Chapter Text
It’s done it’s done it’s done it’s done.
Azula repeats the chant in her head an eerie almost entrancing rhythm of fire fire fire Zuko Zuko Zuko ash ash ash Ozai Ozai Ozai carousels with the words.
Azula goes to escape through the passage again, no doubt the next rotation of guards will arrive soon and oh-
Her hands.
She- she has no hands.
Her eyes widen, pulse accelerating with the notion.
Amidst the towering adrenaline and frantic mind numbing desperation it appears her brain took over for her, cancelling out the unnecessary senses and one of those- one of those was pain.
Ah she feels it now.
She tries not to scream out in anguish as she looks down at the remnants of what once was healthy working hands.
It seems she had cauterised her own wounds when burning Ozai if the gnarled unbleeding stubs are anytging to go by.
She knows she is at no danger of dying or bleeding out.
But that doesn’t stop the feeling of her nerves being set alight.
It’s fine it’s fine it’s fine it’s fine.
It will all be worth it.
She has to find Zuko and get out.
She pushes the excruciating pain and the revelation that she has no hands - oh no oh no she has no hands anymore no no no no- to the back of her mind where she puts all the things she can’t think about- it’s Mum, Zuko, gentleness, her friends…- she needs to hurry.
…
Leaving the passage door open she begins to make her way back through the underground system to where she suspects Zuko is being held.
For once she hopes that her snivelling Uncle is there, as much as Azula hates to admit it she needs his help.
…
Azula needs an alabi so she rushes into a storage room and looks down at the offending items of clothing.
Gloves.
She needs to be seen walking around the palace in her usual hauty confidence but for that well-
She needs to have hands.
Azula is no weakling.
She turns biting the top of her robes in her teeth as a gag and uses one of her wrists to drag the gloves over her fresh, glossy and jagged skin before repeating on the other side.
Her gums bleed with the force of her repressing ghostly screams.
…
Finally, finally she has reached Zuko after demanding that the guards allow her to enter.
“ZuZu..?”
“Azula?”
It’s Iroh.
“Azula what are you doing here?”
His voice is scratchy and marred with grief.
“I need your help.”
She sees his eyebrows raise, justified suspicion flitting through his eyes.
“I murdered The Firelord”
…
“Azula you can’t have possibly- you are being truthful?”
“Yes.
You need to help me and Zuko get out because I am afraid there is some damming evidence”
Confusion, again, comes over him.
She repeats her earlier motion of gaging herself with her robes and letting the cotton fibres drag across the sensitive nerves.
“Oh Azula, no. You are both just children… for you to face such horrors-“
“We don’t have time for this Uncle. Mope later. I have a plan”
…
Azula details how once Zuko is fit enough to walk Iroh - the next Firelord- will state that she and Zuko have fled in fear of more assassination attempts, they will move down towards the Earth Kingdom alone where they can alter their identities with a contact Uncle has - June- who will help them come up with the next steps of their escape. Uncle will work on peace keeping and they are to update him every two weeks on their whereabouts and safety.
Oh and-
No one tells Zuko about the ridiculous “avatar” mission.
They will not waste away looking for a myth.
They will escape. They will surivie.