Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"Move Peasant," Azula voice made its way into Sokka's ears, and he grimaced at the sound. The princess brushed past him, and he groaned, feeling his skin burn where her shoulder touched him. Sokka didn't dwell on it on and Azula continued to make her way to the deck. She looked out with a parka on, watching as the waves crashed against the boat. The fur on the parka made her itch and she had never felt more disgusting in her life. She had been stuck, sitting in the back of the dining room of the ship watching everyone interact with each other. Watching Zuko as he was all lovey-dovey with the painted freak, the Avatar and the peasant were nearly attached at the hip. Toph wasn't the worst but her manners were despicable, Mai and Ty Lee were still very strange around her, and she didn't think it would really make a difference if they weren't.

They were finally heading back to the Fire Nation after what was practically a world tour, the Fire Lord showing her off as his newly trained lapdog. They used her new title as the Fire Lord's Advisor. Zuko and his friends wanted to prove that they could tame the insane Princess of Fire, like that was the only way they could keep the other nations from asking for her head on a stick. She stayed quiet as she sat in the back of the room, at least three feet away from the table, and smiled as softly as she possibly could fake as Zuko had meetings with the leaders of the other nations. She'd give her notes to Zuko, and he'd pretend like he was going to read them as they rushed off to their next meeting.

Azula was exhausted.

Living like this, pretending like this. It was unbearable for her. Of course, she had tried her best, she tried her hardest to at least be cordial with Zuko and his friends, but it was every road she took was a dead end. She was too mean, too sarcastic, nothing she said or did was good enough for his group of heroes. She'd wake up, she'd do her Katas, act like her mother and her new family aren't just down the hall. Azula would eat dinner at the opposite end of the table, always excusing herself way before everyone else. She'd sit in her room or the library until bed, and she would repeat it all the next day.

And the next day.

It would probably be the same until they got tired of her and shipped her away to Ember Island.

"Is this what you wanted mother," the whisper was faint but still it left her lips, "is this the perfect daughter that you've always asked for? Quiet and never seen?" Azula continues as she kept her stare focused on the wave that seemed to grow taller by the minute. The crack of thunder clapped through the sky, and she prepared herself for the onslaught of rain that was preparing to pour down from the sky.

She was taking back her control over her life.

Even if that meant ending it.

Sokka quickly downed another drink before standing up from his seat. He was beyond ready to get back on land. He was ready to be left alone. It was hard enough to watch his ex make out with his best friend. He had tried drinking, but they had cut him off an hour ago, and he had since sobered up. He watched as Zuko and Aang called him over. Sokka put on the biggest smile he could and ran over to play the game with his friends. His joy only lasted five minutes before Suki was attached to Zuko's hip and Katara was practically in Aang's lap. Sokka's stomach curled, and he felt sick as he sat at the edge of the circle, as he felt as out of place as he ever had.

He waited agonizingly as the group winded down and people began saying their good nights. He smiled as Toph was the last one to go into her room and she left him alone at the table. His breath fell from his lips as relief washed over him. Relief that only lasted a few moments until the pit in his stomach returned, and he quickly threw on his parka before heading out onto the deck.

The weather was always bad in this area of the sea. Sokka could remember the several times he's been thrown into the ice water that tipped over his boat when he would fish as a child. He'd shiver as his father hoisted him back up into the boat and his mother would hover over him as soon as he got home. He'd cozy up to the fire and his mother would give him a warm cup of tea. It was like it didn't matter that he couldn't feel his fingers or his teeth chattered as loud as they could.

This was not one of those times.

The boat shook violently as the waves crashed against it, and he regretted coming out to the deck immediately. He needed the fresh air, he was tired of looking at Suki and Zuko fondling each other. He only felt worse when he noticed Azula in the corner of his eye. They had argued earlier during dinner, her usual insults irritating him more and more as this trip progressed. He was just happy they'd be back on land soon, and he wouldn't have to deal with her anymore. He didn't interact with her as she stood a couple feet away from him at the edge of the deck.

Sokka tried hard to ignore the princess but the sounds she was making seemed to get louder. It was as if she didn't even know he was there. The sound was too similar to sobbing, but that didn't make sense. He didn't even think the princess could cry, she didn't look capable. But that's didn't stop the sound from infiltrating his ears. He groaned before turning to look at her. What he saw wasn't what he expected to see. He thought he was gonna see a crying Azula, which to some degree he did, but her sitting on the edge of the deck was not something he thought he'd see.

"Azula! What are you doing?" He shouted as he sped over to her side. She turned and looked startled at him. Tears were sitting on her cheeks and her fingers were gripping the side of the deck for dear life. The princess opened her eyes and looked at him, her amber meeting his icy blues.

"Go back inside," her voice was soft, softer than he had ever heard it. He knew what she was planning on doing, and he didn't understand why.

"Azula, I don't think you know what you're doing," he looked at her and watched as her grip seemed to lessen.

"I know what I am doing!" she hissed at him as he took steps closer to her.

"Okay, okay," he said calmly as he moved to touch her hand, but she snatched her hand away, nearly slipping off the edge. "What are you doing then?" He asks her and she shakes her head.

"I'm solving everyone's problem. Taking myself out of the equation, it's simple really." Azula's answer was so sure that it gave Sokka chills. Sure he wanted

"Azula, I don't think that's going to fix any problems. Just get down, and we can talk or just sit." Sokka pleaded with the princess, but her fingers slowly seemed to let go of the edge of the deck. Before he could hear her answer, a wave hits the side of the ship knocking them both overboard. The cold water shocked both of them, and he could hear Azula's shrieks muffled by the water that had to be filling her lungs.

Could she even swim?

That didn't matter at this point, he just needed to get her above water and calm. He managed to get close enough and grab her waist as she flailed around, sputtering as coughed up water. He held her closer as he looked around for anything they could float on. He watched as the ship continued to sail away from where they had been thrown over. Sokka had forgotten how cold the water could actually get, but he was already feeling like his fingers were frost bitten.

"HELP," the scream sounded hoarse and probably wouldn't wake anyone up. There was no one near them and Azula was barely conscious as he held onto her waist. The only way he knew she was still alive was the soft whimpers that left her mouth. He saw a crate, and it looked heavy enough to withstand some weight. He swam as fast as he could with one arm and used the rest of his strength to hoist Azula onto the flat surface of the crate. Sokka allowed his upper body to rest on the side and tried his best to keep them both afloat.

"Fuck," it was spluttered out through the salt water in his mouth.

In weather like this...he wasn't sure how they'd make it.

Chapter Text

Sokka could hear his grandmother's voice, and he thought that the sea had actually taken him, that this was a post life dream. It wasn't until light filtered in through his eyelids and he woke up from his sleep. It was like he had turned into a piece of seal jerky the way his body constricted. He shrieked as he tried to suck in a breath.

"Ah, he's up," hearing his father's voice shocked him, and he looked around the igloo that he was in.

"What happened?" His voice cracked as he pulled the blanket tight around his shoulders.

"Some men were doing their early morning fish, and they saw you both not too far from shore. They brought you back here as soon as they recognized you." Hakoda explains and Sokka nodded as he took in the information.

"Where's Azula?" his voice was still coarse, barely there, but the question still reached his father's ears.

"She's in your igloo. We thought it would be best if she had her own space when she woke up." His father answered and Sokka's eyes widen.

"She's still sleeping? How long has it been?" Sokka asks, and his Grandmother quickly hands him his bowl of Sea Prune Stew.

"It's only been a day. She's been asleep since we found you two. How did you two even end up together?" Hakoda answered and Sokka sighed at the thought of answering that question.

How does he explain to his father that he was trying to stop Azula from killing herself.

Sokka shakes his head and is thankful that his father didn't ask again. He quickly swallows down the soup and began eating the whale jerky that his grandmother handed him. He ate and tried to wrap his head around the situation he was in. Stuck with Azula. And he thought seeing Zuko and Suki made him sick. He didn't want her to die, but he definitely didn't want to spend time with her. He could only hope Zuko could return soon.

The day went on, and he continued to recover from almost freezing to death or drowning or both. He had gone out with his father to get some more materials for their stay. They needed things for Azula to wear, and he didn't think Katara would appreciate Azula borrowing her things. He wanted to be proactive and reduce how much he'd had to help her with once she woke up. He wasn't trying to spend this extended time at home babysitting Princess Uppity.

The less he had to see her, the better.

The day went on, and soon one day turned into two and there was still no sign of Azula waking up. Gran-Gran had even managed some healers in the village to look at her to make sure nothing drastic was wrong. It seemed like she just needed more time to rest.

While Azula slept, Sokka eased his way back into the village activities. He had forgotten how stress-free it could be in the tribe since the war was over. It beat working late nights to finalize plans for Republic City, and it's districts. He loved the peace and focus building the city brought, but sometimes he needed a break. Sure he hated waking up early but at least he could go spear fishing peacefully instead of dozing off in some boring meeting. He also enjoyed catching up with his father during this time. It had been so long since they could just learn from each other. It felt like things had gone back to normal. The normal before discovering Aang had thrown everything up in the air.

The two days of what seemed like Southern Water Tribe bliss turned into three and then four as Azula continued to sleep. He had since sent a letter to Zuko and everyone else on the ship. He knew that they had to continue their trip back to the Fire Nation. That it was still too dangerous for them to take those waters to reach them, it probably would be until the season changed. He didn't know what he was going to do when the Princess woke up, if she woke up. He didn't know which outcome was worse for him. Sokka didn't need Zuko thinking he killed his little sister.

"Son, I know you didn't want to talk about before, but what happened on the ship?" Hakoda's question sat in Sokka's ears as he tried to think of an answer. He didn't know how to explain that the only reason he was out with her is that he didn't want to see Suki and Zuko. That he had been trying his hardest to stop Azula from jumping overboard and that a small piece of him wished he had never gone out there.

But that part of him knows that Azula might not be alive right now if he hadn't and that is something that makes it even harder to deal with.

"We were both out on the deck that night. I just wanted some fresh air and Azula just happened to also be outside. She-" He froze. He didn't know if he should say something, but he also didn't know if she would try it again when she woke up. If she woke up.

"Oh so you two weren't-"

"God no! Dad, what's wrong with you?" Sokka felt his skin crawl at the thought of it. Why would he ever be romantically involved with Azula.

"Sorry son, I was just trying to piece it together." A chuckle left Hakoda's mouth at the sight of Sokka's flustering.

"Well, those aren't the right pieces. I was just helping her that night. I was trying to be nice, but the weather was worse than expected," Sokka's answer was simply and his father nodded.

It made sense.

"Well hopefully everything is okay now. Once she wakes up, we'll send another note to Zuko and you guys should be back on your way."

"Yeah, hopefully," only a mutter left Sokka's mouth.

On the morning of the fourth day, he had returned from a fishing trip when news of the Princess waking up travelled through the village. He stopped in place and closed his eyes as relief flooded through him. He was actually able to save her. Sokka took his time putting up the fish and cleaning up the boat for the next trip that was bound to happen tomorrow. Sokka walked his way back to his igloo where Azula had been resting. He took up space in his father's in order for the princess to have more privacy. He didn't think he would have been able to sleep in his room with her there next to him. Sokka walked up to the igloo and paused before entering, he did not know what to expect, and he simply hoped she wouldn't explode or cause a scene. He was nervous, something he didn't expect from himself.

Snap out of it, he thought to himself, there's no reason to act like this, we've defeated Azula before, and now she's more mean than anything else. Right?

He took a deep breath and finally started walking into the igloo.

Everything would be fine.

Chapter Text

The warmth against her face was the first thing she felt when she woke up. Her eyes slowly opened, and she looked around to see pelts and ice surrounding her. She moved to get up but felt like a Komodo rhino was sitting on her chest. She instantly coughed, spitting out the last of whatever water was in her lungs and looked around for anything familiar.

"You're awake," a warm voice exclaimed and startled Azula from her spot. Azula's eyes took in the woman and the face seemed familiar to her.

"What am I doing here?" Azula's voice was hoarse, her throat scratchy and her lips dry.

"You and Sokka fell overboard off the ship. I tried to warn the captain that those water are nothing to be trifled with but here we are. You've been asleep for four days now." Gran-Gran hands Azula another blanket and a hot cup of tea.

"Four days! I shouldn't be here, I'm supposed to be home!"

"Don't worry child, your family will be on the way back for you both. They had to complete their journey back to the Fire Nation before returning to get you dear. Those waters were too rough for them to safely turn around. It's a miracle you both made it," Azula took in the older woman's words. She was stuck in the savage tribe for even longer than what she signed up for.

"Yeah sure, they're probably glad I-" her throat closed as she realized what was about to be said. She didn't need this peasant looking at her with pity. She was such a failure that she couldn't even end her own life right. Now she was stuck, stuck in the barren wasteland the water tribe idiot calls home and who know how long before they send a ship to get her. If they sent one at all.

"They're glad that you're safe. They were worried about you when you weren't there when they woke up." The water tribe woman tells her and she scoffed at that thought.

Gran-Gran was met with silence as Azula went back to drinking her tea. The princess looked down at her steaming cup of tea as the woman straightened up the room in the igloo. When the Sea Prune stew was finished, fixing Azula a bowl was the first thing Gran-Gran did. She knew that the girl needed to rebuild her strength after nearly drowning. Azula looked at the woman as she held out the bowl of soup to her. Who know what she put in it or if it was poisoned. She also knew that it would not be up to the Princess's cuisine standards. Azula looked at Gran-Gran and went to shake her head in protest when her stomach betrayed her. A loud growl made itself known and Azula rolled her eyes. Even her own body sided against her. She carefully handed the full bowl to her and watched as her face experienced a range of emotions as Azula tried her first sip of the stew. Disgust was the main one followed by shock. A light chuckle left the elder's lips and Azula's head shot up. The fire bender's cheeks turned a crimson color despite the glare that was fixed on her face.

"What is this?" Azula asked, her tone almost angry as she attempted to swallow down another spoonful of the stew.

"It's Sea Prune stew," Both women turned around to see Sokka standing in the doorway of the igloo. Azula narrowed her eyes as she looked at him.

It was Sokka's fault she was here in the first place. She should not have been saved, he should have left her to die. It would have made things so much easier.

Anything was easier than this.

"Oh," was the only word that left her mouth as she attempted to swallow down some more of the foul stew.

"How are you feeling Sokka," Gran-Gran instantly turned on her grandmother charm and trying to usher Sokka into the room. She enveloped him into a tight hug that nearly made Azula throw up.

She couldn't tell if it was because she was jealous, or they were truly just that nauseating.

"I'm feeling fine Gran-Gran. I just wanted to come check on Azula, but I see she's up," an awkward smile graces his lips, and he's met with a glare that he'd grown familiar with. Sokka quickly diverts his eyes away from the eating princess and turns to converse with his grandmother.

They talked about the upcoming plans for both Republic City and for Southern Water Tribe. Azula listened in as she slowly ate the stew in attempts to get rid of the headache she felt forming. It was always fascinating to see families who cared for each other. It went against everything she had ever known, and it made her beyond uncomfortable. She kept her eyes focused on the food and tried her best to fade into the background as they talked.

It only lasted for a few minutes before they seemed to want her attention. Azula looked up from her bowl that was still close to full and saw both Sokka and Gran-Gran stating at her. Her anxiety skyrocketed, and she tried her best to look like she'd burn the both to ashes if they had so much as breathe at her in the wrong way.

She failed at that.

"How about tomorrow we have Sokka take you around the town? I know you didn't get to see much during your earlier visit," the elderly woman suggested. Azula and Sokka's eyes widen at the thought.

"Gran-Gran, I don't think that's necessary,"

"As if I'd want to spend time with him. It's his fault I'm here in the first place," Azula's sentence came out harsh as Sokka's came out nervous and they both looked at each other.

"My fault? How is my fault that you tried-"

"Say it, I dare you!" Azula hissed and Gran-Gran stood from her spot.

"That's enough! How about we all get some rest before supper. There's no need to discuss it now." She tells them calmly and Sokka nods while Azula looks away. Gran-Gran leaves out of the igloo after Sokka, leaving Azula alone.

The next morning Azula woke with the sunrise and was very disappoint by the cold she felt all over. It was awful, she hated everything about being cold. And it didn't help that she was surrounded by water. Azula sat up and thought that she would get ready to do her Katas, but she soon realized that she had no other clothes with her besides whatever they put on her and the clothes she was wearing four nights ago. She didn't think anything she tried would be productive. She found a pair of socks and boots in the closet along with a large parka. Azula put the items on and left the igloo with hopes to find someone she recognized. It didn't take long for her to run into chief Hakoda and relief filled her.

"There you are! We just went to check on you, and you were gone. Glad to see you found the clothes we left for you." Hakoda smiles at her, and she tries her best to reciprocate, but she knew that it didn't look natural.

It never did.

"Thank you. I do appreciate your hospitality." Her diplomatic skills took over, and she bowed in front of him after her thanks.

"It's no problem, truly. Though it seems like you will need more clothing. We just received a letter from your brother. It's going to at least be three months before they return to get you." He explained and she felt her heart drop.

They weren't coming back for her. She knew it.

They'd leave her in this wasteland and forget about her.

"Oh," the word left her mouth quietly and the Chieftain frowned at her.

"I promise, it won't be as bad as you think. The cold is a lot to get used to, but it's a beautiful experience you can't get anywhere else." He says, a grin plastered on his face in attempts to cheer the fire princess up.

"Of course." It took her all to not grit those words out. There was nothing beautiful about this. Who knew what could happen to her, there was nothing and no one to protect her.

Not like they'd want to anyways, the thought fluttered through Azula's mind before she pushed it back. If she had learned anything in the wretched asylum, it was that those were thoughts that did not need her attention. Everyone else was already against her, she didn't to be fighting herself as well.

"Would you like to find a couple pieces to wear later? We can have Sokka show you around. I know you don't have enough to last you three months." Hakoda suggested, and she nodded, not knowing how to respectfully decline. She'd rather drown than spend time with Sokka. He was an idiot who didn't know how to mind his own business.

She followed the man to where Sokka was and tried not to lose her mind in the process. She didn't think she was ready to spend time with Sokka, or anyone. Azula walked behind him quietly and waited to got him to show her to Sokka. The pair entered the igloo, and she cringed at the sight of Sokka helping the children.

Of course, he was good with kids.

Sokka turned at the intrusion and looked surprised to see his father with Azula by his side. He excused himself from the boy he was helping to see what was going on. He wearily approached the both of them and simply hoped Azula wasn't hostile like last night. They walked out of the igloo and moved to talk about their plan for the day. Getting Azula more clothes was important if she was gonna attempt to face the harsh weather. That required asking around for any clothes that could possibly fit her.

"Are you okay to show her around until supper Sokka?" He heard his father ask and nodded before he realized what was asked of him. Sokka's eyes rounded as it clicked, and the tension filled the space as Azula pulled her parka closer and kept her focus on the ground. "If that's okay with you, of course?" Hakoda adds at the end, after seeing both of their reactions.

"It's fine." She hurried out, anxious to end this interaction. This entire day had put on her on edge and being left alone with the peasant only made it worse. The weather was already more than what she bargained for.

You bargained for death, so I don't know if that is true, the princess thought and almost scoffed at herself.

"Well then I guess we can go ask around for some clothes and then I'll show you some of the buildings." Sokka tells her and she nods, following behind the man as he left his father in charge of the children.

"You're infuriating." Sokka gritted out and Azula rolls her eyes.

"And what are you, if not headache inducing?" Came Azula's reply.

It had only taken thirty minutes for them to clash, Azula's snarky jokes and Sokka's need to prove her wrong rising to the surface. Onlookers watched awkwardly as they walked and bickered throughout the center of the village. Azula couldn't contain her disgust or apathy at the people offering her clothes and it Sokka couldn't help but to grow frustrated with her.

"Those people are trying to help you and you're being-"

"I'm being what? Crazy?" Azula sneered back at him and his mouth snaps shut.

"No. Rude. You're being rude." He told her honestly when he finally found the words to say and he could see some of her edge dropping. He didn't follow the script that she had in her head and it confused her. He was supposed to call her crazy, set her off. The peasant somehow managed to not fall for her bait and shock her at the same time. Azula stood there in front of him, narrowed eyes taking him in as he glared at her, annoyance all over his demeanor. Sure, he looks angry but not hateful like she expected.

"Whatever. Can we return to the igloo now?" she tried to shake it off, walking ahead of him. He made her uncomfortable, she didn't know what is was or why but she knew she was put off by Sokka's demeanor. It was clear to the princess that she irritated the peasant but it wasn't the same as his annoying sister or her ungrateful brother. His frustrations were always restricted like he was holding something back which meant he was in control.

And she couldn't have him in control.

Sokka sped past Azula, being more equiped to walk in inches of snow and led their way back to the igloo. He wanted to get away from her as soon as possible. She had managed to offend or upset every family they had asked for clothing to borrow. Nothing was good enough The Great Princess Azula Sokka rolls his eyes at the thought. It was quite idiotic for someone who can barely handle weather further north of the Earth Kingdom, Sokka chuckled.

"What's so funny peasant?" Azula ordered and Sokka shook his head at her.

"Nothing important. Just the fact that you're going to be mighty uncomfortable without the proper clothing." He told her with a grin on his face that told he was making fun of her. Her frustrations grew and she huffed angrily through the fur on her parka, staying silent as she thought about her options.

She could hold her ground but she truly has no clue about the Southern Water Tribe's winter. While Sokka is clearly trying to get in her head, he could still be right and that only made her more annoyed. She could attempt to right her wrongs but would that actually get her anywhere besides further humiliated?

Everyone is not out to get you, Azula could practically hear her mother's voice as that thought passed through her mind.

Yeah right, Azula further thought. Everyone had hurt her in someway or another, the people closest to her always let her down so why would strangers her nation tried to conquer not be the same?

Chapter Text

Azula woke up exhausted the next day and nearly had a heart attack as the cold weather took over her again. She typically rose with the sun but the sun barely shines in a place so cold and barren. Yesterday had been a nightmare for her and seemed liked it was not ending any time soon. She dreaded the weather, the clothes, the people. Everything about the icy wasteland she was in was horrible.

"Good Morning, Princess." Her quiet ranting was put to an end when she heard someone speak. She looked up with an urgency and saw the elderly woman from two days ago. If her memory served her correct, the woman was Sokka's grandmother. Her name escaped Azula but she remembered them calling the woman Gran-Gran.

"Good Morning," the Princess says quietly. She was unsure of the older woman. She was the opposite of the grandparent she had. If she could even call Azulon a grandparent. He was more of figure, standing in the shadows and acting as the perfect puppet master. This woman was kind and loving, she clearly loved her family.

"Are you hungry?" Kanna asked her and she freezes. The food was... not up to her particular taste but she couldn't just not eat.

Starving to death and hypothermia doesn't sound like a pleasant way to die, Azula thought and nearly scoffed. Neither does drowning but here we are, Azula added.

"I could eat," Gran-Gran could sense the apprehension all over Azula. She knew the girl was way out of place and with what she heard, she has not had it easy since the end of the war. Or even before the war ended. She didn't know much about the girl even with what she had heard.

"Okay, well let's get started. Would you care to help me?" Kanna watches as the girls eyes widen and she chuckles softly. That was the reaction she expected from someone who mostly had servants waiting on her every need since she was born.

"Help you?" Azula questioned incrediously. Of course, the Princess didn't expect to be served at her beck and call but she had almost no experience with cooking fire nation food so she couldn't imagine trying to make any southern water tribe delicacy. Azula's newfound fear of failure have made themselves present as she waited for Gran-Gran's response. She didn't know if that was something she could handle on top of everything else that was happening to her.

"I'll show you how to make it, you can do the easy parts," Kanna tells her and she watches the reaction of the Princess. Azula looked between the pot that was in the middle of the room and the woman standing in front of her. It felt like a trap, like she wanted to see her fail. What help could she truly be with cooking? The woman simply did not make sense to her.

"Okay," Azula speaks cautiously as she approaches Kanna.

Azula carefully watched Gran-Gran as she laid out the ingredients for the meal. She couldn't stop herself from grimacing at the smell of the fish but tried her best to work through it. Gran-Gran turned to the princess, carefully handing her the Seal-Bone knife and the princess paused as the woman held it out to her. She didn't understand what the older woman wanted her to do. She couldn't possibly be trusting her with a knife? Azulla looked at her with questioning eyes and Gran-Gran nodded, pushing it closer to Azula's hand. The raven haired princess carefully grabbed the knife and Kanna continued on with the meal, showing Azula which ingredients need to be cut up. Azula slowly began the process of cutting the dried vegetables and Kanna proceeded next to her, cutting the fish. "Good job, it looks great," Azula looked at her and didn't know how to reply. She had always been praised growing up but this felt strange to her. She had barely done anything extraordinary and yet Gran-Gran had spoken with such enthusiasm.

Is this how it feels to be Zuzu, Azula laughed inwardly at the thought.

Azula said thank you softly and quickly went back to her task, desperately wanting to fade away from this interaction. The pair continued on in their cooking, few mishaps occured and of course the princess grew frustrated at them. Gran-Gran couldn't help but notice the similarities between the princess and her granddaughter. The need to be perfect and get things right on the first try, being the best at everything they did. Kanna smiled softly at her as the Fire Nation Princess stirred the stew in the pot. The elder could see Azula grow a bit more comfortable as she looked over the food.

"Perfect! Everyone should be up and ready to eat soon. Actually, do you think you could dim the fire?" Kanna asks her and chuckled at the look she received from her.

"You want me to dim the fire?" Azula looked at her like she grew a second head. Why would she ask her to use her bending? She missed it, of course, but she thought it would be easier and safer for her if sshe refrained until she returned to the ship. People were already looking at her like she was a criminal, she didn't need anymore stress added to this experience.

"You are a fire bender correct?" Gran-Gran pointed out and Azula scoffed.

"Of course I am!" Azula scowled at her and Kanna laughed her reaction, "What's funny?" Azula demanded and the elder shook her head.

"I just thought that a talented bender like yourself would have no problem with such a small task," Kanna commented and raised her eyebrow at the narrowed eyes she was met with.

"I am not my brother. I could do that in my sleep," Azula turned slighly, drastically changing the flame from the full blown fire it was to a small flame, enought to keep the immediate area warm, including the pot.

"Great, it'll be warm when everyone finally comes together," Kanna smirks at her knowling and Azula raises her eyebrow at the woman.

Did she just trick me into using my fire? Azula thought with her scowl returning to her face.

She couldn't wait to get out of this place.

It had been two months since they had showed up in the Southern Water Tribes waters. The weeks had gone on, and he found himself seeing Azula every day. He tried his hardest to avoid her, but that was difficult when she was sleeping in his home. It didn't make sense to keep trying to act like she wasn't there. He hadn't noticed how his grandmother took to Azula at first. He didn't even think it was possible, especially with Azula's demeanor, but his grandmother always seemed to do the extraordinary. Azula was standoffish at first, awkwardly standing off, watching everyone work around her. She was out of place and everyone knew it.

It seemed like his grandmother had made it her goal to teach Azula the art of cooking so every meal he ate had Azula's touch all over it. It took Sokka awhile to notice the awkward bond his grandmother was building with Azula.

As they gathered around the table for dinner, Squid and Seaweed noodles seemed to be the meal for the night. Gran-Gran placed the pots at the center of the table before taking her place next to the head. Quickly everyone began to dig into the meal and talk about their day, it was like a normal dinner with the addition of Azula. They weren't friends, but he tried his best to get along with her when he had to. This meant engaging with her during the meals and facing the awkward closed off responses that came from the princess. When the meal was finally finished and everyone was clearing out to their own respective places, Sokka thanked his grandmother for the dinner as he always did, but her response was definitely different.

"Well, thank Azula as well. She did most of the work," Gran-Gran smiled softly at the Princess who simply looked back down at her task. Sokka looked on in horror, his mouth open in shock as he looked on, his grandmother's words sitting heavily in his ears. Azula didn't say anything, feeling his stare on her back.

"What? Do you think I poisoned you?" Azula snapped after a few seconds, her fingers pulling on the edge of her parka. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as she faced them. She knew she shouldn't have even engaged when Kanna asked to teach her the art of cooking but it gave her something to do in a place that was dark and covered in ice and snow.

"No! Of course not." Sokka rushed out quickly, worried he upset her beyond what he could fix, "You did a good job." The warrior stammered and Azula looked him up and down. She kept a cautious eye on him and as Gran-Gran moves around to clean up the dishes, she looks at both of them as they awkwardly stared at each other.

"Are either of you going to help me clean up?" She finally breaks the tension and they both look over at her.

"Of course Gran-Gran," Sokka moves to grab the pot from the middle of the table over to where the cleaning area was. He took one last look at Azula who stared at the empty bowl in front of her.

He hated to admit that Azula seemed to be talented at everything she did.

He also hated to admit that her food wasn't that bad.

Good even.

Just as expected, Azula didn't know how to fail at anything.

Sokka had come to the conclusion during those two months that Azula wasn't as bad as she seemed. Of course, they bickered frequently, but that seemed like a given. She clearly didn't want to interact with too many people and stayed between helping Gran-Gran and the newly built library. He didn't think she would find much use of what they had. A lot of what was on the bookshelves included water bending scrolls and water bending culture. They were scrolls Aang managed to find or buy during his world travels. He thought it was important that every nation had a place with its history.

Every morning he'd see her up practicing her Katas, even with the parka on. He didn't understand how she could even stand it, and he was used to the cold air that surrounded them all the time. She'd usually eat with the rest of his family, but she was always the first to be excused, and she would make her way to the library for what looked like more studying. She'd then be right on time to help Gran-Gran with dinner, and she would retire back to her place in Sokka's igloo until the next morning. It didn't take long for Sokka to become used to having her in his daily routine. He expected Azula to be out when he made his way to the boats and next to his grandmother while they ate breakfast.

So when he was making his morning journey, and he didn't see Azula, he noticed. He couldn't be late to the boats, but it stayed in the back of his mind as he was out fishing that morning. He went along fishing, but every other thought was about where the fire nation princess was. She wasn't the type to deviate from routine, that he did know. Once his feet touched the snow, he decided to check the library and relief filled him as he saw her in her usual spot, reading over scrolls.

"Hey. Where were you this morning?" He asked as he approached her and took a step back when he noticed she looked a lot different from usual. Her eyes were bloodshot and her hair wasn't combed like it had been. She was wrapped up in a parka and a small blanket as she attempted to read the scrolls in front of her. Sokka looked her up and down, and he knew exactly what was happening.

"You savages got me sick. I'm not supposed to get sick!" Her anger was interrupted by a sneeze that was louder than he expected from the princess and a chuckle left his mouth. "What the hell are you laughing at?" The sneer was nowhere near its full potential and that seemed to only make his laughter louder.

"It's nothing, I just never thought I'd see you sick,"

"You weren't supposed to," it was a mutter as she turned her attention back to her reading. Only a minute had passed before a series of coughs left her mouth and Sokka's smile turned to a frown as he realized she was sicker than she let on.

"C'mon let head back."

"No, I have to finish my reading and then help your grandmother with supper," Azula told him and a sneeze ripped through the air.

"I don't think anyone wants you sneezing all over the food. Gran-Gran knows what she's doing, she'll survive without your help,"

"Let me finish my-"

"Azula, please let's head back. I don't think anyone wants your germs all over the scrolls and tables either," Sokka let out a weak chuckle this time, and he knew that she probably needed warmth and sleep at this exact moment. He loved his home, but he knew how bad it was to be sick there. It was never warm enough, and you could only eat so much stew. He held his hand out for the princess to grab, and she looked at like he grew a second head.

"I don't need you help, I can stand on my own." She gritted this out as rises from her seat and immediately sits back down. She felt as if her fever grew tenfold when she stood up.

"I know you don't want my help, but I'm trying, please just let me help you back to the igloo. You should be sleeping." He explains and she scoffs at him.

"Yeah sure," Azula rolls her eyes but extends her hand out to grab Sokka's. His eyes widen for a second before he decides that this was the time to play it cool. He helps Azula stand from her seat, and they head back to Sokka's igloo. As soon as they arrive, Azula uses the last bits of her strength to light a fire for her to sit next to. The warmth of the flames allowed her muscles to relax, and it was the best she had felt all day.

Sokka knew that there was at least two hours until supper, so he couldn't give her much to eat at this moment. He went with his best judgment and start a fire for the tea instead of asking if Azula could. He watched as the water boiled, and he started to prepare the tea. It only took a few more moments before it was done, and he went to give it to her. He walked over and saw Azula sleeping quietly in front of the fire. He didn't even notice the small smile that grew on his face as he looked at her. This was the first time Sokka ever saw Azula look peaceful. Even when she was sleeping before, she looked like she could take his head off. This was completely different, she looked soft like she couldn't hurt anything.

"Azula, you might want some tea, it'll help the cough," Sokka tried to wake her up quietly, but she didn't stir at all. He tried again and still got no response from Azula and decided to leave it. He could always heat it up again.

Azula slept through supper and Sokka helped her into bed as soon as it was over. He was surprised at how light she was in his arms, and she snored exactly how you would expect a princess to snore. Once she was in bed, he decided to pick up some of his paintings. There wasn't many activities that he could do since it got dark early and freezing even earlier. He stayed inside, right outside the bedroom and painted what came to mind. It took the warrior a few sketches and brush changes to realize that he was painting a woman that looked strikingly like Azula. He took in every detail and realized that he was indeed painting Azula. He stopped and put his painting things away as the realization weighed on him. Quickly, Sokka left his igloo quietly, hoping he could find a logical reason for why the first thing he wanted to paint was Azula.

Chapter Text

Azula did not miss any of the fanfare as the villagers finished the preparations for the festival that afternoon. There were people everywhere as they set up stands and decorations around the village. She had rarely seen the preparations for such things living in the palace. She didn't usually go to the festival anyway, not in recent years. Not like she wanted to. Azula didn't have time to stand and look awkwardly when there was always improvements for her nations to be made.

"Are you excited for the festival?" She heard from behind, and she rolled her eyes as she turned around. Her face softened a bit when she saw Gran-Gran standing behind her, the elder's eyebrow raised as she looked at her.

"I'm not going." Azula says simply.

"Not going? It's the spring festival, the best time of the year. I'm sure Sokka would be happy to see you there." Gran-Gran tells her and Azula chuckles.

"I doubt that. And if so, Sokka will survive without me. I have better things to do." Azula sneers as the anxiety builds up in her body. They didn't want her there and she didn't understand why they insisted on pretending that they did. Gran-Gran gives her a soft look and places a hand on her shoulder, hoping to comfort the girl.

"Still, I hope to see you there." Gran-Gran tells her before heading over to the food display.

No, she doesn't, Azula thought.

Azula took one last look at the festival preparations and walked in the direction of the library. She didn't need to go to the festival, she'd be fine by herself.

She always was.

Sokka walked around the festival, relishing in the food that brought him comfort. These were things that he missed out on as he was travelling the world, things that he hadn't thought of in so long. The sun shining made it even better as he walked from stall to stall, mingling with people he hadn't seen in years. He moved around until he was full and probably spoken to the whole village as the hours went by. He looked around and he noticed that he hadn't seen Azula around at all. She was easy to spot surprisingly despite her skin nearly blending in with the snow that surrounded them. Her black hair and amber eyes stood out in any crowd and he missed them.

It was odd to him. He wanted to see Azula here. He wanted her to have this experience. He truly thought that if she just tried to get to know people and let people know her, things could be better for her. He also wanted to show off his culture. Of course she believed her country was the best but that didn't stop him from wanting to prove her wrong. He did one more round of the stalls and when he decided he was sure that she was nowhere to be found, he went to see where she could be. He checked his igloo and found it empty. He asked around for a while before it hit him.

The library.

He took off in that direction and let out a sigh of relief when he saw Azula sitting at her usual table with a scroll in front of her. A chuckle left his mouth and her head shoots up from her scroll and she turns in her seat.

"What is so funny?" She glared at him before directing her eyes to her reading.

"You're the only person I know that would rather be in the library over a festival." He tells her and she scoffs at him.

"I wasn't invited," she says curtly. They both know it's a lie.

"Azula..." he gives her a knowing look and she doesn't respond, "C'mon, it's fun. There's food and games and people telling stories. You like stories don't you, you're in the library everyday." He goes on with a smile, sitting down next to her. The festival would go late into the night so there was plenty of time for her to enjoy the festivities.

"No."

"No you don't like stories or-"

"No, I'm not going,"

"Do you just not like fun?" Azula rolled her eyes at the question.

At first, the question just sounded stupid but as she tried to think of an actual answer, she couldn't. She rarely ever had fun. She hasn't had fun in years. And if she was being completely honest, she didn't think she knew how to have fun, at least normal fun. Not the way Sokka was talking about. She was always training or fire bending or taking over Ba Sing Se or locked up. When she did have what she considers "fun", it was making people cry, manipulating them and learning about military strategies. All things that were pointless in the end. Azula frowned as the thought continued to weigh on her. Everyone around her seemed to be able to seamlessly fit in, have fun with each other and she was on the outside.

I guess I don't like fun, Azula concluded.

But she stayed silent. She didn't wanted to address it further.

"Please?" He says and her eyebrow raised.

"Are you begging?" A sigiture smirk was plastered on his face and he rolled his eyes.

Of course, that got her attention, Sokka thought.

"Azula," he groaned and she stood from her seat, carefully rolling up the scroll.

"What do I get if I go?" Her eyebrow raised again as she stood in front of him. She stared at him intensely and she watched as he nearly trembled in front of her.

"Ummm... entertainment?" His voice changed a pitch as he smiled nervously at her. He was really hoping to convince her.

Sokka couldn't explain why he wanted her to go so bad. Maybe he wanted to show her that people could be warm and accepting of her. Maybe he wanted to show Azula that her father was wrong, that people from other nations aren't a threat. Maybe it was because during the past few months, he started to find Azula charming. It didn't matter, he just knew she had to go with him.

Sokka wanted her to want to go with him.

"I get plenty of entertainment from the scrolls. With less human interaction." His smile drops at her response.

"You can try new foods!" The idea shot through his head to his mouth in an instant. She rolled her eyes at him

"I don't need to eat everything in sight like you," Azula snarks and he shakes his head.

"Can't you just...humor me. You only have to stay for an hour and then you can leave if you want," Sokka pleads and Azula stiffens. The more she thought about it, the more it made her anxious. People didn't like her, it was just how her life was. She didn't want to be the only one left out or pushed aside. She was tired of feeling that way, it was the reason she was here in the first place. And she didn't understand why he didn't see that. Why he wants her to come to this stupid festival so bad. He didn't even like her.

"You want me to come? This isn't something your grandmother put you up to?" She asks him and he nods fervently at her.

"Yes, I want you to come. And Gran-Gran wants you there too." Sokka promised her and she could feel her resolve failing her.

"Fine," it left her mouth in a mutter before she could second guess her decision.

"Yes!" The Water Tribesman exclaimed happily and Azula grimaced.

He's actually excited I agreed, Azula thought.

"Cmon, there's so much to show you." Sokka grabs Azula's hand and pulls her off into the direction of the center of the village. The princess almost instinctively pulled her hand away from his but as he continued to show her to his favorite booth, she felt comforted that he had kept his hand with hers.

Maybe he does want me here, Azula thought.

The first stop was, of course, the meat stand. He demanded she try the seal blubber jerky. Sokka chuckled as Azula's nose turned up at the smell of the snack. It took some more convincing but eventually Azula gave the jerky a try and was pleasantly surprised at the savory flavor. Sokka watched with amusement as Azula finished her serving almost as fast as he did. Despite how much she tried to eat like refined Princess to prove him wrong.

They moved on, Sokka excitedly showing off every water tribe delicacy he could find. Their usual bickering ensued as Azula mentioned how much better Fire nation festivals were. She never missed a chance to argue, nothing could compare to size and dramatics of the Fire Nation and while he could roll his eyes at her antics, there was something about watching Azula speak so passionately that drew him in. She knew so much, not just about the Fire Nation but places and traditions from around the world, even facts that he had little knowledge of. It just made it easier to understand how she took over Ba Sing Se at 14 years old.

Once they had tried all of the foods available to them, they moved on to some of the stands that held games and prizes. This quickly turned into a competition to see who could win the most prizes. Azula knew that out of everyone on the Avatar's team, the water tribe warrior would be the closest she would get to a strategic challenge. Something she desperately missed while being locked up in the asylum. Even when she was completely out of her mind, the people held with her didn't stand a chance against her.

"Sure, I can't bend but my swordsmanship is unbeatable." Azula nearly bursts out in laughter as he boasts about his skills.

"None of that matters if you're surrounded by flames. It is simply fact. Your sword still holds no chance against me."

"We'll see about that. If we were only using swords, you wouldn't stand a chance," she laughs again and he looks at her intently. He smiled, despite her clearly doubting his skills, because he had never heard her laugh like that. Of course, he'd heard her laugh before, she'd laugh with malice or sarcastically but he hadn't heard this once before. It was genuine somehow.

Since when did Azula make me smile, Sokka thinks to himself.

"What?" She asked and he blinks before taking her in again. Azula had a raised eyebrow as she stared at him, suspicion influencing her features.

"Nothing. Sorry, I was just thinking." He answers and she narrows her way had him, his nervous grin telling that it was something she wasn't going to find out.

"So when is this battle taking place?" Azula questioned, hoping to change the subject and subdue the nervousness that was rising with in her.

"As soon as I return to my sword! Prepare to to taste defeat," Sokka declares and Azula rolls her eyes at him.

"Sure, its okay to have dreams but that doesn't mean they'll come true," comes her reply and Sokka shakes his head before leading them off to a different area of the festival.

After exhausting every game stand they could, Sokka insisted they go listen to the stories being told. He found them seats right in front of the storytellers and from there they sat and listened along with the younger children sitting next to them. Azula was initially weary about listening to the stories, especially being surround by children.

