Okay, wow ! Its uh...certainly been a while huh ?
( Looks at time between updates)
Wow ! Two months without updates that is just...yeah, I really don't got much to say here.
I am so sorry this chapter came out so late, but this semester was really kicking my a** and on top of some personal BS I had to deal with, I was really struggling to write this chapter. No BS this time, but my semester is FINALLY over so hopefully I can get this story back on a more routine update schedule, but expect some of them to come out a bit late, though hopefully not two months late.
:P
Big thanks to HammerTide for beta reading the chapter and making sure it was all okay.
Hope you all enjoy ! Now let's get this chapter started !
Azula was used to constantly being on the move and busy, she weirdly preferred it that way, kept her mind sharp and focused. Back during the war Father liked to keep her on her toes with assignments, that weren't always involving the chasing the Avatar and Zuko. Anything ranging from managing troops, visiting governors and so on. Even before most of her time during the war wasn't occupied by hunting the Avatar and Zuko, her day was usually pretty busy with a constantly stream of assignments and work that were expected due to her position as the Crown Princess.
That's why it surprised by how much downtime in between missions there were for Spirit Navigators. Kazumi had explained that she had contacts in Hira'a and other surrounding villages that were constantly on the look-out for rumors about rampaging spirits or villages being haunted and that they would notify them the second they hear any news. They certainly could take a while to reach them though. While she had come to accept that being a Spirit Navigator would vary wildly from her experience serving under father, it was still a bit surprising nonetheless.
Azula was unsure of what to do with her day. She had already trained earlier in the morning with Kazumi, so that more or less left her day free. She had spent the last hour or so just staring up at the ceiling of the living room, having counted the specks of dust on the ceiling at least twice.
Her slow internal death through the process of boredom was cut short when she heard the familiar sound of somebody walk into the living room, turning her head to see Kazumi entering.
" Not much to do today ?" Kazumi asked kindly with a smile as she took the seat next to Azula. The former princess angling her head as she laid down, so she could see Kazumi.
" Not really. I'm not used to having this much time to relax in between missions " Azula explained.
Kazumi chuckled " I'm familiar with that feeling. You'd be surprised how often there can be so much of a time gap in-between missions, sometimes it can take days, weeks or even months before we hear anything from our informants " Kazumi recalled a story from her past " I think the longest it ever took me and my mother to get a new mission was almost...2 months or so ? "
" Wow. Really ?"
" Yes, our informants watch and keep their eyes out for any information pertaining to secrets but that can take a while "
" Honestly the Spirit Navigators should have developed a much more efficient means of getting info about rogue spirits, perhaps setting up a dedicated team that actively seeks information on dark spirits and such ?" Azula suggested.
" That...actually wouldn't be a bad idea " Kazumi admitted, noting the idea down for later. She had always thought they were a little short handed as Spirit Navigators with there ever really being two Spirit Navigators every generation or so. " But enough about that, what do you like to do Azula ?"
Azula shrugged vaguely " Don't know..."
Kazumi observed her expression and came to an idea " Azula...do you have any hobbies by any chance ? " Kazumi asked.
Azula thought about it for a minute, her mind scouring for any particular interests " I mean, I do like firebending and sword training..."
" Those are really more training based things than actual hobbies " Kazumi commented. " I'm talking about stuff that genuinely just calms you down and makes you feel at peace "
Azula once again thought about it. She supposed she liked reading, learning about the history of not just the Fire Nation but of the other nations in their world. The palace's personal library had extensive records on not just the Fire Nation, but other nations history as well. The people who built it all from the ground-up, the stories and tales of men and women who preserved and beaten the odds even when everything was against them.
It was like reading a storybook in an odd sorta way. Only true history tended to be a lot more interesting and spectacular than any storybook, if people bothered to read them. One would be surprised by how almost unreal the history of the world can actually be. Though she is willing to admit that when reading history it can be hard to decipher what actually happen, since there's bound to be some inconsistencies, revisions and changes to a story depending on which historian is writing the book.
But ignoring that, she couldn't really think of any hobbies.
" No...I don't think so " Azula shook her head." I didn't really have the time to develop a hobby back when I was with my 'family', so I can't really think of anything "
" Well, we have all the time in the world to figure it out " Kazumi suggested optimistically. " I'll list some potential activities we can do together and you can tell me whether you like them or dislike them or just neutral "
Azula shrugged as she decided to play along, not like she had anything better to do.
