A/N: And she feels like home. If the shoe fits, walk in it, everywhere you go. Love and be loved. Read… and review!

Child of Ozai

[Summer 126 AG]

Ty Lee knows this nightmare all too well.

Azula sits in a chair in the kitchen. The wind howls outside, and all of her drawn in window sills rattle, supplying a white noise of sorts. She wears a patched together green and beige half-jacket, covering up her brown crop top, with white trim, wrapped tightly around her bosom. She has green, baggy pants, with a matching white trim from her top. Finally, her arms are wrapped in white bandages, starting from her elbow, all the way down to her knuckles. Her hair is short, barely reaching down to her ears. As she listens to the wind, her mind wanders once more.

A sudden knock on her door startles her and jerks her out of her trance. She looks to the front door with surprise and anxiety. She rises, and slowly ambles towards the door.

The knocking continues. When the door opens, Azula has no time to react. She is blown away and disappears in a fit of smoke and shadows. Ty Lee pushes herself out of her sleep and up off of her bed.

The dreaming is done, even if the nightmare pursues her still.

"So, how long before you cut and run?" Yin asks her.

"You think so little of me?" Asuna replies.

"On the contrary, I actually think quite highly of you."

The two are enjoying a warm summer evening at Yin's home. She has seating out in front of her home, where they are sharing a loaf of bread and some butter. The sun is high and the streets are busy with crowds bustling past them. No one pays them any attention as they converse. Azula wears a comfortable green top with white lining and her classic billowy pants. Her hair is short after being cut recently. She is warm and happy and engaged in dialogue with one of her favorite sort-of rivals.

"Is that so?" She questions, an eyebrow raised.

"Indeed," Yin says, taking another bite of the bread. "I think you're a great conversationalist. A poet of some kind. A dutiful librarian. A rival to me in knowledge about Avatar Asuna. Loyal friend. A doting wife. And you're an excellent liar."

With a sly smile Asuna replies, "I won't argue with that list."

The front door to Yin's home swings open and two small boys come streaking out, running up to the table. They've got tan skin and emerald green eyes, like their mother. San, now seven closing in on eight, has jet black hair, while Chow, recently turned five, has a lighter brown shade, similar to his father, Bohai.

"Boys!" Asuna greets them with a smile and opens arms, which they collide into with force.

"San! Chow! Leave us be." Yin commands.

Asuna wraps them in her arms tighter and replies, "No, not yet. I've got something for you, San."

"For me?" The older boy with black hair replies excitedly.

Asuna pulls out a small, thin box, hidden under her chair, and hands it to him. The boy excitedly rips the lid off to reveal its contents.

"Whoa!" He shouts at the sight of a thin, red scarf. "It looks just like yours!"

"Because it is mine, you goof." She rubs his hair.

"You're giving it to me!" He shouts.

"Absolutely." She assures him.

"Thank you! I'll take this on all of my adventures around the world, like you Auntie Akola!"

"Oh you're going to travel are you? And leave your poor mother behind?" Yin chastises him.

He hangs his head and is somber, "I'm sorry Mommy."

"He's allowed to dream, Yin." Asuna replies curtly. She turns to the boy now. "If you want to leave Ba Sing Se, you do it. This scarf will keep you safe wherever you go."

The younger Chow now chimes in to his mother. "I'll stay with you Mommy! I'll never leave."

The boys make faces at each other, with tongues sticking out and fists waving. Yin opens her arms and Chow moves towards them, enveloping his mother in a tight embrace.

"That's my little bubba. Thank you, Chow."

Asuna offers to Chow, "If you stay here so long, perhaps you could start a business like my friend Siq has?"

Chow leaves his mother and starts sprinting back into the house. San gives chase. Chow shouts, "Never!"

The boys run off to play, Asuna's scarf dangling in the wind. Yin watches them go and then quietly says to Asuna, "Giving worldly possessions away? Either you are going to cut and run or you're about to off yourself."

"Did you see the smile it gave him? Plus, everywhere I've worn that scarf I've been known as the Lady in Red. I don't want that for myself anymore."

