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Chapter Text

"See you around, Fire Lord Zuko."

Sokka's last words to him before he took off with Azula in his arms play on repeat in Zuko's mind as he stares at the small campfire he made. No matter how hard he thinks, Zuko can't for the life of him figure out where everything went so wrong. This was supposed to have been a simple trip: find mother and bring her back home, and (possibly) repair his relationship with Azula. Now Zuko is alone and neither of these things have been accomplished. 

This is all Azula's fault, Zuko thinks Had she not been constantly acting out like that, we could have found mother by now. Why must she ALWAYS ruin everything for me?!  

The doctors at the asylum had told him that she was doing much better, that it would be completely fine for him to bring her along. So then why in Agni's name had she been behaving like that?

Zuko sat on the mini throne that his guards had placed in the room, waiting for Azula to appear. Her doctors had informed him that her condition had been improving and that it would be fine to take her with him on this trip. Even if she hadn't been doing 100% better, he would have dragged Azula out of here regardless, whether she liked it or not. It's not as if she can refuse. He is the Fire Lord now, which meant Azula had no choice but to obey him. The throne he had brought in proves it. It showed that for the first time ever, HE was the one who had the power over her. The throne would be a good way to remind her of her place, of her current status. Never again would Azula be better than him at anything.

The twin doors opened, and a nurse slowly wheeled in his little sister.

Zuko blinked.

Why was she in a wheelchair? The last time he saw her she could walk just fine. He would have to inquire about that later, he supposed. Right now, he had a job to do.

Azula looked up at him and said "Well hello there, Fire Lord Zuko. How may I help you today?"

The tone of her voice startled him. Azula sounded so… empty. Lifeless. Completely unlike herself. And the longer he stared at her in that wheelchair, the more he began to wonder if this was even a good idea to begin with. The minute the thought entered his mind, he saw Ozai in his cell, taunting him with that damn smirk on his face. Refusing to answer any questions about his mother's whereabouts. That image erased any doubt from Zuko's mind. No, he NEEDED Azula to come with him. He needed to get that information out of Ozai, and she was his best bet. Azula couldn't walk? Fine, he would just have to carry her. If she refused, he could just exert his power over her. Remind her that he was the Fire Lord, and that she must obey him. With that thought in mind, Zuko opened his mouth and began to speak.

Zuko finds himself wandering into a small village, hoping that he will find his mother here. He stumbles upon a woman who is tending to her garden. Perhaps she can give him some sort of clue. Zuko clears his throat and waits for the woman to look up at him. When she finally does, she gasps in shock and drops her gardening tools, tears forming in her eyes. This confuses Zuko. He knows that some people gasp in shock at his presence (he is the Fire Lord after all) but to cry upon looking at him? That's a first. Before he can ask the woman what's wrong, however, she quickly lunges for him and pulls him into a bone crushing hug, crying and saying "My baby boy" over and over again.Which only adds to Zuko's confusion. This woman isn't his mother, perhaps she's mistaken him for someone else?

He gently pushes her away from him and asks her who she is. The woman dries her tears before replying " Zuko, my love, it's me. You're mother, Ursa. I know you'll find this hard to believe, but after I was banished, I came back here to my hometown, where I encountered this spirit who has the power to change one's appearance, and-"

Zuko doesn't hear anymore of what she's saying before he promptly passes out.

A few hours have passed and Zuko finds himself on a ship heading back towards the capital with his mother and her family in tow. Once he came too, his mother told him everything. About how after she was banished, she has come back to Hira'a, the place where she grew up. There she was reunited with her lover, Ikem, a man who she was planning on marrying, had it not been for Azulon and Ozai. Once she had explained to Ikem everything that has transpired, he had taken her to a spirit known as the Mother of Faces. Apparently, the spirit could give you a new face and even wipe your memories clean if you desired it. Ursa had decided that it would be smart of her to have her face changed, just in case Ozai had sent assassins after her. Not too soon after this, Ursa and Ikem got married and conceived a child, who they named Kiyi.

Zuko's not sure what to make about the fact that he has another little sister. He supposes that he should feel happy about this, and yet he's not. And really, how could he? He just found out that his mother had another child while he was left behind to suffer Ozai's abuse. Had she even thought about him at all? About Azula? He knows that it isn't Kiyi's fault, but he can't help but feel some bitter resentment towards the small child. From the time she was born she had HIS mother all to herself. While he had nobody, except for Uncle Iroh. His relationship with Kiyi is sure to be a rocky one. Zuko feels like he's been replaced, replaced by a little girl who didn't even know about his existence until today. 

If I'm feeling like this about Kiyi, I can't even imagine what Azula's reaction would be to all of this. It's probably a good thing that she isn't here right now. 

Zuko stares out into the ocean. He's found mother, and she's agreed to come back home with him. To make up for all of that time lost thanks to Ozai. Despite all this, he still doesn't feel right. 

Even though I've found my mother, why does it feel like I've failed? 

He finds himself pondering this question the rest of the way back to the capital. And when they finally do return home, Zuko still doesn't have the answer to his question.

Perhaps it has something to do with Azula. She is the source of his problems, after all.

Chapter Text

Azula isn't sure what she was expecting when her dum dum of a brother was dangling her over that cliff. Perhaps he would have finally did what everyone (especially uncle and mother) wants and ended her life. He is the one who put her in that terrible place after all. Perhaps he was hoping she would have been finished off there.

What Azula was not expecting , however, was boomerang boy coming to her rescue.

She supposes that she shouldn't be so surprised, what with him, his sister, and the avatar keeping a close eye on her. They actually seem concerned every time she saw mother, and didn't immediately try to attack her, or shout at her like Zuko did. In fact, boomerang boy always seemed ready to defend her whenever Zuko looked as if he was about to say something to her that wouldn't be pleasant.

Azula doesn't understand why this boy seems to be so attentive to her. It's not like they're friends or anything. And it's not like she wants to be his friend anyway. She's had those before and look how that turned out for her. 

Boomerang boy (seriously, what is his name? For the life of her she can't remember) is at the top of the bison's head, talking with the avatar and his sister. About what, she doesn't know, but it might be about what they plan on doing with her once they get back to the palace. For some reason the lemur has decided to stay in the back with her, and is currently sleeping in her lap.

She has yet to push him off of her and can't figure out why that is.

"We can't take her back to the asylum." Azula hears the avatar say.

Wait, asylum?

Everything is suddenly numb to Azula, and she no longer hears the conversation. All she hears is that one word, asylum, and mother's voice saying "The asylum is where you belong, Azula."

Azula doesn't know what they plan on doing to her.

But what she does know is that she doesn't want to go back to the asylum.

"Listen you guys, I don't think we should take Azula back to the asylum. I don't know all the details about what went on there, but they weren't helping her get better at all. They just made her worse. And from what little I could gather from Zuko, those doctors lied to him about her condition."

Sokka looks back and forth between Aang and Katara, waiting for a response. He knows that Aang will probably take his side on the matter, because that's just who he is. But Katara? He doesn't know what she'll say. She may just refuse to help Azula at all. It's not like Sokka can blame her if that's what she decides. Azula did nearly kill her during that agni kai after all. And unlike Aang, his sister knows how to hold a grudge.

After a few seconds pass, Katara speaks up " You're right, Sokka. I don't like her at all, but even she doesn't deserve whatever the hell they did to her in that horrid place."

Aang looks at the two of them and nods "We can't take her back to the asylum. Where should we take her to receive help, then?"

Katara has a contemplative look on her face before she responds "Maybe we should shelf this discussion until we get back to the palace. We can go over this with Iroh and see what he thinks."

Sokka snorts. The old man is Zuko's right hand, and from what he can tell, doesn't really seem to care about Azula at all. He doubts that he will be much help. Instead of saying this however, Sokka decides to go back into the saddle to check on Azula.

The sight before him nearly makes his heart stop. 

Chapter Text

What Sokka expects to see when he turns around is the scene that he left behind: Azula gazing at her surroundings with Momo in her lap. 

What Sokka does not expect to see is Momo freaking out because Azula is slowly making her way off of Appa's saddle.

He finds himself feeling a little bit grateful for the straight jacket that she was forced to wear making it hard for her to move.

Not wasting another minute, Sokka quickly makes his way over to Azula and pulls her away from the edge of Appa's saddle before she can jump off. Azula struggles in his arms, desperately trying to break free. When they are a safe distance away, Sokka grabs her by the shoulders and makes her look at him. "Azula, please tell me that you weren't just trying to kill yourself. That's not what you were getting ready to do. Right?"

Azula glares at him and shouts "You are not taking me back to the asylum! You all think I belong there and so does mother! I would rather die than go back there!" And it's true, she would rather die. Death seems better to her than hallucinating mother all day, being subjected to who knows how many daily injections that are supposed to "calm her down" and make the hallucinations go away (they only make them worse. She's told those doctors that before and they refuse to listen and insist that she's the crazy one for thinking otherwise) and being forced to wear a straight jacket all day every day. And then there's the doctor who constantly gives her that look whenever he's near her. She doesn't want to go back to any of that. 

Apparently she's said all of this out loud, because the three fools in front of her look at her in horror and shock. 

"How-how can anyone do that to you? Did you tell Zuko about this? Iroh?" Katara asks. The look that Azula gives her the moment the question is asked has her dreading the answer. Azula chuckles "Do you really think those two care what happens to me? Your brother told you what he witnessed by the cliff, didn't he? Zuzu was prepared to throw me over it. As for his royal, tea loving kookiness, who do you think is responsible for placing me in that hell hole to begin with? When he found out what happened to me, uncle had me put in there and told me that it was for my own good and that I would get the help I needed. He also said that either him or Zuko would come by to check on me. All lies, quite obviously."

"I don't understand." Aang says, shaking his head." You guys are family. How does a family do this to each other?"

"Have you not met my father? "

Well that sure answers the question.

"We're definitely talking to Iroh about this. If he and Zuko are so concerned about you getting better, then they need to understand that the asylum isn't the place for that. You need to go somewhere that will actually help you." Sokka says.

Also if they're lucky, hearing Azula's story may just convince them to shut the whole place down. Assuming they don't think that she's lying, that is.

Katara nods "You're right, Sokka. Iroh needs to know that the asy- institution," she corrects herself. Based on Azula's earlier reaction, the word asylum is a trigger, "isn't what he thinks it is. For all we know, Azula isn't the only person that they're doing this to. And if that's the case, then something needs to be done about it." Aang and Sokka both nod at her words.

"Why?" Azula whispers.

"Hmm? What was that?" 

"I said 'why?' Why are you all doing this for me? You", she points at Aang, "I killed you, or at least I thought I did. I nearly killed your girlfriend during the agni kai with Zuko. I chased you all over the world, with the intention of either capturing you or killing you. So why bother with me?"

Katara, Aang, and Sokka all look at each other, unsure of what to say. It is Katara who finally responds.

"In the North Pole, during the siege led by admiral Zhao, Zuko kidnapped Aang and attempted to take him back to the Fire Nation. Luckily for us though, there was a blizzard, so Zuko wasn't able to get very far. When we found the two of them, I was able to take Zuko down and knock him out. Sokka and I were prepared to leave him there in the snow, but Aang didn't want to do that. Despite him being our enemy at the time, Aang still thought that Zuko was worth giving a chance to and didn't deserve to just be left there to die. I gave Zuko a chance in Ba Sing Se, when I offered to heal his scar, hoping that would cause him to join us and help defeat you. And finally, when Zuko arrived at the Western Air temple and offered to teach Aang firebending and help us end the war, we were all highly skeptical of that idea for obvious reasons. And yet we decided to give Zuko another chance anyway. That decision led to the end of the war. So if we can give Zuko all of those chances, in spite of everything that he did to us, why can't we do the same for you?"

Azula blinks, bewildered.

"And besides, it's like I told Sokka when we were in that village in the Fire Nation. I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me."

Chapter Text

When they arrive at the palace, they are greeted by Iroh, who is talking to Zuko and-

Wait, who are those other people?

The woman, Sokka notices, seems to look like an older version of Azula. It would seem that Zuko was successful in finding they're mother. The man is most likely the husband. Which means that the little girl must be…

Shit

Sokka warily glances at Azula, whose attention is currently on Momo. The lemur seems to be keen on keeping the princess’s attention on him. Sokka isn't sure how long this will last though. He is shocked that Azula is paying Momo any attention at all. Perhaps she sees Momo as a temporary distraction from her reality.

A reality that she seemed to want no part of anymore, if what happened earlier is anything to go by.

Aang clears his throat, “Well, we’re here. I'm going to go talk to Zuko and Iroh. Anyone want to come with me?”

Katara looks at him and nods, “I'll come. Sokka?”

“I'll stay here with Azula. Don't think it's a good idea for me to be around Zuko right now.”

I don't want to leave Azula alone either, goes left unsaid.

The look on Aang's face however tells Sokka that his friend heard him loud and clear.

“Well alright then. We’ll be back soon. Hopefully we can get those two to see reason and convince them that Azula can't stay there anymore.”

Good luck with that. If those two couldn't have bothered to check up on her the whole time she was in that place, I doubt that they actually care about how she was being treated.

Sokka looks at Aang and nods, “Alright. We'll be waiting for you two here then.”

Aang and Katara walk over to the others, curious as to who the three people behind Zuko are.

“Who do you think they are?” Katara asks.

Aang takes a long look at the three of them before responding “Well if I had to guess, the older woman is most likely Zuko and Azula's mother, Ursa. The older gentleman next to her is probably her husband. Which makes the little girl they're…daughter.”

“...This isn't going to be good, is it?”

“Nope.”

“Maybe we should take this conversation inside the palace.”

“Good idea, Katara.”

The lemur seems to be trying to talk to her. Azula doesn't know why. It's not as if she can understand the damn thing, nor does she want to. And if that's the case, then why is she still paying attention to it? 

She has other things to be worrying about right now. Things that don't include a flying lemur trying to talk to her.

“Hey” a voice pipes up from her left.

Azula turns around to see Sokka staring at her. Glancing around she notices that the avatar and Sokka’s sister are nowhere in sight. Where did they get off to?

And when did we stop flying?

She figures that she might as well get the answers to her questions while she's in the mood to talk, “Where did the other two go? And where are we?”

Had she really not noticed that they stopped flying a while ago? “Aang and Katara went to go talk to Iroh and Zuko about your situation. As for where we are, I'm pretty sure you can guess based on what I just said. You really hadn't noticed that we stopped flying?”

“If I did I wouldn't be asking you this question now would I?”

Sokka shrugs “I guess not”, and then he smirks “Did you have a nice conversation with Momo?”

Azula blushes and looks away from him. It's not as if she wanted to pay the lemur any attention. Not her fault that the damn thing wouldn't shut up.

Azula slowly takes in her surroundings. She sees Aang and Katara walking over to uncle fatso and Zuko. And behind Zuko are people. Before she can get a closer look, she feels a hand grab her own.

“Where do you want to go?” Sokka asks.

Azula blinks “What?”

“Where do you want to go after this whole thing gets settled?”

“You ask that like you know this conversation will go well. You don't know my uncle. He is the reason as to why I was stuck there to begin with. How does that saying go again? Out of sight, out of mind?”

Sokka feels like he wants to throw up.

Iroh was the reason why she ended up in that place? The same loving uncle that Zuko told them about? What kind of loving uncle just sends his niece to a place where she was abused for a year, and never even bothered to check up on her?!

Then again, this is the same guy who all but high tailed it out of the Fire Nation so he could run a tea shop in Ba Sing Se instead of helping Zuko with his duties as the new Fire Lord. So what should I expect from a guy like that?

Sokka is broken from his thoughts when he feels Azula's hand tighten around his own.

Glancing up at her to see what's wrong, he notices that she isn't looking at him.

She’s staring at Zuko. Or rather, the woman behind Zuko and the little girl standing next to her.

Damnit, why didn't he keep the conversation going between them until Aang and Katara managed to get them all inside the palace?! Now he’ll have to do everything he can to hold Azula back from doing something that she could come to possibly regret, like attacking them, or-

Azula lets go of his hand.

Shaken out of his thoughts by the sudden movement, Sokka turns to look at Azula. Instead of seeing an angry look on her face like he expected to see, he sees Azula staring ahead with a blank expression. The sight shocks him. He's never seen that look on her face before. It's an expression that seems to say that she is done. Done with caring. Done with trying. Sokka doesn't know how to feel about that.

“Are you ok?”

Azula looks away from the scene and slowly makes her way to the back of the saddle and lays down before finally answering his question “I'm tired.”

Well that certainly wasn't the response he was expecting. He had hoped that she would lash out at him, calling him an idiot for even asking her such a dumb question with an obvious answer. He would have much preferred that to this. 

“Try and get some sleep then. I'll wake you up when Aang and Katara come back.”

Azula nods her head before slowly drifting off to sleep. Taking a blanket out from his pack, Sokka covers Azula with it. He truly hopes that Aang and Katara will be successful in their discussion with Zuko and Iroh.

He doesn't think Azula will last for much longer if she's sent back to the asylum.

Chapter Text

It feels weird to be back home with mother. Even more so because of the fact that he has another little sister. Mother also has a new husband now too, someone who Zuko isn't sure what to make of yet. It's like Ursa has an entirely new family now.

A replacement family to help her forget the other family she never wanted.

Zuko should feel happy though. He wants to feel happy. He has his mother back, after so many years of not knowing what happened to her. She's told him that not a day has gone by where she hasn't thought of him and Azula, and that she wanted nothing more than to return to them, but knew that she couldn't. And yet, despite all of that, Zuko isn't happy. And he doesn't know why. It reminds him of how he felt when he finally returned home with Azula. He finally had everything that he wanted, but he wasn't happy. But that time has been different. That had been because he betrayed Uncle. He didn't betray anyone this time though. So why isn't he happy?

Maybe he should force himself to be happy. That might work.

As he prepares to take his mother and her family inside the palace, he sees a figure out of the corner of his eye. Zuko turns around and identifies the figure as Appa. He doesn't see Aang and Katara walking towards him, but what he does see is Sokka, who is next to his sister. He still feels angry about that punch, so Zuko glares at Sokka and begins walking towards him. Almost as if he can sense him, Sokka looks up and sees Zuko making his way towards Appa, and glares right back at the boy.

Zuko has no idea why Sokka seems so intent on helping Azula, but he does know that he wants to pay him back for that punch. And for convincing Aang to leave him there by himself in Hira'a. Speaking of Aang, the boy is walking towards him with Katara, both of them have a serious look on their face. Zuko stops walking and waits for them to reach him.

When they finally do, what Aang says to him is not what he expects to hear. Considering what happened between him and Sokka, Zuko thinks he should have expected this.

"Zuko, can Katara and I talk to you? It's about Azula."

Everything is quiet in the throne room. Mother had decided to join him, Aang, and Katara for this talk.

Azula is my daughter, I should have a say in this. During my banishment I realized that I really messed up with Azula, Zuko. I wasn't much of a mother to her then, so please, let me be one for her now.

