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Book 4: Spirit

Chapter 1: Azula's Lost Days

Page 2 – Of States and Hearts.

Everything was hectic while Aang and Zuko negotiated with the prisoners over terms of the Fire Nation's withdraw from Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe lands. Other than her and Sokka's father, Hakoda, and the swamp bender Hue, Katara knew that none of the other prisoners really had the authority to negotiate on behalf of their homes, but they had all agreed to bring the invitation to meet to their respective leaders, kings and chiefs. Despite the energy and optimism Katara saw that the Avatar and Zuko, Fire Lord Zuko she corrected herself, were having trouble with the negotiations. They all had assumed that once Zuko proclaimed the war over and everyone cheered that the hardest part was behind them.

They were quite naive. Zuko and Aang were not prepared for negotiation. If it wasn't for Mai, who had some knowledge of politics due to her parents' political aspirations and the Fire Sages, Zuko and Aang would have been easily overwhelmed. Still, as exhausting as it was, everyone was in good spirits when they left, thanks to all the promise in the air. Katara noticed how the mood of the room abruptly changed. Zuko, damn it he's not Fire Lord to me Katara thought to herself unable to think of him as anything else than her friend, had sat down on his dais. They had thought it best not to light the pyre behind the throne out of fear of looking to intimidate any of the guests. He looked down; Katara had a feeling of what was on his mind.

"Azula." The moment he said that name, every smile faded. Aang looked to Katara and then to Zuko. Katara had told Aang all about the fire princess's utter breakdown. Sokka's face took on a hard quality as did Suki's no doubt still furious over the Kyoshi warrior's jailing. Toph just stared there with her usual stubborn look. Mai just stared with a blank look that told Katara she might not have been bothered; it was so hard to tell what the assassin felt or thought. To be honest Katara had no experience dealing with Mai to know what she thought. The Water Tribe girl was still getting used to the assassin just being there. "We have a very dangerous prisoner on our hands." Zuko said gravely looking down at everyone as he gripped Mai's hand tightly. Katara felt the sick feeling of her pity rise up in her stomach.

"What's the big deal?" Sokka asked. "She's secure now. Just leave her to rot."

Suki nodded. "Leave the bitch tied to the wall the rest of her life." Katara winced; Aang scrunched his face up; Zuko just looked like he aged fifty years.

"Does she really deserve that?" Aang asked. "I mean in jail is one thing, but tied to a rock the rest of her life?"

"You can't leave Azula locked in that horrible place!" Everyone turned to the sudden scream and saw Ty Lee standing in the doorway her face was flushed and eyes were filled with worry. "No one deserves that!" The newest addition to the Kyoshi Warriors was clad in their traditional green robes and make-up when she arrived. No one really was surprised she had skipped out on the negotiations. She had no interest in politics and had not played a part in bringing down Azula or Ozai. Katara didn't mention it, but she was grateful someone was there to speak out on Azula's behalf. Every trial should have a Defender to argue the Prosecutor. She thought.

Mai was the next to speak she sounded dead calm; the same as her old monotone. "Ty Lee… Azula's not well she's just raving like an animal. She can't be helped."

The Acrobat cart wheeled and back flipped with astonishing quickness and was instantly in Zuko's face. Everyone stood up as if they expected her to attack.

"She's not an animal! She is a person!" Katara saw how angry and hurt Ty Lee was over this. This was the first time she ever saw her, this emotional. She was normally like a platypus-otter, always playing; even in the middle of a fight. Katara looked down suddenly very interested in playing with her hands rather than watch the argument she knew was coming.

"Easy for you to say Ty Lee!" Suki said with anger in her voice. "She had me and our sisters locked up and tortured, she attacked us! She used our uniforms, our identity to conquer a nation!" Katara heard foot steps walking. She assumed Suki had pulled from Sokka and was walking closer to the acrobat. Katara turned ready to act incase a fight broke out. She noted that both Aang and Zuko looked to be getting headaches as bad as hers.

"She locked me up too!" Ty Lee said as she turned from Zuko. Mai reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Ty…" She started in her flat voice. Ty Lee simply pulled from her grip and ignored her as she attacked Suki verbally.

"She locked us away and left us both to be forgotten!" She pointed to Mai, Mai's face scrunched up, Zuko's face flashed angrily. "And Mai and I attacked you too, but you forgave me and her!"

