A/N: DAMN THIS WEBSITE! It's taking FOREVER to pull up a page! But, that aside...Si, I combined like three chapters. But I like it. IF you've read the beginning, skip ahead. There's a part NO ONE has read. So, go find it. A little search party, yes? So, I started Middle School today...major switch. I was in Elementary School for 6 years, so I was panicking all day. I ran into like...4 seniors and then I got my little sweater thing caught in my locker, so...I had to get my friend to unlock my locker (yes, I use a lock...I say this because in my school, no one uses them except for really paranoid people and newbies.) I think my best class was band at the end of the day (I play the flute, lol.) So...enjoy this chapter while you can. I have a pre-test tomorrow for math. Wish me luck!
Zuko noticed Azula changing and he took pride in it. He was a little too glad that Mai had spoken to Azula because they no longer had their awkward silences and they even talk to each other like they used to, but Azula doesn't boss her around anymore…in fact, Azula seemed a bit timid when Zuko or Toph were around. Zuko saw this as a big improvement anyway, along with her training with Doctor Xu.
Ty Lee continued to send the Candle Lord letters, but Zuko only now started paying attention to them. She kept asking how Azula and Mai were doing and if he had asked Mai the "big question" yet, and if anyone had rebelled against the Fire Nation's new leader. Of course, Zuko didn't think about writing back to her, but then he remembered Azula. He immediately wrote a messy reply:
Ty Lee,
I know I haven't answered too many of your letters, but I need to ask you something. Is it possible for you to come over to visit Azula? She and Mai just made up and she's starting to change a lot. She still talks about you like a friend should, so I was wondering if you could just…you know, hang out with her or something?
Mai is fine and so is Azula, so don't worry. And no, I haven't asked her yet. I'm waiting until Azula can bypass her insanity which I know is still there since she still cries and screams at night. No one has rebelled against me yet, but I think someone's going to eventually if what my Uncle says is true.
Fire Lord Zuko
Toph had taken it into her responsibility to watch over Azula and Mai when Zuko couldn't, so he deeply appreciated this. But he knew Toph only did it because she wanted to see someone snap and start up a fight, even though she would probably stop it after it got too out of hand. He figured it wouldn't be too bad if the two got into an argument—It would just give them an insight on how worked up they both were which, in turn, should help the both of them understand a little more than they already knew.
Even the therapies, although very annoying even to the Candle Lord who wasn't even the patient, were working wonders on Azula. But of course, they weren't helping as fast as Zuko would have liked…They only appeared to have helped Azula get an insight on how her current situation which would, in a matter of moments, turn her into the sobbing wreck Zuko was used to seeing in the prison…although they didn't last nearly as long as they used to. But he was very happy that Azula was becoming even more determined to get out of the rut she was stuck in which she would announce every once in a while after her sobbing sessions.
But the bright side to the lessons were quite obvious; Azula seemed in a brighter mood a couple minutes after the therapy lessons and she started to actually talk what she though about, although the latter was a new effect that everyone noticed almost immediately. But the sessions didn't seem to be doing much for her sanity…
Zuko still awoke to her crying at night to which he either ignored if he was too tired to even acknowledge it or he dragged himself to her room and stayed there until she stopped. There were the few times she screamed at him for hours on end because he walked in without knocking and the Candle Lord knew this was a sign that her insanity was starting to bubble up once more. He also knew that he had to find a better solution to cure her psychosis, if that was even possible.
As Zuko had known from the minute he saw her slipping, he needed to start his work at the root of the problem. He spent hours upon hours thinking of what had purged his sister of her sanity, only to find that their Mother and a possible confrontation with their Father might help…It seemed a little far fetched to him; that the start of all the problems could possibly revert their actions, but he had already made his mind up by the time he actually took notice of his skepticism.
