N/A: Hello, JkAlex here with a new chapter of this story that surprisingly has become the most popular I have written. And it's all thanks to you, your comments, favorites and followers motivate me to keep writing this story.

I hope you like this chapter, which is a bit longer than usual.

Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes, as this is a story translated from Spanish.

I hope you like it, and without further ado... Let's go!

Chapter 10

Summer Solstice Festival

Percy

The sound of clashing swords could be heard as Percy engaged in a friendly yet intense duel with his father. Despite more than a year of training in the art of swordsmanship and having created his own combat style that he had been perfecting after his experience with firebenders and other swordsmen. Percy was still unable to defeat his father. With every cut or thrust he made, Piandao deflected or parried them with astonishing precision. But Percy also proved himself to be a skilled swordsman, able to block and parry his father's attacks.

As their swords clashed, and they grappled in an attempt to overpower each other, Percy surprised Piandao with a display of superior strength that forced him back. With a grunt of exertion, Percy broke Piandao's guard, exposing him to a thrust that he managed to dodge in time, but some of his clothing was torn.

Piandao stepped back and looked down at his damaged clothing. His abdomen was exposed, showing a prominent scar. Percy shuddered at the sight of that scar, his throat closing in an almost painful way and his heart clenching with guilt. He knew that scar all too well.

After all, Percy had given it to him himself.

"You're getting better, son," Piandao said, snapping him out of his guilty thoughts. "Much faster than I thought. You're a better swordsman than I was at your age."

"Perhaps one day I'll be better than you," Percy replied.

"Otherwise, I have failed you... as a teacher and as a father."

Percy frowned slightly as a conflicted look appeared on his face.

"Is something wrong?" Piandao asked, seeing Percy's posture waver.

Taking advantage of the fact that they were alone in the small garden of the mansion, Percy finally decided to talk to his father about what had been gnawing at him since he confronted Jiang Shi a few days ago.

"Dad, I... discovered something strange the other night."

"The night you snuck out while an evil spirit was kidnapping people?"

Percy laughed awkwardly.

"Ah, yeah... that night."

Piandao's gaze softened.

"I am not angry with you, my son. You saved innocent people from a tragic fate. And I'm proud of what you did. But it was dangerous and reckless. You could have gotten hurt."

"About that... Can I borrow your sword?"

Piandao raised an eyebrow in confusion, but gave him his sword. Percy took it in his right hand, luckily it was a simple training sword. He didn't think his father would like what would happen to his precious sword, considering what he had in mind.

Percy took a deep breath, pushing aside any feelings of doubt before extending his left arm and raising his sword.

"Percy, what are you...?"

The words were choked out of Piandao's mouth as Percy brought the sword down hard on his arm and instead of cutting him as one would expect, the blade shattered into pieces as if it were made of glass and not forged steel capable of cutting flesh. Percy lifted his arm to show where the blade had touched his skin, which was not even scratched.

"Oh..." Piandao blinked, looking surprised, but quickly pulled himself together. "So you found out."

Percy definitely wasn't expecting this answer.

"Wait... What?" The confusion was evident in his voice. "Did you know?"

Piandao simply raised an eyebrow.

"Percy, I was the one who raised you, so of course I knew that you had an invulnerable body. I discovered it when you were three years old, and you put my sword in your mouth."

"Oh..." Percy chuckled, embarrassed. "Did that happen?"

"Yes. Fat almost had a heart attack when he saw you chewing on the tip of my sword like it was candy."

"So Fat also knows."

Piandao nodded.

"He and I agreed that it would be better if you found out about your... invulnerability yourself. Since we wouldn't know how to explain it to you."

"Wait... Don't you know why I'm like this?"

"Unfortunately, no," Piandao admitted. "My only guess is that you were blessed by a spirit when you were born."

"A spirit can do that?"

"As far as I know, spirits are capable of doing things beyond our imagination. They can even give life. Being blessed with an invulnerable body doesn't sound impossible to them."

"But... Why me? Why would a spirit want to make me invulnerable?"

"I wish I could tell you, Percy. But I don't know. Spirits work in mysterious ways, and their minds are far beyond ours. Until we find the spirit that caused this, I don't think we'll know the answer."

"And what about... my mom?" Percy asked tentatively. "Did she know about this?"

"Your mother..."

Piandao's face reflected a real conflict, as if he was searching for the right words to explain something he didn't understand himself.

"I don't know, son," he finished, "Whether she knew about your invulnerability or not, she never told me."

Percy frowned, growing increasingly frustrated. He thought his father would know why he was... like this. But he only got more questions than answers. It just made him feel even stranger, as if being a waterbender in the Fire Nation wasn't enough. Now he would have to hide not only his bending, but also the fact that he had an invulnerable body.

Slowly and with great hesitation, Percy brought a hand to his chest, right where his heart was. When he touched it, he immediately felt a stab of pain run through his entire body. He gritted his teeth to keep from moaning in pain as he pulled his hand away from his chest.

Invulnerable... except for one part.

After finishing his sword lessons with his father and disciples (where he once again kicked Qiang and his friends' asses), Percy left the mansion and walked the streets of Hari Bulkan. Now that they had discovered the cause of the disappearances, the citizens felt more comfortable and confident to walk the streets without worry. Percy watched with curiosity as people began to decorate the houses and streets with various types of gaudy red and gold decorations. He wondered if there would be some kind of celebration soon.

When he arrived at the post house, Percy saw a soldier standing guard. When he saw him arrive, a smile appeared on the man's lips.

"Hello, young Perseus," the soldier said, bowing his head.

"Hi," Percy greeted, somewhat hesitantly. "Do I know you?"

"You don't know me, but I know you. It would be hard not to when all the soldiers in town are talking about a twelve-year-old swordsman who, together with Prince Ozai's children, rescued the kidnapped citizens and killed an evil spirit."

