About an hour later.
Team Azula sat in a lounge room while they watched their young friend sift through open bag with a contemplative expression in her amber eyes.
"Azula-sama?" Elle pondered in a sweet voice while the woman sighed as she set down her cup.
"What now, Elle?" Azula asked in a stern voice without delay while she glared at the two smiling noblewomen through the corner of her eye.
"I think I want to make a decision for myself!" Elle announced in a cheery voice while all three women nearly fell over in comical shock.
The two noblewomen gazed in humor at their adopted little sister while the princess's amber golden eyes now twitched in obvious displeasure.
"What! You wish to decide for yourself?" Azula almost snarled while her two childhood friends listened in amusement.
"Well...that's good I suppose." Mai stated with humor in her voice while Azula scowled at her from the other side of the sofa.
"Yeah! It is. Isn't it, Azula?" Ty Lee chimed with a grin on her lips while Azula glared a hole through her skull.
"No, Ty Lee! It is not. Now listen here, peasant. You're not allowed to make your own decisions. I am your mistress, and I will make your choice for you." Azula remarked in a controlling voice while she smirked down at her serving girl's adorably thoughtful face as both noblewomen rolled their eyes.
"I don't know, Azula-sama...I feel like I've already made my mind up. And that maybe I should make just this one choice for myself..." Elle trailed off with a finger under her lip as her big sister's smiled in approval while Azula now glared down at her.
"Made up your mind about what, Elle?" Mai inquired in a curious voice while the younger girl smiled softly as she held her mother's jewelry box in her lap.
"I've decided that I want to spend my life spreading kindness and helping out those in need. Just like my mother did." Elle spoke with a brightened countenance while her big sister's eyes softened after hearing her words.
Only for the princess to scrunch her nose up in unhidden disgust as she groaned over her young girlfriend.
"Ugh! Soft hearted peasant! I should have expected that you would say something like that." Azula huffed as her posterior sank into the sofa while she scowled down at her serving girl's naïve face.
'Curse this peasant. Why did I have fall for this little pacifist?' Azula thought with her arms folded stubbornly over her breasts as she turned to angrily glare over her shoulder at the nearest all.
All the while trying as hard as she could to suppress the sliver of a blush that she could feel developing on her regal cheeks.
"Oh, don't be such a grump, Azula! I think it's very sweet of Elle to want to spend her life helping people! Ty Lee exclaimed as she lightly slapped her scowling friends' shoulder only for the other woman to cast a foul glare her way.
"I know, Azula-sama! Maybe after you become Fire Lord, we can travel the world helping out those less fortunate than us!" Elle chirped with great cheer lacing her voice as she peered up at her girlfriend's now completely repulsed face.
Both noblewomen listened in entertainment as they exchanged an amused glance with one another.
The mere thought of Azula being forced to travel the world to provide charity to those in need just to avoid displeasing Elle was a truly humorous one indeed.
"Elle..." Azula growled with a beautiful scowl on her full lips while she glared down at the smaller girl's innocent face.
"Yeah, Azula. You could be the lord of peace." Mai taunted with a small smirk on her lips while Azula's callous amber golden eyes glared a hole through her skull.
"It would be nice to do anyhow. We could help make the world a better place as a couple." Elle stated with a still present smile while the two noblewomen smiled teasingly at the princess's irate face.
"Absolutely not! As Fire Lord I will not reduce myself to traveling the world to provide charity to peasants!" Azula barked with a glower on her lovely lips while her young girlfriend still held onto her mother's jewelry box.
"What got you thinking about all of this, Elle?" Ty Lee asked with concern in her voice while Elle stared down at the box with a sentimental look in her amber eyes.
"I've just had a lot on my mind. That's all." Elle answered in a quieter voice as she bit her lip while her three friends took note of something hidden in her voice.
"Like the Avatar?" Mai queried as she turned to face the younger girl's thoughtful face.
"I...have something to tell you, Azula-sama." Elle began in an uncertain voice while the older girl rose an inquisitive brow.
"And what would that be?" Azula questioned in a strangely attentive voice only to furrow her brows when her handmaid reached into her bag once more.
"I-it's about Reiko." Elle admitted in a sheepish voice as she withdrew her cellphone while the trio now listened closely.
"What about her? Have you been hiding something from me?" Azula pondered in a stricter voice with annoyance flashing in her stern eyes when Elle's shoulders slumped.
She has!
"Back on the island I...discovered that she left me encrypted messages on my phone..." Elle confessed in a hesitant voice while all three of her friends gazed at her in alarm.
"That was over two weeks ago! And you are only just now telling me this?" Azula hissed with her teeth ground together in her anger only for Ty Lee to frown over in her direction.
"Azula. Stop that. You don't have any right to be angry with Elle. She's been more forthcoming with you than anyone else would have been. So, what if it took her two weeks to tell us? She's still telling us." Ty Lee scolded with her arms crossed over her breasts while Azula turned to glare in her direction.
"I didn't tell you because I knew that you would tell me to ignore what she had to say. And I felt compelled to consider her words. Because it involves the people back home." Elle responded with her hands in her lap while Azula released a loud scoff over her.
"Yes, that's exactly what I would have told you. Because it is painfully obvious that this woman is trying to manipulate you!" Azula snapped while she sunk back in her seat with a snarl escaping her lips.
As much as it angered her to admit it.
For the first time in her entire life she felt concern over someone being manipulated.
It was absurd!