The Princess was initially annoyed by the thought of listening to children's stories. She hadn't been a child for years. And she hadn't been treated like one for even longer. Still, she tried and ended up liking the stories she heard. Of course they were folk tales that had no evidence for the whimsical events that took place in the stories.

I wonder if these were the type of stories Zuko heard from mother, the thought fluttered sadly across her mind and she frowned, hoping to quickly get rid of it.

They continued to listen to the stories and Azula found herself paying closer attention to them. Each one was different and varying in content but also followed the same format. Something easy and light to follow. By time the third story she was completely invested. With that came a slew of questions from Azula and Sokka's irritation.

"You sound like a kid," he finally tells her and she scoffs at him.

"I do not. The stories have unanswered questions, there are pieces missing," she explains and he chuckles at her.

"The answer isn't always clear cut. The stories are more for the message that they spread to people," he tells her pridefully. Her interest in the stories was what he was looking for, what he wanted to do tonight. Sokka wanted to show Azula that she could appreciate other nations beyond their military tactics and bending forms. She looks at him, clearly thinking about something before she nods.

"Then what is the message of this story?" Azula asked and Sokka freezed as he took in her question.

What is the message? His thought echoed through his mind, something he hadn't thought about in years. He hadn't heard this story in a while, with traveling and building an entire city, he was busy and didn't visit home enough. He thought back to her question and smiled when he thought of the answer.

"The siblings in this family learn to appreciate each other after almost losing each other. They realize that not even the frigid ocean could keep them apart when they worked together." Sokka explains the story queitly so the children around could still figure it out for themselves. Azula sat still for a moment paying attention to the last bit of the story while Sokka's explanation came to fruition. She knew that there was more to the story than what Sokka summed up. It was missing the spiritual polar bear dogs and the constant bickering the character's had, but he was also missing the park where she felt out of place at the end. What was she supposed to take from this? Kiss Zuzu's feet while he called her insane, beg for his forgivness that he would never give?

Maybe you could start by not calling him 'Zuzu', The voice was quiet but the words were loud enough. 

"My mom used to tell me these stories all the time. I probably have them memorized by now. This was wasn't my favorite growing up, especially when Katara was annoying. Though I'm sure you know the feeling. Zuko said your mother used to tell you guys stories all the time." Sokka explains and Azula's blood runs cold.

What is his angle?Why was he talking about this? Azula thought. She didn't understand what he was trying to do by bringing up her wretched mother and brother.

"I wouldn't know anything about that," the mutter left her mouth and he turned back to look at her.

"What do mean? He said that Ursa would-"

"I don't care about what he said," Sokka's mouth snaps shut at her outburst. He could see the fire in his eyes and he knew that something had changed. It hit him like a ton of bricks and he looked at her with soft eyes. Talking about her mother did not bring out the joyous reaction it would have with Zuko.

"Azula, I-"

"I'm ready to leave now." She declares and he frowns, knowing that everything had been turned upside down.

He thought that they had finally reached some common ground.

"Please just listen to the-"

"I don't care about these stupid childish stories or the dumb peasant festival," Azula ignores the look of hurt as she turns to walk off in the direction of the igloo.

What just happened? Sokka thought with a frown.

Sokka awkwardly sat for breakfast next to Azula. After last night, he didn't know to approach her. He kept seeing other side of Azula that was nothing like the girl he thought he knew. 

Not that you knew her all that well to begin with, Sokka thinks to himself. 

"May I be excused?" He heard Azula ask. He had barely touched his food so he wrapped up his tights about the woman who had been next to him. He watched as she left the room and he began to finally pick at his food. When he finished his meal, he made a beeline to the library where Azula would be.

"Azula can we talk?" He approached her table quietly and if looks could kill, he'd be below ground.

"No," her simple answer felt like dangers to his ears. He had messed up last night just when they were getting along. He was starting to like her company and thought that maybe when they returned to the Fire Nation, she wouldn't have to be left out anymore. 

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have brought up your mother or Zuko." Sokka says and winced at the scoff that left her mouth. 

"Yes because we are so similar," the sarcasm dripped from her sentence and Sokka sighed. 

"We both love combat and, um, competition. We are strong and fierce and uh-" 

"I don't care," his thoughts came to a screeching halt. 

"Azula,"

"I don't care about what you think we have in common. I don't care about what you have to say. I don't care about this dumb tribe or the people on it. Especially you," Azula hissed at him and watches his face crumple. That was something she was used to, but the feeling she felt, that was different. The relief wasn't there, the pleasure wasn't there. There was only an uncomfortable pressure in her stomach and a lump in her throat. 

"What is wrong with you?" He asks her, his voice harsh and she snorts at the question. It was a loaded one. 

"Whatever do you mean?" 

"You know what? Zuko was right, you don't want to be happy, you don't know how to," Sokka sneers at her and he is well acquainted with the feeling in his gut that makes him nauseous. Her face faltered for not even a second but it was enough to turn his stomach. 

"I'm feeling quite joyous right now, so I don't know about that," 

"Guess he was right about the lying too," 

The scroll quickly snaps shut and screeching from Azula's chair scraping the floor fill the silence in the room. She stared him down and he holds his stare with her. She pulls her parka on quickly, feeling what resolve she had left fading. She wanted to set him ablaze, she wanted to get off of this stupid iceberg, she wanted her old life back. 

That's not an option, she hated this thought. She wanted to go back, she wanted to start over, she wanted....

To be happy above all else. 

And the peasant was infuriating because he...he was right. She didn't know how to be happy. She hadn't been truly happy in so long that it felt like something she'd lost forever. Gone to her and the world she lived in.

The Princess makes haste and leaves the water tribesman standing in the same spot. Sokka wanted to shout as he watched her leave. It made zero sense to him how she could act like this. He was trying to get to know her, he even wanted to but she seemed to have everything under lock and key, never sharing with anyone. He was beyond frustrated with her, with the situation. And he wasn't even able to say what he wanted to say to her. Sokka pulls the hood of his parka up and rushes out to follow the woman back to the igloo. 

"You make it very hard to even try to like you." Those were the first words Sokka said as he entered his igloo. She was rude and mean, or she was silent, completely shut down. There was no wiggle room with her. He'd see one glimmer of the kind, happy person she could be, like the way her eyes lit up as the Fire flakes crackled on her tongue yesterday. She laughed at some of his jokes despite how hard she was trying not to. She had a sense of humor he would have never imagined, and she only let it show for seconds at a time. Even Gran-Gran spoke positively of her. Why couldn't she just show that all the time, why did she have to be distant all the time. Why did she push everyone away. 

"Then I'm doing what I'm supposed to," the words came out muttered but Sokka heard every syllable.

"Why would you do that?" He was confused, everything about her was confusing.

"Why not," She shrugged it off as she pulled up her hood on her parka. She knew she should have never gone out with him, she should have stayed put and waited for her way back home. This was not the time to be hanging out with Zuko's friends, for all she knows, this could have been their plan all along. She had let herself fall for it once, she let herself think that they could be friends, and she was stupid for it. She didn't have time to waste with someone who was destined to hurt her somehow.

Like everyone before him.

So no new friends, no friends at all.

She had already revealed too much.

She had finished buttoning up her parka, avoiding the look of sadness on Sokka's face as she grabbed her mittens. She knew that the wheels in his head were turning, and he was probably thinking of any way to prove her wrong. He moved up and snatched the mittens from her hands and was met with the glare that was so familiar to him. This chills still ran down his spine when it was pointed in his direction.

"Have you lost your savage mind?" He felt 16 again, watching this girl devastate his team physically and verbally. It hurt to even think it, but she was the smartest person he had ever met. It only took two seconds for his confidence in what he was going to say dwindled, and he felt stuck in front of her. She glared him down, and he took a step back, his hands up in the air.

"Look, Azula I just... I just think that if I were in your position, I would be very lonely. I don't know what I would do, and I think I would want someone to be a friend. That's all." He explains and her eyes darken and the room heats up enough for Sokka to wish he didn't have on his Parka and snow boots.

"So you think I need your pity?" She questions and he immediately shakes his head.

"No, Azula, it's sympathy. You do know there's a difference between the two right," He tells her, his voice sad and soft as he looked at the Fire Princess. Azula simply grabs her mittens from his hands and leaves Sokka in the igloo.

The pair seemed to stay in separate areas of the tribe for the remainder of the day. Sokka stayed with the men, training some young boys and preparing for the next fishing trip. Azula worked with Gran-Gran as she prepared meals for the night and the next day. It was a decision against her better judgement and once she stepped in the kitchen area, she felt her heart race as all eyes were on her. The women stared at her like a zoo exhibit as she watched over Gran-Gran's shoulder learning the inter-workings of her cooking. It was the only place where she could just be quietly, well, as quietly as the people would let her be. People often did this when Zuko or Aang were in town, the people would be all over them, following them everywhere they went. She didn't expect anyone to treat her that way, people trailing her feet as she followed Gran-Gran through the water tribe village.

It was a long day of fishing, and he wanted to spend his night painting. He found it relaxing and thought it was enough for him to calm down at the end of the night. He realized that all of his supplies were still in his igloo, not in his father's where he was sleeping. A groan left his mouth at the thought of interacting with Azula again. There was clearly something weird between them, an awkward friendship that they didn't know how to navigate. Sokka shook his head, his hair falling in front of his face and sighed as he began to walk to his igloo. He walked up to the entrance and called out to warn Azula that he was coming in, and he froze in his spot.

He saw her laying in bed, the blanket covering her head. It was unusual for her to go to bed this early. They've had nights where they've stayed at the dinner table later than this. He thought he would ignore it, grab his things and paint somewhere else. He moved around the igloo as quietly as he could, gathering his things and putting them in his bag as he went along. Sokka even tried to grab the easel but after the first try and nearly tripping over the leg, he gave up. His feet moved carefully across the room, and he nearly made it out of the door until his body froze.

"Stop."

It was only a whimper, but it's traveled through his soul, and it was nearly paralyzing.

"Azula, are you awake?"

He wasn't met with an answer.

"Please don't take my bending," this time it was a cry that came from behind him and her dropped his bag at the doorway. He moved over to Azula's bed and saw that she was still sleeping.

A nightmare.

Sokka thought Azula would say she's above having them. He didn't know if he should just leave or wake her up. The warrior tried to walk away but the more he heard, the worse he felt. The bag fell to the ground as Sokka's feet took back further into the igloo. He almost tripped over the blanket and that was the first time he had noticed it fell off Azula and onto the ground. Her face was twisted in anguish, her body shivering, tears leaving tracks in her cheeks and she wasn't even awake.

"Hey, Azula you gotta wake up." Sokka said firmly, he expected the woman to be a light sleeper but Azula never missed a chance to prove someone wrong. His words weren't enough, but he didn't know how she'd react if he touched her.

But he hoped it wasn't worse than what was going on in her mind.

"I'm sorry," Sokka grimmaced as those words left her mouth. As bad as the thought may be, he didn't think she would ever say them. "I promise I'll do better," the sob was louder than her previous whimpers. "Zuko, please don't send me back there,"

Sokka could not take it anymore. As time went after the war, he realized that it shouldn't have been put on their shoulders. Including Azula's. Sokka sat on the bed and placed his hands gently on her shoulders, and before he could even speak, her eyes shot open, and she sat up in bed. Azula trembled in front of him and quickly wiped away the tears that were still on her cheeks.

"Get out." Her eyes focused on the grip she had on her shirt.

"Azula I just wanna make sure you're okay..."

"No you're here to laugh at me, isn't it pathetic that I'm scared of my dreams." She grits out between her teeth and Sokka immediately shakes his head, and he takes a risk, slowly placing his hands on top of hers. The heat that engulfed his hand was unbearable, almost like holding a hot coal. He held his hand firm on hers and within a few seconds her hand cooled down.

"I'm here because I want to make sure you are okay," Sokka told her firmly, walking right into her firewall that she surrounded herself with. He knew there was something more behind it. He thought she might be so much happier if she let it out.

The silence between them sat for a while, Sokka's hand never left hers as they sat next to each other. Sokka had so many questions he wanted to ask her. There was so much he wanted to know. That fear he had when he was a teen turned into intrigue as he listened to Azula breathe next to him. Back then he thought he knew everything, who was good and who was bad, looking only in white and black but he feels like that gray area had just slapped him across the face. He wished he could ask those questions but based on what happened last time, it wouldn't be received well. They hadn't even recovered from yesterday's blow up and he didn't even know how to approach her after their argument earlier that day.

"Can you leave now?" The question was quiet and so was Sokka's answer as he nodded and left her alone in the dark igloo. 

Chapter Text

Things had been weird between Sokka and Azula ever since their talk in the library. Azula did her best to avoid him, her walls standing as tall as ever. She felt uncomfortable around him, the fact that he knew things about her that he shouldn't. Sokka tried his best to give her space, to be easier to avoid, but the village was still only so big.

"Excuse me," Azula muttered as she walks past the warrior. She was late to the kitchen to help Gran-Gran, and with that came interacting with Sokka. She got started, listening to the elderly woman's instructions and following along. Sokka watched on as she acted like he didn't exist.

"Gran-Gran, I'll see you at dinner," Sokka tries his best to make his smile genuine, but Kanna saw right through him. She nodded her head and placed a kiss on his cheek before he left the igloo.

Azula tried her best to focus on the task at hand. She didn't want to think about Sokka or her family. She wanted to go home. At least there she would be able to get her privacy, to actually be alone.

I thought you were tired of being lonely? The voice in her head sounded eerily like her mother's, and that only served to further irritate her spirit.

I was irrational and ungrateful, Azula's response was quiet, even in her head, and before she could even formulate her next thought, a piercing pain shot through her hand.

"Agni's sake." Azula looks down to see the blood dripping from her finger, and Kanna rushed over to her side.

"Goodness, child, you must be careful," Kanna tells her softly as she grabs a seal-skin towel and wraps it around her finger. "They are sharper than you think," she continues as she directs Azula to the seat on the other side of the room.

"I'm always careful," the Princess muttered. Gran-Gran grabbed a cup of water and poured it over the cut. Azula winced, the saltwater burning the wound intensely.

"Except for when there's a lot on your mind," Kanna added before getting up and grabbing the knife in question. She uses the water again to rinse the knife off before cutting a smaller strip of the towel. She wrapped it around the Princess's finger and secured it with a knot.

"You don't know me," Azula is nearly snarling as painful tingles flow through her hand from her finger. She tried to bend it, but that proved to be just as painful.

"You don't make it easy to know you, do you?" The Princess looked at the older woman in shock.

"So you are working with the peasant," the realization is dawning on her and Kanna shakes her head.

"Child, I am not against you," Kanna says her words clearly and carefully for the Princess to hear. It was like her heart stopped as the words sit within her.

Sweet child, I told you that everyone does not have it out for you, Ursa's voice makes its first official appearance since this wretched incident happened.

She's lying, it was a pained thought because, for a moment, she desperately wished she could believe that the elder wasn't lying. That she was being truthful.

"How can you lie like that?" Azula mutters the question and gains a chuckle from Kanna.

"You should know," the words made her skin crawl, but she notices that the woman still has her smile on her face.

"I guess my reputation precedes me." Azula's said softly, almost like she was scared of Kanna's reaction.

"Would you say it's true?" Definitely not the response she was expecting. A question Azula wasn't sure she had an answer for. The question stays between them for some time as Azula thought of the answer to her question. She was telling the truth that night, Ozai was going to kill Zuzu, she was sure of it, beyond hearing the conversation. Their family had always been split in half, and they were on opposite sides. The one time she told the truth, everything changed for her. And her ability to lie didn't make it easier for people to believe her. But she had no need to lie.

They didn't want to believe her.

It wasn't fair.

And it wasn't true.

She didn't always lie.

Everyone chose not to believe her.

"No." That was the answer she had chosen, and Kanna nodded.

"Okay," was all Azula received back from Kanna. Azula stared at the woman, not believing what she heard.

"That's it?"

"Child, if you say you're not a liar, I believe you."

Azula sat with that for a few moments as Kanna went back to preparing food. There's no way that was all she was going to say about it. She sat on the couch for a minute longer, flexing her cut finger as she took in Kanna's words. Hearing I believe you, especially from someone who should hate her, felt like relief washing over her. When she woke up in this igloo two months ago, she was prepared for a continuous stream of disdain towards her and while she got some looks, it was nothing like what she expected. And the peasant.

Sokka was a different ordeal completely.

Maybe Sokka meant no harm? Her mother's voice was a complete annoyance to her by now. It made her overthink every interaction she had in this place. And if she was honest with herself, Azula was scared. Scared that she would be left alone if she dared let people know her. That they'd hate what they saw and they'd leave her. She could read people, and she could manipulate them, but relating to them was a different story.

"Are you still going to help me, child?" Azula heard from behind her and stood up from her seat. She'd worry about the peas- Sokka later.

"Of course," she answered before meeting the woman at the counter.

"Son, we got word from Fire Lord Zuko." Sokka looks up from his work to see the small scroll his father was holding. He goes to read it and lets out a small sigh of relief.

We have finally left the port to head back to the Southern Watertribe. We should arrive in approximately two months if we do not hit any snags on the way. Aang, Katara, Mai, Ty Lee and Suki will be aboard the ship and we plan to make a few stops on our way back to the Fire Nation. Hopefully you haven't had too many problems with Azula. She hasn't burned the place down, I hope. I know it can't be the best circumstances being stuck with her. I hope to see you soon, safe and healthy.

~Firelord Zuko.

"That's good news! You can get back to your work in the capital soon," his father told him with a pat on the back and he smiled softly.

"Yeah," was his only response and his father gave him a questioning look.

"You don't seem all that excited. Do you not want to return to the fire nation?" Hakoda asked and Sokka shook his head.

"No it's not that. I am excited to go back. I love traveling and I love the work I'm doing with new capital. I just-" Sokka pauses. He didn't know how to explain what was off putting about the letter. He was just starting to realize that Azula didn't have anyone on her side. Zuko didn't even ask about how she was doing, just concerned about her causing him trouble. Which, sure, she was anything but easy to deal with but he still felt bad for the girl.

"You are worried about the Princess?" His father finished and he sighed with a nod.

Of course he was worried about her. For so many different reasons. Maybe he shouldn't be, Azula had done nothing but cause him and his family harm in the past. She was ruthless but she was also just human, like he was. Like Zuko and Katara and Toph. They were all human. If this had happened five years ago, he would have had a different experience with the Princess. He wouldn't have cared less about the Princess' well-being and she probably would have killed him by now. But he knew better, he knew now that there was always more to the story. At this point, Sokka simply wished that for the next two months, things with the Princess wouldn't get any worse.

His other concerns are with Zuko arriving. Her reaction when he brought him up spoke volumes. Not that he was very excited about him arriving here either. Especially since Zuko was not his favorite person at the moment. With all that was going on, he had almost forgotten about Zuko and Suki dating. Something that still brought a sour taste to his mouth. As much as they denied it, he knew that something had been going on while he was away with Aang and Katara. And while he was angry, he also knew that he and Suki were bound to break up soon. They had drifted apart way before he even thought Zuko was in the picture.

Still, it fucking sucked.

Sokka looked back at his father and remembered the question he asked, "Yes I'm worried about her but she doesn't make it easy," Hakoda chuckles at his son's response and nodded.

"Did you expect something different?" Hakoda chuckled and Sokka shook his head. He didn't know what he had expected. "What had been going on with you two?" Hakoda asked and Sokka stopped what he was doing. He didn't know what was happening between him and the Princess. He didn't think he could really make it any better after their past couple interactions.

"I truly do not know. I wanted to..." what did Sokka want to do. He hadn't given it as much thought as he'd been distracted by the other things going on. When he thought of it, he found himself wanting to be Azula's friend, wanting to get to know her. He thoroughly enjoyed the festival with Azula, she was surprisingly funny and an excellent opponent when it came to games and challenges. He wanted to give her a chance and he wanted her to give him one as well, "I think that Azula and I could be friends," Sokka finally tells his father and the man laughs.

Just friends, Hakoda laughs inwardly at the statement. The Watertribesman knew his son better than the boy knew himself. They were bound to be more than just friends if Sokka followed that route.

"And what would your friends say about that?" Hakoda asked and Sokka sighed. He could already see Zuko and Katara losing their minds. Not that he cared about their opinions that much, they accepted Zuko after everything he had done.

He didn't kill Aang though, his first thought fluttered through his mind and he grimaced at the memory.

He would've if he had a chance to, his own mind countered and he sighed. He hated to sound like Aang but some people did deserve second chances.

"I don't know if I'm really concerned about what they think," Sokka answered his father truthfully and the chieftain nodded.

"Then what are you concerned about?" Sokka wasn't sure about what his concerns were. He didn't know where to start when it came to Azula and what he wanted. He meant it when he said he wanted to be friends with her, she was more than what people made her out to be and he could only see that for himself.

"It's not going to be easy. She won't trust me. I'm her brother's friend, her enemy if you still want to think of it that way," Sokka sighed and Hakoda nodded. It was always clear that there were going be challenges as their friendship progressed.

"Is anything worthwhile ever easy?" Hakoda asked his son.

"So you think it worth giving a shot?" He wanted his father to tell him what to do, he wanted to know how to progress further, he wanted advice.

"It's not about what I think. Do you think it's worth it? Are you willing to try?" Sokka was stumped by the question.

Was it worth it? Over the past few months, he had seen pieces of Azula and each one was like a new piece of Pai Sho being placed on the board. He never knew where to place his piece and what her next move was going to be. Yet with everything that was unknown, it only fed into his curiosity.

"I- I think so," Sokka starts, almost unsure of his own answer for a moment, "I want to try." He concluded, more sure of himself. He only hoped he would be able to overcome the obstacle of Azula's closed off nature.

"Hey," Sokka said shyly as he entered the igloo. He knew he'd see Azula at dinner tonight but he thought to let her know about Zuko's message. He wasn't sure how she'd respond to it, Zuko's words were common but that didn't make them any less harsh. The Princess looked up at him and frowned before turning back to her scroll that she borrowed form the library. "I just wanted to let you know that they've finally left the Fire Nation and should be here in two months time if nothing goes wrong."

"Mhmm," was the only response he got from her and Sokka sighed, starting to walk back towards the door but he stopped himself. He had to talk to her, he had to clear the air between the two of them. He said he would try and when would he get a better opportunity to than now.

Literally any other time would be better than now, Sokka scolded himself.

"Azula, could we please talk?" He asks her and he waits until her head lifts and she looks at him.

"Why?" Came her response.

"I want us to be able to move past this. I want us to be friends." Azula's eyes widen at his answer.

"And I'm the liar," Azula scoffs at him and he shakes his head.

"I'm sorry for that. I shouldn't have said that, it wasn't fair." Sokka tells her and silence fills the room. Azula didnt really want to think about what his words meant. She knew he was being truthful but that didn't make her any less weary. "But I am not lying, I do want us to be friends. I want us to have that battle, I want you to be able to enjoy your time here," Sokka explains further and she stayed quiet as she took in his words. Kanna's words were also floating around in her mind, that she wasn't against her and it made her think harder. Still, she did not respond to Sokka and kept her focus on her scroll, hoping he would leave soon but he stood firm.

"You know, I'm not exactly excited that Zuko is coming," Sokka finally says and she chuckles softly.

"Well, I guess we do have something in common," she finally speaks up and he laughs with her.

"I guess so," he agreed and the awkwardness started to set in again since neither of them knew what to say.

"He always had the tendency to make everything about himself," Azula finally says, it was quieter than her last statement and he looked over at her.

"He still does," Sokka added and Azula chuckled.

Oh you have no idea, Azula thought. Yes, she was certainly not easy to deal with but the amount of leeway Zuko got for being 'led astray' was always something that rubbed her the wrong way. She didn't have too much of a choice in the direction she went. Of course, a large part of her truly believed that she was on the right side of history but in the end, she had Ozai to guide her and only Ozai. The man that cared more for her talent and ability than her well-being.

"Can I ask you a question?" Sokka says.

"You may but I will not guarantee you an answer," Azula tells him. She closes her scroll and placed to the side, picking up a new one from her pile.

"Why aren't you and Zuko close?" The dread fills her as she takes in his question. It could've been worst but this one certainly rubbed her the wrong way. Why did he care about her relationship with her idiot brother? His loyalties lied with Zuko.

"I'm sure he's told you all about me," she lets out a breath through her nose, keeping her eyes focused on the scroll in front of her.

"He's spoken about you but I'm sure it's not the whole story," Sokka elaborated and Azula's jaw nearly dropped to the table.

"Zuko couldn't handle the fact that I was better than him," she tells him, not taking her eyes away from the scroll in order to keep her stability.

"There has to be more than that," Sokka was now sitting in front her at the opposite side of the table. She looked up from her scroll and saw soft eyes looking back at her.

He's not against you, Ursa speaks up, and it shakes her. This definitely wasn't the time for her to appear in her thoughts. She was at a crossroads, either to shut down or actually answer his questions. Azula still did not like the thought of letting Sokka get to know her, but she no longer hated the idea completely. She did have fun at the festival, despite how it ended. And the rational side of her knew that he was simply trying to find something in common between the two of them when he brought up Zuko and her mother. Sokka didn't provoke her on purpose. At least she hoped, Azula could only hope and see. But that was the scariest part of it all.

"Our mother loved Zuko more, Our father only loved my talent. We were never going to like each other with the circumstance we were given," her eyes remained on the scroll as he listened carefully to her answer. Azula knew there was more to it but that was the truth in its simplest form. It was the only way she could answer him without completely exposing her own thoughts and emotions.

He may be against me but that doesn't mean he's with me, Azula's thought countered her mother's voice from earlier and she was met with silence.

"I'm sorry," Sokka tells her softly, still looking directly at the princess while she avoided his eyes.

"Why are you sorry? You had no part in it," the question fell from her lips before she had the opportunity to stop it.

"It still sucks that it happened to you and I can be sorry that it's what you had to go through,'" Sokka elaborated and his words sat with her.

"Is that the only thing you wanted to know?" She allowed the annoyance that usally filled her tone to return in hopes of bringing the mood back up. Even if he did want to know something else, the princess didn't think she had it in her to answer anything else.

"Of course not, but Ill save them for later. We still have plenty of time to ask questions and I'm sure I've interrupted enough of your studies," Sokka tells her. He was smart enough to not push her any further today. He learned his lesson from the fetival. He bows his head and turns to leave the library in hopes of getting some painting done in his igloo.

Is there anything you want to say to Sokka? Her conscience, that now started taking the voice of her mother, snuck out of its cage and found its way to the forefront of her mind. She didn't understand when or how it did it silently, like appearing out of thin air. In that very moment, all of the thoughts Ozai taught her to surpress were extremely loud. The Princess now realized that while he had upset her, those were not his inntentions and her reaction made it no easier to deal with. Still, that realization didn't make what she had to say to him any less nerve wracking for her.

"Sokka?" She called out before he was fully out the door.

"Yes?" He replies and she looked at him nervously, like her words were stuck in her throat.

"I...I want to apologize for the festival. I shouldn't have...I shouldn't have said those things to you," Azula tells him and he smiled softly at her.

"So I'll see you at dinner tonight?"

"Either way, you would have seen me at dinner," Azula states, her attention already back onto the scroll in front of her.

"I'll take that as a yes. I will see you later then," he tells her with soft smile before leaving the igloo.

Chapter Text

Two weeks pass and, the pair fell into a friendly routine. Sokka would meet her at the library, annoying her as she studied her scrolls and paintings. She would allow him to ask her questions throughout the day, noticing that they had gotten lighter in subject as the days went on. The Princess realized that he was trying to get to know her, not use things against her. Asking about her favorite foods and hobbies, all things that she hadn't thought about until he asked.

"Is it red?" He asked her after the silence filled the room. She blinked before looking back at him, his question still bouncing around in her head.

"No, I think it's gold," she finally tells him and, he smiled.

"You think?" He teased her and, she rolled her eyes.

"My favorite color is gold," decided the Princess.

"Something a noble would say," he joked with her and, she scoffs.

"I've never thought about my favorite color. Everything was always some shade of red or black and white. But gold, gold always stood out. No matter how little was there, it stood out," Sokka hung on to every word as she describes what she liked. As Sokka listened to her speak, her voice stood out to him the most. It was gentle and soft, like singing a lullaby to a baby. Something that was certainly new for both of them to hear.

"Is yours blue?" She teases with a smirk and, he laughs sarcastically at her correct assumption.

"It is actually. The best color in the world! Even the oceans are blue," he tells her.

The Princess shakes her head, "Predictable."

"Do you miss being in the Fire Nation?" The change of subject was quick enough that Azula almost didn't notice it. She paused as he stared at her, looking for an answer that she didn't have. Of course, she missed the palace, she missed her home but, she wasn't sure if that was even her home anymore. Walking around the palace after leaving the asylum felt cold. Azula now felt like she was an outsider in the place she spent her whole life.

"I do miss my home," that was the best answer she could give him at that moment. Her home was not the same but, she couldn't see anywhere else accepting her, not after everything she had done. Sokka looked at her with sad eyes and, she scoffed, wishing she had something to take her away from this conversation and the turn it had taken. Azula didn't need him to look at her like some wounded animal.

"I'm sorry, I've upset you with my question,"

"Your question did no such thing," the Princess assured and, he raised his brow.

"You made a face,"

"Oh, you mean the same face you made when I answered your question?" The annoyance was stood out in her tone and, Sokka almost groaned as it began to click for him.

"I didn't mean to look at you like I pity you, I don't and. I know you don't want it. Sometimes I just-"

"Can't help yourself, can you?"

"I simply realized that things are a bit more complicated than I thought,"

"Hmm," was her response. She wanted to know about what was going on through Sokka's head but didn't want to be any more uncomfortable than she already was. Her home was on her mind now despite her attempts to push it down. She didn't want to be reminded about her standing with the palace right now.

"Is there anything you want to do once you're home?" He asks a lighter question, hoping it would raise her spirits.

"Firebend," the answer was simple and, there was no hesitation when she said it.

"You've been able to firebend here," Sokka points out.

"I've been able to light fires and boil water," Azula counters, "When I'm training, bending, I can do whatever I want, I can use my full strength with nothing stopping me and, that is what I am looking forward to the most," Azula explained. Sokka nods, taking in her answer.

"Well, until then, maybe you could do something small. Nothing that would melt the place, of course." He suggested with a small smile and, she returns it. With each conversation, they seem to keep meeting each other in the middle instead of trying to prove the other wrong. And with that came a newfound appreciation for each other.

"Why are you doing water bending poses?" Sokka walks up behind her, and she let out a deep breath as she finished her pose before facing him.

"Learning about the way other benders move proved to be an advantage in combat," Azula explained before positioning herself for her next pose. The sun had barely risen, but she had already been outside for at least an hour. He watched as Azula took her position and perfected her next stance, staying still as she breathed in and out. Sokka watched on, amazed by how quickly she picked this up. Her breath was controlled, and she stated that way for minutes at a time, using the stances and moves until she decided it was time for the next one.

"But you don't know what they're doing with the water," Sokka added but was met with rolled eyes and a shaken head.

"While that might be true, I now know where their weaknesses are," the next part was a bit more complicated and took more time for her to position herself just right. Learning these poses and stances was challenging when she could not use water with them. She simply hoped she studied them enough to do them correctly. Sokka watched her again repeated the previous move and then finally released her breath as she returned to her normal stance.

"Can you skip the library today?" He asked, and she looked at him as she started her stretch.

"Whatever for?" She rose from touching her toes and looked at him with curiosity.

"I wanted to show you the Otter-Penguins," Sokka was unable to hide his excitement about the animal. Azula had heard of the animal through her studies, but she had never seen one in person. She hated to say that it sounded appealing. She had never been overly enthusiastic about animals. She knew the turtle ducks at the palace pond would definitely agree with her. Yet, there was this juvenile and almost giddy feeling that came with Sokka's offer.

"That does sound like an intriguing activity," she tries her hardest to sound nonchalant, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

"I promise it's fun! We don't have to stay too long if you don't want," Sokka assures her, and Azula nodded.

"Well then, lead the way," Azula agrees, and Sokka takes her hand to quickly rush off in the direction of the Otter-Penguins. Neither had time to think about the gesture, awe taking over Azula's thoughts as she saw the hills of snow and the herds of penguins sitting on them. Azula let go of his hand, moving closer to the animals in front of her. They were oddly cute, the four flippers at their sides and large eyes. They made this squeaky sound as they skid down the hill on their stomachs. It was more than anything she expected out of these animals, any animals. She watched them as the young followed their parents down the hill to the edge of the iceberg.

"Wanna go sledding?" He finally asked, and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"On their backs?" Azula asked. Of course, she had ridden Komodo Rhinos and other animals, but never for fun. They were her tools for war and nothing more.

"Yeah, it's fun! And they're fluffier than they look, I swear," Sokka smiles at her, and she let out a nervous laugh.

"I'm pretty sure they're not going like me on their backs," Azula tells him, and he shakes his head.

"Trust me," he tells her, "Also, you might wanna put your hair up. It'll get in your face a lot. I can braid it if you'd like?" He tells her, gesturing toward her hair and, she raises an eyebrow. "May I? Free of charge," he smiles at her again, and she looks him up and down as she thought about his offer. Letting him braid her hair didn't sound too bad, she certainly was no good at it herself, but that meant allowing him to get close to her, a weird thing to even think about. Azula looked at him again. He didn't falter, his grin still plastered across his face.

"You better not ruin my hair," she finally gives in, and Sokka moves to stand behind her. He takes a section of her raven locks in his hand and slowly began to weave it between the other two sections of hair. Azula was practically holding her breath, she didn't know how to respond with him so close to her. It was weird, an odd sensation as he stood behind her, finish the braid. She was impressed that he could braid so fast, as it only felt like seconds before he was done. He stood in front of her, admiring his work, and she ran her hand along the braid. From what she could see, it was neat and even, something else she certainly didn't expect.

"You look nice with your hair braided," he complimented, and she could feel the dreaded rush to her cheeks.

"So I don't look nice with my hair down?" She countered and, Sokka froze in his spot.

"Of course, it- it looks amazing either way, but what I- I was trying to say that you look different with it braided. A good type of different," while it was freezing outside, Sokka was practically sweating bullets. Azula smirked as she watched him trip over his own words and continued to run her fingers over Sokka's work.

He's right, your hair is beautiful like this, Azula nearly let out a hiss at the sound of her mother's voice in her head.

"Let's get started then," Azula didn't want to think about what Sokka said or her mother's nagging, even if it was her own subconscious.

"Right," Sokka quickly recovered, grabbing his pouch from his back and pulling out a few pieces of dried whale blubber and fish. "We need this to attract them to us and, then once they're full, they'll be a lot nicer about us riding on their backs," Sokka explained, and she nodded, taking the pieces of dried fish from his hand. The pair held out pieces of fish and waited for the animals to notice them.

The spark of joy that filled her was indescribable as the Otter-Penguin waddled up to her. It carefully approached her, eyes focused on the dried fish in her hand. As it ate happily ate the fish from her hand, a crowd of them soon surrounded her. That joy faded into fear as they were on every side of her, looking for more fish.

"Stay calm. The penguins are just hungry," Sokka chuckled as he watches her smile fall into a look of shock.

"Yeah, and what's stopping them from eating me instead?" Azula pointed out and, Sokka walked closer to her, holding up pieces of fish to distract the penguins. A few of them left their huddle around Azula and heading to Sokka in hopes of more food.

"Well, this," he answers, nodding in the direction of the fish in his hand."Also, the fact that I doubt a couple Otter-Penguins would take you out." He jokes and, she rolls her eyes, looking back at the few penguins that we're still next to her. She took a few more pieces of the fish and began distributing them to the penguins. "Okay now, you just have to use the right moment to catch one," he tells her, and her confusion set in further.

"Catch one? How am I supposed to do that?" Azula asks him and, he chuckled before grabbing onto the back to the penguin.

"Like this!" Sokka exclaimed as he began speeding down the edge of the hill with the penguin. She watched him and looked at the penguin in front of her. Anxiety filled her as she quickly grabbed onto the penguin, throwing her legs over its back. The biggest surprise was the fact that Sokka was right. They were fluffier than they looked. As soon as her leg was over, the penguin made its way down the hill.

The wind pressed against her face as she and the penguin slid down the hill. She could hear Sokka laughing ahead of her as she just reached the bottom of the hill. Azula carefully gets off the penguin and watched it waddle away to a smaller herd. Sokka walked up to her and smiled brightly before wiping away some snow from his face and parka.

"Was it fun?" Sokka was hopeful that he was able to bring some joy to Azula's time at his home.

"It was what I expected," Azula didn't want to admit that she never had fun like that. It felt like her heart was in her stomach as she sped down the hill. There was nothing funny but, she found herself laughing as the wind brushed against her face. Saying she had fun would mean seeing Sokka's smug face as he realized he was right.

"Cmon," he whined, pouting at her. He wanted her to say just once that she was having fun. She looked at him and scoffed at a childish pout. He really thought that was enough to convince her to agree with him?

"You know you want to go again," Sokka teases as he jogs in front of her, heading back to the top of the hill. Azula watched him leave her and had it in her to stay where she was out of spite but, when he appeared at the top of the hill, she felt her will beginning crumble.

"They miss you, Azula," Sokka shouts as he held up a smaller, wiggling, otter-penguin in the air and, she almost chuckled.

"They miss the fish I was feeding them," came her response after swallowing her laugh and shaking her head at him.

"Yeah, that's true but, they miss you too!" His smile widened and, the same feeling from earlier returned. Her heart was thumping in her stomach and her cheeks feeling warmer than if she had a fever. Azula wasn't sure what was going on but, she knew it was not good for her. The Princess looked up and, Sokka and his smile were still looking down back at her.

"I'm going to wish I hadn't done this," she muttered as she stomped her way back to the top of the hill. The sound of Sokka's distant cheers filled her ears and, she cringed at the sound of his success. She may not have said the words outright but, they both knew what happened.

Azula was having fun.

Sokka and Azula sled down the hill a few more times before they ran out of fish and, the penguins went on their way. The two then walked back to the igloo, Sokka teasing her almost the entire way back. Azula practically ran into the igloo, letting out a sigh of relief as Kanna and Hakoda greeted her.

"He took you sledding, I see," Hakoda chuckles at the distress on Azula's face. Sokka had been raving about taking her for a week now. Hakoda had a feeling that Sokka might have had too much excitement for Azula to handle.

"You knew about this?" The Princess glares at the two of them. Her tone was sharp but, it was clear she was annoyed, not upset. Yes, Azula enjoyed herself but, with that came Sokka's interest in her, something that made her feel awkward, and today it was tenfold. He asked her more questions the entire way back and, it didn't take long for them to work her nerves regardless of what fun she had.

"My grandson was very excited to show you the Otter-Penguins today," Kanna adds and, Sokka walks in behind her with a grin on his face.

"I think today was successful," the Warrior's enthusiasm was almost childlike as he peeled off his snow-covered hat and gloves.

"It doesn't look like it," Hakoda cracked and, Sokka looked over at Azula.

"Oh cmon, you had fun," Sokka insisted and, she turned away from him, her attention now on Kanna. Azula frowned and, Kanna softly smiled before looking at Sokka.

"Alright now, we ladies have to get started on supper and, you are not allowed in here while that's happening,"

"That was one-time Gran-Gran,"

"It was not! We can not have you eating all the food. You're not the only one that has to eat," Kanna scolds.

"But I'm so hungry," Sokka pouts and, Azula could finally understand some of the

"I don't think that's the point," Azula comments

"No child, I will see you at supper," Kanna led Sokka out of the igloo and returned back to Azula. 

"What's wrong, child? You don't look too well," Kanna places the ingredients on the counter, starting her preparations.

"I'm fine," Azula smiles awkwardly, hoping to reassure the elder that she was fine.

Trying to reassure herself she was fine.

They prepared dinner in silence, a gesture Azula was grateful for. She didn't understand Sokka's enthusiasm about her having fun. She was still having trouble trying to accept his friendship. It meant trying to undo everything she had known and, that left a foul taste in her mouth. Having to admit to herself and, essentially everyone else, that she had always been wrong felt like an even greater failure. And that was what scared her the most.

Once dinner was prepared, Sokka and Hakoda returned to the igloo for dinner. The four of them had settled into a steady routine of eating dinner and talking about the day and plans for the next day. Azula typically listened, speaking up here and there. She still felt out of place when interacting with all three of them, like an outsider looking in on a wholesome family moment. She scoffs at the though of her family in this situation, sitting around the dinner table, enjoying each other's company. She could only imagine the scolding that Zuzu would receive from their father. Their mother coming to Zuko's defense and ignoring everything Azula brought up. For a few second she imagine what it would be like if they were an actual family who wanted to spend time with each other and that only distracted her further. 

No need worrying about something that didn't happen, Azula thought bitterly. 

"Azula, you okay?" Sokka asked and she looked up from her plate to face him. 

"Of course," she forced a smile and Sokka made a face that told her he didn't believe her.

Dinner finished as usual, the four of them cleaning up and getting ready to retire for the night. Once Sokka grabbed more of his painting supplies, he and Hakoda left and Azula was left alone in the igloo. While she was happy to finally be alone, it meant dealing with her thoughts with no distractions. Her new friendship with Sokka along with her brothers pending arrival had her on edge most of the time. Always thinking about what what would and could possibly happen with every outcome to match. She needed something else that she could focus on. 

Hours later and a couple of scrolls were sprawled across the couch around her as she looked between them. The main scroll laid open on the small table in front of her next to a brush and ink. She had been thinking about the conversation she had with Sokka a few days ago. Her place at the palace was still up in the air but, she thought of a plan that would not only get her back in good political standing but gain the trust of her brother. She might have felt unsure about going home but, now she knew what she needed to do. 

Take control of her own destiny. 

Chapter Text

Azula's plan would include five steps to lead her to new,  honorable  glory.

