"So as I was saying, Azula you should try out for the Pro Bending team! With you we'd have a chance at the championship this year!"
"Pro Bending is a sport the district introduced a few years ago. It's two teams of three facing off each with a waterbender, a firebender, and an earthbender. The first team to knock each opponent on the other team off the field wins."
Azula rested her chin on her hand in thought, "Sounds interesting. How often is there practice?"
"Every day after school."
"I'm not sure about that, I won't get enough time to study."
"Nonsense! I'm the team captain, so I pretty much run practices. If you're as good as Aang says you are, I don't mind if you skip some of them. I just need a reliable teammate, last year I lost because the other two idiots on the team couldn't even stay upright for ten seconds."
"Hmm.." Azula hummed in thought before she asked her next question, "What do we get for winning the championship?"
"Championship rings, scholarship opportunities, but most importantly, the glory! We get to brag to the other teams all year and they can't say a damn thing about it!" Toph replied all too enthusiastically.
"And Toph never gets tired of bragging." Katara chimed in.
"That's right, Sugar Queen." Toph replied cheerfully. "So, you should come to the bending facility after school, there I can show you how things work." She said to Azula as she handed her a pamphlet for the Pro Bending team.
Azula took the pamphlet and started to look through it. "I'll think about it." Azula turned to Katara. "What about you? Can I expect to see you on the team?"
"Wel-" Katara started to speak before she was cut off by a laughing Toph.
"Who, sweetness over here? She's no fighter, I've challenged her a million times and each time she avoids it."
"Just because I choose not to fight you doesn't mean I can't fight." Katara clapped back.
"So why are you afraid to fight me?" Toph replied with a grin as she tried to rile up her friend.
"I'm not afraid. If you want me to admit you'd beat me, then I admit it. But I won't let you have the satisfaction of it actually happening anytime soon." She said as she stood up and walked to the fountain in Toph's backyard. "But, my bending's getting better and soon enough I'll give you a run for your money." Katara lifted the water from the fountain and kept it high above her, before freezing it into a sphere the size of a boulder and dropping it on the grass.
"Woah!" Aang said as he watched Katara, she was obviously understanding her element more and more.
"Oh big deal, you can make a block of ice." Toph said sarcastically.
Katara smiled, "I think you'll like this one Toph."
Katara brought her hands together and unfroze the block, before creating multiple rock sized pieces of ice. She flung her arms up to the sky, sending all the ice flying into the air.
She jumped into a fighting stance, and inhaled deeply.
Exhale.
She shot her right arm directly towards the wall sending a block directly into the concrete wall around the property. Her left arm followed, sending another block at the wall with high velocity.
"Holy shit." Sokka said as he watched his sister, he knew she had been practicing a lot recently but he was still surprised by her progress.
Katara continued her barrage of jabs, sending a dozen more blocks of ice at the wall in rapid succession.
She turned back around to her friends after, and smiled at the slightly shocked expressions on their faces.
"When'd you learn how to do that?" Sokka asked genuinely.
"She stole it from me!" Toph exclaimed.
Katara laughed. "That's right, Toph's always doing that punching routine with earth discs, I figured why not recreate it with ice!"
"Stealing my moves.. Well they say imitation is the highest form of flattery so I'll take it!" Toph yelled and Katara rolled her eyes.
Aang got up and walked closer to the waterbender. "That was great Katara! Your ice bending is getting stronger."
"Thanks Aang!" Katara said as she smiled widely at his compliment. She picked up one of the blocks and alternated phases of water and ice while talking to him. "Pakku gave me some pointers and they've really helped. Watch this!"
Katara took more water from the fountain and froze a spiraled path along the ground and the concrete wall, then jumped on and froze her own feet to the path, sliding across using her bending.
"Wow! Let me try!" Aang said as he walked over to her. Katara smiled as he stepped on the path and she froze his feet to it.
"Woo!" Aang yelled cheerfully as Katara moved him across the path. "Wait, let's go again, I want to try something!" Aang said as he lined up at the start once more.
As Katara started moving him, he used his airbending to push himself in the same direction with more speed. "Yeah!" He yelled with childlike glee.
