Prince Sokka, Peasant Azula
Chapter summary: In a universe where the Fire Nation was defeated by the other three nations in 40 years rather than 100, Prince Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe seeks a legendary firebender who can generate lightning.
Chapter rating: T
Chapter genres: Drama, Romance
Water Tribe: Childhood
"Tell us a story! Tell us a story!"
Chiefess Kya giggled, looking fondly at the little prince and princess tucked snugly in the princess's bed in the royal palace. They were both so cute, bouncing up and down with anticipation as they waited for their nightly bedtime story, gazing at their mother with their sparkling blue eyes. Kya couldn't resist.
"Okay," she smiled, walking over toward the bed. "Better make room!"
Wanting to be in the middle, Katara, the younger sibling at the ripe age of four, scooted closer to her big brother, Sokka. Sokka knew by this point, with his five years on Earth, that it wasn't worth fighting over who got to sit next to mom, so he willingly moved over.
Kya hopped into bed, pulling the covers up over her lap. "Well then, what story would you like to hear tonight? Something old or something new?"
"Tell us the story of Avatar Aang!" Sokka pleaded.
"Yeah!" Katara enthusiastically agreed. "Avatar Aang! Avatar Aang!"
"Very well," Kya snickered. "The tale of Avatar Aang it is."
The prince and princess exchanged excited grins before settling down to listen to the story.
"Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then…" Kya's voice darkened for dramatic effect. "…everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked."
"Booo!" the kids shouted. "Booo Fire Nation!"
"Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them, but when the world needed him most… he vanished."
"But he didn't vanish, Mommy!" Katara interjected.
"No, no he did not, but that's what the Council of Elders at the Southern Air Temple were made to believe because, without telling a soul, Aang took off with his sky bison, Appa."
"Why did he leave?" Sokka questioned curiously.
Kya smiled softly. She had recounted the tale of Avatar Aang a few times before, but each time her kids, well, mostly Sokka, would ask new questions. "Well you see, earlier that day the Council told Aang that he was the Avatar. Aang was only twelve-years-old at the time, four years earlier than they would have normally told him, but the Council decided to deliver the news early because they sensed war was coming."
"The Fire Nation…" Sokka murmured.
"Exactly."
Katara looked down at her lap. "He must have been so scared."
"He was," Kya confirmed. "And that's why he ran away. He fled with Appa into a vicious, deadly storm."
Katara held tightly onto her brother.
"However, just before Aang and Appa were about to be swallowed by the sea, Avatar Roku saved them by forcing Aang into the Avatar State. There, Roku spoke to Aang, telling him to be brave. To be strong. That the world needed him. And when he finally came out of the Avatar State, Aang knew exactly what he had to do. Only he didn't have a lot of time, for you see… Sozin's Comet was fast approaching."
Sokka glowered.
"Aang flew to each of the Air Temples one-by-one and warned the nomads about the upcoming invasion, preparing them for war. And it's a good thing he did, because when he returned to the Southern Air Temple, he was able to stand with his people and fight against the Fire Nation during the comet."
"Go Aang!" Katara cheered.
"Still, even with Aang's warning, hundreds of Air Nomad lives were lost. And the war continued to wage on, with the Fire Nation gaining a strong foothold in the western Earth Kingdom frontier."
"What about the Water Tribes?" Sokka asked.
"The Water Tribes suffered some naval defeats, but when Fire Lord Sozin went to invade our sister tribe, the Fire Nation failed due to the Northern Water Tribe's harsh climate and landscape. That's when the Fire Nation turned their attention to the Southern Water Tribe, around the time Fire Lord Azulon ascended the throne."
Sokka's tiny hands balled into fists.
"Don't fret, my sweet prince," Kya smiled assuredly. "You know how the story turns out."
"Yeah!" he said proudly. "The Southern Water Tribe was able to defend itself again the Fire Nation attacks due to reinforcements from the North!"
"There's my little smartie pants!"
"This part is about Gran-Gran, right?!" Katara asked, getting excited. "This is my favorite part of the story!"
"Yes, that's correct! This is where Gran-Gran comes into play," Kya continued with the story. "Your Gran-Gran, who was born in the Northern Water Tribe, was arranged to be married to your Grandpa Pakku when she was sixteen. But the problem was, she had some reservations about marrying him and fled to the Southern Water Tribe, leaving your grandpa heartbroken."
"Poor Grandpa," Sokka pouted.
"The Northern Water Tribe had some outdated philosophies, where women were to serve as homemakers and healers, while men got to work and fight, and well, you know your Gran-Gran. She was not going to put up with this chauvinistic lifestyle, so she left."
"I'm proud of her for standing up for herself," Katara said smugly. "Girl power!"
Sokka rolled his eyes.
"Pakku was so heartbroken that he decided to abandon his old way of thinking and chase after his one true love."
"That's so romantic!" Katara gushed.
"Blech," Sokka groaned. "Can we skip the romance please?"
Katara wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at him.
Kya couldn't help but laugh. "Pakku left for the Southern Water Tribe and brought along with him some others from the Northern Water Tribe who sought a more progressive lifestyle. So when the Fire Nation eventually invaded the Southern Water Tribe, there were plenty of strong waterbenders to fight them off. It took forty years of fighting, but through the brave efforts of the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, and Air Nomads, and the charismatic leadership of Avatar Aang, the Fire Nation was defeated."
"Yes!" Katara celebrated.
Sokka threw his arms victoriously into the air. "Down with the Fire Nation!"
"Grandpa Pakku and Gran-Gran were named Chief and Chiefess for their heroism, and your daddy was born as the first prince of the Southern Water Tribe. And our home, the royal palace, was constructed just for them."
Katara smiled contently and sighed. "I wish I could have gotten to meet Avatar Aang."
"I wish you could have met him too," Kya said sympathetically, "but who knows, maybe you'll get to meet the new Avatar!"
"Just think, if you had been born just one year later, you could have possibly been the Avatar," Sokka taunted, having recently learned that Avatar Aang passed away one year after his sister's birth.
"Hmph," Katara muttered, slouching.
"I just wish I could go on some big adventure like Aang. Traveling the world, saving lives, fighting bad guys!" Sokka struck a fighting pose.
"Maybe one day you'll get to do just that," Kya chuckled. "Okay, time for bed." She leaned down to give her daughter a big hug and a kiss on the forehead.
"Good night, Mom. I love you."
"I love you too, my little princess."
She crossed to the other side of the bed to collect her son. "Come on, Sokka. Off to your own room now." She extended her arms and her son immediately hopped into them like a koala-sloth clinging to a tree.
"Do you really think I'll get to have an adventure of my own?" he asked with bright blue eyes as his mother carried him to his bedroom.
She beamed down at him. "I think you can do anything you want to do."
He grinned.
She set him down on his own bed and tucked him in with a hug and a kiss. "I love you so much, my little prince."
"I love you too, Mom."
Smiling softly, she turned to leave, but just as she was about to walk out of his room, she heard his voice.
"I have another question about the war."
She turned back around to face him. "What is it, my dear?"
"What happened to the Fire Nation royal family after their defeat?"
"Well, the war sent the Fire Nation into economic collapse."
He blinked up at her.
"They fell into poverty. The royal family was considered to be a huge disgrace to the Fire Nation and they were dethroned. The monarchy ended with Fire Lord Azulon."
"Wow… so that's it then."
"Rumor has it that Azulon and his wife, Ilah, had a son the same year the monarchy was abolished, but who knows?" she shrugged.
"Hmm." He stretched his arms above his head and yawned. "Okay, good night, Mom!"
