Mooncake
"What did I just say about eating that?"
Hotaru's little seventeen month old frame turned from the jar of macaroons. She bit one with a chubby hand. Gray eyes gleamed mischievously. Azula tried to walk like she wasn't going to run over and snatch the little girl up.
After all, Hotaru was the first airbender child of her father, and she knew how to fly away when needed.
Hotaru giggled the closer her mother got, inching away.
"Come on, firebug. Give it to me so you get a nice nap, alright?" Hotaru shook her head. "I suppose I give you a little too much. How about we make a cake for dada before he comes home tonight?"
Hotaru blinked, "Dada?"
"Yes, dada." Azula smirked, "Let's make mooncake for dada."
"Dada!"
A sharp knock over the door forced her to look to her right. Hotaru flinched when a loud bang shook their door. Azula bent down to snatch her up.
There's no one in! Stop stalling!
Another shattering kick at the door. Azula looked down at Hotaru's little face and walked to the white loveseat. She put the child down and planted a warm kiss on her forehead.
"Mama's going to have to knock a few kids out."
"Ow!" Hotaru squealed.
The doors slammed open and behold, three hoodlums had stances drawn and faces scrunched up, "Where's the money, lady?!"
Robbers, in a luxury neighborhood under broad daylight. She swept a gaze over their dirtied faces, "I don't lend money to strangers."
"You have no choice!"
They all looked alike. Perhaps brothers, or cousins. The boys wore dark dirtied brown tunics. The youngest looked twelve-ish and had no shoes. The other two had the audacity to wear tribal marks. Hotaru giggled behind her.
"See, my daughter thinks you're not as good as you think you are."
"Careful lady," a fire blade protruded out of the oldest boy's hands. Impressive. She stepped back, noticing dark bags under gold eyes. "I've killed someone before. I'll rip your daughter to shreds if you don't give us what we want."
Azula blinked.
"Go ahead. Do it." The boys faltered, looking back and forth at each other. She could feel Hotaru's curious gaze. "You lay a finger on my girl's head, and I'll fry you up in front of your brothers."
The boys froze. Maybe they've never met a dangerous rich woman before.
"Whatever!"
Flames gushed out in all directions. She ignored Hotaru's frightened cries and leaped back to grab her up before rolling over the couch.
In one strike, she kicked the seat and threw a three blue bullets from her fingers, striking the older boy on the chest. He slammed against the wall and slid down. Two loud thumps echoed when the other boys fell hard on their backs.
Hotaru wailed, her body trembling as Azula stood and held her against her chest. The young mother wiping fat tears off her firstborn's chubby cheeks.
"It's okay, Taru," she murmured loudly, "We were just jumping around." Hotaru sniffed. "See?" Azula watched the boys blink in confusion.
Hotaru blinked tearfully at the boys, Is that true?
The second boy nodded.
"Yeah...we were just playing."
The little boy jumped up, "Nasak! That's her! It's Princess Azula and the Avatar's kid!"
"Get Yupik!"
Both scrambled up to grab the eldest by the shoulders. Azula put her leg on the toppled over couch, shoved her shift up and grabbed a dagger with her free hand.
She struck the wall above their heads.
They froze, clutching the ringleader's shoulders. The youngest stepped in front, "We didn't mean to scare you and your daughter, miss! We swear we won't come back again!"
"Oh really?"
He fell on his knees and hit his head against the floor. The act pushed little Hotaru to whine, "I swear! We're just a bunch of kids from a village. We haven't had anything to eat since yesterday. I'm so sorry."
Azula paused, "Apologies won't do for me. I'm not sure if I should let you all leave. If I hadn't fought back, what would you all do?" Nasak, the one who stood behind, trembled while he hauled Yupik up.
Hotaru tightened her hold around her mother's neck. "You're all competent fighters, and your brother Yupik said he's killed before."
"Yupik always lies! She's the least to do that!" Nasak exclaimed.
Azula's brow rose. "She? Well, well what was she doing in a boy's tunic and terrible chopped off hair?" She spotted Yupik looking away. "Can you speak, girl?"
"Y-yes."
"Do it."
Yupik sighed, "We come from Yu Dao-"
"I've lied before, girl," Azula said. "You try fooling me and you'll be dead. Now, start over."
"…my mother's from the Water Tribe. My father was some Fire Nation guard who left when Aoi, my little brother was born. My mother took us from the Fire Colonies to Ba Sing Se. She ended up in the slums and sold me off to a trafficker. I came back a week later to take my brothers away."
"And you all formed a gang."
Yupik blinked in fury, "Lady, shut the fuck up.
I know what I did and I chose to leave having to be in a place where men with money come in and use me however they like! If I had the chance, I'd end you and your baby because its people like you who-"
"Yupik!" Aoi yelled.
The girl quieted. Aoi stepped forward. Nasak followed suit. "We understand if you need to call the cops."
Yupik looked as though she wanted to cut up Azula and throw her to the dragons. Azula focused on her haunted golden eyes and frail body. The girl looked like she hadn't eaten in days.
Azula suddenly saw herself wallowing in the forest, on the brink of starvation with her stomach churning and throat dry. Then, she saw her face turn into Hotaru's.
"Jail is nice, but I prefer you help me and Taru,"
Yupik blinked, "Do what?"
"Make mooncakes. You want some?" The siblings looked at one another. "I'm not a good cook. My husband does it better. I think I can whip up a few more meals though. What do you think?"
"...um."
"Dada!"
Hard thumps entered. Azula smiled at the panicked expression on Aang's face. The trio probably messed up her compound before invading her home.
They all looked like they would faint any second. Seeing the Avatar in a simple tunic and sandals had that effect on anyone. Azula took Hotaru's squirming body down. Aang dropped his bag of groceries on the floor in time to grab his daughter.
"The neighbors were...robbed?" Aang took a look at Hotaru's bright expression. "Looks like they found you, Taru."
Azula looked over Yupik, "I just asked them to help me make mooncake. I need babysitters and gardeners. Can you all cook?"
Yupik blinked, "Yes?"
"Good. You also need some basic training before I ship you off to my brother. Zuko can keep them at a boarding school to get them busy. They'll pay the neighbors later once they finish university, won't you?"
The trio frowned before nodding again.
End Note - Hope you liked!