#( *ducks from a water ballon sent my way* )

[visit-ba-sing-se]

I recently saw a post by someone asking for a fanfiction in which Azula snapped a bit earlier after things turning out different on the day of Sozin`s comet...and I guess you could say I kind of snapped as well? (it starts after the events at the boiling rock, btw: this (+ more) is also on my ao3 now!

„I love Zuko more than I fear you.“ For a moment, I was struck. Unable to respond, to even process the words. I heard them, but they did not make sense. Then, suddenly everything fell into place. „No, you miscalculated. You should have feared me more.“ I sounded affected. I was affected. That’s weak, Azula. I saw May pulling out a knife and raised my hand the same time, ready to strike. She would not stand a chance. Not even the avatar had been able to take on my lightning. May wasn’t stupid. Of course she knew that. And when I looked her in the eyes I knew that she knew I knew. Suddenly, a part of did not want to throw any lightning at all. A part of me wanted to lower her hand and just let the knife hit her. Or tell may that we would not have to do this. That’s weak, Azula. I heard my fathers voice in my head again, this time with even more disgust. And do I have a weak daughter? Suddenly, I did not see May anymore. Just him, looking down and me, disappointed. There was nothing I would do to escape that look. I took a deep breath, ready to strike for real now. But before I could, I felt a sudden punch into my side. Then another. And before I knew it, I was lying on the ground, unable to move, Ty Lee and May standing above me. Again, it took a moment until my mind had pieced together what just had happened. Ty Lee had betrayed me as well.  May had chosen Zuko over me, and Ty Lee had chosen May over me.

My oldest friends from childhood. The girls I had grown up with. For a moment, they seemed frozen as well. Until Ty Lee broke the silence. Not because she had anything else left to tell me. Just to tell May to get away. Which was useless, of course. There were guards, all around, and they had just attacked their princess. Two quickly came to help me up.

„Your both fools.“ I wanted to sound like I did not care. Like I did not feel like the actual fool in this was me. What had I been expecting from this anyway?  I had had to set a fire in the circus Ty Lee was traveling with in order to get her to join me. And the way May had flung herself at Zuko since the day he had returned should have told me more than clearly where her loyalty lied. Where her loyalty had been lying all the time. With my oh so loveable brother. So when it was time to chose, the choice was clear. Just like for mom. Just like for uncle. Who would ever chose me? Who would ever take my hand if I would not be holding a knife in the other? Shut It down, Azula. You don’t need them. Friends are for people who are too weak to have servants. I took a deep breath in. Yes, I had made a mistake. I taken risks, and even worse, forgotten those risks existed. But I could make sure that would never happen again. And when one of the guards asked what to do next, I had my answer ready.

„Lock up them somewhere were I won’t have to see there faces ever again.“ My voice sounded firm again. A good sound. As I continued, I looked May straight in the eye. She had wanted fear? She could get it. „And let them rot.“

After they had been brought away, I saw the warden walking up to me. A pathetic excuse of a man, who had believed that the little power he possessed somehow made him greater than those around him. Just a big fish in a small pond who believed himself to be a shark. If he had done his job properly, none of this would have happened. I knew that this wasn’t the full truth, but definetly part of it. And I wanted him to know. When he started uttering something between an apology, an explanation and monologue of self pity, I therefore shut him down immediately. „I am sorry, but where you talking to me? Because all I hear is the sound of failure. Which is quite pathetic, honestly“  You should have feared me more, I had told May. Now I would give them a reason too. „Your actions lead to the escape of dangerous war criminals, not to mention a threat to my life. It was pure look your niece didn`t cut my throat.“ I paused, just to enjoy the sight of him twisting his hands in the desperate search for words. How many times had he been the one who made prisoners feel the way he felt now? The thought of this irony truly had something validating to it. „This not only gives you a record of failing at your job. This makes you man who endangered the fire nation and a member of its royal family. And that-“ I allowed myself one more dramatic break, „that is treason. And a man of your education should know what the penalty for treason is.“

He did not even have it in himself to give me an answer. Instead, he sunk down on his knees. I knew I could just kill him right away. One struck of lightning and he would be gone. Or make one of the guards do it. Just because I really started to enjoy this whole irony theme. But that would not be as effective as what I had in mind.

„But you are a lucky man warden,“ I said therefore. „A man should not have to die in the shame of his mistakes.“ Relieve started to build on his face, just to crumble again when I announced:

„So I am giving you away to restore your honor. Agni Kai.“

I felt good. I was in control again. I saw the way they all were looking at me, with fear and admiration balancing in their eyes. The way I deserved to be looked at. The way a future firelord deserved to be looked at.

The warden finally seemed to have found his voice again. „Excuse me princess, what do you mean? You can’t possibly mean….you can’t seriously want…“

„Don`t tell me what I can. In fact, you should be thanking me for this chance to prove yourself. Or are not even man enough to accept this challenge? Can you only duel someone when they are in chains?“

„No, of course not! I can fight! But princess, I could never fight you!“ Though his protest did have something entertaining to it, I decided that it was time to finally get to the point.

„I am afraid you will have too. 5 minutes. Then it is on.“

Just enough time to up up my hair again properly. A few streaks had fallen out, and that was nothing I could use while fighting.

The fight that followed wasn’t even worth the name. A turtle duck would have been a better opponent. Those things at least had shells. But surely it had served his cause. The people here now surely were reminded of where their loyalty had to lie. And who they had to admire. Time to return to the palace. Only that that was not possible. At least not directly, as I had to realize when we came to the spot where my ballon was supposed to be. Zuko. He and his gang of war prisoners must have used it to escape. This was bad. Sure, we could sent for another one. But questions would be asked. I usually never to father about the missions I went on, just in case. If they were successful, he did not ask further questions. If they weren’t, he would never have to know. But know he woudl. I would have to explain what happened. I would have to explain what happened to father. That Zuko got way because I let him. Just when I had thought things were back in control, it all came crumbling down again. Zuko, that idiot. A guard was along to me, but his words did not really get through. They were probably useless anyway. How was it even possible that Zuko had out played me ? He was Zuko, after all. Weak. A quitter. A runaway. He did not outplay you. You outplayed yourself by letting your emotions get in the way of your judgment.

„Princess, princess, are you even listening?“ That annoying guard still had something to say apparently.

„Oh shut it, will you?“ I screamed. „The next words I want to hear from you are `Princess Azula, your ballon has arrived.`if you dare to tell me anything else before that, I swear that the next person you can things to is someone from the spirit world.“ The guard opened his mouth, his eyes wide open, and then closed it again quickly. He nodded so fast and strong that his teeth were clicking together. Also not the most pleasing sound. I snapped my fingers and let a spark fly for emphasis. „And now get of my view.“ Silence, finally. Just the waves crashing against the shore. Waves above which somewhere my brother was flying with his new friends. This was all wrong. I should be on my way home, with him as prisoner. Eager to tell father of my success. And now instead, I would return a failure and did not know how I would be able to face him. He would be disappointed, that was for sure. This had been our once chance at catching Zuko, and I had blown it. Blown it because I had not had  my  own people under control. Still, he had to hear it from me. Every other scenario was even worse, I knew that.

