Hello Everybody, as promissed the second chapter for today.

Azula finally meets some Fire Nation soldiers and gets the chance to be a bit more herself again. I wish all of you a lot of fun with this new chapter

Lighting An Old Fire

She had worked for two hours and hadn't spoken other words, than advises with the inhabitants. They hadn't got the perfect ingredients like the monks, but enough to manage a better treatment, than before. Other people of the village had started to ask her for help and by nightfall almost every remaining family in the village had visit the mayor's house with one or two burned family members. Azula had tried best to avoid it, but in the end she had received countless hugs and teary 'Thank You's'. She had tried to refuse it, but the fact, that she hadn't eaten a bite during the day had won over her pride and now she was sitting with Ging Dao and his children at the table. She had to admit, that the roasted turtle-duck smelled more than delicious, but she had to keep up her facade, so she sticked to the eggs and vegetables.

"We cannot thank you enough, Arashi. The Spirits must have send you to us."

Azaahrn's thankful voice made her stop eating. Azula placed the chopsticks back to her bowl and her face darkened a bit.

"Probably..."

Her dark voice made the boy frowning, as well as the other members of the family. Azula felt the strange knot in her guts building up, again. She was about to stand up, as Nari's loud and threatening growl made her turning around. Ging Dao was out of the house, instantly, followed by Azula.

She felt her rage rising as she reached the central place of the village. Nari had threating lowered her head and was observing six soldiers of the Fire Nation, who started to surround her. Another soldier, due to the uniform a captain, was standing aside, observing the situation. Nari's growls got deeper as a last warning, but it was ignored by the men. A big mistake. The bison lashed with her tail, causing a massive blow of air, which ripped tree soldiers behind her off their feet. The men were crushed into several buildings. The animal also used this blow to support her attack towards the three other soldiers in front of her. The bison reached the soldiers much faster, than they had expected it, taking the men on her horns and pushing them into other buildings in front of her, with an almost howling growl. The surprise of the captain amused Azula and she recognized some supportive shouts from some people and children towards the bison, who had become witnesses of this scene.

"GING DAO! You and your filthy village will pay for that!"

The mayor walked to the fury captain, but Azula didn't care about it. She walked over to Nari and fondled the head of the bison.

"You're alright?"

Nari grunted an approval, but kept focused on the captain, who was still screaming curses at Ging Dao. Azula slowly walked over to the men. The reaction of the mayor, who had spotted Azula first would have been a warning, if the captain wouldn't have been busy with cursing the man, his family and the whole village. It took him a while until he recognized Azula standing behind him and he turned around. Azula had the sweetest but so also the most threatening smile on her face.

"Captain Thoi Ga, I assume. Such a pleasure to meet you in personal."

The rage was still burning in him, but Azula's approach let the man clam down a bit.

"A teenage brat of a nun! You and your stupid beast will pay for that, too. You..."

"Captain, leave Arashi and her bison out of this. Your men have started the aggression, there…"

Ging Dao fell quiet, instantly, because Azula shook her head with such a warm and mild smile, that it threatened him to the bone, but obviously the captain was still missing the warning signals.

"Captain, why don't you tell me the story from your point of view. I'm so sure, that all of this is just a big misunderstanding."

The sweetness of her voice was seeping into the mind of the captain like poison and it fueled his rage again.

"You can bet on that, little brat! These villagers have refused to give us the rightful demanded food and forage with nothing but weak excuses! They tried to make me believe, that they wouldn't have enough, but now we came here, seeing you stupid beast eating the forage, which we have demanded for the use of the Fire Nation! Your stinking flying cow has attacked us, as we tried to take, what belongs to us!"

Azula's smile grew even warmer.

"But Captain Thoi Ga, must I remind you at the ordinance from Fire Lord Sozin about reacquisition. It must be from this spring, I presume. 'Troops, who are moving through home territories must use reacquisition only in cases, when they cannot be supported from the supply bases and only in amounts, which are bearable for the local population.'"

The baffled face of the captain was priceless and Azula noted for herself, that her hours of study in the old archives about military strategies in the long war had payed off in this moment. The corners of her mouth curved up higher in satisfaction.

"And by the way, Captain. This is only territory under the administration and protection of the Fire Nation, so technically friendly territory. Without permission, reacquisition aren't allowed anyhow, but due to this special status of the existing treaties, I think I can skip this fact as long as you can promise me to respect the wise orders of the Fire Lord. So take your men, report a list of the amount of troops and the period of time, the surrounding villages have to maintain their ordnance to the temple and set up a list of requested things due to the existing orders of the Fire Lord. We'll compare them with the stuff your men have already taken from the villages and so we can see, if those actions may go on or if they have to stop immediately!"

