Hello, people. This is my VERY FIRST fanfic. Sorry if it's crappy. Anyhow, this takes place about 2 years after the end of Book 3. Needless to say, the characters are all 2 years older. Also, if you're worried, there's mild cussing, but not much. Mostly it's just crap. Also, it's age appropriate, as in there's no 16-year-olds having sex. Sorry. In my happy little world, you're a virgin until you reach at least 18.
Also, all standard disclaimers apply: I don't own A:TLA, any of its ideas, or any of the companies profiting off of it. If I did, well, I wouldn't be sitting here, writing this.
And so, I give you the story. Another scream rent through the air. Heat rolled down the stairs. Around her, the guards flinched at the noise. There was several seconds of heavy panting, And Then another scream. More Heat rolled down the stairs.
"Where's the heat coming from?" Katara asked, looking at the nearest guard.
He gave her a stiff bow before replying. "When she screams, blue flames come out of her mouth. She can't help it."
"Is she always like this?" Katara asked.
The man nodded. "At least once a day, if not more." He broke off as more screams filled the air. This time, Katara could make out words.
"Lies! All liars! Lies! Don't do this! Follow me! You Lie! " The end was followed by sobbing.
"With all due respect, Ambassador Katara, are you sure you want to go up there?" the guard added when the echoes died down.
Katara nodded. She'd come with nearly a liter of water and some miso soup. She was going to talk with the deranged girl. Ever since she'd read a report that few guards were willing to go the royal prisons because of the danger of being fried, and that none would feed the girl, Katara had decided to visit her, and see if she could do anything. Hearing the screams only hardened her resolve.
Katara walked up the tightly coiled stairs, towards a lone door. She opened it silently, and walked into the stark room. There was a thick-barred cage along the back wall, as high as the door, with at least a meter between it and the ceiling. It came out two or three meters. Azula sat in the middle of the floor, her head bowed and legs crossed, dressed in little more than burnt rags. Her hair hung messily around her, trailing to the floor. Katara couldn't see her face, but Azula looked thin, and her ragged clothing hung on her frame.
"Azula? " Katara asked softly. She closed the door.
Azula raised her head slowly at the sound of her name. Her hair parted around her face, revealing her thin bleeding lips and golden eyes.
"I don't know if you remember me." Katara said, and walked over to the side of the cage. She put down her bag with the water and soup and said, "I'm Katara."
Azula nodded slowly. Her eyes narrowed. "You. You saved Zuko. You're a waterbender." She accused with little malice.
Katara nodded. "Yes, I am. " she sat down half a meter away from the edge of the cage. "I brought you some food. Do you like miso soup?"
Azula's eyes widened at the word 'food', all pretenses of anger gone. "Yes. Mother used to eat it with me in the garden. " Her voice was a whisper.
Katara pulled out the bowls and the thermos with the soup. She poured it and handed a bowl to Azula. Azula sprang forward. Her hands, which had been hidden, appeared, reaching through the bars to grab at the bowl. Katara gasped; her hands were pink with half-healed burns and blisters. Now that she looked, so were Azula's bare feet and knees.
Azula drank the bowl in two gulps. Some of the soup dribbled down her chin. Katara took back her bowl, and refilled it. This time, Azula drank slowly. Katara had a bit of soup as she waited.
When Azula was finished, she handed the bowl back with a tiny smile. Her hands stayed outside of the cage.
"You're burned. Would you like me to heal you? " Katara asked.
Azula frowned, and then nodded slowly. Katara opened the jug with the water, and placed it at the edge of the cage. She put her hands in the water. Azula copied her, frowning. The water glowed, and her burns vanished. Katara had her place her feet in the jug too, deciding against bending the water to the girl's burns.
"Do you feel better?"
"Yes." Azula paused, then swallowed. "Tha- tha- than-thank- thank you." She stuttered out.
"You're welcome Azula." Katara smiled. Azula was silent as she packed up.
When she was done, Azula spoke. "Mother says waterbenders can heal. I didn't believe her. But you healed me."
Katara nodded. "I did. We can heal, but only some of us."
"Do you know my Mother? I miss her. I just wanted her to be proud of me. I did everything Father told me to. But she was never proud."