Back at the place, I therefore sent for a servant and asked for a hearing directly. Luckily, it was granted to me soon. At least that was something. Fighting the argue to run back into the direction I had just come from, I made my way to the throne room, entered the heavy door and got close enough to my father to talk to him. There I knelt down.

„Azula, my daughter. What brings you here?“ His voice sounded so friendly. I felt my eyes water. Even though I knew that crying would be the worst thing possible to do. Instead, I therefore tried to sum up the events as well as possible, walking the small line between apology and not admitting failure. A silence followed, only interrupted by the beat of my heart. Father always took  time before he reached a verdict.

„It is unfortunate your brother got away. Especially since this could have been prevented so easily. Did I not teach you to never trust others?“ I nodded. He did. I would not know of any person he had ever trusted with anything. He even cut his own hair because any hairdresser could potentially want him harm. „But you did the right thing to challenge the warden. It gave proof that we will not tolerant weakness. And to not worry, the day of our triumph will come soon“

I did not know how to react. There were many things I had expected, possibilities that I had played out in my head.  This definitely had not been one of them.

All I could so was stutter.„You are not…angry with me?“

„No Azula. Now is not the time get upset about small mistakes. What counts now is the bigger picture. Our plans for the return of the comet.“

„So you don’t think I am just like Zuko now?“ I still did not trust this. What reason did he have to be so kind, so forgiving in face of my failure?

„Azula, of course not. I always knew you were stronger than your brother.“

„Yes father, Thank you.“

„You will be my heir one day. A worthy one.“

I still faced the ground. I knew I was supposed to feel relieved. This was a kinder response than anything I ever could have hoped for. But then I understood. He was showing mercy because I he had no more child left to loose. He needed my because he needed legacy. Someone to pass his empire onto. Someone to pass his empire onto who was not Zuko.

And suddenly I could not help but wonder „If I am stronger, then why am I the one on my knees?“

Later this night, I had trouble finding sleep. When I finally did, I dreamed of the Angi Kai between father and Zuko. Only that it was not down there, but me. And no matter what I did, I wasn’t able to produce any lighting. Or even fire. The audience cheered and applauded my failure. Some even started laughing. I could see Ty Lee and May pointing fingers and whispering. It must have been a long time since they had been this happy. DO I HAVE A WEAK DAUGHTER? My father entered the picture, a dark shadow towering above everything. DO I HAVE A CHILD THAT IS NOT EVEN ABLE TO BEND? Where was my fire? Why couldn’t I reach it? I KNOW YOU ARE NOT TRYING HARD ENOUGH. „But I am trying!“, I protest. I was trying so hard. I always was. YOU ARE LYING. IF YOU REALLY TRIED, YOU WOULD SUCCEED. But I didn’t. No flames, no matter what I did. And then I felt a sudden heat in my face and knew it was burning. I was burning. I screamed from pain and frustration, and then suddenly I was in my bed again, sitting up straight, shivering and sweating at the same time. I raised my hand and produced a small flame. Good. So my at least my fire was still there. Looking at it flicker helped my calm down a bit. It was like a pathway back to reality. Of course, there were times where I wondered what I would have done. Most of the time, I was convinced that I would never even have gotten into this situation. I would have know when to be quiet. Like I had always know what to do. I knew mom and uncle used to feel sorry for Zuko because of the way dad hat treated him. But that wasn`t really fair. If he had put in a bit more effort, he could have been like me. I worked every day of my life to get where I was now. Only- where exactly was I? I liked to think that was strong and powerful. But if I was, why did I have to kneel in fron of father with tears in his eyes? Why was I always at his mercy, no matter what I did ? Having to beg for admiration? What would be left of my life if he would not be there? What would be left of me? In a way, when Zuko talked back to father he had done something I never would have been able to do. But how could that be? I was the strong one. All he did was run. That was weak. But it was still more than I ever was capable of. I tried to dismiss the thought. It was nothing I even wanted to be capable of. Why would I? I had all reason to stay here. Here, where I would triumph over the avatar together with dad. Here, where I would one day be crowned next firelord. That was everything I wanted. „That is everything I want.“, I exclaimed to the flame that was still hovering over my hand.

The next days passed quickly in preparation of the day of the comet. I trained harder and longer than ever before, and I had one of the medics in the palace fix me a drink to help me sleep. I told myself that it was because I would need the energy. Not because I was scared of any dreams. I felt ready. I would finally prove myself once and for all.

But then, everything came different. I heard of it before it was official, once more happy about my ears all around the place. Someone had seen Zuko and that water girl trying to sneak up on the palace. Typical for him that he had not been able to remain unseen. Not typical for him that he seriously had been wanting to come here to fight. From what I heard, they had not been able to capture him yet. For a short moment I even felt something like respect. A really short  moment, of course. But before I even had time to analyze what this meant, I heard a knock on my door. To my greatest surprise, it was father. I could not recall any time he had ever come here himself instead of sending a servant.

„Azula,��� he said while doing something that came strangely close to smiling. „My wonderful daughter. I am sure you have heard the news.“

I nodded, overwhelmed. „Yes. Zuko is coming.“

„Zuko is about to be caught by our guard.“ The way he pronounced my brother name was dripping from disgust, his face turning into a twisted mask of hatred. “And I want him gone before I set for the earth kingdom, and he will be brought here as soon as possible.“

„But“ I blurted out, „Is the earth kingdom not more important? You are just wasting time on him.“ I knew it was a mistake, but I just could not hold back. „Azula, get yourself under control again. I decided what is a waste of time and what is not. This will be over soon anyway. Come with me now.“ I lowered my look and my voice. „Coming? To where?“ „To where I will end your brothers pathetic existence once and for all and you will be my witness. The throne room. You have 30 minutes.“ With those word, he left as quickly as he had come. Jut another order from him to me.

I went to the morrow and started fixing my hair, but stress continues to fall out. Not even that could work out. Why was I even trying? I did not want to do this. I did not want to go to the throne room and watch my father execute my brother. I did not want to sit by his side patiently like a trained dog. But then what did I want? I should want this. „I am sure you don`t want to hurt your brother Azula.“ The echo of what my mom had said to me a long time ago suddenly come up in my head, and I believed to see here face behind me in the mirror. She used to say that a lot, when Zuko and I had been fighting, just kids starting to get a hold of their bending. „Well, what do you know? You think I am monster anyway.“ I looked her reflection straight in the eye. „ I know you are confused and hurt. But it does not have to be this way. And I love you, Azula.“

„Liar“ I screamed, punching the mirror. Her image scatter to hundreds of tine pieces, each as sharp as a razor blade. I felt a tear running down my cheek as I saw the scrambled reflection of myself on the floor. Yes, I was hurt. And yes, I did not have to be this way. I picked up one of the fragments. It felt cold and heavy in my hand. Today, a member of tis family would die. But it would not be my brother.

When I arrived at the throne room, punctual and a perfect picture of a fire princess, I found it empty except for dad who had already taken place on the throne. „This is family business, so I decided it would be most fitting if we were to remain amongst each other.“ Now where I looked the way he wanted me to look again, it seemed like I also again was worthy of being spoke to in a normal tone. I nodded and closed the door behind me. „I will end your brother right here, where he had the nerve to disrespect me during the day of the black sun.“ I heard my speak, but the words did not really reach me. My heart was beating out of control. This was my chance. My one moment to strike before the guards would come to bring in Zuko. My hand was twisted around the fragment. „Then, it will only be us, Azula. The only ones truly worthy to lead this nation. The only once who deserve to be part of this family.“ Of course. It was up to him to decided who was worthy and who was not. That was what he was best at. Determining everyone`s worth just how he liked. Determining my worth. But no more. I arrived at the spot I normally would kneel. I lowered my head, but not to bow. But to get a better aim.

