Author's Note: I predict fans of Iroh will like this chapter. I don't know how it happened but it's the longest one yet by far... I guess I'm trying to squeeze everything in, since (sniff) it's almost over. Another Duck, I wound up adding the first part of the next chapter to the end of this one; I just liked the way it ended the chapter better.

Previously: The evil spirit Koh has tasted defeat at the hands of Azula, his plans to possess her having backfired. But Azula and Nazumi aren't out of trouble yet. They are still fugitives, and to the rest of the world, they are Koh's allies. Can they escape one last time? Or are they doomed to wind up right back where they started?

Chapter 21: The Girl Least Likely To…

The young girl sat on her mother's lap, as her mother gently combed her long hair. Although she lived in a palace, here in her mother's arms was her favorite place in the world. Only here did she ever truly feel safe. She realized that she was getting older, that soon she would be too big for her mother to hold. But for now, they could carry on as they always had; the future had not yet come.

"Mom, do you love me?" the girl asked, seemingly out of the blue.

"Azula!" the older woman chided, as she continued to stoke her hair with the comb. "What kind of question is that?"

"Well..." the girl continued, fidgeting."Will you always love me?"

The woman chuckled. "Are you trying to tell me you've been getting into trouble with your brother again? Zuko should know better."

The girl squirmed in her mother's arms. "Mom, I'm serious! I need to know. Will you always love me, no matter what I did? Or what I became?"

The mother realized her daughter was upset, and set her down so she could look at her. "Azula. I'll always love you. No matter what happens. Until the end of the world. OK?"

But instead of having the comforting effect that they were intended to have, the mother's words seemed to trouble the young girl. She brought her hands to her face, and began to gently sob.

"There, there, Azula. What's wrong?" The mother gathered her only daughter back up into her arms, rocking her gently.

"It's just..." The girl struggled to speak, her body shaking softly. "Nothing's turned out the way I thought it would, Mom. My whole life… I've wasted it. I've messed everything up so badly. I... I hate myself."

The mother looked smiled tenderly at her young daughter, and dried her eyes. "Azula, everyone makes mistakes. You're not alone in that. And you're so young. You have your whole life ahead of you. I think you'll find that the rest of the world will forgive you... as long as you forgive yourself."

The mother took her daughter's hand, and stood up to her full height. "Azula... you do know I'm not real, right? You know you've only been imagining me?"

The girl wiped her face, and sighed heavily. "I know that, Mom. I know you're not really here. It's just... things were so hard. It was easier... to pretend that you were here. Easier to have someone to talk to."

The mother nodded knowingly. "I know, Azula. But the time for pretending is over. You're a young woman, now. And it's time to wake up."

"Wake up, Azula!"

Slowly, Azula opened her eyes. She felt as if she had been asleep for days. She brought her hand to her head, trying to remember the events of the last few hours. She had been brought to this cave. Then, she had been taken somewhere else. She had met with Koh, had almost made the biggest mistake of her life. Then Nazumi had found her, like he always did, and she had fought Koh...

She had fought Koh, and won. And now here she was, back in the same cave, with a tattered and bleeding Nazumi huddled over her, shaking her frantically.

"Azula, please, wake up! We've got to get out of here!"

Azula sat up. "I'm... I'm awake, Nazumi. I... did you see that girl? The one who pulled me to safety? Where did she go?"

Nazumi looked at her as if she had gone insane. "Azula, I don't know who you're talking about. You're the only girl in here, except for your brother's friends, who're right behind me, and who're going to catch us if we don't get out of here now!"

Azula slowly struggled to her feet, only to feel a delayed sense of relief that she was able to do so at all. She looked down at herself; the grievous wounds she had suffered in her battle with Koh were gone. Glancing at Nazumi, she realized that whomever he had fought with had left a more lasting impression. Blood was seeping through his shirt, and he was covered in scorch marks and burns. He looked like he had been through hell and back.

"Nazumi, you're hurt!" she gasped.

Nazumi looked at her with an odd expression, and then shook his head. "You really don't... forget it. We've got to go. Now."

