Azula wasn't sure why she was so surprised. She knew that, logically, it was likely that her uncle would return. Heck, she had assumed his journey would be coming to an end, having gone on for almost a year.
Still, as she sat in one of the many vacant, but well-ornamented rooms, of the palace with a cup of tea cupped in her hands with Iroh across from her she couldn't help but feel perplexed.
"No need to be so stiff," Iroh said calmly as he took a sip of his tea, sighing at the taste. "It is almost like you didn't wish to see me." Well, he wasn't exactly wrong, but truthfully she didn't know what to make of the man across from her.
While much of her animosity was towards his actions towards her and his siege, most came from her father. She wasn't exactly the Firelord's biggest fan currently, so she was at a slight loss.
She went the safe route and mirrored his action, sipping her tea. She hummed at the taste, a bitterness well-tempered by a natural sweetness. "Forgive me, uncle," Azula would humor the man as she worked to form her own opinion of him, independent of others. "Your sudden appearance surprised me."
Iroh let out a great laugh, the action causing Azula to relax slightly. It was difficult to remain cautious around such open joy. "It surprised me as well!" Iroh said jovially before elaborating. "My journey was quite long. I did not know if I would return in a single year or ten."
The topic piqued her interest, but she was tired and still rather weary of extended family engagements after her previous few. "Maybe you can tell me about it sometime," Came her noncommittal answer.
"Perhaps so, but I have missed much since I left," His eyes gained a slight intensity that had been absent, and Azula felt her posture straighten slightly in response. "If you wouldn't mind speaking with an old man for a little longer, I would like to know what I have missed."
His words were friendly enough, but she recognized the seriousness behind his calm tone. He didn't sound malicious, quite far from it actually, but she would be on guard regardless.
"I suppose I can enlighten you if you can help me in return," She noticed his fingers twitch and withheld a smirk at the response. She leaned forward conspiratorially, her eyes darting around the room as though to check for people listening in causing the man to grow stiffer in preparation. "...What kind of tea is this?"
She smiled at the sight of his eyes widening, which only spread further across her face at his laughter. She leaned back, satisfied at the response she had evoked. She knew Ty Lee was wrong when she questioned her sense of humor.
"A fine trade if I have ever heard one," Iroh said as he regained himself. He looked more relaxed than he had the entire conversation, which was Azula's goal. People were always more honest when they were relaxed. "I will uphold my end first," He tugged slightly at his beard as he analyzed his cup. "It is a personal blend of jasmine I created over my journey. The lack of good tea within the Earth Kingdom was quite a problem, so I created my own."
Azula nodded satisfied with the answer. Her father had called her uncle tea-loving to slander him, but she could appreciate the taste and the hobby. She doubted her father would approve of her smithing work if he even knew she had taken the activity up. Considering his lack of reproach, to that specific topic, during their last conversation she suspected he didn't.
"It is quite good," She took another sip, letting out a satisfied sigh. For this alone, she would give Iroh some bonus points. "I suppose we can start with the obvious. Father took the throne on…"
Azula began to contact her uncle about the ongoing events in the palace within the last few months, withholding her suspicions regarding her mother, her recent tensions with her family, and most importantly her meetings with Sora. Pleasant as he was, she wouldn't endanger her dragon by mentioning her to 'The Dragon Slayer.'
She felt Sora's weariness towards the title echo in her mind and she took a moment to comfort the dragon. She would not let anyone harm Sora, family or not.
Iroh sat in silence for a moment, stroking his long beard and he seemed to gather his thoughts after the rather long story. Azula took the opportunity to slightly heat her tea, which had started going cold, before finishing off the cup.
She let out a satisfied sigh as Iroh seemed to regain himself, looking at something far off wistfully. "It seems I have missed much in my absence."
Azula nodded at his murmuring, setting her cup down. She had been here long enough and she would like to rest before meeting with Sora. "It has been quite an eventful time," She stood, ready to depart to her room. "Thank you for the tea uncle, but I think I will rest now."
She started to turn towards the door when a cough caught her attention. She turned to see Iroh standing with a smile and raised a brow at him. "Yes?"
