#azulaweek2018

[girlsaturday]

@azulaweek day 6 → family

[cyberpiratestarlight]

Fire and Water

Azula wanted so much more than the life they had prepared for her, but stuck on the biggest ship the Fire Nation had ever built, it felt as if her whole future had been planned out by someone else. Titanic AU. 

'I don't get where all the fuss is about,' Azula said. 'It doesn't look a lot bigger than our previous warships.'

'It's not that much bigger - but it's not a warship, my dear,' Chan said. 'It's for passengers only.'

Azula wasn't sure if that was supposed to make her like the ship better. In her eyes, only warships carried any meaning.

'So the colonization will be able to go more quickly,' she said.

Chan nodded enthusiastically. 'The Fire Nation will be able to repopulate the entire world,' he said. 'Starting with the Earth Kingdom.'

They first had to capture the Earth Kingdom, Azula thought. She knew that wasn't happening anytime soon. As a woman, she was forbidden attend war meetings. Luckily, her father didn't believe in that and had recognized Azula as his most promising child, allowing her to be present at all occasions. Still, her ideas were often ignored by other men.

Azula knew that she could take down Ba Sing Se if they just gave her a chance. She was the most intelligent person in that room and the most capable bender.

Her father had even told her he would pronounce her his official heir one day - but for now, that day seemed far away. Women had only been allowed in the army for two years and it wasn't very popular just yet. The firebending academies for girls were attracting more students every year though, so that was promising.

Azula would change the world, she had promised herself. A world where women and men could be equals.

'You alright, my dear?' Chan asked.

Azula plastered a fake smile on her face. 'Of course,' she responded. She softly touched the hat on her head. She didn't like it, nor did she like the enormous dress she was wearing. It was impossible to fight, to firebend in it - but her mother had told her she would have to wear it on an occasion like this.

Azula wished she was home, able to wear her armor, to discuss with her father and to train. Instead, she would be locked up on this boat for more about a week, together with her mother, several annoying generals and the fiance she despised.

'Everyone ready?' Ursa asked.

Azula sighed before she nodded. Chan presented her arm and she was forced to take it as they walked towards the ship.

0o0o0o

'Aren't these rooms wonderful?' Ursa exclaimed.

Azula crossed her arms in front of her chest, placing her weight on one hip. They were horrible, she thought, their decorations too frivolous and playful. She felt her upper lip curl at the thought of having to spend an entire week her.

'Are these all part of the royal suite?' Chan asked.

Ursa nodded. 'We're the only ones allowed to use them,' she said. 'So from now on, we'll always be able to travel in style.'

'Excuse me,' Azula said, not able to witness the scene any longer. She retreated into her room, happy to have a bit of solitude, even though she knew it would only be a short moment. Ursa represented everything Azula didn't want to be - content with her indoor life and happy to obey her husband and the rules society placed on her.

Azula had packed her armor, but her mother had it removed before they left. Ozai had send a pitiful glare Azula's way, but he didn't intrude. He probably didn't feel like having another fight with his wife.

No, Azua thought, she had been wrong. Ursa was many things, but not an obedient wife. Only on the surface, but she always found a way to disobey him in secret.

'Are you ready to explore the ship?' Chan asked, having followed her into her room. Azula wasn't sure what to answer. She didn't want to spend more time with Chan, but on the other hand - her corset made breathing a little more difficult than it ought to be and she could really use some fresh air.

'You two lovebirds can go, but make sure to be in time for dinner,' Ursa said. 'Azula, be there around six - you need to change in an evening dress before we can leave.'

0o0o0

Evening dresses were even more uncomfortable than normal dresses. They made her feel weak - like a little girl, whereas her armor made her feel like a warrior.

The generals present on this initiation trip looked at her. They weren't used to seeing her like this, dressed up by her mother. She said they only admired her beauty, but Azula didn't want to be admired for something as arbitrary as her appearance. She wanted to be admired for the things she had worked for - her fighting prowess, her intellectual skills.

