A/N: This story does not take the comics into account as I haven't got a chance to read them yet, so this will only be TV series-compliant. Also, this is a standalone sequel to my previous ATLA story: "Teatime in the Dungeon". You can check it out first if you're interested!
Kuvira wasn't having the best time of her life.
After four years of serving her time, both in prison and when she was doing community service in Zaofu under the Beifongs' custody, as well as occasionally assisting Avatar Korra and her companions in their missions from time to time, Kuvira had finally gained Suyin's approval to be let go of her house arrest and was allowed to go anywhere freely under the condition that she would remain in her best behavior at all times. Though Kuvira appreciated being allowed to travel the world once again, apparently the world really didn't share the same sentiment.
Even if the Beifongs had mostly began to accept her back into their family despite everything she did, everybody else weren't so forgiving. Kuvira should've been used to the judgmental stares, accusing gossips, and sometimes even violent threats from the people who suffered in her ambitious campaign by now, but it never really gets easier.
"She's a goddamn war criminal! Why is she allowed to walk free like this?!"
"My sister was never the same after she was taken to her so-called 'reeducation camp'. I don't care if she turns over a new leaf or not, my sister deserves justice for what that monster put her through!"
"Didn't she blow up an entire building, knowing that her own fiancé was inside? How horrible must someone be to do something like that?"
"Her mechanical monstrosity blew up half of Republic City! She's a menace to society, plain and simple. Someone should get rid of her already!"
Kuvira was no stranger to insults. She knew what she was signing up for when she began her campaign to establish the Earth Empire. The quest of reuniting the largest country in the world torn apart by civil wars is not an easy task. Hard choices needed to be made, drastic measures had to be taken, and no matter what she did, there will be people who would hate her for it. That was the reality that she had come to accept. Someone has to do something about the state of the Earth Kingdom and nobody else would step up to the plate, so it might as well start with her.
She had since come to accept that what she did was wrong and that she let power went to her head. For all her speeches of not wanting to repeat the Earth Queen's tyrannical rule over her subjects, she ended up doing even worse things to the people who opposed her ideology. She even went as far as putting Bataar Jr., her own fiancé, in harm's way just to get rid of her enemies in one fell swoop, something that he didn't hesitate to chew her out plainly and harshly time and time again during her time in prison. She had accepted that her actions are going to have consequences that will stay with her for a long time.
And yet, even realizing that, she couldn't help but feeling like the entire world is against her.
"You killed my father, 'Great Uniter'," Asami Sato made no attempt to hide her seething rage when she confronted Kuvira one day, "No matter what Korra says about you, I'll never forgive you for what you did. For all I care, you deserve far worse than what you get. My only satisfaction about all this is that the world will never let you forget what you have done, and it will haunt you every, single, day, until you are no longer among the living, then you can ask my father for forgiveness yourself. As long as I am still breathing, you'll always be my enemy. Remember that."
As much as she hated to be reminded of it, Asami's words were proven true. Even after four years, it was becoming painfully evident that she had no future outside of the Beifong family in Zaofu. Nobody in the Earth Kingdom would willingly offer her a job, and she would be lucky to live through a day in Republic City without at least someone threatening to end her life. So much for being a 'reformed' war criminal.
That was why she left. She couldn't stay there any longer. If she does, one day she'd hit her breaking point and do something that would make her regret her life choices even more than she already did. At that point, it would be just easier if Korra hadn't saved her from the blast and just leave her to her fate that day.
After all, why would she continue living in a world that hated her?
"Welcome to the Heavenly Moon Spa and Massage! Please enjoy your stay!"
The cheerful voice of the receptionists welcomed Kuvira as she stepped inside a rather extravagant building complex not too far from the Ember Island Harbor. As opposed to the traditional Fire Nation architecture seen from the outside, the lobby interior was instead decorated in the style of the Northern Water Tribe aesthetics, though there were also the distinctive stone pillars from the Earth Kingdom as well, and overall, there seemed to be a bit of everything thrown in together inside the room.
Kuvira wasn't sure why she had decided to come here. Maybe it was because she really needed a break? Some time away from all the gossips and stares? She couldn't remember the last time she had allowed herself to unwind, not when she was building an empire, and not even before that when she was training to be the best metalbender of Zaofu. She had some alone time with Bataar Jr., yes, but even that felt like a long time ago now, and being reminded of those memories they shared together before everything went wrong only served to make Kuvira felt even more awful than she already was.
