Thank Amy Winehouse for the burst of inspiration that spurred this super late update as my break draws to a close, sadly. Done for the night.
Morning rays seeping between the deep, red draperies of Azula's old bedroom, serving as Mai's guestroom, made the fire lord hop nearly twenty feet into the air from his blissful sleep curled behind the mother of his daughter's form in a panic.
"Shit, Mai, shit!" He sputtered, looking about for his uniform pants and tunic. Mai growled like the morning person she was not, batting at him with a careless wave of her dark-painted hands.
"Tell her your uncle came by or something," she groaned, rising finally unto her palms, her hair making her look like a complete stranger as it hung in a matted mess over her bare, pale shoulders, now slightly purple from their passionate, unintended, make-up sex the night before.
"Yeah, yeah, that'll work," said Zuko, his mind awhirl. "She trusts me," he assured himself with a relieved sigh. Placing his tunic over his head, he pulled down slowly to cover his abdominals under his ex's lustful gaze and careful lick of her paint-less lips.
He shivered as he remembered those same lips worshipping him at least twice in their impromptu session. Shaking the thoughts from his mind, Zuko slipped on his bedroom shoes he normally wore during his nightly walks around the palace to clear his mind.
"That can't happen again," he said as serious as he could muster, given the woman's eyes stopping at his morning wake-up call.
"As you wish, My Lord," cooed Mai, inching closer in a seductive crawl towards the edge of the crimson bed. "Too bad Katara gets to have you so well rested and…" She glanced down and back up. "Ready".
Zuko tugged at his pants and his mind switched to lustful thoughts of having both women pawing for the opportunity to worship the most powerful man in the Fire Nation. Though he was positive Mai would agree to the idea, he knew better than to present it to Katara.
At least not now…He told himself. Maybe after our wedding.
Despite her experience, the mother of three had been adamant, since they began their relationship through shared heartbreak and loneliness, about the 'marry me, first,' rule to the fire lord's disgruntlement. His dominant fist was much stronger nowadays, making his bursts of flames speak for him during interrogations or possible threats to his throne.
Zaheer. Thought Zuko on his sister, the avatar's child and the family's imminent return to lay claims to a throne that he was willing to lay down his life to make sure carried on to Izumi.
As he thought on the matter, Katara was pushed from his mind as Mai's lips pulled at him hungrily. His stronger, dominant hand found the back of her head as his hips moved along with her lips, knees making the bed sheets shake lightly as he gave gentle thrusts.
Everything can wait. He concluded. Besides, Aang can convince Azula in his own way for a while at least. Hissing, the fire lord growled aloud, his head falling backwards in awe of his ex's attention to his need, making him briefly wonder whom else she had serviced this way.
Eh, doesn't matter. Our daughter will be the next fire lord, one day. The thought brought a pleasant grin to his face, at which Mai took as affirmation to pull him back between the sheets to pick up where they left off the night before.
#
"Agni, yes! Yes!" Squealed the lovely fire nation woman in pure bliss beneath her lover's form.
She writhed in the chains binding her wrists to the iron headboard as she kept her hips from collapsing, straining to remain upright on her knees.
"Say it!" Commanded her powerful lover into her neck. "Say it!" He demanded with increased ferocity and equally strong thrusts of his hips. "What is my name?"
The beauty panted, her tresses slapping his face as their hips connected. "Savior! Yes, Savior".
Yakone grinned, smugly as he released, letting the woman milk him completely before shoving her head against the mattress and away before she could even think of meeting his lips. He placed his hands on his hips, willing his mind to think of anything other than Princess Azula's intoxicating form. The Fire Nation woman under him was a necessary replacement, though she could not hold a match to her former comrade. The princess was everything a man could want in a woman. Yakone understood why Avatar Aang had been absent for so long, the instant his eyes landed on the beauty in Zirin's hostel business.
"A little help here, Savior," groaned the business owner, stretched on the bed in one of the rooms.
Yakone shook his head, wiping the perspiration from his forehead. "Sorry, Half-Sister," he teased, releasing the handcuffs from around the woman's wrists.
Zirin lit his leftover cigar on the nightstand and took a puff. "I'm surprised she fell for it. Works more in your favor than The Man I'm Fucking to Pay for Protection Money," She pointed out. "Azula wouldn't care either way, but just to be on the safe side".
"A good call," agreed Yakone, taking the cigar when she passed it back. "Especially given that twit, Kei Lo's near fuck up earlier".
#
"He gets it from his father".
The comment caught Yakone's sensitive ears as he flagged down a nearby moose-horse drawn taxi. "Is it true what I've heard of the avatar being the lucky man to have you?" He asked after helping the princess into the carriage along with her sister. The taxi's driver loaded their luggage atop the carriage.
