A/N: I know, I'm in a bit of a rut here and probably going to be in trouble for not continuing other stories. Actually I've been running a battletech Is You thread on spacebattles which has consumed my time, but Psyckosama started another Is You thread (well, two but this is a partial write up for just one because I do this sort of thing...)
There are some obvious gaps which will be marked as such.
We power-walked onto the stage at the top of Omashu. Ty Lee was at my left, ready to pounce if a sign was given. To my right Mai, guarded and watchful. I, of course, was leading them, a half pace ahead. Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation, me.
Mostly.
Waiting for us was another cluster, albeit one that to all appearances were less impressive. Two youngsters in water tribe blue and a boy with a turban over his shaven scalp. Given he was still wearing air nomad clothes, I have to wonder who he thought he was fooling. And in a sling, an infant.
"We're here," the boy declared. "Where's Bumi?"
Ah yes. Our half of this little exchange. I raised one hand, snapped my fingers and pointed dramatically upwards. Chains rattled and the metal coffin that 'confined' the Mad King of Omashu was lowered towards us on a crane.
"Hey, everybody," the loony - and terrifyingly mighty - earthbender cackled. Quite frankly I would have suspected I'd be doing the Fire Nation a favour if I could persuade him to go with Aang. And that was without knowing he could apparently bend earth with a twitch of his wrinkly chin.
The casket settled against the planks behind us and I smiled in a pro forma fashion. "So. We both have what the other wants. This is how it will be." I had my right hand free so I jerked my thumb back at Mai. "My friend here will walk over and pick up her brother. Then I'll unchain your king and we walk away, leaving him to you."
The water tribe boy - yeah, Sokka, but the fact I know that is a secret for the moment - snorted. "Right. You'll get what you want and we're supposed to trust you, you - you - you dirty rotten extremely physically attractive fire nation person, you!" Then he blinked, apparently parsing what he had said.
"Sokka!" hissed the girl with him. Aha! Now I could admit to knowing his name. Scrawny little fellow, actually. No taller than me despite being a year or two older. Then again, he probably had another growth spurt in his future whereas I was unlikely to get much taller.
My smile grew contemptuous. "Well now... Sokka, is it? One side of this little encounter stole a child away. I'd say that those three have something to prove when it comes to their trustworthiness. Not myself and my friends, who are willing to lose a very valuable military prisoner to retrieve that little boy."
"We didn't take him, he came with us all on his own!" protested the turbaned kid.
"Of course." My voice dripped scepticism. "Now. Are we going to make this trade? Or not. Because we can do this on my terms, or not at all."
It looked as if the girl - Katara obviously - was going to support the plea of innocence, but Sokka grabbed her and covered her mouth. "We take it! We take it!"
"Fine then." My voice - Azula's voice - was positively silky. "Mai."
She didn't need more of a cue than that to stalk over to them. Dangerous, deadly young woman, that Mai. Probably more dangerous than me, and what sort of fucked up world had people more lethal than a lightning-wielding pyro with daddy issues and a streak of megalomania slightly wider than Czechoslovakia. Then again, that wasn't precisely me and I have the rather biased opinion that the change is for the better.
The innocent smile on the child's face was a contrast to her own razor sharp control. "It's him."
"What?" Katara's voice was indignant. "You don't think we'd bring another baby, did you?"
"That was one of the possibilities I considered. Perhaps I maligned you. But I can hardly put anything past a band of kidnappers, can I?" I waved my hand dismissively at the half-voiced protest. "Yes yes. A child this age made his way from a secure nursery at the top of the city to the gates at the bottom all on his own. Still, I suppose that I have no reason to hold you personally accountable... You are, after all, young and..." As Mai cleared my field of vision I let my eyes focus on the wrists of the younger boy and the tattoos there. The smile slipped from my face. "...well well. I was going to say expendable, but I think I'll go for naive instead. After all, you aren't expendable, are you Avatar Aang?"
Tension rippled through the meeting and Avatar and his companion took defensive stances. Mai's eyes widened and she hastened to carry her brother out of the line of fire. Not that I was planning on it.
"Is he hurt?"
She didn't seem to expect that question but shook her head.
"Then get him out of here before someone does something... rash." I looked at Sokka, who was holding his boomerang, Aang with his staff in hand and Katara whose waterbottle was open and ready to release it's contents. "It seems that the three of you, at least, really are trustworthy." With a gesture I hurled blue fire at the chain attached to Bumi's prison, melting through two links. "You kept your word so I will keep mine, even if you are enemies of the Fire Nation."
I didn't turn my back as I moved away from Bumi, leaving him to be rescued. Ty Lee was on my flank without a word of instruction. Anyone trying to attack me would be in for a rude surprise.
They looked surprised, sufficiently so that only Aang jumped forward to take possession of Bumi. "Really now, what did you expect me to do?"
Sokka's face screwed up as he resisted the urge to make a smart remark. How cute, he really did have some self-control after all.
"Aren't you going to open the box?" Katara asked.
My lips curled again, this time in disgust. "He's been using it as a toilet for the last week. Frankly, no. You want him so much, you can clean him up yourselves."