"Forgive an old man, but one part of your story won't leave my mind," Iroh looked as composed as ever, but she could easily see the excitement in his eyes. "Would you give an old man the opportunity to see these incredible flames?"
Azula paused for a second, before turning back around. "Of course uncle," She always enjoyed creating fire, which had only increased since her bending evolved as it had. She held her palm out and took a deep breath, her blue fire suddenly appearing.
Her uncle looked mesmerized and she absentmindedly decided to take a moment to use her flame resonance. She felt the various unique signatures around the palace, but her focus was easily pulled to the man in front of her.
Her uncle's inner fire was different from anyone else within the palace, the only one being similar was… her own.
She cut her resonance off as she focused on maintaining her impassive face, her mind racing at the implications. While her inner flame was more intense than his, likely due to her flames' nature, Iroh's was similarly calm and refined.
Azula thought back to when she had first discovered her resonance. She had been captivated by the ability and used it to study nearly everything. People, flora, animals, Sora, but mostly on herself. After she had bonded with Sora and learned from the dragon, her inner fire changed in more ways than just her flame's intensity.
It had felt calmer than that of other benders around her, more controlled and graceful. In that way, Iroh's was similar. She had learned from the original firebending species, and her bending had changed accordingly. What was the reason behind this?
"Magnificent," Iroh said, his gaze still locked on her fire. She was glad that he hadn't been looking at her face. She was sure her rapid thoughts had reflected on her features. "Your words did not do its brilliance justice.
Azula nodded, pasting on a well-rehearsed smile. She needed to leave and have time to think. "Thank you for your kind words uncle." She allowed her fire to flicker out, ready to leave the room at the first opportunity.
"Thank you for allowing me to witness something so incredible," Iroh's voice was content and his features matched that. He seemed truly happy to have seen her fire.
"If that is all uncle…"
"Oh yes!" Iroh snapped out of his peaceful state, remembering that she had intended to leave. "Thank you for humoring me. Have a nice resting niece, and I hope we can do this again."
Azula nodded her assent, as she turned to leave the room. She would definitely spend more time with the man, her curiosity piqued.
She had grown up hearing tales of her uncle's great feat of killing the last dragon, but she now found herself pondering if that story was completely true.
She didn't doubt he could perform such a feat. As kind and lively as he had been, his inner flame had been powerful, rivaling that of her father's. She knew he was a powerful firebender.
No, what had her questioning the validity of the story was his fire. While the similarities might have been a coincidence, she doubted that was the case. She had prided herself on the unique nature of her flames after she had bonded with Sora, a feeling the dragon shared easily.
There were many firebenders she had sensed in the past few months, and despite their uniqueness, none compared to her. At least until now, that was.
As she reached her bedroom door, any thoughts of resting were driven from her mind as she opened a blank scroll from her nightstand. She quickly started writing down her findings and theories, planning to put this one next to the notebook she had hidden in the clearing.
Whatever the reason behind this strange occurrence, one thing was certain to Azula. There was much about her uncle that she did not know.
Line Break
Azula was finding it difficult to temper her excitement. She almost started bouncing with joy but restrained herself. She was more dignified than that.
She wouldn't acknowledge that her steps had much more pep than they normally did as she walked to the clearing.
It had been about a week since her meeting with Iroh. She had been spending time with the man on the off occasion she was free in her attempt to learn more about the connection between their inner flames.
So far she hadn't managed to learn much about what she was interested in. He seemed evasive when she brought up the topics of dragons and his title, though thankfully wasn't suspicious of her curiosity. She had used her natural passion for the topic to cover her intense interest in his answers.
She pushed thoughts of her investigation to the side for the moment. That wasn't what had her so excited after all.
Today she will go flying for the (real) first time.
She could feel Sora's similar joy at the idea long before she reached the clearing. They had been preparing for weeks in between their singing and fire breathing practice, which were steadily both improving. Azula's fire breathing had gained a respectable size and Sora was able to 'sing' without the risk of her eardrums rupturing.
Azula was incredibly grateful for that last fact. She did NOT enjoy the ringing in her ears that followed their first few sessions.
It hadn't taken long for Sora to once again get familiar with her ability to fly, despite all of the changes the dragon had gone through. Sora was still growing at a noticeable rate, something that Azula felt slightly concerned about.
