~o~
Break the Cycle
Sen shook, hands going to her throat as she struggled to come back to herself. She was embraced by Hina and everyone talked at once, urging her to take it easy and calm down. She was choking for a few seconds, eyes wide and disoriented before she let out a fit of coughs.
"Sen! Sen, just breathe, alright?" Aang encouraged. He grinned at Katara. "You did it!"
"We did it." Katara corrected, fresh tears falling.
Sen blinked, dazed for a moment before she looked down at her hand; the same one that had been covered in hideous markings. She was stunned that they were gone and she turned her hand around for study.
"How..." she gasped. "I was dead. How did..."
She looked at the empty vial, then to Hina and Azula. She gave a low groan, embracing both of them. The sight was a pleasant one, despite the tears and Azula's angry curses at her. She cursed her name and her family and everyone who'd ever came before her; but Sen was smiling regardless, kissing Azula just as fiercely as she was.
"You'll never do that to me again, do you understand?" Azula hissed, parting and glaring tearfully at her.
"I know. I won't..." Sen assured her, with a weak chuckle.
Another kiss was shared between them and Sen eventually glanced beyond her, noticing Katsu there.
Immediately, the temperature around them changed and Sen's delight transformed into one of cold, murderous intent; a look she hadn't had on her face in a long time.
Sen rose and the others followed suit, watching the frightening look on her face now. Katsu's smile disappeared and he looked unsettled by the stare. That was not a look from someone who was happy to see him. This was the stare of a woman barely tethered to the ground.
"Sen." he said. "It's been a while."
"Indeed it has." Sen whispered, her tone chilling.
Aang looked at her, sensing the wrath brewing in her larger frame. He knew that she could easily destroy him. "He led us to each other," he explained, hoping to ease the tension a little, "He wants to make amends for what happened. He can tell us where Cho is."
Katsu nodded his head. His eyes were pleading now. "It was my duty to be a grandfather to you, Sen. I hope you can give me the chance to do that again and fix what happened."
Sen suddenly bared her teeth at him, squinting as if she hadn't heard correctly. Then, she stalked toward the man, her body practically radiating fire. "Duty will not save you from what you've done, grandfather!" she whispered. "Now you will answer to ME!"
She seized him tightly by the throat and shoved him backwards with a snarl that could buckle metal. Everyone quickly hurried to pull her from him. All but Azula. She only grinned, delighted by the sight.
"Sen! Sen, stop!" Aang pleaded.
But Sen grinned wickedly down at her terrified grandfather. "I spared your life once and look what it's brought the Fire Nation. A mistake I promise I will rectify right now. I'm going to burn you and watch the life fade from your eyes as I've done every single coward before you!"
Katsu struggled feebly against her grip. "I admit, I was a fool to trust my wife's judgment!" he choked. "I thought if I just kept going, I could change her mind!"
"No, no," Sen seethed, shaking her head; she grasped his jaw tightly. "I am tempted to share my perception of things with you, Katsu. I hope your doctor is just as good as mine!"
Katsu knew plenty what that meant and he let out a frightened noise at the thought of losing half of his face as she had.
"Sen, please," Katara glanced briefly back at a worried Hina, "Not in front of her."
Sen's breath was thick with rage, but Katara's words brought her back slightly from the edge. She glanced back at Hina, her eyes softening when she realized that Katara's words were true; she didn't want to have her child see what she was capable of being.
She let out a fierce shout and threw Katsu to the ground. Azula approached now and pressed her heel into his throat, earning a choke.
"Are you sure we want to spare this thing?" she sneered, "After all, he is the reason the Capital is a dancing ground for the dead."
"Yes, we have to. He'll get justice later," Aang told her, "Right now, we need to find Cho and get these kids back to their parents."
Azula sighed impatiently, but lifted her foot from Katsu's throat and turned her attention to Sen. She pulled her into her arms and Sen could see the real emotion in her eyes stirring. Sen knew what she had said when she'd been brought back to the world of the living.
The spirits had been wrong. They preyed on her insecurities.
Her fears.
Her weaknesses.
