Azula held herself with poise, as she strolled along the streets of Harbor City. A cool breeze fluttered through the night, billowing the cloak of her new Dragon Empress robes. They were similar to her old Fire Lord robes, featuring sleeker shoulders and tighter sleeves, with additional gold trimmings embroidered along the edges of the crimson fabric. The cloak itself was emblazoned with a roaring gold dragon breathing flames. A new hair piece completed the outfit, the gleaming metal shaped like dragon's claws, rather than the multi-tiered flame of the Fire Lord. Exquisite and regal. She deserved no less.
"It is a nice night," she said, with a brief glance to her side. Anraq walked next to her, same as always. During the past six months, he had proven himself to be an excellent bodyguard, never leaving her side or failing to come to her aid. "Wouldn't you agree?"
"I suppose." Anraq glanced up at the moon and crossed his arms. "A little chilly, but nothing I can't handle."
Azula held her hand next to him, igniting a flickering blue flame in her palm. "Here."
Anraq raised a quizzical brow. "Uh, what are you doing?"
"You said you were chilly, so I made a fire to keep you warm," she said, in a simple, matter-of-fact tone.
"I also said it was nothing I couldn't handle. Water Tribe native, remember?"
Azula grumbled under her breath, stifling the subtle annoyance threatening to burst free. She swallowed it, remaining silent as she let her hand drop and the flame extinguish. There she went screwing up again. Why was it every time she attempted to accommodate this man, he had to point out why her efforts were wasted? Absolutely insufferable. Had he been anyone else, she would have done away with him ages ago, or at least stopped trying. But no, he just had to be different. She had to get through to him another way. To actually appease him. Ugh, why did she even bother? This would never work.
"So, what exactly are we doing out here, anyway?" Anraq asked. "Is there something special happening?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you didn't take the palanquin," he said, looking towards several passing citizens who had stopped to stare and point at them, captivated by the Dragon Empress wandering out in the open. "Or any of the Imperial Guard. You're just walking. With me."
"What, I can't enjoy a nice walk to stretch my legs?" she countered. "You're here because you're my personal bodyguard. I can't roam about the city completely alone."
He shrugged. "I mean, I suppose so. I guess I'm just surprised. Usually, you take a whole procession with you wherever you go."
Azula acknowledged the sentiment with a quiet sigh. "True, but that gets old after a while. It's nice to have some privacy sometimes."
"Dragon Empress! Over here!" A young woman holding a large camera ran up to them. She beamed an excited smile and pointed the camera at Azula. "For the paper?"
"Well, what little as is possible, anyway," Azula added, with a smirk. She stepped forward and struck a rigid pose, hands planted firm against her hips. "Yes, yes, take your picture. Be sure to get my good side."
"Oh, but all your sides are perfect, Empress!" The woman squealed out a laugh, as she lined up the shot. A bright flash of light erupted from the bulb.
Azula's grin widened. "Why yes, you're right. Whoever your boss is, tell him to give you a raise, on the Dragon Empress' orders."
"Yes, thank you!" The woman bowed, and hurried off down the street. "Have a wonderful evening, Empress!"
"Well, she was nice," Azula said. "Now, come. We're almost there."
Anraq lifted an eyebrow. "Uh, almost where?"
She didn't answer. No sense in spoiling the surprise. Continuing down the street, she led him towards a large building on the corner. A pair of dragon statues stared at each other from either side of the entrance. The sign out front read: The Dragon's Maw.
"What is this place?" Anraq asked.
"The finest restaurant in all the Fire Nation," she replied. "You are hungry, I hope?"
He paused, hands lowered against his stomach. "Come to think of it, I haven't eaten since lunch."
"Good, then you'll enjoy this."
Azula grabbed his wrist and promptly pulled him inside the restaurant. An elaborate and expensive décor greeted them within. Tables and chairs were carved from rich, dark ebony, set with red silk tablecloths and silver dinnerware. Paper lanterns hung from the ceiling above each table, offering a soft, flickering glow to light the restaurant, while all manner of jade statues in the form of armored warriors in battle poses lined the walls. A gentle, steady tune of tsungi horn music hummed softly in the background.
An astounded breath hissed from Anraq's throat. He looked around the restaurant with wide eyes, mouth falling open. "Wow"
Azula smirked. "Yes, it is something, isn't it?"
"Ah, Dragon Empress Azula, welcome." A man in a red and white uniform met them at the entrance and gave a low bow. "Right this way, please. Your table is waiting."
As the host led them to their table, Anraq's brow scrunched in confusion. "There's no one else here?"
