Focused Fire (ATLA)

“Seriously?” Azula asked the messenger with an eyebrow raised archly.

They had barely left Zilang a day ago for Ba Sing Se, with the trainers and trainees of the 11th and an army of officials in tow. The mood was pleasant enough that the princess tolerated Ty Lee and Ren’s combined needling.

Then a messenger had to catch up with his ostrich horse to deliver the frankly disastrous news of New Ozai’s fall. The Mad King Bumi had somehow broken out, and in a reflection of Xing, single-handedly taken his city back.

“Governor Ukano has led the evacuation back to the colonies safely, but there’s already reports of the southern Earth Kingdom states mobilizing.”

“You mean the former governor Ukano,” Azula corrected drily, glancing at Mai. As usual, her friend didn’t react much, but the princess knew her enough to catch a glimmer of concern for her family. “Does my father know?”

The messenger shook his head. “A ship has been sent out, but it will take a few more days before it reaches the capital.”

Oh, this was just great. Azula was not blind to the goings on in the royal court. For all her work to appease him, her father’s attitude on her was slipping towards outright disapproval, especially after her engagement with Xing. Azula knew that the Fire Lord did not like being overshadowed in any way, but the problem was that it was easy to be seen as trying to usurp him simply by doing a competent job.

It was his own damn fault for allowing sycophants to infest his court and higher positions.

And now, if she preemptively acted before he gave his orders, Azula could be seen as trying to one-up him. On the other hand, remaining too indifferent - because technically New Ozai was out of her jurisdiction - could be seen as sabotaging by standing idle.

“Xing?” she asked her fiance, who wore a deep, concerned frown.

The col- prince shrugged. “To be honest, even if I go back down there, the old king would likely not be senile enough to meet me in battle. And that’s assuming, of course that your esteemed father-”

“Yes, yes,” Azula waved dismissively. “He might not wish your aid right now…considering that you’ve a new realm to govern.” And most definitely not because the Fire Lord would be too jealous of Xing potentially getting even more acclaim.

Azula turned to her uncle, who seemed a bit distracted…actually, he’s been that way ever since they left the capital. “What do you think, uncle?”

At least Uncle Iroh quickly snapped out of whatever was occupying his thoughts to come to the present. “Wha- Oh, yes. I’d suggest caution, Azula. King Bumi breaking out by himself could mean that he was able to do so right from the start. Which means, he might have allowed himself to be captured in the first place.”

“And his breakout now could be a step in a scheme of his. Just perfect, then.”

On the bright side, it came after Xing took Ba Sing Se. The trouble that would follow if Omashu declared its restoration and Ba Sing Se seized that opportunity to launch its own attacks could be devastating.

Assuming that the Mad King wasn’t doing this precisely because Ba Sing Se fell. Otherwise, it’d mean Azula would have to wrack her brain trying to figure out the old coot’s true intentions.

The princess let out a heavy sigh before snapping her fingers to draw the messenger’s attention. “Return to Zilang, and send out the following messages. To the colonial office: tell them to begin evacuations of the southern front; To the Generals of the North and East: the crown princess requests whatever aid they can contribute to reinforce the southern lines; To the royal palace: notify the Fire Lord that his daughter eagerly awaits his command on how to proceed. Got it?”

“Yes, your highness.” Credit to the man, the messenger quickly repeated her words without stammering. He saluted and rode back the way he came, leaving Azula with her fiance, her uncle, and her friends.

“Mai.”

The girl was startled a little by the sudden call. “Yes Azula?”

“Go see to your family.”

Mai’s eyes began to narrow into a frown as she wanted to protest, but Azula frowned harder. “You have a family that, as annoying as you find them, at least cares for you more than mine cared for me.” She ignored the looks everyone gave her and continued on. “Find them, see to their safety. And see if you can convince your father not to go to his doom by returning to the capital. My father will no doubt require a convenient scape-puma-goat right now. Isn’t that right, uncle?”

The older prince gave a weary sigh as he nodded. “My brother the Fire Lord does not appreciate failures, even if they could not have been prevented,” he said diplomatically. “Perhaps the former governor should…wait until the situation has been resolved, and tempers to cool down.”

Mai stared at Azula and her uncle for a moment, before letting out a sigh that almost masked her relief. “I’ll do that.” The usually dour girl paused for a second, and then met Azula’s gaze with a surprisingly earnest and grateful smile. “Thank you, Azula.”

“Think nothing of it. Zuko. You’re with her. I’ll have some colonial troops join you in Zilang as well for added protection.” Azula allowed herself to smirk thinly as she regarded her brother and Mai. “I trust you two to be wise enough to not make me an aunt anytime soon.”

Uncle Iroh’s surprise was total, and he was thumping his chest with his fist as he coughed heavily. Xing simply raised an amused eyebrow, and Ty Lee giggled. The rest of the troops and officials around Azula did their best not to hear the exchange, though there was still a wave of coughing fits infecting just about everyone around her.

“I-I’m not…” Zuko kept sputtering for a few seconds, while Mai looked away and actually took on some color on her cheeks. It looked like Ty Lee’s work was showing some results.

Speaking of which… “Ty Lee, you are free to follow Mai, if you want to.” Might as well give her friend a choice in the matter.