The fragment flew through the air, directly into my father’s heart. A quite simple move. May had thaught it to me long time ago, in what now felt like another life. And I had not stopped training until I had brought it to perfection. Deadly perfection. My father had not gotten the chance to scream. Now he looked down on himself in disbelieve. Then at me. And then, with blood running out of his mouth and the light in his eyes already fading, I saw that he understood. „Foolish girl.“ His voice was quiet, his life was ending, and still his words struck me. „Don`t you know you only are because of me? You just killed yourself, too.“ Then, his head fell to side. He was dead.

Was I not supposed to feel free now? Or triumphant? Or just anything at all?  Then why did I just feel nothing at all? Still, now, what next? I knew that I had had a plan. All I had to do was breath and follow t through.  I would get May and Ty Lee, and then we would get out of here.

Foolish. As if anything could ever go back to how it was. Do you think they would even care to look at  you? The voice in my head. Why wasn’t it gone? Father was dead. Why was he still talking to me. „Yes they would,“ I exclaimed loudly. „They are my friends. They love me“ Your friends who betrayed you and tried to get you killed? Doesn’t really sound like much love to me. „Then I will make them love me again!“ I felt despair building up, replacing the emptiness. The same way you’d them love you the first time? With a knife to the throat? People like us are not loved Azula, we are feared. I thought I taught you this. I screamed. Even in death, he still seemed to rule over me. Blue fire streamed out of my palms and set the room on fire. I saw the flames rising. I looked so majestic. My beautiful fire, the only thing that had never betrayed me. My beautiful flames. My loyal friends. A part of me wanted to give myself into the completely. Wanted to stay here and be devoured by their heat. What else was there left for me anyway? Everything was out of control. And I was all alone, except for father and his voice inside my head. Mom. Iroh. Zuko. May. Ty Lee. They had all left me. What difference would my death still make?. Would anybody out there even care? They did not leave Azula. You made them go. And they would care. Because they would be relieved. Dying seemed so easy. Every other breath felt hard. If I would die now, did I really just kill father? Or did father also kill me? Suddenly, I felt a new kind of determination in me „You are not going to take me with you father, you hear that ?“ Tears flooded my cheek just to be vaporized in the heat. „I am leaving this. I am leaving you.“ The flames cracked. It nearly sounded like laughter. Just now I realized how far they had processed already. A blue sea  all around me. A blue sea that was out of control. Smoke already clouded my sight. Now as I finally knew I had to get out, as I had just decided to leave father and this place behind, it would not let me go. I could not even make out the door. Just clouds of smoke and flames. And in them… people? Right in front of me, the scheme of a woman manifested. Others followed, surrounding me. Some seemed to be children, others elders. „We came to take you, Azula.“ They came from everywhere now, constantly getting closer. I tried to bend the fire against them, but the flames left them completely unaffected. This wasn’t real. It could not be. I was hallucinating from the smoke, that was all. One more reason to get out of here. „You can’t escape now, Azula. We have been waiting for you for so long.“ I wanted to cover my ears with my hand, but that meant that I would have to let go of the flames I was still trying to get under control well enough to get out. „Who are you? What do you want from me?“ „Oh Azula, you know us well. Can you not recognize us ?“ The woman who had been leading them reached out for me. I backed away and screamed, even though I could barely even fill my lungs anymore. „No! No I do not know you!“ She reached out again. They were everywhere around me now. The only way to escape her touch was to the ground. „But you should, Azula. They are all those who you killed.“  Suddenly, here face got clear, and she wasn’t a scheme anymore. „And a child should be able to recognize her mother“. It was her. The same kind and beautiful face. The soft voice. But no in the strict tone that always seemed to be reserved for me. It was her nice tone. Her Zuko tone. Even though she was speaking about awful things. But what even did she mean ? I did not kill her. Or did I ? Nothing made sense anymore. I killed my father. Why would not I be capable to kill my own mother as well? „Mom“, I whispered, my voice nothing more than a dying hush. She knelt down and reached out her hand. „Come on child. It is time to go.“ My heart was racing. In my lungs, there was nothing but pain. I wanted to let her take me away, just for all of this to stop. But even more, I just wanted to hold my mothers hand again. So I gathered al strength I still had in me and reached out to her. But just as I was about to touch her fingertips, she suddenly started to fade, just like everything around her. Even the flames seemed to get smaller. And another scheme stepped out of the dust and into my view. „Azula?“, he asked. A familiar voice. Zuko. What was he doing here? I didn’t kill him. Or did I ? I sounded like he was getting closer, but I could not keep my eyes open for long enough to watch him. The darkness felt good, calming. „Azula!“ This time he screamed. It definitely was his voice. Could the dead really scream like that? „Azula! Spirits, Azula, what did you do?“

Yes, what did I do? If only I knew.

[vesperlionheart]

For the inheritance ask! 7. “you died and left me a small country” Kisame and Zabuza and Kirigakure.

This took longer than planned, but it was so much fun and honestly, I could have just gone writing this forever but I needed to cut myself off. :D

In matters of inheritance in the land of Kirigkure, they were old and small enough to cultivate their practices leftover from the old days when they had to fight tooth and nail to protect what was once only a small fishing inlet. Their monarchy equivalent is selected from the previous ruler and approved by a majority vote from the three departments.

Sakura’s fist made a cracking sound as it tore the sandbag off the hook again and sent it rolling across the gym floor.

“I know how their government works, I’m not stupid,” Sakura muttered, walking over to retrieve the bag and inspect it for cracks. “Tsunade would have fried me alive if I didn’t know that much after the first year. She was close with Mei, one of the three seats.”

“The other two seats belong to Yagura and the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, a group. Funny story, Mei voted for you, Yagura voted against you, and the swordsmen were split so they voted ‘present’ but did not take a side. In this situation the tie breaker depends on the language of the will and the language of the will picked you.”

Sakura dragged the punching bag back over and reached up to hook it to the dangling chain. “Yeah,” she grunted. “I still don’t see how that is supposed to explain how I got tangled up in this. I’ve messed around in Kiri only a few times and I know my old folks are originally from there, but I’m like an outsider, aren’t I?”

Her hair was damp from the sweat and she could feel where it stuck to her as she paused to watch her old teacher flip through the pages of his paperback.

“Legally, no. Culturally, yes.” He looked up from his book and met her eyes. “Regardless, you’ve been requested to go to the country and fulfill the terms of the last will and testament by accepting leadership.”

Sakura didn’t have the energy to keep up with what Kakashi was saying, but she did have enough frustration for another few swings at her punching bag. Kakashi opened his book again and waited until she punched the bag off the chain, this time splitting the front open so that some of the sang seeped out.

Cursing under her breath, she ran to recover it and keep the sand inside as best as possible. Kakashi followed her over and used the spine of his book to bop her on the head. She looked up with a pout.