Before she knew it, Kuvira found herself being led down a hallway to an outdoor public hot spring, listening to the ever-energetic voice coming out of loudspeakers describing the spa's long and colorful history and accompanied by a black-and-white 'mover' displaying promotional footages and a slideshow of old photographs.
"Founded by the former United Republic Councilor Sokka after his retirement, the Heavenly Moon Spa and Massage became an instant hit since its grand opening in Agna Qel'a and attracted visitors from all over the world! New branches were soon opened in various locations including Ember Island, Omashu, and the Republic City itself, becoming a worldwide sensation in just a few months!
"Our founder believed in the vision that our spas should not only be a place where you can relax your mind and unwind your body, but also as a place where people everywhere can come together to share and celebrate their beautiful cultures with each other in peace under the warm, loving embrace of the Moon Spirit, a statement that everyone in the Heavenly Moon Spa and Massage have taken to heart even to this day!"
"Heal your arching body and mind after months of stressful work with Ty Lee and Suki's Signature Pressure Massage! Spice up your life by attending On Ji's dancing class! Or take a dip into our world-famous natural hot spring, guaranteed to wash all your worries away in no time!"
"Already making off money from your invention, huh, Varrick?" Kuvira noted to herself humorously at the thought of her eccentric former head scientist. Varrick had a lot of crazy ideas with his inventions but his 'moving picture' project seemed to be the one that kicked off with the masses, having seen usage widely in almost everywhere Kuvira went to (those with access to electricity, anyway). If there is one thing that she could compliment Varrick, it's his uncanny ability to influence the world with technology.
At least his technology is making a positive change to the world, in contrast of what she forced him to create for her. Those creations have brought nothing but death and destruction in her ruthless ambition.
The thought continued to haunt Kuvira's mind even as she was laying inside the hot spring. What was supposed to help her relax and calm her mind did nothing to clear her of the deep guilt that she was still feeling. The beautiful and calming scenery all around her did not help at all. It only reminded her of how the Fire Nation had come a long way from its violent history, and in the modern times became the only nation that never had any internal or external conflict with anyone thanks to Fire Lords Zuko and Izumi's wise leaderships.
And what was she doing instead? She turned the Earth Kingdom into exactly what the Fire Nation used to be: a conquering empire bent on taking over everything it wanted by force. She may have done it with good intentions, but in the end, she added nothing more to the world than another bloody conflict when the world sorely needed peace, leaving yet another black mark on the Earth Kingdom's already turbulent history.
How could she live any of this down?
It was already evening when Kuvira realized she wasted an entire day for nothing.
She tried everything; hot springs, massages, everything that the Heavenly Moon had to offer, but it didn't help calming her mind down at all. She was still as agitated and restless as ever. The only consolation was that the citizens of Ember Island seemed to not realize who she was, or if they were, they were at least civil enough not to bring it up to her face.
She was walking aimlessly down a beach when she came across someone. An elderly lady, dressed in a traditional dark red Fire Nation dress, was sitting on a lone wooden bench facing toward the sea. She was observing a group of three people swimming joyfully together some distance away, two children and one adult. Her family, perhaps? At least that's what Kuvira was able to tell from the content, motherly expression on her face. She somewhat reminded her of Toph in a way, whenever she decided to visit her daughter Suyin in Zaofu. Probably at a similar age as well, she reckoned.
The old lady eventually turned her head around, allowing Kuvira to finally get a clear look on her face, and she couldn't believe her eyes at first. She had recognized her face before in the history books, albeit several decades younger (and still had that elegant black hair instead of the aging gray).
A member of the Fire Nation Royal Family with a particularly infamous reputation, she was believed to have been taken prisoner by Avatar Aang's companions at the end of the Hundred Year War. Since then, her appearances had been very few and far between, before completely disappeared entirely from the public eye around thirty years ago. Much of the world even believed that she was probably long dead.
But former Princess Regent Azula of the Fire Nation was pretty much alive, and she was sitting right there in front of Kuvira.
