Chapter 3 - The Secret

"Incompetent fools," Azula hissed at the two guards. Both men dropped to their knees, their heads bowed in shame. She paid them no more attention and stalked outside. The aftermath of the assassination attempt on the boy was unavoidable in the morning sun. The palace gardens were near devastated, several of the palace support pillars lay fallen and lava had scorched whole sections of the building. To make matters worse the boy had not uttered a single word since the attack. History seemed determined to repeat itself; in light of the guard's failings, Izumi had summoned the Kyoshi Warriors to safeguard the palace and its inhabitants.

But what to do with the assassin's would be victim? Mai insisted he was suffering from depression. To that end both Izumi and Zuzu convinced a litany of unusual healers to come to the palace; some water tribe types called 'therapists'. At least one significant water tribe woman was not among their number, but for all the effort the therapists put in they achieved nothing. Izumi's constant conversation and showers of affection elicited no response from him. Nor did Zuzu's guided meditation.

Both Zuzu and Izumi brought the full force of their influences to bear on the situation and the hunt for the Red Lotus. Even the Avatar was helping hunt down the cowards. Success should not have been long in coming, but days passed and there was no word on their quarry.

The therapists at least managed a breakthrough over a week later when the boy finally uttered a few words; more soon followed. A minor success, and few seemed to appreciate the cost incurred. The boy was fast losing any trace of his once graceful firebending. His movements were cruder and more blunt. He tended to strike out with nothing but rage and hurled fire daggers with inelegant force. Attacks missed targets as often as they struck, but the lack of accuracy did not seem to register. Azula approached him after his latest and weakest drill performance, unable and unwilling to allow the situation persist. "Junior."

He jumped and whirled to face her. He was not pleased to see her today. Some fear was understandable, but now it persisted even after he recognised who addressed him. "Yes Aunt Azula?"

"Your performance today was the worst I have ever seen" No niceties or tip-toeing around the issue. If something did not change soon, he would be a lost cause. The boy stared at the ground, his face scrunched up; was he about to cry? With a growl he pivoted and hurled another rain of fire-daggers at the distant target with more force than before. Less than half of his attacks hit anything of note and the boy achieved little but a shortness of breath.

He turned back to her and lowered his gaze. "I'm… I'm sorry, Aunt Azula."

She folded her arms. "Maybe you should change the nature of your attacks." The boy glanced up at her. "Projectiles are unreliable in many circumstances and almost useless against armoured opponents." He frowned, his breathing calming; she allowed an almost smile to quirk her lips. "Lightning is far more effective against both water and metal benders would you not say?"

The boy nodded. "Faster and deadlier." His expression fell again. "But I don't-"

"You will learn."

The boy's mouth fell open and he took a few hesitant steps towards her. "Mother said she would never allow me to learn such a thing."

Azula shrugged. "There is no need for your mother to know everything now is there?"

The boy gulped and grinned at her. "When do we start?"

The boy's first success was weak and unfocused. The blast of lightning lacked force and dissipated into a hundred branches far too easily. "Did I do it right?" Azula nodded. A good start; refining the technique could begin. The boy jumped up and down in celebration. His arms were around her before she could react; he was quicker than she could cope with now. "Thank you Aunt Azula!"

She allowed his touch. Pushing him away or rebuking him was an option, but make the training too harsh and he would lose hope again. "Remember; you must not use the technique on anyone while you are still in training; I could not stand the shame of a poor lightningbender as my student." And hopefully that would dissuade him from recklessness. His form was almost back to what it had been and his skill triumphed over Zuzu's; her brother never managed to produce even a single spark. Did he also share his daughter's desire to keep the boy away from danger? He had been the one thing holding the boy back from learning-

"Iroh, Azula." Zuzu stood at the entrance to the courtyard and nodded to them both. The boy bowed to him and fell back into their agreed deception and informed Zuzu they had been doing no more and no less than a typical firebending drill. "Could you let me have a moment with your Aunt?" Zuzu asked as the boy paused in his recitation. The boy nodded and rushed off to get cleaned up. "Teaching him that is dangerous." No preamble; he had figured it out despite her efforts. No matter.

Azula shrugged. "Being unable to defend himself is surely more dangerous?"

