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Izumi Miyamura: Xover - Chapter 26
🕑 Added 2024-11-16 01:02:52 +0000 UTCAuthor's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Vongrak.
I could feel Taylor's disapproving gaze even without looking at her, staring at me as if she was questioning what I had asked now.
"I didn't do anything!" I defended myself as I turned to Taylor, who followed me with her gaze for a few seconds before sighing.
"One day Izumi, it's only been one day since we moved." Taylor said flatly, I made a face before pouting.
"It wasn't me." I said childishly, Taylor sighed tiredly as she massaged her temple.
"Umm , what if we ask her?" Ruby interrupted awkwardly as she pointed at Azula, her expression not having changed at all.
"I want you to teach me the dance of the fire god." Azula said seriously, the three of us blinked in confusion.
"And… what does that have to do with the proposal?" I asked confused as I tilted my head, Azula frowned.
"You said you only taught it to your family, marry me, so I can learn it." The three of us stayed silent, I looked at Azula to see if she was joking and no, her expression was just as severe as always, I sighed tiredly.
"I was honestly hoping it was your food again," Taylor snorted amusedly, I rolled my eyes.
"Shut up." I punched Taylor on the shoulder. "Okay, first of all, I never said I was showing it to my family, I just kind of deflected." I shrugged, Azula stared at me.
"Then teach me." I hummed softly.
"No." I repeated myself from this morning, Azula's nostrils flared in anger "You never answered my question, why should I teach you?" I asked curiously "I don't have time to teach my techniques to someone potentially dangerous, you're full of rage and anger." Azula wrinkled her nose and clicked her tongue.
"You sound like my uncle." Azula spat, I raised an eyebrow in her direction but I remained silent, she did the same before clicking her tongue once more "I want to take back the throne that belongs to me." she growled through clenched teeth.
"You're a princess?" Ruby gasped before starting to bounce in place. "Izumi! We have to help her! " Ruby appeared next to me and started shaking me in excitement.
"Ruby." Taylor interrupted, stopping her to my relief, "and... that throne belongs to you?" Taylor asked in Azula's direction, Azula's expression was one of anger.
"Of course! It's my birthright! I am my father's legitimate heir! But my stupid mother and my idiot brother had to go and ruin everything with their coup d'état! " Azula exploded, blue flames licking from her clenched fists.
"Sounds like quite a story." I hummed softly. "Would you like to tell us? Maybe it'll help me decide whether or not to teach you." I smiled at her, slightly. Azula stood rigid for a few seconds before clicking her tongue again.
"…good."
---
Taylor, Ruby and I were back on the couch sitting with Taylor in front sitting in an office chair that was at the desk, she had her arms crossed as she looked away at a wall.
"My great-grandfather Sozin, started a war 100 years ago against China." Azula began, Taylor and Ruby's eyes widened, "He wanted to seek independence for our country; China had repeatedly refused our attempts to separate from them. And we were not as lucky as Taiwan which had the protection of the United States." Azula licked her lips.
"We certainly didn't have a strong enough army for a coup, but with the arrival of Quirks that changed, you didn't really need an army anymore when soldiers could generate enough fire to burn entire blocks, so my great-grandfather took the opportunity and staged the coup."
"It worked, we declared ourselves an independent nation under the name of the Fire Nation. Sozin was a descendant of the ancient royal family of the Fire Nation, before it was part of China, so when we achieved independence he was reinstated as King, known as the Fire Lord."
"Even though our goal of independence worked and was accepted by most countries, China didn't really look kindly on it and we've been at war for the past 100 years. They send their hunters out every now and then and we do the same, everything changed when that monster arrived almost a decade ago." Azula growled.
"Liu Zhigang." I said the name of the strongest hunter in China, the national level hunter, Azula gritted her teeth and nodded.
"China has been hanging his name and presence like a sword of Damocles ever since he was appointed as the National Hunter, my grandfather Azulon, son of Sozin, the Fire Lord at the time, was killed 10 years ago by him, my father, Ozai was crowned as the Fire Lord despite being the youngest son, the duty would have fallen to my uncle Iroh-" Azula spat out his name "-as the eldest son, but he abdicated the throne when his son, Lu Ten, was also killed by Liu Zhigang."
"My father Ozai, followed in the footsteps of his father Azulon and his father's father, Sozin, and stood strong against China, my brother Zuko, as the eldest son was supposed to be the rightful heir , but he said things, things that were considered high treason, he wanted to surrender to China and end the war."
