Part 10
Trusting the well crafted staff, he leaned against it putting most of his weight on it, he could hear the strain of the wood as he did so. The lazy breeze swept over the sleek iron deck causing the crimson robe that hid his torn orange pants and bandages, to ripple. The short dark brown hairs on his head irritated him and he was forced to scratch, relieving his scalp of the tickling feeling. His gray eyes stared at the tall and narrow doors that led to the lower levels of the ship. They stood there lifeless with no signs of anyone about to open them.
Standing next to the doors was the tall and slender Water Tribe girl. Her bright glossy eyes filled with joy and an encouraging smile stretched over her tan skin. Her cloak swayed in the wind revealing her worn blue clothes. She tried to be patient but it was obvious she was waiting on the tip of her toes for the one everyone was waiting for.
Sitting beside Katara was the tired earth bender, Toph Bei Fong. The earth bender was sitting criss cross her head being held up by her hand. Toph's knuckles knocked on the deck in sync with his heartbeat which she could no doubt, feel. Her black hairs obscured her face so it made it impossible to see her dead eyes underneath. Suddenly with a pop Toph straightened, her eyes going wide. At that his eyes moved back to the doors which were pulled back with a great force.
Stepping out of the darkness was a creature who dare call herself human. The young royal appeared to be on fire with the way the sun's light was absorbed and projected by the bright blood colored clothes. The gold crown holding back the charcoal hair looked like her personal star with the way it sent dazzling chips of light in each direction. Her sharp glare came directly at him and he could see instantaneously into those menacing irises.
The stare caused his legs to lose steadiness and he fell onto his knees as she approached. He felt awe and relief surge through him at the sight of her. No more would he have to worry about finding a teacher. Here before him, stood one of the greatest, come from the depths of the enemy land to share the darkest secrets of fire. Here at last was his master!
He did not know what rushed over him but he bowed very lowly to the prodigy. It was as if he had to respect her not because she was his teacher, but because the blood running through her veins was pure, royal. A living, walking, prize and it was never made clear to him until now, Azula really did stand out from the average Joe. Everything about her was angelic, heavenly and sinister at the same time. She had an aura around her that made you actually want to obey her, something no peasant was born with.
"Up." Azula ordered and as quickly as he could he came back onto his feet. Once again he used the staff to hold him up. The princess encircled him surveying him from head to toe. "Tell me…what do you know about fire bending?"
Lowering his head his brain started scrambling for the ancient memories. "Uhhh…" was all that came out as he tried to think straight. "Breathing is important to fire bending because…errr…"
"Fire bending power comes from controlled breathing." Azula corrected him her voice becoming a bit stern. "Most people make the mistake of thinking it's power comes from physical strength."
It all started to come back slowly. "So that's was Jeong Jeong said." he muttered and the princess turned to him rapidly, eyeing him darkly.
"What about the traitor Jeong Jeong?" she demanded an answer and from the looks of it, she wasn't too pleased to find he even knew that name.
"He was sort of teaching me fire bending but then…he disappeared." He explained hoping she wouldn't harm him, her long painful glare was torture enough. Instead her narrow eye brow arched.
"Oh? And what did he show you?" He didn't know how she pulled it off but she was able to twist her voice into several different tones. Shaking his head he knew he should focus, he didn't know what she would do to punish him. Katara didn't punish him at all, Toph just yelled at him, but who knew what the princess would do. The wound on his back stung just a little more as he remembered what she was capable of.
"Mostly breathing exercises. When I tried to fire bend I-," he cut off his eyes closing in shame of what he had done. Because of his recklessness he had hurt the girl he loved. When he opened his eyes again he stared at Katara, who knew what he was thinking of. "I accidentally burned Katara."
Azula's eyes narrowed and he didn't know what she was thinking. "Of course you did, fire is not a toy." She lectured. "If you can't control it perfectly then you might as well not try at all. Understand?"
"Yes, Sifu Azula." he replied.
"No apprentice of mine will be seen depending on a stick to help him stand. Drop it now." she ordered in a normal tone and waited patiently, her hands behind her back. Gathering his strength he pried his fingers from the staff and it fell to the ground. The second he let go he hunched over a little. He grasped his stomach in pain for a moment.
"Argh! It hurts too much…" he muttered weakly. "Please, can't I just-,"
"No."
The aching in his back continued to throb with no sign of stopping. Out of his agony he dare raise his voice. "I can't do this without my staff!" he hollered. Azula did not jerk back when most people would have.
Azula reached down for his staff and moved her forefinger down the center analyzing the antique. "No fire bender depends on anything, especially an air bending tool." With her bare hands she snapped the staff in two and tossed it into the ocean. She BROKE his staff!
The anger rushing through his veins made him forget all about his wound. Once again he thought of her as an enemy and he formed a fist and swung towards her head. He was furious, outraged. She broke his staff. She caused the pain in his back. She made the whole world think he was a failure. It already hard enough before, why did she have to make him suffer more? He hated her!
