Twilight (2)
"Come on, don't give me that look," Nik smiles as he and Zuko row a small boat over the sea with calm waves rocking it to and fro. The morning sun isn't harsh in any manner and the duo is surely strong enough to row the poor thing till it broke instead.
Huffing, Zuko pedals once again, "We could have asked Aang for a lift. Or one of Sky Bisons from the circus, right? None of them would deny it if you requested. So? Why the menial labor?!"
Nik chuckles in response and lets the salt-ridden low gusts of wind graze past them, "I've taken a flight for quite some time now. We can fly even now with me sending you back to the mansion and then flying alone. But it would be boring. Besides, we may find a great topic of interest or just enjoy each other's company silently, right?"
Zuko grumbles under his breath and continues to row. After some time, he eventually questions, "Where are we going?"
"To the Ruins of Sun Warriors," Nik replies and it makes the youth frown.
"Sun Warriors... I remember reading something like that before evacuating the Capital when I was young..."
"It's an ancient civilization of the first fire benders," Nik explains, "I'm going there to meet someone."
"Do you need my help with that?" Zuko offers.
"Not really, this trip is just to help you. For instance, the exercise we're doing now."
Zuko rolls his eyes. As if this would help... but it did, so he kept his quiet.
It wasn't until Nik spoke with a hint of uncertainty, "Make sure to stay close when we eventually get to the island. It's a few hours away. I'll bend the waves when we get tired. But remember, you're here to enjoy and relax. Leave the tough stuff to me."
Scoffing under his breath, Zuko refuses to reply or agree to what Nik had to say and instead continues to look at the waves.
---
Although Ozai was killed, what his demise really affected was the upper echelon of the Earth Kingdom and many Fire Colonies built on the mainland. The Water Tribe had been freed. The Fire Nation... was already ruled by Iroh. And the man was favored by many fire nation nobles and even the Earth Kingdom's nobles once scrolls of support were sent from Omashu to various other regions by Bumi claiming that it would be wise to let Iroh peacefully return things to the way they could be to a certain extent.
After all, nothing could return to the way it was. Not after the war. And two days were enough for many within Phoenix City to realize that Iroh meant to remain sincere once he renamed the city Ba Sing Se. Again, it's not a day's work to return things the way they were.
And that is also why the general population only cared about the shift for a day or two. With no ambitious lord raising their banner after knowing the ins and outs of Ozai's defeat and how even the Avatar protected the city, the various lords in the Earth Kingdom were calm.
As such, the news of the circus opening to celebrate the defeat of the Tyrant was renowned.
Iroh understood that just painting his brother an ill tyrant and muddying their entire lineage with a bad name would bring instability. It was better to control this information. To spread the right amount. To celebrate in the right capacity.
The world may celebrate Ozai's demise but it would be a sin if Iroh let the world celebrate the dishonor of the Imperial Family of the Fire Nation of which only he, Azula, Zuko, and Ursa remained.
Within the barely repaired castle, Iroh drank tea and completed a few tasks with absolute boredom. Instead of the office, he chose to work in a garden once he realized how suffocatingly thick the walls were where Ozai once worked.
"Lord Iroh, the council has set sail from Fire Nation and would arrive at Phoe— Ba Sing Se in three days." A messenger bows and informs Iroh who nods with a smile. Collecting the scroll from his hand, Iroh muses internally.
They couldn't just leave. Sure, Nik and others wanted to leave for Fire Nation and he didn't intend to stop them but Aang had to finally locate the Stormbenders which was an easy task with Hina and Niwan, and eventually come to terms with the broken legacy of the airbenders.
Meanwhile, Iroh needed to make sure that Ba Sing Se was handed down to a proper ruler who had the wits and courage to rule this large nation fairly.
The thought of possible conflicts because of the Fire Nation Colonies in the Earth Kingdom made Iroh feel there were many headaches in his future, unlike the calmness he enjoyed for a few weeks in the Poor Man's Land.
Sighing, he unfurled the scroll...
