Hey everyone.
Sorry for the lateness with this update.
As always, I want to thank the many people that reviewed, favorited and followed since the last update.
And as usual, to all of my new readers. If you find the story worthy, please continue to favorite/follow as you go along.
With that said, please enjoy the chapter.
The Former Holder – Chapter Seventy-Six
"Peasant! I said look at me!" Azula barked in a loud voice as she snapped her fingers in her serving girl's face just as her girlfriend finally registered her presence.
"Yes Azula-sama?" Elle answered in a loyal voice as she turned to meet her mistress's strict gaze while she calmed when she felt the older woman's strong hand grasp her cheek.
As her big sisters also gazed at her in shared concern.
"Are you alright Elle? What did that girl tell you?" Azula questioned in a possessive voice with her hot breath sweeping against her little girlfriend's trembling cheek.
"Oh! She just told me that she would see me later!" Elle exclaimed in an unconvincing voice while she shivered pleasantly under the older woman's dominant stare.
"Really? Is that all?" Azula pondered in a forceful voice with her well-manicured fingers holding her little handmaid's cheek.
"Mhm. That's all." Elle stated with a sigh when Azula let out another dominant growl as she glared strictly back into her love-struck eyes.
"You are a terrible liar peasant. In any case it matters not. I will deal with her if she attempts to harm you." Azula declared in a controlling voice as her hand fell back to her side while her serving girl swooned once more.
"O-oh my princess charming…" Elle trailed off in a gush with her big sister's observing fondly while her mistress smiled at her once more.
"It will be okay Elle. We'll protect you." Ty Lee assured with a nod while Elle smiled in appreciation.
"Yeah. We will." Mai agreed with a nod of her own while Zoi observed calmly from where she leaned on the wall.
Only for all five of them to turn their heads when the old woman tapped her staff on the floor once again.
"Enough distractions! It is time that we returned to focus young Component. Whatever happens outside of this tree does not matter. I don't care if the Fire Nation burns to the ground while we speak. So, it shall burn then! All that matters is this talk." Mava announced as she hobbled forward once more with the five girls listening closely once more.
"So be it old hag. But you had better be worth our while." Azula spoke in a rude voice with her lifelong friends groaning beside her in renewed embarrassment.
Leave it to Azula to continually disrespect possibly the oldest person in their nation!
"Forgive us Wise Sage! We eagerly await your wisdom!" Elle cried out as she bowed respectfully at the approaching old woman while Azula lazily lounged in her seat with a returning smirk on her lips.
"Bloodthirsty your friend may be but she was right. You must get in touch with your heritage." Mava stated as she made her way closer while the highborn women listened in growing intrigue.
"Her heritage?" Zoi questioned in a piqued voice as she watched the hunched over sage nod her head.
"I speak of course of the former holder…the one who held the Component before you." Mava explained with a wrinkled finger now pointing down in the young girl's awestruck face.
"How do we find out who the former hold is?" Ty Lee pondered in an amazed voice as she sat with her still healing foot comfortably on the floor.
"Are you inferring to past lives? Like the Avatar Cycle?" Azula asked in a stern voice with her authoritative eyes gazing at the old woman's aged face.
"No. As I said before. The passage of the Component is not like the Avatar Cycle. Each Avatar is a reincarnation of a past Avatar. The Avatar today shares a connection with the past lives of all Avatars." Mava instructed in a voice of boundless knowledge while the group listened in fascination.
"Wow. That's amazing isn't it Azula-sama." Elle said in a voice of childlike awe with her girlfriend lazily shrugging her shoulders over her.
"But the Component is another matter entirely. The Component is not transferred by reincarnation. Each Component holder is a completely different person. And the rules of succession…are a truly complex affair. Elle Turner is no one but Elle Turner. And so was the holder before. And so on. And so, the next shall be if you fail." Mava spoke in an enigmatic voice with her hands upon her staff while the young girl gulped nervously.
The concept of Elle dying and the power going to another was a disturbing thought to all four highborn women.
In some way or another all four of them had grown close with Elle.
And the last thing they wanted was for the girl to die.
"I-I'll do my best not to fail." Elle piped as her princess gazed at the back of her head unconvinced.
"Do you know the identity of the former holder?" Azula demanded in an ever-interrogative voice with her cold eyes turning to peer at the old woman's aged face while the sage met her gaze.
"Hm. I have a way to find out." Mava responded in a wise voice with the five girls listening in anticipation.
"Wise Sage! Please tell us how we can uncover the name of the former holder!" Elle chirped in a sweet voice with Ty Lee grinning at her from where she sat on the floor.
"Before I can tell you that gentle Elle. First you and your friends must complete a preliminary task." Mava commented with her hands gripping her staff while the young girl gazed up at her in excitement.
The four older girls exchanged a look as the princess scowled at the old woman.
"Preliminary task? So be it. These four will do this task while I sit here. Such is the privilege of being royalty." Azula boasted in a smug voice with her boots sprawling out on the floor while all but her pet glared at her.
"She said all of us Azula." Mai reminded in her usual voice with her spoiled friend scanning her fingernails with a spoiled smile.
"What do we have to do? Is there a beast that we must slay?" Zoi inquired with her fist grasping her sheathed blade while her young friend hurriedly nodded her little head.
"Oh, I know! Perhaps we must perform an act of love and peace!" Elle blurted out in a sweet voice with Mai and Ty Lee smiling fondly at her back.
As Azula rolled her eyes over her once more.
Only for the old sage to close her eyes as she clutched her staff while they waited in suspense for the old woman's reply.
"You must fetch ten barrels of water from the stream." Mava announced in a serious voice while all but the young girl nearly fell over in disbelief.
"Ten barrels of water?" Elle repeated in a lovably naïve voice as she held a finger under her chin while Azula's eyes twitched in aggravation as she now glared daggers at the old woman.
"Well! That's not what I was expecting to hear." Ty Lee sighed as she sat up with a smile still on her lips while blue fire now burned from Azula's hands.
"Go fetch your own water peasant! Now you will speak now or I will-" Azula shouted only to find herself hissing in pain not a moment later when a staff slammed down atop her skull.
Everyone not named Elle chuckled in entertainment as they watched the princess turn red in fury in amusement.
"You will fetch the water Rude One or I won't tell you anything at all! Now get!" Mava ordered with her staff now being blocked by the princess's burning hand as she glared up at her with murderous amber golden eyes.
And then not a second later.
The princess was once more being restrained by both noblewomen as she breathed a large stream of blue fire in the sage's undaunted face.
"Azula! Stop being so difficult!" Mai snapped as she grunted while pulling back her much more powerful friend as the princess seethed in her grip.
"I am going to burn you at the stake!" Azula yelled in a beyond violent voice with her two friends groaning beside her.
Only for her amber golden eyes to twitch in growing anger when she heard her captain laughing from against the wall.
"You know what they say Your Highness. A good ruler works her way up." Zoi taunted in a humored voice as she pushed her body off the wall while Azula's eyes burned through her skull.
"Shut up Zoi! And all of you go fetch the Agni damned water!" Azula commanded in a domineering voice as she snorted flames from her wrathful nostrils.