" Painting?"
" Tried it in school. Didn't like it too much " Azula rejected. Though she recalled Ty Lee saying she had an artistic side.
" Blacksmithing ? There's a forge in a cave nearby that we Spirit Navigators use to make weapons "
" Better, but that still kinda relates being a Spirit Navigator doesn't it ? Perhaps a hobby that is a bit more detached from our 'work life' would be better " Azula suggested.
" I see what you mean, how about-"
This went on for the next few minutes with Azula only giving shrugs and neutral opinions on the activities suggested.
" This is going nowhere " Azula shook her head in frustration " What do you do for fun Kazumi ?"
Kazumi had been living alone long before Azula ever reached her safe haven, sure she had Tilla and Serenity for company, but she doubts Kazumi didn't develop something to do during her time in the Forest. She can't imagine she just did chores and training each and everyday, Azula was certain the monotony of it would have driven her insane all over again.
Kazumi thought about it for a moment " Well, I actually do have quite a few hobbies. Some of them I just recommended. But if I had to pick a favorite, it would have to be woodcarving "
" Woodcarving ? Really ?" Azula asks with a raised eyebrow.
" Don't knock it till you try it..." Kazumi said as she gently tugged on Azula's arm " Come on, I'll show you "
Azula got up and followed Kazumi outside, sitting on the porch as Kazumi went back inside and just as quickly reappeared with two sets of tools and some small pieces of wood to carve.
" I don't know the first thing about wood carving though Kazumi " Azula admitted her unfamiliarity with the activity.
Kazumi smiled encouragingly " Its not that hard. The steps to make a carving are pretty simple and straightforward for the most part, though it does take plenty of trial and error before you get the hang of it "
Azula could get behind trial and error. Contrary to what some might believe, being a 'prodigy' didn't automatically mean she was good at everything, she still had to work hard, if not twice as hard as an ordinary person to fully master a subject. Be it firebending, war strategy, history or so on and so forth.
" You need to first visualize what you wish to carve in your mind, down to the last detail and scale of it " Kazumi explained.
Azula took a deep breath as she visualized what she wanted to make, she wanted it to be small enough to be able to hold in her hand.
" Have that image in your head now ? " Kazumi asked and waited for Azula to nod before continuing " Okay, now comes the fun part..."
" You need to start roughing and grounding it out into the shape you want " Kazumi said " You should also wear gloves since you don't want to get a splinter "
Azula put on the leather gloves Kazumi handed her and went about carving her wood, filing away the birch and getting down to the hard wood itself. With Kazumi giving instructions and advice along the way. Soon enough, Azula was weirdly getting into the swing of carving the wood. There was something both creative and uniform about it, grounding and filing the wood down to her mind's specified details and design.
The former princess flinched as she filed too hard and accidentally left a mark on the back of her creation. Azula's face scrunching up in frustration and anger at the mistake.
" Its okay to make mistakes when you're just starting Azula, there's no need to start over " Kazumi said gently just as Azula was about to grab another piece of wood to do just that.
Azula chuckled " Father once said that a single mistake could cost me my life or worse in the real world "
Kazumi grimaced as she couldn't bring herself to totally disagree with that sentiment. Knowing full-well what the price of a careless mistake had costed her.
" That may be true, but this isn't the battlefield and we're not hunting spirits..." Kazumi said slowly " Its okay to make mistakes when you're just trying to have fun and enjoying something"
Azula pondered on the words for a moment before continuing to work on her original design, doing her best to ignore the imperfection as she worked to finish her design.
Kazumi herself stopped working on her own carving to observe Azula, interested in what the girl was making.
After maybe half an hour of carving, Azula finished her design at long last, looking rightfully satisfied with it.
" What do you have there Azula ?" Kazumi asked and Azula presented the carving to her.
A bird, perhaps some could interpret it as a symbology of freedom and free-will but Azula had something else in mind.
To Azula it represented fierceness, determination and an ability to live however it wanted.
" Its beautiful Azula..." Kazumi complimented.
" Its a little small for such a fierce bird " Azula disagreed.
