Hello guys, I'm back with another chapter, in this one, we continue with the flashbacks. I thank all the people who left reviews. And as for the pairing, you will just have to wait and see, although I am leaning towards Azulaang, of course the story is not set in stone so i don't know yet. Enjoy!
I forgot to put a disclaimer in the first chapter, I do not own Avatar the last Airbender or any of it's characters
Chapter 2
Azula trained with the dragons for the whole day, they however didn't train the young girl in the art of using fire for fighting, they showed her how to create life. After all, everyone needs balance in their life. She had finally had found her balance and now Azula knew, that her firebending would never be the same again. And she was right.
A while later...
Azula was in trouble, from the moment that she decided to go exploring the Island of the Sun Warriors she knew trouble was waiting when she got back to Ember Island, now after having been smuggled home in a nondescript sail boat belonging to the warriors in the middle of the night, hours after she had disappeared, Azula knew she was in for a big one.
But she had never, and I mean never expected for her uncle to call her so they could talk in private, after haven gotten chewed out by her parents. She wasn't ashamed to say that she was slightly wary of his temper, when he wanted to, he could be terrifying, he once drove Lu Ten to tears after a failed prank on a group of ministers from Omashu, let's just say they weren't happy to be covered in cake. But now, as Uncle took a seat opposite me in his leather chair, he didn't really seem angry, just curious. "Azula" he said cautiously, choosing his words carefully and game was he playing at, Azula wondered, he was obviously not angry, that much was obvious so what could he possibly want from her.
She was snapped out of her musings as he continued speaking in the same low tone "Azula, show me your fire", said girl was now looking at him warily, where did that come from. He couldn't possibly know where she went right? What if he found out? What if he decided to slay the dragons to again prove his title as Dragon of the West? A whirlwind of questions overwhelmed her young mind, all she knew that Iroh could not kill them, they were the last ones. Slowly and with full blown fear of being discovered, Azula reached for her chi and channelled it to her trembling hands to create a flame, there was only one problem.
Her fire was blue
Iroh's sharp intake of breath told her this was definitely not a normal, she started panicking, what was going on, her fire had never been blue, she had not heard of anyone who could bend blue flames, her secret would come out and she would be sent to prison for training with dragons, her whole family would be so disappointed. She started to hyperventilate, her fire went out without her even noticing. Her slim frame began shaking violently in terror, eyes wide and unfocused seeing but at the same time not seeing. She stood up and began backing herself into the wall behind her, panic wracking her body.
Her uncle, seeing the state of her young niece began trying to get her to calm down, after a few arduous minutes, Azula found herself sitting against the wall of her uncle's office, gasping for breath. She pushed her fear down with difficulty and faced her uncle, when he spoke again, this time his voice was gentle and comforting. "My niece, did you meet the masters?"Azula's breath hitched but knew lying was futile, so she responded "Yes"
Contrary to all expectations, her uncle's face broke into a smile and his eyes shone with mirth and childlike excitement, yep, Uncle Iroh was back. He rose to his full height and lifted her up easily. Then he swept her into a bone-crushing hug and sighed in relief. Azula, unused to this treatment stiffened initially and internally was screaming but slowly she started to ease herself into the hug. When they finally separated, Iroh had a full blown smile planted on his face, he spoke happily. "I can't believe that you passed the test and I am so happy that you have found the true meaning firebending, it seems it is not only in Zuko that struggles with the two sides of his bloodlines."Years later, that statement
He invited her to a cup of tea (of course) and they talked all about firebending and tea courtesy of Iroh. This encounter led to many more over the years, they finally started connecting like the family they were, Azula learnt all about tea and steadily got better at Pai sho to the point of almost beating him several times, he even taught her a strange strategy involving the white lotus tile. Seriously, he had an unearthly obsession with that lotus move for some reason.
Unknown to everybody but her uncle, she continued visiting Ran and Shaw, her firebending got stronger and her sapphire flames became her trademark attack. She got vengeance on the warriors for 'forgetting' to tell her that the dragon of the west did not kill the last dragons, her method was a more successful version of Lu Ten's prank on the ministers, she almost didn't get away but it was so worth it.
She mourned with Iroh when his son died, he consoled her after Ozai overworked the young firebender in training and was still wanting more from her, Azula in turn consoled him when he was overcome with sorrow about Lu Ten's death, he became the father she never had.
Then everything had to fall apart.
Ursa left protecting the young prince. Ozai knew that his wife would do anything to stop her beloved son from death, and Azula knew that, she attracted her mother's attention in the only she knew how, by hurting Zuko's feelings, afterwards she tried to warn her Mother but she just said she was being stupid, when the poor girl insisted; Ursa snapped, and the words she uttered at that moment would haunt Azula forever.
"Young lady, how dare you accuse your father of such tricks, you are turning into a monster."
Tears brimming in her eyes, Azula, whose intentions had been pure, ran out of the room sobbing, her father wanted her to become a weapon and her own mother didn't want anything to do with her. She was useless. She climbed to the top of the palace where no one went and cried herself to sleep. Unbeknownst to her, Iroh had heard that shouted words of her mother and watch the young girl run out of her room crying, her heart bleeding. He followed her from a distance and saw that she had climbed on to the roof.
Sighing in reluctance, he begun his climb, she so owed him for this. Panting, he reached the top and muttering about walls and agile little girls went towards Azula who was leaning against the roof and sleeping, her ragged breathing and the tear stains on her cheeks and sleeping robe told him she had most likely just fallen asleep. So he waited.
Azula woke up to a loud rumbling and a starry sky she must have fallen asleep although it was still nighttime , she stretched and suddenly remembered what had happened just a few hours ago, she no longer felt the need to cry however, she just felt miserable. She turned around and saw her uncle sprawled around the roof, snoring the night away, thus the mystery of the rumbling was solved. She went to sit next to him and pulled her knees up to her chest and thought about her mothers words,am I really a monster she thought. "No you are not my girl" She started, her uncle was awake, she hadn't realised she had voiced her last thought. Her uncle drew her up into a hug like he had all those years ago and prompted Azula to tell him what was wrong, and she did. By the end, Azula was half asleep and Iroh, seeing this whispered,"Sleep Azula, things will be better in the morning" Azula complied but before she did, she mumbled two words that made Iroh's heart clench with emotion.
"Ok Dad"
AWWWWWWWWW! So cute, Iroh thinks of azula as her daughter and azula thinks of Iroh as his dad. I hope you like the father/daughter bonding i did there. This chapter had a lot of exposition and im sorry if you didn't enjoy that, I sure did :) Please review, constructive criticism is welcome because you learn from your mistakes, however, no flames, please. I know Ursa seems like a jerk in this chapter but you have to understand, ursa still thinks azula is evil and she is worried for her son.