Only for her scowl to deepen when the three noblewomen cast her a pointed look.
Just as they all turned to their small friend when the young girl sprang to her feet in adorable excitement.
"Yes, oneesan I have heard the same! A wise man once said that a good leader starts from the very bottom!" Elle chimed in a cheerful voice with a hand in the air while her girlfriend glared down at her.
And her three big sisters now smirked in amusement.
"You will carry a barrel of water Rude One. Unless you want me to lock you out of the room and tell the Dragon of the Song Clan in your place!" Mava yelled back with no fear in her voice while the captain smirked as she gazed at the princess's enraged face.
"Yes. Perhaps I will use this knowledge to overthrow your family and Fire Lord." Zoi mocked with a hand on her womanly hip while her leader gritted her teeth as she glared her way.
"Come on Azula. Don't you want to show off your muscles to Elle? I bet Elle would love to see her strong princess carry those barrels!" Ty Lee exclaimed with a wide grin that only grew when she watched Azula huff haughtily with her arms folded over her breasts.
"Of course, my muscles are without flaw…" Azula trailed off in a smug voice as she eyed her fingernails while Mai rolled her eyes behind her.
She smiled arrogantly when she noticed how her little serving girl was peering up at her muscular arms in adorable admiration.
"O-oh Azula-sama. Will you lend me your strength once more and help me carry my barrel?" Elle requested in a bashful voice as she shyly kicked at an imaginary pebble while her princess smiled as she flexed a bicep over her.
"Hm. Perhaps I will consider it." Azula purred in a conceited voice just as she felt her little girlfriend embrace her toned bicep while her pet pressed her face into her arm.
"M-my mighty princess charming." Elle stuttered in a cute voice just as the older woman began to walk while she clung to her muscular arm.
"You would be lost without my strength little lady." Azula commented in a stern voice as she walked with Elle's face buried in her well-muscled arm.
The three noblewomen gazed after her in exasperation before they began to follow.
"Ugh. Her ego is so unbearable." Mai complained with a roll of her eyes while Ty Lee giggled beside her as the followed after the strange couple.
"Maybe! But they sure are pink!" Ty Lee answered in a cheery voice as she walked down the stairs once more while the sage watched them for a moment.
Before turning away to gaze back down into her wood stove.
'Perhaps…this young girl will be the one. Only time will tell.' Mava thought with her glazed eyes briefly taking on a worried gleam as she sighed under her breath.
Zoi smirked as she turned to gaze down at her fellow nobles before speaking once more.
"I bet I can carry more than you Saolin." Zoi called out in a smug voice with Mai freezing in her step with her tawny eyes now agape in anger.
"Fine. You're on. Bitch." Mai replied in a venomous voice with Ty Lee gazing between them in amusement.
'Is it just me or are they starting to warm up to each other? No. it's probably just me.' Ty Lee thought as she shook her head.
A few minutes later…
The fivesome stepped downstairs to find Nako with her nose buried in a book in the library.
While Saro also browsed an old tome beside her.
And most curiously in the adjacent room.
Jiao was laying on her back with her eyes closed while Zoi turned to cast her an almost fond glance.
One that was not shared by Azula who was now glaring at the sleeping commoner.
Only to deem the woman unworthy of her time as she turned to her royal pilot before barking out an order that caused the poor woman to jump in fright.
"Nako!" Azula shouted in a strict voice as she stood in the doorway just as the two sprang to their feet.
She watched with approval in her cold eyes when the two dropped in a low bow on the floor before her boots.
"Princess! Did you get the information that you needed?" Nako questioned in a loyal voice as she gazed up at the highborn women looming in the doorway with Azula standing at the forefront.
"Not quite yet. Have you found anything of use in this library?" Azula inquired in a callous voice with just a sliver less cruelty in her tone than normal.
"Erm not yet! But I have no doubt that I will. There is so much to read here!" Nako answered in a thrilled voice while her princess placed her fists on her shapely hips.
The three noblewomen had almost been expecting the princess to order the girl and the warrior to accompany them.
Only to find themselves taken by surprise when the princess ordered otherwise.
"Continue then…both of you. And report to me anything of interest that you should find." Azula ordered with her fists planted on her hips while she gazed down with cold amber golden eyes.
"Understood Your Highness!" Nako exclaimed as she bent her head in reverence while Azula offered her a cold nod of approval.
"Good. That is what I like to hear." Azula stated in a stern voice as she strode away once more with her servant girl scurrying after her footfalls.
"Keep an eye out Saro. And make sure no one enters this tree while we are gone." Zoi remarked as she briefly gazed at her subordinate as he arose from his bow.
"Yes Captain. I will do that." Saro replied as he watched the five girls walk off while he moved to return to his seat.
Only for Zoi to pause as she stopped to gaze in on Jiao's sleeping form with her stony golden eyes watching the younger woman breath peacefully.
For moment she almost felt like stroking the hair in her partner's eyes.
But she knew better than to indulge in pleasure when there was so much important work to be done.
And with that she wordlessly resumed her stride with her eyes gazing ahead once more as she followed after her princess.
Azula glanced down with icy amber golden eyes once more when she felt Elle take hold of her muscular arm once again.
With the smaller girl now hiding her face in her bicep once more while she soon found herself crushing her serving girl's dainty hand under her own.
Ty Lee walked behind them with a grin on her lips while Mai sighed beside her.
"I love you Azula-sama." Elle confessed for the thousandth time with a blush on her pretty cheeks while she savored how the much taller woman dominantly pulled her along.
"I own you peasant. You will serve me for all of your days! I am going to enslave you until the end of time!" Azula declared with a pompous smile on her crimson lips while she gazed down at her swooning little servant.
Mai and Ty Lee stared on in humor.
As Zoi strode behind them with her golden eyes observing the two in amusement.
"You have a strange way of saying I love you Azula." Mai commented in a monotone voice as she eyed her baby sister with fondness in her tawny eyes.
But if Azula made Elle happy.
Who was she to judge?
"O-ooh Azula-sama you are so romantic…" Elle gushed with a palm on her cheek while she became starry eyed under the older woman's beyond dominant amber golden stare.
"Like I said…it's pink!" Ty Lee giggled with a hand over her mouth while her fellow noblewoman gazed at her in a deadpan silence.
"Of course, I am. I am the prime marital candidate. There is no one stronger." Azula huffed with a smirk on her beautiful lips.
She enjoyed how her young girlfriend adorably swooned over her word that left her mouth.
And Mai and Ty Lee just gazed on in humor once more.
Only Azula would think that strength was the most important factor in choosing a spouse.
"Now that's not necessarily true Princess. There are multiple contenders for that title. Most prominent of them are myself and the cherry pit." Zoi taunted with her arms folded over her breasts while her princess turned to cast her a foul tempered glare.
"The world will see soon enough that I am absolute. I will conquer the entire world and all who oppose me shall be crushed in the wake of my flames! Never again to rise above the ashes of their shame and humiliation!" Azula bellowed without warning with a gleam of sadistic madness in her amber golden eyes while she clenched her fists at her shapely hips.
Just as her little girlfriend gazing up at her in awe with her smaller hand still being crushed under her own.
