CHAPTER 8
"C'mon." Sokka said, nagging her.
"No." Azula replied drily for the fifth time in a row.
"Just tell me. C'mon." he insisted one more time.
Sokka had been trying for the last five minutes to convince her to tell him what was the secret behind the color of her fire.
"I said; no," she grunted, getting more and more annoyed every time he asked. "Tsk! Aren't your ears connected to your brain? Jeez…"
"Why can't you tell me?" he asked. His curiosity was getting the better of him.
"Because I don't want to, savage." she replied, irked, "Why my fire is the way it is, is a secret. Got it?"
"And that only increases my curiosity," said Sokka, "I want to find out the true meaning behind your turquoise flame."
He had made a few different theories over the years of why her fire was the only ever known blue fire. His theories included ridiculous things like; that it was related to her name, or to the fact that she had chosen it because she found it more intimidating, and tons of other reasons that kept coming to him.
"Actually, it's charlotte." she corrected him.
"What?" he asked confused.
"The shade of blue of my flames. It's charlotte, not turquoise," she explained, "Everyone makes that mistake. But right now, it's irrelevant so, whatever." she waved a hand carelessly to dismiss the topic.
"Is there a difference?" he inquired, not understanding how the shade would make any difference.
"Yes," said Azula, "A flame in charlotte tone, burns at 9,000 Celsius, while a turquoise burns at 6,500, which is a difference of 2,500 Celsius," she pointed out, a charlotte flame was the hottest a flame could get, while a red one couldn't even reach a third of the heat.
Sokka blinked astonish at her explanation. He had no idea. "Oh… I had no idea."
"You and most people," she said, lowering her look a little. Her expression relaxed. "Many people believe that the only difference is the color, but there is so much more to that. Like the temperature. A red flame is only 2,000 Celsius hot. And there are other facts involved. Like the purity of the flame, the oxygen and… why am I rambling about this?" she asked herself, shaking a little bit her head.
He snickered at her expression. "It's okay. It's amusing hearing you talk about it," he uttered, noticing a little smile on one corner of her lips. "By the way," he said, taking out a piece of paper from the back pocket of his pants. "Here." he passed it to her.
"What's this?" she inquired, taking the paper. She unfolded it.
"I was going through my stuff the other day and I found it. The letter from Lian Yu," he said, "I thought that maybe you would like to, I don't know… burn it, throw it to the sea?"
Her eyes scanned the scroll. The paper was wrinkled and damaged on the edges. She read her brother's calligraphy.
Buddy,
It's good to hear from you. In all honesty, the last couple of months have been hectic. I have been having problems with the council and I just can't seem to have time -at all- to attend all the matters I still have to arrange for the United Republic.
Still, having my mom and Kiyi around in the palace has been amazing. They are a pleasant distraction whenever I can have a break -which doesn't happen very often-. The palace feels lonely without Suki and the warriors. But I can't complain, they are doing an amazing job with Toph in Cranefish Town.
By the way, Aang, in one of his later mentioned that you have been tracking your sword, right? He also told me that it seems that it fell somewhere close to the town of Lian Yu, and that you are heading over there in a couple of days. My advice, if you are going to look for it, it would be to proceed with caution. Lian Yu is a dangerous town for benders and non-benders.
Also, can I ask you a favor? As you know, I'm looking for Azula. I have thought a few times about placing posters, but I don't think that would be a good idea. I have sent people looking for her, and according to some rumors and reports, she was believed to be seen near Lian Yu.
I'm heading towards Lian Yu in a couple of days to search for my sister, myself. I hope we can meet at some point. I have sent for June in the Earth Kingdom. I want her to help me track her down. But if by any chance you hear from her or cross paths, could you please let me know and try to hold her? Just till I get there to talk to her myself.
Send my regards to Katara and Aang, I hope to see you guys soon and best of luck finding your sword.
Zuko
"Why did you keep this?" she asked him, really intrigued after re-reading the letter.
Sokka shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted, glancing into the endless ocean. "Still, I'm glad I did. I meant what I said yesterday."
"The thing about being friends?"
"Yeah," he affirmed, "I wanted to give it to you as proof my good fate. And that I intend to start fresh. With no misunderstandings, no secrets. Like all friends do." he said with security.
She studied the letter one last time, pondering his words.
No misunderstandings, no secrets.
"Alright," she muttered, before burning the letter in her hand. The ashes of the burned paper flew into the wind.
They remained in silence, looking at the tides.
Then they heard a few footsteps on the deck that made them both turned their attention.
They saw Suki, Ty Lee, and the Kyoshi Warriors come out of the tower. They were all wearing simple comfortable clothes, they were holding their fans, as well as other weapons. Ty Lee and Suki waved at them with a smile, only getting a reply from Sokka as Azula turned her back towards them and returned her attention to the ocean.
"Don't you find that a little odd?" Ty Lee muttered to Suki, glancing in Sokka's and Azula's direction. "Them, getting along so well?"
Now, both of their backs were turned towards them as they returned to their conversation.
"A little," Suki admitted, "But it's Sokka. He has the biggest heart and I guess he is just trying to be friendly. Also, Toph seems to like her too. Why?" she asked, glancing at the acrobat.
"No reason." said Ty Lee, noticing how Sokka said something funny that made Azula smile, shaking her head. "It's just… I always thought they had the same kind of humor. Except that Sokka makes more silly jokes, while Azula is more the sarcastic type."
"By the way, I have forgotten to ask you; how are you doing being around her?" the leader of the Kyoshi warriors asked to their newest member.
"I admit it. It surprised me to see her in Yu Dao."
"Yeah, me too." Suki agreed.
"But she seems… different," said Ty Lee, "Zuko said that she is doing amazingly as his advisor, and well, no one knows her better than him. And," she peaked again into the Princess direction. She was leaned on the railing with her forearms, mirroring Sokka. "Her aura seems different, too. Not as disturbed as the last time I saw her."
She remembered clearly how the aura around the Princess had been stained with dark and grey spots, but now, it had gone from a dark tone to a much lighter one.
"So, that good, right?"
Ty Lee side smiled. "Yeah," she muttered, "And you know, seeing her bicker with Sokka and Toph had brought me memories. From when we were young."
Suki gave her a little reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. "You were friends for a really long time and went through so much together. It's normal to miss the good memories," said Suki, "And also, is obvious that you would like to return to how things were, right?"
