The fire war renaissance

Chapter 35: Awakenings and Epiphanies

Welcome to the wonderful world that is the end of Part 3. After the intensity of the last chapter, this chapter is the lovely aftermath. Plus, it sets the pace for Part 4.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter Thirty-Five: Awakenings and Epiphanies

The whereabouts of the Black Jade weren't the problem everyone thought they would be.

After Long Feng's body was hauled away to a proper burial, the remaining members of the Black Jade seemed to slip away from the battle field, unheard and unseen.

Though a search party was sent out to clear out the rest of the underground units, when they arrived there the Black Jade was gone. The insides were stripped of all their interior and the people left no trace of them being there. Only the forgotten tunnels that channeled underneath a good portion of the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation and the sparse glowing candles were blown out before the search party left, but not before they read the small note at the main entrance at Lake Laogai:

The Jade is dead…

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Zuko had been badly burned on multiple spots on his body.

The scar on his face had been re-opened, and his chest and arms were marked with other permanent scars as well. Mai stayed by her husband's side for the week and a half he was in a coma after suffering Azula's brainwashed bombardments of fire blasts. And when he awoke, he couldn't recollect anything past him seeing Azula walking up to him.

He woke up in a sudden jump up, breathing heavily and sweat running down his face.

"Azula!" He screamed.

"Zuko?" Mai woke up from a light sleep at his bedside. "Zuko!" She cried out happily and hugged him. He squinted underneath her at the sudden pain of any contact on his tender body. But as he looked around he realized he wasn't in the throne room anymore.

"Mai?" He said, finally calming down.

"I'm here," Mai reassured him, picking up his right hand and stroking it against her cheek lovingly.

"Where's Azula?" He asked her slowly, still looking around and finally realized that he was in the infirmary within the palace.

"She's somewhere around here…" Mai answered, turning her head towards the door. "She's been kind of to herself lately."

"To herself?" Zuko echoed. "….So she's okay?"

"Yeah….physically anyway. Mentally, I don't think she is, though." Mai explained, her features notably falling.

"Mai?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened?" Zuko asked. "Last thing I remember was that Long Feng guy had her brainwashed…and then she came towards me with this look in her eyes…."