Azula opened her eyes, staring up to the black, Fire Nation insignia on her bed's canopy. She could not remember falling asleep or much else that had happened the evening before, though, the burning aching between her legs was painfully real. Azula felt panic rise before swallowing it down. Had someone invaded her room whilst she was sleeping? Her uncomfortable moment with Fire Lord Zuko on the balcony replayed in her mind, making her want to vomit. No, Zuko would never do such a thing, would he?
No, he wouldn't. She validated in her mind, though Mai's bitter words regarding the new-found love between the siblings plagued her mind.
"Your secret's safe with me". The woman had said from her deathbed.
What secret? Azula wondered, grunting as she lifted herself from bed, limbs tense and lethargic.
The princess felt disgusting as she made her way out of the bedroom, nodding to various palace servants offering her everything from pit-less cherries to warm face towels and mint leaves. Refusing the cherries, she crushed the mint between her teeth and spit the leaves into an offered bowl. Taking the warm cloth, she wiped away the vestiges of sleep from her face. As her hazy eyes regained focus, she dropped the towel on the floor out of habit for someone else to retrieve, intending to continue towards the bath houses when the fire lord came into view.
Azula gave a soft smile to her brother despite the confusion in her mind about the evening before. The fire lord's face was still, however, his eyes narrowed so that she could barely see the golden iris on the scarred side of his face.
"I trust you slept well," her brother spoke with icy disdain in each word as he closed the gap between them.
Azula took two steps back, unsure of how to react with the man's sudden hostility. No, Zuko's anger problems did not just disappear despite his reformed views. Yes, the two were still often at odds about this or that, regarding the joint governing of their nation, but their days of brutal, cold feuding were well into the past along with their adolescent years.
Taking a strand of her loose hair in her hand, Azula twisted it about her forefinger and looked sideways towards the blood red walls instead of at the man before her. It was amazing just how much her older brother favored Ozai in his adulthood. Azula would never admit it, but the scar on the fire lord's face despite its age, and trademark still brought an array of turmoil that threatened to boil to the surface from somewhere deep inside her. It was Ozai's permanent warning to her when she was just eleven years old.
Thankfully, she could not remember the Agni Khai itself, though Uncle Iroh was currently ripping her a good one for as he termed, "relishing" in her brother's agonizing defeat. Azula had simply swallowed his lectures as she was expected to do until she could not take any more of his insults that reminded her of her lost mother and blacked out completely. When she reopened her eyes, Uncle Fuddy Duddy was still carrying on outside of the arena, though he could not have possibly known that it was not to "Azula" he was lecturing anymore. Instead Perfection found it necessary to take over and protect the princess in the event that their father appeared.
Besides, she had been the reason Azula was grinning like a fool when their brother's face was pummeled. Azula could not handle the scene, weak as the little girl was, yet Perfection felt it was long overdue for Ursa's precious, brat Zuzu to bite the dust. Unlike Azula, Perfection was happy to learn that Mother had disappeared off the face of the earth along with the ancient Fire Lord Azulon. Whether or not they had suffered the same fate, at the time, was unknown. Perfection had hoped so as she had taken over to play a vital role in the game of thrones to rip Uncle of his birthright.
Azula had been devastated, but Perfection knew what their mother really thought of them, she had even written a message to her other half with their mom's lipstick on their mirror to reveal the truth to the weaker one.
'She thinks you're a monster'. She had phrased plainly.
The child had secretly cried to her gloomy friend Mai, all day, which was fine with Perfection. Protecting her other half was her sole purpose and sometimes that involved well-intended tough love as well. Besides, they were sharing the same body and Azula needed to know that fucking up was not an option at an early age. Perfection was determined to hone Azula into the heir their father needed. They had no other choice in the matter, else they would look like Zuko and no one was going to mar this lovely physique if Perfection had anything to say about it!
As she waited for Iroh to finish his tired tirade, she noted Father emerging from the arena's curtains, servants groveling on all sides of the tall man. He was still dressed in his garbs from the Agni Khai and showed not one hint of remorse for his actions. That was when Perfection chose to speak to Uncle, loud enough to grasp the fire lord's attention.
"So, you're scolding me for embracing my father's victory?" She asked innocently.
As expected, Ozai slowed his pace, his eyes on the unknowing Iroh's back. Perfection feigned childish ignorance, putting on her best large, puppy dog eyes that would rival Ty Lee's and twirled one of her bangs around her forefinger.
Good. She thought at Ozai's abrupt halt. Now, for the kill.
"Did Father do a bad thing, Uncle?" Perfection asked in a timid voice, teeth preventing a near smirk as Iroh fell face first into the trap.