" Everybody has to start somewhere " Kazumi shrugged. " The important thing is to keep trying "
Azula took those words to heart as she looked at the little bird she had created.
All my life, I've only ever been taught to destroy. Its kinda...nice being able to make something for once.
Azula smiled as she engaged in a new activity with Kazumi. Genuinely having some fun along the way.
It was a nice and calm day all around.
She ended up putting the bird on her dresser back in her room that night.
Kazumi was having a very pleasant dream until she heard a bump in the night that woke her up. Any sleepiness or fatigue from having just woken up, was instantly blinked away as Kazumi's instincts and training kicked in. The Spirit Navigator heard the rain coming down hard outside and the occasional lightning strike made her feel uneasy.
She at first thought that it was simply Azula getting a glass of water from the kitchen...except she knows Azula prefers not to drink too much water before bed. Kazumi thought about other possibilities then...
A potential intruder ?
Her fear-addled mind thought back to that night...when the dark spirit broke in and-
No ! Keep your mind focused Kazumi.
Kazumi knew for a fact that dark spirits don't make noise unless they are intentionally chaotic. And that bump she heard sounded more human caused than spirit based. But who could have possibly found her little safe haven ? The Avatar and his group notwithstanding.
Quietly as she could she reached for her backup blade that was hidden beneath her bed, and stood up, not making a single sound. No time to throw on her armor since that would make too much noise and likely alert the intruders. The sound of the heavy rain coming down outside concealed the barely audible sounds of her footsteps. But it cut both ways. She couldn't hear much better within the house either.
Kazumi activated Spirit Eyes that allowed her to see through the walls of the house, and to her surprise she couldn't see anybody else in the house. The only person she could see through the walls was her dear Azula sleeping soundly in bed. While Kazumi briefly thought it was cute, she set a mental note aside for training Azula's senses to make her wake during a time like this.
Was she just hearing things then ? No, she was certain she heard something and she would be foolish to brush it off as nothing.
Transversing into the hallways she looked down both ways and saw nothing of notice. She needed to do a quick sweep of the rooms. Just in case. She was fortunate that her nightgown made it so there was no rustling and she could swing her sword well enough.
She quietly made her way down to the living room. Nothing. Kitchen. Nothing. Dining Room. Nothing.
Kazumi walked back to the hallways, with her back turned to the shadows. Maybe she was just hearing things.
The squeak of the floorboard behind her sent her instincts flaring up and without a second thought she swung her blade at the figure behind her-
Only for it to clash with the cold steel of another blade, and Kazumi could see in full form that there was an intruder ! Dressed in full black clothing and sporting a cloth that covered their face.
Kazumi sent another swing that the intruder blocked with their blade, the close quarters of the hallway not making her blade's length the best for this situation. Kazumi charged and slammed the intruder into the wall, making them grunt in pain and Kazumi quickly put her blade to the intruder's throat. By that point, Kazumi could hear the sound of Azula falling out of bed and rushing outside, blade in hand.
" K-Kazumi ?! What's going on ?" Azula asked, her hair ragged showing that she had truly been suddenly awakened. But she did have the forethought to grab her blade which Kazumi was proud of.
" Just an intruder it seems, my dear, the situation is under control..." Kazumi reassured her as she kept her attention on the masked intruder " I'm only going to ask this once, who are you and how did you find this place ?"
" How could I ever forget this place when you were the one who showed it to me all those years ago ?"
Kazumi's eyes widened as she recognized the voice and the intruder lifted their hands to remove the cloth covering their face.
" Hi Kazumi...been a while..." Ichiro said with a smile as he removed his mask.
" Ichiro...spirits, I almost cut your head off " Kazumi said as she lowered the blade from his neck.
" Looks like you still got it, huh ? " Ichiro smirked as he was able to ease up.
" Kazumi, who is this man ?" Azula chimed, lowering her blade more in confusion at the sudden friendliness between the two.
" Sorry Azula, this is Ichiro, he's an...old friend of mine from my younger days " Kazumi struggled to explain.
" My younger days too..." Ichiro smiled at Kazumi.
Azula couldn't help but detect something more about their relationship than what Kazumi was telling her, but she decided not to pry too much. Instead putting her sword away and waiting to see what Kazumi would do.
