Shady Memories Ch.2 by MrJense

I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.




                                               The Enemies are Approaching


Gong. W-what...? Gong. What is this? Gong! His eyelids trembled. Gong! Eight gongs echoed through the palace signing the proper time.

His eyes burned, his head ached, his hands hurt... and he felt hot. He let out a moan finally opening his eyes and his vision was fully invaded with the green colour. He tried to pull off the weight of the also green sheets but his hands could barely grab anything. He found them in bandages as he looked down.

With the shifting voices he made a figure snapped awake on a chair near his bed then stood up quickly to come closer to him. “Zuko!”

A girl’s worried face filled his vision as he looked there. Dark hair, pale skin... golden eyes. She was familiar to him but as he searched in his mind he couldn’t find the name for her face. “W-who...?” His throat was dry and his voice cracked but he managed to continue. “Who are you?”

Mai’s face turned sad. “Don’t you remember me?”

“No wonder...” Sounded a voice he finally recognized. “He got quite a hit.” She said as she stepped in his sight.

“Azula, what happened?” Zuko asked as he sat up in his bed.

“What is the last thing you remember?” She asked while her face stayed emotionless but her eyes watched him calculating.

“I..” He started looking away. His thoughts were slow as never before. He was supposed to be at the Fire Palace... but everything around here was green and perfectly unfamiliar.

Then something else flashed into his mind. An angered face... golden eyes filled with fury and hatred as he raised his flaming arm... then the pain.

His face winced and he brought a hand to his forehead. He froze as his hand touched sensitive skin above his left eye... the edge of his scar. His hand wandered lower across the left side of his face as it filled with horror.

“You were out for more than two weeks.” Azula spoke and he looked at her. Two weeks? Her face filled with compassion and a slight guilt. “I am sorry...” She said then darkened her face. “But at least the one who did this to you won’t get away without being punished.” Zuko looked at her with round eyes as she finished. “Yes, we have the Dragon of the West under arrest.”

He brought his gaze downwards and frowned before he spoke. “I want to talk with him.” He started and Azula was grateful he didn’t look at her right now... Her mind yelled ‘danger’ from every corner. “I need to know why...”

“No!” She said with a slight panic in her voice then changed her expressions to one that showed sisterly love and concern. “I can’t let you.” She said seriously then sat on the edge of his bed as she continued. “I’m not going to let him have another opportunity to hurt you.”

Zuko’s face softened for a moment as he looked at his sister. “If you don’t want me to do so then I won’t.” He said then brought a hand to his scar again as he made a worried frown. “How bad it is?”

Azula looked at her friend as she spoke. “Mai, bring in a mirror.”

The girl’s eyes widened for a moment then closed as she made a nod. “Yes, Azula...” She said and hurried out of the room.

He looked at the disappearing girl with surprise. Mai...? He knitted his eyebrows. But the Mai I remember was only 9-years-old... how could this...? He lifted his arms just to look at them. He was older. Older than I thought. Then he brought his gaze to his sister.

The Azula before him was no longer a little girl. His mouth stayed open as he realized how much she looked like their mother as she showed worry towards him.

“Azula...” He looked at his hands as he finally spoke. “I think there’s another problem with me...” He looked back at her this time in the eye. “I don’t remember anything from at least the last five years.”

Seven. She thought to herself. You don’t remember a thing from exactly seven years. Her face reflected sadness and worry as she put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s gonna be alright Zuko...”

Zuko made a slight smile. “Thanks.” As she watched him with confusion his smile softened and he did something that filled her with both shock and surprise. He hugged her. “You’ve called me Zuko...”

Azula sat straight in her place with round eyes as her mother’s voice invaded her memories. “Your brother has a pure heart... that is his strength... what is yours?”

Then as the door opened once again and he pulled away, she narrowed her eyes as a tear sparkled in his right eye focusing her mind on another voice. Their father’s. “He is weak!”