Along with the matter of their parents, Zuko looked around for another solution if the first and previous wouldn't work…or if their Mother proved to have passed on which Zuko wouldn't find all that surprising since some Earth Kingdom citizens were bound to find out her identity and do something about it even now that the war was over…Because Zuko knew the Earth Kingdom lived off of suspicion of the Fire Nation nowadays.
The one thing Zuko could think of was Ty Lee talking to her which was already in progress…he just needed her to accept the invitation, which if he knew Ty Lee as well as he did…she'll accept it with enthusiasm. But he was still a little on the skeptical side even with three ideas on his mind. All the thinking was giving him a headache, but he continued to try to find another solution with one clear thought on his mind: The end result will be worth all this effort.
Mai and Toph had been thinking up (or at least trying to) ideas to help Azula ever since they saw Zuko passed out on his desk one day from wearing himself out by staying up all night to help his sister. Toph had made one thing clear, although Zuko wasn't too fond of it; Azula needed a boyfriend to get over her fear of men getting too close to her, besides her brother who was constantly fussing over her and, almost as much as he fussed to her dismay, hugging her.
Mai hadn't thought of anything too outgoing other than the idea that Azula should get involved with other people so she would get over her old days of torturing and so she wouldn't grow back into the habit. She also said that the people might get over the fear that they had ever since they heard Azula was living in the palace once more. Zuko had acknowledged this plan as well as any other plan he had heard, no matter how stupid any of them seemed.
All Zuko was sure of with the situation was that it was now or never, or else the lines Azula knew between good and evil would certainly be erased. And if that happened, Zuko wasn't so sure he'd be able to rebuild those lines from scratch while maintaining what was left of his sister's sanity. Avoid that at any cost.
The Princess bent over her knees, her eyes full of determination and something Zuko had guessed to be amusement although her fatigue was obvious. Her face was coated in sweat as was the rest of her body, so much that her bangs were sticking to her face constantly. Her hair had gotten frizzy and some strands were sticking out, but one that caught Zuko's attention every time he looked at her was the one let loose between her signature bangs.
Doctor Xu was watching from the sidelines as Zuko waited for Azula to catch her breath, meanwhile catching his own as he got the chance to do so. Xu was actually very proud of the both of them, although he wouldn't admit it until the end of the lesson; Zuko had managed without his bending and he didn't seem to mind not using it, and Azula wasn't even using sarcasm as much as she used to do to taunt Zuko.
Azula looked up at her brother and got to her feet, steadily. Zuko did the same but he got into a different position than the Princess did. Azula seemed to be basing her regular combat off of her bending, the Fire Lord and the Doctor observed. Before Zuko could observe any further, Azula had taken him down to the floor in a tackle.
Well that wasn't very bending-based, the Candle Lord thought with a chuckle as he rolled over on top of Azula. If he had been in the situation mere years ago, he would've been scared to death…but now that he actually knew her, he knew that she wouldn't try to kill him. The smirk on her face, playful for once in a long time, told him everything. A couple moments later, Azula got the dominant position over him once more when his arms gave out from the struggle.
"Alright, that's enough—Azula, get off him," Xu said, firmly, as he approached the siblings. Azula scoffed, but she got off Zuko without any resistance. Zuko got to his feet and brushed himself off while Xu started talking to Azula. "That was very amusing."
"…Did you make us fight for your own entertainment?" Azula asked, angrily. Zuko smuggled a laugh while Xu started to panic, stuttering and babbling on about something that neither of the royal siblings understood in the least. Azula quirked an eyebrow and put her fists at her hips.
"Relax, Xu," Zuko said, laughing. Xu immediately regained his posture. "I wouldn't fire you even if you did dothat for your entertainment," he added as he walked away, forcing a stiff chuckle from Azula who was following not too far behind her brother.
"Now where are we going?" Azula asked with a tone of annoyance and frustration in her voice as she caught up to Zuko. Zuko hadn't expected anything less from her, seeing as she had been screaming for at least five hours the previous night. Zuko was just as tired as she was since he had been the one to try to calm her down…which had proved in vain. He fell asleep at the foot of her bed almost instantly after Azula had fallen asleep.
