Chapter 6: Prisoners
Azula bid her brother goodnight and began to wander the halls of the palace by herself. The various winding corridors were dimly lit at best, and Azula had to adjust to the limited luminosity. The full moon outside had provided a great deal of light, which she found herself sorely missing.
The princess shook her head. She still had no idea what Zuko was doing inside those catacombs. He had seemed awfully out of the loop when she found him, and that only accentuated her curiosity. What was he doing, besides staring at old memories?
Upon that thought, Azula began to recall her time spent in prison. She had wanted to forget everything, but she felt like she couldn't, at least not yet. There was some kind of lesson to be learned from her time there, she just hadn't managed to figure it out yet.
One year ago…
Rage, hatred, bitterness, jealousy, frustration, agony, humiliation, devastation, and sadness… Azula had experienced all of them on that fateful day. She had everything, and yet she had nothing. She was stronger than ever, yet she was weaker than ever. She had lost everything, and yet she lost even more. Her friends, her family, her throne, her country, her sanity, her dignity… she was left with nothing.
It couldn't be true, it shouldn't have been possible, there's no way she would have let it happen. But it was true, it had been possible, and she did let it happen. She failed. Oh how terrifically she had failed. It would surely go down in history as her greatest blunder. If history even remembered her at all…
Why? Why had everything gone so wrong? It wasn't fair!
"It wasn't fair!"
"Shut your trap! Nobody wants to hear you anymore!"
Azula paused. Yes… she was distracted. She was doing what she always did, thinking about that day. Her thoughts must have slipped out. How embarrassing. How weak she had become. Father would surely be displeased…
"Why should I care…" she whispered. "You left me! You never loved me did you? It was all a ruse! One of your clever plots! And I fell right into it… like a fool. Well not anymore."
Azula shouted at the top of her lungs, "I hate you!"
"I said shut up!"
"Oh you shut up you stupid peasant! I can say what I want and I'm going to do so!"
The guard let out a noise that sounded like a mix between a growl and a sigh. Although Azula couldn't see his face, she was certain he was subtly grinning. He must have been getting some kind of sick pleasure from telling the princess of the Fire Nation to shut up. As if he could seriously command her to do anything.
"He can though, they all can. I'm not a princess, not anymore. Now I'm just a common war criminal, being sent to some lowly prison to rot."
Azula's thoughts were disturbed when her carriage briefly stuttered on some rocks. Her ride was getting bumpier, so she reasoned that her guards must be taking her somewhere remote. And as if on cue, the guard she had been annoying popped his head through the curtains.
"We'll be there in a few minutes. Prepare yourself before we arrive."
"Don't worry… I'm not crazy like you've probably heard." Azula paused to give the man a sinister smirk. "I'm just furious."
The guard merely shook his head and turned back outside. Azula felt a slight chill on her body, and figured that her destination was somewhere cold. In the Fire Nation, the only cold places were the mountains, and they were hardly developed. There was only one prison Azula knew of that was built in the mountains and had the capacity to hold someone like her… the Tower.
Her carriage halted in short fashion and the guard walked in to disconnect her from her seat, before leading her outside. The breeze hit her like a bucket of freezing water, and Azula instantly felt the hair on her arms and neck stand up. The air also caused her long hair to blow in the wind, obscuring her vision. Azula could still notice its butchered state, from the time she had attempted to cut it herself.
"Hair, prepare to meet your doom!" Azula shook her head. "What a silly thing to say."
The guard brought her towards the entrance to the prison. He ended up partly dragging her, since she was too tired to walk properly. There were several more guards outside, their armor lined with fur. At their center stood a man in a uniform, the warden she presumed.
"Greeting Princess Azula, welcome to our little… facility. I am warden Tengu, and I will be your host."
Azula briefly looked over the man. He was of a short stature, and he sported a nose that appeared much too large for someone of his size. His uniform was decorated with garish feathers that made him look more like a circus freak than a warden. Worst of all was his smile, which couldn't be more disingenuous if it tried.
"Before you enter I'd like to go over a few rules."
