You all wanna know something sad ? That fandom Zuko cares more about Azula than canon Zuko does . At least in the truest sense of the word . I won't pretend that my Zuko has been perfect in caring for Azula , but at least he tried if nothing else . Canon just threw her in an asylum and called it a day , yeah great job Fire Lord .
You know what Avatar needed most to make it the perfect show ever ? Book 4 . And no , I'm not talking about inventing a whole new villain or some crap like that ( Kinda like how I'm doing cuz I'm a hack ) . I mean just one final book to wrap everything up with a nice little bow . It could have been the perfect opportunity to give Azula a redemption arc ... only we never got it .
Azula was without a doubt one of the most important antagonist and characters in ATLA . She did get proper development and an arc... but the problem is we only got to see half of it, and her story never reached the conclusion that was already confirmed to have been planned: a happy ending after a redemption arc that would have been much longer and messier than Zuko's. And arguably maybe even better .
What we got instead was a rather bitter unsatisfying sad conclusion to the story of a 14-year-old that deserved so much better than what she got. And no , I do not consider the comics any sort of consolation for that , because those comics did literally everybody dirty . Instead of actually using the comics to maybe redeem Azula since Book 4 was cancelled ... instead the writing got really lazy and the jackasses pretty much just went ' Nope ! She's pure evil . Now lets focus on how cute Zuko's new little sister is '
I was rolling my eyes the entire time I was reading that . I have a feeling that since Book 4 was cancelled , they really didn't know what to do with Azula at that point and decided to just stick with the whole ' crazy bitch ' thing instead of at least trying to give us the redemption that we both needed and deserved .
If motherfucking Kuvira ( Who by the way actually grew up in a relatively healthy environment and was an actual adult , who did way more horrible things than Azula who was basically a child soldier ) from LOK gets a redemption in a post-series comic , then I think Azula should get one too .
...Okay I think I got it all out. This chapter we finally get back to Azula's POV and finally some more of Kazumi's , with a hint of Zuko's thrown at the end.
Big thanks to HammerTide for beta reading this chapter !
With that said , let's get this chapter started !
Azula couldn't see anything . The whole world just seemed like a pitch black void and she couldn't breath.
It was then that she recognized the familiar feel of the tidal wave of water surround her and made her feel as though she was drowning .
But when the wave finally passed ... Azula felt the familiar feeling of chains around her wrists and her knees pressed against the bars of the grate.
When she looked up , she saw Zuko and that damn water peasant looking down at her with scowls or smirks .
" Don't give me that look Azula ... you deserve this for everything you've done ..." Zuko said crossing his arms " To me ... to Mai ... to Ty Lee ... to uncle ... to mother even ... you've had this coming for a long while"
" He's right you know . For killing the Avatar ... for hunting us across the world ... for being your father's glorified attack dog " The water peasant looked down at her with a smug look one that ignited the flames of rage in Azula " I guess its fitting that you end up chained up like one , huh ?"
" AAAAGGGHHHHH ! " Azula screamed , flames of fire erupting from her throat but the fire not even touching the two traitors before her . When her throat went dry from all the fire , she panted heavily looking down between the bars of the grate she was chained to .
Azula couldn't summon a flame to burn the chains off . Her body was too drenched to do that . Too exhausted . Too weak .
" Hmph . So the mighty Fire Lord Azula has fallen ... how fitting ..."
A new voice suddenly spoke and Azula looked up to see Mai and Ty Lee standing there now in place of Zuko and the water peasant .
" Oh how sad on how the proud and mighty Azula has fallen from grace ... now nothing more than a chained up rabid animal that lashes out like one against her betters " Mai said in an uncharacteristic moment of smugness " ... How sad isn't it Ty ? "
" Yeah , but someone like her totally deserves it , after everything she put me through " Ty Lee nodded , scowling at Azula " After forcing me to follow you on your merry chase to catch the Avatar ... you deserve to be locked up Azula ..."
" GO TO HELL ! " Azula shouted , unable to even summon up a spark of flame in her throat . And if not for her being chained down , she would have lunged and knock the stupid smirk right off of Mai's face .
