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Chapter Text

[Seedy Merchants Pier]

Azula scoffed as she sat in her small hidden perch on a building's roof, watching over the huge crowd of the various people that practically ran over each other to get to their preferred shops. She had to give it to the merchants, with the huge volume of people and their endless chattering, the merchants all had quite the lung capacity to yell over the noise to advertise their wares. But once the sun set and the air cooled the noise was especially louder. Azula involuntarily winced from the shrill of one of the merchants that stood nearby from her spot.

Her amber gold eyes scanned the crowd below her one final time, looking for anything of interest. She knew it was a waste of time, normally she'd scout out an easy target to hit for money or information. But her money pouch was filled, more than enough to get her to her next destination and back. And she had the information she had wanted, hence why she was at this place.

She looked up to the darkening sky. It would be a few more hours yet until the moon would be high in the sky, and the time that the black market would have one of their rare auctions for the more special items that were sold to those with deep pockets.

Azula sighed and blew at one of her bangs that fell to the front of her face. As a member of the royal family, she would have the money to buy anything she wanted at the black market, everything even. And as the daughter of the Phoenix King Ozai, and the rightful Fire Lord, she would have the power to take this place by force if she truly wanted to.

Another sigh. Yet here she was, hiding on a rooftop like a bird, resorting to thievery or violence to line her pockets with peasant change in order to feed herself or afford a dirty bed to sleep on for a night or two.

Her shadowed area briefly lit up with a blue light and her face warmed from the small flame that erupted from her nostrils. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

Breathe, calm yourself, she scolded herself mentally.

Azula couldn't lose control of her emotions. She wouldn’t. She had been doing so good for nearly two years now without falling into one of her episodes.

By the time her eyes opened the crowd below her dispersed, many of the once screaming merchants were packing up their things. Some merchants continued their businesses into the evening, but most preferred not to due to the increase of thieves in the dark.

The former crown princess could attest to that. Only the streets were illuminated with lanterns, that made hiding in alleys and rooftops easy.

Azula touched a palm to her abdomen when it gave a fierce grumble. She couldn't remember her last meal. The thought made her thin eyebrows pinch into a frown. As royalty, she never experienced hunger. Even while she traveled during the war. It wasn't until that damned mental institute that she finally experienced hunger and thirst. And so much more.

She squeezed her eyes tight and quickly cleared her mind. This was why she hated to sit idle, her thoughts drifted to things she would rather not think about.

You surround yourself with people to manipulate and harm because you can’t stand the idea of facing the world alone, a foreign voice whispered in her head. Memories of that one night resurfaced.

After Azula was abandoned by her Fire Warriors she came across a temple in the middle of a forest. The temple, the dreams she had when she slept there, even the fire sage that resided in said temple were all tricks of a spirit. The whole ordeal was something she handled with ease, but ever since then the spirits taunts plagued her every now and then. Thinking of its voice made bumps on her skin rise and a chill snaked down her back. The spirit's voice was both human and not, it was a mixture of a male and female voice, angry and soothing at the same time.

Desperate to spring into action to drown out her thoughts, Azula looked one final time at the rising moon before she pulled her hood over her hair and stretched her stiff limbs before she jumped down onto the street, being mindful not to drop in front of any witnesses. Normally, she'd swipe something to eat from a merchant distracted with a customer or she'd create her own distraction, but she really needed to maintain her anonymity.

Not wanting anything too heavy to weigh herself down, she sought out a food vendor selling Fire Nation cuisine and purchased some sizzle-crisps before she made her way to one of the larger buildings she heard the auction would be taking place. She went through a lot of trouble to get this information. If it was wrong or if she was lied to, she'd burn everything to the ground.

And risk the Avatar's attention? Remember what he did to father.

Azula paused mid chew. No, she'd have to use a more subtle vengeance. It was too soon to be making grand showcases of her power. And she didn't want to give Zuko any reason to make better efforts in finding her, and siccing the Avatar on her to take away her bending.

The thought of losing her bending did more than make her lose her appetite, it downright made her feel nauseated.

As quickly as she tossed her food, she shut off her thoughts and focused on sneaking into the auction.

* * *

The building of the auction was only one story high but it had a very high ceiling. Azula could only guess it probably originally served as a warehouse or storage. Tall wooden pillars provided support for the tall ceiling, some pillars connected by beams. Azula stood on one beam that gave her a good view of the entire room, but to avoid anyone with wandering eyes from seeing her, she had to crouch close to the main exit, behind the audience. At least with being so close to the ceiling the darkness was thick enough to completely obscure the dark red color of her cloak, she had to resort to her sense of touch to ensure she was crouching in the middle of the beam.

She studied the faces of every person as they entered and took a seat. Even though this was the black market and people avoided giving away their identities, it was easy enough to identify who was from which nation. There were very few attendees she recognized, one Fire Nation noble and two military officers. Well, one of the officers she didn't know personally, but she did recognize the young man that clung to the officer like wet hair on skin.

Chan.

Memories of her many firsts on that Ember Island trip with her former friends and Zuko were still very fresh in her mind, despite how much she tried to forget the whole experience. Even though Azula was snubbed by Chan multiple times, he was still her first kiss. She may have been very presumptuous in thinking their one kiss would mean they would be a couple, and he would rule at her side when she became Fire Lord.

To think she ever had such presumptions was embarrassing and beneath her. Chan was too spoiled as the son of a wealthy admiral, too weak to be so fearful of her power he ran rather than respectfully serve her as a consort. However, the loss was his. Unlike royalty and nobility, Chan would not inherit his father's military rank, he would have to earn it from the bottom. If he had become her consort he would've been elevated as a member of the royal family.

She should have returned to studying the other people that continued to trickle in, but her eyes kept drifting back to Chan. Despite his weakness, the years were good to him. He seemed taller, from what she could tell from her birds eye view, he had a few inches over his father, anytime he moved his arms his muscles bulged against the fabric of his robes, his hair was longer, his shoulders somehow more broad, but his face was very much the same. Still handsome, but now with a sprinkle of stubble growing along his jawline.

Azula tore her gaze away and focused on the man that began speaking over the rules of the auction. The man was short with a round belly, gray hair cut close to his scalp, and his robes were Earth Nation colors. He very much reminded Azula of her uncle Iroh. Only this man didn't speak with her uncle's soft spoken voice, instead his voice was surprisingly loud and deep, slightly raspy probably as a result of yelling over crowds so often.

The auction began.

None of the items being sold were of interest to her. Trinkets and baubles made of gold and gems, some old weapons that were used before the Hundred Year War, weapon prototypes that had yet to be used during said war, illegal ingredients that could be used to make highly addictive painkillers or poisons.

Azula felt herself perk up when one weapon in particular was showcased. At first it looked like any average straight sword, it was simple in its appearance. Until the man pulled the blade from its scabbard. The blade was unique in its pure black color. Azula had to ponder for a moment on where she saw such a blade and then she recalled a certain Water Tribe savage that wielded a similar weapon and waved it in her face on the day of the Black Sun.

Could it be the same weapon? How did it come to be here?

Her interest in the weapon grew further as she watched the man demonstrate the sharpness of the blade. Servants appeared to drop off a block of pure solid steel. The man took a normal looking straight sword and swung at the block of steel. Predictably it did nothing but create a loud clang as the blade struck the metal.

Then it was the black sword that was in the merchant's hands. He swung the blade and Azula felt her jaw nearly touch the beam below her as she watched the hunk of steel separate into two clean pieces.

There were a few sounds of astonished reactions from the audience as the man lifted the blade and tilted it to show the lack of any damage the blade suffered from striking pure steel.

Chan's father was quick to immediately place a bid on the weapon.

Idiot, Azula thought.

By showing such great interest in the weapon he was opening himself up to be taken advantage of by others.

As she predicted, there were others willing to pay a high price for such a powerful weapon and the bid became abhorrently high. In the end, however, Chan's father still won. Azula debated if she would have time to track him down after the auction and steal it. She wanted that sword.

Only fools trust their lives to a weapon, Azula heard in her father's voice. It was when he had caught her admiring a knife she stole from Zuko, a gift he received from uncle, when he admonished her. He still had her train how to wield a sword, multiple types of blades and weapons in fact, but he always prioritized Firebending.

The remainder of the auction grew boring again until finally, finally, they got to what Azula was here for.

Information.

Or more specifically, a journal of some sort that belonged to a group of dragon hunters. Not much was known about the contents of the journal, but rumor was that it had details and locations of places dragons were killed.

Azula needed that journal. She didn't believe that her soft uncle was being truthful about killing the final dragon. And that journal was once restricted in the Fire Nation library, not even Azula would have had access to it when she was still princess, when her grandfather and father ruled. If anyone could locate any surviving dragon Azula knew she could do it. She just needed a starting point, a clue on what to look for. Whom better to give that to her than former dragon hunters?

Up until she was submitted to that forsaken mental institute she hadn't thought of the knowledge in that journal, she didn't need the enhanced power killing a dragon bestowed.

Until now.

If she wanted a chance to overthrow her brother from the throne and have a fighting chance against the Avatar she needed every advantage she could get.

Something prodded in her head, she winced from the odd sensation and rubbed her forehead.

No, she gave up on taking back her throne from Zuko. She told him this herself. No, she would find a new place to rule, show Zuko she was always the better choice to lead the Fire Nation. And once she proved it, she knew he would abdicate the crown to her for the sake of their people.

The feeling in her head vanished.

How these mere merchants were able to get such a prize she didn't know, same with the Water Tribe savage’s sword. Though she supposed it was better this way. Easier to steal her prizes compared to having to break into the palace. But with her knowledge of all of the many secret passages and memory of the routines of the servants and guards, it would've been just as easy to break in.

Unsurprisingly, not too many people were interested in the journal, only those from the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes had any interest.

When the bid war seemed to be at its end, Chan's father put a last second bid that was far higher than the previous one. A Water Tribe savage that had the former highest bid hesitated, her shoulders drooped and she failed to raise her bid. Just like that, Chan's father won.

Joy filled Azula's chest, but she suppressed the laugh that ached to be let out. She settled for a smile instead. Sometimes her own luck astonished even herself.

Azula was born lucky, you were lucky to be born, she heard in her father's voice.

He had said that to Zuko when they were children when Zuko spoke down to her for critiquing the incompetence of one of her former firebending teachers. Of course, that only created a small altercation between mother and father.

Mother never defended her, only her precious Zuko.

It would be easy for Azula to have a single target to obtain both of her prizes.

* * *

Chan and his father, Admiral….Chan, Azula learned, were accompanied to their ship by a small cluster of guards. It wouldn’t even be a challenge to use the element of surprise to take them all out and make off with the journal and the black sword, but Azula preferred to take her prizes without them knowing until she was long gone. Last thing she needed was for her dear Zuzu to receive word of her whereabouts and track her down again. For all of his faults, she admitted he was good at tracking. He found the missing Avatar that eluded the world for one hundred years after all.

As they neared the ship, the Admiral motioned for half the guards to carry on. His son paused and looked at him.

“We're not leaving yet, father?” The younger Chan inquired.

“We only just arrived here, son.” The older Chan waved a hand behind him towards the rest of the port. “Getting that sword didn't nearly empty my coffers. I mean to enjoy the rest this place offers.”

Azula smirked. If they left the journal and sword unattended except for a few lazy soldiers it would be that much easier to steal them without anyone knowing.

“You, however, I expect can guard what I've purchased, yes?”

Chan hesitated a moment before he straightened and nodded. “Yes, father.”

Azula watched the Admiral turn and walk away with the other half of his guard. She observed the younger Chan command the guards that were left with him to take the trunk that contained the journal and sword into his father's quarters and followed after them.

The ship was merely an ordinary cruiser. While Azula had only been on her royal sloop, she still studied the different variants of cruisers, knew of their layouts and what each one was capable of. The deck level would house the soldiers and staff and the Admiral’s chamber would be on the top floor. Before she snuck on board she kept her distance and observed the guards’ routine. Not knowing when the Admiral would return, she had little time to get what she wanted and leave.

When an opening presented itself, Azula snuck on board and entered the interior of the ship. She half expected to immediately come across a guard, but luckily most of the guards seemed to be outside or below deck. From what she could tell, the ship was completely idle. If the Admiral arrived and wanted to set off immediately it would take time until the ship was ready. Being idle was good for Azula, it meant the soldiers were lazing about.

The halls were deathly quiet, not even the sounds of conversation could be heard. The heavy footsteps warned Azula of anyone approaching, only once did she have to hide to avoid being found. Upon reaching the top level, the farthest door led to the room she had been searching for. The Admiral's room was sparsely decorated other than a bed, desk, armor on display, and the trunk that held the journal and sword.

Interestingly, the trunk was unlocked. But upon opening it, Azula felt her stomach drop.

It was empty.

It couldn't be empty! She made sure to watch the merchants transfer the journal and sword into the trunk, and hand it over to the Admiral. It hadn't been opened since the Admiral returned to his ship.

Azula turned back towards the hallway and peered out. If Chan was fond of throwing parties when his father was out of his vacation home on Ember Island, no doubt he’d want to play with the black sword and read the journal.

There weren’t many more rooms on the top level, and with how quiet the ship was Azula could immediately hear Chan’s muffled voice behind one of the doors.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

Azula suppressed the gasp that nearly escaped her when she approached the door.

“Oh yeah, so imagine what this blade can do to your bones.”

There was no way he was actually speaking to her, he would’ve waited until she physically got into the room. Once she heard Chan make hyah sounds she knew he was just playing with the black sword so she stepped inside. She was immediately greeted by his back. He had ditched his outer robe, clad in a red sleeveless shirt and black pants and was swinging the blade about. For being the son of an Admiral Azula could immediately recognize by his movement he had no idea what he was doing. She only took a step forward when Chan twirled. The tip of the blade would have sliced her nose off if she hadn’t the reflex to step out of its reach.

Chan paused, arm frozen in place, his eyes comically wide as he stared at her. Azula weighed her options quickly. She could try to outmaneuver him, disarm him and knock him out. If he didn’t know how to handle a sword there was a chance he didn’t know how to fight. But that was a risk she didn’t know enough to know the odds of. And in their scuffle he could still shout for help. And amateur or not, the blade in his grip was deadly. One knick and she could lose a limb if she got careless. Firebending would give her identity away, and he could still scream. Probably would too, he didn’t look like he could tolerate pain like a warrior. Not with what she remembered how much he cried when she, Ty Lee, Zuko and Mai wrecked his house.

She smirked, not that he could probably see with her head tilted down low enough for her hood to obscure her face in shadow.

“You might want to put that away, Chan.” She enunciated his name slowly. “I’m sure there’s a wooden sword around here somewhere for you to play with. Leave that sword to the adults that know how to handle it.”

He frowned when she said his name. She swore she could practically smell his brain from all the thinking he was doing. Good, if he was confused that meant he was too distracted to call for a guard.

“H-how do you know my name?” His brows pinched together as he frowned. He lifted the sword higher. “Who are you?!”

Azula sighed and lifted her hands up. If she made him think he was in control just because he was armed he wouldn’t call for backup.

“Oh, Chan. I’m hurt. Don’t you recognize me?”

“Remove your hood! I can’t see your face.” He demanded.

“Why would I do that? You’re the one with the sword.”

Chan reacted the exact way she expected him to. He closed the distance between them and reached for her with his free hand. The moment she felt the tug of her hood, she grabbed his sword arm and pulled it tight against her rib cage before she brought a knee up to his gut. She didn’t allow him to double over, she swiftly connected her knee to his face, felt the crunch of his nose against her kneecap.

His grip on the sword slackened. Before he could topple to the floor she shoved him flat on his back, pinned his arms under both her knees and brought the edge of the sword to his neck.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t make a sound,” Azula warned, “you saw what this blade did to that block of steel. Imagine what it could do to your neck.”

A spurt of blood shot out of Chan’s nose as he desperately fought back a sob. Azula nearly recoiled in disgust, but she kept steady. The moment she gave him the opportunity he’d have the whole port surrounding the ship with how loud he could scream.

“The book your father bought along with this sword, where is it?” With each word she leaned closer to his face until she could smell his blood. With their close proximity her hood would do nothing to hide her face, but he gave no indication of recognizing her. He seemed to have been trying though with how much his eyes roamed as he studied her face. She pressed the blade against his skin ever so gently and he audibly gasped.

“O-o-over there!” His voice shook. “On-on my bed.”

Azula turned her golden gaze towards the nearby bed. There was indeed an opened book on the edge of it. She turned her gaze back to him and smiled. There was a brief spark of recognition in his eyes. If he did recognize her from Ember Island, he didn’t know who she or Zuko were back then.

“Good boy,” she cooed gently, she brought her free hand to his face and felt him shudder violently. Oh how she missed the fear she could bring out in people. She ran a fingertip along his jaw. Such a waste for a coward to have such a handsome face. If he had been worthy of her, brave, strong, and had revered her strength instead of fearing it they would have made beautiful, powerful heirs.

“A little something to remember me by.” She whispered and leaned ever closer. Chan shut his eyes and a weak whimper escaped his trembling lips. His cowardice to face his own perceived death nearly made her change her mind, but Azula was unable to stop herself from pressing her lips against his own, reenacting their kiss from Ember Island. Thankfully his bloody nose hadn’t tainted his lips.

His shuddering stopped. It was then that Azula pulled the blade away from his neck, lifted the sword and then slammed the butt of the hilt onto his head.

She barely climbed to her feet when a knock came at the door. She immediately grabbed the journal and tucked it into a pocket, her eyes scanned for an exit. The room didn’t even have a window. Well, she had what she came for. There was no need for her to even remain in Merchant’s Pier, if she had to make a little noise to make an escape so be it.

The sword’s scabbard also rested on the bed. She secured the black sword into it before she swung the weapon over head, securing the strap between her neck and shoulder and tightened it so the scabbard wouldn’t bounce against her back if she had to run.

“Sir, you requested to be summoned once the food arrived.” A voice said behind the door.

Azula cursed in annoyance. The doors open inward, so she would be unable to stun the owner of the voice by slamming the door open. She stood by the door and waited anyhow, there was not much else she could do, not with Chan laying on the floor with a bleeding face. She thought about throwing him face down on his bed to make him appear sleeping, but she didn’t want to be weighed down should the door open suddenly.

“Maybe he’s asleep,” another voice said.

“Remember last time he slept through a meal? I’m not going through that again, waking him would be easier to deal with.”

The door opened and immediately there were cries of shock. Two tall armored guards entered the room and ran to Chan’s side. Azula hadn’t made it out of the room completely before she heard one of them shout.

“Intruder!”

She swore and fell into a sprint. She barreled into a solid mass of armor and muscle on her way down the stairs, but her momentum knocked the guard down. She leapt over his body and got to the ship's exterior before she came across another guard.

“Hey!” He shouted, but Azula ignored him and burst into a sprint again. The deck was large enough to allow her to give the guard a wide berth. When her back was to him she suddenly felt a great heat. She just managed to deflect the flame that was hurled at her and she nearly repaid him in kind, but thought against it at the last second. She continued running and jumped onto the dock.

More flames were hurled in her direction, but none of them were close to hitting their target. If any did, Azula easily deflected them. But the shouts and flames were quick to bring attention to her from some of the other nearby Fire Nation ships. Immediately assuming she was a thief, some people joined and attempted to apprehend her. Even though the Merchant Pier was just a glorified marketplace with no formal leadership, the merchants were quick to band together to defend themselves from thieves, and punish them severely.

Despite the noise of the chaos around her, she had managed to hear a strange whistling sound, but noticed the threat too late. Something wrapped around her leg and she failed to keep herself from falling. A rope of some kind was wrapped tight on her leg, the tip attached to a metal sphere, the other end of it was held by a man that pulled on it so that he dragged her closer. Either the impact of the metal ball against her leg failed to break a bone or the adrenaline made her blind to the pain.

Instinct kicked in, but still Azula fought to keep herself from using her Firebending. She pulled the black sword from the scabbard and sliced the rope cleanly like a hot blade to tofu. It was a long run out of the Pier, but there were plenty of buildings and shops to help her lose her pursuers.

By the time she reached the woods that surrounded the Pier, she hardly felt tired. A little winded, but she had plenty of energy to keep running and fight if she needed to.

Shouts behind her told her she had yet to escape her pursuers. If she couldn’t escape them in the marketplace, she’d escape them in the woods. Despite the darkness, the moonlight was enough for her to keep her from tripping or running into any trees. When she lost sight of the people chasing her, she climbed a thick tree high enough for her to blend in the leaves and waited.

Now that she was standing idle she realized how loud her panting was in contrast to the silent forest. Even the insects were quiet. She pulled at her cloak and pressed it against her mouth to muffle her breaths. Several deep breaths later, when the roaring of her heartbeat in her ears faded, she could just make out the echoes of her pursuers fading and fading until there was complete silence.

A short dizzy spell struck her and she nearly toppled off the branch she stood on, but she locked her knees and shut her eyes to compose herself. After a moment the swimming sensation in her head ceased and she opened her amber eyes.

She scanned the ground below her, just in case she failed to hear anyone, but there was no one. In need of a short moment of rest, Azula carefully lowered herself to sit and just continued to steady her breathing. She moved the cloak from her mouth to her forehead to wipe off the sweat that made her bangs cling to her akin.

After several moments the adrenaline faded and the pain in her leg finally registered. Azula carefully prodded the calf that was ensnared by the makeshift bola, nothing seemed to be broken, just heavily bruised. Another pain registered,a sharp stab bloomed in her wrist. A small dart was embedded in her sleeve, the needle just long enough to puncture the skin. Was this why she had suddenly felt dizzy and tired?

Swearing, she yanked the dart out and pocketed it. She hoped whatever was in it was a tranquilizer rather than poison. Assuming she was safe in the tree, she yanked off the belt around her waist. It wasn't very long, but it was enough to tie her thigh to the branch she sat on. If she passed out she wouldn't fall to the ground. Hopefully the momentum of falling and probably hanging upside down would stir her back to consciousness.

Her eyelids grew heavy and when she blinked she struggled to lift them. Whatever was injected into her had to be removed. She couldn't be delayed. The longer she sat here the better chances she could be found.

A sickening idea formed in her mind. It was probably too late, she had no idea when the dart struck her, but Azula didn’t have a lot of options available at the moment. Not if she wanted to escape. She didn't have a small knife so she pulled out her new sword with her uninjured hand. Slowly, carefully, she swiped the black blade against her pale skin, mindful not to apply any pressure lest she wanted to slice half her wrist off.

The moonlight was bright enough to allow her to make out the dark crimson color of her blood as it steadily covered her wrist and traveled down her arm before it collected and dripped at the curve of her elbow. She placed the sword back in its scabbard before she gripped her arm near the cut and squeezed. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt. It was almost hypnotic to watch her life essence flow freely.

Azula hated to admit her knowledge in medicine was very limited. At the palace and during her travels she had her own dedicated healer. The only reason she was bloodletting herself was because it was something that was done in the asylum. Obviously, bleeding her like a butchered animal achieved nothing, but the so-called caretakers did it anyway. Bleeding her was supposed to help her body find balance again and her mind would become whole. At least that’s what the so called healers always told her before they dug their blades into her flesh.

Reminiscing those troubled memories brought a shiver down her back that had nothing to do with how much blood she was losing, or how chilled the night air became.

The dizziness got worse and she began to feel light-headed. She had yet to feel like how she did in the asylum, but she couldn't let herself get to that point. Not if she wanted to have a fighting chance if she was found. And before she retired for the night she wanted more distance between herself and the Merchant’s Pier.

As tempting as it was to just cauterize her wrist, firebending was a risk. If anyone was nearby they'd be able to see an unnatural light high in a tree. The smell of burning flesh was very distinct as well. No, she couldn't take those risks.

The fallen princess ripped off a piece of her new cloak, honestly she had just gotten it at the Pier and now it was already as good as a rag, and wrapped the cloth around her wrist and squeezed at the cut itself. When the bleeding seemed to have stopped she tore off another piece and wrapped it around her wrist again. It would do for now.

With a deep sigh, Azula leaned her head back against the tree trunk. She was so tired, not just from the blood loss or running for her life. Rather than allowing herself to feel self pity she chose to embrace anger instead. Anger for how everything turned out for her.

Despite her current condition, it was a victory for her. She got what she came for, plus a little bonus. All of her hard work would pay off, she just had to stay focused.

A tired smile grew on her pale face. The nearest town was a few days away. It wouldn't be easy to get there with the mountains and hills, but she needed to recover her strength and study the journal.

Now that she had another objective in mind, Azula forced her tired body to move. She was still dizzy, but she would power through, she’s had worse just by training her firebending. She untied her leg and returned the belt to her waist.

Her descent from the tree wasn’t the most graceful. Her limbs felt wobbly as she climbed down, her foot slipped and suddenly the ground rose up to greet her face harshly. She groaned and nearly chose to remain on the ground, the dirt was slightly damp, cool, and soft. Distant voices suddenly echoed. Azula's eyes snapped open and she quickly pushed herself back to her feet.

Memories of her father and firebending teachers chastising her for feeling too tired, too weak from her training played over and over in her head. It made for great motivation to keep herself walking.

* * *

[Merchant’s Pier]

“All you had to do was protect my investments!”

Chan winced and curled into himself, one of his hands held a bloodied cloth to his nose. He came back to consciousness not long ago. Though the first sight that greeted him was his father's angry stare. Speaking made his headache worse, listening to father shout was more painful.

“She snuck up on me, father. If the guards did their job correctly she never would have gotten in.”

Father's eyes narrowed, his voice dropped so deeply with rage it was practically a grumble. “She?” He questioned.

Chan tried to nod, but that was painful too. “I-I recognized her. She was the same girl that trashed our home on Ember Island.”

Father shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You told me it was a group of people that nearly destroyed my house.”

“Yes, it was a group. But this girl was part of them.” The bleeding from Chan’s nose seemed to cease. He gently touched his nose and groaned, he really hoped his nose wouldn’t remain crooked permanently.

“So this girl vandalized my home, stole very expensive things from me, and attacked you? What did you do to her?”

“Me?” Chan cried out then immediately regretted it when his head throbbed. In a much softer tone he added, “Nothing.”

His father wasn't buying it as he continued to frown, then his eyes widened as if in shock. “Chan, you didn't get her with child and abandon her, did you?”

“What? No!” He winced when the throb increased. “No, father. I mean, the most we ever did was kiss, but that's it. I would never dishonor our family.”

The older male looked relieved. “Well regardless of her reasons, you're the only one that has seen her face. You know her. What's her name?”

Chan was silent. Either his headache was affecting his memories or he truly never got her name.

“Son?”

With a sigh of defeat, the younger Chan lowered his head in shame. “I don't know her name.” The silence that followed only made him feel more nervous.

“Her appearance then. What does she look like?”

That was easy to answer. “Long black hair, golden eyes. Short, about this tall,” he lifted a hand to his shoulder. Then he realized he was sitting on his bed. He stood up and repeated the motion. “She's also pretty.”

His father sighed again, though the younger male wasn’t sure if it was due to frustration or disappointment. “So this girl looks like the average citizen of the Fire Nation.”

“And she's pretty,” Chan clarified, “very pretty.”

Instead of pinching his nose, his father began rubbing his temples. “What else, son? I need something that sets her apart from any other Fire Nation girl if I'm to put a price on her head.”

Chan stared at his father. “You're putting– what like a bounty on her?”

“After everything she’s done, of course I want her hunted down!”

He hadn't realized he was still standing until father stepped closer to him and rested both his hands on his shoulders. It was a little awkward considering he was taller now.

“What else can you remember about this girl? Anything that I can use.”

Chan scrunched his eyes shut as he dug into his memories. The headache made things even worse. But his father was being patient. He didn't press him further and eventually guided him back to the bed.

A memory finally came, something useful. “She's a firebender!”

The resulting stare had a lack of any emotion for so long Chan nearly waved his hand in front of the blank eyes that seemed to stare right through him. Finally, his father blinked and brought his face into his hands.

“Thank you, son, you narrowed the possible list of Fire Nation girls by a few thousand.”

“No, no,” Chan replied, “I mean yes she's a firebender, but she's the only one I've seen that bended blue flames.”

Chan felt like he only blinked and suddenly he was being gripped by his shoulders again, this time father's grip was tight enough to bruise.

“Are you certain?”

Chan lifted a brow. “I'm sure. I've never seen anyone else do that. Is it rare? Can you work with that information?”

“This…girl, she bended blue flames. There's no way you could've been mistaken?”

“I know what I saw. It was just us on a balcony, alone. After we kissed she said some crazy things and then blue flames appeared in her palms.”

Father suddenly burst into a loud, booming laugh that made Chan's head throb again. After he was done laughing, he stood and began pacing.

“Do you know who she is?”

“Oh, son. You have no idea what you had in your hands.”

Chan frowned. “What?”

Another moment of silence was his reply and the pacing continued. “Do you remember what that girl told you? After the kiss.”

“Something…something about…most powerful couple? I think she also mentioned world domination.”

Father burst out laughing again, then he covered his face. His laughter drifted to what almost sounded like a sob.

“She was telling you the truth, son.”

“Hmm? How so?”

“That girl is Azula. Princess of the Fire Nation. A firebending prodigy, the only one in our history that can bend blue flames.”

Chan felt like he was tossed off a steep cliff, or a really tall tree, or the balcony on the top floor of their house. “Princess?” His voice cracked.

“If you had stayed loyal to her, you could've been prince consort by now. You'd be a member of the royal family.” Father resumed pacing and then muttered to himself. “I could've been the new war minister.”

Chan was having difficulty following father's words. He was still trying to accept that he kissed a princess. His blood ran cold as more and more memories of that day resurfaced.

You don’t know who we are, do you? She had asked him that day on the beach, when she approached him about getting an invite to his party.

“Wait, wait, wait,” Chan exclaimed, his voice changed to a panicked squeak.

What about me and my brother?

Her brother. Not only did he disrespect the princess, but also the then future Fire Lord? He was going to die. If not by the princess’ hand then by the Fire Lord’s if they ever met again.

“Wait,” Chan rubbed his forehead, hoping the ache would leave him be. “Isn't the princess not a princess anymore? Didn't she go crazy after the war ended?” He had no interest in political gossip, but that particular rumor was rampant and all his friends would talk about.

His father stopped his pacing. “That's the rumor, but who's to say it's even true? Very few people were present when Fire Lord Zuko challenged Princess Azula to an agni kai for the throne. Some even say she technically won, but an ally of the Avatar interfered. She was declared mentally unstable by the Fire Lord and no one has heard of her since. Until she went missing a year or two ago.”

Chan didn't know how to feel about all this information. He still couldn't believe he kissed the princess and kicked the Fire Lord out of his home. Then some of his father's claims were starting to convince even him. If he had stayed with the princess maybe he could've helped her, made a difference in the war, the princess would be Fire Lord now instead of her brother. He didn’t pay attention to politics, but his father always complained about the current Fire Lord whenever he was home.

He gripped his hair and nearly pulled it. How could he have been so stupid?

“Now you realize your mistake, son?”

“So, what do we do now? You can't just put a price on the princess’ head now.”

“I know that,” His father snapped. Then he called a guard. “Whoever has experience in tracking, send them after the girl that broke into my ship. She couldn’t have gone far. And she had to have left a trail.”

The soldier bowed and immediately left.

“If only we knew where she was heading to next.”

Oh, another easy one Chan could answer. “That book that you bought, father, there was a map in it.”

A brief moment of silence. “How do you know this?”

“Um, well, I may have taken a peek at it. But there was a map, and a specific spot was circled. If she stole the book, maybe she would go to that place?”

“If I showed you a map, would you remember where that location is?”

Chan nodded.

“Good,” His father smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder again. “The Fire Lord would owe us a great debt if we helped him reunite his family. When the princess first went missing he bore no expense in trying to locate her.”

He called for another guard. “Send a message to the Fire Lord. Tell him I have information on where to find the missing princess.”

Chapter Text

[Harbor Town]

The trek to Harbor Town had been brutal due to its mountainous region. The ground was too steep or shallow which made traveling exhausting. Worse, Azula was certain poison from the dart still lingered in her blood with how horrible she felt throughout the entire journey. Fortunately, probably from her own bloodletting, her fever broke after two days and her strength slowly returned. Afterwards, she was lucky that she came across a merchant caravan that was willing to give her a ride to the small fishing port, Azula put on an innocent and pitiful plea that earned her the ride without having to pay for it.

Once she was in the small town she didn't intend to stay any longer than she needed to, she just needed to rest and study the journal. While its contents had been interesting, such as what dragons ate, where they tended to nest, what their strengths and weaknesses were, the only thing that proved useful to Azula was a location of one nest where a female dragon had been slayed. Beyond that there was nothing else.

Azula almost felt betrayed at the lack of information. This book was restricted and hidden at the palace? But she couldn't think that it was useless, it had to have been hidden for a reason.

She stayed up an entire evening reading and rereading the journal and studying the map. The only thing she could do now was visit this nest turned dragon grave. If the dragon that was killed was female, and at a nest, there had to have been dragon eggs or young offspring. But the journal failed to mention if other dragons were found. A mother, even a beast, protected her young.

Except mine, Azula thought bitterly.

Could this be why the journal was restricted? Maybe there were dragon offspring. Rather than killing them, perhaps the hunters chose to raise them? Perhaps that was the true power of a dragon, controlling one rather than simply slaying it.

Satisfied that she had a new lead to pursue, Azula slept well the next evening, a rarity in itself. Ever since the Hundred Year War neared its end, when everything had begun to fall apart, nightmares plagued the fallen princess. But Azula always knew her dreams were just that, dreams. Although lately, since she fought off that insect spirit when she had been hunting down her Fire Warriors her dreams were more warped and disturbing. Worse, sometimes she'd awaken and began confusing her dreams as actual memories. Fearful that her mind was slipping again, Azula kept her own journal where she'd track her dreams and note if they were true memories or false. It helped. But a good night's sleep was so hard to come by sometimes.

The final morning she spent in Harbor Town, Azula used the last of her money to purchase supplies, another new cloak, and the farthest passage she could afford with one of the transport merchant ships.

It was honestly frustrating, stressful even, how she went from never having to worry about money to worrying about it all the time. Far too frequently Azula resorted to stealing. It was faster, more rewarding than earning money with hard work, though there were times that she had sought employment if she lingered in a town for a long period of time, but it was all beneath her. The knowledge and skills she learned as royalty didn't transition well among peasants. No one had much need for a weapon in a time of peace.

I can always return home. Surely Zuzu would welcome me back.

Azula shut her eyes and snuffed the tiny thought away. She wouldn't return home. Not with mother and her new family, her new daughter, living at the palace. Their presence would always be a constant reminder of what she never had. Could never have.

And what if Zuko chose to send her back to the asylum again? Azula was honest when she told him the voice in her head stopped. She stopped seeing her mothers image in anything reflective. But now these dreams haunted her. What if that was a sign that her mind was still broken? Or if her mere presence ruined their happy existence in the palace and it was easier to send her to the nuthouse. Or have the Avatar take away her bending. At least with father if she disappointed him he would just disregard her. He wouldn't lock her up. Wouldn't take away the only thing that made others fear and respect her.

Or he would banish you like he did Zuko.

A sudden jolt tore her from her thoughts and she sought out the cause of the disturbance. The ship was beginning to move away from the port.

She had to do something, anything, to keep herself distracted. The ship was large, not as big as her own of course, there was plenty of space she could claim for herself out of everyone’s way where she could simply exercise. It was important that she keep her body strong.

When the ship set off the sun was still rising. Now that she was done with her exercises and training with her new sword the sky was a canvas of blue and orange, the sun already hidden. Azula felt the pull of exhaustion, but she kept training until the moon taunted her as it rose higher and higher. Finally, after her arms felt wobbly and her fingers ached from holding the sword hilt for hours she called it a day. Complete and total exhaustion sometimes helped keep her dreams at bay.

Even though Azula paid a fare to the ship captain to take her to his next destination, he was specific to mention the fare didn’t include room and board. The arrangement was fine with her, she wouldn’t trust their food, and she’s had to sleep on cold hard ground almost every night for the last three years to have any issue with sleeping on a ship deck. She ate her oh so filling meal of fruit and lychee nuts, washed it down with lukewarm water from the barrels that were filled with rain water before she found a secluded and hidden spot to sleep in.

She dreamt of home. She was living in the palace again, dozens of servants at her beck and call, providing her with food and snacks throughout the day, they tended to her sweaty and tired body after hard hours of training in unrelenting heat. They scrubbed her body gently with floral smelling soaps that didn’t leave her skin dry and itchy, her hair was washed, oiled and combed, and when they dried and pulled up her hair they placed her crown in her topknot. At dinner time she shared a meal with her brother, Mai, mother, and her new daughter and husband. The whole affair was surprisingly pleasant with lighthearted conversation, Zuko often asked her for political or military advice, Kiyi asked her for tales of her conquests during the war all while mother smiled at her proudly.

When she retired to her room Chan was there eagerly waiting for her. With a smile, he told her many praises as he helped her out of her day clothes. Each time he exposed her skin he planted soft kisses until her skin grew hot. When she was completely bare he gently pushed her to the bed, praised her body with more kisses and caresses. He kissed her lips and neck until she was dizzy with want and desire. It was very late in the evening until she was spent and satisfied that Chan’s body provided. But when she woke the next morning, he was absent, his side of the bed cold to the touch. The servants never appeared either to tend to her. When she left her room, the entire palace was void of people. Even her family was gone.

Azula was harshly brought back to the world of consciousness when a rough and calloused hand slammed over her mouth and a heavy weight pinned her to the wooden floor. Her eyes opened to reveal a man she hadn’t seen before. Probably one of the many ship workers.

“Shh, shh, shh,” the man growled. His face was so close to her own she felt the heat of his breath, good thing his large hand also covered her nose, she could only imagine how foul his breath smelled.

There was a brief touch of fear that gripped her chest tightly. Her deep sleep cut off so suddenly left her feeling disoriented. Did this peasant intend to rob her? She had no money left, unless he was interested in her sword. Even though it’s been years since the war ended many people from the other nations still expressed distrust and hostility to firebenders, but this man had no idea she was a firebender. Or maybe he knew who she was and intended to take her back to Zuko. But why wake her, he was better off keeping her unconscious.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt the man’s hand roughly grope at her chest. Another flash of fear shot through her, but it quickly turned into intense fury. She pushed against the hand he kept over her mouth, but she couldn’t make him budge. He was large, heavy, and his arms bulged with worker's thick muscular arms. Once she began to struggle against him, his wandering hand moved upwards and his thick fingers wrapped around her slender neck and squeezed. Her breath caught in her throat, she couldn't inhale or exhale.

“Don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be,” he warned. His face inched ever closer. A flicker of fear came to her again at her hopeless position, but she squashed the feeling. Fear was for the weak. This man had no idea what she was capable of. She just had to remain calm.

Azula grabbed both of his wrists and channeled her chi. She didn’t need to create flames, she only needed to generate heat. The man’s eyes widened and yanked his hands back. He was still straddled on top of her legs, too heavy for her to throw him off. She aimed a heated fist straight onto the middle of his throat. He choked, grabbed at where she punched him and rolled to the side.

The fallen princess placed her palms on either side of her head, lifted her legs, and both kicked herself upwards while she pushed her hands against the floor. The momentum lifted her body off the floor and instantly onto her feet.

The man may have been double her size and girth, but he was built for operating the demands of sailing a ship, not for combat. He was slow. Azula ducked and stepped aside when he tried to grab her. She stretched a leg out and landed a kick to his ribs. He hunched into himself, Azula followed up with a kick to the back of his knee to send him sprawling to the ground.

“Pathetic!” Azula snarled. No wonder he had to resort to sneaking up on her while she was asleep, Zuko put up a better fight. Still, she was furious with herself that he even managed to get close to her at all without her hearing him.

The man may be slow, but he could take punishment. He was already on his knees, pretending to hold his neck, but Azula immediately noticed the subtle movement of one of his hands that reached for a jagged piece of wood that broke off of one of the crates he crashed into. He swung his arm behind him in a blind wide arc, but Azula met his arm with a foot. She was angry, and with this peasant continuously trying to fight her it was all she needed to decide to unleash a jet propulsion from her foot onto his wrist. The intense heat from the concentrated propulsion combined with her blue flames instantly charred the wooden makeshift weapon in the man’s hand, and nearly burned his hand itself to the bone.

The worker screamed and howled as he cradled his hand to his chest. Azula stood in glee as she watched the man writhe.

Serves him right for what he tried to do, she thought to herself. He should consider himself lucky. In the Fire Nation, he would’ve been sentenced to death just by touching her.

Since his back was to her, and without any witnesses, Azula was confident no one witnessed her blue flames. Another footprint she was able to destroy to keep Zuko from ever tracking her down. Or have an excuse to have the Avatar take away her bending.

The man’s constant howls of agony was quick to attract some of the others that were onboard the ship, including the captain himself.

“What’s going on?!” The captain exclaimed. An array of expressions crossed his features as he drank in the sight before him. Horror when he looked at his maimed worker, confusion when he saw it was only Azula present, and surprise when his gaze drifted to the mess around them. Azula glanced down at the broken crates and found an interesting mixture of goods scattered on the floor, silks, scrolls, jewelry, and other precious looking baubles. The captain pointed a finger at her. “You dare attack one of my men?”

Azula smirked for a quick moment before she relaxed her face and lifted her brows. “I dared to attack him?” She softened her voice. “A man twice my size? How silly of me.” She glared at the captain and stepped closer to him, she felt satisfied to watch him take a step back. Then she pointed to her neck, with how stiff her skin felt she knew it was badly bruised. “Are you saying I should have just allowed him to continue trying to force himself on me?”

The captain looked surprised and glanced back at the injured man that was in too much pain to utter a single excuse or lie. Which Azula preferred. She had no doubt the man would probably just claim that she was the one to come onto him and decided to attack him for no reason. And the captain would most certainly believe him than her.

“Tell me, captain,” Azula said in a sultry calm voice, “When I paid your fare to take me to Chin Village, what did you tell me when I handed over the only silver pieces I had?”

The captain looked confused for a moment. As he pondered her question, more of his crew appeared, two of them went to aid the still howling worker on the floor. Azula tightened her fists, mentally hoping someone would try to attack her. All of them could try to attack, she had plenty of anger pent up that was begging to be unleashed in more and bigger flames. Fortunately for them, however, they were smart enough not to underestimate her, not with how she left one of their own. Azula felt invigorated by their silent fear.

“I,” the captain finally croaked, “I said you would find no better or safer ship to–”

“–Safer, ha!” Azula interrupted. “Yet one of your employees attacked me while I slept! It was bad enough that silver wasn’t enough to get a bed to sleep in, instead I had to sleep on the floor like a stray dog.”

At least the man had the decency to appear ashamed. Azula was well aware that she wasn’t the only one that purchased a ride on this ship. And a merchant’s reputation was important.

The captain turned to the crowd and motioned them away. “All right, get back to work. And get him to some water or something. I’ll deal with him later.” He turned back to Azula and took a slow step closer to her. She placed one hand on her hip and lifted the other to inspect her nails. Her face fell when she saw how dirty, short and cracked her nails became since she was thrown in the nuthouse and been on her own.

“I humbly apologize for what one of my men tried to do,” the captain stated, his body bent forward in a small bow.

Azula lifted a brow and crossed her arms over her chest. “You failed to keep your end of the bargain. And all you can do to compensate for that is say sorry?” The captain winced and pulled out a small bag. He pulled out eight silver pieces and handed them to Azula.

She scoffed, but pocketed the money anyway, her eyes following where the captain stored his coin purse. But she wasn't done yet. “I went through a very traumatic experience. And what if I wasn’t able to defend myself? And this,” she pointed to her neck again, “What if he killed me?”

The moron looked flabbergasted as if unsure what else he could give to reprieve. Azula nodded towards the mess of the broken crates. “I thought you were a fish merchant. Unless I’ve been lied to my whole life, those are clearly not fish.” The captain started to appear nervous. People were too easy to read. Too easy to manipulate. “Does the rest of your crew know you dabble in smuggling for extra money on the side? Thankfully, my attacker’s cries distracted them from noticing. Well I can’t possibly fall asleep now, what if someone else decides to attack me? Safety in numbers, right, captain? I should probably start chatting with everyone, make new friends.”

“All right, all right, I get it, kid.”

Azula’s lips tightened into a firm line. She was well aware that without makeup she looked much younger. Unfortunately, makeup was a luxury she hadn’t bothered to pursue. The less she looked like herself the better, for now anyway.

“You can have my room for the remainder of the trip. We should be arriving at Chin Village in a day or two.”

Azula smiled. “How very generous of you, captain. I’m glad there are still some men that I can trust not to take advantage of a kid like me.”

She motioned for him to lead her to her new quarters. They walked in silence. Her eyes darted in every direction in case anyone sought to seek revenge for the friend she maimed. From the betrayal she experienced from Ty Lee, Mai and her Fire Warriors, she was well versed in expecting the worst from everyone. While she could handle whatever these peasants could throw at her, the adrenaline was beginning to ebb away that left her feeling tired. All she wanted was an actual bed to sleep on in the privacy of a room. The captain muttered another apology after they arrived at his quarters and he shut the door behind him when he left.

The room was quite small and cluttered. A small bed hugged one wall and a desk littered with maps and letters was pressed against the opposite wall. The room was illuminated with an oil lamp that was nailed to the desk. Azula tossed her bag onto the bed and bolted the door. Both the door and lock wouldn’t deter anyone from breaking in, but at least this time if someone tried to sneak up on her she’d hear them. She headed for the desk and looked over the letters and scrolls. Nothing of interest, just invoices and receipts. There wasn’t even a window. That left the door as the only entrance and exit.

With nothing more to do, Azula sat heavily on the bed. The dream, the sudden assault, and the confrontation with the captain left her feeling both exhausted and on high alert. She focused on her breathing, tried to clear her mind, but her thoughts kept worrying about someone else barging into the room looking to take revenge.

To distract herself, she fished out her journal from her bag and wrote down a brief summary of her dream.

Living in the palace as a princess. Zuko referred to me for counsel. Kiyi ecstatic over my war victories. Mother appeared happy and proud. Chan didn't fear me and run away, he loved me. –All lies of a dream, not real.

She nearly put her journal away, but then she remembered the last part of her dream. She added another entry.

The morning after, everyone was gone. Abandoned again.

The hurt of abandonment and betrayal stabbed into her chest as she remembered how she woke up that day, woke feeling refreshed and content, but when she left her tent her Fire Warriors were gone.

–Real memory.

She hated feeling pity for herself so she focused on the anger instead. She threw the journal at a wall and slouched over, placed her elbows on her knees and held her head in her hands.

Fear is the only way to ensure loyalty over your subjects, father's voice echoed in her head.

Yet why had Ty Lee and Mai betray her? They had been friends since childhood. Years of loyalty shattered in an instant. And her acolytes, she freed them from the mental institute. None of the girls were highborn, they suffered worse than Azula did. They owed her their lives and freedom, yet they were quick to betray her as well. All just for one person that was careless enough to get captured.

I love Zuko more than I fear you, Mai whispered in her ear, warm breath tickled Azula’s earlobe.

The firebending prodigy jerked her head upwards, expecting to see Mai sitting next to her. But there was no one else in the room. With a grunt of frustration, Azula slammed her palms over her ears and shut her eyes tightly. Her chest began to heave as her breaths became ragged.

It was one thing to remember something someone once told her and hear it in their voice in her head, she always had a fantastic memory. But to physically hear their voice as if that person was right there in the room with her wasn't right. It wasn't real. She had been doing so good! She wasn't crazy. Not anymore.

Azula was afraid to open her eyes. She didn't want to see the image of Mai. Or her mother. Or anyone. She was alone in the room. She knew that. Had to believe it.

I'm not a nutcase. Just my imagination. A memory.

The room felt suffocating. Her deep, rapid breaths were not filling her lungs. She breathed harder, faster. Her face felt feverish.

A loud bang erupted outside her door.

On instinct Azula stood, her fists raised and erupted in flames, the room lit up in a blue haze. Dizziness struck her and she stumbled backwards. A small grunt escaped her when her back hit the wall.

Was someone trying to break into the room? That had to be the reason for the loud noise. Someone was trying to get revenge on her for defending herself. But her legs were shaking, she couldn't remain standing so she slid down the wall.

Breathe, calm yourself, she mentally scolded herself. She refused to allow her mind to work against her.

An unknown time later, her breathing somewhat settled. It wasn't as difficult to fill her lungs. She heard more noises outside along with voices, but they faded until there was only the sound of her ragged breaths. Her hands were shaky as well when she wiped the sweat off her face, moved her bangs out of her eyes.

The fallen princess forced herself to look around the room. She was alone.

Always alone.

Azula pulled her knees to her chest and rested her forehead against her knees. She felt so tired. Retaining her curled form, she slid sideways until she laid on her side and closed her eyes to sleep.

***

[Caldera City]

“What’s wrong, Zuko? Your aura is a mess!”

The young Fire Lord snapped out of his train of thought and pulled his gaze away from the endless documents he had been reading through. Well, reading may be an exaggeration. He had been staring at the same document for far too long. He looked up to see Ty Lee looking at him from her position next to the entrance to his office. She was in her Kyoshi Warrior armor complete with the facial makeup.

Zuko sighed and rubbed his eyes. He didn't know how Ty Lee could see people's auras, but he believed she had the ability to do so. She always knew when he was stressed. Which was just about all the time now.

“Are you nervous?” She pressed.

With another sigh, Zuko nodded. “Yeah. I don't know why. I guess because maybe it's been so long since I saw everyone. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph.”

Ty Lee hummed in acknowledgement. “But they're our friends! Why feel nervous? I'm excited to see everyone again.”

That was the same question he thought to himself ever since he received Aang's letter of their arrival both for business and personal relaxation.

“I'm not sure to be honest. It's been a while since we've all been together. I am happy to spend time with them again, but ever notice that when we're all together something always happens?”

Ty Lee tapped her chin in thought. “Now that you mention it, something always does happen. But things have been going well for some time now.”

Zuko pressed his lips together to keep himself from responding sarcastically. If by well Ty Lee meant the growing problems he's had to deal with the unrest of some of the nobles, insubordination with a few of his high ranking military officers, and reports of hostility his people go through in the Earth Kingdom, just to name a few. And the worst problem he's had was the rumors of the New Ozai Society that were increasing their numbers again.

“It’s not just that,” Zuko admitted. “Sure things have been ‘quiet,’ but there’s still been a lot on my shoulders. Aang and everyone else have been doing good, great even, with their own projects and plans. I guess I’m just..embarrassed.”

Ty Lee’s eyes softened. “You know they’d never judge you. They’d probably even try to help if you asked.”

Zuko’s eyes widened. “No way, I can’t ask them for help. My problems are mine alone.”

The Kyoshi Warrior offered a somber smile. “I know, I know. I didn’t mean you should ask for their help, I just meant that they’re so supportive they’d offer to help just for the sake of it.”

“Thanks, Ty Lee.” Zuko returned the smile.

Silence grew between them abruptly. While it wasn’t uncomfortable, Zuko itched to ask Ty Lee one final thing before he returned to his duties, but he struggled on how to approach the subject.

“So,” Zuko started.

Ty Lee glanced at him and tilted her head. “So?”

“How has–I mean have you gone to–no I meant,” he growled in frustration.

“Whoa, whoa, your aura is getting crazy again,” Ty Lee warned. After a moment she gave him a knowing smirk. “Were you going to ask about a certain someone?”

Zuko felt his face heat up. “No…maybe.”

A chuckle escaped the young woman. “It’s okay to ask about Mai.”

The Fire Lord winced. “So…how is she?”

Ty Lee shrugged. “She’s been well, considering what’s happened.”

“Her brother?”

“Oh Tom-Tom has been doing really great! Mai says he misses their father, of course. He’s been helping at their flower shop as well.”

A small smile grew on Zuko’s face. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“You miss her, don’t you?”

Zuko winced again. “Yeah, I do.”

Every day, he thought to himself.

He scoffed. “I know it sounds pathetic. It’s been, what, two years since we’ve broken up, and I still miss her.”

“I don’t think that at all. You clearly cared about her. Still care. I think it’s cute that you love her so much.”

Zuko felt his cheeks heat up again and he glared at the Kyoshi Warrior. She merely chuckled again. A thought came to him then. Oftentimes when he conversed with Ty Lee, or thought about Mai, his thoughts always drifted to Azula. They were her friends. He often wondered if they thought about his sister, or if they even missed her.

“Speaking of missing someone,” Zuko started. He noticed Ty Lee wince, she probably already knew what he was going to ask. “Do you ever miss Azula?” At Ty Lee’s silence he added, “It’s okay if you don’t. I know she isn’t the greatest person to have as a friend.”

Even with the makeup, Zuko could see how her face fell. “It’s…complicated. I saw Azula as my friend. But I know she didn’t see me as hers. I was just an asset, her retainer. But it was different when we were kids, I think she saw me as a friend then. And despite how she recruited me during the war, it was nice being with her and Mai again. Then when we all went on vacation at Ember Island it felt like how it was when we were kids, she was my friend more than she was the princess. Does that make sense?”

Zuko remained silent as he pondered her words. His thoughts drifted to his family’s vacation home. The memories were buried deep, but he did remember the good and fun times he had with Azula when they were truly brother and sister playing together rather than fighting each other to the death. Once, he had awoken in the middle of the night and standing next to his bed was a teary eyed Azula, scared of some sound coming from outside her bedroom window. Even as a child he knew his obligation as the older brother was to protect his little sister, and he invited her to his bed where they hid under the covers and reenacted one of the plays they watched together with toys. Mother was slightly disappointed they were so tired the next day, and father was…he didn’t remember if he was even there. Or cared.

“Yeah,” he replied softly, “I know what you mean.”

“But to answer your question, I do miss her. It’s confusing. Part of me feels weird to be here at the palace without her. A bigger part of me is scared at the thought of seeing her.”

Zuko sighed sadly. “I feel the same way.”

“Hey!” Ty Lee said cheerfully. “Since our friends are coming for some relaxation, why don’t we go to Ember Island?”

It was a good idea. While the vacation resort had been fun with Mai, Ty Lee and Azula, he could only imagine the fun he would have with Aang and the others. They would love it.

“That’s a great idea, Ty Lee.” Zuko agreed. “Though I don’t think we’d all fit at Lo and Li’s house. We’ll stay at my family’s home there.”

This place is depressing, he remembered how Azula referred to their vacation home. She was right. Did she miss those times when they were children also? When they were a family?

“You all can help create new memories there.”

Ty Lee squealed in excitement.

A soft knock interrupted their moment and then in came one of his servants.

“Pardon the interruption, Fire Lord,” the servant announced. Zuko nodded and motioned for him to approach. The servant stepped before his desk and bowed. “The Avatar and his allies have arrived.”

Zuko’s eyes widened and he jumped to his feet, his thighs struck the desk and papers scattered everywhere. “I’ll see to them right away.”

The servant led Zuko and Ty Lee to the main courtyard where the large shape of Appa was the first thing they saw. The servant had been inhumanly quick to fetch Zuko, Aang was still atop Appa, using his airbending to unpack their things from Appa’s saddle.

Katara was the first one to notice him and Ty Lee. “Zuko!” She announced when he approached, a wide smile on her face. She appeared a little taller, her hair in the same style, though she still looked to have matured slightly, her frame much more curvy than Zuko last remembered. When Katara looked at Ty Lee she hesitated.

“Suki!” Sokka, who had been standing near Katara, jumped and lifted his arms up in joy.

Ty Lee giggled, not at all offended by being mistaken, and immediately Sokka’s face fell. “I don’t think you want her to know you confused me with her.”

Toph burst out in a loud laugh. She walked towards Sokka and slapped him on the shoulder.

Katara closed the distance between them and hugged the Kyoshi Warrior. “It’s great to see you, Ty Lee.” She turned to Zuko afterwards and then glanced at the servant and the guards that surrounded them. “Am I allowed to hug you?”

Zuko responded by hugging her. “None of you ever need permission for that.” He immediately felt the gratitude he always felt for the waterbender that saved his life during his Agni Kai against Azula. “Especially you.” He felt her arms grip him a little tighter.

“Sifu Hotman!”

Zuko and Katara pulled apart from their embrace. For a moment Zuko wasn’t aware Aang was the one that spoke, his voice had gotten much deeper it was unrecognizable. He was even taller, they were of the same height now. His frame was still lanky, but there was some more definition to his muscles. The two young men gave a deep bow of respect to each other.

“I’m glad you all got here safely. How was the trip?”

“Ugh,” Toph groaned. As she walked closer, Zuko could see that she, too, had gotten taller. But still shorter than Zuko himself. “It was freezing. But the air here is much warmer.”

Sokka was the final one to approach, Momo sat atop his shoulder. “Lookin’ good in those Fire Lordy clothes, Zuko.” His bright blue eyes drifted downwards. “But seriously, with those pointy shoes do your toes curl upwards too?”

Zuko rolled his eyes before he grabbed Sokka’s hand in a firm handshake. “Nice to see you too, buddy.”

Despite everyone’s refusal, minus Toph, Zuko had the servants take their bags and escort them to their rooms so they could settle before they would gather for a meal. All anxiety Zuko felt earlier with their pending arrival was long since forgotten. And he was looking forward to seeing Kiyi’s excitement of meeting the Avatar and his friends again. It would be her first time meeting Toph.

Zuko wanted their first meal together to be grand, he had his chefs prepare all manner of dishes, cuisines from all kingdoms, the Fire Nation, Water Tribe, Earth Kingdom, and he was proud that he remembered to ask Aang months ago about some of the foods the Air Nomads ate. Normally when Zuko ate a meal the massive table felt even bigger when it was just his mother, Norem, Kiyi and himself that occupied it. But with his friends the table finally felt dwarfed and lively.

Kiyi had taken to Toph ecstatically, despite the blind woman’s initial annoyance. But Toph was quick to warm up to the small girl’s fiery attention to her metalbending prowess. Zuko’s carefree mood was all too quickly smothered when a servant approached him with a scroll.

“Zuko, what is it?” His mother was the first one to notice his shift of mood when he read the scroll’s contents.

Zuko felt like he had been punched in the stomach. When he looked up everyone had ceased their conversations and watched him attentively. He swallowed and then licked his lips. “I just received word from an admiral. He claims that he found Azula and knows where she’s headed.”

“Is she coming here?” Sokka asked.

“No, he would’ve given a warning if that was the case.” Zuko read the message one more time. “He says he’s following her, but for now he’s at Seedy Merchant’s Pier.”

“What will you do?” Asked his mother. Zuko looked at her and could easily see how conflicted she felt, relief and worry.

What was he going to do? He could just send soldiers to talk to the admiral, take his information and seek out Azula. But he knew that option would result in Azula vanishing without a trace again. He glanced up at his family and friends. Despite how things ended from their last encounter, Zuko still wanted Azula back. His family felt incomplete without her. But he also couldn’t allow her to roam free, not with the New Ozai Society still functional and growing, he couldn’t trust that she wouldn’t use them to try to cause more problems for him.

“If you want to meet with the admiral yourself,” Aang began, but Zuko was quick to interrupt.

“No! I invited you all here, and you only arrived today. I can’t just leave.” He glanced at the scroll again. “But I also can’t send others in my stead.”

“Do I sense another life changing trip with Zuko?” Toph announced, a wide grin plastered on her face.

Katara and Sokka shared another look to each other before they gave subtle nods to Aang. The air nomad smiled gently. “If you decide to track her down, Zuko, we won’t let you go alone.”

Zuko shut his eyes. “I invited you all here to relax and enjoy yourselves. You all deserve it after everything you’ve done both during and after the war.”

Toph quickly thrust a finger at him, but she kept her blank gaze down at her overfilled plate. “You still owe me a life changing trip.”

Zuko felt a warmth on his arm and he turned to look at the source. His mother had leaned closer to him. “Whatever you decide, honey, we fully support it.”

That was the problem. His heart told him to seek out Azula personally. He didn’t want to give up on her. But his head told him she was a lost cause. He looked back up at his friends. What would his uncle say? He took a deep breath.

“Life changing trip it is.”

Chapter Text

[Seedy Merchant’s Pier]

If Zuko was nervous before his friends arrived at the Fire Nation palace, his stomach was a twisted knot of nerves now. His hands had a slight tremor so he gripped onto the ship's bulwark harder. For the entirety of the trip he had countless thoughts swimming in his head. Why was Azula at Merchant's Pier? Everything she did was for a reason, she wouldn't be in that town just to shop. Where was she heading next? What was she planning now? And if he was able to intercept her what would he even tell her? He didn't want them to fight again.

The memory of their fight on the edge of the cliff ran rampant in his head, when they were still looking for their mother. He had been so angry, so frustrated that all they ever did as siblings was fight. And when he held her by the neck of her shirt and lifted her up to dangle over the cliff, it scared him of how tempting it was to let her go, both literally and figuratively.

What if he found her and they fought again? Worse, what if he had that temptation to just put her out of both of their miseries? He gritted his teeth in trepidation, what if he gave into his anger?

“Copper piece for your thoughts?”

The young Fire Lord jolted, he hadn't heard anyone approach him. He turned and saw Sokka looking at him worriedly.

Zuko inhaled deeply and returned his gaze to the waves. After he decided to meet with Admiral Chan, the one that found Azula, he and his friends quickly embarked on a ship large enough to accommodate Appa. Zuko insisted the sky bison deserved to rest after he brought everyone to the palace. They were due to arrive at Merchant's Pier by nightfall.

“Worried about your sister?” Sokka asked as he stepped next to Zuko. The firebender always appreciated how his friend always seemed to know when his thoughts fell to his sister, and he always gave him good advice. He was an older brother himself after all. “Or more like worried what she's up to next?”

Zuko frowned as he thought over how to voice his thoughts without sounding like a cold blooded killer, someone willing to kill his own sister.

Zuzu, there's howling outside my window, I'm scared, Zuko recalled the wobble of Azula's childish voice that day during one of their many days on Ember Island, back when his family would visit it. Before Azula was able to control her firebending and father declared her a prodigy. Before father ascended the throne as the second born son, before mother disappeared. Before Azula grew spoiled and cold from father's praises. He still remembered how she looked at him before all that, her eyes shiny with unshed tears and her favorite turtleduck toy tightly gripped in her chubby hands.

He realized he never answered Sokka. “My sister is resourceful. I don't doubt she's ‘safe,’ so I'm more worried about what scheme she's up to now. Every fight we have I'm afraid it'll be our last.” He looked at his friend, the time they've been apart Sokka grew taller, taller than him and Aang. “I know you and Katara are not like me and my sister, you both haven't had fights to the death.”

I'm about to celebrate being an only child! Azula's cold, hard voice echoed in his head.

“I don't know about that. You haven't seen how angry Katara can get.” The small smile that was on Sokka's face quickly fell when Zuko continued to stare at the waves in silence. “Katara and I fight just like any other siblings, but…not fight fight. But then again we weren't born into royalty where every heir wants the throne. We didn't have a psychopath like Ozai for a father either, uhh no offense.”

Zuko sighed and shook his head. “None taken. And you make a good point. My father was my grandfather's second son, yet as a child I knew he coveted the throne. In the end he became Fire Lord instead of my uncle.”

“Lemme ask you something,” Sokka continued. “Growing up, as a prince you had everything. A massive palace to live in, food, servants, all the money to buy anything you wanted. Was there anything you didn't have, but wanted?”