He wasn't exactly sure what she meant by that, but Zuko wasn't about to argue with her. 

Zuko also isn't sure of what to make about what he's just heard. Azula was abused at the asylum for a year? And he was made completely unaware about it because the staff didn't say a word to him? A part of Zuko is angry, because how dare they lie to him, but the word "lie" gives him pause. Azula always lies. Who is to say that she isn't lying now, and that his friends are falling for it hook, line, and sinker? He decides to say as much.

"You know she could be lying to you guys. That's Azula's specialty after all. Lying."

"I don't think she was lying, Zuko. You didn't see the look on her face as she was telling us all of this. She looked haunted, like she was remembering something that she wishes wasn't a memory. And she didn't even mean to tell us any of that, it just slipped out. That doesn't sound like someone who is lying. And it definitely doesn't sound like Azula to slip up like that."

"Aang, you don't know my sister or what she's like. And besides, why are you even defending her? She killed you! Or have you forgotten that?!"

The room is quiet again before Katara clears her throat "Zuko, have you forgotten all of the times you tried to capture or kill us during the war? Or how about the time you sent that assassin after us? Oh wait! Could it possibly be that you've forgotten who it was who made it possible for Azula to kill Aang to begin with?"

That shuts Zuko up.

Ursa looks at them all, not really sure what to say after everything she's just heard. But she does know one thing. And that one thing is that she will not allow her daughter to be sent back to that horrible place. Even if that means going against Zuko.

"Zuko, I agree with your friends. Azula will not be going back there under any circumstances. In fact, I think you should have the staff there investigated and then have the asylum shut down."

Zuko can't believe what he is hearing right now. His own mother is turning against him now? For what? Because of Azula? She tried to kill him! And his friends, so why should he help her at all? He says as such. Perhaps now his mother will see his side of things.

"Zuko, from what I've just heard, it sounds like the both of you tried to kill each other during that war, before and after you changed sides. Speaking of that, thank you for reminding me that I need to have a very long talk with your uncle."

Damnit. Why is she still taking Azula's side?!

The flames in the throne room burn hotter as Zuko's rage reaches its peak. They all want to help Azula? Fine. But don't say that he didn't warn them when this all inevitably backfires and Azula proves to them all why she cannot be trusted.

"Fine, if you guys are so sure that she isn't lying about this, then I won't place her back in the asylum. And I'll do what mother said and have the place investigated. But where does that leave Azula?"

Aang and Katara are silent once again. Clearly they haven't thought this through. Typical. His mother looks at him with a smile, as if she is happy that he has come to this decision. What she says next though leaves him completely dumbfounded.

"Well, why don't we ask Azula herself? She's on the sky bison, right? I'll go get her." And with that she leaves the throne room.

It takes five seconds for Zuko to realize that his mother going to get Azula herself is a terrible idea. She doesn't know about the hallucinations. There's no telling what Azula will do if she sees mother and realizes that she is real and not an illusion.

"Fuck"

As Ursa walks out of the palace and towards the sky bison, she thinks back on the conversation that has just taken place. She's proud that Zuko came to the right decision and decided to not have Azula sent back to the asylum. She isn't sure what she would have done to her son if he refused to see reason, but she knows it would not be pretty.

She is also curious as to what caused Azula to be sent to the asylum in the first place. Zuko and his friends had said that she had a breakdown. But why? Azula was always so well put together and confident, as if nothing could break her. Then again, she was alone with Ozai for 3 years. Who knows what that monster had done to her daughter in all that time? 

Ursa doesn't realize that she is getting closer to the sky bison until she hears someone walking towards her. She glances up to see a water tribe boy walking towards her. He must be Katara's brother, Sokka. Why didn't he come to the meeting? Perhaps she should ask him that later. For now, she needs to speak to Azula. It's been so long since she has last spoken to her.

"Hello, my name is Ursa. Zuko and Azula's mother. I suppose you already know that, though. May I please speak to my daughter?"

"No"

Chapter Text

Azula remembers this dream. It is a dream that she has been having since the day of her defeat. 

She's fighting Zuko, and the water tribe girl is standing on the sidelines, watching. Azula tries to concentrate but all she keeps on hearing is mother's voice going "I love you, Azula. I do."

Then Zuko taunts her by saying "No lightning today? What's wrong, afraid I'll redirect it?!" 

Was he trying to make her kill him? 

Next thing she knows, Zuko is down for the count and the water tribe girl jumps in. Azula blasts fire and lightning at her, but the girl keeps dodging. 

The dream ends with Azula chained down and crying.

Sokka stares at Azula and Zuko's mother, not sure what to expect from the woman. Telling her "no" when she asked to see Azula may not have been the best move, but really, what is he supposed to do? For starters, the girl is asleep. She has hallucinations about her mother. He doesn't know what Azula would do if she sees Ursa and realizes that it's the real deal and not an illusion. Best to keep the two of them away from each other. 

After what feels like an eternity to Sokka, Ursa speaks "I'm… I'm sorry, but what do you mean by 'no'? Why won't you let me talk to my daughter?" 

Spirits, did Zuko not tell this woman anything? 

"What exactly did Zuko tell you about Azula? Did he tell you about her breakdown and  how she was in the asylum for a year?" 

"Yes he did tell me all of that. We were just discussing alternative places that Azula should be sent to for healing. Aang and Katara told me about what those doctors put Azula through. I already told Zuko that sending her back there was not an option."

Sokka let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in until now. Azula isn't going back to that place. That's one less thing they have to worry about now. 

"Did Zuko tell you anything else?"

"No. Should he have?"

YES! Sokka wants to scream. Is he really the only smart person around here? How did Zuko not think to tell his mom that Azula has been having hallucinations about her, and that it's not a good idea to be around her right now? 

Sokka sighs. He always has to do everything himself. 

"Yes, he should have. Look, Azula has been having hallucinations ever since the war ended. Hallucinations about you, Lady Ursa. And they've only gotten worse since then because the asylum did nothing for her."

Ursa looks shocked upon hearing this. Sokka supposes he can't blame her. It's not every day that someone tells you that your daughter has been having hallucinations about you, after all. 

"Hallucinations? About me? Why?"

And there it is. Sokka guesses that Zuko isn't the only one who has some learning to do when it comes to Azula. 

"Why? Because despite what she might tell herself, she missed you for all these years. Because for whatever your reasons may have been, you abandoned your children to the most horrible human being on the planet. Because based on what she said, the relationship between you two wasn't ideal. Because you made her feel as if you loved Zuko and not her, even if that wasn't your intention. That's why. She just…wanted her mother. Like any kid would."

Ursa is quiet for a moment before she starts crying. 

Damnit. 

Making the woman cry was not Sokka's intention. What was he supposed to do now?! 

"Look, I don't know what happened after you were banished, and it's honestly none of my business. But you need to tell Azula everything once she's ready. She deserves that much from you."

Ursa cries for a little bit longer before she slowly begins to dry her tears. When she's composed herself well enough, she looks at Sokka. 

"Yes, you-you're right. Azula deserves to hear the truth from me. I can only hope that when I tell her everything, she will be willing to listen. I understand that it can't be now, and that's fine. I need some time to think about what I'm going to say to her. This will be the first time I've spoken to my daughter in years, and I don't want to mess things up."

Ursa bows to Sokka before turning on her heels and walking away. 

Sokka sighs with relief. That could have gone entirely different. He's glad that things went well with Ursa. 

"Was that my mother you were just talking to?" 

Sokka looks up at Appa, where the voice came from. On top of the saddle is an angry looking Azula with Momo on her shoulder. 

Shit

Chapter Text

Azula stares at the boy standing before her. She contemplates on whether or not she should be intimidating towards him before she ultimately decides not to. As much as she hates to admit it, he's been helpful to her so far. And besides, one can only look so intimidating with a flying lemur on their shoulder.

“Well? Was that my mother you were talking to or not?”

“Oh! Um, yeah, that was her. She wanted to come and see you but I managed to convince her that it wasn't a good idea or the right time for that. It looks like your brother didn't tell her about your hallucinations after he found her.”

Azula snorts. Of course he didn't. He wouldn't be Zuzu if he actually planned ahead and thought things through. And yet he's the Fire Lord while she's been wasting away for a year. She would have been a much better Fire Lord than her idiot brother ever could be. But there's no point in wallowing over it now. Not when her own mind is in the state that it is.

“Did you really expect him to? He more than likely just started all in about himself the moment he found his beloved mother, and she let him. Forgetting all about me and the fact that I exist, just as he's done for the past year. Even Mai and Ty Lee came to visit me just about every day. That's more than I can say about my own brother and uncle.”

Sokka doesn't know what to say to that. He's shocked to hear that those two actually visited her though. After what happened at the Boiling Rock, he assumed that they wouldn't want anything to do with Azula anymore. Clearly that isn't the case, which is a good thing. At least she had some form of human interaction at that place.

“Mai and Ty Lee came to visit you? That's nice. What did you guys talk about?”

“I don't really remember much from their visits. Whenever they came by to see me, I wasn't really.....there. I was constantly out of it from the hallucinations and whatever was in those shots that the doctors would inject me with to calm me down. The only way I even knew that they were there was because they would always leave a plate of mochi with a note from Ty Lee promising to return, and one of Mai’s knives would be right next to it. Almost as if they were trying to reassure me that they had really been there, and that they weren't yet another hallucination that my mind made up.”

Well that's good, at least they won't be hard to convince that Azula needs to be anywhere except for the asylum, Sokka thinks to himself.

“Enough about those two, though. What were you and mo - Ursa talking about?”

He raises an eyebrow at the swift change from mother to Ursa, but decides not to comment on it for now. Probably for the best.

“She wanted to talk to you about everything, I suppose. But I turned her away and told her that now really wasn't a good time because you were sleeping, and not to mention that I didn't know what you would do if you actually saw her and realized that she was real and not another hallucination. Oh, and she told me that her, Aang, and Katara talked with Zuko. They managed to convince him to take you out of the asylum permanently, as well as to have the place shut down after a thorough investigation. You don't have to worry about going there ever again.”

Azula doesn't say anything at first. Sokka thinks that maybe she didn't hear him or she's in shock from what he just told her, when he hears her silently mumble, “....I don't have to go back there anymore?”

Sokka smiles, “Nope! See, I told you that it would all work out in the end. And don't worry about Iroh either. Your mother already said that she'll have a long talk with him, and we'll handle Zuko if he suddenly changes his mind. Now all that's left is to decide where we should take you to receive proper care. And since this is about you, I might as well ask you if you have any ideas on….” Sokka slowly stops talking when he feels something wet on his cheek. He looks up at Azula, only to see that the girl is crying. Momo tries to calm her down, and Sokka smiles. He knows what those tears are about. They aren't tears of sadness. They are tears of happiness. He makes his way back onto Appa, and pulls the girl into a hug.

“Everything is going to be okay now, Azula. I promise.”

Chapter Text

The first time the two of them arrive at the asylum to see Azula, both are shocked to see the other one there. 

“What are you doing here?” they both ask at the same time. 

Mai starts, “I'm honestly surprised to see you here, considering what happened between the two of you at the circus. You aren't angry about that anymore?”

Ty Lee shrugs, “I mean, I wouldn't say that I'm completely over that, or what happened at the Boiling Rock. But I'm willing to put all of that aside for right now and try to help Azula get better. That's what friends are for after all, right?”, she asks, before realizing that Mai might not consider Azula to be a friend anymore after everything that happened. 

“You-you do still consider her to be a friend, right?”

“Would I be here right now if I didn't?” Mai responds.

Ty Lee shrieks with joy and crushes Mai in a hug. The other girl loosely brings an arm around Ty Lee's shoulder. 

“Don't get me wrong, I'm still pissed off with her for locking us up the way she did, just because I had the audacity to save my boyfriend who happens to be her brother. There's a bunch of other things that I want to discuss with her as well, but like you said, it can wait until she's better and in her right mind.”

Ty Lee steps back and nods, “Yeah! Now let's go. We shouldn't keep Azula waiting for too much longer.”

Mai follows behind her, not exactly sure what they should be expecting from this visit. Whatever she had imagined couldn't have prepared her for the sight they were met with upon entering Azula's room at the asylum.

When they first enter her room, she doesn't even notice that they are there. Azula is muttering to herself while staring at the corner of her room. While Ty Lee tries to get her attention, Mai tries to figure out what exactly is Azula looking at and who is she talking to. None of the answers that she comes up with satisfies her, so she decides to go to the source and ask directly.

“Azula, who are you talking to?” Mai asks

Azula stops and slowly turns towards the two girls. The look that she gives them makes them pause.

It is almost as if she's not really seeing them.

Azula chuckles, “I see what you're doing, mother. Trying to make me lose my mind even further by making me think that my two friends who betrayed me actually came to visit me? Nice try, but I'm not falling for it.”

Ty Lee grabs her hand, “Azula, we really are here! Look! It's really Mai and I!”

“Liar! Why would you two even want to be anywhere near me after what happened?! Mother is always telling me the two of you were never really my friends, and I'm starting to think that she was right.”

“Well I don't know who this ‘mother’ person is, but she sure sounds like a far cry from the woman that I remember.” Mai says.

Azula and Ty Lee both turn to look at the older girl.

Mai sighs, “Look Azula, what happened between us at the Boiling Rock needs to be discussed. I'm still pissed off with you for deciding that my boyfriend, your brother, deserved to die just because he turned traitor, and I'm sure that Ty Lee has some words for you too. But that doesn't mean that we don't care about you. That we never cared about you.”

Ty Lee nods, “Mai is right, Azula! Even after everything that's happened, we still see you as our friend. And we've always cared about you! That won't stop just because things ended the way that they did between us. Like Mai said, there's a lot that the three of us have to talk about. Things that can wait for next time, when you're aware enough of your surroundings to hear them. And to listen to us.”

Ty Lee releases Azula's hand and pulls the girl into a hug, “If I wasn't really here, I wouldn't be able to do this, now would I?” 

Before Azula can reply, Ty Lee breaks the hug and moves towards the door, Mai following close behind her.

“We'll come by again, don't worry. And you better enjoy that mochi that we got for you!” Ty Lee says, before walking out of the room along with Mai.

If not for the plate of mochi, a note from Ty Lee, and one of Mai’s signature knives right next to the plate, Azula really would have thought that those two were nothing more than a hallucination.

Most of their visits to Azula go the same. Either she's in the process of seeing yet another hallucination of her mother, or she's eerily silent. They aren't sure if they prefer the eerie silence, though. It's so unlike the girl that they grew up with. They suppose that it's better than seeing her hallucinating and being unable to do anything to help her, though. Whenever they leave for the day, they always make sure to place down a plate of mochi, a letter written by either one of them, and one of Mai’s knives next to Azula. This way she'll know that they were actually there.

Nothing of note ever really happened during these visits…. until one particular day.

The two girls had gone to see Azula at the asylum as they had always done for the past couple of weeks. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until they requested to see her, and one of the doctors denied them.

“Why not? You let us see her any other time,” Mai said.

“Yes, well, today there have been some…. complications with the princess.”

“Such as?” Ty Lee asked

The doctor sighs, “I have no clue what she sees, and quite frankly, I don't want to know. But today, her hallucinations really got out of hand, to the point where she attempted to firebend at one of the doctors when they went into her room because they heard her shouting. It got so bad that we had to sedate her.”

The two girls blink, hoping that they are mistaken and didn't just hear that.

“Hold on, are you seriously telling us that you have no idea what she's been seeing?” Mai asks.

The doctor nods.

“But that doesn't make any sense! She's here to receive proper care in order to get better! Surely her brother told you what her hallucinations have been about!” Ty Lee says.

“Well you see, that's the thing. It didn't really seem as if the Fire Lord knew what was wrong with her either. And really, who could blame him? These people aren't the easiest to deal with.”

They couldn't have heard that right. Zuko didn't know what was wrong with Azula? Then why had he sent her here in the first place?!

After a while, Mai speaks up.

“I see. In that case, we'll be going now. Come on, Ty Lee.”

“Where are we going?”

“On a date with the Fire lord. I would just love to hear his explanation for this, wouldn't you?”

Zuko puts his face in his hands, “What do you want me to say, Mai?”

“Well for starters, how about why you put your sister in that place when you apparently have no idea what's wrong with her.”

“It was Uncle’s idea, ok? After our agni kai and when she calmed down somewhat, she was saying things that didn't make sense. She kept talking as if our mother was actually there. Uncle suggested placing her in the asylum, since they specialize in handling people with problems like Azula has.”

“Well that's funny, because the doctor that Ty Lee and I spoke to said that they had no clue what Azula was hallucinating and that they didn't really want to know either. So how exactly are they helping her get better?”

“What do you want me to do about it? In case you forgot, I have a nation to run now!”

“You're the Fire lord. Like it or not, you're responsible for Azula's well-being simply because she's a Fire Nation citizen, not to mention your heir. So either you do something about it or Ty Lee and I will. I'm pretty sure that you don't want us doing a prison break, now do you?”

Chapter Text

After talking things over with Zuko and his friends, and with Sokka, Ursa decides that it is high time for her and Iroh to have a talk. She knows that most of, if not all of her words towards Iroh will be hypocritical, particularly accusing him of looking out for Zuko and doing nothing to protect Azula. How can she condemn the man for that when she did the same thing years ago? Maybe it's because she can acknowledge her mistakes and actually wants to make things right with her daughter. Something that Iroh doesn't seem too keen on doing, if he even realizes that he failed the girl at all.

She finds Iroh talking to Kiyi, saying something that makes the little girl laugh. Had it been anyone else talking to her daughter, Ursa would have found the scene before her to be heartwarming.

Right now, all she feels is annoyance. And the urge to grab Kiyi and take her away from this man.

Ursa clears her throat, “Iroh, can we talk?”

At the sound of her voice, the old man turns to look at her. For a moment, there is anger in his eyes before it quickly vanishes. This doesn't surprise Ursa. Iroh is many things, but the man isn't stupid. He must have a suspicion, if not entirely convinced, that she had some part to play in his father's untimely death. Ursa would be shocked if he didn't come to that conclusion, considering the fact that he came home to his brother being the new Fire lord and she had simply vanished.

Iroh nods, “Of course, Ursa. We can chat over a nice cup of tea.” He smiles at her, but Ursa can tell that it isn't genuine. Which is fine with her. She'd rather not play pretend with him.

She looks down to Kiyi with a smile, “Kiyi, why don't you go find your father? I'll be back in a little bit.”

The child looks at her mother with apprehension and a little bit of fear before she nods and quickly runs off. Ursa sighs. She knows that it will take some time for Kiyi to get used to seeing her with a different face. It still hurts to see her daughter looking at her with fear in her eyes.

She looks back at Iroh. Neither one of them say anything, content with staring at the other one. It almost feels like how a predator watches its prey before it pounces. The staring contest ends when Iroh speaks up.

“Well then, shall we go?”

