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Chapter Text

Azula lived for fighting, the absolute freedom of attacking her enemies with wild, calculating, burning abandon. She kicked a wheel of flame at her opponent and leaped away from his attack. As she’d planned, it forced him to crouch low to avoid it. As he did so, she punched, hurling a fireball.

To her astonishment, he dodged it, but only just. The ball of flame knocked him sideways. This man was one of the greatest firebenders to ever live. How could he fail to block her attack?

She almost didn’t capitalize on his mistake. She created two streams of fire, like the breath of twin dragons, with her hands. Closing her hands together, the fiery whips closed in on their target. This time, her opponent did block. He did more than that. He batted the flames away. He approached her, slowly but inevitably parrying each attack.

She gave a last, desperate attempt to sweep his leg. When hers connected with his, neither leg moved. His stance was as solid as the strongest banyan-grove tree.

She smiled at him, her golden eyes flashing with fear. “See, Father, I have learned much.”

His golden eyes didn’t respond with any sort of smile. All that was left there was cold fury. “You burned my arm.” He spoke quietly so that only she could hear. He picked her up by her collar and threw her to the ground. He turned to face the audience, raising his voice. “You are a proud girl, as befits a daughter of the Fire Lord. But you will be taught a lesson in humility that only I can give, Daughter."

Terror quickened in her heart, and she did something she never imagined she would do. She bowed as low as she possibly could and groveled before him. “Please, Father. I only meant to show the world your great strength and prowess.”

“You will feel my fiery purpose,” he said loudly, pressing a hand against her eye. For a moment, Azula hoped he would still show mercy. Instead, his hand glowed red in the darkening light, and pain—incandescent, indescribable, excruciating pain—was the last terrible thing she felt before she lost consciousness.

***

Azula woke in the dark, cold confines of a Fire Nation ship. Chilled sweat beaded on her brow and soaked her tunic, giving her the sickening feeling of being both too hot and too cold. She crawled off her bed, scurried over to a bucket in the corner, and retched the contents of her stomach into it. She cradled the bucket in her arms a while longer, her right hand trembling.

How had it come to this? She was the prodigy; her brother Zuko, the disappointment. It ought to have been he whose feet were made numb from the cold steel of this ship, not her. This season of banishment had been almost more than she could bear.

After several interminable minutes of waiting on the floor, she gained enough control over her heaving stomach to stand and ready herself for the day. She put on her red Fire Nation uniform and strapped armor over it. After everything was donned, she stared at herself in the mirror, which revealed a tiny, disheveled girl with long, jet black hair pulled back tightly. A small topknot was tied above it. A bright red scar had been violently seared over her right eye.

There was not much more to the rest of her. Once, she’d had perfectly symmetrical bangs on either side of her face, but now her hair was poorly kept, at least in her estimation. She raised a shaking hand to straighten them. She’d long ago trimmed her long nails, deeming them impractical. She did her best to will the tremor in her right hand to stop, but it had stubbornly refused to leave ever since that awful Agni Kai that had destroyed her life. She could only banish the offending tremor for a time; then it would return with a vengeance.

Once finished, she steeled herself for what was to come. She could not afford for her men to see any weakness. She gripped her hands until they shook no more, and then she opened the door of her room and walked out onto the deck of the ship. She breathed in the frigid air of the southern pole of her world. Fire Nation sailors shuffled about the deck. Those who saw her gave salutes and then hurried back to their business.

Her Uncle Iroh sat close to the bow, sipping some tea. She scowled when she saw him. She still didn’t understand why he’d tossed away his own future and joined her in exile. He spoke very little to her, and often only when she spoke first. It was to be expected. She wasn’t his dead son, Lu Ten, or her brother Zuko. Everyone loved them more than her. She was the detritus of the royal family. Unconsciously, her hand began to shake once more. She balled it into a fist and walked toward her uncle.

He rubbed his large, round belly and then stroked his white beard, but he didn’t turn to acknowledge her as she approached. “Would my sweet niece like some tea? It is particularly well-brewed today.”

Azula had been called many things, but never sweet. She snorted. “How can you drink tea when the Avatar may be nearby?”

He finally turned to her and grinned. “You have been searching for a long time, and yet we are still empty-handed. How can you not drink tea?”

“I won’t rest until he’s captured,” Azula said. She glared at the unfortunate sailor who took too long to walk past her. “We are not all lazy like you.” She paused for effect. “I don’t care about your silly tea, Uncle.”

His usually placid eyes hardened slightly, which gratified her. At least she was still able to get under his skin. He’d shown far too much skill in doing it to her. As quickly as they hardened, however, his amber eyes grew soft and amiable once more.

She was about to say something else to antagonize her uncle when a bright beam of light shot into the sky. She raced to the railing of the ship. “What was that?”

“It is probably the celestial lights,” Uncle Iroh said. “Don’t get overexcited.”

She shook her head and glared at him. “It’s a good thing I’m in charge, Uncle.” She pointed to the beam, which stuttered and died. “That came from a strong source. We’ll investigate it.” She said it loudly enough for the captain to automatically begin to turn the ship. She’d long ago trained them to follow her commands, even if they were subtle. “I have to capture the Avatar.”

“Can’t you regain your honor some other way?” Iroh said.

She rolled her eyes and shook the tremor out of her hand. “Please, Uncle, as if I cared about your stupid honor. That’s my dumdum brother’s obsession.”

“Then what do you care about?” Iroh asked.

She turned away, not wanting to tell him the answer: redemption. Redemption and love. A second chance. These were things she’d never been given. Even now, she didn’t know if she would ever receive them.

“Full speed ahead, captain,” she said. Her golden eyes flinted into the arctic cold with a confidence she didn’t feel. “We’ll have him soon.”

Her uncle poured another cup of tea. “Are you sure you’d rather not have this instead?”

She growled. Her uncle was so infuriating.

***

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Azula squared off against two soldiers. Uncle Iroh sat on the side, playing a game of Pai Sho with a soldier, though he was supposed to be training her. It was said that he was also one of the greatest firebenders in the world, the Dragon of the West, surpassing even the terrifying skill of her father, but she’d never seen it.

She motioned for both of the soldiers to begin. They nodded and shot two blasts of fire at her. She effortlessly flipped over the attacks, unconsciously enjoying the fact that this was the only time her hand never trembled. She landed, cat-like, on the ground and seamlessly spun into a low roundhouse kick. Flame sliced out in an arc from her foot, sweeping them off their feet.

She stopped, bowing to them, and then turned to her uncle. “Was that not flawless, Uncle?”

He didn’t bother to look up. “Your stances should be a little wider. It makes you unstable.”

She rolled her eyes. “Nothing I do is ever good enough for you. I’m a true prodigy.” Her father had said that once. She pumped her fists upward, blasting blue flame in the air. The two soldiers flinched.

“Even prodigies must master the fundamentals,” her uncle said. “Besides, you are young and small. A strong opponent will use that to his advantage. Master the fundamentals, and you will be difficult to beat.”

She was about to retort when she saw an explosion off the port bow. “What was that?” She snapped at a sailor for him to give her a telescope.

Her uncle sighed. “Who knows?”

“Has your failure to take Ba Sing Se sapped your curiosity so much?” She said with a wicked smile before extending the telescope and peering through it. “It’s an old Fire Nation ship. Two people are jumping out of it, and one just bended air! It must be the Avatar!”

“Perhaps you are seeing things,” Iroh said.

She snapped the telescope shut, ignoring him. She turned to the captain and pointed. “They are headed for that Water Tribe village. Let’s go!”

Chapter Text

Azula placed the Fire Nation helmet on her head and waited for the gangplank to open. She stilled the jitters in her chest. She struggled with this, for the anticipation of battle was her second-favorite part of fighting. The first was actually doing it, of course. Her heart quickened its pace once more. She tapped her foot impatiently on the deck.

She gave the soldier beside her a quick nod. The soldier, a man only a few years older than her, gave her a fearful nod in return. She made a feral grin. This must have been his first assignment after training. What must he have done to deserve a posting with her?

“To victory,” she said to him. Oddly, this seemed to cheer him.

The front of the ship opened, and the gangplank extended to the frozen, snowy ground. Azula slowly walked down. It was all so very theatrical, but Azula liked it that way. She breathed a deep, excited breath through her nose. It was time.

As she descended the plank, a boy (at least she thought it was a boy: his face was covered with ridiculous white and blue war paint) charged up the plank, a raised club in his hand. She smiled, waiting for him to approach. She could’ve easily blasted him with deadly flame, but decided it would be best to make an example of him.

When he reached her, she ducked his overextended swing and punched him twice in the kidneys. He doubled over, howling in pain. Then, she kicked him off the plank. He landed, headfirst, into a pile of snow. She choked down a laugh. She would not look very menacing if she broke out in laughter before the battle even started!

She continued her descent until her feet touched the ground, and then she glanced over at the boy. To his credit, he had gotten out of the snow and was making another run at her, this time without the aid of his club. He grabbed a spear and jabbed it at her. She slipped to the side and easily disarmed him. She whacked him on the head with it to truly humiliate him. She tossed the spear aside as he fell to the ground, holding his head.

“Sokka!” some Water Tribe girl with dark hair, dark skin, and blue eyes yelled, running over to him. She glared at Azula.

Azula grinned back before raising her eyes to the rest of the village that had gathered around. “Members of this village: I have come for the Avatar! Where is—”

She heard the boomerang behind her, and she spun just quickly enough for it to not completely take her head off. It partially glanced off her helmet, knocking her sideways.

She tore the helmet away angrily and scowled at the boy. Sokka, was it? He had dared to attack her again! She would end this situation decisively. She punched, and a ball of blue flame blasted from her fist into the nearest Water Tribe hut.

“If anyone else resists,” she said, “I will destroy the rest of this village.” She fixed the cowering populace with an angry look. “For the last time, where is the Avatar? I know you're hiding him.”

Silence hung in the air, and the villagers simply stared at her. She walked past a cowering child. When he saw her, he planted his face into his mother’s leg. The sight made something twist inside Azula’s breast, and she quickly averted her eyes. These people must not see her as weak. Not like her father did.

For the second time that day, someone tried to attack her from behind. Thanks to her quick reflexes, she launched herself into a backflip. The world moved as in slow motion, and Azula looked down halfway through the flip to spot her enemy. A boy, even younger than herself, slid under her, riding a penguin. He was dressed in yellow and orange monk robes. They were of a type she hadn’t seen before. The boy was pale and completely bald, except for blue arrow tattoos on his forehead and arms.

She glared at him. “I warned the village what would happen if they defied me. Very well.” She kicked a whipping slash of fire at another hut.

To her astonishment, the pale boy blasted the fire away with a gust of wind. He raised an odd-looking staff at her in a guard position. His eyes flicked to the boy and girl. “Hi, Katara, Sokka.”

“You’re the Avatar,” Azula said, and then smirked. “The legends say you are over a hundred years old, but you’re just a kid.”

“So are you!” The Avatar said, incredulously.

She hadn’t felt like a child in a long time. She raised her hand angrily and ordered her men. “Destroy the village. I’ll handle the Avatar.”

“Wait!” he said. “If I surrender, will you spare them?”

She lowered her hand with a twinge of dejection and sighed. She’d been really hoping to fight him. “I suppose so.”

The girl, Katara, ran up to the Avatar, her blue eyes imploring him. “Aang! Don’t go! You can’t trust them.”

Azula sneered at the young girl, whose black hair was placed in the traditional Water Tribe hairstyle. Small strands of dark hair looped on either side of her dark face and were held up with beads. All the villagers were dressed in blue-colored furs. “He’s doing the honorable thing. Don’t spoil it with whining.”

Aang bowed to Katara. “It’ll be okay. Thanks for everything. Take care of Appa.”

With that, he strode up the gangplank onto the ship. Azula smiled, following him. At last she was going home.

***

Uncle Iroh walked up to Azula on the deck. She was overseeing the soldiers binding the Avatar. She fixed him with a proud grin. “You said I wouldn’t find him. Well, here he is. I present to you the Avatar.”

Though bound, Aang smiled and nodded to her uncle as if she was introducing him as a friend. “Pleased to meet you.”

