Chapter 41

Katara stood next to Zuko in the hallway of the mental institution that was currently home to his sister Azula. Through a window, she could look inside the nearby room where Azula was currently being spoon fed her breakfast by a caring nurse. With the manacles holding her wrists tightly clasped, it was clear that she could not use any cutlery herself, but at least she had enough freedom to pick up the glass of juice and drink from it without much difficulty. Katara was feeling deeply conflicted at the sight before her, especially knowing that this had been Azula's life for the past three years.

Sure, she had done plenty of heinous things at the instruction of her father, but still, for someone so young having to be locked up because of the danger they posed to those around them... something about it felt deeply wrong to Katara. Especially, when she knew that Azula was of similar age to herself, in fact, she had only recently learned from Zuko that their birthdays were only four days apart with her being the very slight senior. She tried to imagine herself rotting away in some Fire Nation prison for so long, a very likely outcome if Aang hadn't been able to defeat Ozai, and she just couldn't imagine remaining sane if she'd been placed in that position.

Of course, the facilities Azula were held in were much nicer than any prison, Zuko had spared no expenses to keep his sister as comfortable as possible. And yet still, it felt like a prison because even in this safe environment, Azula had to wear manacles on both her arms and legs simply to make sure that she wouldn't hurt any of the staff. With all that said, Katara had to admit that Azula looked... better than she remembered even before her mental breakdown during that ill-fated Agni Kai with Zuko. The pitch black long hair in contrast with her alabaster skin and wide, intensively expressive eyes, meant that Azula was an exceptionally beautiful young woman, though her beauty was more of the fierce and dangerous kind, but even that seemed to have softened a little from how Katara remembered her.

Soon enough, Azula was finished with her meal and two nurses quickly made sure that she was presentable before escorting her outside where Zuko and Katara were waiting for her. "Zuzu!" she immediately broke into a broad smile upon noticing her brother, then turning to stare at Katara. "Oh... and you brought Katara with you! How wonderful!"

"Hey, Azula!" Katara forced herself to smile back at the other girl, still feeling a little apprehensive. While she felt sorry for Azula, a part of her couldn't easily forget all the hardships she had put her and their group through, and for Azula to suddenly be acting so friendly towards her felt more than a little bizarre.

"Please, remove her manacles," Zuko ordered. The nurses exchanged slightly nervous glances, hesitating. "I have permission from the healers. Azula can walk around freely during my visits, you may place the manacles back on once I leave, is that understood?"

"Yes, Lord Zuko," one of the nurses bowed her head and then they proceeded to quickly unshackle the grateful looking Azula.

"Boo!" Azula exclaimed suddenly, making a hand gesture reminiscent of bending at the nurses, both of them jumping in fright and retreating in a hurry.

"Azula, behave," Zuko shook his head at his innocently smiling sister.

"I'm just messing with them," Azula laughed, then running up to him and throwing her arms around Zuko in a big hug that made Katara break out in a happy smile as well. "Thank you, thank you so much for getting rid of those awful manacles, and thank you for coming to visit me."

"I love visiting my sister, I only regret I can't do it more often," Zuko smiled at her as they parted, Azula now turning to Katara, who reached out with her hands in a greeting, but Azula would have none of it, surprising her with a fierce hug instead. Having overcome her initial shock, Katara relaxed and hugged Azula back.

"It's great to have you here, Katara," Azula grinned at her. "You know, I had been wondering about who would make a worthy match for my big brother, before he came to visit me and told me that you two were together. But it makes so much sense, you know? The only one who would be worthy of him would surely be the only girl that has ever taken me down. Remember?"

"I do remember, but it's not a very happy memory," Katara frowned, feeling a slight shudder passing through her. If she hadn't taken Azula down back then, she would have likely lost Zuko for good. She would have most likely had been killed herself. It had been too close for her liking.

"Well... I guess it was a bit of a crazy time, wasn't it?" Azula smiled. "Still, I'm really glad you took me down. That was the old me who listened to Ozai's bullshit, when in reality he was weak and never worthy to sit on the throne, unlike my big brother here," she added proudly, playfully elbowing Zuko in the ribs.

"Thanks, I guess," Zuko smiled at his sister. "Anyway, let's not stand here in the corridor. Shall we go to the garden?" he suggested.

"Sure! Race you there?" Azula challenged.

"I think we'll walk, but you go ahead, stretch your legs, you must be feeling really stiff," Zuko told her. "We'll meet you there shortly." Azula gave him a beaming smile before dashing off, moving a little awkwardly as her muscles had most likely suffered from some mild atrophy.

"Whoa... she's really different from how I remember her," Katara blinked once she and Zuko had been left alone to walk to the garden at their own pace.

"I know, right? Just don't mention my mother, as I told you before," Zuko said, Katara nodding in understanding. "Anyway, the healers have an explanation for her behavior. They believe that Azula has become accustomed to having a male authority figure in her life, and when Ozai failed so miserably in her eyes, she sought to replace him with someone else."