And his eyes almost pop out before a strange expression takes over his face.
'First... Katara's mother returned so suddenly... and now this? Is this... the season of meeting lost relatives? How... could this have been— Oh, yeah, now I remember her. To think the brave, pioneering idea of mixing tea with alcohol would... give such a result after twenty years... Spirits!'
{A/N: These issues can be personally considered Aang's and Iroh's quests of sorts. It's not like Nik will stay here forever and deal with everything and even if he stays, he has his own stuff to take care of. So, these are more notable but background events of sorts. Off to something more personal.}
---
"Why did we have to come all this way?" Mai raises her brow at Azula as the trio felt many stares at themselves but it matters little as the audience filter out of the stands and exits. While Azula keeps her silence, Jin gives a broad and sincere grin instead, "If I had to bet, it's because she's super scared~!"
Her chortle only makes Azula scowl.
"We're... just hanging around," Azula utters.
"We never hang around," Mai points out and adds, "And I never recalled you coming to my room as early as dawn and asking me to clear my day for you."
"Yeah? Well, I would have if I remained in Fire Nation Capital for a few more years," Azula scoffs and narrow her eyes, "The circus just happened to be one of the more interesting locations... I hoped one of the performers would fall and maybe break something."
Jin and Mai give each other a look before shaking their heads.
Anyway, Mai figured that Poppy and her mother could work just as fine in the flower shop without her help while Jin was quite free because she no longer had a tea shop to tend to... and to be honest, she wanted a break from Suki's training.
Suki had simply clawed her way to the position of training everyone be it a bender or a non-bender. As Kyoshi once refrained from Suki from doing so, the woman never gave any advice on bending styles. Instead, Suki focused on teaching swordplay, martial arts, and the use of war fans. She wasn't the best in this world but even Suki improved through constant training and healing quickly with Yue's help.
Everyone knew the reason why they were here.
Azula vented a verbal assault on Ty-Lee and maybe, just maybe, her cruel, uncaring, perverted heart now feels a sliver of remorse— Mai wondered internally.
As others left, Azula and the duo still remain until one of the sweepers recognizes the trio and greets them with a happy expression, "Oh, did Nik come with you guys, too? We were wondering how many tickets we'd sell if the Hero performed alongside us!"
Azula's lips twitch slightly as she replies, "No... Nik happens to be with Zuko. Alone. On a boat. I'll leave the rest to your healthy imagination."
Jin quips from the side, "Great warm-up for what's to come. Maybe you will manage to make things worse after all. Like a performer... falling and breaking something, that is."
Azula gives Jin a sidelong stare, not even truly annoyed. If anything, entering into an argument with Jin would only leave her with metaphorical burns so Azula avoids that battle entirely and looks at the dazed sweeper who may be using his imagination to think the forbidden, "Take us to meet Ty-Lee. I need to—"
"No need to look for me!" A loud, furious, but somewhat sharp voice cuts Azula off mid-sentence as Ty Lee walks out from behind the stage while still wearing a sun-patterned headband that kept her hair completely off of her forehead alongside a white dress layered with golden ornaments. A pair of anklets jingle sonorously with each step of the contortionist.
Azula thins her lips while Ty Lee looks at the sweeper, "Could you please give us a moment?"
The worker nods and scurries away as Ty Lee cocks her hips and sets her hands akimbo while staring at Azula pointedly with naught a single word.
"We should..." Jin, for all her kicks to mess around with Azula, chooses to make this easier for the flame-kissed princess by leaving but Ty Lee interjects sharply once again, "If Azula wants to apologize for her behavior, she WILL do it in front of all of us. She's made all of our lives more bitter at various points!" Ty Lee's voice was backed with a lot of strength in it. A level of strength that is far different from her usual nature... then again, Azula didn't know what Ty Lee had been through all these years, did she?
"For transparency's sake, I don't think Azula owes me an apology," Mai calmly denies the notion for herself. She and Nik certainly had fun with the Princess, after all. But Jin decided to remain quiet, silently explaining her position.
