Having set off with the sage to the temple library, she was confident in her swift victory over the unknown demon...
Soon, this confidence began to fade. With every minute, with every book, scroll, line, and every piece of information received. Until it vanished completely. All this time, Azula was accompanied by the demon's sarcastic comments, who ceaselessly mocked her, her people, and their meager knowledge of spirits. Playing on her nerves, the demon did everything to weaken the girl's mind, but she continued to resist, slowly beginning to realize the desperate situation she was in.
The Fire Temple was a rather large building, constructed in red and black tones, both inside and out. It was created with finesse, yet with a certain simplicity. Inside, there was even more of this simplicity, expressed in ordinary furniture, a modest interior, and other minor details. Nevertheless, it was majestic and beautiful in its own way. Of course, the Fire Temple was inferior to Azula's familiar palace in all aspects; however, it didn't even try to look as luxurious as the most important building in the capital. Perhaps only the library in this Temple was slightly larger than the library in the palace. However, the princess cared nothing for the interior and local beauties; only information concerned her and nothing more.
Azula spent a little over two hours in the structure. As the spirit had said, it turned out to be a complete waste of time and precious energy. The only thing the princess began to suspect was the peculiarity of the spirit that had embedded itself within her. Despite all the knowledge accumulated by the sages over millennia, she found not a single way to get rid of the demon. Although, was it a demon at all? Due to the information received, the girl began to doubt the stranger's affiliation with evil spirits. This gave rise to even more questions, to which no one was in a hurry to provide answers. Possession was a too rare phenomenon, which people had only heard of but could not study sufficiently. As the sage said: it is a very rare phenomenon, which in most cases leads to death.
Azula studied all the available information thoroughly, but it contained nothing about spirits like the one she had encountered. The girl found no signs of possession in herself and likely would not have suspected the existence of an extra personality within her for a long time if the unknown had not deigned to speak first. This spirit did not fit any documented mention of its kind.
It was neither light nor dark; the presence of a good human-like mind indicated that the spirit was not even connected to nature. Perhaps it was the spirit of a deceased person or the spirit of an abstract concept... the former did not possess sufficient power to possess a person, at least, there were no mentions of this, while the latter could certainly do so. However, they had far more opportunities to harm a person.
The most famous spirit of an abstract concept among people is Wan Shi Tong – the great spirit of knowledge. His library is sought by all scholars and knowledge-seeking people from around the world. Surely, his library held the answers to Azula's questions. Alas, no one knew where it was located. While regarding the spirit of a deceased person, the sage was confident that the dead could not seize the body of a living person, but with powerful spirits of abstract concepts, it was the opposite.
The whole problem was that the spirit Azula encountered did not resemble any of the spirits known to the Fire Sages. Its similarity to the spirit of a dead person was very strong, but its power and control over the princess's body contradicted these conclusions. Perhaps, in other fire temples, there would be more information on the required topic. By the time the necessary scrolls were delivered to the princess, the demon could do with her whatever it pleased.
In a word: as the spirit had said – it was a waste of time.
Sitting in the palanquin, carried by servants back to the palace, Azula performed breathing exercises, keeping her emotions under full control. Without this technique, it would have been much harder for her to remain clear-headed and rational. Having been without rest for more than a day, she was gradually overcome by fatigue, and with it, despair grew. The princess had found no way to get rid of the harmful parasite, and admitting her ailment was too foolish an idea.
"Where will we go next? Don't forget about the sparring with the guards, I promise to behave properly and not interfere with you, hehehehehe," – Azula could not answer the demon with a retort, as there were too many ears around, and she feared damaging her reputation, which she had worked on since childhood.
Throwing her head back, she inhaled deeply, then lowered her head, exhaling all the air from her lungs. Then she repeated, again and again…
"Breathe-breathe, it feels good when you're alive," – the demon did not forget to remind her of itself, not leaving the girl for a moment.
Inhale-exhale. Inhale-exhale...
— Ahhh... – Azula yawned, her mouth wide open, feeling a growing weakness and a desire to sleep.
"What's this? Yawning? Is fatigue getting to you? Poor thing, you sleep, and I'll command the body for a while, everything will be fine, hehehehehe," – habitually ignoring the demon, the princess continued her breathing exercise, fighting the increasing drowsiness.
Azula was sure she could hold on for another day or even more without any rest. Since childhood, she had preferred to sleep as little as possible, dedicating most of her time to training and the minimum necessary time for such a useless thing as sleep. By spending all her free time on self-improvement, the princess quickly gained public recognition for her talents. Unlike her brother, who spent much less time studying than she did. The girl was accustomed to such loads, but the demon was right; it was only a matter of time before she weakened and could not resist the fatigue that increased with every hour.