"Obviously my father got angry and exiled him, so I was named the legitimate heir to the throne, until 5 years ago," Azula said bitterly. "My brother staged a coup with our uncle and mother, they found outside help for it as well… and we lost. My father was imprisoned and I was sent to the asylum, they only let me out a few months ago when they decided to exile me to this country." We all fell silent as we digested the story.
"So…" I licked my lips in excitement "…if I-"
"No." Taylor interrupted me and I looked at her in surprise.
"What? You don't even know what I was going to say!" I exclaimed to Taylor, Taylor rolled her eyes.
"You want to accept her marriage proposal so you can fight Liu Zhigang." She said flatly and I froze before smiling awkwardly at her, she knew me really well.
"Well…"
"No," she repeated to herself dryly.
"You... you want to fight that monster?!" Azula asked through gritted teeth, staring at me in disbelief.
"Well..." I smiled shyly.
"Sounds fun!" Ruby said suddenly before stopping. "Wait, you can fight a national level hunter?" She asked me innocently.
"No idea." I shrugged "Against an S rank I have faith in defeating him easily, against a national? I have no idea, but just thinking about trying makes my blood boil." I said while giving a bloodthirsty smile, Ruby smiled at me.
"I trust you!" she said honestly.
"Is that all you have to say to him?" Taylor asked incredulously. "Could you help me try to convince him that taking on one of the most powerful hunters in the world is a bad idea!" Ruby looked at Taylor and raised an eyebrow.
"And when was the last time we were able, or you were able, since you've known him longer, to change his mind when he made up his mind on something?" Ruby asked calmly, Taylor opened her mouth to retort before going blank and closing it without any response. Taylor decided it was my fault and glared at me, Ruby laughed "It's easier to agree with him and help him prepare so he doesn't die than to try to stop him from doing something." Ruby added.
"They make it sound like I have mental problems." I pouted in their direction.
"You do," they both said dryly in unison, I smiled crookedly at them.
"You're crazy," Azula interrupted, snorting in their direction.
"Sanity is overrated." I scoffed and Azula rolled her eyes. "But back to the topic, so is that what you want me to train you for? To face Liu Zhigang? To take back your brother's throne? " Azula asked, wrinkling her nose.
"Of course not, facing Liu Zhigang is suicide, I'm not stupid." she said honestly while looking at me mockingly, I rolled my eyes "I just want the throne back, my brother is no good for politics, my mother even less, in the 5 years he was in power he’s done more harm to our nation than Liu Zhigang when he invaded us, my brother is weak and complacent, my uncle and my mother whisper stupid things in his ear. He's trying to calm China's over inflated ego at the expense of our nation, if he continues like this there will be no Fire Nation in less than a decade, two at the most. I refuse to see my homeland, the homeland for which my great-grandfather, my grandfather and my father fought for fall into the hands of the Chinese again because of my brother." Azula spat.
"So you want to do a coup d'état of the coup d'état?" Ruby asked confused, Azula rolled her eyes.
"You could say that," she drawled, "but it's not necessary. I just have to face Zuko. I'm his sister I could challenge his right to the throne. I'm sure the advisors and ministers will agree."
"That... sounds a little vague." I said and Azula's face twitched slightly. "Besides, can’t you defeat your brother as is? I'm sure your blue fire is one of the hottest and strongest fire quirks out there." Azula seemed to preen at the compliment.
"And I can, Zuko can't compare to my raw power or skill, but I'm aiming for S-class, if I rank up, my claim will be that much stronger, they won't be able to ignore it." Azula said determinedly, humming in consideration.
"And your story?" I asked Azula looking confused "We've heard about your country, and it really is a good goal, but your story? I don't think they just put you in an asylum for simply losing." I stared into her eyes, Azula's expression changed several times in a few seconds before she sighed.
"I am the second daughter of Ozai and Ursa, my parents did not like each other, it was a Quirk marriage arranged by my grandfather, Azulon. Ursa was the granddaughter of a powerful S-rank hunter, my mother especially hated my father, she always saw him as a monster and since I looked more like him, she also thought I was a monster and she is not wrong. I will not lie about it."
"She chose my brother over me, always looking out for him, always loving him, always being with him and never looking in my direction. When Zuko was exiled, my mother went with him, without saying goodbye to me, without any warning, just like my uncle. He also followed Zuko, in his words 'I'm crazy and I need to fall'." Azula rolled her eyes "I won't make excuses, I did and said questionable things to get his attention or simply because I wanted to, and I was fully aware of what I did, I regret nothing."
"When I was 14, my father tasked me with capturing my brother, uncle, and mother, having deemed them traitors. I was given a group of hunters to command, among them were my former best friends, my sisters, Ty Lee and Mai." Azula's voice sounded bitter. "During my journey I achieved great victories against China while searching for my 'family,' which helped cement my position as heir to the Fire Nation. At some point, my brother joined the rebels and… Ty Lee and Mai betrayed me."
