CHAPTER 18

The room was dark. Not pitch black, but almost. Only one torch lit her room and it was fine because right now she only wished to disappear.

She had wrapped her covers around her body, shrouded from head to toe, as she was sure led in the floor in the corner of her room. She was barefoot and her feet were getting colder by each passing second.

She had cried. A lot. But now, after hours of tears, she had finally calmed.

She was tiny, defenseless, and innocent. Not even her bending had awakened by then.

Nobody had come looking for her for hours, and she felt worse about it. Alone. It was almost like… like if nobody cared for her.

She heard a soft knock on the door, barely audible. She didn't reply, afraid her mom was looking for her to scold her again.

Why had her mother scolded her that time? She couldn't remember. She couldn't recall the reason, but what she actually could recall was that she had felt terrible after.

There wasn't a second knock, and she assumed that whoever it was, had decided to leave at the lack of reply.

But she was wrong. She heard the doorknob twist and the door slightly swing open. At first, she saw no one, but then a little rounded face peaked through.

His hair was in his usual ponytail, and he was wearing his nightclothes as well. He walked in, -also barefoot-, searching for her with his eyes around her room.

"Zul?" he softly called her. He glanced around the dark room and for a moment he believed it was empty. Until he saw the corner and her sad golden eyes shining in the darkness.

She pressed her lips together and brought her legs crosser to her chest, tightening the cover around her body.

"Zul?" he called her again, walking towards her. "What are you doing there?" he asked.

She didn't reply.

"Is everything alright?" he insisted, dropping on his knees next to her. He knew that she wrapped herself in her covers like that only when she was sad or upset. He placed a hand on her back and gently caressed it. "Did Dad get mad at you again?" he asked, trying to comfort her. He could notice her sad eyes.

She remained in silence for a moment, not sure if she wished to answer her brother's question.

"It's okay," he said, sitting next to her and surrounding her in a small hug, heartily. "You can tell me. I promise I won't tell. Did Dad get mad at you again?" he asked the same question again.

"No. Mom did." she replied, barely audible.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" he inquired.

She shook her head slowly. "No," she replied, before leaning her head on his little shoulder. "But... can you sleep with me, Zuzu? I don't want to be alone."

And it was true, she didn't want to be alone. But it was also that she knew that her mom never scolded Zuko like she did her. So she hoped that if her brother stayed with her, at least for that night, her mother would not scold her again.

"Of course. I'm your big brother, I have to take care of you, Zul." said Zuko, before they headed to her bed to rest.

They had talked until they had both fallen asleep, cuddling next to each other, exhausted.

Zuko was six. Azula had been four.

And it was probably one of her favorite memories with him.

…

"It's late," said Katara, passing through the room. "What if something happened? They said they would be back in a couple of hours and it's been a while since."

"Sweety, calm down. I'm sure they'll be here any minute." said Aang, trying to calm his girlfriend who was about to make a ditch in the room.

"It's just..." she grabbed a strand of hair and began to play with it nervously. "I kind of have a bad feeling, Aang. They should be here, by now."

"I know, but maybe they just…"

The Avatar was interrupted when the door opened. Toph, Zuko, and Sokka walked in.

"Finally!" exclaimed Katara, streaming towards them. "What took you so long, guys? W-What's up with those faces?" she asked when she noticed the expression on the three of them.

"Did something happen?" Aang inquired, placing a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder.

The three newcomers looked exhausted, dejected, and troubled.

"You're worrying me," said Katara, reaching for her sibling. "What is it, Sokka?"

The warrior shook his head, staring at the floor. "It's just… we… we were wrong," he muttered. "The girl wasn't the spy." he leaned his back on the door.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked as his eyes went from Sokka to Zuko whose attention was right now on his sibling. Toph dropped on the floor with her legs crossed, holding her head.

"I… I don't think I'll be able to ever forget the expression on her face." Sokka said, slowly.

Seiko's dead body was a memory he was never going to be able to forget. The expression on her face was… Just remembering made him sick.

Katara kneeled in front of her brother, worried. "Sokka, talk to me… please," she begged. "What happened?"

"Katara, she's dead. The girl I believed was the spy is dead," he said.

"What?" Aang and Katara exclaimed at the same time, aghast.

"She wasn't the spy. It was… someone else and…" he rubbed his face, exasperated.

"They killed her." said Toph.

The Avatar and the waterbender shared a terrified, concerned glance.

"They slit her throat from side to side," said Zuko, sitting next to the bed where Azula was sleeping. "And then, locked her body in a closet."

Katara took a hand to her mouth, while Aang squeezed the other one.

"Her blood started to leak under the door and a servant noticed. Zuko and I opened the closet and her body just… fell," said Sokka, running a hand through his hair. The sound her body had made when it had crashed against the floor was repeating over and over in his head.

Aang surrounded his girlfriend in a comforting hug.

"That's horrible! Oh, spirits!"

"I still can't believe that a human can do that to another one." Aang uttered, grieved.

Zuko, Toph, and Sokka told them about how Head Court Lady Naru had fainted because of the ordeal, but right now, she was fine. Conscious, but resting.

They told them how they, along with Kuei, a few guards and some of the closest and most trusted servants of Naru, had helped them take care of Seiko's body.