Kya left the room and closed the door.
Sokka drifted off to sleep thinking about all the adventures he might get to have someday.
Fire Nation: Childhood
The history of what happened to the disgraced Fire Nation royals following the war was not known by many. Rumors were abundant, folklore was spread, but the truth stayed within the family.
With the Fire Nation palace destroyed by rebels and anarchists, Azulon, stripped of his title, fled with his wife to Hing Wa Island, where the pair birthed not one son, but two. Iroh, the older of the two boys, the one who would have become Fire Lord, grew up toiling the land of his family's farm, blissfully unaware of his royal ties. Ozai, the younger brother, was born a solid fifteen years after Iroh, and while he may have been the result of an unplanned pregnancy and was sometimes treated as such, he showed a great proclivity for firebending at a young age.
Iroh eventually went on to have a son of his own, Lu Ten, however, he tragically lost his wife during childbirth. The once ambitious, industrious, and somewhat hedonistic Iroh was never the same after that; his personality softened considerably after he turned to spirituality to ease his pain.
Ozai, on the other hand, had a bit more luck on his side. One fateful day while delivering crops to the mainland, he met a beautiful Fire Nation botanist named Ursa. The magnetic attraction was instant. Ozai and Ursa were married shortly afterward and had two children, Zuko and Azula, the first of whom was born a decade after Lu Ten.
Life on the farm was simple. The tropical climate of Hing Wa, a humble island famous for its ash bananas, was not forgiving; the crops and exotic flowers would only flourish through intense labor. But Iroh, Ozai, Lu Ten, Zuko, and Azula never knew anything greater, what life was like outside their little farming village. Iroh and Ozai only had small glimpses into more glamorous lifestyles on their trips to the mainland. Even then, the Fire Nation was still struggling to recover from the war, and thus, Azulon's sons never truly grasped the poor socioeconomic class of their family. It wasn't until Azulon was on his deathbed when Iroh and Ozai learned the truth about their royal lineage. And just like their father did with them, they decided to keep this information from their children, thinking it would be better for them not to know the shame and dishonor their family brought to the Fire Nation.
All in all, Lu Ten, Zuko, and Azula had a happy, albeit hardworking, childhood. However, family turmoil began to surface when it became evident that all three kids were firebenders and Ozai started hosting firebending competitions. While these spars occasionally stirred some jealousy and rivalry, particularly between Zuko and Azula, they were generally good-natured.
However, one day the friendly firebending match got out of hand. The day Azula lost control. The day the field turned blue.
Zuko collapsed screaming in agony, clutching his eye.
All of Azula's unkempt hair stood on end. The nine-year-old stood frozen in place, trembling, looking down at her hands as tears streamed down her face.
"Zuko! ZUKO!" Iroh and Lu Ten shouted repeatedly, running toward the fallen child as fast as they could.
"Remarkable," Ozai breathed, staring at his daughter in shock and awe. "A true prodigy."
"Zuzu!" Through the hot tears, Azula somehow found the strength to run to her brother. "Zuzu!" Iroh and Lu Ten were helping him up onto his feet when she reached him. "Zuzu, I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I – "
"Get away from me!" Zuko snarled at her, covering his left eye as tears poured from the other.
"I-I didn't mean to!" she cried. "I don't even know how I…" Her knees buckled beneath her, and she fell onto the grass, sobbing.
Eventually Ozai came to collect her. "It's going to be okay, Azula. You didn't do anything wrong."
"How can you say that?" she quavered, glaring up at him. "Do you even care about him?!" She took off sprinting toward the farmhouse, where Ursa was already nursing her severely injured brother.
"How…" was the only word Ursa could muster, unable to look at her daughter.
"I-I don't know!" she choked, continuing to sob. "It was an accident – I couldn't control – " Azula would never forget the look on her mother's face when she finally looked at her, the fear in her yellow eyes. "You believe me, don't you, Mommy?"
"I…" She was quiet for a moment, shaking her head as she dressed Zuko's wounds. "I believe you."
Sensing her mother was lying, she ran to her brother's side and held his hand. "You know it was an accident, don't you, Zuzu? Please tell me you believe me. You know I'd never – "
"I know, Azzie." He gently squeezed her hand. "I know."
She smiled through her tears as she leaned in to deliver a soft kiss to her brother's injured cheek. Her mother had always said that kisses were magic and could mend any wound, but Azula was just beginning to realize that this was just another lie. Magic wasn't real and the damage to her brother's face may never fully heal. And it was all her fault. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'll never firebend again." That's when she felt her father's hands on her shoulders.
"Let your brother rest, Azula. Come on."
Still shaking, she allowed her dad to escort her out of the farmhouse.
Ozai took a knee in front of his daughter as he tried to console the inconsolable. He took both her hands in his as he looked into her glistening yellow eyes. "Azula, sweet girl," he spoke softly. "I know you didn't do this on purpose. You would never want to hurt your brother."
"I love Zuzu," she murmured.
"Yes. Yes, of course you do."
"I don't even know how… what that was."
"It was lightning, my love. You generated lightning."
"Like… a storm?"
"Exactly like a storm."
Azula noticed the way her father looked at her, with pride in his eyes. Exactly the opposite way her mother had looked at her, like she was defective.
"You have a gift, Azula."
"It's n-not a gift," she shuddered, quickly shaking her head. "I hurt Zuzu – "
"Your brother is going to be okay," he assured, gingerly squeezing her hands, marveling at how such tiny hands could produce such a destructive force. "We're going to figure this all out, how you generated lightning – "
"Daddy, no, please – "
" – and we're going to help you control it. Then you'll never have to hurt anyone ever again. Does that sound okay?"
"I… I…" She inhaled shakily. "Maybe."
He smiled. "You, my daughter, are destined for greatness." He pulled her in for a hug. Letting her cry into his shoulder, he delicately stroked her hair, scheming up ways to give Azula a life outside the island, imagining what wealth and prosperity her talent could bring to the entire family.
Water Tribe: Adolescence
As it turned out, life as a prince was not the type of adventure Sokka thought he'd have. If anything, it was more mundane than life as a commoner would have been. The palace had everything he could ever want – he barely had a reason to leave. All his schooling and lessons in swordsmanship were offered to him right there in the palace. And all the meetings… the boring, relentless meetings he had to attend in order to prepare him for his future role as Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, made him want to pull his hair out.
His wanderlust and thirst for adventure only grew stronger as the years went by. While he had been privileged to travel to the Northern Water Tribe several times and the wealthier regions of the Earth Kingdom, he had never seen any of the Air Temples. Of course, he had never seen any parts of the Fire Nation either, not even the colonies in the Earth Kingdom, but he didn't care so much about that. While he no longer harbored the same resentment against the Fire Nation he once did as a child, he still had no desire to see the impoverished nation firsthand.
He felt selfish and spoiled for letting the ennui of every day life in the palace get to him. He knew he should be more appreciative for everything he had. The best teachers, mentors, doctors, and chefs, the various palace amenities such as the spa, not having to worry about anything other than leading his people one day. Still, most days left him feeling empty. It didn't help that there were barely any other kids around his age. He had his sister, with whom he got along well for the most part, and he had his best friend, Avatar Korra. However, while the three of them were as thick as thieves, he often felt left out. Katara and Korra were exceptional waterbenders, the latter also already an accomplished earthbender and firebender to boot, and Sokka… he was just an ordinary nonbender.
The only thing that kept Sokka motivated and satisfied was his makeshift workshop, where he got to experiment and toy with a variety of tools and materials. It was the one place where he could be alone to let his imagination run free. Though only thirteen years of age, he had already created over fifty silly, yet fairly useless, inventions.