The three noblewomen now stood gazing on in amusement behind her as they observed their young friend gush over their leader's maniacal boast.
"You go Azula-sama! You dominate this planet! You can do it! I believe in you!" Elle cheered in a sweet voice with a love-struck smile on her lips while Azula swelled in pride above her with a proud smirk on her lips.
"Aww. You can't get any more supportive than that Azula." Ty Lee stated in an affectionate voice as they made their way for the door.
"Indeed. My Elle is loyal. She knows who she serves." Azula spoke in a pleased voice with her strict eyes peering down at her serving girl's adorable face while Elle flushed under her gaze.
Just as they opened the door while they gazed out into the vast forest in returning wonderment as they listened to the sounds of the forest creatures moving about.
It was almost enough to make them forget that they were being stalked and hunted.
Almost.
"Is it safe to be out here? She could have been waiting for us to step outside…" Mai trailed off in a paranoid voice as she clutched a knife in hand while she turned to glare around her.
While all but their young servant frowned in agreement.
"I wouldn't worry about it. While she may well be after me and the princess. If she wanted to kill us. She could have surely gotten at least one of us back on Shantu Island. We were almost dead and yet she didn't make a move…" Zoi commented as she strode towards the water barrels while Azula held a finger below her chin in agreement.
And as much as Azula was loathed to admit it her soldier made a good point.
"Even so. She would not have defeated me. Perhaps all of the lesser people would have died. But I do suppose that would have been terribly inconvenient." Azula stated in her usual overconfident voice with a smirk on her lips while Mai rolled her eyes at the back of her head.
"Yes. I have no doubt that you would have made for a fearsome opponent covered in sweat and so exhausted that you couldn't even stand. So much as light a candle with your flame." Zoi quipped with her back turned to her princess while the she glared daggers at her back.
"She has a point Azula." Ty Lee agreed with a hand on her hip as she grasped onto a barrel before heaving it over her shoulder while her friend cast her a cold stare.
"If this hunter is as deadly as the old sage claims…if it was only our bending that she wanted. Then she would have been the perfect opportunity to take us out while we were weak. So why…didn't she?" Zoi pondered with a thoughtful look in her golden eyes while the others listened in a puzzled quiet.
"She must be after something else…" Mai spoke in a protective voice as she turned to glance down at Elle standing between them while her little sister continued to admire the forest around her.
"My thoughts exactly. She is most likely after whatever young Elle will gain from mastering her power. I suspect that she is watching and waiting to see what Elle will do next." Zoi declared in a deathly serious voice.
Her three fellow highborn women turned to glance down at the girl gazing up at the looming trees.
For the faintest of moments, the four of them felt a protective instinct flood throughout their body.
And they almost thought that the girl was gazing away in worry.
Only to be taken by surprise when the servant girl abruptly cried out in joy.
"Oh, look Azula-sama! A butterfly!" Elle announced in a cheerful voice with her mouth open in marvelment while her princess stared down at her with deadpan amber golden eyes.
Ty Lee giggled as she easily held the barrel over her shoulder while even Mai cracked a small smile.
"I see it servant." Azula snorted with fire escaping her nostrils as she planted her fists on her hips while she loomed protectively over her crouched serving girl.
She glared out of the corner of her eye before she let out a low growl like a mother dragon tending to her little hatchling.
Ty Lee gushed at the scene with a bright smile adorning her cheerful lips.
'It is really sweet watching Azula be so protective.' Ty Lee thought with grin while she nodded as she observed Azula tower over Elle as if to shield the smaller girl from an incoming attack.
Just as Elle grasped at something unseen before she shyly stood up as she turned to face the taller woman's stoic gaze.
"A-Azula-sama I picked something for you." Elle confessed in an adorable stammer with Azula staring down at her with a refined smile already forming on her lips.
"Have you now? In that case I demand that you show it to me now or I will destroy you!" Azula shouted in a thunderous voice as she thrusted a spoiled finger in her handmaid's quivering face.
The three nobles watched silently from behind as the young girl nervously held out a small yellow flower before the princess's callous face.
"F-for you, my queen." Elle answered as she gazed up at the older woman's smiling face while her girlfriend gently took the flower from her hand.
"Azula…" Ty Lee gushed with a growing smile as she laughed warmly over her little sister's lovable affections for her ruthless friend.
"Your queen is pleased by this tribute peasant. Good girl." Azula commented with a sliver of fondness permeating her cold voice before she lowered her hand into her handmaid's soft hair.
Just as she patted the young girl's golden head while her girlfriend once more melted like butter beneath her hand.
"I serve you with pride Azula-sama. Because you are my h-home." Elle spoke up in a bashful voice as she twiddled her thumbs while Azula's hand still patted her head.
Only for the older girl's hand to retract not a moment later as she smiled up at the princess's strict face while her caretaker tucked the flower underneath her ceremonial belt.
"I approve of your devotion servant. And so, you shall always serve me. Such is my right as your ruler." Azula remarked in a charismatic voice only for her smile to grow even larger when Elle bent over in a loyal bow.
"That's so Azula-sama! That is how our relationship works! And I wouldn't have it any other way!" Elle cheered in a jubilant voice while her princess's full lips curved into a pleased smile.
"I never thought I would meet anyone that was this eager to bow before Azula." Mai stated in a slightly softer voice than usual while Ty Lee smiled beside her.
"Yeah. But it makes Elle happy and that's all that matters." Ty Lee replied with fondness lacing her voice while Mai nodded in agreement.
"It pleases me that we are in agreement. Now listen well Elle. I have an announcement to make." Azula spoke in a return to her smug voice with her companions gazing on curiously.
"An announcement Azula-sama?" Elle asked as she rose from her bow with her amber eyes peering up at Azula's beautiful face in endless adoration.
"Yes. I have decided that I am going to create a new era of love and peace." Azula declared with a smirk on her lips while the three noblewomen snorted as they rolled their eyes.
Only for her smirk to grow even bigger when her little girlfriend cried out in joy.
"R-really? That's wonderful! I am so happy for the world!" Elle cried out as she smiled as brightly as can be while Ty Lee stared at the princess's back in disapproval.
"Sure, you have Azula." Mai scoffed as she picked up a water barrel in each hand while she glared at Zoi through the corner of her eye.
The older noblewoman heaved two over her shoulders with a taunting smirk on her lips.
"Alas in order to do that…I must become the goddess of all…including the Spirit World. My will must reign supreme over all beings if I am to forge a just world." Azula sighed as if it were a great hardship with a shake of her head while her childhood friends shivered in renewed terror.
Elle stood with a hand under her chin as she still gazed up into Azula's entrancingly dominant amber golden eyes unaware that her big sisters were shivering in fear.
"Azula…." Ty Lee growled in an unnerved voice as she tapped her pink shoe while her friend paid her words no mind.
Just as Azula placed a hand on Elle's trembling shoulder while she smiled down into her serving girl's love-struck amber eyes.
"Will you help your princess become a goddess Elle? Just think of how powerful I would become. Just imagine how dominant I would become…" Azula purred with her words flowing like silk into Elle's awestruck ears while she slid her hand along the gulping girl's cheek.
