Wandering Firebender
Twelve: The Princess
"Hey, kid!" Wo greeted Elio as he came down into the crew member's quarters. Elio nodded and smiled politely as he made his way to his hammock.
"Evening, Wo. How's your shoulder?" He asked.
"Not too bad. I've been stretching it out. How're you doin'? You seem to finally be hitting your stride as a sailor." He observed approvingly.
"I think so. I appreciate your help in getting to this point."
"Of course, of course. That's what a crew is for. Oh hey, kid, before you turn in though – quick question." He said to get Elio to stop. Elio turned back towards him.
"What's up?"
"Something of yours fell out of your hammock earlier. I wanted to ask you about it."
Elio swallowed nervously. His mind immediately listed all of the most incriminating things he had in his belongings: top of that list was his family portrait. They were all dressed in formal Fire Nation clothing in that picture.
"Yes?" Elio asked, doing his best to remain maintain a natural looking expression.
"That black pole. What's that about?" Wo asked. Elio let out a sigh of relief.
"It's not a pole. It's my staff. It's a custom piece that was given to me by my master." He explained simply. Wo's eyes widened a bit in surprise.
"You trained with a staff?"
"Yes. I'm still relatively inexperienced, but I practice when I can."
"You'll have to show me some of your skills. And maybe wrap your hammock up so it doesn't fall on the floor again. It was pretty loud." He recommended with a chuckle.
"Haha, okay. Will do. Goodnight, Wo." Elio said quickly, hurrying over to his hammock so he could lay down and let his heart stop racing.
"Goodnight, Elio. Oh, by the way, we arrive at our next destination tomorrow. We'll be there all day again. Just let the captain know if you're uncomfortable with entering the city." Wo informed him.
"Understood… Uncomfortable? Where're we going?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Fire Foundation City." Wo answered. Elio's face went completely pale.
"We-We're going to the Fire Nation?"
"Yep! It should be fine, just keep your guard up. If you do go into the city, maybe take that pole with you just in case." Wo suggested with a chuckle before leaving…
Elio's nerves kept him from sleeping well that night. This was a worst-case scenario! He was sailing right back into the Fire Nation! What if someone recognized him?
When the next day came, Elio was right there at the front of the ship, watching as Fire Foundation City grew closer and closer. He'd heard about this place but he'd never been here before; his parents were always quick to disapprove of the place, calling it a slimy breeding ground for criminals and scam artists.
"You asked to speak with me, Elio?" Captain Po asked, joining him at the front of the ship. Elio turned around.
"Sir, I'm not comfortable going into the city. Are there any duties that I can attend to here on the ship?" Elio asked. Captain Po's expression looked regretful, which was not encouraging for him.
"I'm sorry, kid. I'm afraid not. I have two crates that I need you to bring to a shop. I'll give you the address; it's towards the center of town. I'll give you some Fire Nation credits in case you need to break change with the owner."
"But sir!" Elio began to protest.
"Just go in and out quickly, Elio. I promise that if you keep your head down, go straight there and back, and don't speak to anyone, you should be just fine.
"Then you can stay on the ship for the rest of the day until we leave in the evening." He promised. Elio sighed in defeat and nodded. If he fought anymore, it would draw suspicion.
"Yes, sir."
And so when the Yellow Horizon reached the harbor of Fire Foundation City, Elio grabbed the two crates he needed along with some money and his staff, and he went into the city. He walked cautiously, his eyes constantly searching for threats.
His parents weren't wrong about this place; it made him uncomfortable to be here. It didn't give him the same constant fear of being attacked as the Earth Kingdom, but he did feel like if he looked at the wrong person, it would become a possibility.
Finally, he reached the shop that he was delivering the crates to. He conducted business as quickly and respectfully as possible. He stepped out the door and was ready to turn back, but then something huge caught his eye…
The shop was situated not far from the center of the city. And in the center of Fire Foundation City stood a titan-sized statue of Fire Lord Ozai. The statue shot constant fire out of its mouth and fists. It was an overt display of the power and stature that the Fire Lord held.
Elio found himself drawn to the statue. He approached the base of it and looked up. The statue was easily a hundred times taller than he was; or at the very least, that's how it felt when he stood in its presence. He was a dwarf in its shadow.
Elio thought back to his father and how he often spoke of his love for his country, how he proudly served an oath to the Fire Lord. As a child, he was given the chance to meet Fire Lord Ozai once, but he declined out of intimidation.
