Disclaimer: I do not own anything here except the plot. Everything so far except for the plot belongs to their respective creators, and shall continue to do so until otherwise informed… Damn.
NOTICE: No, this chapter was not beta-ed. I didn't send this to my beta because I'm tired, and I finished writing this in the middle of the night. I'll send it in the first moment I can. So until I updated it… bear with me for the moment?
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Fire National Imperial Palace…
Alright… so he had a goal in mind, and he had a pretty good idea of where to start off too. However as far as Aang was concerned, following through might be a bit of a problem.
No, scratch that. It'll be a pain.
Let us start with a list of things why Aang was having some issue.
First of all, Zuko wasn't home. That wasn't too much of the problem. The problem was he took Mai with him. That was problem number one.
Problem number two lied in the fact that anyone he approached so far either couldn't point him in the right direction, was too freaked out or awed by his presence, or was simply too afraid of Azula's name to be of any help. It was almost as if the mere mention of her name would summon her here to bring about the end of the world. Well, maybe he exaggerated a bit, but some of the servants that roamed the palace certain reacted like that.
Problem number three was to be found in the register of all the employees that ever worked in the palace, be it past or present. Well, more like the lack of a register or any record to that end. It seemed that a fire burned it all to ashes not too long ago. They even had the proof to show it, what with the charred office and everything. Oddly enough Aang could easily pin point the source, and sadly, he couldn't say he was too surprised by it.
Problem number four was somehow tied to number three and two. It was the fact that since he couldn't find any record of any employees ever interacting with Azula or was point in any direction, he had to search the city bit by bit or question everyone again. It was quite the task to bear, and Aang certainly did not feel like doing it, already predicting the amount of time needed. He was almost tempted to just blow it all and simply tell Kyoshi that he couldn't do it. But then his gut was telling him that the woman would certainly never let him live it down… after she gave him the chewing of a life time that probably can last him a few reincarnations.
Now problem number five, and perhaps the one that vexed Aang the most, was the fact that the place where they kept Azula was completely and totally useless, excuse him for his crude language. The break out was kept at the utmost secret, least it incite some panic or rebellious movement. That part was easy to understand. What was troubling was the fact that whoever took her simply waltzed in, grabbed her, and was gone. Just like that.
Just like snapping a finger or blowing out a candle. No sound, no sighting, no traces, and of course, no witness. The earliest they discovered that Azula was gone was the following morning, when an attendant entered to arouse her for breakfast.
The funny thing was the bed was made, but that's not really of any consequences. It didn't yield anything even after the guards all but turned the room inside-out. Not a single strand of foreign hair or smell was left behind.
It still nagged at Aang that whoever did it bothered to make the bed, but each to their own?
Right, getting off tracked; it would be better if he got back to it.
…Which present problem number six: Aang was once against stuck on square one because he simply had no idea of where to begin.
Being the Avatar certain was not all fun and game –as he had came to term long before this moment. But despite the huge power and responsibility that come with the title, Aang was still a mortal, and as a mortal, he needed to solve things like everyone else.
Or he could take another approach and call for the seemingly but not really omnipotent spirits that were his past selves.
At least… that was what he had been trying and failing to do for the past… oh, it just reached the three hours mark.
Alright… it was plenty clear to him now. They wanted him to do this the hard way. They wanted him to go into the city and dig in.
Grr… damned spirits. Aang was quite willing to bet his flying bison's tail that some of them were laughing themselves silly at this very moment.
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After wondering around the street asking around, Aang was pretty sure by now that Azula's name was like a freaking taboo within the Fire Nation. It was rather odd to him how not too long ago the citizens worshiped her father and her. Now though her father was a disgrace and she was something that came out of the nightmare.
Rather, it was ironic. But then Aang figured that it was all a part of life.
The Avatar sort of figured that it might have to do with all the unjustly imprisoned people that were released, thus spreading about the cruelty of Fire Nation's once proud Princess and Emperor. Or it might be the opening of international travel, which spread about the cruelty and horror of war that Fire Nation's citizens were kept from. It was never pretty after all to learn that what was supposed to be the spreading of their glory turned out to be nothing but an excuse to conquer.
