The Weak Link by: Teefarino
Fandom: Avatar, the Last Airbender
Characters involved: Azula, Zuko, and a little bit of Iroh.
Disclaimer: I do not own this fine specimen of cartoon. Alas.
Oh, what a memory it had been. How could she ever forget the terror, the rage, and the fire? Oh yes, the fire. That was the best part, looking on and watching every little fiber of his pristine flesh blacken and burn up, watching him scream like a little baby as he fell over and clutched his face, blood and swelling and possibly bone visible beneath his grasping hands—he wouldn't directly touch the spot after such a trauma… and oh, what a trauma it was.
And now he was leaving. What a horrible thing it was, gossiped the servants in the palace; didn't the Fire Lord care? No, it seemed not. Not for the weak links, at least. It was a royal line, after all. There couldn't be fragile pieces or else the whole thing would collapse—that's why Uncle Iroh was going, that's why Mother had to go, and that was why Cousin Lu Ten hadn't made it out of battle; if he had been stronger, he certainly would have survived. And now, Zuko. Weak, impulsive little Zuko, older than she, but not nearly as skilled, and the only weak link left.
It was a shame that he had to go, though, Azula pondered, stretched out on her bed with her arms bent, pillowing her head. After Zuko was gone, it would only be her and the Fire Lord, neither of whom was anywhere close to even remotely being considered weak. They would conquer the rest of the nations easily with their combined prowess. And if the rest of the so-called family was weak and would bring this empire down, then who needed them?
Azula didn't, and that was why she knew she was glad that Zuko was going. No more having to deal with his annoying temper or his whining or the way he just generally took up space. She could even get to keep his room too; it would be nice to have all that extra space. There would be no one else to listen to her schemes and sound outraged or horrified—Mai and Ty Lee were just peons that let her speak however she wanted; they just praised her or let her have her way (as they should have done), but Zuko always fought back. He was much more entertaining than Mai or Ty Lee could ever hope to be. Stupid Zuko. And who knew when she would see him again? If she ever saw him again.
What an interesting final memory of him it would be though, watching his flesh burn, watching him scream and cry the one time that it probably hurt the most. And she had had a front row seat to the show. What a delightfully morbid memory for her to keep. Perhaps she should see him again, before he left. If nothing else, she could look at his wound. It was probably just one big, disgusting blister. It wasn't like she wanted to talk to him or anything. What did she care if he rode away forever on some battleship? He was a weak link after all, a very weak link, and weak links had to be cut from the line. She didn't care at all, not one tiny bit!
Azula rose, hearing the scratching sounds of people moving things out of Zuko's room. Taking all of his stuff. He really was leaving. Forever. Well, probably. The Avatar was gone for nearly one hundred years. It was a completely futile mission. He would never be back here again. Never ever, and she didn't care, since he was only a weak little boy who would hold the royal family back. That was all he was.
She took a deep breath and opened her door authoritatively. For all intents and purposes, she was now the only royal child of the Fire Nation. That was exciting, at the very least.
His wing in the palace was already deserted. He had taken all the servants with him from that side, some cooks, some soldiers. The ship must have been completely loaded up by now with Uncle Iroh and weak Zuko on board. They were already gone. Azula laid her hand against his bedroom door, the door that contained nothing on the other side, a door that she had burst into on many an occasion just to bother or torment him. But her tormenting days were over now. Was he really gone? Well, it didn't matter; she could just torment Mai and Ty Lee a little more. Even if they wouldn't retaliate and shout and rage like he did. It didn't matter. Zuko didn't matter. He never really did, actually. She didn't care. Why would she care?
She swallowed forcefully, her eyes closing for just one little moment. Just to gather her thoughts. She was the only one left in their family now. But that was fine. In fact, that was wonderful. She was the strongest. She was victorious, even. Even the wood of the door where her hand rested felt right.
And then, Zuko's door opened, and Azula drew her hand back, slightly confused. And dear lord, there he stood.
