• ° • Prologue • ° •
Azula was insane, but she wasn't a fool.
She knew that severe consequences would follow her actions. Even if the Fire Lord - who just so happened to be her pathetic, sorry-excuse-for-a-brother - still harbored a soft spot for her, and clung onto the hope that she could be "fixed".
No, she'd pushed her limits too far.
Even if sweet, stupid Zuzu was willing to overlook her act, she knew that the rest of the Fire Nation - maybe even the rest of the world - would not. And who knew? Maybe even ZuZu was ready to give up on her; to wave the white flag of defeat, and be done with her.
Five years had passed since the war ended. Maybe Zuko had finally grown a spine, and would punish her for her crime. After all, murder was no joke.
If Azula was being totally honest with herself, she wasn't completely sure why she killed one of her nurses. Maybe it was because five years is a long time to sit in an asylum and lose your mind. Five years is a long time to stare at pure white walls and contemplate her failure. Five years is a long time to simmer with rage and regret, to be tormented by demons and dark spirits.
Maybe all that pent-up energy needed an outlet, and murder was the first thought that sprang to mind.
Maybe she just snapped.
She was, after all, insane. Or at least that's what her nurses told her.
Maybe that was what pushed her to kill the nurse; maybe she was tired of being called "insane" when, in all actuality, she'd never felt so clear-minded in her whole life. Perhaps she'd gone over the edge when the war first ended, but she'd had five years to climb back up and regain her mind.
She wasn't insane. At least, she didn't think so.
But then again, if she were insane, how would she truely know?
"Ugh," Azula groaned, frustrated and possibly-insane and desperately wishing that another nurse would walk into her prison so that she could release some more of that pent-up energy.
It was thoughts like that that made her so hesitant to call herself sane. At least, as sane as she used to be. Because when Azula was a fifteen year-old girl, hunting down her brother and the Avatar, she'd never questioned herself. She was brilliant and overconfident, and she deserved to be.
Now, after staring at padded white walls for five years, she rarely ever had a thought that didn't begin with "maybe".
And spirits, oh spirits, how she despised her own uncertainty!
But maybe - there it was again! - she was more sane than people gave her credit for. Perhaps she wasn't the brilliant, overconfident girl she used to be, but she was certain of one thing, and that was a start.
Fire Lord Zuko was going to walk into her cell and announce that she would pay for her crimes, and the cost would be her life.
Because even if sweet, stupid ZuZu thought she could be "fixed", she knew the rest of the world was petitioning to spill her blood on the streets.
Broken Arrows
Outside the Fire Nation palace, there was chaos.
Thousands of people had gathered around the palace, and every single person was screaming, yelling, shouting for the execution of the disgraced Fire Nation princess. The princess who just five years prior, they had adored and worshipped. The princess whose reign they believed they would prosper beneath.
The princess whose coordination day ended with her being thrown into an asylum.
To be fair, she'd had a pretty rough day.
To be fair, she'd had a pretty rough life.
Only, there were very few who shared his thoughts. The general population looked back on Azula's life and saw only the facade; they only saw what they were supposed to see. And from that perspective it appeared that Azula had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, and was granted her every wish.
And maybe that was true, but it wasn't nearly as pretty as it sounded.
In Zuko's opinion, neither he nor his sister had grown up under enviable circumstances. They were the children of a tyrant of a leader and a man who didn't actually know how to be a father. He had twisted views on love and how it was displayed, and he passed these views onto Azula. He hadn't cared enough to do the same to Zuko, but Azula… she was his protege. She was his legacy. She was everything he was and he was a monster, so she was a monster too.
But it wasn't her fault. She didn't know better.
She didn't have a real maternal figure in her life. She didn't spend years on the run with their wise, tea-obsessed uncle.
She hadn't been given a real, fighting chance to become more than what their father wanted her to be. And maybe after all she had done, she didn't deserve that chance. But… she was his sister, the only real family he had besides his uncle. And during that brief amount of time when his father had accepted him back and he was once again the crowned prince of the Fire Nation, he'd spent time with Azula and she…
He just wanted to give her one, real chance to redeem herself.
"I thought I'd grown used to seeing riots outside your doorstep, but I guess it's not really something you ever get used to."
Zuko spun around, prepared to defend himself against the intruder, but he relaxed his stance once he came face-to-face with his fiancee. "Oh," he said lamely. "It's you."