"And she replaced him with you," Katara realized. "That does seem to be the case."

"I know... it's a little weird how she suddenly looks up to me so much, almost like she's hanging on my every word," Zuko said, looking a little uncomfortable. "But I swear never to abuse her trust, unlike my father did. Instead, I'm going to use it to guide her down as gentle a path as I can."

"And I'm going to help you every step of the way," Katara smiled, giving her boyfriend a quick but firm hug.

"I think you'll be able to help a lot, she seems to respect you, if maybe not for the best reason of you having defeated her," Zuko mused thoughtfully. "If not for that blind hatred towards our mother, I would have called for Azula to be brought to the palace already."

"I really hope we can help her work through that," Katara sighed.

"Well... the healers think that because she defers so much to me now, I could simply order her to get along with my mother, and it's possible that she would obey those orders," Zuko replied. "But... I'm hesitant to do so. I would rather like Azula to arrive at that decision herself, if at all possible."

"I think you're right about that, Zuko," Katara gave him a small smile as they entered the beautiful garden at the center of the complex, sitting down on one of the benches and smiling as they watched Azula race laps around the garden before she eventually came to join them, breathless and exhausted. Instead of perching on the bench next to them, Azula chose to plop down in the grass, just sitting there at their feet in her pristine white overalls. To Katara, she made for such a conflicting sight... the dangerous, unbridled power bursting inside of her was undeniable, and yet, when she looked up at Zuko, all Katara could see was just this young girl, scarred and vulnerable, desperately seeking approval.

"By the way, Zuko, I heard the nurses talking about how the rebellion is over," Azula looked up at her brother in admiration. "I always knew you would crush them!" she added, raising a clenched fist.

"Yes, for the first time during my reign, I can finally feel at peace," Zuko let out a sigh of relief. "That's not to say that we aren't having any challenges whatsoever..."

"Oh?" Azula perked up immediately. "Who else needs crushing?"

"Well, the Earth Kingdom is starting to mess with our former colonies more and more, and we'll have to do something about that soon," Zuko explained.

"Well... if you need to infiltrate Ba Sing Se, you know who to ask, I'm pretty good at it," Azula winked at him.

"I'm hoping it won't come to that, but thank you for offering," Zuko chuckled at her.

"Zuzu?" Azula looked up at him again, appearing pleading. "When can I come to live with you in the palace? I really want to..."

"As do I, sister," Zuko replied earnestly. "And you've made a lot of progress which means that you'll able to do that sooner rather than later. But it's not something we can put a timetable on, Azula. We all need to be patient."

"I'm... really trying to be patient, I've just never been very good with that," Azula sighed. "What if I agreed to keep those manacles on, maybe then I could move to the palace sooner?"

"It's something to consider, but I'd rather you got well enough that you wouldn't need them," Zuko smiled at her.

"You already don't need them around us, that's a great first step," Katara happily nodded in agreement.

"Well... I'll keep trying to get even better, then," Azula declared resolutely. "I just want to help Zuko become the best Fire Lord there's ever been. It's... really hard for me to be locked up in here where I can't help him."

"Hmm..." Katara mused, Zuko giving her a questioning stare. "Maybe we should talk with the healers again, Zuko," she said. If helping Zuko means so much to her, maybe it's not doing her any good to be kept under lock in here. Maybe it is time to move her to the palace... but that's not a conversation to have in front of her.

"Yes, I see what you mean," Zuko nodded at his girlfriend, seemingly understanding what she was hinting at. "I can't make any promises, Azula, but know that I'm trying my best to speed up the process."

"Of course, and I trust you, Zuzu, I really do," Azula looked up at him with admiration in her wide eyes. "In the meantime… you can stay a little longer today, can't you?"

Zuko gave Katara a questioning look, and she quickly smiled approvingly. "Of course, we can stay longer," she said happily. "The Fire Nation is finally at peace... which means that we have all the time in the world."

Having returned from their visit with Azula and following a hearty meal at the royal quarters, Zuko and Katara headed off to spend some time with Zuko's mother and her family at their quarters, Ursa, Noren and Kiyi staying at the capital for their monthly visit. Because their stay with Azula had taken more time than they had planned, Zuko and Katara arrived at the guest quarters at a slightly inopportune time with Kiyi still snoozing through her afternoon nap. Ursa and Noren had just left them to head into the bedroom and check on their daughter, leaving Zuko and Katara alone in the living room.

While Zuko had taken a seat nearby, Katara had instead perched down on the soft carpet amongst Kiyi's discarded toys. Zuko's half-sister's newest toy was of particular interest to her, and she still felt amazed that someone was creating dolls in her likeness. I guess I'll have to get used to the fact that I am becoming a role model for some young girls in the Fire Nation... which of course means more responsibility, Katara thought to herself, holding up and examining the beautifully crafted doll, admiring the rather impressive likeness.

