A/N: Another update, part two! I expected this to be up way sooner, but it became soooooo long and I didn't feel as bad about it. Well, that is all I suppose, nothing new. Enjoy and Review! I love to read them, they are like drugs to me (not that I really know what drugs feel like, but there are detailed descriptions in my AP Bio book that pretty much match the euphoria produced by reviews). Sorry for any grammar mistakes but I checked this at like, midnight and I have no brain at that time.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Previously on Events Unexpected…

"She created the monster inside of Kaji. She instilled the need to be powerful and flawless, but it was I who let it happen. I was too late and by the time that I became a part of Kaji's life, she had already begun to think of Azula as her God. What was I in the wake of her savior and caregiver for all of the years that I had been gone? Nothing. I created Kaji's inner monster. It was me."

"I know it is unfair of me to ask this of you, but please stop her. I know that she is my daughter and it is I, as much as Azula, who made her into the… person… that she is, but I have never had the power to nullify her destruction. I am completely loyal to you and the White Lotus and will aid you in all ways I can to take her down, even if it means the loss of her life or my own."

"Korra," Katara's voice reached her in the depths of her turbulent inner fires- Korra had never felt more like a firebender than at that moment. "It is time that I unveil my own part in this fiasco. I must ask you to listen and refrain from any judgment until the end. I know it will come as a shock, and most certainly it will hurt you, but please remember that I am as much a flawed human being as the rest of them."

"We were so young then. We had thought that we were mature beyond our years because of the amount of pain and grief we had all experienced within ourselves and the places we had visited. I had always known that Aang had held affections for me… no, that is not the right way to start this," Katara retracted her words.

"There is little I can tell you about our escapades during the war that you do not already know, so I will start with what happened after," Katara began anew.

"I know that Zuko asked you to do this Katara, but I don't think that it is the best idea," Aang tried to placate the determined waterbender as she marched down the steps of Omashu.

They had recently been travelling all over the Earth Kingdom with the Harmony Restoration Effort, attempting to assuage the fears and tensions that were overflowing between the receding colonies of the Fire Nation and the continent that was retaking them, but work had been swept aside for a much needed vacation. The entire scandal between Zuko and King Kuei over Yu Dao had exhausted them all and Aang made a straight course for the old Earth Kingdom city as soon as he had been able to get Appa off of the ground and away from his Fan Club. The relief in Katara's eyes was evident the moment the screams were overtaken by the rush of air roaring in their ears. He would have never admitted it, but having the waterbender jealous over him made him feel a welcome warmth in the pit of his stomach. Katara herself was just happy to finally not have to fight for the affections of her… boyfriend. She had come to be more comfortable with Aang's affections toward her and no longer felt the awkwardness that came from viewing him as more of a brother, but there was still an elusive barrier between them. The only difference about it now was that is felt like cellophane instead of stone. She tried not to think about it too much and focused on enjoying the ride to the place where they would spend a few days in stillness and tranquility without the need to hide who they were for a moment of peace.

As it was, the vacation was over before it even had a chance to start as a royal messenger hawk with a black container strapped to its back came sailing in through the window of Katara's room the very morning after their arrival. Katara had insisted upon separate chambers much to Aang's chagrin, but the boy was good-natured and trusted his beautiful waterbender enough to not question her. Katara's azure eyes scanned the neat script, recognizing it as Zuko's penmanship almost immediately.

Dear Katara,

I had this sent to you because you are the only one who understands. You were the only one who was there on the evening of the Agni Kai between me and my sister.

Katara paused. She did not like where he was going with this. Azula had been a taboo topic since her confinement in the mental facility over two years ago. For Zuko to suddenly mention her at that moment was unexpected and unwanted. Katara hated to admit it, but she still had nightmares about the fallen prodigy. She could see those cool golden eyes looking right through her and analyzing her very soul. The shudder that came upon her now could not be attributed to the breeze. Azula, she thought the name. Where before there had only been fear and contempt for the girl, only a few months younger than herself, now Katara felt that her feelings majorly consisted of pity. She hated to recall the utter despair with which the firebender had cried after she had been chained to the grate by Katara's nimble hands. She had been thoroughly broken apart; something Katara still could not come to terms with. Azula had always been the strong one, the one who had a plan, the one who was the cunning monster that embodied Ozai's will. Seeing her vulnerable had shattered Katara's entire image of the mighty warrior, replacing it with a more realistic view of the girl. Katara realized that her fingers had dug into the thin parchment in her reminiscing, crumpling the note slightly at the edges. Her eyes moved back to the letter to continue reading.

I also know that I can trust you with the request I am about to make. I hate to ask another favor of you when you have already done so much for me, but it is my firm belief that you are the only one who will be able to accomplish my will.

Katara rolled her eyes at the elongated, formal speech. Zuko had always had a way of lengthening any request when he was nervous. Becoming Fire Lord had not made him any less predictable.

My father may be the only person who has information on my mother's whereabouts. I need to find her, especially in this time of upheaval and personal conflict. Azula may be the key to convincing him to give me what I seek. I went to visit her a few days past and she proclaimed that she too held a desire to find our mother, but when I returned to her the following morning- in preparation to escort her to my father- she…

A few words were blotted out with so much ink as to make them impossible to discern. Katara's eyebrows had furrowed at Zuko's mention of his father to Azula. She wanted to smack him for his insensitivity; Azula was certain to be mortified by the prospect of facing the man she had thought of as a God. The firebender would have believed that her mental break and her defeat were crimes and worse, failures, punishable by the vilest fate her insanity could imagine for her. The lines following only served to solidify Katara's assessment.

She was in one of her more aggressive moods. She would not cooperate at all and we had to subdue her before she hurt anyone or herself. I need her to be well again Katara. I know that you hold no love for my sister and I do not blame you, but if there is even a chance that she can convince Father to tell me where I can find… I just need you to consider it. Please.

Zuko

Katara folded up the paper and tapped it thoughtfully against her shoulder. She was wearing some comfortable blue robes that had been placed in her closet, courtesy of King Boomi's staff, and the fabric caressed her skin with each impact from the paper. Her mind screamed at her to decline. She knew that she had once said that she would never abandon anyone in need of her help, yet there had to be a point where she drew the line. At least that was what she was telling herself to quiet the unsettling aura that had cloaked her body. She was only sixteen, seventeen soon though that hardly meant anything. She had seen, with her own eyes, the destruction wrought by the Fire Princess. To 'cure' Azula of her madness was sure to have unforeseen side effects that Zuko and the rest of the world were sure to find undesirable. Resurrecting Ozai's most adept fighter was not any sort of solution. But Katara could not help the image of Azula, bawling on the floor as she spewed an inferno of blue fire from her mouth, hit a nerve in her conscience. Was she so cruel as to say that the fire prodigy had deserved her fate? Azula was as much a victim of the war as anyone, even if she had become a symbol of all that the war had stood for. And even if Katara could forget about the desolation behind those golden irises, could she really deny Zuko the one shot he had at locating Ursa? How many years had it been since either of them had seen their mothers? At least he still had a chance of seeing his again. If Katara was afforded that opportunity, she knew that she too would do everything in her power to grasp it.

