The chains weren't tight enough.
That was Azula's only thought as she languished in her dingy cell. Rain slammed against the aging stone at her back from the storm outside. It had been raining for what felt like weeks, or it could have been days. Azula had no way to tell the time anymore since they removed the window from her cell. It had been the suggestion of one of those Kyoshi warriors, meant to keep Azula away from sunlight. She eagerly awaited the opportunity to repay that particular favour. It had been far too long since she felt sunlight on her skin. Firebenders rose with the sun, but they had taken that from her too.
Her thoughts were interrupted by mumbling coming from outside her cell door. She couldn't make out what they were saying but she already knew who would be outside.
Sure enough, the Fire Lord appeared at her door looking pensive.
'Leave us' Zuko said to the Kyoshi warrior standing with him.
'Are you sure-'
'I wish to speak to my sister alone Suki' Zuko held a commanding posture despite his young age, Azula thought the crown would only bring out his insecurities.
It will, soon enough.
Suki left the room reluctantly, giving Azula a hard glare before leaving. Azula grinned back at her.
'I am honoured to be visited by Fire Lord Zuzu himself' Azula spat out vindictively. 'I am sorry I couldn't clean up more before you came but then again…' She held up her chained arms and gave Zuko a sly grin.
'Are they treating you well?' Zuko asked meekly, looking at the floor.
'I'm in prison dum-dum, what do you think?'
Zuko nodded absently as he shuffled in the doorway. Azula was growing tired of this act. The mournful brother, so pained by his poor sister's imprisonment. Not like he wasn't the person who stuck her here to begin with.
'Have you been feeling better? Have the- 'He finally looked her in the eyes before speaking again. 'Have the visions stopped?'
It was there that Azula broke eye contact. He had managed to determine the cause of her… defeat. She had apparently let a lot slip following her lost Agni Kai once they had forced her into a strait jacket. It was all nonsense, she knew, they had simply caught her off guard. She was completely sane. She knew that.
She had to know that.
'Is it getting worse?' Zuko pried for more information. He was bad at this, she thought. Manipulation required significantly more finesse than little Zuzu was capable of. He should have tried to build a better rapport with her initially. Then, he could subtly lead her to opening up on her own. The key was making them think the idea you planted was theirs all along.
'I'm worried about you Azula' He was trying to establish a connection to her. A rookie move. A better approach would have been slower paced. He was going too quick, skipping all the important parts of a successful manipulation. It was starting to frustrate her, watching someone so inept try to do something she had a mastery over. It was the same feeling she had watching Zuko firebend.
'I don't want you to have to spend the rest of your life in a cell, Azula.'
'Then let me out' It came out as a quiet growl, full of anger.
There it was, how he really saw her. That look of fear and disgust flashed briefly on Zuko's face before he adopted his regal expression. She was still the monster. No matter how hard he tried to forget that.
'You're too dangerous to be out in public right now, you're a threat to the nation and to yourself' Zuko kept firm eye contact this time.
That's it, no more pretending. This is who we are.
'I just want you to be happy' Zuko sighed.
'No. Stop lying!' She screamed at the top of her lungs; the echo reverberated in the tiny cell. 'You want to get rid of me, throw me away and rule your kingdom while I rot in this dungeon! You never loved me! You were just using me for power, everyone is just using me!' Her throat ached from the screams; it was the most she had said in weeks.
Zuko looked at her sadly and shook his head. 'That wasn't for me was it?'
Azula looked away.
'We hate each other Zuko, stop pretending there was ever a relationship to save' She said bluntly, eager to have her cell back to herself.
Zuko seemed to consider her words for a moment. He gazed at the chains binding her arms and legs to the wall. She wondered if he was daydreaming of tightening those restraints.
'Aang and I were discussing how to deal with you.'
Aang, it would disgust Father to hear Zuko talk about the Avatar like a cherished friend. Though after everything that happened, Azula no longer cared what disgusted Father.
'And what did your new best buddy have to say?' Azula could imagine how that meeting would have went. The pacifist Avatar probably begging Zuko to forgive Azula and move on. Zuko would have none of that. He had been waiting for this moment for years, she could tell. He would make sure she suffered down here while he stole her crown.
'He wants to take your bending away'
Azula felt like someone had ripped the air from her lungs. The Avatar, that peace-loving coward, would condemn her to a life as a non-bender. He would have her become a worthless peasant. No, she wouldn't allow it. She would find a way to stop him. She had lost enough; she wouldn't lose this too.
'I told him I don't want that for you' Zuko knelt down so he was face to face with Azula. 'Your bending is a part of you, I don't think it should be ripped away like that.'
'Should I tell Father that? Or is it already too late for him.'
'Ozai made his choice, it's time you made yours.'
'Okay then,' Azula looked up from the ground and directly into Zuko's eyes. She grinned sadistically and gathered fire in her belly. Uncle had at least thought her one lesson.
She opened her mouth and released a torrent of flame straight at Zuko. He darted to his feet and rapidly redirected the flames towards the adjacent wall, where they quickly died out.
'That's my choice Zuzu' She gave him a dark grin hoping to finally see a crack in his 'Fire Lord' persona. Instead, he shook his head solemnly and turned to face the door.
'I don't hate you Azula,' He grabbed the door handle and looked back towards her. She was shocked to see small tears forming in his eyes. 'I just don't know how to love you yet.'
The door closed and Azula was enveloped in darkness, again.