There no place like home Ch 19

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Their trip passed by, filled with the usual tinkering for Zhan, along with some training with Azula - firebending, hand-to-hand combat, and white-firebending practicing. A certain moth-fly was drawn, to it namely Ty Lee, who was more than excited and awed at the pure-flame eyeing the beauty of it like a hungry predator.

Between sessions of training, there was also time to talk, mostly the usual politics and plans, associated with the Invasion and the Fire Nation in general. Yet, a few, personally related talks.

"How do you feel? About tomorrow?" asked Zhan. Lying on a bed in his leather attire, Azula leaning on him, with the night-sky illuminating the room.

"What should I feel? Excited, pleased proud?" asked Azula facing him, wearing her regular Royal robes.

"Glad?" Zhan gave a questionable look at Azula.

"Azula, you brought down the impenetrable city!" Zhan said while cuddling with this cute little princess.

"So I did," replies Azula, getting a slight giggle. "Stop tickling me!"

"As you wish," he said, going from tickling her, to stroke her long black and perfectly combed hair. "Why do you keep this tucked away? Steady as a thousand arrows, and radiant as the Sun."

"You see any long-haired nobles walking around?" she replied, gently easing into his touch.

"Okay...you got me there, but you're the Princess, you can do anything..." he jested.

"I can..." she replied, plucking a single yellow thread from his head. "But there are still customs...and traditions that are irreplaceable."

"Is marrying a non-bender there?" he asked, twirling lines on her stomach.

"Maybe..." she teased. "Just kidding. Royal Creed has usually been: to secure a strong and healthy lineage, who you pick as a partner doesn't matter much."

"Guess I'm in the clear," he replied, which got a chuckle from both of them.

"What will your father think?" asked Zhan.

"Well..." said Azula, a little unfamiliar as well, with the outcome. "I don't know, but since he arranged this...I seriously don't know..."

"Relax..." he added. "I'll be close, practically next to you."

"How?" she asked.

"Don't worry, just remember..." he said, whispering into her ear. "...I'll be right next to you, my Wildflower."

"Eh...stop with the romance stuff, you're making me blush," she replied, a little red in the cheeks.

"How about a back-rub?" he asked suddenly.

"I don-ooohhh," she was interrupted, as a pair of wondrous hands eased Azula's tensions back. "Don't stop."

"Wow! You're tense," he replied, feeling her back and shoulders.

"Try living my life," she replied, feeling good from the easing-up.

"I am...remember..." he teased back, reaching her neck.

"Oh yeah, That has bothered me for weeks," she replied, feeling her bad neck, untensed.

"You're enjoying too much," he said, during his actions.

"Ohh..." she moaned, to the blissful feeling, of being this relaxed in ages. "...just shut up, and don't stop working those magnificent hands of yours."

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Azula couldn't wait to reach home, and in the distance was the Great Gates of Azulon. They finally home, and none too unwanted, if evident by the gathered crowd there.

"Ready?" asked a too familiar voice.

"I am," replied Azula. Hair did, Royal armor in place and the ring, still seeable. Zhan was in his black armor, claw-gloves, and wearing a black metal cowl with a full-face white-skull mask. "Nice..."

"Does this make me look like an elite and deadly bodyguard?" he asked while showing-off his uniform.

"Too true...but one thing missing," said Azula, pulling-out a Royal Token of the Crown Princess. She placed it against his chest plate and welted in-place essentially, marking him as an asset of the Crown Princess.

"There...now everybody will know your mine.." Azula said in a sultry voice.

"I already was..." he replied, cupping her cheeks. A knocking on their door soon stopped their closeness.

"Hey, you two, we have arrived!" replied Mai's voice from the other side.

"Time to go!" he said, following Azula down below to the bow - her palanquin ready and bearers as well, the Royal Firebenders in place, Mai and Ty Lee nearby.

"I'm a bit excited!" said Ty Lee, unable to stand still.

"You saw a lot of parades, Ty Lee," said Azula, to the jumpy Ty Lee.

"I haven't been in one," she replied, jumpier than ever.

"Relax...and do what I do.." said Zhan, taking his spot next to Azula as she was lifted-up.

"Easy for you to say. You got your face hidden," pouted Mai.

"Ease up, everyone," said Azula, as the ship' bow opened to the Royal Plaza. "Here we go."