"Actually," Bumi cut in with his crazy laugh. "I have outstanding bladder and bowel control. I have had to go since they put me in here!"
"I really don't care." I pointed down to the nearest guard post, where armoured soldiers were looking nervously in my direction. I didn't blame them, if I got myself hurt they'd be in trouble. "Once I get down there, I'll be sending soldiers up here to apprehend you. If you're still here when they arrive then it's just too bad."
The last thing I heard from them as I went down the ladder, Ty Lee descending after me, was Bumi taking a serious tone. "Aang we need to talk..."
-/-
You're probably wondering what was going on here. God knows, I was.
At the risk of being obvious, that was me in the Azula suit. Which was weird, but I got used to it in a hurry. Of course, I was sharing the headspace with Azula's memories and her instincts, which was a considerably worse fit. The homicidal urges were just the beginning (and I thought I had had a temper problem).
Mind you, if it wasn't for those instincts and memories, I would probably have been dead within about half an hour, probably tortured to death as an imposter, so it wasn't all bad. It was a damn lucky thing Ozai didn't get a look at my firebending before he sent me off to bring back Iroh and Zuko in matching metal bracelets, because if Little Miss Perfectionist's memories were anything to go by, I wasn't operating on her level at this point.
I guess I'm just not a naturalborn psychopath. Shame about that.
Li and Lo were more than happy to spend hours every day drilling some focus back into my head. It was the happy thought of maybe one day using it on them that helped me over the final hurdle to Azula's trademark blue flame, although lightning still evaded me.
Of course my first meeting with Zuko went just swimmingly...
-/-
"What are you doing here?"
I smiled slightly. "That's a warm welcome you're offering your favorite sister, Zuko."
"You're not my favorite sister."
"I'm your only sister; and therefore by default, I must be your favorite." I wasn't very accustomed to being a little sister and somehow I suspected Azula's memories wouldn't be the best of guides to the role."
Iroh hid his hands in his sleeves and bowed to me. "To what do we owe this honour, princess?"
I shook my head. "I'm not here to honour you. I probably should be - I don't say this sort of thing lightly as you should know, but I'm surprised that you're still alive brother. Surprised and perhaps just a little bit impressed." I held thumb and forefinger perhaps half an inch apart. "Just a little, of course."
Zuko shook his head. "You're lying."
"Why would I lie about something so obvious?" I asked him. "You fought the Avatar and lived. Hounded him from one end of the world to the other. I don't pretend that I couldn't have done better -" Arrogance was what he expected, so I provided it. "- but you have surpassed my expectations. So... congratulations. Don't worry though. I won't make a habit of offering them."
"You have told us only why you have not come here, Princess Azula." Iroh's eyes were deceptively lazy as he watched me. I could almost see how he would move should I pose a threat. Smooth, deadly violence upon a hair trigger.
I bowed my own head. "Ah yes. And I should perhaps be to the point." Then I looked up. "Father sent me here with orders to bring you back to the Fire Nation. Your quest to find the Avatar is over, Zuko."
His face was dismayed. "Someone has caught him?"
"No." I shook my head gravely. "No one has seen the Avatar since the North Pole, brother. Father has not rescinded your banishment: return to the Fire Nation without the Avatar and you face imprisonment until you die or the day he shows mercy... but I repeat myself. And I have been ordered to bring you back where that sentence will be carried out."
"You are lying. You always lie." Zuko seemed to cling to that as one spar of sanity.
"You know me Zuko. If I was in a position to tell you that your hopes were dashed and your life ruined would I lie to spare your feelings? When the truth is harsher than any lie, I have no cause to mislead you." Turning my eyes away from the pain in his, I met Iroh's wary gaze. "The charge is treason, both of you. It is the judgement of the Fire Lord that your actions at the North Pole prevented Admiral Zhao from conquering the Water Tribe and led directly to the devestation of our fleet."
"But that's -!" Outrage, on another's behalf? Well done, Zuko. Well done.
"It is the judgement of the Fire Lord." My voice was flat. "It is not the remit of any within the Fire Nation to speak against that writ."
Iroh placed his hand compassionately upon Zuko's shoulder. "And what will you do, Princess Azula."
"I appeal to you with reason, brother, uncle." I held my hands out towards them. "You can leave this chamber only as my prisoners or as fugitives from the laws of our people."
Zuko's face stiffened with resolve. "You are lying. Father would never do this to me, to uncle."
I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly. When I opened them what I saw reflected in Zuko's eyes was an expression he had surely never seen on Azula's face. Compassion. Regret.
"I realise that this is hard for you, Zuko. Perhaps your being away has shielded you from this realisation and I am truly sorry I cannot let you live in that illusion any longer. Father has only one love and I regret to say that it is neither one of us."
Two eyes were wide with astonishment. Two were half-closed in rage.
Fire leapt into existence around my brother's hands.
"Don't be a fool, Zuko." I whispered.
He was fast and furious. Anger - raised this time on behalf of the father he believed I maligned - brought out that much was good in him.
I was not the true Azula's equal.
I was more than Zuko's.
