Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTER, THIS IS FOR LOVE NOT PROFIT

“Oh for Agni’s sake Azula, it wasn’t that good of a kiss anyway,”
The fire princess told herself, much louder than she intended too.

“Azula, what happened, what's going on”

As she feared, her lack of self control woke up her most annoying friend Ty Lee.

“She’s just talking to herself about the Avatar again, go back to sleep”
The voice of her most annoyed friend Mai added to the sound that had overtaken their once quiet night.

“Enough both of you,”
Azula barked at the two closest things she had to friends.

“Whatever”
Mai’s tired voice responded.

It was followed by the sound of Ty Lee turning over in what Azula assumed was her bed. She could hear her mutter something about her waking her up and not even wanting to talk. As usual Azula didn’t care.

The whole situation bothered the young fire princess, she was trained to master her abilities as a fire bender and a warrior, but this, this was foriegn, and though she would never admit it, it all made Azula very nervous.

It wasn’t like this before, she thought to herself, as stood on the balcony outside her rooms overlooking the vast city of Ba Sing Se.

Before, she paused mid thought, Azula had been going in circles for over a month.

Before it happened and the incidents that followed, she never had to think about issues such as these. Her mind was focused and sharp as a blade forged by the sharpest smiths in the fire nation and now, she shuddered for a moment, physically bringing her arms to her shoulders as if she was cold.

And now her mind had become dull, as if the blade it was had become blunted by several strikes against a stone each one bending it more out of shape then the next. Each thought another strike and each strike another circle, and every circle the further she spun out of control.

Regaining her composure, she moved her hands from her shoulders and attempted to place them gently along the railing of the balcony. Azula’s palms hurt and she could feel them turning red from the way she inadvertently slammed them against the stone railing.

Before she met that boy, that soft childish waste of power, she was never like this, but everyday since it happened she had become less and less the fire princess she thought she knew and more something else.

Something that she couldn’t recognize, something that confused her, and in the dark spaces in her mind scared her.

Azula met the Avatar in, if not for him, what would have been the city of New Ozai. She could still see him when she closed her eyes, a skittish looking boy, around her age, only he carried himself like a kid and she as a princess.

True to her nature, her first interaction started with her sending a wave of blue flame his way and when she watched him use his air bending to easily dodge the fiery death it was the beginning of the end of the girl she was. Not that she knew that then.

At that moment, all he had done was spark her interest, something that was difficult to do but not impossible.

Seizing a chance to once again triumph over her elder brother, Azula tried to kill the Avatar, chasing after him through the city as he attempted to escape with that old and crazy king of Omashu.

It was the chase, a magnificent and epic chase worthy of the stories of old that spelled the doom of her former self. After months of endless reflection and running circles upon circles in her mind it was that moment, she was sure of it.

Staring into the moon above Ba Sing Se, she could see him dodge her many attempts to end his life, the way he moved, the way he manipulated the air itself to his will, it was nothing less than beautiful.

Azula shuddered again, bringing her arms back from the railing to her shoulders as if the feel of her hands would somehow make it stop.

Ever since that chase, the fight, the Avatar entered her mind and refused to leave no matter how much she tried to force him out. Worse with each new incident he spread his will further across her thoughts, like an invading fire nation army he burned his way through her days and nights and had started to work his way into her minutes and hours.

“I should have just went home, when I had the chance,”
This Azula whispered to herself, hoping to avoid waking her somewhat friends again.

Her theory had flaws and she knew it, but it didn’t stop her from going back to it almost nightly. Had she just turned around, returned to the fire nation, begged her father’s forgiveness for her failure at Omashu, then all of this, whatever it was, could be avoided.

Instead, Azula did the opposite, not knowing what her thoughts really meant, confusing them for anger and contempt, she went after the Avatar pursuing him relentlessly. That was the first hole in her theory. It was only weeks ago that she gave up her poor attempt at denial, and admitted it was her interest in him that led her to pursue him in the first place.

Had it been anyone else, any other enemy, she could have sent a whole army after him, but for some reason she didn’t, she wouldn’t, she couldn't. At the time she told herself it was because she needed to defeat him, his escape sticking out as an ugly smudge on her otherwise flawless record. She had killed earth benders, water benders, even other fire benders, but never an air bender. Azula fooled herself into believing that if she could fight him, just one more time, then that would do it. Watching his flesh sizzle and his bones collapse, all forming a neat pile of ash, that was all that was needed to make things right like they were...before.

Then it happened, she got her wish and fought him again. The second incident as Azula liked to call it in her mind.

In a ghost town somewhere in the middle of nowhere, she faced him once more.

Azula had expected to see him angry, she had chased him for over a month and had worked very hard to give him little to no sleep. She assumed the frustration at being chased would be enough to peel back that goofy smile of his, the smile that had haunted her throughout her pursuit.

Once again, she was wrong, something the Avatar was making her much more used to then she would have liked. Azula was shocked to see the powerful bender appear confident despite his obvious exhaustion.

Azula was momentarily lost for words, something she was far from used to, so quickly she fell back on her strengths. Using her attitude and her self described wicked sense of humor, she made a joke at her elder brother’s expense. The joke fell flat and she was secretly thankful at her brother’s interruption. The Avatar did laugh when she called her brother Zuzu, Azula didn’t know why that stuck out, why that mattered to her, but it did.

She called them incidents because she couldn’t think of another word for them that didn’t bother her or make her anxious in some way. The second incident did make her more anxious and bothered than the first, but like the first it was glorious.

Never in her life had she been more challenged, it was a fight, a duel, a real battle where she had to use every skill she possessed just to keep up.

Azula started to pace back and forth on the balcony, every circle involved this, an endless cycle of replaying the incidents in her mind as if she was going to discover something that made them meaningless and in doing so put her circles to an end.

Stupid Zuzu, Azula was thankful that it was a familiar thought but when she followed it now led back to the second incident. He interrupted her battle with the Avatar, he got in the way and made a fool out of himself. She wasn’t surprised that he made a fool out of himself, he had been doing that all her life, but why did he have to do it when she was with the Avatar.

For weeks she blamed her elder brother for the whole situation, had he not gotten in the way of her fight with the Avatar then she would have killed him and have been back to her old self. Instead she was unable to sleep as her mind kept going around and around these circles.

Looking down at her feet bare against the cold stone that made up the buildings in Ba Sing Se she hoped that her mind could travel back to the places it used to go. Thoughts of conquest and victory over the Fire Nation’s enemies. Here she was, Azula, standing in the middle of the capital of the Earth Nation preparing to take the city. To do something her uncle the supposed Dragon of the West could not. She would be the new dragon, Azula the dragon princess.

The circle of her victory over the Earth Nation and her rise to dragon status spun so fast her mind ran through it instead of around it and to her dismay she was back. Back to her incidents, and thoughts of the Avatar and his superb fighting ability. She remembered the moment she ran after him into a building thinking she had him on the run only to nearly fall through a collapsed floor, her eyes looking up at a smiling Avatar as he hovered in front of her on a bubble of air. The feeling she got when he didn’t die, when he fought her despite how tired he surely was, she didn’t know what to call that feeling and she dared not ask.

It was the third and final incident that kept Azula up at night, not that the other incidents didn’t attack her sleep, but the last one had succeeded in defeating it once and for all.

Azula shook her head as she realized her mind was about to come full circle.

She had been doing so well since the second incident. After a brief bout of frustration from her inability to kill her uncle, she pulled herself together and focused on taking Ba Sing Se. Summoning a gigantic siege drill, she was going to smash right through the infamous walls that had kept her nation out for a century. Then the Avatar came with his water peasants and the blind earth bender, ready to spoil her plans.

Only days ago did she admit to herself that she had expected him to come and despite the multiple times she had encountered the thought through this part of the circle, Azula wasn’t ready to acknowledge she was hoping he would try and stop her.

The Avatar did not disappoint, he came and finally she had him all to herself, no crazy old earth king or stupid Zuzu.

Azula felt her cheeks twitch and her lips shift, she was smiling at the thought, and she really hated when she did that. Closing her eyes she saw them again.

There they were, the Fire Princess and the Avatar, the fire and air prodigies, face to face on top of the drill that was slowly making its way through the Ba Sing Se wall.

First she sent a wave of fire, then he replied with a gust of air, she returned with more fire this time coming from the soles of her feet which he extinguished with water that he sent back at her. Azula could feel her arms and legs move as she mentally relived the duel.

Then it came, just as it had the dozens if not hundreds of times it had come when the circle in her mind neared its completion. The moment everything fell apart in a way she could barely comprehend and would have denied ever happened if it had not been burnt into her memory.

Azula had overcome his water bending attacks and despite facing some of the best earth bending she had ever seen, she had managed to close the distance. With a spinning fire kick, a maneuver she had personally perfected, she had managed to blast her way through his wall of rocks. The rock wall exploded and the Avatar flew backwards slamming hard into the now crumbling wall of Ba Sing Se.

Victory was hers, Azula came upon the Avatar who was still down from her attack. She lifted him up by his collar and then it happened. She had spent hours trying to figure out what caused it, was it the heat of the day, the adrenaline from the battle, her fire nation warrior spirit, was she simply excited over her impending victory or happy to finally be rid of the Avatar. After so many circles Azula had no answers.

All the fire princess had was the memory and the feeling. With the Avatar literally in her grasp, instead of killing him like she should, she brought him to her level and forced her lips against his.

Azula felt herself become light headed at the thought and nearly lost her balance at the memory.

It was rushed, it was rough, it was hard, it was violent, it was her first kiss.

Until that moment, Azula had never in her life experienced the feeling of so many emotions at once, anger, confusion, interest, excitement, nervousness, and many other emotions she was far from ready to give names to yet.

The battle went on and ended in another defeat at the hands of the Avatar, but her circle always stopped at that infernal kiss.

Looking out from the balcony, her eyes open taking in the view of the biggest city she had ever seen, Azula knew that Avatar was out there.

Azula swore to herself, as a princess of the fire nation, she would not become some foolish girl swooning over a boy no matter how stunningly powerful he is, she was going to find him and she was going to kill him, and be done with this situation and all its incidents once and for all.

Chapter Text

He waited to see her in the crowded market place of Ba Sing Se, the one that sold everything from kimonos to umbrellas. As always, she was late.

Aang's eyes darted over his shoulder looking several shops back. And there she was, keeping her distance but always managing to stay within eyesight, her presence unmistakable even in disguise. He wondered if she thought her disguise was clever, dressing in green like a normal Earth Nation girl. The dress she wore was meant to appear simple but on her it looked elegant, being honest with himself, Aang didn't know what made something elegant, but after seeing her in that dress, the only word he could use to describe it was elegant.

He shook his head, the Princess Azula didn’t get it, she was worse than Zuko. Raised as royalty, they walked different, talked different, even moved different. She had been following him constantly for almost a week and it troubled him how used he was to her presence. It was a distraction, she was a distraction, but as much as he resisted it at first, he was now letting himself be distracted.

As Avatar he was no stranger to being followed especially by members of the fire nation royal family, but this was something else. He didn't mind her being his shadow, and he knew he should. She is dangerous if not deadly, but Aang couldn't help himself, it was fun to him. Fun, the thought of anything with Azula being fun was a scary one but he couldn't deny that he was enjoying this game they'd been playing. She would follow him, he would try to lose her, and together they did this all without anyone knowing. It was kind of like their secret.

Aang didn't like keeping secrets with Azula even if they were the unspoken kind. He swore he must be going mad, playing games with a girl who has tried to kill him on more then one occasion. To make a bad situation worse, It wasn't the only secret he had with her, there was also that kissing thing. He tried to ignore it, to pretend like it didn't happen and for awhile, when Appa was gone, he did. Now that Appa was back safely, the kissing thing followed him around every corner, much like the fire princess who kissed him. Why did she do it, it was an obvious question but that did not make answering it any easier. Aang thought she hated him, she was his enemy and they were supposed to be at war.

He caught one more glimpse of her as he passed through an intersection. Looking ahead he saw Katara arguing with Sokka over a possible destination, thanks to his secret game with Azula, they had spent the morning walking aimlessly through the never ending market place, the kind that could only be found in a city as large as Ba Sing Se. His friends had been urging Aang to leave the city and find a place where his sifu Toph could continue his earth bending training, but he wouldn’t let them leave just yet. Aang knew this game and his secrets with Azula were going somewhere, where exactly he didn't know, but there was a reason behind it all, there had to be he just had to stick around long enough to find it.

Aang didn’t tell his friends any of this, and it bothered him. As much as it made him uncomfortable to keep secrets with Azula, he hated keeping secrets from his friends especially Katara. But Azula was different, he couldn’t explain why, even to himself. So how could he explain it to them?

He watched as Katara argued with her brother. Normally when Aang had a problem he would come to her, but he felt like he had to keep this thing with Azula to himself. He knew Katara would never approve of his game with Azula, she would never allow Azula to follow them under any circumstances. Then there was that kissing thing again. Aang didn't know how she would react to it, but part of him questioned if it was even something she had to know about. Katara kept Jet and whatever was between them to herself, and he knew they had kissed, so he figured when kissing is involved it's something you get to keep to yourself.

“I don’t care what you say, now I am going this way, follow if you want to”
Aang heard Sokka yell.

Apparently, Sokka lost the argument with his sister and was now stomping his feet as he walked ahead. He was tempted to talk to Sokka about his predicament, the game he was playing and the kiss that caused it. Sokka definitely had more experience with girls. There was Yue, the thought of her still making Aang hang his head low in shame, he considered her sacrifice as one of his many failures as an Avatar.Taking a deep breath and relaxing his mind, he thought about Sokka and Suki. They couldn’t keep their hands or lips off each other the last time they were all together, not that he wanted to think too much about what Sokka and his girlfriend did in their tent when they thought everyone was asleep or at least not listening. He wondered if Sokka would even take his situation seriously or would he laugh at him, even tease him. Worse would he be angry, accuse him of putting their whole group in danger. Watching him pout over his little sister getting her way, Aang came to a conclusion, if it was any other princess from any other nation, he might be able to talk to Sokka, but this wasn't just any princess, it was princess Azula of the fire nation.

Aang looked back again to see if Azula was still following them. He wondered if he was checking too much. Unable to see her, he suddenly felt a pang of disappointment, the fire princess continued to distract him even when she wasn’t in sight. Then his eyes found her and for a moment he felt relieved, until he realized her eyes had also found him. Apparently she too had lost sight of him and in searching the crowded Ba Sing Se street they found each other at the same time, causing their eyes to lock.

He watched her panic at being caught, not an expression one normally sees on the fire princess but this was not his first time. The last time he watched her eyes widen and look skittish for a moment was in battle, now in the middle of the street she looked even more out of sorts. Quickly trying to avert her gaze, Azula walked into the stall of a man selling cabbages. Aang couldn’t help but chuckle at the cabbage man who was now yelling at the princess for knocking over his precious cabbages.

“Hey twinkle toes are you going to talk to your girlfriend or am I going to have to do it for you,”
Toph’s voice took Aang’s attention from Azula.

“Uh what, what are you talking about”
Aang cursed himself mentally, he had been caught, his secret was out, and he was now at the mercy of his earth bending sifu.

“Don’t play dumb with me, princess psycho has been following us for a week and its not me she is after”
Toph’s voice showed her enjoyment, she loved being able to see things that others couldn’t.

Aang didn’t say anything, in his defense he really didn’t have an answer for her.

“I said don’t play dumb twinkle toes, I know you’ve noticed her since the beginning and if I catch you looking back at her one more time I am going to drop the ground out from under you,”

Now trying to shift his focus to Katara, he tried to listen in as the water bender attempted to make her brother see reason, Aang hoped if he just ignored Toph she would let it go. As usual he was wrong.

“Fine, I’ll go talk to her”
Toph then dramatically turned around.

“Wait, Toph, please wait”
Aang didn’t want to sound like he was pleading, but he was.

What am I doing, Aang thought to himself, was he really trying to keep Toph from ruining his game. He should let her handle it, Toph could take Azula, and then he wouldn't have to worry about her distractions anymore. But Aang couldn’t help but feel a rush of nervousness at the idea of Toph going up to her, like she would mess it up for him. Aang just couldn’t figure out what that it was, was it the game, was it that kissing thing, and why, why did any of it matter, Since when did Azula become so important.

“Go on twinkle toes...now”

The young earth bender followed her words up by lifting the ground underneath Aang’s feet, the ground moving and sliding him further towards Azula who had now taken notice of their conversation.

Aang nodded his head, reluctantly accepting that this would be the day where he would find out what the game had been leading to, he then used all his courage as Avatar and walked away from his friends before turning a corner knowing Azula would follow him.

“Hey where is Aang going”

Katara, after finally appeasing her older brother’s fragile ego, had noticed Aang and Toph had drifted further behind their group.

Being raised in a small village, Ba Sing Se made her worry, she worried about her friends getting lost and the idea of one of them wandering the maze of streets alone made her anxious.

Katara felt Toph bend the ground beneath her feet making a little hill just large enough to stop her from following Aang who was now out of sight. She turned to the earth bender and gave her a stern yet concerned look.

“Relax sugar queen, he said he had something to take care of, you know Avatar business,”
The sly smile that followed Toph’s words made Katara very nervous.

“Avatar business,”
She muttered to herself as if saying it out loud would help her trust Toph.

“Yes, Avatar business, as in not yours sweetness”

Toph then used the ground to move Katara further along in the direction of Sokka who had begun complaining about their failure to keep up with him.
------

Azula’s eyes moved rapidly as she looked over the alleyway she had followed the Avatar into but he was nowhere to be found. Losing the Avatar was Zuzu’s problem not hers, she thought as she felt her blood start to boil with frustration.

“Up here Princess”

The cheerful voice of the Avatar caught Azula’s attention and she quickly looked up to see him standing on the roof of the shop she was in front of.

Scaling the pole of a torch light, she reached the roof in seconds only to watch as the Avatar used his air bending to seemingly fly up to an even higher roof.

Azula thought to herself as she scaled the building, here she was chasing the Avatar again, but unlike Zuzu, she would catch him this time.

Aang continued to a higher building, always checking to make sure Azula was still following. He really was impressed by her ability to keep up with him as he took her higher and higher into the cityscape of Ba Sing Se.

“Wow Azula, in another life you could have been a air bender”

His comment earned him a shot of blue flames in response which he seamlessly dodged as he continued upwards.

Azula never thought she would have to climb so much, usually she brought her victims down to her size before turning them to ash beneath her feet, but the Avatar was different.

Different, the thought of the Avatar and all the ways he was different made her heart beat at an uncomfortable rate, causing her to shake her head, doing her best to erase the thought and the feelings that it came with.

The air was changing, the warmth that had been trapped between the tall buildings was gone and the crowded street appeared smaller and smaller.

Finally Aang had reached what he believed to be the tallest building in the city. He knew when Azula fire bended she cared little for those around her, and if he wasn’t careful she could burn people or even set the whole city on fire.

Waiting for Azula to reach the rooftop, he sat as if he was meditating, facing away from the ledge she was struggling to climb over. Once atop, she fumed at the sight of the Avatar, looking so calm in his pose.

The heat nearing the back of his bald head told Aang she had arrived, and hopping to his feet he evaded her fire and landed facing her.

Azula was struggling to catch her breath, what had started out as an easy exercise in her physical agility had become a vertical marathon. She had been trying very hard to conceal her fatigue but the more she did the harder she breathed causing her to feel something very unusual, she was embarrassed.

“Av, Va, Tar”
Each breath made even his name hard to say.

“Relax princess, take your time”
Aang said with a smile.

Chapter Text

Azula reached the top of the building with daggers in her eyes, she was frustrated and the Avatar having the nerve to think he could tell her to relax only infuriated her further. How dare he, she thought.

Straightening her back, Azula watched the Avatar’s expression change from one of concern to absolute readiness.

“Azula”

Aang called out to her sceptically. She answered him with fire.

Twirling her arms, Azula sent a barrage of flame directly into Aang who quickly reacted by flipping backwards. The barrage of blue flame did not stop, forcing him to continue his backflips until he had reached the edge of the building.

Seeing the Avatar teetering over the building’s edge, Azula relished in her coming victory, one more blow and she would have done it. She could end her circles once and for all by sending the bald headed warrior plummeting to his death or burning him alive. Bald headed warrior, the thought stayed with her as she motioned her hands, summoning an orb of blue flame. Azula felt an odd inclination to let the Avatar live, to not strike him down as he deserves. But striking him down was her duty, to the fire nation and to the firelord, her father, Ozai.

The Avatar, although perfectly balanced, allowed himself to teeter carefully over the edge. He had noticed her hesitation. He was on to her, judging her, Azula was sure of it. Why was she even entertaining the option of letting this clown live, her mind racing as she steadied her hands pointing the orb of fire in his direction.

Aang wasn’t surprised when the princess tried to kill him, that was the game they played. He ran, she chased him, and when she did catch him, it was on. It didn’t frighten him or disturb him as it should. This wasn’t the first time he played her game. Staring down a orb of blue flames, Aang asked himself cautiously why he kept playing her game before accusing himself of not wanting to stop playing at all.

Azula focused in on her target, aiming for the tip of the blue arrow tattooed on Avatar’s head. Nothing happened, the flaming orb hovered in her palm without movement. She had not been able to do it, to release what she was sure would be a killing blow. Was it really a killing blow, she asked herself, she began to fear her own betrayal. Had her Avatar problem, her ridiculous obsession, somehow invaded her strategic mind, and sabotaged her into believing this attack could kill him. She should be using lighting, why, why wasn’t she using lighting she screamed in her mind.

“Azula”

He called her by her name, not her title, not as a princess and it pulled her from her thoughts.

Aang had tried to calm his nerves when he said her name. Whatever this was, he wasn’t ready for it, it all filled him with nervous anticipation.

Azula watched his lips begin to shift as he started to form words, determined not to let him utter one more damning syllable, she fired the orb.

The orb flew through the air like a flaming blue sun but Aang was not afraid. Summoning the air to his right hand, it formed a tornado like cuff. Reaching out, he swiped at Azula’s attack, his tornado wrist batting the orb away.

Watching her attack disappear into the horizon, Azula instinctively brought flames to her hands.

His hand still positioned in the air from dismissing Azula’s orb, Aang was puzzled at her actions. If he knew one thing about her, it was the way she fought, and this was different. It lacked all the will and furocity he had come to know. Determined to get through her deadly facade, he placed his arms at his side with his palms faced behind him. Aang, using his air bending launched himself at Azula.

“Avatar!”

Azula yelled as she watched him speed towards her. Raising her hands she fired off a wave of flames at him. Air bending the breath from his lips, the Avatar blew her flames away. How dare he was Azula’s last thought before she was face to face with the Avatar who had stopped only inches from her.

Aang felt a stunning familiarity with their position. Standing face to face, with one having a decisive advantage over the other. She was at his mercy, just as he had once been hers.

The anger left Azula’s face as if it had been scared away by his sudden closeness. Looking at him curiously, she watched him bring his face towards her. Their eyes locked and together watched as the distance closed between them.

Azula thought one last how dare he before she felt herself return his kiss. The fire at her hands disappeared, and she carefully placed them on the Avatar’s chest, not knowing if they were to hold him back or hold him in place.

At first Aang kept his hands at his sides but as he continued to kiss Azula he placed them at her side, just above her hips and far below any place that might be trouble. When Azula returned his kiss and grabbed him, he boldly considered matching her enthusiasm. After many seconds of consideration, Aang moved his hands and attempted to bring them around Azula’s shoulders.

The moment Azula felt Aang’s hands move from her side to her shoulders she broke the kiss, and straightened her hands. Violently she smacked his hands from her shoulders. Then grabbing him by his collar she brought his head into hers, this time her forehead connecting with his nose.

Reeling from the blow, Aang stumbled backwards, he knew Azula might react badly to the kiss, but over the course of the kiss, this worry had eroded into what he now knew was a false sense of calm. Desperately Aang tried to bring his hands up to defend himself when he felt a tremendous force on his chest. Azula had kicked him, burying her heel into the center of his chest. Running at him as he stumbled back from her kick, she jumped bringing both of her feet together in one final drop kick. This knocked Aang completely off his feet and sent flying through the air.

“How dare you” yelled Azula from across the rooftop.

How dare he, Azula had continued her yelling in her mind. He had defiled her, soiled her, he, the enemy of her nation, a filthy weakling, an air bender. He was all of those things and she had let him do it. How dare I, she thought. Disgusted with herself, for daring to let him get close to her, to allow him to give her a kiss, and worst of all daring to allow herself to return it.

Azula’s kick had left Aang hanging off the edge, he climbed over just in time to be charged by Azula. His hands on his knees, he was hunched over when she started to hit him. Bringing her fists down and her knees up, she tried in earnest to cover the Avatar in hard blows. Head, neck, arms, forearm, she spared nothing.

Aang acted without thinking, he stepped to the side to escape Azula’s hits. Standing on the building’s edge, he had stood between Azula and the great fall. Now that he had moved, the force of her strikes sent her over the edge.

She had not been paying attention, and believing this was all of her fault, Azula went over. Consumed by her anger and self loathing, she did nothing as Aang simply moved out of the way. All she was able to do was watch in slow motion as her fists bore down into the air as she felt gravity grab her when she started to go over.

Azula felt herself fall through the sky, her body picking up speed. Tumbling in the air, fighting against the force of her fall she slowly steadied herself. Spouting fire from anywhere she could, she shot herself into the building. Each time Azula touched the building she tried to catch herself. Hands and feet all slipped as she desperately tried to break her fall, nothing was working and the street was rising faster toward her.

The thought of her death did not occur to Azula, she had been trained to keep her mind on task and not give into panic. Trying to save herself, she did not dwell on her many successive failures, instead she met each failure with another try.

When the sensation of falling abruptly stopped, it was replaced with a new sensation. She felt as though her legs dangling. Kicking her feet in the air, she opened her eyes. Seeing the building from which she fell, in the growing distance, she then became overwhelmed with a feeling as though she were sliding. Azula looked over at her dangling feet and noticed that she was actually gliding to the street below. That was also when Azula noticed the nature of her survival. she was being cradled in the Avatar.

Azula thought about killing him, the moment she saw herself in his arms. It wouldn’t have been hard, a bolt of lighting right to the back of his bald head. Running her fingers alongside his face, she prepared herself for the fall that would come as soon as he was killed. She didn’t do it, instead Azula just looked up at Aang, debating the need to kill him with the desire not to lose him.

Aang had never seen Azula so helpless as he did when she was falling. Like a cat that had lost its footing, she squirmed her way down grasping at any and everything she could. He didn’t feel himself jump after her, he was watching her fall then he was catching her. He suspected she may try to finish him, a final attack that would take his life. Instead to his genuine surprise she caressed his face.

Both Aang and Azula felt the final thirty seconds of their descent unnervingly peaceful. They had become accustomed to the weight of their lives. Aang always the Avatar and Azula always the princess. But in the final thirty seconds, as the city of Ba Sing Se set around them, they felt completely at ease. Until this month they had done nothing but stress meaning of each other, Azula and her circles and Aang with his games. Gliding through the air, it was as if they had momentarily escaped the gaze of their own critical eyes. No longer burdened by their sense of judgement, they freely looked at each other. Until this moment, they had only stolen glances at each other. They both vehemently resisted looking at the other directly, the complications of getting caught and the implications of wanting to. In those final seconds, they looked without any fear of consequence or repercussion.

When they landed, Aang attempted to set Azula on her feet but instead she held on to him.

“What do you want from me Avatar,”
Azula’s words sounded off like a command but Aang picked up on a subtle hint of desperation hidden within them.

Taken aback by her forwardness, Aang spouted off the most honest answer he could.

“What do I want, princess, you're the one whose been following me?”

Was he taking this as a joke Azula thought, in anger she readjusted her grip. Digging her nails into his chest, she barked back at him.

“Don’t, don’t you dare pretend like I am the only one who...Avatar I am not crazy”

A few moments passed before a word slipped from Aang’s mouth like a forced confession.

“Tea”

Azula did not yell even though at first she wanted too. Instead she spoke softly letting her frustration take a backseat to her curiosity.
“Tea, what in Agni does tea have to do with anything”

“You asked what do I want from you”
Watching Azula narrow her eyes at him, caused Aang to pause.

He had no idea where this was going, he had never done this kind of thing before, but she was in his arms and listening to whatever he had to say. She wasn’t spying on him in the street or shooting blue fire at him. If there was going to be a chance for anything this was it. Taking a deep breath, Aang reminded himself that he was the Avatar and he could accomplish anything as long as he was dedicated and believed in himself.

Exhaling, he spoke calmly to the girl in his arms.

“There is this new tea shop, it's called The Jasmine Dragon, I want you to come and have tea with me ”

“Yes”

Azula’s answer had escaped through her lips, her sanity standing no chance at catching it as it fled.

Moments passed and neither Aang nor Azula moved, together marinating in the wake of their actions. Finally, both of them decided to move, each using newly found confidence they went for each other's lips. Crack, their front teeth collided as they both tried to initiate the kiss. Quickly withdrawing their heads, they looked at each other awkwardly. Azula and Aang began to negotiate wordlessly. It was obvious to one another that they still wanted to kiss, but who was going to give the kiss and who was going to let them.

Azula started to motion her face up towards Aang’s. Aang accepting Azula’s lead, angled his head to match hers. The kiss lasted only seconds before it was rudely interrupted.

They heard an applause around them, it had started with a few people but quickly grew in number. It was then that they realized that they landed back in the middle of the Ba Sing Se market place. After Aang was noticed for his tattoos, an audience had formed around them who up until that moment had been quietly watching their drama. The applause was followed by several voices congratulating the Avatar and others congratulating Azula for claiming the Avatar’s heart, referring to her simply as the lucky girl.

Breaking the kiss, Azula took a moment to look freely at the Avatar before sliding out of his arms and to her feet. She turned and attempted to flee the scene but felt something tugging at her arm.

Aang watched Azula’s face harden when she saw that he was holding her back. He spoke quickly to make sure she didn’t confuse the intentions behind his actions.

“I just...wanted to know when”

Azula forgot her caution allowing it to join her long forgotten sanity. Turning to face the Avatar, she lunged at him. Stopping so close they were touching, she brought her lips to his ear and whispered.

“Tomorrow night, you just go to this tea shop, and as you must surely know by now Avatar, I’ll find you”.

At the end of her sentence, Azula started to pull back when she felt the Avatar’s hands on her side. Azula leaned back towards Aang and planted a kiss on his cheek. She then backed several steps away from him, feeling very proud of herself. Aang pressed his hand to the spot on his cheek where she had placed her lips, and watched as she turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

Chapter Text

Through the teashop window, Katara watched patiently as the afternoon shadow grew around the buildings outside.

Taking a sip of her tea, she then sighed into the remains in her cup. Katara was never into tea, her grandmother was and even her father could be seen with a cup every now and again but she didn’t really care for it.

Setting the cup back down on the table, Katara gazed across the busy shop. It was lunch hour and many of the nearby merchants had taken to grabbing a cup during their break. Others who were not able to come themselves sent employees, errand boys and secretaries, all of whom were now standing and waiting to pick up their orders.

Using a deadly look and a shift of her weight in her seat, Katara invisibly fought off other patrons who enviously eyed her table.

Examining the shadows still growing just outside the shop, she knew he was late. Katara stopped herself, he couldn’t be late because there was nothing to be late too. It wasn’t like they had a set time or anything, she just knew he took his break at this time and it was this time and he was nowhere to be found. Fighting off the urge to stand up, Katara hoisted herself as far up as she possibly could and still be considered sitting.

If only she were taller, Katra thought to herself as she looked out into the crowded tea shop and saw nothing. Katara speculated, was he in the back or...could he even be out sick? She hated the natural urge to worry, the way it came whenever something was out of place.

Finally she saw him, coming from the back and trying to wiggle his way to her through the crowd. He had his apron draped over his shoulder but that did nothing to stop patrons from continuing to ask him for cups of this and pots of that. He was holding, or more accurately struggling to hold two cups of tea which he kindly used as an excuse for being unable to take their order. Apparently there was a customer who had a special order of tea that he needed to take at once. She was the customer, and as her visits to the shop grew in number and frequently, it was something she was becoming less ashamed of.

“Hey…” He said awkwardly as he took the seat across from her.

“Zuko…”

Katara had forgiven him for everything he had done to her, the chasing, the fighting, she found it in her heart to let it go. However when interacting with Zuko she had made sure to keep her forgiveness a secret and her temper an even balance between tolerance and contempt.

“I brought you some,”
Zuko’s speech gave out on him and he instead ended his sentence in a gesture to the cup he had placed in front of her.

“I told you I don’t like tea, Zuko.”

“Just try it”

Katara couldn’t stop herself from responding to his voice, to her it sounded like the right side of pleading. Not begging, but dripping with enough shame to accentuate his need for atonement.

Cautiously she took a drink from the cup he brought, it wasn’t very long ago when she firmly believed any drink coming from him stood a good chance of being poisoned. Expecting something warm and tea like she instead felt a cool familiar nothingness.

“It’s water!” Katara exclaimed. Her face demanded an explanation.

“You said you didn’t like tea.”
Shaking her head, Katara marveled at Zuko’s awkwardly truthful answer.

“But wait, how is that a special order?” Katara cursed the foolishness of her question and moresore she cursed the curiosity that gave it birth.

Zuko not sharing her feelings about the question, responded in earnest,
“Well, this is a tea shop and that’s water, so, special.”

Stupid, Katara thought to herself. Spending her afternoons in the teashop, she had learned to appreciate Zuko’s awkwardness and odd sense of humor.

“So, I kind of have something to tell you…”
Katara braced herself, with Zuko all confessions could be deadly.

Zuko, watching her pause and ready herself to react to whatever he had to say. He spoke quickly as if the quicker he said it the better it might be received.

“My sister is in the city.”

“What!”

The patrons of the shop stopped their chatter and stared at Katara, all questioning her sudden outburst.

“Bad news, so terrible, we must pray to the Spirits!”
Hearing the sincerity in Uncle Iroh’s call from the back of the shop, the other patrons' adopted a look of concern. They then muttered several prayer-like words before returning to their tea and resuming the teashop’s collective chatter.

“What do you mean your sister is in the city? Azula is here in Ba Sing Se.”
Katara’s words, although not a yell, were still loud enough to make Zuko anxious.

“Katara! Don't just say her name like that, you know where we are.”
To emphasize his words, Zuko exaggeratedly looked from side to side.

“So why is she here?”
Katara’s voice was now low.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know Zuko?”

“I just don’t okay.”
It was obvious to Katara that Zuko was keeping something from her, but she already had a feeling what that something was.

“You could just say she is here for Aang.”

Now Zuko was shocked but when he replied, instead of a yell, he stumbled through his words.
“How do you know?”

“You first.”

With everything uncomfortably out in the open, Zuko came clean.
“Earlier in the shop there was all this talk about the Avatar and some lucky girl he was with. Hearing Avatar, I couldn’t stop myself from listening in and, well, when I heard a description of the girl, I knew it was her, I know my sister...or at least I thought I knew my sister...I never thought Azula could,”

Katara didn’t let Zuko finish.
“I’ve known all week”

There was an extended moment of silence between them.

“Excuse me, I hate to interrupt you and your girlfriend but when are you going to be taking orders again?”

Katara and Zuko turned to face the bold patron who was now standing at their table.

“He’s on his break, can’t you see how hard he works, he hasn’t even been off five minutes before you're at him again, be patient, and wait.”

Zuko and the patron were both stunned but Zuko did not share the patron’s look of panic. As Katara had spoken the water in her special cup had swirled and in the eyes of the Earth nation patron appeared insanely threatening.

The patron, having heard horror stories of water benders who turn men to ice or drown them on land, nodded his head in acceptance of Katara’s words. Backing away and disappearing back into the crowded teashop, the patron left Zuko and Katara to their difficult conversation..

“So, are you going to tell me how you have known so long?”
Katara was bothered by the way Zuko had asked his question. It was like it wasn’t something serious, like it didn’t matter to her.

“I know Aang.” Katara answered, her words carrying with them a warmth that made Zuko’s blood start to boil.

“What does that mean?”

For the first time Zuko had sounded hostile, much like the boy she had met back in the South Pole.

Slightly put off by his jealousy, Katara answered him with the first thought that came to her mind. “It’s your sister’s fault, she started it.”

Zuko looked at her with his eyebrows arched revealing his confusion, to which she continued her explanation.

“She just started following him...every time he would go out she was there. At first I thought she was hunting him, but the way she looks at him...”
Katara paused and Zuko began to fear where this was all leading to.

“Your sister thinks she is the best at everything, that I couldn’t spot her down the block or across the street, but I did. I know she fooled my brother, I can’t explain Toph, but I know she got the attention of Aang. I watch Aang.”

Katara paused again, her last few words had caused a visible change in demeanor from Zuko. This time it wasn’t angry jealousy, but sorrowful defeat. Zuko, the boy without honor and now without her favor, she thought to herself.

“I watch Aang because people like you are always chasing after him and worse psychos like your sister are trying to hurt him...maybe even kill him.”

“Yeah after everything I’ve heard, My sister has interesting ways of trying to kill him.”
He didn’t know if he was really trying to disagree with her or if he just wanted to stop her from bringing up his past crimes.

“Aang knew your sister was following him and I think she knew that too, it’s all a game.”

“A game?”
Zuko immediately regretted interrupting her. Katara is annoyed at his inability to let her finish, and takes another drink of her water before continuing.

“That’s what it became after the first day. She would appear a couple of buildings down sitting outside pretending not to look our way and Aang would get an idea, some place to go for a reason that only my brother believed. Then, twenty minutes later after a random march through the city she would reappear, Aang would see her and around and around we go. It’s been like this for days. “

Zuko was quick to question Katara.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know, because then we’d have to talk about it, I mean, it's Aang and Azula, your sister of all people.”

He didn’t let her go further, his jealousy had returned and taken control of his lips.
“Oh I see, I didn’t know before, but it’s obvious you want Aang and my sister she just got in the middle of that.”

“Zuko what are you doing?”
He had never spoken this way to her before, even when she told him about Jet.

“I’m sorry.”
Zuko’s apology was quick and as soon as it left his lips he hid behind his tea cup.

“So how long have you really known your sister was in Ba Sing Se?”
Katara knew he had held back when he reluctantly told her about what he heard.

“If I tell you, you will be mad.”

“If you don’t I will be furious.”
At this, Katara bended the remaining water from her cup and held it in front of Zuko’s eyes, poised to launch itself straight for his retinas.

“Just a week like you...that was when she arrived in the city.”

The water aimed at Zuko did not move and Katara stared at Zuko obviously expecting him to continue.
“Azula came with Mai and Ty Lee, the two non benders she is always with, they were dressed as Kyoshi warriors.”

“Suki!”
Katara suddenly became extremely worried for the fate of her friend.

“Relax, she’s not dead, I checked, she’s just in prison.”

The water that had been aimed at Zuko’s eyes shot itself with enough force to make a splash loud enough to grab the attention of the shop. The patrons believing Katara had simply thrown her cup of water into Zuko’s face erupted in laughter.

When the laughter died down and the tea shop resumed its normal melodic chatter, Katara was quick to resume their conversation.

“Prison Zuko, that’s where she is, how is that...how can you not tell me.”
At first Zuko heard the anger in her words, but when she finished speaking he could only hear her hurt.

“I didn’t want...I just didn’t, didn’t want”

“Didn’t want what!”
Katara had clearly run out of patience for him, so Zuko paused and gathered his resolve before speaking.

“I didn’t want to lose this, I know that the Kyoshi warriors are your friends and once you heard they were gone and my sister was here then you would do something and I don’t know, that would change things...since you started coming in here and we’ve been talking and I like talking to you, and I don’t want to stop...so I didn’t tell you.”

Pausing for a moment, Katara’s eye brows shifted as her expression changed from anger to pensive briefly stopping in surprise.

“I see…”

Zuko had been expecting rejection, he had readied himself for more water to the face, anything but the nothing his ears heard from Katara.
“You see, Agni Katara, what does that mean?!”

Katara stood up in her seat, she slammed her fists down and looked away, anything to stop herself from giving into her frustration and attacking the boy in front of her.

Once back in her seat and taking a sip of her water, Katara brought her attention back to Zuko.
“What do you want me to say Zuko, I like this too, that whatever this is, has been nice, and I really really wish you didn’t screw it up like you did, I can say that, maybe I should have, but then what...double date with Aang and Azula? Don’t you get it Zuko, this is wrong, all of this, us meeting and...talking, Spirits! We are supposed to be enemies, this can’t happen”.

Katara set her cup down and got back up from her seat. Wiping tears from her eyes, she started to walk away when Zuko caught her hand.
“Then why did it?”

Looking down at him still sitting, he did not say anything more but Katara could feel him begging her not to go.

Zuko watched her wipe one last tear from her eye and then to his surprise come back to her seat.

“I want another special order.”

“You mean the water?”

Chapter Text

Aang’s voice caught Katara as she tiptoed her way inside, back from her night with Zuko.

“So when were you going to tell me about Zuko?”

“When you decided to finally tell me about Azula.”
Katara didn’t care that she snapped at him, he had no right to question her about Zuko.

“I…., no, you see, uh,...that’s different.”
Aang stumbled through his reply, he knew Katara would catch him eventually, but he had not expected her to keep his secret, to not confront him immediately.

Instead of answering him, Katara motioned for Aang to follow her. Leading him to the balcony of their Ba Sing Se apartment, she leaned against the railing.

“It’s not different and you know it.”

Aang stared at her from the doors that led back to their rooms, leaning against the frame his legs stood half in and half out.

“Don’t be such a hypocrite Aang, and close the door before you invite Sokka and Toph into our conversation.” Katara continued.

“Too late sugar queen.”
Toph’s voice came with a kick to the Avatar’s behind, sending him stumbling onto the balcony.

“Toph, we are sorry to wake you, we were just…”

“Talking about your forbidden love? Yeah I heard already, what are you going to do, compare fire siblings, the whiny prince and the psychotic princess.”

“He isn’t whiny.”

“She isn’t psychotic.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever you say, just keep it down or you're going to wake your brother and he will probably have a lot more to say about your love life then I.”
Ending her word with a satisfied smirk, Toph turned around to leave the two friends to their conversation.

“Wait Toph, where are you going?” Aang asked.

“Yeah it's late.” Katara added.

Toph reluctantly looked back at the pair and answered them.

“I shouldn’t tell you a thing, you're being nosey, but since I’m feeling generous I’ll tell you that I’ve been summoned on official Beifong business.”

“Right now?” Katara asked but instead of a reply she got a view of Toph’s back as she disappeared.

Aang used his bending to close the doors to the balcony behind her, then turned his attention to Katara.

“See she already knows all about...” Aang paused for a moment and reluctantly accepted that his secret was now out in the open to all of his friends but one.
“Azula.” He finished as if Katara needed to hear her name to know to whom he was referring to.

Katara’s face lost its seriousness and she chuckled slightly, “Well that doesn’t surprise me...but she still didn’t need to know about...” Now Katara paused and faced her only difficult acceptance. “Zuko.” she finished

“So how long has, uh, that been going on?” Aang asked.

“What”

“You and, you know, Zuko.”

“I don’t know, about as long as you and Azula...I guess.”

“That long.”
Aang appeared slightly taken aback.

“Yes...wait how long have you and her been doing, uh whatever it is you're doing.”
Katara watched Aang look to the sky then to the ground searching for an answer.

“How long Aang?”

“I don’t know.”

“How can you not know?”

“I just don’t..the drill, I think.”

“You think, what were you doing on that drill you were supposed to be fighting?”

“We were but then for a moment we kinda weren’t.”

“A moment?”

Aang felt the weight of Katara’s glare.

“She kissed me, that's all okay.”

Watching Katra’s stunned reaction, Aang hoped his confession would be enough.

“Wow.”

Katara didn’t know what else to say, she had witnessed Aang and Azula play hide and seek across the city but not for a moment had she thought they’d been physical. She mentally cringed at the thought, not because she couldn't picture the Avatar and the fire princess locking lips, but because her mind immediately sent her thoughts to Zuko.

What if she had kissed him? Did she want to kiss him? Would he want to kiss her? The questions bounced off one another as they reverberated in her head. Katara cursed Aang for doing this, bad enough he started this dangerous trend of becoming entangled with members of the fire nation royal family but now he put kissing of all things on the table.

“Katara, Katara..Katara.”

Finally after calling out her name for the third time, Katara broke from whatever spell she had been under. Now looking at him with daggers in her eyes, Aang began to wish he had left her to her thoughts.

Aang, still under her angered stare, made his way over to the railing before taking a place leaning against it right next to her.

“You're not jealous of me and Azula, you know, kissing.”

Picking up on the shame in Aang’s voice and Katara’s compassion for her friend soon pushed its way past her anger.

“No, I’m not jealous.”

Katara turned to see a sense of relief wash over him before she continued, “So...why Azula.”

Aang didn’t hesitate to answer her, “Why Zuko.”

Suddenly they both started to laugh, their laughter dissolving any remnants of the tension that had shrouded their conversation.

“I don’t know, Spirits, I don’t even know if there is a Zuko.”

“So does that mean you haven’t kissed?”

Katara playfully shoved Aang in the shoulder, before answering him, “No, maybe some of us are not as fast as you and...Azula.” She still had trouble saying her name, but imagined Aang was probably having just as difficult a time with saying Zuko.

Aang let a few moments of silence pass before he spoke, “I don’t know why Azula...you see I'm actually supposed to have tea with her tomorrow night, I’m kind of hoping it will help me, you know, figure things out.”

“She’s a murderous psychopath, you know that.”

“And Zuko spent all of last year trying to capture and kill us.”

“He’s different now, can you say the same for her.”

Katara watched Aang’s head dip in defeat, it was obvious that Azula was still the terror that she had proved herself to be.

“I’m still going tomorrow, I have to.”

“But why Aang?”

“Why do you go and visit Zuko at his and his uncle’s tea shop?”

“You saw?”

Aang watched as Katara looked away from her, an attempt to hide what he thought might be embarrassment.

“I didn’t mean to, I just didn’t want to get lost trying to find it tomorrow so I went tonight, how was I supposed to know I’d see Zuko bringing you your special orders.”

Katara couldn’t hold back to the smile that came to her face, trying to bury it in her tunic.

Smiling back, Aang asked in a cheerful voice, “You like him don’t you?”

“Aang…” At first Katara didn’t want to answer his question, but then picking her head up and showing off her smiling face she let slip, “I don’t know yet...maybe, and you, Aang, do you like her?”

“Maybe.” Aang said, flashing her a smile of his own.

Both now feeling comfortable and exhausted, Katara stepped away from the railing and started to make her way back to their rooms.

“Katara, wait.” Aang called out.

She stopped but did not turn to face him.

“For tomorrow, I uh, need your help.”

Katara was a welcomed addition to Zuko’s dreams, one that he didn’t mind. What he did mind was his uncle Iroh shaking him awake and forcing him away from the ember island beach that he had envisioned him and Katara sitting on.

“Zuko, get up, it is nearly noon, you spent too much time last night with that girl and now you can’t get up without this.”

The fire prince did not have time to say what before he was doused with a bucket of cold water causing him to jump from his straw bed.

“Uncle!” Zuko yelled, pacing around the small room in an attempt to brush off his rude awakening.

“Relax, please, have some tea.” said Iroh, as he shoved a small cup of hot tea in his nephew's hands.

Taking it, Zuko felt himself settle with every sip.

“Now listen Zuko, I have the most wonderful news.”

Zuko raised his eyes from his cup and looked at his uncle expecting him to continue.

“We have been invited to personally serve tea to King Kuei himself.”
Iroh’s eyes watered with pride and he clasped his hands together as he spoke.

Not even a full hour later and Zuko found himself seated next to his uncle in a lavious room adjacent to the king’s headquarters. They had been escorted there by the Dai Li and had been waiting for the King to arrive for the last thirty minutes.

Zuko looked down at his brown tunic, eyeing the parts where the brown was darker. Uncle had his signature tea hot and ready when he had woken him earlier. Hardly giving him enough time to dress, Uncle practically pushed him out the door in excitement. The brisk walk to the palace left Zuko with many scorching hot stains from the tea that had spilled on him in the rush.

“Maybe we should have some tea while we wait?”
Zuko didn’t want tea, but he couldn’t stand to sit idle for a second longer.

“Absolutely not, we mustn't start without the King, he might find it very disrespectful,” Uncle stopped speaking when he heard one of the doors begin to slide open, “See Zuko, here he comes now.”

The room suddenly flooded with Dai Lee agents who stood straight faced with their backs to the walls as they surrounded Iroh and Zuko. This slightly alarmed the fire prince but was not entirely unexpected considering they were there to meet with the King.