I cannot believe that was the only word I could work into this sentence,  Azula scoffed, frowning as she wrote notes on her first step. She needed every possibility to be mapped out, meaning backup plans for each step.

Step One:  Find Allies

The first step in her plan to glory would be finding allies that would support her when she made her proposition to Zuko. Sokka was the first one that came to mind, followed by Kanna and Hakoda. As much as she tried to deny it, she knows that they genuinely enjoyed her presence there despite her lack of receptiveness for their affections. Kanna took every outburst with a smile and never let them stop her from being kind towards the Princess. Hakoda was accepting of her, clearly wanting to make sure she was okay during her stay. She assumed it was part of supporting Sokka in his new interest in her.

While they are both strong options, Azula knew that Sokka and Hakoda weren't enough to prove anything to Zuko. This meant actually being more receptive to the people who also extended kindness and interest her way. Something that made her nervous in more ways than one. Being kind was never her default, and her first test of this occurred the morning after coming up with this plan.

As usual, Azula was up with the sun when she could eye on her, watching her closely as she practiced her katas. She looked around and saw nothing but snow, the white desert that nearly blinded her. She blinked a few times and passed it off on her paranoid mind. A deep breath flowed through her body as she began the next pose, but all of her muscles froze when she heard the unmistakable crunch of a boot stepping in the snow. Azula straightened her pose and turned to face the source of the sound.

"I won't hurt you if you come out with your hands up," her voice carried that deadly tone that made the hair on the back of your neck standstill.

What happened to being kind?  Ursa questioned.

I could've struck him down right there,  Azula quickly replied, annoyed with her mother and her pestering.

"Ahh!" The shout clearly came from the source, which sounded like a young child. Azula watched as the young boy slowly walked from behind the hill of snow. He wiped snowflakes from his face and clothes as he approached her with his eyes focused on the ground. When he was finally across from her, the Princess cleared her throat and, the boy looked up at her, practically throwing his hands in the air.

"Some assassin you are," she shook her head at the boy's clumsiness.

"What? I'm no assassin. I am here to learn, Princess." The boy bowed in front of her and, her eyes widened.

"Learn? Learn what?"

"Your combat and strategy. You conquered Ba Sing Se!" He exclaimed and, Azula grimaced at his excitement. She used to feel pride when thinking of Ba Sing Se but now it left her sad when she thought of it.

"How old are you?"

"I'm seven, but I am a good student!"

Of course, he lived most of his life without a war. The hate for everything fire nation had slowly started to die out and, for him, the One Hundred Year War must seem like an old tale instead of the grim reality it was.

"Wouldn't you rather have Sokka teach you?" She questions and, he quickly shakes his head.

"He's tried, he's not the best teacher." Azula couldn't hold her chuckle back about that. As the boy looked at her, she realized that this could work with her plan. Another way to show her own growth, teaching a child of a different nation.

"That sounds correct," she tells him and, he nods, still looking up at her. "If you want to be taught by me, there will be rules. I am no one to be messed with." Azula explains and, he nodded hurriedly.

"Of course, Princess." He bows his head again.

"Then we will start soon-" she looked at the boy again and realized that she doesn't even know his name.

"Ku-San. My name is Ku-San."

"Then I'll see you at soon, Ku-San." The boy nodded with excitement, bowing his head out of respect once more before leaving the Princess.

Once Azula sat down at her table in the library, she realized what she had actually agreed to. She tried to go along with her usual routine, but it kept nagging at her as she worked. The Princess left the library early that day and hoped for a moment that the solution to her problem would appear to her.

And appear to her it did.

"Hakoda!" Azula called the chieftain over as he walked past the library.

"Azula, how are you today?" He smiled at her.

"I am doing well. You?"

That's new , Ursa commented and, Azula was tempted to roll her eyes,

"Doing pretty good! Did you need help?" Hakoda asked her and. she cursed his kindness. Azula couldn't deny this would be the best opportunity to ask what she needed to.

"I," Azula paused. She was asking for help. Just thinking about it made her skin crawl. She wanted to just say forget it and only worry if the boy's parents got angry. That sounded okay until she thought of her plan. One misstep and everything could derail before it even began. "Actually, I wanted to ask about a boy in the village. His name is Ku-San,"

"Ah yes, I know Ku-San. He's an adventurous one,"

"Well, he asked me to train him," Azula starts and, Hakoda nodded.

"That sounds about right. He's a fighter, but he was two when the war ended. After one hundred years, people are tired of fighting and preparing for war." Hakoda explained and, Azula strangely knew what he was talking about. She had been ready to give everything for her nation and her father during the war.

As a child!

Once it was over when she was exhausted before her life even began.

"Well, the child was convincing and, I agreed to train him but, I have to admit I failed to think about the boy's parents," Azula tells him and, the man nodded.

"His father died shortly after his birth but, his mother Somi, lives on the other side of the village. I'm sure-" Hakoda stopped his sentence. Sometimes he forgot who he was talking to. A girl who had the strength and intelligence to take over a whole kingdom and put herself on the throne. Azula looked at him and sighed, nodded her head. She understood him, his hesitation because it matched her own. She felt nervous about teaching him herself since her interactions with children are far from kind or motherly. It would hurt her if she made the child cry, intentionally or otherwise.

"How about we both talk to her tomorrow?" Hakoda suggested and, Azula almost let her face slip into a frown. She missed the days where this feeling didn't exist, this pit in her stomach that made her uncomfortable. The days where it didn't matter how people viewed her because it would go her way anyways.

"It might be better if it was just you that spoke to her," Azula tells him and, he shakes his head.

"I think she'd like to know who her son will be spending his mornings with," Hakoda points out and, Azula sighs. He was right and, that made her even more nervous.

"Well, I'm sure that'll change. I'm assuming the war is the reason that woman's son no longer has a father and, well, I seem to be a reminder of that," she tells him, her voice calm and, Hakoda frowns. Azula was her own biggest enemy when it came to trusting, trusting that others won't instantly see her mistakes or her father when they saw her. Trusting that they wouldn't hurt her. It wasn't something she knew how to do.

"Try to have a little faith," he reassured, "You'd be surprised by people and their ability for forgiveness. Just show her that you are worth being forgiven." Hakoda elaborated.

Worth being forgiven ? Azula could laugh at the thought. Everyone thought the most she was worth is four concrete walls at the asylum. Forgiveness was not in the equation.

Sokka has forgiven you. So has Hakoda and Kanna. You are worth forgivin g, Ursa yapped in her ear and, she could feel that uncomfortable pit returning to her stomach.

"So I'll see you tomorrow morning?" Hakoda asked and, Azula nodded.

"You can expect me tomorrow morning," Azula answered.

She could only hope Hakoda was right.

The bright rays of the sun reflected off the snow and ice of the igloo. Azula stood nervously after preparing to see Somi. She had no clue what to expect and, that made it even worse to sit and wait until she arrived at Somi's home later that morning.

"I hear you're talking to Somi today!" Sokka walked in the igloo, his usual cheerful energy radiating through him. She looked at him and tried to smile but, it failed to reach her eyes.

"Yes. Your father and I are going over there shortly," she tells him and, he nods.

"Want me to braid your hair?" Sokka asked and, Azula's eyes widen before narrowing directly at him.

"Why?" Azula questioned him. What does he gain from doing that for her? Why did she want him to? She had to admit that him braiding her hair sounded appealing. He did a good job last time and ever since last week...well, she didn't know how to feel with Sokka around.

Azula quietly put on her boots and her parka, trying her best to keep her balance with only one hand to do it. The other hand carefully held a flame to light the room. Sokka wanted her to meet him at sundown. He went on about the lights filled the sky during certain times of the year. She met him at the entrance of her igloo and stopped in place.

He was at least a whole head taller than her, towering at the doorway. Snow sat on his eyelashes and ends of his braid, glistening in the moonlight. He was always handsome and, she remembered Ty Lee never failed to point it out. But this man in front of her was different from the boy she fought years ago. He stared at her and, they took each in under the night sky. He had never looked at her like this before like she was beautiful.

Though, she supposed, she had never looked at him this way before either.

"Umm, are you ready to go?" Sokka clears his throat before gesturing to the outside.

"Don't I look ready," she sassed and, he laughed as he began walking towards the best spot to see the lights.

"I really do hope you like them," Sokka tells her as they finally round the side snow hills. The sky became more clear and, she could see past the dark clouds in the sky.

"Is this is it?" Azula's eyes widened as she pointed up to the green and purple swirls in the sky. Seeing this was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Sokka stood slightly behind her, staring at the lights with her.

"They used to say the lights were spirits who were playing kickball with a walrus head. It's an older story that the elders haven't told much lately." He explains the tale softly, and that's when her stomach flipped. She didn't care about finding him attractive, Azula could handle those feelings. What she couldn't handle was the way she started to feel when he said things like that. When he was excited or confident and, he knew so much. It seemed as though he was right to brag about being the brains of their group.

They stood just out of each other's reach as they watched the swirls of light traveling through the sky. Azula wanted him closer to her and, that was an uncomfortable, scary feeling.

"Beautiful," Sokka wasn't sure if he was just talking about the lights.

"Yes, they are," Azula looks back at him over her shoulder and, they both let the stare linger for a second too long.

Ever since that happened, her mind reminded her.

"Don't get me wrong, you look..." the warrior paused as he looked at the Princess. There were so many things stopping him from saying what he really wanted to her.

That she was absolutely gorgeous all the time.

"You always look great. The braid just makes you...friendlier." Sokka smiled awkwardly, hoping he said the right words and, she raised an eyebrow.

She stared him down for a moment weighing her options, "Make it quick," she tells him, turning her back to him. He nods as he carefully takes her hair in his hands. He quickly braids her hair, leaving just enough out at the ends.

"Perfect." He tells her and, she's practically fighting her own urge to smile.

"Ready to go?" Hakoda asks. He watched from the kitchen area and knew that if nothing was going on when they got here, there was certainly something going on now.

"Of course," Azula pulls the hood of her parka up, and they're all walking out of the igloo.

"Good luck Azula!" Sokka waves his good as he heads off to go fishing.

The ghost of a "thank you" lingered on her lips as she walks in the other direction with Hakoda.

The walk was quiet as the sun rose over the tribe. As they appeared closer to the igloo, Azula could feel herself grow anxious, worried this would all fall apart like everything in life did. She ran her fingers along her braid, feeling each symmetrical knot that ran down her back. Hakoda pointed out that the home was just up ahead and, Azula nodded as she followed behind him. Azula couldn't believe that her life had turned into this, being nervous to meet a common Southern Water Tribe woman.

"I can go in first if you'd like?" He offers her and, she shakes her head. She would face this head-on now that she was at their doorstep. Hakoda called out to the mother and, they could hear the running of Ku-San in the background.

"Princess!" Ku-San bowed in front of the Princess and Chieftan as his mother walks up behind him.

"Hello," Somi greets them softly as her son stands up straight.

"Thank you for having us this morning." Azula spits out awkwardly as they step further into the igloo.

"Yes, we just wanted to make sure everything was alright with Ku-San learning from Azula," Hakoda explained and, Somi nodded.

"Well, yes but, you have to understand my hesitance." Somi and Azula make direct eye contact with each other.

"Of course, I'm sure you'd rather have the avatar teaching your son," Azula says and, Somi chuckles.

"Since you have been here, Ku-San has been going out to train early in the morning. I'm assuming that's what you do?" Somi says and, Azula nods, her eyes peering down to the boy who was hiding his embarrassment behind his mother.

"How early?" Azula asks him firmly and, he steps out from behind his mother.

"Before sunrise," Ku-San tells her and, she's impressed by his dedication.

"Good." Her simple reply was enough to boost the boy's confidence.

"Azula really has been a wonderful guest, helping my mother and learning about our culture. I believe she'd be a great teacher for Ku-San," Azula listened to Hakoda talk about her and was stunned that he was so...kind. The Princess had been a mess when she first arrived and, she believed it would be like the trip, off to the side, ignored and alone. She hadn't expected acceptance, especially when they had no reason to but having it felt better than she ever thought it would. After convincing herself that she didn't need it and was better off without it, Azula still felt warm in her chest.

"You promise not to hurt our son?" The mother's stern look reminded Azula of herself but, before she could admire the woman's fierceness, a pang of sadness hit her when she realized this was how her mother acted with Zuko, never with her.

"Of course," Azula snapped herself out of her own pity, bowing before Somi and is met with a bow in response.

"It takes a lot to get a good word and trust from Hakoda and Sokka so, I'll trust them." Somi agreed and, Azula relished in the relief that came with that.

"It only takes a plate of meat to gain Sokka's trust," she smirks to herself and is nearly startled when she's met with laughter from the other people in the room.

"That was a good one, Azula," Hakoda chuckles once more and, the Princess cursed herself as she felt herself smile in response.

Willingly.

Somi pulls Azula over to the side, "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

"Secret?"

"Hakoda mentioned that you were a little nervous to speak with me. Trust me, the feeling was very mutual but, I do believe people can change. I hope Ku-San can learn a lot from you during the rest of your time here."

"NERVOUS!" Azula nearly shouted as they walked towards the docks. Hakoda chuckled, keeping his pace ahead of the Princess.

"It's okay to be nervous, Azula," Hakoda tells her and, Azula scoffed as she sped up, determined to catch up to him.

"I was not nervous and, it is not  okay  to be nervous. It's weak and, it's-" The Princess insisted before Hakoda stopped her.

"It's human. You're human, Azula. Don't you know that?" The rest of Azula's words died on her tongue as the Chieftan kept his pace in front of the princess.

"Of course I know that!" Defensive Azula was awakened after being stunned into silence.

Do you know that? You believe that I think you're a monster. Ozai used you as a weapon , Ursa told her and, a flipped switched inside the Princess.

Don't be daft mother, I am not a daughter to you. I am an evil thing you created by accident,  Azula was tired of everyone acting like Ursa could do no wrong.

You could probably say Azula is the biggest example of Ursa doing something wrong.

Don't say that,"  Ursa's response was instant.

You messed up so bad you had to try again. Try for a better daughter,  Azula threw back angrily.

That is not true, i t almost sounded like Ursa snapped at her.

It is a fact!  Azula said with a finality that silenced all other thoughts.

The silence continued for the rest of the walk until the fishing boat is in view. Sokka looked up at the sound of crunching snow and greeted them both work a grin accompanied by a wave.

"Hey, guys! We got a good catch this morning!" Sokka greeted them. He was only greeted with one smile in return.

"That's awesome! We'll have a good head start on the winter." Hakoda pats his son's back while Azula stood off to the side, shifting from one leg to the other.

"Would you like to try it sometime?" Sokka made the Princess his focus. Azula looked up and raised an eyebrow at his proposition.

"Fishing?" She looked at Sokka like he had grown a second head.

"Yeah, it's harder than it looks." That's always his bait when it comes to Azula. Make it a challenge and, she's sure to agree simply to spite him. Sokka was amazed she hadn't caught on yet.

"Yeah, sure it is," Or at least she hadn't caught on before? Her response stumped him for a second as he needed a new way to convince her. Of course, it took a lot less than it did two months ago, but it still could be difficult.

"At least try it once before we leave?" Sokka playfully pleaded.

"Mhmm," she nods her head before turning back in the direction of the igloo. Sokka takes that as she'll think about it.

"What's wrong with her?" Sokka whispers loudly to his father, Hakoda shrugs.

"Your father is a liar," Azula threw out as playfully as she could, given her change in mood. The Princess would rather have a joke about her so-called nervousness than sit in silence where her mother waits for her.

"What?"

"I told Somi that Azula was nervous about talking with her," Hakoda explained to his son.

"Were you nervous?" Sokka asked, curious to hear the answer.

"No! I simply wanted to be as diplomatic as possible. Hakoda just so happened to offer his good word and, I know the value of that offer," Hakoda covers his laughs with his hand behind her as she half-lied to Sokka.

"Aww, you were nervous," Sokka teased and, Azula huffed, playing the part while she stomped away to the igloo as father and son snickered playfully behind her.

Sokka would peak over for a few seconds. Only for a few seconds. He didn't want Azula to catch him. He was practically fighting with himself as he painted on the other side of the room. He couldn't help but watch as she focused on her scrolls. She was adorable when she clenched her brows-

Adorable? Since when did I think Azula was adorable?

Since you heard her giggle ,  duh.

That memory came to mind easily for Sokka. The pair were sitting in the library, reading and sorting through some scrolls Azula wanted to study.

"I have some jokes to practice on you," Sokka whispers excitedly and, Azula almost groans in annoyance, "Oh no."

For the past week, Sokka had been practicing jokes on her, attempting to make her laugh in the process. It only took a few tried before she realized this would test her patience...constantly.

"I'll only do three, I promise." He tried his best to pout and, she simply glared at him over her scroll. That was better than when he stayed for her entire time in the library. Whispering jokes in her ear. 

"Quickly then," she waved him off as he pulled out his seat and sat in one motion.

"What did the ocean say to the beach?" Sokka started off.

"What did the ocean say?" She follows the routine passively

"Nothing, it just waved."

"Never say that one again it's boring." The Princess critiqued him.

"Okay, okay, this one is good. "What did one wall say to the other?""

"What did the wall say?" Her words were accompanied by an eye roll.

"I'll meet you at the corner."

"Better than the last but still awful.

"Okay, last one, What do you call a fish wearing a bowtie?"

"What do you call him, Sokka?"

"Sofishticated."

For a moment, he could only hear Azula and, that was weird enough. The sound didn't last longer than three seconds before she straightened her face, focus fully returned to the scroll in front of her.

She giggled. At least, Sokka thought she did.

And if he wasn't mistaken, he saw the red flush of her cheeks before she put her head down.

"Your three jokes are up," Azula reminds him, wishing he would leave. She could barely believe herself, keeping her eyes on the scrolls in front of her. The joke wasn't even funny, but Sokka found a way to say it just right.

"I'll leave you to it then, Princess," Sokka smirked at her before leaving her table at the library.  

Since then, his mind reminded him.

"I have a question I've been meaning to ask you," He speaks up, and she looks at him with questioning eyes.

"Aren't you always asking me questions?" She says, and he chuckles nervously at her true statement.

"Yes, but this is a more serious question," he elaborated, and she nods.

"Well, go on, then. What is it?"

"Why were you on the deck that night?" Azula froze as the words left his mouth.

"You already know why." She tells him, her tone curt. This wasn't something she felt like talking about, especially with Sokka. She didn't need any more pity coming from him.

What about your plan?  Her mother's voice pierced her thoughts. She cursed her mother's reminder, wishing she could have hidden from this feeling for as long as she could.

This voice told her to let it go. That Sokka didn't pity her and, even if he did pity her, it didn't matter. Azula heard its whisper in the back of her mind every time something like this happened with him.

But every time,

the voice is drowned out by the constant shouting that he was lying, using her, reporting back to Zuko.

That voice was almost always the one her voice of reason listened to,

almost,

"I made my own assumptions, but I don't know exactly why," Sokka told her. He knew that she valued complete honesty (Learned during week four of being Azula's friend.)

"Why should I tell you? Because we're  friends ?" She knew that logically the answer was yes, but she stood on that thin line between trusting him and shutting him out. It always went back to that voice in her head, yelling at her.

Aren't you, though? You and Sokka are friends. People who are friends care about each other,  Ursa's voice made her squirm in her seat. She'd rather hear the Other voices right now.

Tell that to Mai and Ty Lee,  Azula hissed in response.

"No, you don't  have  to tell me anything. I simply wanted to know because I care." Sokka's tone is soft, hoping that Azula could see his sincerity.

"You keep saying that," Azula hated his sincerity. It made it even harder to keep him where she wanted him. Close enough to help her with Zuko and no further.

"And I mean it. I  do  care about you." He never thought he would say those words, but he meant them.

That whisper was louder now.

"I wanted to die." There wasn't much emotion behind the words, but somehow Sokka could feel them coming off Azula.

"Azula-" It felt wrong to hear her say those words, along with the lack of concern that was with them.

"I answered your question, didn't I?" The words were spat out fast as she looked away from him and began flexing her fingers.

"Yes, but why? You're-" Sokka stutters out his words as he struggles to express his confusion to her.

"A prodigy? A Princess, royalty, yes I am well aware of my status in society." Azula snapped at him.

Just tell him,  her mother's voice grates against her eardrums.

"Yes, those things are true, but you're more than just titles that others have given you."

"Yeah, sure," Sokka was frustrated at her closed-off nature. It's always one step forward and two steps back with her. Sokka rarely ever gets any leeway when it comes to being Azula's friend. 

"Well, what about the people who care about you? Your family

"If  they care about me, they have an odd way of showing it." Her answer stumps him, and they sit in silence for a few seconds.

"Since we're asking questions, why were you  really  out there that night."

"I wanted to get away from Zuko and Suki that night."

"Zuko always manages to come out on top."

"I try to get past it as best as I can, but there's still this awkward sting that I get, but it always comes back."

She couldn't believe herself, but the words had already left her mouth "you deserve better anyway,"

"I don't think so." Years ago, Azula would have cringed at the self-deprecating humor and, she most certainly would not have reassured him.

"You should! You are...you are kind. You are intelligent and skilled. Not only that, but you deserve as such." The words were still surprising to hear out of her own mouth. She wanted to pass them off as simply a part of her plan, but that left a queasy feeling in her stomach. It would be lying because she meant her words. Azula hadn't meant to tell him now. Or ever. She kept her eyes focused on her hands that resting in her lap, avoiding his reaction.

"I...thank you, Azula." A nod is his only response.

That voice that had been a whisper was finally yelling at her now.

"I don't think my family would care all too much if I weren't here." She stated it as if it was normal. She finally decided that him knowing this about her couldn't hurt her any more than it already has. Sokka felt this awkward pit in his stomach. Hearing those words from her made him incredibly sad when he thought about it too hard. He couldn't imagine feeling like that when his family meant everything to him.

"Well, I would." He had moved to look at her better, and their fingers brushed as their eyes met. They looked at each other, Azula looking at the waves that crashed within them, the flames in her own meeting them. It was strange to see this glint in his eye that had never been there before. She was observant enough to realize that and, while thankful for the skill, she hated having it at this moment. She would've rather stayed oblivious to the change in Sokka instead of now wondering what it meant.

"That might be foolish of you," she finally looks away, moving her hand from the cushion to her lap.

"Do you plan on not being here anytime soon?" Sokka asks her, trying his hardest to hide his own concern.

"Well, no," relief flooded him as he heard her answer.

She didn't. She likes to think that if Sokka hadn't come out to the deck that night, and she had died, she still would've found some peace in that, but Azula wouldn't tempt Agni again.

"So then I have nothing to worry about," he smiled, and she chuckled awkwardly. While she planned on staying alive in the foreseen future, she doubted that she would bring any more good into Sokka's life. 

Chapter Text

"Exactly! Just like that." Azula praised as she watched Ku-San copy her movements. He was correct in that he was a good student. Nothing like her, of course, but good enough. He wasn't a bender, so as he requested, they focused more on the hand-to-hand combat and defense. Azula eased into the next move and the boy followed. She stuck to things she knew as to ensure she was teaching him the correct move. Ku-San didn't seem to mind, as he simply wanted to know what she was teaching next.

Azula never thought she would enjoy doing something like this. She never liked children, she didn't like being a child when she was one but there was this warm feeling when he looked up at her, anticipating her next move, excited to learn from her. She felt again when he did something exactly how she showed him. Of course, she kept this all in, butthe feelings were there and they only got better as they progressed through their training. She wondered if this is what it meant to be proud of someone, to share that excitement with them.

"Ku-San, time for your lessons," both the Princess and the boy look up to see his mother standing at the edge of the igloo. They both straighten their positions and now to each other.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Azula!" Ku-San waves as he runs past his mother, Azula nods her farewell before bowing to his mother.

Since their conversation, it's been an easy routine that they've settled into. Azula was still up with the sun, but now she made the quick journey to meet Ku-San and train him in the mornings. The Princess had actually taken a liking to the boy and found training him rewarding. He was truthful when he said he was a good student, following all of her directions to a tee. He also liked to be challenged, which made it easy for both of them to keep on their toes. Azula stays back, doing extra stretches, as she always does when a voice stops her.

"So, it is true," the man's voice was new and instantly put her on edge.

"Who are you?" Azula had to fight her own instinct to light a flame.

"Chaska, new captain of the Southern Water Tribe Warriors," the man holds a hand out, and she narrows her eyes at him as continues her stretch. She stands again, ignoring his gesture as she tried to determine why he was there.

"And why are you here?" Her voice was sharp enough to cut him, and it quickly dawned on him that she was as ruthless as everyone said.

"I was simply lucky enough to walk through the village at the right time. That and I thought it was finally time that we met," Chaska tells her, and her suspicion of the man on grew as he smirked in front of her.

"Why is that?" She asked him.

"You're a prodigy!" He exclaims and she raises an eyebrow again. "You're known all over the world for your bending, the pure skill you possess," He smiles, hoping to flatter her, and she merely stares at him with a blank stare. She didn't think that was all she was known for, especially now. As Azula finally decided to reply, she could hear Sokka's voice grow closer. They were supposed to go to the library this afternoon, and she was looking forward to it. Sokka was the closest thing she had to a friend in so long, and she refused to let her tiny crush ruin that.

"Is your boyfriend coming?" Chaska smirked, and the Princess's face grew bright red at his insinuation.

"Sokka is not my boyfriend!" Azula exclaimed and the Tribesman chuckle as her defensiveness.

If he's not her boyfriend, she at least wants him to be, Chaska thought.

"I'm just joking," He tells her, and she glares at him, not finding his antics funny at all. The Princess didn't like thinking about Sokka romantically because she found herself getting stuck there. They weren't even good friends, yet her mind went there. Maybe she was just very lonely or wasn't used to having someone so kind in her life, but when she was alone her mind drifted to that place where they are more than almost, soft-of friends.

"Hey," Sokka called as he rounds the corner and is surprised to see Chaska with his friend. He had never liked him, but this just put him on edge. H

"Hello, Sokka," Chaska instantly took over, standing confidently next to Azula. The princess looked between the two, a raised eyebrow as she watched Sokka clench his jaw.

"I can assume you two know each other," Azula said, and Sokka nods.

"Shouldn't you be training?" Sokka tries his best to be polite, but he fails and Azula snorts. It was interesting to see him like this, all wound up like he would start shouting any second now.

"Well, that's actually why I came over here. I wanted to ask the princess if I could attend one of her training sessions," Chaska gives Azula all of her focus as his words sink in.

"Why?" She asks immediately, now weary of him. People didn't just randomly want to get close to her, they wanted something.

Kanna and Hakoda have been kind to you, Ursa never fails to show up at the worst times.

"Ku-San hasn't stopped talking about it, and I thought that maybe we could help each other. I still train some older boys for winter hunting so if it worked, it could be a learning experience for everyone," Chaska has no shortage of charisma, and she can feel Sokka's stare on her as he waited for her answer. As much as she wanted to say no, she needed to prove that she could work with others if she wanted to step out of the shadow the war left over her.

"I'll think about it," she tells him, and he nods before bowing in front of her.

"Well, I hope to hear your thoughts on it soon," Chaska tells her, nodding politely at Sokka before leaving the pair alone.

"So, what's your deal with him?" Azula asks a few minutes into their journey to the library. Sokka slowed his trudging until they were walking perfectly side by side, he looked over at her and his heart stopped when he saw her face. Snowflakes sat on her eyelashes, her skin pink from the cold, but what really stopped him was the look of concern in her eyes. Her voice wasn't teasing per se, but he expected a small smirk at least. Not the warm golden eyes that seemed to stop all of his thoughts because he didn't think ever seen them so kind.

"He's a jerk," Sokka doesn't want to talk about Chaska or how seeing him next to Azula made his blood boil.

"I'm assuming there's more to it than that," Azula says, and he nods.

"He wasn't the best friend growing up, that's all," Sokka leaves it at that, and they go back to walking in silence until a sound from above gets their attention. They both stop, looking up to see something flying towards them.

"Is that a messenger hawk?" Azula squints as the object in the sky grew closer, gliding towards her and Sokka as they strode through the snow towards the igloo.

"I think so, Sokka followed suit, squinting to see the hawk searching for a place to land. Sokka held his arm out and the hawk circled around before perching on Sokka's forearm, a message strapped snug to its leg. Sokka grabbed the message from the bird's legs before it moved to stand on his shoulder.

"I can assume that this means they'll be arriving soon," Azula comments, and Sokka nods as he opens the scroll. Azula stands next to him, reading over his shoulder, and Sokka grow nervous. He knew that Zuko could speak about Azula as if she was a burden

Sokka,

it should be less than a week until our arrival. I hope you have been able to enjoy your extended time at home, I hope my sister hasn't made it difficult for you. We are all very excited to see you and spend a little time in the water tribe before going back to sea.

See you soon, friend, Zuko.

Sokka wanted to ball up the paper when he felt Azula sigh against him. He knew what was to be expected of the letter but still he held out some hope that it would be kinder towards the princess, especially since the last one where he made it clear that Azula was anything but trouble since she had been there. He folds the letter up, shoving it in his pocket and as she continued walking, grabbing her hand, pulling her back. She looks straight ahead, avoiding his eyes as she speaks.

"It's okay. Let's just go to the library," she says, and he shakes his head. She hated that he knew Zuko's words had upset her, she hated that they upset her in the first place. And now she can feel Sokka's sad eyes on her, and dread fills her.

"Please, can I say this first?" He pleads and she looks up at him. His eyes weren't nearly as sad as she expects them to be, a different emotion over shining that.

"Go on then," she's sighing again, but that doesn't deter him.

"Zuko is a jerk, and I won't hesitate to knock some sense into him when he gets here. You have made this trip more enjoyable than you could ever know," Sokka swallows the fear that he was saying too much when Azula's look softens.

"Thank you," it was a soft whisper but to Sokka, she might as well shouted it. He smiles and nudges her arm, causing her to look back at him again.

"Anytime," a smile returns to her face, and they continue on through the snow, warmth spreading through the both of them as they snuck looks at each other.

"Please, don't eat all the food before it's even ready," Azula scolds him as she continues cutting up the cooked meat. She glanced over her shoulder to see him putting down some food that he planned on sneaking into his mouth.

"I just want to make sure it tastes good," Sokka whines as he moves closer to Azula, looking at the meat in front of her. While his eyes were focused on the food, Azula noticed that he was almost pressed against her back completely. She could smell the saltwater in his hair, one of his hands was just out of reach of her waist, and she felt the blood rush to her face. She had to get him away from her, especially when he made her feel like this.

"It's your favorite, you know it tastes good," the Princess swats his hands away as they reach for the food in front of her. He pouts at her and goes back to his task as he keeps his steady on the food in front of his friend.

Kanna watched from the side as the two cut up ingredients together. Anyone with eyes could see that there was something there. Over the months, she had grown to cherish Azula and her company. Kanna knew she was smart, that she had strength as well as kindness in her. What Azula needed was someone to show her she could be kind without losing the strength she valued a part of her. That she could be respected and liked.

"Sokka, let the Princess work. The more you distract her, the longer you have to wait," Kanna teased him, and Sokka pouted as he went back to lightly pestering Azula as they worked. Azula glanced over at Kanna, mouthing 'thank you' as she continued.

Dinner went as it usually did and when it came to cleaning up after, Kanna insisted Sokka help her this time. Her grandson groaned but began grabbing the dishes from around the table. Azula chuckled an watched from the table next to Hakoda as Sokka looked misreable trying to wash dishes.

"I'm glad you two are getting along well," Hakoda speaks up and she looks over. Her response sits at the tip of her tongue but it felt like she would be giving too much of herself away.

"Sokka is a good friend," she decided on that and Hakoda nods.

"So are you," he tells her and her cheeks go red. It was strange to see her shy, he would have never expected of her yet he assumed she kept it that way for a reason.

"I'm trying to be," she disagreed and he shook his head.

"Trust me, you are. Sokka loves having you around and Ku-San is talking about you non-stop," Azula takes in his words as he looks back at Sokka, who had his back to her as he washed dishes.

"You like her," Kanna whispers and Sokka nearly chokes. He never expected his grandmother to say something like that. He tries his best to play it off as he continues to scub dishes.

"What are you talking about?" He whispers back even though he knows exactly who his Gran-Gran is talking about and his grandmother nudges him. Of course, he planned on acting like he had no clue what she was talking about. He was stubborn.

"I'm not blind, child. I see the way you look at that girl," Kanna raised an eyebrow as he passed her a dish to dry. He sighs as he stares back at her.

"Is this why you wanted me to wash dishes? To see if I liked Azula," Sokka looks at his grandmother as if she grew a second head as she nods.

"I already know," she smiles and he sighs.

"We're friends, Gran-Gran. She's Zuko's sister," Sokka had been telling himself these things for weeks, repeating them and hoping they would make his feelings go away.

They did not.

"Boy, that means nothing. There's no reason why you two couldn't be together," Kanna goes on and Sokka shakes his head.

"There are plenty of reason as to why we couldn't be together," Sokka hands her the last dish and as she dries it, he kisses her cheek and moves quickly to leave the igloo.

"Sokka, leaving already?" Azula asks as he puts on his parka. He looks back at her and see her concerned eyes staring back at him.

We're friends, she's Zuko's sister, Sokka has to repeat the mantra as she smiles softly back at her, spitting out an excuse about being tired before bidding them all goodnight.

Chapter Text

"Are you okay?" Ku-San asked the princess as they finished their next set of poses. He could see the Princess sweating more than she normally did if she ever did at all.

"Yes, I'm fine," Azula answered before immediately going back to her next pose and Ku-San follows, watching her closely as he mimicked her movement.

Azula tried her best to keep her mind focused on training, but her nightmare kept flashing in her mind. Cell doors, Sokka looking like he could kill her, her brother laughing at her maniacally as they leave her there to rot until she died. Never once had a dream, a nightmare, felt so real, so possible that it shook her to her core, waking her out of her sleep every time. Her sleep hadn't been the best ever since that damned messenger hawk showed up, alerting them of her brother's impending arrival. During the day, it flashes through her mind, and at night, it hits her with full force, and she gets stuck in this vicious cycle.

A breath of relief leaves her as Somi approached the pair, calling Ku-San in for his educational lessons. She bid them both goodbye with a polite bow before rushing off to the library. She needed anything she could find to distract from the chilling walk that felt longer than it ever had. Azula tried pushing her feelings down again, pulling her parka close as she trudged through the snow.

"Where were you earlier?" Sokka approached her at her usual spot in the library. Her head shoots up and she frowns as she realized what had slipped her mind.

"I was supposed to meet you at the boats. I'm sorry. I've been a bit...distracted," She admits to him as he takes his seat next to her.

"Is everything okay?" She hates his concern at this moment because it is the opposite of distracting herself from her problems. It only puts them directly in her focus.

"Yes, of course," she brushes off his concern and he gives her a concerned look.

Sokka didn't know when he had started to read Azula, learning what each of her reactions meant and how to respond to them. He could tell that something was upsetting her but he could not narrow it down.

"Did Chaska bother you again?" His question made her chuckle a little.

"He wasn't bothering me the first time but no," her voice is light but he could still pick up her distress.

"You don't have to pour you heart out, I know you won't do that but I'd like to help if I could," Sokka told her and Azula kept her eyes focused on the scroll in front of her, ignoring the feeling of tears filling her eyes. She let herself breathe, forcing her tears back and hoping Sokka doesn't notice, She looked up at him again when she finally felt back in control and sighed, his caring eyes already staring back at her.

"Zuko will be here soon," she doesn't elaborate and he doesn't ask her to. Sokka understands what she means and nods, reaching out to hold her hands in his. He didn't know why he did it and as she froze in place, he thinks he's made a huge mistake.

Sokka snaps out of his own shock and goes to move his hand when she returns his grip. She isn't looking at him anymore but as she returned his hold, they went along as they normally did, Azula reading softly and Sokka listening to her carefully, her hand never leaving his. He only hoped that following their usual routine would be his way to help her feel better.

As the days went on, the Village continues to prepare for the Gaang's arrival. Extra food needed to be put together as well as arranging space for them. Azula watched as people scurried around, getting things or moving them from place to place. The thought of Zuko and his friends staring at her like some animal, waiting for her to attack.

She forced a smile as people exclaimed about their arrival and how glad they were for them to be back so soon. She knew that her brother and his friends were important to the village and the people living there so she bit her tongue. She knew that she was the odd one out here and she should just be grateful that they'd accepted her but it wasn't easy.

Extremely so.

"Princess," Azula left her thoughts to give attention to whoever addressed her.

"Hello, Chief Hakoda," she does a small bow to Hakoda and the chieftain holds back his small smile at her extreme displays of respect.

"How are you today?" He noticed her downcast expression from across the way and needed to check in on her.

"Fine," her answer was simple and she hoped it was enough to convince him it was true.

"Princess, we both know that is not true,"

"it's as true as I need it to be," she really didn't want to rehash this, especially with him. He was the father she should've had, the father she should be missing instead of the monster that sat in a cage of the Fire Nation Prison.

"Well, I do hope we can have that fishing trip before you take off again,"

"Why?" She cursed her lack of composure, her filter failing at its job because of how on edge she was.

"Because I enjoyed your company and I'm sure Sokka has too,"

"I see where he gets it from now," Azula muttered and Hakoda raised his eyebrow.

"What did Sokka get?"

"You're too nice!" Azula declared him and the chieftain rolled his eyes.

"And what's wrong about that?" He questioned and she froze, thinking of her answer. She didn't know what was wrong with it but it made her uncomfortable, still.

"You're nice to people who don't deserve your kindness,"

"Are you saying you don't deserve our kindness? Because you would be very incorrect." Hakoda told her and she narrowed her eyes.

"Hmm," Azula didn't know what else to say to him. She could hear the sincerity in his voice but that didn't prevent her from being uncomfortable.

"You are not this terrible girl you've made yourself out to be," Hakoda doubled down on his sentiments and Azula felt the most out of place.

"I'm sure you two are the only ones who think so," Azula told him dejectedly.

"We aren't! Ku-San thinks you're the best fighter to ever exist, he adores you. My mother is the same way, she enjoys teaching you. You're not alone here," Hakoda told her and she feels her face heat up, not knowing what else to say.

"I guess,"

"Don't guess, know that, Azula." He told her one last time before excusing himself to finish helping some of the villagers haul in some fish.

"Don't make us hurt you," Sokka's voice is harsh as she backs away from him, blue flames lit around her fingers.

"Just let us take you back and everything will be okay," Zuko's voice echoes behind her and suddenly her blood goes cold. The air changes in the hallway and before she could decide her next move to defend herself, her arm went limp, her flame dissipating into the air. Within seconds, the person, who she assumes is Ty Lee, struck her legs and it goes limp as well, the princess falling to the ground. Azula doesn't have the energy to push back her tears as the rest of her limbs go and Sokka lifts her from the ground. The hallways are barely lit as they take her to what she can only assume is her new cell.

The guard unlocks the door and Sokka doesn't hesitate to throw her down on the cot. He walks out, not even sparing her a look as he closes the door behind him, leaving her there until she died.

Her eyes shoot open as she sits up in bed, her breath heavy and she quickly surveys her surroundings. When Azula finally feels safer than she had, she stands from the bed, letting out the sob that had been stuck in her throat.

Four nights in a row, she'd been woken out of her sleep with a similar nightmare and an intense feeling of terror. She hated that this is what her life had become.

Sokka went back to his igloo to grab more supplies to prepare for five more people joining them. As he entered the igloo, he expected Azula to be sleeping in bed, not pacing the room, tears staining her cheeks.

"Azula, what's wrong," he sets down the blankets, rushing over to her side. Sokka reaches out and Azula stills, looking up at him finally.

"Nothing, I'm fine," she has no problem lying as she rushes to wipe the tears from her face and looks back at him.

"You don't cry," he moves closer to her, and she makes no move to step away from him. He takes her hand and grimaces at how cold it felt in his own, something strange from someone who was always warm.

"How would you know?" Azula tries her hardest to sound harsh, but the words fall out softly as she hiccups for a second. She wasn't supposed to do this in front of him, blubbering like a fool because she was scared and lonely. Scared that as soon as her brother arrives, she would be left alone again with no one to turn to.

And it felt so good to finally have someone in her corner, even if she was terrified to admit that.

"Because you're my friend and I know that if you're this upset, something is hurting you, I knew something was up as soon as I walked in the library," he's looking directly at her, his eyes peering into her and still, she expected pity to be there no matter how many times he told her it wouldn't be. She expected the worst and was always utterly surprised when she got the opposite. His eyes held such kindness and concern as he held her hand, willing her closer to him.

"It's stupid really," a humorless laugh leaves her as she looks away from him, "I had a nightmare. I always have them, but this one was different. I wasn't just scared that Zuko was gonna send me away again," Sokka frowns at that, the fact that she was constantly terrified of being sent back to the asylum. She didn't deserve to live with the consistent fear of being thrown away like she was a problem, "This time, you were there. You looked at me like... I was a monster and slammed the cell door shut before leaving and I," Azula pauses because she can feel her throat close as the images come back to her mind, his disgust from her dream in the forefront of her mind.

"Azula, I would never do that to you," Sokka wants to make sure she knows because he means it with everything he has. In the past few months, Azula had gone from almost a stranger to someone he couldn't imagine living without. He grabs her hands and pulls her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her as he held her tight.

"You were right, Sokka. I am very lonely. I always have been," the whisper was haunting. When he had told her that she seemed lonely all those months ago, he was taking a guess, trying to hit the right button to get her to say anything to him. He hadn't put any more thought to it then because she seemed content being by herself then and all the times they had interacted before. Now he's seeing just how correct he was brought made him sick to think he pointed out something that caused her so much pain.

"Azula," as he speaks, she separated herself from him as she realized exactly what she had told him.

