Chiematophobia, the fear of cold or being cold.
Chionophobia, the fear of snow.
Auroraphobia, the fear of the northern lights.
Syngenesophobia, the fear of relatives.
Ghabhphobia, the fear of presents.
Festivalisophobia, the fear of Christmas in general.
The holidays always came with a bit of stress, no wonder there was a whole list of phobias that came along with it. All of which seemed perfectly reasonable to Azula, save for Ghabhphobia—who is afraid of presents anyways? But then again there was one festive fear Azula herself held, one that everyone else would probably call irrational.
Or perhaps not.
She liked to think that her holiday related fear was warranted. After all, it did have to do with one of the most awkward holiday situations.
Cyssanophobia.
She shuddered thinking about it.
To make matters worse; both TyLee and Sokka were very…very fond of her little phobia and had booby trapped the entire palace with it. Though Zuko himself got a little squeamish, he was willing to face his mild Cyssanophobia in Azula's expense.
Indeed the duo had scattered mistletoe about the entire palace so Azula found herself confined on the sofa—for those assholes even put one above her bedroom door—lest she be forced to kiss Aang or someone. It sent a chill down her spine thinking of all of the people she could end up under the mistletoe with. There were at least 20 palace guards, about 30 servants, Katara, Toph, and even the lemur.
So on the lavish sofa she would sit until all of that godforsaken plant was removed from the vicinity. On that sofa, Azula had come to conclude that her fear was perfectly rational. Some people couldn't seem to place where their fears came from. She on the other hand, recalled quite vividly. She was about ten when it happened, all she wanted to do was go downstairs and grab a Christmas pastry. The next thing she knew, she was under the mistletoe with Lo…or maybe it was Li. That mattered not, the point was that one of those old bats had stood there waiting…just waiting for some poor unfortunate sap to run into her. And that unlucky soul just so happened to be Azula. From that tragic Christmas experience onwards, Azula vowed to avoid mistletoe at all costs.
Azula drummed her fingers on the armrest. She couldn't possibly just sit there and do nothing for the next three days.
No, she had to do something.
She had to incinerate all of the mistletoe.
She cast a quick glace around the room and the hallways nearest to her. Each rested vacant. Now was her chance. She darted up and lit the nearest mistletoes aflame and moved onto the next.
.oOo.
On the very opposite side of the palace Sokka, TyLee, and Zuko exchanged a hearty chuckle. One that Toph, Katara, and Aang eventually joined in on upon finding out what had transpired. Zuko proposed a toast to petty vengeance.
"Mai, aren't you going to join our toast?" TyLee asked cheerfully.
The markswoman however, was nowhere to be found.
Not in that room anyhow.
For in that room, too many mistletoes swayed this way and that.
Mai had also been a victim of the dreaded mistletoe. She shuddered silently to herself, knowing that she'd eventually have to emerge from her shadowy hiding place. And emerge she would, she would do so fighting. She'd put a blade through each and every last mistletoe if it was the last thing she did that holiday season.
She tip toed down the hall, taking down a mistletoe or two as she went. From there she found herself making great progress; she had already cleared the uppermost levels of the palace. Now all she had to do was destroy thee mighty mistletoes on the middle floor (she'd save that one for last) and the ones on the first four floors.
Her heart raced as she neared the mighty mistletoe. It seemed as if she was in the clear so she quickly dashed across and to the stairwell.
She had made into the fourth floor when a pair of footsteps echoed about the room. "Shit!" She muttered. She was standing right in a mistletoe minefield. "Shiiiiiiit."
And then the other came into view.
"Azula." Mai frowned.
"Mai." The princess returned.
"Here to soil my plans?" They both asked at once.
And then again at the same time they asked, "what are your plans?"
"You first." Azula declared.
"Azula I'll tell you, but you better not laugh."
"I'm not going to laugh Mai. I have a feeling that our goal is one in the same." Azula replied matter of factly.
Mai sighed. "I am afraid of mistletoe."
Azula opened her mouth to speak, but Mai didn't give her the chance. "But before you make any judgements, I will have you know that kissing Li—or Lo—could traumatize anyone."
Those cheeky bastards, Azula thought. Both of them plotting to ruin the holidays and traumatize the unsuspecting. "Oh, but Mai…I understand perfectly." She gave Mai a sympathetic stare.
And Mai understood.
Despite their differences, they were going to have to band together to end this reign of holiday hell.
"Now here is the plan Mai. I have already cleared floors one through four. And I assume you got the top few. That leaves the mighty mistletoe. We will have to take down the mini mistletoe minions guarding it first. I will clear the right side and you will clear the left and then we shall charge the mighty mistletoe together." Azula laid down the plan.
"Sounds good to me." Mai nodded. "Let's do this."
The daring duo sprinted to the fifth floor. "Ready, Mai?"
"Always."
Azula lifted three fingers. She put the first down, then the second, and then the third. At the fall of her last finger the two began tossing fire and shurikens. Mistletoe after mistletoe feel—some in ashes and some in heaps—onto the floor.
And at last they came face to face with thee mighty mistletoe.
Blue flames sprung to Azula's palms. And from within Mai's sleeve slid a kunai. They readied their aims. But before either could make the next move, Sokka busted into the room.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" He yelled gleefuly…mockingly, as if they were two students who just got called out by a teacher. "You two are under the mistletoe together! You have to kiss." He turned to TyLee and Zuko. "They have to kiss!" He turned to Toph and Katara, "you guys see that!? Those to gotta do it now or else they are Christmas crybabies!"
"Yes Sokka," Katara smirked, "we all see it."
Mai and Azula exchanged disgusted looks of horror. "No. No way." Both babbled at the same time. "I'm not doing it."
"We have Christmas cowards!" Toph shouted. "Christmas cowards! Call the guards, gather the peasants we have to let everyone know."
Azula grumbled bitterly to herself, she would absolutely not let anyone think that she was afraid. She grabbed Mai by the collar and planted one right on the weapon master's lips and promptly pulled away making exaggerated gagging noises, that were uncharacteristically reflected by Mai. This was followed up by a choir of laughs.
Sokka wiped a tear from his eye. "Aw man, you guys. Oh man, that was great. Jolly good times we have here. Jolly good times."
"For you maybe." Mai muttered.
"For all of us!" TyLee motioned to the rest of the gang.
"Shall we celebrate our victory?" Zuko asked.
"Of course." Aang nodded, arm in arm with Katara, he led them back down the hall.
The fire princess had to admit, that it wasn't as bad as she had expected. In fact, kissing Mai had nearly made up for kissing Lo. At least she could say she kissed a woman who wasn't in her late 50's. At least she could say that her only mistletoe kiss wasn't disgusting. And besides if she had to kiss anyone under the mistletoe, Mai or TyLee would be preferable.
She and Mai glanced at one another. In that moment, Azula knew that the feeling was mutual. Azula leaned in once more. Mai—always one to pick up on a cue—leaned in as well. Their lips brushed again, this time for a longer period of time.
It was simply to give a middle finger to the mistletoe, she told herself. Nothing more.
Deep down, though both had every intention of insisting that it was to spite the mistletoe, they knew that it was much more than that.