Chapter 7 – The Gang goes to School
Azula and Nuwa head into the house that Zuko and Ty Li went into. Nuwa grimaces when she sees an emo-looking Mai who is also aged 7. ‘Why’s she emo even as a little kid? Oh well, not like I care. I’d never go out of my way to bang her. She reminds me of my last life and 2d men. The sad part is that she’s the most normal one out of this gang of misfits, including me.’
Mai apathetically drones, “Hello my name is Mai.”
Ty Li introduces me and Azula to Mai to save us from the whole ‘puny serf’ routine.
Nuwa has never been part of a 3d clique of friends before and because she is nervous, she occasionally says dumb shit like “lol” and “roful.” Everyone gives her weird looks and dismisses it as her just being an oddball.
Nuwa has always been comfortable around her sisters so she feels outside her comfort zone. While Zuko’s showing off his bending to a starstruck Mai, Azula drags her into the hallway.
Azula says, “Not acting anymore?”
Nuwa responds, “Huh?”
Azula observes Nuwa carefully and replies, “You were just acting cheerful before in front of Father and I. You don’t really want to be here.”
Nuwa stammers, “N-no, I want to make friends! It’s my first time making friends. It’s been so long that I forgot.”
Azula looks suspiciously at Nuwa and then the room. She pulls Nuwa back into the room and declares loudly, “From now on, we are ‘The Gang’ and you will all answer only to me, except Zuko since he’s not included. Girls only.”
In this strange manner, Azula domineeringly took leadership of the friend circle and forced the girls to train in their specialties through a series of spars with her, despite it being a vacation. Azula could tell that Mai was not up to snuff in one vs one with her current training, so she suggested that she be an assassin-type fighter with knives and other projectile weaponry.
After the vacation, the training itself seemed to impress upon The Gang a sense of camaraderie even if it was indeed under a tyrant. Then again, kid Azula never really hurt the girls, she just scared them with her sadistic behavior and inordinately high talent for fighting. Nuwa and Ty Li were unable to get close to her after she became wary of their chi-blocking so she easily beat them after that.
Nuwa hadn’t revealed her soulbound equipment yet, even though she was eager to give them a go to try beating Azula again. She’s planning to explain it using the cultivation trope of “I found them in the tomb of a hidden expert.” The Avatar world was full of unusual occurrences between the Spirit Realm and the Human Realm, so it shouldn’t be an issue.
At the end of the vacation, Azula tells the Ty sisters which classes to enroll in the Royal Fire Academy for Girls that all the young Fire Nation noblewomen would go to between ages 8 and 17 before dismissing them from her presence. Azula seemed to have big plans for The Gang going forward.
Lady Pea looks visibly relieved seeing Nuwa and Ty Li back in one piece and once inside their large carriage, she checks them thoroughly for any injuries.
Nuwa grumbles, “Mother, I told you we were fine. There’s no way I’d let Azula hurt my precious sister.”
Lady Pea gushes with happiness at her oddball finally showing some responsibility, “I know dear, I just can't help but get worried when it comes to the current Royals.” She whispers just to Nuwa, “They don’t seem right in the head.”
Nuwa teases back, “You could teach them a lesson in your bed.” Lady Pea coughs loudly in embarrassment and chides her naughtiest daughter, “Do you want to be spanked kiddo?”
Nuwa laughs it off and hugs her, “Nooo pwease.”
Lady Pea sighs, “Hah, fine. What will I do with you oddball? I’ll miss you guys while you’re at school.”
“I’m sure you’ll have LOTS of fun Mother!”
“That’s it, you’re getting spanked!”
When they come back from vacation, all the sisters are enrolled into the girls boarding school, the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. Nuwa and Ty Li pick the same classes as Azula instructed and make sure that the other sisters avoid her classes. In Nuwa and the Pea couple’s opinion, the less people in the family involved with the Royals, the better.
In school, Nuwa finds most of the noblewoman classes boring even though the [System] reminds her that etiquette may be important for future records. She resolves to do just enough to pass, but not overly focus on them. She does not have a powerful brain to be able to always do her best in daily life and training. Nuwa would rather put her effort into fighting or peeping.
Even though many people want to befriend Nuwa in school due to [Induced Good Impression], they are nonetheless scared away after finding out that she is Azula’s right hand man.
A week after starting school, and suffering many defeats to Azula’s flames, she finally finds the time to sneak out to ‘find some legendary weapons.’
Now it’s time to test them on Azula!