So she made sure that she looked were extra ferocious tonight. Azula knew she could take each and every one of these generals in battle - and she made sure they wouldn't forget it.

They had brought their wives as well. Azula tried to listen to the war-related conversations the men had, but instead, she could only hear her mother's voice as she inquired at newborn babies and old family members. They spoke of parties they would organize and gossiped about other women in the capital.

Azula could suddenly see her entire life. She would be like her mother - attending parties, drinking tea and gossiping, whereas Chan would get to talk about politics and war. It would be an endless parade of meaningless parties.

That moment, Azula was sure her father would never name her his heir. She only had to look at these men - they would never accept a woman as their head of state. And in the end, her father had to listen to these men. He might be Firelord, but he still needed the approval of the nobles.

'Excuse me,' Azula suddenly said, standing up.

'Where are you going?' Ursa asked. She looked up at Azula with a discontented frown on her face.

'I'm not feeling too well,' Azula said. 'I just need a bit of fresh air, that's all.'

'Do you want me to accompany you?' Chan asked.

'No, sweetheart, you can stay,' Azula said. 'I won't be gone for too long.'

As she walked away, she could hear her mother's voice. 'They make such a nice couple.'

Azula left the restaurant, feeling the colder evening air on her skin. She started to walk faster, wanting to create as much distance between herself and the restaurant. She eventually started to run, away from those people that seemed to symbolise her entire world, her entire future.

It didn't seem like a very bright future.

Azula kept running until she reached the very end of the ship. She stopped to grab the railing, looking out over the sea. She could feel the cold, but it didn't bother her. She was firebender - she could heat herself at will.

It was beautiful, she had to admit it. The full moon was reflected on the water and Azula could see more stars than she could see on the Fire Nation, since there was a lot less light here.

In a nation full of firebenders, there was always a lightsource present.

Azula kept staring at the water. Cold and unforgiving, but also predictable. If she fell into the water, no one would find her again and she would die.

She would die before her engagement party with Chan, planned only a few days after they had returned to the capital. She would die as herself - as a fiere princess, not as 'the wife of'.

She would be free. In the spirit world, everyone was equal, Iroh had once told her.

Azula hadn't noticed she had held her breath, but she know released it, extinguishing the small torches around her.

It was now completely dark.

Azula pulled up her dress, enabling her to step on the railing. She was so clumsy in these ridiculous clothes, she might actually fall. She climbed over the railing, placing her feet on the lowest bar on the outside of the ship.

She only had to jump - and she would know peace.

Azula stretched her arms, ready to jump.

'Wait.'

She almost let go of sheer shock.

'Who are you?' she asked.

'My name's Sokka,' the boy said. Azula couldn't see a lot with just the light of the moon, but he seemed to be a few years older than she was.

'I don't know why I asked that - I don't care who you are. Just leave me alone,' Azula said.

'I… don't think that's a good idea.'

Azula huffed. 'I don't care what you think.'

She noticed that he tried to come closer. 'Stay where you are. Don't come any closer - or I'll let go.'

He raised his arms in a gesture of surrender. 'Fine. What's your name?'

There was no way she was going to tell him that.

'I was actually handling some pretty important business here, so if you could leave me to it...'

There was a short silence.

'I am from the Watertribe,' he suddenly said. Azula frowned, not having expected him to start telling her his life story.

'I'm used to the cold,' Sokka said. 'But even to me, the winter's there are extremely harsh. That's why we try to hunt a lot in the autumn, to make sure we have some supplies for when there's a true storm and we have to stay inside. My dad and I always went icefishing…'

Azula's looked at him questingly, not understanding why he was telling her this. If he tried her from stopping to jump, telling her boring stories was no way to make her climb back…

'Icefishing is…' Sokka started.

'I know what icefishing is!' she interrupted him.