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"Your Princess Azula, clever and beautiful, disguised herself as the enemy and entered the Earth Kingdom's Capital. In Ba Sing Se, she faced the Avatar..." spoke Lo to the gathered crowd in the Fire Nation Capital.

"And the Avatar fell! And the Earth Kingdom fell!" spoke the twins in unison.

"Azula's agents quickly overtook the entire city. They went to Ba Sing Se's great walls..." continued Li. "And brought them down!"

"The armies of the Fire Nation surged through the walls and swarmed over Ba Sing Se, securing our victory!" spoke Li and Lo.

"Now your hero has returned home!" said Li as soon as Azula approached them. "Your Crown Princess, Azula!"

'There she goes,' thought Zhan, a couple of feet away, hidden nearby. The crowd was cheering for her, loved her...how could she doubt herself?

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Behind the whole parade, glorious return, and extravagant welcome, there was still time for a celebration: the last Earth Kingdom stronghold wiped out, and the Hundred Year War soon to be won by the Fire Nation - they just had to eliminate the Invasion.

When they first had told Ozai about the Invasion and the engagement, he was a little surprised per se.

-Flashback-

Azula was bowing before her father, Firelord Ozai, him congratulating her on Ba Sing Se' fall and informing of an Invasion at the Day of Black Sun, a second time happening in Fire Nation history.

"Well done, Azula. You have proved a most excellent tactician and bender," said Ozai, sitting on the Royal Throne.

"Thank you, father. Yet I regret to inform of the failure, to secure the Avatar' body, due to the intervention of my brother and Iroh," replied Azula, raising her head.

"You did well, for capturing your traitorous uncle, and as for Zuko - he is no son of mine," replied Ozai with hatred in his voice, which made Azula smirk.

"I had aid, three noble children - Mai and Ty Lee, as well as Zhan," said Azula, letting her hand show-off the ring. It was all or nothing now.

"Who gave you that ring?" asked Ozai, curiosity with a bit distant in his voice.

"He...did. You may come inside," said Azula, to which her love entered. Ozai saw him wearing a black metal-armoring, cowl and white skull-mask, and a token of the Crown Princess, in the chest plate. He seemed less like an inventor, and more like a Royal firebender or an assassin - that was good, but how would he react, was what caught Ozai' interest.

"I assume you are the one who proposed to the Princess?" asked Ozai as the boy bowed before him next to Azula.

"Yes, M'Lord," replied Zhan, removing his skull-mask and revealing the same boy, that Ozai knew.

"Who gave you permission to do so?" asked Ozai, wanting to see how far he'd go.

"None, this follower decided to ask the princess's hand in marriage, after the fall of Ba Sing Se. I knew we were determined to be married in a certain future, yet the princess deserves a propper proposal," said Zhan, eyeing Ozai while giving Azula a few glances. "If you think M'Lord, that I have overstepped my boundaries, then I'll gladly accept any punishment you see fit."

'Interesting,' thought Ozai, eyeing both of them. "Yet you should have asked for permission," 'although the need of how to dissipate two things with this sudden event is the announcement and the political backlash.' "No need for that, you understand what it means now."

-End flashback-

True to his words, Ozai had arranged for a celebration in the Royal Palace, inviting the various nobles and their families. Officially to celebrate the fall of the last Earth Kingdom city, yet Azula and Zhan knew that Ozai would reveal their engagement. Any political backlash that would come their way was theirs to handle since the backlash will come.

"I can't believe this Azula, ME! in a Royal Banquet, I think I'm gonna faint!" spoke the cheery Ty Lee, dressed in a more formal crimson-black dress from her usual pink attire.

"Calm down Ty seriously any more excitement, and you'd burst," said Mai dressed as she usually was the Royal Hall filled with all sorts of high-ranking nobles, their wives, and their offspring as well. "Why did you have to invite our families as well?"

"I didn't. My father did," replied Azula, dressed in the royal regalia, and the crown piece in her hair.

"What is he planning?" asked Ty Lee, a little worried.

"Something...I can't say," replied Azula.

"Not even to us?" asked Ty Lee.

"Especially you. Ty Lee, you would scream, then faint from the news," said Azula.

"I wouldn't!" replied Ty Lee.

"Yes, you would. You fainted, at the Royal Academy when Azula first introduced herself, those years ago," said Mai, remembering the event. Azula introduced herself then, as kids and Ty Lee went flat-stiff and fainted right there. Prompting Mai to help her up, back then basically how they all first met.