"That's different Ty Lee…" Suki began only to be cut off again.

"No it's not! She's suffered enough! She lost the throne." She turned to Mai pleadingly for help. The sad smile Katara wore as Ty Lee defended Azula fell when she saw the hard look in Mai's eyes. "She's your friend too! Mai she's lost! All she's done since she woke up today was babble and cry! She has no aura left. It's like she has no will power no drive. Nothing! She makes your aura look like a fire works display!" Ty Lee nearly burst into tears.

"Here we go with the auras again." Zuko said as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. Zuko looked up to her defiant face. "What would you have me do Ty Lee? Let her go? Should I send her to the asylum near Ember Island? They aren't equipped to handle Fire benders of her caliber"

"So we're just going to abandon her?" Ty Lee looked defeated and shook her head. "This is cruel.She was sick. What're your excuses?" She smeared her red and white make-up and threw her helmet down by Suki's feet and everyone just stared. "I'd rather be a 'circus freak'." She bitterly hissed as she stormed off.

Suki looked in shock; Mai, Mai didn't look like she felt anything but called out. "Ty Lee wait!" She ran off after her as did Suki after a quick squeeze of Sokka's hand.

Toph was the one who finally spoke. "This isn't helping. Can't we just lock her up and have a doctor or something see her in jail?" Katara looked to Zuko hopeful.

Zuko also stopped to consider it, he shook his head. "No. We can't. She's too powerful a bender, and with her being so unstable." He shook his head sadly.

Katara felt Aang squeeze her hand and finally spoke. "I can take away her bending like I did Ozai." Zuko looked to the Avatar, Sokka nodded, probably still too angry to comment.

Toph nodded. "At least we wouldn't have to keep her chained up unable to move. She can have a real cell." She 'looked' to everyone with her ghosted over eyes.

Zuko thought it over. Katara's thoughts were swimming. She thought how alone and pathetic Azula looked when she lost the Agni Kai. She thought about Ty Lee's words, hasn't she suffered enough, kept running through Katara's mind. Zuko finally stood and nodded.

"We'll do that." He said sighing heavily clearly not wanting to do that. Katara looked sadly to him. It spoke allot about how far he has come as a person since they first fought against each other. For him to have this kind of choice that was clearly paining him more than the scar on his stomach from her lightning bolts. She didn't envy him. His crown looked like it weighed tons right then. "What do you need to do... what ever it is you do?"

"I just need a few minutes with her. We don't have to wake her; it can wait until morning." Aang and everyone else looked outside and saw it was dark already. She may have been asleep, but Katara knew. Aang was stalling because he didn't want to either. Katara was angry at them both and herself. No one who had the authority to punish her actually wanted to punish her. No one was saying anything because they felt it was their duty. Katara opened her mouth to speak out like Ty Lee, but could not find her voice as she pondered over it. Did Azula deserve her bending? After all the misery she had caused, did she have the right to that kind of power? If she became better Aang could always give it back to her, right? Katara's shoulders stiffened as she remembered Azula's wailing and it gnawed at her.

"Katara?" Katara was jostled out of the bothering memory. "What's wrong?"

"Oh nothing Aang." She tried to sound sincere, but it was clearly a lie and Aang knew it and gave her that hurt look he does, when ever it comes to her feelings and her hiding them. She sighed. "Do we have to do this?" She saw Sokka glare at her and the Avatar stare at her incredulously. Zuko just looked hopeful. "I mean why not give her a special prison cell?" She looked to Zuko her blue eyes pleading. "You have to have something in this city for prisoners who can Fire bend! I don't think her mind can take having something else being taken from her. I mean, is it really justice? Is it really right to snap her last link to reality?"

Sokka sighed and broke down finally. "I'll ask the Mechanist if he can design a prison for Azula. He hasn't left for home yet."

Katara nodded to her brother. "Thanks Sokka." She said quietly

"Yeah, yeah. What ever." Sokka sighed and looked at the rest of the group that was still there. "I just hope the rest of you aren't about to make a big mistake. She's a vicious and evil girl who would never have done this kind of soul searching for any of us." Sokka said bitterly as he looked to the direction Suki ran off to.

Zuko, who looked surprisingly younger and a bit better, nodded. "Alright, tomorrow I'll issue my decision in the morning. Until then, good night." Everyone nodded and said good night

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