The cell of the Fire Nation ship is cold, dark and wet and, in a different situation, Zuko could easily counter these negatives with a bit of Fire Bending. This is not one of those times. With his arms chained high above his head and his feet anchored to points on the ground, Zuko is in little position to bend even his aching limbs much less bend fire.
The grinding of metal sounds as the doors are opened and a too familiar silhouette appears.
"Zuzu," Her voice purrs.
He closes his eyes at the sight of her.
"That's no way to be."
He can imagine the pouty look on her face and he knows just how fake it all is.
The tumbler lock of his cell door creaks and the heat of her fills the cell.
"Really, Zuko? You think closing your eyes will somehow make all of this go away?"
Sharp nails trace his cheek and soft fingers nudge his chin.
"Open your eyes and look at me." Her voice is soft but demanding.
Reluctantly he meets her steady gaze. Her eyes are bright and shining.
"Now, that wasn't so hard was it?" She gives him a smile.
"What do you want?" His voice is just barely restraining the anger he feels towards her right now.
Azula tsks her tongue and tilts her head. "What makes you think I want something?"
Zuko scowls. "You lied to me."
Surprise shows on her face. "I did not." She blinks at him and it is nearly convincing except he is wise to her tricks."I certainly never lied."
Anger surges through Zuko and he lunges at her but with the chains hold him fast to the wall. "You told me I should help the Avatar. You were just setting me up."
"That I did," Azula allows. "But I wasn't lying. He does need a Fire Bending teacher."
"Then why did you do it?" He has always expected Azula to betray him but after seeing how close she was with the Avatar, he is more than surprised by her betrayal of Aang. Why did she turn on all of them?
Her look turns serious and she stares him down as if weighing his true worth. She steps closer leaning into him until her lips are near his ear as she whispers. "I must return to Caldera but after that little incident at the Temple I could hardly do that as a free woman. The best way was to let Zhao think I was betraying you and not Father."
She pulls back with the same intensity in her eyes as she lets him digest this information.
"Why do you need to go back? You could have just left with Aang then." He whispers in the same secretive tone. It doesn't make sense. None of this makes sense.
Azula sighs and it is a tired sound. "I told you, Zuko, Father is up to something."
Zuko falls silent as he contemplates the intricacies of her plans. "You do realize that Aang most likely hates you now."
"It would be foolish not to." She returns easily, too easily. Azula is never surprised.
Knowing what he knows about the complexities of her relationship with the Avatar, Zuko can only glare at her.
"You really are insane." Zuko gives voice to the rumors that have plagued his sister's steps for years. The child isn't right, was one of the more usual sentiments expressed by the unfortunate household staff.
"That is a bit unfair, don't you think?" Azula's eyebrows rise in shock but Zuko can see the sparkle in her golden orbs; the wildness just under the surface.
"This is just some sort of game to you and we are the pawns." He snarls at her pulling at the chains binding him.
"Whose side do you think I'm on, Zuko?" Her voice is suddenly cold and harsh as her demeanor abruptly changes.
He blinks at her. Whose side is she on? Azula is playing both sides but to what end? He shakes his head, unwilling to speculate.
"No one's. I am on my own here and if that means I have to turn over you, Aang, Zhao or even Father, to the other side, then I will do it. Nothing and no one will stand in my way."
She halfway turns from him and reaches an arm out she snaps her fingers. A servant lumbers through the open cell door and hands a bundle to her. Once the man retreats she turns the bundle over in her hands and pulls out a key which she holds up to his face.
"Do you know what this is, Zuko?" He doesn't reply. "This is your ticket out of here."
With quick motions she unlocks the bindings on his ankles and hands. As he drops to the ground he stares at her warily as he rubs his sore wrists. She thrusts the bundle into his hands.
