Zuko watched as Azula boarded his ship.
Appa, Aang, Sokka and Katara were hiding under a tarp. It was a really stupid hiding spot. It might be worse than nothing. But it'd made them feel better.
They'd refused to fly away- fools that they were. Insisted on staying in case they needed to help fight.
No amount of yelling would convince them otherwise.
Which was annoying. And terrifying. Zuko really didn't want to have to raise a Water Tribe baby.
"I am Azula," Azula announced, and Zuko blinked. What was she doing? "Princess of the Fire Nation. Who is the Captain here?"
Zuko watched her for a long moment. "That would be me." He said slowly.
"And what would your name be?" Azula asked.
Zuko felt like he was missing something. He glanced at Uncle, but Uncle wasn't looking at him. Zuko turned back to Azula. "Don't you know my name?" he asked.
Azula glared at him. "I was asking if you had an alias Dum-dum."
Ah. That actually made sense. "Li." Zuko said.
Azula rolled her eyes. "A bit late for that don't you think?"
Zuko felt his eyes widen as he glanced towards the tarp-covered-rebellion he was hosting on his ship. She thought- she thought he was tricking them into coming to the Fire Nation. That'd be pretty ingenious actually…
"Why are you here Azula?" His voice came out louder than he intended it to. He wasn't shouting yet though. That was an improvement.
Azula sighed. She played with a strand of her hair, idly twirling it around one finger. "Father… regrets." She said, voice softer than he'd heard it since before Mother had died. "There are traitors in the Fire Nation. He wants his family with him now. All his family."
Zuko felt as though the breath had been sucked out of his body. Father regrets? He wants me back?
And then- Uncle's voice. Have you ever seen anything that would lead you to believe that he might consider making peace?
Zuko glanced over at Uncle- and Uncle just looked so sad. Zuko knew what that meant- even if Father wanted him back- he couldn't go.
This war needed to end. No matter how much it hurt.
Zuko needed to pretend that he didn't believe her. Convince her he wasn't going back because his feelings were hurt or for some stupid reason. He'd never been a good liar- but this was important. Father couldn't figure out that they were starting a rebellion- not this soon.
He needed to protect them.
"No." Zuko said.
Azula blinked at him, looking genuinely surprised. "No?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.
Stupid reason. My feelings are hurt. I don't believe you. I can lie. It'll be fine. "Father almost threw me off the palace walls when I was born." Zuko said. "He said it looked like I didn't have a spark- like I wouldn't be a Fire Bender. Mother convinced him to spare me. Father almost killed me again when I was ten. When Lu Ten died and Father asked Azulon if he could be the heir instead of Uncle. The next day Azulon and Mother were gone and Father was Fire Lord."
Zuko felt like his tongue had been disconnected from his brain. This argument- it was supposed to be an excuse. It wasn't supposed to make so much sense. Why was it making so much sense?
He couldn't stop talking- couldn't stop the words that kept tumbling out of his mouth. "Then- I was thirteen. I spoke up in a war meeting. And Father challenged me to an Agni Kai- but he didn't tell me that I'd be fighting him. I was completely unprepared."
He could remember that moment, the moment when his confidence shattered- disintegrated like dew before the sun. When his father stood across from him. When his father kept moving forwards and Zuko was kneeling and begging but Ozai wasn't stopping. "I surrendered of course- a thirteen-year-old against the Fire Lord? But he didn't stop. He just kept walking forward."
Azula looked bored. It made sense- she'd been there after all. "Mother wasn't there." Zuko said. "Mother is gone. Mother convinced him to stop- to spare me. Father never did that on his own."
It wasn't true- it couldn't be true. Ozai loved him. His father loved him. He'd had to burn Zuko- Zuko'd been a coward.
He'd needed to be taught a lesson. But the words kept coming out even as something inside of him screamed. "Father doesn't regret. He would never regret. So why are you really here?"
Azula almost looked impressed. She sighed. "It would've been so much easier if you just believed me," she said, "But I suppose even I can't be that lucky."
Zuko barely kept himself from flinching at that word. Lucky to be born…
"Father has declared you and Uncle traitors to the Fire Nation for abandoning your mission and ship. I was sent to bring you home."
Zuko felt like throwing up. Or curling up on his bed and never coming out of his room ever again.
She'd been lying. Father didn't really want him back. It made sense- Azula always lied. Unless the truth hurt more.
"We aren't coming with you." Zuko said. He felt exhausted. "We won't."
Azula smirked at him. "You think you have a chance of surviving with the Water Tribe ships?" she asked. "Come with me and you'll live. I can promise you that."
Zuko glared at her. "They owe us a debt." Or we have their leaders children with us for convenient ransom. "They'll let us go. With our ship. You won't. So- this is how it's going to happen. You can try to fight us- but by the time you win- if you win- they'll be here. And there are enough of them to overpower even you."
Deep breath in. "Or, you can leave. You can still get away. Live to fight another day."
Azula's smirk had fallen from her lips. She looked murderous.
Her gaze flicked to Uncle for a moment and she smirked once more. "You sure your men won't give you up?" she asked, "Trade their lives for yours?"
Jee stepped forward. "We stand with the prince." He said, stiffly.
Zuko felt like he could cry as the rest of the crew stepped forward, confirming their loyalty to him. To Zuko.
Azula sighed again. "Your choice."
Then she turned, and was gone.
…-…
Sokka listened to the conversation- growing somehow angry and numb at the same time. Li was not actually Li.
He was a Prince. Who'd named his ship Prince.
Whose father had burned him.
Who had also apparently joined the Avatar.
Sokka felt like jumping out of his hiding place and confronting Li right now, but that probably wasn't the best idea.
He waited till the princess was for sure gone before jumping out.
And then he didn't know what to say. Because he was angry- sure. But the guy was still on their side. And- the scar he had- that he'd have for the rest of his life- was inflicted by his father.
Katara had no such compunctions. "You- You! You absolute- traitor!"
Sokka found himself wincing with Li at that.
…-…
Azula didn't wait long. The ships separated, the Fire Nation vessel pulling away from the Water Tribe ships.
Azula went through the familiar circular motions, and lightning cracked- striking Iroh. She smirked as he fell.