Azula resisted the urge to shift in place as Huang stared down at her with a blank face, having to remind herself that she was a princess. She would not be made nervous by a peasant!
Despite that brave declaration, she felt her face heating slightly as he again looked down at the scroll she had handed him, a lost look on his face that did nothing to hide the confusion he was feeling.
"Is there a problem?" Azula cursed herself for not sounding quite as confident as she would have liked. This was rather silly. She had no reason to feel embarrassed. She repeated that thought to herself as she tried to keep her face from showing her true emotions. The humor she felt from the bond, making it clear that Sora was doing the equivalent of laughing at her, didn't make things easy.
Really, the nerve of this dragon! She'd be sure to avoid bringing any Komodo Rhino meat to her later tonight, knowing that was her favorite.
Ignoring the sudden surge of displeasure from the dragon, Azula focused on Huang as he opened his mouth at last. "Princess, I trust your abilities but," he glanced back down at the scroll, clearly no less perplexed than before. "Are you sure these measurements are accurate for an Ostrich Horse?"
"Yes, I am quite sure," She lied through her teeth, finally fighting through the awkwardness that had overcome her. Of course, the measurements weren't accurate for an Ostrich Horse! What monster of the species could this saddle fit on? It was almost the full length of her height!
She had been spending her evenings after school and her strict bending practices in the crafting region of the palace for a little over a week now. She had learned a lot on the subject of leather working, and about working with metals. When she had started she had been largely indifferent to the topic, if anything feeling disdainful towards the 'peasant' activities. The saddle was the only reason she had gone after all.
She was greatly surprised when she found herself enjoying the time she was spending there. The work was fascinating, and she found the various tools and techniques used to, for lack of a better word, cool. The good company that Huang provided was just the icing on the cake. That being said, she found that she would rather he stop talking at this point and time.
Plus, she found that she enjoyed using her intense flame for forging metal, which Huang encouraged enthusiastically. It was much more efficient than using the forge for smaller objects, and it was great practice for her.
"If you are sure," Huang said uncertainly, unfazed by the glare that was being leveled at him. He had grown used to the look over the week. "I suppose we ought to get started."
It was obvious that he didn't think their time would be well spent on making such a, in his opinion, useless item, but he started gathering the needed materials anyway. She knew she had made the right decision in who to recruit for this project.
"Now, let's do a little test. This tool is called the…" It seemed she had a long day ahead of her.
Focussing on the object he pointed out to her, she diligently answered all of his questions as they got to work.
Line Break
Ty Lee knew that something was going on with her best friend. Something big, something secret, and something…
Awesome!
Ty Lee, despite what others said, believed that every person had their own aura and that their colors represented who they were and who they could be. She had first heard the idea planted into her mind by her mom, on one of the rare occasions her attention had been solely focused on Ty Lee. For that alone it was memorable, but she had committed that information to her mind.
She had focused for several weeks after that to see if it was true, something most people would be in disbelief about. She wasn't well known for her ability to stay on one train of thought for long…
NO! Back to what she was saying.
Anyway, she had managed to see people's auras! Of course, most were doubtful of such a claim, but she knew what she saw, and Azula was proof!
When Ty Lee had first seen Azula, she had possessed the brightest red aura she had ever seen. The color had suited her, the princess was incredibly passionate about anything she put her mind to, refusing to allow anything to stand in her way. Ty Lee admired that spirit, knowing she was more likely to give up and try something new for a while, like when she…
'No!' She shook her head from the stray thought, instead thinking back to a couple of months prior. Azula's aura had been growing murkier, she believed the word was, almost like it was becoming more muted. Her mood and actions had reflected that, with her snapping more often, and less playfully as she had before. Then it all came to a head…
Azula had burned Mai. The thought sobered Ty Lee from her previously joyful mood, spooking the poor girl next to her who was shocked at how quickly Ty Lee's mood had changed. She knew Azula hadn't been trying to harm Mai, her shocked face after the event was evidence of that, but the fact remained that she had.
For several days after that, things had been tense. Little words were exchanged between the three friends during that time, and Ty Lee watched as Azula's aura dimmed further and further, the once bright red being all but swallowed up.
