Disclaimer: Avatar the Last Airbender belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, not me.

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Night in the Ba Sing Se palace was unsettling. Wooden floors creaked, hordes of servants rustled past, the color green permeated everything. Zuko leaned back at his desk and huffed. He'd spent all day hiding in his room, and it was starting to make him go stir-crazy.

Zuko slipped out of the room and walked quietly down the hall. The passageway was cold and quiet; he folded his arms and made his way towards the kitchen.

He paused. The door to his sister's bedroom was cracked slightly open. He could hear Azula talking in a soft voice, even laughing. She sounded more gentle than he'd ever heard her, but that meant nothing. Azula could be quite convincing when she wanted to be.

He walked slowly, his footsteps barely making a sound. And yet-

"Zuko, come in here."

He closed his eyes, sighed, and crossed to Azula's bedroom. "Are things back to normal?" he asked warily.

Azula sat on her bed, her legs folded under her. The girl sat in front of her, her long hair unbound and hanging in a thick, silky mass over her small shoulders. Azula lazily drew a brush through the child's hair. "Of course things are normal," she said. "The question is whether or not you're back to normal."

"Me? Oh, I'm fine," Zuko said. "I'm not pretending a kidnapped little girl is my sister, so I'm perfectly fine."

"Don't be so mean," Azula said. "You're hurting Isla's feelings." She tied the girl's hair back with a wide silk ribbon.

"That can't be her real name," Zuko said. "Isla was our grandmother's name. This is some random girl who's not even Fire Nation."

"Father named her after our grandmother," Azula said patiently. "Just like I'm named after our grandfather. Goodness, Zuko, you've forgotten everything." She frowned. "And besides, just because Isla isn't a firebender like us doesn't mean that she's not part of our family. How could you be so cruel?" She shook her head and turned to the child. "It's past your bedtime, Isla. Go on." The girl slid off the bed. Azula kissed her on the cheek. "I'll come tuck you in in a moment."

It might have been his imagination, but it almost looked like the girl's face paled. Azula cleared her throat. "What?" Zuko said.

"Aren't you going to say goodnight to your sister?" Azula said.

"Goodnight," he said shortly, and turned to leave.

"Be nice, Zuzu," Azula warned. "Give her a kiss goodnight."

Zuko approached the little girl cautiously. Her misty green eyes stared off in the distance. Lightly he touched his lips to her soft cheek. "Goodnight," he said, his voice finally softening.

Azula snapped her fingers. A Dai Li agent materialized and escorted the girl out of the room. "If she's our sister, why is she guarded?" Zuko said.

"Don't be stupid. She's blind, and she's in a house she's not familiar with," Azula said. "Besides, she sleepwalks. If we don't have guards around her, she can get hurt. Remember when she fell down the stairs when she was six?"

"No, I don't," Zuko said. "I only met the kid a day ago."

Azula stood up, crossing her arms. "Zuko," she said. "My patience is wearing thin." She pulled her long hair over one shoulder. "Besides, you'll hurt Isla's feelings."

Zuko turned and stalked away. "You'll come around," Azula called after him. "I know you will."

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Zuko tossed and turned. It had to be two o'clock in the morning, but he couldn't sleep. He sat up, the sheet sliding away from his shoulders, and rubbed his pounding temples. Slowly he stood up and wandered towards the door. Maybe a drink would help him sleep.

The halls of the palace were silent. No one was awake at this godforsaken hour but him. His footsteps echoed against the enameled walls and vaulted ceilings.

He turned the corner and nearly ran into the Dai Li agent at the door. The man didn't acknowledge him. "Sorry," Zuko mumbled.

He stared, bleary-eyed, at the closed door. This must be where Azula's keeping the kid, he realized.

The whole palace was quiet, but he could hear someone talking behind the door. The voice was intense, familiar, and too indistinct for him to understand. There was a sharp sound, like a palm striking skin, and then a second voice- soft, breathy, and terrified.

Zuko's stomach twisted as he stood there and listened. The first voice murmured something. The bed creaked. The second voice rose, spiraling louder, until he heard another stinging hit and the voice was muffled.

Azula's hurting that kid, he realized.

He stood by the door a little longer, straining to hear the stifled exchange of words. But he gave up, and he walked away.

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Author's Note:

Gaugh, this chapter sucks. Sorry about that.

Let me know what you think! And the next chapter will be better, I promise.