Azula was completely aware of everyone around her, watching her suspiciously. Many of the people she was currently surrounded by were present when she displayed her awesome power. Her skin prickled, alert to their nervous glances and quiet whispers. Although there were musicians playing various instruments around them, she could tell exactly what they were saying. She felt it as strongly as she felt the sun's influence pull her into wakefulness in the morning. Sokka felt her skin begin to heat again with anger. He put his mouth close to her ear, inhaling her spicy sweet scent.
"Don't pay any attention to them. They are commoners in the world, they fear what they are not used to or don't understand. If you trust me, I'll make sure to change their minds about you."
Fiery eyes locked into icy blue ones as the princess looked up.
"I don't want them to change their minds. They are right to fear me. Fire is power, and they should know their place as well as mine."
Sokka smirked, never taking his eyes off her or blinking.
"I understand. But wouldn't you rather them respect you than fear you? It's obvious you want them to know what you are capable of, but showing them too much reveals who you really are. Fearing you and knowing what you are capable of can drive a person to do unexpected things. I sure wouldn't want to have to worry about an enemy driven crazy with fear."
Azula's eyes lit up a little more. He WAS perceptive; it was almost like he could read her mind. Suspicious paranoia flashed through her system briefly, but was quickly burned away.
"I have no need to worry. Obviously I have someone on my side, so I must not be THAT frightening. I just find it annoying that they can't control theirselves. If I were going destroy them, don't they think I would have done it already?"
She was used to being ruthless. Her position in the Fire Nation gave her all the power to manipulate people into listening to and believing every word she said, following every command she issued. But she was no longer in the Fire Nation, and she couldn't rely on her status. She had to create and rely on a new strategy, one she was not familiar with at all. She would just have to adapt.
"If you want them to be really surprised, you could do something they wouldn't expect."
Sokka turned to face her, his hands finding hers and linking them together. He pulled her close, his left hand holding her right hand up and out. He swirled her around and around, swaying her body in rhythm with his. She looked at him in bewilderment.
"What are you doing?!"
"Dancing, what does it look like?"
"I do NOT dance!"
"Well, it's obvious there is your problem. Let go of all the things you are used to, and let in change. You might just like it."
His face came within inches of hers, daring her. Before she could react, he swung her wildly around, lifting her out of the sand. He brought her back down, his face coming close again.
"Look around you. Look at them. They were scared of you moments ago, now they are all relaxed, smiling, laughing. They see you having fun, now they are having fun. Just let go, loosen up Azula, there is no one you need to impress anymore! Your work is already done!"
She broke away from him, jumping gracefully away and landing lightly on her feet. She shot him a devilish smile.
"Fine. You want to see something impressive?"
Even in the late afternoon sun, the blue shades of light erupting from her hands was easily visible. Azula flipping in cartwheels, the brilliant sapphire streak following behind her.
The people around had at first gasped in shock and fear, scurrying away. But when they saw her began spinning and whirling, the beautiful flare almost creating a neon picture in front of them, they began smiling and pointing.
Azula was spinning in place, her arms held above her head, creating a funneling spiral of blue fire that circled around her. The heat caused Sokka to take a few steps back, the image in front of his eyes wavering. She slowly began lowering her arms, the funnel becoming wider. Suddenly she leapt up, the spiral igniting from her feet into an blue upside down tornado. It lifted her off the ground and spun her slowly like a top.
Sokka, as well as everyone watching, was struck dumb in awe. He had seen a water bender use a similar move to propel himself through the water.
The Master Fire Bender threw her arms out again, sending long arcs of fire outward. They curved lazily above the crowd, sparks spraying from the end. The bright colour contrasted heavily against the darkening sky. Azula extinguished her flames, dropping down and landing gracefully in a crouch. The sand she had been performing over was now an indented circular piece of glass, melted together by her intense flames.
The people around her broke out in applauds, cheering and whistling. Azula smirked and held her head high. These people should be cheering her. It was only right.
A small group of people approached her, three guys and a girl. The girl was wearing a white two-piece swim suit, her long brown hair held up and braided back. Sokka recognized her as the girl named Ty Lee. She was looking him over and smiling widely. He waved awkwardly at her.