Between us we wrecked the room. The attendants knew better than to intrude when Sozin's line settled matters with fire. Even Iroh stood back and let us wear each other out, the old dragon letting the youngsters exhaust their strength against each other before he exerted himself to remind us of his power. And watching, measuring us.
He must have seen something there for when Zuko fell, tumbled to the floor by a throw that bounced him of a wall, my uncle did not intervene to stop me when I instinctively flowed into the follow up finishing move.
I stopped myself, letting the rivulets of fire gutter away rather than hurling them down to destroy the momentarily helpless Zuko. "I won't be your instrument of suicide, Zuko. Live miserably if you must, but live. And hope for better days."
Iroh unclasped his hands. "Do you have advice for me, Princess Azula."
My hair, half out of its neat topknot after my exertions, flapped behind me as I turned to him. "Strike me down."
He hesitated.
"By your wish for your nephew's life, strike me down and flee!"
"You are my favorite niece," he told me. And then the Dragon of West took my advice.
-/-
When I opened my eyes, I found myself laid out on the one couch left unscathed by the earlier brawl with Zuko. Somehow I did not expect that it was Zuko that had been thoughtful enough of my comfort.
Both were gone. Hopefully making for what was left of the Earth Kingdom and at least momentary safety. Then again, the confrontation wasn't exactly how they'd escaped me. Azula. Whoever. Possibly events would unroll differently. That would be difficult in some ways but then again, what was so great about those events. They left Azula - me at the moment - a wreck of a girl. I could live without that. I have enough neuroses of my own, thank you so very much.
My pursuit had of course led me south. In search of... how had Azula put it? Nimble. Agile. An elite team.
Ty Lee and Mai, in other words.
The circus bored me, just not my thing, but I endured it and refrained from the temptation to be indecorous and also from entertaining me at the expense of Ty Lee. I didn't mention wanting her on my mission of course, just that I was en route to Omashu where Mai was living these days. It would be almost like old times - how about she took a vacation to come with me. Just for a couple of weeks, I could see how happy she was... well, not literally but she told me her aura was pinker than it had ever been which I took to be a good thing.
And that put us in Omashu right about the time Tom-Tom had his little adventure and now you know as much as I do about my circumstances.
-/-
obvious gap. more flashback and then me chasing Team Avatar.
-/-
Aang pulled himself to his feet as I dismounted from my mongoose lizard. "Alright, you caught up with me." He still looked half-asleep but he brandished his staff confidently. "Now who are you and what do you want?"
Thankfully I was able to override Azula's rather biting wit. "You look tired, great-grandfather. Aren't you sleeping well?"
Admittedly, since I was one of the causes for his lack of sleep that probably didn't sound very sympathetic. Then again, the other major cause was his apparent inability to make a plan: I had seen several places where they could have forted up and hidden their exact location from me long enough to get some beauty sleep. It wasn't as if they didn't have a master earthbender with them!
His eyes narrowed indignantly, which didn't do anything to hide the bags under them. "What do you mean 'great-grandfather'?"
"Well your predecessor was from the Fire Nation and he was married. And he had children, grandchildren and..." I pressed the palm of one hand against my ribcage and bowed slightly. "At least one great-granddaughter, yours truly." I smiled letting him know exactly how amusing I found this. "So now that he's been reborn as you, I'd really like to welcome back into the family, such as it is."
Aang's face was a picture to behold. Words literally cannot describe it - he looked at me with a horrified fascination that made it plain that he wanted desperately to deny what I was telling him... and couldn't. He might not be Toph but he wasn't without his own insight. His mouth worked, soundlessly, as he tried to put his feelings into words.
Fortunately, someone else spoke for him.
"Don't trust her, Avatar. Azula always lies."
Good old reliable Zuko. Always turning up just when it would be worst for him. He really has exquisitely bad timing. I turned my head and saw him standing at the mouth of a small alleyway, wearing plain clothes in Earth Kingdom colours. A straw hat covered the top of his head but he had one hand on the brim, ready to whip it away immediately it became an obstruction.
"Now really, would I ever be that predictable?" I said teasingly as I stepped aside, implicitly inviting him to move further into view. "Besides, the fact that mother was Roku's grand-daughter is hardly a secret. If you won't take my word for it, you could ask the Fire Sages... well, under the circumstances, I suppose you can't do that. Still, I'm sure that uncle can confirm it for you."
I glanced around. No Iroh. yet, anyway. Probably still drinking tea with Toph if events were following their expected path. And I honestly can't think of any reason that they wouldn't. "So where is he, by the way? If you have misplaced your geriatric companion I won't let you run off with mine." I nodded my head towards Aang., making it clear who I was calling geriatric.
"I'm not an old man!" Given the number of times he's used it as a disguise, I'm not sure why he found that offensive.
"You're a hundred and twelve years old and it seems all your hair has fallen out. Let's not even mention the walking stick..."
"I shave my head!"
"Oh dear. My brother did that. It looked terrible. I do hope he's grown it out again."
Zuko removed his hat slowly, fire roaring into existence as he took up a bending form. I let my eyes widen. "Oh good, hair. A huge improvement."
He gestured threateningly towards me. "He's mine Azula."
"By all means, brother." I backed up another few paces. "Age before beauty."
