Chapter 5
Title: The Master
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Third person POV.
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Timeline: 92 AG (2 Months later)
On the shore of the royal capital, where ships are sent out or come back, a special spot that belongs to the royal family is teeming with people
Mia, General Iroh's wife and Lu Ten's Mother, is currently at the docks, waiting for the arrival of her son and husband from the frontlines. Beside her is her much younger friend Ursa along with her children Zuko and Azula. Behind them is a row of royal guards in a straight line, acting as bodyguards
As the duo of friends and the siblings are lost in conversation, Zuko looks at the horizon and suddenly sees a royal ship become visible and heading their way. "They're here! " He announces loudly while having a big smile on his face, happy to see his Uncle and Friend finally coming back from the frontlines
Azula, Ursa and Mia are also excited to have their family members back, but Azula especially is happy for another comepletely different reason
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Azula POV.
Once the ship is docked at the shore and the front side of the ship is opened, letting the crew and those on board to fill out, the first two person that come out are Uncle Iroh and Lu Ten, followed by the crew who take out some crates that Uncle probably filled with 'Ancient Antiques' -most probably fake- and direct them to the royal palace
Once that is done, Uncle Iroh and Aunt Mia embrace each other with Lu Ten hugging his mother after. The scene reminds me of some old memory that i think should be buried at this point. 'The past is the past, what matters is right now'
After the family reunion at the docks, we all head back to the palace via carriages and do a little celebration for Uncle and Lu's safe return from the war
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[At family dinner]
While sitting in the -more extravagant than usual- dining table, we hear stories from Uncle and Lu about the front lines. He tells us stories of how he got there, a few close calls while on the line of duty -cuz uncle likes to be at the front lines alot- which he tries to play down on the harsher sides but still gets a few earful and side glares from Aunt
Then, he tells us of the current situation from the front lines from his own point of view. "The soilders being sent to the front lines seems to have no experience in the field, i more than once had to go there myself to rescue them from simple traps set up by the enemy" Relays uncle while looking at grandpa
"I understand what you speak of Iroh, but our current most immediate priority is securing the borders around the kingdom before we have more available men to send to Ba Sing Se itself" Says Grandpa while continuing with his meal
"I understand" Says Uncle Iroh before also resuming with his food. 'I guess he knows that currently, he has to do with what he has
And even with what he currently has, he was able to breach Ba Sing Se in the original timelines, just goes to show how much of a master tactician he is' i think idly while also preparing myself for what i have to do. My only chance in pulling Lu Ten from his early end
I gather my thoughts and lift my head to Grandpa's level and looking him in the eyes, ready to relay my request and enacting my plan. Only for me to be a little spooked, seeing Grandpa looking directly at me with his eyes half closed
"Azula" He voices, giving me little goosebumps "you have been fidgeting since you sat at the table and have stealed glances my way from the start. What is it that you want to ask? Ask them without any nervousness, child" He says in a neutral voice
'Wow, just goes to show how much i need to learn in masking my intentions' i think internally, while my face doesn't change much aside from that little shocked look from the start of this conversation
"Yes, grandfather. I was going to request something, but couldn't find any appropriate moment to relay it" I explained, now having the whole family's attention on me
"Ask away then, child" He says. Internally, after resolving my beating heart and taking a deep breath, i request. "Grand father, i would like for Lu Ten to stay back this time" Before anyone says anything i add, "i know this may be selfish of me, but, recently, I've hit a roadblock in my training. Master Jing, as I'm sure, have already relayed that the only way for me to advance further is through gaining experience. And having an experienced training partner is going to take my bending to new heights" I say while Aunt Mia gives me a little shocked and grateful look, with uncle Iroh eyeing me curiously
After a few second of Grandpa looking contemplative, and me having my heart almost hit my throat, we hear the answer to this request, that can change the fate of an entire person, And it was not what i expected
"Very well, Lu Ten shall stay back this time, aswel as, if deemed so later, would continue staying until Azula's 15th birthday, then it shall be decided how we proceed from there" Finalizes Grandpa, making me give a little relieved sigh internally
'I honestly expected for him to refuse, i was ready to outright challange master Jing and beat him, so that my request have more weight behind it, but i guess it didn't come to that'
After that, there was no more conversation issued before dinner, and after dinner we all went to our seperate chamber for the night. Aunt Mia came to give me a hug and a thanks, before heading to her chambers
I admit, another reason, besides me liking Lu Ten and not wanting him to die, was so that Aunt Mia would be happy. That woman honestly worries so much that her hair has started going white, poor woman. But i guess this should also change her fate too. I'm sure that whatever happened to her in the original timeline mostly had to do with Lu Ten's death. Maybe the death of her only son let to her going crazy or something
Anyways, glad it didn't come to me having to fight, and consequently, having to reveal that my Fire bending is currently VERY strong. So strong in fact that i bet i could give Ozai a little trouble while fighting me 'or maybe not. That fire rooster is merciless so let's not test that'
Once I'm in my room, i change to my nightly gown, brush my teeth, put out the candle light besides my bed before going to sleep
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Third person POV.