Azula narrowed her eyes at the girl. She knew her as well, when she had attended a reform school as a child. Even then she hid her identity for safety, though she didn't need to. She grinned thankfully back on the decision.
"Ty Lee. It has been a long while since we last met."
"Azula?! Wow I should have known that was you! It HAS been a while! But You were ALWAYS so talented back in school!"
"Yes I know. It seems you already know Sokka, been friends long?"
Sokka shook his head, "Not at all, we met a few days ago at the park."
Azula put her hands on her hips, noting the way Ty Lee was looking at the tribesman. She was the easiest person to read. Well, Ty Lee always WAS a flirt, even as a little girl. She'll never outgrow it.
The fire bender kept her face passive and uninterested. The boys who had accompanied Ty Lee were eyeing her coolly. Sokka wasn't paying any attention to the acrobatic girl. Right now he was more concerned with the looks they were giving Azula. A burning sensation was beginning to build in his centre, pressure spreading across his chest and up his face. He stepped closer to the fire princess, but the guys ignored him.
"That was some pretty impressive fire bending. Who did you learn it from?"
Azula's fiery gaze bore through the teen. He and his friends were all clearly Fire Nation, but had no idea who she was. She glanced quickly at the other two before locking her eyes back on him.
"Who did I Learn it from? I taught MYSELF. There is no one else that would know how to do that."
The boys chuckled, looking at each other. The ring leader shook his head "Blue fire and flying up in the air? Yeah, right. You HAD to have a teacher for that. No one is just THAT good naturally."
Sokka's anger rivaled that of Azula. He knew without even looking at her that she was furious. His icy stare penetrated the teens as he took a step forward, fists tight.
"What are you, stupid?! You said it yourself! She has BLUE FIRE, how can anyone teach someone to produce that?! What? You think just because a big tough guy like you can't do that means that a girl can't possibly have learned it on her own?!"
The trio stared Sokka down, tension rising in the air. They began to spread out and surround the young warrior. The leader was bigger and older than his two friends and stood a few inches taller than Sokka. He was built a little heavier as well. He glared hatred at the water tribe boy.
"Just who do you think you are, ay? Why don't you shut up before you get yourself into something you're not going to be able to walk away from."
Ty Lee held her hands up to her mouth, watching both parties with concern. She didn't want to lose the company of the boys by stepping in, but also didn't want them to get into a fight.
Static began climbing in the air and Sokka could feel the hair on his arms standing up. He looked to Azula, surprise replacing the anger. The girl's hands were literally glowing, her golden eyes glittering savagely. She began to raise her left hand, index and middle finger pointing out.
Although Sokka wanted to re-enact what he had seen Zuko do to Jet on this arrogant fool, he didn't want to see Azula dragged away to prison for electrocuting a man to charcoal. He quickly reached out and wrapped his arms around her, pinning her own to her side. She didn't let loose the shot like he had expected her to. Instead her hands glowed brighter, a white ball of light radiating from them. The hair all over Sokka's body stood on end.
The three boys watched the scene, their aggression replaced by cold fear. She was like some demon, standing there charging the energy in her hands. They began to retreat, wanting to get as far away from the demonic-girl as quickly as possible. Even with Sokka trying to restrain her she advanced on them, her voice dripping with venom.
"You will NEVER have to worry about walking EVER again after I'm through with you! Peasant! You're a miserable excuse for a human Being and I should burn you where you stand and rid MY NATION of your horrible existence!"
Sokka held tight, digging his heels into the sand. He didn't want to use too much strength on her, not that he feared he might hurt the girl, on the contrary. He was afraid too much contact would cause her to turn on him with all her fury. He tried reasoning with her, keeping his voice level.
"Azula, please! They aren't worth it! It isn't their fault they are stupid and talentless. They just don't understand that someone can be born exceptional!"
He gave up when she continued to ignore him. He picked her up off the sand and began walking away. Azula lost her concentration, loosing off the bolts from each hand up into the sky. A few onlookers who had stuck around when things began to get heated gasped and clapped cheerfully. The boy and two girls were obviously young fans of Azula's powerful display the day before. Sokka shot them a severe look and they scurried off.
