A/N: Funny story about mixed up accounts on my profile, link to another story by me there too!
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Each night was spent much like the first, awkwardly and then more comfortably talking. Inconsequential things, important things, things they hadn't spoken of with any other, things they wouldn't speak of to any other. They reminisced about their childhood and the few happy times they spent as a family. Zuko told her everything about his exile, and Azula told him everything he had missed, good and bad.
The festivals, the storms, the intense training with father and then under Li and Lo, her days at the Academy and every court intrigue and plot she had ever spied on; he wasn't the only one who could sneak. By the glint in her eye he knew that she knew, so he brought out his Blue Spirit mask and confessed his every masked move.
Azula was impressed by his skill- breaking into the Pohuai Stronghold, rescuing the Avatar, getting discovered and still making it out alive? Alone? Definitely more than she could have done, without firebending anyway.
It was more her style to simply take over the entire base, but stealth had its uses.
She had read Zhao's report which spoke of inept Yuyan archers and the stupidity of Colonel Shinu, ironically setting him up to be promoted to General after the fiasco at the north, but despite the colouring enough details overlapped to confirm her brother's story.
Not that she needed confirmation; the truth was written all over his face. Sometimes it paid to be a people-person.
Little Zuzu was even less useless than she'd thought. And recently she'd thought him not useless at all. She wasn't sure why she didn't feel something negative about that. Zuko was catching up to her, could arguably be called her equal, and she liked it. True, she was more skill in some areas, but he wasn't far behind. And he was actually better than her at some things, like his new beam form.
It was actually nice to have such a skilled and powerful ally. The Dai Li were good, and their earthbending was certainly convenient for certain things, but nothing beat fire in pure battle. An equal to fight by her side, to watch her back, who would risk themselves for her without thought- the relief almost made her giddy. She could actually breathe, actually relax that tiny amount.
She decided she liked this feeling, and determined to keep it no matter what.
oOo
More days passed, one after another. The dragon cubs had more than tripled in size and were now too large to curl around a single egg. Instead they curled across several, still looking as adorable as ever.
Zuko and Azula had taken to hunting for much longer periods of the day in order to keep feeding the insatiable creatures as much as possible; the parents having been long since reduced to bones.
Hunting was more fun than they would have thought. Kizu and Shori alternated between gliding alongside them and riding on their backs, with Kizu getting a little too excited every other day, much to Azula's amusement. At least now all it meant was a little bit of extra height until he remembered to fold his wings back in.
Sometimes they would stalk prey from the shadows or treetops, other times they would chase them down over the open fields. They were now pretty good at not burning everything in their wake as they flew along the ground; the first chase left twin burnt scars running the length of the grassy plain. Though they had had some fun with it first. Azula's likeness now graced one particular hillside. Quite accurately too, if one didn't count the smoke rising from her ears.
Zuko woke the morning after finishing his artwork with the left half of his shirt missing and absolutely no idea how she did it. Then he discovered the back of his sleeping pants now sported what appeared to be cattle brand markings that proclaimed him to be the official property of 'Dragon Queen Azula'.
He quickly conceded defeat lest she decide to brand him instead.
oOo
Ham Ghao couldn't be happier. The Chief was dead, killed by outsiders, along with almost every rival he'd ever had. The tribe was whipping themselves into a fury without any prompting on his behalf, and to make things even better the Masters were no more. No ferocious beasts to appease with constant sacrifice, no chance they would bless a rival with their coloured fire and not him, and no more bowing down to the dumb flying snakes!
A knife in the back, a push over a ravine, and his two main rivals left were dealt with. He was quickly named Chief, and after the ten day ritual made it official, given his pick of wives; the tribe had to stay strong after all. Life was exceedingly good.
But then the hunting party came back without the heads of the outsiders. So he sent them out again, and returned to his new life of pleasures and giving orders. Only for them to return empty handed once more, unable to find the outsiders wherever they slept; their hunting animals refusing to go anywhere near the dragons lair. The tribe began whispering louder with each failed attempt. What good was a chief if he could not avenge his predecessor?
