The Burning Truth-Harmony

Part 27~Stalling

"Where is he? Where's the Fire Lord?" Isu gripped her staff, ready to start the fight, as Shiko shook his head.

"You mean I'm not good enough for you?"

Azula chuckled, rising from the throne. "You're hurting our feelings."

"Stop wasting our time and give us the information," Sokka shouted, pointing his sword at her. "You're powerless right now, so you're in no position to refuse."

"And stick to the truth. I'll be able to tell if you're lying," Toph added as Azula walked a few steps forward.

"Are you sure? I'm a pretty good liar. I am a four-hundred-foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings," Azula grinned as Toph frowned.

"Okay, you're good, I admit it." Toph trapped Azula with her earth bending as Zuko pinned Shiko back, too. "But you ought to consider telling the truth anyway."

Toph's attempts failed as the earth crumbled around Azula and Shiko. Azula brushed the dust off her shoulders. "When I left Ba Sing Se, I brought home some souvenirs: Dai Li agents."

"They're quite useful," Shiko added, "much better than the old village."

Two Dai Li agents jumped into the room as Isu swiped the air at them. The agents brought up an earth wall as she tutted. "This is going to be annoying."

~~~

"Surround the periphery. We have to secure the palace by the time the eclipse is over. Otherwise, we'll be in for the fight of our lives," Bato shouted as the troops continued, finding a number of Fire Nation soldiers.

"Stop! Surrender peacefully, and we won't harm you," Tyro announced as the Fire Nation soldier gritted his teeth.

"We'll never surrender." He tried to make a fire, but nothing happened. "Okay, we surrender."

Hakoda approached the rim of the volcano, leaning on his daughter's shoulders. "There it is, The Fire Nation Royal Palace. We've come so far."

"It's not over yet," Katara muttered, a tight grip on her father.

~~~

Zuko burst through the stone wall, attacking the agents. Hachi was one step behind him as Isu blasted at her dad, leaving Sokka and Toph to Azula.

Toph bent two stone slabs, throwing them at Azula as she slid away. Hachi threw the agents back as they landed on the back wall, bending two pillars at Zuko and Hachi as Zuko stopped them.

Sokka sliced at Azula with his sword, barely scraping her air space, let alone actually hitting her. She smirked as she landed, turning and avoiding Toph's earth disc, one of which smacked into Shiko as Isu pushed him into the path.

He let out an annoyed scream, blasting Isu with air as she gritted her teeth. She was about to lose her grip when Toph sent two more earth discs into his back. The wind died down as Isu charged, throwing Shiko into the back wall next to the Dai Li agents.

Zuko was throwing fire at them as the agents put up another wall. One ran across the ceiling, jumping down as Hachi blasted him away from Zuko, who kicked an earth pillar into the agent's side. Isu turned, throwing an air blast at Azula as she dodged, flipping between two metal beams and landing on the ground.

She stepped back and jumped across various stone walls and pillars before landing back on the ground. The Dai Li agent landed on the ground, throwing Azula into the air.

Sokka pulled himself up the stone wall when Azula flew over his head. She landed on the ground and started running again.

Isu tried to hit her dad, but he dodged, running off behind Azula as Isu huffed. "I swear he's gotten faster."

"I can't pin Azula down either," Sokka muttered as Zuko nodded.

"She's gotten faster."

Azula ran down the tunnel, a Dai Li agent following behind her and creating a stone wall blocking off the passage. It did little to stop Zuko as he burst through the wall.

The Dai Li agent turned, ready to attack, when a stone column appeared out of the wall, pinning him down. Toph cheered as she and Hachi emerged from the hole. Toph trapped the agent in metal as the rest ran on.

"Wait, everyone! Stop attacking. Don't you see what she's doing? She's just playing with us. She's not even trying to win this fight," Sokka called out as Azula chuckled.

"Not true. I'm giving it my all."

Shiko laughed, cracking his joints.

"You're trying to keep us here and waste all our time," Toph shouted angrily as Shiko snorted.

"And miss this family time."

"You're not our family," Isu announced as Azula scoffed.

"Right. That's not how family works, genius."

Isu scowled before she took a breath. "Let's go. We have more important things to do."

"Really," Hachi questioned as Sokka nodded.

"We don't have a choice. We just have to get out of here and find the Fire Lord on our own somehow."

The group sighed, turning away and running off.

"It's a trap. Don't say I didn't warn you," Azula laughed, and the group stopped.

Sokka held up a hand. "Ignore."

"So, Sokka's your name, right? My favourite prisoner used to mention you all the time. She was convinced you were going to come rescue her. Of course, you never came, and she gave up on you."

Tears fell from Sokka's eyes as he charged at her. Azula grinned to herself. With a quick motion, she pulled out a hidden danger, getting ready to strike.

Toph sensed there was metal in her hand, pinning Azula to the tunnel wall. Before Shiko could step in, Isu threw him back, whacking his head against the back wall. "Stay down."

Sokka rushed up to Azula, glaring in her face. "Where is Suki?!" Azula didn't answer. "Where's Suki? Answer me!"

"Sokka, she won't talk," Zuko announced, holding his shoulder as he ignored them.

"Where are you keeping her?" Still no answer.

The longer they stood there, demanding answers, the less she spoke. Unknown to them, time was running out. The moon continued to move as Shiko pushed himself up. The eclipse was over.