"Oh, that..." Percy stirred, feeling a little uncomfortable as he remembered killing the Jiang Shi. "I was just in the right place at the right time."

"And you knew how to act," the soldier nodded, looking pleased. "Not many would have done what you did. You would have made a great soldier."

"Uh... thanks."

Percy said goodbye to the soldier with a nod, who stood up and let him pass into the post house. It was... strange to receive so much recognition from a stranger.

Inside, Percy could see that it looked exactly the same as when he had visited it a few days ago. When he rang the small bell on the desk, Chao did not appear from under the table, but from one of the many shelves around the place.

At the sight of him, the boy's eyes widened in surprise and he quickly approached him.

"Hi, Chao," Percy said, smiling at the boy. "I see you are feeling much better."

The boy nodded animatedly and made some hand gestures that Percy didn't understand.

"What?"

"He said, Thanks to you"

Percy looked over Chao's shoulder and saw Han approaching. The messenger hawk in his eyes flapped its wings and let out a shriek.

"Did he say that?" Percy asked, confused.

"Since he can't speak, Chao communicates through signs and gestures," Han explained. "The fact that he is mute does not prevent him from communicating with others."

"Oh, I see" Percy looked at Chao, impressed. "That's amazing."

Chao grinned from ear to ear and held up two fingers.

"I haven't had a chance to thank you properly for what you've done, young Perseus," Han said, bowing until his head was parallel to the ground. "You saved my son's life. For that, I will be eternally grateful."

Chao mimicked his father's action and bowed deeply to Percy.

"Hey, there's no need for that," Percy said, feeling uncomfortable at such a show of respect. "Besides, I wasn't the only one. Zuko and Azula helped me take care of the kidnapper. And Ty Lee and Mai were the ones who got the people to safety."

"Yes, I was told that Prince Ozai's children also helped. The future of our nation looks bright with them as our future leaders."

Percy thought about Zuko and Azula ruling the Fire Nation. Zuko could be a good, if somewhat temperamental, ruler. And Azula... he could only picture fire as a dark, sadistic laugh echoed. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought.

"By the way, to what do we owe your visit, young Perseus?" Han asked.

"Oh, yes. I've come to post a letter," Percy said, pulling a letter out of his clothing. "It is for a friend on the island of Shu Jin."

"Shu Jin... is an island in the outermost part of the Fire Islands. No problem. A messenger falcon will take about a day to get there" Han pointed to the falcon on his shoulder. "Two, if it's a very lazy hawk like Ash."

The hawk on his shoulder chirped and pecked at Han's head, as if it understood him and was annoyed. Han swatted at the hawk, which fled in fright and flew to one of the ledges, where it chirped again before preening its wings with its beak.

"Lazy hawk," Han muttered.

Percy handed the letter to Chao, who gladly accepted it. As he reached into his clothes to pull out some coins, Han raised his hand.

"No need to pay, young Perseus."

"Huh? Why?" asked Percy.

"It is the least I can do for you after what you have done for my son. If you wish to send a letter in the future, don't hesitate to come with us. Our service will always be free to you."

Percy was about to refuse the offer, but when he saw Han's grateful smile and Chao's almost pleading look, he could not. He figured this was his way of thanking him and repaying him for what he had done.

"Okay," Percy agreed, "Thank you for your kindness."

"Anytime, young Perseus."

"I will return in a few days if I hear anything. See you then."

As Percy prepared to leave the house, Chao walked around the desk and approached him to hug him tightly, leaving Percy motionless in his seat. Pulling away from the hug, Chao waved his hand again, bringing his fingertips to his chin and then pulling him forward.

"He said; Thank you" Han clarified.

Percy couldn't help but smile.

"You're welcome, buddy" he said, holding out his fist for Chao to shake, who did so with a big, excited smile on his face.

"See you later, young Perseus," Han said. "Enjoy the festival."

"Festival?" Percy asked curiously.

"Yes, the Summer Solstice Festival. It is a celebration that takes place every year because it is the day when there is the most sunlight. Some even believe that the unification wars of Fire Island culminated in the Summer Solstice, and the celebration of this event continues to this day. Members of the nobility see this day as a time for reflection and self-improvement. But if you ask me, I prefer the way the people of Harbor City celebrate."

Percy became increasingly fascinated. It was the first time he had heard of such a celebration. In Shu Jin, there were no celebrations or festivals of any kind, except for New Year's Day or the founding of the city.

"How do they celebrate it?" He asked.

A smile formed on Han's lips.

"The best way possible; with food, games, theater, and fireworks," Han placed a hand on his son's head. "Chao and I always go. It's one of his favorite days. And I'm happy to be able to celebrate it with him this year."

As he left the post office, Percy was very interested in attending this celebration. When Han said there would be food, it had immediately caught his attention and interest. He was curious what the food would be like in the capital of the Fire Nation. Surely there would be dishes he had never tasted before, which almost made him drool.

Maybe he could go with Zuko, but at the moment, he had something else to do.

Percy walked through the streets of the city and made his way to the lake, The Queen. It didn't take him long to get there, and when he did, he walked to the far end of the lake toward the huge rock ledge. He looked around to make sure no one was around before he stepped into the huge crack in the rock. In a few minutes, he reached the cave where the Jiang Shi had taken its victims. The place looked the same. Dark, dank, and gloomy. No one had dared to go there since the incident. No one except Percy.

He went behind one of the pillars and pulled out several torches he had hidden there. He took out a box of matches and lit them, illuminating the cave. He used the torches to light his way into the cave where the cenote was located. He didn't see any iguana seals, but Percy thought that was for the best. He didn't want any distractions.

After lighting a second torch and sticking both into the water, he took off his sword and placed it on a rock, then stared into the water.

As he looked at his own reflection in the water, Percy could see the conflict growing within him, reflected on his face. He felt reluctant, even somewhat disgusted that he had to do this, but he knew that the only reason he had killed the Jiang Shi was because of his powers over the water. It was his powers that had saved Zuko and Azula from that spirit. Even though he hated having to use them, he knew that not to do so would be to not make the most of what he was capable of. His father had always taught him that a true warrior always strives for self-improvement, and that included his swordsmanship as well as his waterbending.