"Follow us, Appa!" Yelled out the teenager to the avatar's bison just outside the doors of the building.
Yakone smoothly passed a note with the address to the driver along with a jerk of his head to signal Zirin about the bison as she waved the party off. The woman he was escorting did not miss it, however, as the first thing she said to him when the carriage rolled away from the hostel was, "I'm sure you see the truth of the matter in that giant, smelly bison".
Biting his bottom lip, Yakone knew he had to have the woman in that instant. Such a prize. He marveled, eying her round breasts peeking slightly from her low cut, black tunic. His eyes trailed past the pudge of her belly to slightly tanned legs, naked from where her knees were overlapping, fully visible from the bottom of her red skirt. We could be unstoppable, indeed. The world only needs ONE king, Avatar. Soon I will have your title and your queen. You will be just a memory, soon.
"What do you mean, date girls my age? You're not my mother, Azula". Piped the teenager seated between them.
"Thank Agni," said the princess, placing a hand on her stomach.
"Are you feeling well?" Asked Yakone with a concerned look as he leaned over the girl.
"She's fine," snapped the princess's little sister, shooting him a glare. "Can you move before you suffocate my nephew?" She added, holding the avatar's son to her chest.
"She kicked," whispered Azula, her eyes glistening as if she were about to burst into tears. "My baby…she kicked".
Yakone clenched his teeth as the teenager squealed, making the toddler in her arms dance on her legs. The child blew a spit bubble.
"You heard that, Zaheer? Your sister's kicking your mommy's ass!" She exclaimed.
"Ash!" Squealed the child, blowing another spit bubble along with a loud flatulence.
Azula's head jerked up from staring at her stomach. "Shut the fu-, hush, Kiyi. My prince will not be exposed to such peasant language".
Kiyi rolled her eyes when Azula wrenched her child away. "Please, tell me this place has at least two bedrooms. I can only stomach her for like an hour," she said to Yakone, who grinned, sheepishly.
"It is one of the largest rooms available. A woman like your sister deserves the best Republic City can offer," he answered, adding a toothy smile when he locked eyes for breathtaking seconds with the woman holding her child to her heart before she looked away and out of the carriage's window.
"Psst…" called Kiyi, nudging the Water Tribesman with her elbow. "I hope you don't do this type of thing for all the women you want to fuck because she only fucks rich men, six foot two or taller, sorry, Buddy".
Yakone cleared his throat as the princess's golden gaze blazed back at her younger sibling, her lips curling, followed by cheeks flushing deep red with embarrassment.
"Duck!" Piped Zaheer.
"That's it! Driver! Take us to the academy, NOW!" Shouted the princess, making Kiyi's jaw drop as she stuttered, "B-But-"
"Hush, Ingrate, before I send a message to Hira'a," hissed Azula, silencing the girl instantly.
"Ahem," began Yakone. "I apologize if I give such a…perception, though I do find you very attractive, Princess Azula. I guess I have a weakness for royalty".
"Keep your weakness in your pants and we'll get along, just fine," she retorted. "I'm engaged and pregnant with my second child by a god. You could never compete". Scoffing, she pulled out a lukewarm bottle of milk.
Yakone noticed that she did not warm the bottle before giving it to the now whining child.
"Right…" He responded, counting to thirty in his mind. "Well, I'd be a fool to try to compete with the world's savior. Especially when he has a princess and the only female waterbending master pining for him".
The comment elicited the response he expected when the princess's lips tightened.
"You know, I never could understand why he would settle for one woman when there are plenty in this city available to him," continued the Water Tribesman giving a careless shrug. "Besides, isn't he solely in charge of the repopulation of the Air Nation?"
The princess did not answer, instead, she waited for Yakone to take Kiyi to be enrolled in Republic City's private, Chilaza Junior and Senior Academy for Girls and return before flashing a shuriken within inches of the bloodbender's face when he shut the door to the carriage.
"My patience is one of my top qualities, Peasant," she informed him, cradling her child to her neck. "Along with endless other horrible things I could do to you should you even think about speaking to me that way again"'.
"Funny," sneered Yakone. "The firebending prodigy using a dull knife instead of her signature…" His voice trailed, eyes widening as he spotted Kei Lo dragging the avatar's limp body into a covered carriage in broad daylight!
Before the princess could jerk her head to see what had halted him, he placed a thumb against the middle of her forehead, making her nearly drop her child as she froze with a soft, choking gasp of surprise. He signaled to the taxi driver to take off with a quick nod before letting her go.
"W-What did you do to me?" Groaned the woman.