And yet no matter how many times she tried to tell herself that she shouldn't care.
She did.
She cares for this little peasant girl.
"What...do the messages say, Elle?" Mai inquired in a supportive voice with her lips forming a frown while she watched curiously as the girl powered on the device.
"Well...they were recorded in advance. In the event that I declined to go with her. And they're in Japanese too. So just anyone won't be able to make out the words." Elle explained as she chewed on her lip while the three highborn women listened in rising suspicion.
"In...advance?" Ty Lee repeated with worry in her voice while the princess still sneered in her direction.
"Y-yeah. You see phones can be used to communicate with people an entire country away...provided that you have reception from power supply towers. She suspected that I might be somewhere outside of the range of reception...so she recorded messages on the phone she gave me." Elle stated as she held the phone up while the trio gazed at the device in astonishment.
"You can talk with someone all the way on the other side of the country with that?" Mai breathed with awe in her voice while even the princess listened with her amber golden eyes flashing in amazement.
"Yep. For example, if the Fire Nation had phone service, Ty Lee could call you from the palace, and vice versa." Elle replied in a patient voice while her friends gazed ahead in shock.
"That's...that's incredible! Isn't it, Azula?" Ty Lee conversed with her mouth in the shape of an o while Azula still glared down at the device.
"I suppose so. But only marginally." Azula snorted with a haughty wave of her hand while both noblewomen now rolled their eyes at the back of her head.
"I have to say, Elle...the technology in your homeland. It's...fascinating." Mai spoke in a piqued voice while Azula stubbornly rolled her eyes.
"It seems that our worlds went down completely separate paths. Yours is more spiritual...more supernatural. Ours...is more technological. I guess we abandoned all of those things long ago. In order to focus on building our technology." Elle mumbled as she gazed down at her phone while her girlfriend let out another snide snort over her.
"How foolish of your people. No technology is worth the loss of bending." Azula commented in a haughty undertone yet even so she still found herself leaning over her small girlfriend's shoulder to scrutinize the device.
"Is that why you're leaning in to get a peek at it, Azula?" Ty Lee teased with a smile on her lips while the princess snapped her head up to glare back at her.
"Be silent, Ty Lee! I am inspecting the device for wartime purposes, and nothing more." Azula insisted with a pompous snort while both noblewomen cast her a deadpan stare.
"So...anyway. I'll just translate as she speaks." Elle muttered as her friends gazed back to her with unhidden curiosity in their eyes.
"You do that, servant. I demand that you tell me every word! Is that understood!" Azula ordered as she thrust a finger in her now quivering serving girl's face while her childhood friends sighed in exasperation.
"O-of course I'll tell you every word. I'm your loyal servant, Azula-sama. And I-I'll always serve you to my fullest." Elle stuttered with adoration in her amber eyes while Azula smiled down at her in approval.
"Just...see to it that you don't forget who you serve, peasant." Azula scoffed in a prideful voice as she sat over her handmaid while the smaller girl scooted closer to her.
"I-I could never. I serve you, Princess." Elle murmured in a love-struck voice only for a blissful smile to form on her lips when she felt a hand lower into her hair.
"Hm. Good girl." Azula purred with her palm petting her serving girl's hair while she allowed the girl to push her face under her arm.
"A-Azula-sama." Elle swooned in a timid voice as she melted like a kitten under Azula's strong hand while the woman possessively held onto her head.
Only for the princess's eyes to narrow in aggravation when she sensed her two friends staring at them.
"What are you two looking at!" Azula growled out in a protective voice as she spun around to glare at her two intimidated friends.
As the smaller girl hid shyly under her muscular arm while she cradled her head against her chestplate.
"Nothing Azula! We were looking at Elle's phone." Ty Lee assured with a wave of her hand while she still smiled at Azula's scowling face.
They were such an adorable couple!
"Play the message, Elle." Azula commanded in a voice of absolute authority while she found herself slipping her toned arm over her girlfriend's petite shoulder.
"Yes, Azula-sama..." Elle trailed off in a soft voice as she smiled happily when her princess wrapped her arm around her small back.
"You belong to me." Azula declared in a possessive voice with her crimson lips pursed into a snarl while Elle adorably hid under her arm.
"That's so. And I wouldn't have it any other way." Elle agreed in a sighing voice as she rested her face against her mistress's elegant armor while Azula's strong arm latched around her side.
The two noblewomen briefly gazed at the two in mutual amazement before they gazed back down at the device just as it lit up.
And then a mysterious womanly voice emanated into the air of the royal lounge.
And with that their young friend began translating the woman's every word.
Until finally.
Four minutes later.
The trio sat in a perplexed silence as they gazed away with astonishment and evident concern for the threat that this strange woman posed to them.
All the while digesting everything that they heard this woman say.
Elle came here on her own...
This Reiko knew about Elle's power...
A pseudo space.
Stare into the darkness and cry a thousand times over.
Apostles.
Build a better world.
And...come back.
Suffice to say that all of their protective urges were now in overdrive.
But none more so than Azula herself.
"H-how could Elle get here on her own? There has to be more to it than that!" Ty Lee exclaimed in a stunned voice while the princess gritted her teeth as she glared down at the phone.
"Yeah. How is that possible?" Mai muttered in a baffled voice as she gazed down at her adopted sister's emotional face.
And they could both tell that for once Azula was frustrated with an enemy of hers.
Azula was almost always the one who knew everything and had the upper hand.