I could feel Taylor pale and shake slightly, I grimaced, too close to home.
"I'm not ashamed to say that I had a mental breakdown because of that, I thought they were the only ones besides my father that I could trust, at that time when they attacked the Fire Nation capital and overthrew us, I… I did things that made me look like I was crazy, yes." Azula said with a grimace, her fists clenched tightly.
We all fell silent once again.
"Izumi agrees, he will marry you." Wait what!?
"Wait what?!" I repeated to myself and looked at Taylor stupidly "You're accepting for me?! You can accept for me ?! " I asked incredulously, Taylor shrugged.
"Your mother did it with me, I don't see why not." I glared at her.
"Yay ! Welcome to the family!" Ruby hugged Azula around the waist as she sat there not understanding what was happening.
"Besides Azula… if you want to talk about what happened to you… I understand." Taylor said trying to put on an awkward smile that ended in a crooked and shaky smile, my eyes widened "I know what it's like your sister betrayed you, Emma… my sister, she betrayed me, she used all my secrets to hurt me and a year ago she… locked me in my locker full of trash and feminine hygiene waste and left it to rot for weeks, it was… hours in there until I had an Awakening…" Ruby gasped heavily as she paled, and even Azula paled, and if a Reawakening didn't happen easily, a person would normally break and mentally break before reawakening , Azula had a mental break and there was no Reawakening and that was enough to say.
"I'll… think about it." Azula said slowly, Taylor nodded.
"I know... it's hard to trust other people after a betrayal of that level, and I'm not one to talk since it really took me almost a year to have a friend my age like Ruby is now, so don't worry." Ruby seemed touched and immediately hugged Taylor, Taylor smiled softly and patted Ruby's back
"Wait, what about me?" I asked Taylor in disbelief, Taylor tilted her head in confusion.
"I promised myself?"
"No, that's not it! About not trusting anyone for almost a year! I met you a year ago," I said offendedly, Taylor's eyes widened in understanding.
"Oh, but you're a boy, it's different." My face twitched, and it twitched even more when Azula and Ruby nodded.
"How… how is it different?" I asked, Taylor shrugged.
"I don't know, it's different, I trust you, you're the closest person to me, but you're not a girl, it's different." I massaged the bridge of my nose.
"Boys don't do things like that," Ruby added from next to Taylor.
"There's a lot of things wrong there." I sighed tiredly. "Boys can be just as cruel." The girls, including Azula, looked at me with varying levels of disbelief. "What kind of movies have you been watching?" I muttered in disbelief.
"Better things than your musicals." I gasped heavily and looked at Taylor with betrayal, she had a mocking smile.
"Take it back, musicals are great!" I exclaimed, she scoffed "Ruby, tell him musicals are great!" I looked at Ruby and she smiled crookedly at me.
"Well…"
"Betrayal, how could they do this to me." I gasped loudly again and brought my hands to my heart.
"Don't be dramatic," Taylor scoffed and I glared at her.
"Musicals are the best movies ever, and at least I don't get scared by horror movies!" I replied and Taylor blushed.
"It's not my fault! I'm used to cataloguing everything around me, I can't do it with a movie, they come out of nowhere! " she replied and Ruby beside her laughed, Taylor glared at her "and what are you laughing at? You cried during Toy Story 3!" Now it was Ruby's turn to blush deeply.
"The dolls were holding hands in the incinerator!" Ruby hissed blushing, the three of us stopped when we heard Azula's laughter, we smiled lightly at each other.
"HA! That was fun, I haven't laughed like that in a while." Azula said with a soft smile before sighing "and I guess I'll take you up on your offer Hebert-no Taylor, to talk, it's been 4 years since Mai and Ty Lee, I guess it's time to move on ." she said more to herself, Taylor smiled lightly at her and nodded.
"So, we're engaged?" I asked Azula, she looked at me and shrugged.
"I offered it to you first, I knew what I was getting into, so I don't really care."
"Okay, so you're engaged." Taylor nodded and I rolled my eyes.
"Yay ! Congratulations! " Ruby exclaimed happily before gasping, "I'm the only one who isn't engaged to Izumi!" she said almost horrified, I smiled at her amusedly.
"Technically you already proposed to me on our first date, but I never answered, so… yes Ruby, I'll marry you." Ruby's eyes widened before she smiled from ear to ear.
"Okay!" Ruby nodded before stopping, "Oh my God! Mom's going to kill me!" I laughed, yes, Summer would do that.