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The courtyard was on fire. The Dai Lee guards and the palace crew didn’t say a word. They didn’t dare to.

The scarred fire prince was in rage... he saw his scar for the thousandth and yet the first time. Something that was ugly, horrible, fearful and painful at the same time. He couldn’t think of anything else but how he hated it.

The bandages on his hands were set aflame in the first minutes and only his sleeveless shirt survived his fury. Almost four hours ago he was still unaware of what happened to him. Two weeks...

He stood straight in the middle of the yard and he already gasped for air as he brought a hand to his face. He had to be thankful though... The pain I remembered from that last memory was unbearable. Then something caught his eyes and he lowered his hand. But if my face healed... He frowned. How could my hands still be this wounded?

His thoughts quickly flew away as – with the sound of a thunder – lightning struck next to him on the floor leaving a huge black burning mark there. He whirled around to see his sister on top of the stairs that led down to the courtyard.

“I thought you might need a sparring partner...” She said with a smile of hers and raised an eyebrow as she descended down the stairs.

He made a smirk and took his fighting stance as she got down. “You thought well.”

She attacked first and he made his counterattack easily. They fought for the practice and not for the kill... from the basics to the advanced moves, though her blue flames and his tiredness brought her the advantage. As he slowly had to retreat a thought came from somewhere his mind and he made a move he didn’t even remembered if he had ever seen before...

With a wave of his arms the fire surrounded his hands and flew ahead of him in two whips. Azula’s eyes narrowed.

She couldn’t control the fire whips. She hated them. She made a wave of blue fire with her full force and immediately made her lightning move.

He let the whips perish and jumped away from his previous spot that way avoiding both fire and lightning. Then he made his move. With both hands he shot fire towards her and he could have sworn this one was the most powerful attack he ever made... well at least from what he remembered. But he did not stop here. With one deep breath he waved with one of his hands then with the other creating sparkles in the air.

She dodged his attack but it already surprised her as she had to back away from the impact... He was not this strong! But when a full lightning erupted from his hand her eyes widened and after she whirled away from it she dropped her stance and looked at him bewildered.

He was gasping for air again as he also straightened up. “What is it?”

Azula made a smile that was closest to being proud as she spoke. “Congratulations.” She said as she crossed her arms. “That was the first time you’ve created lightning...”


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Ty Lee made six punches and three kicks knocking six Dai Lee member out of seven. Only the seventh was able to finish his attack. The earth rumbled as a stone spear shot out from behind the smiling girl.

In the last moment she leaned away and as it flew towards its creator she easily got closer to her enemy. The guard raised his stone fisted arm to hit her in the face but he only passed the distance’s first half as Ty Lee grabbed his shoulder and neck at the same time blocking his pressure points. The guard fell to the ground in a blink of an eye.

A smile spread across her face as she made a jump with an acrobatic move and faced her nearby sitting friend. “Have you seen it Mai? I’ve got them all!”

“Yeah... you were great.” Sounded a bored answer.

The acrobat made a pout. “You could at least cheer a little for me!”

“Perhaps I will.” Spoke a third voice from the side.

The girl’s eyes rounded then she quickly turned around and bowed towards the newcomer. “Prince Zuko.”

He shifted in his place. “Ty Lee, I’ve already asked you not to bow...” As the girl straightened up he continued. “But the moves you do are quite impressive.” He said making her smile widely. “Could you show some of them to me?”

This time her face fell in surprise. “You want to learn them...?”

Zuko made a slight smile then made a respectful nod with closed eyes and her smile returned immediately. “Then let’s not waist time!” She said quickly and to his annoyance she made another bow – even deeper than before – before they went to sit down at the opposite side of the yard from where Mai sat.

She narrowed her eyes as Azula stepped behind her. “Sure he changed, didn’t he?” Asked the princess.

“Yes, he did.” Said the other while turning a dagger between her fingers. “Do you think he’s gonna be all right now?”

