99 A.G
'...What?'
'WHAT?!'
Lin stared at Azula, unable to produce even the simplest response. Her heart struck harder against her ribs, heat spread through her chest and she could feel the tightness gathering in her throat.
Her fingers remained rigid at her sides while her breathing became shallow. A faint pressure built behind her ears as her pulse quickened, leaving Azula's face the only thing she could properly focus on.
For several seconds, she could only stand there beneath Azula's gaze, stunned. She knew that there was a possibility that Azula had feelings for her, but Lin never expected that the princess would want to take it that far. A relationship between them made public to all.
Not only did she not seem bothered by both of them being women, but also about the repercussions she would face after such a public union. Azula looked confident that such a thing wouldn't be a problem.
Moreover it wasn't a proposition made for a political reason. There was no advantage gained in their union, her family was already loyal and supportive of the royal family, regardless if she was made consort or not.
"Princess…" Lin began, but quickly had to correct herself as Azula narrowed her eyes and glared at her. "Sorry, Azula. Can you… can you explain why you would want that?"
"It's fairly obvious there is no better match to lead our people. You have been giving us victory after victory. You want to continue improving our civilization, you are even bettering the situation for everyone, I've seen it. There would be no one stronger than us together, no one would be able to come close to us." she said, determined.
"Are you not concerned that such a union would be illegal?" Lin asked.
"I'm not. Fire Lord Sozin made it illegal, so I can make it legal again. With the war being over by then, there is no need for that edict. I understand it was important for manpower, but it won't be needed forever, and our people would support my stance against it."
Lin was left speechless once again. 'A royal family member, someone who has obviously been trained from a very young age doesn't care about it. Is it not as much of a problem as I thought it to be?'
"Are you opposed to it?" Azula asked.
'Can I even reject it?' she thought. Overall, it was a great opportunity for her goals of changing the form of government in the Fire Nation without having to turn to violence and a coup to take over. Azula was also a dear friend and Lin enjoyed her presence.
She could admit Azula was getting attractive as she grew up, and Fire Lord Ozai had many years still left to live, so the princess becoming Fire Lord was years ahead, then the age gap wouldn't really matter anymore.
Lin also felt that they could bond over many things to make the relationship work, she valued Azula's drive, passion and intelligence. Once the war was over she could keep teaching and guiding her to make a life outside war and conflict.
Lin's power-grabbing and prestige-focused family would love the union. They could care less about genders as long as they got more renown for their family and they would support anything that would push them further to the top of the nation.
The only problem was that she was unsure the nation would support their union and rule. After three consecutive dictators, Lin was worried that the population would reject something like that.
"Not entirely, Azula… I just worry about the problems that may come to pass. You are to rule our nation, I'm afraid that being your consort would bring trouble your way."
"I'm sure some may voice their incorrect and insignificant opinions, but they would be muffled by the cries of those that cherish our victories. I have no doubts we will return in glory to the Fire Isles, and no one would oppose us. Besides, I already have plans underway to boost nobles and high-ranking military officers with conservative views, while quietly removing those who oppose them."
It was so confusing for Lin how in this backwards world, supporting homosexuality was considered conservative. That Princess Azula had already a plan to not only legalize, but to favor those who would support her, was good. Lin was still unsure what to do.
"I can even pardon Zuko and have him secure an heir for the throne. Royal blood would still be able to continue through him and we can prepare them for when we are gone."
"I see… you have thought it over a lot already." Lin remarked, thoughtful.
"Of course. I'm confident it can be done." Azula said. "I've also realized I care for you. I cherish the moments when you are proud of my accomplishments. I miss you when we are apart. They cannot be clearer signs."
"I… I admit I appreciate and care for you as well." Lin replied, flustered.
"There is no one better for you than me. Don't worry about our people, we'll handle it just fine." Azula said.
Now, having to think about a possible relationship, she was self-conscious about her prosthetics. Azula had seen her at the beach so the nasty scars had been visible to her. Maybe she wasn't counting on their relationship being physical at all and had no issues with her appearance. Still, it was best to ask.
