Author's Disclaimer: I don't own a thing belonging to "Avatar: The Last Airbender"! Nada thing.
Author's notes: Azula still can't see but we're getting along further…into the plot shall we say :P
CharlieBarrow: for all the ideas, the suggestions, and the straight up helping with writing. Thank you for the lines :P Charlie came up with the "sweet sugar cakes again" reference and the whole tea scene :P
Maraghoul: for forming the story's bones with me :P You are to be commended.
QueenTyzula: my thanks for the ideas and nudges, and a key scene coming up in the future :P Thanks again!
Harley Quinn Davidson: I hope you enjoy!
"Stoking the fire"
Chapter sixty "Ride the Lightning"
"Good stance, Azula," Ty Lee said. Azula flashed a small smile in the voice's direction.
"I am a master of firebending," she reminded her. Azula listened, hearing Ty Lee's shoes make quick pat-pat sounds on the grass. She had to be turning a flip or hand spring. She poised, hands at the ready. Still, she was surprised when Ty Lee's arm circled her waist. She felt small hands steady her arms and heard a chuckle. "Hey…"
"Gotcha," Ty Lee teased. There was shuffling near them and Azula recognized Ying and Tsung's voices.
"Can you show us more of your kata? I'd love to try it." This from Ying.
"It's a real work out minus the fire," Ty Lee said. Azula assumed the stance Bow beneath Agni's Will, and waited a good amount of time for the others to copy.
"You remember this one, Ty Lee."
Ty Lee affirmed with a quick yes.
"Let's begin."
Azula flowed into the kata, limbs moving on reflex. Even without sight, her mind cleared with the movements and she kept her fire bursts short and small, to keep out of the other girl's proximity. At the end of the sequence, and after listening to ensure Ying and Tsung were attempting to keep up, Azula paused. She heard a chuckle from Ty Lee and then both of them leapt into a handspring, neatly back flipping and landing deftly on one knee. That wasn't part of the kata, but something the two had added over the years. Azula had taught Ty Lee her katas and Ty Lee had taught her tumbling in return. Their siblings just couldn't keep up so they had trained hard as children together.
A few giggles were uttered and the women dropped their stances.
"Wow, was that part of it, Ty?" Ying asked.
Ty Lee laughed beside Azula, who knelt, hand reaching for the ground as she sat. "You got it. We added that one. Her firebending master was shouting with a stick up his ass about it."
"Til I let slip to Father that he had stolen something from his room. He got shipped to the Colonies within the hour," Azula said.
A small sound came from the Kyoshi Warriors. Azula flushed and looked aside.
"That is…."
"It's okay, Princess Azula," Tsung said. She sounded forced. Suddenly, Azula remembered Mother was about somewhere on the premises and attempted to listen further beyond the three women with her. Was she watching her even now? It would so be like her….
Why was Mother here anyway? She had her new daughter and her precious Zuzu. She was messing everything up again. Father wouldn't have had it….
'Damn him!' Azula thought crossly. She set her palms to the grass beneath her and felt each strand poke up against her. She needed any distraction to calm down.
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"How is she?" Iroh asked. Ursa gave a weak smile as he joined her on the balcony. She was so far up above the gardens, she needn't fear Azula could hear her.
"Walking and exercising. Can she truly not see?" Ursa murmured. Her heart sank, as she thought of how she'd caused that reaction of stress.
Iroh clasped a gentle arm round her waist. He kissed her brow. "Not at present. The healers are certain this is all in her mind. But her father is also there. And he's not a welcome influence."
"Damn him. I should have married you." Ursa meant her words to sound light, but the serious look shared between her and Iroh unnerved her heart. The slim jade ring on her left hand felt heavy and she clasped her hand to her chest. Iroh noticed, dark eyes serious.
"Ursa….we may spend our days together, but even I know this can't last. My father nor my brother gave you much of a choice for anything since you were brought to the capital to wed. I would never force a decision upon you. You have your husband and I will have my memories of loving you. I leave it to you."
His words were gallant and kind, but Ursa still felt a harsh fluttering in her heart. Selfishly, she twined her fingers through his beard. It was growing long again, but she found she liked the feel of it.
"Let's enjoy our time here. PLEASE." She pleaded. "It's selfish of me, but…."
Iroh's lips were soft against hers. Ursa clasped her arms round his neck and kissed him back.
"Lord Takumi has asked us to join him for lunch. He's young, but he wants to make a good impression," Iroh murmured against her. Ursa sighed. She twined her fingers through the hairs at the back of his neck.
