Hey! Chapter 9 is here ^^ Thanks for all the reviews, guys! I love them! Sorry it's been so long since I last updated!

Chapter 9

Matters of politics

Azula pov.

"Well, Mai, I really don't know if I could make him do that. It seems very unlikely," Azula told her old friend with raised eyebrows. For once, Azula was actually worried. Mai didn't look well. Not at all. In the last few days she'd become very pale, and her breathing was heavier than usual. Combined with her strange desires, she thought Mai might be literally lovesick.

That's what you get for falling in love, Azula thought contemptuously, and wrinkled her nose while shaking her head.

Mai sighed and fell into the chair as though her entire body had given up on
keeping her standing. She looked very tired. Too tired. This wasn't normal.

"Mai, are you all right? You appear sick." She tried to appear concerned, although it looked more like she felt sick.

Mai put her hand on her forehead and breathed in deep breaths as if there was a limited amount of air in the world, and she was trying to get the most of it.

"I don't know. I haven't ever felt like this before. I feel extremely hot all the time, but then I'm just suddenly cold as ice." She gritted her teeth, and looked at her with an expression even stonier than usual. "What could it be that's wrong with me?" she asked Azula, not expecting any kind of answer.

But Azula looked at her with interested eyes. "How long is it since you were… alone with Zuko?"

Mai understood immediately what she meant.

"Two days before he left. About a month, maybe," she answered.

Azula nodded. "You've been stressed out a lot lately, and your mind has been set on other things, so you may not have thought about it, but Mai… when did you last have your period?"

Mai blinked once and then simply stared at Azula with her warm golden eyes that, when the light hit them just right like it did now, could look a soft shade of rose.

"You mean… You think I'm…" she stammered.

"Yes," Azula responded, leaning over the table with a conspiratorial grin. "You're pregnant." Mai's eyes were blank, and she stared at Azula dumbfounded.

"How … How did you know?" she asked in a throaty whisper.

"You're having heatstroke. It's typical for women who are carrying
firebenders," Azula answered. "I was told my mother had it really badly with me. By the end of her pregnancy, she could barely walk around anymore without fainting." She saw Mai widen her eyes and her skin get a bit paler, and she added casually: "Not that that will happen to you – it was because I'm a Firebending prodigy. Though, seeing the reactions so early is special."

Mai was like a statue. She didn't move or even blink. Her fine skin was so white, she might as well be made of marble. Then, slowly, as if not sure herself whether she was able to move, she raised her hand and put it on her still-flat stomach.

"I'm … pregnant?"

"Looks like it," Azula said, "or else you have a very strange illness." She smiled wryly and teased: "Did you eat some water peasant food?"

Mai shot her a dirty glance and got to her feet. "I better go to my rooms."

"Of course," Azula agreed. "I'll make sure Ty Lee visits you."

Mai nodded. "But," she added, looking seriously at the princess, "you will talk with him, will you not?"

Azula shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. Don't push it." Mai crunched her teeth together and walked out of the room with dignity hanging like a veil behind her.

Azula got up quickly and went to her balcony. She was wearing trousers and a blouse, not a dress, so what she was about to do was no problem, and even if she did have a dress on, she wouldn't have cared.

She jumped over the banister and set off from the wall, stretched out her legs and felt a soft, familiar warmth run down her legs from her stomach, and a blast of fire from her feet sent her flying through the sky. She let go of the fire quickly and let herself fall till she was close to the earth. Then she created a bit of fire again, just to soften the landing.

This was in Ty Lee's favorite part of the garden. In one end, blue violets grew, close up to the sweet, pink lilies, that reminded one of Ty Lee in many ways. A big willow tree grew near a little, quiet river, which wormed its way through the miniature garden. Flat stones were laid out around the river, and nowhere was weeds to be found.

The grass was soft and bent under her feet as she wandered across the little lawn towards the bench where she thought she might find the one she was looking for. As she'd hoped, Ty Lee was sitting there, her face turned toward the sun, humming some melody. Ty Lee spent most of her free time in this garden, training or just relaxing.

Azula stopped and gathered her hands in her front.

"Are you enjoying the sun, Ty Lee?" she asked in her stridently fierce voice.