They find themselves in Iroh's room, the old man making tea for the both of them, just as he said he would. When he's done he walks over and gives Ursa her cup before he sits down across from her and blows on his tea before taking a sip.

“So, what did you wish to talk about? I can't imagine that you wanted to talk for the sole purpose of catching up.”

“Oh, I'm sure that you have some ideas of what that something might be. You aren't a fool, after all. Then again, perhaps you are a fool, seeing as you locked my daughter away in a place that was supposed to help her, and you never even bothered to check on her and make sure that she actually got the help she needed” Ursa said, glaring at the man in front of her. She's in no mood to play nice with Iroh. It's much better to rip off the bandaid right now rather than wait until later, where it might be harder to take off.

For a moment, Iroh says nothing. He sets down his cup, and when he looks back up, he is no longer the kind old man that many know as Zuko's loving uncle. The man staring at her right now is the war general who nearly conquered Ba Sing Se in a 600 day siege. The man staring at her right now is the once fearsome Dragon of the West.

“Azula was a problem that Zuko and I didn't know how to deal with. Zuko was going to be crowned the new Fire lord, and lead the Fire Nation into a new era of peace. He wouldn't have time to take care of Azula when he has a nation to run. I thought it was best to have Azula placed in the asylum, a place where people who have similar issues like Azula go to get better.”

“Aside from the fact that Azula is a Fire Nation citizen and Zuko's little sister, as well as his heir, all things that should at least make him want to help Azula in any way he can and help her recover, I wasn't talking about him. I was talking about you, Iroh. The only responsible adult, which is very debatable, considering what Zuko has told me, in their lives. Surely you could have arranged it so that Azula could have the best medical care here, in the palace? She is still a princess after all, and she should be treated as such. She is also your niece . A fact that should make you care about her, and yet you talk about Azula as if she is nothing more than a problem to you, a problem that needs to be dealt with swiftly.”

“I didn't want her to try and take the throne from Zuko, which was part of the reason why I-”

Ursa laughs, did he really think that Azula would try and take the throne from Zuko? In her current condition? Perhaps Iroh is more stupid than she initially thought.

“Iroh, my daughter has hallucinations of me and can't even tell what's real and what isn't most of the time. Do you really think that someone in that state of mind would be capable of plotting to usurp the Fire Lord?”

Iroh attempts to speak, but Ursa silences him with a look.

“I will forever be grateful for the fact that you were there for Zuko when I couldn't be, that you kept him safe during his banishment. You helped Zuko and yet you abandoned Azula, however hypocritical it is for me to say that to you, since I abandoned her long before I left. We both abandoned her, and it's time that we both owned up to that fact.”

Iroh sighs, “I assumed that Azula would have been fine with Ozai since he favored her because of her prowess in firebending. I never imagined a scenario where he hurt her just as much as he hurt Zuko.”

Ah. The same mistake as she made, then. Perhaps they weren't so different in that regard.

“You witnessed your brother burn Zuko. How could you have possibly thought that Azula would be fine alone with him? I know that I'm the last person to be saying this to you, since I also believed that Azula was fine around Ozai since he favored her, which is why I put all of my focus on Zuko. I thought that she didn't need me as much as Zuko did. I didn't realize how wrong I was until I was far away from the capital and I had plenty of time to reflect on a lot of things. Both of my children needed their mother, and yet I only ever treated one of them as my child. I suppose that I'm no better than Ozai in that regard. Playing favorites with my children.”

She can feel the tears in her eyes, but refuses to let them fall. Not yet. There will be plenty of time for crying later on.

Ursa takes a deep breath before continuing, “From what Zuko told me on our way to the capital, you really didn't do much of anything to mend the relationship between them. And yes, I know that you were enemies and that Ozai had tasked her with hunting you and Zuko down since he had declared the both of you as traitors to the Fire Nation. That doesn't excuse you for telling Zuko that Azula was crazy and needed to go down, when he expressed the slightest desire to get along with her. That doesn't excuse you from urging Zuko to fight Azula for the throne, after you said to him that a brother fighting a brother for the throne wasn't what the Fire Nation, what the world, needed. Yet you turned right around and told Zuko that it was fine for him to fight his sister. A fight that could have been avoided had you actually taken the time to reach out to Azula before Zuko was banished! Would it have been hard because of Ozai's influence? Maybe. But the point is that you never even tried . You just decided that she was beyond saving. I'm sure that Zuko gave you a hard way to go during those three years of his banishment, I have no doubts about that since he told me himself. We talked about a lot of things on our way back here. One of the things that he told me was that he was grateful for the fact that he had you every step of the way. That he was grateful for your guidance, for the fact that you never gave up on him, even when he betrayed you. No matter what he said to you, no matter how hard he made it to reach him at times….you were always there to catch him if he fell. You never abandoned him. You were there for him no matter what. Where was all of that devotion for my daughter, your niece?”

Iroh looks at her but doesn't say anything, not knowing how to answer her question. Maybe he's going over everything she's said and slowly realizing that she's right and-

Iroh's laughter interrupts her train of thoughts. What could he possibly find to be so funny?

“You know, I find it ironic that the woman who had a hand in killing my father thinks that she has the right to lecture me about anything.” Iroh says, looking at Ursa with a smile. That smile is probably one of the most disturbing things that Ursa has ever seen. That smile isn't a happy one. It is anything but genuine. That smile is what someone wears on their face right before they pounce. She was wondering when the topic of Azulon was going to come up. To Iroh, it looked like a plot to get Ozai the throne while he was away. He likely didn't know what actually transpired that night. Might as well tell him the truth.

“Yes, I did play a part in killing your father, but it's not for the reason that you-!”

“What other reason could you have possibly had for killing my father other than to give Ozai the throne? My brother has always been power hungry, so it should have come as no surprise to me that he would go so far as to kill our father, but-”

“It was to save Zuko's life!”

That made Iroh stop talking immediately. They had killed his father to save Zuko? What did that mean?

“What are you talking about?”

So he was willing to listen to her story. Probably because she mentioned Zuko.

“The night we killed him, Ozai made a proposal to Azulon: make him his heir instead of you, since you no longer had any children in the line of succession. Obviously your father didn't take too kindly to that, since he favored you over Ozai. So, in retaliation for his words, Azulon ordered Ozai to kill Zuko, so that he would know the pain of losing his first born son. Azula overheard everything since she hid behind the curtains after her and Zuko were done showing their progress in firebending to your father, and he ordered us to leave except for Ozai. She warned Zuko about what she heard ... .well, taunting him about it is more like it, but she still told him regardless. Had she not done that, Zuko wouldn't be alive today.”

“Wouldn't be alive…?”

“I overheard Azula and Zuko talking, since I was on my way to his room to see if he was ok and to say goodnight to him. Zuko said ‘dad wouldn't do that to me’ and that's when I entered the room, demanding to know what was going on. Since Azula seemed to know something, I took her outside of Zuko's room to ask her what that something was. That's when she told me what she had overheard. I thanked Azula for telling me that and reassured her that everything would be fine, before walking her back to her room and telling her to not come out no matter what. I then went to find Ozai and proposed a plan to him: kill Azulon so that Ozai could take the throne. He had no problem with that plan, of course, since the throne was all he wanted. Since it was my plan, I was the one who killed him. Afterwards, we made the necessary arrangements for Ozai to be crowned the new Fire lord, even though you were Azulon’s heir. Once everything was done, Ozai banished me for committing treason, although I suspect the actual reason was to make sure that I wouldn't do the same thing to him. I left the palace that same night. My only regret is that I didn't say goodbye to Azula, like I did with Zuko.”

Talking about what had happened that night and thinking about what would have happened to Zuko if Azula never went to his room and told him what she overheard, causes Ursa to release the tears that she has so desperately tried to hold back.

Iroh doesn't say anything after listening to Ursa's story. That's what really happened that night? His father had ordered Ozai to kill Zuko, something that may have happened if not for Azula? The girl who he's always had nothing but disdain for, because he saw too much of his brother in her, and because she reminds him a lot of his past self? The Iroh who did unspeakable things during the war, a past that he is still trying to run away from? The thought makes Iroh sick to his stomach. Not only because he's just found out that Zuko was going to be murdered by his own father, but because it was Azula who had, knowingly or not, saved her brother's life. And Iroh has been treating her like anything but his family for years now. Suddenly Ursa's words towards him about Azula hit a lot closer to home. She was right: he had failed Azula, the girl who he has to thank for Zuko still being alive. How ironic is it that he's played a part in their family's seemingly never ending curse when it comes to favoritism by choosing Zuko over Azula and thinking nothing of it, when the girl in question did something that Iroh can't even begin to thank her for? With tears in his eyes, Iroh slowly bows his head to Ursa.

“I am so sorry for what you had to go through that night because of my foolish brother and father. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for both of your children like I should have been. I'm sorry that I wasn't the uncle that they both needed. I'm sorry that I didn't think to help Azula the way I helped Zuko. And lastly, I am sorry for throwing Azula into the asylum and not checking on her to make sure that she was getting the proper care she needed, all because I never stopped viewing her as a threat: a threat that would try to take the throne from Zuko at any given moment. Nothing that I say will ever be enough to fix my mistakes, but I'm so sorry, Ursa.”

Of all the things that Ursa expected Iroh to say, an apology after apology certainly isn't one of them. At the very least it seems like he has taken her words to heart. She hopes this means that he will try to make amends with Azula, however hard that may be. She has no doubts that her daughter wants nothing to do with Iroh.

She also has no doubts that Azula probably wants nothing to do with her, too.

Even if that is the case, Ursa swears that she won't give up on Azula ever again, and that she will actually be there for her. She swears that this time, things will be different. She will try her hardest to be the mother that Azula needs, the mother that she should have been to her years ago.

“I don't know if Azula wants anything to do with either one of us, Iroh, but I have sworn to myself that I won't abandon her again, that I'll be the mother that she should have had back then, the mother that she needs me to be now. If you are truly sorry for the way you treated her all these years, then think about how you can make it up to her. Show her that you are sorry with your actions and not your words. Anyone can say they're sorry for what they've done, but that apology only means something when your actions show that you are indeed sorry for your mistakes. Perhaps you can begin to make amends with Azula by launching a thorough investigation into the asylum you locked her away in, and agreeing to not sending her back there should you choose to not shut it down. Can you do that, Iroh?”

“Yes, I can and I will. You have my word.”

For a moment, Ursa has the urge to say that his word doesn't mean shit to her, but she holds her tongue. Instead, she looks at Iroh with a similar smile that he showed her not too long ago.

“Good. I'm glad that we were able to come to an understanding.”

Chapter Text

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?"

Chapter Text

Azula stares at the girl. Of all the places she can think of, Kyoshi Island would be at the bottom of the list. She highly doubts that they would want the princess of the Fire Nation living among them. 

“Why there? I highly doubt that they'd want the sister of the Fire Lord living among them.”

“True, but unlike your brother, you didn't burn down our village. You never attacked us at all, which is already a point in your favor. I'll vouch for you, too. What do you say?”

Azula looks at Sokka, who gives her a smile and a nod, clearly in favor of what the Kyoshi girl has said. She feels somewhat inclined to trust him and his judgment since he was the one who saved her from Zuko potentially throwing her off of a cliff. But what does she want? Azula knows that she wants to get better, and she certainly can't do that if she's sent back to that place. She knows that she doesn't want to be around her brother or uncle, two people who don't seem to be the least bit concerned about her well-being. She knows that she doesn't want to be anywhere near her mother. Perhaps being away from her family for a while would do her some good. Perhaps being away from the Fire Nation would do her some good. Both things definitely seem to be the source of her misery these days. 

Azula nods in agreement, “Fine. But what about Zuko? I'm sure that he wouldn't want me going anywhere outside of the Fire Nation, let alone out of his sight.”

“Don't worry about him. If your idiot brother has a problem with this then I'll make him agree. Even if that means I have to punch him again.” Sokka says, looking slightly annoyed at the mention of Zuko's name. Azula's never seen anyone outside of her father being annoyed by the mere mention of Zuko, let alone for her sake, but it's nice to see. 

Suki looks at Sokka, noticing how oddly protective he seems to be over Azula. She decides not to comment on it, however, lest he start making a fool of himself and try to deny it, and Azula does ... .something. Or maybe she would do nothing at all. She doesn't seem too keen to do much of anything. 

Not for the first time, Suki wonders what exactly Azula went through in the asylum. 

“I'm going to go and tell Ursa, Aang, and Katara about taking you to Kyoshi Island. If everything goes well, we can leave tomorrow. Or whenever you want to.” Suki says, before walking back towards the palace. As they watch her, a thought occurs to Azula. 

“Do you think that my uncle will agree to this?” 

Sokka contemplates her question before saying, “I don't know. Maybe. And if he doesn't? Who cares? Based on what you've said, he's never really acted like an uncle to you like he was with Zuko. He's never shown any interest in your life before, and as far as I'm concerned he has no right to start doing that now.”

“Young Sokka is right, niece. I have no right to tell you what to do.”

They both jump at the sound of the old man's voice. Sokka shrieks and hides behind Azula. Azula is shocked by this before she glares at him. 

“Why are you hiding behind me?”

“Blame your uncle, he scared me! Plus, you kinda sorta feel safe to be around?”

How many times was this fool planning on shocking her with his words and actions in one day? 

Azula sighs and turns to her uncle. She doesn't know what he wants but she has a feeling that it'd be best to not ignore him. The look on his face says that whatever he has to say is important, and that he won't leave until he gets whatever it is off his chest. 

“What do you want, uncle? Have you come to try and convince Sokka that I belong in...that place?”

At this, Sokka comes out of his hiding place and glares at Iroh, telling the man with his eyes that his words won't work on him if that's really what he came here for. He's surprised when Iroh shakes his head. 

“No, this isn't about that. Well, in some ways it is. Can we talk, Azula?”

Azula glares, wary of what her uncle has to say. The last thing that she expected was for the old man to get down on his knees and bow his head towards her. She turns to look at Sokka, who looks as shocked as she does. 

“I'm sorry, my niece. For everything.”

The first words that come to Azula's mind is what the fuck , because why is he apologizing to her? The old man has never cared about her before. She doesn't even think that he's ever even seen her as her own person. All Iroh has ever seen her as was an obstacle for dear Zuzu to overcome. Perhaps it's a trap to get her to let her guard down. Azula certainly wouldn't put it past the old man. 

“I spoke with your mother a little while ago. We had….a lot to say to each other. She blamed me for not doing enough for you, something that she blames herself for as well, and I blamed her for the death of my father. I was away when he died, and when I came back, your mother was gone and my brother was Firelord. To me, it looked as if the two of them killed my father so that Ozai could take the throne. She then revealed something to me: that the reason why she had killed my father was because he had ordered Ozai to kill Zuko, as a consequence for something that my brother had said to him. She said that you overheard the conversation, and went to warn Zuko about it, and then your mother overheard the two of you and asked you to explain what was going on. Had you not listened in on that conversation, Azula, Zuko wouldn't be alive today. The boy who I think of as my own son would be dead. When your mother told me that, her words slowly began to make me realize that my view of you was wrong. I saw both myself and my brother in you, and that caused me to see you as a monster, rather than a girl, my niece, who needed me just as much as your brother did. The fact that you saved your brother that night proves that you have just as much good in you as Zuko does, and I was a fool to not see that before. You have every right to not forgive me, and to want nothing to do with me at all, but I just wanted to tell you this. I know that no amount of apologies will ever be enough to make up for my mistakes, but I will do my best to do right by you from now on. To be a better uncle.”

Azula snorts. It figures that uncle would change his mind about her because of something that has to do with Zuko. Typical. And while it's better than Iroh hating her until his dying breath for things beyond her control, a part of her still feels angry. Why couldn't he have come to this conclusion on his own? Why did it take hearing about how she saved Zuko's life for him to change his view of her? Why did everything always have to be about Zuko? 

Azula says none of this, however. She doesn't feel like getting into a potential argument with her uncle. 

“If you really want to make it up to me, then see to it that the place you sent me to is shut down. It's the least that you can do. The people in charge don't do anything to help the patients there. They just made things worse for us. Of course, they wouldn't be allowed to do the things that they do to us if the family members of the patients actually came around to visit. If the Fire Lord actually cared enough about his little sister's well - being and checked on her and made sure that she was getting the proper care that she needs.”

She notices Iroh flinching at family members who don't visit and if the Fire Lord actually cared about his little sister but she doesn't care. Her words make him feel uncomfortable? Good. Maybe then he'll realize just how much his actions have caused her nothing but suffering and abuse for the last year. Maybe she should put him in a straight jacket. See how he likes it. See how he likes being unable to defend himself against people who want nothing more than to harm you rather than take care of you like they are supposed to, who want to keep you like a bird trapped in its cage, unable to set itself free and fly away. 

“I already said to your mother that I would investigate the asylum, so I'll make the same promise to you now, Princess Azula: I will personally see to it that a thorough investigation will be launched, and that the asylum will be shut down. Every single person who has abused you and the other patients will be brought to justice as well. You have my word.”

Azula hopes that he didn't notice the way she froze up the minute he said the word “asylum”. Sokka seems to have noticed it. The boy grabbed her hand the moment she reacted to that word. She hates how much power that single word holds over her. 

“What about Azula going outside of the Fire Nation to receive the care that she needs? Are you opposed to that?” Sokka asks. Of course, he doesn't care one way or the other if Iroh is indeed opposed to the idea, but it would be nice to hear that he doesn't. He'd rather if they didn't get into a fight over it. He's sure that Azula would agree. 

“No, I don't have a problem with that at all. In fact, I think that it's a great idea. Getting out of the Fire Nation for a while, away from us in particular, will do you some good, niece.”

At least we're on the same page, Azula thinks to herself. 

“As for Zuko, I'll talk to him and get him on board with the idea. Although based on what I've heard, I can't see him being opposed to it. From the sound of it, the two of you need to spend time away from each other for a while.”

“You have no idea.” Azula says. She still hasn't forgiven Zuko for the cliff incident, after all. 

“I'll take my leave now. Take care, you two.”

As they watch Iroh walk away, the two of them only have one thought in their mind. 

Well that could have gone a whole lot worse.

Kiyi is amazed by how big the palace is. It's probably the largest building that she has ever seen in her life. She could probably get lost here. Get lost in the many hidden passageways that she's certain are around here somewhere. Best to avoid that though. She doesn't want to make her parents worry. 

The thought of her mother gives her pause. Was that woman even her mom anymore? She has a different face. It's a different face than the one that she is used to, the one that she has seen for the five years that she has been alive for. As far as Kiyi is concerned, the woman she once called “mom” is gone. At least she still has her dad. And two older siblings, although she's only met one of them. She has an older sister too, but the girl in question has yet to show herself. Kiyi wonders if her sister is scared of her. That would explain why she has yet to come out and introduce herself. 

Kiyi hears footsteps behind her, and turns around to see her brother. His face says that he's angry, about what Kiyi does not know. He looks down at her and smiles. 