He was happily tinkering away at another invention when Katara and Korra came bursting through the door.
"Whatchya working on, Wolfie?" the bubbly eleven-year-old Avatar questioned.
"How many times do I have to tell you to knock first before barging in?"
"If I knocked first, then how would I be able to barge in?" she sneered.
Sokka huffed. "Sometimes I just like a little privacy, okay?"
"What are you doing in here that's so secretive, huh?" Korra wiggled her eyebrows.
"N-Nothing!" he replied, a little too defensively.
Katara couldn't explain why, but she felt it was best not to keep prying. "Sorry for bothering you, but we just thought you should know, a ship from our sister tribe just pulled up."
"What?" He arched an eyebrow. "Is there a meeting? No one said anything…"
She shrugged.
He ran over to his invention he called the Sneaky-Peeky, essentially a shoddily crafted periscope that was inspired by getting hit in the face with snowballs too many times poking his head out of the trenches during make-believe war games. "Huh."
"What is it?" Katara asked.
"Chief Arnook and Chiefess Marukina are here."
"And Yue?" Korra teased, suspecting Sokka had a bit of a crush on her.
"No. Just the Chief and Chiefess. Oh, and would you guess, the Chiefess is pregnant. Again."
"Wow, that's wonderful!" Katara beamed.
"What is that, baby number five?" Korra scoffed.
Katara gave her a look.
It was true. Ever since Princess Yue's birth, the Chief and Chiefess had had a child roughly every three years, desperately trying for a boy. So far, it was just Yue and her three sisters. Maybe fifth time was a charm.
Sokka frowned. "I wonder why no one told me they were visiting."
"Maybe it's a surprise?" Katara guessed.
"Or maybe it's some sort of super-secret meeting," Korra grinned mischievously, rubbing her hands together. "Either way… we should probably spy on them."
"Korra, no!" Katara derided. "We can't do that!"
"Aw, come on. Sokka is gonna be Chief one of these days – he should know what's going on!"
"But it's not right…" Katara looked over at her brother. "What do you think?"
"I think…" While he knew it wasn't right to spy, he didn't think it was right for him to be kept in the dark. "…we should find out what's going on."
"Yes!" Korra cheered. "Let's go!" She ran out into the hallway.
"Wait!" Sokka called after her. "We can't just waltz right into the throne room. There are going to be guards. We'll have to be sneaky about it."
It took some time to find the ideal spot to listen to the conversation while not being spotted by guards or other palace staff, but eventually the dynamic trio found themselves crammed in the kitchen pantry with their ears pressed against the wall.
Korra's hunch was right – it was a secret meeting. A meeting of utmost importance. The crux of it: in order to mend the strained relationship between sister tribes, Chief Arnook and Chiefess Marukina proposed an arranged marriage between Princess Yue and Prince Sokka.
"They want to marry you off?" Korra asked, her face twisting as she processed the proposal.
Sokka's heart was pounding in his chest.
"I think it's romantic!" Katara said smiling. "And besides, you've always liked Yue. A sister can tell."
Sokka did always have a soft spot for Yue, it was hard not to, but… this proposal made his stomach churn, although he couldn't place a finger on why he was feeling so torn up.
His parents accepted the proposal. Sokka and Yue were to be wed at the age of twenty.
"What's wrong, brother?"
"I don't know…"
"This is wonderful news! Yue is kind, gentle, nurturing – "
"And beautiful!" Korra cut in.
" – yes, and beautiful! She's the perfect princess."
"Yes, but… do I even get a choice in the matter? It's my life, shouldn't I get a say in it?"
"Sokka…" Katara placed a comforting hand on his back. "You have a duty to your people."
He nodded. "I know." And just like that, Sokka felt any dream of him traveling the world and having his own adventure slip away. His fate, both his role as a leader and now his future bride, was sealed.
Fire Nation: Adolescence
"Alright," Azula said with satisfaction after successfully delivering a crate of crops to one of the produce shops on the mainland, "two down, four more to go!"
Zuko nodded, keeping his head low.
Ever since Azula turned twelve and Zuko fourteen, the two of them were tasked with the responsibility of distributing the family's crops and flowers. At first the two shadowed their father, uncle, and cousin so they could learn the art of bartering and how not to get shortchanged. Then they went on to make their deliveries supervised. Before long, the siblings were out on their own.
Zuko never looked forward to his trips to the mainland. Sure they were exciting in the beginning, but he hated the way people looked at him, always staring at the fern-like scar on his left cheek. Azula's lightning had certainly created a unique scar: it looked like red branches across his cheek and eye. At least he still had vision in his wounded eye.
Azula could always tell how self-conscious her brother felt out in public. It was her fault people stared. She did this to him. She wished time and time again that she were the one disfigured and drawing unwanted stares and attention from passersby. Her brother didn't deserve this, and it ate her up inside.
Due to Zuko's self-consciousness and social awkwardness, Azula was generally the one to interface directly with the customers while Zuko did more of the heavy lifting. All in all, it was a good system for the hardworking siblings.
They returned to their wagon to find two crates remaining: three with produce and one with flowers. Zuko picked up one of the ones with produce and accompanied his sister to the next shop, setting the crate down on the counter upon arrival without saying a word. Azula took over from there, engaging in small talk and trying to be her most charming self in order to get the best deal, and collecting the family's pay. However, something suspicious caught her eye as she counted the currency in her hand.
"Zuko!" she screamed, pointing to their wagon. "They're taking our crops!"
Thieves. Good-for-nothing thieves. Three of them, each with a box of goods.
The siblings dashed out and frantically started chasing them down, however, they all split in different directions. With a barrage of fire blasts radiating all throughout the main street, some from Zuko, some from Azula, and some from the thieves fighting back at them, the siblings were finally able to apprehend two of them and recover their boxes. Unfortunately, one man was still on the loose, and he had the most valuable crate of all: the one with exotic flowers.
Zuko immediately went to chase after the third man before Azula could say anything. This left her in a very vulnerable position. She now had to guard the wagon alone. And the bandits they had knocked down did not stay there for long. And they were angry. Soon they came after her, hurling fire blast after fire blast. She dodged and twisted her body every which way to avoid being hit, all while blasting their fire away with her own as to avoid having the wagon and remaining produce catch on fire. It wasn't long before it became evident that she would have to take more extreme measures. She may have been outnumbered, but little did the thieves know, they were outmatched.
"Stay back!" she cried, forming a strong blue fire orb in her hand. "I'm warning you!"
"Move out of the way, little girl," one of them spat before hurling another flame toward her head.
At this point, the ruckus gathered the attention of the locals. They were all staring at the poor twelve-year-old girl defending her little wagon all by herself, yet no one stepped in to help.
One of the robbers got close enough to make a swipe at her, but she blasted him back with a strong azure flame. But the thieves were relentless. It probably wasn't even a matter of getting the crops anymore, it was a matter of not wanting to be beaten by a little girl.
"Hey, let's steal the girl too," one thief said to the other. "How much do you think we could get for her, eh?"
"The brat is pretty," he smirked in response. "I bet someone could find some use for her."
Azula felt sick to her stomach as they narrowed in on her, but she wouldn't allow them to get in her head. Following her training from her father and uncle, Azula closed her eyes and took a deep breath to clear her mind. Sparks formed at her fingertips as she drew her arms in a circular motion, one after the other, where her fingers eventually met together at the center of her chest. Then suddenly, she lunged forward and shot her arms straight out at her sides, firing lightning from her index and middle fingers, the crackling energy aimed directly at her attackers. Both thieves flew backwards, crashing into the audience behind them, completely knocked unconscious.