" Very well ... but I'll see you there Azula ..." Mai smirked at her disappearing with Ty Lee . Both fading as if they were never there to begin with .
" You disappoint me niece ... you have ended up exactly as I predicted that you would ..."
Azula's eyes snapped at the next ghost from her past that has come to haunt her .
" I knew from the very beginning that you were just like my brother... ever since you were young , you were far too cruel , ambitious and ruthless than any child should be ... if you could even be called that " Iroh looked down his nose at her " I tried my best to be a good uncle but you-"
" Pig shit ! You only ever cared about Zuko ! Ever since Lu Ten died , the only thing you've EVER cared about is making sure your precious replacement of a son ended up alright ! " Azula shouted in anger " Even before Lu Ten died , Zuko was the only one you ever cared about ! "
It hurt her even more than the chains digging into her wrists. That she always knew that Uncle always favored Zuko more than her . Like how her mother had favored Zuko over her.
Why does that seem to be becoming a common theme in this family.
Iroh didn't say anything more , besides giving a disappointed shake of his head before fading away.
"I love you Azula ... I really did ... "
And of course ...she was the last one of them all.
Azula looked at her mother ...standing there with her replacement . The damn brat looking at her with fear in her eyes. Good , she should fear her.
" I tried my best to help you Azula ... but I just couldn't deal with you ... I tried to love you but-"
" LOVE ?! Is that what you call it ?! Is that what Zuko tricked himself into believing he was doing when he stuck me in that damn asylum ?! When you walked away from me without even saying goodbye ?! " Azula practically screeched at her mother in anger . Her throat going dry from all the shouting she was doing , but she didn't care . All she cared about at this point was letting her mother exactly what she could do with her precious 'love'.
" You can take your half-assed 'love' and go fall into the pits of hell ! "
Azula shouted , her mouth moving faster than her brain could process.
" ...Very well ..." Ursa said before fading away.
And so she was left alone ...again.
Like always.
Azula's eyes snapped open and she found herself once again staring at the ceiling of her room. She turned her head sideways to see light peering in from her window indicating that it was already morning.
She slowly reached her hand up to touch her cheek as she felt something wet on it ... it didn't take her long to figure out that it was her own tears.
It took all of her willpower to keep from letting out a cry of frustration.
She wondered how long it would be before her streak of having 'perfect' sleep would be broken. And now it seemed it would be back to having nightmare filled dreams with ghosts of her past looking down at her in her own mind.
She laid there for a few more minutes , wondering if it was worth trying to go back to sleep before coming to the realization that Kazumi would probably come to wake her up anyway. The last thing she needed was for Kazumi to get on her case about this.
After going through her usual morning routine and getting changed , she made her way to the living room where she could already see Kazumi having made breakfast. Already seated on the opposite end of here.
" Good morning Azula , I was just about to go get you ..." Kazumi said with a smile.
" Sorry , I slept late last night ..." Azula lied . She didn't want to talk about her most recent nightmare with Kazumi , she only hoped that the older woman didn't notice or press.
To her surprise , Kazumi actually didn't ask and instead continued eating.
Azula gave the older woman an odd look , she had been strangely chipper these past few days without due reason. Though Azula is hardly one to judge about having a cheery exterior from time to time. She could barely even hold a conversation with a boy her age.
The rest of the morning was a relatively peaceful affair in contrast to her very shitty night.
" You're distracted today..." Kazumi said as she swung her sword at Azula who blocked it.
The former princess didn't say anything in reply as she parried a swing from Kazumi. But even she knew that the older woman was right , she could tell that she was off her game today. Her reaction time was delayed , her reflexes were off , her ability to dodge accurately was just off by just a few seconds...
It would seem her nightmare is affecting her more than she realized.
She barely managed to avoid a leg swipe from Kazumi , before blocking a frontal strike with her own sword , but not succeeding in pushing the older woman back to get some much needed breathing room. The sparring session was not looking well for her and at this rate she'll-
She didn't even get time to finish that thought , as Kazumi pushed the offensive and rushed forward with her sword , Azula in a moment of hesitance tried to swing her sword to push her back ...only for Kazumi to not only dodge the attack by leaning more into her space but at the same time smacking the sword out of her hand and making her fall to the grass.
