Avatar Chapter 40
I do not own Avatar the Last Air Bender
A pink clad Princess paced back and forth, worrying about Azula confronting her brother and uncle. She did not like this mission, sure it seemed simple enough, just bring Zuko and Iroh back to the Fire Nation.
But the two of them were not being brought back in high honors, Iroh was a full blown traitor if the reports were true. The plan was to bring them back peacefully, and it was completely dependent on them not knowing their current status.
And right now Azula was deep inland all alone waiting for them, she had even ordered Arkrez to stay on the ship, to make sure the two were completely at ease. Ty Lee thought that she would at least be able to come along but Azula made the point that Iroh was much more observant than he let on and she was not the most subtle person.
"She even made me stay on our balcony, it's not like I would blurt out they were criminals." Ty Lee realized she was pacing and clutching her braid like some nervous wreck, she sighed, Azula had been right, once again.
She realized all she could do was wait and trust that her love would be fine, she was Azula after all. But as her consort Ty Lee reserved the right to worry, and by Agni she was going to.
Azula sat in the dark, boring cabin fiddling with shells she suspected were her uncles little project. She knew all she had to do was convince her brother that despite his long list of failures he was being welcomed back home for family's sake. That would be easy, he was always looking for father's approval, it was her uncle who would prove difficult. Lazy as the man was Azula admitted he knew her father better than she did and would probably be unconvinced that Fire Lord Ozai would be so forgiving.
Her sharp ears picked up the sound of conversation outside, and she recognized the distinctive lecturing voice of her tea obsessed uncle. "You must learn to enjoy the peaceful aspects in life Zuko, they will help relieve the stress that weighs upon you."
"Uncle we've been here for weeks and nothing's changed, I don't think herbal baths and massages are what I need." Azula recognised her brother, whiny and impatient as always.
She watched as the two entered the dark hut, they surprisingly did not seem to notice her. Iroh looked pretty much the same as she remembered but she now realized this was the first time seeing Zuko's scar laid bare. "That's quite a mark, father was truly unforgiving." She felt some sort of pity for Zuko but if he had just fought their father instead of groveling like an urchin he probably would have gotten off with a good thrashing instead of banishment and a roasted face.
"Change happens all around us, it is only a matter of looking for it." Her uncle picked up one of his shells and examined it.
"Why are you collecting those anyway, we have to carry everything around ourselves now remember." Azula wondered if they would ever notice her, but amusing as this was she had things to do.
"Now Zuko is that anyway to speak to our esteemed uncle." The two Princes spun and looked at her, Zuko scowled.
"Why are you here" He had an obvious edge in his vice.
"Hello to you to Zuko, simple greetings are the norm back home you know." Azula stood up and looked at her brother, clothed in no more than a casual robe
Zuko grit his teeth but a hand on his shoulder calmed him "What an honor it is for the Princess to greet us here, isn't it nephew." Iroh looked at her with a calculating eye.
Azula smirked, Zuko still looked livid but he took a breath "What do you want Azula."
"The world at my fingertips but that's further off, for now I just wanted to say hello to my most accomplished brother."
"Don't toy with me, you not going to trick me this time."
Azula sighed "It appears all these years away has uncultured you Zuko, maybe you should go back to the spa, have some tea, spend some time with a cute serving girl."
"I don't have time for tea or serving girls." Zuko's words seemed to horrify Iroh, which made Azula roll her eyes.
"Oh come now you have been on the high seas these past three years and most girls love brooding and scars."
"I am not playing your games Azula… and what would you know about any of that anyway?" Zuko looked as if he accomplished something, and perhaps if this were a few years ago he would have.
"Unlike you Zuko I have actual experience with relationships." Zuko looked as if his jaw would hit the floor.
"You!"
Azula felt a pang of annoyance at her brother's inference but realized he probably had no idea of her recent endeavours, she smiled.
"Is that so hard to imagine Zuko, I do have quite a list of admirable qualities, intelligence, grace, fair skin." The last one made Zuko bristle.
"You're lying, no guy would put up with you."
Azula shrugged "I guess I can't fault you for thinking that." Zuko looked triumphant.
"But luckily Ty Lee is more understanding than you, though when you meet her it will be Princess Ty Lee."
Zuko looked confused and she could see the gears in his head working, his eyes widened. "W-wait, you, and Ty Lee, are… are."
"What's the matter the Zuko? Are you surprised by my choice in partner?" Azula adored messing with her brother's mind.
The Prince scratched his nearly bald head, nervously "Well…no, actually not really." Azula was taken back and momentarily lost her cool.