Every Fire Nation soldier, general, so on all served their roles to accomplish this; not the statue itself, but the man it depicted and everything he stood for…
"Gah!" A man suddenly yelped, falling to the ground to his left. Elio turned and saw the man fall to the ground with a burnt hole in the back of his garment. He dropped a pouch containing Fire Nation credits. Elio reached behind him.
The man who fell had stolen his money, and he hadn't noticed because he was too engrossed in looking at this statue.
However, he watched as an individual dressed in red and wearing a long black hood and cloak walked over to the man. The hooded person snapped their fingers twice, and two Fire Nation soldiers walked over to drag the man away. A third soldier picked up the pouch and handed it to this person, who then walked over to hand it back to Elio.
"You would do well to be more attentive. Had I not been feeling generous, you would have had all your money stolen." She laughed. Her voice was confident and had a crisp sassiness to it. Elio took his money back and hitched it to his belt.
"That's on me. Thank you." He said thankfully. He couldn't see her full face because of the hood, but she looked up at him enough to where she could look him in the eyes.
"Just try not to be so stupid next time." She replied teasingly.
Elio's eyes widened in shock. She had a proud face, fierce eyes, and a charming smirk. She was very pretty. But that's not what was shocking to Elio. What was shocking to Elio was that he already knew who she was.
"Princess Azula?" He said in realizing recognition. Immediately, her eyebrows raised with intrigue. She hadn't expected to be recognized.
"Oh? Have we met before?" She asked. Elio swallowed. He'd already made it obvious. If he was going to get out of this, he was going to have to cautious but truthful.
"You went to school with my sister. But we've never spoken."
"Ah, interesting. Well then, why don't you tell me your name and what you're doing here in the city?" She suggested, curling the fingers of her hand inwards.
"My name is Elio, princess. I came here on a trade ship to make a delivery." He answered. She nodded and hummed, her bottom lip extending out a bit.
"I don't see a naval uniform on you, Elio. Did the regulations change recently?" She asked in a tone that seemed to be mocking him, but he couldn't tell.
"No… Uniforms attract too much attention. I was asked to dress in plain clothes for my own safety." He carefully lied. Azula nodded again, seemingly satisfied with this answer.
"Walk with me." She said, turning and beginning to walk away from the statue.
"What?" Elio flinched in surprise.
"Come on. Let's talk somewhere less crowded." She waved her hand for him to follow. Elio eyed the soldiers that were all guarding her from a short distance away. He had no choice but to fall in step next to her.
"Am I in trouble, princess?" He asked. She chuckled.
"No, not yet anyways. Actually, I think there's a way you could assist me. Let's step into here." She pointed out a weapons shop and led him inside.
"You want my help?" He asked in surprise. Elio looked nervously behind him but walked with her into an empty aisle of the store. Azula turned towards him, looking up again so she could look him in the eyes again.
"I've received word that a small gang of Earth Kingdom citizens have infiltrated the city. They're no doubt looking for information and weaknesses to exploit; perhaps they plan to report back to their superiors.
"Either way, I've taken it upon myself to hunt them down before they claw their way into doing any real damage." Azula explained her mission. Elio's eyebrows furrowed and he nodded in understanding.
"I see… But how is it you think I can help you with that?" He asked. Azula smiled sideways; she seemed amused.
"Ha, well if your reaction to seeing my face is anything to go by, I run the risk of being recognized while I'm here. You have no such risk, Elio. I want you to investigate some leads and report back to me. Together, we can find where these men are hiding."
Was Elio dreaming? The princess of the Fire Nation was asking for his help! There seemed to be no way to get out of this situation, but he had to try and respectfully withdrawal. He definitely couldn't risk having her find out who he was.
"Princess… I am honored by your request. But surely you have more capable men with you that can carry out this task." He tried.
"You would think so, but sadly, competent help is scarce," She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. She smiled sideways at him. "You seem competent though. You at least have some intelligence."
"…thank you?"
"Don't mention it. I'm confident that you'll be successful in this mission, Elio. So, will you do this for me?" She asked. Elio swallowed.
"I… I do have tasks to attend to back on my ship. I'm not sure." He tried to excuse himself. Azula rolled her eyes, indifferent to his responsibilities.