If Sora kept going at this rate, she may well outgrow what this clearing can provide her. Azula didn't know what they would do if…
She shook her head. This was a joyful occasion and she wouldn't ruin it with such pessimistic thoughts. She felt Sora's agreement as she stepped into the clearing, her large head immediately barreling into Azula.
Laughing slightly, Azula returned the affectionate greeting as she patted the dragon's head. "It's good to see you too, Sora." It was always good to see Sora, even if she did it every night. Despite how much time they spent together, Azula greedily wished for more even if that was not possible.
"Are you ready to start?" Sora nodded excitedly, causing Azula to smirk at the human-like mannerism. Her dragon was taking after her it seemed. "Then let's get started."
Azuka set the basket of food down and went to retrieve the saddle from its resting place. She had left it in the clearing after the first strenuous trip, not looking to repeat the feat for some time. As Sora began her meal, with the customary fish separate for 'her humans' consumption, Azula went about fitting the saddle on the dragon.
Where the first time she had done this the saddle had been loose it was now snug, fitting the dragon perfectly. Azula was glad to not have to worry about the saddle shifting as they flew, but she knew she would have to start on another soon enough. The girl sighed, wondering what she would tell Huang the next time she saw the man.
Azula was not looking forward to the doubtful looks he would send her as they went about the project. She had experienced enough of that during her first foray into crafting. He had grown too comfortable for her liking to mock her with such looks.
Deep down she knew she wouldn't change that if she could.
She finished setting up the saddle and quickly went about making her fish. Before long both dragon and human were done. It was time.
Sora crouched slightly and allowed Azula to climb on the saddle. Azula glared at the dragon as she felt Sora's amusement about her less-than-impressive stature. Really, they couldn't all be dragons! She would get taller soon enough. She was sure of it.
Disregarding the odd feeling that thought provoked, she finished getting into her position. She made sure she was secure, not wanting to test her ability to survive such a dangerous fall. "Are you ready Sora?"
The dragon yelped happily as her feelings rang through their bond with great clarity. Azula smiled at her enthusiastic dragon and nodded.
"Whenever you are ready then." They would be starting easily, going slowly around the clearing to allow Azula to get used to the feeling.
Sora yipped once again, crouching slightly in preparation. Without fanfare she leaped into the air with her large wings flapping, causing the trees in the area to sway noticeably. Azula held on tightly as she felt a slight breeze hit her face.
She looked around and noticed she could just see above the top of the tall tree. The forest wasn't overly large, but it looked much smaller from her current elevated position. She felt a smile break across her face as Sora started moving in a small circle.
This was incredible.
Azula heard a loud, almost hysterical laugh and it took a moment to realize that it was coming from her. Any thought of restraining herself, of decorum, of elegance fell away as she felt the wind caressing her hair. She could feel Sora's joy mirroring her own, the dragon ecstatic that they could do this together.
Azula took a moment to look across the black sky. It was a new moon, which meant that Tui's usual radiance was muted, leaving the world dark. Azula felt an idea enter her mind.
She knew it wasn't smart. The chance of them being sighted, while low, was present, and the danger that would put them in was immense. But still…
She wanted more.
Like the first time they had done this, Azula had dressed in a dark ensemble that matched her black and blue partner to avoid being sighted. With how dark the sky was, this would be their best shot.
She pushed the danger and fear aside, not wanting it to steer her wrong as it had in the past, and sent a brief but clear thought to Sora.
'Go!'
Sora wasted no time, letting loose a roar as she moved her head upwards. Azula had the forethought to grab onto Sora's horns to keep her balance as the dragon shot upwards at tremendous speed.
Despite the wing that was billowing past her intensely, Azula kept her eyes wide open, watching in amazement as the world below them grew smaller. The lights of the capital city, which had always seemed so large to the girl, were now but a speck on the larger world beneath.
She felt like she was dreaming, for there was no way she could have imagined flying to be as incredible as this. She watched with wide eyes as they kept climbing higher, her heart soaring wildly.
