Hey, guys!

Sorry about the late update. Saturdays are usually a rest day for me though this one turned out to be a little busier than anticipated. In any case, I'm back with another chapter. But as always, review time!

Jacob Guardian- Thank you, my friend! Enjoy this chapter!

blueandie- You're catching on ;) haha for real though you've got her mindset nailed right now and what's to come in this chapter is a big shift in the overall plot. One thing that differs in this story from the canon more than anything else, is that Azula is thinking and allowing the doubt to surface.

Nickmack101- The fact that my updates make your day is incredible heartwarming:) It means a lot

AzureTemplar3535- You'll see. She'll find out. One way or the other...;)

DeepVoice06- Thank you, I know it's not something you're as familiar with so I'm glad I'm being as clear as possible with the writing and plot:)

Worker72- It's going to deviate from canon in a number of ways. It's still being used as a template until it trails off.

The Rhombus- A good ole, 'plot direction' chapter. Not terribly dramatic but necessary for what's coming next. I don't think I ever showed you this chapter as I was writing it so I'm very keen on your thoughts.

Thanks again, everyone! I really would love to know your thoughts on this particular scene/chapter because it's one of the first big steps towards what's coming. You know I love responding to those reviews :)

Anyway, onward!

Chapter 7. Azula's Nighttime Stroll

The princess had ordered the guards and servants away from her room that night, citing that she was staying up later to complete more work on the invasion and was not to be disturbed for any reason other than the whole of the Fire Nation island sinking into the sea itself. She had to be absolutely positive that her father had retired to his personal chambers before making her move. He usually kept a very strict schedule, but other times, being Fire Lord required that he stay up later than ordinary for important decisions, strategies, or meetings.

To ensure that her after hours adventuring would not be found out, she had secretly entrusted Ty Lee to inform her when her father had concluded his business in the war room with War Minister Qin, the last item on his list that day.

Azula still wasn't entirely convinced that what she was about to do would make any difference whatsoever. The part of her mind she had always labeled as the 'logical' half wrote off Zuko as a waste of time, someone that she had been taught for the better part of her life had few uses and nothing to offer short of being a personal punching bag. But the other half, the dreaded 'emotional' half, said that this situation required thinking that was outside of the box for once. It wasn't as if he would tell anyone, certainly not father. If he did, she would just lie and that would be the end of that.

Another one of Ty Lee's comments on their way back from Ember Island surfaced in her head.

There are moments where you need to open up about problems that you're going through. You can't just ignore it and expect everything to be fine

Azula still didn't believe that, but she figured that with her dreams getting worse with no end in sight, it might be practical to at least see what Zuko had to say on the matter. Especially regarding their mother.

Her anger swelled at the recollection of that woman, the woman who had adored Zuko every day of her life but could never find anything to say to her except criticism and rebuttal. Long ago, father had assured her that just meant mother and people of her ilk were weak and did not have the fortitude and ambition to do what was necessary to lead a great nation to victory. And she had accepted the explanation without fail, letting that natural drive and ambition take over. But the day their mom had been banished from the palace, was a day that had changed them all- herself, her father, Zuko, Uncle…everyone. It was only recently that the pain from that ordeal had made its way from the dark place from which it dwelled for so many years. And though Azula wasn't one to look back on things that held no importance to the future or present, this did not fall into that category. Reluctant as she was to even acknowledge anything about her mother, the dreams, the beach, had all proved that the baggage still remained.

The princess tried to quell those heavy thoughts (it was becoming nigh impossible these days) and instead focused in on her breathing, at least until Ty Lee showed up. Taking a zen meditation stance, she proceeded to do this for the next couple of hours.

In…

*Exhale

And out…

In

*Exhale

And out…

This worked to a degree. Except something was wrong. She should have heard something by now from Ty Lee. Evil scenarios popped into her head, threatening what little peace she had attained. Perhaps she had been caught by her father was currently residing in a dungeon? Maybe she had told him everything and betrayed her?

No, she reprimanded herself, steering away from such thoughts. She's coming. She always has and will tonight as well.

Her faith eventually paid off. Twenty more minutes went by before a soft, double-knock was heard on her door. That was the secret knock they had agreed on and immediately, Azula leapt from her bed to open the door and let her in.

"Agni, Ty Lee! What took you so long?"

"Sorry, Azula I-"

"And for crying out loud, why are you wearing pink? You could have easily been spotted!"

"Azula!" Ty Lee whispered in a low, hushed voice. "Will you stop jumping down my throat? I'm sorry it took so long. First of all, pink is what my aura dictated I should wear today, second, I had to make sure your dad went to bed before I came back. That meeting he had with Qin lasted longer than I thought."

Pursing her lips, the princess turned her head slightly as an indication of a half hearted apology.