With a deep sigh of resignation, Percy looked at the water and focused on it. He didn't know how to do it, he had never done it on his own. He knew that the bending depended on graceful and precise movements, but he had never seen a Waterbender. He didn't know how to move to control water. So he just did what felt right, stretched out his right arm with his hand facing the water, and concentrated.

A few seconds later, he felt something twist in his stomach. Maybe it was because he was hungry, because he was, he was always hungry. But it wasn't that, he knew it was something else. He concentrated on that feeling, which became more and more intense, and then it happened.

Slowly, but steadily, an elongated piece of water began to rise, flowing against gravity and toward his hand. The water then began to gather into a ball of considerable size and floated in the air above Percy's hand.

Unconsciously, he smiled. Controlling the water felt so... natural. After studying Firebending with Lee for a year, he knew that bending was all about mobilizing the chi in your body to be in harmony with the element you were bending. That was the reason for performing the various katas. But Percy had discovered that he was different. He didn't have to do the tedious movements to control the water, he just had to concentrate on it, move his hands a little, and the water would obey. He wondered if controlling water came so naturally to him because he was blessed by a spirit, perhaps a water spirit.

Deciding to try something with more power, Percy released the ball of water, which fell with a splash. Then he raised both his arms forcefully, and the water responded to his command, rising sharply until it reached the ceiling. When he waved his arm to the right, a large portion of the water went straight toward the cave wall with considerable force. The same thing happened when he waved his arm to the left. The water immediately responded to his commands and did exactly what he wanted.

He concentrated on drawing out a portion of the water, which rotated around him like a snake, and then, with a wave of his hand, sent it toward one of the stones, the force behind the water was enough to crack the stone slightly, but it didn't break. He repeated the process, concentrating to control more water and send it out with more force, this time he managed to break the rock, something like that was capable of breaking rock, he didn't want to imagine what it would do to a person's body.

This time, he wanted to prove how much water he could control. He stood in front of the cenote and extended both hands toward the water. He closed his eyes and concentrated. The feeling in his stomach became more intense. His arms began to shake as if he was holding something incredibly heavy. When he opened his eyes, a gasp of surprise came from his mouth. All the water in the cenote had accumulated into a wave that reached the ceiling and threatened to crash down, destroying everything in its path.

Unconsciously, Percy stepped back in fear and fell onto his butt as a memory flashed through his mind. His father's pleas for him to stop, replaced by a loud scream of pain.

Percy lost concentration and the water fell hard on him, drenching him and extinguishing the torches, leaving him in the dark.

That was why he didn't want to use his bending, because every time he did, he remembered the first time he used them.

He was only six-years-old and one day, while in the bathtub, he discovered that he could control water. At first, he was excited, who wouldn't be excited to discover that they were a bender? And when he tried to see how well he could control the water, the entire bathroom was completely destroyed. The water in the pipes had exploded and flooded the entire bathroom. Percy was terrified as the water swirled wildly around him, as if it had a life of its own. The water seemed to respond to his intense fear by becoming wilder, and when his father appeared, Percy reached out to him, calling for help. But the water responded to his movement and attacked his father. He remembered his father's scream of pain as an icicle lodged itself in his stomach. Had he drilled deeper, he would have undoubtedly killed him.

From that day on, Percy knew they had great power over water, but that same power terrified him. If he was not careful to control it, it could hurt even those he loved. And he lived with this constant fear. Fear of losing control.

Percy held his head as he concentrated on controlling his breathing, feeling strangely exhausted. His heart pounded in his chest and a cold sweat ran down his forehead.

After a few minutes, he finally managed to calm down. With a deep sigh, he got up and went to relight the torches, which were soaked, but with a simple wave of his hand, they were completely dry. The flames illuminated the cave, and Percy looked at the cenote again, pursing his lips suspiciously and mentally preparing to try again.

The sun had begun its slow descent from the sky when Percy emerged from the cave, ending his secret training. He had focused primarily on precision and control of his powers, not on strength, power, or seeing how much water he could control. What he needed now was not power, but control.

The streets of the city were almost empty as he walked through them. If he didn't know that it was a celebration and everyone was indoors, Percy would think they were afraid of another kidnapping.

When he arrived at the Royal Palace, the guards nodded at him in recognition, they even smiled at him. They let him pass easily, knowing he was a frequent visitor. Percy wasted no time and went straight to the garden to wait for Zuko to finish his daily lesson. Today, he had not shown up to train with Piandao, but he thought it was because he was behind in his studies.

When he reached the pond where he usually took a nap, he saw that someone else was at his designated spot. He recognized her as Zuko and Azula's mother, Princess Ursa.

"Hello, young Perseus," Ursa greeted him with a warm smile.

"Hello, Lady Ursa," he returned the greeting with a nod.

He watched curiously as Ursa crouched in front of the pond, feeding breadcrumbs to the turtle ducks.

"I take it you're here to see Zuko," Ursa said, offering a crumb to the turtle duck, who took it right out of her hand. "You'll have to excuse him. His lessons are much longer than usual today. And I don't think he has enough energy for a training session."

"Oh, don't worry. I didn't come to practice with him. I just came to hang out and then go to the festival with him."

"Festival?" Ursa asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "You mean the Summer Solstice Festival in Harbor City?"

"Yes. There are no such festivals where I come from. I've never been to one, so I'm a little curious."

"Well, Zuko has never been to the festival in Harbor City either. He usually spends the day at the palace."

"What? Has he never been?" Percy asked in surprise. "Why? Sounds fun."

A sad smile formed on Ursa's lips.

