Azula Acting Out of Character

"By the way,"

After Iroh left, they were getting ready to head to Zuko and Azula's home together when Azula suddenly said:

"Zuzu, I only invited Kahn, didn't I? I didn't invite you, did I? Why are you tagging along?"

Zuko didn't quite register what she meant. "What do you mean?"

Azula said bluntly:

"I mean, you don't want to play with us, and we don't want to play with you either. So stop following us and go play somewhere else!"

"You! Azula, don't go too far!"

Zuko immediately pointed at Azula, his face red with anger.

What was going on?

The sudden change in atmosphere left Kahn bewildered too. He inwardly marveled at how mercurial Azula was, and how first-rate she was at stirring up trouble, then said:

"Let it go, Azula. Don't pick on Zuko so much. If he's really not going, I'll have to go find Uncle Iroh with him."

"Thanks, Kahn."

Seeing Kahn speak up for him, Zuko calmed down considerably and thanked him.

But when Azula saw Kahn take that stance, she was immediately displeased, and her expression darkened in an instant:

"You're only taking his side? He was the one who acted like he couldn't stand me first!"

Seeing Azula lose her temper, Mai and Ty Lee immediately huddled together, not daring to speak.

"And that's why I took your side earlier, wasn't it?"

Kahn had already gotten used to Azula's exaggerated changes of expression lately and made it clear he wasn't scared in the slightest.

So Azula had suddenly lashed out this time because Zuko had acted like he couldn't stand her earlier?

Seen that way, Azula wasn't simply being unreasonable. Kahn thought it over, then suddenly suggested:

"Why don't you apologize to each other and call it making peace?"

"Apologize to her/him? No way!" ×2

They spoke in unison, then each snorted at the other.

In that respect, they certainly were brother and sister.

Though neither would give an inch verbally, it was clear they had both calmed down. They just needed a way to let the other back down gracefully.

"Since neither of you is saying anything, I'll take that as wiping the slate clean."

So Kahn stepped forward and put an arm around Zuko's shoulders, then reached out with his other arm and put it around Azula. Grinning, he pushed them forward with a touch of force and said:

"All right, let's get moving. I'm still waiting to go play!"

"What are you doing!?"

However, Azula reacted to Kahn's gesture with unusual alarm.

"What do you mean, what am I doing?"

Kahn turned his head to look at her.

Looking at Kahn's face so close to hers, Azula froze for an instant. Then she snapped out of it, suddenly shoved him away, and took the lead, saying roughly:

"I can walk by myself!"

Fortunately, she rushed ahead quickly enough that no one saw the flush on her face.

Kahn found it rather baffling, but he had already grown accustomed to Azula's erratic behavior. He let go of Zuko as well and shrugged:

"All right, then."

The two girls exchanged disbelieving whispers:

"Mai, did you see that? Was I seeing things?"

"I saw it. That boy named Kahn put his arm around Azula, and she didn't even get angry."

"It really happened! Could this Azula be someone else in disguise?"

"Judging by how she acted just now, probably not."

After confirming it over and over, the two finally accepted this astonishing fact.

Ty Lee looked at Kahn in disbelief, her eyes seemingly sparkling with starlight.

He's really amazing. He isn't afraid of Azula at all, and she doesn't even get back at him!

Will I ever be as amazing as him?

For the first time, feelings called admiration and longing appeared in Ty Lee's heart.

The five of them arrived in the courtyard of Zuko's home. After some discussion, Kahn's deciding vote finally carried Ty Lee's proposal to play a somersault game.

Apart from Azula giving him a disgruntled kick, no one had any objections.

It wasn't that Kahn liked such childish games, but rather that Azula had proposed an adventure in the Imperial Study-the kind where they snuck inside!

That was way too fucking scary. A little kid like him, not even six years old, couldn't handle that kind of excitement.

Although Azula was somewhat displeased, she and Ty Lee had the most fun once they started playing. Mai spent most of the time standing to one side watching the two of them, only joining in for a round when Azula called her over before returning to the sidelines.

Kahn and Zuko chatted off to one side.

Azula had originally called Kahn over to play with them, but after he used his cheat-like physical gifts to perform "infinite backflips" in front of her and crush the competition instantly, Azula gave him an irritated kick and banned him from competing outright.

Tsk. A little brat who couldn't take a loss.

Zuko had originally been standing beside Mai watching, but after Kahn was sent off, he pulled Zuko aside and began an interrogation that was called chatting but was really digging for gossip.

"Do you like that girl named Mai?"

Kahn threw a straight pitch and asked curiously.

Zuko froze completely, then suddenly blushed and stammered a denial:

"What are you talking about..."

One look at that reaction, and Kahn knew he had it in the bag.

Still, this melon of Zuko's really was a little too green. Despite Kahn's patient coaxing, Zuko kept hemming and hawing, unable to give any clear answer.

With no other choice, Kahn let him off for the time being, while declaring that he would keep following the matter.

Azula and Ty Lee's somersault game continued.

Ty Lee seemed quite talented at it too. Apparently, she was learning these skills. Her somersaults were smooth and beautiful, full of grace, as though she were performing acrobatics.

Kahn's "infinite backflips," on the other hand, had been nothing but a brutally overwhelming display of natural talent, with no grace to speak of.

Although Azula was also an exceptionally gifted girl, her talents lay in Firebending and combat. In this area, she fell short of not only Kahn but Ty Lee as well.

Kahn was one thing, but when she saw that Ty Lee was better at somersaults than she was too, she irritably started playing little tricks to make Ty Lee slip up.

Thump!

With Azula interfering, Ty Lee fell onto the lawn yet again. Although it didn't hurt, she sat on the ground feeling wronged.

Even Kahn couldn't stand watching anymore and remarked:

"Azula, are you really that competitive? You'll play dirty even in a little game?"

At that, Azula immediately used Firebending to throw a fireball at Kahn. After he dodged it easily, she said irritably:

"Tch, none of your damn business!"

Mai and Ty Lee watched from the sidelines with their hearts in their throats. They weren't going to fight, were they?

However, their quarrel stopped there, and over the time that followed, Azula even played far fewer little tricks!

Heavens, what had gotten into Azula?

Mai and Ty Lee marveled once again:

This was far too out of character.