O
Cho was quickly rushing into the facility to gather what she needed from Sen's office; the ownership scroll of the entire Sky Metal estate. She knew that the masks she'd given them would keep the New Ozai Society members sane enough to perform their duties while she took what she needed.
Akira stepped into the office and noticed her. He scoffed, shaking his head. "This is the reason you wanted me to stir unrest with her? A piece of paper?"
"Not just any paper, Akira," Cho explained, "My family's legacy. She stole that from me and assumed she had claim to it. But Sen's always been a creature of poor breeding. I wanted the Fire Nation to see the old her."
"And that failed." Akira told her. "As long as she has her family, Sen won't be the woman she used to be."
Behind Akira, the wall suddenly erupted, sending wood splinters flying. Cho watched in shock as gauntlet-clad hands shot out and seized him, yanking him screaming through the wall. She seized a studded club at her side she'd left leaning and whirled, swinging it blindly.
"Sen?" she whispered, "Is that you?"
She spun around with an angry shout when she heard a creak of wood. But nothing was there.
Behind her, Sen landed from above and when she sensed her presence, she swung her weapon and Sen caught it swiftly with one hand. Cho's mask was ripped from her face with the other and Sen forced her back until she was thrown through the wall with her.
Cho felt the ground at her back, breath stolen from her lungs from the force.
Sen loomed over her with a wide-eyed grin, adjusting the metal gauntlets she now wore. "You wanted the monster, grandmother?" she whispered. "Now you have her."
Cho scrambled to her feet, her weapon at the ready. "You! You're supposed to be dead!" she shrieked.
"Sorry to disappoint you. You always did take things SO PERSONALLY." Sen hissed, with that same wide grin on her face. "Come on then. Isn't this what we were doing?"
She kicked aside rubble as she advanced like a storm. Cho's lips thinned. "Don't think I'm weak because I'm old, Sen. Who do you think taught your father?"
A flash of memory filled Sen's head.
She saw her father rushing into battle with a fierce war cry. He was replaced with her riding into war astride Wataru with her arm thrust high in a thunderous roar with her Sea Ravens behind her -
A blow to her side from Cho's club stole the breath from her lungs. Sen was inched back slightly before she snarled with effort, striking Cho's side with her fist. It took an effort to fight - she was still shaken from the poison. But she could handle this woman.
Blows after blows struck one another; truly Cho was able to combat Sen despite her age and lack of bending. Sen grunted with effort, showing her teeth in a frightening display. Cho was frightened of her, that much was certain. But she would not back down. She was trapped - an animal cornered and at the end.
She was fueled with so much hate. Sen had only seen it in her father.
It was a cycle.
She grabbed Cho's wrist, twisted it into her arm and struck her across the throat with her free hand, knocking the older woman to the ground. Cho laid there for a moment, coughing and clutching her throat with a groan of pain. Sen backed away slightly, disgusted by the sight.
"It was mine!" Cho growled, "When Arashi brought that woman to my house, I knew it would bring our family's downfall!"
Sen's enormous form towered over Cho. "And yet, all your talk of family and you wanted to kill me. You would kill your own family? All for this?" She gestured around them, to the facility for processing Sky Metal.
Her wrath was building. The creature chewing at the bars.
"Yes! I've built this world from the ground up!" Cho spat. "I will not allow you to just take it! You don't deserve it! You don't deserve the life given to you! You-You're the child of a filthy peasant!"
Sen had been advancing slowly on her the entire time, but at those words, she stopped, eyes widening.
"It truly is a cycle..." she whispered. Then, her eyes hardened and she backed away once. "You're not like my father. You're much worse. You made him in your image and he tried to do the same, but here's the thing, Cho... I'm ending the cycle. Once and for all."
Cho scowled now, but looked around anxiously when she noticed the Kemurikage appear along with Aang and the others. Azula was smirking and she clapped her hands.
"And here you told me you don't like speeches, Sen." she said.
Cho smiled, but her eyes were filled with fear. "You think I'm afraid of all of you? You think the Kemurikage won't come to my aid?"
The spirits simply drifted there silently.
Cho's smile thinned slightly. "Well? What are you waiting for?"