"Slow down Aang!" Katara was caught off guard, and as Aang's speed increased the harder it was for her to keep up.
Aang ignored her command and kept increasing his speed.
He smiled, "Hey, this is fun!"
Katara felt her strength slipping, "Aang! Stop already!"
Aang laughed and stopped his airbending, to the relief of Katara.
"Spirits, what are you doing? You could've gotten hurt!" Katara yelled as she melted the ice.
"I knew you wouldn't let me." Aang said with a smile. "Besides, even if I did, I know a certain person who can heal."
Suki sat off to the side next to Azula and Toph, watching as Katara and Aang interacted.
There's no way they won't end up together right? Suki thought to herself.
She turned to Azula, analyzing her expression as she also watched Aang and Katara.
"Those two sure are close aren't they?" Suki said to try and gauge Azula's reaction.
"I suppose so." Azula replied calmly.
"They've been like that since pretty much the day they met. I've never seen a friendship like the one they have."
Suki looked to Azula's face to find a reaction, but she could find none.
Azula then turned to Toph to continue her questions about Pro Bending.
Is she not jealous at all? Suki thought to herself. Since that didn't work, she decided to go with a more direct approach.
She laid her hand on Azula's and butted into the conversation, "So Azula, what do you think about Aang?"
Azula was taken aback by the question. "Um.. I don't know, He's fine I guess. It's annoying how much he wants to procrastinate on our projects but he gets it done."
Suki was shocked. Such a cold response, does she even like him? She makes it sound like he's just a regular classmate.
"I know he's your lab partner or whatever, but I meant what do you think of him.. personally?" Suki insisted, making her intentions clearer.
Azula suddenly became embarrassed, and felt the blood rushing to her cheeks. She stood up quickly to avoid Suki's gaze. "He's an idiot, that's what I think." Azula responded.
Suki almost laughed, as she had seen the red on her face, "No need to lie Azula.. We don't bite!"
"What!?" Azula replied sharply.
"I can see your face, you know!"
"Yeah, and your heart just skipped a few beats there." Toph interjected smugly, enjoying the teasing of the firebender.
"What- How.." Azula looked back and forth at the two girls with a terrifying look in her eyes. "You two are enjoying trying to get a rise out of me aren't you?" She felt she had caught onto their act. "Well I won't fall for it." She decided to leave the conversation, and walked farther into Toph's yard, making space for herself to practice some firebending moves.
"Well she sure is.. interesting." Toph said as she laid back in her chair.
"Interesting indeed." Suki replied as she watched Azula's hair flowing perfectly in the air. "I am so fucking jealous of her hair though. Well, I'm jealous of her everything really, but the hair is just remarkable."
Toph laughed, "You sighted people are so shallow."
Azula started her firebending form.
Katara walked back over and sat in front of Toph. "So Toph, what'd you think?"
"About what?"
"You know, my bending."
"Oh yeah.. Well the icebending is cute and all, but that's not allowed in the ring. Save the demonstrations until the skills are useful in a fight please." Toph snarkily replied to make fun of the waterbender.
"I can fight!" Katara responded emphatically. "I could make the pro bending team if I wanted to. Don't you think so, Suki?"
"Yeah, Katara is way more skilled than the guys we have on the team now, Toph. I've seen her practice at home, she's improved a lot in the last year."
"Care to spar right now then?" Toph grinned as she tried to lay the bait.
"No way." Katara deadpanned.
"Come on! Handicaps allowed. I'll tie my hands behind my back like when I fought Haru!" Toph said with a giggle.
"No. You're too comfortable back here." Katara pointed a finger up in the air as she thought of an idea. "How about I fight you, while you stand on a block of ice!" Katara imitated the grin Toph had until hearing the proposal.
"So you want me to fight completely blind, you sure are courageous, sugar queen."
"Hey, you said handicaps are allowed, and that's the only option."
"Why are you so terrified of me sweetness? How do you even think you can make the team if you won't fight? You might be skilled at bending, but being in that ring is completely different than practicing in a backyard."
"I know that Toph, just because I won't fight you doesn't mean I can't fight."
"So then who will you fight?"
"Suki, how about it?"
"Wait, no! She's not a bender, fighting her is useless."
"Gee, Thanks Toph."
