A Joke
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Avatar: Awakened Gamer
🕑 Added 2021-12-25 12:36:47 +0000 UTCChapter 87 - Secrets Between Us
***
"So? Will my death be painful?" Inquired Azula, as her heavy breathing of panic seemed to slow down.
Why would I kill her? Sure, she saw my waterbending. But I wasn't the kind of guy careless enough to be caught with his pants down.
I have seen enough anime, read enough manga, and watched a lot of movies to know just how cliche that would be.
It a small part of the plan for Azula to catch me with my pants down… metaphorically of course. Keeping a secret from her is dangerous. Because she's smart enough to figure shit out.
Flickering her on the forehead, and making the psycho chick flinch a little in surprise. I went back to work, healing her injuries. Using some of the water I had stole- *cough* borrowed from the pond of the Moon and Ocean spirits.
Seeing her breathe heavily, dark hair sticking to her to to her glistering skin due to sweat. Azula, if only you weren't a psycho...
"Answer my question at least. How will my death be?" She asked again, this time her thoughts seemed to be a little clearer.
Her wounds closed themselves and I kept working on healing the injury which was my fault.
"I won't kill you," I muttered with the most trying to speak as reassuringly as possible. "Though you might decide to do the opposite to me after the healing is done."
"Heh," she snorted. Back to her shenanigans already. "Of course, I will. Did you think I would just forgive you for lying to me for so long?"
"I guess that's how it is," without saying more I continued healing her, her wound was already closed up, but there were some infected parts. "By the way, can I at least get good treatment in prison? I still healed you."
"No," she smiled in relief as her injury closed up. There wasn't even a scar left behind. "You're going to the worst prison."
Sitting up in the bed, she kept looking at where the wound used to be, even while threatening me.
She then glanced back at me, a small smile on her face. "You're never leaving my side again."
She was probably joking... right? Because that coming from Azula could mean many things.
"Being a waterbender saved me in the Northern Water Tribe. Since non-benders got lined up, apparently there was a spy amongst them. Though they didn't find anyone." I tried changing the conversation.
Azula winced at my words and admitted. "That was my fault."
It wasn't because such a thing didn't happen. “What now? Are you going to attack again?”
Azula sighed, “No, that would be suicide. It spared us the first time, testing that again would be stupid.”
She looked regretful at that and clenched her hand into a fist. Azula was angry, but holding it in.
I tried to think of something to say that would help her but wasn’t able to come up with anything. While I did lie to other people, it wasn’t good to lie to myself, that was why I always made sure to tell myself the truth.
What will happen from now on will be my doing.
"Your father will be enraged at this. You might even lose the heir position."
"Heh," she chuckled as if having heard the funniest thing in the world. "And make Zuzu the heir instead?"
No, this was more than just that. A militarized failure of this caliber isn't something that can just be swept under the rug. Even if someone had somewhat total dictatorship power. Which the Fire Nation didn't, as it had nobles that were powerful too.
"You'll probably be used as a pawn," I warned her. Azula from now on would start a destructive path, and I wasn't a bad enough guy to leave her to walk this path alone. "Though I am sure you already predicted that."
I know Azula quite well by now, and her genius was something that even I couldn't match with my Gamer Interface. If it wasn't for my future knowledge, I don't believe outplaying her would have been possible.
Getting up, I sighed, the dim room made Azula's yellow eyes more prominent.
She was looking at me, and I could somewhat tell that behind the calm demeanor, the Fire Nation princess was panicked. She knew what was going to likely happen, but had decided to ignore this. It would be something that gives her closure.
“Snap back to reality, Azula. You know how this will end.” I warned her.
“Don’t act as if you know everything!” she suddenly yelled, her scream bouncing through the room.
For a second I was worried she might burn off my face, but then remembered that this girl hadn’t killed me yet for lying to her about being a waterbender.
“Father will…” I could see the doubt in her eyes as she spoke the next words. “...give me a second chance.”
Will he?
I wanted to ask that but decided not to. From now on, Azula had to come and make her own choices or continue living in a lie. As someone unloved, I can understand where she was coming from. Though it wasn’t my parents that didn’t love me, so we were in quite different situations.
Once again, I couldn't help but sigh. Knowing how hard it would be for anyone to accept that the only person they thought might love them, actually didn't.
"Do… Do you think he will cast me out?" She suddenly asked, unsure if she wanted to hear an answer she already knew. "Will I… have no one else in this world?"
Damn, you want me to answer that? If I lie, you know I am lying and will be angry at me. If I tell the truth, you'll be annoyed that I said the truth.
Thankfully Azula seemed to have realized what she had just said and chuckled. "You know if this situation ends up turning over. Will you leave me too?"
The desperation in her voice was clear, and I wondered if saying something like 'No I will never leave you' is enough in this situation. Azula was smart, and sooner or later she would see through my lies. Since she wasn't stupid, or gullible, she would be able to see them quite soon. By quite soon, I mean immediately after she calms down.
"If I leave you, then will you hunt me down?" My question made her chuckle a little, as the mood around us became softer.
"Obviously," she answered, her intense yellow eyes fixed on mine. "If you run away, I will hunt you down and put a chain around your neck."
"I knew you were sadistic," I said in an overly dramatic manner. Hugging myself in fake comfort. This was in an effort to get her mind off things for a little while. "This whole thing is just an excuse for you to fulfill the evil and twisted desires you have for me."
"Hahaha~" Azula chuckled in a mock villainous manner. "You have finally discovered my master plan!"
We both laughed at the situation and Azula finally calmed down.
Her worries seemed to flow away, but that nervousness was still there. There wasn't a magical thing that I could say which would make her not worry about this.
Suddenly the door slammed open, with a roaring crash.
Ty Lee, Mai, and a dozen Fire Nation soldiers ready to fry me alive. But one Ty Lee saw me, she frowned.
Right, she could sense my aura, and that could be troublesome, she was one of the only people in the world who would be able to tell who I was under any disguise. Mai on the other hand narrowed her eyes suspiciously when she saw Azula all healed up.
“Kuzon, do you think that you can just enter a royal family member’s room so casually? This kind of crime is usually punished by death.” Mai made it clear that she wasn’t going to be on my side if something like that happened.
Well, that was understandable. If I was in the same position as her, then I would do the same.
“That decision is for the princess to make.” I glanced at Azula.
My dear Fire Princess’ eyes turned cold when she saw me address her. “Yes, put him in prison. That should teach him some manners.”
Oh?... This was a little surprising.
Even Mai and Ty Lee seemed shocked by it.
What was Azula aiming at here? I couldn’t tell. Has she figured out my ploy?
****
