Of Fire
Chapter 22
She was bored. In fact, there were only a couple of times in her life that she had felt this bored. That is if she counted the first twelve years of her life while she was living with her parents as one. She had thought that becoming the ruler of the largest nation in the world would be fun or at least less boring. Spirits know Bumi made the title entertaining. But then again, she also knew that Bumi was a few Pai Sho pieces short of a set. Toph sighed, leaned her head in her hand, and crossed one leg over the other as she listened to two lords argue over where their property line was and whether some livestock or another belonged to them.
This kind of argument was beneath her, in her opinion. Fleetingly, she wondered if she had someone else who would listen to the Lord's meaningless chatter. For people who were 'noble,' they sure had petty problems. Toph much preferred venturing down to the lower rings and mingling with the common folk. She learned a lot more eavesdropping on them than she did from her inept advisors. The ex-princess may be a crazy bitch, but she was a great advisor, which is half the reason she couldn't wait for Azula to stand beside her as her head advisor. The Fire Nation thrived when Zuko made her his head advisor. It was also an added bonus that most of the nobles in Ba Sing Se feared her. Then the Lords wouldn't come to her with their trivial problems. They'd go to Azula who, more than likely, would not stand for such incompetence.
Toph rubbed her calloused hands over her brow, nursing her headache, as the Lords started verbally slinging mud at each other. She was about to throw rocks at both of them just to shut them up when a loud caw broke through the air, effectively shutting them up. Being blind as she was, she couldn't see the bird that flew into her throne room from an open window, but she had a good idea of who it belonged to. The thunder bird landed between the two Lords, giving Toph a clear view of him, as he closed his massive wingspan and smacked the two Lords in the head. They fell forward onto the stone with indignant grunts, and Toph barely suppressed her laughter.
"Thunder!" she called to Detia's thunderbird with a huge smile as she walked towards the bird. "What brings you here? I didn't expect you for another week at least."
The thunder bird cawed, taking the message in his beak, and presenting it to the Earth Queen. Toph took the scroll from the Thunderbird, running a rough hand over his smooth, feathered head in thanks and smiled when he purred at the attention. She flipped the scroll open and began running her fingers over the text. Immediately, she recognized Detia's flawless flowing script – mainly because the text was so small. "Huh," she said lightly as she closed the scroll. "They got lost. Imagine that." The queen turned back to the Lords and pointed to one. "He's right. It was his livestock that escaped. It doesn't automatically become yours because it's on your property." She rolled her eyes. "That is all."
"But, your highness…"
"I said that is all," Toph repeated, the menace in her tone clear as crystal.
"Of course," the Lords chorused as they bowed and left the room.
"Lee!" Toph yelled and a guard appeared beside her quickly, ignoring the large bird following his queen. "It seems my new advisor and her family has gotten lost in the Earth Kingdom. They are currently at a secluded village in the southwestern mountains. I will be journeying there to retrieve them."
The guard, responsible for her majesty's personal welfare, protested immediately. "Ma'am, I can't permit this. It could be dangerous for you to go out by yourself." She only looked at him. She knew he meant well but was highly insulted that he thought she could not defend herself. "I mean no disrespect, Ma'am," he added quickly.
She waved him off, her bare feet making firm thuds on the stone floor as they continued to walk to the exit of the palace. "I will not be alone. You will gather a few carriages: enough to carry me and three others, whatever men you think are necessary, and follow the trail I make. Come, I will show you where I will be." She waved, changing course to the war room because it was closest and had a map of the entire Earth Kingdom.
"Yes Ma'am," he repeated with a sigh and followed his queen to the war room. "What of your guests? They will be arriving soon?"
Toph stopped and thought. "Oh, yes. Tell them to start without me. It shouldn't take long." Then under her breathe, "Probably."
Lee sighed.
~x~
Ezra set quietly in what used to be her and her cousin's favorite spot in the garden. It was quiet and peaceful. The birds sang their songs, and the leaves rushed in with a harmony. The princess looked down at the book in her hands. She had been sitting in the same spot since after breakfast with the intention of reading her new book. However, she hadn't opened to the first page yet, and it was a little past noon. From her place, she could hear Ursa and Lu Ten practice their Firebending in the garden. On any other day, she would go out and watch them practice. But her father would be there, and she was still angry with him. He took away her best friend after all.
