A/N: This one is dedicated to my little sister, who is both scared of seaweed and when she saw an ambulance in Yellowstone screamed gleefully, "I hope it's a bear attack!" I love her.
(Theme Thirty Seven) That Time Azusami Got Stuck in Seaweed
(as prompted by) Aya Rose & promiscuityisagift
Azula has her eyes closed, the sun beating down on her. She breathes it in, in some level of peace on the silent, private beach. Although she is surrounded by her family, she is pleasantly pretending that they do not exist.
She has always detested Ember Island, but she has grown to tolerate it over time. Like tolerating the unbearable futility of her adult life with a far less glamorous job than she dreamed of, a far less exciting wife than she thought she would have, and a far more spoiled and rude daughter than she thought she would produce.
But she is happy, despite all of that. Maybe a little boring is good for her after sacrificing her childhood, normalcy and sanity for a war her ancestors started.
And then she hears a scream. An ear piercing scream that makes her heart jump into her throat. Azusami.
She is up on her feet before Mai and Ty Lee can even comprehend the scream of terror. And running, sliding across the sand towards the water where her daughter is shrieking like she saw an eel-shark. Which, Azula realizes with a surge of panic in her gut, could be possible.
And she seizes her daughter, pulling her into her arms and examining her frantically.
"It's on me!" Azusami wails, clinging to Azula tightly.
"What? What is on you? Burn it off," Azula says, her heart beating through her chest.
"I don't even know it's gross and slimy and terrible." And Azula sets down her daughter, sincerely hoping she has not been stung by some kind of sea monster, and sees that she is sobbing at green streaks over her body.
"It's... seaweed, Azusami," Azula sighs, the relief flooding through her as well as a good deal of shame. She dreams about losing her daughter constantly, and the thought that it could happen, in this moment, has just made her look completely ridiculous in front of Mai, Ty Lee and Izumi.
"Get it off!" She stomps her arms and feet and Azula kneels to her level. She slowly removes the seaweed with a controlled blue tongue of flame. And Azusami throws herself into her mother's arms, crying like a Zuko.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack," Azula says as Azusami continues wailing.
"The ocean tried to kill me I am never going back in it ever!" screams Azusami as Ty Lee finally arrives. Azula cannot tell if she took her sweet time or Azula moved ridiculously quickly.
"You tried to save our daughter. You do have a heart, Azula," Ty Lee says blithely, masking her own panic at her daughter's screams. She kneels down and starts gushing over her and Azula breathes a small sigh of relief.
"If the ocean tries to kill you again, I will be forced to evaporate it," Azula says as calmly and coldly as she can, although her pulse is still racing.
"Thank you," Azusami squeaks, which is rare from her. Azula feels slightly satisfied, until Mai and Izumi arrive.
Mai and Izumi arrive very belatedly. Azusami is still crying and clinging to her mothers as Mai tries to figure out what happened and Izumi seems intrigued by the fact that Azusami was hurt. Well, not hurt, but she certainly is slimy.
"So, she got stuck in seaweed? You rescued her from seaweed?" Mai snickers and Azula rolls her eyes.
But before Azula can protest, there is a commotion at the beach nearby that is not private. Shouting, and as the family gravitates towards it in intrigue, there are doctors and lifeguards.
"Oh, look an emergency," Izumi remarks, with a glee in her eyes Mai finds unsettling. The crown princess sits up on her knees and tries to see what is happening.
Azusami throws the remaining seaweed off of herself and burns it with her bare foot. She really genuinely was glad to be the center of attention, but this is far more exciting. Azula and Ty Lee simply exchange a glance; we raised a monster.
"Sami, look, look, there's definitely a dead body," Izumi interrupts, hopping on her toes to see over the dunes that blockade the royal beach, and Ty Lee sets her hand over her mouth for a moment. Azusami clambers to Izumi and sits beside her.
"Oh, oh, I hope it's a bear attack!" Azusami exclaims and Azula laughs as Ty Lee whimpers and Mai sighs. At least she has forgotten about the seaweed. "I've always wanted to see a bear attack!"
"Bears don't live on Ember Island," Azula says gently as Mai is trying to hold Izumi back from going to investigate what is likely a drowning.
"How do you know? Have you ever seen a bear, mother?" Azusami retorts sharply, entirely ungrateful of Azula saving her life. Sort of.
"Actually, yes, I have. I once held a bear hostage," Azula says earnestly as Mai gives up on holding Izumi without much a fight.
"That's completely ridiculous. Don't lie to me. I'm not a baby anymore!" Azusami whines, her lower lip pouting. So ungrateful. Azula should have left her to the seaweed.
"It happened," Azula says softly, wilting slightly. "Its name was Bosco and your mom and aunt let it escape."
"Nope." And Azusami seizes Izumi to go to one of the sand dunes for a better view of the attack.
"It did happen," Azula murmurs feebly and Ty Lee wraps her arm around her wife, kissing her cheek.
"Well, you did save her from seaweed."
"I hate you." But Azula's protests are silenced by a kiss.
