{A/N: So, all I want to say is that yay for Haku and the other earth-benders, such as Toph and Haru :) and Bumi! Let's not forget Bumi :D which I own none of these characters, except for Haku, who is my friend's oc and I hope you enjoy and adore him, thanks for reading*}
`It was just like before, the gazes and whispers were there, and wondering where Kiki had been. Haku. She wondered where he was now, if he even thought about how they had left things. She had yelled at him even when she knew it was stupid to do, he was just trying to help like he already had. And what did she do? She pushed him aside, ignoring his feelings and what he thought. Yuki must have been upset too with her, maybe that's why they hadn't talked ever since the other night.
It wasn't quaint, and it didn't have that subtle touch to it like Yuki had said it would be. It felt more out-of-place than before, or maybe she was the one who was out-of-place. Either way it still made her un-easy. Perhaps that was the point, to feel awkwardly out-of-place. She sighed then, staring forward with a blank expression. Yeah, it was warm in the room but the noble-women at her side seemed to feel as if they didn't need to even look at her, they were much more interested in making sure they were quiet and proper, any other day they'd be fiddling with her hair and lecturing on what she should do or how to act.
Kiki wore her hair partially down and some of it gently clipped together. She knew her nails were not as beautifully manicured as before, or that she'd probably be scolded again, lectured on how she behaved—that she was just left so simply, as if she was naïve.
It was cold even though it was suppose to be a warm welcome back of course. Yet if that was true, she wondered why she had that feeling of structure again. Her breathing not trembling this time though, even as she could feel her hands nearly shaking, but she ignored it. She closed her eyes for a moment before re-opening them again, looking forward with a blank expression, walking into the throne room, seeing the familiar flames that hid the now shadowed face of fire-lord Ozai. What she did not expect was to see her friend standing there, Azula, who looked at her with a quirked eye-brow, and then looked away, her eyes only on her father now.
Yeah. This was just going to wonderful. Kiki sighed softly, walking forward then, making sure each step was measured precisely correct, as if she tripped or stumbled Azula would remark on it. She had to better than her right now, if that was even possible, but it was important; at least it was to her. She then knelt down, only so far from the small set of steps and flames, only so many feet away from fire-lord Ozai. She let her eye-lids droop then narrowed her eyebrows as she could hear Azula's impatient sigh, as if wanting to hear the lecture that Kiki would be getting.
"Lady Kiobi, how wonderful it is to have you back in the fire nation." He told her then "It must have been so frightening to you to be with that earth bender."
She looked up at him as she knelt, as if wanting to say something but then glanced away, not speaking out this time. Feeling already her lower lip trembling, she tried to be calm, to relax but couldn't. She saw that look of amusement, perhaps even a delighted expression that Azula gave her then; it was only a side-way glance but Kiki could see that grin that was there. Kiki could feel her breathing tremble again, but she then glanced away, back down at the marble floor, as if trying to distract herself.
Reluctantly she spoke then "Yes, it was." She glanced back up at him, the worry obviously showing now
"This is why we need to be more careful with who comes through the fire nation." He narrowed his eyebrows then, a frown on his lips as he glanced to the right, Azula's grin seemed to fade as she looked away from his gaze, and he looked back at Kiki then "I set up a patrol to make sure that the earth kingdom scum is caught upon sight." He then seemed to lean back a bit, no longer frowning or narrowing his eyebrows but more of as if stopping for a moment to really look at her, a smug side-grin appearing as he saw her shiver and glance away, then narrowed his eyebrows again "Is that a problem, Lady Kiobi?" He asked, his tone low and hollow
She looked at him then, narrowing her eyebrows but then seemed to relax, a usual blank expression now on her face "No, it is not, fire-lord Ozai." She spoke so dully, just like Azula had made sure to point out earlier
"Good." He nodded as if satisfied with her response, glancing over at Azula then "Azula."