The acrobat lowered her glance. "That's something impossible." she stated, "Things will never be the same."
"You will never know if you don't try," said Suki, "Come one, let's get to training."
Suki gave them a few instructions, before beginning to train. She told them a few formations and explained some additional sets they had to learn. Then she paired them to spar.
They used their weapons, but their knowledge in chi-blocking as well.
"Huh." said Azula, raising an eyebrow after a while when she realized that the warriors were busy sparing each other.
"What?" Sokka glanced at her, intrigued.
"Nothing," she replied, returning her attention to the edge of the Barge.
"Say it." he insisted, poking her with his elbow slightly.
Azula rolled her eyes. "Fine. It's just, I didn't think your ex would be so eager to see you again… not after your breakup." she muttered, playing with her bangs, distractedly.
"It wasn't a nasty breakup," he stated, "Plus, she is happy. I'm happy and we are still friends." he explained.
"And you are not jealous about the fact that she is already dating someone, and you are well... alone?" she raised an eyebrow.
She thought that it was odd to see a guy act so naturally when his ex was practically rubbing her happiness in his face. If she was in his position, she would not be pleased in the slightest.
Sokka pouted. "If you put it like that, it does sound awful being alone."
Azula shrugged. "Sometimes it's better to be alone, no one can hurt you that way." she muttered.
For someone that had spent most of her life alone, those words had been a guide for her. For so long, while growing up, she had felt alone. Alone in the immense walls of the Palace.
After beginning her firebending training, Zuko barely wished to be around her. Ursa would avoid her as much as she could and only focus her attention on her precious little Zuko. And her father would only give her attention whenever she accomplished something pristinely and perfectly in her fire bending trainings.
Then, her mother disappeared. She felt a little better because at least now her brother would be able to experience the same loneliness she had felt. But she had been wrong. Zuko had Iroh.
After Zuko's banishment, Azula began with more intense trainings, and her lessons turned twice as difficult. For the next three years that Zuko was gone, she spent her time training, learning and honing her bending to perfection, and then, she would read all the scrolls, books, and texts she could find in the Royal Library, so her mind would be distracted of the isolation that enveloped her.
And when her father sent her on that task, -to not only prove her worth but also to regain her freedom-, she couldn't have been more thrilled about it. It had given her the chance to reunite with Mai and Ty Lee. And for once in a long time, she didn't feel alone.
Then Zuko chose her. For once, he had chosen her in Ba Sing Se.
During the next weeks that followed, she didn't feel so alone anymore. But then, the Boiling Rock happened, and it was dark, endless and solitary existence all over again, and this time, she drowned in it.
She had been a fool to believe that being on her lonesome was bad, that it was a curse when it was the entire opposite. Her loneliness had been a blessing.
Alone, she couldn't be hurt. She couldn't be used. And she couldn't be betrayed. Her break down had only been a consequence of her silliness. So, this time, she had made sure of embracing her loneliness and accepting it. And by now, she was totally used to it, to be by herself.
"At least you don't look miserable." said Azula, before he could reply something to her previous words, wanting to dismiss them completely from the conversation.
"Yeah, well…" he said, realizing her contempt of changing the subject. He wished to know the meaning behind her words, but he would not push her to explain it to him. At least, not right now. "It wasn't a bad breakup, and she seems to really like Yoro," he explained, "Plus, he is a cool guy. I meet him in Crane-fish Town."
"Still, if I was in your place, I wouldn't be very fascinated by the idea of having to run into my ex after the split-up and being forced to be around her." said Azula.
She had never been in a serious relationship with a guy, so she couldn't understand the feeling that a break-up could establish in someone. And the surrounding people weren't actually a good example to follow. When her mother had left her father, he had shown no kind of remorse, or anything like it. And when Zuko had broken up with Mai, she had been gloomier than usual for the next couple of days.
Sokka shrugged. "We all deal with it differently. Some people cry heartbroken, others get angry. Also, there is the fact that we broke up almost a year ago. And it was something that we both saw coming." he said, "So it made the entire issue easier."
It had been around a month later after Lian Yu. They had gone to spend a couple of days at Cranefish-Town. Suki had been really busy every day with her job, helping to train the new chi-blockers with the other Kyoshi Warriors. While he had been too mentally absent pondering if he should send a message to Zuko about how he had run into Azula in Lian Yu, and that maybe he should start looking for her there.
For some reason, those days, he spent most of his time thinking -more than he would have wished- about Azula and her flight.
Katara and Aang had insisted a couple of times, wishing to know what had happened in the town, and how he had gotten badly injured, but he had remained true to his word and hadn't said a word about her presence there. Keeping his promise, even if she had broken hers.
Then little things happened.
Suki and Yoro began spending more time together than they would. Their silences turned awkward. And they didn't communicate as they used to, their interests became different. And once they talked about the future, it was clear that they didn't have the same direction. So, after a long talk, beautiful words, and more than a few tears, they came up with the agreement of breaking up for good.
"In full honestly, I didn't think you two were going to last much," Azula admitted, leaning her hip on the railing.
"Huh?" Sokka frowned at her words. "What do you mean?" he inquired.
"Well…" she began, "Answer me this, first. Were you really in love with her or you just liked her?" she inquired.
"What's the difference?" he asked, pouted.
"What's the difference? Seriously?" she raised her eyebrows disbelievingly. "You. Are you really asking me about it? From all the people around you, lover boy?"
"You brought it up!" Sokka refuted.
"But you... Argh!" Azula grunted, before rubbing the bridge of her nose, sulking.
This fool had been dating girls without knowing the difference between liking someone and loving someone? Even she knew the difference. Ty Lee had rambled non-stop one night after reading one of her silly novels, making her and Mai wish that they sewed her lips together to make her stop talking.
"Listen, I'm not going to explain to you the basics of love… As I don't even know or understand them myself, but…" she made a pause, "What I can tell you is; back in the day you didn't seem pretty in love, you know?"
"What?" he squealed, affronted. "What do you mean?"
Azula grimaced. "Don't play dumb."
"I'm not playing anything!" Sokka retorted.
She sighed. "Well, for starters; if I hadn't brought her up during the Black Sun invasion, you probably wouldn't have thought of her in weeks. Months actually…" she pointed, "And honestly, after you saw me infiltrating Ba Sing Se wearing her uniform, you didn't connect the dots?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow and placing her hands on her hips.