"This ship will stop in Caldera and from there it will head to the North Pole. Zhao plans to attack the tribe. The Avatar will most likely be there by that point."Zuko unwraps the Fire Nation uniform. "Stay on the ship and out of the way. When they get to the North Pole, find a way into the city. Then you can convince Aang to let you help, if that is still what you want to do."
Confusion is clear on his face. "Why are you doing this?" What he is really asking though is how many times he will let Azula set him up only to knock him back down again.
Azula smiles. "It is necessary the Avatar faces the Fire Lord before summer's end. If he doesn't," she pauses as an unfamiliar shadow passes her face, "If Aang doesn't, then it will all be over."
Zuko shakes his head but doesn't look away from her. "So you want to help stop Father?"
She holds his stare. "You have been removed from the line of succession."
He knew it would happen eventually but the words still sting.
Azula sees his feelings easily enough. "If I am to take the throne, then I will do it on my own, not just be a vehicle for someone else's ambitions." Azula will not let someone else rule in her stead.
She turns to leave but stops at the feel of his hand on her arm. "What is really going on with you and Aang?"
Azula smirks and answers his question with one of her own. "What is really going on with you and Mai?"
Zuko pulls back from her slightly. He can only watch as she leaves out the open cell door.
Ooooo
Zhao regards the Princess with an appraising eye as she sits across from him at the small table in his quarters. The meal before her remains largely untouched as does the wine.
"Azula," he says softly.
Her only response is an acknowledging hum but she doesn't look at him. In fact she hasn't looked at him once since she joined him for dinner, preferring instead to read a missive from the palace.
Zhao clears his throat and strives for a pleasant tone. "I hope you find your accommodations to your liking. I was not prepared to have you onboard."
The Princess had soundly rejected the offer of his own rooms.
"It is acceptable." She answers politely without looking up.
He is grasping for a way to get her attention. It is not a secret that she barely tolerates him but the Fire Lord was insistent that she would obey and comply with the marriage arrangements.
"I would like to discuss something with you concerning the wedding."
With great effort she tears her eyes away from the scroll in her hand and fixes him with a bored look. "And that would be?"
Zhao smiles in, what he hopes is, a friendly manner. "Your father is eager for his line to continue and has indicated he would not be upset if things were to move ahead of schedule."
Azula stills as her eyes bore into his. "My father said that?"
His smile turns more genuine. "That he did. It is important to the Fire Lord that our marriage be a successful one."
Marital success is measured by male heirs.
Azula shifts in her chair. "I see."
He reaches out to clasp her hand that rests on the table. "I thought perhaps you would permit me to visit you tonight."
Her hand tenses in his and her eyes flash anger but Zhao holds fast even as she tries to pull her hand away.
"It would be dishonorable for a princess to go to the marriage bed without her maidenhead."
He attempts to reason with her. "Azula, in less than a month we will marry. It is hardly dishonorable if it is your husband to be."
Azula twists her hand out of his and abruptly stands. Protocol requires Zhao to stand as well.
"Admiral Zhao, thank you for the meal but it is time I returned to my own quarters."
With quick steps she is gone, leaving Zhao frowning.
Ooooo
Azula does not run, does not retreat, but she does avoid the horrifying implications of Zhaos' words. The quarters are small and simple but the door bars from the inside and right now that is all the luxury Azula needs.
She knows what her father wants. She knows what Zhao wants. She even knows what Aang wants. The only thing she doesn't know is what she wants.
She meant what she said to the Avatar. She meant every word of it. Only now he is sure to think it all lies; not as if he has reason to think otherwise after the disaster that was today.
Azula closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose. Her head is throbbing after her rather inelegant meeting with a sharp rock thanks to the Avatar's bison. Opening her eyes she peers closer at the red line in the mirror, frowning at how the scar mars the smooth skin.
"You're still beautiful, Azula." The soft voice says.
Azula refuses to acknowledge it.
"You know you are always beautiful to me." The voice is louder and somehow closer.