Her big brother, hardly much taller than her at that point, looking feeble and wounded and tired, and wow, he was a complete and total mess. It really was a shame. This really was just more proof that the Fire Nation needed to be rid of him. He was pathetic. His hair was disheveled and sweaty, and it looked as though he had shaved the area around his ponytail, trying to make it less conspicuous or for easier wound cleaning purposes, she didn't know- but she did know that he looked totally wrecked. Not to mention the fact that his normally pale ghost skin was all blotchy and red and swollen… and his burn… it looked frightening. The different layers of his skin were visible, some bloody, some not, and his left eye was swollen shut.
"Azula?" Zuko seemed very surprised, even stepping back a little. She could hardly look away from his new, uncovered injury, and was aware of a strange relief in herself that she didn't completely understand. She had just wanted to see his burn, was all. That was what the relief was, that she could see his hurt, and boy, could she really see it. He frowned at her, looking moderately uncomfortable, realizing that she was staring rather pointedly at it, and he demanded, "What do you want, Azula?"
"Oh, Zu-zu," Azula crooned, giving a dramatic sigh. "And you used to be so pretty."
"Get out of here!" Zuko shouted at her, his whole head blushing, his hands balling into angry, hurt fists. His knuckles were white, like he was about to slam the door in rage, and she heard another voice from within the room ask: "Who is there, Zuko?"
"Just Azula," he muttered in response, dropping his hand from the door and backing off. He picked up a small bag leaning against the wall of his room and rustled through it to distract himself, not looking at Azula, and not looking at his uncle, who stood inside his bedroom, helping gather the last bits of Zuko's things in a separate knapsack.
Azula stood in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest, just watching them. The two weak links in the royal Fire Nation family. How had they even been born in this family of greatness? They deserved to be banished together.
"Azula," Iroh said, and the nerve of him for smiling at her, for being so friendly to her. He was banished, for goodness sake! What kind of person was banished and then was so happy to see the daughter of he who had banished him? Imbecile. "It is good to see you again. We were just getting ready to leave."
Like they were going on a day trip. Ha! What a moron. Didn't he understand?
"Yes, I can tell," she said flatly, looking over at Zuko, looking so fragile, sitting on his bed, stripped of its sheets, no longer in motion. He was looking at the wall, sullen and grumpy. At least Zuko acted the way he was supposed to.
"I assume you would like to have a word with your brother, before he goes," said Iroh, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I'll go give this to the servants and then I shall return for Prince Zuko." Iroh smiled at them infuriatingly, like some old man leaving of his own accord, and not because he was being forced to. He was downright frustrating; thank goodness she would be done with him and his stupid peaceful, tea-drinking ways soon.
The door closed gently behind him, and Azula looked at her brother on the bed, and he immediately stood, as if he did not want to be at a disadvantage. As if there would be another fight! Ha. She smirked at him. What could she possibly have to say to Zuko anyway? Goodbye? It wasn't as though she would miss him, or could compliment him on his Agni Kai style. The only thing she could really do was stare at the fresh mark on his face, this unfamiliar wound on his once familiar face.
"What are you looking at?" Zuko snapped at her..
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Azula, though she could not have sounded less sorry. "I was just looking into the face of defeat."
"We'll see who's defeated when I catch the Avatar," he said hotly, his hands seeming permanently clenched into fists.
"Of course," she rolled her eyes at him, and he looked away from her, busying himself by slinging the bag over one shoulder, the only thing left to bring on his lifelong trip. Forever.
"What are you really here for?" he mumbled.
Azula shrugged. "I suppose I just came to say goodbye to you. You don't need to be so rude."
"I know that you're only here to taunt me about my banishment," Zuko snapped, and he folded his arms across his chest. "So, why don't you just go ahead and get it out of your system before I leave and find the Avatar and get my glory." He paused. "And stop staring at me!" he shouted.
It really was one of her favorite things, getting a rise out of Zuko. He could always be counted on for freaking out about the little things, and he was so predictable. It was wonderful. She might miss this. Maybe. Possibly. She sneered, looking down at her fingernails primly. "You should get used to it. That scar's not going anywhere."
Zuko was silent, gritting his teeth in aggravation. He couldn't attack her, of that much she was confident, though she could tell that he certainly wanted to, and there was a small pride in that little fact. She was the princess of the Fire Nation, after all. He was a banished weak link. He was powerless. Such a shame, when you really thought about it, how the mighty had fallen.