"We were dealing with a awfully injured Avatar and the upcoming invasion and…"
"And…? And, excuses," Azula interjected, teasingly, "You didn't think in her for months. You only thought of her because I brought her up during the eclipse. Admit it."
Sokka pouted. She was right.
After Ba Sing Se, he spent months without thinking of Suki. She only crossed her mind after Azula had brought her up during the eclipse, and yet, he hadn't thought of her again until weeks later.
Maybe she was right.
Maybe they had been always doomed to part ways, eventually. And they had only been holding on to something that they believed was meant to happen.
Still, his feelings for Suki had been always real. But what if he had only liked her all these years, instead of loving her?
"B-But, I got her out of prison, didn't I?" Sokka refuted.
"Yeah, sure you got her out," she said, snide. "You think after you morons escaped I wouldn't bother to check the profiles of the prisoners that escaped?" she gave him a stern glance. "One of them was your father. I'm pretty sure you were there to get him… After all, you only infiltrated the prison after he was imprisoned. She was only a lucky coincidence, or am I wrong?" she questioned, supercilious.
Sokka opened his mouth. "W-Well," he sighed, "No…" he admitted, embarrassed.
How the hell is she able to deduce all that, only by looking at the general picture? he thought, staring at her as she played again with her bangs.
"See? You were meant to fail," Azula stated, "You weren't as into the relationship as you wish to believe. Also, you and Ty Lee used to full-out flirt with each other whenever we encountered you and your friends. I'm sure you were and probably still are a total womanizer." she stated.
He glanced at her agape. "T-That's not! I-I'm not a… I'm not a womanizer!" he squeaked in outrage.
"A Lady's man, then?" she teased him with a smirk.
"No!" he denied, "It's... I-It's my natural charm," he said, haughtily.
She rolled her eyes. "Natural charm, my ass," she replied, huffing. "You are just like Ty Lee. You two flirt with everything that moves," Azula said, "You are a womanizer, admit it!"
"I'm not!" Sokka denied, frowning.
"You are! And admit it."
"I'm not a womanizer!" he denied once more. "But, I-I guess… I guess, you are right about everything else." he conceded her that, "Still, naming her during the eclipse to distract us, it was cruel." he said with a reprimand.
Azula sighed, deeply. "I know." she admitted, looking into the distance.
Sokka glanced at her in surprise. He did not not expect an admission like that.
"But I was just trying to win the war," she said, shrugging, "Maybe not for the right reason, but I just wanted to win it." she acknowledged.
That's all she had wanted back then, just win the war and make her father proud. The cost was of little relevancy to her. Yet, she accomplished neither.
"I get it," he mumbled. At that moment, he also had wanted to win the war at all costs. "I mean, we were born in a world where all we knew was war."
"Yeah, don't even say it," she smirked, "Until I was 14, all my conversations would include something related to either war or firebending. I was such a joy to be around." she said wryly the last part.
Sokka smirked as well. "You and Zuko weren't very good at socializing, right?" he asked teasingly.
"No." she conceded with a little side smile, "And until this day, I don't think that has changed."
"Oh, c'mon," he gave her a little push with his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure that's not true. For me, you seem to be doing fine."
Azula scowled. "I just explained to you the relation between the heat of a flame and their color. If you thought that was having socializing skills, then you have worse abilities than I do."
Sokka snickered. "That was definitely an interesting talk to have." he teased, making her smirk mockingly. Yet, he had found it very informative. And he had also witnessed the way Azula's expressions had softened when she had been presenting the subject to him.
"Oh, shut up."
"Still," Sokka said, "You didn't finish telling me why your fire is blue?" he insisted again.
"And I'm not going to." she stuck her tongue at him. A gesture Sokka for some reason found adorable.
Sokka huffed. "Oh, c'mon," he insisted, "If you tell me, I will tell you the story how I helped to develop the air balloons." he offered as a bargain
"Ha," she said, "Nice try, savage. But I'm fully aware that was an invention of Tagon. Which later War Minister Qin stole when he refused to no longer develop anything for us." she remembered.
"Oh, I didn't know his name," Sokka admitted, "I have always called him the mechanist or the machinist."
Azula glanced at him, wondering if he was being serious. "Are you serious?" he nodded in confirmation, "Woah… No wonder why you and Zuko get along so well. You are both so oblivious."
"Hey, that's not…" he sighed, "Yeah, it's probably true." he snickered, and Azula smirked, pleased. "I heard he is in the Fire Nation, right?"
"Yeah," Azula confirmed, "He is been working on some projects under Zuko's subsidizing."
"What is he working on?" Sokka inquired, curious.
The Princess shrugged. "I don't know. For what I understand, he is developing multiple projects at once. But whatever they are, he had already made the windows of his workshop blow up at least three times, by the time we left."
"I'm not surprised," said Sokka, "I remember he was once working on peanut sauce bombs."
Azula scowled. "That's a joke, right?"
Sokka pressed his lips into a thin line, shaking his head.
"Oh, gosh. He is going to blow up the entire Palace." she rubbed her temples.
"Calm down." he placed a hand on her shoulder. "He is not going to. I'm sure his son, Teo, is going to keep some sense in him, and avoid it."
She dropped her shoulders. "Oh, no. His son is in Ba Sing Se. He began taking lessons there last summer."
"Oh."
"Tsk! If I would have known that I would end up -not just as Zuko's babysitter but also of a grow man with explosive tendencies-, I wouldn't have returned to the Palace." she refuted.
Sokka smiled at her.
"What?" Azula asked him when she noticed him glancing at her fixedly.
"Nothing, it's just…" he began.
"Hey," Suki interrupted them with a smile, joined by Ty Lee. "What are you two talking about?" she inquired, inquisitively.
"Nothing. Just about…" said Sokka, when Azula cut him off.
"Your breakup," she stated, leaning her back on the railing with her arms crossed over her chest. "Tell me, why did you dump him?" she asked, teasingly. "I mean, I have a few guesses…"
"Hey!" Sokka squeaked, bumping her shoulder, making her smirk.
She gave him a quizzical glance, and he rolled his eyes, a little amused.
Suki glanced at them. "Mmmm... It was a mutual thing. It was for the best" she uttered, with a little smile towards Sokka.
He smiled back.
So he didn't lie, she thought.
"And how did you celebrate?" the Princess asked, sneering.
"Azula…" Sokka complained.
