She glanced around nervously as she made her way down the damp halls of the Fire Lord's palace. She paused, shivering as she tried to get her bearings, looking for some warmth within her but finding none.
For some strange reason, the walls around her seemed to have lost its color, its luster. It was as if their vibrancy was slowly being snuffed out, reflecting the image of the girl that stood before them. She was no longer Azula, the feared fire-breathing princess of Fire Lord Ozai. No, not anymore. Now, she was little more than a husk, a shell of her broken, former self.
Suddenly, the walls began to crumble, collapsing into the never-ending dark abyss below her feet. She gave a silent scream as she fell through the floor, plummeting down into the darkness. Her feet caught solid ground as she landed on a white tiled floor, crumpling to the floor from the impact. White-washed walls surrounded her, as she recognized her room at the mental asylum, only devoid of any furniture. Slowly, she painfully regained her energy as she forced herself up. She winced as she moved; her body felt like a ton of bricks. She held the tears that were now burning inside her skull. She never wanted it to turn out like this. She turned, hoping to see something…anything…anyone.
A corpse on the tiles greeted her view.
It was not just any corpse.
It was her corpse.
She gazed in awe as she stared at her own, lifeless body. Azula stared on in horror as she stared into her own lifeless face, those glazed eyes staring back into her. There was no lying to the dead. Never in her life has she ever felt fear like she did right now, those lifeless eyes staring deep into her soul. It was then that her full terror became realized, for the corpse's faded lips began to move, whispering a message for her:
"You have failed. Now, you truly have nothing."
She screamed.
She gasped as she awoke, a cold sweat covering her pale visage. The pale white walls of her asylum room surrounded her once again. She gripped her covers tightly, turning her head as she shut her eyes, trying as hard as she could to forget what had transpired in her dream last night. They keep getting worse and worse, she thought to herself, once she regained her sense of reality. She sighed heavily. Keeping up with all the moments of mental insanity are getting harder and harder.
The Avatar.
She turned slowly to the chair where the young monk was sitting last night. She was surprised by the thought that deep down, she half expected him to still be sitting there.
Sadly, the solitary view of a wooden chair greeted her. To her bemusement, a single sheet of paper was left, folded and sealed on the chair seat. There was not a shred of doubt in her mind that it was a note from the great Avatar himself. She furrowed her brow as she wondered why the all-powerful Avatar would write a letter to the fallen fire princess, who was not even worth spitting at. Gingerly, she picked up the letter and instantly she noticed that a small object was attached inside the letter. Perhaps a parting gift, she sarcastically thought. Just as carefully, she opened the letter and spilt out its contents.
It was a key. The key to her cell door.
She blinked in amazement as she stared in disbelief. Is this some kind of cruel joke? The Avatar had a lot of explaining to do…
Dear Princess Azula,
It has come to my attention that you are much more capable of being a human being than I was previously led on to believe. The only problem is that no one else seems to think the same way. So, being the Avatar, I am taking matters into my own hands. Here is the key to your cell door. I took the liberty of "borrowing" it from a guard last night before I left. I have left your door unlocked. I trust that you will know what I want you to do.
Don't take this as an act of good grace or charity. You still have to prove to me that you are willing and able to change. So this will be your first test. I want you to meet me at the Southern Air Temple when you get out. Then, we can start working on your full recovery. Be warned though, if you choose not to come, I will have no choice but to hunt you down and hand you over to the Earth Kingdom, which I am not readily willing to do. So, for the good of both of us, I look forward to seeing you at the Air Temple.
Sincerely,
Avatar Aang
For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, she did not expect this to happen. Of all the people in the world that have come to help her, it was the man that she had sworn to end that came to her rescue. Idly fingering the solid metal key, she smirked at the irony of her current situation. Perhaps I have misjudged him, she thought.
Azula's thoughts quickly turned to the bolted door that would eventually lead to her salvation. It was a thick metal door, locked by two large bolts and a lock. She recalled that every day at 12 noon, the door would be opened and a guard would quickly slide through her daily rations, which were pitiful at best. Every day, there was would be the metallic scraping of the bolts being opened and then the click of an unlocked door. All she had to do now was wait for the bolts to open. Being locked in this prison for five years without a single instance of attempted escape, she knew pretty well that the guards would not suspect what was to come.
Swiftly, she got out of bed and began preparations for her escape. She glanced at the clock that hung on one of the walls. 11:45 A.M. Right on time, she thought as she silently moved closer to the door. Azula knew that by now, her bending had severely weakened, as being locked up for five years without training can do that. Nevertheless, even without her bending, she knew could use the surprise and confusion of the guards to her advantage. With any luck, I'll pull through alive, she contemplated.
