The royal siblings got to play dress up. The big day of Lu Ten's homecoming was here and security was tight. There were people flooding the streets and cheering. Even Zuko was in a bright mood as he jumped to see over heads. Azula tries to clammer onto his shoulders and a struggle commences before a guard yells at them to quit it.
"This is stupid. Let's watch from a rooftop or something," Zuko glares at all the tall adults.
"That's the smartest suggestion I've ever heard spew out of your mouth," Azula gasps.
They find a second floor house. Neither Azula or Zuko or proficient yet at using firebending to jump to high places. Instead Azula gets near the wall, threads her fingers together, and crouches. She nods at Zuko. He gives her a warning look and for a moment Azula imagines how hilarious it would look for Zuko to slam into the wall but no. This is Lu Ten's day. Zuko runs and with Azula's help is able make it to the edge. Frankly, Azula doesn't trust her brother to push her up. She runs to the wall, is able take five steps on it, and grabs onto Zuko's ankle. He grabs her hand and lifts her to his side.
They make it to the roof of building and Azula pulls out a tiny flag she had stolen from a child. She waves it obnoxiously in front of his face. Maybe he would've burned or thrown it if it weren't illegal to do so.
The paraded soon started and the giant band marched before the soldiers. It was impressively synchronized, the drums and stomps of soldiers matching rhythm. Azula leans forward when the acrobats show up on their giant float. There are trampolines and bars and Azula worries. It looks dangerous and unlike the school gym there are no mats.
"Hey! It's Ty Lee!" Zuko stands and waves but Azula harshly pulls him down.
He's too surprised to be annoyed. "What? That's our friend."
"My friend," Azula snaps. "I don't want you distracting her."
Zuko blinks and squirms. "You're right. She must weigh like a twig. Look how high they're throwing her."
Azula did see. She had faith in Ty Lee's abilities but less so on her teammates. They perform admirably though. When the float is about to pass them, Ty Lee is balancing on a beam and Azula thinks she sees them. Ty Lee removes one hand and Azula stops breathing but Ty Lee briefly waves with her free hand. She puts both hands on the beam again and backflips to her teammates arms.
Zuko claps for both of them.
"That's my girl," Azula cheers proudly. "She's no firebender but she has an impressive-" Azula cuts herself off when she catches sight of Zuko's grin. "What?" she puts her hands on her hips defensively.
"Nothing," Zuko looks away and Azula roughly shakes him. It quickly gets on his nerves. "Stop it. I'm just jealous is all. Wish I had people."
Oh. Oh no. Azula isn't good at talking to her brother if it doesn't involve taunting him. She has the strangest urge to comfort him. Then again he hogs all of their mothers attention. It's Lu Ten's day and Azula is estatic but now Zuko is trying to drag drama into the pot.
"Th-They're your friends too. Mai likes you and Ty Lee likes everyone," Azula examines her chipped nails. When Zuko doesn't immediately respond Azula casts him an annoyed glare. "Did you hear me? I'm not going to repeat myself."
The siblings share a tiny and exasperated smile.
The cheering and screaming rise. The siblings look to the right and the beloved prince of the fire nation is slowly being carried by the servants. Lu Ten is kneeling on a red cushion, his robes are blue, red, and gold. He is like the sun made incarnate. Azula and Zuko leap to their feet and frantically, wildly, jump and wave from their spots.
Zuko grabs her hand and she's honestly startled when she sees his serious expression. "One day that'll be us."
"You're looking forward to a hero's welcome, Zuzu?" she asks but there's no bite when she says his nickname. She's too elated to be mean.
Zuko rolls his eyes and squeezes her hand. "One day...one day we'll be let out of the palace and get to bring glory to our homeland."
They stare at each other. His eyes burning with passion and patriotism. He's grown much taller in the few months too. Azula saw her big dummy brother and the promising cool brother he could be. It was bizarre as it was inspiring. She reaches out with the hand he's not clutching and squeezes his cheeks. She laughs as he mimics a fish and pulls away with pink cheeks.
"Sorry. Sorry. You were cool for a moment and it threw me off," she smiles apologetically.
He huffs at her. "I'm going to train extra hard starting tomorrow. Morning and afternoon. You'll help me right. You have my back."
Azula reaches to clutch his shoulder. With a completely serious face she responds. "Begrudgingly, you know I do. I love you but there's no way I'm getting up any earlier than I have too," she shrugs with half a shoulder and lets go. She jumps off the roof and lands on the ground. Nobody notices her land and she sticks her little flag on the back of her pocket. She begins walking away and then Zuko lands beside her.
"Hey!" A guard is suddenly in front of them and Azula is taken back by the growl. "I saw you jump off that building and we got a complaint teenagers were hanging there." He glares at Zuko and tries to move away.
"No. I was here with my sister the whole time," Zuko lies.
The guard looks at Azula and she shakes her head.