Mind made up, Katara had immediately spoken to Aang about the necessary preparations for her departure to the Fire Nation. He, of course, had been reluctant in allowing her to come face-to-face with his potential murderer and the girl who had nearly destroyed the entire Earth Kingdom- most certainly she had planned to. Still, when Katara got that look in her eyes, he knew that it was a futile attempt. He had to admit that the prospect of aiding Azula brought both fear and catharsis to him- his Air Nomad teachings spurring him to treat her with compassion if nothing else- so any argument against Katara's actions would have been half-hearted and promptly shot down anyway.

"I will skip the reception. Zuko was… well, he was many things, but grateful would be the most forthcoming description," Katara chuckled before turning serious once more. "When I got to the hospital, I was somewhat taken aback by what I found there."

Korra nodded, only wishing for her mentor to go on. She had never known that Katara had held a part in reasserting Azula's sanity, only that the Princess had eventually made enough of a recovery to become a renowned politician and general for the Fire Nation in her later years. Hearing it now, the miraculous recovery of the firebender's intellect seemed more credible.

The first thing Katara noticed about the building, once they were inside of its pallid walls, was that it was cold. Not the cold she had grown up in, where a good coat and gradual acclimatization were ample shields against the biting chill; this cold was one of a moratorium. Katara rubbed her hands over her shoulders, feeling the gooseflesh even past the jacket she had been given upon entry. She really did not think the peach color suited her, but it was either that or sitting for however long she would be there with her teeth chattering. The staff, comprised mostly of doctors and nurses with a smattering of janitorial members, made sure to put on bright, wide smiles as she and her escort made their way down into the depths of the 'hospital.' The strain behind the forced gesture was lost on the young girl at that first visit, but would become apparent in the subsequent ones.

The second thing Katara took notice of was the fact that the corridor professed to contain the Fire Princess, or former one as Zuko had her stripped of title after the Agni Kai, was located at the very center of the lowest story of the building. The fact that Katara had arrived on the ground floor made it obvious on the first descending stairwell, that Azula was being held in one of the subterranean levels. The lack of windows had made it necessary for all light to be artificial; compiled with the identity of the prisoner, it was to be expected that each of the torch holsters were filled with crystals instead of flames. Katara had been, for some strange reason she did not care to contemplate, against the removal of Azula's bending along with Aang. Now that she was about to face the girl who had haunted them all for the past two years, she was not so sure that her position had been the best idea.

"Miss Katara," the guard in front of her bowed. "The room is around the corner. As is customary, I need to inform you of a few principle procedures before you are allowed to see the pri- patient."

The mistaken word was hastily covered up. Katara made to forget it, but the queasiness in her stomach was back in full and her knees felt weak. Whatever was lurking just beyond her vision was not something she was keen on facing. The shadows playing along the plastered walls were larger somehow, more menacing than a moment ago. Still, she gathered all of the bravery she had held in reserve for this confrontation, and nodded her head.

"The guard changes every four hours but there will always be someone outside should you need them. There is a thermostat within the cell that is sensitive to the slightest increase in temperature. If there is any firebending on the part of the resident, we will be alerted and will respond with haste. There is a division along the center of the room, keeping the patient barred from you and she has been restrained for the safety of herself and anyone in her presence so there should be no danger. When you wish to come out, simply bang on the door and voice your wishes."

Katara took in all of the information and used it as a virtual lifesaver. Having the knowledge that she was not to be completely alone was a comfort, if only a small one. She had made the request to be allowed to work undisturbed with the troubled girl, therefore any sort of apprehension with her situation could only be blamed on her. Still, Katara knew the delicacy with which such things had to be handled. Azula had to open herself to her, and that would be hard enough without the firebender feeling ambushed by a full room.

"Finally, Miss," the guard said with emphasis. "There can be no physical contact with the prisoner. She is still very unstable and the unpredictability of her aggressive mood swings makes this measure necessary."

Katara was now confused. She would not be able to apply her water healing if she could not touch the girl. Azula needed more than just consolation and therap; she needed curing. The man standing next to her seemed to sense her thoughts and clarified, "The rule may change in application to you, but for the first few visits, until we can fully observe the response you illicit, it would be best to follow it."

Katara found the logic behind the precaution. Azula was not exactly keen on the waterbender, nor was the vice versa any different. They turned the corner and the three men standing outside the massive steel door were informed of the new visitor. The eyes of the guards, to Katara's utter dismay, were tinged with fear. She realized that the shortness of shifts must have served the purpose of alleviating the stress that came with watching the Princess. After all, Azula had once been the sole most terrifying and exulted thing in the Fire Nation. One of the guards, his green eyes betraying his status as a foreigner, was the only one who held a defiant spark in his demeanor. Katara could only shake her head at their foolishness. There was no reason to fear ghosts, and Azula was scarcely better off than one, but the false confidence of the Earth Kingdomer was also foolish. Hubris only led to mistakes, and when it came to Azula, mistakes were not to be made.

The exhale of air from the door opening was dank, stale, and had probably been the same air that had circulated the place since the time of its construction. Katara had to wait a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness that engulfed the small room that had been revealed to her. Two crystals were brought in and placed in braziers that looked like they had been used only sparingly. Katara questioned Zuko's methods of 'fixing' his sister when she wasn't even afforded light. The two men who had come in with her bowed and left her alone in the pale greenish glow of the precious rocks.