“What are you doing here by yourself? Shouldn't you be with mom? Or with your dad?”

Kiyi looks away at the mention of her…. their mother. Thinking of her mother as someone else's mom too is something that she'll have to get used to, she supposed.

“....I don't want to be near mom. She scares me. And this place is big, so I wanted to explore and see if I could find any secret passageways.”

Her brother makes a face at the last part of what she's just said, much to her confusion. She didn't say anything wrong, had she?

“You're afraid of mom? Why?”

“She has a different face! That face isn't the same mom that I had before! I want my mom back!” Kiyi says tearfully. She wants her mom back. Not whoever has taken her place. Her thoughts are interrupted when she feels her big brother hugging her.

“...I'm sorry. This is my fault. You want your mother back? Well, that's how I've felt for the last few years, ever since she was banished. I wanted to see my mother again. And because of that, she changed her face back to what it used to be. So, if you want to get mad at someone? Get mad at me. If you want to hate someone? Hate me. I'm the one who changed the life you've been living up till now. So…don't be mad at our mother, ok? She doesn't need both of her daughters hating her for things beyond her control.”

Kiyi doesn't understand much, but what she does understand is that her brother is to blame for everything. Her mother is too. She didn't have to change her face and yet she did! She pushes Zuko away from her.

“I hate both of you!” She shouts tearfully before running away. She thinks about what Zuko said to her. One part in particular.

“She doesn't need both of her daughters hating her for things beyond her control.”

So her sister hated their mother too? Perhaps she should go look for her. Maybe she would understand how Kiyi feels.

Zuko watches as the little girl runs away from him. He thinks that the conversation could have gone a bit better. His little sister (he's still not used to the thought of having another little sister. He can barely handle the first one) hates him, which is something that he can live with. He doesn't really know how to act around the little girl, so having her hate him may just be a blessing in disguise. For a moment, he wonders if Azula hates him too. If she hates him for threatening to throw her off of that cliff. It's not as if he was going to go through with it, of course. He doesn't want his sister dead. He just needed her to understand that her behavior wouldn't be tolerated. So he took a page out of her book: using fear to get her to do what he wanted. Of course, that hadn't worked out. She didn't seem to be afraid of him at all, and he hadn't counted on Sokka of all people coming to her rescue. He wonders if Sokka hates him too now. His friend had certainly seemed beyond livid with him, to the point of leaving him stranded in Hira’a (which Zuko still isn't over. Maybe he should punch Sokka in the face. See how he likes it.) and he hadn't even joined Aang and Katara when they went to go speak to him, instead opting to stay with Azula (now she was taking his friends away from him? Spirits, couldn't she let him have one thing?!) 

“There you are, Zuko!”

Zuko turns around to see Suki running up to him. 

“I've been trying to find your mother, Aang and Katara, but I guess running into you is fine, since this concerns you as well. I need to discuss something with you.”

He has a funny idea what that “something” is (or rather, someone ) but he humors Suki and asks anyway. 

“What did you want to discuss with me?”

“It's about Azula.”

Of course it was. That's all anyone seems to want to talk to him about these days (seriously, did they all just forget that she tried to kill them more than once?) 

Zuko sighs, “What about her?” he asks, hoping that Suki doesn't notice the somewhat annoyed tone in his voice. 

Going by the look on her face, she has indeed noticed it. 

“I spoke to her and Sokka a little while ago. They got me up to speed on everything that's happened, and they told me that you all decided that Azula wouldn't be going back to the asylum, and that you were trying to figure out where to take her so that she can actually get the proper care that she needs. I suggested that she go to Kyoshi Island. See if we can do anything for her there. And if we can't, we can try Ba Sing Se, or even the Northern Water Tribe, since they have healers there.”

Zuko blinks. Kyoshi Island? Why there? Why not here in the Fire Nation, in the palace where she can be under his care with doctors who (hopefully) know what they are doing? 

(Plus, it'll be more convenient to have her in the palace so that she can be put under surveillance. He can make sure that Azula isn't trying to do anything, like take the throne away from him.)

“Why can't she stay here? This is her home. Why send her all the way to the Earth Kingdom?”

“Because she needs time away from here, Zuko. Being around you, your mother, and your uncle won't do her any good right now. Being in the Fire Nation itself won't do her any good right now, either. I went with Ty Lee to check out the asylum after you had left to find your mother. What we found out was…disturbing, to say the least. I don't know what those doctors have told you, Zuko, but they aren't helping the patients. They're making them worse. In order to keep them contained they have them wrapped in a straight jacket all the time. Whenever they lash out because of a hallucination, much like your sister does, they inject them with some kind of drug to ‘calm them down’. Going by the way your sister is, I don't think these methods are doing anything. The doctors themselves don't really seem to know or understand what's wrong with the patients who have been admitted there, and they don't really seem keen on knowing either. We also overheard some of the doctors saying that they hate working there, hate working in a place filled with crazy people who are beyond saving, and that their families should have just killed them instead of dumping them at the asylum. Doesn't really sound like a safe haven where people go to get better, now does it?”

Zuko doesn't say anything, still processing everything he's just heard. Could that be the reason why Azula had been acting like that? Because she wasn't getting better at all, but was actually getting worse? If that's true, then it means that his friends were right. Azula hadn't been faking it after all. Her condition really had gotten worse within the past year. 

And it's all his fault. 

Suki senses the inner turmoil Zuko is currently going through and places a hand on his shoulder as a sign of comfort. 

“I know that this must be hard for you to hear. You need to go to the asylum and see for yourself what Ty Lee and I saw. What Azula had to live through for a year. Then you'll see what I mean when I say that taking her out of the Fire Nation will be what's best for Azula. You do want what's best for your sister, don't you?”

Does he want what's best for Azula? 

Zuko doesn't know how to answer that question.

Chapter Text

Mai looks at the letter in front of her. It's a letter from father, telling her to meet him at a secret hideout that he's recently created. She looks at her baby brother, who seems to be determined to eat her sleeve, then looks back at the letter and sighs. She hasn't seen father since the end of the war one year ago, and she isn't too keen on seeing him anytime soon. Besides, she has to babysit her brother for the day. A secret hideout is hardly the place to take a baby to. 

Mai continues to look at the letter. She can't deny the fact that she's curious to find out what exactly does the man want from her and why he's at a secret hideout of all places. She's also terribly bored. Mai looks at her brother again, who has finally (for now, anyway) ceased chewing her sleeve. She picks the boy up and stands. 

“Do you want to go see father?” she asks. 

“Gaga!”

When they arrive, they are greeted by a bunch of people wearing headbands, looking at different weapons and talking. Mai walks further in before she finds father. The man grins when he sees her, but that grin slowly fades into a look of confusion when he sees Tom-Tom in her arms. 

“My daughter, it's good to see you again! Why did you bring your little brother with you?” he asks, pointing at Tom-Tom who eagerly reaches out towards him. Mai refuses to let her brother go. Something about this place doesn't seem right, and the look on father's face certainly isn't making her feel any better. 

“So? What do you want?” 

Father steps back a little bit at the sight of the glare on her face, which almost makes her smirk. She wonders if this is how Azula felt when she gave that speech to the Dai Li, and watched as that one agent cowered in fear at her mere presence. 

It takes a couple of seconds, but finally the man answers her question, “I welcome you to the New Ozai Society! It's a group for people to join, people who are unsatisfied with the new Fire Lord and want him gone. Together, we shall dispose of Firelord Zuko and put Firelord Ozai back on the throne once more!” Cheers erupt as he says this, people clapping and chanting “death to Firelord Zuko!”

Mai blinks. Of all the things she was expecting to hear, it certainly wasn't this. There's an ongoing plot to overthrow and kill Zuko, and put Ozai back on the throne, and father wants her help to achieve this. Why the man thinks she'll actually help him is beyond her, but Mai does know one thing. She needs to stop this plan now, before it gets out of hand and things happen. Things that she would much rather not think about. 

“I'm sorry to disappoint you, father, but I have no interest in helping you with your plans. Zuko and I may have broken up, but I still love the idiot. So I'm afraid that this little plot of yours ends here.”

Mai puts Tom-Tom down and attacks. A short while later, her father and his cronies are groaning on the floor, watching as Mai walks away, Tom-Tom in her arms once more. 

“Say goodbye to father, Tom-Tom.”

“Baya!”

“Close enough.”

Mai hadn't planned on going to see Zuko today, but she supposes that she should tell him about what happened. She has a feeling that this won't be the end of it.

“Hi!” a little voice says from behind Sokka and Azula. They both turn around to see a little girl staring at them. Azula looks confused, wondering who this little girl is, and Sokka begins to panic. The last thing that he wanted was for Azula to meet her half little sister. The girl in question turns to him. 

“Sokka. Who is this?” she asks. 

For a moment he considers lying to her, but decides against it. Azula is a masterful liar, surely she would be able to tell that he was lying. Besides, Sokka knows that he isn't a good liar. And he doesn't have it in him to lie to Azula either. She doesn't need more lies in her life. Best to rip off the bandaid now and get it over with. 

“She's…..your little half sister. Her name is….” 

“Kiyi!” the little girl helpfully replies. 

“Her name is Kiyi.”

“I'm not hard of hearing, Sokka. I heard her just fine.”

Sokka recoils at the tone of her voice. As he suspected, she's angry. Although there's something else in her tone that he can't quite put his finger on. 

Azula stares at the little girl in front of her. So, Ursa decided to replace her with a daughter that she always wanted. Fine by her. It's not like she wants a relationship with the woman or anything like that. Ursa made it clear to Azula years ago what she actually feels about her. It's fine. It's fine. 

She tries to ignore the tears building in her eyes. Azula looks at the little girl and begins to compose herself. 

“What do you want?” she asks. 

“Zuko told me that you hate mom. Is that true?”

Of all the questions she was expecting, it certainly wasn't that. 

“At this point? Yes, I do. I barely even consider her to be my mother.”

The girl looks at her and smiles. 

“Then we're the same! I hate mom too!” she declares. 

Azula glances at Sokka, who looks just as stunned as she feels right now. Ursa's youngest daughter hates her? Azula never thought she'd see the day where someone else despises Ursa just as much as she does. 

Kiyi continues, “Stupid Zuko made mom change her face, and now she doesn't look like how she used to anymore! She scares me and I don't want to be anywhere near her! I hate both of them!”

Huh

Perhaps Kiyi is right. They really are alike. She hates Ursa, and Zuko…well, Azula isn't sure how she feels about dum dum at the moment. 

“Can I stay here with you?”

The little girl's question breaks Azula from her thoughts. Kiyi looks at her with anticipation, and Azula stares back at her with weariness. It's already enough that she's talking to Ursa's replacement daughter, but actually hanging out with her until they leave? It sounds like a nightmare. And yet, going by the look on the little girl's face, she won't take no for an answer and will more than likely put up a fight if denied. The last thing she wants to deal with is a screaming and crying child. 

“Fine, but only for a little while. I'm not staying here for long.”

Kiyi smiles and eagerly places herself next to Azula, “Why?”

“Because I'm going somewhere else. I'm not well.”

“Not well? Are you sick?”

Azula is pretty sure that by ‘sick’, Kiyi means a cold. 

If only it were that simple. 

“Something like that, yes.”

“Oh. Well, I hope that you feel better soon!”

Me too Azula thinks

Kiyi then does something that neither Azula or Sokka were expecting. 

The little girl hugs Azula. 

Azula freezes up. It's one thing to be hugged by Ty Lee and Sokka (the latter of which shocked her, but she will admit that a hug was what she needed at that moment. Not that she'll ever admit it to his face) but to get a hug from her little sister is entirely different. Especially when she doesn't know how to feel about the little girl. She slowly pulls Kiyi’s arms off of her and pushes her away. Kiyi pouts. 

“Why can't I hug you?”

“Did you not hear what I just said? I'm sick. Germs spread. The last thing that you should be doing is hugging me. Didn't your parents teach you this?”

“No”

Azula sighs. Of course they didn't. That's something else that they both have in common: having terrible parents. 

“Well now you know.”

Some time later, Aang, Katara, Suki, and Ty Lee show up. Azula notices that Mai is nowhere to be found but doesn't comment on it. Ty Lee looks at her with a sad look on her face. 

“Unfortunately, I can't go with you guys. Suki is going, and she asked me to stay here with the other warriors until she gets back.”

Azula is saddened by the news but tries not to show it. She hopes that Ty Lee doesn't notice. 

“Azula, don't give me that face! This is already hard enough as it is! I want to go with you too, but I can't. You'll have Sokka and the others with you though, so you're going to be just fine! And you're going to get better too, I promise. And when you do, the three of us are going to have a long talk, okay? About everything.”

Azula nods, knowing exactly what she means. The three of them do indeed have much to talk about. 

Ty Lee looks next to Azula and notices the little girl sitting between her and Sokka. She doesn't recognize her, but she remembers hearing about Lady Ursa returning and how she had a family with her. Which would make this little girl her daughter. Ursa has another daughter. She wonders how that makes Azula feel. It doesn't seem to make her too angry, if the fact that Azula is allowing the little girl to be near her is any indication. 

Azula notices the gears slowly turning in Ty Lee's head and points to Kiyi, “This is Ursa's daughter, Kiyi. Would you mind taking her back inside? She can't come with us.”

Ty Lee nods and moves to grab Kiyi, only for the girl to quickly latch herself onto Azula once more. 

“No, I don't want to go back inside! That woman isn't my mom!”

The others look at each other, unsure of what to do. Azula has no idea what to say to the child to calm her down. Luckily, someone there knows just what to say. 

Katara climbs onto Appa and taps Kiyi’s shoulder, smiling at the little girl. 

“Kiyi, I know that this must be tough for you. Your mom doesn't look like how she used to anymore. And I know that's scary. But she's still your mother. That's still the same woman who loves you, plays with you, has taken care of you from the day you were born. A lot of things happened to your mom that you don't understand yet, but try not to hold it against her, okay? And if you can't handle being around her right now, you have Ty Lee, the other Kyoshi warriors, Iroh, and Zuko-”

“Not Zuko” 

The interruption stuns Katara. Does she not like her older brother? Interesting. Perhaps this is why she wants to go with them. 

“Okay, not Zuko. You have your father, too. Once you're ready, you can talk things over with your mom. It doesn't have to be now. It doesn't even have to be anytime soon. Just think about it.”

The child looks at Katara and nods, then she turns towards Azula “You'll be back soon, right? Promise?”

Azula rolls her eyes. What a needy child. 

“Yes, I will be back soon. Try not to miss me.”

Kiyi smiles and slides down Appa’s tail, ending up right in front of Ty Lee, who picks her up. Aang and Suki both make their way on Appa, waving goodbye to Ty Lee and Kiyi. 

“We'll see you guys later. Tell Zuko that we said goodbye! Appa, yip yip!” Aang says, prompting the sky bison to take off into the sky. Azula looks back to see Ty Lee and Kiyi waving at them, and to her shock she actually waves back. Eventually, the royal palace is no longer in her view, and neither is the capital. 

She wonders when she'll ever see it again. She wonders if she even wants to see it again.

Zuko wasn't expecting to see Mai, but he can't deny that he is happy to see her. After everything that's happened, he needs a break. Even though the two of them broke up, he still cares about her, and she's one of the few people that he actually feels calm around. The serious look on her face, however, tells him that this will be anything but a peaceful visit. 

“We need to talk”

Zuko stares at her. They already broke up, so why is she saying something that usually leads to a couples separation? 

Chapter Text

Zuko stares at Mai, not sure what to think of what she's just told him.

There is a group calling itself the “New Ozai Society" and they want him dead and his father back on the throne.

Mai’s father, who Zuko had been so generous as to give him a position in his new government, is their leader.

Really, he should have expected this. There had been that one assassination attempt on his life a while back, so a group dedicated to killing him really shouldn't have been out of the realm of possibility, and yet he never even considered something like this happening. The thought had never even crossed his mind, so sure that everyone would be fine with his rule. It seems like he was mistaken.

Mai stares at Zuko, trying to figure out what's going through his head. Hearing that there's a group out there that wants you dead is enough to stun anyone into silence, but she thought that he would have said something by now. It's been five minutes already. Shouldn't he be coming up with some kind of plan to deal with this? Feeling movement in her arms, she looks down to see that Tom-Tom has gone back to his previous task from earlier: eating her clothes. Wonderful. 

She looks back at Zuko, only to find that the boy has now taken to pacing back and forth, not saying a word. Mai sighs, irritated. If only Azula were here and in her right state of mind. Surely the girl would have known what to do and planned accordingly by now. Speaking of which….

“Where's Azula?" Mai asks. The question stops Zuko’s frantic pacing. She's shocked that he even heard her.

“You didn't see Appa and the others outside?" He asks

“No." 

They must have left already, Zuko thinks.

“Then you missed them. They're taking Azula to Kyoshi Island. Suki’s gone with them." 

Mai feels disappointment upon hearing this. Had she known that they'd be taking Azula away, she would have come to see the girl off. If only her stupid father hadn't requested to see her. Although she supposes that was a blessing in disguise, because she wouldn't have found out about his plan otherwise. Besides, for all she knows her father could have plans for Azula as well. So it's better that she's currently not in the Fire Nation. That leaves her with another question.

“Why are they taking her to Kyoshi Island?" 

“Suki suggested it. She said that being out of the Fire Nation for a while may just be what Azula needs to get better. Aang, Katara, and my mother convinced me that sending Azula back to the asylum wasn't a good idea and that it would just make her condition even worse. They also suggested that I go to the asylum and see for myself what Azula went through while she was there. Which I'm planning on doing tomorrow. I….have a lot to think about in regards to all of this.”

Upon hearing the mention of Ursa, Mai looks at Zuko with a smile, happy that he and Azula were successful in their quest to find their mother.

"You found your mother, then? That's good. How did Azula react?” She asks, knowing about the girls' hallucinations about their mother. Mai hopes Azula didn't attack the older woman, although Zuko would probably have looked angry when she came to see him in his room.

“She wasn't there with me when I found her. None of them were." 

"Why not? Did something happen?”

Zuko sighs, "You could say that.”

He gestures for her to come sit on his bed with him, where he proceeds to tell her everything: about Azula constantly lashing out, him not understanding what her problem was and thinking that she was doing it on purpose, his friends trying to calm her down to no avail, Azula freaking out and attacking him, which led to him threateningly holding her over a cliff, trying to get her to stop. Which then led to Sokka showing up and punching Zuko in the face, grabbing Azula and taking her into his arms before she could fall. The two boys getting into an argument, which led to Sokka carrying Azula back to where Aang and Katara were at, and convincing them to head back to the capital without him.

At first, Mai doesn't say anything. She just stares at Zuko with a blank look on her face. He isn't quite sure what to make of that before he feels her hand swiftly hitting him upside the head, her other arm firmly around Tom-Tom to keep the boy from falling.

“Ow! What was that for?!" 