It had only been about a week since Detia left with her parents, and she knew she wasn't the only one to feel the loss. But she often felt like she was. Ursa and Lu Ten had forgiven their father quickly, but Detia wasn't their best friend. They didn't miss her like she did. She sighed and placed her book on the ground when the smell of burning leather registered in her mind. Her best kept secret. She much preferred her knives and projectiles over fire. Thankfully, she was always calm and tranquil, so she could keep her secret a secret. And there were no unexpected accidents like with Lu Ten and Ursa.
She looked up at the sky and almost screamed at the two red eyes staring back at her. But caught herself as she recognized her Aunt Azula's dragon. "Sunstone," she addressed the dragon calmly as she stood. It tilted its golden head and squawked lightly as if addressing her back. "What are doing here? Aunt Azula is probably deep into the Earth Kingdom right now." The dragon nodded and crawled down the tree, hopping on the ground. "Are you tired from flying?"
Again the dragon nodded and smiled when Ezra extended her hand. She wanted the dragon to crawl up her arm like she had seen the dragon do with her aunt. But instead, it handed her a scroll. With a pitch black eyebrow lifted, she unrolled the scroll and immediately noticed Detia's hand writing. As she was reading the scroll, Sunstone nudged her hand. Her golden eyes cast down into red ones, and she extended her hand again. A little smile crossed her face as the dragon crawled up her arm onto her shoulder. Sunstone sighed in contentment as she rested her head on the princess' silk covered shoulders, folding her wings against her golden body to rest them.
The young princess rolled the scroll up and tucked it into her belt as she made her way to her brother and sister and father. As she expected, she found them easily. They were not training at the time, sitting in a small circle laughing and smiling with each other. All three were wearing light training clothes, short sleeves, and loose pants. Even if it was the winter solstice, the Fire Nation was not cold, it was cooler than say during the summer (obviously), but it would never snow like Ezra had heard sometimes happened in the Earth Kingdom. And happened all the time in the poles. She'd like to see snow one day.
Her mind was drawn back on her task at hand when her twin noticed her and motioned her over. She sighed mentally, her expression never changing as she walked at an even pace to her siblings and father. "Ezra," Zuko smiled and raised his hand to touch her shoulder.
He frowned when she back away, her neutral expression giving him no clue to her inner thoughts. "Why is Sunstone here?" Lu Ten inquired, causing his father to look at Ezra's clothing and vaguely wonder why he didn't notice the golden scales of his sister's dragon.
"She came with a note," Ezra answered monotone, pulling the scroll from her belt. Against her better judgment, she handed it to her father. "Detia wrote that she, Aunt Azula, and Aunt Ty Lee stumbled into an Earth Kingdom village and found our Grandmother."
"What!" Ursa exclaimed as she and Lu Ten rushed over to Zuko to read the scroll for themselves.
"Really!" Lu Ten yelled in unison with his sister.
Ezra nodded, not that anyone was paying attention to her as her family read the scroll. Sunstone nuzzled under Ezra's chin, a low rumble vibrating from deep in the dragon's throat as she slept. "Well," Zuko replied after reading the scroll, barely able to contain his elation, as he stood. He handed the scroll to Lu Ten and Ursa to let them continue reading it as he looked at his estranged daughter. "It looks like we'll be going to the Earth Kingdom." He smiled, but it was not returned. It rarely ever was, but at least before, there wasn't any open hostility in her eyes.
He scowled. There was only one way he could think of to maybe get back on his daughter's good side. He'd have to find a way to get her alone and talk to her, which shouldn't be too hard since she was almost always alone. Getting her to stay would be the hard part. The sound of silk swishing in the wind caught his attention and drew it to the slim Fire Lady as she walked up to her family. "Mom!" Lu Ten yelled as he stood, letting the scroll flap in the wind as he ran to her. "Detia sent us a letter! She found our Grandmother!"
"Princess Ursa?" Mai questioned, slight surprise showing in her tone as she took the scroll.