"You truly are shameless Azula." Mai muttered with a snort while the princess seductively bent over the quivering young girl.
"Elle surely can't do that Azula. She has been tasked with a great responsibility and I really don't think she can just grant you control over the Spirit World." Ty Lee attempted to reason in a frightened voice while Azula smiled down into her little sister's intimidated amber eyes.
"I-I don't know if I am allowed to do that Azula-sama. What if doing that makes me a bad person?" Elle stuttered in a helpless voice just as Azula forcefully yanked on the collar of her shirt while she fell forward.
Only to find herself trembling as she stood with her shirt in the older woman's hand while the princess smiled charmingly down at her.
"Oh? Is that a, no?" Azula pondered in a sadistic voice with her domineering eyes never ceasing in gazing down at Elle's adorably flustered face.
"Just say no Elle." Mai advised in a sigh as she gazed fondly at the younger girl's reddened face while Elle closed her eyes in lovable fright.
"I-I need to stay unbiased Azula-sama. That would surely be a gross overuse of my powers." Elle piped up only to whimper when the princess swiftly released her shirt.
"I see. Well that is disappointing to hear. I really had my heart set on being the goddess of all…oh well." Azula sighed once more with a shake of her head before she turned away while her childhood friends glared at her back.
Just as she lazily brushed her dark hair from her controlling eyes before she bent over to pick up a barrel while the three noblewomen now stared at her incredulously.
As her ass now pointed in the direction of her young girlfriend's confuddled face just as her little mouth dropped open in shock.
"Now you are really sinking to a new low Azula!" Ty Lee exclaimed with a huff while Elle tried her hardest to avert her eyes from the princess's ass.
"And that surprises you?" Mai inquired with her tawny eyes staring at her friend in annoyance while the princess turned to glance over her shoulder at the overwhelmed teenager.
Just as her loud voice split through the air while Elle jumped in fright as if she were a puppy being disciplined by her master.
"You're not allowed to look! As of this moment forward you are being punished!" Azula barked with sadistic delight in her eyes when she watched her girlfriend let out an adorable whimper as she turned away.
Just as Mai and Ty Lee gazed at Azula with scolding eyes while their adopted sister cried out once more.
"Sumimasen Azula-sama!" Elle exclaimed in a voice of eroding willpower while Azula's backside still pointed her way.
"If you change your mind about our discussion feel free to let me know." Azula stated in a conceited voice with her arms crossed over her breasts while her serving girl closed her eyes as she trembled behind her.
"I-I'll see w-what I can do Azula-sama." Elle agreed in a pitiful voice as she gulped while her big sisters sighed heavily behind her.
"Elle…" Ty Lee chided in a sisterly voice while Azula turned to smirk down at Elle with her elbow pushing down into her other folded arm.
"Splendid! I am delighted to hear it. Your viewing privileges have now been restored. You can gaze at my divinity once more." Azula announced in a spoiled voice with a pompous smirk on her lips as she gazed down at her little girlfriend's cutely flustered face.
"P-please spare me Azula-sama. I don't know how to handle your beauty." Elle pleaded in a lovably confuddled voice with Azula letting out a haughty sigh over her.
"Oh, very well. I suppose I shall show you mercy." Azula commented with a finger raised in the air while a refined smile graced her lovely lips.
Just as she turned around once more before effortlessly lifting a barrel over her shoulder while she watched her young girlfriend move to do the same.
"It would seem as if young Elle would be better off spending a week without the princess in order to learn to resist her feminine wiles." Zoi spoke in a humored voice with her muscular arms easily holding the barrels over her shoulders.
Her fellow noblewomen staring on humorously in agreement.
"A week without Her Highness? I wouldn't survive…" Elle mumbled in an adorable voice as she lifted the barrel up with great effort.
Only to blink in surprise when the barrel inexplicably became much lighter.
She gazed up with admiration in her amber eyes to see that her princess was holding the other end of it with her left hand.
"No. I suppose you wouldn't. But fortunately for you I am here to rule over your little life." Azula remarked in a possessive voice with her cold eyes staring down at her short girlfriend's beautiful face while her handmaid smiled up at her.
"Arigatou gozaimasu Azula-sama." Elle replied in a doting voice as she padded along beside her princess while Azula assisted her in carrying her barrel.
The three noblewomen took to following after the couple with Ty Lee smiling at the two once more.
About ten minutes later…
The four highborn women and their gentle young friend were walking towards the stream only to stop in surprise when Elle abruptly cried out in alarm.
"What is it Elle?" Ty Lee questioned in a worried voice only to gaze down at the princess's boots while the princess did the same.
Just as the three noblewomen now gazed in humor at the princess's humiliated face to see that a cherry pit was in her walking path.
"Oh no! The wise sage foretold that a cherry pit would be your end! It's best not to take any chances! I'll walk you around it Azula-sama!" Elle announced in a comically serious voice as she pulled on her girlfriend's elbow while the princess turned red in mortification.
She guided Azula around the lone cherry pit with the older woman's crimson lips curled into a tight scowl as she angrily stomped over the tiny pit.
Only for her callous amber golden eyes to widen in rage when she heard the three nobles laughing at her expense behind her.
"Silence! Or I will execute the three of you!" Azula roared with fire spewing from her lips while she allowed her little girlfriend to pull her around the tiny roadblock.
"Well Princess it would seem as if your conquest is not unstoppable after all…" Zoi snickered before crushing the tiny cherry pit beneath her combat boot for effect while Azula seethed over her embarrassed shoulder.
"Shut your mouth Zoi!" Azula barked as she held her barrel over her shoulder with her serving girl lovingly latched onto her muscular arm.
She scowled down at the adorable girl with her amber golden eyes twitching while her pet took great care to steer her around the aforementioned cherry pit.
"You better watch out Elle. There's another one. Azula might break her neck if you're not careful." Mai stated in a humored voice with her finger pointing down while Azula spun around to cast her a murderous glare.
They watched in entertainment when the innocent girl began to divert the red-faced woman once more.
"Aww. Now that's love Azula." Ty Lee spoke in a tender voice with a smile on her lips while Azula scowled as Elle pulled her taller body along.
The mere fact that Azula even allowed the young girl to guide her walking path spoke volumes about the princess's feelings for the innocent girl!
"There is nothing that I would not do for you Azula-sama. My love for you is so great that I would even become a footbridge for you to use to cross a river. Anything for my beautiful princess charming." Elle declared in a sweet voice as her big sister's cringed in unison while Azula's lips curved into a contemplative smile.
"Kid. Why would you tell Azula that?" Mai groaned with her tawny eyes already taking note of the excited gleam in the princess's dominant amber golden gaze.
"I see. So, you're into trampling. Is that right peasant?" Azula pondered in a pleased voice with Ty Lee shuddering behind her while her little girlfriend blinked in confusion.
"T-that's not what Elle meant Azula and you know it!" Ty Lee advised with haste while the princess still smiled as the petite girl pulled her along.
"Huh? Trampling? I don't understand Azula-sama." Elle mumbled in an adorable voice with her princess smiling down at her in approval.