"Don't, worry Ty Lee," replied Azula, patting her on the back, "you will found out soon enough."

"Catch her, if she faints," whispered Azula to Mai, before she left the two noble' girls.

'Catch her? Why?' thought Mai, as Fire Lord Ozai appeared.

"My people. A glorious day has happened in Fire Nation history, since Sozin's time a hundred years ago, we have achieved another victory - the fall of Ba Sing Se!" spoke Ozai, as the gathered crowd soon erupted into a cheer and applause. "As well as another great day - for the Crown Princess is engaged and to be married to Lord Zhan."

Azula waited, for the backlash, we could see Ty Lee was having fun while fighting with other people. Zhan gave a towel, and she gladly accepted it.

The time finally came, "He is an engineer..."

"How can he be Royalty..?"

"This can't..."

They finally started to get louder, they look like hyenas, and it didn't take, a genius they weren't so approving of their relationship, Zhan was known to be from the army and an inventor, not a noble just a commoner.

"Enough!" echoed Zhan's voice in the hall. He had arrived behind Azula, maskless but wearing his armor and gloves. Soon walking down to face the silenced nobles. "I am Lord Zhan, son of General Zhu and a descendant of Xin Zho Zi' bloodline."

The gathered crowd soon started to eye and whisper to each other. A few knew about Xin Zho Zi and those who did know that his legacy far surpassed theirs.

"I am engaged to be married to the crown princess if any of you disagree with this then I'll gladly accept a duel from any of you we could settle this dispute; unarmed, armed, a firebender, and a none firebender," Zhan said each word held a tint of poison.

Many of the more arrogant nobles were swiftly-dealt with, a few louder clicks and clanks, it gave them a signal of the deadly weapons, and even without them, he was still as dangerous and lethal. "If that's settled, then I would say to enjoy yourselves in this banquet. This a great day for the Fire Nation, soon our victory will be complete."

Zhan's speech was soon followed by applause, a little quieter than the previous though.

"Enjoyed the show, my Princess?" asked Zhan, returning to Azula's side.

"I have to admit, Lord Zhan, You handled this, better than I would have expected. Satisfied the lower nobles with your heritage, while disarming the higher ones with silent death-threats," said Azula, very-pleased with the outcome.

"Well, I don't blame them for not wanting to have their face' slashed in a duel or a rib broken," replied Zhan. "And a few wrist cracking is hardly considered a death-threat."

"Yeah, right," teased back, Azula she was eating some grapes.

"Want to dance?" asked Zhan, offering Azula his hand, as the music started to play.

"Didn't, you say: that you didn't know how to dance?" asked Azula, as they went onto the dance-floor.

"I've been watching and silently practicing," replied Zhan, starting them into a slow dance. "Also, Ty Lee passed out again."

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Omake: No brain juice

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"Zhan today's omake page is blank what should we do?'' Ty Lee shows with a panic face.

Zhan still typing with his classic reporter like glasses, "there will not be any omake, didn't you hear the memo? Zhan said as he takes a sip of coffee.

"But what about the readers? If we don't provide them with omake, there may not give us their stones!

Ty Lee was in panic mode. Zhan crosses his arms and slowly takes a look from top to bottom at Ty Lee, "maybe we could use fan-service, tell me your three sizes?"

"Well... hey, take this seriously," only to see Zhan holding a bikini, "where did you get that?"

Zhan gave her simple smirk, "special moments like this," Ty Lee covers her chest, "this is not a manga or anime to be able to show such things," she stomps furiously at the floor.

Zhan started to think in a way that could work, 'wait she didn't say no to wearing the bikini maybe sells some pillows with her images of hers with a skimpy outfit.' "Well, we could trick Sokka into fighting an a full metal armor that is worn by a mysterious challenger," he said seemingly.

Ty Lee was delighted, "that is a great idea, let me start with the preparations."

[On another location]

Sokka throws his boomerang at the suit of armor, "why do I have to fight this again?" As the boomerang hits the helmet of the metal-armor, causing it to fall, on the floor revealing a cute little cat, "meow," with his dark eyes just enough to suck your soul.

Will Sokka survive this encounter? Or will the author run out of ideas to make omake? [Stay tuned on the next episode of dragon...

Ops wrong outro.]

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