Via Azula's memories I was aware of all Zuko's tells, those little signs that betrayed his actual feelings. Not that it was usually very hard, he typically wore his heart on his sleeve. Mind you, unlike Azula, I was willing to at least consider the possibility that Zuko might have changed a little in the last three years. Still, it wasn't hard to tell that I'd just stoked his temper a bit more. It took me a moment to realise that he probably thought that the last remark was a jab over his scarred face. Oops. I should probably try to be less provocative in the future.
...but that wouldn't be any fun...
-/-
obvious gap. summarising: they team up and attack me, with more and more of their allies emerging until I'm cornered, just like in canon.
-/-
"It serves you right for trying to capture Aang," Katara told me off.
Okay. That ticked me off a little. So I smiled at little Miss Self Righteous. "You're jumping to conclusions there, my dear," I told her. "For all that you know it might be your boomerang-wielding boyfriend over there that I was planning to drag off to some secluded dungeon to have my wicked way with."
There was a choking sound from the direction of Sokka, whose jaw was hanging slack, but he was drowned out by snickering from Toph.
I laughed a little myself at the colour rising in Katara's face before adding: "Although I admit that I don't have a convenient dungeon and that my wicked way probably needs a lot of practise. But I'm sure he wouldn't have any complaints about helping me with th-"
"HE'S MY BROTHER!" she screamed in horror, finally finding her voice.
I let that echo around the ravaged street, weighing possible responses. 'I'm not one to judge'? No. That would be fun of course, but it would be bad tactics to hit her where she was alerted. Instead, to keep her off balance.
"Ah, I see. Well in that case I offer you my sincere apologies for the unwarranted assumption. I can quite imagine how mortified I would be if someone thought the same of myself and my brother, and causing you that embarassment was not my intention." Lies, all of it. Then my smile widened even more, bright and innocent. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Zuko tense reflexively. "Would it make it better if it was you that I was going to take away to slake my lusts upon?"
"NO!" My goodness. And I'd thought her eyes were wide with horror and shock before. Perhaps she's homophobic. Then again, at fourteen who wouldn't be? All those hormones... "I -! You -!"
I ignored the red face of the Avatar, whose blush was reaching right up to the arrow on his forehead, and the now hysterically laughing Toph. "You don't need to shout, there's nothing wrong with my hearing."
That mild rebuke left Katara twitching and speechless while Toph rolled helplessly on the ground. Well, apparently helpless anyway. An earthbender in the dirt... enough said.
In any event, the conversation had managed to break the tension and while I was still surrounded, I don't think anyone seriously expected a resumption of hostilities. I turned to Iroh and let my smile slip somewhat. "Since we seem to have a moment of peace, Uncle, could I persuade to surrender yourself to my custody? I even brought some of your favorite tea..."
"That's very thoughtful of you, princess," he told me jovially - resulting in astonished looks from the others there. Then his face hardened. "However, I don't think I'll be going with you."
"Well you can't blame a girl for trying." I lowered my guard slightly and used my left hand to reach into my jacket - something that got a curious, almost anticipatory look from Sokka. Possibly he thought I was about to remove the garment - and retrieve two packages I had been carrying ever since I left Gaoling. "Take it as gift then. You prefer ginseng as I recall, although I got some White Dragon as well."
He caught them, looking quite astonished. "Even more thoughtful than I had realised," he confessed. "I am most grateful."
"Not at all, it would have been a shame if it got scorched. Besides, you are my favorite uncle."
Sokka nodded wisely. "I like her more than you," he told Zuko quietly, earning himself an offended glare from my elder brother. "What? You never offered us tea."
"You don't know her, she's evil!"
"So, is it going to be evil tea?"
"Argh!"
Zuko was screaming in frustration, all was right in Azula's world. I, typically, wasn't quite satisfied. I suppose I have higher standards than she did.
"Speaking of family ties," I told Iroh, "I take them seriously enough to interpret father's commands regarding yourself and great-grandfather over there a little liberally but there are limits to my latitude."
He nodded in understanding. "You haven't always been so concerned for your family, princess."
I looked away, thinking of my own family. "That was before I realised how little of it was left." I let bitterness fill my voice.
Sokka cleared his throat and looked around at the still blushing Aang, quietly fuming Katara and Toph (who was finally through with her laughing fit but still laid on the ground). "Uh, we're not going to keep fighting?"
"Don't ask me. I didn't start anything."
Everyone looked at me.
"No, seriously. It was those two who double-teamed me." I lowered my guard entirely and pointed at Aang and Zuko. "I never even tried to hurt them, the whole time."
Zuko spluttered indignantly, apparently beyond words. Aang simply seemed shamefaced.
"Well I'm done fighting," I assured them. "I admit capturing you would be in my best interests... at least in the short term... but I've no illusions that I can defeat great-grandfather and uncle at the same time. Even the rest of you would be a problem without -"
Sokka waveed his hand to stop me. "Wait, did I miss something?"
"...possibly. What's the problem?"
"That's twice you've referred to your great-grandfather being here."
I nodded. "You're standing right next to him."
Given that Sokka was at the end of the little line, he wasn't spoilt for choice. "Aang!? He's your..."
