𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 [ᴢᴜᴋᴏ]

Chapter 34

Episode 20, The Crossroads of Destiny

When I woke up, a groan escaped my lips and I held my head as I sat up. I squinted my eyes when the only thing I saw were shining crystal.

The whole chamber was made out of rocks with shining crystals coming out of them. I stood up with knitted eyebrows. My eyes still needed to get used to the bright light.

What the hell happened? A gasp escaped my lips when I remembered Azula. That damn princess. I narrowed my eyes and balled my fists. She is gonna pay for drugging me and imprisoning me deep down under the earth.

I observed the walls and floor but there was nothing that hinted at a door or anything my fire or waterbending could do against. I was trapped there.

I laid on the floor and sprawled my whole body. A laid there thinking about ways to get out of there and about my life for I don't know how long when suddenly a door opened.

I jumped up and narrowed my eyes. The black-haired girl that was one of Azulas's crazy overpowered gang members entered. After she was inside, a guard made the wall appear again and she just stood there for a few moments.

"Who are you?" I finally asked. I never heard her name. "Mai and you're Jasmine," she finally said. I slowly nodded and knitted my eyebrows.

"Yeah, and you're still kinda my enemy so if you're not going to kill or torture me right here and then, please leave me here to rot in my prison cell," I said and crossed my arms.

She rolled her eyes and slightly shook her head. "I'm here because I need to tell you something," Mai said.

My eyebrows shot up, "What do you have to possibly tell me?" I challenged and let out a dry chuckle. Does the princess want to manipulate me or something?

"We're related," she said and all my body functions stopped. For a few moments I couldn't move a muscle. When I processed what she said I let out a laugh.

"Okay... good one I have to give you that," I said between laughter and cleared my throat before continuing, "You have my full attention now, please continue with what you wanted to tell me."

She only raised her eyebrows at me and mumbled something under her breath. "I'm serious, you met my mother in Omashu," she said and I knitted my eyebrows. What is she talking about? What in the Avatar's name is going on?

"I know your mother's story," she added, getting impatient. I only gawked at her. How could she know about my mother? I shook my head. No, she's trying to manipulate me.

"Yeah sure, and I know the Fire Lord personally," I commented. If they think I would join them or tell them anything they're wrong. She let out a sigh and rolled her eyes.

"Your mother's dead." I nodded and raised my eyebrow, "Almost everyone already knows that," I challenged. Ha, they think they can fool me.

"Her name was Kya," second me added. That caught my attention, no one knew her name besides Iroh. I narrowed my eyes at her as I watched her closely. One wrong move and I'm back to not believing her.

"And now just listen you brat," she demanded. Even though I kinda felt offended by 'brat' I didn't say anything and she started to tell me everything.

"It all started in Omashu when you met my mother," she started but I still couldn't remember to have met somebody. "You had brought my little brother back."

My eyes widened. I remember that when I had brought the baby back that there was a woman who even knew my name even though I had never met her before. That was her mother?

"Yeah well, and what does that have to do with my mother? I don't see anything that has to do with me," I crossed my arms. "Seriously, how stupid do you think I am?" I challenged but Mai only raised an eyebrow and ignored me.

"She recognised your necklace as the one her sister had bought herself when she was little," she said. I opened my mouth to protest against a stupid proof such as a necklace.

"And no, she is sure that this is the right necklace," Mai quickly added before I could interrupt her. "That traditional Fire Nation necklace is special. It had been made wrongly so it was unsalable in the Fire Nation. The necklace is purple and not red. There's also the names of my mother and yours carved in."

Like a machine with no feelings, I automatically put my hand on the necklace and took it off. Is she trying to tell me that our mothers were sisters? Okay, that was definitely a plot twist I did not expect.

Slowly my eyes darted down at the necklace I had hid in my fist. I opened my hand. When I saw that second me was right, I closed my eyes and took a breath while closing my hand again immediately.

Kya and another female name were carved in the back of the stone chain pendant. I tried to keep a cool mind. My brain was flodding with doubts and questions.

"You know, there are a thousand Kyas out there." I fianlly found my voice and looked up at Mai. It could be a coincidence after all. Or so I tried to convince myself.

"You...," she shook her head and mumbled something under her breath. "You just don't want to believe it, do you?"

I bit my lip. Honestly, it sounded like she was telling the truth and when I think back to Iroh telling me that he knew my mother it kinda made sense. But I simply didn't want to accept it. This is just too crazy.

"Listen, I don't have so much time, Azula is probably looking for me," she said and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Why are you telling me all this?" I asked her. It just didn't make sense at all. Why is my enemy suddenly telling me all this. There had to be something wrong.

She looked at her nails, "My mother cares for you now apparently."

My body tensed. She looked up from her nails and let out a sigh. "Listen you brat," she started and began to talk quieter and quicker.

"The Fire Lord is looking for you with all means even though he only knows your name. So far not even Azula knows about that but if she captures you, you're dead. There was never a mention of your siblings that means he has no idea they exist so they would be safe from death or torture when they get into the hands of Fire Lord Ozai. I swear, your mother pissed off the wrong guy so if you want to live, set your priorities right and get out of there even if it has to be without your siblings."

I stood there like a statue. "And that conversation stays between me and you, cousin," she added and left my prison cell with even glancing at me or anything.

After a couple of seconds I had processed all the information. "Hey, stop! Mai!" I called after her and jogged to the wall she got out of but she was long gone.

I sank down on the floor hugging my knees. That all sounded too crazy to be true especially the Fire Lord part. Beside that, everything seemed pretty accurate.

I never believed that the story I knew, with the arguement and family in the North Pole, was true. But on the other hand I would have never guessed that the truth was so twisted.

But the whole truth isn't even out yet. Questions like 'Why is the Fire Lor looking for me?', 'How was my mother involved with Fire Lord Ozai?', 'What did she do to make him angry?', 'Who was she supposed to marry before she ran away?' but most importantly, 'Why did she lie to us and the others from the tribe?' were running through my head. And why in the Avatar's name didn't dad tell us the thruth when we were older?

I shook my head to get the urge of crying out of my head. It didn't work. I put my forehead on my knees and started crying. Why did my life had to be full of lies.

The Fire Lord is trying to kill me and I have no idea why. But I couldn't let Aang and the others down, they need every help they could possibly get. Risking your life is a part of saving the world I guess.