Hello everybody, a new chapter is finished and things started to heat up more.
BoogieBoy: Thanks a lot. As I said, I wanted to try some kind of weird and unusual journey for Azula. In my opinion, the separation from her time line and her body gives me options to let her handle things different, than she's used to. The idea behind it, is, that her goal to get back to herself and her time has pushed other problems and issues aside. Keeping up her disguise has brought her support and affection she wasn't used to have before and has opened her the possibility to try something new appart from her former self. At least this is the basic idea behind it and I think the general idea behind a lot of bodyswap/time travel stories, in my opinion. Really happy, that you like it.
Orinade Moonshadow: "*sniff" I'm not crying! It's just excess salt water dripping out of my eyes. I'm going to let myself believe that!" Oh, I know this problem. In my case I always just have sliced some onions *g*. "this will forever be a part of my vocabulary, a simple, effective and clean insult. Perfect." Thank you, lol. It has been a sudden inspiration lmao. "Makes a lot of sense, and should be Canon. (In my opinion) The fact, that they shied away from violence and went into an extreme peaceful lifestyle is amazing." A big thank you, here, you're really flattering me here :-D I have questioned myself, how they could have become this way and how the Fire Lord was able to reach all Air Temples so fast and so the idea was born of the bloody roots of the Air Nomads. All Nations have shown up as aggressors within the Avatar Universe at some time, why not the Air Nomads as well? They only have chosen a drastic turn as they have faced their devastating defeat. And a former close friendship with the Fire Nation and protection from the Fire Lords would also help to explain, how Sozin was able to strike down all the temples and, beside their dark roots, why the temples have hesitated to turn against the pressure, Sozin had put on them before. It felt like a plausible idea to me, so I decided to work it in here. Never forget, a fire needs air to burn bright *g*
Happy, to be able to present a new chapter today.
In this chapter, Azula switches from student to teacher mode for Aang in her own, well known style and Aang comes up with a vital question. I wish all of you a lot of fun with this new chapter.
Vital Lessons
The morning went by, fast, but it was different from the last two weeks. Aang was missing. Azula had done her morning kata alone on the plateau and the boy was also missing, as she did the morning routine with Nari. She returned him the favor from yesterday and took also care of Appa. The boy was also absent at breakfast, as well as Gyatso, so Azula dared to take seat with some younger monks and nuns at another table, for the first time. It seemed, that her actions in the village had become the news of the day and soon a large group of monks and nuns were all around her, while she told them the story of her visit at the village and the conclusions, which could be found in the actions of the Fire Nation. As she left the great dining hall, finally, she had received a lot of support, approvals and only a few minor words of criticism, but even those were given with sympathy and respect for her brave actions. But the fact, that she hadn't seen Aang, puzzled Azula. She was deep in her thoughts again, as she was busy changing the dressings of the wounded monks and nuns. The healing hadn't started, of cause, but the burned parts weren't infected and her method had also prevented, that the dressings and the burned skin had sticked together.
"I'm so proud of you, Arashi."
Azula looked up from her work and faced the supportive smile from Satora. Beside her own wounds, the nun had helped her treating the others and was now shambling towards Azula. She pressed her forehead against the one of the teenager with some tears in her eyes.
"It's like a fresh wind blowing through the temple with you. Thank you for that, Arashi."
Azula felt her eyes getting wet, but she grabbed the neck of the nun and pressed her forehead back to the nun, thankfully.
"It isn't in me, to stand aside and watch. I always had to fight for what I believe and I believe that a storm is coming, Satora, which will damage all I have learned to love."
She let go her grip and faced the proud eyes of the nun in front of her.
"Even when it means, that I have to stand against the lessons I have learned once before. The Fire Nation prepares for a shameful and unjust war against us, I have no doubt. As the person I am I cannot stand aside and let this happen without fighting against it."
Azula hesitated a moment, but then she nodded for herself in determination.
"It isn't in my blood to let something so shameful happen to my beloved Nation."
Azula recognized a little confusion rushing over Satora's face at her last quote, but the proud glow in the eyes of the nun in front of her never faded. She bowed deep before Azula and closed the distance again to hug her.
"Well spoken, Arashi. Whatever you plan to do to fight this storm, count on my support for you. I'll be at your side. I'll also defend what I believe in. With my life, if I must."
Satora gave the surprised teenager a last uplifting smile, before she got back to her bed. It let Azula's tears finally falling free, as she left the hospital to search for Aang. Out of joy and grief at the same time.
She finally found the young monk alone on the rooftop of the highest tower of the temple. The boy was spitting cherry pits down in a pond, but obviously without any real drive or fun.
"There you are! How could you dare to skip out training!"
Aang jolted up, giving Azula a questioning look, but she didn't gave him the time to answer. A hard blow of air nearly blasted the Avatar down from the roof and clearing it from his pile of cherries. He had no time to vocalize his shock and surprise, when Azula attacked him without any mercy. The space on the rooftop was much more limited, than on the plateau and the angle of the fighting ground, Azula had chosen, made the stand even more difficult, but the teenage woman didn't care. She charged the Avatar with deadly strikes, mixing her bending, with firebending moves and hand-to-hand combat. The boy was forced to quit his shocked questions about what was going on with her, to protect himself from her attacks. But no matter how hard he tried, Azula outmatched him. She felt it during her strikes against the scared and confused Aang in front of her. The lessons, she had learned from Gyatso and him. She was balanced. She knew what she wanted. It gave her the control and freedom, she had searched before and she used this control with deadly precision. She landed two final strikes against the chest of Avatar and blasted the boy with a strong blow from the roof. She heard him falling with a loud scream and got closer to the edge of the roof to observe him using his bending to protect himself from a fatal meeting with the ground below.