"Ah yes, don't let me keep you from swabbing the top deck or whatever it is you call it," She said sarcastically, rolling her hand around in circles. Her expression changed slightly, and she tried another approach.
"I suppose if you don't help me and I'm unsuccessful, that nasty Earth Kingdom gang will just continue to assault more poor Fire Nation citizens."
"What?"
"Oh? Did I forget to mention? As this gang has been making their way through different Fire Nation settlements, they've been pillaging villages and attacking citizens: men, women, you get the picture."
Elio's gaze fell a bit as he pondered this. This changed his perspective on the situation; he couldn't in good conscious let that sort of thing happen. Not when it was within his power to stop it. Plus, saying no now would put him in an even worse position. He knew that was why Azula had brought it up; he definitely couldn't say no to her now.
"I'll do what I can to help, princess." He agreed.
"Excellent," She smiled wider. "Let's get started."
"The plan is simple: I want you to find information on where the gang is hiding. I don't care what methods you use; who you have to interrogate. As soon as you find out, report back to me. I'll stay close by waiting for you."
Elio entered into a small restaurant. He entered in quietly, not making eye contact with anyone yet. He first needed to confirm that what he was looking for was there. Sure enough, he found it: a Pai Sho table placed in the corner of the room.
Elio went over to where two older gentleman were sitting and talking. He smiled politely at them as he approached the table.
"Is it alright if I join in for a quick game?" He requested. The older men chuckled and allowed him to sit.
"What's a young man like you doing playing Pai Sho?" One of them asked.
"I enjoy the strategy." He answered with a smile, setting his pieces down.
"Huh, that's a very aggressive, forward layout." The other man observed.
"True. But sometimes you have to make the first move – if anything, just to give the game an interesting beginning."
Elio didn't end up winning the game; he was still a beginner after all. But he learned what he'd needed to learn. He stepped out of the restaurant about half an hour later. He found Azula leaning back against a wall watching a man conducting a cup game.
"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. Have you been here the whole time?" Elio asked as he joined her. She shook her head and shrugged.
"No. I did a little digging of my own, came up empty, got some food. I figured I'd just entertain myself for awhile watching people get swindled out of their money." She summarized, concluding with a humorous chuckle. Elio leaned against the wall on his shoulder, turning to watch the cup game too.
It was a simple children's game: the man had three cups set upside down. He hid a small stone underneath one of them and shuffled them around. Then the player would select the cup that he believed had the stone in it.
"How're people losing at this game? It's simple." Elio thought aloud. Azula glanced sideways at him and gestured forward.
"Just watch. Just by having you think that, he's deceiving you too...
"See? He starts off easy, letting his opponent win the first time. Then he brings in a bet to make the game interesting. He gets them invested. It's a bait technique. At some point, he flicks the stone into his sleeve, guaranteeing a loss. Now he has twice the money he lost in the first bet."
As Azula described these things, he watched it unfold in front of him. Keeping his eyes focused and looking through the lens of Azula's observations, he could see it easily. He realized that he was getting a taste of her point of view.
"How'd you even see that? It's so subtle." Elio asked, looking at her. She smirked a bit, looking back at him.
"You could say that I have a talent for observation. I also recognize potential when I see it. One doesn't get to be where I am without learning how get a lay of the land.
"It's a shame, really. Men like him have a decent amount of potential, but they waste it on frivolous things like making quick money. If they had any ambition, they could probably make themselves into useful assets instead of just common swindlers.
"That's the difference between people like them and people like us." Azula said, looking at him again.
"People like us?" Elio repeated.
"Mhmm. People like us. You and I are the type of people that feel most fulfilled when we're serving a purpose; we're the type of people who are always taking steps forward, never backwards or staying still." She surmised.
"Ah," Elio swallowed, afraid to admit just how right she was. "Am I really so easy to read?" He asked with a faint chuckle.
"Don't let it get you down," She chuckled. "Just because I can sense things about you doesn't make you boring. Now, what did you find?" She asked, turning her shoulders to face him. Elio became nervous with her advancing closer, but he stayed where he was.
"There's a few different storerooms in different shops and restaurants around the city. For the right price, the gang we're looking for could be using them to hide out. It'd give 'em time to map out the city and plan their next move."
"Interesting," She hummed. "Well then, I propose we do the same."