"I'm kidding, you dolt." Azula replied, entertained at his reaction.
"Sokka!" Zuko called him, waving a hand to indicate him to get closer. He was talking with the Avatar, Katara, and Toph a few meters from them on the deck. "Can you come for a couple of minutes?"
"Coming." he replied, heading towards them.
"Why did you two break up?" the Princess asked. She loved to make uncomfortable questions to other people.
Still, Suki didn't seem to have a problem with answering. "It was a mutual agreement. During the last couple of years in our relationship, we barely saw each other. Like twice at most… So, you could say we just grew apart. It wasn't the same. He was busy with his tuff, I was busy with mine," she said, "And after his trip to Lian Yu, things weren't the same, he was different. And I started to spend time with Yoro, and I realized we had so much in common. So that's when we took the decision."
"What do you mean he was different?" Azula raised an eyebrow.
Suki shrugged. "He seemed like absent. His mind was always somewhere else." she recalled.
"What did you mean?" Ty Lee intervened, but Azula ignored her. Her mere presence irked her.
"When we ran into each other in Lian Yu, he mentioned you a few times," she said. It was true, he had mentioned Suki a few times, but she would not get into further detail about in what situation or context.
"Oh," Suki muttered. She was a bit jolted at hearing this, "I didn't know that. I wasn't aware you met with him in Lian Yu."
"Why were you in Lian Yu of all places?" Ty Lee asked, fully aware that Azula wouldn't have gone into that town willingly, if she could avoid it.
"It wasn't under the best circumstances," said Azula, ignoring the acrobat again. "And we didn't part in better ones."
"He mentioned none of it," said Suki, looking in his direction, "I guess it's truly a mystery how his mind works."
"Agreed." said the Princess, as he headed back towards them while the rest headed back inside the tower.
"Azula." Ty Lee called her softly.
The Princess gave her a deadly glance. "Why are you talking to me?" she grunted, clearly in an annoyed fashion.
"I-I just..." the acrobat said as a whisper, lowering her eyes to the floor.
She raised an eyebrow. "What? Are you going to start crying to try to make me feel bad about you?" she said mockingly with a riled tone.
"N-No, I…" Ty Lee clenched her fists. "Why do you have to be so mean?" she asked in a calm, hurt voice.
"Oh, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings," she said ironically, "But newsflash… I don't give a damn about your feelings. Just like you never did about mine." she spouted with resentment.
"What are you...?"
Sokka tried to intervene so as to prevent a bigger argument between them.
"Oh, cut the crap. I'm not buying your act anymore," Azula snarled, vexed. "You go wandering around, pretending you're so nice and likeable with all your pink and aura shit. And yet, you are just waiting for the right moment to show your claws and attack," she accused her, walking towards her in the process. "I always hated hypocrisy and you are epitome of it," she huffed, "You fooled me for years, and I... I actually believed you."
Just looking at her ex-friend brought back all those memories she wanted to forget.
"Fooled you how?" Ty Lee asked softly, looking at the firebender with watery eyes.
Azula swallowed hard. She tightened the grip around her arms. "Into believing that you were my friend." she bellowed, trying to mask the small tone of sorrow that was threatening to come out.
"We were friends!" she reported, "We were until..." her voice vanished.
"Until what? Until you betrayed me for doing my job? For protecting the best interest of my nation?" she snorted, wrathful.
"You were going to let Zuko die!" Ty Lee refuted.
Her claim only worked to infuriate her even more.
"Oh, my gosh!" Azula exploded, raising her hands in the air, exasperated, not believing what she was hearing. "And that just how little you ever knew me. You always thought the worst of me. You always assumed."
"I…" the acrobat was dumbstruck. The Princess's words were like daggers because she was right. Azula was right.
"You think I didn't know that you never liked me?" she snapped, "That you were forced to be my friend because your father told you to? You just used me for your own benefit just like Mai." she accused her, "And I was a fool for tricking myself that eventually, you would actually be my friend. That you would actually like me for who I was. And you know what, you turned out to be a better liar than I was. After all, … you tricked me for years."
"I never tricked you!" Ty Lee assured, "But... you were getting out of control." she muttered.
"I was doing what I thought that was right!" the Princess bickered.
"But it wasn't right!"
"I know that!" she shouted, acknowledging that now she knew that. "I know that now," she admitted, lowering her glance. "It took me a full breakdown and having my mind at my worst for two years to realize that. After yours and Mai's betrayal, I got paranoid. I thought I could trust no one again."
Ty Lee was speechless. She didn't know that her betrayal had had something to do with Azula's breakdown.
Azula made a pause and took a few deep breaths.
"Did you ever take a moment to think about how I must have felt after my only two friends betrayed?" her eyes got a red prickle. It still hurt to remember that day. It still felt like it had been yesterday. Ty Lee's eyes were on the floor. She was biting her lower lip, and her knuckles were white for how much she was tightening them. "Of course, you didn't. Because you thought that I was a heartless monster, just like my mother." she stated.
Saying those words at loud still made her chest tightened.
The acrobat raised her head, widening her eyes. She might have thought she was turning into the spitting image of her cruel father. Yet, she had never thought of Azula as a monster. "A-Azula, I never…"
"Don't…" she clenched her teeth, fumed. She didn't wish to hear any of her excuses. "Don't you dare to talk to me," she warned her, "I don't want your pity. I don't want you close to me. And I certainly don't want to be your friend ever again."
"I-I…"
"Oh, and If I were you," she said turning towards Suki, "I would watch my back. If she was able to betray me like that, after 'years of friendship', I wouldn't even be surprised if she did the same to you and your face painted friends. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she already did it. If my memory isn't failing, didn't you have a crush on his ex?" she wondered, pointing at Sokka. "I wonder if she wasn't involved in your breakup." she spat at her in a venomous tongue.
…
"Azula!" Sokka shouted as he trailed behind her, "Azula!"
The Princess ignored his voice and shut the door of the library behind her.
"What the hell was that?" Sokka snarled after slamming the door shut behind him. He demanded an explanation.
"What?!" she yelled, pacing in the room.
"What happened out there!" he pointed, "What you said to Ty Lee, and what you said to Suki about Ty Lee being involved in our breakup. What the hell was that?!" he roared.
She had implied to Suki that he might have cheated on her with Ty Lee.