"Oh really… go over the rules? Well I understand. It's not like you could do that inside. It makes so much more sense to do it out here so you can torture me in the cold."
Tengu curled his lips into another fraudulent smile. "Now now princess, there will be no talking back or smart comments in my facility. That's rule number one. Rule number two is that you will obey any command given to you. Rule number three is that you will maintain a positive attitude to avoid disturbing our staff. And rule number four applies specifically to people like you. There will be absolutely no firebending, under any condition."
Azula smiled. She didn't intend to follow any 'rules', but now that he had gone out and said it, she just had to disobey him. The opportunity was too good, and his reaction would surely be priceless.
Azula took a deep breath of the frosty mountain air and opened her mouth. She unleashed a wave of fire from inside, but stopped before she could complete her attack. She was shocked, something was terribly wrong. Her fire wasn't the beautiful azure flames she always produced. It was yellow.
Azula's fire faded quickly in lieu of what she had initially intended. She was too shocked to fight. She wasn't just mentally weaker, her bending was weaker too. Now there really was nothing to set her apart.
Tengu gave a disapproving look and shook his head, but Azula was too stunned to take notice. "What a shame princess. It's unfortunate that you'll have to start your stay here in solitary confinement. Attacking the staff is an offense we take very seriously. Hopefully we can avoid such unpleasant encounters in the future."
Tengu looked towards the guards standing beside him. "Take her away boys!"
The guards surrounded Azula and dragged her inside the building. The princess didn't notice. Her mind was too busy swimming with questions. By the time she had regained her senses, the snowy mountain top had been replaced with a cold dark cell.
Azula spent her first week in solitary confinement. It was a truly abysmal experience. The cell was dimly lit even during the day. It was also cold, with no blankets to provide any extra warmth. But the worst part was simply how boring it was. There was nothing to do besides stare at the wall and think.
She did spend some time firebending, against the wishes of the warden. But she quickly extinguished her fire whenever the guards were nearby. It didn't take long for her to learn their shifts, and as a result she never got caught.
She had briefly considered trying to escape, but decided against it. It would just be her against the entire prison, and such odds didn't bode well. Not to mention her weakened physical state. Azula hadn't eaten much of the 'food' she was provided, if it could even be called that.
And then there was her firebending, which Azula still had a hard time wrapping her head around. How had she regressed so quickly? Did Zuko and that waterbending peasant beat her so badly her bending had suffered? Azula spent far too much time staring into her yellow flames, hoping desperately to find answers. She had analyzed her Agni Kai with Zuko at least a dozen times, trying to pinpoint every mistake. Eventually she tired of that and began fantasizing about Zuko just standing by and letting her become Fire Lord. Wouldn't that have made everything so much easier?
Her thoughts were carefully curated during the day, but at night her power slipped away and she experienced terrible dreams.
On the first night her grandfather Fire Lord Azulon had appeared, and he accused her of being a disappointment to the Fire Nation.
On the second night her uncle Iroh appeared, and he chastised her for being too much like his brother.
On the third night her mother Ursa appeared, and she called her a monster.
On the fourth night her brother Zuko appeared, and he attacked her with a devastating display of his firebending.
On the fifth night her friends Mai and Ty Lee appeared; Mai glared at her with a hateful expression, and Ty Lee laughed at her misery.
On the sixth night her father Ozai appeared, and he mocked her for being weak.
And on the seventh night, Azula was visited by a copy of herself. The second Azula spoke not a word, but instead spent her time crying.
After a week of horrible nightmares, Azula did not wake up in solitary confinement. Instead she awoke in a much more spacious and much warmer cell. There was a mattress on the floor, and a bowl of water on the far end of the room. It wasn't much, but it was a small improvement.
Unfortunately, Azula's new accommodations didn't last long. The warden had interpreted her usual sarcastic remarks as acts of violence, and he threw her back in her old cell. Azula had been livid, but there was little she could do, short of trying to melt through the door.