Taking Azula's hand in his, he pulled her out of the cave as quickly as he could, dragging her in desperation. "If we hurry, we can get out of here in the confusion. Get back to Ba Sing Se. I'll figure something out when-"

"No one's going anywhere."

Immediately outside of the cave, Azula and Nazumi were blocked by a battle-weary Zuko, who was flanked by Katara, Sokka and Toph. They looked exhausted, but ready for a fight if necessary, their expressions hard.

Azula almost laughed. After what she had just been through, she was almost relieved to see her brother... until she realized why they were so angry. She groaned, putting her hand on her forehead. They don't know what happened in there. They don't know that I helped Aang, that I defeated Koh.

Katara undid the clasp on her canteen, ready to bend water in case of resistance. "Stand down, Azula. You've lost. Again."

Azula started to say something in protest, but Nazumi pulled her aside, and stood in front of her. "Get out of here. I'll hold them off."

Hoping to diffuse the situation, Azula put her hands on his chest to restrain him. "Nazumi, that's not necessary..."

Sokka looked at the unarmed Nazumi, who had raised his fists at the group of friends. "Nazumi, let it go. You can't fight us all. And you know that this was how it had to end. Azula's coming with us."

Nazumi bristled. "I can take you," he said, coolly. His voice had a tone Azula had never heard before, one that seemed out of place coming from him. It was harsh, angry. She didn't like it.

"Nazumi, don't be ridiculous! You're hurt! This has to stop!" She had to end this quickly. Even in peak condition, she knew he wasn't a match for even one of them. And as it was, he looked like he was about to fall over.

"Get out of here," he said, never taking his eyes off of Zuko and the others. "I mean it. I'll meet you... I'll meet you where I grew up."

Suddenly, Toph made a slight gesture, and Nazumi's feet were encased in stone. "Sorry, Sir Squeaks-a-Lot. It's over."

Nazumi looked down. Realizing he was trapped, he began to struggle violently, trying in vain to tear his feet free.

Instinctively, Azula scanned her environment, battle senses honed from years of training taking over. It wouldn't be easy. With Nazumi immobilized, it would four of them against her one. But they were tired, and despite her ordeal in the Spirit World she was physically fresh. And this was a fight she had played out in her head hundreds of times over the last few months, in every permutation. She had assumed that, when the moment arrived, she would have to face the Avatar as well, but he was nowhere to be found. No, it wouldn't be easy...

But it could be done. She would have to make the first move, and quickly, in order to take them by surprise. The Earthbender girl was their most experienced fighter, so she would have to be taken out first. Azula knew that the blind Toph "saw" with her bare feet. Superheating the stone floor should remove her from the fight before it even began; Azula could then finish her off once the others were dealt with. Katara would be next. She would likely open up with a blast of water from the canteen at her side. But as powerful as Katara had become, Azula knew she was faster. A blast of flame would turn the water into steam, cooking Katara where she stood. If Katara was very lucky, she might even survive.

That left Sokka and Zuko. Unlike most benders, Azula knew better than to underestimate a non-bender trained in combat. But the cavern system that they were in was an enclosed space, with little room to maneuver. The perfect arena for which a Firebender to face a swordsman. And his sword would act as a lightning rod; she should be able to put him down in short order. At this point, even in his fatigued state, Zuko would have recovered from the shock of her initial attack. But he would likely be distracted by the defeat of his three friends. And while Zuko's skills may have grown, she knew she was more than his match.

Her revenge would be complete. After she dealt with them, she would free Nazumi and make her way back to the Fire Nation before the Avatar realized what had happened. By the time he did, she would be ready for him. One man, no matter how powerful, against her and the combined military might of her homeland...

And just as quickly as she had formulated her plan of attack, she set it aside. It had been an intellectual exercise, and the last death throe of her former self. Whatever the future held for her, she knew she couldn't go back to being that person any more. Nazumi had shown her that in the Spirit World, and she had proven it to herself during her fight with Koh. It was enough to know that if she had wanted to, she could have done it. She nodded to herself. And they'll never know how close they came. They'll never know they owe their lives to a no-name thief from the Lower Ring.