"I know you can fight fangirl, I'm just saying it's Pro BENDING."
"She does have a point." Suki added.
"Ok.. how about I ask-" Katara was cut off by Toph.
"Twinkletoes won't work, there's no airbending. So I guess your only options are.."
"I'll ask her." Katara said as she turned and walked in Azula's direction.
Azula smiled confidently. "I haven't fought a waterbender in ages, this should be fun."
They stood ten feet apart, both facing opposite directions.
Toph rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "Alright fighters! Let's have a clean match. We're going by pro bending rules, so no sub-bending of any kind, keep each attack less than one second. We'll keep score by each round. Fighters, take your stances."
The two turned around to face off, closing the distance between them to about five feet.
Toph slammed her foot into the ground, launching a large rock into the air. Everyone looked at her in slight confusion. "Alright, the bell, is when that rock hits the ground." Toph said as she backed up to give them space.
Katara met Azula's piercing gaze, the golden eyes across from her made her stomach knot. "Good luck." She said weakly, as her voice failed her.
Azula's grin just widened, but no words were said.
Katara watched the rock descend for its final moments, counting off the seconds in her head.
3.. 2.. 1..
*CRASH*
*WOOSH*
Before the waterbender had time to register the rock landing, the first blast of fire was off. It came flying past Katara much quicker than she had anticipated, and much hotter.
Fuck, she's good. She thought to herself.
"This is great!" Toph yelled, "I mean, I would've rather fought Sugar Queen myself for the first time but I did not think she would agree to this!"
Aang stood beside her, nervously jittering on the sideline. "Are we sure this is a good idea? I mean, how did this all happen so quickly?"
"Easy there twinkletoes, what are you so worried about now? She's not gonna die.."
Aang was worried "But why does she need to fight Azula? Is it not odd considering how their first interaction went? What is she trying to prove?"
Katara immediately went on the defensive, working hard to extinguish each attack Azula relentlessly fired.
Azula stood firm firing consistent jabs of fire, looking for an opening to exploit.
After three more jabs Azula realized Katara awkwardly crossed her legs while extinguishing the flames. She pounced, immediately sprinting to close the distance between her and the waterbender.
The smoke cleared from Katara's vision just in time to see Azula leap, spin, and kick two blasts of fire directly towards her abdomen.
Katara summoned the water quick enough to extinguish some of the flames, but the force of the attack sent her reeling back outside of the zone.
"Fire, One!"
Azula smiled as she saw the waterbender hit the ground.
Aang cringed at the sight of Katara flying out of the ring. He leaped twice using his airbending and landed next to her. "Katara, just to make sure, are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Maybe not." Katara said after she finished catching her breath. "She's really strong."
"So let's call it off then. I don't want you to get hurt." He said sincerely as he reached his hand out.
"Thanks." Katara stood up with his help. "I can fight though, Aang."
She noticed the concerned look on his face and let go of his hand. "Really, I'm good. If it's too bad then I'll call it off, I promise."
Aang sighed. "Alright."
Azula bit the inside of her cheek as Aang tended to Katara. They might as well be joined at the hip. She thought to herself.
Katara walked back towards the center of the ring. "Nice form on those kicks." She spoke to try and break the tension between the two of them.
Azula just stared at her, no emotion in her expression.
What the hell is wrong with her? She hasn't even said a wor- Katara's thoughts were interrupted by a crash, indicating the start of the next round.
This time Katara attempted to match Azula's offensive attack, sending quick jabs of water herself, extinguishing the flames before they got close enough to push her back.
Azula quickly picked up on Katara's change in strategy. She waited for Katara's attacks to slow down slightly, then flipped backwards to give herself enough space for her attack.
She threw both of her fists forward, sending an attack so large Katara could only dive out of the ring to dodge it safely.
"Fire, Two!"
"This is painful to witness." Suki said on the sideline.
Aang turned around. "I can't watch this."
Katara hopped back up completely furious, as she stormed in Toph's direction. "Violation! That was way longer than a second!"
Toph just shrugged. "Sorry sugar queen, I didn't see it." She said sarcastically as she waved her hand in front of her face.
