.
"Ah." This time he did a yelp as steel rises and digs into his ribs and a club meets his forehead.
He stumbles back, the ground underneath shifts and he falls to his back.
Now, on his back, he knows that he is screwed, he attempts quickly to get up yet feels something by his arm. Looking at it he spots his axe.
He doesn't know how it got here, nor does he care really as he grips it tight.
He leaps up, first to be met by Sokka, and he makes a feint of attacking, one which Sokka dodges, which was the whole point as his target is further back.
With a leap, he arrived face to face with Toph. She tries to create distance, yet too little too late, and the axe strikes hard and true. Toph splits in half.
Vaguely he hears someone shout something, yet he knows not what nor who as his grin is wide and strong. He turns, only to be greeted by staff and a gust of wind.
Digging in he endures thru it, leaping into attack the first chance he gets, only to get stopped.
His foot is caught, and looking down he can see Toph bending the metal with her dying breath. 'Fucking bitch.' He thinks.
His momentum carries him forward, yet his foot is stuck, thus he takes a knee as a sword of black metal appears and runs thru his throat.
"Ugha." He gurgles something as he feels the blade in his throat, blood beginning to leak.
Looking up he can see Sokka with the sword. He seems about to say something, yet Thorkell cuts him off by grinning and mouthing to him.
'Got you.' He said, and Sokka's eyes widen for a moment before the axe flashed, and suddenly Sokka lost his legs.
With the last of his strength, and looking over at Azula he grips his axe, and as his last breath leaves him he throws it with all his might at her opponents before slumping over.
The axe hits Suki's true across the stomach, butchering her open like a pig, her entrails falling.
Azula is thankful for the reprieve, yet follows the axe, her heart stopping for a moment as she notices the slumped form of Thorkell.
"Thorkell!" She yells out, stopped dead in her tracks, a deadly mistake.
"Ugh." She coughs as she feels something pierce her. Looking down, she sees a knife piercing from the back and a stiletto thru the heart.
"That's for everything you took from us." By the voice, she can tell it is Zuzu who stabbed her, yet her mind is muddled by another thought right now.
She stumbles forward, each step shaky and unsteady, left alone by the others as it's now apparent that these are her dying steps.
Stumbling, she goes over to Thorkell. Catching his head with her hand, now at his knees, it reaches her chest, she leans his head onto her and holds it tight.
"Never forget." With her dying breath, she manages to whisper out.
For a moment, they remain like that, leaning against each other, before both bodies are suddenly enveloped in blazing blue flames, soon turning to ashes, and scattering in the wind.
And thus it has come to an end. Azula and her companion, are dead after 13 long years of war. Yet the price paid is great, while fate has something else in store for them.
--------------------------------------
Hello everyone, boy, I sure have been away for a long time. No excuses really, life got busy, yeah, but I could have written (I mean I have written, I have almost a dozen stories with another dozen chapters in each at the minimum). My bad, I simply got lazy I suppose, not like anyone missed me. So here's a new series, I know, I know, I have like 2 or 3 old ones to do. But I haven't written or posed in a loooong time, as such it might take me some time to get back into the groove. Also, I'm in my final year of HS, so really busy, as such updates will be irregular and I make no promises.
Anyways, I have had a series like this in my head for a long time now (not exactly this one) so I made this "prototype" to see how it will work. I'm still learning though, so please, be rough. Break me, bend me over, and make me squeal like a pig, so that from the ashes I may arise as a pure and great being. No pain, no gain. No suffering, no harsh comments, and no criticism mean no improvement. Be harsh, but fair, that's all I'll say (ay, that rhymes). Also, English is not my first language (hell, it's not even my second or third language- that goes to german and Italian respectively) so there will be errors, sorry for that.