"Don't think that I haven't noticed you standing there, young lady."
A rough, yet commanding voice shook Kuvira out of her trace. Azula wasn't even looking back at her. Kuvira was never one to be shaken easily, yet right now her body was frozen in place, not knowing what to do next. She had learned a great many things about Azula and what she did during the Hundred Year War. She practically studied Azula for a large part of her life. Her deceptiveness, her fighting tactics, her ruthless pragmatism, even her emotional weaknesses, everything about Azula turned Kuvira into who she was, and now that they were face-to-face, Kuvira knew without any doubt that everything she had learned about Azula was completely true.
Sensing the tension between them, Azula finally turned to face the young metalbender before she did something Kuvira never in a hundred years would expect to see: she gave her a welcoming smile.
"Well, don't you have something to say for yourself? It's rude to ignore your elders when they're talking to you, you know?" She half-jokingly, half-sternly said.
"I…I…" Kuvira flabbergasted, "I didn't realize that you are…"
"Still alive?" Azula chuckled, "What's the phrase the kids are saying these days? Ah, yes, 'the reports of my death are greatly exaggerated'."
"But…why? Why didn't your brother ever mention that you're still alive?"
"Don't you think that's none of your business?" Azula frowned, causing Kuvira to turn away slightly in embarrassment, "It was my choice to disappear, and my brother consented to it. He knew that it was something I needed to do and he was wise enough to oblige it. That's all you need to know."
Azula closed her eyes as she took a long, deep breath, as if remembering things that she would rather have forgotten. Eventually, the sounds of her family playing in the sea brought her back to reality. She focused her glance on the two children in particular, whom Kuvira assumed to be her grandchildren, which means the woman who looked about Kuvira's own age playing with them must be their mother and thus Azula's daughter.
"They look happy, don't they? They have a better childhood than I did. I guess I did a few things right raising their mother. Go figure that," Azula spoke with pride, "Too bad she couldn't have picked a better husband, otherwise he would be here with them right now."
"Yeah…"
Kuvira decided not to dig any deeper, but she completely understood how it felt to be abandoned. She herself was abandoned by her parents, after all. To a child, there is no worse fate than being unloved by those who brought them into this world in the first place. At least Azula's grandchildren were lucky to still have a mother who loved them, and possibly loved by their grandmother as well.
"But enough talk about this silly old crow. Let's talk about you, 'Great Uniter'," She spoke, "What brings you all the way out here?"
"H-how did you…?"
"Oh, don't be silly, dear girl. Do you actually believe that someone of your reputation could go anywhere on this island without me knowing anything about it? Please, remember who you're talking to." Azula said while sprouting her all-too-familiar smirk, before motioning to her right, "Sit. I trust that you can make yourself comfortable."
Kuvira hesitated for a moment, before she nodded in comply and bend herself a small rock column out of the ground next to Azula's bench, making herself a seat before sitting down on it.
"You've been keeping track on me?"
"I've been keeping track on you for seven years." Azula explained, "From the moment you rose to power and began subjugating parts of the Earth Kingdom to form your empire, I knew where all of it was leading to."
Of course, you of all people would know. Kuvira thought. Suddenly it all started to make sense: Azula used to be in command of the previous generation of Dai Li when she launched a coup to take over Ba Sing Se during the Hundred Year War. Chances are even after all these years she still had some connections with the old guards in the capital. They were probably the ones who reported back to her.
"So, if you knew what was coming then why didn't you do anything about it?" Kuvira asked. With everything she knew that Azula was capable of, it wouldn't have taken much effort to coordinate strikes to cripple her empire from within.
"Oh, believe me, if I really wanted you out, you wouldn't even get past that stunt you pulled in Republic City on that idiot prince's coronation day," Azula noted, "Still, I believe my brother and my niece could get a handle on things on their own, and admittedly I was somewhat intrigued to see what you would do with your new empire. From what I've been hearing, you did a decent job bringing the Earth Kingdom back on track after Zaheer's little revolution."
Kuvira couldn't help but wince a little at Azula's comment. Here she was, trying to forget about the things she did had done, then the 'Conqueror of Ba Sing Se' had to remind her about it all once again. Asami Sato's parting words still rang loudly in Kuvira's mind.