"No, you asked about that night. You asked why I wanted to...well, this is your answer. Can't be lonely if you're dead," Sokka grimaced at her blunt statement. She stood near her bed, fingernails pressed into her palm. "I played alone a lot of time when I was a child. Zuko and I had long stopped playing together, and then it was just my studies. That was most of what I did besides training to take over the world," a dark chuckle left her as she avoided Sokka's eyes.

"I had gotten used to being lonely, it had stopped feeling like I had been struck by lightening, and eventually, it felt like just a dull ache. And then Zuko brings me on this stupid trip where I have to sit and watch as he gets everything. He gets the throne, he gets mother, he gets a happy family, and I'm always just off to the side, like some defective toy no one wants but doesn't care enough to just get rid of it," Azula cringed as the hairs on her arm rose. Telling these personal details to Sokka still felt wrong, but until this point, no one had wanted to listen. Or she had never been ready to tell them. Silence filled the room as Sokka stood in front of her, wishing he could hug her. He knows that telling him this hurts her, but her voice never lets it show, and he hates how even now, there seems to still be this fortress around Azula's emotions.

"You're not defective," was the only thing that tumbled out of Sokka's lips despite the thoughts overwhelming him, "You are not defective," he was firm as he repeated himself. She continues to avoid his eyes, so uncomfortable with herself and the situation she has herself in that she wants to push him away again. Like she should have since the beginning. Azula wouldn't be dealing with this now if she did.

"Don't say that just-"

"This isn't pity! It's not pity." Sokka snapped. He wished that it was only pity, feeling pity for Azula was preferable to the heat that sat in his stomach and the lump in his throat. He was angry and sad for her, there was no positive to her childhood.

Something you only got once.

"Friends feel emotions with you, good friends do at least," he tried his best to grin, but it looked more like a sad attempt at a smile.

"I was never good at being friends. Did you miss the whole lonely part?" It was a weak attempt at a hiss, and Sokka shook his head.

"But that was then. Now, I'd say we have a good friendship going, right?" He tells her, and she wants to tell him no. No, because these feelings Azula's starting to have makes her friendship with him hard. No, because staying friends with him will only make those feelings worse.

But he made her laugh.

They'd bicker and within minutes he was telling her another joke. Or how he was determined to try to get a smile out of her at any given moment. And when he wasn't annoying her, he was helpful with her training and with her studies. He was a good friend, at least according to his own definition. She didn't have her own to go by. Not one that didn't mean completing her every will.

And having him as her friend was the best thing she had going right now. So, she'd fight those feelings if that meant keeping what she had.

"You think I've been a good friend to you?" Sokka looked at her with questioning eyes.

"Don't you think so?" It was nearly laughable. Of course, she didn't. She hadn't thought herself capable, at least not willingly. Yet, each time they were together, she stayed because she wanted to. She wanted to be around him, and that at its core could be considered her being a good friend. No more ulterior motives or malicious intent, but somehow, it still felt out of place.

"I didn't. Now, I think... I know that if I hadn't, you wouldn't be here with me now. You're no liar," Sokka chuckles lightly and before she could even take in that joy, another worry entered her mind, "But what happens when they arrive?" This was new for both of them. Azula had never been this vulnerable with him, with anyone before, and Sokka never thought he'd be the person to have this development with her.

"Maybe nothing has to change. We can keep being friends as we are and maybe, they could also be your friends?" Azula couldn't hold in the hysterical laughter at the thought of her joining their friend group. It sounded ridiculous to her, they would never welcome her into their group, even if she became the avatar herself. Still, Sokka was staring at her, and she knew that he was serious about what he said.

"Don't be naive,"

"I'm not. I just think that maybe they could see the real you, you're not as bad as you think," Sokka smiled softly at her, playfully nudging her should, and he was met by her infamous eye roll.

"Yeah, tell that to your sister," Sokka shook his head. While he was serious about Azula possibly becoming friends with them, it was hilarious to imagine Azula and Katara hanging out with each other.

"Besides Katara, I do think Aang and Toph would be open to it. Toph is always looking for someone to fight with, and I doubt you'd back down from a challenge," Sokka tells her playfully, and she rolls her eyes at him.

"Really though, I don't want you to feel like you don't have anyone. It isn't true, you have me," Sokka adds after a few beats of silence. Azula didn't expect that, she never thought he would say that.

"Thank you Sokka," Azula wants him to know that she appreciated that, that it meant more to her than he could ever know.

"Anytime, Princess,"

The pair stayed up longer talking as Azula quickly relaxed. She had this strange feeling take over her as she sat with Sokka's words. She couldn't imagine anyone saying those words about her. Especially him, the Water Tribesman to whom she's caused harm.

Sokka couldn't take his eyes off her. He couldn't ignore the smile she tried to hide as he went on about how much he still wanted to show her. He wouldn't have believed he would be making plans with Azula when he fell overboard with her.

She rolled her eyes as he reminded her about the fishing trip they still needed to take. Azula sat close and listened to him talk, as he explain all of the intricate details. Her eyes grew heavier by the second but she did her best to keep them open. Minutes went by and Sokka stopped speaking, looking over to see the princess fast asleep.

Sokka picked her up and put her back in bed, wrapping her up in blankets to keep her warm throughout the rest of the night. He almost didn't want to leave her but he knew he had to. Once he made sure she was sound asleep for the night, he went back to his father's igloo, the supplies he needed since forgotten as he tried to wrap his head around everything he had learned about Azula in the past half hour. It was nothing like what he had expected and it made him want to fix it and show her that she could make new friends while still being herself. Sokka wrapped up in his own blankets, thinking about how he could do his best to make Azula a part of the friend group. He refused to let her feel alone when the Gaang arrived.

As the pair drifted off into sleep, a fire nation ship made its way into the Southern Water Tribe docks.

Chapter Text

The ship crashed against the ice, cutting through a few feet before it stopped completely. Zuko sat up in bed just as the guard was knocking at his door.

"Fire Lord Zuko," the words floated through the metal door and Zuko kicked his legs over the side of the bed. He grabbed his robe that was carefully placed on the table beside him and opened the door.

“We've arrived at the Southern Water Tribe, my Lord," the guard's statement was followed by a bow before leaving. 

Zuko sighed, knowing that once the day started, it was bound to be full of awkwardness and tension. Sokka had told him that Azula had been fine. That nothing serious had happened, but he found that hard to believe. 

He expected Sokka to be telling him about the crazy things she was doing in each letter, but when that wasn’t the case, he didn’t know how to respond.  

He could only hope that nothing crazy happened in the next few days. 

Azula woke up, immediately stretching her stiff limbs before leaving the bed. All the usual clothes she wore for training were placed carefully on a chair, and folded up. She quickly changed and put up her hair, prepared for another day when Sokka rushed into the igloo. 

“Good Morning!” He smiled brightly.

“You’re up extremely early,” Azula observed, an intrigued look on her face as she looked at him. 

“I just wanted to check on you,” he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“I’m fine!” She subconsciously straightened her back. 

“I didn’t say you weren’t fine,” Sokka told her, “Just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“Well, you see me,” Azula felt her face get warm, and she pulled at her hood, begging the fur to block her face. 

“Yeah, I do see you,” the butterflies ran rampant in his stomach as she stared back at him, unsure of what to do now. 

What more could they do after everything they said the night before? 

“Princess,” the interruption startled them both as they turned to look at the door. 

It was Hakoda, with a concerned look on his face, standing in the doorway. He looked in between the pair, his thoughts running through his head about the two of them. He hadn’t expected Sokka to already be here, but it just added to his list of changes between them. 

“Yes?”

“The Fire Lord has docked at the edge of the water tribe this morning,” he told her softly, their previous conversation taking the forefront of his mind. 

“Oh, they’re here,” there was a slight excitement in Sokka’s tone until he glanced over at Azula. 

Her face was straight, unmoving as she processed the information. She nodded at Hakoda before taking a breath, the air flaring from her nostrils like a dragon.

“Great, I finally get to go home,” Azula did her best to hide the anxiety that rushed through her as Hakoda continued. His words fell on deaf ears as Azula did her best to calm herself down and Sokka tried to read her with what he knew now. 

“Well, it’s still going to be a long way before you go home,” 

“Yeah, I’ll just be trapped on a ship with people who hate me,”

“They don’t hate you,” she looked at him, “I don’t hate you, Aang doesn’t hate you,” 

“Regardless, it won’t be as fun as you say it will,”

“Just wait, you’ll see,” he smiled brightly at her, and she nodded, seeing how sure of it he was. She felt a small piece of herself believe him. 

Everyone on the ship moved to get ready for the frigid cold and harsh winds that would meet them outside the ship. 

As they prepared, they couldn’t help but muse about how Sokka and Azula interacted with each other for the past few months. Something that no one on the ship could imagine. In every scenario they came up with, Sokka was in pain and the Southern Water Tribe was melted beyond recognition. 

“I still don’t get how they fell overboard.”

“Yeah, me either, I’m just glad someone saw them,”

“Do we know what they were doing on the deck in the first place?” Suki asked, and there was a hint of curiosity that said more. 

“Don’t go there, Sokka would never even look at her,” Katara quickly but in, and Suki shrugged. 

“I’m just saying,” 

“Well stop,” Zuko didn’t even want to imagine his sister with his best friend. 

“You know, I’m surprised that she hasn’t burned the place to the ground,” Toph laughed as the group approached the edge of the platform. The door was being unlocked as they went. 

“Sokka wouldn’t have let that happen,”  Katara stated confidently. 

“He told me that there was no problem, so I guess we’re going to find out,” The door opened slowly as it scraped against the thick layers of hard snow and ice. 

As they lowered, it revealed them to three people standing at the edge in furs.

“It’s okay,” Sokka doesn’t know why he said it. The whisper floating through the snowflake almost blinded them. He also doesn’t know why his gloved fingers grazed hers or why he thought it would comfort her.

Azula doesn’t know why it felt so good. All she knew was that she hated how nice it felt. She hated how his simple gesture filled her with a warmth she had never felt before. A warmth she didn’t even know existed.

As soon as the door came to a complete stop, Katara rushed out to hug her father and brother. The rest of the group rushed out behind her, taking in the harsh winds and snow. Azula took a step back away from the father and son as the group approached, her hands folded behind her back. 

When Katara finally took a step away from her family, her eyes fixated on the Fire Nation Princess, her glare piercing into her as she stood firm in her new spot in the snow. 

“Azula,” Zuko started, almost nervous about his sister’s reaction toward him. 

“Zuzu,” was her only response, her eyes meeting his only for a moment. 

“Azula, let’s eat breakfast,” Sokka called out from a few feet away, the Gaang surrounding him, trying to catch up. Azula looked at him in shock, her cheeks heating up as he stared at her with his bright blue eyes and even brighter smile. 

“Since when do you invite Azula along?” Surprisingly, Mai was the one to question his inclusion of the princess, her glare falling on Azula. 

“I-” Sokka started, but he was quickly interrupted.

“Yeah, what happened here? Toph spoke up next and from there Hakoda decided to step in. 

“Well, maybe you could find out if you’d let us sit down for breakfast together,” he said, and the Gaang looked back and forth between Azula and Sokka. 

“Breakfast is ready on the ship,” Toph suggested, ready to eat as soon as possible.

“Then let’s eat,” Hakoda says, and everyone recedes into the ship, Sokka trailing behind to stand next to Azula. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, and Azula looked at him, her brows pinched together. She had a sharp response on the tip of her tongue, but she remembered that he only wanted to help her. She hated him for making her want him to understand her. Azula hated him for making her want his help. 

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Azula told her, her eyes forward as she stared at the backs of her former enemies. 

“It’ll be fine, I’m here for you,” Sokka did his best to reassure her. He meant what he said and he could only hope she felt even just a bit better. 

“But they don’t want me there,” she hissed, her anxieties choking her. She could feel her heart in her chest, her body suddenly engulfed in heat as they got deeper into the ship. 

“My dad wants you there, I want you there, just trust me,” Sokka stared at her, and she hated the comfort his eyes brought her. “You trust me?”

“I trust you,” her response was hesitant, but she knew that she did. He kept her safe when he still had every reason to hate her. 

“Then it’ll be fine,” Sokka assured her. 

It was not fine. 

It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t fine. 

Azula stood at the back of the dining room as everyone took their seats. Katara and Toph insisted they would sit next to Sokka leaving Azula to calculate where she would fit. She was well aware that no one else would be inclined to sit next to her so that left her standing to the side. 

“Azula, come sit,” Sokka insisted before either of them could say something else. 

“Sokka?”

Hakoda watched, trying to hide his pride as his son stuck to his word. 

“You can sit here, Dad can be at the head, and I’ll be next to you,” Sokka smiled and Azula tried her best to match his expression. She hated this constant feeling of anxiety that rushed through her when she was surrounded by people she knew despised her. 

Azula nodded, sitting next to him as the rest of the room seemed to stare her down. Everyone else followed suit, taking a seat while trying to wrap their heads around what they just witnessed. 

Servants came around to put plates and food on the table as everyone seemed to whisper to the person next to them. 

“You know you could have the answers you're looking for if you actually asked them,” Hakoda insisted as he began to eat. 

“Well, it’s just weird,” Zuko started. 

“They never spoke before, and now he doesn’t want her to leave his side,” Katara held hostility in her voice, her eyes focused on the princess who kept her head down as she ate. 

“Well, we had to speak to each other,” Sokka spoke up. “We didn’t instantly become friends, it took a lot of talking, but she’s my friend now,” 

“Did she do something to you? Blink twice if you need help,” 

“Do something to him? He wouldn’t leave me alone,” she could only stay silent for so long, and she refused to let them accuse her of hurting him. That wasn’t something she wanted to do. 

Her words shocked everyone, and Sokka turned red as she looked over at him. 

“It worked didn’t it?” He told her and she shook her head. 

“I don’t think I had a choice,”

“Sure you did,” Sokka smiled as he piled meat on his plate. 

“So you two are actually friends?” Zuko asked, and Sokka nodded, his mouth full. 

“Yes Zuzu, your poor crazy sister has managed to make a friend,” Azula could feel all eyes on her and only grew more anxious. 

“That’s not what I meant,” Zuko quickly backpedaled. 

“Sure,” Azula scoffed. 

The breakfast continued as the conversation quickly turned away from the pair, leaving Azula to play with her food. As expected, Sokka blended back into his group, while Azula seemed to just be an afterthought unless Sokka or Hakoda spoke to her. 

After she finished, she excused herself, taking the awkward tension she brought with her, missing the concerned look Sokka gave her.

She had scrolls to read anyway.

“Hey,” Sokka looked up to see Zuko walking into the igloo. 

“What’s up?”

“I just…well I wanted to talk about Azula,”

“What about her?”

“Well, how was she?” Zuko almost semmed nervous. Sure, Sokka's lettrs said that everything was fine and they appeared to be the truth but Zuko couldn't trust that Azula just miralculously blended into life with the Water Tribe.

“She’s not a child, Zuko”

“I know that, but she’s… Azula. She’s unpredictable,”

“She’s not. She’s-“ Sokka didn’t want to be so defensive of her. He gets why Zuko is asking, and he gets why everyone else is walking on eggshells, but he also knows that no one has interacted with her much in the years since she’s been in the asylum and even after she left. None of them were the same people since then, so why did they think Azula would be? 

“She’s been helping out around here. Gram-Gram seems to like her. My dad is always talking to her. She’s not the same Azula you think she is,”

“Trust me, Sokka. I know my sister, she always has something up her sleeve,” Zuko tells him. 

Do you know your sister? Sokka thought. 

“Well, then I guess we’ll see,” Sokka told him, ending the conversation there as he put his parka back on before he said something he didn’t need to.

“I mean, how did you get through to her?”

“I don’t know. She just needed a friend. Almost dying together gives you some perspective.” Sokka told him. 

“I mean, Azula doesn’t do well with friends. I just didn’t think she’d be receptive of it,”

“Well, maybe you don’t know your sister as well as you think,” Sokka was trying to keep it in, but he couldn't help himself. 

“Maybe,” 

He was starting to see why Azula had given up on being welcomed into their group. Everyone had already made up their minds that she was a lost cause.

Everyone gathered in the main igloo, Gram-Gram insisting on a big dinner together. The chatter followed the group as they sat together, filling in all the empty spaces. As Gram-Gram began the meal, she looked around, stopping when she saw Azula sitting alone.

“Azula dear, come help,” the rooms went silent as they turned to look at the princess. Azula looked up, her eyes meeting the older woman’s eyes as she used them to plead with her. There was no way this would go well and Azula would rather save herself the trouble 

Her pleading meant nothing as the woman raised her eyebrow and Azula felt herself rising to her feet, slowly walking over as everyone watched them both. 

“Gram-Gram? Why is she helping you?”

“Because she’s a great help,” Kanna smiled, and Azula wanted to melt into the floor.

“Wait, Azula’s making dinner? Are you trying to kill us?” Mai commented, despite the glare she received from Ty Lee. 

“Azula can’t cook,”

“My bending says otherwise,” she finally spoke up, startling them. Mai glared at her, turning her focus back to her nails. Everyone else stood nervously, waiting for something to happen. 

“Well, Azula’s cooking is actually fantastic,” Sokka wanted to lighten the mood. He wanted them to warm up to her, but it proved more difficult than he thought. 

“Well, I’m not eating,”

“Katara,” Aang started

“Well if Sokka says it’s good, I trust him,” Toph spoke up, ready to eat anything that would taste good, fill her up and hopefully warm her up.

“Sokka can eat anything,” Zuko threw out, not believing his sister could cook a meal, let alone a good one.

“So can I,”

While eyes were off her, she stepped closer to Kanna.

“I don’t think I should help tonight,” Azula says. She didn’t want to back down, they didn’t scare her, but she hated how they looked at her. She hated how they talked about her like she wasn’t there. She would rather just go to sleep hungry than sit through this dinner. 

“You’re helping,” it was a demand, and Azula stood straighter. 

“I-“

“What did I tell you?”

“I’m helping?”

“You’re helping,”  Kanna handed her a spoon and moved over so Azula could stir the stew. 

“Azula doesn’t cook, she has servants,” Ty Lee whispered, and it’s a fact that everyone knew. 

“She’s been helping my mother, almost the entire time,” Sokka nodded, a sense of pride filling him. He didn’t know how or why, but he wanted to make sure that she wasn’t alone anymore. 

“Dad? Do you like her too now? 

“She’s a nice girl,” Laughter burst out from the groups aside from Aang and Sokka. 

“Nice?” Sokka's eyes move to look at the topic of conversation. 

He could see her cheeks, how bright red they were, and it wasn’t just from the biting cold. The way her head is down, focused on the swirl of the stew, her hand tightly gripping the spoon as if to snap it in half. 

“She’s right there,” Sokka did his best not to point at her.

The room went silent as Azula kept stirring and Kanna held a hand on her back. 

“Sokka? What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing. I just-“ How could he explain that his heart fluttered when he talked to her? That she could be extremely kind and full of warmth when you let her, “We’re friends now and I just… I don’t think it’s right to keep throwing the war in her face,” Sokka finished.

“You’re acting like she’s the victim here. She killed Aang!” Azula flinched, the sight of Aang’s body falling, the few glimpses of his scar, all of it flashed in her mind as she grimaced. 

“Katara, I’ve forgiven her,”

“She didn’t even say sorry!”

“How can she say sorry when you shut her out?”

Sokka watched as the room seemed to fall apart, Mai began to speak up and soon arguments began being thrown back and forth. This was not supposed to happen, he was so convinced that Azula could just open up and they’d accept her. He was so convinced he would prove Azula wrong but he was doing nothing but proving her point. 

“Enough,” Hakoda’s voice filled the room and everyone stopped to look at him. He looked angry as he stared back at the rest of them. 

“Dad?” Sokka and Katara managed to ask at the same time.

He had seen how his son had taken to her, and he saw exactly why. He had also noticed how Azula did her best not to step on any toes, not to make anyone uncomfortable, despite being in the perfect position to do so. No, he could never forget the things that she was capable of, but he knew that she was capable of more. 

Capable of being a role model. 

Capable of helping out and working with others. 

Capable of bringing joy into a room. 

She was capable of so much when she was given the chance. 

Before he could finish, he could see Azula move around his mother before picking up her parka. She didn’t say a word as she walked out of the igloo alone into the darkness. 

Sokka watched as she left, guilt filling him as he thought about how he could've done more to defend her. He still wanted to know what his father was going to say, but Gram-Gram beat him to it. 

“She did not start that war,” the older woman started, looking at the children in the room. 

“I know but she-“

“Has done things wrong, yes. She has hurt a lot of people, but she was a child, just like you were. She was taught that the things she was doing were right, so she believed it. I'm not saying she hasn't done bad things, but she is a victim of her father as well,”

“Yeah, well, I think Zuko got the short end of the stick,”

“How would you know? You only know Zuko's side,” with that, Gram-Gram turned around, hoping she could at least make them think about what she said. 

If breakfast wasn’t fine, dinner was a shitshow. 

She knew it would be, but it still wore her down. She walked straight to the ship, deciding that if she wasn’t there, the problem would go away. The crew on board would cook her a meal, she’d be able to firebend in peace and maybe take her mind off the chaos that had greeted her from the moment she woke up. 

Azula decided to finally go to sleep in a proper bed, taking up her room on the ship. They wouldn’t be taking off again for another few days, but she was tired of waking up to frozen hair and frostbitten fingers. And she didn’t feel like facing anyone after her dramatic exit. Kanna would probably be disappointed in her, another failure she couldn’t face at the moment. 

As she sat at the vanity, brushing her hair back, Sokka knocked at her door. She turned her head as she called him inside, waiting for his usual check-in on her feelings. 

“How do you feel?”

“Fine,” her answer was curt as she washed the dishes. 

“Really?”

“Really”

“I’m sorry about Katara,”

“I said I’m fine, Sokka,”

“And I know that’s a lie,”

“Do you?”

He looked back at her, the way her hands seemed to tremble despite the lack of emotion on her face. He kept thinking back to everything she said, how he knew that she was alone and had felt that way for longer than anyone should. He just wanted to help her but she was so stubborn. 

“I want you here,” instead of pushing, he realized that he had to try something else. 

“So you say,”

“So I mean,”

“Sokka,”

“Yes,” Azula stared back at him, debating whether she was going to believe him. She had the previous night but after sitting aside awkwardly at dinner, she wasn’t sure anymore. 

“Can we go to the library tomorrow?” So she reached out in the only way she knew how. 

“Of course princess,”

Azula turned back to face the mirror, trying to focus on brushing her hair aside when she felt Sokka move closer to her. 

“Do you want a braid?” He asked, still a few feet behind her. She was gorgeous, her face flushed as her long locks sat on her shoulders that were barely covered by her silk robe. 

“You want to braid my hair?” She questioned back and Sokka moved a step closer as he nodded. 

“Yeah, it’s..”

“Nice. It feels nice,” Azula cursed herself as the words left her lips without permission. They were true nonetheless. 

“Yeah, it feels nice,” Sokka nodded and Azula beckoned him over with her finger. 

Sokka took his place behind her chair, leaning over her shoulder to grab the brush and comb that lay in front of the princess. He took the comb first, parted her hair gently down the middle, and brushed her hair to either side. He used his fingers to scratch her exposed scalp and felt relief and Azula seemed to like the action.

“You know I still don’t get why you’re doing this?” Azula wondered out loud

“Doing what?”

“Braiding my hair, defending me, being my friend,”

“I told you, I care about you,” Sokka split her hair into three pieces and began weaving the braid together.

“I just don’t understand why,”

“You’ve changed. You’ve learned and like I said earlier, it isn’t fair to bring it up and throw it in your face,” his fingers were moving slowly, carefully placing each piece of the braid.

“Who says I’ve changed,”

“You haven’t?” 

“I-“ she has changed and she hates to admit that. It made her think about how she wasn’t sure she knew who she was, to begin with.

“I think you have,” Sokka told her as he finished the braid. “My dad and Gram-Gram do too! I know you heard my dad earlier,” 

“So,”

“Azula, can’t you just work with me,”

“That wouldn’t be very true to myself to make anything easy for you,”

“You’re right,” he chuckled and she laughed with him. The sound made his stomach flutter as she turned around to face him. “They do like you though. Gram-Gram defended you after you left,” 

“What?”

“She put everyone in their place, told them to give you a chance,”

“She didn’t have to do that. She shouldn’t have done that. They’re just going to think I made her do it or that-“

“Azula, no one can make Gram-Gram do anything she doesn’t want to do,” Sokka told her, and she rolled her eyes. 

“That’s beside the point,”

“Is it? She defended you because she wanted to because she cares about you,”

“She shouldn’t,”

“Why not?”

“Because…because she-“ She had too many answers for him and she couldn't find a way to say any of them. 

“Because I’ve hurt the people she loves. I’ve hurt you,”

“Well, I forgive you,” 

“I never said sorry,” 

“Are you?”

“Am I what?”

“Sorry. Are you sorry?” 

“I think so?” Being unsure never sat right with her, and it still didn’t now. 

“Would you do it again?”

“Spirits no,”

“Then believe me when I say that I have forgiven you,” 

Silence filled in the room now as they sat next to each other.

“Are you sleeping on the ship tonight?”

“Yeah, I can’t pretend that I don’t like to be in a warm bed,” Sokka told her and she nodded.

“Then I’ll see you at breakfast?”

“See you at breakfast,” Sokka smiled brightly as he turned to the door.

Azula watched as he left her room, feeling helpless as her feelings for the water tribesman grew beyond the fleeting crush as he showed her kindness. Sure, he was being a good friend, but that did not mean his kindness extended past that. She needed to keep that in mind and reel her feelings in. 

It wasn’t possible for Sokka to feel the same way, and it was foolish of her to believe otherwise.

Chapter Text

Azula woke up to the warmth of the ship and for a moment she forgot how yesterday was probably the worst she’s had in months. 

She knew that things would be tense once everyone arrived, but it still caught her off guard. Azula had found herself comfortable in the routine that she made. Cooking with Gran-Gran, going to the library and waiting for Sokka, just for him to get on her nerves. She felt like it was how her life could’ve been if her family wasn’t so…

Crazy. 

Not that she would’ve wanted to be born in the water tribe, she couldn’t imagine herself not having her fire. She enjoyed her baths being drawn for her, the expensive silks she was able to wear, having someone wait on her hand and foot. Still, she could only imagine how different it would have been. 

She let her thoughts fade into the background as she got started with her day, freshening up and fixing her hair carefully. She felt strange as she put on her workout gear, ready to train for the day. Something just felt off. Just as she went to open her door, a knock stopped her. 

“Princess?” 

“You do know it is before sunrise?”

“I’m terribly sorry for disrupting you this early, but there is a young boy insisting he speak with you. His name is-“

“Ku-San!” Azula swung the door open to face the terrified servant and Ku-San standing right next to him in his Parka. 

“You weren’t at our spot!” His eyes looked past Azula, taking in her personal room on the ship. The deep red silk that seemed to cover the space, her own desk with the neat pile of scrolls. He almost forgot that she was a princess. He had gotten so used to just seeing her live like she was from the water tribe that he forgot she really was a princess.

“No I wasn’t. Pardon me, yesterday was-“

“Crazy! Yeah, the Fire Lord is here again. Does that mean you’re going home soon?” He asked, and Azula looked at the servant that was still standing there in shock. The woman bowed her head before leaving the pair. 

“Yes I will be going home soon, but we will still train until then. If you’d like, we can go to the training room on the ship,” She didn’t know how she became so…kind. Azula could hear her father calling her weak, probably ashamed that she would extend such kindness to a water tribe peasant. 

Be that as it may, she enjoyed training Ku-San. She didn’t regret taking him under her wing as her pupil. Him showing up at her door showed his dedication and Azula saw a piece of herself in him. 

“Training room?” 

“Follow me,” Azula gestured as she began to walk down the hallway.

“Sokka, are you sure about this?” 

“Katara, I’m positive,”

“But why now? What changed?

“I already told you what changed. We started talking to each other, I had to look out for her and she was…” there was so much he could say about Azula, but he didn’t think telling his sister would be the best decision.

“She was what?”

“She was different. She can be kind and caring, and she really is a good cook. She’s smart, incredibly smart,”

“Yeah, we know she’s smart, she almost killed us,”

“Yeah she’s sorry for that,” 

“Yeah sure,”

“I’m serious,”

“Well, I don’t believe it,”

“I didn’t think you would,”

They continued down the hallway, turning toward the dining hall when they heard sounds from the training room. Katara's ears immediately perked up, walking over to the room. 

“Who is training this early?”

“Probably Azula,”

Katara’s face changed as she approached the window. When she saw Azula in her fighting stance in front of a small water tribe boy, she lost it. She swung the door open, immediately prepared to stop Azula from whatever she’s doing. 

“Ku-San? Get away from her,” Katara called out as she scanned the room, looking for water to bend.

“What is going on?” Ku-San asked, confused as to why Katara was upset.

“Katara, stop,” Sokka tried to calm his sister down, something he was failing at.

Azula turned from the boy, moving to stand in front of the boy to protect him. Katara watched in shock as Ku-San peaked out from behind his teacher. Sokka quickly grabbed his sister’s shoulder to stop her from bending. 

“What are you doing?” Katara demanded.

“We were training before you tried to attack me,” Azula answered, almost snarling as she held back from igniting flames from her fingertips.

“Training? How did you trick him into this?”

“Katara, he asked her to train him. She’s just doing what he asked,” Sokka tried to help explain.

“Did she hurt you, Ku-San?”

“No! Why would she hurt me? We’re training,” he spoke up from behind Azula.

“I’m sorry,” he told Azula before pulling his sister out of the room, despite her fighting against him. 

“What’s wrong with you?” He scolded as soon as the door closed and Katara’s jaw dropped in shock. 

“What’s wrong with me? Why is she training him? Alone? She could hurt him!”

“She wouldn’t hurt him. She trains him, shows him discipline, she’s good at it,”

“She’s evil,”

“Katara-“

“No! I don’t know what changed, but I’m not falling for whatever act she’s putting on,” Katara had forgotten why they were even walking together in the first place, storming off to leave Sokka there alone. 

Azula searched carefully, her eyes scanning each tag labeling the scrolls. She scoffed, reaching the end of the shelf without finding what she was looking for. 

As she moved to pull the ladder closer to her, eager to move on to the next shelf and find the scroll that was evading her, she bumped into a hard metal wall. 

“Princess! Excuse me,” Azula realized the wall was actually a person as Chaska bowed in front of her. 

“You’re excused,” she remembered him, he was strangely fascinated with her. 

“Are you excited to go home,”

“Of course,” she also remembered the way Sokka’s mood soured when she first met him.

“I must say, I hope we can still have that training session before you depart,” his smirk made her uncomfortable, like he wanted something other than training. 

“Still thinking about it,” it was a dry reply as she kept her eyes steady on the scrolls. She finally eyed the one she was looking for and pulled it off the shelf. 

“Don’t think too hard,” he said, bowing his head for just a moment before moving on to some other part of the library. 

Azula shook her head and turned to go sit at her table when she bumped into the person she was meeting. Sokka steadied them both, his hands falling to her waist as he kept her upright. 

She stared at him, cursing his presence and his hand placement. She stepped back, clearing her throat as she took in his stare. Azula couldn’t place his expression, and she could only hope that her own face wasn’t betraying her. 

“Hey, sorry,” Sokka apologized.

“Sneaking up on me now?” She flipped her tone and watched as his face changed, a smirk gracing his face. 

“I don’t think anyone can sneak up on you,” Sokka replied as he held his hand out, gesturing for her to walk in front of him. 

“I doubt that would stop you from trying,” she took her seat.

“Was that Chaska?” He did his best to sound normal, but she saw right through him.

“Yes it was. He was asking me about training again. Though something feels off about him.”

“Something is always off with him,” Sokka muttered.

“Well, I don’t think I’d want to train with him anyway. I doubt he’s better than Ku-San.” Sokka chuckled loudly, forgetting his location for a moment. Azula smacked his arm, shushing him as he winced from the sting. 

“You’re probably right,” speaking in a hushed tone this time.

The pair goes silent for a moment, and she took that time to start her reading, feeling the butterflies return to her stomach. She hated this feeling, the warmth that filled her when Sokka smiled at her. It was stupid, childish even. It reminded her of Ty-Lee when they were younger, boy crazy and desperate for even the slightest glance from a boy with nice hair and gorgeous blue eyes. 

Azula kept her head down, eyes focused on the scroll as Sokka watched her. Usually he would find his own scroll to read, but he hadn’t even though about it this time. He saw Chaska standing next to her and his only focus was getting her away from him. So now he could either sit awkwardly or leave her to go find a scroll, and he felt frozen to his seat at that moment. 

“How was…your sister?” Azula finally asked, looking away from her scroll. 

“Don’t worry about it. She’s just-“ a lot. Katara is a lot. They knew this, but it still didn’t make her harassment right. 

“She’s right, though. I could hurt him,” Azula conceded and Sokka immediately fired off a response.

“Would you? Would you hurt him on purpose?” Sokka already knew the answer to the question, but he had to try to convince Azula that she wasn’t this monster she insisted she was. 

“No!” The defense left her lips before she could even comprehend it. She was very different from who she was five years ago, hell even just two years ago. She valued her relationship with Ku-San, it was proof that she wasn’t just some heartless monster. If she could build an honest bond with a child, she had to have some good in her. Right?

“Then what she said doesn’t matter.” Sokka insisted.

“Fine,” she realized that’s she didn’t want to think about whatever the peasant said to Sokka. Not anymore. She couldn’t let it bother her. 

“How are the scrolls?” Sokka quickly changed the topic, leaving over her shoulder to peek at the scroll in front of her. 

“Interesting enough,” 

“Is that a recipe?”

“It-“ she hesitated for a moment, embarrassed that Sokka caught on to the exact contents of the scroll she was reading. “It is,” she continued on, refusing to meet his eye, keeping them trained on the book in front of her. 

Gran-Gran insisted on teaching her another meal so she decided to look it up beforehand, get familiar with the process of it all. 

Always the overachiever. 

Even when it came to making a peasant's stew. 

“Need some inspiration for when you get back to the palace?” Sokka smirked and Azula rolled her eyes. 

“Please. The palace staff does just fine with their cooking,” Azula answered. 

“So you won’t try to cook on your own when you get back? Your food does taste fantastic! I wouldn’t lie about that,”

“I-“ she didn’t really know what she was going to say to him, “Thank you.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Gran-Gran wanted me to help with a meal before we left, and I just wanted to be prepared,” 

“Kiss ass,” 

“The food won’t be good if I don’t know what I’m doing,” 

“I’m sure it’ll be amazing,”

“Of course it will, because I’m doing my research and I’ll be ready when Gran-Gran wants me to help”

Sokkla smiled at her and Azula stared back, confused about his expression. Still, she smiled back until she felt her cheeks get warm. 

Whatever this was needed to stop, Azula declared to herself, Sokka could only be her friend. 

He only wanted to be her friend.

“You convinced Somi to let Azula train Ku-San?” Katara interrogated her father as she walked into his igloo. 

“I did,”

“Why? Why would you do that? What is going on here?”

“She needed something to do while she was here. Ku-San was watching her train anyway,”

“But she’s-“

“She’s not evil Katara,”

“Dad, she killed Aang! She’s the definition of evil,”

“Katara, I’ve spent the last two months with Azula, and she may be a lot of things, but she is not evil,”

“I don’t understand what’s going on here.”

“You’re a stubborn woman, you know how to hold a grudge,”

“Dad, this is more than a grudge,” Katara insisted.

“That is true but if you can forgive Zuko why can’t you forgive her?” Hakoda questioned, picking at Katara’s brain. He knew why his daughter was apprehensive, but he could sense something more.

“She’s…it’s different,” she sighed, unable to describe the difference. It was there, but she couldn’t properly put it into words. 

“Well, I think you’d be surprised by Azula,”

“Yeah, sure-“

Azula had plenty of surprises but Katara doubted any of them were good. And she wouldn’t be foolish enough to wait around and see. She would keep an eye on her, making sure she had nothing planned or hidden up her sleeve. 

After dinner, Azula quickly went to her room, eager to leave the glares from her former friends and the Avatar’s gang. She was surprised that she managed to endure their judging for the entire meal. 

Azula sat next to Sokka, which seemed to be her new spot at the table due to his insistence, but she still felt out of place. The conversation flowed through the group yet when Azula tried to say anything, she was quickly cut off. Frustration quickly built within her as she pushed aside, as always. Sokka made sure to include her as much as he could or break off into their side conversations when they could. Even so, it didn’t take away from the painfully obvious exclusion and the tension that seemed to take over her chest as the realization fell over her repeatedly. 

A part of her hated Sokka. 

Hated the fact that he gave her hope, even if it was the smallest amount, he gave her hope. 

She did her best to reject his words because she knew that even though he might have meant them, he could not control the thoughts of his friends. They would never see her as anything different. 

It’s only been a day, her mothers voice rang out, but she ignored it. She didn’t need false reassurance, it didn’t mean much coming from Ursa. 

Why did she care anyway? 

Azula was okay with being Sokka’s friend. He had proven himself trustworthy enough. She wasn’t supposed to have friends at all so making one seemed a good enough exception to her rule. 

She would never be friends with Mai and Ty-Lee again. She would rather freeze to death than talk to Katara. That still left her with Aang and Toph, two people who seemed the most indifferent towards her. She knew Aang would probably try to talk to her for Sokka, but would she be able to tolerate him? Toph was like a mild irritant, a pest at most but even Azula could admit she had a sense of humor and talent that outshone her circumstances

Azula refused to consider Zuko or his literal fangirl he calls a girlfriend. 

Azula could only think back to a time when she had the world at her feet. How different things were, how nothing went according to the plan she had so carefully laid out for her life. A swirl of emotions overcame her as the thoughts floated around her mind and she shook her head, willing them away for the night. 

The next few days started the same, training Ku-San in the ship's training room at sunrise. Only this time there was no interruption from Katara or accusations of harm. She had increased the intensity of the training, wanting him to get as advanced as he could before their departure. She didn’t see herself visiting the Southern Water Tribe often, but she wouldn’t half ass this act of mentorship. It made her uncomfortable still to care so much but as the emotions fought inside her, she found herself writing scrolls for the boy to use when she was gone. 

“Knock knock,” a voice distracted her from her work, Sokka showing up at her door. 

“Can I help you?”

“I just wanted to stop by,”

“Well you stopped by,”

“I-”

“What is it, Sokka?” Her sing-song tone, slightly irritated by his indirectness and the blush that took over her face. 

“Want to go fishing tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, it won’t just be us, but we could be in the same boat! Only if you want to, of course,” he knew Azula was not having a great time now that everyone else was there. The energy had changed, and he wasn’t sure what he could do to fix it.

“What do I get out of this?”

“Quality time with your friend,” he smiled despite his words feeling like being punched in the gut.

“I can get that any time,” she rolled her eyes, pretending to be unbothered by his words, unbothered by one specific word. 

Friend

She knew what she was, yet it still left a sting that she felt all over her body. She thought it was foolish of her to feel such a way after being friends for only a few months. Before they fell off the ship she wouldn’t have even looked his way and now… 

Now she doesn’t want her to look away, only forced to by her blush and fear of being caught. 

“Yeah sure but when else will I be able to teach you how to spear fish?” He questioned and she groaned, appearing annoyed. 

“Fine, as long as it is after my training,” Azula agreed, and he smiled nodding excitedly. 

“Perfect!”

They sat in silence for a moment, Azula going back to her scrolls as Sokka watched carefully. He watched each careful stroke of her brush as she explained the details of each movement extensively. 

“Are you just watching me?”

“I- no, I’m not just watching you!” Sokka quickly lied, diverting his eyes to her as she stared back at him. 

“Hmm,” her eyes narrowed, and he could feel his composure slipping by the second. 

“It’s just-“ he paused, not knowing how to explain it without sounding utterly infatuated with her, “I think it’s nice that you’re doing this for Ku-San,”

“I don’t need him forgetting everything I’ve taught, or it would’ve been a waste of time,”

“Still, it’s- it’s sweet. I can tell that you like doing it,”

“I wouldn’t say I like it,” Azula's eyes finally left his again. 

You do like it, it’s okay to admit that, she can hear her mother nagging and fights the instinct to scoff. 

“It’s okay if you do though,” Sokka reassured, and he saw her eyes again, the hue of gold shining brighter than he’s ever seen them. 

“I know that! I just-“ everything felt out of place, but the feeling wasn’t bad, just different. A lot of things felt different from when she fell off the ship and even after having months to do so, she still hasn’t processed it all. 

Azula still can’t process that Sokka truly wants to be her friend. 

That any child would want to spend time with her. 

Willingly. 

That a grandmother would defend her, even when she wasn’t present, even though she hadn't asked. 

It just didn’t make sense to the girl, who seemed to always be at war with the things her father taught her. 

She looked back at Sokka, despite knowing it wouldn’t be there, expecting a disappointed stare. Instead, she saw something wasn’t used to, Azula could barely identify it herself. 

“You know I’m not used to these things,”

“I know. That’s why I’m reminding you. Just in case you forget,” Sokka smiled and Azula’s eyebrows seemed to relax. 

And just like that, those feelings Azula hated grew tenfold. 

“So fishing tomorrow,”

“It’ll be fun, trust me,” Sokka reassured her and she nodded.

“You already know that I trust you,” she told him, this time Sokka cursed his own feelings. 

“So then there’s nothing to worry about!” 

Azula really hoped Sokka was right.

Chapter Text

“Thank you, teacher!” Azula watched as Ku-San bowed deeply. They had just finished another morning of training, concluded by some sparring. Azula, of course, went light on him as he tried his very best.  

“You did well today,” she watched him as he frowned. 

“I lost my balance at the end,” the boy whined, and the Princess rolled her eyes. 

“So?”

“So? I failed. I messed up!” 

The words hit her as she looked at the child in front of her. He shouldn’t even be training; he should be playing in the snow with his friends. He should be spending the morning with his mom and dad, not worried about failing. Not concerned with fighting or failure. 