"She was proud of you, Azula. She loved you."
"But when I was in trouble, she never did anything. But when Zuzu was in trouble, she did everything she could to keep him out of trouble."
"Azula, Ursa loved you both." Katara told her. Azula frowned again.
"Did you help Ty Lee and Mai betray me?" Azula's eyes were sharper than Katara had seen in the time of her stay.
"No."
"Why did they?"
"Because they thought what you were doing was wrong. And they loved you enough to try and stop you before you got hurt, even if it meant going be hind your back." Katara answered.
Azula nodded. "They loved me...," she whispered, looking taken aback. Katara stood up and walked to the door.
As she opened it, Azula cried out, "Come back soon! Katara!"
"I will." Katara promised
o0o0o0o0o
Azula looked out of her cage, staring at the wall. She tilted her head, her dirty hair falling across her face. The wall was blank, except for a trickle of water. She frowned. The water was forming a shape, if she could just figure it out...
"Azula, your soup is getting cold. " Katara interrupted her thoughts.
Azula growled softly. What was that shape? The soup didn't matter, she was a firebender and could heat it up.
"Don't try to heat it up again. Last time, you shattered the bowl. The time before that, you burnt your skin." Katara said.
Azula turned her attention away from the wall, and back to her bowl of soup. She took a long sip from the bowl, tasting the green onions that floated into her mouth. "Why are the onions floating?" she asked after she swallowed.
Katara's brows furrowed before she said, "I don't know. "
"Oh." Azula frowned. She looked over to the wall, where the water had kept up its decent down the wall. She squinted, before seeing the shape it formed. It was a rose. "Do you have a rose? I used to have bunches of them in my rooms. Then Mother died, and they did too. Mother died..." Azula whispered. Her mind filled with her brother's shouted words Mother! Mother where are you! Mother! No! She'd wanted to join him, but She didn't. She had to be strong.
"Mother," Azula moaned. More shouts filled her head, images floated in. Her mother's casket aflame, her father's look of relief. Hot smoke floated out of her mouth and nose.
"Azula!" Katara yelled, and clapped her hands loudly.
Azula's mind cleared. She blinked, and shook her head like a dog, her filthy hair shaking around her. She felt a faint growing pain on her lips and chin. Azula reached up and touched her chin. White-hop pain flared where her fingers met her face. She gasped.
"Azula, " Katara said gently, "you burned yourself. " Katara dipped her hand in her water jug, and pulled it out, water clinging to it. "Let me heal it." She reached up and covered Azula's mouth and chin. The water glowed, and Azula's fresh burns vanished.
Katara had gotten more lax about water bending in front of Azula over the past few weeks. It seemed that Azula loved to watch her bend.
As if on queue, Azula ordered, "Katara, show me the water fish." Katara raised an eyebrow. "Please?" Azula added.
Katara stood up and took a bending stance. Slowly, she raised the water out of the jug and into the air. Azula watched, entranced. Katara slowly molded it into a Lionfish, getting the water to form the delicate spines and fins and the teeth. Azula clapped softly as it began to swim around. "more! " she begged like a child. Katara obliged, shrinking the fish and splitting it into two lionfish. The fish swam around each other, forming patterns in the air.
Azula's eyes never left the fish as Katara melted the Lionfish into a pair of Koi, which divided into four koi. The koi swam around each other like dancers for a while, then Katara split them again. Now with eight small fish, she had then waltzing around each other, performing one of the Court ballroom dances. The dance complete, the fish vanished, becoming a flat sheet of water floating on air. Slowly, she pulled of flowers, until there were six different flowers standing on a thin sheet of ice. They tossed around raindrops.
After nearly an hour of creating patterns with water in the air, Katara returned the water to the jug from which it had originated. Azula pouted. She like the flying water fish. She wished she could do something like that.
o0o0o0o
Katara watched Azula sleeping. Her mind was mulling over what had been happening inside the palace. Zuko... her mind wandered towards their nighttime excursions. She worried that he didn't feel the same way about her. What if he met someone better than her? What was she going to do when the counsel decided that Zuko needed a consort? What would happen to her? She sighed.
