He's Ozai.
The once grand Firelord.
The aspired Phoenix King.
Now lays on a small cot bundled in raggedy itchy sheets. They aren't blankets they are far to thin to be called such. The air of his cell is cold and stale the was it's been for years upon years.
It's dark. So, so dark.
A ragged cough escapes his body sending pangs of pain shooting down his throat. His head is pounding as if an Earthbender is crushing his skull in. He should be sweating out whatever illness he has attained, but he's not.
Blood feels as if it's rushing to his head. A loud cacophony of high pitched rings flood his ears. For a while it was the only noise he heard, a flurry of hounding sound. Suddenly the ringing mixed with the sound of hurried feet and a light knock on his cell door.
"Let me see him." A calm voice sends out.
Ozai listens intensely to hear a response but none came. The voice rang out again this time with more force.
"Maybe I wasn't clear open the damn door, NOW!"
That voice, it is so familiar to him. A voice he has been longing to hear since the day he was locked up.
The metal door scraps open allowing a bright bond of light to shine in. It's a searing force and Ozai is forced to cover his eyes momentarily. When his eyes adjust he is met with the sight of his year.
Daughter.
A young woman stands in the door way a guard decked in heavy armor standing next to her.
"Princess shall I remain by your side." The crimson dressed guard asks clutching his spear tightly.
"No, I'll be fine."
A lie. Ozai knows. He knows her far to well. Azula had always been a adamant liar, not to him of course, she would never. Well their was that one time, about the avatar's death, but he had overlooked that she must have had a good reason.
The former ruler doesn't move his back still pressed up against the hard wood of 'sickbed' he is laying in. It is more like a plank of wood decorated with torn covers and a beat up pillow.
Azula sighs making her way to her fathers side looking down at him with sorrow filled eyes. Theirs a lump in her throat, what should she say?
How does she tell him?
Does he already know?
Questions pile up in her fragile mind. Their's nothing to say. Nothing she can do, so she simply grabs his hand.
This is the first time anyone has approached him let alone showed any sort of affection for as long as he can remember. It almost makes him say something anything. But he can't. His throat is on fire and his mouth is dry. His mind is blank and his younger feels swollen.
All he can do is watch as his daughter comforts him for something nether of them are prepared for.
His pale sickly skin is corse and rough to the touch. But mostly it's cold. So, so cold. Like the room around him. Like his heart. Like his soul.
She shouldn't feel bad.
She knows she shouldn't.
But, this is her father, he raised her, even if it wasn't very well.
She lets out a breath unaware that she had been holding it in. A small sniffle escapes her nose but she shrugs it off as bad air quality.
That's when it starts.
AHACK, AHACK !!!
Ozai's loud coughs fill the room, Azula doesn't fluster though she is a bit startled.
His shallow dry breaths turn more violent and his eye change to a red color. He's gasping for breath at this point as if he is being torn from the oxygen around him.
Tears well up in the princess' eyes as she bites her lip to stop herself from whimpering. AHACK! AHACK!
She should look away, she must look away, but she can't. She can't turn away from this. She squeezes his hand tighter as tears start to flow freely down her cheeks.
AHACK! AHACK!
His arms start to shake, then his legs. In a matter of seconds his whole body is convulsing, sharp pains puncturing his chest. His heart feels like it's being squeezed and his brains being mashed into bits and pieces.
Azula drops his hand jumping back tears fully flooding from her face. Her face is completely red with puffy swollen bags under her eyes.
"FATHER!"
"FATHER!"
Her shouts of terror echo throughout the chamber hitting the thick walls.
Why has she come? Why is she putting herself through this? Why was she the only one who came to visit him? Why hadn't Zuko come? WHY DOES SHE STILL CARE FOR HIM? Actually that isn't much of a question.
He's her father, no matter what she would probably always care for him, always, love him. And it only makes watching him die all the more painful.
Azula's arms shoot out in front of her as she is screaming, her limbs trying desperately to pin him down and stop the convulsing.
"PLEASE FATHER, PLEASE HANG ON!"
"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME, NOT AGAIN!"
"AGHHHHHHHHH!!!"
A scream of pure agony escapes both their lips at the same time.
A metallic taste enter Ozai's mouth. It fills his tastebuds.
Azula watches in horror as thick streams of blood seep through the side of her father's mouth.
His convulsing stops.
Azula steps back, tears still marking lines down her face.
She's frozen.
This time he grabs her hand.
Ozai turns his head the best he can, which isn't very much, a whispers the faintest of words,
"My Little Dragon."
...
His hand falls limp, his eyes turn glossy, and his heart stops.
Their Azula stands.
Alone next to the dead body of her father whom she had watched die. She was the only one who was their, the only one who cared.
The protégé looks down at the body.
"Goodbye...dad." She whimpers a few lose teardrops rolling off her chin and falling onto his cheek.
A bright blue flame , and the bodies up in smoke.
Authors Notes:
hey, so this might be a tiny itty bitty bit sad per-say, I don't know that's up To you. I wrote this at like midnight so it might have some errors not sure I'm to lazy to edit it. This story idea kind of just hit me and I had to write it down. Might go back and edit this prolly not though. Anyway for those who don't understand what happened basically Ozai dying and Azula goes to visit him, but he dies when she is there blah blah blah. Main things I want to address so their is no confusion. This is in no way shape or form a romantic relationship at all, all those who ship Azula/Zuko or Azula/Ozai have a special place on the internet and this is not it. My option of course. Also in this fic Ozai does love Azula and Azula loves him as a child parent sort of bond. Lastly review please it means the world to me. K love yall, bye.