But for the first time in her life.
The princess was at a complete disadvantage.
And it was obvious that Azula did not like that.
'Damn this infernal woman! What does she know that I don't? What gateway?' Azula thought with her eyes narrowing in her fury as she clenched her fists in her lap.
Only to be quickly snapped out of her reverie by her young companion's unusually sorrowful voice.
"A world where a mother doesn't have to die protecting her daughter...a world where my p-parents would be alive." Elle lamented in a barely perceivable voice with her bangs hanging over her eyes while her friends sat in a numb silence.
"Elle..." Ty Lee whispered with a tear streaming down her cheek while Elle sat with her head hung low.
And it went without saying that all of Team Azula was furious with this woman for trying to use their young friend's deceased parents to manipulate her emotions.
"Foolish girl! I already told you to pay no mind to what this woman has to say! She's trying to deceive you!" Azula scolded with something akin to concern in her cold voice while she stared hard down at her companion's infuriatingly conflicted face.
"Azula's right, Elle. There is no such thing as a perfect world..." Mai advised in a soft voice with her tawny eyes thawing as she gazed down at her adopted sister.
Just before she briefly glanced at the back of Azula's head before she quickly turned away.
She couldn't help but wonder how Elle will react when she learns about some of the more gruesome things that the Fire Nation has done.
That the Avatar and Zuko are now trying to change.
How will Elle feel about Azula then?
"W-what if I misread her? What if I can help make the world a better place? What if there is something that I can do with this power that would benefit millions?" Elle questioned as she gazed pleadingly up at her friends baffled faces while Azula ground her teeth together in aggravation.
"Is there any end to your naivety? You are far too easily played." Azula snorted as she rolled her eyes only for both noblewomen to stare at her in disapproval.
"But...b-but if there's even the slightest chance that I can do something positive to benefit the world...then I should consider it." Elle reasoned as she shook her head while the princess stared at her with obvious annoyance in her eyes.
"How many times must I tell you not to worry about the state of this world or any other?" Azula sighed in a highly irate voice with a deepening scowl while her young girlfriend gazed down at the floor.
"Sumimasen." Elle muttered as she sat with her back turned to Azula while the much taller woman loomed over her with a displeased countenance.
"Azula...you can't fault Elle for wanting to help out others. That's just how she is." Ty Lee stated softly as her friend scowled back at her before leaning over the worried girl's shoulder.
"Just do as I say, Elle. And I will figure out the rest." Azula ordered in a smooth voice as she stared sternly down at the younger girl's back.
"It's not that simple, Azula-sama. Reiko knows something. And we're probably never going to get it unless we go to her." Elle responded with a shake of her head after putting the phone back in her bag while her friends sat in a contemplative silence.
The princess could only scowl with her lips pursing into a tight line while she glared down at her pacifistic companion.
"Please. You underestimate me. I am more than capable of deciphering this woman's cryptic words." Azula scoffed with a haughty snort before she plopped down directly beside her dainty serving girl.
"I'm sure that we'll be able to figure it out, Elle." Mai assured in a sisterly voice as she gazed comfortingly down at Elle's innocent face.
"She...said that if I combine my power with hers...that we can change the world." Elle spoke as she gazed down into her lap while the three highborn women gazed at one another in bewilderment.
All the while Azula's scowl only continued to deepen even further as she gazed hard down at her girlfriend's disconcerted face.
"Ugh. I have heard enough about this woman! Why are you so focused on what she has to say anyway?" Azula complained in a spoiled voice with her arms folded over her breasts while she fixed her handmaid with a jealous stare.
"Azula...Elle's just trying to figure out what all this means. That's all." Ty Lee stated with a sigh as she sat beside the scowling princess.
Yet she couldn't help but find it adorable that Azula was getting so jealous over Elle interacting with another woman of royalty.
"I-it's not like I'm interested in dating her, Azula-sama." Elle stammered while she gazed up at her girlfriend's glowering face while the older woman huffed over her.
"You better not be, peasant! If you are, I will have no choice but to destroy you!" Azula barked in a possessive voice with a growl escaping her lips as she glared down at her quivering pet's bashful face.
Mai rolled her eyes outside of the princess's line of vision.
"I-I'm not, Azula-sama! I would never betray the holder of my heart!" Elle cried out as placed a hand on Azula's arm while the proud woman released a haughty snort.
"Humph. That's what I like to hear." Azula grumbled with her boots on the floor while she allowed her small girlfriend to touch her arm.
"I swear, Azula. It's beyond me how Elle has the patience to put up with you." Mai commented in a monotone voice while Azula glared at her from the corner of her eye.
"It's just that...she was the one to bring stability to the region." Elle admitted as she turned to gaze down at her mother's jewelry box while her three friends listened in growing curiosity.
"What happened to your homeland, Elle?" Ty Lee questioned in a supportive voice while she gazed down at the smaller girl with concerned bray-gray eyes.
Elle thoughtfully bit her lip while the three women stared at her curiously before she finally responded.
"There was a war...before my time that changed the world. But...not for the better." Elle stated with her brows furrowing in contemplation while Azula cruel amber golden eyes flashed with unhidden excitement over the mention of war.
Both noblewomen now cast the princess a reproachful stare over her war mongering ways.
"I demand that you tell me all about this war of yours, servant." Azula ordered as she greedily slipped her muscular arm around her pet's neck before she shoved the smaller girl under her armpit once more.