"Don't worry your little mind over it. We have all the time in the world to explore our desires." Azula purred as she regained control of their walk with her hand still lifting the barrel while Elle carried the other side as she beamed up at her.
"Yes! We do don't we!" Elle cried out in excitement with Azula smirking over her as the princess held the second barrel over her shoulder.
"That's my servant. Ever loyal to your mistress." Azula spoke in a pleased voice with a nod while her serving girl shyly padded along beside her.
Mai and Ty Lee breathed a sigh of relief to know that at least Azula wasn't insane enough to start using the sweet girl as a foot bridge.
Zoi strode along behind them with her barrels over her shoulders as the sounds of birds chirping continued to filter into the peaceful forest air.
And far up in the trees Naoki stood gazing down at them from behind a branch with her white cloak wrapped around her shoulders while her eyes scrutinized Elle.
And for the briefest of moments her brown eyes flashed with a tiny spark of something unseen as her trademark smile almost creased into a frown.
Her hand crushed the tree beneath her fist as she glared down at Elle below.
'She has been completely tamed by these nobles. I shouldn't be surprised. She's always been a happy go lucky fool. Yet even so…' Naoki thought with her passionless eyes narrowing down at the younger girl's back.
There was something about Elle's carefree behavior that almost annoyed her.
But how was that possible?
She wasn't supposed to feel any emotions at all.
No. That can't be it.
It must be something else.
Naoki hardened her gaze just as the group paused in their tracks with all but Elle spinning around to gaze up at the trees.
Only for Team Azula to find themselves gazing up at the empty trees to find nothing but the leaves blowing in the breeze.
"That girl. She's watching us." Zoi remarked as she gazed up into the forest canopy while Azula scowled as she glared up at the foliage.
No doubt self-conscious over prying eyes witnessing her treat Elle with affection.
"The next time I catch her spying on me I will greet her with a lightning bolt in the face." Azula snarled with her lips pursed in a vicious hiss while she tried to mask her surprise over Naoki's abnormal speed.
"You'll have a hard time doing that if she doesn't stay still. Her speed is quite impressive." Zoi commented in a thoughtful voice before she resumed her walk with her fellow nobles still gazing up at the trees.
Before they too turned away finally as they tried to mask their worry over being stalked by one dangerous enemy and possibly another.
"Naoki's been watching us ever since we stepped outside. And she will continue to do so because she doesn't like Azula-sama." Elle muttered as she trudged along while her princess let out a haughty scoff.
"As if I care." Azula snorted with her cold eyes glancing upward for the briefest of instances before she gazed ahead once more.
Just as a red blur leaped away with her crimson red hair flowing freely behind her as she gracefully sprang from tree to tree.
Her emotionless eyes gazed ahead as she held onto her scarf with her left hand.
And so, she ran for quite some time.
Until she jumped to a stop on the valley floor.
In the epicenter of the Forgetful Valley sat four great spirit pools.
And now the young assassin stood on the forest floor gazing down at the largest of the four spirit pools.
Her brown eyes carefully studied the shimmering pool of water while she watched as the portal continued to stabilize.
'The rift that I came through is stabilizing.' Naoki thought with her cold gaze studying the ponds waters below.
It won't be too long now she mused with a faint smile growing on her lips.
Before she makes her statement to the world at large.
Only to spin around when she caught sight of a cloaked figure heading her way.
Her eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the peculiar white bone mask before the individual leaped down to the ground opposite of her.
The puppeteer gazed back with callous dark green eyes that surveyed her from beneath her mask before she began to walk forward.
"You are another off-worlder." Silah stated in a matter-of-fact voice as she strode forward with her eyes closely following Naoki's movements.
Until she came to a stop standing opposite of the young girl while the assassin gazed at her from the corner of her emotionless eye.
As she glanced over the girl's hair for a moment in curiosity.
Just like with the young Component holder.
This was the first time in her long life that she has ever seen anyone with red hair.
"And what if I am?" Naoki pondered in turn as she began to stride past the puppeteer while dark green blue eyes followed her closely.
"What awaits beyond this portal into the Spirit World?" Silah questioned with intrigue in her voice while the young girl passed by her.
"Why ask me? Why don't you just jump in and find out for yourself?" Naoki retorted in an aloof voice as Silah gazed after her with amusement in her heartless eyes.
But neither made a move to attack the other.
Naoki walked away with her back turned to the strange puppeteer just before she vanished into thin air once more.
Leaving the hunter alone to stare back down into the glowing pool with evident fascination in her eyes.
"Perhaps there are interesting people that are worth hunting on the other side after all." Silah spoke with her hand lowering down to touch the waters while a dark smile grew onto her lips.
Jaran now stood lifeless behind her with his light green eyes gazing down at her cloaked back.
Yes.
She can practically taste it upon the tip of her tongue!
And with that she let out a demented laugh as she ran her tongue across her lips.
Perhaps this was the new artistic avenue that she has been searching for all this time.
Only time will tell…
Back with Team Azula.
Azula sat down in the chair once more with her frigid eyes glaring back at the old woman just as Elle plopped down at her feet.
Zoi took up her position against the wall once more and both Mai and Ty Lee were once again seated patiently beside Elle.
"Now tell us or I swear I will have you torn apart limb by limb." Azula declared in a violent voice with her teeth bared while her friends sighed once more.
"Yes, Wise Sage! Please tell us of the wisdom we gained by bringing you ten barrels of water!" Elle chirped with a wide smile on her features while the old woman reached out to open a barrel of water.
"No particular wisdom was gained. I just ran out of water so I sent you youngsters out to get more." Mava responded in something akin to a smug voice with the princess now seething in anger in her seat.
Mai and Ty Lee stared on in humor as they took in their friend's anger.
This had to be the first time that a commoner tricked Azula into performing labor for them!
"Filthy peasant! By the time I am done here you will regret this disrespect!" Azula yelled out with a finger pointing at the old woman's weathered face while fire escaped her lips.
"Clever. I like her even more than before." Zoi stated in a humored voice with her arms folded over her chest while her princess glared at her from the corner of her eye.
"So that wasn't a trial of tribulation that every Component holder must go through?" Elle asked in a lovably naïve voice as she pouted while Ty Lee smiled at her.
And Azula rolled her eyes down at her as she crossed her legs in her chair.
"No. No, it was not. But worry not young Component we'll get to that." Mava assured as she pushed herself up off the floor while Elle gazed on in continued fascination.
"Please tell me what I must do to prove my honor!" Elle asked in an eager voice as she leaned forward in excitement while her friends gazed at her fondly.
"Every holder of the Component must possess awakened chakras in order to make an effective use of their power with their chi. This wouldn't normally be a program for most people. Benders and nonbenders alike are born spiritually in tuned with their chi. You however…are a different story. It seems as if you hail from a land where the opposite is the case." Mava informed as she made her way forward with the group glancing at their young friend in wonderment.
"So, that's the problem. The tiger monkey's chakras are sealed." Azula grunted as she sunk back in her seat with her arms crossed over her breasts while she still glared coldly at the old crone.
"Not a tiger monkey. This one is a tiger lion." Mava remarked in a serious voice with her words bringing a proud smile to Elle's lips while the princess snorted snidely over the girl.
