All Bottled Up
…
A ship was waiting on the docks of the Fire Nation homeland. On it were rebels who wished to restore the old Order before Zuko become Fire Lord.
The captain was a large man dressed in simple red clothes; he was bald and grim. His crews were equally anxious. Then they saw it, a group of dark clad figures heading toward them, carrying a sack.
"They are here." one of the crew said grimily.
"Good." The captain said. "We will set sail for the Earth Kingdom." They won't think to look for us there."
The arrivals walked up the gangplank and onto the ship.
The captain of the ship said to his first mate. "How is our princess?" The Captain demanded, glaring at the sack they carried.
"Sedatives are still running their course." One of the arrivals said. "She won't be lucid for a while."
The captain frowned. "Take her to my cabin and make her comfortable. We will explain things when she is coherent."
"Yes, sir." The one of the men said as he and his team carried the sack to the ship.
"Set the sails." The Captain ordered. "We are leaving now."
As the crew carried out the order, the captain snorted. "They are mistaken if they think propaganda against Azula's sanity will deter us." He said in a crafty voice.
Inside the cabin, a bed was set up. "Alright, careful." One of the crew said as the men undid the sack and gently pulled out a woman.
She wore the uniform of an Asylum patient. Her dark hair was unruly, her eyes unfocused. Her breathing was soft, due to the sedatives making her comfortable.
She was gently laid on a bed and they took a step back. "You are alright, our princess." One of the men told the drugged woman. "We have saved you."
Azula suddenly giggled and sighed as if she was in perfect bliss.
…
…Zuko was in his office, reviewing paperwork when a guard came running in.
"Sir, I've got some bad news." He said, gasping.
"What is it?" Zuko asked, concerned.
"Your sister has escaped." The guard answered.
Zuko got to his feet. "What?" He exclaimed. "How did it happen?"
The guard looked tense. "As near as I can reconstruct, she was aided."
Zuko looked tense. "How?" He demanded. "Who aided her?"
"We don't know yet, my lord." The guard said nervously. "The medical staff is being held for questioning. We think some of them might have smuggled her out and turned her over to those that wish her to lead them against you."
Zuko sighed. "Then they have made a deadly mistake." He said, rubbing his head.
"I have sent patrols to search the land." The guard explained. "If she is still around, we'll find her."
"Good." Zuko sighed. "She shouldn't be stealthy in her frame of mind." He said. "Use extreme caution. Use lethal force if necessary."
"Yes, my lord." The guard said, turning to leave.
Zuko sighed. "My family problems never seem to end."
...
..."We will be in the Earth Kingdom soon." A sailor told the Captain. "Shouldn't be more then a day."
"Good." The Captain said softly. "We should hide in the wild regions far from civilization. There we shall make our plans and-."
BOOM- the cabin of the ship suddenly exploded like a raging volcano, fire blazing. Crew ran around in surprise, shock and fear.
"What happened?" The captain demanded, unsure what had happened.
A figure stepped out from the blazing cabin. The captain gasped. The figure was Azula. She was slouching, her hair singed, her fire proof clothing coated in ash, and her face held an expression of maniacal glee.
"My princess." The Captain exclaimed "What are you doing?"
"I'm going to kill every traitor on this ship!" Azula declared, fire blazing behind her.
The captain couldn't understand what was happening. "My princess." He began earnestly. "We are not traitors."
"Liars!" Azula screamed, swinging her arm as if trying to shoot lightening, but nothing happened. "You kidnap me." Her eyes blazed. "You wish to kill me so I won't be able to kill Zuko."
The Captain couldn't believe what was hearing. The ship then creaked and tilted. Everyone was shaken, while Azula fell to the deck.
"Sir, we are sinking." A sailor called out. "We have to abandon ship!"
"AAAAAAHHH!" Azula screamed and pointed and out of her hands a few sparks flew from her hands as if she had no energy. "You will pay for your treachery!" She pointed again and out from her hands came two streams of fire. The crew on deck jumped overboard, though most got scorched before hitting the ocean.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" Azula laughed insanely as the ship sank deeper into the water, a cloud of steam appeared as the blazing fire touched the water.
The ship sank and all seemed to be lost forever.
…
…It was night. On a deserted beach all was quiet and unassuming. A figure waddled from the water and onto the sandy beach. Azula coughed as her weary body fell onto the sand. She laid there unmoving. Hours later, the sun came up. With a groan, Azula got to her feet. She was soaked and relatively clean, and completely insane.
"I showed them." She smirked, her eyes darting to and fro. "No one can betray me and get away with it." Her face was suddenly full of fear. "Zuko will find me." She said her voice unsteady. "I mustn't get captured. I won't get captured."