The expressions on Katara's face was priceless. Far more amusing that even her earlier expressions.
There are some obvious gaps which will be marked as such.
We power-walked onto the stage at the top of Omashu. Ty Lee was at my left, ready to pounce if a sign was given. To my right Mai, guarded and watchful. I, of course, was leading them, a half pace ahead. Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation, me.
Mostly.
Waiting for us was another cluster, albeit one that to all appearances were less impressive. Two youngsters in water tribe blue and a boy with a turban over his shaven scalp. Given he was still wearing air nomad clothes, I have to wonder who he thought he was fooling. And in a sling, an infant.
"We're here," the boy declared. "Where's Bumi?"
Ah yes. Our half of this little exchange. I raised one hand, snapped my fingers and pointed dramatically upwards. Chains rattled and the metal coffin that 'confined' the Mad King of Omashu was lowered towards us on a crane.
"Hey, everybody," the loony - and terrifyingly mighty - earthbender cackled. Quite frankly I would have suspected I'd be doing the Fire Nation a favour if I could persuade him to go with Aang. And that was without knowing he could apparently bend earth with a twitch of his wrinkly chin.
The casket settled against the planks behind us and I smiled in a pro forma fashion. "So. We both have what the other wants. This is how it will be." I had my right hand free so I jerked my thumb back at Mai. "My friend here will walk over and pick up her brother. Then I'll unchain your king and we walk away, leaving him to you."
The water tribe boy - yeah, Sokka, but the fact I know that is a secret for the moment - snorted. "Right. You'll get what you want and we're supposed to trust you, you - you - you dirty rotten extremely physically attractive fire nation person, you!" Then he blinked, apparently parsing what he had said.
"Sokka!" hissed the girl with him. Aha! Now I could admit to knowing his name. Scrawny little fellow, actually. No taller than me despite being a year or two older. Then again, he probably had another growth spurt in his future whereas I was unlikely to get much taller.
My smile grew contemptuous. "Well now... Sokka, is it? One side of this little encounter stole a child away. I'd say that those three have something to prove when it comes to their trustworthiness. Not myself and my friends, who are willing to lose a very valuable military prisoner to retrieve that little boy."
"We didn't take him, he came with us all on his own!" protested the turbaned kid.
"Of course." My voice dripped scepticism. "Now. Are we going to make this trade? Or not. Because we can do this on my terms, or not at all."
It looked as if the girl - Katara obviously - was going to support the plea of innocence, but Sokka grabbed her and covered her mouth. "We take it! We take it!"
"Fine then." My voice - Azula's voice - was positively silky. "Mai."
She didn't need more of a cue than that to stalk over to them. Dangerous, deadly young woman, that Mai. Probably more dangerous than me, and what sort of fucked up world had people more lethal than a lightning-wielding pyro with daddy issues and a streak of megalomania slightly wider than Czechoslovakia. Then again, that wasn't precisely me and I have the rather biased opinion that the change is for the better.
The innocent smile on the child's face was a contrast to her own razor sharp control. "It's him."
"What?" Katara's voice was indignant. "You don't think we'd bring another baby, did you?"
"That was one of the possibilities I considered. Perhaps I maligned you. But I can hardly put anything past a band of kidnappers, can I?" I waved my hand dismissively at the half-voiced protest. "Yes yes. A child this age made his way from a secure nursery at the top of the city to the gates at the bottom all on his own. Still, I suppose that I have no reason to hold you personally accountable... You are, after all, young and..." As Mai cleared my field of vision I let my eyes focus on the wrists of the younger boy and the tattoos there. The smile slipped from my face. "...well well. I was going to say expendable, but I think I'll go for naive instead. After all, you aren't expendable, are you Avatar Aang?"
Tension rippled through the meeting and Avatar and his companion took defensive stances. Mai's eyes widened and she hastened to carry her brother out of the line of fire. Not that I was planning on it.
"Is he hurt?"
She didn't seem to expect that question but shook her head.
"Then get him out of here before someone does something... rash." I looked at Sokka, who was holding his boomerang, Aang with his staff in hand and Katara whose waterbottle was open and ready to release it's contents. "It seems that the three of you, at least, really are trustworthy." With a gesture I hurled blue fire at the chain attached to Bumi's prison, melting through two links. "You kept your word so I will keep mine, even if you are enemies of the Fire Nation."
I didn't turn my back as I moved away from Bumi, leaving him to be rescued. Ty Lee was on my flank without a word of instruction. Anyone trying to attack me would be in for a rude surprise.
They looked surprised, sufficiently so that only Aang jumped forward to take possession of Bumi. "Really now, what did you expect me to do?"
Sokka's face screwed up as he resisted the urge to make a smart remark. How cute, he really did have some self-control after all.
"Aren't you going to open the box?" Katara asked.
My lips curled again, this time in disgust. "He's been using it as a toilet for the last week. Frankly, no. You want him so much, you can clean him up yourselves."
"Actually," Bumi cut in with his crazy laugh. "I have outstanding bladder and bowel control. I have had to go since they put me in here!"