Zuko had been the one in charge of closing Seiko's eyes, which remained still by the time they found her. The servants had cleaned the blood off her body and dressed her in clean clothes. She was a war orphan with no relatives, but still… they had made a brief service for her with a few of the other servants that were close to her. The three of them had been present to pay their respects, even if they didn't know her, they had been the ones who found her. And probably Sokka had been the last one to see her alive.

The deep silence filled the room. Nobody talked for a while. They just remained there, everyone plunged in their thoughts. It was a delicate situation, and it was also terrifying to think that in any second, someone could sneak behind them at any giving moment and just…

"I think…" muttered Zuko after a while. Everyone turned towards him. "I think we should let the Kyoshi Warriors know what happened. Now, more than ever, they need to be on complete alert. And… also, from now on, I think it's clear that it is extremely important to always be accompanied by someone.

"Head Court Naru said she would reinforce the security in the Palace. She's going to supervise the kitchen staff personally and go over everyone's records, to assure everyone's safety. As for us, well, it's wiser if nobody leaves the Palace grounds."

"What about the Suki and the girls?" Sokka inquired.

"I-I… I don't know," confessed Zuko, rubbing his beard with frustration. "I will talk with her and explain the situation to her and…"

"She's not going to drop it," he stated. "Not after all the work they had done."

"I know," the Fire Lord sighed and now rubbed his forehead with the tip of his fingers. He was slouching forward with his elbows over his knees. "I will try to convince her, but if she doesn't agree well, I'll think of something so that she and the girls are safe. Maybe, sending some of my Royal Guards undercover with them, or... I don't know. Right now, I'm too exhausted to think… It's been…"

"A shitty day." Sokka finished with a faint side smile.

"Exactly."

In that moment, as if their stomachs had synchronized, they all growled. They all shared a small glance and chuckled.

"We should go have dinner." Katara proposed.

Sokka stood like a flash. "I can agree on that."

"You guys go ahead," said Zuko, "I'll stay here for a while."

He was truly hungry, but his concern for his sibling was bigger than that. He couldn't leave her alone. He couldn't. What if he did and someone sneaked into her room and did the same thing they had done to Seiko? No. Just the mere thought formed a knot in his stomach.

"Are you sure?" Aang asked, raising his eyebrows. "We could ask one of the guards to stand by her door."

"Thanks, but I'd prefer to take care of her myself." the Fire Lord replied.

His friends understood his worries. After the day that they had had, it was natural that the most paranoid of them would get well… paranoid.

"Should we send someone with dinner for you?" Katara asked.

"No, it's okay. But… Can I ask you all a favor?" all his friends nodded, "If you happen to cross my mother or Kiyi, would you please tell them that Azula and I are in the studio working on something and we wish to not be interrupted? I don't want her to get worried."

"Of course."

"No worries, buddy."

"Count on it."

"Gotcha." they said at the same time.

"Thanks and enjoy dinner." was the last thing he said before his friends closed the door behind them, leaving him in the room alone.

...

"Give up Dragon Emperor, you will never defeat me!" he said, deepening his voice behind the mask.

"Never! I will never surrender to you, Dark Water Spirit! I will defeat you with my last breath!" she had shouted behind her mask.

Azula was standing over the edge of the fountain. She was considerably shorter than him, and she had to stand taller than him for that particular scene. The Final Battle.

It was late. They had gone to see the play 'Love Among Dragons' for the second year in a row at the local theater on Ember Island. The representation had been so bad that even they had gotten bored. Now, they were making their version in the yard of their family house.

Their audience was their mother, their uncle Iroh and a sixteen-year-old Lu Ten.

"I wonder if in this version the Dark Water Spirit will win." muttered Iroh with amusement.

Lu Ten placed a hand under his chin. "I don't think so. The Dragon Emperor is extremely clever for her age." he replied.

Both kids, their hands forward, like throwing attacks at each other and making the proper special effects with their mouths. Neither knew how to firebend, yet.

"And as my last attack to defeat you for all time, Dark Water Spirit, I'm going to…" she smiled mischievously behind her mask.

"Azula?" Zuko broke his role when he noticed his sibling's intention. "What are you going to… Ouch!" he complained when Azula jumped from the edge of the fountain to him.

He had pulled his arms out trying to catch her before she fell upon him, but their weight had been too much for his seven-year-old body and he had ended up on the floor, crushed under her weight.

"Crush you." she said, amused, removing the mask of the Dragon Emperor on top of her brother.

"Azula!" he complained, removing his mask as well, looking annoyed at his sibling.

She gave him a big smile, exposing her missing teeth. Then she chuckled. He frowned when he saw her laughing at him, but her laugh was so contagious that he ended up joining her.

"That was a wonderful play, kids!" said their mother while clapping, proudly.

"Indeed. Better than the one we saw earlier," agreed Lu Ten, clapping as well. "They should definitely hire you two. Those crappy actors are nothing against you two."

Their uncle smacked his cousin in the back of the head. "Language, little moron!"

"Dad!" the Prince complained, rubbing the back of his head.

"I've told you countless times; Don't say bad words in front of the children!" he scolded his son, shaking his head with disapproval and stroking his beard.

"Did I lie?" he retorted, "Don't tell me you didn't think the play was crap. Oww... Oww... Oww…" he complained when his father pulled his ear.

"Will you ever listen to me?!"

The little bickering between her cousin and uncle made the Princess laugh. And her contagious laugh made her brother follow her and join in her burst of laughter.