In response, the spirits produced the tokens she'd used to control them, holding them in their long hands. Cho's smile vanished, replaced with dawning horror. She looked at Katsu, enraged and frightened and put it all together.
"You - You told them?" she spat.
Katsu nodded his head gravely. He took no pleasure in this. "I did what had to be done, Cho. You've changed and there's nothing of the woman you used to be. This has to end." He looked at Enenra gravely. "I'm sorry. I cannot be present for what has to be done."
The Kemurikage nodded her head once. "Of course."
Katara took Katsu's hand and they turned away when Enenra and the other Kemurikage circled Cho. She swiped her club at them, frantic and terrified.
"Stay back! Stay away from me!" she spat. "I said, stay away!"
"She says strange things, sisters." one of the spirits crooned.
"Yes. And did she not call for us?" the other hissed back, gleeful.
Enenra stood before Cho, sighing. "I told you there would be consequences to your actions, Cho. And here they are. You will be taken with us to the Spirit World. You will never see the light of the living again."
What came next was Cho's terrible scream as she was seized by two of the Kemurikage beneath her arms. She struggled, begged for help while Sen watched impassively, backing away while she was dragged into the shadows of the fog. Enenra watched the sight in silence.
Hina had shielded her face in Azula's side before she felt it was safe to look.
"Poor deluded fool," Enenra said, with a sigh of disappointment. "Humans never understand what their greed brings them before it's too late."
Aang looked around at the fog. "It's still here. We still need to stop the vengeful spirits."
"What do they want?" Hina asked, looking up at Azula.
Azula's eyes narrowed. "I may have an idea."
Enenra sighed sadly, nodding once. "Yes. Revenge against Ozai for destroying Shikoku."
At that, Hina reacted with a wide-eyed gasp.
O
Ozai had been sleeping before he felt the presence of the fog.
His eyes opened and he let out a start, stunned to see several spirits looking down at him, smiling maliciously. The spirit with one eye missing leaned close to him.
"Fire Lord Ozai. Time to die." he whispered.
Everyone had been making their way to the tower when they heard the pained shout. The wall erupted and Ozai was sent flying through it, tumbling across the grass with the vengeful spirits behind him.
"Wait!" Aang shouted.
Ozai groaned, dazed and in pain. His body was weak from years of imprisonment and he struggled to crawl away from everyone. He saw a pair of shoes in front of him and looked up to see Hina there, poised in a bending stance with tears in her eyes.
"Ugh, who are you?" he grunted.
Sen and Azula spotted her and quickly made their way to her side.
"You killed my mom and dad." Hina's voice was trembling, her eyes filled with anguish and rage.
Azula glanced from Ozai to Hina, her voice hardening with resolve. She wouldn't look at such a frail old man. Now that she truly saw him this way, she didn't know what she was thinking trying to earn his favor. He was a shell of his former life, but he was not worth ruining Hina's.
"You don't want to kill him, Hina." Azula told her, without even thinking.
Hina looked up at her sharply and needless to say, everyone else was just as stunned by her words. The vengeful spirits had done nothing so far and just watched the scene in silence.
"He did this, mom!" Hina cried, tears falling down her cheeks, "He did this to my family and he isn't sorry! I want him to feel sorry for what he did!"
Ozai's eyes narrowed venomously. "You insolent little brat!"
"I know if you do the same, it will change you," Azula continued, with firm resolve as she ignored her father's words, "You'll become the same thing that changed Sen and myself. And you are no killer, Hina. I know you're not."
Hina was shaking, small sobs escaping her. Zuko looked at Azula with approval and Mai still had her doubts, but she seemed to appreciate that Azula was speaking to her daughter the way she was.
Sen smiled and nodded her head. "She's right, Hina. You're a wonderful child. Don't change. Not for him."
Hina withered, shaking and letting out small sobs. The spirits watched her as she crumbled and rubbed her eyes with two hands. Ozai scowled when Azula and Sen walked over to her; Azula picked her up and that was when he chose to speak.
"Azula!" he spat.