"Nothing," she replied, rubbing her temples. The least she wanted was to talk about that again. "What did Zuko want?" she inquired, trying to change the subject, dropping herself in one of the couches.
Sokka narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Don't try to change the subject."
"I'm not!" said Azula, playing with her bangs.
"You are." Sokka affirmed.
"I'm what?" the Princess raised an eyebrow, pretending obliviousness.
"Changing the subject."
"What subject?" she played dumb.
Sokka's eyebrow twitched. "Azula…" he scolded her.
She rolled her eyes. "Aren't you going to give me one of those crappy chats about being a better person," she asked, quizzical. "Or about hurting people's feelings, right? Because I will kick you in the groin." she warned him.
"Tsk!" he snarled, "You might be tiny, but you are still scary." he muttered under his breath.
"What did you say, beast?" she quirked a brow.
"I said that you might be tiny, but you are still scary." he repeated louder.
Azula smirked. "And I can still kick your ass, without a problem. Don't forget it."
"Like if you were ever going to let me." he replied, sneering.
"I thought making fun of each other was part of the 'being friends' thing." she mocked, making air quotes.
"You make fun of people even if they are not your friends." Sokka stated.
The Princess made a grin. "I agree with that statement." she said.
A knock on the metal door intervened in the discourse between them.
"Come in." replied the Princess, crossing arms and legs, relieved for the intervention.
"Azula," Zuko walked into the room. "Sokka?" he frowned when he noticed the presence of his friend too.
"Hey."
"What are you two doing?" the Fire Lord asked, glancing at them, curiously.
"Talking, can't you tell?" Azula said, irked. Returning to play with her bangs. "What do you need, Dum-Dum?"
Sokka snickered. Zuko gave him a grim look, before frowning.
"How many times have I told you not to call me that?" he grunted.
"More than I can count. Foolish of you to hold any hope that I would ever stop doing it." Azula sneered, glancing interestedly at the tips of her hair. "Just be thankful that I don't call you like that in public or during council meetings." she added.
Her brothers sighed in defeat, rubbing the bridge of his nose, trying to not lose his patience.
"Anyway, we need to meet in a while. I need to discuss some matters with you. Can you come to my office in around an hour?" he wondered.
"Alright." the Princess agreed, looking at him.
Then Zuko glanced towards Sokka. "You too, Sokka. You also need to be there." he said.
He raised his eyebrow and nodded. "Okay."
Azula quirked an eyebrow. "Why? Why does he need to be there?" she inquired, baffled.
"Everyone needs to be there," her brother clarified. "There are some matters we needed to attend before our arrival to Lake Laogai, tomorrow."
"The entire gaang?" Sokka asked.
"Yeah," he affirmed, "Including the Kyoshi warriors."
"Woo-hoo... yippee!" said the Princess ironical, with false excitement and a stoic expression. "The super lame squad is meeting again. What a nightmare." she muttered, grunting and making a grin of disgust.
Zuko rolled his eyes. "I will see you both in a while." he said, heading towards the door.
Azula sighed and stood up once Zuko closed the door behind him. "That settles it then." she said, also heading towards the exit.
"Where are you going?" Sokka asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" she raised an eyebrow, "To find a proper place to hang myself before the meeting."
...
"Where is she?" Zuko asked, snarling for the tenth time in the last ten minutes.
Everyone had been gathered in his office for around an hour now. Yet, there was no signal of his sibling.
"Weren't you with her?" the Fire Lord inquired for the fifth time to his friend.
"Zuko," said Sokka, "For the fifth time, I was. But suddenly, she vanished. Azula is really elusive."
"Maybe I should send someone to find her." he pondered.
"Do you want me to go find her?" Sokka offered, "I could ask some servants to help me look for…"
The door opened.
"Cute one is here." said Azula as she stepped inside.
"What took you so long?!" her brother bellowed.
"Sorry, I'm late," she gave a fake apology, "I was going to give you an excuse, but, Nah... What the hell? I just didn't want to come." she admitted.
"Azula…" Zuko scolded her.
"Sorry, but you might think having the entire gaang of losers together is such a good thing," she tapped Sokka on the shoulder and made a nod to make him scooch over on the couch to make space for her. "But for me, it's more of a personal hell, just for you to get the idea." she dropped herself on the couch.
"Could you try to be a little nicer to all of them?" her brother implored her.
"Why? Do you want us to bond or something?" she asked with a tone of satire.
"Maybe."
"Alright, let's bond," she agreed, turning to face his friends, "Let's tell each other a secret about ourselves. I'm going to go first. I…" she made a pause and smirked, "Hate you all, who's next?"
"Azula…" Zuko grunted.
"I go," said Toph, "Sokka drools when he sleeps. Katara also has mommy issues. Aang is terrified of squirrels. And I actually found you funny, Prissy."
I wasn't expecting that, Azula thought, making a grin at the earthbender revelations.
"Toph!" all the mentioned ones shouted.
"What?" the earthbender said innocently, "Was any of that a lie?"
"Argh..." Zuko snarled, rubbing the bridge of his nose, trying to not lose patience. His breathing was affecting the torches that bathed the room.
"Chill out a little bit, Zuzu. You are affecting the flames," Azula pointed out, "Just begin with this damn meeting, will you? The sooner you start, the sooner it will be over." she said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back on the couch.
Sokka's eyes trailed down to his leg when he felt it brushing against Azula's. She didn't move it. Either because she didn't notice or because she simply didn't care.
"Alright," the Fire Lord sighed, finally having composed himself. "Earlier this afternoon, the Captain informed me we are ahead of schedule. Instead of arriving tomorrow afternoon, we would arrive tomorrow before dawn to Lake Laogai. We will disembark after breakfast," he explained, then pulled out a small piece of paper from a drawer and showed it to the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, sitting in front of him. "Suki, I just received confirmation from King Kuei. He will give us his support in the matter of security during our stay." he handed her the paper.
"Awesome." she replied.
"I informed him about what happened in Yu Dao with the former Dai Li and the Rhinos and he is very predisposed to help us in every way he can. Also, Kuei arranged a meeting with all his guards tomorrow morning. You and the girls can have a little rundown with them about everything you need to know to reinforce the security. Shifts, tasks, who and when comes in and out of the Palace, and mostly about their staff. If you need any help or anything at all, feel free to ask the Imperial Guards for their assistance."
"Got it."