“Just go and check them out. Get in a few fights, drink a little and show them how terrible of a leader you would really be. They’ll kick you out soon enough and you’ll be back home before you know it.”

Sakura felt one of her eyebrows raise up. “Oh really, that your plan?”

“Better than breaking Guy’s studio gym again. He’ll not be happy you split another punching bag.”

Sakura felt the color drain from her face. “Maybe I’ll just take a quick vacation to check it out and see what it’s like. I’ll be back once he’s forgotten about this.”

Kakshi wasn’t paying attention to her anymore, but was walking away and giggling to himself about something that happened in his novel.

Sakura reached for the duck-tape and repaired the sandbag as best she could before closing down for the night and heading home. There were tickets on the counter she had been ignoring that would need her attention.

Sakura thought it would be incredibly rude to carry a beer with her wherever she went, so that’s what she did. It was only after she was in Kirigakure’s common market place that she remembered one of the reasons why her parents didn’t bring her to the public places when she was a child. Kiri was wet in more ways that one, and Sakura was far from the only person nursing a drink as she toured the stalls in the market place.

She stopped in front  of a colorful stall that sold replica swords and other collector weapons. Kiri was famous for her swordsmen, and the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist had been legends from eons ago. Now in the modern age the name was a title reserved for a handful of swordsmen. If Sakura was correct, there were actually only five swordsmen left, as two of the swords were lost to the ages.

There were shadows trailing her, to no one’s surprise as she stepped into the little shop and smiled to the old woman behind the counter. She looked over the weapons, watching the blades for a reflection that would show her what she needed to know.

Two swords had been lost in the ages of history, but there were replicas of all seven inside the shop, as well as several other notable swords that gained names during the warring states period in history. She cringed when she noticed a few with imperfections, but tried to hide her distaste behind the neck of her beer.

“Brat, where you from to be making a face like that?” the younger shop hand snapped at her, sitting up from behind the counter. He was a little older than her and had a few scars across his face. Something felt off about him and with a curse she realized what it was. He was a plant.

“You treat all your customers like this?” Sakura sneered, not willing to be kind to one of the Kiri guard. He was too well shaped and had the signs of training were all over him. “No wonder it’s dead.”

“You wanna say that again you brat. What do you know?” He bared his teeth and Sakura saw the points where they had been filed. Yup, ANBU, just like Kakashi warned her of.

Ugh, wasn’t Kiri trying to blend in to the modern era? If they were still stuck in the past using chakra so forwardly how would they ever improve?  It irked Sakura, especially since she knew the technology was crap in the land of water. There were still pay phones on the street corners. It was like stepping back in time and it made her feel…less herself.

“Wow, wow, wow,” Sakura mocked, feeling even less inclined to entertain the undercover plant. “You like to bark, don’t you. That’s all you ever do here, you bark and bark and never use those teeth of yours for anything else.”

“You’re a twig. I’ll break you in half.”

Sakura tilted up her beer and finished it all in a long pull before pulling away. She marched over to where he stood behind his counter and held up a hand. “Just try it. You look like a misshaped ballon. I’ll pop you like a toy.”

He growled and then barked behind him towards the old woman in Mizu, the old language. “Mom, I’m beating up a customer. Watch the shop.”

“Have fun!” the old woman chortled. “Keep the damage minimal.”

Sakura followed him through the back and after a squeeze through the  space between buildings there was a dip for the water to drain to that he walked down into. There was barely any water there now, and it looked like an open area between the backs of several high buildings.

“What is this?” Sakura snapped, already knowing she would be watched. If she beat him into the ground it could be a national incident. She could get deported.

Her nose twitched and she snarled, recognizing the light spell of a genjutsu. It had been ages since she last touched one. She realized it covered the man in front of her, and it was so light it was barely worth dispelling. His body mass was the same, but maybe the details of his face were a little different.

“This is how we welcome haughty travelers who waltz into Kiri with their nose up in the air and think they can take things that aren’t theres from our hands.” He turned and behind him a handful of faces appeared from the shadows.

“You gang up on a little old girl. Real noble, yeah?” Sakura mocked, feeling the genjutsu on her own yin seal flicker. She let it drop, not caring if they saw the purple rhombus.  

“Don’t worry sweetheart, it’s just you and me. My friends are here to watch. They needed some convincing this was necessary.”

Sakura licked her bottom lip where the taste of beer still lingered. She was starting to recognize what sort of situation she was in. “Then tell me, are you Yagura or one of the swordsmen?”

He let the genjutsu fall away and stood up, crossing his arms. His skin was a pale gray from what she could see, his lower face was covered in bandages leaving his short hair a little wild. Kakashi had shown her his photo before in his own Bingo book, back from the days when war between the hidden villages had been a silent but thriving thing. This guy was Demon of the Hidden Mist. No wonder he wanted to take her to a water drain. All his jutsu depended on moisture.

Forget about pummeling him. Sakura would be lucky if she got out alive.

Zabuza smiled through his mask of face wraps. Sakura could tell because it was the same way with Kakashi, always masked. “You know who I am,” he guessed

“You’re a relic of the past. What are you going to do without your Kubikiribōchō?”

Like the bit in a terrible comedy, the execution’s blade sailed through the air and implanted in the ground beside Zabuza. His smiled turned manic. “This one?”

Sakura cursed Kakashi for bedtime stories where the demon of the mist killed a schoolroom of children for being bad. “Yeah, that one,” Sakura weakly amended.

“Don’t make a sour face. I won’t touch it unless you have your own blade. You don’t use a stake knife to cut through butter, do you?”

Sakura masked her fear with a show of courage. “Well, I didn’t know I needed to pack for this. If I did I would have, but alas all I have are my fists to humble you with.” He scoffed at her words.

“That’s the trouble with Konohagakure, they’re far too political with what they let children handle and adults carry. I’ve never seen a ninja village where ninja ways are so shamefully hidden. You didn’t even come in wearing a Kuni strap.”

“I needed somewhere to store my beer.”

From the shadows Sakura heard a snicker and then some heavy coughing as someone tried to mask their laughter.

“Priorities,” Zabuza mocked, crouching low. “Show me where they got you.”

The mist rolled in and Sakura felt her fear spike when he stepped back and melted into it. It was what he was famous for, what he haunted bed time stories for. He could slaughter enemies before they saw him coming. He was perfectly hidden in the mist.

“Whatever,” Sakura muttered before she too crouched down and pulled on her hardly used chakra.

It was almost sluggish, but she didn’t have time for it to be slow, she forced it to flow all through her, sending each of her nerves into high alert. She could feel the world around her, like a shark in the water, the skin on the back of her left arm tingled and she ducked before twisting into a roundhouse kick. At the last second she remembered to put some chakra into it, and watched as the crater opened up beneath them.  

Yeah. She had to use her chakra. Almost forgot that important detail.

“What the hell was that?” a younger voice cried out from the sidelines.

“Zabuza eating his humble pie,” another voice laughed.

“You didn’t tell me she could use chakra! No one did.”

“Learning experience. But really, do you think the Mizukage would leave this place to anyone else?”

Sakura backtracked to where his sword stuck out from the ground. She leaned on it and a small part of her delighted in the fact that she was actually touching the demon’s blade. It was something her father told her stories about before she was Kakashi’s. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but the Kubikiribōchō was her favorite.