"And… Do you find me attractive?" Lin asked.
"Lin, I spent years studying you for weaknesses. If your appearance were one of them, I would have used it against you already." she replied.
"Right… Well… you are attractive-"
"Obviously."
"-as well. We can go into greater details later on. I can help with whatever plans you have for the future." Lin said.
"I knew you would see it my way." Azula, smirked.
"I assume you don't want to make it public until you are Fire Lord, so for now, nothing would change for us, right?" Lin said, confirming that indeed it would be years before anything happened.
"For now, yes, although… in private, things could change." Azula said, slowly.
"H-How so?" Asked Lin, not liking where that was going.
"Well…I admit I lack experience, but I've come to know that there are things to explore between each other that can be done before any marriage arrangement." Azula said.
"You have come to know…?"
"Yes. Kaida gave me a few tips and suggested a few things I could do to get close to someone I like and I'm curious to try them."
'Betrayal.'
"I don't know if that is the best idea, Azula." Lin said, feeling heat on her cheeks again.
"Oh so you do know about them as well." Azula commented, then closed the distance between them, which wasn't much to begin with, both sitting in the same bunk already. She then caught Lin by surprise, placing a kiss on her lips.
Lin froze the moment their lips touched. Her eyes remained open, fixed on Azula's face while her mind failed to decide what she was supposed to do. Heat spread quickly across her cheeks and down her neck, and her heart began beating hard enough that she could feel it through her chest.
She had expected Azula to suggest something embarrassing, perhaps holding hands or attempting another awkward compliment, but the kiss left her completely unprepared. Her fingers tightened against the edge of the bunk while Azula remained close, giving her nowhere else to direct her attention.
The contact was brief and uncertain, yet Lin still felt the warmth of it after Azula pulled back. She drew in a slow breath. Lin could think of nothing useful to say. She shouldn't have allowed Azula to do that.
"Together we will be the strongest couple in the entire world. We will dominate the earth!" she said, igniting blue flames in each hand.
Lin couldn't help herself and laughed. She laughed about the absurdity of it all, she laughed because it was awkward and silly, having her first kiss with a teenager as if her life had restarted and she wasn't the older woman she felt herself to be. It was better than feeling guilty about it.
She laughed at how the princess was affected by their kiss, being all euphoric and saying something silly. Azula laughed with her as well, although it was more of a wicked and awkward laugh.
"Alright, Azula. We will." Lin finally said. "For now though, I'm hungry, let's go find Toph and have someone bring food for us."
'I need time to think.'
"Fine." Azula said. "But we are exploring more of that later, Kaida had more suggestions after all."
'I will strangle her.' she thought, facepalming.
----0000----
Azula felt pleased with how everything had gone. Telling Lin that she wanted her as her consort had not been the plan when she entered her carriage. She had intended to ask about Lin's plans, and spend some time together, nothing stressful.
Yet, the words had left her mouth without hesitation. She didn't expect Lin to ask at that time, but she felt confident that if she was asking her directly, then that meant that she had already considered it, like Azula did. The princess was never really concerned, she knew that the proposition was the best one Lin could get.
The result had been more than satisfactory, and she even wondered why she had even waited to voice her proposition. Lin didn't refuse her, even though she did raise concerns. However, Azula expected her to, and was confident every problem could be solved.
The law could be changed, the nobles could be managed, and Zuko could secure the continuation of the royal bloodline. None of those matters worried her. What mattered was that Lin had agreed to consider their future together and had even admitted that she found Azula attractive.
Obviously, Azula had already known that last part, but hearing Lin say it had still been pleasant. It felt like those small moments when Azula was praised by her. It made her feel content and her inner fire felt warmer and stronger than before.
She was less certain what to think about the kiss. Kaida had spoken about kissing with great importance, describing it as something exciting and intimate that could leave a person unable to think properly.
Azula had expected something more impressive. Their lips had touched for a few seconds, and that had been all. She had experienced greater physical closeness while grappling during training, particularly when Lin pinned her to the floor and corrected the position of her arms or legs.