One day she had lucked out, and a guard loyal to her father's regime had been put on duty. The man took pity on her, and Azula carefully choose not to mention how she actually felt about Ozai. Eventually he managed to convince the sniveling warden to have mercy, and she ended up in a cellblock with other women. The purpose was to help her socialize, but Azula had just been glad to be out of her cramped old cell.
Her new room was much nicer, although the cellblock it was situated in was unfortunately rather dark. It was a small victory, and not one that had been fought for and earned. Azula quickly fell back into misery, wallowing in her own sadness. Her time was spent thinking about how she was a failure, and how everyone she ever knew had betrayed her.
Her self-isolation came to an end when she heard a voice from the cell next to her.
"You're awfully quiet, aren't you?"
The woman had a rough voice, and it was enough to get Azula's attention. "Who asks?"
"I do. My name is Zirin, if you were curious."
"I wasn't curious for your information. And whatever you have to say I'm sure I'm not interested."
Zirin shrugged and cast a quizzical look in Azula's direction. "What's your name?"
"It's none of your business."
"Come on now, everybody has a name. I'm not going to sit by and just call you 'lady'. Unless you want me to make up a name for you of course, because I can certainly do that. Although I doubt you'll like whatever I come up with."
Azula sighed and look at Zirin. She had long brown hair, slightly lighter than her own, and her eyes were a dark brown color. She looked fierce, and gave off an impression of strength.
"Alright, I relent. My name is Azula."
"You're joking right? You're thee Princess Azula?"
"No I'm not joking, and yes I am her."
"That's very interesting. Did you hear that girls? We have the real Princess Azula in our cellblock!"
There were a wave of murmurs in response, and several women in the cellblock turned to stare at Azula. Their faces portrayed a mixture of suspicion and fear. Azula felt somewhat awkward being gazed upon by so many people, but she decided that she needed to project strength in the presence of other prisoners.
"So Azula, what are you in here for."
"You haven't guessed? We lost the war, so I got put in here."
"I don't mean to say I don't believe you… but I don't believe you. If they were arresting everyone who was involved in the war then these prisons would be hilariously overcrowded. Why are you really here?"
Azula was unwilling to admit what happened on her disastrous coronation day, so she carefully omitted the more damning details. "I was the true heir to the throne after my father was deposed, and my treasonous brother thought it would be too dangerous to let me stay free."
"But how did he get you sent here? I thought your brother was disgraced, and you were supposed to be some kind of great firebending prodigy." Zirin cast an inquisitive grin in Azula's direction.
"This woman seems to know an awful lot. Must she pry for every scrap of information?"
"I… I lost an Agni Kai against him." Azula felt awful admitting it, but she didn't think Zirin would give up until she got the truth. Instead of mocking her, Zirin simply stared at Azula curiously. The gears in her head were turning, trying to think up what to say next. But Azula beat her to the punch.
"Why are you in here Zirin?"
"Oh… it's not much. I'm just a criminal, I have been for years. My firebending makes me too dangerous to keep in an ordinary prison, so I was sent here. I was out a few times, but then I roughed up some kids a while back, and that was the last straw. I've been stuck in jail ever since."
Zirin crawled over towards the wall separating her cell from Azula's and briefly looked behind her. Then she removed a piece of the wall and grabbed Azula's shoulder.
"What are you doing? You're going to get us caught!"
"Don't worry, there's no one around. And even if there was, they'd only suspect you. I act like an idiot whenever the guards are around, so they have no idea I'm capable of this."
"Still, what are you trying to accomplish by getting so close?"
"I want to talk to you… privately." Zirin lowered her voice to a whisper, and Azula moved closer to listen. "I've been cooking up a plan to get out of here, but I needed more firebenders to help me and the girls. But I'm sure the princess of the Fire Nation is as strong as ten firebenders combined. Are you interested, or would you rather stay here forever?"
"I'm… I guess I'm in."
"Good. Now listen very carefully, because I'm not going to repeat myself."