At first, Katara did not even see the person she was looking for. As had been stated, there was a divide of bars running from one wall to the opposite one, parallel to the stone behind her and the other before her. Within the space allotted to the visitors was a small iron chair that had certainly seen better days. It was rusted and its legs warped to the point that it was sagging to the right. Katara quickly decided to take a seat on the floor or remain standing throughout her time there. On the side, apart from her, was a small cot chained to the wall and bolted to the floor. Katara wondered if Azula had ever even had the strength to lift it, but soon forgot about it when she finally caught sight of the reason she was there in the first place. What she had discarded in her initial scan of the premises as a grey pile of blankets clumped on the floor, revealed itself to be the huddled form of the former Princess in her worn straightjacket. Azula had been hunched in such a manner as to completely hide her face and feet, the only parts of her body that were not stuck inside of the constricting fabric. As she shifted into another position, hardly more comfortable on the cold, grey tile floor, Katara was finally able to discern a patch of unruly ebony hair. She gasped at the disheveled state of the feature Azula had kept so pristine throughout their encounters. What had once been defined by waves of sleek, soft strands was now dry and matted, clinging to a hidden face with unwashed oil and debris. The next thing that caught Katara and held her captive was a pair of eyes. These eyes, however, were alien to her. She had looked into them in defiance more times than she cared to count, always expecting to receive that infuriating smirk and cool confidence that radiated off of Azula so naturally as to be both alluring and devastating. Now, she could not even believe that she was looking at the same eyes. They were glazed, to the point that the young waterbender momentarily wondered if the girl sitting behind the bars had gone blind. The horror she felt in that small increment of time was unprecedented and strange, but Katara could not shake the relief she felt when the pupils zeroed in on her and a semblance of clairvoyance and recognition crossed the dirty visage of the former Royal. The relief was short-lived as a burning hatred began to spread over the pale features; the forehead crinkled in distaste, the nose drawing up in a show of revulsion, and the overall frown that drew the pale, chapped lips down was paired with an overall awkward series of shuffles that took Azula as far from Katara as her cell would allow.

"Azula," Katara started. She mirrored the girl's expression of dislike, knowing it was far from professional, but not giving a damn. Even insane, the girl had an innate sense of which buttons to push to infuriate the waterbender.

"Water peasant," the voice was cracked, barely above a whisper, and indicative of disuse. Whatever intended effect the threat was supposed to have, the weakness with which it was said demolished it. The frown only intensified.

Katara sighed, reminding herself that she was meant to be helping the indignant resident of the room, not picking a fight when Azula obviously was unable to fully defend herself. Trying again, she moved up to stand just before the bars, "I am here to help you."

It was obviously the wrong thing to say, as Katara found out a second too late. The Fire Princess lunged at her, mouth ablaze with cerulean fire like the dragons in the stories that Katara had heard whilst in the southern continent. The waterbender barley had enough time to backpedal away from the miniature inferno when a high-pitched shriek left Azula's parted jaws and she crumpled to the floor. Katara could not understand what had happened to make the girl, now on the floor convulsing in pain, react in such a violent manner. Jets of what looked like steam, but that were cold instead of hot, obscured her view of the Princess, yet the screams were still audible until they diminished into wails and then nothingness.

"-ss, iss, Miss?" Katara was suddenly aware of the man kneeling beside her and calling out. She had not even noticed that she had fallen to the ground in her hasty retraction. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yes," a quick check confirmed that, despite the shock still coursing through her veins, Katara was unharmed. Looking over his shoulder, she noticed two of the men grappling with something, or someone, within the cage a few feet away. She was astounded when one of them drove his knee down and a crack resounded across the enclosed space, followed by a series of choking and gasping noises.

"What are you doing?" she growled out. She was certainly not a fan of the girl, especially now that Azula had attacked her for no reason, but hurting her patient was not going to bring about any progress.

A hand was placed on her arm, keeping her from regaining her feet and rushing through the cell door that lay open. The man gave her a sympathetic look before explaining, "It is protocol. If she struggles, we have orders to incapacitate her, directly from the Fire Lord."

"Well, as her new doctor, I am giving you orders to refrain from hurting her," Katara replied vehemently. Pushing away the man's hand, she picked herself up and moved toward the cell. Inside, she could not believe her eyes. The two guards had wrapped a heavy chain around the girl's frail shoulders and torso, keeping her flushed to the wall. Her legs had also been chained down to the floor, restricting anything beyond a small twist to either side. Perhaps the most disconcerting thing of all was the metal muzzle that had been strapped to Azula's head, leaving only her eyes and the top of her head exposed. It was obviously painful for her, discomfort evident in the winces and groans she let out whenever she tried to move.

"Take it off," Katara did not know why she said it. If anything, she should have left the feral monster in her cage to rot for the rest of her life in recompense for what she had just done when Katara owed her nothing and was only helping her out of the goodness of her heart. But that was not what she felt then; the pitiful gurgling sounds coming from behind the heavy mask betraying Azula's agonized tears.

"I am sorry Miss, but we cannot do that. She is to remain with it on until one of the doctors comes to sedate her," the tone with which it was said was apologetic. Katara turned to glare at the man, his hands up in a sign of powerlessness.

Slowly, and in a manner ensuring that he understood that she did not give a shit about what he thought, Katara reiterated her previous command, "Take. It. Off."

"Mi-"

"Do you not hear me?" Katara's words were laced with venom. No human being deserved to be caged and muzzled like an animal. Azula was dangerous, she was maniacal, she was deranged, but she was not a beast.

"I-"

Giving up on the man, Katara swiftly waterbended him and the other two guards into the walls with ice formed through freezing the water in her hip pouch. She kept them in her peripheral to ensure that, were she to need them at any time, she would be able to release them from their bonds. Moving slowly, cautiously, toward the frightened cocoon of chains that was Azula, she took a knee in front of her. The eyes flitted to her, once again displaying something completely foreign to the Azula than Katara had become accustomed to.

"I'm going to take this off now," she stated, speaking as though to a child. Azula shook her head frantically as Katara's hands moved to the clasp that held the thing tightly over the firebender's head, "but you have to keep still and not attack me okay?"

The clasp was broken and the thing fell into Katara's tanned fingers. She marveled at the sheer heft of the thing, wondering how Azula had been able to keep her head up while in its grip. The tear marks streaked plainly through the grime that had come to cake the firebender's cheeks, leaving small treks of ghostly flesh in their wake. Azula was shaking violently, her mouth moving at the speed of light, formulating words that were indecipherable. Katara, reached a tentative hand, pressing it against the side of the girl's face. There was no sign that Azula had registered the contact, her eyes trained at the wall directly to Katara's left as her lips continued to convey the unknown dialogue in her head. The waterbender gently guided Azula's head to turn away from the wall and more directly face her. For what seemed like forever, Azula kept glancing at the empty alcove of her cell, even with Katara's insistent pressure, until she finally came to gaze back at the blue orbs that had been observing her with unbridled concern.

"Azula?" Katara questioned. She was still not sure whether the girl could see her, or whether she was still lost in a trance.

