Avatar - Conquering the Elements

No matter how fast Mei was, I reached the throne room just a bit quicker. Only a select few know about the secret passages that allow unobstructed access to almost any part of the Palace—probably only I, Azula, and a couple of the most trusted guards.

Hiding behind a sliding wall, I waited to see how events would unfold. Of course, I trust Azula's judgment, but rumors abound that there's no one more temperamental than the Fire Nation. After all, each element subtly influences its benders. For example, the Earth Kingdom has always excelled at defense, and many decisions made by their generals—who are earthbenders—are shaped by their connection to their element. It's subtle, but it still plays a role.

Watching Azula seated on the throne, I recalled the tons of dirt we'd had to sift through and uncover. Every nation has its skeletons in the closet, and Azula and I had to dig through ours. Some things, despite being morally questionable, we left untouched, but there were many practices we had to abolish. Among them was the tradition of raising personal servants. Looking at the list of ruined lives, I felt anger. Partly because of the innocent children involved, but mostly because of the wasted potential. The reports showed that many of them had shown great promise in manipulating life energy or mastering the elements—there was no shortage of talent among them.

It seems things are starting... Mei, whose steps were still unsteady, entered and almost immediately fell to her knees. That spoke louder than any words, as Azula disliked formalities from those close to her.

Listening to Mei's apology, I realized I wasn't thinking clearly either at that moment. The situation was unfolding predictably... It was clear Azula was barely holding herself back. For a second, the flames of the candles in the room shot upward, further heating the already tense atmosphere.

"Close call..." I thought with relief, watching Azula gradually calm down. Once again, I'm convinced she's nothing like her cartoon counterpart. This Azula can be manipulative and domineering, but only toward her direct adversaries.

"I'm truly sorry," Mei repeated, her head still bowed. From what I could tell, she valued her friendship with Azula and Ty Lee just as much as they did—a bond formed in their earliest years.

"First Ty Lee shows interest, then it turns out my mother's been sharing his bed for a while... And now you," Azula said wearily. "I can share him with you two, but—" Azula was still the possessive child she'd always been. "We need to keep this wanderer away from other girls. But hey, I've just got a big heart!" She smirked, looking at Mei, who seemed confused.

"Honestly, I thought this conversation would go differently... Azula surprised me too," Mei admitted.

"Hey! When have I ever given you reason to doubt my sanity?" Azula joked. "And no, let's forget about my early years—I was genuinely unhinged back then," she waved her hand dismissively, not letting Mei respond.

"What's this about?" Azula stammered, flustered, as Mei suddenly rushed over and embraced her tightly.