Chapter Twenty-one: The Final Coup
Azula wasn't feeling up to this at all.
She spent the day wandering, walking from one place to another. She did a bit of window shopping, feeling emotionally dead. Not to mention out of ideas. Several times she would begin a plan, only to abandon it. Mai and Ty Lee walked behind her, shifting uncomfortably.
"So weren't we going to do some planning?" asked Mai.
"We were," said Azula.
"Are we?" asked Ty Lee.
"I might," said Azula, feeling defensive.
"Is something wrong?" asked Ty Lee.
"There isn't any point, is there?" asked Azula. "I mean I go through all this learning and it's all just the same in the end.
"I need to talk to Uncle.
"No, that won't do any good.
"Let's get some tea. Not the Jasmine Dragon."
"The what?" asked Mai.
"Nothing," said Azula.
One explanation later, Mai and Ty Lee looked at her. They were much less incredulous than they had been before. "So you've found a way out of this eternal loop you think you're in."
"No, I don't think I'm in one," said Azula. "I know I'm in one."
"Okay," said Mai. "So what's the problem? Why don't you just leave?"
Azula sighed. "It turns out that all I had to do was exactly the same thing I was going to do before. Conquer Ba Sing Se.
"I could do it in my sleep."
"So what's the problem?" asked Mai.
It had been so long. But the obvious came to Azula at last. "I don't want to conquer Ba Sing Se anymore. I mean, I might, but it would just be a means to an end. And what kind of sense does that make? I'm a horrible person, so I get trapped in an eternal loop. I become a better person because of it. And then I get out by doing everything I did before.
"I'm not that person anymore." She sighed.
"Well, in that case, why don't you just talk with the Avatar and ask him for his infinite wisdom?" asked Mai sarcastically.
Azula crossed her arms. "Fine. Maybe I will."
Azula probably could have just waited until the Avatar appeared and just talked to him. He would have been open to it. But Azula didn't like the Avatar and had no intention of playing the game the spirit's way.
So she passed the rest of the loop at the local Zoo. The animals were actually quite interesting. Even if they weren't on fire.
The next loop she went with Mai and Ty Lee to find Katara. She didn't bother waiting for her to come out of the room. Instead, she blasted the door off its hinges and walked in to find Katara in her underwear. It was a nice view.
"Katara, how have you been?" asked Azula. "I haven't spent any quality time with you in hours."
Katara ran for her waterskin, and then Ty Lee leaped over her and knocked her limp with one hand. Katara stared up as Azula kneeled down by her. "Azula-"
Azula fit a gag into her mouth and tied it. Reaching under Katara, Azula pulled her up in a bridal hold, enjoying her warmth. She enjoyed her tiny struggles just as much. Even so, now was not the time. "That never gets old. Mai, Ty Lee, I have a job for you."
They gave Katara to the Dai Li, who put her away in the usual place. From there, Azula sent the usual messages. She arranged for the General's meeting to be raided just after they finished the message. From there, she was right on time for her meeting with Zuko and Uncle. She didn't insist on Jin this time, no sense in breaking things to them too suddenly. Azula watched the two of them enter from hiding.
"We have come to serve tea to the Earth King himself Zuko," said Iroh. "This is a profound honor for the both of us."
"I know. I'm happy for you, Uncle," said Zuko.
Azula walked forward, not flanked by the Dai Li. They were off performing their duties. She raised a hand in greeting. "Hello, Zuzu, nice to see you as well, Uncle."
Both took stances. "Azula?" said Zuko. "What are you doing here?" His confusion was so cute.
"Oh let me see…" said Azula, "taking over Ba Sing Se." She raised a finger. "Imprisoning the Earth King." She raised another. "Neutralizing the Avatar's friends." She raised a third. "And corrupting you."
"What do you want?" asked Zuko.
Azula sighed. "In all seriousness, we have a crisis on our hands. And you have a chance to regain your honor."
"The kind of honor you provide is not for him," said Iroh.
"Maybe you should let Zuko make his own decisions, Uncle," said Azula. "Sit down, please."
Neither one move.
"Sit," said Azula.
They obeyed, and she sat down. She poured herself a cup of tea, then both of them. Finally, she sighed. "Zuko, the Avatar and his friends have a plan. A solar eclipse is coming that will wipe out all firebending for a limited period. In that time the Earth Kingdom will launch an all-out assault on our homeland, with the Avatar at the head.
"They'll strike directly at father."
Iroh eyed her in surprise. "How do you know this?"
"I have the order right here," said Azula, raising what she had stolen from the General's messenger. "You know what will happen if the Earth Kingdom takes control of the Fire Nation. You've seen what they do. Didn't they try to break Uncle's arms and legs?"
Zuko had never told her about that before today, and he looked to Iroh in shock. Then back to Azula. "What do you want?"
"My takeover of the city is almost complete," said Azula. "But it stands on a hair's breadth. One wrong move and we lose. And the Avatar and his friends are coming back.
"I need your help to stop him.
"Zuko, I know this is a lot, but can you trust me not to betray our nation, at least?"
There was a long silence. Iroh sipped his tea. "Tell me, did I ever tell you how I got the name, 'Dragon of the West?'"
And then he started breathing fire, and both made a run for it. Azula sighed and walked after him. "There, he goes again."