Iroh smiled back. “The pleasure is all mine.” He turned to Azula. “I saw you destroying the village.” There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.

“I did what was necessary,” Azula snapped. The image of the cringing child flashed through her mind. She pushed it away. “Someone had to, and you can’t argue with my results.” She walked over to Aang’s staff and picked it up.

“You know,” Iroh said, “Sometimes you remind me of your father.”

His words, though quiet, struck her through the heart. Her right hand started shaking uncontrollably. “What did you say?”

Her uncle said nothing else.

“How could you say that!” Azula almost screamed at him.

Again, he said nothing. Azula scowled at him and threw the staff into his hands. “This will make a fine trophy. Take it to my quarters.” Then she stalked away into the bowels of the ship, barely noticing her uncle giving the task to someone else.

***

Her trek through the ship gave Azula time to regain control of her emotions. Why did she care what her uncle thought of her? Moreover, why did people whose opinion she cared about always seem to disapprove of her?

She turned to go to her quarters. No, she refused to care about what they thought of her. They never cared for her; why should she care about them? She involuntarily touched the scar around her eye.

She opened the door to her quarters, and her eyes widened. She had a young, bald visitor. He held his staff with a look of satisfaction.

She grinned with determination. “And here I thought I wouldn’t get to fight today, Aang.” She closed the door to her room.

He raised his staff in a defensive position and started blasting air at her. She responded with fire, and the room descended into chaos. Since no one had fought an airbender in over a century, Azula did the best she could. She shot blast after blast of blue fire at him, destroying many of the tapestries that draped from the walls. They knocked her bladed spear off the wall. It clattered on the floor.

He was as quick as she was, however, and always dodged. She finally decided not to try to kill him with her fire. Instead, she grabbed him and punched him in the gut. He grunted in pain and then slipped to the floor. When he reached the cold metal, he sent a flow of air at Azula’s feet. It knocked her to the floor. She would have planted her face into the metal deck, but she braced herself with her hands and rolled sideways. She sent a whip of fire at him.

The two continued to knock each other about the cabin.

She grabbed him and threw him into a corner. He smashed into the bucket that she’d used that morning. For a moment, they stopped, both extremely winded.

Aang sniffed the bucket. “Wow! That really stinks! I don’t think being out at sea agrees with you.”

“You have no idea,” she growled. Her cheeks burned from embarrassment.

That split-second was all Aang needed to jump over her and drop the bucket on her head. She yelled in rage, suddenly very thankful one of the sailors had emptied it that morning.

“Sorry,” Aang said. “But I have to go!”

She yanked off the foul-smelling bucket and would’ve shot Aang with fire, but he was already out the door. She ran after him. The boy had reached the deck and was turning his stick into a hang glider. Azula narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t let him escape. Fire erupted from her hands and knocked him into the ocean.

“Aang!” a girl’s voice shouted above Azula.

She looked up to see a large, white flying animal with arrows on its head. “Is that thing…flying?”

Her uncle walked up to her, rubbing his eyes. Knowing him, he’d slept through the whole fight. “What's going on?”

Katara kept screaming Aang’s name when suddenly, the boy shot out of the water. His tattoos and eyes glowed with blinding white light. Water swirled around him protectively. The Avatar waved his hands, and water lashed out at Azula, her uncle, and the men who’d begun to gather.

Most jumped out of the way, but then Katara flew the animal to the deck and jumped off. She summoned water from a pouch on her waist and sent a shock of frozen ice onto some of Azula’s men. The unfortunate ones were not fast enough to get out of the way and were frozen onto the deck. The attack, though wild and untrained, gave just enough space for Sokka, Katara, and Aang to climb the giant animal and fly away.

Azula nodded. These were worthy opponents. “Shoot them down!” she yelled at her uncle.

Both she and her uncle lobbed fireballs at them. For a moment, Azula thought it might hit the white, flying monstrosity, but at the last second, Aang deflected the fire into a nearby iceberg. A massive flow of ice and snow fell onto the prow of the ship, nearly plunging it beneath the frigid waves. When it settled, her ship was trapped.

She irritatedly melted some of the offending snow with a fire attack. Her enemies were out of range.

“The Fire Lord should be pleased,” Iroh said, rubbing his bald head. “His greatest threat is just a child.”

Azula stared up at the sky where the large animal was starting to vanish from sight. “You were right, Uncle.”

“About what?” he asked.

She fixed him with a simultaneous glare and smirk. “I do need to widen my stance,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow.

She raised her own in return, then began barking orders to the soldiers and sailors.

Chapter Text

“We’re coming into port!” a sailor called from outside Azula’s room.

She nodded to herself and made the finishing touches to her Fire Nation uniform. It would not do to meet the leader of the Fire Navy’s base at Ketu Harbor and be unkempt. She tightened a loose brace on her arm and grunted in satisfaction. It would have to do.

She left her room and walked to the deck, wishing once again that her ship had not sustained so much damage. She would not underestimate the Avatar, and the tactics of airbending, again. That boy liked to evade and deflect rather than stand and fight. She would have to pin him down next time. All the same, she wished she could fight someone who attacked directly.

Her uncle was already on the deck when she reached it. She pressed her lips together and walked over to him. He would not like what she had to say. “Uncle.”

He bowed his head to her. “Niece.”

The ship was sailing through the calm waters of the harbor. Ahead of her was an arena of some sort and many large tents where the military was staying. Why they hadn’t built more permanent structures, she didn’t know. She looked over the side of the rail, watching the morning sun’s golden reflection on the water. It almost made her smile.

“It will be a beautiful day, don’t you think?” Iroh said.

She glanced up from the water. “There is something you should know before we dock.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”

She pressed on. “No one at the port can know the Avatar has returned.”

“Why is that?”

“The Avatar is mine to capture, not every little firebender’s with delusions of grandeur,” she said. She did her best to quell a small tremor in her hand before it got out of control. “I’ve instructed the men to say we had a mishap with another vessel.”

Iroh gave her his annoyingly knowing smile. “A truly believable tale.”

“You disapprove.” She glared at him. This was just like her uncle. “You should be thanking me for thinking ahead. Someone has to do it.”

“Lies have a way of turning back on oneself.”

“Honestly, Uncle, must you always speak in riddles?”

Iroh finally looked her in the eye. “Thinking ahead isn’t your problem. It's an admirable trait. Lying as often as you do, though, is dishonorable.”

“It works, doesn’t it?” she snapped.

She scowled at him as the gangplank descended from the front of the ship. Azula and her uncle disembarked down the ramp. When they reached the hard, stone dock, the commander of the port approached them. Azula frowned. She knew this man. He was well-regarded and well-connected, even attending her infamous Agni Kai. He stroked his dark sideburns as he approached.

He bowed to Iroh, though not to her. “General Iroh and Princess Azula, welcome.”

Iroh rubbed his belly. “I’m no longer a general.”

She narrowed her eyes. Had he so little regard for her status as a princess of the Fire Nation? “Captain Zhao.”

Zhao straightened himself and looked down his nose at her. “I’m a commander, now. I’ve risen in stature since…I last saw you.” He smiled at her lecherously. “Though you have grown as well. What brings the Fire Lord's relations to our little base at Ketu Harbor?”

The muscles in her jaw twitched. “Our ship has been damaged. We require repairs.”

“I noticed when you entered the harbor,” Zhao said. “What happened?”

“Our ship collided with an Earth Kingdom ship,” she lied, feeling her uncle’s disapproving eyes on the back of her head.

“And it hit the top of your vessel?” Zhao said.

She hadn’t thought of that discrepancy. Her cheeks burned. “The damage was extensive. General Iroh can confirm it as well.”

“Oh,” Iroh said as if noticing for the first time. “Yes, of course. It was a great crash.”

She rolled her eyes. Must he be so unhelpful?

Zhao’s eyes narrowed, then a sly smile crept up from his mouth. “We would be delighted to assist you. Come, have some tea with me while we wait.”

Azula shook her head. “We don’t have time for tea.” She didn’t like Zhao’s smile, not one bit. It was civil, but there was a leer to it.

Iroh placed a hand on her shoulder. “You must forgive my niece. These long months at sea have made her forget her manners. The commander is worthy of our honor and respect.” He bowed to Zhao. “I am partial to ginseng tea.”

Zhao beckoned them forward with his hand, and Iroh walked with him. Azula sighed, then followed.

***

“And once the army takes Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom will finally be under our rule,” Zhao waved his hand at a large map placed on a table inside his spacious tent. Her uncle was standing in the background, drinking his accursed tea.

“You mean, the Fire Lord’s rule,” Azula said wryly.

Zhao smiled. “Of course I do. The Fire Lord will be victorious in this long war, and he shall give great gifts to his most accomplished warriors.” The look he gave her left no doubt in Azula’s mind what kind of gift he wanted from her father.

“And what about after?” she said.

“What do you mean?” Zhao said.

“Will the Earth Kingdom willingly submit to my father, or will they continue to fight even after their kingdom has surrendered?”

“You’ve seen firsthand what he does to those who oppose him,” Zhao said, his eyes flicking to her scar. “We all do our best to follow his great and terrible example. It’s not been without its share of difficulty. I myself recently lost my wife in childbirth.” He looked anything but sad about her death.

Her uncle finally decided to speak up. “I’m sorry to hear that. She was a fine woman. I’m sure you will wait the full year of mourning for her.” At last, he finally got the gist of Zhao’s intentions toward her.

“A victory would be cause for celebration,” Zhao said. “For instance, what if one were to capture the Avatar?”

Why did he bring that up? “That would be a great cause for rejoicing,” she said carefully.

“Have you found anything in your search about him?” Zhao said.

We’ve found nothing,” Azula lied once more. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we really have to go.”

She rose from her chair and tried to exit the tent, but two soldiers stepped in front of the entrance. The one on the right spoke. “After extensive interrogation, the crew confessed that the Avatar attacked the ship.”

“What took so long?” Zhao asked.

“They were surprisingly reticent to talk,” the soldier replied.

Zhao walked up to Azula, a little too close, and whispered, “Ruling your vessel through fear. I respect that.” He leaned even closer. “Would you like to tell us again how your ship was damaged?”

Her stomach churned in fear and revulsion.

***

Zhao snorted. “So, the Avatar is just a boy.” He paced in front of her. “And he handily beat you and your men. You certainly need my help.”

She knew what kind of help he wanted to administer. She crossed her arms. “He will not receive a second chance.”

“And neither will you.”

Azula jumped to her feet and raised her fists to burn that smug grin off his face, but the guards stepped in between them.

Zhao grinned with eyes like a lion vulture. “You have a lot of spirit, Princess, but capturing the Avatar is too much for one girl and a retiree. I will humbly take the responsibility off your hands.”

“You will do no such thing!” she said.

“You can join me in the hunt, if you like,” he said.

“I’d sooner sail the world alone until the moon spirit died and the world turned to desolation!” she snapped.

“Think it over,” he said. He turned to leave.

“Let us go, now!” Azula said.

This time, Iroh stepped in between them. “Azula!”

She was too angry to care what he had to say. “I challenge you to an Agni Kai!”

Zhao smiled incredulously. “You wish to fight me?”

“Sunset. Unless you’re afraid of me?” she answered.

He leaned forward. “When I win, you will accompany me.” He left before she could respond.

The thought of going with him made her want to vomit. She struck the table with her fist.

“Azula,” Iroh said, “that was unwise. He is a master. Besides, you know what happened at your last Agni Kai. So does he.”

“He has insulted my honor long enough,” Azula said, shivering. “And he makes my skin crawl.”

***

The arena was packed with Fire Nation soldiers as the sun began its descent. Azula felt the familiar jitters before a fight. It was a welcome feeling. All other thoughts could be pushed aside.

Her uncle, standing beside her, said, “Remember to widen your stance. Your power comes from your base.”

“I know how to fight, Uncle,” she said. She would use her speed and agility against him like she had against the Avatar. She faced her opponent, who finally stood about twenty-five paces away.

“Last chance, my princess,” Zhao said. “A marriage might restore your status before the Fire Lord.”

And be a caged sparrowkeet married to this monster? “I will never join you.”