She felt her hair blowing wildly as the wind buffeted them roughly, and blinked as she suddenly felt water drench her form. She looked around and noticed that they were in the clouds. She had learned that they were made up of water, but experiencing them firsthand was beyond belief.
It was but a second later that they broke through the clouds. Sora leveled out and the wind calmed around them, allowing Azula to see clearly. She almost forgot how to breathe.
They had flown past the island that Caldera was built upon, leaving only clouds and sea below them. The sight was beyond breathtaking. Azula had never been one for appreciating the world for its splendor, but the beauty of what she saw almost brought tears to her eyes.
She felt free.
The stress of her duties, the ever-present danger of being caught with Sora, and the tension in her family, all faded as she took in the world around her from a new perspective. The problems that had at one point seemed so large were insignificant at this moment.
Right now it was just her and Sora. That was all that mattered.
Azula softened her tight grip on Sora's horns and leaned back, trusting her partner completely. No harm would come to her up here. She took a moment to appreciate the silence and tranquility, the only sound being the flapping of Sora's wings. She felt peaceful in a way she hadn't known was possible, and tried her best to commit the feeling to her memories.
It was as she was doing this that she felt a prod from within her mind. She smiled and allowed her contentment to flood the bond, which was matched by Sora's own. "This is incredible Sora."
Her dragon's strong ears picked up her soft words, and she received a croon in return. She basked in both her feelings and the dragons, wishing that this moment would never end. Sadly, like all things, it couldn't last.
Azula knew they needed to return. They had flown far and needed to return well before the sun rose. Sora acknowledged that fact and turned around, disappointed that the experience couldn't last longer. Azula understood that very well.
As they started their journey back, Azula took a moment to think about this journey with Sora. It was incredible and she would have happily continued like this forever if she could have. That thought sobered her up slightly. She couldn't do that, but…
Sora could.
Her dragon had arrived due to an injury. She had been forced to remain grounded for the time it took to heal, but that wasn't the case anymore. Sora was free to fly, to explore the world, to be free. She was free to leave.
As they reached back into the clearing, guided by Sora's keen sense of direction and Azula's knowledge of the nearby geography, Sora landed on the ground gently, having worked on her landings during the last few weeks.
Azula climbed off slowly, with great reluctance. She felt Sora's questioning prod and met the dragon's concerned gaze with a melancholic one of her own. "Sora why…" She began unsure of how to express the thoughts raging through her mind. "Why do you stay?"
The girl could feel Sora's confusion, and the slight hurt the question caused. Azula continued quickly, "This was incredible, all of it. You could have this all the time! So why do you stay?" Azula felt lost, her mind struggling to understand the dragon's decision.
She could feel joy and exasperation emanate from the bond before she was bombarded with memories of the recent months.
From their first meeting, their bonding, Sora gaining her name, Azula's declaration that they were sisters, their singing and fire breathing lessons, to even the moments where they just lay next to each other observing the endless skies. All of the memories they had made together flooded through her mind, along with the happiness Sora attributed to all of them.
Before Azula knew what she was doing she was hugging Sora, her short arms unable to reach around the dragon's neck all the way. She felt tears running down her face as she buried them in Sora's fur. The shame she typically felt at crying was absent as she basked in the memories she had made with her dragon.
Sora stayed because of her.
The thought seemed almost alien to the young girl. Her mother hadn't stayed for her, but Sora would sacrifice her freedom to do so. Azula didn't know if she was worthy of such loyalty, but she would do her utmost to return it.
She and Sora had come together, whether by coincidence or fate and had chosen to stay together. In the short time they had known each other, they had created many irreplaceable memories, and they would create many more. Azula would make sure of it.
It was much later than she would typically stay when Azula departed from the clearing, feeling lighter than ever despite the large basket she carried on her back. She made her way to the palace, absently using her resonance to make sure her way was clear, with her mind still on her last interaction with Sora.
Many times now she had stated that she would not allow anything to separate them, but now, any hesitation that would normally follow such thinking was absent. She would face any danger, punishment, or problems that may arise head-on.
Come what may in the future, Azula would do right by Sora.
Line Break
Azula had wanted to sit in the back of the room today, which was quite odd. She always wanted to be in the front so her ability to learn would be unobstructed. Ty Lee wondered what had caused this change, but the answer was clear to her now.