Indeed, there were no other customers in the restaurant. Every table and chair, all empty. The host led them to the table at the very center of the restaurant, gave another bow, and returned to the kitchen.
"Of course not," Azula insisted. "I rented it out for the evening. You can't expect me to be seen dining amongst normal folk, can you? It's beneath me."
"If you say so, I suppose."
"Now, you sit there, and I sit here." Azula pointed at the two chairs across from each other at their table. "That way we're facing each other, and can converse without restriction."
"Okay..." Anraq said, with a raised an eyebrow. He lowered himself into his seat and pulled forward close to the table. "Not really sure how else we would have sat."
Azula blinked at him, quietly sitting in her own seat. She folded her hands together and raised them to her lips, to hide her growing frown. Stupid, stupid. Why did she keep doing that?
The host returned carrying a large tray with a domed cover. "As requested, Empress, your dinner has already been prepared. I present to you the first course." He set the tray down at the center of the table and lifted the dome to reveal a large pot of steaming soup. He offered another bow and left them alone.
"Wait a minute." Anraq stared at the pot and took a deep breath through his nose. "That smells like... sea prune stew?"
"Yes, it is. Or it should be." Azula lowered her brow, glaring at the stew. "Did they get it right? I swear, if they screwed it up, they'll suffer the consequences."
Anraq scooped himself a bowl and popped a spoonful into his mouth. A pleasant groan surged from his throat, as he sank back against his seat. "Oh spirits, no, it's perfect." He wasted no time taking a second bite, and a third. "It's been ages since I've had sea prunes this good."
Azula eased a deep breath of relief, relaxing in her seat. She didn't let it show. She remained sitting straight, expression calm, but pleased. "Excellent. I had the entire meal composed of traditional Water Tribe dishes. Do you like it?"
"Are you kidding? This is fantastic!" Anraq gulped another spoonful of stew. "But why go through the trouble?"
"Well, it is your birthday, isn't it?" she said. "I wanted to do something special for you. You seem like the nauseatingly sentimental type to get homesick, so I figured this would please you."
"My birthday?" He paused, furrowing his brow. "I only mentioned that once, like four months ago. You remembered?"
Azula folded her arms and scoffed. "Please, of course I remembered. I have an excellent memory."
"So this entire night was about taking me out for my birthday? Why didn't you just tell me?"
"And ruin the surprise? What kind of hostess would that make me? No, when I plan something, I do it to perfection." Azula sat back and folded one of her legs over the other, chin raised, a confident smirk spread across her face. Moments later, a concerned jolt tore through her. She faltered, shooting him a careful, curious stare. "People do like surprises on their birthdays, don't they? Yula assured me..."
"Yes, yes they do," Anraq said, with a chuckle. "Thank you, Azula. Really, this means a lot."
"Hmph." Azula calmed herself with another haughty smile, arms tightened across her chest. "Good."
"Aren't you going to eat anything?"
"Oh, absolutely not," she said, contorting a look of disgust onto her face. "I already ate before we left. Personally, I find your native food to be revolting, but don't let me keep you from enjoying yourself."
Anraq grinned, as he helped himself to a second bowl. "Please, that just means there's more for me."
Shayu stretched out her her arms and breathed a deep sigh of contentment. "Wow, I will never get tired of that spa. I feel sooo relaxed right now."
Yula smiled at her sister, as they wandered down the darkened palace halls. They had spent the whole day at the spa, relaxing and catching up with each other. It had been so long since they had been able to spend time together and just be sisters. Over the past six months, most of her time had been spent with Azula in the Earth Kingdom, either hunting down Red Lotus bases or working to restore Ba Sing Se. Now that she was Fire Lord, she would be spending much more time in the Fire Nation.
"Well, it's a good thing you live at the palace then, isn't it?" she said. "You can spend as much time as you want there."
"I know!" Shayu exclaimed. "I've been there three times a week since we came here. I still can't believe we're here at all. And I can't believe my big sis is the Fire Lord!"
Yula's smile widened. "I still can't believe it, either. I never imagined Master Azula would actually place that much trust in me. I hope I live up to her expectations."
"Are you kidding? You'll do great!" Shayu gave her sister a friendly pat on the shoulder, beaming up at her. "You're already an incredible firebender. I mean, you blew that guy away in your Agni Kai! Totally fried him!"
"Well, it was his own fault for being so poorly skilled and thinking he could actually challenge me," Yula said, with a simple shrug. Her voice carried a sterner, darker tone. "He was pathetic, really."
"Ha, I'll say." Shayu tilted her head back and sighed. "I wish I could firebend. That would be so awesome."