“Suit yourself,” he said. She saw his lips move silently. “You’ll be mine.”

She balled her hands into fists, and flame came from the bottom like daggers. It was time to stop him.

A gong was rung, and Azula went on the attack. She launched a flurry of punches and kicks. Fire leaped from them towards her enemy. She flipped and spun, not letting him get a chance to rest.

He blocked them all, merely waiting for her to tire. When she finished, he fired his own series of attacks. She admitted to herself with some chagrin that they were slower but much more precise and powerful than hers. The fire pushed her backward, desperately defending against his punches and kicks.

At last, a powerful blast knocked her to the ground. She lay there for a moment, stunned. Zhao leaped into the air, closing the distance. His knee descended on her. She rolled out of the way and jumped to her feet.

“His stance, Azula!” Iroh yelled.

She glanced at his feet and saw it. They were a little too close together. She feinted with a high punch. When he went to block, she crouched low and swept his leg with a slash of fire.

He fell backward but rolled to his feet. Still, she didn’t let up. Widening her own stance for maximum balance, she summoned powerful strikes. Stream after stream of fire erupted from her hands. He was pushed backward, not being able to find adequate footing. He tripped and fell onto his back. He raised his hands in fear.

For everything he’d said to her, he deserved to die. She was a monster, after all. She raised her fist.

“Azula!” her uncle said.

She growled. “You always spoil my fun, Uncle.” She punched a ball of fire next to Zhao’s head and then stopped.

Zhao smiled with relief, but then with rage. “You lack a killer instinct. Pathetic.”

Azula’s golden eyes burned with indignation. “Don’t try to stop me again.” She turned and walked away.

To her surprise, Zhao leaped to his feet and would have blasted her from behind with a kick. Her uncle, faster than she’d ever seen him move, was in between them in a flash, stopping the attack. He grabbed Zhao’s foot and shoved Zhao back to the ground.

She turned back to him. “Clever but foolish.” She again raised her fist for a killing blow.

Iroh grabbed her arm. “Let him live knowing that you, even as an exile, have more honor than he.” He bowed to Zhao. “Thank you for the tea.”

Zhao did not attack them further. As they left the arena, Azula leaned over. “I really have more honor?”

“Don’t let it go to your head,” Iroh said.

For the first time in a long while, she smiled. She’d never put much stock in honor, but it felt kind of good to have some nonetheless.

Chapter Text

Azula shivered over her bucket, wishing once again that she didn’t need it. Tears fell down her cheeks. Would that she were free of this curse. Would that her father loved her.

Someone knocked at the door of her quarters. She quickly emptied the bucket out a window and then straightened everything: her hair, uniform, stray tapestry, her sink. She even picked a few stray pieces of parchment from the floor. She lit some candles to cover the smell of her bucket.

She unrolled a map on her table and then leaned over it as though she’d been poring over it for hours. “Come in.”

The door opened, and her uncle entered. He bowed to her. “Azula.”

“What is it, Uncle?” she said with as bored an air as she could manage. He must never know of her weakness, her imperfection.

“I would have thought that you might be meditating.”

“Meditating is a waste of time,” she said, “For the weak.”

“I see,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I’m here with an update.”

“Don’t tell me,” she said, “The Avatar’s still nowhere to be found. Reports have him in many places.”

“Yes.”

“Even I can’t figure out a pattern,” she said. “He must truly be a master of subterfuge.”

“You say that as if it’s a thing to be admired,” Iroh said.

Azula walked over to a chair next to a table and sat down. “He’s good at what he does, but so am I.”

“You have a plan?” Iroh said.

She smirked. “It’s already in motion.”

***

On the deck of her ship, Azula was practicing using her feet to launch fireballs. The late afternoon sun glistened on the sweat of her brow.

“Your strikes are precise, but you lack something,” Iroh said, coming up to her.

She wiped her forehead with a fine cloth. “Yes?” She waited, but he said nothing. “Spit it out, Uncle!”

“Patience,” he said, grinning.

She rolled her eyes. “Is this one of your lessons?”

“If only you would learn any of my lessons this quickly.”

She scowled and walked over to the railing. “Why don’t you teach me an actually useful skill, like lightning bending?”

“You are not ready,” he said simply.

“I’m skilled enough.”

“Your skill isn't the problem.”

“What other kinds of problems are there?” she said.

Iroh was about to answer when a servant ran up to them. “I bring news. The Avatar is on Kyoshi Island.”

“See my captain for payment,” she said, not even bothering to look at him.

The servant bowed and stood there, as if waiting for something.

Azula’s eyes flashed with disdain. “Go, before I refuse to pay you!” Fire leaped from her fingers.

The servant yelped and ran away. She glanced over at her uncle, who shook his head in disappointment. She growled quietly and snuffed out the fire in her hand.

“Kyoshi Island,” she said eagerly. “That is only a few hours away!”

“Spies?” Iroh asked.

“Does that surprise you?” she rubbed her fingers against her uniform. “I told you I had a plan.”

“Nothing surprises me about you,” he said.

She clenched her jaw.

***

Azula led a team of soldiers on Komodo rhinos. They raced over Kyoshi Island toward the village as the sun was beginning to set. It was plenty of time to capture the Avatar. Her pulse quickened as she thought of him. She would be ready this time.

As she approached the village, she split her nine men into three groups. She would lead one into the center of town to draw their attention. The others would wait for her signal.

The village was made completely of wooden buildings. It only made sense. These rustics lacked the fine ability to construct grand structures. She looked up at the statue of the Avatar Kyoshi and grinned. It was fitting that she would capture the new Avatar in the shadow of the old one.

“I seek the Avatar!” she called out.

As she’d expected, an attack came. Unexpectedly, however, it came from women wearing long green robes and white face paint. They jumped on her men with expert kicks, knocking them off the rhinos.

She smiled and whistled, and her other men rode into the village to aid. More of the female warriors joined the fray, and soon the chaos of war surrounded her. She jumped down from her rhino and charged into it.

Before she reached her men, a woman in green leaped from the rooftops onto the ground in front of her. "Leave our island, or face the Kyoshi Warriors."

“Out of my way!” Azula said. She punched a fireball at the girl. It knocked her onto her back. Azula sent another fireball to finish her off, but another woman in green ran in front of her and blocked it with her fans.

“I won’t let you hurt them,” a boy’s voice said.

She could hardly believe what she was seeing. “Is that you, Sokka?” Azula laughed. The boy was dressed in exactly the same garments as the women were, and he brandished the same fans.

He grimaced enough to be noticed through the white face paint. “I’ve been learning to respect women.”

Azula snorted. “I’m glad for you.” She punched a few fireballs at him. He deflected them until she came in close and kicked him.

“If you’re here, then the Avatar can’t be close behind.”

As if on cue, the Avatar showed himself. He flew down on his glider and landed in front of her. His eyes never left Azula, but he spoke to Sokka. “Get everyone out!”

Sokka nodded, and the other women in green disappeared. She nodded to her men, who gave chase. The Avatar would be hers.

Aang spun his staff. “Stop this!”

“Hmm, no,” she said. She made a roundhouse kick and sent a whip of fire his way. She followed up with several more fiery kicks.

He blocked many of them, but by now, the village was a burning mess.

“Don’t you care about collateral damage?”

“Why do people ask the strangest things when we’re fighting?” she asked. She sent another blast, knocking the staff from his hands.

He reached down and picked up some fans. He waved them together, fanning an immense blast of air at her. She jumped and flipped sideways out of its path as best she could. The tail edge of the strong wind caught her foot, spinning her wildly. She crashed onto the porch of one of the huts. Her armor scraped against the wood of the floor. For a split second, she lay there, stunned.

That was all the time Aang needed to retrieve his staff and open it into a glider. He quickly flew away.

She jumped back to her feet. “He's good,” she said. She fired a few more blasts at his retreating form, just for good measure, and then she scanned the area for her men. They were not faring well against these Kyoshi Warriors. She would rectify that with harsher training.

“After them!” she yelled, mounting her rhino. Her men did likewise. “Back to the ship!”

They rode towards their ship, but before they reached it, the Avatar rose from the sea in front of them. He was riding an unagi. The massive sea snake shook the water from its scales and roared.

Azula stopped to gape at the sheer size of the thing. "Of course, the Avatar has one of those."

When did Aang find the time to tame that thing? It opened its jagged mouth wide, and water sprayed forth onto the burning village. Much of it covered her as well. She wiped the water off her face and sniffed it. The water was slightly sticky and more than a little smelly. Disgusting.

Aang was full of surprises.

***

Azula and her men raced back to the ship. As soon as they were on board, she jumped off the rhino and pointed at the sky bison. “Follow him!”

To their credit, the men rushed to follow her orders. She took off her helmet and wiped the grime off her forehead. Was that…mucus? She wished she had her bucket right now.

Her uncle walked up to her, and she braced for another of his lessons.

“Was it necessary to burn down the village?”

She glared at him. “You and the Avatar, you say the same things."

He refused to answer her.

She sighed. "I didn’t mean to burn it down, but it was in my way. If you had taught me to bend lightning, I would have caught him, and all the other damage would have been unnecessary.”

He shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry.”

She didn't need this. It made her feel grimier than she already was.

“Ugh,” she said, “I'm taking a bath.” She stalked back to her room.

Chapter Text

Azula stomped up to her uncle, who was reclining in a heated pool with a supremely relaxed look on his face. He breathed steam through his nose, and the water began to bubble. She snorted. Her uncle had tremendous control over his firebending, and this was what he used it for? Already the sun was rising in the sky. They were wasting the day.

“Are you going to stay in there all morning?” she demanded. Honestly, the man took his retirement too seriously. He could be one of the laziest men she’d ever seen.

He slowly opened his eyes. “And where is my dearest niece off to today?”

“My spies tell me they’ve spotted the Avatar northwest of here. If I know the Avatar, he’s going to try something. It’s the winter solstice, after all,” she said, tapping her horned boot on the dirty ground. “Aren’t you going to come with us?”

“Mm,” he said, “Just a few more minutes. Besides, I’m only in here with my trunks on. It would be unseemly for me to come out right now.”

“Thirty minutes, Uncle,” she said. “Thirty minutes, or I’m leaving without you.”

She turned and trudged back down the trail toward her men. “Thirty minutes,” she mumbled.

She rounded the bend and practiced her lightning bending. It had finally been coming, but even now, only a few sparks flew from her fingers. Maybe if she showed her uncle how far she'd come, he’d be willing to teach her more.

***

She’d warned him, and so she left him. Hopefully, now he’d learn that she meant business. She crossed over the crest of a hill and gasped. There, down below, was the Avatar and his annoying group of friends. She motioned to her men, and they snuck up on the group. She smirked, feeling like a fanged mongrel ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey. Soon, the Avatar would be in her grasp. She really should pay her spies more. They'd more than proven their worth.

She and her men were just about in range of the Avatar when a shudder passed through Azula. It was the chill of death.

“What was that?” she whispered.

The soldier standing next to her whispered. “What was what?”

“I thought I felt something strange, like something is…terribly wrong.” Azula had never been one for the spirits, so this was unfamiliar territory for her. “Are you sure you didn’t feel it?”

The soldier nodded, and Azula frowned. It was probably nothing. She pressed forward again. The Avatar was so close.

“Azula!” a man’s voice echoed.

She froze. “There it is again.”

“Do you know who it is?” The soldier pointed to the old man the Avatar and his friends were talking to.

She stood there for a moment, pondering, and the voice came once more. “Azula!”

It was loud enough that she thought she recognized it. Was it her uncle? She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Uncle Iroh.”

“What?” the soldier next to her said.

She opened her eyes. “My uncle is in some trouble. Deep trouble.” She looked through the trees where the Avatar and his friends were still talking to the silly, old man. They weren't even paying attention. All she had to do was attack, but she could feel her uncle’s plea for help. It wouldn’t leave her mind.

“Watch them,” she told her men, “But don’t interfere or be seen.”

“Where are you going?” the soldier asked.

She clenched her fists. “To rescue a fat, lazy old man instead of attacking this one.”

