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2022-07-09
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2023-01-22
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2/?
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Because Azula Ruins Everything

Summary:

How far can Azula go to piss off Zuko? The answer is as far as humanly possible. And lucky for her the more-than-platonic feelings she happened to develop for her brothers ex-girlfriend worked just fine with her newest plot. Now, don't get her wrong. She's not planning to hurt him or steal his throne or whatever, she's just has a harmless prank prepared. It's just that once again the anniversary of the end of the war has come and the Gaang + Iroh are traveling to the Fire Nation for the celebrations and Azula just wants to see how jealous can see make her big brother look infront of his friends, his new perfect family and her new girlfriend, Mai (;

ON HIATUS. I'm not one to abandoned projects, so I WILL finish this. Just.... Not right now...

Notes:

This takes place a couple of years after "The Search" but with a little twist. Azula did not succeed on her attempt to escape in the Forgetful Valley and was forced to return to the Fire Nation with the rest of her family. After some extra therapy sessions and a couple of years time Azula got used into having those people around. They weren't her family, they would never be, but they were tolerable now. It helped that Azula had a new light to count on when the bad days came. And no. Her light is not Zuko. He could never offer the help she needed and even if he could Azula was too proud to accept it. No, her light was someone much better. Her former friend, Mai. Even tho Azula is an extremely proud person that would never want to look weak infront of a traitor, she had no problem accepting a helping hand from her girlfriend. And hey, if she can get a rise out of Zuko while on it, then what's there to lose?

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Chapter Text

When Zuko woke up, his brain run straight to the events that were scheduled for that day. His friends and uncle were visiting after all this time! After the war was over, they kept in touch but their get-togethers weren't as frequent as the young Fire Lord would like them to be. To celebrate the end of the war, the small friend group would meet to catch up with each other on the anniversary of Sozin's Comet. Of course, they would see each other at different times of the year but this party was always special to them. Every year they would take turns and this year it was finally Zuko's turn to host their little ceremony in his home, the Fire Nation and he couldn't be more excited. It was a rare opportunity for him to be able to have fun with both his friends and family without having to deal with any Fire Lord responsibilities.

Unfortunately, that meant that his annoying little sister, Azula, would be there too. It's not like he could have avoided inviting her since she lived in the same building as him but he really hoped he could avoid having her around. Having Mother back wasn't at all unpleasant but Azula took her time with getting used to Ikem and Kiyi being around now. She did not like it at all in the beginning but one day she showed up in her brother's office, announcing that she was interested in giving them a chance to prove that they were worthy of her presence. Zuko knew her well enough by now to be able to tell that she was open to forming bonds with them and even if they weren't a family quite yet, they could hold a conversation that did not result into Azula storming off or Ursa scolding her oldest daughter for being too rude or taking it too far with her mean remarks, which wasn't ideal but it was a start.

Azula had somewhat got along with some of his friends, too. Suki was mostly avoiding her but Toph said she liked her kickass attitude and Azula (even though she would never admit it) enjoyed bickering with Sokka over extremely advanced subjects that no one else in the room could understand. Katara and the Fire Princess weren't as peaceful though. Actually, to be honest, both of them would gladly beat each other up first chance they got if it wasn't for Aang keeping the waters calm. Azula had even picked up her old friendships with Mai and Ty Lee. The acrobat did not waste time over tears and immediately embraced her childhood best friend. Mai was a bit more chilly towards the blue-fired dragon but Zuko was pleased to see that they now got along surprisingly well. Maybe even better than they used to. 

But if that's the case, they why was Zuko so displeased by the idea of his sister joining them? Well, it's really simple. He just knew Azula was plotting something. He couldn't put his finger on it but he was sure that whatever that was, it was aimed directly at him. Zuko had never been fascinated by his sister's little pranks but according to Sokka "that is a part of being a big brother", "it's just sister attitude", "Kiyi will pick it up too, when she's older" and "the fact that Azula was doing normal sister stuff was a good thing because it meant they were close to being normal siblings". Any other day, it would have been fine. Frustrating, but fine. But this was not any other day. It was a super important day, not only because his friends were visiting but because Mai would be there too! After a very ugly break- up, the gloomy ninja avoided Zuko as if he had the plague but she, just like everyone else, would be there today! Most people would think that it was time for the boy to get over his ex-girlfriend but how could he sit around and do nothing while he was given the chance to win her over later in the afternoon? That's exactly why Azula should not pull anything sketchy today. This was a very important day and the last thing Zuko needed was his sister making a fool out of him infront of Mai. But of course, it's not like she cared. Yesterday, when the Fire Lord tried to explain to Azula why today was very significant for him and it would be better if she wasn't even there, the young princess just burst into laugher and kicked him out of her room.

But yesterday belonged to yesterday and today's today and you might call it wishful thinking but Zuko thought he could get his sister to cancel whatever plan she had prepared (if it wasn't already in motion) by the time everyone would arrive. 