She was trying to suppress her smirk, but if Mai's glare was any indication she was failing miserably.
Azula was currently resting her head on Mai's shoulder, softly breathing as she took a nap. Due to them being in the back of the room furthest from the teacher and where it was dimmest, Azula had been able to sleep for most of the lesson, much to Mai's embarrassment.
Ty Lee watched as Azula subconsciously snuggled into the taller girl, causing Mai's cheeks to redden more than Ty Lee had ever seen them. Mai somehow managed to look both uncomfortable and content at the same time, and Ty Lee quickly placed a hand over her mouth to suppress the squeal that almost broke out.
It had been easy for her and Mai to notice that Azula was tired when she arrived today. Her hair was slightly disheveled, and there were hints of bags under her eyes that were covered by strategically placed makeup. If you didn't know the princess as well as her friends, she would just look like she had slight difficulties getting ready.
Mai had looked concerned that the princess was pushing herself too hard again, but Ty Lee had cut her off with a shake of her head. She had looked at Azula's aura and immediately noticed that it had changed slightly again. It looked warmer than it ever had, and combined with the prodigy's peaceful expression Ty Lee could tell that she was very content.
They had continued onwards to the classroom, with Mai slightly closer to Azula than was normal. If Ty Lee didn't know better it looked like the stoic girl was ready to catch (her) princess should she fall. That was the first of many smirks she had to suppress that day.
It was after they had entered their last class of the day, history, that Azula had decided to take her nap. The girls knew that their history teacher was generally laid back and was a relatively safe choice to rest in. Not even 5 minutes into the class, Azula had passed out…
And her head promptly plonked on Man's shoulder. Ty Lee watched with wide eyes as the gloomy girl's cheeks reddened the slightest bit and her shoulders tensed. The energetic girl thought it was sweet how Mai looked petrified to move for fear of waking up the girl despite the uncomfortable position.
That led them to now.
"Shut up," Mai glared at Ty Lee as she quietly hissed out her words, glancing to make sure Azula hadn't been disturbed.
"I didn't say anything," Ty Lee responded equally softly, a rarity, as she let her hands drop from her face. The broad smirk felt good on her face after holding it back for so long.
She watched intently as Mai opened her mouth to respond, probably with some scathing remark, before she went stock still. Azula nuzzled ever so slightly closer, which only caused Mai's face to grow more red.
"You look really comfy," This was hands down the greatest day of Ty Lee's life and she would forever cherish the memory. Mai's stormy expression while blushing only solidified that thought for her.
Fortunately for Mai, the teacher seemed to be wrapping up his lesson. "...and remember the assignment that will be due when we return from the weekend. You are dismissed." The bell rang right after he finished, and the class went about packing up.
Ty Lee turned back to her friends, her mouth opened to say something before she cut herself off at the sight. 'This really is the best day ever!'
Mai was slightly shaking Azula, which caused the tired princess to open her eyes groggily with a soft yawn. The sight was cute to Ty Lee, who didn't often get the chance to see Azula so non-composed. Mai agreed as well if the way she looked away quickly was any indication.
"Did you have a good nap Azula?" Ty Lee asked in an innocent tone, which was betrayed by her eyes never leaving Mai.
"It was very refreshing," Azula said as she started packing up, oblivious to both her actions while sleeping and the way her two friends were having a stare-off.
Mai was sending Ty Lee a fierce glare that commanded her not to say anything stupid or she would face severe punishment. Ty Lee returned the look with a cheeky grin and started packing up as well.
After they had finished they started walking out of the classroom and into the school's courtyard. It was the end of the school week and Ty Lee wanted to do something over the weekend, rather than just spend it with her family.
Acting on that thought she said, "Hey guys." Azula and Mai turned to Ty Lee curiously, though the princess looked slightly distracted by something. Ignoring whatever that was, she continued. "We haven't hung out after school in a while. Do you guys want to do something tomorrow?
The question stated that they had many options which wasn't really true. Ty Lee knew that with Azula's status as princess, they would be regulated to spending time at the palace. Still, it seemed rude to just ask if they could come over!
