Chapter 9 is here!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did :)

Azula decided to keep what happened between her and Aang earlier at the back of her head as she had bigger problems at the moment,

"Where have you two been?" Zuko asked upon their arrival, his voice and demeanor showing that he wants to throw fists with them.

Both Aang and Azula couldn't answer, what would they tell him? that they were out partying? That they never paid attention to their current status, that they could have started problems that would overthrow their life's work? that could stop the peace they fought so hard to achieve?

at their silence, Zuko took the opportunity to continue speaking,

"I'm not speaking to you, Azula.. because what would you know of discipline? your knowledge about discipline rivals that of a dog's.." The Firelord started, his words cutting deep, but Azula again had no retort, The Firelord then looked at The Avatar,

"I'm talking to you, Aang.. I brought you here to bring an end to her madness.. to make her a better person, not to be influenced by her, but then again I was wrong about you.. it should have been obvious to me, really.. after all, you are the same guy who rebelled against his elders and put the whole world in danger for his own self interest, right?" Zuko said.

"Zuko." Mai called from behind him, trying to put a stop to his hurtful words, but this time Aang decided to break his silence.

"it's not fair.. I was just a child back then." Aang defended himself.

"Looks like you still are." Zuko responded.

Aang was getting angry, "I'm not going to argue with you right now.. let's speak tomorrow." Aang said as he passed by Zuko and was about to take the stairs.

"Yeah sure, go ahead, do the classic airbender technique.. hide and run when things get tough." The Firelord said.

They were all stunned when they saw the tattoo on the back of Aang's head flashing white, it was rapidly flashing as if he was fighting the anger inside him, Mai felt prompted to step in again,

"Aang!" she shouted,

but Zuko didn't back down this time, "No, let him lash it out on me.. the only one left of his friends, what are you gonna do, Aang? kick me out of your circle the same way you did Katara and Sokka? Let me tell you this buddy.. if you do kick me out, there will be no one standing in that circle but you."

The Avatar's head stopped flashing, but that didn't mean that he fully controlled himself as he did turn around with his face filled with anger, he looked at Zuko menacingly and all of a sudden, he lunged at the firelord with a scream, taking him down with ease and sat on top of him and punched him on his right cheek, right under his burnt eye, Zuko then rolled him over on the ground and he was the one on top of Aang at the moment and he did the same to the avatar, it was an all out brawl between the two of them, and their friends had to step in,

"Stop! you immature children, stop!" Mai shouted, as her and Ty Lee were trying to break them apart, all the while Azula was standing there looking at them with sad eyes.

Mai and Ty Lee couldn't stop them, Ty Lee decided to break them apart by force, and so the circus girl chi blocked the both of them, Zuko and Aang laid on the ground, their bodies were stiff and unable to move from Ty Lee's fists, but they could still talk.

"You useless prick! I'm gonna make you suffer!" Aang shouted at the firelord, as he was paralyzed on the ground.

Zuko did the same as he was suffering from the same condition, "it wouldn't be the first time you made one of your friends suffer, you annoying brat!"

"Shut up! just shut the hell up!"

"Why? can't handle the truth?"

"STOP! THE BOTH OF YOU! RIGHT NOW!" Mai shouted which prompted both guys to close their mouths.

Ty Lee decided to step in again, "You are friends! why would you want to hurt each other?" she said it to the both of them, her face looking very sad.

"Maybe if he starts behaving like an avatar, I would stop trying to hurt him." Zuko said.

"Maybe if you stop acting like a jerk, I would stop trying to hurt you." Aang responded.

unbeknown to them, Azula was standing in the corner, holding the tears from falling from her eyes, the day was so tough and it was getting way tougher by the second.

"Aang, would you please stop and listen to me?" Mai asked politely, and so Aang did as she asked and stopped talking, all of the room was focused on Mai right now,

Mai started talking, "What you did was, as Zuko put it, immature.. I know you had a noble reason for it, you thought it would help Azula recover.. but taking her through the back alleys of Ember Island to scam isn't the way to go about this."

Aang was shocked by this, "How did you know that?"

"one of the guards, Mira.. she was tasked with keeping an eye on the both of you.. she saw you leaving the tent and so she followed you and reported." Mai responded.

Aang looked at Zuko angrily, "You shameless prick! you were spying on us?!"

Zuko was about to retort, but it was Mai who responded again, "It wasn't Zuko who tasked her with this.. I did.. I was going to keep it to myself and discuss it with you later but then Zuko overheard us talking."

