So sorry this chapter took much longer than expected to write, I actually intended to release it last week but things got busy as usual.
This chapter is actually pretty short since its mostly just some good ol' fashion mother-daughter bonding fluff I cooked up, since its been a long while since we saw that.
With that said, let's get this chapter started!
Azula let out a yawn as she woke up bright and early as she always did. She looked out the window to see the sun rising in the distance and let out a content sigh as she headed to the kitchen, where she could already hear the sounds of someone preparing food.
" Good morning Kazumi." Azula said as she stepped into the kitchen.
" Good morning Azula, sleep well?" Kazumi greeted her with a smile as she prepared breakfast. The older Spirit Navigator always seem to rise earlier than Azula, no matter how hard she tried to wake up earlier.
" Same as always these days." Azula shrugged. She hadn't gotten any vivid nightmares in a long time which she is honestly glad for, she still remembered the days when a quiet night's sleep was a rarity.
" Good to hear, I was actually going to let you sleep-in today if that was the case." Kazumi said with a small smirk.
" Please don't. The last thing I need is getting complacent and lazy." Azula responded, she can't even remember the last time she slept-in back at the palace. Thinking about it more, she's not sure if she's ever slept-in on account of how many tutors and instructors she had to deal with from an early age. All of which required her waking up earlier than most of the palace on some days. Agni knows Father would have chewed her out if she made a habit out of being late.
" Its okay to take it easy occasionally Azula." Kazumi chided and Azula shrugged, taking the advice in stride.
Azula quietly helped Kazumi prepare breakfast like she always did these days. She had started to learn some recipes from the old Spirit Navigator and she was amazed by how good of a cook Kazumi really was. Azula was certain it was almost on par with what they served back at the palace. With both of them working together, the table was quickly set in a matter of minutes.
" So any news from your informants Kazumi?" Azula asked, in an attempt to drum up conversation as they ate their breakfast.
It had been a rather slow one and a half week for them so far. They hadn't received word of any new spirit activity in the Fire Nation from any of Kazumi's informants, so they were given plenty of time to rest and recover. Azula still hasn't figured out how Kazumi's informant network works, the information seem to come in by carrier hawks but always at inconsistent times. How big was it and for that matter, were they being paid? She really needed to ask Kazumi about it one of these days on how it worked.
" No, nothing so far. Many unconfirmed reports across the Fire Nation, but nothing solid. They'll contact us when they find something. " Kazumi shook her head with a trouble expression on her face." Its really odd though, not too long ago there was a surge in dark spirit activity but now it seems to have quiet down. Why?"
Azula thought about it more and Kazumi raised a good question. Why was there a sudden dip in dark spirit activity? Not too long ago they were dealing with a few dozen dark spirit cases, but now things have quiet down suddenly. She still recalls back to one of their more recent dark spirit hunts that turned out to just be a cult that was kidnapping people to sacrifice, and where Azula took her first life. The former princess grimacing at the reminder of her first life taken but buried down for now.
" Maybe the dark spirits are just getting better at hiding their tracks." Azula suggested off the top of her head.
" That is one possibility, though most dark spirits don't care much for subtlety." Kazumi agreed with Azula's point being a possibility." Though there is also the likelihood that my informants are simply having trouble gathering info on plausible spirit activity. Intelligence gathering is hard and time staking work, you need to properly scout out areas, have your own sources of reliable info and a lot more factors that can affect the time we get our next mission."
" You really need to explain to me one of these days how your informant network works Kazumi." Azula asked, still wondering how Kazumi was able to get her informant system back up so quickly when she decided to take up Spirit Navigating again. Kazumi hadn't been a Spirit Navigator for years so her informant network must have been inactive for a long time. It made her wonder if all these informants were just sitting around waiting to get Kazumi's word that she was back at it again.
" A woman needs to keep at least some secrets." Kazumi gave a sly smile.
Azula rolled her eyes in response." So anything planned for us to do today?"