She could see Azula considering the question, but her gaze was pulled to Mai when her mouth opened. "I would like that." The words were quiet and simple as always, but they had a clear effect on the princess who perked up.
"We could do that. The palace has calmed since my uncle's return so it shouldn't be a problem." Even if it was a problem, Ty Lee doubted it would stop the princess from pushing for the visit to avoid disappointing Mai.
Ty Lee wisely kept that to herself, but her grin stretched wider.
"Awesome!" The acrobat said happily. She liked visiting the palace in the past, but with how close the three were now she knew it would be super fun!
Her thoughts were cut off by a sudden sneeze. She looked around before her eyes landed on Azula as the girl lowered her arm. That was odd, Azula rarely ever sneezed…
"Are you alright?" Mai asked tonelessly but with uncharacteristic intensity. Ty Lee really didn't know how to deal with how cute Mai was being around the princess.
"I'm fine," Azula said with a slightly congested voice. "It's probably just allergies." The princess brushed it off but Mai was still looking her over.
Slowly the gloomy girl nodded in acceptance at her words. "Ok. So tomorrow?"
Ty Lee and Azula gave their confirmation before they started heading in their separate directions.
Line Break
Iroh hummed to himself as he waved at a passing servant, who hesitantly returned the royal's greeting. Iroh paid the young man no mind as he continued merrily to the dining room.
He had been busy this last week. It was to be expected when the former crown prince and war general returned from almost a year after vanishing with little trace. Him only sending rare and vague letters probably hadn't helped his case…
Regardless, his return had caused a healthy, in his opinion, amount of chaos which was followed by meetings, dinners, meetings, paperwork, and more meetings. He sighed as he looked out one of the windows of the palace. Such heavy and dry discussion couldn't be good for his aging spirit.
He had been so caught up in the chaos that he hadn't even had the time to enjoy dinner with his niece and nephew! The odd conversation wasn't nearly enough to catch up with them.
As he reached the well-decorated door that led to the dining room, he smiled jovially, excited to spend time with his favorite family members. Not that there was much competition but still.
Shaking the dreary thought away with practiced efficiency, he opened the door with more force than necessary as he entered. "Hello, my lovely family!"
He was met with a deafening silence as Zuko looked at him wide and Azula sent him a very blank and unimpressed look. It was almost impressive enough for him to shuffle nervously, but he persevered. "Wow, tough crowd" He murmured as he walked towards the table.
"Uncle!" Zuko leaped up animatedly, joy clear on his features. "You're going to have dinner with us?"
Azula rolled her eyes at the obvious question while Iroh smiled, feeling the corner of his eyes crinkle as he did. "Of course! Those meetings are much too dull. Food tastes best when with family."
Iroh could see confusion on Zuko's face, not having understood his words entirely, but Azula smiled softly. He watched silently as she seemed distracted by something before the smile dropped from her face and she met his gaze.
"Leaving without a single word would do you no favors to getting out of them," Her words were said with amusement, but he detected the slightly pointed tone. It seemed that she was still curious about his journey.
After their tea time the week prior, they had only had sparse conversations, both having duties to attend. She had been subtle about it, but when his trip was almost always a topic of discussion it had been easy to see her interest in the subject. He evaded those attempts as he would do now, not wanting to spoil dinner.
He rubbed the back of his head as he smiled sheepishly. "I suppose my manners had left me at that moment." He nodded while stroking his beard, acting as though he had figured out something grand. "Perhaps this is the universe's way to punish me."
Zuko and Azula laughed, but his niece was slightly forced as she recognized his evasion of the topic. She sighed quietly but thankfully did not press. It seemed she would let the matter rest for now.
Iroh crossed the room and took the closest open seat, which was near Zuko. He sat down and reached for the roast duck, his stomach rumbling ravenously. His nephew laughed at the noise, while Azula raised a brow at him.
"You sound hungry enough to eat a dragon Uncle." A rather odd expression, which indicated she wasn't quite done with her questioning. Her curiosity aroused his own, and he felt that this was a relatively safe topic. He decided to bite.
"Ah, but I would never eat a dragon," He said truthfully. The idea was abhorrent to him, which he expressed clearly. "They are too magnificent a species to be treated so crudely."