Compared to the close combat training, a kiss required considerably less skill and there was not much contact to begin with. Still, Lin's reaction had made the attempt worthwhile. Her eyes had widened, her face had reddened, and she had been unable to speak for a few seconds.
The kiss had clearly affected Lin for she had started laughing soon after. Perhaps the value was found in the surprise, and how others view what a kiss meant. If that was the case, the rest of Kaida's suggestions might prove equally useful.
Azula would have to examine them carefully and decide which ones were appropriate. She had no intention of making herself look foolish simply because Kaida believed couples were supposed to behave in certain ways.
The three of them had eaten together afterward. Toph sat with one hand pressed against the floor, her brow furrowed.
"This train is too fast for my feet." she complained. "The whole ground keeps vibrating. I can feel the tracks, the wheels, and every carriage behind us, but they all blur together. Half the time I can't tell where the actual floor is."
"Well, I haven't seen you fall anywhere." Lin pointed out. "How have you managed to move without issues?"
"Because I'm great at everything."
"You walked into the table earlier." Azula commented.
"Well… not everything."
Azula glanced at Lin and noticed that she still avoided looking at her for more than a few seconds. It reminded her of the way Zuko used to react whenever she mentioned Mai. She had never expected Lin to become so easy to embarrass, and she found it amusing.
Their conversation remained on inconsequential subjects through the trip.
"How have your lessons progressed?" Lin asked Toph.
"I'm still learning to write, even if reading isn't a problem anymore." Toph replied, sounding less enthusiastic. "It's slow, and everything has to be pressed correctly into the paper, I get impatient and mess up."
"I see, what else?" Lin asked.
"Well, music is better. Some of the soldiers have several instruments and a few of them are teaching me how to play."
"Which instruments?"
"I like the pipa, the strings vibrate in a nice way against my fingers and it is easy to find where to place my fingers. I also like the drums, it's fun."
"I enjoy playing the Erhu or a Liuqin." Azula commented.
Toph grinned. "We can start a band then, what do you play, Lin?" she said, jokingly.
"I sadly break any instrument that I would want to play with my prosthetics." Lin said.
Toph laughed. "Well you could sing if you don't like the drums."
"Well, I suppose I could."
Azula took another bite before turning the conversation toward something more useful.
"The new armor is not as comfortable to wear I hear." she said. "Several people have already complained about it."
"The layered fabric armor?" Lin asked.
"Silk and linen beneath the metal plates, yes." Azula confirmed. "The Ministry claims the layers can catch and stop fragments from the bullets of our handguns."
Toph pouted. "How come I didn't get one yet?"
"Well, they are mostly testing them and as everyone says, they are not very comfortable. A royal version would have to be made for me and Lin as she is a general now, so I assume those take longer to make. You would obviously get one of those as well." Azula replied.
Lin considered it. "It is true that a set of different cloth pieces could stop a bullet, especially after the initial hit against the metal would have caused the bullet to fragment. A rifle bullet would still go through most of it."
"I'm sure the army will come up with a new development soon." Azula said. "Your weapons have made them nervous, Lin." she chuckled.
"Even if the Earth Kingdom captured one, they would have difficulty using it for long. They would still need ammunition, replacement parts and understanding of how it works. I don't see them being a real problem yet." Lin said.
"They could study the mechanism." Azula said.
"They could, yes." Lin agreed. "That doesn't mean they could reproduce it. They don't have our industries to reproduce the parts and they still haven't managed to reproduce blasting jelly. I don't expect them to make a breakthrough anytime soon. The armor is mostly meant to reassure the soldiers."
"I guess so. Still it might come in handy in case some of our guns do end up in their hands." Azula replied.
"Of course, I'm not against it, I just think they are a bit expensive when the enemy doesn't have guns to begin with." Lin reasoned.
"I hope they make something cool for me." Toph added.
"I can request something from my family for you if that was something you really wanted, Toph." Lin said.
"Really? Awesome!"
Nothing was said about what had happened in the bunk, and Toph appeared unaware of any change between them, which was preferable for now. The small girl would be insufferable in her teasing. Even if she was indeed correct all this time.