When he walked into the dining room, Zuko was immediately embraced by Kiyi just like every other day and Ikem offered him a polite hello when he became aware of the Fire Lord's presence.

"Good morning, dear" said his mother with a smile "Did you sleep well?" Zuko didn't answer. He was distracted by the only person in the room who didn't acknowledge his existence.

"Azula, may I speak with you for a moment? In private."

"Can't it wait until breakfast is over? Whatever it is that you want to say, it can't possibly be more important that a plate of freshly cooked pancakes. They're the ones with the kiwi slices in the mixture too." She said, sounding innocent enough but her eyes betrayed how fake her interest in the pancakes was. It's not like she was trying to hide it. She hates kiwi.

"It's very urgent, Azula. I need to speak with you, right now." He didn't mean to sound so demanding but his sister knew just how to press the right buttons.

"My, my. If it really can't wait then I suppose I can spare some of my precious time." And with that, she got up and walked out of the room, expecting Zuko to follow behind.

"I wanted to talk to you about today's events. You can't be there for the celebration." The Fire Lord said as soon as the door was safely closed behind them.

"There we go again. I've told you about a thousand times that there is no way I'm missing out on your little tea party." Azula said, not bothering to hide her annoyance.

"Azula please! Today is a very important day for me and you know that. Plus, you don't even really want to be there and we both know it." Zuko said. Damnit Azula! She was making this so much harder than it needed to be.

"Who are you to know what I might or might not want?! And even if you were right and I didn't want to celebrate with you and your friends, what are you going to do about it? It's not like you can lock me in my room. This is my house, too, remember? And you never know, this could be a notable day for me too..." The Fire Princess' smirk sent a shiver down Zuko's spine.

"What are you plotting Azula?" It wasn't a simple question anymore. His tone made it clear that answering was an order.

"I'm 'plotting' nothing! If anything, you're the one who has plans for today. I'm just looking forward to a fun evening and watching you make a fool of yourself in front of Mai, your so-called friends and uncle fatso, the dearest." Zuko wasn't ashamed to admit just how much he wanted to slap that smirk off his sister's face. How could she offend people so heartlessly? It was infuriating!

"Fine! Accompany us if you want it so much but I'm warning you, if you pull something, anything, I'll make sure you're reminded of the fact that I am the Fire Lord and you are here and unbound because of the mercy I showed you, are we clear?" He didn't even wait for Azula to answer him as he walked away furiously.  

Had he stayed a bit longer he would have seen how his little sister was trying to hold back her laugh. Does this fool really thinks he has the high ground?

Chapter 2

Summary:

The Gaang arrives along with the most special guest of the night.

Notes:

I have no good excuse as to why this took so long.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Zuko was nervous. He was sitting on his office chair, bouncing his leg, deep in thought. Mai hadn't arrived yet. Though to be fair, she lives close by so there wasn't any reason for her to show up early, in comparison with the rest of his friends, who lived days away. Toph had arrived earlier that day, right after breakfast and thankfully, Azula's presence distracted her after the formalities were over with. Not that Zuko didn't want to see Toph, he just had a lot on his mind. Aang and Katara were probably close to Caldera by now and it's most likely Sokka traveled with them, as he always does. His uncle would probably be slightly late but Zuko couldn't be upset with him. Ba Sing Se was very far away.

Suki and Ty Lee were already there since they're his personal bodyguards, although the acrobat wasn't currently standing guard on his door, like she would normally be. Zuko had sent Ty Lee in Azula's chambers to spy on her. He knew that it was a dick move, ordering to have his sister spied on by her best friend, but he really needed to figure out if she was up to something and couldn't let Azula get to Mai before him or else she would monopolize the older girl's attention. He mentally went through the stages of his plan.

One, greet Mai, be friendly enough to make her feel welcome but throw in some compliments here and there to keep her interested.

Two, make sure she knows Zuko's in a better place than when they broke up and was finally ready to be an ideal boyfriend but without giving away his intentions.

Three, remind her how beautiful their relationship used to be, back when it first started. How special they made each other feel and how they were perfect for each other.

Four, when the fireworks light up the sky, kiss her.

Couples sharing a kiss during the fireworks was a tradition Aang and Katara started when Team Avatar first celebrated the end of the war, after Sozin's comet. Sokka walked in on them and got the oogies. Next year, he decided to kiss Suki st the exact sane time to give Katara the oogies as revenge. It didn't take long for the rest of the couples amongst them to pick it up as well. But it was only a couples thing. If Mai allowed him to kiss her during the fireworks, it would automatically imply that they're a couple and that would save him from having to awkwardly ask her out.

Some might say that step four would be the most important part if his plan. It's supposed to be, right? It's the moment the guy gets the girl while cliche happy ending music plays in the background right before the end credits. But no. The most important part of this plan is step five:

Keep Azula as far away from Mai as possible.