Katara exhaled forcefully, showing her displeasure. "Fine, if that's how it's going to be." She turned and walked back into the ring with a determined look.
Azula smirked cheekily as she saw how angry Katara became. "Don't cry now waterbender, let's just get this last round over with."
Now, it was Katara who gave the silent treatment, as she matched the intense expression of Azula.
*CRASH*
The two girls were off again, the clashing of water and fire making it hard to see for everyone else.
Azula's fire proved the stronger of the two again, as her attacks had pushed Katara to the edge of the ring once again. She decided to go for an aerial attack once more, using her supreme acrobatics to send a left footed kick while in mid air.
Katara had waited patiently for the firebender to attempt a kick. As she went to leap off of her right leg, Katara froze a small piece of ice under her foot. An obvious violation, but nobody caught it.
Azula slipped and tumbled out of the ring, causing her topknot to come undone.
Suki, Toph, and Aang, jaws all dropped as they saw/felt the firebender slide across the earth.
"Water, one!?" Toph said almost questioningly.
Katara grinned, Two can play that game. She thought to herself.
Azula got up and declined the opportunity to complain. Let's play dirty then. She thought to herself as a genuine smile broke through on her face. "I was taking it easy on you, but now, you're in trouble." She said to the waterbender.
"Bring it on." Katara didn't back down. She knew she wasn't as powerful as Azula, but she wouldn't go down without a fight.
The fourth round was a completely different fight. Both benders had thrown the Pro Bending rules out the window, now fitting with whatever was at their disposal.
"So I guess it's just an all out brawl at this point." Suki commented.
Aang stood on the sideline nervously jittering. "Toph, shouldn't we stop this? This isn't how Pro Bending works!"
Toph was ecstatic at how things had turned out. "Fuck the rules! This is way more entertaining!"
Katara narrowly won the fourth round, after using a water tendril to grab Azula's left leg, moving her foot outside of the ring just enough.
It was now tied, with the fifth round to be the tiebreaker.
"Man, who would've thought that Sugar Queen would be holding her own?"
"Katara's waterbending is really good, Toph. I mean she hasn't been as trained as some of us because, you know, how Pakku refused to teach her until recently. But, she's smart, and she learns quickly.." Suki complimented her friend.
"Yeah, yeah, I know.."
Katara kept two tendrils of water around both of her arms, swinging them both at the firebender. Azula dodged the left one with a roll and extinguished the right one with a kick. Katara immediately summoned a new one.
She worked hard to break these tendril connections, if Katara was able to grab her with one, it would make bending with that limb impossible.
Azula successfully extinguished both and had the waterbender reeling towards the edge of the ring with a low supply of water around. She decided to attempt the finishing blow, using a front flip blast technique she often used. But, as she attempted to run up, her feet were completely encased in ice.
Katara smiled, the firebender had let her guard down for too long. Katara summoned a ball of ice, and prepared to launch it at Azula.
Azula was highly frustrated with the amount of ice being used, it took her too long to combat it, and she knew if the ball came at her she wouldn't be able to melt it quick enough.
Fuck it. She started the motion to channel lightning.
Aang saw what she was doing and all the negative possibilities ran through his head in an instant. "Azula, wait!"
Katara fired the ice ball.
Azula shot her lightning into the ground between the two of them, shattering pieces of earth all around.
Toph cleared all the earth flying around, stopping it from hitting any of them on the sideline.
Katara had fallen out of the ring after the explosion, and as Toph felt her outside of the zone she raised her hand. "Fire, three! Fire wins!" She started to clap in sarcastic fashion.
As the firebender broke free from the ice, and walked over to the waterbender.
Katara finished coughing from the smoke, and looked up at Azula, who was now towering over her. Shit.
Azula lowered her hand down, and Katara was shocked to see it was in a helping manner. The waterbender stared in confusion.
Azula said nothing, but she didn't move her hand.
Katara finally accepted it, and as she grabbed the firebender's hand to be helped up. I was going to be bitter about the lightning, but I guess she didn't shoot it at me..
"Good match. I'll be honest, I underestimated you."
"Thanks?" Katara asked half heartedly, she wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult.
"You're not on the Pro Bending team?" Azula asked as she started to walk off the field towards the others.
