Azula inhaled a deep breath, staring at herself in the mirror. Republic City had been monumentally chaotic during the past few hours. Droves of citizens had flooded the streets after being awoken by the shrill, blaring alarm that announced the beginning of citywide evacuations. Some drove satomobiles, while others ran to the train station to leave by rail. Millions of people needed to evacuate in little more than a day. That made for absolute pandemonium. Chaos, to be certain, but controlled chaos. Police officers and United Forces soldiers had taken to the streets to help guide fleeing citizens and keep order during the evacuation, and for the most part they were succeeding. Traffic was slow, but never broke down to a halt, allowing a steady stream of people to leave the city.
Even as the city emptied, Azula remained behind. She had to. Bartering Shayu wouldn't work, no matter how much the world leaders wanted to believe otherwise. Yula's entire motivation now was to show her strength. To her, backing down in the face of a threat to her family would be a show of weakness. The Dragon Empire would attack Republic City, one way or another, regardless of the consequences. When that happened, Azula would be there. Yula needed to pay for what she did to Zuko, and everything else she'd done. She needed to be stopped.
In the meantime, other matters needed to be attended to. Something else she needed to take care of. The same reason she now stood staring at her own reflection. She wore a simple red silk robe, fringed with a gold trim and tied together with a gold sash. Her hair, still damp from a recent shower, hung loose and free down around her shoulders, rather than tied up in her usual topknot. Strange, how a simple change in hair could make her look so different. More mature. Good. Anything to look older than the young, ageless face she'd been trapped in for the past eighty years.
A shiver tingled beneath her robe, rippling through her bare flesh. Normally, she'd be wearing undergarments beneath her robe. This time was different. She wore only the robe, naked underneath. Even so, she didn't tremble because of any unseemly draft. No, she could thank her nerves for that. Nerves over what she was about to do. Or at least try to do, if she didn't screw it up. With a deep breath, she turned away from the mirror and exited the bathroom. Anraq stood at the window of the main hotel room area, gazing down at the crowded streets below.
"I have no idea how they managed to put together an evacuation like this," he said, maintaining focus out the window. "There's millions of people in this city, and yet they're getting everyone out of here in a day? I wouldn't even know how to begin to organize something like that."
Azula approached, pausing several paces away with her arms folded. "Then it's a good thing you don't have to worry about it."
"True. Still, it's amazing to think about."
"And you're not planning to evacuate too?"
"Nah, are you kidding?" Anraq cracked a smile and shifted his focus towards her. "You know me, I'm not one to run away from something like this. I'll be there alongside the rest of you, ready to fight if it comes to that. Besides, I can't let you have all the fun, can I?"
"True, I suppose I can let you join in the fun, too," she said, with a pointed nod. She took another step closer, offering a smile in return. "Spirits know there's no one else I'd rather have fighting at my side."
He smirked wider. "Why Azula, was that a compliment?"
Her lips curled wider to match. "Perhaps." The smile faded moments later, as her expression sank into a distant frown. "You know, even with as confident as we are, things could still... happen."
"Yeah, I know..." A deep understanding gleamed in Anraq's eyes. He would know better than anyone, of course, after what had happened to him during the Water Tribe Civil War. "In a war, things can go from bad to worse in an instant."
She gave a firm nod. "Yes, exactly. Which is why there's something I think we should do before then." She cleared her throat, making an attempt to calm her nerves. No use. They fluttered harder than ever. "If something does happen, we may never get another chance at it. I don't want either of us to have regrets."
"Uh, okay, yeah," he said, with a curious blink. "What's that?"
Azula said nothing. No words needed. With a simple breath, she untied the sash around her waist and allowed the robe to fall open, exposing her bare figure beneath. Moments later, it slipped from her shoulders and dropped to the floor. Her throat tightened, nerves pulsing as she stood there in the center of the hotel room, her naked form highlighted with a soft glow by the city lights streaming through the window. Another shiver ran through her, this one both from her nerves and the chill, but she remained poised.
Anraq stared at her with wide eyes, and his brow lifting high. "Oh." He managed only the one word, as the rest of his breath caught in his throat.
Azula swallowed, breathing in deep to steady herself. Her stomach somersaulted with growing awkwardness and embarrassment. Spirits, please don't let her make a fool of herself. "Is this alright? I mean, I know I still look quite a bit younger than someone you might prefer, but I... I was hoping..."
While they had already discussed this inevitable possibility, and Anraq had already affirmed his interest, she stilled questioned it. Still worried about his reaction. She held her hands in front of herself, sucking in another deep breath. The mere thought of opening herself up like this... Spirits, it frustrated her. Frustrated her, because she didn't mind it. Annie was the one person she could allow to see her this way. This vulnerable. She only hope she still appealed to him.