"It's a surprise." Azula pursed her lips. She never did like surprises and Zuko knew she didn't. He felt like laughing out loud, but he was too tired so he merely chuckled. But Azula heard it. She glared at him and slugged him on the arm, alarming a few of the guards in the area. Azula's frustration only humored him more, much to his sister's dismay.
"I'm not in the mood for surprises," Azula glowered.
"Neither am I, but Aang insisted…" Zuko defended.
"…Oh, so he caused this?" Azula asked, agitated as she looked up at Zuko with her arms crossed. Zuko didn't reply. He was lost in his head, thinking about something like Aang turning into a turtle duck, thanks to his exhaustion and his over-active imagination mingling in a deadly combo.
"Well, look who it is; Sparky and Psychopath." Zuko looked over Azula and saw the Melon Lord leaning against a wall, smirking. Next to Toph was someone he knew to be Katara's brother, Sokka. He hadn't known he was coming, so Toph must've invited him. He nodded in acknowledgment while Azula refused to even look at them out of exhaustion.
"So, Toph told me you let her out of prison," Sokka said, slinking up beside the Candle Lord while the Melon Lord took her place next to Azula. Zuko nodded and tried to restrain a yawn which didn't turn out too well.
"Yeah, pretty much," Zuko said, scratching the back of his head. "So what brings you here? I thought you were coming next month with Katara and Suki…Or did you so magnificently persuade Toph into inviting you early?"
"I work wonders through long distant friendships," Sokka stated. "So what?"
"Does that mean you brought Suki and Katara with you?" Zuko asked. He ignored Toph talking to his sister who merely nodded occasionally. Sokka nodded, enthusiastically.
"Yup. Now all we need here is your Uncle Iroh and Mai, wherever the heck she went," he confirmed. Zuko laughed despite his fatigue. "So…where is Mai, anyway?" he asked, shifting his eyes as though no one else was supposed to hear him. Zuko shrugged.
"Last I saw her, she was still in bed," Zuko replied. Sokka wolf-whistled and patted him on the back, causing Zuko to turn bright red. Azula snickered and nudged him with her elbow while Toph burst out in booming laughter, almost falling over in the process.
"Shut up!" Zuko yelled, desperately. Toph muffled her laughter, but Azula did nothing to shut herself up. Sokka chuckled and draped his arm on Zuko's shoulders.
"Relax, Sifu Hotman." Zuko growled.
"How did you guys even come up with that one?" he glowered.
"Who knows?" Sokka shrugged. "Would you prefer Jerkbender?"
"Not particularly," Zuko muttered. Sokka laughed enthusiastically to which Zuko responded by whacking him on the back of the head, knocking the Water Tribe Chief's son over with his lack of balance.
"Well, that wasn't very nice," Azula stated, sarcastically. Zuko rolled his eyes and Toph laughed again. Sokka eventually got to his feet again, catching up with the three.
"So, do you guys know what Aang is planning?" Zuko asked. Toph shook her head and Azula remained silent.
"Nope…according to him, only he and Appa know…and that's saying something, 'cause Momo is very sneaky!" Sokka exclaimed. "Did I ever tell you guys about that time I woke up with Momo's hand in my mouth?"
"I believe so," Toph said. Zuko snorted.
"That's nothing compared to the time Aang knocked me over in the South Pole," Zuko said, laughing. Sokka laughed, but Toph and Azula remained quiet, either not knowing what to say or having never heard about the time Zuko first came to the South Pole years ago.
"I remember that!" Sokka exclaimed. "You were such a dork back then."
"I know…but at least I tried not to be unlike you!" Zuko defended. Sokka scoffed. "You threw a boomerang at me. It was effective to some point, but still… a boomerang."
"If I remember clearly, I got you in the back of the head with that boomerang!" Sokka fortified. Zuko jeered. "And I've hit plenty of other people with that boomerang, too." A sad look suddenly overcame his features, confusing Zuko. "But I threw it and it didn't come back…"
"When did that happen?" Zuko noticed Toph tense up, but he ignored it.