Yakone took the child from her arms. "See for yourself. Call it a generous gesture from a peasant. Show me your flame, Prodigy".
Azula looked to her two, overgrown nails, jumping in almost fright as a small, azure flame emerged from them.
"H-How?" She gasped staring at Yakone in what seemed to be admiration or perhaps a hint of fear.
"You're welcome. I'm sure it's nothing compared to your…avatar, but I have a few surprises, myself," remarked Yakone, smirking at Azula's awed expression.
#
Zirin quickly dressed along with Yakone at a knock on the door. The two entered the common room where the bloodbender took a seat on the couch with his cigar while his "half-sister" answered the caller at the door. Long Feng greeted both with a calm bow, gesturing for Kei Lo to bring in the prisoner.
"So…?" Asked Yakone, kicking the limp man when he was thrown to the floor.
"He's done for today," stated Long Feng. "As I suspected, his mind is a tough one to crack despite his wavering morals".
"Hmm…of course. Maybe we should let him see his princess".
Zirin huffed. "The bitch is weak for him. She would murder all of us without a thought. Better off letting him see his ex-wife," she suggested, removing the man's mask to reveal his face.
Avatar Aang groaned, his eyes rolling backwards as though he were heavily enumerated.
"I would suggest waiting until after I'm done with him. I am most affective in Lake Laogi. He can retain the memories we want him to retain while likewise take care of any business we ask of him".
Kei Lo nodded at the plan. "Good, I'm ready for my end of the deal. I want the fire lord dead by his hand!" He yelled like an idiot.
"Do you think I am bothered by your wants, Boy?" Asked Yakone, smoothly puffing his cigar, not bothering to meet the young man's eyes.
"Huh?" Asked Kei Lo.
"It has been a pleasure working with you," added Long Feng outstretching his hand.
Instead of shaking hands, Kei Lo fumbled reaching for the sword on his hip when his body twisted unnaturally, making him fall to his knees in pure agony as he felt his bones turn inward. The man was instantly immobile, though his bowels released on their own when his last sights were of orange, inferno-level flames from Zirin's fist towards his face.
Yakone bent the leftover bourbon on the nearby island in the kitchen to douse the flames when Kei Lo's bloodcurling screams ceased.
"Send a message to the fire lord," he ordered, smoothly. "Along with Chief Beifong and the councilman, who's been giving her his boomerang while his woman's in the Fire Nation".
Zirin nodded, leaving to prepare the message. Turning his attention back to the world's savior, Yakone added, "Make sure The Avatar lives through your little experiment. I want him to bear witness when I take over his position as Republic City's true savior and destroy everything he loves in the process".
#
The Fire Lord was enjoying his daughter in the palace gardens while Mai observed from beneath the shade tree. The two tumbled in the grass to Izumi's delight as Zuko tried to forget about the heartbreaking letter left by his fiancée upon her sudden departure.
Maybe it's for the best. He told himself.
"Daddy! You're the best!" Giggled Izumi, happily as she roared a small flame as they played, "Dancing Dragons".
Zuko gave her a soft smile, before noticing Suki, dressed in her Kyoshi Warrior garbs with a decorative box in her hands and a look of concern.
"What is it?" Asked the fire lord, standing and meeting her half-way.
"A messenger hawk brought this," said the warrior, grimly.
Though he noted the disgusted look she shot him and Mai, Zuko focused on the gift, slowly opening it, gasping at a charred head detached from its body, one eye wide, while the other was missing, with a note inside its agape mouth.
"The last of The New Ozai Society. You're welcome, Fire Lord".
Sincerely, Avatar Aang and Princess Azula
"Kei Lo!" Gasped Mai, whom he had not notice suddenly appearing by his side.
Replacing the top to the box, Zuko scratched his head, confused.
"Aang wouldn't do that. Someone's playing a cruel game," spoke Suki.
"But Azula would," said Mai, reading the fire lord's thoughts. "This is too far," hissed the knife-wielder beginning to storm away.
"Mai…" began Zuko.
"No, Zuko, No! I don't give a flying FUCK about her being your little sister! I'm going to KILL her and ship that monster's whole body to you in easy to assemble parts so you can burn her until she reaches her father's lap in Agni's Hell!"
"Mai, if you touch my sister, I'll…" Zuko caught himself when he noted Izumi staring between her angry parents in surprise and fear.
"I'll contact Ty Lee," said Suki, attempting to settle the situation. "She's been tailing Kei Lo for a while, maybe she can get to the bottom of this".
"Good idea, Azula wouldn't hurt her". Said Mai nodding through her tears as Zuko gave his affirmation.
His sister is not THAT much of a monster, is she?