Chapter 2

4 Years after the Hundred Year War
Capital City Prison

"Please don't tell me this is where you have held her all these years, Zuko," the voice belonging to a young woman seemed vaguely familiar to Azula. She quickly rose from the cot and assumed her best defiant stance, arms crossed on her chest as she prepared to glare that the approaching visitors.

"No, of course not," she heard her brother's reply. "It is just a temporary measure after she was finally apprehended." The group had by now arrived at Azula's cell and she could finally get a good look at the four figures on the other side of the bars. All of her old adversaries seemed to be in attendance, with the exception of that annoying blind earthbender girl.

There was the Avatar himself, Aang eyeing her with those large and expressive grey eyes like she was some kind of exotic animal on display. There was something about him that creeped her out, especially once she had heard the stories of how the Avatar State had reduced her father to a laughable punching bag. Then there was the waterbender, Katara, looking pretty pissed off as she kept staring intently at Azula. Lastly, there was also Katara's brother, but since he was useless and irrelevant, Azula had never bothered to memorize his name.

"Azula," Aang addressed her in a neutral, impassive voice, that for some reason creeped her out even further. She preferred to remember him as that goofy twelve year old bald kid whom she had enjoyed wiping the floor with every time they had fought. But that was before he had mastered the Avatar State, and grown up to become this severe figure with powers that even Azula had to admit, she could not stand up against. "I have heard that you have been wasting all the chances of redemption and healing that Zuko has been offering to you," Aang continued.

Azula snorted, not intent on dignifying that comment with an answer. What did they expect of her, to crawl on her belly and submissively beg for forgiveness? If they were not complete idiots, they should have known that her pride would not allow for it, so she simply kept staring at him defiantly.

"It saddens me that you are still completely unrepentant about all that you've done, Azula," Aang continued. "But in a way, you have left us with no choice. I won't take any delight in what I am about to do..."

"Wait," Katara suddenly spoke up, interrupting the Avatar. "I'm sorry, but I am having some serious second thoughts. Zuko," she turned towards Azula's brother. "Tell me you're alright with this, and... and I'll stand aside. Reluctantly."

Zuko covered his face with his palms, letting out a deep sigh. "I'm really not alright with this, Katara," he shook his head. "I would dearly prefer to find some other way." What are they talking about, anyway? Are they planning to do something to me? Despite the defiance she projected outwardly, Azula began to feel anxious.

"Seriously? I thought we all agreed on this already!" the waterbender's useless brother exclaimed. He sounded frustrated.

"Yes, Sokka's right," Aang nodded. "We already established there is no other way. Why are we changing our minds now?"

"I don't know, Aang, but could it be because I'm now here and actually facing the person you've decided to strip of her bending, and I'm starting to understand what that might do to her? And what it would do to Zuko?" Katara retorted sharply.

There were only a few words that Azula took away from the waterbender's little tirade. Strip away my bending? They want to... take away everything I am? Azula had been absolutely terrified when she had learned what Aang had done to her father. It would have been more merciful to kill him. And now he intended to do the same to her? Her knees buckled slightly and she had to fight hard to remain upright and maintain her defiant pose. Her anxiety gave place to fear and panic, and while she tried to fight it, she knew that it showed in her eyes.

At least, the others hadn't noticed the fear that had gripped her. No... that was not true, something had changed in the way Katara was staring at her. Was that sympathy? Whatever it was, Azula hated it. She made sure to avoid eye contact with the waterbender.

"Does that mean you have a plan, sweet-... Katara?" Aang asked.

"King Kuei listens to you, Aang," Katara said. "Surely you can lean on him a little bit and get the Dai Li to back off. Or at least buy us some more time..."

"King Kuei is my friend," Aang frowned. "I don't like the idea of leaning on him... especially not for Azula's sake."

"Why, because removing my sister's bending is easier?" Zuko did not look pleased. At least he seemed to be standing up for her. Why the waterbender cared, Azula had no idea. Maybe it was because she was a bleeding heart do-gooder who believed in world peace and all that rot. Azula had certainly formed that kind of impression of the Southerner girl.

