Chapter 28
4 Years after the Hundred Year War
Ba Sing Se University Hospital
A couple of days following the utter insanity that had unfolded in Azula's quarters at the Royal Palace, the two girls were still at the university hospital, but fortunately they were both well on their way to recovery. The first day after the incident they both had been so weakened that they had to rely on the hospital nurses to make it all the way to the nearby bathroom. On the second day they both had felt much better, well enough to exert themselves physically by pushing their hospital beds closer to each other, earning themselves an earful from the concerned healers and nurses. The pair didn't care too much, for now they were able to comfortably hold hands while resting in their respective beds.
Much to her own surprise, Azula didn't even get bored lying about in her hospital bed. For one thing, Katara was there with her, and time passed quickly in conversations, the waterbender telling her excitedly about Agna Qel'a, the capital of the North, and how impressive it was. Azula doubted that she would be hugely impressed by anything she saw in the North, but even so, Katara's infectious excitement got to the princess, and despite everything she began looking forward to the trip.
Visitors had come and gone on both days, and Azula had enjoyed seeing some of them, others less so. Zuko made sure to spend a lot of time in their company, accompanied by his two Kyoshi keepers. Suki usually did not remain very long, spending some time to speak with Katara and ignoring the princess, something that suited Azula just fine. Suki would then retreat with Zuko's permission, probably to spend more time with Katara's daft brother.
It was probably at Suki's insistence that Avatar Aang slunk by the previous day to utter an apology for his rashness and lamentable behavior. Azula guessed that Katara would not have appreciated if she had verbally torn into the Avatar like she wanted, so instead Azula had kept quiet, nodding and shrugging where appropriate. Katara had accepted Aang's apology, but she had been rather brusque with the Avatar, and he had left soon after, scheduled for more healing. His burns seemed to be healing well, although he still appeared a slightly unnatural shade of red all over.
Katara clearly had not wanted to tell Aang about her decision to spend time with Azula at the North Pole, worried about his reaction, but she had told her brother when the lumbering oaf had wandered in to once again try and talk her out of pursuing a relationship with Azula, sometimes speaking as if he did not care that the princess was resting only a few yards away, able to hear everything. After Sokka had learned about their plans for the North Pole, he had made comments about Katara's father and grandmother disapproving of what she had planned, and Azula could plainly see that the other girl was becoming very upset by what she was hearing. It had taken all of Azula's willpower not to set Sokka on fire, and when he had finally left, having succeeded only in making Katara angry at him, Azula was glad that her patience had prevailed against all odds.
On the morning of their third day at the hospital, they were surprised by a palace servant delivering a heavy gift basket with kind regards from King Kuei himself. Contained within were some of the most exquisite Earth Kingdom delicacies, and the two girls were in the process of making short work of the tasty treats, when the next group of visitors arrived, Azula frowning a little when she noticed that on this occasion Zuko was accompanied by Uncle Iroh, as well as Avatar Aang.
While Azula was aware that both Zuko and Katara loved to sing Iroh's praises, the princess did not think much of her uncle. Perhaps it was that old indoctrination of hers which still persisted to some extent, but Azula felt it was more than that. She did not like Iroh's methods of surviving the cutthroat intrigues of the royal courtiers. For years, her uncle had successfully appeared a bumbling and harmless incompetent, fooling even her. And then there was all the care and affection that Iroh was showering Zuko with, his favorite nephew. It filled Azula with so much bitterness. It felt like being rejected by her own mother all over again.
"I figured it was only a matter of time before you started to poke your nose around other people's business, uncle," Azula commented acidly, having returned Iroh's greeting with a curt nod. Zuko and Katara both gave her disappointed stares following her words.
"Ah, I see what you meant about how your sister has truly softened, Zuko," Iroh joked instead, angering Azula further. Still, it seemed that she should try and get along... at least out in the open. For Katara's sake, she would.
"Fine, fine... I'll try to play nice," Azula grumbled. "Would you like me to answer some of your burgeoning questions, uncle? I'm sure you have plenty of those."
"Well, I was concerned for the health of my niece and decided to stop by to wish you and Katara a speedy recovery," Iroh bowed slightly to them both. "And since Zuko was telling me so much about your remarkable transformation, I was curious to see it for myself."
"Ah, of course," Azula shrugged. "So, what's the verdict of wise Uncle Iroh?"
"Well, you are surrounded by people you used to consider your enemies, yet you are not attacking them, so I suppose that has to count for something," Iroh smiled thinly. "But I can sense that you still hold a personal grudge against me, which saddens me deeply. I wish there was a way for me to rectify that."
"Are you really surprised that I would want nothing to do with you?" Azula frowned. "You wrote me off as a lost cause!"
"I don't think I ever did that, Azula," Iroh objected.
