Chapter 8: Phoenix

XXX

The morning sun was rising, a new day dawning for the Fire Nation, and the rest of the world. The warmth embrace stirring many firebenders alike. Azula herself felt her inner fire light up, with the rising sun, a precise wake-up every morning.

But this morning was a bit different, she felt the warmth of the sun...yet something else warm, that she was curled up-to. Opening her eyes, which she regreted, a pair of gray eyes greeting her.

"Morning," said Zhan, having one arm on her waist, herself crawled into a fetal position close to him.

"Oh no!" she said blushing red, disentangling herself from the akward position. "What in Agni happened?!"

"Nothing. Except I think you should lay off any stronger drinks for now," he said.

"Ohhh...please tell me I didn't do anything embarassing yesterday?" she asked, hiding her shame in her hands.

"Not much: you sang the National Anthem, the Anthem - Azula version, training, your future plans as Fire Lord, some weird dances and some gibberish about being prettier than girl named Ty Lee," he said, counting up Azula' misfortunes.

"Oh...I'm ruined," she said, hiding her head between her knees.

"Cheer up. You and I were to only ones here, nobody visited...and I locked the door," he said, pulling her by her waist closer to him.

"And...the bedding?" she asked.

"Yeah...that's the problem of having a tipsy Princess, slash firebender. Once she gets attached, it's impossible to get rid of her," he replied, chuckling.

"Uhmm...sorry about that," she replied, a bit red.

"I didn't mind. Although the falling asleep in my lap was a bit uncomfortable, you were hard to move to bed," he said, to which Azula went crimson.

"Care to join me for a walk, after breakfast?" asked Zhan.

"Why not?" replied Azula dryly.

XXX

After breakfast, to which his father was suprised how did Zhan, get past the guards and why did he heard strange noises from Azula' room. Luckily for her, Ozai didn't bonder on the subject much, since he had a meeting with the war-minister and was fine with her walk, although warned to keep herself alert for any dangers.

Their walk turned out to be different, from their previous ones, instead of visiting the city, he had opted to show her his home instead.

After taking an ostrich-horse carriage outside, the city into the outskirts, they arrived at a remote, yet large estate.

"Here we are: Home Sweet Home," said Zhan, opening the carriage door, and showing his home.

"It's kinda small," replied Azula. The estate was larger than the average citizen's home, but was smaller than the noble houses she had seen.

"It is...but it has history, been in our generation for ages," he said, leading her inside,

Once inside Zhan immediately got pulled into a death-hug by a middle-aged woman, with long black hair and sparkly-blue eyes.

"Sweety, your home!" said the woman, obviously her mother, Asiza.

"Mom, ease up on the killing, will ya," he said jokingly, trying to get out of her mom's grip. "We've got royalty here."

Asiza let go of Zhan as soon as she saw the Crown Princess in her estate.

"Princess Azula. An honor to meet see you here," said Asiza, kneeling before her.

"Mom skip with formalities, we've got a guest here," he said. "Some refreshments maybe?"

"Of course," she replied, summoning some servants to bring refreshments for the three.

"Why don't you two start up? I wanna check something first," he said, leaving the two females in the room.

The two women, had taken seats at the dining room, drinking some tea, while Zhan was off.

"So Princ-"

"You may call me Azula," she added.

"Azula. If you don't mind me asking. How is Zhan? I hope he isn't a burden or trouble?" asked Asiza.

"Well he is. Not in a bad way, of course. He is a goofy-ball and a dummy...but he's a fresh change to the Palace. It can get a bit dull there," she said. "And he's very skilled, I might say."

"I guess so. My boy has always been the tinkering kind: always thinking, planning, testing theories. We had to give him one-third of the estate, because his workshop got so big," replied the woman.

"I'd say his physical skills aren't so far off as well," added Azula. "Speaking of which."

Zhan had returned, looking cheery as always, taking a seat near Azula.

"What did you ladies say about me?" he asked, eyeing her and his mother.

"Nothing," she said, hiding her smirk in her cup.

"Really?" he asked.

"Well...uhm..dear I gotta run to the market," said the mother, rising from her seat. "You'll be alright?"

"Yes, yes. Go mom," he replied, waving his hand.

