Avatar Chapter 45
I do not own Avatar the Last Air Bender
Kori Morishita was a loyal, dedicated and, currently, terrified Fire Nation citizen. "Remember to breath Kori, everything is about breathing." She tried to steady her breath but as she followed behind a high noble and… Princess, she found that difficult.
Kori never imagined being in the presence of these kinds of people, when she had decided to partro-take a walk through the city all she thought about was how things were back in Yu Dao, with her amateur local defense force consisting mostly of herself, her cousins and a few, admitting, pompous teens.
She never imagined, though she had always fantasized, that something would happen where should could help the Fire Nation. When she heard the sounds of crashing rocks a few blocks away she had rushed over to help, when she saw people in Earth Kingdom armor attacking someone she had frozen solid and hid.
She had trained hard to learn Earth Bending and even harder to use her rock ball and chain, which she was rather proud of, but she had never actually fought someone. But then she saw Lady Mai, who she recognized from the brief moment she saw the governor's family on the way into the city, and how effortlessly she took down one man after the other. It was inspiring to see someone her own age and gender fight so… methodically was a good a word.
But then there was that hulking mass of a man who seemed to be more than match for the governor's daughter. Kori made the decision to squash her fear, and the feeling to throw up, and help. To her shock it was easy to knock a guy out if he was looking the other way, a good smack with her mace and each man fell, all of them too absorbed with the fight in front of them.
When all that was left was the large Earth Bender her heart was beating so fast she thought she would faint, Kori was at a loss on how to intervene in way that would not end up killing her and Lady Mai when luckily he lifted that enormous slab of rock. Kori had to marvel at that, never in her dreams did she imagine herself moving such a massive piece of earth but she managed to stay focused enough to see the opening and using all her might she flung her mace at his head.
When he spun like a top and caught it she felt her legs grow week and her throat close up, she had seen her life flash before her eyes. Then he used his other arm to block Lady Mai's knives and the impressive slab fell on him.
Which lead to now, following behind Lady Mai and her friend Princess Ty Lee, her royal majesty Ty Lee, who had hugged and thanked her. Kori wanted to tear open a hole in the ground and dive in, she had touched a royal! It did not matter if the Princess herself initiated it, one did not touch royalty.
Kori risked a glance upwards, the Princess seemed engaged in conversation with Lady Mai, who seemed to be listening more than conversing. Princess Ty Lee seemed nice, in fact she reminded Kori of a number of girls she knew from her school, the chatty empty headed types.
She tensed and banished the thought, "That's royal blood in front of you!" Kori berated herself, suddenly very conscious of the armoured guards following behind her, though laden with so much food they looked more like porters.
"And technically she's not royal blood, she's just a consort… to the Crown Princess." Kori began to rub her hands over her chain, she did whenever she was truly nervous. "Princess Azula's here!"
Every Fire Nation girl knew of the Crown Princess, she was literally the example used for what a perfect Fire Nation citizen should be, ladies of high status in particular. She was the standard that Kori and every other girl in Yu Dao had been measured against, and found wanting. "And she's here! I'm probably going to meet her, oh Agni I should have stayed in bed today."
Kori also knew of Princess Azula's reputation of being… demanding, viciously so. There were rumors of her feeding people to her pet beast, of her leaving burn marks on those who dared address her improperly, there was even one of her having a private torture dungeon where she and brain-washed servants preformed strange rituals.
Kori looked at Princess Ty Lee, and found herself looking at the girls upturned legs as she walked on her hands. "See Mai, I can do this all day if I want to now."
"That's great Ty Lee, I'm sure the world's historians will make note of this revolutionary accomplishment." Lady Mai monotone voice unnerved Kori, though she was more shocked by how disrespectful she was being.
"You really think so?" The Princess seemed excited.
"Not really, though I'm pretty sure you can just order them to if you want."
"Oh yeah I keep forgetting, Zula keeps trying to make me order people around but it just seems so…"
"Entertaining?"
"Hey she used that a word quite a few times too, you two think so alike."
"How unnerving"
"Why are you nervous Mai?"
Lady Mai's head dropped down as if in defeat, "How about you talk to my saviour while I pity your school instructors"
Kori tensed as Ty Lee's flipped back upright and started walking backwards, her big grey eyes and enormous grin pointed right at her. "Hi Kori, you seem really nervous, much more than Mai."