"Zuko!" she shouted. They all turned to her, even Nazumi, though he continued to tug at his feet.

Zuko looked at his sister wearily, expecting a trick. "Yes, Azula?"

Azula stepped forward. Her long hair hung wildly in back of her, and her ceremonial white robe was all but shredded, but she was as commanding as the ruler she had always thought she wanted to be. She gestured at Nazumi. "Fire Lord Zuko. If I surrender peacefully... do you promise not to hurt him?" She looked at her brother, hoping that Koh had lied about him, that he hadn't changed over the last year, that he hadn't become as cruel as the previous Fire Lord. Or as her.

Zuko appeared stunned. He didn't know what surprised him more: that Azula was surrendering without a fight, that she was doing it to protect someone else, or that she thought so little of him that she assumed he would want to hurt her friend. For the hundredth time since their Agni Kai, he realized just how far apart he and his sister had grown. She doesn't see me as a brother. She sees me as an enemy. And it isn't the madness talking. This is what she believes. Putting these uneasy thoughts aside, he cleared his throat. "Azula, no one's getting hurt tonight. Please, let's just go home."

Nazumi snarled at him. "You don't want to take her home, Zuko! You want to throw her right back in prison! Well, you not going to, you-"

Azula closed her eyes, listening to Nazumi spout obscenities at Zuko. He really would try to fight them all. He's so stubborn. They may forgive him for his role in this, allow him to disappear back into the Lower Ring... but the conqueror of Ba Sing Se? The agent of Koh? No, they'll never forgive me. Besides, he's used up more than his share of luck making it this far. It's better this way.

Azula turned to face the trapped Nazumi, and silenced him with a finger on his lips. She leaned in close, so that only he could hear what she was saying. "Nazumi, they're right. It's over."

Nazumi ceased his struggling momentarily. "Don't do it. I can get us out of this."

She looked at him with curiosity, amazed that he could be so insightful about her, yet so ignorant about himself. "Can you? I'll ask you what you asked me, in the Spirit World: then what?"

Her question threw him, and he narrowed his eyes, as if he realized he was walking into a trap. "What do you mean?"

"What will you do afterwards? Let's assume we do get away. What will we do then? They'll never stop coming after me, you know that. You'll have to kill them. Are you even capable of that? I don't think so. At least, I hope not."

She watched his face intently, but she already knew what his answer would be. He was no killer. Facing the ground, he shook his head. "No. I'm not. I... I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." She smiled at him sadly. "We've had quite a journey together. I owe you a lot, more than you know. But I can't keep running from my past. And I don't want to fight anymore."

He crossed his arms, staring past her down the tunnel that led to the surface, his breath coming out in heavy jets. She could see the gears of his minds turning, turning, looking for a way out, and for the first time in his life finding none. Eventually, he looked back at her. "But... it's not fair."

Azula stroked his cheek gently. "Fair's got nothing to do with it, Nazumi."

He frowned, still trying to come up with a plan. "Fine. I'll surrender too. We'll go to jail together. I'll-"

"No," she said, softly but firmly. "Where I'm going, you can't follow. It's too dangerous."

Nazumi simply glared at her.

Azula sighed. It was just like when they had been captured by Fen Long and Paiko. How could she make him see? She briefly considered trying to manipulate him again; telling him she didn't want to be associated with a Lower Ring peasant, or some other lie. But she dismissed that notion. They had been through too much together. The truth would have to suffice. "Nazumi… when I was in the Spirit World, when Koh told me you were dead… I wanted to be dead, too. I won't let you get hurt because of me."

When Nazumi replied, his voice was in little more than a whisper. "They'll lock you up again. For good, this time."

Azula nodded. "Maybe they will. But you'll get away. You always do. And as long as you're free… I will be, too."

She leaned in quickly, with a speed that took even him by surprise, and kissed him deeply, holding it for as long as she dared. Then, just as abruptly, she stepped away, leaving him rooted to the ground. She backed away from him, and then turned to Zuko with her head bowed. "Fire Lord, you have my surrender."