"What are you laughing at, little brats?!" Lu Ten grunted, staring at his little cousins.

"At you." replied the Princess, sticking her tongue out at her cousin with mockery.

"Oh, really?!" he raised his eyebrows as he stood up.

Azula squealed with amusement, hiding behind Zuko and using him as a protective barrier against their cousin.

"You two better run," said Lu Ten playfully, threatening, "Because if I get you, I'm gonna…"

And like that, little Zuko and Azula rushed away from their cousin, laughing and playing.

They played until they got exhausted. They laughed until their bellies ached.

She was five years old. He was seven. And that summer had been one of his favorites in Ember Island.

"... that was one of my favorite summers there," said Zuko, with melancholy, sitting in the chair and staring at his sister. Azula had been asleep during his recollection. "I found myself thinking and wishing we could go back to those times... But I guess, it's kind of impossible, huh?" he sighed, "We were so happy… what happened to us?" he asked to the air.

All those happy memories he had kept almost forgotten in the back of his mind, still worked to remind him that one time… they had gotten along. They had been happy siblings.

And after almost losing her earlier that day, all those memories had suddenly resurfaced.

Right now, he was sure of something and was that he would never forgive himself if something happened to her while she was in this. They haven't even made amends between each other yet.

Their relationship had improved enormously over the last year. Something neither had ever thought possible. And after all those years of fighting, of competing with each other, of just being horrible to each other, they had finally found a way to make it work.

For once, in a very long time, he was happy to have her in his life. He was happy to have her around.

For years, he had thought of him as the good and of Azula's as the bad. But he had never realized that just as she was the villain of his story, he was the villain of hers. And the last discussions they had had, had worked to make him open his eyes.

The Fire Lord sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He had undone his topknot and had placed the hairpiece on the nightstand. He had his elbows over his knees and his hands entwined. "You were right, you know? Well, you're always right. But what you said the other day… I suppose I deserved all of it," he made a pause, thinking about what else he could say.

"I know you're sleeping and can't hear me, and I know that If you saw me like this, you would probably comment on me getting all sentimental but… I just want you to know that; yes, you were always a better sister than I was a brother to you. I guess, I just..." he shrugged. " ... I just wasn't willing to see it, because you were my evil little sister, you know? But at the same time, I suppose I was being a jerk towards you.

"What I'm trying to say is that; after today, after I saw you in Sokka's arms all covered in blood and saw your eyes, the way you were… terrified because you couldn't understand what was happening, I… I realized that… I don't care how much we fight. I don't care how much you annoy me or make fun of me at my expenses," he wiped the silent tears that were falling from his face. "I don't care about everything that happened between us before. I don't care. I just… I just care about you. And I'm sorry for every mistake I made, I wish I could have been more understanding, I wish I could have helped you when you had the breakdown. I wish… I could have been a better brother." he placed a hand under his chin. "Maybe one day I'll be able to talk to you and tell you all this when you're awake. But I will promise you for now on that… I'm going to be a better brother, okay?"

Of course, he got no reply. But he didn't want one. Because it was a promise that he was making not only to her but also to himself.

Knock, knock.

Zuko took a deep breath and straightened himself in the chair, wiping his face.

"Come in," he said.

"Hey buddy," Sokka peeked through the door, "Do you wanna go get dinner? I can watch her as you do." he offered. He had just finished dinner and had stuffed himself, this satiation.

"Really?"

"Yeah," he replied walking towards him, "Also, Suki and the girls are having dinner right now, in case you wanted to talk with them about… well, everything that happened today."

Zuko nodded. "Yes, I think I should." he acceded, standing up. "Thanks, buddy."

"No problem, pal." said Sokka, patting him on the shoulder, trying to cheer him up a little bit. Zuko was the one that seemed the most dejected from all of his friends.

And without another word, Zuko headed to have dinner, leaving Sokka to watch over Azula.

He walked towards the bed with his hands in his pockets.

"You really scared us today, huh?" said Sokka, sitting on the same chair Zuko had been sitting on just a moment ago. "And not the kind of scare you used to give us a while back when you were after us," he leaned forward and brushed a strand of her hair off her face. "I have never seen that expression of horror on your face. The kind of scare that gives you a cold shiver down your spine, the type of scare that really terrified us. That… terrified me."

He could recall perfectly the way her eyes had looked at him when she had first seen the blood coming out of her mouth. The way her eyes had expressed terror, confusion, and a dozen more feelings.

"And I'm sure I don't ever wanna see it again." Sokka muttered before freezing in place and realizing what he had been doing. He had been caressing her hair all the time, he had talked to her. He removed his hand and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in the chair, putting some distance between them.

Azula turned towards her left side, facing his direction and bringing her legs closer to her chest, cuddling herself.

Sokka arranged the cover over her. He tilted his head and a side smile appeared when he saw her face. "Huh… you don't drool in your sleep," he noticed, "I suppose you're all Princessy even when you sleep, right?" he mocked, "You know… taking a better look at you while you're asleep, If I didn't know you, I could even claim that you look… kind of harmless."

He sighed deeply and leaned back in the chair again. "Good thing that you are sleeping right now or you'd have killed me for calling you harmless," he muttered with a little huff. "I truly hope you get better soon. Because we are in some deep… shit."

