After weighing all the risks and benefits, and thinking the offer through properly, she replied:
—Fine… I agree.
—Excellent, you can hand over control of the body. Actually, I think it's better if you sit down first— listening to the spirit, Azula sat down on the dusty floor in a meditation pose.
Right now, the dirty floor was the least of her concerns. With the impending sparring match and the subsequent war council, she could think of nothing else but to appease the spirit. She needed to make sure it wouldn't follow through on any of its threats. Sitting on the floor, she was about to hand over control of her body to the spirit, when she suddenly realized a minor issue.
—And how do I do that?!— Azula voiced the small problem, having no idea what she was supposed to do next.
—Oh, right. I didn't explain everything. Okay, just try to relax and don't do anything. You'll enter a kind of sleep state. Keep an eye on everything that happens, but don't interfere— despite the suspicion in the spirit's words, Azula saw no other way out of the situation.
She was far from stupid. The princess remembered all the details of her strange dreams before their acquaintance. Ever since that cursed ritual, which brought far more harm than good. Recalling all the facts Azula had been able to gather during her time with the spirit, she decided to make this act of trust, completely confident that, if necessary, she could take back control of her own body. Besides, she would be watching its actions, just as she had before every time she fell asleep. The only thing Azula risked in this situation were the tiny crumbs of the spirit's trust, which she could earn by demonstrating this act of trust. Remembering and considering all this, she made her decision, and it was too late to back out now.
—Alright…— the girl replied, relaxing and leaning against the wall. Having been on her feet for almost two days, Azula felt her weakness and drowsiness intensify. Giving in to these feelings, she extinguished the flame and closed her eyes.
The corridor was shrouded in boundless darkness, concealing the princess's body…
—Excellent— saying this, the princess once again lit a blue flame in her palm.
The blue light of the fire illuminated the bare walls of the corridor, revealing a smiling princess. The person who was not quite Azula abruptly stood up and bounced on her feet before doing some light stretching. She stuck her tongue out, tasting the dusty air, behaving in a way she never had before. After that, she began to play with the little flame she had created, waving it through the air and passing it from hand to hand. Her face showed a light joy; she was completely engrossed in her game, enjoying every moment of her life.
With her entire demeanor, the other Azula showed liveliness and a desire for action, with no hint of fatigue. Not holding back, the girl was ready to jump and be delighted by even the most ordinary, and at times even dirty, things. If someone were to see her now, their preconceived notions about the Princess of the Fire Nation would shatter. Because, in most cases, the princess behaved with extreme restraint and nothing like this.
—It's true, you only realize the true value of something once you've lost it. But enough of these empty reflections, I got carried away. How are you feeling?— a cheerful Azula addressed the bare walls of the corridor, stopping her play with the blue flame.
—…
No one answered her.
—Oh, right. You're probably not used to being aware of yourself… in this position. I didn't immediately understand how to connect with you myself when I was inside you. See… Aha-ha…— Azula continued, after which she began to inhale a lot of air, as if she was about to…
—Ah-choo!!!— the princess sneezed powerfully from the dust that had risen into the air from her sudden movements. The flame immediately went out in her hand, allowing the darkness to swallow the girl.
—Ah-choo! AH-CHOO! Ah-choo! A-a-ah-choo!!!— Azula sneezed again and again, unable to hold back in the pitch darkness. Grabbing onto the wall, she walked forward along the corridor, trying to get out of the cloud of dust, all while still sneezing. After about twenty steps, she stopped. Having stopped sneezing, she once again lit the flame, illuminating the long corridor with a blue light.
—It's so dusty here. Anyway, you can take back control of the body. See, it wasn't painful at all. As I said, I'm returning it safe and sound— crouching down by the wall, the spirit handed control of the body back.
The flame went out again, and Azula rose from the dirty floor, relighting it. Standing calmly, the girl immediately tried to brush off the clinging dust and dirt. Realizing it was useless, she still decided to ask:
—Can I count on your mercy?
—No.
The sound of grinding teeth could be heard. In the blue light, Azula could see her hands begin to tremble with indescribable anger. More than anything in the world right now, she wanted to strangle the spirit with her own hands. But it was in vain. Azula took a breath and exhaled a stream of blue flame. The girl spoke in a barely trembling voice, still trying to remain calm.
—You are so merciless to a young lady who has made a mistake. I beg you, do not interfere with me today, I will do everything possible to beg your forgiveness!— Azula continued to try her best to feign remorse.
—What did I say about how you address me? Still, I'll take you at your word. I need you to do something. I think now is the perfect time to talk about it— a faint ray of hope made Azula momentarily forget her anger and listen carefully to the spirit's words.