"I really don't care." I pointed down to the nearest guard post, where armoured soldiers were looking nervously in my direction. I didn't blame them, if I got myself hurt they'd be in trouble. "Once I get down there, I'll be sending soldiers up here to apprehend you. If you're still here when they arrive then it's just too bad."
The last thing I heard from them as I went down the ladder, Ty Lee descending after me, was Bumi taking a serious tone. "Aang we need to talk..."
-/-
You're probably wondering what was going on here. God knows, I was.
At the risk of being obvious, that was me in the Azula suit. Which was weird, but I got used to it in a hurry. Of course, I was sharing the headspace with Azula's memories and her instincts, which was a considerably worse fit. The homicidal urges were just the beginning (and I thought I had had a temper problem).
Mind you, if it wasn't for those instincts and memories, I would probably have been dead within about half an hour, probably tortured to death as an imposter, so it wasn't all bad. It was a damn lucky thing Ozai didn't get a look at my firebending before he sent me off to bring back Iroh and Zuko in matching metal bracelets, because if Little Miss Perfectionist's memories were anything to go by, I wasn't operating on her level at this point.
I guess I'm just not a naturalborn psychopath. Shame about that.
Li and Lo were more than happy to spend hours every day drilling some focus back into my head. It was the happy thought of maybe one day using it on them that helped me over the final hurdle to Azula's trademark blue flame, although lightning still evaded me.
Of course my first meeting with Zuko went just swimmingly...
-/-
"What are you doing here?"
I smiled slightly. "That's a warm welcome you're offering your favorite sister, Zuko."
"You're not my favorite sister."
"I'm your only sister; and therefore by default, I must be your favorite." I wasn't very accustomed to being a little sister and somehow I suspected Azula's memories wouldn't be the best of guides to the role."
Iroh hid his hands in his sleeves and bowed to me. "To what do we owe this honour, princess?"
I shook my head. "I'm not here to honour you. I probably should be - I don't say this sort of thing lightly as you should know, but I'm surprised that you're still alive brother. Surprised and perhaps just a little bit impressed." I held thumb and forefinger perhaps half an inch apart. "Just a little, of course."
Zuko shook his head. "You're lying."
"Why would I lie about something so obvious?" I asked him. "You fought the Avatar and lived. Hounded him from one end of the world to the other. I don't pretend that I couldn't have done better -" Arrogance was what he expected, so I provided it. "- but you have surpassed my expectations. So... congratulations. Don't worry though. I won't make a habit of offering them."
"You have told us only why you have not come here, Princess Azula." Iroh's eyes were deceptively lazy as he watched me. I could almost see how he would move should I pose a threat. Smooth, deadly violence upon a hair trigger.
I bowed my own head. "Ah yes. And I should perhaps be to the point." Then I looked up. "Father sent me here with orders to bring you back to the Fire Nation. Your quest to find the Avatar is over, Zuko."
His face was dismayed. "Someone has caught him?"
"No." I shook my head gravely. "No one has seen the Avatar since the North Pole, brother. Father has not rescinded your banishment: return to the Fire Nation without the Avatar and you face imprisonment until you die or the day he shows mercy... but I repeat myself. And I have been ordered to bring you back where that sentence will be carried out."
"You are lying. You always lie." Zuko seemed to cling to that as one spar of sanity.
"You know me Zuko. If I was in a position to tell you that your hopes were dashed and your life ruined would I lie to spare your feelings? When the truth is harsher than any lie, I have no cause to mislead you." Turning my eyes away from the pain in his, I met Iroh's wary gaze. "The charge is treason, both of you. It is the judgement of the Fire Lord that your actions at the North Pole prevented Admiral Zhao from conquering the Water Tribe and led directly to the devestation of our fleet."
"But that's -!" Outrage, on another's behalf? Well done, Zuko. Well done.
"It is the judgement of the Fire Lord." My voice was flat. "It is not the remit of any within the Fire Nation to speak against that writ."
Iroh placed his hand compassionately upon Zuko's shoulder. "And what will you do, Princess Azula."
"I appeal to you with reason, brother, uncle." I held my hands out towards them. "You can leave this chamber only as my prisoners or as fugitives from the laws of our people."
Zuko's face stiffened with resolve. "You are lying. Father would never do this to me, to uncle."
I closed my eyes and exhaled slowly. When I opened them what I saw reflected in Zuko's eyes was an expression he had surely never seen on Azula's face. Compassion. Regret.
"I realise that this is hard for you, Zuko. Perhaps your being away has shielded you from this realisation and I am truly sorry I cannot let you live in that illusion any longer. Father has only one love and I regret to say that it is neither one of us."
Two eyes were wide with astonishment. Two were half-closed in rage.
Fire leapt into existence around my brother's hands.
"Don't be a fool, Zuko." I whispered.
He was fast and furious. Anger - raised this time on behalf of the father he believed I maligned - brought out that much was good in him.
I was not the true Azula's equal.
I was more than Zuko's.
Between us we wrecked the room. The attendants knew better than to intrude when Sozin's line settled matters with fire. Even Iroh stood back and let us wear each other out, the old dragon letting the youngsters exhaust their strength against each other before he exerted himself to remind us of his power. And watching, measuring us.