The train continued northeast, and they would reach the Serpent's Pass within a week. Toph was correct that the train was going quite fast, it was a marvel of engineering. Her nation was really creating innovation after innovation.
After reaching the narrow pass, the engineers needed to construct a bridge strong enough to carry the locomotive, artillery, and supply wagons across the water. Once they passed that point, progress would slow further, as they had to construct new tracks ahead of the convoy.
So overall, they had some time before reaching Ba Sing Se. Time she intended to use to craft her plans. While Lin and Toph continued talking, she returned her attention to the problem of her father.
Removing Ozai from the palace would require more than just getting rid of him. The royal guard, the ministers, and the senior officers stationed in the capital would all need to accept the transfer of power before anyone loyal to him could organize a counter-coup.
Her ancestors had solved similar disputes through poison. Other successions had ended in civil war, with rival members of the royal family gathering armies and burning entire provinces before one side finally surrendered.
Azula preferred to avoid both outcomes. Poison would be effective, but it would leave too many questions and her rule would be seen as weak. Not to mention losing the leader of your nation while at war would be disastrous for morale.
Not that she really cared for them but she had seen how morale changed how hard the army fought after Lin's speeches. It was something to have in mind. Civil war on the other hand, would damage the nation at the exact moment it needed to consolidate its victories.
She wanted her father removed cleanly, with the palace and the military under her control before he understood what was happening. There had to be a way. She wouldn't rest until she found it.
----0000----
The guards at the entrance to the mining village barely questioned them. They looked over Appa, asked where they had traveled from, and allowed them through after Katara said they were from the Southern Water Tribe and showed Lin's scroll.
"I hate how that damn scroll helps us so much." Sokka said once they were inside.
"They were pale when they saw it this time, I think she is feared here. Look, everyone is staying clear of us." Aang replied.
Around them the soldiers and guards stationed there indeed were avoiding them like the plague, their gazes didn't stop on them for more than a second. He was amazed at how many there were for such a small town.
The village was busy despite that. Earthbenders guided carts filled with coal along the streets, keeping them raised above the ground using their skills. Workers entered and left the mines while a few merchants attended small stalls near the houses.
The soldiers watched over everything, but Aang did not see them interfering with the villagers. Some even spoke casually with the workers, and the atmosphere looked calm instead of the oppressive feeling Omashu had.
As they walked around, Aang bought a hat so that he didn't have to use the winter coat anymore to hide his tattoos. Near the outskirts of town, they found a crowd gathered around two young men. One wore Fire Nation armor, while the other stood in plain Earth Kingdom clothes with his hands raised.
The firebender attacked first, sending a controlled flame toward the earthbender's side. The boy blocked it with a low wall and pushed a stone beneath the soldier's feet. The soldier jumped away before it could knock him over and answered with another burst of fire.
"Oh, a fight." Katara said.
Neither of them aimed directly at the other. Their attacks stopped short or gave enough time to move away, and the people around them cheered when they did score a small hit on one another.
Aang watched with interest. This was the second time they had heard of a young earthbender training with Fire Nation soldiers. He had always imagined the two groups meeting through battle, yet here they were, sparring.
The earthbender finally raised a block of stone below one of the soldier's legs and pushed him backward, then raised a slab that hit him on the side and threw him to the ground. Before the firebender could stand, a big rock stopped above him.
The soldier raised his hands. "Fine, kid. You win."
The earthbender grinned, moved the rock away and helped him up.
Aang approached once the crowd began to leave. "That was great! You messed with his footing as he was about to throw a fireball, awesome timing."
"He keeps falling for that." the boy said simply.
"Yeah, yeah, don't get cocky now, you only have one win over me. See you later." the soldier replied before returning to his post.
"I'm Aang. These are Katara and Sokka."
"My name is Haru, nice to meet you." the earthbender answered.
When they explained that they had traveled from the Southern Water Tribe and that they were heading north to find a waterbender master, Haru offered to show them around. He led them past the workers' homes and toward the larger mine entrances.