"Azula!" Zuko came running after her, carrying the box of flowers he had managed to regather. "Spirits, Azula, are you okay?" He set his crate down in the wagon and placed his hands on her shoulders. She was panting, still enraged.
"What have you done?!" someone called out from the crowd.
"What was that?" someone murmured, afraid.
"Someone call the authorities!" another voice demanded.
"Monster!" someone else shrieked, pointing directly at Azula. "She's a monster!"
Soon the whole crowd started screaming "monster" at her. All she could do was stand there trembling.
"Azula, let's just go," Zuko whispered, shielding her from the chanting mob.
She nodded and started walking away.
"Hey, you can't leave!" a man barked. "The authorities aren't here yet!"
Azula ignored him and kept walking.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" He grabbed Azula's arm and pulled her back. That was a huge mistake.
"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME!" Incensed beyond rationality, Azula placed a hand on top of the one the stranger had on her arm, allowing her hand to grow blisteringly hot.
"OW!" he yelped, instantly letting go. "You bitch!"
"Don't talk to my sister like that!" Zuko shouted before turning around and slugging the man in the face.
The crowd around them was a mixture of livid and fearful.
"Now we're going to do our jobs and finish making our deliveries whether you like it or not," Zuko continued. "And if any of you have a problem with that, you'll have to deal with us." He turned back around and placed his arm around his sister.
"Thanks for defending me, Zuzu," she said quietly.
"Any time," he smiled softly at her. "And I'm sorry for leaving you alone like that. It won't happen again, not even over a hundred crates of flowers."
She stole one more quick glance at the crowd behind her. Some were still swearing at the siblings, others were staring with their mouths agape completely stunned, and the rest were cowering in the back. However, one girl stood out from the rest. A pale, well-dressed girl with jet-black hair pulled up in pigtail buns, roughly Azula's age. At first she looked completely stoic, but then when Azula caught her eye a hint of a smirk spread on the girl's face. And perhaps even the look of approval.
About two weeks later, a messenger hawk delivered a letter addressed to Azula. Considering the young firebender was still the focus of the townspeople's gossip, she assumed this letter was an arrest warrant or some sort of fine for disturbing the peace. Much to her surprise, it was a letter of acceptance to the Elite Fire Academy for Girls, a private upper-class boarding school on the mainland, generally exclusive to Fire Nation nobility.
Her first thought was that it must have either been some sort of mix-up or a cruel prank; she had never applied to this institution after all. And even if it were a legitimate offer, her family could never afford it. However, there was a piece of information contained in the letter that caught the interest of her father: Azula could apply for a scholarship. To Ozai, there wasn't any choice in the matter. Azula was going to go to this school one way or another. And as luck would have it, the offer was in fact legitimate.
While Azula's exceptional marks in school were able to turn this theoretical scholarship into a reality, she understood that the level of education she would get at the boarding school would be much more intellectually demanding than at her current humdrum school. Not only would she be facing new, more challenging classes, but she would also have to navigate an entirely new school, a new living arrangement, and be forced to socialize with a bunch of privileged girls. She had no idea how well she'd fare.
Following some teary goodbyes and big hugs from her parents, uncle, brother, and cousin, she set sail for the mainland, where she was to stay until she finished her education at the age of eighteen. She would miss her family, especially her Zuzu, and she would miss life on the farm as well, but she was not about to let some homesickness stand in her way. For whatever reason, she had the opportunity to make something of herself. And it sure beat living as a social outcast, a monster.
The culture shock set in upon arrival. The boarding school was enormous, and everything was so pristine. The girls' dress code took "uniform" to a new level with sharply ironed burgundy tops, black skirts cut just below the knee, black and gold military-style boots, and not a hair out of place. An austere-looking admin showed Azula to her room and then immediately left her alone to get acclimated. As soon as the firebender stepped inside the door, she was greeted enthusiastically by her new roommate.
"Hi, I'm Ty Lee!" she welcomed with a huge smile on her face.
Ty Lee was beautiful, tall, slender, brown-gray eyes, her long brown hair tied up in a braided ponytail.
"Hi, I'm – "
"You must be Azula!" she interrupted, still grinning. "I've heard so much about you."
"You have?"
"Everybody has! You are the one with blue fire, aren't you? The one who can generate lightning?"
"I… yes, that's me."
"I knew it, I knew it!" Ty Lee squealed with delight. "I could sense your power by your red aura."
"A-And that doesn't bother you?"
"Are you kidding me? No way! After my last roommate decided to switch rooms and I found out you were going to be my new roomie, I just knew it was fate for us to meet."
"Umm, if you don't mind me asking, why did your last roommate switch rooms?"
"Oh, um, I don't know," Ty Lee shrugged. "I've always had a tough time keeping girlfriends."
Azula imagined it was due to other girls being envious of Ty Lee. Her looks would make any young girl feel insecure, and Azula was no exception. However, Azula was there to learn, not to meet boys, not that there were any boys to meet. Ty Lee seemed like a genuinely nice girl, and Azula was just happy to have a friend, especially one who accepted her for who she was and who wasn't afraid of her.
"I guess I talk too much or something," she continued. "You'll tell me if I talk too much, right?"
"Sure," Azula smiled.
"Yay!" Ty Lee ran up to her and gave her a hug. "We're going to be the best of friends, I just know it!"
The following day, Ty Lee gave Azula a thorough tour of the institution and showed her where each of her classes would be held, along with some gossip about several of their peers and a few lengthy anecdotes about her time there so far. Fortunately, since Ty Lee and Azula were in the same year, they had the same curriculum and thus they shared all the same classes. While slightly overwhelming due to the rigor of the courses and the high standard of classroom etiquette, Azula successfully navigated her morning lessons without a hitch. Then came time for lunch.
Azula sat across from Ty Lee at one of the dining hall tables. She noticed Ty Lee sat away from the other girls, and some of the students were staring at them and snickering. She wasn't sure whether the students were poking fun at Ty Lee, at herself, or at the both of them sitting together, but she decided to pay them no mind. So far Ty Lee seemed like a great friend, and Azula was thankful to have her as a roommate.
"See that girl over there?" Ty Lee asked, nudging her head to the side.
Azula looked over to see who Ty Lee was talking about.
"Don't look at her!" she whisper-shouted.
She quickly snapped her attention back to her roommate. "Then how am I supposed to – "
"That's Mai." Ty Lee lowered her voice. "President Ukano's daughter."
"Oh wow, really?" Azula looked to the side again to get a better look.
"I said don't look!"
"I've seen her before…" If memory served, Mai was the pale girl who witnessed Azula's day of infamy, the one who was smiling eerily at her.
"She's scary."
"How so?"
"She's just quiet and keeps to herself," Ty Lee explained. "She's mysterious. Intimidating. No one really knows anything about her."
"Have you ever considered that maybe she's, I don't know, lonely?"
Ty Lee ignored the question. "Oh Spirits, she's heading straight this way! Act normal." She started shoveling food into her mouth, faster than she normally would.
"Uhhh…" Azula poked awkwardly at her rice.
Mai sat down at their table, but kept a couple of seats between them.
Azula looked at her roommate, who was still acting weird, at Mai, and then back at Ty Lee. Thinking the whole thing to be ridiculous, she decided to make a bold move and talk to the president's daughter. She didn't look that scary after all.
"Um, hi," she greeted. "I'm Azula."
"I'm Mai," she said quietly. "And I know who you are."