From the various people Aang came across, ranging from veteran soldiers who were wary of him to ordinary peasants who basically worshipped him, the Avatar quickly learned that not many were willing to talk about Azula. Even the soldiers, who once respected her power, told him that they only respected her power, but never once liked her. It made Aang aware of just how lonely the girl must have had it.
Other than Ty Lee and Mai, Aang could almost honestly say that no one ever truly liked Azula. Even within his own little merry band, Katara despised her and Zuko hated her. The Kyoshi warriors had nothing but bad things to say about the princess. A visit to the once grand and powerful emperor told him that he never really loved anyone (though he wondered about the queen, but never mentioned her). Even a chat with Iroh sometime back revealed that the great general and fire bending master was always rather disappointed with his brother.
Now as he wondered through the street and learned the rather painted and distorted view of Azula the Unfit Princess (amongst various nicknames), Aang started to wonder just what would happen if someone only paid a little more attention to her; not the bowing and graveling that usually accompanied a feared royalty, but simply sit down and chat over a nice cup of tea. Things might be a little different if someone had a little more courage to stand up to her apparent legendary temper. Perhaps she wouldn't be such a little monster if someone…
No. Dwelling on the pass never did anyone any good. Aang knew that lesson pretty good. The "what if" was never something that helped anyone but let them wallow in self-pity and despair.
The issue of Zuko and Azula's mother popped into Aang's head a few times, but like the "what if," he brushed it to the back of his mind if not completely away because he did remember if Zuko ever talked about her.
Blinking, the young Avatar suddenly found himself in a rather deserted street. Looking around Aang cannot be sure just when he ever wondered down this path. Or rather, he wondered just how a place like this existed in the city. He wasn't naïve to think that slums didn't exist, but rather, this wasn't even a slum.
It was more like a ghost street…
"Now just how did I get here?" The younger Avatar questioned himself while scratching at his hairless head. With an eyebrow quirked, the Airbender noticed a rather aged woman sitting in front of an empty shop that appeared to be long abandoned. In fact, the entire street appeared to be abandoned.
Making his way over to the old lady, Aang could easily make out her grayed hair and wrinkled but kind face. He could easily tell that she was not from a well off background with her plain robe and worn shoes. The Avatar would have liked to say that this was but an ordinary old granny who enjoyed her peace and quiet if not for her rather serious black eyes that stare into his own. They burned with an intensity that demanded respect.
Stopping a couple of feet away from her, Aang gave a low bow and said, "Greeting."
Whatever else he was going to say though was interrupted when the old lady hopped off her stool –thus showing that she was actually rather short, coming up to Aang's shoulders only- and barked, "Well, what is the great Avatar doing here? Did you get lost on the bustling street? Or did you perhaps got curious about this empty street within the busy capital?"
Aang blinked at the rather sudden questions fired at him. It actually took him a moment to respond. "Err… no. I actually wondered down this street without really knowing it…"
"Ha, wondered he said!" The old lady barked out once more, an amused smirk making its way onto her face and emphasizing the crow feet by the cornet of her eyes. With a chuckle, she jabbed a finger at the young Avatar –he wondered just when she got so close- and said, "You are either guided here by some higher power, or you're just acting your age by daydreaming too much and thus losing your way to your destination."
"Err…" He can't really deny any of that. He did wonder though if it wasn't more of the latter than the former.
"Mm… judging by the blush, it's probably the latter eh? You were daydreaming about something and somehow wondered down this street right?" The old lady questioned again, though this time it was more of a statement, and it made Aang's cheeks burn in embarrassment. The old woman in response just laughed. "It's good to see that even the almighty Avatar can be humbled."
"Well, I am just a mortal given power…" Aang said in an embarrassed tone, making the old woman laugh some more. "Oh right. I have to wonder, why is this street abandoned when it's in the middle of the city?"