It was surprising how the blade seemed to draw on her chakra. She let it have a taste and there was a warm feeling where her palm was. It was only her fear that kept her from drawing it herself. The swordsmen of the mist were bloodthirsty-honor be damed- if someone like an outsider touched their blade.

Oh, but it was so tempting.

Sakura ducked and rolled out of the way to avoid the throwing stars. A shower of needles trailed her to where she stopped from her roll. One stuck out of her arm, trailing blood. She climbed to her feet, grinning.

“You’re back from the dead,” she mocked.

“You’re not as pathetic as you first looked.”

“Really, I should have thought someone like you would know better than to underestimate his opponents.” She batted her lashes playfully. “Or was I truly so disarming in appearance?”

She refused to chuckle or blush from the wolf whistles coming out of the shadows.

“I really want to cut you down now. Sure you don’t have a blade?”

“No, remember, we talked about this? Beer?”

The water from the low points shifted and Sakura yelped, ducking out of the sharks way in time. There was cheering from the shadows as she rolled and ran out of the way. It was only too late that she realized this was what Zabuza wanted of her. He was waiting where they corralled her with a windmill shuriken.

Sakura cursed sharply and punched the ground below her, sending a chunk of earth up underneath him and disrupting the entirety of the drainage dip. She had held back and knew the damage was nowhere near what it could have been, but the landscape was still unrecognizable.  

Sakura jumped up high onto the tallest point and perched there, above the mist. Looking down it was as if the world below her was swallowed in clouds. In her free hand she sported the huge windmill shuriken he had tried to slice her with.

“You were right about how my village is tight ass about us sporting ninja shit. We’re not allowed to wear any of our weapons visibly in the public places, so I made my body into one.”

“You made your body a weapon?” he mocked, standing atop a shorter slab, still mostly in mist.

“Pick up your blade and I’ll show you.”

“You think that’s going to be fair?” he mocked.

“Well, since I’m the one that drew first blood,” she pointed to her head where blood tricked from her first roundhouse kick. “Yeah, I’d say so. You won’t be able to defeat me without it.”

It was only ten minutes, but it felt like forever as ever second was hyper analyzed and stretched. Sakura played more of a game of cat and mouse, destroying more of the field than doing any actual damage to the mizu nin. She noticed early on their were in some sort of bubble barrier that contained the destruction of her blasts.

She was nearly out of breath and felt like there was no gaining ground.

“Zabuza, stop playing around.”

A new figure touched down alongside the older nin. He was shorter with pale ash blond hair and pink eyes. Sakura’s sight zeroed in on the staff he sported. He was carrying a club with uneven sized hooks and a green flower on the larger end, implying skills in bōjutsu. This was likely one of the three seats, Yagura.

Sakura screamed inside her head, smiling tightly at the new arrival who seemed to radiate murder. In comparison to her, Zabuza didn’t look nearly as winded.

“I haven’t seen anything worth watching. If you can’t bring yourself to strike down a little girl than I will help you.”

“Yagura san, that is not-“

“I’m tired of waiting. Take my flank. Suigetsu, you too. I’m not wasting any more time.” He looked up at her and his glare was meant to pin her in place. “Run now or be torn asunder. I’m not letting you touch that seat.”

“I guess it’s too late to say I really didn’t want it in the first place,” Sakura muttered, grimace growing darker the more she took in the nature of her situation. She was outmatched, outclassed, and trapped in a bubble dome. “What honor I see here.”

Zazbuza seemed the only one to flinch at the accusation.

Yagura moved and she opened up her yin seal, feeling the cuts and bruises burn away as she dodged. Nothing wet was safe as the youngest of the three turned to water and assaulted her whenever she touched down. It was only a few seconds, but Sakura found herself trapped before she knew it.

Panicking, she looked up to see Zabuza’s blade arch for her neck.

“Not nice, Zabuza san,” a new voice grunted, blocking the blade with his own, heavily bandaged weapon. Sakura recognized both the man and the blade.

“You should have been incapacitated,” Yagura droned from behind.

“Ah, not likely. You’re all very silly. Don’t you think it would be nice to take orders from such a cute little thing?”

Sakura couldn’t help herself. She pointed at Yagura. “He’s cute and little.”

Kisame roared in laughter while Yagura blushed dangerously. “I am not cute or little!” He lunged for another attack and it was easier to parry with a stray kuni now that Zabuza wasn’t chasing her down.

Sakura jumped for the highest point and reached for where the black lines covered her body. They had illuminated a number of seals. She used some of her old blood to swipe over one and in a cloud of white her weapon was summoned. She felt the arena still.

“Look at that, you made me show my hand. I really didn’t want to do that,” Sakura huffed, standing up with the massive Kabutowari in both hand, a sword consisting of a single-sided axe and a hammer joined by a length of chain. It was one of the two legendary swords said to have been lost to the ages. Actually it had just been a gift from the previous mizukage, the one who wrote her into his damn will.

“Boss, thats’s the….” Suigetsu’s face appeared out of the water, eyes wide.

“Shut up, I know what it is,” Yagura hissed, eyes flashing. “How did you get that?”

“The same stupid old man who wrote me into his will trained me in this, dumb ass,” Sakura roared back before leaping and swinging.

The tides of battle swiftly turned. Sakura’s seal was burning and nothing that did damage left a mark. Both she and Kisame were the two heavy hitters and both were battling back to back. Sakura knew every second counted and in any moment it could be her end, but she couldn’t help but feel as elated as Kisame seemed, standing with his back to her as they parried and ducked and roared and destroyed. He seemed like he was having the time of his life.

Eventually, hours later, everyone was kneeling in exhaustion except Kisame, who was overjoyed and screaming at the sky and asking for more.

The bubble around them popped and a woman, tall and beautiful, with long red hair. “That’s enough, really, boys.” She glared at all of them, trailed by a young boy with blue hair and some sort of weapon on his back.

“Your beauty treatment finally finished?” Yagura mocked from where he knelt. “Took you long enough.”

“I’ll fry you up and eat you one of these days,” Mei sneered before looking over at where Kisame, Zabuza, and the boy Suigetsu stood. “And you boys, what authority did you cite when attacking a fellow citizen? You have no just cause!”

“E-eh, she’s a citizen?” Suigesu stammered. “I thought that was only for-“

“Sakura was born here, I should know, I helped deliver her.” Mei’s eyes sparkled as she looked over the girl, dirty and breathing heavy, but uninjured. “You’ve grown up so much, darling. I’m so glad to see you again. Pictures aren’t the same.”

Sakura knew who the woman was through reputation, but the fact that she was a family friend was new. Weakly she waved, leaning back on the hammer part of her weapon. “Yo.”

Mei blushed happily and clapped her hands.

 “You were spectacular. I loved watching from the rooftops, but I’m sorry to say that Utakata is at his limit and can’t keep the bubble up for another two hours. Poor boy is sickly as it is.” She sighed, holding the side of her face before looking over the mess of swordsmen and women. “Let’s call it a draw and show Sakura to her room. She has an appointment at the hospital with the head chief of medicine I’m looking forward to eavesdropping on.”

It was just like what Mei said. The next morning, though she was tense and ready for another surprise attack, she was escorted to the local hospital and shown around. Her mood soured as soon as she saw the builded and continued to curdle as she moved through it. It had equipment, and it was fairly high tec compared to what she was expecting, but it was sourly understaffed and in terrible shape.

