Chapter 3: Of Autumn Zephyr and Myriad Leaves
(Narrative POV)
Just about she walked out of the house at five o' clock in the morning to do some gardening, she saw a figure slowly walking away from a distance. She was curious. Who would walk alone in the streets at this time in the morning? She squinted her eyes and tried to analyze who that girl was. She suddenly realized it was Azula.
She quickly ran and tried to catch up with her daughter who was carrying a large luggage. She went in front of her, suddenly stopping Azula from walking and making her seem look alarmed.
"M…mother?" Azula muttered with a terrified expression written on her face.
"What the hell are you doing?!" she yelled as she grabbed one of her arms tighter and pulled her closer.
"Mom, stop!" Azula yelled back and struggled to escape from her mother's tight grip on her arm.
"Oh, so now you answering back to me like that?! You want me to punch you?!" Marra raised her fists, ready to hurt Azula in anytime.
"Mom… Please… I'm leaving… I can't take it anymore…" she calmed herself down and started crying in front of her mother.
Marra couldn't believe what she had just heard from her daughter. She slowly held down her fists and her face went calmer. She didn't respond.
Azula sighed and wiped her tears, "I'm so tired of getting hurt and getting abused every single day… The pain just won't stop… I've been living like that my whole life and all I want is just to find some peace…"
Marra stood there expressionless without moving a muscle, but she sure was listening very attentively.
"All my life no parent ever seemed to love me. That's why I came here. That's why I left everything behind. It's because I want to have a mother that would finally love me. But I can't force you do that, I know I can't and I wouldn't even try... But I'm okay with everything that happened to me so far… At least I get to know you and all of my siblings. At least I've gotten the chance to be with my real mother…" she weakly smiled and paused for a moment.
Suddenly, tears came streaming down from her face once more. She knelled down and bowed in front of her mother. "I'm just… I'm so sorry for what I've done... I think it would be better for me stay out of your lives because I'm so terrible in everything… I feel like I'm a hindrance to all of you... But please keep in mind that I love you so much even if we're like this all the time. Mother, please don't forget that I'm here. I'm still your daughter anyway, right?"
She couldn't take seeing her daughter sobbing and pleading in front of her. She was confused and felt so terrible for hurting her every time. Azula loved her so much and obeyed her all the time even if she always gets nothing in return.
She waited for years to finally be with her daughter and now she's wasting it away?
"Mother… I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for putting father's life to an end! You're right… I'm a monster… A terrible one!" Azula apologized, still knelling down in front of her mother while crying desperately. "I should've just rotten away in the asylum like you told me…. But I hope that one day, you'd be able to forgive me for doing such terrible things…"
Azula slowly stood up and gave her mother a hug, "Goodbye, mother…" Azula couldn't help but to sob again and get so emotional. Now, she felt like she was about to lose another mother. She doesn't know where to go at all and she also doesn't even know why she's leaving. She just felt so bad about knowing that she had killed her own father.
Azula slowly let go and turned back to walk away. Her mother's heart raced. Should she let her own daughter go away? After all those years she'd waited for her to come?
"Azula!" her mother screamed. "Come back here this instant!"
And so Azula, who was now a few feet away from her mother, decided to stop walking. She turned around only to find Marra crying from a distance.
"I said… come back here this instant!" her mother yelled with loud pants in between words as tears were continuously streaming down her face. "Don't make me firebend at you, young lady…" she warned her.
With that, Azula slowly approached her mother till they're only a few inches away from each other. Azula shook her head down and squeezed her eyes close, unsure of what her mother is planning to do.
Soon when she opened her eyes, she was shocked seeing her mother embracing her very tightly. Azula could clearly hear the pain behind those sobs.
"You don't know how long I've waited for you…" her mother muttered as she cupped her daughter's chin gently with both hands. Marra tucked some of Azula's hair behind the ears. She still managed to smile, even when both of them were crying. "I'm sorry for hurting you and treating you like that... I-"
"I understand mom…. I deserve to be treated that way because I killed the most important man in your life… I ruined your lives... I should be the one to apologize… not you…"
"No sweetie… Please… You were still unaware that he was your father at that time… Maybe I was just surprised seeing you all of a sudden that I don't know how to handle everything in place… I'm so sorry, Azula... Forgive me..." Marra apologized very sincerely in tears, still hugging her daughter tightly. "I want you to stay with me and I would want to make up for all those years when you didn't have me…"
Azula looked at her mother and managed to plaster a faint smile across her face. She slowly nodded and rested her head above her mother's shoulder.
Azula dropped her luggage and slowly hugged her mother back while sobbing loudly that she can't seem to catch her breath.
Azula never felt so happy in her whole life. Is this really it? Had she found a mother that's finally going to love her?
(Azula's POV)
It's been days since that happened. Things just got better, I guess. Mom was nicer to me, and I'm quite glad. Zuko visits me frequently and we go to several different places whenever he's free from all the works. He wasn't that much busy at all anyway...