As they rounded the corner into the next corridor, their mother emerged from a nearby doorway. When Jaya noticed them, she hurried to catch up. "Yula! Can we talk?"
"Oh, Mom." Yula turned around and straightened out the front of her Fire Lord robes. "Sure, just make it quick. I have to prepare for an important meeting in the United Republic in a few days."
Jaya glanced at her younger daughter. "Alone, Shayu."
"Ugh, fine," Shayu groaned. She wandered farther down the hall, disappearing around another corner.
"So, what did you want to talk about?" Yula asked.
"I wanted to talk about what happened," Jaya said. "When you became Fire Lord."
Yula broke into a grin. "Oh, it's amazing, isn't it? I mean, can you believe I went from some nobody street urchin in Ba Sing Se to being leader of the Fire Nation? Becoming Azula's student is the best thing that's ever happened to me!"
"Yes, that's wonderful, dear." Concern twisted across Jaya's face. Her posture shrank, hands clutched close to her chest. "I just wanted to talk about how you became Fire Lord. What you did."
"What?" Yula raised a puzzled brow at her mother. "I won an Agni Kai. What about it?"
"Yula, you killed that man." Jaya's concern deepened, mixing with a small yet noticeable layer of fear. "Without hesitating. Without even thinking about it."
"Oh, is that all you're worried about?" Yula curled her lips into a reassuring smile, and offered a gentle laugh. "It was an Agni Kai. They're dangerous, and sometimes these things happen. He knew the risks when he accepted the duel."
"But honey, I saw you fight him," she insisted. "You were so much more skilled than him. You could have beaten him without killing him, I know you could have."
Yula shrugged. "Well, yeah, but I didn't want to."
Jaya took a step back, shaken with a jolt of horror. "W-what?"
"That man was a traitor who threatened Empress Azula," Yula stated plainly. "He deserved what he got."
"Yula, how can you say that?"
"How can you question it?" Yula's tone cut like a knife, in a way she had never spoken to her mother. With an edge she had never before possessed. An edge she had sharpened and honed to perfection during the past six months, an edge she would not let dull even against her own mother. "We have a good life here, Mom. Master Azula has been nothing but kind to you, and to her people. She's going to change the world for the better. We can't allow miscreants like those Sun Warriors to ruin it for everyone. Anyone who stands against us will meet the same fate, if I have to shoot them all with lightning myself."
"Yula..." Jaya swallowed, throat quivering. Tears glistened in her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks. "Honey, you... you've changed."
"You're right, I have changed." Yula narrowed a fierce glare at her mother, darkening her eyes. They weren't the eyes of the timid, useless woman from Ba Sing Se. They were the eyes of the Fire Lord. "I'm not weak anymore, Mom. I'm not a pushover. I'm the Fire Lord, and from here on, no one will ever question my strength again. Not even you." Yula pushed around her mother and continued her march down the hall. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to prepare for. Goodnight."
Azula held her hands behind her back, as she and Anraq made their way through the palace halls. They hadn't said a word to each other since leaving the restaurant. An odd sensation, and yet at the same time relaxing. Normally, Anraq wouldn't speak to her only when angry. This was different. Things had gone so well at the restaurant. He was happy, happier than she'd ever seen him before, judging from that ridiculous grin plastered across his face. Perhaps that was why didn't say anything? Simply enjoying the peace and quiet of the night. No sense in disturbing him in that case, and so Azula remained silent as well.
For a time, anyway. As they neared the royal bedchambers, Azula cleared her throat and turned a glance towards her bodyguard. Now would be an appropriate time to break the silence. "So, did you enjoy dinner?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Anraq chuckled, and patted his stomach. "I don't think I've ever eaten that much in one sitting."
"Yes, you certainly did attack that arctic hen," Azula muttered. "It was actually quite disturbing to watch."
"Heh, sorry about that. I guess I did get a little carried away. It's been years since I've had a traditional Water Tribe feast like that."
Azula hissed out a brief laugh. Hardly even a laugh, more of a choked cough with nearly indiscernible mirth. Still, she couldn't hide her smile, which grew with far more noticeable satisfaction. "So, you would say it was a successful birthday?"
Anraq flashed a smile of his own, deep and genuine. The kind of smile Azula never would have imagined seeing him give her six months ago. "Best I've had in a long time, actually. I know it was just dinner, but it meant a lot more than that to me."
"Good." Azula straightened herself with a deep breath of contentment. So, perhaps her efforts had not been entirely wasted. Still, she couldn't let it show. She retained her poise, calmed herself. "In that case, you should enjoy your gift."
Anraq blinked. "Wait, what now?"
"Your gift," she said. "It is customary to give someone a gift on their birthday, isn't it? At least, it was in my day."