"I…had to. Suyin Beifong didn't want to do anything," Kuvira began, trying to justify her actions once again, "The Earth Kingdom was in chaos. Bandits were pillaging villages everywhere, civilian uprisings were prevalent in every major city, and our standing military was disorganized and lacked direction. We were lost, vulnerable, ready to crumble into dust at any moment. Someone had to do something, so I stepped up."
"And so, you intended to share Zaofu's progressiveness with the rest of the kingdom by any means necessary in the hopes of building a better, brighter future," Azula commented, "My great grandfather had the same idea for the rest of the world, you know?"
Kuvira was speechless. Did Azula just compared her to Fire Lord Sozin himself? The person who triggered the Hundred Year War and plunged the world into a century of conflicts? The person who subjugated and enslaved various towns and villages into his domain and eliminated anyone who resisted? The person who wiped out the Air Nomads to a man? The person who dared to leave a longtime companion behind to die just to pursue his ambition?
"I didn't want any of this," Kuvira said in a trembling voice, "All I really wanted was to make my nation better. To return it back to an era of peace and prosperity."
"And where will you draw that line, Kuvira?" Azula asked, for the first time addressing her listener by her real name, "When will it be enough? In your pursuit of 'peace and prosperity', how many lines have you crossed? How many more until you decide that you finally get what you wanted?"
Kuvira didn't say anything. As hurtful as it sounded, Azula was right. She didn't stop at just dealing with dissidents, she sent them to be reeducated. She didn't stop at wiping out the bandits, she coerced the towns to submit to her else they'd be left to fend for themselves. She didn't stop at building her military might, she created a weapon of mass destruction. She didn't stop at subjugating Zaofu, she wanted to conquer the Republic City itself as well. What would she do next? Launch a full-scale invasion on the Fire Nation to avenge those who perished in the Hundred Year War? Kuvira dreaded to think about how far she could've gotten if Korra didn't stop her first.
"I don't blame you, young lady. I used to be exactly like you," Azula continued as her expression hardened, the smirk on her face disappeared, "Power has a way of enticing you, isn't it? It's unsatiable. No matter who you were before or how well-meaning your goals were, it will change you. Once it gets a hold of you, it's hard to get free, just like these waves in the sea, and it's gonna keep pulling you deeper and deeper. Before you know it, you completely lost yourself to it. That's what happened to me, happened to my father, my grandfather, and his father before him."
"When did you realize that?" Kuvira asked.
Azula's reply was short and in a solemn tone, "Too late for it to matter."
"I'm…I'm sorry," Kuvira replied softly, "I heard you and your brother didn't really get along."
That actually got Azula to snicker a little, "Heh, understatement doesn't even begin to cover it. Zuzu…I mean Zuko, he's always been jealous of me. Everything he can do; I can do better and faster. He tried so hard to get our father's approval; I got showered by compliments with barely any effort. I was superior to him in every way."
Azula paused for a moment, as if to gather her thoughts. She sighed before continued, "Yet even then, he had achieved something that I could not. He found peace within himself and accepted who he really is, while I spent a large part of my life aimlessly fighting to hold on to something that didn't really matter to me. Heh. To think that I used to call him weak-willed and easily manipulated, when it's me who have fallen victim to my own lust for power and I didn't even know it."
"But you still managed to overcome it, didn't you?" Kuvira noted, "You're here right now, enjoying the sunset with a family that loves you. Somewhere along the line, you realized that what you did was wrong, and it's why your brother gave you a chance to start over and lead a new life in peace, isn't it?"
Azula nodded with a resigned smile, "Maybe, but like I said, it was too late for it to matter. I still did too many horrible things to the world and everyone around me that cannot just be erased away. A lot of people wanted me gone, Kuvira, and just because I turned over a new leaf doesn't mean their opinion of me will change as well. It's why I asked my brother to just make me disappear. That way, I can at least live in some semblance of peace with the few people who actually wanted me around."
Kuvira couldn't say anything in reply. What Azula said was exactly the thing she dreaded. Is this the fate that awaits her? To be hated by millions and gone into history as an irredeemable monster who deserve no love and sympathy? Is this what she has to live with for the rest of her life?
