Carved In Rock || ATLA

Bat Country

The Avatar State Continued

"He who makes a beast out of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." - Samuel Johnson (Avenged Sevenfold)

🌊 ⛰ 🔥 🌪

"Look at these magnificent shells!" Iroh boasted to his nephew, holding up a pale white conch he was rather proud of. He has spent the morning on the nearby beach while his nephew sulked in the gardens. The two had just made it back to their room at the resort and had yet to realize they had an unexpected visitor lurking nearby. "I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come."

"We don't need any more useless things." Zuko sighed. In the few short days they had been here his Uncle had collected a mass of pointless knickknacks and random junk, totally disregarding the fact that they no longer had a warship at their disposal. "You forget we have to carry everything ourselves now."

"Hello, brother." Azula smiled having decided it was time to make her presence known. She watched her older brother tense as she emerged from the shadows in the back of the room. She had been here for some time now, watching and waiting. In three years he had certainly matured but she was honestly surprised to see he hadn't lost his left eye after the Agni Kai. "Uncle." She nodded at Iroh. Unsurprisingly he had gotten fatter.

"What are you doing here?" Zuko asked through clenched teeth. His relationship with his sister had always been tense, to say the least. She was the perfect child growing up and she knew it, rubbing it in he and Zetzu's face any chance she had. Even now her armor was nicer than any he had ever owned, her skin free of any imperfections, her appearance utterly polished and her head held high. He hadn't seen her since before the duel all those years ago.

"In my country, we exchange a pleasant hello before asking questions." The Princess smirked as she glided across the room, sizing up her brother who stood just a few inches taller than her. This was just as fun as she remembered it. "Have you become uncivilized so soon ZuZu?"

"Don't call me that!" He barked.

"To what do we owe this honor?" Iroh interrupted calmly and respectfully. He had never been able to form a bond with his niece the way he had his nephew, she was already far too heavily influenced by his own brother by the time he came home from the war front. If she was here he was wary of the reasons why. They'd have to be smart until he knew her game.

"Hm, must be a family trait." The Princess purred. She plucked the shell from her Uncle's hand and studied it in the light. "Both of you are just so quick to get to the point." Clenching her fist the shell broke into pieces, falling to the ground. "Oops." She said through a smile. "I've come with a message from home. Father's changed his mind, family is suddenly very important to him." She lied smoothly. Her eyes stayed locked on her Uncle's, daring him to question her. "He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him, treacherous plots. Family are the only ones you can really trust." Her eyes danced to her brother who looked as if he had seen a ghost. She needed to sell this. A frown crossed her lips and her shoulders dropped. "Father regrets your banishment, he wants you home."

Zuko wasn't sure if his heart was still beating or his lungs still pumping. Could this possibly be real? Could he go home even without the Avatar? Did his father want him home? His lips refused to speak any words, his mind moving too fast to put together a sentence.

"Did you hear me?" Azula asked. This wasn't the reaction she had been expecting. "You should be happy, excited, grateful. I just gave you great news."

"I'm sure your brother simply needs a moment..." The General tried to defend his boy to no avail.

"Don't interrupt Uncle!" Azula snapped. How someone so disgraceful could've ever been in line for the throne before her father she'd never understand, no matter how much older he may be.