Chapter 8: Princess Azula.
Sooooooooo…… Back to who “Azula” is.
Weeeeeeeell…… She’s kinda…. Gosh, it’s hard to explain.
She’s FireLord Zuko’s sister.
She’s the third best Firebender in the world.
Zuko, then Iroh …..Â
Then her.
She can bend lightning.
And she’s totally and utterly crazy.
And evil.
She’s also about to become an aunt.
Let me explain.
YESTERDAY:
The FireLord was sitting in his study, surrounded by paperwork.
He couldn’t think, and he missed his wife and also his new-found niece dearly.
And then suddenly- a knock on the door.
WHOO! Saved by the door! He thought.
“FireLord Zuko? Fire Lady Katara has a message for you.”
The messenger handed him a scroll.
Zuko, I’m pregnant. Don’t freak out… I’m on the other side of the castle. Katara…
“Wait, WHAT?”
“She’s pregnant, Sire. She found out today. While practicing water bending on herself.”
“Could you please excuse yourself? I think I need to mull this over…” Zuko said.
And just before Zuko came in to tell us-
“HEY! I just realised something!”
Suki sighed. “What is it, Sokka?”
“Taang’s name is like Toph and Aang put together! Like…. T for Toph, and the aang part for Aang! That’s so cool!” Sokka said, mildly ecstatic.
“You only just realised that, Sokka?” dad asked bluntly and calmly. “Why else would we call her that? It’s because we wanted us to be a part of her… Forever.”
“God…” mom facepalmed.
That’s when Zuko burst through the iron doors.
“What is it?” I asked curiously.
“…… Katara’s pregnant.”
“WHAT?!” mom said, going from lying on the metal floor comfortably to grabbing it using metalbending, therefore making a huge dent in it.
“Thankyou, Toph.”
“Welcome, Sparky.”
“How the hell’d she find out?” Suki asked.
“Suki, she’s a WATERBENDER. She went outside to practice, and when she was perfecting a new technique on herself, and she…. She FELT it.”
I gasped, then ran out the doors, through the red corridor, with mom shouting “TAANG!” back at me, past the guards, through the kitchen and out the door into the rain (henceforth the perfect time to practice).
She was sitting by the turtleduck pond, and looked as shocked as we were. There was the ink and paper beside her, used and messy.
She obviously didn’t want to walk to the other side of the palace to alert Zuko; she was on her knees and clutching her stomach.
“FIRELADY-”
“NOT NOW!” I yelled at the guard, instinctively throwing my arms back through the rain in a Waterbending technique, expecting air to come out.
“Mmsffs…MMM!” he said, muffled.
I turned round and he was FROZEN. IN ICE.
Katara broke her mental state and immediately got up.
“Did you just- WATERBEND?!” she shouted, half completely and utterly shocked, the other half ecstatic.Â
“Ummmm…. I dunno? DID I?” I laughed loudly.
She ran over to me and we hugged.
“Oh my god, another Waterbender!!!” she giggled, not even questioning how I did it.
“Uhrr… Did you even question as to HOW exactly I can Waterbend?” I yelled, looking at my hands curiously.
“DO IT AGAIN!!” she squealed.
I swivelled round to the guard, looked at him sorrowfully, and slowly raised my hands up, felt the water surrounding me, and brought my hands down in a tide-sweeping movement.
“You’re like a master!” Katara was definitely excited about this.
“But- but- but- I’m an Earth and Airbender! It’s not possible!”
“Sweetie. Other than the Avatar there is no one else in the entire world that can bend more than one element. Hey, you’re the Avatar and the best Earthbender in the world’s daughter! If you can bend two elements, why not four? Why can’t you take after your FATHER?!”Â
“BECAUSE I’M NOT HIM! I’M NOT THE AVATAR AND I NEVER WILL BE! THAT’S WHY I FREAKED OUT WHEN I COULD BEND AIR, DAMMIT!!!!” I screamed at her.
She wanted me to have that power too much. I didnt want it it, I was afraid I might go Azula-crazy. It was SCARY.
But I just cracked at my best friend.
“I’m sorry, Katara.” I mumbled.
“No…” she said looking into the distance. “I understand. You don’t want the power at this age? You know your father was twelve.”
“I know.” He was stronger. I’m not that able.
“Come here.” Katara pulled me into a tight hug.
I dunno how long I was there, but it was nice.
After a while, she got up, and proposed we go tell the other about everything that had happened.
“Hey, Katara, it’s full moon tonight, right?”
“Yeah. It’s natural to feel powerful.”
“I have an overwhelming desire to bloodbend.” I fessed.
“Yeah. I know. It’s real hard to ignore sometimes.”
“Hey, did you feel the baby with bending?”
“Oh crap. I have a baby. Yea. Riiiiiiiiiight.”
“Yes. You do. But my question is.. Can I feel it?”
“Uhhhh… Yeah. Take a shot. Have a go through bloodbending. I know I can trust you not to hurt me or him, Taang.”