Zuko watched his wife read the scroll and an idea struck him. Ezra was a momma's girl. She would listen to Mai. He turned to Ezra and watched her walking away towards the palace. With a sigh, he turned back to his wife, his golden eyes reading the worry in hers. Mai calmly rolled the scroll up and looked down at two of her children. "All right you two," the Fire Lady started, "Get packed. We'll be leaving for the Earth Kingdom soon."
Lu Ten and Ursa yelled 'Yeah' in unison and ran back to the palace. Mai walked to her husband. "What are you going to do about Ezra?" she inquired as if it really didn't concern her, though the look in her eyes said otherwise.
"Actually," he started, rubbing the back of his neck, "I was hoping that you would…"
"No," she interrupted with a tone of finality. "It's your problem. You'll solve it."
"What am I suppose to tell her?" He asked, "By the way, Ezra, your Aunt Azula wasn't as nice as she is now. In fact when we were kids she was a total psycho." Mai cracked a smile. "And after years and years of her tormenting I was fairly traumatized. So, even though I know she's a changed person I still can't find it in myself to trust her. Sorry about your best friend leaving, but Azula had to go." He rolled his golden eyes. "I'm sure that would go over well."
"It might." Mai offered in monotone.
Zuko sighed heavily as his wife began following her children back to the palace. Before following after his family, he let his mind linger on his estranged daughter then turned to happier thoughts of seeing his mother again. After so many years of searching, he was finally going to see her again. He had almost given up, resigning himself to believing she was dead. But now, he couldn't wait. Elation filled him, making him feel like child on their birthday.
~x~
Zuko walked the halls of the Fire Nation's fastest airship. They left the Fire Nation only hours after the letter was received. The captain was given the directions and coordinates and they were on their way. That was the least of his worries, at the moment. His ship was in good hands, he knew. His first concern for a second was what he should bring his mother. Should he bring her old clothes? Would they even fit? Mai, who had been sitting in the room with him as he worried about what he should bring, brought up in her deadpan way that they would simply get Ursa a new wardrobe once she returned. If she even wanted to return. At that point, Mai had to explain to her husband that maybe, just maybe, Princess Ursa had a stable life in the Earth Kingdom and wouldn't want to leave. Detia's letter hinted there might be a few ties that might keep her in the Earth Kingdom, after all.
Zuko had accepted that as a possibility. Even though he just couldn't see what would keep his mother from returning to the Fire Nation and all the riches the royal family had. It was a better life all around. Now, his main concern was his daughter. He had seen Lu Ten and Ursa running around…somewhere on the ship. Since then, he had been looking for Ezra all over the place. Obviously, the last place he thought to look was the most obvious place she'd be. Tentatively, he rapped on the door to Ezra's assigned room. She couldn't escape him in an enclosed room. "Come in," her dull voice called.
The Fire Lord opened the door and saw his daughter sitting on the floor twirling a throwing knife around her fingers, Sunstone wrapped loosely around her waist. The dragon's golden head lay on the floor, smoke flowing from its nostrils as its red eyes watched the knife intently. He had never been more surprised than the day his little sister came home with a baby dragon curled around her torso. At first, he thought it was armor or something, but then it moved. The smirk on Azula's face when he almost screamed had infuriated him, but she walked away, well limped. What happened at the City of Sun Warriors he had never been told. Well, Lu Ten informed him as much as he knew. But neither Azula nor Toph cared to elaborate how they managed to get all beat up or how Azula received burn scars on her back from her armor.
Ezra's golden eyes looked up at him, the small smile on his lips falling instantly. Zuko forced a smile as he entered the room, closing the door behind him. "Hey," he replied, forcing a normal tone. She did not reply, only stuffed her knife back into her sleeve. "Okay, Ezra. We need to talk."
"What's there to talk about?"
He exhaled deeply. "It concerns me," he started, moving to sit in front of his child. "I know Detia was your best friend, and she left with her parents."
Ezra scowled and interrupted. "You made them leave."
Silence lingered for a moment. How was he supposed to respond to that? "Well, they left on their own accord. I didn't stop them."