The old woman's eyes crinkled in a strange way as she said, "This is because this street was where the royal family used to choose their servants from."
Aang blinked in confusion and asked, "Didn't the royal family hire servants?"
"Yes, they did do that. But what most didn't know was that the royal family had contracts with several families for several generations. Those contracts usually stated that each family had to supply either a daughter or a son to serve within the palace for an undetermined period of time, and in return, the royal family will provide for these families. Those boys and girls usually make up the majority of the palace's servants." The old woman nodded to herself before waving a hand at the empty street and said, "Through one way or another, the royal family relocated those families here so that they will know everyone. It is after all much better to have everyone know everyone so that things were run much smoother."
"Okay… so why is it empty now?"
"I was getting to that you whippier-snapper!" The old woman shook a fist at the Avatar before coughing into said fist and said, "This Empty Street as we called it was now emptied now because the Fire Lord abolished those contracts and allowed the families to go as they wish. Most returned to the country side, as that was where they originated from many generations ago. Others, mostly war orphans now either moved out of the nation entirely or moved into the palace.
"It remained empty oddly enough for some reason unfathomed by everyone. Some said it was because ghosts haunted this place, and other whispered that it was going to be renovated into something else. There were even rumors that some kind of secret organization operated here, and anyone that found them disappeared within a day or two." The old woman shrugged and said, "It hardly matters. What matters is that it remained empty for one reason or another. People sometime wondered through it, but only as a short cut and they always rushed. Something about these empty buildings giving them an ill feeling I suppose."
"Oh…" Aang nodded with wide eyes as he surveyed the building to a finer detail. A quick glance at the dusty road told him that people still pass this place, but never lingered. An eerie wind blew through the street, and he unconsciously shuddered. It sounded as if hundreds of people were crying at once. "So if you don't mind, why are you here?"
The old lady raised an eyebrow and said, "I simply liked my peace and quiet. Besides, this place brings back memories." Nodding her head in satisfaction, the old woman cracked a grin and said, "So, care to tell an old soul why you were wondering about day dreaming? I might not be able to help you, but they always said that two heads are better than one."
Aang gave a grateful smile and explained his situation to the old lady. He hid nothing from her, seeing as how it would be rather pointless and disrespectful. As he talked, the old woman would nod her head every now and then, smiling at how he had a headache trying to come up with a solution, and laughed when Aang insulted Fire Lord Zuko by calling him "completely useless because of his sense of timing." She even went as far as to frown when Aang mentioned some of the nicknames people called Azula nowadays.
By the time he finished, the old woman had a thoughtful expression on her face. After making a few noises with no meaning behind them, she said, "You could go to that place… Yes. I'm sure you can find something if you visit that place. It's on the out skirt of the city on the west side. You can't miss it. If you did though, it's a small old-fashioned siheyuan (1) with dark tiles; the only one of its kind just outside of the city. When there, ask for a girl with a scar beneath her left ear."
Looking at the direction the old woman was pointing at, Aang grinned happily at finally finding a clue. When he turned back to thank the old lady though, he found not a person insight. In fact, not even the ground showed any sign of someone ever standing in front of him. Blinking in confusion, he looked further into the shop, only to widen his eyes in bewilderment at seeing a spirit tablet sitting casually upon an old but sturdy table.
Walking up to it, the Avatar studied the tablet for a second before smiling and said, "Thank you for your guidance. I pray that you rest in peace and find happiness within the afterlife." Giving a low bow of gratitude, Aang exited the building and with leaped onto the roof of the opposite building. A twirl of his wrist brandished his staff's wings, and with a leap and air bending, he was flying towards the west.
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The trip was shorter than the Avatar expected, though by the time he arrived, the sun was starting to set. If there was one thing he hated about flying, it was flying while facing the direction of the sun. He had no one to blame but himself however. It was his fault for not noticing just how long he had searched for clues about Azula's past.