"Alright, fine," Aang sighed. "Even if I managed to convince King Kuei to interfere, what then? She'll just keep escaping again and again, and more people will get injured and killed in the process. We need another solution for Azula, you can't just keep her here, she hasn't improved her behavior one bit!"

"I think we should move her to the North Pole," Katara said firmly. "I know most of the healers in Agna Qel'a. I've trained with many of them myself. I am confident that they will think of something."

"I agree," Zuko nodded. "I think we should try it. But..."

"What is it, Zuko?" Aang asked impatiently. Azula almost felt like the Avatar seemed peeved that he had been denied the opportunity to remove her bending. The little freak had probably been quite looking forward to it.

"I know there are plenty of Earth Kingdom spies lurking about the capital," Zuko mused. "If they caught wind of Azula being transported to the North Pole, she could very well be endangered there as well."

"Hmm, it seems like you need a patented Sokka plan to get out of this pickle, my friends," Katara's ridiculous brother preened proudly as he spoke up. "I believe that what you are looking for in this situation is a decoy."

"Oh?" Zuko's eyebrows rose. "Tell us more, Sokka."

"You leak the rumor that we're taking Azula somewhere else... I don't know, what's the furthest from North Pole. The South Pole, I guess?" Sokka began to explain. "We'll make a big spectacle of taking Azula South on Appa's back. We'll even dress up Katara to look like a Fire Princess! The Dai Li will fall for it hook, line and sinker!"

"Hmm," Zuko mused. "I like the plan, but I was hoping that you would be the ones to bring Azula North. Especially because Katara knows the healers in Agna Qel'a. And I am not certain who among my people I could trust with this mission. I suppose I could ask my Kyoshi bodyguards to handle it and keep Azula chi-blocked throughout the journey."

"I think Aang and Sokka should go South on Appa's back to act like a decoy," Katara spoke decisively. "In the meantime, I'll take Azula North. You're right, Zuko, I need to be there to make sure that my friends in the North know what they're dealing with. And no, I don't think you should send your Kyoshi bodyguards with us. A larger group would only attract more attention."

"Are you crazy?" Aang protested. "We're not leaving you alone with Azula!"

"That does seem to be unwise, Katara," Zuko nodded in agreement.

"You all seem to be forgetting what I am capable of," Katara replied. Azula could not for the life of her figure out what the waterbender had meant, but she could clearly see that the three young men with her suddenly became very uncomfortable. "Only as a last resort, of course. But you should know that I am perfectly fine handling Azula all by myself."

Azula was bristling with anger at that comment, but at the same time, the waterbender's certainty and confidence made her incredibly curious. Sure, Katara had bested her during that fateful Agni Kai with Zuko, but it had been just a moment of ingenuity and quick thinking, not because of superior bending skill. Why would Katara be so certain that she would not simply overpower her and then reclaim her freedom?

"Well... I guess I don't have any rebuttal to that," Sokka gulped. "I guess that means Aang will have to wear one of Azula's dresses to act as a decoy."

"No way," Aang protested. "The people need to see the fake Azula leaving with the Avatar. That means you get to wear a dress, Sokka."

"Let's face it, Sokka, we all know that it comes naturally to you," Katara remarked with a wicked grin. "After all, I've seen you in a dress. That Kyoshi Warrior garb was a perfect fit for you." Azula had to smirk at how the waterbender's brother cringed from embarrassment. It seemed that she also enjoyed tormenting her older brother, which was a point in her favor. A very small point, of course.

"I think we should use very inconspicuous means of transport for you both," Zuko said, looking at Katara, then glancing at his still defiant looking sister. "Definitely not a cruiser or an airship, that's too much attention. How about a small fishing boat to take you to Republic City?"

"Sounds perfect," Katara nodded. "We can catch up with Aang and Sokka there after they're done leading the Dai Li on a wild turtle-duck chase. Then we can make the rest of the way to the North Pole on Appa's back."