It was a dead silence around them. Ging Dao has taken two steps back from the man and Azula. He had seen the dangerous glow in Azula's eyes, which were hidden by her warm smile and her gentle voice, but the captain stayed blind for it. He was pale in anger.

"How can you dare to, you little brat! I should throw you in chains and bring you to General Haro. He would teach you a lesson!"

For the first time some worries seemed to grow within the captain, because the only response was a warm chuckle of Azula. She got closer to Thoi Ga, facing his look. For the first time her voice hardened and it sent a cold chill down his spine.

"All you have to do is asking me. I would love to discuss with General Haro about the fact, that a Captain of the vanguard is taking so much supplies from towns, which should probably support other troops, too, that nothing is left for the main troops, who should take out the bandits here. I can offer you and your men a fast ride. What do you think, Captain Thoi Ga? We can go, immediately for discussing this fact with your commanding General."

The man swallowed hard. He had started to sweat and Azula enjoyed him winding mentally in front of her. Here she was again, finally and oh, how had she missed it. She tended her head aside, giving him an smug smile.

"Fine, then it seems, that everything is cleared for now. As I said, we need the number of troops, the reasons for stationing them here and how long they should be stationed here."

She turned to Ging Dao with a honest warm smile.

"Mayor Ging Dao, I also have to ask you for a list of provided things and services for the troops of the Fire Nation, since the reacquisition has begun. I also ask you to contact the other villages to prepare the same for us, so we can set up the final bill for the Fire Lords council."

"WHAT!?"

The rage was back in Thoi Ga's voice, but he kept frozen on spot, as Azula turned back to him with a smile, which could have forced an whole army to surrender.

"Captain..." Her voice was filled with a mocking pity. "We have come to terms to call this friendly territory, remember? Due to the ordinances all reacquisition have to be compensated in the end. You really should take an eye on the official orders from time to time."

The man was shaking in cold anger. Azula bowed with a smile before him.

"It was a pleasure to talk with you, Captain. I'm so glad, that we have come to a solid compromise. May Agni guide your further way."

She turned around and started to walk back to Nari, when she finally heard the long expected reaction from Thoi Ga.

"You have forgotten one aspect, little brat. This world belongs to those, who're able to hold a grip on it."

Her lips curved up again. She was standing with her back to Thoi Ga, but she recognized his movements in the air. She had expected, that the man would loose his temper. She had hoped so. But she hadn't expected an little furry ball of rage, who tried to protect her from a strike, she already had anticipated. Dum-Dum had thrown himself from a rooftop on the face of the man with an loud shriek and had started to bite and scratch the head and face of the surprised man. Thoi Ga stumbled backwards, screaming in rage and pain, while he tried to get Dum-Dum off his head. The little creature, was shrieking, biting and scratching with an unknown fury a every bare part of the face and hands of the man, but suddenly a painful cry of Dum-Dum filled the night, as Thoi Ga managed to get a grip on the tail of the lemur. He slammed the poor creature against a wall and was about to burn it, when Azula hit him with her rod in the face. He had no time to prepare for the next strikes, when she hit him over and over again with her rod. With a final hard blow of her airbending, she punched the man on the ground in the middle of the place. Nari's big head approached over his with a deadly growl and the bison placed a foot on his chest. He wanted to scream, but a sphere of bended air surrounded his head. He began to panic, but he couldn't breath proper. Azula was busy with bending the air around his head, while she got down on her knees to pick up the limp lemur beside her. Tears were in her eyes and her mouth stood open in shock as she laid an ear over the mouth of Dum-Dum. He was breathing, but he was unconscious. Her focus returned back to the gasping man on the ground. The other soldiers were more or less up as well and some of them started to take attack position, but Azula only started to make a fist with her right hand and the desperate gasping of the captain increased and so they stopped. Also the villager stared in shock at her. Cold hate and anger were burning in her eyes as she approached the man. She looked down on him and she saw him trying to form some words, but Azula's control of the air around his head, didn't allowed a single sound to escape his lips. But she could read his question.

"You have made a big mistake, fool! You'll pay for that!"

He tried to stammer more words, but his moving lips only elicited Azula a deadly laughter.

"I cannot do that? Well I like to insist at this point, Captain. I'm not like the other monks and nuns!"

She bowed down with hot tears running down her cheeks and her look made the man's eyes shot wide in pure terror. But a weak chirping made Azula stop. Dum-Dum, who was still resting on her right arm had opened his eyes. Her face softened and she pressed the little creature against her head, kissing Dum-Dum with great relief. The bended sphere disappeared and Thoi Ga hungrily inhaled the air with fast and deep breaths. He was about to move, when Nari's threatening growl made him freeze again. Azula ignored him some more moments, still cuddling the weak lemur. Dum-Dum had started licking away her tears, but finally she turned back to the frightened man on the ground.