Sure enough, there was a siheyuan sitting just a little out of the city limit with a small piece of farm land just behind it. Like he was told, it had dark tiles that looked to be a mix between dark brown and dark red; or it might just be discolored due to age. It wasn't big, consisting of a front wall with a door built in it, a large living area opposite of the door, what appeared to be the kitchen and storage on the side facing the city, and maybe a bathing area on the side facing the other side. There was currently smoke drifting out from the kitchen, and judging by the smile, rice is on the fire and what seemed to like sweet yam soup.
Deciding to be polite, the Avatar landed just outside the front gate and put away the wings, turning his glider back into a staff. Looking at the red double doors, Aang raised a hand and rapped his knuckles again one a few times and waited.
A high pitch voice answered, "Coming!" Running footsteps followed it before the door was swung open to admit a rather young girl beaming at him. The girl's beaming smile disappeared to be replaced by a face of awe and surprise before she ran back into the yard full-speed, screaming, "MAMA, PAPA! THE AVATAR IS HERE!"
Aang had to laugh awkwardly when a woman stumbled out of the kitchen with wide eyes and a wooden spoon in hand while a man tripped running out of the largest building. It certainly wasn't every day the Avatar dropped in for a visit…
The woman was the first to recover, and after shouting some direction to the bouncing daughter, she ran up to meet him. Once she was within handshake distance, she dipped into a bow and asked, "How may we be of server oh great Avatar?"
"Err… You don't have to bow to me." Aang replied awkwardly and tried to grin, though that came out awkward too. Waving his hands around, the young Airbender said, "It is fine if you just call me Aang you know? I won't get angry and stuff."
"But you're the great Avatar! I must show my respect." The woman replied hurriedly without straightening from her bow. Aang had to sigh at that. He probably should expect similar greeting a lot more in the future.
"Please get up. I am but a mortal given great powers. Please do not treat me as a god. Just call me Aang is all I ask." The young Airbender said with a beaming smile. The woman hesitantly raised her head before nodding with a strained smile. Aang hid his disappointment well.
"V-very well Avatar Aang." The woman nodded her head slightly, and Aang mentally sighed. Perhaps something was needed…
That was it.
"Are you cooking sweet yam soup?" Aang suddenly asked, making the woman blink her large doe eyes in surprise. She swiped a strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Why yes. I was just… oh dear! Excuse me!"
The woman suddenly bolted into the kitchen, and within moments there were screaming for one reason or another; some about sugar and ginger. It was rather comical to say the least. Aang chuckled before looking at the man slowly approaching him. He spotted some spot of dirt on him from tripping before, but otherwise he appeared fine if not a little nervous.
Oddly enough, Aang knew just what to do. He said with an honest smile, "You are a very lucky man."
The man blinked before beaming and replied in a deep but warm voice, "Yes. Yes I am."
Just like that, the ice between the two was broken.
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Aang left without staying for dinner despite the invitation, seeing as how apparently the person he was searching for wasn't there. What he did get was the news that she was currently living with and studying under a master cook on one of the more famous restaurant located near the palace. It was called the Palace View, and Aang couldn't help but laugh a little in amusement. Whether it can actually see the palace was up for debate for him.
But that was beside the point.
Finding the place was rather easy though by the time he did so, dinner rush appeared to be in full force. As that was the case, Aang found himself at a lost on how to talk to someone that supposedly worked here.
No wait; he did have an idea to start things off: to confirm if the person he was looking for was indeed working here.
That in itself was a problem, seeing as how he really can't just pull someone aside from their work to satisfy his own need, Avatar or not. At this very moment, Aang once again wondered if some higher power was purposely doing all this just to either test him or – as unlikely as that may be- screw with him.
Or his luck was just that bad that particular day.
Would one consider meeting a helpful ghost a good or a bad thing anyway? He was the Avatar, so ghosts and spirits were nothing new… but… Oh it really didn't matter at the moment.
Still… what to do… Perhaps the best option at the moment was to simply wait for the moment. That and Aang really did not feel like dealing with a huge crowd right now.
…Oh crude, what should he do for food?