“For being an idiot! Ty Lee and I told you what was wrong with Azula after we went to visit her everyday. You yourself went to the asylum to take her with you guys to find your mother, and you somehow didn't realize that something was up with that place? And you just said that she was having outbursts, and saying things that made no sense, and you still couldn't put two and two together and realized that something was wrong with her? And you held her over a cliff? Are you out of your mind?!”

“I screwed up, okay?! I know that now! And as far as the cliff thing goes, I decided to take a page out of Azula’s book to try and calm her down and listen to me! She always used fear to get people to do what she wanted, I remember seeing her do it on her ship when we were heading back here after we took over Ba Sing Se. So I thought that I would try that, but it didn't work because it's Azula and of course she wouldn't be afraid of me, and then Sokka came and, well, you know the rest. That's why Suki suggested that they go to Kyoshi Island, so that Azula can get out of the Fire Nation for a while, and be away from us, her family, as well as…from me. We need some time away from each other. I need some time away from her so I can sort out how I view her and think about her, and how our relationship has been for years. I can't help her if I don't do this first.”

Zuko admitting that he fucked up so soon shocks Mai. She knows that the boy is capable of self reflection, it's just that it takes him so long to get there. And she certainly never thought that he would get to this point with Azula of all people. She wonders if the conversation he had earlier with Aang, Katara, and his mother has something to do with it. For a moment she considers that Iroh may have said something to the boy, before she quickly dismisses the thought from her mind. That old man would be the last person alive who would try to get Zuko to see Azula in a positive light. From what she remembers, the two of them never had a good relationship.

“And about what we were talking about before, do you think that you could take me to this hideout? I'd like to see it for myself. And if we're lucky, your father and his henchmen may still be there, which means we can capture them.”

“I highly doubt that my father is dumb enough to still be there after I opposed him, since I'm sure that he knew I was going to tell you about all of this, but sure.”

When they arrive, the hideout is indeed empty. If Mai hadn't told him what had transpired here, Zuko would have never known that there were people here once upon a time. He feels a curse word at the tip of his tongue, but holds it back since Tom-Tom is still with them. He doesn't want Mai to hit him if her baby brother's first word is “fuck”, all because he said the word in front of him. 

“I told you that they wouldn't be here.”

Zuko glares at the girl. She didn't have to rub it in. 

“Don't give me that look. And besides, we might be able to find something, if we stop standing around doing nothing.”

Zuko nods and gets to work. He finds some weapons here and there, a Fire Nation banner, and a poster with an insignia on it. He goes to where Mai is at and taps her shoulder, getting the girl’s attention. 

“Look at what I found. It's an insignia. This must be their symbol for the organization. If I tell the public to be on the lookout for anyone with this insignia on their clothing, we can find them in no time at all.”

Mai thinks about telling him that catching her father won't be as easy as Zuko seems to think it will be, but decides against it. She doesn't feel like getting into an argument with him right now. 

“You go and do that. I'm sure that will solve this problem and that nothing will go wrong.” she says, beginning to make her way out of the hideout. Zuko quickly catches up with her, glaring. 

“That was sarcasm, wasn't it?”

They part ways at the palace, Mai stating that she needs to take Tom-Tom home. The boy has had a full day, after all. Zuko asks if she would like a carriage to take her home, but she denies his offer, saying that she would much rather walk back to her house, but thanks him for his kind offer. Zuko nods and watches the girl walk away, waving at Tom-Tom who is excitedly waving back at him. He feels an urge to run up to the girl and kiss her, and say that he is sorry for being an idiot and that he will try and make things work this time, but holds himself back. Mai had been adamant about wanting her space, and besides, if he can't even fix his broken relationship with his sister, then how can he fix his relationship with Mai? 

Zuko shakes his head, trying to get his romantic life out of his mind. He has more important things to worry about right now, such as finding this society that wants to kill him, as well as figuring out how he can take the first steps to mending his relationship with Azula, and sorting through his toxic feelings and finally be able to heal. That's all he wants at this point. These past events have made him start to realize that he can't heal without fixing things with Azula. Turning around and walking into the palace, he sets his sights on finding the one person who he can talk to about this. 

His - no, their mother. 

It should be of no surprise to him that he finds Ursa at the turtle duck pond, throwing small pieces of bread into the water. This is her favorite place in the palace, after all. He clears his throat to get her attention, and she turns around, smiling when her gaze falls upon him. 

“Mom, do you mind if we talk?”

Ursa nods and pats the space next to her, a silent invitation to join her. Zuko dutifully falls into place and takes the load of bread from her, breaking off small pieces and throwing it to the turtle ducks. Zuko sighs, feeling a small amount of peace. 

He missed this, feeding the turtle ducks with mother. And as much as he wishes that the two of them can just sit here and do this forever, it's not the reason why he's come here. So he turns his head in her direction and begins to speak. Zuko doesn't know how this conversation will end, but he does know one thing. 

This conversation will be long and emotional. For both of them.

Chapter Text

“I’ve made….a lot of mistakes in the past year when it comes to Azula. For so long, I saw her as an enemy rather than my little sister, because we were competing for father's love and attention. She had it and I didn't, and that enraged me. Then during the war, we became enemies, fighting each other so that one of us could capture the avatar. Then I decided to join Aang and the others, and as a result Azula and I became enemies once again, this time fighting on opposite ends of the war. Then, we fought an agni kai against each other at the very end of the war, to decide who would become the next Fire Lord. I realized that something was off about Azula. She didn't look like how she normally did up to that point: perfect. She didn't look well at all. I knew that, but I used that to my advantage in our fight, because I didn't care at the time. Because I wanted to prove that I was the one on top, that I was the better firebender between us, that she wasn't the strong one anymore. It didn't really hit me that she was suffering too until she broke down in front of me and Katara after we defeated her. Afterwards, uncle Iroh convinced me to send Azula to the asylum, because they specialized in taking care of people with problems like Azula has. I never once checked up on her, though. The doctors there would send me letters about her condition, assuring me that she was getting better. I…. didn't want to see her. I was still angry about everything. Angry at her. It wasn't until recently that I went to see her in the asylum, but it wasn't for a visit: I needed her to get father to tell us about your whereabouts, since he wouldn't say anything to me no matter how much I tried. It was the first time I had seen her in a year, and how she looked shocked me. She was thinner than the last time I saw her, and she had been confined to a wheelchair and was wearing a straight jacket. But I decided to ignore all of that and took her with us anyway, because I figured that she would want to come with us to find you, too. While we were searching for you, she started acting strange. Talking to someone who wasn't there, attacking nothing. Aang, Katara, and Sokka were able to tell pretty quickly that something was wrong with her. I'm ashamed to say that I didn't. I had just assumed that she was faking it, since the doctor's at the asylum had told me that her condition has improved a lot. Sometime later, she ran off. We were all shocked at first because she had been having trouble walking. I guess it was her flight or fight response? Whatever she saw spooked her enough to run away. We split up to search for her, and I ended up finding her first. When I tried to talk to her, she immediately attacked me. At that point, I was beyond fed up with her and… I did something that I'm not very proud of.”

He stops talking and takes a deep breath. He doesn't know how his mother will react to what he's about to tell her, but she has a right to know. A right to know that he had done something to Azula that could have resulted in her death, had Sokka not found them in time.

“I grabbed her leg and slammed her to the ground, and then I grabbed her by the collar and held her over a cliff. Screaming at her, saying that she ruined my life, and that had she not been born, maybe everything that happened to me, how our  father treated me, wouldn't have happened. That was when Sokka showed up. He punched me, which caused me to let go of Azula, and he immediately caught her before she could fall. Him and I had a bit of a shouting match, and he took Azula away. They all left, and I was left alone. Then, I found you. I didn't think that I had done anything wrong at the time, and yet….things didn't feel right when you and I were returning back to the capital. I did feel happy that I had found you, and that you agreed to come home, but something still felt off. And after taking things over with Suki, listening to her telling me about what was actually going on at the asylum and how they were treating Azula and the other patients, it made me realize why I felt that way: because of Azula. I think that, deep down, I want to make things right with her, but because our relationship is so…. damaged, I don't know how to do that. It's why I wanted to talk to you. I need some advice. I realize now that I can't really heal until I confront all of the toxic feelings that I have towards her, and mend our relationship. To try and be the big brother that she deserves, and to help her. But I don't know how to do that.”

Zuko looks at his mother, waiting for her to say something. Her expression is unreadable. 

Ursa has half of mind to scream at her son, say to him that he shouldn't have treated his sister that way when she needs help, but refrains from doing so. The boy has sought her out personally for help, and she will give it to him. Yelling at him is the last thing he needs right now. Besides, it's not like he had good role models to look up to. Her own issues aside, all these two had were Ozai and Iroh. Ursa wasn't expecting much from Ozai, but Iroh was supposed to be the “good” sibling between the two. He should have helped both of her kids, not playing favorites like both her and Ozai did. Not stoking the flames that made up Zuko and Azula's rivalry. Thus, Ursa concludes that this is Iroh's fault. Yet another reason that validates her disdain for the old man. 

Ursa clears her throat, “Well, I think that you're already off to a good start. Even though it took you some time, you were able to come to these conclusions on your own. As for how you can try and get over your feelings of anger towards Azula….well, I never did tell you exactly why I was banished, now did I?”

“No, but father told me what happened. He said that you did treasonous things to save my life the night you left….well, when he banished you.”

Ursa hums, “Yes, that's correct. I killed your grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon, so that way Ozai would no longer have a reason to kill you and he could have the throne. Do you know how I found out about it?”

Zuko shakes his head. 

“Azula told me about what she had overhead in the throne room, and I immediately went to find Ozai, who confirmed everything that Azula said.”

Azula saved my life? 

He knew that his mother had a hand in it, going by what she just said and what his father had told him during the invasion. The last thing that he had been expecting to hear from his mother is that Azula was the reason why she even found out about any of it in the first place. 

I would have been dead if Azula didn't say anything 

It's an odd thought for him to think about. Hard to process. He then remembers what Ozai had said to him. 

“Your mother found out. ”

Found out. Which means that she hadn't known about it until some point that night. His mind wonders to that night, when they were leaving the throne room after demonstrating their skills to their grandfather, how Azula tugged him behind the curtains with her so they could see the conversation between their father and grandfather, how he had gotten scared and ran off when Azulon got angry at something his father had said. Azula had come into his room sometime later. 

“Dad's going to kill you. Really, he is.”

At the time, he didn't want to believe her (really, what kid would?) and assumed that it was just another one of her cruel jokes. Their mother had come in shortly afterwards, and dragged Azula outside, saying that it was “time for a talk”. He tried to calm his nerves by repeating to himself “Azula always lies” and went to sleep shortly after. He remembers being woken up at some point by his mother, and then later on he found out that she had left. Left them. Left him. At the time, he had no idea what was going on and why she left. Not until his father told him the truth about that night, and what his mother just said to him. 

Zuko groans. How did he not realize it sooner? Mother had left the throne room that night, the two of them following behind her before Azula ran behind the curtains, dragging him along with her. Mother hadn't heard the entire conversation between father and grandfather. Heck, he hadn't heard the entire conversation since he eventually ran off. Azula was the one who stayed behind. Meaning that the only person who had any knowledge as to what was said that night was Azula. Azula, who had come into his room to tell him about what she had overhead, albeit in a taunting way, jokingly saying that he could find an earth kingdom family to adopt him. Azula, who had been taken out of his room by their mother. Azula, who more than likely told their mother about what she overheard instead of lying, since the woman was always able to tell when Azula lied. 

Azula had set the playing field for his life being saved that night. She could have easily gone to her room and went to sleep, never saying anything to him about it, assuming that their father wouldn't actually do it. But she didn't. Instead she chose to go to his room and tell him about it. And how does he repay her? By throwing her in a cell the first chance he got, both because he didn't want to deal with her and because uncle Iroh had assured him that the asylum would be the best place for Azula to get help. 

That last thought gives him pause. Iroh had been the one who told him to have Azula sent to the asylum. Did he know how that place would treat Azula? How they treated the other patients? The very thought makes him angry. He quickly gets up from his seat next to his mother, startling the older woman. 

“Thank you for telling me this, mom. I have something that I need to do now. I'll see you later”, and with that, he walks back into the palace, intent on finding Iroh.

He finds the old man in his room, drinking tea and talking to Kiyi about pai sho. The child looks confused but she still seems to be enjoying herself regardless. That is, until she sees Zuko. The girl immediately gets up from her seat and walks out of the room, but not before thanking Iroh for the tea. Iroh looks at the girl, baffled, and then he looks at Zuko.

“It would seem that your little sister doesn't like you very much." 

“Yeah. That's….. something that I'll deal with when I'm ready for it. I'm not going to force her to like me, especially when I don't even know how I feel about her either. Anyway, enough about Kiyi. Can we talk?" 

“I thought we were already talking", Iroh chuckles.

As expected, Zuko doesn't like his joke, so the old man just sighs and gestures for Zuko to sit down.

“What did you want to talk to me about?" 

“Did you know about what kind of place the asylum was like? How the people who work there treat Azula, and how they treat the other patients there? You are the one who told me to send her there, after all.”

"What? Of course not! Had I known, I would have never suggested that place at all. Your sister and I may have a strained relationship, a relationship that I intend to fix, but I would never have sent her to a place like that, had I known what it was actually like. Why are you asking me this?”

Zuko takes a deep breath of relief. It's nice to know that uncle doesn't hate Azula to the point where he would intentionally send her somewhere that would abuse her instead of help her.

“I had a talk with my mother and it made me think about a lot of things in regards to Azula. I plan on going to the asylum tomorrow and seeing for myself what kind of place it is. Do you want to come with me?”

Iroh considers the question for a moment before he nods his head in agreement. It's only fair that they go together, seeing as he is the one who told Zuko to send Azula there to begin with, and then he didn't bother checking up on her after the fact. Neither one of them did. This is the least that they can do for her. It's the least that he can do for her, as a way to start making amends. He promised both Ursa and Azula that he would, after all. At the thought of Azula, the old man chuckles. Zuko looks at him, quizzically, wondering why the old man is laughing.

“You know, it's actually funny that you're asking me this, since I spoke to your sister before they left, and I told her that I would convince you to come to the asylum with me and see it for ourselves. To investigate how things are done there, how the patients are treated, and promptly shut it down if what Azula has said proves to be true.”

"It is true. Based on what Mai, Ty Lee, and Suki told me that they saw when the three of them went there, it's exactly as Azula described it to be, and I'm an idiot for not realizing it earlier. I mean, I was there with Suki the day we went to go see Azula and take her out of the asylum to help us find mother, but I didn't care to see it. All I cared about was what I wanted. I didn't care about what she wanted at all, and I ignored the obvious signs that something was wrong. I don't want to be like that anymore, and I'm going to try my hardest not to.”

Iroh hums. He doesn't wish to be like that anymore either. He owes it to Azula to be there for her now and help her, just like he is always there for Zuko no matter what. It amazes Iroh that Zuko was (mostly) able to come to this conclusion on his own.

Perhaps it really is a good thing that the two siblings are spending time apart from each other. It seems to be working wonders for Zuko already. He can only hope that it will do the same for Azula.

Azula stares at the clouds as the others make light conversation around her. About what, she doesn't know. She hears the lemur chattering in her ear, having not moved from his perch on her shoulder since they left. She wonders why it's so attached to her when they have had no interaction until now. Perhaps it can sense her mood and wants to cheer her up? Maybe that's it.

She feels someone staring at her, and turns to see that it's Sokka. Much like the lemur, he also seems to have taken an interest in her. Maybe it's because he can't get the image of Zuko threateningly holding her over a cliff out of his mind. So then he's worried about her. Strange. 

“Can I help you?" 

Sokka looks embarrassed that he has been caught. It almost makes her laugh. 

“Ugh, I was just wondering if you're ok. You haven't been having any more hallucinations, have you?” 

“Well, seeing as I haven't been lashing out at you all like a crazy person, the answer is no. I have no idea why that is.”

“You aren't crazy. And I'm happy to hear that you haven't had any more of them. Did you take something to get them to stop?”

Azula looks at him, confused. He really thinks those doctors gave them medicine to help with their issues? How cute. 

“I didn't take anything. Like I said before, they never gave us medicine, just injections to calm us down, even though all it did was make the hallucinations worse for me.”

Sokka has heard this before, but it still doesn't make it any less easier to hear. He has half a mind to have Aang head in the direction of the asylum and burn the damn place to the ground. Something tells him that Aang wouldn't be on board with the idea, however. 

“Anyway, enough about me”, Azula says, turning to the others, looking at Suki in particular, “how long until we reach Kyoshi Island?”

“A few weeks at most. We're riding on Appa instead of on a ship, so we're going to get there a bit faster than usual.”

Azula nods, satisfied with the answer. She notices that the waterbender is now staring at her. 

“First your brother, and now you. What do you want?”

“Keep up with that attitude and I won't tell you.”

Azula glares at the girl. She holds herself back from beginning an argument with her, no matter how amusing it may be. Sokka may be annoying and worries about her too much for his own good (no matter how much she secretly likes it) but he's still much more tolerable than his sister. 

“I have an idea. As you know, I can use my waterbending to heal people. I don't have much knowledge about using it on a person's mind before, but I did use it on someone we met in the Earth Kingdom. The Dai Li brainwashed him, and I used my water to heal him. It didn't work that much, since Long Feng was able to get him back under his control, but I did help him remember everything that he had forgotten. So maybe I can do something similar like that for you the next time you have a hallucination. If you'd let me, that is.”

Azula ponders this. While she doesn't necessarily care for the girl and doesn't trust her as far as she can throw her, she is one of the people who advocated for her release from that horrible place. Something that she didn't have to do. Azula knows for the fact that the other girl has no love for her at all, seeing as how she nearly killed the avatar, and her, had Zuko not gotten in the way. And besides, healing water sounds a lot better than being injected with who knows what, and then being strapped down to a bed for days on end. 

“Fine. The next time I have a hallucination, I will let you know.”

“Sounds good”, Katara says, smiling at her. 

She nods. Perhaps the girl isn't so bad after all. 

“So, I see that you and Momo have been getting along really well.” Katara says, teasingly. The others laugh at this. 

Azula glares. She takes it back. This girl is indeed bad.

As they agreed, Zuko and Iroh arrive at the asylum the next day. Before coming here, Zuko had mentally prepared himself, knowing that he would more than likely see some disturbing things, based on what Suki told him. Nothing could have prepared him for what he was going to see, however. What he sees makes him sick, fills him with rage. As they are given a “tour” of the asylum, Zuko sees some of the patients screaming in horror, shouting at things that aren't there, being restrained and held down by doctors and being injected with something, before being strapped down to a bed. What he sees makes him feel nothing but rage. Was this what Azula had been subjected to day in and day out? Being injected with spirits knows what and strapped down, being treated as if she were an animal? He notices one of the doctors wheeling something that appears to be a large lump on a table. He asks what it is. 

