Water Lily in a Sea of Fire

Chapter 4: Growing Friendship

Soon, Lu Ten graduated from the academy and joined the army as he had always planned, and both he and Iroh were gone for brief periods of time. Though Chiara still kept busy with the household, she spent even more time with Zuko. Azula, who used to join them often, started growing a bit distant from them as she got older. The more Ozai pushed her as a prodigy, the colder she became to those around her.

As they often did, Zuko and Chiara were practicing with their wooden swords. Azula, in a bored mood, stepped out in the garden and watched them for a few minutes.

"Can't you guys do anything else?" she asked.

"We're supposed to practice," said Zuko.

Azula huffed. "You're always practicing."

"It's how we perfect our techniques," said Chiara nearly "slicing" Zuko's right side before he blocked her.

The princess rolled her eyes. "Well, Dad says you're too old to play with your toys."

"They're not toys, Azula." Zuko sounded offended and lunged a little more forcefully than usual, but Chiara managed to parry his attack.

"I guess with the way you firebend you'll need to use a non-bender toy," she said arrogantly.

Zuko tried to ignore her insult and focus on his battle as Chiara brought her bokken down forcing him to quickly block it.

"Come on, Zuzu, you're going to let a stupid Earth girl beat you?"

Chiara lightened up on her fighting without trying to look like she had done so. It allowed Zuko to get the upper hand and win the fight with a fatal swing to her neck.

"This is boring," said Azula. "Let's play a game."

"What do you want to play?" asked Zuko as he and Chiara set their bokkens down.

"Let's play Battle of the Nations," she said.

"That sounds stupid, Azula," said Zuko.

"Come on. I'll even let you be fire. Chiara can be Earth."

"We don't even know how to play your stupid game," he said.

"It's easy. Since you're Earth, Chiara, you can earthbend at Zuko and he can fight with fire."

"I can't earthbend," said Chiara.

"Sure you can," said Azula.

She picked up a few rocks and threw one at Zuko who was not expecting it, and she hit him on his arm. Chiara immediately stepped over to him.

"Ow! That hurt, Azula!" he said.

"Azula," said Chiara, "don't throw rocks at him."

"Then you should've used your earthbending to keep it from hitting him."

While Chiara looked at Zuko's arm, Azula quickly threw a rock at her hitting her on her cheekbone.

"Azula!!" yelled Zuko. He moved Chiara's hand to look at her face. Seeing her blood infuriated him. "You're bleeding."

"I'm fine," she said, though it stung.

Zuko looked back at Azula. "You're going to pay for that!"

He moved towards her, but Chiara held him back.

"Don't," she said not wanting him to fight with his sister because of her. "I'm okay."

"But what she did to you is not okay," he insisted.

"I'm just trying to prove she's an earthbender," said Azula innocently.

"It wouldn't matter if she was," said Zuko, his voice full of anger. "You still don't throw rocks at her! You could've hit her in the eye." He looked at Chiara. "Come on. Let's go find something else to do."