She stared down at him and raised her nose, speaking proudly as she often did. "Yes, Sen meant every word of it, as did I, father." she said, "Looking at you now, I see that I had been a fool to seek your approval. For years Zuko and I were raised to be your perfect little toys you've always wanted. But I know now that I'm better than that."
Yui looked proud to hear her say that.
"In fact, I'm better than you!" Azula continued, with a grin on her face, "Look at what you've become now, father. A sad, weak old man not even worth changing anyone's life. Hina is better than you and that is how she will stay."
Ozai laid there, his face red with rage as she clutched his fists with an angry snarl. But he didn't act and just continued to lay in a crumbled mess.
Sen put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "How WE will stay." she told her.
Aang looked at the vengeful spirits and gestured to Ozai once. "I know you want your revenge," he said, "I know how horrible he is. But what happens when you kill him? It won't bring you back. He's powerless and has no way of hurting anyone else ever again."
The spirit with one eye looked down at Ozai gravely.
Hina blinked, stunned when she saw two spirits approach her and her mothers. One was the spirit of her birth mother and a man. They looked happy and amazed to see her.
"Toba..." the one-eyed spirit said, quietly, "Noriko. Only for a moment."
Toba reached up and put a hand on Hina's head. Noriko laughed tearfully. Sen and Azula didn't quite know what to make of this, but they didn't stop Hina when she reached up to embrace Noriko.
Then, the two spirits looked at Sen and Azula, happy.
"Thank you." Noriko told them. "For taking care of her."
Sen nodded once. She glanced briefly to Azula with a hopeful smile on her face now. Azula met her stare, then sighed and glanced upwards before nodding.
"Yes, yes, you're welcome," she replied, glancing briefly at the spirits.
She refused to look at Ozai.
Aang approached the spirits. "I know you feel that taking Ozai's life might help you," he told them, "You think that once he's dead and gone, you can rest. But you'll still be wandering this world after that. You won't be at peace, I promise you. What I can do is put your spirits to rest."
They stared at him for a moment before glancing at one another.
"Rest..." Toba sighed, with longing. "Yes. That's what I want."
"Me too..." another spirit agreed. "I'm...so tired."
Enenra was happy; she drifted through smoke and shadow, but with a quicker pace than normal. "Thank you for saving us and them, Avatar." She looked at Aang now. "There must be something I can do to repay you for your kindness."
"Not at all." Aang assured her, with a bright smile. "Happy to help."
Sen nodded in response, but paused when she heard a familiar voice behind her. She was stunned when she saw the spirit of Chikako approaching her.
"Mother?" she whispered.
Chikako's look was warm, gentle as she reached for Sen and put her arms around her daughter in an embrace. Sen was crying softly, holding her back.
"Mother, I..."
Chikako reached up, cupping her cheeks with two hands. "Shhh, don't say anything, Sen." she soothed. "I know. I know."
Sen held the hands to her face, letting out a strangled laugh. She lowered her eyes, then looked at Aang. "Please. Just let me be with her. Just for a moment."
Aang nodded his head. "Of course."
He turned his focus to the rest of the watching spirits before raising his hands. His tattoos began to glow and those watching were silent as he worked. The vengeful spirits relaxed as their bodies began to fade away, falling to the wind like glittering sand.
"Thank you, Avatar." the one-eyed spirit said.
Ozai clenched his teeth with an angry groan; they didn't even deem him a worthy threat any longer. And even Azula refused to look at him and instead, remained focused on Hina and the two spirits who remained.
Toba smiled warmly and Noriko kissed Hina's forehead.
"Be safe, my little bird." Noriko soothed.
"We love you." Toba added.
And with that tearful farewell, the two backed away and vanished in glittering dust, just like the rest.
Azula looked down at Hina, who was crying and rubbing her eyes. She smiled thinly at her and Hina smiled tearfully back, embracing her mother tightly.
"Hm..." Azula made a thoughtful note, patting Hina's back with one hand. "Well, glad that's done with."
They looked toward Sen, who was crying quietly against her mother's gentle hand. Chikako was softly singing the song that Sen had sung to Hina. It was an incredibly tender, but heart-wrenching sight that Azula couldn't take her eyes from. She'd seen Sen emotional, but this was different.