"She says to trust you," Azula murmured, her fear slipping into every syllable. Katara looked over her shoulder, then, when she was certain that there was no one there, returned her attention to the shaking girl before her.

"There isn't anyone there, Azula," she had heard of the delusions the girl suffered; visions of her mother and father haunting her day and night- not that Azula would have any awareness of the time of day in her crypt.

"She says," Azula said louder, stronger, "to trust you. But he is telling me that I should kill you right now."

Katara tried to tell herself that the pit in her stomach was from not having eaten anything since that morning. Lying to oneself was always harder than lying to another, and Katara was probably the worst liar of them all.

"I want to listen to him… I should listen to him… because if I kill you, they will kill me… and then, then he will leave me alone… and she will leave me alone too."

"You want to die?" Katara asked, dread curling up within her. Not for the first time since she had stepped into the dank underground, the emotion was not only felt for herself.

"At first I didn't," Azula's gaze fell, her head lolling as though the effort of holding it up any longer was too much for her, "then the sun disappeared and I couldn't feel it any longer. Then my fire became weaker and vanished. Now I don't even feel like I am alive anyway."

Katara glanced at her before voicing her question, "But you just used your firebending."

"What?" Azula's eyes flickered back up to her face.

"You just…" it was obvious that lapses in memory were also symptoms of whatever was ailing the distressed girl lying prone to the cold tiles and plaster around her.

"I am sorry Miss Katara," a deep voice said from behind her," Katara and Azula both turned to look up at a tall man who had just come into the cell, "but your time with the patient is over."

Azula shuffled further into her wall, a formidable feat considering she was already chained so close to it already, curling into the fetal position so as to appear as small as possible. Katara rose with all of the authority and maturity that she could bring forth, but something about the man made her feel as small as Azula's huddled body.

Looking back, Katara could only send a silent apology to the person who was and wasn't the former prodigy of the former dominant nation of the world and promise, "I will see you again."

Korra's eyes had grown wide at the description of the cell and the treatment given to the Fire Princess. She thought of Kaji's protectiveness of her grandmother, viewing it in the light of what she had been told. That Azula had wanted revenge for what had been done, a form of reverting to the glory days of her youth, was no longer an alien topic that held no provocation.

"Azula was always proud of her heritage and the Fire Nation. When she was released, she proved herself loyal and dedicated to the betterment of the Land of Kindling Flame. Even eventual cooperation with the Avatar was achieved, though there was always tension between the two…"

Korra glanced at her teacher, confusion etched into her features. If Azula had been a loyal citizen of the Fire Nation, serving under her brother and became an ally of Aang's, then the catalyst for her eventual imperialistic mission entrusted to Kaji was once again unclear.

"In the interest of time, I will skip over the five years that I spent in the ward with Azula. It is only important that you know that my increased time spent in that cell drew me further from Aang and my friends, and closer to the enigma that was Azula. As she became more cognizant, I began to learn more about her past and her stigma."

Katara could not be sure when it had happened, but she could no longer lie to herself about her newfound connection to the Fire Nation girl she had spent the better part of her teenage years looking after. What she had with Azula, she had come to jokingly describe as a friendship born of desperation and insanity- on the part of both parties. As it was, the twenty-one-year-old waterbender practically skipped up the stairs leading to the fifth floor of the hospital where she had had Azula transferred after a two year battle with Zuko, Aang, and the conjoined forces of the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom advisers adamant about ensuring that the girl never saw the light of day again. As it was, today was the day that Katara would commence the next stage of the Princess's rehabilitation. Today would be the day that Azula was finally released from the mental institution. And to celebrate it, and the eventual reinstitution of Azula's birthright as a member of the Royal Family if she continued to display 'good behavior,' Katara had decided to take the girl out on an immediate shopping trip as most of her clothing from before the end of the Hundred-Year War would no longer fit her.

The confusion on Azula's face as she was led out into the foyer without any form of restraint on her hands and feet had Katara feeling slightly guilty-more because of the amusement she felt over the blatancy of the emotion than the fact that the Princess had become so used to bondage as to find freedom strange. Realization hit the firebender's stormy eyes, her raised eyebrows sinking into their usual casual spots upon her brow, when she saw the waterbender approach.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Katara asked cheerfully. Azula's smirk had lost most of its snide-ness, leaving the closest rendition of a smile that Katara ever felt she would be privy to. It was a nice expression.

"Not too bad. I am not sure what has happened to warrant my removal from The Room, but I am not one to complain," Azula remarked, shrugging her shoulders which had lost their boniness to be replaced with some muscle over the years she had spent in recovery from her initial treatment.

Katara 's face fell slightly at the hostile tone with which Azula still referred to her residence for the past five years. The Princess refused to call it 'My Room' or any other sort of possessive term, though Katara supposed that she wouldn't want to be affiliated with the physical embodiment of a mental affliction that had ruined her life either.

"So," a hasty correction spilled out of the Fire Princess. She did not know why she felt like apologizing to the girl whom she had looked down upon for so long; even if those days had long since vanished into the veil of the past that lay like some unreachable dream at the corner of her mind.

"So," was the reply. Nothing had been said, but they had developed their own sort of language, making the silent connections between what was vocalized and what did not have to be.

Katara shook her head, her signature braid and loopies swinging with the motion. She had not come all of the way there to simply have a staring contest with her latest friend. Friend, she liked the sound of that running through her brain.

"I was wondering if, for your first day out of the hospital, you would like to get out of those clothes?" Katara inquired.

"Oh yeah?" Azula moved her eyebrows up in a mock suggestive look. Katara's cheeks burned with the embarrassment of what her words had sounded like, though she was quite sure that both she and Azula knew that it had not been an intentional allusion.

"And get you some new ones. Spirits, I think I liked you better when you couldn't make me feel like an idiot,' Katara grumbled. She was relieved that her joke, which easily would have backfired spectacularly had the girl standing opposite to her taken it the wrong way, was instead accepted with a graceful chuckle.

"Please forgive me," Azula stepped forward and draped an arm lazily over Katara's shoulders; she had grown to be about half a foot taller than the waterbender, much to Katara's utter dismay, "boredom gifts one with a dirty mind."

"I will think about it," Katara turned with difficulty, thanks to the firebender lazily leaning into her, and thanked the guards stoically watching their departure. Azula also left them with a few parting words that Katara quickly drowned out by smacking her hand over the girl's mouth.

"Alas, I think I lost myself in that," Master Katara sighed, though she was smiling slightly at the drifting memory. Her eyes moved back up to Korra before she moved on, "It was not until a few weeks later that the entire scandal began; though, it was nothing short of innocent in its fledgling phase, only threatening to break us all as it blossomed into something far greater."