"Has he angled for entrance to the White Lotus? It can only be why he's offered his father's home."
"Correct." Iroh kissed the back of her hand. "His father is one of us, but a recruit need offer a gift or boon to the society for entrance. This is his."
"Why does he want to join so badly?" Ursa wondered.
Iroh smiled slyly. "Can't dwell too further, but many of us were old friends. The wish to serve the world is our mantra."
"Not all would see it that way," Ursa said wisely. Iroh nodded.
"You may be right, my dear. Come, let's let our host entertain us."
"Then I want to speak to Azula's mind healers…"
"Of course."
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Zirin scrubbed a wrist across her eyes. She had been leading her chicken horse by the bridle on foot, so as not to lead him into any obstacles or damage a clawed foot. The down side was that before the sun came up, Zirin had stumbled in a few holes herself, almost twisted her ankle, and she hadn't gotten any sleep.
A glance over her shoulder told her efforts could only pay off so long. The three hunters weren't in sight, but the game was all in the title. They could be in the shrubs, hunting her effortlessly. And she DID need to sleep or the chicken horse was going to peck her shoulder raw. And she was ready to collapse.
Zirin tethered the chicken horse in a field and took up a position on the grass, settling her head on her rolled up cloak. She had to snatch a few hours and take off before they caught up with her fool-hardy night travel.
The three hunters almost stumbled upon the field Zirin decided to sleep in, and rather noisily.
"Hide, fools!" the woman hissed. The three back-tracked stealthily, but their prey was dead to the world. The chicken horse was asleep too, beak tucked beneath its wing.
"Come on. We end this," one of the men retorted. He and his companion took off at a brisk walk toward Zirin and the woman followed, biting back a curse. They had done far better playing the cat-owl and mouse-rat game. But a hunter always had to seize any given opportunity. They didn't need the woman to follow the carriage tracks.
Zirin's eyes snapped open when the hunters were ten steps away from her. She sprang to her feet, shooting out a fire blast in warning.
"What do you want!" she shouted. The men and women held up fists and weapons.
"I think we all know what we're after. And I can guarantee you weren't sent by the Fire Lord," one of the men growled.
"You're right," Zirin said. She didn't relax her stance. The chicken horse squawked in her peripheral vision.
"Then you're in our way," the woman said. Zirin's exhausted mind focused on surviving the confrontation that was thrown into her face. The fists flew and Zirin was happy to note she was the only firebender amongst them. It did help her get away; the hunters were entirely too good with their weapons.
Ten minutes later, Zirin limped away, and threw herself on the chicken horse. He loped along and took off at a run at Zirin's hasty kick. She had taken off running after exchanging blows, and the only reason she had gotten away was her large fire blast. She had to get away…
The hunters picked themselves up slowly. One of the men was beating out his sleeve which was on fire.
"Well, looks like we follow."
"I highly recommend that we don't let her see us next time…."
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Tsung poured tea for all of the women. Azula had insisted they take it in the garden and they all lounged or sat cross-legged on the grass. Azula could smell the spices of the tea and she heard the clinking of the cups. Ty Lee gently tugged on her sleeve and Azula held her hands out. Ty Lee carefully set the round cup into her palms and let her grasp it firmly.
A small smile curved Azula's lips in thanks. She sipped carefully, the hot tea warming her throat. Tsung and Ying chided each other gently about some manner or other and Ty Lee got in on the ribbing. Azula listened, the past images she could draw up rolling like a screen of pictures behind her eyelids. She laughed suddenly.
"What is it, princess?" Ying asked. Azula gave a chuckle.
"Nothing, I just remember in our youth, Mai and Ty Lee would argue with each other like that. And that's when I noticed how beautiful you were, Ty." A slight blush tinged Azula's cheeks at the honest confession. Being unable to see a thing, and having to rely on the three of them had set Azula's priorities in different order. The Kyoshi Warriors gave gentle affirmation and teased Ty Lee. Azula wished she could see the look on the acrobat's face.
"Well, I remember you torturing the soldiers your father sent with us," Ty Lee teased merrily. Azula's insides cringed at the mention of Ozai, but she focused on Ty Lee's giggling.
Azula set the cup on one upraised knee, carefully keeping it upright. "What did you like calling me? Sweet sugar cakes?"
"Yeah, that was at that loser party at Ember Island we wound up crashing," Ty Lee explained to her friends. Azula set her chin on her hand.