The plan Zirin came up with was surprisingly simple. They would wait until the end of the month when a large shipment of liquor was delivered to the prison. In the past, the guards always managed to convince the warden to drink until he blacked out. That way they could party like it was the end of the world and he would be none the wiser.
Then around an hour or two after midnight, Azula and Zirin would use their firebending to cut through the bars and release everyone in the cellblock. They would neutralize any guards they encountered before finding an entrance to the air vents. Then they would hide inside and reveal themselves during lunch time when the other prisoners were all gathered together. That would start a riot, and they would use the chaos to escape.
It seemed like a foolish idea to Azula, but she decided to go along with it anyways. Besides, it's not like she had a better idea.
Azula, Zirin, and at least two dozen other female prisoners slowly approached the mess hall via the air vents. The guards had discovered their melted cell bars early in the morning, but everyone was still too drunk to contemplate searching the vents. If any of them were even small enough to fit that was.
Zirin made several quick movements with her fingers, and signaled for the women to split up into groups. They would approach the mess hall from different directions, thereby improving their chances of success. Zirin then turned towards Azula, a twisted expression on her face.
"Make sure you listen closely princess. You're the least familiar with this plan. The girls and I have been plotting this for a while."
"I must say Zirin, I admire your dedication. Everything has gone perfectly."
Zirin smirked. "Yes, and it will continue to play out just as I intended."
Azula felt a slight twinge of unease about Zirin. Something about the way she had conducted herself bothered her. Azula didn't think the plan would fail, but she still sensed that something was wrong.
"Remember, we drop down second. Then just follow my lead. You're the muscle after all."
Azula nodded and got into position. Once she heard a metallic sound and gasps of surprise from the people below, she knew it was time to act. Azula, Zirin, and the rest of their group dropped below from the vents and landed on a table.
The prisoners eating lunch jumped from surprise and shifted their focus towards the women standing in the center of the mess hall. They didn't notice the other groups descending in the corners of the room at the same time. Azula conjured a stream of fire to draw the attention of the guards, and Zirin strode forward.
"Ladies and gentlemen, guards and inmates, I have an announcement to make! For too long we have been bossed around by these cabbage slugs masquerading as servants of the Fire Nation! They claim to hold back our violent ways, but in reality they are controlling us because we are stronger than them! And if we are strong, it is not only our right to trample over them, it is our righteous duty"
The crowd of prisoners began to murmur their approval, and several began to hold back the guards from getting closer. Zirin's smirk grew, and she delivered the final part of her message.
"Kill these vermin! Kill them all! We riot!"
The other prisoners shouted their approval and began to arm themselves with eating utensils and chairs. Azula briefly spotted warden Tengu in the distance, a look of poorly disguised fear on his face.
Zirin then leapt from the table, and made her way towards a group of guards. Fire erupted from her fists, and she felled them all in one motion. She continued forward, with several prisoners jumping in front of her to deflect the guards.
Azula moved to follow her, but Zirin quickly turned around. "Princess, remember your place!"
Azula hesitated, but she exited through the hallway and ran towards the front gate. Several firebenders moved to follow her. As she left the mess hall, the sounds of fire and death slowly faded.
Azula didn't need to kill the guards near the front gate, as they ran in terror upon realizing who they were fighting. That didn't save them however, as some of Zirin's fellow firebenders chased them down and gutted them. Azula felt a little bit of pity, knowing that the prisoners had acted with such cruel dishonor.
She turned her attention towards the large metal gate separating her from freedom. Azula and the other firebenders got into position, and slammed their fists into the ground, channeling heat into the metal wall. Vast plumes or orange flames engulfed the gate, and it quickly began to glow. Azula did most of the work, and within minutes a hole began to form in the melting steel.
Azula briefly smiled at her handiwork. Nobody else in the Tower could have pulled off such a feat, and it gave her hope that her bending might one day improve. Azula began to walk through the exit, when a fireball landed by her feet, knocking her down.
Azula coughed as the smoke began to fill her lungs, and she cautiously stood up. Zirin slowly approached her, a triumphant smile displayed on her face. Azula noticed the smoke rising from her fists, and she felt a sudden rush of anger.