“For a ninja village you don’t have a chakra squad of healers?” Sakura asked, trying to keep her distaste out of her tone.

The head of the medical facility was an older man and it was clear he didn’t appreciate her no matter what she said or how she said it. He was old fashioned through and through.

“Aside from myself there are two others, but chakra is only used on the shinobi force. Civilians are treated with civilian methods.”

And there it is, the notorious caste system. Sakura was at her limit and suddenly didn’t feel like caring if she stepped over into what was rude.

“I’m commandeering the reacher labs. You wanna stop me, call someone who can.”

No one stopped her.

In a week no one dared try. She was aggressive, pushing her way into operation rooms that had only the worst survival rate and ensuring that not a single person under her hands died. The head of medicine seemed to hate her, but oddly enough stayed out of her way. If she wanted something, no one stopped her. The other two chakra nurses seemed to take a shine to her and before the week was over both were worshiping the ground she walked on.

The rest of the hospital soon followed.

No one talked to her about her inheritance, but she knew that there were shadows tailing her wherever she went, and that the matter still had a month left for deliberation. She had hoped to be gone as soon as they found someone else for the job, whenever that was.

It was another slow day when someone interrupted her in the lab with a look that told her to scrub up without words.

“What is it?” Sakura asked, already moving.

“It was another Kaguya clan assault. Multiple lacerations.”

“Shinobi,” Sakura guessed, stepping into the new room where her sink waited. The nurse helped her, conveying even more details.

“It’s not too bad, but he’s hard to operate on.”

Sakura didn’t ask why, but stepped into the room, already masked and saw the answer for herself. Even knocked out, Zazbuza was rolling off the killing intent as a self defense mechanism that several ANBU were trained with. It kept them safe when they fell in battle, but in a hospital room, all it did was stun the staff.

“He twitches I’ll castrate him, back to your places,” Sakura growled to the other nurses assisting. And just like that the aura dulled and no one seemed caught in it anymore.

An operation that should have taken eighteen to twenty hours, removing bone fragments that metal detectors couldn’t detect, took Sakura only thirteen. She was frustrated at her time though, remembering her mentor who could do the same in maybe twelve hours. She still had a ways to go.

“Someone close him up, we’re done here.”

She didn’t go home after that, but found a cot in the lab to pass out on.

In the morning when she roused she knew she needed to clean, so she washed and changed into some fresh scrubs using one of the sanitation stations in the lab. Her hair was still wet when a knock came to her door. The person didn’t wait for her to answer but stepped in anyway.

“Hey!” Kisame greeted, grin wide and flashing. “I heard you saved that bastard’s life. Wanna have a drink with me over his body?”

“Won’t that just piss him off?” Sakura guessed, eyeing the jug of sake that was large enough for a party of people.

“Yeah, it sure will,” Kisame laughed.

Sakura eyed the stacked sake glasses in his other hand and grinned. “Why not?”

He walked with her, scaring off anyone else in the hallway with just the sight of him. Several nurses ducked into rooms and peaked out, watching Sakura trail alongside him, worry evident on their faces.

“You do something to make them scared as sheep or what?” Sakura asked, grinning up at the blue man who smiled like a shark.

“What makes you think that?” When Sakura made a face of disappointment he chuckled and went on, “Ah, I may have made a scene once or twice when enemy nin were being treated for injuries. I’m not allowed in here unless I get special permission. I’m supposed to be visiting Zabuza, my best buddy ever, but I really just wanted to see you. You’ve been hiding here this whole time.”

“I’ve been working here this whole time, which is why Zabuza is still alive. Those bone shards might have pierced his spine if not properly removed. Why don’t you look like a pincushion?”

“I wasn’t there. It was just Zabuza. But he’s fine, I’m sure he’s lived through worst. Here we are, this his room right?”

Sakura nodded, sliding open the door. The man on the bed was still asleep so the pair of them pulled up chairs and drank alongside his bed. Kisame asked her a bunch of questions, most of which she refused to answer or ignored until he poured her more of his sake. It was some of the good stuff, she could tell.

“Why did you decide to help me back then?” she asked, sipping from her drink. “You were one of the swordsmen who actually approved of me, I heard. Why?”

“That’s two different questions, princess.” He poured another cup for himself and knocked it back. “I wanted a good fight and you were a good fighting partner. I’m partial to the heavy hitters, you know. I’ve no skill for elaborate jutsu fireworks. I just like to hit stuff and you hit stuff hard.”

“And the other question?”

His cheeks flushed darker. “Ah, well, it’s like I said back then. It would be nice to take orders from a cute little girl for once, yeah? The others are far too traditional for my tastes. Do what you want, that’s what I think.”

“Cheers to that,” Sakura laughed, knocking back another cup.

More than half the sake was gone, an impressive amount by any standard. It made the blue man’s tongue a little loose as he watched her. “And you’re cute.”

“I know.” She grinned at him and he flushed even more.

“Like really cute.” He started to lean more to one side, watching her intently. Most of the sake was gone. “You have a boyfriend yet?”

Sakura laughed, not caring how she sounded anymore. From the bed, Zabuza stirred. Cracking open an eye he saw the pair of them drinking and his killing aura returned as he glared at the sake.

“You’re drinking over my almost dead body?” he hissed, sounding like a shadow of his former self. He was still pale.

“Cheers,” Sakura lifted her cup. “You’re alive. Why wouldn’t we celebrate?”

“Hn,” He started to pull himself up, glaring at Kisame now. “Did she try to kill me while I slept?”

Kisame snorted, grin growing wide. “She’s the one that preformed the surgery. As I understand it, you’re recovering so well because of her skill. You should say thank you. She saved your life.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I don’t care,” Sakura interjected, reaching for more sake. “Believe what you want, it’s no skin off my back.”

Kisame kicked the side of the bed. “Really, what is with this guy. He tries to kill you first chance he gets and can’t even say thank you when you save his life. Not like you needed to. I might have left him to die if I were you.”

“Good thing you’re not,” Sakura easily answered. “But, it’s good that you’re awake so soon. You’ll be out of here in a few days and back to work.” She pointed to the wall behind him. “I had them bring in your Kubikiribōchō and put it in here myself so it would be close when you woke up. I suspected it might make the recovery easier.”

“Who-“ Zabuza turned to see his sword and sat up further. “Who brought it here?”

Sakura shrugged. “I set it up in here, but I don’t know who else dragged it off the battlefield. In was in the OR when I walked in. It made Kabutowari san jealous and now he’s giving me the silent treatment.” She ended with a pout.

“Eh?” Kisame cheered, leaning in to her side. “What did he say to you that makes you think he’s jealous?”

“It’s that he didn’t say anything that’s how I know,” Sakura said. “He knows me too well by now. He even warned me during our fight not to touch your sword when I had the chance, before you even drew it. Ah, but I wanted to. It’s not fair, the all of you get to train with each other and trade off. It’s a good relationship.”

“You sound like you have a good relationship with your Kabutowari,” Kisame teased. “I’d get jealous too if I had to share.”

Zabuza watched the both of them with a glare but reached over to touch his blade’s handle. He got a sense of it and realized that all Sakura had said was true. It kept asking for Kabutowari’s maid.