"Is that what they called you in Lanxi?" Yin pokes at her background.

"No, they called me something different. Some things different."

Yin cuts another sliver of the bread and slathers butter on it. "Lanxi meant something to you. Something that Ba Sing Se, the Lower Ring, the Southside, we could never give to you."

"Don't you ever dream of leaving? Like your son?"

"No," she replies instantly and without thought. "Ba Sing Se has meant everything to me. It is not perfect, but it's home. When I'm here, I feel safe and secure. I wouldn't leave this place even if it was burning to the ground."

"This city fell once before, you know that right?" Asuna reminds her. "And it was in our lifetime, not some long-since-past history."

"It only took the Fire Nation a hundred years," she chirps. Asuna scowls a bit at this comment.

'Well, it only took a few weeks actually.'

"-so pardon me for having faith that it won't happen again. I believe in The Monarchy to provide."

"Ugh. You and the monarchy." She groans, biting into another piece.

"Let's not start on that again. What of you, Asuna? How does this place make you feel?"

Asuna takes her time chewing. It allows her time to think. When she swallows she replies thoughtfully, "I feel like I'm sinking when I'm standing still."

"Now that is profound."

"It's not meant as a critique on the people here," Asuna assures her, taking another slice. "It's just so far from Ty Lin. I just can't see myself growing old here. At the same time, I can't see myself abandoning Siq. Nor Mama or On Ji. Or you."

"You strike me as someone who is drawn to wander."

"If that's the case then I suppose you're right," Asuna concedes. "I'm destined to cut and run eventually."

"Hmm. Perhaps you aren't wandering? Perhaps you are simply following in the spiritual steps of Avatar Asuna. You should Travel to Huwan. Or the Southern Water Tribe!"

"The Southern Water Tribe? What could possibly be down there for me?"

"I take pride in this moment, as I'm about to school you on our favorite former Avatar."

"You do have quite the edge on me in terms of her movements and personal life."

"Asuna moved to Huwan in 1038 BG, and stayed there for most of her life. But she often visited the Southern Water Tribe. Almost like it was a second home to her."

"Hmm."

"There's a reason she learned Water Bending the fastest of the elements. She was meant for their people. Born in the wrong place, she never fit in with the Fire Nation."

Asuna ponders this a moment. She can't say she's always felt that way exactly, but over the decades since her teenage years she is finding more solace in the world outside of Caldera.

"I do feel that I've been in search of Asuna for much of my adult life. It almost feels like she's been beckoning me, or telling me to keep…"

A thought suddenly comes to Azula. A memory of the words spoken to her by a translucent, blue woman. One who told her to keep searching.

"Wait. Yin. Are there any paintings of Asuna? Do we know-"

"AKOLA!"

"Akola! Please! Come quick!"

She stands up swiftly and turns on the spot. A few feet away are a pair of fraternal twins in charcoal capes. They look out of breath and scared.

"Excuse me." She leaves the table. Yin stays seated, turning her head to the side as she watches them go.

"What? What is it? Is everything alright?"

"It's Siq!" Bing tells her.

"He's, he's in trouble."

"That boulder of a man from the bank is taking his home!"

"Boulder of a man? Bank? You mean Gaaler?"

"Yes, sure!" Beng replies. She continues, "Whatever his name is, he's doing something very bad to Siq right now!"

Akola nods and balls her fist.

"Lead the way."

Bing, his sister Beng, and the fearless Akola come running through the streets of the Southside. Bystanders shout at them, strangers curse them out, and anyone who sees them coming skirts out of the way at the last moment. It is a frenzied pace, and the twins do not have the stamina to keep at it. About three-quarters of the way, Akola takes off sprinting past them and shouts back that she'll go on ahead and they can catch up.

As the sun beats down and her vision blurs with people and shops and homes while she passes them all, Akola develops tunnel vision. She doesn't think about what she'll say when she arrives because she is only worried about arriving. For a woman so adept at gamesmanship and military maneuvering, she finds herself in this moment at a distinct disadvantage.