"Fine," Azula growls in a biting tone, "I- I'm..." she seethes as certain words rebelled against her and were against the notion of escaping her lips.
"I'm..." Azula takes a heavy breath, repeating herself as Ty Lee raises a brow in anticipation.
The two silently stare at one another before Azula sighs.
"Sorry... I was jealous. Of the two of you... always has been..."
As if strength escaped her the moment those words did, Azula struggles to keep standing and chooses to sit back on the nearest seat.
Her words... however, still ring beside Ty Lee's and Jin's ears akin to thunderclap!
Their eyes grow wide in shock similar to the distance between their upper and lower lips!
"J- Jealous?!" Ty Lee gasps as if she'd heard something incredulous.
"She actually DID apologize... well enough..." Jin, as if blessed with a rare talent, still makes a tick mark pop over Azula's forehead.
"Well," Azula interjects, "I am, alright," she lays it all bare now that she had already embarrassed herself enough, "I've always been jealous of the two of you... in some ways, you two are the same. Of course, not physically. I can't say that Jin is athletic enough to pull stunts like you Ty Lee... and Ty Lee definitely doesn't have the same scrumptious look as Jin," and as if blessed with a rare talent of her own, Azula STILL manages to make them feel insulted as she continues oblivious to it all, "And... I was always jealous of how easily you could chat with guys. I mean, Ty Lee, you were already close to bouncing on Nik in a few hours, and Jin... well, you know..."
Jin nods in understanding. Azula did always have some problems trying to form a relationship with a guy. It was one of the MAJOR reasons why Azula ended up with Jin instead of some guy... in fact, now Jin comes to a realization that Azula is killing it with Nik. Of course, this also speaks more about Nik than Azula.
"So... what you said back then... me trying to get all the attention... that was because you were jealous?" Ty Lee blinks before she suddenly begins to giggle and seeing no one near her but the girls, her giggles turn into a bellyful of laughter!
"Azula!" Wiping a tear away from the corner of her eyes, Ty Lee flashes a rather light-hearted grin, "You have nothing to be jealous of! Come on! You're one of the most beautiful women I've known. Truly. And I don't think I can just chat that easily with ANY guy. It's Nik. He makes it easy for me to talk to him."
"What?" Azula frowns this time.
"She's right," Mai nods from the sideline, "He's got skills... for a reason. I suppose he will tell you guys soon enough. Oh, maybe not you," she looks at Ty Lee, "I think the info is only for whoever he sleeps with."
Ty Lee blushes and scoffs under her breath while Jin cocks her head sideways with a curious expression, "Is it something good?"
This attracts Azula's and Ty Lee's attention only for Mai to shrug indifferently, "For me, yes. Depends on how you take this information."
"Then just tell us!" Azula demands, regaining her momentary lost haughtiness only to met be met by Mai's infuriating mocking stare.
"ANYWAY!" Ty Lee is quick to smother Azula by jumping on her lap, pulling Jin and Mai down with her, while pressing her somewhat scented chest up Azula's face into an impromptu group hug with the widest grin, "I'm so glad you guys came with Azula! And... really, I was having one of my worst days... Azula, thank you for turning it over and making it the best day for me instead!"
Azula locks gazes with Ty Lee before averting her gaze in embarrassment and lets her muffled annoyance known, "This is weird... but alright. My presence is known to cheer many..."
Jin and Mai roll their eyes as Ty Lee giggles, "Alright, let's find Nik and—"
"He's out with Zuko," Mai informs and stares at Azula, "And unlike what Azula keeps on fantasizing, Zuko or Nik aren't bending for one another."
Ty Lee shrugs, "Then let's go out and eat. Just us!"
Could they even reject this offer?
The answer quickly presents itself as Ty Lee pulls them backstage and quickly changes into something more comfortable.
***
Alternate Title: The Forgiving Apology
***
Shoutout to Raymond Shallis, Maximilian Seifert, Skywind117, Alexander S, and James (Silencian)!!
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