'Sorry,' Sokka said. 'You don't seem like the… nevermind. So one time, I wasn't careful enough and I fell in a hole, created by an animal. And I can tell you - the water was so cold. It felt like millions of knives entering your body…'

Azula looked at him. She hadn't thought about that. She wasn't too afraid of pain, but as a Firebender, she didn't enjoy the cold. She hated it, to be frank.

'So that's why I'm not looking forward to having to jump after you,' Sokka continued.

'Don't be so stupid,' Azula said. 'The fall alone will probably kill you.'

'Only if you're lucky,' Sokka responded. 'It will hurt, I won't deny it - but not nearly as much as that water.'

Azula looked at him. She prided herself on being good at reading people and he seemed very genuine, even if she was quite sure he couldn't be that stubborn.

'I was actually hoping you would spare me that,' he said.

He was so close she could actually see the colour of his eyes now. They were blue - but not icy blue, the colour of the ocean near the Fire Nation capital on a summer day.

She had never seen anyone with that colour before. It was beautiful.

'Come on,' Sokka said. 'You don't really want to do it.'

'What do you know about what I want?' Azula asked. 'You don't know me.'

'If you really wanted to die, you would've jumped already,' Sokka said. 'What you want is a solution for your problems.'

Azula wanted to retort, but she realised he was right. She hesitantly exchanged her hand towards him.

His face lit up in a happy grin. He truly was very handsome, Azula thought, as he helped her to turn, so they faced each other right now.

'Sokka,' he said. 'But I believe I already introduced myself.'

Azula smiled.

'I guess you're not going to tell me your name?' he asked.

'Not a chance,' she whispered and Sokka smiled.

'Come on,' he said.

Azula placed her foot on the next sport of the railings, but she had forgotten about her ridiculous dress.

The fabric was beneath her feet, making her slip. If it weren't for Sokka, she would've fallen.

The sea that seemed to be her only solution minutes ago, was no beneath her, cold and menacing, a horrible death.

'Hold on!' Sokka said.

Azula's heart was racing on her throat. She wouldn't go like this. She suddenly realised Sokka had been right - she wouldn't have jumped. She had some many things she wanted to do, to accomplish.

Being here, she now realised all her problems could've been solved.

No, she wouldn't die today.

Azula grabbed one of the sports, pulling herself up. Sokka made a surprised sounds as he helped her over the railing.

'You're strong,' he said, looking at her in surprise.

'Yes, I am.'

0o0o0o0

'I wanted to thank you, for what you did,' Azula said. She wasn't someone who thanked people a lot, but that was mostly because she didn't often have a reason to.

With Sokka, it was different. She wanted to see him again, no matter what and if that meant thanking him… it wasn't that difficult, she had realised. Because she meant it.

'Any time,' Sokka responded.

Azula looked at him and suddenly felt the need to defend herself. Because for one reason or another, she cared about what he thought about her. 'Look, I know what you must be thinking… poor little rich girl, what does she know about being unhappy?'

'That was not what I was thinking,' Sokka responded. 'What I was thinking was - why does this girl think there's no hope left.'

Azula stared at ime. He seemed so genuine, so truly interested in her. No one ever asked her what she wanted.

'I…' She hesitated before she showed him her engagement ring.

'Wow, that thing's huge,' Sokka said. 'You would've sank right away.'

Azula send him an annoyed look.

'If you don't want to marry the guy, don't marry him,' Sokka said. 'Easy as that.'

Azula couldn't help a small chuckle. 'You truly have no idea who I am, don't you?' she asked him.

'Of course I do, Princess Azula,' Sokka said. 'But that doesn't matter - if you don't love him, you shouldn't have to marry him, royalty or not.'

'Well, it must be nice to live in a world like that…' Azula mumbled.

Sokka looked at her with worry.

'Aren't you supposed to hate me? Water Tribe and Fire Nation? Fire and water and all?'

'I don't believe in that,' Sokka responded, but Azula could tell he was lying.

'Why don't you come to dinner with me, tonight?' she asked him without thinking. 'I bet my mother would be delighted to meet a watertribe member.'