Zuko winced. If this was a victory, it was a hollow one. The part of him that was Fire Lord had had known what he would find when he came here, had known that Azula would have sided with Koh. But the part of him that was Zuko, brother of Azula, had been desperate to be proven wrong. That part of him wished he had lost his Agni Kai with her; having his sister back would be worth the cost of the crown, a thousand times over. But it wasn't his choice to make.

Katara turned to Nazumi. She was tired of fighting as well. "Well, Nazumi? What's it going to be?"

Nazumi stared at them, his face a mask of anger. Despite his rough upbringing, he had never really hated anyone before, not the Fire Nation army that had killed his parents, nor his tormentors at the orphanage, nor the City Watch that had hounded him his entire life. But at this moment, he hated these heroes in front of him, hated them with a passion that frightened him. They had everything he had ever wanted in life, and now they were taking her away...

Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out the two Pai Sho tiles that Iroh had given him, as well as a small gray marble. He tossed the tiles to Azula, who caught them in midair. "Azula. Give those back to your Uncle for me. Tell him... tell him he was right about them. They do make a good team. And that no payment is necessary."

She looked down at the tiles, and recognized them for what they were. The Princess and the Thief. Clever. And he got them from Iroh... Uncle, what games are you playing?

Then, with a flick of his wrist, Nazumi threw the marble down on the floor. There was a deafening crash, and thick, black smoke filled the area where they were standing. In the tight quarters of the cave network, it took several minutes for the smoke to clear. When it did, the friends looked to where Nazumi had been standing... and saw, encased in stone, the thief's empty boots. Nazumi was gone.

Sokka whistled softly through his lips. "He's smooth, I'll give him that. Toph, can you hear where he went?"

"WHAT?," she shouted back. "ARE YOU TALKING TO ME? I CAN"T HEAR ANYTHING! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!?"

Zuko looked at Azula. "How did-"

Azula glanced at her brother with a mocking expression on her face. "Don't look so surprised, Zuzu. He's Nazumi the Mouse, the greatest thief in Ba Sing Se. Did you honestly expect your flunkies", she gestured at Toph and the others, "would be able to catch him?"

Turning away from him before he could she how superficial her amusement really was, Azula began to head for the surface, not waiting for her captors' response. She needed to be away from here. The caves suddenly felt like a tomb, a place fit only for dead things. And for better or worse, she was still alive.

They rode back to the city in silence, carried on Appa's broad back. There had been a brief discussion on whether they should restrain Azula, but in the end, it had seemed pointless. After all, she had surrendered willingly, and the fight seemed to have gone out of her, at least for now. Zuko looked at his sister as she held her head up high in the crisp dawn air, seemingly oblivious to the cold, the wind whipping through her long hair. She didn't look like someone who had just been defeated. There's something different about her. Then again, if she was willing to side with Koh, I guess I never really knew her at all. Not in any way that counts.

Azula looked down as the countryside sped beneath her. She had traveled by airship hundreds of times, but this was the first time she realized how wonderful an experience it was. To not think about where she was going or what she would do when she got there. To just enjoy the view.

For the first time in her life, her path was completely uncharted. She had managed to break with her destiny. The future lay spread out before her, like some mysterious, exotic land. It was both terrifying and exhilarating. Everything felt different, now, even the air that she breathed. She thought back to her balloon ride with Nazumi, during their flight from the Fire nation, so many months ago. Something he had said about how good it felt, to head into the horizon with the wind at your back… to escape. And even though she was returning to Ba Sing Se a prisoner, she had never felt freer in her entire life. No longer a debtor to her past or a slave to her future.

"He was right," she murmured absent-mindedly. "It does feel good."

Hearing her, Katara nearly jumped, startled by the princess's unprovoked comment. Unsure of what their captor was talking about, she almost believed for a moment that Azula had once again lost her mind in defeat. She looked at her cautiously. "What was that?"

But Azula just gave her a mysterious smile, and turned back to face the rising sun.