Azula watched as Ty Lee quickly spoke with a smile on her face and moved her hands in the motions of her attack moves while Zuko focused on her with a slight smile.

The Dai Lee told her that there were no example before to such an ultimate brainwash... they said he might get even crazy. They couldn’t guarantee his memories wouldn’t start to return little by little. But then again what did they know? Their work on him was perfect.

“If he starts to cause trouble...” She said on a low voice. “We’ll know what to do.”


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“...and about benders. Earthbenders are dangerous because they can use almost their entire body to attack.” Ty Lee said seriously then made another smile. “Once I’ve met this old king who could bend even with a shake of his head!” She said loudly and he couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm.

“But usually they use their arms and legs. So if you want to stop them it’s enough if you block these... or you can block their full body from the neck.” She said and pointed at a parchment before her that showed the human body. She already showed him the proper hand moves so she just needed to explain where to hit.

“As for waterbenders: they rely on their flow and balance and usually they’re using their hands and arms.” She said then pointed at the picture. “If you block their chi in the arms they will be defenseless. Also if you hit here…” Pointing at a spot between the neck and shoulder. “This will cause them collapse at once. Of course this move is also usable on non-benders.”

Zuko made a nod as he tried to memorize what he heard. Earthbenders… The image of a fighting Dai Lee member came to his thoughts. Waterbenders… He remembered he read about them once and there was a picture that showed their appearance. Brown hair, tan skin and blue eyes… As he thought about this suddenly a pair of blue eyes flashed into his mind, but just as quick as it came it disappeared.

He suddenly sat up straight and looked around. Ty Lee raised one of her eyebrows. “Is something wrong?”

He turned back to her as he rubbed his forehead. “No, nothing…” He said then shook his head. “Go on please.”

Ty Lee’s smile returned quickly as she nodded then continued. “Well, for airbenders…” She started then put a hand to her chin as she thought. “They also use their hands or devices they carry with them, but just like firebenders they can control air with their breathing. So I guess you need to use the former moves and the air blocking move that works for…”

“You guess?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

The girl shrugged as she answered. “The only airbender I know about is someone I’ve never fought with.” She said then looked at him. “You know… the Avatar.”

Avatar… He squeezed his eyes shut as another picture came to his mind. He saw a figure in orange sitting in a green area, a blue glowing strip went across his bald head and a hand appeared behind his neck that hold on the orange cloth… his hand. Then from out of nowhere freezing cold water knocked him off his feet. When he looked back at his attacker with clenched teeth he saw a girl. A waterbender… Blue eyes focused on him as a smirk came to her lips…

“Are you all right?” He opened his eyes to see the worried expression on Ty Lee’s face.

“Y-yes…” He said and looked downwards. “I think I’ve just remembered something.”

Her eyes rounded for a moment before she started blinking. “Remembered what?” She asked.

He looked away from her as a slight smile formed on his lips. “Something blue…” He rubbed his neck as he looked back at her and widened his smile. “That probably sounded stupid.” He shook his head again. “I’m sorry… so what about firebenders?”

“Right…” She made a slow nod as she started to explain again. “Firebenders are quite easy if you can get near to them!” She said with another smile. “They rely fully on their breath. So if you can aim a hit right above their stomach to…”

“Ty Lee!” Azula’s voice snapped from behind her brother as she came into view. “Discussing these moves against firebenders even in theory counts as treachery.” She said coldly then she glared at her friend. “You should now that.”

The acrobat let her parchment scroll and she made the same bow towards Azula that she made for Zuko too. “I am sorry…”

“Fine.” The princess said. “I think it is time to retire…” She peeked at her brother. “It has been a very eventful day.” She made a nod towards the prince before they left him alone. “Good night, brother.”

Zuko watched the alley they disappeared with a frown then brought his gaze back to his hands. Those were cuts … he was sure of it. But they definitely weren’t there for two weeks.