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"I'm hungry…"
In the end, Aang did not come up with any idea for his empty stomach. While it's true that as a monk, he had fasted before, but he had not eaten anything for the entire day. Having been searching around the entire time did not help him either.
So once again… "I'm hungry…" Aang moaned pitifully as he rubbed his stomach. For a moment, he imagined what it would be like to eat Katara's stew again, but then he sighed knowing that it only made his hunger that much more unbearable. It was akin to a man lost in the desert dreaming of water; it only made the suffering that much more unbearable.
Well, at the very least his patient was paying off. The restaurant was closing at this very instance with the last of the costumers leaving for the night. He could already see employers leaving one by one.
Ah, that was probably his cue.
Jumping down from the roof as graceful as he ever was, Aang landed gently just in front of the store. One of the leaving employees blinked at him before jumping back in surprise. Correctly guessing that he must have startled the man, Aang scratched the back of his head, saying, "Aha, I'm sorry about that. But you see, I'm looking for someone that works here, so I was wondering if you can help me?"
A quick explanation had the worker nodding in understanding before he motioned for Aang to follow him. So there they were, approaching the kitchen through the back door. Navigating through the area was rather easy, though Aang had to pause once in a while to gaze at the large cooking area.
Regardless, they have reached the head chef within moment. He was quite the burly man, with a large belly and an intimidating mustang. What stood out about him though was the large, friendly grin upon his face that upset all of his "scary" quality. "Oho! The great Avatar! Tell me, what can I do for you this fine evening?"
"Ah…" Aang grinned at the man, feeling somewhat small in front of him. He figured that it was probably his large belly, or maybe it was the arms that looked as thick as cannon or perhaps eye patch that covered his likely-to-be-missing right eye. A quick look to the side ensured the fact that his guide was long gone by then. It made Aang felt like he just walked into his execution… again.
Well, can't judge a book by its cover… no matter how scary it looked.
"Err… hi master chef. Can I call you MC? Or would you prefer master chef?" Aang started before mentally cursing himself with a large "oopsy" grin on his face.
Luckily for him, the man just laughed before thumping on the Avatar's back with one of hi meaty hands – though Aang wished he didn't when he winced at the force behind them. "No problem me boy! You can call me MC just fine, since everyone seems to do that. Besides, it's sort of similar to my name: Michi."
"M-Michi?" Aang gasped out partly due to the pain and partly due to surprise. Blinking owlishly at the large man, the Avatar had to wonder if his parents had a strange sense of humor or were just bad at naming things.
As if reading his mind, the man's face darkened and said, "Actually, this name was from my father, who made a bet with his friend. As you can guess… he lost."
"Ah…"
The chef's expression quickly brightened once more. "Regardless, the past is the past. So then, what can I do for you oh great Avatar? If it's a meal, I can whip one out in just a moment!"
"Oh no, it's not that, though I am hungry." Aang mumbled out the last part, but it was too low to be heard by the large man. Instead, Aang once more repeated his story of the day for the chef, who gained a thoughtful look on his face. With one hand rubbing his chin, the man nodded as Aang finished his story and asked, "So… is it possible to meet her sir? It would be helpful even if I found out that it's just a wild goose chase."
"Hmm… I see. You must be in quite the chase today." The chef said with another nod of his head. Sighing, the large man then scratched as his cheek, saying, "It wouldn't be easy looking for info on that princess, that's for sure. She wasn't exactly that well-liked despite being who she was."
"Well… she was kind of cruel." 'Not to mention she did kill me once upon a time.'
That last part was omitted by Aang of course.
"It's not just that." The large chef said with a serious face. "Long before the rumor of her going crazy and being sent to a mental institute appeared, there were always rumors of her cruelty. I believe those rumors were already there since she was in the academy. While it isn't surprising to always hear nasty rumors about the powerful or the wealthy, it was kind of surprising to hear that many in regards to a teenage girl you know?" The chef said, his tone questioning though Aang could tell that he wasn't exactly expecting anything explained to him.
