Hello everybody. Two little chapters for today and we're getting closer to the end of this one. I will finish it this week. Hope you'll have some fun with it.

Wake Up

His head was throbbing in a dull pain as his vision returned. He tried to get up but got pushed back down. Sokka felt his sight lacking colors and shape but obviously someone was above him. Instincts kicked in and he wanted to defend himself, but the pain only got intense and then he noticed another person and noises in the background. And he smelled fire.

His eyes jumped wide open and finally he snapped back to reality.

"Ambassador please be careful. The physician will be here soon."

It was an unknown member of the staff which tried to push him back into the sheets most carefully. Sokka stared at the room with shock. The furnishing was trashed into pieces. Burning marks were everywhere and the scent of smoldering fire was filling the air like the black and grey fog which was drifting through the opened door. But it was the noise which let Sokka's blood run cold as eyes and which forced him on his feet beside the returning dizziness.

These tortured and absolute feral screams which cut their way right through flesh and bone. He shambled out of the ruins of the room and his stomach lurched. Four big men were dragging a screaming and kicking package towards the exit of the complex. Azula's look was wild and filled with an absolute rage and hate.

"No, NO. Azula. No! Let her go!"

Sokka tried to block the way but his dizziness forced him to search for a grip at the wall. The group stopped but the men didn't let Azula go still her screaming stopped. Sokka's heart froze at the mad and sinister look in her eyes. A wicked grin was around her lips.

"Greetings, peasant. Seems to be like my finest robes will return in the end. But I have to say the sweetness of victory outweighs these unpleasantries."

Sokka's mouth stood wide open. He stared at the Firebender in absolute shock and lack of understanding. His dumbfounded face elicited an evil chuckle from Azula.

"Oh you don't understand. Well let me try to enlighten your small snow savage mind."

The men started to rip at her bindings again, but an ice-cold look from Sokka made them stop.

"Leave us alone for a moment. NOW."

The Princess was still grinning sinister but she raised an eyebrow at the dangerous edge in Sokka's voice and the men followed his command immediately. The retreated towards the heavy iron door of the complex. Sokka's questioning look found Azula's glowing wicked eyes again. The Princess chuckled again.

"I thought you… we… Azula, why? I…"

The Princess was laughing hard and didn't stop as she noticed the wet glitter in Sokka's eyes. His trembling voice only seemed to increase her amusement.

"Always the stupid peasant. You ask me why? Revenge!"

Sokka's face lost more of its color which let the grin on Azula's face fade. A burning hate approached on it while her eyes burned in a dreadful fire.

"Years I have rot down here surrounded by poisoned lies and promises, treated like a monster and finally I got a chance to get revenge because a stupid naïve peasant dared to unbound me. And suddenly there it was. My chance to strike against all of them by using you."

A sinister smirk came to her lips.

"Oh how all of you loves to play the big happy family but here you was, broken and hurt and all I had to do was to sharpen the shards. So I taught you to isolate you, to push away all the ones who are close to you and you jumped at my poisoned lessons instantly. I have made you hurt the ones who cared for you like they have hurt me. And now you're alone and have left wounds which will never go away. Scars will remain and especially your witch of sister will never forget the pain you've caused to her."

Azula chuckled as Sokka broke down on his knees again, while tears started to run down his cheeks.

"That's a lie, Azula."

His desperate whisper only caused a new chuckle from the Firebender.

"Is that so? You really thought I would be so pathetic? I never asked for your help peasant! Not today, not back at the days as you first felt the urge to follow your whiny instincts."

She tried to get a bit closer but the heavy bindings ended her attempt so she remained in place still smiling dangerous at him.

"It was you, who has called himself nuts to get down here and to free me. I told you, I could choose who I would hurt now and I took my chance, peasant. I promised you'd pay for that and now you will. For the rest of your life and all your friends will pay too cause this sting can never be removed completely."

Loathing flickered over Sokka's face, but this fact only let Azula's smile got wider and more sinister.

"I hope you'll have learned the lessons well, cause you'll need them for the rest of your life because of the friends and family you have pushed away with hurt and false accusations."

Sokka was trembling. There was still a rest of doubt in his look. He looked so confused.

"But we… You kissed me."

Azula's face seem to fell for a moment. The Princess closed her eyes but an evil laughter finally tore its way free from her throat, which let Sokka stumble back from her.

"Revenge is only sweetest when you can taste it in full. If words won't shy your friends away or your sister, this fact will. Beside…"

Azula opened her eyes again and no matter how hard Sokka tried to see something friendly in her golden orbs, he only find mocking amusement.

"Now you know how it feels when you get betrayed from people you once have allowed to get too close."

There it was.

It rushed in terrible waves over Sokka and it let Azula's face change into a satisfied one.

Loathing.

Deepest and purest loathing and shock of realization.

Sokka only retreated from her as the men got back to drag her out of the complex. She gave Sokka a last nod.

"I hope it was a pleasant stay down here. To me it was. I have to say I haven't got so much fun since years."

Her laughter turned into an almost hysteric one as the dark doorway swallowed the men with the bound Princess.