"Hmm... I hate to correct you, uncle," Zuko cut in, looking conflicted as he spoke. "But when Azula was chasing us, you did say that she was crazy and that we needed to take her down. Those were your exact words."
"Uncle Iroh, please tell me you did not say that about your own fourteen-year-old niece," Katara gave the older man a disbelieving stare.
Iroh winced, lowering his gaze. "Zuko is right... to my great shame, I did say those words," he sighed. "I know that your childhood was difficult, Azula, for other reasons than Zuko's, but still. It shaped you into what you became, and I trivialized it by dismissing you as crazy. For that I apologize."
Azula didn't quite know how to feel or respond to that, so she was grateful when Katara spoke up for her. "I think that what Azula really wants right now is to be treated fairly and without prejudice, Iroh," she said.
"And I promise to do my best to treat my niece without prejudice," Iroh promised. "But you must understand and accept the reasons for this prejudice."
"Like ignoring it was a possibility," Azula scoffed.
"I think that Azula understands and accepts the things she has done. But we can't continuously keep dragging her back to the past, or we'll never make any progress moving forward," Katara added, a defensive note in her voice that made Azula feel warm and safeguarded.
"A wise approach," Iroh smiled, bowing towards Katara, then producing a large wicker basket and placing it at the feet of Katara's bed. "And since I understand that you are about to undertake a lengthy voyage to the North Pole, I have prepared a gift for you both." Azula caught the look in Aang's pale grey eyes at the mention of the North Pole, noticing a brief flash of annoyance. It made the princess delighted with petty satisfaction.
"I don't even have to guess what it is," Katara laughed. "Lots and lots of tea."
"You know me only too well," Iroh smiled at them both. "Well, I'm not going to overstay my welcome. This should do for a start, wouldn't you say so?" he asked, looking at Azula.
"Indeed, Uncle. And thank you for your gift," Azula managed to summon some pretense of politeness which seemed to pleasantly surprise Iroh. It wasn't that she wanted to dislike her uncle. It was just... hard to push aside the knowledge that he had dismissed her as a crazy person, with taking her out being the only option available.
"I'm not going to stay long either," Aang spoke up after Iroh had left them. "I just wanted to stop by and ask you if you hadn't reconsidered about traveling with me and Sokka," he said, staring at Katara, pointedly ignoring Azula.
"Please, don't insult me, Aang," Katara replied icily, much to Azula's delight. "You know my answer already."
Aang let out a deep sigh. "I didn't mean to insult you, Katara, I just hoped that... never mind what I hoped. I shouldn't have questioned your resolve. Please, accept my apology."
"I think Azula deserves an apology as well," Katara frowned. "You just ignored her and tried to get me to break my promise to her, right in front of Azula. That's very rude, Aang."
Aang looked properly chastised as he turned towards Azula. "Sorry," he ground out a reluctant apology.
Katara let out a deep sigh. "I wish I could just force you two to somehow get along," she lamented. "Can't you just hug and make up or something?"
Aang looked positively terrified at the prospect of hugging Azula, which instantly gave the princess an idea. "I think that is a wonderful idea, Katara," she said, slowly getting out of the bed and approaching Aang, the Avatar standing there as if mortified. She wasn't going to hug Aang, of course, she would rather spend a day in a barrel of rotten fish. Instead, Azula simply leaned close enough to whisper into Aang's ear without the others being able to overhear.
"Listen up, you flatulent little shit stain," Azula whispered sweetly. "Your ex and I are going to make out like crazy up in the North, and there's nothing you can do to stop us. If you were to do something to me, Katara will hate you until the end of your days, you get that?"
As she pulled away from Aang, Azula noticed with satisfaction that the Avatar's face had turned an interesting shade of red, and his left eye was twitching so rapidly that it seemed to be in danger of popping out of its socket. Mission accomplished, Azula grinned inwardly as she returned to her bed, fully satisfied with herself.
"Aang?" Katara asked worriedly when the Avatar hadn't said anything for a good while. "Aang, when are you and Sokka leaving? And where are you heading to?"
"Ah..." Aang finally seemed to have recovered. "We're getting ready to leave shortly. It's been a while since we last visited the South Pole, so... that's why we hoped that you would like to come along. Anyway," he added hastily before Katara could reprimand him again for trying to talk her into abandoning Azula. "This is me saying farewells. Please, take care of yourself, Katara."
"Keep safe, Aang," Katara replied. "Is Sokka coming to say his goodbyes?"
"I... don't think so," Aang replied uncomfortably. "He said it would just turn into another shouting match, so..."
"Alright, Aang," Katara said, looking rather hurt by those words. "Well, for what it's worth, please tell Sokka that I wish him the best, and I hope that he wishes the same for me."