She took off in one direction.
...
...Azula ran across open plains, her thoughts and emotions distorted. She didn't know where she was going or what she would do. Before long she reached the edge of a great desert.
She stopped and gasped raggedly. Her crazed yellow eyes darted to and fro. "I mustn't get captured." She said uneasily. "I can't get captured." She giggled manically. "I'll never get captured."
She raised a hand a tried to shoot a lightening at the sky but only a spark flew out. "Grrr." Azula grunted, spewing blue smoke from her mouth.
Her skill as a bender had become erratic, changing to raging inferno to nothing and back again.
Azula suddenly fell onto the sandy ground of the desert floor, her energy spent. She lay there sighing for several minutes, the sun blazed on her. "I hunger." She moaned wearily. "I wish for food."
She got to her knees, her scowl deepened. "AAAAAAAHHHHH!" She screamed and tried to blast the ground at her feet, this time she produced two bolts of lightning which exploded, causing her to go flying backwards, and landing on her back.
Azula got up groaning. She saw a smoke rising from where she had been standing, a leering smile spread across her face. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!" She laughed insanely at her accomplishment.
Then without warning the ground shook. Azula froze, confused by what was happening. The ground seemed to move as some stone door underneath opened up leading to some unknown place.
Azula cocked her head as she eyed the entrance. Then she walked towards the opening without any coherent reason and looked inside.
"Ooh, I've done it." She cackled. "Daddy would be so proud of me."
Azula walked down the stairs, stumbling a little and entered some underground cavern.
Azula's maniacal glee suddenly dropped and she becomes depressed. "I used to be princess of the Fire Nation." She murmured. "Now I'm the lowest of the low." She sobbed. "And my mother thinks I'm a monster."
Azula cried for several minutes till she couldn't cry anymore. Gasping, she rubbed her eyes and looked around. "I mustn't let them find me." She said, her eyes darting around. "I mustn't…" She paused.
There some distant away amidst the dirt poor lighting was a bottle. It seemed made of bronze and had jewels engraved on it. Azula went over to the bottle, a dazed expression on her face.
"Its…Pretty." She gasped; her crazed eyes focused on the sparkling gems.
Azula reached out a trembling hand and grasped the metallic bottle. Giggling, she started to rub it.
The bottle shuddered. Azula blinked in surprised. Suddenly, green smoke poured from a bottle in Azula's hand.
"EEEP!" She gasped, stumbling backwards. The smoke cleared and a young girl in an Earth Kingdom outfit came out and kneeled to Azula.
"Oh, thank you, mistress, for freeing me from my prison." Said the girl. "Now I will grant you whatever you wish!"
"AAAA!" Azula screamed and pointed shooting two lightning bolts from her fingers at the girl. The lightening exploded on contact, creating smoke. Azula panted as the smoke cleared and the young girl stood unfazed.
"Are you alright mistress?" The girl asked skeptically.
Azula pointed again, nothing happened. "You're not real!" She stated, her breathing ragged.
The young girl examined her new master. She was pale and wiry. She wore pale fire proof tunic and pants that were a little dirty. Her hair was a tangled mess and her eyes were feverous. She didn't seem sane.
"I won't harm you." The girl assured her.
"Harm?" Azula exclaimed, her mood shifted from panic to indignation. "I can't be harmed." She stood tall. "I am Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation." Then she scowled. "Who are you?"
"My name is Rena." The girl said, looking weary. "I am the genie of the bottle. Since you released me I must serve you."
Azula eyed the girl skeptically. "Genies are real?" She asked, not believing what she was hearing.
"Yes." Rena said. "And I have to grant whatever you whatever you wish."
Azula froze as a memory surfaced, becoming crystal clear. There were many legends surrounding the Desert regions of the Earth Kingdom. One of these legends said that there were magical bottles hidden in the wasteland. These bottles contained genies. According to legend, genies were beings banished from the Spirit World forced to serve humans for a time. If one found a genie, that spirit would be their servant and fulfill their heart's desire.
And she had found one. "Then how could I have come into the Earth Kingdom." She murmured her mind confused. "I was in the Fire Nation."
"Mistress?" Rena asked, not sure what Azula meant.
Azula then become aware of her empty stomach again. "Hungry." She rasped, sinking to her knees.
Rena looked thoughtful. "Do you wish for food?" She asked softly.
Azula looked desperately at the genie. "Yes." She rasped. "I wish to eat."
Rena pointed and an array of food appeared before the former Princess. Azula looked dazed as if she couldn't tell reality from illusion. Then she jumped at the food like a hungry predator and ate like one too.
…...