***

Her breath caught in her chest when she arrived back at the spring. Her uncle was gone, and rocks and scorch marks were strewn all over the hill. Her right hand began to tremble, for a horrible thought had occurred to her.

Earthbenders had her uncle. Nothing else fit the facts.

She raced up the hill.

***

She’d tracked them down the road. They’d moved quickly on ostrich horses, and they could be headed only one direction: Ba Sing Se. The Earth Kingdom had captured its most famous antagonist, the Dragon of the West.

She hurried up the trail and found a sandal. She’d have recognized the stinky thing anywhere. It was her uncle’s. Rage and fear burned in her heart. “Whoever they are, they’re going to pay.” She’d teach these peasants this lesson, personally.

But first, she had to make it in time.

***

She reached them a couple of hours later. They’d formed a hasty camp and had stretched Iroh’s manacled hands across a rock. One of the earthbender soldiers stomped on the ground, and a large boulder popped out of it. He bended so that it hovered over her uncle’s hands. All it would take is a single drop, and his hands would be pulverized forever.

Her golden eyes glinted with cold fury. This ended here. She jumped and kicked a powerful fireball with both feet. The blue fire sped toward the rock and knocked it clear into the dirt wall beyond. She flipped past the astonished earthbenders and blasted her uncle’s chains free. They snapped, and Iroh swung the chains around as if they were whips. He whacked one of the men in the head, who promptly fell onto his face, unconscious. Iroh spun to face another one.

Azula channeled all of her anger and concern for her uncle into stopping these men. One after the other, she took them down: one with a whip kick that slashed fire against his back, another with fiery punches. She twisted and fired from her hands and feet simultaneously, and two more men who'd been rushing her from different sides went down.

She turned to fight the last man.

“Why do you defend this monster?” the man snarled.

“Monster!” she shouted. “You want a monster, then you deal with me.”

The man stomped, and a huge rock rose in front of him. As he punched it at her, she rolled underneath it and summoned her lightning. Since she hadn't developed her lightning-bending much, it wasn't yet powerful enough to kill at a distance, but it would work at close range. She grabbed him, and he screamed in pain as electricity surged through his system.

She shoved him into a rock. “If you ever go after my uncle again, I’ll kill you." Her face was beet red. "Maybe I should do it right now.”

The man’s anger finally gave way to fear. “P-please.”

The rage in her refused to be placated. She shot another round of electricity into him. His screams were music to her ears. She hit him again and again. The smell of sizzling flesh stung her nostrils.

“Azula!” her uncle said, trying to get her to stop.

She ignored him and electrified the man again. How could her uncle do that to her, allow himself to get captured? Didn’t he know how scared she was for him? Tears streamed down her face. "Just one more." Lightning crackled between her thumb and forefinger.

Her uncle placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Azula,” he said quietly. “Don’t be cruel.”

She stopped herself from sending the final, deadly jolt through the earthbender. She looked at her uncle, and she saw concern in Iroh’s eyes, concern for her and the man who’d tried to crush his hands.

Her nostrils flared. “He was going to hurt you.”

“I did worse to his people. I deserve far worse than anything he could have done to me.”

"How could you say that we deserve the same as this filthy peasant?" Azula said. She didn't care enough to stop the tears flowing from her eyes.

He tried to hug her. “Azula.”

She shoved her uncle away. “Don’t you ever do that again.”

Iroh’s face held a mixture of shock and confusion. “Do what?”

“Get captured. I can’t—” she choked down the terror she’d felt for him and took several deep breaths. She tightened a trembling, fiery fist. “No more, you hear?”

He nodded.

She wanted to burn something, but Iroh wouldn’t let her take it out on the stupid earthbenders. She spotted a tree and raised her hand, sending forth violent blue flame. The young tree burned to cinders.

“I’ll see you back at camp. I left some men to watch the Avatar,” she said, turning to leave. “And for goodness’ sake, put some more clothes on. Those trunks aren’t cutting it.” She had no more wish to see her uncle’s flabby belly.

Chapter Text

Azula’s ship sliced through the seas toward the watery borders of the Fire Nation. Ahead of her flew the Avatar’s sky bison. The giant white animal moved amazingly fast, and it was all her poor ship could do to keep up.

“Sailing into the Fire Nation,” her uncle said, shaking his head, “This is beyond reckless.”

“At least I’ll meet my fate like a true warrior,” Azula answered, not even bothering to take her eyes off the Avatar. She was still mad at Iroh for getting captured by those earthbenders.

“What about your men?”

“They’ll be honored to die serving their princess.”

She heard him sigh, probably thinking about what he should say next. At least she’d shut him up for a time. Since the arrival of the Avatar into their lives, the old man never stopped talking to her.

“We need to talk about what happened,” he said.

Again, she refused to look at him. “There’s nothing to talk about. You got yourself in trouble, and I saved you. End of story.”

He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Azula.”

She shrugged off his hand. “It’s settled. You’ll not get yourself in that kind of situation again, and I’ll keep pursuing the Avatar.”

“You only have control over so much, Azula. One way or another, all of us meet our fate.”

She directed her golden eyes at him. “It doesn’t mean you should have rushed to meet it.”

“Says the young lady flagrantly breaking her father’s laws.”

“My father will understand,” she said.

He smiled wryly. “Understanding! My brother has always been headstrong and lacking in mercy. Reminds me of a certain young princess.”

Azula ignored his attempts to bait her. On the horizon, a line of ships formed. Azula got out her spyglass. “Let’s take it down before it crosses into Fire Nation waters.”

Her men brought up a catapult and readied a fireball to launch at the bison.

“All is prepared, Princess,” one of the men said.

“Fire!” she commanded.

The catapult launched fireball after fireball at the bison, but each one came up short. A few the Avatar batted away with his airbending.

Fireballs began to be shot from the catapults on ships in front of her. The flaming projectiles rose up toward the bison, but they met the same fate as hers. Unfortunately, they also fell towards her ship. One splashed down in a hiss of steam right next to them.

“That was too close for comfort,” Iroh said.

“Evasive maneuvers!” Azula yelled, “But keep the Avatar in sight.”

“Aye!” the men yelled.

More fireballs rained down on them. Fear twisted in the pit of her stomach, but she paid it no heed.

“Now might be the time to shoot the close ones with lightning, Uncle!” she said. They might die from this escapade, but Azula wanted to see him work with lightning. Maybe she could learn better by imitating him.

He nodded. “All right.” He moved his hands in circular arcs, and electricity began to flow. He pointed two fingers at a fireball coming at them. It struck it, and it exploded in the air before it could hit them.

Eventually, the deadly hail of fireballs abated, and Azula breathed a sigh of relief. “I guess it's a good thing I saved your life and let you eat all our food.”

He smiled and rubbed his belly. “Both are most appreciated.”

She smirked and then raised her voice. “We're almost to the blockade. Prepare to be boarded.”

They sailed through a gap in the line. Oddly, no one even tried to stop them. Her ship passed right through. She looked at the other ships through her spyglass. Her gaze fell on someone whom she instantly felt a loathing for. “Commander Zhao.”

“He’s the commander?” Iroh said.

She closed her spyglass. “He’s just letting us pass. Doesn’t that seem weird?”

“He probably wants to follow us,” Iroh said.

“Hoping we’ll lead him to the Avatar.” Azula rubbed her chin. “I have a plan.”

***

The small dinghy had but one sail on it, but it made pretty good time. Azula somehow managed to keep the bison in sight. Hopefully, Zhao hadn’t seen her when she slipped away in the twilight. She doubted he did. Darkness was her ally. The Avatar’s bison descended toward an island. Wasn’t that where Avatar Roku’s temple was?

***

She raced up the steps of the temple and was greeted by a Fire Sage. “I saw the Avatar land here. Where is he?”

“Some of our sages have chased him down to the inner sanctuary.”

“Then we’ve got no time to lose. Lead the way.”

“Why should I listen to the word of a young girl?” the man said.

She raised her palms to the sky, and blue fire erupted from them. “I am Princess Azula. You will obey me!”

If he’d wanted to argue with her, he didn’t show it. He promptly turned and led her toward the sanctuary. She rounded the corner and saw Aang and his friends fighting with the Fire Sages. The doors were closing.

“Stop!” she yelled, punching a fireball at Aang.

He jumped over it, flipping inside the sanctuary just as the doors creaked shut. She reached the door and blasted it with fire, hoping it would break through, but to no avail.

“Would someone open these doors?” she said.

“I’m sorry, Princess,” one of the Fire Sages said as he and the others were chaining Katara and Sokka, along with one of the old sages, to a pillar, “But the doors may only be opened by Avatar Roku from the inside, now.”

“Looks like you’re too late,” Sokka said with a grin.

Azula glared at the chained boy. “We’ll be here when he gets out.” She grabbed the nearest Fire Sage. “Try to open it once more.”

The sage looked as though he was about to argue, but he thought better of it. Azula watched as they launched fire at the locks, and nothing happened. She commanded them to do it again, and again she got the same result.

“Bah!” she growled. “Let's try something el—”

“DON'T follow the orders of a traitor,” Commander Zhao said, entering the outer temple with several of his men. He arrogantly stroked his great sideburns.

The Fire Sages bowed to him. “Commander!”

“Bind the princess with the others,” Zhao said.

“How did you find me?” she asked as the soldier came near.

“You aren't as clever as you think.” He smiled at her wolfishly. “But you make a great prize. Maybe the Fire Lord will let me keep you.”

His words filled Azula with nausea and revulsion. “I already told you, I would never marry you until the moon spirit—

“That can be arranged!” he bellowed at her. “Men, take her.”

“I don’t think so,” she said. As the soldiers came close, she spun low, unleashing a torrent of fire. It swept them off their feet. She charged Zhao, punching fireballs at him. He blocked her strikes, grunting with the effort.

As she fought Zhao, however, the other soldier and Fire Sages returned to their feet. All circled around her, creating an impenetrable ring of fire.

“Surrender, Princess,” Zhao said.

Breathing heavily, she nodded.

“Bind her with the others,” he said.

In short order, Azula was chained on the pillar next to Sokka and Katara.

“Looks like the spoiled princess is just like the rest of us,” Katara said.

Azula grimaced. “I’m nothing like you, filthy peasant.”

Katara scoffed. “Sokka and I are the children of a Water Tribe chieftain.”

“I don’t care,” Azula answered flatly.

“You should,” Sokka said. “Now, all we can do is hope Aang can save us.”

“Against this many firebenders?” Azula said.

“He can do it,” Katara said with more confidence than her face showed.

“If you say so.”

***

Initially, Azula had been so preoccupied with Sokka and Katara that she hadn’t noticed there was also one more person bound with them: an elderly Fire Sage named Shyu. He patiently sat next to her, blowing strands of his white beard out of his mouth. While he sat quietly, she tapped her foot. Patience was definitely not something she possessed. She studied a grand painting of Avatar Roku, the man who'd contained the Avatar spirit before Aang. Roku had been a tall man, handsome and strong, with long dark hair and golden eyes. She couldn't decide if they were kind or judgmental. He was dressed in an older style, with red and black Fire Nation robes. The eyes from his picture bored into her soul.

She averted her gaze to study her captors instead. Zhao, that disgusting creature, was busily setting up an ambush for when the Avatar left the chamber. He noticed her looking at him and winked at her. She glared back, but he just laughed at her discomfort.

They’d been stuck there for an hour or so when she asked Fire Sage Shyu, “So...why did you help the Avatar?”

“Just like you serve the Fire Lord, I serve the Avatar,” he said, his graying eyebrows furrowed. “I do my duty." He cast a disappointed look at the other Fire Sages. "All of us should have. My fellow sages have committed a grave dishonor.”

She nodded. She could understand that, she supposed, though she much preferred being served than serving others.

The doors began to open.

“Fire at the Avatar!” Zhao yelled. The firebenders created a wall of flame and sent it toward the Avatar. Azula hadn’t seen its like for brightness and sheer magnitude.

She couldn’t have been more shocked when she saw the Avatar. She’d expected to see the small, pale boy. Instead, the great Avatar Roku floated out, his tall form unfazed by the powerful firebending in front of him. The Fire Sages took one look at him and wisely fled the room. Only Zhao and his men were left.