Zuko lifted a brow, not knowing where his friend was going with this. He didn't have to think long. “My father's approval. I always wanted to make him proud of me too.”

“Too? I'm guessing Azula had all his attention?”

Zuko tightened his lips to keep his scoff from erupting. “When she was first to have control of her firebending it was like I didn't exist to my father anymore. I was an annoyance to him. Everything Azula did she was better than me and my father praised her for it, everyone loved her. Firebending, her studies, everything came easy to her.”

Sokka rubbed at his bare chin. “And do you know if there was anything Azula wanted, but didn't have?”

The young Fire Lord nearly denied anything Azula didn't have, but another memory abruptly came to mind.

I could sit here and complain how our mom liked Zuko more than me. But I don't really care. My own mother thought I was a monster. She was right of course, but it still hurt, Azula said all those years ago.

Then there was Azula's paranoid obsession where she believed their mother was responsible for her downfall. And before she ultimately ran away, she was brought to tears when mother–albeit she didn't have her memories of being their mother by then– apologized to her for not loving her enough.

“I think she wanted what I wanted, but the opposite. While my father praised everything she did, my mother would voice her disappointment with her cruelty.” He looked at his taller friend. “Where are you going with this?”

Sokka shrugged with one shoulder. “It's just, I think it's something most siblings go through, wanting what the other has. When we found out Katara was a waterbender, I was crazy jealous at first. Even though being a waterbender was dangerous for us with the Fire Nation always keeping an eye out for them.”

Zuko winced.

“So I can understand a little of how you felt,” Sokka continued. “Anyway, my point is, think of it from your sister's perspective. You said everyone loved her, besides your dad. She had what you had and more. But there were two things she ultimately didn't have. Your mom's favor and eventually the throne.”

“So you think she wants to be Fire Lord simply because it's my birthright?”

“You said it yourself, your dad was the second born yet he became Fire Lord. She had Ozai's favoritism, so maybe getting the throne was the last thing she could do to make him proud of her. And…there was the letter your mom wrote where she implied you weren’t Ozai's son.”

“But that was a lie, my mother just wanted to make my father furious.”

Sokka raised his hands up. “Yeah, we know that. But Azula doesn't. So to her she believes she's the rightful Fire Lord. Is it any wonder why she's so determined to take the throne?”

Zuko sighed and gripped the bridge of his nose. Would Azula even believe him once he told her the truth about that letter? Sokka was right, she believes she's the rightful Fire Lord. And until she learned the truth she would always be scheming to usurp the throne for herself. Maybe even continue to pursue it even if she accepted the truth. His head began to ache. Maybe it would be easier to just accept that he and Azula would always be at odds with each other, that they could never love each other as siblings.

“I made things worse, didn't I?” Sokka quipped. “When you look like that, things tend to catch on fire.”

The Fire Lord shook his head. “No, I'm just…maybe it was a mistake to drag you all out here. I don't know if I can ever make peace with my sister.”

“Hey, you won't know unless you try, right?”

“But I have tried. You said it yourself. I've given her lots of chances.”

Sokka looked confused for a moment before recognition flashed in his eyes. “Oh, right. I remember saying that. Honestly, I think I said that out of frustration. We were all going through a lot and with your sister being…”

“Crazy?”

“She made things more straining. But I understand now why you've given her so many chances, why you continue to give her another chance. You both may not have had the best relationship, but you still care for her.”

A surge of longing filled Zuko. What his friend said was true. Despite everything Azula put him through since they were children, she was still his little sister. She was once a scared child that sought him out for protection and comfort. When she first started calling him Zuzu it was when she was too young to speak full words and it was a nickname she continued to call him out of endearment. Until she started to use it as a form of condescension when their father's influence began to mold her into someone cold and cruel. Now that his father was powerless, but alive, the Hundred Year War was over, he had his mother back, with additions to their family, it still felt wrong that Azula wasn't included. If he could redeem himself, why couldn't Azula? She wasn't born a monster.

Still, his talk with Sokka did nothing to ease his troubled thoughts. He glanced at the sky. The sun was beginning to set. They would be arriving at Merchant's Pier soon.

* * *

[Seedy Merchant's Pier]

Chan was so nervous his dinner threatened to make a reappearance. The Fire Lord arrived in person not long ago. Thankfully his father wanted to meet with him alone so there was a small spark of hope that he wouldn't be recognized by the Fire Lord himself for disrespecting the royal family all those years ago. He nearly jumped out of his skin when one of his father's soldiers appeared at his door and summoned him into the meeting room. He tightened his fists to stop his hands from shaking and followed the soldier into a room filled with not just his father and the Fire Lord, but a small cluster of people he didn't recognize.

There was one young man about the same age as him that stood out. Loose pants and a robe that exposed his entire right arm and part of his chest, the color of his clothes were bright with yellow and orange. Scalp clean shaven to expose a blue arrow. Chan's eyes widened in shock.

The Avatar!

Anticipating to meet the Fire Lord was daunting enough alone, but to also meet with the Avatar, the apparent child that dethroned the former Fire Lord Ozai? Chan swallowed hard to keep his dinner down, his bladder suddenly felt painfully full.

“Son,” His father snapped him out of his terrified thoughts. He motioned him to take an empty seat next to him.

Chan nearly sprinted to follow his father's command, but thankfully he remembered his manners. He quickly dropped to his knees and bent forward until his forehead touched the floor towards the Fire Lord and the Avatar. The large burn scar on the Fire Lord's face was unmistakable, he truly did disrespect him all those years ago.

You don't recognize us, do you, the princess’ voice taunted him.

“Please, there's no need for that…Chan was it?” The Fire Lord said gently.

Chan looked up and studied his sovereign. If he was lucky, maybe the Fire Lord didn't recognize him. He stood and finally took the seat next to his father.

“O-oh, yes, Fire Lord. It is an honor to meet you and the Avatar.”

The Avatar offered him a wide smile and he waved. “Pleasure to meet you, Chan. My name is Aang.” He motioned to the others that sat at the table. “This is my girlfriend, Katara,” he gave a quick glance and smile to a Water Tribe woman that sat next to him. “And my friends, Sokka and Toph.” The former wore white and blue clothes which marked him as another from the Water Tribe while the latter wore Earth Kingdom white and green. She made no eye contact, her bangs were long and covered most of her face.

Chan tilted his head to the others, but his eyes glanced over the others that were in the room, but stood standing behind the Fire Lord. They wore armor that marked them from the Earth Kingdom as well and all had white makeup that covered their faces, above their eyes the makeup was black and red, their lips colored bright red. It was odd that the Fire Lord surrounded himself with nothing but foreigners.

“We apologize for asking you to join us,” the Fire Lord began, “But I wanted to hear from you personally regarding your interaction with my sister.”

Chan struggled to swallow, his mouth was unbelievably dry. He gave the same story he told his father, how the princess caught him off guard in his room, attacked him and when he woke his father's possessions were missing.

“I deeply apologize for my sister's actions against you, Chan. You weren't too injured I hope?”

Chan shook his head then remembered his manners again when he noticed his father gave him a distinct side glance. “No, Fire Lord. A mere headache and broken nose, nothing major. Thank you for your concern.”

The Fire Lord finally took his penetrating gaze off of Chan and looked to his father. “So this book that my sister took. What's so significant about it? My sister wouldn't just steal any ordinary book.”

Chan watched his father fumble for a brief moment, but he was quick to compose himself. “The book was written by dragon hunters, back before Fire Lord Sozin put an end to the Dragon Hunts.”

The Fire Lord looked surprised, his eyes widened in shock for a moment before they narrowed in a frown. “How did such a book end up here?”

Admiral Chan answered promptly. “I know not how the book got here, Fire Lord. But knowing the significance of it I nearly spent my entire fortune to obtain it and meant to return it to its rightful place at the Royal Palace.”

“Your message reported that you knew where my sister was heading to. Where is she heading?”

“I did not have the chance to read the book’s contents, but my son did.”

Chan gulped. Once his father looked at him, he knew it was his turn to speak again. His voice caught when everyone's eyes turned to him.

“There was a map in the book,” Chan explained. “There was a dragon nest that the hunter's were tracking. It's on Yesso Island. I can mark the specific spot the nest was located. I'm sure the Princess will be heading there. Since she stole the book.”

The Fire Lord exchanged a silent glance with the Avatar. Both their faces were grim, and then they nodded to each other.

“We would appreciate a marked map, admiral.” The Fire Lord finally said. “And I'll be sure to compensate you for what you paid for this book. I'm glad that you meant to return such knowledge to me. You also said you were tracking her. Where did she head next? Was she alone or did she have a group of people with her?”

“From what my soldiers reported, the Princess was alone when she fled. And my scouts say she's been traveling alone. The last update stated she went by ship to Chin Village.”

Chan breathed a sigh of relief when the Fire Lord appeared satisfied and began dismissing the meeting.

“One more thing, if you please, Fire Lord.”

The younger Chan felt his heart drop when his father dragged the meeting on. He really hoped his father wasn't going to ask for compensation for all the damages the Fire Lord, the Princess and their friends did to their home from years ago.

“I know it is not our business, but you see my son and the Princess were quite close shortly before the war ended.”

What is father doing, Chan thought in panic. His heart froze when the Fire Lord returned his gaze to him. He really hoped he wasn't the overprotective big brother type.

His father only continued to make it worse. “Their romance was harshly put to an end due to the demands the war took on the Princess. Despite the years that have passed since then my son's heart still burns for the Princess. If there's anything we can do to help you find the Princess we await your command, Fire Lord.”

Beads of sweat rolled down Chan's back that caused him to involuntarily shudder. The more his father spoke the more the Fire Lord studied him.

“You do look familiar,” the Fire Lord stated.

Chan kept his gaze down, for sure he was going to die. Or worse, be banished. Fortunately, after a long stretch of silence the Fire Lord said nothing more and returned his attention to the Admiral.

“I will keep that in mind, Admiral. I'd appreciate it if we kept all of this between us. My sister is resourceful, if word were to spread about all of this I fear I may lose her trail again. And once my sister has returned to her home, I won't forget your aid in reuniting the royal family.”

That answer finally seemed to appease father. He thanked the Fire Lord and bowed deeply. After they exchanged their formal farewells, Chan was all too eager to return to his room while his father escorted the Fire Lord and his party off their ship.

It wasn't long until his father visited his quarters. Without having to keep up appearances for the most important people in the world, Chan was free to finally voice his stress.

“Father! Why did you say that about me and the Princess? We only kissed once!”

His father looked at him with a slightly amused expression. “You heard the Fire Lord, he will appreciate all that we've done to help him reunite with the Princess. He can repay his debt to us by arranging a marriage between you and Princess Azula.”

Chan felt stunned. Him? Marry the Princess? Sure she loved his jokes and complemented his strength. But marry her? She attacked him! He'd never admit it, but she was beyond intimidating. She was terrifying.

“We don't even know each other.”

His father gave a light chuckle. “Why would that matter, son? You only need to marry, have a few children, and you will never have to work a day in your life. You won't even have to love her or take care of her. You'll be royalty.”

That…did sound nice. And their family wealth was still nothing compared to the royal family. And the parties he could have with every noble in the Fire Nation!

Chan smiled.

* * *

Zuko didn't know what to think once he and everyone returned to their own ship. What was Azula after?

“A dragon's nest!” Aang voiced his next thought. “Why would Azula go there?”

“In the Fire Nation, it was believed killing a dragon could amplify our firebending. Dragon eggs were rare so they were worth a small fortune on the black market.”

“Hmm,” Sokka rubbed his chin. “Didn't your uncle kill the last dragon though, Zuko?”

Zuko and Aang exchanged a silent glance at each other. With a steeled face, Zuko nodded. “He did. Dragons are extinct because of the dragon hunts that occurred during the war.”

“Huh, extinct.” Toph muttered, a slight grin on her face that was mostly obscured by her bangs.

Zuko forgot Toph could detect when a person lied. Did she know he lied about dragons being extinct?

“Then, why seek out a nest if it would just be empty?” The blind girl asked. Zuko and Aang let out a silent breath of relief.

“Yeah,” Katara added. “I could understand if she was seeking out an egg for money. If they're as valuable as you say, what would she hope to buy?”

“Mercenaries? War ships?” Sokka guessed.

“Or she could be funding the New Ozai Society,” Zuko announced. “She worked with them before.”

“But we know she won't find a dragon egg, or any dragon at all,” Aang countered. “But maybe she doesn't know that.”

“So if we're lucky, we can catch up to her and corner her!” Sokka replied.

Zuko had been looking over the map the admiral gave him while everyone debated. “She had a head start. If she was at Chin Village and headed southeast, she’s probably near Yesso Island. We'll have to hurry to catch up to her.”

He wasted no time giving orders to his staff to begin their journey. He also called Toph aside, but the others still stayed nearby.

“What's up?” She inquired, her arms folded behind her head.

“I wanted to ask, during our meeting with the admiral and his son, did any of them lie about what they told us?”

“Hmm,” Toph stretched her arms out and cracked her neck. “The son was hard to read, throughout the whole meeting his heart beat frantically, especially whenever you spoke to him. But I think he was just really nervous.”

Zuko knew he wasn't nearly as good as Azula when it came to reading people, but even he was able to see that the Admiral's son was terrified. He looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't remember where he saw him.

“And the Admiral?” He asked.

“He was telling the truth about everything.”

“Ha, seriously?”

Zuko looked behind Toph where Sokka was still, the map the Admiral provided in his hands.

“So that guy is in love with Azula?” Sokka continued. “He was terrified to be in our awesome presence, but he can stomach being with your crazy sister?”

Zuko lifted his shoulders in a shrug.

Aang joined the conversation. “We fought on opposing sides of the war, so I don't blame him for his fear. And,” he turned to face Katara and smiled, “We act differently when we're with people we care about. So maybe Azula is less, ah, scary when they're together?”

“Last thing I want to think about is my sister's love life,” Zuko replied with a frown. A new thought came to him, did Azula feel similarly every time she was nearby when he and Mai kissed?

“Welcome to my world!” Sokka shouted. “Just be grateful you don't have to see that.” He pointed to Aang and Katara who were lip locked.

Hours later, when everyone had already retired to their rooms, Zuko found himself unable to sleep so he stood out on the deck, hoping the gentle whispers of the waves could clear his thoughts.

“What are you doing out here, Zuko?” Aang's deep voice said abruptly. Zuko was starting to understand why Toph referred to him as Twinkle-Toes. He always walked quietly and unintentionally snuck up on him often.

The young Fire Lord inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of the salt in the air. For the three years he was banished he mostly traveled by sea, and after the war he was mostly located at the palace so he came to miss the smell of the ocean. “Couldn't sleep. I just can't wrap my head around what Azula is after.” He turned to face Aang. He didn't look like he had been sleeping at all either. In fact, he looked troubled. “What about you?”

“I couldn't sleep either. I have this bad feeling. So I came out here for some fresh air and to meditate.”

“You too, huh?” Zuko grunted. “Ever since I got the Admiral’s message about Azula, I haven't been able to shake off this sense of unease.”

“Whatever she's up to, we’ll put a stop to it.”

Zuko smiled and sat on the deck. He may as well join his friend in meditation. It had been too long since he had a quiet moment like this.

“Thank you,” he replied. “I honestly don't know where I'd be without you and the others.”

Aang smiled and used his airbending to gently glide himself on the floor. “I could say the same. Without you and Katara, Toph, and Sokka, I wouldn't have been able to face your father. I'm glad you joined us.”

They both settled into a comfortable silence and began to meditate.

* * *

[Yesso Island]

The island was much bigger than Azula expected compared to how it appeared on maps. She was grateful the dragon hunters pinpointed the nests location, it would've taken months to scour the entire island.

As beasts of flight, their nests tend to be located at high elevations, specifically atop mountains.

Azula reread the journal and regretted she didn't get an airship instead. The island had two mountains, and of course the nest was located on top of the highest one. Worse, the top of the mountain was covered in a white coat. Traveling this far south she was prepared with warmer clothes, but she wasn't prepared to travel in the snow.

The fallen princess turned to the group of people she was traveling with. Posing as a researcher, she paid a group of mercenaries to take her to Yesso Island. Not trusting them to leave her once she set foot on the island, and as added protection, she paid extra for them to escort her to the nest. Should she find a live dragon she could always use them as fodder.

Despite docking at a location as close to the tallest mountain as possible, it was still a long trek. Azula really didn't want to know how bad the climb up the mountain was going to be.

Worse, she couldn't trust the men that accompanied her with either keeping their hands to themselves as she slept or to abandon her so she forced herself to stay awake most evenings. Only when she was on the verge of passing out would she allow herself to sleep an hour at the most. Her sleep deprivation made the hike all the worse to endure, her reactions and reflexes were incredibly delayed, branches struck her face and she stumbled and fell often. But at least it helped her enforce her researcher persona. Her wariness of the men grew each time a few of them gawked at her in ways that made her skin crawl.

If only they knew who I really am, they wouldn’t dare so much as look at me, Azula thought bitterly.

The closer they got to the mountain, the clearer they could make out some sort of storm at the top. Dark purple clouds swirled above the snow capped peak. The climb would have been impossible if not for two of the mercenaries, one was a waterbender and the other an earthbender. The waterbender swept the snow out of their path while the earthbender created a ramp that gave them quick access to the top without anyone slipping and falling to their deaths. Azula mentally breathed a sigh of relief, the other benders made ascending the mountain a lot faster and easier than she anticipated. Despite not having to hike in the snow, her warm clothes did nothing against the chilled air.

When they finally reached the top, the men expressed fear of the storm. The clouds were such a dark purple they were nearly black and little of the fading sunlight could penetrate. There was no wind, only an unsettling stillness and complete and utter silence. Their footsteps on the hard rocks loud and nearly created an echo. Something in the air just felt wrong.

Evidence of any type of nest was nearly lost to the elements, a few large tree branches laid scattered about. There were no eggs as Azula had hoped, not even broken pieces of a shell remained, if there had been any to begin with. Not even a single dragon scale was left behind. The fallen princess nearly lit the entire area aflame in anger, but the men accompanying her expressed their distaste before she could.

“This is it?” One of the men bellowed while he kicked at the clutter of branches. “What could you possibly be researching here, little one?”

Azula scowled at the nickname. “You don’t need to know. Now, while I work you all continue to do as I paid you for.”

There has to be something left behind, something I can use, Azula thought desperately as she set about analyzing the remains of the area.

When she stepped into the nest there was an odd yet familiar feeling in her stomach, almost like a sense of deja vu. She kicked at a rock in frustration, but when the rock turned over her golden eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise. It hadn’t been a rock she kicked, it was a skull. She crouched to analyze it, it wasn’t a skull that belonged to an animal, it looked human. But it was wrong. Two horns protruded from the crown. Frowning, Azula dug into the dirt, trying to see if she could uncover more bones.

She didn’t have to dig long. Merely sweeping aside some dirt she uncovered more bones. While her studies were more on history, politics, economy and military tactics, she was glad she had the hindsight to do a little studying in anatomy. Her knowledge wasn’t at the same level as Ty Lee, but she studied enough so she’d be able to care for herself should she be injured in battle during the war. But with the little she did know about bones, she was able to recognize that every bone she uncovered was human.

Did dragons eat humans? The journal mentioned a little of what dragons ate, but it didn’t mention people. But beyond several more skulls with horns, she uncovered what looked to be a torso section, where the back would be there were odd appendages, almost like…wings?

Azula had been so preoccupied with examining the bones she hadn’t noticed the group of men with her had gathered and spoke too softly for her to hear. This wasn’t good.

“We’ve been talkin’,” the leader of the group declared, he motioned to the barren area they stood in. “This place doesn’ look to offer anythin’ worth takin’ for ourselves. So we’ll be takin’ the rest of the money you owe us, little one.” He grinned widely, showing off crooked and stained teeth. “Maybe we’ll help ourselves to a lil’ somethin’ extra.”

Azula merely rolled her eyes. She was outnumbered, but only two of them were benders. She highly doubted any of them would be at Ty Lee and Mai’s level–

–Her train of thought was cut off when one of them threw something at her, her exhausted mind was too slow to notice the movement in time and she felt something sharp slide into her shoulder.

“As the leader I call dibs on breakin’ her in first,” the leader announced. He widened his stance and twirled his arms in a circular motion.

Of course he would be the waterbender, Azula thought. It was always waterbenders that were a thorn in her side. Well, none of them knew who she was dealing with. She cut off their approach with a wall of blue flames and quickly prepared to send lightning onto every single one of them.

The sky darkened even more and then there was something slithering around them. The feeling in Azula’s gut intensified, she kept her lightning in the tips of her two protruding fingers. Whatever moved first, whatever was circling them or the men, would get a face full of her power.

“Well, isn’t this a surprise.” A foreign voice echoed.

Azula’s veins chilled. The voice was similar to the insect spirit she encountered in that temple, it spoke with multiple voices which often made it difficult to understand what it was saying. The spirits movement was fast despite its large size, Azula waited for it to approach her but it seemed to ignore her. Instead, it homed in on the leader and seemed to vanish upon contact with his body.

The leader cried out in shock and pain and curled up on the floor. When his men checked on him, the leader immediately stood. Azula gasped when she saw the horns protruding from the man’s forehead. His disfigurement scared his men and they did not hesitate to attack him. As quickly as the leader attacked them, his body fell and Azula could see the spirit move out of his body and onto someone else. It kept repeating, the spirit entered a body, horns grew from the person's forehead and claws sprouted from their fingertips, it attacked everyone, but less than a minute later the person dropped, and the cycle continued.

The fallen princess turned away from the chaos and fell into a sprint. She could fight this serpent like spirit like she did with the insect spirit, but this one was different with how it seemed to be able to possess everyone. When their bodies dropped she was unsure if they were merely unconscious or dead, but she wasn’t going to wait around to find out. She was at the edge of the mountain when a sudden face appeared in front of her.

The head as a whole looked like a dragon. A long slender neck connected to a round head, horns atop the head, a long snout, but strangely its cheeks and eyes had human-like features. Its eyes glowed blue and its pupils slitted. Despite its snout, it opened its mouth to show off dozens of large sharp teeth, all of them longer than Azula’s fingers. It strangely looked like it was smiling at her.

“My, oh my,” the spirit leaned forward. Azula took a step back and quickly bended lightning in her fingertips, she didn’t have time to make the full motion to bend something powerful, all she mustered was a tiny spark. The spirit pulled back, its mouth opening more and a rumble came out of its throat. “You’re different from the others. A strong body, great power, and a mind so different from others, yet it is fractured. How curious.”

“What do you want?” Azula said through gritted teeth. With how close the spirit was, and with how fast it moved, there was a good chance she wouldn’t be able to evade it to escape. Her best bet would be to fight it.

The dragon spirit moved, its long slender body wrapping itself around Azula without touching her. Its body had a blue hue, but it was nearly transparent, though its heart glowed red in its chest.

“You are the one that came into my territory, little one,” its voice mocked with that annoying nickname. “Let me guess, you were hoping to find a dragon to slay? Or an egg to steal? You humans are so predictable.”

Azula didn’t know why this spirit wasted its time speaking to her when it was so quick to take out the others, but she had no intention in being its plaything. Without a running start, and not wanting to touch the spirit, Azula meant to create a jet propulsion in her feet to give her the boost she needed to leap over the spirit, but her eyes widened frantically when her firebending failed to erupt.

The spirit chuckled again. Azula tried to bend fire from her fingertips, but nothing happened, not even smoke formed. Desperate, she tried lightning, but the result was the same with her fire, she was bendless.

“What did you do to me?!” Azula yelled in panic. The spirit hadn’t touched her, why was she unable to firebend?

The dragon spirit tightened its coiled body, inching closer to the fallen princess. “You have the scent of the spirit world on you, yet you don’t know where you are?”

Frowning, Azula scanned her surroundings. She was still atop the mountain, most of the snow had been pushed aside by the waterbender. Wait, the waterbender! The bodies weren’t on the floor.

“While your body remains in your world, you cannot bend in the Spirit World,” the dragon explained.

That’s impossible, Azula thought. When she fought the insect spirit she was in the Spirit World and she had been able to firebend. Didn’t she? Or was that entire fight another trick?

“You never answered my question, spirit.” Azula said. If she couldn’t bend, and if she was stuck in the Spirit World, maybe she could stall the spirit. Surely it couldn’t keep her in its world indefinitely.

“Oh, right. What I want,” the spirit grinned. “An answer for an answer. Tell me, little one, why did you come to my nest?”

“Your nest?” Azula asked. So was this spirit truly of the dragon that once nested on the mountain? She didn’t trust it. “Yes, I came here to look for a dragon. I heard there’s power in killing one.”

“I sense a lot of power in you. Yet you want more? Humans are quite greedy.”

Feeling annoyed with the insulting nickname, Azula gritted her teeth. “I answered your question. So tell me what it is you want,” she demanded.

“You saw my nest, the remains of the humans that sought the same as you. What I want is revenge. But alas, I am unable to leave this place. If I possess a human in your world, well, you saw the results. Those humans were unable to contain me for too long.”

“Possess?” Azula asked, horrified. “So that’s why all those people grew horns and wings.”

The dragon chuckled. “Yes, the benefits of fusing with a spirit. However, the human must be completely willing to take a spirit within themself to gain the full power the spirit can provide. And, the possession must be in the Spirit World. Otherwise, the human body will simply expire in a short amount of time, as you’ve already witnessed.”

“Is that why you brought me into the Spirit World then? So you can possess me?” Out of habit, Azula fell into a fighting stance despite not being able to firebend.

“You forget, little one, that you must be fully willing to accept me into your body.”

“No! I refuse!” Azula snarled. But how would she get out? There was no stopping the spirit from invading her body anyway, it would result in her death. She didn’t come all this way to die to a spirit. “What would be in it for me, to let you possess me?”

Another grin, more finger length teeth exposed. “You will gain my power. That is why you came here, was it not?”

“And your revenge? What will you do?”

The dragon straightened its upper body to appear taller than it already was compared to Azula. The numerous voices it spoke with deepened. “I will set the world on fire.”

The hatred and power in its voice brought chills down her back. Just how much power could it grant her? “Exclude the Fire Nation,” Azula pressed. “I don’t care for the other nations, but I will not bring harm to my country and people. I cannot rule if my nation has been reduced to ruins and ashes.”

The dragon inched closer to her, its wicked grin still on its unsettling face. The slitted pupils in its blue eyes thinned as they stared at her. “Then do we have a deal, little one?”

Azula was torn. She didn’t trust to allow anything to share her body, but she saw no way of getting out of the Spirit World, not without her bending to defend herself from this spirit. But if she refused there was no stopping the spirit from invading her anyway which would result in her death.

She blinked. As silent as this area was, she immediately noticed a subtle sound of the wind. No, it wasn’t the wind. She focused on the sound again. Was that a voice?

“Azula!”

Eyes widening, the fallen princess looked around for the source, but she could still only see the dragon spirit with her. The voice called her again and finally she recognized it.

“Zuko?” She muttered to herself. Why was he here? It was impossible for him to follow her. Or was it? She cursed when she recalled that maybe Chan did know who she was. If her brother had followed her, did that mean that the Avatar was here too? Fear stabbed at her chest. She already had a taste of being without her bending in the Spirit World and loathed it. She wouldn’t be bendless permanently.

“Fine. We have a deal.”

The last thing Azula saw was those sharp teeth before her world erupted into agony.

Chapter Text

[Yesso Island]

When Yesso Island crept closer and closer to the ship everyone found themselves outside, as if closing the distance between them and Azula put everyone on high alert, Aang was already saddling Appa. Knowing they had to travel to the tallest of the two mountains they meant to port to a part of the island that would get them as close to the mountain as possible. That was when they noticed another ship.

“Over there!” Katara cried out, pointing over the horizon. “A ship.”

Zuko looked at the area his waterbending friend pointed at. It wasn't of Fire Nation make, it looked no different than an ordinary transport ship. Knowing Azula, they couldn't underestimate the seemingly weaponless ship.

“Then she is here,” Zuko confirmed. He sought out Suki, but thankfully she was nearby, along with the rest of her Warriors and a worried looking Ty Lee. “Suki, I'll go with Aang and the others on Appa to the mountain. I want you and your team to remain on the ship. Keep your distance, in case Azula's ship tries to leave. Don't let them escape.”

Suki nodded. “You sure you'll be okay without us?”

“With Aang, Katara, Toph and Sokka, I have no better protection. But if Azula already got what she came for and is on that ship, I trust your team to apprehend them. Please,” he turned his gaze to Ty Lee. “Please, be safe. Even if it means letting Azula go.”

Ty Lee’s face fell for a moment, she understood Zuko's implication. And then her expression hardened and she nodded to the Fire Lord.

Zuko quickly joined the others on their sky bison. With Appa well rested and fed, he closed the distance quickly. When they were close enough to see a cluster of dark clouds at the mountain top, Aang gasped.

“That's not good,” Aang announced. “It's not a normal storm.”

It wasn't long until the clouds began to swirl. The group were thankful the clouds did not evoke lightning or thunder. When they were close enough to land, Aang gripped at his chest and all of his tattoos glowed for a moment.

“Sweetie?” Katara asked, slowly inching towards the Avatar.

“It's a spirit,” he explained. “I can feel it. It's a very strong one. And angry. Be prepared for anything.” He turned to give Zuko a quick serious look. “We need to hurry.”

Appa was afraid to approach the storm at first, but with a pat and word of comfort from Aang he continued forward and began to descend to let them off.

“Stay in the air, buddy,” Aang told the sky bison. “But try to keep us in your sight in case we need a quick escape, okay?”

With a grunt of acknowledgement, Appa lifted into the air and left.

Even though the size of the mountain was fairly large, the peak was narrow, but had a path that cut through bent and curved, leaving them unable to see anything at first. Most of the terrain was untouched with a thick blanket of snow coating it. The path was surprisingly bare of any snow and looked as if it had been set aside which left the earth soft, but there were numerous footprint indentations.

“Do you sense anything, Toph?” Sokka asked, his eyes narrowed and looking in every direction, his boomerang held in one hand.

The small girl responded by stomping a foot on the ground. Everyone stood still to let her tune into her seismic sense. Her eyebrows pinched into a frown. “There's people here, but they're all–wait! There's someone up ahead.”

“Just one person?” Katara asked, both her hands hovering near the waterskin held at her waist.

“It's Azula,” Zuko announced. “It has to be.”

“There's something wrong with this place,” Aang warned. His face was hardened and angry looking, Zuko remembered that the emotions of nearby spirits affected him. “I don't think the spirit here is just any spirit. It's a dark one. Be careful, everyone. And stay behind me.”

Zuko frowned, but obeyed his friend. He knew next to nothing when it came to spirits, and the last one they fought, a giant spirit fox, literally ate his firebending. He followed the Avatar's lead.

They followed the footprints and soon came onto a flat clearing littered with a half dozen unmoving bodies.

Katara broke the silence first with a gasp and she covered her mouth with both hands. “Are they…”

“They're all dead,” Toph confirmed. “None of their hearts are beating.”

Zuko and Sokka approached the nearest body. Sokka poked it with his boomerang.

“Did Azula do this?” The Fire Lord asked.

“I don't see burn marks,” Sokka replied. “But look at them! Are those horns and…claws?!”

Aang frowned when he glanced at the corpse. “It's the dark spirit.”

“A dark spirit can turn a person into that?!” Said Sokka, his voice tilting to a higher pitch. He leapt away from the corpse as if being in its close proximity would cause him to grow horns and claws too.

“Come on,” Zuko urged. “Azula should be up ahead.”

As Toph stated earlier, there was one person at the end of the clearing. Someone was sitting on the ground, unmoving. Their back faced them and their head bowed forward. The person's frame was small and thin.

Zuko felt like his heart crawled up into his throat and his breathing stopped. “Azula!”

“Zuko, don't!”

Zuko felt his body move on its own, possessed to get to his sister, to make sure she was okay. He ignored Aang's warning and sprinted. He knew nothing of what dark spirits could do, but he knew as smart and skillful as Azula was, not even she stood a chance against a spirit. Especially against dark spirits that could turn people into monsters.

His feet slid against the ground as he came to an abrupt halt and knelt in front of his little sister. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. Her head bobbed against her chest. Zuko felt like his heart would pound out of his chest when he saw her eyes were closed.

“Azula!”

Someone stepped next to him. In the corner of his eye he could make out the brown color of Aang's pants. Zuko didn't take his eyes off Azula, but he spoke to Aang, his voice panicked.

“She won't open her eyes!”

Aang was quiet for a moment. His silence enraged Zuko. He was the Avatar! Spirits were his expertise. He nearly yelled at him to do something, but Aang finally spoke.

“I think,” Aang dropped to one knee and pushed aside Azula's hair–it had been loose and strands of it moved onto her face when Zuko shook her– and lifted one of her eyelids, her eye was completely white. “I think the dark spirit pulled her into the Spirit World.”

“But she's right here!” He shook her once more to no avail, her eyelids didn't even flutter.

“I can go into the Spirit World and help her,” Aang assured him.

“Please,” Zuko nearly whispered. It didn't escape his notice how despite the estranged relationship he had with his sister, despite how often they've fought each other knowing only one of them would live, the thought of her dying in his arms still terrified him. It threatened to break him.

Aang stepped a few paces away and then he called out to the others. “I'll be vulnerable while I'm in the Spirit World. Keep an eye on Azula should she…change.” With that, he sat on the ground with his legs crossed and then placed his hands on his knees, his palms facing the sky. Once he closed his eyes all of his tattoos began to glow.

Toph stomped onto the ground, a triangular structure made of rock erupted from the ground and encased Aang protectively. Katara made a sweeping, pulling movement with her arms and some nearby snow wrapped around Toph’s rock formation, then the snow thickened and hardened as it turned into ice.

Guilt flooded Zuko as he watched his friends use their bending to protect Aang. Fire was meant to consume and destroy, he couldn’t use his own bending to contribute. Not without melting Katara’s ice or burning Aang, or filling his lungs with smoke. For now, he pulled Azula down so she could lie on the ground. He felt so useless, the most he could do was make her comfortable. He kept his attention on her, waiting and looking for anything to change. A flutter of her eyelids or a twitch of her nose or lips, anything that showed him she was still alive. But she remained deathly still, he could barely see the small rise and fall of her chest as she breathed.

There was no warning. Azula’s eyes snapped open for a second before they squeezed shut again. Her mouth opened to let out a pained cry. Zuko jolted from the sudden change, but when he reached for her she rolled away from him and curled up, her hands clutched her face.

“Azula! What’s wrong?”

As quickly as she had awoken and began screaming, she suddenly fell silent. Panic struck the Fire Lord, he couldn’t tell if she was even breathing. He reached a shaky hand to her shoulder. The moment he touched her, she sat up and brought her face within inches of his own. Zuko gasped and on instinct he pulled away. Ice filled his veins as he stared at her eyes.

The gold color of her eyes were completely gone, replaced with a bright blue that seemed to glow. Her black pupils were no longer circular shaped. Instead they were both vertically elongated slits. A crimson trail rolled down the bridge of Azula’s nose. Zuko followed the trail upwards and immediately found the source of the blood, two large horns protruded out of Azula’s forehead, the horns so long they curled over the top of her head.

Zuko was stunned. He couldn’t move, couldn’t think. Even words failed him. Then there was a blur of movement, but he was too flabbergasted to make a single muscle twitch. A stream of white engulfed his vision and then all he could see was Azula’s hand in his face. She curled a finger and then there was a slicing pain in Zuko’s unburnt cheek. The pain grounded him and he scrambled away, the small distance he gained allowed him to see what had happened. Azula’s arm was outstretched, her fingernails replaced with thick black claws, but ice had trapped her hand in its place. With a grunt of anger, blue flames surrounded Azula’s hand and the ice immediately melted.

“Zuko! Get away from her!”

Katara’s voice finally knocked him out of his stupor and he climbed to his feet, his hands balled into fists. “Azula?”

“Hello, Zuzu.” Her voice was wrong. It sounded like another voice spoke in perfect sync with her own.

A small column of rock burst out of the ground before her and struck her in the chest, sending her reeling several feet away. When she landed on her back she rolled with the momentum and she landed on her feet. Her glowing eyes snapped to the others.

Katara and Sokka stared at her with wide eyes. Toph stood with her feet apart, knees bent and her arms raised, ready to attack again.

“Why am I not surprised you brought your little friends,” Azula scoffed. “After all these years you're still too scared to face me alone.”

Before Zuko could give a response, Azula punched at his direction, a large burst of blue flames hurling towards him. He swept a leg at the fire to deflect it, but he immediately felt how hot the flames felt. Pain pulsed in his leg, but he ignored it. He had yet to place his foot on the ground when another burst of fire closed in on him, he lifted his same leg and swept it backwards to fend off the blue fire.

A tendril of water appeared and wrapped around Azula's body like rope, then immediately thickened as it turned into ice. A small blurring object flew in the air, its trajectory aimed for the back of Azula's head. With only her upper body encased in ice, she turned and deflected the object with a horn. The object bounced off and landed a foot away on the ground, it was Sokka's boomerang.

“Hey!” Sokka shouted. His throwing hand was still in the air, but a finger was pointing at Azula accusingly. “You can't just use those horns to block stuff. That's cheating!”

Not entertaining a response, the ice that was wrapped around Azula’s body quickly turned clear and then melted into water. She shook her hands to clear them from some remaining droplets that clung to her skin.

“Still using the same ice trick, peasant?” Azula mocked.

Zuko saw his opening and ran towards her, he leapt into the air and kicked out a foot engulfed in red and orange fire. Her head snapped to his direction and she pushed his foot aside. Zuko saw her free hand coming to follow up with an uppercut to his stomach. He blocked it, barely, but he was still awkwardly in the air. The force of her punch halted his momentum and began to push him backwards. He quickly kicked out with his other leg to push them both apart.

As he landed he saw a boulder hurling towards Azula’s back, it struck her and she let out a pained gasp. A wave of a combination of water and snow slammed into Azula's side and pushed her onto the mountain's rocky ledge. She grunted upon impact and fell face first onto the ground.

Azula climbed to her knees, but then immediately screamed, her back arched for a moment before she slouched down. Everyone could do nothing but watch–in Toph's case, listen– in confusion as Azula screamed and screamed her voice raw and hoarse. The back of her fur coat shifted, something bulged against the fabric and then an appendage ripped through with a spray of crimson. She continued to scream while a second appendage burst out of her back.

Zuko felt sick to his stomach as he watched the appendages flex and widen as they took on the shape of fleshy wings. Finally, Azula's screams stopped, the only sound that remained were her gasping breaths. As if she hadn't been in blinding agonizing pain a moment earlier, Azula straightened and she peered over her shoulder. She flexed her wings and gave them a testing flap. When she turned to face them, Zuko could see scale like indentations peppered above her thin eyebrows.

With a grunt of anger she waved an arm out and a massive wave of flames erupted around her, obscuring Zuko’s sight of her. His eyes caught movement too late, Azula burst through the flames, jets of fire around her feet to propel her forward and combined with strong flaps of her wings she moved at an inhuman speed towards Katara and Toph.

Katara pulled a cluster of snow in front of her and turned it into a shield of ice, but Azula's flaming fist punched through it like it was made of rice paper and connected her fist to Katara’s stomach, sending the waterbender rolling on the ground.

The Fire Lord sprinted into action and ran towards the women. He passed Aang's protective shell. “Aang! Where are you!”

Azula was already engaged with both Toph and an enraged Sokka who was wildly swinging his club. He blocked and deflected Azula's punches and kicks well enough, but he wasn't a firebender, he couldn't protect himself from the heat of her flames and eventually he pulled away from the fight when his club grew too hot to hold.

Toph held off better when she encased herself in an armor made of rock, but Azula struck at her too quickly for her to go on the offensive. Zuko closed their distance and joined the fray. He grew increasingly irritated as Azula fended off both his and Toph’s fists and kicks. She was faster than normal. Just like everything she did, she made it look easy as she began to use his and Toph’s attacks to accidentally strike each other.

Once the Water Tribe siblings recovered, they quickly joined. Despite Azula's speed and power, she was still one person against them all. She jumped and used her wings to keep her in the air, with a deep inhale she blew a huge wave of fire so bright her flames looked more violet than blue.

Zuko tried to deflect the fire, but there was too much, it wouldn't be enough to save everyone. Toph brought up a circle of rock to protect them but earth couldn't stave off the heat. Katara’s water from her skin evaporated.

And as quickly as the heat came, it vanished. Toph lowered her rocky shield. Any remaining flames were pushed aside and Zuko never felt so glad to feel the cooling caress of wind blowing against his face.

“Aang!” Katara cried out.

Azula followed her line of sight and then smiled. “There you are, Raava,” she muttered.

“Longmu,” Aang replied, his face hardened in a frown. “Please do not do this. These people, my friends, did not invade your home. They did not take your eggs. The people that did are long gone. It's been over a hundred years since you died protecting your children. And the woman you are controlling did nothing to wrong you either. Please let her go.”

Longmu? Zuko turned his gaze back to his sister. Why was he calling Azula by a different name? Everything he said made his head ache in confusion.

Azula's eyes glowed brighter and she flew at Aang. Zuko’s eyes couldn't keep up with the speed she moved, but Aang could. He jumped out of the path of the jet of flames Azula threw at him.

“All these humans are the same!” Azula’s voice was absent, only the numerous other voices could be heard. “They come to chase lies of more power. They take my children for greed!”

Between each sentence, Azula attacked with more bursts of fire. Aang stayed on the defensive with his airbending and sometimes switched to fire or earth if he needed a faster follow up. Zuko tensed, he wanted to join and help, but he knew he would only get in the way. And he knew Aang would avoid dealing a lethal blow to his sister. He just hoped he could do something to free her of the dark spirit.

“I will not rest until I've burned everything down! These humans will learn what it means to have their home destroyed and their children taken from them!”

“Please, Longmu!” Aang deflected a blow and sent a large gust of wind that faltered Azula from the sky. “We have finally come to peace after a hundred year war. Many people have experienced what you have! I've had my entire people, my culture wiped from existence! The very person you've possessed killed me once, but I don’t hold a grudge against her. It wasn’t personal, we were only enemies in the war. You don't have to forgive the people that killed you and took your children, but you can let your hatred go.
You can return to the Spirit World and live peacefully.”

The angry snarl on Azula’s face calmed and then her lips stretched to a smile. “If this girl killed you once before then she can do it again.” She reached a hand out and a jet of flames erupted, raining fire down. Aang jumped and dodged to avoid the flames.

“She’s afraid of you, you know.” Azula continued. “Afraid that you’ll steal away the years of blood, sweat, tears and isolation it took to chase perfection all to appease a father that only sought a sharpened weapon to use to elevate himself only.”

Zuko’s breath caught.

“With me, I’ll help the little Fire Lord end her only threat. Then she can watch as she burns down her precious kingdom!” She inhaled deeply and then blew out another great wave of fire at the Avatar.

Zuko tightened his fists as he watched Aang move his arms in a circular motion to bend the air to break through the flames that licked down on him. His chest tightened in horror when he noticed the familiar arm motions Azula did, blue lightning channeled around her limbs and snaked towards her hands. For a moment he was back at the Royal Palace, facing Azula in their Agni Kai. He inhaled deeply and cleared his mind, ready to deflect her lightning back to her, only to watch in horror when she aimed at a helpless Katara. He was too far away to do what he did then, to give into his instinct and leap into the lightning path. Aang was too occupied with bending Azula’s fire breath away.

She pointed two deadly fingers at him, but then swiped her hand away from him just as the lightning broke free, the large current traveled off target and hit the ground several feet away from where Aang stood. The blast left the ground with a large circular blackened and scorched scar.

Aang appeared as shocked as Zuko felt. It wasn’t until Azula flattened her wings against her back and she dove for the Avatar when Zuko realized he had been holding his breath. Aang’s wide eyes narrowed, both his eyes and tattoos glowed as he dipped into the Avatar State. When Azula closed the distance and was inches away, she looked as if she was being tethered by invisible hands. Yet she still struggled to pull free.

“Do it!” Azula’s voice–and only her voice–pleaded hoarsely. “Kill me.”

The glow of Aang’s eyes and tattoos dimmed to their normal colors. With his face grim, he stepped forward and slammed his palm on Azula’s forehead. Then he delved into the Avatar State again.

It was only seconds later, but to Zuko it felt like an eternity. Azula gasped. The wings, horns, claws and scales faded. Her glowing blue eyes drifted shut and she collapsed.

Chapter Text

[Yesso Island]

When Azula's eyes shut and her body began to fall, Zuko didn't hesitate to run to her side. Did Aang kill her? He felt a small flicker of relief when he saw the dragon's physical traits fade, but to watch her collapse he feared the worse. Ever since he received word of her reappearance he always held a bad feeling.

“What happened?!” Zuko shouted. He dropped to his knees painfully, but the ache in his chest felt worse. He nearly didn't want to see if Azula was dead, so great was his fear. But he forced himself to gingerly lift her.

Azula's face was caked with dirt, sweat and blood. She was completely unrecognizable. He brought shaky fingers to her throat, his heart roared in his ears when he failed to feel the thump of her heartbeat.

“Is she?” He couldn't bring himself to finish his question.

Aang dropped to a knee so he was at eye level with him. Regret was plastered all over his face. But then he shook his head. Zuko felt like he could breathe again.

“No, I didn't kill her.”

As Aang spoke, Zuko caught the sound of approaching footsteps on gravel. Katara threw herself at Aang and hugged him tightly.

“Did you take her bending?” Katara asked as she pulled away from the embrace. When Zuko glanced at her he could see that her eyes were pinched in a worried frown. Even though she bore no liking to Azula, not even she could stand to watch a brother hold a near dead sister in his arms. Her eyes shined with empathetic tears as she took in Zuko's anguish.

“I thought about it, and nearly did. But what Longmu said about Azula's fear of having her bending taken away, I couldn't bring myself to do it.” Aang explained softly. “And it wouldn't have done anything to free Azula from the spirit either. Plus, Azula regained control of herself twice. She could have killed me with her lightning again, but she didn't. I couldn't take her bending.”

“So then what did you do?” Sokka asked. He placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze for a moment before he pulled away.

“I couldn't calm Longmu, the name of the spirit. So I had no choice but to absorb her.”

“What!” Both Water Tribe siblings exclaimed in unison.

“Is that dangerous?” Katara asked. “Will you turn out like Azula?”

Aang shook his head. “No, when I absorbed Longmu, in a way I pacified her. I'm fine.” He stood and looked down at the royal siblings. “But spirit possession takes a toll on a person. We need to get Azula back to the ship.” He turned to Katara, his eyes attracted to the gaping hole in her coat. “Katara! You're hurt!”

She smiled softly and shook her head. She moved a hand to cover the hole of her coat that exposed her abdomen. “I healed myself. I'm fine, sweetie.”

While they spoke, Zuko tried to clean his sister's face of the grime, but blood was still seeping from the two wounds on her forehead where the horns had sprouted.

“Here, let me,” Katara was suddenly on her knees next to Zuko and rested a hand on his, the one wiping at Azula's face. “Wait, my water is gone!” They all–minus Toph–surveyed the area for any remaining snow, but it had all melted from Azula's fire breath.

“Here!” Sokka replied from a distance. He was a few feet away from the group, a new bag and a sheathed sword in his hands. He had found a waterskin from the bag and tossed it to his sister. He then turned his attention to the sword’s scabbard and gasped audibly. “THIS IS MINE!”

Toph headed towards him since she could do nothing while Katara worked on healing Azula. “What is?”

“My space sword! How did Azula get it?”

Zuko ignored his friend, at the moment he was far more concerned with making sure Azula survived so she could explain why she had something that belonged to Sokka. He watched in awe as Katara uncorked the waterskin and bent the water out of it. The water floated out and wrapped around her hands, and then she placed them over Azula's face. There was a soft glow to the water when it touched Azula's skin. It was fascinating to watch the two gaping holes knit together.

Water truly is the opposite of fire. Fire destroys, but water brings life, Zuko thought to himself.

“Can you sit her up? I imagine her back is in the same state.”

Zuko needn't be told twice. He shuddered when he recalled the gruesome manner of how the wings grew out of his sister's back. He lifted Azula into a sitting position and held her shoulders. He realized something different with the hand that supported her back a moment before. He lifted it to inspect it and was greeted with warm, sticky red blood.

With firebending, the flames left burns, it was nearly impossible to leave a person bleeding. Years ago, when Zuko was still hunting the Avatar to restore his honor and he had to break Aang out of a military base, he resorted to using his twin swords. He struck quickly and moved just as fast. Any blood he got on him splattered on his clothes and mask, he wasn't coated in it. To see his own sister's blood coating his hand made him feel slightly queasy.

A low groan from Azula brought him back to the present. He called her name, but she was silent and unmoving again.

“That's about as much as I can do for now.” Katara announced. Then Zuko felt something tingle on his cheek. He looked up and watched Katara pull her hand back. “I healed the scratch on your cheek.”

He thanked her with a soft voice, he owed so much to his friends. If not for them, either more soldiers of his would have died–none would've survived if he sent them in his stead– or if he had pursued Azula on his own then he would've been the one to die. He gathered Azula in his arms as gently as he could and stood on slightly wobbly legs. The adrenaline from the fight was gone from his system and he was left feeling so tired.

“Let's head back then.”

Zuko hadn't noticed until then that the sky was clear, the sun still ascending from beyond the ocean, coloring the sky with yellow, orange and light blue. A faint spec of white was flying above them then began to creep closer.

Appa.

The sky bison recognized their need to leave and landed to allow everyone to climb onto his saddle.

“Hold on tight,” Toph said suddenly. The only warning she gave him until the ground below the Fire Lord extended to get him within stepping distance of Appa's saddle.

“What was he supposed to hold onto?” Sokka asked as he climbed onto the saddle.

Toph shrugged before she followed after him. “The dragon princess for one, couldn't have him frighten and drop her and undo all of Katara’s work.”

“Dragon princess?” Katara asked.

“She grew wings and horns. Do I really need to explain?” Toph sighed. She gripped onto the saddle tightly and waited for them to ascend into the air.

Zuko felt a small smile tug on the corner of his lips. The nickname reminded him of the role Azula laid claim to when they reenacted one of the Fire Nations popular plays: Dragon Emperor.

As they headed back to the ship, Zuko watched Sokka analyze his recovered sword. Strange that Azula would take it for herself, she never had any interest in weapons. It didn't stop her from training in how to use them however.

“At least your sister took good care of it,” Sokka told him, his fingers slowly caressed the flat part of the blade, a wide grin on his tanned face. “Oh, how I missed you, space sword!”

Katara glanced at him and frowned. “If she had it, do you really think it's a good idea to just take it back?”

“But it's my sword!” Sokka argued.

Toph chuckled at the exchange. “My money is on Dragon Princess taking it back and leaving Sokka to cry.”

Looking highly offended, with his eyebrows so high they touched his hairline, Sokka sheathed the blade and hugged it tight to his chest. “She'll have to pry it from my own hands.”

Katara sighed and shook her head, but she said nothing more. They fell into comfortable silence until they touched down on the ship. Zuko sighed in relief when he saw the ship was still in its same position as when they left.

“Wh-what happened?” Suki had been the first one to see and greet them, her eyes held on Azula's prone form still in Zuko's arms. A crowd was quick to attract towards them, Ty Lee’s eyes widened and a hand lifted up towards her mouth.

The Fire Lord sighed, he and Aang needed a long talk about what happened in the Spirit World and what exactly he did to Azula. And he also needed to update Suki and her Kyoshi Warriors on what transpired.

“We'll meet and discuss everything,” Zuko replied, authority stern in his voice. His eyes drifted to Katara and Aang. “Is there anything more we can do for Azula?”

“I need more water,” Katara answered and began walking towards the entrance to the interior of the ship. Zuko and Aang quickly followed her.

Zuko stopped misstep and turned back to Suki. “Can you get the ship sailing back to the Fire Nation capital? And then we can meet and get everyone caught up.”

Zuko was glad to have the hindsight to use one of the Fire Nations larger ships. Since his banishment he grew accustomed to smaller models, but with a larger crew than he normally sailed with, he opted to use a larger ship. Particularly one of his fathers personal ships. It held more private, larger rooms.

He didn't want to be too far from Azula–should she awaken– and Zuko didn't want whoever would be guarding her to be left out of the meeting, or simply be unable to contain her should she awaken and act hostile. So he chose to have a tub be deposited into one of the larger rooms on the top floor. It wouldn't be ideal, but it would be large enough for his friends and the Kyoshi Warriors to gather.

Katara filled the tub with their drinking water. She said the more pure the water the better. So using water from the ocean was not an option. The tub only needed to be filled enough for Azula's body to be submerged, her head was placed against the rim to prevent her from falling under and drowning. Azula’s shoes were removed along with her coat and outer shirt, but to give her some modesty she was left in her inner shirt and pants.

While everyone came into the room, Zuko watched Katara work silently. The wounds on Azula's forehead slowly healed, the skin appearing like she received the wounds days ago rather than an hour.

“Her energy flow is weak,” Katara announced.

“That’s because she was in the Spirit World, her soul was separated from her body for a time,” Aang explained. Zuko frowned at the little bit of information.

When it finally looked like everyone was in the room, Zuko and Aang glanced at each other to determine who would speak first. Aang motioned for the Fire Lord to begin. Zuko recapped what had awaited them at the dragon’s nest, Azula’s transformation while Aang was in the Spirit World, their battle, and then finally the conclusion with Aang doing something to Azula that made the dragon traits fade in a blue mist and she had been unconscious ever since.

Aang cleared his throat to begin explaining what he knew of what had happened. “When I got to the Spirit World it was too late. Azula agreed to a deal from this dark spirit named Longmu. Well, actually the name of the dragon that was killed at the nest, her name was Longmu. But when a dragon is killed, their death site creates this imbalance between our world and the Spirit World. When Longmu was slain, think of the nest as a location where the barrier between our worlds got really thin. Some spirits managed to get into our world.

What I’ve learned about spirits is that they can be influenced by their environment or the people around them. And Longmu died defending her home and her eggs–her children–from a group of hunters. While she died she was forced to watch the hunters leave with her eggs. All that pain and anger influenced one of the spirits and it took on the persona of Longmu. The spirit wanted nothing more than revenge, but it was unable to leave the nest.

The thing about spirits is that when it possesses a person’s body, the person has to be fully willing to accept that spirit. If the person doesn’t, the spirit feeds off of their energy until they die.”

Zuko’s eyebrows lifted and touched his hairline. “So that’s why Azula’s energy is so weak?”

“I’m getting there,” Aang replied. “However, if a person is fully welcoming of a spirit into their body, the spirit can share their strength with that person, and the spirit feeds off of their energy a lot slower. When I got to the Spirit World, Azula and Longmu made a deal and then they returned to our world. I noticed there were other spirits in the area and I asked them about what had happened, what was the deal they made. It took me a while to find a spirit willing to tell me what I needed to know in exchange for a game to play.”

“Seriously?” Soka interjected. “A spirit’s price for information was a game?” Suki smacked his arm before she lifted a finger to her lips to shush him.

Aang shrugged. “Longmu was stuck at the nest, and needed to possess a person to escape. She recognized Azula's power and desire for more of it. So Longmu offered her strength in exchange to burn everything in our world.”

Zuko blinked. He really shouldn't be surprised, it had been Azula's suggestion to their father to burn Ba Sing Se to the ground. He glanced at her prone form. Disappointment surged in his veins.

“Azula stated she didn’t care for the other kingdoms, but the Fire Nation was off limits. That’s when they made their deal, and Azula made a mistake. You see, when you make a deal with a spirit you have to be very specific in any conditions, and you must make the spirit repeat those conditions.”

“Well, thank you for educating us all on how to make the best deals with dark spirits,” Toph muttered.

“So,” Ty Lee cut in. “She made a deal without the spirit agreeing to keep the Fire Nation out of its destructive plans?”

Aang nodded grimly. “During our fight, Longmu stated she would make Azula watch as she burned the Fire Nation to the ground. That was when Azula began to refuse Longmu. She had the opportunity to strike me with lightning again, but it was Azula that gained control of herself at the last moment and missed.”

“So you’re saying she missed on purpose?” Zuko asked. He felt stunned. Azula had the opportunity to kill Aang and she chose not to? Despite his earlier disappointment with her, now he felt a flicker of hope. Maybe he could convince her to work with him instead of against him.

“Yes, and again when she dove at me and then just suddenly stopped.”

“I thought that was you that stopped her,” Katara stated.

“Nope, that was all Azula. And…I think she knew she wasn’t going to survive long. She preferred to die by my hand rather than a spirit.”

Despite the questions that were asked moments ago, now that Aang concluded his story no one had anything to say.

Zuko inhaled deeply and rubbed his eyes. “So what now? You said you absorbed Longmu.”

“There isn’t a way to kill a spirit. But a spirit can absorb another spirit and in a way it’s like they both continue to live.”

“But, you’re not a spirit. So how did you manage to absorb Longmy?” Sokka asked, one eyebrow arched.

“Longmu,” Aang corrected. “And I’m the bridge between the Spirit World and our world. I had some help.” He pointed to the arrow on his forehead, implying his Avatar State.

“But you’ll be okay?” Asked Katara. “You won’t suddenly grow dragon horns and wings wanting to destroy the entire world?”

The Avatar shook his head. “No, when I absorbed Longmu I pacified the spirit.”

“Well, that’s good, I guess.” Toph announced. “So what happens now, Zuko?”

All eyes turned to the young Fire Lord. What was he going to do? Zuko set out to find Azula and hoped to get her to return to the Fire Nation, to become part of his family again. He sighed.

“For now, we head back to the capital. We’ll watch over Azula in shifts, I want at least one Kyoshi Warrior to oversee her should she need to be chi-blocked.”

“And then when we get back to the palace?” Suki asked.

“Then, well… I’ll figure it out when we cross that bridge.”

* * *

Azula felt like she was dying. The first few bouts of consciousness she was never awake long enough to open her eyes before she was pulled back into the cold arms of the abyss. When she was finally able to open her eyes she didn't recognize where she was. And she could never stay awake longer than a minute. Her body felt heavy, it took much more effort to turn her head than it did just to lift her eyelids. Her skin felt clammy and cold, but on the inside her body felt like it was on fire. She felt a lot worse than when she was drugged at the mental institute.

Sometimes she'd awaken to the sound of voices, but her sluggish mind couldn't form the words being said. She hated being so feeble, but her limbs refused to obey her commands.. Sleep always overpowered her.

Azula woke and simply felt cold. It took her a long moment to twitch a few fingers and toes to realize that she was below water. That made no sense, she was breathing. Wasn't she? She couldn't breathe underwater. Her eyes closed and she fell back under.

Azula's mind felt clearer when she woke again, but the cold was getting worse. She was shivering. They had to have put her in a fridge. And must've dumped water on her to make the cold even more unbearable. Little did they know she figured out a way to keep the cold from blocking her firebending. But right now she was too tired, her mind too foggy for her to be able to meditate and focus on her breathing.

She moved an arm and her limb quickly met a flat, hard surface and she recognized the resistance of water when she moved. Her eyes finally obeyed her and cracked open. It took an unknown time for her blurry eyesight to focus and confirm her suspicions.

She was in a tub filled with water. Freezing cold water. Her mind went from serene calm to a panicked frenzy within an eye blink. Her heart threatened to explode and all her still slightly sluggish mind could comprehend was that she needed to get out. It was torture to be forced to lay in icy water for hours–not that the caretakers cared– but the added electric shocks were the absolute worst. Every so called session left her feeling like a little piece of herself died each time.

Get out, get out, get out!

She thrashed, her arms and legs bounced off the walls of the tub, but the water made it slippery when she tried grabbing at the rim to pull herself out. Hands shoved at her shoulders to hold her back down. She wouldn't let them do this to her again. She had enough of it. But she couldn't bend lightning while she was submerged in water without harming herself.

“She's not calming down! The water should've kept her calm.” A voice said.

Azula had to get out quickly. When they lost control of her that's when the electric shocks came.

“LET ME GO!” She roared, but she was embarrassed by how weak and hoarse her voice sounded.

The room lit up in a blue hue periodically when she bent fire in her fists and feet whenever they breached the water, but then her flames were immediately snuffed out when she was shoved back under. Then she felt the familiar jabs at different parts of body. Being chi blocked never hurt, but it immediately robbed her body of its strength and she slumped back into the icy water. When she fell back in, her face was submerged under the surface.

Would this be how she died? In a tub at the nuthouse? Would they even tell Zuko? Probably not. Her own death would mean death for her caretakers for allowing a royal family member to die on their watch. Not that Zuko would ever find out anyway, he never cared to visit her. Nor uncle.

Hands reached down and grabbed her shirt and pulled her out. It was hard to take a deep breath after inhaling water. She choked and coughed and then the strangest sensation of water feeling like it was being pulled out of her occurred. She watched as a stream of water erupted from her mouth and nostrils. When the water stopped coming out she coughed, hoping to get rid of the discomfort.

Either the near drown or the chi block grounded Azula. She felt like she could focus on her situation. She found herself sitting in a tub, the water still deathly freezing despite her trying to heat it during her panic, and two people were at her side. One looked familiar. Blue robes, tanned skin, blue eyes and a strange hairstyle.

The water peasant! The same one that chained her during her Agni Kai against Zuko.

The other person was a complete mystery with the white makeup covering her face, but Azula recognized her as another one of Kyoshi’s Warriors. Wait, she chi blocked her. So was that Ty Lee? No, the eyes weren't brown, they were green.

A weak groan escaped her lips. The world was starting to spin, her eyes threatened to close, and her stomach twisted with nausea.

“Get me out,” Azula commanded, her voice shook and her teeth chattered.

“What’s going on?”

Azula couldn't turn her head to see who entered, but she recognized her brother's voice. How long has it been since they last met? Yet all she could think about was how tired she felt. Her stomach churned even more and her mouth began to water. It was hard to gain control of her breathing, she panted hard.

“Get. Me. Out.” She repeated between gulps of air.

“She woke up and suddenly started to panic, even though the water should have kept her calm,” explained the Water Tribe peasant.

“Azula?” Zuko stepped in her field of vision. “Did you have to chi block her?”

“Yes,” the Kyoshi Warrior answered.

So then Ty Lee taught her own chi blocking techniques to foreigners? To their war enemies? She shouldn't be surprised, she was a traitor afterall. She nearly laughed bitterly if she wasn't feeling so nauseated.

“She was starting to firebend so I had no choice.”

“I understand, you don't have to defend your actions.”

Azula scoffed. Of course he'd allow them to do as they pleased with her.

“Can we get her out?” Zuko motioned to her. “She's shivering.”

“Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't realize. Yes, we can get her out now. Her energy has improved, it's still low, but not nearly as much as it was before.” The peasant explained.

The world spun faster when Zuko lifted her out of the tub and she nearly retched on his robes then and there. While it would've been a bit funny to see his reaction, it still would've been humiliating to disgrace herself in front of the peasants. Her nausea wasn't going away and being carried about was making it worse.

“Zuzu,” she whispered through clenched teeth. “Get me out of here.”

“Hmm? What, you mean like let you go? I'm sorry, Azula. I can't do that. If you let me–”

“--No, dumdum! Get me out,” she paused to swallow. “Of this room. I'm going to be sick.”