"My children have never had the time or interest to participate in such festivities. They were always more focused on their lessons or training. And while I am proud of their dedication, I can't help but feel that they are not taking advantage of their childhood. Zuko is fourteen-years-old, but he has no friends. And Azula is twelve-years-old, she is still a child, but she is more interested in training and studying than in enjoying her childhood."

Percy thought about it. His childhood was not easy, between having to hide his powers and trying not to disappoint his father, Percy felt a great burden. It wasn't easy growing up as the son of the Fire Nation's greatest swordsman. But that was nothing compared to the pressure Zuko and Azula must have felt growing up as the children of a Prince, as members of the Royal Family. Growing up knowing that they had to be examples for ordinary people, knowing that they would be the ones to lead them in the future. He didn't imagine growing up with that kind of pressure on his shoulders.

"You're wrong, Lady Ursa," Percy said, getting the Princess' attention. "Zuko has a friend. Me. And I'll make sure you know about this festival. I'll drag him by his ponytail if I have to."

Ursa looked at him in surprise, but then gave a small chuckle of amusement.

"I'm glad my son has a friend like you," she said. "He has lived his whole life as a member of the Royal Family, the firstborn of the second Prince of the Fire Nation. It's good that he's friends with someone who goes beyond that. Thank you."

"Oh... you're welcome," Percy replied, a little embarrassed by the praise.

"If you go to the festival in Harbor City, would you mind inviting Azula?"

"Azula?"

Percy imagined Azula at a festival, eating and playing like a normal girl her age. It was such a surreal image that it was hard to think about.

"Yes. It will be a good experience for her. Please."

The look Ursa gave him was almost pleading. Percy couldn't refuse.

"Okay," he relented. "I'll invite her, though I doubt she'll accept."

Ursa's shoulders relaxed, as if a great weight had been lifted.

"I appreciate it," she sighed. "Azula is in her private training room right now. She's been there ever since she returned from the academy. She always devotes many hours of her time to her training."

"She is a very dedicated person," Percy commented.

He couldn't help but think about the offer Azula had made him a few days ago to train together. Before, he had had doubts and concerns about accepting it. But after what had happened with the Jiang Shi, and after he had begun secretly training his waterbending skills, Percy was more open to the idea of accepting Azula's offer to hone his sword skills.

"If she's been practicing for hours, she must be tired," Percy commented absentmindedly. "And hungry. I'm always hungry after training."

Ursa's eyes seemed to sparkle, as if an idea came to her. With the elegance of a princess, she rose and smoothed her elegant clothes.

"Please, follow me."

Azula

Since the day she started attending the Royal Fire Academy for girls, Azula had hated the day of the Summer Solstice.

It seemed like a meaningless celebration and a complete waste of valuable time, because during class, they did nothing but sit in silence and read books about how the Fire Nation had prospered over the years, and then write in a scroll about how to help the nation prosper even more. Since the academy was only for noble girls, almost all of them wrote that the best way to help the nation was to become women who would ensure a strong lineage for their respective families. This conformist and submissive thought made Azula feel disgusted to even share a classroom with them.

It was a real relief for her to return to the palace and focus on one of the few things that could distract her mind: her firebending training. Lo and Li, her firebending instructors, were out today for the Summer Solstice celebration, but that didn't stop Azula from practicing. There was something relaxing about the strict adherence to the kata of firebending, the precise and carefully executed movements forming a harmonious perfection. Firebending was just that, a perfect and fierce art. And the only thing worth the time, effort, and dedication of someone of royalty like her.

As she performed one last complicated move that required her to spin in the air several times and then kick forward, sending out a powerful burst of fire, Azula landed on one knee, panting from the effort. It was a dangerous move, but very powerful when executed correctly. And she would not rest until she had achieved nothing less than perfection.

That's when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw someone standing at the door, looking at her curiously.

"Hey," Perseus greeted, holding up a hand. "Training?"

Azula narrowed her eyes at him.

"Isn't it obvious just by looking at it?" she replied, frowning slightly. "What are you doing here?"

Perseus shrugged.

"I'm just taking a walk while Zuko finishes his lessons. Normally, I would have waited for him while I took a nap in the garden, but your mom was there, and I didn't want to disturb her. But she told me that I could find you here, training."

"So you came here."

"Yes, your mom wanted me to give you this. In case you were hungry after training."

Only then did Azula notice that Perseus was holding a small wooden box. She recognized it as a lunch box, and when she grabbed it and opened it, she saw that it contained three rice balls wrapped in strips of nori seaweed. Onigiris.

"My... My mother did this to me?" Azula asked, stunned.

"Yes, I saw her do it. We talked for a while and I told her that I'm always hungry after training. She offered to give me something to eat, and when I said to myself that you were training too, I told her that you might be a little hungry too."

Azula was still processing the fact that her mother had made a snack just for her. Usually, when she was hungry after training, she would go to the kitchen and ask one of the servants to prepare something for her. This... was the first time her mother had prepared something for her.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the lunch box.

"One is missing," she admitted, looking at the missing space.

Perseus shifted uncomfortably.

"Uh... yeah... Maybe I ate one on the way here," he admitted, scratching his neck in embarrassment. "In my defense, I was starving after my training."

"You dare? You dare to rob me?!"

"Relax, fire girl. It was just one onigiri."

'Onigiris that my mother made especially for me!' she wanted to yell, but she kept her cool. It wouldn't be worthy of a royal like her to lose her temper over a commoner like Perseus, no matter how irritating and impertinent he was.

Azula turned her back, grabbed one of the onigiris, and took a bite. After hours of intense training, it was normal to be hungry. Perhaps that's why the onigiri was so delicious.

While Azula ate, Perseus walked over to one of the sales booths and looked around.

"Wow, this is a good view," he commented. "I can even see my house. And who's standing in the yard... Yeah, that's Fat. I've never seen anyone with a belly as big as his."

"That's because you haven't seen my uncle's," Azula said absently.

Perseus looked at her over his shoulder.

"Your uncle? You mean Crown Prince Iroh?"