“Oh, that? One of the patients must have died again. It happens sometimes, particularly if we give them more than one injection to try and calm them down.” is the response he gets. 

One of the patients must have died again

Azula could have been that patient getting wheeled out on that table. 

The thought makes Zuko feel sick to his stomach. He feels as if he is about to throw up. 

By the end of their visit, that is exactly what he does the moment he and Iroh are outside. He looks at the old man, white as a ghost. 

“Azula, she - she could have died in that place and it would have been all my fault!”

“Zuko, that's not true-”

“Yes it is! This is, I -” Zuko doesn't finish. He releases a breath of fire from his mouth. He then sets his sight on his uncle. 

“I should have never let you convince me to send Azula here! This place was supposed to help her?! What a joke that is! NOBODY can get better here, it's a place where people are sent to die by the people who are supposed to care for them!”

Zuko breathes heavily, before what he just said hits him like a punch in the face. 

This place is somewhere that people are sent to rot away until they eventually die. It doesn't help people get better. It's essentially the same thing as a prison. His own father was currently living in semi better conditions than Azula was living in until recently. The man who burned and banished him was given more decency than Azula, someone who didn't do nearly half of the things that their father did. 

“What do you want to do, nephew?” Iroh asks. 

Zuko calms himself down enough to give his uncle an answer. 

“Isn't it obvious? I'm going to shut this place down, for good. I can't usher in a new era of peace and kindness in the Fire Nation if I don't extend any of that to my little sister. Doing this is the start of that.”

This is only a small step to repairing his relationship with Azula, but he knows that he can get there eventually. That the both of them can get there eventually.

Chapter Text

Three days have passed since they've left the capital. Currently, they are in a small town, stocking up on supplies for the journey ahead. Azula’s so focused on her surroundings that she doesn't notice Sokka walking up to her. The boy grabs her hand, catching her attention. She turns to look at him. He's smiling at her.

“There's a herbalist at a stall further down. I was thinking that we could take a look and see if she has anything that can help you with your hallucinations. Just in case Katara's healing doesn't work." 

While the idea of purchasing medicinal herbs to help her get better sounds wonderful, she can't help but worry that it'll be like the shots those doctors gave her. The shots that did more harm than good, the shots that made her so tired to the point where she was incapable of moving, the shots that made her see more than just her mother. Besides, she hasn't had any hallucinations in a few days. Surely that means that they are finally over with. The herbs would be meaningless if that's the case. She says as much to Sokka.

“True, but there's always a possibility that they may come back. Those herbs should be able to help you.”

"I don't care if they come back. If it happens, I'll deal with it, which is what I've been doing for the past year.”

Sokka frowns. Why is she so adamant about not getting those herbs? Does she not want to get better? He opens his mouth to ask her just that, when a thought occurs to him. Azula mentioned once before that she was given shots at the asylum whenever she would have an outburst due to an hallucination, and how they did nothing for her. Rather, they only made things worse. Could that be why she's so against taking medicine now? It's certainly possible. He squeezes her hand in reassurance, “Don't worry, this won't be like those shots that those doctors gave you. This will actually help you. And if they don't, then we'll just find something else for you to take. How does that sound?”

Azula doesn't say anything, but she does nod her head. Sokka smiles at her again and begins to walk towards the stall, hand still holding hers.

How did he know that her apprehension towards the herbs had been because of the shots that she was forced to take at that horrible place? Has she become that easy to read? The thought terrifies her. If Sokka can read her thoughts so easily, then it means that the two of them are forming some sort of bond. She's not sure how to feel about that. Her previous bond with Mai and Ty Lee have all but shattered (even though the two girls visited her almost every day and have said that they'll talk about everything that happened between them once she gets back, it doesn't mean that their relationship isn't damaged) so who's to say that the same thing won't happen between her and Sokka? With his other friends as well, should they try to befriend her? The thought is terrifying. She doesn't want to get hurt again.

Azula is broken out of her thoughts when the two of them stop walking. It seems that they've arrived at the stall.

“Hello. Would you happen to have any herbs that help with hallucinations? It's for my friend.” He says, pointing at Azula.

My friend 

He already sees her as a friend? Or is he just saying that? 

A part of her hopes that he's just saying that because it is the easiest way to describe the relationship between them to the herbalist. And yet, there's another part of her that feels hurt over the idea that Sokka might not mean what he says.

Spirits, I'm a mess , she thinks to herself. She's starting to become a walking contradiction.

“Herbs for hallucinations? Yes, I have that.” The young woman turns around and rummages through the different herbs, before making a sound and muttering “here it is!" before turning back around and handing it to Sokka. 

“You're only supposed to take this two times a day. And only use a small portion of it. Using too much all at one time isn't good and will have the opposite effect of the one that you want." She says, staring at Azula.

Sokka nods, “Thank you, we'll keep that in mind. How much is it?" 

“Three gold pieces." 

He hands her the required amount and thanks the woman once again. Sokka gives her the bag and grabs her hand again, leading her away from the stall. 

“.... Thank you.” she mumbles. He gives her a smile and squeezes her hand. 

“You're welcome. So, how are you feeling? Is it getting easier for you to walk?”

She supposes that it is, although the process has been slow. Walking around whenever they land has been helpful in that regard. Her body is still stiff but not as much as it used to be. The avatar and the waterbender suggested that they should land at least twice a day to let her get some exercise. And if they need to, they can stock up on supplies if there's any towns or markets nearby. 

Some part of Azula is grateful for the opportunity to walk around whenever she can, but she also can't help but feel annoyed by it. Won't stopping constantly like this make their journey to Kyoshi Island that much longer? She doesn't want to be an inconvenience for them. 

Sokka senses that something is on the princesses mind and decides to ask her about it. He doesn't want her getting lost in her thoughts. He's come to realize that that's not a good thing when it comes to Azula. 

“Is something wrong? What are you thinking about?”

It really shouldn't be a surprise to her that he was able to tell that there's something on her mind, and yet it does. 

“Are you sure that stopping to land so often is a good idea? At this rate we'll never reach Kyoshi Island.”

Ah, so that's what's bothering her. He remembers Zuko saying that Azula is someone who plans things to the most minute detail and doesn't like wasting time when she doesn't have to. In other words, she's just like him. That's something he can appreciate. 

“Don't worry about that. We're doing all of this because we want to help you. If landing every day to let you walk around and get your strength back helps you, then I don't see any problem with it. Aang, Katara, and Suki feel the same way.”

Azula wonders if she'll ever get used to these people who were her former enemies caring for her. It's a strange thing to experience.

Katara isn't really sure how to feel about traveling with Azula. On the one hand, she wants to help the girl get better (she doesn't think that she'll ever get the image of Azula screaming and crying out of her head if she tries, much like she'll never get the image of Aang being shot by Azula's lightning and nearly dying out of her head.) and on the other hand, this is the same girl who nearly killed Aang, her boyfriend. The same girl who nearly killed her, had Zuko not gotten in the way at the last minute. All things that are not so easily forgotten, let alone forgiven. 

And yet. 

And yet, in spite of all of this, she finds herself wanting to help Azula anyway. Aang wants to help her (she will never be able to get over how selfless and forgiving Aang is.) Sokka is very adamant on helping Azula, which surprised Katara, until she began to understand why: Sokka is an older brother. Katara is certain that no matter how bad their relationship could potentially get, Sokka will always be there for her, helping her in any way that he can should she need it. So perhaps those older brother instincts awakened in him when he saw what happened with Zuko and Azula. Suki wants to help Azula, going so far as to advocate for the girl once they reach Kyoshi Island. Katara has no doubt that the people there will not want Azula living among them, and she certainly can't and won't fault them for feeling that way. It's the same feeling that she had back when Zuko first joined them. It took her time to forgive him and trust him. She suspects that it'll be the same thing with Azula. 

“Katara? Are you ok?”

She looks up to see Aang staring at her, a concerned look on his face. Suki is also looking at her. 

“I'm ok, Aang. I was just thinking about something.”

“About what?” Suki asks

“How do you two feel about all of this? About helping Azula?”

Aang and Suki stare at each other. They know why Katara's asking them this. 

Aang responded first, “I know that she was our enemy during the war and that she nearly killed me, but I want to help her. I am the avatar, after all. It's my job to help people.”

Katara accepts his response, not even the least bit surprised. She then turns her attention to Suki. 

“Well, I figured that if I could forgive Zuko for burning down my village, then I can forgive Azula for defeating me, which led to my imprisonment. Especially since I've already forgiven Mai and Ty Lee for it. Also….you and Aang didn't see what I saw at that asylum. I don't know if Azula told you guys about what she went through while she was there, but it's horrible. I went along with Zuko to take Azula out of the asylum out of curiosity from things that Ty Lee told me about it. The one that stuck with me the most was Azula constantly being in a straight jacket. When I went there with Zuko, I had a chance to talk to Azula. Like Ty Lee said, she was in a straight jacket, and she was also in a wheelchair. I asked her if she could tell me about what happened to her from the moment she was put in there, and that I could possibly help her if she did. Her response was the last thing that I was expecting: that nobody could help her, and that she wasn't there to get help. That none of the patients were there to receive help. That's what they were being told by the doctors. Hearing that made me want to do some investigating of my own, which is what Ty Lee and I did after you guys left. We were shown around by the man who is in charge, and he told us that he strives to help people like Azula get better so that they can go back home to their families. Which is fine, of course, except there was one problem: nothing that we saw could be qualified as helping anyone. The patients were kept in straight jackets at all times, sedated if they had an outburst, strapped down to their beds, and some of them even died from the shots that they were given. And for all I know, they could be using other methods that result in a person's death. Seeing all of that made me want to help Azula. It's why I told Zuko about what Ty Lee and I saw there, hoping that would convince him to go and see it for himself and realize that staying there only made Azula's condition worse, not better. I have no regrets about helping her get better. She didn't deserve to be in that horrible place, no matter the things she's done. Nobody does.”

Katara and Aang stare at Suki, too shocked to say anything. Azula told them bits and pieces of what she went through at the asylum (albeit unintentionally) but they've never heard all of this. What Azula told them was horrible enough. Hearing Suki's account makes it even worse, if that's possible. Katara has the sudden urge to go to that asylum and do a prison break. It certainly wouldn't be the first time for her. Maybe she could even destroy the asylum in the process, as a treat. 

“I'm glad that we managed to convince Zuko to not send Azula back there. Hopefully he'll shut that place down.” Aang says. 

Katara certainly hopes that he does, because if not…. 

Well, it's been a while since the last time she's kicked Zuko's ass.

Kiyi chuckles quietly to herself, making sure that nobody can hear her, especially Ty Lee. She's found the perfect hiding spot, after all. She doesn't want to give up her location. 

The older girl had suggested that the two of them play hide and seek, which Kiyi immediately agreed to. She was bored and didn't know what to do with herself. And she still doesn't want to be around mother or Zuko. Mother still scares her, and she's still angry at Zuko. 

Kiyi had been looking for a room to hide in when she came across the room that she's currently in. The room is dusty, almost as if its occupant hasn't been living in it in a long time. The bed is made, but it doesn't look as if it's been slept in recently. In short, it's the perfect room for her to hide in. She laughs to herself some more as the image of Ty Lee trying and failing to find her pops into her mind. 

The sound of someone coming into the room causes Kiyi’s laughter to cease. Who is it? A servant coming to clean the room? 

Her question is answered when Ty Lee's smiling face appears in front of her, “I found you!”

Kiyi pouts, crawling out from underneath the bed, “How did you find me?”

“I noticed that the door to this room was open, so I figured that this is where you were, since I didn't find you anywhere else. Of all of the rooms in the palace, I'm shocked that you chose this one.”

Kiyi looks at her, confused. Why is it so shocking that she chose this room to hide in? Is it because nobody has been in it for a long time? 

“What's wrong with me being in this room?”

“Nothing! It's just….this is Azula's room.”

Ah. Now Kiyi understands why Ty Lee is shocked. She's shocked, too. She had no clue that she had been hiding in her big sister's room. Speaking of Azula, Kiyi wonders if Ty Lee knows her. She recalls how the older girl spoke to her sister before she left with the others. It seemed like the two of them were close. 

“Are you friends with my sister?” the little girl asks. 

Ty Lee nods, “Yep! We've been friends since we were little kids.”

“Can you tell me about her?”

The question comes as no surprise to Ty Lee. After all, the little girl clearly is already attached to Azula, going by how she reacted when Azula and the others were about to leave. Ty Lee isn't sure what to tell Kiyi. There's plenty of pleasant stories about Azula, while at the same time there's plenty of unpleasant stories about her as well. She doesn't want to tell the girl unpleasant stories about her sister. Stories that a little girl won't be able to handle. Ty Lee shuffles different memories of Azula in her head, before she finally settles on one. 

“On my first day at the Royal Academy For Girls, I met a little girl who was practicing her firebending….”

Chapter Text

Ty Lee spots the princess of the Fire Nation practicing her firebending in the school yard. Her movements are graceful. Every step is perfect. Not a hair out of place. As Ty Lee watches the girl, she notices that Azula is in sync with her firebending. Almost as if she isn't even here. As if she's in another world, and the only thing that exists is the princess and her firebending. Ty Lee finds the sight to be mesmerizing. 

Should she talk to the princess? Ty Lee wants to, but she doesn't want to interrupt her. What if the girl gets angry with her? That's the last thing she wants. Being friends with Azula is what Ty Lee wants. She seems cool to be around. Perhaps she should wait until the girl is finished. 

If Ty Lee knew that waiting for Azula to finish meant sitting around for nearly an hour, she would have left sooner.

“She took that long to finish?” Kiyi asks. 

“Mhmm! Even back then, Azula was a perfectionist. She wouldn't stop until she got every move down perfectly. She also enjoyed it. She was always so in sync with her firebending.”

A part of Ty Lee wonders if that is still the case for Azula. She was stuck in the asylum for a year, after all. Ty Lee has no doubts that whatever was used to sedate Azula had affected the girl's firebending. She wonders if her fire is still its signature blue color. She wonders if Azula can still generate lightning. Ty Lee certainly hopes so. If not, it would break Azula. Her friend doesn't need to be broken down even more. She needs to heal. 

“What happened next?" 

Ty Lee nearly jumps at the sound of the little girl's voice. She had forgotten that she wasn't alone.

She clears her throat, “Well, I decided to walk over to Azula and talk to her. Introduce myself to her and see if she wanted to be friends. I had a little trouble with that, though.” Ty Lee chuckles, remembering how the princess was initially cold towards her at first.

“What do you want?" Princess Azula asks her. The girl looks at her, sizing her up. It almost feels like an interrogation.

Ty Lee takes a deep breath. She can do this! 

“Hi! My name is Ty Lee! What's your name?" 

The girl stares at her as if she's said something stupid. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why that is.

“Do you really not know who I am? I'm a big deal around here, you know. Everybody knows the members of the royal family.” 

Ty Lee has felt embarrassed before, but never like this. How could she make a fool of herself in front of the princess?!

The other girl sighs, "If you really don't know, my name is Azula. Princess Azula. Don't you forget it.” Azula says proudly, smirking.

Introductions were now out of the way. Time to ask the big question.

"Um…do you want to be friends?" 

Azula stares at her, not saying anything. Ty Lee stares back. A couple of seconds later, Azula speaks up.

“No." Is all the girl says before walking away, back inside of the academy.

Ty Lee pouts. How come the girl doesn't want to be friends? Was it something that she said? Is it because she asked the princess for her name?

A bunch of questions run through Ty Lee's head about why Azula doesn't want to be friends, before she comes to a conclusion. She'll just keep asking Azula until she agrees. Ty Lee is many things, but she isn't a quitter.

Ty Lee's lost count as to how many times she's tried to befriend Azula. Nothing seems to work. Ty Lee doesn't understand this. Does the girl not want any friends? She's starting to consider trying something else when she spots something, or rather someone, out of the corner of her eye. She looks to see a girl walking towards Azula. The princess immediately perks up and smiles at the other girl, and the two start talking to each other. Almost as if they have been friends for a while now. So then the princess does have a friend. Which means she wants them. Just not Ty Lee, apparently.

A little while later, Ty Lee approaches the girl that she saw talking to Azula earlier. Hopefully the girl can give her some advice on how to be friends with Azula. The girl looks up when she sees Ty Lee.

“Hi." The girl says.

“Hi! My name is Ty Lee. What's your name?" 

“Mai." 

“Nice to meet you, Mai!" 

It's silent for a few seconds, Mai looking at her and Ty Lee trying to come up with something else to say to the girl. Finally, Mai speaks again, “Is there something that you wanted?" 

“Oh, well um….I noticed that you seem to be friends with Princess Azula." 

“I am, yes." 

“How? How did you do it?" 

Mai stares at her, confused, “How did I do what?" She asks.

“How did you become friends with the princess? I've been trying to become friends with her for a while now but nothing works!" 

“Oh. So you're the girl she's been telling me about." 

Well this is news to Ty Lee. Azula actually talks about her?

“She….talks about me?”

Mai nods, “She does. Something about how she can't understand why you want to be friends with her." 

Ty Lee doesn't understand. Do you need a reason to be friends with someone?

“I don't really have a reason for wanting to be friends with Azula. I just do. I like her." 

"That's it?”

"Yup!” 

"You do realize that counts as having a reason, right?”

Ty Lee sticks her tongue out at the other girl, " No it doesn't!”

Mai chuckles, "Whatever you say. Follow me.” Mai says, gesturing for Ty Lee to follow her as she begins to walk. Ty Lee complies.

"Where are we going?”

"To see Azula. You want to be friends with her, right?”

"Yes! And you never answered my question.”

"Question? What question?”

"How did you and Azula become friends? It didn't seem like she wanted friends.”

Oh.That.

Mai turned around and looked at her, “My father wanted me to be friends with her. He thought that it would be a good idea for us to be friends, so he introduced me to her on the first day of school. At first I really didn't care, but she's grown on me. She's fun to be around. And she definitely makes my life less boring.”

They don't say anything else. Ty Lee thinks over Mai’s words. Azula makes her life less boring? What was that about?

They eventually come across Azula, who is once again training. Azula stops when she sees them. She stares questioningly at Ty Lee, but smiles when she sees Mai. She runs over to the two girls.

“Mai! What are you doing with her?” Azula asks, looking at Ty Lee.

"Well, we were talking about how she wants to be friends with you.” Mai says, looking at Ty Lee, a silent look of encouragement on her face. 

"Oh really?" Azula says, turning towards Ty Lee, “Well? Why do you want to be friends with me?" Azula asks. Deep down she hopes that the girl has no ulterior motive for wanting to be friends. She knows why Mai’s father was adamant about the two of them being friends. Azula may be a kid but she's not stupid (unlike Zuzu). She understands the perks that come with being friends with the princess of the Fire Nation. Or anyone from the royal family, really. And while she likes being friends with Mai, she doesn't want another relationship that starts solely because she's the princess. 

