Chapter 7
Azula woke up refreshed and felt rather content with life and events so far. Her friends would come over today, she hardly had had any time with them last week and it would be great to tell them all about her training with the Fire Lord. Azula smiled when she thought about her Fire bending training. Fire Lord Azulon was a strict and demanding master that tolerated no foolishness, but he was neither cruel nor impatient. He was a prodigy like herself and she felt that he could understand her far better than any of her previous tutors, even better than her own father, Azula grudgingly admitted to herself. The Fire Lord was quick to admonish her but he also gave her praise when he thought her worthy. And after training yesterday the Fire Lord had invited her for tea while they contemplated the sunset in peace. She no longer feared the Fire Lord but rather looked forward to their training sessions next week. She was confident that her problem to generate lightning soon would be something of the past. It seemed like the Fire Lord shared her sentiment.
After she had bathed, dressed and breakfasted on the terrace overlooking the sea she walked off to meet her friends in the palace garden. She spotted Zuko hurrying to meet up with their mother presumably. Azula smirked when she remembered how sourly Zuko had been since Azula started her training with the Fire Lord. Zuko didn't take that little revelation well. Now it was all official, Azula was the best fire bender in her generation. And Zuko could do nothing about it to Azula's immense satisfaction. Of course she had not missed the opportunity to rub it in his face. Annoying Zuko was her favorite pastime after all.
Unfortunately her father didn't seem very pleased by Azula's training with the Fire Lord either, and with that thought her smirk turned crooked. She did not want to alienate her father but what could she do? When the Fire Lord commanded everyone else obeyed. Besides, she really wanted to train under the Fire Lord's tutelage. Ursa didn't look pleased over it all either but it was hard to tell with her mother. Most likely she didn't care. Strangely, the only one that seemed pleased over the recent developments beside herself was that water tribe peasant Sokka. He had even asked about her training and listened to her keenly over dinner a couple of days ago.
Azula heard Ty Lee laugh when she approached the garden witch made her smile and quicken her step. But she came to an abrupt halt when she saw that Ty Lee and Mai were conversing with Sokka. All her previous lukewarm feelings for the watertribe peasant were gone in an instant. What did that wretched boy think he was doing? Ty Lee and Mai were her friends and not Sokka's! Besides, she had not forgotten the remark from last week that she was incapable of having friends, it still made her seethe in anger. With a determined expression Azula walked over to the three laughing teenagers. Well, Mai didn't laugh but she did smile and that was equivalent to a hearty laugh in Azula's book. The girls needed to be reminded of whom they were friends with and Sokka indeed required a lesson of this to.
Azula approached them without being noticed so when she interrupted the peasant's story about fishing they were startled.
"What are you doing here peasant?" Azula asked and made Sokka and Ty Lee jump. Mai just turned toward Azula. "Didn't you make a fool out of yourself enough last week?" Azula continued with a smirk while giving all three teenagers a superior look.
Before Sokka could answer Ty Lee cart wheeled over to Azula and embraced her fully while greeting her with a joyous; "Azula, how nice to meet you!" Azula really loathed being touched but stopping Ty Lee was like telling herself to stop fire bending, simply impossible. Mai gave her a perfect bow before settling back but Sokka just rolled his eyes at Azula.
While Azula was preoccupied with Ty Lee's embrace Sokka gathered himself to answer. Keeping his cool around Azula was hard and today it was really necessary because he had a plan. A great plan!
"Well, according to you Princess Azula, I make a fool out of myself while sleeping so what have I to lose?" Sokka asked rhetorically when Azula had disentangled herself from Ty Lee. "But it is polite to greet your friends when they visit so of course I did made time for it." Sokka continued establishing that he now was friends with Ty Lee and Mai. Both Ty Lee and Mai looked at Sokka with a bit of surprise, but Mai soon became unreadable and Ty Lee smiled to Sokka while nodding enthusiastically.
"And since you abandoned your friends last week I took the time to entertain them." Sokka said while arching an eyebrow toward Azula. "You owe me for that, I believe." Sokka continued to Azula with a superior smirk of his own.
Azula bristled while hearing this. "Oh, really?" Azula said while putting her hands on her hips. "I'm not beholden to you, o gracious peasant. I was called to the Fire Lord himself and that is something my friends understand and accept." Azula continued and countered Sokka's superior smirk with one of her own. Molten, golden eyes clashed with azure blue, blazing fire against a raging snow storm.
Mai and Ty Lee, who followed the argument from a safe distance, could perceive how this clash of wills enfolded. Azula was not used to be challenged and she seemed to forget everything but the young man arguing with her. Sokka on the other hand looked like he had some prepared. He did not let the fire princess' barbs and words provoke him, all his attention was on the girl in front of him. In a way it was truly mesmerizing to watch…
"Of that I have no doubt, o condescending little princess." Sokka answered Azula. "They are after all very good people and know what it entails to be friends with someone but that's not my point." Sokka said and before Azula could answer he continued. "I did you a favor while you were gone doing more important stuff, you owe me, fire princess."