Then it happened.
Azula had come to school, with bags under her eyes and her normally pristine appearance looking disheveled, but with a new gleam in her eye. Ty Lee's eyes had widened at not just the apology Azula had given, to both her and Mai, but also her aura.
The grimness, while not completely gone, had diminished greatly. The tense form of her friend had been replaced by a girl who seemed to have a new lease on life. Ty Lee had been overjoyed at the time, but the surprises didn't seem to end there.
Every day she saw Azula, it seemed that her aura changed slightly. The muddied colors had not only vanished, but it seemed as if her aura gained a new aspect each day, becoming only more and more brilliant as the weeks passed.
That led to now.
It was a special day in their school, one Ty Lee was incredibly excited about. It was a music class.
Being an all-girls school reserved for nobles or the wealthy, it was natural that the school had a special focus on the arts, something Ty Lee loved. The same couldn't be said for Mai and Ty Lee.
"Come on Mai, you can't just sit there the whole time," Ty Lee said, complaining about her friend's less-than-enthusiastic approach to Ty Lee's favorite class.
"Watch me," Mai murmured quietly, her flute held limply at her side. She looked particularly miserable today.
"Why not? It's fun!" Ty Lee insisted with her usual passion. Beside her, Ty Lee saw Azula roll her eyes.
"I don't know why you're surprised," Azula chimed in, her instrument sitting on the ground, seemingly forgotten. Ty Lee glared at her, that was no way to treat the pipa!
"The teacher said to use this time to practice," Ty Lee continued, undeterred by her less energetic friends. Seriously, for all the brightness her aura had gained, Azula seemed to be lazing about more than ever. The memory of her insisting on the princess resting more was conveniently forgotten.
"She's also distracted trying to help that girl overcome her performance anxiety."
Ty Lee turned slightly at Azula's dry words, looking at a girl who was currently in tears, clutching her mallets tightly. Ty Lee felt a pang of sympathy for the girl, but that was pushed aside as a mischievous idea appeared in her mind.
"It seems she's not the only one," She said innocently, looking right at Azula.
Azula raised a brow, her jaw tensing at the look. "Are you implying something, Ty Lee?" She looked offended at the statement just as Ty Lee had intended.
Ty Lee had to withhold the smirk that desperately wanted to stretch its way onto her face, settling for her usual smile. "No, not at all! It's ok if you don't want to perform, it must be nerve-wracking." Her words were soothing, but Azula only looked more insulted at the assurance.
"I am not nervous to play," Azula said strongly, her eyes blazing. Mai was looking between the two, a slight smile playing across her lips. It seemed she had caught on.
"Then you wouldn't mind playing for us right?" Ty Lee decided to finally go after what she wanted. "I'd love to hear you play."
Azula looked hesitant, but she had never been one to back down from a challenge. Truly, the best way to get the proud princess to do something was to imply there was something she couldn't do. She'd probably find a way to bring the stars down if you insisted she couldn't. Ty Lee would have to keep that in mind…
Deciding to go for her ace, Ty Lee said, "I bet Mai would enjoy it too!"
Azula's eyes quickly jumped to Mai who had remained silent, looking for her response. Mai nodded slightly indicating that she wanted to see this as well. Any hesitation Azula had before faded, determination quickly overtaking her features.
Ty Lee couldn't hold back her smile any longer after watching the byplay between her best friends.
"Fine then," She grabbed her Pipa. She checked to make sure everything was in order before clearing her throat. Ty Lee leaned forward in excitement.
As Azula started playing, Ty Lee found herself drawn into the performance. She had heard Azula play before, but it had always felt somewhat… mechanical. Azula had always struggled to put enthusiasm and energy into her playing, viewing it as useless, but now…
Ty Lee had to withhold a gasp as Azula's voice joined into the mix, turning the simple melody into something infinitely more pleasing. Ty Lee absently noticed Mai's eyes widened as well, and if she wasn't seeing things, a slight dusting of red blooming across her face.
They had never heard Azula sing before.
