He didn't know what to do anymore. Before now, everything had always been laid out before him, his life had structure and meaning. At the temples, the monks had allows enforced some level of scheduling, morning meditation, followed by lessons, a short break for lunch, a small recess for the younger acolytes, then more teachings and meditations before the dinner and finally being off to sleep. Sure he had always endeavored the occasional break from the schedule, to bake pies with Giatso, or to work on personal techniques like his air scooter, but those had only ever been small detours from the norm.
Even after being frozen, he had a schedule, as the Princess's prisoner she had always been the one to lay things out, to plan everything, his own requested detours included. But now there was nothing planned, nothing set in stone, and he found himself at a loss.
With his mind in still in turmoil he turned once more to the girl behind him. Azula sat there in the middle of the saddle, her eyes closed and legs crossed beneath her. In front of her a small blue flame sat in her palm, dancing wildly as it fought against the high winds of the sky to stay alight.
As he opened his mouth to speak, so to did she, her words shooting from her mouth faster than he could formulate his own thoughts.
"For the last time avatar, I do not know what we should do, I haven't known the last thirty times you have asked me, and I certainly don't know now."
As she spoke, her brow furrowed and her lips turned into a small snarl, the flame before her surging in power for only a moment before being dashed away, finally losing to the winds it had been attempting to combat.
Azula let out a frustrated groan before fixating her gaze on the airbender before her.
"As I told you several times, at this point you and I are more than likely on some form of Fire Nation watch list. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I have been marked a criminal, it wouldn't do for a princess of the Fire Nation to "betray" her country. I imagine you have been labeled as a dangerous fugitive who has kidnapped me and now is off on some grand adventure to usurp the firelord. How does that sound to you?"
Aang swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.
"I… Wh… Why would I be labeled as attempting to usurp the throne? That makes no sense. What reason do I have to do that?"
Azula sighed once more before before replying. "It's a matter of politics that is far too complex for me to explain right now dumdum. You want advice, find someone else to give it to you. I'm busy."
With a tone of finality to her voice, Azula straightened her back and closed her eyes once more, the small blue flame flickering back to life before her as she did so. Aang took only a brief moment to admire the way the wind swept the girls long bangs across her pale face before turning to face the unknown sky once more.
She told him to find someone else from whom he could take advice, yet he struggled to think of anyone who he could turn to. It had been 100 years since he held a conversation with anyone, most of the people he considered to be friends were likely no longer around.
As Aang's brain searched for anyone who he could possibly turn to for advice, it eventually settled on one person in particular. It was a long shot to be sure, and if he told Azula who he wanted to turn to she would no doubt call him crazy. But he could not help it, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and he needed someone who could expand his mind to the possibilities.
He needed a mad genius.
And just shy of half a year after my last update I return once more, shocking some people and reminding others that they were following this story. shocking I know, but it is indeed fact that I have yet to forget this is a thing. I know it took a while, but starting college and dealing with everything that came with that took some time. But I'm back now. I hope I can work on this more often, and you as a reader can encourage that to happen if you follow the fic and comment. I feel so wierd asking people to do that, like I got a big head with my mildly... Popular? story. In any case you know what to do.