"No, that wasn't the only time. You said it in the metal carriage to Mai. You thought I couldn't hear you."
"Oh, really?" Azula was pleased to hear the quaver in Ty Lee's voice.
"Yeah. I was climbing a ladder to reprimand one of the soldiers and you were telling Mai you wanted a good look at my sweet sugar cakes. For shame, Ty Lee." Azula flashed a smirk in Ty Lee's voice's direction.
Tsung guffawed loudly and Ying ribbed Ty Lee. The acrobat protested.
"I did NOT!"
"Did so."
As the women giggled together, Azula replayed the memories of those traveling days within her mind's eye. As it was all she could see, she focused on details that stood out sharply in memory.
She remembered every corridor in that metal carriage. The three nobles had small adjoining rooms. The beds were slim with stiff mattresses, but Azula had stolen two extra mattresses so her bed was very comfortable. She had caught Ty Lee napping in there more than once.
Azula remembered with absolute clarity that when called for duty, Ty Lee would run out of her room quicker than Mai. Ty Lee had slammed out of her room so quickly once she almost ran headlong into an engineer checking dials in the hallway. Azula even remembered what the engineer looked like; brawny shoulders, startled golden eyes and a long beard with a nick cut out of the end.
That nick had come about due to Azula's cruel drill tactics. An overly zealous foot soldier had charged into the hallway at the shout of "Avatar!" He had come swinging a sword and only by jerking his head comedically back did the engineer keep his neck. His beard had taken the hit, however.
Azula smiled as she focused on the women's bantering.
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"Your father taught you a lot of what you know, didn't he?" the mind healer asked. Azula cringed inward. Her strong shoulders slouched.
"Firebending, tactics, insanity. All in one," Azula mumbled. The healer made a non-committal sound. Azula had requested to sit with him by herself. It was bad enough memories drudged up around her father's rule stuck in her mind like soot clinging to a hearth. She didn't want Ty Lee to hear further.
"Let's look at a bit of that, shall we?" The healer asked. Azula sighed darkly.
"Another mind-walk? Why not? It's not like you'll see what I went through," she groused.
The mind healer gathered his tools, murmuring to Azula who climbed off her chair to sit and be grounded on the stone floor.
Azula closed her lids, focusing on the patches of darkness in her mind's eye. She began to sweat idly as she waited for the ringing of the bell. When she heard it, she fell rapidly inward. When Azula stood again, she was younger, but no less strong. She stalked along the corridors of the palace.
Her father was marching her past lines of omegas, men and women, to decide who to wed. Azula may have only been fourteen, but there was still the manner of locking down an heir. It wouldn't be hers, she knew. Her father wanted collateral on her. She'd shown irrational spurts of anger that eerily mirrored Ozai's, but her father was in no mood for dark competition.
Azula felt her life dwindling even at the young age she was. If she selected an omega and was forced to mate with them, she could very well be banished or killed before war against the Avatar took full precedence.
"Remember, Princess Azula, your omega exists to serve your every whim. You own them," Ozai's lips parted from his long beard as he gave a wry dark grin. Azula's thin shoulders hunched. Mother had been gone for years, but the reference to her still stabbed her through the gut.
Ty Lee's eyes flashed in her mind's eye. Azula bit her lip as she trudged beside Fire Lord Ozai as he helped inspect each omega like a piece of meat. Azula should have felt her cock stir at the sight, but her father's words and presence sickened her.
Ring! When the bell sounded, Azula gladly came back to herself. A cold stream of sweat trailed down her jaw. She swallowed hard.
"I'm thirsty," she whispered. The mind healer made clinking sounds and a cool glass of water was pressed into her hands. Azula carefully navigated the glass to sip from. She downed the glass in two long swallows and pulled back, gasping.
"The mind is a perfect ally or dangerous tool, Princess Azula," the mind healer went on. Azula snorted from her cross-legged position on the floor.
"You got that right."
"Do you need to do some breathing exercises?"
Her sharp inhales and exhales were loud as thunder to her ears, but Azula kept up with the technique the mind healer put her through. As she neared the end of the exercise, Azula wished Ty Lee were there. As she rose to her feet, she had to falter, hands wide out, to reach for the wall so she could find the door by route. The mind healer held her elbow, but Azula pushed him off.
Ty Lee's familiar voice came from the doorway and familiar hands were on her arm, leading her. Azula walked with her, and gladly, from the room that housed her walks into dark memories.
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"I can't thank you enough for this opportunity," Takumi gushed. Iroh gave a benign smile. He knew how to play the game, and at his level, he was to control said game.