"Once I would have been inclined to agree." Zuzu turned in the direction the boy left in. "He is too much like I was at his age." Azula rolled her eyes, Zuzu did not notice. "I know what it's like to not be in control of my life. To be helpless in the face of a threat as he was." Zuzu faced her again. "I thought learning redirection from Uncle would allow me to solve everything. But it was his guidance that allowed me to find peace, not a firebending technique."

"Oh, Zuzu," Azula snorted. The man would never understand. "You wanted father's approval when you were his age. You wanted to defeat me. But despite that you turned your back on that to take the throne-"

"Azula, we've been over this-" Zuzu started.

"Yes. Yes we have Zuzu." Her voice tightened. "I was the villain once. Remember?" Deep breath. "But I am not the villain in this situation. This is not about who is right and who is wrong." She stalked forward. "Junior is highly talented. He has the kind of boundless potential you never had. And unlike you he has not previously had anything to overcome, no penance to bear or dishonour to suffer under. Everything in his whole life has been safe, kind and comfortable." She paused just in front of him. "To you, he is already perfect, no matter how sloppy his bending becomes. To me, he can never be perfect." Zuzu was about to protest and she continued. "But he can at least strive for it. Things have changed; he faced a real enemy for the first time. And he almost lost."

"An assassination attempt is nothing like a real battle," Zuzu shot back.

"And such a distinction will somehow shield him?" Azula shook her head. "The Red Lotus exploited that to try and eliminate him." She scowled and jabbed his shoulder. "Life is harsh, Zuzu. This outcome was inevitable when we failed to protect him to the degree you and his mother wanted. He can't and won't trust anyone else to keep him safe now; he will try to take care of that on his own. All we can do is ensure he is victorious next time."

She stalked away and Zuzu did not follow. Some time at the turtle-duck pond perhaps; Izumi's smiling presence put an end to such a plan. The invitation to tea was not merely done because of the woman's whims. No pretences as Azula took her place at the table beside Mai and Izumi; they were here to discuss the boy. "How did Father react to the lightningbending?" Izumi asked. "Was he furious?"

"No. He still takes after his uncle," Azula replied as she took a sip of her tea. Mai cackled. "I confess I am surprised neither of you attempted to dissuade me from teaching." She glanced between them. "I take it you concede it is too late to stop now - and you have known all along."

"Of course I knew," Izumi replied to Mai's continued amusement. "Iroh is easy to read; whenever his mannerisms change, I make a point of finding out why." She grinned at Azula. "But you leave something to be desired in the matter of subtlety." Mai muffled another laugh with her hand and avoided Azula's glare. "Your reasons for some previous trips with Iroh were obvious; the Royal tombs, the cave behind the waterfall, the abandoned mines?" Izumi shook her head with an exaggerated sigh. "Teaching him lightningbending and then offering such a weak smokescreen… Too obvious."

"You did not answer my question." She was not letting her companion's clear amusement embarrass her.

Izumi sighed. "As if he would listen if I told him to stop now. Maybe if you weren't around-" Her expression turned serious as she glanced at Azula who tensed.

Mai fumbled in her sleeves as if searching for a knife. She stopped and held up her empty sleeve with a grin. Azula turned her attention back to Izumi. "Am I allowed to leave peacefully at least?"

"I think not." Izumi held her gaze and Azula tensed for combat. Two non-benders, one definitely unarmed. This would be easy. Izumi broke into a smile. "I'm not serious. Plus the damage is already done." Azula relaxed. "The training must be completed or Iroh risks killing himself." Izumi glanced at Mai. "And two lightningbenders? What harm could the two of you do?"

"Take over the world perhaps?" Mai suggested.

Izumi chuckled, Mai and Azula joining in a moment later. Once such a notion would not have been seen as laughable. Different times; so much had changed. "As long as you're not about to involve him in the hunt-" Azula said nothing. "-and as long as he is safe and happy in the palace I will not obstruct your training."

"Reasonable," Azula said, nodding. "But I have to ask, which of you told Zuzu?"

"Neither of us," Mai replied. "He really did figure it out himself." She sighed. "But I did expect him to be a little quicker."

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Notes: The entirety of the assassination scene was in The Saga of Avatar Korra, Book 1, Chapter 8 - The Chiblocker Lady.