He was sitting in the waiting room of a mental institution for nearly half an hour now. This man was the only one in the room, with jet black hair, pale skin, and bright gold eyes common to people native to the Fire Nation. He was the only one in the room, and the seat was becoming quite uncomfortable extremely quickly. He leaned back in his chair, and began to reminisce about his past. Nearly seven years ago to the very day.

A young boy sat on the grass, not too far away from the Royal Palace within the Fire Nation Capital, depressed, angered, and saddened. He had just learned that his father was killed in an Earth Kingdom ambush. Consequently, he now had to step up and join the Fire Nation Navy, essentially taking his place, and he had to rather soon, that next week to be precise. He didn't want to go, but he couldn't turn it down either. After all, it was an excuse to practice his firebending. A young, well-dressed girl about the same age as him skipped up, also with jet black hair that formed two long bangs down the sides of her face, pale skin, and piercing amber eyes. She noticed him crying and sat next to him.

"Hey," she started, "you okay?" The boy jumped, and struck a wide-eyed look, recognizing the girl

"O-Oh…! P-Princess Azula…!" he exclaimed and immediately got into a knelt position, giving respect to the Princess of the Fire Nation.

"Please…" Azula scoffed, "I didn't come here to be bowed to, I just wanted to know if you were doing okay. I noticed you were crying just a minute ago." The boy didn't know what to say, and sighed as he sat back down.

"It…" he sobbed, "It's my dad…he died in an Earth Kingdom ambush, and now I have to be shipped off to the Navy whether I like it or not…"

"Oh…" Azula breathed, a small amount of genuine concern slipped from her lips. She knew that she was supposed to be above the common people, but she had not been so corrupted at this stage of her young life. "Well if the defense of our country calls for it…" she added, stroking her upset pride.

"Yeah I know…" the boy sighed, "I probably would have joined anyway…but not like this…" Azula wanted to feel sorry for him, but her father's teachings got the better of her and refused such feelings, but she decided to be rebellious, as she usually was.

"What about your mom?" she wondered. He curled up a bit.

"She's already gone… Sickness…" he replied sadly. Azula looked down, not being able to comprehend what he was going through, but now understood his current situation with the Navy. He had nowhere to go.

"What's your name?" she asked innocently. She thought that if she talked to someone, she might as well learn their name before parting, as they may become useful later.

"Z-Zikon," the boy sheepishly replied. He had no idea that Azula would actually ask for his name. The Royal Family was supposed to be not connected at all with the common people, but technically, his mother was a noble woman married to a Fire Nation Captain, but Azula was unaware of Zikon's parents' status.

"Well…I gotta go, Zikon…nice meeting you!" Azula said lightheartedly, and got up to skip back to the Palace, but left behind a Royal hair ornament. He picked it up and tried to call out to her. She turned around and he held up the ornament. She slapped down on the air, as a gesture that he can keep it and pointed to the one she was wearing, signifying that she already had hers. Zikon looked at the ornament and pressed it to his chest. He would not forget her.

And he didn't.

Zikon, was a Fire Nation captain himself before the end of the war. After losing the war, Zikon decided to take an early retirement, one of the reasons being that he actually supported the new Fire Lord. Fire Lord Zuko was not liked by all, as there were many that still supported Ozai. This social schism was one of the contributing factors that made him decide upon his retirement. The Fire Lord had generously granted him his nobility status due to his late mother, knowing what it's like to suddenly lose a mother.

Zikon was at the mental institution purely by requesting Fire Lord Zuko's permission to see Azula, having met her a while ago, he felt that he could save her from her lunacy. The Fire Lord simply accepted as trying another method to save his sister. The door flew open and a nurse appeared in the doorway.

"The patient is ready to see you now, sir." She said. Zikon got up immediately and walked briskly into the office, and was led to Azula's room. "Please be careful, sir. She's quite unpredictable…"

"We'll see." Zikon said calmer that he actually felt. It has been a long time since he last saw her, he wondered how much she had changed, and if she would remember him. He sighed. Guess we'll find out, won't we? He thought to himself, and entered the room. Instantly, his jaw practically dropped to the floor. Nobody was kidding when they would call her a "lunatic". Azula was lying down in her bed in a straightjacket with heavy binds, her hair down and furled in different ways. Her eyes, formerly piercing amber, were now a dark, muggy beige. Her obvious lipstick made the look more overt, the wicked smiles and grimaces she constantly put on. He felt convinced that he was not looking at the same girl that he did seven years ago, but then again, people could change in seven years, and insanity did just that on top of it. She saw him and started with a jump, startled that someone other than Zuko or the nurses was in her room.

"Wh-Who are you…?" she asked, in fear that it was one of her nightmares again. Zikon frowned.

"Don't you remember me…?" he asked, concerned, "I'm Zikon…" Her eyes shot open wide at the name, as if a long-forgotten memory had resurfaced.

"Z…Z…Zikon…" she murmured, as if to re-register the name into her shattered mind. All she could remember that small boy. "So…you remember me…I…I thought…everyone forgot about me after Zuzu's coronation…" She started to cry, and Zikon started to walk toward her, concerned. He quickly made the connection that 'Zuzu' was supposed to be 'Zuko', he assumed that it was just a nickname or pet name.

"A-Azula…" he quivered, "D-Don't cry…um…" He was suddenly unsure as to what he should do. He suddenly got an idea, remembering his parents, his mother in particular, and what she did for him in these types of situations. He wrapped his arms around Azula's shoulders and held her so she could cry into his shoulder. "It'll be okay…" he said, trying to calm her down. She was so shocked and surprised by the gesture, she stopped sobbing.

"Wh-Wh-What are you…?" she started, not being able to form all of her words.

"What…?" Zikon said, confused, "Didn't your mom do this for you…?" Her answer shocked him equivalently so.

"N-No…" she whimpered. He was taken aback, and didn't want to believe what he was hearing.

"Don't your parents love you?" he stammered.

"My mom said she did…but never showed it…she favored Zuzu… My dad just…never…" she sobbed, "He just wanted me to serve him…and I did… I had friends…but they betrayed me…I thought I put enough fear into them…" He could not bring himself to accept what he was hearing. It was no wonder the Avatar's group talked of her being evil. How could anyone be good, if nobody shows them how? How can anyone be a kind person, if there isn't a kind example? How can anyone know what love is, if fear is all they know?

"Azula…" Zikon started, still in disbelief, "I'm…so sorry to hear that…" His eyes were also starting to water, his heart breaking for her. "I-Is there anything…I can do, now…?" She looked straight into his eyes, tears streaming down her face.

She croaked, "Be here for me…please…"