Azula sat on the grass with a grumpy expression as Kazumi held out a hand " Sorry about that Azula , was that too rough ? "
" Its fine , I've had worse ..." Azula said but she took the older woman's hand.
Kazumi looked at the younger girl in sympathy. The implication not lost on her.
" Maybe we should take a break ..." Kazumi suggested and Azula just shrugged in response.
Kazumi could instantly tell that something was off with Azula ...it was just a matter of what.
It didn't take her long to figure it out.
Azula went to go pick up her sword when Kazumi spoke.
" You're still having nightmares aren't you ? "
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
" Is it that obvious ?" Azula said tiredly as she looked at the ground.
Kazumi didn't respond but Azula could understand her well enough . Like she could understand her well enough to know when something is wrong.
" What was the nightmare about ? "
" What do you think ? " Azula couldn't help but snap a little at Kazumi " Its always the same damn nightmare , the samn ghosts in the back of my head looking down at me and ..."
She couldn't even finish her sentence , she was just so tired from ...everything.
" ...Sit down with me Azula ..." Kazumi gestured her as they sat down by the lake.
The two sat in silence for a few minutes , Kazumi just staring off into the lake while Azula took the chance to enjoy the peace and quiet of the forest.
" I have nightmares like that too ..." Kazumi admitted quietly.
Azula was silent for a moment , thinking about what to say next.
She didn't need to be a prodigy to guess the reasons behind Kazumi's nightmares " Your daughter ? "
Kazumi nodded simply. And Azula understood it was best not to pry.
" ...They never go away do they ? " Azula said. Kazumi understood that she was talking about her nightmares.
" No ... you just learn to manage and live with them better " Kazumi explained " But that doesn't mean they can or will control you ..."
Control ...when was the last time I was in control of anything ?
" ...I think we should end practice early today ..." Kazumi said suddenly as she got up and started walking back to the house. Not even waiting to hear any protest from Azula.
The former princess watched as the older woman retreated back into her home ...
She found it chilling sometimes how much it felt like she was looking into a mirror.
She wondered if Kazumi felt the same way.
Stupid stupid stupid ...
Kazumi was in the middle of internally berating and degrading herself in every way possible . Mostly over how she acted during their training session , Azula had a nightmare and her response to that was to simply walk away like a fool.
Idiot ...
She rested her head down on her table to try and resist the urge to groan in frustration ...she should have expected this.
She may have gotten rid of the men who were searching for Azula ... but that didn't mean all of Azula's problems would magically disappear.
She was still having nightmares , still being haunted by the ghosts of her pasts ...is the world so cruel that they would not allow this girl a slight reprieve ?
Kazumi could understand why she would be thoroughly frustrated , for all Azula has grown in the time she has spent with the young girl ... she is still stuck in this rut of hers.
The older woman quite frankly felt like tearing through the forest again , but she knows that won't do anything ...
And that was not the only worry Kazumi held in her heart ... it was the fact that she knows that Azula wouldn't be here forever.
The girl had expressed desire to leave at the earliest convenience when she had first arrived , but after Azula had decided to accept Kazumi's help in healing from her pain that seemed to extend her stay ... but that still did not guarantee that she would be staying indefinitely.
The thought of Azula leaving ...it made Kazumi's heart tighten and she felt saddened by the idea.
She shook her head , now was not the time to be thinking such thoughts... she had bigger problems to deal with.
She needed to get Azula to open up but ... it didn't seem like she was going to do so easily. Especially since she neglected to tell Kazumi about her most recent nightmare.
She thought long and hard about it ...before an idea came to mind.
Perhaps a change in scenery is what's needed.
" Azula , would you like to go on a trip ? "
The former princess looked up from her dinner to give the older woman a perplexed look. Whatever she was expecting Kazumi to say to drum up conversation , this was certainly not it.
" A trip ? A trip to where ? " Azula asked confused.
" Not out of the forest to be exact . To one of the more ...interesting areas of the Forgetful Forest I mean " Kazumi quickly clarified.