Which is why Azula is pleasantly surprised with Ty Lee's answer.

Ty Lee hesitates for a moment. Has the princess always been intimidating? She didn't notice that before. Or maybe it's her nerves. Perhaps she's nervous. 

Whatever. She won't let that stop her from making a new friend!

“I just do. I like you.”

"Why?”

Ty Lee shrugs, "I watched you firebending on my first day here. You looked really cool!”

…..

This girl liked her because of her firebending skills? Now that was something that Azula could appreciate. This girl has good taste, if nothing else. She knows a prodigy when she sees one.

“Alright, we can be friends." 

Ty Lee cheers, “Yes! The three of us are going to be best friends forever!" She says, grabbing the two girls and pulling them in for a hug. They both groan.

Ty Lee finds herself laughing at the memory. Kiyi looks at her, expecting to hear more.

 “That was how I met your big sister. And Mai.”

"Who’s Mai?”

"Zuko's ex-girlfriend.”

Kiyi curls up in disgust, “Ewww. Who would want to date Zuko?”

Ty Lee laughs again. Going by that statement, Azula and Kiyi will get along just fine. She's sure of it.

Azula wakes up to find herself restrained to her bed. Above her are two doctors. What do they want?

“She was thrashing around in her sleep again. Should we sedate her?" 

“Probably for the best. If she gets too violent she may just firebend in her sleep. That would be horrible.”

The other doctor nods and begins to rummage for something. Azula tries to break free, but to no avail. She knows exactly what they mean by that. Another one of those damn shots. Can't they see that it doesn't do anything for her? For any of the people here? All it does is make her hallucinations worse, and make her feel weak. She's not sure what's in those shots, but it's affecting her firebending. Not being able to train doesn't help either. As the doctor brings the shot closer to her, she begins to move even more. The other doctor holds her down. She wants to laugh at this. Why bother holding her down when she was already strapped to the bed? Although…..

This gave her the perfect opportunity to firebend at the doctor. Not her fault the fool decided to get close to her face.

Azula breathes in, and exhales a somewhat powerful blast of fire from her mouth. It's less stronger than she would have liked it to be, but it does the job regardless. The doctor is screaming, rolling around on the ground. The scent of burning flesh fills the room. The other doctor looks horrified, not sure what to do, before he looks back at Azula, glaring at her. The last thing she feels is a needle being jabbed into her arm, making her lose consciousness.

Azula gasps, holding back a scream as she rises from her sleeping roll. She puts a hand to her chest, trying to calm herself down. Azula tries to breathe in and out, hoping that will work, but it doesn't. She isn't sure what to do when she feels a hand grab hers, squeezing softly.

“Azula?" 

She turns to her left. Sokka is staring at her, a concerned look on his face.

"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?” He asks quietly so as not to wake the others up. He then notices her quick breathing and the terrified look in her eyes and sits up at once. He places her hand on his chest, right where his heart is.

“Azula, I need you to breathe with me, alright? In and out." Sokka says, beginning to do exactly what he's just said. Azula tries to say something, but no words come out. Eventually, she does what Sokka says and begins to slowly breathe in and out. Feeling his heartbeat helps her to slowly calm down. A few minutes later, her breathing is back to normal. She looks at Sokka, hoping to convey her thanks to him through looks alone. She doesn't think she can talk just yet. Going by his smile, her gratitude got through loud and clear.

“Are you feeling better?" 

She nods.

Sokka breathes a sigh of relief, “Good, I'm glad. Do you want to talk about it?”

Azula shakes her head. She'd rather forget about her dream for now.

"Ok. How about a little walk? Momo can come with us if you want.” 

Azula glares at him, not liking the fact that he's called her out for having a soft spot for the damn lemur. Nevertheless, she glances at Momo, who is wide awake. He must have heard Sokka say his name. Momo looks at her and tilts his head, almost as if he's asking her what's wrong. The lemur climbs onto her shoulder, and she gives him a small, tired smile. Sokka gets up and extends his hand out to her. Azula grabs it and slowly gets up, and the two start walking away from the campsite. Sokka walks at a slow pace, just in case Azula gets tired and needs to rest. He occasionally glances at her, making sure that she's ok. A part of him wants to ask her what the nightmare was about, but Sokka doesn't want to push her into talking about something that she isn't ready to discuss. Besides, he doesn't even think that she can even talk just yet. He's not sure if what she experienced was a panic attack, but he makes a mental note to ask Suki if there's anybody in Kyoshi Island that Azula can talk to about her time in the asylum, and whatever else she needs to get off of her chest. That will certainly do her some good.

“....They were trying to sedate me.”

Sokka nearly jumps at the sound of Azula's voice. He turns to look at her.

“Azula, you don't have to talk about this if you don't want-”

“I want to. I think…talking about it will help me.” 

Sokka nods, and gives her hand a light squeeze, encouraging her to continue.

“I wake up and I'm not able to move. I'm strapped down to my bed. There's two doctors in the room, talking about sedating me because I was thrashing around in my sleep. I begin to struggle, trying to free myself from my restraints. It doesn't work. One of the doctors holds me down, making sure that I don't move. He's close to my face, and I use that as an opportunity to breathe fire at him. He screams and falls to the ground. The smell of burning flesh fills the room. The other doctor looks horrified at first, before he turns his attention back to me. He's glaring at me as he jabs a shot into my arm, and then everything goes dark. That's when the dream ended. That happened not too long after I was sent there.”

Sokka doesn't know what to say. He feels horrified and angry all at once. He's sure that this is just one of many stories that Azula has yet to share about what she had to go through during her year at the asylum. He's never had the urge to burn a building to the ground this much in his life. Well, at least she's out of there now. And she's never going back. Or to any other place like that ever again. Not if he has anything to say about it. 

“Do you dream about this often?”

“No, this is the first time. I don't even know why I dreamt about it.”

“It's probably a trauma response. Your mind is starting to process what happened to you. At least, that's what I think.”

Azula hums and says nothing else. Sokka takes this as a sign that she's done talking for now. He wonders how Azula will respond to him suggesting that she should talk about all of this to a therapist. She isn't exactly the type to talk about her problems. Although she seems comfortable talking to him about it. So perhaps that means that she may be open to his suggestion. Hopefully. 

Eventually, they head back to where the others are. Both of them slip back into their sleeping rolls, this time with Momo sleeping inside Azula's. Sokka moves his sleeping roll a little bit closer to Azula's, in case the girl has another nightmare. Azula notices this but doesn't say anything. Sleep claims her once more, and this time there are no nightmares waiting for her. Instead, she dreams of pleasant things. Of the good times with Mai and Ty Lee, with Zuzu, playing together as children.

The next morning, everyone is awake and moving about except for Azula. When Katara moves to wake the girl up, Sokka stops her. She gives him a questioning look.

“Let her sleep for a little while longer. She had a rough night." 

“What happened?" She asks

“A nightmare about the asylum. I managed to calm her down and then we both went for a walk.”

"Did she have any hallucinations?" Katara asks, grabbing her water skin.

“No, she didn't. By the way, Suki" he turns to the other girl, “Is there anyone on Kyoshi Island who Azula can talk to if she wants? Like a therapist? About her time in the asylum, as well as her life in general. I think that will help her get better." 

Suki ponders the question. Do they have someone like that in her village? She can't remember. It's been a while since she's been home, after all. They do, however, have a doctor. A doctor that Suki had been planning on introducing Azula to.

“I don't know about a therapist, but we do have a doctor. I was planning on introducing Azula to her, to see if she can help with her condition. You know, actual healing methods, not whatever they did at the asylum. Maybe she'll be willing to talk to Azula as well. If Azula wants to, of course. Pushing her into it isn't a good idea.”

Sokka nods, agreeing with what she's just said, "I know. It's why I didn't say anything to her about it when we went for a walk. The idea came to me after she told me what the nightmare had been about. Talking with a therapist about this will hopefully help with her nightmares, among other things.”

"Sounds like Azula should meet Wang Fire.” Aang says, jokingly.

Sokka looks at the boy and smirks, "He really did give the best therapy sessions, didn't he?” He says, stroking his chin where his fake beard would be.

Katara rolls her eyes, "Well if she does meet Wang Fire, I hope she burns that stupid beard off of his face.”

Sokka yelps.

Chapter Text

Katara finds herself watching Azula closely over the next few days. She may still have her hang ups with the other girl, but she doesn't want to ignore what Sokka told them: that Azula had a nightmare about the asylum, and had a panic attack as a result. She has the most knowledge in healing out of all of them, therefore Katara figures that she would be the best person to take note of Azula's condition. The other girl hasn't had any more nightmares since that night, which makes Katara think that the herbs are working (it could also be because ever since her nightmare, Sokka has decided to sleep next to Azula every night since. Her brother's presence makes Azula feel calm. She isn't sure how to feel about that). She seems to be having less difficulty when it comes to walking around and the dead look in her eyes is nearly gone. Aang recently suggested meditation to Azula, saying that it could help her be more at ease and relaxed. The princess agreed, which is what the two of them are currently doing. Never in a million years did Katara ever expect to see Aang meditating with Azula of all people, the girl who nearly killed him. Katara still feels somewhat uncomfortable with leaving Aang alone with Azula, which is why she finds herself watching the two of them. It's incredibly boring. She takes a look at Azula, who looks calm and relaxed. No tension in her posture. Katara hasn't seen her like this at all since the start of their journey. It's a welcomed sight. 

Eventually, Aang and Azula open their eyes and get up from their positions. Neither of them have noticed that they have company. 

“How do you feel, Azula? Did meditating help?”

Azula nods, “I feel calmer now. I can't remember when was the last time I've felt like this.”

Aang smiles, “I'm glad that I could help. Let's get back to the others.”

The two of them turn around, surprised to see Katara. Aang gives her a smile and she smiles right back at him. She looks at Azula, who is looking at them with mild disgust. 

“I just came to check on you two. See how you were doing. Did meditating go well?”

“Yeah! We both feel refreshed. Right, Azula?”

Azula nods, looking at Katara. It makes Katara feel uneasy, like she's being studied. Why is she staring at her like that? 

“Aang, do you mind heading back to camp by yourself? I want to talk to Katara about something.”

“Um…ok. I'll see you guys later then.” he says, walking up to Katara and giving her a peck on the cheek before leaving the two girls alone. Katara smiles at his retreating back, blushing, before she turns her attention towards Azula, who is still staring at her. Before Katara can ask what's wrong, however, Azula speaks. 

“Why have you been watching me lately?”

Katara doesn't know why she's surprised that Azula noticed this. The girl is highly observant, after all. 

“I should have known that you would notice.”

“Yes, you should have. So? Is it because you don't trust me? I certainly don't blame you if that's the case.”

“It's not - ok fine, I don't trust you just yet but I'm trying to. But that's not the reason why I've been watching you for the last few days. I just want to make sure that you're doing well, and to take notes of when you have bad days.”

Azula scoffs, “Take notes? What am I, an experiment for you to observe?”

“What? No! I just figured that since I'm the only one in the group that has any knowledge of healing, and since we're taking you to see an actual doctor, that I should make note of how you're doing, this way we can tell the doctor everything that they need to know once we reach Kyoshi Island.”

Azula doesn't say anything, and for a moment Katara wonders if she's upset the other girl, but she eventually nods. 

“I suppose that makes sense. In that case, I'm expecting a perfect report of my condition when we get there.” she says, beginning to make her way back to the camp. Katara stares at her as she leaves. 

“What do you mean that you're expecting a perfect report? You aren't the doctor!”

Azula finds that she quite likes meditating with the avatar. They do it for an hour everyday. It's calming and relaxing. For a while, she can forget about her troubles. She likes not having to think about anything. 

Another thing that she likes is having workout sessions with Suki. They go at a slow pace, Suki not wanting to tire her out or work her too hard since she's still not back into fighting shape just yet. They do some stretches and Suki teaches her some moves that the Kyoshi warriors use. Sometimes they spar against each other. During one of these fights, Azula took the chance to test her firebending. She had felt immense relief upon seeing that the color of her fire was still its signature blue. Unfortunately it's not as strong as it used to be. 

Azula narrowly dodges a punch from Suki, losing her balance and falling in the process. Suki immediately stops and lowers her hand to Azula, offering to help the girl up. 

“I'm sorry! Are you okay?”

Azula slaps her hand and gets up on her own. She doesn't need or want her pity. She's perfectly capable of getting up on her own. 

“I'm fine. And can you stop apologizing every time this happens? It's getting annoying.”

“Well, what do you expect me to say? You're still recovering and I don't want to make it worse for you. Not to mention Sokka. I don't want him getting mad at me.”

Azula blinks. Sokka? What did he have to do with anything? 

“What does Sokka have to do with anything?”

Suki looks at her as if she has three heads. Did she say something wrong? She can't imagine what that might be. 

 “Azula, you'd either have to be blind or an idiot, or a combination of both, which I know you aren't, if you haven't realized how protective Sokka is when it comes to you. He very rarely lets you out of his sight unless you're with one of us, he makes sure that you're comfortable, if you're feeling okay, or if you need anything. The list goes on and on.”

Oh. That. Well of course she's noticed it, how could she not? The boy barely lets her out of his sight, no doubt because of what he witnessed Zuko doing to her and what she told them about her time in the institution. The nightmare and panic attack that she had as a result of the nightmare a few nights ago has only increased his protective instincts. He actually sleeps next to her every night, sometimes holding her hand in his sleep, almost as if he's trying to comfort her. It's strange. She can't remember when was the last time someone's done that for her. Or if they ever did. 

Azula huffs, “I highly doubt that he would get mad at you just because I lost my footing. It's not like I'm hurt or anything like that.”

“Still-”

“I'm fine. ”

Noticing the edge in Azula's tone, Suki backs off. She doesn't want to start a fight with the other girl. An uncomfortable silence forms between the two of them and Suki is desperate to break it. But what to talk about? Perhaps the suggestion of talking to the doctor on Kyoshi Island? The topic needs to be discussed eventually, after all. 

Suki clears her throat, “Azula, you know how you've been having nightmares lately, right?”

Azula says nothing and just stares at her. She supposes that it was a dumb question, because of course the girl knows that she's been having nightmares, but Suki needed something to get the conversation going. 

“I was thinking that maybe once we get to Kyoshi Island, you can talk to the doctor we have there. Talk to them about what's bothering you, everything that you had to deal with at the institution. Anything you want. I really think that talking about all of this can help you. You can't rely on those herbs all the time. I mean, it's not like you can talk to them or anything.” Suki says, chuckling. 

If the look that Azula gives her is anything to go by, she didn't find her joke to be funny. Oh well. 

“I'll…think about it. I'm not sure how I feel about talking about my feelings to a stranger, though.”

Suki nods. She can understand that. “Well, you've been opening up to Sokka a lot lately, haven't you? And he's technically a stranger to you, even though you both know each other thanks to the war.”

“Sokka's different. He saved me. I have him to thank for no longer being in that place, along with the avatar and his sister. He calmed me down when I had that panic attack a few nights ago. He's not a stranger to me.” Azula says, surprised at how easily that came out of her. 

Suki stares at her, surprised at Azula's confession. That was the last thing that she had been expecting to hear from the princess. 

“There you guys are! I've been looking everywhere for you two!”

The two girls look up at the sound of Sokka's voice. The boy is running towards them, smiling. 

“Are you guys hungry? Katara made lunch.”

Suki and Azula stare at each other. Lunch sounds good right about now. They've certainly worked up an appetite. Sokka turns his attention to Azula. 

“How did the exercise go? You didn't overdo it or anything, did you?” he asks, glancing at Suki. He knows that the girl wouldn't push Azula too hard, given her current condition, but he feels the need to ask regardless. 

“I'm fine. She wasn't trying to kill me, if that's what you're worried about. Right?” Azula says, glancing at Suki. 

“Of course I'm not trying to kill you!”

“Of course I'm not worried about that! I know that Suki wouldn't do that to you.” they both say at the same time. 

“Well good, I'm glad that you aren't worried. It's not like I can't handle myself in a fight against her, should it come down to it. I defeated her once before.”

Sokka grimaces and Suki takes a deep breath, not wanting to start a fight with Azula. Besides, if she can make cheap shots like that then it means that she's starting to be like her old self again.

“Let's head back to camp before this escalates. I really don't feel like breaking up a fight between the two of you.” Sokka says, grabbing Azula's hand and leading them back to the campsite. Suki snorts. 

“I want a rematch against her, sure, but not while she's in this condition. I'd prefer to fight her when she's at her best.”

“Bold of you to assume that you can handle me at my best.”

Nope, can't kill Azula. That would make this entire journey meaningless.

Whenever Ursa looks at Zuko, she feels both rage and sadness. Not directed at the boy himself, of course, but rather because of his scar. Rage at Ozai for burning his own son. Sadness that she wasn't here to stop it from happening. Rage at Iroh for even allowing Zuko to enter the war meeting in the first place. The boy had been much too young for it at the time. Ursa found herself wanting to punch Iroh when Zuko told her how he had gotten his scar. Unlike his sister, Zuko didn't know how to play the game. Didn't know how to survive in the courts. So of course he would speak out in defense of the soldiers who were to be used as bait. An action that would be frowned upon by the generals in the meeting, including his own father, the Fire Lord. Zuko suffered the consequences just because he has a good heart and because his uncle is a fool. It infuriates her to no end. Zuko's suffered from the choices that were made for him. Both of her children have suffered from the choices that were made for them. She sometimes wonders how different things would have been had that night never happened. Kiyi would have never been born. The very thought of it fills Ursa with dread. She loves her daughter and cannot imagine a world without her in it. Even if she currently can't bring herself to look at her mother or be in the same room as her for very long because she has a different face. Zuko may have escaped being burned by Ozai. She could have made things right with Azula, avoiding her eventual breakdown. So many things could have been different, but Ursa knows that it's foolish to think about. What's done is done. She's here now and she will do what she can to make up for her mistakes. Ideally, Ursa would go to Azula and attempt to mend their relationship, but her eldest daughter isn't here right now. Not to mention that there's no telling how Azula would respond to her attempts at doing so, if what Sokka told her is anything to go by. So, Ursa will start with Kiyi. She walks around the palace, looking for her youngest daughter, eventually finding her at the pond, feeding the turtle ducks. Ursa chuckles. It seems that feeding the turtle ducks has become something of a tradition in their family. Ursa makes her way towards Kiyi and sits down next to the child. 

“Hi, dear. Enjoying feeding the turtle ducks?”

At the sound of her voice, Kiyi drops the loaf of bread, which falls into the water. She slowly turns her head towards her. Ursa doesn't know what she's expecting her daughter to do, but getting up and ready to make a run for it is not one of them. Ursa quickly moves to grab her daughter's wrist. 

“Kiyi, wait! Can we please talk?”

Kiyi tries to pull her wrist out of Ursa's grip, but eventually gives up. Ursa desperately hopes that means her daughter is willing to listen to her. 