"I mean, we don't have to..." Azula embraced herself, rubbing her hands against her arms. As much for comfort, as for warmth. "If I make you uncomfortable, or... or whatever."
"Azula..." Anraq softened his gaze and took a step forward, closing the distance between them. He cupped a hand against her cheek, leaned close, and pressed their lips together in a deep, passionate kiss. A kiss he held for as long as their breath allowed. When at last he pulled away, he held his forehead against hers and smiled. "You're beautiful."
Azula's confidence surged back like a heated maelstrom. Her cheeks burned, and her chest pounded. No longer because of her nerves. No longer from her fear. Desire filled her heart, raging with a growing warmth. She leaned in close and kissed him again. Fiercer this time, more eager. She wrapped her arms around him, fingers digging in against his back, while his own hands trailed along her sides and explored her nude figure. A soft gasp hissed from her throat, muffled by Anraq's lips.
She wasted no time, slipping her hands beneath his tunic to pull it off. He quickly obliged, retracting his arms long enough to remove the tunic and his undershirt. When the top was gone, Azula's hands bolted downward to Anraq's pants. She fumbled with the belt, but his own hands soon joined hers to assist. Within a short few moments, he yanked down his pants and underwear, and kicked them away.
Azula took a moment to stare at him, to examine him, now that he stood there just as naked as she. How had she never noticed exactly how fit he was before? The way his muscle rippled and flexed when he moved, the way his abs tightened when her fingers trailed along his side. Or perhaps she had noticed, but never truly appreciated the sight until now.
The knot in her throat tightened, but she swallowed it down. Her eyes traveled lower, and she smirked. "I see I'm not the only eager one."
"What did I tell you?" he said, grinning back at her. "I'm drawn to attractive, powerful women."
She smirked wider, and placed a hand on his chest, gently pushing him backwards. "On the bed, Annie."
Rather than simply sit on the bed, Anraq reached forward and cupped his hands around her rear. He lifted her upward, spun her around to face the bed, and lowered her to the mattress. With a surprised huff, she fell back against her elbows, gazing up at him. He paused to stare at her, taking in her figure with an eager grin, before poising himself over her and locking their lips together again. Azula eased a pleasant breath through her nose, arms wrapped around his shoulders to hold him close.
When Anraq's fingers found their way between her legs, Azula forced out a sharp gasp. A pleasant tingle raced up through her groin, bringing her back to an arch. Her lips fell away, unable to maintain the kiss. She let herself fall back against the sheets, mouth open wide with a deep, carnal groan. Spirits, she'd never felt like this before. This kind of pleasure, this kind of bliss, so new, exciting, and only growing stronger.
Azula clawed her fingers against Anraq's shoulders, as he began trailing kisses down along her neck and chest. Lightning sizzled through her nerves with a tingling jolt. She moaned louder, dug her fingers in deeper. Soon, he traveled too low to maintain her hold. She let her arms fall flat at her sides and pushed her pelvis forward. Annie's kisses trailed lower, down her abdomen, to her groin, and then...
She screamed, shrill and fierce, as a pleasured wave surged up her body, at the mercy of Annie's lips and fingers. Her back arched further, fingers tightly clutching the sheets. Fog clouded her mind, while a growing warmth ignited in her chest. Each passing second brought with it a new intensity to the electric sensations crackling through her muscles. She lost herself to that bliss, trapped in an endless cycle of moaning and shouting.
When the pleasure peaked, her legs instinctively wrapped around Anraq's head. She reached up, tightened her fingers in his hair, and held him close. One more piercing moan shrieked from her mouth. Her body writhed, hips bucking, back lifting from the mattress. Her mind blanked. Pleasure tore through her, turning her thoughts into a muddled, fizzling storm of bliss. When it was over, she flopped flat against the mattress, chest heaving to catch her breath. She stared at the ceiling, watching the room spiral around her. Only when Anraq appeared in her field of vision did she snap back to her senses.
"I think you might have woken the neighbors," he said, grinning down at her.
Azula inhaled a few more deep breaths, lifting her hands up to Anraq's shoulders. In a single, fluid motion, she flipped him around onto his backside, reversing their positions so she could straddle him, her knees planted against the mattress on either side of his hips. A domineering smirk snaked across her face. Her turn to be in control. "There are no neighbors, remember?"
"Hmm, good point." He leaned up and kissed her again, lowering his hands gently against her hips. "Are you ready?"
She gave a firm nod, and lifted upright on her knees. "Yes."
With no further words, he guided her into place. When she lowered herself down, and they joined together, she eased a deep, pleasured groan and fell against him. Her heart pounded, mind raced, nerves pulsed with excitement. She'd never been this close to anyone before. Never opened herself up like this. Annie was the first one. The only one. The only one she needed, and the only one she wanted.