"Allow further opportunities for Azula's mind to stretch and heal and the lotus ring will be yours," Iroh promised. Takumi beamed.
"My mind healer's one of the best. She'll be seeing again in no time."
"About that." Iroh frowned. "I don't want the princess's mother to be in distress. Leave such details to me."
"Of course, my lord," Takumi bowed.
'It's probably all in her mind….' Iroh thought. He was no mind healer, but he understood the crushing weight of stress and the demands the royal family wrought upon each other. He stood up and Takumi jumped to follow, bowing low at the waist.
"Thank you for your time, my lord," Iroh said politely. Takumi beamed and bowed again.
"The pleasure is all mine. If the Lady Ursa would allow me to indulge her, I have an array of sweets from my pastry chef. He's one of the best in the province."
"I'll tell her," Iroh smiled. "If you'll excuse me…"
Iroh made his way to his shared bedchambers to share the latest news of Azula with Ursa. He had no way of knowing Takumi's inner plans to ensnare his niece.
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Ursa stood at the window of her shared room, combing her long hair. She gazed over the hilly landscape that extended as far as the eye could see. The gravel pathway that came up from the mountainous hills up toward the manor was free of carriages, but she couldn't help but watch the causeway for long moments. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she kept looking all the same.
The door to the chamber opened and Ursa turned gladly to greet Iroh. He was carrying a tray of sweets and tea and they sat on the edge of the wide bed, talking and sharing. The older man blushed as Ursa wiped his mouth with the corner of a napkin. She ran a hand through his beard as she leaned back.
"I'm going to look in on her. She can't see me. And I miss her," Ursa decided. She had kept away after Azula's fall, intent on keeping further fear from her tall daughter. But she was eager to begin amends. Even if they wouldn't be extended directly to Azula's person.
"Carefully," Iroh agreed. He sipped his tea thoughtfully. "Perhaps in the morning while she's still asleep…."
Ursa's grin was wide. "And how do you propose we spend the evening, Iroh?"
"I was hoping entwined…. Passionately. As one." Iroh's words were gentle and poetic, but the fire in his loins belied them.
Outside the manor window, a leg came into view and disappeared. Zirin clung to the rocks with vigor, gloved hands holding fast. She pushed against the stone and climbed carefully. So, this was where Azula was. She passed the mother and uncle's room and their familiar faces told her she was at the right place. She just had to find Azula's room.
Zirin dropped down onto a balcony, slunk along at a fast pace, and hopped up onto a low roof top up ahead. She climbed over the top of the roof and continued on. She peered over the edge into windows below as she went. Finally, she glimpsed a long-haired woman in a bed robe and Zirin did a double-take, almost falling over the edge of the roof.
Azula! She was here! She wasn't restrained and Zirin's mouth pulled into a smirk. So's the pity for the manor's household. As she waited for Azula to run out of the room from the two wimpy looking healers, Zirin snickered. Long moments passed. Azula walked slowly far too slowly. She reached a hand out in midair, then sat heavily on the room's bed.
Her movements bespoke someone who was blind. Was Azula blinded? Zirin was aghast, stunned. Gone was the strong stance of the princess who had marched them out of Lord Shun's into the snow, prisoner in hand. Now, SHE was the prisoner, in body as well as mind.
'What happened to you?!" Zirin thought wildly. She pressed her cheek to the slate of the roof beneath her. That brought up another important question.
What was she to do now that she'd found her?
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Azula's eyes opened and she gasped, unseeing, into the darkness pressing in around her. She couldn't hear the nervous scuttling of the healers; they must have flown the coop long after she'd fallen asleep. She had brushed off their efforts of pressing a sleeping draught on her; now she'd wished she had just sucked it up and taken it.
She had been in a dead sleep, dreaming as always, of her father. His cruel voice, large hands, and flashing golden eyes. He may have been a handsome man but his sneering facial contortions belied his looks. He was raising a hand to her, much in the same way she'd seen him do to Mother, when her eyes had snapped open and after feeling like she was vaguely falling in midair, Azula could feel the press of the mattress beneath her limbs. She swallowed, and flailed a hand in front of her face. She still couldn't see, not that there was much to see in the dark room.
A scuffle of shoe on stone nearby upset Azula so badly she almost pissed herself. She clutched her bed robe around herself and sat up, cupping a fireball quickly in one palm.