“Oh!” Zuko's eyes widened and he glanced around in a panic.

“What's wrong?” Katara asked.

“Nothing, nothing, I'll take care of Azula from here. Uh, one moment.” Zuko said awkwardly before he dashed out of the room.

Azula clenched her eyes shut and groaned. She heard a door click shut and her eyes opened. They were in a bathroom. At least Zuko had the mental capacity to remember she was chi blocked and couldn't move. He set her down in front of the toilet without a second to spare and kept her from falling over as she finally emptied the contents of her stomach.

She had no idea when she last ate or drank so all she brought up was bile, her throat burned and when she was done no matter how many times she spat she couldn't get the vile taste out of her mouth. She hadn't realized her hair was down until she felt Zuko hold it back. Her body stiffened, she nearly shouted at him for touching her hair. No one touched her hair. But just the act of vomiting exhausted her. Antagonizing him would take too much effort.

This was definitely one of her worst episodes. And it was embarrassing that it was witnessed by others. Once her dry heaves ceased, Azula slumped in Zuko's grip and closed her eyes.

“Azula?” Zuko's voice sounded panicked.

She suppressed a sigh. What did it look like she was doing? But even speaking took too much energy she didn't have. “‘M tired. G'way.”

“You're not sleeping here,” Zuko told her sternly. “For one, we should get you out of those soaked clothes. And then an actual bed to sleep on.”

Thankfully, she fell back to unconsciousness before he could lift her. So she was unable to endure more humiliation of having to be dressed. It was one thing to have her servants dress her, it was a privilege for them to tend to her. But it is another to have to be dressed like an invalid simply because she was chi blocked.

The next time she woke she was alone in a room. She tested if she regained control of her muscles and was pleased to feel that she did. She rolled her head about to survey the room. The interior was of Fire Nation design. The constant rocking of the room and the smell of salt told her she was on a ship. What happened? Last she remembered…

The dark spirit!

The fallen princess sat up quickly and immediately regretted it when her vision swam and the room began to spin. She fell back onto her pillow with a groan and draped a forearm over her eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Azula jolted. She didn't notice anyone else in the room. But she recognized that voice. She looked in the general vicinity of whomever spoke, in the little light the moon provided through the window, she could just make out the green Kyoshi Warrior armor. The bitterness of her former friend's betrayal was still raw and she felt anger pump through her veins.

She waved a hand at the other woman in a dismissive gesture. “Fine. Not that you care, traitor.” Azula winced at the sound of her voice. Rather than sounding stern and authoritative it was soft and hoarse. Weak.

“Azula…”

“Save it!” She held in a groan as she forced herself to sit up, slowly this time. Black spots appeared in her vision, but she blinked them away and took deep breaths. Her arms struggled to push her weight against the bed she was lying on. She felt as if she had been through one of father's all nighter drills. It was like a heavy weight pushed down on her entire body. She swung her legs over to the edge of the bed and prepared herself to stand up. She needed fresh air, it would've been better if she could feel the sun on her skin, but she'd have to wait hours for that. And she was thirsty.

“Where are you going?”

Azula exhaled heavily. “Are your prisoners not allowed to stretch their legs?”

Footsteps alerted her of another’s incoming presence. A shadow moved at the door–Azula hadn’t realized it was open–and then she heard Zuko’s voice again.

“You’re not a prisoner, Azula.” His broad shouldered silhouette stepped in and then the room brightened when he lit a lamp. He set down a tray that held a bowl, two cups and a teapot.

The former princess laughed as she tried to stand, but her exhaustion came back. Her legs quaked when she put the smallest bit of weight on them. She knew if she stood she'd collapse. And she showed enough weakness to her brother and his friends to last a lifetime. So she used the last of her strength to shuffle back where she laid, her back supported by the pillows.

“Then tell me, dear brother, why am I even here? Wh–” she bit her tongue to keep her from asking what happened. Her memories were a bit scattered, last she remembered was agreeing to the dark spirits deal. “–How long has it been?”

Zuko understood her insinuation. He grabbed the teapot and poured its steaming contents into the cups then held one of them out to her. Azula grimaced at the scent of the hot leaf water, but she was thirsty. And she still had the lingering foul taste of her sickness in the back of her throat. She took the offered cup, but forced herself to avoid sipping it immediately.

She had no idea why she felt so weak and tired. It was similar to how she would feel from whatever drugs they gave her at the nuthouse, but much worse. She didn't trust whatever Zuko offered her. But he poured the tea for himself as well so she waited until he drank some before she would take a sip.

He brought the cup to his lips and took a sip, the tip of his tongue poked out to catch a stray drop that escaped. Azula waited until she saw the bob of his throat as he swallowed. Nothing happened after a moment. She was too thirsty to wait for him to take another drink just to be sure. The tea was hot, but not scalding. And the warmth of the liquid soothed her throat. She drained the cup in three rapid swallows. Not being much for tea, she was unable to recognize what it was. Zuko refilled her cup.

“Including the day we found you, you've been mostly sleeping for four days.”

Azula's eyes widened and she nearly choked on the tea. But first, she chose to inquire about the first thing that she had been curious about since she woke up with some sense. “How did you find me?”

Zuko took another drink before he placed the cup back on the tray. “An Admiral sent me a message.”

Azula mentally cursed, she immediately knew who the culprit was. While Zuko continued to explain, she tuned him out. So Chan did know who she was.

“So you followed me to the dragon's nest. I would ask if the Avatar stole my bending, but I know he didn't.” To prove her point, she lifted a hand palm up and bent a blue flame. Exhaustion bore into her harder and the black spots returned to her vision. She didn't realize she was slumping sideways until Zuko caught her and straightened her back up.

“It's a long story.”

She scoffed and fought off the urge to close her eyes. “As you can see, Zuzu, I'm not going anywhere.”

Yet, she vowed. While they were at sea she was trapped until they got to their destination. As tempting as it was to take control of the ship, she wasn't delusional. She was outnumbered and she nearly passed out just from bending a small flame. What happened that rendered her so weak and useless?

And so Zuko began to explain everything that happened when he found her at the dragon's nest. Shortly into his explanation he remembered the bowl he brought and offered it to her.

A simple dish, noodles bathed in broth. The mere scent of it had her mouth watering. If she went four days without eating then the fierce grumble of her stomach made sense, she felt ravenous. She nearly devoured the meal, but she needed to know it was safe to eat. She brought the bowl to her lips and pretended to drink.

She smacked her lips. “Are you trying to poison me?”

Zuko's eyes widened comically and his eyebrow vanished in his hairline. “What? No! How could you suggest such a thing?”

“Then why does this broth taste odd? Like poison odd.”

The bowl was immediately snatched from her grip and Zuko took a large audible gulp.

“Zuko, no!”

Azula looked behind her brother to see Ty Lee rushing towards them. She had forgotten her former friend was still in the room.

“I don't taste anything different,” Zuko reassured. “It's the same noodles we ate for dinner. No one touched this but me.”

Azula grinned and took the bowl back. “Relax, Zuzu. It was just a joke.” Now that she knew it was safe she began to eat.

Zuko and Ty Lee glared at her.

“How is that a joke?!”

“Why are you so mean all the time?”

They both said in unison. Azula shrugged as she chewed some noodles. “It's one of my many talents. And it's a joke because I got a chuckle out of it. Honestly, you should've seen the look on both your faces.” She waved dismissively at Ty Lee again but was ignored until Zuko gave her a nod. Then she returned to her spot by the door.

Zuko rubbed his eyes and continued his story. Azula frowned as she digested the information. It helped fill in the gaps of her memory. She began to remember more and more, including when the spirit admitted to lying to her about not attacking the Fire Nation. Her grip on her chopsticks threatened to snap them in half. Another betrayal to add to her ever growing list.

“Azula?”

Knocked out of her thoughts, Azula shoved the empty bowl into Zuko's chest. She covered a yawn behind the back of a hand. Now that her thirst and hunger were sated, she just wanted to go back to sleep. But there were more pressing questions she needed answered.

“You and the Avatar could have left me to die once I began refusing the spirit. It was only a matter of letting it happen. You both would have kept your hands clean. So why did you let me live?”

Zuko looked at her as if she grew horns again. “Is it really so hard to believe that I don't want you to die? Sure our…relationship hasn't been normal. We've tried to kill each other more often than total strangers. But the war is over, Azula. And there's something you need to know.”

A sinking feeling in her gut nearly threatened to bring her noodles back up. Azula felt her heart beat faster. She grabbed handfuls of the bed cover and tightened her grip.

“That letter mom wrote,” he said hesitantly. “She suspected our father was reading them. She wanted to hurt him, just as he hurt her, even if it was just for a moment. So, she lied.”

Fury ignited within Azula. It had to be a lie. She was father's daughter, mother told her as much the moment she was recognized for being a firebending prodigy. She was the rightful Fire Lord!

“You're lying!” She accused him. She caught movement from Ty Lee and faced the threat. But Zuko lifted an arm protectively between her and the traitor.

“You tell me, Azula,” he muttered softly. His eyes were stern and bore into her own. “You'd know if I was lying, right? Look at me and tell me you believe I'm lying.”

Her vision began to swim and the scent of something burning reached her nostrils. In her anger she had begun to burn the bed cover in her grip. She couldn't pass out. With a deep breath, she studied Zuko's face intensely. He stared back at her with equal determination.

No, no, no! She screamed internally. The throne was hers! Father implied as much.

Didn't he?

Why else would he push her so hard to grow in his image? Why else did he expect nothing but perfection from her if he wasn't shaping her to be the next Fire Lord? He left her in charge of the Fire Nation when he declared himself the Phoenix King!

And then he lost the war. He became powerless, weak. Useless as he rotted away behind bars.

And Zuko claimed his birthright by defeating her in an Agni Kai for the throne. And won. With the help of a foreigner, a peasant, but he won all the same.

Azula felt herself sag back against the pillows. Zuko was telling the truth. They were of the same blood, from the same mother and father.

Everything she did to take back her throne was for naught.

A small flicker of fire erupted within her again. “So mother put a target on your back just to upset father? You're okay with that?!”

It all makes sense. No wonder why father was willing to kill Zuko when grandfather commanded it. And why he burned half his face before banishing him.

Zuko sighed. “He knew the truth even when he read mom's letter. He had her followed before they married. Father knew I was his son. But he still had no issues with treating me like garbage just to spite mom.”

Azula frowned. “And mother had no issues with seeing me as a monster just because father was proud of my talent!”

Zuko sighed again and slumped his head down. “Azula, I don’t want us to fight. I’m tired of us always being at each other’s throats! I grew up feeling envious of you because you had everything I wanted, everything came easy to you while I struggled. I wanted our father to be proud of me just as he was proud of you. And you wanted something similar, but with mom. When I was at my lowest, you were at your highest. You accomplished what grown men failed to do in the war, including uncle. And when you were at your lowest, I was at my highest. I sided with Aang, and we won the war. Everything you worked for amounted to nothing while I became Fire Lord.”

Azula bit her tongue. She wanted nothing more than to interrupt and argue and just be angry, but she forced herself to be silent. It was nothing more than mere curiosity of where Zuko was going with his speech.

“We don’t have to be opposites of each other, Azula. We’re firebenders, we rise with the sun together. We shouldn’t rise and fall at the cost of the other.”

Azula fought desperately against the pressure behind her eyes. She wouldn’t let the tears that threatened her fall free.

She swallowed the hard lump that formed in her throat. “So what happens now? Did you chase me down so you could throw me back in the nuthouse? Or will you take my bending and throw me in a cell next to father?” She shouldn’t have felt nervous with Zuko’s hesitance, but she did. His hesitance meant that he was considering either of those options.

“I wanted to give you an offer.”

A snort escaped the fallen princess.

“The last place we fought one another, you said it was the crypt of the first Fire Lord’s most trusted advisor,” Zuko began. Azula narrowed her eyes, she knew already where he was going with this. “Eventually I had an idea. Instead of us fighting each other, what if we worked together? It’s what you wanted, wasn’t it? Not to be the Fire Lord yourself, but through me in a way you are the Fire Lord.”

Azula arched a delicate eyebrow. If Zuko didn’t look and sound so serious she would’ve thought he was simply messing with her. She nearly laughed if her head wasn’t still reeling from the massive information dump.

But…it’s not a bad offer, she thought.

“What aren’t you telling me?” She countered. Such a generous offer wouldn’t be without conditions. And after dealing with a spirit that nearly killed her, she knew to approach offers very carefully.

Zuko rubbed the back of his head, a nervous tick he’s had since they were children. It nearly pained Azula to see him be so transparent with his nervousness, did he do this with the nobles and his advisors?

“The New Ozai Society is still at large and growing. If you return it’ll create conflict in court. You cannot give them any reason to believe you’re secretly working against me.”

“So I’ll still be a prisoner, but in our own home.” Azula clarified. She saw through Zuko’s wording. It wasn’t just his court that would distrust her.

“And…mom is living at the palace. Including Kiyi and mom’s husband. I understand their presence may be a discomfort for you, but I’d appreciate it if we could all live together peacefully.”

“Play nice with mother, her new husband and new daughter.” Azula rolled her eyes.

Zuko suddenly stood and grabbed the tray he came in with. “I understand if you need some time to think it over. I’ll leave you to rest.”

Azula had one final question, but she refrained from asking until Zuko was at the doorway. “And if I refuse your offer? What happens to me?”

His shoulders slumped and he turned to face her. “You’ll be free to leave. I don’t hold you responsible for the things you did during the war. You were only following father’s orders, just as I did for a time. But if you choose to leave and continue to try to overthrow me, I’ll have no choice but to track you down again. And then I’ll agree to have the Avatar take away your bending so you’ll no longer pose a threat to the peace Aang and I have been working to keep.”

The fallen princess smirked, she had been expecting that ultimatum. “If it comes to that, the Avatar can try to take my bending, but you’ll have to finish the job and kill me. Because I won’t be like father.”

The lone light from the lantern wasn’t enough to allow Azula to make out Zuko’s expression, but she didn’t have to see to know he wasn’t happy with that declaration. They said nothing more to each other. Eventually he bade her a good night and left. Thankfully Ty Lee said nothing either. Azula finally gave into her exhaustion and shut her eyes.

She would give Zuko her answer in the morning.

Chapter Text

Even though it had been a few years since Sokka held his space sword, he was pleased that the weight of it was still comfortable, light. Since he had lost his weapon he had tried keeping up with his swordsmanship with other swords like iron and steel, but none felt the same and he had nearly given up, especially now that the world was at peace.

With the sword he crafted specifically for himself, Sokka felt his body move on its own as it remembered how to handle the weapon, how to hold it and balance his weight each time he thrusted or slashed.

He woke up way too early, but he was so excited to get back to his morning training routine he even skipped a morning snack. The ship deck had been empty except for a sleeping Appa and a few of Zuko's royal guards. But none paid him any attention as he worked through his drills.

When the sun was fully visible, but still ascending, he decided to take a break. With Azula on the ship, and from what he heard about how she reacted when she woke up, he didn’t want to overdo his exercises where he'd be too sore and slow to help out should she try to attack or escape. He may not be a bender or know how to chi block, but he wanted to pull his own weight should the situation warrant it.

Now that's an idea, he thought as he cleaned his blade before sheathing it in its scabbard. Maybe he could ask Suki or Ty Lee if they would be willing to teach him how to chi block. It was a very useful skill, especially as it was just as hindering to a non-bender like himself as it was to a bender.

He studied the scabbard his sword was kept in and noticed the insignia of the Fire Nation. Of course Azula would mark his sword with that flame. But he was grateful she found a scabbard that fit the blade perfectly at least. He pulled out a pocket knife and carefully carved out the small symbol. When he was done, he brought a finger to his chin and tapped it in thought, just what did he do with the original scabbard?

“What are you up to so early?”

Sokka jolted and was embarrassed when a small yelp of surprise escaped him. He turned his gaze to his visitor and cleared his throat. Toph headed towards him, her arms lifted and folded behind her head. He must have been in deeper thought than he realized if Toph managed to approach him without him hearing or feeling her approach with how she usually stomped her feet as she walked.

He opened his mouth to answer her but a yawn quickly slipped out. “Sorry. I just wanted to get back into sword fighting shape.”

Toph hummed as she plopped down onto the deck next to him. “Dragon princess still hasn't noticed you stole your sword back yet?”

“I didn't steal it! It's not stealing if I'm simply taking back what's mine.”

Toph grinned. “Oh I can't wait to hear you say that to her face.”

Sokka couldn't help the shiver that snaked down his back and it was a little hard to swallow with the lump that suddenly formed. “Just to be on the safe side, maybe you should stick around me. Think of it as a way to show off your new metalbending!”

“Speaking of that. Give me your sword.”

Sokka clutched his beloved baby to his chest. “No! Why? What are you going to do?”

“I want to see if I can bend space metal of course.”

“Absolutely not!” Sokka leaned away from Toph's reach. “Do you know how long it took me to forge this? How many times I had to hammer and fold the metal? Hundreds! No, thousands!”

“As if you could even count that high,” Toph replied. “Give it here. I'll return it to its original shape.”

Sokka’s eyebrow twitched. “I know how to count! And what if you can't? The slightest change can completely ruin it and I'll have to forge it all over again!”

Toph sighed and leaned back against the bulwark. “Fine, fine.” She wiggled when she felt something press into her lower back. She reached and pulled out a bag and tossed it to Sokka. He hadn't anticipated for her to throw anything towards him so the bag flew over his legs and opened when it hit the deck, the contents scattered about.

“Really, Toph?” Sokka complained. He reached for the items to shovel them back into their original place. Then he noticed two books. Funny, he hadn't packed anything to read. “Oh, right. This is Azula's bag.”

He had meant to give it to Zuko, but forgot about it since he was so happy to reunite with his sword. Earlier in the morning he finally saw the bag and remembered to deliver it before he forgot again, but he didn't want to disturb Zuko so early in the morning. Poor guy hadn't gotten much sleep since they ventured out to track down his sister.

“Does she have anything interesting in there? By interesting I mean embarrassing. A stuffed animal? A journal?” Toph inquired.

Sokka didn't like the idea of going through anyone's personal items, but he could admit he was curious about what kind of things a person like Azula kept. With a shrug, he dug into the bag’s contents. Most of her stuff was just the basics one would need when traveling. He remembered he found her waterskin poking out of her bag and tossed it to Katara when she needed water to heal Azula. But as for the other things she kept there was nothing interesting beyond spare clothes, travel rations, and maps. Actually quite a few maps.

“Huh,” he muttered to himself as he opened a couple of the scrolls. He reasoned with himself that it didn’t hurt to check if she had any maps of a potential invasion of the Fire Nation Palace. Or any other important location.

“What is it?” Toph perked. “Found something good?”

“No, just…lots of different types of maps.” He let out a soft, impressed whistle as he looked at more and more of them. Star navigation maps, a world map that showed the terrain, she even had a map of the general ship traffic between villages and the larger cities. At least Azula appreciated the usefulness of maps, unlike his friends.

“Ugh, boring,” Toph complained. “Why does it not surprise me that the dragon princess is into boring things like maps.”

“Hey! What's that supposed to mean?” Sokka replied. He finally reached for one of the two books. It was small, no bigger than the size of his hand, and the cover and spine were blank. “Maps are important!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Toph replied nonchalantly. The small metalbender had no shame in shoving a pinky up her nose. “What's next?”

“A book,” Sokka muttered as he rifled through the pages. “Definitely looks to be a journal.”

“Finally! Something good. Lemme guess what one of the entries says,” she paused to clear her throat and then impersonated Azula’s tone of voice. “‘Dear diary, today I burned down an entire village because I could.’”

“You know, it's not as funny when it could be true.” Sokka said.

“Go on then! Pick a random one and read it.”

“Uh…okay. Here's a long one. The whole family greeted me on a beach, including great grandfather, grandfather, and uncle. Father called me his favorite. Zuko and uncle praised me as a hero for conquering Be Sing Se, killing the avatar and ending the Hundred Year War. Mother hugged me and said she was proud. Mai and Ty Lee were present as well, but they reminded me that mother would never be proud of a monster. All a false dream from the temple spirit.”

Toph flicked off whatever she managed to grab with her pinky. “She seems to have been busy tangling with spirits. Read something else.”

Sokka flipped a few pages and selected a random one. “Locked in a dark cooler. They soaked me in water to make the cold even more unbearable. Real memory. Couldn't firebend for a week.”

This couldn't be a journal, could it? Sokka frowned as he scanned through other pages and quickly read some of the contents silently. There were more descriptions of horrible experiences, some bordered on torture and others were flat out torture. This couldn’t be something Azula would write. She was never locked up anywhere other than a mental institution. Did they do some of these things to her?

“Forced into ice-cold water for hours. Voices promised the temperature would silence mother’s voice. Real memory,” Sokka read aloud.

“Are there any more that are labeled as fake?”

Sokka didn’t have to search long. Many of the pages were filled with either several entries marked as real and just as many marked as fake, though none of them were in any type of order.

“Father took me with him to burn Ba Sing Se to the ground. Together, we killed the Avatar. Never happened, father left me behind. He lost to the Avatar, lost his power and bending.”

“That’s something I’d expect for the dragon princess to write in a journal,” Toph remarked.

It was kind of depressing to read these entries, though Toph seemed to be enjoying them.

“Locked up in a room, legs chained to the floor and body wrapped in a straitjacket. Mother visited to tell me she loves me. Mother is a lie, no one ever visited.” Okay, these were simply depressing to read. It was weird to feel sympathy for someone like Azula. But not even his greatest enemy deserved…whatever these real or fake memories were. He glanced at Toph and could see that she may have felt the same way with how she was frowning.

He skipped to the end and read the entry aloud.

“The morning after, everyone was gone. Abandoned again. Real memory.” Sokka had enough and shut the book.

It felt wrong to read such personal thoughts. It seemed like the book was a log between memories and dreams. Or maybe hallucinations? Last he traveled with the princess–back when they helped her and Zuko find their mother–Azula was frequently plagued with hallucinations. Maybe this journal was a way for her to separate what was in her head and what was real?

“This is really personal, I don't think we should read any more.” Sokka said. He placed the book back into the bag.

“Well,” Toph replied. “I expected dark troubling things that the dragon princess did to others, not…whatever that was.”

Sokka finished putting away all the things that spilled out of Azula's bag. A scent was suddenly carried with the breeze. He tilted his head back slightly and inhaled deeply. “Smells like breakfast is ready.”

Toph joined him on the walk back to the ship's interior. The air suddenly felt heavy. But Toph was quick to put the book’s troubling contents to the back of their minds. “Think the dragon princess will join us? I can't wait for her reaction to you stealing your sword back.”

“For the last time, it's not stealing if I'm taking it back! But, yeah like I said earlier. Stick close if she does show up. Imagine her reaction when she sees you can bendmetal!”

Toph simply laughed.

* * *

Listening to the pops and crackles of flames had always been soothing to Azula. The heat of them never bothered her, especially since her own blue flames were much hotter than orange and red flames. She opened her eyes and found herself in the throne room, all the flames that wrapped around the throne were blue. But she wasn't sitting on the throne. Rather, she stood facing it, but no one sat on the empty seat.

Her eyes detected movement. Something slithered like a snake towards the throne, its body hidden among her blue flames. Then a face appeared just over the throne.

A dragon's face.

The dragon appeared familiar, but trying to remember from where made Azula's head hurt. A deep rumble echoed from the dragon, Azula felt the vibrations in her chest. Then she realized that it was laughing. Long sharp teeth appeared as the dragon opened its mouth and a strange voice erupted from it, the voice sounding like several people speaking at once, both male and female.

“Ready to set the world on fire?”

The fallen princess blinked. She was no longer in the throne room. Wait, no, she was still in the throne room. But everything was in ruins, walls broken, pillars knocked down and shambled into pieces, the ceiling was missing, and the carpets and curtains laid in piles of ashes.

Azula's confusion quickly turned into horror when she noticed the human shaped charred objects scattered on the ground, many of them sporting Fire Nation armor. A sudden cough spasm struck her. That was when she realized the smoke and ashes that coated the air.

She ran out of the throne room, partially to get into some air she could breathe and to see the extent of the destruction. The throne room wasn't the only place that was burned down, it was the entire palace. And the flames that quickly ate everything in their paths were all blue.

She felt a warmth envelope her and then movement as something hard wrapped around her body. The dragon appeared, its long serpent-like body circled around her like a cocoon.

“You agreed to this, little one.”

Azula woke with a gasp. Her throat felt dry and her mind told her she was still choking on smoke and ash. Her throat seized and she fell into a violent cough. She blindly groped for the glass of water she kept on a bedside table next to the bed and drained the cup once she grabbed hold of it. The cool water soothed her throat and helped settle her cough.

The silence of the room allowed her ears to pick up the slightest sound of metal against metal. Then she could feel that odd sensation when someone's gaze was on her. Whoever was stuck guarding her that night remained silent. Which Azula was all too grateful for. If it had been Ty Lee watching her, no doubt the blubbering woman would've asked pointless questions.

But that dream. She knew now that the dragon in her dream was the very same dragon spirit that possessed her. And the images of the Fire Nation Palace–her home–in ruins, her people reduced to charred remains and ashes was probably her mind showing her what could have been. The betrayal of the spirit ignited her blood with white hot fury. She needed to write down this dream in her book.

Her book. Where was it?

Her stomach fell and her eyes widened in panic as she raked through her memories. She had her bag with all her belongings when she went to the Dragon nest. But after she made that deal with the spirit her memories were spotty until she recalled waking up on Zuko's ship.

She pushed the covers off her legs and stood up. Dizziness and lightheadedness struck her, but it quickly passed. It was the middle of the night so her room was near pitch black. She made a small flame at her fingertips.

Metal clanked. “What are you doing?”

Azula rolled her eyes. “Where are my things?”

Silence was her response for a moment. “You will need to ask the Fire Lord.”

She should've figured the guard dog would be clueless. Still, she searched her room to no avail. Worry gnawed in her gut. What if her things were left behind? The dragon hunters journal was useless to her now, but her own journal and sword were irreplaceable.

Middle of the night or not, it couldn't wait until the morning when Zuko would be awake. The guard didn't ask her where she was heading, it was quite common for Azula to wake in the middle of the night where she sometimes headed outside for some fresh air. But the constant clanking of the armor followed her to Zuko’s room.

Azula didn't bother to knock, and the door was unlocked.

“Step away from the door!” Her guard dog barked.

A chuckle escaped her lips. “Oh?” Azula turned to face the guard, but she didn't comply with the order. “Funny, I thought I wasn't a prisoner. So I can go anywhere I want.”

She allowed the small flame in her palm to enlarge both in an act of defiance and to intimidate the guard. She knew it wouldn't deter the woman, but she wouldn't show weakness. There was a sudden sound of movement in her brother’s room and then the door fully opened to show a disheveled Zuko.

He glanced at the two women standing in the hall and then he sighed. He rubbed his eyes with a fist. “What's going on?”

The Kyoshi Warrior opened her mouth to explain, but Azula spoke over her. “Where are my things?”

Zuko blinked. His confusion made Azula’s stomach fall.

“What are you talking about?”

The flame in Azula's palm enlarged for a moment in reaction to her anger, but she quickly stifled the power of it back down. She wasn't in the mood to be chi blocked again, especially since more guard dogs stepped into the hall, all of them alerted by the confrontation between the royal siblings.

“My things. I had a bag with my belongings at the dragon's nest. And my stuff isn't in my room. So I ask again, dear brother. Where. Are. My. Things?”

“I'm sorry, I was more concerned that you would live.” Zuko's temper flared and frustration was etched in his voice. But as quickly as his anger erupted, he sighed again and physically appeared to have deflated. “You were dying, Azula. All I thought about was getting you help. I'm sorry I didn't stop to think about your things. I'll ask in the morning if the others found them.”

The fallen princess should have felt angry, but Zuko voicing his concern for her well-being was, well, new. Different. She never had anyone express concern for her. At least not if it was a matter of duty or having a benefit to her being in good health. The thought snuffed her own anger, her chest felt like it swelled. Emotion tugged at her.

Never show emotion to those beneath you, they will see it as weakness and exploit it, her father’s voice reminded her. She quickly collected herself and deigned a show of indifference.

“Fine. See that you do, Zuzu.”

She returned to her room and sat heavily on her bed. Even though it had been a few days since she woke up coherently on the ship, and sustenance helped build her strength, she still slept a lot. She wasn't as quick to tire as before, and she could firebend without teetering on passing out. But the small altercation left her feeling tired. Sleep was quick to claim her.

The next morning, Azula slept much later than she normally did. Well before a spirit possessed her. Normally, she'd be up by dawn and begin her day with exercise and training. But post spirit possession she slept long throughout the day.

“The Fire Lord requested that you meet him in the dining hall when you woke.” Her guard told her.

The former princess hoped her brother was successful in finding her belongings. She'd be disappointed in losing the black sword, but she could do without it. Her father's words about weapons still bore a heavy weight in her head. But her journal was important to her, it helped her so much in differentiating between what memories were hers and what were lies spewed by her traitorous mind. She could always create a new journal, but she wouldn't be able to remember everything she recorded in the original.

After she dressed and tied up her hair, she found Zuko already waiting for her in the dining room, a tea set sat in front of him. As she sat, her brother poured tea into two cups and slid one towards her. As usual, she refrained from sipping the hot leaf water until Zuko drank first.

It was the same blend of tea he served her every day since she woke up the first time. He claimed the tea would help her recover her energy. Not that she believed him, but she always drank the tea, she’d never admit that she enjoyed the sweetness of the drink. Only he was able to make the tea have a pleasant sweetness. If anyone else made it, it tasted no better than gutter water.

“Good morning, Azula.” He told her, a small smile on his lips.

Still feeling a little groggy, Azula nodded her greeting and busied herself with sipping the tea. “I hope you were successful in finding my things. If not, I'd hate for us to have to go back for them.”

Zuko sputtered and nearly spat out his drink. “We're about three days away from reaching the capital. You would want to go back?”

Azula shrugged. “That depends. Did you find my things?”

Zuko shook his head and Azula felt her stomach twist. She wouldn't want to go back but–Zuko reached for something on the floor and then pulled up the familiar leather bag.

“After..our fight with the dragon spirit, we needed water so Katara could heal you. Someone noticed your waterskin which led to your bag.”

Azula let out a sigh of relief and eagerly reached for it. It didn't escape her notice that Zuko didn't have her sword, but she would tackle that later. For now, she nearly tore her bag apart as she searched for her journal.

“What's so important that you would want to go back to that place?”

Her fingertips felt the familiar square shaped soft leather. She pulled her journal out and scanned through it, to make sure it was all in one piece and legible. It was in the same condition as she had last left it.

“Something personal. That's all you need to know, Zuzu.” She finally processed what Zuko had said about the Water Tribe savage. So that day of their Agni Kai, the waterbender did do something to Zuko after she was chained up. She interfered more than merely incapacitating her, she healed him. If not for that, she would’ve officially won. Azula filed the information away for later.

“Wait, you said the peasant healed me?”

A slight frown pulled Zuko’s lone eyebrow closer to his good eye. “We never discussed much beyond what happened from our perspective. What do you remember?”

Azula placed her bag on the floor, next to her feet, and turned her attention back to the tea and finished it. She pushed the empty cup back to Zuko and waited for a refill. A grin grew on her face when she noticed Zuko’s face pinch in annoyance, but he still poured her another.

“Can’t say I remember everything, just some bits and pieces. What I can remember was like a dream, I could see what was happening, but really had no control of myself.”

“Do you remember the…ah, horns and wings?”

“Of course. One doesn’t just forget the agony of bones breaking, restructuring and bursting through skin, dumdum.”

“Right, right, sorry.” Zuko muttered. “Even though Katara healed most of the damage, one more healing session looks like it’ll prevent any scarring. I can ask her, if you want.”

Azula lifted one hand unconsciously and touched her forehead. The skin felt smooth, but she had no idea what it looked like. She avoided mirrors. “Will I have to be in a tub filled with freezing water again?”

“No. The tub was because your energy was really low and Katara needed you to be submerged in water. Aang said it was because you were in the spirit world, your soul was separated from your body. And because of the strain from having a dark spirit possess you.”

More information Azula filed to look into later. To her a spirit was a spirit. So the thought of a dark spirit was foreign to her.

“And did the water have to be so cold?”

“Like I said, you were literally dying. The cold water was to…delay that. It was to buy Katara time so she could heal you.”

Azula hummed and took another drink. Already she was beginning to feel more alert. She could understand Zuko wanting to save her life. It was merely his familial obligation. But why would the waterbender heal her? What did she gain?

“If you think another ‘session’ will prevent scarring, then who am I to refuse the Fire Lord? Afterall, it wouldn’t do for the both of us to bear facial scars.”

If he took offense to her comment, he remained silent. “Well, I'm glad you have your things back. I also called you here to see if you've made a decision about my offer. Or did you still need more time?”

Azula paused. There would be no point in delaying this talk anymore. Not that she had been avoiding discussing the offer with Zuko. If she wasn't recovering her strength she had been debating on her decision.

“Yes, let's discuss your offer.” Azula replied nonchalantly. “You have your conditions. And I decided that I have my own.”

“Oh?” Zuko tilted his head in curiosity. “What did you have in mind?”

“You were vague in what you were offering, for one. You want us to work together. But that can mean a variety of things. For all I know, you can merely have me place the crown on your head every morning and have me do nothing else. That would still be considered ‘working together.’”

Zuko frowned. “I’d never do something so petty like that, Azula. No, by us working together I mean to have you as an advisor. You will be Crown Princess of course. I’m unmarried and have no children, so you are technically my heir.”

For now, Azula thought. It would only be a matter of time until Zuko married and his firstborn would replace her.

Zuko fiddled with his cup, a slight frown decorated his face. “I know father raised us to fight a war, not how to run a kingdom. So it’s been difficult.”

“Is that why you went to father for advice on how to rule?” She asked.

He looked surprised. “How do you know about that?”

“Word gets around. I just know how to weed out the lies from the truth.”

“Yes, I went to father for advice. Lot of help that did,” Zuko muttered. “A lot of people haven’t been happy that I went to father at all.”

Azula huffed a laugh. “Well you do have uncle and mother to give you advice. But neither of them have any experience ruling, do they? It makes perfect sense to go to father.”

Zuko looked at her in surprise. “That’s…that’s why I think you would be great to help me, Azula. You think things pragmatically. And you know our history so well. You know when a person is lying. You can lie easily and it’s so believable. I know that would be helpful in court. And no one can match your military tactics.”

Azula studied her nails. When the dragon spirit possessed her she also grew claws. When she returned to a full human and the claws perished, it left her fingertips tattered and nailess. Her skin had since been healed, but her nails were still growing out. It would be some time yet until they returned to how she liked them, pristine, painted and sharp. “Yes, I’m amazing. So far you’ve only brought up points on why I should be Fire Lord.”

Zuko winced and faltered slightly as he poured the last of the pot’s remaining tea into their cups. “Tell me truthfully, Azula. Do you want to be Fire Lord?”

She frowned at his question and opened her mouth to answer, but he continued speaking.

“Forget about wanting father’s approval, forget about mom, forget about me, forget about everyone. What do you want?”

Azula closed her mouth. What did she, herself, want? When she was a child she knew being the backup heir of a secondborn wouldn’t lead to a life of ruling. But as a royal family member nonetheless she knew she’d have a role in being married off for political gain. Then when she was declared a firebending prodigy she only tried to live up to father’s expectations. She never had the luxury to think about what she wanted for herself.

Isn’t your greatest desire to be loved and embraced by your family? The temple spirit’s voice whispered in her head.

She lifted a hand to her head both to force the memory away and to force herself to think of an answer. “I don’t know.”

The thud of Zuko’s teacup touching the table knocked her out of her thoughts. “We can work together, Azula. Instead of fighting each other. You have your strengths, I have mine.”

“Oh,” she grinned and rested her chin on her palm. “And what strengths do you have over me?”

“Empathy for others, for one. We may be royalty, our birthright is to rule, but we’re nothing without our people.”

Azula’s thoughts went back to the dream she had that night.

“With you as my advisor we can balance each other,” he continued.

The former princess straightened and let out a deep exhale. Would she regret agreeing to this offer? She’s only ever been betrayed over and over. She’s been at her lowest and nearly died pursuing to elevate herself. Agreeing to Zuko’s offer would be beneficial to her, and she had nothing to lose.

Unless he betrays you, orders your bending taken away or tosses you back into the nuthouse, she thought bitterly.

“It won’t have to be permanent either. When you realize what your own destiny is, and if it takes you away from the palace then I won’t hold you back.”

When, not if, Azula noted.

“Well, you explained exactly what you’re offering. My title will be restored and I get to tell you how to rule. All the work, but not the glory.” Azula summarized sarcastically. “Now we can move on to my conditions.”

Zuko looked hopeful, excited, even though she had yet to agree to the offer. He tilted his head slightly. “Okay, what are they?”

“You already covered my first one, I want my title restored. If we are to work together, it wouldn’t appear like we are united if I wasn’t recognized as Princess.” He nodded. “My second condition. I know you don’t trust me. So I expect you’ll have your guard dogs watching my every move. But I won’t be a prisoner in my own home. If I want to leave the palace I will.”

“Of course! Provided you mean to return.”

“Anything short of reclaiming the throne for myself, you will not threaten to have my bending taken away.”

Either he didn’t notice her wording or he chose not to bring attention to it.

“My final condition, the nuthouse you sent me to. I want it destroyed. Burned to the ground.”

Zuko’s eyes widened. “What?”

“In fact, I want to be the one to burn it down.”

Azula had to hold in her laughter as she watched Zuko continuously open and close his mouth. He looked like a fish out of water.

“Why? Why do you want to destroy the mental institution?”

“You'll find out when we go for a visit. It's better if you simply see for yourself.”

He still looked flabbergasted. “But what would we do with all those people? The staff and the patients?”

“We have so many large buildings that are more than enough to accommodate the true patients. I'm sure you'll find a new place for them. I don't mean to cease the program. In fact, I want to improve it.”

He didn’t outright deny her condition. And when she mentioned improvement he appeared thoughtful. “What makes someone a true patient?”

Azula grinned, amused he caught her subtle hint. “Surely, the Fire Lord is aware of how some families take advantage of the mental institution? It's quite common. A family has a son or daughter who is just oh so rebellious. When their child doesn’t live up to their ideals, they mark them as insane and have them thrown into the mental institute. No questions asked.”

Zuko looked outraged. He slammed his fist onto the table. “That’s not right!”

“Yes, it’s amazing what happens under your nose when you don’t pay attention to the details.” Azula muttered.

“Did they–I only wanted them to monitor you. Did they do anything to you?”

Azula suddenly felt angry. Now he wondered? He clearly never bothered to check on her himself. His concern was too little too late. “They did enough. Like I said, it’ll be best when you look for yourself.” She had no doubt that if she merely told him what happened at the nuthouse he’d refuse to believe her.

“Okay, so you have your reasons to destroy the institute. So long as you don’t kill the patients and the staff, well we can tackle that bridge when it comes.”

“Then you accept my conditions?” Azula inquired.

Zuko nodded. But Azula was one step ahead. She already learned from dealing with a spirit. “Repeat my conditions. And confirm you will abide by them, Zuzu.” He repeated every one of her conditions, and agreed to honor them. And the fallen princess believed him. She was very much aware of how much his honor meant to him.

“Then yes, so long as you agree to my conditions, I agree to your offer.” Azula couldn’t help but feel a heavy weight bear down on her shoulders. But she told herself this was for the best. She’d be acting as Fire Lord by telling Zuko the proper way to rule. As royalty herself she’d still receive everyone's reverence. And if there was anything the peasants or nobles didn’t like, Zuko would have to deal with the repercussions.

It was a win-win situation. Yet she didn’t know why she wasn’t happy about it.

* * *

Sokka was in the middle of a training session with his sword when he noticed a makeupless and armorless Suki and Ty Lee emerge from the ship’s interior, both amicably in conversation together. His heart leapt when he saw them, when a Kyoshi Warrior wasn’t in uniform it meant she was off duty. If Suki was off duty that meant they could spend time together. Maybe he could even ask them for those chi blocking lessons.

For now, however, he wanted to impress Suki with his swordsmanship prowess.

He made a show of moving through his thrusts and swings faster. When he stood in a pose he flexed his muscles to make them look bigger. He briefly considered ditching his shirt, but the air was much too cold for that. Even if he was from the South Pole and used to the frigid cold.

“So you took my sword!”

Uh oh.

Sokka recognized the angry voice and froze mid swing, if his eyes widened anymore he’d risk tearing his skin, and he could taste his heartbeat. By the time he turned he was relieved to see that Suki and Ty Lee had their backs to him, both facing their common threat. With his space sword back in his possession, Sokka was confident he could take on Azula, but having backup was still appreciated.

The Fire Nation Princess closed the distance between them, her face contorted in rage. Sokka lifted his sword in a defensive stance, Suki and Ty Lee lifted their fists.

“This sword belongs to me, Azula.” Sokka announced. He was glad he kept his voice from quivering. “I forged it myself. It’s unique, there’s no other sword like it. So I know it’s mine. And I’ve reclaimed it.”

As quickly as the princess appeared, the anger faded from her face. She stood a foot away from Suki and Ty Lee, but she ignored them. Her arms crossed over her chest. “Is that right? Then please tell me how that sword came to be in a merchant’s hands. Because I purchased that weapon, therefore, it is mine now.”

“I lost it during the war! I don’t know how someone else managed to find it, but it’s mine!”

“You lost it?” Azula tilted her head. “Ever heard that phrase, finders keepers? How did you ever manage to lose a sword?”

Sokka’s face fell, he lowered his weapon and stood up tall. “It was in self defense. On one of the Fire Nations airships. I threw the sword to save myself and a friend. And my sword ended up falling to the ground. I tried to go back and find it, but there was just too much land to cover.”

“Hmm, and would that land happen to be Wulong Forest?” Azula inquired.

“Yeah, yeah it was. Why?”

The princess shrugged, walked towards the bulwark, and leaned against it in a casual manner. “So let me see if I understand this. You threw away your sword. Most likely it was some Earth Kingdom salvager that came across it and sold it to a merchant. That merchant then sold it to high profile clients that could afford the price for the sword. So now that makes me the owner of that sword.”

Sokka gripped the sword tighter and fought the urge to hug it. “You're wrong! It's mine.”

Azula grinned. “You admitted it yourself. You threw the sword away.”

“To survive! It was war.”

She responded with a shrug. “The reason is irrelevant. Fact is that you threw it away. Someone found it and sold it. To me. It's mine now.” She held her hand out. “I'll take it from you now. I trust you haven't damaged it.”

With Azula's lack of aggression, Suki and Ty Lee relaxed their stances and looked at Sokka with empathetic sorrow.

“Azula, you know it's his. Can't you just return it to him?” Ty Lee asked.

“No. I want it back.”

“What if he repaid you for what you spent to purchase it?” Suki asked.

It was a good idea, though Sokka wasn’t thrilled at the idea of having to buy his own sword. He was lucky to have two copper pieces to rub together. Maybe Toph could lend him some money. “How much?”

Azula lifted a hand to her chin and rubbed it in thought. “Let's see, how much did the merchant sell it for? Oh right. Five thousand gold pieces.”

“WHAT?!” Sokka shouted in shock while Suki and Ty Lee starred with their eyes wide and mouths agape.

“Surely that's only a small price to pay. Forging a sword as unique as that one for yourself is priceless.”

“FIVE THOUSAND GOLD PIECES!” Sokka continued to shout. While part of him was immensely flattered his sword would be worth that much, but the other part of him knew he could never afford that. And he was positive Toph would be unwilling to lend him that much money.

“What if you both dueled for it? Winner keeps the sword?” Suki suggested. She caught Sokka’s glance and gave him a quick wink.

“No thanks,” Azula quickly responded.

Sokka felt his face heat up, partially from Suki’s wink and the other from anger. He was confident he could take on Azula in a sword fight. “No? Why, you scared I’ll win?”

The princess shrugged. “I’m a firebending master. I trained my whole life how to use myself as a weapon. Swordsmanship is only a hobby. With you being a non-bender I’m sure you dedicated more time into how to wield a sword. I’d be at a disadvantage.” She extended her arm out again, palm up. “Unless you pay me five thousand gold pieces here and now, I want my sword back. I should also probably add a little more, you know, as a finders fee.”

Sokka honestly considered giving his sword for the sake of being the better person, and to avoid Azula from attacking him. But Azula always continued what she did best, antagonize people. He stood still defiantly.

“You’re kidding, right?” He said. “Five thousand gold pieces is enough money to buy an army, maybe even a city. And you want to add more to that? No, I’m not giving you my sword.”

Fury flashed in the princess’ eyes. Sokka struggled to swallow the hard lump that formed in his throat, but he stood firm.

“What’s going on?”

Sokka turned towards the new voice. Aang approached them, his eyes darting to everyone and quickly reading the tension in the air. He explained the situation and he couldn’t help but give Azula a smug grin. Now that Aang was here, he’d side with him and Azula would be powerless to do anything. He remembered what the dragon spirit had told them, how she was afraid of the Avatar.

After explaining the situation, Sokka was caught off guard when Aang said, “I’m sorry, Sokka, but it’s only right that you return your sword to her.”

“WHAT!” Sokka didn’t even care that his voice cracked. “How could you take her side?!” Suki and Ty Lee echoed his words.

The shorter male lifted his arms up in an innocent gesture. “I’m not taking anyone’s side. But, Sokka, Azula brings up a good point. By changes of possession, she purchased your sword. And she gave her price to sell it back to you. It’s the right thing to return it to her.”

Sokka rubbed at his hair and then his face in frustration. Sometimes he hated how goody Aang could be. A deep, deep part of him agreed with his friend. But it hurt that he finally got his prized weapon back, and now he had to give it to Azula of all people.

“Please, Sokka. We can work something out later. We’ll talk to Zuko.”

The Water Tribesman sighed audibly. If Azula could afford five thousand gold pieces while she had been on the run, surely the Fire Lord could help him out. Wait a minute. He turned to Azula and narrowed his eyes. “How were you able to afford five thousand gold pieces? The Fire Nation’s coffers aren’t exactly at your disposal.”

Azula smiled. “I called in a few favors. And I’ve been saving my allowance all my life. Is it really such a surprise a Nation’s Princess can afford that much?”

Aang was undeterred. He continued to give Sokka an apologetic expression.

“Fine!” Sokka shouted. He finally sheathed his sword and slowly walked to a smug looking Azula. Holding the sword by its scabbard near the hilt, he extended it towards her. Her grin never fell from her face as she grabbed hold it and pulled, but Sokka kept hold of it. He leaned forward and lowered his voice so only she would hear him say, “I hate you.” Then he relinquished his hold of his weapon.

He couldn’t stand to be in the same presence as her and retreated into the privacy of his room. He heard Suki call out to him, but he quietly asked her for a moment alone. It hurt him to see the disappointment and hurt on her face, but he wasn’t good company right now. He couldn’t stand to even be around Aang either, even though he knew it wasn’t fair of him to hold any anger to his friend.

He moped in his room for the remainder of the day. Despite the hungry complaints of his stomach, he didn’t join everyone for dinner, knowing that Azula would be present. But not long after there was a knock at his door. Zuko offered him a serving of dinner and a promise to help him get his sword back. The reassurance perked Sokka somewhat, but he still felt angry and depressed and stayed in his room, even when Katara visited.

When the sun set and the moon was starting to ascend, Sokka felt the need for some fresh air. When he stepped out into the deck he nearly turned around and walked back inside. Zuko, Aang and Azula were present. None of them noticed his presence. But part of him was curious about what they could be discussing. It had to be about returning his sword, surely. So he snuck as close as he could get without them noticing him, hid behind a barrel of rain water, and watched.

* * *

Azula lost track of time when she went out onto the deck to train. She was finally able to firebend extensively without feeling lightheaded so she took full advantage and caught up on the training she’s missed since she woke up on Zuko’s ship. Being in a very good mood since she reclaimed her sword without having to burn the boomerang savage–honestly only people from the Water Tribe would consider a child’s toy as a weapon– she didn’t mind it when Aang ventured onto the deck to meditate. She normally avoided being in his presence when they were alone. Not long after he began to meditate did Zuko show up. At first she assumed he showed up to try to convince her to return her sword back to the savage, but she was relieved to see that he had planned to meet with Aang for training.

She ignored them and carried on with her own training. Her body had been beginning to tire after the day’s events, but she pushed herself to continue on until her brother and the Avatar finished. But as she reached the end of her training routine, she decided to move onto her favorite; lightning. Back when she still had her acolytes' loyalty, she was free to practice bending lightning and she had made immense progress in shortening the channeling of it. It was lovely to practice it in front of the girls as well, they always watched her with awe. But once she was on her own she had to be careful where she practiced unless she wanted a random witness to identify her.

She made some distance between herself and the boys, she didn’t want to spook them into attacking her by accident. Facing away from them, she turned off her thoughts and her body naturally fell into the familiar rhythms of channeling lightning. When the power collected at her fingertips she aimed at the sky and released it. The blast wasn’t as powerful as she normally made it, she was more focused on getting the speed of it. She cleared her thoughts and tried again, trying to channel it even faster.

“Azula!”

Swallowing a groan of frustration, she turned around. She was tired and not in the mood for a lecture. But rather than anger she was expecting, the Avatar looked at her with a wide grin on his face. Caught off guard, she involuntarily took a step back.

“Wanna train together?”

Lifting a thin eyebrow, Azula blinked. Was she dreaming? Did her mind betray her again and she was hallucinating? “Come again?”

The Avatar stepped closer to her. “See, I’ve been wanting to practice deflecting lightning. Only Zuko doesn’t trust himself to bend lightning. I hardly ever meet with Iroh. So that leaves you!”

Azula couldn’t say she was surprised Zuko was afraid to bend lightning himself for all his bravado of being able to deflect it. She rolled her eyes. “So glad to hear that I’m the last resort. You are aware that deflecting is dangerous, right? Do it wrong and you’re dead.”

“That’s why I want to practice!”

“Plan on being attacked by lightning in the future are you?” Azula scoffed. Only the royal family was aware of how to bend lightning. Father could no longer bend. Zuko was apparently afraid to bend lightning, and uncle would never attack the Avatar. So helping the air monk “practice” essentially would be like training him how to fight against her. Unless…

She trained her eyes towards Zuko. He caught her glare and winced. “You plan on teaching peasants how to bend lightning, aren’t you?”

“Listen, Azula. I’ve been meaning to explain to you, especially now that you’ve agreed for us to work together, but Aang and I want to create a place where everyone can live together. Benders and non-benders. And our people, firebenders, deserve to learn everything about firebending. That includes how to bend lightning”

“Imagine what people can do with it!” The Avatar announced. “We’ve been speaking with engineers, including Sokka, and they have ideas on machines that can be powered with lightning.”

Zuko took a step closer to them. “We’d be creating jobs for people. And with these machines it can help everyone live an easier life.”

Azula was conflicted. She felt angry that Zuko would break a royal family tradition and teach peasants something that separated them from other firebenders. But a smaller part of her felt a little swayed by their vision. She experienced first hand the difficulty peasants endured to survive. And she was curious what technology could be created with lightning. She shouldn’t agree to this, but looking at Zuko’s determined expression she already knew he made up his mind and wouldn’t be deterred. Even by her. And despite being unable to bend lightning himself, he could still teach how to do it. Plus he had uncle to help him pass on the knowledge. She had no doubts uncle would be for this absurd idea.

“And imagine the bad people can do with lightning,” Azula pointed out. She looked back at the Avatar. “So that’s why you want to master deflecting it.”

“Yeah,” he replied. “I don’t want to have to rely on the Avatar State to do it. So…will you help? Please?”

Everything inside Azula told her to refuse. But she knew her refusal would mean nothing to them. If need be they could always get uncle to help them. They’d carry on with their vision of teaching peasants everything about firebending. And if anyone tried to use it against the Avatar he would have no choice but to rely on his Avatar State–whatever that meant.

If she helped him, however, maybe she’d get lucky and he botched a deflection attempt. With the Avatar out of the way nothing would stand in her way of reclaiming her throne from Zuko. An idea formed in her head. She could start off slow, make him confident in deflecting what he would expect. Then she’d get him off guard by channeling too fast. He’d panic. When people panicked they made mistakes. She forced her face to remain neutral. Not that it was difficult. She’d long mastered how to appear what people expected in order to believe whatever she wanted them to believe.

“I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?” She sighed. She lazily waved a hand. “Fine. If you’re going to learn how to handle lightning, you may as well learn it from the best. Right?”

The Avatar and Zuko looked at each other, both looking relieved.

“But what’s in it for me?” Azula pointed out. “I’d be doing you a huge favor in helping you ‘practice.’ I had no one to practice with let alone anyone to teach me, and I managed well on my own. Right, Zuzu?”

Zuko gave a subtle glare at her, but remained silent.

“What do you want in return?” The Avatar asked.

“So long as it isn’t five thousand gold pieces,” Zuko replied.

Azula laughed. “A lesson for a lesson then. Though I highly doubt you both can teach me anything I don’t already know. I mastered firebending years ago.”

The two boys shared a glance with each other and seemed to be able to communicate silently. Azula suddenly felt jealous of their wordless exchange. She had only been able to share silent forms of communication with Mai and Ty Lee. She shoved that thought to the back of her mind.

“Well,” the Avatar began, “there was something I learned from a friend of mine back during my…ah time before the war. You see I was friends with a firebender and I would practice something called Dancing Dragon with him. When I brought that up with Zuko when he was training me in how to firebend he didn’t know what it was. Is that something you know about?”

Azula frowned. She had never heard of such a technique, and there was something about the way the Avatar suddenly became nervous that she found his story suspicious. Whether he was telling the truth or not about the origins of the technique, for now she could ignore the implications and focus on learning something new.

“No, I admit that is something I have yet to hear about.” She confessed. “For your sake, I hope it’s worth the exchange of helping you deflect lightning.”

The Avatar had the spark of hope in his eyes. “For one thing, you need someone else to do it with. Watch!” He turned to Zuko and they had another silent exchange before they spontaneously fell into a motion. At first they were apart from each other, but their forms and movements were synchronized with each other despite never looking at each other. They clearly had practiced this a lot. They started apart from each other, but they slowly closed the distance from each other. Their movements mirrored each other perfectly until they met together in the center of the circle they formed and it ended with both of them bent over their sides and their fists touching each other.

It was…different from what Azula was expecting. She could see why such a technique wasn’t known at all until now. Firebending was best offensively, and this technique seemed more favoring of defensive. Still, new knowledge was new knowledge.

“Did you need to see it again?” The Avatar asked.

“Move aside, Avatar.” Azula responded. “Zuzu, you owe me a dance.”

Her brother’s eyebrow twitched, but he didn’t say anything in return. Azula focused on every movement she observed and mimicked it. It was far easier than she thought it would be. At the end, she was in the same pose as the Avatar and Zuzu, she was bent over with her fists touching Zuko’s. When they pulled away she offered a smug grin, and her brother remained silent with his face pinched into a frown.

“That was great!” The Avatar praised. “You only had to see it once and you did it perfectly!”

Pride swelled in Azula’s chest. “I’m not praised as a prodigy for nothing,” she reminded him. “Once more. With you this time, Avatar.”

Her brother and the Air Nomad exchanged positions. Their so-called Dragon’s Dance was no different than her and Zuko’s. It wasn’t much, but Azula could tell the difference between this technique and the others. The Dragon’s Dance was more focused on defensive than offensive. A most curious technique. And she knew the Avatar was not truthful about where he learned it. But she could work with what she was given.

By the end of it, Azula was confident she knew all she had to know.

“Enough. I hope you’re ready to deflect lightning, Avatar.” She said.

Zuko stepped next to the Avatar. “I’ll be behind you. If you don’t think you can do it, step aside and I’ll deflect it.” jHe then took a few paces behind the other male and took a deep breath. His eyes showed nothing but determination.

“Okay! You’ll be my safety net.” The Avatar saluted. “Um, should we switch positions? That way you aren’t shooting lightning towards the ship’s rooms.”

Azula rolled her eyes. “I should feel insulted that you think so lowly of my aim.”

“Sorry! Sorry! It’s not that I don’t trust your accuracy. It’s just, safety first, right?”

They swapped positions so Azula had her back towards the ship’s interior rooms and Zuko and the Avatar were nearest to the ship’s bow.

Azula didn’t give the Avatar a heads up, if he wanted to be ready to deflect lightning at a moment’s notice he wouldn’t get a heads up from an enemy. She fell into her motions, being sure to take her absolute time doing it. Then when she felt the familiar power at her fingertips, she pointed her first two fingers at the Avatar and allowed the lightning to shoot forth.

That was all that she remembered until she felt great agony. The pain was worse than when she grew horns and wings. At least then the pain was only focused on specific parts of her person. But with lightning, she felt pain everywhere, as if she was being cooked from the inside out. And as quickly as it came, she felt nothing but sweet oblivion.

* * *

After a meal, Katara always felt the need to be helpful, even if Zuko had a staff of both servants and royal guards. When she and everyone were done with dinner, she wanted to help the servants with cleaning up. Both Zuko and the servants insisted she need not to help, and she should return to whatever other business she had before the day's end, but Katara was all too happy to be helpful.

Even before the sun set and the moon began to rise did Katara feel it in her bones, in her very soul that the moon would be full tonight. She felt a pull of power that only came with the full moon. Zuko had sought her out earlier during the day to ask if she would be willing to heal Azula one final time to prevent scarring. To be honest, Katara wasn't too happy with the prospect of healing her boyfriend's murderer, especially if it was just to prevent scarring, but she couldn't bring herself to say no to Zuko.

The whole affair had been annoying to say the least. Not only had Azula been ungrateful about the time she took to heal her, but when Katara tried to show her the results in the mirror, she had knocked the mirror out of her hands and shattered it.

Did Azula apologize or even offer an explanation of why she just suddenly knocked a perfectly good mirror out of her hands? No, of course not. Katara should have expected helping Azula in any shape or form wouldn't resulted in the woman acting as rudely as possible.

After the affair had been over with, Katara was too eager to meet up with some of the girls over some tea and snacks. It was Suki, Ty Lee and another Kyoshi Warrior–Katara was embarrassed to admit she couldn’t remember the woman’s name– day off, and surprisingly it was Toph’s idea that they get together for some much needed girl time.

On her way to their meetup, Katara passed by Sokka’s room and knocked on the door. She hadn’t been there during his confrontation with Azula, but she had heard about it from Aang. Her poor boyfriend felt guilty, and after he explained his reasoning of why he believed Sokka should have returned his sword to Azula, at first she was disappointed and a touch angry that Aang would seemingly take Azula’s side, but she understood why Aang made his decision. It made sense, even if it hurt Sokka in the end. She could barely hear her brother through the door that he just wanted time alone, and she reluctantly respected his choice.

When she met with the girls, she forgot all about her issues with Azula. The woman herself had been a hot topic of gossip, but their conversation was quick to move on to something much more light hearted that brought everyone to laughter. Toph had surprised them all with a bottle of rice liquor, and not being much of a drinker at all, Katara may have lost herself after a small cup or two.

She and the girls were deep in laughs and gossip when there was a sudden rumble of thunder.

“That’s strange,” Ty Lee muttered. Her cheeks carried a bright shade of pinkness as a result of the liquor. “The sky has been clear all day. I didn’t expect a storm.”

Their train of thought returned to their earlier topic, but Katara couldn’t shake the bad feeling that bubbled in her gut. She excused herself for a bathroom break, but she meant to take a peek outside to see if it really was a storm that they were sailing into. If it was, Katara had half a mind to help keep the waves from being too violent, especially with the moon being full that night.

“You know you passed the bathroom.”

Katara jolted. She hadn’t noticed Toph followed after her. “I’m actually taking a look outside. There was something…different about that lightning strike. It didn’t sound natural.”

“Now that you mention it,” Toph started. “I didn’t want to say anything to the others, but I know that wasn’t normal lightning. I felt the origin of it on the ship.”

Katara frowned. “How could lightning have an origin on the ship?”

The moment she finished asking her question was the moment she figured out the answer. She didn’t wait for an explanation from Toph. She fell into a run and headed for the deck. When she erupted outside, her heart stopped at the scene before her.

Despite Azula’s back towards her, she recognized her movement, and could even see the flashes of lightning as it traveled along her arms. Before she aimed the destructive power, she just saw Aang standing before her. He was unmoving and determination was sprawled over his face. She couldn’t think, couldn’t speak. All she could think about was that day when Aang rose up into the air, his eyes and tattoos glowing with the power of the Avatar State. Katara had felt relief then, relief that Aang would incapacitate the Dai Li that surrounded them in that cavern when all felt like they lost the battle. But then his body twitched and spasmed as lightning traveled along his body and Katara could watch him, helpless with tears in her eyes as she watched Aang succumb to Azula’s lightning.

Suddenly she was no longer on the ship. She smelled the damp, humid air of the cavern along with the smell of human bodies of the Dai Li around her. When Azula moved her right arm to aim her fingers at Aang, she moved on instinct.

The pull of the full moon made her waterbending stronger, faster. She bended as much water as fast as she possibly could between Azula and Aang. Her intention was to wrap water around Azula and freeze her in place, incapacitate her where she stood. But then there was a bright light when her lightning met her wave of water and a sudden cry of shock and pain. As quickly as it all happened, a piece of the floor from below Azula sprang upwards and knocked the woman high into the air. There was a cry of shock, the voices sounded male, but Katara wasn’t in the right state of mind to notice if it was from Aang or Zuko or both. She just watched as Azula’s body fell unmoving and lifeless, struck against the tip of the ship’s bow, and then disappeared overboard.

Chapter Text

Katara was stunned. She only meant to freeze Azula in place before she could shoot lightning at Aang, but she was a second too late. Everything happened so quickly, if Katara hadn’t adapted from countless battles and fights during the war she wouldn’t have been able to keep up with what occurred. Just as lightning shot out of Azula’s fingers, a wave of water had just begun to engulf her hand which resulted in Azula electrocuting herself. As for the floor shooting upwards, Katara didn’t have to look behind her to know that it was Toph’s doing, she was the only one on the ship capable of bending metal.

It didn’t seem like Toph meant to hit Azula, but rather like she tried to shove Azula backwards. Only there was a lot of force in the launch judging by how far and high Azula was sent hurling in the air. Despite being able to comprehend what happened in the span of two seconds with only the full moon for a light source, Katara was frozen stiff. It wasn’t until Azula fell overboard and Zuko shouted that Katara was knocked out of her stupor.

“Azula!” Zuko screamed as he and Aang ran for the edge of the ship’s bow. Zuko reached the edge first and leaned over the bulwark and he shouted his sister’s name again and again.

Why are they so concerned for her? She tried to attack Aang again!

Katara’s confusion escalated into panic as she watched Aang run past Zuko and dove into the sea. She finally gained her senses to move and ran after the boys. “Aang!” She touched Zuko’s arm to get his attention, but he was too focused on trying to locate Azula. He nearly climbed over the bulwark to jump in himself as well, but Katara held onto his arm.

“Zuko! What’s going on?!”

The Fire Lord pulled his arm out of Katara’s grip. “We were training!” Despite his yell, there was no hint of anger in his voice or his face. He looked pale and his eyes were wide and hysterical. He turned his attention back towards the water and shouted for both Azula and Aang.

