Zaya hugged her mother and held her as if she would disappear the moment she let go of her. "My little spark, I missed you so much." Zaya continued crying, her eyes pouring swollen droplets of tears.
Zaya looked at the man in the royal uniform, she glared at the man with a death stare. This just hammered in more that the woman in front of him was Azula's hatchling. "We're taking you to the fire nation." Azula said and Zaya looked shocked. She sat up even if it was a struggle.
She looked at her mother panting a bit. "Mother, I'm part of the United forces and—" She noticed the posture change. "What happened?" She looked toward Zuko.
He contemplated whether to tell her or not, mostly because the way she looked at him, mostly worried that she might make his face symmetrical. "You were Removed from your position by the council." Zaya sighed.
"I guess I don't need to quit then." Zaya layed back down. "I'm still going to yell at them for not giving me atleast a medal. If you need a place to stay, you can go to my flat. Just ask where the dragon's nest is, in the dragon borough. Honestly I people are just bad at naming anything* " Azula looked at her brother and he nodded.
Azula walked through the streets and one common sight was people staying out of her line of sight . Which was odd since the last time she was here Zaya was only four, when reached the dragon borough and there was a change in the atmosphere. People waved at her with a smile. "Zaya, good to see you back!" One elderly woman told Azula, she was perplexed that the people here seemed to show her respect, not like the fear and power hungry way the loyalist nobles did, who wanted to return to conquering the world.
These people were rather nice. "I'm not Zaya, I'm her mother. Could you tell me where she lives?" The elderly woman looked shocked. "Oh sorry, she got all your good looks! Anyway it's that tall building there." She pointed to a three story building that had a gold roof. "Yea, she owns half the buildings here. Only place where fire nation and non benders can find Affordable rent. Can I ask? How is the dear girl doing?" Azula looked at the woman. She was so sweet, it was disgusting and sweet. "Thank you." She walked to the building and noticed the two blue flames next to the door. She entered the hotel and went to the front desk. "Hello ma'am, reservation today?" She looked around and saw the honors and awards, one saying the cleanest hotel of the year. "No, my daughter Zaya said she lives here." The manager's eyes widened. "Well I-I presume you will be staying in her personal quarters, r-room service and any other request will be on the house Ma'am!" He presented her the keys and she was shown to the owner's personal elevator.
Bumi came the next day at the start of visiting hours. "Zaya! Good to see you awake." He hugged her as tight as possible. "Oh I almost forgot." He took a medal out of his pocket. She put it on with a sigh. "At Least someone knows what gratitude means and is speaking of which." She pulled him into a kiss. "Thanks for making sure your mom looked me over first and for making sure I didn't bleed to death, there will be a better gift later." He blushed, scratching the back of his head. "So I got fired huh?"
Bumi frowned at that reminder. "Yea, they blamed you on the loss of the fang and how we snuck into the fang to kill the empress." Zaya sighed. "But we beat the pirates! I read they're splintering and getting picked off by the United forces." Zaya smiled at that. At Least it was some good news.
Zaya then spoke up. "Oh, My mom's in the city." Bumi froze, mentally imagining the boogie woman. "She might be at my place, could you go there and introduce yourself to her please?" She did her puppy eye bit.
He sighed. "Fine, but if she set my beard on fire I'm blaming you." She smiled mostly because the painkillers were kicking in. She didn't know what she asked him.
He left a few minutes later. "Hey boldy it's been long!" Aang looked shocked. "I'm really sorry, I was just being dumb kid and and." She started tearing. "You were there when my mom was taken when you were in Omashu." Aang was confused and terrified somehow. "Remember the kid who attacked in Ba sing se?" His eyes widened.
"I forgive you Zaya, and you can call me Aang or Dad if what Toph told me is true." Zaya started tearing up. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.
"I never had a dad, at best a creepy uncle or two." She said, trying to remember their names.
Aang had an awkward smile. "You mean Zuko?" She raised a brow.
"Who's Zuko? No he was heavy and had a beard. Smelled like green tea." Aang realized who she meant. "He stole my hair piece, and I stole it back." Aang nodded, feeling very nervous, he didn't know what to say. The woman in front was a felon and possibly mentally ill.
"So what were you doing in ba sing se?" He said, trying to start a conversation.
She looked at him with lazy eyelids. "I was there for a show. My mom taught me how to use blue fire, it turned into a show. I can also use jet stepping, which turned into my show combined with a flight suit, I was flying. I feel so free" She chuckled.
Aang smiled. "Yea, there's no better feeling." Zaya laughed.
She giggled. "I'm a big bird! I hated being on the ground, the mud queen sees me." She pouted at Aang, like a child. Aang just imagined Toph wearing a dress made out of mud, and started laughing.
When he finally got his breath. "You know her name is Toph right?" He looked to see she was snoring, he looked around and saw the painkillers. "That explains too much." He now felt really uncomfortable and walked out of the room swearing to never let a word from this conversation.
Bumi was completely terrified, because Azula was constantly giving him the death stare and this started with her firing at him which he ducked from. "So you're my daughter's successful suitor?" He gulped the woman in front of him and she didn't remind him of Zaya. She was fun and warm like the sun, Azula was cold and calculating, everything he did made it feel like he was being judged like the acolytes at air temple island. "Well spit it out." Her eyes were a fiery amber.