Azula closes her eyes against the pleading look reflecting in the mirror's edge.
"Go away. You aren't real."
"I love you, Azula. Why won't you believe me?" If the reflection could cry, it would be.
"You never loved me so don't start now." Azula hisses, finally meeting the warm gold staring back at her from the mirror's surface.
"I always loved you. I still do." The words are pleading and delicate like broken china.
Rage boils inside of Azula. "It was always Zuko for you. Why don't you go bother him?"
How a figment of her imagination can look heartbroken she isn't sure, but it causes her to hesitate.
"You aren't really here. Please leave me alone." Azula pleads. The day has been long, too long, and all she wants to do is to close her eyes and forget about it.
"I am always here for you. I love you." The words are kind and gentle but the sound only serves to enrage Azula more.
The mirror image of Ursa shatters under her fist sending the shards flying. Azula stands with her hands clenched barely noticing how the blood trickles down her arm but, at least, for now, the room is silent.
Oo
Zuko has time on his hands. It's not as if there is much to do other than keep to himself on the Fire Nation ship. The boredom is about to do him in. He can't risk training. He can't even risk eating with the other soldiers. The scar is a dead giveaway so he has to hide behind the helmet and pretend to be doing something too important to be called away from. All he can do is bide his time as they make the journey from Caldera to the North Pole.
Not for the first time, he finds himself thinking of Iroh. The old man is most likely holed up in some tea house with some lovely lady on his arm. Somehow Uncle always manages to charm the prettiest woman to his side. It is an enviable talent and Zuko wishes he had an ounce of the old man's luck. His only real experience with a female has been Mai and even that was under the watchful and meddling eye of Azula. His sister really took too much of a delight in embarrassing them.
Azula.
He isn't sure what to make of her hand in all of this. She could be on the Avatar's side. She just as easily could be setting them all up for a big fall. Maybe she really is on her own side and playing them against one another. He has seen firsthand just how insane she really is even though his father tried to cover it up. When his mother was still alive…still around..she did her best to shield Zuko from Azula but it was never enough.
Zuko would not be surprised if Azula took them all down in the end. It would just be in her nature to leave behind nothing but destruction. She would build a throne on top of their dead bodies and laugh.
ooooo
The cold of the North Pole is bitter, even to Katara who has spent all her life in the harsh climate of the South. She is thankful for the thick robes and furs but still finds herself longing for something warmer. She doesn't give voice to these thoughts though. There isn't anyone that would appreciate her traitorous feelings. Sokka is too busy chasing after Princess Yue and Aang is too busy mastering Water Bending.
This surprises her most of all. It's not that Aang isn't talented and powerful. The elements respond easily to his touch but it's that he has never been one to take training seriously. Before when she would try to teach him something that took her ages to figure out, he would easily master it in moments and then his attention would wander. Often she pondered how he managed to master Air Bending at such an early age but chalked it up to him being the Avatar, even if he didn't know that fact for most of his life. It is only a matter of days before he has surpassed Master Pakku's other students and it is only a few more after that before he has outstripped Pakku himself.
Even now she hangs back and watches as the Avatar takes on multiple opponents and lays waste to them all. There is a single minded focus, a relentlessness, which drives him forward. When she tries to draw him out to speak about it, he brushes her off. Clearly there is something eating at him but he refuses to let her in, instead he sublimates it into training.
"Katara," Pakku calls, "Perhaps you would like to take your turn in the ring."
The other students look at her with tired expressions so she bows and moves to stand opposite Aang. There is a coldness in his gray eyes that makes her nervous. It as if her friend is not really there anymore. Ever since they left the Fire Nation behind, he has been more remote than ever.
They bow to one another and he is instantly throwing attacks at her from half a dozen different angles. It is by the skin of her teeth that she manages to deflect shards of ice, whips of water, and an avalanche of snow and return some sort of counter. It amounts to nothing as he easily cuts through her defenses and knocks her down.