“Blast him!” Zhao said to his terrified men.

His men punched and kicked many fireballs at Avatar Roku, but the Avatar waved them out of his way with a blast of wind, followed by fire. His golden eyes blazed with white-hot intensity. It wasn't long before Zhao and his men ran away.

Avatar Roku blasted the bindings off Azula and the others. She raised her hands to fight them, turning her back on the Avatar.

“Azula!” he said.

She recognized that voice. He'd been the one who had called her when Uncle Iroh was captured. Shocked, she turned and bowed to him. Katara and Sokka grabbed her arms.

“Release her!” Avatar Roku said.

They complied, and she returned to her full height.

“You are proud and take many risks,” Roku said, “But you are also brave and cunning.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What do you want of me?”

Roku's long, gray hair and beard flowed in a nonexistent breeze. “You face two paths. One will lead you to destruction; the other, to redemption.”

“That’s just vague enough to be a great prophecy,” Sokka whispered before being shushed by his sister.

Azula rose to her feet. “How do I avoid destruction?”

Roku smiled at her. “Choose love, my daughter.”

“Daughter?” Azula asked, heart pounding in her chest. Why couldn’t he have told her to be braver? She didn’t know how to love.

“You are my descendant. It hurts me to see you suffer.”

No one had ever informed her she was descended from the great Avatar Roku! "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

He ignored her and motioned with his hand. “You should leave. I must destroy this corrupted place.” Though he was an ethereal spirit, his voice was full of sorrow. He raised his hands, and lava exploded from the floor.

Azula spun on her heel and ran from the room. The last thing she saw was Roku’s form disappearing into the new Avatar Aang, leaving behind the exhausted boy to be carried away by his faithful friends.

Chapter Text

There were times when Azula couldn’t stand her uncle, and today was one of them.

“We were supposed to pull into port twenty leagues from here,” she said to him, irritably rubbing the back of her head. “Instead, you ordered to stop here. Why?”

Iroh rubbed his belly. “Pai-sho is an important game, and I’m missing a piece.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You couldn’t just make a substitute and wait?”

“It’s a valuable game!” he said. “You could learn better strategy by playing with me.”

“I was learning by sparring with Lieutenant Jee,” she said, looking over at the salt-and-pepper-haired lieutenant’s stern face. He was directing their entrance. “And besides, I am a genius at strategy.”

Her uncle nearly doubled over with laughter, and she was tempted to blast him with fire, or maybe even lightning. She’d been practicing after watching Iroh.

But the Avatar Roku had told her to choose love, whatever that meant. She rolled her eyes. “Let’s just get into port and get what we need. I’ll ask around for signs of the Avatar. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“Fate has been guiding us. Have you not felt it?”

***

The port was not terribly large, but a market resided there. She walked past a cabbage merchant, who was crying over a cart of destroyed wares. He held his green turban. “First Omashu, now here. Why does misfortune always follow me?”

“You and me both,” she muttered. She made a mental note to talk to him later. Merchants traversed the world, so it would stand to reason that he would provide some excellent intelligence.

She walked up to a wooden booth, where a man was displaying several masks on a makeshift counter. She picked up a blood red one with white tusks jutting from both sides of its mouth. She scrutinized it before setting it down for the time being. “I’m looking for a young, bald monk. There might have been two Water Tribe kids with him.”

The man laughed. “You came to the right place.”

She raised both her eyebrows. Maybe Iroh was right about fate guiding them. She leaned in eagerly. “Where can I find more information?”

He pointed over at the sorriest band of pirates she’d ever seen. They were huddled together, wildly moving their hands in a great state of agitation. Good. Maybe they could be manipulated.

She stepped into the huddle. “Excuse me.”

They ignored her.

“EXCUSE ME!” she said.

They had the audacity to keep talking. She punched a ball of fire into their midst, and they jumped back. They stared at her in mute fright. She tilted her head and smiled.

“Hello,” she said, calmly rubbing her nails on her uniform. “I heard you all had some excitement this morning.”

An older man with a large, wide-brimmed pirate hat cleared his throat. “I am the leader of this group of high-risk traders.”

“High-risk, eh?” she said with a smirk. “What happened?”

“A young monk and a dark-skinned girl stole a scroll from us.”

“What was on the scroll?” she asked. More importantly, and what she didn't ask, was why did they want this scroll so much?

“It was valuable. It held techniques for waterbending.”

Azula snorted. So the boy and his girl wanted to gain some skill, yet lacked a teacher. Azula was suddenly thankful for Iroh's tutelage, such as it was. “This boy, he had a blue arrow on his head?”

The pirate captain nodded. “And they stole our rightful property.”

She pursed her lips. “Let me guess, you collected it fair and square?”

A younger member of the pirates stepped in. “We would’ve made a great deal on it.”

“Way more than what you paid for it, I’m sure,” she said. She tapped her lips, pretending to come up with an idea right at that moment. “I might have a deal for you.”

***

It was dark by the time she, her uncle, some soldiers, and the pirate band began their search into the forest. She assumed the Aang and his friends would be near water, if only to practice the techniques on the scroll. Not that she would be sneaking up on them. The pirates made noise like a herd of stampeding hippocows. She spied the Water Tribe girl, Katara, looking around a tree at the pirates.

Azula took a circular route to get behind her and whispered, “Pirates are the least of your worries.”

In no time, they’d tied the girl to a tree. Azula stood across from her, crossing her arms. Perhaps an oblique approach would be best. Uncle said she lacked strategy. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a necklace. “This is lovely.”

“Give it back! It was my mother’s.” Katara said, straining at the ropes.

“Your mother’s, eh?” Azula said, keenly aware of her uncle standing next to her. “My mother never gave me anything. My father—well, let’s say he gave me something much more memorable.”

“I wouldn’t give you anything, either,” Katara said.

The pirate captain walked up with his men. “We did our part. Give us the scroll.”

Azula looked the man square in the eye. “Not quite. You didn’t give me the monk or his other friend.”

The pirate captain stepped aside, revealing a bound Aang and Sokka, being dragged by more pirates. “You were saying?”

“That’s fair,” she said. “Give me the captives, and I’ll give you the scroll.”

“Scroll first,” the pirate captain said.

She raised it and firebended a flame underneath it. “Or, I could burn it. It’s up to you, really.” She’d been expecting a double-cross.

“You’re not going to trade a lousy scroll for the Avatar, are you?” Sokka said.

Say what she wanted about the Water Tribe boy, but he was quick on his feet. Maybe she'd tell him so, perhaps after she lit that smirk on his face on fire.

“The Avatar!” the pirate captain said. “He’s worth a lot more than your little scroll. What are you willing to pay me?”

“Fire and blood,” Azula said. She simultaneously dropped the scroll and launched fireballs at the pirates.

Soon enough, the pirates and her men were fighting. After taking one of the pirates out, she ran straight to the Avatar. He was the true prize, after all. He sent a powerful blast of air at her. She met it with a fiery blast of her own. The two elements met together and exploded. She flipped into the air and shot a blast from her feet. Aang dodged.

“Is that the best you’ve got?” he asked.

She sent a whip of flame at him. He barely ducked under it before launching a whip of water at her.

“That’s new,” she said. Aang was always full of surprises. She would have to add it to her list of his skills. She could have said that she didn’t enjoy this part, but that would have been lying. She never felt more alive. She sent a fiery whip of her own toward his hand. He jerked it back just far enough that it didn't scorch his hand. The fire severed the whip of water. His fearful gaze was reward enough.

She would have fought him more, but the pirate captain and a small group of his men made their way toward her. A couple of them slashed at her with their swords. She sidestepped the swipes and knocked them back with well-placed fireballs.

The pirate captain snarled at her. “You’ll rue the day you decided to fight me.”

“You broke the deal with me, remember?” she said, raising her hands in a ready guard. “I should be the one swearing revenge.”

Iroh ran up to the pirate captain. “Your boat is being hijacked!”

The pirate captain clamped his hands to his hat. “Great bleeding hog monkeys! After the boat, lads!”

The pirate band stopped fighting and ran away.

“A fool and his boat are soon parted,” Iroh said.

Azula would’ve laughed, but then she saw the pirates taking her boat. “Hey! That’s mine!”

“As I said,” Iroh said, smiling.

Azula glared at her uncle. All she could do was watch helplessly as the Avatar flew away on his bison while the idiot pirates took her boat over a waterfall.

Chapter Text

Azula stared at herself in the mirror of her room and shivered. For the umpteenth time, the jaws of despair yawned for her, wanted to devour her completely. All she had to do was give in. She gripped the sides of the sink until her hands were bone white. Her soul was one giant scar. The one on her face was but a pale imitation.

She shook her head and looked up at herself. “Get a grip.” She breathed out the pain, held herself erect, and practiced a look of royal apathy. Once she was satisfied that it was sufficient, she left her room and made her way to the deck.

Her uncle stood on the bow, overlooking the ocean. As she approached, he said, “There is a storm coming.”

“Can lightning benders feel storms?” Azula asked.

“What?” Iroh said, eyes wide, before chuckling. “No, it’s one of the ‘perks’ of aging. You may feel it yourself someday.”

Azula never saw herself making it to old age. She stepped past him to look at the placid ocean. “We go forward.”

Her captain, Lieutenant Jee, walked over to her. “That’s suicide!” he said.

She turned on him, golden eyes blazing with cold anger. “Does the ocean command this ship?”

The lieutenant realized he’d gone too far, but he stood his ground. “No, you do.”

“Then you will obey my orders. The ocean may claim your life in this storm, but I will do it for certain if you countermand my orders again. Am I clear?”

He bowed. “Yes, Princess.” His jaw twitched as he began giving orders to the crew.

***

The storm picked up with a vengeance, forcing most of the crew below. Only the miserable few whose jobs required them to be outside were on the deck. The rest huddled in the bowels of the ship over a fire.

Azula had long ago found a spot high on a bulkhead where she could observe the rest of the crew without them knowing. She felt a certain degree of peacefulness watching them move about the ship.

“Who does she think she is?” Jee said, staring into his mug. “The spoiled brat doesn’t know the meaning of honor, respect, or care for her soldiers. She doesn’t care if we live or die.”

She raised an eyebrow. She was half-tempted to go down there and challenge him to an Agni Kai, but what was the use? She didn’t care if they complained as long as they followed her orders. Fear kept them in line.

But what of love? She nearly cursed Avatar Roku and his ridiculous pronouncement back in his temple. What had she experienced of love? What would she ever experience?

Her uncle descended the steps to where the men were sitting. “She cares more than she lets on.”

She leaned forward. How could he know that?

Jee and the rest of the men stood in respect. “General Iroh!”

He raised his hands. “Please, be seated. Do you mind if I join you?”

“Of course, sir.”

Iroh took his seat, and the rest of the men joined him. She was amazed at how he commanded their respect. They followed his orders, yet they were not terrified of him.

“The princess is a complicated young lady. There are plenty of times when I don’t fully understand her.” He looked away. “Even her mother didn’t understand her. Would you like me to tell you a story?”

The men nodded.

***

For as long as she could remember, Azula wanted to be included in the war meetings her father held. He’d let her brother Zuko go in, but never her. He’d said she was too young. She didn’t get why he let her brother in. He was the weak one, the sensitive one. She was strong and smart and dangerous. She’d prove it to her father.

She spotted her uncle standing outside the meeting. “Uncle!” She ran up to him. He always treated her like a little girl, but he was the only one she could persuade. “Uncle!”

He smiled down at her. “How is my niece? Did you enjoy the doll I sent you?”

She never told him that she’d set it on fire as soon as she’d received it. “It’s such a great toy! I can’t imagine living without it.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” he said.

She stood there, waiting.

“Do you need something?”

She nodded. “May I come into the meeting today? Zuko is already in there.”

“You are not ready,” Iroh said, concern in his eyes. “Your mother wouldn’t have wanted you in there.”

“My mother abandoned us a long time ago,” Azula said darkly. “I want to serve. Let me go in. Please?”

Iroh stroked his beard, “If I let you, then you must stay silent, just like your brother. These old generals can be…temperamental.”