Training?

Katara followed his gaze, now she was feeling worried with how long Aang was underwater. It was too dark to see anything. And the ship was moving too fast. It felt like Zuko read her mind because he suddenly shouted out to some guards that recently appeared on the deck to stop the ship.

They spent what felt like minutes staring at the still water surface for any sign of Aang or Azula. Katara was feeling just as anxious as Zuko and desperately tried to think of doing something. But what could she do? It was dark, and despite being able to waterbend it wasn't like Katara could breathe underwater. Finally, there was a splash and everyone watched as Aang erupted from the water, a cyclone of both air and water wrapped around his lower body. As he got closer, Katara felt her heart drop at the sight of a limp Azula in his arms. The moment Aang’s feet touched the ship’s deck, Zuko pulled his sister from him and laid her on the floor.

“Azula? Azula!” He shook her shoulders in panic.

Toph stepped into Katara’s line of sight and next to Zuko. She tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder. “She's–her heart’s not beating,” she told him.

It was then that Katara finally noticed the state of Azula’s shirt, or what was left of it. A large chunk of her shirt was missing around the chest area, the edges of the clothing charred. It reminded Katara of how Zuko’s robe appeared after he shielded her from Azula’s lightning during their Agni Kai. Where a large burn marked Zuko’s abdomen, Azula had a similar burn, but much smaller and it was right over where her heart was located. It looked a lot like the scar Aang had on his foot that marked where Azula’s lightning left his body.

Katara covered her mouth with her hands. She suddenly felt nauseous.

A sudden coldness pulled her from her thoughts, she turned and saw Aang pulling one of her hands into his own. He appeared pale as well and Katara could see his whole body was shivering. His hands were ice cold and wet.

“She was helping me,” he whispered. His eyebrows pinched downward as he shut his eyes tight. It hurt Katara to see him look so sad. How could he feel sad over Azula? She was their enemy for years! She killed him.

Katara looked back towards the royal siblings and her chest tightened painfully. Zuko held Azula’s head against his chest, his shoulders shook as he quietly sobbed. The sight physically and emotionally hurt Katara.

She did this.

Despite the horrible things Azula did to all of them, she was still family to Zuko. She couldn’t imagine going through something similar if it were Sokka in Azula’s place.

She did this! But how could she fix it? She couldn’t. Toph said her heart wasn’t beating. The lightning burn on her chest all but confirmed that as fact. A desperate thought came to her and she leaned her head back to look up at the sky.

It was a full moon.

As if hearing her thoughts, Aang squeezed her hand. “Katara?”

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She would do this for Aang and Zuko. For Aang found all life precious, and even if he hadn’t directly caused harm to Azula he would blame himself for her death. He carried more than enough guilt any one person should bear, she wouldn’t add to it. For Zuko, she knew intimately the pain the loss of a family member brought, even if he and Azula didn’t share a loving sibling relationship, he still wanted her back in his life. She did this and she had to fix it.

The waterbender pulled her hand from her boyfriend’s grasp and got on her knees next to her sobbing friend. “Zuko,” she told him gently.

The firebender either didn’t hear her or was too anguished to respond, he just continued to hug his sister against his chest and began to rock back and forth. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to her over and over again.

The scene ripped Katara’s heart to shreds, her vision blurred and she felt hot tears cascade down her cheeks. She placed a shaking hand on Zuko’s wrist. “Zuko, please listen to me.”

He didn’t respond, but he turned his golden gaze to her and Katara felt the breath knocked out of her lungs. It had been a while since she saw someone in such despair. It further solidified her decision to do what she was about to do. “I can…help.”

“H–how?” Zuko stuttered through a sob.

“Do you trust me?” She asked and held his gaze.

“Katara, what are you doing?” It was Sokka’s voice that spoke. When did he arrive? Katara shoved the question aside. For now, she had to concentrate.

“Katara,” it was Aang that spoke next. They knew what she was setting herself to do. She gave them a quick glare that silenced them both. Later, when hopefully everything was fine she would appreciate her boyfriend and brother for trying to keep her true to her oath to never bloodbend again.

“Yes, I trust you.” Zuko replied, his voice raw and hoarse. He placed Azula back on the floor, his shoulders continued to shake.

Katara looked over Azula one final time, hovered her hands over her body and then closed her eyes. Her heart indeed wasn’t beating, the blood all through her system was stagnant. Wait, no that wasn’t true. There was an open wound on her head that allowed blood to pour out. And her heart was severely damaged. This was going to be immensely difficult.

First thing was to get her heart beating again. Until her organs started working again–until she was alive– she couldn’t heal the damage the lightning wrought. Katara felt nauseated again as she began to bend Azula’s blood and she felt her body shudder in revulsion, but she forced herself to carry on. She had to adjust her control, she only wanted to bend the blood within the bloodstream, but she ended up bending all the blood in the organs and tissue which resulted in Azula’s body twitching. She inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled and tried again.

She tapped into the knowledge of healing she learned from the Northern Water Tribe, but rather than using waterbending to work with a person’s chi and energy, she used some of what she learned from Hama. It was difficult, she knew there were bloodstreams that carried blood towards the heart and others that carried it out. So to Katara it felt like she had to push and pull at the same time. Once she got the blood flowing she focused on her next task, making the heart beat again. She matched the beating of Azula’s heart with her own. Sweat gathered on her brow, but she ignored the urge to wipe the drops that rolled into her eyes.

Time was lost to Katara, but she hoped she wasn't taking too long. Eventually, she was able to stop moving the blood once it began to move on its own as Katara forced the heart to beat. After several dozen pumps she paused to see if the heart would beat on its own. When it became idle again, she continued to force it to beat again. Then she felt it, a small resistance. The heart gave an odd half beat as it tried to work on its own despite Katara’s forced movement. She let off her bending and waited. Just as she was about to force it another time, she felt it again. Her heart was starting to beat on its own! It was weak and slow, but it was progress.

The timing was difficult, but rather than forcing the heart to beat in sync with her own, she shifted her focus on supporting it instead. After what felt like much too long, Azula’s heart finally began to beat consistently and strongly. Katara then set about healing the open wound on her head. She wouldn’t be able to do much for the injury for now, it was important that she seal the wound to avoid more blood loss.

After she did all she could for Azula's head injury, Katara began to heal some of the damage the heart sustained. Finally, she turned her attention to the lungs, made sure there was no sea water in them before she gave them a small nudge. Azula’s chest suddenly constricted as she took in a gasping breath.

Katara was knocked out of her concentrated trance upon hearing Zuko calling Azula’s name. She lifted a hand up to shush him. His sister wasn’t in the clear just yet. She had to monitor her further to make sure her heart would continue to beat on its own as the rest of her organs resumed their functions.

Minutes passed, Azula’s breathing continued and eventually calmed. At first, her heart would sometimes beat a little erratically, but as Katara continued to heal the damage, the stronger and more consistent the heart became. When she felt like she could finally stop, Katara pulled away and sagged. Arms caught her and she smiled when she came face to face with Aang.

“You did it!” He told her. Katara was happy to see he didn’t appear sad anymore. “You were amazing.”

Katara blinked and found it a little difficult to open her eyelids again. Despite the effects of the full moon, bloodbending, healing, and the stress of everything exhausted her. She shifted her eyes towards Zuko. Tears were still rolling down his cheeks, including his burned side, but she could tell they were tears of utter relief. Azula was still unconscious, but she was breathing.

She was alive.

"Keep her flat. Lifting her may add stress her body cannot handle right now," she said to Zuko.

“You can rest now. She’s alive thanks to you. Even if…you had to do that. I’m proud of you, Katara.” Aang added.

Feeling warm, appreciated, and safe in her boyfriend's arms, Katara gave into the exhaustion and closed her eyes.

“Just a few minutes,” she muttered. Then she opened one eye. “I mean it. She still needs more healing, she has a wound on her head. Need to take advantage of the full moon.”

The final thing she saw was Zuko shaking off his outer robe and placing it over Azula’s torso.

* * *

Sokka was a whirlwind of emotion. When he hid out of sight from Aang, Zuko and Azula, he witnessed everything that happened and he was still trying to process it all. But despite everything, he was most dumbfounded that Katara decided to use bloodbending to bring Azula back to life. Strangely, he was ecstatic that she was successful. He, Aang and Katara were all bloodbended, it was the most horrible feeling he had yet to experience. And they saw the extent of how powerful it was, how dark and easily corrupting such power could be. But Katara found a way to use it for good. Sure, the first person she used it for was Azula of all people, but her feat was simply amazing.

He had never felt more proud of his little sister.

Sokka could admit that Katara has always done amazing things, but this one has to be her greatest achievement yet. She brought someone back from death!

With Katara getting much deserved rest, Sokka watched as Aang lifted his sister into his arms and retreated to their rooms. That left him to offer to help Zuko take Azula to her own room.

“But Katara said not to lift her,” Zuko pointed out. His voice was still hoarse from the stress of shouting and sobbing.

Sokka scratched his chin in thought. “She said to keep her flat. Maybe she meant not to, like, lift her up in a sitting position.”

Zuko shook his head. “In that case, I can take her myself.” He was slow and careful when he gathered Azula in his arms. Then he dismissed his guards. Toph yawned and headed for her own room, followed by a few of the Kyoshi Warriors.

Sokka thought about returning to his own room. But he, too, knew the pain and grief that came with losing family. Even if Katara saved Zuko from that grief, it didn’t sit well with him to leave a friend alone. So he followed Zuko to Azula’s room.

His eyesight zeroed in on his sword that was left leaning against a wall near the bed. Anger flushed through him at the memory of having to hand over his precious weapon to Azula. The memory of her smug grin made his blood boil. However, as tempting as it was to take his weapon back, it felt wrong to do so given the recent circumstances.

“Is there anything we can do, Zuko?” Asked Suki, who had followed them as well.

The Fire Lord shook his head. “Even if my sister wakes up I doubt she'll have the strength to do anything. You and everyone can have the night off. Get some rest.”

Suki nodded. On her way out she caught Sokka's glance. But given the heavy atmosphere, she didn't give him her usual smile or wink as she left.

“I know you don't want to leave her side,” Sokka said. “But your clothes are wet. And it's a cold night. Why don't you change and I'll keep an eye on her?”

Even though Zuko wasn't drenched like Aang, his clothes still got wet when he held Azula. He also noticed there was blood on him as well, most likely from her head wound that Katara mentioned.

The Fire Lord shook his head. “I'm fine. Not even cold. But I should get Azula out of these clothes. She's shivering.”

“I can do that.” A new, feminine voice announced.

Sokka jolted and looked at where the voice came from. Ty Lee stood at the door, looking dejected. She looked as pale as Zuko and her eyes appeared a bit puffy and red. Had she been crying? He was aware she was friends with Azula, but Suki had told him about their fallout. He didn't know Ty Lee as much as Suki did, but with the little interactions he had with her she seemed to be a very carefree, well meaning woman. Surprising considering she was Fire Nation nobility. So maybe he shouldn't be too surprised that despite Ty Lee and Azula no longer being friends, the former was still saddened to see the latter's brush with death.

Zuko looked at Ty Lee and then at Azula. Then he gave a small nod. “That would be more appropriate. I think she has some clothes in there,” he pointed to a small chest at the foot of the bed. It was the only thing in the room that could store things. Then he headed for the exit. “I'll be back. If anything is wrong, go to Katara first.”

Sokka watched his friend leave, feeling very empathetic. He'd be a mess himself if it were his sister in Azula’s situation. And he and Katara actually get along, unlike the royal siblings. But that still didn't deter Zuko from caring about his sister. He could admire that.

“Hey, could you–” Ty Lee said suddenly, her voice jarred Sokka from his thoughts. He turned to face her. She was holding up the robe Zuko covered Azula with earlier. It was involuntary, his eyes immediately looked towards Azula's charred flesh and clothes. The Kyoshi Warrior glared at him and immediately covered Azula’s exposed chest. “Hey! Mind turning around?”

Sokka rolled his eyes, but still did as she asked. “As if I would want to sneak a peek at her,” he said even though he literally just snuck a glance at her wounded chest. He cleared his throat. “As if anyone would want to for that matter.”

“Still, as a gentleman the least you could do is give her some privacy.” Ty Lee countered.

Sokka had nothing to respond with so he stood quietly while Ty Lee worked on dressing Azula into dry clothes. Then he remembered what Katara had mentioned about keeping the Fire Nation princess flat. “Will you be able to manage without lifting her?”

As quiet as the ship was, Sokka could hear the rustle of clothing, along with wet splats caused by Ty Lee tossing the soaked garments on the floor.

“Yeah.” Ty Lee answered. “Good thing about robes is that they tie in the front. I can manage just fine.”

Sokka nodded and continued to wait while he bounced on the balls of his feet. He expected to be tired after the long day he had with his confrontation with Azula and then witnessing her near death, but he was wide awake. And he itched to fill the silence in the room.

“Say,” he began. “What happened between you and Azula? Suki told me a little, that you could be trusted after you two bonded in prison. But you were with Azula when you all chased after us. What happened that you turned on the Fire Nation?”

There was a pause from the rustle of clothes. “I don't know how the Water Tribes govern their people. But in the Fire Nation, betrayal is punishable by death.” She paused. Sokka could hear her take a deep breath. “I had two choices. I could stand by and watch one friend kill my other friend. Or, I could interfere. And hope to escape while both of my friends are still alive.”

“Your other friend. That gloomy girl who sighs a lot, right?” Sokka asked.

“Yeah,” Ty Lee answered. “We all grew up together, you know. We attended the same school.”

Sokka frowned. “Azula was willing to kill a childhood friend? What did she do?” It felt odd to talk about Azula like she wasn't in the same room despite the fact that she was present, albeit unconscious, but still there with them.

“Mai was in a similar situation to mine. And she made her own choice, even though she was aware of the consequences.”

It was in situations like that, that Sokka was glad to have been born in the Water Tribe where disputes were far less deadly. “I'm sorry,” he found himself saying. He couldn't imagine having to be in such a situation between himself and one of his friends. “That you had to be in a situation like that. I don't know what I would do if I had to make a decision like that. Well, honestly I'm sure I would've done the same as you.” With his back towards her, he couldn't see her facial expression.

“You did nothing wrong, so no need to apologize. But it was worth it though,” she finally said after a moment of silence. “Everything worked out in the end. And…everyone is alive. Even if we're no longer friends. Me and Mai with Azula that is. Mai and I meet up when we can.”

Sokka found himself scoffing. “Was she a terror growing up as she is now?”

Ty Lee snorted. “She's a princess. She was always spoiled. Even Zuko was a spoiled brat when he was a kid. Uh,” she lowered her voice, “Don't tell him I said that.”

Sokka chuckled.

“But at first she was…friendly. In her own way. Even as a child she was never really social so she struggled to make real friends. As we got older she became cold, mean.”

“If you both are no longer friends, then why are you here helping her?” Then he remembered her puffy eyes. “And why were you crying?”

More silence. And then, “Being friends with Azula was always complicated. And even now, despite everything she did to me and Mai…I don't know. I want to forgive her. But even if we're no longer friends we still grew up together. Mere weeks before she threw me and Mai in prison we had a really great bonding experience together when we went on vacation. So I couldn't help but feel really sad when she…”

Something clicked in Sokka's head. “Didn't you say that betrayal was punishable by death?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“But after you and Mai betrayed Azula, you said she threw you both in prison.”

“Yes, she told her soldiers to let us rot. What are you saying?”

Sokka shrugged out of habit, but then he had no idea if Ty Lee even saw his gesture. “Honestly? It's been a long day. I don't even know what I'm saying. I just think that Azula would've had you and Mai executed then and there, but in a way she spared you both. Not that life in prison would've been any better, but you both would have been alive. Kind of like how even though you and her are no longer friends, yet you were sad when she was dead. Does that make sense? It doesn't, does it? Forget I said anything. I think I am tired. As if someone like her would feel sad about executing her own friend.”

Out of all the reactions he expected, Sokka hadn't expected to hear the woman behind him giggle.

“Suki was right about you.”

His eyes widened. “Huh? What did she say about me?” He was so caught up on what secrets Suki told others about him that he forgot himself and turned around.

Ty Lee was rummaging through the storage trunk and didn't see him. It was automatic again, Sokka's eyes found themselves gravitating towards the princess on the bed. Her already pale skin was even more pale to the point where she nearly looked transparent, and she was in nothing but her undergarments. His eyes focused on the burn on her chest. It looked awfully painful.

Only once was he kinda sorta zapped by lightning. Back when he and the gang were helping the royal siblings look for their mother, Sokka had waved his boomerang around to intimidate Azula into respecting it. She responded by sending a small zap of lightning to his hand. That small amount of lightning hurt. He shuddered as he thought of how painful it must've been to be hit by a much larger, stronger current of lightning. And to have it go right through the heart…

“Hey!”

Sokka swiftly turned back around with a small squeak. He felt his cheeks burn upon getting caught sneaking a peek again.

“You know, Suki never said you were a pervert.”

His cheeks burned even hotter. “I am not! You distracted me by mentioning her! I can't help it if I was trained to never turn my back to a threat.”

Ty Lee giggled again. “I'm just teasing you. But if you peek at her again I'm kicking you out of the room. Literally.”

“Trust me, it won't happen again.” Sokka replied. “But what were you saying about Suki? I'm sure she told you all about how awesome I am. Strong, handsome, smart, and funny.”

Another giggle. “She said you are really smart, and how you notice things other people don't.”

“Oh?” Sokka's cheeks hurt from how wide he was smiling. And his heart gave a little flutter knowing Suki praised him. “What else has she said?”

“You'll have to ask her yourself,” Ty Lee said. “I already said too much. But…you know I hadn't thought about it that way. What you said about Azula throwing me and Mai in prison instead of executing us. I don't know if it's better, but…because of her I can't feel at peace anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

She sighed. “I can't help but feel like when I least expect it, she'll show up. And want to get revenge for me betraying her.”

“Ah, yeah I can see why you'd feel that way.” He said. “But it's been, what, two years since she's been out on her own? Don't you think she would've tried to get her revenge sooner? Especially when she had those spooky firebenders in the robes and hoods?”

“Maybe,” Ty Lee sighed again.

“Let's say she hasn't let go of that anger from your betrayal and does want to get revenge. I don't think she'll be able to trap you in a corner or catch you by surprise. You have a great circle of friends who are always nearby and support you. And you’re not a bad fighter yourself. I should know on the account that you got lucky and kicked my butt a few times. And got the upper hand on Katara and my friends. If there’s anyone that can take on Azula in a fight and win, it’s you. She probably knows it too! That’s probably why she hasn’t gone for her ‘revenge’ in the two years she’s been out roaming freely. Afterall, she recruited you and your bored friend to go after Aang when she could’ve recruited other way scarier and deadlier people. Wait, that came out wrong. You three were plenty scary.”

Ty Lee’s usual response giggles evolved into an all out from-the-stomach laugh. Sokka found himself liking hearing her laugh. He didn’t know her, but she seemed to be a bit saddened ever since she went with them to track down Azula. She seemed to have been in need of a good laugh. Which was weird to say considering they both were once enemies.

“Thanks, Sokka. For listening and...for your kind words. You’ve given me a lot to think about. I’m glad someone as great as Suki has someone like you in her life.”

Sokka felt his cheeks heat up again. “Sometimes we just need someone to talk to. And…someone who’ll listen to you spill out your inner turmoil and say more than just,” he deepened his voice in a poor imitation of Zuko, “‘That’s rough, buddy.’”

There was movement in the hall that pulled Sokka’s attention, a shadow enlarging that was so sudden he jumped in surprise and just barely managed to keep another embarrassing sound from coming out of his mouth. Zuko stepped into the doorway, sporting new clothes and holding a tea set on a tray.

Sokka raised an eyebrow. “You know, I think your uncle rubbed off on you. You always show up with tea unexpectedly.”

A small smile grew on Zuko’s still pale face. His complexion made the dark bags under his eyes all the more noticeable. “It’s mostly for me. I know I won’t get any sleep tonight. And the tea my uncle made always helped me feel a little better. It kind of makes me think he’s here.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t know if you both wanted any, so I brought some extra cups just in case.”

Ty Lee hadn’t scolded Zuko for looking in her direction, so Sokka assumed Azula was clothed now. He slowly turned and saw that the princess was indeed clothed in a simple red robe.

“I just put her in a sleeping robe in case Katara needs to submerge her in water again.” Ty Lee explained. She smiled at Zuko and picked up one of the three steaming cups. “I know I won’t get any sleep tonight either.”

The conversation Sokka had with Ty Lee left him feeling thirsty, but the day’s events were finally catching up with him and a yawn unexpectedly erupted. If Zuko got the tea to help him stay awake then he’d rather grab some water on his way to his room.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll check on Katara and then get some sleep.” He told the other two. “If she’s awake and feeling refreshed I’ll send her over, before we lose the full moon. Trust me, she won’t be happy if we let her sleep the entire night.”

“Sokka,” Zuko said quickly. He motioned towards his sword on the wall. “Why don’t you just take it? I promise I’ll work something out with Azula when she wakes.”

He glanced at his weapon and nearly reached for it. But a part of him did agree with what Aang said about the change of possessions. He would never regret throwing his space sword as it resulted in him and Toph surviving.

His shoulder raised in a shrug. “No, it’s fine. I can wait until Azula hands it to me personally.”

“Are you sure?” Zuko asked. “It’s really the least I can do after what you, Aang and Katara have done. Especially Katara.”

“It wouldn’t be the honorable thing to do, would it?” Sokka teased. In the time he, Katara, Aang and Toph had to pose as Fire Nation citizens during the war he came to learn how important honor was to said nation. “I trust that Azula will take care of it for me until we can work something out. And I know she’ll hate having to hand it over to me. I’ll be looking forward to that.”

He gave the two a farewell and made his way to Katara’s room. He made a mental note to steal Momo from Aang when he finally settled for the night. After the day he had, which was nowhere near as horrible compared to Zuko’s, he could do with a cuddle session.

Chapter Text

[Royal Plaza, Fire Nation Capital]

“I've made my decision,” Zuko repeated.

Since they arrived at First Lord's Harbor Zuko had notified his guards to send out a message to the palace that he would arrive via Appa. Not only would flying on the bison be much faster, but it would also massively decrease the gossip that would stir from the sight of Azula’s limp form. Since the incident she still had yet to regain consciousness. She was completely motionless and her too pale skin nearly made her look dead. No doubt there would be panic for citizens to witness their Fire Lord return home with the crown princess seemingly dead. Even with the seated covering royalty received whenever they traveled by foot it could only conceal so much. No, it was better to travel directly from the ship to the palace on Appa.

However, the sky bison could only carry so many people, which would leave the Kyoshi Warriors and the royal guards behind. Hence why the guard captain tried to convince Zuko to travel to the palace with them to ensure he had protection. But there was no better protection than his friends. And he could defend himself just fine as well.

* * *
[Fire Nation Royal Palace]

The flight back to the palace was quick. The closer they got to the palace, the more nervous Zuko got. Coming home like this was not what he expected, nor wanted. He turned his gaze to his sister. Katara did all she could to heal her, but she still had yet to so much as stir. He was afraid she would never wake. Guilt struck him in the chest so hard it nearly knocked the breath out of his lungs.

They arrived at the palace much too quickly. Zuko felt his hands shake with nervousness as he carefully gathered Azula in his arms and got off Appa with the help of Toph’s earthbending. Royal guards had already surrounded them and he could hear the one or two guards gasp audibly.

He shook his head at one guard that volunteered to take the princess from him. “I got her,” he said.

When he focused his sight to the palace's entrance he could immediately recognize the silhouettes of his mother and uncle among the crowd of more guards and servants. His heart clenched when he saw the small smile on his mother's face slowly fade the closer he got. With how Azula appeared, he didn't doubt his mother feared the worst and she was suddenly collapsing onto her knees. Noren and Kiyi, along with some servants, were quick to check on her. Uncle closed his eyes and his head dipped down very subtlety.

“She's not–,” Zuko couldn't bring himself to say dead. She had been dead, until Katara miraculously brought her back. “She's–,” he couldn't even say she was okay because she wasn't. She was alive, but she still hadn't woken and it's been days since the incident.

When he stepped within inches of his mother she had shakingly gotten to her feet. Tears were streaming down her face and she reached over to cup a palm on Azula's pale cheek.

Zuko swallowed hard. “She's alive, mother.” At first it came out as a whisper. Then his golden eyes looked around them. Numerous servants and guards were looking at them with worried and horrified expressions. He cleared his throat and in a much louder voice said, “The crown princess is injured. Prepare her room and fetch the royal physician.”

There was a flurry of movement as some of the servants left to obey his command.

“What happened?” Mother asked. Her eyes were frantic as she surveyed Azula's body for any injuries.

Uncle placed a hand on her shoulder. “Let us speak privately.”

Zuko nodded. It would be best that he explained everything to them in private. He would have to come up with an explanation to give the public later, otherwise the gossip that would spread would get out of hand. He didn't need to fuel the New Ozai Society further, many of them still believed Azula was the victor of their Agni Kai and the true Fire Lord. He began heading to the palace doors, but then he remembered his friends and looked back.

Aang and the others were busying themselves with unpacking while Katara spoke with one of the servants, possibly refusing to let others unpack for them. Sokka caught his glance and motioned him with a wave to go on ahead. Zuko nodded and followed his family into the palace.

Along the way, Zuko eagerly waited for Azula to stir or even make the slightest sound, some sort of recognition she was finally home after two years being on the run, but she remained silent and unmoving. When they arrived at her bedroom–Zuko kept it as it was except for the occasional cleaning–he carefully placed Azula on her bed. The largeness of it made her small frame appear even smaller.

They had a short moment to talk before servants and the doctor would arrive, so Zuko quickly explained their training accident. He refrained from explaining the incident with the dark spirit, he didn't want to worry his mother even more.

“It was just an accident,” Zuko said at the end of his explanation. “Azula had nearly killed the Avatar once before during the war. So the timing of his girlfriend appearing brought back that memory for her and she acted on instinct to protect him. But because of her Azula is alive. She has the ability to heal with waterbending. I do not want anyone blaming her for Azula being hurt because if not for her…she wouldn't have made it.”

The tears had stopped streaming down his mother's face as she sat on the bed next to Azula and listened to his explanation. “Has she woken since then?”

Zuko frowned and shook his head. “No. Maybe the doctor can find something, but I still have Katara checking on her and healing her.”

Not a second later the doctor stepped into the room. Perspiration dotted his forehead. He must've ran from wherever he was. Zuko appreciated his rapid arrival. He took in the sight of the entire royal family and dropped into a deep bow, he dropped his bag of supplies to the floor, his hands disappeared within his robes’ sleeves and he was bent double. Zuko nearly asked him to get up, but the doctor moved before he could speak.

“Where is the princess injured?” He asked when he picked up his bag.

“Her chest and head have been wounded.” Zuko answered. “She has been unconscious for two days.”

The doctor's eyes widened for a moment before he nodded and stepped next to the bed, on the other side from where mother sat. Zuko noticed his hesitancy to open Azula's robe with three men in the room, but he couldn't bring himself to order royal family members out.

Thankfully his uncle understood the doctors hesitance and called Noren and Kiyi. “Why don't we let the doctor work, hmm?” He smiled down at Kiyi. “I have a new blend of tea that I think would go well with some sweets! But I need an expert's help deciding which sweet would pair with it best.”

“But I want to stay here,” Kiyi complained. Her large eyes cast a worried glance towards the bed.

Noren placed a hand on her small back and shared Iroh's smile. “The faster we let the doctor work the faster your sister will get better, right? Let's join your uncle for a snack.”

Kiyi still looked disappointed, but nodded. She glanced back at her mother.

“Go on, Kiyi.” Mother smiled. “I'll be here when you return to visit later.”

Once they stepped out, the doctor opened Azula's robe and exposed the still raw looking wound on her chest. Mother gasped and covered her mouth with a hand. Despite Katara’s frequent healing, it still looked fresh as if she had gotten the wound hours ago. Katara had explained her healing sessions were most likely working internally where the damage was most severe.

“How did the princess receive these injuries?” The doctor asked. He was already digging into his bag and pulling out bandages and poultices.

“Lightning,” Zuko answered. “She was accidentally exposed to water during a training exercise. And when she collapsed she hit her head on the ship.”

With a grim nod of understanding, the doctor moved his hands towards Azula's head to examine it. Whatever he did, it caused a very low moan to escape the injured woman.

Zuko's eyes widened in surprise, his heart sped up upon finally hearing some sort of life from his sister. “Azula?” Both he and his mother exclaimed.

Her brows furrowed as if in pain, then after a moment her face smoothed and she was still again.

Zuko sighed in disappointment. But he supposed that her slight stir was a small improvement. He had been at her side through the entire trip to the capital since the accident and she hadn't made a single noise. But now she was in the doctor's hands along with mother’s, she had mentioned to him that her mother–his grandmother–was a master herbalist. And he needed to meet with his uncle to see what had happened with the nation in his absence.

“I will send my friend over to help with Azula's recovery. My friend is a master healer from the Water Tribe, and my personal guest. Treat her words as my own. We owe Azula's life to her.” Truthfully Zuko had no idea if Katara would be considered a master healer, but the fact that she made Azula's heart beat again, if that wasn't a master healer then he didn't know what was. To his nation, at least, she would be considered a master.

“As you wish, Fire Lord.” The doctor replied. He gave another quick bow and began to soak a bandage with a poultice.

Trusting his sister was in good hands, Zuko left the room with a heavy heart.

* * *

The first thing that came to her was the pain. A debilitating, constant throbbing in her head that immediately made her feel like she would be sick. Her body was heavy and slow. Her hands groped something soft and smooth underneath her. There was a whimper so weak she nearly didn’t hear it. Then there was a voice, but between the pain and her sluggish mind she couldn't make out the words being spoken. Another voice joined. The voices bounced in her head so painfully it threatened to make her pass out. Who was speaking so loudly?

Something soft and cold rested on her forehead. A hand maybe? The pain still hammered at her, but the touch was soothing in the tiniest sense. Then the voices stopped, or maybe it was just that when she did pass out she ceased to hear anything.

The next bout of consciousness that came she managed to crack her eyelids open. A bright light flickered and she felt like her eyeballs were being cooked. She shut her eyes tightly, but her headache already exploded. Nausea churned her stomach, but whether or not she became sick she didn't know because the darkness was quick to claim her again.

The next time she managed to pry her eyelids open the room she was in was blessedly dark. There was a slight jolt in her chest, she found that she didn't like the darkness, but she couldn't think of why that was. Her head throbbed as if someone was stabbing at it with a dull knife. It took too much effort for her to lift a hand and press on her forehead.

Her ears picked up the sound of wood creaking and something rustling next to her.

“Azula?”

Her eyes shut tight again. Why was someone shouting? Her already painful headache worsened. When she opened her eyes again the room was no longer dark, the entire room was faintly illuminated, but thankfully it didn't burn her eyes. With how her head was feeling she didn't want to try to lift herself up so instead she rolled her head to glance where she detected movement.

Her vision was a little blurry and it took several long blinks until she could see clearly. There was a small table next to the bed she laid on, a sole lit candle the cause of the room's illumination. It hurt her eyes to look at the candle for too long. A woman stood nearby. She had long dark hair that was kept loose, but partially pulled up in a bun. She wore a red robe with gold trimmings.

“Azula,” the woman smiled and bent closer, one of her hands stretched out and she placed a hand on her cheek. Her palm felt cold.

The loudness of her voice made her wince. Why was this woman shouting at her if she was standing so close? And that name…was she calling someone else that was in the room? She slowly rolled her head to peer around the room, but there was no one else but them present.

“Azula? Talk to me. Are you–how do you feel?” This time when the woman spoke she wasn't shouting.

Was she calling her Azula? Strange. That name wasn't familiar. Wait, what was her name? Where was she even? She had never set foot in this room before. Trying to unshuffle the fog in her memories stirred another intense flare of pain to stab through her head. She parted her lips but only a croak escaped.

“You're worrying me. What hurts you?”

She lifted a hand to her forehead. Her mouth watered with nausea. She didn't know if she would vomit if she spoke.

“Head. Hurts.” Was all she could muster. She just wanted to go back to sleep so she could escape the pain.

The woman didn't give her the mercy to rest. Her cold hands went below her armpits and then she was being lifted up to sit. The pain in her skull intensified and she did vomit. Or tried to, but nothing came up. Something was placed in front of her–a bowl it looked like. Her stomach twisted into a knot and every dry heave made the painful hammering of her skull intensify.

Please, make it stop, She thought desperately.

A long moment passed and the bowl was pulled out of her sight when her heaves stopped. She closed her eyes and willed for the darkness to take her again, but then something solid pressed against her bottom lip.

“Drink this.”

Opening her eyes revealed a cup pressed to her mouth. With how nauseated she felt the last thing she wanted was to put something in her stomach. She tightened her lips shut and gave a shake of her head. The movement was a mistake. The room began to spin horribly. Another whimper escaped.

“Please, drink this, Azula. It'll help with the pain.”

Desperate for a little peace she quickly parted her lips. The liquid was bitter. She sputtered, but fought to drink every drop. When she was done the woman gently pushed her back so she was leaning against something plush and soft. She was afraid whatever she drank would come back up, but thankfully it stayed down. Her eyelids shut. She suddenly felt exhausted.

It was hard to tell at first that there was something wrong with her chest, the pain in her head dominated the pain elsewhere. She touched her chest and winced at the impact. It burned something fierce. Every breath she took pulled at the skin painfully.

Being awake was torture. Her head felt like it would burst any moment, nausea cramped in her belly, and now she could hardly breath. She wished the woman gave her something to make her sleep instead. So far whatever concoction she drank had yet to do anything.

Speaking of the woman, she suddenly reached for her chest. On instinct she kept a firm hold of the clothes that covered her. Was she some sort of healer? Who was she?

She licked her lips before she finally asked the most burning question she had since she saw the woman. “Who’re you?”

It was weird that there was a delay between the words she thought to say and the time it took to finally say them. Her words didn't sound clear to her either, they were so slurred she struggled to understand herself.

A sad smile formed on the woman's face. “I know it's been a long time since you saw me, Azula. Last time we met I had a different face.”

A different face? Her head was hurting way too much to figure out the woman's cryptic words. And she kept calling her Azula, it was beginning to frustrate her. The worst thing was she couldn't remember if that was her own name. There were so many more questions slowly brewing in her aching head, somehow trying to think made it hurt more.

“Why d'you keep callin’ me that?”

The woman's eyes widened slightly. “Azula? That's your name.”

Her head pounded harder as she tried to remember. “What happened?”

“What do you remember?”

She groaned both from the relentless hammering in her skull and from the frustration with this woman answering her questions with more questions. She tried massaging her forehead, but the action did nothing.

“I can't remember.” She gave up on trying to think. Maybe if she slept she would feel better. If this woman could leave her alone for a few minutes. “Who are you?”

The woman looked increasingly concerned, from what she could see with her still slightly blurry vision and the little light the lone candle provided. “It's me, Azula. Your mother.” As she spoke, she brushed something off her face before resting her palm on her forehead.

The words were empty. As she looked at the woman she felt no recognition. Her head flared again when she tried to remember anything. But her memories were only of darkness. She closed her eyes and gave into her exhaustion.

Thankfully, the woman who claimed to be her mother let her rest.

As she slept, there were more instances where something woke her. Loud voices, the thundering pounding of her head when she was moved to lay in a different position or when she was lifted and forced to drink more foul concoctions. Once she woke to a powerful sting in her chest, when she cracked her eyes open she saw an old man leaning over her. She didn't know who he was or what he was doing that made her chest burn like it was on fire, but she could do nothing to fight him off. Her limbs still felt heavy and uncoordinated.

“My deepest apologies, Your Highness. But I must change your bandages. Please bear it a little longer.

Why was she wearing bandages? And why did he say your highness? Wasn't she called something else a moment ago? She tried to simply ignore him and return to sleep, but it was hard to do so with her upper body burning.

Then he lifted her up to sit and he pressed something to her mouth. “For the pain, princess. And to help you sleep.”

Princess? It was hard to keep up with all these things she was being called. Still, she wouldn't refuse something to help her sleep so she drained the cup. The old man was true to his word, whatever she drank acted fast and she was pulled under again.

The next time she woke to the sound of water, it sounded gentle and soothing, like a small waterfall. She tried to open her eyes but she felt a weight on top of them. Her arm still felt heavy and sluggish when she reached to grab whatever was on her face. Then something grabbed her hand.

“It's just a towel, Azula. It's bright in here. I think your eyes are sensitive to the light.”

Who was speaking? It was a woman and sounded vaguely familiar. Then another voice spoke.

“I'm almost done. How's the pain?”

Were they both speaking to her? A dull pain throbbed in her head. The silence that followed meant they were waiting for her to answer.

“Dull,” she answered. It was difficult to move her mouth and tongue to speak. Her voice sounded tiny.

“We'll see if the pain increases once I stop waterbending. Shall I get the wound on her chest next?”

Waterbending? The word sounded foreign, yet she knew what it was. What was a waterbender doing with her? She tried to move, but something pressed down on her shoulders.

“Is your chest hurting?”

Again, she assumed that she was the one being addressed. She was starting to feel increasingly anxious, she had no idea where she was or even why she was hurting. There was a burning sensation in her chest that flared each time she drew breath.

“Yes.” She replied.

The cloth over her eyes prevented her from seeing what was happening, but her sensitive ears could hear footsteps over the sound of the pouring water.

“Do you need her robe out of the way?”

“No, it's fine. I'll just waterbend the water out of her clothes and bandages.”

The fire in her chest was quick to cool and the pain ebbed away. A moan escaped her lips. She hadn't realized how wonderful it felt to breathe without pain.

“Does it hurt, Azula?”

That name again. “Feels good,” she muttered. She hated to feel so blinded. For now she didn't care if she was sensitive to light, she wanted to see who she was speaking with. Where she was. She pried the towel from her face before she could be stopped again.

The light was blinding at first, her eyes watered despite her shutting them tight. But she slowly blinked her eyes open and adjusted so long as she squinted. Immediately, she was face to face with the owner of one of the voices. An older woman, she could see wrinkles around her mouth and eyes. Did she meet her once before? The pain in her head flared again. Yes, during one of her bouts of consciousness, this woman claimed to be her mother.

Her apparent mother looked down at her worriedly. “Don’t move yet. Master Katara is almost done with your healing session.”

Another name that meant nothing to her. “What happened? Where am I?” Her speech slightly improved, her enunciation was clearer, but she still spoke much too slowly as if she had to test out each word as she spoke them.

“You were hurt on your way home. You’re in the royal spa right now.” Her mother explained.

Strange, she could remember nothing short from when she first met her supposed mother. And even then she could remember little. She rolled her head to her other side and saw another much younger woman standing next to her. Her gaze wasn’t focused on her, instead she looked like she was focused on something else. Her appearance was much different than her mother. The younger woman had a darker skin tone, her eyes blue, and she was adorned in blue robes with white trimmings. She had to be the waterbender.

After a moment, the waterbender’s eyes drifted towards hers and held her gaze. Again, she felt no recognition. But she could tell that the waterbender knew her. Her expression was also very different from the other woman. Where her so called mother looked at her tenderly and worriedly, the waterbender had a slight stern expression.

Nothing made sense. She hated not knowing who these people were and what her relationship with them was. Where was she? How did she get here?

“Where am I?” She asked. Her eyelids began to feel heavy and she wanted to sleep again. The throb in her head began to pick up with each heartbeat.

The waterbender tore her gaze away and looked at the other woman, her brows furrowed in a slight frown.

“You’re in the royal spa, Azula. Do you remember where that is? Or what the room looks like?”

That name. Was it hers? Why couldn’t she remember? Thinking hurt. She ignored the questions. She just wanted to sleep.

“Tired,” she whispered and shut her eyes.

* * *

Zuko sighed and quickly retreated into his room before he could be flagged down by another noble or officer. Barely a day back–hours since he returned home–and everyone within the palace already knew Azula was back and injured. With the day over, and many of the servants and guards that would return to their homes, that meant that by tomorrow half the capital would have heard the news. By some of the questions his subjects asked of him he could only imagine how much worse the rumors would get. Two nobles thought that Azula had been attacked by him, so they were confused on why he would refer to her as the crown princess. One officer asked that with Azula’s return if that meant he was stripping Kiyi’s title as princess. And many more outlandish questions and rumors were brought up. All just because he returned home with an injured Azula in his arms. Did the royal physician add to the rumors?

Then he had a long discussion with his uncle about what had occurred during his absence. Thankfully that was the usual problems and issues that he was used to handling. But by the end of the day he was exhausted both from the entire trip to track down Azula and from the events that transpired afterwards. Once in his room he dismissed his servants, it would be faster for him to dress himself into his nightly attire.

He looked longly at his bed. As much as he wanted to end his day and get some rest, he wanted to check on the rest of his family. Noren and Kiyi had already retired for the day, but his mother had yet to return to their room. He wasn’t surprised, no doubt she’d be by Azula’s side.

Unsure if Azula was having her bandages tended to, he chose to knock on the door before he opened it. But he hadn’t expected for the door to immediately crack open and see his mother’s face peek through the gap. When she saw him she slowly opened the door just wide enough for him to squeeze through and she pressed a finger to her lips.

“She’s sleeping,” mother whispered and shut the door behind him. The room was quite dim with only a single candle lit.

“How is she?” He whispered back. He glanced towards the bed where Azula laid on her back, a blanket was pulled up to her shoulders. Some color returned to her skin, from what he could see with what little light there was. A cloth was draped on her forehead and he just realized the scent of lit incense.

When his mother took too long to answer, Zuko peered at her and saw how worried she looked. “Should we go to another room to speak?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to leave her alone. She’s been waking frequently throughout the day.”

That was good news. But he understood her reason for not wanting to leave her. “We’ll have a guard watch her then. If she wakes, the guard can fetch us.”

That seemed to satisfy her, she nodded and followed him out of the room. He flagged down a patrolling guard and assigned him to watch Azula and immediately report to him personally if she woke. The nearest empty room they retreated into was actually his old bedroom when he was still a prince. Since his mother returned to the palace he had given his old room to Kiyi, but he knew that she preferred to sleep with mother and Noren in their bedroom.

Unlike Azula’s bedroom, his room had a window so it was much less dark with the moonlight seeping in. Still, he used his firebending to light a lamp. Then they both sat on the bed, side by side.

“How is she, mother?” He asked again.

The worried expression never left her face. “She’s been in pain every time she wakes up. But something is wrong.”

Zuko’s heart gave a subtle jolt and it felt like his stomach dropped to his feet. Could it be something with her heart? Even though Katara made it beat again, maybe something didn’t heal correctly.

“She doesn’t remember me.”

He frowned. Maybe she didn’t recognize mother because it had been nearly a decade since they both had seen her? And last they met, mother had a different face. He voiced his thoughts, but mother simply shook her head.

“It’s worse than that, Zuko.”

Before he could mutter a question on what she meant, a heavy knock sounded at the door. Fear crossed his mother’s features and she quickly went to the door and opened it. It was the guard from earlier.

“Your Highness, the princess is awake.”

Mother said nothing, she nearly pushed the guard aside and left. Zuko sighed. Of course Azula would wake now. The anxiety of his mother’s words ate at him. He nearly ordered the guard to bring Katara, but the man would’ve been much more frantic if anything had been wrong. He dismissed the guard and headed back to Azula’s room where he found mother leaning over his sister.

He breathed a little easier when took in her appearance. She just looked like she was waking from a nap, but she held a hand to her forehead. The cloth that was on it before fell somewhere out of sight.

The young Fire Lord stepped next to the bed. If she didn’t recognize their mother, maybe his presence would help keep her civil. Last thing he needed for the night was for Azula to start throwing fire at an unfamiliar face.

“Azula,” he called. He noticed she winced, but she didn’t immediately respond. After a moment her eyes scanned the room before finally settling on him. She frowned. But it wasn’t her usual frowns she sometimes greeted him with. Instead she looked confused.

“Why does everyone call me that?” She muttered. Her voice sounded off. It took Zuko a moment to realize she sounded a lot like someone that was a little heavy on drinking and drunk. Then her words began to sink in. By then he noticed how she seemed to study him, but her face remained passive. “Who’re you?”

His eyes widened. Even if the poor lighting hid his face in shadow, Azula always recognized his voice. Oftentimes he didn’t even have to speak before she knew of his presence when he was out of her line of sight. “It’s me, Zuko.”

She blinked at him.

Mother, who was still standing next to her bed, cast her face down and lifted a hand to her mouth. A small, distressed sound escaped her.

“Your brother? Zuzu.”

She blinked at him a few more times. There was no recognition in her gold eyes. They just continued to blankly stare at him.

Now he understood his mother’s implications. Something was wrong.

Chapter Text

It had only been a day since they returned to the palace, but it felt like so much longer. There wasn't much for Sokka to unpack, so he spent the remainder of the day relaxing and taking a few naps. He wasn't used to being idle, so with not much to do the day felt like it dragged. He could only clean his weapons for so long. He didn't have to worry about cleaning his own clothes since Zuko's servants took care of that for him. Suki had been busy all day, and probably would continue to be unavailable for a few days, especially since she had guard duty for the evenings.

Despite Sokka's lack of things to do, he noticed how quickly the palace was buzzing with activity. Servants darted to and from their destinations, all while gossiping about Azula's return. Sokka couldn't say he was surprised to hear numerous servants and guards express fear of the princess’ return. He couldn't help but be intrigued by what everyone had to say about her, before when Azula was princess reagent and began to behave differently.

Sokka could never turn down an opportunity to look into a mystery to unfold. While he was already aware Azula was crazy, back before when she was chasing Aang, but also afterwards when he tagged along with Zuko to help him find his mother. But hearing about it from her own people was intriguing. So he had nothing else to do but sneak around and listen to the gossip.

Sadly all of his friends were too busy to tag along with him. Toph did not mind being idle, in fact she loved opportunities to do absolutely nothing. And she surprisingly took a liking to the palace's private spa. Katara was busy with Azula's healing sessions. And Aang disappeared with Zuko and Iroh. Sure, Sokka felt a teensy bit disappointed there wasn't really anything he could do, but it was only their first day back. And until Suki was free, he walked about the palace listening to the staff talk about their trepidation about Azula's return.

From what he understood so far, many of the servants and guards were already scared of Azula due to the power she held as a princess. Worse, as a firebending prodigy she could do no wrong in her father's eyes when he was Fire Lord. But what Sokka found interesting was how apparently she became worse when she was princess reagent, she became increasingly paranoid and even more unpredictable. The days following her coronation as Fire Lord the palace had been empty when she banished nearly everyone she came in contact with. The reasons for banishment were trivial and nonsensical.

The grand mystery Sokka was occupying himself in solving? Originally he was hoping to find something he could use against Azula to help him get his sword back. But so far he had no luck learning anything he could use. And really, he just wanted to occupy his day. The gossip was interesting in a sense. He couldn't outright question people. Even as one of Zuko's personal guests, he knew people were reserved with their information to outsiders. And without his Wang Fire disguise, he stood out.

The next day Sokka woke up early, intending to seek out the armory and hopefully find some guards in the middle of training. Now that he knew the possibility of getting his sword back, he felt motivated to get back to his training. Even if he didn't have his sword in his possession yet, it didn't mean he couldn't train. And he trusted Zuko to find a way to get his sword back to him.

One of the perks about being a personal guest of the Fire Lord at the palace was that he was treated like royalty himself. A servant was quick to notice him aimlessly wandering about and offered to take him to the armory and then to the training grounds. No one was against him taking a sword for himself and plenty of soldiers were willing to spar with him, even if he felt like most were simply entertaining the chance to spar against an outsider to flex their skills.

Sokka's confidence took a small dip in a few spars he had with two soldiers. When he had trained on his own his muscle memory was still familiar with his techniques and movement, but in actual combat his reaction times were slow. His sight was capable of keeping up with his opponent, but his body was sluggish. And so he lost all of the spars.

Maybe it was a good thing Azula refused to fight me for my sword, Sokka thought to himself dejectedly.

But he didn't let his losses get to him. He just needed to shake off the rust and get back into shape. And at least now he had something to occupy his time.

For now, he was in dire need of food.

At least he remembered his way to the kitchens. But a servant notified him that the Fire Lord requested for his guests to join him for breakfast. Sokka was too hungry to bother returning to his room to wash up and change out of his training clothes. When he stepped into one of the smaller dining rooms Zuko preferred to eat with his friends and family, Sokka saw that he was the last to arrive. His sister, Aang, Toph, Zuko and Iroh were present, but the rest of Zuko's family were absent.

“Sokka! Good morning.” Aang was the first to greet him and waved him over.

Feeling slightly embarrassed for being the last to arrive, Sokka sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck as he walked to one of the empty seats. The dining room was still grand, easily double the size of most dining rooms Sokka has normally been in, the furniture sparse but of fine craftsmanship. The table was big enough to accommodate everyone comfortably.

“Sorry for being late,” Sokka said as he plopped down on a seat next to Toph. He noticed that despite several plates of food sitting in the center of the massive table, everyone's plates were empty. Either he arrived just in time or everyone had been waiting for him. The latter made him feel guilty.

“It's actually my fault for asking you all to meet me here on such short notice,” Zuko replied, a small smile on his face. The skin under his eyes were noticeably getting darker. Sokka was aware Zuko hadn't left Azula's side when they were returning to the palace, and it looked like he hadn't gotten any rest since they returned either.

“Still,” Sokka added, then he waved a hand towards the food. “I hope you all weren't waiting too long for me.” Now that he was closer to the plates, he could see that steam still danced above them.

“A meal is better among pleasant company.” Iroh assured after he took a sip from his cup.

Zuko nodded and motioned to the table. Sokka needn't be told twice. He quickly began shoving food both onto his plate and in his mouth all while ignoring the unpleasant glares his sister gave him from across the table.

“What did you want to talk to us about, Zuko? How's Azula?” Aang asked.

Sokka tried not to feel surprised by Aang's genuine concern for a former enemy, but he was. Azula had chased them relentlessly for months, drove them to massive amounts of stress and sleepless nights, nearly killed Aang himself, but his friend still thought of her with concern.

Zuko's shoulders rose slightly and then slumped down as he took a deep breath, worry creased his face. He almost looked pained somehow.

“She's…awake now. But…well,” Zuko lifted his head and peered at Katara. “Have you healed many people with head injuries?”

His sister's eyebrows lifted, she hadn't expected that question. Her blue eyes rolled upwards and her brows furrowed, her face tended to scrunch up when she fell deep in thought. Sokka took a careful sip of still steaming soup while they all waited for Katara to answer.

“I can't say that I have. When I was learning how to heal with the Northern Water Tribe we did have someone who had a nasty fall and he hit his head. I wasn't the one who healed him, but I was there.”

Zuko looked hopeful. “How was he? I mean, how did he act?”

Sokka lifted an eyebrow and he paused mid sip. Was Azula behaving differently somehow?

“He was confused at first. And he kept asking the same questions. Why do you ask? Is it Azula?”

Zuko looked conflicted. His hands that were folded on the table tightened and his lone eyebrow inched closer to his gold eye. Then he nodded.

“I wanted to update you all about my sister. And to ask you all not to let anyone else know about this.”

“What do you mean? What happened?” Aang asked.

Iroh, who had been sitting silently, placed his bowl and chopsticks down on the table. “Nephew, why don't you start from the beginning?”

Zuko rubbed his temples. “Yesterday Azula finally woke up. But there's something wrong. She doesn't remember anything.”

Sokka nearly spat out his soup.

“Do you mean she doesn't remember what happened? The…accident I mean.” Katara asked. “Because that's what happened with the man from the Northern Water Tribe. He was confused at first, but afterwards when he recovered he couldn't remember the moment when he got hurt.”

Zuko shook his head. “No. It's worse than that. She didn't recognize my mom.” He paused and took a sip from his tea.

“Both you and Azula were children when your mother left.” Iroh pointed out. “It is not too surprising that she would have difficulty recognizing your mother.”

“I thought the same thing,” Zuko countered. “But she can't even remember her own name! She didn't recognize me either.”

Sokka had been about to shovel rice into his mouth when he stilled. How could someone forget their own name?

Toph was the first to express her doubt. “She's really good at lying. What if she's just trying to mess with you?”

Zuko appeared surprised. After a moment, as the words sunk in his face fell. “I…that's possible.”

“Wait,” Katara interjected. “I healed her once yesterday when she was awake. I thought it was a little odd that she seemed confused and kept asking the same questions, but then I remembered she was behaving similarly as the man with the head injury. But when she looked at me, I could see the confusion in her eyes. There was no recognition when she saw me.”

A heavy sigh escaped Zuko. “Azula is very convincing when she lies. I'm not saying she is lying, but it is possible.”

“So it is possible that Azula could honestly have lost her memories, or she could be pretending to. What would she gain by pretending?” Iroh stated.

Sokka found himself joining the conversation with an audible scoff. “She's crazy, does she need a reason?”

Zuko had been tapping his finger on the table as he mulled over Iroh's question. “She could be trying to get us to lower our guards.”

“But didn't you both reach an agreement to work together?” Aang pointed out.

“Yes. But maybe this way, pretending to lose her memories makes it easier for her to gain my trust.” Zuko rubbed his temples again. Then he glanced up at Katara. “The man that you mentioned. You said he only forgot how he got hurt?”

Katara nodded. “His injury wasn't as severe as Azula’s. He was unconscious for a few minutes. For Azula it was, what, two days?”

“Maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves,” Iroh added. “It's only been a day since you all have returned. It's possible that Azula's memory loss is genuine, and within time as her injury heals her memories may return.”

“Or,” Toph replied, “If she's lying, she may slip up.”

“What do you think, Zuko?” Aang asked.

The Fire Lord looked torn while he mulled over his thoughts and he rubbed his eyes.

“We are at our best when we are well rested.” Iroh announced.

Aang nodded. “Yeah. Maybe after some well deserved rest you can think with a clear head.”

“Maybe,” Zuko's shoulders sagged. “But can we all please keep Azula's possible memory loss to ourselves? My mother knows, so it's okay to speak of it with her. Noren and Kiyi never really interacted with Azula so they shouldn't notice anything is wrong. But I'm worried about how people will react if they find out. And some may even take advantage of that.”

“Like the New Ozai Society?” Toph replied.

Just hearing their name brought a surge of annoyance within Zuko. To think a group of people still worshiped his father–a power hungry warmonger who cared little to none for his own people– over himself who just wanted his people to live peacefully and prosper was frustrating. “Especially them,” Zuko agreed.

The remainder of their meal turned to lighter topics of conversation, though Zuko often apologized for their ruined plans of relaxation. Aang and Katara profusely assured him that their plans were not ruined.

By the end of their meal, when Sokka was blissfully full and content, he randomly remembered Azula's journal. If she truly forgot her memories, maybe her own journal would help her? As dark as her entries were, it was still her past. Recovering a few memories may help trigger more to return. He waited until everyone left so he could speak to Zuko alone, though Iroh remained.

“Hey, Zuko?” Said Sokka as he approached his gold eyed friend. “Listen, so about Azula. If she really did lose her memories, I think there's something that might be able to help. Possibly.”

Zuko's good eye widened slightly, his fatigued appearance vanished. “What is it?”

“Remember how I had Azula's bag? Well I had forgotten it was hers, and there was a moment where her things fell out. At first I thought it was just my stuff, until I came across this book. It wasn't familiar to me so I opened it. I think it's a journal. She wrote down what seemed like dreams and labeled them if they were real or not. Maybe it can help her remember?”

There was a look of surprise with a hint of curiosity in his friends eyes. Then a small smile grew. “That's a great idea, Sokka. Thank you.”

He shrugged. “Don't mention it.” He paused mid step as he remembered how troubling Azula's journal was. “Fair warning, I wouldn't read it to her like a bedtime story, especially if your mother or your youngest sister is present. Azula's memories are…intense.”

That seemed to have intrigued both Zuko and Iroh further.

“I appreciate the warning as well.”

Sokka gave them a slight bow that turned out to be more of a head nod and then left. He startled when he turned a corner down the hall and nearly collided into Toph who had been leaning against a wall. Her arms were crossed and a smirk decorated her pale face.

“Wanna bet on how Zuko will react when he reads the dragon princess’ journal?”

Sokka rolled his eyes. But then he wondered, how would he react if Katara had a journal with such troubling contents?

“My money is that he’ll burn something down.”

Toph scoffed. “As if you have any money to bet with.”

* * *

Zuko had hoped that by telling his uncle and friends about Azula's memory loss that they would reassure him that everything would turn out okay, that maybe it was temporary that Azula couldn't remember anything. Instead, they voiced valid concerns. What if Azula was merely pretending?

Azula always lies. He thought to himself. It was a bitter reminder to himself as a child when Azula always told him something that caused him some sort of distress. Her lies came so naturally it was impossible to tell when she was being truthful or simply manipulating him in some way.

But what would she gain to lie about losing her memories? Maybe it was a way to get out of helping him? That had to be it. It felt like too much of a convenience for her to lose her memories, and as such she wouldn't have the knowledge to help him as an advisor.

Could his sister truly be that petty?

A throb pulsed between his eyes the more he debated with his thoughts. His uncle kindly volunteered to continue taking care of the kingdom a little longer so he could get some rest. That opened up his schedule for the entire day. And he was too drained to do anything with his friends. They all needed time to recover from their encounter with the dark spirit that possessed Azula. But before he retired to his room for some rest, he wanted to retrieve Azula's journal and read it first before he handed it to her. Sokka’s vague warning about it only piqued his interest. It felt wrong to read something so personal, but if it helped her recover some of her memories then surely it would be worth the invasion of her privacy.

He wasn't surprised to find his mother in Azula's room. She looked haggard and as tired as he felt. Despite the burning incense on one of the bedside tables, he could smell the distinct acidic scent of vomit. His eyes swept towards the bed, Azula laid on her side, curled up and asleep. The thought of her being sick worried him further.

“Mom,” he whispered. “Noren and Kiyi are spending the day at the markets today. One of the guards can keep an eye on her. You should get some rest.”

As he predicted, his mother simply smiled and shook her head.

Zuko cast another worried glance at his sister. “How is she?”

Mother sighed and visibly slumped in her chair. “Her headaches are especially bad today. She can hardly stay awake long enough to eat. But she can't keep anything down. Even the herbs that are supposed to help her with the pain.” She slouched forward and covered her face with her hands. “I don't know what to do, Zuko.”

The young Fire Lord frowned, he felt horrible to see his mother so distraught. And that he was powerless to do anything to help his sister. Despite the cooler weather, the room felt stifling. It didn't help that there was no window. “Why not leave the door open?” It felt like a dumb question, especially to avoid his mother’s concerns, but he was out of his element. He had no idea how to respond to comfort his mother.

“She's sensitive to light and sounds. I tried leaving the door open, but she complained of how loud passing guards or servants were. I could hardly hear them, but to her she said it made her ears ring. And worsened her headache.”

“Then we'll move her to a different room,” Zuko pressed. He didn't like the thought of both his mother and sister suffering in a room with little air circulation. Azula couldn't help it if she got violently ill, but the faint smell of her sickness made it harder to endure staying in the room. And by moving her elsewhere he had the excuse to look for her bag.

“She can have a room with a window that leads to the gardens. It's naturally quiet and peaceful there. Fresh air will do you both good. And we can have another bed added for you. That way you won’t have to leave her side, and you can get some rest.” He glanced at one of the small bedside tables that was littered with herbs, cups, and a mortar and pestle. “And a bigger table so you can continue making her medicine.”

His suggestion had the desired effect. A small smile grew on his mother’s face as she straightened. “Yes, that’s a good idea.”

“Has Katara seen her?”

Mother was already on her feet and slowly pulled the blanket off of Azula. “I didn’t want to bother her so early in the day. I can tell that healing is tiring for her. She deserves some rest.”

Zuko shook his head. Mother deserved the same. He excused himself to fetch some servants to prepare one of the rooms closest to the gardens and arranged for some guards to keep people from walking through the halls leading into said room to prevent Azula from being disturbed.

Once Azula was taken to the new room, with his mother following, he sought out her bag. Thankfully it didn’t take long to find it, the leather satchel was stored nearby her–Sokka’s–sword. He nearly took the blade, it was a good opportunity to return it to its rightful owner, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. If Azula recovered her memories it was only right that he arranged to retrieve the sword from her then. He left the weapon where it rested, but picked up the bag and emptied the contents onto the now vacant bed.

There were only two leather bound books among Azula’s belongings. He opened one and immediately recognized it as the book Admiral Chan had described that Azula stole from him. That left the second book as Azula’s journal. He stuffed both small books into his robes and set off to return to his room.

Ever since Sokka's vague warning his imagination ran wild with the many theories he had that Azula wrote in her journal. But all of his thoughts didn't prepare him for what was actually in it. He started from the beginning.

They promised to monitor. Only watch. They watched to see how long until I broke. Locked up in a pitch black cell, impossible to tell how many days pass other than the consistent time they left food. The small rations and lack of activity, the intensity of the hunger between meals possibly meant they fed me once a day. Resorted to using touch and smell to seek out the trays of stale food and the gutter hole that served as a toilet. The silence would stop her voice, they said. It didn't work. –Real memory. First four months in the nuthouse.

It was difficult to decipher all the emotion that twisted in Zuko's gut. A mixture of anger–no fury–, horror, disgust, and disbelief. She spent four months in the dark and nearly starved? When he had finally seen her after a year she looked thinner, but not so noticeable he would’ve thought she was fed so little for so long. His thoughts immediately went to what Azula told him about the mental institution.

It's amazing what happens under your nose when you don't pay attention to the details.

What did they do to you? He had asked her then.

They did enough.

His hands heated in reaction to his anger, but he quickly took a deep breath and kept his temper in check. If he let his anger influence his chi, he would burn the book in his hands. He was only on the very first entry. He was almost afraid to read the rest of it. But he continued on to the next.

Zuko visited me. When her voice became so loud and constant and unbearable he appeared. Offered to take me home, praised all I did during the war. –Half true. Zuzu never visited.

Zuko grimaced as a sliver of guilt struck him. During his first year as Fire Lord–the duration of Azula's admittance in the mental institution–he had been so busy he rarely thought about his sister. At least until he received reports about her mental state. The first few he read always stated the same thing, there had been no change in her mental health. Eventually, he stopped checking the reports.

He turned the page and read on.

The cold was supposed to grant me peace from her voice, they said. Left in a frigid cold room for hours until I was no longer able to firebend. Even when I was freed I still couldn't firebend for days. –True memory.

Zuko gripped the book so hard the page crinkled under his thumb. How dare the mental institution throw people into coolers! And mentally ill patients at that. Coolers were only ever used for firebending criminals if they became violent with prison guards. Besides that, it troubled him with how often Azula kept referring to her voice. It was similar to what she frequently said a few years ago when they were looking for their mother. Whose voice was she hearing?

The food or water is unsafe to consume. It started with uncle when he came to visit and brought his vile hot leaf water. The tea was laced with poison. Rather than making me sick it only brought darkness. Days or weeks passed until I was aware again. –Half real, uncle never came to visit either.

His throat felt dry and he struggled to swallow the hard lump that formed. Now he understood why Azula wanted to burn down the institution. If they did these things to her…and he remembered what she said about some families that send their own children to this place just because they were unhappy with them. He was only two pages in and he already wanted to send some guards to the institution and burn it down himself.