He must have seen something there for when Zuko fell, tumbled to the floor by a throw that bounced him of a wall, my uncle did not intervene to stop me when I instinctively flowed into the follow up finishing move.
I stopped myself, letting the rivulets of fire gutter away rather than hurling them down to destroy the momentarily helpless Zuko. "I won't be your instrument of suicide, Zuko. Live miserably if you must, but live. And hope for better days."
Iroh unclasped his hands. "Do you have advice for me, Princess Azula."
My hair, half out of its neat topknot after my exertions, flapped behind me as I turned to him. "Strike me down."
He hesitated.
"By your wish for your nephew's life, strike me down and flee!"
"You are my favorite niece," he told me. And then the Dragon of West took my advice.
-/-
When I opened my eyes, I found myself laid out on the one couch left unscathed by the earlier brawl with Zuko. Somehow I did not expect that it was Zuko that had been thoughtful enough of my comfort.
Both were gone. Hopefully making for what was left of the Earth Kingdom and at least momentary safety. Then again, the confrontation wasn't exactly how they'd escaped me. Azula. Whoever. Possibly events would unroll differently. That would be difficult in some ways but then again, what was so great about those events. They left Azula - me at the moment - a wreck of a girl. I could live without that. I have enough neuroses of my own, thank you so very much.
My pursuit had of course led me south. In search of... how had Azula put it? Nimble. Agile. An elite team.
Ty Lee and Mai, in other words.
The circus bored me, just not my thing, but I endured it and refrained from the temptation to be indecorous and also from entertaining me at the expense of Ty Lee. I didn't mention wanting her on my mission of course, just that I was en route to Omashu where Mai was living these days. It would be almost like old times - how about she took a vacation to come with me. Just for a couple of weeks, I could see how happy she was... well, not literally but she told me her aura was pinker than it had ever been which I took to be a good thing.
And that put us in Omashu right about the time Tom-Tom had his little adventure and now you know as much as I do about my circumstances.
-/-
obvious gap. more flashback and then me chasing Team Avatar.
-/-
Aang pulled himself to his feet as I dismounted from my mongoose lizard. "Alright, you caught up with me." He still looked half-asleep but he brandished his staff confidently. "Now who are you and what do you want?"
Thankfully I was able to override Azula's rather biting wit. "You look tired, great-grandfather. Aren't you sleeping well?"
Admittedly, since I was one of the causes for his lack of sleep that probably didn't sound very sympathetic. Then again, the other major cause was his apparent inability to make a plan: I had seen several places where they could have forted up and hidden their exact location from me long enough to get some beauty sleep. It wasn't as if they didn't have a master earthbender with them!
His eyes narrowed indignantly, which didn't do anything to hide the bags under them. "What do you mean 'great-grandfather'?"
"Well your predecessor was from the Fire Nation and he was married. And he had children, grandchildren and..." I pressed the palm of one hand against my ribcage and bowed slightly. "At least one great-granddaughter, yours truly." I smiled letting him know exactly how amusing I found this. "So now that he's been reborn as you, I'd really like to welcome back into the family, such as it is."
Aang's face was a picture to behold. Words literally cannot describe it - he looked at me with a horrified fascination that made it plain that he wanted desperately to deny what I was telling him... and couldn't. He might not be Toph but he wasn't without his own insight. His mouth worked, soundlessly, as he tried to put his feelings into words.
Fortunately, someone else spoke for him.
"Don't trust her, Avatar. Azula always lies."
Good old reliable Zuko. Always turning up just when it would be worst for him. He really has exquisitely bad timing. I turned my head and saw him standing at the mouth of a small alleyway, wearing plain clothes in Earth Kingdom colours. A straw hat covered the top of his head but he had one hand on the brim, ready to whip it away immediately it became an obstruction.
"Now really, would I ever be that predictable?" I said teasingly as I stepped aside, implicitly inviting him to move further into view. "Besides, the fact that mother was Roku's grand-daughter is hardly a secret. If you won't take my word for it, you could ask the Fire Sages... well, under the circumstances, I suppose you can't do that. Still, I'm sure that uncle can confirm it for you."
I glanced around. No Iroh. yet, anyway. Probably still drinking tea with Toph if events were following their expected path. And I honestly can't think of any reason that they wouldn't. "So where is he, by the way? If you have misplaced your geriatric companion I won't let you run off with mine." I nodded my head towards Aang., making it clear who I was calling geriatric.
"I'm not an old man!" Given the number of times he's used it as a disguise, I'm not sure why he found that offensive.
"You're a hundred and twelve years old and it seems all your hair has fallen out. Let's not even mention the walking stick..."
"I shave my head!"
"Oh dear. My brother did that. It looked terrible. I do hope he's grown it out again."
Zuko removed his hat slowly, fire roaring into existence as he took up a bending form. I let my eyes widen. "Oh good, hair. A huge improvement."
He gestured threateningly towards me. "He's mine Azula."
"By all means, brother." I backed up another few paces. "Age before beauty."