The young knife-thrower's golden eyes bore into her father's. "You hurt Aunt Azula. I saw. And they left because of that."
"How…"
"Detia is my best friend. She knew the palace better than anyone, even the architect. As much as I followed her around, do you think I learned nothing?"
Again he sighed, forcing himself to stop from rubbing a hand over his face. But two of his fingers lingered over the recent scar on his face. "I know," he stated. "How much did you see?"
"All of it," Ezra answered. "I saw Detia walking down the hall, following the guards and Aunt Azula. Then I went to the secret passage to the throne room. I saw everything. You hurt her. I heard it," she elaborated at the confused look on her father's face. "She was screaming. No one even moved. It was like they didn't hear. Until Detia attacked the Avatar. Before she left, I asked her why no one did anything. She said that Aunt Azula's soul was screaming it hurt so much. And it's not something normal people can hear."
"Really?" the Fire Lord inquired, truly intrigued. Ezra nodded. "Do you know why you can hear it?"
The princess shook her head in the negative. "She didn't elaborate. But this can't be why you wanted to talk to me."
"No, no, you are correct." He felt a headache coming on. His golden eyes examined his daughter before he started. "The real reason I wanted to talk to you is to give you my side of what happened. I know that you are an intelligent child, more so than your siblings." She forced her smile to go away. "I thought that if you knew why I did what I did you'd forgive me. I made your best friend leave, after all, so I know it will take time. But I hope you'll at least understand." She nodded, she would like some answers anyways. He smiled, this was his chance and he had to make it good. Had to make it count. "How much do you know about what happened prior to Detia and her parents leaving?"
"Nothing." Ezra answered as Sunstone curled her head into Ezra's lap.
"There was an assassin," he started, nodding at the concerned widening of her eyes. "He tried to kill me. But I defeated him before he could finish his job, and when we were interrogating him, he said that your Aunt Azula hired him. I feared for the safety of my family, of you, when I learned this. Somewhere deep down, I've always been aware that she would turn on me. I hate to admit it, but I wouldn't stand a chance against Azula. Not if she really tried, which is part of the reason why I didn't stop them when they left."
"And you believed him? The assassin I mean." Ezra challenged. "That doesn't sound like something Aunt Azula would do."
He countered with, "When we were children she was exceptionally cruel, and not only to me, though I did seem to get the brunt of it. When I received this scar she was smiling." He touched the scar over his left eye. "And she lied all the time." he sighed at his childhood memories. "She's also attempted to take my life more than a few times."
"Children are cruel." Ezra interrupted. "I often wish Lu Ten and Ursa would just disappear and I usually think it's hilarious when they get hurt. But I'm not nearly as expressive as Aunt Azula. And are you sure she lied to you? Or was she telling you things that were true but in such a way that you didn't want to believe her." Her head tilted slightly to the side. "Well, father?" Zuko remained silent. "I often see other kids react that way to the truth. Like when someone tells you someone you love died you don't want to believe it and call them a liar." Again Zuko didn't answer, still digesting what she was saying so Ezra changed the question. "When she tried to kill you it was during the war, right?"
Zuko would have been frowning if the first comment hadn't thrown him and he latched onto that which was oddest to his ears. "You wish that your siblings would disappear." Ezra's expression remained neutral as she nodded. "Why?" he asked.
"The reasons are my own," The princess answered simply.
He nodded, knowing that he was not on his daughter's good side and didn't ask any questions on that subject. "That's right, it was during the war."
"When you were named an enemy of the Fire Nation?" Ezra asked again. Not quite sure what she was getting at he nodded. "Didn't she have orders from Fire Lord Ozai to hunt you down?"
The current Fire Lord sighed. This was not going as he had envisioned it would. "Well yes but…"
"So this distrust you have with her runs deep." It was a statement.
He sighed, cursing his daughter's intelligence for a brief moment. "Yes," Zuko finally answered. "It's been there even before either of us entered the war. Father did always like her best." He tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice, but some of it seeped through.
