Azula mutters something that sounds suspiciously like "Avatar nonsense" which Aang personally thinks is unfair. He didn't cause any of this nonsense. The Spirit World didn't ask him for permission to go haywire. And if he had the power to create an invisible barrier, he would be smart enough not to walk right into it. Aang rubs his face and frowns.
"How's your head?" asks Katara while helping him to his feet. "It's fine," says Aang with a soft smile. He shoots Azula a dirty look. "What happened?"
"Surprisingly, there are barriers in place to prevent you from just walking in and receiving answers," says Azula, as though she knew this all along.
"Do the barriers work on you?" asks Aang.
"Probably," replies Azula.
Aang huffs. If anything this is Fire Nation nonsense. Maybe Ozai discovered invisibility bending. He stretches his arms out in front of him until they press against something. "Weird. It feels like a wall but I can't see anything. Toph?"
"I'm not sensing anything on my end." Toph sticks her arms out as well and then walks past him. "Where's the barrier?"
"It's…right where you are…" Aang stares in puzzlement. "Can everyone else walk through it?"
One by one the group walks through it all except for Aang and Azula.
"Princess Azula," Aang says politely, "can you try to walk through the barrier?"
Azula ignores him and sits down on a nearby picnic table. "There's no point. You clearly can't, so either we leave without any answers or we split the group into two."
"Fine," says Aang before any bickering can start. He walks over to where Azula is sitting and gives a firm look to the others. "I'm staying here with Azula. The rest of you will go to the shrine and find answers."
He sees his friends open their mouths to argue and waves them off with a shake of his head. "We have no choice. Please, just go."
Once the others are gone, Azula turns to him. "You're in a bad mood." She hums. "Aren't Air Nomads supposed to be cheerful?"
Aang sighs and slumps down onto the opposing seat. He rests his head in his arms.
Azula taps her nails on the table. "It was a yes or no question. No need for melodrama."
Aang shrugs. "It's not like you can go ask them," he mumbles then regrets it immediately.
"Sorry, I—"
Azula laughs.
"What's so funny?" asks Aang, feeling more than a little confused. Thus far he's gotten a pretty good handle on Azula's odd sense of humor. At least he thought he did. Come to think of it, she didn't laugh when he smacked his head into an invisible wall and Aang is pretty sure that's something Azula would laugh about. It makes more sense than laughing at his apology at any rate.
"You are. It's hilarious that you feel the need to apologize to me. However, if you simply must make amends, you can start by explaining why you're in such a bad mood." Azula gives him a wicked smile. "Only as a start."
"Right…" trails off Aang. This is probably a bad idea. He looks back down at the table and sighs. "I guess I just feel useless." Inadequate. "It's not like I caused this," he says, raising his head off the table and looking down at her with a steady gaze, "I didn't. But everyone expects me to have all the answers when I don't. I don't know what caused this. I don't know how to fix it. I can't contact the past Avatars." I said too much. Aang lays his head back down in defeat. "I can't do anything," he mumbles.
"…I'm sure there's an Air Nomad saying about focusing your energy on the things you can change instead of what you can't," says Azula in a voice that sounds almost…unsure.
Aang looks up and feels a jolt of guilt. He's the Avatar, he's supposed to bring hope to people not burden them with his insecurities. "Even the mightiest wind has to move a mountain pebble by pebble." He flashes her what he hopes is a confident smile. "It's okay. I've fought against worse odds and won." Then he winces because oh yeah Azula was one of those odds.
Azula pinches the bridge of her nose. "You're so terrible at lying it's almost insulting."
"Hey," says Aang, and then with a burst of confidence he reaches across the table and grips her wrist. "I mean it. I'll find a way to fix this." He slides his hand until it's holding hers and gives a reassuring squeeze. "I promise—"
"Let go before I burn you," says Azula, coldly.
Aang drops her hand. "I will save the world."
"Of course you will," sneers Azula. "If you don't everyone will be dead. It doesn't matter what platitudes you give with those odds."