So when Akola emerges from the streets and comes into the opening out front of Siq's home, she finds herself breathless. She is winded from running halfway across the Southside, and speechless for how she'll rescue Siq in this moment. She observes what's unfolding as she plans her course of action.

Siq is on his hands and knees in front of the massive home. The front doors are wide open as a litany of men and women in suits march in and out, repossessing everything that the teenager owns. There are large truck beds all around with piles of various belongings, being drawn by mongoose lizards. The giant Gaaler stands about a dozen feet behind Siq, snickering. Every few seconds someone approaches him and he barks an order. There are two large, burly men, and two Dai Li agents, all who stand at attention beside him as his protection. He smiles so widely at the sight it unnerves her.

Akola steps forward and moves towards him. She yells to get his attention. "Gaaler! What is the meaning of this?"

"HANDS!" One of the burly men yells, moving to stand in between her and Gaaler.

In the blink of an eye, rock gloves fly from the Dai Li agents and cover her hands. She looks down at them and wonders how hot her fire would have to be, or how much electricity she'd have to conjure to melt them.

"Ahh! The Consult," he references their first meeting. He turns to his protection, "That won't be necessary. She's no threat, and besides she can't bend anyway."

"Gaaler," she starts, approaching him and coming to a stop a few feet away. "This is madness. What are you doing?"

"This is called asset management, Consult. Perhaps our Boy Genius should learn some of it?"

"Putting him on the street isn't going to solve anything. He won't be more productive, or cease the blacklist that the bender supremacists have on him. You're just going to make it harder on him!"

"Irrelevant. All of that is irrelevant. He purchased this home and everything in it with our money. Until he's able to provide deliverables, or forfeits the formula, then his possessions belong to us."

Akola attempts to appeal to his humanity. She steps to the side and waves an arm at the teenager. "Look at him. You think he's gonna provide anything? He's a boy. Barely older than a child. You put him on the streets again and leave him with nothing and he'll die."

Gaaler looks at Siq, on his hands and knees. He steps up and stands beside Akola. The wind blows and the sun breaks through some clouds. He considers what she's said and what she means. What it would mean to leave the boy with nothing. He slowly turns to the woman beside him. He raises a heavy, ring covered hand and rests it on her shoulder.

"Then I should hope he writes that formula down for us before he does."

He flashes a smile at her as wide as the one Siq used to wave. At first she is stunned into silence, but his smile gets under her skin. It crawls up her arms and her shoulders, tickles her spine on its way to her head. She begins to furrow her brow as the rage and fury begin to set in. He's talking about Siq's life like it's nothing. Some loose coin he's forgotten about and has no interest in anymore. She shrugs her shoulder to get his hand off of her and then pushes him. He isn't even phased, doesn't even move. He just begins laughing at her.

"You're a fucking monster."

"I think we all have monsters inside of us. I own that boy now. Sooner or later, he'll give me that formula," he explains with narrowing eyes and a wicked smile. He steps back and starts to walk away, "And all you'll ever be is a Child of Ozai."

Azula wants to torch him right here and now. He's only a few feet away. A raging inferno of fire, or a blast of lightning from this close would surely kill him, even despite his size. Better men have met worse fates, and bigger men have died, and at her hands no less. One by one she rattles off in her mind the lives she has extinguished. Yet at this moment, it would not solve her issue. Gaaler is not a threat in and of himself. He is an institutional threat. He represents the bank, controlling all of the strings. He is just a man. Smite him here, and he'll just be replaced. But he's still just a man.

'A man who just threatened my friend.'

Azula turns and yells at Gaaler as he walks away.

"I am a Child of Ozai!"

He turns back, his bodyguards stepping forward in anticipation of a fight.

"And I will burn you, your bank, your guards, and your family. I'll burn this entire city to the ground if you threaten him again."

He turns fully around and faces her. He walks back towards her and as he does he retorts.

"I command the most powerful bank in the most powerful nation on Earth. You think you scare me? You're nothing."

He arrives in front of her and spits at her feet. He imposes himself above her. He leans in and whispers this last part.

"And besides, your boy over there is a Coin Spring. Sooner or later that conscience will go away and he'll give up the formula."