He panicked and said, "I want to ask you if I could marry your daughter!" That moment he stopped breathing, his mind raced and his spirit somehow prepared to reincarnate into a crocodile turtle.
"I know there's a tradition in the water tribe. Where's the necklace?" She said demandingly. He brought out the necklace and Azula took it to take a look at it. "Impressive." She engulfed it in her fire for a second. Again she looked over it making sure it didn't crack at any spots "A work of art and dedication." She gave it back to him. "Better be the same for your marriage or I will make your life a nightmare." She swore at that moment which made Bumi more confident somehow. "Now, I should speak to your parents." This was going to be the most annoying time for Bumi.
Bumi sat next to his mother and Azula with his father next to him praying to whatever spirit can get them out of here! Mainly being that Azula and Korra were glaring at each other the entire time and if looks could cause explosions all of republic city would be in ash.
"I'm proposing to Zaya." Katara gave a single look and he shut his mouth.
Katara looked at Azula with a smirk. " Zaya is your daughter? You raised a fine young woman." (Translation: I didn't know something could come out of a black hole.)
Azula nodded with the same smirk. "Bumi is such a handsome man, I assume he is very skilled with the sword." (Translation: He better give me strong grandchildren.) The tension in the room could be cut with a butter knife.
Katara nodded. "Yes, from pictures Zaya is a looker isn't she?" (Translation: I would prefer cute grandchildren, you witch.) Bumi and Aang wanted to run out of the room, which they were slowly attempting to do. "Bumi dear can I see the necklace?" Said smiling but her look said. (Translation: You better have one, or I'm putting you over my lap young man!)
He showed and Katara was partially shocked and amazed. It was beautiful. The round black snowflake obsidian contrasted to the gems. "Isn't it beautiful?" Katara asked, Aang agreed and Azula simply nodded.
"I better get back to Zuzu before he does something stupid." She left and the two men let out a sigh of relief, yet an angry mother was looking at her son.
"Bumi dear. How long have you and Zaya been together?" The answer was to sign his death warrant.
Zaya looked at the only Picture of Zaya she had. "She's getting married." She sat down letting her fingers pass through her hair and rage took as she threw a glass at the wall. She pulled her mattress out, screamed before throwing the radio at the door, ripped the curtains and finally sat at the corner of the room. She sat there, remembering the first moment Zaya was born.
She held her warm eyes like hers. She was perfect and yet she was a mistake, but that's what she thought of herself a mistake. She wasn't supposed to be born, She was the spare or a bargaining chip. Yet she was taught to be a weapon, not a human but a weapon to be pointed at and to kill, her father never showed her how to lead a country.
Zuko came into her room and looked around himself, seeing Azula sitting in the corner looking at the ceiling. "What happened?" He asked, concerned.
"Time, the jerk that made Mai's face sack." She chuckled, before Zuko sat next to her. "I feel like a horrible mother." Zuko's eyes widened in shock.
"You're not drunk right?" Azula laughed at that and sighed. "I don't think you are a bad mother. I mean she was a captain of her own ship and helped defeat the pirates, not to mention with honors." Azula still looked somber.
"I mean that I disappeared from her life." She said frustrated. "At the age twelve her mother disappears and now I'm and she's a grown woman." Azula sighed.
"You can ask mom for advice." She looked at Zuko, angry that he was right.
Zaya woke up and finally got the painkillers through her system, before running to the bathroom and throwing up. "Good morning miss, so anything odd as of late?" The doctor spoke so optimistically every morning it was sickening.
"I wish you would take a day off. Nothing new why?" He nodded looking at her note.
He chuckled. "Well I have some news that might cheer you up." Zaya wasn't hyped. "You're expecting." Zaya froze her eyes widening and graced her stomach.
"How far?" She asked with a completely serious tone.
The doctor opened the folder. "Four weeks. Don't worry the meds shouldn't affect your child. Oh you're relieved today." He said but only the four weeks kept swimming in her mind.
"I need to find mom, then Bumi. Maybe stop her from killing him." She thought after getting dressed and packing.
She opened the door to find. "Hey Zaya." The father of her future child.
Author's note: Ok just for mental insurance reasons, there might be on alternative universe story I have in mind. This is where a time split occurs, which Zaya isn't given pain killers, doesn't tell Bumi to visit Azula and talks with Aang in a state of "drunk grandma", so yea at some point I will write where LoK happens normally until Jinora visits ember island hearing about some dark spirit then gets "kidnapped" or simply invited unknowingly by her cousin to his resort and makes it into the perfect vacation for her. Which leads to Tenzin asking Korra to look to find Jinora and Bumi joins because he has a way with spirits, then meets Tenzin's niece, who makes Zaheer look like a chump when it comes to violent air bending, like wind swords and staff combat, and dodging like a fly. Bumi Just ends up spending time with his grandkids, and meets back with Zaya.
Basically no pills leads to Zaya moving to fire nation without Bumi knowing because she thinks that he is better off without her, she uses the money she has to found Resort where the old beach house was and has her kid/s? I know I need to write a better explanation for this.
* Seriously the Sato mobile, if this was a joke on the ford company, his first car was called the model T. Not the ford mobile, that started with the ford mustang. Anyway! Why not just call the Iron horse, there's no real horses in avatar (I think) so the name would make you think of a reliable ostrich horse. Which is a better marketing gimmick than gluing your name on it.
btw Zaya gets into investing to Sato industry and her kid become Brunce wayne with less trauma.