Katara quirked an eyebrow as she stepped closer to him. She adjusted his robes and patted down his wild black mane, already slipping seamlessly into the role of his wife. "Who did you think I was?" she questioned. "An intruder?"
Zuko grinned sheepishly. "You say that like it's a ridiculous notion."
A sad sort-of-smile traced his fiancee's lips. "No, I suppose it isn't, is it?"
It really wasn't.
Zuko shook his head in response. Katara frowned, then moved to stand by one of the grand, gold-plated windows. From there you had a perfect view of the palace's front yard, which was currently crawling with protesters and furious mobs.
Zuko's heart clenched painfully as he soaked in the image. Katara's anxious expression, the riot taking place on his front yard, and an overwhelming sense of helplessness that cloaked them like a shadow.
It was an image that he'd thought he'd grown used to five years ago, but it was like Katara said: it's not really something you ever get used to.
He pushed those dark thoughts to the back of his mind, and stepped forward to wrap his arms around his fiancee's slender waist. He kissed her neck softly and Katara hummed in response, as she leaned into him.
"It's our doorstep," he corrected her.
The Water Tribe native turned to face him, and blinked quizzically. "What?"
"You said you thought that you'd grown used to seeing riots outside my doorstep, but it's not just mine anymore; it's ours."
A tender smile carved her lips, and she kissed his cheek softly before replying, "We're not married just yet, remember? We just got engaged."
Zuko buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled her addicting scent. "Would you like to be married right now? I can arrange that, you know."
Katara laughed quietly. "As much as I would like that, I'm afraid I'll have to decline the offer. What would the world think of us if we suddenly announced that we were married? Can you imagine the tantrums our fellow politicians would throw if they didn't receive a wedding invitation?"
The Fire Lord nuzzled her neck, making a very convincing case for himself. "Do we really care about hurting their feelings?"
Katara bit her lip. "Not so much theirs, but our friends…" she trailed off, although she needn't finish the thought anyway.
Zuko pulled away from her then, and stared outside the window and watched the riot, unable to meet her own guilt-filled gaze. "Oh. Right." Even though Katara hadn't specified which friend she was referring to, they both had the same person in mind.
Aang and Katara had began dating immediately after the war ended, and for two years they'd been one of the hottest topics in all of the Four Nations. Everyone fell in love with them as they continued to fall in love with each other. With their story, it was incredibly easy to cheer for the young couple and hope for the best.
Only, sometimes things don't play out the way you think they ought to…
Eventually, the spark just wasn't there anymore. At least, it wasn't for one of them.
Even when Katara decided that they were better off as close friends, Aang was still hopelessly in love with her. He'd had a future planned for them; one day they would be married, and would repopulate the Air Temple again. They would continue traveling the world and spreading peace, their fingers intertwined.
Katara desperately wished that they could've shared such a future together, but it just wasn't meant to be. It took her nearly two years to realize it, but she just didn't love Aang the same way he loved her.
Aang was heartbroken at first, understandably so. Katara was his first and only love, he'd wanted to spend the rest of forever with her, but she didn't feel the same. So he buried himself in his work and made outstanding progress doing so, but the ache to have his love by his side never faded.
It was childish, but he always clung onto the hope that Katara would return to him one day.
Nearly two more years passed after they split, and Katara had also buried herself in work. She became a highly respected politician, and one of the top negotiators in the Four Nations. Almost inexplicably so, she found herself spending an unreasonable amount of time in the Fire Nation.
At least, in was inexplicable until Zuko gripped her hand, led her down a secluded hallway and kissed her with a fiery zeal that she'd never experienced with Aang.
And thus, a passionate romance between the two of them blossomed. They became the hottest topic in the news; they were the new "it" couple. Suddenly, no one wanted to talk about Aang and Katara anymore. From then on, whenever you heard one name, it was immediately followed by the other.
Their families were pleased. Their friends were happy for them… really, they were!
It just… it just would have been so much easier for everyone if only Aang had handled the news better.
Not that the Avatar had thrown a tantrum or disappeared for another hundred years, but the effect that the news had on him was clear; he was hurt. He felt hurt, betrayed, bitter, and then he felt guilty for feeling anything at all.