Azula looked at him with an innocent expression as she responded. "What were they like? I haven't ever heard from a first person source."
Iroh looked at her before turning his attention. The boy had been quiet since the conversation started, but he looked eager to hear about the dragons as well. Well, he wasn't one to dismiss his family's desires.
"Alright alright, I will tell you," he said in an appeasing tone, getting ready to repeat the tale he had manufactured. "The dragon I encountered was a great and large red dragon, and one of the largest of its kind if I am not mistaken." He was speaking of Shaw, who, along with Ran, was abnormally large.
"How big was it uncle?" Zuko looked as though he had stars in his eyes, his mind trying to create a no-doubt epic clash with a dragon of impossible size.
'At least as large as a mountain, much larger than ever seen before!" Iroh doubted his nephew would appreciate the truth behind the events, so he would exaggerate.
"Wow…" Zuko sat in awe, but he noticed Azula's lip twitch, obviously not believing his words. She had always had a fascination with the incredible creatures when she was younger, so he assumed she knew how unfeasible a size that was.
He decided to continue. "Yes. The battle was fierce, and lasted a full day and night." That was both true and false. He hadn't fought Ran and Shaw, but it had taken him that long to overcome the trials given to him by the sun warriors to ascertain his worthiness. "The crew I was sailing with almost mounted a search to find me."
Azula perked up and asked, "Did no one go with you?" She looked excited about what his answer may be, but for what reason he did not know.
"Ah, I could not ask my crew to follow me into such danger," Iroh said honestly. He hadn't known what he was walking into, but even in his glory-seeking youth, he would not endanger those who followed him.
"So all accounts are based on your own," Azule pressed insistently. "How did they know such claims weren't false?"
Zuko slammed his hand on the table before Iroh could respond, looking more than a little angry over the slightly rude question. "Don't accuse uncle of lying! He isn't you!"
Azula only looked at her brother for a second before looking back at Iroh. If he didn't know any better he would have thought she had forgotten his presence.
Her dismissal seemed to increase Zuko's temper, but the ex-general quickly stepped in to calm him. "Peace Zuko, Azula's question is fair," He turned his gaze back to the expectant girl, allowing a small smile to cross his lips. "While it is true no one witnessed the battle, I did not come out without injury."
Iroh slightly lifted his sleeve and revealed a long scar that ran up his arm. "This is a scratch I received from the dragon's claw, and there is a large burn on my back from its fire." Those were received from his trip, but they came from the sun warriors who guarded the village. It had been painful, but it went a long way to convince others of his lie.
Zuko quickly forgot his anger as he marveled at the scar, but Azula only looked at it for a second before she looked away. It looked like she was thinking about something, but he could see her nod slightly to herself. She had come to some conclusion he was not privy to.
"It was also how I learned to breathe fire, something I hadn't been able to do until then until I saw the dragon." He demonstrated the ability to heat his plate of duck that had gone slightly cold. The children looked at his actions with wide eyes, but he thought Azula looked slightly smug. Perhaps he was just imagining things. She was a difficult girl to read.
"Perhaps we should move on," They had spent longer than he had intended on the story, and he wanted to speak more about what Zuko and Azula were up to. "Zuko, how is your training with Master Piandao?"
"It's going well! We just started…" Iroh allowed the boy to talk without interruption. Zuko had looked down the last few times he had seen him, so he would allow the boy the time to speak his mind.
They continued for a little longer, Azula sharing that her friends, Mai and Ty Lee would be coming over tomorrow. Iroh hid his smile behind his cup of tea at the sight of Zuko's blush. It seemed he had a little crush.
He was about to tease his nephew when Azula interrupted him with a sudden coughing fit. She looked up as she finished, her hand gently rubbing her raw throat. "Sorry, something just came over me."
Iroh shook his head gently, "Perhaps you should rest Azula. It would be good for you to have your energy tomorrow." She looked like she was about to refuse, but thought better of it. She nodded and excused herself as she left the room. Iroh hoped that cough wasn't something more serious.
He brushed the thought aside as he started interacting with his nephew once more, eager to learn more about the time he had missed.