He stood up and paced. If he showed this to Azula and if she was pretending to lose her memories then surely she'd still have the drive to burn down the mental institution. But then he thought of her appearance earlier. Even though she had been sleeping her face looked pained. And if her headaches were so bad that she was sick, well he knew she couldn't fake that. But he was getting ahead of himself. And he still had more pages to read through.

It was horrible to read more. Sokka had been right, the entries were like a record of dreams. Each was marked as real or fake so it was safe to assume Azula was having difficulty remembering what were her memories and what were merely nightmares.

Somehow, the thought that she had to write these things down in a book saddened him. Nightmares were no strangers to him, uncommon but he had them rarely. As a child his mother helped him realize the nightmare was just a dream. As an adult, well he always had his uncle or a friend nearby to ground him. For Azula to keep a record of her own dreams to help her remember what was real, well he wondered if she was truly better. It seemed the mental institute only made things worse for her.

He read on and on. By the end of it he realized that nearly every entry was focused on either her experiences in the institute or centered around their family. Majority were a mixture of both. The most saddening part, he realized, was that any entry that involved a family member was always marked as fake or a lie. She never had any pleasant dreams that were real memories.

Bitterness wrapped around Zuko's throat until he nearly choked. Azula was always their father's favorite because she was so perfect. The perfect scholar. The perfect fighter. The perfect strategist. The perfect firebender. The perfect heir. Then he wondered, was she ever happy? He always assumed so with how widely Azula would grin every time his father would scold him. Or punish him. A hand unconsciously touched his scar.

Her final entry, however, made him feel as if he was physically punched in the chest. She dreamt of being home, accepted–no loved– by all family members, including Kiyi. But her final words were what saddened him.

The morning after, everyone was gone. Abandoned again. –Real memory.

Was that how she felt about their family? Abandoned? But then he remembered her previous entries, she frequently dreamt of a family member visiting her at the mental institution, but she always clarified that no one ever visited. His chest tightened and his heart hurt as if it was actually being squeezed.

Yet he also felt conflicted. Of course he and uncle hadn't visited Azula. She hunted them down relentlessly, attacked him countless times. But, she was following father's orders. He was the last person to judge his sister for blindly obeying their father. He may have cared for Azula more for being so perfect, but Zuko knew intimately of the consequences for disobeying him.

But she extended a hand to me when she conquered Ba Sing Se. Gave me credit for killing Aang, even if she did it because she knew I lied about him possibly surviving. She made me feel included in meetings I wasn’t directly invited to.

She had recurring dreams of both him and uncle praising her. Of mother telling her she was proud of her.

My own mother thought I was a monster.

He tossed Azula's journal onto his bed and leaned onto his knees and then brought his hands to his face. Sokka warned him, but he wasn't prepared for that. He couldn't possibly give that journal back to Azula if she truly lost her memories. Could he?

He felt torn and unsure of what to do. He lifted his head to peer out the window. The sun was starting to set. His uncle might be available for counsel. He began to stand and then paused. Grabbing the journal again, he skimmed through the pages until he found the one he sought.

Living in the palace as a princess. Zuko referred to me for counsel.

She dreamt she was his advisor. But was that something she wanted? If so, then she couldn’t possibly be lying about losing her memories to get out of their agreement. He had to speak to his uncle.

He found Iroh in one of his offices going through some of the endless paperwork.

“Zuko! I thought you would be resting.” His usual kind eyes flashed with an analytical glance. He placed the scroll he had been reading down onto the table. “What troubles you?”

Zuko sighed. Where would he even begin? He handed Azula’s journal to him. “I’ll spare you from having to read it personally. But you’re still welcome to see it for yourself.” And then he summarized the book’s contents. His uncle rarely showed emotion other than joy and he always maintained a calm, kind appearance. But as he fell into the details of Azula’s dreams and memories, even he looked troubled and sorrowful. Especially as he skimmed through the journal.

By the end of his explanation, Iroh slid the book across the desk towards Zuko. “It both impresses and saddens me of all of which you and your sister have gone through despite your youth.” He paused. “I would suggest not showing that journal to your mother. She has suffered enough through the guilt of giving up her memories of her children. Azula’s experiences she endured with people we trusted to care for those incapable of caring for themselves will only make her guilt greater.”

Zuko took the book and nodded. He hadn’t meant to even let his mother become aware of Azula’s possession by a dark spirit. If he could barely stomach the book’s contents, he was afraid of how his mother would react if she read it herself.

“I wanted to ask for your advice. I know it’s a bit early to tell whether or not Azula’s memory loss is genuine. Or if she’ll recover them as she gets better. But would it be a good idea to give this book to her to help her remember her past? Or would it make things worse?”

His uncle hummed and folded his hands across his belly. “As you have mentioned, there are a lot of things we do not know about Azula’s condition. As great of a healer Katara is, even she does not have the experience or knowledge to guide us on how to help your sister. It is painful to watch our loved ones suffer and it often makes us desperate for a quick solution. But a quick solution is not always the best solution.”

Zuko’s head throbbed. He still wished his uncle would be straightforward with his advice. But, surprisingly he was quick to understand his implication. “So what you’re saying is, there’s a lot we don’t know. And thrusting Azula’s traumatic memories so soon may do her more harm.”

“Compared to me and your mother, you know your sister best. And I will mention my earlier advice again. We are at our best when we are well rested.”

A weak smile grew on Zuko’s face. “Sleep on it. Got it, uncle.” He rubbed his eyes. He just hoped he would be able to sleep after everything he learned. “Thank you. But maybe you should take some of your own advice. By morning I can pick up where you left off. I'm sure your staff and customers are missing you at your tea shop.”

“They'll be fine on their own. I do not mind staying a bit longer. It is rare to have the entire family and friends together.”

This was true, Zuko realized. Since his mother returned to the palace with Noren and Kiyi, their family had still been incomplete when Azula disappeared in Forgetful Valley. It was rare to get all of his friends together as well. Aang had an order of Air Acolytes growing, Katara and Sokka traveled, and Toph was in charge of her own metalbending school. Even all of the Kyoshi Warriors were present. He'd definitely have to arrange his family's vacation home on Ember Island to be cleaned and ready for everyone. Hopefully soon, once Azula recovered.

Despite everything that Zuko learned that day, he was asleep before his second breath when he finally laid on his bed.

* * *

What felt like hours between consciousness was actually days. At first her headaches had been so painful it felt like just laying down made them worse, no matter the position she slept in. Once, there had been a crash of something breaking upon impact, but the sound had been so loud her ears rang and she would have screamed or cried or both from how her head felt like it was slowly being ripped apart. But speaking only multiplied the pain so she suffered in silence.

Somehow the relentless throbbing in her skull churned her stomach and she felt nauseated all the time. She tried to refuse the food and water she was given, but whoever was with her was persistent. Whatever she ate and drank never stayed down for long. When she was sick to her stomach her head hurt so much she teetered on passing out. Her only reprieve came when she woke to a waterbender tending to her. She didn't know what the person did, but it was the only time she could simply exist in peace.

There was finally a day that she woke up where the pain retreated enough for her to feel the need to get out of bed. Her thoughts were slow, but it was nearly blissful to finally feel something other than agony. A cool breeze caressed her heated cheeks and carried a slightly floral scent. Through blurry vision, she could slightly make out the shape of a window near her bed.

A voice called out suddenly. Then there was a woman in red robes stepping into her line of vision, as blurry as it was.

The woman was familiar somehow. “Who are you again?” Azula asked. Despite the older woman's insistence, she kicked the covers off of her. Her limbs felt both slow and weak. But she was eager to stand up.

The woman looked at her as if she was slapped and nearly on the verge of tears. “I'm…I'm your mother, Azula.”

She felt as if she heard this before. But the past few days have been nothing but a haze of pain. “That's my name?”

The woman–her mother–nodded. “How are you feeling?”

“My head hurts,” Azula muttered as she prepared herself to stand. It should've been a sign for her not to stand if merely sitting upwards made her dizzy, but she was determined to get closer to the window. She felt starved of fresh air. The scent of burning incense made her feel suffocated and didn’t help the still present ache in her head. As soon as her weight pressed against her feet she felt her legs wobble and the room began to spin.

She hadn't realized she was falling until cold arms wrapped around her. Through the dizziness she could see her mother was the one that kept her from introducing her face to the ground.

“You should be resting. What is it you need?”

Azula squeezed her eyes shut and willed the room to stop spinning. “Air.” She huffed.

“Okay. Sit on the bed while I move a chair to the window.”

She replied with a grunt and collapsed back onto the bed. Soon she felt those cold arms gently guide her back to her feet. Was she on a ship? Walking felt as if she was on a rocking boat in the middle of a brutal storm. She felt her proximity to the window before she could see it. The breeze that continued to flow in felt wonderful against her hot skin. Why was she even sweating? Slowly, she became all too aware of how her clothes and hair clung to her skin. The woman’s cold hands felt heavenly when she brushed some of her hair off her face and pressed a palm to her cheek.

Her mother. She had to keep reminding herself that this woman was apparently her mother. Especially with how she looked at her with such concern and the comforting touches she was successful in making Azula feel like she was truly her mother. But why couldn’t she remember her? Or anything for that matter. It was strange that she understood the concept of a mother, but didn’t recognize her own. She winced when a spike suddenly drilled into her temple.

“What is it?”

Azula stopped trying to remember anything and slowly the ache reduced. Even while sitting she felt her body teeter to the side and would have fallen off the chair if not for her mother steadying her. Then, she realized she was feeling embarrassed to be in such a sorry state.

“What happened?” She asked.

With her closer proximity, and several blinks later, Azula could finally see her mother’s face much more clearly and how she peered at her with deep concern. “What’s the last thing you remember?”

Azula closed her eyes again in hopes that the dizziness would just let her be. The spike of pain came back when she tried to recollect any memories beyond simply being in bed. “Nothing.”

“Okay. That’s okay.” And then she explained how she had gotten hurt. A training session that was misunderstood that resulted in her injuring her head. But the explanation only confused her further. What training session? How could that be misunderstood? The confusion only made her feel increasingly frustrated.

Her mother’s cold hand rested on her temple. The coolness of it felt so good on her heated skin. She didn’t feel feverish so she had no idea why she was even sweating. Or was the room simply much too warm? Her frustration grew.

“Do you feel sick?”

Azula opened her eyes. The dizziness retreated significantly, but the best she could describe herself was that her head didn’t feel right. And she couldn’t decide if she was hungry or nauseated. Her mouth wasn’t watering at least. Her tongue actually felt dry and kept sticking to the roof of her mouth.

“I’m thirsty.”

“I’ll get you some water. Do you think you can keep sitting up without falling?”

Initially the question felt insulting. She wasn’t a toddler struggling to keep upright. Azula nearly voiced her thoughts until she realized her mother’s arms were no longer holding her steady and she felt herself begin to sway. Her own arms were clumsy, but she managed to keep herself steady by using the wall next to her as support.

She was so focused on not falling over she hadn’t noticed her mother returned with a cup. Having to be held so she could sit was embarrassing enough as it was so she refused to have the cup held for her. Though she nearly spilled water all over herself when she missed her own mouth. If she wasn’t so thirsty she would’ve thrown the cup in anger.

Why was she so useless?

Her mother was quick to take the cup from her once she drained it down to the last drop. She thought about demanding for some more, but she wasn’t eager to fill her stomach in case it threatened to come back up. Regardless, her mother returned with the same cup but it was filled with a liquid that had a greenish tint to it. She didn’t feel comfortable drinking an unknown concoction so she sniffed it, it smelled of something herbal.

“It’s for the pain. Hopefully it’ll make you sleep more comfortably.”

Something stirred in Azula’s chest, but she couldn’t determine what it was. It was pleasing to be catered to so much. Though, strangely she couldn’t remember if she was often treated in such a manner. She was still thirsty, so she drained the cup again. It was bitter, but it helped quench the last of her demanding dry mouth and throat.

No sooner had she extended the empty cup to her mother when she was suddenly enveloped in an embrace by her mother. It was awkward at first, she had no idea if she should return the gesture. To her, this woman was still a stranger.

Her mother’s breath hitched as if she was holding back a sob. “I’m so sorry, Azula.”

The apology meant nothing to her. What did her mother have to apologize for? Unless she was somehow responsible for her injury and lack of memory.

“I regret giving up my memories of you and your brother.”

She had a brother? And what did she mean by giving up her memories? The dull throb in her head increased ever so slightly as she tried to rummage through the emptiness of her memories, but she couldn’t remember anything. Her own name was foreign to her. She had no recollection of what she , herself, even looked like. If she were to meet her brother she had no doubt he’d just be another stranger to her.

The cold arms around her squeezed ever so slightly. “I love you, Azula. I always have.” Then her mother pulled away from the embrace and placed her cold hands on either side of her head. She could feel the woman’s thumb brush away stray hair from her temple. Her mother’s concern expression shifted to that of something that pained her. “I was afraid for you. Yet I did nothing to protect you from your father. When your memories return…I hope that you’ll forgive me.”

So she had both a father and a brother. Yet she was still confused. What was her mother afraid of? Why did she need protection from her own father? Nothing made sense. The ache in her head increased if she thought too hard, so she refrained from thinking of anything. Then her mother pulled her into another embrace. Azula wanted to pull away, the constant intimacy somehow made her feel uncomfortable as if it was all too new to her. Yet, the comfort and warmth she felt from her supposed mother’s arms felt soothing and almost like it was something she deeply desired. Almost like the water that had quenched her thirst.

Azula accepted the embrace silently, her clumsy arms rose up to return the hug. A sense of content filled her, and then suddenly she felt an overwhelming heaviness of fatigue. Mid-embrace, she closed her eyes to blink but immediately fell back into the embrace of the dark abyss.

Chapter Text

[Fire Nation Royal Palace]

Azula paced the grand room, slowly analyzing the details of the structures. Numerous pillars spread through the length of the room, all evenly and neatly spaced apart. The pillars were black, the bottom bases were decorated with square-like gold patterns. Black tiles covered the floor, but the center of the room was left bare of pillars and a long plush black and red carpet led towards the far wall. The other walls were covered with red tapestries and gold linings.

She walked along the carpet and crept closer to where a throne rested. The throne itself was actually a small platform, but cushioned for whomever sat on it. The seat had four smaller pillars than the others in the room, and they were designed to have a twisted twirl structure. At the top of the four small pillars was a decorated covering composed of small banner shaped gold plates. But what caught Azula's attention was the wall behind the throne.

She stepped up onto the platform where the throne rested to get a closer look at the grand wall. It was painted to appear like a dragon's face. Her eyes swept along the paint, taking in all of the small details. It was so lifelike she was almost afraid to touch it as if the painting was really just a very idle dragon. The longer she studied the painting the more she felt a sense of familiarity. Has she ever met a dragon before?

White hot pain spiked in her head. There was an image very much like the painting, a dragon's face. But the coloring was different. Its scales were blue instead of shades of yellow, orange and red. The dragon's eyes glowed blue, but the pupils were long rather than round. And its mouth opened to show razor sharp long teeth.

Both the spike of pain and the image in her head vanished as quick as they came, though a weak throb remained. Azula cupped a hand over her forehead and fought against her swimming vision. On instinct she stretched an arm out and grasped one of the throne's pillars to steady herself.

Was that a memory? The princess thought to herself.

She would have to mention this to her mother to check if it was indeed a memory. Once her vision remained steady, she straightened and continued looking about the throne room. Maybe she could remember something else.

Eventually she began to feel something strange, as if there was something missing from the room. Along the platform's edge, she could make out what looked to be small hidden braziers. There were already torches on the pillars, so the braziers weren't meant for light. Perhaps it was more for aesthetic purposes? A throne is supposed to be a symbol of the ruler's power.

It was just a hunch, and it all came naturally to her. As natural as breathing. She lifted a hand, palm up, and then tightened her hand into a fist. She nearly gasped when she opened her hand again and a blue flame erupted.

Blue. Not red or orange. How curious, she thought. To be able to create a blue flame meant she had to make the perfect combustion. And she could do it without any conscious thought.

She made another fist to snuff out the flame. And then she opened her fist again, another blue flame erupted. As natural as breathing.

Her eyes glanced at the braziers and then back to the fire in her palm. She stepped towards the platform's edge and willed the fire to drop down into a brazier. The flame caught hold and then quickly spread to the other braziers, the entire throne room instantly erupted into blue light despite the yellow and orange torches along the pillars.

This felt familiar. But no other images popped into her head. She turned and looked at the dragon painting on the wall. Her eyes widened at the image before her. The dragon now appeared blue as it reflected the color of her flames. The throb in her head increased. She shut her eyes tight and massaged her temples.

A foreign voice echoed so weakly she nearly didn't hear it over the crackles and pops of the fire.

Ready to set the world on fire?

The flesh along her arms pebbled. The voice sounded like multiple people speaking as one. It was eerily familiar.

“Azula!”

The sudden, booming voice shocked her and she involuntarily jumped where she stood. She dropped her hands from her head and turned to face behind her where she assumed the source of the voice came from.

Two people walked towards her, a man and woman. The woman she recognized as her mother. But the man beside her she didn't recognize, though there was something nagging at her when she noticed the large burn scar over his left eye. He looked as if he was stomping, he was taller than her mother so his long strides allowed him to shorten the distance between them quickly. For some reason he looked angry. Once he stood near the platform he waved a hand at the braziers and her blue flames instantly died, the only remaining evidence of her flames were the clouds of smoke that rose up to the ceiling.

Now that he was closer, Azula could better analyze him. He appeared young, no older than mid-twenties if she were to guess. A new question struck her, how old was she?

She dismissed the thought and continued to study the male. His robes were similar to her mother's, but there were more colors of gold and black. He sported multiple layers of shoulder pieces, verses the singular one that her mother wore. A gold flame shaped crown rested in his topknot. The crown of the Fire Lord.

Once Azula was able to climb out of bed, and retain information longer than a minute, her mother explained that she was a member of the royal family, which included her older brother, a younger sister, and of course her mother and her new husband. A father had been mentioned so that left Azula to assume it was her father who was the current ruler of the Fire Nation. But clearly the Fire Lord before her was much too young to be her father, especially with how aged her mother appeared with wrinkles around her mouth and eyes.

“What are you doing?” The Fire Lord demanded.

Azula lifted an eyebrow in question. Did she do something wrong? Is this Fire Lord one of those types of rulers that took offense if anyone else but himself approached the throne? It wasn't like she was sitting on it. Or touched it.

“Is it wrong to admire the painting?”

“Not that,” the male waved a hand at the braziers again. “Only the Fire Lord may light the braziers.”

So maybe he was that type of ruler. Well, she wasn't going to apologize for breaking tradition. It wasn't like she knew any better. Her shoulders lifted in a shrug.

“How could I have known? I was merely curious.” She replied.

An awkward moment of silence passed and the young Fire Lord suddenly looked sheepish. Her mother laid a hand on his arm.

“Zuko.” Was all she said.

Another name that did nothing to stir Azula's memories, yet she felt as if she heard that name before. Maybe they did meet back when her headaches were unbearable.

“Right,” the Fire Lord muttered. He looked up where Azula stood, his face softened and all trace of his anger vanished. “I'm sorry, I…for a moment I forgot that you lost your memories.” He didn't wait for her to respond. He glanced around the throne room. “I had arranged for us to speak here so we could have some privacy.”

Ah, so he did want to make a statement by showing the symbol of his power, Azula thought. Yet he had no qualms with apologizing to her. She lifted a finger to her temple to massage it, the throb increased slightly as she tried to remember if it was right for a ruler to apologize.

Her mother and Zuko were quick to notice her discomfort. Concern flashed in their gold eyes.

“The servants were supposed to bring a table and chairs in here.” Zuko finally said.

“I'll speak to them.” Mother announced before she turned and promptly left Azula alone with the Fire Lord.

Her head was swimming with questions, but he beat her to speaking first.

“How are you feeling?”

Azula mulled over his question. First, he approached her angrily as if she took his throne for herself. Now he asked how she was? Still, she had yet to learn what exactly her relationship was to the Fire Lord. For all she knew he could still punish her if she continued to upset him. It frustrated her that she knew the structure of the Fire Nation’s monarchy and politics, but she couldn't remember what her position was to the throne.

“My head still aches, but it isn't as horrible as it was before,” she answered succinctly.

He didn't move his head, but his eyes drifted downwards as he looked at her. “And your other injury?”

She fought the urge to touch her burn. So long as she didn’t touch the still tender skin, it hardly bothered her. “Fine. It only twinges now and then.”

He nodded and then his lips pulled into a kind smile. “I'm happy to see you doing better. I wanted us to speak privately, mostly for me to answer whatever questions you may have. Without your memories, well I can only imagine how strange everything must be for you.”

She huffed a chuckle. “Strange is one way to describe it.”

“Do you remember me?”

“No,” Azula responded. “If we met before, well those memories are hazy.” It didn't feel right for her to be standing atop the throne's platform and looking down at the Fire Lord himself, so she carefully stepped down onto the tiled floor. Rapid or sudden movements stirred her balance and dizzy spells.

“Well, I'm your brother. Zuko. Older brother, in fact.”

Azula tilted her head in curiosity. She suspected Zuko was much too young to be her father. And if their mother wasn’t the current Fire Lord that meant she married into the royal family. “And what of our father?”

The mere mention of their father had him visibly angry, but he was quick to calm himself. His lone eyebrow twitched and his eyes narrowed slightly. “He's…he's in prison.”

Her eyes widened in surprise. She assumed their father was either too ill to rule or he was dead. But imprisoned? Royal family members were nearly completely immune to the law.

Her brother continued speaking before she could ask further questions. “It's a long story. Hence, why I wanted to have seats and snacks here.”

Footsteps suddenly echoed. Azula looked behind her brother and watched as several people approached, each holding either furniture or trays. She noticed the servants wore red robes like herself and her mother–albeit the red color wasn't as vibrant–but their trimmings were maroon colored rather than gold. They all kept their gazes downwards towards the floor and were quick to set up the furniture, arrange the cushions and set plates of finger foods along with pots of what she assumed was tea.

As quickly as they came, they were ready to leave, but still inquired if Azula or her brother needed anything else. It didn't escape her notice of the stark difference between how the servant that spoke to them behaved when he directly spoke to her compared to her brother. With her the servant's voice carried a slight quake and he spoke much quicker. But when he spoke to Zuko he was noticeably much more relaxed. He spoke slower and the quake was absent in his voice.

Are they afraid of me? Azula wondered. She nearly huffed a laugh at the thought. Her brother was the absolute ruler, they should be more afraid of him than her. Unless they had a reason to fear her beyond her position.

Zuko was kind and thankful with his response before dismissing them all. Once everyone had left, he turned to her and motioned towards the table. As they sat, there was another set of footsteps, and soon they were joined by their mother again. She sat next to Zuko.

Her brother picked up one of the tea pots and served them all a drink. Without knowing why, Azula picked up her warm cup and analyzed the liquid. It smelled and looked like tea, yet she couldn't explain the anxiety that twisted in her stomach as she stared at the drink.

“Oh!” Zuko said suddenly. Azula glanced at him, he had been watching her. He quickly lifted his own cup and sipped it. “This tastes like one of my–err our uncle's blends.”

Now she has an uncle? That shouldn't surprise her. It was rare for a Fire Lord to only have one heir. A slight twinge stirred in Azula’s head, but she dismissed it. There was no point in trying to remember anything. Her eyes drifted towards her mother and watched as she took a long drink from her own cup. Somehow, seeing her family drink the tea released the anxiety that had been building inside her. She lifted the cup and drank.

“So, I know it’s an odd question,” Zuko began. He reached for something on one of the plates, a strip of meat. He bit into it and it crunched audibly. He chewed for a moment before he swallowed. “Is there anything you do remember? I don't mean a memory.”

Azula shrugged. “Like would I know what those long skinny things are called? I know they're pillars. I know that what you're eating is called a sizzle-crisp. The mural behind the throne is a dragon. I just lost my memories. My experiences. The people I've met or knew. I'm not an invalid, if that's what you're wondering.”

“Azula,” her mother replied, her voice stern. By the time Azula snapped her eyes towards her mother, her eyes were wide as if in surprise. “Your brother wasn't calling you an invalid.”

Then Zuko laughed. His reaction was puzzling. Azula hadn't attempted to be funny. Yet his laughter angered her slightly.

“I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you, Azula.” Zuko explained. “To be honest, I was–we were afraid that without your memories you would be a completely different person. It's…relieving that you're still you.”

His words were kind, but his hesitance made her wonder if he meant to say something else. Not to mention that servant appeared nervous when he interacted with her.

“What was our relationship?” Azula asked before she bit into her own sizzle-crisp. It was pleasing to finally eat something other than soup. For the last few days when her headaches were so severe she hardly was able to keep food down she was given nothing but simple soups and broth.

There was another bout of hesitance, Zuko and their mother glanced at each other, slight frowns on their faces.

“We were estranged,” Zuko said reluctantly. “We didn't have the best brother-sister relationship.”

“Why was that?” Azula pressed. Her eyes drifted to a plate of mochi. What she told her brother regarding her memories was true. Like the plate of the rice cakes, she could identify them, but she couldn't remember how they tasted, and if she liked them or not.

Her thought was interrupted as Zuko nabbed a mochi and bit into it. Again, she felt relieved to see him consume something and suffered no ill effects. This anxiety she felt to untested foods and drinks was ridiculous, but she had no idea why she felt this way. Perhaps a past trauma her body naturally had a reaction to despite her mind not remembering? She grabbed a piece of the dessert and took a bite. She paused midchew as the flavors overwhelmed her tongue. Before she knew it she finished the mochi and reached for another one.

“Well, I guess you could say we were rivals.” Zuko finally explained. The way he watched her eat was peculiar.

Azula hummed and her eyes narrowed. “So in other words, we both wanted the throne.”

Her brother winced. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Now it made sense. Why he brought her here for them to “talk.” He did want to make a statement of his position as the Fire Lord. And it would explain why he had reacted angrily when she was near the throne and lit the throne room with her blue flames.

“Tell me everything,” she announced. “From our childhood to why our father is in prison. I want to know everything.”

So he told her everything, about the Hundred Year War, his banishment, how she hunted him and their uncle Iroh. He admitted her accomplishments, she conquered Ba Sing Se, nearly killed the Avatar. But he also told her of her downfall, how he challenged her to an Agni Kai for the throne and won. How the Fire Nation was defeated when the Avatar not only took down their father, but removed his bending. And by the end of the war, when Azula suffered a mental breakdown from her defeat, Zuko chose to have her monitored and treated at a mental health institution rather than imprison her like their father.

Azula’s headache had considerably grown from all the information, but she knew there was more to the story. Her mother explained the reason for her own banishment and their father's ascension despite uncle Iroh being the elder heir of the previous Fire Lord. Zuko then explained how they were reunited, and how Azula had run away. A year had passed when she resurfaced and tried to undermine Zuko. When that failed, Zuko eventually tracked her down, another year later, and they reached an agreement to work together. Then there was the accident that resulted in her head injury when they were returning home.

Azula couldn’t hide a grimace. Her headache increased to a consistent throb, but Zuko's story only created more questions. She ignored the concerned looks from her mother and brother.

“We weren't just rivals. We were enemies, on opposing sides of the war.”

There was a frown on Zuko's face. He nodded after a moment. “We were.”

She tried massaging her temple to help relieve the growing pain, but it did nothing. “You betrayed our father, the previous Fire Lord. That makes you a traitor.”

He winced at her remark, but then his eyes steeled and he lifted his chin. There was a subtle glare as he looked at her. “You're right. I sided with the Avatar and the rest of the world. I brought peace for our nation. If that makes me a traitor, then so be it.”

Azula responded with a chuckle, at least as weak of a chuckle as her headache allowed without flaring too much. “I'm only stating a fact,” she paused, not knowing how to address her brother, he was still the Fire Lord, and he already made it a point to show off his title. “Fire Lord. When you said our father was imprisoned, I had my suspicions he was there due to civil war. You were a traitor to the nation, but as the victor you are who we bow to now, and whom the history books will write about.”

There was a look of surprise as Zuko stared at her, as if he hadn't expected her to say what she did. “You aren't mad at me? You and father were close, I betrayed you as well. Father named you as his heir and you were about to be crowned when I challenged you.”

Azula merely shrugged. She could admit that she should feel angry, but she was apathetic to her own experience told from her brother's perspective, she couldn't remember these experiences herself so it was like hearing it all happened to someone else. “You're right, I should be angry or bitter. But I don't remember any of it, so that takes away the personal feelings of it. It's like learning of the Air Nomad genocide from a history tutor.”

“Azula,” her mother sighed, “that's a horrible comparison.”

“No, I think I understand why you used that analogy,” Zuko defended. “The genocide was horrible, and you can feel bad for what happened, but you won't feel as strongly about it simply because you didn't personally experience it.”

Azula hummed and took a sip of her now cold tea. “The ultimate question is, is our agreement still on the table despite me losing my memories?” Her heart pounded in her chest so hard as she asked her question she was sure her family could hear it.

There was no hesitation when Zuko answered, and his lips slowly pulled into a smile. “Yes, of course my offer is still on the table. You agreed to it. It wouldn't be honorable of me to revoke it simply because of your injury. You'll heal, and hopefully your memory will too. If it doesn't, that won't change anything. You're still family.”

Honorable? So honor was important to the Fire Lord. Already she could guess what type of ruler he would be. Especially as he sided with the Avatar to end the Hundred Year War. And perhaps that was why he spared her despite them being enemies. He could have easily just tossed her in prison with her father, despite her apparent broken mind.

Zuko never went over the details of her mental instability. She would have to ask him about it later when her head wasn't feeling like it was splitting in two. Perhaps if she slept she would feel better. The sooner the better, if the pain became too much she didn't want to shame herself by reintroducing their snacks back to the table.

She rubbed both of her temples in hopes of alleviating the growing pain. Sadly, it did nothing. Glancing up she could see both her brother and mother, as strange as it still felt to call them that, were perspective and watched her with concern.

“Well, I appreciate the Fire Lord taking so much precious time away from an undoubtedly busy schedule to explain all that I can't remember.” Azula lowered her hands from her head. “If you'll excuse me, I think I'd like to lie down.”

A frown crossed his features. “When we're in private like this, you can call me by my name. And perhaps later when you feel better, I'd like you to meet my friends. And the newest additions to our family, Kiyi and Noren.”

Azula nodded. He said nothing about when she would be expected to honor her end of their agreement so she could only assume that would come later when she felt her best. When she stood she started to feel light headed and slightly dizzy. Yes, laying down was in order.

Her mother looked worried as she walked around the table and was immediately at her side. Part of Azula felt annoyed at the special attention, but another part of her appreciated the support. So she didn't reject her mother's offered arm.

“Oh,” Azula said before she and her mother walked too far. She turned to face her brother. “Did I ever meet a dragon?”

Zuko's eyes widened, even his scarred one. “No. That's impossible. Our uncle killed the last living dragon. Why do you ask?”

There was something in the way that he answered her that didn't fully convince her. For one, he spoke a little too quickly, almost like he was slightly nervous. However, without her memories her brother was a stranger to her. She didn't know his little tells, if he had any, when he lied.

She lifted her gaze towards the mural, Zuko followed her line of vision and looked behind him. “That mural. When it changed colors to reflect the color of my fire, I felt…something. Like I had seen a blue dragon before.”

“Like a memory?” Her mother asked.

Azula shook her head. “I don't know. Maybe? It's why I asked.”

“Like I said, it would be impossible to have met one,” replied Zuko.

Azula sighed. Besides her aching head she was beginning to feel tired. Exhausted even. “If you say so.”

She would visit the mural again later to see if it triggered anything one more time.

* * *

“You know,” Sokka panted. He was slouched over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “When you said you would help me train, you never said you would be THROWING SWORDS AT ME!”

His opponent was a very bored looking Toph, leaning against a training log, one hand held behind her head and her other was at her ear where she was very aggressively cleaning it with a pinky. “I'm blind, not deaf.” She pulled her pinky out of her ear and flicked off whatever she scooped out. “And I said I would train with you, I never specified how.”

Sokka growled under his breath. He could feel a vein in his forehead throb.

“You can metalbend?” A new voice said suddenly.

Sokka lifted his head to peer at the newcomer and felt his jaw drop. Standing a few feet behind Toph was Azula. His body moved on its own, trained to always be ready when a threat appeared, he picked up a training sword from the ground and stood straight. While he and Toph “trained” they resorted to using dull edged swords, but it was still a weapon.

Toph was surprised by Azula's appearance, she likely felt her footsteps as she approached, but when she heard Azula's voice Sokka noticed how her eyes widened and then she quickly turned to the firebender, her feet spread apart and her arms lowered to her waist. She didn't earth or metalbend, but she was ready to do so at a moment's notice.

Azula froze as she took in Sokka's and Toph's reaction to her arrival. Sokka expected her to appear nonchalant and feign innocence as she usually did, but the princess just watched them with blank blinking gold eyes.

“You both looked like you were taking a break, so I thought it best to interrupt now.” She explained.

Sokka lifted an eyebrow. Azula looked slightly different. Her hair was pulled up in its usual topknot, but her crown was absent. And instead of wearing armor, she wore red and gold robes that still shined despite the thick clouds that muted the sun's brightness. What threw off her appearance even more was that her trademark red lipstick was absent, which made her lips appear thinner. Actually, without any makeup she appeared younger. Or maybe more her age? Sokka wasn't sure how old she was. She nearly looked as old as Katara, younger even.

Her gaze drifted towards him and Sokka felt himself stiffen. The few times he came face to face with her she always held a hard, cold, calculating expression, if she wasn't smirking in arrogance. But now she merely looked at him in a…normal manner. Almost soft. Though there was still something calculating in her eyes as she studied him.

Azula looked towards Toph again. “You are an earthbender, correct?”

Sokka couldn't see Toph’s expression with her back to him, but her bending ready pose hadn't relaxed.

“Yeah,” Toph replied slowly, as if it was obvious she was an earthbender. But honestly, Sokka didn't know how long Azula had been watching them train. “Care to see a demonstration?”

A small smile appeared on Azula's face. She only took a step forward when Toph thrusted an arm out and one of the training swords that had been lying on the ground shot up and hurled towards the firebender.

Azula's eyes widened in surprise and she took a step back to turn sideways and avoid the oncoming sword. From where Sokka stood, he heard a very audible thunk. He winced in empathetic pain.

He realized then he had been holding his breath. But then his breath caught again when he heard Azula grunt and fold forward, her right hand clutched her left shoulder. Sokka gulped.

Azula recovered quickly. She straightened and then threw the sword at Toph like it was a dagger rather than a longsword. Toph didn’t bother moving out of the way, she lifted a fist and opened her hand. The sword quickly changed trajectory and flew wide of Toph’s head. Then Sokka's eyes widened when he realized the sword was hurling right towards him.

He squeaked and just managed to move out of the weapons path. He involuntarily flinched when he heard the whoosh of air as it passed his ear. By the time he heard the training sword clatter on the dirt behind him he saw movement around Azula and suddenly she was surrounded by three guards. A blur of green pulled his eyesight behind her, there was even a Kyoshi Warrior present, but unlike the Royal Guards she looked prepared to attack Azula rather than defend her. He was too far away to tell if it was Suki or Ty Lee or one of the other women.

“How was that for a demonstration?” Toph shouted. Sokka didn’t have to see her face to tell that she was grinning widely. “Too bad you aren’t wearing your crown, princess. Or I’d show you what I could really do.”

Azula waved the guards away with her good arm then returned to rubbing her shoulder. The blade hadn't cut her skin nor her robes. Most likely Toph threw the sword at her hilt first. He was mildly surprised Azula hadn't outright dodged it. On the day of their invasion during the black sun Azula had been so quick and agile neither he nor any of his friends could catch her, even Aang.

But Azula didn't appear angry at all despite getting hit. In fact, she looked even more curious about Toph’s metalbending.
“You’re blind, yet you can tell I’m not wearing my crown?” She asked in awe.

Toph scoffed. “Of course I can. But don't think I'll continue bending for your entertainment. Nor am I willing to give away any more of my secrets.”

“Are you all right, princess?” One of the guards asked Azula. Even though she had waved the guards away, they still stood near her, their weapons ready. Sokka nearly huffed a laugh. Toph could bend their weapons any way she wanted, still they refused to back down.

The calculating glint in Azula’s gold eyes was back as she stared at Toph. “I’m fine. We were just…training.” She spoke the last word as if contemplating something. She winced and very subtly touched her forehead. “An earthbender who can bend metal and a Water Tribesman with free autonomy in the Royal Palace, I assume you’re my brother’s friends.”

Sokka blinked. Just like her appearance, Azula spoke differently. Well more specifically her tone of voice was different. She no longer spoke magnanimously. In fact, she strangely sounded genuine.

The awkward silence progressed as neither Azula nor Toph said anything, so Sokka felt obligated to break it. “Uh, yeah.” He nearly smacked himself at his eloquence. He stuffed his training sword between his belt and shirt and closed the distance between himself and everyone else. When Azula set her eyes upon him he fought the urge to freeze where he stood. Lost memories or not, her penetrating gaze still triggered his fight or flight response.

“I’m Sokka. And this is Toph.” Then he fell silent as he struggled to think of what else to add. Thankfully, Azula saved him from having to say anything more.

“And I’m Azula, princess of the Fire Nation. My brother spoke highly of his friends so it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I won’t distract you both from your training. You may carry on.”

Azula and her guards hadn’t walked far when Toph turned to face Sokka.

“Carry on? Were we just dismissed?” Sokka asked.

Toph smirked. “I’m more surprised that the dragon princess could speak so well mannered without making it sound like she was secretly threatening us.”

Chuckling, Sokka remembered the Kyoshi Warrior. He quickly glanced towards the direction Azula headed, hoping to get a glance at the Kyoshi Warrior to see if it was Suki. He was momentarily distracted when he saw that Azula had stopped walking. She didn’t turn to face them, but it was obvious she was listening to them.

“Uh oh,” he muttered. “I think she heard us.”

“So?”

“So?” Sokka lowered his voice. “What if she heard your nickname for her? If she heard it, the guards may have heard too. We’re supposed to keep the whole–err you-know-what secret, remember?”

Toph shrugged. “As if anyone could figure out the reason behind the nickname. Katara said she breathed fire when she lost her Agni Kai, didn't she? Fire breathing. Dragon. Just go with that.”

Sokka rolled his eyes before glancing towards Azula again. She had resumed walking and soon stepped out of his line of vision.

“I can't believe you hit her!” Sokka whisper shouted. “We still have to sleep tonight, you know?”

Toph didn't appear worried. “As if Zuko would allow her to go anywhere unsupervised. You saw that Kyoshi Warrior standing behind the dragon princess, didn't you?”

Sokka blinked. “How do you know that it was…right, you recognized her armor.” He often forgot Toph was able to identify people through the type of armor or weapons they kept. “Say, how did you even hit Azula? Did you curve the weapon last second?”

“I didn't have to,” she shrugged. “She was just too slow to dodge in time.”

“Well thanks to your ‘demonstration’ I'm gonna have to sleep with one eye open tonight.”

“You up for more training?”

He glanced up at the darkening sky. “Actually, I think I'm done for the day. Plus, dinner should be ready soon. I definitely want to wash up before then.”

“Oh right,” Toph replied, her tone teasing. “Suki is off tonight so you were gonna throw her a little dinner picnic in the garden, weren't you?”

Sokka grinned despite heat flushing through his cheeks. “Yeah. It's gonna be great! I have the whole night planned out. Zuko said the royal chefs know Earth Kingdom cuisine and Ty Lee told me what she likes and–”

“Boring,” Toph yawned dramatically before she began to walk away.

If it had been anyone else who left him hanging like that, he would’ve been angry and incredibly dejected. But, he was used to such antics from Toph. He quickly cleaned up all of the training swords that lay scattered about and headed to the baths.

A quick wash later, and giving in to wearing some fancy robes the servants provided to him (none of his own clothes were nice enough), Sokka fetched some food from the kitchen and finally headed out to the royal gardens.

Upon his arrival at the massive garden, he came across another suspenseful situation involving Azula yet again. He saw Azula first, and after his earlier reintroduction to her, he wanted to avoid her attention. He kept his distance and watched where the princess headed so he could avoid setting up his and Suki's picnic near her.

Unease filled his gut as he watched Azula notice two other people near one of the ponds, eventually he recognized the others as Katara and Aang. He immediately internally groaned. The last thing he needed was for another altercation to happen, he was all clean and dressed up afterall.

With bated breath, Sokka placed his things on the ground and crept closer. It was highly unlikely his sister and Aang would need his help against Azula, but he still wanted to be nearby should he have an opportunity to help.

Azula studied the couple at the pond for a moment before she approached them. Sokka gulped so loudly he was afraid the others would hear him. When he failed to hear what Azula told them clearly he inched ever closer.

“I've been told you were the one that healed me after the accident,” Azula began.

Sokka saw that she was alone. His eyes wandered about for any signs of the Royal Guards or a Kysohi Warrior. If there were any, he failed to see any. Or they kept their presence hidden.

“I want to thank you for–”

“I didn't do it for you.” Katara hissed. Since Azula's arrival, both she and Aang stood up from their seated spot. Her eyes were narrowed in a glare.

“Katara,” Aang told her gently. He reached a hand towards her arm, but Katara pulled away from the touch and stepped away from him. She never took her eyes off of Azula.

“You antagonized us relentlessly throughout the war, as well as your own brother and uncle. So trust me when I say I only healed you because of your brother and my boyfriend.” She lifted an arm to motion towards Aang. “You nearly killed him, yet he still saved you.”

From where he stood, Sokka could see how Azula kept her face frozen, but he could see the shock in her eyes and her lips tightened into a firm line. Then she dipped her head in a nod.

“I see,” she muttered. For a brief moment, Sokka could see something vulnerable in her expression. As quickly as it came, she steeled her features again. “I'm afraid anything I did prior to waking up here in the palace is lost to me. It would seem if I apologized for my actions it would mean nothing to you both.”

“You're right,” Katara replied. “You can't apologize if you feel no remorse for what you've done. So whatever you have to say, save it.”

“Wait,” Aang finally said.

Always the peacemaker, Sokka thought.

“No need to waste your breath, Avatar.” Azula said, her tone bordering on a cold monotone. “Apologies for the interruption.” She turned and took a few steps before she paused. “Oh right, I can't apologize for something I have no remorse for, right?” She waited for no response and walked away, disappearing back into the palace.

Wow, was all that Sokka could think. The confrontation could have gotten a lot worse, if it had been with an Azula with all her memories intact.

A deep sigh escaped him. He couldn't help but think of his sister's words. If apologizing to someone despite not having memories of any wrongdoing was pointless, then was it any different to treat someone like an enemy if they couldn't remember what they did?

The sound of Aang's voice jarred him from his thoughts. Funny enough, Aang echoed his very own thoughts to Katara.

“We don't know if she truly lost her memories,” Katara defended. “But I can't help but feel so…angry when I see her. I keep seeing her face after she shot lightning at you in that cave.” She turned towards Aang and gripped him in an embrace. She muttered something else, but her voice was muffled with her face pressed against Aang's chest.

Oogies, Sokka thought in disgust and turned his gaze away from the couple. He was honestly happy for his sister, there was no better man than Aang, but he hated to see them so lovey-dovey.

He returned to where he left his things and sought out a good spot to set up the picnic. He found a clearing surrounded by numerous bushes and flowers, though with the colder weather they were beginning to wilt. The area still smelled refreshing and floral. He just hoped their scent wouldn't cause Suki to sneeze.

After laying out the cloth, he sat and waited for Suki to arrive before he unpacked their meals so they could keep warm. His gaze lifted upwards and he watched the moon. It wasn't full tonight, but he still enjoyed watching it nonetheless. His thoughts always returned to Yue, but now he was able to watch the moon without feeling saddened.

Footsteps tore his attention away and his heart leapt in excitement. He immediately stood and faced the approaching woman.

“Suki!” He exclaimed, his cheeks hurt from how wide he smiled. But when he saw she was wearing her armor, his smile slowly faded and his heart fell to his toes. He already knew what was coming.

“Hey, Sokka.” Suki greeted him. She smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes. Then she sighed.

“Last minute guard duty? A mission?” Sokka guessed. He tried to keep his tone playful, but he could still hear his own disappointment in his voice.

She looked at him apologetically and then nodded. “Zuko is okay with me telling you, but,” she paused and glanced around them. When she continued she dropped her voice immensely, Sokka strained to catch what she said. “Ever since Zuko returned with Azula, we've been having people trying to sneak into the palace.”

Sokka's eyes widened in surprise. He lowered his voice as well. “New Ozai Society?”

Suki's armor clanked when she lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “It's possible. We haven't managed to catch anyone yet. But now that Azula is freely walking around the palace we suspect people may try to sneak in again. Zuko also wants us to keep a close eye on her to see if she tries to make contact with anyone as well. I'm sorry, Sokka, but everyone is needed to keep guard.”

He smiled weakly. “I get it. Yeah, it's a little disappointing, but I understand. There'll always be a next time, right?”

She returned his smile and then leaned forward to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Of course. Stay safe.”

He frowned and quickly reached for her hand before she ran off. “That's my line.” He squeezed her hand before letting go.

Once she left, Sokka plopped down onto the ground. He glanced at the boxes that contained the food, but the disappointment overpowered his appetite. With another sigh, he returned to watch the moon.

Chapter Text

[Fire Nation Royal Palace]

So much for first impressions, Azula thought to herself as she retreated into her room. She dismissed her servants with a simple hand wave, after the hostility given to her by her brother's friends she felt embarrassed and irritable. It didn't help that with how the servants scuttled around her in nervousness it frayed on her mood even more. She did nothing to anyone, yet she's treated with hostility and fear.

At least, to her it felt like she did nothing. But with what her brother told her of her actions during the war, she could understand the negative treatment from his friends, even though it still left her blindsided and hurt. She rubbed her shoulder and winced. To avoid souring her mood further, it would be best she refrain from socializing with anyone else for the remainder of the night. Her failed dodge left her vision swimming and the hammering in her head synced with every single heartbeat.

Azula stepped into her room and breathed a sigh of relief to find her mother absent. She came to truly appreciate the woman, it was comforting to have her by her side and checking how she was faring. The concoctions she made for her were immensely helpful, even if they didn't completely take away the pain they made her headaches more bearable. But right now she just wanted some time alone. And to see the state of her shoulder. It felt stiff and painful to move.

Azula recently found out she had another strange quirk to add to her growing list. She can't bring herself to eat or drink anything unless she observed someone consuming that sustenance. Pitch black rooms made her highly uncomfortable. When she was in her old room, sometimes when she awoke to total darkness her heart threatened to beat out of her chest and breathing became increasingly more difficult. And the new quirk? She couldn't look in the mirror without feeling an intense wave of anxiety and a strange feeling that she would see someone behind her. Small mirrors that allowed her to only see herself were fine, but anything bigger awoke an intense anticipation to see a silhouette if her eyes strayed beyond her own reflection.

At least she would be able to view her shoulder without the need of a mirror.

She pulled at her robes to expose her upper half, the fabric caught on her sash and hung around her waist. The bandages that wrapped around her chest served a double purpose as a breastband and covered the wound right over her heart. The wound was still healing, the skin red, black and raw. If she took too large a breath her skin pulled and her whole chest ignited in flame. She was sure she could faintly remember the waterbender healing the wound a few days ago. A light scoff brushed through her lips at the thought.

I didn't do it for you.

Strange that the waterbender would heal her enemy for a friend and lover's sake. For the Avatar, she could slightly understand considering he is an Air Nomad. Her memories from her studies were still whole, oddly enough, she could recall how the Air Nomads were pacifists, they found value in all life, from a person to a bug.

But her brother was a different case, a mystery. He told her they were rivals, they both wanted the throne. When he told her about their childhood, she could detect a hint of bitterness in his voice when he told her about all that she excelled at, and how it put her in their father's favor. He admitted himself that their father named her his heir, and he still challenged her for the crown. If anything he would benefit from her death. Yet why was he a reason for the waterbender saving her life?

A thought for another time, maybe when she could think clearly without feeling like someone was stabbing her with a broken chopstick behind her eyes. She turned her attention to her exposed shoulder. The skin was an array of shades of blue and purple. Moving it caused pins and needles to flare at the joint and it was sensitive to the touch. She tore her eyes away and glanced at her other shoulder, and then she looked back at the injured one. Besides the bruising, it was swollen.

She was attacked just for showing curiosity in a new sub-skill in earthbending. No, it was beyond that. The earthbender said something about not willing to share her secrets. Azula reached for a bundle of bandages. Her grip on the cloth tightened at her next thought. Even without her memories, without her motivations and beliefs, she was still seen as an enemy to her brother's friends.

She exhaled deeply through her nostrils as she began wrapping the bandage around her shoulder. The bandage would be useless for the bruising, but her objective was merely to hide it. If her relationship with her brother was estranged, despite him wanting her back at the palace alive and well, she wasn't interested in creating more tension between them if she were to voice the treatment she received from his friends. She'd imagine he possibly wouldn't even believe her anyway. Better to simply keep her bruised shoulder hidden. And avoid her brother's friends. There would be no need for any future healing sessions with the waterbender either if she detested Azula so much.

The thought of isolating herself brought a pang in her chest. So far her existence has been lonely with only her mother for occasional company. The palace doctor's visits were short and strictly business. She met her brother only once, clearly as Fire Lord his schedule was busy. The servants came and went quickly, they avoided eye contact and only spoke to her when she asked something. But Azula shrugged it off. Being royalty had an expectation of loneliness. There would always be a distance between royalty and everyone else, nobles, merchants, soldiers and peasants. The only people she’s had a conversation with were her mother and brother.

Then she wondered if she had any friends herself. Her brother never mentioned specifics regarding the military she led when she conquered Ba Sing Se and when she hunted him and their uncle. The heat in her chest twinged again at the realization that if she had any friends they surely would've visited her by now. Or maybe word hadn't reached them yet that she returned to the palace. It would be awkward to ask her brother if he knew if she had any friends. She would just have to wait and see if anyone would make an appearance and claim to be a friend of hers.

But if she did have any, would they be people she truly befriended? Or were they simply friendly with her due to the perks of having the ear of royalty? Or could it be the other way around? Maybe she forged friendships for the sake of some political gain. However, it was pointless to think about it, if she came to meet any possible friends they would only be strangers to her.

It wasn't long after she finished bandaging her shoulder when a knock came at her door. Sighing tiredly, Azula bade the person inside while she quickly redressed herself and turned so her back faced the door. She had just managed to get her arms through the sleeves when she heard the voice of the newcomer.

“Oh!” It was her mother. “I’m sorry, Azula. Were you changing for the night? I can call the servants.”

Azula finished refolding her robe over her chest. “No need, mother. I can dress myself.” She turned to face the woman and studied her face. When she finally saw her own reflection she could easily see the resemblance between them, she was nearly identical to the older woman. From the physical resemblance alone she knew the woman was truly her mother, but it frustrated her that she just couldn’t remember her as such. No matter how hard she tried, no memories or feelings came from looking at her. “Did you need something?”

Her mother approached her with a smile that failed to reach her eyes. There was a softness to her gold eyes, forlorn. Azula noticed how often her mother looked at her in such a way. Yet when she looked at her brother the skin around her eyes crinkled into crow’s feet when she smiled. “I wanted to check on you. Zuko and I dropped a lot of information on you earlier.”

Azula shrugged and then promptly tightened her lips to avoid wincing when pulsing heat bloomed in her shoulder. “I’m fine. All that information was easy enough to digest.”

I was loyal to my father, but lost a war and the throne. I'm alive thanks to my brother and his friends, she summarized to herself.

Her mother nodded, her eyes still downcast. “I also wanted to see if you would like to join me tomorrow for breakfast. Sort of like what your brother did earlier, I would like for us…to talk. I’m sure there’s more you would like to know from me.”

“It’s not like I have anything else to do.” She was right though. There were more things she would like to know from her mother specifically. “I would very much enjoy your company and the opportunity for us to talk, mother.”

The older woman’s face lifted in relief, her smile grew and she stepped closer. “I wanted to introduce you to your little sister and my husband tonight, but,” she reached for Azula’s face and brushed a thumb across the skin below her eye, “You look exhausted. Have you been sleeping well?”

Azula fought the impulse to jerk away from the touch. At least her hand wasn’t cold as it normally felt. “No,” she answered, “Despite desiring rest, I’ll lay awake for hours. And when I do manage to sleep it’s never for very long.”

“I can make something to help with that.”

As tired as Azula felt, she was willing to take anything that would help her sleep. “That would be appreciated. Regardless of the frequent naps I take throughout the day, I never wake feeling rested.”

Deep wrinkles formed on her mother’s forehead as she frowned. “My mother always told me that sleep is the body's natural way of healing. It's good that you're resting. Even if it doesn't feel like it. You're still healing. How are your headaches?”

Azula huffed a small scoff. “The same. Always present.” She wondered if she would live another day in her life without her head aching.

“I'll add something for that as well.” Her mother made for the long table in Azula's room where she kept her medicinal herbs.

Azula sat on her bed, careful not to jostle her shoulder. She had noticed how perceptive her mother and brother were whenever she expressed the tiniest bit of pain. Her eyes slid towards her mother's hands as she grabbed several herbs and began grinding them. Her mother noticed her watchful gaze and began explaining the different healing properties each herb provided.

“These are good for pain. While they may not be as strong as others, they do not have side effects.”

Azula watched and listened with rapt attention. She had seen her mother make her concoctions several times that were meant to ease her headaches, but nonetheless she found herself engrossed in learning the specific properties of each herb.

“And the amount for that one is all of the small leaves from one stem,” Azula said before her mother could.

“That's right,” her mother smiled. “You've always been a fast learner.”

Not only did she retain information quickly, but she found herself hungry for knowledge. Though she was unsure if this was how she naturally was or if it was due to her lack of memories. She remained silent as she listened and watched her mother move on to the herbs that would help her sleep.

“This one contains relaxing properties. You can chew on the leaves or if they’re dry and crushed you can seep them in hot water.”

If her mother married into the royal family then she had to be nobleborn, yet she learned an herbalists trade? Unless her family was in the business of medicine. A question she would inquire later. They were both silent as her mother poured the completed herbal tea into a cup. Azula expected to feel nervous about having to drink something untested by someone else, but she felt nothing. Perhaps it was because she watched her mother make it?

Regardless, before her mother handed her the cup she poured some of the remaining tea into a different cup and drank it. Azula's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Was her mother aware of her quirk as well? Was it something she always did since she was a child? Another question for the morning.

“What about meeting your family tonight?” Azula asked while she gently blew at her steaming cup.

“Azula, they're your family too. And with you back home we have nothing but time.” Her mother smiled. Azula was nearly alarmed at the warmth that spread in her chest that wasn’t from the tea. “Rest, my daughter. Heal. Your family isn't going anywhere. Sleep well.”

A small smile pulled on Azula's face involuntarily which she tried to hide with her cup. The difference from how she's been treated between her mother and her brother's friends was night and day. While she may not feel any familial affection for her mother and brother, at least the motherly treatment made her confusing existence a little more bearable.

The tea may not have completely aided her in getting a full night's rest, but it still helped provide her with the best sleep she had in days. Though the better sleep felt like it came at a cost. The morning after–Azula's third and final time she woke–a terrible ache thundered within her skull. It was so great she couldn't bring herself to climb out of bed without feeling like her head would split open.

When a knock sounded at her door, the sound pulsed and bounced within her head. She curled in on herself on her good shoulder and pressed her hands against her ears, tears leaked from the edges of her tightly shut eyes. Her body jolted when she suddenly felt something cold brush against her arm. Her eyesight was a bit blurry when she opened her eyes.

Her mother stood beside her, her face etched with a mixture of concern and fear. Her lips moved, but all Azula could hear was a sharp ringing. She shut her eyes again and curled into herself further until her muscles cramped.

When sleep took her, she dreamt for the first time that she could remember.

Images flashed. A wooden turtleduck. A small burst of a red flame. The turtleduck burned.

Then the images stopped and her mother stood before her, her height much taller than Azula's, and her appearance was much younger, the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth were absent and her face was thinner. For Azula it was almost like looking at herself in the mirror. The expression on her mother's face was confusing, her eyes shined with sadness and her lips were curved in a forced smile. There was another person beside her, another face, but she couldn't make out any features except for a broad smile.

“You are your father's daughter.” Her mother told her.

Disappointment filled her.

More images. Her mother's back was to her and she walked hand in hand with a small boy. They spoke and giggled among themselves.

They were surrounded by rose bushes. Azula spotted one rose that was misshaped and wilted, it wasn’t as pretty as the others. It hindered the beauty of the others so she burned it using the newest form she mastered. The action pulled her mother’s attention, but not in the way she expected. A smile and motherly touch never came. Instead, she earned her mother’s ire.

More disappointment. It twisted in her chest and churned her stomach until it festered into bitterness.

The pain from her head bled through her dream and then there was blessed darkness.

* * *

“Good morning, Sokka!”

If his name wasn't called, Sokka honestly would've dismissed the greeting for someone else. He blinked at the grogginess that still clung to him, he had stayed up last night watching the moon for a little too long. And never being one to sleep in, he woke bright and early as he normally did. Once he got to walking around the palace a weight settled in his eyes. When he got to the kitchen for a pre-breakfast snack, one of the servants notified him that the Fire Lord requested his presence.

After Sokka was led into a grand decorated office, he realized the person that greeted him was Aang. He blinked. Aang and Iroh were seated next to each other, Zuko was across them but a desk littered with scrolls and papers stood between them. Sokka quickly scanned the room, bookshelves hugged the walls and a large window bathed the office in natural light. Katara and Toph were absent.

“Uh, morning,” he managed to mutter as a yawn suddenly overtook him. He lifted a fist to his chest and gave a slight bow. “Bad Decision Lord,” he said to Zuko.

His friend grinned despite giving a slight shake of his head. He motioned towards an empty chair next to Aang.

Sokka plopped onto it a little too heavily when the chair groaned and creaked in protest. These types of meetings always resulted in serious conversations and it gnawed on his nerves. He abruptly became worried about Suki.

“What's the news?”

Zuko's eyes swept towards Iroh for a moment.

“Is it about the people trying to break into the palace? How's Suki–the Kyoshi Warriors?”

“They're fine. No one tried to sneak in last night, but a guard did report seeing people in the distance.”

Sokka released a sigh of relief. “Katara, Toph? Why aren't they here?”

Aang answered that for him. “They're having a girls day in the spa, then they're heading to town.”

Sokka rolled his eyes. “Hey, why do they have a day of fun? Unless that's why we're here?” Sokka felt his face light up. “Oooh, we having a guy's night? We can do our hair,” he glanced at Aang's bald head. “Err, maybe a spit shine for you? Or get matching tattoos?” Again he glanced at Aang. “No offense, but maybe something else other than arrows?”

Aang shoved his face into his hand and groaned while Iroh gave a throaty chuckle.

“Uh,” Zuko sputtered, “No. We were just discussing a few things about the city we want to build.”

Sokka suppressed another yawn. “Ah, so our guys day is work, huh?” He jested. He was aware of all the planning his friends did regarding the place they wanted to build for benders and non-benders to live peacefully together. “So any news about that?”

“Yes, that's why we wanted you here,” Zuko began. His voice deepened which made Sokka raise an eyebrow. He was using his Fire Lord voice. Things were about to get really serious. “We want to move on to the next planning phase. Specifically, we want to get a team of engineers together.”

“From all of the kingdoms,” Aang added. “We can't build this place if we don't have the best minds across all the kingdoms.”

Sokka hummed, suspecting where they were going with this. And why they asked for his presence.

“That sounds great,” Sokka replied. His chest puffed up in pride. “I gladly accept being the engineer to represent the Southern Water Tribe.”

Zuko and Aang shared a glance at each other.

“That wasn’t our intention, Sokka.” Aang said.

Wack-a-pow! Right in the heart,Sokka thought to himself.

“Ouch,” was his reply. His internal joke aside, it really hurt that his friends didn't consider him to be a part of their engineering team. “So, why am I here then?”

“We want you to lead the team.”

At first, Sokka thought he heard wrong. Or maybe they were messing with him again? He studied both of his friends' faces, but they only watched him with serious expressions. Even Aang's face managed to resemble somewhat a frown as he tended to do when he was in his serious Avatar mood. Iroh held a gentle smile as always.

“You're messing with me, right?”

“Not at all, buddy.” Zuko replied. “I may not have been there, but Aang and Katara have told me all about what you've done. Our War Balloons wouldn't be possible without you. If Azula hadn't found out about the invasion on the Day of the Black Sun, I honestly think the invasion would've been successful. We can think of no one better to lead the engineers than you.”

Sokka felt his chest swell up with pride again. He failed to keep a smile from practically stretching across his entire face. “Thanks, guys. That…yeah, I'll do it.”

Zuko grabbed a stack of papers and pushed them towards Sokka. “Here are dossiers of potential engineers, inventors and scientists. Let me know if there's anyone not listed that you'd like to recommend.”

Sokka eagerly pulled the pile onto his lap and began rifling through. He wasn't surprised to see the mechanist's dossier among them. Excitement filled his veins at the thought of working with him again. And this time it wouldn't be weapons or other instruments of war that they would work on. They would be free to create things to help people.

He nearly became lost as he read over the papers until a question dawned on him. “How long do I have to make this team?”

Zuko licked his lips, seemingly pondering an answer. “For one, it's not a guarantee that these people will want to work with us. Some of them were forced to work for the Fire Nation during the war. And we're still not fully trusted either. My uncle actually suggested we invite the ones you want to work with here to try to earn their trust. It would be ideal to have them all gather here, so maybe we can have that gathering in a few weeks or so.”

“Not too soon for it asks them to make sacrifices they may be unwilling to make in order to come here. But also not too late that they lose interest.” Iroh suggested.

Sokka nodded. “Do I have a limit?”

Zuko shrugged. “You're the leader. However many you think you'll need is your decision.”

“Well what if I want all of them? Do we have a budget?” He thumbed through the stack, there must've been at least over a dozen candidates.

“How about you look over them first before you decide to invite them all. As for the money,” he sighed, “we'll worry about that later.”

Sokka grinned before returning his attention to the dossiers. He was so elated he tuned out whatever else the others discussed. It wasn't until he realized his name was being called repeatedly that he lifted his head and saw that it was only him and Zuko present in the office.

“Oh, sorry.”

“Actually, there was something I wanted to discuss with you.”

Sokka lifted his eyebrows in curiosity. “Sure, what is it?”

Zuko pulled out a familiar book from his desk drawer. “You read this, right?”

Sokka studied the book and scrambled through his memories to remember where he had seen it before. What was the last thing he read? Then it hit him. “Oh! Your sister's journal? Sort of. I didn't read the entire thing, just a few pages. Why?”

His friend's lips tightened into a line. He rested his elbows on his desk and placed his chin over his clasped hands. “I keep thinking about whether Azula's lost memories are true or not.”

“Well, luckily for you I have eighteen whole years of experience as an older brother.” He placed the dossiers on the empty seat beside him before he leaned back in the chair and placed an ankle over a knee. If they were going to have a serious discussion he may as well get comfortable. “What makes you think she's lying about her memories? Forget what the others have said. You know your sister best. What makes you doubt her?”