Ty Lee opened her eyes in a whim and was on her feet. "Azula!" she exclaimed, making a little, excited jump.

Azula crossed her arms and rested he head against her left leg. "Ty Lee, Mai's not feeling well, go help her."

Ty Lee nodded. "Is she sick?" she asked.

Azula smiled a wicked smile. "Sort of," she answered. "I'm almost certain she's pregnant."

Ty Lee's eyes widened and she clasped her hands together. "Pregnant?" she whispered. Then she gave out a squeal of joy, doing two quick cartwheels, then standing on her hands and clapping with her feet. "She must be so happy!"

"Probably not as thrilled as you are," Azula said, with slight disproval.

"You should probably run off to her room."

"I will!"

"Come see me afterwards," Azula shouted as Ty Lee began running. Ty Lee just barely heard her.

"Sure!" she called over her shoulder.

-

A knock on the door was all, then she heard the door creak open down the hall.

"Azula!" Ty Lee sang, and she heard her dancing toward her study room.

Azula looked up from her papers and waved at the widely grinning Ty Lee with a doubting face.

"What is it, Ty Lee?" she asked.

Ty Lee danced over to her and stood behind her chair.

"I spoke with Mai! She said you said that she might be carrying a strong firebender," Ty Lee answered.

"Yea, I said that," Azula responded.

"Katara hasn't been having those kinds of symptoms. What kind of symptoms does a woman carrying a waterbender get? Never mind! You know what this means, right?"

Azula sighed. "Yea. Zuko's choice."

"He can't drag it out much longer. And we all know he'll choose one of them. And now that Mai is having a strong little firebender, he'll be sure to pick her." Ty Lee sounded so optimistic, Azula smiled, enjoying the moment, grabbing the power offered to her immediately.

"We cannot predict my brother's choices. If he'd been really smart, he would have just stuck with me and Mai. It doesn't happen very often that the Fire Lord marries someone from the other nations, much less other kinds of benders, because of the complications, but Zuko is all nuts for the crazy women." She gave out a little, false giggle. "Furthermore, if he still decides on Mai, who knows if Mai will accept?"

"What do you mean?" Ty Lee asked in a quiet voice. Her bliss was obviously destroyed.

Azula was enjoying herself more and more. "Mai is very stubborn. If Zuko chooses her simply because of their child, she may refuse to become the first wife, and refuse to let him have the child." She smiled widely, finding the idea more and more fascinating. "Mai might just one day disappear without any of us knowing."

Ty Lee was quiet for a minute before she gathered herself up and said: "Mai … Mai wouldn't do that. She wouldn't do that to us."

"She'd do it to Zuko. To Katara. To the nation. Don't worry." Azula padded Ty Lee's hand. "She'll probably try and contact us after a few years."

"But …" Azula stood and put a hand on Ty Lee's shoulder. "There is also the possibilities of …" she wrapped herself behind Ty Lee and now had both her hands on the other's shoulders, "death."

"Death?" Ty Lee sounded shocked. Azula saw the goose bumps on her neck.

"Yes. Strong firebenders have been lost during pregnancy. Extremely strong firebenders kill their mothers during their growth. It's an extremely dangerous period for the woman," the fire lady continued, "and it's also very, very …" she leaned over to put her lips at Ty Lee's ear and whispered the last word, "painful."

Ty Lee shuddered and then jumped forward. "I have to go to Mai's rooms! She could be dying right now without any of us knowing! And we need to talk with Zuko about guards! She needs fifty! Less won't do! Then she'll easily break free."

"And what?" Azula laughed. "Fifty is going to prevent her from running off?"

Ty Lee hesitated. "No, but … They'll slow her down enough so that we can stop her."

Azula rolled her eyes. "Tell her I'll visit her later."

Ty Lee nodded and ran off.

Azula laughed loudly as soon as Ty Lee was out the door.

-

"Let me in!" she ordered. The guards didn't dare go against a direct order from her, so without even knocking on the door, they let her in.

"Zu-zu!" she called. "Oh, little Zu-zu, where are you?"