"She did that on purpose," said Zhan, after her mother had left the house, along with a few servants.

"Oh? You think so?" replied Azula, teasingly.

"Oh fine," he finished. "Come on now. I wanna show you something."

"Your workshop that takes up, half the house?" she asked.

"Typical mom, blabbers out everything," he replied in a mock sigh.

He had let Azula to the other side of the house, to which he lead her to a large room. It was bigger than her Chambers and more larger too...and darker.

"I can't see a thing," she said, lighting a small flame in her hand.

"A moment. Let me get the door open. Now then, where is that lever?" he asked, searching for something in the dark room. "Found it!"

Azula could her some cranking, humps, gears and chains moving. Soon a large, metal door started to open, letting in sweet sunlight, bathing the room.

"The best part," said Zhan, finishing on the lever. "Is the view."

As she walked outside, she could see a beautiful garden outside, with a breath-taking view to the sea.

"Living in a house, on a cliff, near the sea has it's benefits. Like having a good jump into the water," he said, pulling Azula near to the edge, showing a clear dive, straight into the water below, and a carved footpath down below to a sandy beach.

"Personal beach, estate, and view. I'm a bit jealous," said Azula, admiring the location.

"Well you could visit," he replied.

"Don't tempt me," she replied, a mischevious smile on her face.

"Maybe, I will," he replied, chuckling. "But now...my crowning glory."

He gestured back to his workshop, to which Azula could see it looked more like a warships machine room, than a nobles workshop.

"Guess your mother was right. You are a tinkering one," she said.

"Yeah...I get that a lot," he replied, scratching behind his head.

"Well you have a lot of stuff here," she said, eyeing the various inventions: some were for regular life, other she saw could be dangerous weapons, and a few were just plain weird. But the large metal construct in the back, caught her eye.

"What's that?" asked Azula, it had a cylindrical shape, a glass panel on top, two wheels under it and two metal plates on either side. To her it was almost shaped like a bird...a very weird bird.

"This," he said, rubbing his hand over the metal frame. "Is my masterpiece, shining glory, renewer...and retirement project."

"What is it supposed to be or to?" she asked.

"Well...when this is finished. It can fly, fast as a bird, made of metal...and will run on firebending," he said proudly.

"I..I...mpo..ssible," stuttered out Azula, not beliving a thing like this could fly. "Metal doesn't fly."

"The way I design it. It will," he replied.

"How?!" she asked, still a non-believer.

"When I was younger, my father, had brought me an old exotic airbender glider, cause I loved all exotic and old contraptions back then. It was a mess, but like back then, I fixed it up, and wanted to test it out. At first the results were...poor. Okay a total disaster...I could fly as much as a turtle-crab. Yet on one day, when I wanted to go down to the beach, I slipped and fell...but instead of falling to my death...I flew with the glider, well not as much fly...more like glided, into the sea. After that I realized, if a non-airbender and non-bender could fly...then anything could be possible. I started to replicate the incident. Starting small with leaves, moving to wood, then metal. Then they got bigger and bigger.

"Until you got that," finished Zhan, with his story.

"W..ow," replied Azula. "But how to you make it fly with firebending?"

"Simple. Firebending propels it further," he said. "Airbenders bend the air, so in theory they bend the air around their gliders to make them fly. I've heard you can propel yourself further with firebending. So why can't you do it with that?"

"Does it work?" she asked.

"I haven't tested it. Only theory...and it says, maybe in ten years it'll fly."

"But how should it work in theory?" asked Azula.

"Here let me show you," said Zhan, leading Azula behind the metal 'bird'. Behind the glass panel was an opening they could crawl into. Inside were two metal seats, they could sit on.

"Feels weird," she said. "Tight also."

"It's a squeeze. But the seats are good," he said leaning onto metal backside.

"Yeah, cold metal is always good," she replied sarcastically, trying to sit on the cold seat.

"Oh yeah, sorry. Guess that's one problem I got to fix," he said.

"How does it work?" she asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Two levers control the wings, just like on a glider," he said proudly.

"And that?" she asked, pointing at a hole behind them, large on the inside but got smaller as it exited the construct.

"That's the engine. You bend fire through it, theoretically your fire becomes more powerful, large to small and smaller, concentrating it. So giving it more thrust, in theory," he said.