Despite what many might think, Ty Lee was an observant. She had been to the palace on several occasions and got to witness, to an extent, how the royal family operated. It didn't take much effort to see that Azula and her mother, when she was here, had a tense relationship.
It was no secret that Ursa had a taste for the arts, theater to be exact. Ty Lee had personally talked with the (then) princess about the topic, being interested in becoming an entertainer herself. Azula at the time had made her displeasure for the profession clear.
Ty Lee had always assumed that Azula's lack of interest in music, art, and any topic under the umbrella stemmed from those issues. Of course, Ty Lee was observant, so she would never say that aloud, but the truth remained.
Now though, as Ty Lee watched the princess and her shining aura, she couldn't help but feel joy. Azula still looked very determined, the 'insults' not forgotten, but she also looked untroubled, almost happy in what she was doing.
Until her face suddenly went pale.
Ty Lee jolted as Azula sat frozen, seemingly horrified though by what Ty Lee wasn't sure. Azula didn't seem to be bothered by something in the room, her eyes were locked straight ahead. It was like something in her mind had disturbed her.
"Azula, are you ok?" Ty Lee asked, her concern growing as Azula mumbled something to herself. If Ty Lee wasn't mistaken, it looked like she said 'no'...
Mai reached over to the unresponsive girl and touched her shoulder, causing Azula to flinch and come back to herself. "Azula? Did something happen"
Azula shook her head, attempting to smile even as her face remained pale. "I-I'm fine." She stuttered, before staring off again. "Just thinking about what we should do now that the world is ending,"
The bizarre response caught Ty Lee and Mai off guard, the two glancing at each other wordly. They tried to question further, but it seemed Azula had managed to recover from whatever had caused her moment of weirdness and shook their questions off. This was odd but…
Ty Lee decided to drop it. Her aura was still shining brightly, though it now looked a tad green, so she assumed that whatever had happened wasn't all that serious.
They started packing up, the class ending right after the sudden drama, and headed outside and went their separate ways.
In spite of the sudden bout of oddness from her usually composed friend, Ty Lee still found herself overjoyed by this continued change in her aura. Though she was curious about what the cause was…
Line Break
'This lizard is going to be the death of me,' Azula thought to herself, staring down at the remains of the fish she had eaten with a wry smile spread across her face.
Sora hissed at her, the insult being understood clearly from the bond.
Earlier in the day Azula had had music class. It had been going well, and she even found herself enjoying it for once, a rarity if she had experienced one. She had been playing and singing, proving her magnificent skill, until it had all come crashing down at a sudden curious thought from their bond.
Her dragon wanted to sing.
Azula had always thought that dragons were incredible. Despite her Nation's recent history regarding the creatures of fire, she had always desired to see one of them. It had seemed like great fortune, or maybe fate, that she had met Sora.
Now she wasn't so sure.
"For the last time," Azula said, exasperating, coloring her tone. "I will not teach you how to sing." Really, she was starting to feel silly arguing like this. She hadn't foreseen her life going this direction, and she felt like cursing the spirits now that it had.
Sora let out an enraged yelp, clearly not understanding why her human was being so difficult about the matter.
"You are a dragon," Azula said slowly, like she was speaking to a toddler. She sometimes wondered if that was what Sora was. "You can't sing, just the same as you can't talk." Hopefully that point would register with the resolute dragon.
The answering bark she received killed the relief filled thought with prejudice.
Feeling her temper slightly flaring she said, "Must I spell it out? You are not human. You can't do that."
Sora pulled back slightly, and Azula felt a sudden pang of hurt go through their bond. It seemed that her words had been much more hurtful than she had thought they would be. She watched stoically as Sora turned and walked to the other side of the clearing and lay down, pointedly looking away from her.
She didn't feel guilty.
It was a foolish thought that the dragon would be able to sing. She didn't feel bad that she had said the truth. She didn't feel bad that was unable to accept her words. She didn't…
Azula sighed, rubbing her temples gently. Damn it all, she couldn't even convince herself that that was the truth. Foolish as the thought was, Sora had been excited by the prospect of singing, though now that she took the time to calm herself Azula recognized it as something more.