He leans back and looks at Siq.

"And I wouldn't dare plug that spring before I've run it dry."

With that, the mountain of a man makes his leave. He and his guards, all of the repossession staff, the mongoose lizards, all depart almost simultaneously. In the end, there is only Akola and Siq. She consoles him on the ground until she can convince her Brother to come back to her studio and rest.

Suki taps her foot over and over again in frustration as she waits in an empty, stuffy conference room inside the RCPD. It's been over an hour since someone came to check on her or give her a status update. As an undercover operative, there are supposed to be regulations and procedures for this sort of thing. However, none of it has been followed recently. She hasn't been getting updates the last few weeks. She's not supposed to come to the station, but no one has been responsive, so she's here. But now that she's here, no one will speak to her. She grunts her frustration out.

At that exact moment, the door swings open. She expects to see the Blind Bandit, but instead it's a shorter, smaller, brunette girl that she recognizes as Kiph Oro. Kiph, or KO as most of the force refers to her, was once Toph's scribe. Over the years, however, KO has worked her way up the chain of command, earning the respect of the metal benders and the non-benders on the force alike. She's now the second in command, and her mere presence tells Suki that she's not being granted the proper audience with the Chief of Police.

"Hello, Suki."

"Where the fuck is Toph, KO? I don't have time for her games."

"Good to see you too."

"I'm serious."

"Are you now? I couldn't tell. Maybe if you cross your arms a little tighter, or puff out your chest some more, then I'd know."

"Where is she?"

"We haven't caught up in a spell, have we?" Kiph Oro asks. She clicks her tongue as she sits down across from Suki. "Toph is gone."

"Gone? Like she's out today or she's dead?"

"She's on maternity leave."

'Surprised' doesn't begin to cover it for Suki.

"She's? Again? But isn't she-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there, Suki. That's gossip bullshit that I don't have time for."

Suki is quickly trying to compartmentalize the fact that Toph had another child out of wedlock. She begins connecting dots on the lack of response from the RCPD, potentially since Toph has been gone, and now realizes that she's not talking to the department's second in command, but really it's ranking officer.

"Listen, I generally like you, Suki, so I'm gonna be straight and to the point and save you some trouble. You're here now so your undercover op is done. Toph is on maternity leave until pretty much the new year, so in the meantime I'm suspending your op-"

"Are you fucking serious?"

"-And I am requesting an arrest warrant for Yakone."

"You're out of your fucking mind! You don't have the evidence yet! That's why I'm still-"

"It's my call, Suki. Deal with it."

"You're just trying to secure the Chief position. This is a political move to take Toph's job while she's out."

Kiph Oro shakes her head. "You're being ridiculous."

"No, this is ridiculous! None of the charges will stick. We don't have a case!"

"And if we don't, that'll come out in a court of law. In the meantime, we'll have a few weeks with him off the streets. That'll give us time to tighten the noose on some of his operations so when he comes out, he's missing a few of his best chips on the Pai Sho table."

Suki is hysterical. "You've blown my cover for a half-assed attempt to earn spirit points with the mayor. You're delusional!"

"Enough." KO stops the conversation. "We're done here. Get your shit and get out of my precinct."

Furious, Suki storms out of the office. She covers her head and face all the same, to preserve whatever she can of her undercover identity. She rushes out of the building and hurries home to write to Sokka. All the way back her head circles the proverbial drain of Toph Beifong. She needs the woman back to restore order to the RCPD, but she is on maternity leave of all things. The last time she left on maternity leave she took that leave all the way through to maximize the time with her firstborn, Lin. As she gets closer to her apartment, Suki begins doing math in her head. If Toph recently had the child, then it would've been conceived nine months ago.

'No…they…no…'

Suki shoves the intrusive thoughts aside. She has more pressing matters at hand. Real, tangible issues that she needs to work through and which can be solved. Toph and the father of her new daughter is not a priority she can afford to focus on right now.