"That's right," Azula said, standing next to him and looking out over the city. "Though I haven't seen him for a few months. Perhaps his belly has grown."

Perseus snorted in amusement.

They both watched the city in silence for a few minutes. The sun began to set on the horizon, bathing the entire city in an orange glow.

"Tell me, Perseus," Azula said, breaking the silence. "Have you given any thought to the offer I made you?"

After seeing how Perseus had performed during the battle with the spirit, Azula knew she had made the right decision in offering Perseus to be her training partner, with the goal of instilling in him a sense of loyalty to the Fire Nation, and most importantly, to her.

He had shown not only the skill of a remarkable warrior, but also the courage of one. Not many would stand up to an evil spirit and stand firm. He had even managed to kill it. A truly remarkable feat for a non-bender of only twelve.

'Father was right about him,' Azula thought. 'He could be a valuable subordinate in the future.'

"Yes, I have thought about that," Perseus agreed. "And while I'm interested in training with you and learning the moves of firebending from a prodigy like you... I won't be your lapdog, Azula."

"Anyone else would be grateful for the opportunity to train with a royal like me," Azula pointed out, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, well, I don't really care about that. The only reason I am interested in training with you is because I can perfect my sword skills. And let's face it, the only reason you offered me to be your training partner is because I beat you in a duel."

'He's more insightful than he appears to be,' she thought, narrowing her eyes in irritation. This simple commoner was taking too many liberties when he spoke to her in such a disrespectful manner.

If she wanted to control him, she had to make Perseus think that she wasn't trying to manipulate him at all. The best way to manipulate someone is to make them think they are not being manipulated. Make them think they were acting of their own free will. But to do that, she had to find out what he wanted. Everyone wants something when they get involved with someone from the Royal Family, whether it be the pursuit of higher social status, favors, or privileges that they could get.

And the real question of controlling Perseus would be: what did he want?

To find out, Azula would have to study him, spend time with him. And if that meant making him her training partner, that would be an acceptable price to pay.

"I told you before, didn't I?" she said with a smile on her lips. "Despite our different disciplines, we would both benefit from training together from time to time. You will be able to perfect your Fire Stance, and I will be able to train with someone without having to hold back. Think of it as a mutually beneficial arrangement. What you say?"

Azula could see that Perseus was interested, but he also looked cautious. It was strange to Azula that someone her age would look at him with suspicion.

"Okay, I accept," he finally said. "But on one condition."

Azula raised an eyebrow. Is Perseus going to tell her what he wants in return? That was much faster than she had expected, but it wasn't unfortunate. At least she would save herself the trouble of researching him to find out what he wanted by getting involved with her.

"What do you want?" she asked.

The smile Perseus had on his face made her feel a little uneasy.

"Come with me to the festival tonight."

"Eh...?"

'Never in my most twisted imagination did I ever think I would be here.'

Azula watched in amazement at the large number of people milling about the streets of Harbor City, the port city at the foot of the volcano where the Royal Palace was located. The lights from the paper lanterns that hung throughout the place illuminated all the stalls set up along the street. There were food stalls, games, puppet theaters for children, and trinkets for sale.

What confused Azula wasn't the large number of people, or the bright lights, or the different smells of the food being sold outdoors. No, it was the fact that she was there at all.

Next to her, unlike her, Zuko was staring at the whole place, as were Ty Lee and Mai, whom Perseus had invited, claiming it would be more fun if everyone came. It was the first time the four of them got together to do something. If it weren't for Perseus' insistence, Azula doubted they would ever be able to spend time together like this.

"We shouldn't be here," Azula growled, irritated by the large number of people. "A filthy place like this is no place for royalty."

"Come on, Azula, it's not that bad," Zuko said. "Mother said it would be interesting."

"Yeah!" Ty Lee agreed, looking euphorically at the whole festival. "This place is amazing! I've never seen anything like that before!"

She pointed to a group of three children running down the street wearing a huge paper and cardboard costume of some kind of monster that had the head of a dragon, with a huge horn in the middle of its forehead, but the body of a komodo rhinoceros. Children were running through the streets in monster costumes, growling at people to scare them.

"What is that thing supposed to be?" Mai asked.

"It is the Nian."

The four turned to see Perseus approaching. In his hands he held a paper bag containing mochis of various sizes.

"Another monster your father told you about?" Azula asked.

"Yup," he said, taking a bite of the mochi in his hand. "My dad told me it was an evil spirit that lived under the sea and came out of hiding to attack people, especially children."

"You don't think... it's going to show up, do you?" Mai asked fearfully. "You know... like the Jiang Shi."

"I doubt it. Dad said the Nian only attacked in early spring. And that the color red and fireworks are supposed to scare them away."

Despite his words, Mai didn't seem to relax.

"Don't worry, Mai," Ty Lee reassured her. "If that doesn't work... We've got them!"

She pointed at Azula, Zuko and Perseus.

"We?" Zuko asked, pointing at himself.

"Yes! You faced that terrible evil spirit a few days ago. You even went so far as to kill him" she approached Perseus and playfully nudged him. "Is that not so? Mr. Spirit Slayer."

"It was just luck," Perseus denied, though he lowered his head slightly in shame.

"If you say so," Ty Lee grabbed one of the mochis from Perseus' bag and took a bite. "Oh, these are very good! Guys, you have to prove them."

She offered them the mochis in the bag. Zuko was the first to try them and his eyes widened in surprise before he ate more enthusiastically. Mai followed his example, grabbed a mochi and took a bite. Judging by the look of pleasure on her face, they tasted good.

Azula grabbed one of the mochis and looked at the spongy candy, hesitant to try food of dubious origin, but she took an experimental bite and the warm raspberry flavor flooded her mouth.

'Mmm... Not bad,' she admitted to herself and took another bite.

"My... my mochis," Perseus lamented, seeing that there were none left.

"Don't be a baby," Azula said, rolling her eyes at his childish attitude.