All sense of calm left him when he saw a young woman in a Dai Lee uniform waltz in as if the palace were already hers. Taking her seat across from them, she allowed herself to relish in the pair’s surprise before speaking.

“What Zuzu? Don’t tell me that this is a shock to you, I mean really, King Kuei doesn’t even come out from his chambers for war, did you seriously think Uncle’s tea would get you an audience.”

Watching his nephew grind his teeth angrily, Iroh decided to answer her chiding, “It is good to see you Azula, I am glad to see that you too have found a place for yourself in the city.”

“A place, why yes Uncle I believe I have, in fact, I think I am going to be staying for a very long time, just as soon as I accomplish something that you could never do,” Azula paused for a moment hoping her words would sink in, then she went on, “yes Uncle I will conquer this city and rule it as queen in my father’s place, and then they will call me the dragon, now how do you like the sound of that Uncle?”

Before Iroh could respond his nephew interjected, “Don’t listen to her Uncle, I know why she’s brought us here today...she’s worried about her date tonight with the Avatar.”

Azula fumed with rage, but before she could make an attempt at denial, she was stopped by her Uncle’s laughter.

“Oh I knew there was something different about you Azula, I just couldn’t figure out what it was.”

“Quiet both of you!” Azula yelled, trying to get control of herself and the conversation.

“What is it Azula, can’t even deny it.”

Zuko felt a certain petty pride in watching his sister panic, her eyes unable to focus and her forehead beginning to sweat. Worse, he could see the sudden thoughts of what he sure was the Avatar enter her mind, making her turn red.

“Now Zuko you mustn't give your sister a hard time, you of all should know how difficult it is for our family to express themselves, especially when it comes to matters of the heart”

Her Uncle’s words gave Azula the chance she needed to take back control.
“Ah let me guess, that water peasant, oh Zuko you heart breaker, Mai will be devastated, I just don’t know how I’ll tell her, but don’t worry I’ll figure it out...although how I’ll be able to console her when I tell her that you’ve abandoned her for an enemy…”

“At least she’s not the Avatar, I’m sure father would be thrilled to hear that his little favorite isn’t his anymore.”

Instead of answering her brother, Azula shot a knowing look at one of the Dai Lee agents. Answering her look, the Dai Lee shot his fist out from his sleeve and into Zuko’s face causing him to fall, clutching his jaw.

“You're not fooling anyone Azula, you order these Dai Lee to push me around but I’m not convinced, the old Azula would have scalded me with hot fire by now or locked me and uncle up in the bowels of an airship, but look at you, you invited us to tea, face it Azula, you're different, you’ve changed, and I know it was the Avatar that changed you!” yelled Zuko, his hand not leaving the bottom of his jaw.

Azula raised her hand and blue flames began to swirl in her palm.

“Enough of this Azula, there is no reason to harm your brother and Zuko shame on you for trying to hurt your sister when she clearly needs our help.” Iroh stopped and listened to Zuko mumble an apology before speaking directly to Azula, “now niece, what is it that you have called us here for?”

Azula took a deep breath and then raised her hand to snap her fingers. Heeding her snap, Dai Lee exited her room just as quickly as they came.

Iroh watched his niece struggle to find the right words, her lips beginning to open before shutting back together completely.

“Is this is about your date tonight with the Avatar?.”

“It’s not a date!” Azula yelled, she then continued, “But yes, I do need your,” she struggled to find the right words, “your service during my meeting with the Avatar.”

“Why should we help you hook up with the Avatar?”

“Zuko” Iroh’s lost some of his tranquility, “Your sister has come to us for help on her special night, as long as what she asks is reasonable, we should give her our support.”

Azula wanted to call the Dai Lee back in and have them both arrested. Zuko as much as she hated to admit it was right, she had changed. The old Azula would be burning this building to the ground with the Earth king and his kingdom along with it, not having tea and contemplating her relationship with her mortal enemy. Asking her uncle and Zuzu for help, even the Azula on the drill would call her mad. Yet here she was, helping herself to some more of her Uncle’s tea and pulling together the courage to tell them what she needed.

Taking another deep breath, exhaling into the steaming cup of tea, Azula decided to leave her senses behind and let the new Azula speak.
“Thank you Uncle and Zuzu, I need…”

Chapter Text

Azula stared into the mirror, it was long and much taller than she was. Looking herself up and down she questioned her sanity. She felt like a fool yet couldn’t stop herself from counting each strand of her carefully arranged hair. Not one out of place, she had to look her best tonight, although she’d never admit why.

“Azula, isn't it time for your date.”
Ty Lee’s voice carried and it's tone despite it’s innocence could do nothing to dispel her friend’s uneven temper.

“It is not a date!” Azula paused and took a deep breath and then continued, “Ty Lee I cannot believe I let someone as stupid as you be my friend, I am going to tell you one last time so listen well, I am on a special mission, for the fire nation."

"A special mission?" Ty Lee's eyes widened in curiosity.

"A spy really.”

“A spy?”

“Yes Ty Lee, a spy on a dangerous mission to observe and report on our mortal enemy the Avatar.”

“By going out on a date with him?”

“Yes! I mean no...by using my regal charm and my natural beauty I am merely seducing the fool, using him to learn all I can of his plots against the Fire Lord and then once I am through with him I will.”

“Enough Azula! For a princess you can be sooo annoying sometimes.” Mai’s tired voice interrupted from down a narrow hallway that led into the room the Azula was using to get ready.

“How dare you!” The fire princess fumed as she watched Mai emerge from the hallway.

“Azula, your my friend and my princess, but you’ve been like this for months, you like the Avatar, you want to date him, it’s fine, it’s not like you could do better.”

“It is not and, wait what is that supposed to mean?”

“Come on Azula, he’s the Avatar, like thee Avatar, I meant aren't you the one always telling us to date within our station.”

Ty Lee’s cheery voice complimenting Mai’ droning only further unnerved Azula.

“That, that doesn’t matter, he’s the enemy and, and I shall defeat him!” At the end of her words, the princess fired a bolt of lighting into the mirror blasting it to pieces and creating a smoldering hole in its place. She then turned and bolted down the hall brushing past and leaving her friends behind.

“Why’d you have to do that Mai?” Ty Lee’s tone grew more stern after watching her friend run out the room.

“I’m just sick of her deluding herself. It's old already.”

“You're only angry because she told you Zuko is with that water peasant.”

“That’s it, Ty Lee.”

“What Mai.” Ty Lee’s voice stood in the middle, half a pout at her friend’s lack of caring and half concerned, still wanting to be the supportive friend even despite being at odds.

“Did you bring any makeup from that circus of yours?” Mai smiled as Ty Lee raised an eyebrow at her question.

Azula did not stop when she left the apartment letting her thoughts carry her deep into the streets of Ba Sing Se. Losing herself in the endless march of people coming and going, she roamed the city's many neighborhoods and districts. Anywhere but the Jasmine Dragon.

Wandering from block to block, Azula felt as though she was back on that tall building teetering over the edge. Ty Lee was right, the Avatar was a worthy match despite the current political climate. But political climates can be changed, her devious mind reminded her.

“Aha I have found the fire princess!”

The sound of the Avatar’s voice snapped Azula back into reality and out of reflex she fired off a stream of blue flames. The Avatar jumped backwards giving him enough distance to put out the fire with a whistle powered by airbending.

The sudden outburst of fire bending had startled more than just the Avatar, and a circle had formed around him and Azula. Surrounded by nosey onlookers, the princess felt trapped.

Aang watching the blue embers forming at her hands knew he had to act quickly. Biting his lip, he grabbed her hand and winced as her hot skin burned his palms.

“Wow what a neat trick, but you really shouldn’t do that in public, you could hurt someone.” Aang then turned to the crowd, “Sorry about that everybody, my girlfriend does magic and”

“Hey he called her fire princess before it all started!”

“Yeah I heard him too!”

“Isn’t he the Avatar!”

“I saw him air bend!”

“Somebody call the city guard!”

The crowd had already become out of control and Aang's attempt to diffuse the situation had failed. This could get bad, he thought to himself. He then deepened his grip on Azula's hand causing her to look away from the crowd around them.

Azula was ready to turn the nosey people of Ba Sing Se into ash, then feeling the Avatar’s grasp she paused long enough to see him use his bending to aid them in their escape. She marveled at the earth bending he must have used to send bits of earth flying up through the cracks in the city pavement. Then she watched as he used his air bending to scatter that earth creating a large cloud of dust. Once shrouded and practically blind she felt herself be carried forward at a high speed, jetting out of the dust cloud and almost into another part of the city entirely.

Now breathing clean air and not feeling the eyes of a hundred people, Aang felt Azula stare at him with a satisfied smile and her eyes glazed over.

“Are you okay princess.”

Yes I am but only because of you because you are a superb bender, a true prodigy worthy of the world and unknown power, take me Avatar I am yours...Azula didn’t say it out loud, but meant every word of it in her mind.

Instead she spoke softly, “I am, I am,” now searching for the right words she looked down at her clothing now wrinkled and dust coated.

“I am filthy! What in Agni is wrong with you Avatar! And my hair! I do not want to even look at what you have done to my hair."

Aang fought back a chuckle and a grin. Her clothes which were a brilliant emerald green but now had an ashy brown tint to them. Worse her hair was a mess, several pins had come loose or were missing entirely.

Cautiously he approached her and reached for her hair. Instinctively Azula's hand darted up and caught him by the wrist. Reluctantly she let go and nervously eyed his approaching touch.

Aang had no idea what he was doing but it was too late to pull back now. Carefully he brushed her hair back delicately as if it was going to explode.

After several moments in suspense the Avatar backed away and Azula could tell he probably made it worse.

Grabbing a fist full of his air nation robe, Azula held Aang in place.

"Wasn’t I supposed to find you?”

“Well...yeah, but I went to by the Jasmine Dragon but you weren’t there so I waited, and waited, and waited some more,”

“I get it Avatar, but what gave you the right to change the plans?"

“Well I thought since you're always trying to find me then maybe I’d be fun if I try and find you for a change.”

Aang looked on nervously as Azula’s hazel eyes shifted, as if acting out the process of her thoughts. Truthfully she couldn’t care less about her clothing, all the earth nation dresses Ty Lee had presented to her looked like green blankets meant only for the back of an ostrich horse.

“This way Avatar.” she said, releasing his robes. Azula, believing herself to be taking charge, attempted to lead them to the tea shop. “I said this way.” She then boldly reached for the Avatar's hand and continued down the street and towards the tea shop, this time with the Avatar in tow.

Ty Lee let out a small sigh of relief when she watched the Avatar and princess Azula come in through the wide open doors of the Jasmine Dragon. When Mai and her had arrived nearly an hour ago and saw that their friend and her date had not arrived, she worried they wouldn't make it.

“Mai look they're here”

Only receiving a slight nod from her friend, Ty Lee began to really doubt Mai’s intentions for coming. First she had her cover their faces in at least a dozen layers of makeup, so as to not be discovered, and then she dragged her here “to watch out for Azula”. But since taking their seats she couldn’t stop staring at one particular table across the tea room.

“There she is looking at you again.” said Sokka as he sipped his tea.

“How do you know she’s not looking at you?” spat Katara as she felt the water in her special order swish in her hand.

“I thought that at first but no, she’s definitely looking at you Katara, you sure you don’t know her?”

“I already told you I don’t.”

“I dunno she’s looking at you like you stole her boyfriend.”

“Sokka! Look over there.”

“What...oh my spirit is that Aang with Azula!”

“Quite Sokka they’ll hear you.”

“What do you mean they will hear me, who cares, that’s Aang and Azula, how are you so calm right now!”

Katara gave up trying to talk her brother down and instead bended the water from her cup into his still open mouth. Filling it with water, Sokka had to pause to swallow, giving his sister enough time to hopefully calm him down.

“Don’t be mad but I kind of already know about them.”

“Of course you do, why am I not surprised, next you're going to tell me Toph knows too...she does doesn’t she.”

“Sokka it doesn’t matter who knows, what matters is that Aang is safe.”

“So why don’t we go talk to him right now.”

Sokka started to get up from their table but Katara swiftly grabbed her brother’s wrists and pulled him back down to his chair.

“We can’t, you're actually not supposed to be here, Aang, he asked me to keep you away tonight just so that you wouldn’t find out.”

“Then why did you bring me here in the first place?”

"Because he isn’t safe with her, why else?” Katara’s words softened as she averted her gaze from the couple taking their seats to the closed door of the back kitchen. She couldn’t tell Sokka the truth, that she had really been worried about Zuko and what might happen if he was in the same room with his demented sister.

“Well, what do we do, do we break them up?”

Before Katara could answer her brother, she felt a fresh cup of ice cold water be shoved into the side of her shoulder as it roughly found its way to the table.

“Another special order compliments from Lee.”

Katara understood why Zuko would hire a new waitress to cover his shift tonight, but why it had to be a young relatively attractive earth nation girl bothered her. Not to mention the waitress had a bad attitude whenever she visited their table.

"Miss, miss...Jin?” Sokka’s voice dropped when he realized the waitress was either ignoring him or blind to his very presence.

“Didn’t she say her name was Jin, I don't know what is it about this tea shop but something funny seems to be going, apart the obvious.” Sokka directed his eyes to the table where Aang and Azula sat as if to make his point.

Katara didn’t want to bring her brother, but she couldn’t leave him alone. With Toph and Aang already suspiciously absent tonight, she couldn’t risk leaving herself without him making suspicious. She still hadn't told her brother about Suki being in prison and it pained her, but she couldn’t mention Suki without mentioning Zuko.

“Come to think of it, that waitress is also looking at you like you stole her boyfriend...who’s that Lee guy anyway”

Aang stared at the boiling hot liquid in front of him. He had been sitting with the princess in silence since they'd been shown to their table.

“So uh, what’s your favorite color?”

“Really Avatar is that even a question.”

“I asked didn’t I”

“What do you think it is?”

“Uh I don’t know.”

“Take a guess.”

“Is it red?”

“Obviously.”

Azula watched as the Avatar’s eyes returned to his tea and silence again came over their table. She had been glad that Zuzu and Uncle had obeyed her orders and stayed in the back; she did, however, find her brother’s choice of waitress very interesting. If Mai could see this now, she thought to herself.

“This isn’t good, they're not even talking.” worried Ty Lee. Back at her table, she watched nervously, unsure how her friend was going to last the rest of her date.

“I bet he doesn’t even take her seriously, she is a water peasant after all.”

Ty Lee scowled at Mai in response, she had yet to take her eyes off that table. Neither of the two had paid any attention to the waitress filling their tea and eavesdropping into their conversation.

“So Avatar, what is it that you do for fun?”

Aang looked up at the princess then thought hard about his answer. After several long seconds of searching for an acceptable answer and annoying the princess in front of him, he reluctantly spat out the first thing that came to mind.

“Penguin sledding.”

Azula looked at him awkwardly, “Penguin sledding?”

“Yeah penguin sledding, it's really fun, it's where you take an otter penguin and ride on its back down a really big hill.”

Aang tried his best to make it seem applying to the princess. Reliving the feeling of the cold wind on his face and skidding across the ice, his lips and cheeks together took the shape of a giddy smile. The princess answered the Avatar’s excitement with a simple, “interesting.”

Azula watching the excitement leave the Avatar’s face felt as though she was letting him down and for a reason she did not want to think about, she didn’t want to let him down.

“So I assume you bend these otter penguins to your will, I mean for them to let you ride them you must demand an extreme level of loyalty, that is good, but I do warn you Avatar never to get too comfortable with your allies, they may let you down.”

Aang saw a fire in the princess' eyes as she spoke, but honestly didn’t know what she meant about bending otter penguins or having them as allies. Not wanting to dismiss her completely, he forced out an awkward response, “Uh I guess I’ll make sure to remember that.”

“See that you do.”

The princess felt confident, she had made her point, and clearly the Avatar had understood her, this was going well. But why were they quiet again, she asked herself. She hated this, this table was a battlefield she had not been trained for, fighting against an opponent that was capable of disarming her with nothing more than an expression. It’s all so unfair, Azula pouted in her mind.

Chapter Text

“They're not talking again...Katara, Katara!”

“Spirits, Sokka, what is it?”

“I said they are not talking, wait a minute, what’s going on, I thought you wanted to watch out for Aang.”

“I do.”

“Are you sure, because you're looking everywhere but at him.”

“How do you know the fire nation won’t come running in from the back? Or what about the other customers? I don’t trust that waitress.” Katara arched her eyebrows and put on a stiff face to make herself more convincing.

“Uh huh” Sokka looked at his sister awkwardly but couldn't deny her logic as odd as she had presented it. “Well it looks like there won’t be a second date, so I guess we won’t have that much work to do.”

“What do you mean?” Katara finally gave her brother her attention.

“I mean if this, whatever Aang and that fire nation psycho had worked out, we’d have to, you know, break them up.”

“But why?”

Sokka looked surprised, for a second he thought maybe his sister had a problem with breaking the odd couple up.

“What do you mean why, Katara, come on, there is no way they can be together.”

“But why Sokka?”

“I don’t know why I need to explain this to you right now.”

“Explain…”

“Fine, but this should all be obvious to you,” Sokka paused and then began speaking very slowly, “We are from the water tribe, our tribe was attacked by the fire nation, now we are at war with the fire nation, Aang is the Avatar, he is our friend and also at war with the fire nation, because they destroyed the air nation that is why he is the last air bender, princess Azula is the princess of the fire nation, she is from the fire nation, she attacked our village, she wiped out Aang’s people, we are at war with her, she is our enemy, Azula, Katara listen, Azula is our enemy.”

“I’m not stupid...and it’s not that simple.”

Sokka felt bad but he wasn’t sure why. He could see a sad look in her eye and that something was heavy on her mind. He wasn’t sure what was going on, he thought they were just going out for some tea not to eavesdrop on their friend's late night rendezvous with the enemy.

“Katara, hey Katara, I didn’t say that, your not stupid, if anyone is stupid its Aang for trying to date Azula, that would be like I don’t know, if you tried to date Zuko or something.”

“So princess, how is your tea?” Aang held up his tea cup as he spoke.

“It is sufficient, Uncle is a failure at everything in life except the brewing of tea.”

Azula felt her throat become dry, she had said too much and started to worry. He must know her Uncle is from the fire nation, they fought her together only a few months earlier, and if he knows about Uncle then what if he suspects that Zuko is also here. Would he think this wasn’t real, that it was all a trap to capture him.

“I really had no idea, but your Uncle, he's a real master, I haven’t had tea like this in a hundred years.” said Aang casually.

“Wait a minute Avatar, you know this is my Uncle’s shop.”

“Yeah, he runs it with Zuko right? Do you work here too?”

Azula was stunned, she had gone to great lengths to keep the true owner of the shop a secret and now the Avatar was actually insinuating that she worked there as well. Had her reputation fallen so low that she would be lumped in with the tea making side of the royal family.

“What? No, of course I wouldn’t be working here, do these look like they were meant for brewing tea?” Azula held out her hands across the table and opened them allowing a small spark of electricity to flutter between each finger.

“Sorry, I just thought it might be a family business.”

“Ruling the fire nation is the only family business Avatar.”

“Zuko, will you stop staring at that water tribe girl’s table and help me with this tea? Tonight we have a lot of customers and they are waiting for us to do our job.”

“Uncle he said something to her, she looks upset.”

“Who Zuko?”

“Her brother, the non bender.”

Uncle Iroh set the large pot he was carrying down on the flame and used his bending to adjust its temperature. His nephew had left his pot unattended and at the mercy of his erratic bending causing the pot's lid to nearly come flying off from the pressure of the water Zuko was inadvertently boiling. Setting a hand on his nephew’s shoulder, he steered him away from the small window that allowed a glimpse into the shop’s tea room from the back kitchen.

“Zuko there is nothing wrong with having feelings for a member of another nation, that water tribe girl, I’ve seen the way she looks at you, you must not allow yourself to lose her because you are scared of her brother.”

“I’m not scared of her brother.”

“Then why are you hiding yourself in her well she is upset out there?”

“Uncle please, can't we just make the tea.”

Aang struggled to find the right words and had even more trouble with figuring out what to say all together. He fidget his seat, nervous not to ruin the night he spent so many months, knowly or not, working towards. Looking everywhere but at the princess in front of him, he searched the busy tea shop for inspiration.

“Avatar!”

At the sound of Azula’s voice Aang immediately ceased his search.

“Did you come here to inspect my uncle’s patrons or to spend time with me.”

Azula felt demanding, telling the Avatar he had to pay attention to her, but she didn’t care. Watching him avert his eyes back to her, the blue arrow on his head pointed in her direction. After months of chasing the Avatar she thoroughly enjoyed being able to summon him with nothing more than a word.

Still not being able to find the words or the right thing to say, Aang lost himself in the princess in front of him. She was a serpent, deadly and beautiful, a chaotic force of nature to be reckoned with and respected. He could see it in her eyes, the way they studied the room around him without so much as a change in the direction. The princess looked at him, around him, and practically through him. He was the Avatar, one of the most powerful benders in the land, but he didn’t doubt the room was hers.

“Who taught you bending?” Thinking so hard about what to say, Aang’s mouth succumbed to implus and he let slip what he was thinking. Memories of blue flame and flawless technique.

The cackle of two elderly twins echoed through the back of Azula’s mind before she answered, “Oh...nobody special.”

For a moment, Aang forgot he was talking to the princess of the fire nation and a bender whose abilities easily rivaled his own.

“Come on Azula, you can shoot blue fire from your feet.”

Forgetting the Avatar’s lapse in addressing her as princess, Azula relished in what she took as a compliment.

“I see now, I understand, Avatar, you would want to know where a prodigy like me learned how to bend fire in such ways.” Not caring to give Aang room to respond, Azula continued, “Well trust me Avatar I am a unique bender, almost as unique as yourself, I can do things with fire and lightning that few, very few have ever done before.”

Aang watched as the princess before him practically glowed, her pride projecting her across the table as though she were ten feet tall. At first he marvelled at her zeal, as he had done during their previous encounters, but now having her so close he finally had the chance to really see her.

Misunderstanding the Avatar's amorous gaze, Azula snapped, “I will not tell you anything if you are going to mock me.”

“I’m not mocking you, I just think” Aang stumbled through his words as he failed to find an explanation, “I just think...I like it okay, the way you get when you are, you know, you.”

What is that supposed to mean? Azula yelled in her mind, forcing her mouth to stay shut, she accepted the Avatar’s words as a complement. Replaying his speech, she held onto the part about him liking her.

“My teachers were Li and Lo.”

“Were?”

“They have nothing to teach, not any longer.”

“So you surpassed them?”

“Avatar, I surpassed them before they even started training me.”

“If you were always stronger than them, then why were they your teachers?”

“Because there were no other benders stronger than me except for my father but he didn’t have the time.”

“You mean Ozai, don’t you?”

“He is the King of the Fire Nation and the Fire Nation of which I am princess, aren't I."

“But if he didn’t teach you, how did you get so strong?”

“I am a prodigy, remember, I was born lucky just as you were.”

Aang paused for a moment and bowed his head and focused on the wood of their table, “I wasn’t born lucky.”

Azula couldn’t understand, how could someone born with such power be anything but lucky. Taking this to be some kind of poorly timed joke, she chuckled awkwardly trying to show that she liked it despite not getting it.

“Why are you laughing Azula, can’t you see that me being the Avatar, it's all one big burden.”

The Avatar’s words were grave, all the cheer she knew him for had left him and it reflected in the tone of his voice. This wasn’t the enemy she faced, but still, she could understand him, he was a fallen warrior. Refusing to let him, Azula launched her hands across the table.

Aang had not meant to ruin whatever it was they had going, they had been talking but the conversation got away from them. He didn’t blame her, how could she even understand, she had Ozai where he had Gyatso. And the shame, the shame of being the Avatar who ran, that was his own, she couldn’t have brought it up if it wasn’t already there.

When Azula’s hands pried his fingers away from his tea cup and ripped his palm from the table, Aang stopped thinking of the world he let down. Her hands were soft and her skin smooth, he couldn’t believe they were shooting flames at him back on that drill.

"Tell me, Avatar, what burdens you.” Too demanding! Azula’s voice in her head shrieked, “I’m not trying to poke fun, if you tell me, I’d really like to know..Aang.”

Azula wanted to run back to the apartment and demand Ty Lee cover her in wretched clown makeup, she called the Avatar by his name and she couldn't take it back.

Before answering her, Aang looked cautiously around the room but to his surprise no one was listening in or even paying attention. In the Jasmine Dragon, even the Avatar and princess could get lost in the swarm of tea drinkers. All except Katara and Sokka at the table across the room. Wait Katara and Sokka, Aang’s mind to a stop. He wanted to feel angry. Katara had obviously not listened to him and worse she did the exact opposite and brought Sokka here. But the princess was talking to him and that felt more important than Sokka finding out about Azula and him.

“All of this, the war, the death of my people, all of it is my fault, I’m a coward.”

Azula gasped, the Avatar, a coward? She refused to believe it.

Aang continued,“I know what your thinking, but it's true, when I found out that I was the Avatar, I didn’t know what to do, what to say, and everyone looking at me, expecting to be something that I didn’t I didn’t know how to be, so I ran, I ran away and now a hundred years have gone by and the world is ruins, there is no balance, and where was I!”

He was a coward, the thought streaked across Azula’s mind. When he was called, he faltered, and ran in shame and disgrace. Yet it didn’t change the way she looked at him, the way she saw him sitting across from her. Azula didn’t have to tell herself that whoever the Avatar was talking about wasn’t the person she was with. He was no coward, anyone who dares to face her on the field of battle cannot be called a coward. Even the truest warriors sometimes lose their way on the journey to greatness and glory. She could attest to that.

“I ran away from home, the fire nation I mean...I too ran but as you well know no one would be foolish enough to call me a coward.”

Azula watched as the Avatar’s expression shifted, the misery that had once trickled down from his brow to his chin was slowly giving way to an optimistic curiosity.

“I didn’t tell my father I was leaving,” Azula paused and waited to see that she had the Avatar’s full attention before continuing, “I didn’t tell him because I wasn’t quite sure he would let me go. I may be a prodigy, I am the youngest bender to ever master fire bending, one of the few, and I mean few that can bend lighting without killing themselves immediately. But I tell you Avatar, I can hear him now, calling me a spoiled child, reminding me that I’m a girl, and worst of all comparing me to Zuko. He would never have let me go because I might disgrace the royal family. Avatar I am not a fool, I’ve been gone for months and he has not even bothered to acknowledge my absence. You could have killed me on the drill and he wouldn’t even bat an eye...”

“Azula…”

“No, Avatar, let me finish..I ran away because I couldn’t face my father. I was scared, scared of what he would say, of what he really felt about his only daughter, so you see in a way I too have been a coward, a weak little girl who would rather sneak out like some thief in the night if it meant not having to face her father.”

“Azula,” said Aang as he carefully lifted himself off his seat and began to lean across the table towards her.

She answered him quickly, “What Avatar!..uh what is it Aang?”

“You're not a coward.”

Azula waited until he was halfway across the table before she answered him, “And neither are you.”

Joining Aang at the center of the table, Azula slightly raised their hands off the table and used them to pull her into him. Aang pressed his forehead to hers, the black tips of her bangs pressing against the blue of his tattoo. Azula broke her hands free from Aang’s and found their way up and along his arms to his shoulders. When their lips met, Aang and Azula lost themselves in the motion of each other’s lips.

Watching her best friend’s date go so obviously well Ty Lee trembled with excitement. She wanted to cheer for Azula and tell her to go for it, but she couldn’t for fear of embarrassing her. Mai saw the eyes of the water peasant shift awkwardly and quickly turned to see what was happening at her best friend’s table.

“Yay Azula," Mai’s monotone masked but did not erase her support for her best friend.

In the kitchen, Uncle backed away from the small window with a wide smile. Zuko had not wanted to look, he was listening in and could tell where things were going at his sister’s table.

“You see, Zuko love does not always have to make sense. Your sister, a girl with her...peculiarities was able to find someone.”

“What are you trying to say Uncle?”

“Do the honorable thing and go introduce yourself to her brother.”

“Who?”

Before Uncle could answer his nephew’s question he was stopped by the raised voice of the brother in question.

“Aang what in, what in spirits are you doing!”

Chapter Text

At first Sokka had not known what to do. Aang, a friend who was more like a brother to him, was swapping spit with the psychotic princess Azula. He really wished Katara had a plan, but beyond bringing him there to spy it seemed like she was actually okay with Aang doing the unthinkable with Azula. Finally, after a festering worry that Aang was possibly doing this against his will by threat of torture or death most likely, he decided to intervene.

Aang and Azula broke their kiss the moment they heard Sokka yell. Looking at each other as if they had just been rudely awakened from a very good dream they waited for the other to answer him.

The eyes of the entire tea shop were darting between Sokka and the Avatar and his date. All except for one small and limber man in the dress of an earth nation official who took off running out the door.

“What do you think he is doing, he’s on a date Sokka.”

Aang had not expected Katara to step in, especially since she had brought her brother there in the first place.

“Is he Katara, I’m not so sure, hello! Aang are you in there? Are you okay buddy! Blink once if you can’t say.”

“Really water peasant, do you think I somehow forced the most powerful bender in the world to join me for a cup of tea, you must be an idiot.”

“Watch it Azula.”

The fire princess had enough of the water peasant and his accusations and now hearing his sister dare to tell her to watch it, she wanted nothing more than to blow them to pieces. But she couldn’t, she knew the Avatar would not stand for her killing his precious water peasants.

“Aang I don't know if you are aware of this but that's Azula you're sitting with, Azula from the fire nation," Sokka was ready to break his friend from whatever spell Azula had put him under.

"In case you didn’t get it the last time, the Avatar is here because he wants to be, I haven’t forced him, isn’t it obvious he favors me...especially over any of his stupid friends.”

“I’d like to hear Aang say that.”

“Sokka you can’t interrupt their date and expect Aang to prove he’s there because he wants to be.”

“What is it with you Katara, on the way here you were saying how she needs to be watched and now you're telling me to let Aang have some kind of relationship with this, this, this thing!.”

“Did you really just refer to me as a thing water peasant?”

“Uh Guys.”

“If Aang wants to see someone then we as his friends should support them even if they haven’t always been good.”

“Guys.”

“Who are you talking about, Azula has never been good.”

“She’s talking about Zuzu.”

“Guys.”

“Wait, who's Zuzu?”

“Azula please don't.”

“My brother.”

“Guys!”

On his final attempt to get his friend’s attention, Aang let out a powerful gust of wind that knocked over several tables and even a few of the patrons out their seats.

With his friends and his date now giving him their attention, Aang spoke with an even voice, “Listen princess you cannot call my friends stupid or things like water peasant," Before Azula could protest, he continued, "Sokka I didn't mean for you to find out this way really, but I promise you and Katara that I am not here because anyone or anything is making me. I want to have tea with...”

Before Aang could finish he was interrupted by an amplified voice outside of the tea shop.

“Princess Azula of the Fire Nation under order of Marshall Beifong you are to be placed under arrest for your many crimes against the Earth Nation and the city of Ba Sing Se. These crimes include but are not limited to.” But before the Earth Nation official could list out Azula’s crimes, she interrupted him by sending a wave of blue fire through the door of the shop and out into the street.

The blue flames illuminated the windows of the Jasmine Dragon and for a moment there was silence before another amplified voice came through the now charred open doorway. A voice the members of the Gaang recognized to be Toph’s.

“Look here princess psycho I have no problem going in there and busting you myself but because of that thing going on between you and twinkle toes I’m going to give you one more chance to do this the easy way."

Not wanting to wait and see what the princess’s answer would be, the patrons at once jumped up from their seats and fled the shop. Jin considered joining them but instead dropped the tea she was carrying and ran to the kitchen with Katara's suspicious eyes following her.

Azula, resolved not to be taken alive, began to summon blue fire to her hands when she heard the Avatar speak to her, “Princess.”

Feeling the fire leave her hands, Azula hoped the Avatar had a plan. She didn’t want to ask herself why she was hoping that he had a plan or if she would actually follow his plan if he indeed had one.

“Okay princess, the hard way it is!” yelled Toph.

“Toph!” Aang yelled back trying to stop her but it was too late.

At once dozens of rocks the size of pumpkins tore through the front of the shop filling it with holes until it was destroyed completely.

Aang used his air bending to flip over the table between him and Azula and dove on top of her just as the first barrage came flying in over them. Across the room Katara pulled the water from the pouch at her side and used it to shoot several rocks down before they reached their table. Sokka kicked over the table and had only enough time to grab his sister and throw her over it before being hit with one of Toph’s rocks. The impact knocked him out completely.

Anticipating the attack, Mai was the first in the shop to flip their table. Ty Lee, who had been caught off guard, took a rock to her leg causing her to crawl her way around the table to escape Toph’s attack.

"Zuko what in spirits is going on!" Screamed Jin in the back kitchen.

The wall that separates the kitchen from the tea room was just strong enough to keep Toph's rocks from breaking through. But the sound they made as they shattered on impact was terrifying.

"Listen Jin as soon as it stops you need to run."
Zuko placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her into a hug as the attack started to slow around them.

When the attack stopped the Jasmine Dragon lay practically in ruins. The entire front of the shop was gone, its pieces scattered in and out of the shop. The rest of the still standing walls were chipped and beaten from ricocheted rocks.

The silence of the attack was broken by the door that separates the kitchen from the tea room. The door, falling from its hinges, gave way to a scared Jin.

Watching the waitress who had eyes for her brother leave the shop, Azula forgot the attack and the sudden physical closeness of the Avatar and remembered her friends,“Mai, Ty Lee, I know you're here, now go!”

Neither of the pair had expected the first thing they heard after the attack to be their best friend telling them to abandon her. Mai never doubted her abilities, she could fight most benders and win, but the earth bender outside and Zuko’s water bender were not most benders. Helping Ty Lee up, together they made their way out of the shop.

“Katara, we gotta go outside and try explaining things to Toph,” to his dismay Aang saw that his words never reached his friend, she was too busy trying to heal her brother’s bleeding head wound.

Back in the kitchen Zuko struggled against his Uncle’s embrace. Iroh felt Zuko start to break from his grasp, in the wake of the attack his nephew had lost all reason.

“Uncle let me go! Uncle I have to go out there...Katara!”

“Zuko think for a moment please, we were lucky to get Jin out, this isn't finished.”

Answering Uncle’s words like a call, Toph sent an Appa sized boulder barrelling into the shop. Azula, seeing its massive size temporarily filling the void left at the shop’s entrance, threw the Avatar off her and leapt to her feet. Extending her arms and hands, she fired a stream of blue flames in a vain attempt to slow it down.

Ready to take the impact and secretly hoping to protect the Avatar, Azula watched the boulder come towards her. Then when the boulder was only inches from tips of her fingers it exploded into a million pieces.

Azula didn’t need to check to see who it was that helped her destroy the humongous rock. Turning on her heels she wrapped her arms around the Avatar who was standing behind her just as she expected him to be. Once facing him she felt his lips on hers, beating her to the kiss she bit his bottom lip in vengeance.

Feeling the Avatar pull her closer to deepen the kiss, Azula nearly panicked when he abruptly stopped. Opening her eyes she watched him push her away, sending her sliding across the room and away from another incoming Appa sized boulder.

Not expecting Toph to attack again so soon and with a rock just as big, Aang only had time to save Azula. He couldn’t escape the boulder.

Zuko heard his sister scream in terror for the first time in his life then watched as the kitchen wall gave way to the twisted body of the Avatar followed by a boulder bigger than the kitchen itself.

“Zuko!” shrieked Katara, leaving her wounded brother to run through the still unsettled dust of kitchen’s remains.

Toph’s attack nearly flattened the kitchen and had not stopped. The boulder going straight through the back of the shop continued into the street. It was unclear how far the boulder had gone before stopping or where Aang was, all that could be seen was the broken pavement that marked its path.

“I’ll kill you.” whispered Azula.

“What was that princess psycho,” said Toph casually as she entered the bombed out teashop.

“I said I’ll kill you!” Azula put action on her words and fired off a lightning bolt at Toph.

Toph acting on instinct alone raised a barrier of earth through the floor of the shop and caught the bolt mid strike. The bolt obliterated Toph’s barrier, sending dirt and debris all over the place. The force from Azula’s lightning even through the barrier still was strong enough to knock Toph nearly out of the shop.

“Is my uncle okay?”

In what was left of the kitchen, Zuko rolled on his back and watched as Katara worked on his uncle. When she had found them they were both unconscious.

“He's hurt but he’s alive.”

Zuko’s eyes drifted over what had only hours ago been his uncle’s dream, his very own tea shop. Now he couldn’t believe the building had not already come down on top of them. Katara, He heard her name echo in his head, she hadn’t made it pass the earth bender’s attacks entirely unscathed. Bleeding red through her torn blue clothing, her wounds littered her body. All of this was her fault, he thought as Zuko pushed himself through the dizziness of his concussion.

Stumbling into what was the tea room, he watched as his sister traded rock and lightning with the earth bender. Zuko had seen his sister fight all her life and could tell when she had found her opening. A place where her enemy let their guard down and gave her an opportunity to finish the fight in her favor. It was the way her eyes grew fiery and her mouth grinned with anticipation, he waited to see those signs on his sister, signs that told him she was going for the kill.

When Toph’s rock exploded from a bolt of lightning too close to her face the shards of earth scratched and cut into her face. Toph bit her tongue till it bled, she was in pain and at princess psycho's mercy but she wasn't going to let her hear her scream. Azula, ready to finish her, believing her to be avenging the fallen Avatar, felt the fire in her eyes and the grin on her lips. Then she felt a different fire, the flames of her brother and force behind them.

Standing over his sister, Zuko looked on as her clothing and skin sizzled as they burned. She hadn’t been burnt completely and nowhere near as badly as his face, but the left shoulder of her tunic was missing. As was the right sleeve and both legs. In their place was bare skin, most burnt black, some burnt to a raw red.

Azula was now the one to have to bite her tongue until it bled in her mouth. Anything to keep her from revealing current state of being. She was hurt badly and it was painful, but she was far from defeated. She secretly worried about what the Avatar might think if she killed her brother, but now, after such a cowardly attack from behind she was sure he would understand.

“Azula I know you're still alive, I’m not going to take your life, instead I’m going to let them take you in and maybe you can get help.”

Zuko stopped talking as soon as he heard the soft chuckle of his sister grow into a full laugh. Rolling on her back Azula fired a bolt of lighting from the sole of her foot at him. Waiting to feel the thousands of bolts of electricity pass through him, instead felt his feet become instantly soaked by freezing water and his legs come out from under him. Falling on his back he slid forward along rushing water and watched the lighting pass over him.

Distracted by Katara’s saving of Zuko, Azula did not notice Toph bending the earth beneath her body until she was shot up from the ground into the ceiling, hitting it so hard it started to crack down the middle. Three times Toph launched Azula to the damaged ceiling then slammed her into the minced up floor of the tea shop.

When Toph was finished tossing Azula around, Katara pulled together enough water to submerge the princess’s entire head, wrapping it like a watery mask. Still on the floor, battered from Toph’s onslaught, Azula choked in the water that covered her face.

Planning to release Azula after she lost consciousness, Katara felt herself lose control of the water she was bending. The water rapidly leaving the princess’s face, shot into Zuko sending him through the shop and into the street. Toph readied the earth around her but before she could raise a defense she was face to face with Aang in the Avatar state.

“Aang don’t.”

Suddenly Aang turned and directed his glowing blue eyes at Katara.

“Aang just..just take her and go,”

Aang’s blue eyes left Katara and centered on Azula’s broken body still on the floor coughing up water. Toph didn’t give him a chance to listen to Katara, as soon as he took his eyes off Katara she sent a barrage of rocks aimed right at his glowing face. When Toph’s rocks were just under a foot away from Aang he exploded them into a haze of brown dust. Struggling to sense him, Toph felt herself be swept off her feet and into a whirlwind. Spinning in the air she spun around the shop four times before Aang used his bending to spit her out of the shop one of it’s last remaining walls.

“Aang just take her and go!”

Facing Aang's blue eyes again, Katara did not feel afraid. This was still Aang and he was her best friend. Pointing at Azula’s body, she hoped he would understand.

Staring at her for several more moments, Aang turned and in one motion scooped Azula up in his arms and shot straight into the air with her. Together they disappeared into darkness hidden above the illuminated night sky of Ba Sing Se.

Chapter Text

Aang came to call her in as he had done so many nights before, finished from a long day of his own work, he took a seat and watched her train. Kept from her katas by the wounds she suffered at the tea shop, she trained now with a renewed vigor, and what he considered to be the poise of a master. No longer did she fight with her classic ruthless aggression, in the last couple months she had developed a penchant for precision, a finely crafted blend between delicate and devastating.

When he was a child, the monks had told him of the great spiritual power infused within the stones that composed the Eastern Air Temple, gifted by Avatar Yangchen, he felt it radiate with the softness of a hum. Azula, he believed, had been more than healed by her time here, their months together giving her a balance that he had not seen back in Ba Sing Se.

“Are you going to just stand there with that silly look on your face, Avatar? Or are you going to come over here?”

Azula stopped and upon her challenge she pivoted on one foot, turning herself to face Aang, she spouted fire from her hands to further goad him into joining her.

Aang was exhausted but he couldn’t deny the princess, rising to his feet he met her at the center of the platform she had been training on.

“Ready?” Aang asked, giving her a smile that he knew would annoy.

“Waiting...” Azula answered, tapping her foot impatiently.

Falling backwards she landed on her hands, kicking her legs out, Azula greeted Aang with a stream of blue fire to which he leapt into a spin to dodge. Recovering from her failed greeting, she leapt back to her feet and began tossing blue flame at him with ease. Earth bending, Aang brought several bricks of dirt from beneath the broken stone of the temple to bear, using them to block her fire as he fought his way towards her.

The night’s sparring session took them from the barren platform from which Azula used to train down to the valley below, pitting the princess against the Avatar’s water bending of the river that ran through it. Answering his water with lighting, she chased him up the second of the three mountains that composed the Eastern Air Temple. When they stood, clutching their knees and gasping for air not far from the tower in which they called home, she realized he had been leading her there the whole time.

Deciding to end the fight the most enjoyable way possible, one that would secure her victory by submission. The princess abandoned her bending and bolted in the Avatar’s direction, tackling him to the ground and straddling him between her legs.

Aang brought his hands to the tops of her shoulders and arched his hips, ready to turn the tables by rolling them over and putting her on her back. But Azula would have none of it, quickly she batted his hands away before taking them in hers, pinning them to the ground just above his head, he never thought he’d ever like being at her mercy as much as he did.

Trying to beat each other to the kiss, their lips met with mutual excitement, giving rise to the clashing of tongues and the swapping of spit. No longer nervous around each other, they moved with a rhythm of their own, one that had taken them many nights like this to learn.

Breaking the kiss, Azula looked down at the Avatar, running her hand along the side of his cheek attempting to distract him from the sneak attack she was about to unleash on his neck. The awkwardness had faded, and it felt as though they were always renegotiating their boundaries, something that had never ceased to astound her. For the whole of her life, passion had been something she had only read about in the most sordid of fire nation literature or the lewd tales of the exploits of her friend Ty Lee. Never had she thought that she would be the one to fall in love.

The thought caused the princess to pause, a revelation she had been coming to accept with the slowest reluctance possible. The Avatar, seizing the moment, flipped her on her back and gave what she considered a well timed and expertly placed counter attack on her neck.

The oogies, that was what Katara had said when she caught Sokka and Suki in a similar position, Aang thought to himself as he nibbled on Azula’s neck, just the way she likes. It hadn’t always been this way, falling into each other's arms after a long fight. It had started with shy pecks at moments they felt especially close to one another, mixed in with short episodes where they pulled the other to the side and attacked each other's lips relentlessly. Six months after arriving at the Eastern Air Temple, nearly nine months after their duel on the drill, they were now completely comfortable with one another, from the slightest touch to the deepest kiss.

Later, only when the exhaustion and hunger began to take their toll and the cold that came with the late hour demanded the warmth of a fire, did they break their last kiss, and return to their tower.

Azula fished out the chunks of meat from the Avatar’s soup, splashing them into hers, she handed him a bowl. Hearing his thanks, she ignored her spoon and drank the broth straight. Letting the meat rest against her teeth, she felt his eyes on her when she opened her mouth to devour them.

“You're such a carnivore Azula.” Aang teased.

“Why do you mourn for the poor creature I am eating?” Azula answered, her mocking tone, an attempt at playfully teasing him back, something she’d been practicing.

“No, I honor their sacrifice and thank them for giving you their strength and allowing you to live and be here with me.”

The smile the Avatar gave her combined with the sweetness of his answer, enthralled her, “Oh you just have an answer for everything, Avatar.”

Watching the princess set down her bowl and slowly inch her way towards him with a hungry look in her eye, Aang reluctantly changed the subject, “So did you see any of them, you know the komodo rhino?” He knew his question and deflection of what was sure to be an oogie filled time by the fire would disappoint her, but after spending his day in a small cave in the bowels of the main temple mountain, he wanted to hear her voice.

Azula was tempted to take his rejection badly, to let it make her so sad that she became angry, a mood that the Avatar had become well acquainted with during their time together. But she couldn’t deny how special his question made her feel, that he remembered her theory about the komodo rhino possibly leftover from the fire nation attack, that he cared enough to ask about her progress in hunting them.

The sting of the rejection blunted, she recomposed herself, and answered him, “They are out there, I successfully tracked them to the valley between the second and third temple, there is no river in that valley and the forest gives them ample concealment and makes them annoyingly elusive.”

When the princess had recovered from her wounds enough to leave the temple and possibly return to Ba Sing Se or even the fire nation, Aang was sure she would, but to his surprise she stayed, spending her time training or going on her own adventures such as her current endeavor to hunt the komodo rhino. It didn’t bother him that she hunted the komodo rhino, they weren’t supposed to be in this part of the world, brought there to aid in the destruction of his people. He also wasn’t so sensitive, as to let a facet of fire nation culture that was as important to them as being a vegetarian was to his people, bother him. Although it had taken him several arguments with his once friend Kuzon from the fire nation to teach him that.

Kuzon was probably long dead, the last friendship he had with someone of the fire nation. Now living with the princess of that very nation, he worried that their time together wouldn't last much longer. He was there to unblock his chakras with the help of guru Pathnik, but both him and the guru knew that he was more than ready to take on the last two chakras, the sixth and seventh. When he unblocked them, where would she go when he left the temple? It was a question he had been working hard everyday to answer. Listening to her go on about the trophies she took during the last royal hunting expedition, he hoped he wasn’t being foolish in thinking that she was staying for him, to be with him, as his forever girl.

When their fire dimmed and the last remnants of their soup had gone cold, Azula rose to her feet and extended a hand to the Avatar, “Coming to bed?”

Feeling him take her hand, she led him to their tent. It had been only hers when they had arrived, confined to it by her wounds, it was her prison. But then, one night, not long into their stay, she made the boldest of moves, guided by her need to have him by her side, she daringly told him that he didn’t have to go, that he could stay in the tent with her. It was the most clumsily worded request she had made in her life and she burned red with embarrassment as soon as it left her lips. Thankfully the Avatar understood and after much squeamishness, he combined his bedroll with hers.

For weeks they slept with their backs to each other with ample space between them, only their hands, flung back and clasped together, connected them. Cuddled together in their tent, Azula rested her head on the Avatar’s chest, and felt his tattooed arm around her. She was glad they had changed, looking back at their early nights as silly for their avoidance of the closeness that they had come to rely upon each other for.

Allowing all his tiredness to take him, he heard the soft breathes of an already sleeping Azula at his side. All they did was sleep, the princess was forcefully adamant about being a sworn maiden until wed and the preservation of her honor, not that he minded.

Azula hated how she was always first to sleep, as if the Avatar’s warm embrace were some naturally sedative for her. The martial lifestyle she had known since she was seven had forced her to wake with the sun, expecting the coming sounds of horns followed by yelling, a fire nation wake up call.

It was a bad habit, and with the morning threatening to encroach upon their sleep, she fought to keep her eyes shut but her years of training denied her that right. Struggling, she heard a warm yet tired voice at her side, “Go back to sleep.”

Azula put sleep aside and rolled away from the Avatar then rolled back to face him then abruptly changed her mind, rolling back again this time putting her back to him.

Aang, still trying to keep from fully waking, scooted back to allow the princess to move. He had gotten used to this, the princess was in deep thought and she was always most pensive in the morning.

I should feel guilty, Azula thought to herself. Sleeping with the enemy, just sleeping, but still, she couldn’t help but think she was betraying everything she stood for, her nation, her father, her own sense of pride as a warrior.