As they landed in the courtyard of the Jasmine Dragon, Zuko saw that Iroh, Aang and the others had come out to meet them. Appa touched down gently, and Azula gracefully sprang from his back. She absentmindedly stroked Appa's ears, and he grunted in contentment. Looking around at her audience, she remembered Koh's warning about what would happen if she refused his help, about how she would be paraded before the entire world to see, the renegade princess captured at last. Grimacing slightly, she steeled herself for the inevitable humiliation. It would be bad enough in front of total strangers, but Iroh and Zuko were family, and Ty Lee and Mai as good as. She could see why her former madness had been a blessing in disguise, during her previous period of incarceration. And they've all come out to greet me. They've come to see their prize.

But now that they had her, no one seemed to know what to do with her. She had almost expected to be mobbed by guards and led off in chains. Instead, she simply watched as her captors reunited with their respective significant others, reinforcing her sense of isolation. Only Iroh and Ty Lee remained apart from the embracing couples, the old general watching her with an inscrutable expression, and her former friend with tears streaming down her face.

She remembered Nazumi's request of her, and saw no reason to delay fulfilling it. She walked over to Iroh, as uncertain of how to act around him as when she was a child. "Hello, Uncle. I realize the circumstances of our meeting are regrettable, but... it is still good to see you."

Iroh did not return her greeting, still staring at Azula, seemingly searching her for some hidden meaning.

Azula continued. "I understand you may be feeling angry and disappointed in my recent behavior. In my not-so-recent behavior, as well. You... have my apologies. It was never my intention to dishonor you."

Still, Iroh said nothing, as immobile as the mountains they had just return from.

Azula sighed. She had expected accusation, anger, even disappointment, but not silence. It was just as when she was a little girl, with Iroh holding her at arm's length. The man had always been an enigma to her. She reached into an inner pocket of her robe, and withdrew the Pai Sho tiles that Iroh had given to Nazumi, and that Nazumi had asked her to return. The Princess and the Thief.

"My... that is to say, my friend," she said, unsure of herself, "asked me to return these to you. He also asked me to tell you that you were right about them. That they make a good team. And to tell you that he won't be requiring any payment. I suppose this has some meaning to you."

Iroh's eye twitched slightly. That was all.

Azula put her hand to her head. Why couldn't he yell at her? Scream at her? It would have been easier. But she wasn't even worthy of that. She sighed. "Uncle, I... I know how things must seem. I wish things had been different, between you and I. I wish... Well. I'll trouble you no more. If-''

Suddenly, Iroh sprang forward with a speed that belied his years. He enveloped Azula in his strong arms, and brought her close to him in an embrace. Against her cheek, she could feel tears. Iroh's tears.

"I'll be damned. I'll be damned," she heard Iroh whispering, more to himself then to her. Azula felt an odd moment of panic. This was an even more unexpected reaction that the silence she had been greeted with. One for which she had no response.

But Iroh didn't seem to need one. She felt a heaviness build in her chest, one that had been growing for years, one that she could no longer bury. Slowly, achingly, it worked its way up to her head. "Uncle, I... I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" The two of them stood there, repeating themselves, oblivious to the attention began to draw from the others.

Eventually, Iroh let Azula go, and looked down at the tiles still clenched in her hand.

He took them, and they seemed tiny in his large, rough hands. "The little rascal. He actually did it. Where is he?"

Azula blinked. "He's… he's gone, Uncle. I sent him away. I was afraid of what would happen to him if he came back here."

Iroh looked surprised. "Afraid? Why would you be afraid? He was working for... never mind, never mind. I'll find him later. I'm so proud of you, my niece. I can't begin to tell you how proud."

Zuko cleared his throat gently. "Uncle, I'm sorry. I don't know how to say this, but Azula was helping Koh."

Iroh seemed not to hear him, leaving it to Aang to reply. "No, Zuko. She fought with me against Koh. She saved my life. She saved all our lives." He looked at Azula and nodded his head.