"And one more thing. Let's make sure, girls, to keep your sweepings in the city as low profile as possible. We don't know if the Dai Li still have spies in the Palace, and we don't want them to be warned of the fact that we are going after them." said Zuko.
"Don't worry about it, Zuko," the leader of the warriors assured him, "The girls and I will do our best."
"You always do girls, thanks," he gave the five members a reassuring smile. "Now, Azula," he glanced in his sibling's direction. "I need you to..." he raised an eyebrow, when Azula didn't glance back at him. She was studying the tips of her hair. "Azula!" he called her, raising his voice a bit. Nothing. "Azula!" he shouted.
Sokka placed his hand on her shoulder.
"What?!" she snarled, looking back at her sibling. "Why are you screaming? We are not even three meters apart."
"I was talking to you," her brother uttered, "And you were ignoring me."
"Yeah, sorry about that," she said, not meaning it a bit. "But for starters, one: I didn't even want to come, two: I don't want to be here," she said, raising her finger as she numbered them. "And three: Whatever you were talking, it didn't involve me so, I just... zoomed out." she admitted, "But now, you have my full attention, dear brother." her quizzical tone was evident.
Zuko frowned and crossed his arms. "Do you do that often whenever I talk to you?" he inquired, tilting his head.
She stood up and walked towards him, crossing her arms and making a grin. "Not as often as I would like," she confessed, "But at least regularly that you zoom out of your Fire Lord duties." she pointed, matter-of-factly.
"What do you mean?" he inquired. According to him, his paperwork was sorted out. "The paperwork, it's done."
"Hmph… Really?" Azula quirked an eyebrow and smirked mischievously. "Did you revise the reforms I left in your desk three days ago?"
"What reforms…?"
Azula pulling them out from a small pile of scrolls and papers that he had on his desk.
"Or the three approvals of decrees you have to sign and publish?" Zuko opened his mouth to refuse. She pulled out another scroll. "Or have you looked at every matter we have to attend during this month?"
"And where are tho…?"
"First drawer. Left side." she informed him with a smirk.
Her brother opened the first drawer. Right side.
The Princess rubbed her temple. "Your other left, dyslexic." she said.
His friends chuckled. He had thought that it was her right.
Zuko opened the drawer, and his eyes widened. It was filled.
"Oh, I know," she snapped her fingers, "I guess at least you already checked the important matters we discussed during the last council meeting, right?" she tilted her head with a raised eyebrow.
"N-No…" he admitted, sighing deeply. He was going to have a lot of work. "Where are those by the way?" he inquired defeated, rubbing the inner corner of his eyes.
"Mmmm…. Gee, I don't know," she said, snide. A hand under her chin. "Maybe in the corner, pilling up in a pile as tall as Kiyi?" she pointed at the further corner of the office, behind Zuko. "I bet you never thought being Fire Lord would involve so much paperwork, right?"
Her brother huffed and threw his head forward, defeated.
His friends looked at him, feeling a tinge of pity for his predicament.
"Damn it!" he cursed, removing the royal headpiece from its upper knot. And throwing it to the desk, stressed. "That's it! I quit! I abdicate!" he leaned back in his chair, feeling dejected by the amount of work. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed.
Aang, Katara, and Sokka blinked dumbstruck and their jaws hung open.
Suki and Ty Lee shared a look and sighed with a little smile. Same old habits, they thought.
Azula sat over the desk on one side and reached for the headpiece. "Finally," she played with it between her fingers. "New record. Eight days in a row without you doing it. I'm proud, Dum-Dum." she said teasingly.
"Don't call me that!" Zuko snapped.
"Yeah, like I would ever stop, grumpy Mc-pants." the Princess mocked, tossing the headpiece in her hand like a toy.
"Good one, Fire Lily." Toph laughed.
"You are welcome, Tod." Azula replied.
"Her name, it's Toph." Katara stated.
"Okay, Okay," Zuko said raising his hands, getting everyone's attention. "We are diverting away from the main issue here. The focal point of this meeting." he began, "Azula, once we reach Ba Sing See, I need you to be accompanied by someone all the time."
The headpiece slipped from her fingers, dropping on the desk. "What?" she squealed.
Toph chuckled. The Princess gave her a death glare.
"Why?"
"Azula," Aang spoke, calmly. "Zuko is right. I believe that it would be safer for you and him to always be accompanied by someone else."
"After all, if we have learned something is that there is safety in numbers. Even if it's just two." said Katara.
"Yeah, but there is also death," she said bitterly, "It's called massacre."
"Fair point." Sokka agreed with a grin.
"Sokka!" Katara reprimanded him, punching him in the arm.
"What? It's true!" he squeaked.
"Sokka, not helping." uttered Suki.
"Sorry." he apologized.
"Jeezz…, Preppy Princess, you are just as pessimistic as Sokka."
"It's being realistic." both replied at the same time.
"Well, my point is; the more the merrier. If the Dai Li tries to attack either of you, it shouldn't be as easy for them if you have someone else to back you up than if you are by yourself. If Zuko's assumptions turn out to be correct and they are behind the attempts and threats that began last year," Zuko's eyes widened and began making signs to Aang to make him shut up. Azula quirked an eyebrow. "They could be working not only with the Rough Rhinos but also with other firebenders and who knows? Maybe even some rogue waterbenders." Zuko was waving his hand horizontally at his neck high. "What?" Aang raised an eyebrow.
The Fire Lord facepalmed.
"Hold on, fringes," said Azula, raising a hand. She got off the desk, and turned towards her brother, with her arms crossed over her chest.
"They are arrows, not fringes." the Avatar muttered, pouting.
"What did Zuko investigate?" she inquired, narrowing her eyes. "When did you have time to do it? And what does he mean by last year's attempts and threats?"
"I-I…" he glanced quickly at his friends, begging with his eyes for help.
They all shared a glance between them.
"What was that?" Azula snarled interrogatively at them.
"What?" said Aang.
"W-What was nothing? W-We did nothing." Sokka replied nervously under Azula's glance.
"You all shared a look." she pointed at them accusingly.
"No, we didn't." Katara replied.
"Yeah, we definitely didn't." said Sokka with a squishy voice.
"Spill it." Azula grunted, narrowing her eyes towards Sokka, who seemed the most nervous one.
Sokka gulped nervously. "Zuko?" he glanced towards the Fire Lord.
"Katara?" Zuko glanced back at the waterbender.