Azula kicked out, trying to break Sokka's grasp around her. She grabbed his arms and dug her nails in, eliciting a yelp from the warrior. He set her down and she whirled on him.
"How dare you put your hands on me you savage! You can't just man-handle, picking me up-"
Sokka cut her off, his arms raised and hands palm up, "What did you WANT me to do Azula? You were about to blast those guys to oblivion, I couldn't just let you do that! I understand you're angry but you have to reason-"
"Don't you dare interrupt me!"
They stood staring at each other, facing off. Sokka softened his stance, crossing his arms over his chest. She kept her arms held out, her hands grasping the air like claws. He sighed audibly, waiting for her to continue. He could see a slight conflict creeping into her golden gaze. She wasn't going to continue, he could see that, but he didn't want to infuriate her further by speaking. Sokka simply shrugged, turned and started walking away.
Azula was completely out of her Element. She knew all the best Military tactics, strategies, and manipulative psychological warfare. But she had no prior experience with Social standard. It had ALWAYS been her way, and nothing else. Yet here was this boy, defying everything she was used to, and she couldn't understand how.
"Where do you think you are going?!"
The warrior looked back and shrugged again, "Well it's obvious you don't want me here, so I'm going back to my friends. I'll leave you alone now."
She narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. She reminded him of his sister momentarily. Girls were girls no matter WHO they were.
"You can't just walk away from me like that!"
He stayed facing her but started to walk backwards, "Look Azula, you were about to kill some stupid guy, I stopped you because I didn't want you to end up in some prison because they got on your nerves. You snapped at me for it, and granted, I shouldn't have put my hands on you, but it was the only way I could make you stop."
He stopped walking and held up a hand, "I Don't apologize for doing what I did because of that jerk, but I am sorry that you are mad. Now I'm going to leave you to yourself, because it was quite obvious when you called me a savage and yelled at me, that you don't want me around."
Azula leveled with herself. She was royalty, she shouldn't care that he was walking away, yet deep down, she didn't want him to. What he said was the honest truth. But was it because of that, or was it because she just wanted to yell at him?
"I..." She looked away, her chin held up. She tapped a finger on the gold ring at her hip. The water tribesman titled his head in a questioning gesture, then continued walking.
Azula looked at him again and ceased the tapping, "...wait."
A sly smile lit up Sokka's eyes, "So...you don't want me to leave?"
"Well I never said I wanted you to leave, and maybe I did call you that name, but it doesn't mean you should just walk out of a discussion like that!"
"I'm sorry, but call me crazy if I don't want to stick around to get yelled at for trying to keep the peace."
She started walking towards him determinedly, the audacity of him! "Then you need to learn to be more punctual!"
Sokka winked and grinned mischievously as she caught up, "Well if you want, I'll learn to be more punctual, " he held his arms out, "and since that guy was a real wank, I'll even throw in a hug."
Azula crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at him, "I may be a girl, but I'm certainly not a helpless one. I DON'T need your sympathy."
The warrior smiled and shrugged, "Who said it was sympathetic for you? What if I needed a hug? You know you were kind of frightening back there."
Azula sighed and turned her face from him, hiding her smirk, "oh what IS IT with you emotional types? Fine, if you absolutely need it."
Sokka embraced her, wrapping his arms across her bare back. He breathed in deeply and smiled. How amazing, she was comfortably warm but timid.
Azula wasn't quite used to hugs, especially when they involved people outside of her family. Even less when she was wearing a bikini, and the hug was with a shirtless boy she just met a day ago.
At least he has good hygiene, for a water peasant. And he takes decent care of his body.
She felt his lean stomach against hers. Was this how people normally hugged in his culture? She put her hands on his strong back. It did feel kind of pleasant, him holding her like this. She felt a warm rush across her cheeks, she had never blushed before.
Sokka let go, grinning, "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"
The Fire Princess feigned annoyance, "I've survived worse. Just don't get used to that, I don't want to have an emotional basket case following me around."
The warrior chuckled, "Who knows Azula, you just might be surprised at what YOU get used to."