After that, he didn't say a thing until Zuko returned almost an hour later. Once they wished each other a good night, he headed to rest, or to attempt to rest. He seriously doubted being able to have any kind of rest, but as always… he managed to do it and he fell into a very deep sleep with no problem.

The next morning, he woke up early and rushed to have breakfast, before returning to Azula's room, where he was sure he was going to find Zuko as he knew his paranoid friend wouldn't dare to leave his sibling alone. At least, not yet.

Sokka knocked and got a very audible come in from the inside.

"Hey, buddy." he greeted Zuko as soon as he walked in.

The Fire Lord rubbed his face, trying to keep awake. "Hey," he replied, and at that moment Sokka noticed the huge bags and how red and irritated his eyes were.

"Did you… Did you stay awake all night?" he asked.

Zuko rubbed his cheeks. "I couldn't sleep… I couldn't… I just…"

"Zuko," Sokka placed a hand on his shoulder, "Why don't you go grab some breakfast and then rest for a couple hours?" he offered. Just seeing how his friend looked made him feel bad for him. "I can cover you in the meantime."

"I-I don't know…"

"C'mon. Nothing is going to happen. And your door is right in front of hers," said Sokka, "If something happens, I'll scream."

A weak smile appeared on his face. "Fine. I'll go. Only with the promise that you'll if anything happens." Zuko said, staring warily at his friend.

"You have my word." said Sokka, raising a hand.

"I'll send someone with a meal for her in case sue wakes up," he said. "And if she does… would you be so kind to call me?"

"Of course." Sokka assured him.

"I will see you in a couple of hours."

"Yes, yes, just go…" said Sokka jokingly, waving a hand carelessly.

Once Zuko left the room, he noticed that the Princess remained in the same position he had last seen her in. In fact, the bed seemed like nobody had slept on it, still perfectly made, except for the spot Azula was sleeping in.

"I guess you don't move around at night, huh?" he said to himself, "I guess that whatever drug Iroh gave you to force you to rest is really strong."

Knock. Knock.

"Seriously, Zuko? Just go to rest!" he said towards the door, sure that his friend had returned to check on his sister.

But the door opened to show a different face. "Hey. May I come in?" Ty Lee asked, peeking through the door.

Sokka blinked, stunned to find the acrobat there. She wasn't wearing the Kyoshi uniform or makeup. She was, instead, dressed in a very Earth Kingdom-like outfit. She could easily pass as an Earth Kingdom citizen and not raise suspicions about her actually being a Fire Nation citizen or least likely noble-born.

"Yes, of course, Ty Lee." he said.

"Zuko told me what happened," she said with a frown as soon as she stood inside. "That's horrible." She seemed very troubled by all of it. It was almost like she had been there witnessing it all.

Sokka nodded and pointed at the chair not too far from him to invite her to take a seat. "Yeah, it was fucking scary." he agreed. Seiko's body is still very present in his mind.

"And, how is she?" she asked with her hands on her lap. Staring at the Princess.

"Asleep," he said. "She hasn't woken up since she took the antidote."

"Good." she muttered, staring and playing with her hands nervously.

Sokka noticed this and couldn't help but smile. "Even after everything that happened between you girls, you still worry about her, don't you?" he asked, but it was more like a statement.

Ty Lee nodded in silence. "I do," she admitted, pressing her lips in a bathing smile and shrugging. "I mean, we were friends for so long, and… friendships like that, just… don't simply disappear."

"I see."

Ty Lee raised her hands. "Don't get me wrong. I love Suki and the Warriors, they're like sisters to me, but… with Mai and Azula it was always…" she shrugged due to her lack of words to explain. "Different."

Sokka frowned, a little baffled. "Different how?" he asked, tilting his head.

Her gaze returned to her lap. "Ever since the first day we met, the three of us just… connected..." she tried to explain using her hands and intertwining her fingers. "...you know? Like... our auras complemented each other. Mai and I were always opposites and Azula was always the one in the middle," she looked at the Princess, "And even when our three personalities were so different, we managed to get along perfectly.

"One of my sisters, Ty Woo, was always making fun of me," she recalled with a brief smile. "About my hair, my clothes, my voice, everything. I'm the smallest out of us seven, so messing with me was always her favorite hobby. Right before the Academy, she would always find a way to make me cry. One time, while I was sleeping, she cut my hair in the middle of the night," she grabbed the end of her braid nervously. "But the next day when I told Azula what had happened, she found Ty Woo and…"

"She burned your sister's head off?!" Sokka cut her off, agape, rushing to conclusions.

Ty Lee snickered. "No dummy," she denied. "But almost. She set the ends of her hair 'accidentally' on fire."

"Accidentally?" he raised a brow, doubtful. If he knew something about the Princess, it was that she was precise. He doubted those kinds of 'accidents' happened to her.

She sighed. "That's what she said. But honestly? I never believed her," she stated, "Still, once Ty Woo managed to put the fire out, she ended up having to cut her hair shorter than she had done it to me."

Ty Lee had been very pleased with that. Seeing Ty Woo being forced to cut her hair even shorter, it was karma. Or, well, more likely an eight-year-old Azula.

"Quite a troublemaker, huh?" he muttered with a little smirk.

"You have no idea," replied Ty Lee with a melancholic smile. "It didn't matter what it was; I always knew I could count on her and Mai, until…" she lowered her gaze a little, dejected. Sokka remained silent, waiting for her to continue. "Until her grandfather died, and her mother disappeared. After that… she… she changed. Then a while after I joined the circus, and when we met again eventually she was… she was someone else, you know?" she brought her legs up the chair and closer to her chest. She rested her chin over her knees.