"Alright, I think we have a plan," Aang said, rubbing his hands. "Shall we proceed?"

"Certainly, I'll make sure that you have all the supplies. Katara, I'll need your help to pick out some simple Earth Kingdom dresses for yourself and Azula," Zuko nodded. He then turned towards Azula, still observing them all silently. "Azula? Sister, what do you think of this plan?"

"Why Zuko, so nice of you to ask!" she replied in a lilting tone of voice. "Hmm, a dingy and damp prison cell, or a scenic trip to the North Pole... indeed, what a choice!"

"Fine, I get it," Zuko sighed at her before retreating together with his friends, leaving Azula alone in her cell, still wondering how on earth did Katara intend to keep her from escaping as soon as they were away from the capital.

4 Years after the Hundred Year War
Roku's Island

After a full day of sailing the small fishing boat carrying the two unassuming looking young women dressed like simple Earth Kingdom citizens had finally reached the edges of the outer archipelago They had sailed past Shuhon Island an hour ago, and were now coming up to the piece of volcanic rock that was Roku's Island.

Azula had found the journey tolerable up to this point. The small crew of the fishing ship largely left them alone, only interrupting to bring them some food. And while being stuck in a small cabin with the waterbender was obviously not ideal, it wasn't exactly a torture. Azula was grateful that Katara did not feel the need to bother her with inane conversations and instead kept to herself, spending most of her time eyeing the horizon, as if she was expecting some sudden threats to emerge.

And Azula would definitely not be the one to initiate conversation herself. Katara was beneath her, after all. Sure, Katara had beaten her in a fight, Azula had to give her a little bit of respect for that at least. Azula was willing to admit that maybe she didn't hate the waterbender as much as she hated most people. Azula was still very curious about why Katara did not seem at all afraid or intimidated by her. Also, Azula couldn't figure out why the idea of having her bending removed had bothered the waterbender more than it had bothered her own brother. Still, curious as Azula was, she wasn't just going to ask Katara about it. She was sure that the waterbender had some ulterior motive for her actions. And Katara would probably just lie if she asked her about it. That's what Azula would do.

Left to her own devices, Azula could engage in what she did best, and that was to plot. At first she had planned to make her escape as soon as the ship reached the outer archipelago. The ship's crew would put up no resistance, she only had to take out Katara, and while she was very confident about her chances, the fact that they were surrounded by water on all sides gave Azula pause. Perhaps this was not the best environment in which to fight Katara. In the end, she began to lean more and more towards escaping once they had reached Republic City. She had heard stories about the capital of this new nation undergoing rapid growth. Azula was very confident in being able to shake off Katara and then make her escape among the crowds of people. And what then? That was an uncomfortable thought which she had no immediate answer for. She decided to ignore it for now. One thing at a time, Azula.

With the fall of darkness, Azula could not help but notice that Katara appeared to have become particularly tense as she continued to eye the horizon. Eventually, Azula could no longer hold her tongue and decided to speak up. "Stop your fidgeting," she barked at the waterbender. "It's annoying."

"My apologies, Your Highness," Katara replied.

"You're acting like there's something else you're worried about other than me," Azula remarked.

"If you must know, Princess, I noticed our good captain sending some sort of signals a while ago," Katara explained. "And now it appears that there is another ship approaching us."

"I'll kill those traitors!" Azula exclaimed, jumping up from her cot.

"Settle down!" Katara snapped, immediately moving to block her path. "We need the crew, neither of us are sailors! Perhaps there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for it."

"Then let's go and ask them," Azula insisted.

"Fine," Katara finally admitted. She led the way outside their cabin, deep in the hold of the ship. By the time they climbed onto the deck, the other ship had already come alongside their little boat, dwarfing it with its size. Several grim looking men were in the process of boarding the ship, all of them dressed alike, in the dark robes of the Dai Li.