" No, not much. The pantry is full so we don't need to worry about going into the Hira'a to get supplies for a couple of weeks. I just need to feed Tira and Serenity their meals for today." Kazumi talked about the tigerdillo and ostrich horse. Azula didn't really have that much interaction with the two animals Kazumi kept under her, despite the fact that they have frequently used Serenity on supply trips into Hira'a and to areas where there was suspected Spirit activity.
" Actually...why don't you come along to help feed them Azula?" Kazumi suggested out of the blue, much to the surprise of the former princess. The older Spirit Navigator explained her thought process before Azula could interrupt." You've been living here for quite a while and I think it would do you some good to get acquainted with the two of them."
" I'm already plenty acquainted with them Kazumi." Azula argued.
" Spirit hunts and supply runs into town, don't count." Kazumi easily countered with a smile.
Azula grumbled a bit childishly but couldn't really come up with a good defense to that. It was not as if she disliked the two animals, but it was more accurate to say that she never quite saw reason to get familiar with them. They all lived with Kazumi and that was enough for her. And she had a small feeling that if she wasn't with Kazumi, than the two would not be as friendly. Azula had never really considered herself much of an animal lover, Ty Lee was the one who was into cute and fluffy things. She's not sure Tira or Serenity would fit that definition considering one was a tigerdillo and the other was an ostrich horse.
But Kazumi had a point, if Azula was going to be living with her for the foreseeable future than she would have to get familiar with her pets like it or not.
" Alright, I'll do it." Azula conceded with a sigh to Kazumi.
Kazumi didn't say anything, but the big smile on her face gave all the answer she needed.
After finishing up their breakfast, the two spirit navigators headed outside to feed the two animals who seemed to be napping in front of the house until they approached. At which point, their heads nocked up as their sensitive ears sensed their approach. The ostrich horse and tigerdillo looking very much happy at the sight of Kazumi and the food she was bringing.
" Breakfast time, you two." Kazumi said cheerfully as they approached the two animals, she gave a quick look to Azula." I'll handle Serenity, you take Tira."
Azula looked at her mentor with a blank look on her face, was Kazumi seriously asking her to feed the tigerdillo? Serenity was just an ostrich horse so Azula wasn't that concerned about the animal biting her hand off, maybe getting pecked or something( Even though that admittedly has never happened before, one can never be too cautious). Tira on the other hand had actual claws and fangs that were capable of easily tearing her hand off with a single motion.
Kazumi seemed to sense her hesitance and gave her a reassuring smile. " Don't worry, I know she looks scary but Tira's never given me any trouble. I'll be close by if anything happens, I promise." Kazumi's words eased Azula a little, but she still couldn't but feel a bit hesitant as she noticed Tira giving her a look of anticipation.
Nevertheless, she didn't get any longer to ponder on it as Kazumi walked up to Serenity and gently laid the bowl of seeds on the ground before it. The ostrich horse eagerly digging into the meal, as Kazumi gently ran her hand through its feathers.
Azula took a deep breath and without waiting another moment, she walked up to the tigerdillo who was eyeing her with curiosity and glancing at the food bowl in Azula's hands. She was carrying a bowl of fresh meat that Kazumi had gotten from some prey she had hunted yesterday. While the Mother of Faces was quite peculiar about those who entered her forest and trampled all over the wildlife here, the Spirit Lord was not against hunting as she saw it as part of the circle of life. That applied to Kazumi's family who had lived here for generations by this point and had gained more than enough of the Spirit's confidence to allow for them to hunt within reasonable means.
The former princess and tigerdillo stared at each other for a good few seconds, the animal waiting for her move. Not quite with caution, the animal had known her long enough to know that Azula wasn't a threat but it was obvious that the tigerdillo didn't treat her with the same respect and bond she had built up with Kazumi over the years. Azula very slowly put the bowl of meat on the ground and let Tira approach it on her own time.
Tira didn't eagerly dive in like Serenity did, instead the tigerdillo carefully approached the bowl and gave a few sniffs, the animal even gave a few glances at Azula for some reason. After about a minute of sniffing, Tira finally started eating at a slow and steady pace.
Azula let out a sigh of relief as she turned Kazumi, who was giving her a look that gestured towards Tira that said: Come on Azula, you have to do more than that.