Ty Lee chuckled with amusement.

"Come on. Let's go see the games," she said. "We have to try them."

She led them through the streets among the crowds. Normally, everyone would step aside and let them pass when they recognized Prince Ozai's children, but the people were so wrapped up in their own worlds that they didn't even pay attention. In their eyes, they were just a group of children walking through the streets of the festival.

Ty Lee led them to one of the many booths on the side of the street. It was a game stand where people threw rings at the bottlenecks at the end of the stand. The distance was three meters, so it took some skill to hit them.

"Hello, kids," said the man in charge. "Would you like to try? If you can get three rings in any of the bottles, you get a mask as a prize. All for one piece of silver."

The man showed the different masks he had on display as prizes. There was a wide variety of them, from animal masks to those used in plays to monster masks.

"Would you like to try one?" Perseus asked.

"If I wanted a mask, I could get a quality one made by the best craftsmen," Azula said. "Not one from a third-rate vendor."

"That's not the point, Azula. You have to earn it."

She crossed her arms and turned away from him.

"I have no interest in playing a stupid game for a worthless prize."

"I am!" Ty Lee said, an excited smile tugging at her lips as she stepped forward and placed a coin on the table, receiving three rings.

Ty Lee grabbed the rings and threw them at one of the bottles. She hit the first two, but the third bounced off the neck of the bottle.

"Sorry, child," said the bartender. "But you have to hit all three to win a prize."

Ty Lee dropped her head, looking disappointed, but she quickly perked up and turned to look at Mai.

"Mai, do it," she encouraged. "I know you can do three without any problems."

"Okay..." Mai accepted, a little doubtfully, but she paid a coin anyway and got the three rings. "Do I have to put the rings in the same bottle?"

"No," the clerk replied. "You can put one ring in a different bottle."

She nodded and, without hesitation, threw the three rings back and forth, landing perfectly on the neck of the same bottle.

"Very good, Mai!" Ty Lee applauded enthusiastically.

"Congratulations, miss," the salesman praised. "You won. Choose a mask."

Mai looked at the different masks on display and pointed to one. It was a white mask with black spots around the eyes and red painted lips. A Noh mask.

"It suits you," Zuko pointed out.

Mai blushed and quickly put on the mask to hide her blushing face from her.

"Okay, I want to try again," Ty Lee said with a determined look on her face, giving the vendor another coin and getting three rings in return.

This time she managed to shoot all three hoops, albeit in different bottles, and squealed with joy at having won the game. Ty Lee chose a white mask with a small mouth, slanted eyes, and chubby, rosy cheeks; an Okame mask.

"My turn," Zuko said, stepping forward, handing the vendor a coin and receiving three rings.

The first didn't even reach the bottle because he threw it too slowly. The second was thrown too hard and missed. And the third hit the neck of the bottle, but the ring did not fall around his neck.

"Sorry, kid," said the salesman. "Lucky for the next one."

Zuko grumbled and paid again. He made the first ring, but the next two bounced off the neck of the bottle.

"Pff," Perseus snorted, amused. "Dude, you suck."

"Shut up!" Zuko growled at him, frustrated. "This is harder than it looks. I doubt you can do any better."

Perseus raised an eyebrow and placed a coin on the table, getting three rings.

"I don't shy away from a challenge."

Perseus picked up one of the rings and threw it. The ring flew, but instead of hitting the bottle, it hit one of the masks, knocking it off the shelf it was on.

Azula, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee stared at Perseus, who laughed awkwardly.

"Testing," he said.

He threw another ring, but it didn't even touch the bottle. Perseus narrowed his eyes in annoyance and threw the last ring, but it seemed to slip from his fingers and smashed into the face of the man in charge of the games.

"Hey! Be careful, kid!" The man scolded him, rubbing his face.

Ty Lee laughed out loud, while Mai covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. Azula let out a snort. She wouldn't admit it, but this was fun.

"Sorry..." Perseus apologized, embarrassed.

"That was impressive in its own way," Zuko commented.

"You're both pathetic," Azula said, rolling her eyes and taking a step forward. "I will show you how to play this boring game. Zuko, give me two coins."

Zuko grumbled, but reached into the small bag of coins their mother had given them to spend at the festival. Azula was still a little irritated that their mother had trusted Zuko with the money, considering he was as clumsy as a turtle duck.

Once Azula had paid and received the six rings, she turned her gaze to the glass bottle and, without a moment's hesitation, threw three rings back and forth, landing perfectly on the necks of three different bottles.

"Congratulations, miss!" praised the clerk. "You just won a..."

Azula ignored him and threw the other three rings again, landing on the same bottles.

"Wow... that was cool," Percy commented, looking impressed.

"Of course," Azula said, placing a hand on her chest haughtily. "That's to be expected from a royal like me."

Zuko, on the other hand, growled under his breath and looked away from her in annoyance.

"Congratulations, miss!" called the seller. "You just made six tires, which means you won two masks! Pick the one you like best."

Azula looked at the various masks. They all seemed ridiculous and silly, but there were two that caught her attention. The first was a red mask that went all the way down to the nose, with white hair and pointed fangs. Its large yellow eyes with red pupils made it look terrifying. The second was a blue mask that completely covered the face, with two pointed fangs visible in its macabre and perpetual smile.

"These two," she pointed out.

The vendor nodded and handed her two masks. Azula kept the red mask, while the blue one was given to Zuko, much to his annoyance and frustration.

"I hate the Dark Water Spirit," Zuko complained, looking at the mask with disgust. "You always made me play it part."

"That's because the only one worthy of playing the role of the Dragon Emperor is me," Azula said, putting on her mask. Since the mask only covered the top of her face, her proud smile was visible.

Zuko grunted in annoyance, but then put on his mask in resignation.

"Let's go," Azula said and started walking.

"Uh... guys," Ty Lee called. "Perseus doesn't have a mask yet."