"What do you mean?"

She pondered for a moment before replying. "She was… completely changed. Like a different person. Crueler. Cold. Calculating. I barely could recognize her," she looked towards Sokka's direction with a smile. "But now, after all these years and after seeing her with you and Toph, I… I feel like she's almost back to herself. And I don't mean the old version you guys met, I mean, an even older version of her."

Sokka looked confused. "A better one?" he asked, hoping that was the case.

Ty Lee's smile grew. "Definitely a better one."

He smiled back. He couldn't agree more. Azula was changing for the better. Even if she would never admit it.

Both of their attention turned towards the Princess. "I guess, being free of her father's influence really helped."

"Yeah," the acrobat agreed, "Now, it's like she is finally -after all these years- showing her true self again."

They remained for a while in silence. Each one focused on their thoughts until Ty Lee spoke again after noticing his fixed gaze on her. "And you?" she asked, tilting her head. She had been having a hunch on Sokka's and Azula's relationship since the Barge.

"Me what?" he refuted, dazed, not understanding what the girl meant.

"Do you worry about her?"

Did he? Did he worry about Azula? he thought. He returned his eyes towards Azula. How could he answer that, when he didn't even know the answer? He just knew that they had grown fond of each other, but other than that… he couldn't even actually tell.

Lately, he had longed for her company more than anybody else's, but that was normal, right? After all, she was the one he knew the least about and it was always interesting talking to her, and of course, he had to admit that he found their little bickering plenty entertaining.

But… what had happened the previous day, had he been scared or worried about what could happen to her?

"I-I…" he doubted in his response.

Who are you trying to fool? You worried about her. If you weren't you wouldn't bother checking on her so frequently. He scolded himself.

Ty Lee chuckled at his lack of response and she noticed the light blush on his cheeks as well as the change in the color of his ears. "I suppose Toph is right with her teasing. With that reply and looking at how nervous you got, I can say you do… maybe more than you realize."

"I-I mean, we're friends and we are getting along fine." he said, a little nervous hoping not to cause another misunderstanding or give the acrobat a wrong idea that would make Azula try to kill him for his foolishness later.

He also knew that if Ty Lee mistakingly assumed something, she would tell Toph and both of them would annoy him and the Princess like no tomorrow.

"More than fine, I would say," she said, teasingly giving him a little playful push. "Either way," she said in a much more serious tone. "I'm glad for that. She seems to like you too."

Sokka couldn't help to blush at her words. "Y-You think?" he asked, nervously.

"Yeah, since the first moment I started… you know… not trying to capture you and all that, I couldn't help noticing that you two have a lot of things in common," she made recalled all the similarities she had noticed between them. "For instance, you two use sarcasm way too much. You two are the smartest people I know. And don't let her fool you, she's also a little glutton. She loves food."

"I knew it!" Sokka exclaimed. He had suspected for a while that Azula liked food just as much as him. "My instincts told me she also enjoyed food way too much." he said, staring at the Princess.

"Well, firebenders burn more calories than other benders, and non-benders," Ty Lee explained, "But she was always a huge fan of food. I remember that whenever she had to study, she would always have a huge bowl of snacks next to her. She used to claim that eating while studying would help her remember everything better."

"I… I highly agree with that." said Sokka with amusement, trying to picture a little gluttonous Azula. He loved hearing stories and memories of little Azula.

"One time, when she was younger, I remember perfectly how once she ate almost twenty mochis in one sitting," she recalled with a smile. Sokka raised his eyebrows with a little chuckle. "Mai and I were amazed. We thought she was going to throw up, but she didn't."

Then their conversation died, and they remained in silence for a couple of minutes.

"You want to make amends with her, don't you?" he asked.

Ty Lee bit her lower lip. "I… I do," she muttered, gulping. "Or at least, be at peace with her. I know, we'll never be friends again, but at least… At least, I would like to stop the hate between each other. It's been years since that and…"

"I don't think she hates you." Sokka stated.

"What?" she glanced at him, intrigued by his words.

"I mean," he shrugged, "I don't think she does. I know things didn't end between you three very well, but… I genuinely don't believe she hates you. I think it's more like… she's hurt."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just… that I can recall a few things she had said that just made me think like that."

"Like what?" Ty Lee inquired.

Sokka sighed. "One time, she told me that; sometimes it's better to be alone, no one can hurt you that way," he quoted, recalling the expression on her face. "But you know… I don't think she wants to be alone. It's just…"

You are not just alone; you are very lonely. He had said to her. He could recall the expression on her face perfectly. The moment those words had come out of his mouth, he had regretted them.

"I think she's just afraid." he muttered.

"Afraid?" she frowned a little, baffled. Azula had never been afraid of anything. Well, that wasn't true actually… she knew the Princess was afraid of her father and… My own mother, she saw me as a monster.

"Afraid of being alone," he said, "That's why I think that you shouldn't give up on her. On trying to make things right with her. I'm sure once she overcomes this huge issue she has with trusting people and opening to others, Azula would be more like this old version you just told me about. You just have to… keep trying." he said, shrugging.

"I guess I could try."