"Well, yeah, of course it is. I just never expected anything."
"Didn't I already tell you?" Azula flashed a smug grin and gestured at herself. "When I do something, I do it to perfection, or I don't do it at all. A birthday wouldn't be complete without the gift."
"Well, I certainly can't argue with that," he said. "So, where is it?"
Azula glanced towards the large doors at the end of the corridor. "In my bedchambers. I left it there for safe keeping. Follow me."
When they entered the bedroom, Azula shut the doors behind them and led the way to a large wooden chest at the foot of her bed. Kneeling in front of it, she pushed open the lid and rummaged through the collection of blankets, books, combs, jewelry, robes, and other trinkets inside. Anything she didn't need, she tossed over her shoulder without a care. No sense in being neat about it. Most of the items in this chest were old junk she didn't care about anymore. When she found what she was looking for, she grabbed the item and stood up.
"Ah, here it is," she said, presenting the gift. "I wrapped it myself."
Anraq stared at the crinkled mess of paper and tape in her hands, stifling an emerging chuckle bouncing in his throat. "I can tell."
Azula frowned. So her gift wrapping skills weren't up to par, no need to point it out. "Just open it."
He did as he was told, taking the gift from her and ripping the paper away. A carved polar bear dog femur emerged into view, fitted with a heavy ball at one end. To most anyone else, the item would have looked strange and foreign, but Anraq recognized it instantly, as stark surprise lifted into his gaze.
"A Southern Water Tribe warrior's club?" He inspected the club, studying the faded blue paint along the sides, and the torn, weathered leather wrapping the handle. Countless dings and scratches marred the edges, indicating extensive use. "It looks old."
"It's not just any club," Azula insisted. "Look at the engraving."
Anraq flipped the club over and stared at the rough, worn etching near the base of the handle. "Property of Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe... What?" His eyes flew open wide. "This is Chief Sokka's club?"
"Yes, the very same one he used during the Hundred Year War, I believe."
"Where on earth did you get this?"
Azula folded her arms, offering a nonchalant shrug in response. "Oh, I asked around if anyone had any special Water Tribe artifacts. Some old museum curator got back to me, said he recovered this from a sandbender commune years ago. He refused to give it up at first, claimed it was a priceless piece of history. I made him reconsider."
"This is incredible." Anraq gripped the handle and gave the club a few expert practice swings. A pleasant laugh burst from his throat. "I knew Chief Sokka. I was still a kid when he passed away, but he was a great man."
"I don't see what was so great about him," Azula muttered, with a roll of her eyes. "Personally, I always found him to be an annoying buffoon. Still, I figured you'd enjoy it."
Anraq gave the club a few more swings and brought it close to his face again, so he could further examine the craftsmanship. "This is the most incredible gift anyone has ever given me. I don't even know what to say."
"A 'thank you' would suffice."
Anraq curled his lips into a delighted smile. "Thank you, Azula. Really."
With Anraq's attention distracted by the club, Azula finally allowed a slip of emotion to show. She eased a deep breath, as her expression relaxed into a relieved smile. Not a waste of effort at all. She had actually succeeded for once. Succeeded in doing something nice. What a strange sensation.
Chief Sokka's club. This wasn't simply a gift. It was a cultural artifact. A piece of Water Tribe history, recovered after being lost for so long. Anraq ran his thumb along the faded blue paint. Remarkable. Never in a hundred years would he have imagined Azula capable of recognizing something so meaningful. Then again, she had surprised him in a lot of ways over the past six months.
Under the guise of Aoi, she had been nothing but a cold, cruel, spiteful woman bent on destruction. Perhaps that had been a mere act, as she said. While certainly not the kindest person, Azula had shown an astounding willingness to protect her people and make their lives better however possible. Taking out the remainder of the Red Lotus, restoring Ba Sing Se, ensuring a standard quality of life for every citizen, taking time to stop an interact with those who wanted to express their thanks. No wonder the people loved her. Granted, her motives were not entirely selfless, but the good she was doing went a long way towards outweighing her personal goals. At least, as far as Anraq was concerned.
A shift of movement yanked his thoughts free. He snapped his gaze upward, focused on it. The flicker was subtle, little more than a subtle shadow in the darkened corner of the bedroom, but enough to jolt him with alarm. His heart pulsed. Azula wasn't paying attention, lost in a distant smile. She didn't see the shadow creeping behind her. "Look out!"
Anraq lunged forward and dragged her to the floor, seconds before a pair of metal darts whistled through the air where she had been standing. As soon as he hit the floor, he jumped back to his feet and guided the water out of his hip flask. The water froze into a spear and shot forward. The shadow darted out of the way, rolling into the light.