A perfect black eyebrow quirked. "From what I hear, that's not a good thing." Her father didn't respond, but she could see the doubt in his eyes. "I hear stories, mostly from Detia. So, I know they are more than likely true. In Detia's eyes, Aunt Azula didn't have someone, a parent, to love her. Ozai didn't love anyone but himself and set his standards so high no one could reach them. No matter how hard Aunt Azula tried, it was never good enough, and from what Detia could gather, the illusion of honor was always hanging in front of her, just out of reach. That's not love. And then Grandmother Ursa openly favored you. There was no love for her."
Never had he thought of it in that context before, but he only nodded. Well, that wasn't true. Une had brought that subject up during Azula's trial. "I guess you're right."
"I know I am. Detia doesn't lie to me."
"Of course," he smiled.
Silence prevailed for a little more than a minute. "So," Ezra started. "Detia was right. You were eager to believe that she would betray you because of all the underlying issues you two never talked about."
The Fire Lord could not bring himself to look at his daughter. "She'd been through so much all ready." He defended lightly, remembering very clearly Azula's trial and points that lead him to bury these issues. Points his daughter was now bringing up. "I didn't want to bring it up." Ezra nodded and he chuckled. "I was supposed to reassure you," He said.
"You never were good with your words, father," The princess pointed out in her deadpan tone. Though, it felt like a knife in the chest. "You're more of an 'actions speak louder' type person."
The Fire Lord chuckled. "That's true."
"I don't mean to defend her over you, father," Ezra assured. "I'm just being objective."
"I know. I don't hold it against you."
The princess sighed, stood, and walked to the door, Sunstone uncurling when Ezra stood. "Of course, this does not mean that I forgive you." She opened the door and stood beside it. "I understand your reasoning, but your insecurities resulted in me losing my best friend. Let your actions speak louder than your words and over time I may forgive you. But not today, and probably not anytime soon."
Zuko sighed as he stood as well. He stopped beside her, looking down into her dull golden eyes that held more wisdom than a child her age should. She was so much like her mother. "You know I still love you," he replied.
A hint of a smile twitched at her lips. "I know, and I still love you too."
That's all he really needed to hear as he exited the room, hearing the soft click of the door as he did. "It did not go well, did it?" Mai inquired, leaning against the wall beside the door.
The Fire Lord looked at his Fire Lady, the woman who had given him three wonderful children – even if one of them was mad at him at the moment. "It didn't go as I expected, no," he admitted. Mai nodded, as she expected. "Over time though, I feel she'll forgive me."
"Probably," Mai stated, her tone the exact deadpan as Ezra's.
He couldn't help but smile at how much they were alike. Without any prompting he pulled the Fire Lady into his arms and kissed her. "I love you."
"I love you, too," she answered.
~x~
"Is Azula still asleep?" Ursa inquired, looking out the window of the small kitchen to the sun high in the sky. "It's almost noon."
That wasn't like her. As a Fire Bender, Azula would usually rise with the sun. Ty Lee, who was sitting at the table going over some kind of list, answered as if distracted, "Azula and Detia trained really hard last night."
"Trained?" Aziza questioned, moving around the kitchen for a quick snack. "They just stared at each other for hours."
"Trust me, they were training," Ty Lee remarked, smiling at her sister-in-law and folding the paper in front of her.
Aziza shrugged as she took something from the fruit basket on the counter and headed to the door. "Mom, I'm going out."
"Have fun," Ursa replied as she sat in the seat in front of Ty Lee, whatever chore she was doing now finished. The older woman waited until her youngest child walked out the door before asking, "So it's true, your daughter can read minds."
Without any form of hesitation, Ty Lee answered, "Yes, ever since…well, since she was born."
"Really." The statement was rhetorical as Ursa thought of a delicate way to ask her next question. "Did Azula give birth?"
"Nope, that was me." She smiled, obviously proud of herself. "It was a miraculous birth all round, really."
"How so?" Ursa inquired.
Ty Lee hesitated. "Aside from the fact that Azula and I are both female, the pregnancy was ridiculously easy. I didn't feel any pain at all, ever. Well, except for the very beginning. But there wasn't even any pain while I was giving birth. Everyone was baffled."
Ursa was impressed. The story was hard to believe, but she was impressed. "If Detia didn't look so much like Azula, I would have to doubt…."