Elio and Azula retreated into another private area. Rolling out a purchased map of the city, Elio pointed out and marked all of the hiding locations he had been given. Azula took the lead and sent her men out to check each location. She took Elio with her, and they checked one location on their own.
Elio busted through the door of the flower shop first with his staff in hand. The shop was empty save the owner: an older woman who seemed to be minding her business. He nodded to Azula, and she entered in behind him. She removed her hood.
"I demand to see your back room this instant." She stated. The older shopkeeper quickly recognized her. Her eyes widened in shock and she fell to her knees.
"Princess Azula!" She exclaimed.
"Where is it?" She barked.
"The end of the hall, the-the door to the right." She answered shakily. Azula marched there first. Elio fell in step behind her.
Azula kicked the door open and stepped inside. The back room was completely empty and cleared out of anything. There was only a table in the room, which had been pushed against a wall. Azula's eyes narrowed as she scanned the room.
"They were here. We missed them," She surmised, turning and walking back towards the front. Elio looked inside curiously, but he wasn't able to see how she came to that conclusion.
"Where are the men from the Earth Kingdom who were here?" She questioned the shopkeeper, standing over her.
"P-Please, forgive me, princess. They threatened me and my husband. They beat him up and said they would kill us if we tried to get help." She whimpered. Elio's eyebrows furrowed; he was disturbed by this. Azula, however, showed no outward reaction.
"Tell me where they went, and I will consider letting it slide." She decided, curling her fingers inwards. The woman swallowed nervously.
"They said they were going to a warehouse across the city. I-I think they were referring to the one at the edge of the city. They store supplies and building materials there." She stuttered through her answer. Azula looked at Elio.
"We haven't a moment to lose," She said to him before turning back to the woman. "And as for you… You're pardoned for your error." She decided before stepping out of the shop. The woman sighed in relief.
"I'm sorry. I hope you and your husband are okay." Elio said quietly to her before joining Azula outside. She cracked her neck.
"Warehouse at the edge of the city. Remember where that was on the map?" She asked.
"I believe so. Shouldn't we get your men?" Elio asked.
"You heard the woman. They went to a warehouse with supplies and building materials. By the time my guards arrive, the place will be destroyed. I hope you're capable with that staff of yours. We're going it alone." She decided.
"Very well, we'll need to hurry." Elio said.
"Agreed. Hold on to this for me, Elio. I don't want anyone getting in the way because they recognize me." Azula said before removing her Fire Nation royal headpiece. Her hair fell freely, and she tied it back into a simple ponytail. Elio took the headpiece and placed it into his pack.
"After you, princess." Elio said before they began the sprint across the city to the warehouse.
Elio and Azula threw open the doors of the warehouse. Elio held his staff in his right hand while Azula carried no weapons. They entered in to find a group of men in the process of trashing the inside of warehouse, overturning containers and crushing materials with earthbending.
"Great, earthbenders." Elio grumbled, taking hold of his staff with both hands.
"I've wasted enough time chasing after you, so let's make this brief. Are you going to surrender quietly, or will we have to take you by force?" Azula presented their options. Elio looked around. There were easily more than a dozen men within the warehouse.
"Azula…" Elio said quietly to her. She glanced at him with a confident smirk. Strangely, he found himself being put at ease by this; she seemed to believe that the two of them could take these men.
"Grab those kids before they alert the soldiers!" One of the men shouted, pointing at the two of them. Azula smirked again.
"By force then."
Azula made the first move, lunging forward and extending two sets of two fingers outwards. Two streams of blue fire shot forward and became a sizeable blast, blowing one man back forcefully. Elio's eyes widened in surprise.
His eyes caught sight of one of the earthbenders pulling a rock out of the ground and launching it straight at the princess. He took the staff and stepped in front of her, breaking the rock with a swing of the staff.
"Get them!" Several of the men began to rush towards them, hoping to use their strength in numbers to overtake them. They began to circle around Azula and Elio.
Azula stepped around Elio, standing back to back with him as she swiped her hand across her body, sending a curved blast of fire at them. At the same time, Elio began to spin his staff quickly, using his firebending to generate a protective wall of fire for himself.
"So you're a firebender, Elio? You're just full of surprises." She chuckled.
"Duck, princess." Elio quickly said.
Azula dropped down to one knee with her head down. Elio ducked down, spinning his staff quickly above his head. His firebending, propelled by the staff, sent out waves of curves fired blasts all around them, hitting some men and keeping the others at a safe distance.