“.... Why did you change your face?” the girl mumbles. It's so quiet that Ursa almost didn't hear her. 

“I….” Ursa stops, not knowing what to say. How was she going to explain this to a five year old? It's a long and complicated story to be discussing with her youngest child. 

That last line of thought gives Ursa an idea. A long story. Kiyi loves stories, particularly the ones at bedtime. Perhaps she can explain it to her that way. 

Ursa brings Kiyi into her arms and sits her down on her lap. The little girl looks at her with a sad and scared look on her face. It's enough to make Ursa's heart break. She bends down to kiss the top of Kiyi’s head. 

“I'll try and explain it to you in a way that you can understand it. I have to warn you though, it's a long story.”

Kiyi shrugs, “I don't mind. Tell me!” she demands. 

Holding her daughter close to her, Ursa begins to tell her tale.

Chapter Text

“Watch Tom-Tom for me." 

That's all Mai says to him before putting her baby brother in Zuko's arms and taking off. He has no clue where she's gone, nor how long she will be gone for. Zuko does know one thing, however.

The very least Mai could have done was warn him about her brother's tendency to chew on people's clothes.

It's making it hard for Zuko to do anything. He had a meeting scheduled for today that he had to cancel last minute thanks to Mai dumping Tom-Tom on him (seriously, where did she go?) something that he's actually mad about because of what the meeting was going to be about: what to do about the asylum, and every other place in the Fire Nation just like it. He can't imagine that the one not too far from the capital is the only asylum in the entire country. Writing is also currently off the table since Tom-Tom apparently doesn't want Zuko to move his arm at all. So, he's resigned himself to sitting in his room, hoping that the boy will eventually get tired and fall asleep. Briefly, his mind wanders to Azula and the others, wondering if they've made it to Kyoshi Island. It's been a few weeks since they left, so surely they would have made it there by now. Or at least, they should be almost there. Hopefully Azula won't be too much trouble for them. Hopefully they'll take her in despite the fact that she's the younger sister of the Fire Lord who burned down their village. The thought makes him grimace, realizing that he's never actually done anything to make up for it. Zuko wants to think that breaking Suki out of prison should be enough to make up for it, but somehow he doubts that. Perhaps sending them money to help them rebuild will be sufficient enough for an apology. He makes a mental note to get right on that the moment he's free of his current predicament.

Zuko's mind wanders back to Mai. What could she be doing? Running an errand for her mother? Picking up something for Tom-Tom, like a birthday gift? Was it his birthday? Zuko turns to the child, knowing that what he's getting ready to ask will be met with incoherent baby babbling. 

“It's not your birthday today, is it?”

What follows is, as expected, incoherent baby babbling. At least it got the boy to stop chewing on his sleeve for a moment. He makes a mental note to have his robes washed later. 

“Do you know where your sister went?”

More babbling. 

“I'll take that as a no.” Zuko mumbles, “And why am I even asking you this? You don't understand a word I'm saying.”

This time, there is no babbling. Instead, Tom-Tom yawns, curls himself into a tiny ball, and falls asleep.

“I suppose chewing on my sleeve was starting to get boring, huh?” Zuko says, making sure to keep his voice low. He carefully picks up the boy and pulls back his sheets, places him down and covers him up. His wish granted, Zuko gets up and leaves his room, making sure to close the door quietly. He begins to make his way to the throne room, wanting to be alone, but not before finding two Kyoshi Warriors and asking them to guard his room while Tom-Tom is asleep. Once again, his mind wanders to Azula, a common occurrence as of late. Most likely because of what he saw at the asylum and the conversation he had with their mother.  He thinks about Azula taunting him about their father killing him that night in his room all those years ago, and how she ultimately ended up saving his life. He thinks about how Azula offered him a chance to come home with her, a chance to restore his honor, back when they were in Ba Sing Se. He still didn't trust her, but he chose her all the same. Chose her over uncle and the avatar. Zuko chuckles. In a weird way, he has Azula to thank for him eventually walking on the right path. Had he never betrayed uncle, who knows how long it would have taken Zuko to see that the war was wrong, and that he needed to help Aang defeat his father. He imagines that if he says that to Azula, she'd likely slap him. Or worse. Zuko can see it becoming something of a joke between them. 

Joking around with Azula. The thought of it feels foreign to him. When was the last time they did that? When they were little? Probably. When precisely that was, however, he doesn't know. What he does know is that once he and Azula began firebending, and it was clear that she was a prodigy, that's when things began to change for them. The toxic rivalry between them started, and everyone chose a favorite among the two of them. Ozai had chosen Azula, and Ursa and Iroh had chosen him. What would their relationship look like if none of that happened? If their parents hadn't chosen favorites? If their uncle hadn't written Azula off as a lost cost without really reaching out to her the way he did with him? Would they be like Sokka and Katara? Would the agni kai between them have happened? So many “what it's" to think about that Zuko doesn't know what to do with all of them. So many different scenarios. Scenarios in which the relationship between them could have been different, had their family been different. He finds himself blaming their mom and uncle as well, not just their father. While Ozai had been the main factor in a lot of things, Ursa and Iroh hadn't helped much. If only they hadn't chosen a favorite child like Ozai did. If only they had chosen both of them. Once upon a time, the fact that they had chosen him over Azula, the fact that they saw value in him that Ozai didn't, made him feel special and loved. He hadn't cared how it made Azula feel. She had their father, after all. Now things were different. He can see how having their father's “love" isn't a good thing at all, and that he was actually the lucky one. Ozai didn't fixate on him. Their mother and uncle were always there for him. Azula had none of that. She never had a support system like him. All she had for so long was their father, someone who she would feel immense pressure from on a daily basis, but endured it all the same because it was something and she would have rather had that than nothing. The thought makes him angry. He was the lucky one and the one who everyone adored and loved. That had never been Azula's reality. It can be her reality now, though. And while Zuko knows that he still has a lot of work to do in regards to how he views his sister, he wants to help make that reality come true for her, in whatever way he can. He supposes that an apology for threatening to toss her over a cliff while she was having hallucinations and could barely walk would be a good start.

Ursa finds Ozai staring out of a window in a lone corridor. His expression is unreadable.

“Ozai" 

The man turns to her, expression still unreadable, “Ursa" 

She walks up to him until they are face to face, “Don't you dare do it. Don't you dare kill our son!" 

Finally, his facial expression is no longer unreadable. Now she sees anger and shock, “How do you know about that?" He asks, voice low and cold. Ursa says nothing and just stares at him, giving him a look. A look that her husband knows all too well. The man sighs.

“Azula was eavesdropping again, wasn't she?" 

“Yes, she was. And for the first time ever, I'm grateful for it. What on earth were you thinking, going to your father like that? What were you hoping to achieve?” She hissed.

"I was trying to convince my father to make me his heir, since we have no idea where Iroh is and Lu Ten is dead.”

Ursa scoffs, "A lot of good that idea did. Why? Why would you think that this would be a good idea? You know how your father feels about you, not to mention that his age is catching up with him more and more every day. His mind isn't what it used to be, Ozai, and you know that! Not to mention that Iroh will eventually return. All your father has to do is make Iroh remarry and give him another heir. He would sooner see that happen than to see you or either one of our children ascend the throne!”

Ozai glares at her, not saying anything. Finally, he says, " Then what would you have me do, darling wife of mine? You know how much I want the throne, and you know that I will do anything to get it.”

"Yes, except for killing your own son.”  She says, watching with small satisfaction as her words make Ozai flinch. Ursa noticed his hesitation. If he was so certain to do what his father had told him to, he would have gone straight to Zuko's room and gotten it over with. The fact that he didn't says it all, really.

"I won't let you kill our son”, Ursa says, “But there is another way to ensure that you get the throne without doing what your father ordered you to do.”

Almost immediately, the glare is gone. In its place is a look of anticipation of what she has to say, “I'm listening." 

“Azulon dies. Tonight." 

She expects Ozai to completely dismiss her idea, because you don't just boldly declare that you kill the Fire Lord, much less get away with it. Instead, Ozai just stares at her. Not saying anything, almost as if he's waiting for her to continue.

“Well? What do you propose we do?”

What follows is a carefully crafted plan: she will create a poison that will kill Azulon almost immediately once given to him. She will go to Azulon’s chambers under the pretense of a distraught wife begging him to spare her son (which isn't really far from the truth) and she will prepare tea for the both of them. She will have to be discreet when she slips the poison into Azulon's tea. Ozai will be keeping watch outside of the room, making sure that nobody tries to disturb them, while also making sure that he stays out of sight. 

The deed is done within an hour. Once Azulon clutches his chest in pain before dropping to the floor, Ursa checks for a pulse. There's none. She swiftly moves out of the room and calls for Ozai, and together, the two of them arrange Azulon's body in his bed to make it appear that he died in his sleep, his old age finally catching up to him. They clean up the table where Ursa and Azulon were drinking tea. Once everything else is done, they move on to the final phase of the plan.

Making it so that Azulon's will declares Ozai as his heir should anything happen to him. Once that's done, they put the scroll in an area that's easily noticeable. They leave the room soon after, Ursa feeling a sense of relief. Zuko’s life will be spared, and Ozai will get the throne. Their son will no longer have to die for Ozai’s mistakes.

Unfortunately, she will have to leave because of her husband's mistakes.

“You're banishing me? Why?" She asks, face as white as a sheet of paper. He has the throne. What possible reason could he have to banish her?

“Because you killed the Fire Lord. That's treason. You killed him with a deadly poison. A deadly poison that you can easily turn around and use on me, should you wish to." 

Ah, so that's it. He's afraid of the idea of her using that poison against him someday. In order to ensure that doesn't happen, he wants her gone. In spite of this, Ursa smirks. She can't help but think about how stupid this is. Banishing her on the same night the Fire Lord dies? That's just asking for questions to be raised.

“Do you not realize how that will backfire against you? The official story will be that your father died in his sleep. If I disappear, questions will start being asked. Skepticism will become the norm inside these palace walls, people wondering if the wife of the new Fire Lord had a hand in the previous Fire Lord:s death, and if her husband was in on it in order to secure the throne. Do you really want that to happen?”

"I'll worry about that should it ever come to pass. At best, people will think that you ran off. They will feel sorry for me, a Fire Lord without a wife, and feel sorry for our children, who no longer have a mother. That is what they will think.” 

Her heart sinks upon the mention of their children. Upon everything Ozai's just said. She hadn't thought about that possibility, but it certainly was possible. Fire Nation society, particularly high society, never had a kind outlook on women. Thinking that she ran away, perhaps with a lover, was a very likely scenario that could happen. So then she had no way out of this. So be it.

“Fine, but let me take the kids with me." 

“No. Both of them are my heirs. Besides, should you do that, I will be forced to send people to hunt you down and bring them back to the palace. You wouldn't make it that far before that happens, Ursa. You know this. Do not make this harder for yourself than it has to be. You can say goodbye to them. Whether or not you wish to wake them is up to you. But that's all I'm permitting you.”

Ursa glares at him, tears coming to her eyes. She glares at the man who she grew to care for over time, a man who she was sure had learned to care for her as well. Perhaps he still did, but it was buried underneath his ambitions for power. Their marriage hadn't been perfect, far from it, particularly because she was supposed to have married another man, and probably would have, had Azulon not come to her home village, demanding that she marry his youngest son, Ozai. For a time, they had managed to make it work . That time is now over. Ozai made his choice. Power over family.

Ursa goes to Zuko's room first. She wakes him up and hugs him, telling him that everything she's done has been for him, and to never forget who he is. Next, she makes her way to Azula's room. She walks to her daughter's bedside and kisses her on the cheek. She wants to wake her up, but something is holding her back. She has a bone crushing realization. There is much to be said between mother and daughter. Things that will never be said because she's leaving, and she doesn't have much time. The thought makes the tears in her eyes fall. The last conversation her daughter will remember between them is Ursa scolding her, after Azula told her about the plot to kill Zuko. Had it not been for Azula's eavesdropping, Zuko would have likely been dead by now. She kisses her daughter one last time, says that she's sorry, and quickly leaves the room.

She makes her way out of the palace minutes later, making sure that she isn't seen by taking a hidden passageway that leads out of the palace. Ursa manages to find a fishing boat at the docks and pays the man to take her out of the Fire Nation. The amount of money she gives the man ensures that he won't ask any questions. As they begin to sail away, Ursa looks back towards the palace one last time, knowing that she will never see her children again. Not as long as Ozai was in power. When asked where she would like to go, Ursa doesn't even need time to think. Her answer is immediate.

“Take me to Hira’a.”

Ursa remembers that night as if it were yesterday. She couldn't tell what happened to Kiyi, though. The child was too young to learn about that. She was only five years old. She didn't need to learn about the sins that her mother committed. 

“One night, bad people broke into the palace with the intention of killing the Fire Lord, which they unfortunately succeeded in. As they were leaving, I saw one of their faces, since I had been taking a walk at the time. In fear of the possibility of them coming back to kill me, my husband at the time, Fire Lord Ozai, sent me away from the capital, to my home village of Hira’a, where I met your father. In order to make sure that I would truly never be found, I had a spirit change my face.”

A lie laced with truths. It'll have to do for now. 

“That sounds scary." Kiyi says, hugging her mother. It fills Ursa with joy. It feels like it's been a lifetime since she's gotten a hug from her youngest daughter. Ursa returns the hug.

“It was, but I'm…. grateful that Ozai thought of that plan when he did. Who knows what would have happened to me if he didn't.”

“Are those bad people gone?”

Ursa nods, “Yes, they are. They're in prison somewhere.”

Well, one of them is, anyway.

“So then, that's why you changed your face?” Kiyi asks, touching her mother's face.

“Yes. I'm sorry for scaring you, dear. Can you forgive me?” 

Ursa watches Kiyi as the girl thinks over her mother's question. The child puts a finger under her chin, a thinking look on her face. It's amusing to watch. Finally, Kiyi makes her decision.

“I forgive you, mommy. But don't do that again!”

Ursa chuckles, “I won't.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” Mai says as she reads the piece of paper currently in her hands.

Mai had been looking around, trying to find any more information about her father's little rebellion, when she came across two suspicious looking men who were talking amongst themselves. She hadn't thought too much about them at first until she heard them mention something about Ozai, and decided to follow them. What followed was being led all the way to an entrance to what she assumes to be their hideout, and knocking them both unconscious. A piece of paper fell out of one of their pockets, and she had picked it up, expecting to find some more information about the “New Ozai Society”. Except, that's not what she found. What Mai is currently reading is a plot to get Azula on the throne.

This little group apparently thinks that a Fire Lord with no bending is worthless and therefore should not be on the throne (meaning that they know about how Ozai's bending was taken by the avatar) and that the conqueror of Ba Sing Se, crown princess Azula, would make for a much better candidate than the usurper, Fire Lord Zuko. 

Mai feels a headache coming on. So not only do they have to deal with her father and the New Ozai Society, but they also have to deal with this new group that wants Azula on the throne. Lovely. Well, at least Azula is currently away, her whereabouts unknown. She makes a mental note to tell Zuko to give Suki a raise for coming up with the idea of taking Azula to Kyoshi Island. No one will find her, or even think about looking for her there. They also need to send out a letter to the avatar, warning him about what's going on and to keep watch over Azula and make sure that nothing happens to her. By now, they should be nearly there. Or perhaps they are already at Kyoshi Island. Mai opens the door to the hideout and steps inside, not sure what to expect, aside from finding more people inside. Making sure that she's well hidden is probably a good idea. Walking in the shadows, she eventually comes across an area full of people. On the walls are pictures of Azula, and writing that says “The true Fire Lord!” and “The Blue Dragon will rise again!”

Had Azula been here with her, Mai has no doubts that seeing this would have boosted her friend's ego.

“Our time is now!”

Mai’s attention is immediately drawn to the man who just spoke. He's standing on a crate, hands cupped around his mouth to make sure that his voice is heard. The crowd stares at him in anticipation, waiting to hear what he has to say.

“The previous ruler of our great nation, Fire Lord Ozai, is in prison and no longer has his bending! He cannot be the Fire Lord again! His daughter, princess Azula, is our only hope to get the usurper, Fire Lord Zuko, off the throne that is rightfully hers! No more will we be ruled by a weak puppet who is being controlled by the avatar!”

The crowd cheers and applauds. Chants of “All hail Fire Lord Azula!” begin to fill the room. Mai slowly backs out of the room and makes her escape, fleeing almost as quickly as she came. Once she's sure that she's at a safe distance away, Mai stops running to catch her breath. 

“Well this situation just got even more annoying.” Mai says to herself. She begins to walk again, making her way back to the royal palace. She reaches her destination a short time later, and asks the guards where Zuko is. They point her towards the direction of the throne room, and Mai swiftly makes her way there. Pulling back the curtains, she's met with a wall of fire. Behind that fire sits the Fire Lord, appearing intimidating to anyone who walks into the throne room. Mai knows Zuko enough to realize that he isn't trying to appear intimidating at all. The truth is more simple than that.

The Fire Lord is asleep.

Mai sighs and makes her way over to him, “Wow, what a mighty and intimidating Fire Lord you are, Zuko.” She mumbles.

When she's close enough, she gently pats Zuko's face with her hand, “Zuko, wake up.”

Zuko's eyes flutter open and he yawns, stretching his limbs, “Mai? When did you get back?”

“Just now. I have some news for you that you'll find…. interesting.”

“What is it?”

Mai reaches into her pocket and hands him the paper detailing how to get Azula onto the throne. Zuko quickly reads it over, his face becoming paler by the minute as he reads every word.

“I - where did you find this?”

“When I was out. I was trying to find out anything else about the New Ozai Society, when I encountered two men who were carrying….that. Imagine my surprise when I found out that there's a group dedicated to getting Azula onto the throne and killing you, someone who they see as an usurper. Which I suppose isn't wrong.”

“Hey!”

“What? That's more than likely how the vast majority of the nation sees you as.”

Zuko groans, “Well at least Azula isn't here right now. I won't have to worry about anybody trying to go after her. Nobody knows where she is, either.”

“Still, I think that you should send them a letter telling them what's going on, this way they'll be prepared in case anything happens. Having the avatar’s help will be useful as well.”

“You mean having Aang come here?”, Mai nods, “I don't know. I think…. I think that Azula needs that protection more than me right now. I have you, Ty Lee, uncle Iroh, and the rest of the Kyoshi warriors. Plus, I'm no slouch myself. I can handle this. Besides, I think that the people of Kyoshi Island will feel more comfortable with Azula staying with them if Aang is there.”

Mai considers his point. He's not wrong, it's not like they'll be entirely defenseless without the avatar's assistance. Besides, they have Iroh, the famous “Dragon Of The West” on their side, a powerful firebender in his own right. They'll be just fine. Hopefully.

“I just realized that I'll have to deal with even more assassination attempts than before. This is worse than your brother trying to eat my sleeve!”

Mai snorts, “Nothing is worse than that, Zuko. Trust me."