She stopped when she realized what she was about to insinuate. "It's okay," Ty Lee assured, even though it stung every time she heard it. "Everyone thought it. But I've always been faithful to Azula."
The older woman smiled, laying a hand over Ty Lee's to stop them from twitching. "I didn't mean to imply that you were anything but faithful."
Ty Lee nodded, a smile replacing the serious frown. "I know, but it was hard. Azula was the worst. After Detia was born, everyone just knew she was Azula's, except for Azula. I mean they were so much alike."
Ursa nodded. "Two days ago, Detia said that when she was born your biggest fear was that Azula would be like me." Ty Lee tensed. "Was she?"
"She was worse than you," Ty Lee answered hesitantly, the astonished look from her mother-in-law easing some of her tension. "I've been able to see auras since before I met Azula at the academy. You loved Azula, but there was always this fear that I didn't understand when I was little." Ursa nodded because it was true. "Azula hated Detia the instant she learn of her conception. It took her a year after her birth to come around, and even then, it took her a while before she actually loved Detia."
"I see," was all Ursa said for a second, ashamed at herself for not being a better mother to her daughter and because it forced her granddaughter to suffer. She decided to change the subject. "You said Detia's been able to read minds since she was born. How do you know?"
Eager for the change of subject, Ty Lee jumped at the answer, "Oh! Detia was mute up until last year."
"Mute?" Ursa exclaimed lightly.
Ty Lee nodded, "Yep. For the longest time, Azula and I were the only ones able to hear her. She could hear everyone else as long as she was in close proximity, but she could always hear us. No matter where we were, be in our room or in the garden, we were the only ones who could hear her. Except for maybe Ezra and Ursa." Ty Lee paused at the confused expression on Ursa's face. "I guess no one told you about them." The older woman shook her head in the negative. "Zuko married Mai, and they had three children: Lu Ten, Ezra, and Ursa. Ezra and Ursa are twins."
"Oh," was the only thing the older woman said for a moment, as she wrapped her mind around the fact that she had four grandchildren.
Four. Wow, she couldn't imagine that. "Are they happy?"
Ty Lee shrugged before replying. "I suppose so. Zuko and Mai are really good parents."
"And Detia?" Ursa inquired, "Is she happy?"
The acrobat paused. "I would hope so. She says she is."
"It's kind of hard to tell with her," Ursa finished.
Nodding, Ty Lee remarked, "She's very unique in that manner."
"She's very unique period," Ursa chuckled, leaning back in her chair. "She had a long talk with the archeologist yesterday when she and Azula went shopping with me."
Ty Lee chuckled with a shake of her head. "That poor guy."
"Indeed," Ursa agreed. "She only went there to ask about that instrument…."
"The violin," Ty Lee supplied.
"Right, that one. She and Azula stood there for a good twenty minutes. Detia looked agitated, and Azula didn't look any better. I approached when he was asking a question, completely oblivious to their attitudes." She chuckled. "He gets that way sometimes." Ty Lee smiled. "Then suddenly his face went blank and it was like he forgot the last twenty minutes. I couldn't understand it."
The acrobat scowled deeply, fuming for a minute. "I can't believe she did it again," she mumbled angrily before assuming a pleasant expression. "He was supposed to be making her a bow so she could play the violin," she stated.
"But how does she even know how? He said that she played the bigger instrument like a professional, but the instruments are thousands of years old."
A soft smile crossed Ty Lee's face before she answered, "She's not necessarily human, you know." Ursa nodded but still had a slightly shocked expression. Having the idea and having it confirmed were two different things. "It's true."
"I assumed she was a spirit reincarnated."
Ty Lee chuckled. "Close. But a spirit reincarnated is merely a normal human. She's a bit more than a spirit."
"What could be more than a spirit?" Ursa inquired, but Ty Lee didn't answer, seeing as an expression that the acrobat identified as dawning crossed the older woman's features. Ursa leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner and whispered "You mean she's a god?"
"Goddess," Ty Lee corrected. "The same as her two friends." Ursa was speechless. Really, what could she say to that kind of information? "I would ask that you keep it a secret."
"Of course," Ursa answered automatically, "who would believe me?"