At the same time, Elio and Azula both advanced with their own attacks. Elio continued swinging his staff in long sweeping strikes. Meanwhile, Azula advanced with straightforward fire kicks and punches, taking the men closest to her out with one strike each.
Elio realized that the men he was targeting were evading his staff attacks. He slid it back into its strap and relied on his regular firebending. The men were continuing to back away, but with his curved fire blasts, he was able to take down two more of them.
"Elio!" Azula shouted. He started to turn back towards her, but his eyes caught sight of some rocks being thrown at him.
With a yelp, Elio jumped back and just barely dodged them. He started throwing defensive fire blasts back at one of the earthbenders while Azula did the same towards a second earthbender. They both looked and saw that both of the earthbenders were in opposite corners.
Coming to each other's defense, they stepped towards each other and both threw fireballs at the earthbenders on the opposite sides of them. Azula's arm crossed over Elio's as they threw their punches. They glanced at each other for a moment before Elio slid behind Azula.
As both earthbenders put up walls to protect themselves from the fireballs, Azula continued to pelt their defenses with intense fire. Meanwhile, Elio turned around and protected her from some of the non-bending men who were trying to get back into the fight.
"I have them cornered! Keep it up, Elio!" Azula shouted back to him. Elio threw a few quick kicks to knock down one man who was getting to close. He threw several fireballs into the remaining men.
Elio's eyes caught sight of a third earthbender. He must've been hiding somewhere, waiting for an opportunity to attack. He was sending a huge bolder right towards Azula. He only had a few seconds to react as he pulled his staff back out.
"Look out!" He shouted, swinging his staff into it. His swing knocked the boulder out of the way, but his hands weren't placed correctly on the staff. This caused him to lose his grip on the staff. It was knocked away, and he yelped in pain from the shock in his hands.
Azula took her attention off of the two earthbenders hiding behind their walls. She turned and sent a powerful blast into the third earthbender. The earthbender started to create a wall, but Azula's blast overtook him and sent him back into the wall.
Elio grabbed onto Azula, using his firebending to propel them into a jump. The other two earthbenders fired rocks at them, but by Elio's evasive actions, he was able to get them onto a catwalk on the second level of the warehouse. With a forward flip, they both landed on their feet.
"You knew that was coming, did you?" Azula asked.
"Typical earthbender strategy." Elio answered. A boulder broke through the floor by them, causing them both to stumble to the side.
"We need to hurry and finish this before they bring the building down on top of us!"
"I need my staff. It's over there. You go for this one! I'll go for that one." Elio quickly determined, choosing to go up against the earthbender that was furthest away from them but closer to his staff.
"Don't hesitate!" Azula shouted as Elio jumped off the catwalk, launching himself across the room. He dove into a slide, avoiding earthbending attacks as he slid to his staff. He grabbed onto it and rolled up to his feet.
Azula jumped off the catwalk as well, twisting her body to avoid getting hit. Her target used earthbending to create a shield above him as she came crashing down on top of him, using a firebending kick to break through the rock with sheer force.
Elio, meanwhile, blocked earthbending attacks with his staff and used his left hand for firebending, exchanging attacks with his opponent. As he advanced closer, he could see the earthbender getting ready to shift the ground below his feet and trap him.
Elio jumped into the air again. Instead of landing on his opponent, he flipped over his opponent. He slid his staff back into its slip and used all of his power to fire blasts into his opponent's defenses. He growled aggressively as he began to break through the rock wall.
Azula smirked, knowing she had the upper hand now that she was close to her opponent. Before he could make another move, Azula threw a fireball into her opponent. As he stumbled back, she rushed forward. She jumped and dropkicked the earthbender, using her firebending to add more impact and damage to the kick. The earthbender was sent into the wall as Azula slid back.
As Azula slid on her back and rolled to her feet again, her hair fell out of its ponytail and fell freely. She looked up and saw Elio fighting with full force against his opponent, not letting himself be hit by a single attack. Every punch and piece of earth thrown his way, he had a counterattack for it.
Azula took in a breath and began to swirl her hands in a circle, creating lightning from her fingertips. Elio, hearing the crackles, looked back and saw what she was doing. His eyes widened.
He threw a quick roundhouse kick into the earthbender's head. He then jumped into the air, flipping backwards into the air in time to avoid Azula's lightning attack. Azula shot lightning into the earthbender, hitting him directly. He was sent flying back through the wall. The sounds of the strike echoed throughout the warehouse.