Just as a sophisticated smile returned to her full lips while she squashed her blushing serving girl beneath her armpit.
"Y-yes, Azula-sama." Elle agreed in a timid squeak while she paid no mind to how the woman was restraining her under her arm.
"Azula...is it really necessary to put Elle in a neck lock?" Ty Lee asked in a helpful voice only for Azula to turn to scowl icily back at her.
"You're wasting your breath, Ty Lee." Mai snorted with a roll of her eyes while the petite girl smiled shyly under the princess's domineering arm.
"Silence Ty Lee! I am her ruler. Not you! And I will do as I please with my submissive." Azula barked with a puff of fire escaping her nostrils while her two childhood friends just sighed in exasperation.
"Right Azula. Your submissive." Ty Lee sighed with a small smile on her lips while she gazed at her two friends.
"It...was a war that changed everything. It was...World War Three." Elle spoke in a barely perceivable voice while all three highborn women gazed at her in increased wonder.
"World War Three? Like our Hundred Year War?" Mai inquired in a softer voice while Elle solemnly nodded her head.
"Y-yeah. It was a war so devastating that by the wars end...much of the world was left in chaos. Governments were toppled. And people all around the world were forced to fend for themselves in a chaotic war-torn land." Elle explained in a glummer voice while her friends listened in a transfixed silence.
A heaviness now filled the air as both noblewomen turned to gaze pointedly at Azula's scowling visage while the princess snarled in their direction.
"T-that's horrible, Elle." Ty Lee replied lamely with a depressed look overtaking her usually cheerful face.
"Oh, stop being so emotional, Ty Lee. Wars are a part of human nature. Which is why it is essential to win the war at all costs so your nation doesn't fall into chaos." Azula snapped in a frigid voice as she glared back at her two frowning friends while her girlfriend hid under her armpit.
"Azula." Mai warned with a trace of anger in her voice while the princess released a haughty huff.
"And then...that was when Reiko appeared in my corner of the world. And with-it stability." Elle spoke as she turned to gaze at her friends fascinated faces while they listened closely to her tale.
Team Azula continued to sit in a wondrous silence as they all gazed back at their young friend with a shared mutual unconcealed curiosity in their eyes.
"She brought back food, order, and comfort. She brought back everything. And that's why she's a pretty big deal." Elle concluded with a nod while the three women exchanged an amazed look only for her princess to snort smugly over her.
"Please! There is no one who is a bigger deal than me." Azula scoffed in a snobbish voice as she flicked her bangs from her eyes while both noblewomen cast her a deadpan glance.
Only for her red lips to curve into a smirk once more when her serving girl lovingly nuzzled her muscular bicep.
"Oh, Azula-sama...there is no one greater than you." Elle swooned like a love-struck schoolgirl with her face in the older woman's well-muscled arm while Azula puffed out her chest over her.
"Of course, there isn't. And you had best remember that, peasant." Azula snorted with a conceited smirk on her lips while she lounged back against the sofa with her small serving girl under her dominant arm.
"I-I could never, Princess. You're my Fire Queen." Elle stammered with her cheek against her mistress's chestplate while she felt a strong hand slide down her back.
"Hm. So, I am." Azula purred in a smooth voice with a confident smile on her lips while her hand grasped at the small of her young girlfriend's back.
"I have got to hand it to you, Azula. You are so full of yourself that you had to steer the conversation away from Elle's people back to you." Mai stated in a monotone voice as she sat with her arms folded over her robed breasts while Azula glared back at her.
"I suggest you watch yourself, Mai. I was simply directing her mind back to healthier thoughts." Azula retorted in a cold voice with her callous eyes forming a penetrating stare that silenced the other woman.
Before she turned to gaze sternly down at the smaller girl under her arm while her regal lips expressed disapproval over the girl's sadness.
"I'm sorry that your people had to go through that, Elle. I really am." Ty Lee commented at long last with her hands on her arms.
Elle spoke so little of her 'Earth'. And there was so much that they didn't know about it.
And it was becoming apparent that there was more that Elle was running away from than they knew.
"It's not your fault, oneesan. It's just the way war is. But I...don't like it." Elle mumbled as she gazed back at her big sister's compassionate face while the older girl still frowned in concern.
"Neither do I." Ty Lee agreed with firmness in her voice while she gazed back at Azula's stoic face while the princess cast a moody glare back at her.
"And...neither did my mom..." Elle murmured in a reminiscent voice before she sat up once more while the princess stared at her back with a perplexed look in her amber golden eyes.
Azula furrowed her brows once more with her lips creasing into a thin line while she tried her hardest to squash her affections for the younger girl.
And yet...
Somehow, she was feeling something akin to a flicker of concern for this peasant girl.
How bizarre was that?
The two noblewomen sat with unhidden concern in their eyes as they watched in pity when Elle began to dig through her bag once again.
They never stopped gazing at Elle's face when they noticed the wetness developing in her kind amber eyes.
Only for all three of them to gaze on intently when the girl withdrew a small sheet of paper that the princess had seen before.
Both Mai and Ty Lee gazed down with fascination in their eyes to find themselves peering at a lifelike image of their young friend at no more than four years old!
With a blonde-haired woman and a young boy wearing glasses.
"This...this is a photograph of me...my mother and my brother." Elle announced in a solemn voice with the photo in hand while her big sisters stared down at it in awe.