Zuko rubbed his eyes. The circles under his eyes weren't as dark as they were before, but his squared shoulders were noticeably sagged. “Other than the fact that she's always lied to me since we were children?” His voice was tight, bitter. He took a deep breath. “I read her journal. All of it. I know why she's…developed some strange habits since we rescued her from the dark spirit. But ever since we returned here I've noticed she still does them. Surely if she truly lost her memories she still wouldn’t do those things. Right?”

Sokka lifted an eyebrow in confusion. “Hold on, back up a second. Which habits are we talking about? ‘Cuz for as long as I can remember, whenever Katara thinks too hard her face gets all scrunched up. If she were to lose her memories I think she would still make that expression.”

A muscle in Zuko's jaw pulsed and his eyes narrowed. For a moment he looked just as Sokka remembered seeing him when they first met, all pent up anger with nowhere to put it. “While Azula was in the mental institute she was drugged. Specifically, the staff drugged her food or water. I didn't really notice it then, but now I remember how Azula always refused to eat or drink anything she was given unless someone else did first. Yet after the accident she still does that.”

Sokka rubbed his chin in thought. “Like I said about Katara if she lost her memory I still think she would do that funky looking expression when she thinks too hard.”

“But with Azula it’s different,” Zuko pointed out. “She was never paranoid about what she ate or drank. Not until after the institute. Yet despite losing her memories, she’s still paranoid about what she’s given? I think she’s playing another one of her games.”

For once, Sokka found himself at a loss of what to say. He still couldn’t really understand how a person could lose their memories if it wasn’t caused by a creepy giant spirit lady with a bunch of faces. He grasped for something to say. “Has she done anything else suspicious?”

“No, the guards and servants report nothing out of the ordinary. And I always have one of the Kyoshi Warriors tailing her. All she does is sleep and wander the palace. She doesn’t speak with anyone. She doesn’t train. She doesn’t do what she normally did when she was here.”

So Sokka's suspicions were correct when he saw the Kyoshi Warrior behind Azula when Toph showed her a metalbending “demonstration.” The Kyoshi Warrior wasn’t there to protect Azula, she was there to stop her from retaliating.

It was understandable for Zuko to be wary of Azula. When she hunted them down during the war she was always a step ahead. And after she went crazy she was even more unpredictable. “Well I don’t really have anything to prove Azula is lying or not. You know her best, maybe if you spend more time with her you’ll notice anything else that’s suspicious.”

“Yeah. The only problem is things have been really busy for me. You, Aang and the others are all here. My uncle is here. I want to take advantage of your presence and really put my and Aang’s plans into motion.” Zuko glanced away, his gaze at the window. “But it’s already been a week since we returned and I’ve only managed to speak to Azula once.”

“So just spend some quality time together with her. Didn't you want her to be an advisor? You're always in meetings, have her tag along. It'll be like Toph said, if she's faking it'll be a matter of time until she lets something slip.”

Zuko turned his attention to Azula's journal. “She already did.”

Sokka suppressed a groan. Zuko must be really torn. And as a result, he didn't know what advice to give his friend. “I'm confused. So are you certain Azula is just pretending she lost her memories?”

The firebender pressed his palms to his eyes and breathed out a grunt of frustration. “Azula wasn't just hurt from the accident. She was dead. Before that she was possessed by a dark spirit.” Zuko stood and paced behind his desk. “She had claws, horns and wings! She nearly died from that too. Yet I just…I can't stop wondering what if she's telling the truth? Her losing her memories isn't the craziest thing to happen to her.”

Despite the open window allowing a cool breeze to caress their skin, the air felt thick. “What will you do if she is pretending?”

Zuko snorted. He stopped pacing and his shoulders slumped even more. “Azula worked with the New Ozai Society. Who's to say she still isn't working with them? Maybe by pretending she doesn't remember anything she thinks she can have free reign about the palace.”

“Or she can ask things without triggering suspicion,” Sokka wondered aloud. “But she would've still been here if that accident didn't happen,” Sokka muttered. “And I'm sure you still would've had eyes on her all the time.”

“Yes,” Zuko exhaled deeply. “I wanted to give her some time to rest and heal. Last I saw her she looked much better. Maybe I will start having her aid me and I can keep a closer eye on her for any more slips.”

Sokka recalled his encounter with the princess. “She did look better when I saw her as well. If I wasn’t a witness I never would have known she had a foot through death's door twice.”

Zuko peered at him sharply. “You saw her? When?”

Sokka froze. “Yesterday actually. She witnessed Toph's metalbending prowess. The Kyoshi Warrior that was there didn't tell you?”

Zuko's jaw pulsed again. “No. What happened?” His words were slow.

He thought about being vague, but with how tense his friend was looking he would probably seek out the Kyoshi Warriors anyway and ask. Or the guards that were there. Not wanting to stir up any miscommunication, he told Zuko everything, about Toph's “demonstration” and how Azula couldn't dodge in time.

“Was she hurt?”

Sokka shrugged. “I mean, I heard the impact all the way from where I was standing. Toph held back too, she would've bended the sword blade first if she wasn't.”

“And Azula didn't attack?”

“Nope,” Sokka popped the P. “Well, she did throw the sword back at Toph. But she didn't burn the area down nor did she shoot lightning, surprisingly. After that she walked away.”

Zuko tore his eyes away, seemingly in thought. After a moment he broke the silence. “You know, both Katara and Suki have mentioned how perspective you are.”

That caused him to raise an eyebrow. Where was Zuko going with that? Dread bubbled in his gut.

But when Zuko looked back at him he merely offered a small smile. “Thank you for letting me know about that confrontation. If you notice anything more would you please let me know?”

“Uh, sure.” Sokka replied slowly. Honestly, he intended to keep his distance from Azula. If she was pretending that she lost her memories he was afraid what secretive revenge she would have hidden in the shadows. Or flames in her case.

Suddenly he sympathized with Ty Lee. No wonder the poor girl couldn't find inner peace.

“Oh, one final thing,” Zuko called after him when he was about to leave. “Those dossiers only go into so much information regarding some of the inventions those people created. Most have been our military secrets afterall. I'll give you access to the royal library where you'll find the archives of our machinery. There were some machines that hadn't been utilized in the war.” He paused. Then his eyes lit up as if just figuring something out. “And I'll send someone to help you. It's a lot of information that may be difficult to find if you're unfamiliar with the archives.”

Sokka felt his mood brighten, their previous discussion about Azula practically forgotten. “Thanks, but I don't think that'll be necessary. If I can find my way around the Spirit Library, I think I can handle the royal library.” When Zuko ceased to say anything further, he picked up his paperwork and walked out.

* * *

Okay so maybe Sokka was being a little presumptuous about the Fire Nations royal library, it was certainly much bigger than he thought it would be. After he dumped the dossiers of his future team on a table he took a quick look at the shelves of books and scrolls. The library itself must've been about the same as the throne room, maybe even a little bigger. The walls were twice the height of all the other walls he's seen in the palace, and the walls themselves couldn't even be seen with the bookshelves. There were no windows so the only light available were provided by lanterns.

A paranoid thought came to him. With torches and lanterns always came the risk of a fire breaking out. It would just take one spark or flame that could render all this knowledge useless. A source of light provided by something other than fire could be one of the first projects he could work on with his team.

His research team.

Giddiness erupted in his chest and flowed through his limbs. Oh how he couldn't wait. But the first thing was to put that team together.

Before he started studying the dossiers he wanted to familiarize himself with the library in case he needed a source of what inventions these inventors and scientists created. He picked out a few books and scrolls to help him figure out how the library was organized.

His ears perked at the sound of a door opening and shutting. He hoped it wasn't Toph looking for something to entertain her. Books were useless to her so she'd be unable to help him and would only serve as a distraction.

“Sokka was your name, correct?”

That voice. Sokka felt his entire being pause, even his breath. Ice flowed through his veins and dread sat heavily in his stomach. He turned and immediately came face to face with piercing gold eyes.

Azula.

Panic knocks him out of his brief trepidation and he takes a step back, only for his back to smack into a bookshelf. He sees her eyes look him over from his face down to his feet for a moment before she pulls back up to meet his eyes. Something glazes over her gold orbs and then they narrow slightly.

“I did not mean to startle you. Did you not hear me?”

Sokka finally realized he never responded to her question. He cleared his throat and hopes his voice doesn't betray him. “Y-yeah, you're correct.”

She takes a step back and he feels like he can breathe again. It wasn't like she was too close in his personal space but the larger distance between them the better. His eyes notice movement behind her and he instantly recognizes the Kyoshi Warrior, full makeup and all. His lips automatically pull into a small smile as he makes eye contact with Suki. She offers a small smile of her own in acknowledgement.

Azula maintains her observation of him and her eyes and head turn slightly as if aware whom he's looking at. The silence of the library is broken by her deep inhale and exhale.

“My brother,” Azula begins, pulling Sokka's attention back to her, “Has requested I accompany you and provide whatever aid you need regarding the team he has assigned to you.”

Disbelief knocks the breath out of Sokka's chest. Was this what Zuko meant when he said he would send someone to help him?

Once again, his friend proved his new nickname for him correct. Bad Decision Lord. He was going to throttle Zuko.

Chapter Text

[Fire Nation Royal Palace]

The next time Azula woke, her clothes felt damp and her hair clung to her skin. Her head still ached. Complete shocker. But it was bearable. She detangled herself from her bed covers and sat up. The room spun, but it quickly passed. Thankfully she wasn’t completely encased in darkness. A curtain covered the bedroom window, but bright light still seeped around the edges.

What were those dreams? She thought to herself. Her stomach fell suddenly. How could she even know what a dream was, yet had no memory of one? She groaned while she rubbed her forehead. It was far too early into her day to be confusing herself.

Her muscles felt cramped and sore, her entire being was a bubble of unspent energy aching to be used. This was a first. Normally she woke up feeling heavy and sluggish. She dragged herself to the edge of the bed and nearly climbed to her feet when she realized she wasn't alone. Her lungs inhaled sharply when she came face to face with two young women, both wore servant robes.

“Princess,” they both stated and immediately dipped into a low bow. They bent at the waist, heads down and their hands pocketed in their long sleeves held in front of their head.

Any time people bowed to her she felt uncomfortable. It didn't feel right. She didn't feel like royalty. Didn’t feel like she was worth bowing to.

One of them spoke, but with their heads down Azula couldn't tell which one was speaking. “The Fire Lord requests your presence at your earliest convenience. We're here to assist you get ready.”

Azula held in a groan. She hated being tended to even more than when people bowed. Being helped with dressing and bathing made her feel like she was seen as incompetent to tend to her own needs. But just this once she would allow it. Maybe they'd help speed her morning routine up.

“Very well,” she told them and followed the women to the bathing room.

Bathing was the worst of it all. While the servants only washed her hair, they still undressed her. She hated for anyone to see her naked; she felt vulnerable both literally and figuratively. They tried to keep their gazes quick and secretive, but she knew when they saw the burn on her chest and the bruise on her shoulder. Knowing that they saw those injuries made her face heat up in embarrassment.

After she was bathed and dressed, Azula felt her heart beat against her throat when she was taken into an adjacent room. The most noticeable object was the large mirror that hung on one of the walls. The moment Azula saw it she tore her eyes away from it while she willed her breathing to slow and deepen. The second that she saw their reflection she knew she should've seen three figures, but there was a strange itch inside her head that made her fear seeing a fourth figure.

If the servants noticed her reaction they said nothing and led her to the sole cushioned chair.

One began applying makeup to Azula's face while the other gently brushed her hair. When the wide toothed comb brushed against a very tender spot in the back of her head she winced when pain momentarily flared. Something fell on the floor and then there was a blur of movement as the second servant rushed in front of her and threw herself to the ground in a formal bow.

“My apologies, princess!”

The moment the woman crumbled to the floor the other servant's eyes widened and she too dropped into a bow.

Azula felt flabbergasted by the display. It was a simple mistake, if it were to even be called that. While Azula didn't know the specifics of her head injury, she was well aware of the tender spot on the back of her head.

“There's nothing to apologize for,” she clarified. She eyed the servant that had been
combing her hair. “The back of my head is merely sensitive from an injury.”

The servants were frozen for a moment longer as if expecting Azula to continue. When she said nothing more the two women shared a quick look at each other before they climbed back onto their feet.

“Yes, thank you, princess.”

An odd thing to say, Azula mused. She said and did nothing to earn their gratitude. When she tried to smile at them to reassure she wasn't angry with them, they both avoided any eye contact with her. As they continued tending to her, she couldn't help but wonder why they were so deathly afraid of her. What type of person was she? Would she had punished them for something so trivial?

Her thoughts were interrupted when one of the servants approached her with something gold on a cloth. It was a flame shaped three-pronged headpiece.

It's a shame you aren't wearing your crown, princess. The metalbender's voice echoed in her head.

Azula thought of denying the headpiece, but this was the first time she was given it. Maybe her meeting with her brother was more formal, hence why the servants were sent to tend to her. After the hair ornament was placed into her bun, the other servant grabbed a handheld mirror and faced the reflection at her. The movement was fast, yet Azula could keep up with what was shown in the reflection. She could see herself, but when she saw someone standing behind her the irrational fear kicked at her chest.

Her reaction was instinctual, automatic. She jumped out of the chair, her eyes tightly shut to ensure she didn't see the reflection. But when she opened her eyes again she was facing the large mirror. She saw herself and the silhouette of someone behind her.

Her eyes shut again. She didn't know who she was expecting to see standing behind her, she just knew that she couldn't see anyone behind her. The room felt stifling, her face heated as she gulped in deep breaths, yet it did nothing to fill her lungs with air. Her chest burned. Voices reached her ears, but she paid them no mind.

Then there was clanking.

A new voice broke through to her. It was a lighter voice, higher pitched than the two servants. Was it her mother?

She opened her eyes, but instead of seeing her mother it was one of those women with the white facial paint and metal armor. Footsteps beside her pulled her attention away from the armored woman and she found the servants bowed on the floor again.

Maybe it was her sudden irrational panic, she honestly didn't know why, but she found herself breathing out a weak chuckle. It sounded manic and out of place to her own ears. Pressure built behind her eyes, her vision became clouded from the moisture that formed. A few hard blinks later she noticed the handheld mirror still clutched in the servant's hand. Her hands clenched as she fought the urge to yank the mirror and throw it into the large mirror on the wall. Nothing made sense to her, her emotions, her reactions.

Nothing.

It has only been a few days since she woke up with no memories of herself or the people around her, but she was getting sick of it all.

“Are you okay, Azula?”

She nearly sprained her neck with the speed she turned to look at the armored woman. Strange that she would call her by her name. Everyone else called her by her title, except her mother and brother. Did they know each other perhaps?

The change of thoughts helped ground her. She inhaled deeply and held it before she released it and took another deep breath. Again and again until the breaths came naturally. And normal.

“Fine,” she croaked. She swallowed the hard lump in her throat. “I'm fine.” Her heart still thundered and she could feel the pounding of it in her ears. She turned towards the servants.

“I'm–”

You can't apologize if you feel no remorse for what you've done.

Did she feel remorse? Twice now she scared her servants relentlessly for no fault of their own. She hated how much she terrified them for simply existing.

“I apologize,” she said softly. The servants remained on the floor and it somehow made her feel worse for trying to apologize, but they kept their gazes away from her. “Get up, both of you.” Her voice sounded much more stern than she meant.

When the servants climbed to their feet they still kept their eyes downward. Heat flushed through her face and neck. She opened her mouth to order them to look at her, but thought better of it before she could spill out a single word.

Another deep breath. “Please, look at me.” When both women lifted their gazes at her something tore at Azula's chest. The fear in their eyes was palpable. The younger one of the two, probably no older than herself, had gold eyes that shone with unshed tears.

Was she once so monstrous it would bring a servant to tears just by a mistake of upsetting her?

She tried again despite the tightness she felt in her throat. “I'm sorry,” she said at last. Something tugged at her head. “I hope that you both will forgive my unseemly display. You did nothing wrong.”

The servants bowed their heads deeply. “Please, princess, you don't need to waste an apology to us.”

And their refusal to meet her eyes was back. Azula bit at her lower lip to fight against the anger that filled her veins with molten fury. It was a struggle for her to give them a proper honest apology and they refused it.

She was done with everything. Eager to get out of the room that made her feel uneasy since she first stepped foot inside it. When she turned towards the exit, she found the armored woman still looking at her. Her brown-gray eyes were wide, staring at her without blinking as if she grew horns.

With her frayed emotions, she just barely managed to keep herself from snapping at the guard. These armored guards only ever followed her when she left her room, but they always followed her silently. All her attempts at speaking with them were always met with silence. Except, this one called her by name. Must simply be because they were not Fire Nation soldiers. Judging by the colors they wore she assumed they were Earth Kingdom.

“Thank you. I’ll see myself to the Fire Lord’s office on my own. You’re both free to continue with your duties.”

Azula couldn’t get out of the room fast enough. Her face felt flushed from the lingering anger and embarrassment. The clanking of the armor followed her all the way to the office she was told her brother was awaiting her. When she reached to open the door she noticed her hand was shaking.

Another deep breath then she let it out slowly. She steeled her face and squared her shoulders before she stepped into the room. At least she was able to clear her mind quickly.

The office was sparsely decorated with a desk and several chairs, one wall lined with small bookshelves and a lone window. Behind the desk was a large banner that displayed the Fire Nations flame emblem. And sitting behind the desk was her brother, in the same grand layered set of red and black robes with layered black shoulder pieces. Her eyes caught the glint of the gold crown atop his topknot, it was similar to hers but larger and with five-prongs.

His head lifted towards her and he froze, his eyes widening slightly as he took in her appearance. It made her embarrassment creep back, was there something wrong with her appearance?

She swallowed hard. “Good morning, brother.” She bowed her head down slightly. If there were others present she would've referred to his title and given a more proper bow. However, while she knew her brother wanted her to refer to him by name when they were in private, it was still an odd feeling for her to do so. He still felt like a complete stranger to her. And with him being the Fire Lord, it felt disrespectful to be so casual with him. “I was told you requested my presence.”

He blinked hard before he straightened. His attention turned to the documents in his hands and he hastily placed them face down. “Yes, ah good morning, Azula.” He said after clearing his throat. His eyes continued to study her. “You look…well. How are you feeling?”

Confused. Frustrated. I wish I could remember anything about myself and others, she thought.

Question was, could she even say that to her brother? Would he care? They were rivals for the throne as all royal heirs have been before them.

“I am well. Thank you for your concern, dear brother.”

His sole eyebrow twitched. She could hear his breath as he exhaled deeply. It felt like she said the wrong thing, but what? More frustration tore at her, but she kept herself from moving or showing her displeasure.

“I'm sorry for calling you on such short notice. Mom has been telling me how much better you're doing so I thought maybe you'd like something to do.”

Her mother! Azula felt like she was falling from a great height. She had forgotten she was supposed to meet her mother for breakfast.

“I'd like for you to help out one of my friends with a very special project. I don't know if you remember how good you were with planning and strategy.”

Azula felt herself perk up at the prospect of finally having something to occupy her time and her thoughts. The past several days have been absolutely boring. And lonely.

“I'm loath to admit I am unable to remember my strengths,” she admitted, “But I appreciate the opportunity to fulfill my duties as princess.”

Again, Zuko's darkened expression made her feel like she said the wrong thing again. Before she could inquire on what the problem was, however, he was quick to dismiss her.

“You'll find my friend in the library. His name is Sokka. I think you both have met once before. And just so you're aware, he's in charge of this team. You'll strictly be his support.”

In other words, she wasn't to take the lead.

“I understand,” she replied. “Is there anything else I should be aware of?”

She watched her brother's jaw clench as he seemingly fell in thought. Then he shook his head. “No. Help my friend through this project until it is finished. And…join us for dinner tonight. I'd like you to meet my entire family.”

Azula felt her eyebrow creep upwards. His family?

“Mom, Noren, and our little sister will be there. As well as all of my friends. I'd like you to meet everyone.”

Ah, so that was why he referred to the family as his rather than theirs. He considered his friends as family. Then realization struck and her heart fell to her toes. She already met her brother's friends and their icy demeanor. But if her mother would be present then perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe that's why her mother didn't meet her with breakfast if her brother wanted them all to meet for dinner instead. Still, the anticipation frayed her nerves.

She swallowed. “Very well. I eagerly await to meet everyone until then.”

A small ghost of a smile formed on her brother's pale face. “My friend should be in the library now. He'll give you more details.” with that he pulled a scroll free of its place atop a small pile.

Understanding his dismissal, Azula turned and left the office. A small twinge of disappointment settled in her chest. When he said he wanted to give her something to do she half expected she would be helping him, not one of his friends.

When she exited the office she nearly collided with another armored guard with white facial paint. Her eyes scanned for any differences between the one before her and the one following her. The new one had blue eyes–a color foreign among Fire Nation– and short brown hair that flowed freely to her chin. Despite her face hidden underneath the white and red paint, Azula could make out the scowl that was aimed at her.

Great. More people she made enemies of in her past and now they were assigned to be her personal guards. No wonder why they all ignored her. Why would her brother even think her former enemies would be best to keep her safe?

Azula fought the urge to roll her eyes and simply ignored the blue eyed guard. No attempt was made to speak to her, so she continued on her way towards the library. She only took a few steps when she heard the women whisper behind her.

“Thank you, Ty Lee. I got it from here. Get some well deserved rest.”

Just a guard exchange. Azula tuned their whispers out and kept with her pace. When she neared the library she remembered her missed meal with her mother. Despite her brother's plans for them to dine for dinner, she didn't want her mother to think that she ignored her request to share breakfast.

But she had no idea where her mother's quarters were or what her daily schedule was. Her armored shadows would no doubt be useless for information. The best option would be to send a servant to give her mother a message.

Her feet changed course away from the library in search of a servant. Rather than wait to run into one, she headed where the servants tended to the laundry. She'd either find a servant on the way or she was guaranteed to find one cleaning the linens and silks. Azula knew she was heading in the correct direction when she began to smell the oils and soaps the servants used to clean. Then voices and chatter bounced around the walls of the hallway.

“I told you that girl is crazy!”

“Quiet! That ‘girl’ you're talking about is the crown princess.”

Azula abruptly paused.

Another voice spoke, but it was broken by sobs. “I can't be banished! Since the war ended, father never returned home. It's just me and my little sister.” The sobbing intensified.

Ice clawed within Azula's veins. It was safe for her to assume that the servants she terrified earlier already sought solace with others and explained what happened. But what was confusing was this talk about banishment. That was never brought up. Or was it the standard punishment for upsetting royalty? If that was the case it seemed a bit too harsh. She would have to ask her brother about it later.

But someone had said she was crazy. She was kept in a mental institution after the war. Like a broken vase having its pieces put back together, things were falling into place that were beginning to make sense. Was this why the servants were terrified of her? She was a mentally unstable tyrant, and her brother surprisingly showed mercy by throwing her into an institution rather than outright killing her when he usurped her throne.

White hot pain stabbed deep into her skull. Her knees shook and threatened to buckle from the sudden onslaught of pain, but she leaned her unbruised shoulder against a wall and clutched her forehead. The pain didn't last long, thankfully. But she was left feeling heavy.

“No such thing will happen, my dear.” A gentle voice pulled Azula's attention. There was movement and someone walked past the doorless doorway. Azula quickly flattened herself against the wall. It would be quite the mess if she was discovered eavesdropping. That one servant was terrified enough as it was.

“That's right!” The voice from earlier announced. “The Fire Lord won't allow it. It's unfortunate he had to bring crazy back, especially as he's recognized princess Kiyi as part of the royal family. He should've made her crown princess. She's such a lovely girl.”

Other voices joined in, but Azula noticed a growing shadow approaching the doorway. As much as she wanted to listen longer, she couldn't expose her position. It was unquestionable to still seek out a servant to send a message to her mother, they'd know she was listening to their gossip.

Before she knew it, Azula had half walked half jogged and stood before the door that led into the royal library. She stayed firmly rooted in place, however, to calm her racing thoughts. If she was tyrannical to the servants before, then she could understand their hesitancy in her presence. But their disregard of her as nothing but a crazy girl strangely brought a tightness to her chest.

It hurt.

Azula suddenly released a weak chuckle. There was no reason for her to get her feelings hurt by servants, people she had no memory of. Yet she still did.

That girl is crazy!

Well, staring at a closed door and chuckling to herself wasn't proving that statement wrong. Azula shoved the servants' gossip out of her head and inhaled deeply. She suddenly felt immensely grateful to her brother for giving her something to occupy her thoughts. If she had nothing to do but return to her bedroom and nurse her headache she would've cracked. Again.

Dozens of bookshelves immediately greeted Azula. The smell of dust, paper and ink assaulted her nostrils. The huge room was so quiet she could faintly hear the sound of the flames within the lanterns fight to remain lit from the sudden influx of air caused by her opening and closing the door.

It didn't take long to find the sole occupant of the room. She found him at one of the nearby bookshelves, his back towards her and his head downward as he read something. When she approached him she realized he was completely unaware of her presence. Did he not hear her enter?

When she closed the distance between them she quickly came to realize how much taller this man was compared to her. She could recognize his style and color of clothing from when they first met out in one of the training yards, but he had been standing so far away at the time she couldn't get a reliable grasp of his height.

But how to get his attention without spooking him? After the day she's had so far, she’s had enough with scaring people without attempting to do so.

“Sokka was your name, correct?”

His shoulders stiffened and his head snapped up. It was almost comical with how slowly he turned to face her. When their eyes met, Azula felt herself freeze. She could recall reading about the appearance of the people from the Water Tribes, they were of a light brown skin tone, dark hair, but had contrasting light colored eyes, typically blue or gray. Yet, she found herself staring at the color of the man’s eyes. They were a striking shade of blue. Very much like the color of her flames.

Suddenly she heard his sharp intake of breath and he pulled away from her until he struck the bookshelf behind him. If he hit the shelves any harder he would’ve sent books and scrolls toppling out. She looked him over, despite his instinct to move away he held the book in his hand like a weapon. Maybe his fearful reaction was just due to her sudden appearance.

“I did not mean to startle you. Did you not hear me?” The library was so quiet he had to have heard her enter. Unless he was so engrossed in whatever he was reading.

His large blue eyes continued to watch her and she wondered if he would even answer her. She nearly turned to leave, if he refused to so much as speak with her it was pointless for them to work together. But then he straightened and cleared his throat. “Y-yeah, you’re correct.”

Azula took an experimental step back. Maybe he’d be less frightened if their distance grew. He broke their eye contact and suddenly his face lit up with a small smile. Azula felt something stir in her stomach. At least the water tribesman was pleasant to look at, and when he smiled his sharp features softened. But she knew his smile wasn’t for her. He had to be looking at her armored shadow. Perhaps they knew each other.

She was losing his attention, losing control of the conversation and she didn’t like it. She mentally cursed her older brother for arranging this partnership.

“My brother,” she began, and nearly forgot what she was going to say when those blue orbs swept back towards her, “Has requested I accompany you and provide whatever aid you need regarding the team he has assigned to you.”

His neatly shaped eyebrows rose until they were nearly touching his hairline. When his shock wore off his face fell as if disappointed. Would her brother hold it against her if he refused her aid?

“Um, o-okay.” He said slowly.

Well he didn’t outright refuse her help. And so far he didn’t treat her as coldly as the waterbender or as hostile as the metalbender. The sooner they completed this project the better.

“Tell me of this project my brother put you in charge of.”

That small smile grew on his face again and his chest puffed up. “Well, just curious, but has Zuko told you about the grand big plan he and Aang have been working on?”

Azula lifted an eyebrow. Who was Aang? “No, I was told you would tell me all I needed to know.”

“Okay. So, long story short, Aang and Zuko want to make this city for people from all of the nations to live together. They put me in charge of putting a team of engineers together.” He glanced at the book in his hands a moment before he shoved it back into its original place on a shelf and motioned her over to a table littered with papers. “These dossiers are a list of potential people I can recruit.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Azula sighed, trying not to let her disappointment seep into her tone. It was too simple, in fact. Surely, Sokka would be able to handle this on his own. “Have you chosen anyone yet?” She scanned through some of the papers. None of the names she read were familiar.

When his silence went on for too long she glanced back up at him. He looked at her in surprise again, his blue eyes wide and unblinking.

“You can read?”

Azula furrowed her brows. Why would he assume she was illiterate? If anything it should be the other way around with the reputation the Water Tribes held of being uncultured and savage. “Of course I'm literate! It's one of the first things a child of the royal family is taught.”

“No, no, I mean of course you can read! What I meant was, you know, you can remember how to read? After the–you know?” He tapped the joints of his fingers to his temple.

“Ah,” Azula breathed out. Not even she could make sense of her broken memories. “There are some things I can recall naturally. Like breathing, speaking, firebending.” She bended a small flame in her palm. She peered at it a moment before glancing back at the man's–Sokka’s–eyes. Definitely the same shade. “Just because I lost my memories doesn’t render me useless like a newborn infant.”

The armored shadow did not look pleased by her display of firebending. Azula closed her hand into a fist to snuff out the flame. Maybe the guard was just worried she'd catch something on fire. As if she would be so careless.

“I can recall things I've read. Such as the politics of the Fire nation and the cultures of the other nations, for example. Yet, I am unable to remember things I've been told verbally. Or personally experienced.”

“Huh, that's definitely weird,” Sokka replied.

Azula sighed. “That is a vast understatement.” She peeked at the dossiers again, eager to change the subject. Any discussions of her lack of memories made her feel inadequate. “Back to my earlier question, have you picked anyone for your team yet?”

“Oh! Uh, not yet. I'm only familiar with one of the inventors, all others I have no clue who they are. And Zuko said this library would have more information on some of the things they've invented.”

Azula hummed in acknowledgement as she continued glancing through the papers. When she was done reading one, she placed it in a specific stack. Sokka was quick to notice.

“Why do you have them stacked in different piles?”

“I’ve organized them according to each person’s expertise,” Azula explained. “This stack is for the people that have contributed to the Fire Nations military, these are people that have gained renown for non-military inventions, and this pile are of others that haven’t invented anything but are valued for their knowledge in planning and engineering.”

“That’s…quite helpful. Thanks!”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “Organization is useful.” She pulled out one of the chairs and sat, placing one knee over the other. “So my dear brother and,” she paused before saying the name Aang. She was unfamiliar with who that person was. A name not common in the Fire Nation. It didn’t sound feminine. Had to belong to someone important if the person was planning on building a city with her brother. Realization hit her. “The Avatar, are planning on building a city. I’m assuming this team you’re forming will be engineers for the city’s architecture?”

Sokka followed her lead and pulled two chairs out, but when he motioned to her armored guard towards one of them she shook her head and remained standing nearby. He shrugged and took a seat. “Yes, architecture as well as other things. I want us to invent stuff that can make people’s lives easier.” He pointed to one of the lanterns. “Take that lantern for an example. For one thing, it’s completely enclosed. Easy for a firebender to light it. But for a non-firebender the lantern has to be opened, lit and put back together. And what if a lantern falls? This room is filled with priceless knowledge that can easily be lost simply because a lantern fell.”

Azula blinked in surprise. For one thing it was immensely refreshing and pleasant to have a normal conversation. Well in this case, have someone speak to her without any obvious nervousness. Sure, Sokka had sounded a little nervous at first, but once she inquired about his goals he became animated. As for his point about the lanterns, it sounded mundane initially, but it had potential to be the start of a great invention. Especially among non-firebenders.

“To start, what is the location of this new city?” She asked.

His eyes grew again and he stared blankly at her.

“You don’t know where, do you?” Azula suppressed another sigh.

“Does it matter where the city will be built?”

She groaned and rubbed her eyes. Now she could see the reason why her brother sent her to help his friend.

“Does your head hurt?”

Her fingers paused their ministrations and she peered at him. Sokka was leaning forward, his blue eyes lost their blank confusion and merely studied her. When he didn’t look nervous or frightened, his gaze was quite intense. There was an intelligence in those striking blue orbs. She chased away her thoughts. Right, he was aware of her head injury, he was probably even witness to it.

“Thank you for your concern, but it’s not that.” One of his eyebrows lifted as he continued to watch her. Azula hid her hands under the table and balled them into fists. Why did everyone look at her strangely when she thanked them? Or when she apologized? “And returning to our topic at hand, of course the location of this future city matters. I’m assuming you live either in the North or South Pole.”

Sokka nodded. “I’m from the Southern Water Tribe.”

“The architecture of Water Tribe homes are typically small and completely enclosed. With the lack of lumber and earthbending the homes are made of compact snow. Because of this the walls are thick to avoid the snow from melting if a cooking fire is kept indoors, and to provide a stable structure of the house itself.”

“Why are you educating me about my own culture?”

Azula rolled her eyes. “In the Fire Nation the weather is the complete opposite. The air is arid and hot, so our architecture is different. We often have wide open windows and thin walls to circulate the air. My point is, the location of a new city is important. Depending on the climate it can affect how the home is to be built, other than what resources are available. You mentioned non-benders will reside in this city, so the way earthbenders design their homes wouldn’t work for them since they’d be unable to bend their own entrances or exits.”

Sokka’s eyes widened and he slapped a palm on his forehead. “Of course! How could I forget something like that?”

“Knowing the structure of buildings will help you in deciding which engineers to select for your team as well,” Azula added. “You wouldn’t put your complete trust in an Earth Kingdom engineer to design homes in the South Pole, now would you?”

He shuffled through some of the other papers on the desk until he found a blank one before he dug into a small satchel that laid on one end of the table and pulled out an inkwell and a brush. “Okay, so that’ll definitely be something I have to ask Aang and Zuko about. I don’t even know if they have a location planned yet.”

“Are you certain?” Azula fought the urge to throw her arms in the air in frustration. Just how premature were their plans in building a new city? Was her brother incompetent? He should have the same education as she, especially as he was the first born. It would be automatically assumed he would be the heir to the throne upon his birth.

It seemed like her assignment wouldn’t reach its conclusion in one day. “In the meantime, now you know you’ll have to revisit the dossiers for the building engineers. You mentioned wanting other inventions to ease the living of the peasants.”

His eyebrow twitched at the mention of peasants, but he didn’t bring attention to it. “That’s right. There’s one inventor I worked with in the past. He’s amazing! He invented the war balloons, you know? And yours truly,” he paused to waggle his eyebrows. Azula felt that strange fluttering in her stomach again. “Helped him finalize his invention. Long story short, he was forced to work for the Fire Nation during the war. Now that we’re at world peace, he’s free to invent whatever he wants.” He paused to inhale deeply. “You should totally see the gadgets he invented for his son, who’s unable to walk. Just imagine what things he could create in a time of peace. And for non-benders!”

Azula didn’t know why, but she found herself amused by Sokka’s passionate explanation. In the short time she focused on his words she ceased to notice the constant ache within her skull, and the loneliness and boredom that’s plagued her since she woke without her memories. His enthusiasm and passion was infectious. If anything it was a great distraction.

“Here, take a look.” Sokka slid a dossier towards her. “I know that some inventors were forced to work for the Fire Nation during the war. So I came here hoping to do a bit more research on what type of inventions these people came up with. I’m pretty sure most inventions weren't meant for war, they were probably just altered or their purpose was altered.”

Azula read over the dossier quickly. It only mentioned the specifics of the war balloon this “machinist” invented. “You mentioned you worked with this machinist before? What gadgets did he invent for his son?”

Sokka explained the variable forms of transportation–both on ground and in the air– the machinist made to aid a person who was unable to walk. When she slid the dossier back to him, he placed it on its own separate pile from the others.

“Some of the inventions these others have made I'm unfamiliar with, so I came here to see if there was more information about them.”

Azula nodded. “Hand me one you're unfamiliar with then.”

Her lack of memories rendered her nearly as clueless as Sokka when it came to knowing where to find the information they sought. But together they managed to form a system to comb through the numerous bookshelves faster. After the third dossier Azula noticed how blurry the letters began to appear each time she tried to read.

She rubbed her eyes and pressed on. Besides the blurred vision her body was slow to move and her eyelids were heavy. She and Sokka didn't engage in conversation unless it pertained to their work. But even he took notice of her change of behavior.

“Is something wrong?” He asked her when she rubbed her eyes for what was probably the sixth time.

“I'm fine,” she replied.

He didn't push her, thankfully. But when she rubbed her eyes again within two minutes of his question he placed his book onto the table audibly. “I think we've been at this for hours now. Why don't we call it a day?” Not long afterwards there was an audible grumble. He chuckled and rubbed a palm over his flat stomach, his cheeks flushed slightly pink. “It should be dinner time soon.”

Her heart sunk at the comment. She wasn't looking forward to attending dinner and formally meeting her brother's friends and family. She longed to stretch, but it wasn't a seemly action to do in front of others. Forcing back a yawn, she stood.

“I enjoyed your company while we worked.” There was truth to her words other than merely being courteous. While she and Sokka hadn't been friendly or conversed, his presence was pleasant. How sad that a person's tolerable presence was something she considered pleasant. “After you've acquired more information from my brother or the Avatar, have a servant summon me and we can continue.”

Sokka looked at her strangely again, as if she spoke in a language he did not understand. But he caught himself quickly. “Um, sure. And…thanks? For your help.”

With nothing more to say, Azula stepped out of the library. Knowing that her armored shadow was behind her, she didn’t bother to close the door. The hallway was clear, she took a moment to lean her back against a wall and gingerly leaned her head back. All she did was read and speak every now and then for a few hours and already she was eager to return to her room. The thought of laying down on her bed for a few moments was all she desired. She loathed feeling drained of energy after doing the most mundane activities. Maybe tomorrow she can look into training again. Anything to build up her strength.

She mentally groaned when she realized she still had to attend dinner and meet the rest of her family and her brother’s friends, again. Besides Sokka, should she pretend they hadn’t met before? For appearances sake.

On the thought about the Water Tribesman, she was glad he didn’t treat her as hostile as her brother’s other friends. She would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy his company. Still, there was that wall between them that kept them an arms length apart. She could only assume it was due to their past as enemies that there was an awkward tension in the air. But when he focused on his interests, when he seemed to forget who he was speaking with, she just enjoyed listening to him ramble.

It was merely a good distraction, Azula thought to herself.

Figuring she spent enough time idling uselessly in the hall, she made her way towards her bedroom. Her heart sank when she passed numerous servants, out of their line of sight, and could make out enough of their words to guess they spoke about the events that transpired earlier between herself and her servants. Her hearing was hyper aware of the word “crazy” that seemed to pass through everyone’s lips. There was thankfully only one instance where she and a few servants saw each other when both turned a corner, and immediately upon seeing her the servants bent at the waist and greeted her by her title. Pretending she didn’t hear them gossiping about her, Azula hastened her steps to her bedroom. At the very least, her armored shadows rarely followed her inside of her room, so she at least had some privacy to herself.

She eyed her large four poster bed. As much as she wanted to lie on it and relax, she knew she wouldn’t be able to get comfortable. She was unsure why, but despite how soft her bed was, with its cool silken sheets, no matter what position she laid in she was only able to sleep until exhaustion completely overcame her.

A thought came to her. Her brother mentioned she hadn’t been living at the palace for three years. So wherever she lived maybe she didn’t always have access to a warm bed? Feeling experimental, Azula tugged off the top bedsheet and pillow and tossed them onto the floor. She removed her crown, pulled her hair free from its bun, and stripped down to her inner robe before she curled up on her makeshift bed. She only meant to rest, but suddenly she was jolted awake by a knock on her door. With a glance out the window, she saw she slept way more than she meant, the sky was dark.

Did she sleep through dinner? Part of her wished she did. She hastily climbed to her feet, but wasn’t able to throw her makeshift bed back onto the actual bed before she heard the door open. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw one of the armored guards.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Azula. Were you asleep?”

It was that guard again. Why was she so casual with her? She looked over at the armored woman, but it was pointless to make out any of her features with the thick makeup that hid her face. The woman’s eyes drifted downward towards the blanket and pillow.

“Were you–?”

Azula didn’t let her finish the question. It was humiliating that she, a princess, found better comfort sleeping on the floor than on one of the best beds money could buy . “Did we know each other?” She interrupted. “Unlike everyone else, you call me by my name.”

The woman looked caught off guard by the question. She hesitated for a moment, was she thinking of a lie? When she finally answered, she spoke slowly as if testing out the words she said. “You could say we sort of grew up together.”

Azula lifted an eyebrow. This woman looked to be from the Earth Kingdom. Yet if they were close it meant she had to be Fire Nation nobility.

“We attended the same school, I mean.” The woman clarified, her words fast now. “The Royal Fire Academy for Girls.”

That confirmed the woman was a noble. She never would have been allowed to enroll in the academy otherwise. But if they were merely classmates, not friends, why was she so comfortable calling her by her name? And she never approached her as a friend. Her hesitance to answer her question was suspicious as well, maybe she did lie. Perhaps they had a falling out?

Thinking about it too much brought a flare of what felt like ice shards penetrating through her skull. The pain passed quickly so she was able to disguise her hand movement to appear as if she was merely combing her fingers through her hair.

“Is there something you want?” Azula asked while she picked up the pillow and blanket and tossed them onto her bed. She didn't need the servants to see the items on the floor and spread even more rumors.

Crazy girl sleeps on the floor like a dog, Azula guessed the rumors would say.

“Oh, yes! Everyone is gathering for dinner soon.” Replied her shadow.

She was curious why a servant wasn't sent to fetch her. From what she's deduced about her guards was that they never interacted with her, only followed.

“Did you want the servants?”

“No,” Azula responded a little too quickly. “I appreciate the offer, but I can tend to myself.”

All she had to do was climb back into her outer robes, fasten the sash, and fix her hair. Making sure that her back was practically pressed against the wall, she lifted a handheld mirror to ensure her topknot, crown, and makeup were in place. Thankfully when she slept her makeup didn't rub off on the pillow.

They spoke no further, and the armored woman returned to simply following her out of her line of sight. Azula was sure it was merely her own paranoia, but every royal guard and servant she passed seemed to follow her with their eyes, but they still bowed their heads when she passed them. She did her best to pay no mind to the stares. She kept her chin up, back straight, and hands folded within her long sleeves.

As she approached the dining hall, she felt fluttering deep in her belly. Because she overslept she feared she would be the last to arrive and have to endure an awkward entrance. Thankfully, when she arrived there were few people present, her mother, brother, an older man and a young child. All were seated, but the table between them was void of any platters of food. The young girl was in control of the conversation, speaking enthusiastically about something Azula didn’t quite hear, but she could see the rapt attention everyone gave her, and the gentle smiles they offered.

“Azula,” said her mother, who was the first to notice her presence. The conversation ceased and all eyes turned towards her.

Zuko was the first to climb to his feet before the others and beckoned her closer. “I’m glad you made it, Azula.”

“Of course,” she replied. “I had nothing else to occupy my evening.” Her attention was pulled towards her approaching mother. If she was upset that she missed their breakfast there was no sign of her displeasure on her face.

“How are you feeling?” Her mother asked.

Funny how she was starting to get tired of hearing that question. Each day the intensity of her headaches were easing, other than some random spikes she would get, but they were quick to dissipate. Still, it was nice that someone expressed concern for her well-being.

“I’m well, mother.” She smiled.

The older woman returned the smile, and Azula could see that this time it reached her eyes. “Azula, as you know, many years ago I was banished from the Fire Nation capital. During my banishment I met someone and we married.” She extended an arm out to the older man. “This is my husband, Noren.”

Noren stepped closer to the two women, a gentle smile on his slightly wrinkled face. His long brown hair was pulled back and tied in a low ponytail. He had high sharp cheekbones, and a mustache and goatee. He watched her with soft, warm gold eyes. He bowed, bending at the waist, for a brief moment. “A pleasure to meet you, Princess Azula.” He reached for her mother’s still outreached hand and laced his fingers within her own. “You look so much like your mother when she was your age.”

“It is lovely to finally meet my mother’s husband. She’s mentioned you several times.” Azula replied.

“Good things, I hope.” Noren chuckled. He and her mother shared a quick glance.

“And this is our daughter, Kiyi.” Her mother continued. Azula expected to see the child near her mother and Noren, but instead she found the little girl standing behind her brother, her head peering out from behind his waist.

“Kiyi, come closer and greet your older sister,” Noren told her gently.

The little girl’s eyebrows turned downward and her brown eyes narrowed. She gave a very subtle shake of her head and clutched a piece of Zuko’s robe. “We met once before. Why do we have to pretend we’ve never met her? And she burned our house!”

Azula winced. She half expected to have met her mother’s family before she lost her memories, and with how well her mother had been caring for her injuries she assumed she had a good relationship with her mother’s family, baring her brother and father. Did she have a good relationship with anyone? And what reason would she have to burn down their home? A hiss escaped her lips when a pulse of pain stabbed at her head. She watched her mother appear torn between going to check on her or her half sister.

As usual, the pain passed quickly and Azula pulled her hand away from her forehead. She looked towards her little sister, who still glared at her. Her mouth opened, ready to give an apology for her past actions. But that waterbender’s words echoed in her mind.

You can't apologize if you feel no remorse for what you've done.

The words died on her tongue. She couldn’t even remember why she would do such a thing. Surely it had to be for a reason relating to the war.

“Your older sister had a lot on her mind after the war ended,” her brother explained. He was on his knees so he spoke to the small girl at eye level. “And she was hurt really bad when we were coming back home. So there’s a lot of things she doesn’t remember. Right, Azula?”

She was grateful for her brother trying to smooth out the sudden tense exchange. Still at a loss of what to say, she simply nodded. “That’s correct.” Following her brother’s example, she dropped to one knee before her little sister. “If I was capable of remembering why I burned your home I would apologize for it. Perhaps we can start over? And once I can remember my past I can offer you a genuine apology for my actions.” The question was, if she did come to remember her past would she even want to apologize? From the strained relationship with her brother, the hostility from his friends, and the fear from the servants she could only assume she wouldn’t offer a genuine apology for attacking her own family.

The frown on Kiyi’s face slowly faded, the small wrinkle between her thin eyebrows smoothed. “Okay,” she muttered with a small voice.

As Azula stood back up, she saw the beaming smile on her brother’s face. With their greetings over with, they returned to the large table and took their seats. Zuko sat at the head, their mother, Noren and Kiyi were seated to his left, and Azula took the seat on his right. Azula took the opportunity to apologize to her mother for missing their breakfast when servants began to pour into the room carrying dishes of various foods.

“Think nothing of it, daughter.” Her mother smiled. A twinge of worry flashed in her eyes. “You had a rough night and you needed the rest. We’ll have more mornings to share a meal together.”

More people filed in. Azula felt her stomach drop when she recognized the Avatar, the waterbender, the metalbender and Sokka join them at the table. There were just enough seats for everyone and no one voluntarily took the seat next to her. The metalbender shoved Sokka towards the seat next to her, and he begrudgingly took it as he sent a glare towards the blind woman. Their introductions to each other was much less formal than Zuko did with their mother’s family.

“Azula, these are my friends. This is Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph.”

She had already met them all the day before, but she pretended this was her first encounter with them, minus Sokka. Thankfully they took after her lead and pretended it was their first time meeting her. The metalbender–Toph–was quite convincing with pretending they never met before, and out of the others she was well spoken and formal with her greeting. The waterbender was a little more obvious with sounding a little strained to act nicely, and her smile threatened to crack at times. The Avatar was so cheerful he was quite convincing as well. The most important thing, however, was that Zuko was none the wiser that they had all met before.

With the steaming food already on the table, they were quick to dig in. Most of the food Azula was unfamiliar with, taste wise, but she found herself still hesitant to take something that someone else didn’t eat first. Thankfully, Sokka was a bit of a glutton with how he was quick to grab a portion from every plate.

Zuko’s friends took control of the conversation, they frequently reminisced memories they shared during the war. Interestingly, her brother didn’t contribute to their conversation as much as she figured with how close they all seemed to be. The topics they discussed changed frequently, but the energy in the room was lighthearted and often with laughter.

Azula felt severely out of place, she was unable to join in the conversations so she ate quietly to herself. After a time her hyper sensitive ears became overloaded with the numerous voices that bounced around the room. The conversations bled into nonsensical noise that stirred a steady pounding in her head. When she glanced at her plate she realized she only managed to eat half of her food. She tried to ignore the growing throb and picked at her food slowly, but the pain was becoming too relenting, too distracting. She lost her appetite and struggled to keep up the appearance that she was fine. Eventually she couldn’t take the noise anymore, ringing assaulted her ears and her head felt like it was threatening to burst through her ears.

“Azula?”

She blinked and immediately became aware that the conversation had halted. Numerous pairs of eyes watched her with fierce intensity. Heat flushed through her cheeks and she fought the urge to run out of the room. She hadn’t noticed she pushed her chair back and was standing, her palms covering her ears.

She lowered her hands. “Forgive me, but I’m not feeling well. Please excuse me.”

Her feet couldn’t get her out of the room fast enough. When she was back in her room she eyed her mother’s medicinal herbs on the table, but couldn’t bring herself to make something for her headache. Unsure if her mother would check in on her she decided to forgo sleeping on the floor and settled herself on the bed instead. She wished sleep was quick to claim her, but the pain in her head left her suffering for what felt like hours. Her mother hadn’t come in, but seemed to have sent the palace doctor instead. When he offered her something to help her sleep she eagerly took it.

She wasn't looking forward to what else the rumors would be tomorrow.

Chapter Text

[Fire Nation Royal Palace]

When Azula had abruptly left during dinner, the entire room was incredibly awkward and silent. Seeing Azula holding her palms against her ears reminded Sokka during the time he, Katara and Aang helped Zuko and Azula search for their mother. When Azula became really unpredictable and was full blown crazy there were a few times she pressed against her ears and spoke to herself. Seeing her do that was always awkward for him, especially when she did it with no one around her and when no one was speaking.

Is this what Zuko meant? Sokka wondered. She apparently lost her memory, but she still does certain things she shouldn't. If she truly lost her memories.

Sokka had been prepared to attack with his chopsticks if Azula started throwing fire around the table, but luckily she snapped out of it and excused herself from the room. Or maybe she knew to leave the room before her crazy episode fully took over. He had wanted to follow Azula out of the room to see what she would do, but Suki was hot on her trail.

They did their best to continue on like nothing had happened. And when Sokka tried to lighten the mood with a joke, a piece of rice tried to assassinate him. A hard slap to the back from Toph helped save his life, possibly at the expense of a few broken bones, but the exchange ultimately achieved what he wanted to do.

At the end of dinner, however, he noticed how often Zuko kept looking at him. Sokka waited to leave the room last, as did Zuko. They walked out of the dining hall together and the Fire Lord led him out into the gardens.

“Something on your mind, buddy?” Sokka finally asked.

Zuko heaved a great sigh.

“Lemme guess,” Sokka continued. “It has something to do with your sister.”

“Doesn't it always?” Zuko muttered under his breath. “I've been looking into the mental health institute the Fire Nation runs.”

“The same one Azula was in?”

His slightly shorter friend nodded. Sokka didn't want to brag but it looked like he had one good inch over the Fire Lord. “I know you've read a little of her journal. The things she implies that they did to her, well they shouldn't be doing stuff like that! Royal family member or not. I've tried thinking of ways to investigate the institute, but I've been hitting nothing but dead ends.”

Sokka hummed in thought. Plans and strategies were his specialty. “What's your main goal?”

“I need proof of the things they've done. If I take verbal reports from current or former patients, the institute will discredit a mentally ill patient’s word.”

“So you'll need documents,” Sokka replied, “Like reports and such.”

Zuko nodded. “That is if they record what they do to the patients. But I know that even if I make an unexpected visit they'll hide or destroy any evidence.”

“Ah, so the trick is to go undercover.”

Zuko scoffed. “Even if I disguise myself, my scar is quite well known. I'll be found out before I step foot on the island where the institute is located.”

“Why not send one of us? We’ve disguised ourselves as Fire Nation citizens before and surprisingly got away with it. Mostly.”

“It's obvious you and Katara are from the Water Tribes. Aang would be found out with his tattoos. As for Toph, well..”

“Blind. She wouldn't be able to find the documents you need,” Sokka clarified. He often forgot Toph was unable to use earthbending to read. “Why don't you just send one of your servants or guards? Or your uncle?”

They stopped at one of the ponds. The sound of quaking pulled Sokka's attention towards the water where a small cluster of turtle ducks swam and splashed about. Zuko pulled out a piece of bread and dropped to his knees. Then he tore off small pieces of bread and tossed them into the water.

“My uncle isn't the best…actor. I fear he might give himself away or someone will recognize him, even if he posed as a doctor. As for my servants. Well, is it bad that I'm paranoid about my own people? With the New Ozai Society growing in numbers again, and with how they've been trying to infiltrate the palace I'm worried they'll interfere.” He paused to chuckle bitterly. “When Azula was Princess Reagent she was highly paranoid of the entire palace staff. Now I feel like I'm becoming like her. I'm always worried that one of the servants or guards are from the New Ozai Society.”

Sokka watched the turtle ducks snatch up the bread crumbs with a ferocity he didn't know the little animals could be capable of. “No, you're nothing like Azula. I'm no expert, but from what you've told me she was paranoid about everything and everyone. You have a reason to be cautious. These New Ozai guys want to undermine your rule and place your power hungry father back on the throne. And so long as you don't let it hinder your judgment you'll be nothing like your sister. I've heard the servants. Azula banished the entire palace staff for no reason other than her own paranoia. You? I can't picture you doing something to that extreme.”

A small smile grew on Zuko’s face before he tossed the last of his bread into the pond. “Thanks. But I still haven't been able to think of who to send to investigate the mental institute.”

“Hmm,” Sokka rubbed his chin and peered up into the star filled sky. His eyes widened when an idea struck him. “Wait, why don't you send Azula's old friends? They have a history of going undercover. And both of them are on your side now, right? Or would that be awkward? With them being your sister’s former friends and all.”

Zuko fell silent as he thought about his suggestion. “I could send Ty Lee since she's a Kyoshi Warrior now. Maybe send another one with her if she wants. But Mai?” He shook his head frantically. “We, ah, aren't exactly on speaking terms anymore. That would definitely be awkward to ask her for such a favor.”

“Well who says you have to personally ask her? Why not send Ty Lee to ask her?”

A chuckle came out of Zuko. “You know, I just may hire you to be one of my advisors. I bet Azula would love that,” he replied sarcastically.

“Oh!” Sokka glared and promptly pointed at the still kneeling Fire Lord. One of the turtle ducks had approached him as if to see if he would drop more bread crumbs. For a moment Sokka swallowed his anger. Despite Zuko's grand robes, he looked nothing like a young ruler. He held out a finger to a curious turtle duck with a small smile on his face. “Speaking of her! Why didn't you tell me you would arrange for us to work together?”

Zuko glanced at him and blinked innocently. “Is she giving you any problems?”

“Well, no, but–”

“–Has she been helping you?”

“Yes, actually. She's been very helpful,” Sokka paused to mutter to himself, “Surprisingly.” Then he glared at his friend again. “Still! A heads up would've been nice, you know?”

Zuko smirked at him. Sokka fought the urge to smack it off his face. “I'm sorry,” Zuko admitted. “I was worried you'd refuse without giving Azula a chance. If anything she's good at planning, much like you.”

Warmth spread through Sokka's cheeks for a moment until he remembered he was supposed to be mad at his friend. But their change of subject reminded him of something.

“So, speaking of planning. Do you and Aang have a location yet? For the new city that is.”

Zuko appeared surprised at the question. Then he cried out in shock and peered down towards the pond. The turtle duck that approached him snapped at his finger thinking it was food. “Yeah, actually.” Zuko climbed to his feet. “Let's head to my office. I'll show you on a map. Why do you ask?”

“It was Azula's suggestion. Knowing the location will help in deciding who to put on my team of engineers.”

They walked in silence to Zuko's office. Despite the still young night, the hallways were deserted with the occasional passing guard or servant. Once they were in the office and Sokka shut the door behind him Zuko broke the silence.

“There was another reason I wanted you and Azula to work together,” he admitted. “A lot of our friends have stated that you have a good eye for details, and you notice things that others don't. I guess I was just hoping you could help me decide if Azula is lying or being honest about her lost memory.”

“Oh,” Sokka muttered. He felt his face heat up again at the praise. “I mean I'm always willing to help you. That's what friends do! But a warning would've been nice. When Azula appeared outta nowhere I thought she was gonna get her revenge for Toph’s metalbending demonstration.”

Zuko's face softened. “And I'm sorry for that. I promise, no more surprises. Especially if it concerns my sister.”

Sokka responded with a nod. His attention drifted to the map Zuko pulled out from a drawer and laid it on his desk.

“This is where we plan to build the city,” Zuko pointed to a spot on the map. It was in Earth Kingdom territory along the western coast. Sokka didn't have anything on him to make a note so he quickly studied the map to relay the location to Azula later.

“There's one other thing,” Zuko said. “With winter solstice approaching, Aang and I decided it would be best to announce our plans for our city during a festival the Fire Nation celebrates. This would be the time we'd like for you to extend your offer to your engineers.”

Sokka felt his heart drop and he struggled to swallow the lump that formed in his throat. “That's about three full moons away.”

His friend nodded. “Whoever you decide you want on your team I'd like to give them an invitation to the festival no later than two months prior.”

Sokka swallowed again. Not that he thought it would even take him a full month to decide who he wanted to work with, but having a specific date everything was going to begin was both exciting and daunting. “Sure, no problem,” he said with a wide smile. “Just how formal will this be? Do I have to make any grand speeches or anything?”

Zuko grinned. “It will be a bit formal, yes. We are going to be telling people we want to build a city unlike any place anyone has seen or lived in before. So you might have to give the occasional speech here and there. Especially to the men and women who may be working with you.”

Sokka felt his gut drop to his toes. He was the plan making guy! Talking to people, motivating them and giving them hope was more of Aang's territory.

“O-okay. Sounds fun. Can't wait.” He gave another large smile. Internally, however, he was screaming.

* * *

Azula woke the next morning feeling odd. At first she felt a sense of something missing, but upon immediately waking she wasn’t in the state of mind to fully grasp what that thing was. When she climbed onto her feet she realized she felt lighter. Other than being able to stand suddenly with no wave of dizziness striking her, she noticed her vision wasn't slightly blurry either as it usually was. When she looked about her room her vision was quick to adjust and focus whenever she looked at something.

She couldn’t help but smile when it finally dawned on her that for the first time since she woke up in the palace with no memories of her past was that she felt no throb behind her eyes, no subtle ache flared when she moved too fast or glanced towards her window. Without the ache in her head there was no subtle churn of nausea within her gut.

Was this how it felt to have no headache? She knew it was normal to wake without her head aching something fierce, but for her this was her first time experiencing it.

It felt wonderful. Amazing.

At first she thought that perhaps her headache was merely very weak and subtle, but the more she focused on herself she accepted that she truly felt no pain. She was almost afraid to start her morning routine and do something that would trigger a headache. Yet by the time the morning servants knocked on her door and spoke their greetings, her head continued to be ache free. She didn’t even care that the servants appeared to be even more fearful of her when she beamed at them and wished them a pleasant morning with a little more enthusiasm than her usual greetings.

Not wanting to let this improvement go to waste, she made haste to go outside. She had already wanted to begin her training again to build up her strength and the lack of pain added even more motivation. Her sight was still sensitive to the light, she had to squint against the brightness at first, but her eyes didn’t water. She had assumed her eyesight had been weak with how blurry her vision tended to be, even more so when her headaches were especially fierce, but now she was capable of seeing objects close and far away without any blurriness.

However, now that she found her way to the training grounds, and she came across numerous guards training already, she felt a bit lost on how to start her training. She could recall from her broken memories from the scrolls she’s read that depicted the stances and forms on firebending, but that knowledge was mostly about the basics. Anything that had been taught to her personally, verbally, was lost to her.

So she spent some time walking the grounds and watching the guards train and spar amongst themselves. Some practiced using a variety of weapons and others practiced firebending. She lingered and watched them, hoping to learn something new.

“Would you do me the honor of a friendly spar, princess?” A feminine voice spoke from behind her.

Turning, Azula had to tilt her face upwards to peer into the fierce gold eyes of a soldier. Her eyes scanned her uniform, she wore a maroon cloth that draped over her shoulder and tucked into her belt, a few badges decorated the cloth. No, not a simple soldier, this one was a sergeant. Her dark hair reached her chin, but half of it was pulled back into a high bun. A long, jagged scar ran along a cheek and ended just over the corner of her lips. With how the wound had healed the scarred flesh puckered and made her look like she wore a permanent grin.

Azula felt her heart beat erratically and a very subtle jolt within her chest made her involuntarily cough once. Her mind screamed at her to refuse the spar, she was fearful of embarrassing herself should her lack of memories on how to fight show. From what she was told by her brother, she was–is–a firebending prodigy. She conquered the Earth Kingdom's capital when all other rulers, generals and soldiers before her failed to do so in the one hundred years of the war. With that reputation she knew the soldiers would expect her to know how to spar with far more knowledge and skill than the mere basics.

Yet, she wanted to engage in a fight. At least just to test out what she could remember naturally on how to fight and firebend.

She offered the sergeant a small nod. “I'd love nothing more than to test the prowess of one of my soldiers skills.” Her eyes darted around them and she lowered her voice. “However, I fear my injuries may render me unable to perform at my best.”

The sergeant's eyes brightened. “I was present when the Fire Lord returned to the palace with you in his arms, princess. It was a terrifying sight. Though I am greatly relieved to see you recovering quickly. A simple spar then, to allow you to rebuild your strength without agitating your wounds.”

Azula smiled. She was confident in what her memory allowed regarding the firebending basics. “Then by all means,” she gestured towards one of the many small clearings.

Unsure what to expect, Azula decided to start defensively and waited for the sergeant to make the first move. Unlike many of the other soldiers she watched earlier, the sergeant attacked silently without loud grunts and shouts. But the woman moved quickly. At first Azula was afraid she'd be too slow to react, like how she was too slow to avoid the metalbender’s attack. Fortunately, Azula was prepared this time and dodged the blows and fire the sergeant hurled at her.

Azula spotted a few open windows to attack, but held herself back. She felt the need to remain on the defensive and get more readings on how the woman fought, though she still returned a few punches and kicks so she wasn't obvious with her defensive strategy.

It wasn't long until her strength began to wane, her body felt slower to keep up with her mental commands. There were several instances where she was too slow to move and avoid the sergeant's blows; she expected to receive a blow, yet they never touched her. It took a few of these instances for her to realize her opponent was slowing–pulling–her punches when she became dangerously close to making contact.

Once Azula realized this heat flooded through her limbs and face that wasn't the result of the physical excursion. The only way she would get better, faster, was if she experienced the result of her own failure. If she thought too hard of where she learned this there was a familiar spike of pain that erupted deep within her skull.

When the woman got close for another swing, Azula muttered to her, “Don't hold back.” The sergeant's eyes widened slightly.

The soldier obeyed her which eventually led to a moment where her foot connected to Azula's abdomen. Molten fire erupted in her abdomen and snaked outward towards her chest and robbed the breath from her lungs. Stunned and gasping,Azula took a few steps back. She was thrown off her balance and was too slow to recover from the blow, she was wide open for a follow up.

Her opponent closed the distance between them swiftly, her arm lifted for another punch, and Azula could see the spark of a flame growing around her fist. Instinct and adrenaline could only do so much, and her better eyesight could see that her opponent was much too close, she couldn't have time to move out of the flamed fists path.