It was bit impulsive, but it would make for an interesting evening, Azula figured.

0o0o0

'You don't want to stay with the women, do you?' one of the generals asked Sokka.

'No, I think I'll have to return to my deck soon,' Sokka said.

'Good idea,' Chan said. 'We talk about politics and warfare - nothing of interest for an artist just like yourself.'

'Do you really need to go?' Azula asked him as Sokka stood up.

'I'm afraid this fairytale has to end,' Sokka said. He took Azula's hand and pressed a soft kiss on it, much to her mother's distress.

When he retreated his hand, Azula could feel paper. She tried to hide her shocked face. Sokka looked at her repeatedly as he left the restaurant.

Make it count. Meet me at the clock.

Azula told her mother she would retreat as well. When she saw Sokka, he smiled. 'Ready for a real party?' he asked.

Azula had never danced like that. It wasn't suitable for a princess. But the people here didn't know she was a princess - or they were too drunk to care. So she laughed and danced and for the first time in her life, she could imagine a future that wasn't filled with either war and politics or children and an unloving husband.

0o0o0o0

'You'll be my wife and you'll honour me as a wife should honour a husband. I don't care if you're royalty - I'll be as well! And you'll be a good wife to me.'

Or else? You're not even a firebender, Azula thought.

0o0o0o0

'Sokka - I can't see you anymore. I don't want to see you anymore. I am a Fire Nation, you are a Water Tribe peasant. Leave me alone.'

0o0o0o

'I changed my mind.'

Azula took a deep breath as she looked at Sokka. 'They said you might be up here…'

'Shh…'

She looked at him, scared. Was this a refusal - did he want nothing to do with her after what she had said to him?

Water Tribe peasant, she had called him.

'Give me your hand.'

Azula couldn't stop a small smile from spreading over her face as she took his hand. He softly pulled her closer. Their noses almost touched.

'Now close your eyes,' he said, smiling goofily. Azula wondered if he was going to kiss her.

She had never been kissed.

'Go on,' he said softly.

Azula closed her eyes, still smiling slightly. She expected to feel his lips any moment now, but instead he placed a hand on her back and led her forward.

'Place your foot on the first railing. Keep your eyes close. Don't peak.'

'I'm not!' Azula said.

'Do you trust me?'

Azula had never trust anyone before. People always lied to hear, betrayed her, told her things to gain her favour. It's why she had become so good at reading people.

With Sokka, she didn't feel the need to second-guess his intentions.

'I trust you,' she said and she meant it, fully, without hidden meanings.

His hands travelled to hers and he placed them in the , making them stretch as if she was a bird. 'Now, open your eyes,' he whispered in her ear as he placed his hands on her waist.

Azula opened her eyes and gasped. She was in the air, wind blowing her hair away from her face and hitting her arms and chest. She had never been so high up, had never been so free.

She had never been so happy, not since her childhood anyway.

'I'm an airbender,' she said without thinking.

Sokka chuckled.

'Maybe we can visit them, one day.'

Azula turned her head to look at him. 'When the ship docks… I'm getting off with you,' she said.

Sokka's eyes and grin widened. 'That's insane.'

Insane, and unprepared and foolish.

'I know,' she said.

She had never done such a thing in her life. She had always been a perfect little princess… and look where it would've gotten her.

'That's why I trust it.'

[purpleplatypusbear21]

Azula Week Day 2: Motherhood

(Artwork by @gavalanche-presents)

The sound of shattering glass broke Azula's concentration. So much for breathing exercises. Ever since the kids had entered her life, getting even a half hour of tranquility was a gift. Nevertheless, her children were her little treasures, and with her husband, Sokka, away at a council meeting, she was left alone to deal with their shenanigans.

She walked into her son's room to find the young firebender creating a makeshift home for his pet firefly-fish. Servants were already scurrying to pick up broken glass from the soaked carpet. The perks of being royalty.