"But you seemed unsure…" Aang tilts his head. "Why?"
"I may be…unaccustomed to providing comfort," Azula admits begrudgingly and then she fixes him with a stare that Aang can only describe as blinding. The first sunlight of the morning. The light that first strikes his face when he wakes up. Aang blinks and rubs his eyes, feeling, at that moment, caught off guard and a little bit too open.
"I'm going to teach you how to lie," announces Azula.
Aang stares, and she must take that as an accession for Azula moves to his side and sits down next to him.
"Start by telling me a truth," demands Azula.
Aang is…a lot of things. Right now he feels as though everything he is and was, every previous Avatar, every emotion, is having a dance party somewhere between his chest and his stomach. He wants to ask why she's providing him comfort, but there's no justification for such a question and no reason for him to care. This is Azula; she's dangerous. Regardless of sides and soulmates, Aang can't ignore the fact that she remains loyal to her father.
Azula snaps her fingers in front of his face, startling him out of his thoughts. "This isn't difficult. Tell me a truth. Say the first thing that comes to mind."
"I like your eyes," blurts out Aang and then he holds his breath.
"Not bad. Flattery is a form of lying."
Aang breathes a sigh of relief then he shifts over on the bench until he's facing her with his body. "I wasn't lying. I was telling a truth. I like your eyes."
Azula waves her hand in a flippant gesture. "I'm aware I don't have my father's eyes." Her eyes widen then narrow so quickly that if Aang wasn't watching them he'd have missed it. Azula holds out her hand next to his face. "Don't flinch," she warns.
Aang does flinch when fire appears in close proximity to his face. It's a logical reaction. Azula tsks at him anyways and holds his chin with her other hand. "Hold still."
Aang holds still. Deathly still. Azula's nails are as sharp as claws and she curls them until only her thumb is pressing on the bottom of his lip and the other four digits are centered on the vein running through his neck.
Aang doesn't budge. With nowhere to look but straight ahead, Aang watches Azula and grows increasingly frustrated.
"Does it say anything about a girl?"
He wonders if Aunt Wu knew who his soulmate was and that's why she didn't answer him. He frowns and that slight movement draws a speck of blood on the bottom of his lip. Without thinking, he licks it.
Azula glares at him.
"Sorry," he murmurs carefully around her thumb. Azula doesn't laugh at his apology this time but she does loosen her grip.
"Look down and into my eyes," she commands, bringing both her face and her flame closer to him.
Aang complies. His initial frustration returning. They say that the eyes are windows into the soul, so how is it that he can see from sunrise to sunset in Azula's eyes and yet know next to nothing about her?
Why did you kill me?
Azula moves her flame higher. Making it brighter. Dimmer. Then back down again. Front. Back.
Aang stares resolutely into Azula's eyes as if willing them to speak.
Were you scared? Were you serving your Nation? Were you trying to bring your brother back?
Azula brings the flame under his neck.
Why do you hate me?
The flame disappears. "Princess?"
"What color are your eyes?" asks Azula in a way that makes the question sound like an accusation.
Aang blinks in confusion. "I can't see my eyes..." He says carefully.
Azula frowns and for a moment Aang worries he pushed too far. That the angle of his tone was wrong and instead of appeasing the fire, he's made it worsen.
But Azula only huffs and says, "Your eyes change from brown to gray."
"Oh," he says and then, as if suddenly remembering her hand is around his neck, Azula removes her hand and wipes her thumb on his shirt.
Aang sucks his bottom lip. "We don't have mirrors in the Air Temple. True beauty is on the inside."
Azula sighs. "It pains me to know you're being honest. You never knew you were attractive?"
Aang gives a quick, tight shrug and looks away. "I could see my reflection in the water. Weren't you going to teach me how to lie?"
"Yes." Azula clears her throat. "I was. Tell me you're not the Avatar."
"What? Can't I pick my lie?"
"No, you can't. If there's an emergency this is the lie that has the greatest likelihood of saving your life." Azula leans her elbow on the table and rests her chin in her hand. She watches him.