Katara looked at another group of earthbenders moving coal. "There are so many earthbenders here…Why aren't you fighting the Fire Nation to free yourselves?"
Haru looked at them worried then glanced around in panic, only to be relieved that no one was around.
"We don't have much choice. Maybe we can gain control of our town and defeat the garrison here, but we're a small village, and there aren't enough earthbenders here to fight an army when they inevitably come to retake it. They control most of the western continent now, from the north to the southern coast. Even if we left they would capture us before reaching anywhere important."
"So you do nothing?" Katara asked, angry. "You could fight back!"
"Funny. My father used to be very courageous like that. When the Fire Nation invaded, he and the other earthbenders were outnumbered ten to one, but they fought back anyway."
"He sounds like a great man." Sokka said.
"After the attack, they rounded up my father and every other earthbender and took them away. For almost a year we never saw them again."
"But there are a lot of earthbenders here now…" Aang commented.
"Yes…Around two years ago a terrifying girl with metal limbs came here and changed everything." Haru replied.
"Lin." Sokka said.
Haru looked at him. "You know her?"
"We've met her, yes. She is scary." Katara answered and Haru nodded.
"The previous overseer was overworking the elders, stealing money from us and punishing anyone who complained. When she arrived with her army, they had to work in the mines to get coal for there were no earthbenders here to help them." Haru continued. "When they were about to leave, she saw the overseer attempt to threaten my mother for money. I was so angry back then, and I tried to have him back away, but two others held me back. For some reason this girl intervened, which led to a fight, she killed him by burning him to ashes. I was not there to see it, but the ones who were, still have nightmares to this day."
"She killed her own people?" Sokka asked, horrified.
"Yes. She then replaced the garrison overseer with someone of her own people and brought our earthbenders back. We still have to mine coal for them, but they pay the workers and let us use earthbending openly. We've also managed to ask for a few more things here and there."
"So everyone decided to cooperate?" Aang asked.
"Once they came back, they decided it was better than being killed in the middle of the sea." Haru said. "I don't agree with it, but my father lost his drive to fight, and everyone else follows his lead. He says we just have to wait the war out, to survive, that it won't be long now until the Fire Nation wins it all."
"How can he say that? He sounds like he already gave up." Katara said.
"He has, which is why we have grown distant to one another… anyway, I need to get back to my home. If you need a place to stay I can ask my mother, we may be able to offer you our barn to stay the night."
"Thank you, Haru, we don't know if we will stay yet but if we do we will stop by." Aang said.
As Haru went back home, Aang looked back at the village. It was clear that everyone was tired of fighting. The war was coming to a close, and people were already treating each other better and working toward being peaceful or at least civil with one another, even in occupation.
"How can they just choose not to fight?" Katara asked, disappointed.
"I think it's better if everyone looks for peace." Aang said.
"If the Fire Nation wanted peace they would leave them alone and go away." Katara said.
"Yeah, they are still in control of the village. They should go back to their isles." Sokka agreed.
Aang didn't know what to think.
"Anyway guys, what do you think about spending the night here?" he asked.
"We still don't know why there were so many flying machines heading north or where they went, so I think we should stay and leave on Appa in the morning where we can see clearly if we can fly or not. If they discover that he is a flying bison they will surely grow suspicious. I worry that if they find out that you are the Avatar, there will be many fireballs coming our way." Sokka said.
"Alright, but you will have to help me make sure Appa doesn't eat all of their hay." Aang said, smiling.
----0000----
"We are about to get moving again, Aiku. Is everything ready to depart?" Zhou said, as he approached the captain.
"Yep, I'm just wondering if I will have to carry the captain here back to her quarters so that we don't leave her behind." Aiku said, pointing down to the ground where Kaida laid face down.
"Oh?"
"Ugh…I am officially hurting in places I didn't even know existed." Kaida whined.
"What did you do for Lin to punish you with intense training anyway?" Aiku asked.
"I don't know!" she cried, and whimpered when she tried to look up.
"Come on, I'll help you. Let's carry her back." Zhou said, simply. Sometimes, it was better not to know.