"Besides, it seems that her father the previous emperor was a rather nasty man. He did exile his son for caring for the soldiers' life if the story was to be believed. Either way, Princess Azula's name isn't exactly hold in high regard." The chef finished with a shrug of his massive shoulders. Aang throughout it all can only stare at the ceiling in contemplation. The fact that Azula wasn't held in high regard was not new. What was new was that it appeared to be case since long ago…
It might explain her ability to cast men aside.
"Master? Is something the matter? Who are you talking to?" A girl's voice rang out from behind the large man. It caused a proud and friendly grin to appear on the chef's face. Taking a step to the side while turning his body, Aang was treated to the site of a girl about two years older than him, wiping her hands on a piece of cloth. "Ara, the Avatar! Master, why did you not inform me of such guest? I should have prepared tea!"
Before either of the two could start talking, Aang raised his hand and called, "Oh, it's alright. I was just looking for a Lin that used to work in the palace. I take it you're her?"
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It was indeed Lin that Aang found, though Lin was not exactly happy for the reason he found her. She was still kind enough to offer him some tea and, upon his request, some left over bread for a quick munch.
With two more years under her belt than Aang, Lin could not exactly be called a beauty. The little burn mark that traveled from the corner of her left eye down to her chin might be the reason to that. The way her left eye looked unfocused might also contribute to that. Regardless, with her mother's straight black hair but her father's brown eyes, the girl had a country charm to her. Not too tall, but not too short, and not too skinny while certainly nowhere near plump; average was a good way to describe Lin if one was to ever sum her up in one word.
Dressed as any peasants would and having pulled her hair into a low pony tail, Lin sighed before sitting regally to face Aang. He could tell right away from that, that she once served in somewhere that required some high-end manners. "While I am honored to be talking to the Avatar, I do however wonder about the topic of our conversation and the reason behind it…"
"Ah, well, it is about Azula you see. I was hoping-." Aang started, but he was interrupted when Lin raised a hand to stop him.
"I mean on disrespect, but I have heard of the reason upon why you seek me out. I was eavesdropping on your conversation earlier, but I meant no harm." Lin paused to study Aang's expression, and upon seeing no change but his innocent curiosity, the girl continued. "I would just like to express my… hesitation in discussing her… highness."
"I take it that burn scar was from Azula then." Aang bluntly expressed, making Lin flinched before she held a hand up to caress the burn mark. "When did you receive that scar… before or during Sozin's comet?"
The girl was silent for a moment as she stared at her hands, lost in thoughts. Aang waited patiently for an answer. Something within his guts told him that it was important to ask that despite how tactless it was. His "Avatar instinct" so to speak was acting up the moment he saw that burn mark.
It was important, and that instinct also told him that this girl was important for his supposed quest in the search for Azula's –to him- unknown past. He might even have to take her with him, and that was a prospect that caused cold sweat to form on his back due to thoughts of a certain water bending girl.
After what felt like hours when it was only a few scant minutes, Lin opened her mouth…
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Woodland a day or two's travel outside of Yinzoh…
"Achoo! Ow…" Azula groaned in unimaginable pain. "Reminder: sneezing with sore stomach is very painful…" (2) While she had expected some crazy training, she would never in her wildest imagination imagine this. The sheer extends of physical exertion Zuma demanded of her made her wonder just what it was he will teach her.
Make no mistake, for Azula was not a fool. If any, she was perhaps one of the smartest people in existence at the very moment. She knew for a fact that she was slightly out of shape since her imprisonment, though Zuma's little "reeducation" on Kyoshi Island pretty much had her back to what she was before if still a little weaker.
But this was plainly just insane… Even the wedded couples were looking at Zuma with fearful eyes. Not for the first time, Azula started to wonder if Zuma was more of a "bad" crazy than a "tolerable" crazy. (3)
Speaking of the idiot sifu… "That was a good workout. Sure enough you're pretty much back to your old level now. A little more and you'll start surpassing it Zula-chi." Zuma said with a grin as he peered down at his pupil. The Fallen Princess could only glare at him, but she kept her mouth shut. She asked for training, and now she was receiving them.