“Go to sleep,” Aang had pressed his face into the Azula, forcing his muffled words out against the back of her neck, tickling her slightly.

The princess ignored him, these precious moments before the day began were her time to calmly revalute her life and her meaning in the world. Azula swore her day would be severely off if she were denied this contemplation.

Azula shook as if she were cold, a coded message between them that Aang quickly acted upon. Coming to life just enough to pull her into his arms, holding her, he placed a couple of soft kisses just below her ear.

“The Avatar’s comforting embrace”, the darker side of her mind mocked her, its merlicess voice a warped corruption of her own. It was true, she admitted to herself, she had become dependent on his presence and affection.

There was a moment, a foolish time when she believed that her obsession with the Avatar was like an objective to be completed. Like a city to take, she had hoped once she conquered him she would be done, rid of him and onto the next. But the Avatar, Aang, was not an objective or a city, before him there had been no other, and being with him now she couldn’t imagine having anyone else.

Pressing his hands to her and relishing in his embrace, Azula thought about the weeks of running around the city just to steal a look at him. Starting fights that put her life at risk just to have a reason to be with him. Now she had been with him every day of every week for months, long enough to learn how foolish she was for ever thinking she would be done with her Avatar.

Aang felt his sleep start to return to him, once she had settled into her thoughts and had demanded to be held, he usually got the chance to sleep for at least another hour. He didn’t speculate too much on why she needed this, it was enough for him just to know that she needed it.

Feeling the Avatar’s closeness, Azusa progressed deep into her thoughts. This was all going to end, the sobering thought gave her a chill that reverberated right down to her bones. her thoughts attacked her, this time, they told her, however long it was, it was still just a fantasy, soon the fire nation will find her, the world will find them, and it will all be over.

A lone tear drop made its way slowly down her cheek and she took hold of the Avatar’s arms, pressing their embrace. Azula didn’t want this, whatever it was to be over, she didn’t want them to be enemies again or anything less than what they were now. The air suddenly became thin and she felt as though the world was coming down, collapsing in and crushing her with no escape.

Aang held her tight, the second he felt her tense up he knew what was coming. She never said what happened to her or why she got that way, but he had witnessed it enough times to know how to calm her. Pressing his chin to the top of her shoulder and keeping her close, he waited until her muscles relaxed and her breathing steaded.

There was no way this could ever become anything real, the wicked voice in her head never failed to disturb any chance she had of peace. She had been fourteen when she left to find the Avatar and seek her own glory in the war, by now she was fifteen, her forgotten birthday having passed somewhere between chasing Avatar to Ba Sing Se and chasing the Avatar in Ba Sing Se.

Fifteen, a woman by the standards of the fire nation, old enough to be a forced bride in a blatantly political marriage. Princess or not, she was not fool enough to think the great Ozai wouldn’t use her as a diplomatic tool much as he did a military one.

Azula’s daunting future only made her present more appealing, yet her insecurities stole from her any of the comfort that had sustained her through the night. But then, just when the precariousness of her situation threatened to swallow her whole, to envelop her in the darkness of her own doubt, a new perspective would show itself as the sun rose above her.

At first it was just a whisper, the kind that pushed her to follow the Avatar around the city. Then it was a reassuring voice, one that guided her to the teashop on that fateful night. And now, it talked her down when the sounds of her old pain threatened her new happiness.

In a commanding voice she had reserved only for battle, she asked herself, since when do dragons allow others to tell them what they can or cannot do? Or who they can or cannot be with, share their world with? Wasn’t she supposed to be the next dragon of the fire nation, she would remind herself, allowing her mind to race in a way that terrified and excited her, imagining the possibilities of living a life of her own accord.

Feeling the princess break from his hold, Aang fought to suppress a grin, his anticipation threatening to get the better of him. Azula feeling the confidence of a different side of her, one that hadn’t shown itself until the Avatar came into her life, she aggressively pushed him onto his back. Her eyes followed the blue tattoos around his body before he could say a word, she shot down and stopped his lips with hers.

Kissing him until they were out of breath, Aang used his bending to help him speak, “Good morning.”

“It will be,” Azula answered him, rising up from their bedroll.

“Why?” Aang asked hesitantly.

Azula paused before flashing the Avatar a knowing smile, “I’m making tea.”

Chapter Text

The Avatar relaxed, burying his head into his pillow he seemingly averted his gaze as Azula dressed. When she arrived she had still been in disguise, wearing what had once been an earth nation dress, most of it had all been burned to bits by her brother’s attack. Donning a yellow tunic and trousers with a faded orange shawl, her clothing right down to the flats she was slipping on had all been gifted to her by the air nation. Aang liked to remind her of that, especially in the beginning when she swore she was wearing a dead air bender’s clothes.

Azula fixed her hair into a high ponytail and let her twin side bangs fall into place, ready she turned to the Avatar still in bed.

“As I have warned you, time and time again, Avatar, sneaking peeks at a fire nation royal when she dresses is an offense punishable by death…” the princess paused for dramatic effect, when Aang not flinching, yawned in her direction, she finished, “As is keeping a princess waiting.”

Aang waited until Azula had left him to start the fire for their morning tea before getting up to dress. He had been sore, not just from the night’s sparring, but his work. For weeks he had been pushing his body and his bending to their absolute limit and now, in his last fleeting moments of rest, he moved much slower than usual.

“It’s getting cold!”

It was a lie, Azula controlled the temperature of her kettle with her bending, but she refused to be left alone. He was going to leave her and spend the whole day with that old geezer doing Agni knows what, so she was not going to let him waste their time together trying to oversleep in the tent.

When Aang emerged dressed, his yellow pants and brown boots lost beneath his long orange air nation robe, he wore a tired expression on his face. Yawning, he slowly made his way to their makeshift seats. A rough assembly of wood that Azula was overbearingly proud of herself for putting together, they each had their own seats, her throne and his chair.

Lifting the hot kettle, one of the few workable treasures Azula was able to salvage from the air temple ruins, she poured Aang a cup of tea. The still boiling tea left off a hot smoke into the cold air of the morning. Blowing on it, the Avatar braved a sip with the eyes of the princess on him, waiting for his judgment and secretly hoping for his approval.

“It’s very good.” He said, and Azula tried to hold back a smile.

The princess had been working on her own blend of tea for months, searching the grasses and shrubbery of the valley below. It was an endless process of trial and error that made tea in the morning and at night so thrilling it was akin to battle. Perfection, it was out there, and ever since she swore to never drink another drop of the guru’s disgusting banana onion juice, she’d been challenging herself to find it.

When Aang had one more cup then he should’ve, he started to get up doing so slowly as to signal Azula of his intentions. Their time was up and more and more it was becoming an issue between them. Back when Aang was on his first couple of chakras she didn’t care that he’d leave to work with guru Pathik. But recently, he couldn’t deny that things had changed, especially after the last chakra.

“So you're leaving me for that old man again?” Azula couldn’t help but sound venomous, part of her tried to hold back but her emotions getting the best of her allowed her to let loose.

“Azula, you know it's not like that.”

“Tell me Avatar, tell me what it’s like, because all I see is you pretending like you are not about to get up and leave me, and I won’t see you, not until dark, do I lie? Tell me Avatar, do I lie?”

Aang had been down this road with her before and did not like where it led, so he proceeded with caution, making sure to collect his thoughts before answering her.

“These chakras are really important, not just for the war but for me, part of being the Avatar is having them opened,” Aang paused to check that he had Azula’s attention, “if it were up to me I’d spend the whole day with you, we’d practice katas and sparr together till we pass out somewhere lost in the temple, it’d be like the old days, when we first got here and the chakras were easy...but it's up to me, and as a princess you should understand what it means to have a duty, so…”

“Enough,” Azula waved her hand to slow him to a stop, “you paint pretty pictures of fantasies that won’t come to pass.”

Aang’s heart sank, she wasn’t going to let him go, he couldn’t say he was surprised, not after the last chakra left him a broken mess that frightened her to see.

“But you should know more than anyone that I would never stop you in your duty, I just,” Azula paused as she built up the courage to continue, “I just want you to be careful, last time, well, I don’t want to see you like last time, I’ll tell you I nearly killed that guru for putting you through it, so you opened the chakra Avatar, that may be worth it to you but its not to me, so...”

The princess had talked herself into a ramble, but the Avatar came to her rescue, “I will Azula, this one, it isn’t like the last one, the last one was different.”

Standing, Aang took a couple of steps between them and helped her to her feet. Placing his arms around her, he held her at the small of her back and pressed her to him. Hoping to appease her, he spoke with a cheerful hopefulness, “How about I come back for lunch?”

“Promise?”

As soon as she asked, she watched him answer with a nod, “Do you promise under severe, I mean severe hot burning scalding punishment?”

Aang answered her with a kiss, one that she deepened, always trying to one up him even in their affection. Allowing the kiss to last longer than he should, he broke the kiss with his bending.

When he left her, she tried to practice her katas, to make herself busy, anything to forget that he was gone and wouldn’t be back for too many hours to think about. When the katas failed to distract her, she cursed the hour, it was too early to continue her hunt for the komodo rhino, which left her one option.

“Agni Appa you are disgraceful!...and you're supposed to be the last of the dreaded sky bison,” shouted Azula with mocked contempt as she approached the bison.

Appa, who had been pleasantly sleeping in, awoke at the sound of her voice, his head shaking its own form of hello to the princess.

“When was the last time your master brushed you...oh you don’t remember, neither do I, it’s clear he has as little time for you as he does for me.”

Hearing her words and understanding them in his own way, Appa bowed his head in woe,

“Don’t you fret Appa, you are actually privileged among beasts, honored even.”

The sky bison answered her with a look of disbelief, to which she returned with her own face of playful disappointment.

“Your going to be brushed by royalty today...I know what you must be thinking, you’ve been brushed by royalty since you got to this temple, and it wouldn’t make you the first to not know how good you have it...not even the first at this temple,” Azula paused and looked over at one of the larger mountains, lined with castles the air benders had the gall to call a temple, they sat nearly in shouting distance of Appa’s flattop tower.

Somewhere, deep into one of those catacomb-like castles was the Avatar training with that old guru. At least she assumed he was, she had never actually seen him train and had no idea what releasing a chakra even looked like. Although Azula prided herself on having personally aided him in the release of his third chakra, maybe not in the same way as the old guru, but she knew he couldn’t have passed its test without the necessary push she gave him. Wrapping her arms around herself, mimicking a hug he gave her, the memory passed over her like a gentle wave, carrying her until Appa bumped her back into reality.

“You are pretty pushy for being the last of your kind, sky bison,” snapped Azula, reaching for a brush that had been her first project, back when her still mending bones and closing cuts kept her from doing little more than explore the temple at a snail sloth’s pace.

Starting on Appa’s coat, the dark places her mind liked to take her when the Avatar wasn’t around helped her remember her first real fight with him, as her decision to make the brush came out of it. It wasn’t a fight like their previous battles, it didn’t put either of their lives at risk nor put each other’s bending to the test, instead they shouted, or at least she did. The noise of her anguish coated in anger echoed throughout the temple, filling the desolate place with the shrieking sound of a wounded fire bender for the first time in a century.

“I’m not feeble!” Azula remembered yelling, trying to bend flame but finding that her strength had not yet returned to her. When the Avatar tried to calm her down, naturally she rushed him, determined to punch and kick, but again, her strength had not yet returned, nor had her balance. The fire princes would have fallen on her face if not for the agility of the Avatar, catching her and holding her close.

Azula thought of her unwillingness to give up, unsure if she had something to prove to the Avatar or herself. She must have looked like a fool, trying to break out of the Avatar’s embrace until finally her frustration boiled over and the proud fire princess broke in his arms.

“Remember sky bison, if you tell anyone what you saw, I’ll finish what I started back in that forest.”

It was a joke and Appa in his own way knew it. The animal companion of the Avatar, had been present since the beginning, when Aang, still in the Avatar state brought the unconscious Azula to him and together they flew to the eastern air temple.

Trying to dismiss the memory of screams rendered inaudible against the Avatar’s chest, the feeling of his tunic, hot and wet from the tears that aggressively poured from her eyes. The fire princess had never felt lower, she had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the earth bender, the water peasant, and worst of all her brother.

If the Avatar had not been there to stop her, she would have cut off all her hair in shame. But he was there and nothing had been the same between them since. When they had arrived at the temple she had been bed ridden, unable to even sit up in her bed roll at the risk of injuring herself even further. Seeing nothing but the insiders of the Avatar’s weathered tent, she refused to even speak.

Picking her way through the knots that had collected around each of the sky bison’s legs, she smiled at the Avatar’s strength of will. She’d ignore him, turn over and put her back to him, and when she was feeling particularly low she’d spit. More than once, she’d leave him dripping with banana onion juice, just for him to say he was glad that it at least made her smile for a change.

Before meeting the Avatar, she had thought the only things that could make her smile were politics and war, but he showed her there were many other things that could cause her lips to curl in a way they weren’t used to and settle in a place they’d rarely settled before outside of a prosecution or a battle.

“Happy, is that what he makes me...tell me sky bison, you’ve seen it all, is that what I am?”

Asking her question as if she would receive an answer, she circled the air bison to start working on his other side. Was happy the right word she thought, picking a weird bug from the now dirty bristles of her brush.

Azula wasn’t sure but that no longer frightened her as it once did. The many sleepless nights she’d spent, tossing and turning when she wasn’t pacing back and forth, all in a vain attempt to make sense of what was going on between the Avatar and her. Truthfully she still didn’t know what exactly was going on between them, but she slept much better now that she had him at her side.

Happy, the word again appeared in her mind, could she be happy and still be confused. Her morning crisis, the now ritualized panic she felt at the precariousness of her situation definitely didn’t make her feel happy, but when the Avatar took her into his tattooed arms, that was something else. In those moments, when he pressed his bald head to her shoulder and she felt the steady beating of his heart at her back, that made her feel many things all of them good, too many and too good, she thought, working the brush through yet another knot, this one wadded with some kind of tree sap that the bison got on him from agni knows where.

“Ty Lee would say I’m in,” Azula paused, nervous to speak as if someone might hear her, she leaned closer to the large ears of air bison then whispered as if it were a secret kept between Appa and her, “I’m in love.”

“The circus freak.” she quickly snapped, as if calling her friend that would make what she would say any less true.

“And Mai, what would Mai say,” summoning the most withdrawn and annoyed voice possible, she mimicked her friend, “Azula stop fooling yourself, you're practically sharing a tent with him...”

Gazing at another castle sized air temple, she looked at the entrances that fed into its many corridors and large halls, she scanned the stairways that trickled up and down the sides of the mountain leading to towers and rooms that were hidden above the clouds. No sign of the Avatar, he was nowhere to be found, off with that guru somewhere beyond sight and sound.

Azula hated that guru, the old man looked like he was idling on the edge of a long overdue natural death yet he possessed a cheerfulness that rivaled Ty Lee’s. A bad combination, made worse by his constant collecting of the Avatar every morning, stealing him away from her and keeping him until the night when he was exhausted, too tired to spend more than an hour or two with her. This was something happening more recently as of late, with one night the guru having to drag him from whatever mountainside they’d been training on, his legs so spent that they refused to hold up his body.

Then there was the fourth chakra, the one that had taken him the longest to release and no doubt extracted the biggest toll. Unlike the third before, he did not let her help him, and refused to even talk about it when he returned. When he finally did unblock it, it broke him, almost as badly as she’d been broken by her defeat, giving her the chance to cradle him as he sobbed. Feeling warm at the memory of bringing his sorrowful head to her and pointing his tattoo in her direction, she whispered kind words she never imagined ever wanting to say to anyone, much less meaning them the way she did.

Azula considered it strange that she no longer felt embarrassed over her breakdown nor did she think less of the Avatar for his. At first, her instincts told her to push him away, but when her mouth opened and soothing words she’d only read in the most melodramatic of fire nation literature poured out, all she could do was hold him tighter and pull him closer.

Since their fight at the drill, she had considered them to be the two most powerful benders in the world and yet they had come to pieces in front of each other. But, they had also put each other back together again, and the princess never thought there’d be anyone who’d care enough to put her back together, as he did.

Now even more anxious to see the Avatar again, the princess ran the brush one final time down the large arrow that topped the head of the air bison and announced, “All done.”

Stepping away from a now grateful and more relaxed air bison, she ran her thumb along the brush’s bristles, now clumped together, meshed with all the dirt and grim she extracted from the sky bison’s fur. It had taken her three days to make the brush, two foraging the valley below for materials and one putting them together. The Avatar had called the brush an olive branch between the princess and bison and as she gave said bison one last pet, Azula swore to Agni that if she didn’t have Appa to talk to during the Avatar’s long absences, she’d go mad.

Chapter Text

Aang hated the irony that came with lying to Azula about unlocking the fifth chakra, in truth he had unlocked the chakra weeks ago. The fifth chakra, otherwise known as the sound chakra deals in truth and is blocked by lies, his having to lie to her about it tasted bitter, despite his intentions.

Wiping the sweat from his bald head, the cavern, his workstation for almost the last month, was no bigger than a small Ba Sing shop. Tight spaced, it was hot and humid from his work. Not nearly as skilled a water bender as Katara and suffering from lack of her guidance, he had wasted several days figuring the proper techniques for his work, mixing them with the firebending he had been using and his cavern had taken on the atmosphere of a steam room.

“Aang! Aang!” an old, kind voice called down to him from a floor several stories above.

“Yes guru Pathnik, I can hear you?”

“Would you like some banana onion juice?”

The thirsty air bender was beginning to understand Azula’s disdain for the stinky yellow liquid, needing to preserve water for his work; it had reluctantly become his exclusive drink since he started. Letting his sudden awareness of his dwindling hydration override the need to finish, a need that only comes when being so close, he let the water jetting from his fingertips slow to a stop and set down the black stone he held in his other hand.

“Be right up!”

Using his bending, he launched himself vertically, occasionally bouncing off a wall or a floor, he made his way up the several floors from the bedrock cave he’d been working into the vault level where the guru was waiting for him. Aang thought of the princess as he reached the guru, he had adamantly insisted to her that the air nation did not keep dungeons, that the lower levels of the air temples were reserved for safe keeping precious items and preserving sacred meditative space.

“Thank you,” Aang said, landing and taking a seat next to the guru on the dust covered vault floor.

“Are you sure you're ready?”

Aang pretended like he wasn’t nervous and nodded.

“Well then, when she says yes, you must return to your chakras.”

“What makes you so sure she’ll say yes?”

The guru smiled at the Avatar’s question but didn’t answer it, “Just remember, your training is important, if you do not release all of your chakras you will not be able to control the Avatar state, if you do not control the Avatar state then you cannot defeat the firelord and put an end to this awful war.”

“Don’t worry guru Pathik I will, just to do that, I have to do this first.”

This time the Pathnik answered Aang with a small smile that resonated with an understanding and empathy that only a centuries old guru could give.

When Aang returned to his work he wondered aloud if he had not so easily unlocked the fifth chakra would the guru still have let him take this time away from his training. Chakra training was like none other training he had ever endured, it wasn’t a series of learning techniques or the repetitious practicing form and stance. To release a chakra, he had to meditate in place and dig deep within himself to find whatever it was that had been blocking his chakra. After the first chakra, he had learned it was never anything good.

Shuttering at the feeling that only thoughts of the first chakra could bring. Images of the fire lord burning him until the skin and flesh melted off his bones, earth benders smashing his limbs between giant boulders and waterbenders drowning him beneath a rushing tidal wave, all punishing him for his failures as the Avatar. Azula was too deep in her recovery to see it, but when he came back every night to change the dressings of her wounds, he was thankful to do something that would take his mind away from the visions and the tortuous pain they inflicted. The fire princess was almost talking again by the time he had finally unlocked the chakra, and when she asked about his experience, he did his best to avoid details.

Picking up the glass like black stone and bending water from an old dented bucket at his side, he felt better knowing that the second chakra was a much better experience, still horrible, but at least he didn’t carry the residual feelings of its pain with him. The water chakra was blocked by guilt, something he had plenty of and thankfully had been working through since he first admitted to Katara and Sokka that he was the Avatar. Much more prepared, he pushed through the training right down to the center of his guilt and returned to Azula that night with his head held high.

Using all the water bending Katara had taught him and some he had been forced to teach himself, he speeded up the water in his hand until it was sharper than any sword or spear. Picking up where he left off, returning to the meticulous etchings he had been making in the black stone, Aang thought to himself, Azula if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it this far.

The third chakra, or the chakra of fire had proved impenetrable and no amount of training could fix it. The chakra of fire, blocked by shame, Aang had no way of unlocking it without overcoming his refusal to fire bend. The destruction he had caused whenever he used it had made him vow to never fire and bend again creating an impassable barrier to releasing the third chakra.

After weeks of nothing, he had become frustrated with the predicament to the point he could no longer keep it from the unnaturally perceptive princess and after much prying he told her what he needed to do to unlock the third chakra and all the reasons why he couldn’t.

It had been cold that night, not uncommon for their altitude. Living atop the high towers of the Eastern Air Temple made a constant threat of ice and snow. Aang had expected her to chastise him, to put him down in a well meaning but cruel attempt to push him towards what she probably believed was his mission.

The fire princess had made a habit of defying his expectations and even now, three months passed since that fateful night, and he was still lamenting over not knowing better. Aang could see her gazing into the fire that stood between them as if it held the key to unlocking his chakra. Seeing her in such deep thought, he was sure she was going to spout some fire sage wisdom at him but without warning and seemingly without reason, Azula stood up.

Not speaking, she let the long orange air bending robes she had been using for warmth fall from her shoulders and slide down her arms to the floor. Kicking off her air nation flats, she ignored him when he asked what she was doing. Walking the edge of their flat topped tower, wearing only her light air bending tunic and thin trousers, Aang remembered her turning to him, checking to see that he was watching. Azula waited until he was almost in reach of her, before jumping. A wicked and mischievous smile, her only goodbye, as he saw her disappear into the darkness below.

Like all the towers that adorned the mountain temples, beneath it was one of several valleys, this one in particular had a small river at its bottom. The river’s rushing water, he could hear it from the top. Aang had not expected her to jump, but when she did he went after so fast it was as if she had pulled him down with her.

Stopping briefly to inspect the fresh markings he made on the stone, he continued to silently chastise himself for forgetting one of the first lessons the fire princess had taught him, Azula always has a plan. A grand strategy armed with the strength of forethought, and he foolishly missed it.

The river, normally a narrow even paced stream, had been swelled by melted snow fall, causing its increasingly dangerous speed. Freezing with sharp rocks lining the bottom, a fall like the one he watched her take would kill most everyone. But Azula even in her weakened state would not be bested by fall, diving in with elite precision, she dodged the rocks and then felt her strength leave her. When he reached her, the proud princess was half drowned, her wounds had reopened making the river run red around her, and she could barely keep her head above water.

Azula, never the one to allow herself to be rescued, surprised him when she grabbed onto him, pulling herself into his arms. Bending the water, he flushed them from the river and used his earth bending to catch them on its banks. The air temple and their tent and warm bedroll was at least a thousand feet above their heads, and there was no way of getting the princess up there in her current state. Exhausted, drenched, and her skin cold to the touch, every second she remained so, she risked fever and death.

Aang had spent most of his life hating being the Avatar, but on that night he had been eternally grateful for what was now showing itself to be a gift not a curse. With Toph’s voice in his mind, her extreme drills and hard knock lessons, he placed his hands against the side of the mountain and earth bended until he had created a small cave. Shelter for the both of them, he held her with her back to him, his arms around her trying in vain to give her his warmth. But it was failing and she was getting worse.

Slurring her words and slipping in and out of consciousness, Azula waited until things were at their most dire before revealing her plan with her own morbid casualness, “Are you going to let me freeze and have my death added to your shame, Avatar?”

Hearing her slurred taunt as though she were in the cavern with him caused Aang to stop working. “Azula,” he said her name only to himself but its echo bounced off the walls around him. The fire princess risked her life so that he would release his third chakra, he didn’t realize it until that moment in the cave when she challenged him in a way that only she can.

If he was going to save her life, then he would have to fire bend, only fire could give Azula the warmth she needed. Using his bending he concentrated, not on burning anything but on himself, on warming the core of his body allowing his temperature to rise until water that had still clung to his body dissipated into rising steam. Letting her steal his newfound heat, he stayed awake all through the night, watching over her and keeping her fever at bay.

The following morning, he carried her on his back and together they scaled the mountain back to their temple home. Then, hours later after he had tucked her into their bedroll and forced her to remain bedridden at least until her wounds resealed, he went to guru Pathik and released his third chakra. Fire bending not to end a life but to save one, Aang could no longer reject the fire bender in him, because if not for his bending his princess would be dead.

He hadn’t fire bended since, much to Azula’s disappointment, a disappointment that only grew stronger as she healed and was slowly able to train again. When he refused to fire bend with her, she would pelt him with flame until he at least sparred with her. For nearly a month she would set up ambushes for him, traps to force him to fire bend with her, but none of which had any success. The fire princess had even gone as far as to casually say one night that she wouldn’t be opposed to being his fire bending teacher. But again, Aang refused her and after not speaking to him for a week and one final attempt at forcing him to fire bend by attack, she reluctantly gave up.

Wiping the sweat that had accumulated around the tip of the arrow on his head, he ran his fingers over the surface of the black stone. If the fire princess only knew the amount of fire bending it took to make it, to burn rock until it melted into lava then bend the lava until it formed priceless obsidian. He had failed at it nearly a dozen times before getting it right. He hated lying to Azula about it, his fire bending and what he was working on, but the fourth chakra had changed everything, it gave him a secret to keep and a reason to keep it.

The fourth chakra, rooted in the heart and bound to grief, releasing it would have torn him apart if not for Azula being there each night to put him back together again. For nearly two months, Aang had meditated in place for hours, pushing himself relentlessly through the toughest of his walls his spirit had to off only to find another even stronger. The walls, spiritual blocks that kept him from facing the grief that blocked his chakra were not physical barriers for him to drill at in his mind but intense feelings that he had to pass through like a dense fog.

Feelings of the greatest sadness and the deepest loss all coated in the familiar, haunted him worse than the skeletons of his fellow air benders and the ruins of the great air temples. For days Aang would smell the meals he had been raised with, practically able to taste the world of his childhood only to be left with the empty depressive reality that it was gone. The laughs of friends that he had learned to air bend with and the voices of the masters who taught them, called out to him, echoing in his mind, only to fade into an endless silence. Releasing the fourth chakra forced him to dive into the abyss, the empty chasm that once had been in his heart, letting himself be devoured by the loss of everything he once knew and loved.

Hands trembling, Aang forced himself from his thoughts and slowed the water he had been bending until it was less a raging jet and more a dwindling drip. Breathing heavily, he needed to cool down and most of all he needed courage. Taking the black stone, his own secret project, to the surface, he didn’t need the cold stares of Avatar Yangchen’s many statues to tell him he was defying his culture by readying himself to disobey one of its most sacred tenements.

The stone, earth bending from the heart of the Eastern Air Temple, fire bending from lava, and finally engraved with water bending, Aang had used all his powers as the Avatar to make it for her. And now, standing atop the temple’s highest peak, he carefully used his air bending to brush the stone clean, revealing the engraving he spent so long trying to perfect.

A hundred years ago, when Aang, close with his friend Kuzon, spent time in the fire nation, he learned that every great fire bended needed a dragon. But like his fellow air benders, all the dragons were gone. Pausing to hold the obsidian up to the sun, it was as if he was seeing it for the first time, Azula’s dragon. A silhouette, painstakingly etched into the stone, its long neck curled like an S leading to its large elongated head with vicious open eyes and a wicked forked tongue. If the princess could’ve had a dragon, he imagined it would have been like this.

The final step was making a simple hole at the top of the stone, turning it into a pendant. Aang then pulled out a string he had fashioned from the wild jute that grew along the river, dyeing it red with berries, he slipped it through the now obsidian pendant turning it into a necklace.

Mediating, practically in the sky, it took hours for Aang to calm his nerves and find his courage. He did not come to this decision lightly and it was the chakras that led him to this moment. With this thought driving him, he returned to the tower they had called home and there he found Azula waiting for him.

The fire princess greeted him in her own way before pulling him to kiss, tempted to give in, to kiss her back, and postpone his plans for another day, he felt the necklace in his pocket and found new resolve. It wasn’t just the chakras that brought him here, it was her.

Breaking the kiss, Aang took a step away from her and did his best to ignore the way she tried to hide her shock and confusion.

“Azula, we need to talk.”

Chapter Text

The fire princess did her best not to panic, Azula may have had little experience in relationships but she was not ignorant. She was well aware of the implications that came when the Avatar said those ominous words to her, "we needed to talk".

Azula felt time pass torturously slow and she could not tell if it was her doing or his. The seconds that had lapsed between his words and now, the lost look in her eyes, the one she tried to keep at bay but could feel it taking hold of her retinas. She had seen Ty Lee cry before after bitter break ups and even heard Mai’s anguish over the exile of her brother, but never once had she thought that she’d be the one.

The tears welling signifying the inevitable breaking of her heart, it was in that moment that the fire princess could no longer deny that she loved the Avatar. But he didn’t love her back and she could hear her father’s maniacal laughter teasing her in her mind, scolding her for her weakness.

“Azula?”

Hearing him say her name reminded her that she did not even acknowledge his request to talk, too busy dreading the end it was bringing. Opening her mouth, she tried to answer him but lost the power of her voice, the pain inside extinguishing it before it could leave her throat. She couldn’t do this, she didn’t care if it made her a coward, Azula could not stand there and listen to him leave her.

Avoidance, retreat, fleeing, whatever it was, Azula considered it her only option, she would not let the Avatar watch her mourn him. Turning away from him, she made a motion to run when she felt his hand on her shoulder.

“No, Avatar,” she snapped in desperation, shoving his hand away in the process.

“But Azula!”

The fire princess tried to ignore him, to run away and leave him behind, but he didn’t let her. The Avatar taking her in his arms, resting her back to his and his chin on her shoulder, he clasped his hands around her center and breathed slowly against her.

Azula hated how he could calm her with such a simple embrace but he did and when she let herself fall back into him, she accepted her fate.

“Just do it…”

“Do what, princess?”

Aang did not need the wisdom of the Avatars to know that this was going badly. He had hoped to sit down and explain things, a proposition that terrified him but he was ready for nonetheless. The look on her face when he told her they needed to talk, the way it seemed as if all the happiness had left her and the way she hid her eyes so as to avoid showing him her tears, made it abundantly clear, everything was wrong.

“Don’t jest with me Avatar, you’ve obviously come here for a reason now get it over with.”

“Fine, but just know this isn’t how I wanted to do this.”

Aang felt her pull at him, but he held her close, worried if he let her go she’d leave without giving him the chance to explain.

“Get on with it Avatar!”

Azula readied herself for the blow, she’d never had her heart broken before and the trepidation made her quake in the Avatar’s arms.

“I lied about the chakras!” Aang started by blurting out the truth.

“You what!” Azula was confused but the Avatar continued before she questioned further.

“Well I haven’t lied, I mean I did about the fifth chakra, it’s because I’ve opened it already, but that’s not what I mean, it’s more like…”

“Like what Avatar!”

The fire princess did not know how to feel she had expected something far worse from the Avatar yet being lied to did not help her hurt nor her anger.

“Like I didn’t tell you everything about the fourth chakra.”

Azula remained silent, the fourth chakra and the trauma it had caused him had always been a mystery to her and the longer he went without telling her something devastating the more she allowed herself to hope that she’d been wrong about his intentions all along.

Aang continued, “The fourth chakra is, you see, the fourth chakra is the love chakra and I, I love you.”

Azula felt her heart recompose itself in her chest, placing her hands over his, she held him to her.

“You love me?”

The Avatar could hear the caution in her voice, it was the first time in his life that he heard her timid, her tone lacking its arrogant and commanding quality.

The scared voice of a doubtful Azula, one that struggled to accept that he loved her, gave Aang all the motivation he needed to continue, “When I was in there,” he paused to motion to the largest mountain of the Eastern Air Temple, “I worked hard to unblock my fourth chakra, the pain, and the loss, all of it, it was almost too much, it would have been to much, if not for you. And when Guru Pathik told me that the love I lost was reborn in the form of new love, Azula I saw you.”

The princess heard herself call out to him, “Aang…”

“You were there, just like you’ve always been, in your own way, pushing me, challenging me, helping me become the Avatar I need to be.”

Azula tried briefly to wrestle her way out of his arms, to turn around and kiss the Avatar with all the passion he had filled her with. But Aang had to stop her, he wasn’t finished.

“Wait Azula…I want you to know that I don’t just want you to be there for me, I want to be there for you too.”

“You can’t mean that, I’m, I’m, you know who I am, what I am,” Azula spat, the reality of the Avatar’s words being too good to be true pushing her to reject them.

“Azula you're not a monster…”

She felt his hands leave her for a moment, then come to her neck bringing a necklace with them. Anxiously, Azula let him slip it around her and tie it at the back of her neck. Not looking, she reached for the pendent and ran her fingers across, feeling the grooves of the dragon at its center.

“The fifth chakra,” Aang waited until he had her attention again, “The fifth chakra is the chakra of truth, and the truth is, I never thought I’d be happy again, not after losing my people, I’d smile and laugh with Sokka and Katara, but I was never at peace. Then we fought, and fought again, and fought some more, and each time I felt closer to you, happier with you, then we came here and spent this time together, and Azula I’m finally at peace with you, only you.”

“What are you saying…”

“I’m saying Azula,” Aang caught his breath and tried to explain himself as best he could, “I’m saying that the truth the fifth chakra told me was that my future and my destiny belongs with you. That you're my forever girl, the girl I want to have a family with, the girl I want to be my wife.”

Azula reached for the necklace, lifting the pendant and bringing her eyes to it for the first time she recognized its significance and the intention behind it.

“This is a betrothal necklace,” she was saying to herself but the Avatar heard her.

“I know it’s a water nation tradition, but the air nation doesn’t practice marriage, so we have no traditions, I hope…”

Aang stopped when the fire princess abruptly stepped away from him, leaving his side, she walked several paces until she looked back at him at a distance.

“How dare you!” she yelled.

“What?” Aang struggled to understand her sudden change in temper.

“How dare you Avatar even think that you could ever be anything more than my enemy, husband,” Azula stopped to spit in disgust, “Your not worthy, you’ll never be worthy, I am Azula, princess of the fire nation, and I will not lower to myself to marry some air savage especially one foolish enough to think he could woo me with a water peasant’s trinket.”

“Azula you don’t mean that,” Aang pleaded with her but to no avail.

“Test me Avatar and I’ll finish what I’ve started!”

Azula put both hands together and hurled a long blue stream of fire at the Avatar. When Aang air bent it away, she was gone.

Aang raced after her, sure she had escaped down the mountain side, he didn’t know what he’d say or what he’d do, but he couldn’t let it end like this. He was stopped when he heard the voice of the last Avatar.

“Aang, be patient, you must give her time.”

Heeding the words of his predecessor, Aang begrudgingly stopped and took position sitting at the edge of his and Azula’s tower. Trying in vain to meditate, he pretended not to listen to the commotion in the valley below.

When Azula left the tower, she all but dove off its edge. Skipping her way down, she reached the valley floor in seconds and then checked to see if the Avatar had followed. When she saw that he didn’t, she fell to her knees in anguish and despair.

Placing her hands on her head she tried to steady the chorus in her mind. Two voices both hers arguing amongst themselves, neither taking away the retching feeling she felt inside.

She could hear her wicked self, the princess of the fire nation who applauded the way she rejected the Avatar’s haphazard proposition only for another voice, the one that seemed to find her and lift her up every morning, this voice berated her for throwing away her once chance at love.

Stuck in the middle, tears storming from her eyes, Azula screamed fire until her own voice silenced the ones in her head. The blue flame she spouted caught the trees of the valley forming a ring of burning forest around her.

“Why did I do that?” she questioned, looking into the immolating brush for answers.

“Because you are afraid.”

Startled by an ancient voice answering her most personal question, she leapt into the air, spin kicking, she shot blue flame from her feet at whoever dared to speak to her.

The ancient voice laughed, hidden behind the burning trees. Azula couldn’t recognize it beyond its uncanny familiarity. She readied her fighting stance as it grew closer.

When she was able to make out an old face coming towards her, seemingly gliding past the flaming shrubbery, Azula fired a bolt of lighting right between its eyes. To her surprise the lightning passed straight through and old face revealed itself to be an old man, dressed in fire nation clothes, he was translucent and coated in a glowing blue.

“Hello Azula,” the old man greeted her.

“Who in Agni are you?” she shouted, firing off another bolt of lighting before the man could answer.

The lightning had no effect except prompting the old man to say, “I see you have much Sozin in you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Azula asked.

“That you are stubborn and angry, thankfully he’s not all I see in you.”

“And what makes you so sure, Roku.”

Azula added a twisted smile to her words after recognizing the old man in front of her.

“Because I also see myself in you, great granddaughter.”

“If by that you mean you see weakness and failure, then I must say great grandfather, I’m offended.”

“That’s your father talking.”

“Enough, Roku, why have you disturbed me? How are you even here?”

Roku hovered over to his great granddaughter, once at her side he sat on the small piece of still unburnt forest and patted for her to join him.

Azula reluctantly took a seat next to her great grandfather, blaming her actions on Aang and the soft spot he had given her for Avatars.

“I know your father had ingrained in you a certain disdain for the spirits, so allow my presence to be an example of their power…as to why I am here, I cannot say.”

Azula tried to interrupt him by scoffing loudly, but her behavior only reminded him of what it was like to talk to his once best and most difficult friend.

“The spirit world is a mystery that alludes us all, perhaps I was brought here by Aang and the connection we share as Avatars, but at this moment, I would like to believe I’ve been sent here because of you.”

“Now of all times, why would spirits waste their time by sending you to speak to me.”

“Are you not in trouble Azula?”

Roku looked around at the forest burning around them, the smoke billowing into the air and the light of the flames blocking out the stars in the sky.

“I’ve been in trouble.”

Azula placed a hand on her mouth as if to silence herself before she let any more truth slip out.

“Because Aang has asked you to marry him?”

“No!” The princess didn’t mean to shout but couldn’t stop herself, now with her voice strained and her eyes starting to moisten she whispered, “I’m in trouble because I wanted to say yes.”

Roku smiled at his great granddaughters' admission, feeling relieved that his line had not truly been soured by the taint of Sozin and Ozai.

“If Aang loves you and you love him, I do not see a problem.”

“Has death and old age blinded you or dulled your senses? How can you not see a problem you foolish old man…no wonder Sozin defeated you,” the fire princess added the last quip with hopes that the added venom would anger her great grandfather into leaving her alone.

Roku, raised in the fire nation, best friends with the infamous fire lord, was more than immune to the poison spewed by the royal family, “You believe you cannot marry Aang because of your father’s war.”

“Of course I can’t marry Aang because of my father’s war! The fire nation's war!...My war.”

“Is it?”

“Foolish old man, how can you ask me such a stupid question, do I have to remind you what the our nation does to traitors, and before you try say different, let me tell you that is exactly what I’d be, great grandfather. I’d be a traitor, the worst kind, abandoning the kingdom and my crown for the love of an enemy.”

“You're more fool than I am if you think Ozai would ever let you take the throne, but I don’t have to tell you that, do I?”

When his great granddaughter failed to respond, choking on the hard truth that he had given her, one that she’d known all along, Roku chose to carefully continue, “Even if your father wasn’t the kind of man we both know him to be and he did let you one day become firelord, you speak so harshly of weakness but you would make a weak fire lord if you are to afraid to act on your passions and pursue the one you love.”

Azula dropped the malice in her tone for a pitiful sadness, “It doesn’t matter if I love him, how could he ever love me, really love me, even my own mother said I’m a monster.”

“And what did Aang say?”

Hearing Aang’s words echo in her mind, Azula relieved his disaster of a proposal, his awkward yet kind words, heartfelt and unmistakably true, she smiled and felt a warm feeling come over her. A feeling she had never known until she met Aang, it was a calming sensation, a blissful form of relaxation that had once been so foriegn to her. Never had she thought that she’d want anything beyond victorious conquest, but sitting in the flaming forest it all seemed so distant like an awful memory.

Why had she done what she did? Her great grandfather was right, she was scared, but Azula, princess of the fire nation, had vowed never to be a coward and to always put her wants and desires first. And she wanted Aang, she desired the happiness that only he could bring, nor did she ever want to lose the feeling he gave her.

“It’s treason then…” Azula said to herself.

The fire princess waited for her great grandfather to acknowledge her revelation, but heard nothing, “Roku,” she called out to him, but he was gone, dissolving into the night just as quickly as he came.

When night gave way to morning and the sun rose high above the Eastern Air Temple, Aang looked out into the valley below only to see a sea of ash where the forest once stood. He had not slept, barely able to meditate, he waited for her just as Roku told him too.

“Avatar Aang.”

At the sound of her voice, Aang quickly turned around to see the princess standing behind him,

“Azula…”

Walking to him with the boldness and directness of an attack, Azula threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss.

Together they poured their trepidation, their fear and anguish, their love and relief at seeing one another, all the feelings that had consumed the night before into the pressing of their lips to one another.

When Azula broke the kiss, she and Aang were out of breath and stood on shaky legs, her hands firmly clasped behind his neck and his arms sealed around her.

“I don’t want to be princess of the fire nation anymore.”

“What?”

“I want to be queen…queen of the air nation.”

“But the air nation doesn’t have queens.”

“Will you shut up Avatar! You're going to ruin it.” Azula paused, struggling through her own confession, “Oh Agni, I’ve decided to agree to the betrothal, Aang, I'm telling you that I’ll be your forever girl..that I want to be your queen.”

“Oh! ” Aang had not expected her to say yes and when she did he had no words beyond an awkward, “thank you,” that gave way to a smile that took over both their faces. Bringing his lips to hers he spoke softly before their kiss, “Azula, my queen.”

Chapter Text

The water bender was pacing back and forth in her room. She stopped when she heard a soft knock at the door.

“Katara?”

The voice was cautious and hesitant yet she was relieved to hear it.

“Yes,” she kept her own voice low as to as though she were busy.,

“It’s raining…”

Katara suddenly felt anxious, they had waited for rain.

“How long do we have?”

“You know we don’t have to do this if you don't…”

“Zuko, how much time do we have?”

There was a pause before she heard the fire prince’s voice softly sound its way through the door.

“About an hour, maybe a little longer.”

“I’ll be out right now.”

When Katara emerged from her room she had donned her battle dress, a rough amalgamation of armor and clothing, taken from off the backs of Dai Li and Earth Nation soldiers stupid enough to try and defeat her in combat. She had not worn her water tribe tunic in months, it having been shredded beyond repair back at the tea shop.

Walking down a long corridor that once lined the backs of shops, she no longer felt sad, too much had happened since then. The city, Ba Sing Se, was once a magnificent earth nation metropolis, one that had both astounded her the moment and frightened her at its magnanimity. Six months later of skirmishes, on and off fighting, fighting that only worsened with time, and the city had now been pockmarked with battle scars.

What started in the tea shop during Aang and Azula’s disaster of a date had spread from block to block until districts dallied between opulent and leveled. Not by Aang or Azula, the pair had not been seen since the night of their date. The destruction of the city came from within, a casualty of the small war being waged between the Earth Nation and a small platoon of Fire Nation soldiers.

The Fire Nation soldiers had been smuggled in by Azula all a part of her once planned coup. Now, those same soldiers bowed to the fire prince and most surprising of all Katara.

Zuko, waiting for the water bender, sat with his uncle beside a low table. Ignoring the tea in his hand, he tipped the cup in his hands and tried to distract himself with the tsunami he created with the swishing tea. This was the fourth safe house they’d been forced to call home since the teashop and each time they had to flee and find new shelter, he wondered if she’d leave him.

Marshall Toph Beifong, the blnd earth master, was a friend of Katara’s and would probably take her back with open arms. And with the Earth army of Omashu under King Bumi, coming to finish him and the rest of the Fire Nation off, he had urged her to go, until she slapped him and scolded him for saying something so stupid.

“Relax, nephew.”

Zuko answered his Uncle with a strained voice, “I’m trying.”

“No you're not.”

The fire prince looked up to see Katara shaking her head at him. Taking the tea cup from his hand, she tossed its contents out over her shoulder. The corridor and shops of the once prominent Ba Sing Se district were shells of what they once were, so she did not feel bad about adding a little bit of spilled tea to the rubble.

Bending water into the cup, she handed it back to Zuko, “Here, now sip it slowly, I’m going to make a round before we go.”

“But Katara…”

“No buts Zuko, we have time, now sip it slowly until I come back.”

Feeling her plant a kiss on his forehead and watching her turn and give her attention to men she had considered enemies not too long ago never ceased to amaze the fire prince. As a water bender with the skills and talents of a healer, she doubled as a warrior and a doctor. Whenever there had been a battle, no matter how big or small, Katara would not rest when the fighting stopped like everyone else. When they returned to whatever hovel they were hiding out in, she went right to work caring for the injured.

“Compared to her, I’m useless,” said Zuko, his eyes following Katara as she moved from one fire soldier to the next, checking to see if they were healing properly and asking if they were in pain.

When he had taken command of the mission after the disposition of his sister, Zuko had worried enough that the soldiers wouldn’t accept his rule; worse, he outright feared what they would do to Katara. But within a week, her tenacity as a warrior and her tenderness as a healer easily won over their opinions, and now they tipped their heads as she passed and put on brave faces when she inspected their wounds.

When she finished with the last soldier, Zuko and Iroh both heard him refer to her as the future fire Lady. At this, Zuko became red and his uncle smiled warmly.

“Imagine if Azula heard him, heard or seen any of this,” Zuko motioned to the cheerful reception Katara had received and the many fire nation soldiers now wishing the water bender good luck on her mission.

Iroh practically choked on his tea, at first it was from laughing at the thought of his niece, but as he regained his composition, his mood became more somber.

“Your sister could never have been respected or admired by her men in such a way, Azula believes leadership means brutality and fear. She is your father’s daughter, she has only been taught hate and knows nothing of love, what this war has done to her is a tragedy.”

“What of the Avatar and what had come between them?”

Iroh brought a hand to his chin and whisked a finger through his long goatee, twisting it for answers, he exhaled in a low tempered frustration, “I cannot say what effect the Avatar has had on her or what effect she may have had on him, I do sincerely hope that your sister has a chance to find what your father has taken from her, but that does not change the truth and truth is, you must be Fire Lord, only you can end the war.”

“And Katara…”

“You heard the soldier, future fire lady, as long as you maintain the courage to follow your heart .”

“Courage to what?”

The sudden sound of Katara’s voice grabbed the attention of the uncle and nephew, the nephew stumbling through an explanation despite the redness that coated his face.

“Courage to..go on the mission, go on the mission and be successful that’s what Uncle was telling me, right Uncle?”

Uncle Iroh just smiled at Katara and sipped his tea.

The mission involved a rain filled trek through the city, one that only Katara and Zuko would go on. Uncle Iroh would take a different route with a few able-bodied fire benders, they didn’t need their full force for this mission, and Zuko was always hesitant to reveal the full number of his forces to Toph.

Dressed in stolen Earth Nation attire, Zuko and his troops hid amongst the people of the city, only revealing themselves to fight. Katara had followed suit and had secreted herself, her identity only being revealed when she used her water bending.

Katara’s armor, not plate, but quilted and heavily padded. Soaking in the rain, she felt herself grow cold, even a water bender from the south pole could catch a chill.

When Zuko, hearing her teeth start to chatter, put his arm around her, she took it and leaned on him as they walked. The heat from his bending, warming them both. Lying her head against his shoulder, she began to worry herself, doing her best to hide it from the fire prince, she thought about her brother. In the aftermath of the tea shop, she had a choice to make, she could stay behind with Toph and the Earth Nation, or she could take Zuko and run.

Pressing herself more into the fire prince, almost making it difficult to walk, Katara didn’t regret her decision to take Zuko and run. Toph’s a brute, she knew it since she met the girl, and after her attack on the tea shop, she didn’t want to think about what’d she have done to Zuko if she had gotten her hands on him that night.

“Katara? Katara, we're almost there.”

The water bender raised her head from Zuko’s shoulder and peered out at the city around her. They had snuck their way through multiple districts and past three checkpoints, and they made it, just outside the Ba Sing Se Palace.

“Are you ready?” Zuko asked, his tone radiating with concern.

Katara just nodded her head, she had fought Toph since that night, she’d caught glimpses of her brother, but this would be the first time she had spoken to either of them since she went with Zuko.