It was a man, dressed all in black with a gold sun-shaped mask over his face and a belt of darts strapped over his shoulder. He wasn't alone. Several additional assassins stepped out of the shadows to join him, all of them dressed in identical attire. They crept forward, darts in hand, poised to strike. Anraq struck first, sweeping a crushing wave towards them. They leaped away and spread out around the bedroom.
"How dare you!" Azula seethed, returning to her feet. Flames erupted in her hands, igniting the entire bedchamber with a bright blue glow. "You think you can assassinate me?"
The assailants attacked in unison, throwing a barrage of pointed darts at the Dragon Empress. Azula rolled away from the blades and tossed a pair of fireballs. The flames burned only air. She would have to limit the power of her bending within the confined space of her bedroom, else she set the entire place ablaze. Against the swiftness and agility of her enemies, such a restriction put her at a disadvantage.
Anraq whirled his water around both himself and Azula. Each time one of the assassins threw a dart, he raised a protective shield to block the strike. He watched, waited, studied their movements. One of the assassins stumbled as he ducked away from an incoming fireball. Anraq struck, coiling out a water whip around the man's ankle. With a guiding swing of his arms, she slammed the man through a cabinet against the wall, breaking it to splinters.
Another one of the assassins turned in surprise at the impact. That moment of hesitation cost him his life, as a sizzling bolt of lightning blasted into his chest. He crumpled to the floor, motionless. A third assassin lunged from behind. Blood sprayed from his nose, as a frozen brick collided with his face. Before the man even hit the ground, a blistering fireball engulfed him. He collapsed to the floor screaming, writhing as the flickering blue flames consumed him.
The remaining assassins gave each other nervous glances, slowly backing away from their targets. They never got the chance to flee. Lightning sizzled into one man's chest. A bladed spear of ice shattered into another. The final man sprinted for the door. He made it five steps before a blistering wave of fire erupted at his feet, searing him down to the bone.
Anraq took a step back to examine the fallen assailants. He maintained his stance, water hovering around himself at the ready. Couldn't let his guard down. Not yet. "Who are these guys? And what's with the masks?"
Azula scowled, shifting her gaze from body to body. A pained groan drew her focus towards the broken cabinet, where one of the assassins now crawled through the wreckage. She marched towards the splintered mess and pulled the bloodied man to his knees, fingers clutched around his throat. The man's shattered gold mask crumbled away, revealing a young man's face beneath, bleeding from a cut on his brow. "Who are you? Who sent you?"
The man glared at her, fighting down his grunts of pain. "You think you're untouchable. You're wrong. The Sun Warriors will liberate the Fire Nation from your corruption before it poisons us and the rest of the world. Your days are numbered, Dragon Empress."
When he finished his rant, he spit out a glob of saliva at her, hitting her square on the cheek. Azula's scowl deepened into searing anger. With a furious shout, she ignited the man into a writhing mass of blue flames.
"Those filthy peasants!" she shrieked, heaving in deep breaths in attempts to calm herself. "How dare they defy me!"
Anraq held out a rag. "Here."
She snatched the cloth from his grasp and hurriedly wiped away the peasant spit from her face. She would need a bath now, to rid herself of that man's disgusting slime. "It seems these Sun Warriors didn't learn their lesson when Yula fried their leader."
"Unless he wasn't their leader," Anraq suggested. "Or they picked a new one."
"They will suffer for this." Azula clenched the rag tightly in her fist. A spark erupted across the fabric, burning it to ashes. "These Sun Warriors are finished."
Ishida entered the darkened chamber, lit by a single, dimming candle at its center. The candle offered a small bubble of illumination, flickering an orange glow across the front of the man in white robes sitting there next to it, his legs crossed on the floor. The man held his hands together, deep in meditation. Ishida approached the flickering glow and knelt before the meditating man. He bowed his head, staring at the floor.
"Sir, I've returned," he said.
The man at the center of the candlelight remained motionless, eyes closed. "Where is the Empress?"
"We don't have her," Ishida replied. "Our attempt tonight was less than successful."
"Define 'less than successful'."
Ishida huffed a deep sigh, looking up at the man. "Azula and her bodyguard killed the team we sent."
"So, you failed."
The man finally opened his eyes. Ishida shivered at the sight of them, and lowered his gaze back to the floor. "I'm afraid so."
"I suppose we'll have to reevaluate our methods," the man replied. His eyes closed again. "The Dragon Empress will fall, Ishida. It is only a matter of time. Sooner or later, the Fire Nation will be free of her."
