'You've become really good,' Mai said while Azula rubbed her painful shoulder. 'Just not good enough to beat Ty Lee.'
'Give her a few weeks,' Ty Lee said.
'If I were to use firebending…' Azula growled.
'Yeah yeah, you would boil me alive,' Ty Lee said while rolling her eyes. 'But you're not allowed to do that, okay? I'd very much like to stay unboiled.'
Azula tried to flex the fingers of the arm Ty Lee had managed to block. Her entire arm felt numb, but there was also something else. She could feel the block in her shoulder, how her chi could't flow to her arm.
'Or I could just blow up your head,' Azula suggested while standing up. She tried to move her arm, but her limb was useless. She groaned in frustration.
'It will probably wear off in a few minutes,' Ty Lee said.
'I know,' Azula retorted. 'I can feel the block, so to say.' She massaged the knot and sighed. 'Another round, then?'
'You can feel it?' Ty Lee asked. She frowned. 'I've never heard of that, actually. I'm not sure if it's possible.'
'It is,' Azula retorted. 'I'm feeling it.'
'Maybe you're just imagining it,' Mai said. When Azula turned around to glare at her, she saw that Mai sat on the ground, playing carelessly with one of her knives. She grinned at Azula. 'Maybe we can continue practicing your aim?' she asked.
Azula sighed. She didn't feel like practicing her aim. She didn't feel like practicing with Ty Lee either, to be completely honest… but what where her options? Sitting around and doing nothing?
Azula let go of her shoulder and sighed. Every day she was banished was another useless day. The only thing she could do to make them more useful was to learn something new.
'You okay?' Ty Lee asked.
'It's almost over,' Azula responded, although she knew that wasn't what Ty Lee meant. This time she succeeded to move her arm, although it felt a little bit uncomfortable. It took another minute before she could feel everything flow again. 'I think it's gone,' Azula said. She stretched her arm and a dash of lighting flew into the air.
'It's still impressive,' Tai Lai said while the sky lit with the energy of her lightning.
'It should be,' Azula muttered. 'It's stronger than ever.' She flexed her fingers and refrained herself from sighing. 'Let's spar again, shall we?'
Ty Lee looked as enthusiastic as ever. Azula knew she was progressing, but she also knew that she wasn't capable of defeating her friend—yet. It was frustrating.
Azula knew she shouldn't run. She was a princess and one day she would become Fire Lady, so she should behave with dignity and calmness. At all times. But right now she couldn't refrain herself from running while grinning like a fool.
She knew her father had a war meeting today—it wouldn't be long before she would be allowed to attend them. She also knew that the meeting would most likely be done by now. She hurried towards her fathers chamber, expecting to find him there.
There were no guards in front of the locked door. Azula frowned before turning around and walking towards the war meeting, almost against her own judgement. The sound of her feet rolled through the mostly empty corridors. When she arrived in front of the room, she saw her father. He stood outside and talked with a few of his most trusted advisors, while the rest of the attendants where still leaving the room.
Azula couldn't contain the grin on her face. She saw her uncle, with an almost permanent frown on his face. He didn't spare her as much as a glance. She didn't know why, but her uncle had never liked her. She didn't care anyway. She was to become Fire Lady and he would never be Fire Lord. Azula eyed her father, wary of interrupting an important conversation. Some people looked at her and bowed their heads in acknowledgement. Azula ignored them.
Eventually her father noticed her. 'Azula?' he asked. 'What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be practicing?'
'I was practicing, father,' Azula said. She took the fact that he had spoken to her as permission to speak, so she walked towards him. 'I've been practicing to make my fire hotter, as you said… and something amazing happened!' She smiled again, overjoyed and beaming. She knew her father would be proud of her, but she feared he might be to busy.
'Can I show you?' she asked.
'Here?' her uncle said frowning. 'Isn't that a little bit dangerous?'
'Oh no,' her father chuckled. 'Azula knows what she's doing. She's the best firebender of her generation—and she is not even ten.'
Azula's smile grew even wider when she heard those words. She was about to prove his high expectations of her.
'Show me, daughter,' Ozai said. He was well aware that all the other council members were looking at well. This was a possibility for his future heir to prove her worth.
Azula extended her arms and showed him her flame. 'My fire,' she said proudly. 'I was practicing—and now it's blue!'
She heard a few soft gasps. Ozai looked in astonishment a the flame. 'I've never seen anything like it,' he said, surprised.
'I didn't know it was possible,' general Tahi muttered. Azula was well aware of the fact that everyone looked at her right now. She beamed.
'She's a true prodigy,' Ozai said. 'The best firebender of her generation—she will be the best firebender the world had ever seen.'
Azula's strong footwork was one of her best assets. It made sure Ty Lee had a hard time keeping up with her. She had also become very skilled in blocking Ty Lee's attacks, but she hadn't yet succeeded in blocking the girl herself.
It wasn't a very easy thing to do, considering that Ty Lee didn't stand still for over two seconds.
'Damn, you've become really good,' Ty Lee said while Azula ducked to escape her arm. It was clear she didn't believe Azula could beat her though. Azula narrowed her eyes. She would prove that wrong very soon—she was sure about it.
Azula ducked and Ty Lee's arm flew over her head. This time, Azula managed to grab her arm and twist it. Ty Lee shrieked when she was forced to turn her back to Azula, giving her the perfect opportunity to hit the girl between her shoulder blades.
'Good job,' Mai said while Ty Lee fell to the ground.