Her hopes for the sages' knowledge were shattered, just like her previous ones. The option of seeking help from her father was not considered by Azula; it was too humiliating. And how could the Fire Lord help her? She could issue the necessary orders to the right people herself. It was a pity that all the servants and subordinates turned out to be useless against a single spirit, whose power was not even enough to seize her body. And as if mocking her and her entire country, the spirit repeatedly mentioned the Avatar.
The Avatar would have helped... if the Avatar were alive... The Avatar knows more... The Avatar could handle any spirit... An Avatar who would never help the direct heir of a person who committed genocide against an entire people.
The worst aspect of the developing situation was the real threat from the spirit. The demon quickly understood where and what to press to hurt her more. Its target became her reputation... a reputation that Azula had earned over the years. Using her old Uncle as an example, the girl knew the consequences a single defeat could bring. The princess feared not death, but the loss of her reputation in the eyes of her subordinates, especially in the eyes of her father – the Fire Lord and the absolute ruler of their entire nation.
"Oh, the bearers have stopped, we've returned to the palace. Are you ready? I'll try to make this day unforgettable," – the demon informed her, being the first to notice the palanquin's stop.
"Princess, we have arrived at the palace," – one of the servants announced to her, following the demon.
This day promised to be very long.
Upon arriving at the palace, one of the men guarding the main entrance immediately addressed the princess. He informed Azula of the whereabouts of the patrols who had offended yesterday. That's what reputation means. If the patrols had not come for punishment themselves, but had tried to evade it, the princess would have had to put in a little more effort. This would undoubtedly have increased the severity of the punishment for the men. She had worked hard for such a reputation, and it was precisely its destruction that the hateful spirit was aiming for.
"Dismissed, soldier, I have heard you," – Azula released the royal guard, taking the new information into account.
"Ah, the sparring partners. I wonder what you'll do now? The sleepiness won't go away, what lie will you invent this time?" – the demon did not leave her alone.
"I must also inform you about the military council, which will begin with the last rays of the zenith sun. The Fire Lord wishes to see you there."
"Ooooh, today is clearly not your day, little brat. So many opportunities, I don't even know where to start and how to destroy your usual life…"
"And you decided to deliver such information only after locating the offending guards?" – the princess's eyes narrowed, foreshadowing troubles and hardships for the one who had angered her.
"My fault, Princess, I beg your pardon, I am ready to accept any punishment from you," – the guard, clearly knowing Azula, immediately confessed, deciding not to give the girl much time to consider his punishment.
"I don't have time for you, and you've delivered the information, thus you've followed the order, albeit not perfectly. Henceforth, try to distinguish the importance of information and do not upset me with your mistakes."
"Guilty, I will correct myself!" – the guard straightened up, hiding his joy at the displayed mercy within himself.
The princess glanced at him and moved on.
"As always, merciless, and yet without them, you are nothing…" – the spirit commented on her actions once again.
Walking through the palace corridors, she slowly headed towards a goal known only to her. There were still a few hours until the military council, so she had time to attend to her own business. She had nowhere to rush, and the offending guards could wait a little longer. Wandering through the palace corridors, Azula turned into a part rarely frequented by people. In search of a secluded place where no one could hear her. She could have gone to her chambers, but Azula knew that the servants were tidying them up at the moment.
"What are you planning? Whatever it is, it will all be in vain. I can't wait for the military council, let's see how much endurance you have," – the inner inhabitant noticed her strange behavior.
Making sure there was no one else in the corridor, she pulled a lampshade, opening a secret door hidden behind high curtains. Hiding in one of the palace's secret passages, she closed the door and lit a flame in her hand. Walking a short distance through the secret passage, Azula stopped.
"We can talk here," – gathering her strength, Azula began to speak, looking at the bluish flame burning above her palm.
"Who are you talking to? There are only walls here! Have you already started having problems with your mind? Will you soon start calling me mom?" – the irritation from the spirit's mocking tone was immediately suppressed by the princess's reason. She had managed to think a lot during her journey in the palanquin, so Azula continued in a timid and apologetic voice.
"I want to apologize to you for my..." – before she could finish, she was interrupted by the spirit's mocking voice.
"Impudence? Insolence? Arrogance? Cruelty? Selfishness? Threats? What exactly do you want to apologize to me for?" – he was still laughing at her, but she held on, understanding the danger the spirit posed to her more than ever.
"For everything, I was not respectful enough towards you..." – for a few seconds, there was no response from the spirit. Azula stood in the middle of the narrow corridor shrouded in pitch darkness, her head bowed.
"I see that you've started to understand your situation, but unfortunately for me, it's not enough. Your words are not sincere at all. I don't hear repentance, I don't see realization of your mistake, I don't feel emotions, you're just… lying. I won't forgive you just because you ask for forgiveness in a timid voice and put on a guilty look, you overconfident brat," – the spirit continued to mock her ironically.