Not only was Katara not coming back, but she'd moved on. And she'd moved on with one of his closest friends.
He'd reacted understandably so, all things considered.
He hadn't thrown a tantrum or disappeared for another hundred years, he simply became… detached.
And that was why Zuko and Katara had agreed to keep their engagement a secret for the time being. They didn't want to announce it to the world until they told Aang, and they didn't want to tell Aang until they knew how to.
They'd been dating for nearly a year and they couldn't be happier, they just wished that the same could be said for their friend.
"Maybe it's for the best that we're delaying the announcement," Katara suddenly spoke up. "I mean, what with all this going on now," she continued, as she gestured to the riot outside the window, "it really isn't the best time to be planning a wedding."
Zuko expelled a sigh. "I'm not sure there's ever gonna to be a good time to plan a wedding."
Katara tilted her head back to press a chaste kiss to her fiancee's lips. "It'll look better once we sort out this whole mess with Azula," she promised him.
Her promise was meant to reassure and comfort him, but all it did was fill him with dread. But how am I supposed to sort it all out? He wondered desperately.
Katata must have sensed his discomfort, because she pulled away from him to examine his expression. "Zuko?" She started, concern for him flooding her clear blue eyes. "What's wrong?"
"I just-..." the Fire Lord trailed off, agitation settling on his features. "I don't know what I'm going to do about Azula. The nation is petitioning her execution; they want her blood on the streets."
"It's not just the Fire Nation, Zuko," Katara added. Her tone was calm, but not gentle. It was like the calm before the storm. Zuko knew that Katara would always support him, no matter what, but he also knew that she was part of the general population who believed that Azula didn't deserve a second chance. "The entire world wants her dead; I just got done talking to Toph, and she said that the Earth Kingdom is rioting too."
The waterbender leaned against the window, arms crossed across her chest and her gaze trained on the rioters outside. "After Azula's reign of terror, I can't say I blame them," she mumbled.
"Katara, I didn't even give my father a public execution," Zuko said, exasperated. It was true; the former Fire Lord had lived in a prison cell for three years before he eventually took his own life.
"Your father never killed one of his nurses," Katara retorted.
"Maybe not, but he was responsible for thousands of deaths during the war," he shot back.
His fiancee sighed. "Zuko, I know you're holding onto the hope that Azula can be reformed, but… maybe it's just time to accept the facts. Azula doesn't want to be reformed."
"Yes she does!" He immediately protested. When Katara fixed him with an incredulous stare, he sheepishly looked away. "She just doesn't know it yet."
The Water Tribe native expelled another sigh, this one long and slightly impatient. "Okay. Let's say that there's still a chance Azula can be reformed; the world is tired of giving her chances, Zuko. She can't stay in the Fire Nation anymore. If you don't announce her execution, someone is going to do it for you."
His fiancee spoke honestly and logically, and it sent his blood spiking. "What's your point?" he snapped.
"Where is she supposed to go?" Katara reasoned. "If she stays in the Fire Nation she'll be assassinated. The way Toph spoke about the Earth Kingdom, they're not about to take her in either. Neither of the Water Tribes have the provisions to treat an insane firebender, and the Air Temple…" she trailed off and shook her head. She didn't even have to explain why that wasn't an option.
Zuko closed his eyes and inhaled a breath, calming himself before he snapped at Katara again and said something he regretted; that was, after all, how he managed to drive Mai away. When he opened his eyes again he felt cooler, more composed. He hoped that feeling would stick around awhile longer. "She would have to travel, or stay somewhere where she wouldn't be recognized."
"Azula needs professional help," Katara pointed out. "Anywhere that could offer that type of help would have to big enough to know who she is. I doubt there's even a town in the Four Nations that doesn't know who she is."
"Then," the Fire Lord managed a crooked grin, "I guess she'll just have to go on a life-changing field trip."
That got her. Zuko's grin widened as he watched his fiancee fight back a smile of her own. "With you?" she questioned. "You're needed here, Zuko. And I'm about to return to the Southern Water Tribe. I can't bring her with me, and even if I could…" her features screwed up with distaste.
The firebender shook his head. "I don't think she could go with either of us anyway," he confessed. "We're the last two people Azula would ever consider listening to."
Katara quirked an eyebrow. "Are you thinking of your uncle?"
