"Hup."
I jumped from the building's roof. It was pretty hard, given the heights and lack of light, but I managed to do it anyway. Turning around, I made sure that there was no guard present.
The asylum looked even more scarier at night. With the crows, bats, and that unusually creepy silence, sometimes interrupted with screams from the inside, no one wants to visit this place in the middle of the night, like right now.
"Come on, you're a tough girl. You can do this." I muttered to myself before I went inside the mental health facility. Once I was inside, I walked carefully down the hallway and searched for the right room.
"Hey, did you heard that?" I froze to the spot when I heard a voice. I turned around to see a dim light appeared from the entrance. I panicked and quickly climbed up the walls. With the lamp and else, I managed to keep myself stuck to the ceiling.
The two guards who were talking to each other strolled down the hall, lighten the way. I held my breath worriedly, afraid that they might see me. "...There's no one around, dude. Maybe Old Henzin tried to escape again..." They stared to each other before bolted to the second floor.
I sighed in relief. Thank God I paid attention when Aunt Ty Lee babbles about her moves. After I made sure that the guards were out of reach, I climbed down to the hall, and once again began my search party.
"230... 231... 232... 233... Ah, here it is." I smiled in satisfaction once I found the right chamber.
Room 234, Occupant: Princess Azula.
I pulled my hairpin, and began to work my magic. In mere minutes, the door was unlocked. Congragulating myself, I slowly went inside the room.
"Who's that?" A voice erupted from the other side of the room. Princess Azula sat up from her bed, eyes searching wildly for intruders. Once her eye landed on me, she threw a fireball at my direction.
"Who're you?" She yelled. I was secretly thankful for the soundproof walls they've put in this room. I stepped forward. "What do you want, peasant?"
She shot me a lightning, which I ducked easily. "Relax, Aunt Azula. I won't hurt you." I said carefully. When she didn't throw another thing, I took another step.
"I'm not weak, you tramp! Just because I'm in this stupid mental health facility, doesn't mean that I'm vulnerable or something!" She screeched. I nodded quickly.
"Uh, okay, you're the mighty Aunt Azula, there's no way I'm gonna hurt you," She glared at me, "Because you're so strong and independent and awesome!" I added hastily, afraid that she might blow up or something.
Aunt Azula finally stood up. Her bulging stomach made itself represent clearly in the dim light. I heard about that seven months ago, the palace have gotten a letter from the asylum. It said that my aunt was violated, raped, and impregnated by a guard. I'd never seen dad as angry as that day.
Now I thought, whoever did that to my aunt, he either had some crazily advanced waterbending, or he was just plainly nuts and had lots of luck.
"Aunt?" Azula asked incredulously. She then judged me from head to toe. "Zuzu's, aren't you?" She spat the words like it supposed to hurt my entire being. I raised my eyebrow. "I'm taking that as a yes. So tell me, who did he end up with? That silly girl from the Watertribe? Or—"
I cut her hastily. "Actually, my mother's name is Mai, Auntie." I glared at her. "Didn't grandma told you anything?" I asked. Grandmother Ursa had been visiting ever since she was found 3 years ago. It was strange that Aunt Azula didn't even know a word about the outside world.
"Grandma?" She asked back. "Oh, you mean Zuzu's mother? Yeah, Lazuna usually talks with her. But that was it. I don't want to know her thoughts." She rolled her eyes. "Careful, she's asleep. If she knows that I'm awake at this hour, she'll turn into that pesky, bossy girl and pushes me to bed." Aunt Azula actually lowered her voice, like there was someone else beside us around.
I raised my eyebrow. All these years she spent in the asylum and she didn't even getting close to better. "Oh, and Zilana is awake, so don't disturb her either." Aunt Azula added. I was starting to get creeps down to my spine, when I realized something.
Grandma Ursa—who was her constant and only visitor—had mentioned about Aunt Azula's Multiple Personality Disorder, but I'd never thought it to be this... weird. Talking about two peoples who didn't exist was, well, could be identified as an advanced craziness."So... you have two roommates." I cleared out the confusion. She wove a hand, indicating that it was nothing important.
"Yeah, Zilana is self depressed, so you shouldn't bother her. Lazuna, on the other hand, she's cheerful and overreacting, and she's even more disturbing when Zilana was raped. I just thought that Zilana is too weak for anything." Azula shrugged. My jaw dropped. She actually didn't realize that she was pregnant? What kind of treatment that they've done to her? "But enough about me. How about Zuzu? Traitor married with traitor, huh? I'm surprised that I'm not surprised."
I closed my mouth quickly, instantly the feeling of hurt washed over me. "Hey! My dad is not a traitor!" I protested to her. "He's the Firelord!"
Aunt Azula smirked. "Ooh, little Zuzu has gone from zero to hero? Brat must've been softy and mushy while he's ruling the nation, huh? Pathetic." She said mockingly.
I opened my mouth to protest, but shut it down once I realized that I was falling into her words. "Whatever you say, Missy." I showed the best stoic face I could muster. "Nobody really cares about your opinion anyway."
That set her up. She started to go wild and threw fireballs at me. "Whoa, auntie! Calm down!" I shouted while I was dodging her attack.
"OF COURSE EVERYONE CARES!" She yelled crazily. "I'M THE PRINCESS! THEY SHOULD BE PRAISING MY OPINION!" Aunt Azula laughed maniacally.