—And what do you… you want to talk to me about?— the lady asked with a hint of interest.
—In your country, there is a certain swordmaster. He deserted from the army; hundreds of firebenders were sent to capture him, but they all fell to his blade. I don't remember his name or where he lives, I only know that he is not a firebender. Have you heard of such a person?— it took Azula a moment to answer. Thankfully, the person being described was very famous in the circles of the highest military officials of the army, and many generals' children wanted to study with him.
—That is Master Piandao— the best swordsman in the Fire Nation. He is famous for his skill. What do you need me to do with him?
—Oh, this is where it gets interesting. I want you to become his student— the spirit replied with a hint of amusement. Considering its words, Azula found this request to be very beneficial for herself and her position, since far away from the palace and politics, it would be much more difficult for the spirit to humiliate her. However, the master in question was also known for no longer taking any students.
—If I become his student, will you forgive me?— after thinking about the situation, the princess asked, believing she could find a way to become the old master's student.
—No, I already told you: I will only forgive you after a poetic apology that touches my heart. But… if you go to Piandao today, I won't interfere with your sparring or the war council. You just have to do it today, as soon as possible. You're a smart girl, you'll learn everything quickly from the old master, and then we can go on to pursue our mutual interests. To preempt your question, I'll answer: we do have mutual interests— the spirit's speech made her think, but the benefit of its offer was too great, so great that it was even suspicious.
—What if my father won't let me go?— Azula asked cautiously.
—Lie. You yourself know what you need to do to achieve your goals. The Fire Lord doesn't need to know where you're going. We'll be with this master for a month at most, after which we'll do more interesting and useful things. Everything will depend on your genius and your ability to learn. I advise you to prepare well before you meet Piandao— the spirit explained calmly, saying more than necessary and even deigning to offer advice.
Was that intentional? And was it a slip of the tongue? Azula couldn't know. There was too little information for her to understand what the spirit was trying to achieve. It was impossible to know for sure what her interlocutor was up to. All she could do was speculate and wander in uncertainty.
—Have you already planned everything?— Azula asked a leading question in a wary voice.
—Piandao. Go to him today, or I will ruin your day along with your entire reputation. You don't want to lose face in front of your dad, do you? To become like Zuko…— at the mention of his name, Azula flinched. —You don't want that. You'll go to Piandao. The only question is, what will your status be when you get there? Don't make me doubt your intelligence; you already know all the benefits of such an outcome, or am I wrong?— Azula understood the hint perfectly. The spirit had clearly gotten to know her well.
The princess immediately realized that it would be more difficult for the spirit to harm her reputation far from the palace and agreed with the proposed idea completely. Even though she didn't understand why she, a master of firebending and hand-to-hand combat, needed to learn cold steel from a genius in his field. Unless Piandao's reputation was exaggerated. But her answer was not what she was thinking at all.
—You are, without a doubt, right— Azula said calmly, showing no extra emotion in her voice.
—When are you going to stop being so formal? But it's not important now. I don't want to explain simple truths that you've already figured out on your own. Arrange it so that you go to train with Piandao. Everyone else doesn't need to know where you're going. If you don't do it? Then I will. I think it would be easier for an outcast to visit certain places that I won't mention for now— suddenly, Azula felt a strange something begin to stroke her head. It was her own hand, which she had lost control of and could not regain!
—Be a good girl, and you'll get a reward. If not, then…— the girl winced at a slight pain.
The spirit, having taken control of her hand, gave her hair a sharp tug, but she remained calm, fruitlessly trying to regain control of the limb. She only succeeded when the spirit finished speaking.
—Please don't do that— Azula replied in a trembling voice, whether she was truly afraid or just pretending.
—Do we understand each other?
—Yes…— the spirit's hint was understood perfectly.
—In that case, go on, the erring guards are waiting for you— having had the last word, the spirit finally fell silent after hours of taunts.
After standing for a while in the palace's secret corridors, Azula quietly left them and went about her business...
***
In one of the Fire Lord's training rooms, three people were preparing for a sparring match. Two adult men and one young woman. Dressed in training armor, they eyed each other with tense looks. Two against one. Unfair… for the two disgraced guards, who were absolutely certain of their unequivocal defeat against the genius princess.
A moment, another, a second, the next…
The princess's sharp strike was followed by a stream of blue fire. The opponent successfully defended himself with his golden-orange flame. The two fires met, and the shockwave threw the defending guard back, stunning him and knocking him onto the arena's sand. Azula was prevented from finishing off the vulnerable target by his comrade, who kept striking towards the princess, each one accompanied by a ball of golden-orange flame.
