Role Reversal

Azutara: AzulaxKatara

The guards always let her in without being watched. It was certainly her right, her prerogative even to see the prisoner she had placed in the asylum when the Avatar defeated the Phoenix King. She was one of his heroic friends, and seemingly his lover, after all. Besides, Azula had not been able to Firebend since the first time she had been institutionalized.

They would always let Katara see Azula alone in the cold room. Even three years after their great battle she came to see her old adversary.

So one day, a dark and stormy afternoon, the Waterbender shut the door behind her with a gentle click and advanced on the former princess sitting in the corner. Azula, who still disliked human interaction, had noticed that this was how the routine always started. Then Katara would sit in the stone chair and stare at her until Azula acknowledged her presence.

The young woman in the chair was not the same hero known by the outside world. This was a very different Katara.

This was a Katara who causes pain and makes Azula cry after she's left her alone. Who calls her monster, and tries to purge the evil out of her broken system. Who grabs her throat hard so that she knows pain too. This Katara seems to relish Azula's pitiful whimpers for forgiveness, but always ignores them.

Long ago, this sort of treatment would not have fazed the Firebender. But she had cracked since then and had become so weak that even her guards pitied her. She never even spoke unless it was screaming from her own nightmares. This was a girl who was once so cruel that her living soul had expired from hatred and now sought fullness in loneliness.

After nearly three years of calm insults, Katara's verbal torture had turned physical. The inmate had fallen to the ground in her corner and begged for the Waterbender to stop explaining why Azula's mind was so black.

With flashing eyes, Katara pulled Azula to her knees by her hair. The Firebender still maintained enough pride not to cry, but her pale lips quivered.

"Do you understand that everyone will hate you until the day you die?" said Katara serenely.

Azula moaned, "Then just kill me, please, I don't want to be hated anymore!"

Her torturer let her fall down, shaking all over, before she left the room with a look of disgust on her face. Azula curled up and wept. She did not eat that day, she did not sleep that night, and she did not move once. The guards came in to make sure she was still breathing.

She knew that Katara's words were true, and she knew that it would have made her happy at one point in her life. But now she was ashamed and afraid and wanted to apologize so that people would stop the feelings that burned her heart.

But she was completely alone for many days. The guards, who she was starting want to see more of, had given her food three times a day and never spoke to her once. The doctors just made sure she hadn't accumulated any diseases or broken bones in her madness. Azula was so cold all the time that she even wished Katara would come back just to make her miserable. At least then she would be able to talk to someone who would listen.

Finally, the Waterbender returned. She did not sit on the thick stone chair, but knelt right next to Azula. It was the closest they had ever been without the Firebender being in pain. This time Katara broke the routine and spoke first.

Her voice was soft, "Do you really want to die, Azula?"

The girl cradled herself in her arms. She looked up at Katara with the most pained expression she had ever known.

Her breath was labored, and only a choked whisper came out, "Yes."

Katara looked out the small window as she spoke.

"Then I'm never coming back to see you."

Azula's heart pounded. She didn't understand why, but she knew that she needed the other girl to stay. She wanted her to come back, even if it was only to hurt her.

"Please, don't. Please. Why are you doing this?" she was losing control of her emotions. Her heart was breaking without knowing why.

She hiccupped and the first tears fell. Her face twisted in grief while she balled her fists on the hard ground. It was not rage, not fear, but desperation.

Azula gripped Katara's shoulders, "Stay with me!" But the blue-eyed girl kept her face passive. "Please, please, you're the only one who comes. The only one! Please, don't leave me alone again!"

Katara pushed her off roughly and said, "You deserve to be alone."

Without warning, several things happened at once.

Azula screamed, "I need you!" as a burst of orange flames erupted from her hands. And Katara smiled as she started crying.

Collapsing, Azula gasped, "It was an accident. I didn't mean to!"

Katara did not say anything, but quickly wrapped her body around the prisoner. Azula practically melted in her arms; she buried her tears in the shoulder of the other girl. The Waterbender kissed her forehead, only making Azula cry more, and said, "I know you'll probably always hate me for what I did, but please know that it hurt me too. But, Azula, I'm so happy you can bend again."

Then she understood. Azula finally understood the years of torture. The brutal words and malicious looks were all an attempt to make her angry enough to Firebend. And yet it wasn't until Katara threatened to leave that the feeble flames had appeared.

Overcome, the princess lifted her head and kissed Katara fully and softly on the lips. Still weeping, she pressed her face against her neck. She whispered, "Will you still come to see me?"

She felt Katara gulp and nod.

Things began to change after that.

Azula's fire became stronger every time Katara came to visit. It was not blue, nor would it ever be again, but she savored the warmth it brought her anyway. After several months, Katara petitioned for her release on the grounds of reformation and it was granted. Azula returned to the palace, much to the chagrin of everyone.

It didn't matter to her though, because Katara was there every step of the way and her words only became more loving.

xxxxx

A/N: Wow for evil!Katara and abused!Azula. I always wanted to see Azula return to some semblance of a normal life after totally losing it in the finale. If Katara could put her in prison she could take her out too! :D Azutara goodness.