"Who's there?!" she tried to get her imperious tone together. Whoever was there didn't squeak in fear and, instead, fear was the one to pick Azula. She swallowed, wondering if she should just fling the fire and damn it all. A familiar scent wafted toward Azula's nostrils and she slightly untensed. "Ty Lee?"
She heard Ty Lee give a nervous chuckle. "Yes. I thought….I thought you couldn't sleep. The storm's causing quite a racket."
"Storm?" Azula asked, hating how she sounded like she was parroting everything. Suddenly, she heard deep thunder rumble through the skies outside and she almost cocked her old smile. She was never one to be afraid of storms, not in the slightest. She DID know how to bend and direct lighting after all. Although this was a far cry from riding the lightning, as it were. "Well, it's going now."
Ty Lee moved closer and Azula felt the edge of the mattress dip. She could sense her old lover's hesitation and Azula waited. They could hear the sudden pattering of heavy rain drops against the window's shutters. "Did you….come here for something, Ty Lee?"
Ty Lee frowned to herself. Azula had been reduced to an almost polite invalid, asking about her instead of taking. Her inner alpha had been effectively quashed. She couldn't say she didn't feel bad for Azula. She decided to reach out and take hold of her and try to help her grasp what she was.
"Yes. It may be forward, Azula…." Ty Lee laid her hand over Azula's and moved closer. "But I don't care. I chose to be here after all."
"What do you?..." Azula asked when Ty Lee's scent suddenly wafted full-force into her face and soft lips pressed against hers. Azula trembled, lips barely moving as Ty Lee murmured against her. The acrobat took her hands and slid them along her shoulders, urging Azula to move her hands over the fabric of her bed robe. Azula was shocked to feel her hands shaking. Ty Lee urged her hands on, to move over her curves above the fabric of her robe. Azula almost cringed inward. The touches felt too kind, too forced…. then Ty Lee's mouth was against hers, tongue opening her lips.
And Azula moaned as her tongue stroked back. Ty Lee sighed into her mouth as Azula kissed her back deeply. Azula felt a spike of confidence surge as she pushed Ty Lee's robe open, hands soothing and reaching across warm bare skin. Ty Lee's gasps urged her on. Round breasts filled her hands and Azula's fingers learned every curve in the dark. Ty Lee pushed Azula down onto the mattress and went with her. Their legs twined as they kissed and Azula's hand squeezed her breast.
"What are you…." Azula murmured when Ty Lee's lips were across her throat, her earlobe, and across her shoulders. She leaned back, shuddering, heat pooling between her legs. Oh no….. her shift sprang into being, rapidly swelling and it was too late to reign her lust in and keep the shift from happening or at least too fast. Ty Lee blushed in the dark. She was honestly glad she still got this kind of reaction from Azula. For long moments each day, she feared Azula wouldn't ever want her again. And here she was in her bed, feeling the evidence of arousal against her hip. "Hmm! That is….Ty…."
Ty Lee was glad to hear Azula use her old nickname. She banished the memory of Zuko calling her that and leaned against Azula's torso. They pressed, bed robes falling open partially, breasts rubbing, Azula's thick shaft surging against her hip. Ty Lee wanted to reach for her, to stroke her to orgasm, but her wrist was clutched by Azula's hand. She blinked in the darkness as Azula's ragged breathing thundered in her ears.
"No…. not yet." Those were words Azula never thought she'd hear herself say. She'd always been the one to throw her clothes off and jump on a sexual conquest. But even though the touches and kisses were driving her mad, she wanted to savor the dampness of the storm, the stillness of the moment and hear Ty Lee's giggles.
Ty Lee sighed against her shoulder. Her hand was released and she rubbed Azula's side instead. "Okay…." Whatever Azula needed, she would do. They lay, one leg entwined with the other, listening to the rain. Every so often, Ty Lee would lift her head and meet Azula's lips in the dark. Azula was startled how hungrily she reached for her. Their tongues slowly stroked and Ty Lee's hand was soft against her cheek.
As the hours drifted, Ty Lee dozed against Azula's shoulder. The princess kept her arm around her waist. She wondered how much of Ty Lee's robe was open but she didn't want to wake her and grope to find out. She'd gotten a good handful of her round breast before. The memory of the nipple growing erect in her palm made her smile in the dark. Azula surged her chi and drew it inward. Her shift went half soft, but was still present. Azula pressed against the warm body against her.
In a world without vision, the warmth was what she sought.
End for now
End notes: And here we go! Like it, smash that button, do that review thing :P Stay strong, my lovelies.
Most sincerely, pen
9/15/2017