AN:so Simon's chapter is kind of short, I haven't read the books in ages so apologies for any mistakes. Alec's next WOO! Also, would any of you guys be interested if I wrote a full length fic in this AU's? I have a plot bunny kicking away at me.

River otters symbolise many things but mostly playfulness.

Azulacomes from the Spanish for blue. (And Avatar. But yeah. BLUE GUYS)

They met Clary and Kinath on their first day in first grade. Simon was the quiet kid who wasn't entirely sure how to socialise with everyone else and Azula was a mouse in his pocket. They didn't think any of the other kids were interesting until Clary walked in all red hair and fiery personality with Kinath as a miniature tiger stalking beside her.

Simon had been in awe and Azula had even gotten up the courage to peek out of his pocket at the pair. "They're interesting," she'd whispered. And Simon had nodded.

They'd clicked instantly. At school he and Clary would spend all their break times re-enacting scenes from their favourite books or comics or TV shows and Azula and Kinath tried to outdo each other with creative forms. Dragons, unicorns, fauns or monsters. They were always trying to outdo each other. The other kids thought they were weird but Simon always thought that they were just jealous that their dull daemons couldn't be anything imaginative.

They used to joke that they were so similar, that they're daemons would become the same thing. Once when Clary was playing 'analyse the teacher's daemons' she mentioned something about how swans mated for life and Simon secretly hoped Kinath and Azula settled as swans.

They didn't of course, and Kinath surprised all of them by settling before Azula.

It happened one day when they were twelve and walking home from school. Simon was showing Clary the brand new mobile he'd just got from his Mother. Meanwhile, Azula and Kinath fluttered beside them as brightly coloured birds.

When they reached Clary's building and hugged goodbye, the boy that had been following them pounced on Simon. His daemon, a Staffordshire terrier, leapt into the air and pinned Azula down.

"Azula!"Simon cried in pain.

"Gimme the phone," the boy hissed. "Or Lucina will rip your little birds head off."

Simon was too distracted by the pain Azula was in to notice Clary running at the boy from behind, Kinath in the shape of golden cat with black spots and very long legs. The name servaljumped into his brain as Kinath flashed passed him and leapt on the dog daemon.

"LEAVE SIMON ALONE!" Clary roared, pushing the bully down.

The boy scrambled up and scooped his daemon up, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he called as he ran away.

Clary and Simon laughed. "What would you do without me?" Clary asked.

Simon shrugged, cradling Azula, now a ferret to his chest. "Get mugged obviously."

Clary was about to say something when Kinath said, in a very quiet voice. "Clary, I think this is it."

They both turned to look at him and Azula leapt down and changed into a jackal. "Wow," she breathed, touching noses with Kinath. "What does it feel like?"

"It just feels...right." Kinath said, looking up at Clary. "What do you think?"

Clary beamed, "You're wonderful Kin! Absolutely perfect."

And Simon had to admit, Kinath and Clary did look sort of perfect together.

Azula settled that summer when Simon was in Florida with his family, staying at his grandmother's villa. He was in the pool when it happened; he'd always loved the water. Azula had been diving to the bottom to fetch a block Simon was throwing her from his position on a lilo. It was a game they played a lot, Azula would flick through shapes and see which one she could retrieve the block with fastest.

She came up with the block in her teeth as a small crocodile and Simon laughed at her. "One more?"

She nodded and flick.

Otter.

They exchanged a look.

"Are you...?" Simon asked, awed.

"I think so..." Azula said her voice shaky.

Clary had been the first person to know. She's an otter! He'd texted.

Simon had never felt embarrassed about having an otter daemon. There were worse things. Like Mike having an ant or his cousin Lyla having cockroach. Azula was beautiful and funny and kind and quietly dangerous.

Then he'd met Jace and Astra. And suddenly having an otter daemon didn't seem so great. Kinath and Clary were smitten the moment they'd met, that much was obvious. And it wasn't just Jace. There was Izzy and her beautiful leopard (who Azula thought was even more amazing then Kinath) and Alec and his huge fucking wolf daemon (who had a wolfdaemon anymore?) Clary was fascinated by all of them.

He tried to stop thinking like that; especially after Azula licked his ear and whispered, "Sorry I'm not impressive."

Simon had grabbed her and held her close and said, "No, Zula. You're perfect. So what if we aren't a wolf or a lion? We're an adorable otter and if that's not good enough for them then screw 'em."

Azula had chuckled.

And then there had been the incident with the vampires.

When they had first met the vampires they'd both recoiled at the wrongnessof their daemons. Simon had been a rat at the time and Azula had been quickly snapped up by Raphael's wolverine. They'd both felt a sense of revulsion. Raphael and his daemon were joined, but not. It was strange.

Some of the vampires seemed closer to their daemons then others but most of them seemed different. Wrong, wrong, wrong.

And then they realised that that's what they would become.

"Please don't let us become like Raphael and Luminiso. Please,Simon!" Azula begged quietly as they left to see the vampires.

"Never, Zula. Never."

When people die their daemons die with them, vanishing into a cloud of golden particles. When Simon died Azula remained, shivering, cold and alone. Kinath picked her up and held her close; trying his best to gentle the otter but Azula just couldn't stop shaking.

"He's coming back," she mewled. "He's coming back right?"

Those words broke Clary's heart and as soon as Simon was resurrected she clutched Kinath to her and whispered, "Never, never, never. That will never be us."

Now Simon was a vampire he and Azula were changed. Azula could now travel as far as she wanted away from Simon but their bond was still intact. So that was a bonus.

But there was something else too.

Before they had shared thoughts, known exactly what the other was thinking. They had been able to talk to each other nonverbally. Now Simon struggled to see what his otter daemon thought and Azula couldn't see his thoughts either.

They began to understand how the other vampires and their daemons were so distant with each other, their bonds were weaker, they weren't exactly one anymore. They were just a human and a daemon that had once shared something unique but had aged and grown apart.

"Will that ever happen to us?" Azula whispered one evening as they sat alone.

Simon didn't want to think about it. He was a vampire; it was likely he would live forever. Foreverwas a long time. "No," he lied. "Look at Magnus and Alarick. They're still one person, right?"

And for the first time in his life Simon was glad Azula couldn't read his true thoughts.