Just like she shouldn’t have been worried about failing. 

Azula couldn’t remember a time she wasn’t training, spending hours of her youth just to get better, just to prove herself. Just to make sure she didn’t fail.

Just to make sure she won a war she shouldn’t have been fighting. 

And where did that get her? 

Not to the throne. 

Not with people who supported her. 

She thought about how her father would’ve kept training until she couldn’t breathe, sucking in air through her own exhaustion. How her body would ache, covered in bruises at only eight years old. 

It was different from how she noticed that Ku-San was growing frantic, tired, and she immediately stopped them for the day once he lost his balance and fell to the floor. Different from how she helped him up and gave him time to collect himself. 

Azula didn’t even know when those differences took over her. She kept comparing herself to her father, to a monster, but she was doing everything differently.  

She wasn’t like him. 

She never would be.

Not again. 

“You did fail. You made a mistake,” The Princess started, “But you are young. You are learning, practicing, it takes time. I’ve been training since before I was your age. It will take you years to beat me. If you ever beat me,” Azula explained. 

“But you won’t be here,” Ku-San pouted, and Azula nodded. 

“Even in my absence, you can continue your training. I will leave you scrolls for you to use.”

“Do you think I could visit you?”

“Visit me? Just to train?”

“Of course! Well, not just to train, I’ll miss you!” He says as if it’s so obvious. 

Azula looks at him, unable to rationalize why on Agni’s earth he’d miss her. 

“Why?” She couldn’t stop the question from leaving her lips. 

“You’re fun,”

“Fun?” 

“You help me train, you help me up when I fall. You make jokes sometimes, you’re fun!” Ku-San elaborated, and Azula nodded, unable to find any other words. She wasn’t fun; no one had ever described her as fun. Azula was serious, strict, and she might be crazy, but she wasn’t fun. 

She still wasn’t sure she even knew how to have fun, despite what Sokka might think. 

“Thank you,” is all she can say. She has manners, and she didn’t want to think about the feelings his words stirred up. “Let’s take you back to your mother.”

Once the boy was safely with his mother, Azula made her way to the shore. Sokka was so excited to show her the fishing, and she found herself feeling excited with him. He had quickly wormed his way under her skin; it was almost parasitic how he slipped under her defenses. She didn’t even notice that she began to smile as Sokka came into view. 

“You ready?” He smiled brightly at her, holding his hand out to take hers. She hesitated for a moment, knowing that it was only platonic, but it didn't stop the emotions. The feelings that have made themselves present in the past few months. 

“When have I ever not been ready?” Azula smirked, hoping he couldn’t see through her, through her façade. 

“Fair enough,” Sokka laughed as he led her to the fishing boats. 

They only walked for a few minutes before people appeared in their line of sight, Azula immediately snatching her hand away as she saw the Avatar and his sister. She kept her eyes straight ahead as Sokka looked over at her. He tried to hide his own disappointment at her hand no longer being with his. He looked forward to what caused such a change in her demeanor and rubbed her arm softly. 

“You said this would be fun,” Azula complained, and Sokka laughed. 

“It will be. I promise,” Sokka reassured her, and she blew air through her nostrils in annoyance. 

“There they go!” Hakoda exclaimed, opening his arms to pull them into a hug. Everyone else watched awkwardly as Azula tensed in his arms next to Sokka, who was just as stressed. 

“You didn’t say Azula was coming,” Katara started, and the firebender immediately rolled her eyes. 

“I didn’t realize it mattered?” Hakoda challenged his child, “Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters! I don’t know how she tricked both of you, but-“

“Katara, enough,” Hakoda said firmly, and his daughter took that as the conversation was done. 

Their attention moved from the princess as they quickly began to split off into groups. Of course, whichever group Sokka was in, Azula would follow since he wanted to show her the best technique. That also meant that Katara would force herself into the same boat, dragging Aang along with her, just to keep her eye on Azula.

As they got settled in their boat, Azula could feel the tension between her and Katara already building. They stood on opposite sides of the boat, Sokka and Aang acting as a buffer between them. The two men could only hope they wouldn’t end up tipping the boat over. 

Or set it on fire. 

As the boat pushed away from the shore, the group sat in awkward silence, Aang and Katara using their bending. Once the boat was in a good position, far enough away from others so they wouldn’t disrupt the other boats, Sokka pulled out the spears. There were only two, since Katara would use her bending, and Aang was just there for support. Azula watched as Sokka and Katara set up their own spots, laughing and bickering around the boat. 

It was so strange to witness. That there are siblings who actually act like siblings instead of rivals. She wondered what life would’ve been like if that were her and Zuko. How different their lives would've been if they weren’t pitted against each other from the moment she started bending. 

“Here,” Sokka brought her out of her thoughts, holding a spear in front of her. 

“Thank you,” she said politely. 

“Do you want to try it on your own first? Or would you like me to show you?”

“It can’t be that hard,” Azula scoffed, and Sokka smirked. 

“If you say so,” Sokka raised his hands and let her find her own spot in the boat. 

Azula watched as Sokka put his own spear against the boat, and he set up his stance before waiting for what seemed like minutes until he thrust the spear into the water. He immediately brought it back up with a fish stuck on his spear. He smiled at her as he showed off his catch, carefully pulling it off the spear and throwing it into the net.

The Princess immediately moved, holding her own spear up over the water. She watched as the fish swam below the surface and immediately stabbed down into the sea. Azula watched, disappointed, as the fish hurried, swimming away from the area she had disturbed. 

Sokka watched, a small smile on his face as he used his own spear, catching two fish at once. Azula huffed, moving closer to him as she tried again, with the same results. After two more failed attempts, she groaned, frustrated that she still hadn’t caught anything. 

“Hey, let me show you,” Sokka immediately stood behind Azula, moving her arms carefully to position the spear. Only then did Sokka realize what it looked like and immediately stepped back. “If you’re okay with that, of course,” his cheeks grew hot as Azula refused to look at him. 

“Yes, it’s fine,” Azula kept her face forward to hide her own blush. Her voice held no emotion, despite feeling several of them at that moment. 

Sokka repositioned himself behind her, grasping her wrists gently as she held the spear. He guided her hand to lean the spear against the side of the boat, showing her how to place it. 

“You use the side of the boat to make it stable,” he explained, and she nodded, taking down mental notes. Sure, she doubted that she’d ever have to use it, but the past few months have proven that life wasn’t finished pushing her off the pedestal.

“Then, when you see a fish, you have to get the right timing. Don’t hesitate too much, or you’ll lose your opportunity,” he explained, slowly moving his hands to steady her arms. Even through the thick pelts of fur, it felt like skin-to-skin contact. 

Azula carefully watched the water, looking for any movement beneath its surface. She could feel the steady rise and fall of Sokka's chest against her back and was surprised that a sense of calm washed over her. 

“There,” Sokka whispered just as her eyes caught sight of a fish approaching, and she moved her arms without thinking. The water splashed as she pierced its surface along with the fish. The fish flailed around as she moved the spear into the boat, releasing it into the net.

“Hey! You are a fast learner,” Sokka complimented. 

“I thought you knew that already?”

“It just amazes me still,” Katara cleared her throat, and Sokka took a step back, moving over to Azula’s side.

“It doesn’t take much to do that,” Azula smirked, and Sokka shook his head. 

“Not true!” He exclaimed and watched as she set up her spear again. Sokka did the same next to her, and they fell into a silence as they focused on the fish below. 

Aang and Katara watched from the other side of the boat, one curious and one absolutely disgusted.

“I feel like I’m watching my worst nightmare,” Katara whispered to her boyfriend.

“What?” Aang asked.

“Sokka. With her. Them being friends. It’s not right,” Katara complained. She couldn’t describe how uncomfortable seeing the two of them together made her feel. 

“Was she never supposed to make friends again?” 

“I don’t care if she makes friends!”

“Just as long as they’re not Sokka?” Aang probed further.

“Aang, you’re supposed to be on my side.”

“I’m always on your side, but she’s not the same person she was. Sokka can make his own judgment.”

“But what if she-“

“Katara, let’s just enjoy the trip. You might be surprised by Azula.”

“I don’t want to be surprised by her, I want to be ready for whatever she has up her sleeve,” she told him as she went back to bending. 

The group continued to fish in the boat, working in pairs until their net was at capacity. The men did their best to keep the women separate as they shifted around the boat. The morning continued with Sokka giving Azula tips on one side, while Katara seemed to just glare in their direction. Once the nets were filled and the fish seemed to overflow, they began rowing the boats to shore. 

When they arrived back on shore, Azula rushed to leave the boat, desperate to escape the awkwardness. Along with the waterbender’s glares came whispers about her terrible character and how ready she was to freeze Azula in a block of ice. As she stepped off the boat, her foot got caught on the edge in her haste, and her body fell forward. The princess fully expected to be met with a face full of snow, but was stopped right before she touched the ground. Her heart sped up as she fell back into Sokka’s chest. 

“Be careful,” he told her, and she scoffed as she straightened out her stance, pushing away from him. She could feel her cheeks grow red again, and she didn’t need anyone noticing. 

As she found her footing, she noticed a new person approaching them. Zuko approached the group with an awkward smile as he stood right in front of Azula. 

“As if this couldn’t get any worse,” Azula muttered as she was greeted by Zuko.

“Azula, I see you’re taking up new hobbies,” Zuko smiled awkwardly as she stared back at him.

“Yes, a privilege I wasn’t afforded when I was locked up with my hands in cuffs,” Her voice was harsh, and Zuko stilled as he looked at his sister. 

“She caught a pretty big fish!” Aang is desperate to ease the tension as Sokka and Katara catch up.

“Really?” Zuko asked with shock. He couldn’t imagine his sister fishing or doing anything in nature. Yet, he was learning that there was a lot he didn’t know. 

“Yes, really,” Azula wanted to go to the library; she wanted to be left alone. She had fun with Sokka; she did enjoy it, as he said she would. However, she could still feel Katara’s disapproving looks and hear the hushed whispers from her and Aang. It had already exhausted her. 

And now she has to deal with her brother pretending to care about her. 

Why can’t she catch a break? 

She started to walk ahead of the group, the snow crunching beneath her boots as she stomped towards the igloos. Azula looked back occasionally, seeing Zuko and Katara a few paces behind her and Sokka and Aang a few paces behind them. She did her best to ignore their conversations, to focus on her own thoughts until she heard her name leave her brother's lips. 

“I don’t get why he wants to be friends with Azula,”

“He insists that she’s changed,” Katara spat. 

“Sure, she’s not murderous anymore, but she’s never been nice,” Zuko replied. 

“Well, I’m not falling for it.”

“Katara, I won’t let her hurt him,” The Fire Lord promised. 

“Yeah, well, neither will I.”

“Azula doesn’t keep friends for long. She’s never been a good one. He will be complaining about her with us again soon,” Zuko reassured the water bender. 

“I hope so,”

It shouldn’t even bother her. She knew what people thought; it wasn’t new. Still, she clenched her fists in her mittens, her jaw clenched as she now stomped through the snow. 

Maybe Sokka would finally see that she would never be a part of their stupid group, and it was better that way.

Azula was finally able to sit down in the library after an hour of walking and sulking. She wanted to continue her scrolls for Ku-San, as she was almost done with the finishing touches. She had never made a gift for someone, let alone a child. She wanted it to be perfect, not that he would notice, but Azula refused to produce anything less than perfect.

She pulled out a new paper, ready to start her personal note for Ku-San. Azula was still thinking about the fact that he was going to miss her. When has anyone ever said those words to her? The only person she could think of was Sokka, and even that was a new development. 

Her family had never said those words to her. Her father never had a reason to. Her mother didn’t even want to talk to her after returning; it was clear the woman didn’t miss her. Zuko definitely didn’t miss her, and if he did, he had a terrible way of showing it. 

It meant something to her. That her presence would be missed, and deep down she knew she’d miss it too. Azula wouldn’t miss the cold or the food, but she’d miss feeling as though she was wanted. In this space, with Sokka, Hakoda, and Kanna, she’d miss that. 

“Hey you,” Sokka smiled as he approached her, and she smiled softly. 

Even if she missed her time there, she’d still have Sokka as her friend, and that eased some of the tension within her. 

The Princess could only hope that Katara and Zuko wouldn’t convince him to change his mind. 

Or that she wouldn’t mess it up. 

“Hi Sokka,” Azula replied, directing her eyes back to her letter, desperately trying to hide her blush. 

The feelings he stirred in her only seemed to grow worse as their friendship continued. He was kind, funny, yet so intelligent; he was able to balance both, and he was certainly easy on the eyes. Everything that seemed so basic, yet Azula wasn’t sure if anyone had ever acted that way towards her. If anyone had been willing to argue, willing to debate, willing to take her insults and throw them right back. And what if she never meets anyone else who does?

“I didn’t get to ask earlier, but did you enjoy the fishing?” His eyes are wide, taking in all of her, hoping she’d say yes. Sokka wanted to show her a good time and distract her from the group. 

“You mean your sister's death glares and accusations?” Azula retorted. 

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Sokka nervously rubbed the back of his neck. This was the one thing he didn’t want to happen. 

“It's not your fault. It’s my own, really,” there’s a nonchalance to her statement. As if it didn’t matter that people hated her. Sure, some of it might be her fault, but it still couldn’t feel pleasant. She deserved to have friends, to have fun, and to be social. 

“Besides that, it was fun?” Sokka probed, and Azula raised her brow.

“Besides that?”

“Don’t tell me Katara ruined the whole trip?” 

“It was fun, Sokka. I liked it,” she smiled sincerely, and he smiled right back, unable to hide his joy. 

“You're not lying to spare my feelings, right?” Sokka had to check. He wanted to make her happy while she was still in his home. Once they were on the ship and set sail, Azula wouldn’t have anyone else to be there for her. Just different people antagonizing her and ignoring her at the same time.

It also didn’t help that his feelings for her grew with every conversation. The Princess was captivating even with her harsh nature. Even so, she was able to be as gentle as she was harsh. She was the first person to challenge him, to critique his strategies and make them better. Azula felt like a breath of fresh air. 

“As if I’d care to spare your feelings,” she rolled her eyes once more, focusing on the scrolls to distract from his stupid smirk. The stupid smirk made her cheeks flush.

“You might,” Sokka teased, and it only worsened her blush.

“I don’t.”

“If you say so,” Azula returned her focus to the scrolls.

Sokka watched as she carefully painted figures onto the paper, curious about how she was able to paint so well. 

And what other talents she could be hiding. 

He was constantly learning something new about the Princess, and each thing drew him further into her web. He watched as she finished her scroll, moving it over to the side to dry. Azula looked up at him for a moment and took in the softness of her features. 

Her eyebrows scrunched together as she thought about the next scroll she needed to complete. Her hood was down on her parka, and he could see every part of her face. Her red ears clashed against her pink face, a flush concentrated in her cheeks. Her hair was braided back, but a few strands broke free, framing her face. 

Azula looked breathtaking. 

“You’re staring,” she pointed out, and it was now Sokka’s turn for his cheeks to grow hot 

“It’s hard not to,” the words slipped from his thoughts before he could stop them, and Azula froze in her spot. 

She was beautiful; everyone always told her she favored her mother, but this was different. Sokka wasn’t supposed to see her that way; he wasn’t supposed to give her hope that her feelings could go somewhere with him. Azula didn’t want to know that he thought she was attractive because that could be all it was. It didn’t have to be more than that; it didn’t mean Sokka felt the same way, and she didn’t want that disappointment. 

So she let it die, shaking her head as she turned her focus back to her brush and scrolls. Sokka was just being a nice friend, making her feel better. 

That’s all it was.

Azula was finally able to settle down in her room. She had missed the comfort of going to sleep in a warm bed, having her own space where she could think and be alone. 

Yet in a ship as large as this one, she never truly has alone time. 

A knock at her door disrupted her as she carefully fixed her hair, tucking back the loose hair. She moved across her room, peeking through the peephole to see who was at her door so late. A groan left her mouth as she saw her brother on the other side. The princess opened the door, only letting Zuko see her through a small crack of space. 

“Hey…uh… Azula,” Zuko hesitated after their morning conversation.

“Zuko,” calling him Zuzu felt too light a tone for the raging resentment that festered at the sight of him. She didn’t need him pretending to care about her, she didn’t want him pretending to care. Not after the things he’s said. 

“I heard you have a student?” Zuko had an apology at the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn’t come out. 

They didn’t apologize to each other; they barely wanted to acknowledge each other’s existence. 

Azula stared back at him, ignoring his inquiry. It made her feel anything but comfortable. 

“C'mon Azula, you gotta give me something,” Zuko groaned. Iroh said this would be hard, and the man didn’t even think it would be worth it. He knew it was the right thing to do; she was his sister, his family, but it never worked. They were so different, and he had never wanted to be closer to her before, but seeing Sokka do it. Seeing Kanna and Hakoda see a different side of her that he’d probably never see made him jealous. It made him resent her just as much as it made him want to start over with her.

“Do I? Are you asking me because you want to or because you think you have to?” Azula fired back, and Zuko paused.

“You’re my sister,” her question remained unanswered. 

The words ate at her. 

Why would Sokka choose to be friends with her?

He was right. 

No one truly ever had. 

Except for her father, and even then, he chose her talent, not Azula. 

She was his sister, yet Zuko didn’t even understand why Sokka would choose to be her friend. Why would she believe his efforts to get to know her and get closer to her if he didn’t even think she was worthy of friends? 

“You didn’t answer my question,” Azula told him, and Zuko sighed. 

“I don’t know.” The answer wasn’t surprising to hear, but it bothered her all the same.

“Well, let me know when you figure that out,” she didn’t wait to shut the door in his face. 

“Goodnight Azula,” Zuko was quiet as he left his sister, knowing she wouldn’t hear him.

That night, the Princess lay in bed, willing herself to go to sleep and forget about Zuko. Forget about his words and everything he said about her.

Chapter Text

The walk had become a part of their routine. Ku-San would walk to the ship where she’d be up, waiting for him at the doors. She’d take him into the training room, where they’d go over whatever katas or breathing exercises they were on at the moment for an hour. Then Azula would walk the boy back to his igloo, ensuring he got there safely. 

At first, the walks felt tedious. It was always windy, always snowing so early in the morning. Azula had slowly gotten used to the cold, but when the sun was barely in the sky, the weather was unforgiving. 

Yet, as they walked, Ku-San would tell her stories or ask her questions. Sometimes it would be a water-tribe folk tale his mother told him the night before, or something that happened with his friends. Other times, he asked her about the world, about different nations, what they looked like, or what they ate. 

And lately, he’d asked questions about her. 

Some she had no problems answering, like her favorite color or food. 

Some questions she avoided, like where her mom and dad were. 

And some left her stumped.

“Are you excited to go home?” Ku-San asked as they continued through the same path of snow he had made to get to the ship. 

This question. This one left the princess stumped. 

Was she excited? Azula didn’t know. If he had asked her this two months ago, her answer would’ve just been yes. She missed the familiarity of her nation, the food, the warmth. She missed all of those things, but now she knew that she would miss the connections she made in the Water Tribe. That alone was its own dilemma for the Princess to struggle with. She wanted to lie to him; he was a child, and Ku-San didn’t need to hear her internal struggles.

“Somewhat,” she left it as neutral as she could. 

“What does that mean?” He asked curiously as they saw his igloo in the distance. 

“Kind of or a little,” Azula elaborated, and Ku-San scrunched his nose. 

“Why didn’t you just say kinda?” He questioned, and she paused. 

“I don’t know. I just didn’t.” It was moments like these that made her realize how different her vocabulary was from that of the people around her. His being a child only made the difference more noticeable. 

“And why are you only a little excited? Don’t you miss the fire nation?” 

“I do. I love my home but-“

But what? What could she say that wouldn’t be oversharing, especially with a child? She could lie to him this time; this was complicated and not appropriate for him, but she hated being lied to as a child.

“But?”

“People do not like me at home,” she decided to say. It was the only thing she could say without getting too deep. 

“Because you made a bad choice?” Ku-San asked, and Azula stopped in the snow. She knew he was smart, but she never expected this. He never let on that he knew the things she did during the war were wrong or harmful. He always talked about how cool she was or how strong he wanted to be. 

“A bad choice?” Azula probed.

“You did some bad things in the war, but then you changed and made better choices,” he told her confidently before continuing, “Like my dad. He did some bad things when he was younger and then changed and made better choices, like when he fought in the war. Some people still didn’t like him, though. They don’t like me either, but it’s okay because I know that I’m good!”

“Your mother told you this?” She could see Somi being a very nurturing and honest mother, teaching her son that the world isn’t black-and-white.

“Yeah,” he answered confidently.

“You have a good mother,” Azula declared to him, and he nodded.

“I know,” Ku-San smiled brightly.

They walked on, growing closer to their destination as the sun continued to come over the horizon. Ku-San walked a few steps in front of her, kicking the snow in front of him and catching snowflakes on his tongue. Azula walked behind, trying to process their conversation. The question was unexpected, especially coming from a child. When Sokka asked her similar questions, she knew he understood her problems and what she was going through. Ku-San, however, was only a child who didn’t live through a war, not in the way Sokka and Azula did. He didn’t know details about her, not the ones that made going home so complicated. 

At least she thought he didn’t. 

His response almost left her speechless. He was so upfront, so confident in the connection he had made. It was clear as day that he wanted to make her feel better, wanted to let her know that she was good now, but that only frustrated her more. If a young boy could get it, why could the adults around her get it too?

Oh, now you care about their approval? Ursa questioned.

Screw them and their approval, Azula responded.

Yet you want them to understand that you’ve changed, that you’re different, Ursa continued.

I want them to stop treating me like a-

Like what? A criminal? A monster? 

I just want them to treat me like I am a human being! Azula is shouting in her head, hoping to silence her mother’s voice. 

Then show them, Ursa finished.

Haven’t I done so? 

She looked up again to see Somi’s igloo and a man standing near the home. Ku-San quickly took off, running up to the man excitedly as she sped up her pace behind him. 

“Hi Chaska!” Ku-San exclaimed as he ran over to the man. Azula almost thought it was Sokka until she noticed the longer hair and shorter frame. She smiled politely as she approached the pair, knowing when it was time to turn on her acting. She still didn’t know why, but something about Chaska felt off, and Azula hated that he kept catching her off guard. 

“Hey buddy, finished with your special training?” The Warrior asked, and the seven-year-old nodded enthusiastically. 

“Yup! Teacher Azula showed me new stances this morning,” Ku-San explained, immediately moving into the newest stance he learned. Azula watched him show off, his stance off but very close to what it should be. 

“Wow! You have been learning good stuff from the princess.”

“Yeah, I wish she could stay longer,” the seven-year-old pouted.

“Wow, it’s already time for you to leave? And we never got to train together,” Chaska did a terrible job at hiding his smirk as he watched the reactions of the teacher and her student. 

“You were going to train together?”

“I was hoping the Princess wouldn’t mind?” Chaska smiled at Azula.

“Can we? I can show the older boys what I’ve learned!” Ku-San pleaded, puppy dog eyes and his pout in full effect. 

“Just once! Maybe we could teach each other something?” The Warrior added, and Azula sighed. Her training with them didn’t mean she had to give in to whatever Chaska wanted from her. And who was she to deny Ki-San the chance to show off? She would’ve wanted to do the same thing, prove that her age didn’t mean she was less than or not as talented. 

“Fine. We can train with your group tomorrow. But we train at sunrise, so don’t be late!” Azula instructed, met with their cheers.

“Thank you, Princess!” The seven-year-old hugged her excitedly, quickly running inside to share the news with his mother before Azula could process what had happened. 

She was left outside with Chaska, dreading whatever was next in their conversation. Azula has been avoiding him ever since their last interaction. So she just made her way to the library, walking away without a word. It didn’t take long to realize he was walking with her, the crunch of his boots in the snow echoing her own. 

“Are you excited for your journey home?” He finally asked. 

“I’ve already answered that question this morning,” Azula groaned. 

“I didn’t hear the answer. I’m just trying to be friendly,” Chaska pressed further. 

“Are we friends?” 

“We could be?”

“I’m not too sure about that,” she rolled her eyes as she kept her pace to the library. 

“Why not?”

“I don’t think we have much in common,”

Azula meant that. She didn’t see how much Chaska could relate to her, and she didn’t think he wanted to. She was accustomed to people throwing themselves at her for a grab at nobility. A chance to attach themselves to the Princess of the Fire Nation, and new opportunities they would've never had before. 

“Well, we both love sparring…” Azula let his words fade behind the wind as she drew closer to the library. She remained a few paces in front of him as he continued, only stopping when she reached the entrance. The princess, forever a noble, smiled politely as she gestured towards the door. 

“Of course, I’ll leave you to your studies. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the shore. The boys and I will be ready,” Chaska assured her, and she nodded. 

“Ku-San and I will be there,” Azula agreed reluctantly.

Azula could only hope the day would drag on as long as possible.

Azula was anxious the next morning as she prepared for the training session. Her conversation with Chaska the previous day didn’t ease the fears that he had a plan. He wanted something from her; he had to.  And he would just be sorely disappointed because she had no interest in whatever it was.

The solo walk went by faster than she would’ve liked, snow crunching under her feet, wind whistling in her ears, and snowflakes gluing themselves to her face and hair. She was at Somi’s igloo just as the sun was shining over the horizon. Before she could make herself known, Ku-San was already at the door, ready for her. Azula could see how excited he was, and it brought up another unfamiliar feeling in her chest. He had paint on his face, some of which was already rubbing off on the fur of his parka. His long brown hair was carefully braided back into two braids that hung out from under his hood. He held an innocence that was familiar yet so inconceivable that Azula felt like an emotional bomb had been dropped on her. 

So, she’d do this for him. He deserved it. And she wanted to do it for him. The Princess could finally admit she cared for him. 

“I’m ready!” He exclaimed as Somi walked up behind him. 

“He’s been up for two hours already,”

“Yup! I ate breakfast and did all my stretches,”

“Alright, that means we’re ready.” She smiled at him before her tone changed. “Let’s go find Chaska,” was said with less enthusiasm. 

Azula walked behind Ku-San as he excitedly kicked the snow. She shouldn’t do it; she should just keep avoiding him. The princess wanted to back out, to tell him that they’d train with them later, but she could already see the boy’s disappointment. As quickly as she convinced herself to do it, she felt her confidence fade away. 

Azula wanted to tell herself he would get over it. The boy wouldn’t want her to be uncomfortable, either. Ku-San was smart, and he was seven; he’d forget about it after a while, and it would be fine. The Princess told herself all of this while she was getting dressed, but she still hadn’t canceled. Azula couldn’t cancel. She didn’t want to disappoint him, to leave a stain on their time together or one of the few positive relationships she had. 

The pair walked on as they grew closer to the shore. The group started to appear over the horizon, and Azula could feel her stomach turn. This shouldn’t even be nerve-wracking, but she began to walk more slowly as she wished she had listened to her instincts and canceled. 

“Ku-San, Princess Azula, over here,” Chaska called out, and the child ran over, leaving Azula far behind him. 

“Hello,” she said quietly. The boys were rowdy around him. 

“Are you excited to train the kids? They’re excited to learn from you.” Chaska exclaimed, and her smile grew nervous. 

“I doubt that,” the Princess murmured. 

“Don’t doubt it! Some of the kids have been talking about it all day yesterday.” Chaska interjected. Azula looked from Chaska to Ku-San and back to the warrior. 

“Let’s get started then,” she commented, and the group took their place in the snow. 

The Water Bender stood in front of the group, starting them off with stretches to prepare their bodies. The group followed each move, Azula and Ku-San following along with ease. After his stretch routine was complete, Azula took her place in front of the group, Ku-San by her side as she went through her own basic combat routine. 

Chaska’s group of boys were as behaved as young boys could be, trying their best to follow after the princess. A half hour later, the boys could barely keep their focus, snickering and kicking snow at each other between every kata. 

“This usually brings them back,” Chaska whispered as he moved closer to the boys. Ku-San was the only one in the group who had his eyes on Chaska during the last routine. The young boy watched as the man moved through the snow before conjuring a tower of it in front of them, grabbing the rest of the group’s attention. 

Azula watched as the boys flocked to the water tribesman, awed by him. Her mind could only think of how her bending, the things that used to be her reason for living, fell to the bottom of her priorities. Not by choice, at least not her choice alone. How could she enjoy bending when everyone thought her next move would set everyone near her ablaze? No longer is she praised for her talent, skill, determination, and ambition. All of those things meant nothing to the people around her—the people who could send her back to the asylum. 

So, she did her best to bite her tongue and fit the mold they set for her. 

And that meant forgoing her bending, at least the way she was used to. 

“Princess, can we see your bending?” Her train of thought was halted by Ku-San standing in front of her. 

“I-“

“Yeah, can we see?” Another boy insisted. 

“Is it really blue?” The question was asked, and Azula felt her body go rigid. It was like they were reading her mind. 

“I don’t think-“

“Show us, Princess. I know I’d love to see the flames that took Ba Sing Se,” Chaska smirked, taunting her and she was finally able to push her feelings aside, anything to wipe the smirk off his face. 

“It wasn’t my flames that did that. I didn’t need my bending for that.” Azula moved to the front of the group, thinking of the best routine to show off. 

She removed her mittens, feeling the chill hit her fingers as she stuffed them in her pocket. It would be difficult in the snow, and she wouldn’t be able to use her legs or feet, but Azula knew she’d be able to excite them, proving her point. 

The Princess took a deep breath, the air hitting her lungs like ice. That didn’t break her focus, air leaving her lips as she moved her feet and hands into position. 

With her last deep breath, she let it flow through her body until it left through her fingertips. Her arms shot out in front of her, and the flames lit up the sky in flashes of blue and orange. 

“It is blue!” The curious boy gasped as fire ignited in her hands, the warmth felt flush against her face. 

“Woah,” Ku-San’s eyes lit up as the remaining embers crackled against the falling snowflakes. Azula looked back at him, the joy on his face making her feel a warmth she hadn’t felt about her bending in years. Very few people had seen it since she had left that wretched asylum and besides trainers, anyone who saw it immediately looked terrified. 

A look that no longer felt good when pointed at her. 

Ku-San and the rest of the boys had no clue what they had done for her at that moment. 

“Thank you, teacher Azula. That was so awesome!” 

“You’re welcome, Ku-San,” 

Ku-San ran over to join the rest of the boys as they raved about her bending. Azula stood awkwardly in place, watching them as she carefully put her mittens back on. The boys turned toward the snow fort in the distance just as Chaska cleared his throat. 

“Thank you for the lesson,” The oldest boy caught on, and the rest of the children bowed to Azula and Chaska before running off to play in the snow forts.

“Thank you, Princess,” Chaska copied the children, and she only nodded in response. “It was pretty awesome to see my kids in order,” He commented, and she looked up from the stretch she had started. 

“What do you mean by that?”

“Nothing bad!” Chaska held his hands up, “Just that group is normally a rowdier bunch of boys. I was surprised that they weren’t goofing off or trying to beat each other up in the back,” Chaska explained, and she nodded. 

“I see,”

“And your bending was incredible, I’ve never seen anything like it.” 

“Thank you,” the princess was polite yet curt, still unsure of his intentions. 

“I honestly didn’t think women could bend like that,” Chaska said, and Azula had to fight her reaction face’s instinct to curl in disgust. 

“Teacher Azula, I’m going home now,” Azula looked over to see Ku-San a few feet in front of her. She thanked Agni and whoever else was there for the boy breaking up this awkward conversation. 

“I’m actually going to walk him home, make sure he gets back to Somi safe,” Azula tried to find her way out of further conversation, but the Warrior refused to let up. 

“Oh, I’ll walk him with you,” he smiled. 

“Thank you,” Azula forced the words out. 

The walk back to the igloos was short, Ku-San bragging about his skills while Chaska egged him on. The princess felt relieved when his mother approached the entryway, and Azula could see her escape over the horizon. Ku-San quickly ran off to tell his mother about his morning, Azula waving goodbye before mother and son disappeared into their home. She began her journey back to the ship to get some rest when she noticed Chaska walking beside her. 

“Can I help you with something else?” She asked, and he nodded with a cocky smile. 

“Yes, actually.” Azula raised her brow. “I was actually wondering if we could go on a date before you left?” Chaska continued, and the Princess froze in her spot.  She had to be sure she heard him correctly. 

“What?”

“A date. I know you like the library, or we could have lunch together later today?” Chaska suggested confidently, and Azula remained in her spot, trying to process what he had asked her. 

“So that’s why you’ve been stalking me?” Azula mused, and Chaska turned beet red as he stumbled over his explanation. 

“I wasn’t stalking you. I just… I wanted to get to know you. What you like,”

“You could’ve asked you know,” 

“Yes but-“

“No.” Azula finally answered, cutting him off, and his smile dropped as the words died on his tongue. 

“Why not?”

“One, we do not know each other. Two, we may never see each other again, I hate wasting time. Three, I’m just not interested.”

And most importantly, four, Azula was only interested in Sokka. 

“But I could-“

“And four, I thought you said women couldn’t bend that well?”

“Well, not you, of course. I meant-“ The water bender began to stumble over his words, and Azula shook her head. 

“Trust me, you do not want to attach yourself to me,” Azula told him as her legs regained function and she continued walking. 

“Princess-“

“Let it go, peasant,”

“Peasant? I am anything but.” 

“If you say so,”

“I do say so,” 

“And this is why I said no.” Nothing else was said as she walked on to the library, leaving Chaska shocked as he stood in the snow.

“Princess, wait!” Sokka called out as he ran past the library. Azula turned around in her spot, her smile taking over as he jogged up to her. 

“Hello Sokka,”

“Sorry, I left you alone at the library. I had some things I wanted to get in order before we left,” Sokka explained, and Azula rolled her eyes. 

“It’s fine,” she did miss his presence, the questions he would ask about her studies, and the corny jokes he’d make to break the awkward library silence at her table. 

“How was your morning? How was the training?” He asked, eager to hear about her day. 

“It was fine. The group was decently behaved, nowhere near as well as Ku-San, but decent. I also showed them some of my bending.” Azula explained, and Sokka nodded. A smile took over his features. 

“You did? Did you have fun?” Sokka questioned excitedly, and Azula still wasn’t sure how to respond. He was always so happy for her, about the things she did, and she was still trying to get used to it. 

“I… I actually did. It felt nice to use it again, and not just start a fire for food. I missed it.” Azula answered, and his smile grew for a second before his expression turned serious. 

“And Chaska wasn’t weird towards you, was he?” 

“What’s your deal with him? You’re extra worried whenever I mention him.” Azula was curious. She wondered whether he was just Sokka's childhood rival or something deeper. 

“Nothing. He’s just…we’ve never gotten along,” Sokka told her, and she raised her eyebrow despite letting it go.

“Well, he wasn’t weird, but he did ask me out on a date,” she watched for his reaction. He did his best to keep his own feelings at bay. 

“What did you say?” Sokka couldn’t keep that in. He had to know her response, needed to know if Chaska had piqued her interest. 

“Why do you want to know?” She questioned with a smirk, despite her own nervousness settling in her stomach. 

“I- I just thought-“

“I said no,” she finally answered, watching as his body visibly relaxed. “He doesn’t seem like the type to treat me as his equal,” Azula elaborated, and Sokka nodded. 

“He was never much of a gentleman,”

“Unlike you?” Sokka couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“I wasn’t always a gentleman. I think I was more like Chaska when I was younger, even if I couldn’t stand him.” Sokka explained. 

“Then what changed? Sure, your manners could use some work-“

“I used to think women couldn’t be warriors, couldn’t be smarter or stronger than a man only a few years ago, right before we found Aang,” Sokka told her as they continued their walk back to the ship. 

“Until one proved you wrong,” Azula guessed, and Sokka nodded.

“It was Suki,” Sokka told her, and she sucked in breath. 

“Oh,”

“We went to Kyoshi island, and there was so much talk about the warriors, that I just had to see them. I was ready to show my skills and talk to them until I saw that they were girls. I tried to just brush them off until she put me on my ass,” Sokka laughed, and Azula chuckled with them. 

“Something I would have liked to see,” 

“Yeah, and as we traveled, I just realized that women could do the same things or more. I watched my sister and Toph do amazing things and realized I had to change. And then I just kept learning from the new people I met.” Azula listened to each word that left his lips, her attention never leaving the warrior. “And as I dated Suki, she just kept teaching me things,”

“Do you miss her?” Azula didn’t even realize the words had left her lips. 

“I don’t know, I haven’t really thought about it lately.”

“Really? I always heard that it was heartbreaking but I’ve never-“ Azula paused as she realized what she was going to say. She never had to go through a breakup, she’s never been in a relationship, and had that bond where someone cared for her so deeply that they’d miss her if she weren’t in their life. She’d never had that; she couldn’t imagine what that would feel like. 

Azula didn’t finish her sentence; she just kept walking as Sokka tried to put together what went wrong. He walked behind her for a moment to catch up to her. They had finally reached the ship, and the doors were already open for them. 

The Princess had already pulled off her mittens as she headed down the hallway, only stopping when she felt his ice-cold hands grab hers. She looked at him, his bright blue eyes, trying to see past the physical, see what was happening in her mind. 

“Azula, what’s wrong?” He demanded, feeling a whirlwind of confusion, concern, and frustration. 

“It doesn’t matter, it’s stupid,” Azula tried to snatch her hand, but he kept his grip. 

“Your feelings aren’t stupid, Zula.” 

“I just-“ the princess blew air through her nose before looking back at him, “I told Chaska no because I’m not interested in him, but I’ve never had that, a relationship, a boyfriend, and I don’t think I ever will.”

“Don’t say that,”

“Why not? Even if I said yes to him and grew to like him, I’d surely scare him away at some point. Say something, do something, anything wrong because that’s who I am. If my mother can’t even love me, how can I expect a stranger to? To love me and not just the wealth and power I might bring,” the words just kept coming, and Sokka took in every word. 

His face went through a series of emotions before his brows furrowed, almost scowling at the princess, “Don’t say that again.” He was serious. There was no playfulness in his voice, no goofy grin. 

“What?” 

“Let’s go somewhere private first,” he finally let go of one of her hands, keeping the other in his grip as he led her toward her room. 

Azula felt her heartbeat in her throat as her mind raced, trying to figure out what was happening. It didn’t take long for him to find it, swinging the door open and letting her take the first step inside. 

Sokka closed the door behind him, walking past the princess as she remained frozen in her spot. She watched as he began to pace, walking in a straight line from one end of the room to the next. He was clearly thinking, trying to get his thoughts together. 

Just tell her!

Azula, I feel that way about you. 

Azula, I want to be your boyfriend. 

The words are right there!

Just say it!

It was this moment when he almost just said it. Sokka wanted just to tell her that he was right there, he wanted to be with her, he wanted to be the person she was talking about, the person who didn’t care if she was rich or dirt poor. 

But he couldn’t. 

He was so scared of losing her friendship, so frightened of pushing her too far, too fast. 

So he told her something else. 

“Don’t say those things about yourself,” he demanded, and her eyes widened. 

“That was what upset you? The truth?”

“It isn’t true. Maybe that you haven’t been in love before, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen,” Sokka is firm, his voice still holding some bite. 

Her words really got to him. 

The warrior probably had more faith in Azula than anyone, including the princess herself. It was another casualty of the Hundred-Year War. 

“Okay,” she told him, and he shook his head, moving from one side of the room to right in front of her. He grabbed her hands again, pulling her closer before speaking again. 

“I mean it. You deserve love, and you’ll have it one day.” Azula tried to keep her focus on anything else, but her eyes were drawn back to his. The sensation of his hands in hers felt like lightning running circles through her nerves. 

She may have never been in love before, but this, this, felt like finally finding light after being in the dark for so long. This was the closest she would ever get. 

And she’d do her best not to ruin it. 

Even if it meant keeping her feelings to herself. 

“Okay,” the Princess repeated as she pulled her hands away, unable to handle his stare or his touch for any longer. A few more seconds, and Azula wasn’t sure what she might do. 

Actually, she knew exactly what she would do. 

Kiss him. That’s what she would do.

And she should. 

Just do it! 

“Good,” he nodded as he stepped back, realizing just how close he was. 

Her chance was gone. 

“Can I change, or are you just going to stand there?” She needed him out of the room and a few moments to collect her thoughts and emotions. She was obviously joking with him now, trying to lighten the mood while dismissing him, but she noticed a blush on his cheeks. Sokka nodded as she mumbled a goodbye and rushed out the door.

“Wouldn’t you want to cook in a kitchen like this all the time?” Katara asked, and her grandmother scoffed. 

“I cook just fine in my igloo,”

“I know you do, but you could have everything you need.”

“I already have what I need?”

“Just try it,”

“I am. Right now. When I teach the Princess how to gut this founder and make arctic hen,”

“What is up with you guys and Azula? You’ve just forgotten everything she’s done?” Katara questioned irritably.

“I have not. But I also know that she deserves a chance to prove she’s changed.”

“She hasn’t changed!” Katara exasperated.

“How would you know? Have you ever spoken to her? Had a conversation with her?”

“No, and I don’t want to! She’s evi-“

“Don’t finish that sentence,” the grandmother scolded. 

Azula listened to the conversation from the other side of the door. Kanna insisted they met in the ship’s kitchen to prepare for their last dinner the following night. What Kanna didn’t tell her is that Katara would be there too. She didn’t like feeling tricked, and she foolishly still had faith in the old woman, hoping this was merely a coincidence. 

It had to be a coincidence with the way Katara was speaking about her and how the conversation was going. It was always the same with her; anyone was capable of change as long as she said so. 

The Princess had thought of an excuse to tell the old woman later when they made eye contact through the window. Kanna waved her hand, beckoning her to come inside before she could make her escape. Azula exhaled through her nose before pushing the door open. Her back was straight as she stood only a few centimeters from the door, refusing to move any further. 