Via Azula's memories I was aware of all Zuko's tells, those little signs that betrayed his actual feelings. Not that it was usually very hard, he typically wore his heart on his sleeve. Mind you, unlike Azula, I was willing to at least consider the possibility that Zuko might have changed a little in the last three years. Still, it wasn't hard to tell that I'd just stoked his temper a bit more. It took me a moment to realise that he probably thought that the last remark was a jab over his scarred face. Oops. I should probably try to be less provocative in the future.
...but that wouldn't be any fun...
-/-
obvious gap. summarising: they team up and attack me, with more and more of their allies emerging until I'm cornered, just like in canon.
-/-
"It serves you right for trying to capture Aang," Katara told me off.
Okay. That ticked me off a little. So I smiled at little Miss Self Righteous. "You're jumping to conclusions there, my dear," I told her. "For all that you know it might be your boomerang-wielding boyfriend over there that I was planning to drag off to some secluded dungeon to have my wicked way with."
There was a choking sound from the direction of Sokka, whose jaw was hanging slack, but he was drowned out by snickering from Toph.
I laughed a little myself at the colour rising in Katara's face before adding: "Although I admit that I don't have a convenient dungeon and that my wicked way probably needs a lot of practise. But I'm sure he wouldn't have any complaints about helping me with th-"
"HE'S MY BROTHER!" she screamed in horror, finally finding her voice.
I let that echo around the ravaged street, weighing possible responses. 'I'm not one to judge'? No. That would be fun of course, but it would be bad tactics to hit her where she was alerted. Instead, to keep her off balance.
"Ah, I see. Well in that case I offer you my sincere apologies for the unwarranted assumption. I can quite imagine how mortified I would be if someone thought the same of myself and my brother, and causing you that embarassment was not my intention." Lies, all of it. Then my smile widened even more, bright and innocent. Out of the corner of my eyes I saw Zuko tense reflexively. "Would it make it better if it was you that I was going to take away to slake my lusts upon?"
"NO!" My goodness. And I'd thought her eyes were wide with horror and shock before. Perhaps she's homophobic. Then again, at fourteen who wouldn't be? All those hormones... "I -! You -!"
I ignored the red face of the Avatar, whose blush was reaching right up to the arrow on his forehead, and the now hysterically laughing Toph. "You don't need to shout, there's nothing wrong with my hearing."
That mild rebuke left Katara twitching and speechless while Toph rolled helplessly on the ground. Well, apparently helpless anyway. An earthbender in the dirt... enough said.
In any event, the conversation had managed to break the tension and while I was still surrounded, I don't think anyone seriously expected a resumption of hostilities. I turned to Iroh and let my smile slip somewhat. "Since we seem to have a moment of peace, Uncle, could I persuade to surrender yourself to my custody? I even brought some of your favorite tea..."
"That's very thoughtful of you, princess," he told me jovially - resulting in astonished looks from the others there. Then his face hardened. "However, I don't think I'll be going with you."
"Well you can't blame a girl for trying." I lowered my guard slightly and used my left hand to reach into my jacket - something that got a curious, almost anticipatory look from Sokka. Possibly he thought I was about to remove the garment - and retrieve two packages I had been carrying ever since I left Gaoling. "Take it as gift then. You prefer ginseng as I recall, although I got some White Dragon as well."
He caught them, looking quite astonished. "Even more thoughtful than I had realised," he confessed. "I am most grateful."
"Not at all, it would have been a shame if it got scorched. Besides, you are my favorite uncle."
Sokka nodded wisely. "I like her more than you," he told Zuko quietly, earning himself an offended glare from my elder brother. "What? You never offered us tea."
"You don't know her, she's evil!"
"So, is it going to be evil tea?"
"Argh!"
Zuko was screaming in frustration, all was right in Azula's world. I, typically, wasn't quite satisfied. I suppose I have higher standards than she did.
"Speaking of family ties," I told Iroh, "I take them seriously enough to interpret father's commands regarding yourself and great-grandfather over there a little liberally but there are limits to my latitude."
He nodded in understanding. "You haven't always been so concerned for your family, princess."
I looked away, thinking of my own family. "That was before I realised how little of it was left." I let bitterness fill my voice.
Sokka cleared his throat and looked around at the still blushing Aang, quietly fuming Katara and Toph (who was finally through with her laughing fit but still laid on the ground). "Uh, we're not going to keep fighting?"
"Don't ask me. I didn't start anything."
Everyone looked at me.
"No, seriously. It was those two who double-teamed me." I lowered my guard entirely and pointed at Aang and Zuko. "I never even tried to hurt them, the whole time."
Zuko spluttered indignantly, apparently beyond words. Aang simply seemed shamefaced.
"Well I'm done fighting," I assured them. "I admit capturing you would be in my best interests... at least in the short term... but I've no illusions that I can defeat great-grandfather and uncle at the same time. Even the rest of you would be a problem without -"
Sokka waveed his hand to stop me. "Wait, did I miss something?"
"...possibly. What's the problem?"
"That's twice you've referred to your great-grandfather being here."
I nodded. "You're standing right next to him."
Given that Sokka was at the end of the little line, he wasn't spoilt for choice. "Aang!? He's your..."
The expressions on Katara's face was priceless. Far more amusing that even her earlier expressions.