Azula couldn't help but marvel at the piece of engineering, and maybe, someday fly in one. The engine caught her attention...concentrating fire...more powerful.

She conjured some blue fire, then send it through the engine...she felt nothing. Trying again, but with more fire, she could see her fire go from being large to small, but she felt it's strength, as strong as her larger fire, going through the engine.

Unfortunately, neither of the felt the plane move.

"It does concentrate my fire, stronger," said Azula.

"Well it...AZULA STOP!" Zhan screamed out.

"Wha-AAAH," screamed out Azula aswell, as they suddenly started to fall down.

"NO TIME!" he yelled out. "Azula! Start bending!"

She followed his order, firebending through the engine.

"Let's see if this thing works," he said, pulling on both the levers. The metal construct bucked, sending Azula into the back, but stopped falling.

"Ouch!" she said, rubbing her head, then looked outside.

The view was even more beautiful: the sea rapidly passing by them, the clear sky, passing by a pair of swallow-geese...the feeling of freedom, it was overwhelming to her...until they started to drop suddenly.

"Azula! Fire!" said Zhan to her.

"Right!" replied Azula, sending fire through...until the entire thing collapsed off, maybe she had over did it. "Zhan! I think we lost something!"

"What?!" he said, looking behind him, and seeing the missing part. "OH DAMN!"

"What now?!" she asked, scared for the first time in her life.

"We're going down!" he said trying to fly the thing, but he knew it was pointless. "HOLD ON!"

"TO WHAT?!" she asked back.

"Eachother!" he screamed, turning around and grabbing ahold of Azula, which she did as well.

XXX

In the Royal Palace Grounds, Firelord Ozai was discussing important reports, with war-minister Qin, with two dozen Imperial Firebenders circling them.

"How long, until another new weapon is developed for the army?" asked the Firelord.

"A couple of months, Your Highness," replied the war-minister.

"See to it th-WHAT?" asked the Firelord, spotting something in the sky, like a bird...only made of metal...and heading for them.

"GET DOWN!" yelled one of the Imperial Firebenders, pulling Ozai, out of harms way. A loud crash, banging and metal stretching could be heard, as the thing fell into the Palace, a few feet from their position, Imperial Firebenders circling it immediately.

A few banging sounds could be heard, coming from inside the construct, against the glass. A blue fire blast, soon smashed the glass open...blue?!

"Stand down!" said Ozai, knowing who was in that thing.

"Oh Agni...I think I'm gonna be sick," said Azula, poking her head out, which was a mess, and she felt sick to her stomach.

"Never! Touch something, that isn't tested Azula," replied Zhan, pulling his head out as well. "And...we landed in the worst possible place in the world."

"What?" she asked, then saw her father. "Oh...hello father."

Ozai didn't if he should be furious or curious, her daughter done such a thing: destroyed half of the Royal Garden. On the other hand he had seen that thing in the air...and how could that be possible?

"Di..did that just fly?" asked war-minister Qin, breaking the silence.

"Indeed it did," replied Azula, seeing a great opportunity in this. "Father, this construct before you flew...BY FIREBENDING! It flew in the air itself, faster than a bird...AND there's the genius behind it.

She had pointed to Zhan, who was busy, checking out the damage.

"Young man?" asked the war-minister approaching. "Did you make this?"

"Yes I did or did," he replied sadly. "Now it's a wreckage."

"Could this be build again?" asked Ozai.

"I'm not sure. I built this for six years, alone," he replied.

"What if you had more helpers and funding, resources?" asked Azula.

"Well...in that case...maybe in a year or so," he replied.

"Father! You must support this! An opportunity like this can't be passed on. Something that we can use to dominate the skies! Something that, no other nation in the world has! Imagine dozens of these attacking Ba Sing Se!" said Azula, more excited than ever.

She could see both her father' and the war-ministers face lit up in astonishment, suprise and pride.

"Of course not! War-minister, order some engineers to take this contraption away someplace safe, and you," he said, addressing Zhan. "Zhan, follow me. You too Azula. I've got a few questions."

"What did you to?" whispered Zhan.

"Saved our reputation. Got a new war-machine," she replied, then pulled him closer. "And making sure you'd never leave me again."

XXX