"I-I am quite alright your majesty."
"Really? Because your aura's all contorted and messy."
"My aura?"
"Yeah, it tells me your nervous and afraid but with nice earthy tones."
Kori was not sure how to respond to that.
"Say, are you actually an Earth Bender."
Kori nodded slowly "I am Princess" and suddenly the royals face was very close "Really!"
Kori nodded frantically. "That's so cool! I don't think I've ever met an actual Earth Bender before, well not a nice one anyway, hey can you show me, pleeese" The Princess batted her eyes in a way that Kori imagined was supposed to be cute but just grew the colonial girl's anxiety.
"O-Of course." Kori remembered to breath and focused, the large stone at the end of her chain rose up and swayed from side to side, the Princess' eyes followed it as if transfixed "Coooool!"
"You, colony girl" Lady Mai called back to them and Kori nearly squeaked. "Yes my Lady."
"You should realize that Ty Lee will now follow you around all day asking for demonstrations."
"Hey! I don't do that anymore." The Princess had bent at the waist to look at Lady Mai but still walked backwards somehow.
"You spent a whole week clinging to me when I foolishly showed you my first knife trick." Lady Mai raised a hand and with swirl of her hand a knife suddenly appeared, glided across her fingers then disappeared just as quickly.
"Because that's cool to! And besides Kori doesn't mind, I can tell."
"Better her than me."
The Princess straightened herself out and again looked right at her, Kori averted her gaze but the Princess moved back into her vision, before giggling "You're funny, I like you."
"You're too kind your majesty." Kori stammered out.
"Zula tells me that to, but she doesn't mean it, but you do, that's so weird."
"I would never speak untruthfully Princess"
Ty Lee smiled "I know, I can tell."
"Pardon?"
"Oh I can tell when people are lying to me, even Zula and she's a really good liar, like super good."
"Here we go." Lady Mai commented.
"It's true Mai! Well not with you your aura is just different shades of grey but most everyone else I can tell." Now the Princess was pouting.
"That's what you used to say in the academy but those preppy ingrates still scammed you out of that golden hair braid that one time."
"I was seven years old! And besides Azula got it back for me."
"It was melted"
"Well yeah but still it was nice of her, I have it back home in my treasure box."
Kori listened to the exchange, wondering if all school children in the homeland went through such dangerous experiences. "Wait! She can tell if I lie."
Ty Lee turned back to look at her and those big grey eyes suddenly seemed terrifying.
"You don't have to be scared Kori, I try not to look too hard unless Azula tells me to." Kori went rigid.
"I think you broke her Ty Lee, impressive." Lady Mai seemed to have eyes in the back of her head, though she did not react as the Princess stuck her tongue out at her. Kori wanted nothing more than to run away as fast as she could right now, on top of all the other things to worry about the royal in front of her could apparently read minds "Oh Agni I don't want to be shipped off to the coal mines, this is why the peasantry and nobility shouldn't mix." Kori was not technically a peasant but she was certainly not noble, her ancestors included a Fire Nation fisherman and an Earth Kingdom farmer.
She felt someone grab her arm and suddenly she was pulled next to Lady Mai, with the clinging Princess on her other side. "So Kori since Mai is being herself right now, tell me about you."
Suppressing her panic at the Princess hugging her arm Kori spoke "I'm not very interesting your majesty."
"Sure you are, but ok how about I tell you about me, that's how I usually make friends."
"Friends!" Kori nearly shouted.
"Of course! You'll be my first colony friend, this is so totally awesome… unless you don't want to be my friend some people think I'm annoying." Now the Princess looked sad.
"I would never think that your majesty!" Kori could not imagine anyone telling or even thinking a Princess she was annoying, not without consequences involving a large man in a black hood.
Princess Ty Lee's face lit up "Really! Yay." Kori was suddenly squeezed tightly and actually lifted off the ground "She's much stronger then she looks."
"Ty Lee if you're done being yourself we're here."
Kori was set down and she gazed up at the governors Palace, it was a very impressive building with a few too many security flaws, which were now bothering her.
"Wow! Mai this is where you live, it has such an awesome view!" Princess Ty Lee seemed overly amazed at nearly everything she saw.