"The reason I came here…" Kuvira finally began, prompting Azula to turn to look at her curiously, "Is to find a way to live with what I've done. So far nothing seems to work. Everywhere I go, people cursed my name, threatened my life, wanted to make me suffer for the pain I've caused to them. Ever night, their voices kept me awake. When I close my eyes, I saw their furious faces staring back at me. Every time I try to forget the past and move on, I'm reminded of the atrocities I have done. It's like a nightmare that never ends."
Azula stared at the young metalbender with pity in her eyes, something that she never thought she would be able to do when she was young. It took her years, but eventually Zuko's uncompromising kindness eventually got through to her, and she finally decided to turn a new leaf for real. On one hand, she was thankful that she really did have it within her to feel compassion for others. On the other, it was this very compassion that made her feel pity toward Kuvira so much: the young girl reminded Azula a lot of how she used to be, and now she was in exactly the same position that she did.
"You know, I used to have a couple of best friends when I was young," Azula began as she recalled her memories, "They were my close companions from childhood and we used to do so many things together. When we were teenagers, I enlisted their help in my quest to find the Avatar and my then-exiled brother. It…didn't end well. I never realized until much later in life that I never really saw them as friends back then, only minions whom I could use like tools to serve my every whim and discarded once I don't need them, and one day they finally had enough…"
Azula's voice started to tremble, and Kuvira could notice some tears forming in her eyes. She took a moment to steady herself, with limited success as the bad memories started coming back to her again.
"Ty Lee, Mai…I'm so sorry for what I did to both of you…I'm so sorry…"
"Please, forgive me…Please don't turn me away…"
"They cut all ties with me after that," Azula finally continued as her voice started breaking, "I tried asking them for forgiveness later in life, but only one of them eventually gave me a chance. The other…didn't. By the time we finally made amends with each other, she was already on her deathbed, and what good did it do? We spent most of our lives as enemies when we could've been friends, and it's all my fault…"
"I'm terribly sorry…"
Kuvira gently put her hand on Azula's shoulder. Now it was her turn to pity the old woman. Azula was a shell of the woman she had learned from the history books. The once proud and capable Crown Princess of the Fire Nation, who could have anything she wished for at her command, was now reduced to a nobody filled with regret for the life that could have been.
Azula took a deep breath to steady herself once again. Even after all these years, she's still fighting against her past. Kuvira couldn't help but admire her in a way. She always knew Azula was a strong woman, but it took real courage to face your numerous mistakes and deal with the consequences, however hard that would be.
"What I'm trying to say, Kuvira, is that there isn't an easy way to deal with this," She finally began, "Learn to live with hatred as part of your life, but never let it drag you down. You can't control what others will think of you, but you can control how you will react to them, so do what you can to prove them wrong. You're still young. You realized that you have made several mistakes in life and have a strong desire to own up to them, something that I took ages to learn. Use that as your strength, and always remember that it doesn't matter how the rest of the world sees you. What matters is the few people you truly care about, so keep them close and show them that you're worth giving a chance. If you can at least do that, then perhaps you won't end up like me."
Kuvira listened to every word Azula said as if she was under a spell. She should've hated her. Almost eighty years ago, her father almost burned her entire country down, and she captured the entire city of Ba Sing Se for him, and yet…right now Kuvira could think of nobody else but her that she could relate to the most. Not Suyin Beifong, not Korra, but her…a disgraced princess forgotten by history because of the crimes she had done.
Perhaps they are even more alike than they think.
"I'm very grateful for your advice, your highness," Kuvira said, silently acknowledging the irony of giving a compliment to someone belonging to the archaic monarchy system that she wanted to abolish, "I...couldn't imagine what I would have done without your guidance."
"Just call me Azula, please. I'm a princess no more," Azula chuckled, "And don't sell yourself short. You're a fine woman, Kuvira. Some of the things you did for the Earth Empire actually do have a positive effect on it, and you did it all with the best of intentions, you just lost yourself along the way. That alone made you a better person than me when I was at your age. You just have to become the person you used to be again; a young girl who simply wants to see the world be a better place."
Kuvira nodded with a smile, "If it means anything, ma'am, you're the one who brought that young girl out again, and she is very thankful to have a chance to meet with you, Azula."