"I knew I recognized you. You were there that day, the day I – "
"Took down two grown men all by yourself," Mai finished for her, smirking. "Yeah, why else do you think you would have been accepted to this school?"
"I…" Azula's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't understand. You did this?"
She shrugged, smiling.
"Why? Why would you do that for me, a complete stranger?"
"I don't know," Mai sighed. "Everything's always so boring around here. Seeing you fight those thieves was the first exciting thing I've seen in a long time, so I had my father pull some strings with the headmistress."
"Well I… thank you. I truly appreciate it, it's a real privilege to be here, but I still don't understand why you'd want me at this institution."
"Look." She casually crossed her legs. "This school offers us everything we could ever dream of learning. History, geography, reading, writing, math, science, even survival training, but the one thing they don't teach us here is self-defense. The Fire Nation is still in total chaos from the Forty-Year War. Sure we're recovering, but there are still criminals on every corner. Book smarts aren't going to help us survive in the real world. When I saw you knock out those thugs, I knew that the girls at this school would benefit from your… talent."
"What, you want me to teach self-defense or something?"
"Well, it would have to be an underground operation of course…"
"Mai, I… I am very grateful for everything you've done for me, but as you probably know, I'm here on a scholarship. I can't really afford to risk that…"
"Stick with me and you'll never have to risk anything."
"Well…" Azula thought for a moment. "It did feel good to take out those thieves." She smirked. "Great actually."
"So you're in?"
"The thing is… I can really only help with other firebenders. Outside of bending, I don't know much about combat."
"That's okay, that's where I come in," Mai said smugly. "You see, I've been honing a particular skill of my own. I'm happy to give you a demonstration later if you'd like."
"Well sure," Azula smiled. "I'll look forward to that."
"So does this mean we're in business?"
"Count me in." Azula extended her hand for a handshake.
Mai shook her hand.
"Ahem," Ty Lee said, loudly clearing her throat.
"Oh, Mai, this is Ty Lee, my roommate," Azula introduced.
"H-Hi Mr. President's daughter," Ty Lee blurted.
"Hi… you can just call me Mai."
"Okay, hi, Mai," she laughed nervously. "It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too."
"I, umm, couldn't help but overhear your conversation, and – "
"What, are you going to rat us out or something?" Mai questioned.
"N-No! Nothing like that." She shook her head. "I, uhh, wanted to offer my service as well." She leaned in and held her hand up to her mouth so other students wouldn't be able to read her lips. "I know how to chi block."
"Chi block?" Azula asked, mimicking her friend's secretive gesture. "What's that?"
"It's a technique that temporarily disables the opponent's muscles by precisely hitting their pressure points. It can even make benders lose their bending capabilities."
"What?!" Azula had never heard of such a thing, but it terrified her to no end.
"That's…" Mai smiled softly. "…pretty badass."
Ty Lee grinned, blushing.
"Okay, you're in."
Water Tribe: Adulthood
For several reasons, Sokka was not in a good mood. He was feeling discouraged over another failed invention, lonely because his sister and Avatar Korra were galivanting throughout the Earth Kingdom, and bitter because he was supposed to be galivanting with them but was stuck in the Southern Water Tribe instead. Korra had managed to score three premium tickets to front row seats at the Earth Rumble Tournament, an underground earthbending competition held in Gaoling, so the dynamic trio had arranged plans to travel together throughout the Earth Kingdom and do some sightseeing, as well as take advantage of all the perks that came along with being Water Tribe royalty plus the Avatar. Sokka had been looking forward to this extravagant trip, particularly the Earth Rumble Tournament, but the day before they were all supposed to leave for their trip, there was a catastrophic explosion at one of the construction sites, and as the crown prince, Sokka was asked to stay behind and help figure out the cause. As everyone always put it, Sokka had a duty to his people.
Katara found her brother in the dining room, drowning his sorrows in food. "Sokka, I'm back!"
"Katara!" he greeted, his mood picking up instantly. He walked up to her and gave her a hug.
She hugged him back tightly. "Did you miss me?"
"I sure did!" he grinned. "Come sit with me." He pulled out a chair for her. "I want to hear all about your trip." He didn't wait for her to talk before jumping in with the questions. "How was the Earth Rumble Tournament? Was it awesome?! Who kicked whose ass?"
"Y-Yeah, it was good. We got to see The Blind Bandit up close as she destroyed everyone – "
"Even The Big Bad Hippo? Even The Boulder?!"
"Yep, even them." She smiled awkwardly and looked down at the table.
"That's. So. Awesome! I wish I could have been there, ugh, I can't believe I had to miss – hey… it everything okay?" he asked, noticing his sister's uncomfortable behavior.
"Yeah, I… I think so." She sighed. "I-I don't know… something weird happened while we were there."
His brow furrowed with concern. "What happened?"
"Well… we were having dinner in Gaipan, talking about the Earth Rumble Tournament, when this cute guy approached us…"
At this point Sokka was finding it hard to muster up sympathy. Katara had a bad habit of making googly eyes at any attractive boy that came across her path, thinking every new cute boy to be her soulmate. Korra did this too to some extent, but was not nearly as bad as Katara.
"…It was the first time Korra and I were both interested in the same guy, and we were curious to see which one of us he liked more, so we invited him to have dinner with us. He flirted with both of us, and Korra and I kept trying to one-up each other as a result. It was… so embarrassing. We should have never competed for the same guy. We acted like total idiots."
"So are you and Korra okay?"
"Y-Yeah I'm getting to that. So… we brought up having an extra ticket to the Earth Rumble Tournament, and he expressed interest in going so he ended up tagging along with us. He was super flirty with us all the way leading up to the tournament, but after it was over, he completely changed. Korra flat out asked him which one of us he liked more, and he said he wasn't interested in either of us, that he's not even interested in girls at all!"
Sokka fought back the urge to laugh.
"Turns out he was just using us for the ticket. Anyway, Korra tried to play it off like we weren't interested in him either, which he obviously didn't believe, but then to prove it to him, Korra… she kissed me."
Sokka's eyes widened.
"Yeah. Can you believe that?"
"Sort of. Korra hates to be proven wrong."
"True, but… I don't know, it felt… real. Like she meant it."
"Katara, did you… feel anything?"
She shrugged, smiling softly. "Yeah, I guess I did." Her expression fell to one of worry. "But what do you think this means? Am I… you know, and if I am, then what if Korra's not – "
"Katara." He reached across the table and took her hand. "I think this is a conversation you need to have with Korra. And if it turns out that you two want to be together, then… you have my full support." He smiled warmly at her.
"Thanks, Sokka," she smiled back, gently squeezing his hand. "You're the best."
"You still look worried…"
"I guess I… I just don't know what Mom and Dad would have to say about it. What if they don't approve?"
This remark annoyed Sokka more than it should have. Of course he would never dismiss his sister's concerns, but he knew that Katara had nothing to worry about. Mom and Dad always let her do whatever she wanted. She didn't have the same responsibilities Sokka had; Katara was not going to become Chiefess of the Southern Water Tribe. Katara was free, free to love whoever she wanted, free to marry whoever she wanted. Sokka was not in that position. He was being forced to marry Yue. The idea of it wasn't too off-putting when he had first heard the news, but with every passing year, this arranged marriage made him more and more resentful. He tried not to let it show whenever he and Princess Yue saw each other, but he knew that he could never truly love her because their relationship would be forced. He would always resent the fact that he never had a choice. Maybe Yue even felt the same way. Now he was nineteen years of age – he and Yue were to be married sometime next year! Just thinking about it made his blood boil, and now he was feeling even more disheartened than when Katara first made her way into the dining room. Still, he decided to swallow his anger and comfort his sister, just as he always did.