"Yeah it's great, especially when my mother insists I watch the sunset most nights while she feeds that stinky noisy blob of drool." Even here in front of her own home Lady Mai looked and sounded gloomy.
The guard captain walked passed Kori and kneeled before the Princess, he spoke quietly before she nodded and he head off.
"The captain says he'll tell Azula we're here, she's probably talking with your dad Mai."
"Wouldn't want to interrupt that, he may be in the middle of licking her boot."
"Come on Mai she doesn't do that, she likes to singe the tips of people's ears instead"
"Well in that case we should hurry."
Kori paled but not none the less was dragged by the pink Princess towards the Palace.
Azula had never really given Mai's father much thought before and now she knew why, the man was the worst kind of yes man, which for her was a phenomenal feat. He was good at praising her and the Fire Lord, which she always appreciated, but he just went on and on. They had barely began discussing anything of significance and what she could tease out was not what she wanted to hear. When her own guard captain entered the room she was seriously thinking about strangling the man with his own flashy robes.
The man quickly walked in and kneeled before her, Azula waited a few seconds purely to unnerve him before speaking.
"Is there something you would like to report captain?"
"My apologies Princess, we were attacked by rebels and I thought it prudent to retreat here."
Azula raised an eyebrow as the governor made a very strange facial expression, somewhere between horror and disgust "Then, since you are calmly kneeling there, I am to suspect nothing too serious happened."
"Yes Princess, her majesty and lady Mai are unharmed, as is the cargo."
"The cargo?"
"…The Princess desired-"
"Never mind, I know" Azula sighed, she always feared what would draw her consorts eye, mostly it was either something shiny or mystical, or both.
She looked down at the man "Tell me what happened, in detail." She wanted to know who would dare attack her Ty Lee.
After the captain gave his rundown Azula almost wanted to laugh, this resistance of former 'soldiers' apparently chose silver over gold. While Mai would be a fine hostage a royal would have given them much more power. It was good to hear both her old friend and her pet could be counted on, the tremor in the captain's voice as he described Arkrez tearing through the assailants filled her with joy. It was disturbing that Mai apparently needed help from some colonial to bring down one opponent but she would save judgement until after she had examined this Earth Bender girl.
She turned to the governor "This resistance seems to be causing me some distress; how far along is the plan to wipe them out?"
The man's blank face provided an answer "Well?" She was itching to give him a good shock.
"Zula!" Azula turned and saw a pink blur sprinting towards her "You owe her governor."
Azula braced herself and caught her beloved, she let Ty Lee nuzzle her for a bit before pushing her to arm's length and looking her over for signs of damage.
"Azula I'm fine, not even a scratch." Ty Lee's big smile seemed genuine but Azula could instantly tell it was slightly off, she would bring it up in private later.
She glanced past Ty Lee at Mai, filing her nail with a knife, and a girl dressed in red and green who looked at her with awe.
Ty Lee turned her head and followed her gaze "Oh that's Kori Morishita, she has two names and saved Mai" At that Mai looked at her with a look of exasperation, which for Mai amounted to slightly shifted eyebrow.
"Mai my darling heir are you okay!" The governor suddenly seemed to remember he could speak.
"I'm fine father." Despite her monotone assurance Mai's father rushed up and started looking her over.
"Well you look okay, and from what I hear you protected the Princess, excellent work, just excellent and you." The man walked over the Kori and grasped her arms in thanks "Thank you for saving my daughter, I don't what we would do without her."
The girl looked as if she was made of stone while Mai's left eye was starting to twitch.
"I knew the Morishita family were a fine lineage, your father will be so proud when he hears the news." The governor's praise caught Azulas attention, colonials had begun adopting the strange custom of first and last names, which she supposed made it easier to follow family lines though a crest always seemed good enough for her.
Azula let Ty Lee go and stalked forward, she was now moderately interested in this affair.
As she walked she could see the girl get more anxious by the step, Azula walked slower to savour the look her face and when she was but a step away the girl looked as if she remembered something important and bowed down to the ground as if she was weighed down by a cart.
Azula actually felt a tear in her eye "Oh if only everyone did that as I approached" Azula already liked this one, it was always a pleasure for people to be so… crushed, by her presence.
