Disclaimer: Don't own.
A/N: I'm almost done. I have solid ideas for the last four letters (wow that's weird to write). Thank you to everyone for everything.
It took all of Katara's courage (and the better part of three years) to ask Zuko if she could see Ozai. She wanted to see the face of the man who thought he could conqueror the world and sent the Southern Raiders on their mission. Though she knew Zuko's relationship with his father had never been great, especially not now, she still had no idea the fully extent of their past.
"Katara, are you sure you want to see him?" Zuko asked as they walked to the prison.
"I'm sure. I've seen pictures of him and know he's locked away without his bending but I need to see this for myself. It's taken me awhile to even want to go." She looked at his expressionless face and tried not to squint as the sunlight reflected off his crown.
He exhaled. "All right but I'm staying with you the entire time."
"Were you just going to make me go back? We're on our way there."
"I was trying to talk you out of this while on the way. I forgot how stubborn you are." They walked the rest of the way in silence. The guards bowed to them as they walked in. This was another moment when Katara was reminded that her friend, possibly her best friend if she was honest with herself, was a very powerful man.
They stopped in front of a plain door. "Uncle was held two cells over after Ba Sing Se," Katara remembered Zuko saying his Uncle had been imprisoned and she thought it rather fitting Ozai was also here. He gripped the handle, "be warned, he's been just in here. Mentally he's pretty much the same. Physically is another story." With that they entered.
The first thing Katara noticed was the rank smell of unwashed human and the acrid smell of urine. The metal cage that held Ozai seemed ordinary enough but Katara didn't really care. There, sitting on a thin bed mat, was the former Fire Lord. His hair was a tangled mess and his face covered in a wiry beard. Nothing like the picture Aang had brought back from school or the portrait that hung outside the throne room.
"My illustrious son as decided to visit me," Ozai sneered. "And he brought a little friend. Did you want your girlfriend to meet your father?"
"You will address Master Katara with the respect she deserves," Zuko cautioned.
"So the Water Tribes are making little girls masters now? It seems fitting for ice bound barbarians." Katara's fingers twitched. She felt the water on the walls and the other liquids in the room (even the ones she didn't want to think of what they were).
She took a steadying breath. "Did you send the Southern Raiders to kill the last Southern waterbender?" She wanted to know this. Wanted to not only see the face of the man who did it but also the one who ordered it.
"Once I was told there was another waterbender, yes I did. Keeping waterbenders prisoners is a cumbersome task. Better to just kill them on sight."
"Why? Why the Southern Tribe? What did we ever do to you!" Katara was screaming now and she didn't care.
"Your little Tribe meddled in affairs that were not their own. They always went to the aid of the Earth Kingdom. The North at least had the decency to hide themselves off from the world."
"You're a horrible person."
"So I've been told. But tell me this Master," he said the world like a curse, "if you had an opportunity would you kill me?"
She balked at the question. "I honestly don't know. From what I can tell that makes me a better person than you ever were and ever will be. Come on Zuko, let's go." She took his hand and stalked out of the cell. Once Zuko closed the outer door Katara began to shake.
"Are you all right?" He asked watching her.
"I…don't know. I always wondered what kind of a person he was and now that I know I'm not sure why I wanted to know." Zuko embraced her at that moment.
"I know, come on. When we get back…we'll have some tea." She nodded and they began to walk out. Zuko kept his arm wrapped around Katara's shoulder the whole way.
A month after Katara's visit to Ozai she was still in the Fire Nation. She wasn't sure what was keeping her there but she didn't want to leave. Zuko had begun to talk about his relationship with his father almost immediately after the visit but Katara sensed he wasn't telling her everything. When he was ready he would tell her everything.
She never expected she would be on her way to go visit his sister. Zuko had asked if she would come with him to see Azula. When asked why he even wanted to see his sister his response startled her.
"She's my sister Katara. No matter what she still is. Once Uncle told me she was crazy and needed to be stopped and I believed him. Then I came back to the Fire Nation and had to be around her. I hadn't seen her, really, for three years and she had these moments where I could see what my little sister could have been like. And now…now she's this shell. She's not the person she was and not that I want the vindictive Azula back but I at least want to know if she can ever be all right again."
"You want her to get better?" She asked.
"When I told Uncle what happened to her he asked me what I thought would be best for her. After a lot of talking I just said I wanted her better. He said he was proud of me because I was willing to give her a chance. Please just come with me. Maybe you know something that can help her." The pleading in Zuko's voice made Katara agree. She knew Sokka would be asking the same thing if she were in Azula's condition.
The facility Azula was in couldn't have been more different than Ozai's if it tried. The plain building nestled on the edge of the Capital with the caldera wall right behind it. Around the building was a large wall behind which were immaculate gardens.
"Fire Lord," a woman dressed in a plain light red dress (Katara couldn't call it pink, that was too happy a color) bowed to Zuko. "Princess Azula is doing well today. And you brought a guest?"
"This is Master Katara. She has healing abilities and, from what I've been told, can heal the mind as well as body. I've asked her to take a look at Azula."
"That sounds promising my Lord," she led the way to Azula's room. Later Zuko told her that there were others there as well, those who came back from fighting and didn't seem to be able to deal with life anymore.
Katara's first glimpse of the princess since she chained her to the ground startled her. The once proud girl sat on the bed wearing a wrinkled robe, tracing invisible patterns on the blanket. Katara noted the leather cuffs on the bed and realized that "Azula doing well" meant that they weren't needed.
"Princess your brother is here to see you," their guide said before turning to leave. "When you're finished I'll be down the hall." Zuko nodded.
"Zuzu you came to see me?" She sounded helpless.
"I did and I brought you some fire gummies," he pulled a little bag out of his pocket and handed it to her as he sat down next to her on the bed.
"Thank you." Katara was surprised Azula even knew those words.
"This is my friend Katara. She might be able to help you," Zuko motioned for Katara to come into the room.
Azula looked at Katara before her eyes went wide. "No Zuzu! I don't like her! She froze me Zuko! GET HER AWAY FROM ME!" She threw the bag of candy at Katara.
"You better go," Zuko said as he wrestled his sister to the bed. Katara knew that was for the best and left the room. She didn't want to close the door behind her or go back to talk with the woman who showed them the room. Instead she just waited outside, eavesdropping on the conversation.
"Shhh, Azula. She's gone, she's not going to freeze you," Zuko soothed.
"It was cold Zuzu, I didn't like it. Don't let her near me again."
"I won't. Here," Katara heard the rustle of his robes, "I brought another bag for you." He paused. "In case something happened to the first one." Katara wondered how many things he brought that she either burned or threw somewhere. "I heard you're feeling better."
Katara almost missed Azula's quiet response. "I haven't seen her in awhile. Everyone tells me that's a good thing. But I think I miss seeing Mom. I don't know why, she always liked you better."
"We just spent more time together. You always spent more time with Dad." It took Katara a minute to realize that "Dad" meant Ozai. Katara felt like more of intruder at that moment then before. She tried to tune out the rest of the conversation and managed to do so pretty well.
When Zuko finally left he called the woman back over and thanked her for taking care of Azula. Katara didn't know what to say as they left.
"So you've met all my family now," Zuko muttered without looking at Katara.
She took his hand in hers and made sure the lace their fingers together. "You know I'm your family too as are Sokka, Aang, Toph, and Suki." Zuko didn't say anything, he just squeezed her hand.
A/N2: I've wanted to write Azula for a while now. I'm not sure how she came out but she was here. I also played a little fast and loss with the time line concerning Ozai ordering the attack on the Southern Water Tribe. It could happen but it probably would have had to been the first official thing he did.