***

She sat quietly with her brother on the outskirts of the meeting. In front of her sat the inner circle of her father’s advisors and generals. Fire burned in massive sinks around them.

One old general sipped his tea and said, “The ninety-third division is overextended outside of Ba Sing Se. I recommend we let it stay close to the wall and attack from the opposite side. They will be honored to sacrifice themselves for the good of the Fire Nation.”

Azula couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She glanced over at her dumdum brother. Zuko sat peacefully, a lot like Uncle Iroh.

“It’s a waste!” she said, loudly enough to be heard. “Your diversion hasn’t worked the other times. Why would it work now?” She had no problem with sacrificing men, but only if it was a worthy sacrifice.

Her eyes widened when she’d realized what she’d done. She glanced over at her brother. His eyes were full of fear for her. How she hated him for that!

***

Iroh finished his story to the sailors. “She thought she would be fighting the old general in an Agni Kai, but it turned out to be her father. Naturally, it surprised her, but she fought with great honor and tenacity, even injuring the great Fire Lord. He rewarded her with pain and banishment. Only capturing the Avatar will end her torment.”

“Why did she fight him?” Jee said.

Azula hunched, clutching her knees to her chest. She’d asked herself the same question.

“I’ve often wondered what would have happened if she’d refused and submitted to his mercy.” Iroh stroked his beard, just like he had in her memory.

“And?”

Iroh’s eyes grew sad. “I don’t think it would’ve made any difference. My brother is a hard man.”

She rested her head on her knees and let a single tear trickle down her cheek.

“So that’s why she is so dead set on chasing the Avatar.”

“Yes.”

“But why are you here?”

Iroh furrowed his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“Why did you come with her?”

Azula raised her head. She’d wondered that very thing. It wasn’t like she and Iroh were close when she was growing up. He’d shown more interest in Zuko than in her.

Iroh gave a far-off look. “I made a promise.”

The door to the outside flew open, and a sailor ran in. “Sir, the man in the crow’s nest has been knocked out of it by the storm. He'll die for sure!"

***

The sailor was hanging, one hand on a rail, underneath the crow’s nest. How he’d managed to maintain his hold in this pouring rain, Azula didn’t know. Without hesitation, she jumped on the ladder. The slick metal slipped from her fingers, keeping her from getting a firm hold.

She frowned for a moment and then ripped off part of her sleeves. She wrapped them around her hands, tying them off. She put her hands back on the metal railing and found purchase. With that problem solved, she made quick work of climbing up to the man.

She reached a point where she was parallel to him and reached out with one extended arm. Her other arm and leg were snaked around the ladder. “Come on. Give me your hand!”

Too scared of the storm to be frightened of her, the sailor latched onto her hand. Thankfully, he wasn’t too large, or this wouldn’t have worked. She swung him down to the ladder below her. As she did, she looked down and saw Lt. Jee climbing up as well. He’d already gotten to the sailor and was helping him down.

Azula took a short minute to breathe and calm her racing heart. Why had she helped him? She’d risked her life for someone she didn’t even know. Was she becoming soft like Zuko? Not wanting to think about it, she clambered down the ladder, trying to avoid the massive swells of water that crashed over the ship.

Her feet touched the deck. “Lieutenant Jee,” she said.

He’d been barking out orders concerning the sailor she’d rescued. When he looked at her, there was a new respect in his eyes. It made her feel uncomfortable.

She cleared her throat. “Take us to safer waters.”

He nodded. “The eye of the storm is close.” He began bellowing orders.

Her uncle walked up to her. “That was a very brave thing you did.”

She looked away from him. “It would have been a waste of men…to let him die, I mean.”

She walked away, pondering what had come over her. What was the difference between her uncle and her father? Her father had always said to rule by fear, yet men followed her uncle out of respect and love. Was this what Avatar Roku had meant?

The ship sailed into a circle of calm in the midst of the storm. She looked up and was greeted by beautiful, peaceful sunlight. She closed her eyes, taking it in with a smile.

Something erupted from the ocean beneath the ship, startling her. She earnestly hoped it wasn’t some great sea creature. That would have been fitting for the troubles they'd had, but it would’ve created one more headache for her.

It was the Avatar’s flying bison. Aang was riding the thing. For a short while, their eyes locked, and she felt a strange warmth. Fate was pulling them together. The moment passed, and he flew away through the open circle of clouds. They were connected, but she was his polar opposite.

If that was true, then he was the hero. She was the villain, the monster. She’d been called that before. Her stomach churned at the thought, and sweat beaded on her brow. She wiped it off and stared at it on her fingers. Then, the deck began to swim, and the bright sky darkened.

She fainted.

***

The next several hours were filled with hallucinations. Dark memories and hopeful visions darted in and out of her mind. She vaguely knew that her uncle was sitting with her, putting cool, damp cloths on her forehead.

One awful memory kept returning. It was the night her mother had disappeared. Azula had been sneaking around the palace. She loved to eavesdrop. She’d already overheard that her father would have to kill her brother. She figured she should tell him, but her mother had dragged her away from him when she tried and demanded Azula tell her everything.

Later that evening, Azula saw her mother hurriedly walking with a female servant. They were coming toward her, so Azula hid behind some curtains. They probably hadn’t seen her.

They stopped in front of the curtain. For a heart-pounding second, Azula thought that they might have spotted her, but they continued their conversation.

Her mother, Ursa, took out a letter. “After I leave, give this to General Iroh. No one but him must see it.”

Mom was leaving? She hadn’t told Azula. Her heart thundered in her ears.

The servant slipped the letter into her sleeve. “It will be done.”

“It’s up to him, now,” Ursa said. “He’ll need to take care of my boy. They can’t both become monsters.”

Ursa and the servant walked off, but Azula stayed behind the curtain for a while. Suddenly, her legs lost their strength, and she slid down the wall. The words were daggers in her heart. She and her mom didn’t get along, but now she knew what her mother really thought of her.

“I’m not a monster, I’m not a monster,” she moaned. “Please, Mom, don’t go. I’ll be better. I’ll be good. I promise.”

She heard Avatar Roku’s words once more. “Choose love.”

Everything else faded into fevered oblivion.

***

Azula awoke to the sight of Iroh’s kind face. She tried to sit up, but the room spun.

“Water,” she croaked. Her throat was as dry as parchment.

He gave her some, which she drank greedily.

“What happened?” she said, her voice cracking.

“You had a spirit sickness,” Iroh said. “You are becoming something else, something better.”

Judging from how bad she felt, Azula didn’t want it to happen again. “That was a one-time deal, right?”

He shrugged. “You have a lot of growing to do.”

She frowned. Memories of murmuring through the night trickled into her mind. “H-how much did I say when I was sick?”

“Enough,” he said. He reached for some tea and handed it to her. “I’m told this has healing properties.”

It was good. “Thank you,” she said, not realizing that was probably the first time she’d ever said that to her uncle.

“You’re welcome,” he said.

Chapter Text

Azula despised Commander Zhao more and more every time she crossed paths with him. Tonight, it had been in Pohuai Stronghold. The fortress, imposing as ever, was surrounded by enormous walls that rose above the countryside. It told everyone not to attempt an assault, that attacking would be futile.

Azula, of course, disregarded that message. She’d developed her skills silently lurking about the Royal Palace. Compared to that, it had been fairly easy for someone of her talents to sneak into the fortress. Getting out had proved a bit more difficult, but not insurmountable. The darkness of the night cloaked her.

The additional challenge was to not be recognized. A recent purchase had come in handy for that. She adjusted a garish, blood-red mask with gray tusks jutting from both rows of teeth, and then she looked around for her prey.

She spotted the top-ranking official in the fortress, Colonel Shinu. High up in a tower, he was overseeing a band of archers. They were practicing their skills. She began to climb, but every now and then she watched them. Their accuracy was unparalleled. She decided it would be unwise to antagonize them.

When she reached the top, she crept up to the roof and waited. Soon enough, a second man joined the colonel. Commander Zhao: the man had grown into a thorn in her side, and he was the true target of her reconnaissance.

“I wish to use your men, Colonel,” Zhao said. His voice was dark and menacing under the thin veneer of civility, but the colonel was unfazed by it.

“My Yuyan Archers are a specialized unit, not your playthings,” Shinu said.

“You may have them back, once I’m through with them,” Zhao answered, “Once I’ve captured the Avatar. He’s the true threat.”

She balled her hands into fists. The Avatar was hers, even if she agreed with Zhao’s assessment. If she had one-tenth of the commander’s resources, the Avatar would’ve been in her custody already. She’d be heading home and not listening to another one of her uncle’s long-winded lectures.

“The Avatar is nothing,” Shinu said. “We must finish the war first. Why do you want him so badly? I hardly think it’s simply to capture the boy.”

There was a pause before Zhao answered. “Victory is the path to royal favor. You know this.”

There was something in his voice that told her Zhao was talking about her. She gritted her teeth. She would never allow that degenerate to touch her.

A messenger hawk flew up to the colonel. He opened the container and read the message. Azula wondered what it said.

Zhao cleared his throat. “Is something the matter, Colonel Shinu?”

The colonel sighed. “You already know what it says…Admiral.”

Admiral! Azula’s job just got harder.

Zhao laughed, gloating. “I’m going to take those archers off your hands, Colonel.”

“Yes, sir,” Shinu said. He backed away and disappeared down the ladder of the tower.

Zhao looked out at his new unit. “Soon, princess, soon.”

Above him, Azula scowled under her mask.

***

Azula stood on the deck of her ship, watching as a Fire Nation frigate came up alongside them. It dwarfed her smaller ship of the line.

Lieutenant Jee glanced over at her. “I wonder what they want?”

Her uncle finished his pai-sho game and gratefully took a small cup of tea from a nearby pot. He ventured over to her. “It must be an important message.”

She grimaced. “We shall soon find out.”

She gazed at the massive shadow the ship cast over hers. Zhao could’ve easily sent a small messenger boat. He was displaying to her his newfound power. The man was as pompous as he was dangerous.

The messenger, a self-important man in a red tunic, came on board and unfurled an official document. “By order of Admiral Zhao, anyone who has information about the Avatar is to send it directly to him.”

“Commander Zhao has received a promotion?” her uncle said, sipping tea. “Well, no one deserves it more.”

She gave Iroh a disbelieving stare, but then she saw the smirk on the corner of his mouth. She turned to the messenger. “I’ve nothing to say to the Admiral. Now, go back to your ship.”

“Admiral Zhao wishes—”

“Admiral Zhao’s message has been received,” she said. “Your mission is finished. You will leave now, or I’ll have you removed.”

The messenger raised his nose to her and sniffed. “I’ll let the admiral know.”

“You do that,” she said.

As the messenger returned to his vessel, Lieutenant Jee frowned but then returned to his duties, leaving Azula with her uncle. He looked at her gravely. “I see something in your eyes I don’t like.”

“Zhao might as well have fired a shot across our bow, Uncle,” she said.

“What are you going to do?”

She gave him a malicious smirk.

***

That night, Azula put on her dark clothes. The admiral wouldn’t see her coming. When she finished, she grabbed the mask and several daggers. She wasn’t as proficient in throwing them as her friend Mai, but they would do in a pinch. If she used her firebending and failed, Zhao would suspect it was her. If she succeeded, she didn’t want to leave any traces. The blue flame that came so easily to her was also very distinctive. She sat at a table and held up her mask. This would be the last thing Zhao ever saw.

As she waited for night to descend, her uncle knocked on her door. She opened it. “What do you want, Uncle?”

He stepped into her room and smiled at her. “I won at pai-sho,” he said. “Though I had to sacrifice a great deal.”

She had no time for his games. She crossed her arms. “I repeat myself,” she said, “What do you want?”

He walked over to the table and picked up her mask. “I have fought in many battles, and I recognized that look in your eyes today.”

“What do you want me to do, then?” Azula said. “I can’t let him—”

“Consider the consequences,” Iroh said. “If you kill Zhao, then what? Do you know what comes next?”

“I…” Azula didn’t know what to say. She hadn’t really thought of the long-term ramifications of her actions. “I…I will do what I must.”

“Yes, you will. I have no doubt about that. I merely wanted to give you something else to think about. You are capable of many things.”