"The day of the Comet," Sokka replied. "When we were attacking the air ships, Toph and I fell. I tried to stop it with my sword stuck in the side of the thing, but it didn't slow us down any. So, I landed on one of the shooting posts and broke my leg, but Toph wasn't so lucky…she fell right past it, but I caught her. At some point, the soldiers flocked up on us so I threw my boomerang at one of them, knocking them over, and then I threw my sword at another shooting post which cut it clean off…and then, it fell."
"I can't say I exactly feel sympathetic for that," Zuko stated. "But if I chucked my swords off of an air ship, I wouldn't be too happy either. Maybe it was meant to be…"
"I did get to save Toph somewhat," Sokka concluded, smiling a bit. "But Suki did most of that." Zuko put a hand on his shoulder. Sokka looked up at him with a confused yet disappointed look on his face.
"Not true. If you hadn't grabbed her, she would've fell before Suki arrived," Zuko said. Toph scoffed and flipped her hair out of her face. Zuko looked over at her and found her scowling, muttering something under her breath. "What was that?"
"Nothing," Toph glowered. And with those last words spoken, the four walked off towards the beach where the young Avatar told them to meet him. None of them knew what the 'surprise' was, but knowing there was one slightly lifted their moods. Besides Azula and Zuko who were more irritated than usual.
Zuko and Company followed Aang's directions onto the beach. It was sort of a cove looking thing. It looked like a cave, but it didn't hold any water in it and it wasn't too deep which meant it wasn't too cold or dark. In fact, when everyone stepped in, they all almost said that they'd rather stay in there all day out loud.
Katara's voice broke everyone from their own thoughts, though. The first thing Zuko noticed was the look on her face when she saw Toph—a look of pure excitement and happiness—and then the look when she saw Azula—a look of anger and confusion. "What's she doing here?" she asked, glowering at Zuko.
"Katara, I already told you," Aang said, stepping up beside the distressed Waterbender. Her eyebrow twitched. Zuko looked her over and noticed she looked different, not just the fact that she was older than when he had last saw her…she looked…fatter? Was that it?
"She's pregnant, remember?" Sokka whispered to him, nudging him when he saw the Fire Lord staring at the enlarged stomach on Katara. "She's a lot more moody than she used to be, so I'd be on the lookout for anything that might set her off," he added, chuckling afterwards.
"Well, that makes me feel better," Zuko said, sarcastically.
"Goody for you!" Zuko resisted knocking him over again.
"So, are you guys ready?" Aang asked. Zuko muttered something under his breath, but Sokka nodded enthusiastically. Everyone else stayed quiet, making facial expressions or just…existing.
"Oh, c'mon guys…it's not bad!" Aang exclaimed.
"Just get it over with, Twinkle Toes," Toph said. Aang winced, already sensing her mood a little off. But he pushed that aside and put on a big, goofy grin to cover up his worry and concern.
"Alright, guys," Aang started as he started walking towards Katara who was still glaring, in turn, at Zuko and Azula. Zuko, finding nothing really that interesting, was looking around. He spotted Appa in the background and that little lemur—Wasn't his name Momo?— atop one of the bison's horns. He quirked an eyebrow at the thing, but he brought his attention back to the Avatar as he started talking again.
"So, as you know…the war is over," Aang said, building up some unwanted suspense between everyone. Practically everyone nodded, a little or less annoyed. Zuko couldn't help but realize Aang chose a shitty day to have a surprise; everyone was moody and/or tired…save Sokka and Aang. "And so, my job being the avatar…was really annoying at times, but it was all worth it," Aang stated, optimistically despite the words. But he did manage to get a laugh from Toph who seemed to be letting up on her moody stage.
"Are you nervous or something?" the Melon Lord asked. Aang blushed.