"Sweety?" she looked over to her boyfriend.
"S-Sokka?" the Avatar stuttered.
"Toph?" he turned to the earthbender.
"Oh, na ha," she denied, shaking her head. "Don't involve me in this. I don't even know what you guys are talking about. You need to fill me in too."
"Same here," said Ty Lee, raising a hand. "We don't know what you guys are talking about." she said, referring to her and the warriors.
The Princess turned and pointed at Zuko, narrowing her eyes. "You, ninny. Tell me about it." she demanded to be informed about what they were talking about.
The Fire Lord gulped hard. "Azula, there is no need to…"
"One." she counted, taking a step closer to her brother, losing her patience and growing more and more irked with every passing second.
"That used to work when we were kids…" he said.
"Two." she uttered, taking another step, threateningly.
He smiled nervously. "Azula, there is no need to…"
"Don't let me get to three." she warned him, bitterly.
He remembered that when they were kids, once she finished counting, he was certainly going to get punched. Badly.
Even though now, he was taller and bigger than her, her small tiny sister could still inflict a lot of harm. And even more, when she was pissed. Like at that moment.
"Thre..."
"Ugr… Fine!" Zuko said defeated. He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "The truth is… I don't know if it's connected but... something happened back in the Fire Nation."
"What?"
"Something happened. Around a year ago," he recalled, "I was coming back from an event in Mi Na and…"
…
Outside Caldera City.
A little over a year ago.
"Did you enjoy Mi Na, Kiyi?" Zuko asked the little girl, seated next to him in the carriage as they headed back to the Palace.
It was already dark outside, and late.
Kiyi yawned. "Yes, Zuzu. It was really fun to walk around and take a break from the Palace." she said with sleepy eyes.
"I promise that I will make everything possible to have more trips like this, okay?" he promised with a smile, "Even if they are short like this one."
"Promise?" she raised her pinky finger at him.
"Promise," he extended his hand hooked to Kiyi's. "Maybe, next time we can go to Wu Yuan. In spring, the fire lilies blossom and they paint the entire plain in red. And we could bring some for your conservatory." he said to his mother.
"That's sounds wonderful, darling." Ursa gave him a warm smile.
Then, he looked over to Kiyi, whose expression had changed and now seemed a little thoughtful.
"What is it, Kiyi? You don't like the idea?"
The little girl shook her head. "It's not that. I like the idea. It's just... Zuzu, I have been wanting to ask you something. It's regarding my firebending training."
"What's the matter?" he inquired.
"It's just…" she played with her hands nervously in her lap. "I know I'm starting soon at the Royal Academy for Girls. And I also know that you try really hard to clear your schedule and help me with my firebending, Zuzu. But… I have been wondering if I could get a proper firebending master."
"Really?" Zuko raised his eyebrows.
Kiyi nodded. "Yeah. So that way, I can train while you are busy. And whenever you get free time, we can still train together."
"That sounds… like a splendid idea," he smiled, making her little half-sister smile too. "I will start looking for a master for you tomorrow, okay?"
"Actually… There is someone I wish to have as a master." she confessed. She had heard the rumors. And also, she had a vague memory of seeing her when she was younger.
"Someone? Who?" Zuko asked, curiously.
"I have heard a lot about her and her unique fire." she said with an excited smile.
"Who, Kiyi?"
"I want…" Kiyi was cut off, when the carriage came to a sudden halt that made them stumble forward.
"What happen? Why did we stop?" Noren questioned, intrigued.
"I don't know." the Fire Lord muttered, looking through the window.
They weren't being attacked. But his guards were gathered around something and muttering.
"What is happening?" he asked, stepping out of the carriage.
The Captain of his Imperial Guards stood before him with a little bow. "It's a minor hindrance in the way Fire Lord. Nothing we can't solve in a moment." Tai-Cho assured.
But Zuko wasn't to be convinced as he kept seeing the guards whispering to each other.
He stood off the carriage.
"Fire Lord, I don't believe you should step out of the carriage for a little…"
"Just a second, Captain."
He walked towards the rest of the guards. "What are you all looking at?" he interrogated them, jolting them. They all bowed respectfully.
"N-Nothing, my Lord." replied one of them.
"Let me see." he commanded.
"B-But, my Lord…"
"It's an order." Zuko said, and his guards stepped out to let him see.
...
"The entire wall was filled with this." said Zuko, opening a drawed that was under lock and key and pulling out a bunch of posters and placing them in front of his sibling.
Azula reached for them and began reading them.
Death to the usurper.
Topple the Fire Lord and the Princess.
Death to the false royal lineage.
Bring down the false heirs.
"Kill the false Royals." Azula read on the last one, "False Royals? What is that supposed to mean?"
"I-I don't know," Zuko admitted rubbing his temple. "For over the last year, I had been wondering the same thing. At first, I assumed that it was another one of your tricks. But then, I read that one," he noted towards the one she had in her hands; Topple the Fire Lord and the Princess. "And also found this."
He pulled out few portraits of him, and her -the ones that were scattered around every town in the nation so the civilians can recognize them everywhere- all of them crossed out in the face, and with different words.
Kill them. False Fire Lord. False Princess. False Royal Blood.
"But…" Azula looked at her brother, confused.
"I know. I don't understand it, either." Zuko muttered, rubbing a temple. "I had to give the order to the guards to have nightly rundowns through the Capital and the closest towns. For the past year, at least once a week, they would find dozens of them displayed all around. I also gave them direct orders of burning them all before dawn."
That would explain why she has seen none of them before that moment.
"Zuko," she said a moment later, "What about that fake letter your mother wrote?" she asked, maybe someone found it and misunderstood the content like them.
The Fire Lord shook his head. "I thought the same, but after Hira'a and talking with mom, I burned it. There was no point in keeping it," he explained, "Also, the only ones that know of the content of that letter are in this room. Plus, mom and Noren."
Azula remained in silence, looking at the posters. False heirs? False linage?
"Days prior, I had been pondering about looking for you," he added, "And after seeing the posters, and the direct treats not only towards me but also towards you. I made up my mind and began looking for you."
"You said it was because you needed help," Azula uttered, "And because Kiyi asked you too."
"She did," Zuko assured her, "Which only urged me to find you even more."
"See? I told you he was looking for you." Sokka said.
"Sokka, shush…" Katara shut him.