It was true. Of the five, Perseus was the only one without a mask.

"It's fine," he declined. "It doesn't matter. Besides, I don't think I can win. I don't have very good aim."

"I can win one for you," Mai offered shyly. "If you want..."

"Are you sure? I don't want to bother you."

Mai shook her head.

"Don't worry, it's no bother. Consider it an apology for eating all your mochi."

"At least let me pay."

Perseus put a silver coin on the table and Mai got the three rings. After three shots, three rings had landed on the same bottle, declaring Mai the winner.

"Your aim continues to amaze me," Perseus commented.

Mai lowered her head shyly.

"Thank you... Choose the mask you like best."

Perseus looked at the various masks on display, but he didn't seem to find one he liked. He was intrigued when the vendor picked up the mask he had thrown away.

"Hey, what kind of mask is that?" he asked. "A dragon?"

"Oh, this?" the man picked up the mask. "It's not just any dragon, boy. It is the Azure Dragon of the East, Seiryu. It is an ancient spirit that is said to be able to create tsunamis with its roar and has an impenetrable skin. Is this the one you want? Here."

With slightly shaking hands, Perseus took the mask and looked at it carefully. He looked... shocked, which Azula found curious. Looking at the mask, she saw that there was nothing remarkable about it. It was a simple mask of a blue dragon with four fangs, two upper and two lower, along with an elongated snout and two prominent horns on the forehead.

"Seiryu..." Perseus murmured thoughtfully, running his fingers over the reliefs of the mask before putting it on. His bright green eyes could be seen through the gaps, matching the blue of the mask.

With their masks on, the five visited the other games around the festival.

Surprisingly, Perseus was surprisingly good at the game of catching fish. A game where you had to use a thin net that quickly dissolved when you put it in the water to catch fish. The person in charge of the game and all the people who happened to be watching were left with their mouths open as Perseus caught all the fish. It seemed as if the fish themselves were jumping toward the bowl Perseus was using to catch them.

By the end of the game, he had more than a dozen water bags, each containing a fish. Under the puzzled eyes of the four, he released them into a pool of water in the forest behind the festival stands.

"What?" Perseus asked when he saw the confused look everyone was giving him.

"Why did you do that?" Zuko asked.

Perseus' only response was a shrug.

"I thought it was best for the fishes."

Azula snorted derisively as she heard this. Turning to look at the fishes, she was disturbed to see them all standing still, their tails the only thing moving as they seemed to stare at Perseus. If it wasn't completely delusional, Azula could swear she saw the fishes tilt their heads. But when she blinked, the fish just swam away.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Perseus was still staring at the disappearing fish. His mask prevented her from seeing his expression. Had he seen it too? Or was it just her imagination?

When they returned to the festival, Zuko won his first game, the ball toss, where you had to throw a small rubber ball at a pyramid of glasses on a wooden table. Zuko managed to knock over all the glasses, and his prize was a rag doll, which he gave to Azula with a mocking look on his face. She looked at the doll with contempt and disgust before ripping off its head and setting it on fire. The shopkeeper gasped in disbelief, but since it was the winning prize of the game, he had no right to complain, though Azula could hear him grumbling in annoyance about "ungrateful, rude brats".

She considered setting the whole stall on fire, but it was not necessary as Perseus threw the rubber ball with surprising force and instead of hitting the pyramid of jars, it hit one of the wooden pillars of the stall and rebounded to hit the vendor directly in the face, who stumbled from the impact and crashed into the pyramid of jars, landing on his back and causing all the jars to fall on top of him.

Azula couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Even more so when one of the glasses slid across the table and fell on the face of the salesman.

"Uh... Does that mean I won?" Perseus asked, making Azula laugh even harder.

"Well, technically, you knocked over all the glasses with the ball," Mai pointed out.

"Damn brats!" the salesman growled as he stood up angrily. "How dare they ruin my stall...?! Aargg!"

The man grunted in pain as another ball hit him in the face, this one being the ball that Ty Lee threw, causing the salesman to fall into another pyramid of glasses, breaking the wooden table.

"Oops..." Ty Lee said innocently.

The vendor was back on his feet, clearly angry.

"Run!" Perseus shouted.

The five of them ran quickly through the crowd, leaving behind an angry man yelling at them for destroying his stall.

No one knew who had started, but they all laughed as they continued running, not stopping until they reached the point where the tents ended, and they were at the edge of the forest.

"Did you see how the ball bounced and hit him in the face and knocked him down?" Zuko asked between laughs.

"No. I was busy looking at the stupid face he made when I burned his hideous doll," Azula replied amused. "Everyone at this festival should thank me for getting rid of that ridiculous prize."

"Well, I didn't have any good prizes," Mai commented. "Just dolls, wooden toys and balls. They were pretty silly."

"I still think I won that game," Perseus complained. "Technically, I knocked over all the glasses."

"And you knocked him over, too," Ty Lee pointed out, making the others laugh.

"It was an accident. And so did you!"

"You have terrible aim, Perseus," Azula commented with a mocking smile. "But I admit, it was a good shot."

"Yes, it was good," Zuko agreed.

Perseus chuckled before looking towards the festival.

"We need to go back and find a good place," he said.

"A good place for what?" Ty Lee asked.

"Mr. Han told me that tonight..."

He was interrupted by a loud, sharp noise. Everyone looked up as a bright line of light rose into the sky before exploding into what could only be described as a bomb of flashing lights.

"Fireworks!" Perseus exclaimed excitedly. "Let's go!"

He grabbed Azula and Zuko's hands and pulled them deeper into the forest. Ty Lee followed his example, grabbing Mai's hand and quickly following them.

"Percy, where are we going?!" Zuko asked, letting himself be dragged along.

"To a higher place to see the fireworks better!"

It wasn't long before the forest opened up to what looked like a ledge on the side of the volcano. From there, they could see the lights of the festival at the foot of the volcano, on the horizon, the dark ocean illuminated by the summer moon, and the most outstanding thing about this view, the bright and colorful fireworks flashing intensely in the sky.