Fire Lord Azulon only pretended to think about the proposal put forth by his grandchild. He'd already known about Azula having mastered her firebending long before Jing even came to relay that she's done so. For the last year she has only pretended to still be an ameature while he knew, through Kuzon, that she only took 2 years since unlocking her firebending to become the master firebender that she is, only short of lightning bending that's past down in the royal bloodline. How did she manage to learn firebending to mastery only in 2years, he does not know, because she was under the monitoring of his agents for the last 3 years, but has never been seen going somewhere she shouldn't, or learning from somone else
Tonight's request was so easily approved by him because he is curious of what else she is hiding. 'Azula, you are a very interesting child. To be Comepletly honest, i was skeptical of the fire priests' prophecy, that a child from that man's bloodline, could conceive an offspring that would bring great power to my own leneage, but now I'm starting to see that future' Azulon thinks while inside his chamber, sitting on his couch in more comfortable clothes and idly playing with his tea cup
' i look forward to see what great deeds you shall do for the glory of the fire nation' he thinks, while conveniently keeping his tea warm with firebending
The Fire Lord isn't the only one plotting his own offsprings future, or atleast trying to. In Prince -future firelord- Ozai's chambers, he is having similar thoughts, but his are more on the darker side than his fathers'
'With her on my side, I'm sure the throne will be mine in no time. That fool Iroh doesn't seem to want it for some reason anyway but let's be sure still' plots Ozai while in bed with Ursa, who has turned her back on him and sleeps in one end of the massive bed. Ozai doesn't acknowledge her at all though
'She has surpassed any other prodigy her age in the history of the nation. I am sure with a little bit of persuation and carefully planted seeds she'll run to dear old dad in no time' he thinks with narrowed eyes before closing his eyes for sleep to take over
Ozai, unknowingly, doesn't even think of her daughter as family, but a threat. It's the simple surviving instinct that's dormant within every living creature. Sensing a threat -or a future one- to one's own life, or, if put on the opposite side, a threat to his plans
While the father-son pair are plotting the future of their own Daughter/granddaughter, the focus of these -would inevitably failling- plots is in her own dream world
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Deep within her consciousness, inside the same dark space she knew all too well, which now has changed alot and has turned into a grassy hill, with the sun at the horizon and a little ancient looking tree at the side, under that same tree sits Azula in a lotus style seat
Besides her sits that same white feminine looking silhouette from before, but now she has changed a great deal. Now she sports features the same as the one from that first figure she saw when she was born
Long, waist level flowing Blonde hair that ends at red at the tips, a very delicate and serene looking face, Glowing Amber gold eyes, the same as Azula's. Her clothes consist of a long hanfu dress with read accents that end at the color white in the end
She doesn't speak much, only giving tips to Azula about her training in this realm. Azula doesn't even know her name much else anything else. She only knows that, after she absorbed that heart and those memories of the original story that she already knew about from her previous life, she started coming to this mindscape and see this woman
After that, this same woman who she doesn't even know the name of, started explaining everything except some vital parts
She explained that she was a spirit residing inside her very soul. When asked for her name, her delicate features froze and she didn't speak for a while, before once again starting from the start. So Azula abandoned her quest of learning her name and simply called her master
Why master? Because this woman has started teaching her the art of Firebending since the day she could access this place. When asked of how she knew, master simply answered that she learned them from Azula herself. This spooked Azula a little at first, because she knew for a FACT that she didn't teach anyone firebending, heck! She doesn't know how to firebend herself! So how is this true?
In the end, Azula couldn't find anything new about this 'mysterious master' of hers so she simply resigned to learn from her. Since then, she learned the full art of firebending after 1 year and had spend her second year learning how to make her chi flow through her body smoothly. She learned that trick in another 1 year, showing how much of a 'prodigy' she is (AN/ Don't confuse this to Zuko's method of redirecting lightning, people. That trick is old news for our little prodigy. This is more like Aang's Chi Bending level but not quite)
Then since the last year, she has spend her time learning how to lightning bend, the most advanced form of firebending that any firebender can learn
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If you guys liked the chapter and want to support me, please consider leaving powerstones so that more people may be able to see this ~Masterpiece~ (hehe) that i think this will become
Author's note/ in chapter 4, Azula mentioned that she had another perk from reincarnating before she got interrupted by KuZoN Ugh! Can't believe he was a spy to the firelord. But WAIT! WAS HE?!?!? 😜
Then we learn that that perk is basically her own little dimension and her own personal master that is also a spirit but we don't know the name of! Wooooh, that's a mouthful of words!
Anyways, the reason to her being a master firebender who is only second to Ozai, Iroh and Azulon -who we know knows lightning bending- , is, as found out, because she has this perk
When she master lightning bending in the near future, there shall be no one who can best her in firebending
Anyways, guess this is enough suprises for one chap and MY FREAKIN WORD COUNT HAS EXCEEDED 2,200!!! AGHHHHHHHH
Thank you guys for reading my book and have a great day/night
𝓣𝓸𝓭𝓭𝓪𝓵𝓸𝓸~