“Thanks, Uncle,” she said.

“That wasn’t a compliment,” he said with a smile. He bowed to her one last time and left the room.

***

She sneaked into the fortress via a water drain that flowed into the ocean. It wasn’t terribly large, but a small, thin person could squeeze through. She waded through the water and exited a small grate.

In front of her was the massive courtyard, and all the soldiers were lined up. Admiral Zhao stood on a balcony and addressed them.

“Warriors of the Fire Nation,” he began ponderously, “I, Admiral Zhao, have done the impossible. I have captured the Avatar.”

She froze. Was this true?

“This year will also mark the defeat of all our enemies. Sozin’s Comet will empower us to prevail and spread our greatness to the whole world. We will…”

He rambled on in a grandiose manner, but she no longer listened. Her mission had just changed. It was a pity. She had really wanted to kill him. Maybe she’d get another chance tonight. One could only hope.

***

She headed down to the dungeon. The men in this stronghold were far too arrogant. They took their defense of the outer wall seriously, but everywhere else was poorly patrolled. Only one guard stood watch outside Aang’s cell.

She grabbed a spear from a small armory and hid around the corner from the room. She would only get one shot at this. She spun and threw a dagger at the guard’s hand. It stuck there. With a yelp, he dropped his spear. She rushed at him and, using the dull end of the spear, whacked him in the head. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

She took the key from the man’s belt and opened the door. Before her, with arms outstretched by chains, was the Avatar.

He looked at her with alarm. “Who’s there?”

It would be so easy to kill him. She disregarded that sudden thought and ran up to him with the keys. She unlocked his manacles.

“Thanks,” he said. “Whoever you are. You wouldn’t happen to have a plan to get out of here, would you? It wouldn’t be much of an escape without that.”

She gave him an annoyed sigh that she hoped he could hear. Of course, she had a plan! What kind of assassin-turned-rescuer did he think she was? She motioned to him to follow her, and they wound their way back through the halls to the outside world. Any guards that saw them were taken out with quick attacks of her spear or Aang’s airbending.

As they approached the exit, Azula opened the door. Standing in front of her was Admiral Zhao and a nerdy scribe. Before he had a chance to firebend, she ran the dull end of her spear into his stomach. He doubled over in pain. She again used the dull end to hit him in the temple.

Aang sent a gust of air at the scribe, blowing him into a wall, while she stood over the stunned Zhao. This was her chance. She raised the sharp end of her spear.

“No!” Aang said, grabbing her hand.

She looked at him. Were good people always so useless? Maybe he was right. She lowered her spear and ran toward the sewer. Aang ran behind her.

She stopped, nearly muttering a curse when she reached the grate. Colonel Shinu and several other men were standing right on top of it. There was no way they were getting out by that route.

On to her backup plan. There was another set of grates on the other side of the next wall. All of them ran to the ocean. She and Aang ran to it, and they scaled it quickly. An alarm sounded. Admiral Zhao returned to the balcony where he’d given his speech.

“The Avatar has escaped with a man in a red mask. Stop them!”

They raced up a set of stairs only for some firebenders to punch several fireballs at them. If she’d been able to use her own firebending to block, it would have been easy to stop them. But there was no way she could do it without her blue fire being recognized. Aang knocked them back with his airbending, and both of them reached the top of the wall. She spotted the next set of grates in the courtyard on the other side.

More firebenders reached the top of the wall and attacked them. She and Aang were pushed back, until they fell off the wall and plummeted toward the earth. He shot a cushion of air, which softened their impact. At least the Avatar was good for something. She’d need to make it count. She pointed to the next set of grates.

They hoisted it up and were about to jump in when an arrow struck Azula in the upper portion of the mask. Her last thoughts before things went dark were that she was now at the mercy of the Avatar and of the currents.

***

She awoke on a beach, staring up at bright stars in a clear, black sky. Her head ached. She rubbed it tenderly. A knot was forming where the arrow had glanced off her mask and onto her head.

“Yuyan Archers,” she said, sitting up slowly.

It was then she noticed the Avatar sitting on a low-lying sand dune. He watched her with sad eyes.

“If you think I owe you anything…” she said.

“No,” he said, slowly and kindly, “We saved each other’s lives back there.” After that, he was silent.

Azula growled. “What is it?”

He actually smiled at her, a kind smile with no anger or malice. “A hundred years ago, I was on a beach like this with a friend named Kuzon. He was from the Fire Nation. We used to have so much fun together. He’s dead now.”

“What does that have to do with me, baldie?”

“Do you think we could have been friends back then?”

“Friends?” she said incredulously. “I’m beginning to think you were the one the Archers hit in the head.”

“You just seem very sad.” He was so earnest it made her sick. He handed her back her mask. “You lost this. I like you better without it.” Was he flirting with her?

She rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t think our little escapade tonight changes anything. I couldn’t let Zhao have the victory, that’s all,” she said, blasting a fireball at him, but it was half-hearted at best. Even she knew it.

He hopped on a globe of air, grinned at her, and then flew away. She watched him go.

***

Azula sneaked back into her room through the window and pulled up a rope. Her uncle was waiting for her. He stood when she entered.

“Who said you could be in my room?” Her head hurt even worse now. All she wanted was a long sleep.

“I didn't touch anything,” he said. “I merely wanted to see how things went.”

“He’s still alive, if that’s what you mean.”

He bowed. “You missed music night. The men were asking for you to sing. We had to make do with Lieutenant Jee, although he did sing us an excellent love song.”

She smirked. “Goodnight, Uncle.”

“Good night, Princess Azula.”

Chapter Text

The dream had come every night for the past week. She saw her father’s disapproving eyes again and again before he marked her for the imperfect blemish on the royal family that she was.

Azula was getting tired of being sick and tired.

It was time for her daily inspection of the ship and its men. She gave herself and her uniform one last once over before reaching for the door of her room. When her fingers touched the handle, someone knocked from the other side.

“Who is it?”

“It’s your uncle,” Iroh said. “I have some ginger tea for you.”

She clenched her jaw. Word must have spread through the ship that she had terrible nausea in the mornings. She had neither need nor want for anyone’s charity.

She opened the door. “Come in.”

Her uncle’s short, round body stepped into her room with a silver tray. “I’m particularly proud of this tea. It can do much for the stomach, though I’m afraid it can’t do much for the heart. Friends and family can be a great gift for that, however.”

She sat down and picked up a silver cup with dragons on the handles. The tea did smell good. “Family’s a gift I’d like to give away.”

He laughed and sipped his tea. “You are stuck with us. Maybe I will buy you something the next time we stop.”

“If you want to give me something, teach me how to lightning bend. It’s been hard enough working it out on my own.”

“Come now,” he said, ignoring her request. “You must want something, a necklace perhaps? You loved that doll I bought you.”

She snorted. “I set it on fire.”

He raised his eyebrows. “On purpose?”

She suddenly felt a little sorry for letting that slip out, but only a little. She wasn't in a particularly good mood today. “You never really understood me.”

“What do you mean? Little girls love dolls.”

“As if I would be one of those kinds of girls!” she said. “You gave Zuko a knife with beautiful engravings.”

He stood, pursing his lips. She’d clearly hurt his feelings. “I apologize for the thoughtless gift. Please, enjoy your tea.”

He turned to leave, and Azula sighed quietly. She opened her mouth to call him back, though not necessarily to apologize, when a loud commotion came from outside. She ran to see what it was.

On the deck, a pale, dark-haired woman was riding a large, hairy beast with no eyes, a wrinkled, pink snout, and a long tongue. Was that a shirshu? Azula had only seen them in the zoo. This woman rode it like an ostrich horse.

Azula’s men had surrounded the woman.

“What is the meaning of this?” Azula said. She opened her palms, and blue fire erupted from them. “Speak now, or I’ll blast you and your animal off this ship.”

The woman jumped down from the shirshu. “My name is June, and this beauty is Nyla. He’s the best tracker in the whole Earth Kingdom. He sees through his great sense of smell. He and I've captured our fair share of criminals.” She patted his neck.

Azula extinguished her firebending. “And who are you hunting?”

June smiled. “A stowaway—right here on board this very ship.”

Azula crossed her arms. “No one would dare.”

“Let me prove it,” June said. She cracked her whip, and the shirshu chomped down on a portion of the deck and ripped it off. It shoved its head in the hole until a small man jumped onto the deck. He didn’t make it far before the shirshu stung him with its tongue. The man crumpled, paralyzed on the ground.

“Looks like you were wrong,” June said. She picked him up and threw him on the animal’s back. “I always get my man.” With that, the animal leapt over the side, and they were gone in moments.

Azula tapped her lips with her finger. “I have an idea.”

Iroh gave a tired sigh. “I suppose this means I won’t be able to finish my tea.”

***

Compared to the perfect order of her ship, the barroom that she and Iroh entered was sheer pandemonium. Men slapped each other on the back one minute, and the next, they were fighting tooth and nail. A man crashed onto the floor in front of her. He leaped back to his feet and slugged a swarthy man in the face. Both squared off against each other.

“Out of my way, swine,” she said.

Behind her, Iroh apologized for her every action. She rolled her eyes. What sort of people congregate in a place like this?

In the center of the room, June was arm wrestling a man. They both grunted and strained with all their might. Finally, she slammed his hand down. “I win! Drinks are on me!” The men sitting around her cheered.

“June…was it?” Azula said.

June grabbed a mug and took a swig. “And if it isn’t Uncle Tubby and the bratty Princess.”

Azula glared at her, while her uncle merely laughed and rubbed his stomach. “I’m not a brat.”

“If you say so,” June said. “What can I do for you?”

“We want to hire you.”

“For what?”

“To hunt a bald boy with an arrow on his head. A girl who’s with him had this.” Azula held up Katara’s blue Water Tribe necklace. She knew it would come in handy at some point.

“What, your boyfriend run off with this girl?” June smirked.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” Azula snapped. “Anyway, we’ll pay generously.”

June leaned back. “My services don’t come cheap. You’d have to pay me his weight in gold.” She pointed at Iroh.

He laughed again.

“That’s only if we catch him,” Azula said. “But even if you only find him, I’ll pay you my weight in gold.” Added incentive helped.

***

The shirshu took off with June, Azula, and Iroh on its back. Riding the shirshu was more comfortable than it looked. Say what she wanted of June, but the woman knew how to handle the beast. Maybe Azula should have June teach the men how to ride the rhinos.

They bounded up a hill and came upon an old woman with a cat.

She smiled at them and spoke very slowly. “Ah, it is a wonderful day, is it not? Would you like a remedy for anything? I have all sorts.” She pointed to the shop behind her. She was clearly too old to be rushed by anyone.

Iroh leaned over and spoke into Azula’s ear. “Maybe you want something from this herbalist? Something for seasickness?”

The woman's eyes brightened. "I do have some wonderful medicines for that, don't I, Miyuki?" She scratched her cat behind the ears.

Azula grimaced. “I don't have seasickness! No time for shopping, Uncle.”

“Suit yourself.”

Azul looked at the old lady. "We're looking for a pale, bald boy with an arrow on his head. He might have been with some Water Tribe friends?"

"Hmm," the old lady said. "Don't remember any Water Tribe friends, but the boy got a prescription for some frogs."

"Frogs?"

The old lady opened her mouth to explain, but June scowled and snapped a whip over the shirshu. “The old lady is a waste of time. The Avatar is long gone from here. Let’s go!”

***

The next spot the creature took them was in front of a fortune-teller’s shop. It was run by a middle-aged woman with a streak of white hair on both temples.

“Have you come to have your fortune read?” the woman said, mysteriously.

“What do you think, Azula?” Iroh said.

“I don’t believe in that quackery,” she snapped at him. Honestly, it was like the man was a master at wasting time.

The woman gave her a sad look. “I knew you would say that.”

“Of course, you did,” Azula said.

“I foresee you having a hard time in life if you don’t learn self-control.”

“See, now I know she’s a true fortune-teller,” Iroh grinned.

“Ugh,” Azula said.

***

They finally overtook Sokka and Katara on a road past an old abbey. They trapped the two next to an earthen mound.