Anraq kissed her chest, while lowering his hands to cup her rear. She jumped when his fingers gave a firm squeeze, but the action only spurred her on. His kisses trailed higher, up along her neck, until he brought his lips next to her ear and whispered, "I love you, Azula."
A sharp gasp hissed from her throat, as she held her arms around his shoulders. Pulling herself in rhythm with his movements, she turned her head to kiss him once again, and whispered back. "And I love you, Annie."
Asami heaved a deep sigh as she sat around the table in the meeting chamber of City Hall. The other world leaders had joined her, including Chief Tonraq, Chiefs Eska and Desna, Matriarch Kuvira, and Avatar Korra, in addition to General Iroh, Master Tenzin, and Lieutenant Mako. Now that evacuations were underway, they could settle down and start hammering out the final details of their defense.
"What's the situation look like?" she asked.
Tonraq stood in front of the table and pointed at the world map hanging on the wall behind him. "Right now, we have evacuees relocating to the western region of the United Republic. Dragon Empire forces are marching on us from three separate fronts." He traced his finger along the three different paths as he explained them. "Ground units were spotted coming in from the southeast, including foot soldiers, tanks, and mechas. From the northeast they're sending in a massive aerial fleet. We lost count of how many airships they had, but they're all big, bulky, and likely carrying heavy artillery. From the south, their naval forces are coming up from the Fire Nation."
"That is the one area I am not worried about," Desna stated, studying the map with an indifferent stare.
"Indeed," Eska replied. "Our Navy is much better equipped and contains thousands of waterbenders out on the open ocean. If Yula believes she will penetrate our naval defenses, she is a fool."
"If it were just her Navy that was headed for us, that would be a reason to be confident," Korra said, "but she's sending in two other separate militaries. We can't afford to fight a war on three fronts, and she knows that. It forces us to remain stationed here with all of our troops, rather than meeting her out in open terrain. We'll have to hunker down and defend Republic City."
"That's if she attacks," Mako said. "We can still get her to back off by using her sister."
"Somehow, I'm not as confident about that plan as I was earlier," Asami muttered, with a deep sigh. "Yula has shown at every turn she's willing to do anything to maintain power and not show weakness. She might attack us whether we have Shayu or not."
Kuvira exhaled a tired breath, folding her hands in front of herself on the table. "Well, we have to try anyway. At this point, Shayu is the only chance we have at getting out of this without a fight."
General Iroh took a step towards the map, glaring at it with a thoughtful hand pressed to his chin. "I'm most worried about the airships you mentioned. With the size of that fleet, they could wreak havoc on us if they were allowed within Republic City airspace, and we don't have an Air Force large enough to meet them in open combat. Our biplane bombers could probably give them a fight for a while, but I doubt things would end well for us. I highly doubt the Empire's airships are completely defenseless."
Korra nodded in agreement. "Our best bet would be to come up with a plan to take them out before they get here."
"But if we deliver a preemptive attack, we all but throw away the chance to end this peacefully," Kuvira countered.
"Perhaps we don't need to actually attack." Tenzin stroked a hand along his beard as he examined the map. "What we need to do is put in place a preemptive fail-safe."
Kuvira squinted at him curiously. "What do you mean?"
"I think there may be a way for your security force, along with Republic City's metalbending officers, to work with my airbenders and put ourselves in position to disable Yula's Air Force in the event she decides to attack the city," he said, glancing back at her.
Kuvira paused, taking a moment to consider the proposal. A bold plan, certainly, but one that just might work. She gave him an affirmative nod. "Whatever you need, my security force is at your disposal. What about the police?" She looked around the room, eyebrows scrunched together. "Where's Lin?"
"Chief Beifong is still recovering from her injuries suffered during your mission," Mako replied. "Kya was able to convince her to evacuate, but before leaving she left me in command of the Republic City Police. The metalbending squad is yours if you need it."
Asami nodded. "Alright, I think now is a good time for everyone to get some sleep. It's already near dawn, and we've been up all night. We'll reconvene here at noon to continue planning."
Anraq uttered a deep yawn, stretching his arms out above his head as he awoke the next morning. Sitting upright, he looked down at the space next to him in bed and curled a smile. Azula stared back at him, already awake with a pleasant smirk. She stretched out atop the sheets, before sitting upright and slipping an arm around his shoulder. Leaning closer to him, she gently pressed her lips to his.
"Morning," he said, pushing deep into the kiss.
Azula eased out a quiet sigh and grinned back at him. "Morning."
"How are you feeling?"
"Like an entirely new person." Azula sat forward, resting her hands against her thighs. A warm pulse radiated through her body, despite still being nude. Any chill or nerves from the previous night had long since faded. "With what we did last night... I had no idea it was possible to feel that way. Not just emotionally, but physically." She chuckled, growing a pleased grin across her face. "I mean, wow."