“You made it.” Kanna said excitedly, and Azula could only nod.  

“Yes, I did.” 

Kanna moved closer, meeting her at the door. Azula could feel the Waterbender's eyes on her, and it irritated her. This was the last thing she wanted right now. It was one of the final nights she got to feel like an actual person, a human. Once that boat left the ice, she’d go back to being Zuko’s circus animal. The tamed lunatic that everyone saw her as, one incident away from going feral. 

“Katara invited herself. I would not trick you or force you to be with her like that,” how could she read her mind? Azula's cheeks turned red as she nodded, accepting Kanna’s word. 

“I see that happening,” Azula told her, and the grandmother chuckled. 

“Yes, and even with her here, I’d still like to teach you this before your trip back.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course, I’m sure,” Kanna pulled Azula by her arm, forcing her to follow as she walked over to the stove. Katara watched her grandmother with suspicion, waiting for Azula to slip up. 

“I’ll talk to you later, Katara,” Kanna kissed her granddaughter’s cheek, ignoring her look of shock.

“I’m not leaving?”

“Yes you are,” 

“No I’m not! I have to stay, I have to-“

“You already know how to make arctic hen and flounder, Katara,” Kanna told her.  

“Gran-Gran,”

“Goodbye, Child,” the elder said with finality, and Katara huffed as she pushed out of the kitchen. 

The elder quickly made her way back to the counter, pulling Azula closer. Kanna started with the hen, showing Azula the steps to remove the feathers from the bird. Azula found that part easy, the feathers coming off quickly without much mess. That would not last for long. The elder took out a large knife and handed it to Azula, who looked back with confusion.

“You have to cut off the head,” Kanna instructed, and Azula gagged. 

“Why do I have to do it?” Azula questioned, her stomach already turning at the thought. 

“Because I know how to do it. You don’t, you need to learn.” Azula blinked at the explanation before she eventually took the knife from Kanna’s hand. 

Kanna showed Azula exactly where to cut, lining the knife against the base of the neck. She instructed the princess to make one firm chop through the bone. Azula hesitated for a second before she swung the knife down, cutting straight through the neck of the hen. 

“Good Job,” Kanna complimented, and Azula nodded, despite her stomach still feeling queasy. 

“Thank you,” 

Kanna continued, showing Azula how to remove the organs from the inside, which did nothing to ease Azula’s upset stomach. After everything was removed and cleaned, the gruesome parts were over, and they moved on to simpler tasks like seasoning and wrapping the bird to keep it moist before roasting. 

Azula watched as the woman moved around the kitchen, clearly knowledgeable about the tools there, even if they weren’t typically seen in the Water Tribes. She took mental notes about the tools she used, what made them unique, and how she used each one. 

“What is that?” Azula didn’t even realize she spoke out loud until Kanna stopped to look at her. 

“This?” The grandmother held up the tool, and Azula nodded. “It removed the scales from the fish. Gets them way better than a knife,” Kanna chuckled. 

“We’re cooking fish too?”

“We? You are cooking fish, my dear.” Kanna held up the filet knife and nodded toward the fish. “And to start, you have to gut it.” Azula’s face fell, her stomach already in knots again. 

“I see why we have chefs in the Royal Palace now,” Azula grumbled, taking the knife as Kanna laughed.

“Dad?” Sokka made himself known before entering the room. 

“Everything okay?” He could tell his son needed some advice just by the way he wouldn’t meet his eyes. 

“I’m not in trouble or anything.”

“I didn’t think you were, but something is troubling you,”

“Do you remember when I first woke up, and you asked about why we were together?”

“Yeah, you were very insistent that it was the opposite,” Hakoda smirked, eager to see where his son was going with this.

“I-“ what could he even say? He had feelings for her, and he knew that it would never go anywhere. So how was he supposed to be her friend when every day he felt himself want her more? “I feel that way now,” he answered. 

“Really,” nothing was surprising about his son’s answer.

“You don’t sound surprised,” Sokka pointed out.

“Should I be?”

“I don’t know,” Sokka said, throwing himself in the chair in front of his father. 

“Why would I be surprised that my son has a crush? You two have grown close. She clearly enjoys being around you and I heard that’s hard to achieve,” Hakoda went on, and Sokka shook his head. The chief observed his son, noting that he seemed genuinely distressed about this change in his feelings for the princess. 

“Which part of this is bothering you?” The father asked. 

“She would never feel the same way,”

“How do you know?”

“It’s Azula! She’s a princess, a fire bender. She deserves someone on her level. Someone who will challenge her and keep up with her.” 

“And that’s not you? 

“I’m not a bender. I’m not a noble, I’m-“

“You are intelligent, talented, caring and sometimes funny-“ Hakoda watched as his son feigned offense. 

“I’m funny all the time,” Sokka butt in. 

“And the Princess would be lucky to call you her partner,” Hakoda reassured him. 

“I doubt she’d think so. I don’t think she wants a man who can’t even keep his food off his shirt,” Sokka told him. 

“Have you asked her?”

“Absolutely not! We’re friends, and I don’t want to mess it up. She doesn’t have a lot of people on her side, and I still want to be there, even if I’m just her friend.” 

“Okay,” Hakoda took in his son’s words. Sokka was smart; he was thinking about all the possibilities that could go wrong, but he was missing the other side of the coin. Everything could go right, and they could both stop dancing around what is right there. “So, what do you want to do?” 

“I don’t know. We had a conversation earlier and she’s so… I always saw her as someone who could do anything, even if it was scary, even if she was my enemy. She’s smart, she’s talented, she knows combat, she knows history, she’s beautiful, and she thinks no one else will ever see her that way. I do, but I don’t want to mess anything up. I just… I had to tell someone else. Someone who wouldn’t question why I like her, why I feel the way I do.” Sokka couldn’t look at his father after he finished, almost embarrassed by everything he said. It was a lot, but it felt like a weight off his shoulders. 

“Well, son, whatever you do, I’ll support you. I don’t want you selling yourself short. Keep being you, keep having her back and if it's meant to be, it will be.”

“Thanks dad,” Hakoda opened his arms, and Sokka reciprocated, hugging his father tight.

Azula walked through the ship’s corridors, trying to rush back to her room. The princess has woken up feeling exhausted, yet she still trained Ku-San for the full hour. She still had so much to do before they left, and she needed to be well rested to complete it. She quietly walked down the hallway, hoping no one else would be up this early. Her room was right at the end of the hall; Azula could see her escape. Until she heard footsteps round the corner, and her hopes were shattered. 

Mai and Ty Lee appeared in her line of sight, and she froze. It wasn’t the first time she had seen them since she left the asylum, but this felt different. She felt their betrayal and the way she wished it could be undone, and that they could return to the way things were. 

The pair also stopped at their end of the hallway, Ty Lee whispering in Mai’s ear. Azula opened her mouth and closed it again, finally regaining her ability to walk as she moved forward. She just wanted to get to her room and take a nap, or even be alone with her thoughts for a few hours. 

The Princess stopped again just a few feet away from them, her throat feeling tight as she thought of what to say. This feeling was foreign, unnatural to her. So unnatural that she couldn’t put a name on it. 

“Hi, Azula!” Ty Lee sounded nervous, yet she was still warm, a soft smile on her face. Mai, however, looked as though she could kill Azula where she stood. 

“Hello, Ty Lee, Mai,” she addressed them both curtly. It was already awkward, and she just wanted to get past them to her room. 

“Let’s go,” Mai said, her tone harsh as she pushed past Azula. 

“Sorry,” it was just in Ty Lee’s nature to be apologetic. The shorter woman rushed to catch up with Mai, leaving Azula in the hallway. 

“Don’t apologize to her,” Mai’s scolding demand was the last thing she heard as the pair turned the corner. 

Azula finally caught her breath, rushing into her room and slamming the door shut behind her. She stood there, trying to calm herself after seeing them. She didn’t know how to feel about the interaction, and it didn’t sit well with the Princess. 

They’re your friends, Azula, her mother's voice fluttered through her mind. 

They were my friends. They aren’t anymore. They betrayed me. Azula responded. 

 They could be your friends again. 

I don't want them as friends.

Or do you think they wouldn’t accept you back?

They won’t!

They didn’t betray you for any reason.

I know that!

Then why won’t you fix it? 

I will not be rejected by them. I won’t allow them to hurt me again!

You weren’t the only one who was hurt. 

Azula felt the drops of blood from her palm and realized she had pressed her nails so tightly they broke skin. She moved to her dresser, using a cloth to wipe her hand and apply some pressure. 

She was startled by a knock on her door, throwing the cloth back down. The Princess looked at her hand, satisfied with how clean it was despite the crescents in her palm, before moving the door. 

“What do you want?”

“It’s me!” Sokka said excitedly, and her attitude quickly shifted into a lighter one. 

“Come in,” she called out. 

Sokka walked into the room, a nervous smile on his face as he approached her. His smile fell as he noticed the cloth on the bed. 

“Princess, what happened?” He immediately moved to her aid without thinking, taking her injured hand in his. She froze in her spot, not sure what she should say to him. 

“It’s nothing,” she lied, hoping he would just let it go.

“It’s not nothing, I can see the imprint on your palm,” he pressed on, and she groaned. 

“Sokka I’m fine,”

“You don’t have to lie. Not anymore, not to me,” Sokka immediately realized he probably shouldn’t have accused her of lying.

“I don’t have to tell you anything I don’t want to. I thought friends respect each other boundaries. Or is that something only I have to practice?”

“No, you’re right.” Sokka held his hands up in surrender, finally letting her go. Azula stepped back, her eyes narrowed as she stared back at him. “I didn’t mean that you were lying, I should’ve used a different word, hide, hide is a better word!” He continued. “I meant that you could tell me what’s wrong. I want to be there for you, even when you think you don’t need anyone. I won’t judge you, I’m just here to listen.” He finished, yet her face didn’t change.

“Do you want me to leave? I’m sorry if I ruined your mood.”

“No. Don’t leave,” Azula answered softly. 

“Okay,” Sokka waited for her next move. It was apparent something had upset her, but she would tell him when she felt ready. 

They sat together at the end of her bed, letting silence take over the room. She appreciated his explanation, but that didn’t ease her stress. She didn’t want to talk about Mai and Ty Lee; she didn’t want to get wrapped up in that part of her mind. Not after she had worked so hard to push it down. 

And somehow, she told him about it anyway. 

“I saw Mai and Ty Lee right before you showed up.” 

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“I assume it didn’t go well?”

“Is there ever a time it does go well?”

“I guess not.”

“Exactly.”

“You shouldn’t hurt yourself because of it,”

“I wasn’t-“ she stopped, “it wasn’t intentional,”

“Okay,” he didn’t question her or fight back; he just took her word. 

“Do you miss them?”

She did. 

But sometimes she wasn’t sure whether she'd missed them or just that time in her life when she was on top—a time when she wasn’t reduced to the fire lord's crazy sister. 

Still, the feeling was there. 

But they were so different now. And so much had happened that went unaddressed. She didn’t even know if they could be friends now. And Azula wasn’t going to embarrass herself and show them that she needed them. 

Wanted them back in her life.

“Yes,” she answered, and he nodded, not sure where to go from there. 

“Maybe you could try apologizing to them,” Sokka suggested. Of course, he would. It was anything but that simple. Nothing was ever simple with her, including her problems.

“That’s pointless.”

“You don’t know that,” he countered. 

“I do. They left me, betrayed me, and clearly, I meant nothing to them,” The Princess asserted. 

“I don’t think that’s true,” Sokka protested. 

“It doesn’t matter what you think! I know it to be true!” The conversation was over as Azula spoke with finality. 

Sokka remained at the end of the bed as Azula went to wrap her hand. She worked carefully, wrapping the cloth around her palm before tying it off. She sat back down next to Sokka, allowing the silence to fill the space again. 

“Are you excited for the stops? To see the other cities?” Sokka couldn’t leave her alone, but he knew not to push it any further. Not about her friends. Or lack thereof.

“Not really. Once people recognize who I am, they avoid me.”

“Maybe you could be more inviting?”

“Have you seen me?”

“Ku-San wasn’t scared. No one here, really.”

“You and your father were vouching for me. Without that, they probably would’ve let me drown.”

“Not true! 

“If you say so.” Azula shrugged, staring straight forward, refusing to meet his bright eyes.

Sokka couldn’t say anything else. Her energy was no longer there, and he couldn’t blame her. He thought he had it bad enough with Suki and Zuko, but Azula definitely has it worse. There weren’t crowds of people eager to have her join their group. Keen to become her friend or get to know who she is now. Not without holding her past over her head. 

She lay her head down on his shoulder, and he froze. He didn’t expect it, and he definitely didn’t expect the way it would make him feel. Sokka knew he was helping, but he couldn’t be her only friend, no matter how much she insisted it was okay. He gently rubbed her back, letting her choose what she needed to feel better. 

It didn’t take long before he felt wet on his chest. He glanced down to see tears silently running down Azula’s face. He didn’t know whether to wipe her face or just leave her be. Sokka wrestled between the options for a moment, but Azula decided for him. 

“I think I’d actually like to take a nap now.” The words were whispered as another tear sank into his shirt.

“Would you still like to go to the library later?”

Another whisper. “Yes.”

“Okay.” He sighed. “Rest well, Princess.” He told her, yet she did not attempt to leave his shoulder. 

Azula sat there for a few more minutes until she was finally ready to leave his side. She moved to her drawers, pulling out more comfortable clothes as Sokka stood from her bed. He slowly made his way to her door, and Azula could hear each heartbeat as she waited for him to leave. Her eyes followed his every move as he turned the knob and silently left her room without turning back. 

The Princess could finally let out a deep breath, and with it came a sob. The tears finally flowed freely as she silently undressed, carefully folding her training clothes and putting them away. She forgoes her lounging clothes and just gets under the blankets in her undergarments.  Azula did her best to push down all the emotions and thoughts that had resurfaced, but nothing was working. A whimper came first, before the sobs fell in succession. 

Sokka listened from the other side of the door, desperate to go inside and comfort her. But he had to respect her wishes, even if it meant breaking his heart and letting her fall apart on her own.

Chapter Text

“Hey,” Sokka ran up to Toph and Aang, the last of the group sitting at the breakfast table.

“Hey Sokka,” Aang greeted happily. 

“Can you guys do me a favor? A big one?”

“Depends on what you’re asking,” Toph replied, and Aang elbowed her. 

“Well, it is a big one,” Sokka explained, and she raised her eyebrow. 

“What is it Sokka?” Aang asked.

“We’ll,” this time he scratched the back of his neck, as if the nervousness hit his body then and there. “I’m friends with Azula now and last trip, it was hard for her. I was wondering if you guys could try to talk to her, show her that everyone doesn’t hate her,” Sokka finished. 

“Talk to Azula?” Toph parroted.

“Of course we can,”

“Aang?” Toph should’ve expected it, but she was still shocked. 

“Really?”

“She looks happier, different. I can give it a shot,” Aang agreed sincerely. 

“Thank you! I just…I know the others won’t come around for a while…if ever but I don’t want her to be lonely this time.”

“I just can’t believe you were the one asking to be her friend,” Toph pressed, and Sokka nervously chuckled. 

“Well, I wasn’t going to at first but what choice did I have? And she’s fun. She just hides it under all of that….royalty stuff.” 

“Yeah I’m sure the girl who took over Ba Sing Se is fun,” Toph deadpanned. 

“Well, just try, see what happens. For me?” Sokka begged, a fake pout on his face, and Toph had never been happier to be blind. 

“We got it Sokka,” Aang patted his shoulder, and the warrior let out a sigh of relief. 

“Thank you so much! Trust me! She will surprise you,” Sokka told them, trying his best to hide his excitement. 

He would prove it to her. That she could be a part of the group, that she could fit in. And at the very least, Sokka was going to try his best. 

Azula clutched the leather bag in her hands as she stood a few feet away from Somi and Ku-San’s igloo. She didn’t even understand why she was nervous. She knew he’d appreciate whatever she gave him, but Azula was never one to give gifts, not genuinely. She wasn’t even sure she had ever received a genuine gift. That damned Earth Kingdom doll from Uncle Iroh was anything but sincere. 

So now she was almost twenty years old, filled with anxiety and shaky hands as she prepared to give Ku-San the scrolls she had made for him. 

“Hi, princess! How are you?” Somi’s voice filled her ears, and she focused her eyes on the woman. 

“I’m good. How are you?” Azula managed to keep the nerves out of her voice. 

“I’m great. I’ll be sad to see you go, though.“

“Really?” It was a thought she hadn’t meant to let out. 

“Of course! You made Ku-San so happy! He loved training with you!. He always came home talking about you! So, we will miss you! You are always welcome here!” Somi explained, and Azula smiled as best she could, fighting off her overwhelming emotions. 

“Thank you…thank you,” Azula bowed her head, and the mother reciprocated the gesture of respect. “I’m actually here to give Ku-San a gift before I leave tonight.” Azula held up the bag of scrolls, and Somi smiled brightly as she took in the sight of the nervous princess. 

“Oh he’s going to love this!” Somi exclaimed! The mother went to grab her son from the other room. 

Azula didn’t have long to take in more of the igloo before she saw Ku-San running toward her. He wrapped his arms around her legs in a tight hug before quickly fixing his posture, bowing in front of her. 

“Teacher Azula, how are you?” The boy asked excitedly, and she smiled softly. 

“I am great, but I came here for you. I…” Azula paused for a second, still nervous somehow. “I have a gift for you.” She told him, and his excitement only multiplied. The princess held the bag of scrolls awkwardly, and he grabbed them, ‘thank you’, leaving his mouth repeatedly as he opened the bag. 

“I wrote scrolls with my own training on them, and others I have mastered. I wanted you to train even when I’m gone.” Azula stood still, taking in Ku-San’s reaction as he eagerly looked through the scrolls. He stopped for a moment, this time bowing deeper than before. 

“Thank you so much, teacher Azula! This is the best gift ever,” Ku-San directed his attention back to the scrolls, and Somi directed hers to the princess. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so excited.”

“He is special. And he has helped me more than I have trained him. He deserves it.” Azula tried her best to sound calm, but it seemed mor

e difficult the longer she was there. 

“Well, I am very glad and I meant it earlier, you are always welcome in our home.”

Thank you.” Azula turned to leave before she had one last thought. 

“Will you be coming to the feast tonight?” The princess asked. 

“Feast?” Ku-San finally looked away from the scrolls. 

“I didn’t know…”

“If you want, you should come. The ship is nice and warm, and there will be plenty of food for you both,” Azula insisted, and Somi nodded. 

“Well then we’ll see you tonight.”

“Great,” she waved goodbye to the mother and son, finally feeling relief after what felt like hours of anxiety. 

Maybe gift giving wasn’t as bad as she thought it was. 

“Princess,” the Chieftain greeted her brightly as he sat next to her in that common room. 

“Chief Hakoda,” she nodded in his direction yet avoided eye contact. 

“Can I speak to you for a moment?“ He asked, and she nodded. The Princess wasn’t sure about what he wanted, and she felt nervous. 

“I know this journey was unexpected for you, but I want you to know that I’m proud of you,” The room seemed to grow quiet as his words penetrated her. 

“Why?” She couldn’t even be polite as she failed to understand why he’d have pride in her. She wasn’t his child, far from it, actually. 

“You’ve grown during your time here, proven that you are more than what people think you are. Azula, you are strong and resilient, and you are kind and caring. You just don’t always show it.” Hakoda explained, and Azula immediately turned away. She felt the tears stab at her eyes and the sharp pain flood her chest. 

“Thank you,” the princess whispered, still turned away from the chief. 

“I mean it, Princess,” he assured her, and she nodded. 

“I know.”

“Then why won’t you look at me?” Hakoda asked softly, and the Princess bristled. 

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I—”

There were so many reasons why she couldn’t look that man in his eyes. She didn’t deserve his pride; she wasn’t his daughter. Azula could hear her father's disappointment, the shame he would feel. Living life like this, finding comfort in weakness, in her emotions, felt like a betrayal—a betrayal of her father, to her nation, to herself. 

Until she remembers who betrayed whom first. 

Her father left her to pick up the pieces, pieces of empty promises he never intended on keeping. 

“I’m not your daughter, so why?”

“Ku-San isn’t your son but you’re proud of him,” he countered, and she blew air through her nostrils. 

“Chief,—”

“I know you’re not used to this, but it’s true. I care about you, I want to see you happy! You’re hard on yourself because you’re going against things that were taught to you but you still push through, princess, and that takes courage, it takes hard work. You should be proud of yourself,” Hakoda told her honestly. 

“My own mother isn’t proud of me, but you are? It just—” the thought confused her, the feelings made her nauseous. It did more than go against what she was taught; it felt like letting go of herself. Creating a new Azula, except the old one would haunt her, no matter where she went. Being proud of herself and who she was now, what she was doing now, it was chaos inside of her.

“Princess, slow down.” Hakoda took her hand, carefully clasping it between his own. “I don’t want you to be upset. I just wanted you to know that even though Ursa, or others in that palace, may not be proud of you, we are.” Hakoda expressed genuinely, and Azula let out a breath of relief, her anxiety simmering down as she focused on his hands. 

“Okay,” Azula finally whispered back, acknowledging everything he said. 

“Good,” he smiled at her, and she pathetically tried to smile back. 

Going back to the fire nation was not supposed to feel like this. Like going to her deathbed. It was her home, her pride. She loved her home. 

Azula used to at least. 

Until she realized the place known for its heat was just as cold. 

And it didn’t help that she had found warmth for the first time in her life on an iceberg. 

Azula took a few deep breaths as she paced her room. She needed to readjust herself after speaking with Hakoda. Everyone would be at dinner, and she didn’t need anyone thinking she had lost her mind again. That talk had brought up feelings she did not need to feel. She didn’t want to feel them either. 

Azula was already dealing with enough. 

A soft knock rasped against her door, and the Princess groaned. She just wanted one moment to herself. 

“Open the door child,” Kanna’s voice floated past the door, and Azula calmed her annoyance. Azula walked over quickly, opening her door and letting the elder in her room. 

“Hello child,” Kanna greeted, smiling despite Azula’s somber tone. 

“Hello,” Azula was quiet, respectful, but she wouldn’t meet Kanna’s eyes. 

“What’s wrong? You’ll be going home soon,”

“I just-“ she had long accepted that her home no longer felt like one. Azula just never thought she’d grow attached to somewhere else. 

“Listen to me,” Kanna insisted, and Azula finally turned her gaze, “You will find that thing you are looking for, that person you are looking for. You are not destined to be alone, and I believe that you have made a change. A change that will allow you to get everything you are looking for. I know you will.” Kanna finished, reaching into her bag and pulling out a bag of scrolls. 

“What is that?” Azula immediately questioned, not wanting to dwell on her kind words or how they made her feel. 

Once she found out what it was, she would rather have dealt with her feelings than add to them. 

“A gift for you,” Kanna held the bag out, and Azula couldn’t help but notice that she was receiving a similar gift to the one she gave Ku-San this morning. 

“I don’t need a gift,” Azula insisted, but Kanna took her hand and put the bag in her palm. 

“You may not need it but I want you to have them,” The elder told her firmly as Azula looked down at the bag. It was leather, clearly from a sea creature the men had hunted. She ran her fingers over the stitching, the characters that spelled out her name in dark blue thread. 

She carefully pulled out the first scroll and read the characters at the top: “Recipes for Azula.” Her heart nearly exploded in her chest, and her brain felt useless. She didn’t know how to feel about… any of this. The love that she felt radiating off Kanna, all of it directed towards her. When had anyone ever done that for her, felt that for her so much so that she could feel it coming off their body?

“I don’t deserve this, I really don’t,” Azula told her, her hand shaking with the bag in her hand. 

“Why not? Who said you don’t deserve it? Because whoever told you that didn’t know what they were talking about.”

“I told myself that,” Azula said quietly. 

“Are you trying to prove those people right? That you’re a liar?”

“What?” Her voice was sharp, angry. Confused even. She could still feel the love coming off Kanna despite how her words cut the Princess. 

“You’re lying to yourself. You deserve this as much as anyone else. So stop, stop saying that and start telling yourself the truth. You deserve good things, friends, and family. You deserve to fall in love and show your love to others. You deserve gifts,” Kanna smiled this time, and Azula looked between the gift and the giver for a few moments. 

“I’m not a liar,” Azula said, and Kanna nodded. 

“No, Azula, you’re not a liar. You are anything but and so much more,” Kanna declared.

Dinner was a feast like Azula said it would be. Rice and noodles with broth accompanied several different roast meats and vegetables. All the food was carefully laid out in the center of the table. The servants stood by the chairs, waiting for everyone to take their seats. Once the Firelord gave his word, they would begin serving the group. 

Toph, of course, was one of the first to take her seat. Others from the group followed her lead, Zuko sitting at the head of the table. Hakoda mirrored him, sitting on the other side at the head. Azula watched as people filled in the chairs at the table. The best spot for her was sitting next to Sokka, but that put her in closer proximity to his sister, and she wanted a peaceful night. She continued to observe, Suki sitting on Zuko’s right-hand side, Mai and Ty Lee following suit. The seats dwindled as people started conversations, and Azula began to worry she’d be stuck sitting in a spot worse than near the waterbender. 

“Take a seat, dear.” Kanna directed the Princess, pointing to the empty seat next to her. Kanna took the seat next to Sokka, and while Azula still felt too close to his sister, there was a bit more distance. Azula quietly followed the instruction, and before she could reassess the rest of her surroundings, someone called her name. 

“Teacher Azula!” An excited squeal came from Ku-San as he and Somi entered the dining room. Azula smiled and stood to greet them, feeling some relief at their presence. Ku-San bowed in front of her, and she reciprocated before he began talking again. 

“Can I sit next to you?” He asked, and she nodded, pulling out the chair next to her. 

“Of course,” the boy and his mom settled in, taking their place at the table. 

Once everyone was seated, Zuko finally signaled for dinner to be served. Food was passed around from person to person, and the smell of rich spices filled the air as conversations grew louder. Azula listened, keeping her observational ear on as different voices branched off into different topics. The Princess could see Toph filling her face, a sight that she was now used to. Suki and Zuko were being romantic, which nauseated her, but as she looked across the table, she caught him. 

Sokka. 

Staring at her with soft eyes that melted every piece of her. He smiled and playfully winked before Hakoda took his attention again. Azula diverted her eyes, hoping her blush wouldn’t be seen. 

And while it wasn’t seen, it was felt.

Toph turned in her direction, almost facing Azula directly as she finished her piece of meat. Azula quickly looked down once she realized she had the Earthbender’s attention now. Surely the girl couldn’t see her, but that made no difference to the princess.

Ku-San and Somi quickly grabbed her attention, keeping her occupied for the rest of the dinner. She was beyond grateful for it, the distraction from everything and everyone around her. The boy talked her ear off about what he was learning and how he planned to use the scrolls she had gifted him. Her smile grew as she went on, Somi adding a comment when needed. Azula did her best to hang on to her joy, ignoring the reminders that she would not get this experience anywhere else. The freedom to be herself with no judgment. No expectations for a person she couldn’t be, a person who didn’t exist anymore. She was able to be Azula in peace. 

The Princess would miss it. 

Dinner progressed, plates were picked up, and dessert flowed as the light outside faded into dusk. Different treats and cakes now replaced the savory entrees in the middle of the table.

“What are those?” Ku-San asked, his eyes filled with wonder as he pointed at the treats in Azula’s hand. 

“Mochi. Try one.” Azula insisted, quickly handing one over to the mother and son.  Both tried the treat, taking a curious bite as Azula popped two in her mouth at once. 

“It’s chewy!” Ku-San exclaimed with a smile, quickly finishing his own. 

“These are my absolute favorites!” The Princess told them, surprised at how excited she sounded. 

“I see why,” Somi added, finishing her own as the princess grabbed one more. 

The last of the plates and cups were collected as they grew emptier. People began to branch off, some moving to the common room while others simply changed seats. Ku-San ran off to play with the Avatar, which left Azula sitting between Kanna and Somi as they spoke. 

“Thank you,” Azula blurted out once a beat of silence took over. Both women looked at her, surprised by her interjection. 

“What for?” Somi asked. “I should be thanking you for inviting us to this feast.”

Azula sucked in a deep breath, preparing to answer. 

“For not believing what everyone else said about me. For giving me a chance,” It took everything out of her to say those words. “My own family refuses to, and it was okay at first because I had-” Azula paused.

“Your father,” Kanna finished for her, and she nodded. His name started to leave a foul taste in Azula’s mouth, the more she thought about how he treated her. 

“Yes. Then people around me started to leave, and he…left. The war ended, and I went to that cursed asylum, and all I could do there was think. Think about why they left, and when I traveled on the ship, I had to think about why I was the one who couldn’t get a second chance or help. Why I never deserved it.” Azula felt so raw saying this to them, but they were the only people she could say this to. Who else cared enough to listen (besides Soka, of course, but he shouldn’t be burdened with all of her un-dealt-with emotions)?

“So thank you. It meant a lot.” She finished sincerely. A few beats of silence passed before Somi spoke up. 

“I’m sorry that happened to you. I know that you did some terrible things. You can’t change that, but you can change the future. You apologize, and you do better. That’s what you’re doing now, and you’re doing an amazing job,” Somi told her, and Kanna nodded.

“And I know we spoke earlier, but she’s right. The right people will come with time, and family isn’t just the people you share blood with.” Kanna advised her. 

“So I just keep trying? But it—” She paused. How much vulnerability did she want to share? She felt so out of place saying these things out loud. It already caused her enough anguish in her thoughts. 

“Just do your best,” Kanna instructed her, and both women smiled brightly at her. 

“Good!” Somi smiled, and a loud shriek drew all of their attention over to Ku-San, floating in the air due to one of Aang’s airbending tricks. 

“And don’t forget there are people who want you around,” Somi added pointedly, aiming her sights on her son.

“I won’t.” 

Dinner was surprisingly uneventful, and the members of the Water Tribe prepared to leave the hip. The hugs went around as wishes for safe travels were spoken. The group escorted them down the ship's ramp, bristling as they were severely unprepared for the frigid air that hit them. The Gaang and Azula watched as Hakoda, Kanna, Somi, and Ku-San walked off the Fire Nation ship.

“Teacher wait,” Ku-San sprinted back up the walkway of the ship, toward the group that was heading back on the ship. 

Azula immediately turned around to Ku-San, running at her. He stopped right in front of her, unable to hold back from hugging her tight. 

“I have a gift for you! I almost forgot.” The boy reached into his pocket, a leather bracelet in his hands when they reappeared. 

“A gift? For me?” Azula stood in front of him awkwardly, feeling the eyes of the group on her back. Ku-San looked nervous as he held it in his hands, giving it a good look over before holding it out to the princess. 

“Yes! I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for training me and letting me be your student. Mom helped me make it,” Azula didn’t move as he spoke, didn’t move as he held the gift, waiting for her to take it. 

“I-“ her throat felt dry, as if all of her moisture went straight to her eyes. She wouldn’t have cried about this before, she wouldn’t have felt much about it before, and that seemed to distress her the most. “Thank you.” She told him sincerely, taking the bracelet from his hands. 

Azula inspected it carefully, a dark leather band with a thick white string to tie it together. On the band, a shark’s fin was engraved in the center, colored with dark blue ink. The bracelet was very simple, nothing like the pieces that filled her jewelry box in the palace, but that didn’t matter. 

This bracelet had meaning. 

It meant that someone cared. 

That another person saw her. 

“Sharks mean strength and uh…“ Ku-San started, looking to his mother for help. 

“And resilience. They represent protection and survival.” Somi further explained.

“I just wanted you to be safe on your trip home,” Ku-San told her with a smile, and the scrutiny from the group faded into the background. She could feel the tears fall from her eyes as Somi helped her tie the bracelet around her wrist. 

“Thank you,” the princess bowed as she struggled to figure out something else she could say. 

“You’re welcome!” Ku-San exclaimed, and silently, with tears streaming down her cheeks, Azula knelt to hug the boy once more. 

How often did someone want to hug her? She could probably count the number of hugs she’s had in the past five years on one hand. 

So she welcomed his arms, squeezing tight around the fur of her parka. The firebender hugged him back, hoping that the tears would be gone by the time she turned back around. Azula gave her student one last squeeze before she let go, standing back on two feet. 

“I promise I won’t stop training! Be safe, Teacher Azula!” Ku-San told her before running back over to his mother. 

“I will,” Azula answered softly as she watched the pair walk off the ship. She stayed there until they blended in with the whipping snow, and guards finally lifted the ramp and closed the ship.

“What the hell was that?” Katara scoffed as the group walked back to the dining room. 

“He was her student. She clearly cares about the boy. And it was sweet,” Aang countered. 

“Sweet? Pretending that she’s some kind teacher is insane. And then she pretends to cry!”

“Katara, stop.” Sokka said.

“I’m just surprised someone is actually going to miss Azula,” Zuko spoke up, and Suki hit his shoulder. 

“Zuko!” She scolded, “She’s your sister! And I agree with Aang, it was sweet.”

“It was weird. Azula doesn’t cry. Azula doesn’t even like kids. She probably just wanted everyone to put their guard down!” Mai spoke up, servants opening the doors to the dining room as they approached. 

They filled in the common space, the conversation pausing as everyone took a seat to relax before bed. Azula was still far behind them, and Katara couldn’t seem to let it go. 

“I agree with Mai,” Katara spoke up. 

“Well she wasn’t lying. I actually felt her heartbeat for once. Why can’t Princess Psycho have a soft side?”

“Whose side are you on?” Katara questioned Toph, and the girl shrugged. 

“I’m just sayin’. It doesn’t really matter to me, as long as she isn’t trying to roast us all.” Toph said, kicking her feet up on the table. 

Sokka listened to everyone’s reaction to the Princess. Katara, Zuko, and Mai acted as expected, and Aang and Toph didn’t surprise him since they had their conversation, but he hadn’t expected Suki to defend her. The warrior didn’t know how he felt about his ex-girlfriend defending the woman he had feelings for now, but he would take it.  Azula deserved more friends, allies at least, and if Suki were one of them, he’d get used to it. 

“She doesn’t want to roast us. She isn’t going to hurt us. Azula doesn’t have some crazy plan to take over the world,” Sokka told them, clearly annoyed by their topic of conversation. 

“Well you’re biased,”

“And you’re not?”

“Just let it go, Katara,” Aang advised, and she groaned. 

“Just know…I will say I told you so when I’m proven right,” 

“Whatever you say,” Sokka ended the conversation.

The festivities had calmed down since the Southern Water Tribe's residents left the ship. Now the dining room was empty, only the Gaang, Suki, Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula occupied the adjoining common room. The conversation had since calmed down, and the group had split off. 

“You’re sleepy,” Sokka observed after her second yawn, and the Princess nodded. 

“Very. It’s been a long day,” Azula confirmed. She twirled her bracelet around her wrist, thinking about what it meant. What it was worth to her. 

“That was really sweet of him,” Sokka noticed her fingers and picked up what she was thinking. 

“Yes it was.”

“He won’t forget you. You can write him letters, I’ll make sure they get to him!” Sokka reassured her, and she nodded. 

“Thank you,” her thoughts were interrupted by laughter from the other side of the room. The sound scratched her ears, and her body tensed up as she felt eyes on her. 

“Ready to go to your room?” Sokka asked, and Azula nodded, quickly standing up from her spot. The warrior stood with her, walking her to the doorway. 

“Going to sleep already?” Aang called out, and the pair froze in place. All eyes were on them now, and while some were curious, others were the opposite of kind. 

“It’s been a long day.” Sokka answered, hoping to leave it at that. 

“You’re leaving together?” Zuko inquired with suspicious eyes. Katara quickly leaned forward, her eyes focused on the pair as well. 

“I’m walking Azula to her room and going to mine,” 

“You can stay if you want,” Azula whispered. She would not take him away from his friends. Azula could cope with being alone for a few hours, even a few days if needed. Katara already thought she was manipulating him; she didn’t need to add isolation to her list of crimes. 

“Azula, if I wanted to stay, I would,” he reassured her. “I’ll see you guys in the morning,” he smiled before walking to the door, waiting for her to follow him. 

Azula turned silently, walking through the door as he held it open. He was right. He would tell her if he wanted to stay. Sokka wouldn’t go with her if he didn’t want to. 

They walked through the ship as he led her back to her room. It was silent, both wrapped up in their own thoughts. Azula could already see that the trip back to the Fire Nation would be aggravating, to say the least. There would be no more warm smiles and eyes that greeted her, no matter how awkward she was in return. No matter how unaccustomed she was to it, it made her warm inside. It made her feel cared for, at least as she imagined it. 

Sokka would give her that feeling; she did not doubt it, but she knew he couldn’t be the only person supporting her. The selfish part of her relished it, to have him at her side, just for her. But the princess knew it was wrong; it wasn’t fair to act as if Sokka didn’t have his own friends. She was sure he wanted time to be with his friends, the people he considered family. He’d want to explore, to meet new people-

Find a new girlfriend, a wife in the future, Ursa reminded her. 

That reminder made her stomach churn in the worst way. 

Sokka tried to stay focused, but he kept his eyes on her. She looked troubled, her eyebrows pinched and her eyes staring straight ahead. The warrior wished he could just ask her what was wrong; he’d try anything to make her feel better. 

The pair made it to her room, Sokka opening the door for her, watching as she slowly walked in. He was frozen in place for a moment, unsure if he should just go to his room or try to talk to her. That’s what he wanted to do, talk to her, figure out how she was feeling. 

Azula turned around, her stare now focused on him, focused on his eyes staring back. 

“Listen-“

“Good-“

They both spoke at the same time, both of them turning red as they paused for the other. 

“Listen, I know that being stuck on this boat is not going to be fun for you. I know that, but I’m going to try, try to find fun things for us to do, try to find spots for you to fit in because I know they’re there. I don’t want this journey to be like the last,” Sokka explained. 

Azula was so happy that she let him speak first. She stood in front of him, unable to find her own words. No one else had gone out of their way to make space for her. Azula always had to carve out a space for herself, making enough room for everything she brought with her, taking control, squeezing everyone else out until it wasn’t shared, until it was hers alone. 

Sokka awkwardly held his arms out, and she reluctantly fell into his hug. “Thank you,” she whispered, and he nodded. He held her for just a moment longer before she took only one step back, still close enough to see every shade of blue in his eyes reflect off the candlelight. 

“Anytime, Princess,” he whispered as he took in every part of her face, the shimmer in her eyes, the way her mouth was just slightly open. He hated being this close but not able to be any closer. That’s all he wanted, to be as close as he could to her. To be her person. 

He wanted to kiss her. 

His eyes flicked from her eyes to her lips as she leaned closer to him, her breath against his face. It would take one move, one second to feel her lips on his, but loud laughter echoed through the hallway, interrupting them. Azula stepped back, clearing her throat as she closed her mouth. 

“Goodnight, Sokka,” she told him, and he nodded.

“Goodnight Azula, sleep well,” he told her before leaving the room with regret. 

Why didn’t he just kiss her?

The anchors were slowly lifted from the water as the Fire Nation ship left for its journey. It would take a few months, including the stops for supplies along the way. Their first stop wouldn’t be for a few days, so they'd need to find ways to stay entertained within the group.

The first night was slow as everyone headed to bed as the ship moved further away from the shore of the Southern Water Tribe. Everyone seemed to be lulled to sleep by the waves crashing against the sides of the ship. 

The next morning, however, was not as peaceful. Arguments happened all over as people realized it would be months, again, before they could go in their own direction. Who’s sitting where, what they were having for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the activities and stops they were supposed to make. All topics that led to arguments throughout breakfast, while Azula just watched from her seat.

Sometimes, the group intrigued her. 

They were able to argue and then go straight back to laughing. They joked about past fights and spats as if they were nothing. 

Azula watched as Sokka joked around with his friends, the way his smile lit up when old memories were brought up. He gave her a light to focus on in moments like these, when her mind started to cloud over. 

Azula couldn’t reminisce about those times like that. It didn’t bring a smile to her face when she thought about being on the warship, tracking down the avatar, or taking over a whole kingdom. None of those things felt worthy of fond memories when they led her here. 

An outsider in her own family’s ship. 

So she just watched.

Aang watched as the princess read her scrolls in the corner of the room. Sokka’s words echoed in his brain from a few days ago. The Avatar could agree with Sokka’s sentiment. He could see the princess needed friends and companionship, fed up with relying on only herself. Aang just wasn’t sure if the Princess would want his company. He was a major part of why her path had changed so much. 

Even so, it was in him to try to give everyone a chance, and clearly Sokka believed Azula deserved it. Toph thought Sokka had other intentions with his request, but that didn’t matter. Aang could try to show her some kindness and see what happens. He was positive it couldn’t be that bad, especially when she had already changed so much. Still cold and still proud but not malicious, at least not like her younger self. 

Like she was now, the princess often stayed to herself and didn’t speak unless they were annoying her or she had a better solution to whatever plans or ideas they were working on. He had noticed her watching them during breakfast, something she always did. Her face changed several times during the meal, and he hated the sadness that seemed permanent, no matter how her expressions differed. 

Aang could help Sokka bring the Princess some joy. 

Aang left his seat and walked across the room, stopping in front of the Princess. She didn’t move, she didn’t look up from her scroll, and Azula didn’t acknowledge him at all. 

“Good morning, Princess,” Aang greeted happily. 

“Avatar.” The princess was curt. 

“What are you reading?” The Avatar pressed on curiously. 

“Do you really care?”

“Of course I do! You look like you’re really into it,”

“Avatar, you’re actually interrupting me.” Azula snipped. 

“I’m sorry, princess, I just wanted—” she quickly cut him off.

“You wanted to follow Sokka’s instructions. Be my friend, warm me up,”

“He just wanted you

“To not be lonely, I know, but I don’t need the Avatar pretending to be my friend,” Azula finished.