June scrutinized the two while her animal sniffed ferociously. “She's a pretty one. Looks like you got some stiff competition, Princess.”

“Shut up!” Azula said, jumping down. She planted her hands on her hips and glared at the brother and sister. She held up the necklace. “Thanks for this, by the way.”

Katara reached for it, only for Azula to snatch it back. “Where’s the Avatar?”

“We split up,” Sokka said.

“Riiiiight,” Azula answered. “Why do I not believe you two would ever leave him?”

“Your sensitive and hopeful nature, I guess?” Sokka said sarcastically. “Run!”

They didn’t make it far before the shirshu lashed them with its tongue. Down they went. It amazed Azula how powerful that creature's venom was. Her mind came alive with possibilities, but she pushed them out of her mind for the time being. She had the Avatar to catch.

Azula ran over and searched Sokka and Katara. There had to be some sort of trinket or way to track Aang. A map rolled out of Sokka’s pack.

“Thanks,” she said before hurrying over to June. “Is there a new scent on this?”

The creature sniffed it and growled.

"I think that's a yes," June said. "Get on."

They grabbed the two siblings and placed them on the shirshu’s back. Then, they were off once more.

***

The Avatar was back at the abbey they'd passed. Azula should’ve suspected. Vats of perfumes lined the sides, which must have been the chief source of income for the nuns who lived here.

“How about some perfume?” Iroh asked.

“Like I told you this morning, Uncle,” she said, “I’m not that kind of girl.”

“There’s nothing wrong with smelling nice,” Iroh said.

When the shirshu arrived in the middle of the courtyard, he began to run in circles.

She ignored her uncle and turned to June. “Why is he circling like this?”

“I don’t know. He—”

The Avatar swooped from the sky on his glider and blasted them with air, knocking them all off the shirshu. Azula flipped away and landed on her feet.

“Hello, Aang,” she smirked before her eyes grew hard. “Surrender!”

He tried to fly away once more, but she made a powerful stream of fire and swatted him to the ground. He landed on his back and pushed the fire away with airbending. He groaned from the pain, but got back to his feet.

"I have to hand it to you," Azula said. "You know how to take a hit."

He returned his glider into a staff and spun it, sending a blast of air at her. She sidestepped and roundhouse kicked a stream of fire at him. He spun his staff, and wind blew the fire away. Azula frowned. She punched and kicked several fireballs at him, all the while dodging his own air attacks.

One of his attacks finally hit her, and she flew back into a wall. Dull pain pounded into her back. She fell onto her hands and knees, the wind knocked out of her. She wanted to stay down for a moment, but she forced herself to stand. She couldn't let Aang be tougher than her.

“Why don’t you just give up?” Aang asked. “I can just block all your attacks.”

She fought her way back to her feet and grinned. “Block this.” She swirled her hands around one another. She hoped this would work. She’d only done it once.

She smiled when electricity began to charge from both her hands. She brought them together, and lightning leapt forward. The strike went a bit wide, hitting some of the vats of perfume. They exploded. Fragments of pottery and sweet perfume showered them all.

“I’ll never get this off,” she said.

“It's an improvement,” Aang said.

Her cheeks burned. “It’s time for more lightning.”

She started swirling her hands together, but a torrent of perfume dumped all over her. She glanced over at Sokka and Katara, who’d waterbended the sweet-smelling concoction all over her and June and the shirshu. The animal raged, suddenly unable to see. Its tongue lashed out, striking Azula, June, and Iroh with its venom. They fell in a helpless heap. The giant animal ran over the wall of the abbey and scampered away.

Aang ran up to her and grabbed the necklace. “This belongs to a friend of mine.” He stood up. “That really is a good scent for you.” He ran over and gave the necklace to Katara. She kissed him on the cheek.

"I told you she was stiff competition," June said.

The only thing Azula could do was glare at her.

***

Once she and Iroh got back to the ship, Azula tried to scrub the perfume off as best she could. It refused to leave her. She’d have to wait for it to wear off eventually. She grit her teeth in irritation.

There was a knock at her door. “Azula,” her uncle called.

She got out of the bath and wrapped a robe around herself. She walked back over to the door and opened it. He, too, looked freshly washed. He raised a small bottle in his hand. “I bought this for you at the abbey. A gift.”

“Honestly, Uncle,” she said. “I have enough of this stuff on me. You didn’t need to get me more of it.”

"I can always take it back..."

"No! That's all right," Azula said, clutching it tightly. "It's not the worst perfume in the world."

He smiled at her. “Think of it as something to help you stay fresh while I teach you to bend lightning.”

Her eyes brightened. “Really?”

He nodded. “You’ve done most of the work yourself already. What you need is some help with accuracy.”

"Why the sudden change of heart?”

“If I’m going to be hanging around you, I don’t want to be hit by accident.”

Chapter Text

The door opened to Azula’s room on the ship, revealing two people: one that she was happy to see, the other most decidedly not. Azula straightened her bangs on either side of her face. She forced herself to show no emotion other than slight disdain. That was a fitting look for a princess.

“Admiral Zhao,” she said, not demeaning herself by bowing to him, “What brings you to my humble ship?”

The Admiral and Iroh stepped in. Zhao assumed an imperious air; Iroh an apologetic one. Both held their hands behind their backs.

Zhao raised his nose to her room. “A royal scion of the Fire Nation shouldn’t be living in a room like this. The quarters on my flagship are much nicer.”

Azula fought the urge to roll her eyes. “It has been good enough for me.” Her eyes met Iroh’s. “We are not pampered like many royal families.”

He looked at her scar. “I can see that.”

Blood rushed to her face, and her nostrils flared. “What do you want?”

Iroh stepped forward. “The admiral needs every vessel for a strike against the Northern Water Tribe.”

A cold feeling of dread settled into the pit of Azula’s stomach. “You’re commandeering my ship.”

“Your crew as well,” Zhao said. “My sources say the Avatar is going to the North Pole anyway. It's convenient.”

Azula nodded at that. Her spies had said the same, in particular, a certain well-traveled cabbage merchant who always seemed to cross paths with the Avatar and his little pack of miscreants.

Zhao leaned forward, invading her personal space. “You are free to join me in the assault.”

Her golden eyes blazed with anger, but the warning in Iroh’s eyes told her to calm herself. She decided to take a different tack. “How can you capture the Avatar when he escaped from you the last time? I heard about your failure at the Pohuai Stronghold.”

Zhao stepped back. “That was a fluke. The Red Spirit rescued him.”

She crossed her arms. “Only you would blame a folk legend for your own failures. Pathetic.”

Zhao slammed his hand on her desk. “He was real enough. He gave me this.” He pointed to a small scar on the side of his head. Azula wished her alter ego had done more to Zhao that night, but Aang had stopped her.

“Truly, he is a menace,” Iroh said, trying to pacify them.

Zhao resumed his cold, haughty manner. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is that I now command your ship. After my victory over the Northern Tribe, I will be able to ask any boon I want from the Fire Lord.” He gazed at her lustfully. “I do enjoy conquering unruly people.”

“Those people would rather die before you could get your grubby hands on them,” she said.

Zhao snarled. “Your only hope for restoration lies through me.”

“I would sooner marry an Earth Kingdom peasant.”

“Death would come to all who sully the royal line!” Zhao said, nearly yelling. "You won't get a better offer than mine, and I take whatever I like."

“Try it,” she said coldly.

Blue fire lit from her hands, red from his. Both glared at one another until Iroh stepped in between them.

“Might I suggest some soothing chamomile tea? It does wonders for my mood,” Iroh said. He placed a light hand on Zhao’s shoulder.

Zhao suddenly must have realized that he’d threatened a member of the royal family, and loudly enough that the sailors outside the room probably overheard. It was an extraordinarily foolish thing to do, even if that member was currently an outcast. His face paled, and he backed a few steps away. Azula gave the admiral her most infuriatingly triumphant grin, which caused Zhao to scowl.

“Perhaps another time, General Iroh,” Zhao said. “You are, of course, welcome to join me in my invasion.” He raised his nose to Azula. “You have one day to finalize transfer of this ship and its men to me.”

Azula said nothing, not moving a muscle, but her eyes never left the admiral’s. With a bow, he turned on his heel and left her room.

Iroh shook his head. “You certainly have a way with others.”

“I’m a people person,” she said.

***

Azula was so infuriated by her conversation with Zhao that she refused to leave her quarters for several hours. She racked her mind for a contingency plan, but nothing came. There was no way she could save her command of this vessel. Her father had granted Zhao absolute authority.

“I wish he’d show his own flesh and blood the same favor,” she murmured.

There was a knock at the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Lieutenant Jee, Princess.”

She raised her eyebrows. What could he want? She opened the door.

Lieutenant Jee bowed deeply to her. “The men would like a word with you.”

“Now?” she said, blinking several times. What could they possibly want?

He nodded. “Yes, Princess.”

She followed him to the main deck. All the men had lined themselves up in two parallel columns. Lieutenant Jee led her between them. As he did so, all of them bowed to her, prostrating themselves on the ground.

“We were honored to serve under you and General Iroh, Princess, and we’d like to present you with this.” He bowed and held out a bamboo-handled knife. Ornate kanji were carved into the hilt. She slid the blade from its sheath. Burnt into the metal were even more elaborate kanji. It was beautiful, exceeding even the one Uncle Iroh had given her brother Zuko all those years ago.

It was the greatest gift she'd ever been given by someone who wasn't in her family. Azula was so shocked, she couldn’t find words. She bowed to them in return.

Iroh came close to her. “Perhaps you could say something to them?”

Her mouth hung open for a split second before she recovered any semblance of her wits. She nodded. “It would be my pleasure.” She rose to her full regal height. “Please stand.”

They rose and stood expectantly.

“I—” she stopped, suddenly overwhelmed. She swallowed and then continued. “When I first came aboard this ship, I did not realize what sort of subjects served my family. Now I know. The Fire Nation has the greatest military in the world because of you. You serve with quiet distinction every single day, hazarding your lives for the greatness of our nation. More than that, you welcomed me among you. You even pretended to enjoy my singing during music night.” The men grinned, and she breathed deeply. “You have honored me today with this marvellous gift, but it is I who have had the greatest honor to live and fight and serve alongside you.”

Iroh grinned. “Well said.”

The men cheered. Azula stood stoically, fighting the tears from falling.

Finally, Lieutenant Jee spoke up. “We must prepare to leave this ship. Everyone to your duties.” With that, he began barking orders, and the men went back to work, leaving Iroh and Azula alone to talk amongst themselves.

***

That night, Azula sat on her bed, alone on the ship. Everyone had left, and the world was eerily quiet. She’d even sent her uncle to shore.

Zhao had reassigned everyone to different ships. He was obviously ensuring that they could not organize against him in any way. It was smart. Azula might have done the same, were she in his shoes. Still, it was odd to only hear the gentle lapping of the waves against the hull. She placed her hand on the metal wall, fingers tracing the bolts that held everything together. This had been her home for the past couple of years. Part of her was loath to leave it.

She stood from her bed and walked over to her desk. A small sack was there. Delicately, she took out the ceremonial knife she’d been given and held it up. She hadn’t received much from anyone over the past few years. Her fingers traced the markings on the handle, and then she smiled. She placed it in the sack, along with the red spirit mask, some throwing knives, and the perfume her uncle had bought her. Other than some clothes, these were her only real belongings.

What had she to show from her time pursuing the Avatar? It had all been such a waste. If only her father had valued her tremendous mind! She could plan a war better than any of those arrogant old fools in her father’s cabinet.

Something clanged against a hull.

“Uncle?”

No one answered her. She narrowed her eyes. Something wasn’t right. She slung the bag onto her back and began searching the abandoned ship. Heart pounding, she raised her hands, ready to unleash fiery violence on anyone who would dare attack her.

She made her way to the deck and saw a couple of men setting up some barrels of an unknown substance on the deck. They looked familiar…they were a couple of the pirates that she’d hired a few months ago! What were they doing here? They spotted her and ran around a corner. She raced after them.

She rounded a corner and saw a burning fuse that rushed toward a couple of large barrels. Her eyes widened as the barrels exploded.