The three noblewomen listened in mutual amusement.
"Did you hear that Azula-sama? I'm a tiger lion!" Elle declared as she puffed out her chest while Azula scrunched up her nose as she scrutinized her.
"Clearly you were the runt of the litter. It's obvious that you were routinely shoved aside at the feeding bowl." Azula spoke with a snort while Elle's shoulders slumped adorably as Ty Lee slapped her arm.
"I-I can't help it that I veer on the small side." Elle stammered in a comical voice while her princess smirked down at her.
"What must Elle do to awaken her chakras?" Mai pondered as she glanced down at the lovable girl beside her while the sage slowly hobbled closer.
"I have an idea that might work but first I must see your bag Elle." Mava answered with her hands gripping her staff while Elle peered up at her in bewilderment.
"You want to see my backpack?" Elle asked in a puzzled voice as she reached for her bag without hesitation while the old woman stood over her.
"There is an item in that bag that possesses great spiritual power. This item likely served as a catalyst that triggered your long-sealed chakras. Therefore, allowing you to temporarily access your powers several times now." Mava explained to the great surprise of the five girls as they gazed on in amazement.
"An item with spiritual power?" Zoi questioned in an increasingly intrigued voice as Azula turned to gaze down at Elle.
"Open your bag Elle. I wish to see this item." Azula commanded with a power-hungry look in her pleased eyes while she lounged in her seat.
All the while paying no mind to her two close friends scolding stares.
"Wakarimashita Azula-sama!" Elle chirped as she gave the smiling woman a bow before she speedily unzipped her bag.
And soon enough the highborn women gazed on humorously when a small mountain of items poured onto the floor.
Including an artbook.
A diary with Azula's likeness drawn on the forefront.
Various coins.
An MP3 player.
Cleaning supplies.
Snacks.
Spare clothes.
A water bottle.
Several books.
And even an article of clothing that suspiciously looked as it belonged to royalty.
And so much more.
"Elle you carry all of that on your back?" Mai asked with disbelief in her voice while her little sister proudly nodded her head.
"Mhm! I have to be prepared for any occasion that might come up!" Elle exclaimed in a chipper voice while Azula stared down at her incredulously.
"Is that a shirt from my royal wardrobe?" Azula demanded in an interrogative voice as the others stared on in humor when Elle turned pink under her dominant gaze.
"I-it might be." Elle admitted in a sheepish voice as the old sage sighed as she began to search for something unseen.
"Normally I would have a handmaid banished for stealing from my wardrobe. But since I am fond of you, I suppose I will let it slide. I will just ask the obvious. Why? We're not even the same size." Azula inquired in a tone that was more inquisitive than angry as she leaned down to inspect her lone shirt.
"I-I didn't steal it Azula-sama. I borrowed it to sleep in on the nights that I slept alone so I could feel as if you were all around me…" Elle confessed in a bashful voice as she twiddled her thumbs while Azula's callous amber golden eyes briefly flickered with a spark of rare emotion.
"Aww. That's so adorable. I'm sure that Azula doesn't mind if you keep one of her shirts, little sister." Ty Lee assured with a grin still on her lips while she patted the younger girl's back.
The serving girl peered up at the princess for her verbal permission just as the older woman sighed before waving her hand in the air.
"Whatever peasant. Keep it. I don't care. I have thousands of formal shirts." Azula announced in a dismissive voice just as her girlfriend squealed in delight while adorably hugging her shirt.
"I know! Her Highness's royal closet is half the size of the house that I grew up in!" Elle cried out with her girlfriend scrunching up her nose once more over the reminder of her poor beginnings.
Only for all but the sage to turn their head when they heard Zoi let out an impressed whistle before they all saw that the girl's artbook was wide open.
"Zoi you can't just browse Elle's belongings without…oh my. Elle you have got to be kidding me." Mai stated as she gazed away with reddened cheeks while Ty Lee leaned over her shoulder.
Only for Ty Lee to turn just as red as she gazed away.
Azula leaned over the arm of her chair with a curious smile already adorning her crimson lips.
Only to find herself unable to resist a blush from forming on her regal cheeks.
The piece in question was one of her standing naked surrounded by blue flames in her throne room with her bare backside seeming to be the primary focus of the painting.
And in simply adorable English print the title read as follows:
Fire Queen.
All the while she turned to gaze at her flushed serving girl with a smile of approval already returning to her lips.
Just the best pet indeed.
"Quite the intimate view of Her Highness…" Zoi trailed off in a fascinated voice with her eyes remaining glued to Azula's naked posterior while the woman in question turned to glare at the back of her head.
"Yeah! That's uh quite the artistic depiction of Azula." Ty Lee commented with Elle turning as red as a tomato as she fretfully tried to take back her artbook.
"C-can I have my book back now?" Elle asked in a self-conscious voice just as Mai seized it from Zoi's disappointed hands and passed it back to her.
"My…my you truly are my most devout little worshiper." Azula purred as she gazed down at her young girlfriend's crimson face while Elle smiled shyly.
"T-that's so Azula-sama. I admire you more than anyone in this world…" Elle mumbled lovably as she timidly averted her eyes from the princess's amused gaze.
"I can see that Elle." Azula spoke in a gratified voice as she reclined with her leg pressing against her quivering girlfriend while her childhood friends sighed.
"Get a room you two." Mava taunted with the princess turning to cast her a nasty glare while Elle gushed with a hand on her cheek.
"You should put that piece on the wall of the throne room for your generals to admire when you become Fire Lord." Zoi taunted in an amused voice as her fellow nobles comically flinched while the princess's cheeks turned red as she turned to glare her way.
"N-no. Then people will make fun of me…" Elle protested in a fretful voice as Azula turned to scowl down at her in anger over the prospect of her being ridiculed.
"It's okay Elle. Zoi was just teasing you." Ty Lee stated as she patted the embarrassed girl's back just as the old woman's hand hovered to a stop in the vicinity of Elle's lucky coin.
"Ooh! Is it my lucky denarius! I always knew that it was special!" Elle cried out with a lovable smile while her princess rolled her eyes over her.
Only for her shoulders to slump when the sage's hand moved away while the royal woman now smirked down at her sulking face.
"No. Child it is not the coin." Mava replied with mild humor in her voice as Elle pouted while Ty Lee rubbed her back.
Just before her hand located the item in question.
To the complete surprise of the highborn women and the teenage girl it was the one item that had been carefully set aside.
Elle's mother's jewelry box.
"I-it's…in my mother's jewelry box?" Elle pondered with emotion in her voice while her four friends gazed at her in sympathy.
"There is an item in that jewelry box with great spiritual power." Mava answered in a serious voice while the princess stared down in fascination.
"I'll open it but please be careful with the contents inside." Elle mumbled in a more sensitive voice as she carefully opened the jewelry box.
Her friends leaned over her shoulder to peer inside.
"Worry not. I will." Mava assured as she held her hand over the opened jewelry box while the five girls gazed at her curiously.
"Show me this item of power." Azula ordered in a controlling voice as she gazed over her handmaid's shoulder with an intrigued gleam in her eyes.