"Mom and Dad love you, Katara," he assured. "Unconditionally."
She nodded. "You're right. I'm probably getting ahead of myself anyway." She chuckled. "So, how's everything going with you? Did you ever figure out what happened at the construction site?"
He sighed. "We're still trying to get to the bottom of it, but all the evidence points to this being an inside job. Two of the workers had not been getting along during their shifts, one local and one from the Northern Water Tribe. Either it was sabotage from the North or he was framed by the guy from the South."
"I can't believe someone from the Southern Water Tribe would do such a thing…"
"They're both being held for interrogation, but either way, it's a huge mess." He shook his head. "The war ended over fifty years ago, and people are still this divided. There are still so many northerners who resent us from steering away from the old traditional ways and southerners who look down on the northerners for their 'backwards' way of thinking." He couldn't but think that if things weren't so bad between the North and South, he wouldn't be forced to marry Yue to help bring the tribes together.
"Sorry you had to deal with that… I know you would have enjoyed the tournament."
"Yeah," he said, nodding slowly.
"Did you at least make any progress with your, umm, whatever it is you were working on?"
"My communication device? No." He shook his head. "It should work in theory, but I will need a much larger energy source to make it useful, and honestly I'm tired of zapping myself every time I try." He showed his sister his injured fingers, slightly blackened from mild electrocutions.
"Ouch," she said sympathetically, waterbending some water out of her satchel to heal him.
"Ah, thanks," he smiled, looking down at his quickly healing hands before laughing softly to himself.
"What?"
"Oh, nothing," he continued to laugh. "I was just thinking how great it would be if I could shoot lightning out of my fingers."
"Hm." Katara sat up and bended the water back into her satchel. "You know… while I was traveling, I overheard some legend about this firebender who could do exactly that."
"What?" he asked, scrunching his face with disbelief. "Yeah, right."
"Well I don't know if this person exists for sure, it could just be a silly rumor, but… what if it's not?"
"A firebender who can generate lightning? That can't be real."
Katara shrugged. While her brother may have chosen not to believe it, she had always been more of an optimist. And if this person did truly exist, Katara was going to be the one to find the legendary firebender.
Fire Nation: Adulthood
Azula was elated to be back home. It was odd how the farmhouse seemed so quaint after having lived at the Elite Fire School for Girls for the past six years, but nevertheless, it was home, and she had missed it so much. While she had been permitted a few home visits here and there, she was now permanently back with her family, just gushing to tell them everything about her life at school, her classes, and most of all, her friends. Naturally, she also wanted to tell them all about what she had learned while studying Fire Nation history with regard to their royal ties, the most shocking, life-changing revelation she had had while at school, but she thought it best not to drop a bomb on them immediately after returning home.
Gathered around the dinner table, Azula had just finished telling her family about her exciting post-graduation plan: a job working for Mai's dad, President Ukano. She spoke with pride, knowing just how pleased her father would be with this news. And the best part was, Azula would be able to live at home and help out with the farm since her commute was just a boat ride away. However, her family's reaction was not at all what she had anticipated it would be.
"You may want to rethink your decision," Ozai said, handing Azula a scrolled-up letter. "This came in for you while you were in transit."
Cocking an eyebrow, Azula examined the parchment. The seal on it was already broken – clearly her family had already read it.
"Sorry," Zuko apologized, grimacing, "it had a royal seal on it, we couldn't resist!"
"A royal seal?"
"It's from Princess Katara of the Southern Water Tribe!" Lu Ten blurted, excited for his cousin.
"What? Why would a royal princess be writing to me?" Azula asked as she opened the letter.
Her family awaited anxiously as they watched her eyes scan the contents.
"I… I can't believe it. The prince needs my help?!"
"It's an incredible opportunity," Iroh said encouragingly. "We are so proud of you."
"Yes, but… I just got home…"
Ursa gave her a soft smile. "You don't have to make a decision right away – "
"But you shouldn't keep the princess waiting long," Ozai cut in. "Opportunities like these are few and far between."
"I know, but…" Azula sighed. "…what about the job I have lined up with President Ukano? What about… all of you?"
"It would be foolish not to jump on this chance."
"Azula," Zuko exhaled, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We will be fine. You should do whatever will make you happy."
She scanned the faces of her family staring back at her, searching for answers, but deep down she knew what she had to do. Her father was right. She would be a fool to pass up the chance to live in the Southern Water Tribe Royal Palace and work closely with Prince Sokka.
She smiled nervously. "I guess I should invest in some warmer clothes."
Her family celebrated with her late into the night, but just as Azula decided it was time to go to bed, her father pulled her aside.
"Azula." His face was stern. "I have something to ask of you."
"What is it, father?"
"You would do anything to help our family, wouldn't you, my beautiful daughter?"
"Of course I would."
He smirked. "The prince… he's just about your age, only a year older."
Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out where he was going with this.
"Make him fall in love with you."
"What?!"
"Win his heart. Seduce him if you have to – "
"Father, I…"
"Just think about what this could do for our family! We would no longer need to struggle to make ends meet. We could sell the farm, move to Ember Island even, we could have everything!"
"I understand that but, what makes you think a royal prince could possibly fall in love with someone like me? And what if he turns out to be an arrogant jerk?!"
"I'm not saying you need to love him back."
She stared up at him with a complete loss for words. She couldn't believe her ears.
"Azula. You can do this. Think about your family, how hard we all work day in and day out. Think about where you come from."
She did think about it. She came from royalty herself once upon a time. Fire Lord Azulon was her grandfather, a secret she never divulged to any of her classmates out of shame. But maybe in another life, she would have been a royal princess herself. And maybe she deserved that kind of lifestyle.
"I will do my best, father."
Southern Water Tribe: Azula's Arrival
"Princess Katara," Azula greeted with a deferential bow. "It is an honor to meet you."
Katara acknowledged her greeting with a courteous nod. "Welcome to the Southern Water Tribe!"
Azula was so awestruck with her surroundings that she barely noticed a servant collect the luggage out of her hand. "Wow…"
"You've never been to the South Pole before, I take it," the princess giggled.
"I've never left the Fire Nation before."
"Well? What do you think? You must be freezing – we'll definitely have to find you some warmer clothing."
"That's kind, thank you." It was bitingly cold. Azula was absolutely not prepared for this sort of climate. It seemed Fire Nation winters were still warmer than Water Tribe summers. Still, she knew she had to grin and bear it. "It's… breathtaking. I had read about the Southern Water Tribe during my studies, but I never thought I'd get to see its beauty firsthand. It is a privilege to be here. Thank you for inviting me, Princess."
"I hope you will enjoy your time here," she smiled. "Now, let's get you to the palace. Normally I would give you the full tour, but I think I'll leave that to my brother this time. He's a bit, well…" She looked down as she tried to search for the right word. "…anxious to meet you."
Azula got the impression Katara was trying to hide something from her, as if Prince Sokka was perhaps not interested in meeting her. "Does… Prince Sokka not believe I can generate lightning?"
Katara sighed. "You mustn't take it personally. Not only has no one ever heard of this ability before, but my brother is also quite the pessimist."
"I understand. My brother can be annoyingly cynical as well."
"So you do get it!" she laughed. "Sometimes I feel like he thrives on making himself miserable."
Azula chuckled. "But… you believe in my ability, don't you?"
"I wouldn't have invited you here if I didn't!"
She smiled.
"Now, come on. Let's go to the palace so you can meet my brilliant, yet overly skeptical brother."