"Excuse me." She asked dangerously.
Zuko seemed to be thinking "It's just, I don't know, you just gave off that vibe all the time."
"That vibe?" Azula threw away all thoughts about her mission, far to agitated to care.
Zuko seemed oblivious to her anger "Yeah, I always felt it when we were young but could never pin it down."
Azula felt a hair move out of place and her eye twitch, she certainly did not give off some 'vibe'.
"Now Princess please understand your brother does not mean any disrespect, he is simply far more mature since you last met and can understand the more… delicate aspects of life." Unlike Zuko her uncle seemed to notice her growing anger.
Zuko seemed to take the hint "Yeah, I mean it's not like I'm against it or anything, in fact I think its great Ty Lee settled you down." His big stupid smile did not help his statement.
"Settled me down? What's that supposed to mean?!" Azula felt like burning something, or someone.
"Zuko is just admiring Princess Ty Lee's ability to get such a wonderful partner, being settled is a wonderful feeling of comfort and satisfaction." Iroh seemed desperate to smooth over her brothers asinine comments.
Zuko looked towards Iroh, confused "But didn't our helmsman say that was just a good way of saying someone's whipped."
Iroh looked horrified and something in Azula snapped "I'LL SHOW YOU WHIPPED!"
Ty Lee nearly jumped as a patch in the forest exploded in blue flame, she stood there for half a second before jumping over the railing and down the tower, roof by roof.
The royal guards on deck were already rushing off the dock, they took up the gangplank so Ty Lee hoped onto the railing and surprising even herself leapt the whole distance to the dock and hit the ground running.
She did not want to think about what could have happened to Azula, she just kept running. Ty Lee sprinted up the path, for how long she did not know, where the hut, and her Azula, would hopefully be. She sprinted without really looking what was in front of her so it was a surprise when she ran right into the Princess.
Azula managed to stay standing and held Ty Lee steady, "Ty Lee what are doing here…why are you crying?" Ty Lee realized her vision was blurry and wiped her eyes dry. "I…I…I thought-"
"Calm down everything is fine"
"But, but, you, the fire, it exploded!"
"The traitors and I had a disagreement, I wanted to send them a message." Azula was quite agitated, and was looking at her strangely.
She heard armoured boots behind her and turned to see the Captain of the royal guard stop and salute. "Your Royal Highnesses, are you uninjured?"
"Bring the men back to the ship and begin sending out messengers, I want everyone within a day's journey to know those two are wanted men by this evening."
Azula started down towards the ship, dragging Ty Lee her "Arkrez. Come" Ty Lee saw large animal appear right behind the captain, who managed not to flinch as the beast brushed past.
Now that she knew Azula was okay Ty Lee was curious, her love looked fine, really pissed off but that was normal. "Um Zula."
"I don't want to talk about it." Was the curt reply.
"Oh, Ok." Ty Lee knew when to let something slide, though she was even more curious about what could have set Azula off.
Iroh realized he had not run this fast in years and was thankful when he and Zuko came to a clearing.
As he tried to catch his breath he realized that as far as Zuko had come these past few months he still had much to learn, particularly when it came to women. "Do you think we lost her uncle? She seemed ready to kill us."
"I believe we have been given a reprieve Zuko, but I would think it is only temporary."
His nephew nodded "I didn't think that would set her off, Azula never loses it, ever."
Iroh straightened up and cleared his throat "Zuko, you must learn that women are beautiful yet strange beings, their moods are like the wind, they change direction at a moment's notice."
"Yeah but it was Azula."
Iroh nodded "A valid point, but your sister has obviously changed since you last met, just as you have." He was surprised as anybody when his contacts gave him the information about Azula's courtship of Ty Lee, it was both unexpected and comforting that his troubled niece had found someone so…at all really. Though in retrospect it probably would have been wise to tell Zuko of this but the Avatar had consumed his nephew's thoughts lately.
But Zuko looked contemplative, which was good "In the future Zuko I would suggest you think very carefully before making comments about other people's relationships, telling one such as Azula she is 'whipped' is not recommended if you desire to remain unscathed."
Zuko rubbed the unscarred part of his face, Azula had stated in her rage that when she caught to them she would burn off the other side of his face, among other threats. "So what do we do now uncle, Azula came looking for us for a reason, she always has one."
Iroh nodded "I don't think she was here to bring us good news Zuko, we should lay low until we can find out more." He had hunch about what why Ozai would send his daughter out to greet them, but he would not make any assumptions just yet.