The two speechless women sat back in an astonished quiet as they still gazed in spellbound amazement at the image in the serving girl's hands.
"That's...a photograph...it's so realistic." Mai whispered with her tawny eyes flickering in sympathy as she gazed down at her adopted sister's emotional face.
Meanwhile Ty Lee wiped a tear that was dripping down her cheek before she leaned forward to place a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder.
"It's beautiful, Elle. Your mother was so beautiful." Ty Lee spoke in a tender voice with her eyes overflowing with tears while she gazed down at the photograph in wonderment.
And most baffling of all was the fact that Elle's brother actually looked...like a kind young boy.
Not all like the cruel man her little sister tell her about many times now!
"Y-yes. She was." Elle stuttered with a tear streaming down her cheek while her friends gazed at her in shared pity.
"Elle...I'm sorry." Mai remarked in a saddened voice with sorrow reflecting in her eyes as she watched Elle clutch the photograph to her chest.
"Foolish peasant! Cease those waterworks right now, or I will have you put to death!" Azula bellowed with a snarl on her lips while both noblewomen turned to direct her an exasperated stare.
"Azula...just let the poor girl cry." Ty Lee advised with her hand on Elle's back while Azula turned to scowl back at them.
"The girl cries far too much for her own good." Azula scoffed in a haughty voice as she glared over her girlfriend's shoulder while her scowl deepened after listening to the girl sniffle.
"In the aftermath of the great war...she dedicated her life to helping people recover. There...there wasn't anyone that she wouldn't try to help." Elle spoke in a grieving voice with her hair hanging over her eyes while the three women listened in sympathetic silence.
"She was a good person, Elle." Ty Lee stated in a gentle voice with another tear dripping down her cheek while Mai gazed on in sorrow.
All the while the princess continued to stare on with a barely noticeable sliver of concern in her callous amber golden eyes.
Just what was it about this girl's tears that made her feel this way?
"She...she taught me that no one has the right to take the life of another. T-that's what she said, and that's what she did. So...I...t-try to live by it." Elle confessed with her arms over her chest while Ty Lee gazed over her shoulder with wet brown-gray eyes.
The statement hit all three members of Team Azula in the chest.
Even the cruel princess herself.
Even though she didn't want to admit it.
All three of them have taken their fair share of lives on the battlefield.
Even the kind hearted Ty Lee.
The two noblewomen shared a saddened look while they gazed at the young girl's back.
"Why does that not surprise me..." Azula sighed as she scooted up behind her handmaid with a regal frown still adorning her lips.
Such a troublesome girl...
"J-just before we parted ways...she told me...t-to be safe and to live with goodness." Elle stuttered with her hands grasping desperately at her photograph while her friends sat behind her in a heavy quiet.
It was more than obvious to Team Azula that their young friend's departed mother loved her deeply.
"Elle...I am certain that your mother would be proud of you. I know it." Mai consoled in a soft voice as she gazed down in concern at the smaller girl's back.
"Yeah. That's right. Isn't it, Azula?" Ty Lee chimed in as she turned her head to glance over her shoulder at Azula's stoic face while the woman sighed heavily in response.
"Yes. She would...now stop your bawling right now!" Azula barked with a snarl escaping her beautiful lips while her two childhood friends sighed in frustration.
"All of my life...I-I have tried to live by her words. But there are so many cruel people." Elle muttered in a disconcerted voice with her amber eyes gazing ahead while her three highborn friends scooted closer to her.
And then the three women formed a protective huddle around their saddened young friend.
"Ssh. It's okay, little sister." Ty Lee cooed as she slid her arm around the petite girl's neck while the smaller girl sniffled against her chest.
"That's enough crying now. Don't make me punish you." Azula grumbled with a sophisticated scowl on her full lips while she gazed hard down at her annoyingly glum girlfriend.
"T-those two girls from the Capital...and that man in the alley...and those boys back in Fire Mountain...that soldier S-Strados, and Felix are all so very cruel." Elle mumbled as she sat between the three women while they listened in concern over her.
Azula pursed her lips into a furious scowl while she stared down at her sorrowful handmaid.
'What does this woman want with my serving girl? She belongs to me and I will not share her with another ruler. When I meet this wretched woman, I will be certain to teach her that I...am Elle's one and only queen.' Azula thought with a puff of wrathful fire escaping her nostrils while she pushed her body into her pet's dainty frame.
And then she slipped her muscular arm around the girl's other shoulder before she tucked her sniffling serving girl under her armpit once again.
"Naïve girl. The world is not a kind place. And the sooner you understand that. The better off you'll be." Azula remarked with another growl as she drew her small companion under her arm while she allowed the girl to lean into her armored breast.
"We'll protect you, Elle. Please try not to worry so much." Ty Lee instructed in a sisterly voice as she smiled gently down at the shorter girl while she still patted her back.
"Yeah. We will." Mai agreed with a resolute nod while she sat close to the smaller girl while Elle gazed gratefully between all three of them.
"You would be lost if we didn't." Azula snorted in a pompous voice with a returning smirk on her lips while she held her girlfriend's face into her side.
"A-arigatou gozaimasu...minasan." Elle spoke in a bashful voice as she placed her head against the older woman's chest while her big sisters gazed at her fondly.
"Think nothing of it, little sister! You're one of us!" Ty Lee exclaimed with revived grin while the young girl blushed under her patting hand.