"Uh…not really, I'm just waiting for a few more people," Aang replied. "We're still missing Mai and…uh…MONKEY FEATHERS!" Aang cursed. He hit his forehead on one of the cave walls. Toph laughed as did Zuko. "Never mind, we're only missing Mai," he stated, pulling his now violet shaded head away from the wall.
"I haven't seen her since this morning," Zuko said, using his words in a different manner so he didn't have a repeat of Sokka's dirty Water Tribe mind. Sokka still sniggered at him, but he stayed a lot quieter than he did earlier. Aang didn't catch on, so he gave Toph and Azula a confused look.
"Don't worry about it, Twinkle Toes," Toph sighed. Aang gave her a faint smile before he looked over at Katara who was still glaring at them. It made Zuko wonder how long she could stand her face muscles contracting. "So, Sugar Queen…how's the kid coming?"
"…Huh?" Katara seemed to have been snapped out of a trance, her face full of shock. She looked at Toph for a moment before replying with, "Good, I guess. Yugoda said it's pretty healthy, though she's not absolutely sure since she can't reach it very well with Waterbending."
"Any expectations?" Aang blushed at this. For some reason, Aang was very touchy on the whole topic about his and Katara's kid. He had been gradually starting to flush until just then when he turned bright pink. Zuko sniggered and Sokka made a weird noise that was something between a sneer and a snort, but Toph merely smirked and Azula stayed quiet.
"Well, Yugoda says that it's probably a girl because I'm getting a lot more moody than Yugoda expected I would've been," Katara started. "But I think it's a boy…I'm not sure why, I just think it is. What about you Aang?" Aang snapped his attention to her. "You never told me what you think it is."
"I, uh…" Aang shrugged, nervously. "I don't really know."
"You know a surefire way to figure out?" Toph asked, smirking. Katara quirked an eyebrow and almost reluctantly shook her head "no" while Aang burned an even brighter red and looked away. "C'mere, Sugar Queen."
"Um…OK," Katara responded, walking over to the Melon Lord who had that same smirk on her face from previous times. When she finally reached the Earthbender, she was on not-so-steady ground, meaning she looked like she was about to take off if Toph did something.
"Stop panicking, Queeny," Toph said, her smirk dropping. "I'm not going to hurt you or the kid." This eased Katara a little, but she still looked like she was about to run. Toph reached her hand out which immediately contacted with the Waterbender's enlarged stomach. Katara quirked an eyebrow, but the next second she was trying to restrain a giggle for Toph's hand was probing abdomen skin with the tips of her fingers, sending a tingly feeling down her spine…but not in a bad way. It tickled.
"Wha—what are…you doing?!" Katara asked, still trying to retrain from laughing. Toph had a smirk on her face…one that told Zuko that she thought everyone was being blind rather than the other way around. This confused everyone to no end, but her reason was soon clear.
"I'm trying to pick up a vibration from the kid…If I'm lucky, I might be able to tell if what gender it is," Toph explained. "But there's no way in hell that I'll be able to if you don't stop laughing, damn it, Sugar Queen!"
"Sooooo…wanna go play a little game?" Sokka inquired as he slid over to Zuko so no one else could hear him. Zuko knew it would a bad idea to follow him, but it would be better than listening to all this baby talk. So, he gladly yet reluctantly accepted.
All Azula heard was talking. She wasn't listening, but oh did she hear them. She heard talk of babies and surprises, but she didn't mind any of theses subjects any attention. Her mind was somewhere else, unfortunately. Lost somewhere in her imagination and the talking going on in her head. The only thing she could do was hold herself up and subconsciously nod or follow Zuko, almost by instinct it seemed.
Why are you here, Azula? You could easily overpower the Water Tribe Chief's son…so why won't you? The Princess had spoken to this certain voice too many times for her own good. The Blue Dragon…the Cold-Blooded Flame…Whatever you wanted to call him, he was there somewhere deep in the paranoid royal's head. Unwavering against the medical and mental help and aids. Powerful.