“I don’t want to pretend, princess. I’m serious.” Aang explained. 

The door quietly opened, and neither occupant of the room noticed. Katara slipped into the room silently, shocked to see her boyfriend talking to Azula. Katara watched from next to the door, ready to defend Aang if she needed to. Azula was as unpredictable as they come, but Katara would be ready for her whenever she finally decided to strike. 

“I don’t do well with friends, Avatar,” Azula wanted this conversation to be over. 

“Sokka is your friend, you do well with him,” Aang insisted, and Azula grew tense, closing her scroll. 

“That is not the same,” Azula forced the words out, and the teenager nodded.

“I know it’s different but—”

“I killed you,” she cut him off, and he bristled. 

“I was there, and I have already forgiven you.”

“Why? When did I even apologize for you to forgive me?”

“Are you not sorry?”

“I—”

“She’s not sorry,” Azula and Aang look up to see Katara watching them. “And she needs to stay away from you.” 

“Babe, we’re just talking. She hasn’t done anything wrong,” The Avatar promised.

“That means nothing. She should stay away from you.”

“Katara, I approached her—”

“I don’t care!”

“Are you jealous?” Azula finally spoke up.

“Of what? You?” Katara challenged. 

“Then I don’t understand why I can’t have a conversation with the avatar?” Azula inquired further with a smirk, and Katara scoffed.

“I have no reason to be jealous of a crazy person like you,” Azula’s smirk fell. She let the scroll close as it fell from her hands. 

“I’m not crazy and I won’t fall for your terribly placed bait.” She gathered the scroll in her hands as she stood from her chair, now next to the avatar. 

“Katara, leave her be.”

“No! I’m tired of everyone acting like she did nothing wrong. Like she didn’t kill you! She should be locked up like her father,”

“You are pushing your limit, peasant girl.”

“So what? What are you going to do to me? Cry? Scream? Have another mental breakdown ” Azula grew stiff.

She just wants to get under your skin, Ursa, the kind one, reminded her. 

“I just find it interesting that someone who claims to be fair, kind and motherly, spends hours of her day antagonizing others, without being provoked.” Azula nodded her head toward the Avatar before walking toward the door. She would not give Katara any reason to make her look bad, to change Sokka’s opinion of her. 

It didn’t matter if Katara called her crazy. 

Or a monster. 

Or said Azula needed to be locked away.

The Princess refused to give in to her antics. She was stronger than that. 

“Have a good day, Avatar,” was the only thing she said as she left the common room. 

Azula was strong enough to take whatever was thrown at her. 

The Princess truly thought she was. 

Yet tears burned the corners of her eyes, begging for attention, begging to fall. 

Something she would not allow. 

Even if she was so close to just letting her own weakness show.

Chapter Text

“Do you think they’re dating?” Ty Lee asked.

“Who?” Suki asked, her eyes still focused on her meal. 

“Azula and Sokka,” Ty Lee lowered her voice, and Suki finally looked up, catching the pair on the other side of the room. 

The sight was innocent. They were in separate chairs, reading their own scrolls, but if you looked longer, you saw the connection between them. They traded scrolls silently, without looking at each other. The pair were always in sync, effortlessly in tune with each other. 

“Why can’t they just be friends?” Suki whispered back.

“I mean they could be! Azula deserves more friends but she deserves love too,” 

“More friends? You’re still her friend?” Suki questioned, and Ty Lee’s face grew hot. 

“I’ll always be her friend and her aura is so different now. Less tense, less rigid. Brighter even. I just know that her childhood wasn’t as perfect as Zuko makes it seem and Id love to be her friend again. I just don’t think she’d want to mine. I know that we hurt her but I know I couldn’t watch her fall apart. I also know that she deserves happiness.” Ty Lee answered honestly. 

“But you think it’s Sokka? He’s her happiness?” Suki refocused the conversation, still unsure about Ty Lee’s interpretation of Sokka and Azula’s bond. It didn’t help that the new information she just learned made her more curious about the princess. Ty Lee shrugged and smiled. 

“Who knows but they both look happy, don’t they? He could be some of her happiness,” The acrobat pointed out, and the group took one more glance over. 

Azula carefully handed Sokka the scroll that she had finished. Sokka took his own finished scroll and left it on the table beside him. Azula picked up her own new scroll and began reading as Sokka did. They didn’t look at each other, but there was a smile between them, almost hidden by the scrolls. 

Suki still held some guilt for how her relationship with Sokka ended. And moving on with his best friend did nothing to soothe the ache she caused him. So who was she to judge who he moved on with?

And he did look happy; he looked comfortable with her. Every time he spoke about her, it was always positive. So maybe, if they were together, it would be a good thing. 

“Yeah, they do look happy,” Suki finally agreed. 

Azula was surprised it took this long. For the group to actually accuse her of something to her face, and confront her about the change in her behavior that seemed so sudden to them. The Princess was foolish for thinking that they were going to have a normal dinner. 

It started with light-hearted teasing directed toward Zuko and Suki as they spoke about the council's constant pressure to marry and have an heir. Laughter and jokes flowed as they imagined teh outrage from certain members of nobility and the public. A lot of it was ridiculous to them, and the couple wouldn’t be forced to move faster than they wanted to. The targets of the group’s teasing changed as they moved on to Aang and Katara, as they were the only other couple in the room. 

Zuko made Sokka the next target of conversation. A choice he would quickly regret. 

“Sokka, you’re going to let your little sister beat you to the altar?” Zuko snarked, and the warrior rolled his eyes. 

“I think being with the Last Airbender sets a different timeline for her,” Sokka countered. 

“That’s if he doesn’t fall for Azula’s trap,” Mai muttered, drawing attention to herself.

“Excuse me?” Azula spoke up, questioning her former friend. 

“You heard me. You finally found a new person to suck the life from,” Mai bit back, her glare firm and Azula’s matched. 

“Mai, that’s uncalled for,” Sokka immediately spoke up. 

“And untrue,” The Princess added. 

“Is it, though?” Katara doubted, and the room grew tense. 

“Guys, we were having a good time, “ Ty Lee whined as everyone’s mood seemed to sour. She could feel the energy grow dark between the people speaking. 

Azula felt hot as the two women glared at her, everyone else looking at her, waiting for her answer. 

Answer a question that felt insulting, and not just insulting to her but to Sokka as well.

“My—” She paid. There were so many words she wanted to use. The word relationship felt too intimate, and she didn’t want them to make assumptions anymore. 

You don’t want to see Sokka’s reaction, Ursa, the cold one, snarked. He’d probably be disgusted at the idea. 

He wouldn’t be, even if he didn’t have romantic feelings for me. He’s better than that. Azula countered. 

The Princess let the conversation in her mind die when the word friendship replaced the former, and it made her tongue curl in disgust, like the first time she had sea prune stew. 

“My bond with Sokka is between him and me. We know each other; he chose to be my friend. Sokka made that choice all on his own. And to insult our friendship by acting as if Sokka is too stupid or foolish to spot a trick or a trap when it's right in front of him is insulting. Insulting to him. Sokka is intelligent and talented, and able to make his own decisions. I am Sokka’s friend now, get used to it. I’m not going anywhere,” Azula didn’t wait for a reaction from any of them, excusing herself from the dinner table.

The room grew silent besides the sound of Mai’s scoff. The princess’s words sank into the room, piercing into every crack and crevice. The emotions in her voice stuck to them like the sweat on their skin after training. 

“Sokka, you tell her to say all that/” Toph broke the silence, her words fighting through the food in her mouth to get out. She was always going to joke around, no matter what the situation, and it was too awkward, enough to disrupt her appetite. 

“No, I did not,” Sokka grit through his teeth, refusing to meet the eyes of anyone else in the room. 

“What? You’re not gonna chase after her?” Zuko challenged, his tone almost mocking him, and Sokka wished he were closer so he could punch him. 

“Well, I know my friend. I know when she needs a moment to herself.”

“Oh, so i don’t know my sister?” Zuko argued, and Sokka rolled his eyes.

“You said so yourself that you don’t know her. I don’t get why us being friends is making you so upset.”

“It’s not! I just don’t trust her!”

“That’s all this is?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Zuko questioned.

“It means that it’s strange how you’re fine with Azula when she can help you, come up with a plan to cover your ass or get what you want. But anything outside of that, anything she does on her own, has malicious intention behind it. You had your uncle, you had us, you have your mother now, and all she had was your crazy father and a padded cell.” Sokka confidently answered. 

“That’s not true! And you have no clue what Azula was like back then,” Zuko shouted, his anger rising as Sokka’s words hit him hard. 

“And you have no clue what she's like now. How falling off that boat and being there with me has helped her, changed her. Because if I only treated people based on how they were in the past, you wouldn’t be my friend now,” Sokka finally excused himself from the table. 

So much for a peaceful trip back to the Fire Nation. 

With another free day ahead of them, the group decided to roam around the markets. That meant getting off the ship after breakfast and devising a route through the markets that would cause the least chaos. They started at the east end and decided to walk the entire length of the market before returning to the ship for the day. Most of the group gushed excitedly about all of the things they hoped to see and buy. Toph and Sokka raved about the different food they'd be able to have again and try. Azula watched as he spoke with enthusiasm, smiling softly. He looked so happy, so full of life, that it was almost infectious. Sokka gave her that feeling, and she almost exploded from the intensity of it. They continued to walk and talk as a group, with Azula trailing behind, just watching Sokka interact with his friends. 

Just tell him you like him, the kind Ursa advised her, and the Princess shook her head.

No, I will not set myself up for failure, Azula immediately rejected her mother’s advice. 

He cares about you. He likes you. It won’t be a failure, Ursa urged her. 

Likes her? Why would he like her? All my daughter’s good for is hurting others, the cruel Ursa reared her ugly head like a blemish that refused to go away. 

No, I don’t, the firebender protested angrily, making the pain the words caused her. 

Tell that to Zuko, to your friends, to the Avatar, the mean version of her mother pressed further, hitting every weak spot she could. 

“Zules, you okay?” Her vision focused, and suddenly, Sokka was right in front of her with soft, concerned blue eyes. 

“Yes. Of course I am!” Azula insisted, allowing annoyance to slip into her tone, adding to the illusion that she was her normal self. “I actually just want to go back to this shop we passed,” Azula quickly recovered.

“Want me to come with you?” Sokka immediately offered, secretly wishing she’d say yes. 

“No!” Azula immediately protested, and Sokka furrowed his brows, a slight twinge of hurt in his eyes, “I just want a few moments alone. I’ll meet you at the end of the market,” Azula explained, and Sokka nodded, accepting her excuse. 

“Promise?”

“I promise,” Azula replied, “What? Can’t live without my opinions, which are always correct.” Azula did her best to play it off, to have Sokka really believe her, and once he rolled his eyes, she knew it worked. 

“Yeah, sure, that's the reason. Just be safe, please?” Sokka insisted, and she rolled her eyes this time before nodding. 

“I’m always safe,” Azula did her best to smile before walking away in the opposite direction.

“Where’s Azula going?” Zuko asked as they watched the Princess weave through the market crowds, disappearing from their line of sight. 

“She wanted to buy something she saw. She’ll meet us at the other side of the market,” Sokka explained. 

“Okay…” Zuko trailed off, and Katara spoke up. 

“You trust her alone?” She questioned, and Sokka nodded. 

“Of course I do. She’s not a baby or a prisoner, she doesn’t need supervision,” Sokka answered. 

“Are we sure?” Mai questioned.

“Very.” Sokka left it at that.

“Well Sokka, tell us more about your detour,” Aang patted the warrior’s shoulder as he changed the topic. 

“What else is there to tell?” 

“We never got to hear about all of the stuff you did. And I doubt Azula is going to open up to us anytime soon, not that I blame her,” Aang explained, still eager to hear about not only Sokka’s experience but Azula’s as well. 

“There’s not much to tell. It was a little rough at first. Azula was angry and kinda scared in her own way, and—” Sokka had to stop himself. He almost shared something he knew he shouldn’t. “It was just a lot for both of us, but I kinda just kept annoying her. So much happened, and we both learned a lot. I took her penguin sledding, and he started training Ku-San. Gran-Gran made Azula cook with her, and Dad talked to her a lot.” Sokka explained to mixed reactions, though more positive ones than he expected. 

“I worked on some paintings, helped dad with some planning. It just ended up working out. I enjoy her company, and I just want—” he paused again, “ I just want her to feel like she has a place here. I want her to have a space with us, whatever that looks like. I think it would be good for her and us.” Sokka finally finished. 

“Yeah, good for her to get all the information she needs to do whatever she has planned,” Katara went on, and Aang grabbed her hands. 

“I agree with you, Sokka,” Aang spoke up, and Katara gasped. 

“Aang! What’s wrong with you?”

“What? He’s right. Letting her into the group could help her.” Aang elaborated, “She just needs to be a little kinder.”

“Azula doesn’t know what kind is!”

“That’s not true. Ku-San would disagree, and he’s a kid. They can tell when someone is mean,” Sokka snarked.

“Well, it doesn’t matter what we think, Azula wouldn’t want that. She likes to be in charge,” Zuko added.

“Well, it never hurt to try,” Aang finished, and Suki quickly spoke up to change the topic, hopefully, to something that wouldn’t cause an argument. They seemed to have a lot more of them now than they ever had. 

Azula quickly found an empty alley between two food stands after she left teh group. She pressed her back against the bricks and did her best to breathe. Now was not the time to have a breakdown. Not when they all expected her to have one. She didn’t know why Ursa was bothering her more or why there were two of her now, but it wasn’t lost on her that as they grew closer to the Fire Nation, her mind seemed to crack under the pressure. 

She had gotten a taste of how life could have been with people who actually cared about her, treated her like she mattered, and not just her bending prowess. 

She didn’t want to imagine what would happen when she saw her mother and her replacement again. 

Once Azula felt calm, she took a deep breath, and finally, her mother’s voice faded to the background. 

“Miss, are you in need of a bathing suit?” Azula’s head whipped around to see an older woman a few feet away from her. The princess narrowed her eyes as she stepped off the wall, and the woman didn’t falter, keeping her kind smile. 

“What?” Azula’s attitude and cold demeanor were back, masking her embarrassment that she was seen in such a frantic state. 

“My daughter, she’s selling them right there,“ The woman pointed across the alley to a tiny table with different clothing pieces. A slender woman standing in front of the table, doing her best to get anyone’s attention. 

To make a sale. 

“Why should I even look at them?” Azula questioned, and the woman rose to the challenge. 

“My daughter, Sanhee, works very hard. Each piece is made by her hands. She always finds the best silks and fabrics on the island. She has many different colors and many different styles, and, truthfully, this is the only way we put food on our table these days. Please, just look at them. See if anything catches your eye,” The elder waited for Azula to follow, taking a slow step toward her table. 

Azula cautiously followed the woman over to their table, and the daughter immediately smiled, eyes wide. 

“You! You’re the Fire Nation Princess, the Fire Lord’s sister, “ the woman, not much older than herself, whispered with awe and just a hint of fear. 

“Yes, I am,” Azula’s voice held all of the authority of a member of a royal family.

“Please look, look at the pieces. I’d be honored,” The girl insisted with a bow.

Azula glanced over the clothes. Some had clear mistakes, which made it very obvious that it was hand-sewn. The princess found some of the pieces hideous, dyed an ugly shade of green. Some others were yellow, orange, or red, even a few that were simply black or white, but none of them caught her eye until she saw a glimpse of dark blue. Azula quickly pulled it out from under the other pieces, and her eyes widened. The swimsuit was a normal style bikini; the top and bottoms looked like underwear, like something Ty Lee would wear. It was really the color that caught her interest, the way the dark blue seemed to still shimmer in the light. 

“That one is beautiful,” the mother commented as Azula inspected the pieces further. 

“Yes it is,” Azula agreed.

Azula didn’t even like the color blue that much. 

Sokka does, Ursa, not sure which one it was, reminded her. 

A swimsuit is not going to make him like me, Azula almost rolled her eyes until she remembered that no one else could hear her mother antagonize her. 

“I’ll take this one. How much?” Azula decided, and both women nodded happily. 

“Of course, Princess, you made a great choice. Please just take it,” The daughter offered, and Azula paused. 

Paused because she immediately noticed how different she had become. There was a time when she would have demanded that she get what she wanted for free. That she deserved it because of her status, even if she wasn’t the princess of this island. She was still worth more than a peasant selling clothes on the street. Before, Azula probably wouldn’t have looked their way.

Now, though, she could admire the hard work, the will even to sell her pieces, even when people could easily reject them—the will to keep going when everything was going wrong. 

“I will pay. You worked hard to make these and deserve to be compensated as such. How much is it?” Azula told them, and the girl quickly nodded. 

“Of course,” the woman thanked her, telling her a price that still seemed low as she folded the bathing suit and tied it with a ribbon. 

Azula reached into her bag, pulling out more than enough money for the mother and daughter. As soon as the woman inspected the coins, they immediately began to protest. 

“Take the money. I will not take no for an answer,” Azula ordered, and they nodded, slipping the coins into their own bag. 

“Thank you! Princess Azula, thank you for your kindness. May the spirits be kind to you always,” the mother bowed, and her daughter followed her lead. Azula simply bowed in return, sleeping her purchase in her bag as she walked back onto the main path. 

Kindness? Is there a different princess Azula? They couldn’t have meant you, Azula was sure it was the mean Ursa talking—the real one, in her opinion. 

Azula took a deep breath, her body walking back to the group on its own. She hadn’t expected that when she walked off on her own, and she definitely didn’t expect her mother to antagonize her, torturing her mind despite being in the Fire Nation. 

Don’t listen to her, sweet girl. You did well. You helped that family! You should be proud of yourself. Ursa’s praises were still such a foreign, uneasy concept for the princess. Even if it was just a figment of her broken mind, her body kept moving, automatically weaving through the crowds of people until she caught sight of a bald head and light blue arrows. She made her way to the group, silently catching up to them, walking behind them as they moved from table to table. Azula didn’t remain unnoticed for long. 

“Princess Psycho has returned,” Toph announced, and Azula froze. The group turned and saw her standing only a foot behind them, her face emotionless as she did her best to brush off Toph’s comment. Why couldn't she just leave her be?

“Everything okay?” Sokka asked, and she nodded. 

“I’m fine! No need to stare at me,” Azula’s voice was sharp, her eyes now glaring at them. That was all they needed to scoff and keep moving forward. 

Except for Sokka. 

As the group walked, Sokka stayed next to the Princess. They walked side by side in silence for a few minutes until Sokka stopped. Azula turned to see him moving to a nearby bush, picking a bright red flower, and walking over to her. 

“What are you doing?” Azula felt nervous, uncomfortable as he approached her with a smile. 

“For you,” Sokka insisted, holding it out to her. Azula felt paralyzed by his gesture, especially with the group only a few steps ahead. 

“Why? What do i get from—” Sokka moved, ignoring her questions as he carefully stuck the stem of the flower into the base of her braid—the braid he carefully put in her hair that morning. 

“Because it’s pretty. Just enjoy it.” Sokka was directly in front of her, and she felt her heart stop, feeling his breath on her cheek as he made sure the flower was secure. Azula was still frozen in place despite Sokka moving back, taking in the sight of her. 

“I don’t need a dumb flower to make me prettier,” Azula felt embarrassed, knowing that anyone could see them, see her vulnerable with Sokka like this.

“Who said the flower made you prettier?” Azula frowned for a moment until she saw his smirk, and she punched his arm. 

“Rude! You are so childi—”

“Azula, you are what makes the flower prettier, not the other way around.” Sokka’s voice was still playful, but his words still gave her butterflies nonetheless.

“You just don’t want me mad at you,” Azula rolled her eyes, and Sokka held up his hands. 

“Both can be true,” Sokka commented, groaning when she gave him a small zap of lightning to his shoulder. 

“Ow! I was joking!” 

“I’m sure you were.” Azula walked off, the Warrior following behind as he rubbed his sore shoulder. 

Tui and La, she drove him insane, and it only made him want her more. He had truly had a dilemma on his hands, and he could only hope that his father and grandmother were right. 

Sokka and Azula trailed behind the group as they walked through the markets on the island. Azula was exhausted from the earlier breakdown. Azula was just ready to get back on the boat. She wanted some fresh meat, some fresh vegetables, fresh anything. 

“You look distracted, what’s wrong?” Sokka noticed her sluggish demeanor. There was a time when she probably would’ve taken his head off. She realized now that he was just showing he cared for her. 

“I am simply tired. And hungry. And I wish we were using a faster way to get to the Fire Nation.” The Princess told him, and he nodded, understanding her complaint. He was able to notice a lot more on this trip than on the first one, mostly because he wasn’t even looking the first time. Sokka could tell that Azula was not the biggest fan of being at sea and, like Toph, would much rather be on solid ground.

“Sokka, get up here!” The pair was startled out of their conversation by a shout from someone up ahead. They both looked to see Katara’s face instead of her back, staring at them, with the rest of The Gaang right behind her. The waterbender had a scowl on her face as she waited for Sokka and Azula to catch up to the group. Sokka had a gut feeling that whatever Katara had to say wouldn't go well, and her constant antagonizing was exhausting. 

“What’s up?” He asked, Azula standing a step behind him. A frown dressed her face as the irritation began to sink in. 

“How can we talk to you and finishing catch up if you’re all the way back there?” Katara questioned, and Sokka groaned, shaking his head. He thought that she knew he could tell when she was lying. And he wasn’t the only one who could tell, as he watched Toph raise her eyebrow. 

“Azula and I were talking. I’ll catch up with you guys later.” Sokka told them. There was a smile on his face, but his voice had a bite. He stayed put next to Azula and was not going to leave her behind. Katara huffed with annoyance as she turned around, and Sokka brought his attention back to the Princess. 

“You know, you don’t have to stay here with me.” Azula was irritated, yet she understood that Sokka had a different relationship with his sister than she had with Zuko. Even if Azula couldn’t relate, she would respect it. 

She would respect Sokka. 

“I want to stay with you,” her stomach growled, interrupting his sentence. “Let’s go get some food!” he suggested, and she smiled at him. “Plus, you get an attitude when you’re hungry." 

She glared as she punched his arm, hard enough for him to wince, “No, I do not!” Azula denied, and Sokka held up his hands. 

“Are you sure you’re not doing it right now?” The warrior couldn’t help himself and groaned once she punched him again, harder this time. 

“Let’s go before I change my mind,” Azula didn’t wait for him, walking over to the nearest food stand. Sokka watched and smiled brightly as he followed behind her. 

Yeah, he was definitely in love with the Princess. 

“Can you not do that!” Her brother demanded as he entered the room. Katara scoffed at him and narrowed her eyes. 

“I just don’t get it. How can you be friends with her?” Katara questioned. “She’s the enemy. She killed Aang! She’s not a good person,” Katara went on as the room went tense, seeing the discussion escalate. 

“She isn’t that person anymore. She hasn’t been for a while now. Why do I have to keep saying the same thing? We were children, Katara.”

“Yeah, we were children, but we didn’t kill innocent people, did we?”

“Yeah, because our father taught us not to!” Sokka slammed his head against the table. No one thought the room could get any quieter. Sokka and Katara glared at each other as everyone else watched them wearily. No one knew what to say to defuse the situation.

 “Our father wasn’t in our ear, telling us we needed to destroy the other nations and people for greatness. That it was okay to do whatever it took to be on top. And you can’t say that if the roles had been reversed, you wouldn’t have been the same way. It’s not fair! We accepted Zuko, we love Zuko. We love Mai and Ty Lee, so why do we treat her that way?” Sokka was angry; he was pissed, actually. It was exhausting enough to act like he didn’t have feelings for Azula. How were they not exhausted by hating her every chance they got? 

“What did she do to you?” Katara asked seriously, and it was like the walls of the room were closing in on him. 

“How about we end this here. Babe, let's go back to our room until dinner,” Aang suggested, breaking the silence, and Katara shot Sokka one last glare before storming out of the room. Aang bowed his head as he followed her out silently. Sokka wanted to punch something; he felt hot, as if he was on fire from the inside, as he watched them leave. 

“How about we give Sokka some space?” Zuko decided it was his turn to make a suggestion. While he was still angry with Sokka over the previous dinner, he found himself thinking about it more. Clearly, Sokka was seeing something they weren’t, and he’d never be able to figure it out if they kept arguing. 

Sokka disagreed, “No, I’ll go. I’m fine, I just need a moment alone.” Sokka was practically vibrating with anger as she walked off in the direction of the bedchambers. As soon as he turned the corner of the hallway, he collided with someone and stopped in his tracks. 

“Watch where you’re go-” Azula glared as she looked up to see who was in her way. Her expression immediately turned to concern when she saw her friend breathing heavily in front of her. “Sokka, what’s wrong?” The words and concern still sounded foreign coming from her, but she didn’t have time to think about that at that moment.

“I hate this! I hate what your family did to you! I hate the fact that I am your only friend right now. I hate that I can’t-” Sokka stopped his ranting when he realized what he was going to say next. 

I hate that I can’t love you out loud. I hate that I’m not good enough for you.

“What’s wrong?” Azula repeated her question, this time firm and clear, her eyes meeting his. 

“I was arguing with Katara again,” he admitted. 

“About me, I assume?” Azula probed, and he nodded. 

“Katara is constantly accusing you of manipulating me. They still think you’re this heartless, evil villain in their story. And it pissed me off.”

“It’s okay, Sokka.”

“No, it’s not! Stop saying that, it’s not okay,”

“You’re only saying that because you’re my friend now. You probably thought the same way before,” Azula told him matter-of-factly, and he sighed. 

She was right to some degree. If he hadn’t gotten to know her the way he did, he probably wouldn’t be standing up to his sister. But he did know Azula now. And she managed to mean more to him than he had ever expected her to. And he’d be damned if he just stood by while she was continuously disrespected unprovoked. 

“I’m saying that because I care about you. And because you’re my friend and I know how incredible you are.” 

“Now you’re just kissing my ass,” Azula smirked at him, and he hoped his darker skin would hide the blush flooding his cheeks.

“I’m simply being truthful.” He flashed her a grin, and she cursed the fact that her fair skin couldn’t hide the blood rushing to her cheeks. Azula felt like some dumb, common schoolgirl when he smiled at her. 

“Let’s go to the beach,” Sokka suddenly suggested, and Azula’s eyes widened as she looked at him.

“What? Why would we do that?” She asked him in surprise, and he nodded his head in the direction of the other rooms. 

“To get away from them. To get away from the ship. To spend time on the beach with my best friend,” He explained to her, and she sighed. The Princess couldn’t tell him no, even if she wanted to. 

“Fine. I’ll go put on my bathing suit. Meet me at my room when you’re ready,” Azula told him as she turned and headed back to her room to change. Sokka’s eyes followed her as she walked away; she made him feel so many things at once that it was hard for him to keep up. 

Sokka hurried through the hallways of the ship, hoping no one would see him on the way to his room. He didn’t have the time for an explanation, and he didn’t owe the one. He changed into his shorts before he made his way to Azula’s room. Once he knocked on the door, it was only a few seconds before she opened it. He tried to control it, but his jaw dropped at the sight of her. Her top was tight around her chest, supporting her breasts. Short sleeves stopped just below her shoulder, showcasing her muscles. Her bottoms were tight shorts that stopped just above her mid-thigh. She was just naturally stunning, and he was captivated every time he saw her. 

“You’re going to catch flies if you leave your mouth open like that,” Azula teased with a smirk, and his mouth snapped shut. 

“You look beautiful.” 

“I know,” Azula began to lead the way out of the ship. “Thank you,” the princess added quietly. 

The walk to the beach was comforting and calm for both of them as they observed all of the strangers along the way. The sounds of the waves crashing against the shore grew louder as they drew closer. Sokka chose a spot on the wet sand and plopped down. Azula stared at him with a raised brow as he patted the ground next to him. 

“This is the best spot!” He insisted. She looked at the spot hesitantly before deciding just to sit next to him. It was weirdly uncomfortable for a few seconds until her body adjusted to the texture. Azula settled in her spot and closed her eyes, the scent of saltwater filling her nose and the waves continuously filling her ears. It was the first time she had felt that calm in years. 

“I-”

“Don’t. Don’t mess it up by speaking. I’m calm, happy even. Can we just be calm together?” Azula asked him, and he nodded. How could she even know what he was going to say? The pair sat there until they were both practically sinking into the sand. 

“Let’s go,” The Princess practically jumped up, grabbing Sokka’s arm to pull him up with her. She pulled him to the water, and she stopped as a wave immediately splashed her, and he cackled. 

“I hope it wasn’t cold,” He teased, and she instantly splashed him back. 

“Find out yourself,” She teased back with a mischievous smile. Sokka knew he was in trouble. 

Dinner had started as always, and everyone gathered around the table, ready to be served. 

“Where’s Sokka and Azula?” Aang asked as servants began placing dishes on the center of the table. 

“I haven’t seen them since we’ve been back on the ship,” Suki spoke reluctantly, trying to keep the tension low. They didn’t need reminders of the earlier incident. 

“Well, we can wait for a few minutes,” Zuko said, and Toph immediately groaned. 

“If they’re not here in five minutes we’re eating without them,” the earth bender insisted. 

The table did their best to avoid the tension, and small talk echoed through the room as servants stood awkwardly, waiting for permission to start serving. Clearly, they didn’t want to join them for dinner. After the longest five minutes ever, Zuko sighed and signaled for dinner to be served. Food was passed around the table, and they ate quietly. Everyone had a different thought about the people missing from the meal. 

“So they’re just going to stay in their rooms?” Suki wondered, and Zuko shrugged. 

“Who knows! I don’t care, they can be hungry,” Zuko shoved rice in his mouth, grumpily chewing his food. 

“Babe, what’s the problem? Why can’t they be friends?” Suki questioned, her own curiosity taking over. 

“I just don’t understand how Sokka was able to get close to her. She has been secretive, sneaky, and a liar my whole life, and all of a sudden, he thinks she’s some angel. He’s hanging out with her every second he can. And she lets him.”

“Do you think she’s taking him away from you? From us?” Aang questioned, and Zuko shook his head. He opened his mouth, not sure what was going to leave his lips, but it didn’t matter what he was going to say.

“He’s jealous!” Ty Lee made the connection as she watched his energy, his aura changing as he thought of a response.

“Jealous? Of what?” Mai wondered, and now their eyes were focused on the fire lord. 

“I’m not jealous of Azula!” Zuko squeaked out, and Toph chuckled before taking another bite of meat. 

“Maybe Azula isn’t the liar in the family,” Toph joked, and all eyes looked back at Zuko. 

“Well?” Suki prodded, and Zuko felt his stomach do black flips. 

“You’re jealous of Sokka,” Aang said, and the Fire Lord’s eyes grew wide. 

“Jealous of Sokka? For what? Being close to Azula? That sounds like hell on earth,” Katara grumbled, yet it didn’t distract anyone; their eyes were still on Zuko, on how he hadn’t denied what Aang had said. 

“I just don’t understand how he was able to get through to her. How he was the one to get her to be—” he paused for a moment, desperate to gather his thoughts, “Normal, kind, have emotions. Ever since we were young and our father made her his favorite, she had been that way and she hated me, she hated everyone but Ozai, Mai and Ty Lee. She was mean, bratty, cruel and now she just gets to just take one of my best friends. She’s training kids, she’s getting gifts, giving gifts, she's a different person. An Azula I never met and I didn’t think was possible. Because trust me, I tried, I tried but I’ve never gotten anything back. I could never reach her.” Zuko didn’t expect to talk for that long, but the words kept coming, falling from his lips like water. 

“I mean…” Aang paused, unsure if he should speak up, unsure if he felt like facing the backlash of his honesty. 

“What?” Katara responded on Zuko's behalf, curious about what her boyfriend had to say now. She wasn’t going to have Sokka pull Aang into his mess. 

“Sokka said something the other day and I have to agree. When do we ever try to get to know her or truly include her in something we’re doing? Anything that's just for fun? She’s been out of that asylum for four years now and the only time she’s included is because she can help you with something. Because Azula can do something the rest of us can’t. How do you think she feels? She’s just a tool to you, like she was to Ozai. He didn’t choose his favorite child, he chose the most useful weapon.” Aang explained, and all they heard were scoffs from both his girlfriend and Mai. 

“How she feels?” Katara exclaimed irritably. 

“You guys are doing exactly what she wants you to. Azula doesn’t feel anything.” Mai couldn’t help herself. 

“Stop saying that! We know she does, we’ve seen it. That isn’t fair, especially after everything we just saw a few days ago. Doing that is cruel, something she would have done during the war.”

“Oh so I’m turning into Azula now?” Mai raised her voice, her face finally showing some anger. 

“No you’re not! But it is cruel to treat her as if she isn’t a human. And you both know what she said about Ursa, you know that it hurt her. I can see her aura, and it is the most interesting thing I have ever seen. She changed. I get it if you don’t like her or forgive her, but why do you have to be so mean to her? She doesn’t even speak to us,” Ty Lee argued, and Mai turned her head, looking back at her nails. 

“But what about everything she’s done to us?” Zuko interjected.

“It’s in the past. If you want a relationship with her, you have to forgive her. Until you can forgive her, just leave her be.” Aang advised, and Zuko focused on his hands instead of meeting Aang’s eyes. 

“I wouldn’t even know how to. I wanted to do better. I want to fix what Ozai, but she just know how to make me so angry,”

“Well, until you try, nothing will change.” Aang told him. 

The sky was purple and pink when they eventually made it back to the ship. The pair quietly entered, trailing drops of water through the kitchen to their rooms. Azula rolled her eyes and shushed him along the way. 

“Where the hell have you both been?” Zuko stood at the end of the hallway they turned down. 

“The beach,” Azula answered as if it were obvious, and Zuko sighed.

“You’ve been gone all evening. You missed dinner!” Zuko scolded. 

“We ate while we were out,” The Princess replied.

“Azula-”

“What? We’re fine! We just needed a breather. He made it back alive, I didn’t hurt him since that’s the only thing you're worried about,” Azula scoffed before mumbling a soft goodnight to Sokka, taking refuge in her room. 

Sokka and Zuko both remained in their spot, taking their eyes off the spot Azula was in to look at each other. 

“What?” Sokka challenged. 

“Nothing,”

“You’re wrong about her, you know.”

“I’m wrong about a lot of things, Sokka.”

“I’m serious,”

“And what if you’re wrong? What if this is all just some trick like Katara said,”

“I’m willing to take that risk on her.” Sokka left it at that, retreating to his room. 

The group talked and joked as they made their way to the beach. 

“Are you actually going to swim today?” Sokka asked with a smirk, and Azula rolled her eyes.

“We are going to the beach so I would assume I’d be swimming,” Azula snarked.

“You don’t have to swim. You could tan, build a sand castle, play volleyball. You don’t have to swim,” Sokka elaborated. 

“Do you want me to swim? Is this your way of  asking me to swim with you?” Azula raised her eyebrow, and he shook his head. 

“Are you saying yes?” He snarked back, and she finally agreed with a nod.

“As if I’d go swimming with them. Still going to save me if I drown?” Asking that question felt raw at first, despite it being just a joke, but only for a split second, only until she saw his face turn into a smile. 

“Of course,” 

The group finally picked a secluded spot close enough to the shore, where the water crashed against the sand. Blankets and towels were laid on the ground, and baskets of food and drinks were set along the corners to hold them down. 

Pairings began to split off, sitting with each other across different spots of their setup. Azula moved off to the side, watching as the group interacted. Azula was only able to observe them for a few seconds before Toph dropped down beside her. The Princess raised her eyebrow before narrowing her eyes. The men had walked off to collect firewood, leaving Katara, Suki, Ty Lee Mai, Toph, and Azula at the blankets. 

Azula wasn’t sure why Toph would decide to sit next to her when her friends were on the other side of the blanket. Maybe she just didn’t realize who she was sitting next to? Or more likely, Sokka asked her to try to be her friend as he did with Avatar. 

“‘Sup, Princess Psycho?” Toph greeted, and Azula bristled at the nickname.

The blind girl definitely knew who she was sitting next to.

“Earthbender,” Azula replied curtly. If Toph refused to greet Azula by her name or title, why would she offer Toph that respect? 

“You know, we still haven’t had a proper fight.” Toph thought out loud, and Azula scoffed. “You are the strongest Firebender out there. No offense to Zuko or Twinkle Toes.”

“The truth shouldn’t be offensive,” Azula smirked. 

“Well, you know Zuko can be sensitive. Aang doesn’t deny the truth, “ Toph told her. 

“So are you asking me to spar right now? On the beach?”

“Hell no! I’m relaxing today. But we have a whole sparring room on the ship. Let’s put it to use,” Toph explained, and Azula blew air through her nose. 

“And what do I get out of this sparring session?”

“Hopefully an ass beating by yours truly.” 

“Whatever you say," Azula turned her attention to the crashing waves, the way the white foam fizzled against the wet sand.

“Nice talk, Princess Psycho,” Toph finished, and Azula tensed up again. 

“Mhmm.”

The Princess knew that Toph liked to give people nicknames based on their personalities. Azula knew all of this, but that didn’t ease the ache that the nickname caused. Crazy, insane, psycho, these cursed titles wouldn’t leave her alone. She felt like they would follow her, hang over her like a cloud, and become part of her legacy—the crazy Fire Nation Princess. The thought alone made her sick, nauseous even. The Princess was so focused on her troubling thoughts that she missed Toph’s guilty look. 

The men finally returned with plenty of wood for the bonfire that evening. The wood was set in a pile, and Sokka, Aang, and Zuko rejoined the group, filling in the gaps along the blankets. 

“Ready to swim?” Sokka asked excitedly, his attention fully on Azula. 

“Yes, let’s go.” The princess agreed, forcing a smile, eager for a distraction from her spiraling thoughts. 

The princess quickly unwrapped her sheer cover-up, letting it fall to the ground. She threw off her tank top, letting it join her wrap as she slipped off her sandals. Sokka froze, his jaw dropping as he took in her bikini. He was so glad he wasn’t facing everyone else as he looked at her. This swimsuit was different from the one she wore two nights ago. Very little of her body was covered, the top tight against her chest with a string tied around her neck and another around her back. The bottoms were not shorts this time, more like underwear, just enough for him to see skin poking out the bottom. Sokka felt his trunks tighten as he tried to burn the sight into his brain.

Azula paused, her cheeks turning red as he stared at her. She had expected that reaction when she bought it, yet she could admit she reacted the same way every time Sokka took off his shirt. And so what, he thought she was attractive? That didn’t mean anything as far as she was concerned. Azula was sure some people thought she was attractive and also wanted to kill her. 

The Princess just hoped that Sokka’s attraction came with only positive feelings. 

Sokka finally closed her mouth, finally slipping his own sandals off, “Where did you get this one?” He finally asked, and she tried to fight through the blush on her cheeks. 

“Gross, “ Toph groaned, and they both remembered that she was next to them, that she could sense them, sense their heartbeats, and Azula immediately calmed herself. 

“At the market, while I was off on my own. And your reaction says that it looks nice.” Despite calming herself, Azula did the opposite of de-escalating the situation. 

“Yes, it looks stunning, princess,” Sokka cleared his throat. 

“Thank you,” Azula doesn’t say anything else as she walks off to the water. Sokka ran off after her, following her path as the rest of the group watched on. 

“They are so weird,” Toph groaned, and Aang shook his head.

“What does that even mean?” Zuko asked, and Toph blew air from her nostrils. 

“They act like they’re in love with each other or something. It’s gross,” The earthbender complained. 

“No, they are not! Don’t say that,” Katara and Zuko protested, outraged at the thought. Zuko knew he had a lot of work to do with Azula, but he didn’t need her dating Sokka. He could see the chaos that would follow. 

“Tell that to their heartbeats. Both of them go crazy whenever they’re close.” Toph went on despite the horror on some of their faces. 

“C’mon, Azula doesn’t love him,” Mai muttered. 

“Well, when I saw them on the ship the other day, they were so cute sharing scrolls,” Ty Lee gushed, and Toph gagged. 

“Nothing is cute about that,” Katara grimaced. 

“Absolutely nothing. I can already see the sages losing their minds,” Zukoi agreed. 

“I thought we were going to be nice?” Aang finally spoke up, and all eyes were on him. “I mean, Sokka had a point. So does Ty Lee, “ Aang chastised, and Toph groaned, already bored with the conversation. 

“I never agreed to that,” Mai started, “I still think she’s using him.” 

“And I’m not letting her get away with it. Whatever her plan is, it will be stopped.” Katara declared, watching the group's varied reactions. 

They could only hope Azula truly had good intentions. For her sake and for theirs.

The water splashed against their waists as they went further into the ocean. They walked side by side in silence, listening to the birds above and the waves ahead. 

“The sky looks beautiful,” Azula finally spoke as her body finally relaxed in the chilly water.

“It is. That’s the one thing that I miss about traveling with Appa. You saw some of the prettiest sights up there.” Sokka told her, and she nodded. 

“I can only imagine, feeling the clouds in your hands,” 

“You didn’t see those types of things with Mai and Ty Lee?” Sokka asked, and Azula felt cold at the thought. 

“No. I was too focused on following my father’s orders to take in the sights,” Azula responded. 

“Well, maybe you’ll see something this time,” Sokka suggested.

“Yeah, maybe,” Azula’s words drifted into silence as her mind wandered. 

“If you want to go back to them, you can,” Azula blurted out, and Sokka froze.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No. Not at all. I just…I don’t want to steal you away from them. I know what you said before, but…”

“Azula, you are not stealing me away.”

“Listen, I know what it’s like to lose your friends because of your choices, and I don’t want that for you. Especially just because you're friends with me. I don't want to be the reason for that,” Azula told him, and he shook his head. 

“I spend time with you because I want to. I don’t want you to be alone,” 

“I know, but—”

“And who knows, maybe you’ll make new friends. Or even make up with Mai and Ty Lee,” Azula stopped, his words pulling repressed anger and resentment out of her.