Aang's head was spinning, he couldn't believe Mai would do this to him so he just laid on the ground silent, allowing Mai to continue speaking,

"before you falsely accuse me, it's not for lack of faith in you, Aang.. it's just that.. I saw how you were getting attached to her, and I know how that feels.." Mai turned her vision to Azula, "I know how you can easily fall for her charms, Azula is the type of person that would awaken your inner demons, in her company, you feel liberated, you feel like you own the world.. but later you realize that it was all part of the plan, she was liberating you so you can be her personal slave.. I'm ashamed to admit that Ty Lee and I came to realize this horrible truth so late, so as a person on the other side, I'm begging you.. don't fall for our mistake." Mai said, her eyes conveying sincerity.

Azula was looking back at her with devastated eyes, it was hard enough to hear her brother's words, but her former best friend chiming in with her opinion made her wish she could just disappear, but she decided to keep standing there just looking at her.

It was Aang who spoke for her, "You're wrong, Mai.. Mira might have told you that we went out, but she couldn't have known that it was I who made this suggestion, it's ironic how at the start of your speech you were asking me not to falsely accuse you, yet you are the one making the false accusations."

"I know it was you.. that's what makes it even more horrible, she's doing to you the same she did to us, she made you believe that you are liberated and free to do whatever you want.. but the truth is, Aang.. she's manipulating you, that's what she always does, scheming and manipulating people." Mai said, her dagger eyes still focused on Azula.

Azula defended Azula again, "She might be.. but she only did this because you would never accept her anyways.. she sought power and control because she was raised to believe those are the only ways to survival, she was raised with a mother that preferred her brother over her, and a father that made her feel like a machine, her uncle and brother never bothered to give her advice, her people wanted her to be strong to carry on the legacy of her murdering ancestors, she never experienced true love nor care and what you just said confirmed that to me, because if you and Ty Lee only befriended her to feel liberated then you only befriended her for your own self interest not because you love her nor care for her, she always sought what people wanted her to be, she was the real slave not you.. but you know what she really wanted, Mai? Do you even know what Azula has always sought? Do you?!" Aang shouted at her.

"No." Mai merely responded, as she was feeling guilt-ridden as she knew all of Aang's words were true.

Aang decided to answer his question, "Well, I know.. and you could have surmised that from the words I just said but I know you never listened to a word I said anyways because you don't care for her.."

"I did list-" Mai was about to defend herself but Aang interrupted her by saying,

"What Azula has always sought was acceptance." Aang said, which shocked the entire room.

"Acceptance?" Zuko asked as he was still laying beside Aang on the ground, paralyzed, "She was the most loved figure in the firenation, she lived on acceptance." The Firelord followed up.

All the while Azula was in the background observing the whole thing, her feelings conflicted and hard to decipher, she felt devastated that her family and friends would feel that about her, but at the same time, feeling happy that Aang understood her.

Aang looked at Zuko as he said, "You never bothered to ask her if all that fame mattered to her, have you ever stopped to ask yourself why the moment Ozai made her firelord was also the start of her downfall? it's because when she finally got it, she realized that it's never been her true ambition.. she doesn't want to become firelord, she just wants people to accept her with her flaws, I know this doesn't excuse her actions, Hell, I still hold a grudge against her for almost ending the avatar cycle.."

Aang looked at her as he said so, which made Azula flinch at his words, the avatar noticed it and so he decided to follow up his statement, "But I know that deep down inside that rough exterior, there's a good person trying its hardest to come out.. and I'll keep trying my best to free that person as long as I can." Aang finished.

The room was entirely silent, mesmerized by Aang's speech, Even Azula who was the main topic of the discussion was just stunned into silence, not that she's spoken a word ever since they arrived, but this time her silent wasn't for lack of words, it was to look in admiration at this boy.. no, this man who keeps trying to lighten her bleak, dark world.

As they were all silent, Azula finally decided to move, she went by Aang's side as he was laid on the ground beside Zuko, she then crouched beside him and grabbed him, she put his arm behind her head and hoisted him up, The Avatar wasn't able to move and so she just decided to help him to his room, Aang knew it and so he didn't resist her touch, not that he was able to, as his body was paralyzed, but what occupied his mind at that moment was that he might have felt disappointed that he couldn't feel her touch, but he still felt happy to be in her arms.

and without any words spoken, she just walked up the stairs, a faint, happy smile on her face as she did so, with no one stopping or even dare talking to her.

It was then and only then, that she could say it without an ounce of doubt in her mind.

Azula, daughter of Ozai, Princess of The Firenation, has fallen in love with The Avatar.

Thank you for reading

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