"Okay, okay!" I exclaimed, "What ever you say, Princess Azula! We worship you, yadda yadda, just stop the fireballs!"
She did as she was told, so I sighed in relief. "Ah, thank you." I said. Aunt Azula spat in front of me as the reply. "Erm... I'll take that as 'Your Welcome'." I smiled sheepishly.
"What do you want anyway?" Aunt Azula went back to her bed. She sat there, eying me like I was her pry. "The Firelord's daughter aren't supposed to be outside at this one, Princess..." She trailed off. "...What's your name?"
I took a deep breath, knowing that the next thing won't be easy. "Er, you may take it as anything you like, but," I rubbed my head. "My name is Azula too."
She stared at me, then she laughed maniacally. "Zuzu named you after me? Good one sweetie. Now tell me, what's your name?" Her voice dropped to the dangerous tone.
"I told you, my name is Azula." I repeated. "Why won't anybody trust me every time I said that?" I ruffled my hair in frustration. Aunt Azula stopped laughing abruptly, then the lunatic burst began once again.
"YOU'RE LYING!" She started to bend lightnings. Okay, not good. "NO WAY! ZUZU DOESN'T LOVE ME ENOUGH TO NAME YOU AFTER ME! NOBODY LOVES ME EXCEPT FATHER!" Aunt Azula glared viciously at me.
"I swear, I'm not lying!" I moved around to avoid her attacks. "Oh for Agni's sake, just drop it!" I yelled exasperatedly.
Aunt Azula stopped for the second time. I smiled weakly, "Thanks auntie." I thanked her for the second time, she just stood there like nothing happened, then she sat again at her bed. She asked, "Why are you here?"
I shrugged. "I just had a huge fight with my dad." I said. "I accidentally hurt my brother at firebending practice earlier today, and it was pretty bad, they need to put her in the infirmary for the whole day." I huffed. "It was an accident, I swear, but just because I had this little fight with Lu Ten—that's his name—before the practice, he thinks that I did that on purpose!"
Aunt Azula raised an eyebrow. "And... of all places to stay for a while, you chose... my asylum?" She smirked. "Truth to be honest I'm flattered."
She really had a way for changing her moods rapidly. Oh well, I guessed being crazy had it perks.
"Where else do I have to go?" I snorted. "Uncle Aang's house? He's just going to return me back to my dad, or Aunt Katara will go livid. Aunt Toph and Uncle Teo? Lin and I have a huge problem about each other's ability. Uncle Sokka will exaggerate to my dad immediately and Aunt Suki won't stop until I go back to the palace. And of course—mmph!"
Aunt Azula pinched my mouth shut. "Seriously, not in the mood to hear someone babbling their pathetic life." She said. "So if you won't stop, I'll burn your mouth, got it?" She added cheerfully. I nodded quickly.
"So what do you want to talk about?" I offered. She looked around, and then smiled—smiled!—to the view of the outside.
"How about the war? Does the Fire Nation won? Ooh, I bet it does, who else would won besides us?"She said joyfully. I laughed along her sentence.
"Actually, Auntie, nobody won, in fact, I'm going to tell you about the condition in between the Nations right now..."
In some kind of weird way that only I knew how, we got along greatly. I meant, from dad's stories, she usually went livid every time someone new tried to talk to her. And if she already knew the person, she'll struck lightnings to them every time they tried to said her name. Only grandma Ursa told me Aunt Azula's good sides, and even then grandma said that Aunt Azula wasn't recovered fully yet.
Now, I saw her as one of my aunts, with the tough attitude and spontaneous actions, she reminded me of Aunt Toph. Only a bit more... rough.
I didn't even realize it was morning already until a guard barged in and yelped,"Princess Azula? I—I mean—" He stuttered. I face-palmed and sighed.
"Dad will be livid."
"Do you have any idea—" Dad's voice trembled. "How panicked the entire Nation was? A Princess was missing! Your mother was crying for hours!" He slammed the table.
"Mom, crying for hours? Too bad nobody took a picture of that, it'll worth million!" I joked, but dad answered me with a deathly glare.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that, young lady!" He roared. I winced. "First you hurt your brother, then you ran away, now you dare to make a joke from it?" His voice rose to an impossible pitch.
"Hey!" I yelled back. "I told you, I didn't mean to hurt him!" I glared back to him. "It was an accident! I'm not my namesake!"
Aunt Azula was looking disappointed at the sentence. "And speaking about namesakes," Dad added, "Why did you have to come here?" He stomped his foot to the ground, marking his point.
"Because, the almighty Firelord," I shot back, "If there's one thing in common between me and Aunt Azula, it's that I'll get what I want, no matter what!" I shouted. "And last night I wanted to stay away from you as long as possible!"
My dad's face was red from anger. "That's it!" He took my hand harshly. "We're going back, now!" He pulled me to the exit.
" Bye Aunt 'Zula!" I wove to my Aunt with my other hand. Dad pinched my ear, "Ow, ow, ow, that's hurt dad!" I pushed him away.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Aunt Azula was looking upset at my departure, and I knew that I'll broke the rules again to visit her some other time.
Fin.
Hiya!
It's my first ATLA fic, so be nice to me! and sorry if there are many errors in grammar and spelling, English is my second language. I'm Indonesian, hehe :)
So I hope you enjoy my story, and give me some nice reviews. Flames are welcome too, as long as they're constructive ;)
Adios you all!