As she bends the snow off of her, she catches sight of him standing over her staring down. There is something unfathomable there, almost calculating.
"Aang?" Katara is almost afraid to ask but the nurturer in her propels her to.
She wants so badly to reach out to him and get him to talk, to somehow make this better, but she is at a total loss as to how to even begin.
He only answers with a shake of his head as he walks away. It would seem that the Avatar is done with training for the day.
Katara stands up and brushes the snow off. Black flakes begin to fall and something inside of her freezes at the eerie sight. Looking up, she sees the sky is full of them.
No matter where they are, no matter how safe they think they are, the Fire Nation is always one step behind them, nipping at their heels like a hungry seal pup.
Katara looks to where the Avatar has stopped to stare at the black snow that fills the air as well. He doesn't meet her eyes and, not for the first time, she feels the distance between them.
Oooo
Azula stares at the shiny scar. She can't help but think it symbolic of something. Zuko stopped the bleeding but left his mark on her. It was supposed to be the other way around. She is after all the stronger sibling, the prodigy. She is the one that will take the throne.
"Maybe you should get bangs." Ty Lee chirps happily from behind her. "They will cover it up."
Azula seethes at the suggestion. She has always been beautiful, been perfect, but now all she can see is the ugly red mark of Zuko.
Mai says nothing but watches her with sullen eyes. Azula knows she wants to ask about Zuko so Azula purposefully says nothing about him, only that he was on top of the Water Bender. Mai doesn't need to know it was to stop the peasant from attacking. Let her draw her own conclusions. Besides if she were to one day be lucky enough to marry into the Royal family then she will need to learn to turn a blind eye to Zuko's doings. Men of power are never faithful. Why would they be when they can have any woman at their beck and call day or night.
Azula shakes herself out of her reverie. It does not do well to dwell on things that are out of her reach, at least for now. Turning to the servant waiting patiently to the side, she nods.
"Let's get this over with."
She stands with her arms out as the woman and Ty Lee make short work of the kimono and she stands in only her bindings. Golden eyes appraise the bruises that have nearly faded from her skirmish on the day of the Winter Solstice. No one dares mention them though and soon they are hidden under the red silk of her wedding dress.
She pulls at the tight material and scowls at her reflection. "It doesn't fit."
Ty Lee blinks large gray eyes at her and the seamstress hesitantly says. "It fit last time."
Azula narrows her eyes. "Well, it doesn't fit now. Obviously you did something wrong."
Hearing the threat in Azula's voice the woman drops to her knees, "Forgive me, Your Highness. I will alter the gown."
It gives Azula only a small bit of satisfaction to see the woman groveling at her feet. "For your sake, I hope so. It would be a shame if it did not fit on my wedding day."
Azula stands still as the woman makes her marks on the fabric.
A knock at the door alerts her to a servant.
"Fire Lord Ozai requests your presence in his chambers, Your Highness."
Ty Lee and Mai freeze at this announcement as does the hapless seamstress unpinning the waist of her dress. Only Azula makes a move.
With a short nod, she replies. "Tell my father I shall be there."
With a bow the servant is gone and there is a flurry of activity as the women help her out of the dress and into something fitting for her father's chambers. Ozai never summons her to his rooms. It is always the throne room or the courtyard.
"What could he want? " Ty Lee squeaks as she sweeps Azula's hair up into a top knot for her crown.
"Maybe he just wants to chat." Mai offers with a shrug as she helps push a slipper onto Azula's foot.
"My father never wants to chat." Azula bites back.
This can't be good. Nothing good comes out of meetings with Ozai.
Ty Lee pushes her crown into place and, with a quick check in the mirror, Azula is out the door.
The hallway to the private residence of the Fire Lord is dark. Would be assassins must pass through the narrow passage under the watchful eyes of the guards that line the corridor. They do not acknowledge her passing though as they are well trained to pay little attention to the women that come and go late at night. The opulent doors open into a room bathed in the red fire of the torches. The room is massive but the towering columns and decorative tiles lead the eye to the massive four post bed in the center of the room.