One of his hands slowly went to his stomach. His face was concerned as he opened his shirt there and his eyes widened immediately. There was a bruise right under his ribs. If you aim a hit right above their stomach…
He narrowed his eyes as he stood up and closed his shirt. Something was not right…


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“Ouch!” Sounded a voice in the darkness. “Toph, couldn’t you be just a little bit careful?”

The blind girl – who was wearing her new outfit which was red instead of her earlier green and yellow - pulled back her arms from the tunnel’s wall she continuously created just to make an angry ‘glare’ at the other girl behind her. “Why don’t you look where you go? I’m bending here!” She snapped as she turned back to continue. “I thought you’d complain less than Sokka… even the Dai Lee will hear you.” She murmured.

Katara let out a frustrated sigh as she leaned away from another flying rock. She hated to be underground, she didn’t like her new hairstyle, her clothes and she definitely didn’t like to be here… It seemed every time Toph and herself got together in a little space – which meant they didn’t even have enough air to separate them – their differences seemed to live their own life.

The waterbender bumped into the younger girl as she suddenly stopped. “Oh-ow…”

“What is it?” Katara asked.

Toph turned her head slightly as she said on a low voice. “We’ve reached the palace’s walls.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Asked the older girl with whisper.

“The Dai Lee…” She answered and stomped with her foot to get herself higher as she reached the tunnel’s upper wall. “We need to take a longer route to the prison…” She sighed.

“What?!” Katara stepped next to her. “Through the palace?” She waved around. “Are you crazy? That way we’ll be surely spotted!”

“Not if you could just once wait and listen…” Toph murmured.

“What did you say?” Blue eyes narrowed.

“Nothing.” The other said with a smirk then kicked at the ground again. “Hold on!”

Katara let out a yelp and she fell on her knees as the earth lifted them up with high speed. By the time she got up they were no longer in the tunnel but on the stone floor of the palace. She let out a sigh and turned towards the other girl who stood next to the wall with one of her hands on it. “Now what?”

“Shh…” Toph shushed her and made a frown as she concentrated on their surroundings.

The waterbender crossed her arms with a sigh and waited. After a few moments she knitted her eyebrows. “You have no idea where Iroh is, right?”

The blind bandit opened her eyes and looked at the other while still holding her hand on the wall. “No Sugar Queen, I exactly know where he is.”

“But…?” Katara asked ironically.

Toph pouted her lips then cleared her throat. “Well, yeah… the only problem is I don’t know which way we should take out of two.”

“Do both ways lead there?”

“Maybe…” The younger girl stepped from one leg to another and it reminded Katara how Aang would do the same. “Maybe not.”

“Great.”

“We should try them both.” Toph said. “That way…”

“That way we would be stronger if we were attacked but we would loose too much time if we chose the wrong path.”

“Right…”

“So which way should I go?” Katara asked with a sigh.


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Toph told her the easier route out of the two and told her how important it was to avoid the guards so she should be careful.

“Careful, hmph…” Katara murmured under her breath. “Like from the two of us she would be the one who used to follow the plans.”

She left a corridor and peeked out at a garden where among the trees and flowers stood a great well. A smile crossed her face as she looked at it. When she was alone under the Earth King’s service she spent a lot of time here…

She heard a noise from behind and whirled around with a hand on her waterskin’s neck only to find no one there. This part of the corridor was separated from the garden with human-wide pillars. She narrowed her eyes. It’s too easy to hide here…

She waited for any other noise or movement but as nothing disturbed the silence she made a sigh. I am just paranoid… She smiled lightly and let go of the waterskin. But when she turned towards her true location…

Her eyes widened and she almost fell backwards as she quickly took several steps back. While her mind screamed: How could he get this close?! Because the only person stood there she wanted to avoid and scream with at the same time. Zuko…

“What are you doing here?” He asked casually while watching her. The red clothes meant that the girl was from firenation, but her skin was dark and when he saw her eyes… Blue?