Aang makes a noise halfway between a whine and a moan. "Alright. Fine. I'm not the Avatar."
"You didn't even open your eyes," scolds Azula. "Try to say your lie the same way you said your truth."
"How did I say my truth?" asks Aang.
She flicks his arm. "Quit stalling. Repeat your truth if you've forgotten it that easily. Then say your lie."
"I like your eyes. I'm not the Avatar." Aang winces as he hears his mistakes. He said his lie much faster than his truth and stumbled over the 'not'.
"Slower," commands Azula, "and relax your hands."
Aang looks down at his hands. He didn't even realize he was gripping his legs. He relaxes his hands and smooths them against his pants.
"Don't move your hands at all. Keep them still and relax your face."
"Right." Aang nods. "I like your eyes. I'm— he clutches his legs— going to try again."
Several failed attempts later, Azula is holding his hands still and yet Aang's no closer to telling a lie.
"I'm trying," says Aang with his shoulders hunched up to his ears.
Azula says nothing.
"I am!" he shouts, then flinches at the sound of his voice and takes several deep breaths. "I am."
"Why is this so hard for you?" asks Azula and there's a slight softness to her voice that makes her question actually sound like a question. "Your title can't be removed with words."
"Wasn't yours?" asks Aang. He knows he's playing with fire before Azula responding glare but he doesn't care. "Why are you loyal to your father when he's trying to kill you?"
"My title is who I am. It's who you are. It's not dependent on what other people think." Azula says slowly. She shoots him a pointed look. "If it was that easy to stop you from being the Avatar then I wouldn't have had to use lightning."
"That…makes sense," Aang says, dumbfounded.
"Of course it does. What did you expect?" Azula cuts him off with a, "Don't answer that," before he can reply. She covers his hands with hers and digs her nails slightly into his skin as a warning. "Now, lie to me."
Aang opens his mouth. A wave of water knocks Azula off the bench. Aang closes his mouth. He turns and sees a red-faced Katara.
"It really is a misunderstanding," says Aang. He bravely positions himself in between Katara, who has her water out, and Azula, who has literal steam rolling off her. "Really."
"There have been a lot of misunderstandings," mutters Katara while sending a dark look over his shoulder.
"Because you're an idiot," snaps Azula.
"Guys…" Aang says pleadingly.
"It's almost like they're soulmates," interrupts Toph and it's a good thing she's blind because otherwise Aang's pretty sure Toph would wither under the glares sent her way instead of giving a cheeky grin back.
Azula looks at him and motions to the woods behind them. "Could I speak with you in private, Aang?"
He nods.
"Aang!" exclaims Katara.
He gives Katara a reassuring squeeze to her shoulder. "I'll be alright." Aang follows Azula.
Katara turns to the others. "I'm not the only one who sees it, right?"
"I see it too," says Toph.
Aang hovers to the side as Azula crosses her arms and glares with her back towards him.
He takes a step forward, snapping a twig in two, but Azula doesn't turn. "Princess Azula?"
At the sound of her title, Azula sighs. "I planned on teaching you how to lie as a favor."
She turns towards him. "Would you like to know why Beifong and I get along, instead?"
Aang nods furiously.
"We're behind the bed lizards."
He gasps.
Azula smirks. "I knew no one would suspect me of stooping to snatching lizards. The brilliance of my plan lied in its simplicity. Beifong covering for me was an unexpected, but not an unwelcome surprise. She found the pranks hilarious and I, in return for her secrecy, left her bedroll alone. Now you know."
Aang gives a crooked grin. "Thanks Princess."
"Don't mention it."
A/N: Some of you may be wondering whether Azula is aware that some of her actions appear flirtatious. The answer is that she is absolutely NOT aware. Azula is with flirting as Zuko is with giving speeches. They're both naturally talented at it but once they put in the slightest bit of effort they're terrible and there's no in between. Also, feel free to recommend this fic to others *finger guns*