SunChild: Things Fall Apart Part 1

[weirdlet]

The AU:  Sun Child, in which Princess Zura was pregnant when she was banished from the Fire Nation.  Now she roams the world with a child in tow, seeking the Avatar as the key to redemption- for her, and her daughter...

The Prompt/Summary:  You know what happens when people get on like a house on fire?  Flames, people screaming...

The Fic-

“Did Jet just- die?”  Zura had a look on her face, like she was trying to stay as stone- it didn’t work with the cracks showing through at the base.

“You know-“ Sokka replied, “-that was really unclear.”  He was about to go on, but the play proceeded apace and the special effects for Appa’s flight to the Earth Kingdom’s palace were spectacular.

Katara watched as Zura lowered her head, curling in on herself and her baby.

“You knew him?”

“…for a little while.”

…

…

“-but the thing is, the guys they have us shaking down, the ones fresh off the ferry?  Are saying the attacks are coming even closer.  One of the guys was a farmer who’s lost his land because a giant drill popped through on it- and no one inside the walls has heard a thing!”

“Jet…” she says, turning away with tea-tray in hand.

“There’s something wrong- I’ve known it since the day I set foot in Ba Sing Se, but there’s something really wrong with this city.  The war goes on, and no one seems to remember it- and the gangs work with the guards and anyone who talks about the war too loud or too often gets disappeared-“

“Jet, I don’t want to hear it.” 

“We could really use your help tonight.  I’m this close to busting this whole thing wide open-“

The tray slams down across the table.

“I don’t want to hear it!” 

She’s glaring at him, hot and fierce, and it’s a good thing he’s the last person in here or he thinks there’d be running and panic.

“Come on, Li- you know this place is the last chance, the last place on earth that people are safe from the Fire Nation.  Doesn’t it bother you that they’re not doing anything to protect themselves?  That they’re leaving everyone vulnerable?”

“It bothers me a whole lot more that you’re sitting here looking to draw them down on us.  I can’t afford this- not with Lin waiting for me at home.  Either knock it off or don’t come back here, I don’t care which.”

Now a look of mortal offense crosses Jet’s face, and if he had his usual straw it would be switching like a cat’s tail.

“What’s with you lately?  I know you- you’re not one to just spout the party line like a coward-“

Li goes rigid.

“-and you don’t let people suffer.  Not like you did.”  He realizes the mistake almost at once, but holds on, watching, measuring the reaction.  She’s getting a look on her face, that high, haughty, icy sheen he’s only really seen her break into once or twice at her angriest.

“Do not.  Do not presume.”

“To do what?  Remind you of your duties?  Where’s that noble’s pride, huh?  All that big talk about being a warrior, protecting your people being the reason you high-born folks exist?”

“I failed my people a long time ago.”

“What- because of the baby?  Li- you can’t blame yourself for that.  You have to keep fighting, or it’s going to keep happening-“

“I TOLD YOU NEVER ASSUME!”

…

Every light in the place goes white-hot.

…

Comments

[weirdlet.livejournal.com]

The hard-drive is where your data is stored, the motherboard- I *think*- is where all the interaction happens, without it nothing's speaking to anything else. I could be wildly offbase, though. I've just had a couple computers go out from under me because, I was told, the motherboard had fizzled.

[dark-69-phoenix.livejournal.com]

I don't think it was the motherboard then. If it had been then I probably wouldn't have been able to turn it on anymore, as it was I could turn it on and it would work for a little bit and freeze completely.