"Never doubt that he does want only the best for you, Katara," Aang said, then turning around to leave. "I'll see you later," and with that he was gone.
"So, they're heading South," Zuko remarked thoughtfully.
"I'm not surprised," Katara sighed. "They failed to talk me into abandoning Azula, so now Sokka is rushing back to the South Pole to tell Gran Gran and my father about my transgressions."
"Sorry..." Azula blurted out without thinking. She felt awful at the thought of Katara's entire family turning on her. If that was the price for them being together, what right did she have to demand it? Her family was fucked up, with only Zuko she could rely on now, and she definitely did not want Katara to deal with the same shit.
"Don't even start feeling like you're to blame, Azula," Katara spoke sternly. "I knew what I was getting into when I said that I wanted to make us work, alright?"
"Alright," Azula nodded at her, feeling much relieved.
"And of course, Aang is only too happy to help and take Sokka to the South Pole," Katara shook her head, appearing angry. "He probably reckons that by getting my family involved, it will break us up. Well, it's not going to happen. I'm not going to stand for that."
"It seems that someone else is unimpressed with those two," Zuko remarked as he stood by the window of their room, looking outside. Both girls turned their heads to give him inquiring stares. "I'm just watching Sokka and Aang load supplies onto Appa's back, and Suki's also there, arguing with them both."
"Hmm, maybe that girl isn't so bad after all," Azula conceded. "And maybe one day she'll stop hating me for what I did to her and the other Kyoshi girls."
"I think she'll come around eventually, Azula," Katara smiled at her.
"Yes, I'm sure she will," Zuko nodded, then wincing as he continued staring outside. "Ouch... that must have hurt."
"What happened?" Katara asked.
"I guess Sokka must have said something particularly stupid, because Suki cuffed him right over the head," Zuko chuckled.
"Good!" Katara stated sternly.
"Yes, I definitely like her much more now," Azula agreed, grinning.
"Anyway, they're off," Zuko remarked, watching the sky bison lift off from the ground and depart, maintaining a steady course southward from Ba Sing Se. "And that reminds me that we should start our own preparations for departure. The healers think that you should be able to travel tomorrow."
"I think so, too," Katara nodded. "I should be able to use my waterbending to finish our healing while we're traveling North. And I'll be glad to leave Ba Sing Se behind us... although, something good did come out of it all, didn't it?" she winked at the princess.
"I'll say," Azula nodded in agreement, her cheeks darkening slightly from Katara's appreciative stare.
"Maybe I should leave you two alone," Zuko chuckled. "Just... don't do anything that might make the healers mad, alright?"
"Of course, Zuko," Katara smiled at him, while Azula merely rolled her eyes as her brother left the room.
"Was he implying that we're some kind of horny teenagers who will jump at the first opportunity to make out?" Azula sighed.
"But we are," Katara pointed out.
"Well, sure, but he doesn't have to know or think that!" Azula complained.
"So, you're saying that we shouldn't push our beds together all the way and then have a lengthy cuddling session?" Katara asked innocently.
"Alright, we are definitely doing that," Azula quickly jumped out of her bed, faster than she ought to have as a stab of pain in her left thigh reminded her, but she ignored it, quickly pushing her bed right up against Katara's, then slipping back inside and in a matter of moments, finding herself in the embrace of her girlfriend.
Later, following an extensive making out session, they rested side by side in the pillows, happy to exchange small talk. "I can't believe I don't feel bothered about not having my makeup on or not having my hair done perfectly," Azula remarked idly. "Still... I should make myself presentable for tomorrow."
"Same here," Katara replied. She seemed to be thinking of something, remaining silent for a while. "Azula?" she eventually asked.
"Katara?" the princess smiled at her.
"I was just thinking... have you considered wearing your hair differently?" she asked.
"What, you don't like the way I wear my hair?" Azula frowned.
"You will always be gorgeous regardless of how you wear your hair, Zula," Katara smiled. Azula felt a tug at her heartstrings from the use of her shortened name. "But your tightly-pulled top knot just reminds me so much of your old self. Perfectionist and a control freak. I want you to feel that I don't need you to be perfect the whole time, and... maybe you'd consider wearing your hair in a way that reflects it."
"Hmm, I hadn't thought about it that way," Azula admitted. "But you're... actually not wrong. I guess the top knot had become such a habit that I always reverted back to it." She gave the waterbender a searching, fond stare. "Suggestions?"
"Like I said, you'll look gorgeous regardless, but..." Katara said, a dreamy smile on her lips. "You really take my breath away when you let your hair all the way down, Zula. Spirits, you look so hot."
"I..." Azula blushed from Katara's fervent declaration, heat spiking dangerously in her core. "I, ah... I believe I will take your suggestion to heart, Katara..."