"Why did you hide from me something so important?" the Princess inquired. To Zuko's astonishment, her question was posed in a calm manner. Very different to what he had pictured her, reacting to him hiding such information.
Zuko shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted, "It took me so long to find you, that I thought you didn't want to be found."
"I didn't." she mumbled.
"I figured as much," he said with a side smile, "The truth is that when I found you in Lian Yu, I was going to tell you the truth. All of it. But then, we talked, and it took me so much to convince you to agree to come back that... that I thought that if I told you the truth of what was happening when I went to found you, you would assume that I only did it because we were being threatened and not because I really wanted you back." he confessed.
Azula remained in silence a moment before frowning. "So, you thought that lying to me and hiding the truth about all this, for over a year, was for the best?" she grunted and quirked an eyebrow, "And not only that. You also told the truth to these… weirdos," she nodded towards where Sokka, Katara, and Aang were sat. "Before me?"
"I know I did wrong in hiding it from you. And I know you are probably mad at me, but…"
"But what?" she snarled, "Tell me Zuzu, how the hell were you expecting me to react when I found out the truth? Happy? What the hell did you expect me to say? Thank you, brother, for hiding something so important from me, huh?"
"No. I…"
"That moron," she pointed at Sokka, "Almost died, because you hid that from me."
"I know, and I felt awful." said Zuko, lowering his gaze, "But calm down. You are overreacting." he tried to soothe her.
"Overreacting?" the Princess raised her eyebrows, "Zuko, all your life all you ever did was call me a liar. Yet, I never hid anything so important like this." she stated before straightening her posture and crossing her arms. "Back in Lian Yu, wasn't one of your conditions to not lie to each other? To not have secrets?"
…
Lian Yu
One year ago.
After leaving Sokka, Azula had spent a couple of hours wandering around the lifeless streets of the town. She had seen the flying bison from the distance come and go. Zuko's friends were gone and now she needed to get done what she had initially come to do. No more distractions.
The only people she ran into were either drunks stumbling or drunks already passed out and sleeping in the streets over their vomit.
Azula walked into the same pub she had done during her first day there where she had run into Sokka. The difference now was that it was empty. The tables were arranged and there was no smell of piss or alcohol.
It was just the barman and her in the pub.
Just like she had done during her first time there, she headed towards the counter and knocked on the wood. Making the old man named Motoi turn towards her.
"We are closed, sorry." he said, cleaning the counter and rearranging some bottle of liquor.
"I know. But I don't care." she replied, bitterly. The old man stopped what he was doing and glanced at her. "I heard around that you are the best one to help finding people."
"I might be," he replied, leaning on the counter. "And may I ask who are you looking for, young lady? And where is the gentleman who was with you?" he looked over her shoulder. They had both left quite an impression on him.
Not every day, a petite girl that seemed high born appeared at his pub, kick a bunch of old men asses, and leave a brawny guy that looked foreign.
"Long gone..." she refuted, stoic.
"I see…" Motoi nodded, "I have to say that not every day I get to enjoy seeing a tiny girl kicking the asses of old drunks. It was quite a delight, I must say." he smiled.
"Good to know that you enjoyed the show." she replied, expressionless.
"Oh, I did," he admitted, "It was truly a blast. As for my costumers, I have to tolerate them, even when I wish I could smash a bottle on their heads."
"I suppose you would like to do that, very often." said Azula.
"Almost every night," the barman, sighed. "Anyway, what can I do for you, dear?"
"I'm looking for someone that owes someone I know a lot." she uttered, not wishing to reveal a lot of detail of why she was there.
"I see," the old man muttered. "In that case, miss, give me five minutes to finish this so I can help you." he said.
Azula nodded. What else could she do? She had already lost two weeks helping that savage. The world wouldn't end if five more minutes passed.
Motoi headed to the back of the pub, with a box full of empty bottles of liqueur. She could hear him move things in the back. After finishing whatever he was doing, he returned to the counter with another box full of new bottles.
He began arranging them.
"How old are you, dear?" he asked, nicely. He thought the girl before him resembles someone else, as he finished arranging the counter.
Azula scrutinized the man. He seemed nice. Way too nice. She wondered why an old man like him would like and enjoy spending every night attending to a bunch of drunks.
"21, why?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow, and wondering why that was relevant?
"You look younger." Motoi side smiled.
"I get that a lot." she muttered.
"Maybe it's because you are tiny." he said, "But let me tell you something, if I learned something from the other night was to never judge by appearances alone. You might be tiny, but you can sure kick asses."
Azula smirked. I didn't even use my bending; she thought.
Motoi scrutinized her one more time before saying. "You know, even though I have only seen portraits of her, I have to say that you look a lot like her," he said, "Has anyone ever told you, that you resemble Princess Ursa a lot?"
"No," she lied. She had heard that all her life. "That's a first."
"Well, you do," the old man assured her, "And now that I think of it, Princess Azula must be around your same age. Your resemblance to them, it's impressive. Perhaps you two could even pass as sisters." he chuckled.
If you only knew, old man, she thought.
"Perhaps," she mumbled.
Motoi finished whatever he was doing and leaned his elbows on the counter. "Okay, I'm all yours. Tell me about this person you are looking for. How does he or she look like? When do you think they must have arrived? Nobody goes through Lian Yu without me finding out."
"Alright. Then, let's talk about the important matter," she said with determination. "Speak. Tell me everything you know about a man in his fifties named Seo. He is tall. Black hair. Goofy face. He is not from around. He must have been wearing nice clothes. While still trying to keep it low. Probably looking for a safe passage to the colonies. And must have arrived in the last few days…"
The man placed a hand under his chin, scrounging his memory. "I believe I saw someone like that two days ago. He seemed nervous. And was willing to pay a lot of money for a ticket to the Earth Kingdom," he recalled, "I told him that no ships were leaving until tomorrow. And he also asked about lodging, so I sent him to the only inn we have."
Bingo, she thought.
The door of the pub opened behind them.
"Sorry, we are not open, ye…" Motoi paled when he looked over her shoulder. "Oh, my... M-My Lord." he stuttered, bowing quickly and awkwardly behind the counter.
Azula turned, wondering who could have possibly walked in to cause the man to turn into such a nervous train wreck.
Her face went blank as she saw who was standing by the door.
"Hey, Azula." Zuko said.
A/N:
Probably (more likely) next week won't be a chapter as I'm going on a road trip, but the next week after that for sure.