"She tired to murder my fish!" Koda cried, pointing at his little sister.

"I did not!" Arika insisted.

"Okay, okay." Azula took a deep breath. "What happened?"

"We were fighting and his fish bowl toppled over and broke," the non-bender started, "but I didn't do it!"

"Yes she did!"

"I wasn't even near it!"

"Then a ghost must have done it," the boy groaned sardonically.

"You've got to believe me, momma!" Arika looked up at her with wide, pleading blue eyes.

"I want to, sweetheart, but…" Azula sighed. "You were pretty jealous when your father and I agreed that Koda was old enough to have a pet – "

"Yes but – "

"And fish bowls don't just move on their own…"

"YOU ALWAYS TAKE HIS SIDE!" she shrieked.

That stung. "No honey, that's not – "

"IT'S BECAUSE HE'S A FIREBENDER, ISN'T IT?!" She clenched her hands into tiny, furious fists.

Suddenly, the water on the carpet turned to ice.

Koda's mouth dropped.

Azula froze. A waterbender! Her daughter was a waterbender!

"I…" Arika's eyes filled with tears. "I didn't know… I didn't mean to – "

Azula threw her arms around her daughter and hugged her tightly. "I know, sweet girl." She stroked her back. "I know."

Please favorite/follow/review on FF.net! ❤

(AO3 appears to be down right now, but I’ll post there later.)

[salixj]

Elementary

               “Steam," Sokka said. Azula's heart skipped a beat. She recognized Sokka's tone. He was furious. And she could understand that; it was the fourth time he had been asked the question during this meeting, for the second time by Katra. “But why do you want to marry her?" Meaning, of course, Azula. “Steam?” Katara asked, her scowl took on a note of confusion. Everyone had the same look of confusion on their faces. “Steam,” Sokka said and lifted her left hand with his right, and then propped his, and by default her, elbow on the table. “Fire, water...STEAMMMMMMMMMMM!!!” His voice went low and sultry and to make certain his meaning was understood he cocked his eyebrows several times. “Steamy steamy hot.” Azula began to blush. “Sauna worthy steam...” Azula felt her face go red. Her mother, sitting on her right, began to blush as well. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish. All that came out was “Oh. Oh. Oh.” Hakoda, sitting on Sokka's left, put a hand on his son's arm, then slid down in his seat. Zuko had covered his eyes with his hands, plugged his ears with his thumbs and was shaking his head wildly. Iroh, who was sitting beside Ursa, began to chuckle. Katara looked as if steam would come from her nose. “SOKKA!” Azula and Katara yelled together. Azula gave Sokka a kick under the table just as a huge snowball hit Sokka in the chest. “HEY!” Azula snarled at Katara and Katara snarled back at her. Then they began to laugh. “Hey! I'm all wet now. And my chest hurts. And my calf hurts," he pouted. “Oh you big baby!” Azula took his shirt in her hand and rubbed her hand over the cloth. As the vapor rose Sokka pointed. “See, steam!” Azula laughed and then pulled Sokka in for a kiss. “Honestly," she said. Then glanced around the table. Iroh had a big grin. Ursa's face had softened and her eyes looked dreamy. Hakoda sat back up and patted Sokka on the arm. Zuko took his hands from his face and shook his head, but he was smiling. Katara wasn't exactly smiling, but her frown had relaxed. She looked at them both curiously.   “You love each other,” she finally said. “Yes,” Sokka and Azula said together. “Steam,” Iroh said and began to laugh once more.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Azula Week Day 4; Avatar Azula

After killing Aang, his Avatar abilities transfer to Azula. She fears that Ozai will use her as a human weapon or kill her.