"You would do well to abandon this pacifism of your mother's. It really is in your best interest." Azula lectured in a smooth voice as both noblewomen directed her a disapproving stare only for Elle to shake her head.
"I can fight the Avatar with you. And I will do my best to learn self-defense under your tutelage. But that is the one thing that I cannot do." Elle declared as she wiped at her eye with a slowly returning smile while Azula rose a brow above her.
"Is that so? Well, that is disappointing to hear, but I should have expected as much from you." Azula sighed with a shake of her head while Ty Lee lightly slapped her shoulder.
"Oh, stop it, Azula. Elle's just fine the way she is!" Ty Lee stated in a supportive voice while Azula rolled her amber golden eyes back at her.
"Yeah. I like the kid just the way she is. I see no reason for her to change." Mai said with a small smile on her lips while the younger girl smiled shyly up at her.
"I suppose that the girl has her merits. But even so...one day, Elle. You will see..." Azula trailed off in a stubborn voice of grudging fondness while Elle listened attentively.
"What will I see, Azula-sama?" Elle asked in an innocent voice as she gazed up at the princess's regal face while cold amber golden eyes gazed back down at her.
"Someday...perhaps not today. Perhaps years from now. The time will come when you finally realize that you cannot remain a pacifist forever." Azula announced in a foreboding voice with her callous eyes gazing down at Elle's widened amber eyes.
And both Mai and Ty Lee now found themselves shivering in an unnerved silence.
In a way they both couldn't help but fear that Azula was right.
"Azula...enough of this grim talk." Ty Lee attempted to reason with a faint frown on her lips while Elle thoughtfully chewed on her lip.
"You might be right. But still...I have to try. If I don't...my mother's spirit will die." Elle murmured as she gazed down with sentimental amber eyes at her mother's image while her three friends listened in bewilderment.
"What do you mean she'll die? She's already..." Azula growled only to fall silent when both of her friends cast her a pointed stare.
"After I tried to kill my brother...I felt hollow and empty inside. I realized that I didn't want to feel that way ever again. And that wasn't how I wanted to live my life." Elle explained in a reflective voice that took the three women aback.
The trio was silent as they watched their young friend bend over to place her photograph back in her bag while wiping her face free of any stray tears.
"I could be a very nasty person if I wanted to, but I don't want to be that way..." Elle said with a shake of her head as she put her belongings away while Azula released a snide snort.
"Now I find that hard to believe." Azula snorted with another roll of her regal eyes while the young girl zipped her backpack shut.
"She continues to live on through me...inside my heart. And she always will. So...I had best not let her down!" Elle chirped with renewed cheer as she turned to smile back up at her baffled girlfriend.
"Naïve peasant." Azula scoffed in a proud voice as she glared down at her young serving girl's now perplexingly brightened face while Elle beamed up at her.
"That's so, Azula-sama!" Elle agreed in a cheerful voice as she plopped back down beside the older girl while Ty Lee smiled at her.
"Well! I guess we'll just have to continue to look after our little pacifist won't we, Azula?" Ty Lee spoke in a cheerful voice with her hand on her adopted sister's back while Azula rolled her eyes in response.
"Obviously! The tiger monkey wouldn't survive without us!" Azula huffed as she turned to pridefully glare at the wall while Elle smiled shyly beside her.
"I don't know if I can trust Reiko. But maybe we don't need her. Maybe we can help people without her, Azula-sama." Elle commented as she gazed hopefully up at the princess while her girlfriend's amber golden eyes twitched in annoyance.
"Just think of all the good that you could accomplish, Azula." Mai taunted with a returning smirk while Azula turned to glare a hole through her skull.
"Yeah. Don't you want to help people, Azula?" Ty Lee pondered with a hand over her mouth while her childhood friend gazed at her icily.
"Oh, very well. I suppose I could consider it." Azula remarked with a regal smirk on her lips while her serving girl smiled widely from ear to ear.
"Really, Azula-sama!" Elle cried out as she reached out to grasp onto her girlfriend's warm hand while the older woman smiled down at her.
"Certainly. But only if the entire world submits to my absolute will until the end of time!" Azula spoke with an arrogant smile adorning her full lips while she allowed her pet to hold her hand.
Both noblewomen just sighed knowing well enough that their friend would say something like that.
As usual though. Azula's tyranny seemed to fly right over Elle's pure little head.
"I just knew that I could count on you, Princess. You're the best there is!" Elle chimed with her still damp face gazing up at the powerful woman in admiration while her mistress swelled in pride above her.
"Of course, I am. There is no one greater." Azula purred with a smug smirk on her beautiful lips only to grunt in surprise when her pet sprung into her lap.
And not a moment later she found herself sighing under her breath as she gazed down at the girl now hiding with her face pushing into her lower belly.
"I-I love you, Azula-sama." Elle stuttered in a soft voice with her arms wrapped around Azula's belly while she burrowed face first into the older woman's lap.
Only to sigh serenely when Azula planted her strong palm in her hair while she listened to the princess release a dominant growl over her.
"Aww! Now that's pink." Ty Lee cooed with a grin on her lips while Mai sighed beside her as they watched their two friends' bond once more.
"You are mine, peasant. I own you." Azula stated in a possessive growl with a wide smile on her lips while she petted her mumbling handmaid's soft hair.
"Y-yours, A-Azula-sama...my home." Elle mumbled with her face in the older woman's thighs while she melted like butter under her princess's mighty hand.