"Princess Azula, so good to see you again," one of the Dai Li agents bowed to her mockingly. "We'll be happy to have you with us in the Earth Kingdom so very soon. I trust you will not stand in the way of the lawful arrest of this criminal, Master Katara?" he looked at the waterbender.

Azula was not interested in waiting for Katara's answer. She just wanted to melt that infuriating smirk off from the Dai Li agent's face. She wanted to burn them all in an inferno of cleansing fire. She raised her arms, ready to incinerate the Dai Li, but suddenly found her hands encased in a block of ice. "You bitch!" she shouted at Katara, quickly calling on her firebending to melt the ice, but it all cost her precious time.

The Dai Li jumped into action now, and the ice that had been encasing her hands was instantly replaced by the rock gloves of the skilled earthbenders, preventing her from bending. Azula cursed at how sluggish and rusty she felt after the many years in captivity, denied any opportunities to practice. Just because she was a firebending prodigy, it didn't mean that she hadn't worked tremendous amount of hours to perfect her craft. But now, when faced with opponents that at her best she would wipe the floor with, Azula could only seethe in helpless rage as they overpowered her in short order. Caught glaring angrily at the traitorous waterbender, she didn't even notice something colliding with her temples and forcing her to black out.

Azula awoke from a sharp tremor running through the entirety of the Dai Li ship, carrying her back to the Earth Kingdom and whatever tortures the robed freaks undoubtedly had in store for her. She found her arms and legs tightly clasped in manacles, and on top of that, she had been tied up so firmly with a rope that she couldn't move a muscle. Azula could only lay on the cold floor of the brig, cursing this stupid plan Zuko had approved of, and most of all, cursing that traitorous waterbender bitch who had helped the Dai Li.

She could not understand Katara's motivations at all. Of course, it made sense that the waterbender would want her to suffer, Azula had caused her plenty of grief over the years. But why would Katara then propose this complicated plan just to hand her over to the Dai Li? Why not just enjoy watching the Avatar remove her bending and destroy everything that she was? None of this made any sense.

Azula's musings were cut short as another tremor rocked the Dai Li ship. The whole vessel appeared to come to a halt for some reason. No, it was even worse. The ship was starting to tilt over to one side, and Azula found herself rolling along the cold floor of the brig, crashing heavily into the wall. What the fuck is going on? Don't these Dai Li idiots know how to steer a ship? Oh... oh no, Azula suddenly realized with growing horror that the ship was starting to take on water. She was slowly becoming submerged in the cold water, while remaining immobile and incapable of saving herself. Pride or not, she began to shout for help, but it did not appear as if anyone would be coming for her.

The water level continued to rise inescapably, and as much as she tried to rear her head, it was slowly starting to submerge her entirely. As Azula struggled to keep herself afloat, she became aware of something tearing at the ship's hull, but she could not afford to pay much attention to it, she was in a fight for her life. I can't believe it will end like this! Tied up and helpless in the brig of a Dai Li ship! This is too humiliating! Azula raged helplessly, to no avail. Massive tears appeared in the hull and water started to pour in rapidly, quickly swallowing Azula.

As water slowly filled her lungs, Azula began to black out. She retained just enough consciousness to feel something powerful snatching her up and dragging her away from the broken hull of the ship, through the water, finally lifting her up and above the waves, a massive tentacle made out of pure water gently lowering her onto a large sheet of ice. Coughing and struggling to breathe, Azula fought against her restraints, but then she felt all the water in her lungs suddenly being dragged out, swiftly removed by waterbending, making it possible for her to breathe normally again.

"I'm sorry, I know that was really unpleasant," she recognized Katara's voice, the waterbender sounding apologetic. "Still, this was the best plan I could come up with on a short notice."

"You..." Azula began, still feeling very weak. She didn't even know what to say. Katara had betrayed her only to rescue her later? That made no sense. In any case, the waterbender had just saved her from an especially unpleasant death by drowning. All things considered, Azula most certainly did not hate Katara at this particular moment.

"Yes, me," Katara looked down into her face, smiling. "You're not getting rid of me that easily, Princess. Better get used to that thought."