"I might even miss you while you're gone," said Azula suddenly, inclining her head. "You should feel honored."
"Yeah right," he said unkindly. "Of course you'll miss teasing me and trying to hurt my feelings. You wouldn't really miss me."
"Well, of course," she almost smiled at him. "What else is there to miss?"
"I wonder what my life will be like without you harassing me?" Zuko said sardonically, the ghost of a smile crossing his face as well, making him look markedly less maimed. "This banishment doesn't sound like such a bad thing after all."
"Uncle would be proud of you, looking on the bright side like that," said Azula, and they exchanged crooked half smiles. It was almost bittersweet, and Azula felt a dull aching feeling in her chest, some unfamiliar sensation—probably indigestion. She had eaten a big dinner after all.
"It is time for us to go, nephew," said Uncle Iroh's voice from the hallway as he re-entered the room. He smiled fondly at Azula—he was just like Mother sometimes, in that he always pretended to care when things were rough, and especially when she was being rude. At least Zuko was up front about his feelings. Who else would be up front about that kind of thing when he was gone? "Azula," Uncle said, and he embraced her, a big, paternal embrace, strange and weird, the first time she had been hugged in a long, long time. "Until we meet again," he said.
Azula rolled her eyes, going along with it. They would never meet again. She was sure of it. "Goodbye, Uncle."
Uncle Iroh led the way through the door, taking Zuko's little bag from his shoulder and carrying it himself. Zuko passed, glancing at Azula uneasily, and Iroh instructed, unusually sharp, "Say goodbye to your sister, Zuko. You do not know when you will see her again."
And it was true. This was the last time she would ever see her older brother, ever. Zuko hesitated and looked to Iroh for guidance, and then to Azula for permission. Azula stepped forward, slightly unfamiliar to the mechanics of a real goodbye with someone who mattered. Well, kind of mattered. Just slightly, if that. She unraveled her arms from across her chest to shake his hand but was completely floored when Zuko extended his arms to her and wrapped her in a loose embrace, much like their uncle had just done, but less restrictive. She had never felt so odd in her entire life, her heart fluttering and twisting in such strange ways.
Feeling awkward with her arms dangling by her sides, she lifted them and placed her hands on his hips, which felt weirder, so she wrapped them around his middle, her face feeling hot. "Have a nice life, Zu-zu," she said quietly to him, a half-taunt, as her temple brushed against the uninjured side of his face.
"I will be back," he snapped in aggravation, squeezing her body a little tighter at that.
"Of course you will," she said condescendingly. He was silent for a moment, and Azula spread her fingers across his back, aware of how bizarre and different this all was. This was more touch than she had ever experienced in probably her whole life, and it was from her brother of all people? It was just unusual, and she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts again, the strangeness of it all. But it wasn't like he was doing it of his own accord. Uncle had basically told him to hug her goodbye, she was sure. They must have talked about it when they were alone, before she had shown up. It was just the kind of thing that he would do. After all, Zuko was obviously affected by the oddness of it too, as he was frozen in place, his arms stiff and unmoving around her, unsure.
"Goodbye," said Zuko, releasing her and taking a little step back. She drew her hands back, aware that they had lingered on his sides longer than necessary, and she took one last spiteful, slightly nostalgic look at him.
"Tell mother I said hello," Azula said haughtily.*
The rage and hurt that she loved to see him struggle with rose to the surface as he glared at her, his golden eyes flashing with emotion. It was nearly beautiful. And silently, Zuko turned and stormed off, leading the way to his destiny—her only brother, her weak link—and he did not look back. Why did he have to be so weak?
Azula was stronger than they were. That was why she stood there, no emotion crossing her face, not even a tear for those whom she would never see again. She stood there and watched his retreating back go and stared at the empty hallway until the sun was gone from the sky and her fingers felt numb from clutching her body where she had been hugged.
Note: *In case you don't remember, Zuko doesn't know that Ursa was banished at this point-so basically, he thinks Azula's comment is a deathwish. Whee!*
This is my first ATLA fanfic that I have posted online, so any and all reviews are appreciated! :)