Elio awkwardly landed on his side in front of Azula. He grunted in pain and slowly got to his feet, catching his breath. Azula stood up calmly, catching her breath as well. Elio rubbed the arm he had landed on and looked at her.
"A little warning would have been nice." He commented.
"I knew that you would see it." She chuckled.
Azula gathered her soldiers and all of the Earth Kingdom men were rounded up and incarcerated. Elio watched this and felt no remorse for them. He was just in shock that he had actually had the chance to work side by side with the princess.
"So I guess that's it then, huh?" Elio asked. Azula nodded.
"Yes. Your help made a big difference in this mission, Elio. You did well." She commended him with an approving smile.
"Thank you. Oh, here, let me return this to you before you go." Elio remembered that he still had Azula's royal headpiece in his pack. He pulled it out and held it to her. She smiled and shook her head, resting her hands on her hips.
"I'll let you keep it. Consider it a token of my appreciation." She decided. Elio's eyes widened in surprise.
"Are you sure, princess? I-I'm not sure I can accept it."
"Don't be ridiculous, of course you can. I have plenty in my possession. What's one less?" She chuckled, "I assume that you will be on your way back to your ship now?"
"Yes. I should hurry. Thank you again, princess." He said appreciatively. He bowed respectfully to her before rushing off. Azula hummed and smiled as she watched him go.
Elio reported back to the Yellow Horizon. A majority of the day had gone by, so he had to endure a scolding from Captain Po about being missing all day. He wasn't given an opportunity to explain what happened, but even if he gotten the story out, he wouldn't have expected to be believed, so he remained silent.
He spent the rest of his time preparing the ship to embark again. But as sunset began to fall and the ship was making its final preparations to set sail, Elio looked out onto the dock and saw a familiar figure in a long hood standing there waving at him.
"No way…" Elio said with widened eyes. He came down onto the dock and hurried over. Sure enough, it was her again. "Princess Azula. What are you doing here?" He asked in disbelief.
"Isn't it obvious?" She asked with a sideways smile. Elio chuckled nervously.
"Uh, you came to get your hair thing back?" He asked humorously. Azula snickered.
"No, that's not it. I haven't gone back and gotten another one yet." She said, pointing out that her hair was still falling freely.
"Oh," Elio chuckled again, nervously rubbing his hands together. "Well, I think you look prettier with your hair down." He complimented sincerely.
"Thank you, Elio," She smiled, blushing slightly. "To answer your question, I came here for you. I want you to come with me." She said.
"What?" Elio's eyes widened again. He was completely blown away by this. "For what?"
"If today has proven anything, it's that the two of us make an exceptional team. We could be in an elite class all in our own with some refinement." She explained her thinking.
"I-I see."
"Let's face it, Elio, you don't strike me as the sailor type. And despite your firebending skill, you don't seem like the soldier type either. You could be so much more. Just come back with me." She urged. Elio swallowed nervously.
He thought back to their conversation about potential. Evidently, the princess was seeing something in him that she felt was worth keeping around. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, but he knew how treacherous that path would be, all things considered.
"I… Forgive me, princess, but I have to decline." Elio answered respectfully. Azula's smile quickly faded into an upset scowl.
"You're turning me down?"
"I'm afraid I am." He said regretfully.
"Wh…Why?! What's on this ship that's so important to you?! Do you not see how powerful we could be together? You have no idea what you're refusing!" She shouted at him. Elio's eyebrows furrowed. He was finding it difficult to say no to her.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, princess."
"It is a disappointment, Elio. I feel sorry for you." She shook her head and turned her back to him, beginning to walk away. Elio swallowed and called out to her again.
"Azula!"
"What?" She stopped, not turning back towards him. Even though she didn't turn to face him again, Elio still bowed respectfully.
"It was an honor to meet you, princess." He said before turning and making his way back to the ship.
As he made his way back up onto the ship, Azula turned back enough to glance over her shoulder at him. He turned back towards her as well. They made eye contact for a few moments, neither of them moving. Then Elio looked down and boarded the ship.
Azula sighed in frustration, shaking her head again. Her eyes trailed up to the flag that the ship was flying. Her eyes didn't recognize the insignia of the Yellow Horizon. She looked at it suspiciously before turning and walking away…