Only to watch when the old crone lowered her hand over a meticulously cared for gold bracelet.
"M-my mother's bracelet?" Elle asked in a soft voice with Azula staring down at her back with her callous amber golden eyes conveying a rare sense of fondness.
"Indeed, young Component. This bracelet is an item of spiritual power. It possesses a strong pull on your body's chi. The fact that you have been carrying it around all of this time leaves me to believe that it has acted as a conduit for your power." Mava explained as she placed the bracelet in Elle's stunned hand while the highborn women listened in marvelment.
"It has a strong pull?" Elle questioned in an awed voice as she held the bracelet in her hand while the sage's staff cladded against the floor.
"Explain what you mean when you say that this bracelet is an item of spiritual power." Azula demanded as she sat authoritatively above her small girlfriend with her hands elegantly folded in her lap.
All the while allowing her serving girl to lean back with her head propped up upon her womanly thigh.
"There are certain items with an affinity to the otherworldly and the beyond. That bracelet is one such item." Mava replied with a knowing nod while the older girls observed their young friend sliding the bracelet over her dainty wrist.
Right beside her homemade friendship bracelet.
"Wow! That's very interesting to know! I never wear it because I am afraid that I'll lose it. Maybe that's Mother's way of saying that she's still with me!" Elle exclaimed in a voice so sensitive that neither of her friends wanted to say otherwise.
Most likely in fear of hurting her feelings.
"Maybe little sister. It just may be." Ty Lee stated in a tender voice as she smiled warmly at Elle's small frame as the young girl adorably rested her head upon Azula's shapely thigh.
"So, what you're saying is that individuals and objects with powerful energy serve as a conduit to trigger young Elle's dormant power? Is that right?" Zoi inquired in a contemplative voice as she gazed at Elle's innocent face with stoic golden eyes while Azula stared down at the girl with a possessive gaze.
"That is exactly what I am saying. The more potent the energy the better. The fact that she has been spending all of her time around the princess has helped as well. Her reservoir of chi is quite vast and I have no doubt that it stirs a reaction in Elle's sealed chakras." Mava informed with her old hands clutching her staff while the young handmaid peered up at her now smirking princess in reverence.
"Hm. Of course, it would. My reservoir of chi is the largest of them all. There is no one greater." Azula boasted in a smug voice as she placed her palm in her little girlfriend's hair while her handmaid fell into her thigh.
"Azula-sama…" Elle murmured in a love-struck voice with the warm hand in her hair petting her head while her girlfriend smiled down at her.
"See? I was born to rule over this one." Azula purred with her strong hand in her serving girl's hair while Elle shyly smiled up at her.
And her two childhood friends sighed as they shook their heads over her ego.
"Get over yourself Azula." Mai snorted as she rolled her eyes while Azula turned to briefly scowl down at her from where she sat against the wall.
"Possibly. Or possibly not. The Dragon of Clan Song's pool of chi may be even larger than your own." Mava remarked in an offhand fashion with the princess's amber golden eyes now wide in offense while the captain smiled smugly back at her.
"Are you trying to tell me that Zoi is better than me?" Azula questioned in a frigid voice with her lifelong friends shivering once more as she glared hard at the old crone's unbothered face.
"You both possess completely different bending styles. One isn't necessarily better than the other. It's all a matter of preference. What is evident is that her stamina is greater than yours. While it is true that you possess an impressive array of innovative techniques that no firebender has used before you. What good are they if they render you crippled on the battlefield?" Mava retorted as she faced the princess's callous gaze while the royal woman glared back at her.
"No need to get sore Princess. You already knew that my stamina was greater than yours. And I already knew that your plethora of techniques were more diverse than my own." Zoi quipped with her muscular arms folded over her breasts while her princess cast her a foul death glare.
The mere fact that Zoi even claimed to be her superior in one category was something that Azula abhorred.
'Once I master my new techniques then I will be able to use these new abilities much more efficiently. And then I will crush all who oppose me beneath my divine might!' Azula thought with fire exuding from her nostrils while she clenched her fist before her smiling face.
Yes. She has no doubt that the exhaustive effects of these new powers are only because she has yet to master them.
But once she has perfected them…
She mused with her crimson lips curling into a confident smirk while she reclined with her other hand in her serving girl's soft hair.
"Although given the nature of the Dragon of the Song Clan's technique. I can't say that I am surprised." Mava commented as she hobbled forward once more with her words taking all by surprise.
Team Azula could only stare on in interest with their eyes shifting to Zoi's strangely visibly surprised face with confusion in their gazes.
If only because they were not aware of the captain using any particular technique.
"How would you know about that? It's not exactly something that I divulge freely." Zoi spoke with a flicker of surprise in her cool-headed voice while the old woman's glazed eyes peered back at her.
"These old eyes may no longer work. But my sense of chi is like no other. And I can 'see' your chi in vivid detail and how you use it." Mava responded in an ever-observant voice while Zoi stared back with recognition in her golden eyes.
The two noblewomen and their princess wondered just what the old woman meant by her vague words.
"Impressive. You're the first to figure it out." Zoi chuckled as she sunk back against the wall while her princess stared at her with demanding amber golden eyes.
"Zoi! I demand that you divulge the details of this hidden ability of yours to me right now!" Azula barked with a finger pointing in her soldier's direction while the noblewoman just smirked back at her.
Mai found herself glaring back at Zoi as she scowled while trying to fight the sense of competitive anger that she frequently felt in the other woman's presence.
"No." Zoi declared in a blunt voice with her cold eyes staring back into Azula's now angered gaze while her fellow nobles shuddered as they scooted away from the princess.
"No?" Azula repeated with venom oozing from her frigid voice while Zoi never once shrunk from her glare.
"You heard me. You have your secrets and I have mine. Perhaps someday I'll tell you. Maybe you'll even see it on the battlefield. But until then…my answer will not change. Consider it a safeguard against future assassination attempts." Zoi replied in a stony voice with her cold gaze briefly sweeping over Mai's wincing countenance.
The princess sunk back in her seat with a displeased scowl on her lips but once more, she understood that her soldier had a point.
She could only glance over her shoulder to briefly scowl at Mai's guilty face before turning away.
Zoi probably would have told her.
If not for Mai's treason.
Only for all of them to turn to the old sage when she spoke up once more.
"Young Component…sit up. There is something that we must do." Mava instructed as she made her way forward while Elle sprung up from the princess's leg.
"What must we do Wise Sage?" Elle asked with childish wonder in her voice while she now wore her mother's bracelet over her wrist.
"Your body reacts strongly to the powerful energy of both your mother's bracelet and the chi of your friends. But even that is not enough to awaken your power but worry not you have come to the right place. For the Forgetful Valley is located right beside that which every holder of the Component needs." Mava stated as she came to a stop before the seated young girl once more while the group listened in rapidly rising intrigue.
"What is that I need?" Elle queried in an eager voice as she sat with her hands on her knees while the old woman gazed down at her.
"The Spirit World…it is directly connected to this very valley. Like all of the Components before you. You must expose yourself to its energies to begin mastering your power." Mava announced to the surprise of the five girls.