Ichiro turned his attention to Azula and it took him a minute to fully process what he was seeing.
" Uh Kazumi...who is the kid ?" Ichiro's voice was a mix of confusion and worry, pointing at Azula.
" Ichiro, this is Azula...she's a girl I took in many months ago and have been training as my apprentice " Kazumi explained as she moved over to Azula and put her hand on the girl's shoulder.
" Apprentice ? But I thought only members of your family could become Spirit Navigators ? And I thought you were done with that a long time ago " Ichiro said in surprise.
" Well, what can I say..." Kazumi glanced at Azula with a smile " Times change..."
" I suppose they do " Ichiro said as he held out a hand to Azula " Nice to meet ya kid "
" Likewise " Azula said as she shook his hand, but she couldn't help but detect a mysterious aura around him. It was similar to Kazumi's in a way.
" So Ichiro, why have you come to visit me ?" Kazumi asked.
" Well, this sadly isn't a social call Kazumi...there actually is something very serious I want to talk to you about " Ichiro said gravely " We could use some tea for this. Nagisa !"
At Ichiro's call a blue haired boy peaked his head out of the kitchen, surprising Azula, but Kazumi was more impressed Ichiro's apprentice was able to get past her Spirit Eyes. Ichiro's Apprentices were always masters of stealth and deception, even for a veteran Spirit Navigator like Kazumi. The young boy was probably around Azula's age and had distinctive blue hair and eyes, that made him stand out. He also looked almost like a girl with how feminite his features are.
" Prepare some tea for us, I need to have a talk with Kazumi " Ichiro ordered.
" Understood boss " Nagisa disappeared back into the kitchen.
" Another one ?" Kazumi asked turning back to Ichiro.
" What can I say, my apprentices fly the coop as quickly as I nurture them. Brings a tear to my eye honestly " Ichiro said jokingly as they took a seat in the living room.
" Ichiro...pardon me for asking, but I couldn't help but notice an odd...aura around you " Azula internally cringed for using the word aura like Ty Lee does. Goddamnit, she's fallen into the trap.
Kazumi and Ichiro look at each other knowingly, as if both are silently discussing whether they should let Azula in on the secret.
" Should I tell her or should you ?" Ichiro asked.
" I'll handle it " Kazumi held up a hand " Well Azula dear, Ichiro here...is the servant of a Dark Spirit "
You all didn't think this chapter was going to be wholesome filler, did you ? I'll be honest Ichiro is sorta a semi-scrapped character that I'm only introducing because I need a convenient set-up for the next chapter.
Plus I really wanted to show how there were others besides the Spirit Navigators who could be granted powers by Spirits and could be just as skilled Kazumi, as a way of sorta levelling the field a little if you get what I mean.
What relationship does Ichiro have with Kazumi ? Who is the blue haired kid ? All these questions and more will be answered in the near future.
Now let's answer some reviews shall we ?
To Lord 770:
Yeah, sorry this chapter also came out pretty late too, hope the ending makes up for it somewhat !
Ikem is definitely going to play a pivotal role in helping Ursa, and maybe a little more if things go my way in this story.
Jiang is definitely pretty smart and wise in a lot of ways, he certainly knows how to keep his composure. In a lot of ways, I see him as a sorta chessmaster who's always one move ahead of his opponents.
Oh yeah, Ozai's going to get a whole host of other powers as the story goes on. Some I think you are all going to both love and hate at the same time.
To angiedavila644:
Jiang definitely would have preferred having Azula as Fire Lord instead of Zuko, because she actually got the full royal heir package and has the education and court smarts to run the nation. He's mainly working with Ozai as a last resort since Azula is officially 'dead' now and he prefers him over Zuko.
To Mister M.M:
Thanks for your kind words ! Yeah, this fic may have started off as an impulsive adoption, but has steadily grown into a full length novel.
XD
I have had some ideas for a sequel, but nothing set in stone just yet. I'm glad I was able to make everybody's personalities stick, even the ones I didn't plan on expanding on until much later( Shin for instance).
I very much had the idea of Azula getting a mother figure and writing a found family fic, where the two slowly but steadily become closer is something I wanted to do and I'm glad I was able to accomplish that in this story.
Thank you all so much for reading and I will see you all in the next one !
Angel Out.