Connection||atla

32. Azula, princess of the Fire Nation

I smiled at the view of the grass and the smell of the fresh air. "Finally!" I grinned to myself more as I rested on Ookami.

"What does he even mean by love? I know love!" I threw my hands in the air, still upset what Chong said.

I paused for a second and sighed.

"Oh, Seon. You don't know how much I miss you..." I mumbled.

After what it seemed like hours, Katara and Aang came out.

"You're okay!" I smiled as I hugged Katara then Aang. "How did it go?" I smiled at them.

"Just as the legend says, we let love lead the way!" Aang said grinning like an idiot.

"Did you two kiss?" I whispered to him, making him go beat red. "Alright. Don't answer that! I already know the answer.

"Now, where's Sokka and the nomads?" Katara asked as we waited for them.

Not a second later they came out with giant badger moles. I ran up to Sokka and gave him a big hug.

"You're alright! How did you find these cute badger moles?"

"Actually, they found us. And it turns out, they really like music." Sokka said.

"Why's your forehead all red?" I asked rubbing it with my thumb but he winced. "Sorry" I said as I backed up a little.

"Nobody react to what I'm about to tell you. I think that kid might be the Avatar!" Chong leaned in and whispered.

Sokka smacked his forehead again answering my question. Aang then loudly asks, "So, are you guys gonna come to Omashu with us?"

"Nope" said Moku bluntly.

"Oh, thank the spirits!" Sokka exclaimed as I sighed in relief.

"Okay, thanks for everything, Moku" Aang said.

Chong took off of his flower necklace and put it around Sokka's neck.

"Sokka, I hope you learned a little something about not letting the plans get in the way of the journey." He went for a hug where the boy was stiff and sullen. "And actually listened to your heart of what love truly means to you, my dude."

"Just play your songs" Sokka grumbled. Chong released him, thrilled with that brilliant suggestion.

"Even if you're lost

You can't lose love because

It's in your heart,

Oohhhh...." Chong played his guitar as he sang as the others followed him to their destination.

-
After what it seemed like hours of flying, Sokka snaps us to reality.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the great city of Omashu—" Sokka begins with a dramatic introduction for the beautiful city but stops as he looked at it.

The great city was in shambles and the Fire Nation insignia sitting atop the gates.

"Oh spirits..." I muttered under my breath.

"I can't believe it.... I always thought Omashu was... untouchable." Aang breathes. The emotion in his voice shines clear, he was upset.

"Up until now, it was. Now Ba Sing Se is the only great Earth Kingdom stronghold held." I said looking at the fallen city. It was once capable and strong, now it's under Fire Nation's command and control.

"This is horrible. But we have to move on" Katara said.

"No. I'm going to find Bumi." Aang decides. There's no changing in his mind.

"Aang, wait. We don't know if Bumi is still..." Sokka stops. Aang stops marching down the road and snaps. "What? If he's still what?"

"Around..." Sokka said.

"Sokka, Bumi's not dead. He may be old but he's the greatest earth bender I've ever met." I reassured as Aang gave me a grateful smile. "And Aang's right. We have to find him." I pointed out.

"I know you two had your heart set on Bumi, but we can find another earth bending teacher that will be just as good." Katara tries to talk to us out of it.

"This isn't about finding a teacher. It's about finding a friend." Aang said.

-

He leads us to behind the city to a secret way inside. "Has this been here the entire time?" Sokka's mouth drops.

"Yeah..." Aang scratches his head sheepishly.

Once the door was open, the sewage stench fills my nostrils making me gag. "Yuck!" I cringed at the disgusting substance.

"We have to water bend it." Aang said as we followed Aang into the muddy water.

Katara and I make our way in front of the group and start bending a clear path for us to walk on. Aang air bends whatever he catches, having it land on Sokka who's echoing 'ew's and 'ick's through the narrow tunnel.

We finally made it to the end, climbing out of the smelly hole. "Well, that wasn't as bad as i thought." Katara and I smiled to each other.

"Yeah, it was fabulous." Sokka's snarky reply makes me smile. Katara and I water bended some water and washed off the dirty substances off of him. Aang then air bends him, making him all dry and cleaned up.

"Isn't that better?" I smirked at him which I was returned with a pout.

"I should look for guards that way." I said pulling my hood on.

After I checked everything and was clear, I went back to the group where I was greeted with a 'whoosh' sound flies by my head. It barely missed, instead hitting the wall.

I looked closer and it was a knife. I followed the path it made, meeting a dark haired, unimpressed girl with shiny chunks of metal resting in her hands.

"Finally. Something mildly interesting is happening." she said boringly. She aims more knives my way but I dodged them with my air bending safely.

However, a few jab hit my body, making me fall to the ground without a limp of a sound.

"Great job, girls."

-

I was woken up in a room that had red walls, golden poles around the hall and tied to a metal chair.

"Well well well, it was time you'd actually woken up!"

I looked up and saw a girl, not older than fourteen, in a royal fire nation armor smirking down on me.

"I am Azula, the princess of the Fore Nation. These are my friends, Ty Lee and Mai." She points to the dark haired girl and a really bubbly looking girl.

"Hey!" the bubbly girl waved happily.

"I believe you were with the Avatar, aren't you? Tell us your name since we said ours." Azula said.

"Not until you let me out of this super uncomfortable chair." I struggled at the cold metal chair, keeping me in place.

"I think you'll be fine sitting down." she said coldly.

"Well, I'm Yozora, the princess of the Northern Water Tribe. Now let me out of this chair, I'm already out numbered so why would I try take you down?" I said.

"Fine. But don't do anything dumb or you'll be forced to sit back again." she said calling in the guards to release me.

"It's an honor to meet you, princess of the Fire Nation." I bowed to Azula respectfully and surprisingly she bowed back.

"Same goes for you, princess of the Northern Water Tribe. You have some explaining to do."

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