"Wow..." Ty Lee murmured, completely mesmerized.

Azula had seen fireworks before. She had watched them dozens of times from her room at the top of the Royal Palace. On those occasions, the fireworks had seemed distant and uninteresting. But now that she was so close to them that she could almost feel the heat they emitted, Azula was completely mesmerized by the brilliant, fleeting flashes of color. Before she could identify a color, a new one would appear. So she didn't even blink.

She was so engrossed in seeing the different colors that she didn't realize Perseus was still holding her hand until he took it away. Maybe it was the fireworks and the lights of the festival, but it almost seemed as if his cheeks were colored red. Seeing that, Azula felt strangely self-conscious. She glanced at Perseus out of the corner of her eye and saw that the colors of the fireworks were reflected in his green eyes, giving them an even more unique color. And for a few moments, she thought his eyes were more beautiful than the fireworks themselves.

The display ended with the thunderous sound of an explosion and a great light that shone brighter than the moon itself. At the foot of the volcano, people at the festival cheered in amazement and clapped their hands in joy.

"Wow... That was incredible!" Ty Lee exclaimed. "So many bright colors!"

"It was very beautiful," Mai agreed, looking fascinated.

"It was... impressive," Zuko pointed out, still looking surprised. "I had never seen fireworks up close before."

Perseus nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, and I've never seen fireworks this big." He turned to Azula. "What do you think, Azula?"

She was still looking at the spot where the fireworks had exploded. She could still see the bright colors clearly in her mind.

"It wasn't bad," she admitted.

"Then let's come back another day," Perseus offered. "I don't know when there will be another festival, but let's come back when there is."

"Yes, let's all come back together next time!" Ty Lee said excitedly. "The five of us. It will be fun!"

"Well, if are just we..." Mai said quietly, giving Zuko a sideways glance. "It's fine."

Ty Lee turned to Azula, excitement clearly visible on her face.

"What are you saying, Azula?"

Surprisingly, she didn't have to think long before answering.

"I wouldn't mind going back."

Ty Lee let out a squeal of excitement and wrapped one arm around Azula and the other around Mai. Normally Azula would bristle at such a display of close contact, but this time she let it go.

When the festival ended, and they returned to the city of Hari Bulkan, Perseus was the first to leave, since the mansion he lived in was the farthest from the palace compared to Ty Lee's and Mai's.

"Hey, Percy," Zuko spoke. "Thanks for inviting me. It was fun."

"Then let's do it again sometime, Hotman," Perseus replied.

Zuko nodded with a small smile.

"Sure."

They both said goodbye with a fist bump.

"Perseus," Azula called, looking at him sternly. "Don't forget our agreement. From now on, you are my training partner."

Perseus looked over his shoulder and smiled at her.

"Count on it, fire girl."

With a last farewell gesture, he walked away at a relaxed pace until he turned a corner and disappeared.

Mai and Ty Lee were the next to say goodbye. Their houses were much closer to the Royal Palace, so they would arrive quickly.

When Azula and Zuko entered the palace and went to their respective rooms, they were both surprised to see their mother waiting for them.

"Mother!" Zuko said as he ran towards her.

Azula rolled her eyes at how childish her brother was. Despite being fourteen-years-old, Zuko was a mama's boy.

Seeing them, a smile formed on Ursa's lips and she approached them.

"Zuko, Azula. You're back," she said. "Tell me, how was the festival? Did you have fun?"

Zuko wasted no time in explaining what they had done. About the food and the games and the fireworks. Ursa listened patiently with a smile on her face.

Azula didn't want to stay and listen to her brother's incessant chatter, so she went to her room.

"Azula," Ursa called. "How was your night?"

She paused before opening the door, one hand on the handle.

"It was... nice," she admitted before opening the door and entering her room, closing it behind her. The last thing she saw of her mother was a loving smile directed at her, which made her smile slightly.

Her room was dark, although the moonlight filtering through the window illuminated it slightly. She looked at the Dragon Emperor mask she had won in the game. It was crude, stupid, and would serve absolutely no purpose. But looking at it, she remembered what had happened at the festival. How she had enjoyed herself in a way she never had before. She remembered the mesmerizing, brilliant colors of the fireworks. Yellow like the sun, orange like the sunset, green like the sea...

That was why she did not throw the mask away, but kept it in the drawer of the table next to her bed.

It would be a good reminder. Something to remind her that the day of the summer solstice was not so bad after all.

...

..

.

And that's all for now, my dear readers!

I hope, with this chapter, you come to understand why Percy doesn't use his water powers so openly and why he dislikes them. After all, he even seriously injured the person who was his father with his powers, almost even killing him. It's normal for him to develop some kind of trauma from that. That won't stop him, though. He will train his "waterbending" skills even though he hates them because he knows that he will be able to help him in the future to save and help the people he cares about.

For those people who are impatient for Percy to find out about his real parents, I can only tell you to be patient. I will eventually get to develop that.

Maybe the story may seem slow, but I wanted to do it this way to delve into not only the growing relationship Percy has with others, but also its impact. As well as some fundamental aspects of his training, whether as a swordsman or waterbender. I want Percy to be powerful, but for him to work for it too.

Mythological monsters, both from Greek and Asian mythology? Many more appear. Monsters and spirits will play a bigger role in this story.

Invulnerability? Yeah, Percy just discovered it for himself for the first time. That's because he had never before been in a situation where something sharp tried to pierce him.

Again, I remind you that this is a translated story, so the grammar and spelling will not be perfect. But if there is anyone interested in being my beta to fix those errors, just contact me. Preferably, someone who has some experience in writing and is an expert in the Avatar World.

The next chapter will begin with a very important canon event. I guess you know which one I'm talking about.

I hope you liked it and, without more to say... Until next time, beautiful people!