Standing on the tips of her toes to give the fire prince a kiss before taking a step out into the open. She was followed by Zuko and together, they entered the grand square that led to the palace. There would be no need to knock or do anything to announce their presence, taking position at the square’s center, it was obvious that they’d already been seen.

Zuko interlocked his fingers with hers, holding each other's hands, they stood together as if they were awaiting their fate, for Marshall Beifong, commander of the armed forces of the Ba Sing Se to come pass judgment on them.

When the grand doors of the palace slowly swung open, Katara felt Zuko give her a reassuring squeeze. Taking a deep breath she reminded herself, if these things go poorly, which they probably will, then she wouldn’t be alone.

When the doors were open enough to get through, a stream of Dai Lee and other soldiers in Earth Nation armor flooded the square. Single file when they came through the door, in a show of force they spread out and stood shoulder to shoulder. In less than a minute the once barren square had been filled leaving Katara and Zuko completely surrounded.

Inside the palace, standing Marshall Toph Beifong found Sokka studying the maps of the former King. Admittedly, Kuei was still King of Ba Sing Se but he had no power, not since general Fong and the other Earth Nation leaders effectively stripped him of his power.

In Kuei’s place, the city was ruled by a council of Earth Nation officials with Toph, as the nation’s strongest bender, being given power over the city’s security and defense. Sokka, with Aang lost with Azula and his sister switching sides and joining Zuko, had no choice but to support his last friend and her new rule over the city.

“I think I’ve found them,” when Toph completely ignored his news, Sokka placed his hand to a giant wall sized map and continued, “My father, and the army of the Southern water tribe, by my calculations they should be…”

Toph apologetically interrupted him, “Your sister is outside with her boyfriend.”

Sokka felt the excitement leave him and the very determined hand he placed on the map fell limp to his side.

“Are they here to fight?” he asked cautiously.

Toph took a seat on the table at the center of the room, not caring for the map and it’s markers under her, “I don’t know, maybe, it’s just the two of them so…”

"Maybe she’s back on our side, maybe she’s bringing in Zuko herself.”

“I doubt that,” shrugged Toph.

Sokka questioned hesitantly, “Does that mean you're going to fight her again?”

“Probably…”

Sokka left the map and tried to be assertive, “I don’t want you two fighting, I don’t like it, it’s, it’s just wrong.”

“You only feel that way because she’s your sister.”

“No!” Sokka shouted, losing his composure for a second, “that’s not true, I don’t want either of you fighting because she is my sister and you are my friend.”

“I am supposed to be the Marshall for the Earth Nation and your sister is in love with the prince of the Fire Nation.”

“Please don’t say it like that.” Sokka pleaded still not used to hearing his sister’s love life mentioned so bluntly.

Toph glared at him, “face it Snoozles your little sister isn’t little anymore.”

Sokka shifted uncomfortably, “It doesn’t matter, I still don’t want you two fighting.”

“What do you want me to do? I didn’t tell your sister to fall for the enemy and to take their side.”

“You didn’t have to be a Marshall or attack the tea shop, you could have just stayed with us, we were friends, we had a plan,” Sokka stopped when he felt the palace start to shake.

“No Sokka, you had a plan, you had friends, what do I have? Hmm, I don’t have a big brother to look up to or a little sister to take care of, there is no water chiefdom for me to inherit, Aang has being the Avatar but me, what do I have? My parents don’t know me and wouldn’t even like me if they did, all I have is my bending and if being Marshall Beifong means people finally see me for who I really am and what I can actually do, then...”

When she finished, so did the shaking but Sokka didn’t get a chance to respond. Toph brushed him off with a wave of her hand, “Now excuse me Snoozles, someone has to save the city from your sister’s boyfriend.”

For minutes outside, all that could be heard was the rain and the taps it made when it came crashing down into the armor of the Earth Nation soldiers.

“Hey there sugar queen! Finally ready to see who’s the stronger bender?”

The voice had been preceded by a rumble and a quaking of the earth just moments before. When it all subsided, Marshall Beifong had taken her place at the head of her men, still barefoot but adorned in emerald green armor from the ankle up.

Katara called out to her, “Toph I’m not here to fight.”

“Then don’t waste my time, unless you're here to deliver your boyfriend into my custody then I don’t want to hear it, I may have wanted the princess but I’ll take the prince, now give him up.”

Zuko wanted to answer Toph, he doubted he could out bend her, although fighting was about more than bending, he stopped when Katara took a step forward and put her arm to him as if to protect him from any of Toph’s potential attacks.

“I said I did not come here to fight, I’ve only come so I can speak with my brother.”

“Well what if he doesn’t want to speak to his traitor sister?”

“Toph…”

The young Earth Nation Marshall raised an ear, acknowledging the voice, she called out to Katara, “Hold on!”

Katara and Zuko looked nervously at the clouds as they were running out of time but they needed Sokka, the water bender was adamant about that.

Sokka waited for Toph behind the first line of Dai Li, he had not been sure he wanted to even see his sister and her boyfriend. But now that she asked for him, he couldn’t ignore her.

Toph slipped in between the wall of Dai Li, “Are you sure you want to do this? She brought Zuko.”

“That stupid prince isn’t going to stop me from talking to my sister,” and with the familial resolve of an elder brother, Sokka pushed his way through the Dai Lee and out into the openness of the square.

“Sokka!” Katara called out her brother.

“You have two minutes,” called out Toph, now having joined the line of earth nations soldiers.

“We aren’t going to need it,” said Zuko.

“Hey what’s that supposed to mean?”

Sokka had already sensed that something was amiss and the cryptic words of the fire prince all but proved it.

“I’m sorry about this Sokka...”

Hearing his sister apologize only further alarmed him but he had no time to warn Toph and the men around her.

“Now!” yelled Zuko.

At the word of the fire prince, Katara shot both her arms outwards and straightened them. Raising her palms and spreading her fingers, she felt the rain bending to her control.

“Sugar queen…” mumbled Toph, suspecting what was coming.

The rain stopped at once, holding in place mid air, Katara froze it mini icicles each with its own dagger like point. Before the earth nation could react, she twisted her hands, rolling her wrists, the frozen rain shot itself into the eyes of every Dai Li and Earth Nation soldier in range.

The Dai Li, more skilled than the average Earth Nation soldier, were able to deflect the ice, blooding their arms instead of their face. The Earth Nation soldiers were not so skilled, the frozen rain pierced eyelids and into eyeballs.

Sokka charged forward to stop his sister, unsure how he felt he had at least had to try. Opening with a boomerang that managed to clip the side of Zuko’s head, he was stopped by his sister’s next attack. A solid brick of ice that broke itself against his ear and left him out cold.

Toph tried to go after Sokka but was stopped by her men, most of whom were still reeling from Katara’s attack and unable to get out of the marshals way. This delay, however short, was all the time Zuko and Katara needed.

Zuko, wiping the blood from the gash Sokka’s boomerang left in the side of his head, ran to the body of his unconscious attacker.

“Your luck your her brother,” he spat, reaching down and lifting Sokka up and flinging him over his shoulder.

“Katara I’ve got him, let’s go!”

She had been parrying attacks from the Dai Li, using water and ice to bat away incoming fists and rock. Hearing Zuko, Katara repositioned herself and in a swaying motion used the remainder of her energy to bend the rain into a small tidal wave, one just big enough to sweep the Dai Lee and the rest of the Earth Nation men away.

Now running just ahead of Zuko, who’d been weighed down by her brother, Katara weaved in and out of alleyways and streets. After clearing the district that housed the palace, she looked over her shoulder to see if they were being followed.

No Earth Nation, the Dai Li and the soldiers had all been left behind in the square, but Toph would not so easily be stopped. Bending the earth beneath the stone streets of the Ba Sing Se, she slid her way after them and was just in range of attack.

Katara watched as a wall of solid brown rock, darkened by the rain, seemingly blocked her and Zuko’s path.

“Aright Sugar Queen, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

After her attack in the square Katara doubted she could keep bending much longer doing her best to bluff with the bending she had. Turning to face Toph, she bended the rain into an unstable orb, swishing violently in the palm of her hands.

“Uncle!” yelled Zuko looking to the rooftops around them.

Flanked by shops and with her rock wall blocking the way forward, Toph was sure she had them trapped until she saw fire come down at her from the buildings above. Diving to the ground, she bent a solid rock dome of earth over her, shielding her from the fiery onslaught.

With Toph pinned down, Zuko shifted Sokka’s weight enough for him to extend arm out, raising his hand and shooting a fireball into the rock wall blasting it to bits.

“Zuko you must go.” called down Iroh, pausing his bending and letting the other fire benders keep Toph trapped in her dome.

Katara had been staring at the rock formation where Toph once stood. The fire from the attack had not broken through but she worried how much the marshall could take before her bending gave out. Feeling Zuko take her by the hand, she asked the spirits to keep her friend Toph safe before losing herself with him in the labyrinth that made up the city.

When Iroh, the strongest fire bender in the city, stopped his attack to warn his nephew, he had given Toph just the respite she needed. The other benders trying to keep her down with their weak flames were easily overwhelmed.

Hatching out of her rock dome like an egg, she sent the shards of rock flying into the faces of fire benders still trying to attack her. The ones who weren’t taken out immediately, leapt down to the street level.

Seven fire benders, not counting Iroh, she had taken four out with her first attack which left three thinking they could gang up on her. Toph smiled at how mistaken they were, the first one she bended the ground beneath him and launched him into the sky. The last two she collapsed the ground beneath them, burying them up to their necks and leaving only one Fire Nation left.

Iroh calmly stepped out into the street, “I am truly sorry that we must meet again under such awful circumstances, but still, it is very good to see you again, I am glad to see that you are well.”

“Why are you with them? I thought you were good?”

There was a hint of betrayal in her voice and it bothered Iroh, he hated the ugliness of war and the way it pitted those who should be friends against one another.

“I understand it may be hard to see at a time like this, but my nephew has a good heart and a gentle soul and I’ve made a vow to help him.”

“Yeah well you're going to regret it.” spat Toph.

Bending earth to her hands she formed rock gauntlets at her fist but was shocked when Iroh opened his mouth wide and blew a wave of fire at her. Bringing her gauntlets to her face at the last second, they blocked the fire but exploded upon impact.

Toph, gasping for air, struggled back to her feet, her ears were still ringing and she frantically tried to wipe the dirt and grime from her eyes. When her vision was restored enough for her to see again, she became engulfed in the bitter anguish that only comes from a defeat. Iroh was gone, as were Zuko, Katara, and Sokka along with them.

Chapter Text

Katara looked at her reflection in the water and she struggled to recognize herself. Six months ago she would rather have drowned a fire bender than heal them, now she dipped her hands in the bucket at her side and used the water that clung to them to fix her once enemies.

Toph’s attack had taken out every bender they sent after her and of the ones she laid out, only a few made it back. The ones that did stood broken in the alley outside their safe house, collapsing the moment they realized that they’d made it back. It had taken hours to all but put them back together again even with Katara’s skill and talent. With the last one sleeping to escape the pain, she finally had a moment to herself.

The sickbay, a shop that once sold shoes, had been hollowed out and replaced with bedrolls and as much comforts that a Fire Nation hideout in an Earth Nation capitol could afford. Katara left and quietly headed straight for her room, another hollowed out shop that once sold perfume.

The water bender had not decorated the small room, beyond her bedroll, she kept the place sparse, just as she found it. They’d been their only weeks and it was not the first row of shops in an abandoned district they had taken over.

Discarding her armor, not caring to stack it, she stepped out of her boots and donned a dark green tunic with brown trousers, the closest relaxed wear that their predicament would allow. She had to check on Sokka, her brother not leaving her mind since they returned from their mission. Katara had healed him first, not that she had done much damage, but she couldn’t stand to see the bruise that she did leave him.

When she finished and his face returned to normal, Katara fled, busying herself with the others and their injuries. It had been her plan to rescue him from Toph, steal him more like it, but she didn’t want to believe that she had to take her brother by force to see him despite the apparent truth of it. Having successfully done so and she couldn’t bring herself to face him, he wouldn’t understand and Katara doubted her ability to convince him, to explain why she did what she did.

A soft knock interrupted her trepidation and she didn’t need to ask who it was.

“You can come in, Zuko.”

The fire prince entered the room cautiously, “If you want to be alone right now you can be, I mean I’d understand if you don’t want to see me right now.”

Katara had been sitting on her bedroll with her hands around her knees and her head pressed down to them but hearing Zuko’s sorrowful tone caused her to raise her head and see him for the first time since the mission.

Zuko had not changed, still in his armor, dirtied and dented, he kept his head low and unknowingly hid the scarred side of his face, waiting to be told to leave.

“Why wouldn’t I want to see you,” she asked, pulling herself to her feet.

“It’s my fault isn’t it?”

Turning back to the door to leave, not wanting to hear her agree, Zuko stopped when he felt her hand at his shoulder and a soft pull in her direction. Spinning slowly to face her, he felt the water bender bring her arms around him and pull him into a hug.

“It’s not your fault,” she whispered.

Zuko abruptly broke the hug and stepped away from her, “How it is not, if you hadn’t, if we hadn’t, I mean, if none of this ever happened, then…”

She interrupted him, “What are you saying?”

The fire prince stumbled through his words doing his best not to say the wrong thing, “I mean,” the fire prince rubbed the back of his head for the right words, “I mean if it wasn’t for me and everything then you’d still be with your family and your friends right now, but because of me you had to betray the ones who care for you and now your on the run from them.”

Katara surprised him with a warm smile and a shaking of the head, closing the distance between them she placed a hand at the scarred side of his face and used it to bring him in for a kiss.

Breaking it, she said, “It’s nobody’s fault to have, Zuko, I chose to come with you, because I believe in you like you believe in me.”

Smiling himself, Zuko nodded his head and motioned for another kiss but was stopped by a knock at the door and the voice of his uncle.

“Zuko? Katara?”

The couple tried to be silent hoping he would leave them be, but when they didn’t respond he knocked once more and continued, “I know young love is a powerful and special bond and I truly hate to interrupt but Katara, your brother is awake and he’s asking for you.”

“Tell him I’m coming,” Katara yelled through the door.

“Are you still nervous about seeing him?” Zuko asked.

“How can I not be, we just attacked him and brought him here against his will.”

“He’s your brother, he’ll understand.”

“I don’t think he will, I told you what he said that night at the teashop, about your sister and Aang.”

“That’s different…”

Katara let her nervousness get the better of her, “How? Because it sounds the same to me!”

Zuko placed a hand on each of her shoulders and matched his golden eyes to her blue, “Katara you are the bravest, most strongest person I know, and Sokka I don’t know him, but he’s your brother so he must understand that you wouldn’t do what you did without a good reason, you just have to get him to hear it.”

“I love you,” said Katara, raising on the tips of her toes to give him one last kiss, leaving him to press his fingers to his lips for the memory after she left him.

Closing the door she exhaled as if she had been holding her breath the whole time, caught up in his words, his sweet and sincere comfort that touched her in a way that made her daring and ambitious.

Just outside the room where her brother was being kept, she put her hand to the door, balled in a fist but she didn't knock, an irritated voice stopped her.

“I know you're out there Katara.”

Backing away from the door, her brother called out to her through it once more, “You might as well come in, you’ve come this far.”

Opening the door, Katara found her brother waiting for her, his arms crossed and leaning against the wall of his windowless room.

“Sokka this isn’t what it looks like.”

“Really!” Stepping off the wall, Sokka waved his arms to exaggerate his points,” Are you sure about that Katara because it looks to me like you're working with the Fire Nation. Fighting with the Fire Nation! With Zuko! Against me and Toph!”

Katara didn’t whisper, her tone was even, yet her brother’s shouts had dwarfered her voice,”I can explain.”

“Me! Katara, look what you did!” Sokka paused to point a finger at the place on his head where he believed he’d been hit by her ice.

“I healed you..”

“Oh okay, that makes all alright because you healed me, you're the one who put me here! Look where I am, what is this?”

Sokka motioned to the room, a furniture shop now mostly bare except for the few skeletons of the wares that were once vigorously advertised on a badly charred and dusted sign outside.

Letting her brother make his obvious disgust known, Katara finally matched his tone, “And whose fault is that? Do you think I wanted to put you in this place, guess what Sokka every room is like this! Toph, and you, because I know she isn’t smart enough to have found us so many times, have driven us practically into the sewer!...you can’t tell me you didn’t know I was with them. Toph raiding us just before dawn, the walls collapsing in while we ran from our bedrolls, Dai Li ambushes on our routes home, that was you, making big plans in your comfortable map room. ”

Sokka opened his mouth to quickly respond but he could not find the words in time, practically speechless in front of his sister he felt a sudden awfulness at the pride he took in chasing them, in the King’s war room with its grand maps he never thought past the street names and building numbers, nor the actions he was informing, in some cases directing. In most outright orchestrating, and in that moment he felt all the dirtier for it.

But he couldn’t excuse his sister’s actions, even if he was beginning to rue his own, “I went after Zuko and the Fire Nation, the nation we’ve been at war with for a hundred years, the people who took Mom.”

“Do you think I forgot! I will never forgive them for what they did! They will pay for what they did! To Mom and our people.”

“Then why did you join them…no, wait, don’t tell me, I think I already know.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know what I mean, your boyfriend,” Sokka emphasized his last word by placing a hand over the left side of his face.

Katara balked at the accusation, her expression reeling with offense, “How dare you! Do you not know me at all, how could you think I’d do this because of a boy.”

“I don’t know, I mean first there was Jet the homicidal rebel and now Zuko the sadistic prince, I know I’m the one with the brains but don’t you see a bit of a pattern there.”

“Zuko is not Jet,” Katara snapped, “and no matter how I feel about Zuko and how he may feel about me, he’s not the reason.”

“Then what is?” her brother spat.

“To end the war Sokka what else would it be?”

“How does joining the Fire Nation help end the war, by helping us lose quicker?”

Katara shook her head, “No, seriously Sokka just listen to me for a second, please.”

“No! What about the plan? You know, helping Aang master all four elements and defeating the fire lord..since when did you stop believing in Aang?”

“I never stopped believing in Aang,” Katara retorted without hesitation, “But have you thought about what’s going to happen to the Fire Nation after Aang defeats the fire lord and ends the war? Who is going to step in when he’s gone?”

In truth Sokka had not thought about the future of the Fire Nation past dethroning Ozai and his expression said as much.

“Do you want Azula to step in? Or how about one of the Fire Nation generals, a real maniac like Zhao, because with the fire lord gone someone is going to have to rebuild the country and it can’t be another Ozai.”

“So Zuko is that someone, am I missing something or did he not just spend the better part of a year chasing us around the world?”

“Sokka I know that this must be hard to hear, the only side of Zuko you know is the one manipulated and used by his father, it shouldn’t be hard to understand that he didn’t have a father like ours, who loves us and encourages us. Everything he did, he did because he thought it would make his father love him but now he knows how that could never happen and how wrong he was, he wants to be different, to try and make amends for the actions of his family.”

Her brother looked at her skeptically, “What makes you so sure he changed?”

Katara smiled, “Because I told him that if he ever makes one step backward and gives me even one reason to think he might hurt you or Aang, then I’d end his destiny, permanently.”

Sokka was struck by his sister's smile, knowing with a hint of danger, her words coded a threat affirmed by the hidden meaning they held for the fire prince.

“Okay, but if Zuko’s so different under pain of whatever ending his destiny means, then why's he been fighting against the Earth Nation?”

“The Earth Nation is fighting against him, Toph and the generals she works for have been hunting us since we left the tea shop.”

“Well it's because she thinks you're fighting for the fire lord and after today I doubt even I could convince her any different.”

“It doesn't really matter, Zuko has to take the city.”

Sokka, who had slowly started to acclimate to the situation, now stood aghast, “Uh what?”

“I know it sounds bad but he has to or else he won’t get invited back by his father to his court, and with Ba Sing Se under control of generals like Fong the Earth Nation will never give up fighting even with Ozai gone.”

Bringing his hand to his chin and giving it a thoughtful rub, Sokka appeared more pensive than shocked, “You might be right about Fong, but why does Zuko need to get invited to his father’s court?”

“So he could unleash a coup from the heart of the Fire Nation and Aang could challenge Ozai from where he least expects it.” answered Katara.

“Hold on I’m missing something, how is Aang going to be there?”

“Zuko is a royal prince, princes have retainers, lots of them, we’re going to hide Aang and take him with us when Ozai summons us back.”

“Us, you’re going to?”

“We’re all going Sokka, Fire Nation royals usually have dozens of retainers.”

“Well, it sounds like a good plan, but allow me to point out the one giant problem, Aang is missing.”

“Aang is at the Eastern Air Temple.”

Her brother was now truly speechless, until that moment Sokka had almost believed that Aang had abandoned him much as his sister, lost to the manications of the Fire Nation royal family.

Katara explained as best as she could hoping her brother wouldn't doubt that she knew where their friend was, “Zuko’s uncle Iroh, he has friends around the world and they found him.”

Her brother still not speaking, she went straight to the point, “Sokka, the reason we brought you here, the reason I wanted you here, is because I need you to go to the Eastern Air Temple, you have to find Aang and bring him back to Ba Sing Se.”

Sokka’s voice along with his skepticism returned, “I doubt he’s going to want to help you take over the city no matter what your plan is.”

“That’s why he has to come back, with Aang we don’t have to fight, he’s the Avatar, if there’s anyone who can make the Earth Nation generals see reason it's him.”

Leaning back against the cold wall, Sokka thought over his sister’s words and then softly kicked off the wall towards her.

Katara was relieved when her brother gave her a hug, the first sign that she hadn’t irreparably damaged their relationship.

Stepping away from his sister, Sokka spoke in his normal tone no longer soured by bitter assumptions and frustrated confusion, “Fine, I’ll do it.”

“But Sokka, you have to go now, I mean right now,” Katara warned,”King Bumi has taken the city of Omashu back from the Fire Nation and he’s coming here with an army, if you don’t bring Aang back in time to settle this,” Sokka watched his sister’s face grow grim, “we’re going to be destroyed.”

Chapter Text

Love has seduced me and I lie bewitched by its tender and sweet embrace, his embrace, but it was love all the same, Azula thought as she fixed herself in the arms of her Avatar.

It had been just over a month since the proposal and the clouds of terrifying doubt and its ensuing anguish had faded, gone and replaced by a bliss that the princess basked in as though it were the grand victory she had once longed for.

Fixing her eyes to the tattooed hand she pressed to her chest, Azula thought herself a fool for ever needing the love of many, why captivate a nation when she conquered his heart and colonized his attention.

But what does that mean? She challenged herself and felt a daunting reality creep in like a coming fog. Aang had one more chakra left, it's been giving him trouble, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he unblocked it, and then what?

Questions of the definite future encroached upon Azula’s happiness, what would they do after Aang unblocked his final chakra? She didn’t know but whatever they did, they’d do it together and for her that was all that mattered.

Opening his sleeping hand, Azula spread his fingers and interlocked them with hers, still keeping him close, she planted a kiss on the closest knuckle.

They were going to end the war she assumes, depose her father, and then reign. Queen Azula, he insisted the air nation had no queens, but what about the nation of the world, the savior of the world surely must have a grand title, one she’d obviously share. All in an instant, the image of a long royal cloak atop a marvelous silk gown broke like a mirror with a whisper in her fathers voice, betrayal it said.

The princess took a deep breath and held as Aang taught her, given the appropriate time she exhaled, calming herself, she released his hand. Shifting until she faced him, Azula opened her golden eyes to see her fiance still asleep. It didn’t matter, seeing was enough, pressing her forehead to his chin, she found ways to enjoy her treason.

There was no honor in it, that she couldn’t escape, but honor wasn’t everything, her brother had lost his honor long ago and he was still breathing so it must not be fatal. But Azula’s pride, the fire nation warrior ethos ingrained into the depths of her very psyche, shook her and she could feel it, gnawing at the edges of her happiness.

The once great Fire Nation will die and Azula, its greatest warrior and most noble princess killed it, she found the irony humorous in a depressive way. But it had to die, she assured itself, so that her new future may live.

An image of her father sitting dominant and regal atop his fiery throne streaked across her mind, could she really betray him? The question came to her every time, haunting her hopeful future and tainting the undoubted bliss she had enjoyed just moments before.

She owed her father, Ozai, nothing, he gave her nothing, promised her nothing. When Zuko was exposed as a weakling and banished, did her father name her heir? Did he bestow upon her even half of the treatment he gave to her brother just prior to his foolishness? The answer was obvious, why else leave the luxury of the palace for over a year of trekking, all to capture or somehow kill the most powerful bender on the planet? Even as a princess she had to prove her worth and earn the right to be her father’s successor.

And because you wanted to, the voice whispered into her ear was her own. The coldest and most bitter truth she choked on even during the best of mornings was her own. The princess wanted to join the war, she wanted to hunt the Avatar, it was the glory and the power she was after. The Fire Nation respected victory on the battlefield above all and with the taking of Ba Sing Se and the defeat of the Avatar, and even her father would have to bow before her.

But she said yes to the Avatar, and now she wasn’t so sure what that meant, he did tell her after all, the air nation doesn’t have queens.

Azula you will kill a nation and give birth to another, fighting a blush from the thought, Azula was unnerved that the voice in her head now sounded eerily like her mothers. Ushering the memory of her grandfather and his death. The great fire lord Azulon, he was said to be the strongest fire bender of his generation, so strong and prodigious that she had been named after him. Yet he died gagging on the floor trying to spit out clues to his assassin, but nobody was there to listen. He died alone, all the land he controlled, all the people who kneeled at his feet, and his mighty skill as a bender could not save him from her mother’s poison.

The princess sat between her brother and an empty space at the funeral, a large regal event, it was sparsely attended. Of the few that did most didn’t know Azulon past his cold stares and barking orders, the ones that did hated him all the more. Nobody was there because they wanted to be, least of all, to say goodbye to the departed fire lord.

Coming to life with the veracity of one of her lighting bolts, Azula pushed Aang onto his back, waking him in the process. Before he came to his senses, she was on him, stradling the Avatar, her first wave of kisses disarming him at the neck.

Losing herself in the affection he was beginning to return, she watched the cold sad memory of her grandfather’s demise leave her. That would not be her fate, Azula promised herself, swearing that she would be the first Fire Nation princess to be loved, not out of fear but because someone genuinely cared for her. And she now had that someone pinned down by hands, body, and lips.

Mai shoved the water peasant from the wheel of the airship much harder than she had to but she wasn’t in the mood. Nearing the Eastern Air Temple at a slogging pace, she tried not to let herself choke on the fumes that leaked out the back of the innovative and clunky contraption.

The Fire Nation airship half relic from the attack on the Air Nation and half experimental technology, Azula had not cared to mention the latter when she had one smuggled to the outskirts of the city. That was before the princess took off and abandoned her friends, not that Mai was surprised, her friend put her happiness above everyone else's, and now that she might have actually found it, it would be a small wonder if she still remembered their names.

Steadying the wheel Mai refused to look anywhere but ahead and even then she wished she had another option. She’d stare at the floor of the ship or even close her eyes but then they’d crash into one of the many mountains that lead the way to the air temple, and that would mean dying for Azula which was something Mai had become more and more adamant about not doing.

“I said I should drive, Aang would think he’s under attack if he sees a Fire Nation ship coming in with you at the wheel.”

“I don’t know Sokka, I’m sure it’s Azula who would think she was under attack if she saw you at the wheel.”

“Ty Lee, she would have to see him as a threat to consider herself under attack by him,” Mai had broken her silence, four hours into their trip and just shy of arrival.

The water peasant’s brother and Ty Lee continued to argue over who should be at the wheel, but it didn’t matter because Mai had no intention of relinquishing it. She had put herself into this insufferable predicament and she had the bitter resolve to see it through.

Shooting the water peasant’s brother a glare cold enough to make him stutter, Mai scolded herself for his very presence.

When she heard Zuko had been given command of the Fire Nation forces in Ba Sing Se she was in hiding with Ty Lee. Leaving their apartment only for food once a week, the two barely saw the light of day for months until gradually her best friend’s overbearing curiosity and her own exhausted will to curtail it led to brief excursions. Reconnaissance, just as they were taught at the Fire Academy, for hours each day they waded into the mass of people still trying to live in the city as the war heated up around them.

Mai would not lie, not even to herself, she saw the water peasant with Zuko, fighting by his side then disappearing with him and going Agni knows where. She never stopped being in love with the prince and seeing them together cruelly reminded her of it.

Ty Lee had told her it was a bad idea, that Azula wouldn’t understand and definitely wouldn’t be happy. But Mai was long past caring what the fire princess wanted anymore, she wanted the fire prince and she was going to have him.

The scheme was so simple, Mai hardly thought of it as such, to her it made unequivocal sense. Ty Lee and her were to go to the Fire Nation hideout, offer their allegiance with the airship as the proverbial olive branch.

Mai was sure it would work, that once Zuko saw her come to him that he would propose and together they’d use the airship to return to the Fire Nation. She didn’t care if he took power for himself or stayed under his father's rule, her family was rich and powerful and they’d support him whatever his choice.

She never imagined that his choice would be to stay with his water peasant and send her on some good will mission to Azula and the Avatar. And worse, much worse, he forced her to bring along the water peasant's brother.

“So why are you really here?” Mai asked in her most inquisitive tone.

Sokka stopped his argument with Ty Lee and pointed a finger to himself as if to make sure Mai had been referring to him.

Mai didn’t nod, she just sent him a look of impatient annoyance.

Turning to Ty Lee, Sokka shifted his expression as if to ask her if her friend was really asking him. When she smiled and nodded, he had no choice but to answer, “I’m here because Katara sent me.”

“Yes because this is such a typical errand.”

“This is an important mission,” Sokka became defensive.

“To retrieve the Avatar?”

Sokka shifted to Ty Lee,“Does she really not know what’s going on here?”

But Ty Lee ignored him and listened as her friend went on, “I only ask because, how do you know the Avatar even wants to see you?”

“Why would he not want to see me?”

The question was half directed to Mai and half directed to himself, then turned again to Ty Lee as if she might know something he didn’t.

Mai enjoyed his confusion, a petty revenge against his sister, “Sokka, that is your name right?”

“It’s Sokka,” whispered Ty Lee as if Mai really wasn’t sure.

“What do you want Mai…” Sokka pronounced her name with lengthy exaggeration.

“I want to warn you that maybe the Avatar doesn’t want to see you.”

“That’s ridiculous, the Avatar, Aang, is my friend.” Sokka broke into a small fit of laughter as if to make his point.

“He abandoned you didn’t he?”

“He had his reasons,” snapped Sokka before her words could sink in.

“I don’t know, Azula was our friend and she abandoned us...”

The coming of his friend, still unknown to him, Aang pretended to be asleep and meditated to alleviate the urge to smile. Feeling the golden eyes of his princess, studying him with a pensive affection, he didn’t want to deny her the small ounce of peace she took each morning.

The bedroll shifted and she was closer to him, the smell of the stream water that ran between the temple valleys clung to her hair, soot and fire tinted the tips of her fingers, it enthralled and distracted him.

How long, Aang thought, how long before we leave and mornings like this become memories. The daunting reality of war had never truly left the Avatar’s mind, even as he took this foray to unlock his chakras and find love in the process. The world outside the temple walls and beyond the mountain valleys was still one of quaking chaos, bitter violence, and cruel death. The freshly buried skeletons that adorned the temple summits could attest to that.

Azula had urged him to burn them, the remains of his people, no more than nameless skeletons composed of scattered bones. It was the Fire Nation way she told him, let the lost turn to embers so as they could meet Agni in the sky. It was one of the few times he had ever heard her speak of a world beyond, but he couldn’t do it. Aang couldn’t separate them from the temple, he couldn't let them be forgotten. So they buried them.

How many more will need to be buried, he questioned. Although it was an old question, one every Avatar has had to ask for one reason or another, and like his predecessors he struggled with an acceptable answer. But being raised by pacifists only to be awakened in an age of war left him far from prepared.

Aang blinked, doing so quick enough to avoid detection, he caught a glimpse of the princess laying next to him. She had untied her hair to sleep and the black strands obscured most of her face except for the shimmering gold of her open eyes. The bed clothes she wore were misshapen and some lay skewed around the tent having become much more comfortable since the betrothal.

Pressing his eyes closed he forced out tempestuous thoughts and reminded himself that she was still one of the most dangerous women in the world and he would need to rely on her tenacity when the war and its hard decisions came. She was raised for war the same as he was for peace and because of it she had a mind for strategy and tactics, complemented by the negligible morals that allowed for them.

He used to be nothing but morals, guided by them and his Air Nation sensibilities Aang held a special love for the world and those in it, then the ice and a hundred years went by. What he had awakened to broke his heart and his morals had bid a slow recovery ever since.

Azula was dangerous, truly, she challenged his morality in every way. Another him, an Aang from the historic past, would have warned him to avoid her or else be consumed by her wickedness. He could hear the same warning echoed a thousand times over by his friends, Sokka and Toph, and even the shrill voice of his late master Gyatso.

After unblocking all but one of his chakras, they showed him that Azula was his forever girl for a reason, not because of a boy’s crush or a teen romance, he needed her.

He needed his morals challenged and his pacifism questioned and who better than the ruthless princess of the Fire Nation. Aang suppressed an unexpected laugh, it had been a long while since he thought of her in such vilifying terms. Almost eight months of isolation, save for an eccentric guru, he saw the sides of her that didn’t make the Fire Nation propaganda.

Azula could be silly, slothful, and even in her own way, sweet, and for that he loved her. But it was her dreaded wickedness he would need just as she needed his moral wisdom. It was a gamble, would she corrupt him or would he pacify her? Warm in their bedroll he couldn’t answer with any confidence.

Being forced from his own thoughts, by a slew of hot and unknowingly sloppy kisses, Aang let himself be straddled before returning Azula’s affection, letting out a silent hope that together, between his peace and her war, they might bring each other the balance they needed.

Moments from landing, Ty Lee made her way to the very tip of the airship's bow, looking out into the statuesque air temple that lay sprawled out across the mountain range she ignored her bitter friend at the wheel and the cute water warrior whining at her side.

It was beautiful, she thought, the kind of place someone could really breathe in. Ty Lee hated the city, it was angry and stressed out and it smelled even worse. The people there weren’t happy and it could be felt in the street. Ba Sing Se, the greatest city in the world, but not to her.

The first time she came to the city was with the circus. The show was in the lower ring and it was practically dead, no one came except for a few Earth Nation men who were obnoxious and rude. They ended their show a whole hour early and left the city as soon as they could pack their things. But she still came back with the circus three more times and a fourth she didn’t count because they didn’t get past the city walls. The biggest city, the biggest payment, and the ringleader always had a price for giving the city one more chance.

Ty Lee didn't look back, when they drifted off minutes after an awkward and rushed introduction followed by a woefully similar goodbye. There was really nothing for her to look back to, she always liked Zuko but she wasn’t in love with him like Mai so she didn’t have anything against the water bender.

She didn’t know Katara, Ty Lee was only guessing at her name, but she couldn’t hate someone she didn’t know, it didn’t seem right. And her brother, he isn’t so bad, just weak and stupid, which totally wasn’t his fault. It really wasn’t her business anyway, she was going to see Azula and that made her happy.

Azula was her first friend, they had met each other before Mai, back when they were small and Zuko thought he was too big and too much of a boy to hang out with his baby sister anymore. The boys, young and hot headed as their academy taught them, got the idea that it was really funny to shoot sparks at girls at all the worst times. The princess immediately rallied every girl she could find and asked if there were any women that would support her in taking violent revenge. It was a challenge, and only she accepted, and even now, so many years later, Ty Lee felt proud of herself that she did.

She always wanted the princess to fall in love, Ty Lee swore she was in love with being in love, the falling and even the reeling. But Azula, in her words, had long preached that caring too much about someone other than yourself was dangerous and to fall in love was to court insanity.

Giggling, she placed her hand to her mouth before it became a laugh and attracted the attention of her friend and awkward ally. Azula had lost her mind by her own standards but Ty Lee felt no guilt about doing nothing to stop it.

Ty Lee wasn’t sure if she could do what Zuko asked, to convince Azula to join his side and help him end the war. Not because she didn’t think he would make a good Fire Lord or because she didn’t want to end the war. She thought the fire prince was smart in his own way and the war ruined too many lives then to be anything more than sad to her. But if her friend was happy, if Azula had finally found someone just as strange and wild as she to love her, then how could she ask her friend to leave that behind?

Is his name Aang? Ty Lee asked herself, trying to remember. It would be embarrassing if she met her best friend’s boyfriend and didn’t know his name. Azula probably wouldn’t like it very much.

“Look! There they are!” the water warrior pointed excitedly over the side of the airship.

Ty Lee bolted to the side not without noticing her friend Mai giving only a passing glance in the direction.

There was a tent and a fire pit with two cozy looking chairs alongside. Ty Lee could only wonder what kind of romantic nights were spent underneath the stars. The thought made her blush not that anyone on the ship would notice.

When the water warrior almost fell over, barely catching himself and screaming all the while, Ty Lee giggled. She’d agree with him, Mai’s descent was rough and not everyone had her legs.

“Pull up alongside just over there,” Sokka urged.

“No…” Mai answered.

“Come on, if you don’t, Azula will probably think someone is attacking.”

“So…”

“We’ve been through this, what do you mean so!”

“Just because you're scared of her…”

“I’m not scared of her! She just shoots lightning and I don’t know if she hits us we could explode, did you hear me, I said, explode!”

Ty Lee prided herself on being the great mediator, she was always settling fights. If she had a ban for every idiot’s life she saved from Azula she’d be as rich as Mai. Stepping in and gently siding with Katara’s cute brother, her friend reluctantly pulled the ship along the nearest mountainside.

It was no big surprise to her that she was the first one off the airship and the first one to reach Azula and the Avatar’s camp. Mai didn’t look like she was very interested and Sokka simply couldn’t keep up.

Calling out Azula’s name, there was no answer and the camp seemed eerily quiet. Had they left? Did they move on? How old was the information about the Avatar and her? Who really gave Zuko’s nice but kind of mysterious uncle that information in the first place? All questions that Ty Lee was now wishing she had asked and was sure Azula would be angry at her for having not.

Ty Lee looked around the camp and even slightly in the temple but there was no sign of them.

“Well where are they?” asked Sokka once he reached the campsite.

“I don’t know,” she answered, throwing up her hands and giving him a puzzled look.

“Well, did you check the tent?”

Shaking her head, Ty Lee looked at the tent, it was dead quiet, its flaps billowing only slightly from the mountain wind.

Cautiously, she tiptoed towards the tent to the amusement of Katara’s brother, who thought she was being ridiculous.

Reaching the tent, Ty Lee could feel the warmth eek out from the darkness that lay just beyond its opening.

Taking a deep breath, she poked her head inside, looked and shrieked, “Azula I am so sorry!”

“Ty Lee, if you don’t leave this tent immediately, by Agni, I will burn those eyes right out of your skull!”

Chapter Text

It was over and Aang wanted one last look, one the last image that he could remember before this dream that he and Azula shared came to an end. They had been found, clearly not by an enemy, but it didn't matter, the world knew they were there and soon they’d come calling, if they weren’t already.

“Do you think I took her eyebrows? Aang, are you listening?”

Aang shot a glance at the fire princess next to him, upright in their bedroll, she still held a thin sheet to her chest.

“Fine, ignore me, see if I don’t take your eyebrows next,” Azula huffed, standing, she took the sheet with her as she rose to dress.

“This doesn’t bother you at all?” Aang asked.

“What, Ty Lee intruding upon the sanctity of our tent, no, believe me, I’ve seen her in much worse a position with much less a person,” the princess laughed for the Avatar at her quip.

“She didn’t come alone,” he asserted, standing and making his way towards his robes.

“No, she probably brought Mai along with her.”

“Do you think your friends brought the Fire Nation?”

“Perhaps…” Azula paused and watched with childish amusement as the weight of her words rolled over the face of the Avatar.

“If they did, what are you going to do?”

Azula smiled at the seriousness in which the Avatar asked his question and couldn’t help but answer in her most elusive tone, “Why take you prisoner of course.”

Aang glared at her, not sure if she was telling the truth, they had been found less than five minutes and they were already back to their games.

Suddenly he heard Sokka’s voice from outside the tent, interrupting the tense silence that had fallen between the princess and him,“Aang? Aang!”

With no answer, he heard Sokka continue and his voice came closer, “Aang, I’m coming in.”

The fire princess and Aang watched as Sokka poked his head through the slit of the tent flaps, his eyes still closed, he spoke hesitantly as he slowly opened them, “I just wanted to see if what the circus girl said was true and, oh spirits it is!”

Aang was going to answer his friend's stunned revelation but Azula was first, “See water peasant, look how I’m forcing your precious Avatar to be here.”

Sokka, appearing defeated, said meekly, “Aang, I’ll just wait for you outside.”

“He’ll meet you outside when I’m through with him,” snapped Azula, getting the attention of the tent.

Shocked even further, Sokka felt saved when he heard Aang speaking up, “Don’t listen to the princess, she’s just joking, I’ll be out in a moment.”

Believing this to be his one chance at escape, Sokka pulled his head out from the tent but not before having the chance to catch Azula mouthing, “No I’m not,” to him.

When Sokka was gone, Aang turned to Azula, “You can’t make jokes like that with him yet, he doesn’t know how to take them.”

Azula was no longer facing Aang, now almost dressed in her so-called dead air bender’s clothes, she had just slipped into her flats and began working on her hair when she answered him, “Avatar, why should I care about how the water peasant takes my jokes?”

“Because if we are going to be together then you are going to stop scaring my friends because you think it's fun.”

Because if we are going to be together, the Avatar’s words reverberated through Azula’s mind like one of the many concussions she received during her training as a girl. We are going to be together, he said, and she stopped the moment she heard it. Arms fallen at her sides and her hair left hanging at her shoulders.

Azula didn’t move until he felt Aang’s hands, first on her shoulders then a soft pull of her body towards his, pressing against each other, she felt his arms finally come around her and his hands clasp behind her back.

“I love you,” she heard him whisper into her ear before following his words up with a tender kiss to her cheek and a slightly wet peck to the lips. Then the Avatar, dressed and ready, turned and left the tent after his water peasant friend. Azula wasn’t fully sure if he heard her say “I love you to.”

When the fire princess exited the tent she was met by Ty Lee who had tea in hand. It bothered Azula that the circus freak had helped herself to her cup and prized teapot, but it was already a trying day and still just the morning, so she took it.

At the first sip of the lukewarm tea, Azula spit it out in disgust, “Agni Ty Lee what is this?”

“Told you,” said a tired voice, speaking from what was supposed to be the Avatar’s chair by the fire.

Azula shook her head, not yet the afternoon and already were her friends trampling over her sacred space. Kneeling by the fire, she gave Mai only a passing glare as she took the pot and dumped it on the rocky soil of the air temple mountain.

“Hey!” cried out Ty Lee at remnants of her tea now darkening the earth.

“Shut it Ty Lee you don’t know what you're doing,” Azula didn’t raise her head to see what she could imagine was a hurt expression on her friend’s face. She didn’t care, Ty Lee’s tea was atrocious

“Is princess Azula making us tea?” It wasn’t a question but a tacit observation, never before had Mai seen the princess make anything that wasn't lethal, now she was adding tea leaves to boiled water with the same familiarity of one of her poisons.

“Princess Azula is making herself tea since her stupid friend ruined the first pot and her equally stupid friend watched it happen.”

Mai and Ty Lee were stunned, not at the harshness of their friend’s words but in the relaxed and almost tranquil manner in which she said them. Blowing on the hot tea, they watched her sip and take in the day as if she lost her incessant urge to attack something.

When she was tired of her friend’s shocked reaction to her tea making skill, Azula spoke, “So what’s happened? Why have you come?

For once Ty Lee wanted to fail her mission, she was sent to bring Azula back to Ba Sing Se and the war being fought on its streets. Finding her best friend, clearly the happiest she had ever seen her, she felt that her mission was a betrayal.

She couldn’t go through with it, she wouldn’t, and with that resolve, Ty Lee frantically searched for an explanation, a lie, but one good enough to keep Azula from wanting to come back to the city.

Still searching, Ty Lee’s heart and hopes sank when she heard her Mai announce with more vigor and force than she had thought her friend capable of, “Zuko has taken your place, he leads the forces of the Fire Nation, your father prefers him now, and once he finishes off the Earth Nation, the city and all the glory will be his!”

War, it exploded across Ty Lee’s mind like so many raging fire benders, any second now and her best friend was going to rain smoke and ash upon the temple and all who dared approach her. Any chance of the princess staying and making a happy life for herself with the Avatar was over.

The pause and very clear lack of response only spelled the worst to Ty Lee, the fire princess must be so enraged that she was beyond words. Shooting a furious glance at her friend Mai, she mouthed the words, “What have you done?”

Azula took a deep breath before speaking, exhaling she said, “Father must have become very desperate without me if he turned to poor Zuzu, oh well, I guess now’s his big chance, do tell me how he fails.”

Ty Lee wasn’t sure of her best friend’s words and Mai didn’t hesitate to question them, “Tell you, why tell you, aren’t you going to go over there and stop him?”

“No, I believe I’m more than comfortable right where I am.”

Mai was sure her friend had been replaced, the spirit powers of the Avatar must have done something because this lunatic wearing old air bender clothes and making specialty tea was not Azula.

“But what about being heir? Ruling the city, being the new Dragon of the West?”

Now thinking she had considered the wrong friend mad, Ty Lee interrupted, “Mai, what are you saying? Obviously Azula doesn’t want any of that stuff anymore, she’s found better things to do.”

Ty blushed at her own words and Azula smiled at them.

“Enough of this, what’s wrong with you Azula?” spat Mai.

Azula hesitated as if she were about to reveal a deep secret, “Ladies, I’m in love.”

“I knew it” exclaimed Ty Lee as though she had won a bet.

“This isn’t happening,” groaned Mai.

Several paces away, Aang watched as his friend gagged on banana onion juice.

“How are you still alive,” spat Sokka, his tongue out and doing his best to rid his mouth of the banana and onion that seemed to linger no matter what he did.

“I’ve gotten used to it, but Azula drinks water.”

“There’s water!”

Sokka scowled, his face stiff with shock and contempt, the combination making Aang laugh and for a moment forget the context of the visit.

After being served a cup of water, taken from the fresh stream that ran through the valley, Sokka finally calmed, “So you and Azula…”

“Me and Azula…”

“You know, you two really aren’t the worst couple I’ve seen.”

“Uh thanks Sokka…”

“No, I’m serious, I’m not sure if I even want to tell you.”

“Katara and Zuko are together.”

“Of course you know, wait how do you know?”

“Katara is my best friend.”

“I thought I was your best friend?”

Aang stared at Sokka, his face straight and unamused.

“Fine, so she told you and not me.”

“She didn’t know how you would feel about it,” Aang took note of Sokka’s silence, “You were angry weren’t you?”

“How could I not be, it's Zuko, he’s the enemy, it's almost as bad as,” Sokka stopped abruptly yet still failed to fully catch himself.

“As me and Azula,” Aang finished.

“No!” Sokka argued defensively only for his will to fail a second later, “I mean yes, well, I don’t know what it is, but something about Zuko and Katara is just so much worse than anything to do with you and Azula.”

“Is it because Katara is your sister?”

Sokka’s eyes widened and his jaw slightly dropped, he had just realized the obvious.

Tired of the mystery behind his friend’s arrival and not wanting to get lost in the drama of Katara and her new boyfriend, Aang spoke plainly, “Sokka, why are you here?”

Azula thought very little of spies, sniveling creatures that make a career of treachery; she would have erased them from her mind all together if not for her own natural proficiency as one. Reluctant but excellent, she passed the examinations in espionage back at the fire academy, and now, crouched just out of sight of her love and his stupid friend, she put her skills to use.

Having left Maii and Ty Lee under the guise of getting more water, or else her friends be forced to drink that dreaded banana onion juice, both her friends let her on her way without much suspicion.

She had not meant to listen long, but when the Avatar finally asked the water peasant a question that she needed the answer to, Azula kept her body low and her ear high.

“I’m here because if you don’t come back to Ba Sing Se, Katara and Zuko are going to get destroyed, and I know we don’t care all that much about Zuko, but Katara.”

Aang’s demeanor changed, the seriousness of his friend’s words springing him to action, “What! Who is going to hurt them?”

“Toph, her Earth Nation army, along with King Bumi and the forces of Omashu.”

“Why is Toph fighting Katara and Zuko? And why is Bumi coming to Ba Sing Se?”

Sokka struggled to find the best explanation, “You see Aang after that mess at the teashop, Katara kind of joined Zuko and the Fire nation.”