'Did it work?' Azula asked. 'Are you chi blocked?'
'Positive,' Ty Lee responded, but she didn't sound like her usual cheery self. Azula couldn't contain her smug grin. She had been in Ty Lee's position too many times, so it felt good that the tables had finally been turned.
'That's enough chi blocking for today,' Azula said while crossing her arms. 'Can you stand up?'
Ty Lee turned her head to look at her accusingly. 'Not really, no,' she muttered.
Azula grinned while she extended one hand towards the girl. 'Oh, wait,' she said mockingly before placing her hands under Ty Lee's arms. The moment she touched the girl, she could feel the energy flowing through her body.
Azula frowned and let go of the girl. 'Hey,' Ty Lee said. 'Aren't you going to help me?'
'I felt something,' Azula said. 'Stay still.' Ty Lee huffed, but this time it wasn't meant as a joke. Azula placed her hand between Ty Lee's shoulder blades. This time she could feel it again—the energy or chi was stuck in there, thanks to Azula's fast and precise blow.
'I can feel your chi,' Azula said. 'I…' She frowed. 'I think I can bend it.'
'What?!' Ty Lee squeaked. 'Please don't! You could really mess things up—or kill me!'
'Is that even possible?' Mai asked. She stood next to Azula.
Azula took a few deep breaths and concentrated on her own body. She could feel the energy flowing, not blocked by anything at the moment.
'I think so,' she said. 'It's like… fire is also energy, isn't it?'
'Does that mean you can bend energy?' Mai asked.
Azula shrugged. 'I don't think so… maybe.'
'Maybe you could bend light,' Mai said. 'That would be cool.' Azula would have thought her enthusiastic if she hadn't said it in her normal, bored tone.
'Could you please help me up?' Ty Lee said, still looking pretty nervous. 'Don't bend me, please.'
Azula helped the poor girl to her feet. 'Are your arms still numb?' she asked.
'It feels horrible,' Ty Lee admitted.
'Tell me about it,' said Azula. She looked at Mai, who looked like she was feeling nothing at all. 'Maybe we can try to improve my aim,' she said. 'Might as well do something useful while Ty Lee recovers.' But she said it without bitterness.
Her discovery about her new powers and the fact that she had succeeded in blocking Ty Lee made her feel a lot better. Today hadn't been a complete waste after all.
Katara couldn't believe how much her life had changed in just a few days. Aang had turned out to be the Avatar, it turned out that his bison could really fly, and now they were on their way to their sister tribe, so that they could learn waterbending. She would learn how to waterbend!
It was like all her dreams had come true, she thought. With the Avatar alive, there might have been a way to save the world after all.
They currently sat on Appa, flying in whatever direction Sokka pointed them. Katara wasn't all to sure about her brother's navigation skills, but it was too beautiful a day to worry about anything.
She should have known that it couldn't have lasted forever.
'Is that… is that a fire nation ship?' Aang asked. Sokka and Katara immediately looked down. There was no mistaking—the ugly black ship brought forth a dozen unpleasant memories.
'What if they see us!' she yelled to Sokka.
'If?' Sokka yelled back. 'They're mean, not blind!' He huffed.
'What now?' Katara said worriedly.
'You're a waterbender. We're in the middle of the ocean,' Sokka said. 'Don't worry.'
Katara could distinguish the soldiers on board of the ship. She could see their faces, looking towards the enormous flying bison.
'I'm not sure if you have been listening, but I'm still to start my training,' Katara said. 'I doubt I could do anything but throw a snowball at them.'
'It's a start,' Sokka said. 'And there's no snow here.'
Katara would have rolled her eyes if she hadn't been so busy eying the soldiers. 'They're not attacking us,' she said hopefully.
'Not all firebenders are mean,' Aang said. 'I have a friend… well, I had. A hundred years ago. His name was…'
Katara wouldn't find out what his name was anytime soon, because an enormous fireball was send their way.
'Aang!' she screamed, while Sokka hurried away to the middle of the saddle.
'What were you saying?' Sokka yelled sarcastically while laying flat. 'Katara, get down here!'
Aang tried to steer Appa as to prevent a collision, but that was getting increasingly difficult when the soldiers continued to shoot them.
Katara looked towards the ship and saw the fire coming directly at them. She knew it was going to hit them.
'Aang!' she screamed, feeling vulnerable and scared to death. Aang jumped next to her and sent an enormous blast of air towards the fireball, successfully altering its path.
'Oh, great,' Sokka mumbled. 'Now they know you're an airbender.'
Aang had to stop a few more fireballs, but eventually they were out of reach.
'Friendly fire soldiers,' Sokka mumbled to himself. 'That would be a sight to behold.' He sighed.
'What now?' Katara asked worriedly. 'We've lost the element of surprise.'
'We must just stay ahead of them,' Aang said. 'Appa is faster than their ships.' Appa growled to show he agreed with that statement. It was easier said than done, Katara thought. Appa was no warship. He was fast and he was strong and fluffy, but he needed rest, whereas the ships could fare night and day.
Eventually, they would have to land. Katara sighed as she looked at the ship that was reduced to no more than a small black dot. She didn't want to think about that right now.
'You wanted something exciting to happen? Well, something exciting happened,' a general named Zetan said to himself. He looked down upon the letter he had just been writing. The letter for the Fire Lord, in which he told about their random encounter with a huge flying beast and an airbender.
It had to be the Avatar, right?
He sighed while signing the letter. He should've appreciated the nice and calm – even the boring – while he could have.