Aang was still busy with tugging on his robe in shock, when Azula landed beside him with her glider. She had also brought his own with her from the rooftop.
"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND ARASHI, YOU NEARLY KILLED ME!"
Aang screamed his rage directly at Azula's face, but she simply shrugged shoulder.
"Perfect. Still feeling guilty about me and the thunderstorm?"
Aang's jaw dropped, while his eyes nearly popped out of his skull. He stared in total confusion and disbelief at Azula, but she simply handed him his glider.
"You're welcome, no big deal. Two in one, in fact. Never forget this vital lesson, I'm teaching you right now."
She attacked him again with her rod, without any warning, but Aang got his own one up instantly, facing her again with shocked surprise but also with a rising anger. It was a short fight again under the scared and confused looks of several monks and nuns, who became witness of the scenery, until Azula landed hard hits in the stomach of the boy, brining the gasping Avatar down on his knees.
"A fight has nothing to do with training or a duel."
She kicked him hard at the ribcage as he tried to get up.
"If you're forced to fight, don't hold anything back."
She sidestepped an angry blow of air from him, blocking his furious attacks, as the boy got back on his feet, striking against her, only get a good grip at both wrists of him, giving him a hard headbutt. He stumbled back falling on his back
"Don't show off and don't stretch a fight, unless it helps you to reach your goal."
Her face was emotionless as Aang tried his best to get on his feet again, but as he started to get up, she used her bending to blow dust and dirt in his eyes, taking him his sight, painfully.
"Don't expect honor or mercy, you won't find them in battle, it's all about winning or loosing. You win, you live, you loose, you're dead, that's it."
She gave the blinded boy a final blow, blasting him into a pond. Tears of pain and anger were floating his eyes as Azula knelt down at the edge of the pond to face his look with a dangerous glow in her eyes.
"You may choose to spare an enemies life, that's fair. I have finally started to value this decision to some degree, but never expect this mercy from an enemy. You may don't want to kill your opponent, but always expect, that this is the goal of the one, who's fighting against you."
Aang was trembling in anger and sadness. His tears were running down his cheeks, but the fire in his eyes was burning. Suddenly Azula's face softened and she pushed the boy up with her bending into her arms, hugging him.
"Arashi…? What…? Why…?"
Azula had started to cry, still tightening her grip around the totally confused boy.
"Why have you skipped the morning kata, Aang? You have said you're my friend, remember?"
Aang pushed her back a bit, staring in confusion in the watered eyes of Azula.
"You have locked yourself away, you have left without a word, Arashi. You haven't answered my questions and then I heard, how you have helped the villagers. It seemed you have finally found yourself again, so I thought my guidance wasn't needed anymore."
Azula shook her head with a teary laughter.
"Aang, what a stupid kind of an argument. Of cause I still need your help. More than you might imagine. More than I like to admit, probably. As a friend you should know better."
She pulled him back in her arms.
"As your friend, I know better."
Aang opened and closed his moth twice, but no sound came out of his throat. Instead he finally tightened his grip around Azula.
"A storm is coming, Aang, I've seen it. You have to be prepared. Never forget this lesson, I've taught you here. Promise me, you'll never forget it, for all what I have learned to love."
Aang nodded, still a little confused, but also thankful, as Azula released the boy out of her grip.
"Good, then get yourself dried and get at the plateau. We have work to do."
Aang finally beamed at her, giving her a squeezing little hug, before he blew off all the water from his robe with his bending. Azula had anticipated this action and shielded herself with her own bending, but several monks and nuns received an unplanned shower, quoted with an embarrassed sorry from Aang. Both started to walk through the temple towards the plateau.
"Arashi?"
Azula turned to the questioning face of the young monk. She recognized his nervousness.
"As you leaved, yesterday… I mean, as you started with Nari… Well I have spotted you on your way to the stables and I followed you..."
Azula recognized his beating around the bush and it brought an uncomfortable tickle to her spine. He suddenly stopped and got a grip on her shoulder.
"Arashi, before you started with Nari, you have searched for the start signal for her. You said, you have heard the Avatar saying these words, so you know who the new Avatar is?"
Azula felt the color fading from her face. She saw in the eyes of the boy in front of her, that she had just proved his suggestion right, with this reaction.
"Please, tell me, who's the Avatar. I won't tell anyone, I promise."
She heard the great excitement bubbling up in the young Airbender in front of her, but it made her feel more uncomfortable.
"Well Aang, I have promised Gyatso..."
"Gyatso knows it, too? Of cause, he's one of the Elders, they probably all know, who it is. Come on, Arashi, who is it? How did you find it out?"
Aang had taken her hand and had cupped both with his own. He looked like a young child, awaiting a long promised surprise, but before Azula got a chance to say a word, a monk appeared, calling for Aang.
"Aang, the Elders have requested your presence."
"Just a second."
Aang was about to repeat his question, when he got interrupted by the monk.
"They said immediately and without any delay."
Aang sighed and hugged Azula for a goodbye.
"Seems we have to skip another training, but don't put the blame on me, this time. We'll talk on, later."
He waved a goodbye with his beaming smile and walked away with the other monk. Azula released a worried sigh.
"I think, you'll find out the identity of the Avatar without my help, Aang and I have a feeling, even before lunch."
She turned around and walked back to the library, instead. Her routine would keep her busy until training at afternoon. The Avatar would better not skip this trainings session as well.