Azula very calmly with a confused look that said: What am I supposed to do?
Kazumi replied by giving more scratches to Serenity's body and head, which allowed Azula to easily deduce what she wanted her to do.
Oh for Agni sake.
Azula stood there for a few minutes, before she gathered her courage and very carefully approached the eating tigerdillo who didn't seem to be paying her any mind. She glanced over at Kazumi who seemed to be gently giving scratches and pets to Serenity as an example for Azula to follow.
Azula slowly reached out her hand to touch Tira who raised her head from the bowl, noticing her attempt at contact looked at her puzzled. It made Azula hesitate for a moment as if the tigerdillo was about to bite her hand off, but instead the tigerdillo was more curious than anything, giving her hand a few sniffs and a single solitary lick. Azula was briefly disgusted at the saliva on her hand before she steeled her nerve and reached out to pet the tigerdillo who thankfully leaned into the touch.
" Um...there, there, good girl?" Azula said, hearing how unnatural and bad she was at this. But it seemed her haphazard attempt bore fruit, as Tira purred like a domesticated pet. To her surprise, Tira actually seemed to be enjoying the pets that she was being given, so Azula decides to switch tactics and scratch her chin which seemed to be even more well-received than the petting.
" Looks like you're finally getting the hang of it Azula." Kazumi said happily as she approached Azula's side.
" I suppose I am getting better acquainted with Tira." Azula nodded as the tigerdillo purred harmoniously.
" It takes a long while for animals to trust you, especially if you haven't been with them their whole lives." Kazumi explained. " Tira was quite distrustful when I first met her, but after a lot of time and treats, she started to warm up to me after a while. She reminds me a bit of you honestly." Kazumi said with a teasing look in her eye.
" Excuse me, I am nothing like this tigerdi- I mean Tira." Azula responded in surprise that Kazumi would compare her to a tigerdillo, though her voice lacked any real bite to it.
" I don't know Azula, found both of you in the forest on your own, brought you back here, nursed you back to health. You both look strong and scary on the outside, but deep down you both have a soft side." Kazumi said in a teasing tone, but Azula knew the truth behind her words.
Agni above I really am like Tira.
" Come now, I'm just kidding." Kazumi eased up as she helped give Tira some scratches.
" So what's next?" Azula asked as she stood up.
" Now I shall show you the best part about owning two pets." Kazumi said with a big smile as Azula noticed Tira and Serenity huddle together in what looked to be a sleeping position.
" Kazumi, what are you-OOF!" Azula was cut off when Kazumi pulled her down, which resulted in both of them laying down in the furry part of the two animals.
Tira and Serenity didn't seem the least bit agitated at the two of them using them as pillows, in fact they actually nuzzled up with them even further. Azula was about to rise up from being suddenly pull down when she realized just how fluffy and nice it was laying down on the two animals were.
" Comfortable?" Kazumi smirked, noticing Azula relaxing on Tira's fur.
" Okay, this is pretty nice." Azula agreed after a moment.
Azula let out a tired sigh as she laid down on the couch in the living room, feeling her bones ache a little from the day she had handling Tira and Serenity. Those two definitely had a lot of energy that needed to be exercised everyday. Kazumi was merciful though and took it slow for Azula's sake, but even that resulted in her feeling tired afterwards. She had done some riding practice with Serenity and even tried doing the same with Tira, though it was obvious in the latter's case that the tigerdillo was built more for power than speed and stamina.
Azula heard the sound of someone approach her from the side and lifted her head enough to see Kazumi enter the living room." So did you have fun today Azula?"
The former princess thought about it for a moment, before shrugging." It wasn't unenjoyable. Tira was a lot more agreeable than I thought she would be for a tigerdillo." Azula had to admit that Tira had surprised her with how gentle she could be, she still had fangs and claws but she possessed enough intelligence to be gentle with her.
" So in other words, you had a lot of fun and would like to spend more time with Tira?" Kazumi said with a smirk.
" I never said that." Azula said as she buried her face into the couch to avoid making eye contact.
" Sure, you didn't." Kazumi said as she sat down beside Azula and gently patted her on the head.