"Hm. That's my pet." Azula muttered in a domineering voice with her hand in her serving girl's hair while she tenderly stroked the girl's head.
"Well...the pet thing aside. I still think you two are adorable together!" Ty Lee exclaimed with a nod while the princess glared at her through the corner of her eye.
"Now no more tears, Elle. That had better be the end of your crying for one day." Azula grumbled with a deep scowl on her stoic face while she glared down at the girl in her lap.
"Y-yes, Princess. I live at your command." Elle answered in a timid voice as she blushed under the older girl's hand.
Only to find herself pouting when Azula abruptly pushed her up not a moment later.
"Stand, servant! Break time is over, and it's past time that you got back to work!" Azula hollered with a barely perceivable twinge of pink on her regal cheeks while her two childhood friends sighed.
"How romantic." Mai snorted with her arms crossed over her breasts while Elle quickly sprang to her feet.
"How may I serve you, Azula-sama?" Elle inquired as she bent over in a polite bow while her mistress smiled in approval.
"Please don't overwork her, Azula...remember that the doctor told us to keep Elle off any strenuous activity..." Ty Lee advised with a concerned countenance yet she still managed to smile gently in Elle's direction.
"Go clean my royal wardrobe. Everything in it. Is that understood, servant?" Azula commanded with her hands on her knees while her smirk grew even larger when her young girlfriend bowed to her.
"Your wardrobe, Azula?" Mai questioned in a monotone voice with a smirk on her lips while Ty Lee giggled beside her.
"Wakarimashita Azula-sama!" Elle cried out with her still damp face smiling as widely as can be while she stood in a loyal bow.
"Oh, and would you polish my footwear while you're at it? That is...if it isn't too much to ask of you." Azula pondered in a beyond entitled voice only for both noblewomen gazed at her in disapproval.
"Azula..." Ty Lee scolded in an almost maternal growl as she gazed sternly at her leader.
"Sure! I can do that for you, Princess." Elle agreed in a sweet voice as she smiled shyly under the princess's possessive amber golden gaze.
Only for both of her big sisters to groan with their hands over their faces.
"Very good, dear. And do make sure that you make them sparkle. I simply will not suffer lazily polished footwear!" Azula demanded with a spoiled wave of her hand while a pompous smile grew onto her lips when her pet frantically bowed even lower.
She paid no mind to how her two subordinates were staring at her with an overprotective look in their eyes.
"I-if my princess says make them sparkle. I make them sparkle!" Elle responded in a voice of boundless admiration while she smiled bashfully under her girlfriend's dominant gaze.
"Are you done yet, Azula?" Ty Lee inquired in a huff while Azula turned to smile in her direction before turning back to her poor little sister.
"And don't forget to sort my lingerie collection as well." Azula sighed as she lazily twirled a finger in her hair while she smiled back at her serving girl's adorably reddened face.
"Y-your lingerie, Mistress?" Elle asked in a confuddled voice as she averted her eyes from her mistress's overpowering gaze while her big sisters gazed at her in sympathy.
"Yes, dear. My panties...my bras...my lingerie." Azula purred with a giant smirk on her full lips while Elle audibly gulped under her strict gaze.
"O-of course, I-I'll do it for you, Azula-sama." Elle stammered as she bashfully kicked at the floor while she swooned under the princess's stare.
"You really are shameless, Azula." Mai spoke as she glanced at Elle before she shook her heads with a sigh.
"Yeah. And to such a sweet girl." Ty Lee grumbled with her arms over her breasts while the princess rolled her eyes in response.
"Please! I am simply giving the girl something more constructive to focus on." Azula scoffed while gazing at her lovely pet with possessive amber golden eyes.
"I-I won't let you down, Azula-sama. I shall serve you in this task with pride because I am your loyal girl!" Elle declared with bounce in her step while her heart pounded rapidly as she bowed under the princess's dominant amber golden gaze.
"I am very pleased by your loyalty, Elle." Azula cooed with her hands on her knees while she smiled as she gazed at her pretty handmaid's bashful face.
This one was born to bow before her.
That she was sure of.
"I-I am so glad to hear that Your Highness." Elle swooned with a hand on her cheek while Azula's powerful gaze swept over her.
"Oh, and before you go. I want that phone of yours..." Azula announced in a strict voice that brook no room for argument while her serving girl meekly nodded her head.
"Yes, Princess." Elle replied in an obedient voice as she quickly reached into her bag while the princess stared at her in approval.
And then not a moment later she placed the phone in her mistress's open palm while the princess stared back at her with stony amber golden eyes.
"Now, from this moment forward you will worry no more about what this woman tells you. Understand, servant?" Azula stated in a beyond authoritative voice with her crimson lips pursed into a frown.
Only to watch in satisfaction when her serving girl responded with an elegant bow at the hip while her childhood friends watched from the side.
"As you say Mistress Azula. Forever as you say." Elle spoke in a devoted voice as she curtsied with her hands at her hips.
Only for a peaceful smile to form on her lips when a strong hand patted her upon the head.
"Good girl, Elle. You are such a good, servant." Azula purred with a refined smile on her full lips while she gently patted her giggling serving girl's hair.
Ty Lee herself giggled at the scene with Mai sighing in boredom beside her.
"A-Azula-sama?" Elle pondered in a timid voice as she smiled shyly when the older woman gazed at her curiously.
"Yes, Elle?" Azula responded with a confident grin on her beautiful lips while she gazed fondly into her young girlfriend's sweet amber eyes.