"You're not the same person, Sen..." Chikako assured her, "And I'm very proud of you."
Sen let out a strained laugh in response. Those words meant so much to her. She felt lighter for hearing them from her mother.
"I love you, Sen. I felt your pain and I came to see you one final time," Chikako continued, gently kissing her forehead. "I want you to be happy. Be with her." She indicated Azula and Hina. "Be happy, Sen."
And with that, she closed her eyes and vanished with the rest of the spirits, leaving Sen standing there, reaching feebly for the place she'd once occupied.
"Thank you, mother..."
Finally, she glanced toward Azula briefly before she noticed Katara's encouraging look. Of course, her friend had been the most encouraging and Sen would not allow herself to be afraid any longer. She nodded once and took a deep breath before approaching Azula.
"I have something to tell you." she said. "Er...I mean, ask."
Azula frowned at her. "Alright."
Sen looked at Goro and Gin, who certainly couldn't sit still enough. "May I have a sword?" she asked.
"Yes! Use mine!" Goro told her, reaching at his side and handing her the blade.
"Thank you." Sen told him.
Azula stared at her strangely when Sen stabbed the sword into the ground at her feet and lowered herself to her knee. "What are you doing?"
"I'm not good with timing on these things," Sen told her, with a nervous laugh, "But this feels like the perfect time to me. And I tend to do things by way of the weapon. So this is more of a comfort thing to ease my nervousness, really."
Azula glanced at every face watching them before she raised her chin.
Sen took a deep breath before continuing. "I have spent most of my life with you and I hope to spend much more to come." She smiled hopefully. "If you will have me, I would like to marry you."
A few stunned sounds around her and Azula blinked down at Sen, astonished for a few seconds. Then, she sighed, rolled her eyes and took hold of her shoulders, kneeling down to regard her with a smirk on her face.
An effort to maintain her control. As always.
"You big idiot. I already have you." she said.
"That's a yes, I take it?"
Azula kissed her in response and Katara smiled brightly, letting out a particularly loud "Aww" which earned a few stares from those around her. She laughed sheepishly.
"Aaaaand I ruined it." she murmured.
For a moment, there was a vulnerable look to Azula's face. It came and went like lighting as she looked at Sen with curious wonder.
"What a question, isn't it?" she said, her voice almost too soft to be heard.
"What is?" Sen queried, unable to stop smiling. She looked giddy, positively full of life.
"I didn't think I would ever be asked that kind of question. Yet here we are." Azula tilted her head, staring at Sen skeptically. "I hope you don't expect me to be a doting wife like my mother."
Sen let out a guffaw of amusement. She was still nervous, but happier for finally asking.
Azula briefly at Hina, who was more than happy to throw her arms around her shoulders. She was excited; far too excited to even sit still.
"This is truly a wonderful day," Enenra said, her voice light with pleasure.
Goro and Gin were tearful about the union of Azula and Sen. "I can't believe our girl's finally getting married." Goro sighed.
"She's not really our daughter, Goro..." Gin reminded him.
"Let me have this, my ever cruel husband." Goro quipped.
A warm laugh from Gin.
Sen rose, but suddenly swayed and nearly lost her balance if not for Azula catching her. She blinked up at the larger woman, a second of concern touching her face. Sen smiled reassuringly before noticing that everyone else was staring at her now.
"I'm alright," she promised. "Just a little weak."
"And yet you were capable of punching through walls." Azula remarked. "Just one thing I adore about you, Sen. Using your fists to end petty revenge."
Sen grinned and laughed as she was helped forward.
O
The children were embraced by their relieved parents, all chatting at once about where they had been. Azula chose to watch the sight impassively until one of the children pointed in her direction, delighted. She took a deep breath and glanced briefly at Sen.
"Oh they're walking toward us, aren't they?" she muttered, when the parents approached.
"She saved me, mom!" the child insisted, tugging at her mother's robes. "She did! She's not as mean as you said she would be."
Azula glanced up at the woman, brow raised and the mother had the good sense to look embarrassed. She attempted to speak to save face.
"Thank you." the mother said, hesitantly.
The father nodded his approval. "Yeah, Princess Azula. Thank you."