She smiled with her arms crossed over her chest as he came into sight with a thunderstorm in his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you to stop … calling me … Zu-zu?" he asked through clenched teeth. "It's disgraceful for the Fire Lord to be called such things!"

She clapped his cheek with a smirk. "Oh, little Zu-zu is sad now, is he?" Then her eyes shot lightning and she poked him mercilessly with her sharp nail. "Though not as sorry as he's gonna be!"

He sighed, and they both turned to go into the next room and sit down in the tearoom. They didn't sit down.

"Look, I know you're angry about the whole not-going-to-the-Earth-Kingdom thing –"

"I'm not just angry. I'm furious," Azula added and sat down with a cool face, and she looked very much like nothing was bothering her. Zuko didn't let himself be fooled. Azula was a master at prevarication.

"It's the past, Azula. Get over it," Zuko advised her.

The face of his sister darkened rapidly. As smoothly as she'd sat down, she now rose to her feet and walked over to him in a snaky flow. She stopped right in front of him with lightning in her eyes.

"Do you remember our deal when I became your wife?" she asked, but before Zuko could respond, she'd already moved on. "It included that I would have political influence and freedom, and that I would travel with you on important journeys, as your bodyguard, wife, companion and political ally. Remember, Zuko, that's our deal! Don't break it!"

Zuko's face had become harder, and they stared at each other for a long time. Azula knew she would win. She was on the right. Even if she wasn't, she would have won anyway.

He sighed. "Fine! I apologize for not taking you with me."

She smirked. "Thank you, Zu-zu," she said and leaned toward him so she could put her arms around his neck. With a grin she pulled herself up and kissed him with unbreakable force.

She pulled back and looked into his annoyed eyes with a laughter.

"So are we eating dinner with Avatar Aang again tonight?" she asked as she pulled away and walked back to her seat. "I have a feeling Toph would like to see him again."

"And what about you? Are you looking forward to an opportunity to swim in the political possibilities?" Zuko asked grudgingly as he sat down in front of her.

She shrugged. "Who knows," she answered. She turned her head away from him and called for a servant in an annoyed voice, and she ordered tea to be served immediately.

"Actually, I am expecting the avatar in a few minutes," Zuko objected.

Her eyes shot lightning once more. "Oh, I won't mind at all."

They had another eye battle, but Zuko – very wisely – didn't dare fight with her now.

-

"No, I believe that will not help in our case, Avatar," Azula insisted. "If we take such soft measures at hand, they'll soon be walking all over us."

"Azula," Zuko said sternly, but she ignored him, as to be expected.

She leaned toward the Avatar. "We are on the brig of war! If something isn't done soon –"

"We will not use unnecessary violence," Avatar Aang cut her off.

Her eyes froze. "Unnecessary? All of our lives are in danger, but you just let them wander around like it's okay? We need to take them out immediately. And we need to find this source that is lacking out information."

Avatar Aang watched her for a moment, before he turned to Zuko, who nodded.

"So you agree with each other? As to be expected." His eyes got a glimmer of something Azula hadn't seen before. "You are the Fire Nation. It's in your blood. But I'm and Air nomad, and I was raised differently."

"Excuse me what is in our blood?" Azula asked furiously. How dared he talk down to her? How dared he make her something and put her in a box? How dared he think, even ponder upon the thought, that he knew anything about her?

"I think you know," the Avatar answered. "The boiling blood. The anger. The burning."

Azula's hands knotted, and he nodded. "Yes, you know." She bit down her lip in frustration.

"I think that as long as it is at this state, the earth rebels needs to be taken care of with an easy hand. We have to offer them a compromise."

"A compromise?" Azula asked in a controlled voice. She laughed. "So people who ruin other's lives should have a compromise?" She looked at Zuko with eyes that sparkled strangely. Zuko wondered how even her eyes could lie. "Did you hear, Zuko? People like those who attacked you and dad should have compromises." Zuko's face got a bit pale.

"It's not like that," the Avatar stated.

Azula turned back to him with a smile. "But of course it is. People are getting killed, and we need to do something about that, right? Or the earth rebels will soon know that we fear them, and that we won't do anything." Her eyes turned a bit freezy again, though not entirely. "We have to let them know how to fear us. If we don't, they'll attack us, and they'll take full control."