"Governor, you know of this girl's family."
"Oh but of course Princess, her father is the mayor of Yu Dao."
"That is quite a distance from here."
"Absolutely Princess, but the rail project outside requires vast amounts of metal and Yu Dao has the best metal and metals workers in the nation, we ordered so much of both the mayor and his family traveled here to guarantee the results." Azula thought that was probably an understatement, judging by the number of people around the ravine she guessed most of Yu Dao's working population was here.
She looked at the hunched blob of a girl and thought of footstools for some reason, "Would you like to stand up, Kori?"
The girl tentatively raised her head "I want what whatever you desire Princess."
"Really? And what do you think I desire right now."
"I-I wouldn't know Princess"
"I see, and if I had no opinion on whether or not you stood on two feet ever again, what would that mean."
The girl was sweating and Azula was having a wonderful time, she adored meeting new people.
"Well Kori how about this, you tell me why I should let you up and I will listen."
"Oh Zula, Zula can I answer." Ty Lee was hopping up and down with a raised hand.
Azula sighed "Yes Ty I suppose, why should I let her up?"
"Because she's our friend." Ty Lee was smiling.
"Since when?"
"The trip here"
"You've known her for than an hour then."
"And you've known her for less than five minutes"
"That lacks any sort of logic."
"Logic smogic, I can tell by the way you make people uncomfortable if you like them or not"
Azula frowned, even to her that sounded wrong.
"Plus if you agree she's our friend I'll give you a reward."
"And what reward will you give." Azula had a confident smirk on her lips, then Ty Lee gave her the look.
It wasn't a complicated look, a gentle smile and slight caressing of the braid but it was the eyes that did it. Normally so big, bright and energetic they were now deep, dark, half lidded, with an occasional slow blink, Azula felt goose bumps rise up and a shiver run down her spine "Agni, what has she done to me."
She fought down a blush and disguised a steadying breath with a grunt of fake annoyance "Very well, you! Get up off the floor, it's unsanitary!"
The girl scrambled up and looked at the floor, "Thank you Princess, it is a great honor to be in your presence."
"It is isn't it." Azula was too flustered to torment the girl anymore, but since they were now 'friends' there would be plenty of chances later.
She turned to Mai's father "Governor! I am going to eat a midday meal, tour the palace and talk to your daughter, when I see you again there had better be a plan to expunge this resistance from the Fire Nations newest conquest."
"Y-yes your majesty, it will be done, I will get my best people on it."
"He's like a broken music box, maybe Mai's mother was unfaithful and mated with a mute."
"Zula, can we eat on the patio, it has a beautiful view and we can try out the food together."
"Food?" Azula looked around and took notice of her guards by the doorway, all laden with boxes of what Ty Lee decided to buy.
She tried to imagine how much was spent but soon gave up, at least it wasn't sparkly this time. "Alright fine."
"Yippee" Her consort clung to her arm and started leading them somewhere, before stopping to look at Mai with a pleading look.
"This way." Mai started in the complete opposite direction and Ty Lee dragged Azula after her.
Mai led a happy Princess, a pompous Princess, an anxious new girl and a bunch of guards smelling of cooking oil and fried meat to a patio big enough for Ty Lee to twirl around in and Azula's ship sized ego, which was actually smaller then Mai though it would be.
"She actually did what Ty Lee asked her, scratch that she folded like a deck of cards." Mai had been dragged to enough formal events and seen enough lovey dovey power couples to spot which partner held sway. She would never though it possible but all it took from Ty Lee was the batting of eyelashes to get the prideful Princess to melt like butter.
Even her own father, to his credit, could resist doing whatever his wife told him but Azula appeared to be clay in a loud, perky contortionists hands.
Mai glanced backwards, ignoring the colony girl looking at her feet and the guards peeking out behind crates, she saw her two friends looked happy, even Azula whose arm must be going numb.
Mai looked forward and smiled, it was nice that her friends had found each other… then she had a thought, "Oh burn me, if something goes wrong in paradise I'll be the one with a free shoulder to cry on and an ear to talk off."
Mai looked at the ceiling in dread, she did not deal with children, animals, disgusting fluids or relationship issues "If they break up I'm leaping of a cliff, one with sharp rocks at the bottom."