For a moment, Azula was too stunned to say anything, then she started laughing. The first genuine, joyful laugh she ever had in a long time. After decades of hiding from the rest of the world because of what she had done, this was the first time in forever that someone outside of her own family (and Ty Lee) had ever shown kindness to her. This is something she'd been longing to receive all her life, and the person who gave it to her was the last person she would've expected.
"Tell that little girl of yours that I'm very thankful to meet her as well, Kuvira," Azula said with a return smile, "Thank you for giving me a chance to do something good for once in my life."
About half an hour later, Azula's family was finally done swimming in the sea and return back to the beach. After exchanging introductions with Kuvira, Azula thought about inviting her first outside guest in decades over for an evening meal.
"It's getting pretty dark right now," Azula began, "If you'd like, you can join us for dinner first before you get back. My family has a vacation home on a hill not far away from here."
"Thank you for your offer, Azula. I…actually would like that," Kuvira replied happily, "I'd be honored to join your family for dinner."
"Oh, the honor is all mine, young lady. You wouldn't believe how many times I had to endure Arisa's ramblings about how she never gets any visitor. She really wants to show off her cooking skills."
"It's actually not that good…" Ursa, Azula's eldest granddaughter, whispered to Kuvira, "I heard grandma complained the other day about how mom always made the soup too spicy."
"I can vouch for that," Mai, Ursa's sister, added with a sly grin, "Great-uncle Zuko once had to rush to the loo immediately after tasting mom's infamous papaya salad. He spent almost an hour in it, wailing all the time."
"I HEARD THAT!" Arisa shouted, followed by laughter from everyone as they walked up the hill towards the house on top of it.
"Just remember to be on your best behavior," Azula's playful smirk returned as she gave Kuvira a warning, "I am still watching you, after all. One wrong move, and we'll see how well the best metalbender of Zaofu would fare against my blue flames."
"I'll make sure to keep that in mind." Kuvira nodded. Even though Azula's warning was playful in tone, Kuvira knew that she was serious about it. This was still Azula she was talking to, after all. This was the old woman who had been keeping track on her for years with her none the wiser, not to mention a close relative of the current and the previous Fire Lords. There'd be no place she can hide if she gained the ire of the Fire Nation Royal Family, especially Azula's.
Aside from that, Kuvira was happy. For the longest time since being released from the Beifongs' servitude, she finally found someone who showed her kindness despite the crimes she had done in the past. That was all she ever wanted, really, and it was also what Azula had wanted as well.
Asami Sato may have hated her forever for what she did to her father, Bataar Jr. may never have forgiven her for her betrayal, and half of the Earth Kingdom and everyone in Republic City may have despised her for everything she had done to them, it didn't matter her anymore. She had come to accept the painful truth that there will always be people who hated her, but she'll never give up trying to do the right thing. She won't let someone else's hatred change her. She will never lose her way again.
Because that's who she is, just a young girl who simply wants to see the world be a better place.
Author's note: My second fanfic set in ATLA/TLOK universe! This time featuring the series' two dangerous lady warlords xD.
This is something that I've been planning for a long time since I finished TLOK. Kuvira quickly became my most favorite TLOK 'villain', in no small part thanks to her being similar to Azula in many ways. She's like a saner version of Azula, who nevertheless is just as dangerous and trapped in villainy because of circumstances, and I was happy that Korra managed to show Kuvira the error of her ways in the finale and she gave herself up willingly, something that Zuko couldn't achieve with Azula in canon.
This story is created partly to give some closure to both characters that I think they deserve. Azula in this story is a lot saner than how she's usually portrayed, but this took place about 75+ years after the events of ATLA. Chances are she would've changed and mellowed out somewhat, especially with Zuko never giving up on trying to redeem her as per my previous story 'Teatime in the Dungeon'. After decades of self-reflection, Azula finally learned to become a better person than when she was younger, and thus she was able to give advice to someone who was in the same spot as she did years ago.
Anyway, that's probably it for ATLA/TLOK fanfics for now, as I've ran out of ideas xD. Still, it's been very fun writing both this story and 'Teatime in the Dungeon' and the setting of the series is pretty interesting and worth exploring more upon, so I'm sure I can come up with something new soon enough. Thank you for reading! Any review and feedback is always welcomed!