"Do you know this boy?"
"No sir. Never seen him in my life," Azula lies. "I'm on the cleanup committee actually so if you would excuse me."
"Of course young lady," he turns back to a stupefied Zuko and Azula slinks into the crowd.
Azula loves her brother but she has a duty as the younger sibling to torture him a little. Make sure his ego doesn't inflate and all that. To make up for her little betrayal she supposes she can wake up earlier tomorrow and train with him. She's getting better at separating her chi, she can feel the lightest tingles in fingertips. She can't relax now on her training either. She will create lightning.
She makes it to the palace and servants are running around everywhere. Aw, chaos. She asks someone where Lu Ten is and they tell her he's having an audience with the firelord. Azula goes to his room. The servants had dusted the tables, changed the sheets and removed the cobwebs. Azula takes a seat on the floor and rests her head on the bed. She plays with the sparks in her fingertips and waits for Lu Ten.
His entrance is as spectacular as it is funny. The minute the doors close behind him, his whole body sags and he pulls his hair from its tight bun. From up close she can see he has no hideous or badass scar but he does look incredibly tired and forlorn. Then he carelessly bangs his foot against his reading table.
"Fuck!" he growls and hops on one foot.
Azula bites her tongue but a small chortle escapes. He freezes and slowly looks over to her with wide eyes. She stares back with a sympathetic smile.
"That must've fucking hurt," Azula says.
"Zula!" he hops over to her. "Please don't use that word in front of your mother and then blame me."
Azula stands and bows her head but he scoops her up into his embrace. They teether and Azula is ready to push him off before they hit the ground. He tests his foot and then spins them around.
"You've gotten so big!"
She zaps his elbow and he yelps. She gives him her signature smirk. "I've gotten stronger."
His smile is pleased, impressed, and a bit pained. He puts her down and nods. "Now I'm feeling safe enough not to sleep with one eye open. Gosh, I better be careful not to get on your bad side," he pushes her and Azula is pleased to see he doesn't look weighed down anymore.
The makeup is worrying. Maybe he was trying to conceal bags under his eyes.
"Where's Zuko?"
"In jail, probably," she shrugs and then sits on his bed.
His laugh is cut short, he takes Azula seriously. "Oh no. Did he turn into a delinquent while I was away."
Azula grimly nods. "Poor mom. As soon as dad left it was like releasing a tiger monkey," she snorts and Lu Ten dramatically pinches her cheeks.
"You're such a liar."
"If you're not tired I'd like to hear about your trip?"
He gives her a small and calculating smile as if debating what to say. He changes into something more comfortable and slowly sits on the bed. He's so old. Gosh, it must be terrible to be old at twenty-three.
"Clearly, I beat everyone that I came across. This earthbender threw a rock at me and I kicked back. Hit his head. It got frustrating too, that stupid wall. At night I'd shoot lightning at the guards patrolling the wall."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Azula asks and Lu Ten nods. "That makes you an easier target."
"Yeah but it was kind of fun too. Challenging. Knocking them down like pins and it also helped demoralize the people," he blushes. "At least that what I tell myself. Dad said it was stupid too but I was just so frustrated. Strategy was getting us knower and my soldiers were getting killed and injured."
"I heard you were the one that first entered Ba Sing Se," Azula leans forward and his expression becomes as hard as stone.
"I can't take all the credit," he glances at the ground, the ceiling, and then at his calloused fingers. In the back of her head Azula notes his healthy looking nails. She's been practicing separating her chi and her burned nails are the result of her work. She thinks about what her father letter and what told her to do. "I saw an opening and I took it."
"I know and we're proud of you. Everyone is." He doesn't respond to that. Azula can see pass his smile. "I think grandpa fell asleep with his eyes open at yesterdays dinner," Azula whispers and Lu Ten chokes on his roaring laughter.
"Zula!" he holds his bandaged sides. "I can't believe you! I have to report your disrespect to our powerful firelord now!"
She doesn't care because she succeeded in what she had been tasked to do. She made Lu Ten laugh. Got his mind off his inner turmoil and remnants of guilt over a woman's suicide.
Azula hops of the bed. He needs his rest before dinner. "Hey, rest easy now. You're home." He gives her a soft smile. "I'm twelve now. Soon Zuko will be a teenager-teenager and we can take some of the weight of your shoulders." He laughs and forces her into a hug.
"I always wondered why dad didn't remarry or give me a sibling. I wasn't upset about it after you two were born. Thank you Azula." His shoulders dip and he gives her a tired but giant grin. "Tomorrow, once I'm done with my duties, I'll start teaching both of you how to strike terror into mens heart."
Azula lifts her hand and blue fire spurts out. Predictively his eyes widen. "I'd say I'm ahead on that lesson."
She leaves and goes to look for her mother. If Zuko wasn't with her than she'd have to bust him out of jail or wherever they put misfits.