"You're so lucky, Azula. You never have to worry about what's going to happen tomorrow, or the day after that. Sometimes I wish I was in there." Katara said softly, and began twirling the brushes she'd brought in her fingers. " Zuko says he's never met another person like me, but I don't know if that means he really likes me, like I like him. And then, I have to deal with my responsibilities as an Ambassador. Nothing's clear, like it used to be."
Azula raised her head from the ground where it lay. She frowned slightly. " I used to have responsibilities too. Father said I did better than anyone could have hoped." Azula's voice had some of its old gusto, but with out the cruel slickness, leaving it easy to listen too. " I was to be Fire Lord. But now I'm not. " she pushed herself into a sitting position.
Katara smiled sadly." You were the best fighter I'd ever seen, back when I first saw you. "
" Thank you." Azula whispered, looking taken aback. " You're an Ambassador?"
"Yes, that's why I'm here. I represent the Southern Water Tribe. "
Azula nodded slowly, her eyes never leaving Katara's. " I never have to worry now. But I do. "
"What do you worry about, Azula?" Katara asked.
" I worry that Zuko's okay, that he's visiting Mother's grave. I worry that Agni hates me, and that he's going to punish me for all eternity. I worry that you're going to get hurt and not come. I worry that the roses won't bloom. " she said.
" Azula, Zuko is okay. He thinks of you. Even if I get hurt, I'll still come and visit you. The roses are blooming, don't worry. I'll bring you a rose. "
Azula nodded. She was looking better, Katara noted. Her cheeks now had a healthy flush, her skin no longer hung on her bones. Apparently, the cook's healing miso soup really did heal.
" I brought some ink, and paper. I thought you might like to write or draw something." Katara said.
Azula leaned forward, and took a sheet of paper, a brush, an ink well with water and an ink stick. In silence they ground their ink and began to write, or in Azula's case, draw.
Katara wrote a long over due letter to her brother and Suki, who were engaged and living on Kyoshi. Azula took her time, using the smallest brush to draw. Katara finished first, and watched as Azula, completely absorbed, put the finishing touches on her family of turtleducks. They looked amazingly realistic, Katara had no idea Azula was a talented artist.
When she finished, Azula looked up, and asked, " Katara, would you give this to Zuko for me?"
Katara nodded, and accepted the paper.
" Can I have some soup?" Azula asked. "please?" she added at Katara's sharp look.
Katara poured out two bowls of soup. Azula drank hers in silence, preferring to savor the soup rather than talk. It reminded Katara of her Brother, Sokka. He too loved his food.
" You haven't been burning yourself, " Katara noted when they had finished their soup.
"I still have nightmares. " Azula said. " But I don't get burned anymore. I don't know why."
" I think it means that you're recovering your ability to firebend."
Azula's eyes widened with surprise. " You think so?" She asked excitedly. " You think I'll be able to bend again?"
Katara nodded. " Yes. I think you might be able to." She paused. " But don't try unless I'm here to heal you, okay?"
" I won't. " Azula said.
o0o0o0o
Katara walked in the next day with a funny look on her face, a desk and a tall white candle, and the soup.
" Hey, Azula. I brought you something." Katara said as she put down the low table and candle.
"It's a table. And candle." Azula said. She crawled forward.
" I know. " Katara said. She fit the table through the bars, with no space to spare. "This is to help you get your bending under control."
" Oh." Azula sat back, crossing her legs under her. She pulled the table near her. Katara rested the candle atop the table. She pulled out flint, and proceeded to light the candle.
Azula stared at the tiny flame. It swayed, uncontrolled.
"Azula." Katara snapped her fingers. Azula looked up.
"Sorry."
Katara smiled. " It's okay. Now, just do what I do, and hopefully, it will work." Katara sat cross-legged, hands on her knees. Azula copied her. "Now, focus on the candle and breath deeply." Azula did as she said. Nothing.
"Try again. Focus on the candle. On its flame. Breathe deeply. " Katara said. "It's a control exercise."
Azula took in a deep breath. The candles flame rose slightly as she held in the air. She let the air out, and the flame lowered.
"Good job!" Katara said. "That's what supposed to be happening."
