An Echo of Legends: An ATLA Mystery Story (on hiatus)

Chapter 4: Izumi

Izumi   stared out at the endless sea of clouds. They were flying on Oogi, Tenzin's bison, who he had reluctantly parted with, so they could get to Ember Island. Bumi was losing at rock paper scissors with Su on the saddle, and Ty Lee and a white lotus guard were sitting in front. Izumi buried her face in her fire nation criminal law book, trying to ignore Oogi's twists and turns in midair. 

Starting from the end of the Hundred Year War, criminal trials were overseen by a judge and an impartial jury. Before this time, the council of sages would oversee trials concerning high treason. The council of sages would oversee trials concerning high treason. The council of sages would oversee trials concerning high treason.

Izumi sighed. She couldn't concentrate, all the words were repeating themselves, and Oogi did another sudden maneuver to avoid turbulence, but this time, Izumi didn't have a good grip on her book, and it tumbled down below the clouds. That is, it would've, if the white lotus guard hadn't caught it. 

It was instantaneous. The guard reached out and effortlessly caught the book, tucked it under her arm, and made her way to the saddle. Izumi's eyes widened. This woman looked almost exactly like her, albeit an older version of her. They had the same amber eyes, and their strands of straight, shiny black hair were the same. 

"Criminal law?" the guard said as she handed her book back, "Interesting choice." She walked away, and towards Ty Lee, who immediately shot her a glare. They exchanged a few coarse words that Izumi was to far away to understand, just as Bumi yelled, 

"We're here!" As if on cue, Oogi dived down, and Izumi made sure to keep a hold on her book. Ember island looked like a shining jewel, its sharp green jungle and dark sands starkly contrasting the blue waters surrounding it. They landed in front of the beach house that belonged to Zuko's family. 

"You guys have fun, relax, I'm going to get some food from the town," Ty Lee said cheerfully, before exchanging a quick glance with the guard. They went in opposite directions, with the latter walking along the beach. Izumi put her book down for the first time since that morning. Forget relaxation, she had to figure out what was going on. 

~~~

"Izumi, you really didn't have to come watch this with me," Ty Lee said as they sat in the nosebleed section of the theater. 

"I want to," Izumi said truthfully, "I actually like the Ember Island Players."

"I'm the Avatar, Silly!" said the woman on stage.

"I still don't know why you chose this play though." She muttered. It was the first time that Izumi had seen The Boy in the Iceberg, and she would never understand how anyone could watch it with a straight face.

"In my opinion it's their funniest work." Ty Lee smiled. Izumi laughed softly. 

"So, why is a white lotus guard coming with us?" Ty Lee frowned. 

"Well, everyone else is focused on the investigation, so I thought we could need a little extra security."

"Do you two know each other, personally?"

"Shh," Ty Lee whispered, "It's almost Zuko's entrance."

"I don't have time for cake, Uncle!" Izumi sighed and silently watched the play. By the first intermission, she wasn't sure how much more of it she could take. Ty Lee obviously wasn't interested in talking about anything, and Katara's actress was overdoing it way too much. 

"I'm going to go get some fire flakes," she said quietly to Ty Lee, and walked out of the theater and to the concession stand outside. She was about to buy some fire flakes, but something else caught her eye. The same white lotus guard from before, but she was instead wearing a dark cloak, and it became even more apparent how similar they looked. She saw her, and immediately started to walk briskly away from the building and towards the water. 

"Wait!" Izumi shouted, running after her. The stranger picked up the pace, running down the stone steps and across a grassy field. Izumi tried to hold her footing, but the incline was steep, and she didn't know the island very well, so a stray tree branch was all it took to send her tumbling.

"Ow," she muttered. As she looked up, Izumi saw a hand reaching out to her, "Who are you?"

"You shouldn't have followed me," the woman sighed. She hesitated, before asking, "Are you Izumi."

"... Yeah," Izumi said with a guarded expression, shakily standing up, "How-"

"I'm your Aunt." She blurted out. 

"What?" Izumi's mother didn't have a sister, and this woman certainly wasn't her aunt Kiyi, so this was the sister who was never spoken of.

"I'm Azula," she said, "And I don't really like kids, so-"

"I'm not a kid, I'm 18, well- 17, and I have so many questions. Why don't I know anything about you? Where have you been? Why were you pretending to be a white lotus guard, How-"

"How about this," Azula said, "We each ask each other one question. You start."

"Okay," Izumi thought, "Are you part of the white lotus?" Azula started laughing. No, cackling.

"Of course not," she said, "I... needed to get to the Island, and this was the easiest way to get there. Now it's my turn."

"But-"

"Are you a firebender?"

"Um, yes," Izumi said with some hesitation. Out of all the things her aunt could've asked, it had to be that? Azula gestured for her to demonstrate. Izumi sighed and tried to create a flame in her palm, but all that appeared was a whiff of smoke and a vaguely burnt odor.

"That was pathetic," Azula said flatly.

"I- I can firebend," Izumi stammered, "My firebending is just... weaker, for some reason. I don't know why, and-"

"Listen," Azula interrupted, "I might be able to help you."

"What?"

"Meet me in the town square tomorrow morning," she said, "Make sure Ty Lee doesn't follow you." 

"How do I know I can trust you?" Azula smirked. 

"Trust is for fools," she said, "You'd do well to remember that." She walked back towards the water, leaving Izumi very confused. 

"Here's what you missed," Ty Lee said, once she sat back down in the nosebleed sections, "The gaang met Toph, and Iroh doesn't like Zuko's hair." 

"Azula! My sister!" Izumi's eyes widened.

"What's that?!" said the actress, with some exaggerated hand gestures, "I think it's your honor!" 

As the second act continued, Izumi saw the many awful things Azula had done during the war. The things her parents hadn't told her. Even this farcical play based on fire nation propaganda painted Azula as a horrible person. 

But Izumi knew her aunt might be the only person willing to help her. 

~~~

Thanks for Reading!