Azula the Sacrificed Chapter 3 Preview

The first thing Zuko felt was fear. It was some instinctual, a subconscious feeling that something was very different, very wrong.

He pushed himself up and realize the first part of the "wrongness."

This wasn't his bed. Which meant that this wasn't his room.

Where was he!? Where?! How did he get here?

His head felt strange, heavy as he brought it up, eyes blinking open. Why was everything still fuzy?

And why could he only see one side of his nose?

He started to clutch at the blind side of his head and felt....something there. It was some kind of fabric, and it was tight on his head.

Why was it tight?

"Prince Zuko, you're awake!"

He cried in alarm at the voice, muffled through one ear, and nearly fell out of the bed in the process.

"Please, don't move so quickly, My Prince! You'll only worse your injuries!" the voice called, and he suddenly felt a hand gently yet firmly push him back on the bed before he might slip off.

He didn't fight it, too busy groaning as his covered-face began to throb beneath the cloth. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice slurred and almost foriegn to his own ears, squinting towards the voice.

"I am Chazun, Prince Zuko," the man answered patiently, falling silent as Zuko stared at him.

Zuko 's vision cleared just enough for him to remember the brown eyes man, his hair and beard greying yet not showing any whites yet.  He was wearing a white robes, an collor reserved for funerals and doctors.

A doctor. Something about that made Zuko very worried about the wrapping, the bandages on his face.

Along with the stinging sensation beneath them, growing more intense and wider.

"What's wrong with me?" he asked, the words softly echoing in his ears.

"You were injured, Prince Zuko," Chazun explained with a consoling voice. "We've been treating the wound as best we could-"

"What wound?" he asked suddenly as something, some memory poked at the back of his mind.

There was a long, heavy silence at that as his mind drifted to back to a dark throne room, lit by fire. "Prince Zuko, what do you remember?" Chazun asked warrily.

Zuko scowled, than flinched. "I...I was burned," he rmemebered as his hand shook.

Right, he had jumped to save...to save....Azula?

Why would he need to save Azula? Why would she be in danger, and just standing there waiting for it?

Why would he need to protect her when Grandfather and Father were th-

"No," he whispered in shock, clutching the side of his face.

He had to protect her because Gradnfather ordered it.

"No, no, no, no," he whispered with dread, his body paling.

He had to protect her because Father was going to kill her.

"My prince, you must-" Chazun called urgently, only to step back as Zuko swiped out his fist with a weak flame about it.

"Get back!" Zuko demanded frantically as he became incredibly aware of one thing and one thing only. "Where is she?! Where is my sister!?"

"Zuko!"

The whole world appeared to freeze to the prince, his own name echoing in his ears. His gaze went to the door and saw the speaker was already approaching his bed; his mother. "Oh, Zuko," she whispered with too many emotions, bringing her son into an embrace without another word.

"Mom," Zuko said, love and sorrow and tiredness all in his voice. "Mom, Azula, wher-"

"She's fine, Zuko," Ursa promised, pulling back to smile. It was a strange smile, so proud yet somehow almost broken in a way. "You have nothing to be afraid of."

"But Father! Grandfather!" Zuko exclaimed, not sure whatelse to say. How could any of them be safe after that?"

"Your father is gone, Zuko," Ursa said bluntly, unsure if Zuko would be relieved or heartbroken by this.

Zuko blinked. Gone, that could mean many things. "You mean he's.....?" he swallowed, his meaning clear.

Ursa shook her head. "Firelord Azulon, was....wrong to do things in that manner, but he did not intend harm to come to you or your sister. He didn't want to believe his own son would do such a thing, but felt he needed to know," she explained carefully, her tone bitter, her fingers trembling with motherly rage.

Zuko wasn't sure he understood, not really, but he nodded all the same. Azula was safe. Grandfather was....safe to be around. Father was gone. That made sense for the most part. "Mom? What's wrong? Why does my face hurt so much," Zuko asked, cringing as he felt a stabbing sensation in his face if his facial muscles moved too much.

The Fire Princess looked pointedly to the doctor. "I thought it was time to hear how the prince was feelings before giving him more medicine for the pain, Lady Ursa," Chazun explained carefully.

Ursa scowled, but understood the need. They had to be sure that the damage wasn't worse than just a scar. As bad enough as that was, it could be much worse for the young prince. "Zuko, doctor Chazun will take care of the pain, but he needs to ask you some questions to try and make sure you're getting better. Okay?" she asked in a sweet, encouraging voice.

Zuko nodded softly, but had a question of his own that remained unanswered. "Where's Azula?"

"She went for a walk, Sweety. You've been asleep for a while and I made her get some fresh air," Ursa explained.

Meanwhile

"Monster!"

Azula didn't react. Not when she was slammed against the tree, not when she was held there by fists as tiny as her own, not when normally bored eyes glared wrathfully into her own, and certainly not when that word left the tongue of a friend.

"What did you do to Zuko!?" Mai demanded, looking more emotional and more animal than she ever had in the pass as she pinned the princess to the tree.