Azula ignored the water peasant’s explanation concerning his sister and her brother, their relationship was old news. What made her mind race was Zuko’s failure,letting that little Earth bender girl defeat him, poor Zuzu she’d say if she wasn’t trying to keep hidden.

“So Katara joined the Fire Nation because of Zuko.”

Sokka quickly interrupted him, “Not because of Zuko, or so she says, but yeah because of Zuko.”

Aang rolled his eyes and continued, “Your sister joined the Fire Nation so you joined the Earth Nation.”

“Technically the Gaang was always with the Earth Nation.”

“You joined the Earth Nation and attacked her,” Aang snapped.

“She attacked me too,” Sokka brought his hand to the mark on his head where he’d been wounded by her attack.

“Sokka what do you, you and Katara, want me to do?”

“I told you, come back to the city.”

“To do what? Toph and Bumi are my friends just like you and Katara.”

“Exactly, your friends, we’re all friends, Katara was hoping that you could talk to them so you could remind them of that.”

Aang exhaled and felt the anxiousness leave him, “Just talk right?”

Sokka answered with confidence, “Yup, just talk.”

Taking one last look at the Eastern Air Temple and the mountain range it was home to, Aang answered simply and with his normal cheer, “Okay, I’ll go.”

“Excellent, put some ice in that banana juice and let’s,” Sokka stopped, the excitement at his friend's willingness to help was gone, and all that stress that had been around his task was now back and tenfold.

“Uh Sokka, what’s wrong?”

“Azula…”

“What about Azula?”

The princess in question was now listening most intently, more anxious to hear the answer to the Avatar’s question then he was.

“What are you going to do with her, you can’t possibly bring her but she can’t know what we are doing, spirits, she probably already knows, this is bad, Aang what are we going to do?”

Aang laughed at his friend’s panic, “Azula is going to come with us.”

“Wait, I'm coming?” Azula couldn’t stop herself, so she spoke in the smallest of whispers.

“Nope, there’s no way she can come, she’s Fire Nation.”

“Zuko’s Fire Nation and he’s at the center of this.”

“Yeah but he’s different.”

“How?”

Avatar, you of all people should know that, Azula answered him in her thoughts.

“He is,” Sokka paused and forced himself to speak kindly of his sister’s boyfriend, “He is good, in his own way, I mean my sister must see something in him, so somethings got to be there right? And Azula, she’s where evil meets insane, you know Aang, a monster.”

The fire princess wanted to be angry, she wanted to put all her feelings into hate and send it all right at the water peasant, but to her anguish, she wasn’t mad, but terrified, what would the Avatar say now that he believes she isn’t there to hear him.

“She’s not a monster,” Aang declared with enough force to rattle the whole mountainside, “The place she grew up in was called a palace but it wasn’t a home.”

“Wait, what’s that mean?”

“It means she isn’t evil or insane, Azula might be a little different especially when it comes to her sense of humor, but she’s not bad.”

“Is the Gaang supposed to just accept that?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Aang, you're the Avatar and your my friend, of course I trust you.”

“Well, I trust Azula, she’s not the monster everyone says she is all the time, you’ll see.”

A cheerful you’ll see from a smiling Avatar and Azula forgot every word of what her great grandfather Roku had told her. Stepping backwards away from the still talking Avatar, her hands shaking without control, she spoke softly on repeat, more frantic with each repetition, she said to herself, “I can’t.”

I can’t! She yelled it in her mind only to drown the voices that sounded just like her shouting it from inside of her skull.

“What can’t you do Azula?” asked Ty Lee curiously, having noticed her best friend’s long absence, she had caught her just as she started to stumble backwards.

Unable to contain herself, Azula answered with tears in her eyes, “I can’t do any of it, I can’t be who he wants me to be, who he thinks I am, and I can’t, no, I won’t let him down, not him.”

“Azula, don’t cry, who? Who can’t you let down?”

Ty Lee felt like stupid asking who, even she could see that Azula was referring to the Avatar.

Mai had heard the commotion and listened in, when she realized the princess was falling apart, she saw another chance, “There is the princess I know, wise enough to know who she is and what she’s not.”

Ty Lee was ready to chi block her, “Mai what are you saying?”

“Azula you don’t need the Avatar or his love, you don’t need any love, didn’t you tell me, when I was losing my senses over your brother, that love is a distraction, one that dulls that mind and weakens the spirit.”

“Princess, don’t listen to her.”

In spite of Ty Lee’s urging, it was too late, Azula had heard Mai and through drying tears she answered her with bitterness, “Get to your point.”

“My point, right now, this, everything that you're doing, you’ve become weak and dull, and nothing will ever change that until you leave the Avatar and take back your rightful place as heir of the Fire Nation.”

“Azula, please don’t listen to her,” Ty Lee pleaded.

“No,” Azula stopped and now spoke with a more stable voice, “She’s right,” Azula stopped and stared a dagger into Mai, “Not right about everything, I’ve never been weak nor dull, and I challenge either of you two ladies to test that.”

The princess stopped, she had intended to keep going but the weight of the words that rested on her tongue held her back until she could gather the strength to push through them, “Mai is right that I have been foolish in being mistaken, mistaken that I could…” The words left her so she left them and continued, “The Avatar doesn’t think I’m a monster, swears to his friend that I’m not bad, and let’s not get into details suffice it to say he is wrong. I won’t disappoint him, I won’t let him down, even if that means leaving him to do it.”

Sick of words, Azula stormed off in the direction of the airship, not bothering to check and see if her friends were following.

“Wait Azula, where are you going?” asked Ty Lee, struggling to keep pace.

Azula looked back at the following Ty Lee and said wildly, “To kill my brother and take the throne of Ba Sing Se for myself.”

Mai, who had been trailing both her friends, felt her head grow light and her feet stumble beneath her dress. She had been angry at Zuko, hurt for his rejection and worse for his choosing of the water peasant, but hearing Azula say she was going to kill him made her plan more real that she had readied herself for.

When she finally reached the airship, Ty Lee and Azula had boarded, with Azula already at the helm. Looking back, Mai checked to see if the Avatar or his water peasant friend had seen them but neither had.

“No!” yelled Azula, tipping her head back her scream became a roar that erupted into blue flame.

No bother looking, if the Avatar and the water peasant had not heard the princess then that definitely saw her fire.

“What’s wrong with her now?,” Mai complained.

“The airship, it's out of fuel,” answered Ty Lee nervously.

When the fire swept back down Azula’s throat, she snapped her mouth shut and raised her fists to the wheel. Shaking it, she begged, “Agni, start, just start, I really need you to start, I can’t be here, I just want to go.”

“Azula…”

The fire princess rapidly turned from the wheel and found the Avatar standing behind her, the speed of his air bending and the lightness of his landing bringing him to her without even her friend’s notice.

Aang didn’t let her answer, pulling her into a hug that she desperately received, he took his answers from the faces of her friends. The final answer, he took from Guru Pathik, out of sight, yet his wisdom still fully realized before him.

“Aang,” Azula said.

“You have to go.” he answered her, his voice still calm.

“I…”

Releasing her from the hug, Aang pressed his forehead to hers, “I understand.”

Stepping away from the Avatar, Azula looked over the ship, shaken and smoking from a fire she started during her roar, even if it had fuel, it still wouldn’t make it to Ba Sing Se in the condition she left it in.

The princess felt the ship tilt, raised upwards at an awkward angle, it had been nudged. Tossing a glance over the side she saw Appa hovering, his wide mouth seeming to smile at her without regard for the situation.

“But…”

“It’s okay.”

Azula wasn’t sure what was okay, that she was leaving or that she was taking Appa?

To her neither was okay and for a brief moment, her feelings took over, “We could go, you and I, there is an island chain called Ember, we could conquer it, make it our kingdom, the nations, Water, Earth, Fire, they can’t stop us, we can…”

Aang stopped her with a smile, “Princess I have a world to save.”

Speaking only in spite, she answered, “Then, Avatar, I have a world to burn.”

The Avatar looked suddenly disappointed, and Azula couldn’t, as silly as it seemed to her in the moment, she couldn’t let that be her last words to him, “Will I see you, in Ba Sing Se?”

He answered her with a kiss.

Aang waited until Azula was gone, Appa’s silhouette lost in the distance, before he let a tear fall from each eye.

Sokka, wanting to comfort his friend, placed an arm around Aang and told him, “I know it's bad, but at least she isn’t the moon.”

Not answering, Aang fell to his knees, eyes shining blue and body engulfed in raging spirits in the same blue hue. The mountain shook and Sokka backed away slowly, frightened and in awe of his friend's power. When the temple neared collapsing, the commotion ceased and peace returned.

Exhaling and opening tear filled eyes, Aang had unblocked his seventh and final chakra.

Chapter Text

The night over Ba Sing Se was calm and there was a steady breeze that shuffled the warm air through the arteries of streets that honeycombed the cityscape into vast interweaving into districts, all collectively being pierced by the approaching column of Earth Nation soldiers marching down the largest of the city’s main roads.

The column stretched from a notable restaurant, often frequented by Earth Nation elite and nobility, to the palace itself in one endless stream of green plated armor, the clinking uniting into a dull roar that would have been monotone except for a slight hiccup from the trot of the soldier’s march.

In the middle, was a litter, large, long, and glorious, it stood nearly a story in height and must have weighed a ton. Supported along several wooden beams carried by as many as sixteen men, it was a moving castle, a tower that paraded its way through the wealthiest district of Ba Sing Se.

Stopping all traffic, the people of Ba Sing Se all knew who it was but held no reverence, their king was a weak man, puppeted by the generals of the Earth Nation around them, and worse, cowed by the little Beifong girl. They spat and cursed, sharing rude jokes amongst themselves; it would take nearly an hour for the King and his entourage to pass, so they had the time.

It was rare that the King ventured out anymore, the recent conflicts in the lower rings had made his movements dangerous and far too risky to be attempted. Nonetheless here he was, his horde now bored with the time it takes to shuttle his humongous little to and from. They leaned on their spears and waited until it was time for them to walk maybe a few steps at best before stopping again. Most of the soldiers didn’t complain, it could have been much worse, it could be them, slump low and jaw clenched forced to carry the king’s monstrosity.

Ty Lee and Mai waded through the crowd on either side of the King’s entourage, separated by a wall of slouching and small stepping troops, they reached each other without problem. Ty Lee waved from across the troops, unable to help herself. Mai ignored her, looking up to the tops of the shops around them, trying in vain to spot the princess.

Azula shook her head, watching her friends the whole time. When she had come out of whatever ailment had struck her and forced her to leave the Avatar she was tempted to throw Mai off from Appa’s back but didn’t only at Ty Lee’s behest. Vulnerable, a word she hated and would never verbally admit too, Mai had persuaded her, not tricked, but led her into leaving her Avatar. The princess had still not forgiven her.

Standing straight and walking to the edge of the tallest building she could find, overlooking the procession, she spotted the King’s litter and waited for it to be in place. Pulling her hood back, Azula scolded herself, her choice had been made, a grievous mistake, but it happened. The Avatar was gone and this was all she had.

Extending her hands to either side Azula summoned lighting to them, balled and charged in her palms, and barely held in place by her electrified fingers, everyone around looked up at her. The King would be hers and the city her hostage, she thought, then leapt from the top of the building.

Azula tossed the first ball of lightning and then followed it quickly with the second, the troops in the procession, their daze turned to shock, stood aghast as the shiny unstable orbs that came plummeting down at them. Hitting the troops in front and behind the litter, they exploded in a blast of fire and electricity.

Several fallen and others crawling and running away, the litter dropped with a force that shook the area. Strong enough to bring Ty Lee and Mai to their knees, they struggled to their feet and took up positions around the fallen castle that still held the king.

Using short bursts of fire from the bottom of her feet, Azula landed softly before the litter, and stepped towards it as if she had already won. The Earth Nation soldiers, although numerous in number, were in disarray, fumbling around the floor if not in full retreat down the city’s side streets and back alleys.

The door to the King’s litter was taller than Azula, having to reach up to the knob, turning and pulling open the door, the princess for a second worried that the whole gaudy structure might cave in on itself, and if the King was killed then she would lose the advantage.

Cautiously she opened the door and announced her presence, “King Kuei, it is a pleasure to meet you, I’m Azula, princess of the fire nation.”

“I know who you are, princess psycho, oh, were you expecting someone else?”

The door to the litter now fully opened revealing Toph laying in place of the King, her feet up and picking her teeth, she laughed at the angered and horrified Azula.

“You!” Azula yelled, pointing her finger down at the Toph, electricity forming at the tip.

“Me!” shouted Toph and with one swift motion she rolled out the litter bringing a wave of shredded earth and crumbled pavement at Azula, slamming into the princess' face and sending her tumbling through a shop that sold formal wear.

Ty Lee ran towards the streak of wreckage left in Azula’s wake and tried to see how far the princess had gone.

Toph took her time, stretching, having been sitting in the little for several hours, she cracked her knuckles and waited.

Suddenly a golden flickering light illuminated Ty Lee's worrisome face, giving her only seconds to dive out of the way before a rush flame overcame her.

The fire, barreling and jetting forward like a burning snake forced Toph on the defensive, bending a wall of earth that struggled to hold back the flaming onslaught.

Azula stepped forward, each step more difficult as she increased the force of her attack. Hands outward and blue flame streaming from the center of her palm, she flattened her palms as a launching pad for her inferno.

Toph straightened her arms, directing down to the earth, her hands open and channeling the power of her bending into her wall of now melting sand.

Both Azula and Toph sweated and after a minute of continuous attack, it was evident that the two were locked in a contest of wills.

A rush of water slammed into the side of Azula's barrelling flame turning her attack into thick steam. The steam instantly freezing in air and binding together into water, the water bending downwards and forming a jetting blue wall around Azula. Inside the wall and approaching her carefully from behind, were Katara and Zuko.

“Zuzu can’t you see I was busy,” snapped Azula, turning to face her brother.

“Busy getting caught in Toph’s trap.” replied Zuko.

“You were losing to her too,” added Katara.

“What! How dare you, water peasant,” Azula took a few bold steps towards Katara, the water bender raising her hands causing the wall of water to flicker for a moment as she readied to defend herself against the princess.

“Azula please, you're surrounded, it's hopeless,” Zuko pleaded with his sister.

Katara narrowed her eyes at the princess, “you should listen to your brother.”

“Mind your business, water peasant, this is a family matter,” Azula spat.

“Don’t talk to her like that,” Zuko’s tone was irritated and full of warning.

“My, my, defending her already, you two sure have gotten close.”

“You’re one to talk, where have you been the last eight months?”

Katara had grown tired of the siblings, “Enough! Toph and an entire division of the Earth Nation army are out there, can we leave?”

Zuko looked to his sister with desperation, “Azula, please.”

Azula shook her head, “Fine, lead the way Zuzu.”

The pair did not waste a time, Zuko leading them through a store and down into a basement, only when they had escaped into a secret tunnel did Katara release the water flooding the area behind them and covering their escape.

Azula complained about the sewer they were forced to pass through, the bowls of the city stunk worse than the filthiest alleys outside. A stream of bile flowed alongside the narrow strips they did their best to walk on. It took almost three hours to reach the most recent lair of the Fire Nation, a great hall cutout between intersecting lanes of sewage.

Turning the corner into the wide open entrance, wide circular pits were dug into the concrete of the floor, in them were burning incense, anything that could shroud the stench around. Further into the hall were makeshift barracks and stores of weapons and equipment, a force of at least a hundred Fire Nation, all tightly packed and uncomfortable.

Shaking her head, Azula felt awkwardly relieved that they still bowed or tipped their heads as she passed. Zuko was in command and she felt the silent contempt of the soldiers who had heard of her disgrace with the Avatar. These were not the band of rebels she saw her brother with, these Fire Nation came from home, a great effort being taken to smuggle them into the city. Being declared heir had its obvious benefits.

Reaching a small room formed out of a couple of tents, her brother had her sit on one of a rough assembly of chairs. Making a show of finding the right one, Azula carefully sat down as though the detestable seat would strike at her.

“Are you done,” said Katara who had briskly walked in and had taken to making some sort of warm drink at a small station erected in the room’s corner.

“Let her, she has her way about things,” Zuko came up behind Katara and pressed his hand to her back in a way that reminded Azula too much of her time at the Eastern Air Temple.

“I have my way, excuse me Zuzu I’d have you know I have spent months in a tent, living in much worse squalor than this.” Azula eyed the sewer around them, “Well maybe not much more.”

“About that…” Zuko started as he took his own seat.

“What happened with Aang?” question Katara, coming towards them, she had two steaming cups in her hand, one for her, and the other clearly for Zuko.

Watching her hand it to him, Azula spoke out, “Where is mine, water peasant?”

Katara quipped, “I don’t know, where is yours?”

Zuko worried where this might go, “Katara…”

“What happened with Aang? Where is he?”

Azula tried to evade Katara’s questions, “Why is it any of your business, what happened between me and the Avatar is exactly that, between us.”

“Unlike you, Aang has friends, who care about him, and worry that you might have done something to him.”

Azula hated Katara’s accusation, “Me? Why would I have done something to him?”

“Well, where is he then? He’s not with you?”

“Don’t ask those questions,” Azula started to get up.

“Why, what are you hiding?” Katara was now practically standing over Azula.

Zuko, now at her side, placed a hand on his girlfriend’s shoulder, “Katara I don’t think she is hiding…”

“Move!” demanded from Azula.

Rising to her feet, the princess forced Katara and her brother out of her way, turning her skin red hot as she brushed past.

“Azula, wait!” Katara called out, suddenly feeling as though she might have gone too far, something she thought not possible with a person like Azula.

It was too late, the princess was gone, lost in the mix of tents and makeshift rooms of the Fire Nation camp. Shrugging, Katara stepped backwards until she was in Zuko’s arms.

“I’m sorry,” Katara said, kissing his hand as she took it in hers.

“They broke up,” Zuko answered, his voice low.

“How do you know?” Katara asked.

“I’m her brother.”

“Then go talk to her.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“I thought you were her brother?”

“I know her, but that’s not the same as being close, we aren’t like you and Sokka.”

“You think Sokka doesn’t piss me off sometimes? That we don’t fight?”

“You just seem so, I don’t know, nice to each other.”

“We are family, we love each other, don’t you love your sister?”

“Yeah.”

“Then go, and talk to her.”

Zuko tried to find a reason or even an excuse not to talk to his sister but he couldn’t and reluctantly accepted his role as a brother and nodded to Katara. It didn’t take him long to find his sister, her reputation had cleared a small tent room out for her in which she occupied silently at a small table, a dark colored drink in a cup untouched at her side.

“Was it you or him?” Zuko asked as soon as she was close enough to hear him.

Azula looked over and acknowledged him, “Do you think it was me?”

“We tend to have that problem in our family,” her brother answered as he pulled a misshapen chair up to her table, flipping it backwards so he could rest on its back.

“Which problem? Brother, for so we have so many,” Azula half joked.

“Pushing away things that are good for us,” Zuko stole her drink and took a sip.

“The Avatar was not good for me,” she declared.

“Is that why you left him?”

“No…”

“Then?”

“Because I wasn’t good for him,” Azula stole her drink back and finished it.

Zuko laughed, “Oh so now you're saving him?”

“Excuse me.”

“Saving him from yourself, I mean.”

“Zuzu, I think you would be the first to say how terrible I am.”

“Hey he’s not so great either.”

“Are you really pushing me to reconcile with the Avatar?” Now Azula was giving a soft chuckle, “You must know with him at my side we’d easily conquer this world several times over.”

Zuko was quick to reply, “Yeah but I don’t think he’d sign off on that.”

“So you want him with me so he can pacify me, why Zuzu when did you get so clever?”

Stopping to smile before answering her, Zuko replied, “So he pacifies you?”

“What!” Azula was noticeably thrown off by her brother’s sudden remark.

“It’s okay, I think Katara keeps me balanced, when things get difficult, I think she keeps me from doing stupid things, you know what I mean?”

Azula was further stunned by her brother’s sudden openness, “No I don’t know what you mean, Agni, we are not talking about this.”

“Okay, I’m sorry, I just thought…”

“Thought nothing Zuzu, we are not that type of family, now how do I get out of this, this sewer!”

“Don’t leave.”

“You are not taking me prisoner, I do not accept you as the rightful heir to the fire nation.”

“That’s alright, still, things are bad out there, you shouldn’t be without a side.”

“Zuzu, I am a side.”

“Who’s on your side Azula?”

“Mai and Ty Lee.”

“That’s not enough.”

“Don’t test me brother.”

“Omashu is coming. When they come they are going to sweep the city and destroy every Fire Nation they fnd.”

“Then they should beware of me.”

“Please Azula, I can talk to father, he will take you back, and we can take this city and go home.”

“What about my dreams? I have intentions, I have plans, this is my time to get my glory! No one will deny me that, not you, not father, and not even the Avatar!”

The vigor in which she spoke caused her to shake, her shaking revealing the betrothal necklace she had secreted beneath her tunic. For a moment, both brother and sister paused, Zuko’s eyes fixed on the carved pendant and Azula petrified by the unwanted revelation.

Zuko spoke in a low voice, “Then why are you still wearing that?”

“It doesn’t concern you,” Azula snapped.

“The Avatar gave that to you didn’t he?”

“So what if he did.”

“You accepted.”

“What would it matter to you if I did?”

“You're my little sister and if that means what I think it does, then I want to know that you're happy so I can be happy for you.”

Azula fought a smile then a tear, “Well you know how that all ended.”

“You’re still wearing it.”

Taking a moment to smile and forget the state of things, Azula paused and after a breath said, “I am still leaving Zuzu.”

“The exit is that way,” Zuko extended his hand in the east.

“You’re just letting me go?” Azula was slightly surprised.

“I couldn’t afford to lose the men it would cost me to keep you if I tried, now go before Katara sees.”

“You’re too frightened of your water peasant, Zuzu.”

“Yeah, let’s see how you act when your Avatar returns.”

Azula paused and a flash of blue tattoos and a stupid grin came across her mind, “goodbye Zuzu.”

Zuko watched his sister disappear into the darkness beneath Ba Sing Se. In his mind she was still a potential enemy and he did not doubt the chances of them fighting one another before the coming battle for Ba Sing Se was through, this was war and it could end poorly for them all.

Chapter Text

Boiling Rock was the highest security prison the Fire Nation had to offer, filled with prisoners of war, only the nation’s biggest threats were housed on the hot island. Prisoner number 317 was not considered an especially dangerous inmate despite the urging by her captors, she was only there because of her position as a rebel leader or so the guards assumed. Giving her little attention they thought, what could a girl do to them? A non bender at that.

Benders, earth, water, and a few treasonous fire were given all the attention, housed in their own cell block and given their own yards, the nonbenders were herded no better than cattle, not that that made their stay any easier. Guards were known to beat them sometimes to death, except for the non bender, the girl who they laughed at but over the months of her stay learned to avoid. She had broken a series of fingers, toes, and wrists, and no beating could deter her nor break her spirit.

Suki may have been a joke in the barracks of the guards but in her wing of Boiling Rock her reputation had grown. The leader of the Kyoshi warriors, none of the other prisoners believed her or that even such a squad of female warriors existed. The host of prisoners of war from the Water Tribes and the various regions of the Earth Nation each tried to test her, her fortitude and constitution, she beat them all and left their bodies still cursing and groaning out for display.

Eventually her fellow prisoners came around and took her in as an odd ally or weird comrade but it did her no good. Many of the captured warriors had fallen into despair, some after spending years behind Fire Nation bars and others driven mad by the anguish of the heat and the hopelessness of their situation. Boiling Rock was deep behind Fire Nation lines, there was no way of rescue not without defeating Fire Nation, meaning freedom for them would not come until the war was won, or as many of the lost put it, if the war was won.

Escape, Suki had plotted her escape everyday since she had arrived, although every prisoner she met told her not to even try. Boiling Rock was not the kind of prison that needed high walls, its captives were trapped by the geography of the Fire Nation itself, its waters surrounding them and its many islands boxing them in. Elders, those who had fought the war since before she was born, spoke to her of many escapes, all failed for the same reason. Nowhere to escape to, all other islands in swimming distance housed Fire Nation villages if not whole garrisons, and any escapee must consider the strong chance of getting picked up by the patrols of the Fire navy.

Faced with the impossibility of her situation, Suki spent the endless monotony of her incarceration trying to focus on her hopes and dreams or lack thereof as she soon realized. Sitting in a corner, her knuckles bruised and her knees scraped from the rigors of prison life, the first thought that came to her was the end of the war and how wonderful that would be. She stopped herself there, the end of the war would be great but even now when she had nothing but time, she still could not imagine it.

All her life she wanted to be a warrior, a dream that the world war raging around her had definitely had a hand in cultivating. Kyoshi Island was a small and tranquil place when it wasn't raided, its houses built and rebuilt after being razed during each year’s pillaging. Crops were burned, harvest stolen, and starvation was abundant, and as a little girl she could do nothing. The men of her village were drafted into one Earth Nation army or another by the time they reached fighting age, some even a little before. This left her village relatively defenseless, so she trained.

Thanking the spirits everyday that she had been born on Kyoshi Island and not in the middle of Ba Sing Se or Omashu, Suki had the rare opportunity to follow through on her dreams. Kyoshi, the former Avatar, had left a history and legacy of women warriors on the island, one that was kept up by the generations that preceded her. Not having one, but many teachers, mothers, grandmothers, they all imparted their skills and techniques to her until she had bested every woman on the island.

At fourteen she was given command of the Kyoshi warriors, making her something of a prodigy, and for two years she and her fellow warriors guarded their island. There were still raids, Fire Nation and pirates, but they fought them off and made any attack against them a challenge not worth the risk. Suki took pride in defending her home, it made her happy to train everyday and fight to keep it safe, that was her life.

Leaning against the warm cement of the wall of her cell, Suki thought about the end of the war, wishing for it then stopping to wonder what she actually was wishing for. If the war ended that instant, the guards dropping their weapons and kneeling in defeat, if the door to her cell opened for her own and she was free to leave, what would she actually be coming home to? It took her months to work out an answer and when she did it only raised more questions.

Kyoshi village suffered because of the war, the raids and starvation were all rooted in it and, if history was to be believed, had not existed a hundred years ago before the start of the war. In the distant past, one told to her as a girl, her island was home to a cheerful seaside village whose villagers lived most of their lives devoting their time to fishing and the veneration of Avatar Kyoshi. The war had disrupted that way of being for so long that it was all Suki knew, she couldn’t imagine a day in her life without preparation for the next attack and keeping an ear open for sounds of alarm.

No war with the Fire Nation meant no attack would come, the Fire Nation was the reason for every raid even the ones not directly perpetrated by them. The pirates, who took advantage of the vulnerability of Kyoshi and other islands like it, were only allowed to operate because of the absence of the Earth Nation navy, having been sunk long ago at the outset of the war.

When the war ends then so too will the raiding and with no raiding, Suki could not see a need for the Kyoshi warriors, not one beyond culture and tradition. Worse, in the privacy of her containment, she struggled to see a need for her on the island. She didn’t fish, she couldn’t sow or sew, and as much as she revered Avatar Kyoshi she was far from a historian.

Suki would have to shake her head and when that failed she dropped to the floor and did push ups, anything to keep her mind from becoming lost in the misery that had taken the once proud warriors around her. So, as the months continued, she searched for new questions, ones that had answers that didn’t make her feel so lost. When the war ended, she’d think to herself, who did she want to see first?

Family was a blessing but she didn’t have one, her father had left to war before she had been born and she had learned more about his death in battle than his life on the island. Brothers, all drafted younger than she is now and probably killed like her father, and her sisters had married and formed families of their own. No one had followed her in the path of a warrior, all except for the mother never met. Dying in the defense of the village, Suki credited her late mother with being just as much her inspiration as Avatar Kyoshi.

There was no family waiting for her back on her island so Suki thought of her friends, the fellow Kyoshi warriors who she trained and fought with, but she paused each time she thought of them. Warriors themselves, they were in no better position than her, maybe they should form some sort of commune, it was a silly idea and it made her smile, but it was no future. It did nothing to slow her growing distress. By her fifth month she had come to a conclusion, she was either going to die in prison or live on past her use.

Sokka, Suki dared not even whisper his name during the early months of her imprisonment. She avoided thinking of him because she was sure it would make her feel the sadness she had been trying so hard to avoid. Before coming to this prison, before being captured by the dreaded princess Azula, and even before trying to rescue the Avatar’s sky bison from her, she had missed Sokka and the distance and confinement of prison had only made her miss him more.

He made her laugh, not that making her laugh was some impossible task, but he made her laugh in a way that was genuine and true, with Sokka she laughed with her whole body and she swore he could even make her spirit giggle. The strange warrior from the Southern Water Tribe was an idiot and a genius, a stunning contradiction that Suki enthusiastically explored in the confined space of her cell.

It wasn’t that he was an idiot who did stupid things just because he didn’t know any better, it was because he wasn an idiot who did stupid things but stopped trying to learn and be better. Foolhardy with a stubborn streak, Sokka amazed her with his honesty and the thought and care he put into his actions when he was serious.

Suki thought of him, the stupid him, as one of the men she’d seen working in the village, the ones too old or too wounded to continue in the war. Sweet and enduring, she recognized the quality in Sokka and felt closer to him because of it. He was also a genius, whose mind almost surprised her as much as his heart. She had witnessed his natural inventiveness, the clever ways in which he composed his strategies, and felt herself mesmerized at the confidence in which he did it.

Most of all, Sokka cared about her, not just her health, but about her day, her breakfast or her lunch, or her night’s rest. He checked on her and nobody checked on her, the prodigious young leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, it was assumed that she was always ready and if she was ready then she was okay. Suki forced herself to believe that even when it wasn’t true. Sokka came and in the matter of a few days changed her. He could tell if she was okay and if she wasn’t, he didn’t think less of her, he was there, waiting with a kind word and his glowing sense of humor.

In the second week of the seventh month of her incarceration on Boiling Rock, Suki answered the question that had once filled her with lonely dread. When the war ended she would find him and if he still cared for her then they could be together. Simple, too simple maybe, but to her it didn’t have to be complicated by the reality of the odds stacked against them.

Laying flat on the floor of her cell, spreading her arms and legs wide and looking up, she imagined past the cracked and stained ceiling. After the war, Suki assumed Sokka would have to return home, he had told her that her father was the chief making him the heir apparent and the next leader of the Southern Water Tribe. Thinking of the ice and snow, she smiled as she pretended to feel cold in her hot cell. Would he ask her to come with him? How do you stay warm down there? Those were the questions she wanted to be asking, with the final one being, would the Water Nation warriors have a problem with her guarding their chief when it's Sokka’s turn to reign?

Early into what was going to be her eighth month, Suki had been eating in the yard, her meal a green thick porridge that tasted as revolting as it smelled. Needing to keep her strength up, she shoved it down her throat with the bent spoon she was given, all the while listening to the conversations of the guards who were posted around her.

Fire Nation guards were boring when they weren’t disgusting. Most of the time they bragged to one another about their conquests, the battles they’d been a part of and enemies they supposedly defeated. When they weren’t making themselves out to be the second coming of Sozin, they were complaining, usually about their work or families, with the loathsome warden’s name being mentioned several times in just as many disparaging ways.

Sometimes, the guards would gossip, making their own comments and jokes about the big events that took place in the warring world around them. That was how she found out about the chaos taking place in Ba Sing Se. Suki hated the princess of the Fire Nation, it was Azula after all that defeated her and had her thrown in Boiling Rock, but Avatar Aang was a dear friend so she felt conflicted when she heard of princess and the Avatar’s relationship and the dramatic way in which they exited that tea shop. She had also heard of the Fire Nation insurgency in the city and its leader the formerly disgraced Fire prince Zuko.

The information she gleaned from the loud speaking guards was mostly trivial and listening in with her porridge almost eaten, she expected to hear an escalation of the drama.

“Agni, you’re alive!” exclaimed one guard, running over and taking the hand of the other in a semi hugging embrace.

The other guard let out a harsh laugh, “What? Did you think those water peasant’s stood a chance against me?”

Water peasants, Sokka’s name entered her mind, and Suki, pretending to eat food that wasn’t there, scooted closer to listen.

“They’ve taken three ships already, Captain says they must be operating out of one of the islands in the south.”

“Our captain really is bright isn’t he, of course they are operating out of the south, I live in the south and they hit my ship as I was coming in this morning.”

Not all the Fire Nation soldiers who guarded the island lived there, most rotated out and others with rank commuted to and from the nearby islands. The revelation hit Suki harder than any blow from any fight in her life, if the guard’s ship had been attacked just this morning and he lives on one of the nearby islands, then the Water Nation were close, close enough for her to reach them. All she had to do was escape.

Chapter Text

Aang stood at the nose of the airship as it flew through the darkened clouds of the early morning, the sun had not risen, eyes closed he could feel the coldness of the air denying its warmth. Balanced in meditation he let his toes hang just over the side and held his hands together in front of his chest, his mind on the war and when he didn’t focus, it drifted back to Azula and the recent memory of their time together.

Further into the ship and at its wheel, Sokka kept a nervous watch on his map and compass and then when he was sure the Avatar wasn’t looking, he threw a concerned look at his friend. It had taken them a week to find an alternative fuel for the airship, a mixture of banana juice and grounded herbs and spices. It was explosive and unstable but it got them into the air.

The ship hiccuped, shaking a bit, Aang glanced over his shoulder to see his friend grasping the wheel and then raising his hand to give an okay sign that didn’t inspire much confidence. He could have left Sokka back at the Air Temple, since letting go of Azula and what was supposedly the last of his earthly attachments, he could fly now, a talent that astounded his friend but left him missing his glider and more so his sky bison.

“Aang, we’re still lost, but don’t worry I’ll find us, will be in Ba Sing Se very soon,” Sokka tried to yell as if he needed to for the Avatar to hear him, maybe he thought, if he put emphasis in his words they’d be more believable.

Sokka couldn’t fool him, he knew his friend was lying and had been since they left the temple. As a boy he had traveled the world by air as a way of life, in the sky there was no getting lost for him. What was Sokka hiding, it was a thought that didn’t trouble Aang, he trusted his friend and whatever he was doing, he had his reasons.

Suddenly the ship made an abrupt turn as if they had gone too far, Aang could feel the shifting beneath his feet and the change of the wind that blew against his face. Whatever Sokka wanted was close and now the time for answers was unavoidable. Leaping upwards and back flipping across the deck of the ship, he landed next to Sokka with ease.

“Hey, Aang, sorry about that, it's no problem, really.”

There was a nervousness in Sokka’s voice that hadn’t been there when he’d first arrived at the Eastern Air Temple with Azula’s friends, Aang didn't like it, they were friends, there was no reason to be nervous.

“Sokka…”

Trying to look busy with the map, Sokka had hoped to be left alone, hearing his name, he felt his confession coming.

“Aang I’m kind of busy, you know, getting us to the city,” he stalled hoping his friend would leave him alone.

“We aren’t going to Ba Sing Se,” said Aang flatly.

“What!” Sokka feigned shock, “What do you mean? That’s exactly where we are going.”

“No it’s not…”

“Aang…”

“I know we flew into the Fire Nation last night, so where are you taking us?”

Sokka’s face became grim, “I’m not sure if I should tell you.”

“Why?”

“It’s a sensitive issue.”

Aang’s expression became puzzled, “Sensitive issue?”

“You just broke up with,” Sokka paused, still not used to saying the princess name in a connotation outside of battle, “Azula.”

Expecting his friend to turn away, frown, feel sad, maybe even cry, Sokka was startled to hear the Avatar laugh.

“Sokka what does that have to do with anything?”

It didn’t hurt Aang to talk about Azula, maybe because the loss had not set in or because he didn’t entirely believe that the princess was gone. The war had complicated things as he had long seen coming and dreaded, but the clarity that comes with centuries of inherited wisdom gave him enough emotional distance to listen to his friend without mourning his love.

Deception was not a skill practiced by the Southern Water Tribe, so Sokka, “Suki is in prison and we are going to rescue her!”

“Okay.”

“Okay! What do you mean okay?” Sokka expected his friend to at least be angry.

“I know she is important to you, if you want to rescue her you should know I’ll help you, you don't have to make it a secret.”

Sokka thought he might have gone mad, the Avatar had just cheerfully agreed to help him, yet he couldn’t ignore the pain that help might cause him, “But what about Azula? Isn’t she important to you?

“She is.”

“Then, why aren’t you mad? We could have been at Ba Sing Se by now but I lied and kidnapped you to help save my girlfriend.”

Aang laughed even harder, “Now you’re trying to capture the Avatar too, Sokka?”

Frustrated and confused, Sokka pouted, “It’s not funny.”

Exhaling, Aang spoke calmly with a comforting hand placed on his friend’s shoulder, “Listen, if it makes you feel better, I knew you were lying the whole time.”

“It doesn’t.”

“I’m not ready to see Azula.”

Sobering Sokka from his frustration, he exclaimed, “What?”

Pulling his hand from Sokka’s should, he stepped a couple of paces away and explained, “I don’t know how we can be together, not with the war still going on, but if I see her, I’m going to want to, you know, be with her, but we can’t be together, because of the war, it’s always going to pull us in different directions and I don’t want us to fight, but if I see her…”

Seeing his turn to place a hand of comfort to the shoulder of a friend, Sokka offered the little that he could, “I understand.”

Minutes passed and Sokka returned his attention to the map and compass, Aang placing himself along the railing of the ships side, he wanted to see Azula, but knew he couldn’t, and rescuing Sokka’s love gave him the perfect reason to avoid the complications with his own.

“Uh Aang.”

“Yeah.”

“I think we’re here.”

“Really?” Aang leaned over the side of the ship but could not see beyond the clouds that still shrouded the morning.

“Yep,” Sokka pressed his whole face to the map just to be sure.

“Um, where is here supposed to be again?”

“Boiling Rock, it's a prison.”

“Alright, well if she’s down there, I’ll get her.”

“Wait, what about me, you’re going to need my help,” Sokka raised his boomerang to exemplify his point.

Aang shook his head, “You gotta stay here and keep the ship in the air, if things go bad, we’ll need to get out of here quick.”

Sokka had wanted to be the one to rescue Suki, to kick down the door to her cell and take her into his arms and give her the biggest kiss he'd been imagining since his sister told him of her capture. But he wasn’t stupid, if the Avatar told him he was needed at the ship than that was probably where he should be, nodding his head, he let out a small, “good luck.”

“Wait, Sokka.”

“It’s okay, just go, bring Suki back.”

“I will, it’s just…”

“What?”

“Why didn’t you tell me about Suki when you first got to the temple?”

Awkwardly, Sokka answered, “I was but then I saw you with Azula and then you two had that fight and she left, and…”

“I get it,” Aang interrupted, relieving his friend of a long and awkward explanation.

Climbing atop the railing of the ship, Aang stopped, “If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, land before we run out of gas.”

Sokka nodded and watched as the Avatar lept from the side of the airship and disappeared beneath the clouds. Minutes went by and he heard nothing, checking the map once again, worried that he made a mistake and just sent his friend diving into the middle of the sea. He felt an anxious relief when he heard the sirens of the prison alarms followed by explosions.

Rushing to the side of the ship and doing his best to peer over the side without tipping over, all Sokka could see were flashes of red, probably fire bending, then he heard a series of crashing sounds, probably Aang’s response.

More time went by and Sokka abandoned the railing and went to the ship’s gauges, nervously eyeing the fuel. Hovering was costly and the longer Aang took the least of a chance they had of piloting the ship out of the Fire Nation.

A thud and a shift in the ship's weight and Sokka raised his head in excitement expecting to see Aang and Suki. To his disappointment, he saw Aang but instead of Suki with him there was an older Fire Nation official dressed in a uniform so decorative and it could be assumed that he was the warden.

“Aang…” Sokka wanted to press further but waited for his friend to catch his breath. Aang had landed breathing heavily with ash and debris staining his clothes and face.

“Let me explain.”

“Please do, because this is not Suki!”

“Can we go first?” Aang gestured to the fire balls being bended into the air at them, none of which having enough elevation to reach them, yet.

“Fine, but I want answers.”

Sokka returned to the wheel and shifted the airship into full gear and after a few minutes of turbulence, they were gone, losing themselves in the emerging morning sun.

“So what happened! Who is he?” Sokka didn’t waste a second before demanding his answers.

The Fire Nation man, bound and gagged, grumbled loud and angrily but Aang and Sokka ignored him.

“Suki wasn’t there, Sokka.”

“What! How can she not be there? She’s a prisoner of war, they aren’t going to just let her out.”

“Here, he’s the warden,” Aang pulled the gag from the mouth of the man.

“Where’s Suki!” Sokka yelled at both the warden and the Avatar.

“As I told the Avatar before he brutalized me, prisoner 317 escaped , sorry fools, you’re a bit late.”

Sokka looked lost, “escaped?”

The warden sneered, “Yes, she took out five of my best guards on her way out too,” turning to face Aang, “And believe me Avatar if I had had those guards this morning then it would be you…”

Aang placed the gag back in the warden’s mouth and let him fall over onto his side, still grumbling and kicking.

Saddened and defeated, Sokka retreated by the wheel of the ship and slumped himself over it in dismay.

“Um Sokka,” Aang tried his best to sound optimistic.

“It’s fine Aang, really, I know you did your best.”

“It’s not that, actually, when I was in the warden’s office there was something else.”

Sokka raised an eyebrow, “What else?”

“A map of Boiling Rock and the surrounding islands, on it they had a circle where they thought there might be a Water Nation base.”

Minding racing, Sokka thought of his father, back in Ba Sing Se he had discovered the location of his father’s forces, not far from the waters of the Fire Nation.

Walking over to the fuming warden, Sokka pulled the gag from his mouth, “Tell me about the Water Nation in the area?”

“You should know, you look like a water peasant yourself.”

“Aang, are we over water?”

Leaning over the side and pretending to look, Aang tried to mimic Azula’s smile, “We are, do you want me to take him for a swim?”

The warden, only knowing the stories of the savage air benders and the evil Avatar, immediately started talking, “The water peasants, I mean Water Nation, they’ve been attacking our ships to and from the prison, a new force fresh from the South, we found the island where they’ve been hiding, we just haven’t had the time to amass a force strong enough to take them out.”

Stepping towards the warden, Sokka slammed the map down in front of him, “Show me.”

An hour later they were headed for what Sokka hoped was the navy of the Southern Water Tribe.

As a child, Sokka remembered when the Southern Water Tribe still had a fleet, modest by the standards of those beyond his years, but to him it was a shining display of the martial prowess of his people. The ships, although fewer than a dozen were all crafted in a style that had extended back to Avatar Kuruk, sturdy and nimble, they sailed circles around their opponents as their benders froze them in place. That was the navy Sokka had heard stories about, the one that kept the Fire Nation back for decades.

Nervous at the wheel of the airship, Sokka didn’t know what he’d find when he reached his father. It had been years and after seeing what the Fire Navy could do to the Northern Water Tribe, he worried for the fleet of his father, the young man no longer enamored by its memory as he was as a boy.

“Hey Sokka.”

“What is it? Do you see something?”

The morning had passed and the clouds had cleared, allowing the afternoon sun to guide them towards their target, unknown to them, nothing more than a small bay marked on a map by a scared prison warden.

“No.”

“Ok,” Sokka exhaled, each time Aang said something he swore it was going to be that he saw his father, and when it wasn’t, the disappointment was unshakeable.

“But I wanted to ask about the warden.”

“What about him?”

“Do you think he was telling the truth?”

No, Sokka didn’t think he was telling the truth, facing down the Avatar, terrified by the last air bender’s reputation, he was sure the warden would have said anything to get away.

“I hope he was.”

“If he’s lying, we could always go back and ask him,” Aang smiled and tried to sound comforting, they still hadn’t talked about Suki and where she might be.

They’d left the warden marooned on one of the many tiny islands that dotted the route from Boiling Rock to the supposed location of the Water Nation fleet.

“Do you think he’ll still be on that island?”

“Well I guess that depends on how active the Fire Navy is out here,” answered Aang, again peering over the side for any sign of Fire Nation ships.

“We’re in their nation.”

“But I haven’t seen any.”

Sokka leaned back from the wheel and raised himself up on his toes, looking from left to right he nodded his head in agreement, “I don’t know, maybe they’re just busy dealing with your attack on Boiling Rock.”

“It could be your people, you know, you’re Dad and his fleet.”

“We don’t even know if it is my Dad’s fleet.”

“Who else would it be? We saw what happened to the navy of the Northern Water Tribe.”

Sokka stared downwards at his feet, if they were going to find any Water Nation it was going to have to his father or at least what’s left of him.

A snap cracked in the distance, unsure what it was or where it came from, Sokka tried to check with Aang, “Hey did you hear that?”

“Sokka get down!” yelled Aang, turning and throwing his hand and bending air just in time to catch a larger boulder coming their way.

Knowing better than to second guess the Avatar in a time of crisis, Sokka hit the deck and then heard several other snaps just as loud as the first, “Oh no,” he muttered to himself.

Aang should have entered the Avatar state, with its power he could have stopped any attack, but he hesitated still unsure of what was going on and it would cost them. Bending several boulders away in front of him, he missed the ones to the rear, and was knocked to his knees when they slammed into the stern of the airship.

Sokka pulled himself up and took hold of the wheel but it was useless, the boulders had destroyed any chance of controlling the ship, “Aang what do we do!”

Several more snaps were heard and Aang didn’t bother to bend them back, there was no saving them.

Sokka yelled for his friend, “Aang!” not sure of what to do with the ship already starting to come pieces around them.

The Avatar didn’t answer, jumping towards his friend, Aang grabbed hold of Sokka and together they flew over the side of the ship. Sokka was screaming at first, startled by the sudden motion and dramatic exit. Falling or gliding, he wasn’t sure, he had not yet given his new predicament much thought, his eyes transfixed on their airship, now being destroyed midair by a series of boulders. He only looked away when it exploded.

Definitely falling, Sokka was sure he was going to die, Aang he concluded would live, but he was no bender, he had no powers, he was done.

Aang felt his friend go limp in his arms, passing out from the terror of the attack and their rapid fall, he shifted to throw him over his shoulders and then used his bending to slow them down.

Splashing into the water, cold but nowhere near the freezing ice water he was used to back home, Sokka awoke with the relief to still be alive. Floating, he regained his composure, “Aang, the ship.”

Around them the remnants of their airship rained down into the ocean, Aang having to raise an arm to bend away a couple of the larger and more threatening pieces. When the cascade of debris finished, he spoke, “Well, at least we know why there aren’t any Fire Navy around here.”

“Why?”

Not answering, Aang just pointed, Sokka turning and his jaw dropping, a Water Nation ship was approaching them, its sailors lining the deck with their boomerangs raised.

Chapter Text

Relaxed, Sokka started to swim towards the ship, “Aang it’s one of my Dad’s!”

“The one that just tried to kill us?”

“Yeah that one, isn’t it great.”

“Sokka!” the first sailor called out, recognizing him in the water.

The voices of more sailors followed as the ship pulled up alongside Sokka and Aang.

“Boys it's Sokka! Get some rope, get’em out of that water!”

“Is that the Avatar?”

“Sokka’s come to help us.”

“He’s brought the Avatar.”

“The spirits have finally blessed us.”

Entering the ship, Sokka was well received by the sailors, many of them patting him on the back, congratulating him on making it this far and mixed in with several apologies for shooting him down.

Aang fading away into the back was happy to not be the center of attention and only entertained a few random sailors who were curious and daring enough to ask if he was really the fabled Avatar.

The ship of the Southern Water Tribe was long and had one giant mass at its center, which was closed as the ship was still ready for battle. At the stern lay its main weapon, a catapult that had just been used to help shoot them down, Aang walked over to inspect it, seeing the irony that it wasn’t too far different in design from the weapons of the Fire Navy.

At the wheel with the Captain, Sokka ran his hand along the wood of the ship, wood that had been collected from within the ice of his home and finely textured to withstand all the rigors of the sea. He had only dreamed of seeing it again, but feeling the hot air that clung to islands around them reminded him that they were still in enemy waters.

“Your father will be very happy to see you,” said the Captain.

“Father…”

“What? Did you think your father would abandon his men in time of war?”

Sokka grimly shook his head.

“Ooo so you thought your father might have fallen.”

Not wanting to nod his head, Sokka just looked at the Captain, a man who knew him since he was baby and now seemed so much smaller than he remembered.

“Sokka let me remind you that your father is one of the, no, he is the best warrior our tribe has, why do you think we’ve lasted all these years, which have not been kind, kid.”

A weak smile came to Sokka’s face as he remembered his father training with sword and spear, then leading the other warriors of the village in their training.