"Yes, Father?" Her voice seemed to echo a bit, that sense of excitement hinted there
"Why don't you take Lady Kiobi to her room and comfort her?" He suggested then, quirking an eyebrow then glanced over at Kiki "I'm sure she needs it in this moment of despair, she's had a very long adventurous week." He narrowed his eyebrows, leaning back again. If his words that were supposed to be comfort to her, to make her feel right back at home again—then why did his tone sound so cold?
"Of course, Father." Azula nodded, walking over to Kiki, her hands behind her back, she quirked an eyebrow as Kiki just stood up, not even looking at her and turned around, walking towards the door-way. Azula sighed softly, flipping her hair back and followed after her, letting the doors shut behind her as she walked down the hall-way with Kiki.
"It was much more exciting when you weren't here." Azula told her then, but sounded bored
"What is that supposed to mean?" Kiki asked, not even looking at her as she continued to walk
"Oh, nothing really, except that poor Zason was out of his wits when he learned his best friend had gone off with some earth-kingdom man."
"You don't know anything about Haku."
"Oh? So the earth-bender's name is Haku?" Azula asked, and let Kiki walk on for a few moments; her friend seemed to stop then, frozen in spot
"What?"
"You said his name, didn't you?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow "Haku."
"I didn't say anything."
"But if you know his name." Azula ignored Kiki's comment, glancing to the side for a moment before looking back at her, that grin back in place it seemed "Then you must have gotten to know him, right?"
"He wasn't very talkative, Azula." She whispered, sounding annoyed
That's when she felt an arm wrap around her, as if to comfort her, it was Azula and she had an almost sincere smile showing now "I was only kidding, Kiki. No need to get so tensed over nothing, we're best friends, aren't we?" Why did it sound as if she were mocking Kiki now? But Kiki seemed to relax if only for a bit, walking down the rest of the hall-way with her friend.
Yet her thoughts went back to Haku, still wondering where he was—if he had regretted being her friend like that? She hadn't been the best towards him, and he reacted in the most logical way really, to be the same way back towards her. After a while though, she was slowly trusting him…but then, when he had told that story, she knew what it was about and didn't like thinking of it, and he probably knew it—but he just went on, being an idiot again, and she had gotten so frustrated, it was so annoying to her…and she blamed him, even when she knew it was her fault that time, that he hadn't been the one to start the argument.
She sighed then, but Azula didn't really seem to notice then she felt herself being yanked into a room quickly, the door shutting behind her. Of course it was her bed-room, and now she was sitting on the bed, and Azula stood beside the mirror and dresser, simply looking at it before looking back at Kiki.
"What was it like?"
Kiki looked confused now, quirking an eyebrow "What was what like?"
"Being on your own in a way, what was it like?" Azula looked away, her tone was so soft and calm now and she just fiddled around with a hair-brush for a moment
"It was…actually nice, a bit relaxing too." She answered then, almost reluctantly, wondering why Azula was acting this way now. Kiki heard Azula scoff then, as if it was amusing to her then she turned around, looking over at Kiki
"Hmm." She shrugged, sitting down beside her "Sounds boring really."
"Where's Yuki?" Kiki asked then, wondering where her other friend was at the moment
"How should I know?" Azula shrugged again "She seems to just get distracted so easily by turtle-ducks and what not. I still don't see why we're friends with her." She sighed then as if bored again
"She's our friend, Azula." Kiki whispered, glancing away for a moment before looking back at her "Just like we're friends."
"Right." Azula nodded, a smile set upon her lips again "Best friends." She then scoffed a bit again "In fact, we're almost like sisters, if I did have one though—you'd probably be it really."
"But you have a brother. Zuko." She told her, and then saw Azula narrow her eye-brows, already knowing that she had annoyed her again
"We're not talking about Zu-Zu, Kiki." Azula then sighed, getting up from the bed, and looked back over at Kiki "I can see that you no longer need my comforting, we'll talk later, yes?"
"Of course." Then Azula turned around, walking over to the door and walked out of the room, the door shutting close behind her "You always seem to have the last word, Azula."