Her face darkened at once. How dare he… “I’ve come for my rematch, Zuko!” She yelled and bended all the water she felt at the same time.

She knows me? His surprise was quickly washed away as the water from her water skin and from the garden sped towards him. As he lifted his arms to defend himself a conclusion came to his mind from the hatred in her voice. And hates me…

The water slammed him to the wall where he slipped into a sitting position. But he managed to mumble something before his eyes closed and he passed out. Something that made Katara froze. “You’re a waterbender…”

She stood in her place as she looked down at the prince. He said I was a waterbender? She frowned hardly. If she didn’t know the guy she’d have sworn he was surprised.

She shook her head quickly and narrowed her eyes. He just got a hit on his head… that’s something that can confuse one’s mind for sure.

She used her water to bring him in the garden then before she left she turned back and froze his legs. Then his arms. But with that she realized something: his wounds on his hands. She frowned as she turned his hands with hers to have a better look at them. Cuts… probably from some days ago.

She darkened her face as she stood up. Whatever you did, you’ve deserved those! She thought to herself as she hurried away.


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Toph reached the prison quite easily. With using her bending to see she avoided every Dai Lee member that might have caused trouble… not like she wouldn’t want to fight some of them off… but she couldn’t endanger them while they’re not ready to leave.

As she felt a very familiar vibration in quite a hurry she frowned to herself. I told her to be cautious… As the waterbender made her last turn and appeared on her corridor she finally spoke. “Didn’t I tell you to wait and listen?”

Katara rolled her eyes as she stopped next to her. “Didn’t you say you had no idea which way was good?” She snapped.

The blind bandit made a smirk. “Ok. We’re even…” She again put a hand on the wall and she spoke. “I see four guards near to a cell… and two other on the walls.” She spoke and made a nod. “I think we’re on the right place.”

“Three for me and three for you?” The waterbender asked.

“If you can catch your three before I’m finished…” Toph said with another smirk and they headed towards the cell that’s supposed to be Iroh’s location.

They literally ran on the guards. Toph made two punches in the air knocking out the first two men.

Katara faced the other two on the ground. She quickly grabbed her waterskikn’s mouth just to find it… open. She didn’t even realize she bended this water on Zuko too. Her eyes widened and as two stone fists flew towards her she could do nothing else but to jump away.

“What the…?” Toph raised her eyebrows then hit fully the two guard who started to send stone pillars towards her from the walls. She quickly waved to send the other girl’s attackers to the left and right walls of the corridor then looked at the still whirling waterbender. “What the hell was that?!” She yelled.

“I…” Katara started. “I couldn’t… my water…

“I see that you couldn’t!” She snapped and pointed at her waterskin. “Why is it empty?!”

“I’ve bumped into someone a while ago and I forgot to…”

“How could you forget something like that just because you had to fight some guards?” The blind girl asked angrily. Since they’ve left Ba Sing Sei Katara was distracted and lost in her thoughts unlike before.

The waterbender opened her mouth to answer but rather crossed her arms and looked away. “I’ve met Zuko…” She said on a low voice.

If that bastard hadn’t switched sides in the last minute… Toph’s face darkened and she clenched her fists. Aang wouldn’t have gotten hurt. In the last almost three weeks she spent most of her time next to the avatar. She didn’t understand fully why she felt so bad… she just did. And unlike herself sometimes she cried silently when she was left alone with him. Once she even let her tears fall before Katara, but even then she couldn’t say more than how Appa and Momo missed him and who she was going to teach if he didn’t wake up… “I hope you’ve beaten him badly.” She said darkly.

Katara put a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged out of it as she stepped to the cell’s door and bended the metal out of their way.

The old man was lying on the floor and he barely lifted his head at the noise. There was an untouched tray next to him and as they ran in Katara found water in a bowl.

The waterbender quickly kneeled next to the firebender turning him on his back and started to heal his mostly burnt wounds.

Toph chewed on her lower lip before stomping on the ground. “This is his fault too… I really hope you’ve kicked his ass.”

