This was unreal... This was nothing new...
She couldn't possibly be seeing this... She had seen it before...
He couldn't really be saying this... She had heard it already...
She had no idea what to do... She knew exactly what she would do and how it would end...
These were the thoughts making a battlefield of Asami's mind as she stood before her father. Standing in his secret underground lair as he invited her to betray her friends and the man she loved, join the Equalists, and help them terrorize the world was the last situation she ever expected to find herself in – so why did it feel so familiar?
"They've ruined the world! But with Amon, we can fix it, and build a perfect world together!"
How could he be blind enough to embrace such evil? How could he misjudge her so thoroughly as to think she would ever follow? When had this happened before? She could feel the pieces slowly falling into place in her memory...
"We can help people like us everywhere! Join me, Asami!"
"Join us! Join the New Ozai Society!"
She remembered. The words started to appear in her mind as clearly as if she had the page before her eyes... the story she had read and re-read until she had every moment of the confrontation memorized... in poetry, in music, in history... acted before her on the stage... It was one of her favorites, she had always admired her...
"I heard that traitorous usurper had you tossed out of his palace like a piece of garbage."
Is this how it felt, Mai? Asami thought. When you heard your father say such horrible, untrue things about the man you loved?
"Ever since he stole the throne, life hasn't been easy for any of us."
Did you feel helpless when you realized you couldn't reason with someone whose conception of reality did not permit reason?
"We'll return the Fire Nation to greatness by returning Fire Lord Ozai to his throne!"
Were you this shocked when you found out your own family had joined the enemy? No, you weren't naïve and easily fooled like me; you must have expected it. You never hesitated for a second that night to fight for what was right – blood wasn't thicker than truth to you.
"You can give us the edge we need to take him down! Join us!"
"Join me, Asami!"
Did you doubt whether you would have the strength to do what was right? Did you fear you would fail, that you wouldn't be able to save either yourself or your brother? No, you were always sure of yourself, especially then – there was no conflict, no moral dilemma, just the task of sizing up the odds, assessing the biggest threats, and planning around them...
Asami stepped towards her father without seeing him – all she could see was a different girl telling her little brother to hang on tight to her. She didn't see herself taking the gauntlet and arming herself – she saw another young woman unsheathing a handful of arrows. She didn't see herself reach forward and stun her father or the Lieutenant attack her – she saw a warrior single-handedly fight her way through a room full of opponents without a scratch and calmly stroll out without looking back...
Is this how it felt, Mai? she wondered again when it was over. Is this how it feels to transform from a careless man's careful daughter into a rebel? How were you strong enough to fight with no doubts and no regrets?
She felt Mako pull her into her arms and saw Mai and Fire Lord Zuko embrace during their reunion after she saved him at the Boiling Rock.
What regrets?