Azula swallows as she makes out the sight of her father seated on the bed's edge and drops to her knees, bowing to the Fire Lord.
"Father, you summoned me." She does not look up from the floor even as the Fire Lord's bare feet step into her line of sight.
A gentle touch on her head is the sign for her to look up but she doesn't dare stand. Ozai's yellow eyes are gleaming in the low light of the room. The black silk robe is open in the front, revealing his bare torso and sleep pants. Azula has only ever seen her father so underdressed a handful of times.
"I have received a message from the North." He states congenially as if he summons her to his bedchamber for a chat all the time.
Azula nods uncertain where this is going but she knows better than to look away.
"It would seem Admiral Zhao miscalculated."
She holds her breath. Admiral Zhao's failure could mean the end of her betrothal if he has fallen out of favor with the Fire Lord.
"The Avatar was there." Ozai peers closer at her. "But you knew that already, didn't you?"
Of course she knew. "He must learn Water Bending next. The Northern Water Tribe has the only master Water Benders left." It is only logical.
Ozai smirks. "Indeed. It would seem the Avatar is more powerful than we thought. He decimated the fleet and repelled the invasion force."
Azula nods taking in this information. She expected as much. Aang commands an awesome amount of power and has a deep sense of honor. Of course he would defend his allies with extreme force.
Ozai's next words freeze the air in her lungs. "Zhao is dead."
Her eyes widen in surprise and the edges of Ozai's lips turn up almost as if he wants to smirk again.
"How?" She only trusts herself to utter the one word.
"It would seem the Avatar does not prescribe to the philosophies of the Air Nation."Ozai announces loftily as if he were waxing poetics instead of pronouncing the death of one of his top admirals. "According to reports, he struck Zhao down while in the Avatar State."
Azula can't help the sting of tears in her eyes. She is free from her betrothal. Free from being imprisoned in what was sure to be a horrible marriage. On the heels of this realization is that Aang who espoused such high ideals about the value of life took a life, took Zhao's life. Azula knows why and that perhaps is more unsettling than anything else she has heard this evening. The idea that Aang would kill because of her only brings up more questions.
Ozai mistakes her tears for Zhao. "I will give you a month to mourn the loss of your beloved." He smirks at the word. "And then I shall announce a new betrothal."
Azula feels as if the floor has been pulled from underneath her as her newfound freedom is so short lived. Her eyes drop to the floor as she contemplates this announcement as Ozai walks away.
"Father," He stops at her voice but does not turn around. "I am never one to stand idly by. Instead of a month of mourning, perhaps you will permit me to continue my hunt for the Avatar."
Ozai turns to face her now standing form. Slowly he closes the few steps back to her. Warmer than normal hands reach out to cup her face as he tilts it upward and looks at her, really looks at her as if for the first time.
"You seek revenge on the Avatar?" The words are thoughtfully spoken as he appraises his daughter's tear stained face.
"Yes, Father. I will put an end to this threat to your glory."
It is the right choice of words as Ozai raises an intrigued eye and smiles.
"Very well, Azula. You may go and resume your search. In one month time you will return to marry."
"Yes, Father." She answers as he releases her face and once again turns his back to her.
Azula bows and backs out of the chamber but as her hand is on the door, Ozai's voice calls to her.
"It would seem your brother has thrown in his lot with the Avatar as well. What will you do about that?"
She meets the yellow eyes of her sire and smirks. "I am the daughter of a king. He is the son of a traitor. I will treat him accordingly."
Ozai laughs. It is a deep and evil sound. "Excellent, Daughter. I trust you will not disappoint me."
Azula bows. "I will not, Father."
As she closes the door and turns to face the dark corridor, Azula feels her destiny stretching out in front of her.