"Still, I'm not saying it's going to be easy. And just be aware that at first, she'll most likely," he made a grin, "Be pretty mean towards you. But don't take it personal. You know how she is... I mean, just look at me. Even though we kind of have a closer relationship, she's still openly hostile towards me…" he said, jokingly.

"She likes you. I know it." Ty Lee assured him with a wink.

Knock. Knock.

"Come in." he said.

Head Court Lady Naru appeared, holding a tray with food.

"Fire Lord Zuko asked me to bring the Princess' meal," she said, leaving the tray on the desk. "I'm personally supervising the kitchen to avoid any more… surprises."

Despite her old age, and the fact that she had almost had an attack the previous day after finding Seiko's body, the Head Court Lady was still taking her job very seriously, like the strong woman that she was.

Still, Sokka could notice her old wrinkled hands shaking. Probably stressed and worried about everything that was happening.

"Thank you, Lady Naru." he said, honestly. He could tell that she was trying to assure everyone's safety in the Palace.

She had ordered, as soon as she had regained consciousness yesterday, to have all the security reinforced.

"If you need anything else, just let me know." she said before retiring.

"One thing," Sokka stopped her at the door. "We still don't know when she might wake up, but still at lunchtime, would you be so kind to send someone to replace her meal with a warm one? And also, can you make it two meals instead of one?" he asked, assuming that he would most likely stay in her room after lunch.

Naru raised her eyebrows. "Yes, of course. I'll send someone with the meals at lunchtime. Anything else?" Sokka and Ty Lee shook their heads. "I will take my leave then."

"It looks like yesterday affected everyone, huh?" said Ty Lee once the door was closed.

He leaned back in his chair. "You have no idea."

"I shouldn't stay long; the girls and I still have to head to the lower ring." she informed him.

"Did Zuko talk with you girls?" he asked, intrigued.

Ty Lee nodded. "He did. But we believe that we've been working too much to throw it all away. After talking with him, we all agreed to be doubly cautious." she explained.

"Ah… I see."

So in the end, Zuko hadn't been able to convince them to drop it. A part of him was relieved about it, because if the girls could help find any clues as to the assassination attempt then all the better, but the other part of him was also anxious about the girl's safety even though he knew they were all very capable warriors and were able to protect themselves.

Azula stirred in her bed, making them focus their attention on her. A little groan escaped her lips as she tried to open her eyes. She opened them slowly, getting used to the light. The first thing she saw was the ceiling of her room, and then a pair of blue eyes popped into her field of view.

She shut her eyes promptly. "Is this a nightmare?" she muttered, covering her face with her arm.

"What are you doing?" Sokka asked, looking at her intrigued from above.

"I'm trying to fall asleep again so I can actually wake up from this nightmare." she said, trying to block his voice.

"It's not a nightmare." Sokka stated.

Azula removed the arm from her face and opened her eyes. "That's what I was afraid of." she said, staring back at him. She couldn't help but think that he looked really handsome from that angle.

He rolled his eyes. She was complaining, which was a good sign. "Always so charming." he replied, dropping back into the chair.

"Don't annoy me," she grunted, scowling. "I'm just waking up after being heavily drugged by my uncle." she whined, closing her eyes again, and sighed. Even though she had slept for a while, her head was spinning, and it pounded a little.

"He knew that you'd refuse to rest." said Sokka.

"Still, drugging someone without consent should be considered a crime," Azula retorted. "Wait, it actually is. I wonder if I could send him to trial for that." she placed a weak hand under her chin.

"You just woke up after being poisoned and you're already thinking about sending a relative to jail?" said Sokka, narrowing his eyes with disbelief. He crossed his arms over and shook his head.

Azula shrugged, innocently. "I'm always thinking about sending a relative to prison," she acknowledged, bluntly. "It's a shame he is a royal family member, but I don't lose hope."

"Well, the relative you want to throw into jail saved your life, remember?" he refuted, making a point.

She snorted. "Yes, by almost poisoning me. Don't you remember my vomiting session?"

"Tsk! You just went through heavy blood loss and you can't stop complaining, can't you?" he snarled.

"I'm incredible, just like that." Azula replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, sure." he said, somehow pleased that she had woken up and was already making jokes and complaining, which was a good sign.

Azula attempted to sit up on the bed by herself, but a brief spasm of pain made her wince. Probably a consequence of all the vomiting from the day before. Sokka rushed to aid her. "Still, I admit I still feel dizzy and I can't stop seeing these black spots." she admitted as she blinked repeatedly, trying to dismiss them.

"It's normal," he replied, helping her arrange the pillows behind her for more comfort. "It's because of all the blood you lost. You'll be weak. You need to eat and have tons of rest," he said, "Remember how in Lian Yu it almost took me two weeks to be able to stand on my own?"

Azula grimaced. "How could I forget? You whine worse than a baby." she recalled with a complaint.

"I don't whine!" he squealed.

"Yes, you do!"

"I don't..."

"Yes, you... Ouch…" she whined when she felt a stab of pain in her temple.

Sokka's eyes widened. "What? What is it? Are you okay?" he asked, sitting on the mattress next to her and placing a hand on her forehead, checking if she had a fever. "Do you feel alright? Where does it hurt?"

She blinked, astonished, when the warm skin of his palm made contact with her forehead and then with her cheeks. Her heart began to race like crazy and she felt her face getting warmer. "W-What are you doing?" she asked, nervously hoping not to blush due to his touch. Nobody had dared to touch her like that in a long time.