Azula smirk was gone now and her glare threatened to set Sokka on fire. "If you thought to make me be obligated to you for something you did just to entertain yourself, you are sourly mistaken, peasant." The coldness in Azula's voice matched the heat in her gaze oddly enough. "One might argue that it is common courtesy to do what you did. Is it not?" Azula turned the table on Sokka.
To Mai and Ty Lee it seemed like Sokka's eyes became even bluer and anyone but Azula would have been frozen solid then and there with the glare blazing at the princess.
Strangely, while Azula's voice seemed to be coated over with ice Sokka's seemed to be on fire. The heat in his voice intensified as he answered the princess.
"Yes, Princess Azula, that it is, I agree with you that it is common courtesy." Sokka said heatedly. "But we both know that you never would have done such a thing because you don't have a decent bone in your body!" Sokka continued fiercely. The flicker in Azula's eyes clearly said that that was a true statement. But before Azula could retort Ty Lee made the mistake to speak.
"This is great entertainment, they look so cute together. Don't you think?" Unfortunately both Azula and Sokka heard Ty Lee's not so quiet whisper to Mai and suddenly Ty Lee was in the focus of the two antagonist's death glares. They hit Ty Lee so hard that she actually swayed, made her swallow and step behind Mai to shield herself from the glares.
After a while Mai said to Sokka with that deep voice of hers. "Both Ty Lee and I are grateful for your company last week and since we didn't have any opportunity to tell Azula this she could hardly be expected to know." Mai said as if she had not a care in the world. Ty Lee nodded in agreement, even if she still was blushing a bit after her last statement. "And you look like you have something else on your mind than trying to win an argument with Azula, isn't that so?" Mai continued. Azula and Ty Lee looked at Mai, this was a very long speech for her and she usually had much less to say. Mai ignored her friends' surprised glances and waited for Sokka to speak.
Sokka smiled gratefully to Mai and gestured to all of the girls while speaking. "Yeah, I have something totally different in mind actually." Sokka took a short intake of breath and continued before Azula could jump in.
"I want to challenge you all to a game of wits and stealth. A scavenger hunt to be more precise."
After the great announcement the girls were quiet for a short while before Ty Lee exclaimed with a grin. "That sounds so fun! Please let us do this, Azula, please!" She pleaded with the princess. The princess just scoffed and asked Sokka while trying to ignore Ty Lee's pleading puppy eyes. "And how is this game played, water boy? I will not be part of some humiliating barbarian game!"
"I'm glad that you asked." Sokka said and ignored Azula's tone of voice. No need to start up a new argument when he was so close to his goal... "We split up in two teams. Mai and I in one team and you and Ty Lee in the other team." Mai raised an eyebrow at that but Sokka plowed on. "Both teams are given three objects to find and secure." At this Sokka put forward six folded papers. "And the first team back here wins the game. Of course, we have some rules." Here Sokka gave Azula a hard look at which she smirked. "As I said before, this is a game of wits and stealth. No intimidation is allowed and neither is just asking or commanding them over." Sokka still held Azula's eyes when he said this. Azula rolled her eyes at him. "The losing party is allowed to check up on this later and if any cheating is discovered that team is disqualified." Sokka explained.
"And what, pray, do we get when my team wins?" Azula asked while leisurely studying her nails. Sokka actually smiled at her question. It meant that she was at least contemplating to participate in Sokka's hunt.
"The winning team members individually get to decide what the prize is. If we win Mai might want something from you, Princess, and I want something different." Here Sokka gave Azula a wolfish grin. "I would love to toss you in the pond over there, little Princess…" Azula returned Sokka's grin with a smirk on her own that made Sokka a bit wary. "But nothing dangerous." Sokka stated quickly. "The whole point of this hunt is that we shall have some fun time competing with and against each other." Sokka finished. He looked over the girls and waited for their response.
"Please Azula, I want to play! Please, please!" Ty Lee was giddy with excitement as she pleaded with Azula with her large puppy eyes. Azula seemed a bit affected by Ty Lee's pleading but after a while she locked eyes with the water tribe boy. Mai sighed and said. "Well, it's something different from what we usually do and I'm bored at the moment. I'm in." Ty Lee squealed with excitement and hugged Mai. Mai just shook her head at Ty Lee's joy.
Azula and Sokka continued to stare at each other. After a while Sokka suddenly smiled at the princess as if to dare her. Azula answered Sokka's smile with one of her own. "I'm going to crush you, water tribe savage, you will never play games with me after this ever again." Azula stated with so much certainty that Sokka felt a flutter of fear in his stomach.
"I don't think so, Azula" Sokka answered and Azula felt her breath hitch when Sokka carefully pronounced her name. "In the pond you will go." Sokka said with a secretive smile. Once again their eyes clashed but this time not in a contest of will but in a shared moment of contentment. It lasted only a second or two but it made them both a little giddy. The game was on!
