Loyal (Male!Azula X OC)

3: Thunderstruck

When tracking your brother and uncle, traveling with the royal procession may no longer be an option," the twin old women said. "May no longer be wise,"they advised, "If you hope to keep the element of surprise."

Azulaan nodded. "You're right. The Royal Procession is dead weight. If I want to catch my prey, I must be agile, nimble. I need a small, elite team... It's time to visit some old friends..." He turned to me. "Reen, tell Captain Mor to make land fall near New Ozia. Then meet me on the top deck."

"Yes, Prince Azulaan."

***

I stepped nervously onto the top deck where Azulaan was waiting for me. "Reen," he said, "you're a fire bender, correct?"

"Yes," I responded.

"Good." He suddenly slid into an attacking stance and shot a fire ball at me.

With a shout of surprise I dodged the fire. I flipped away from the next few as I watched the fly from the Prince's fist.

"Fight back, Reen!" He yelled sending another barrage my way.

I gave a glance at him as I continued dodging. With the pause in his barrage of fire I shot my own at him. He dodged. I shot again with my hands as I moved in closer. I didn't let up as I moved in, kicking fire or the Prince as well.

I saw him prepare his signature move, blue lightning cackling around him. I gasped as he shot the lighting at me. Because of the warning from knowing what he was preparing, I managed to just barley dodge but I was pressed against the watch tower railing. The crackling energy hit the rail behind me, traveling through the metal and into my body through my exposed back.

I yelled in pain as every muscle in my body seized up. I fell toward, my muscles relaxing again just in time to not crack my head on the deck. My body felt locked in position as I breathed heavily. Fearfully, I breathed out, "You win, Prince Azulaan."

"Of course I win." He stared. "But I'm impressed, Reen. You just survived a lightning blast with minimal damage..."

I caught my breath remembering how Azulaan had said the last servant had died. A training accident. I had no doubt in my mind that a direct hit would have done much, much more damage.

***

I easily recognized my cousin in his upside down position as Azulaan and I walked up together. Azulaan put his hands on his hip. "Tye Lee, could that possibly be you?"

Tye Lee was standing on just his index fingers. He smiled when he saw Azulaan and I. "Azulaan! Tu Reen!" Tye Lee flipped from his stance and spun around in a graceful twirl to bow down before Azulaan. He then ran forward to embrace Azulaan. "It is so good to see you!"

"Please, don't let us interrupt your..." Azulaan raised an eyebrow in wonder, "whatever it is you were doing."

Tye Lee, still smiling, did a back flip and laid on his chest with one leg stretched out over hid head and the other straight up to the sky.

Azulaan glanced around. "Tell me, what is the son of a nobleman doing here? Certainly our parents didn't send us to the Royal Fire Academy to end up in..." Azulaan shrugged as he looked around, "...places like this." Azulaan looked as three men were trying to move a platypus bear. The Bear groaned and stood up to reveal that it has laid an egg. Azulaan looked at this in disgust and turned his attention back to Tye Lee, grinning once more. "I have a proposition for you."

Tye Lee was still lying on the ground, watching the same Platypus bear as Azulaan, but he looked happy to see what has happened. When Azulaan addressed him, he diverted his attention away from the bear and looked at Azulaan and me in a wondering gaze.