“Oi,” Zabuza interjected. Sakura had her cup to her lips, but paused at his voice. “I’ll thank you for this, but just this one time.”

Sakura smiled over the rim of her cup. She extended it to him with a smile, nodding for him to take it and drink. She missed the way Kisame glared but not the way Zabuza seemed to soften; his glare wasn’t as sharp. Hesitantly, he took her cup and sipped from it before throwing it back and swallowing all the sake whole.

“No fair, Sakura chan,” Kisame whined, pushing his cup into her hand. “Share your drink with me too.”

“Of course,” Sakura cheered. “You’re m first ally after all.”

“M-m-myeah,” he mumbled, sinking in his seat with a fresh blush as he watched her drink from his cup. He caught his breath when she held it out to him, empty again.

“Another?”

Yagura grumbled to himself, swinging his legs over the side of his high chair at the bar. He normally hated the bar for this exact reason, but no one was going to call him a child or childlike today with how much killing aura he was soaked in.

“You’re just like a pouting child,” Mei laughed, sliding onto a stool beside him.

“I’ll kill you,” he hisses, pink eyes flashing.

Mei smiled knowingly. “Is it your hold on the swordsmen that has you so upset, or something else? I just saw Zabuza san heading back from the hospital. It looked like he got there before Kisame to have lunch with her again.��

“They’re both useless.”

“Yeah, I guess it is sort of hard to go in and apologize when there are others watching,” Mei teased, reaching over to poke the stem of his bouquet of flowers. “You could just order them away for the day.”

“It’s not just them!” Yagura blurted out, yanking the flowers away from her. “It’s all of them, even the stupid hunter nin that hangs on Zabuza. I thought he would get jealous but he’s in there training with her now for that new feld medic class she’s teaching and like all the other stupid nurses he’s too damn star struck at the sight of her. There’s always someone in the hospital now. It’s impossible.”  

“You still going to oppose her inheritance?”

Yagura glared at her in a knowing way. “Not even the elders are opposed to it anymore. She’s developed a line of medications that are bringing in a wealth of finances she’s using to develop the slums. She’s not even initiated and already she’s fixing the place up. It doesn’t even matter at this point.”

“Yeah, I can see now the reason she was chosen for this. I always knew she would be great for the job, but to actually see it is something else. She’s fantastic and just what this dying country needed.” Mei smirked and ordered a shot from the bartender for herself and the other department head. “I’m nominating my boy Chōjūrō to be her right hand. He’s nervous, but I think it would be good for him to grow closer to our next leader sooner rather than later.”  

“That’s gonna be a bloodbath,” Yagura predicted, already envisioning the onslaught of all the swordsmen and their apprentices fighting for the right. He reached for the new shot and downed it in one gulp. “My money is either on Kisame or Zabuza. The two of them…well, when it comes to her they’re both something else.”

[brandyleewhatever]

You And Me Till The End Kid DeanxReader

When you find out you have a tumor on your spinal cord, and are sent to what is suppose to be one of the top hospitals to have it removed, Dean can’t help but worry that something will go wrong and he’ll lose you. Through out the test leading up to surgery, he looks back on some of the things the two of you have been through in the past six years, from the first day he met you, to the day he proposed.

Dean shifted restlessly in his squeaky waiting room chair as he glanced around the large open area with a distasteful look. “What kind of doctors office is in the middle of a shopping mall?” There was no way one of the top hospitals would send people here.

“Dean.” Y/N huffed, glancing up from the paperwork she was filling out. “I’m the one who’s having test done today and has to have surgery in less than a week. Stop being so nervous.”

“How can you not be nervous?” He groaned as he laid his head against her shoulder. “You have a tumor on your spinal cord that they are going to have to cut into your bone and into, what the hell did he call it? The water ballon bullshit, to get to it.”

“Dean Winchester, the big bad monster hunter is afraid of tumor. Who would have guessed.” She giggled quietly, placing her head against his as she flipped her paperwork over to the other side.

“I’m not afraid of a tumor.” He said in an annoyed tone that quickly turned to a serious one. “I’m afraid something might happen to you, Y/N.”

Stopping in the middle of signing her name, she sat up straight and turned her body to face his. “Nothing is going to happen to me.” She said firmly, grabbing his hand. “It’s me and you till the end kid, remember?”

“You and me till the kid. You’re right.” Dean brought her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss to her knuckles, smiling brightly as she reminded him of the day they very first met…

That had been almost six years ago, but he could still vividly picture it.

——–

The boys were investigating a vengeful spirit in a small town in Kentucky. So small, they didn’t even have a motel or a restaurant.

“Let’s interview a few people and then get the hell out of her for today.” Dean said, irritated he wasn’t going to be able to get pie any time soon.

They pulled up to a dollar store in the impala, all decked out in their FBI getups. It was where the spirit had been sighted most, even though it had been terrorizing the whole town.

“We are going to look so out of place.” Sam said frowning as they headed into the store. The parking lot was empty aside from what they assumed was a employs car.

The door chimed as they walked in and the girl behind the register turned to greet them.

“Hello.” She said in an extremely sweet tone that sounded sincere and not at all fake like you usually hear from retail workers. “How can I help you two today?”

Sam already had his badge held out, ready for Dean to introduce them. However he was just frozen to the spot, mouth hanging open slightly as he stared at the girl.

“Good afternoon ma'am.” He put on a polite smile and stepped forward, blocking his brother’s view of her. “We are with the FBI and have a few questions for you.”

As if on queue, a crash sounded from the far corner of the store, causing the brother to spin around as she just sighed.

“Please tell me that’s the reason you’re here.” She was frowning now, arms crossed over her chest. “It’s getting to be a real handful.”

“What is?” Dean asked, finally finding his voice and focusing on the case at hand.

“The ghost.” She stated, as if it that was totally normal response. “It’s gotten increasingly violent since I started walking here. Duck.”

She dropped down behind the counter just as a bottle of cleaner came flying from over a shelf, which nearly hit Dean in the face.

Peeking up from the counter, her eyes were wide and she pointed an accusatory finger at the boys. “I don’t know who you two actually are, but it’s pissed you’re here.”

It was only a matter of minutes before the boys had their shotguns in hand.

Sam had taken off to the back of the store as Dean stood protectively in front of the girl.

“Don’t worry.” He smiled over his shoulder at her. “It’s you and me till the end kid.”

Y/N left everything behind that day. She was utter confused by the world they were being her into, but she knew if Dean Winchester was by her side, she could face anything.

Who would have thought the greatest threat to her wouldn’t be something Supernatural.

—-

“Lets go!” Y/N said cheerfully, grabbing her purse from where she’d left it near Dean’s feet.

He recovered quickly from the daze of being lost in his memory and offered her his arm as he stood. “Does this mean we can go get some pie now?”

Laughing, she gazed up at him adoringly. “Of course my love.”

[kadobeclothing]

Best Busy Books for kids and why they are a must!