The young women filed into a grandiose, ornate Water Tribe palanquin, where Katara started asking Azula all about her life in the Fire Nation. Azula found it surprisingly easy to talk to the royal princess. Her intuition told her that Katara was trustworthy and kindhearted, albeit spoiled. Azula talked about her life growing up on the family farm, the first time she generated lightning – quickly assuring the princess that this ability was firmly under control now – her encounter with the thieves on the mainland, her time at the Elite Fire Academy for Girls… just about everything. Everything except for being the granddaughter of the dethroned Fire Lord Azulon.
In return, Katara told Azula about what it was like growing up in the palace, all her times traveling abroad, her waterbending training with her Grandpa Pakku, and especially about her relationship with Avatar Korra. She lit up every time she mentioned Korra's name.
"So now we're in this awkward flirty friendship. I just have no idea if she wants a relationship or not. I don't even know if that's something I want! I just don't want things to be uncomfortable between us anymore." Katara let out a self-pitying laugh. "I've got quite the situation on my hands, now don't I."
"A situationship, if you will," Azula blurted, momentarily forgetting her audience.
Katara stared at her blankly for a second. "You and my brother will get along just fine."
Azula grinned.
"But yes, that's exactly it. A situationship." She adopted a more serious demeanor. "That… doesn't bother you, does it?"
"Huh?"
"My feelings for Korra? Sometimes I forget that the Southern Water Tribe is amongst the most progressive of the nations. I know the Fire Nation can be a bit, umm… backwards."
Azula was more offended by the tone than the statement itself. It was true. Fire Lord Sozin had decreed same-sex marriage illegal in the Fire Nation. While the monarchy was no longer, she was quite sure that many Fire Nation citizens would probably still believe same-sex marriage to be morally wrong.
"I have no issue with it at all, princess," Azula assured. "In fact, Ty Lee, my roommate all six years of boarding school who I consider to be my best friend, is gay. Truth be told, she was the object of ridicule by several of the other girls at school, but… they soon learned it was best not to mess with her." She smirked.
Katara's blue eyes gleamed.
"She's moving to the Earth Kingdom – she wants to see if she can make it as a performer. I'm sure she won't have any trouble finding a girlfriend there, she's gorgeous."
"And what about you?" Katara asked with a provocative smile. "Have you ever had a boyfriend? Or girlfriend?"
"Sadly no," Azula laughed. "I did go to an all-girls' boarding school after all, although… I met this guy at a party once on Ember Island. Ty Lee got me invited. His name was Chan. He was an arrogant, vapid socialite, but… he was quite attractive."
"Oooh," she goaded. "Did anything happen?"
"We… kissed. And maybe a little more." She blushed.
"You'll have to tell me more about that later," the princess giggled as the palanquin came to a stop outside the palace. "We're here!"
After marveling at the intricate infrastructure, the towers, the spires, all bathed in sunlight, Azula followed Katara inside.
"Again, I would give you the full tour, but I don't want to keep my brother waiting," Katara simpered.
"Pending that he allows me to stay here…"
"He will," she assured. "A quick demonstration should be all the convincing he needs."
Azula nodded.
"So… are you ready to meet him?"
"I am," she said confidently, though on the inside, she had never felt more nervous. "I can't wait."
Katara knocked on Sokka's bedroom door, but she entered before he gave her permission. He seemed vaguely annoyed by this, but also like he was used to this kind of occurrence.
"Sokka, I'd like you to meet Azula of the Fire Nation," Katara introduced, stepping to the side to get out of the firebender's way.
Azula's first thought after seeing the prince in person: he was certainly easy on the eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Sokka." She bowed respectfully.
Sokka stood staring at the foreigner just long enough to make the room uncomfortable. He couldn't help it. With her jet-black hair, golden eyes, ruby lips, and her lithe, athletic frame, Azula was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Not only that, but for some reason he had expected the firebender to be male. Katara had only mentioned the firebender's name a few times, and he had promptly forgotten it each time or hadn't listened at all. The way she was gazing at him with those intense yellow eyes, he nearly forgot how to speak.
"The pleasure is all mine," he managed, his voice squeaking slightly. He bowed back to her, mentally kicking himself for doing such a strange action. She wasn't royalty. There was no reason for him to bow.
Azula's second thought after meeting the prince: he might be a bumbling idiot.
"Okay…" Katara gave him a weird look. "I guess I'll leave you to it." She turned for the door. "Come find me if you need rescuing," she whispered to Azula before leaving the bedroom.
The room filled with silence. Azula didn't know what to do or say – she was convinced she had already made some sort of faux-pas out of ignorance. Sokka cleared his throat, waiting for the stranger in his room to rescue him from himself.
"Forgive me if I'm mistaken," Azula finally spoke, "but it seems like you're surprised to see me."
"N-No, it's not that." He exhaled. "I just wasn't expecting you to be so…" He wanted to say 'gorgeous' but thankfully he stopped himself. However, what came out of his mouth was not much better. "…short."
"Umm…" She had to stop herself from making a face. She wasn't oblivious to the fact that she was slightly shorter than average, but no one had ever commented on her height like that before.
"No, my apologies, that's not what I meant to say." He awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. "What I meant to say was… errr…"
"It's okay," she said with a laugh, trying to diffuse the tension. "You've probably never talked to someone from the Fire Nation before."
"Yes!" he exclaimed, thankful for the save. It wasn't a lie – Sokka really had never met anyone from the Fire Nation before, let alone a firebender. He wondered if all Fire Nation women looked like her. "Yes, that's exactly it. Forgive me."
"Of course," she smiled graciously. "I've never talked to a royal prince before, so I guess that puts us in the same boat."
"Indeed it does," he smiled back.
"So, Prince Sokka… how can I be of service?"
He nearly choked, thinking of a few unsavory ways she could be of service to him, but he quickly tossed these ideas aside. He shouldn't be thinking about that, not with her anyway. He had been fastidiously saving himself for his betrothed after all. Though… Yue had never stirred these sorts of feelings inside of him. The only other time he had felt like this was during his brief summer fling on Kyoshi Island off the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom, and even then he had only gotten to second base.
"Well for starters, you can just call me 'Sokka'," he grinned, his cheeks reddened by his previous thoughts. "Just so everything's clear, you will be working with me, not for me. You are here as an invited guest and will be treated as such."
"Thank you… Sokka," she blushed. "It's going to take me some time to get used to that."
He chuckled.
"I am honored to be here and grateful for the opportunity to work with you."
"And I'm grateful that you've traveled all this way. You're the one helping me out after all. I think you will be instrumental in getting my experiments up and running."
"Speaking of…" She smirked. "Your sister tells me you're a bit skeptical of my ability to generate lightning."
"W-What?! She told you that?!"
"It's okay," Azula laughed softly. "I would be skeptical too if our positions were reversed."
"She's such a brat sometimes," he muttered under his breath.
"Would you care for a demonstration?"
He nodded and the two headed outside to the courtyard. She stood several feet away from him and took a deep breath to center herself. Sokka watched in utter amazement as she demonstrated her unique talent, circling her arms out at her sides with her index and middle fingers extended, and abruptly lunging forward, shooting lightning out of her fingertips straight into the sky.
She took another deep breath and walked back over to him as if nothing had happened. "So… do you think I'm right for the job?"
"Azula," he breathed, gazing into her eyes with a huge smile plastered on his face, "I think this is the start of a beautiful partnership."
"I-I couldn't agree more." She wasn't sure what it was, but in that moment, seeing him staring at her with pride and looking into his dazzling blue eyes, her perception of him as an awkward buffoon had completely changed. The man was beautiful. "When should we get started?"