"Your brother was hurt badly, Azula," he admitted with a sigh. "A father should never treat his son that way". His boldness did intrigue the little girl and it was a wonder Father did not roast the old man on the spot.
Perfection had been impressed actually when the fire lord took light steps towards them until he was face to face with his shorter brother and next to his daughter. Iroh looked between them, his face darkening with understanding. In all honesty, Perfection hoped for another Agni Khai for kicks between the brothers. She hated Uncle with a passion.
"Since you are so inclined to be a father again, yourself, Iroh, why don't you join the boy on his quest for the avatar?" Father asked in his ever calm, terrifying demeanor that Perfection just adored and often emulated with the palace servants.
All three family members knew it was not a request. Perfection was elated to see Iroh nod in defeat and turn away. Serves him right! The sexist fool could go play with his favorite boy all he wanted while Perfection would guarantee that Azula gained all of their father's attention.
You're welcome, Azula. She thought, proudly.
It was a shame she had burned to a crisp the ugly earth kingdom doll Iroh had given Azula years ago. It would have made a nice first postcard.
Now, to pay Zuzu a visit. She decided, allowing Azula the honor of seeing her brother's scarred face. Maybe that was what the girl finally needed to grow a backbone. That is, after she was done teasing him first…
Azula shook her head by her brother's bedside, blinking as though she were awakening from a daydream. Seeing the heavily bandaged side of his face brought her quickly to her senses. Looking to the nurses, she demanded to know what had happened to him.
"The Agni Khai, Your Highness, did you forget?" One of the frightened men answered, looking to the floor.
Oh. Thought the princess. How could I forget that? Was I late? Why can't I remember what happened?
Straightening her back on the chair next to the medical bed, she dismissed the thoughts when her brother groaned. She looked to him as he blinked one eye half-opened.
"Zuko, I-"
'I'm sorry', she almost said, but swallowed the words. Father could be anywhere or any of these nurses could be his spies. Azula was no fool to the nuances of their royal life. Secrets, betrayals and traitors were rampant in their world.
Zuko's one eye grew as large as a saucer. "Get away from me, Azula!" He growled. "You've said enough! Why are you still here?"
Taken aback by the sudden hostility, Azula furrowed her brow. What did he mean? She had only recently entered his medical room moments before and he was already being a jerk.
Maybe it's the painkillers. She concluded.
"I want to help you," she offered, ignoring his fuss, giving a genuine smile.
"Then leave!" The thirteen-year-old snapped. "I don't need your help. I just need to find the avatar and Father will restore my honor".
Azula was not too sure on the crowned prince's words. How could Zuko not see the truth? Father hated him. He considered Zuko a miserable, utter failure at best. The princess could not bring herself to say those words to her brother, however, not while he was this low.
"I can arrange a fleet and crew for you. Father would not mind".
Zuko shot her a look. "You're lying," he stated.
Azula grimaced. He was always saying that, but in truth he was not worth lying to as Father could not care less and Mother was gone. As sad as it was, Azula felt her brother needed to leave before things got worse for both of them due to his foolish delusions and ridiculous actions that made him a constant piss off for the fire lord. She did not know how to say this and thankfully did not need to because Perfection took over right on time, as always.
"Look, I'm not the one with half of my face fried and no one, but his fat, lazy, jealous uncle to help him," she said on Azula's behalf, making sure to speak slow and with perfect articulation. "So, if I were a pathetic loser like you, which thank Agni, I'm not. I would risk an offer I couldn't refuse from the only family I have left. Besides, if you can't trust family, who can you trust?"
#
Azula finally nerved to meet her brother's eyes after several moments, an act that made his scowl deepen.
"I slept like a baby," she finally answered, knowing she should not bring up her sore limbs or…other things.
She was not sure how Zuko would react if she revealed how often she awoke with little to no memories of the previous nights. Despite their closeness, she was terrified of how it would all sound. For as long as she could remember, things had always been this way. Her mother constantly scolded her for acts she rarely remembered or things she said while her father would praise her for similar acts she could rarely remember or things she said. It was all confusing, therefore, she chose to maintain control in anyway she could. Control was all she ever strived for, though deep inside she wondered just how much control she truly had.
Womanhood had changed her as expected, along with the war's outcome and her time spent in, as her father cruelly termed it, the nuthouse. She had more time to think lately and rarely had episodes as the nuthouse doctors called it.
But it was happening again. Only things were different, now. The princess had only kissed one person in her life and knew better than to sleep with anyone, given her status. So, why did she feel like a wayward woman, rising from bed most nights, recently?
"Hmm," Zuko mumbled, looking her over, his nostrils flaring in poorly concealed rage.
Azula decided to change the subject matter. "Speaking of, has Izumi awakened? I wanted to spend time with her in the gardens".