Whether you’re planning a trip by car or air… A dinner somewhere “less than child-friendly”… Need your little one to play quietly during church or other silent gatherings or maybe just as an extra something fun to pass the time during rainy days or while waiting somewhere in line… Busy Books for kids have come to our rescue on more than one occasion and we have quite the collection. So, I thought I’d share our favourites, enjoyed by all the girls (and their friends). Our Best Busy Books for kids – Tried, tested and approved First busy books for tiny toddlers When it comes to something special and unique. Something your little will treasure forever…

You can’t go wrong with a loving, handmade fabric Busy Book by Hops Collection. Themed for Christmas or just for fun each one of these books are made to order so, you’ll need to follow their Instagram and basically stalk the page not to miss when orders open BUT mama, it’s worth it! My Reënboogboek Boek 1 en 2 (2+)

Author: Ballon MediaCategory: 2-6 yearsISBN: 9780798180115 / 9780798180122Format: Soft cover 20 pages My Reënboogboek Boek 1 en 2 (3+)

Author:  Ballon MediaCategory: 3-6 yearsISBN: 9780798180139 / 9780798180146Format: Soft cover 20 pages This little collection of carry along books make for the perfect 1st busy book. Big pictures, simply illustrated with easy to follow instructions and bold colours. Plus added stickers too… What toddler doesn’t love the sign of a approval stickers hold? The outlines of the pictures show children which colours to use and the stickers help decorate completed pages. Each pages expects the same but with gradual climbs in expectation, as little ones learn about colours while practicing those fine motor skills. Ava really enjoys the repetitive nature of this series and believes she can read just as well as her 8-year-old sister while completing her “homework” too. Painting with water Melissa & Doug – On the Go Water Wow! Books

No-mess painting for kids! Yes mama, no mess! These are a must for road trips or any travel actually. Simply fill the water pen (included) with water and have fun! Colour, connect the dots, find hidden pictures, practice numbers, words, letter and shapes. And it’s so easy: Use the pen to colour in each scene. See the vibrant colours appear with every stroke. Then let the page dry to erase the pictures and start all over again! Reusable pages and the pen refillable means you can buy a variety of themes and rotate them amongst the kids. The chunky-sized water pen is also easy to grip and use even for tiny toddler hands like Avas. (2 years old) We only play with these when traveling giving the girls something to look forward to. Fun “Look and Find” Books for preschoolers Vou en vind: Ontdek diere!

Author: Really Decent BooksCategory: 1-6 yearsISBN: 9780798179522Format: Hard cover 5 pages Vou en vind: Reis deur tyd!

Author: Really Decent BooksCategory: 2-6 yearsISBN: 9780798179577Format: Hard cover 5 pages These unique folding books made our list for 2 reasons: The unmistakable  “WOW” factor you experience once opening one of the huge fold-out pages And the clever way the illustrators have hidden 250 different items throughout the 5 pages. (We still haven’t found them all) “Reis deur Tyd” is our favourite and evokes many clever questions from the girls which makes this history buff mama’s heart skip a beat! Sticker books for older kids My eerste plakkerboek: Prinsesse en Dinosourusse

Author: Imagine That , Kobus GeldenhuysCategory: 4-9 yearsISBN: 9780798179751 / 9780798179768Format: Soft cover 24 pages Pages of beautifully illustrated princess and dino scenes with big reusable stickers! Little ones enjoy hours of play creating interesting scenes, fun stories and new moments. This is such a creative activity stretching the imaginations and language skills. Plakkerpret met 555 monsters / diere / voertuie / perde en towerponies

Author: Imagine That , Kobus GeldenhuysCategory: 4-9 yearsISBN: 9780798179232 / 9780798179249 / 9780798178709 / 9780798178716Format: Soft cover 24 pages Monsters, trolls, fire-spitting dragons, zombies and mummies… Cows, duck, monkeys, lions, polar bears, snakes and eagles… Vehicles of all shapes and sizes, trains, space rockets and hot-air balloons… Magic forests, rainbow bridges, pony parades and unicorns… Whatever your little’s interest, this series, with 555 stickers per book (more than enough to cover every page) guarantees to keep tiny hands busy for hours on end. Foundation Phase Maths for extra practice Pret Met Wiskunde: Graad 1 tot 3

Author: Mart Meij, Mart Meij, Glaudina Rossouw, Charlotte Sullivan, Laverne Hattingh, Sarie Verwey, Carinda van Heerden, Helena CoetzeeCategory: 7-9 yearsISBN:9781776070435 / 9781776070442 / 9781776070558Format: Soft cover 104 pages “Maths anxiety can have a debilitating effect on children’s self-confidence and learning potential, and may eventually even limit their choice of career. Instilling basic numeracy skills at an early age and teaching Maths in a way that engages young learners can go a long way to prevent a life-long fear of numbers.” Not a traditional choice but our Eliana loves maths – she gets it from her dad. The “Nuwe Pret met Wiskunde” books aim to help children grasp basic numeracy concepts such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division at a young age, helping to lay a solid foundation. This book also comes in pretty handy for a mathematically challenged mama providing step-by-step math resources that can be applied and practiced throughout the entire year. Practice pages instill the basics that children need to be able to recall readily Worksheets enhance creative thinking and problem solving Full-colour games serve to further inculcate skills Areas covered include: patterns, functions and algebra; numbers, operations and relationships; space and shapes; data handling and measuring. A little bit of everything Speelmaats : Woef & Maats

Author: iSeek LtdCategory: 3-10 yearsISBN:9780798179645Format: Soft cover 48 pages Speelmaats : Kiets & Maats

Author: iSeek LtdCategory: 3-10 yearsISBN:9780798179638Format: Soft cover 48 pages iSeek Ltd is a UK based children’s book publisher that specialise in creating and producing entertaining and interactive children’s books and family gift products. That’s probably why this busy book would make such a great gift. The illustrations are works of art and with the carry-along handles, these books are truly something special. Great value for money too, loaded with a huge variety of activities aimed at developing your child’s hand-eye coordination, counting abilities, fine motor skills, knowledge of colours, shapes and counting abilities – just to name a few! All while keeping them busy for hours. We take ours to church every week and when the sermon gets too long the girls enjoy some drawing, colouring, finding the differences, mazes, dot-to-dot, tracing, matching, and more! A Classic worthy of mention Bennie Boekwurm se besige pretboek

Author: Louise Smit, Johann Strauss, Luan SerfonteinCategory: 6-9yearsISBN:9780798178853Format: Soft cover 32 pages This one was a favourite even before we turned a page bringing back many childhood memories of Bennie, his flower choir, Karel Kraai, Sarel Seemonster and the Wielie Walie crew!  Puzzles, quizzes, pictures to colour in and other games to play, as seen in Huisgenoot’s activity pages for kids. Remember those! We definitely enjoyed this book more than the kids and will be buying another, to share – maybe if they got a turn to complete an activity on their own, they’d love this busy book just as much as we do! There are loads more busy books for kids focussed on arts and crafts, reading, writing… You name it! The ones mentioned above have however proven most effective and easy to use while on the go – which is key for a travel-loving family, like ours BUT I’m always scouting bookstores in search of new titles. So, be sure to check back for updates. You can find these books at your closest bookstore or online at Takealot.com Disclosure: Some of the books mentioned above was sent to us by NB Uitgewers to review.I am not paid to do so and only share books we love and recommend. All opinions are my own.

For more BOOKS WE LOVE (in English and Afrikaans) click here. PHOTO CREDIT | Selected photos by Anje-Ilana van Dalen from Madison & West Lifestyle Division.

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