"You just got here! How about I give you a tour of the palace first?"
She smiled up at him. "That would be lovely."
Southern Water Tribe: Sokka's workshop
The following morning, after a hearty breakfast consisting mostly of meats the origins of which the Fire Nation native would probably be horrified to learn, Sokka introduced Azula to his most valued place inside the palace walls: his workshop. However, seeing it in its current state, he wished he had gotten around to cleaning it first. There was very little chance Azula would be impressed by this chaos.
"So… this is it, my pride and joy," he grinned.
"Wow…" She stepped inside, staring in awe at all the little inventions Sokka had up on the walls and shelves around the room. The room was littered with tools of all shapes and sizes, bins of raw materials, thin strands of metal, and devices both small and large, the purposes of which the firebender could hardly even begin to deduce. "I've never seen anything quite like it."
He could tell she had more to say but was holding back. "And…?"
"And it could use some organizing," she smiled. "Fortunately for you, that's another one of my areas of expertise."
"Wow really? Is there anything you can't do?"
"Lots of things, I'm afraid," she laughed. "Inventing all these complex gadgets, for starters. You're really quite innovative, Sokka."
"Why, thank you," he said, blushing slightly.
"So, would you care to tell me what you're currently working on?"
"Well, lots of things! Umm, let's see, there's the 'Number Cruncher'," he pointed to a long, thin piece of metal with lots of numbers etched into the surface and what appeared to be a movable piece affixed on top. "You can work out all sorts of calculations by sliding that transparent piece up and down the number shaft. Ooh, and one of my favorites, the 'Scratch Back 5000'! You put it over your shoulder like this, turn this crank with your hand, and sink into the bliss of a perfectly scratched back."
The Water Tribe prince demonstrated its use, and Azula could tell by the contented look on his face that they might be there for a while if she didn't do something to break his euphoria-fueled silence. "And you think I can help you somehow?
Sokka snapped back to reality. "Ah, well it could maybe help improve the 'Scratch Back', but I'm most interested in having you help me with the invention that's my primary focus right now, the 'Far Tone'. If you press down this lever," he gestured toward a black lever, currently tilted so one side hovered above the body of the device, "and you zap that metal bar, then a sound comes out of this earpiece here," he picked a cup up off the table and held it to his ear. "You can even change the pitch of the tone by moving this piece back and forth, but right now the sound's not super loud, or long lasting, and it actually can't be terribly far away either – "
"So, it's a musical instrument of some sort?"
"Hah, no, not exactly, though… that's not a terrible idea, but I was thinking it would be used as a means communicating over long distances."
"Hmm, intriguing…"
"I'm pretty sure more energy has got to help on at least some of those fronts. I'm also confident that by studying how this stuff works, with the help of your lightning bending, I'll be able to get more of an understanding of what's going on, make even cooler devices, and hopefully even figure out ways to generate this kind of energy without needing a super rare form of bending."
"Please excuse my ignorance, but why do you think lightning is the key?"
"There's a funny story behind it, actually. You see, when Katara and I were young, we realized while we were playing tag at Gran-Gran's that sometimes when one of us caught up to the other and tapped them, we would both get shocked. It took a bit of investigating, but eventually I figured out that it only happened when we were wearing our socks and chasing each other through the room with Gran-Gran's fancy carpet that my dad got her on a trip to the Earth Kingdom. Long story short," he rummaged through a box under his desk and picked up what looked like the pelt of a particularly lumpy koala sheep, "I invented the one-and-only Sokka Sock Suit!"
She stared at him blankly for a moment. "Okay…"
"Watch and learn," he said with a smirk, stepping into his somewhat scientific, mostly fluffy garment.
She couldn't help but chuckle, seeing the prince in such a ridiculous getup.
"Now put this cup on your ear." He handed her a bulky black dome-shaped gadget with a round opening on one side large enough for her to fit her ear.
She did as she was told, looking at him with a mixture of skepticism and anticipation.
"Now hold that lever down and get ready to watch the magic unfold!"
As soon as she pressed the lever, Sokka started shuffling his feet fervently across a strip of carpet in what appeared to be the least efficient way to cross a room. When he got to the Far Tone, he reached a hand out to touch the metal bar. As his hand came within an inch or so, a spark left from his fingers and Azula heard a faint boooop sound come through the earpiece.
"Eh? Greatest thing you've ever seen, right? Or heard, I guess."
"Sokka… this is incredible! I can't believe it…"
"It's just an early prototype right now, but maybe one day we will even be able to talk to each other across the world through it."
"It's hard to imagine," she said with a curious gleam in her eye, her head spinning with ideas, "being able to communicate like that… I never thought anything like this was possible."
"Yeah, I'm kind of a genius, aren't I?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
"You might just be," she laughed. "But hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves too quickly. Maybe there are more practical uses for this Far Tone in the meantime. Like… what if we could use it like some sort of smoke signal?"
"Yes…" He turned his head to the side as he tried to envision how that would play out. "YES! Exactly that! That's brilliant!"
She grinned, seeing how excited he was getting over her idea.
"It's funny," he started to laugh, "Usually smoke is a bad thing with these sorts of inventions, and yes, I would know."
"That doesn't surprise me somehow," she teased.
"Anyway," he smiled, "Even though I've refined my methods for making my own 'mini lightning' quite a bit, it's still really limited how much I can actually do with it. But with your help, we could move mountains! Maybe literally!"
"I'm not an earthbender!" Azula chuckled.
"No, you're a lightning bender." He gave her a mischievous look. "So why don't you give it a shot?"
"Okay," she nodded enthusiastically, eager to try it out. "Let's do it!"
They switched positions, with Sokka wearing the earpiece and Azula taking a few steps back from the apparatus. Holding down the lever, Sokka looked at Azula with an anxious grin. "Ready when you are."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she drew her arms around in a small, tight circle, and fired a jolt of lightning directly at the metal bar.
Sokka almost dropped the earpiece from how loud it was, loud enough for Azula to hear it from where she stood. She looked at him with wide eyes.
"Spirits!" he yelped. "It works! You did it! I think I'm deaf in one ear now!"
"You did it – this was your idea – "
"Okay, okay, we did it," he laughed in celebration, walking briskly up to her. "I can't believe it's finally working!" He placed his hands on her shoulders. "I'm so happy I could kiss you!"
She stopped breathing for a second but composed herself quickly. "You could?" she teased, gazing at him playfully. "Don't you think that's moving a little fast? I mean, we just met yesterday."
"Y-You know what I mean," he stuttered, blushing, removing his hands from her and straightening up. "Colloquially that is."
"Colloquially in the Southern Water Tribe, maybe."
"Wait… really?"
"No, I'm just messing with you," she grinned.
"You know, I don't even care! I'm just so happy this worked. I mean, seriously, think of all the things we can accomplish while you're here!"
"Well when you put it that way, it almost makes it seem like you'll never let me leave!" she continued to jest.
"I might not, Azula," he joked right back. "I know I said you'd be treated as an invited guest, but that was before I saw your talent. Now you're my prisoner." He smirked. "You've just proven yourself to be too useful to me."
"Don't worry, Sokka," she smiled. "I'm not going anywhere." In that moment, there was no place she would rather be.
Author's Note: I know I didn't get to the Sokkla stuff until the end of this entry (I didn't have a lot of time to write this week), but I have so many more ideas for this story! Do you think it's worth continuing? I was thinking of turning this into a longer, more fleshed out story. Please let me know your thoughts!