She parried the attack and counter-attacked. Her opponent dodged, and then again and again… Azula quickly noted that her opponent was trying to buy time for his comrade while circling her. It was successful. Her opponents surrounded her, beginning to push in and no longer trying to block her attacks with their fire. Did being surrounded make the fight more difficult?
Not at all!
Leaping over two fireballs, the girl performed a double somersault in the air, ending it with a kick into the sand, which was followed by a huge blue-white wall of fire. The opponent barely managed to dodge. After that, he sent a fireball towards her. His comrade supported the attack, but the girl had become much faster at counter-attacking and dodging.
Weaving through the hall, constantly breaking out of the encirclement, she successfully fended off the onslaught of the two firebending masters. When the two men cornered her, she dispelled their weak flame with a confident block, immediately counter-attacking. In most cases, Azula preferred to dodge. As aggressive as the two guards were, they were no match for the princess. She continued to toy with them, feeling her advantage and the ability to end the fight with a victory at any moment.
The fiery shootout continued…
Watching these three throw colored fireballs at each other, I watched the fight, amazed at the colossal difference in their abilities. The guards acted straightforwardly, too straightforwardly, as if they were trying to overwhelm her with their directness and the raw power of their flame. They were not doing very well. Azula was much more nimble: her acrobatic tricks and various flips in the air, along with rolls in the sand, allowed her to dodge, change position, and counter-attack her opponents with lightning speed. The guards, on the other hand, could not boast of such fast and nimble bodies, sometimes barely managing to dodge the horrifying blue flame.
Yes, I knew before that the girl had a wonderful body, perfected to its ideal. Azula controlled her body in a very deadly way, and it was perfectly visible. But what attracted me even more was her firebending. I wondered why there was such a difference in their powers and bending. With Azula, it was clear: the power of her flame was due to her genes and higher quality Chi, as well as some degree of breath control and an enormous amount of hatred. My thoughts were on something else entirely. The simplicity of the attacks, the directness, the simple fireballs, the jets—and that was mostly all the guards demonstrated.
I saw how a fire shield was shattered by the blue flame. But even then, Azula showed so much more than her opponents, who were also considered firebending masters. The girl used far more techniques than her opponents; besides fireballs and acrobatics, she added fire whips, lashes, rings, compressed blades that melted the sand, a fire wheel… Her arsenal of firebending techniques was much wider and was based on her control of the fire's form, which was fueled by her emotions. Despite all this, the girl had no problem blocking her opponents' flame. Meanwhile, her opponents were acting excessively linear.
It's not hard to be a genius when the title of master is given to such fools. I even wondered where Azula learned so many techniques? I'll have to ask her about it sometime. And about firebending in general, she obviously knows a lot about it.
Observing the humiliation of the guards, I continued to think.
As we had agreed, I didn't interfere with the girl letting out her pent-up emotions in the fight, remaining a simple observer. Azula seemed to deliberately graze the edges of their metal armor pieces, unnerving the guards and making them fear the heat of their princess's flame. Yes, the girl loved to assert herself at the expense of others, I had noticed this for a while. The guards knew perfectly well what would happen to them if the princess's fireball hit their torso or head. They wouldn't get away with just minor burns. It wasn't a given they would even survive, and if they were lucky, life would be worse than death with third-degree burns covering half of their bodies.
Azula is indeed a very frightening person: intelligent, cunning, strong, ruthless, adaptable… and I had a great time messing with her, wearing out all of the girl's nerves. I'm afraid it's better not to get the body anytime soon; it will surely end in betrayal. I can only hope that over time and through our joint adventures, I'll be able to win the girl over enough so that she at least doesn't kill me on the spot.
Was there another way?
Probably, yes, but I'm not a convincing enough interlocutor to make a person like Azula do what I want just with words. Without control of her body and the threat to her reputation, she could have simply ignored me until the Avatar showed up, when she could have seen the world and learned something useful? And with her, I would learn too. It's not a bad plan, with many ideas for the future.
The most dangerous thing about this plan is leading the girl to serious knowledge that could give her the strength to oppose me. The Great Spirit Library, dragons, working with Chi, opening chakras, her uncle… All of this could end very badly for me. First, I'll have to build a relationship with her, and for that, I'll have to try very hard, especially given how much she hates me right now. It's spine-chilling… And most importantly, I can't fall for her lies. And she is an excellent liar.
While I was thinking about my future actions and how I would reconcile with the problematic princess, the princess herself finished the sparring match. I should probably remind her of myself, in case she tries to deceive me? Of course, I can feel the echoes of her emotions, but that doesn't give me immunity to her lies.
Meanwhile, as I was lost in my thoughts, the war council was getting closer and closer…