Azula had not received such direct and rude refusals for a long time. As a princess, from childhood, she was accustomed to most of her wishes being granted instantly. As she grew older, Azula realized that lies were a formidable force with which she skillfully achieved her desired goals, imitating her father, who had achieved the highest position in the Fire Nation against all odds.
Lies and manipulation. Unfortunately for the girl, the spirit was indifferent to these. She didn't know its weaknesses, only its desires, and judging by its tone, it had easily seen through her acting. However, there was no way out; she could only continue her game with a faint hope of victory. The princess was disgusted even by the thought of defeat; she would simply put in a little more effort and once again justify her reputation as a genius, no matter what difficulties she had to face and what humiliation she had to endure, she would achieve her goal, at any cost. Any…
Azula's brilliant mind quickly processed the situation, after which she replied in a still timid and apologetic tone.
"What do I need to do to earn your forgiveness, oh great spirit," – Azula continued her game, still hoping to outsmart the spirit. Lies had always come easiest to her, and now she needed to lie a lot more than ever.
"Spare me your false flattery. As for forgiveness... I am willing to accept it in poetic form, but only if it truly touches my heart. Of course, you must compose the poem yourself; that's the whole point! Come on, brat, show me your genius!" – after thinking for a moment, the spirit replied cheerfully, making Azula wince at his demands. The princess had never been interested in any art, considering it the lot of the weak and unsuccessful.
"I will need time," – the girl replied to the spirit calmly, not even imagining what she would have to do to earn his forgiveness.
"I don't recall you giving me time for explanations... you'll have to try very hard to impress me, and remember: I will definitely sense your falsehood."
"Do I have a chance to negotiate with you, oh great spirit?"
"What did I say about flattery? Don't make me waste time repeating myself," – the unknown replied with a hint of irritation.
"In that case, how should I address you?"
"After almost two days, you remembered the rules of decency? Surprising, of course, better late than never, but your upbringing and manners leave much to be desired, and you are the princess of the most progressive country, aren't you ashamed?" – the spirit returned to its mocking tone, which in its entire intonation seemed to be showing the girl her place.
— ...
Azula said nothing, making every effort to control her emotions and not respond with a sharp remark. No one had ever behaved so brazenly and impudently towards her, remaining unpunished. She was perfectly capable of lying, but against the spirit, it was not as effective as she would have liked. All that remained was to play her game to the end. If she couldn't take the spirit by force, she should try to deceive and use it. These were the thoughts running through the princess's mind.
"By the way, why don't you lend me your body for a while. I promise I'll return it in one piece," – the spirit shocked the girl slightly with its overly direct and impudent offer.
Azula didn't immediately come up with a suitable answer for the spirit.
"Forgive me. I don't think that's the best idea. I have a lot to do today, and I'd like to maintain my reputation without raising any unnecessary suspicions from my father. With my position, I can achieve any goals you may have much faster and easier. Being the heir to the most progressive state is much better than being an unknown commoner or an exile," – the princess replied after a short delay.
"In simple terms, you don't trust me... that's understandable. We don't know each other well, and our acquaintance didn't start off the best. You see, I don't trust you either. For my name, you'll need to earn my trust first, and before that, earn my forgiveness, and until then, address me as 'spirit,' without excessive flattery and false respect," – the... spirit replied calmly with a hint of instruction.
Azula felt a small joy from the idea that arose. She quickly understood what the spirit wanted and how to provide it on her own terms without fearing any loss.
"I could leave my body to you at night, just as I've been doing all week. Simply put, living with the status of a princess is much better than without it. I am sure my position will favorably affect your plans, whatever they may be."
"That's not enough, Azula, but you're doing well, you quickly understood what I need... it's only been about thirty hours, hehehehehe..." – pressing her lips tightly at another sarcasm about her intellect, she remained silent, awaiting further words from the spirit.
"You're right, that's exactly what I want from you, but I think we have a little time to conduct some experiments right now, after which we can discuss our forced cooperation," – a hint of pleasure slipped into the spirit's voice.
"What are you..." – without letting her finish, the spirit immediately interrupted the girl.
"What did I say about lying, girl? Your fawning is starting to really annoy me."
After thinking for a moment, Azula replied, "What do you mean by that, Spirit?"
"Relax your body, I'll take full control of it, and then I'll return it to you. A small test of trust between us..." – the spirit replied, forcing Azula to think hard and weigh all the risks.
The risks were not small; the Spirit had already threatened to expose the princess in the worst possible light to her father and the highest-ranking army officials. The girl desperately wanted to avoid this, as even death would be more pleasant for Azula than losing the recognition in her father's eyes that she had managed to achieve. Before, the girl had never suspected such a development, but the spirit had shown its power over her body, and now it had become a nightmare for her.
Weighing all the risks and positive aspects, and having thoroughly considered the proposal, she replied:
"Alright... I agree."