Or from anyone for that matter. His annoying sister always ruins everything but he can't let her destroy tonight. He couldn't and he wouldn't. A knock on his door pulled him away from his thoughts and he jumped at the sight of Suki. He had asked not to be disturbed which means she was here to announce the arrival of an important guest or report bad news. Thankfully it wasn't the latter. "Fire lord, I should inform you that Master Katara, Warrior Sokka and Avatar Aang have arrived", the Kyoshi warrior said. She was trying to be formal and professional but she was failing to hide her excitement. She hadn't seen Sokka in quite some time and she had missed him dearly.

Zuko tried to hide his disappointment. He hoped Mai would arrive before the rest of his friends so that he would have to abandon them in order to speak with her more comfortably. Regardless, his guests had arrived and he didn't want to be rude, so he started making his way down the hall quickly, Suki following right behind.

"Suki!" Said Sokka, as soon as he caught the sight of his lover. They run to each other and hugged while Zuko approached Katara and Aang.

"Sokka!", Katara scolded,"I know you've missed Suki but it's rude to ignore your host when he tries to greet you!"

"Give him a break Katara", Zuko said smiling, "I get him. It's hard to miss your lover."

"Yea 'Tara! Give me a break! Zuko understands.",Sokka said. He did, however, release Suki and they walked towards the rest of the group together.

"Fire Lord Zuko. It's good to see you again",greeted the young Avatar. Aang and Zuko bowed to each other before sharing a hug.

"You two are being so formal! We're friends, aren't we?", said Katara gleefully before hugging Zuko herself.

"Is Toph here?" Sokka asked.

"Yea, she arrived earlier today. She's currently with Azula in her chambers. I think they're getting ready for ton-"

"Ha! Getting ready? Good one Sparky. As if I'm one to pamper myself for some fancy party" Toph interrupted, walking towards the small crowd, Azula and Ty Lee following beside her.

"Honestly Zuzu, sometimes you say the most silly things", mocked the Crown Fire Princess.

"Look what the cat dragged in" Katara mumbled.

Aang was quick to get Azula's attention before she could reply in order to do everyone a favour and stop the argument that was about to begin.

"Hello Azula! What are you doing here? I mean, not here as in the palace, you're obviously here, that's your house. I mean here as in here in this room. Zuko was saying you were in your chambers just now" The young boy was clearly nervous.

"I was" replied Azula calmly "But now I'm here. I had asked Ty Lee to fetch me when our guests arrived. It's rude not to greet guests when they visit your residence, Avatar"

"Oh yea, right, that makes sense. So, how have you been doing?" Aang asked, trying to calm down a bit. In general, he was in good terms with Azula, but he was a bit uncomfortable around her, probably due to the fact that she had killed him just a couple of years ago.

"I've been fairly well, thank you for asking. How about you? Are the air temples doing okay? And your relationship? I can't imagine it being easy, considering your partner." Azula bit back in a passive aggressive manner.

"What did you just say about me?!" Katara was quick to reply. From time to time, it seemed like those two were always ready for an argument.

It was Sokka's turn to try and save the situation.

"Azula! It's good to see you again! I hope the Pai So board is still untouched?" He asked.

"Oh, right. The game we didn't manage to finish. I'd be happy to inform you that all pieces are in the very place they were the last time you were here." Azula answered, visibly more approachable now that the subject of the conversation was one she greatly enjoyed.

"Perfect! In that case, we can continue as soon as we can. But maybe not right now. The journey here was long and I'm starving!"

"Oh that's right! How rude of Zuko not to offer you some much needed comfort and rest" Said Azula, fake empathy decorating her face. "Ty Lee, Suki, would you be dears and escort our guest to the dining hall and deliver their stuff at their designated rooms?"

"You got it, Azula!" The acrobat replied joyfully.

"Azula. Do stay. I'd like to talk to you." Zuko said sternly. After everyone had left the hall, Zuko decided to confront his sister.

"I know exactly what you're doing" He accused.

"Oh? And what would that be?" The princess asked, mocking curiosity in her voice.

"Don't play dumb with me Azula. 'I had asked of Ty Lee to fetch me when our guests arrived'? 'It's rude not to greet guests when they visit your residence'? I see right through you! You're trying to get to Mai before me. And it's not going to work!" Zuko said, trying to stop himself from yelling.

"My my, have you always been this paranoid Zuzu? And so desperate for Mai's attention? It's honestly kind of pathetic." Laughed Azula.

Before Zuko could reply, the guard stationed in the door spoke.

"I formally announce the arrival of Lady Mai" Zuko's heart skipped a bit while Azula allowed a delicious smirk to paint her face.

Mai had arrived.

Let the games begin!

Notes:

I hope you enjoyed. Pls leave a review. I want to know your honest opinions