"Once more!" Shouted Princess Azula to the child breathing harshly through her nostrils, hands grasping her knees for desperate support against her dizzying mind. "You've barely created a flicker, MORE!" Growled the Fire Nation woman hovering above. "Did you hear me? Why are you wasting my time?" Asked the princess, leaning low with her hands on her hips.
Mai's bastard child with the fire lord, raised her head slowly to meet her aunt's eyes. Azula noted how the family resemblance was indisputably strong in the five-year-old.
Our nation would love you. Thought Azula.
"Don't you dare give me that look!" She growled instead. "A proper princess-"
"Azula!"
Both sets of golden, royal eyes met former governor Ukano's normally quiet, sighing child.
"Are you interrupting royalty?"
"That's enough," warned Mai, using a shuriken to clean her nails.
Azula rolled her eyes at the gesture. Her bending was still at a loss to her bafflement, yet she chose to believe that her godly, husband-to-be was being honest about fixing the matter as soon as they departed the god-forsaken city of Omashu tomorrow morning.
"Oh, for crying out loud, if I had known YOU would be babysitting both of us, I would have opted out of spending the day with my niece".
Mai waved Azula away, making the princess grumble in response before retreating to a stone couch surrounding the noblewoman's small, quaint garden of Fire Nation flowers in the backyard. With her arms crossed about her breasts, Azula stared at a particular flower that seemed to call her attention. A fire lily was starting to sprout, reminding the princess of her mother's fondness for the priceless plant.
The fire lily was one of the rarest flowers in the fire nation as Ursa often mentioned. It was a sign of rekindled love which reminded Azula of her last trip to Omashu, in which she absently gave the flowers to another…old friend.
"Izumi, go wash yourself. We are going to see your other aunt today". Commented Mai, her eyes still lingering on the daydreaming princess.
When the girl was out of earshot, Mai added, "I'm sure you have ravished the avatar enough these past few days, so we're going to the circus".
Circus. Thought Azula, shaking her head.
"No, thanks, Aang seems to like our nights in the bedroom just fine".
Mai choked a smirk. She was still unaccustomed to hearing the princess refer to her fiancé by his name. It sounded strangely foreign. Though she had to admit that the Crowned Princess looked almost foreign with the red betrothal necklace around her neck and the constant glow emitting from her pale skin.
Maybe Ty Lee was on to something about auras and such. She wondered. Maybe this isn't the best idea.
In truth, she could care less about Azula and Aang's sexcapades, but her friends needed closure, particularly Ty Lee. She figured with both girls in the city, they could reunite on better terms and all work towards a loving friendship based on trust and kindness, a concept Mai once thought foreign to her old friend until they met again after a year.
"Not only had Azula recovered from her mental collapse, and scored the avatar. She became stronger than ever and managed to form real human friendships with her Kemurikage, ex-nuthouse cohort. Mai had been struck curious about this "New Azula" ever since.
"Well, he was the one who told me to break the news. Bumi needs his help repairing the aqueduct system before the city starts rioting from the ridiculous water restrictions. He's not sure how late he would be out and he…sends his love".
Mai did not miss the sparkle in Azula's eye at the last statement, though the princess immediately returned to her pouting.
"Fine. Will your bed mate be joining us also?" She asked.
Mai shrugged. "Nah, I gave him a one-way ticket back to his father's home. I guess it is time for Izumi to meet her father".
There was silence between the old friends, both looking for a reaction in the other.
"He was fine with this?" Azula spoke first. "You're just dumping him like nothing happened and returning to the Fire Nation?"
"Who's going to stop me?" Asked Mai, eliciting a smirk that Azula returned. "I'm not known for my loyalty".
"Touche," agreed Azula, standing from the place by the garden. "You are making a wise choice. Izumi has royal blood, she deserves to be treated as such".
With that, Azula plucked the single lily from the gardens. Analyzing the flower between lengthy nails, she added. "Delicate, royal descendants pale in comparison to royal children with a deity's blood, however".
Narrowing her eyes, Mai caught the condescending statement readily. "Your son will not suffer from Izumi's presence. The fire lord will ensure that".
"Hmm…" was all that Azula revealed of her further thoughts.
The knife-wielder clenched her teeth. Just days before, the princess had been livid about her decision to keep Izumi's identity hidden from her royal brother, only to revert to her usual paranoia in a matter of seconds. Mai briefly contemplated cancelling her trip to the circus. Azula obviously had not changed as much as she had given the princess credit for. Though her only best friend deserved closure, the mother did not want to risk further dismantling Ty Lee's fragile heart.
The princess knew the effect she held over their mutual old friend. What she would do with such power was yet to be known, though it had been tested at a place known for its inescapable walls in the heart of a boiling lake, shocking Mai beyond her most "unflappable" mind.
"I guess you don't know people as well as you think you do. You miscalculated," said Mai, enunciating each word in a grand though dumb show of love.
When she thought back on the matter now, she found pride in not saving the future fire lord, but finally retaliating for that…flaming…apple…
Azula's anger and obvious embarrassment was just what she had hoped to provoke. So much for flapping her unflappable friend. Her next words were meant to sting. She, Zuko and Ty Lee knew Azula's thirst for fear and control well.
"I love Zuko, more than I fear you".
Bitch… She almost added.
The reaction was priceless and expected, though Ty Lee's interference immediately overshadowed the impending showdown.