"A magnificent performance princess, we never could have done it without you!"
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Oh, you really never suspected a thing? I'll take that as a compliment. You see princess… now comes the part where I double-cross you."
Azula's eyes widened. She had heard those words before, only then she had been in control, carefully accounting for the possibility of treachery. In her poor emotional state, she had taken no such precautions this time. Azula hesitantly glanced at the other firebenders and her heart sank, as they all raised their arms in her direction.
"Why…?"
"Why…?" Zirin mockingly repeated Azula's question. "Isn't it obvious? You're a failure to your nation, your people, and your own family. Why would I want to hang around the likes of you?"
Azula was now seething with rage. She steadied herself and dropped into a firebending stance. Zirin did the same.
"Face it princess, you aren't the great hero you used to be. Now you're nothing… and that's all you ever will be."
Zirin, and all the other firebenders, shot flames at Azula's direction. She hastily conjured a shield of fire to protect herself. The trick worked, but it also gave her former allies the chance to get ahead of her. Azula didn't care if she made it out of the Tower at this point. She just wanted those traitors dead.
The memories of all her past betrayals were flooding her mind. Azula was dangerously close to losing control again, she could feel the anguish beginning to consume her. The princess tried to focus on her training.
"A pure expression of firebending… without emotion… the cold-blooded fire..."
The energy around Azula's fingers began to crackle, and she quickly made broad motions with her arms, separating the positive and negative energies. With all her remaining willpower, Azula sent the bolt of lightning forwards.
Time seemed to slow down as the energy soared towards Zirin, a look of genuine shock on her face. She quickly grabbed hold of one of her companions, and shoved them in front of the electricity. The woman burst into flames before she had a chance to realize what was going on. Zirin managed to survive the blast, but she was knocked over, strands of energy still surrounding her body.
Azula dropped to her knees from exhaustion. Her emotions had gotten the better of her, and she could not muster a second attack. She wanted to break down in tears, but she couldn't bring herself to suffer that kind of humiliation ever again.
A wave of prisoners suddenly rushed past her, and Azula lost track of Zirin in the crowd. Her plan had indeed succeeded… exactly how she planned. Soon reinforcements arrived at what was left of the front gate, and they managed to corral the remaining convicts.
At first nobody took notice of Azula, who seemed to be staring into space. Then Warden Tengu arrived, propped up by one of his men. He was extremely disheveled, and his hideous feather suit was badly burned. Azula would have normally taken glee in his suffering, but she couldn't manifest a smart comment, not this time. Tengu pointed at her and whispered something to his guards, and that was the last thing Azula remembered about her time in the Tower.
Not long after, Azula got a change of scenery. Tengu had sent a scathing report to the Fire Lord concerning the goings on at the Fire Nation's second most secure prison, which was now one of it's least secure, if the giant hole in the front was anything to go by. Azula doubted the warden's report was fully accurate, and she suspected that he probably exaggerated her role in the breakout. But nevertheless, Zuko was sure to respond to it.
Azula doubted he would have her banished. That was far too much of a risk. So the next obvious choice would be to transfer her to the Boiling Rock.
Azula was very surprised to discover that neither possibility had come to fruition. Instead, she was being sent to a 'correctional facility' in the countryside. Unlike her previous accommodations, this prison was more focused on rehabilitation than incarceration. Azula was unfamiliar with such locations, and she had no idea what to expect.
It was a small place, or at least it appeared that way on the surface. The facility was staffed by director Tomu, who was equally unpleasant, but did have a much better sense of fashion. His prison was very dreary, and so were its residents. Azula didn't feel much better being there, and that impression was only reinforced when she was placed in a cold room and given some type of drug to suppress her chi. Luckily, the dosage was off for someone from such a powerful family of benders, and for that Azula was grateful.
On her first day Azula was forced to meet with her correctional officer, who would be helping her 'get back on track'.
"Ha, I doubt whatever they have to say will do any good."