“Do want it to be a him?”
“Okay…. Yes. To get rid of Zuko’s nerves over an heir. Then I want girls. Don’t tell anyone, but once I hit the five month mark, I’ll be able to tell its gender. Zuko doesn’t know that.” she smiled.
I smiled too.
“So do you know where Ty Lee’s got to lately? I wanna see her a bit more,” I asked as we walked to the other side of the palace.
“Well, cause Suki came up here, she stayed with the warriors on Kyoshi Island to train them while Suki was away.”
“Ahhhh. Sweetness. Tell her I want to see her ASAP once she gets off duty.”
“HA! That’s real funny. Your mom said that.”
“What, ASAP? Everyone says that, Katara.”
“No, SWEETNESS. You say it in the same tone as her.”
YES! I thought, doing some rapid air punches. With air coming out this time.
At least I’ve inherited SOME part of her, other than the bending.
“Cool,” was all I said after correcting myself and straightening my air nation robes professionally. Calm and professional, that’s what dad says.
“You know Taang, you don’t have to be like that around me. You can be whatever you want.”
“It’s just…”
“Your dad, I know. But the thing is, if you ever wanted to get away from them, you know to come here, right?”
“Right.”
“You know I dated him for a while, right?” she said smugly, just before we entered the room which everyone was in, not giving me enough time to reply. Clever, Katara. Clever.
“WHAT?!” I still screamed at her, like mom. Haha, YES, I thought again at the back of my mind.
“What was that, Taang?” mom asked suspiciously.
“Never mind…” I mumbled.
“So, er, guys…. I dunno how to put this but… Yes. I’m pregnant. And….” Katara trailed off.
“I’m a Waterbender,” I put.Â
Damn, it was just easier to get it out and over with.
“……” was all I heard.
“THA- that’s not even POSSIBLE!” dad was the first to shout.
“Bad ass, Taang.” mom smiled.
“Uh- uh- UH?!” Zuko was obviously baffled. At both.
“Oh. My. Gosh! This means no shopping!” Ty Lee said as she made a very flexible entrance with… A Fire Nation girl her age…
“AZULA!” everyone but me said as they went into defensive bending stances. Well, except the non-benders, but they took stances with their weapons nonetheless. I followed in their wake.
“Guys, guys! She’s ok-AY!”
Everyone but Zuko and Katara stood down.Â
“She’s not lying,” me and mom said at the same time.
We looked at each other and laughed.
Azula giggled.
“Did she just- GIGGLE?” Aang asked incredulously.Â
“I think- I think SO.” Zuko said, baffled and… Stunned? Worried? Yep, worried.
“I- Uh- Eh?” Katara struggled to get out. Sokka felt the same way.
 Suki looked blandly at Ty Lee. I mean, I bet for her it was like, “Oh, if Ty Lee’s good with her, I am too,” sorta thing.
Mom just simply shrugged her shoulders like that of a calm winged-lemur.
I’m taking she couldn’t care LESS.
“Would someone tell me what the hell’s going on today? No more secrets,” I put.
I didn’t want ANYTHING else kept from me.
“Welllllllll… If we’re spilling…. Everyone else knows this, but me and Katara once were married.” dad explained. Oh, yay. A lecture.
“We had a child together, an Airbender, Tenzin, who’s SUPPOSED to be with his loving Aunty TY LEE at the moment. But apparently THAT all went down the drain when she decided to take Azula out of a MENTAL ASYLUM for a little “trip”…” Katara mumbled into the distance.
“What can I say, I gave him to Mai. You know she loves him too,” Ty Lee shrugged.
“Struggling… To… Keep… Up… Mind… Filling… AND EXPLODING!!! BOOM!!!” I yelled, mimicking my head imploding.
“You’re definitely your mother’s daughter….” Zuko mumbled, one eybrow raised and rubbing his forehead.
“So that means… I have a BROTHER!” I squealed.
“I HAVE A BABY BROTHER!!!”Â
I was literally jumping up and down hugging everyone at this point.
They weren’t exactly all hugging back.
“And… If we’re spilling the beans…”
“Aang and I are trying for a child.”
“Whoah, mom, TMI! TMI!!” I yelled, my soul practically crying, raising my hands defensively to protect me from weird PARENT stuff.
“That’s wonderful, Toph. What’ll you name it?”
“Well, if it’s a girl, Lin, and if it’s a boy, Bumi.”
“I like the sound of a sister… THAT’D be cool.” I smiled.
Katara now adores me.
Sokka wants to kill Zuko for impregnating his sister, and mom and dad, Zuko and Katara are now more in love with each other than ever.
Funny how kids bring people together.
And so we all slept soundly that night.
Aang dreaming of Toph,Â
Toph dreaming of Aang,Â
Sokka dreaming of Zuko’s death,Â
Katara dreaming of Zuko,Â
Zuko dreaming of Katara,
And me dreaming of siblings.
Taang xxx