It was a stormy day in the Fire Nation. Katara wistfully glared at the torrential monsoon bearing down on the tropical vegetation on the other side of the glass that protected her from the deluge. She would have liked to imagine that it was an expression of her unrelenting anger, but she knew that even she was not strong enough to bring about such a downpour. Lightning flashed in the distance and she numbly counted off the seconds until the boom sounded.

Watching the scenery took her mind away from the argument she had had with a certain airbending boy earlier that morning. She hated how stressed everything had become since Azula's release. The girl had done nothing to warrant the aggression against everything she did. And to have Aang get upset over how much Katara defended her, well that was uncalled for; she was also completely in the right with her adamancy in Azula's reform. The Fire Princess had done nothing but help them quiet the rebellions within the continent, strengthened the shaky diplomatic ties with the other nations, and even personally apologized to King Kuei (something Katara would never have expected her to be capable of). As if that alone had not been enough, she had offered her help in Kioshi Island as a way of making amends and, though she was shot down by Suki, it had led to Azula's reunion with her best childhood friend Ty Lee. The two had become somewhat inseparable for a few months after, much to Katara's.. no, she would not believe that she was jealous that Azula was finally piecing her life back together. Such pettiness was sure to only hurt them both. Still, sometimes- most times- Katara found herself talking to the Fire Princess more and more often. Azula listened; that was the key difference between her and the nineteen-year-old Avatar. Aang was always busy going here or there on small missions that could have been left to others, without even asking for her consent, and the worst of it was that he expected her to come along as though she had nothing of importance to attend to.

That had been the meat of their argument that day. He had informed her in passing that they would be leaving the Fire Nation Capital to go to Ba Sing Se for an annual festival, and later a conference, in two days. Forget that she still had to convince Azula that she was strong enough to face her father and ask him about the whereabouts of her mother; no, she had to be the Avatar's little pet puppy, following at his heels wherever he went. In short, she had yelled and he had yelled and they ended things the same ways they had always ended them, by walking in opposite directions and finding some way to vent that usually involved violent displays of force.

A movement caught the corner of Katara's eye. Her head turned and she gaped as she saw a figure disappearing underneath a tree that looked just about ready to be torn from its roots. Curiosity piqued, and with no intention of simply sitting around and stewing, Katara pulled one of her heavier cloaks from its hook and proceeded to exit her way into the rain.

The wind was her worst enemy as she kept pace with the hooded figure briskly moving through the wet foliage. She had nearly lost whoever it was twice because her legs had been practically swept out from under her in a particularly sharp tug against her own protective garment. The added complication of having to remain stealthily behind the figure led to quite a bit of frustration and more than a few scratches on her exposed hands and the bottom of her ankles. In her hurry to leave, she had not thought to put on boots, forsaking them for lighter slippers.

The figure had finally come to a stop at the corner of a glade. The grass clung to the earth in an attempt at staying grounded; the sheets of water pounding over the blades gave the field the illusion of fluid water. The cloak of the person ahead of Katara fell to the floor revealing pale, slim shoulders and a muscular back. The body was slight, clearly feminine, but strong in the subtleties of its motion. Black hair was pulled up in a neat topknot with a small crown stuck into the center, the tip gleaming even in the darkness of the overcast sky. If Katara had held any doubts over the identity of her mysterious shade before, they vanished instantaneously at the sight of it.

Azula stepped out into the center of the meadow, striding with confidence one rarely displayed in the wake of such a cruel storm. Her arms moved in circular motions as she warmed herself up for the form she, no doubt, had come to perform. Katara remembered how much Azula hated practicing in the Royal Palace. She had explained it once, saying that she felt the eyes of the servants and nobles always on her, waiting for her to slip up and fall into a fit of incoherent rage, distracted her from her movements and usually ended only in frustration. That or she believed them to still be wary of her, wishing that the Avatar had relieved her of her gift before she had been shut away in her prison cell.

Now, looking on as the waves of indigo fire flew past her dynamic body, flowing with each punch or kick or flip, Katara hated them all for wanting to take away what made Azula so beautiful. It was entrancing, how those flames looked so magnificent when they were not being directed at her in an attempt to roast her alive. It was almost as if they were breathing, living things, writhing and circling like great serpents of molten air.

Katara could not tell if Azula sensed the sudden change in pressure around the glade. She did instantaneously. It was as if the entire ground fizzled with unbridled energy ready to burst. The waterbender's muscles clenched in reflexive anticipation for what was to follow, her tongue resting on her palate and her hands moving to uncork her water skin. Nothing could have prepared her for the ensuing clash of elemental power. The entire field lit up like a star had just fallen from the heavens and crashed into the firebender standing in the center of the field. Katara did not notice that she cried out, her eardrums ringing from the resounding supersonic waves that popped her eardrums. Even the blood that came out of her delicate ears was lost in the blinding flash that enveloped everything and erased it from existence. At least, it did for a second, before the light retracted from whence it came and the world went completely dark.

Katara's eyes fluttered open, but she could not see anything. For a moment of sheer terror, she thought that she had gone blind from the violent emission of pure white light. Her corneas must have evaporated and her retinas burned to a crisp. She did not want to think of the horror of having to live the rest of her days without being able to look at the snow fields of her home or the caring faces of her loved ones. She was not like Toph; her feet could not see for her eyes.

Then the darkness lifted and she was able to make out little shades and blurs. Some of them moved, making her head swim to a degree that caused her to close her eyelids. Something soft was running over her cheeks, a warmth that felt like a heavenly flame in the middle of a blizzard. Katara moved toward it, her hand grasping at the foreign contours, trying to make sense of what it was through textile sense as her others seemed shot to hell.

Then there was a sound. It was very faint, only bubbling pockets of ghostly murmuring, lilting and waning before growing increasing stronger. The gentle warmth became a strong, jolting shake. Her arm was being clasped, hard. The jolts continued, only worsening her headache; Katara's hands went up, flailing in an attempt to assuage whatever it was that was moving her in the unwanted manner. The hand was grabbed, her head elevated until it rested on a very silky surface, like a plush pillow. Her nose picked up the faint smell of spice and electricity, the combination so eccentric as to evade a just description.

