When Suki first learns that Zuko is taking Azula out of the asylum, she decides to accompany him. It's not that she's worried about his safety, considering everything that she's been told about Azula's condition implies that the girl is in no state to attack anyone. Rather, it's because of what she's been told by Ty Lee. Her and Mai have been going to the asylum to visit Azula every day for the past year. At first, they couldn't get much of a response out of the girl, but she slowly started to open up to them the more they came by to see her. Azula never says much to them, only listening as they tell her about the different things that are currently happening in their lives. One thing that Ty Lee told her in particular, however, is the reason why Suki is here with Zuko today.
Every time Mai and Ty Lee go to visit Azula, she is always in a straight jacket. And no matter how many times they try, they can never convince the doctors to take her out of it.
This puzzles Suki. She understands that Azula is a dangerous individual (a fact that she learned first hand) but why was she being confined in something like that when she was supposed to be at the asylum to get better? When she asked Zuko, all he said was "The doctors say that it will help her get better. I trust them."
Suki may not know much about healing, but she's pretty sure that putting someone in a torture device that restricts them of all movement does the exact opposite of "getting better".
So, Suki decided to go with Zuko to see things for herself, and decide what to do from there.
Hearing Ty Lee's story did nothing to prepare Suki for what she was about to see.
When they arrive, Azula is indeed in a straight jacket, as well as a wheelchair (which Suki supposes makes sense considering the aforementioned straight jacket). It is the look on the princess's face that takes Suki aback. Azula looks almost unrecognizable. Gone is the confident princess who took down Suki and her warriors like it was nothing, and in her place sits a girl who is withdrawn, who has hallucinations (of what, Suki isn't sure of yet) and who looks like all she wants to do is die. That last thought makes Suki gulp. Just what on earth had gone on here in order to make the once fearsome princess of the Fire Nation look like that?
As Zuko signs Azula's release forms, Suki walks over to the princess and kneels down to her height. She doesn't know if Azula will respond to her, but she thinks that it's worth a shot to try.
"Hi, Azula. Do you remember me?"
She watches as Azula stares at her, as if she's trying to remember where she's seen Suki before. Finally, she mutters "A Kyoshi warrior..?"
Suki nods, "That's right. I'm the captain of the Kyoshi warriors, Suki. We met during the war. You and your two friends imprisoned me and my warriors."
A look of recognition crosses Azula's face, but the girl says nothing, continuing to stare at Suki, as if wondering where this conversation is going.
"Would you mind telling me what's gone on here from the moment you were admitted? I might be able to help you."
A flash of fear crosses Azula's face before she turns her head away from Suki, and mumbles "Nobody can help me."
Suki blinks, "Pardon?"
"I said, nobody can help me. I'm not here to be 'helped'. None of us are. That's what they always tell us, anyway."
Suki stares at Azula, baffled. Wasn't here to get help? None of the patients here were admitted to receive help for whatever was wrong with them? What did that mean?
Before she can ask the other girl anything else, Zuko walks back over to them, grabs the handles behind Azula's wheelchair, and wheels her out of the room.
Suki sighs and begins to follow after the two siblings. It seems that she will have to conduct her own investigation of this place at some point.
Suki watches as Appa fades into the distance, and turns to look at Ty Lee. The two girls nod at each other before making their way to the asylum. Mai is unable to accompany them (something about her father) so it's just the two of them for today.
"What's the plan?" Ty Lee asks.
"We investigate. Ask the doctors how exactly they plan to help their patients get better and return to a normal life in society. Observe them while they work and take note of the methods that they use. With any luck, our findings will be enough to convince Zuko that this isn't the best place for Azula to recover in. For anyone, really."
Ty Lee nods. That sounds like a good idea. They soon find themselves at the asylum, where they are greeted by a man who appears to be the one in charge.
"Captain Suki! To what do I owe the honor of having the captain of the Kyoshi warriors visit my establishment today?"
"Oh, nothing really. The firelord has just been showing some concerns lately about his sister's well-being. Since he isn't here at the moment, I decided to come here on his behalf, to put his concerns to rest."
The man nods, "Oh, of course! Right this way."
The doctor gestures for them to follow him inside. He introduces himself as Dr. Shido, and says that his mission is to see to it that the patients like the princess get the proper help and care that they need so that they can eventually go home to their families. There is just one problem with this, however.
What the man has said is quite obviously a lie.
All of the patients are kept in straight jackets all day long. They are sedated whenever they have an outburst, and the doctors themselves don't really seem to know or understand what is wrong with them either. Suki is certain that they know one thing, and that is how to glare at the patients with looks of disgust and hate, whisper among themselves about how much they hate working with people who were crazy and beyond saving, and that instead of dumping them at the asylum, their families should have just done them all a favor and killed them instead. Suki makes a mental note of all of this and files it away for later. She turns to Ty Lee, who has a look of both horror and anger on her face.
"How-how can they treat them like this? How is Zuko allowing this?!"
"Because he doesn't know that it's happening, that's why. He never came to visit Azula while she was here, so how could he have possibly known about this? We need to tell him about this as soon as he gets back."