Because her pride's in the way. She's surrendered humbly now, you know that! Plus, there are too many powerful benders here to even try that! Don't listen to him, Azula. And there he was…the red dragon. She hadn't spoken to him much, but he was always there. Talking in riddles and trying to give advice to the ignorant Princess. If there was one thing Azula knew about him was that he was almost constantly arguing with the Blue One.
"C'mon, Azula." Oh yes, she heard her brother. She knew what to do instinctively – follow him as he says. She obeyed, not paying any attention to unleveled ground beneath her as the Fire Lord pulled her along with her petite, bony hand laid limply in his big, warm one. She was still unsure why she allowed him to get as close as he did to her.
Now's your chance! Drown him! the Blue One commanded as they got within the water's reach. Azula ignored the voice as she felt the cool liquid rush under her now bare feet. Her golden eyes started lifelessly at the sun high in the sky. She ignored the bickering between the two in her head. But then it occurred to her…Why did she listen to either of them? Shouldn't she be able to make her own decisions? Or was that one of the perks of being a princess? Being plagued with inward arguing and voices to which are always conflicting?
Suddenly, her head started throbbing along with her heart which was unusually fast. It startled her which only picked the beating up even faster…and that meant her head was throbbing faster and unfortunately louder. Her brain felt constricted, but the Princess figured it was just a headache and continued to get even deeper into the subject.
Why couldn't she ever just listen to her own thoughts for once? Why was there constant fighting in her head? Was there even a way she could stop it? So many questions attacked her mind. This worsened the headache to the point everyone was too loud for her and she even considered knocking herself out. Every time her head throbbed, everything that was making a sound intensified and she felt her ears start to hurt.
"Azula? Are you alright?" She ignored him. She was too busy trying to shut the voices in her head up. The Blue One was telling her to stop rebelling against them, but the Red One was telling her to keep on thinking about it. The Blue One made her feel like she was restricted, so she rebelled against his orders. Either to piss him off or to get the satisfaction of not following his orders, she didn't know.
You're a failure, Azula! the Blue One's venomous voice ripped through all the thoughts in her head. Failure was such a strong word…Had she really used that one on her brother so many times? Even if she hadn't and she was still asleep the night their mother left…she knew how it felt to be called one now. She felt tears sting her eyes, but she physically brushed them away with the back of her hand.
"Azula?" Suddenly, her vision split. She became dizzy and tried to stay upright, but she was trying in vain. For soon, her eyelids had drooped shut and she had fallen forward. She was going to hit the ground if Sokka hadn't grabbed her last moment while Zuko hadn't even seen her tip over as he was looking at Aang who was talking to him long distance.
The rebellious and failure thoughts flew through her head in one last attempt for their own causes, but she didn't catch any of it. Before she completely lost it, she saw a red blur approach her and the peasant, already knowing who it was. The Princess of the Fire Nation fainted in the arms of the Southern Peasant, though he was the son of the chief.
Kill him. Kill your brother and all those unworthy peasants. Maybe your father will have mercy on you if you avenge his defeat with the death of that overly emotional Avatar, yes? Well, maybe…We'll have to see, but first you must finish the deed!
No, Azula! Don't listen to the Blue One! He will lead you down the same path you've gone down already. I know you don't want to go through that all again, Dear. If you listen to him, you will certainly be executed or at least put in the Boiling Rock, perhaps. Please, Azula. Don't do it.
You really listen to him? The naïve bastard is making you weak!
Weakness is not knowing when to accept defeat, Azula. The Blue One hasn't. If you listen to him, you will be following a weak tyrant. Lost in his control, you will be a faceless victim to the Madness. Don't do it. Dear, you know what the right choice is. Now choose it if you have any sanity left within you.
SHUT UP! THE TWO OF YOU! Leave me be, damn it!
Sokka sighed as he looked down at the Princess. Practically everyone was in the room, even Katara who had seemingly got over Zuko letting Azula out of prison for the time being. Zuko was right beside Azula, concern and worry lacing his features. He sat with his elbows on the edge of Azula's bed, his arms holding his head up so he could watch over his sister.