...Azula got to her feet, her stomach satisfied and her strength renewed. She looked thoughtfully at Rena as her crazed mind becomes focused. "I wonder what I should ask for." She whispered "I could ask you to kill little Zu-zu." She chuckled. "So I can reclaim the throne immediately. Or I could ask for the Avatar's head on a pike. Or…"
"Hold it." Rena interjected. "I wasn't clear on genie rules. There are some wishes I can't grant."
Azula glared at her. "Now listen, slave!" She snarled. "You are mine and you'll do what I say."
Rena looked at Azula, wondering how to reason with such a psychopath. "And I'm saying there are some wishes I can't do." She repeated slowly.
Azula screamed and tried to unleash lightening at Rena, but nothing happened.
"No, no, no!" She screamed bitterly. "I am a princess you have to obey me!" Suddenly a thought came to her mind. She looked at the genie.
Rena grew tense, wondering what this crazy woman was about to do.
"Since you can't use your powers to obey me." Azula sneered, "Maybe you should give them to someone who can."
Rena frowned. "I'm not sure what-"
"I wish your powers became my own!" Azula screamed.
Rena stared at Azula and shrugged. "As you wish" she said in a smug tone and snapped her fingers.
Azula doubled over. She was surrounded by a red light as she felt infinite power coursing through her.
The smoke cleared and the Genie eyed Azula with droll amusement. Azula had been transformed. She was clean, looking like she had bathed recently. Her dark hair was cleaned and arranged in regal fashion. Her prison uniform was gone and in its placed, she wore a red sleeveless top, red trousers and a gold belt adorned her waist. Her feet were clad in soft red shoes.
"Incredible!" she exclaimed, "I can feel it! I can do anything! I can go anywhere! I'll be the ruler of this world!"
"Now don't be too hasty." Rena said in the same smug tone. "You got my powers now. But you also got my responsibilities."
"What do you… aaah!" said Azula as a gold bracelet appeared and snapped onto her left wrist, and another on her right wrist. "What's going on?" She demanded.
"You're a genie now." The humanized genie answered. "And you got everything that goes with it."
Then Azula looked at Rena and then she understood.
"No!" She screamed, and raised her hands to fire bend, and froze as some unseen force held her in place. "What is happening to me!?" She screamed, struggling against the magical restraints.
"You're a genie." Rena answered as she went over to her old bottle. "And right now I wish you to go into my old bottle."
"No!" Azula screamed as red smoke enveloped her, drawing her into the bottle the girl held before her.
Rena sighed in relief. She pointed to the ground and nothing happened. "No magic." She murmured. "Well at least I'm not trapped in that bottle anymore." She turned and reached the entrance Azula had made to come here.
A short time later, the doorway closed, sealed again, hidden from human eyes.
Months later
Fire Lord Zuko was in his palace balcony looking at into the city. His wife, Mai entered, looking grave. "Still thinking about Azula?' She asked softly.
"Yes." Zuko admitted. "She has not been seen in months. But why?"
"Do you think she is lying low?" Mai asked. "Maybe she is waiting for you to relax your guard before she tries something?"
Zuko groaned. "I don't know, maybe." He said. "She was always clever. But ever since Sozen's comet, she became completely insane. I don't see how she could do something so complex."
Mai nodded. "Did you ever think she is dead?" She asked.
Zuko glared at her, causing her to winch. "Sorry." He apologized. "I don't know."
"Well she isn't stable." Mai said coolly. "And I don't see how she can survive on her own in her condition."
"I suppose your right." Zuko conceded, his emotions mixed.
"It's OK." Mai assured him. "You did all you could for her." She scowled. "More than most people would." She added.
Zuko nodded and glanced at the City below, still wondering if Azula was out there plotting to reclaim the throne or running amok.
...
..."AAAAAAHHHH!" Azula screamed and blasted the walls of her prison, having no effect. "CURSE YOU! I'LL GET YOU!" She wailed out. "I WILL be free! I WILL! BE! FREE!"
…
To Be Continued
Author note:
Well there you have it, insane Azula is a genie and trapped in a bottle.
As for Azula being drugged, I am morally dubious about such treatments in an asylum, but I did for several reasons.
Due to her powers and insanity, she would be hard to restrain. While I favor stories with Aang removing her bending, it was essential to the plot that she keep it. I don't think I compromised my morals by putting drugs in my story. Its normal for asylums and it was precursor to the plot and doesn't innately reflect my moral view.
The radicals that rescued Azula are desperate and quick to dismiss the claims that Azula was insane- which is why they broke her out.
As for the rules of the genie, I got them from Disney's Aladdin. You'll learn more about the rules in a future chapter.
As for Azula's character, authors have different concepts of her mental state following Sozem's Comet, and this I felt was the best one for the story.