"Wait..." Anraq sat up straighter, blinking at her. "You mean that was the first time you ever...?"
"Well yes," she said, with a simple shrug. "I hardly ever had time to bother with it before. Is that okay?"
He smiled, and leaned in for another kiss. "Of course it is. I'm just glad I was able to make it an enjoyable experience for you."
Her grin widened. "Oh, it was more than just enjoyable."
"Well, judging from the way you were screaming..."
"Hey, you were hardly quiet yourself," she insisted, poking a finger against his chest. "Especially the second time."
Anraq eased out a guilty chuckle, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, I didn't exactly expect you to get so...wild. Or controlling. Which wasn't a bad thing, but wow."
She shrugged again, this time with a domineering smirk. "Call it instinct."
"Now that's the kind of instinct I like."
Azula breathed in deep, and uttered another long yawn. "I suppose we should get up. Everyone's probably already at City Hall planning, and we should be there."
"Yeah, you're probably right," he said, sliding out of bed.
She paused, glancing towards the bathroom. "Should we... take a shower together?"
Anraq followed her gaze, humming out a deep, thoughtful breath. "I want to say yes, but there's actually something I need to get ready for you first. You go on ahead. I'll have a surprise for you when you get out."
Azula quirked a puzzled eyebrow at him. "Okay..."
She gave him one more look before sliding off the bed and wandering over to the bathroom. Anraq's eyes followed her, staring intently at her backside. If he meant to be subtle about it, he failed miserably. Oh, sweet Annie. Azula smirked, swaying her hips with visible intent on her way into the bathroom, giving him something more to look at before closing the door behind her.
Azula reappeared ten minutes later, a towel wrapped tight around herself. Alright, shower out of the way. Now, what surprise could Annie possibly have for her? She froze halfway towards the bed, eyes widening as she noticed a familiar set of chest and shoulder armor sitting on the bed. The armor was black, fringed with scarlet detailing and gold trim, and crafted in a traditional Fire Nation design. A full Fire Nation combat uniform lay next to the armor, including a red pair of pants and tunic, black and scarlet tabard, a gold belt with Fire Nation insignia on the buckle, and a pair of black and gold boots.
"Ta da!" Anraq announced, as he stepped into view and gestured towards the uniform. "What do you think?
"What is that?" she uttered, approaching the bed with a curious stare. Her voice cracked out in a soft whisper, almost breathless.
"What does it look like?"
"It looks like late first century Fire Nation royal armor," she replied, unable to stop from staring. She forced herself to blink, rubbing her eyes to clear a growing wet mist. "Like the kind I used to wear..."
Anraq grinned. "It's not just like the kind you used to wear. This is the armor you used to wear."
"What?" Azula balked, shifting a stunned glance towards him. Her mouth floundered, and she looked again at the armor. "You're... you're joking."
"I most certainly am not."
She blinked again at the armor. Her heart fluttered at the sight of it, caught somewhere between amazement, excitement, and sheer disbelief. Her old armor? It couldn't be. "But how...?"
"It was in a Fire Nation museum, in their Hundred Year War exhibit," Anraq explained. "I saw it a while back when we were still living in the capital. Now, actually getting my hands on it was a struggle all on its own, but fortunately I made some connections while living there, a couple of which were willing to help me out when I sent the request. I figured you'd need something practical to wear in battle, and what better than your old armor? I did have it fully restored, so you don't need to worry about it falling apart or anything. Looks great, doesn't it?"
Azula traced her hand along the shoulder of the armor. Memories flooded into her mind. So many memories, some better than others. She had worn this armor on so many occasions. Public appearances, war meetings, ceremonies, audiences with her father, during combat. Even during her final Agni Kai with Zuko. Seeing it in front of her once more... Surely, this was a dream. "It's perfect."
"Well go ahead, put it on."
She promptly dropped her towel, wasting no time changing into full uniform. First the tunic and pants, followed by the tabard and belt, the boots, and finally latching the full armor over her chest. When she finished securing the uniform into place, she made her way to the bathroom and tied her hair up into its traditional topknot style. From there, she returned to the main room, grabbed her swords, and strapped them onto her back.
"How do I look?" she asked, planting her hands square against her hips.
Anraq stared at her, gradually curling a grin onto his face. "Like you could kick my ass."
She eased a soft chuckle, and leaned forward to give him a kiss. "Please, Annie, I was always able to do that, with or without the armor."
"True," he replied, with an affirmative nod. "Very, very true."
"Now, let's go." Azula made a few final adjustments on her uniform. A perfect fit, just like always. "We have a war to prepare for."