She tried opening her eyes again, praying for a clearer visual, or at least some indication of a more intense stimulation of her optic nerve. She let out a breath she had not been aware of holding as the images focused into a perfect picture. Above her, there were trees, their dark canopy swaying restlessly though her ears still could not pick up the rustling of the leaves or the creaking of the trunks as they resisted the wind's push. Droplets of water came down as if in slow motion, each little circle plopping on her eyelids, clear as fine glass. And then there were the eyes. Katara couldn't seem to turn away from them once she had made contact with the rich glow coming from the captivating irises looking down on her. Another flash of light illuminated the face, shrouding it in a celestial halo that darkened the sharp cheekbones and prominent lips, before the dark grey of the sky reappeared in the background. The lips were saying something, moving urgently in long silent sentences that were indistinguishable. Katara felt a strange closeness to the person who was cradling her head in their lap. The silky feeling, she was able to finally discern as clothing. The warm, fleeting pressure against her face was the caress of long fingers, carefully brushing the wet streaks of hair out of her face.

"-ra, -ara, -tara, Katara!" the sound returned with the conjoint effect of moving into a high elevation too quickly. She must have shown her discomfort, because her companion started frantically questioning the nature of her pain.

"Shush," Katara could not even believe that she had enough of her voice to say it. It took a few more deep gulps of the crisp air before she could finally finish her thought, "I'm okay."

Relief was quickly overshadowed by a darker complexion across the eyes, bronze under the cover of the clouds and the lack of reflection from the sun. The waterbender gave a little yelp as she was heaved into a sitting position, the vertigo making her head spin more intensely than she would have liked. Adding insult to injury, she was almost as harshly spun around on the spot before coming within inches of the other girl's face.

"Azula?"

"You idiot!" the words came out as a crack, stinging like a whip and cutting deeply into Katara's heart. There was certainly anger in them, but overwhelming was the amount of fear radiating from the trembling shoulders and clenched hands. The eyes; Katara always returned to her eyes, pleadingly seeking for the confirmation that she was, indeed, alright.

"I-"

"You could have been killed," it was evident that the Fire Princess had no intention of letting her subject get even one word out. "Do you know how dangerous it is to be out in a storm like this?"

It was Katara's turn to grab a hold of the girl kneeling in front of her. Azula's shirt clenched tightly in both of her hands, pulling her down to be exactly eyelevel with the miffed Tribeswoman, Katara enlightened her on the stupidity of the statement, "Then what in the hell were you doing standing in the middle of a field, in the middle of a lightning storm? You should know that clearings like that are dangerous."

Azula's surprise let up slightly and she began to shake even more violently than she had been a moment earlier. Her face was hidden from Katara, so she immediately thought the worst; her hands reached out to cup the smooth cheek of the heaving Princess. Azula's head moved up; the waterbender sat in a mild stasis of shock as she saw that her worry was unfounded and her companion was, in fact, laughing. She could not really remember ever seeing Azula that way: tears spilling from her eyes, her hands wrapped around her torso as it convulsed, and the widest smile she had ever seen gracing the girl's pale cheeks.

"What is so funny?" was the indignant inquiry.

"Y-You were worried… about me?" the question was said between fits of giggles. "I- I'm a lightning bender you know. I am sort of capable of preventing it from actually frying me up."

Katara was astounded. She knew that Zuko could redirect the strikes of electricity fired at him from opponents and Azula had been quick to learn in the weeks she had spent in the palace after her release from the institute, but such a blast. It was not simply a current conjured up by another human being. This was akin to deflecting a blast sent down from the Spirits themselves.

"Your confidence is staggering," Azula sarcastically commented, seeing the incredulity etched into Katara's face.

"I- no, that isn't it," Katara, waved her hands as though to erase any offense that may have been taken by her dumbstruck expression.

"Hey, it's okay," Katara looked up to see that Azula had, once again, closed the distance between them, her body leaning against her arms, firmly planted on the soggy, leaf-strewn ground.

The blush that crept over the darkened skin of the Antarctic girl came unbidden. She wanted to turn away, to get up and brush herself off before returning to the safety of her quarters, but the steely gaze that was being directed to her kept her in place. There was something in those metallic depths that ensnared her will, crushing any sort of impulse to back away. Their proximity was so small that she could taste the firebender's breathes on the tip of her tongue. Katara had not even noticed when her lips had drifted apart.

"If I did something right now and blamed it on the fact that I was hit by a high electric voltage, would you take it as a viable excuse?" it was a joke, but Katara nodded like a simpleton anyway. A subconscious portion of her mind told her what was about to happen, her body moving in a more comfortable position that would allow better access to the girl leaning further into her.

The ensuing press of dark crimson lips to light beige was trepid, questioning the boundaries that the firebender was so blatantly crossing. Katara had her eyes shut, enjoying the extra attention she was able to give to the sensitive pressure points in her lips by extinguishing her other senses. Instead of the usual darkness that greeted her upon entry into her subconscious, her inner vision was swimming in a sea of soft pinks and vibrant reds. She had never really experienced something this… good.

A whine broke through her still parted lips when Azula drew away from her. Katara's eyes snapped open, terrified at what she might find on the other side of her fantasy. Her friend, if she could even refer to her as such anymore, had her back turned, hunched with her knees tucked tightly into her chest like a frightened child.

"Azula-" Katara
started, reaching for her with a hand much like the first time she had come into contact with the Princess in the mental ward. She cursed at herself for letting the exchange take place when it was obvious that the twenty-one-year-old was still far from complete recovery. A relapse now would only foreshadow pain and suffering in the future.

"I- I d-don't know what came over me," came the hushed reply, staying the tanned hand and leaving it suspended in the air. Katara was unsure whether she should have retracted it, but her muscles would no longer take orders from her central nervous system and it was a mute point as a result.

A choked inhale followed by a forced exhale was the only indication of movement coming from Azula's introverted form. Then she resumed speaking, tongue swollen in her mouth, for the first time in years, she felt at a loss for the right words. No, not even the right ones; the dispute between using a lie to cover up her indiscretion battled with the novel idea of actually telling her longtime confidante the complete truth.

At the onset, the latter seemed destined to win out, but old habits died hard in the young Royal, so she shook her head and turned to give the silent girl behind her the cheeriest smile she could muster, "Must be losing my mind. You should probably have a look when we get back to the palace. I guess you had a good point about the lightning frying me up."

Katara, however, was having none of it. Her instincts had rarely failed her, and when they had it had only been because of her youth and inexperience, so she took the plunge and rammed her body into Azula's. The princess went rigid in her arms, at first trying to push away her assailant. As Katara's tongue traced her flushed bottom lip, she immediately knew that there was no use in resistance. Even if she could come up with a coherent thought in her head, Azula was certain that it would hardly be an interjection.