If she had known then she wouldn’t have killed him. Azula liked the power she had, she didn’t particularly care to make any wild snatches for more. She certainly didn’t want the Avatar’s powers. She wasn’t ready to wield them. Truth be told she was probably iller prepared than even Aang was. But she had struck him down quite literally. His body hit the cavern floor, the waterbender cried out and in her frantic scramble to get to him her vile of spirit water clinked to the floor. Azula didn’t know why, but Zuko was quick to empty it. Aang still had a few ounces of life in him, but not enough of it to mean anything at all. Not enough to last him until he found safety and a powerful healer.  

His powers, his duties, they were supposed to dissipate. That’s what the fire sages and scholars had told her. That’s why Aang’s capture or death was so important to the Fire Nation. But they were wrong. Energy like that doesn’t just disappear.

No, it finds a new home.

It came to her in a burst too vivid for her own eyes. A hundred lifetimes seemed to flow into her in a relentless and confusing overpowering barrage. Images of Avatar’s through the ages, their love and their loss. She felt their power, raw and unchecked in a body not accustomed nor equipped to harness it. Part of Azula felt as though it would tear her apart from the inside out. But that passed and she felt their mourning and their confusion as Aang stepped in to join them and his memories bled into her own. She knew things about him that she ought not to.

And then she felt their anger.

It was personal, very personal.

She had killed one of them.

They were one in the same. She may as well have killed them all.  

She knew that they wouldn’t help guide her towards mastering the other three elements even if she wanted to. In fact they wanted her out and resented that she was now one of them. And Azula began to fear death for the first time. The idea of dying and then falling in line with a crowd that loathed her, a crowd that would torment her. The notion that she would be reborn. What if she didn’t like her successor. She’d be like all of the other avatars who hated her.

Just like that she wanted the goofy kid to wake up. He wouldn’t, the dead don’t come back and she could feel him still on the fringes of her consciousness, pitying her. Maybe he could sense what she knew already.

Maybe he could sense that she had two fates in store.

She was going to be a weapon or she was going to be killed as well.

.oOo.

It would be her hard to cover secret, one that she would take to her grave. Deep down she feared that she would find a grave sooner rather than later. She dwelled on it as she lay in her bed. She wondered if she should at least tell Zuko her secret. No, she decided, if he got angry with her he would run his mouth to Ozai. He would try to use her as a weapon, the past Avatars wouldn’t work with her, and he would beat her for her incompetence.

She was good at lying, but never good at lying to her father. She stood before him, praying to herself that she would be able to keep her mouth shut or twist her words to a point where he couldn’t guess the true meaning. It would have been lovely if he never asked at all.

“You’ve exceeded my expectations, Azula. You killed the Avatar and brought your brother home.”

“Yes.” She nodded, trying to add an adequate degree of enthusiasm.

“So why are you so somber?”

She swallowed hard. “Why would you think I’m not happy, father?”

He chuckled, it was a low menacing sort of sound. “I know you, Azula. Where’s that exhilarated mood, that I’m so used to?”

“I am tired father. It took a lot of energy to kill the Avatar and bring down Ba Sing Se.” The excuse had fallen so naturally from her tongue and seemed to fit so well.

He narrowed his eyes, she wanted to say, skeptically. “Well I hope you won’t be so ‘tired’ at our victory party.”

“I’ll get some rest, father.” She forced a smile that only sent the butterflies in her stomach reeling more. He lifted his arm and waved her off, she was dismissed. Her heart pounded as she made her way down halls that had once seemed so inviting and secure. They seemed oppressive now, like they would close in on her at Ozai’s command.

And she was afraid. For the first time ever, she was truly and helplessly terrified.

Azula couldn’t even complain, she had brought it on herself. This time karma had been swift and instant. She had killed a boy and for it she had to live in fear or die after him. She pulled the covers  over her head, wondering how many times she would be able to do so.

[pomelope]

azula is probably my favorite villain <3

[firelxrdsdaughter]

Childhood | Azula Week 2018 Drabble

@azulaweek

For prompt one “childhood”. Hoping to do drabbles for all of the prompts. :) This one takes place about ten years after Azula would have escaped the institution but is not set in my main verse, as Ursa is...Alive in this one. Hahaha. xD

Pretty short and sweet. Enjoy!