“Your father is a survivor, he may have not always been victorious, but he has never been defeated.”

Accepting the Captain’s words, Sokka respectfully thanked him for saying them and left to join Aang who was standing at the nose of the ship much as he did the airship not an hour ago.

“Are you ready?” Aang asked, sensing his approaching friend.

“Ready? Why would I need to be ready?” Sokka tried to laugh off his anxiousness.

“Sokka you haven’t seen your father in a long time, Katara told me it's been years.”

“Yeah…”

“Do you know what you’re going to say?”

“No.”

The friends shared a laugh and waited, the fleet had attacked from out of the many coves and hidden bays they used for hiding, with a changing of the flags to signal the others, they were all to rendezvous.

Among the last to arrive, Sokka and Aang were treated to the sight of all the fleet of the Southern Water Tribe on full display or at least what was left of it. Not the number Sokka watched set out as a boy, he counted only six ships, seven if he included the one he was on.

The incoming shoreline was home to a make ship base that had been erected quickly, giant tents that connected with one another made halls that ran parallel along the beach. At its center was a grand fire pit. Scattered across the sand were the sailors, the couple of hundred or so that were needed to command the ships of the fleet.

Mooring along a dock made of cut trees, scavenged from the surrounding islands, Sokka let the whole of the crew disembark before following with Aang close behind.

Touching down on the wood of the dock, Aang watched as every sailor around bowed before Sokka, the ones that weren’t able to, tipped their head in respect.

“Sokka!” a voice called out from the mix of sailors now lining the beach awaiting the arrival of the son of the chief.

Looking around to see who had called his name, Sokka heard his name called out again, this time by the familiar voice of his father.

“Dad!” Sokka answered, looking for the familial face.

At the foot of the dock stood a group of heavily armed warriors, sporting pelts and clad in the dark blue color of their nation, they parted ways allowing for Sokka to see his father, waiting for him with open arms. Suddenly a boy again, Sokka ran and felt himself be taken in by his father’s hug.

Aang kept a slow pace and enjoyed not having anyone stare at his tattoos or ask him random and impossible questions.

Stepping back, Hakoda inspected the young warrior in front of him, “Son…”

Now it was Sokka’s turn to bow, falling to his knees in reverence.

“Sokka please get up, we have much to talk about.”

Trying to hide his excitement, Sokka had to stop himself from jumping to his feet, rising as dignified as he could, he nodded and then turned to Aang who had just reached them.

“Dad, allow me to introduce you to my friend, Aang, the Avatar.”

“Hello,” said Aang, cheerfully adding, “I’m great friends with your son and daughter, and I’m honored to meet the chief of the Southern Water Tribe. I was friends with the chief of my time and I hope to be friends with you.”

Hakoda narrowed his eyes at Aang, “So you're the Avatar.”

“Mmhmm,” both Aang and Sokka nodded their heads.

“You're needed here, now both of you, come along,” Hakoda gestured for them to follow, and across the sand he led them to their tented hall.

After giving them each a drink, water from one of the Island streams, Hakoda first apologized, “I am truly relieved that you are both alright, when I ordered the attack on the airship I assumed I would be firing on the Fire Nation not the Avatar and my son.”

“It’s okay, Dad.”

Ignoring his son’s forgiveness, Hakoda went on, “Only great warriors could survive one of my attacks, Avatar you are who the spirits intended you to be and that speaks for itself, but Sokka, when I left you were a child begging to be taken to battle, now you are a seasoned warrior whose experience has seen them all the way to the heart of our enemy, you’re coming could not be a more welcomed surprise.”

“Dad…” Sokka fought tears.

“I won’t waste time, Avatar as you know, this war has been going on for a hundred years, far too many if you ask me!” Hakoda paused and allowed his sailors to yell and raise their fists at his words, “We have come here to hit the Fire Nation where it hurts, like chi blockers we have been striking them at their vulnerable points, places they long left unprotected, soon they will be paralyzed, unable to move their weapons or men, even their food, they will be left weak, that is when we hit them!”

More cheers from the sailors followed and Hakoda had clearly stopped talking to the Avatar or his son, speaking to his men he said, “When we came out here we were on our last breath, it is safe to admit that now, close to defeat and sharing a fate at the bottom of the sea, we vowed to not go easy, to make the Fire Nation suffer for their crimes, this endeavor of ours, the attacking and dwindling of our enemy at their reserves, in their own waters, I confess that I never thought we’d see the end of it, that we would die in the course of our action with the small hope that at least our action may have granted others a chance to finish what we started.”

The mood became somber as Hakoda let his words sink in, and when he felt the moment right, he declared, “But men circumstances have changed, my son, you will be chief one day, when I retire or when he grows cocky and foolish enough to challenge me for the right to lead,” the sailors shared a small laugh, “he brought us a powerful gift, he brought us the Avatar and together, with his help, we will shut down the Fire Nation, we will force that animal Ozai into opening himself up to attack, weakening him all the while, and at that moment, we will not strike at their trade and transport, we will strike at their palace and their cities, as they burned us in the past we will drown them and their future, with the Avatar, men, the time is now!”

Sokka and Aang looked at one another skeptically, one of them was going to have to say something, so Aang decided to save Sokka from being the one to disappoint his father.

“Uh Chief.”

The sailors stopped their cheering and Hakoda turned his attention to the Avatar.

“As much as I am grateful that you think so highly of me and I think it is great that you were able to come all this way to fight the Fire Nation, I don’t support drowning anybody but I do understand your anger and see that your plan is important to you, but I can’t stay.”

“What!”

Hakoda looked furious and Sokka wasn’t going to let his friend bare the brunt of his father’s reaction, “Dad Aang can’t stay and neither can we, right now Katara is in Ba Sing Se and she needs all the help we can get, she has her own plan on how to end the war, and it might sound crazy, but it’s good.”

“Don’t mention that girl to me,” Hakoda snapped.

“What? Why?”

“Why? I should be asking you why? Or better how?”

“What do you mean? Dad”

“Why has your sister betrayed us for the Fire Nation? How could you let her do it?”

Sokka’s eyes widened and his father continued, “Yes, we’ve heard about her and the Fire prince.”

“Dad it’s not like that at all, you don’t understand!”

“Chief, please listen to Sokka, everything is really complicated,” Aang interjected.

“Enough!” yelled Hakoda, “I won’t hear another word of it.”

“But what about Katara?” Sokka pleaded, “If we don’t go and help her she won’t make it out of the city, she’ll die.”

“Your sister has made her choice, and as chief of our nation I’ll make mine, the fleet stays here and we continue with our attacks.”

“But Dad…”

Aang stepped forward boldly in front of the chief, “You are the leader of your nation and as the Avatar I must respect that, if it’s your choice to remain here then that’s your choice, but I must go to Ba Sing Se,” pausing he turned to his friend, “Sorry Sokka.”

Leaving the tent a couple of the sailors attempted to grab him but entering the Avatar state a brush of bended energy knocked them both off their feet.

“Let him go,” Hakoda called out, “If he doesn’t have the will to join us then we will not force him.”

Not looking back, Aang left the tent and kicked up a plume of sand as he shot straight into the air, Sokka, running after him, was only able to see him disappear into the sky.

Following his son out of the tent, the sailors trailing, Hakoda said, “Sokka you may want to join your friend and help your sister, I raised you to be an honorable brother and I do not hold it against you if that is what you desire, but, you are a warrior of the Southern Water Tribe and like every warrior from our nation, your place is here.”

“Dad, I told Katara I would come back.”

“That doesn’t matter now.”

“She’s your daughter.”

“I am your chief, my word is final, you are forbidden to go.”

“Then I challenge you.”

“What?!”

Hakoda and the sailors all shared the same shocked expression, Sokka thinking of his sister and the fate that awaited her back in Ba Sing Se, found his courage.

“I said I challenge you!”

“Sokka you don’t know what you're saying,” Hakoda calmed his voice and hoped his son would hear him.

“Are you going to come and help Katara?”

“I cannot do that.”

“Then, as your son, I challenge you for the right of chief.”

In a serious tone, Hakoda demanded, “Stop this foolishness, retract your challenge and I’ll forget this happened.”

“No! If you won’t go and help Katara, then I’ll become chief and do it myself.”

“Fine,” Hakoda called out to his sailors, “Make the circle and bring us our swords!”

As though they were preparing for an ancient ritual, the sailors bowed their heads and obeyed their chief, forming a wide circle in the sand with the father and son at the center.

“Wait!” a lone voice called out from among the sailors.

Sokka shook his head as if he had been imagining things and Hakoda scowled, “Who dares interrupt!”

A warrior entered the circle, dressed in a roughly pulled together water nation uniform, their face was obscured by war paint. They asked, “Does the Southern Water Tribe honor the right to a champion?”

“We do, but as a warrior of our tribe you should know that, reveal yourself, who are you that would support a son against his father?”

Sokka answered his father’s question, “Suki”

Suki raised her hand to wipe the warpaint from her face but was interrupted by Sokka who had rushed in for a kiss. The chief and sailors around them stood aghast at the sudden show of affection.

“What is this?”

Sokka turned to face his father, some of Suki’s war paint now smeared on his face, “Dad, this is Suki, leader of the Kyoshi Warriors.”

Suki added, “His girlfriend, and his champion.”

Whispering to her, Sokka asked, “Are you sure? This is supposed to be my fight”

“You want to win don’t you,” Suki finished her answer with a kiss to Sokka’s cheek then stepped into the center of the circle across from Hakoda.

A sailor ran to Hakoda and Suki’s sides, handing them each a long sword.

Waving hers, Suki gauged the weight of the blade and how best to wield it, the Captain of the ship that had picked up Sokka called out to them both, “Ready?”

Hakoda and Suki, exchanging a mutual nod, the Captain raised his fist then struck it down signaling the beginning of the duel.

Hoping to finish this quickly, Hakoda rushed Suki, swiping at her hard and wide, she dodged and backed away, struggling to keep her footing in the sand. Noticing the chief pressed his attack harder, trying his best to cause her to fall and when she did he bore down on her, stabbing downwards as she jerked away from the point of his blade.

Catching his legs with hers, Suki took Hakoda down and when he hit the sand she leapt back to her feet but was surprised to see the chief, despite his size, meet her standing and together they made sparks as their swords crashed against one another.

In most fights with an opponent like the chief, Suki would stall and let him tire then finish him with ease, but Sokka had told her about his father and his skill as a warrior, so she couldn’t underestimate his stamina.

Hakoda, still unable to land a decisive hit, was impressed by the girl who had elected to fight on behalf of his son.

Raising his sword over his head, Hakoda struck down at Suki who brought hers up to her defense, holding it across both hands, she was taken to the ground by the force of the chief’s attack alone. Slamming hard against the sand, she felt her breath leave her and scolded herself for not getting up, she was risking her end.

She heard Sokka worrying for her from the sidelines,“Suki, it's okay! Stop! I don’t want you to get hurt!”

Bringing her legs up and twirling them into the face of Hakoda, she kicked him away giving her enough time to get back to her feet, “Relax Sokka, I’m not done yet,” she called out to him.

“I’m sorry, I trust you, you got this, you just take your time,” he yelled back just loud enough for her to hear him.

“Thank you!” Suki didn’t know who she was yelling it to, the son apologized for doubting her or his father for giving her the opening she was looking for.

Dropping his guard, distracted by the antics of his son and his girlfriend, Hakoda felt his cheek and nose break as he took two devastating smacks from the flat of Suki’s blade causing him to stumble and his blade to fall by his side.

The chief had nearly been disarmed, there were tears in his eyes and blood on his face, Suki decided to finish it, letting her sword fall, she landed kicks to Hakoda’s chest before one final spinning kick to the side of his head leaving the chief bloody in the sand.

Picking her sword back up, Suki placed it at the fallen chief’s throat and loudly declared, “I win!”

“She wins!” Sokka ran into the circle and picked Suki up in his arms, hugging her and planting gracious kisses all over her cheeks and lips until she caught him with a long kiss of her own.

Pulling away just enough to raise his arm, Suki announced to the sailors, still in awe of the duel they had witnessed, “I give you Sokka, chief of the Southern Water Tribe!”

The sailors, the last remaining warriors of their nation, had loved Hakoda as their venerated chief, but the traditions and culture of their people could not be dismissed nor could they ignore Sokka and the change his rule would usher in, together, they dropped to their knees and bowed.

On his knees, bowing, Hakoda did not feel angry, he had lost in an honorable duel to a warrior that he would gladly trust with the safety of his son and his chief. The spirits had chosen Sokka to lead over him, and believing that, he relinquished any anguish of a fallen chief and took up the pride of a father, rising to his feet, he took Sokka by the hand, embraced him and asked, “So my chief, what will you have us do?”

Sokka straightened his back and stood as tall as he could before what were now his men, “We are to sail immediately, for the Earth Nation, and Ba Sing Se!”

Chapter Text

Toph reigned over a vast empire of streets, districts, burrows, and all manner of neighborhoods. Ba Sing Se was hers, the King’s by name, but the city ebbed and flowed under her metallic fist.

The poor blind girl no longer, she wasn't subject to anybody's pity and those who dared she buried figuratively and sometimes literally. Kuei was still weak as ever, having made painfully aware of the war that surrounded his city’s gates, the king preferred to wallow in willful blindness, aided by his concubine Joo Dee and his pet bear. The generals tried to corral her, to use her as the Avatar’s friend to lure him to their side, but Toph shut them down in a matter of minutes.

Fifteen minutes to be exact, fifteen minutes was all it took for her to defeat every earth nation general who had tried to usurp the throne of Ba Sing Se, and she wouldn’t have it. Toph, proclaiming herself the greatest earth bender of her generation, broke their bodies and put them back together to prove it. Out skilling and shaming even the most powerful of the Earth Nation martial class, General Fong.

Disrespectful, he threatened to make an example of her, to give her a good hiding and send her back to her wealthy parents for a fair ransom, Toph dealt with him first. The arrogant general could scarcely summon sand to his defense before he took boulders to the head all but killing him. She would have buried him that day if not for the surrender of his men and their promise of support, it wasn’t all bad, he made a good attendant.

General Fong entered her quarters, his armor creaking despite his attempts to keep his noise down, he bowed his head in respect, “Marshall?”

“Grand Marshall, Fong,” Toph reminded him. Sitting, crossed legged and eyes closed, she felt her own armor hug her tightly, planting her in the earth she used to see beyond the limits of human sight.

“My apologies, Grand Marshall, I’ve come to tell you that…”

“The Dai Lee are in position?”

“You see all, Grand Marshall.”

“I know all too, Fong, and don’t you forget it.”

“Yes Grand Marshall.”

“So,” Toph shot the General with an annoyed expression, “Assemble the men.”

“At once, Grand Marshall,” Fong bowed his head, tipping it even lower than where it already was, and hastily left the room. Upon his exit, horns and shouts could be heard, and boots scurrying the nearby corridors.

Toph closed her eyes once more and took a deep breath, it had taken them much longer than it should have to prepare for this mission, but with Sokka still missing and her forces suffering from the loss of intelligence because of it.

Exhaling, Toph rose to her feet and felt her armor, a dark forest green and chipped, scratched, and even dented from the use she put it through, set on her shoulders and threatened to pull her back to the earth. Fighting it, she turned and stepped out to join her mustering men.

Toph stood before the mass of Earth Nation soldiers gathered in front of her. Using her bending made a tall earthen podium for herself and asked, “Am I a morning person?” A few dozen of the several hundred milling about around her looked up to acknowledge her, the rest, lost in the chatter and nervousness, didn't notice her at all.

“I said, am I a morning person?!” This time Toph accompanied her question with the power of her bending, shaking the earth and creating an earthquake confined beneath the feet of her men.

“No!” they all shouted, their voices unifying into one massive response.

“So if I am up this early you all better know it’s for something good, is that right?”

“Yes!”

“The Fire Nation has been a problem, a thorn stuck in the bottom of the city’s feet for a long time,” Toph raised her bare foot as if to make her point, “and that’s going to stop, today, this morning, right now, are you with me?!”

“Yes!”

“Then what are you waiting for, get going!”

Heeding Toph’s call to action, the horde of Earth Nation soldiers turned to their officers, captains and lieutenants and sergeants all yelling where they needed to go and into what order. The generals, seated above on raised platforms of bended earth, watched their battleplans unfold. Summoning her badgermole, armored and plated for war, Toph used her beneding to launch herself up and onto its saddle. Starting forward, she assumed position at the center of the Earth Nation Army, amid chants of, “Grand Marshal,” and, “Beifong,” by her men, emboldened by the strength of their marshal.

The Dai Lee had been searching until they narrowed down the potential headquarters for the Fire Nation to the sewer and for several weeks they had watched as many of its entrances and exits as they could. Rotating, they had finally found the one used by the Fire Nation and, after careful attempts at following them, learned of the location for their secret base.

The Earth Nation army, heavy, powerful, but clumsy and an eyesore, were of no use in the finding of the Fire Nation, however now that their whereabouts had become known, the army was Toph’s best instrument for taking them down once and for all.

Ba Sing Se developed a murmur of plate armor, slapping and grinding together as the Earth Nation army made its way through the city. At a pace that varied from an excited march bordering on a soft charge in the front to a slow monotonous slog in the rear. Viewed from the tops of their helmets, they formed a long and wide green snake that pointed its way to the hideout of the Fire Nation like an arrow.

Toph had commanded the Dai Lee to keep the army’s passage through the city clear of Fire Nation spies and as she joined her procession of soldiers, she saw the shadows of her enemies being taken out by the jetting strikes of the Dai Lee.

Riding a badgermole, Toph looked down at her forces and ever so often shouted an order to keep them in line and moving steadily. The other generals preferred to watch the coming attack from a distance and only Fong, on foot, remained at the Grand Marshal's side.

The entrance of the sewer designated for their attack was the only one that would allow an army of their size in making it an obvious trap. No choice, the Dai Lee did what they could to give their forces some semblance of surprise and Toph ordered her men boldly through the threshold of the entrance itself, which was nothing more than a large round gaping opening in the earth that fed into the city’s intricate depths.

It smelled of shit and fire, the Fire Nation had smuggled in their machines, the stench recognizable by all in the Earth Nation army who had seen battle, Toph included.

“Don’t let them see you scared, boys!” snapped Toph, her cocky tone causing the soldiers marching around her to laugh and smile with pride.

“Never Grand Marshal” yelled a young soldier and Toph waved to show her gratitude for his support.

The calm that the Grand Marshal had ushered in with her words was snuffed out by the abrupt halt of the army’s movement. With almost all of her forces into the sewer, Toph had started to believe that the FIre Nation were dumb enough to actually let them waltlz right in, hearing the churning of the gears of her enemies marchinery, she scolded herself for being wrong.

“Incoming!” Was all Toph could yell at her men, she didn’t know what it was out there, but the Fire Nation’s machines only did one thing, they burned. At that thought, the lights of fires that were about to be sent barreling into her men illuminated the dark distance of the sewer and with a flash came a jet of red fire and the screams of her army.

Toph, too far from the front line to be burnt, could still feel the heat against her cheeks and the skin between the gaps in her armor, summoning earth to her hands she was poised to finish whatever obstacle was currently scorching her men.

“Grand Marshal!”

Stopping and relaxing the hardened boulder that she had bent into her hands, softening it into swirling sands in each open palm, Toph looked down at General Fong, “What!”

“You must let the men handle this!”

“Why!” Toph scowled at the General.

“You must save your strength for the prince and his water bender!”

Toph looked away and forcefully conceded to the General’s wishes, “Fine.”

“Benders, squads three and four, fire!” ordered General Fong and his order went ignored.

“I said, squads three and four of the benders, fire!” again the General was ignored.

Smiling before openly chuckling at the general’s expense, Toph yelled, “Fire!”

Two dozen earth benders pelted rocks and boulders of whatever size their bending ability could bring to bear against the Fire Nation machines, still hidden beneath the darkness and the flash of red that emanated from the flames they spouted.

The Earth Nation’s onslaught exchanged fire with the Fire Nation resulting in a violent tug of war, the Fire Nation trying to keep them from entering the sewer any further. Having enough, impatient and bothered by the rising casualties on their side, Toph rode her badgermole into the ground, making sure to give General Fong the finger before she disappeared into the earth.

Together, Toph and her badgermole sensed the presence of the Fire Nation machinery and finding their line, she rose from the ground behind it. It was tanks, heavy metal monstrosities equipped with a cannon that fired a stream of pure FIre bended flame. There were six of them, two had been knocked out by her benders, but the remaining four held back her army.

Leaping off her badgermole, she readied her stance and raised her open hands to them, she didn’t bother to call out or warn them of her attack. The Fire Nation didn’t just kill their enemies in battle, they incinerated them, and for that, Toph decided to crush them. Metal bending was still an experiment to her and the tanks in front of her provided the best opportunity to see them in action.

Struggling at first, barely able to shake the tanks, Toph only alerted them to her presence. She watched one tank panic and try to turn around to attack her, a hard feat for a machine like that. It took a moment, a painstakingly gradual moment, Toph took control of her metal bending and felt all four of the tanks within her grasp. Closing it, she crushed the tanks, two of them not even aware of her presence at all, she collapsed the metal in on the unfortunate Fire Nation bender and driver.

Toph was exhausted, metal bending in its new and volatile form was a hard exertion for her and she nearly fell backwards because of it. Catching herself, she sat and felt proud of herself for taking her new style of bending farther than she had ever before. Something she personally considered just as important as winning the day’s battle.

“Grand Marshal, that wasn’t very wise.”

Toph could tell General Fong was trying his best not to sound as though he were scolding her. Still sore from being under her thumb, she knew the man wished he could have her title and her position, but he couldn’t, her defeat of him had proved that to General most of all.

“I don’t care if it's not very wise, we were losing too many of our men.”

General Fong took his place at her side and extended a hand to help her up, “You are too important to risk for such a dramatic show of force.”

Ignoring his hand, Toph used her bending to raise her backstop her badgermole, “You hear that, Fong,” Toph reference the dull roar of the charging Earth Nation army who had rushed into the sewer full force once the Tanks were destroyed, “Sounds like my drama has won this one for us Fong, don’t you think?”

Chapter Text

The movement through the sewers was expedited by Toph who no longer listened to General Fong and his constant urging for her to remain behind and let the troops do the work. The firebenders and warriors that the Fire Nation was able to bring to bear in the dank tunnels and murky and shallow rivers that ran through them, crumbled, unable to defend against the horde of green armor and bended earth.

The hideout of the Fire Nation, secret as of late, was near, Toph could feel it. The routed Fire Nation all signaled its location as they together fled in one telling direction.

“Hey Dai Li!” called out Toph as the line of resistance gave way.

“Yes Grand Marshal.”

Toph did not see the Dai Li that came to take her command, their stealth only amplified by the inherent darkness of the sewer.

“I want you to go on forward and see where they're hiding.”

The lone Dai Lee nodded his head and disappeared into the mass of the Earth Nation army that had been taking up defensive positions of their own as they awaited their Grand Marshal's next orders.

The Dai Lee could barely be trusted but Toph had learned from Azula’s example, and although she detested the princess, she couldn’t deny how effective raw power worked at buying their fragile loyalty. Raising her hand and making the whole of the sewer shutter around them, her army stopped and allowed for the Dai Lee to do their work.

Minutes went by and nothing could be heard nor seen from the darkness that extended further along the tunnel and into the sewer. Toph grew impatient, another ten minutes made it obvious that Dai Lee had failed.

General Fong returned to her side, “Relax, Grand Marshal.”

“This is taking a while…too long.”

“Even if the Dai Lee are defeated, we have, I apologize Grand Marshal, you have broken the enemy’s back, the Fire Nation will be lucky to escape, their attempt at a coup or any kind of insurrection has been thankfully thwarted.”

“They're not escaping,” spat Toph, hopping off her badger mole.

Now having to look down to speak to her, General Fong replied, “We can run them out of the city later, on more favorable terms.”

“We lost twelve men last week, fourteen the week before that, you don’t have a family General Fong, but they did, and these soldiers here do.”

Attempting to look offended, General Fong gasped, “I have a family.”

Toph was already walking away, having placed her head to her badger mole in silent communication, so as to keep it from following, “Yeah but their families love them.”

General Fong shook his head and relented, he had learned not to debate the Grand Marshal and in the heat of battle he risked his own further humiliation at her hands if he went any further.

Before leaving, Toph turned and faced her men, the echoes of the sewer allowed her to project her voice so that all could hear, “So it looks like the Dai Lee are missing.”

Shrugs and murmurs ricocheted through the crowd of soldiers, who had since relaxed from the defensive positions and were starting to lose their composure.

“Maybe I’ll send you all in after them,” Toph warned.

The murmurs and shrugs ceased and the men all stared down at her with a new seriousness.

“Or I can go in and finish it?”

At first the army of the Earth Nation hesitated to answer until a voice echoed from amidst the crowd, “Finish it!”

“Finish it!”...”Finish it!”...”Finish it!”

The chanting made Toph smile and the other generals grew pale, they had no control of their men who now gladly cheered their Grand Marshal as if she were their savior. Toph did not bother to say anymore and instead strolled into the darkness of the sewer ahead with an applause at her back.

Toph had expected more resistance, at least a squad for fire benders to try and keep her back, but nothing, all that lay before her was damp sewer and the hideout of the Fire Nation that was supposed to be ahead.

Minutes or dozens of minutes passed, she wasn’t sure, the sounds of the sewer, the dripping of water, the flow of filth, and the occasional scurry of an animal, showed her only more of the same. The reports she received must have been bad, Toph was assured that there would be hundreds of Fire Nation laying in wait, positioned behind every corner and tucked away in every inlet ready to strike.

Finally, she felt footsteps, running in the distance, there were several pairs of feet. Retreating, the word sounded off in Toph’s mind and she started to run. Struggling to not slip, she moved until all of the feet had escaped her, all except for two pairs that seemed to be waiting for her just ahead.

“Toph…”

The voice signaled her to what she had been expecting, Katara and probably Zuko were waiting for her and if the feeling beneath her feet was correct, she had reached the Fire Nation hideout, now abandoned.

“Sugar Queen…”

“I didn’t expect you to find us without..”

“Sokka’s help?”

Toph could hear the caution in Katara’s voice, having overstepped, “It’s just…”

“Where is he?” Toph’s question sounded off like an order.

“What?”

Katara was trying playing dumb and Toph didn’t like it, “You took him and he’s gone, I know he’s not in the city anymore, what did you do with him?”

“What do you think I’d do? He’s my brother,” Katara sounded offended, “Spirits Toph, you talk like I'd hurt him.”

“I can remember a few times you almost did.”

“No..” There was hesitation in Katara’s voice, the endless slew of skirmishes during their run from the Earth Nation meant anything was possible, “If I did, then I didn’t mean to, you both were after me, after us.” She finally acknowledged Zuko’s presence by placing an arm around his waist and slightly pulling him to her.

“I go after enemies of the Earth Nation, it’s my job now, and you didn’t answer my question, Sugar Queen, where is Sokka?”

“What difference does it make? He’s safe if that’s what you’re asking,” Katara stopped, unsure how much truth she should tell to Toph, “He went to find our father.”

Toph sighed, “Maybe it's better that way.”

“What do you mean better that way?”

“I am going to have to take you in Sugar Queen, Sparky too.”

“Please Toph, let’s stop fighting, we are friends, remember.”

“I remember not liking you,” the tone was teasing at first but Toph then grew serious, “but you are my friend and that’s why we are talking right now, I’m going to give you the option to turn yourselves in..don’t worry, I run the city, I’ll make sure you’re safe Sugar Queen, Sparky, I’m not so sure though.”

“Forget it, you’re crazy if you think we would just let you arrest us, me or Zuko.”

Toph cracked her knuckles, “If you don’t want to turn yourselves in, that’s okay by me.”

Zuko saw that Katara’s attempts at using her friendship with the Grand Marshall to save them were failing, interjecting, he tried to be honest and true and hoped Toph would see that, “Grand Marshall Toph, I know we have been enemies, that we’ve fought one another many times, but please understand, we want the same thing, my father off the throne and the end of the war, Toph, Grand Marshall I mean, if you help me, I will take the throne from my father and stop the war myself, trust me.”

Toph laughed, “I don’t need to trust you, I can tell you’re not lying.”

For a moment, Katara and Zuko breathed a sigh of relief and then Toph finished, “But you still tried to overthrow the King and because of that, I still have to take you in.”

Katara yelled, “Toph, please, you can’t!”

Zuko didn’t hesitate, he raised his hands and let off a jetting stream of fire at Toph and was dismayed when she raised a barrier of earth from beneath the sewer floor to meet and extinguish his flames.

“Big mistake,” said Toph under her breath before she exploded the earth barrier she had made, the pieces of dirt and debris flying into Zuko and Katara knocking them both on their back.

On the floor, Zuko and Katara felt the earth shaking beneath them as Toph bended a chasm between them, forming and dropping, threatening to sink the both of them.

Zuko got up first and then shot his arm back out for Katara to grab. Securing themselves at their feet with the sunken hole just behind them, Toph fired off boulders of dirt with the walls and flooring of the sewer mixed into them.

Together, Zuko and Katara bended fire and water to deflect the boulders but Toph overwhelmed them. First, Zuko fell, his fire bending too slow to meet the bombardment, he took a boulder to his chest knocking the air from his lungs and forcing him backwards and into the chasm.

“Zuko!” Katara yelled but didn’t turn to look his way, if she lost focus she’d lose.

To Toph, the Sugar Queen had become sloppy, her Sparky wounded and no longer at her side. Katara still tried, managing to force the rain of boulders back and to hit Toph with a smack of water to the face that landed with the strength of a punch.

Stumbling and being slapped around by the strikes of Katara’s water bending, Toph felt her own legs become entangled as she backed up trying to avoid being hit. Seeing this as her moment, Katara tried to take advantage and brought her hands together and fired off a hydro jet of water but Toph brought all the earth she could bend around her to her and encased herself with it like armor. The blow of Katara’s water had knocked the Grand Marshal down but her armor, absorbed the water,

Katara felt confident, the sewer was filled with water that she could bend against Toph, ready to end the fight, she raised the green ooze that seeped down and through the tunnels around them, and prepared to flood the Earth nation’s Grand Marshall.

Feeling the rising water coarse through the earth beneath her feet, Toph hid her worry, if she didn’t do something, Sugar Queen was going to drown her. Thinking quickly Toph slammed her foot down with the force of her bending creating a fissure the zig zagged its way beneath Katara until it untied with the chasm behind her.

In it, Zuko tried to get up but the rumbling was more intense in the chasm and he fell to his knees and despite his best effort could not get up. Toph could sense his struggle beneath her feet and purposefully intensified the pressure of her bending to keep him from joining the fight.

Her attack ready, Katara was almost frightened to unleash it, it could seriously hurt Toph and if she didn’t control her bending it could flood the chasm and hurt Zuko. But if they were going to have a chance at defeating Ozai and giving the Fire Nation a just and honorable firelord then she couldn’t let them be stopped now.

“I’m sorry Toph…” Katara said before releasing her attack.

A flood of filthy green water shot down the tunnel behind Toph, having secretly been formed by Katara somewhere in the darkness between them and the rest of the Earth Nation forces.

“Sugar Queen!” Toph fell on one knee and bended a dome of solid earth over her like a protective bubble and with a crash and what felt like the weight of the ocean, the floor water slammed into and threatened to break her bubble down atop of her.

Staring down with the water raging around her trying desperately to collapse her earthen defense, Toph pressed an open hand to the earth and expanded the fissure she had created beneath Katara. Dividing the energy of her bending, Toph battled against Katara as much as she did herself, if she succumbed to her exhaustion then her defense or her attack would fail and either way she’d lose.

Katara felt the ground split wide beneath her and her attempt to avoid falling into it was met with a side step into near mid air causing her to fall. Hitting the bottom of a fresh chasm she felt the wind taken from her and could not get back up.

Tilting her head back, Katara saw that the chasm she had fallen in was the same as Zuko’s, now connected by the void in the earth created by Toph’s attack. Zuko, angled his head towards hers and tried once more to rise to his feet but was met not with shaking but with the water of Katara’s attack cascading down on them.

Zuko was taken back to the ground by the green water that now flooded the chasm, Katara, her bending exhausted from the fight could do no more than keep herself from being fully engulfed by what was once her attack.

The pressure of Katara’s attack now lifted, Toph let her defensive dome fall down as mud around her. The fissure of her attack had turned the chasm she created into a massive pool with Sugar Queen and Sparky floating somewhere around in it. Not giving them any chances, Toph filled the pool with more earth, the green of the dirt and the green of the water making a nasty emerald sludge.

Unable to stop her, Zuko and Katara felt themselves bended to the surface by Toph’s power and the mud harden around their faces, trapping them completely.

“You’ve done it Grand Marshall! All praises to you and your power!” Fong greeted her when he arrived along with the rest of the Earth nation forces, his eyes resting on Katara and Zuko, “Are the Fire Nation rebels dead? Or shall I summon the executioner?”

Toph, lost in her thoughts of her battle with Katara and how she could easily have been trapped herself in some watery or fiery nightmare. Spitting first, she then stared daggers into General Fong, “I have done it, I’ve defeated the Fire Prince Zuko and the water bender Katara, and don’t you forget it,” the ground started to shake beneath Fong’s feet, “and they are now my prisoners and no one is going to hurt them, got it?”

Chapter Text

Azula sat and blew on her steaming cup of tea. Sitting at a tea shop that she swore was second rate, she missed Aang and imagined him sitting across from her only because it was too painful to think of him being at her side. She’d grown more than accustomed to his voice and she’d come to rely on his laugh and the sweetness of his presence.

Mai and Ty Lee were off scouting, the Fire Princess didn’t believe them but neither did she care to be angry that they were lying. She was beyond bored, feeling trapped by her mistakes and failures, Azula haunted the tea shops of Ba SIng Se waiting to hear news of her brother’s victory. And if Zuzu, she thought, were to dare to ask for her to have a place in his regime, she would say no and flick a cup of boiling tea in his face for having the gall to ask, and in the tea shops she practiced just how she would do it. It was entertaining, a momentary giggle that she could still hold over her brother.

She wasn’t defenseless nor defeated but she felt it and Azula longed for her life on the mountain with the Avatar. The temple life was a simple life and its goals were small and trivial but she felt content with them in a way she had not felt before or since. But where was he? Pausing and speculating about another crusade to find the Avatar, the princess stopped her fantasy and took a sip of her tea.

The tea was plain and needed much sugar and honey for it to have any real taste and it burned, or would have burned if she’d not been the bender she was. Azula swallowed the scalding tea and ignored the heat of it; it was just another in what had been a long series of bothers.

Setting the cup down, Azula observed the tea shop, the people of Ba Sing Se cared nothing for the drama of war and politics that played out above their heads, not until it happened around them and could not be ignored. Even still, with the exception of the armed spats her brother had been engaging in with the Grand Marshal, the people had not yet witnessed the carnage that defined normal for the rest of the world.

Ba Sing Se was the kind of city so big and ever changing that even the most famous of persons could get lost, and Azula could attest to that. Only having to don green clothing, she could get away with not covering her face as long as she didn’t look anyone in the eye or hold a conversation for too long. This suited her, she did not venture out for company.

The princess could have shut herself in her apartments and in the mornings when she woke up alone she wanted too, but no. Azula reminded herself, scolded herself if she had to, that a princess must keep her chin up and her eyes forward even if she can’t see the way. Especially if she can’t see the way.

Azula opened a book and propped a foot up on the seat across from her. A hightop shoe, once black now brown from the muck of the city warding off anyone stupid enough to try and talk to her. It had become a bad habit of hers and she asked herself not to do it, but taking another sip of her tea, she did. Daydreaming, thinking what if she made different choices and how things might have changed.

What if she betrayed her father when he asked her to go find Zuzu? Vying for herself, Azula wondered who might support her claim to the throne. Over her father and against her brother, she composed speeches she could have said to rouse support. And the Avatar, the princess could finish a whole cup to thoughts of how she’d win his support, right down to finding him in that iceberg.

Joining forces with the Avatar, the great moral and ethical challenge, Azula drank tea long into the night with theories as to if and how she could have made that work. Strange thoughts of fluffy double dates with her and Avatar and her brother and the water bender, theories to how she could survive that required pots of tea to work through.

In all her theories and speculations, her daydreams accompanied by tea that go on into the night, all shared the common threat and subtle fear, her father would kill her. The thought didn’t frighten the princess like it would have before her time on the mountain with the Avatar, a new perspective told her the Fire Lord would kill her at some point, either as a rival or a humiliation like brother.

Love also simplified things in the most daring of ways, Azula could almost admire its unyielding nature if she was not already suffering from the brunt of it. Ozai and Aang were destined to fight and one of them would survive, the princess didn’t need Agni or the spirits to tell her that that was true. And Aang could not die, she loved him in a way she had not imagined herself to ever be capable of, so this was an impossibility even if that came at the expense of her father’s life.

But Aang was gone, and Azula felt herself a fool for her love, how dare she feel something so strongly for someone and they’re not there. The princess wanted to be mad at the Avatar, to turn her love into hate and twist the memory of their separation into one where he left her so cruelly that she could curse him for it.

The princes failed in her want, there was no cursing the Avatar’s face and the sincerity behind his smile. Azula stopped and exhaled and saw that her cup was empty again. Pouring herself another, she was ready to go another round with herself in her head.

“Please pour me a cup, if it is not too much to ask, niece.”

Azula raised her eyes to her uncle, standing over her table, his body scuffed and dirty with wounds hardly healed and freshly bandaged. A part of her wanted to ignore him or spit in his tea as she poured it, but the memory of Aang and thoughts of his reaction made her empathize with her uncle’s state.

“Here, it’s hot.” she spat, sliding a steaming teacup across from her to the unoccupied side of her table. Removing her feet, Azula signaled for her uncle to sit.

“Thank you, I am sure you can already tell, but I have had the most eventful few days.”

“What of it?” Azula snapped, unsure if she wanted her Uncle’s troubles, no doubt having something to do with her brother.

“Not yet,” Iroh said, blowing on his tea then taking a sip much the same way as his niece had done before his arrival.

“Uncle you’re here for a reason, get to it.”

“No, I am intruding on what might have been a peaceful evening for you, first, tell me how you are doing?”

The princess set her tea down and crossed her arms defiantly before her uncle, “I’m fine.”

Iroh was amused, “Azula as much as it pains me to say it, nobody in our family is fine, so what really troubles you?”

“If we are going to talk about our family, uncle, then let us remind ourselves that our family is not the kind to be open about their troubles.”

“You’re cousin spoke often to me of his troubles, friends he struggled to keep, the burden of possibly being Firelord one day, his time in battle made him the most uneasy and it consumed our conversations till his death.”

Lu Ten may have died in combat but death in combat was deemed valid and honorable by the Fire Nation. Better to die in battle than to flee a coward, to Azula that was what separates her cousin from his father.

Respect for her cousin, placated her trust enough for Azula let a small question slip, “So what’s it like?”

Iroh set his tea cup down and reached to pour himself another, “You’re going to have to tell me more than that, Azula.”

“What’s it like to just give it all up?”

Ignoring the tea he just poured, Iroh looked up at his niece, “You mean the throne?”

“What else,” Azula answered with an impatient tone.

“Do you want to hear the truth?”

“No uncle, I asked you so you could lie to me.”

“It was refreshing.”

Astounded, for a moment, Azula took her uncle’s answer seriously, “How could it be?”

“Because it was my choice.”

Angered by her confusion at her uncle’s answer, Azula snapped, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I could have defeated your father,” Iroh confessed.

“I said no lying,” Azula snapped again, not wanting to consider her uncle’s words.

“Ozai is my little brother who always thought he was special, but he neglects to mention that I had been helping him his whole life. Firebending, lightning, I showed it to him like an elder brother teaches the younger to play their first game of Pai Cho. If I had wanted to, I could have chosen the throne and defeated him just as I did when we were boys.”

“Then I was wrong, you’re not some old weakling, you’re either a fool or a coward. You had the throne in you’re grasp but you were too stupid or too scared to take it,” Azula sneered.

Iroh let his niece’s words roll off him harmlessly and took another sip of this tea, checking the pot at their side he felt that it was empty, “I’m sorry, Azula, but this tea is good and comes much needed, may I ask for another pot?”

“What?” Azula’s jaw dropped slightly, shocked by her uncle’s question. At first not entirely sure if he was serious, she reluctantly raised her hand and hoped that one of the attendants would see it.

“Was that the Jasmine?” A quick attendant asked as they slid alongside their table, clearly in a rush between orders.

Azula was content to just answer with a nod but Iroh was curious, “Is that what this shop is known for?” he asked.

“Excuse me?” the attendant who had kept a jittery pace stopped at Iroh’s question.

“This shop, what brew is known for?” Iroh asked tenderly and it annoyed Azula that he was comfortable taking so long.

The attendant thought for a moment, “Uh maybe the orange pekoe?”

“Then let us have a pot of that, please,” said Iroh, affirmatively.

Nodding, the attendant scurried off, resuming their quickened pace.

“I thought you said you liked the tea we were having?” Azula asked, keeping her annoyed tone.

“I like to try new things, sometimes when you do, you can learn more about yourself.”

Bothered with tea, Azula was eager to return to their conversation,“That’s nice, now were you trying to make a point about not defeating my father?”

“Yes, I made the choice to not defeat your father and you should be grateful for the choice because you are alive because of it.”

“What!” Azula responded loud enough for the nearby tables to look over.

“Thank you,” Iroh had not paid attention to his niece’s outburst, instead he thanked the attendant for bringing their pot of tea so fast.

Holding his niece in suspense, Iroh made her wait until he poured both of them a cup before continuing, “If I had chosen to defeat your father it would have meant killing him, your mother, Zuko, and you.”

Lost for words, Azula only blinked in response to the brutality her uncle once contemplated doing, things she thought him not capable of even thinking of.

“You looked surprised, Azula, but you should know most of all that our nation does not deal in half measures. Your father openly plotted to usurp my right to the throne, possibly had a hand in the assassination of our father, by right I could have had him and his whole line extinguished, to not have done so would have cost my regime its respect and authority.”

Azula, slow to respond, was cut off by a still speaking Iroh, “If I had chosen that path I would have had to raise this city, taking down all its levels and leaving it all ash, a whole generation, ash, our side and theirs, it was my choice whether it happened or not.”

“And you chose to not,” Azula said in a low voice.

“And a whole generation is laughing and living around us, this shop is serving tea, and I am having it with my niece who has lived past her childhood, just as I would have bore the responsibility of destroying it, I also have the responsibility of letting it live, and that’s a power that I’m not too bothered to take pride in.”

“So that’s it, you let it all go because you could?”

“Maybe, after all these years and seeing the young man and woman that your brother and you have become, I think I let it go because I chose life over death, a choice that only I had, not my father or yours.”

For a second, Azula was raw before her uncle, finding his use of power admirable in a fabled kind of way, a type of shining armor that she wondered could ever fit herself, “Do I have that kind of power?”

Iroh laughed and it made his niece doubt herself for asking her question, seeing his effect on her, he calmly answered, “I’m sorry, I do not laugh because I think your question is funny, it is just amusing to see how much you have changed since your time with the Avatar.”

“I haven’t changed, uncle, do I need to strike you with a bolt of lightning for you to believe me?”

“Nonsense, the Azula I once knew was so blind in her arrogance, she’d never have questioned her ability to show mercy and to allow for life.”

“So what if I question it now? Are you going to answer me?”

“I don’t need to, you already know your answer.”

“Really? Uncle, that’s not good enough.”

Taking a long sip of his tea to build his niece’s anticipation, as much as it annoyed her, Iroh explained, “You are not like your father, Ozai was never a prodigy, he is a strong bender but only because he has been able to be taught by the greatest of benders. You are like myself, a dragon, the strongest bender of your generation. The throne is yours if you want it.”

Azula averted her eyes from uncle just after he finished, staring long into her cup of tea, she sipped it and let herself be raw one more time, “Then why don’t I want it?”

Iroh fought a smile, he had suspected his niece’s failed attempt at kidnapping King Kuei was sabotaged by lack of heart. Tasting the tea and judging it to be not as good as the first, he shook off the disappointment and answered his niece with optimism in his voice, “Perhaps you have experienced the benefits of a life without the throne.”

Coughing out the words as soon as they came to her, Azula turned red in front of her uncle as they left her lips,“A life with the Avatar?”

“A relationship with the Fire Lord would be very bad for the Avatar, it could show favoritism, even if you settled for being queen of a city like this, it would still cause him problems with the other nations.”

Considering her uncle’s words and her sharp political mind telling her that they were true, Azula questioned harshly, “So is that why you’ve come, to convince me to relinquish my claim to the throne in favor of a life with the Avatar?”

“I do believe that if I had been here for just that reason that you might have said yes but unfortunately I am not.”

At a loss, having really believed her uncle had been there to convince her, Azula waited for an explanation.

Finishing his cup, Iroh said calmly but woefully, “I’m here to ask you to rescue your brother from the Earth Nation.”

Chapter Text

Aang could have returned to Ba Sing Se weeks ago but he didn’t. Camping just outside, he watched the city from afar and listened to its rumblings. Azula was there, he thought, so was Katara and Toph, his love and friendship confined together within the city walls. And they were all at odds with one another, complicating matters to the point of stillness, the Avatar hadn’t moved for fear he might make a false step.

There had been battles, he’d heard them, fierce contests that he was tempted to intervene in, but didn’t. Letting them play out, he waited, meditating, he asked the spirits for an answer and after the worst battle he heard yet, it came.

Feeling it in the earth, a soft tremble in the distance that shook as it grew closer. An army on foot moving at a slow pace, they had come many miles yet still remained strong. When they were close enough, Aang rose to the air and took them in, a great wave of brown and green armor, pieced together in different shades. The helmets, beak shaped with two straps that ran down the soldier's face, it was Omashu. The large banners, held up by several soldiers, confirmed it, bearing the symbol of the Earth Nation city.

“Bumi,” Aang said to himself, turning to Ba Sing Se, wondering if the city had caught sight of the armor approaching its gates.

It wasn’t clear if they had meant to attack or to wait, they remained hidden still from the sight of the watchtowers of Ba Sing Se, and Aang looked out for a litter, he had to find Bumi.

Bumi found him, “Aang!”

Smiling and forgetting the seriousness of the circumstance, Aang reminded himself of his old friend’s abilities. The century old legendary Earth bender moved easily with speed and silence and emerged beneath the Avatar’s hovering feet with the ease of skill.

Happy to see his friend, Aang landed and pulled the much taller Bumi in for a one armed hug, and upon release asked, “What are you doing here?” as if the king of Omashu had come alone.

“Making camp,” answered Bumi, turning and waving to the first line of Omashu soldiers to reach them. The soldiers split from their rigid marching formation and began to clear space for what Aang expected would be a very large camp.

An Earth Nation army moved slowly but set up quickly, having several squads of Earth benders allowed for that and all Aang had to do was watch as the operating base for the army of Omashu constructed itself around him. Being the Avatar and the king’s oldest friend didn’t help him to get Bumi’s attention, the old king, moving much faster than his men, seemed to have his own agenda.

“Bumi!” Aang yelled, finally frustrated with his friend.

“Yes Aang, you don’t have to yell, I’m old, not dead.”

“Sorry,” answered Aang in his normal tone.

“What?” a confused Bumi responded.

Frustrated, Aang demanded, “We need to talk.”

“Sure, as soon as I see to the defenses.”

Once again chasing after Bumi, Aang reluctantly watched as the bendering master constructed trenches around the Omashu camp, the power and skill of his bending making the fortifications form themselves with practical ease.

“So who is going to be attackIng?” Aang questioned as he stood a meter low in a freshly dug trench.

“The enemy,” Bumi answered dismissively, moving on to the next trench.

“The Fire Nation?”

Bumi stopped and thought about it, “Yes, but no,” he then kept going.

“But if you’re worried about the Fire Nation, why are you at Ba Sing Se?”

“The enemy,” Bumi shot back the same answer.

“King Kuei?” Aang now appeared puzzled.

Stopping, Bumi became serious, “I think they’re ready, should only need’em till morning.”

“Morning? Why morning?” Aang struggled to catch up, his old friend was moving with haste, abandoning the outer defenses for the small tent city that had sprung to life within them.

“Aang,” Bumi stopped as if to make himself appear even more serious, “I mean Avatar, we need to talk.”

“Yes! Please!”

“This way. Over tea.”

“Okay…” Aang was tired and just accepted the need to follow Bumi once again, this time thankful that they were at least going in a singular direction.