If Korra had not been shocked up until that point, she most definitely was then. She could not even start to fathom what her mentor was telling her. In her head, she had never imagined that there was someone so close to her who had the same… sexual cravings, as herself. The stories told about same-sex couples had always been far away dreams or discredited taboos. To have her teacher, her first friend, personally relate to Korra's relationship with Kaji was… it was both exhilarating and maddening. Korra felt gradual feeling seep back into her arms and legs, giving her a sort of sense overload. Everything was crisper; the smells grew stronger; the feeling of the chair was harder against her thighs and back; even her vision seemed to be swimming in mixtures of extreme clarity and then hazy nothingness. But, if Katara had in fact known what Korra had been going through- particularly since they both were infatuated with women with matching personalities and heritages not to mention blood- then the question became: why did she not console Korra, give her advice? Instead, the old woman had blown up in her face about it as though Korra had committed some heinous act that damned her for all eternity. That was, perhaps, what hurt the most about it all. Korra would have cared less who her mentor had chosen to love. Aang may have been her past life, but she would never have held a grudge against the waterbender for having feelings for another. It was natural, almost anticipatable. So, why? Why had she lied and told Korra that she was making this horrible mistake with Kaji when it had been something they shared?

"Why?" Korra whispered.

"Korra?" Katara was unsure what to answer to the vague, pleading inquiry. She wanted nothing more than to offer an explanation, but she was no mind reader.

"Why did you make me believe that what I felt for Kaji was this unnatural, horrible corruption of compatibility? I thought that you hated me because I loved her," the tears came in little transparent drips, curving along her face until they conjoined under her chin and fell steadily onto Korra's clenched hands. Katara's eyes shined with hurt, being fully taken aback by the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Korra, I never meant for you to think that there was something wrong with you," she wrapped her arms around her trembling student in what she hoped was a comforting consolation. "I was so afraid that you would end up hurt and blame yourself for years like I did. I did not want you to be broken up by your duty and your love when it is a choice that no one should have to make."

"You told me that once," Korra hiccupped.

"I did, didn't I?" Katara sidled closer, giving off her motherly warmth as she soothed the girl in her arms. She sometimes wondered why the world deemed it the necessity of the young to hold all of its burdens.

"I know that it is difficult for you to understand the intentions of a fraying old woman, but I have only wanted the best for you," Katara continued. "I made too many mistakes, lost too many people close to me, to be any good at letting go of the loved ones I have left."

Korra sniffled, rubbing at the drying liquid on her cheeks and eye line. Her voice was small, but it held a renewed strength to it, "The story isn't done though, is it? You still have to tell me why it is your fault that Azula set this mission on Kaji."

"I am getting to it now," Katara answered. "It had been a few years that we kept our little liaisons a secret from those around us. Azula had been getting more and more frustrated with the public displays of affection I still portrayed with Aang whenever we held a conference or went out with the others from the Gaang. I was so young… and so foolish, to believe that I could have both my lover and keep from hurting Aang by breaking it off with him. Looking back, it was obvious he knew that not everything was golden between us; we were too platonic in private for there to not be tension. Then that day came, when I had to choose…"

Katara stared out into the midsummer night sky. It was still gradually falling into darkness, the light violet lingering at the edges of the world in remembrance of the warm presence of the sun that had since faded. Her hands rested over her stomach, running over the contours that had not been noticeable to her before that day. Now, it was hard to imagine not being able to sense the change going on within her. The muscle had always been taut, hard to the touch underneath her supple skin; it was different in its stiffness at that moment though. Now, the alterations to her physique were discernible, tangible under her grazing fingertips. And she hated it almost as much as she loved it. The good news could not have come at a worse time.

"Is your stomach hurting?" a sultry voice came from behind her. The waterbender could see the silhouette of her lover swaying toward her, walking as smoothly as if she were floating on air.

"No," she said curtly. The words she knew she needed to say were refusing to come forth. Katara had a responsibility to her firebender to tell her the secret she had kept from everyone around her- with the exception of Toph who had realized what had happened at about the same time as Katara herself- but she wanted to hold onto the warmth of those strong arms around her waist for as long as she could. It was reassuring to feel so close to Azula, to know that she still thought of Katara as the most beautiful being to grace her eyes. It was selfish, egotistical, and it was completely intoxicating.

"Something is bothering you," it was a statement. As much as the darker girl wanted to deny it, Azula had learned her subtle body signals just as finely as Katara had memorized the firebender's. They truly were the completion of one another… except that the connection was soon to be severed by Katara's weakness. And she hated herself for it.

Again she thought of that evening. The yelling and the drinking, until she could no longer remember what she had been doing. It was completely out of her character; she had no idea where the sudden impulsive indignation became a physical entity. All she knew was that she had been tired of Aang's complaints, his incessant accusations of her lack of love and appreciation for him; and instead of running into the arms that she knew were hers forever, there with the comfort and support she needed, she had downed half a bottle of Sake and practically mauled the man verbally assailing her in some contorted form of proving him wrong.

"Katara?" the worry was evident on Azula's tongue. She had been noticing her love drifting further away from all around her for the past few weeks and it was terrifying her. She had never really felt like anyone loved her so unconditionally; Katara had given her what she had craved most. She was the key to Azula's sanity, and watching the girl shut herself in a shell was too much to bear.

"Katara," she tried again. "Talk to me, please. Tell me what is wrong."

The blue eyes that slowly moved to meet her own were so full of conflicting negative emotions that Azula could only think to lean in and give the girl a small peck on the lips in reassurance. Katara turned away quickly, not noticing the hurt that crossed over Azula's face, but innately knowing that it was there. Sighing, the Princess grudgingly settled with wrapping her arms around Katara's waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. Their height difference made it necessary for Azula to bend in order to achieve the posture, but she did not pay any heed to the minor discomfort it caused her spine.

"We have to talk."

The finality in the tone of voice Katara used, so cold and dead, immediately caused the fine hairs on the Princess's arms to stand on end. Azula knew that voice -she had heard it enough from her mother, her 'friends,' anyone who was preparing to tell her something that would undoubtedly cause her great pain- and her gut twisted in knots as images of her broken childhood played in reels behind her eyelids. She shuddered and forced her eyes open to discard them. If Katara was indeed in some sort of trouble, Azula would have to remain strong for her. Katara had been there when she had been at her most vulnerable; it was the least she could do to return the favor to a small degree.

"Alright, love," she murmured into the shorter girl's shoulder blade. "You can tell me anything."

Katara took a series of shallow breathes that were bordering on hyperventilation before regaining enough control over her larynx to whisper, "I'm pregnant."