Iroh slowly opened his eyes and looked at them. “You…” His voice was weak because his throat was dry. Katara bended a bit of water for him so he drank it as she treated another wound. He lifted his head to look around then at the waterbender. “Zuko…?”

Katara looked at him sadly then said comfortingly.  “”Don’t worry, he won’t cause more harm this time.

“No!” He said loudly as he grabbed her healing hand. “You don’t understand…” He cleared his throat to gain back the strength of his voice. “He was here and tried to free me.” The two girls looked at him with raised eyebrows. “But Azula brought him away! I can’t leave without him. He must be in prison too!”

Toph turned to Katara with opened mouth and she swallowed as she finally spoke. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that would be the situation…” Iroh looked at her confused. “I’ve met him up at the palace.”

“Was he alright?” He asked quickly.

The waterbender thought for a while he didn’t understand the situation… her face darkened a bit. “Right enough to attack me!” She snapped and looked away.

The younger girl made a light frown as she looked at her. “Are you sure he attacked first?”

There was a moment of silence when the older girl crossed her arms with a sigh. “All right… it is possible that I attacked him.” She said then looked at the old man. “But he sneaked on me and didn’t even try to mention anything about you! He probably wanted to trick us again like last time!”

Iroh closed his eyes and made a sigh. “I am sorry…” He said and looked up at before they could ask why he apologized. “Last time he wanted me to go with you while he would have stayed behind.”

The girls surprised at his words again. Katara narrowed her eyes. “Do you mean…”

“We had a plan then but we’ve never imagined what Azula was up to.” He said only to face the waterbender’s angered face. In a blink of an eye all her anger against Zuko turned towards his uncle.

“Do you have any idea what that plan of yours caused?!” She asked accusingly as she clenched her fists. “Do you have any idea how much…”

“Katara.” Sounded the blind bender’s calm voice which finally stopped her. She didn’t like what she heard either but she knew Iroh was a good man. “If we want to blame anyone it should be Azula.”

The old man sat up fully. “Two days ago my nephew decided to flee but she expected him…” He darkened his face as he continued. “Yesterday she told me he was dead.” The waterbender’s face softened and she looked sadly at the old man… she already regretted her previous outburst. “But I didn’t believe her. I guess if she wanted to kill him she’d have done it on a way I could see it.”

Toph shifted in her place. “So you’re saying he didn’t join his sister?”

Iroh shook his head. “Out of his own free will he’d never do that.”

“Oh my God…” Katara’s eyes widened as she looked at Iroh then Toph. You’re a waterbender…? “What if Azula had found out how to brainwash?”


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Katara hurried back to the garden where she left the unconscious prince. Toph stayed with Iroh under the prison because the old man was still not in a good shape. The blind bender listened to her vibrations and promised she’d jump in action if it was necessary.

But it couldn’t be necessary. All she had to do was to head back for the hopefully still knocked out Zuko, wake him up and try to make him go with them. If he was dangerous then she’d just have to knock him out again…

Well, it was easier to think it through than accomplish it. Because by the time she reached the spot where he should have been he was no longer there. “Great…” She murmured looking around then back at the ground.

She found the place where he laid only because of a half dried-up paddle that used to be ice around his limbs. Then as her eyes slowly drifted forward her lips curled into a smile. “Gotcha!” She said as her eyes followed his footprints through the garden then through the corridor she came from the first time.

The footprints led her through the palace and when they started to disappear she looked up. She made a smirk as she knew she’d reached her destination. The royal bedroom…

She listened for a moment if he was nearby the door then after one last glance at the corridors she stepped in.

She was in the biggest bedroom she’d ever seen. If she hadn’t been on a mission right now she’d have whistled… but her thoughts quickly turned focused as she heard something she didn’t expect. Someone was crooning.

In the other moment she also heard a splashing sound making her realize why was this room empty… Zuko was crooning in a bath tube.