" ...No offense to you Kazumi , since I know you and your family seem to have a thing with the Mother of Faces and this forest for some reason ..." Azula spoke in the calmest most blankest tone possible " ...But from the little I've seen , this forest is a hellmouth "
Azula wasn't even exaggerating . When she first entered the forest with Zuko , the Avatar and his two water tribe lackeys , their experience with the forest was far less than pleasant or what one would even call 'interesting'. The entire forest itself was inhospitable , untamable land that had scores of plants and animals that were ready to kill anyone who entered.
Was it any wonder why the Forgetful Forest as especially popular with people going in to end their lives ...
The irony dawns on Azula in which how she met Kazumi , but her point still stands.
" I suppose I cannot blame many for perceiving the forest that way , the entirety of the Forgetful Forest itself does not have a very ...stellar reputation or a good thing to be known for " Kazumi admitted " But I promise you , that there is more to this forest than what meets the eye ..and if you are willing to accompany me , I can show you one such place ..."
Azula considered her options for a moment. On the one hand , she wasn't sure she was too keen on going back into that Agni damned forest ...
But on the other , she was getting ascendingly tired and potentially stir crazy being cooped up in Kazumi's small patch of land.
" ...So its still here in the forest ? "
" Yes , its not that far from here actually ..." Kazumi smiled at her " We can go tomorrow night "
" Why tomorrow night ? " Azula raised an eyebrow at her.
"... Because that's when the forest is its most lively..." Kazumi smile grew a bit wider at that.
Zuko walked into the Throne room , there was not but a soul in sight but it was still well lit during the day. It had to be. The Fire Throne was meant to be a representation of the Fire Lord himself . He imagines that the lines surrounding the throne that could be ignited , was meant to show what Fire Lords were supposed to be.
Fearsome. Ruthless. Cold. Calculating.
Everything that he is not.
Zuko shook his head , he couldn't start thinking like that , he ended the war for a reason . He wanted to change the world's perspective on the Fire Nation as a whole. And he had to be that himself ...
Yet why was there a gnawing voice in the back of his mind ?
He walked over to the Throne and sat on it ...it felt wrong for some reason.
Unearned. Shameful. Disrespectful.
A disgrace to every Fire Lord who has come before him.
" Azula got to where she was because of hard work , determination and a ruthless attitude ...while you are complacent , naive and foolish "
His father's words from his last visit echoed in his mind. Like a bad memory.
He wondered if he was right...
" Zuko ? "
The Fire Lord was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a soft voice call out to him. Turning to see Mai approach him.
" Mai ...sorry I didn't see you there " Zuko apologized.
" What are you doing here ? "
" Am I not allowed to be in my own throne room ? " Zuko said with a teasing smirk.
" Touche..." Mai said as she approached him " I just came to ask if you have already sent the letter out to Aang..."
" I did ... but its probably going to take a while for it to reach Aang all the way in the Earth Kingdom " Zuko explained with a sigh " And then there's the matter of Aang getting here and that's working off the assumption his hands aren't full managing his new airbending school ..."
It was true that Zuko was worried that Aang wouldn't be able to lend his help. Especially since he was still in the middle of setting up and training new recruits for his airbending school. And Zuko didn't want to feel like he was taking Aang's time away with asking for his help.
Mai suddenly took his hand , surprising Zuko " We're going to be okay Zuko ..."
Zuko looked at Mai meaningfully and leaned into her for comfort...
He could feel it in his bones ...there was a storm coming.
You know ... I really am glad that I picked up this story. I'll admit that the decision was an impulsive one but I'm actually very glad that I did it honestly. I'm really happy with what this story has become.
That being said ... Azula's Healing Arc is close to coming to an end. While her healing is a fic long process , it will not be so evident but it will be there. I'm certain some of you have noticed her changes like back in the first 10 chapters, just the slightest reminder of Azula's family is enough to trigger a panic attack or outright a seizure from her and now, it is just a bit of distraction, something that is gnawing her mind and not outright eating her. Which will be brought up again later but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Thank you all for following this story and that being said ...
I will see you all in the next one.
Angel Out.