The king’s tent was at the center of camp and it stood nearly a story tall. Colored a dark Earth Nation green it showed itself against the creme colored sand and desert around it. Inside it was cool compared to the hot weather outside, the tent’s walls decorated with designs featuring Earth Spirits including a Badgermole that reminded Aang of Toph. Not fully prepared, there was no furniture except for two hastily brought out rugs for Bumi and Aang to sit on. The king’s much more grand and slightly fluffed and Aang’s barely enough to keep him from resting on the dirt.

“Tea,” Bumi said at no one yet was heard by an attendant who had been waiting out of Aang’s sight. The attendant came in with two poured cups, the tea still hot.

“Thank you,” sipping it, Aang swore it tasted familiar but did not dwell.

“Aang I don’t know how to say this but just that I should.”

“Go on…”

“We attack Ba Sing Se tomorrow.”

Aang had over an hour to come to terms with the presence of the army of Omashu and its obvious intentions. No longer as outraged, he asked, “But why? As cities of the Earth Nation shouldn’t Omashu and Ba Sing Se stand united against the Fire Nation?”

“A hundred years ago Ba Sing Se was a cruel and unjust place, tell me, Aang, has it changed?”

“Ba Sing Se is a city with its share of problems,” Aang admitted, unsure if this was the time to be judging Ba Sing Se.

“Problems that its rulers have done nothing about, worse, they live better while their people live worse, believe me, Aang, I’ve been seeing it for a century.”

Taking a breath, Aang relented, “That’s true, I have seen things during my time in the city that,” he tried to choose his words carefully, “that I am uncomfortable with, but that doesn’t change the war and the Fire Nation.”

“Aang they’re as bad as the Fire Nation, they sat out the war, for a hundred years they’ve only defended their walls while the Earth Nation fell, city by city, and now more of our land answers to Ozai than it does us.”

“So help us,” Aang argued, “Help us defeat Ozai and then we can fix the Earth Nation, starting with Ba Sing Se.”

“I’m afraid that’s not going to work, Aang.”

“And why not?!” Aang stood up, his friend was for the first time truly acting crazy.

“Aang, calm down, listen, a plan has been made.”

“Yes, Bumi, a plan has been made, the plan for me to stop Ozai and to end the war,” smiling, he hoped his friend would hear his words and agree with him.

“That can't be the plan anymore, Aang, I’m sorry.”

“Is it my fault?” Aang’s voice filled with emotion and took on an urgent desperation, “I know I messed up, a hundred years cannot be undone, but I’ve trained, I’ve gotten stronger, I can go into the Avatar State now, I’m a master, I can defeat Ozai, I promise, please believe in me…”

“I do believe in you,” Bumi paused and waited for Aang to calm enough to sit back down, “I’ve always believed in you, even when you were trapped in the ice and we all thought you were dead, I believed in you…”

Aang interrupted in a small voice, “Then?”

“Then nothing, I still believe in you.”

“You’re attacking a fellow Earth Nation city, you won’t wait for me to stop Ozai, you say that you believe I can,” Aang felt his mouth on a roll and he couldn’t stop himself, letting slip, “but what changed? Tell me! Is it because of Azula? Because if it is, I don’t care…”

Mouth still open but no longer sure of his words, Aang stopped. He had been worried that his friends might hold his relationship with Azula against him. Would Bumi doubt him because of it? In his mind Aang wasn’t sure of anything anymore, he was standing in the camp of one Earth Nation army poised to attack another, much had changed and his struggle to catch up made him sweat.

“Who?”

Nearly falling over, Aang struggled to properly react to his old friend’s confusion, “What do you mean who? Azula, the princess of the Fire Nation, my…”

“Your what?” Bumi’s face was rife with curiosity spurned mostly from their century of friendship.

“My…” Aang searched for the right word but all the wrong ones came to mind, none that fit.

Azula wasn’t his friend, she was more than that but definitely not like a sister like Katara. The princess was not his enemy either, although he wasn’t all that sure that they were done fighting. He never asked her to be his girlfriend but she did take the necklace he made, so would that make her his betrothed? Aang asked the question in his mind and answered it, but she left me? After I rejected her.

A new voice entered the royal tent, breaking the silence, “She still wears it.”

“No she doesn’t,” said Aang in his sadness, forgetting Bumi in front of him and not bothering to look at who he was answering.

“A betrothal necklace, made in the style of the Water Nation, with a black dragon pendant?”

The description tore Aang from his thoughts, “Who?!”

“Hello again Avatar.”

Aang passed through several emotions in rapid succession, he was sad at the thought of Azula, then shocked, surprised, and finally confused and relieved, “Zuko’s Uncle Iroh?”

“Yes, and I must say, I am most grateful to be meeting you again despite the desperate times.”

Bumi scratched his chin beneath his scruffy gray beard, “Aang do you know General Iroh?”

Smiling at the way in which Bumi referred to Iroh, Aang nodded.

“General, I take it you know the Avatar, but who is this Azula?”

Taking a seat between the king and Avatar, Iroh took a cup of tea from a passing attendant, “That’s easy King Bumi, the princess Azula that the young Avatar here is so taken with is my niece.”

“Ozai’s daughter?” barked out Bumi to which Iroh nodded and Bumi barked out once more, “You mean, Sozin’s great granddaughter?”

Iroh nodded and Bumi toppled over in the most overbearing and exaggerated laugh, filling the tent with it, the old man rolled on his back and shuffled from side to side until he was finally through.

“It’s not that funny,” said Aang, feeling a little embarrassed.

“Oh spirits,” exclaimed Bumi, looking upwards as if they could help him regain his composure.

“I believe King Bumi is just happy to hear something that is not painful and about the war for a change,” explained Iroh.

Aang ignored Bumi, knowing the King would eventually settle. Becoming serious, he turned to Iroh, “She still wears it?”

Feeling his lips form a natural smile and his heartbeat a little calmer at the thought of his troubled niece’s future. Iroh had not felt romantic love since his wife had passed, his son Lu Ten had been taken before he had the chance to witness the boy in love, and Zuko moved at his own pace in that aspect of his life. So, the former Dragon of the West felt no qualms about purposefully hesitating to watch as the Avatar became anxious in suspense. Then when the time was right, Iroh said simply, “She does.”

Like magic, the Avatar’s expression, once nervous and foreboding, bordering on distraught, became happy and excited, eyes widened and a giddiness that could be felt right down to the beginnings of each breath. But Aang could not let his own personal feelings interfere with the struggle at hand, as much as he wanted to ask Iroh a million more questions about Azula.

“I am, uh, glad she does, but now, I have to ask, Iroh, why are you here?”

“That’s easy, Avatar, to help King Bumi with the attack.”

A simple answer that made everything so much more complicated, Aang was beside himself, “Why? Aren’t you with Zuko?”

“I am,” Iroh confirmed, sipping his tea.

“But Zuko is a part of the Fire Nation.”

“I trust Katara had her brother, Sokka, share the plan with you?”

Before Aang could acknowledge the question, Bumi spoke up, “Ah, so he already knows of the plan.”

“What plan?!” Aang was becoming frustrated by this.

“So Katara’s brother failed in telling you then?”

Aang was still confused “Telling me what?”

Bumi, tired from the back and forth, just said, “Aang the plan is to replace Ozai with his son, the prince Zuko.”

“Oh that plan.”

Iroh spoke firmly, “It is the only plan we have, please understand me, Avatar, with Zuko as Fire Lord and the war ending, balance will return to our world.”

Rubbing his bald head, Aang briefly thought it over, his encounters with Zuko were never any good but neither were his with Azula and she was more than he expected to say this least. Accepting Zuko as a possible answer to the problem of Ozai, Aang was still confused, “But what does Zuko becoming Fire Lord have to do with Ba Sing Se? And Omashu?”

“The White Lotus,” said Bumi, his tone uncharacteristically serious.

“The what?” Aang didn’t follow, searching for an answer within the images of white flowers that streaked across his mind.

“The White Lotus is an organization that has existed since the time of Sozin,” explained Iroh.

“Since the fall of your people,” added Bumi.

Aang was skeptical, “What kind of organization?”

“A secret one,” answered Bumi.

Iroh continued, “The White Lotus has worked to stop the Fire Nation and return the world to its proper place of balance.”

Suspicious, Aang questioned Iroh, “But you were a part of the Fire Nation?” .

“I served my nation as expected for many years of my life, and although I regret my actions they did lead me to the White Lotus and to changing my ways.”

“And you’re both a part of the White Lotus?” asked Aang to which Bumi and Iroh nodded.

“The White Lotus has members in every nation, we don’t talk or meet as much as we’d like, but all of us are working towards the same thing,” started Bumi.

“Peace,” finished Iroh.

“So is Zuko a part of the White Lotus?”

“No my nephew is not.”

“Then why do you want him to be Fire Lord?”

“My nephew Zuko has a kind and noble heart, I trust him to do the right thing and end the war, as he promised.”

Nodding, Aang accepted that the Fire Prince may have good in him just as his sister, but he turned to Bumi and asked, “Why are you and your army here? Zuko has forces in the city.”

Iroh’s mood fell, “Zuko has been taken prisoner by King Kuei and without Bumi and the city of Omashu’s help, I am afraid Zuko will truly be defeated and his father will never see past this disgrace, and we need the Fire Lord to accept his son back into the capitol, only then can he be successfully overthrown.”

Not having the mind for strategy, Aang quieted as he thought it over. It wasn’t the first time he heard such a plan, Sokka had mentioned it and now that the plan was taken up by his oldest friend, staring him in the face he was forced to accept or reject it.

“Ok, Bumi is needed to take the city for Zuko, Zuko is our way to get to Ozai, but what stops the Earth Nation generals in the city from hurting Zuko or kidnapping him once you start the attack?”

Returning his attention to his now cold tea, Iroh sipped it anyway and answered, “Azula.”

Chapter Text

The dawn sun shot rays of light through the dark blue clouds that still held the night, the day at its beginning,a golden hue shrouded the army of Omashu. In full battle array the army was positioned before the great city of Ba Sing Se.

Infantry standing shoulder to shoulder the first line alone numbered a thousand, with ten progressive lines leading back into the desert that surrounded the city. Their commanders rode ostrich horses and made their way up and down the lines and shouting orders that were heard as whispers across the many ranks of men. No alarms had been sounded, no bells rang, the city had not noticed the danger at their gates.

Away from the front line and still within, what had been just the night before, the Omashu Camp, sat Bumi alongside Iroh. Together they were on a platform raised by Bumi’s bending and tall enough to allow them sight of the battlefield and even into the first of Ba Sing Se’s many rings. The Avatar’s seat next to them was empty.

Over the city and beyond the sight of nearly all below, hovered Appa, Azula seated on his back. She had told flee the city Mai and Ty Lee to ready their escape, a task that involved speaking carefully and a considerable amount of lying on her part, neither of which she minded. She just hoped that she was convincing enough to see her friends out harms way, not knowing that escape truly wasn't an option for her, in this battle she would either win with her brother or share in his fate.

Appa shifted, bored, they had been floating above the city since well before daybreak, and the armor she was wearing had already worn her into a hunch. A mix of Fire and Earth Nation armor, the best she could pull together, Azula felt far from the imperial conquer she used to be. The princess used preparation to counter her many disadvantages.

The work of Mai and Ty Lee as scouts gave her the most precious piece of information of all, the army of Omashu was camped outside the city. Was Omashu there to get revenge on the Fire Nation, on her, for the latest humiliation she caused the Earth Nation city? It was a question that she took to her uncle and naturally the old man was honest and forthright. One Earth Nation meant to attack another Earth Nation city, all to help put her brother on the throne, and here she thought she was the schemer in the family. Uncle Iroh and his White Lotus, she would have laughed at the thought of secret societies but now she is a thousand feet over a city helping carry out one’s will. But the princess tried not to see it that way. She was rescuing her brother after all.

The city guard was a joke, corrupt and lazy, their best officers had quit and turned bandit long ago, the rest thought themselves far from any real fighting. Azula had tested this herself during her first attempt on the city, if not for the Avatar, her drill would have breached the gates and she’d be in the royal palace already. When the guard took notice of the enemy at the gates and the people of the city realized that they faced an enemy that was nowhere near as withdrawn or merciful as she was, that was when Azula would strike. Until then, all the princess could do was sit atop the sky bison and wait.

Suddenly, Appa became very excited, bouncing and bobbing his head in joy, which to Azula it felt like a frightening earthquake, one that threatened to knock her off his back. Bringing her hands to his head and doing what she could to pet the sky bison, she spoke calmly, “Relax Appa, now is not the time, but soon, very soon we will have our chance.”

Appa started to calm and Azula continued, “Well, you will return to the Avatar as we discussed, and I expect you’re looking forward to that.”

“And you have the Avatar’s thanks for taking care of him.”

Azula twisted her body to look behind her and gasped when she saw the Avatar standing atop Appa’s back, his airbender robe billowing in the breeze behind his calm expression. His expressions didn’t fool her, his eyes were betraying him and revealing his lack of sleep. Her eyes were the same and when they locked, they smiled and felt warmer because of it.

The princess tried to keep their conversation casual, “You have my thanks for allowing me to use him.”

“You needed a ride, princess,” Aang sat down cross legged and with a knowing glance invited Azula to join him.

Climbing back to join him, Azula crossed her own legs and sat, and together they shared a few nervous breaths in silence.

Feeling all the things she thought about saying during their time apart, Azula settled on what she felt said the most, “I’m not going to kill my brother and take his throne.”

Aang laughed, “No, I hear you plan to rescue him.”

“My uncle Iroh?” asked Azula and Aang nodded.

“For being advanced in his age my uncle has a talent for getting around.”

He didn’t have time to talk about her uncle, so Aang spoke directly, “Why are you rescuing Zuko?”

“Does it matter?”

“When it comes to you, princess, it does.”

She was heart broken, “Do you ask because you see me as a threat?”

He noticed so he answered emphatically, “I ask because I love you.”

Azula didn’t say it back, looking away, in a low voice she said, “I’ll only let you down.”

“That’s okay,” Aang followed with a smile that glowed in the shine of the morning sun.

“You don’t mean that, you’re saying that right now but just you wait, I could make you regret it.”

“Maybe.”

Bothered by Aang’s casual response, Azula nearly yelled, “Maybe! Do you not take me seriously? Did you forget the horror I can be?”

For a long moment, Aang stared over the side of Appa and at the still damaged section of the wall. The place of their fight, and their first kiss, Azula noticed what he was looking at and joined him. Their minds raced and they waited for the other to pull them away.

Aang finally broke them from their shared memory, “I've never regretted any of our time together, even when we were enemies and fought, I fell for you knowing who you were and I’m here because I know who you are, I just want to know if you’re still my forever girl?”

“Ask me why I want to rescue my brother again.”

“Why do you want to rescue him?”

“Because I want you. I want you to know that I don’t want the throne anymore, that I’m ready for a different life,” she hesitated, feeling nervous and exposed, “and a life with you.”

Azula reached between the collar of her shirt and unbuttoned the top buttons, then she stuck her hand in and dug beneath the plate of armor that she wore over her chest until she got hold of it. Pulling, she scooped out the black dragon pendant of the necklace the Avatar had made for her, and held it out for him to see it before letting it fall back securely down her chest and beneath her shirt and armor.

Reaching across the small distance between them, Aang placed his hands to hers and pulled the princess in for a kiss. Azula, feeling as though she were back, back at the temple, back where she had wanted to be and had worried for so long that she’d may never be able to go again, leaned her whole self forward until she was nearly atop the Avatar. Aang, helping her, felt the princess straddle him as used to, and together they continued and deepened their kiss.

When the alarms and bells erupted in frantic sound, Azula and Aang separated, startled and half saddened at their situation. If only they could take Appa, ride off and never return, a thought they both shared before the reality of battle set in.

Straightening their clothes, Azula made sure her armor was set, her lips and skin still tingling from the Avatar’s touch. Cautiously, she asked, “You know, Avatar, if you would like to join me in rescuing Zuzu, I would not be opposed to it. I hear your friend, the water bender, is with him.”

Unfortunately, Aang could not allow himself to act on his own will alone, he may have wanted to be by Azula’s side and rescuing Katara along with Zuko was important to him, two armies of the same nation must not be allowed to war with one another. He couldn’t let Omashu sack Ba Sing Se nor could he let Ba Sing Se slaughter Omashu, so he bowed his head and hoped the princess would hear his regret, “I’m sorry Azula, but I can’t let them fight.”

Azula placed a hand to Aang’s check, “Because you're the Avatar?”

Aang covered her hand with his, “Because I’m the Avatar.”

“You will be careful, won’t you?” asked Azula and Aang smiled.

Shoving him, Azula said, “I’m serious, Avatar, don’t take any of the chances you did when fighting me.”

“Who said I took chances?”

Azula was going to protest but Aang interrupted her, he caught her lips with his in a kiss. And when he broke the kiss, he said, “Now princess, tell me you’ll be careful.”

“I don’t need to be careful, I’m more than skilled enough to take on any bender they have.”

“Azula…” Aang waited until he had her attention and when he did, he questioned, “Even Toph?”

The princess paused, Toph was a challenge and a problem, but she wouldn’t let the Avatar know, “How dare you, when this is over, you’re going to hear me tell you just how I defeated your earth bending master.”

“But I don’t want you to defeat my earth bending master, I don’t want you and Toph to fight at all,” Aang slowed his speech, he noticed Azula was listening intently to every word, so he closed with, “I just want you to be okay, I want to see you after all of this is over.”

Shouts and screams from the city and battlefield below made their way up to them hovering on Appa above. The shouts were of soldiers, on both sides, a mix of warning shots and nervous bending led to exchanges of boulders between both sides. Huge pieces of rock slammed into the Omashu formations and toppled over the guards posted along Ba Sing Se’s outermost wall. And the screams spread like fire through the city, citizens of every ring scurrying to find shelter or find an escape.

“I have to go,” Azula rose to her feet but felt Aang on her wrist, tugging her to stay with him, “Avatar if I don’t go now I will fail.”

“When you get them, Zuko and Katara, lead them to the catacombs beneath the city, when the battle is over, I’ll find you down there.”

Azula thought of her plans and the letter she had Mai and Ty Lee send out. The inclusion of the Avatar changed things, she no longer needed an urgent escape, not when they could figure things out, once the city was Zuko’s or Omashu’s and they were together.

“Fine,” the princess answered and smiled, pulling her wrist from the Avatar’s grasp, she turned and picked up a long staff she had left resting among her things atop Appa’s back.

Wanting to question the simpleness of her response, Aang stopped when he saw her raise her staff, one that looked hauntingly familiar, “Is that?” he started to ask but Azula interrupted.

“It is made between my memory and Mai’s many excellent and eclectic skills.”

“Let me see it,” Aang demanded, getting up and reaching for the staff but Azula held it away.

“Excuse me Avatar, but I need this to rescue Zuzu, I cannot have you tampering with it.”

“Wait, but how do you know if it’s going to work?” Aang lunged to grab the staff from her hands but Azula shot her open hand forward at him and grabbed him by his robes. Pulling him, the princess kissed him one last time, deep and passionate, she left them both out breath when she released him. Taking advantage of the Avatar’s post kiss stupor and the courageous giddiness he made her feel, she turned and leapt from Appa, staff in her hands and down towards the city.

“Azula!” yelled Aang as soon as his voice would allow, but she was already gone.

Chapter Text

I’d be an idiot to die this way, Azula thought to herself falling from Appa and down towards the palace. Holding the staff above her head, she placed her trust in Mai’s ability and to her excitement and relief she activated it just as she saw the Avatar do many times. Fans sprouted from it and she began to glide, angling her body she did her best to control her descent.

Above her, looking down, Aang smiled and watched her wade her way towards the palace, still worried for her and forever unsure of how she was able to replicate his staff, he took a moment to marvel at his love. Then to his horror, the guards that protected the palace caught sight of Azula and bent rocks to try and shoot her down. Aang almost lept off of Appa after her, but Azula answered their rock with her fire.

The royal palace of Ba Sing Se was a city within a city, boxed in by walls of its own, the main building rose several stories into the sky and sunk even more stories into the earth. The main structure lay in the middle of a large courtyard with small buildings lining each of the four protective walls, all of which were spewing guards who attacked her as soon as they could raise their heads. Azula kept a free hand to return fire, forming balls of flame that glowed in her palms before she dropped them.

Creating explosions of blue and sending her attackers fleeing some on fire and some only scared, the blue fire turned red as it ignited palace guard and building a like and Aang struggled to ignore their screams. Rising higher in Appa he coughed on the debris in the air, dust kicked from tons violently bent earth being strewn across the air, the battle at the gates between Omashu and Ba Sing Se was escalating. It would be a massacre if he didn’t stop it, he had to end this foolishness between the kingdoms of the Earth Nation as soon as possible and the only way to do it was to go straight for the top. Activating the Avatar state, Aang shrouded in blue energy, shot down from Appa and into the palace, blasting his way through the roof of its highest level, the force putting every guard on their knees.

Still trying to glide, Azula shot fire to steady herself and steer as best she could. Betraying her training, she allowed herself to be distracted and looked up at the Avatar. She whispered to herself, “We could be the strongest couple in the entire world if only you would dominate the world with me,” pausing, the princess smiled at the path she chose, one that meant perpetual pursuit of peace not endless conquest, “If only.”

Dodging a rock the size of her head aimed for her face, the guards had almost painfully made Azula aware that they were back on their feet. Pelting her with rocks, she sent a couple of raging blue fireballs their way and when they scattered she tried to aim herself towards the palace courtyard. Daring to attempt a landing she prepared an especially large and volatile ball of flame and shot it into the ground in advance. Exploding into a blue inferno, she cleared a small piece of courtyard for herself.

Landing on her feet but just barely, she was met by palace guards who tried to subdue her by hand. “How dare you!” she yelled, and ran to them but where they had intended to intercept her with fists, she slid on her knees and dodged them completely. Now behind them she turned with fire in each hand and burnt them where they stood. Azula couldn’t linger, a rock nearly hitting her before her last attackers had fallen. Turning, to face the earth benders of the palace guard running her way and summoning fire back to her hand, she started her fight into the palace.

Above her in the royal chamber, Aang did not bother to fight the horde of guards he imagined would be protecting the King. ignoring them, he used his power to come barreling directly into the king’s quarters.

King Kuei was sitting at a small table, his bedroom the size of a hall and cluttered with statues of past rulers and furniture of the finest quality. He was alone, just him and his bear Bosco, together, they seemed to be eating cake.

“Avatar?” The confused king of Ba Sing Se was still holding the small saucer that held his yellow and white slice of cake.

Aang exited the Avatar state, “Can I try some cake,” he asked.

“Sure, it is quite good, Bosco seems to think so, isn’t that right Bosco?”

The king was preoccupied with his cake and his bear, Aang wondered if Kuei was even aware of the massive battle taking place at his city’s doorstep or the fire princess burning her way into the palace below. Taking the cake once Kuei handed it to him with a small fork he gave it a passing taste, it was sweet and slightly tangy. When he heard banging at the door he dropped the cake and lavish plate it was kept on, crashing on the floor and breaking, he startled the bear.

“What’s going on?” the king was alarmed at the sudden commotion.

“We need to go,” Aang said simply.

“Where? Why? What’s the meaning of this?” Between the banging on the door, his roaring bear, and the Avatar rising to his feet, Kuei was now in a full panic.

“Do you not see the army of Omashu outside your gates?” asked Aang, his voice more harsh than he had wanted it to be.

Kuei appeared nervous, “Grand Marshall Toph…” he started but couldn’t finish, his voice dropping off in shame and embarrassment. He didn’t rule his city and it was obvious to the Avatar.

“If this battle is allowed to go it won’t be only Omashu’s men who suffer and die but yours too.”

“I don’t know Avatar.”

“What don’t you know, you're the king, aren’t you?!”

“I don’t know what you expect me to do! I’m just me.”

Aang didn't get to respond, the palace guard who had been banging on the door had grown frustrated and with earth bending support the massive door to the royal chamber was broken down, chunks of decorated wood torn apart by dirt brown rock.

Bending the air, he sent the first of the palace guards to fly backwards through the air into their fellow guardsmen knocking them all down and sliding them several paces. Aang then turned to the king, “I expect you to come with me and stop this battle now.”

Astounded by the way the Avatar dispatched his guards, Kuei muttered, “but how?”

A second wave of palace guards came running into the royal chamber and again Aang bent the air, tossing them all out of the chamber and into the corridor outside. Returning his attention to Kuei, Aang replied, “You are their king, not Toph, not general Fong, you, so be their king and tell them to drop their weapons and surrender.”

King Kuei didn’t dare say no, at present he feared defying the Avatar more than disappointing Toph or Fong, nervously, he nodded his head.

Walking up to the king, Aang bent an air bubble beneath him and although Kuei fell, the bubble was large enough to catch and hold him. Before another wave of guards could interrupt them, Aang and the now floating Kuei flew up and out of the hole Aang had made in the palace ceiling when he came crashing into the chamber. Once out of the palace Aang guided them to Appa. Looking back down, he saw the first level of the palace in flames but no sign of his princess.

The corridors of the palace wide and narrow channeled Azula’s fire like water and with burning efficiency she washed out the palace guards that stood in her way. Planning her assault on the palace back when it was her goal to take the city for herself in her father’s name, she had memorized the layout of the building; only her route had always been to the royal chambers to take the king. But time had changed her motivations and intent, and yet she felt a giddy pride at somewhat accomplishing her goal of storming the palace of Ba Sing Se. Although she never paid attention to the dungeon, or where the king kept his prisoners, which was where she now needed to go, any thought of it in the past usually accompanied notions of defeat.

Unlike most castles and the royal palace in Caldera, the dungeon in the palace of Ba Sing Se was not a lower level but a wing, one with rooms sectioned off for incarceration and torture. It was only accessible from a hallway that stemmed from the palace center, a grand hall that housed an equally grand staircase on one side and the other ringed with archway doors that fed a honeycomb of rooms and hallways. Azula did not let the complexity of her task deter her, she knew the way, she’d studied the map in its entirety believing only a fool would concentrate on just the necessary parts. Odd as her mission was, she naturally expected her success then she saw Toph in the palace center seemingly waiting for her.

“Princess Psycho,” greeted Toph, sitting on the bottom stair of the grand staircase.

“You’re not at the gates,” Azula paused and added some sarcasm, “defending Ba Sing Se like a Grand Marshal should.”

“Nope, I’m keeping your brother Sparky and Sugar Queen safe.”

“You just have a nickname for everyone don’t you.”

“I can’t let you kill them.”

Azula grinned at Toph’s assumption, “Why Grand Marshal, do you really think I’d kill my own brother?”

Toph snorted a laugh, “Yes.”

Pretending to be appalled, Azula exclaimed, “Why I couldn’t do that, a true princess loves and respects her family,” fighting the urge to chuckle at her own jest, she added, “And my Avatar would be upset.”

“Your Avatar?” Toph saw an opportunity to provoke the princess who was annoyingly comfortable with the situation.

“Yes my Avatar, is that a problem?” Azula’s tone lost its sarcasm and became defensive.

“Nope, I think it's absolutely wonderful that the twinkletoes got a hold of your leash,” Toph made it a point to focus on Azula’s betrothal necklace, the dragon pendant having untucked itself from her beneath her armor during her fight, “by the way princess psycho, I like your collar, did twinkletoes make it for you?”

Stomping her feet as she assumed a fighting stance, the princess warned the marshal, “Watch it.”

Crackling her knuckles, Toph stood up, her matching emerald green Earth Nation armor clinking as she rose, “Watch what? I don’t have to watch nothin this is my palace that you're standing in, princess.”

The smell of smoke noticeably entered the no man’s land between them and Azula inhaled with exaggeration, “You smell that? I think it’s your palace burning.”

Urgency brought Toph to anger, she couldn’t ignore the fire below and she couldn’t leave Azula alone in the palace, “What do you want!”

“To free my idiot brother from the insult of forced captivity.”

Toph concentrated on the soles of her feet, bare but protected by bottomless boots, to her surprise felt the truth in Azula’s words. Stepping up to the princess until there was only a couple of arms length between them, she stopped and made a show of stretching, “Interesting, but I can’t let you do that.”

Tucking her necklace away safely back beneath her armor, Azula, mimicking Toph, made a show of cracking her knuckles, “Good, I was hoping for a real fight.”

“Well you're in luck!” Toph hurled a silently bended rock at the princess.

Bending fire, Azula struck the rock midair with a ball of flame, the small explosion leaving only charred dust.

Sharing a smile the prodigies of earth and flame bent their elements into one another rapidly, a flurry of rock and flame colliding and making an unnerving sound as they canceled each other out in a series of violent pops.

Azula extended her right arm above her head and opened her palm and summoned a fireball much larger than what she’d previously bent, glowing blue, erratic and ready to burst; she flung it at Toph.

Toph shot her arm into the air above her head, much like Azula, bending, she pulled from dirt of the plants that adorned the palace, and formed a rock rounded into the perfect sphere, she tossed it into Azula’s coming ball of flame.

When their attacks met the explosion was deafening, a boom that stung the ears of all who could hear it, except for Toph and Azula. They’re concentration allowed for nothing else but the sizing up of one another.

Pressing her hands together open in front of her, Azula shot a jet stream of blue fire at Toph, Toph streamed in earth from the courtyard outside, bending dirt and burnt grass she created a defensive wall taller than her that blocked and dissipated the fire of Azula’s attack.

After blocking and extinguishing the princess’s fire, the marshal was ready to release her earth bent defense. Toph let her wall recede just enough to feel her face grow warm as another stream of fire came her way. Raising her defensive wall to stop it, she caught it just in time and could not release it for Azula would not let up with her attack.

The fire princess bent fire endlessly into Toph’s wall until the earth had become soft from the intensity of her heat and when she felt it ready enough to risk it, Azula broke her attack and bolted for Toph.

With no time to prepare, Toph recognized the sudden loss in scalding pressure against her wall when Azula stopped her attack but before she could peer out to see what became of the princess, two booted feet slammed into her face. The wall, made soft and practically molten by Azula’s attack, broke against the power of the princess’ drop kick.

Toph was knocked off her feet and her body sent tumbling across the room until the staircase stopped her. Raising her arms in defense she caught a second kick coming down at her, blocking it and pushing the princess off her.

Stumbling backwards, Azula put her hands together and shot off another blast of fire while Toph was still on the ground, but the marshal deflected it with a stair she bent right off the grand staircase behind her. Bending another, she began tossing steps at the princess who now struggled to block them. Azula failed to block a bent step and it cracked her in the face, breaking her nose and busting her lips. She stood dazed until a second step took her down.

“What happened princess, did I hit you?” Toph’s voice was weak, just barely catching her breath and still trying to stand.

From the ground, Azula smiled through her blood and rolling on her back she shot a speeded fireball at Toph. Thinking she had taken the princess down, Toph was unable to block and felt her skin burn as blue flame streaked across her face taking off of her left eyebrow and most of her bangs with bursts of hot embers and smoke.

Toph hated the smell of her burnt self, not for the pain but for the humiliation. Gritting her teeth she pressed her knuckles to the floor and pushed herself up onto her knees then she felt Azula’s coming attack. Azula, on her feet, but still dizzy from the blows to her head, raised her open hands to Toph and shot a fresh and raging stream of fire down at her.

The humiliation was too much, Toph had to crawl away from Azula’s fire and when the fire threatened to overtake her, she bent the stone slab beneath her and used it like a sled to skid away.

“Don’t run!” shouted Azula as she chased Toph with her blue fire.

I’m not running! Toph shouted in her mind but avoided saying it aloud or else risk ruining the concentration of her bending. Not that thinking it helped, it at least kept her angry and on edge. Ready, she bent the slab beneath her turning it sharply until she was about face with Azula in her sight, Toph bent the earth made stone slab behind the princess and when it was raised she attempted to slam it down on the still bending princess.

Agni! Azula screamed in her head, breaking her attack and diving out of the way. Rushing to get back to her feet she felt the floor beneath her start to rise as the grand marshal attempted to bend her into the ceiling. Rolling off it, Azula fell and hurt her shoulder on a harsh landing, the slab she had just fell from crashing to pieces against the palace center’s high ceiling.

The princess was on the run, Toph just had to catch her in the wrong spot and crush her. There, she got her, she was sure of it, raising Azula up on another bent piece of the flooring, she’d break the princess this time. But Azula had other plans.

Blasting off, rocketing with fire bent from her feet, the princess charged Toph who had to stop bending to put up a weak defense. Azula fists raised plowed into Toph leaving them both shattered on the floor.

When they both rose they were only an arm's distance from each other, their fighting stances resumed, the princess and the marshal charged one another. Azula fought with quick strikes, angled kicks to Toph’s legs and hips and punches, hooks and jabs, to Toph’s face and body. Toph blocked more than she dodged, smaller but carrying herself heavy in the fight, she batted away Azula’s attacks and returned with wide punches and round kicks, some the princess managed to dodge and others she struggled to block.

Speeding up her attacks Azula tried to topple the marshal in a barrage of punches and kicks and for a moment she felt as though she were on the verge of doing it. Poised to land a strong enough blow to take the mighty earth bender down, and just when she thought that crucial opening was coming her movement stopped completely. Constricted, Toph had seized her in a grapple.

Struggling against the hold, Toph held firm against Azula’s desperate attempts to break free. Lifting her, she waited until the princess was completely vertical, legs dangling in the air, before Toph brought her down and slammed her into the floor.

Trying to crawl away as soon as her breath came back to her, Azula felt herself be rolled over onto her back, above her was Toph with earth bent around her fists. And when Toph brought the first of her fists down on Azula’s head, the princess screamed fire into the earth bender's face causing her to roll off or risk losing more than her hair.

Coughing and trying to regain her senses, her cheeks and nose cooked by the princess’ attack, Toph struggled to prop herself up upon her elbows.

Standing and trying to steady herself, Azula spat, “Get up!”

Toph answered her by rolling on her back with arms up and her hands raised and fingers arched to the ceiling, bending, she brought down so much stone that she caved in half of the room. Bringing it all down on Azula, the princess jumped several feet into her air and extended her arms and legs like a star. Fire bending from her hands and feet she shielded herself with fire, melting and turning to ash Toph’s attack before it could crush her.

When what was left of the palace center settled there was a large gaping hole in the ceiling allowing a view up into the rooms several floors above. Azula and Toph, standing across from one another, stared with dogged expressions, and struggled to catch their breath. Locking eyes with mutual distrust, they bent earth and fire at each other once more, their bending colliding between them in a bold effort to overwhelm the other.

Arching her back, Toph leaned forward bending more earthen stone from the floor, walls, and what was left of the ceiling into her unending attack on Azula. The princess just let her fire flow, unleashing a now roaring river of fire at the marshal, the center between them fumed toxic smoke from puddled lava.

One blink became two until her eyes were starting to shutter in and out of consciousness until she lost it. Toph's bending stopped, arms fallen, limp at her side, her head tipped back only for a moment before the princess fire blasted her into the grand staircase, the force collapsing it in on her. Lost in the rubble, not dead but done, the grand marshal of Ba Sing Se did not get back up.

Chapter Text

Three ships of the Southern Water Tribe entered the city, the battle of Ba Sing Se had greeted them at a distance. It could be heard before it was seen, first by the loud sounds of bended rock smashing against surface and foe, then the screams and shouts of the fighters themselves. Keeping themselves low, Sokka felt the eyes of his warriors on him, silently waiting for an order.

“Sokka…”

Suki, at his side, unsheathed her sword and directed their attention to a platoon of Earth Nation soldiers waiting for them. They intended on sneaking into the city, the battle at its gates distracting from the small river that ran through the city, but General Fong or Marshal Toph had enough sense not to leave themselves unprotected.

“Do you think they are on our side?” asked Sokka.

“What side is ours?” Suki readied her weapon.

A giant splash just off the side of their ship rocked the vessel and drenched the pair in water, the Earth Nation soldiers had started bending at them.

“Not theirs!” exclaimed Sokka.

The ships of the Southern Water Tribe answered the Earth Nation attack in kind, and once close enough to the shore, Suki leapt over the side and took the attack to the Earth Nation directly.

“Take the beach!” Sokka yelled to his warriors before following Suki off of the ship.

It really wasn’t a beach and he felt a little odd calling it so yet he had no time to find the right words to explain it. The river, narrowing the deeper it went into the city, had been lined by stone walls on either side. The Earth Nations soldiers had lined the tops of the walls to attack them, pelting bended earth down at their ships until Suki and the Water warriors stopped them.

Ducking to avoid a swinging Earth Nation sword, Sokka knocked his attacker over the head with his boomerang causing the soldier to fall into the river. The soldier was followed by others as the Southern Water Tribe cleared the walls of their enemies.

“Chief Sokka.”

The commanding voice of his father Hakoda calling him chief was still extremely odd to his ears and like the dutiful son, it forced a quick response out of him, “Yes father.”

“Come here.”

Hakoda may no longer be the chief but he was still the boy’s father so he didn’t hesitate to explain things, “The forces of Omashu are still being kept at the gates, these soldiers were with Ba Sing Se.”

“General Fong’s men,” Sokka surmised.

“Do we attack Omashu or Ba Sing Se?”

Sokka had not expected Omashu and Ba Sing Se to be fighting one another. When he was still at the palace he had believed that Omashu was coming to support Ba Sing Se in ridding the city of what was left of Zuko and the Fire Nation, but the situation he arrived at was much more complicated.

“Sokka, we have to move,” Suki urged him. They were in the open with the possibility of being attacked from any of the streets or buildings that surrounded them.

“Just give me a minute,” he answered with nervousness in his voice. He didn’t want to make the wrong decision and as a leader she understood.

Suki called out to the water warriors to her left, “You four with me!”

They looked to their chief for approval and when he nodded his head, they formed up behind the Kyoshi warrior. Positioning them and herself to overlook their small but vulnerable area, they were going to give Sokka some of the time he needed, Suki just hoped he didn’t need too much.

I really let Katara down on this one, Sokka thought to himself. She had sent him with the goal of bringing Aang back and getting him to sort out this mess and for him to do it before Omashu arrived. But he was too late, Omashu was there attacking at the gates and he had no idea where Aang could be.

“Hey Sokka!” Aang’s cheerful voice sounded.

“Aang?” Sokka was sure he was hearing things.

“You made it!”

Following the voice, Sokka along with Suki and the rest of the Water Tribe, raised their heads to see Aang sitting atop Appa, hovering above them with a scared King Kuei timidly looking over Appa’s side.

“Of course I made it! I told you I was coming!”

“Great, I need your help.”

“But what about Katara?” Sokka was confused.

“Don’t worry about Katara, Azula is going to get her.”

That made Sokka really worry, “What?!”

“Azula!,” Aang spoke slower and louder thinking Sokka couldn’t hear him, “Is going to get her, now come on!”

Appa started to rise further into the air until it was impossible to continue speaking with Aang and once level they started to fly towards the city’s walls and the battle being fought just outside them. Sokka, again feeling the eyes of his warriors on him, his father and his girlfriend included, decided to trust the Avatar.

“Come on, it's the Avatar, he needs our help!”

In single file they followed the Avatar, running to keep up with the large sky bison soaring above their heads. Weaving through alleyways to get to the city gates, when they neared their pace began to slow until they stopped.

Aang, leaving King Kuei on Appa, jumped down and landed next to Sokka who was panting next to a well energized Suki.

“Hey Suki I’m really glad you were able to come and help out.”

Suki smiled at the Avatar’s acknowledgment, for her it was akin to being recognized by Kyoshi herself, “Of course Aang, you know I wouldn’t let him do this alone,” she motioned to Sokka and they shared a laugh at his expense.

“Hey!” he protested.

Ignoring him, Aang pointed to the gate ahead, its base was covered by another row of buildings but the walls on either of its sides could be seen and were topped with Earth Nation Soldiers battling against the forces of Omashu outside.

“We have to stop them.”

“Okay, but how?” Sokka looked over the couple of dozen Water warriors he brought with him, hardly enough to dismantle the army of the Earth Nation’s biggest city.

“I’m going to negotiate.”

“With Fong?”

“I have their King.”

Scratching his chin, Sokka tried to figure what Aang meant by that, “I still don’t get it.”

“That’s fine,” answered Aang, “I just need you to open the gates.”

Smiling at a realizable objective, Sokka replied, “We can do that,” then paused to look over at his father and girlfriend, then asked cautiously, “Can we do that?”

“We can,” said Suki.

Hakoda just murmured, “Mmhm.”

“We'll get that gate open for you,” said Sokka with confidence.

“Great, thanks,” Aang then bounded back up into the air and onto Appa, continuing their flight to the city walls.

Sokka reaching for his boomerang, readied himself for a fight, his warriors were already moving in with Suki at the lead. “You ready?” The voice was his father’s to which Sokka nodded and proceeded with the attack.

At the palace, The detention wing was a long and wide hall that had metal cells built into each side like rooms and in the last one sat Zuko and Katara. Barren, not even a bed or chair, the two sat on the floor so closed in that their feet were touching. They’d been resting since their defeat at the hands of Toph, but when the fighting started the pair had awoken themselves and began to listen intently for any signs to what might be transpring around them.

“Do you think he made it?” asked Zuko, raising his head to hear more of the commotion outside.

Katara perked her own head up and responded, “Who?”

“Your brother, Sokka, do you think he found the Avatar?”

Smiling at the thought, she answered, “I don’t know, maybe, if he did then Aang will be here and he’ll stop all of this.”

Katara sounded hopeful but Zuko couldn’t shake his shame, “I should have done better,” he said.

“No,” Katara brought a hand to his cheek and cupped it slightly, “You did the best you could, Toph, well she’s Toph and she had a whole army behind her.”

“I had an army, if I just..” Zuko felt Katara’s hand grow rigid around his face, stopping him.

“If you did what?” Katara waited till she had his attention, “You commanded your men with honor, thinking of their lives as much as your own, you didn’t attack because you weren’t ready and you knew they’d suffer for it.”

“We still lost.”

“Speak for yourself, I don’t think we’ve lost yet,” Katara stood up and put her hands on her hips, “Now if Aang does come he’ll need our help to deal with whatever it is going on out there.”

“Do you think he’d even want me to be Fire Lord?”

“As opposed to letting your father be Fire Lord?”

“He could always side with Azula.”

“You really think Aang would pick Azula to be Fire Lord over you?”

“You don’t…” Zuko let his words sink in and watched the confusion come across Katara’s face.

Katara hadn’t considered Aang choosing Azula, they were together, if he believed in her enough to be with her why not put her own the throne. Trying to renew her confidence in her best friend she replied, “Aang is with her because he sees good in her.”

“Azula has a way of showing people what she wants them to see.”

Feeling doubtful, Katara shook her head and tried to shake it from her mind, “This isn’t the time to have doubts.”

“But Azula…” Zuko was going to continue to describe the manipulative ability of his sister when he saw Katara bring her finger to her lips and rapidly “Shh” him. A door had opened at the far end of the wing and smoke from the rest of the palace poured in.

The cells were built with wide bars of metal that one could not even fit their hand through, trying to peer out and see what was coming was impossible, so Zuko and Katara backed away from their cell door and stood against the wall waiting for whatever was coming their way.

Expecting a rushing attack from Dai Lee ordered to finish them off or the arrogant footsteps of General Fong coming to tell them that hope was lost, they were met with silence, all except for two booted feet scraping their way towards them. Whoever it was, they could hear them limp.

Zuko, impatient, demanded, “Who goes there? Tell me who you are?”

Katara couldn’t help herself either, “Aang! Is that you?”

“Not quite.”

They both of them recognized the voice that answered them and hearing it made them raise their fists.

Moments later, Azula appeared through the bars in front of their cell. Armor scuffed, chipped, and cracked in some places, her face was caked in dried blood, and her nose was surely broken. In a huff she greeted them, “What? Expecting someone else?”

“What are you doing here Azula?!” yelled Zuko already feeling the fire in his palms.

“She’s here to kill us,” Katara readied her water.

“You know on any other day you might actually be right, but today I am sorry but I have to disappoint you.”

“Stop playing games Azula,” sneered Zuko.

“Why Zuzu? Cooped up in this cell, missing out on all the action, doesn’t sound like it's been very fun.”

“Just get to the point princess,” snapped Katara.

Standing on the tips of her toes, Azula raised the key to the cell, meant to be Earth bended, she struggled to use it. Finally succeeding after too many embarrassing seconds of attempt, the door slid open revealing an awestruck Zuko and Katara.

“Azula…” Zuko was sure this could be a trap.

Neither stepped out and Katara questioned, “Why?”

“Because Uncle asked.”

“You’re going to have to do better than that Azula,” said Zuko.

“Because I wanted to burn this palace down and you are my excuse to do it.”

Katara formed water in her palms, now flowing violently in a sawing motion, she raised it to Azula’s neck, “Stop playing games and tell us the truth.”

Azula could feel her neck damp against Katara’s pending attack, it made her blood boil but she begrudgingly ignored it, this was her choice she reminded herself before telling them, “I’m making a choice that only I can make.”

“What does that supposed to mean?” Katara's frustration started to turn into anger.

“I could kill you both right now,” declared Azula.

“I knew it,” Zuko’s hands each bended a fireball.

“But,” Azula explained, “I am making a choice.”

“What kind of choice?”

“The choice to let you both live,” Azula felt a certain satisfaction at surprising them so she went further, “I am even choosing to let you have the throne Zuzu.”

Katara brought her rapidly bended water closer to Azula’s neck, “Now I know you’re lying.”

“Watch who you’re calling a liar, water peasant,” a flash of anger came across Azula’s golden eyes.

“Why?” Zuko spoke solemnly, “Why would you choose to give up the throne? You want nothing but power, you always have.”

“Power isn’t everything Zuzu, I would have thought Uncle had taught you that by now.”

Katara spoke half in sarcasm, “What because of your time with Aang you all of a sudden want love and happiness?”

Azula flashed a confusing smile, Katara and Zuko couldn’t figure if it was wicked or sincere, then the princess said, “Love and happiness is just what I’ve been missing, not that it’s any of your business water peasant, now enough, it is my choice and I am choosing to let Zuzu over here be Fire Lord, I don’t want it.”

Partly in shock, Zuko couldn’t formulate words to answer but Katara did, briskly saying, “I don’t believe you.”

“Would you believe the Avatar?”

“His name is Aang, if you love him so much you’d call him by his name.”

“He loves me so much he allows me to call him what I please.”

Zuko interrupted them, “What about the Avatar?”

“If you’ll believe him, he’ll tell you that everything that I’m saying is true.”

“I’d like to hear it from him,” sneered Katara, despite her harsh tone, she started to soften the water at Azula’s neck.

“Then hurry, he’s waiting for us,” Azula abruptly turned and started to limp her way back towards the door.

When she was just out of sight, Katara instantly turned to Zuko and whispered, “Do we trust her?”

“I don’t know, Azula always lies.”

“But she mentioned Aang.”

Azula, yelling from midways down the hall interrupted them, “Are you two coming? I did set this palace on fire.”

Katara started to step forward but Zuko, taking a hold of her, stopped her, “If the Avatar is waiting for us like she says he is, then will know, if he isn’t, then…”

Nodding, she felt Zuko start to move past her to exit the cell but she grabbed on to him and pulled him back towards her, “Kiss,” said Katara softly, unsure of where all of this was going. Zuko obliged her and leaned his lips into hers.

“I said there was a fire and this is what you do, oh Zuzu you can’t let yourself be distracted so easily when you’re Fire Lord.”

Breaking the kiss in front of Azula who had limped back to get them, both Katara and Zuko were red faced and embarrassed. Together, they nodded and followed the princess out of their cell and onto their escape.

Chapter Text

When Appa reached the gate the army of Omashu had advanced and was now attempting to breach the walls. Giant boulders of earth broke against the high walls and pieces of large debris devastated men of both armies. Aang cursed the small time he wasted with Kuei but at least the King was here now and an end could finally be brought to this madness.

“This is bad,” Kuei speculated from above, peering hesitantly over the side of Appa and getting an eyeful of the carnage below.

“You allowed this to happen,” Aang couldn’t stop himself from replying.

“What was I to do against the strong winds of war,” said Kuei.

“You could do what you’re about to do now and put a stop to it.”

Appa hovered above the walls of Ba SIng Se, hundreds of feet above the men of the Earth Nation army fighting desperately to hold the line. Aang stood up and looked over at Kuei, “I’ll get their attention, when I call you, Appa will bring you over, just tell your men to stop, that this is a senseless fight, you’re both proud kingdoms of the Earth Nation and should be working together to stop the Fire Nation.”

Kuei appeared unsure, “Alight… I guess,” he muttered his last words.