"I didn't mean to yell at you, okay?"

"Azula, I'm the most flexible, light footed person you know," Ty Lee said, a small smile returning to her face. "You know I wouldn't get caught."

"That doesn't stop me from worrying."

The former circus acrobat nodded, knowing this was as close to a 'sorry' as she was going to get from Azula. She'd take it every time.

"So, you're absolutely sure that my father is in bed?" she asked, moving the conversation forward.

"One hundred percent," Ty Lee affirmed. "Like I said, it lasted way longer than I thought. I was sooo bored too. I couldn't understand anything they were talking about."

That's not altogether surprising

"And what of Zuko?"

Her friend's face became slightly uncomfortable, wincing as though she expected a rebuke with her next statement.

"Well that's the thing, Azula…he's not in his room."

That caused the princess to raise an eyebrow, though inwardly she sighed in angst.

"Not in his room?"

"Completely empty. I passed by it on my way here. I even double checked just to be sure."

Azula took a deep breath and tried to think calmly and deliberately. If Zuko wasn't in his room, then he was probably out for a little night adventuring himself.

"Get out of the palace as soon as you can. Try to get back to your apartment unseen but the guards know better than to question you anyway."

Ty Lee indicated she understood, but not before one last question.

"Do you have an idea of where Zuko is, then?"

Azula grabbed her cloak, opened the window to her bedroom and crotched low to avoid hitting her head on the frame.

"Let's just say I think he's taking another prison visit to a certain dear uncle of ours."

Without another word, she jumped from the window sill.

Sure enough, her prediction turned out to be correct.

The Capital City prison was the Fire Nation's most secure, high priority facility, save for Boiling Rock, located northwest of the Palace. The difference was that homegrown criminals were usually put into the former while foreign enemies or benders were sent to the latter, as it was far more prudent to stick them in a place far from any land or civilization where they could wreak havoc if they escaped. After her Uncle had been captured and arrested at Ba Sing Se, the Fire Lord had wanted him executed for high treason. However, even with the knowledge that Iroh had betrayed the empire, most of the military and common folk still held a soft spot for the Dragon of the West. Combined with Zuko's insistence, in the end it was agreed upon that he would spend the rest of his life in prison to spare the potential backlash of such a controversial decision.

Zuko's previous visits to the prison had started as nothing more than a minor annoyance for Azula. Her brother wasn't dumb enough to be in league with their uncle as part of a plot, but it would certainly seem that way to others and to their father if he caught wind of it. Ever since, she had tried to dissuade Zuko from doing so, though she knew for a fact he hadn't taken her advice, so freely given without any alternate motivation.

However, tonight she wasn't concerned with that. She and her brother were overdue for a talk, and whatever his latest reason for visiting Iroh, well it could hold some value. If nothing else, she could kill two birds with one stone.

The princess spotted her brother traveling quickly on the road leading to the prison, his silhouette reflected by the full moon that shone brightly down on the stone walls of the prison, the glow a tad eerie, as though it were some old, darkened ruin inhabited by shadows. She looked up and saw that the bright silver orb was more than halfway from completing its trip across the night sky. If she had to hazard a guess, it was one or two hours past midnight. In other words, this little foray needed to be quick.

She patiently waited for Zuko to cross the bridge that separated the prison from the main part of the complex, giving him a head start. After all, it was better he didn't know she had followed him, at least not yet. After deeming a necessary amount of time had passed, Azula pulled up her hood and headed inside.

The interior was just as gloomy as it was on the outside. No light penetrated save for the torches lit in the hallways. Not the best place to spend any amount of time in, which is why it seemed all the harsher for a member of the Royal Family to be locked in here. But traitors were traitors and Azula was not in the business of helping them, especially not her uncle. There were far more important reasons to risk getting her hands dirty.

She had barely taken ten steps down the hall when a male guard with a thick mustache yelled out, "Stop!"

The princess did so, barely hiding the smirk on her face of knowing what would happen once she turned around.

"Who are you? And what is your business? No one but authorized prison personnel and guests with an appointment may enter here."

"I suppose I've kept you in suspense long enough," she said dropping her hood and facing the guard with an intimidating smile.

"P-Princess, Azula," the guard stammered. "I had no idea you were- please allow me to assist you in any way."

"As a matter of fact, I do need some assistance. You see, I know my brother is in here, don't try to deny it," she had sensed his lie before it even crossed his lips. "If you could be so kind as to direct me to my Uncle's cell and I'll be on my merry way."

"Upstairs, third level, cell seven. No guards are on that floor as ordered by the Crown Prince."

Typical of my brother to try and be secretive and fail so miserably at it.

"I do thank you for the service. And as with Zuko, this insignificant visit stays within these walls. Am I quite clear?"