"Maybe you should order one for yourself," Zuko commented with some amusement about her fascination.

"Maybe I will, and maybe I'll order a Zuko toy to go along with it," Katara grinned at him. "Then I'll be able to do this," she said, picking up the Zuko doll and pressing the faces of their respective dolls together while making smooching sounds.

"What are you, twelve?" Zuko rolled his eyes at her.

"Pfft," Katara scoffed at him. Then her eyes lit up as a wicked idea came to her. She laid her doll on the carpet, and then covered it with Zuko's doll. "Hey, Zuko, take a look at this," she grinned at him, mimicking rather suggestive movements with the two dolls.

Zuko's eyes almost popped out of their sockets as he noticed what she was doing. Hearing Kiyi's excited voice in the next room seemed to have sent him into a state of hyperventilation. "Are you crazy?!" he hissed at her. "Stop that!"

"Stop what?" Katara gave him the look of purest innocence. "I'm just playing with dolls, nothing wrong with that," she added, never stopping making the thrusting motions with the Zuko doll, even when Kiyi and her parents were about to enter the living room.

Zuko made a leap from his chair and reached out to grab her hand, but Katara pulled it away the last moment. With the momentum carrying him, Zuko still crashed into her and they ended up in a struggling heap amidst Kiyi's discarded toys, wrestling with each other until Zuko finally managed to seize Katara's wrists in a firm grip above her head, while pinning her body down with his weight. "You are a wicked, wicked woman, Katara, do you know that?" his words were a low growl.

"I don't know what you mean," Katara still kept up her innocent expression when Ursa, Noren and Kiyi entered the room at that very moment, looking at them with varying degrees of surprise and amusement.

"Mommy, are Zuzu and Tara fighting?" Kiyi asked with some concern.

"I don't think so, Kiyi, they are just being very adorable and cute," Ursa burst into laughter together with her husband.

"Mother, I am the Fire Lord! I am not cute!" Zuko frowned indignantly, hastily climbing off Katara.

"I am your mother and you will always be cute to me, even when you're in your sixties," Ursa chuckled at her son's discomfort.

"Yes, you're just one big cutie, Zuzu," Katara added with a wicked grin as she also rose to playfully elbow Zuko in the ribs.

"Hey!" Kiyi exclaimed, having looked over her discarded toys and holding up one of her dolls which had been broken neatly down the middle. "You jerks broke my Blue Spirit action figure!"

"That was all Zuko, he assaulted me," Katara inserted quickly, sticking her tongue out at her boyfriend.

"Why you-..." Zuko glared at her, then sighing in defeat. "Ugh, fine... Kiyi, I'll get you a new Blue Spirit action figure, alright? Sorry, this is what happens when Katara gets carried away," he added, receiving another elbow to the ribs for his efforts.

"Well... you don't have to, but what you should do instead is spend the whole evening playing with me, then I'll be happy!" Kiyi announced her decision. "Both of you!"

"Just a moment, Kiyi, there was something I wanted to discuss with Zuko and Katara before you steal them again," Ursa held up her hand, ignoring Kiyi's protests. "I understand you went to see Azula earlier," she said. "Tell me the truth... how is she?"

"I think she's gradually improving, wouldn't you say so, Katara?" Zuko said, looking at her, Katara responding with a nod. She could understand why Zuko did not feel like elaborating. She's doing fine, but the moment your name is mentioned, she explodes with rage and murder. That wasn't something easily said to your own mother. "We're thinking about moving her to the palace soon, if the healers agree to it," Zuko added.

"That sounds wonderful," Ursa smiled. "Does that mean she has become more accepting of me as well?" Katara and Zuko exchanged uncertain glances, struggling to form a reply. "Ah... I see," Ursa's face fell a little. "Still, Zuko, I think it is important for Azula's recovery that you do so. If that means I can't visit you at the capital for a while, then so be it. You can still come to Hira'a."

"I guess that's true," Zuko frowned. "Yes, we might have to do it that way for a while."

"Of course, there might be a complication when it's finally time for your big day," Ursa smiled at them, making Zuko and Katara both blush deep red.

"We haven't really talked about that yet," Katara was the first to answer.

"Yes, it's too early to worry about it," Zuko nodded in agreement.

"Well, in that case, I won't hold you up any longer. I'm just relieved that Azula is slowly improving," Ursa nodded, then glancing at her impatient looking younger daughter nearby. "I hereby transfer you into Kiyi's care. It seems like you will be her prisoners for the rest of the evening."

"That's right!" Kiyi commanded, stamping her foot at the ground. "By the order of Fire Lord's favorite sister, you are hereby sentenced to play with me!"

"Well, when you put it that way," Katara grinned, glancing at the resigned looking Zuko. "Who are we to refuse?"