Below them, Sokka, Suki, and warriors of the Southern Water Tribe had taken positions around the giant gates that separated the city from the carnage outside the walls. In his head, Sokka thanked General Fong for focusing his defenses on the obvious danger outside, leaving the gates seemingly unprotected from within. Resting his back against the side of a restaurant that still smelled of food, he looked up at Aang and King Kuei.

“Sokka,” whispered Suki, getting his attention.

“Mmhmm,” he tried to keep his voice low, although the gates appeared unguarded he could not be sure and glancing over his shoulder at his warriors he knew he didn’t have the numbers to risk losing the element of surprise.

“Do we attack?” Suki gripped her sword impatiently.

“Not yet, let’s see what Aang does first…” Sokka stopped when the Avatar stepped over the side of Appa and shrouded himself in a fierce blue energy.

Activating the Avatar state, Aang shot off Appa and into the battlefield, sweeping through the ranks of both armies; the torrent of air, water, and fire he bent around him caused every man to drop or else be thrown. When the fighting had ceased he took position in the air and in a commanding voice said, “Great armies of Omashu and Ba Sing Se, as Avatar I demand you stop this fighting at once, in the name of the Earth Nation, stop this battle, I know Bumi, King of Omashu would understand, and soldiers of Ba Sing Se, I bring you your King to tell you the same.”

At the Avatar’s words, Appa came down with King Kuei standing atop his back nervously, the eyes of the battlefield on the King of the great city.

Speaking without confidence, Kuei’s voice cracked and few beyond Appa could hear him, “Army of Ba Sing Se, stop this fighting, please, as your King, stop, I beg you, just listen to the Avatar…”

Mouth open ready to continue, King Kuei was silenced by a rock bent and shot into his forehead. The blow broke his face and killed him instantly.

Interrupting the shock that had overcome the battlefield came the booming voice of Earth General Fong, “Soldiers of Ba Sing Se! Do not be persuaded by the lies and manipulations of the Avatar and his friend, the Mad King Bumi of Omashu, this city is ours now and forever!”

King Kuei’s body fell from Appa and landed only a meter or two from where Sokka and his Water warriors were positioned.

Sokka said under his breath, “That’s not good,” with Suki and Hakoda nodding their heads in agreement.

“General Fong!” Aang put the strength of the Avatar state into his voice and it stopped the general in his tracks and kept the battle from starting.

“Quit your meddling Avatar! This is Earth Nation business!” Fong yelled from atop the city wall, his men now ignoring the army of Omashu and instead forming a protective line around their general.

Aang did not remain in the air, lowering himself to the top of the wall, the rows of Earth Nation soldiers parted and circled to make room for him on what was a crowded defensive position.

Now at the same level of the General, Aang spoke calmly and used his airbending to help project his voice so that all could hear it, “I am the Avatar it is my duty to protect the balance and by,” pausing he glanced downwards towards the broken body of Kuei, “killing the rightful King of Ba Sing Se you have broken that balance.”

Fong answered him dismissively, speaking to the Avatar like a child he said, “Rightful King? Kuei was a failure and an embarrassment to the mighty Earth Nation, he would have let this city fall if not to Omashu than to the Fire Nation, I had to remove him.”

“That was not your decision to make!” Aang’s eyes glowed blue in his anger, “But I’ll give you one chance, tell your men to surrender then give up your command and leave, I don’t want to see you again.”

Responding to the Avatar’s words, Fong’s soldiers grew rigid and tightened their formation around their general who sneered and answered smugly, “No.”

“Then it's over,” Aang didn’t give the General or his men a chance to respond, activating the Avatar state he barreled them, spearing his way through the lines of soldiers towards Fong.

From below Sokka couldn’t see that action taking place atop the wall, he could only hear the exchange of words and the sounds of Aang battling his way to General Fong.

“Do we help him?” asked Suki, already figuring out the best way to scale the walls and possibly catch the Earth Nation soldiers by surprise.

“No, we take the gates,” Sokka answered, kissing Suki he turned to his waiting warriors, “Water Tribe!” he yelled as he charged.

Abandoning the flaming palace, Azula led Zuko and Katara down the still crowded streets of Ba Sing Se. Smoke from the fire they were leaving mixed with the dust kicked up from the Earth bending of the battle making a dark brown fog that choked all who breathed it and teared the eyes of any who tried too hard to see through it.

Holding Zuko’s hand, Katara pulled him back towards her and spoke into his ear, “I don’t like this, I can’t even see where we are going.”

“The catacombs!” yelled back Azula, noticing that the couple was lagging behind.

Katara pushed past Zuko, “Is that where Aang is?”

Azula feigned a hurt expression, “You don’t trust me?”

The water bender’s face became rigid and deadly serious, “No.”

“Then trust the Avatar, now let us move, this city is still under the enemy’s control and I..” Azula bit her tongue, she almost admitted that she may no longer possess the strength to fight, her wounds from battling Toph taking their toll on her, “We can’t risk being caught alone by whatever elements of the army General Fong may have left behind.”

Zuko squeezed Katara’s hand and with her attention he said, “Just be careful, I don’t trust my sister either.”

“What was that Zuzu?”

“Nothing, just keep going.”

“Ungrateful,” Azula said under her breath as she pressed a hand to her side and felt the stinging of what she was sure was a cracked rib, swallowing the pain, she pressed on towards the nearest entrance that led down to the catacombs.

Atop the city wall, General Fong waited patiently as Aang tore through his men, having already experienced seeing the Avatar state he didn’t bother committing the whole of his forces. As far as he was concerned the Avatar had failed, the battle had resumed around them and his troops not involved in trying to hold the Avatar back were continuing their defense. Likewise, the soldiers of Omashu ramped up their assault on the walls.

Aang sent the soldiers opposing him one of two ways, off the walls and falling back into the city below or off the walls and down into the horde of Omashu soldiers, either option made them scream as they fell. When he reached General Fong, he deactivated the Avatar state and stared down the seasoned Earth Nation officer.

“I was right about the Avatar State, it is exactly what we would have needed to end the war, but you have shown yourself to be a short sighted child,” chastised Fong.

“So you took a city that was not your own? All you’ve done is caused a civil war within your own nation, have you learned nothing Fong?”

“I’ve learned only what it takes to win, if you’d been around for those hundred of years maybe you’d have learned it too.”

“I’m going to ask one more time, General, tell your men to lay down their arms and stop this madness.”

“No Aang, I won’t do that, this little war is necessary to win the real war against the Fire Nation.”

“Then I’m going to have to take you down.”

General Fong saw a flash of blue illuminate Aang’s eyes and tried to hide the cold fear that made his hair stand beneath his armor, he had not forgotten the thrashing he took the last time he had encountered the Avatar, “Are you going to use the Avatar state against me? For a symbol of justice I don’t think that is very fair, I’m only an Earth bending master,” Fong bent two twin boulders and levitated them over his shoulders to make his point.

“You didn’t have a problem with things being fair when you wanted me to fight Ozai in the Avatar state.”

“I am not the monster that Ozai is.”

“No you’re your own.”

Offended, General Fong shot both boulders at Aang who easily batted them away with his air bending.

“Fine,” said Aang, a whirlwind of air starting to bend around him, “You are a master of Earth bending, I am a master of Air bending, is that fair enough for you?”

General Fong nodded and smiled as if he had already won.

Below Sokka felt himself be pulled back by Suki, he had been leading the assault on what appeared to be an empty gate when dozens of Dai Li poured out from the buildings that lined the outside of the gate. Stepping in front of him, Suki jumped with her sword raised and brought it down on the first soldier leaving him crippled at her feet, not bothering to look as she moved on to the next one.

“Dai Li!” yelled Sokka as if his water warriors couldn’t see them, throwing his boomerang he knocked several unconscious, his boomerang ricocheting off their helmeted heads.

“Sokka!” Hakoda alerted his son, pointing to two anchor-like chains that were used to open and close the giant gate.

“There!” Sokka relayed, alerting his warriors to their objective.

Forming a line to block their way were the Dai Li, standing shoulder to shoulder they bent earth to try and hold the Water Tribe warriors back. Suki was the first to break their line, followed by Hokado and Sokka, but the closer they got to the chains the more Dai Li came to stop them.

Aang said open the gate, Sokka reminded himself and along with Suki they pressed forward, he with his boomerang and her with her sword.

The entrance to the catacombs was grand and ornate, what was once a cave lodged within the city walls had been deified as the most sacred place in Ba Sing Se. Only Azula had been before, having followed Aang down there during the game they played in the city. Joining the many tourists, they marveled at the bending work that created glorious illustrations of badger moles next to the images of past Kings and Queens.

“Wait,” Zuko stopped them, they had entered but had yet to make the downward climb to the catacombs themselves. A shadowy staircase before them and the Fire prince felt himself become skeptical at the prospect of entering such a remote place with Azula.

“Zuzu we don’t have time for you to look at all the pretty pictures.”

“Why would the Avatar want us to meet him all the way down there?”

The boom of what must have been a massive bending attack shook the city making them all lose their balance, regaining it, Azula spoke up, “You feel that? Without shelter we are in danger, and us, as Fire Nation royals, are in exceptional danger if found, down there in Ba Sing Se’s catacombs is where we will be safest. Aang thought so, do you think he’s wrong?” The Fire princess wasn’t sure if they’d listen to her and hoped using the Avatar’s name would win her their confidence.

Katara placed a hand on Zuko’s shoulder than moved it to caress the side of his face, “If Aang thinks the catacombs will be safe then they will be,” leaving her hand on Zuko she turned to his sister, “Aang is down there waiting for us right?”

“That’s the plan,” hoping they were following her, Azula took the first step down the stairs and to her relief together they all descended downwards, the shimmering hue of crystals guiding downwards like an emerald light at the end of the tunnel.

It took them several nervous minutes to reach the catacombs, the staircase wide and steep they reached the bottom and were greeted by the lingering smell of the incense left by past visitors. Their scrolls of prayer and wishes stamped on to the bare spaces of the walls that weren’t covered in crystal.

Forgetting their predicament, Katara and Zuko became no better than the tourists in Azula’s opinion. Cuddling up to one another they pointed at the marvelous crystal formations, making each other laugh and smile as they took in the sacred space. Azula stepped past them further into the catacombs until she reached a formation just taller than she was. Looking into it, she saw her reflection, her face bloody and her armor dented, but that wasn’t what made her sad. Struck by memory, she thought of the first time she’d been there, standing just behind the Avatar, hiding herself among the visitors and trying not to be caught in a stare. He did catch her and they exchanged a nothin more than a look before he scurried off with her at his heels.

“I miss you,” whispered Azula then softly adding “My Avatar,” bowing her head so as not to imagine his reflection in the crystal.

“Avatar?” Katara had heard only the last of Azula's words reminding her of why they were there, “Where is Aang?”

Zuko jumped in, “Yeah Azula, where is the Avatar, you said he’d be here.”

Turning slowly to face them, Azula spoke carefully, “I do not know, perhaps…”

“Perhaps?!” Katara’s tone was alarmed, “Was this your plan all along? To trap us and to,” she stumbled on her words, her panic and shock making her struggle to get them out, “to kill us?!”

“No!” Azula tried to raise her hands to show she meant no harm and for the first time in her life found herself desperate to proclaim her innocence, “I don’t want to kill you, I told you I don’t want to be Fire Lord, I choose Aang, don’t you remember? Zuzu, please, I didn’t bring you here to hurt you.”

“Azula always lies,” said her brother.

Oh Agni was Azula’s last thought before she was attacked by both water and fire.

Chapter Text

Azula was too slow, the water from Katara’s attack and the fire from Zuko’s slammed right into the back of her armor forcing her forward and into the crystals she’d just been looking at. Breaking them, she grunted in pain and rolled before she could think about it, dodging the next attack.

The pair chased after her, hoping to keep her down, bending fire and water they forced the Fire princess to crawl on hands and knees to escape them. Leaping forward and roughly landing on her belly, Azula was able to evade them behind a crystal formation big enough to shield her.

“I rescue you from certain death and this is how you repay me? You all are horribly ungrateful,” quipped Azula from behind the crystals.

“How do we know you didn’t rescue us just to kill us yourself, you already lied about the Avatar being here,” replied Zuko.

“If the Avatar isn’t here now, then he must be coming, there is a battle going on outside for Agni’s sake.”

Katara spoke in a firm tone, “We will see just what is happening outside ourselves thank you and when we find Aang he’ll tell us just what you’re really about.”

From behind the crystals Azula could hear Zuko and Katara start to leave and her anger at their disrespect boiled over, “How dare you!” she yelled and rising to her feet she left the safety of her crystal cover with fire bending at her hands.

“Zuko!” yelled Katara bringinging water and extinguishing the first wave of blue flames.

Azula brought her hands together and unleashed a raging blue inferno at them, the force of her fire so strong that the added strength of Zuko’s own fire bending was needed to stop it.

“You two parade around here like you’re so righteous, I sat in tea shops and watched you bring war to this city just like I would, so don’t treat me like I’m the only one with blood on their hands!”

“Azula,” her brother’s voice wasn’t harsh even in the midst of blocking her attack, he felt wrong but she no longer wanted to hear it.

“No! The White Lotus have chosen you to replace our father and for no other reason than you’re not me and I’m not even angry,” Azula was steaming and she intensified her attack as she spoke, “The throne is yours Zuzu! Enjoy! I want my Eastern Air Temple and that awful banana juice!” she paused, turned to Karara and continued, “And yes I want Aang!”

“Then stop your attack and let us go,” answered Katara through gritted teeth.

“No! I don’t want to, I said what I said so you could understand the level of your betrayal, the extremes of your audacity, and the sheer gall of your actions, no, we are going to wait here for the Avatar and by Agni I don’t care if he gets angry with me, I will do something, something unspeakably horrible to you first!”

Zuko and Katara felt the power of Azula’s fire increase tenfold and their knees buckled against the pressure. The steam that sprouted from the water Katara used to block started to burn her and Zuko’s fire was wedged against his face igniting the edges of his hair. They hoped what they considered her twisted love for Aang would keep her from killing them but the thought of what she meant by unspeakably horrible was terrifying. Then when their bending was about to break, Azula’s bending ceased altogether and the burning weight that nearly crushed them was suddenly gone.

On her knees with her head slumped against the blackened dirt of the catacombs, Azula realized she had reached her limit. Exhausted, unable to bend or even get up, the Fire princess was at their mercy.

On the wall Aang readied his fighting stance, raising his hands and edging his palms like a knife, he stared down the Earth Nation general, “You ready General Fong?”

General Fong readied his own fighting stance, sliding his feet shoulder length he arched them ready to bend, “After you, Avatar Aang.”

Aang with his hands he chopped downward bending air in a slicing motion, forcing Fong to raise a wall of earth to block it. The air chop sliced his wall down through the middle and he struggled to keep it formed . The Avatar continued to press forward, keeping his chopping strikes of jaggedly bent air he laid into the General forcing him to watch as the Avatar slowly closed the distance between them. Fong in an effort to hold the Avatar back, shot his earth bended wall forward at Aang but the Avatar jumped backwards and avoided the attack, the attack continuing past the Avatar and knocking several Earth Nation soldiers off the wall before it stopped.

In the air, the Avatar arched himself so as to face the General below him and with two open palmed hands he slammed a wave bent air down at him, pressing Fong to the floor and keeping him down. Aang was planning on finishing him with a hard strike to the head but Fong was not defeated, bending the earth just ahead of where he was pinned, he formed it like a sheet and used it to block the Avatar’s attack giving him enough respite to escape the crushing air bending.

Running forward Fong turned and bent rocks so fast it looked like a flow of unending earth. Aang had to block it as he landed spinning his right arm and blowing it away with his own power. The master air bender outmatched the master earth bender and soon General Fong’s attack was being turned against him, his rapid fire rocks shot back at him. Taking a beating, Fong toppled to the floor but didn’t linger on his back.

General Fong with a surprising level of agility, jumped from his back to his feet but caught a spinning kick from the Avatar as he came up. Aang, seizing the advantage, followed the first kick with another, a spinning kick that put the General back on the floor. Again attempting to finish Fong quickly, he brought down his heel in one final kick to the face but the General managed to roll away in time.

On his feet and throwing a kick of his own, Fong caught Aang at his side and made the much younger boy teeter but not fall. Keeping his balance, the Avatar was now on the defensive, using his hands and forearms to bat away and avert the coming strikes of the General.

Using a surprise headbutt, Aang was able to push Fong back, giving him enough space to once again hit the General with a hard shot of air bending right to the chest. Returning to his own bending, Fong raised himself up from the floor and catapulted himself at the Avatar but Aang was ready and caught the General in a bended tornado.

The battle that had resumed around them stopped to watch as the once mighty Earth Nation General was tossed about by the Avatar. Fong couldn’t feel the earth, his hands and feet were midair attached to limbs that were being dangled and flung about in the powerful wind tunnel. Aang held the tornado and felt the general’s body twist and turn inside his attack and didn’t stop until he was sure Fong was finished. When the massive column of violently bent air dissipated, an eerie calm came before their section of the wall. Fong rendered useless and unconscious fell from the sky and laid dazed and beaten on the floor, his soldiers too scared to come to his aid.

Below, still battling for control of the gates, Sokka could only glace upwards at the spectacle of Aang’s tornado. The Dai Li ignored the beating of the General and kept up their defense but they had realized they could not hold off the Southern Water tribe forever, Suki and Hakoda were beating their way towards the gates knocking out Dai Li before they could be replaced.

“Aang has defeated Fong!” yelled Sokka hoping it would help encourage his men and maybe make the Dai Li give up.

The Dai Li, unwilling to accept their own defeat, changed their approach, the remaining fighters used their bended fists to hold off the water warriors just long enough to break the chains that controlled the gate.

Sokka tried to warn his warriors, “Stop them!” but only Suki heard him, swinging her sword she batted away Dai Li fists and powered through the few in her way but she was too late. The chains had been broken and the gate was rendered useless.

Sokka fell to his knees, the Dai Li, now facing the water warrior’s full wrath, were done yet he had failed his mission. The opening of the gates would have allowed the army of Omashu to enter the city and bring the battle to a swift end but with the gate no longer able to be opened, meant their only way into the city was through its walls, walls that the soldiers of Ba Sing Se were not ready to give up.

“I got it Sokka.”

The young chief of the Southern Water Tribe turned and saw a badly beaten Toph struggling to stand behind him. Face bruised and armor in pieces, she retained her smirking expression and with an ease that defied the pain she appeared to be in, the once powerful grand marshal raised her hands to the gate.

“Is she with us?” asked Hakoda, the other warriors listening intently.

“She’s a friend,” answered Suki, remembering their adventure, which felt like a lifetime ago when she and the Kyoshi warriors were still lending their aid to the Earth Nation refugees.

“Are you really going to help us?” asked Sokka unsure if he should be stopping Toph or coming to her aid.

“I’m tired of this city,” and at the end of her words, Toph summoned all the remaining strength of her bending and with one pulling motion she ripped the two doors of the giant gates open.

The army of Omashu abandoned their bloody siege and charged into the city and above them still positioned on the wall, the army of Ba Sing Se soon began to surrender. Sokka and the Southern Water Tribe could only stay out of their way and avoid being trampled by the coming onslaught.

“Hey! It’s their Grand Marshal!”

“Get her!”

“Stop her!”

“Make her pay!”

Toph, despite her great deed, had been noticed and now faced several hundred soldiers of Omashu who had all gathered around her. Sokka and Suki rushed to her side but they too became surrounded and threatened.

“Water Tribe!”

“What are they doing here!”

“Whose side are they on!”

“They're defending the Marshal!”

The tempers of Omashu flared and they turned on Sokka and the Southern Water tribe just as they had done to Toph. Just as they were about to be attacked a great fissure opened up between them and the army of Omashu. The cobbled street of the city broke open and soon several feet separated Sokka and his warriors from the soldiers poised to attack. Rising from it was King Bumi, his whimsical expression replaced with a one that displayed a scolding harshness.

“Your mission is to take this city,” the King of Omashu reminded his men, “You will leave this bunch alone.”

“Yes King Bumi!” sounded off the army like one massive chorus before splitting and entering deeper into the city. The sounds of continued fighting, bending and the breaking of glass and building showed that the battle was still being fought and with a wink to Sokka, Bumi joined his men.

Bringing up the rear was Iroh, riding a ostrich horse he rode up to Toph, “Thank you for what you have done for this city and the Earth Nation.”

Toph almost fell and Sokka and Suki both had to reach forward to catch her, propped up she replied, “I told you I’m tired of this city.”

“I can understand how one could truly become exhausted with this place,” Iroh paused to let out a small chuckle then grew serious, “Now please do not take this the wrong way but perhaps it would be best if you left, King Bumi will not always be around to stop the foolish whims of his soldiers.”

“I second that,” added Sokka, already feeling the suspicious glares of the soldiers that continued to trickle into the city.

“The ships,” suggested Hakoda, with so many armies around the city, their predicament was volatile at best and beneath his cool composure it made the veteran water warrior anxious to leave.

“Now that I think would be best, at least until this mess is resolved,” Iroh glanced over the fighting that had taken to the city’s streets and trying to sound more upbeat he added, “We will send for you.”

Sokka wanted to protest, to ask what does that even mean and what it exactly had just happened, but he didn’t, the chief in him told him that this was not the place nor the time so he answered Iroh only with a nod then turned as best he could with Toph on one of his shoulders to the rest of the water warriors, “Alright Water Tribe, back to the ships!”

Suki felt a sense of relief, they had done their part and she did not want to see what would become of the city after such an attack. The ships and the open sea were safe so with a shift of Toph’s weight, she started back towards the small river from which they came. Sokka at her side, and Hakoda and the rest of the Southern Water Tribe following close.

The gate opened and with the army of Omashu taking the city block by block, Aang, still on the wall, made one last demand of Fong’s soldiers, “It’s over, your General and your city have lost, please lay down your arms and surrender.”

What was left of the army of Ba Sing Se on the great wall answered the Avatar with bending, attempting to bury him in the boulders they had intended to use for the city’s defense; they instead witnessed the power of the Avatar state.

Aang reminded himself that he had warned them and given them a chance to give up, but they didn’t so he had to stop them. With one large sweeping motion he knocked a whole division off the wall and with a follow up sweeping motion he caught them with his bending and let safely landed them on the city floor below. Another division tried to come at him from behind but he turned and did the same.

Now alone on the wall for the exception of the beaten General Fong, Aang took a moment to catch his breath. The forces of Omashu were rounding up the remaining defenders of Ba Sing Se who had just knocked off the wall. He caught sight of Sokka and the Southern Water Tribe leaving the city and was relieved to see that they were taking Toph with them. One less thing to worry about, he thought and feeling almost at ease his mind screamed Azula!

Activating the Avatar State, Aang shot up in the air and then down into the city. The palace was in ruins, shrouded in smoke, the once great building was going to burn to the foundations, but that didn’t worry him, or at least he tried not to let it. The plan was to meet in the city’s catacombs so he had to assume her success and hoped to find her waiting for him.

“Avatar!”

It was Bumi calling out to him from the streets below and reluctantly he landed next to his old friend.

Aang tried to hide his urgency, “Bumi! I’m so happy you are okay.”

“And we are glad that you are as well.”

Turning to face the wisdom laden voice of Iroh, Aang realized that this victory did not belong to Bumi or Omashu but to the White Lotus.

“Have you found Zuko?” Aang asked, hoping to hear that they did and that Azula was safe along with her brother.

“No,” answered Iroh, his voice tinged with his own worry.

Trying to remain calm despite the chaos of a defeated city around him, Aang replied, “I am sure he is okay, he has Katara and Azula wouldn’t fail.”

“I believe you are correct, we have only our most loyal soldiers looking for them,” Iroh sounded confident but Bumi felt the need to add, “We will find them and keep them safe, Zuko must take the throne and his sister…” the King of Omashu didn’t finish but let his words drop off into silence, he still wasn’t sure about the girl who had caused his own city so much trouble.

“Azula said she would take Zuko and Katara to the catacombs where they would be safe,” Aang started to hover as he spoke, “I’m going there now.”

Watching the Avatar leave them, Bumi yelled in vain, “Wait! Aang, you don’t know what forces might still be loyal to Fong, wait for us to help.”

Shaking his head, Iroh pulled the reins of his ostrich horse and said, “He is already gone, but we cannot fall too far behind.”

Together Iroh and Bumi followed the Aang towards the catacombs, but even at a full run they could not keep pace with the Avatar.

Deep beneath the embattled city, Katara and Zuko watched Azula for a few moments after she fell, they were unsure if the Fire princess was even still conscious, and a small part of Zuko was tempted to run and see if she was okay.

Coughing, Azula came too and raised herself off the ground, seeing this as a potential attack, Katara struck first and hit her with a direct shot of water sending Azula sliding across the floor and into a bed of crystals.

“Wait..” Zuko started to say but then he saw Azula open her palm and within it the glow of forming fire, he launched his own attack and forced her to roll away or else be burnt.

Azula tried several times to right herself, to stand up or at least get off her back but she couldn’t. The moment she arched herself upwards she was hit by an attack, either the pounding of Katara’s raging water or the heat of Zuko rapid fire.

Zuko didn’t know when or how to stop it, he couldn’t allow his sister to hurt them but if he didn’t stop this they’d kill her. Katara felt the same, she still considered Azula dangerous and impossible to trust but she felt herself going too far, so she broke off her attack.

“Azula, enough of this,” she pleaded.

Silently applauding his girlfriend’s compassion, Zuko joined in, “Azula she is right, whatever you were planning failed.”

On her belly with her head down, Azula had not yet given up, cradling her hands in the small space between her body and the dirt, she secretly gathered the strength of her bending. Looming over her, Zuko and Katara continued to plead with her, making calls to give up, but she ignored them.

Anger taking hold of her, the love that had willed her into attempting such a rescue blocked out with the hate she now felt at her own humiliation, Azula was already sorry. In her mind she imagined herself apologizing to her pitiful uncle, she failed him, thinking she could make the same choice as he and worse choose Zuzu of all people. Her attack almost ready, she thought of the chaos that she was going to bring to her nation, they might truly lose the war because of her, but that was beyond the princess now. Choices had been made and her brother made a poor one today, he’d pay and his beloved water peasant would bear witness to it all.

“I don’t think she could hear us,” said Katara, a long minute having passed since they ceased their attack.

“Just be careful,” Zuko was speaking as much to himself as he was to Katara.

The Avatar, the last apology she thought of, Azula felt the tears forming in her eyes. He might not forgive her and she was so looking forward to the life they might have had. This was all her fault, she surmised as soon as she felt her attack charged and ready, she was the real foolish one for thinking she could have more than what her father and her life prescribed for her. It didn’t matter now, she tried to tell herself, and under her breath she spoke as if her Avatar could hear her, “I told you I’d let you down.”

Rolling on her back and facing an astonished Zuko and Katara, Azula fired off one last massive lightning attack aimed at her brother.

“Zuko!”

“No!”

Azula expected to see Zuko explode, to become electrocuted dust, but her expectations were shattered by the streaking image of the coming Avatar. Shrouded in blue he flew between her lightning and her brother and to her horror she shot him down sending him smoking and hurling into the catacomb’s crystals.

“What?” said in a voice more confused then shocked, the princess couldn’t believe what she’d done. Laid out and lifeless on the ground was her Avatar, eyes closed and no longer glowing, his body sizzling from her attack.

Katara and Zuko ran to each other and shared a desperate embrace affirming they were still alive.

Ignoring them, Azula crawled as fast as her hands and knees could take her, and when she reached the Avatar she took his body in her arms and cradled him.

“Agni!” she screamed so loud her voice cracked in her anguish now realizing what she had done.

Tears drowned her face and unable to speak through the pain, she mumbled words that could not be understood, a garbled mess that only grew more incoherent as she struggled between looking down at the Avatar and up at the Spirits that allowed her to strike him down.

“Aang!” screamed Katara, she started towards her best friend but Zuko held her in place but she pushed him aside, “I can help!”

“Wait!” Zuko lunged forward and caught her, pulling her back just in time. Another lighting strike lit up the catacombs, its force nearly trapping them both in its power.

“What is she?” Katara started to ask but was stopped by yet another lighting strike.

Aang cradled in her lap, Azula kept one arm around him to hold him up towards her and with her other hand she shot lightning into him so many times no one in the catacombs could keep count. The attacks hurt her too, she felt her body shake and contort as her electricity passed through the Avatar and into her, but she didn’t care, she was going to shock the life back into him, wordlessly swearing that not even Agni could stop her.

“Zuko.”

The Fire Prince and Katara looked over at Iroh, coming towards them with a host of Omashu soldier at his side.

“Uncle, Azula, she…” Zuko couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Iroh, not ready to acknowledge the tragedy that lay ahead of him, asked, “Prince Zuko, are you okay?”

Now frantic himself, Zuko yelled, “Okay?! I’m fine, it’s the Avatar.”

“Aang,” Katara let slip upon hearing Zuko mention her best friend. She had not looked away and tried her best to search for any signs of hope.

“You must go, the city is still not safe yet, we cannot risk losing you after we having already lost so much.”

“Me! No not me,” said Zuko, motioning to the Avatar, “Help him, he’s the Avatar.”

Tipping his head mournfully, Iroh replied, “The Avatar has sacrificed much as did your sister, do not let their sacrifice be in vain, now go Prince Zuko.”

“Not without Azula,” Zuko tried to walk over towards his sister but was knocked back by her lightning; she had not given up trying to revive the Avatar.

“Zuko! Go! I will get Azula,” Iroh’s tone became serious and forced his nephew to heed his words.

Zuko took Katara by the hand and started to lead her out of the catacombs, the stairs lined with Omashu soldiers, but she resisted.

“Wait, but Aang?”

“He’s gone,” Zuko said grimly.

“No, he can’t,” Katara began to shake her head, her eyes a tearful mess.

“He’s gone, Katara.”

She wanted to resist, but she had learned from the loss of her mother that there was no point. When the war takes someone, it doesn’t give them back, so gritting her teeth, Katara nodded and took Zuko’s hand, together leaving the catacombs behind.

Ignoring them all, Azula kept firing lightning into the Avatar until she saw his eyes start to flicker open. In all of an instant, her excitement triumphed over her grief, she had done it, she brought the Avatar back. Before she could turn and shout her success to her Uncle, she noticed his lips slowly moving.

Unable to hear him, Azula raised his body and his head that she had been cradling to her ear and barely able to form words Aang said to her, “You didn’t let me down.” And then his voice faded into nothing and his eyes rolled back before closing completely.

“Avatar!” She screamed but he did not waken, “Aang!” she screamed again, but he still did not awake.

“Azula…”

Furiously she turned her attention to her Uncle who had carefully made his way to her.

“Leave me alone Uncle!” she screamed and returned to the Avatar’s body, trying desperately to coax him back to life.

Azula felt a hand on her shoulder and with the strength of her bending she heated herself until she was scalding hot, yet that did not deter her Uncle.

“Azula, it is time to go,” Iroh tried to sound as comforting as he could but he knew his words would matter little to his niece.

“No!” She refused to get up.

Placing both hands on each shoulder, Iroh pulled her back and started to lift her up but his niece would not let him, pulling herself from his grasp. Reluctantly, Iroh used his own bending to charge his hands, only a master could exhibit the amount of control that he did, and using it, he once again put his hands to her shoulders this time bending enough lightning into her to shock her limp.

Releasing the Avatar and falling backwards into her Uncle’s arms, Azula felt herself be dragged away from her love and with her own consciousness rapidly fading, she did not bother to curse her Uncle or even fight him.

Azula stared at the Avatar’s body and when her strength was about to leave her for good she whispered his name, “Aang,” before her eyes closed and she faded into blackness. The dark abyss of her mind filling itself with images of their love, the city, the tea shop, the temple, their last moments together on Appa’s back. And then there was nothing.

Chapter Text

The ceilings were high and staring up at them, Azula could scarcely see it above her head. Darkened in a shadow of its own, the long windows that adorned the wall across from her bed had only been cracked open letting in a slither of the orange of a setting Fire Nation sun. She’d been home for months and she’d hardly left the room.

Her room had been the quarters of several Firing Nation princes, it was supposed to be Zuzu’s but she’d taken it by force on her twelfth birthday. He claims that he had not cared for the overly large room and had let her win because of it, but she doubted it by the ease of her headlock and the quickness of his tap out. It used to make her happy.

Rolling in her bed, bigger in size than the entirety of the tent she shared with the Avatar, it felt unbearably empty. Her first night there as a girl, she remembered jumping on it like a child, relishing in the thought that this was the room of Sozin and Azulon, she always neglected to mention Iroh, it was now hers. It was powerful like she was and will be.

Studying the carved figures and phrases that carpeted the walls and even the ceiling, she learned stories of past valor, old family words, and she used to take so much pride. But that pride had been eroded by the Avatar and coming to terms with the selfishness and greed of her father. Living with the Fire Lord for the first time in more than a year reminded her of that in their every exchange. Another reason to not leave the room.

Zuzu was almost as bad, a mixture of idiotic courage, shameful guilt, all of it coming out as nervous confusion, he was a mess that was trying. But he didn’t know what to try with her, apologizing for what happened, pretending like nothing had happened, he was clearly being counseled by his water peasant.

Azula kicked out with her foot and knocked one of her many comforters off the bed. Katara, princess of the Water Nation, was an even larger reason not to leave her room.The water peasant had been given a grand title and presented to her father as the ideal political match for Zuko. Her father, an idiot in his own right, actually believed them, that this water peasant was the blood heir to the whole of the Water Nation, North and South, it was ridiculous. She was sure her father saw the possibilities, conquer the Northern and Southern Water Nations in Katara’s name, and she slyly wondered if Iroh and the White Lotus saw them as well.

Accepting their ruse, Ozai has incorporated it into the show, a carnival of fictions that he has paraded across the Fire Nation. Zuko killed the Avatar, she had gone insane, there was a knock at the door, interrupting her thoughts and causing the princess to tilt her head to face it.

“Azula…”

It was the water peasant, she had become her brother’s messenger, a shrew diplomat but annoying to no end.

“What is it, princess,” Azula made sure to put venom into Katara’s new title.

“Ozai wants you at dinner,” in private the water peasant had the gall to refer to her father by his first name, a small act of rebellion.

“My father wants to see me choke and die, good night water peasant,” Azula snapped and hoped that would be the end of it.

“I won’t let him poison you.”

“I don’t need your protection, water peasant!”

“Stop calling me water peasant.”

“Then leave me alone.”

“I’m sorry but I can’t.”

Sneering from behind the door, Azula surmised, “Is that why you’re here and not Zuzu, I’m going to have to be forced to Ozai’s table tonight, and my big soft brother doesn’t want to do it himself.”

“Don’t make me, I know this time has been difficult for you, it definitely has been for me, but if we just hang on, we’ll be ready and will stop Ozai, together,” Katara paused and hoped to hear Azula respond to her encouragement.

“You don’t need me until it’s time for someone to kill my father, and for that I will leave my chambers, but as for this dinner, you’re just going to have to come in here and make me.”

The grand and centuries old door creaked as Katara placed a hand to it and rested part of her weight, making a sound that drew Azula’s attention. Exhaling, she said, “Aang wouldn’t want you to waste away in bed missing him, not when you could help.”

“Don’t you dare mention his name,” yelled Azula.

“He was my best friend. I don't need your permission to talk about him.”

“But you don’t need your teeth.”

Katara stepped away from the door as she heard the sound of two feet hitting the floor from what she assumed was the bed followed by an aggressive succession of steps towards her. And with great force one half of the bedroom doors was opened revealing the Fire Princess.

Hair a mess, barefoot, and in a long red robe, Azula huffed and puffed ready to make good on her words.

“Good you’re up.” said Katara, cheerfully.

“You’re lucky I don’t kill you,” Azula responded bitterly, the water peasant was protected by her friendship with the Avatar and although thoughts of murdering her soon to be sister in law were fun, Azula did not do more than entertain them. That was something that she did believe Aang would not have wanted.

Katara took an exaggerated whiff of the Fire Princess, “So it really has been a while since you’ve come out of there, let’s see if we can get you a bath before dinner,” pausing, she stared directly at Azula’s neck, “And I’d hide that.”

Suddenly aware of Aang’s betrothal necklace, Azula placed a hand to it, she’d never taken it off, and hid it quickly. Feeling herself urged down the hall by Katara, she muttered again, “You’re so lucky.”

It had been a while, Azula agreed in irritation, rubbing her eyes that stung from being unused to the light of the Palace. The perpetual night she kept her room in had made everything outside much too bright and she wished she had fought Katara back in her room or not left the waters of her bath. Hair brushed and arranged in her traditional bangs, she was denied any shield from the outside world, which had become so much crueler as of late. Branded the Avatar’s mad whore by her own father made her fodder for all manner of humiliation, and now being led through the palace she felt so exposed.

“Traitor!” an outburst from some middling dignitary as they passed through one of the palace’s four governmental halls signaled that their short trip to Ozai’s royal table would not be unscathed, something she was sure her father counted on when demanding her presence.

The outburst was followed by the throwing of a rotten cabbage that was meant to soil her when she was so clearly looking her best. It was a bold gesture that was ruined by Azula’s burning of the cabbage, shooting it down midair with blue fire spit from the side of her mouth.

“Guards! Seize that man!” shouted Katara, something that Azula could hear in her voice that she was growing more and more accustomed to.

When they reached Ozai’s table it was after walking through an endless procession of doors large and small, meant to dazzle and amaze foreign leaders, a visit to the Fire Lord’s table was meant to inspire awe and fear.

Arriving, Azula noticed that the table was nearly empty with all but three of its one hundred and twenty five seats bare. The table, black and etched with golden designs, ancient blessings for the Fire Nation and Agni, extended outwards, elongated with the few seated clustered at the far end. It was a family reunion, her father at the head of the table, her brother and her uncle at each side with her and the water peasants presence expected to be at their side. If she wasn’t banished to some other table all together, the princess was still officially in disgrace.

Joining him at his table, Ozai greeted his daughter with an indictment, “You disgrace our nation and our house.”

“Already,” quipped Azula, taking her life in her hands considering her father’s temper.

“You’ve shown the Water Nation that the Fire Nation is a tardy nation, worse, you’ve dragged down the royal family with your…”

Katara interrupted the Fire Lord, something as a foreign guest, she barely got away with, “I apologize, father, it is my fault, I know that princess Azula has not been allowed a seat at your table in many months, I wanted to ensure that she look her very best and that is why she is tardy.”

The Fire Lord sneered, “And that’s why your nation will fall, your caring thought is admirable but a weakness, very well, let us eat.”

The dinner was slow and awkward, no one at the table except for Zuzu and his water peasant liked each other, not considering her uncle who liked everyone to some degree. She imagined he even pitied her father in some way. They were brothers after all, although her father’s conniving and betrayal must be a challenge. Azula should be nicer to Zuzu, he was attempting to be the great peace making leader the White Lotus and Katara expected him to be, but his hand in the loss of her love was hard to ignore and tainted their every encounter since.

“So Zuzu, how is the war room, father’s finally let you in again, I hope you’re watching your tongue.”

Her uncle came to her brother’s defense, “I have been honored sit in with prince Zuko during his meetings and I must say, the war council has truly benefited from from his experiences in the battle of Ba Sing Se, no doubt, we are blessed to have the conqueror of Ba Sing Se at our side.”

“Perhaps I should give him an army and send him into the field?” questioned Ozai.

The question stunned the table, all but Azula finding their own ways to hide it. The Fire princess found it all amusing how easily their planned Zuzu led coup could be foiled by an order from her father.

“But then I’d deprive those fools on my council the knowledge of someone who’s actually won a great victory, isn’t that right, son?”

“Yes father!” barked Zuko showing his obedience, “Sitting in their high posts they have never learned from a real fight and Ba Sing Se was a real fight,” she watched her brother pause initially for dramatic effect but truly for the pain of his battles in the sewers, it burdened him to endlessly recall and recount a memory that still disturbed him.

To his relief, his wife, to be, rescued him this time, “Prince Zuko held out alone in a city that wanted him dead and in the end took the city and killed the Avatar as he did it, is there no greater victory, father?”

“That remains to be seen,” answered Ozai, raising his glass of wine and taking a drink.

“We have received word today that the forces of the Southern Water Tribe may have entirely defeated,” Zuko reported, trying to maintain the odd feeling of pleasing his father and further securing in place for the coming coup, he continued, “This comes as good news as we recently confirmed that the former Grand Marshal of Ba Sing Se, Toph Beifong has been captured and defeated.”

Fork now in hand, Ozai took a bite of a still bloody square chunk of meat, chewing as he spoke, he said, “Then it appears that your man has done his part.”

“He only wishes to please you, father,” responded Zuko.

Ozai laughed, “He wants to please himself.”

Azula had grown far past frustrated, pushing her plate aside, she interrupted her father and brother with the sound of it skidding across the table, “Excuse me, why am I here?”

“Before you disgraced yourself with the Avatar, you used to be a woman of the Fire Nation, yet the madness you’ve been left with has made you rude and insulting, now if you’d been patient you’d know that your brother and I were just getting to why I have to suffer your presence at my table.”

Zuko couldn’t let her father be the one to tell her, he’d somehow find a way to make it sound worse, “Your father has made a deal with a warrior from the Fire Nation Army, he has completed an impossible task defeating the remnants of the forces of Ba Sing Se and the Southern Water Tribe, and since he did it, you have to marry him.”

“What!?”

“Don’t act ungrateful, I considered your life forfeit when you returned here from your shame in Ba Sing Se, now your life can now have a purpose again, as the prize for one of our best.”

Kicking herself away from the table, Azula stood up, “I will not!”

“You will serve as an alliance that may help us should the nobility decide to scheme against us and your children will continue our line, I’ve already decided they won’t be born with the stain of your disgrace, consider it a wedding gift.”

The Fire princess made lightning from nothing, summoning the strength from her chakra alone, she shot a bolt right into her still sitting father.

Ozai fell backwards in his chair and the whole of the table stood shocked and excited, all silently daring one another to peer out and see what’s become of the Fire Lord. To their disappointment, he was smoking and sizzling but his arm had been raised, his own immense power shielding him enough to survive without struggle.

Rising to his feet, he watched his daughter, still angry and determined, raise her hand to him, lightning being generated and aimed in his direction.

Zuko considered intervening but hesitated as the candle lit room lit up, his sister firing off another bolt of lighting but his father, now ready, batting it away and into the wall, its impact making a crack that ran through the palace top to the bottom.

“You really do have a fiery spirit, daughter, but that’s what makes you such a pitiful waste!”

Azula panicked, her father fired off a bolt of his own lightning, violently coming her way, she raised both arms and just barely was able to keep it from killing her. Floored by it, she laid smoking and desperately tried to catch her breath.

“It’s time to remove the stain of your disgrace from our line,” Ozai followed his words with his hands igniting into flames that engulfed his fists.

Readying herself for the flames, Azula whispered to herself, “In the spirit world, my Avatar.”

“No!” stood up Zuko, speaking out before he had figured an excusable reason why.

“You dare interrupt me again,” his father’s anger turned from his sister to him.

“The prince is right,” Iroh had silently risen from the table and was making his way towards his niece. Placing himself between her and his brother, he finished, “If princess Azula dies or is harmed in anyway, it will disgrace the reputation of the royal family, a deal has been struck for her hand and it must be completed, if we fail then we will lose standing, am I not correct, brother?”

Both Azula from the floor and Zuko from his seat were shocked at the forcefulness of their uncle, a provocation towards their father that neither had seen before.

The fire left Ozai’s hands, “I imagine this dragon who defeats so many of our enemies is a brute, a monstrous brute that you, my small and frail daughter, will have to endure, and that is a torture that you come to dread far more that my flames, but you will see, he arrives tomorrow.”

When her future father in law went back to the table, sat in his seat and reached for his wine, Katara risked it, she moved as fast as she could to the still sizzling princess. Kneeling at her side, she summoned her water and did what she could.

Zuko waited for Ozai to start chewing another piece of meat before he got up and went to his sister’s aid, bringing a much simpler solution. He grabbed a bottle of wine from the table and brought it over, shoving it into her hands as he helped her to her feet.

“Go back to your room, Katara and I will get you tomorrow when it’s time,” Zuko said quickly into his sister’s ear as he walked her to the royal dining room door, stopping at it and sending her through.

Leaning against the wall, the princess made her way back through the palace to room, no one had even attempted to help her instead looking on and making their own judgements about her. She would attack them, leaving them looking worse than she, but Azula might fall attempting to do that and if she fell she might not be able to get back up, a humiliation that was far from bearable.

When Azula made it, she fell into her room, opening the door just enough to slip inside, she kicked it closed behind her and wailed. At first it was tears, in the privacy of her darkened place, she didn’t care to worry who may be watching. Curling up, holding her knees and pressing her forehead to them, she mourned as she had when she had first been brought there from the catacombs. Still bloody, no one had dared to touch her so she cried through her wounds.

Crying again, she scolded herself with the real reason she never left her room, she missed the Avatar, she missed Aang and nothing made it better and most everything made it worse. And tonight when she had stepped out, it got so much worse.

Prying open the bottle she took a swig and then another, and the fire princess did not stop until she was lost in a stupor. Her tears had not stopped but that slowed, and her pain had not gone but had dulled a little. She wanted Aang back, but he wasn’t coming, and from then until morning there was no escape for her.

When she awoke, it was by another knock at the door. It was time.

Katara led the squad of servants and attendants sent to help get her ready, the wedding would not be for months but the first meeting of the betrothed was a formalized ritual that the princess had to be prepared for.

Azula hoped to ride out her dressing and styling as a rag doll, lost in the lasting effects of the bottle her brother had given her, but the water peasant denied her that. Intrusively eager as a healer, she had prepared a concoction for her to drink, one that unfortunately took away any feeling of the wine or the night before. The Fire princess wanted to kill her again, as she would now have to suffer this new torture feeling completely refreshed.

Led into the second great hall with a procession as long as the palace itself, no one dared slander her name, not when the Fire Lord was present as such an act would be considered a slander against him. Most of her onlookers begrudgingly kept their contempt to their stares.

Reaching the hall, she followed Katara up to the royal table that overlooked the entire hall, again the princess noticed the familiarity with which her future sister in law led them to their seats. The Fire Lord was already present and seated at the center with her on his left and her brother on his right.

Leaving Azula at her seat, Katara stepped back to her own next to Zuko. Tossing a glance to the doors that led to the hall across from where they were seated, she felt anxious until he took her by the hand and helped her to him and her seat.

Azula made up her mind to kill this warrior of the Fire Nation, or die in the attempt, she would not marry another. It was simple and satisfying, so with an eagerness that surprised her father and brother, she looked out towards the doors to see whose murder she’d be plotting.

From just in front of the doors stepped Iroh, out in the center of the hall, his presence signaling for the minor lords and officials to clear the space in front of the Fire Lord. When he had their attention, Iroh announced, “From the East of Earth Nation and the Eastern Sea, I bring you the captured leaders of the Southern Water Nation navy, chief Sokka and his general Suki of the Kyoshi Warriors, and, with much pride in the power of our great nation, I bring you the former grand marshal of Ba Sing Se, Toph Beifong!”

At Iroh’s words, the doors parted and through came Sokka, Suki, and Toph, all in chains. They were led by Fire Nation soldiers lining them on each side and for the length of the hall they showed their capture off to Fire Nation nobility and elite. When they were placed, standing and dismissed to the side, Iroh returned to speaking, “These enemies of the Fire Nation were captured and brought to you, by a young warrior of the Fire Nation 2nd Army, a fire bender, he has a reputation for acrobatics combined with pure bending strength. It is through his prowess that he has defeated these enemies of our nation and have earned a place in our royal family by right of marriage to our lovely princess Azula,” Iroh paused and shifted attention over to his niece.

Azula wanted to set the whole palace on fire, riding out this storm with bad intentions was only bearable in isolation, and now her humiliation was being put on stunning display. Just then, taking the tortuous attention from her, the doors shifted again and began to open.

Iroh quickened his announcement, “Now at your service, I present to you, Kuzon!”

When he came through the doors and bowed before her, she nearly fainted, her heart had stopped and started, and raced at every speed in between. Raising his head from kneeling, she saw through the charade, and she fought every instinct that demanded that she leap from her place at the royal table and take him there before the whole of her nation.

Kuzon was supposed to be a young Fire Nation officer, but she could see through his stolen uniform and newly grown hair. Azula imagined a bald head beneath that hair and tattoos secreted beneath his headband. Then they locked eyes the same as they did in the streets of Ba Sing Se. He had returned to her.

“Princess Azula,” her uncle called out to her.

“Do you take this young warrior as your husband?”

The fire princess clutched the necklace her Avatar had made for her and smiled down at him, “I do.”