Sora was lonely. She had been in this clearing for over two months, and had been traveling injured for longer. She had been in one isolated place, unable to move and explore and fly as she had been freely able to do not so long ago. Azula had been her only company, and though they shared a bond that allowed them to always interact, Azula was only able to be around so often.
Sora had seen Azula performing a song for her two best friends, and had been feeling both jealous and isolated. It was easy to forget that Sora was young, especially with how big she seemed to Azula. To be told that she couldn't sing with her, to interact with her as Mai and Ty Lee had been able to, must have been very unpleasant.
Azula took a deep breath, knowing what she needed to do.
She started walking over towards Sora, noticing that her dragon didn't twitch or indicate that she heard Azula approaching. She seemed to be lost in her thoughts.
Azula sat on the grass next to Sora gently and placed her hand on the dragon's fur, causing her to lift her head and look at Azula's eyes. Being up close, the loneliness and hurt were easily apparent to her.
"I'm sorry Sora," Azula began, cutting to the chase and projecting the regret she was feeling to her dragon. She started petting her fur as she gathered her thoughts. "What I said before… I was wrong. I said you couldn't do something because of what you are but…"
Azula trailed off for a second, making sure that Sora was paying attention. This was rather embarrassing and she'd prefer to do it once. "That was stupid," This wasn't the time to mince words. She needed to be honest. "If you want to sing then I will help you but, more importantly, I'm sorry for what I said about you not being human. You are incredible as you are and I would change nothing about you."
Sora crooned gently, moving slightly to set her large head in Azula's lap. Azula smiled at the gesture of forgiveness, but she wasn't quite done.
"I know you feel lonely here. I hope that we can change that soon, but you don't need to feel jealous of Mai and Ty Lee." She felt Sora's denial within their bond, but she could just as easily tell she hit the nail on the head. "They are my best friends but you are my partner. My sister. I would never replace you, and I'd sooner burn the world than live in it without you."
The words had tumbled out of Azula's mouth, but she couldn't find any falsities in what she had said. She and Sora were bound together and she would have it no other way. Sora purred happily, nuzzling her large body into her, causing her to laugh softly.
They sat in silence for a couple of minutes when Sora shifted, looking at her intently as information flooded the bond. Azula sighed softly, but couldn't stop the smile that came to her face at the dragon's thoughts.
It seemed she would be giving music lessons to her dragon for the foreseeable future.
Line Break
"... And we're done," Came the cheery voice from Huang as he hefted up the large saddle, looking rather silly.
"It looks good," Azula agreed, trying to reign down the joy she felt at the sight, knowing what it would mean soon. She and Sora would be having their first flight soon enough.
Not even a week after starting, she and Huang had finished the saddle. Of course most of the work had been done by Huang, but she was happy with the work she had contributed. She had learned a lot in the short time she had spent here.
"It's fine work for sure," Huang said proudly before muttering "Though I fear it will not ever see use." He smiled at the sour look Azula had sent him with practiced ease. This had been a frequent phenomenon between the two.
"I'm sure Ling will be overjoyed," she said brusquely. Really he was much too comfortable taunting her like this.
"Of course," He said agreeably, not pushing any further. He was brave, not stupid. Teasing the daughter of the Fire Lord too much was something to avoid. "What do you plan to do now that it's finished?"
Azula paused for a second, glancing away from the well made saddle. She hadn't had any plans to spend more time here after she had finished with the saddle, and she was quite busy but…
"I expect you'll be seeing me on monday of course," She said with a smirk, surprising Huang and, to a lesser extent, herself. She had truly enjoyed her time with the craftsman and she had learned a lot in the process. Plus she didn't have any plans to be rid of Sora anytime soon, and she was only growing larger.
Even with this saddle slightly large for her dragon to allow Sora room to grow into it, she knew she'd have to replace it sooner rather than later. She may as well learn more about the subject in case she ever needed to produce one on her own.