Azula simply dodged his weak attempts to harm her. She smirked at his reaction. "Good, use your anger, let it fuel you." She ducked his kick and moved her leg in an arc hitting his ankles and he fell backwards. He started to push himself up again but she shoved him back down with her foot. "Control yourself. That was good Avatar Aang, not only is breathing a key to fire bending, so is anger. For now, trap your anger and when we start bending I want you to think of all things that make you mad."
He calmed down, he hated her but he had to respect her. He had to admit she was good at making people do what she wanted. She made him angry on purpose. Was he really that easy to trick? "What now?" he asked.
"Today since you're a little upset you can breathe but tomorrow we'll start with something a little more challenging." She said. "Take a stance." Forcing his tired and sore body he stood up taking a stance. Azula kicked his heal a bit. "Wider." She ordered and he widened his legs as far as he could without doing the splits. "Inhale as much air as you can through your nose and exhale as much as possible through your mouth."
He did as he was told, still he got the hint he was doing it wrong. "Focus." She said sharply. "It's just you, the sun, and your breathing. Nothing else exists." She encircled him once more. "I want you to continue this until I say stop." The princess turned to those who had been watching. "No one is to disturb him." The princess glanced at him one last time before walking away.
Katara sat as serenely as she could. Her eyes permanently glued to Azula. If she didn't do something quickly Toph would pick up on how uneasy she was just sitting there, unable to smile every time the princess' eyes wandered her way.
She wasn't an impatient person either but right then she didn't want to wait. She didn't want to share Azula's time with Aang. It wasn't fair, why should Aang get to take up all Azula's precious time and then leave Katara with Azula when the princess was sleeping? It was supposed to be the other way around. Lovers come first that was the rule of nature right?
Then she had to remind herself when she around everyone else, she wasn't Azula's lover. She was just Katara, an incomplete piece of the puzzle. She hated just being Katara. She needed Azula, was she becoming too clingy now? The water bender couldn't help it, Azula was like a drug, once you get a little, you need more. So when the princess told Aang to focus on his breathing she let out a sigh of relief.
Pretending to look directly in front of her, she watched Azula closely in the corner of her eye as the princess went below deck. Just to be sure she counted to a hundred, skipping about thirty numbers in the process, before leaping onto her feet and heading after Azula.
Toph noticed there was something very….odd…going on with Katara lately. Every time she tried talking to the water bender it was like Katara wasn't even on the same planet. There was always something more important on Katara's mind. It was like talking to Appa who made the same noise in response to every word, which wasn't like Katara who practically wrote a novel every time she talked to someone.
As she sat next to the girl who couldn't stay still for her life, she knew there was definitely something going on. And she was going to find out what it was. The unmistakable steady footsteps of the princess went by and Katara's heart started pounding even harder. Suddenly the water bender shifted and walked off. Toph focused placing her palm on the ground. Katara's feet were following Azula's. Hmmm…why would Katara be following the princess?
Her heart was racing and she could no longer fight the grin that spread across her face. She stalked Azula to the lowest level of the ship, where no one would be. Alone at last. She watched the princess turn the corner and she sped up. Barely coming to the corner a firm hand snatched her shirt and pulled her to the left then pushed her into the wall.
The wall was surprisingly cold, maybe because her skin was burning up, she swore if she got any warmer she would consider herself a fire bender. The sound of whooshing water against the shell of the ship created an eerie hollow silence, the humming of the large engine drowned the sound of the princess' husky breathing. Her skin tingled as she felt those aggressive velvety lips come to her neck. Her body grew impossibly warmer.
Azula's stable arms squeezed her waist holding them together and kept Katara from falling. It felt like she was melting slowly, any second she'd just be a puddle of happy. It didn't help that the princess' leg was between hers. She had to strife to keep herself from using Azula's leg to satisfy her aching.
Her eyes opened for a second and she saw a blurry image down the hall and closed her eyes again. Wait…her eyes shot open again. "TOPH!" Caught. Azula spotted the earth bender but refused to let go of Katara.
"So this is what you two have been hiding?" Toph grinned and crossed her arms before leaning against the wall relaxing. "I knew something weird was going on but…I didn't expect this." that grin widened even more as Toph rubbed her chin. "What in the world would Aang think? What would your father think?"
"Toph…" Katara said nervously, she didn't realize it but she was hugging Azula tightly not wanting to lose the princess. "Please, I'm begging you, don't tell them."
"Ha like they would believe me if I told them. They'd need solid proof." Toph replied. "What would I say to them anyway? I heard you guys kissing? Yeah they'll believe that. But then again…"
"Toph!"
"I'm kidding Sugar Queen. I promise I won't tell, if," Toph paused for a dramatic effect knowing it was torturing the both of them.
"If what? I'll do anything!"
"Hmmm…what's a good thing?" Toph pondered. "Now that I can make you do anything? I know, I'll keep your secret, if you promise never to make me do all of the following; cooking, cleaning, and setting up camp."
"It's done!"
"Good." Toph pretended to cough. "And now back your regularly scheduled make out session."