But Zuko shook his head again. "Uncle couldn't do it right now; he's got some things going on with White Lotus." It was a shame, though. If Zuko could choose one person to take his sister on a life-changing field trip, it would be his Uncle Iroh. His uncle had a knack for helping those who'd lost themselves on life's journey, and Azula was definitely lost.
"Then who?" His gorgeous waterbender pressed.
The handsome firebender hesitated. Zuko had an idea, but he already knew that Katara would despise it. "It needs to be someone similar to uncle; someone who's patient, wise, and peaceful. And who showcases all of that better than the Avatar?"
Katara's reaction was immediate. Her posture became stiff, and her clear eyes blazed like twin pools of blue fire. "No," she nearly snarled.
"Why not?" Zuko challenged. "Aang is everything that Azula needs right now!"
"But Azula is the last thing that Aang needs!" Katara cried. "Do you really want to send Aang across the Four Nations with your psychopathic sister?"
"I mean, it's not exactly ideal," the Fire Lord started, as he fought to keep his temper in check. "But what other options are there? Uncle can't take Azula with him right now, and Aang's whole purpose is to restore peace and balance!"
"To the world, not insane asylum residents!"
"Katara," Zuko growled, "my only other option is to execute her!"
"Then do it!"
The silence that followed was thick with tension and betrayal. For a moment, the young couple simply stared at each other, eyes wide with emotion. For what seemed like centuries, neither person made a move to resolve the tension or break the silence.
Then Katara, always the peacemaker, heaved a heavy sigh. "Zuko, I didn't mean that. I might not be Azula's biggest fan, but I wouldn't wish death upon anybody. It's just," her voice quivered slightly, "I feel like we've already put Aang through enough, and now we want to ask him to travel the world and preach peace with Azula by his side? How is that fair?"
As Zuko gazed upon his fiancee, her expression one of open hesitance and vulnerability, his heart swelled with love. She was so thoughtful, so considerate. Zuko felt like a massive jerk and the worst friend ever whenever he thought of Aang, but he knew that Katara felt twice as bad.
"You know," he started softly, "I think Aang realized a long time ago that life isn't fair. But he's always come through, and he's always done what he knows is right; if he thinks Azula deserves a chance to restore her honor, he'll give it to her."
A fond smile traced Katara's lips. "You and your obsession with restoring honor," she teased lightly.
Zuko mirrored her smile, and took her into his arms. For a moment they simply hugged, letting their presence speak for itself. Finally he said, "I'll write to Aang first thing in the morning. If he agrees to take Azula on her life-changing field trip, then I'll get her things in order. They'll have to leave as soon as possible."
"Poor Aang," Katara sighed. "Nobody deserves to spend so much time with Azula."
Zuko, while he tried his hardest to love his sister, agreed completely.
Broken Arrows
Two days later, Zuko received a simple response from the Avatar.
'I'm on my way.'
So, this is kinda my introduction into the Avatar archives... Hello! I'm Katie :)
If you haven't already guessed, this is going to be an Azulaang-centric fic. Azulaang is probably the least talked about pairing in the fandom, despite having massive amounts of potential, because it's considered a crack ship. In my opinion, any ship can be made believable, so long as the characters and the setting are in-character and realistic. So I've taken it upon myself to shed some light onto that potential, and maybe spark a bit of interest into such an underrated pairing :) I've got a lot of exciting ideas plotlines that I can't wait to follow, and I hope you'll follow them through with me!
A few notes: I've seen every episode of Avatar more times than I can count, however, I haven't read the comics (although I do have a general knowledge of their plot). With that being said, this fic should not be considered canon past the events of season three, episode 21.
When it comes to my writing, I'm a bit of a perfectionist concerning characterization. My goal is to never receive a review stating 'So and So is very OOC', unless it's purely for plot purposes. Since this is my first piece of Avatar writing, if any of you pros out there notice anything a bit off, or have any tips, I would be forever grateful :)
Before I close this AN out, I would like to make something very clear: there will be NO ship-bashing in this fic, ever. I know that Tyzula is a very popular ship within the fandom, and although I don't personally ship it, I will not bash it or any other ship during this fic (or ever, actually, because that's just rude).
Now, with all that being said, I encourage you to leave a review! Even if it's just a few words, reviews are wonderful/delightful/appreciated, and I plan on responding to each of them with a PM :)
~ Katie