At first, Azula thought that she had heard wrong. Her overactive brain spun in circles, trying to quantify a valid explanation to the disarming confession. It took a ridiculously long time for her to even grasp at the obvious fact that there was no possible way that Katara could have become pregnant whilst also remaining faithful to her. Then the burning in her stomach started. Azula ripped her hands away from the waterbender, afraid that they would burst into flame and harm the girl if she stayed behind her. Katara, already scared witless, took it in the worst possible way, breaking down into tears and sinking to the floor.

"You must hate me so much," she choked out in between sobs. Her hands balled into fists on the carpet.

"I-" Azula did not know what to say. She did not feel hate… in fact, a strange sort of numb detachment had taken over her entire body. It was like her being was wrapped in a fuzzy covering that prevented her from seeing a completely focused picture in front of her eyes.

"And you are only going to hate me more," Katara wept. She dared not look up from her bowed position on the floor. Her only indication of Azula's continued presence in the room being the girl's pointed boots.

"N-no," Azula's brain snapped together with such violent intensity that she stumbled forward in a sudden rush to get to the other girl's kneeling form. Her hands, sufficiently cooled, reached down to cup Katara's tear-stained cheeks. "I don't hate you. I never could."

The earnestness in her eyes did not go unnoticed, yet, rather than calming the hysterical waterbender, Katara only disintegrated into an intensified fit of uncontrollable sobs. Azula moved to embrace her, only to feel the trembling hands of her lover push hard against her chest.

"N-no, you don't understand," Katara hiccupped.

The confusion was evident on the Princess's face. She had to admit that, since she had shared the kiss with Katara in the storm so long ago, the emotion had been a constant reoccurrence and Azula did not know whether she would ever get used to not being in total control. Words were being spoken without thought, her lips whispering reassurances like tiny prayers, "It's okay. We will figure this out together. Everything will be fine," and she tried to believe in what she said. For once, Azula had no idea whether she was lying or speaking the truth.

"Azula," Katara looked into the golden hues she had come to find so magical. She knew that what she was about to say would hurt like hell for both of them, but she also knew that she could no longer keep stringing the girl along anymore. It would not be fair to her to keep her caged like some songbird for Katara's entertainment whilst the waterbender was free to live her life as she pleased. She had helped Azula regain her freedom, and she would not be the one to take it from her now that they had come so far. There was only one thing to say, and she knew beyond a doubt that it would not be easy. It felt like she was tearing out a part of herself in her next sentence; the possible futures where she found herself lying in the firebender's arms vanishing in an instant to be overtaken by a picture of Katara in the arms of another, "This child is Aang's."

Azula had deducted as much. It was not too mindboggling as the two had been 'close' in the eyes of the public for over two decades or so. Still, the utter animosity she felt for him at that moment was only restrained by her determination to make whatever Katara had to say less difficult for her. Taking advantage of the pause, she attempted a hopeful expression as she nearly begged, "So, we continue keeping this a secret. It is alright, really. I am used to it by now, and I know a child will probably take you away from me for a larger portion of the time, but I can deal with that-"

Katara's shaking head stopped her dead in her ramblings. Azula's pupils narrowed to the point where there was almost nothing left of them. The girl obviously held little to no intention of upholding such a strained relationship, knowing it would only hold a temporary reprieve for them. Swallowing the bile threatening to spill out of her epiglottis, Katara finished her sentence, all of its dread finality seeping into Azula's frame in tiny dagger pricks, "This needs to stop. I- I am going to have a child and he or she is going to need a family… and only Aang can provide that for me."

It was a slap in the face, it was an uppercut to her gut, it was a vice grip wrenching her organs out and flipping them inside out. Azula, already kneeling on the floor, fell back heavily into a sitting position. Her arms came behind her in a supportive sort of position only to give out as her elbows inexplicably weakened. Her head hit the carpeted ground with a muffled thud. The blood throbbing within her temples was louder than a blaring war horn. It was the Agni Kai all over again. It was that dark pit that she had spent the final part of her teenage years in. And it was far worse than both of those things, because she had never cared as much about anyone like she had about the waterbender; and to have it all just thrown away over a mistake! It had to have been a mistake, right? Katara had told her many times that, though Aang was one of her closest friends, she did not love him like she loved her… Was it all a lie? Azula's mind was shutting down at a frightening rate. Her eyes glazed and focused in concentric patterns. It was not possible. She had come so far, only to lose it all again. Had this been her fate all along: to come so close to the fruits of victory again, only to have everything she had strived for stolen and any remains ground into dust?

"Azula," Katara placed a hand on her calf, afraid of moving too close to the firebender when she was in such an unstable condition. "I am sorry."

"I am too," Azula muttered. Picking herself up and dusting off the nonexistent specks of microscopic debris, she gave the waterbender, still on the floor, a swift parting glance before sweeping out of the room and closing the door with a bang that echoed down the corridor she took for her retreat.

"I saw it back then," Katara mused, her old hands splayed out before her as though she could count off the memories in the wrinkles and blemishes. "Her eyes held that same look as before the end of the war. The one-minded infatuation with completing the task she set for herself."

"I married Aang before our first child was born. For a while, I was happy; my daughter kept me busy and my bond with Aang grew stronger than ever with her tying us together… but I never forgot. We left the Fire Nation so that we could live amongst the reappearing nomads in the Air Temples. It was after either Boomi's birth or Tenzin's, I cannot remember which, that I heard word of Azula's marriage and her own child. In my pettiness, I actually felt jealousy and regret for the first time since we left. I only began to suspect any ulterior motives to having her legacy continued after the girl, Kaji, suddenly appeared out of nowhere to take the throne."

"I should have talked to Azula, tried to make her understand that it was not my intention to abandon her. I sincerely thought that what I was doing was the best for the both of us. I was always like that- maybe I still am- thinking that I knew best and rarely taking into consideration how others might disagree."

Katara hung her head. From under the shadow created by her brow, she finished her story with her own implied question, "Well, child, that is all there is to say. I do not know what the future holds in store for us, but it is up to you to decide which course we take. What is your choice, Avatar?"

P.S: I was thinking, this story is coming to the end (no worries, when I say that, I still think I have at least eight-ish more chapters if not more left), but I really enjoyed writing this... so I thought, why not make an Azutara prequel so that I don't have this empty feeling after I do finish it. Tell me what you think of that idea in your wodnerful reviews. Would you read it? I am more of a Tyzula fan, but I like the possible angst that comes with the Azula/Katara pairing. Anyway, goodnight to you all, I am going to sleep.