Ty Lee nods, "And if he actually decides to shut this place down? Where does that leave Azula?"
"Hopefully back in the palace where she'll be taken care of properly by doctors who actually know what they're doing. If not..I have no idea."
Suki goes over everything that she's learned about the asylum one last time in her head, determined to not forget a single thing as she makes her way to the throne room. Zuko and the others returned, although for some reason they all came back separately. Why that is, Suki does not know, but she decides to worry about that later. For now, she has something very important to discuss with the Firelord.
Or at least, she did, until she was turned away from the throne room. Zuko's imperial guards told her that he currently wishes to be alone, having just wrapped up a meeting with Aang, Katara, and a woman named Ursa. If Suki remembers correctly, that would be the name of Zuko and Azula's mother. Which means that they were successful in finding her.
But then that begs the question as to why they had a meeting to begin with.
Suki asks the guards this, and the answer that they give is the last thing that she was expecting to hear (although really, she should have seen it coming).
"It was a meeting about Princess Azula. The avatar and his companion don't think that it's wise to have her remain in the asylum since she only seems to be getting worse, and are trying to convince the firelord to remove her from there entirely."
So then Azula must have opened up to Aang and the others and told them about what went on in the asylum. Or at least, some of it.
Right as she thinks this, Suki realizes that a certain person's name was never mentioned at all thus far. Sokka.
"Do you happen to know where Sokka is? And the princess too, for that matter?"
"They're outside on the avatars' sky bison. They didn't want to come inside."
"I see. Thank you."
Outside she goes, then.
It doesn't take Suki long to spot Appa, as well as two figures sitting on top of his saddle, Momo resting on one of the figures shoulders. As she gets closer, Suki notices that the figure in question is Azula.
Huh.
If someone were to tell Suki that she'd one day see Momo just casually resting on Azula's shoulder, she probably would laugh in their faces and tell them that they were crazy.
The scene before her actually looks cute, but she's no fool. She won't say that out loud. So instead she clears her throat to get their attention. Both turn their heads at the sound, surprise crossing their faces for a moment before Sokka gives her a smile.
"Hey, Suki."
"Hi. How come you guys didn't want to go inside with the others?"
The moment the question is out of her mouth, Sokka's smile morphs into a frown. He looks towards the palace and glares.
"Because I can't be around Zuko right now. I'd probably punch him again. Or worse."
"Again? What on earth happened out there?"
Sokka sighs and tells her everything. About how Azula kept on having hallucinations the entire time they were away. How one hallucination in particular caused her to run off, something that shocked them since she usually had trouble with walking unless one of them helped her. How they split up to search for her, and how he eventually found her, and witnessed a sight that he never wanted to see again: Zuko threatening to throw his little sister over a cliff. Him punching Zuko and grabbing Azula and pulling her into his arms before she could fall, and leaving Zuko there. Finding Aang and Katara and flying back to the capital.
Suki is somewhat surprised upon hearing all of this (not that surprised about the part with Zuko, seeing as he really didn't seem to care all that much about Azula's condition before they left) but she is surprised by how angry Sokka seems to be recalling what he witnessed. Perhaps it's because he's also an older brother and couldn't fathom hurting Katara like that, especially when it's obvious that she needs help. His help.
"Well, I'm glad to see that you're alright, Azula. Did you guys hear about the meeting that they had?"
"Yes. Sokka told me that Aang, Katara, and that woman have managed to convince my idiot brother to take me out of there, and to hopefully have the place shut down for good. Now, the fun part begins: figuring out where I should go to receive the actual care that I need."
Suki decides to not comment on the "that woman" part, and says, "Yes, that's right. And speaking of which, Ty Lee and I actually did some snooping around while you guys were gone. I was curious about what kind of care you were actually getting at that place so Ty Lee and I both went to look into it ourselves. We found out enough to convince Zuko to have that place shut down for good. I was actually on my way to tell him what we found out when I was told that he wanted to be left alone. Have you guys thought about any places in particular to go to?"
"Not yet. Azula and I were actually getting ready to discuss it when you showed up."
Suki nods, not saying anything just yet. Truth be told, she's actually had an idea about where Azula can go in mind for a day or two now, in the case scenario that this moment ever became a reality. And now that it has….
"In that case, would you mind if I make a suggestion?"
The two of them stare at Suki and nod, waiting in anticipation for whatever it is that she suggests.
Suki takes a deep breath. The more she rolls around this idea in her head, the more good it sounds, especially after everything that Sokka has just told her. Azula being out of the Fire Nation altogether, away from Zuko, might just be the best thing for her at the moment. She doesn't know if Azula would be accepted into Ba Sing Se since she conquered it (although it would make the Earth King seem incredibly hypocritical if he has an issue with Azula staying in his city for a while when he let's Iroh live there, the man who laid siege to Ba Sing Se for 600 days) so that suggestion is out. There is one place that Azula can go. A place where nobody will bother her and she can focus on getting better.
"Would you like to go to Kyoshi Island, Azula?"