Yet when the taller woman swung her fist missed Azula completely. Anger flooded her veins, the sergeant pulled her punch again. Whether it was her muscle memory kicking in or her frustration with her opponent holding herself back–or the combination of both–Azula weaved herself under the sergeant's outstretched arm and connected her knee to the woman's stomach.

The blow didn't have a lot of force behind it, not with Azula's zapped strength, so she was surprised to see the sergeant hurl backwards as if she was thrown. Her leg that struck her opponent was still lifted off the ground and a subtle heat pulled her attention towards her foot. Just behind her heel was a narrow bright blue flame.

Confusion struck her for a moment. She didn't consciously bend fire, and she could feel the pressure the concentrated flame pushed into her leg. Azula was surprised. She didn't know it was even possible to bend fire in such a way. When she tried lowering her leg she couldn't place her foot down onto the ground. Her eyebrows lifted as it dawned on her that the flame acted like a propulsion.

Clapping broke through her thoughts. Looking up she finally noticed that a small crowd gathered around her and the sergeant. The sergeant herself managed to pull herself onto her knees, one arm cradled her torso where Azula struck her. She expected the woman to appear angry, but instead a smile was plastered on her scarred face and she barked out a short laugh.

“I relent,” the sergeant gasped. She was slow to climb to her feet. “A worthy spar, princess.” She dipped into a small bow. “It was an honor to be humbled by our great nation's firebending prodigy.”

Azula frowned at the woman's words. She would've lost the spar several times over if the sergeant didn't hold herself back. Her own winning blow was only possible because the woman purposely missed her. Azula's victory felt undeserving. Did the woman hold back simply because she was the princess? Or was it due to not wanting to aggravate her injuries? She was also curious on how she was able to bend fire in such a way she didn't know was possible. She peered down at her foot again. The flame had vanquished and she was able to place her foot on the ground again.

Remembering her manners, Azula returned the sergeant's bow. “The pleasure was mine for entertaining me with a friendly spar, sergeant. You fight well.” The tall woman beamed at her appraisal and dipped her head before she returned to her own business.

Azula continued with walking about the training grounds. She was tired, but she couldn't fight the urge to push herself harder. The spar was a reminder that she still wasn't in her best shape with how sloppily she fought and failed to dodge the sergeant's blows properly.

She found a group of soldiers clustered together, but still spaced from each other evenly, performing simple exercises. There were plenty of vacant spots to join them. When she approached, no one expressed impatience or detestment of her joining. In fact they were elated and welcoming. Their treatment of her was a stark difference from the constant hesitance and fear she received from the servants. Though she still did spot some nervousness from some of the soldiers.

When Azula felt her knees wobble and struggle to support her body weight, she decided to finally step aside for a well deserved rest. Despite feeling energized under the rays of the sun, she sought out a sheltered resting spot mostly to give her still sensitive eyes a slight reprieve from the brightness. She hadn’t realized she was on the cusp of slumber until she jumped upon hearing a sudden voice nearby.

“The Water Tribe savage is at it again.”

Azula breathed deeply and straightened, hoping to appear like she wasn't falling asleep where she sat. Even if she was better received with the soldiers it would be unseemly for her to be caught dozing about.

There were two guards passing by, they hadn't noticed Azula resting behind one of the outdoor pillars that supported the building's roof.

One of the guards spat, his spittle landed dangerously close to where Azula sat. She was tempted to step out of the shadows and allow him to panic for nearly spitting on the crown princess, but she could see with the guards’ lack of helmets and weapons they weren't on duty. Plus with her hidden he had no idea she was even there.

“Even though he's the Fire Lord's esteemed guest, he's still a savage. It's embarrassing to see him swing a sword about,” sneered the spitting guard.

The other one scoffed. “He must think the training swords are sticks and he's trying to light a fire.”

Both men cackled as they continued to their destination, their backs to Azula as their distance grew. A flash of heat erupted within her chest from their remarks. While she didn't know Sokka personally, they only worked quietly together for a few hours the previous day, she knew enough about him that didn't make him savage-like. He was well versed when he spoke to her, despite his unease in her presence. The intelligence she saw in his eyes was proven with how quickly he was able to understand the machines and weapons faster than she was during their research. Once when she inquired about how a machine worked he delved into such specifics Azula struggled to keep up. From the little she spent with the Water Tribesman, she learned he was anything but a simple savage.

Confronting the men to correct their ignorance would be pointless. They'd only agree with her due to her rank and return to making their judgemental remarks about Sokka when she wasn't present.

With a sigh, Azula decided she rested enough. If she relaxed again she'd probably fall asleep. She was tempted to head to the spa and relax her overworked sore muscles, but she found herself seeking out Sokka. If anything she was just curious to see how well trained he was in swordsmanship that rendered the guards to insult him behind his back.

She found the Water Tribesman quickly in one of the training areas, he had a space to himself as he practiced his swings and stances. She could see some of the other bystanders watching him from the corners of their eyes, but none approached him for a spar.

Sokka had his back to her and didn't notice her presence. It still felt strange for her to observe him and recognize some minor errors in his stances and with how he held his sword. The errors she spotted weren't from what she could remember from the scrolls she's read. If she reflected on the feeling too hard she felt the familiar ache in her head so she ceased to think about it. It was safe for her to assume she had trained on swordsmanship besides firebending and was probably just her muscle memory kicking in as she watched Sokka practice. Probably similar to how she was able to use a firebending technique she had no memory of learning.

Sokka wasn't a complete novice from what she could tell. He had the correct movements, but he moved a bit awkwardly as if he was simply out of practice. A thought formed in her head.

“From what I can remember about the Water Tribes, swordsmanship wasn't a particular skill they practiced.” She found herself announcing. Her hyper awareness caught the subtle smirks that grew on the other soldiers’ faces upon her remark.

She watched as Sokka froze and his shoulders stiffened, he turned quickly and held his sword in a ready stance. She lifted an eyebrow as she watched him. It seemed any time she announced her presence out of his line of sight he reacted in a way as if prepared for a fight.

Azula breathed out a silent sigh. It was nothing personal, she knew, her brother did say she chased him and the Avatar's allies relentlessly during the war. Perhaps three years of her absence wasn't enough for Sokka to behave any differently when she appeared. At least he relaxed slightly when she ceased to move from her spot and she maintained an idle posture with one hand on her hip. He brought his feet closer together and lowered his practice sword.

“Well during war sometimes you have to pick up a new trick or two to survive.” He replied.

Azula made her way towards the weapons rack and lifted two swords, one in each hand. She saw the soldiers do this when she observed them earlier. At first she was puzzled why they did this until she eventually understood the point was to find a sword with a comfortable weight. Her hands shook slightly each time she lifted a sword, but she fought off the exhaustion.

“Fair enough,” she replied as she tested the weight of a few more swords.

“What are you doing?”

He did not sound accusatory, in fact Azula could hear the curiosity in his tone. “What’s it look like?” After lifting a few more swords she finally found one that wasn’t too heavy for her sore muscles. By the time she turned to face him she realized her words.

Since she woke without her memories everyone was a stranger to her. She's always been unsure how to address people and how to speak to them. That left her to rely on what she could remember of her studies about how to conduct herself in front of others. The few times she was a little rude was when she spoke to her mother or brother she always blamed it on her foul mood due to her headaches. But this time she sported no headache, maybe her impatient reply was due to her fatigue. The little familiarity she built with Sokka hardly left her feeling like she could be a little casual with him.

“It looks like you're testing out a sword.” Sokka replied.

“Very observant,” she said as she stepped closer to him. “Would a war veteran of the Southern Water Tribe, ally of the Avatar, humor the princess of the Fire Nation to a friendly spar?”

His eyes widened. Under direct sunlight the blue color of his eyes appeared lighter, nearly the same shade of the sky. He blinked and then brought a hand to his chin and rubbed it.

“I kinda prefer Sokka, son of the Southern Water Tribe Chieftain, Master Tactician of Team Avatar, pupil of swordmaster Piandao.” With each added title Sokka accentuated with different poses, he puffed out his chest, pointed to his temple and lifted his sword in a dramatic pose, all while deepening his voice.

The entire display was so ridiculous, Azula found it humorous and failed to suppress a snort. When Sokka gave her a subtle glare she realized he was being serious.

“I meant no offense,” she replied. “Then I would ask if a man with so many impressive titles do me the honor of a spar with a mere simple princess.”

Azula had been sincere with her words, maintaining her manners and politeness to a stranger. So she was surprised to hear the soldiers that gathered around them erupt in laughter. Sokka's glare intensified.

He fell into a stance and lifted his sword. “Don't think I'll go easy on you just because of your title.”

Momentarily forgetting the misunderstanding, Azula felt herself smiling. She didn't want another undeserving win. “I'm counting on it.” She stepped closer and fell into her own stance.

For a moment neither of them moved. Azula wanted to use the same tactic she used with her firebending dual against the sergeant and stay defensive until she got a better understanding of how Sokka fought. When he ceased to make the first move she became nervous. If he used the same tactic as her they would be at a stalemate. She wasn't very confident in her little memory on swordsmanship to attack first.

Luckily, Sokka made the first move. He lunged forward and aimed a stab towards her lower leg. She only just managed to knock his wooden sword out of the way and nearly panicked when he swiftly raised the sword for a slash towards her head. His movement was too fast for her to lift her own wooden sword to block so she ducked low.

The hairs on the back of her neck tickled from the whoosh of air from the sword careening just over her head. When she straightened from the dodge she saw a brown blur approaching her face. Her momentum allowed her to lift her sword to block Sokka's downward swing, but the impact of the wooden swords clashing sent a painful vibration down her arms. Her grip faltered and she nearly let go of the sword’s handle. Her strength from her earlier spar and exercises hadn't recovered fully so her arms felt like they were made of rubber.

While Azula's sight could keep up with Sokka's movement, her body was too sluggish to follow. Two more swings came at her head and Azula began to feel a familiar warmth flow through her body and limbs.

Was he purposely aiming for her head? He was aware of her head injury and lack of memories. The thought that Sokka was aiming for her weakness angered her.

Yet he was fulfilling her wish and wasn't holding himself back against her. Aiming for her opponent's weakness is a strategy she would use. At the same time it was only a friendly spar. If he struck her head, what if she was rendered back to her sorry, painful state all those days ago when she couldn’t get out of bed? Was Sokka truly so angered by the misunderstanding of her words earlier?

While Sokka swung and stabbed swiftly, Azula was able to notice a few small openings to counter, but her tired body failed to follow through fast enough, her attempts of counterattacks were always batted aside. All too soon the spar came to an end when Azula lifted her sword horizontally to block Sokka’s downward swing.

The impact was so great Azula was sure she could hear the crackle of the strain between their wooden weapons, the momentum of blocking his attack pressed her own sword against her bruised shoulder. Both her wobbly arms and the sudden shock of pain–she gasped from the suddenness of it–weakened her grip and her training sword slipped from her hands.

There was a quick flash of shock in Sokka's blue eyes, but then his face hardened and Azula felt a small push of air against her neck. Her eyes glanced down, the tip of Sokka's wooden sword pointed towards her.

Well, she wanted an honest and fair fight and got one. As humiliating as it was to lose a spar in front of her people, she felt better about her loss than being allowed to win.

Azula lifted her arms in surrender. “I relent,” she admitted. She offered a small smile. “Your master would be proud.”

Sokka’s hardened expression softened as he slowly lowered his sword, his eyes swept downward. His shoulders lifted and dropped as he panted. When Azula lifted the neck of her shirt to wipe the sweat rolling down her forehead she noticed how he tensed. Did he think she would attack him after she surrendered?

Her sensitive ears perked at the mutterings of the soldiers that watched them. What she could make out were whispers of, “the princess allowed the savage to win,” and, “the savage got lucky she exhausted her strength already.”

She frowned at their rumors, but knew it would be pointless to correct them. When she looked back at Sokka she immediately knew he heard them judging by his own frown. His knuckles whitened as he tightened his grip around the handle of his training sword, she wouldn’t be surprised if he cracked the worn down wood. After most of the crowd dispersed, Azula walked away. She was in sore need of a bath.

“Azula?”

She paused. It was still odd to hear her name, it didn’t help that nearly everyone referred to her title. The rare times she heard her name there was a slight delay for her to realize she was being called. She turned around to face the Water Tribesman.

His blue eyes didn’t meet her own, he was still looking down at something. “Is your shoulder okay?”

It then dawned on her that he was looking at her shoulder, and she realized she had been nursing it. She was thrown off guard by his question, however. Throughout their spar he had been relentlessly targeting her head despite being aware of her injury and lack of memories. Now he expresses concern over a mere bruise?

“I’m fine,” she snapped, “It’s just…sore.” In truth it throbbed, but the pain was negligible. Especially compared to her headaches. A headache that surely would’ve been triggered if Sokka had been successful in landing a blow to her head.

He didn’t look convinced, but he dropped the subject. There was a softness in his eyes she didn’t recognize. “So after dinner last night, Zuko told me more about our project. I’ll be at the library again later. You know, in case you still want to help.” He paused to wipe the sweat off his face.

Azula nodded. “Of course. I look forward to continuing working with you.” When he said nothing more, she excused herself.

She breathed out a sigh. Prior to her spar with Sokka she would’ve been truly looking forward to working with him again. Now, however, well it seemed like he would never see her as anything more than an enemy.

A surge of disappointment filled her.

While she bathed, Azula couldn’t stop thinking about her spar with Sokka. Despite their history of being enemies during the war, he was the least hostile compared to the metalbender and waterbender. When they worked together in the library, when Sokka seemed to forget who he was speaking to, he treated her no differently than how he treated others. He tended to be a bit awkward, but his foolishness nearly made her smile.

Azula couldn't help but feel a sliver of hope that maybe she could build one positive relationship outside of the one she had with her mother. She slumped in the massive tub until the lower half of her face submerged in the floral scented water.

Despite the strained relationship Azula had with her brother's friends, she was determined to see this assignment through.

* * *

After hearing of Zuko's news about the upcoming public announcement of their new city, Sokka couldn't rid himself of the anticipation and anxiety. He had hoped a good, tiring training session would relieve some of the nervousness, but it failed to do anything other than make him hungry. When he was hungry he couldn't think. If he couldn't think he only became so much more nervous.

Just when he thought about ending his training for the day and grabbing breakfast, Azula surprised him with her offer of a spar. If it had been anyone else–well perhaps not Toph–but anyone else he would've been elated to spar. After a few days of training again he was much more confident, but it was like everyone lost interest in sparring with him.

He nearly declined Azula's offer, but then he remembered Zuko's plea for help determining if Azula was lying about her memory loss. And he also remembered what Azula told him about being able to remember things she read in the past, but was unable to recall what was told to her verbally. He guessed if that was true then Azula's swordsmanship would be a little lacking. Pretending to be unskilled was easy to do, so he needed something to push her into showing her true swordsmanship skills.

Sokka didn't doubt her head injury. He was present when the incident happened, he saw the blood that poured from her head wound. He knew more than most people that even waterbending healing had its limits. Katara may have healed most of the damage of Azula's injuries, but he didn't doubt that her wounds would still be sensitive.

It may have been one of his worst ideas, but Sokka had the idea to attack Azula's main weakness, her still healing wounds. He thought if he instigated her enough that she'd retaliate in a way that would show him she was purposely holding herself back to appear like she lacked any knowledge of how to fight with a sword.

He didn't expect her to lose the spar as well. Another test he was curious about was if Azula's pride would go as far as her throwing the spar and losing to a mere peasant, as she always reminded him of being in the past.

Not only did she lose the spar, abysmally, but she appeared very surprised by his aggressive attacks. Sokka may not be the best at reading people, but he had been in enough battles to recognize panic in someone's eyes. From Azula he's only ever seen her eyes express mirth, cruelty, and cold, confident calmness. And a frightening type of frenzy when she had one of her random crazy moments. Seeing her panicked nearly made him change his mind about the manner of how he attacked, but their spar had ended before he could change his mind.

After their spar, when Sokka called Azula, he was momentarily struck speechless when he saw the soft hurt in her eyes. He wanted to believe then that her lost memories were genuine, but he didn't know Azula as well as Zuko. And if his friend was still undecided if she could be trusted, he knew better than to decide anything himself.

For now.

Once Azula was out of sight he picked up his area and retired back to the palace for a very long bath and a massive breakfast afterwards. He didn't come across his sister or friends, but he had his plans set for the day at the library. Now that he knew his deadline he was even more determined to put his team together. And then to figure out his speech.

Speeches, plural.

Sokka groaned as he stepped into the library. He suddenly remembered he was supposed to send a servant to notify Azula when he would return to working on his project, but upon entering the massive library his sight focused on a lone figure at one of the many vacant tables. Even with her head down, and her hair arranged differently than she normally styled it, he could recognize the figure as Azula herself.

By the time he realized she was slumped over the table with her head nestled on top of her arms he had already shut the door behind him a little too quickly. The sound of the door shutting carried loudly into the deathly silent room and stirred Azula. She sat up quickly with a soft gasp.

For a moment Sokka was afraid to move. He long since learned that any slight movement attracted her immediate attention which sometimes resulted in a mini bolt of lightning or fire. He watched as Azula blinked rapidly and looked about her surroundings. She immediately set her gold eyes on him and Sokka swore he could hear himself gulp audibly.

No fire or lightning erupted from her fingers, however. Instead, she lifted her fingers to her eyes and rubbed them and she quickly straightened. When it seemed safe to move he slowly approached Azula's table.

“Sorry,” he muttered as he rubbed the back of his head. It was a nervous tick he had yet to drop.

Azula gave a slow shake of her head. “No apology needed,” her voice was soft with lingering sleep. “I'm the one who owes you an apology, Sokka. It was unseemly of me to have fallen asleep here.”

Sokka frowned. He still wasn't used to the super formal manner of how she spoke now. He supposed it was no different than how she used to speak, minus the passive aggression. And the flat out aggression. And insults.

He shrugged. “That's okay. Guess whatever you were reading was that interesting, huh?”

She blinked at him for a moment. When his words sunk in her bright red lips twitched. Sokka felt stunned again. Did she nearly smile? At one of his jokes? He pinched his arm.

He placed his satchel of writing supplies on the table and pulled out a chair in front of Azula. His attention moved towards her when he heard her softly gasp again. His eyes drifted down to look at what she was staring at. The book she had been reading had a small smear of red on a page. It was probably from her lipstick when she fell asleep on the book.

“I take back what I said,” Sokka found himself saying. “Guess you really loved that book.” She glanced at him with a blank expression. “You know, ‘cuz you loved it so much you had to give it a smooch.”

A sound erupted from Azula he didn't think she was capable of making. She snorted which she quickly tried to disguise as a cough. But judging by the subtle shake of her shoulders he guessed she had to be quietly laughing. Sokka pinched himself again.

Nope, he was still in the library. He wasn't dreaming. Or hallucinating. At least, he hoped he wasn't hallucinating. Unless someone spiked his morning tea with cactus juice. Strangely that would make more sense than Azula actually laughing at his jokes. No one laughed at his jokes. Except Suki.

Speaking of her, his eyes swept behind Azula towards the Kyoshi Warrior that stood ever vigilant nearby. Judging by her hair color and eyes, she wasn't Suki. Nor Ty Lee.

When he sat down he watched Azula attempt to wipe off the makeup with a handkerchief she pulled out of her robe. It only served to smear it more. She clicked her tongue in agitation.

“Whatcha reading anyway that you developed a love-hate relationship with it?” He tried to read the letters, but he was never any good at reading words upside down.

Her hands stilled a moment before they returned to rubbing off the red stain. “Nothing of importance. If you read it you'd definitely find it so interesting your brain would shut down.”

Sokka blinked.

“Because it's so interesting your body would force you to fall asleep.”

Sokka didn't mean to snort, but he did. He snorted so suddenly and aggressively he felt it in the back of his throat. “That,” he choked on a laugh, “Sorry, sorry. But that was so bad.” It wasn't that he was laughing because her joke was actually funny, nor was it a pity laugh. But Azula's attempt at humor, memories or not, was exactly like how he imagined it would be. When it came to insults and threats she was quite creative, but her jokes fell flat.

Azula's thin eyebrows furrowed. She looked confused and offended at the same time. “So bad it was funny?”

Sokka felt a stab of guilt and cleared his throat to cut off his laugh. He had been on the receiving end of his jokes resulting in silence, he knew how it felt and didn’t mean to do the same to another person. Even if that person was Azula. “Well it's more of…I just didn't expect that joke.”

“From me, you mean?” He winced. At least she didn't look offended anymore and she waved a hand dismissively. “I get it. We were enemies once. And the joke sounded a lot better in my head. I may not have worded it eloquently.”

They had a brief moment of eye contact. She was the first to look away to continue focusing on removing the stain from the book page. Without her attention on him, Sokka studied Azula a little more closely. There were dark smudges beneath her eyes. And the whites of her eyes were tinted with the light redness that indicated exhaustion. How hard did she push herself during their spar?

“You know, we can always do this later if you want to get some rest.”

Her head shot up. “Thank you, but that's unnecessary.” With the page finally clean, she shut the book. Sokka tilted his head so he could read the cover. It was a book about swordsmanship.

“Why are you reading a book about that?” He nearly slapped a hand over his mouth. Suddenly he wished for nothing more than to have the ability to yank his words back and shove them into his mouth.

Azula leaned back with a dramatic sigh. “Surely you are aware of why I would seek out the knowledge of such a book after dueling with me earlier.”
Another flare of guilt struck Sokka. “Yeah, but why read about swordsmanship? I’m sure you’d have a line of swordsman masters lined up if you sought out a teacher.”

A frown crossed the princess’ face. “I’m aware of that. However,” she paused and scrutinized him a moment. One of her shoulders lifted in a half shrug. “You’re aware of my memory situation. I went over our records of the weapons masters the royal family hired in the past when my brother and I were children. I’ve had extensive swordsmanship training among several masters. If one were to be hired now, it would raise some suspicions.”

Sokka shrugged. “Why? You’re known as a firebending prodigy, you could just say you’re rusty and want to start over in learning how to use a sword.”

“That’s a good suggestion. But I’m afraid for my lack of memories to be more transparent during lessons. That’s why I’m trying to learn all I can from these books.”

Sokka stuck out his tongue in disgust. The thought of learning anything physical through words just felt lacking. He, himself, only ever learned how to use the sword through his master. When Katara had stolen a waterbending scroll it only increased her knowledge of new forms so much until she had to put them into practice. And her waterbending increased dramatically through the training she underwent in the North Pole.

“Why do you want to keep your memory loss a secret? It’s a pretty big deal and if people were aware of it, wouldn’t that mean you’d get more help?”

Azula smiled softly and shook her head. “Sure it could benefit me in some ways. But it would also make me vulnerable to…sabotage. Especially in a political environment. I’m aware my brother is received well among the peasants and some of the nobility, but it’s near impossible for every ruler to have a ubiquitous positive reception. Especially with the type of ruler my brother appears to be. Without my memories it can open a window for others to exploit to create discord in court. And to create a rift between my brother and I.”

Sokka blinked. Where was Zuko? This was something he should hear himself to help him decide that Azula was genuine about her memories. If she was just pretending wouldn’t she be more vocal about her memory loss? She would want to create a rift between Zuko and the Fire Nation. Or could Azula merely just be saying this to convince him? He suppressed a groan and rubbed the throb between his eyebrows. Zuko was adamant that Azula was a pretty good liar. Toph confirmed as much herself. But could she be this good of a liar?

“I did not mean for us to get distracted by my problems. They’re mine alone to worry about.” Azula slid her book aside before she folded her hands over her lap. “If you’re here, did you find out more about your project?”

“Oh, yeah!” Sokka reached for his satchel and pulled out a map. He unrolled it and laid it on the table where he already circled the location where the new city would be built. “It’s right here. Well, it will be, I mean.”

Azula only looked at the map a moment before she nodded. “Earth Kingdom it is. And on a coast it’ll be fast and easy to get supplies that the land may not provide. Then we can reduce the list of potential candidates.”

Their earlier conversation was a second thought as they fell into a similar routine as the previous day. They researched each person’s dossier. Surprisingly, now that they knew of the location where the city would be built they managed to trim the list of candidates to eight people.

“The list may decrease more,” Azula explained. “Not everyone may accept to work with us–you I mean–so you may need to create a separate list of backups should your original list have too few people to accept.”

Sokka didn’t doubt what she said. Especially since it would ultimately be up to his speech to convince these engineers to work with him. The thought spread dread within his belly. Maybe he could ask Aang and Zuko for pointers on how to publicly speak to people.

An idea struck him. He waited until both he and Azula sat at their scroll and book scattered table. “Say, Azula?” He still had yet to get used to her focusing her attention on him. A small part of him still expected for her to sneer at him and send a spark of lightning at him everytime he called her. “Uh, since you’ve been reading that book on how to use swords. Do you know if there are books on how to um, talk to people? Like, publicly?”

He was relieved when she didn’t mock or tease him. She didn’t have to think on her answer long, she quickly nodded. “Of course. I recall one specific book I had to study. It covers a variety of public speech, public speaking among the military and politics.” One of her thin eyebrows perked upwards. “I’m assuming you want to prepare when you speak to your potential team.”

Sokka nervously chuckled. “Yeah. Zuko and Aang will be announcing their plan to build this city at some festival during the winter solstice. So, I’m not exactly excited about having to make any big speeches.”

“Do you not have any experience making speeches? I’d imagine as an ally of the Avatar, making speeches to people and soldiers would be a common occurrence.”

“You’re not wrong. But that was always Aang’s thing. Me? I was more about making plans and talking to small groups of people.”

“The book I’m thinking about will cover the basics, terminology and verbiage. However, it won’t help build your confidence. That will come with practice.”

Sokka internally inflated. He should’ve known a book could only help so much, just like Azula with her book on learning more about swordsmanship. Another idea popped into his head, but he quickly dismissed it. There was no way Azula would be interested in helping him. Not when he had nothing to offer her in return.

There was a moment where they both seemed to think the same thing. Azula looked to ponder about something. And when she began to speak, Sokka already had a feeling what she would say next.

“So you need to learn how to publicly speak, and I want to relearn swordsmanship. We both can offer the other one of the two,” Azula grinned. “Why not work together in this aspect as well? You fight well with a sword, and I’ve read the archives about your master. Teach me how to wield a sword properly and I’ll teach you not only how to speak publicly, but also how to survive and dominate in the political game, everything you need to know how to get your potential team.”

Sokka feigned to contemplate for a moment to hide his shock. First Azula laughed at his jokes and now she was helping him out? Granted she was helping at the benefit of getting something out of it, but it was still quite surprising. He quite liked this memory loss version of Azula. He knew it was a dangerous thought, but so far she seemed quite genuine.

“Just one thing I gotta ask,” he replied.

“What is it?”

“Why do you want to learn swordsmanship? You were plenty deadly as a firebender. Then to add your lightning zaps to that and–”

“I could bend lightning?” Her gold eyes were wide.

Sokka didn’t know how to respond to that. It was difficult to wrap his head around the things Azula could remember and couldn’t. “Yeah,” he responded slowly. “But don’t look at me for teaching you how to do that.” She rolled her eyes at that.

“To answer your question, I suppose the reason why I want to relearn swordsmanship is because I noticed a sword that I have in possession.”

Sokka’s eyebrow twitched.

“It’s a beautiful blade. The entire thing is onyx colored and incredibly sharp. Yet the weight of it is light and the grip is perfect in my hand, like it was specially made for me. Of course I have no memories of how to use it and it feels like a waste to just have it sit in my quarters.”

Of course it was specially made! FOR ME!

It took everything within Sokka to keep his mouth shut. If Azula was pretending to have lost her memories, was she bringing this up to taunt him? And to make it worse by asking him to teach her? But any time Azula teased him about his sword, prior to the incident, she always carried a smirk that had a direct hit to every nerve in his body. But when he looked at her now she had a fascinated, far away glint in her eyes as if admiring the sword just by imagining it.

So far her behavior pointed out that she was honest about not remembering her past. Maybe by spending even more time with her he’d really be able to judge for himself.

“Okay,” he told her. “You teach me how to make the best of all the best speeches and I’ll train you how to use a sword.”

He could just tell he was going to regret this decision later.

Chapter Text

[Fire Nation Royal Palace]

Zuko had never been the type of person that was rendered absolute speechless. This came to be due to the fact that he had so many thoughts overflowing through his head that his tongue failed to keep up and voice everything coherently. It took him a few attempts to finally form a full sentence.

“I'm sorry, you want me to do what with my sister?”

He had been on his way to the throne room for a council meeting when Sokka flagged him down. There would only be one reason why Sokka would pull him aside for a quick word this early in the morning and he hadn't expected what his friend told him.

“Train Azula in firebending,” Sokka repeated nonchalantly. His wide shoulders lifted in a shrug.

Zuko stopped walking so he could fully face Sokka. He wasn’t sure if his friend was joking with him so he felt the need to observe him for his tells if he was lying. “Why would I do that?” His honey colored eyes drifted downwards subtly and he lowered his voice. “There's nothing I can teach her other than she already knows and can do better.” Bitterness flared within his chest.

“Yeah before she bonked her head.”

Zuko felt a coldness run through his limbs. “Did you find something out? You think she truly lost her memories?”

Sokka rubbed his chin. “I don't have any proof, but it really does seem like she has. We spared and–”

“You fought her? Please don't tell me she challenged you to an Agni Kai.”

His friend's eyes narrowed as he glared at him silently. “Now that you mention it, yeah she challenged me and I accepted. In front of a bunch of your soldiers and everything.” His arms lifted in exasperation. “Of course not! Even I know an Agni Kai is only between two firebenders. We dueled with swords.”

“Oh,” Zuko breathed out. But then his confusion overpowered that short lived relief. “How did that go? Did she hurt you?”

Sokka shook his head. “Nah, it was a brutal and quick defeat. For her that is.”

Zuko was even more confused. He was well aware Azula trained with a variety of weapons, same as he, but he always knew she favored firebending unlike him who took an affinity to dual swords. He had seen Sokka's skills with his sword towards the end of the war, he was competent, but he wasn’t able to see enough to judge if he was capable of beating Azula. Despite her strength with her firebending, she was quick to master any weapon that was placed in her hands.

“I'm sorry, I'm not dismissing your swordsmanship skills, Sokka, but you were able to easily defeat Azula? And with witnesses? If she's not confident in winning a fight she won't bother. She has her perfect reputation to protect.” He stated the last sentence with disdain.

Sokka rubbed the bridge of his nose. “You're thinking of your sister before the incident. That's one of the reasons why I think she's being truthful. She took her defeat humbly to boot.”

Zuko nearly laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. Even with his sister lying through her teeth, he couldn’t imagine her pretending to be humble. Still, it didn’t hurt to humor Sokka. “So…why do you want me to train her?”

“I was getting to that. She told me she can remember certain things, like whatever she studied through books and scrolls. But things she learned verbally she doesn't remember. Trust me, the way she fought I could tell her knowledge on sword fighting was very limited.”

“You still haven't told me what this has to do with training her in firebending. And I'm running late for my meeting. Can this wait?”

“Just hear me out,” Sokka pressed. “She doesn't want to get trainers for swordsmanship because she doesn't want to raise suspicions about her memory loss. You should've heard her, Zuko. She knows that she could be taken advantage of and used against you.”

A swirl of thoughts ran through Zuko’s head. Azula didn't want to be used against him? “She's lying,” he replied quickly. “She's just trying to get you to believe in her.”

Sokka shook his head. “And that's why this is the perfect opportunity for you! She doesn't want word to get out about her memory loss for the same reasons as you. But if you offer to train her then the truth about her memory is still kept from the public and you can judge her honesty for yourself. Like I've said, you know your sister best.”

The young Fire Lord was silent for a moment as he processed his friend's words. His idea made sense and it was a good opportunity. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to think what his uncle and mother would say if they were present.

“Okay.” He opened his eyes and smiled at the Water Tribesman. “My schedule is a bit busy at the moment, but I'll figure something out.” He turned to continue making his way to his destination, but quickly stopped as another thought came to mind. “If you ever decide not to succeed your father as chieftain I'll always have a position here for you as an adviser.”

Sokka grinned. “Thanks for the offer. You'll be the first to know if my plans change.”

* * *

Azula pushed herself too hard.

Her legs felt as if they were made of rubber with how wobbly and weak they felt. Lifting anything threatened to drop from her shaky grip, even something as light as a bowl or cup. Despite having an immaculate few hours of rest her entire body protested with every movement. The worst of it all was the painful throb between her eyes that pulsed in sync with her heartbeat. Not wanting to make her headache worse, she chose not to join her brother and his family and friends for dinner. Instead, she requested her meal be brought to her room where she dined alone.

Always alone.

A jolt of pain hit her so suddenly she nearly lost her footing from a wave of dizziness, but the feeling passed the moment she clutched her head. Luckily there was no one present to witness her erratic behavior other than her silent armored shadow. She continued making her way around the palace with no particular destination in mind, she just needed to move her body to help ease the soreness. And to occupy her thoughts. Soon, her mindless wandering took her to a small room that had one wall absent and in its place were two pillars, the open space offering a pleasant elevated view of the royal gardens.

The sun had already set, but the moon lit up the numerous trees and rose bushes of the garden. The room she stood in was dim with few lanterns lit and when her topaz eyes caught sight of a dark silhouette hunched near one of the pillars she gasped in surprise. Her sharp intake of breath attracted the silhouettes attention, the circular shape of the person's head atop wide shoulders lifted.

“My apologies for the intrusion,” Azula announced. “I was not aware this room was occupied.” Before she could excuse herself the stranger snapped their fingers and one of the lanterns on the wall behind him lit up.

The light showed an older man. His long gray hair was kept loose, but a topknot rested atop his head just behind where he was balding. The beard on his cheeks were bushy and the hair on his chin was long enough to touch his chest. His own honey colored eyes peered at her with a softness that strangely made her feel uncomfortable. They sparkled with recognition and the crows feet around his eyes deepened as he smiled.

“Niece, it is lovely to see you.”

Azula nearly took a step back. Niece? This man was her uncle? Just like with her mother and brother he was just a stranger to her.

Despite her obvious physical display of shock, the older man’s smile remained. “You are not intruding. Come, there is plenty of room for the both of us.” He motioned towards the opposite side of the low table he sat at where a lone cushion waited.

Not wanting to be rude, Azula had no choice but to accept his invitation. Though she was curious to interact with another family member. He wasn’t present when her mother introduced her to her remaining family.

“What are you doing in the dark?” She inquired while she slowly eased herself onto the cushion. Her sore muscles were going to make it a lot more difficult to climb onto her feet later.

Her uncle responded by shifting himself so he fully faced the view of the garden below them. “As firebenders we revere the sun for the strength it provides to us. But that does not mean we cannot appreciate the beauty the moon’s light provides in the dark.”

Azula followed his gaze. With the light provided by the room’s lanterns the garden simply appeared like one massive pool of pitch darkness. As if understanding her situation, her uncle lifted a hand and made a sweeping motion. All the lantern’s fires instantly snuffed out. After a few blinks Azula felt her eyes adjust to the lack of light and when she peered back out towards the garden it became easier to notice the subtle way the moonlight lit up the garden in a gentle dark hue. Being in the shadows only made her feel vulnerable.

“I’m afraid I am unable to find the beauty of the garden in the evening. The lack of light merely gives the garden an eerie atmosphere.” She admitted. The lanterns lit up again, encasing the dark room in a sudden glow of yellow and orange. Azula shut her eyes tightly, the light’s assault on her sensitive eyes was nearly painful.

When she opened her eyes again her uncle had changed his position again so he was facing her across the small table between them. A wrinkle between his bushy eyebrows deepened as he watched her for a moment. “I apologize, niece. It was rude of me for not alerting you of the sudden light changes.” His thick hands reached for a teapot that rested on the edge of the table. “Would you care for some tea?”

Azula gave a small nod, “I’d like that, uncle.”

A wide smile grew on his face. “Oh? Have you developed an appreciation for tea?”

“Did I not enjoy it before?” She realized her mistake too late and pressed her lips together. She was unsure if her uncle was aware of her lack of memories.

A steaming cup slid towards her. By the time she picked it up she watched her uncle take a long drink of his own. Watching him drink eased the knot of anxiety that was building in her chest from being served an unknown drink.

“You’ve always expressed a distaste for tea. Tell me, what changed?”

Azula swirled her cup, a habit she developed recently to make sure her drink was well mixed.

“The medicine I’ve been taking is very bitter. So my mother tries to make it easier to drink by mixing it with tea. I suppose after drinking it so much I’ve developed a taste for it.” To demonstrate, she sipped from her steaming cup. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise as the liquid coated her tongue. “This…is very good.”

Her uncle's smile grew so much his eyes were nearly completely closed. “That is because it is jasmine tea, a favorite of mine.”

They sat in silence, quietly enjoying their hot beverage. Even though Azula had just met the older man, from what she could remember, there was something about his presence that made her feel uneasy. While her uncle’s smile and soft tone of voice was warm and friendly, there was something calculating in his eyes that left her feeling like she was constantly being judged.

After another sip, there was a subtle spicy yet sweet taste that Azula recognized from the tea. “Did you add ginger to this?”

Her uncle's smile grew ever larger. “Not only has my niece developed an appreciation of tea, but has quite the palette as well. Yes, I often try different ingredients to find the perfect balance. I’m quite satisfied about finding the balance that ginger brings with jasmine tea.”

Azula took another long pull of her drink. “Have you found much success with your experiments, uncle?”

The older male’s eyes turned from calculating to an excited sparkle. “I admit, there have been some that have been well received, and some that have been...not as well liked as I expected. Your own brother has taste tested a few of my experiments.”

Azula grinned. “If any are as good as this, I would think you’d do well with a business.” She drained all that remained in her cup. Her uncle was quick to pour her more.

The older male chuckled. “I do have my own business. It’s a small tea shop, but well received in Ba Sing Sae.”

Azula involuntarily winced. “Before or after the war ended?”

“Both,” her uncle replied. “I’ve been fortunate enough to keep the business going despite the war. As another tea appreciator I may have some future blends for you to judge.”

Azula chuckled. “I’d be happy to support you, uncle.”

His smile never faded, Azula was unsure how he managed to keep the smile without his facial muscles getting fatigued. “How have you been feeling?”

She watched him for a moment. Even though he carried a smile she felt as if his eyes bored right into her. “Well enough, these last couple of days at least. It’s been a…trying experience.” She paused before saying more. Was her uncle aware of her lack of memories? Was it even safe to say anything to him? She had yet to learn of his position in the royal family. Her brother mentioned him a lot when he explained all that had happened before her accident, she would assume he could be trusted. “It’s been strange meeting my own family that seem to be nothing more but strangers to me.”

There was a quick moment where her uncle’s face fell into what looked to be a saddened expression. “I was there when your brother returned to the palace with you in his arms. Words cannot describe how relieved and happy I am to see you recovered from such serious wounds. There’s been enough tragedy in this family.”

Azula hid her surprise behind her cup as she took another sip. “What else has the royal family lost?” She asked earnestly.

The smile on her uncle's face finally fell and his calculating eyes softened considerably. “The Hundred Year War has taken many lives, on both sides. The Fire Nation may have been the instigator in the war, but even we were not immune to losses.”

His words only piqued her curiosity even more. Despite his reluctance of a direct answer Azula couldn’t help but press him further. “Who did we lose?”

Her uncle’s great belly rose and fell as he sighed deeply. “My son, Lu Ten. Your cousin.”

Azula’s response was automatic, the result of the precious little memory she retained from being trained on courtly mannerisms. “I am sorry to hear that saddening news, uncle. My deepest condolences.” Still, she felt nothing from hearing of the death of a family member she had no memories of. “Were we close?”

He shook his head subtly. “Lu Ten was much older than you and your brother. I was married many years before your father married your mother and you and Zuko were brought into this world. When you both were children Lu Ten was already a soldier in the army.”

She didn’t really need to be told any more. “My brother mentioned you numerous times when he explained our past when I recovered well enough to get out of bed.” She didn’t exactly know where she was directing their conversation, but she felt a need to divert away from the topic about her cousin she knew nothing about. And it felt rude to talk of him more with her uncle based on how distraught he appeared. “You are important to him. More so than just uncle and nephew.”

It was nearly impressive with how quickly the man's face could change. Azula wondered if his smiles were genuine or merely a mask he hid behind. “Your brother and I had quite the adventure.”

“It’s good he had you,” she said abruptly. She didn't even know why she said that. Perhaps it was her just trying to lighten the mood.

Her attention pulled towards the older man’s hands. She hadn’t paid attention to the Pai Sho board that rested on the far end of their table until her uncle began to pull it between them. “I am glad to have been there for him. Your brother is a good person, and we all need help to stay true to our paths.” He glanced at her, his honey colored eyes reflected sorrow so quickly it was gone after Azula blinked. Then he motioned towards the board. “Care for a game, niece?”

Azula frowned as she analyzed the numerous squares on the board. “I don’t know how to play. At least, I don't remember.”

Something crossed across his eyes and he looked saddened again, albeit very briefly. He was good at hiding his emotions, but he allowed too many windows to expose them. “Then I will teach you. If you would like to learn. But, it is late,” he glanced out into the darkened garden. “We will have other opportunities to play should you wish to return to your quarters to rest.”

She shook her head. The hour was late, and her physically active day left her feeling eager to rest, but she knew she would have difficulty sleeping. Especially with her head aching again. “I am wide awake now, even more so with the tea. I would appreciate your instruction on how to play this game.”

A gentle chuckle escaped her uncle. He retrieved a small brown leather pouch and upended it, numerous small circular pieces poured out onto the board. The pieces were then split between the two of them and her uncle began explaining how the pieces were arranged. They didn’t engage in any further conversation, all of Azula’s attention was on learning how to play Pai Sho. After a game she was quick to understand the rules. Her focus strayed sometimes due to her headache, but after a few more games she ceased asking questions.

“One game, uncle.” Azula announced suddenly. “One game where you don’t hold back.”

“Oh?” Humor twinkled in his eyes. “Very well.”

The one game lasted what felt like hours, Azula was so focused on every move and possible strategies from her opponent. As she played she came to realize how competitive she felt. Each loss was a blow to her personally, she hated the feeling of losing. Even if it was just an insignificant board game.

Her eyelids grew heavier with each passing game, but she wanted to win just once. Her uncle was difficult to read as he played, he never stuck to the same strategy. It was a welcome distraction and eventually Azula ceased to notice her headache or sore muscles.

She was so close to winning. A few more moves and she would finally achieve victory. But in her eagerness she made a move that left her vulnerable and her uncle took advantage. Azula pressed her lips together to keep herself from swearing aloud.

“It appears this marks the end of the game,” her uncle announced. Despite his flawless wins he never boasted. He never pointed out her faults, he simply allowed her to learn the repercussions of her mistakes.

“One more,” Azula replied with determination.

He chuckled. “As much as I enjoyed our games, niece, I am afraid I do not have the energy to match yours. We will have many other opportunities to play again.”

With a sigh of defeat, Azula helped put the Pai Sho pieces away. She had been so focused on trying to win a game she missed the opportunity to speak with another family member to possibly get more information about her past. About her family's past.

The biggest challenge for her now was to get up from her seated position. True to her earlier prediction, her sore muscles grew stiff from not moving for an hour or two. Halfway through her struggle a large hand appeared before her. Her uncle’s large hand dwarfed her own and it was very warm. Despite his wide and plump physique, Azula could feel his strength as he helped lift her onto her feet. She assumed if he wanted to he could’ve lifted her fully off the floor.

“Thank you,” she told him. “Not just for this, but for the games and your company.”

His smile deepened the wrinkles around his eyes. There was still that thoughtful look in those honey colored orbs as if judging for himself if her words were true. As if sensing her honesty, his face relaxed. Unlike earlier, something about his presence made Azula feel at ease.

Comfortable.

“It was my pleasure. I am ashamed to admit we did not have moments such as this in the past.”

“Did we not get along?”

Another flicker of sorrow reflected in his eyes. “The war demanded much from the both of us. I was often away from the palace. You were just a child, kept busy with training and tutoring. Children are very impressionable and you took after your father.”

Azula knew well enough from his implication that they did not get along. Was it strange for him to be in her company? She had one last thing to ask if he was willing to humor her. “One last question, uncle. Are you related to my mother or father?”

If he was taken aback from her question he hid it well. “Your father is my younger brother.”

Azula blinked in disbelief. Up until now she assumed he was related to her mother or a younger sibling to her father. Since she had yet to meet her father she assumed he was of similar age as her uncle. “Then you should be the Fire Lord, not my brother.”

“That, my niece, is a story for another time. One where we’ll have more tea.” His grin widened so much she could see his teeth. “I may even bring some of my blends I have yet to sell at my shop.”

“And more chances for me to beat you in Pai Sho,” Azula said quickly. Her response elicited a laugh out of him. His laugh was unexpected yet infectious, she felt herself smile from the sound of it.

There was one good thing about her losing her memories, she realized, she seemed to be mending at least one bad relationship from her past. Maybe she could repair the obvious strained relationship she had with her brother. But then a new thought struck her.

What would happen if her memories returned?

* * *

Azula overstepped. Again. Her swing missed and Sokka took advantage. Even though they were sparring, he didn't want to hurt her. He slapped his wooden training sword at the back of Azula's knee. She stumbled and then she half collapsed onto the dirt.

“Again,” came her growl. She slowly climbed to her feet and wiped her sleeve across her brow.

Sokka watched her for a moment with an eyebrow raised. He wanted to protest another round. Judging by the high angle of the sun, they had been training and sparring for hours. It was quite obvious Azula had long since worn herself out. Her movement slowed considerably.

“We’ve been at this for a while. How about we take a break at least?” He suggested.

Azula dropped into a ready stance. “Best me and we can stop for the day. However, if I win then we continue.”

It was jarring how much Azula was beginning to sound like her old self, minus all the insults she would always sprout. It was only their first day of training together, but she was relentless to improve.

The Water Tribesman took her bait. With how slow her reactions were to block there was no chance he could lose. “Deal.”

Azula wiped the sweat from her brow again. Her usually pale face was nearly as red as her training clothes. It was strange to see her flustered and her bangs clung to her cheeks. For all the times that they fought each other in the past he never saw so much as a single bead of sweat on her face. Despite the distance between them he could hear her ragged breaths. To see her so…human was simply off-putting. Just how out of shape was she? On the Day of the Black Sun she led Sokka and his friends on a pointless chase long enough until the eclipse ended, all while dodging everyone's bending.

Then again, a mere week ago she was actually dead. He supposed recovering from that would render even someone like Azula to be out of shape. With how subtly she would press a finger to her temple or stumbled if she moved too fast she was not yet fully recovered.

Movement jarred him out of his thoughts and by instinct he just managed to block an overhead downward swing.

“Hey! I wasn't ready,” he whined before he pushed her backwards.

Her feet slid along the dirt and she looked like she was barely able to keep herself standing. “You may be my mentor, but even you should know that an enemy won't wait for you to be ready before attacking.”

The spar lasted even less than their previous scuffle. All of the thrusts and swings Azula threw at Sokka he dodged or blocked with little effort. When he failed to attack it seemed to anger her.

“Don’t hold back,” she growled.

His eyebrow arched again. Okay so maybe he was playing with his food, so to speak. But he honestly wanted to keep reading her movement and techniques so he could train her how to improve. However, keeping Azula going at this point would be more unkind since she was pushing herself beyond her limit. He ended their spar with a parry, he knocked her blade downward and lifted his own so the tip of it pressed against the soft spot on her throat, just above her sternum.

“Looks like it’s break time,” he grinned.

For a moment she transformed into the old crazy Azula. Now that he stood closer to her he could see the dark circles under her eyes and her topaz colored eyes themselves were a swirl of pent up anger. A wrinkle formed between her brows as they pinched together. Out of instinct he tightened his grip on his wooden sword and pressed the tip against her flushed skin ever so slightly.

The only difference between crazy Azula and the one without her memories was that she wasn't glaring at him. Instead her eyes were cast downward away from him. He suddenly felt like he knew what she was feeling, he felt it plenty of times when he was in her position. She was angry with herself. With her lack of progress.

His wariness vanished and he pulled his sword off of her. Once he moved her eyes drifted upwards towards him. He saw her shoulders sag and she tossed her sword aside. She swayed, but quickly caught herself.

“Why don't we take a breather in some shade, yeah?”

She didn't protest. There were no trees or buildings to offer them shade other than the palace itself. He led her towards the palace's massive walls and they took refuge from the sun's wrath behind a pillar. Azula all but collapsed with her back and head pressed against the pillar, her chest caved in and out rapidly as she still tried to catch her breath.

Luckily, Sokka remembered to snatch a waterskin. The water had been out in the sun while they trained so it was no doubt warm, but water was water to a thirsty person. He stretched his arm out towards her, offering her the waterskin.

Her eyes darted towards the offered skin and then towards him. He almost missed the movement of her hands that rested over her knees that suddenly tightened into fists.

“Thank you, but I'm not thirsty.”

Sokka scoffed. Why would she refuse water? Then he wondered if old crazy Azula was showing herself. He fought to keep himself from retorting sarcastically.

“Sure it's probably warm. It's been out in the sun all day. But we've been training for hours.” He pulled out the stopper and took a long pull. The water was definitely warm. Any hotter and he could brew some tea inside the waterskin. After he drank his fill he noticed Azula had been watching him, her honey colored eyes kept sweeping to the skin. He held it out to her again. “You sure you don't want any?”

She looked uncertain like she was offered to drink something possibly poisonous. After a moment, when he thought she would refuse again, her fists loosened and then she reached for the waterskin. She didn’t just take a swallow or two, she was draining the entire thing. Why would she refuse the water at first and claim she wasn’t thirsty when she clearly was?

The old crazy Azula would've insulted him for the water being warm. Memoryless Azula offered a small smile.

“Thank you,” she said breathlessly. The waterskin was nearly weightless. “I apologize for not leaving you much left. I'll fetch a servant to bring you more.”

Sokka thought she was being sarcastic, but when he watched as she grimaced while she tried climbing back to her feet he realized she was serious.

“No, no, that's okay!” He waved his hands frantically. “This is plenty of water for me.” In truth he was only left with two mouthfuls of water, but it was enough to sate the remainder of his thirst. Azula didn't appear to believe him with how she stared at him so he offered her a reassuring smile. She pulled her eyes away from him. He grew a bit worried when he saw her face redden further. Could she have heat sickness?

Maybe it was best to keep her in the shade and cool off. Last thing he wanted to do with his very first pupil was kill her by overwork, even if it was Azula. He sat on the ground opposite of her, but not directly in front of her so he could have room to stretch his legs out.

“Could I ask something,” Sokka asked slowly.

She looked back at him. Her breathing calmed, but her face was still red. She looked in desperate need of a nap, the skin around her eyes appeared bruised. Or maybe sleep for a few days. Funny, he thought she would get plenty of rest while she recovered from her injuries.

“You are free to ask me anything, you need not my permission, Sokka,” she shrugged.

It was still weird hearing her say his name instead of peasant. He could get used to memoryless Azula. “Why do you push yourself so hard?” He asked. “With your training I mean. Today is our first lesson, and you made great progress! Way faster than my own when I was in training. You learn forms and techniques after observing them once. The only thing holding you back was that you wore yourself out, yet you wanted to continue. Why?”

She looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she looked around them as if to make sure there were no others that could eavesdrop, but the only other person near them was Suki. She stayed nearby, but out of sight.

“As a member of the royal family, even if one is not the Fire Lord, we still carry out important tasks. Essentially, the Fire Lord acts through us. As such, our very image is a reflection of the Fire Lord.”

Sokka scratched his cheek. “So you're saying you work hard to maintain a positive image to everyone?”

She nodded. “Exactly, you're correct.” She paused and leaned her head back against the pillar with her eyes closed. “In addition to that, I’ve heard the guards and servants, I have a reputation of excelling in combat. I suppose you could say that I feel ashamed for no longer meeting those expectations.”

A frown crossed Sokka’s face. “Yeah, you had a scary reputation of being near infallible in battle, but not long ago you survived a…really lethal injury. The fact that you’re here now a mere week afterwards shows how strong of a person you are. You don’t have to push yourself so hard for appearance's sake.”

Azula opened her eyes and watched him in silence, probably pondering on his words. “If only it were that simple.”

“Why can't it be that simple?”

“For one, going back to carrying out important tasks for the Fire Lord. We may be royalty, but we carry great responsibilities to take care of our people, our nation. We have to be infallible to keep the respect of everyone. A soldier won't respect their officer if the officer is weaker and cannot fight.”

Sokka nearly didn’t know how to respond, she had a point. It wasn’t just soldiers, but people in general respected power. They respected people that could provide and protect. He had seen plenty of that during the war. It wasn’t easy earning people’s respect and trust.

“That’s true,” he admitted. “But strength isn’t just physical. Nor is it only about skill. Mere determination to improve is a strength as well. If I had the same injuries you had I’d still be in bed. But the fact that you’re out here now, and training so hard, well I’ve seen the guards here and how they are with you. They respect you.”

Azula frowned and shook her head slightly. “They don’t respect me, they respect my reputation and title.”

“So the reason why you’re working so hard is so you can meet their expectations. Yet you feel like they don’t respect you yourself.” He felt like he could relate to that. “You know, my dad is chief of the Southern Water Tribe. Like the title of Fire Lord, the position of chief is passed down through heirs. So I think I understand how you feel about others not respecting you as a person. Growing up, it felt like people saw me only as the chief’s son. And it was hard to live up to everyone’s expectations.”

Curiosity showed in Azula’s eyes as she watched him and her eyebrows lifted. “Then you understand the loneliness that such titles bring to those that carry them.”

Sokka blinked in surprise. Azula admitting loneliness? He pinched his arm, but he failed to suddenly wake up in his room. “Yeah, I do. I was lucky that I had my mom and sister though. They always saw me for me. My dad too, but sometimes he reminded me about my responsibilities when I would become chief. In a way it created that distance between us, I was his heir before I was his son. Does that make sense?”

A small smile grew on Azula’s lips, it was almost sad looking. “It makes more sense that you give yourself credit for.” They sat for a moment, neither saying anything and just listening to the distant sound of soldiers training and shouting. Azula’s eyes kept drifting shut and Sokka thought she was moments away from falling asleep. If she did, he planned to let her rest for a bit. She definitely looked like she needed it.

From what Azula said about the loneliness royal titles brought, he wondered if that was from memoryless Azula or a slip from old crazy Azula. He may be leaning more toward believing she truly lost her memories, but he also believed Zuko when he said she was a liar. Toph confirmed she was a good one at that.

There was a sudden sharp inhale from Azula, she probably realized she was about to doze off. “I apologize,” she muttered. Her voice was thick and deep with sleep. “It was unseemly for me to dismiss your presence.” Before Sokka could reply she slowly struggled to her feet. “A wager is a wager. We can call it a day.”

When Sokka showed up to the training grounds in the morning he found Azula among other guards participating in their exercises and drills. And he had the benefit of not being on bed rest for a few days. It was easier for him to climb to his feet before Azula. He offered her his hand, both for the purpose of being nice and as a test to see if it would push old crazy Azula’s buttons, if she was pretending as Zuko believed. The princess looked a bit surprised by his hand, but she never refused it nor showed any disgust in doing so. Once she was on her feet she thanked him. Again, she peered away from him and her cheeks became flushed.

“Now that the day’s lesson from you has concluded, we may as well move on to my lesson for you. Unless you would like to reconvene at a later time today?”

Sokka shrugged. He didn’t have anything else planned, especially with Suko being busy with guard duty for the rest of the day. Both he and Azula paused upon the sudden loud gurgle that erupted for Sokka’s abdomen. It lasted a little longer than Sokka would’ve liked, but there was no way for him to stop his stomach from grumbling. Heat came to his cheeks. But before he could suggest they continue with their lesson after lunch, Azula said something first.

Her head tilted slightly. “A meal right now would be quite beneficial to one of the lessons you would have eventually had to have taken. Very well, we’ll both freshen up and meet in the dining hall in an hour. Is this plan satisfactory for you, Sokka?”

Again, still weird to hear his name. And honestly if it were up to him he’d head straight to the kitchens and grab something to eat now, he could bathe later. But he didn’t want to be rude and go against their plan, especially if he was going to get his lesson on how to write a speech to his future team out of it.

They bade each other farewell and went their separate ways. As they headed back to the palace, Sokka looked longly at Suki as they passed each other. She glanced back at him and winked. Even weirder about having Azula call him by name was going to be having lunch with her in Suki’s company. Not like it would be a date or anything. It was a lesson! But the weirdness was still going to be there. Sokka just hoped the meal wouldn’t be as awkward as he was anticipating. He quickly bathed and got into clean clothes.

When he met with Azula in the dining hall, he wasn't surprised to see that the room was vacant other than Azula and Suki, though he hoped someone else would pop in to join them. He would gladly take Toph's non-stop teasing presence. The large table already had a few dishes laid out, and Azula was already seated at the table, her hair pulled back in its usual style, her face no longer red and sweaty, and makeup almost covered up the dark bags under her eyes.

Azula pushed her chair back and got to her feet when he approached the table.

“Sokka, thank you for joining me.” Azula gave a single nod of her head. She motioned her hand towards the table. “I regret not asking you earlier what dishes you prefer, so I took the liberty of asking the chefs to cook a variety of cuisines. I hope you have no negative reactions to specific foods?”

Sokka tilted his head. Such a thing was possible? For all of his travels and the different people he met, he hadn’t heard of anyone being unable to eat certain foods. He knew Aang didn’t eat meat, but that was a preference rather than a capability. “Uh, no, no, I’m good to eat anything.”

“Lesson one,” Azula replied quickly. “When you speak formally, as you will when you make your speech, avoid expressions of doubt and hesitation.”

“Don’t say what now?”

“Right now you said, ‘uh,’” she explained. Then she motioned for him to sit. Sokka’s attention couldn’t help but be pulled towards where Suki stood. If she was upset with him sharing a meal with Azula she gave no indication of it. “You can look at phrases like uh and um as filler words. When you are unsure of what to say and use those phrases, it gives the impression of uncertainty. In other words, it discredits your speech.”

Sokka glanced at the table for any writing materials, but there was nothing save for the dishes of plates and a teapot. Hopefully he’d be able to remember everything Azula would teach him.

“I understand using those phrases may be more of a habit than having actual doubt in your words, so best work on eliminating them from your vocabulary now.” Azula reached for the teapot and poured an orange-brown tea into three cups. She slid one towards him and the other she slid to the side, seemingly for Suki. It was a nice gesture, one that Sokka would’ve done himself, even if he knew Suki would refuse it.

“Dropping a habit is difficult. But it is easier to substitute one habit for another. While you try to avoid saying uh and um, try using other words if you need to buy yourself time to say something.”

“Like?” Sokka grabbed his chopsticks and analyzed all of the dishes. There weren’t as many as was normally served when he joined Zuko and his friends for meals, but it was understandable their servings were much more limited between just two people. He grabbed some helpings for himself from the nearest dishes and immediately began to eat.

Azula also placed some food on her plate, but she didn’t eat. “Let’s say someone asks you a question and you’re unsure how to answer. Rather than saying uh or um, you can stall for time by saying something like, ‘I’m glad you asked,’ or repeat their question.”

Sokka hummed in acknowledgement. He knew he shouldn’t have spoken with his mouth full, but he wasn’t used to showing good manners. In the rare instances he accompanied important people while dining he sat far away from everyone and quietly ate his fill. “Okay, I see what you mean.”

Azula frowned. “Lesson two, speeches are most often given during meals. It’s the best opportunity to get people to be more relaxed, thus getting their guards down and in good spirits. Alcohol is served and a lot of exotic cuisine to pull people’s curiosity and excitement. It’s safe to assume you’ll be expected to pitch your recruitment during a meal. So it would be best that you perform your best mannerisms.”

Sokka swallowed a large mouthful and washed it down with the spiced tea. “No talking with my mouth full. Got it.”

A small smile pulled in the corner of Azula’s red lips. She finally picked up her cup and took a sip.

“I know good manners,” Sokka defended. He reached for the other dishes he had yet to eat from and took a serving from each. “My sister always made sure to lecture me every time. But while we traveled, and when one of my friends joined us, well she kinda stopped bothering. Unless we dined with someone important. Like King Bumi.”

“King Bumi? Of Omashu?”

He nodded. Was he allowed to nod if he had his mouth full? Azula didn't say anything so he assumed it was okay. “The one and the same. Did you know he was childhood friends with Aang?”

Her thin eyebrows shot up. “But that would mean he's over one hundred years old.”

“Yeah, but don't let his old age fool you. Even though he looks older than ancient statues, he could probably beat a mountain in an arm wrestling match.”

Azula made the grave mistake of finally taking a bite of rice. She snorted from his comment, but it resulted in her choking. Sokka's eyes widened. He glanced at Suki in panic, but she merely looked unamused.

Should he slap her back? No, what if she zapped him with lightning just for touching her. Maybe he could fetch her some water instead of shoving scalding hot tea down her throat. “Are you okay?”

Azula coughed and then drank deeply from her cup. “I'm fine,” she coughed once more. “Thank you for your concern.”

“Is that lesson three?”

Another smile. It took a moment for Sokka to realize he was staring. So far his day was filled with seeing the human side to his enemy. When Azula wasn't sneering, smiling sadistically, or had her crazed manic expression, she looked quite pretty when she smiled. Beautiful even.

Realizing what he was thinking, Sokka shook his head frantically and glanced towards Suki again, worried that she would somehow know what his thoughts were. She appeared the same as before. Unamused.

Their meal continued, with Azula continuously giving him more lessons on how to speak formally. It was still awkward knowing that Suki was watching them, but Sokka was glad for the knowledge Azula passed onto him. His thoughts sometimes drifted during the rare moments he and Azula were quiet as they ate.

If Azula hadn't been so tightly woven with Ozai, would she have joined Aang like Zuko?

Without her memories, she was not much different than her brother. While she was well mannered due to her upbringing, she had small moments of generosity. Like when she served Suki tea. And once during their meal Azula asked her if she wanted to join them, but of course Suki refused. Not that he blamed her, she was on duty.

“For your next lesson.” Sokka glanced up from his plate and towards the Fire Nation princess. “Do you have any formal wear?”

“Uh–I mean,” Sokka pressed his lips together before he could say more words he wasn't supposed to. He quickly thought back to the examples Azula mentioned. “Do I have any formal wear?” He chuckled to himself. “Who doesn't have formal wear? I'll tell you who doesn't.” Azula rested her chin on a palm, lips pulling into an amused smile. Without the threat of her bending fire or lightning, Sokka didn't like how his eyes kept drifting to her red lips. Finally, he pointed a thumb to himself. “This guy.”

“Oh?” Azula huffed a small laugh. “It’s good that I asked. Though I’m sure you would have been given something for the big day. Did my brother ever mention when you would be speaking to your possible team?”

“Yeah, a big festival during the winter. I think it's the day of the winter solstice?”

“Then we have even less than that for you to write the invites to your candidates. As for your formal wear and for your next lesson, I’d like for us to take a trip to the markets. There we can get some clothes tailored for you.”