"Understood, princess."

"Good."

She proceeded to stride past him, the heavily mustached faced guard still quivering slightly. Normally, Azula would have taken great pleasure in producing that kind of fear in someone, but there was no time to do so.

Or maybe rather she didn't want to admit her doubts about the merits of causing fear in the first place.

The princess reached the seventh cell of the third level in no time and as the guard had said, no one was there to interrupt her. She could hear her brother's echoing voice upon her approach to the cell entrance which on the inside, contained a cage that currently imprisoned the disgraced former general. Judging by her timing, the conversation had just begun.

"…the note said I needed to know about my great-grandfather's death. But he was still alive in the end!"

"No, he wasn't," came the melancholic reply of her Uncle's voice, sounding a tad raspy from lack of use.

So that's why Zuko was asking all of those strange questions about Sozin. Apparently, our uncle wants him to know something about our family's past.

She decided against interrupting for now, instead hanging back outside of the cell to listen to where this discussion would lead.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko asked, his tone utterly confused. Privately, Azula was a bit puzzled herself.

"You have more than one great-grandfather, Prince Zuko," Iroh explained. "Sozin, was your father's grandfather. Your mother's grandfather was Avatar Roku."

Okay, that she had not been expecting and there was no doubt her brother had an equally priceless look on his face. Was this all a lie? A make believe tale designed to exploit Zuko in his turmoil? It's what she would have done herself had she been in the same position. But instinct told her this was not manipulation.

"Why are you telling me this?!" Zuko said, now sounding as though he were in severe emotional agony.

"Because understanding the struggle between your two great-grandfathers can help you better understand the battle within yourself."

Azula slipped a peak inside of the cell, careful not be seen and saw her brother was now on his knees, hands clasped over his head.

"Evil and good are always at war inside you, Zuko. It is your nature. Your legacy. But there is a bright side," Iroh continued. "What happened generations ago can be resolved now, by you. Because of your legacy you alone can cleanse the sins of our family and the Fire Nation. Born in you, along with all the strife, is the power to restore balance to the world."

There was a small pause and what sounded like the removal of a brick from the walls.

"This is a Royal artifact. It's supposed to be worn by the Crown Prince."

Azula did not dare look through the small window in the door to see what it was, but she could guess. The Crown Prince always wore a specialized headpiece, to be worn with the traditional topknot. Could it be something similar?

The princess had been so consumed listening in to her brother and uncle, however, that the next sentence she heard within the cell took her by complete surprise (not easy to do in her case).

"Prince Zuko, go home and think about what I've revealed to you today. There is one another I need to speak to tonight."

"Who? There's no guards on this floor. I made sure of it."

"Your sister has been listening outside the door for the past few minutes. I require a moment of her time if she can spare it, alone."

That last sentence was definitely aimed towards her. How? How had uncle known she was here? He must have caught her brief glance into the cell window, that would have been the only way. Mentally kicking herself, she supposed that since was the jig was up, there was no point in hiding her presence any longer.

Azula entered the cell and upon her arrival, Zuko's stance became defensive.

"What are you doing here?" he said a little too aggressively.

"Relax, Zuko. I didn't follow you merely to eavesdrop on whatever you decided to see Uncle for. Though…I must admit it has intrigued me far more than I imagined."

"So, are you going to throw me in here for treason as well?"

Azula couldn't suppress an eyeroll, acting like what she had just overheard meant nothing to her. She wasn't about to reveal her entire hand to either of them.

"Really, Zuko, don't be so dramatic. You said nothing treasonous in that little exchange. Our dear uncle on the other hand…"

Zuko frowned, his scar wrinkling as a side effect from doing so.

"Do not hurt him, Azula. I swear if anything happens-"

"It's alright, Prince Zuko," their uncle interrupted. "Do not worry about me. Go and rest. I'll be fine."

The Fire Nation prince clearly didn't trust he would be safe in a one on one conversation with his sister. Nevertheless, he complied and in just a few seconds had left the room leaving niece and uncle alone in the darkened cell.

For a moment, the two appeared to size each other up, trying to guess the other's intentions before speaking. However, Iroh being the older and more experienced of the two had no need to say anything just yet. He had nowhere to go and nothing to do and so could wait as long as he liked. Azula on the other hand, was losing out to her own impatience. She had quite a few things to say, and she knew he could sense it.

"What are you doing, Uncle?"

Perhaps he's cleverer than I originally thought

Years of underselling and mocking him had left her blind to the fact that he was very powerful and extraordinarily perceptive even in this state. He could play this game just as well as Azula.

"That depends on your point of view I suppose. As it stands now, I am sitting in a cell in Capital City Prison where I have been sentenced to live out the rest of my days."