"You'll have to ask Mai," said the father, turning away from her. "She's in Mother's old room," he informed her, and from his tone she knew he did not agree with the arrangement. "She's expecting you anyway," he added.
Azula watched the man leave. Mai's alive? She thought. The avatar healed her!
Azula remembered sending Zirin to retrieve the air nomad in hopes of saving the doomed woman, after her mother's murder attempt. No one had told her that Lady Misery had pulled through, however. She hurried in the direction of Ursa's old bedroom to greet the woman and hopefully convince her to make amends with the fire lord. Besides, she wanted to see her niece anyway.
She was stopped by Iroh's sudden emergence from seemingly thin air, however, with a look on his face that was not pleasant by any means. He was the last person Azula wished to see in her current state. The princess was almost sure that Uncle would have questions for days about her evening. A part of her wished her father was around to deal with the man as he used to. Uncle would think twice about speaking ill to her whenever his brother was around.
Oh well, that was then, this was now. Azula knew she could not avoid Zuko's father figure. She counted herself lucky that it was him and not murdering mother at least.
"Where are you going, Azula?" Asked the man, sternly.
Azula did not like his tone at all and before she could control herself, she was blinking several times.
"Minding my business," she snapped, with a tilt of her head and a smirk. "Move your ass, Uncle, before I am forced to put my six-inch heel in it". Perfection threatened coolly, tapping one of the blood red heels for emphasis that she still wore from her scrumptious night with the avatar, along with her red and gold bedrobe.
Thankfully, Azula had not put that hideous manly looking armor on their gorgeous body, yet. Perfection could hardly wait for the former princess to go back to the market. With the amount of stress the girl was under lately, it was becoming rather easy for Perfection to steal their body at nearly any time she felt it necessary to do so. Of course, with the amount of male and even female attention, lately, there was no need to downplay their figure anymore. No war or people to kill, Perfection sought adventure elsewhere much of the time. So far, the rebellious act of seducing whomever she wished was like watching the life drain from a living being.
Her latest venture, the avatar, was a whole new high as the man was considered "incorruptible," making him Perfection's ultimate conquest, unbeknownst to Azula. She considered it payback for the waterbender for making her weaker half cry.
Azula would never have stooped so low, but again, that's what Perfection was for. I plan to put that filthy peasant in her place for you. She reminded Azula, in her mind. Now, for Uncle Fatso.
"I am willing to make a deal with you," the old man blurted to her surprise.
"No, thanks," she answered readily, though she really was curious about this deal.
"It has to be difficult for you".
Perfection crossed her arms, eyes narrowing. What game is this idiot playing with me? Do I look like a fucking Pai Sho board?
"Having to hide away in one body, nowadays".
An unintended gasp emerged from the young woman's lips at this. Clearing her throat, she marched until she was staring at her uncle at eye level, though her heels gave her some height over the man.
"Whatever you think you know, Iroh, you are mistaken. I don't have to hide. I've been here all along. I am the reason Azula escaped her father, her mother and YOU, unscathed".
Iroh gave a soft smile. "Perhaps you're right, but why are you here now?"
Perfection's teeth clenched. She knew what Iroh was up to, granted he was better than most of the shrinks at the nuthouse Zuzu had caged them in.
"Because I belong here as much as Azula does".
"Are you sure?"
"Azula has needed me since she was nine years old. Nothing will ever change". She said, pushing past him.
"What if it does? What if Azula does not need you anymore?"
Perfection stopped and whirled around. Was that a threat?
"I would make her cut her own throat, the day she tries to get rid of me. And that's a promise".
Perfection nearly missed the egg Iroh tossed in the air. It was the same blue dragon egg that Azula had fell for though the weakling did nothing about it. The woman caught it in her manicured fingers, rubbing the shell and staring in silent awe.
"It can be yours," Iroh offered. Perfection was stunned.
Does he not realize what I could do with this? He really is an idiot!
"What's the catch, Fuddy Duddy?" She asked, knowing there had to be one.
"You must leave for the earth kingdom with me. I want to help you".
Hmm? What an offer. Thought Perfection.
Azula would be pissed, but what could she do about it? They were sharing this body, so it was about time Perfection had more say in their future. Besides, she was not going anywhere. Azula would be helpless if she did. Everything the former princess was known to be, ruthless, cunning, sexy etcetera was thanks to her better half. If all else failed when they reached the earth kingdom, Perfection could either leave or kill Uncle without a blink and take over their body completely. No problem. That would definitely bring about numerous possibilities along with the dragon at her side to deal with something Azula would never face on her own: Ozai.
With a confident smirk, Perfection placed the egg in the pocket of her bathrobe, looking her uncle squarely in the eye.
"I'm listening," she said impeccably calm, mind whirling.