It was then that she heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps getting closer and closer. She readied herself into a stance as she positioned herself at the mouth of the door. As usual, the two metallic scraping sounds of the bolts rang in her ears.
Showtime.
Sitting inside Zuko's private office, the young monk contemplated last night's turn of events. Crossing his legs, he could only hope that he had done the right thing. On the other side of the desk, Fire Lord Zuko stared worriedly at his friend.
"So, how your meeting last night with Azula go?" Zuko blurted, rather awkwardly to the young monk. The air between the two men never really cleared ever since Katara decided to switch sides.
"It was…uneventful. She didn't really respond." Aang replied. He knew he was lying between his teeth. He thanked the spirits that Toph wasn't there.
"Oh, well that's a relief…"
Just then, there was a curt knock on the Fire Lord's door. As Zuko bade him to enter, a gray haired man in his 50s entered. From the quick stride to the worried face that he carried, it was obvious that he was bringing in bad news. Aang knew full well what the matter was about.
"Fire Lord Zuko, I have urgent news." There was a slight tremble in the his voice.
"Speak, Advisor Jee."
"It's Azula. Shes…escaped." The gray-haired man cringed slightly, awaiting Zuko's reaction. Zuko's eyes widened at this realization.
"That's impossible! The building was built especially to hold her!" Zuko replied, clearly in disbelief. There was twinge of doubt within his words though. He knew what Azula was capable of.
"I'm sorry sir. We're doing everything we can find her. Unfortunately, she left no survivors…"
Zuko, finally getting a grip on the situation, sank back down into his chair as he regained his composure. He glanced quickly towards the Avatar, who was equally in disbelief, appearing deep in thought. At least he had to act the part.
"Thank you Advisor. If you'll excuse us now, I'd like to speak to the Avatar in private."
Jee curtly acknowledged the man's request, bowing and closing the door behind him.
This time, it was Aang who started the conversation.
"I'll go and look for her." He turned towards Zuko, trying to sound as serious as possible.
"I guess that's the best way to start. But be careful, don't forget who you're up against." Zuko warned sternly. Even after five years in a mental asylum, Zuko was sure that Azula was still a threat.
"Thanks Zuko. I'll keep it in mind. Take care of Katara for me okay?" Even after all this time, he still couldn't let her go quite yet.
"You know I will Aang. Good luck."
And with that, the two men quickly exchanged friendly smiles and a warm hug. Aang couldn't really blame Zuko for what happened. He tucked his troubles away as he walked out of Zuko's private office and out into the stables where Appa was waiting, happily chewing away at the hay.
Aang gave Appa a quick pet on the nose as he leapt onto the saddle. "Hey buddy, you miss me?" A quick groan from the sky bison was the only reply as a quick Yip Yip sent the pair soaring though the sky, high above the palace. He had no intentions of searching for Azula. He only hoped that she would pull through as he made his way towards the Southern Air Temple.
The young monk always took comfort that when he was traveling alone with Appa, he could have time to think and contemplate life's issues. He peered up into the now dark night sky as he let his mind wander. The full moon was shrouded in the clouds, leaving only the stars to illuminate the Avatar's path. This time, his mind wandered not towards Katara, but towards the fire princess that he was currently trying to save. He heaved a deep sigh as he recalled how troubled she always looked, even when asleep.
If I could save only one person, at least let me save her, he hoped to himself. He couldn't describe the feelings that he felt towards Azula at this point, but he was sure it was no longer fear or hate. But one thing was for sure, he promised himself that he would try to save her, regardless of what the world thought.
One could only imagine the Avatar's overwhelming joy when one week later, a lone figure made its way into the Southern Air Temple. They were dressed rather poorly, a tattered brown cloak and hood was all that covered the figure's body and face. But Aang did not need ceremonial procession to know who was hiding under that cloak.
"It's good to see you again, Azula."
Author's Note:
I do believe an apology is in order for the incredibly late update. I've been vacationing with my folks, which does not leave me a lot of time to let my mind wander and to have the story written. So, a most sincere sorry for everyone and anyone who is following this story.
Now a few words about this chapter. I originally wanted to do a Evangelion-esque nightmare scene in which Azula talks to herself and contemplates her past and her failures. But I didn't like how it turned out, but I'm hoping this is a suitable replacement. I hope the length of this chapter does not become an issue; it is a little short. But anyways, we'll take this story slow, with any luck, I'll get more character development into this shindig :)
And for those of you with a insatiable hunger for Azulaang fluff, don't worry, it's coming :)