“We-e-ell…” the girl gave a look that made Mai and Zuko cringe and absently shake their heads in unison, and Ty Lee raised her head to nod, but then suddenly turned to Azula and shook her head. “Nah, I think I’ll stick with you, Azula. I for one would like to be a godmother.” She finished with a mischievous grin, ruining the relief Mai and Zuko were about to express.

After the final well wishes to Mai and watching her head off to find her family, Azula let out a soft sigh and continued the journey to Ba Sing Se. The days-long travel was far more annoying than she’d thought, though admittedly it was because she couldn’t really get any private time with her Xing. Especially with Uncle Iroh around. Azula didn’t want to make things too awkward with him just yet.

It was bad enough already when said uncle finally decided to reveal what had been distracting him. And disappointingly (but not unsurprisingly), it had to do with her father.

“My father sees Xing as such a threat?” she asked in the privacy of her tent, with Xing’s and her own bodyguards keeping a tight guard outside. “I’m aware that he clings tightly to his throne, but is my father really that paranoid?”

“I’m afraid I can’t say, Azula,” uncle said with a sad shaked of his head. “He was genuinely glad when he heard the news of Xing’s victory, along with the engagement that came with it. Then…I’m not sure what happened.”

“It might be an overlooked weakness on our part,” Xing suggested, and Azula immediately knew what he was going to say. “By trying to assuage your father that you’re not trying to usurp him, leaving a meager presence to support or represent you in royal court might have allowed for those who…dislike me, and therefore oppose you, plenty of chances to plant whispers into your father’s ear.”

Azula rubbed at her temple with a finger as she felt the annoyance working up her head. “I have to admit, I’ve been too focused on getting the right people that I neglected the stronger points of those I ignored. Namely their capability to be slimy schemers.” She let out a loud and exasperated sigh. “I should’ve seen that coming…”

Would asking her courtiers to be less passive in guarding her interests have helped prevent this? Or should she have pushed for more of her people to be elevated to higher positions in court?

“It could not be helped, even if you did,” her Xing said, resting a comforting hand on her arm. “You were keen on ignoring palace politics in favor of actually being a capable princess. If you kept up with their politicking instead of keeping to the periphery, the colonies might not have progressed as they have.”

That was true as well…

Uncle Iroh stroked at his beard as he hummed in thought for several seconds. “Ozai suddenly brought up his concern that Xing might be the one leading you down his-”

“Nonsense,” Azula sharply cut in, glaring at her uncle before glancing at her fiance. “Xing has advised me on the plans I made, but I can assure you, uncle, that I am not being unwittingly ‘driven’ by him.” The princess gave a scornful sniff. “If anything, I should fling that accusation back at my father. After all, what was I to him but a tool to spite Zuko? It’s thanks to Xing that I’m educated about the true extent of my duties as a princess, and the many, many flaws of current Fire Nation sensibilities.”

Folding her arms, Azula leveled a cold stare at her uncle. “All I asked is for guidance on how to break out of my father’s limited mold, and Xing helpfully gave me some options. I was the one who chose my path. To be colonial minister and reform its backward practices, to seek out the unjustly disgraced and offer them a chance to prove themselves…that’s all me.”

It was hard not to be angry, but Azula had to remind herself that her uncle wasn’t a valid target for her anger. Still, it was nice to vent.

“Then again, it’s typical of my father to think of me as a mere tool that I cannot possibly be thinking for myself. That since he’s not involved anymore, someone else must be wielding me.”

Gratifyingly, her uncle shifted uneasily at her tirade. More gratifyingly, he didn’t try to refute her.

A gentle squeeze from Xing calmed the princess down a little, but she still had enough to hiss out a few more words. “I have enough work to do to keep the colonies running as is, and now I have to worry about my own father, the Fire Lord, distrusting my moves, or the moves that my Xing has made. I doubt he’d even believe you, uncle, if you watched us work and report on how dutiful we’ve been.”

“I suppose just in case, we should be more wary of our surroundings,” Xing suggested. Azula shrugged before nodding, but Uncle Iroh looked utterly horrified at the insinuation. Xing noticed the reaction and tried to clarify matters. “I do not mean that the Fire Lord would act against us, but those who seek his favor and have learned of his…disapproval…might think it a good idea to take the initiative.”

The older prince nodded slowly, though looked barely relieved. “I see.”

Fighting down her bubbling anger, Azula forced herself to move on before she ended up igniting something. Or someone.

“I’ll deal with that when the time comes. For now uncle, Xing has informed me of this Pai Sho club you’re in… And it’s my suggestion - not his - that you set up a branch in Ba Sing Se so that we can both learn from you. Not only us, of course. I’m told we’re expecting some visitors later who might be interested.” 

Azula gave a slight glare at Xing as she uttered the last sentence. She thought after Ba Sing Se and her engagement that Xing couldn’t possibly surprise her anymore, but then he revealed to her the broad details of his plan to win over the Avatar. Fortunately, she knew Xing long enough to know he wasn’t being deluded. In fact, his plans were already bearing fruit, with the fact that the Avatar was not lending his support to the deposed King Kuei. It was not unfeasible then to gradually achieve an end to the war that both benefited the Fire Nation and earned the Avatar’s approval.

Assuming of course, her father could actually see the victory for what it was.

Some plans had to be amended. And with her father’s distrust now stuck in her head, Azula began wondering if she should bother trying to appease his fragile ego anymore. Maybe it was high time that the Fire Lord understood that the true threat did not lie in the Scorpion, but the hand that cared for it.