Iroh broke through the wall and leaped out. Zuko looked down.
"Come on!" Azula heard Iroh say.
"No, I'm done running," said Zuko. He turned to her. Azula eyed him. She realized she'd never been in this position before. "So Zuko, what is it going to be?"
Zuko pointed at her. "When this is over, you and I will fight an Agni Kai."
Azula shrugged. "Fair enough."
The Earth King was in danger. A coup was happening as they spoke. Sokka and Toph rushed through the halls, looking for the Earth King.
But they saw nothing and no one.
"The palace is so empty," said Sokka. "What happened here?"
"I don't know," said Toph.
Then they opened a door and walked into a room whose floor was covered in mud. Toph stepped into it. "Sokka, give me your hand."
"Why?" asked Sokka.
"I can't sense as well here," said Toph. "The ground is so muddy I can't really-"
And then Ty Lee dropped down from above and hit them both on the shoulder. They fell to the ground. Sokka looked up as the perky girl waved. "Hi.
"We happened. Hey Mai, how do you think Azula knew they'd be coming in here?"
"Shut up and help me tie them up," said Mai, drawing out a rope. "This mud is ruining my robes."
Azula made her way through the underground city and found Katara being dragged toward her. Her hands were chained to the wall. She was also only half dressed, so that was a bonus. Azula remembered the fun they'd had in some of the earlier loops.
A pity good people couldn't do that sort of thing although there might be a way to make Katara beg for it. Azula decided she'd make that her goal once this was over.
"You!" said Katara.
"Yes, me," said Azula, striding forward.
"So, I'll bet this is some kind of trap for Aang," said Katara.
"Quite the opposite," said Azula. "You're more bargaining chip than bait. Though you are quite a chip." She licked her lips and set a hand to Katara's cheek.
Katara looked away. "How did you get here?"
"Well first I beat up the Kyoshi Warriors and took their clothes," said Azula.
Her eyes widened. "You… you monster?"
"I'm a monster because I won a fight against someone you like?" asked Azula. "You are a self-centered person, aren't you?"
"Shut up!" snarled Katara. "You don't know anything about me! Do you have any idea what the Fire Nation has done to me!"
"Yes," said Azula, "but I'm sure you're going to tell me again."
"You killed my mother!" snarled Katara.
Azula waited patiently, more for effect than an actual plan. She was enjoying their positions here. Part of her wanted to go further, have some fun with the girl. But Azula pushed that part down. She was trying to be something resembling a decent human being now.
So she'd merely chain Katara up in her underwear instead.
Azula supposed this was only a small amount of progress. "…And?"
Katara stared at her. "What?"
"There must be something more to it than that," said Azula, leaning in close. "Go on, give me the other details of your tragic backstory? I enjoy your voice when you're angry."
Katara blushed and pulled away. She averted her gaze. "I'm wasting my breathe on you. You're just a horrible princess who thinks the entire world is owed to her because of her blood! You've never had to deal with anything like I have."
"My mother abandoned me when I was younger than that blind girl you walk around with," said Azula flatly.
Katara halted. She looked at her. "She… abandoned you?"
"Yes," said Azula. "I never even found out why. She always viewed me as a monster. She was right, of course, but it still hurt." She paused. "Speaking of which, do you want to know how Zuko got his scar?"
"What?" said Katara. "I thought it was in battle."
"It could hardly be called that," said Azula, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing. "You see, my father never really liked Zuko once. One day, Zuko asked my uncle to let him sit in on a war meeting. One of the generals started making plans to send an entire army of inexperienced recruits to die. Zuko spoke up and accused him of wasting the lives of our loyal subjects.
"Father was very displeased about the outburst. He challenged Zuko to an Agni Kai. Zuko begged for forgiveness, and Father gets angry." She brought up a hand and put it over Katara's eye. "He put his hand, just here, and he burned half of Zuko's face off." She focused just a tiny bit of heat through it, and Katara flinched. "Just kidding.
"Anyway, then he sent Zuzu into permanent exile until he can find the Avatar.
"Zuko doesn't hold a grudge against Father for it."
Katara stared as Azula drew back her hand. "He did that to his own son?"
"Well, I was always his favorite, so yes," said Azula. "You'll forgive me if I find your little excuse for hating the Fire Nation just slightly pitiful."
Katara remained silent. "You people are horrible. How… how do you live with yourselves?"
"We win," said Azula. "Success breeds success. Those who succeed do so because Agni wills it. "Anyway, I've got business elsewhere. We'll have time to develop this relationship tomorrow." She glanced back to the Dai Li. "Keep her here. I've got someone to meet."
Azula strode off to meet the Avatar. As she left Katara behind, she thought about all the different things she would do, once she got out of today. She'd definitely be keeping both Katara and Jin. Jin was just nice company, and Katara would be fun to break. As nicely as possible, of course.
Azula wondered if you could brainwash someone while still being a good person? It seemed self-contradictory, but she was sure she could find a way.
For now, she had a negotiation to get to.
Author's Note:
I sincerely apologize for how long it took to update this.
I got completely burned out after chapter twenty. In the end, I managed to overcome writer's block by channeling that feeling of exhaustion into Azula. I had her feel very burned out, and that led to her next actions.
The good news is that the next chapter is at least partially written. So it might not take three millenia to come out.