Katara followed. "No."
"Why not? Not interested?"
"I don't know. I only started waterbending training about half a year ago, so I didn't participate last year."
"Really?" Azula was shocked that she had been training for such a short time. "Why so late?"
"Well.. water tribe culture.. Women are usually supposed to use bending for healing." She sighed. "My grandfather, he's a master waterbender.. I asked him to teach me for a while, but he only started to listen recently. I tried to learn on my own before that, but it's hard to really get it without a teacher."
"I see.."
"Great match guys!" Aang yelled as the two girls walked back over to the group.
"Yeah.." Toph walked closer to Azula, "You definitely have to be on the team."
"Will she be on the team?" Azula motioned over to Katara.
"Sugar Queen?!" Toph exclaimed. "Ehh, I don't know.."
"If she's not on the team, I won't be there." Azula proclaimed bluntly.
"What!?" Toph said in disbelief.
Aang, Suki, and Katara also looked at Azula with shocked expressions.
"Who's the waterbender on the team now?" Azula questioned.
"Hahn."
Azula groaned. "That idiot in our gym class?"
"Yeah.." Toph replied unceremoniously.
"There's no way he's better than her. If we're going to win, we need to do it right."
"Look, Sugar Queen might look good out here sparring, and using ice, which is illegal… But I don't know if she has that killer instinct in her.."
"And he does?" Azula replied.
"I mean.. Honestly, not really.." Toph sighed. "And also.. The waterbending coach for the team kind of refuses to teach bending to women.. You know, water tribe culture?"
"Who gives a shit about that? We're looking to win.. Just find someone who will.."
"Who are we going to find that will?" Toph replied.
"I could.." Katara raised her hand. "I could ask Pakku.. I don't know if he'd say yes, but.." She interjected.
"Hmmm.." Toph rested her hand on her chin as she pondered the possibility. "Well, it might ruffle some feathers, but.. Shit, why not!" Toph exclaimed. "Now, you'll have no choice but to spar with me in practice, Sugar Queen!"
"Oh brother.." Katara rolled her eyes..
"Congratulations Katara!" Suki hugged the waterbender.
"Yeah, that's great news Kat!" Aang said genuinely.
"Thanks guys." Katara smiled as she hugged Suki back.
"Wait, wait, wait.. I didn't say she's on the team yet, we still have tryouts.."
"I think I can handle Hahn." Katara said with confidence.
"You better be able to."
Aang saw as Azula walked closer to him. "Impressive display Azula.. You had me scared for a second there with the lightning.."
"Just a diversion tactic.. We need to get to the library now though. This project won't do itself.."
"Alright, I have to put Appa's saddle back on so give me a few.." The airbender leaped off.
Katara walked over to Azula, after Aang leaped away. "Umm, Azula.. Thank you..." The awkwardness sat in the air around them.
"No need for that.. You can fight, and if you want to fight, you should be on the team. All that other stuff doesn't matter." Azula said bluntly as she started walking.
Katara blushed. Somebody who respected her waterbending skill for what it was, it was quite refreshing.
"I need to get going though.." Azula awkwardly waved goodbye to the three girls.
"She really is a little odd.." Suki commented as Azula was no longer within earshot.
"Yeah.. I'm surprised she gets along so well with twinkletoes.. Then again, he gets along with everybody."
"Katara?" Suki looked at her friend.
"Yeah?"
"So how do you feel about her now?"
Katara wasn't expecting this at all when the day started, but her response was.. "I think I like her.."
Uhh Katara doesn't romantically like Azula I feel it ending like that was a little weird LUL.
Heyy all finally updating this fic.. How tragic, it's been so long.. I wish I had more to say but, I really don't. Hopefully more will come soon but I don't want to get your hopes up too much lol. I spent a lot of time on the fight in this one, not sure why, I was just having fun writing it. Might be a bit rough though I'm too lazy to proofread.
Oh, and remember, join the Kataang discord if you're not in it already! Look for it on disboard or PM me!
Quick thanks to anybody who's left me reviews! TayBone2305, thanks for the one on the Kataang Week upload, that one motivated me enough that day to write like three whole pages lol. Ashley Barbosa, thank you as always too, you're the best!