"The girl needs to go to the Spirit World?" Azula queried in a piqued voice as she rubbed the underside of her chin with a well-manicured finger.
This was turning out to be quite the productive little trip.
Much more so than she ever could have anticipated.
"In due time. But first we must uncover the identity of the previous holder." Mava commented as she gazed down into Elle's amazed amber eyes while the girl sat up straighter.
"How do we figure that out Wise Sage?" Elle pondered in an inquisitive voice only to blink when the old woman's hand touched her forehead.
"Sit still young Component and search deep within yourself." Mava lectured with her hand on Elle's forehead while the girl's friends watched closely in fascination.
"Search deep within myself…" Elle mumbled as she chewed on her lip while grasping at her knees.
And then she closed her eyes as she felt a sensation of warmth flood through her as she breathed in deeply.
Azula observed from behind her with her callous amber golden eyes conveying her violently protective instincts.
With her cold gaze never once leaving her young girlfriend's innocent face.
Only for her ruthless eyes to widen ever so slightly when she watched the old crone's hand begin to emit a faint glow.
The three noblewomen observed in equal enchantment while their breaths hitched in their throats.
Each of them just as curious about the mysterious lineage of their young friend's strange power.
And then not a moment later the old woman withdrew her hand while the group gazed at her in unhidden suspense just as Elle opened her eyes.
Only for the five of them to look at the sage in puzzlement when she released a sound of surprise.
"Hm. So, it's true what they say. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree…." Mava muttered as she moved back towards her wood stove while the group blinked in bewilderment.
Azula rolled her eyes as she sat up with her cold eyes following the hunched over old woman's back.
"No more riddles old hag! Did you uncover the former holder or not!" Azula bellowed in a spoiled voice with her childhood friends gazing at her in exasperation.
"Yes, Wise Sage. What is the name of the former holder?" Elle asked in a much more respectful voice with her gentle eyes watching in intrigue as the sage lowered over her stove.
Just as her wrinkled hand bent the flames in the open chamber once more.
The four highborn women and their young servant sat in a spellbound quiet as the smoke began to form once more.
"That I have child." Mava answered as she turned to face the group with her hands clasped under her robed sleeves.
Her audience gazed on in wonderment as a figure began to form in the mystic fire.
Only for the young girl's mouth to drop open in disbelief when she saw the smoke start to take the shape of a familiar face.
The room turned silent as the visage of a woman formed over the mystic flame.
It was a face that all of them except for Zoi had seen before!
The face was that of a Eurasian woman in her mid-thirties with beautiful blonde hair that fell down just below her jawline.
With intelligent amber eyes that now seemed to be gazing hauntingly back at them.
The handmaid's hands shook in her lap as a tear dripped down her shocked cheek while her friends stared on in astonishment.
"M-Mother?" Elle stammered as she sprang up to touch the smoking image of her mother while her princess stared at her back with uncharacteristic emotion in her hardened gaze.
Her highborn friends gazed on in sympathy as they watched her rush forward.
Ty Lee's blinked her teary eyes while Mai grimaced as a tear too streamed down her cheek.
And even the captain's piercing gaze flickered with a rare pity as she watched the girl reach out to touch her mother's image.
"It's…Elle's mother." Azula spoke in a baffled voice with her mouth agape in shock only for her scowl to return when her girlfriend's hand slipped right through the smoke.
"That is correct. The former holder is your mother. When a holder of the Component dies…should any offspring be within close proximity…the power will transfer to the closest descendant." Mava announced with her hands gripping her staff as she gazed at Elle's emotional face in pity.
And with that the face of Elle's mother vanished just as her daughter's hand faded right through the mystic smoke.
Elle now stood with her hair sticking to her face as she still gazed on spellbound to where her mother's face had just been.
And just like that she let out a silent cry while her hand still lingered in the air.
As if it was frozen in time itself.
Never noticing that her princess had stood up from her seat or the way that the older woman was staring at her back with a marginally softened look in her frigid amber golden eyes.
Nor did she hear Azula approaching her from behind.
And she barely felt the much taller woman's hand lower onto her shoulder while her big sisters stared on in sympathy.
And then not a moment later she collapsed sobbing into her princess's armored belly while two strong hands remained firmly on her trembling shoulders.
Azula stood over her with her callous amber golden eyes gazing down at her while she held her crying form into her stomach.
No one said a word while the cruel princess comforted her young love.
"I-I miss her Azula-sama. I miss her so very much." Elle whispered in a pained voice with Azula's powerful hands clutching her shoulders while she sought haven in her mistress's belly.
"I know you do Elle." Azula sighed with her arms over her serving girl's shoulders while she allowed Elle to hide in her royal armor.
"M-my fire queen." Elle mumbled as she savored the heat that the much taller girl was giving off while she listened to a growl resonate throughout her mistress's belly.
"Calm yourself little peasant. I have you now." Azula growled out with fire escaping her nostrils while her eyes flashed with a cold protectiveness when her small girlfriend let out another cry.
And with that the powerful princess stood with her hands on her young love's shoulders while Elle pushed her wet face into her plated belly.
And the others wisely remained silent.
Azula's beautiful lips pursed into a tight snarl as she held onto the back of her young girlfriend's plush head.
Her enemies on the other side will rue the day that they ever hurt her little girlfriend.
Of that she was certain.
They will pay in blue fire and blood.
And that was a promise that she intended to keep.
AN:
Well, we had a big revelation in this chapter, among with other things as well.
We saw that another glimpse of the sage's sense of humor with how she conned Team Azula into fetching her barrels of water.
And at the end of the arc, we'll see what the culmination of Nako's library research comes down to.
And poor Elle has absolutely no resistance to Azula's dangerous charms.
Another small but important details is Naoki and Silah crossing paths.
Silah didn't attack Naoki because she is fixated upon Azula and Zoe. That doesn't mean that Naoki would not be a subject of interest. But Silah is simply focused on her current targets. Also, just like Azula and Zoe, she was able to sense that Naoki was strong.
And she likely believed that engaging in a battle with an unknown target in the forest would alert Team Azula in advance of her presence.
And just like we saw with Team Azula. Naoki is completely disinterested in interacting with anyone that she sees as being unrelated to her goals. That is why she had no interest in talking to Azula. She could tell that Azula was a highly powerful woman. But unlike Elle, Naoki is not naive.
She quickly deduced that forming an alliance with a foreign princess would result in doing labor for her that would take time away from her objectives.
And she also didn't really care about stopping Silah despite knowing that she was after Team Azula.
Also, as we learned this chapter Zoe does have a hidden technique. And as the story progresses, with each major battle we will learn a little more about he secrets behind Zoe's power.
And lastly, we discovered that Elle's deceased mother Lana is the former holder of the Component. This is a huge, huge detail. And it is one that we are about to delve into.
We have one more chapter, and then after that a five chapter flashback mini arc of Elle's childhood will begin. In that flashback arc we'll meet Lana and learn a little more about the Component.
I will forewarn everybody, it will be a sad couple of chapters. But it will all end with Elle meeting Azula in chapter one.
For the time being though, that is all for now.
Stay tuned for next time.
For chapter seventy-seven! Memories Within!