"Vague deflections aren't going to help you this time, Uncle. I heard the entire conversation."

"Then you also heard what I said to Zuko about his ancestry. Which, by the way, goes for you too."

Azula narrowed her eyes. What was he suggesting?

"And you think it makes a difference to me? Why should it matter whether or not Avatar Roku is my great-grandfather?"

"Whether it matters to you or not is for you to decide," Iroh half shrugged. "But what I said to your brother applies to his sister as well. The symbolic conflict that resides within him, also resides in you."

Oh, this was rich. Perhaps her uncle truly had lost his mind in here.

"What you told Zuko is the equivalent of a plot against the Fire Lord and one that carries the penalty of death. I've never had misgivings or second thoughts about the purpose of our nation and the vision we are destined to share with the rest of the world. And I've never doubted my role in this war."

"This is true," Iroh concurred. "At least up until now. Azula you have represented the goals and aims of Sozin, passed onto my father, Azulon, passed down to my brother, your father, Ozai. And he instilled it in you. Your whole life, you have lived with the belief that power driven by hate, anger, and fear is the only worthwhile achievement."

The princess held her temper, instead deciding to play dumb with her uncle in order to glean more hidden motives from him, if possible.

"And you can prove otherwise?"

Iroh's face took a somber expression.

"You forget, niece, I once shared in that vision as well. We were never close, you and I, but I was like you in that I believed that the Fire Nation was the greatest country on earth. I believed in a world where our way of life would prevail among every culture and people. And above all, I believed I was destined to be Fire Lord, to take up the mantle after my father and continue his work and by extension, Sozin's.

"But as I learned the hard way, power and ambition come at a cost if unchecked. When I lost my son, your cousin, Lu Ten, the power I thought I wanted for so many years nearly consumed my soul, because it had robbed what was most precious to me. I realized in the aftermath of such a tragedy that there is more to life than war and power. In doing so, I came to the conclusion that what the Fire Nation, what our family, has unleashed on the world must end if we are ever to see a day where true peace reigns again."

The princess could sense no lie or deception in his words, except in one key area.

"You might be able to confuse and corrupt Zuko with your idealistic talk of peace, morality, and inner conflict, Uncle. But I am not so easily taken in. Just consider yourself lucky that I'm not going to report you for this."

"Azula, you would not have come here tonight if you were not at least the smallest bit conflicted yourself."

"So now all of a sudden you care about what I think?" she snapped. "Save it. You've always hated me. Just like Zuko. Just like m-"

She stopped, realizing she had said too much. It was time to leave.

But Iroh was not done yet, indeed there was a look in his eye that appeared to be sympathy.

"I have never hated you or anyone," he explained calmly. "I have despised the way you and Ozai treat others, Zuko and your mother among them. I know you have always considered me a bumbling fool, unworthy of being heeded to but take this advice before you go. You may do with it what you will."

That Azula did not immediately walk out of the cell indicating she was listening.

"I used to see the fight between you and Zuko to be symbolic of the Fire Nation's own struggle. Lust, power, and anger versus compassion, love, and balance. The former corrupts a person until eventually it destroys them. But this does not have to be your fate, Princess Azula. No one is born evil, even Ozai was not always as he is now. Just as Zuko is coming to terms with his destiny you will come to terms with yours. You have only ever known what my brother taught you- cruelty, treachery, and ambition through the use fear. But that is not the only way to live. When the times comes for you to decide your own destiny, I hope you will choose a better path than the one that has been chosen for you, my niece."

It was the first time she could remember her uncle referring to her by her title Princess Azula, rather than just 'niece' or 'Azula'. Had she not been repulsed by the idea, she would almost assume that he was showing her a small amount of affection. The one thing she hated…and craved above all else.

Azula shook her head. This had been enough conversation for one night. No doubt that the sun would rise in just a couple of hours. She would need her strength and then some to get through another day of the life she endured. The life that had never truly been her own.

"Goodbye, Uncle," she said abruptly. She didn't care how many nightmares she had tonight, her body and mind were both fatigued and the last thing she wanted to think about were concepts like 'destiny' and 'conflict.' As far as the princess was concerned, there was no conflict. She would bury it if she had to. She knew herself and what her purpose was.

Right?

"Princess, Azula. You may want to consider sleeping in tomorrow. Even in the dark, I can sense that you are tired and in more ways than one."

She pretended she hadn't heard that comment from her remarkably insightful but irritating uncle, heading out the door and making sure that no one had seen her before pulling over her hood and proceeding back to the Palace.

All the while, she could sense that her uncle had continued to watch her even as she strode out of the cell and out of sight.

Well, this certainly gives Azula something to think about...what will come of it I wonder?

Next update coming this Saturday! Rock on!

~The Wasp