The older woman sat back in her seat. She thought having four grandchildren was something she couldn't imagine but having one of them be the reincarnation of a god? That was…mind blowing. Her brain just couldn't accept it for some reason. Or at least, it was having a hard time accepting it. A distraction came in the form of her older daughter, drawing Ursa's attention away from her newly gained knowledge as Azula came into the kitchen fully dressed in a dark green long sleeved tunic and black pants that matched her boots. "Azula," Ty Lee called happily, though she didn't stand up to greet her wife. "Good afternoon. You missed breakfast."
Azula grunted as she sat in the seat next to Ty Lee, massaging her forehead and brushing her dark hair, which had yet to be put up, out of her face. "I swear that little monster's going to be the death of me." Ty Lee didn't answer, but she did pout and whimper a little. Azula's golden eyes rolled before she smiled. "Sorry," she said before leaning over and kissing her wife.
"That's better," Ty Lee remarked childishly.
Ursa smiled at their behavior, glad that her daughter had found someone to love her like Ty Lee did. Instead of the traditional top knot, Azula started braiding her hair. "What were we talking about?" she asked.
"Your little monster," Ty Lee answered with a chuckle. "Why are you braiding your hair today?"
"I don't feel like putting it up," Azula answered simply, tying a leather string around the end of her smooth even pleat. "Why, you don't like it?"
"It's not that," Ty Lee defended quickly. "I just don't think I've ever seen your hair in a braid. I do like it though."
"Good," Azula replied.
Ty Lee watched as Azula stole a random piece of fruit from the small bowl on the table before starting the conversation anew. "Do you know what your daughter did yesterday?"
"Well since she's my daughter now, I assume it's something you disapprove of," Azula answered nonchalantly.
Ty Lee propped her elbows on the table as she continued, ignoring Azula's nonchalant attitude. "You remember that stunt she pulled the other day with the archeologist?"
"The one where she made him forget?" Azula inquired as Ursa handed her a newsletter, detailing the news of the village. Azula smiled at her mother, which warmed the older woman's heart, as she took the piece of paper.
"Yes, that one. Well, she did it again yesterday."
"No she didn't," Azula remarked as she flipped the letter over, vaguely aware that her mother had stood and was entering the kitchen. "I did it that time. Apparently, the effects are not permanent. Detia described it being similar to walking into a room and forgetting what you came in for then suddenly remembering hours later." Azula informed though Ty Lee's stern expression still bore right through the thin slip of paper separating her eyes from Azula's. "He was badgering her, Ty," Azula defended as she set the paper down and started to rub her head again. "He wanted to study her, like she was some sort of animal. Detia informed me that he was going to ask the day before when she made his forget." That got the reaction Azula wanted as Ty Lee gasped. "I was standing right there and he still had the audacity to ask. Detia was becoming increasingly uncomfortable; all she wanted was that stupid instrument. But she wouldn't make him forget again because she promised you she wouldn't, even though I told her it would be okay to break this one promise. She looked at me like I had lost my mind. So I did it."
Azula picked the paper back up when Ty Lee sighed in defeat. "You didn't hurt him did you?"
"Physically? No." Azula answered. "And like I said the mental effects are not permanent."
"I didn't know you could do that," the acrobat stated, trying not to sigh again.
The ex-princess bit back a yawn as she answered, "It was laughably easy." A cup of something hot was set in front of her and she looked up into Ursa's golden eyes. "What is this?"
"It's called coffee," the older woman replied, setting a dish of sugar and milk on the table. "It's a specialty of this village. I've never seen it grown anywhere else, but it will wake you up. Aziza likes to add a lot of sugar to hers."
Azula nodded, tasting the bitter liquid though her expression remained neutral when it assaulted her taste buds. She added a little sugar and milk and experimented until it was where she liked it. "Thank you," Azula commented as she sipped the hot liquid, enjoying the way it warmed her from the inside. "I like it."
"I thought you might," Ursa informed. "You seem to be sleeping a lot. Are you getting sick?"
"Sick?" Azula almost laughed. "I don't remember the last time I was sick."
Ty Lee chuckled. "There was that one time when we were little, but you were so stubborn that you completely ignored it."