“Um,” Sokka muttered in disbelief. His usage of the forbidden word caused Azula to narrow her eyes at him. “I mean, sorry, uh why, no I meant to say–”

“Sokka, it’s okay.” The princess shook her head. “What was it you told me earlier? It’s only your first day. You’ll have several weeks to drop the habit of using those filler words. And it’s good that you’re aware you’re even saying them.”

“Thanks,” he replied a little more sheepishly than he would’ve liked to admit. He hated that a little praise brought heat to his face, but he wasn’t exactly used to receiving praise. “What I meant to say was, what could my next lesson be at a market? How does going on a shopping trip help me make a speech?”

“A valid question,” Azula responded. She poured herself another cup of tea and offered a refill to Sokka, but he shook his head in refusal. He definitely over ate, even if he put liquid into his stomach he knew he’d be in for a terrible stomachache later. “It isn’t the shopping itself that will benefit you. It’s the people. One of the best places to find a crowd is at a market. And you’ll be practicing how to read people.”

“Okay, how does reading people help me with a speech?”

“Let’s say one of the best applicants you want on your team refuses to join. Naturally, you’d want to convince him or her to reconsider. Or they’re willing to join under certain circumstances. Being able to read that person can help you ultimately convince them to join, or arrange their conditions where it will benefit you as well.”

Sokka hummed in thought. He thought his biggest challenge would just be giving his speech in public, but the pointers Azula brought up only stirred more anxiety in his gut. “You make a good point, I suppose.”

“Do I make a good point? Or do I not?”

He felt his brows pinch together. “You make a good point.”

“Lesson four, you need to be confident. Expressing any type of doubt in yourself opens yourself to scrutiny. Especially when you’re trying to convince someone to join you. How can you expect someone to trust you if you doubt yourself?”

“Four? What happened to the third?”

“Lesson three was don’t make jokes while people are eating, lest you cause them to choke.”

Sokka chuckled. Strange how he felt more at ease while speaking to his friend’s crazy sister. Well, no that was a false assumption. More and more he was starting to believe Azula truly lost her memories. Without her past, it was like she was a completely new person. He still didn’t understand how that worked.

Suki.

His eyes swept to where Suki stood off to the side, just behind Azula. Her face remained stoic, but she stood with her arms crossed. If it was awkward for him to be friendly with Azula, it had to be even worse for her to watch in silence. He waited until her gaze drifted towards him and he offered what he hoped was an apologetic smile.

“When will you be best available to visit the market?”

Sokka pondered for a moment. The sooner he continued to be mentored by Azula the more time he would have to drill the information into his head until it became second nature. And he already knew Suki would be on guard duty for the remainder of the day. When she was off for the day she had training with her Kyoshi Warriors.

“I got nothing else planned for the rest of the day. Would today work?”

Azula was quiet for a moment, her expression seemingly in thought. “Yes, today would be perfect. Do you need a few hours to rest after our training from earlier?”

Sokka grinned and wiggled his eyebrows teasingly. It wasn't until Azula stared at him, shock evident on her face, that he realized what he had just done and to whom. Honestly it was a habit he did whenever he teased Toph or Katara. “I should be the one asking you that. I wasn't the one falling asleep during break time, remember?”

Topaz colored eyes narrowed at him. For a second Sokka debated if he should be ready to dodge a fireball or lightning bolt, but then those eyes rolled upwards.

“Then we best head to the market soon while the sun is out. Meet me at the palace entrance at your earliest convenience.” Azula commanded, though not unkindly.

Sokka gave a mock bow. “Try not to give your eyes a rest. Otherwise you'll be waking up when the moon is out.”

The princess rolled her eyes again and motioned her hand as if to shoo him out of the room.

The day just got weirder and weirder. He had a feeling he should keep the day's details a secret from Katara and Toph. The former would just nag at him for being friendly with the enemy while the latter would tease him for falling for the dragon princess.

Sokka scoffed to himself as he headed for his room. If he was going out he would need his boomerang. And the little money he had. Maybe if he ran into Toph he could borrow some from her, though he didn't know what lie to tell her of why he would be going to the market.

So long as I tell her half the truth she won't detect my lie. He thought to himself.

An idea struck him. Suki was guarding Azula for the day. He could just say he was going on a date with Suki in town and needed money to borrow to treat her to something nice.

He just hoped his plan worked.

* * *

Azula was relieved to see that she was the first to arrive. The only people present at the entrance hall were the guards. When she had to wait a few moments to speak to her brother to ensure she had his permission to leave the palace grounds she became worried she would keep Sokka waiting.

Thankfully she didn't have to wait long. When Sokka arrived she felt a strange sensation in her chest. He wasn't dressed in his usual Water Tribe blue and white clothing. Instead, he sported red trousers and a sleeveless tunic. His long hair was still pulled up, but rather than being left to hang from its tie he had it gathered in a topknot.

She wasn't aware that she was staring until he caught her eye and approached her.

“Azula?”

His close proximity brought heat to her cheeks. She remembered herself and nodded. Then she remembered that she too dressed differently.

“To avoid attracting attention to ourselves I took the initiative to disguise myself as a servant.” She glanced down at her red robes with maroon trimmings and unnecessarily wiped at a wrinkle that did not exist. She styled her hair a little differently, only half of it was pulled up into a tail, and of course she left her crown in her room.

Azula glanced back up at Sokka. “I see we were of the same mind.”

He smiled and she felt her heart beat faster. A single beat thudded against her chest differently than the rest and it triggered a small, singular cough.

“I figured walking around the Fire Nation Capital in Water Tribe clothes would be a little distracting. If I'm to practice reading people then drawing attention would be the last thing we want. Right?”

“You are correct,” Azula agreed. “Good thinking. Now, shall we?”

It was good that they headed to the market when they did. To maintain their disguises as commoners Azula couldn't use a palanquin nor a carriage. While she still had her armored shadow following her every step–also in commoner clothes and lacking the white makeup– her brother insisted a small group of royal guards also disguise themselves and stay within close proximity.

The whole being surrounded by guards felt excessive to Azula, she felt her servant appearance was sufficient. At most her armored shadow would be more than enough to handle anyone should the need arise. But it was the condition she had to abide by in order to leave the palace.

The walk was long and slow, but also refreshing. To finally be away from the constricting halls of the palace made Azula feel free and able to breathe fresh air. There were countless sights and smells that were all new. Animals she had never seen before, fresh produce, the much smaller buildings for homes and shops.

“Excited to shop?” Sokka's deep voice erupted next to her.

“Hmm? Pardon?”

“You're smiling. I was just curious what's gotten you in such a good mood.” He explained.

“Am I? I didn't realize.” She debated how much to tell him. “I suppose I am excited. As much as I can remember, the palace has been my world. To finally leave it, even for a few hours, has me anticipating what we'll find.”

“That kinda reminds me of when I first left my home. All my life I only knew my small village and the outskirts when we left to hunt or fish. When my sister and I met Aang and we left to start our adventure it was quite daunting at first.”

“I'd imagine going off into an unknown world would be much more intimidating than heading to a market.”

“You're right about that,” Sokka huffed a laugh.

Azula felt the flutter in her chest again. Seeing Sokka smile was just as infectious as hearing her uncle laugh. “Tell me more about your home. I've only read about it, and I'd imagine what was written from the Fire Nations perspective is not the whole truth.”

Sokka blinked at her in surprise. But then he humored her request and told her about the South Pole. The frigid cold, how they kept their homes warm, what they hunted, and Azula was vastly interested in one of their hobbies that involved using an otter penguin as a sled. She could recall seeing what they looked like, but something illustrated on paper lacked providing the actual size of said object.

“And that doesn't hurt the otter penguins?”

“Nope,” Sokka responded, popping the P. “If you find a hill steep enough you can go so fast your cheeks flap against your teeth! It sounds and feels weird, but that's when you know you're at top speed. But I don't recommend crashing at that speed, the snow is so cold it actually burns sometimes.”

Azula had difficulties grasping that thought. Coldness so cold it burned? That would be like getting burned so badly it froze. No, that didn't make sense.

When they finally arrived at the market Azula strangely felt disappointed. Their conversation ceased now that they had to focus on the purpose of the trip.

Azula fished into her robes and pulled out a small scroll. “My brother recommended a specific store to have your clothes tailored.” She unrolled the scroll and read the directions aloud.

As they walked around the market, Azula began her lesson. “I wanted to bring you to the market so you can practice looking for details about people.” She scanned the long road filled with people and merchants selling wares either from stalls or shops. Concentrating on the crowd seemed to have amplified the crowd's noise. Voices, laughs, and shouts pressed against Azula's ears painfully. She began to feel her heartbeat through her ears. It was a mistake to venture out into such a massive crowd.

A firm, yet warm grasp at her elbow pulled her, grounded her. Azula hadn't realized her eyes were squeezed shut until she was opening her eyes and inches away from her own were two crystal blue orbs. Her breath caught in her throat as she peered at Sokka, his face softened with concern.

He pulled away suddenly. Azula's elbow suddenly felt cold where his hand was clasped.

“Are you okay?” He asked.

Azula huffed in annoyance. Not at him, she felt annoyed at herself for not thinking ahead. If she could barely tolerate chatter during a meal with a small group of people she should've realized thrusting herself into a huge crowd at a busy market would be a bigger burden.

“I'm fine,” she straightened her back. The small building Sokka pulled her into helped muffle the noisy crowd, but only slightly. They stepped into a flower shop, judging by the numerous shelves along the walls that held a vast array of potted flowers. The scent alone of the plants nearly made her sneeze. “Thank you.”

He smiled and gave a small nod. The fluttering in her chest drifted down to her belly. She hated this feeling, even more so that she didn't know the reason behind it.

“Why don't we take a breather in here? We can even ask for help on finding the shop we're looking for.”

“Good idea.” Azula sighed. She stepped around Sokka to seek out whoever ran the flower shop. There were two other people in the room. Before her she could only see a tall, broad back of a man that was speaking to a woman behind a counter.

“Welcome!” The woman called out to her, but the man she spoke with blocked Azula’s view of her completely. “I’ll be with you in a moment.”

Sokka busied himself looking over the flowers along the wall. Azula heard the shop’s door open, when she glanced at the newcomer it was only her shadow. The stoic woman wordlessly found a spot to stand in.

“It’ll be delivered by the end of the day,” the woman behind the counter told her customer. Her voice tone was a bored sounding monotone. The man muttered his farewell and left.

Azula approached the counter, her hand reached into her robes to retrieve her brother’s horrible directions. When she made eye contact with the flower merchant, she found it strange that the woman stared at her with wide eyes. Did they know each other?

The woman moved fast, her arm was practically a blur when she thrust her arm forward. Azula hardly had any time to react when she realized that the dark haired woman threw something at her. Her instinct screamed at her to move, and she tried.

Sharp pain prickled at her neck that told her she was too late, too slow. Her hand shot up to cover where the pain erupted. Her palm touched something wet and warm. The woman hadn’t moved from behind the counter, she just continued to stare at her, but her honey colored eyes managed to grow even wider. Azula pulled her hand away from her neck and glanced at it. Bright red coated her fingers and palm.

Sokka shouted something, but all Azula could hear was a loud ringing. The wet warmth at her neck seeped downwards. She pressed her hand again against her neck in a fruitless effort to keep her precious life contained within her. Her knees wobbled, her back struck against something flat and hard and suddenly she was half the height she used to be just a moment ago. Her fingers were sticky as more warmth seeped between them.

Shouldn’t her shadow be doing something against the woman who attacked her? Better question was why did she attack her? Azula breathed out a weak laugh. No doubt her past self made an enemy out of the flower merchant. Must’ve done something horrible to her if the woman attacked her on sight.

Sokka was kneeling in front of her with what looked like his cloth belt in his hands. He pried Azula’s hand away and pressed the cloth against her neck so hard it made her whimper in pain. He continued to tell her something, but she couldn’t understand. A loud bang rattled her bones when the shop’s door was nearly knocked off its hinges and Azula recognized her disguised guards as they charged in. The flower merchant didn’t resist them, didn’t even try to run away. She simply continued to stare at her in shock.

The edges of Azula’s vision began to darken. At first she felt like the inside of her skin was on fire. Then a coldness began to creep along her limbs. A thought came to her and she remembered what Sokka had told her about the snow that felt so cold it burned. She weakly pushed at Sokka’s hand on her neck. When he refused to budge she bended a blue flame in her palm, hoping he would understand her implication.

It was quick, but she could see the understanding in his eyes. Something jabbed into her arm and she suddenly felt wrong. The flame snuffed out in a puff of smoke and failed to reappear. Her entire arm felt heavy and impossible to keep suspended in the air. The thought of being unable to firebend was akin to losing her sense of sight or hearing, her panic evolved into mania.

“Why did you do that?!” Sokka shouted. “She was only going to cauterize the wound!”

Azula wasn’t sure why she was able to understand Sokka then. Perhaps her body already accepted her fate? Her darkening vision began to blur and swim. Another wet warmth rolled down her cheeks. She looked at Sokka and felt a jab in her chest. He appeared just as terrified as she felt. She had hoped they could become friends, she grew to enjoy his company. Part of her felt like he was the only one outside her family that didn’t just see her title or her past. Was she truly so monstrous that evoked the flower merchant to immediately attack to kill?

“Run to the palace and get my sister! She’ll get here fast if she takes Appa! Go! Now!” Sokka screamed at one of the royal guards. He looked back at her. “You’ll be okay, Azula. Just hang on.”

What could she possibly hang onto? She was incapable of lifting her entire arm let alone wiggle her fingers. A bitter laugh bubbled out of her, a liquid caught in her throat and she choked on a wet cough. A flood of something metallic coated her tongue that made her want to gag, but she lacked the strength to even do that.

The final thing she could recall seeing was a pair of amber eyes. The last sensation she felt was a great heat at her neck that enveloped her in complete darkness.

Chapter Text

[Caldera City]

It was sudden movement that stirred Azula awake, like she was lifted into the air so quickly she felt like she was falling. Blinking her eyes open, she was immediately greeted by a sky littered with colors of blue, orange and yellow. It hurt her head when she noticed how swiftly the clouds seemed to pass by. She felt a shadow cover her face before she realized she was staring face to face with someone. A few more blinks and she focused on striking blue eyes.

“Look who finally decided to join us.” The person inches from her own sighed. A hard blink finally cleared her blurry vision and the person's face became more distinguishable. It was Sokka that was before her, his brows pinched together and his eyes moving rapidly as he looked her over.

“Keep her awake,” a new voice announced. The tone was higher, a woman's voice.

Something cool and wet wrapped around her skin. It was then that she realized the scorching pain that bloomed from her neck. The confusion, pain and now a soothing coolness alerted her and she tried to pull away from the array of sensations and tried to look at what was causing them.

“Hold her still,” the feminine voice commanded.

Warm fingers wrapped on either side of her cheeks and Sokka's face came ever closer to her own. She tried to look to her side to see what was going on, who else was there. Memories of what happened moments before she passed out were slow to trickle in and fill the gaps of her memory. She slowly remembered flowers, pain and blood. Her blood. And Sokka looked at her with terror in his blue eyes. Blue, just like the color of her flames.

Why did she feel so tired? Like she woke up too early when the sun had yet to rise. Her eyelids fluttered.

“Hey, stay awake,” Sokka told her. “It's not nap time.”

“Tired,” Azula mumbled. She tried to lift her arm to shoo Sokka off of her, but her limb felt odd. Like it was made of wax.

“You can rest when we get back to the palace. For now, we need you to stay awake.”

She must've kept her eyes shut after she blinked because Sokka suddenly tapped her cheekbones with his thumbs. “Wakey, wakey!”

Annoyance filled Azula's veins. She was confused, hurting, and the passing clouds were beginning to make her head ache. It would be an escape to sleep it all away. Sokka's continuous thumb taps had passed the line of annoyance. She meant to mix an irritated growl with a sigh, but when she exhaled her breath felt much too warm. There was a reflection of blue light in Sokka's eyes and heat touched her face.

A yelp of surprise escaped from Sokka and whoever was next to her. Did she just breathe fire? The flame had to have been small if she couldn't see it herself, but she had no idea she was capable of doing such a thing. She could recall reading about the rare and complex technique of fire breathing, but she didn't know how to breathe fire. At least, with her current memories she didn't.

“Wait, stop!” Sokka said to both the person next to him and then he turned his head towards his shoulder. Azula spotted movement behind him and thought she saw her Shadow.

Was he telling her to stop? She didn't know how to breathe fire, or make it stop in this case, so she simply stopped breathing all together.

“I'm so–”

“–Does she have to be conscious, Katara? It may be safer to knock her out.”

Safer? Azula thought in shock. Was she truly so dangerous that they thought it would be best to knock an injured person unconscious? She didn't mean to breathe fire. It just happened. No, that wasn't right. She wasn't doing anything physically, but firebending was as much mental as physical. What was she feeling moments before? She had been annoyed that she wasn't allowed to sleep despite being so tired. Her neck hurts and she can't remember why. Sokka is so close she could feel his breath. And staring at his eyes was causing a heat to build in her belly.

The voice beside her spoke. “She lost a lot of blood. We need to keep her awake.”

Azula focused on her breathing, and did her best to clear her mind despite her confusion on what happened and where she currently was. Sleep weighed down on her eyelids, her thoughts became sluggish.

More tapping on her cheekbones. “Focus on me, okay?” Sokka told her.

It took giganteum effort to keep opening her eyes every time she blinked. But at least she had motivation to keep taking another glance at the nice view. With the close proximity of Sokka's face she could take in the sharpness of his square shaped jaw. His tanned skin gave him a pleasant glow and she could see his dark haired stubble beginning to grow on his chin and upper lip. She couldn't help but wonder how he would look with facial hair. It was common for men in the Fire Nation to grow their facial hair on their chins, and Azula thought Sokka would look good if he took after that style. But he looked good clean shaven as well.

“Wh–why are you smiling? Do I have something in my nose?”

Azula didn't realize she was smiling. But his question allowed her to feel her smile grow. “Your eyes,” she thought aloud. “They're beautiful.”

She didn't have time to process what she admitted. Nor did she have time to see his reaction. Darkness claimed her whether the others wanted it or not.

* * *
[Fire Nation Palace]

Azula found herself in an unfamiliar place. A clear blue sky soared above her and in the distance it looked like there were mountains, but not quiet. There was something about them that looked different that she didn't recognize. The air was incredibly humid and hot, she could feel her hair and clothes stick uncomfortably to her skin.

Someone stood before her. The figure was not much taller than her. Judging by the slim physique along with curves at the waist and upper body, Azula could deduce the person was female, clad in long red robes. Yet when she looked at the woman's face her blood ran cold. The face was nothing more than skin. There were no eyes, no mouth, only a nose and pointed chin was distinguishable. Black hair framed the featureless face.

“I love Zuko more than I fear you.”

Pulsing hot pain stabbed within Azula's head. The pain was so sudden and overwhelming she crumbled to her knees and a gasping cry of agony clawed its way out of her throat.

Upon opening her eyes again, Azula was suddenly no longer outdoors. Instead she faced a familiar ceiling. The air was no longer scorching and a single breath filled her lungs. The first sound her ears registered was her sudden gasp.

“Azula?” A sudden voice made her jolt in surprise.

A face came into her line of vision, but the person's head was horizontal to her own. Moving her head was difficult with how stiff her neck felt, like when she had fallen asleep for hours at the library and she slept sitting upwards with her chin touching her chest. A burning sensation bloomed at the side of her neck.

Azula blinked a few times to rid herself of the wave of dizziness that was quick to greet her. She kept her head frozen in place, but moved her eyes to view the person looking at her. A surge of relief washed over her when she recognized her mother's face, her eyes red and shiny with moisture.

“What happened?” Azula muttered. Her mouth still tasted of metal, causing her to grimace.

Another face appeared, opposite of her mother's. Dark hair, gold flame shaped crown, and half his face scarred. Her brother.

“I was hoping you could explain that,” his voice rumbled.

An ache bloomed in Azula's head. It grew in intensity with every beat of her heart, she lifted a hand to touch her forehead. She thought she was past these horrible headaches.

What happened?

She remembered the market, conversing with Sokka, her panic at being overestimated by the crowd's noise, then the flower shop.

Her eyes opened again, her brother was still peering at her in silence, his lips pressed tightly against each other. His face was so close to her own she could see that he not only was missing an eyebrow on the scarred side of his face, but he also no longer had eyelashes. How long did it take him to recover from that injury? Did it still hurt him? Could he see through that eye?

Snapping out of her thoughts, Azula recounted the day's earlier events. At least, she assumed it was still the same day she was attacked.

“The woman that ran the flower shop. She looked surprised to see me,” Azula explained. Her back was already feeling stiff from the too soft mattress below her. She still slept on the floor, but no one knew that. Not even the servants, she always made sure to be awake and her makeshift bed on the floor put away before they visited her room to attend to her. “By the time I realized she threw something at me, I was bleeding.”

Remembering her injury, Azula's hand shot up to touch her neck. She faintly remembered the blistering heat on her skin before the pain knocked her unconscious. With that kind of burning sensation she expected her neck to scream at her touch. Instead, her fingers only felt smooth and unblemished skin. Yet it still hurt when she moved.

“Why did she attack you?” Her brother asked. “Did you attack her?”

Azula frowned, her fingers still roamed over every inch of her neck. The heat she had felt would've blistered her skin at least. When she woke earlier, with Sokka holding her head in place, she could remember smelling burned skin. But how did she even know what that smelled like? She couldn’t remember ever witnessing–let alone smelling– a person getting burned, even as she observed countless firebending duels from the guards.

“I did nothing,” she answered.

“She wouldn't have just attacked you,” her brother argued. His eyes narrowed, even the scarred one. “What did you do?”

His accusation lit a flame within Azula. She was the one that was attacked. Not one word left her lips before she realized she was bleeding. What stirred the flower shop merchant to attack rendered her confused as everyone else. Where was Sokka or her Shadow? They could confirm the incident.

“All I did,” Azula managed through gritted teeth. “Was attempt to ask her for directions to the shop you recommended, dear brother.”

His eyes narrowed even further. He said nothing more, but the muscles along his jaw clenched and unclenched repeatedly. Did he truly not believe her? For what reason? The facts were that she was bedridden, hardly able to move without her neck screaming, and the flower merchant was unscathed. If she was injured then it would've been caused by the guards if she resisted them. Furthermore, she was his sister. The crown princess, his heir. What reason could he believe a stranger over his own flesh and blood?

“Who is she?” Azula pressed. She licked her dry lips. “What is she to you?”

The air was thick with their silent tension, but eventually her brother broke it. “Get some rest,” his eyes still stared at her, but his tone was soft. He ignored her questions, turned and left the room. The door closed a little too loudly for her sensitive ears’ liking.

Still feeling rifled from the exchange, Azula nearly snapped at her mother when she felt the older woman tug on her shoulder to lift her off the pillows. Thankfully her mother’s cold hand supported her head to keep her neck from moving too much. Then a cup was pressed to her lips. Her nose wrinkled at the herbal scent of the liquid.

“Drink this, Azula.” Her mother offered. “It’ll help with the pain and rebuild your strength.”

She nearly protested from being made to drink more disgusting elixirs. But if it would help with her headache then she would endure the unpleasantness. After she drank everything that was given to her, including water and tea, she sank back onto the pillows and waited for sleep to claim her. Yet she still felt angry and breathing deeply wasn’t enough to cool her boiling veins.

Her eyes wandered towards her mother. She couldn’t help but feel upset that for days she hadn’t been able to have that talk with her despite her fruitless attempts of seeking her out personally. Without her memories, she was curious about her mother’s past and their history as a family. It seemed her mother was only readily at her side when she was on her sick bed. The thought nearly made her laugh bitterly.

Ever since she woke from the incident, knowing nothing of her past or who she was, unfamiliar inside her own home, unable to recognize her own family, she was only ever left on her own once she was hale enough to get out of bed. Everyone she met were either afraid of her or hated her. The few that respected her and tolerated her presence did so out of duty to her rank.

The more she reflected on this the more upset and angry she felt. All she came to know was loneliness in a hostile prison. The emotions boiled in her chest so tightly she had to shut her eyes to keep tears from breaking free. And then she felt a pounding in her chest that was so intense it bordered on being painful and she broke into a light cough.

“Are you all right?” Her mother asked. “Are you going to be sick?”

The pounding stopped. “No, mother.” Azula didn’t feel nauseated. So long as her headache didn’t escalate she didn’t think her stomach would get upset. “I’m fine.”

She kept her eyes staring at the ceiling. Eventually the medicine finally started taking effect. When she began to feel the softest of tugs on her eyelids, she didn’t fight the blessed darkness. On the cusp of sleep, however, a sudden thought came to her.

Who was the one that cauterized her wound?

* * *

Azula always lies, the familiar mantra repeated in Zuko’s head.

The Fire Lord shut the door behind him a little too harshly than he meant, but he was too overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions to care. Awaiting him right next to the door was Toph, her arms folded over her chest, her back leaning against the wall, and one of her bare feet idly tapping on the floor.

“Was she lying about anything?” He asked her.

The blind woman shook her head. “The best that I could tell? No. But, her heart was beating faster when you didn’t believe her.”

“Faster as in she was worried I didn’t believe her lies? Could you even tell that kind of difference?”

“Just who do you think you're talking to? Of course I can tell the difference!” Even with her face looking downward and her bangs covering half her face, Zuko could see her cocky grin. “But nah, if she was nervous that kind of heartbeat is faster, like the sound of a bumble fly’s wings.”

Zuko pondered on that analogy. There were often bumble flies in the royal gardens, but he never noticed the sound of their wings. Before he could ask more Toph continued on.

“Dragon Princess was getting upset. When a person is angry their heartbeat has a slower steady pounding. Like a person beating on a drum.”

Zuko suspected as much. When Azula referred to him as “dear brother” he knew it was a slip. All his life she had different nicknames for him depending on how she felt. Dear brother was her go to when she grew angry with him. Dum-dum was her nickname for him when she was annoyed. Zuzu was when she was trying to antagonize him.

“Come on,” Zuko muttered, he already started walking towards the throne room. “Sokka and Suki are waiting for us.”

“You really think you need me to check if they're ly–whoa.”

Zuko glanced over his shoulder. “What is it?” He glanced towards Azula's bedroom door and assumed the worst. Even though he left a Kyoshi Warrior with Azula, he still grew worried. His mother was there.

Toph remained silent for a moment longer as if waiting to hear or feel for something else. “It was Azula's heartbeat. It was different, like it could only do half a beat.”

“You could feel that from out here?”

Toph pointed a thumb at herself. “Again, who do you think you're talking to?”

The worry that had been churning in Zuko's gut grew and he nearly felt nauseated. “Is she okay? Should I call Katara?”

Toph finally tore herself away from the door. “Her heartbeat is normal now. Katara will just be upset if you called her for nothing. And without a full moon, I don't know if she can do anything. She said Dragon Princess's heart is fully healed.”

Just what Zuko needed. Another thing to worry about. He exhaled a heavy sigh.

One thing at a time, Zuko remembered his uncle advising him.

“We should get to the others. The sooner I deal with this the better.”

“Right,” Toph stepped beside him. “As I was saying, do you really need me to see if our friends are telling the truth?”

“No,” he replied. “But…well I'll need you there when I speak to Mai.”

“You think she would lie to you?”

Zuko nearly paused mid step. Could he really think Mai would lie to him? About something like this? “No, I don't. But your assuring presence will put me at ease.”

The throne room was empty save for Sokka and Suki. They both had been conversing, but Zuko couldn't make out what they were saying.

“Sorry for calling you both to meet me in here,” Zuko told them the moment they noticed his entrance. “This has to look official.”

“So this isn't officially official?” Sokka asked.

“It is, but I would have preferred we discuss the incident in a,” he paused and looked around the throne room, “Less grand room. At least we'll have privacy here.”

He didn't anticipate this would take long and there was no need for him to be on his throne. “So what happened?”

Suki and Sokka glanced at each other, silently deciding who would speak first. Sokka gave a hand gesture to urge Suki to go first.

She faced him and explained everything like she was giving a debriefing. Azula and Sokka went into a shop that Mai was tending to, when she recognized his sister she attacked.

“But when Sokka tried to help her, she fought back and began to firebend so I chi blocked her,” Suki explained.

A noise erupted from Sokka. Zuko glanced at him, his friend held his hand over his mouth. He raised an eyebrow at the implication Sokka disagreed with Suki’s statement.

Suki glanced at Sokka as well, but she continued speaking. “After the guards came in to apprehend Mai, the customer that she was helping earlier came back in. But he was concerned with Azula, and he was the one who used firebending to seal her wound. Then Katara and Aang showed up on Appa and we returned to the palace.”

Zuko could hear his blood pumping. He knew not to trust Azula when she asked to visit the markets, and it was his mistake for giving her some semblance of privacy by instructing the guards to follow her at a distance. How did Azula even know where to find Mai? Unless she had been aware of her location for months and saw the opportunity now to take action. Regardless, he wouldn’t be letting her out into the public again anytime soon.

Remembering Sokka, Zuko turned his attention to him. “Did you have anything different to add to Suki’s report?”

“Yeah,” Sokka gave a subtle glance at the Kyoshi Warrior. “Everything Suki said is true, but when Azula was firebending it was to cauterize her wound. Not to attack!”

Zuko fought the urge to groan in frustration. He was hoping that his friends would give him a quick and unanimous recount of the incident. It was also why he was quick to allow Azula out of the palace so long as people he trusted accompanied her. But why would Sokka and Suki, of all people, disagree with some of what happened?

“How do you know Azula wasn’t going to attack you?” Zuko asked.

“Sokka,” Suki added. “She bended a flame right in your face!”

“I was trying to stop the bleeding! To do that I kinda had to be close to her. Where else was she gonna bend?”

His explanation made sense, Zuko decided. If caught in a corner, Azula would always prioritize herself over her objective. And it was understandable for Suki to be protective of Sokka and assume the worst from Azula.

Zuko was frustrated, mostly with himself for allowing all of this to happen, but he felt a little better now that he got the story from his friends. The hardest part was to come, however. “Okay you both, thank you. Get some rest.” He dismissed.

Suki bowed and promptly left. Sokka lingered behind, looking like he wanted to say something. “How’s Azula?”

The young Fire Lord was surprised his friend expressed concern over his sister. But that also made him worried. He was aware of their arrangement of them tutoring each other, but the last thing he needed was for Azula to manipulate Sokka. Or was he underestimating his friend? Out of all of his friends, he saw Sokka as being the most logical, level headed person. He knew he should have more faith in his friend.

“She’s,” he finally stated, “she’s awake. A little confused, but Katara healed the wound. And my mother and the royal physician are looking after her. She’ll be fine.”

Sokka nodded, but his face was still pinched. It was how his face normally looked when he was worried.

Zuko sighed and glanced towards the entrance of the throne room, to check if Suki had already left. She was nowhere in sight. He looked back to the Water Tribesman. “Are you sure that Azula did nothing threatening to Mai that would trigger her to attack?”

“No, nothing! Azula was rattled from the noise of the crowd. All we wanted was directions.”

A hand came up to rub Zuko’s eyes. “Fine. I believe you. Truly, I do.” He offered a weak smile. “I’d say I’d see you at dinner, but I think I’m going to be busy for the remainder of the day.”

Sokka chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, I don’t doubt that. I’d say sorry for causing this, but…well y’know.” He began walking towards the exit, not without slapping a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “Oh, and to answer your question earlier. About how I know Azula didn’t mean to attack me? Right before she firebended, she looked at me. I’ve rarely seen such fear in a person’s eyes before. It was almost like she was pleading. Only after I signaled I understood her intentions did she bend.”

He nearly scoffed, the idea of Azula and Sokka having a silent understanding was a difficult concept to digest. Did they befriend each other only after a few days of tutoring and training? But he said nothing more as his friend left the throne room. He followed at a distance and notified a guard to bring “the prisoner.”

Nervousness churned in his stomach as he made his way back towards his throne. When was the last time he spoke to Mai? It had been three years since their breakup, and about two years afterwards he spoke to her when she gave him intel about the New Ozai Society. Movement caught his attention and he spotted Toph trying to hide behind one of the numerous pillars.

“Toph? I actually have a place you'll be well hidden.”

“You sure I even have to hide? Won't it be more intimidating if I act like the bodyguard or something?”

“If it were anyone else, yes, that would've worked. But if there are others besides me, well I'm worried Mai won't be as truthful." Honestly, Zuko wasn't completely confident Mai would even be truthful with just him in general. Afterall, the basis of their breakup was based on trust. He led Toph to the far wall of the throne room and lifted one of the large, heavy tapestries. “There's space between the wall and the tapestry. And it's long enough to cover your feet. You'll be completely unnoticed.”

Zuzu, I found the best hiding spot! No one will notice us back here. Shhh, you have to be quiet though, dumdum! Azula's child voice echoed in his head.

“Just don't forget I'm back here. If you and Mai make up and start making questionable noises I'm blowing my own cover.”

Intense heat poured into Zuko's cheeks and spread to his neck and ears. “What? Th–that would never happen!”

“Which? Forgetting I'm here or having a make up make out session with your ex?”

Zuko couldn't bring himself to respond lest he get tongue tied trying to deny such a thing would happen. He let the tapestry drop from his fingers and began walking back to his throne, but he could hear the quietest cackle from Toph. He was aware she could sense his heart beating rapidly.

Several minutes later the double doors of the throne room opened and in came four guards. They walked in a two by two formation with Mai inbetween. Four guards was a bit excessive, Zuko thought, but given her charge of attacking Azula, who was well known for her combat prowess, he understood his guards’ caution. He sat straighter, perched on his throne. If not for the guards’ presence he would've spoken to Mai the same way he spoke to Suki and Sokka.

“Thank you,” He told the guards. “You're all dismissed. I'll call when you may take the prisoner away.” The brows on one of the guards furrowed, his mouth opened to probably protest. Zuko had anticipated it and was ready to counter. “The prisoner is a non-bender and her hands are tied. I am in no danger.”

Any protest died before they could be spoken. Once the doors shut behind them Zuko studied Mai. Even as a prisoner she maintained her ever bored expression. He climbed out of his throne and walked down the steps that connected the throne's platform to the floor.

At first he was unsure what to even say. So instead of overthinking everything he just said the first thing that came to mind.

“Why? What happened?”

Mai's narrowed eyes narrowed even further until they were practically slits. “Do I need a reason to defend myself from your psycho of a sister?”

Red and orange hot molten heat surged in Zuko's veins. It was one thing when his uncle Iroh called Azula crazy prior to their Agni Kai
Back then he agreed with what his uncle said.

But now? After personally witnessing her mental breakdown, seeing her physical state when she was wheeled to the palace a year after, and dealing with her episodes while they searched for their mother, Zuko came to grow sympathy for his younger sister. No one else other than Azula knew of the difficultly of going through childhood with someone like Ozai as a father. Strange that even when Sokka has called Azula crazy it didn't stir any anger in him.

What changed? He could only guess it had something to do with her journal and reading the horrid things they did to her. His jaw pulsed and his hands tightened into fists.

“That ‘psycho of a sister’ is my heir! Do you understand the severity of attacking the crown princess, Mai?”

Her brows furrowed. Still, her voice remained monotone, devoid of emotion which only continued to add fuel to Zuko’s anger. “Now why would you do something like that? You have Kiyi now.”

Zuko growled. “Do you truly think I can just replace my sister with my other sister? I cannot take away Azula's birthright. She is next in line to the throne.”

Not to mention Azula is of royal blood, Zuko thought bitterly. He may have adopted his youngest sister into the royal family, but technically she was not born from his father's line. If he declared Kiyi crown princess while Azula is alive there would've been potential discord from the Fire Nation citizens. And it would cause further displeasure with the New Ozai Society.

“Why not? You're Fire Lord now. Can't you disobey laws?”

Was she trying to distract him? Delay him? “We're getting off topic,” he said while he rubbed his temples. Despite their separation, Mai still managed to flare his temper. “Why did you attack Azula?”

“Why does it matter? It's the death sentence for me just for attacking her.”

The last of his patience snapped like a final twine of string pulled taut. “It matters to me!” Zuko replied. “I can find a way to lesson your punishment, if you cooperate.” The silence and tension was so thick Zuko was sure Toph could detect it with her earthbending senses. “Do you not want to live, Mai?” He added softly.

The frown finally lifted from her face. “Do you really need to ask? Why else would I have attacked Azula?”

Finally, a flicker of light. “So she attacked you?”

“Not…exactly. When I saw her, and easily saw through her disguise, I was worried she came for her revenge.”

“Revenge for what?”

“Her revenge for me betraying her.”

“Ah,” Zuko loosened his fists. “Then did she try to attack?”

“She approached me and was pulling something out of her robes. I didn't wait to find out what it was.”

“She's a firebender. Don't you think she would have no reason to pull out a weapon?”

Mai's shoulders lifted in a shrug. “When you're afraid sometimes you aren't thinking logically.”

A long, silent sigh escaped Zuko. Then that meant Azula was telling the truth. Guilt ate at him. Now he understood why she was upset when he refused to believe her story. Or had she been truthful simply because Sokka and Suki witnessed the whole thing? The more important thing was, what would he do with Mai? He believed her side of the story, even Ty Lee admitted the same fear of suddenly meeting Azula and fearing her seeking revenge. But what could he do to help Mai? Then his eyes bugged as he recalled a suggestion from Sokka from a few days back.

Zuko hadn’t realized his facial expression changed until Mai said, “I know that look. You have another one of your horrible plans, don’t you?”

Feeling highly offended, he nearly denied her accusation. His plans weren’t that bad, were they? “It’s not my idea, it’s a friend of mine actually.”

“That’s even worse.”

“Just hear me out!” His temple pulsed again. “I came across some information regarding the mental institute Azula was admitted to. I’ve wanted to look into them, but I don’t exactly have anyone that I trust that could avoid having their cover blown.”

One of Mai’s thin eyebrows lifted lazily. “And what does that nuthouse have to do with me?”

The more Zuko thought over the plan the wider his grin became. “The war has left its impact on both sides of the war. Many people believe the stress of the war and losing her Agni Kai is what caused Azula’s mental decline. Who’s to say something similar didn’t fall on one of her allies?”

“Former allies,” Mai clarified, her narrow eyes blinking slowly. “And I don’t think I like where you’re going with this.”

“You won’t be alone. I understand there’s only so much information you can gather as a patient so I’ll have Ty Lee go with you as a new guard hire or something.”

“You’re serious about this? Say I find your information, what happens to me afterwards?”

“You’ll be considered having made a full recovery and will be discharged. By then you’ll be free to do as you please.”

Mai tilted her head in curiosity. “And if I don’t find the information you’re after?”

Zuko fought the urge to pace. Whenever he thought over a plan he built so much energy he had to spend it somehow. “Same outcome, you’ll be released. I trust you’ll be honest about not finding any information, if it comes to that.”

“Bold of you to trust me. And no death penalty?”

“Perks of knowing the Fire Lord. To the public it’ll look like you’re being punished, but you’ll actually just be working off your offense.”

There was a long stretch of silence as Mai undoubtedly thought over the offer. “Guess I don’t have much of a choice do I?” She finally released one of her signature sighs. “Fine. What information am I looking for?”

Zuko’s lips pulled into a small smile. “I’ll explain everything once we get Ty Lee onboard.” A thought came to him and he needed a moment to consider if he should tell Mai about Azula’s memories. He felt like he could trust her not to spread the information, and she wasn’t in a position right now to spread any rumors. And he honestly didn’t want any secrets between them. He had a long way to go to earn her trust again. “There’s something you should know about Azula.”

Chapter Text

TW: depictions of assault/medical experimentation, panic attacks

Darkness enveloped her like wet hair on skin. It was disorienting at first, Azula assumed the darkness meant she had her eyes closed. But when she was able to move her limbs and touch her face, just to make sure her eyes were open, the first panicked thought was that she was blind. Her panic evolved into something desperate, carnal, when she tried to firebend and not even heat sprouted from her fingers.

Her mouth opened to ask if anyone was nearby. Her throat erupted into flame upon trying to say the first syllable. Trying to speak was a mistake, her throat contracted painfully from how thirsty she felt and her failed words twisted into a miserable bone dry cough that made her lungs rattle.

She tested her limbs. Other than her arms, her legs seemed to be fine and capable of carrying her weight, though just a little shaky. Wherever she was, the silence was almost too much to bear. The only sound that registered in her ears were her rapid breaths and her own heartbeat that steadily increased as she processed her situation. Soon she felt her skin pinch together into thousands of small bumps.

That was when the paralyzing coldness registered. Her entire frame began to shake and her teeth chattered painfully against each other. Something about her head felt especially cold, much worse than the rest of her body. She groped at her scalp and felt that her hair was soaked.

Was this why she couldn't firebend? Her body was much too cold to generate chi? Panic seized her veins and she tried to bend fire from her hands, feet, even from her breath. She failed to even produce smoke.

Her chest tightened painfully. What if she would never firebend again? She could hear herself wheeze as she gulped in air. The deeper she tried to inhale the more she panicked when her lungs screamed for more. Her head began to feel light and she must've swayed because her shoulder suddenly pressed against something solid.

Desperate for a way out or a source of light, to confirm if she truly lost her sight, she groped at the solid mass. It felt flat and unyielding, a wall perhaps? She followed the object and bumped into another unyielding flat object. She kept following it while counting her steps and keeping note of the direction she changed to. Eventually she deduced she was blocked in by four walls, but on one of them she felt ridges that formed a huge rectangle.

A door!

There was no way to open it. She tried to pound on it, but it only resulted in hurting her hands. Her throat continued to burn and she failed to make a sound other than a hoarse rasp. Knowing that she was trapped, and feeling like she was slowly freezing to death, she sought a corner. To maintain the precious little body heat she had left she tightened into herself and wrapped her arms around her bent knees. When she tried breathing into her hands it did nothing to stave off the chill.

Somehow the silence became worse than the cold. The hopelessness of her situation failed to create tears even though she gave into the need to sob and scream, desperate to hear anything else other than her wheezing breaths.

An eternity later her entire body jumped upon hearing the sound of a distant screech of a door opening followed by the light slam of it shutting closed. Then footsteps, too many to be from just one person, grew louder and louder. Her limbs were stiff and slow to respond. By the time she climbed to her feet there was a flash of light that chased away the suffocating darkness. The brightness was harsh to her eyes and she shielded them with her hands.

So she wasn’t blind. The room she was kept in was simply darker than a moonless night.

When Azula was able to stand looking towards the light she could only see a dark silhouette of a figure standing in the doorway.

“Do you still hear her voice, Princess?” The silhouette spoke, the voice gravelly and masculine. He spoke so deeply Azula swore she could feel the vibrations in her chest.

She ached to speak, but her throat still burned.

“Removing some of your senses should have silenced her voice,” the man continued. “But it seems it was unsuccessful. No matter. We're moving to the next phase of your treatment. And now that you're unable to bend, it's time for your medicine, Princess Azula.”

There was a finger snap and her room filled with more light, causing her to tightly shut her eyelids to protect her still sensitive eyes. Then the footsteps began again. Rough, hot hands grabbed her and pressed her against the wall, their grips iron tight and unrelenting. Naturally, she struggled against them. Her strength was inferior to the two men that held her. Behind them, there was a woman in white robes. In her hands was a cup.

“Please do not make this more difficult than it needs to be, Your Highness.” The man from the door stated. His voice carried a sarcastic jovial tone.

The woman used her free hand to grip Azula's jaw, her hold tight enough to bruise. Warm fingers pried her lips open. Then the cup was pressed against her lips so harshly the porcelain clattered against Azula's teeth. Before she could try to bite down a bitter liquid poured into her mouth. Then her jaw was forced back into place and a hand pressed against her mouth. Fingers pinched her nostrils shut. Even after she swallowed whatever was given to her she was kept without air until Azula thrashed. Her lungs burned and black spots appeared in her vision.

A vindictive smile grew on the woman's face.

* * *

Azula woke up mid half scream. Her surroundings were dark and she panicked, thinking she was still in that pitch black cell. Her limbs caught onto resistance and she flayed about, assuming it was the two men holding her against the wall. She twisted and suddenly felt herself fall and land hard on the ground that knocked the breath out of her.

The impact made her believe the men were holding her on the floor, she kicked out but still felt the resistance holding her legs together. In her panic, she failed to notice the acrid scent of something burning. A pleasant heat spread through her chilled legs, but all she could think about was jerking herself free.

The sound of something slamming pressed against her ears, but it only heightened her fear and panic. Footsteps approached and she knew the woman in the white robe was coming with another cup of whatever disgusting liquid she forced into her.

Her vision blurred and blackened along the edges. She wouldn't be forced to drink an unknown medicine again.

Not again!

* * *

[Fire Nation Royal Palace]

After his conversation with Zuko, Sokka left the throne room hoping to run into Suki. Ever since his arrival to the palace they hadn't had any opportunities to spend time together. After their failed dinner date at the Royal Gardens he hadn't tried asking Suki out again, though they still kept a private conversation with each other if Suki joined everyone for dinner while off duty, but those nights were uncommon. Spending more time together after those dinners Suki were even more rare with Suki needing to either be on duty during the night or early morning.

Sokka sighed sadly. He had hoped with the closer proximity to Suki they would spend more time together. He understood she had her duties, but it was still disappointing to have her so close yet far away at the same time.

His heart leapt when he nearly collided with an awaiting Suki, both from the suddenness and unexpected presence of her standing before him and from the fire in her eyes. She had never directed anger towards him before, not since they first met and she humbled him in their spars. Why was she upset? What did he do?

“Suki!” He swallowed. “What's wrong?” He quickly wondered if something happened. “Are you okay?”

Her green eyes softened and a flicker of what looked like sorrow flashed. She blinked the emotion away and glanced around them. They were alone in the large hall.

“How could you take her side?” She asked him.

Confusion struck him. “Take who's side?” Realization quickly registered. Was she talking about their conflicting details about the incident at the flower shop?

“Azula's!” Suki lowered her voice to a whisper. Even if they were alone, words bounced off the walls and guards and servants could pass by at any moment. “I was there! I saw her bend that flame in your face. And you defended her!”

There was a brief moment where Sokka couldn't say anything, he was so flabbergasted. Why did everyone assume the worst of Azula? If it was old crazy Azula sure he would've been terrified if she bended a flame so close to his face. But memoryless Azula was anything but dangerous. She was well mannered and polite. Surprisingly easy to talk to, she laughed at his jokes, and despite being dead a week prior she worked herself to the bone to avoid making others see her vulnerabilities. A very stark difference from her old self that he still wasn't used to, but in the situation where she was rapidly bleeding to death he understood her purpose of bending fire. Why was it so hard for Suki, Zuko and Katara to understand?

“I'm not defending her,” Sokka argued. “I'm simply stating what happened.” He stepped closer to Suki, hoping she would accept his touch. She did, thankfully. He held her smaller hands in his. They were cold so he gave them a little squeeze to try to transfer the heat from his own hands onto hers. “I know from your perspective it probably looked like she was gonna attack, and I'm grateful you only wanted to protect me. Honestly, if our positions were reversed I would've reacted the same!”

The corner of Suki’s lips pulled into a slight smile for a moment. “But why defend her? What makes you think she wasn't going to attack you?”

Irritation filled Sokka. “What reason would she attack me? I wasn't the one to attack her. I was trying to help!”

“She's crazy and unpredictable.”

That comment made Sokka even more irritated. For the short time he had spent with Azula after the incident she hadn't acted crazy at all. It was really beginning to annoy him that everyone didn't believe Azula lost her memories. Sure, he didn't believe it when he first heard about it. But if anyone bothered to spend more than an hour with her they could see for themselves she was a completely different person. Regardless of her reputation as a liar, according to Zuko, Azula's reactions and curiosity to many things were too genuine to be an act. When he told her about the otter penguins it was like telling one of the kids from his village about them.

No, he didn't believe Azula to be crazy and unpredictable. The more he thought about it the more saddened he felt for her. Then he remembered what Azula had told him not long ago.

Then you understand the loneliness that such titles bring to those that carry them.

How would he feel in her shoes? To wake up in his own home, no memories of even himself, and have everyone around him treat him with such distrust? His heart ached with empathy for a former enemy. He had heard the saying of not wishing something even on an enemy, he thinks he could understand that now.

“That's not true,” Sokka replied.

A heavy exhale escaped from Suki. “You're defending her again.” She pulled away from Sokka. “What's going on between you two?”

Sokka felt the space between his brows crinkle. “What do you mean? Nothing!”

Suki gave him a flat look and her arms rose up to cross over her chest. “Sokka, I've been there for all of your ‘lessons’ together.”

“Then you know there's nothing between us! We're just teacher and pupil.”

“That's even worse.”

At this point Sokka had no idea where Suki was going with this. “How? Again, there's nothing going on. You've been there for our lessons.”

“Oh?” One of Suki’s eyebrows lifted. She changed her voice in a poor imitation of Azula's voice. “Your eyes are beautiful.”

Heat immediately spread through Sokka's entire face. He hadn't expected Azula to say something like that to him, and he nearly dropped her head in shock. Not that she would've gotten hurt, she passed out right after saying that anyway. But he didn't need to add more knocks to her head. With his luck he would've knocked her memories back. He didn’t doubt old Azula would hunt him down for giving her an egg sized bump on the head.

Sokka shrugged despite his still blazing hot face that was now spreading to his ears. “She was delirious from blood loss!”

Suki rolled her eyes. It hit Sokka then. Could she be upset with him because she was perhaps jealous?

“There is nothing between us, Suki. I wouldn't hurt you by wooing her in front of you.” He reached for her hand. She didn’t pull away when he interlocked their fingers. “I care for you. A lot.”

She seemed to be coming around. Her face lost a lot of the tension it held previously and she stepped closer to him. “So you believe her then? That she lost her memories?”

“I do,” Sokka replied immediately. He had no doubts. “You've faced her more than I have. You've seen how she was. Can you look at her now and say she's the same person? Uh so to speak, you know what I mean.”

Suki finally looked away from him, seemingly pondering his question. “Everything about her is different. But I believe Zuko when he says she's a very good liar. So I have my doubts that she's being honest about losing her memories.”

Sokka sighed in defeat. They could argue about this topic for hours and neither would change their minds. He just hoped soon his friends would believe him. Believe Azula. Strange as it was to think that.

He squeezed her hand one final time and turned to face the long hallway. Before he could ask her to join him for dinner somewhere alone they both paused and watched a few guards, and Mai between them, enter the hall and into the throne room.

Poor Zuko, Sokka thought. He didn't know too much about his friend's relationship with Mai. But he was aware of how hurt he was when she called their relationship off. Zuko hid it well, but Sokka could tell he still missed her even after all these years since their breakup. He couldn’t imagine having to go through a similar experience.

“I should go,” Suki announced. “Zuko wanted me to send Ty Lee to speak to him.”

“I'll go with you,” Sokka offered a little hastily. “You're off duty until the morning, right?”

She smiled, a knowing sparkle in her eye. “That's right. Why do you ask?”

They walked hand in hand. Sokka had no idea where the other Kyoshi Warrior was so he let Suki guide him down the numerous halls.

“Afterwards, maybe we can get dinner? Just the two of us?”

Guilt flickered across Suki’s eyes. “I'd like that. We can eat in the Royal Gardens, like you planned last time.”

Excitement filled Sokka and their earlier discussion became an afterthought. Their conversation and plans on what foods to pack was short lived. When they neared the area Ty Lee was standing guard at, it didn’t take Sokka long to realize where they were. Immediately by looking at Ty Lee's worried facial expression he knew something was wrong. But before he could ask about it, a shout erupted, slightly muffled, through the door Ty Lee stood beside.

“Let go of me!”

It had been the first time Sokka ever heard Azula shout. Well not including the few times old crazy Azula went on a tirade and shouted. Back then they were more growling type of shouts. But the way Azula was shouting now? Desperation and raw fear was etched in her voice. Could it be an intruder? An assassin? Sokka didn’t think, his body immediately dropped into a sprint and he slammed his shoulder into the door. He struck it with such force the door bounced off the wall and swung back at his face. The bump on the nose was negligible, unimportant.

His eyes swept across the room. It was dark with the window still covered, but all he could see was the large shadowed frame of a four poster bed and other smaller furniture, but no Azula on the bed itself. Could she have been taken through the window? Before he could take a step towards it Azula shouted again.

“Stop!”

He dropped his eyes and felt a sudden sense of relief to see Azula on the ground, but then he was slapped with a wave of confusion. There was no one else present. The princess was tangled in a bedsheet and struggled to free herself. With the little light seeping into the room from the hallway he could faintly make out the topaz color of Azula’s eyes. The scent of something burning penetrated his nose and he nearly took a step back when the bedsheet around Azula’s legs burst into blue flames.

Heavy footsteps came up beside him and he saw Suki and Ty Lee rush towards Azula. He didn’t have to see their protruding fingers poking out of their clenched fists to know what they meant to do. Glancing back at Azula, the blue light of her flames illuminated her face and he could see the pure terror in her wide eyes as she stared at them.

A nightmare, he realized.

“Stop! She’s just having a nightmare!” In truth, he didn’t know if chi blocking Azula would do more harm than good, but there was no need to startle and confuse her even more.

Thankfully, both Suki and Ty Lee heard him and paused a few inches away from the still thrashing princess. The fire seemed to have grounded her just a little. She stopped rolling and simply tried kicking the bedsheet off of herself. The flames shrunk slightly. Sokka grabbed another one of the blankets from the bed and tossed it over the burning sheet and suffocated the flames. Darkness instantly settled back into the room. All Sokka could hear was the rapid wheezing breaths coming from Azula.

“Ty Lee, open the window please,” he whispered.

“Sokka, stay away from her!” Suki warned him, but he ignored the order and slowly stepped closer to Azula.

“Trust me,” he replied. He got as close as he could until Azula finally managed to free her lower body from the bedsheet and shuffled backwards away from him. Then her back met the wall with a soft thud. The impact scared a yelp out of her between her gasps.

Sokka dropped down to one knee and slouched, doing everything he could to make himself smaller, less intimidating. “Azula? Hey, it's me. Sokka.” The room brightened now that the window was uncovered and Sokka smiled when he saw Azula’s eyes focus on him for a moment. But then they rapidly swept about the room. “Listen, you’re back in your room now. You’re safe.”

Her eyes glanced at him again before they returned to scanning the room. His heart ached in sympathy, being closer to her allowed him to barely see the steady stream of tears roll down her pale cheeks. What did she dream about? Sokka could only assume she was held down judging by the things she blurted out.

“Wanna know how you can tell this is real?” He mimicked what he recalled seeing his Gran Gran do in a similar situation. “Tell me something you can smell.”

Azula’s breaths still came quickly, her chest rose and fell rapidly. But there was a pause when she inhaled through her nose. “Burning.”

“Yeah, you may want new bedsheets,” Sokka muttered. “What are two things you can see?”

Her eyes moved again. “Bed and…you.” Her breaths slowed just a little.

“Three things you can feel?”

Her next answers came a little slower. “Neck hurts. Back hurts.” She pressed a palm to her forehead. “Head hurts. Why does everything hurt?”

Sokka blinked. “You may have fallen off your bed. Are you okay? Can you get up?” He waited until she moved first, but at least she seemed much more aware of her surroundings. She was slow to climb up, but once she was on her feet she swayed and would’ve fallen if Sokka hadn’t quickly caught her. For a moment he was afraid he would set off her panic again when he felt her shoulders tense, but she seemed to have kept herself grounded by staring at him. He led her to the bed and she collapsed on it, her hands clutched her head.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

“What happened? Nightmare?” Could it be possible she recalled a memory while sleeping? “Was it a memory?”

There was a commotion outside the room. Footsteps pounded on the floor and soon two guards burst through the open doorway. Suki sighed.

“I’ll speak to them,” she announced.

Sokka waited until Suki led the guards out into the hallway and he was grateful she offered them some privacy. Azula didn’t need to be overcrowded right now. He glanced back at her and her silence made him think she didn’t want to talk about it. Not that he could blame her, and he wouldn’t push her.

“I don’t know,” Azula finally said. She used a sleeve to quickly wipe her face. “Random dream? Memory?” She scoffed. “I’d have no idea how to tell the two apart.”

“Well, if you ever have a really wacky dream like I have two heads and four arms then you know that’s just a dream.”

His pitiful joke failed to make her smile which made him feel a little disappointed. Azula looked exhausted and confused. Her breaths still came a little quickly, but she was breathing through her nose at least. “Anything you want to talk about?”

She pulled her gaze off of the ground and looked at him. Then her eyes drifted towards Ty Lee who still stood near the window. She studied the floor again, her arms wrapped around her middle. “I was in a dark, cold room for what felt like days. When it felt like I would lose my mind people came in, held me down and forced me to take…my medicine.”

Sokka frowned. The description of her dream reminded him of some of the things she wrote in her journal. It wasn’t just a nightmare, she relived a memory! But he was unsure if he should tell her. Obviously not now, she was in enough distress at the moment, but later maybe?

Azula sighed. “Doesn’t matter, it was just a stupid dream.”

“Don’t say that.” Sokka’s brows lifted in surprise and he had to glance at Ty Lee to ensure that she really spoke. The moonlight from the window allowed him to see her peer at Azula with concern. “Dream or not, to you it felt real.”

Azula eyed her and then gave a very brief nod. “I apologize for disturbing everyone.” She glanced at the mess of the charred remains of her bedsheets. “I hope I did not hurt anyone?”

“No, no,” Sokka said immediately. “No one got hurt.” He eyed Azula's posture. She slid back so her back was against the wall and hugged her knees close to her chest. “You said you were hurting. Is there anything we can do?”

Her head shot up, her eyes slightly wide in surprise. Then she shook her head. “Thank you, but I am fine now. I apologize for the disturbance once again, but I'm afraid I'm quite tired.”

He knew that was a lie, but he would respect her wish to be left alone. “Okay. Did you want the window shut again?”

“No,” she replied quickly. “I need–I'd appreciate some light in here.”

There were candles she could light if she wanted to, but Sokka had a feeling she just needed to be able to see outside. To remind herself she wasn't trapped in that dark room from her dream–memory.

He and Ty Lee offered their farewells and left. Sokka made a mental note to chase down a servant to bring new bedsheets. Right before the door clicked shut he briefly heard a sharp inhale followed by a sniffle. Was Azula crying? The thought of her crying alone in a dark room right after a nightmare didn’t sit right with him.

Every time Katara had a nightmare, Sokka and Gran Gran were there for her. Even should Gran Gran be away due to her duties as the village healer, Sokka was always there for his little sister. A surge of anger formed in Sokka’s chest. Azula had her mother, brother, uncle and younger sister. Yet they all couldn’t be any further apart from her. The massive size of the palace literally added to their distance, but it was still odd that their sleeping quarters were so far apart from each other. Or was Azula’s bedroom simply the farthest from the rest of her family? Regardless of the sleeping arrangement, sorrow nudged its way next to Sokka’s anger. Azula was surrounded by her family, yet she dealt with a nightmare alone.

He was about to knock on her door and offer his company when Suki pulled his attention away.

“How did you know how to do that?”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “Do what?”

“Take control of the situation, calm Azula down.” Suki clarified.

“Ah,” Sokka glanced one last time at the bedroom door before he turned to face the two Kyoshi Warriors. “After the raid that killed my mom, Katara suffered a lot of nightmares. I would watch how my Gran Gran settled Katara down when they were really bad. There were a few times I had to do it myself when it was just me with my sister.” Then he remembered how Suki and Ty Lee were about to chi block Azula when he wasn’t sure she was awake yet. He looked at Suki. “Since your team guards Azula even when she sleeps, should she have another nightmare, avoid waking her up. My Gran Gran says that’ll only make the person more confused when they wake up.”

The two women glanced at each other. “That may not be an option if she starts firebending. And if she thinks she’s in whatever she’s dreaming she will be a danger to my girls. I won’t put them in harms way.”

Sokka winced. “Yeah, I figured. Still, avoid it if you can.”

“I’ll see what Zuko wants to do,” Ty Lee added. “You said he wanted to see me, right? I’ll let him know about this.”

Suki thanked her before Ty Lee left for her summons. Sokka knew that would leave Suki to remain behind on her post until she was relieved again. He inched closer to the door, wanting to hear if Azula was still crying. He wasn’t like Gran Gran or Katara who were good with comforting a person when they were upset, but he knew just being there could help.

“What are you doing?” Suki asked when he pressed his ear against the door. “You should just let her be, Sokka. She probably just went back to sleep.”

“If her nightmares are anything like Katara’s, she won’t be asleep just yet.” He countered. It was difficult to hear anything, but now that Suki stopped talking he strained to hear anything.

“Why do you care for her so much?” Her voice sounded tense which made Sokka pause. He looked at her and noticed the dangerous gleam in her green eyes. She was definitely upset.

Was he stepping out of line? “Someone has to,” he muttered. His words were fueled as he thought back about Azula’s family. “And I would still be doing this if it were Toph, or Ty Lee.”

“And me?”

He frowned. Was she truly getting jealous of the concern he was showing for Azula? “No one would be able to get me out of the room if it were you in there.” He waited for her to say something. When she remained quiet he turned back to the door to knock.

“I guess I’m just feeling concerned of all the time you’ve been spending with Azula. And now you’re defending her, worrying about her.”

Sokka’s hand was an inch away from knocking, but then his hand tightened into a fist and he dropped it to his side. He marched over to Suki and couldn’t help notice the slight hurt that reflected in her eyes. “Why are you concerned? You afraid she’ll attack me? I can take care of myself.”

“I’m not doubting that,” she replied gently. “Zuko has told me about Azula, how she lies to people to manipulate them.”

“So you think she’s lying about her memories? She’s putting on this grand act just to get me on her side?” The hurt that hit him was equivalent to a punch in the gut. Did Suki not trust him?

“It’s working, isn’t it?”

Sokka nearly growled in frustration. “You and Zuko are so focused on the past you can’t move on to the future! Or at least the present. I’ve only had to spend a few days with Azula to see the truth. She’s just a lost, confused woman surrounded by people that think the worst of her.”

“Then she shouldn’t have made so many enemies.”

Sokka was ready to throw his arms up in surrender. It was pointless to have this conversation if it would only result in them continuously butting heads. “It’s been a long day and I think we’re all just a little tired.” He debated if he even still had his appetite. Would he or Suki still be feeling a little tense if they had their date later?

Will she even be available for dinner tonight? He thought with disdain.

“Yes,” Suki agreed. “And until Ty Lee returns, I think I’ll be here until then.”

He was almost afraid to ask if they would still meet in the Gardens later. But when he made the mistake of glancing at Azula’s bedroom door again Suki made the decision.

“You know what, I think I’ll turn in after Ty Lee returns.”

Sokka looked back at her and felt his heart drop to his toes. “What’s this really about, Suki?”

She never answered him, she simply shook her head. “Nothing is wrong. You’re right, it was a long day and I’m just tired. And I think you should go. Don’t worry about your little secret admirer either, I’m sure Zuko will come to check on her.”

Sokka felt himself caught in a crossroad. If Suki was quick to anger just by him expressing concern for Azula, he didn’t want to think how she’d react if he kept trying to check on her. And she was right about Zuko probably coming to check on her once Ty Lee told him what happened. Hopefully.

“Okay. I’ll see you later then.” It was awkward to say anything more let alone approach her for a hug or a kiss. And he didn’t think he could take another rejection if she denied him any intimate contact so just bypassed her.

What a day

He couldn’t help but feel like he had forgotten something.