Ok, this is my first songfic so please be kind. Basically, it's a one-shot onAzula's path of self-discovery after the war. Please read and review. All things Avatar do not belong to me.
Song is "Reflection" by Christina Aguilera.
Look at me
You may think you see who I really am
But you'll never know me
Ev'ry day
It's as if I play a part
Azula rose from her bed, a feeling of misery come over her. Everything she had worked so hard for had come to waste. Not only had the Avatar defeated her father, but Zuko, had eventually struck down the Fire Lord himself. The Princess was devastated. Thinking back, Azula could not help but feel comforted that her brother still cared for her, even after all the things she had done to him. As she cried that day, Zuko had sat with her and held her like the big brother she always had, whispering words of comfort and shushed the sobbing girl.
Now I see
If I wear a mask
I can fool the world
But I cannot fool my heart
As she washed up, Azula looked into the mirror. The once proud and powerful Princess had withered away to nothingness. All that was left was a scared, confused girl. However, as she thought about the court hearing that was to take place later, she put on the familiar look of haughtiness and lethal grace. On the surface, she knew that she would never give the other Kingdoms' leaders a chance to see her afraid. Yet as she observed herself in the mirror once more, her façade fell, and a tear slipped from her eyes.
Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
Azula had eventually proceeded to dress herself. She looked at the gown that her brother personally delivered to her. Impeccable as ever, Zuko had prepared her full Fire Princess regalia, crown and all. Slipping on the familiar robes, the Princess decided to forgo her make up. 'It would only smudge if I cried', she thought to herself. As she sat in-front of her vanity mirror, combing her long flowing hair, Azula's mind began to wander. So lost in though was she, that Azula failed to notice her uncle, Iroh, enter the room. Iroh cleared his throat, alerting the princess to his presence. Startled, Azula dropped the comb and hastily greeted her uncle. The Dragon of the West merely smiled back at her with kind eyes and signaled for her to sit. Then, picking up her fallen comb, he gently tended to her hair. As tears threatened to spill from her eyes, she asked, "Uncle, what have I done to deserve your forgiveness, I have been nothing but disrespectful and cruel towards you." Iroh observed his niece's pleading eyes through the mirror as he skillfully tied her hair into a graceful topknot. "Everybody deserves second chances Azula. Besides, I would never abandon my family. Not after so little of it is left," said the retired general, gently placing the crown in her hair. Another wave of tears hit Azula as she hugged her uncle. "Thank you, Uncle, thank you so much," she murmured into her uncle's shoulder. "Your brother and I will always be there for you, Azula, no matter what," soothed the older man, patting her back reassuringly.
I am now
In a world where I have to hide my heart
And what I believe in
But somehow
I will show the world
What's inside my heart
And be loved for who I am
"Princess Azula?" called a guard, "It is time." Steeling her face, Azula stepped through her room doors with all the pride she could master. But, despite the serene look on her face, the guards knew better. These were the ones that had watched over her since birth and had escorted her around the world. "It will be ok, Your Highness. We will always have your back," murmured the guard captain. Azula thought about those times that she had tortured and killed several guards for merely breathing too loudly in her presence and knew that she had taken things too much for granted. Her escorts remained silent throughout the rest of her journey to the courts.
Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection someone I don't know?
Must I pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
She thought she was putting up a brave front. A damned good one too. But her heart simply fell when the Earth King Kuei read her sentence. "Princess Azula, you have been found guilty of crimes against the Earth King, the Earth Kingdom, the Sovereign state of Kyoshi, the murder of Kyoshi Warriors and much more. You are here by sentenced to….life in exile." The one word hit her like a wall of bricks. A look of anguish crossed her face, and the illusion which she had tried so hard to maintain, vanished. "However, this is at the Fire Lord's discretion. Should he feel that you have changed for the better, he can reverse the sentence." The court was dismissed and a shocked and saddened Azula was slowly led back to her room.
As Azula stood on the deck of her ship and watched the sun set over the horizon, Zuko came and stood next to her. "You know brother; you really didn't have to come along. And you really didn't have to bring your fiancée along with you," she said. "Azula, you are my sister and I would never stand by and watched you be cast out of your own home. Just as Uncle did the same for me all those years ago, Mai and I will do for you. At least, until I feel that I've had a long enough vacation," replied the Fire Lord with a smile as he placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. Soon Mai came from below deck and joined the siblings.
There, sailing into the setting sun, Azula finally realized who she was inside.