The door to Azula's celled opened, and an older man walked inside, accompanied by two female nurses. Azula cast a suspicious look in their direction. They had been watching her since she arrived, and whispering to each other when they thought she wasn't looking. The older man seemed to take notice of Azula's discomfort, and he turned towards his companions.
"Ladies, I think it might be best if I talked to the princess alone."
The woman quickly began to protest, but the man shot them down. "I know I'm taking a risk, but I understood the danger when I began work at this facility. Besides, she shouldn't be able to harm me…" the man paused and looked at the women "assuming you did your job properly that is."
After that particular exchange, the nurses bowed and left the older man alone with Azula. He mustered a slight smile and pulled up a chair to sit on. He placed his hands in his long red robes and waited for Azula to make the first move.
"Normally I would turn this into a staring contest, but you don't look like the kind of person who gives up easily." The man nodded before gesturing for Azula to continue. "And I'd like you to leave as quickly as possible, so let's get this over with."
"Yes, I think introductions are in order. What is your name young lady?"
"What…? You can't be serious! I'm Princess Azula… obviously."
"Are you really? I suppose we'll have to find out."
"What is that supposed to mean? Have you been stealing from the drug cabinet?"
The man briefly chuckled at Azula's comment. "They didn't tell me you had such a strong sense of humor!"
"No, the previous warden took offense to my jokes. I… I guess it's nice to know there's at least someone who appreciates them."
"Don't worry princess. I've lived long enough to realize there's nothing to be gained from squabbling over someone's comments. Oh… my name is Akio by the way."
"Well… I'd say it's nice to meet you. But I'm not in the best mood, being chained to the walls and everything."
Akio merely nodded at her observation. "I suppose I should explain what the purpose of our meetings will be. When I am here, we can talk about anything you would like. Although I would encourage you to explore topics that cause you pain, so we can learn to better understand them. I'll be quite blunt, while I am prepared to be understanding, I will not exist to simply confirm your own feelings. Your brother told me you like to be challenged."
Azula scowled at the mention of her brother. "That is… unless the Fire Lord is mistaken?" Azula shook her head.
"As I suspected, it is always good to know where someone stands. I would also encourage you to participate. I can help you along, but you will get more out of these sessions if you put more into them. Besides, it's not like you have something better to do."
Azula lowered her head. Although it pained her to admit it, everything Akio had said was true.
"Now, how about we get started? Putting any political complications aside, I have been told that you have been… unstable lately. Assuming this is an accurate assertion, what has caused you the most unease."
"Everything…" Azula whispered.
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."
"Everything is wrong… all of it…"
"I see. Then we better get started!"
Azula's first few months at the new facility had gone about as well as she expected, which was to say, not very good at all. After the first month, Azula had mostly gotten over her anger at Zirin. She had reasoned that it was partly her fault for trusting her, and Akio agreed. Although he had cautioned her that trust alone was not the issue. Rather, it was whom you choose to trust.
Azula was skeptical. In her opinion, nobody was trustworthy, and it would be hard to prove otherwise. Without anger, Azula had become more morose. The only meaningful interactions she had were with Akio, and those meetings quickly became frustrating. The old man reminded Azula of her uncle, with his strange and often unclear advice.
As time progressed Azula began to reconstruct herself. She relaxed her mind and became stronger through sheer willpower. Azula tried not to think about her position in a cell. She could always break out if she desperately needed to, and she kept a kernel of hope at the back of her mind. Hope that one day Zuko would welcome her back. It seemed like a wishful idea, given all the bad blood between them, yet Akio had showed her proof that the Zuko was monitoring her progress.
Azula often wondered what her life would have been like if she had been more caring towards her brother. Her father would have deemed such thoughts useless and impractical, but Azula didn't care. Ozai's teachings had provided her with many skills, but they still failed her in the end. What if Zuko had told her about his plan to join the Avatar? What if she had went along with him? Azula knew that deep down such a scenario would have never happened; she had been too caught up in her father's war. But it was such a tempting idea…
After a year in the correctional facility, Azula was feeling much better about herself. She had found stability and relative peace of mind. She still yearned for more, but she had managed to stop dwelling on the past. Sadly, Azula felt like her past was all there was, and she couldn't see much of a future for herself.
