Chapter 10: Embrace the blanks

The silence at the diner felt suffocating, pressing in around them like the weight of all that had gone unspoken. Aang shifted in his seat, watching the world outside the diner's window, his mind buzzing with the gravity of what lay ahead. Toph sat beside him, casually drumming her fingers on the table, and across from them, Azula stared down, almost lifeless, her once-piercing gaze dimmed.

When the food arrived, the tension momentarily lifted. A steaming bowl of vegetable stew was placed in front of Aang, while Toph grinned at the sight of her sizzling steak. Azula, on the other hand, had ordered fire-roasted duck—a dish that might have once been considered a luxury. She tore into it with ravenous hunger, the elegance she was known for all but forgotten. As she devoured her meal, Aang caught Toph raising an eyebrow, but neither of them commented. It was clear she hadn't eaten properly in a long time.

When Azula finished her plate, Aang quietly gestured to the waitress. "Could we get another helping for her, please?" he asked. He felt a knot of sympathy twist in his chest. Azula wasn't just hungry for food—she was starved in a much deeper way.

The second dish arrived, and as Azula ate, Toph finally broke the silence. "So," she said, leaning back in the booth and wiping her mouth with the napkin. "What would you do right now if you could still bend?"

Azula's fork froze midway to her mouth. Slowly, she lowered it, her eyes flickering with the faintest hint of her old fire. She gave Toph a bitter smile. "I'd probably burn you both alive," she said, her voice soft but cold. "Then I'd run. Far away, where no one could find me."

Aang tensed at her words, but he didn't interrupt. It was Toph's turn to speak again. "And why's that?" she asked, her tone as blunt as always. "Why not go back to the Fire Nation? Isn't that where you belong?"

Azula scoffed, a hollow laugh escaping her lips. "Belong?" she repeated, her eyes darkening. "I don't belong there anymore. Not after what my brother did. Zuko betrayed me... the entire Fire Nation betrayed me. They didn't want me. They never wanted me."

There was a bitter edge to her words, and for a moment, Aang felt a pang of sadness for her. Toph, unfazed, pressed further. "So what happened? After you escaped? Where've you been all this time?"

Aang raised a hand, signaling Toph to ease off. "She doesn't have to tell us if she doesn't want to."

But Azula waved him off, her smirk returning. "Oh, it's fine, Avatar. I have no problem telling you. What's the worst that could happen now?"

She leaned back in her seat, her fingers idly playing with the edge of her napkin. "After I escaped that cell, I ran. And I mean *ran*. For days, without sleep. I was constantly looking over my shoulder, waiting for someone to come after me, to drag me back to that prison they built for me."

Her voice wavered for a moment, but she didn't stop. "One night, I was in some rundown bar in the Earth Kingdom, exhausted, on the verge of collapse. That's when I met someone. He told me he could help... that he had something that would keep me awake, keep me alert. It was a drug called Spark."

Azula paused, her fingers tightening around the napkin. "I took it. What choice did I have? And it worked, at first. It kept me awake for days... but it messed with me. My vision... everything was blurry. And I couldn't stop shaking, jumping at shadows. I thought I was losing my mind."

Aang and Toph listened intently, their expressions shifting as they took in each word. Azula continued, her voice now more detached, as if she were recounting someone else's life.

"Eventually, I made it to Ba Sing Se. That was three years ago. I thought I could disappear here, that no one would find me. I was wrong." She looked away, her face hardening. "That's when I met someone else. He gave me Jactus... told me it would help me come down from the Spark high. I thought he was being kind. Thought maybe I'd finally found an ally."

Her voice grew quiet, her words tapering off. For the first time since she started speaking, her expression faltered. She seemed lost in thought, her eyes distant as memories she had buried began to resurface.

Toph, still engrossed in the story, leaned forward. "And?"

Aang placed a hand on her arm. "That's enough, Toph," he said quietly.

Toph sighed and leaned back again, crossing her arms. "Fine."

The rest of the meal passed in silence. Azula didn't say another word, her appetite gone as she stared out of the diner window, her mind seemingly elsewhere.

When Aang finally called for the check, he noticed how Azula had withdrawn again, her earlier openness slipping away. He paid the tab, and they left the diner, traveling by pedal cab back to Toph's apartment.

The streets of Ba Sing Se grew darker as they rode, the city's life slowly fading with the evening light. Aang's mind raced, torn between what to do next and how much time they truly had. When they arrived at Toph's apartment, Aang stopped outside the door.

"Azula, go ahead inside," Aang said gently. "Wait for me in there, okay?"

Azula didn't respond, but she walked in, her movements stiff and mechanical. When she disappeared through the door, Aang turned to Toph.

"I need to ask something of you," Aang said. "Do you think you can keep her here for a few days? I need to speak to a couple of people before we move forward."

Toph frowned. "A few days? What's the plan?"

"I don't know yet," Aang admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I just... I need time to figure things out. And I can't risk taking her anywhere right now."

Toph opened her mouth to protest but stopped herself, exhaling slowly. "Fine," she muttered, her voice resigned. "But don't take too long. I'm not running a halfway house here."

Aang smiled faintly. He knew Toph wouldn't say no to him, no matter how much she tried to act tough.

Inside the apartment, Azula sat silently on the couch, her back rigid, her eyes vacant. Aang approached her cautiously.

"You'll be staying here with Toph for the next few days," Aang explained. "It's for your own protection. That gang is probably still looking for you. It's safer if you stay inside. And... please don't give Toph any trouble."

Azula didn't even look at him. She rolled her eyes, her voice laced with sarcasm. "If I must."

Aang sighed, wondering if the Azula who had once been so proud, so formidable, was still in there somewhere, buried beneath the weight of her demons. He left the apartment and headed for the stables, where Appa waited patiently.

He mounted his sky bison, and with a deep breath, they took to the skies, flying toward the Fire Nation capital. Aang's heart was heavy as he soared through the clouds. He had no idea what he would find when he arrived, but he knew he couldn't delay any longer.