The two remained like that for a while, just enjoying the quiet moment they had. Azula was just about to get up to help Kazumi get started on dinner when her ears picked up a distinct sound coming from outside the house.
It sounded like something was tapping against the glass of one of the windows.
" What was that?" Azula immediately asked, turning to Kazumi who seemed to have heard it too.
" Don't know, came from the window...hang on." Kazumi got up from the couch and slowly as she could, while making as little noise as possible approach one of the windows where the tapping was coming from.
Azula got up from the couch as quiet as she could to shadow Kazumi in case this went bad. She couldn't hear any roars or howling coming from Tira or Serenity outside, which meant that it was likely not a threat, still caution goes a long way when you're a Spirit Navigator. Azula debated rushing off to her room to get her sword, but decided against it as she had her own spiritual powers to defend with if things went bad.
After a minute of careful footwork, the two had stalked their way over to one of the windows where the tapping was coming from and Kazumi pulled back the blinds to reveal a hawk tapping furiously against the glass. The two Spirit Navigators relaxing at the sight of it.
Of course, its just a dumb bird.
Kazumi opened the window to let the bird come inside, allowing the bird to climb onto her arm where Azula could see that there was a scroll attached to it. Kazumi retrieved the scroll before releasing the hawk back outside.
" Is that a message from one of your informants?" Azula asked, as she remembered that they would always get their missions from info gathered by Kazumi's informants.
" It seems like it." Kazumi said as she unfurled the scroll and took a read at it.
" Is there something wrong Kazumi?" Azula asked as Kazumi read the letter addressed to her.
Kazumi puts the letter down as she turns back to her." We have a new mission Azula, several people have gone missing near what locals are calling a 'Spirit Temple'."
Hope you all enjoyed getting to see some more mother-daughter fluff with Azula and Kazumi again even if the chapter was shorter than my usual ones these days. Its definitely been a long time since we saw them and I hoped I managed to keep them both more in less in character since it has been a while since I got a chance to write them.
And yes, I am 100% incorporating the events of the Spirit Temple comic into this story. Not because I like it particularly, but because it gave me some good ideas for this story. So I hope you all tune in for that!
Also one other thing I forgot to mention, I'm pretty sure in previous chapters I've messed which animal Tira and Serenity is. For clarity, Tira is the tigerdillo while Serenity is the ostrich horse, if there are any misnaming's in the previous chapters please let me know.
Now let's answer some reviews shall we?
To Griffin Strange:
Oh yeah, anybody who was paying attention to the situation in the Fire Nation could tell that something like this was coming from miles away, but they didn't think to address it until the problem was literally outside their door protesting against them. And its not so much Zuko didn't follow the tutorial on resource management, but more like didn't even bother to pick up a book to read because he expected it all to work out in the end.
It is somewhat still chaotic as the people's anger just seems loosely directed at Zuko and co. The town guard are definitely not prepared to handle this threat as they had never dealt with riots before and their only response is to use fire. Genius.
XD
Yeah, I will admit that the last three were published in a rush/schedule since I wanted to get ahead a little in my updating. Thanks for the advice on avoiding burnout!
To tfuinsah:
I haven't really figured out yet what Iroh's move for trying to 'fix' the FN, but I can think of some tricks up his sleeve he might try to pull. They probably won't work very well like you said since he is part of the family that is currently hurting the FN, but still.
To Lord 770:
Iroh is definitely out of his depth, the entire Palace cast really is concerning Ozai. Since none of them know about his new tricks, its definitely going to make for one explosive reunion.
Great theories! Let's see if they are correct in the next few chapters, shall we?
:)
To mistyagami:
I'm so happy that you enjoy Ozai so much in this story, I'll admit that when I first started writing him, I didn't expect him to be so well-received. Ozai is definitely not going to take shit from Ursa while she tries to pretend that what happened to Azula was all his fault. Its a two way street and Ozai knows it. I do love it when he makes good points and give solid advice to Zuko just makes it that much more stinging.
Is it wrong for me to say that he's probably one of my favorite characters to write in this story? Probably not, but still.
:P
With that said, I will see you all in the next one.
Angel Out.