"Will you give my music player a charge?" Elle requested in a hopeful voice while Azula released a loud snort over her as the woman stared down at her.
"Again?" Azula questioned in a voice akin to an annoyed mother while she stared sternly at her serving girl's pouting face.
"S-sumimasen, b-but the batteries dead..." Elle whined in a sulking voice while Ty Lee laughed warmly from her seat.
"Come on, Azula. Elle has been so helpful to us this morning. Just give her music player a charge." Ty Lee commented with a supportive grin on her lips while Azula offered her a lazy glare.
"Perhaps I will charge it afterward. That is...if you do good work..." Azula taunted as she scanned her fingernails on her clenched fist while she smiled smugly when her serving girl tugged on her sleeve.
And both noblewomen just gazed at her incredulously while Mai rolled her eyes.
"Are you serious, Azula? The girl is going to hand wash every single one of your shoes, and you won't even let her listen to music while she works?" Mai asked in a deadpan voice only for the princess to smile widely in response while Elle shook her wrist.
"P-please Azula-sama..." Elle stuttered in a puppylike voice as she chewed on her lip while she promptly bent over to bow to her mistress once more.
And that was all it too for the princess's spoiled smile to return to her lips as she watched her pet bow once more with both of her arms neatly tucked in at the hip.
Mai just sighed knowing full well that it was a waste of breath to tell her little sister that she didn't need to bow before Azula with every breath.
"Oh, very well. I suppose I could consider it..." Azula sighed with an entitled smile on her regal lips as she leaned forward to pat her excited handmaid on the head once again.
As she smiled at the girl while her handmaid remained in a trained bow like a puppy before her master.
"Yay! I get to listen to music again!" Elle cheered as she pumped a fist in the air while Ty Lee grinned over at her.
"Now listen here, peasant! I am only doing this to make certain that there are no disruptions to the quality of my service. It's not like I care about you." Azula snapped with a finger thrusting in her girlfriend's beaming face while both noblewomen rolled their eyes.
"Sure, Azula. Of course, you don't." Mai stated with amusement in her voice while the she watched the younger girl excitedly hold out her music player before the scowling woman.
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Azula-sama." Elle remarked in a happy voice while she held out her mp3 player before the princess's sighing face.
"Just...don't let me down, Elle." Azula commented aloofly in a sigh once more as her fingertip charged with electricity while she briefly touched her girlfriend's music player.
Just before a shout of joy pierced the royal lounge room.
While both noblewomen watched in entertainment when Elle planted another bashful kiss on the princess's cheek.
"I wouldn't dream of it, Azula-sama..." Elle trailed off in an abashed voice as she quickly retreated while Azula sat with her callous amber golden eyes blinking in surprise.
"That is just too adorable, Azula." Ty Lee said with a broad smile on her lips just as Elle smiled widely while she placed her headphones over her ears.
And then before they knew it the three highborn women watched in humor as the girl hurried towards the door.
All the while humming and bobbing her head to her music as she sang along to her music.
"There's a place in the sun for anyone who has the will to chase one and I think I've found mine. Yes, I do believe I have found mine. So, close your eyes and think of someone you physically admire. And let me kiss you, oh. Let me kiss you, oh." Elle sang to herself in a happy voice while the proud princess turned away with a sliver of a blush on her regal cheeks.
"Aww! She wants to listen to romantic music with you, Azula." Ty Lee cooed out in another giggle while Azula just scoffed as she pridefully glared at the wall before turning to gaze after the innocent teenager.
"Whatever, Ty Lee! I have no time for such meaningless peasant trivialities!" Azula huffed with a wave of her hand while Mai rolled her eyes.
"Right, Azula. You don't have time for her." Mai answered in a bored voice as she lounged on the luxury sofa with Ty Lee grinning alongside her while the princess turned to proudly scowl at them.
"Oh, and by the way, peasant! Your first combat session with Zoi, and myself begins in two, and a half hours! Be certain to be on time and dress accordingly!" Azula called out in an entitled voice with a haughty smirk on her crimson lips while her two friends now paled in terror beside her.
Only for the singing girl to never reply as they watched her depart through the door not a moment later.
"B-by Agni, Azula. Please don't kill her." Ty Lee pleaded as sweat dripped down her forehead while the princess just smirked back at her.
"Calm yourself Ty Lee. I am not going to kill the tiger monkey." Azula snorted with a roll of her eyes while Ty Lee still gazed at her with an unconvinced countenance.
"Azula...I have to ask. Have you ever considered that the holder of this ancient power has a greater purpose beyond polishing your boots?" Mai questioned in a serious voice while Ty Lee gazed on humorously beside her.
Only for the spoiled princess to snort pompously before snidely rolling her eyes in response.
"The girl's purpose is whatever I say she it is. She is my royal servant, Mai. She belongs to me...and her purpose is to serve me first and be the Component second." Azula remarked with a spoiled smile gracing her beautiful lips while the two nobles just sighed in exasperation.
"Yeah but still, Azula..." Ty Lee trailed off in a voice akin to a concerned mother while Azula sat regally with her hands on her knees.
As much as she could tell that Elle found happiness in being their servant.
It bothered her to think of the sweet girl as such.
"This one is mine. And only I may decide her future." Azula concluded with her lips curved into a sophisticated smile while her amber golden eyes gazed at the closed door.
Yes indeed.
This lovely little thing was hers.
And that was not up for debate.