Toph was right next to him, although confusion was the only emotion on her face. Her arms crossed on the bed, she seemed to be bored but strangely intrigued with the Princess's slowly descending heartbeats and breathing though both were muffled thanks to the bedding. She was waiting, but no one knew just what she was waiting for.
Then, there Sokka sat, at the foot of the large bed. He wasn't even sure what he was thinking or feeling at the moment, but, for his unknown reasons, he couldn't take his eyes off of the Princess's face. It was usually calm or determined…at least confident, but no…not now. Now, it was frustrated and solemn…possibly angry if he looked at it in a certain angle.
Katara sat next to him at the corner on the bed, grabbing onto his arm closest to her for her own reasons. He knew she was feeling mixed emotions and she probably needed something to latch on to, be he was still very annoyed whenever she would 'accidentally' yank his arm. Her hand would occasionally trail to her stomach, but he hardly paid any mind to that unless she made him.
Aang was sitting next to Katara on the opposite side as Zuko, though he wasn't hardly as close to the paranoid Princess as her brother was. He looked fairly concerned considering he had fought her multiple times and lost one of them, resulting in his death. His eyes hardly ever left the sleeping royal, except to glance at Katara when she moved or to look at anyone who started talking which was proving to be scarce in the room.
The Fire Lord suddenly sighed either impatiently or frustratingly, no one knew since Zuko wasn't very careful about how his different sighs sounded. The sudden sound brought everyone but the Melon Lord's and Azula's eyes to the uneasy Lord. Sokka seemed to take this as a chance to get out of the room which was even now filling with awkward looks.
"Well, I think I'm going to go out to town…for, uh, you know…stuff," he, oh so casually and inconspicuously, as he approached the door. Katara made a weird noise and got to her feet, apparently going with her brother. They left the room with weird looks pointed towards them, besides Toph who hadn't changed during the past two hours or so that they'd been watching over Zuko's sister. Sokka's interruption had brought up a few topics Toph couldn't resist asking, though.
"What's wrong with her anyway?" she asked, lifting her head to put it in Zuko's direction. He remained silent and for a moment Toph thought he ignored her. He finally shrugged with an exasperated look on his face…it was almost somber if Aang had looked at him the right way.
"Well," Aang started. His hand reached out and rested on Azula's forehead. He frowned, but he pulled a cheesy smile over it. "Her fever's gone down a little…but that's probably because of the rag you put on her head," he added, looking at Zuko who remained silent.
"What's wrong with you, Sparky?" The minute those words left her mouth, she knew she had said the wrong thing. Anyone could've taken it as offensive if they thought about it in a crappy mood…but Zuko was obviously past crappy and somewhere in the region known as "explosive angst under stress."
"What's wrong with me?" he asked, looking down at her from under his bangs. Toph frowned and grabbed his hand, but he didn't return the gesture although he did understand her silent apology. And with that, he looked back to Azula. No one was exactly sure why Zuko was taking it all the wrong way, but Toph and Aang guessed that he was a little overprotective of Azula at the moment. That, plus some other issues at hand.
There was another long awkward silence and everyone in the room figured it was going to be another hour or so before it disappeared. But they were proven wrong when a servant walked into the room…or rather charged in, if you were looking at the door when he did.
"Sire, an urgent letter for you and the Princess," he gasped out, handing the Fire Lord a scroll before darting out of the room. Zuko stared at the scroll in his hands for a couple moments before he looked up at Azula who was still in a sweaty coma. He stared at her for a couple more minutes before he finally rolled the parchment open.
"What's it say?" Toph asked, nosily. Zuko didn't reply right away, seeing as he was still trying to read it. Before long, he handed it over to Aang who read it gratefully after getting a confirmation from the Fire Lord. The Melon Lord was displeased with no answer.
"It's from Ty Lee," Zuko stated.