"Huh," he muttered, tilting his head, getting nothing odd on her body temperature. "You don't have a fever."

"Tsk!" she grunted and removed his hand from her face, annoyed. "Of course not, moron. I don't have a fever. It's your voice that's giving me a headache! Shut up." she grunted.

Sokka's mouth opened, gaped and offended. "Y-You! Tsk! And I was really worried about you!" he snarled, before pushing her with his index finger back on the pillow. "And you should rest." he scolded her.

Azula slapped his finger off. "What are you doing? I said I'm having a headache!" she snapped, peeved.

"For someone who's having a headache, you can really complain a lot." he accused, between teeth.

"I'm not whiny! I almost died, you idiot!" she snarled with her jaw clenched.

"I…" he opened his mouth to snap back at her but he desisted. "I know. And that's why I'm telling you to rest. And eat something!" Sokka commanded in a much more calmed tone to stop their squabble. "Lady Naru brought your meal not too long ago." he said, before going to grab it.

And in that moment, the Princess realized that they weren't alone in the room.

A pair of big, bright grey eyes were staring at her. Her brown hair was braided like always, and she wasn't wearing her warrior uniform. "I'm glad that you woke up and are feeling well, Azula." said Ty Lee with a smile, an honest one at that.

The Princess didn't reply, she only looked away and ignored her until Sokka placed the tray on the bed before her.

"Sokka," she called him, softly waving a hand to make him get closer, like if she was about to tell him a secret.

"Huh?"

Sokka leaned close, but she waved again her hand to make him lean even closer. Her breath brushed against his ear, which caused him to feel a pleasant feeling. His heart raced due to the proximity. And just when he assumed that the Princess was going to whisper him something in the ear, she exclaimed louder than she would normally do. "Why is she talking to me?! We're not friends." she said, staring fixedly at Ty Lee.

He winced a little. He rubbed his sore ear. "Well, Ty Lee was worried just as everyone. So she came to check up on you." he said.

"Why?"

This time, when Sokka opened his mouth to reply, Ty Lee interjected. "Because even if you don't believe it," she said, firmly and honestly. "We were friends, and I… I worry about you."

And she did. She was worried about her, even if the Princess wouldn't believe it.

Azula laughed at her claim. "Friends, yeah… Sure." she said with mockery and disbelief. Ty Lee had fooled her once, but never again. She knew perfectly that they had never been friends.

"Azula…"

The Princess winced, pretending to get another sting and taking her hands to her temples. "Ah… my head…" she complained.

Sokka rolled his eyes. He could tell she was lying and making it up. "Don't be dramatic," he chided her. "That's your brother's job."

She pouted at him, glancing away.

"Azula…" Ty Lee called her, "I-I wanted to…" she tried to speak, but the Princess cut her off, raising her hand.

She tilted her head. "How do I say it without being rude?" she made a thoughtful grin. "Oh, yeah… I hate you."

Ty Lee lowered her head. She couldn't truly blame her. She had kind of seen it coming from her reaction. "I-I… I should go. The girls must be waiting for me." she said before leaving the room without another word. Still, after talking with Sokka, she couldn't help to feel a little more encouraged to keep trying with Azula.

"Azula." Sokka scolded her, once the acrobat left the room.

She shrugged one shoulder. "It's not like she didn't know." she said with venom and disdain, carelessly. In the past Ty Lee hadn't cared about her feelings, about how she might feel, so why should she care about hers?

"Did you hate me?" Sokka retorted, raising an eyebrow.

She frowned. "Who said I stopped?" she said, giving him one of her fake, forced smiles he had come to identify easily.

"We both know I'm too charming and loveable for you to hate me." he said, cockily with his hands on his hips.

Azula huffed. "Charming my ass. You're more annoying than gum stuck on the soil of your shoe." she snarled with annoyance. She had just woken up, but had to already deal with all this nonsense?

"Tsk…" he said between teeth, dropping in the mattress next to her and reaching for the spoon in the tray before the Princess could reach it. "Shut up and say ahh…" he said, widening his mouth.

She blinked at his action. "What? No! Give me the spoon. You are not feeding me," she commanded, trying to take the spoon out of his hands. Sokka slapped her hand slightly. Her mouth and eyes widened, flabbergasted. "D-Did you just slap me away?" she inquired, before slapping his hand back, trying to get the spoon.

Sokka slapped her back. And Azula did it once more.

"Just open wide." he grunted, riled.

"Do you want to die?"

"Come on." he insisted.

"No." she denied. She was not going to be fed by anyone. Less likely by him. No. She wasn't going to succumb to something so embarrassing and denigrating.

"Just once. You already did it to me," he said, "Let me return you the favor." he brought the spoon closer to her.

"I don't want you to return me nothing!" she growled, "Give me the spoon!"

"I don't want to." he removed it, sticking his tongue at her.

"You're being childish." Azula stated.

"Just today, come on," he insisted, pleading. "C'mon."

"That was different, this is…" she sighed, rubbing her temples. There was no use arguing with him. "I'm going to kill you, you know?" she said, staring at him with deadly eyes.

"Eat and enjoy, would you?" he said, placing the spoon before her, and reluctantly, she agreed to do it and ate what he was offering. "See? It wasn't that bad. I'm sure you enjoyed it."