Azula smiled. She took another breath, and the flame grew and rose in the air. Then she let out the breath, and the flame shrank. She tried again, and the same thing happened.
"Keep working on it when you're alone. " Katara instructed. "I'll bring more candles tomorrow. " Azula nodded.
Katara pulled out the soup and poured it. Azula moved away from the candle to grab her soup. They ate in calm silence.
"Did Zuzu like my picture?" Azula asked when she was finished.
"Yeah, he did. " Katara said.
"Do you visit the Turtle ducks?"
"Sometimes. The babies just hatched a week ago. They're really cute."
" You should visit them. They like little bread balls. " she said. A sad look crossed her face as she added, " I used to sneak out at night to feed them. Father thought that the turtleducks were stupid, but the nobles liked them, so he kept them. I would talk to them. " she smiled softly.
"I'll go feed them tonight." Katara promised.
She packed up.
"Water fish?" Azula piped up. "Please?" she added. "Could you do that flying dragon?"
"Sure." Katara grinned at the other girl's eager request. It was so easy to forget that Azula had nearly killed Aang; that she'd tried to kill Zuko; that she'd tried to kill her; it was all to easy to look at Azula now and not see the murdering, cruel girl she'd been only two years ago.
o0o0o0o
" Royu, You've got to just see the facts. We're doing what is necessary to help the fire nation. " A voice said. It was deep and harsh, grating on Azula's nerves. The voice was somehow familiar.
"I know how we've been wronged, forced to the edges of society, but I don't think-" the other voice was softer, kinder.
" That's just it. You think. Trust him. He knows what to do, he knows all the problems, and how causes them. "
"But-"
" Royu. If there was another way, we'd take it."
"I... I know. I just wish there was another way. "
"Wishing solves no troubles."
"Indeed. "
"Look, who is close to his lordship? Who knew him before he came to power? Who does he make a point of spending time with, make a point of talking to each and everyday?"
"The water girl." The soft voice said, as if reciting lines.
"yes. And who would he do anything to protect?"
"Her."
"And who can help us with the goal of catupreing her?"
"Look at her, sir. She's nothing. She's been nothing for two years now." the voice wound its way into Azula's blank mind. "I don't see why we can't just kill her. It'd be nicer, honestly. Imagine if you'd fallen that far."
"I see what you see, Royu. But she is not yet completely gone- not that I doubt that that will happen." The new voice was one she'd never heard, sparking her interest. "But the plans must be laid down, and the girl will come," the new man said calmly.
"Yes, sir," said Royu, Azula guessed.
"Make sure the girl comes, Shaya, and don't do anything else. Don't move from this door step. I want this done right the first time. No mistakes. Get me when she enters the room, understood?"
"Yes sir, " Shaya -the 2nd voice- replied.
Clearly the men had been talking softly, but these chambers had been built to magnify sounds so that it was harder to escape with out the guards hearing, but it worked both ways. So she knew that the 'plan', whatever may it be, was not a widely know one. It involved someone, a girl, entering her room. They'd said 'water girl'. That implied a water bender, or else it was a code for something, but their conversation wasn't one that implied code. All of Azula's shrewdness came flooding back. The only person she knew of that would be called a 'water girl' was Katara. The only person that came into her room was Katara. They had to be talking about Katara. Katara was in danger. It didn't sound right. Katara shouldn't be in danger, Katara was nice and kind and helpful and pretty and... and the closest thing Azula had to a friend.
No, thought Azula, they will not hurt her. I won't let them. But Katara was coming here, and she was trapped in her barred cell. How could she get out? Azula's eyes fell to the table with the two candles upon it. It had fit through the bars. Maybe she would too.
o0o0o0o
Katara walked into Azula's room. There had been a guard posted outside the door, which was new. She looked around and noticed that the carved window that lighted the room had been smashed so that the carving part was gone. Then a hand -at least, that was what she assumed it was- covered her eyes. Something harshly poked a point along her spine, and Katara's arms went numb, and she dropped the bag with the soup and water.
"Oops." The base of her neck was poked, and Katara fainted, spiraling into black numbness. As she fell, she heard a faint "Crap."