Katara looked at Aang in bewilderment. "What do you-"

But she was cut off by Ty Lee, who pushed her aside and threw her arms around Azula, bawling. "Azula! You're OK! We thought you were dead! I'm so sorry about what-"

Azula felt another lump form in her chest, as she struggled under Ty Lee's arms. She murmured in Ty Lee's ear. "No, Ty. I'm sorry. You and Mai were trying to save me from myself. I guess... I guess it's something my friends seem to have to do from time to time." Looking over Ty Lee's shoulder, she caught Mai's gaze, knowing that she had heard the apology as well. Mai's brow was furrowed, and she was biting her lip, as much emotion as she was willing to show in front of so many people.

Katara shook her head. "Aang, you're wrong. We were there. She tried to kill us. She even tried to kill Nazumi. I don't know what you saw, but we can't trust her."

"I was there too, Katara." Aang explained. "Azula turned on Koh. I'm telling you, she saved my life. She made me leave her behind in the Spirit World, said she'd keep Koh from entering our world even if it cost her life. We thought she was dead, until you showed up." He looked over to Azula. "What happened?"

Azula let go of Ty Lee. How could she explain her actions, in that strange place? And did she even want to? No, it was between her and Nazumi. Let them wonder. "Koh underestimated me," she said, simply and directly.

Toph held up her hands in protest, unsatisfied with Azula's pat answer. "I hate to put a stop to this love fest, but she's hardly one of the good guys. When we fought her in the mountains, she was already possessed by Koh." The blind Earthbender turned her head towards Azula. "What did he promise you, Princess? To make you Fire Lord? Or our heads on a platter?"

Azula's scowled at Toph. "Power beyond my wildest dreams. Obviously, it wasn't enough. Does that satisfy you, you little pest? If it had been you in my place, and he had offered you your sight, wouldn't you have at least considered it? And as for your head, if I wanted it I would take it for myself."

Before Toph could reply with a display of earthbending, Zuko restrained her, then looked accusingly at Azula. "Why didn't you tell me this? Back in the mountains?"

Azula paused. "It never occurred to me, Zuzu. And honestly, would you have believed me anyway?"

Zuko's face went dark, and Azula almost regretted her words. Almost. She became aware that everyone was staring at her. They had been searching for her for so long, the dreaded Azula. Now she was here, in the flesh. Not knowing what else to do, she smoothed out her tattered robe. "Well?" she asked. "What are you all looking at?"

She needed to distance herself from the others. Instead of seeing her as a threat, she was now a curiosity. She needed time to think. Alone. She turned back to Iroh, and gestured to her own disheveled state. "Uncle, if it isn't an imposition, is there anywhere I could get cleaned up?"

Iroh nodded, still overcome with emotion. "Yes, yes of course. I'll show you inside."

Zuko put a hand on her shoulder. "Wait, Azula. I still have some questions for you."

His touch seemed to reignite something in her, and she swatted his hand aside. "Step aside, Fire Lord," she said with a slight sneer. "I've just spent the last few months escaping your prisons, fleeing your territories, and evading your lapdogs." As she said this, she gestured to Katara, Toph and Sokka. "And on top of all that, I've just defeated a spirit of unimaginable evil. So I don't think I'm being unreasonable to believe that I've earned a hot bath. You can ask your questions later."

She looked around her, expecting to be challenged. But she wasn't the only one tired of fighting, or else her words had convinced them. Iroh came up beside her and, gently offering her his arm, led her inside, away from the harsh morning light.

Azula exited the steam room and tied her robe tightly around her. She felt clean for the first time in months. She went into the room that Iroh had prepared for her, and changed into the clothing that he had laid out for her. By the looks of them, they belonged to one of the wait staff that worked at the Jasmine Dragon. She got dressed, and over walked to the window that overlooked the small garden outside. Her room was small, neat, and functional, pared down to just the essentials, just like her clothing. The girl she was before would have chafed at the simplicity of her garments and surroundings, but the woman she was now found them perfect. Resting her head in her hands, she took in the view. She knew her body was exhausted, knew she should be getting some well-earned sleep. But she found she was filled with a nervous energy, as if she had just set off on a long journey, her destination unknown and her outcome uncertain.