Azula rolled her eyes, vexed, but allowed him to feed her. She finished her meal without any more reluctance.

"Pass me the water," she ordered him after he set the tray, away pointing at the nightstand next to her bed. The glass was just an arm's reach from her. He raised his eyebrows. "What, you said you wanted to return the favor didn't you? Don't start complaining now."

"I think someone is enjoying being needy." he sneered, passing her the glass.

"I'm not needy." she refuted, frowning.

"Yeah… sure." he said with sarcasm and amusement.

"Fine," she said, calmed, "But then, If I'm needy then you are a savage without manners who thinks that this is funnier than it actually is."

Sokka's jaw fell. "That's not true!" he squealed, "Then... then, you're a spoiled brat who believes she's superior to everyone." he stated.

Azula tilted her head and made a grin. "That… That seems pretty accurate, actually." she conceded.

"Still," Sokka continued with a wide smile, "You put this hard exterior to protect yourself from being hurt. But inside you're a good person." he said, softly.

For a moment the Princess remained silent, too stunned at his words, before she said. "Take that back."

Sokka snickered. "You should rest." he advised her, again.

He helped her to arrange the pillows again, more comfortably, and for a while, they had a very long and nice chat. They talked about any random topic they could come up with. Neither wished to talk about what had happened.

Sokka thought it wise to not comment a thing about Seiko's body, and she didn't ask. He wasn't going to bring it up at least until he was sure that she was in a good condition, because if she was as impulsive as Zuko -which he assumed she was- she wouldn't lose a second to go after whoever had tried to kill her. And right now, she wasn't in the best shape.

Their talk lasted for hours. They would bicker from time to time, but mostly, it was a nice, fun talk, laughing at each other and with each other.

When Lady Naru brought their lunch, she was glad to see the Princess awake and she told them she made sure to give them a double ration of dessert.

Again, Sokka rushed to steal the cutlery from her and after getting multiple dead threats, he once more managed to let her feed her. After all, in Lian Yu she had done it for him for two days, three meals a day, so he just wanted to be even.

For an unknown reason, Azula had agreed to let him feed her again, even if she felt a little silly during the process, like a little defenseless girl. But somehow, Sokka's pleased expression made her feel better about it.

For some reason, she felt spoiled. And she loved being spoiled.

Still, when she asked to let her have her dessert by herself, he agreed.

After emptying their plates, they chatted for a while more, until Azula fell asleep again after feeling her eyes get heavy. Probably Iroh's sleeping solution, still working on her system.

For some reason, she felt so comfortable around Sokka, that she didn't find it difficult to fall asleep around him. She felt just... peaceful.

The more he looked at her sleeping, the more mesmerizing he found her.

The Princess had her hands under her face, her mouth was slightly open and her breathing was slow and deep. She barely moved while sleeping and somehow, she still looked like a total beauty.

He knew she was beautiful. He had told her himself more than once, but in sleep he could acknowledge another kind of beauty to her. Her expression softened. No trace of mockery, sarcasm or irritation, just… her.

He was beginning to doze off too when Zuko walked in. He looked much more refreshed than that morning and well-rested. The dark circles under his eyes were still there but were much less visible.

"Hey,"

"Hey, buddy." he greeted her.

"She hasn't woken up still?" he asked.

Sokka shook his head. "She did. She was awake not long ago. We talked. She ate. We talked a little more until she fell asleep," he said. "I think that whatever your uncle gave her to force her to rest, is still working. But, do you need to talk to her? Should I wake her?" he offered.

"No," Zuko rejected, sitting in the chair next to him. "It's okay. Let's let her rest. How is she?" he asked, intrigued.

He shrugged. "She seems fine. Well, except that she feels a little dizzy, and she sees dark spots, but it happened to me too in Lian Yu, so I assume it's normal after such blood loss."

"I see." the Fire Lord muttered.

"And you?" Sokka asked him, "How are you?"

Zuko sighed, leaning back in the chair with his arms crossed. "Well, I'm better rested now, thank you," Sokka smiled at him. "But still, I'm really worried. I mean, last night I talked with Suki and the girls and all of them wish to continue with their investigation. I know I can't force them to stop, but still…"

"You feel a little guilty, right?"

"Yeah... But they said that they are following a lead, that it seems promising so…"

Sokka smirked. "Well, you can't do much when the girls get something on their heads."

"I know. They are so complicated." Zuko exclaimed with a grin. "Still…"

Sokka turned towards him, worried. Zuko seemed really dejected and troubled, and not only due to the situation of the day before, but also because of something else. He placed a hand on his shoulder to try and show him support.

"Still… What is it Zuko?" he asked. "What are you thinking that is troubling so much?"

"I…" he pressed his lips together for a moment before talking. "Sokka… I need to ask you because I need your honest opinion."

"Of course. Tell me."

"If…" he took a deep breath, before looking at him. His eyes were filled with concern and hundreds of others feelings. There was no way that Sokka could have ever been prepared to listen to the question his friend was about to ask him. "If… Do you think that… that if one of the Kyoshi Warriors died during their mission, would it be my fault?"

A/N:

I might or might not return to the one friday yes and one friday no schedule. It depends on my writing process and how shitty real life gets.

As always thank you for the huge support I mean, las chapter got almost 900 reads and this story is about to hit 19k views... It means the world to me.

I hope you all are doing fine and are healthy and brace yourselfs for the next few chapters...