"You'll say sorry to Dum-Dum, Nari and to the villagers, now!"

Thoi Ga was about to stammer a question, but Azula used her bending to bring her rod back to her hand, which she had let fallen, as she had picked up the lemur. She caught it up blind and hit the man straight in the face.

"Last chance!"

The man stared in total shock at her, but finally murmured a sorry. Azula nodded at him.

"Nari will let you go now. You'll take your dimwits here and you'll leave without losing another worthless offense or lie. All reacquisition will stop from now, until we have received the demanded lists, then we'll see, how things will go on."

She bowed back down to him until her nose was almost in contact with Thoi Ga's.

"The other monks might have tolerated you shameful behavior, but I won't. Neither I accept violence against my friends nor the fact, that you put shame on the glorious Fire Nation. And now get lost!"

Nari took carefully her foot from the chest of the man and the captain robbed hasty away from the bison, sharing frightening looks with his shocked men and Azula. She has given Sozula the little animal and had narrowed here eyes, still focusing on Thoi Ga. The man took a last look around and nodded with his head down the road. The group left the village with more haste than dignity, followed by the cheerful yelling from the people.

Azula barely recognized the thanks and congratulations. She had taken Dum-Dum again, who was still groggy. His left eye was swollen and the little creature seemed to have pains. She was about to get back on Nari to return to the temple, when she felt a thankful grip on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Arashi. You have given us hope."

He smiled warm at her, but his face fell, as he recognized Azula's serious look.

"I strongly recommend you to follow Sifu Satora's advice. I know those kind of men. I have only bought all of you some time. They will return, sooner or later. Take this chance and prepare for leave."

She recognized the shock in his eyes and it made her stomach cramp, but she kept her straight face.

"I recommend the Earthkingdom, they're more open for refugees than the Northern Water Tribe."

She felt his grip tighten on her shoulder, while his color faded from his face.

"But this is our home, we cannot..."

"Storm is coming to this land, Ging Dao. Haven't you seen it? Look how much they have already taken from you. They're stocking supplies at all cost and due to the amount for a lot of troops."

Her voice was absolutely controlled, nearly emotionless, but she felt a tickling under her skin. She bowed before the shocked mayor.

"I have learned a lot today, Ging Dao, thanks to you. You have given me the chance to be a bit more myself again. I appreciate that, so don't waste too much time. May Agni guide your way."

She jumped up with Dum-Dum on Nari's neck and took the rope. The man seemed to roll some thought around in his mind, but suddenly a sparkle came to his eye. He nodded weak at her but suddenly he got down on his knees and pressed his forehead on the ground.

"Thank you, Arashi. We'll sadly follow your advise, but your approaching here has given us hope for better days somewhere in the future. May the spirits guide your way."

Azula's eyes widened as one inhabitant after another got down on their knees to press the foreheads on the ground. She was used to see such gestures, but they weren't given to her out of gratitude, before. It gave her a strange but warm feeling inside her belly. A shy smile came to her lips, before she got the chance to suppress it.

"Good luck to all of you. Nari, Yip-Yip!"

She was deep in her thoughts on her way back to the temple. She ignored Aang's questions, as he flew the lats part of the way beside her with his glider. She ignored the questions of the monks and acolytes as she treated Dum-Dum's eye. She brought him to her quarter and let him rest on her pillow. She also stayed quiet as she brushed Nari together with Aang. She left him worried behind, as she was finished with the bison and took a long bath. Only once she lost a thought about talking to someone, as she decided to take a second look on the burned monks again in the hospital. It was the questioning look of Satora, which nearly convinced her to talk with her about the day. She didn't, but the fire in the eyes of the nun helped her to make a decision. She was walking thought the temple, heading towards a certain room. She had left an impression, today and maybe a wrong one. She had to talk some things out, but not with Aang and also not with Satora. Azula stopped before the door and knocked at it after a deep breath. She hadn't heard an answer, but the door got bended open. She faced the silhouette of the meditating monk inside the room.

"We need to talk, Gyatso. Now."

The old monk nodded, but kept on place. Azula entered and took seat in front of the old man, after she had closed the door.

"I'll tell you something about me tonight, Gyatso. I'm Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation. I'm the enemy of the Avatar and of all Air Nomads in my time and due to some weird circumstances I'm stuck now within Arashi's body and the reason, why I'm here to tell you all this from me is, that I have decided to interfere."