About Zuko… I think I've developed some kinds of feelings for him… I don't know… But whenever we are together, I temporarily forget about everything and just think about him all time long. It's not that 'crush' kind of thing that I'm feeling… Let's just say I see him as my best friend and I trust him completely... Also, It's just… I'm still thankful to have him with me even if were not related at all… What makes him still care about me anyway…?
But what if he's gone…? What if all of a sudden, he starts to hate on me…? I just hope that won't happen… I hope he's always here for me…. I'm glad to be his sibling at some point in my life… I hope he won't leave me alone ever again…
Today I decided to go to the cemetery myself. I tried to toughen up and managed to stand in front of his grave after just knowing the truth.
I didn't feel anything at all. But that was only before I noticed the jar placed beside his grave. I slowly reached out my hand and grabbed it.
After I opened the it, I took out the letter placed inside the jar and unfolded it. It turns out that the letter was for me and it was written by the man that I killed five years ago.
Azula,
If ever you started to know everything, please don't be angered out… We love you so much but we can't keep you here any longer… Prince Ozai took you away from us… I can't seem to fight him off, because if I did, I'd end up being in prison… And I can't let that happen…I have to support your mother and your siblings…
I'm terribly sorry if I have to let you go and make you live with another family… You'd be better to be with them, I hope you can understand... We are very poor at that time and we may not fulfill all your needs… You may not be able to attend school and live well if you stayed…
I'm sorry for not being a perfect father to you and not to be with you all along the way… Although I tried my best and ended up being a guard so that I check on you every day, I was contented with that…
Even if I'm not there physically, please keep in mind that I would always be here for you… Remember that I'm always bound to protect you, my dear…
I love you to death, my princess…
(Narrative POV)
She placed back the letter in tears. Her heart was aching from what she have done. She let her sharp nails sink in her flesh as her nose flared with anger. She was so angry at herself.
She glanced up to the heavens and forcibly closed her eyes. She started to remember everything… his face, his voice, and the way she ordered the guards to execute him. It was all terrible.
"You're a traitor… Don't you dare to oppose my decisions like that!" she yelled at the middle aged man standing in front of her.
"But princess… I… I was only trying to protect you… The journey would be really dangerous if we would continue to sail on this course…" the man explained nervously.
"Protect me?!" she let out a short laugh and crossed her arms as she glared at the middle aged man. "I don't need person like you on this ship. Let this be an example to everybody." She then looked directly to the other guards standing behind her, "Execute him!"
Two guards came approaching the middle aged man and cuffed his hands. The man was screaming all over for forgiveness and struggled. But in the end, he was still executed right in front of her eyes.
Little did Azula know that the middle aged man she killed was her own father…
She leaned back on a shady tree under the gloomy sunlight and tried to relax herself. She coercively put up a bitter smile on her face and soon fell into sleep as the zephyr brushed her face softly.
Azula found herself inside a navy ship. There were several crews around her. She was confused out. Why was she in there? Was there another war?
Several crews were crowded up in a circle, as if something important was happening. She suddenly heard a familiar voice, it sounded like hers… She quickly ran to the front of the crowd and saw herself yelling at her… biological father.
Her eyes widened and her mind was filled with confusion. What is happening? Was she in some sort of dream? Did she travel back in time?
Someone suddenly placed its palm on her shoulder from behind. She quickly turned around and met her biological father's eyes. She looked back at the scenario and glanced back to her father who is standing just right in front of her. Her heart started to race and tears were starting to form on her eyes.
She knelled down with a bow in front of her father… She hugged his knees and started crying. She felt so broken and torn apart with just seeing him stand in front her..
"I'm sorry father… I'm so sorry… Please forgive me…" she was sobbing in between phrases, tears just won't stop falling from all the pain and regrets.
Her father slowly knelled down to her level and carefully pulled her into an embrace. " It's alright..." He shushed his daughter with a faint smile and looked at her directly. "You don't have to cry about it, Azula... Everything happens for a reason... I was gone for a reason too... And I know deep in my heart that I was gone to protect all of you... You are always my princess and I love you so much... I want you to be happy in your life and be successful one day... Just remember that Im still here for you, my dear..."
His words made her feel better. She felt lighter and even more free. She finally woke up without pain and regrets in her heart.
Azula stood up with a genuine smile on her face and started heading home. "I love you too, father..." She whispered to the wind.
Thanks for reading! I really appreciate it. Don't hesitate to do a review or suggest ideas for the next chapter. Also kindly tell me if you think that something's wrong or something doesn't sound so good.
Chapter Plot: Azula finally reconciles with her own mother. Everything has slightly gotten better for her and she describes her feelings for Zuko being her best friend. Azula also visited her father's grave and finally stored away all the pain and regrets after talking to him in her dream.
No hate ;) thanks again guys :)