He felt control begin to slip away, and it was terrible. He had only just began to appreciate his new position, he couldn't lose it now. He had to take action.
So it was that Ham Ghao led a small group of friends up to the caldera, all anxious not to lose their newfound power under their friend.
oOo
It happened one morning after their warm up sparring match. They realised they were being watched. Apparently the Sun Warriors weren't going to leave them alone. A casual hand gesture brought Shori running up to Azula, then over to Zuko to touch his forehead. He nodded and the two siblings suddenly moved as one to launch a giant fireball at the cliff, knocking the prone figures down to crash in their midst.
Silent communication like this was even better than hand gestures in some ways. No words could be used yet, they were working on it, but images from memory or imagination could be instantly relayed through either dragons' touch with no one watching the wiser for it. Yet another reason they were thrilled to have the cubs.
"What do we have here? Sun Warrior spies out to kill us when we turn our backs, I think. Whatever shall we do?" Azula gave a rather unsettling laugh that seemed to dance left and right on the wind before fading along with the hope of those listening. Even Zuko eyed her warily for a moment before remembering it wasn't directed at him. And it never would be, not anymore.
Damn he was lucky.
oOo
Kizu and Shori stalked around the five trembling men, tasting the air and feeling the heat coming off them. The two-legs strangers were afraid? Why? They could sense the fire within them, not as great as their parents, new and old, but still far stronger than any other beings they had sensed. The way they shivered on the ground reminded them of the countless small prey they had stalked and played with.
Maybe they were prey too? They looked and smelled like some of the meat the blue-fire parents had brought them, just still alive. Shori decided to ask her mother. Mother was clever and knew many things, from the best ways to stalk and kill, to even flying without wings! She would know if they were prey or not.
She left Kizu behind to keep prowling around the maybe-prey and curled up around Azula to touch snout to forehead, sending images of them eating the strangers and a sense of unsure. Mother made happy sounds and scratched her neck, so Shori knew she had done well. A hand to her forehead gave images of fangs through soft necks, but not the man in the front. He was for Mother and Father to play with.
She could live with that.
Shori skipped over to her brother and gave the good news. He purred and leapt at his prey, red scales flashing through the air before anyone could move. Blue followed and soon white fangs bathed in crimson, much to the horror of the surviving three.
Blue-fire intercepted red-fire as the surviving prey realised their companions were lost and moved to attack. Silly prey, didn't they know blue-fire was faster?
The three living prey turned to guard against the larger threat even as their friends bled out behind them. They were making angry-scared noises but the cubs ignored them, too busy drowning their hunger with the most wonderful blood they had tasted yet. Besides, Mother and Father would never let red-fire hurt them.
Soon though they wouldn't have cared even if they were alone. The blood somehow tasted better the more they had!
It tasted of fire and life and energy, and they were quickly intoxicated with its power. Such a wonderful thing! No prey's blood had ever tasted like this, but then they had never had a firebender's blood before. Not fresh like this.
Almost at the same time they finished and lunged for the next closest neck.
oOo
Well that was unexpected, the royal siblings thought at the same time. They had been interrogating the three Sun Warriors left when suddenly the cubs attacked two of them, without warning or waiting for a command. The cubs were acting a little more excited than usual about it too. What was going on? They had wanted to use them to teach the cubs about attacking enemy firebenders. Oh well, maybe next time.
Zuko used a small firewhip to knock the remaining enemy down and away from the cubs, lest he attack them or they kill him; they needed at least one for information.
"Such energetic creatures. Now where were we?" Azula's calm voice cut through the man's terror, and soon he was telling her everything she wanted to know.
Kizu and Shori had a little difficulty sharing his neck afterwards, but they managed.
oOo
A/N: Wanted some Zucest? Check out Pink Bead Girl's new ZUCEST STORY 'Blue Burns the Flame' Its a take on what may have happened with our favourite royal siblings all alone! Links on my profile page.