First jab to Azula's wrist, twisted the princess's face along with her body. Second jab felled Azula's face literally and figuratively. Mai could have sworn she heard a heart breaking when her nation's princess collapsed on the hard metal. Agni must have stopped time at the very moment or Agni's Hell must have frozen over.
Fuck… Thought Mai, unable to move even when Ty Lee pulled her arm fearfully. Mai glimpsed the princess finally speaking as she was pulled to her feet. Here was the true test. She was quick to lay the consequences on the knife-wielder, but now her very own loyal pet had betrayed her not with words, but physically.
"Put them somewhere I'll never have to see their faces again," growled Azula in her paralysis. "And let them rot!"
They were taken away from the princess's presence, but not far away from earshot to hear Azula's heart breaking declaration.
"You were never mine!"
Mai cringed feeling guilt rising in her stomach. Her friend had yet to recover from her own shocking actions. She could not remember Ty lee ever being silent. Their handcuffs clang as they walked.
"You two were lucky" grumbled a nameless guard, directing them to their cell for the night.
"You should be dead by now".
It was then that the acrobat sniffled. "We always were," she heard the girl whimper. "We were dead a long time ago, Princess".
#
"I'm sorry about you and Haru," a male voice pulled Mai back to reality.
Mai blinked twice before her eyes met the shirtless avatar standing before her. Azula was nowhere in sight, making the knife-wielder somewhat envious of her friend's uncharacteristic trust in the beautiful man. Surely Azula would not let Aang roam around without a leash looking like…this?
The newly single mother bit her bottom lip, attempting to shake away lustful thoughts before answering with a careless shrug. "Eh, I'm not the clingy type".
Aang smiled softly.
"What are you doing here, anyway? Izumi, Azula and I were about to leave for the circus".
Scratching the side of his trimmed beard, Aang nodded. "Yeah, I know. I postponed to go with you guys," he said, not meeting her gaze.
Mai chuckled, lightly. "You should ask your soon-to-be wife for lessons. You're a terrible liar. Don't worry, Azula can't set the place on fire this time". She said.
The avatar was now looking to his feet, his face beet red. "Well…that's not it, exactly," he confessed.
"Well?" Urged Mai. "What is it?"
Aang took a deep breath. "It's nothing really. Well, do you think Azula wants me, ya' know, for me? She can be a little…difficult… indecisive sometimes".
Wow. Mai thought. She had never known Azula to be indecisive except when it came to…
"You're worried about her ex, aren't you?" Asked the knife-wielder, knowingly. "That she will leave you for her?"
A slow nod was her response. Cute. Thought Mai, wondering on her shaky credentials if she was qualified enough to give love advice. She thought on an appropriate answer for several moments.
"You have to trust what you two have. Whatever lunatic being that brought you two together has to be insane enough to keep it this way".
Aang scratched his naked head. "I don't get it? Should I just pretend like I'm ok with it? Like I'm not bothered by it?" He inquired further.
Sighing Mai pointed to her home where Azula was probably preparing for the evening.
"That girl is not the Azula I've known all my horrible childhood. I actually like her and I don't doubt that it was just as much you as it was Ty that brought her to this point. You being you is what got her so pretending is not the answer. You don't have to sell your soul to protect Azula believe me. Ty Lee knows this better than anyone".
#
Azula combed through her hair using her hostess's bone comb in front of Mai's fancy, golden vanity.
"You always had such beautiful hair".
"Lies," grumbled the princess, grasping a gold pin between her lips to tie her hair into a high ponytail.
After the task was complete, she swiped with her two trigger fingers into a bowl of concealer, applying it to a scar just beneath her nose from Ozai, making it vanish within seconds.
"You're the most beautiful, smartest, perfect girl in the world!"
"All. Worthless. Lies!" She hissed, her lower lip trembling.
Ursa lied. Ty Lee lied. She was a monster and they knew it! At least Mai was strong enough to tell her to her face!
"It's over," Azula mumbled, looking away from the mirror. That is behind me. I have better now. I have my son and his fath-my hus-
"Knock, Knock".
Azula turned in time to greet her handsome fiancé returning the smile, despite how low she felt.
"Come in," she said, standing.
Aang seemed to float into the room, filling the room with his presence.
"What are you doing back? Are the aqueducts repaired?"
Aang shrugged, bashfully. "Could use a break. I missed you".
Azula's gaze lowered below the avatar's waist instinctively. "I just washed. Are you looking to make me sweat again?" She asked with a mischievous grin.
Aang licked his lips, closing the space between the two. "I can bend water, remember? I'll gladly keep you from sweating much".
Without another word, Aang wrapped his arms about the princess's waist and hoisted her towards the ceiling. The two made it to the kitchenette before Azula took the avatar's earlobe between her teeth and found herself atop the marble island in the middle of the room. Anxiously, she spread for the powerful man, her red dress rolled to the top of her hips. Positioning her new pair of black, six-inch heels on the edge of the island's surface, Azula dug her palms into the marble and threw back her head when Aang's heated lips met her sweet mark.
#
Hearing the couple's terrible attempts at discretion, Mai shook her head. Luckily, Izumi was waiting in a eel-hound drawn carriage for her mother. The noblewoman stepped into the vehicle and adjusted her daughter's hairpiece.
"Where's Aunt Azula?" Asked the child, bright-eyed.
"I doubt your aunt and uncle will be joining us tonight," answered Mai.
The girl gave a pout, surprisingly. Naturally MY child would be drawn to someone like the princess. Thought the noblewoman, shaking her head and waving her hand for the escort to leave.