"I don't recall that," Azula denied, the twinkle in her eyes telling her wife that she did.
The acrobat chuckled again, the sound making Azula smile. Suddenly, a warm hand was placed on her forehead, and Azula almost pulled away but instead looked at the woman the hand belong to. "You're cold," Ursa stated, as if this baffled her. "I don't remember you being cold. You were always hotter than everyone else."
Azula nodded and sipped her drink again as the hand was removed. "I'm not getting sick. It's just," she thought for a second, "a change in disposition."
"Oh?" Ursa replied, clearly intrigued.
Azula loved this attention she was getting from her mother. She actually felt like the older woman really cared about her. And Azula smiled at her mother. "I'm becoming a lightning bender, like my daughter."
"Lightning?" her mother questioned in surprise. "The purest form of Firebending?"
The ex-princess shook her head. "No, a true Lightning bender. I've been informed that lightning is an element all its own. And the techniques of this element are the ones I'm learning. Detia already knows them, and I'm learning them from her."
Ursa chuckled. "So my granddaughter is the Goddess of Lightning then."
"That's correct," Azula answered on instinct. "Wait, how did you know that?"
Ty Lee was about to raise her hand and admit that she let the older woman in on the secret. But a fiery, little red-head burst into the kitchen, her hair flowing like a camp fire with all its multi-colored hues. "Come quick!" Angi said breathlessly. "Detia and Yuna are about to fight!"
"Really," Azula exclaimed as she almost jumped out of her chair.
She grabbed Ty Lee's braid as she passed by her wife, forcing her to stand. "Ow!" Ty Lee whined. "That hurts."
"Come on. This could be good," Azula announced, ignoring Ty Lee's whine.
The acrobat slapped her wife's hands. "I'm coming, let go of my hair," she grumbled as they made it to the door. "Are you coming?" Ty Lee asked her mother-in-law, who had yet to get up from the table.
"No," Ursa smiled. "I have to watch the inn."
"Are you sure?" Azula questioned.
"I'm sure. Go," she shooed lightly.
"Okay," Azula replied as if she wasn't sure, but she trusted that Ursa knew what she wanted. "Come on."
The couple followed Angi to the lowest level of the arena, which was still about fifteen feet from the floor of the arena. On one side of the arena stood Detia, stretching. About thirty feet away stood Yuna, also stretching. "I brought them!" Angi yelled.
Detia nodded to her parents then turned her attention back to the water bender, allowing her gift from Ezra to flow behind her. It seemed that the girl was wearing all of her Fire Nation armor, which neither of her parents knew she had brought. "Why is she wearing her armor?" Ty Lee inquired rhetorically, not expecting anyone to know.
But Angi answered anyways. "She's facing water. So, she needs to be as heavy as possible so the water won't sweep her away."
"Oh," Ty Lee stated as Azula nodded. "That makes sense." Neither able to take their eyes off of the arena as both girls got into their basic stances.
"It sure does," a familiar voice interrupted as suddenly the blind Earth Queen was standing beside Azula. The water bender began to run towards her friend, drawing water from the air. Detia switched her stance to defensive, ready to throw a wall up in a second as she twisted her waist and pulled her hand back. Like a coiled viper-rat, ready to throw a bolt of pure white lightning at her opponent once they reached that exact spot. "I get to fight to winner!" Toph announced loudly, and Yuna stopped instantly, allowing the water to evaporate into the air.
"I forfeit," the water bender proclaimed, bowing to a very confused Detia.
TBC
A/N: Did you know Ezra is a boy name? It means aid or help in Hebrew. Arjuna is also a male name, which I just found out is pronounced exactly like it looks or like this: a-rju-na. The first 'a' makes the sound like the 'a' in father. I like to pronounce it arujna even though that's not how it looks ;}lol. It means white in reference to the whiteness of milk, silver, LIGHTNING, and dawn.
Not that it really matters, after all what's in a name? I just thought it was an interesting fact, er facts.
Any who, Special thanks to ShyTyzulaFan (stealing the idea she gave me pretty much word for word ;P) and DarkndAngel9 for giving me ideas.