"Azula, we need to talk."

Without turning, Azula answered her brother. "Fire Lord or no, this is my room. I'll ask that you knock next time."

Zuko came up beside her. "I'm sorry if I startled you," he said softly.

"You didn't. I've been startled by the best. What do you want, Zuko?" Azula looked at him from the corner of her eyes. He had also taken the time to clean himself up, and was wearing fresh clothing. She was somewhat relieved to see that he eschewed the standard flashy garb of a head of state. The ring on his right hand, the royal seal of the Fire nation, was all he wore that signified his status. It was all that was necessary.

Zuko sighed. She was going to make this difficult, but that was nothing new. "We haven't really spoken since... since the Agni Kai. I went to visit you in the hospital, afterwards, but you weren't in your right mind." Ignoring her grimace, he continued. "Aang told me everything about what happened. I'm sorry that I doubted you. I hate to think of you facing Koh on your own. How do you feel?"

The mention of the Agni Kai brought a familiar shame bubbling up to the surface of her mind. Shame at losing control of her senses, shame at what she had become under the pressures of being Fire Lord... and shame at being beaten by Katara and her brother. She still had her pride, after all. "I've nothing to say to you, Zuko. One day we may forgive each other for what we've done in the past, but neither of us will ever forget."

Zuko stiffened. "That's not fair. During the war, you were the one who was trying to kill me."

Despite herself, Azula felt her lip curl. "As you said, I wasn't in my right mind. What was your excuse?"

"What do you-"

She whirled on him, pointed a finger into his chest. "You betrayed your country, Zuko. What's worse, you betrayed your family! Say what you will about Ozai. He's still our father, despite what you may wish. He deserved better than to have his family turn on him. I deserved better. I needed your help. And instead, you ran off and left me alone, and at my lowest moment you bring an outsider... into our home... and challenge me to an Agni Kai!"

Zuko was stunned, partly at her outburst, partly at her frank admission that she had needed his help. But his compassion had its limits. "What should I have done, Azula? Let Father conquer the world? He was wrong. Even assuming he had been able to defeat Aang, how long do you think his house of cards would have lasted? It would have destroyed the Fire Nation, from the inside out! And you! You were a danger, to yourself and everyone around you! I had to stop you!"

Azula felt herself getting angrier, incensed by the offhand reference to her temporary insanity. "You could have treated me like I was your sister! Instead, you and your filthy friends attacked me! Tell me, Zuko, did it feel good to see me in chains?"

"I had to have you committed after the war. You were sick. I thought they would be able to help you."

Committed. The world itself was disgraceful. "You mean, I was an embarrassment to the family. To you. I was a hindrance to your orderly succession. So you had me locked away, out of sight."

Zuko said nothing, and looked out on the horizon. He had had this argument with himself many times over the last year, when he was alone with his guilt. Knowing he had done the right thing was of no help. "Is that what you think happened? Is that what you think of me? That I was ashamed of you?"

Azula turned away from the window and sat down on the bed, cradling her head in her hands. "Blast it, Zuko, of course I don't think that! You asked me how I felt, not what I thought!"

She exhaled slowly. This was doing neither of them any good. What was past, was past. She knew, objectively, that Zuko had done the correct thing in challenging their father, in challenging her. It had been the best thing for the world, and ultimately for their family. But that didn't lessen the sting of betrayal, whether it was justified or not. Nothing would, except perhaps time. "Brother," she said, slowly and carefully, "I'll tell you this once. I understand why you did what did. But that doesn't change the fact that whenever I see you... I want to bash your face in. I know that's wrong, but that's how I feel."

Zuko let the full weight of her words sink in. He sat down next to her on the bed. "Well, at least you're being honest."

She laughed bitterly. "Yes, we should have done this years ago."

"I'll accept that for now. But you need to come back home."

"No," she said, the word escaping her lips almost reflexively. "I love our country. I've fought for it, and I've killed for it. I've been willing to die for it. But it's not enough anymore. I need to find a new way. And I'm trying, Zuko. But I can't do that around you. And I can't do it back home."