Her scalp tingles with the pass of the brush, and Azula looks at her tired form in the mirror, staring passed her bony shoulder at her mother’s aged reflection. The lines of her mother’s face have always been soft, Azula thinks. At least, it seems so in official paintings. She’d been eight when Ursa disappeared (old enough to remember her), but she has to admit she’d forgotten in the interim exactly what her mother looked like.

The answer is, she looks like Azula. The former princess has been looking at her mother every time that she looks at her own reflection — granted her features are more angular, taking after Ozai’s in that respect. Still, her mother is indelibly the model that Azula has been formed after.

Ursa pauses, feeling the force of Azula’s weary gaze, and she smiles tightly at her daughter, raking her fingers through the ends of Azula’s tangled hair.

“I used to do this for you all the time when you were little,” she intones softly, “do you remember?”

Azula shrugs, her bottom lip jutting out in a nonchalant fashion. But she does remember. Vaguely.

Ursa sighs, stroking the brush through her hair once again. “The two of you grew up before I could come home,” she laments quietly. “But especially you. I heard the stories. You were leading the forces at fourteen. You conquered Ba Sing Se. So impressive.”

“Please,” Azula rolls her eyes, “it was nothing but dumb luck.”

Ursa snorts.

“That’s not true. You’ve always been terribly clever. Even your uncle Iroh couldn’t conquer that city.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Princess Ursa.”

Her mother sighs heavily, setting the brush aside.

The older woman reaches forward, urging Azula around to face her with a gentle but firm grip. She reaches up, smoothing the dark strands of Azula’s hair over her shoulders contemplatively.

“I understand what it’s like,” Ursa begins calmly, brushing a thumb across Azula’s sharp cheekbone, “scrounging to eat. On the run, desperate for stability.”

Azula turns her face away from her mother, frowning at the corners of the room defiantly.

“It was difficult as an adult. I cannot imagine what it must have been like as a child.”

“I was hardly a child,” Azula replies dully.

“You were only fifteen. You were a child. You knew how to survive, I’ve no doubt about that, but I doubt that it was a good way to grow into adulthood. On your own. Without your family. Having to learn everything for yourself.”

Azula makes no answer, and Ursa’s amber eyes search her daughter’s almost plaintively.

“Please Azula. I want to be a mother to you, I want to offer you what we didn’t get to have before.”

“How convenient for you,” Azula snaps, “You want to be my mother now? Now that I’ve grown up? Now that I really don’t need a mother?” She stands in one swift movement, stalking away from Ursa to the other side of the room. She looks moodily out the glass paned doors that lead to the private balcony. Ursa’s view encompasses the pond that she’d once liked to sit at and feed the turtle-ducks. It glints now in the bright moonlight, held in sharp relief with the shadowed landscape surrounding it.

“Azula…” Ursa hesitates, and withdraws into herself. It’s well practiced, Azula can tell that much. A politician’s wife — a prince’s wife who is used to reserving her feelings for a later date. “You’re right. I don’t know you very well and you don’t need your mother anymore. Those days are long behind us…”

She turns to look at the older woman, expression leaning toward surprise as her mother acquiesces to her way of thinking. She hadn’t expected such, but she feels something close to relief at Ursa’s agreement.

“Good. Then I — “

“ — Just know. If you ever feel you need someone. Someone to talk to. Someone to be with you. I’m right here now, and I am more than willing to be the one for you to turn to.”

Azula gathers up her nerve, setting her expression to be smooth as stone.

“I have Zuko for that now. Hadn’t you heard?” She almost floats passed her mother, equally as regal. A woman made of glass.

“Of course,” Ursa says in return, expression equally as smooth.

When Azula passes from her mother’s rooms, surrounded by guards, escorted back to her own quarters as is required for the time being, she cannot help but feel like a small child again. No matter how grown she has convinced herself that she has become.

[sokkazula]