"We must not break the balance," the Avatar tried to tell her, but never having had much to do with Azula, he didn't know it was a lost cause. He didn't know Azula always got what she wanted in the end.

But he could feel it. He could feel that this woman – this woman was ruthless. She had no restraints.

"The balance is already being broken," Azula told him sincerely. Then she took an artistic break and looked a bit up in the air, before she sighed. "Or maybe it already is. I mean, if the Earth Kingdom is thrown over, well …" She shook her head. "This could evolve. The new rulers might want even more, and they'll attack one of the other elements."

Avatar Aang's eyes darkened. "That's a long way out there," he said.

"So are spirits," Azula responded. Their eyes stared in to each other with a war coming. The troops were getting ready in there.

But then Avatar Aang interrupted it.

"Then why don't you see for yourself that I'm right?" he asked.

She raised her eyebrows, refusing to be confused. "What do you mean?"

"You were angry that you didn't get to go with your brother to the Earth Kingdom. I travel a lot more than he does. I would be honored if you would travel with me, not only as a bodyguard, but also as an ambassador, so that you can tell him," he nodded to Zuko, "and his council, that I'm right."

There was very quiet. Azula's might as well have been made in stone. Her eyes narrowed, and her bottom lip stuck out as a little child's.

It was as if everyone was holding their breathes, until Azula said: "Zuko, will you allow this?"

"You have your freedom," Zuko answered. She heard it all in there. He was shocked that the Avatar had taken such an act without council from his side, but he would not have refused if asked. He thought that this might be for the best, and not only for them.

"Good." She turned to the Avatar. "Then I will take your offer, but now I must take my leave. Please excuse me."

She got up in a smooth, yet edgy, movement, and found her way out of there and on to the hallway. She walked back to where the Fire Ladies had their rooms and got to her own, but before she stepped inside, she realized she would not stay in there, so she turned around and started walking again. She felt the guard's confused gazes on her back.

As a concealed thunderstorm, that concealed itself as a cumulus cloud, she went to the outdoor training grounds, where she immediately ran her fingers through the air in circular movements, until blue lightning started forming. She sharpened her mind, and thus the lightning. Her mind found ease. She was no longer annoyed or angry, she was determined.

With all her force, she directed the lightning to the sky, where it spread over the training grounds.

She gathered her energies and once more directed it toward the sky, but in the last moment, she changed her mind and turned it to the ground a little from her, and rock and earth overwhelmed her in an explosion. She reacted quickly and sent sharp flames toward her self-created enemies, and her power overtook it. She won.

She smiled and shot a few more blue fire balls, jumped in the air and kicked fire to all sides, before she flicked a wave of fire over the destroyed area.

"Beautiful lightning, Azula?"

She turned to look at Ty Lee, smiling as widely as ever. "It's really loud! But why did you … what do they call it? Dig up? Ruin? Ah, I know – why did you tear up the ground?"

Azula shrugged. "Training," she answered.

"Gosh, Azula, you look tense," she said, looking at her with worried eyes.

"Do I?" Azula asked, twitching her lips.

"Yea. You want me to give you a chi massage?" She winked. "You know I'm good at it."

Azula smirked. Then she went to Ty Lee's side and sat down on one of the stone benches. She pulled down the strips on her shirt and felt Ty Lee's feathery hands brush away her hair. Then she felt the smooth fingers move over her back, and she leaned forward so Ty Lee had an easier way to her work.

"How does this feel?" she asked.

"Hmm," Azula answered. "It feels good, Ty Lee."

"Good," she heard her say.

She felt her body go smooth and relaxed in no time, and the flow of her bending seemed stronger than before. Like she could do anything.

"Thanks, Ty Lee," she said.

"Any time," Ty Lee responded.

-

Now, this was a chapter with both Zucest and Tyzula, just as has been requested. Now, you can see, I'm not lying :) As long as the pairing fits with the overall plot, I'll put it in there.

But since many of you who review are anonymous, and I can't write back – at least I don't know how to – then please also write with the pairing you want in there, whether you want it to be a physical relationship, purely platonic love or something in between?

Cookies if you review :)

Dawn