They gave her their salute before departing. Their child waved back at her as they did. "Bye-bye, princess!"
It was strange to see, really. They'd spent so long trying to denounce her presence in the Fire Nation, but now they looked at her in a new light. Azula had always expected the people to see her as their Princess. But this felt differently. All of it did.
Zuko was giving some grand speech, but she barely listened to it. He was praising Sen and Azula for their effort, the people for their courage and other things she had no interest in. These faces around her just sung praise because she happened to save their children.
Sen looked down at her and produced the ring she'd made. Azula blinked, somewhat astonished by the preserved dragonfire.
"Oh! Is that..." she began.
"It is." Sen told her. "I had Toph search for the perfect stone that suited you. This dragon was one who fought."
"Until its last breath." Azula finished, studying the ring in her hand. "That's quite a gift, Sen."
Sen smiled warmly. "I wanted the best for you."
"I know you do." Azula studied the ring in her hand, "Imagine me, a wife. Hm, well, it is appropriate, I suppose. Royalty should be married with a suitable partner."
Sen chuckled, shaking her head. "And I'm suitable?"
"Of course you are. You are strong, have the means to provide and - "
"Those are Ozai's words, not yours."
Azula sighed dramatically, nodding. "Fine, but you know what I mean."
Another laugh from Sen. She knew that the words were difficult. The spirit who had mocked her in the fog didn't truly know what he'd been talking about. The lies were just lies that preyed on her doubts. She knew Azula cared for her and she wouldn't accept any other way for her to show it. That was how she was.
Ursa approached them now and put her arms around Azula in an embrace. "Azula! I'm so proud of you!" she cried, happy. "Marriage and now, you're a hero!"
Azula cleared her throat with annoyance at the contact and Ursa quickly pulled away, realizing her error.
It still felt strange to have her mother so welcoming. It would always be strange.
Still, she'd be lying if she said she didn't mind it much.
O
The wedding ceremony and celebration in the courtyard was quite something for Sen to behold. She was nervous, unable to stop shifting at the sight of the many guests attending. Zuko had been holding a scroll in hand to observe and make it official. Ursa was standing beside him with Noren and Kiyi.
"Sen, you're shifting again..." came Katara's whisper from the side.
She was standing nearby, holding her cloak; Sen had dressed properly for the wedding, finding it suitable to wear the uniform that she'd used for her courtship dance.
"I'm sorry," Sen stammered, with a laugh. "I can't believe it. I'm finally going to be married. I never believed I'd be here."
Katara smiled at her. "Well, I'm happy for you, Sen. Oh! There they are!"
Sen looked up when she noticed the palanquin approaching.
Inside, Azula had been also dressed to perfection for the ceremony. Hina was sitting on her lap and she giggled a little when she noticed Sen's condition. Azula sighed and rolled her eyes with amusement.
"Oh, look. Your mother's doing that thing where she looks like she's going to pass a kidney stone when she's nervous," she quipped.
Hina grinned and looked back at her. "I'm happy you guys are getting married now. I was taking bets with Kiyi for Mochi on how long it would be."
Azula made a face. "Gambling. Hah! At your age." Then, she smirked. "I should teach you how to gamble better than that. At least not for Mochi, anyway."
The palanquin stopped and Azula stepped out of it with Hina.
They made their way toward Sen, and Azula studied the other woman with a note of approval. "Hm, I see you're wearing that properly this time."
Sen laughed sheepishly, lowering her eyes.
"Are you ready to do this, then?"
"I've been ready for a long time."
Azula rolled her eyes with a smile. "Ugh, you and your sentimentality."
And the ceremony was underway. Zuko questioned Azula if she chose to take Sen as her wife. Azula raised her chin and with a smile of pride, nodding once with a single "I do". Sen responded in kind and they shared a kiss with the crowd applauding.
Azula and Sen watched the crowds before them.
"And? What now?" Azula said.
"I say we have quite some time to figure that out, don't we?"
Azula glanced briefly at Sen before letting out a small chuckle.
Well, she was happy with that.
O
Note - This chapter was inspired by the song "Make Me Lose Control" by Eric Carmen.