A/N: This is another one of those graphic, angsty chapters about what happened to Azula before Sozin's Comet. And again, I promise that next chapter will be fluff!
Was it possible for someone to firebend (accidentally or otherwise) out of their genitals? Azula decided that it was theoretically possible, but she'd certainly never heard of it happening. But this didn't stop her from checking over and over again to make sure, because that whole area felt like it was up in flames. Some wound from when Daddy punished her had gotten infected, and it had rapidly spread. She'd had problems like this before, but never this bad.
Azula was in a tremendous amount of pain, and such normally minor things as using the bathroom and cleaning herself were next to impossible. She was getting chills, and thought she might have a fever, although she wasn't sure how much of that was illness and how much might be due to the approaching comet. Once or twice, she even wondered if she was dying. But she couldn't let on that there was anything wrong; couldn't ask for any treatment. This was a precarious situation, and she could not show any weakness. She had to get rid of any disagreement before it could start.
She'd thought she'd been doing a good job of acting normal at first, but then everyone started messing everything up, so she'd had to banish them. And that had made Li and Lo suspicious that things weren't what they should be, so they'd suggested delaying the coronation. No! They didn't understand! Even if every bone in Azula's body was broken, even if she had to crawl to the coronation on her belly, she would not delay the ceremony any further than it already had been.
She'd originally planned to be crowned the day Father left, but the Fire Sages told her that the servants needed time to make preparations. Well, the servants were all banished now, so it was kind of a moot point. At any rate, she'd had two days in which she didn't have much to do but sit around and feel progressively sicker. Even sleeping and eating were difficult. And now, with everyone gone, it was so quiet.
After the confrontation with her mother's ghost (or whatever that thing was), Azula curled up at the foot of her bed, finally drifting in and out of a feverish doze. At one point, she fancied that Ty Lee was there with her, embracing her tenderly.
"Oh no! Oh, what happened?" Ty Lee said. "Don't worry, it's okay, I'll get this all fixed…"
At this, Azula forced herself back into full wakefulness. What was she thinking, conjuring up this traitor…and even wishing for her presence?! She had been too lenient; had let Ty Lee know too much, and Ty Lee had repaid her by desertion.
But then someone abruptly knocked on the door, so she had no more time to feel sorry for herself.
"My Lord?" the person said. "It's time." A Fire Sage, then, finally coming to collect her for her coronation.
And it was very fortuitous that right then, Azula started to feel the comet's energy running through her. The fire in her was just bursting to be released. It was enough to take the edge off the pain and allow her to get to her feet.
She walked over to the door and opened it. The Fire Sage, who was doing his best not to gawk at Azula's hair, already had the mantle waiting for her, and she wordlessly shrugged it on. Even though it was a smaller version, it was still a bit too big on her, but that couldn't be helped now. So Azula held her head high, and tried not to wince or shiver as they walked to the Coronation Plaza, and to her destiny.
