Hidden

[sears]

After "Ty Lee" had started talking about coming and grabbing her, Azula wasted no time in finding a place to hide. She finally settled on a big wardrobe in the corner of the unfamiliar bedroom she had found herself in. She climbed in and pulled the doors shut behind her, wiggling to the very back and curtaining herself with some of the strange-looking clothes that were hanging inside.

This was probably just some weird nightmare. A bunch of peasants who had no idea what the Fire Nation was? Grown-up Ty Lees and Zukos, who had things like gross-looking scars and foreboding-sounding fighting skills (Azula had no idea what "chi-block" meant, and she didn't really want to find out)? Definitely a nightmare. It was all Zuko's fault, probably. He'd been having bad dreams for about a week-- ever since their mother had disappeared-- and now he was passing them on to Azula. Stupid Zuzu.

Agitated and upset, Azula pulled her knees to her chest and sniffed. The wardrobe was a dumb hiding place. She wondered if maybe she should have gone to another room entirely-- but then how would her father ever find her when he came to pick her up? And besides, if she left now, she might run into the big Ty Lee in the hallway or something.

Azula shifted around a little, pulling at the clothes hanging in front of her to make sure there were no gaps. Then, getting an idea, she yanked some of the ones that were hanging on the other end and tucked them around herself, trying to make it look as if she was just a pile of laundry. She curled up underneath the clothes as tight as she could, sat very, very still, and waited.

Comments

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"I know what I can do!" Ty Lee suddenly gave a big smile. "I can brush your hair!"

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"Do you know how to do it right?"

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"I sure do, Azula!"

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"Hmmm." She didn't sound convinced. "My servants at home always do it the same way-- it's a routine. They let it down and then they brush one hundred strokes. And then they bring tea."

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"Alright. That doesn't sound too hard."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"I want to go home. I don't even know where this place is."

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"It's called Archadia. Don't worry about it." Ty Lee touched Azula's hair, getting ready to put it down.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"Is it in the Earth Kingdom?"

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"...not exactly."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"It's not the Fire Nation! There's no place in Archadia called the Fire Nation. How did I get here?" Azula sniffled.

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"You're going to think I'm crazy if I told you."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"I already think you're crazy. You're a kidnapper."

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"No. I'm a babysitter. Difference." Ty Lee sighed, trying to move Azula into a better position so she could brush her hair. "Anyways...you weren't kidnapped. You were here on vacation and somehow you got turned into a kid."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"You are crazy. You are. And I don't need a babysitter. Or a mom." Despite the ugly scowl on her face and her angry words, Azula leaned into Ty Lee's brushstrokes. "... And I've always been a kid."

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"Could a kid bring down Ba Sing Se?" She continued brushing Azula's hair, ignoring the anger.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"Uncle Iroh almost did. Then he gave up."

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"But you eventually did defeat it."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

Azula sneaked a look back at her. "... Really?"

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"Yep! And with only two elite soldiers, too." Ty Lee gave a smile.

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

She looked pleased. "I always knew I'd do something like that someday. Even if this is a dream I bet it'll really happen."

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"It did."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"Yeah." She looked down at her lap. "I want to go home."

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"No."

[peoplesprincess.livejournal.com]

"I don't like it here. It's really weird."

[hotpinkaura.livejournal.com]

"You act like weird is bad."