Instead, she'll leave the complaining to her trusty side kick and temporary crutch (bless that girl for her strength), Ty Lee.
…Once that silly girl stopped enjoying it as much as Zuma was. "Oh my Zula, you don't look so good. I would love to help, but Zuma-chi forbids me from blocking your chi to numb your pain."
Her sad tone was completely ruined by the twinkles within her eyes.
'No, you just want me to suffer! He said no such thing! This is karma right Ty Lee? RIGHT?' The Fallen Princess of the Fire Nation screamed in her mind, for to actually scream that would mean feeling more pain. She can only take so much before she start snapping at people again though.
Still… "Why did I keep sneezing this entire time? We didn't even kick up that much dust and I certainly didn't eat any mouthful of dirt… And don't even suggest it Ty Lee. You know I'm not anywhere near being sick nor was I allergic to anything. You can't be allergic to zaniness after all."
Said gymnast shut her mouth with a click, though her teasing grin was still rather prominent. It was Zuma that answered her. "Perhaps someone was talking about you? You know the old saying yes?"
Of course she did. Being a royalty did not mean Azula was excluded from those little old wife's tales. If anything, those were one of the few things her mother took the time to teach her so to speak. Still... something told Azula that it was more than just a few people talking crap behind her again.
To be continued…
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AN:
First off, I apologize for the late update. School is indeed a factor. Summer vacation also sort of got in the way (as funny as that is). Sometimes, having too much work or too much fun means one's neglecting something like this… haha. Call me an asshole all you want, but it's the truth.
Secondly, I did try my best on this chapter. I tried my best to start with Azula's training, but it just never quite worked. So instead, I went with Aang on his quest in search of Azula's past. So tell you the truth, the next time anyone see Azula may be when they arrived at the colony of Yinzoh. That's how much her training was causing me headache at the moment. For any potential writers out there: trying to keep training within human limits while making it crazy and funny but at the same time productive isn't easy. I probably just lack the brain power at the moment or the creativity. But if you still felt that it's half assed… err…
Finally… I will admit, with some guilt, that I wrote this so late at night because I was hoping to see some good stories. If this will inspire some, then I'll certain do all I can to put it up. I think that rather than school, it was really the lack of "good stories" that made me a writer… or maybe I just like to put down ideas. Who knows (TnT).
Oh, and I WILL keep the OCs to a minimum. In fact, most OCs that will appear you won't see except once in a while or will only appear once. You'll know who's who by the amount of description given to them and the amount of personality traits you can pick up. Most if not all are used as plot device really. It's sort of like "talk to this guy to advance the story line" in an RPG game. So unless there is a sort of popular demand, most OCs will only appear once, with a few exceptions appearing once in a while.
Things that was marked…:
1) A siheyuan is an ancient Chinese building that was named so because of its rectangle-like design. It was what people lived in before apartment and modern housing. A much better idea would to be Google it. I can't really explain it well.
2) As a personal experience, I can easily tell you how shitty it felt to sneeze when your stomach is sore due to working out. It's more of an "ACHOO-DAMN IT!" than a simple "ow…"
3) There are "tolerable" crazies so to speak. After all people tolerates if not adore their friends antics that sometimes borderline on outright insane. "Bad" crazy is just… well, bat-shit crazy or Joker crazy (though that's technically the worst one can go to).
With all of that out of the way, I can't say when I'll be updating my other stories. With the way Kishimoto is screwing with the Naruto world, I find it kind of hard to get myself motivated in a sense. I can still do Avatar because it's really just free writing at the moment. Same with Kingdom Hearts I guess, but that's hitting a wall so far. There's just something I can't seem to get down no matter how much I write.
Sekirei updates too slow, enough said…
Again, if you felt that it's rather half assed, then I can't really do anything than to say that I'm sorry, but I'll try to do better with the next chapter.
Leave a review and tell me what you guys think. It will certainly help me get a feel of what people like and what they hate.