"That's non-negotiable, Azula. I won't send you to prison. I give you my word on that. I know you were following father's orders. Anyway, there isn't a member of our family, myself included, who doesn't shoulder some of the blame for the war. I know that. But there has to be a reckoning for your actions. The world has to see that you've accepted responsibility for what you've done. That's a small price to pay."

"I am paying, Zuko. I'm paying more than you'll ever know." The words came out as barely a whisper, torn from the depths of her heart.

"Why? Because you're not the Fire Lord?"

Could he really be that dense? Of course he could; he's my brother. "I don't want your damn throne, Zuko! It's nothing but a gilded cage, I know that now. In a few years, you may wish it was me who won our Agni Kai. But I don't owe the world an apology, or anything else. That was settled in the mountains. Tonight I've paid all debts."

Zuko paused. "It's not like you have many alternatives. Where else will you go? You're just as much a fugitive in the Earth Kingdom as you are in the Fire Nation."

It was a valid point. There probably wasn't a village, town or city in the whole world that hadn't heard of Azula, the right hand of Ozai, the scourge of Ba Sing Se. Still, going home was not an option. In fact, she felt like she had no home to go to. When she fled the Fire Nation as a fugitive, the bond between her and the land of her birth had been damaged, if not severed completely. "What happens to me next is of no concern to you, Fire Lord. Go back home to your kingdom. Enjoy your crown."

"And if I order you to come home? As Fire Lord? You're not just my sister, you're also my subject."

She couldn't help but laugh when she heard this. "Brother, look around us. We're not in the Fire Nation. You have no authority over me here. But if you insist, then I renounce my title and my citizenship. That should let you know how serious I am. Does that satisfy you?"

"Azula, be realistic. This is for your own good. Home is the safest place for you. There are plenty of people who would like nothing better than to hurt you... or to hurt me through you."

"Your concern is touching, Zuko. But let these mysterious assailants come. I'll put them in the ground one by one. I'm not the broken girl you remember from the war's end. I know what I'm capable of. I hope you do, too." She looked at him coldly, and he almost shuddered. The Azula he remembered could be vicious, but her acts of violence were always motivated by her relentless pursuit of power, or her desire to control others. Now his sister seemed overwhelmingly indifferent, to possessions, to people... to her very survival. Somehow, it made her seem even more dangerous.

"And if I make you come back?" he asked quietly.

"Agni Kai, brother?" The words escaped her lips and hung in the air like an evil ghost from their past, one neither one of them wanted to face. Azula cursed herself for saying it, and Zuko for backing her into this corner. She disliked Zuko, maybe even hated him, but she did not want to hurt him, not anymore. She had rejected Koh partly out of a desire to avoid having to do so. Was this the spirit's revenge, then, to bring about this turn of events? Or had it always been inevitable? Were they destined to try and kill each other, no matter what choices they made?

Zuko shook his head, firmly. "No. Never again."

Azula let out a small sigh. "At least we can agree on one thing."

Zuko frowned. This hadn't gone the way he had wanted it to. But that was how it always went between them. He would start out with the best of intentions, and before he knew it they were at each other's throats. "Is it so hard for you to believe that I actually love you, and want what's best for you? Don't you realize how reckless you're being?"

"Zuko, I've nothing left to lose." She looked at him, with her dazzling eyes, the ones their mother had always been so proud of. For a moment, a brief moment, he saw his baby sister again, the little girl he would have done anything to protect. And then, like a cloud of smoke, she was gone, forever. Only time would tell the nature of the woman who had taken her place.

He rubbed his chin. Her mind was made up. But he wouldn't let either of them off the hook that easily; she had responsibilities, and so did he. As he headed for the door, he turned to her. "Yes, you do. I reject your abdication of your citizenship and title. You'll remain Crown Princess... on my orders. And when you choose to... if you choose to... you'll always have a home in the Fire Nation."

He exited the room, leaving her to her thoughts. Her exile was over.

Next: Loser of the Year