"…You mean Bubbles?" Toph inquired. Zuko looked at her strangely, but finally answered positively though reluctantly. "What does she want? And why's the letter so 'urgent?' But more importantly, what does it have to do with Psychopath?" Zuko chuckled.
"Toph, relax with the questions," he commanded in a laid-back tone. "I asked her if she would like to come and visit with Azula since…well, you know. And she said she'd 'love to' or whatever she said in the letter…I'm not quite sure why it was so urgent, but it lightened my mood a little."
"Oh, you noticed you were acting like an asshole?" Toph asked. Zuko glared at her and shoved her lightly on the arm before laughing quietly while Toph sneered at him. "Just asking, Sparks, didn't have to harm a lady."
"Lady?" he snorted. "Toph, you're the farthest thing from a 'lady' that anyone could get!" he exclaimed. The Melon Lord stayed quiet for a moment before snorting and practically crying from laughing too hard too fast. Zuko chuckled.
"Okay, so," Aang started, handing the scroll back. "Did you ask Azula if she wanted Ty Lee over? I know she probably doesn't really have a choice in all this, but forcing her to do anything could be the wrong thing to do if you don't do it the right way."
"I'm pretty sure she won't mind too much," Zuko said, looking down at Azula. "If she's even awake when Ty Lee gets here." Aang pursed his lips at Zuko's negativity. "I think she just needs to find herself first," he continued. "But I have no clue how long that will take or if she even finds herself before the fever takes her."
"What do you mean?" Aang asked, genuinely curious. Zuko looked up.
"I mean that this fever could be deadly…especially to her since she's too weak at the moment," he explained, looking back down at Azula. He brushed a sweaty lock out of his sister's face before adjusting the blanket covering her. Aang's face showed a sign of panic for a moment, but he smiled faintly when he saw the Fire Lord's actions.
"I'm pretty sure she'll make it if you stay with her," Aang said. Toph snorted and said something about him being too 'cheesy', but Zuko merely smiled, not taking his eyes off of Azula. "She probably just needs someone there to watch out for her and give her confidence and support…and you've already done that for her."
"…But what if it's not enough?" he asked, pessimistically.
"It is enough, Zuko," Aang said, firmly. "Azula is the luckiest person I know to have a brother like you. I know you two didn't get along too well in the past, but you're making up for it now. And that's what makes you such a good person. I'd be happy to have a brother like you."
"…You know, in a way, we are sort of related," Zuko chuckled. Aang raised an eyebrow and glanced at Azula momentarily. "Not that way. But technically you are related to Roku, right?" Aang nodded, skeptically. "He's my great-grandfather…besides Sozin, but still."
"…That's…unexpected," Aang stated, awkwardly.
"No kidding."
Azula's eyes fluttered open. The first thing she noticed was how light yet so heavy hearted she felt. It was a strange and unusual sensation in the Princess. As she slowly sat up, she noticed that she was no longer in the Palace Grounds. In fact, she noticed almost immediately that she was on Ember Island. However she got there, she didn't know.
"Azula…Come, find me." Azula looked behind her, but she only found waves. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and frustration as a cold sweat over took her. She didn't have a clue as to where she actually was since it was quite obvious to her that she wasn't really on Ember Island. Despite her confusion, her curiosity forced her to get to her feet.
"What the hell—" The earth suddenly shook, cutting off the Princess. The earthquake knocked her over which infuriated her even past her frustration. She stayed down so as not to fall over again, but within moments she was even more disturbed. By then, the shaking had only increased. Azula sighed, irritably, and tried to forget her frustration. The second she finally managed it, she noticed the earthquake stop.
"Azula, learn and react to this world." Azula pursed her lips at the same voice from earlier. She sighed and got to her feet, tiredly. All she knew was that if she had to react and learn about 'this world' then she would probably be out of 'this world' by the time she got truly frustrated beyond relief. But she wasn't quite positive that would happen.
She was just trying to be positive.