Huang's bellowing laughter shook her out of her thoughts. "I look forward to it, princess!" He seemed happy she would be sticking around, and she could tell it was genuine. She gave her own small smile as she said,
"You should know you can't get rid of me that easily."
Line Break
Azula had been excited when she had started her walk towards Sora, but she found herself lacking that now.
This night was awful.
She trudged along slowly, having to rely on her fire resonance to guide her through her impaired vision. Who would have thought that carrying such a large saddle, on top of the basket of food, would have led to difficulties? The answer, apparently, was not her.
Don't even get her started on having to avoid being caught by the palace guards. She had dressed in dark clothes, to avoid being sighted both by the guards, but also when they were in the sky. It was luckily a cloudy night and Tui's light was hindered, which would allow Sora's black and blue form to be rendered near invisible. Her dark clothes would be similarly helpful.
Conversely, the dark night and large saddle held to her front made knowing where to walk difficult. Truly, she would be lost without her wonderful heat sense. Even so…
Azula cursed as she stumbled over a rock for what felt like the millionth. She could feel Sora's humor and felt her scowl deeping further. She thought about turning around and returning briefly in response to her rude lizard, but knew that she couldn't. Despite the troubles she was currently having, the thought of flying kept her feet marching forward, one infuriating step at a time.
It was not long after that she arrived at the clearing, letting her burdens drop as she panted slightly. While she was an active girl with no other option but to stay in shape, she was still 10, and this trip had been rather trying. She felt that a short break was justified.
Her reprieve ended shortly as Sora bounded to her quickly, the dragon's dark, winding body moving haphazardly across the grounds. Azula was given only a moment to take the sight in before she felt herself land on her butt, Sora licking at her happily in greeting. She was just as, if not more, excited to go flying it seemed.
Azula raised her hands halfheartedly, but she knew stopping Sora when she was like this was a lost cause. "Alright, alright, calm down. We can't go flying if I'm stuck on the ground…"
The words seemed to work, which Azula was grateful for. As much as she cared for Sora, that didn't change the fact that her slobber was quite gross. She stood up slowly, smiling at the sight of Sora's shifting form, clearly impatient to get started.
"I know a girl," Azula said, patting her dragons matted fur. She would have to wash Sora's fur soon, she thought absently. The clearing only possessed a small pond, which Sora was clearly not eager to bathe in. "I'm excited too, but you need to eat first."
Azula felt Sora's disappointment and she recognized her dragon's pout, or attempt of one. Cute as the dragon may or may not be, she was a little large to pull the effect off. Azula met the disappointed look with a firm one of her own. Sora eventually relented, sulking over to the basket. Azula shook her head, wondering why she had to care for such a childish dragon.
Oh well, she'd just have to deal with it. She'd prefer Sora no other way.
She was tempted to rethink that though, when a fish landed in front of her feet. Her dry look was ignored as Sora happily dug into her meal.
Not long after they had finished, Azula found herself struggling to put the saddle on the excited dragon, grunting as she felt Sora shift.
"You are going to have to calm down," This would be difficult enough, as Azula had never put a saddle on any creature before, let alone a dragon. Doing it with a fidgeting dragon she found it to be near impossible.
Thankfully Sora started to calm down at her words and Azula managed to get the saddle in place, tightening it as much as she could without making Sora uncomfortable. She would prefer to not fall off from who knows how high after all.
"Alright," She cheered, finishing the last strap. The saddle still wiggled a little more than she was happy with, but this would have to do. Sora was still growing rapidly and she'd prefer not to have to make another saddle every month. "Does anything feel uncomfortable?"
Sora shook her large head, her face noodles almost catching Azula's face in her excitement. Azula laughed, feeling elated that her long time dream was about to be fully realized. She was about to be the first person in nearly one hundred years to ride a dragon.
Not wanting to postpone this any longer, she started her climb onto Sora, quickly getting herself situated. While it wasn't the same, she had ridden on an Ostrich Horse before on several occasions during her family's visits to ember island, her brother having a fondness for the animals. It was similar enough for her to understand what she needed to do, even if she still felt slightly awkward.
It didn't matter, she would just learn more as she went. She had always been quick on her feet.
