Here is a really old prompt from AlbinoKitten300 about Aang comforting Azula after a nightmare. Sorry the format got messed up!
Azulaang Drabbles
Chapter 22: Nightmares
It always started the same for her. She was in her room in the Palace, staring out the window at the sunny day outside. Azula always knew she was dreaming, because in reality she knew she hadn't been out of a cell in years. She glanced down at the various soldiers and servants going about their days, interacting with each other and smiled. Back then, these people were insignificant to her. They each had their own lives to worry about though, didn't they? Their own hopes and dreams?
Her musings were interrupted by a young boy and girl weaved in and out of the people, playing tag. Even from as far away as she was, Azula recognized a much younger version of herself playing with Zuko. A frown worked its way onto her face as she thought of her brother. How he had disgraced her with that witch!
*Thunder rumbled in the distance, causing the Princess to cringe and stare up at the sky. Thick, black clouds filled the air like a curtain of darkness, save for sporadic flashes of lightning.*
Looking back down, the scene had changed completely. It was reliving her greatest defeat: the Agni Kai against Zuko. He was matching her blow for blow, which should have not been possible! He was weak!
The hairs on her neck started tingling, and her mouth tasted metallic. The air itself felt ionized, and Azula knew she was no longer alone. Of course thinking about Zuko would do this. "What do you want?" she asked without turning around to see her visitor.
The voice that haunted her mind responded like she had a million times before. "Azula. I just want to help you. I lo-" The voice was cut off by a bright flash of lightning, and a massive boom of thunder.
Azula felt the familiar emotions swirl in her chest: Doubt, Anger, Fear, Hope. She spun around and saw her mother sitting on the bed. Anger, the easiest to channel, bubbled up and venom spewed forth. "Help me?! You've never *once* helped me!" Her body went on autopilot and struck out. A brilliant blast of azure flames hit her mother directly, but as the fireball cleared, she was gone. Her bed, however was not so lucky. The pink comforter and mattress were bathed in blue fire and it was quickly spreading to the rest of the room.
The voice breathed into her ear and for a moment, it almost sounded like a different voice. "Please, Azula. Let me help you." Despite the heat filling the room, a cool breeze danced across her face. She whipped around angrily, and saw her mother again, as she did constantly. She was standing by the window, looking down at the battle below, just as Azula had been before. "You have to let go of your hate." Even without being able to see it, she knew the fight was over. The waterbender froze her in ice.
The idea was absurd. Laughable even. How could she ever forgive the people that wronged her?! The room was wreathed in cobalt flames now, which left dancing shadows as it consumed everything. The drapes, the walls, even the floor. She began to feel it crawling up her legs, burning and charring her skin, and another emotion took hold: panic.
She tried to will the flames to respond and dissipate, but they didn't answer her. The pain was intense, but oddly it felt like she was being burned from the inside out. "Aren't you tired of holding on to so much pain?" The voice that spoke this time was definitely not her mother's. It was calm, full of compassion, and genuine concern.
She realized at that moment how truly exhausted she was. Hate was the only thing keeping her upright, and it was feeding the flames. The calm voice was speaking more words now, though she could no longer hear them. As the former Princess hit her knees, her throat ragged from breathing in the smoke, armor scalded from the superheated air, her eyes blackened from her own fire... she tried concentrated on the calming feeling over the pain.
Her eyes opened slowly and she stared at the stone roof of her cell. The room was darkened, save for the moonlight streaming through a high, barred window. The nightmare had subsided for now, but it'd only be a matter of time before she was back in the throes of lunacy. She took a shaky breath and leaned back against her pillow. Only, she didn't have a pillow.
Azula tried to shoot up, but her weariness dropped her back down.
"Oh hey! You're awake!" A cheery and familiar voice quietly called out. Turning her head, she realized with horror that her head was sitting in the lap of the Avatar. The calming voice from her nightmare, it was him!
The former Princess wanted to curse, to hit him... only not really. Not anymore. She settled on a tired glare. Her throat felt raw, but she managed to rasp, "How long... have you... been here?"
The World-Spirit offered a sheepish grin. "About... two weeks, I think?"
Azula's eyes widened. "I've been asleep for two weeks?"
His grin softened into a small frown. "You weren't asleep, Azula." He sighed audibly. "Most of the time, you were screaming and trying to attack me. Occasionally, you'd wear yourself out long enough for me to feed you, and then you'd sleep for a bit."
She took in the monk's appearance, and gasped. His chest had a wrap around it, and she could see dried blood that had tried to come through. Scratches lined his face, and half of one of his eyebrows were gone. What she could see of his robes were singed. Hot tears stung her eyes unexpectedly, and she wiped them away. Why would he stay if she was doing that to him?
Shock overloaded her senses as she realized that her hands weren't restrained, despite the scars from years of struggling against iron manacles. A lump formed in her throat as she struggled with her emotions. She swallowed and choked out "W-why?"
His grey eyes were genuine as he spoke. "Because you deserve a second chance."
She expected those familiar feelings of doubt, anger, and fear to well up within... but they didn't. Hope may have been tiny, but it was all that was left now. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly.
"Umm Azula?" He uneasily asked after a moment of silence
She didn't bother opening her eyes. "Hm?"
"Can I get up now? My joints feel stiff from sitting."
"I'll think about it. Ask me again in the morning." She replied before turning her head over and inhaling his scent, before drifting off to sleep without nightmares for once.