[Fall 126 AG]

Akola walks into the nearly empty bar and spots Bing. He walks up to greet her, cape billowing behind him. It's late in the evening, or perhaps now it's early in the morning, and Akola was asleep when Beng came knocking. She was ready to rip the girl's head clear off, as the twins have an uncanny knack for always pissing her off. Then she got the news and her whole attitude changed. Siq was drunk off his ass, refusing to leave the bar. Akola got changed and walked down the street and around the corner, dismissing Beng so the young girl could go home and sleep. Now that she's here and Bing has kept an eye on him, she dismissed him too.

"Go home, Bing. I've got it from here."

"Are you sure?" He asked with a yawn.

"Yeah. He's not going to reason with anyone else anyway. I'll chi-block him if it comes down to it."

"Alright. Thanks Akola." He bows and takes his leave.

Akola turns her eyes to Siq, the dark skinned, thin as a rail, wide eyed, bright smiled roommate of hers. He moved back in with her after Gaaler took everything from him. In retrospect it wasn't all that surprising, but it is gut wrenching all the same. He had nowhere else to turn so she brought him in and gave him shelter.

The boy is trapped now with only one real way out, a path which he doesn't care to take, and which Akola doesn't blame him. Surrendering the Lonlhai Fire formula had massive trickle down effects on the world, specifically warfare. When she spends too much time thinking about it she unravels at the concept. Right now, she's just focused on her friend who is obliterated and shamelessly hitting on the bartender.

She approaches the bar and calls him out, "Siq!"

Turning to find her he shouts triumphantly, "Akola!"

It takes far too long for her liking, but Akola finally gets him out of the bar. They wander out the door, him trying to slightly escape her, and she gives chase lightly. He starts walking in the wrong direction. She reaches out and grabs his arm.

"Wrong way, Brother."

"I have a secret, Sis!" He flashes his iconic smile and continues on his way.

"Agni have mercy. Where are you going?"

"Follow me!" He insists.

On the one hand Akola is far too tired for his shit to be entertaining this chase. On the other hand, he's very drunk and talking about secrets. Her curiosity gets the better of her.

"Alright," she concedes. "Let's go."

Akola is not amused at where he leads her.

"What are we doing here, Siq? We should go home."

"Shh! Shhhh! Follow my lead."

They stand on the remote end of the Southside, outside the house Siq used to own and live in, before Gaaler and company took it from him. The large, foreboding building has been empty for nearly three months now. It has stood symbolically as a metaphor for the emptiness of wealth, or the struggle for survival amidst impossible odds. Even when you make it out, the world will drag you back down.

Siq walks up towards the back of it and she follows him. As they go she whispers to him, "Siq, this is ridiculous."

She follows him around back and he puts a finger up to his lips. He turns around and walks away from the back door, boarded up and locked. He lifts up a large rock and uncovers a metal object. He picks it up and holds up his trophy for Akola to see.

"They didn't know I made this spare!"

She stares at him dumbfounded during the early hours of the morning. A few dots connect for her and she asks him, "Is this where you go when you don't come home?"

He fits the key into the door and unlocks it. The door only appears to be boarded up, as it pushes open without issue once he's done.

"Did you think I was sleeping in the streets?"

"Yes! As a matter of fact, I did."

She follows him inside and closes the door behind them. The first thing she notices is an affront to her nose, as it stinks like shit. They walk through the dusty, cobweb laden grand foyer, past the spiral staircase and chandelier up above, and into the kitchen. Instantly it's clear to see that he's squatted here before, based on the garbage and makeshift bed made of various blankets and mismatched pillows.

"This is dangerous, Siq."

"I know!"

"And not just because they'll arrest you for it. Having somewhere that none of us know about? What if you had gone missing? How would we have known to check here?"

"Well, now you know!" He smiles as he lounges out onto his sleeping bag. She does not return the smile. He adds, "I only come here occasionally, when I'm really desperate. I'm not foolish enough to use this all the time."

There's a silence as Akola looks around. She almost wants to gag from the smell, she wonders if he's still using the bathroom in the empty house. In his drunken stupor, Siq lays against the ground and begins closing his eyes. He speaks and shatters her quiet.

"I told you a secret. Will you tell me a secret, Sister?"