"Are you ready Sora," She asked, receiving an affirmative chirp in response. She smiled happily and leant forward to grab onto Sora's still growing horns for a better grip. This was really about to happen. Elation rose in her chest as she continued on, "Then let's go Sora!"
Sora wasted no more time as she crouched low, giving a mighty leap into the air that was accompanied by a flap of her wings. Azula closed and felt the wind rush against her face as they climbed into the sky. She felt joy swell through her entire being…
Until she realized they were falling.
Her eyes snapped open as Sora yelped, the dragon flapping her wings frantically as they went back towards the ground. The dragon hit the ground here, and Azula barely managed to stay upright as her mind tried to comprehend what had happened. She knew Sora could fly so why had she…
She was so stupid!
She almost slapped her face in frustration, not at Sora, but at herself. She should have realized this would happen. Sora was a young dragon who hadn't flown for over two months. She had just recovered from her injury, was a fair bit larger than she had been the last time she'd flown, and she had a new weight on top of her back as well. How could she have not re…!
Her thoughts were cut off as she heard a grown from below. She quickly hopped off the saddle, running over towards Sora's dazed form.
"Sora! Are you alright?" Azula felt worry bubble up as she stared anxiously at the dragon, trying to assess if Sora had been hurt in any way. She didn't know how she would forgive herself if Sora had been hurt because she had been too excited to think logically.
Sora shook her head to assuage her dizziness, and Azula felt her worry begin to recede at the assurance she felt from her dragon. She knelt next to Sora and hugged her around the neck, her arms not able to reach all the way around.
"I'm sorry Sora, I shouldn't have pushed you like that. That was stupid," Azula mumbled into Sora's blue fur, uncaring of the dirt that had found its way in it. It was ultimately her own fault.
She was supposed to be a prodigy! She had prided herself on the title, on the praise that she had received, yet she hadn't even considered something like this would happen. She had almost hurt Sora, just like she had with Mai…
Her thoughts were becoming more self deprecating, but she was shook out of her thoughts when she felt a tongue lick her cheek. She looked up and saw Sora staring at her, concern clear in her slitted golden eyes.
Sora nuzzled her gently and Azlula felt the comfort that was being sent through their bond. She took a moment to center herself.
It was fine.
She had made a mistake, but she and Sora were unhurt, and now they knew better. They wouldn't be able to just sore in the air like they had wanted, but that was okay. They could try again.
She took a deep breath and set her hand on Sora's head to pat the dragon and reassure herself.
She wasn't used to failure. She found that most things that were important came easily to her. Education, bending, lying, strategy, even art (despite her usual displeasure towards the subject). Failure before had resulted in strict punishment, trips to the palace infirmary, and the looks of pity from the servants. She hated those looks.
She hated failure, though if she were being honest, she was more fearful. For most of her life it was about winning and losing. Winners were rewarded and acknowledged while losers were punished and ignored. She had quickly figured out what side she wanted to be on and had worked hard to remain a winner but now… she didn't feel that pressure.
Azula looked at the large dragon that was cuddled into her, softly purring at her snout being rubbed. She felt a smile grow at the sight.
Sora hadn't been angry at her perceived failure. She'd done her best to comfort Azula, even when she could have been hurt. Mai and Ty Lee were similar, she realized. They had expressed their concerns not to demean her, but because they didn't want her to be hurt. Maybe it had always been like that between them and she had just never noticed, but either way…
It felt liberating. It was a feeling similar to the second night she had seen Sora, when it felt like the dragon was looking not at her titles, ability, or family, but at her. Azula had been enough for Sora, and they had only grown closer, with no layers or masks between them. It had been the happiest months of Azula's life.
Azula's smile grew as she felt Sora's joy radiate through the bond, agreeing with her conclusion.
"I guess we'll just have to try again," Azula said, for once not feeling upset at not having done something right the first time. If anything she was looking forward to this challenge, to learn and grow along with Sora.
Her dragon crooned in her consensus, nudging Azula to continue petting her head.
Sighing with exasperation, she felt a grin form on her face. "It looks like we have a lot of work to do."