Yet another idea that came from Avatar Spirit's Shipping thread...



Safe

Azula opened her eyes. Stupid Mommy was still sitting the cell across from her. With a huff of annoyance, the young princess spoke. "You can leave, you know. I don't need two of you."

Stupid Mommy's smile nearly faltered. "I'm the only one here."

That's why Stupid Mommy was Stupid Mommy. "I know that, Dum Dum. Smart'n'Mean Mommy isn't here right now because I broke the mirror again. Once Zu Zu has another one sent, she'll be back. And he will send one. It's the only thing he can do for me now, and he doesn't want me to be sad because he thinks I'm sad too much. But I don't think so. I smile sometimes when I get a new mirror, and sometimes I like sending Smart'n'Mean Mommy away, too."

"Oh," Stupid Mommy cooed, "there's no need to be sad. Here in Ba Sing Se we are safe."

That's why Stupid Mommy was Stupid Mommy. "No, we're not, Dum Dum. We're in the Fire Nation. Well, I am, at least. You left during the war, and sometimes I see you when Zuko and the others say you aren't really there, so maybe you're in Ba Sing Se."

"How could I leave during the war? There is no war. Here in Ba Sing Se, we're safe behind the walls."

"I hate you," Azula declared amiably. "My other Mommy is really mean, but at least she knows there's a war. I don't care if people hate me, so long as they're smart about things. If Zuko and Mai and Ty Lee had been smart, we would have won the war and be happy right now."

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se." Stupid Mommy's perpetual smile became even wider.

Azula just sighed, and crawled over to the shards of the broken mirror to hug them. Now she missed Smart'n'Mean Mommy. She hoped Zuko sent a new mirror soon.

Ursa, sitting her cell across from her daughter, saw the mirrored shards cut Azula's skin as she hugged them. The princess wasn't trying to hurt herself, but it happened away, unnoticed. Ursa would have been more concerned, but her eyes were obviously lying. How could Azula be cut and bleeding if she was safe here in Ba Sing Se?

END