It is such an innocent question with such heavy undertones and a weight to it that the boy does not understand. Akola rifles through some answers and filters out others. She determines that he's too drunk and too tired to remember any of this anyway.

"My name is not Akola." She confesses.

"Pshhh! C'mon," he says, snuggling into what little comfort he can find in the sheets on the ground. "That's not a secret. Aiwei used to say that before he…well, before he disappeared."

Perhaps it's the reminder about Aiwei and how she condemned him to a life among the Red Lotus. Perhaps it's the question about secrets and how her entire life is one giant secret. The full weight of Azula's sins bears down upon her for a moment.

"Will you tell me a real secret?" He asks, eyes peeking open to stare at the woman standing over him.

Akola, Asuna, Azula. They all sit in quiet contemplation, reflecting on a lifetime of lies. A litany of bodies that have been left in her wake. More damage has been done in the last twenty-five years than she ever did on the day of Sozin's Comet. She thinks for a long time, too long. She remembers her life and her life gone.

Perhaps her whole life is not a secret, she thinks. Perhaps in hiding everything, she is truly hiding nothing. She is her most authentic self now, much more than when she was Azula, Crown Princess of the Fire Nation. By diving into these names and identities and titles, she has become more 'Azula' than Azula was ever 'Azula.'

She decides to be honest and keep it simple, even if it hurts him.

"I'm thinking of leaving Ba Sing Se."

She expects him to be despondent. At first he is quiet and she wonders if he'd fallen asleep. After a few moments he finally speaks. He keeps that classic Siq positivity, but there's something in his voice exposing his truth.

"Oh yeah? That's awesome! Yeah, if I could leave I would totally go home to Lonlhai Village on Linlhao Island. And I think you would love living in the Water Tribe."

Akola does not want to fight with him regarding the sadness that is hidden in his voice. She just asks him, "Oh yeah? Why do you say that?"

"Well they're a lot like you," he replies. "They're private people. And unlike much of the rest of your world, they're quite welcoming of gender betrayers, so long as you keep your mouth shut about it."

"Doesn't sound so welcoming?"

"But it's the way of the people. They're secretive and proud. Real 'salt of the earth' type people. They're survivors, the Lonlhai people especially. Growing up, I saw much violence."

"Really? Any reason why?"

"Lots of reasons, but I'm too tired to go into all of that. But I miss it. I miss them. My neighbors and friends," his voice begins to crack as he pulls the sleeping bag closer. "Everyone believed in me. They helped me to escape, to come here so I could do more and make more of my life and now look at me."

He begins crying softly into the blankets. Akola moves towards him, sits down cross legged, and puts a hand on top of his.

"It's alright, Siq. You're going to get through this. I'm going to make sure of it."

"My life is over, Sister. There's no way out. Unless I give Gaaler the formula."

"No. Fuck that and fuck Gaaler."

"Then my life is over!"

"No it's not. Not even close. You have a long life ahead of you, and much to give to the world still. You're just drunk right now and need to sleep."

He sniffles, pulls the blankets over his eyes, and rests his heads down, quiet tears rolling down his face. He asks her something he hasn't asked before.

"Why have you never asked for the formula, Sister?"

Akola doesn't need to think about what to say. The answer is obvious to her.

"Because it's not mine to have."

Akola draws inspiration from elsewhere as well. She recalls from a past life when a King in a cave told her, 'For total power corrupts totally.'

He sobs and sniffles, rubs the sheets against his face and rolls over to fall asleep.

"Thank you, Sister."

She runs a hand through his long, black, ponytail. She rests it on the end, and slowly stretches her legs out to get more comfortable. She decides to make due with the floor, rather than leaving him alone for the night. With no blankets or pillows, she simply lays out on the dusty, hardwood floor. She stares at his sleeping body a few feet away. Before rolling over and going to sleep, she keeps the promise she made to him. She says the words that Siq's Father said to him every night before bed.

"I love you, Brother."

A/N: This chapter's OST is "It's Still Alright (On the Farm Session)" by Nathaniel Rateliff.

Love always. Tyzula forever.

Notorious