One night Azula slipped into a dream that seemed oddly familiar. She saw a reflection of herself, or at least what appeared to be her. The Azula she saw appeared older, with her hair down and her clothes sporting a much less militaristic look. Unlike last time, this Azula wasn't crying. Instead, she held her head high, a gentle smile on her face.
The following night Azula dreamt of her father. Unlike last time, Ozai wasn't a regal and menacing presence. Instead he was hunched over and wore a ragged tunic in place of his royal garments. He didn't sneer at her for failing or criticize her for being weak. Instead his head was held low, and he didn't dare raise it to look at her.
The next night Azula dreamt of her former friends Mai and Ty Lee. Mai's expression wasn't full of hate, or any other emotion for that matter. She was back to her normal sullen self, exactly how Azula remembered her. Ty Lee didn't laugh. Instead she fidgeted nervously before finally offering forgiveness to her friend.
On the subsequent night, Azula dreamt of her brother. Zuko was dressed in the traditional robes of the Fire Lord, which gave him a very majestic appearance. This time he didn't attack her, but instead reached out with his hand, beckoning for her to join him.
By the fifth night Azula was beginning to recognize a pattern. And just like she anticipated, she dreamt of her mother. Ursa didn't berate her daughter or call her a monster. Instead she apologized, and asked for forgiveness.
On the sixth night Azula dreamt of her Uncle. Iroh didn't chastise her for ending up like his brother. Instead he reflected on his own past and the similarities he shared with his niece, before cheerfully offering her a cup of tea.
On the seventh night Azula expected to dream about her grandfather, but in the end he never appeared. Instead she dreamt of a young girl. The child never turned to look at her and spoke not a word. Yet Azula still felt a strange sense of familiarity, like it was someone she should have known. She tried to call out to the girl, but to no avail.
The following morning seemed like any other, until Azula heard to the lock on her door click open. Nobody ever opened her cell at that particular time. Azula knew she was in for a surprise, but she would have never anticipated who was about to walk through the door. Slowly, she lifted up her head and saw a face she hadn't seen in a long time.
"Hello… brother…"
The metallic sound of clanking armor brought Azula back to the present. An Imperial Firebender had just passed her in the hall without bowing. A slight smirk emerged on Azula's face as she coughed to get his attention.
"Good evening Princess…" The guard spoke with a slightly hesitant tone.
"Yes, it is a good evening. And it would be even better if you had the wherewithal to properly greet the Princess of the Fire Nation."
"Yes Princess…"
"You seem like you have something to say. Am I correct in that judgment?" The guard slowly nodded in response. "Very well, spit it out."
"On second thought Princess… it's really nothing."
"Oh I don't think it's nothing…" Azula leaned in closer to the guard, her voice a quiet whisper, "You think I did something to Zuko, don't you?"
"All I can say is that the Fire Lord was acting very strange when you pulled him out of those tunnels…"
"If it makes you feel any better, I haven't the slightest idea what came over him. Besides, is what the Fire Lord chooses to do your concern?" Azula locked eyes with the guard, her searing gaze penetrating his mind. The man fidgeted nervously before finding the courage to speak up.
"Actually Princess… it is my concern. The Imperial Firebenders live to serve and protect the Fire Lord, no matter the cost!"
Azula briefly let a smile creep onto her face, and she backed away from the guard before turning to leave. As her form moved away, she called back to the man. "Very good solder, you're dismissed."
Azula chuckled, suddenly finding herself in a pleasant mood. "It feels so good to be back!"
Author's Note
I'm sure you're all sick of the flashbacks by now, but I felt this one was important, and this seemed like a good place to put it story-wise. We'll be moving back to the present for the next few chapters! Also, please let me know what you think of the action scenes. There're going to be a lot more of them in the future, so I'd like to know what you enjoyed about them and what you think I can improve. As always, thanks for reading! : )