“That’s not happening,” Azula immediately shut him down, and his eyes widened at the change in her demeanor. 

“I just think if you apologize, they apologize and—”

“Have you lost your mind?” Azula raised her voice, her anger getting the best of her.

“No, I just thought that maybe—”

“There is no maybe! I can’t be friends with them again. I thought you understood that?”

“I do, I promise. I just—”

“What? Left reality that fast? Are you not as intelligent as I thought?” Azula hissed, and even through her anger, she regretted her words as soon as she saw Sokka’s face fall. She couldn’t look at him anymore, turning to walk back to shore. Azula only made it two steps away before Sokka stopped her, grabbing her hand.

“Stop!” The warrior demanded, and she glared at him, the water’s temperature rising around them as her body grew hot with anger. 

“What?”

“Don’t shut me out. We trust each other, don’t we?” Sokka pleaded with her, and she scoffed. 

“You keep—” Azula wanted to scream. 

She was so frustrated.

Frustrated by his trust in her, his ability to see more for her future than she could. She hated him for making her hope, and he just never seemed to stop.

And it just kept going.

Azula hated her family for failing her, for throwing her to the wolf that was Ozai. She hated Mai and Ty Lee for abandoning her, betraying her at her worst. She hated Zuko for getting all of the help, all of the grace, while she was treated like some incurable disease. And she really hated finding Sokka, finding true friendship after being so damaged she couldn't properly reciprocate it. 

Azula was pissed that she had found Sokka, knowing she could never be the friend or girlfriend he deserved. 

“Princess, don’t run. Just talk to me, please,” Sokka was desperate, desperate to have her talk to him, to keep her walls down. To explain why it bothered her so much. 

“They won’t forgive me. Trying is pointless, Sokka.” Her tone was sadder now, less intense, less angry. 

“You never know that!” Sokka stressed, and Azula bristled. 

“Sokka, I do!” Azula bellowed. 

“Okay,” Sokka surrendered, and he held out his hand. Azula stared at him, hesitant to take his hand in her’s. “I care about you, I don’t want to hurt you. I just…I want you to be happy and I just thought that getting your friends back would help you be happy. You don’t have to talk to them and I won’t pressure you to talk to them. Not anymore. I’m sorry, Princess.” Sokka sincerely apologized. 

“I—” there were so many words on the tip of her tongue. She was so conflicted by him. He made her so angry, yet he could calm her down, too. Sokka made her feel safe; he made her feel seen. 

“I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I shouldn’t have insulted you,” Azula finally decided to take his hand, and he gripped hers tight. 

“It’s okay. I don’t want to stress you. I told you I wanted you to have fun on this trip, and I just want the best for my friend,” Sokka accepted her apology. 

“Thank you, Sokka,” Azula whispered, glad she hadn’t just messed up the only good thing in her life. 

“Wanna go sit on edge? We don’t have to talk,” Sokka suggested, and she nodded. 

The pair walked back to the shore, sitting where the sand met the water. They watched as different birds flew past them, while the rest of the group splashed around in the water or swam in the waves. They could hear the laughter and chatter from the Gaang, but it didn’t stop their silence.

Azula did.

“I feel…” She paused, “conflicted.” 

“Why?”

“I do wish I still had friends, my friends, but I’m still so angry. And I know Mai hates me. I don’t think anything good will come from apologizing to them,” Azula explained to him. 

“You do it for yourself,” Sokka told her. 

“What?”

“You apologize to them to say that you did it. That you tried your best, you told them you’re sorry. They still might be angry, they might not forgive you, but they can never say that you didn’t try,” Sokka explained. 

“That doesn’t make sense. Why do it if it's not a guarantee? If I’m not sure, I’ll get the result I want?” 

“Well, because you don’t have to wonder if they might’ve forgiven you. You are so sure they won’t forgive you, but you never know until you do it.” Sokka went on, and Azula nodded, processing everything he told her. 

“Did the Avatar spread his wisdom?” Azula snarked, and Sokka let a small smile take over his features. 

“No, it was Gran-Gran. Not spirit wisdom, but I think Southern Water Tribe elder wisdom works just the same.” Sokka answered, and Azula shook her head at him. 

“I do trust you, you know,” The Princess blurted out.

“Yeah? Really?”

“Yeah, I do.” Azula reassured him, letting the sounds of the ocean waves fill the silence again. 

Azula trusted Sokka more than he knew—more than she trusted herself at this point in her life. 

“I trust you too,”

“Even though I could set you on fire?”

“I trust you not to,” Sokka started, and Azula nodded, “Plus, if you did, I probably deserved it.” And there it was, Azula’s bright laugh that made his whole body hot. It was so refreshing after everything else they just shared. 

“Yes, that is very true.”

“Hey! You weren’t supposed to agree.”

“Says who?” Azula questioned. 

“Me!” Sokka took the princess by surprise, splashing her with the now-cold water. Azula shrieked, immediately splashing him back. 

They stayed separated from the group for a while longer until the sun finally began to set, and they were ready for the bonfire. The pair finally made it back to the group, filling in the gaps on the blanket. 

“Welcome back,” Aang greeted happily, waving at the pair. 

“You guys look like you were having fun!” Sokka commented, and Aang nodded. 

“So did you,” Toph commented, snickering at the pair. 

The fire was finally lit as the sun set over the horizon. Food and drinks were spread out as the group indulged, telling each other stories and their hopes for the journey and the future. Embers cracked as they ascended above them. The food began to dwindle, and their energy went with it. They wouldn’t have a long walk to the ship, but it wouldn’t be fun either way. Exhaustion from a day of swimming in the sun was sure to set in. They let the fire burn, staying put until the breeze left a chill on their skin. Suki and Katara began cleaning up the garbage that had accumulated from their snacking. The men packed up the big things, putting the bags on their backs. 

The group made their way back up the trail, walking in pairs due to the narrow opening. Sokka and Azula fall to the very back of the group, and Sokka does something unexpected. 

He held out his hand. 

Azula stared at it for a second before grabbing it, intertwining her fingers with his. 

“They’re holding hands!” The hushed whisper left Toph, the person next to her, taking a subtle look back. 

“Oh my spirits, they are!” Ty Lee whispered back excitedly. Mai heard the sounds of the whispers and glanced back from in front of them. She saw the same thing as Ty Lee and nearly gagged. 

“She can’t be serious,”  Mai groaned, and Ty Lee shook her head. 

“You’re so negative.” Ty Lee nagged, and Mai shrugged. 

“Yeah, well, so is she. The source of all of it, actually.” Mai finished, and the rest of the walk was silent again. 

They would soon realize that the negativity in the group had more than one source. 

And Azula was not the biggest source. 

Chapter Text

Azula burned another piece of parchment, frustrated that she could never find the right words. 

The princess finally came to a decision. 

She missed having friends. 

She missed Ty Lee. 

Azula had never been able to appreciate the girl properly. Yes, she was boy-crazy and overly optimistic, but she was always kind. Ty Lee always wanted to help, and Azula realized that she was the only person who actually liked the Princess for who she was. The acrobat had been the only person to view Azula as something other than a monster, a knife sharpened by Ozai. 

Azula missed her.

Mai, however, was a different story.

The princess didn’t see a reconciliation between the two of them in the near future. Even if Azula apologized. The gloomy girl was bitter, and the grudge she held against Azula ran deep.

And the firebender felt the same. 

Mai made it clear that she viewed Azula as evil, which the princess expected. It just made no sense when Azula looked back on everything. She remembered burning the net beneath Ty Lee, leaving her no choice but to leave the circus. She would understand if Ty Lee held a grudge, but she didn’t force Mai. She never made Mai do the things they did. If anything, her father wanted to ensure she was close to the royal family, to get close to Zuko, and be next to him on the throne. Mai’s father pushed her closer to Azula. 

It had only gotten clearer as Azula reflected more on the fact that Mai only wanted proximity to Zuko from Azula, whether it was her father's decision or her own. Once Azula lost it, once she was no longer close to Zuko, she ceased to serve her purpose. Mai didn't need Azula, not when she was going against her brother. 

And Mai definitely doesn’t need it now. 

Zuko was clearly in love with Suki. It was nauseating to look at. 

Still, the princess wrote an apology to both of them. She treated them horribly, and Azula knew that she had been wrong; her father had taught her wrong. 

Azula just didn’t think it would be so hard. 

After each attempt at writing an apology to her former friends, she felt stupid. The words felt wrong, too vulnerable, or too cold. Sharing her feelings with them left her exposed in a way she didn’t like. 

A way that only one person made her feel safe enough to show.

Admitting she was wrong felt like drowning, choking on her mistakes, her regrets, her failures. 

And that made her angry. 

Angry at everyone and everything. 

It wasn’t completely her fault; she knew that now. Yes, she definitely made decisions on her own that led her here, but she could no longer hold the weight of her guilt. 

Yet, she couldn’t face the people who did this to her either. Her parents, the ones who stunted her in ways she never thought possible. She was a firebending prodigy but mediocre at being a person. A woman with feelings, a woman who could laugh and have fun, who could recognize that they made a mistake and apologize for it. 

They took that away from her. 

They never even let her know it was possible to be that way. 

So Azula was fucking angry. 

And that anger led to her next failed apology (more like pointing fingers at them for what they did to her). 

“Just pointless. Useless.” Insults left the princess as the ash from the paper sat in front of her. Her father would be ashamed of her for worrying about others' feelings, for being concerned with how they viewed her. He would’ve punished her for even thinking about apologizing to those beneath her. 

Even with those thoughts, she pulled out another piece of parchment and dipped her brush in the ink. 

Her father's opinions no longer mattered. 

Not to the current version of the princess. 

You have to mean it, Ursa advised.

I do mean it! 

Then why can’t you write it down? Ursa challenged.

Because they won’t care! Azula wanted to scream. 

Everyone had left or gotten tired of her, and they saw her at her worst. She now knew she had lost control, which made it difficult for them to stand by her side. But that didn’t lessen the heartbreak of her friends abandoning her. 

“All I can do is try, for myself,” Azula reminded herself of Sokka’s words as she attempted another apology. 

It didn’t matter if they didn’t care. 

They don’t have to accept it, but she has to apologize; she has to let the past go so she can move on. 

So she could be worthy of-

You’ll never be good enough for Sokka. Again, her mother’s evil twin made her appearance, and Azula did her best to ignore the thought. 

Azula was able to take over a kingdom without any fatalities, unless you counted Aang. 

Azula could do anything she put her mind to. She was intelligent, logical, and observant. She was skilled enough to do whatever she wanted. 

The princess could become more than Sokka’s charity-case friend. 

That would start by showing how much she had changed on her own, that she could make the right choice, and that she could try to get her friends back. The worst thing they could do is say no. 

Right?

The door seemed gigantic in front of him. Tall and imposing as he faced it, trying to push down his own nerves. He hated that he even needed to do this, but it was too much for Sokka now.

Katara had to stop. 

He understood why Katara would be cautious, a bit weary, but this was beyond that. She was rude and constantly poked Azula to get a reaction. 

And he didn’t want that. 

He didn’t want Azula so worked up that she felt she had to defend herself. He had no clue what it must feel like to have your one insecurity constantly brought up by your former enemy. 

If you could even call Katara a former enemy. 

Sokka cared for Azula, and he loved his sister. He didn’t want to be a mediator between them all the time. He didn’t want to feel like he was constantly being pulled in two different directions, even if Katara was doing all of the pulling. 

Sokka was standing firm. 

Next to Azula. 

Azula respected him enough to ignore Katara, to keep him from having to choose sides or intervene between them. 

And they were just friends. 

He couldn’t imagine what it would be like if or when he started dating Azula. 

So they had to talk.

Something had to change for them to be cordial and tolerate each other. 

Or he would have to draw a line in the sand. 

Sokka refused to let Katara ruin his chance at being there for Azula. 

His chance to be the person who was always in her corner, no matter what. 

Sokka knocked on her door and waited anxiously for his sister to open the door. It only took a few seconds before Katara swung the door open, a hesitant smile on her face as she faced her brother. 

“Hey,” Katara greeted, surprised to see her brother at her door. 

Ever since he became ‘friends’ with Azula, he had changed. She hated seeing her brother fall down a dark path, a path that Azula would drag him down. Katara hadn’t seen her brother nearly as much since, and she wasn’t sure how to deal with that. Almost every time she saw him, he was attached to Azula at the hip. He was always talking to her, hanging out with her, trying to bring her into the group. 

Katara could see herself losing him piece by piece. 

Everyone around her tried to act like it was fine, that there was nothing wrong, but everything was wrong. 

Azula and Sokka shouldn’t be friends, and they wouldn’t be dating if Katara had a say. 

She couldn’t stand by and watch Sokka destroy his life for someone like Azula. 

“Hey,” he replied as she let him in. 

Katara shut the door behind them and took a seat on the end of her bed, Sokka sitting in the chair across from her. 

“So-“

“Listen-“

They both spoke at the same time before Sokka gestured for his baby sister to go first. The warrior had an idea about what she was going to say, and he’d rather let her get it out so he could shut it all down. 

“So I know you think I’m wrong. I know you think Azula has changed and that she won’t hurt you. And sure, maybe she won’t hurt you now, but what if something changes? What if she loses her mind again? How would you defend yourself against someone like her? Especially if she’s gone crazy,”

“Stop calling her crazy. She’s not crazy,” Sokka corrected her, and Katara rolled her eyes as she sucked her teeth. 

“That’s all you have to say? I'm trying to look out for you, protect you, and that’s all you have to say? You don’t care?” Katara shouted, and Sokka sighed. 

“Listen, I appreciate that you care for me. But I don’t need you looking out for me. We’re not kids at war anymore, and as Azula said, you’d have to think I’m completely stupid to fall for her tricks that easily,” 

“Sokka, you know I don’t think you’re stupid,”

“So what is it, Katara?

“I don’t trust her. Look, you’re already talking like her. She’s already influenced you. And I can’t get past everything she’s done. I don’t know how you can,”

“You don’t have to get it, but why antagonize her? Every day, you make sure to say something rude to her and convince everyone else that she hasn’t changed. Just because you don’t trust her means no one else should?”

“Yes!” Sokka’s eyes widened, “Well, no. That’s not what I meant. I’m not saying no one can trust her, but-“

“You know, I said that Ozai taught Azula and Zuko the wrong things. And that’s true, but it makes me think about how mom and dad taught us the right things—taught us about love and forgiveness, treating everyone with kindness, and giving everyone the chance to make mistakes and fix them. I’m doing that! I’m seeing the good, helping Azula get on the right track because no one else has. But you? I don’t know what you’re doing. I don’t know how you got so cruel, how you lost your empathy,”

That was all it took for the conversation to go left. 

“Oh, so I’m cruel? Not the person who murdered Aang?” Katara challenged, standing from her spot on her bed. 

“She can be cruel, but it’s a choice. It’s a decision to be cruel, and you’re making that choice every time you try to trigger her,” Sokka elaborated before adding, “I just think… if you really love me. If you really want to look out for me, you’d respect my choice. You’d stop disrespecting the person who has helped me see some good when all I could see is the bad.” 

“Sokka, that isn’t fair,”

“Neither is what you’re doing to her,” Sokka told her before getting up from his chair, leaving the room without another word. 

Sokka was so ready to get off the ship.

Dinner ended as it normally did. Everyone had their fill of dessert, and the servants cleaned the tables. The group moved to the common room to chat and relax. One by one, people went to their private rooms, ready for bed and to continue their journey. 

Zuko and Katara were the last of the group in the common room. They sat silently for a moment, still on opposite sides, until Zuko finally grew the courage to move closer. 

“Do you really think they’re dating?” Zuko wondered aloud, and Katara looked at him as if he had turned into a dragon. 

“It doesn’t matter what I think. I won’t let it happen, and if it's already happening, I will stop it,” Katara replied. 

“But Aang said—”

“No! I will not let her ruin my brother.”

“I get that, I do! Azula is still unpredictable; she always has been, but I’ve been thinking about what Aang and Sokka said,” Zuko started and Katara groaned, still giving him her full attention. “I have been using her. I threw her in the asylum without looking back. Then I took her out, I stopped her treatment, I stopped getting her help because I needed her. I needed her help to find my mother, not because I thought it would be good for her or us. I use her as counsel because she's good at it. After all, she was made for it.”

“And don’t you think she’s angry about that. That she's just playing along, waiting for her moment to strike,” Katara disregarded everything Zuko just admitted. 

“Katara, it’s been 4 years since she’s been out. If she wanted to make a move for the throne, I think she would’ve done it already.”

“Zuko, I thought we agreed on this?” Katara questioned him about his sudden change of opinion on his sister. 

“I thought we did. I always thought that my sister was pure evil. That she would never change. I mean, when we did find my mother, that was the first thing Mom told me. That Azula had grown into the monster she knew she would be. Azula knew what my mother thought of her, and it didn’t even faze her.” Zuko isn’t even sure where he’s going with this. 

“So why are you even entertaining this?” Katara wondered.

“Because it doesn’t match what I see! We can’t act like she’s the same person we defeated together. She cried! In front of us! I don’t think I’ve ever seen her like that, and I’m confused. I’ve always wanted to be a big brother like Sokka. To look out for her the way Sokka looks out for you. All I can wonder about is how different it could’ve been if my father weren't crazy, if my mother had tried harder with her.”

“Zuko, some people are just evil. We know this,”

“Yes, but we also know that people can change. I did.”

“Yeah, well, you’re different from Azula.”

“How?” The question stumped the waterbender. 

 “You were never evil, just misguided,” Katara finally said, and Zuko shook his head.

“If you can say that about me, then the same could apply to Azula.” Zuko made that connection for the first time, and guilt continued to fester inside him. “I just…I don’t know. They just got me thinking.”

“Don’t fall for her shit Zuko.”

“I’m not! I don’t trust her, I said that, but I think I still have things to work through. I think I have things to work through with Azula, too. She’s still my sister, Katara.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter if she’s changed, and I get that she is your sister, but she will not be dating Sokka. Ever! She will bring him down, hurt him, and then what? What happens if she loses her mind again? Goes on a rampage and hurts him. Then what?”

“Katara—,”

“No, seriously! Then what? What will you do?”

“If that were to happen, I’d do what I’d have to do. I’d sent her back to the asylum to get the help she needs,” Zuko answered, and there was a loud sound, as if something was shattered right outside the door. Both of them looked to the door, Zuko being the one to go check it out. He peeked his head out to see the source, but was met with the sight of shattered glass and the sound of footsteps quickly retreating. 

“Who was it?” Katara asked, and Zuko shrugged.

“No clue, but there’s a broken glass. I’ll get someone to clean it up,” Zuko told her, quickly bidding her goodnight before finding a servant to clean the mess. 

Whatever it was would be forgotten in the morning by the pair. However, the person who heard would not forget about it anytime soon.

Breakfast came quickly the next morning, and the group happily gathered around the table except for one. 

“Where’s Azula?” Aang was the one who asked the question, receiving shrugs and eye rolls from most of the group. 

“I’ll go check,” Sokka spoke up, quickly leaving his seat and heading out of the dining room. 

The Warrior navigated the halls to Azula’s room easily, only taking a minute to get there. Sokka knocked on her door, waiting for her response. After a few moments, he knocked again, louder as he called her, and was met with silence. 

“Azula, it’s breakfast time!” He yelled out.

“Leave! I’m not hungry!” Her voice was rough as she finally responded to him. 

“Are you okay, Princess?” Sokka asked, now concerned. 

“Leave me alone, Sokka,” Azula shouted from the other side of the door. 

The princess had her emotional walls up, and they weren’t budging, at least not this morning. Something had to have happened last night or early this morning, that much was clear, but what? Did she have another nightmare? Did Katara bother her? He was trying so hard to make things better for her, but he seemed to be fighting a losing battle most of the time. Sokka sulked as he walked back to the dining room, quietly opening the door to expectant eyes.

“So?” Zuko asked, and Sokka shook his head. 

“Azula said she wasn’t hungry and asked to be left alone,” Sokka explained, silently taking his seat. Everyone kept their eyes on him for a moment before they awkwardly started their meal. 

The meal went as normally as it could, excluding the fact that Sokka ate significantly less, seemingly distracted by the Princess’ absence. Within ten minutes, Sokka excused himself abruptly, stating he had to work on his paintings. The rest of the group continued, trying to ignore their friend’s strange behavior.

“Is he just gonna be sad because she’s in a mood?” Toph threw out, and everyone looked at the earthbender, who said what they were thinking.

“See! I told you! She’s changing him, trying to bring him down with her.” Katar spoke up, and Aang placed his hand on her shoulder. 

“Or he’s just concerned for his friend?” Aang countered, and she rolled her eyes. 

“Everyone can’t be saved, Aang,” Katara told him, and he nodded. 

“Yes, that may be true, but that can only be determined after you try. After they try to change,” The Avatar went on. 

“Aang—”

“Katara—”

“Alright, just let them be. We’ll see what’s going on with them later,” Suki was the voice of reason this time. The group quickly moved on, talking about something else despite the tension that started to fill the space.

Suki never thought she would be doing this. She never expected to be in front of her ex-boyfriend’s door, asking him about who she assumed was his new love interest. Ty Lee hadn’t left her alone about Azula and Sokka, about them dating or being together. The more Ty Lee talked, her ear off, the more she saw it, the little things that he used to do for her. 

Even things she had never seen him do. 

And she finally understood how hard it must have been for Sokka, watching her move on with Zuko.  

The Kyoshi Warrior wasn’t jealous; she was happy with Zuko, but she never considered how awkward it might be to see someone else in the place you used to be in. Even so, she approached the door with confidence, ready to talk to him. 

“Knock, knock!” Suki called out as she knocked on his door. She waited quietly as she heard her ex shuffle around his room. The door cracked open, and Sokka looked surprised to see her. 

“Suki?” He wondered aloud as she looked at her. They haven’t spoken much since they broke up, at least not individually. There had been plenty of group conversations, but he avoided her as much as he could. And avoiding her soon turned into tolerating her, then it turned into coexistence. Suki didn’t have feelings for him anymore, and he had to be a man and accept that. Clearly, Zuko had something he didn’t. 

Those thoughts hadn’t bothered him as much since he fell off the ship all those months ago, almost an entire year ago. All of his attention had gone to Azula and helping her adjust to his home, a different way of living. 

“Hi,” Suki said nervously as she stepped inside his room. She took in his appearance, the way his eyes still seemed sad, like they had at breakfast. His room was messy, with paint spread across his desk and clothes and papers strewn across the floor. She definitely felt she made the right decision to check on him after breakfast. 

“What’s up?” Is something wrong?”

“No! I just…” Suki paused, “I know that it's been awkward, but we’re still friends, right?” Suki finally blurted the words out. 

“Sure, but why now? We haven’t really spoken since we broke up.” Sokka’s confusion is obvious, and Suki doesn’t blame him. 

“I—”

Why was she doing this now?

Possibly a guilty conscience, but still, she could’ve continued avoiding him as much as possible. It had nothing to do with that and everything to do with Ty Lee and her convincing. 

“Ty Lee and I have been talking and—”

“About me?”

“Nothing bad, I swear!” Suki exclaimed, “We just noticed how happy you’ve been since you've been back, and Azula too.”

“Yeah…” Sokka trailed off, letting Suki continue.

“And I know Katara has been difficult, but I want you to know I still care about you and we support you,” Suki explained awkwardly. 

“Uhh, thanks?” 

“So… are you guys—”

“Why is everyone so concerned with that? We can’t just be friends?” Sokka groaned.

“Look, I’m not against it. I would be happy for you as long as you —” Suki paused. She wanted to ask this question only once and believe his answer. She didn’t want to have the same worries as Katara, and even with Ty Lee hounding her about it, Sukio just had to be sure about Azula. 

“I won’t nag like Katara. I’ll only ask once… you’re positive that she isn’t planning anything?”

“Suki, please don’t—” Sokka was already defensive, a groan leaving his mouth. 

“No, I’m serious. I trust you, I will always trust you. So if you trust her, like really trust her, then I’ll try to believe her, see the best in her as you did.” Suki explained, and Sokka could only nod as he tried to process her words and answer. 

“She doesn’t have anything planned, and I know she isn’t going to. I trust her, I trust her with my life.” Sokka answered, and she nodded. 

“Okay. That’s it. I believe you.”

“Thank you.” Sokka’s appreciation was genuine, with a small smile on his face. 

“You know, I never thought we would end up like this.” 

“Like what?”

“So…I don’t know. So grown up, mature,”

“Yeah, well, me neither, but it’s good, right?”

“Yeah, it's good.”

There was another pause, a moment for them both to take a breath and gather themselves. 

“So, what is she like?”

“Who?”

“Azula, duh!”

“Uh, you know. Sarcastic, very smart, of course. Strong as hell, like I knew that, but it’s more than just physically strong. Azula has a different type of willpower that I have never seen. She really loves reading, learning stuff, and talking about strategies. She laughs at my jokes, even if they suck.” Sokka went on, and Suki watched as his eyes lit up with every word. 

Maybe Toph was right, maybe they do have feelings for each other, but aren’t ready yet.

Even with that realization, she still blurted out her question, “You really like her, huh?”

“What?” His eyes widened immediately.

“You like her.” This time it wasn’t a question.

“I—” Sokka didn’t think he would be having this conversation with Suki out of everyone in the group.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m happy for you, really,” Sokka was going to deny it. He had only told his father, and he didn’t want Azula to find out about his feelings for her from anyone but himself. 

But having such strong feelings and no one to express them to was starting to weigh on him. 

“Yeah, I do.” Sokka finally answered, and Suki smiled brightly.

“Good. Then I’m rooting for you. AAzula would be lucky to have you as her boyfriend,” Suki told him, and he smiled.

“Thanks. Hopefully she thinks the same thing,” 

“Well, you said she’s smart, and she’d be stupid not to.”

There was a pause. 

“Then why did you leave? Why did you choose Zuko?” It was Sokka’s turn to ask the awkward question. 

“I…my feelings for him grew out of nowhere. I guess it was the proximity, or I don’t know. I never meant to hurt you, and you didn’t do anything wrong. Please believe me when I say that. I just… I had to follow my heart, and it wouldn’t be fair to stay with you when I knew I didn’t feel the same way I once did. When I had feelings for someone else,” Suki explained, and Sokka took in all of her words. 

He felt…

Relief. 

It wasn’t him. He hadn’t done something wrong. They just weren’t meant to be. 

That was something Sokka could accept; he could understand. 

And Sokka wasn’t upset anymore. 

He was sure someone else had his heart. 

They sat in the awkward silence for a moment, just enough time for something to catch Suki’s eye. 

“You painting again?” I know you stopped for a while,” Suki asked as she walked over to the sheet-covered canvas. Said sheet was on the floor before the Warrior could protest, and his work was revealed to her. 

“Oh wow, Sokka!” Suki gasped, and his face felt like it was on fire from the blood rushing to his cheeks. 

His painting was almost done; he just wanted to add a few more finishing touches, but the quality of his work wasn't what made him nervous. 

It was a subject. 

Suki stared at the watercolor, how Sokka used each color carefully to create the image of Azula with braided hair in a parka. He managed to capture every detail of her face, down to the dark brown flecks in the Princess’ golden eyes. The Kyoshi Warrior had never seen any of his paintings be this detailed. They were always silly, not realistic, almost like doodles. Clearly, he had been practicing, and he found the perfect muse. 

“Is it bad? I know I’m still not that good at it, and I didn’t intend to paint her. It must be weird-“

“Sokka, it’s gorgeous. It looks amazing, truly! She’s going to love it,” Suki assured him, and he smiled. 

“Thanks, that means a lot,” Sokka responded, and she nodded with a small smile. 

“Alright, I actually have to go train with Ty Lee, but I’m glad we got to talk.”

“Yeah, me too,” Sokka echoed as she walked her to the door. 

“And I’ll try to talk to Azula soon. Ty Lee has been pushing me to. I think she misses the Princess," Suki added as she stepped over the threshold. 

“Really?” Sokka couldn’t hide his excitement. 

“Yeah, I think she’s scared Azula is still mad at her and won’t forgive her,” Suki went on, and Sokka smiled brightly. 

Sometimes, Azula was way off in how she read other people around her, which kept her from having the relationships she wanted. 

“I think that they should talk. If Ty Lee really misses her, she should tell her. The princess is not the same princess Ty Lee knew as a child.” 

“Well, we’ll see what Ty Lee does. Talk to you later?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you at dinner,” he told her, shutting his door as his ex walked down the hall. 

Maybe Sokka would be able to deliver on his promise to make this trip better for Azula after all.

A monster. 

She turned into the monster Ursa knew she would be. 

She’d lose her mind. 

Azula would end up hurting him; she knew she would. 

And Zuko would throw her back in that padded cell. 

They’d go back to sticking her with needles, letting her brain melt until Azula could barely remember her own name. Until moving even an inch would exhaust her. Her heartbeat picked up as the feeling of the straightjacket began to ghost over her skin. 

A small shriek left her mouth, Azula quickly squeezing her arms, desperate to get rid of the feeling of needles on her skin, of the tight white jacket she used to wear. The princess squeezed for as long as she could, until it no longer provided her the relief she was looking for. Once it stopped working, she began scratching, her porcelain skin turning red by the second. 

“I can’t go back there. I won’t go back there. I’d die before I set foot in that cell again. Father deserves to be there; I don’t. I don’t deserve that,” The Princess did her best to remind herself of Kanna’s words. 

Don’t you, though? You killed the avatar. You imprisoned your best friends. Don’t you deserve to rot for all of the harm you caused? Don’t you deserve to be pricked with every needle they can find, every substance they have that can tame the monster you are? The cruel Ursa taunted, and the princess scratched harder, her skin beginning to break under the pressure. 

“No! I don’t! Kanna said so, I say so! Azula shouted back, unable to keep her thoughts in her mind.  It was already a mess, her thoughts adding to the chaos.

Child, stop it! This is what they want, for you to lose your stability, the kind Ursa told her, trying to calm her. 

“Princess?” The voice was Sokka’s this time, and for a moment, the scratching stopped. 

“You haven’t eaten! You missed breakfast and lunch. Can I please come in?” The voice wasn’t in her head. She turned to the door, moving to open it, to finally get help, until her arms came into her line of sight. Crimson splotches littered her forearms and biceps, blood caked under her nails and dripping down her arms, staining her silks. 

“Agni, what did I do?” Azula sobbed out. Her hands began trembling, her mind continued to scramble as tears filled her eyes, and her throat got tight. 

“Zules, what’s wrong? What did you do? Let me help,” Azula saw the door handle jiggle and cursed herself for not locking it.

“Please don’t!” Azula could barely squeeze the words out, but her effort was in vain. The door swung open, revealing the Princess’s frantic state. Sokka only had a moment to be shocked before Azula would shut him out. He had to reel himself in quickly if he wanted to reach her and calm her down. Sokka silently stepped into the room and calmly closed the door behind him. 

“It’s okay, Zula. Just take a deep breath,” Sokka instructed her, and she nodded, sucking in air as her tears streamed down her cheeks. “Breathe, I’ll help you with your problem, but you have to breathe,” Sokka pleaded, and she took another breath, a shuddered exhale following it. 

“I’m sorry!” Azula apologized repeatedly, her body now trembling, her hands clenched as she squeezed her eyes shut, willing her tears to stop. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for. Come sit, and we can talk about it,” Sokka led her to the bed, helping her sit. He quickly moved to her vanity to find a towel to clean her arms and hands. The Warrior held his hands out, and she placed one of hers in his, and he began cleaning the blood from them. 

“What happened, princess? What upset you?”

“It’s stupid.” Azula tried to brush it off, not meeting his eyes. 

“Your feelings aren’t stupid. Was it another nightmare?” Sokka grimaced as she flinched when he cleaned a particularly deep scratch. 

“I wish it were just another nightmare,” Azula whispered, her eyes focused on the painting on the wall behind him. 

“So what happened?” Sokka stressed, gently cleaning another scratch, and Azula took a deep breath before finally meeting his eyes. 

“I’ll always be a monster,” she finally whispered, and Sokka sighed. 

“Zules,” Sokka sighed.

“No! I was going back to the kitchen last night. I wanted another piece of mochi before bed, and I heard someone talking. Zuko and Katara are talking about us. About me. That if we were dating, I’d bring you down, ruin you.”

“Azula—”

“And that I can’t change. Even my mother thinks I’m a monster. She knew I was a monster. They said that I’d lose my mind again, that I’ll hurt you. Zuko said he would send me back to the Asylum if I do lose my mind again, and I can’t go back there. I don’t want to go back there, Sokka. He said that he would send me there for help but they didn’t help me there. They hurt me,” Azula was frantic, pressing her nails into her palms for only a second before Sokka stopped her. 

“Azula, enough!” Sokka was harsh, his voice firm, but he needed the princess to listen to him. He was so angry, angry at Zuko, at Katara, and Ursa, but none of that was his focus right now. 

Azula was his focus. 

His only focus. 

“I will do anything I can to help you. I won’t let him do that to you.” 

“But you don’t understand,” Azula started as Sokka continued to clean her arms. “I hear her. I hear my mother’s voice in my head, agreeing with everything they said. Telling me that I deserve all of the horrible things that happen to me, and I get so …,” the princess paused as she felt more tears fill her eyes. “I want to believe your grandmother, I want to believe you, I want to believe myself when I say their words aren’t true, but she will not leave me alone. Maybe I am crazy.” Azula finished, tears pouring from her eyes after years of holding them back. 

Sokka quietly finished her wound care, putting away the towel and grabbing bandages to wrap around her arms. He was doing his best to rein in his anger, which was overflowing.

“Azula, I want you to listen to me very carefully. Can you do that right now?” Sokka asked her, and she nodded, sucking in her breath as she tried to stop her own sobbing. 

“What,” Azula whispered. 

“No one can tell you what you are or who you are. You,” Sokka placed his hand on her chest, right above her heart, “are the only person who can do that. And we are the only people who get a say in our friendship, and whatever happens with us in the future is between us.”

“Whatever happens in the future?” Azula questioned, her eyes wide as she tried to interpret his words.

“Yes, no matter what, no matter how we change, only we get to decide how our bond changes and what we are to each other,” Sokka explained to her, and the Princess’s heart almost exploded as she tried to piece together whatever meaning Sokka wanted her to take from his words. 

“Fine,” Azula agreed, her mind still dissecting his words.

“Okay,” Sokka nodded. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was too much, before taking the plunge and pulling Azula into his arms. The Princess slowly moved over, hesitating only for a few seconds before accepting his embrace. More tears fell as he softly rubbed her back, calming her down the best he could. 

“They stuck me with needles, and I was out of my mind most of the time. And I was just there, alone. I didn’t have my family, I didn’t have any friends, so no one came to see me. No one cared enough to make the journey to visit me, and I don’t think I would have been kind to them if they had. I just…I can’t go back there. I don’t want to go back there and waste away alone.” Azula’s admission added fuel to the fire that was his rage. He was angry for her, angry that she had to suffer through that alone after losing everyone and everything she ever had. 

They were just kids. 

“Azula, I—”

“No, you don’t have to say anything. I just wanted you to understand. I need you to understand why I can’t go back there. Why I got so upset, why the thought of going back causes…this reaction,” Azula explained, referencing her arms, and Sokka nodded. 

“I understand, Princess,” Sokka responded, leaving it at that. 

Sokka would talk to Zuko later.

They sat in the same position for hours, letting Azula rest and recover from the emotions that had overwhelmed her and the itching from her scratches. 

By the time dinner had come around, Azula had fallen asleep, and Sokka requested that their dinner be brought to her room. He should have just expected some pushback from his request. 

The Warrior opened the door for their meal, expecting a servant, and was met by Zuko with their meal in his hands. 

Later came sooner than Sokka had hoped. 

“What’s wrong with her?” Zuko asked, trying to peek past Sokka to get a glance at his sister’s condition. 

“Actually, can we talk outside?” Zuko almost dropped the plate. The Fire Lord could hear the anger in his friend’s voice and knew this wouldn’t be a casual conversation. 

“What’s wrong? Is she okay?” Zuko stepped back, and Sokka closed the door as he left Azula’s room. 

“She had a rough day.”

“Okay?”

“She heard you and Katara talking last night,” Sokka continued, and he watched the blood drain from Zuko’s face. 

“Sokka, I know that you’re close to her now, but if she ever—”

“No. I don’t want an explanation or your reason. As long as I’m alive, she will never step foot in there.” Sokka promised, his voice firm, his eyes cold as he stared back at the fire lord.

“I don’t want her to be there. I’m happy she’s doing better. I just had to let Katara know that if it was ever necessary, if she lost her mind—”

“I don’t care if she burns the whole world to ash; she won’t step foot in that place again.”

“It would only be to help her!” Zuko stressed.

“Help her?” Sokka exclaimed angrily, “Do you even know what they were doing to her in there? How they were helping her?” Sokka questioned despite already having the answer. “They weren’t helping her,” Sokka angrily blew air through his nostrils as he tried to calm himself. “They stuck her with needles to make sure she couldn’t think right. Her body was restricted, not even able to move around her tiny cell freely, and she was all alone. You didn’t go to see her. No one went to see her, and she hated it. Azula heard that you would send her back, and she couldn’t even eat.  She couldn’t think about anything else besides being back in that cage, being tortured by people who were supposed to be helping her. Being thrown away like she was nothing, worthless.”

“I didn’t throw my sister away!” Zuko protested furiously. 

“What else would you call it?”  Sokka countered, and Zuko scoffed. 

“Sokka, I don’t know what else you want me to say. What else can I do?”

“You could actually act as if you care about your sister. I shouldn’t be the only person that does,” Sokka ended the conversation, taking the food and retreating into the Princess’s room. 

Azula woke up a few moments later, a soft yawn leaving her lips as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings. Azula looked over to see Sokka stuffing his face with rice and meat.

“Zules! You’re awake!” Sokka exclaimed with his mouth full.

“I am,” She answered calmly, wincing as she adjusted her body and accidentally leaned on her arm.

“I had dinner brought to us. You haven’t eaten all day.” Sokka quickly abandoned his own food to bring Azula’s over to her. 

The Princess took the plate and chopsticks from him. She slowly began to eat, taking small bites of rice and meat.

“Do you feel better?” Sokka asked as he finished his own meal. 

“Yes,” Azula answered quietly, and the warrior raised his eyebrow. 

“Really?”

“I..I believe you when you say that you won’t let me go back there. You make it very hard not to believe you, but…” Azula let her sentence trail off, looking away from him. “What if I do go crazy again? Lose my mind like before. What if that’s the only place that can contain me?” Azula questioned, and Sokka smiled softly. 

“If you lose your mind, I’ll help you find it. I’ll help you pick up every piece. But you don’t have to go back there again. I won’t let them abandon you there like before.” Sokka promised her, and she nodded, taking another small bite of rice.

“Okay,” Azula finally acknowledged him, taking in his words and unfaltering loyalty. 

“I already told Zuko the same thing. I won’t let him put you somewhere, anywhere, that’s going to hurt you.”

“What?”

“Did I mess up? I shouldn’t have said anything to him, but—” Sokka didn’t get to finish because he was pulled into a tight hug. 

“No, you—” Azula was overwhelmed. She had dealt with so many emotions over the past day, and she had seen Sokka defend her before, but to know that he would fight for her was something else. He wouldn’t just leave her if things got hard, if she had another breakdown, and that meant everything to her. “Thank you,” Azula told him, her arms still wrapped around his neck.

“You’re welcome, Princess,” came his soft reply as he hugged her back, pulling her close. 

As long as he was alive, she’d never have to go through the world alone. Not again.

Even with the ache in her arms, Azula still rose with the sun and went to train. She had already missed a few days of training since setting sail, and that clearly added to her distress. She carefully dressed in her training gear, her arms wrapped in bandages underneath. The princess walked through the ship's halls with her head held high, the picture of perfection to anyone without a trained eye. 

She silently opened the door to the room, closing it behind her. Despite the heavy armor, Azula felt like a weight was lifted from her as she took in the silent room. 

Training was where she could breathe. 

Of course, it didn’t start that way. 

There had been plenty of breakdowns after hours of relentless training from her teachers and her father. Times when every muscle felt useless, and Azula had to clench her eyes shut to stop tears from falling. 

Crying was a weakness she couldn’t afford. 

In the past. 

Now,

Now she felt at peace when she could train alone. The routine, the structure, being able to control exactly what she was doing. It felt like the one constant she was able to keep after everything else she had known disappeared. 

Her father was gone. 

Her friends were gone. 

The war that had been going on her entire life had finally ended. 

Everything had changed. 

Even her training changed. 

Azula was no longer at the will of others. She was no longer striving for a goal she could never reach. 

No longer training as her father’s weapon, no longer sharpening that blade. 

The Princess had learned to train herself. 

She trained because she wanted to, because it made her feel good. Every breath, every move, every spark and ember kept her calm, kept her focused on what was real. 

She had missed this. 

Azula moved to the middle of the room and began her routine with stretches, preparing her body for what she was about to put it through. The princess carefully stretched each limb, pushing through her pain as she stretched her arms. Training would be difficult until her scratches started to heal, but she couldn’t skip it. 

After everything she had gone through the previous day, Azula needed to keep her routine. She needed the relief she felt afterward, the satisfaction of executing each move in the kata perfectly. 

Once she started, everything around her went silent. The firebender focused on hitting each move exactly as she was taught, not a hair out of place. She bit her lip as each of her cuts rubbed against the fabric wrapped around them, making her itchy. Azula fought through it, refusing to lose her balance, refusing to fail. 

Azula needed to get it right. 

Azula trained for hours, completing each Kata perfectly as the sun continued to rise. The princess was careful as she focused on her breathing during her stretch when she was done. 

In. 

Out. 

In. 

Out. 

The air filled her lungs to the brim before being pushed out at full force. She could feel the chi flow through her body with each inhale. 

It had been a rough few days without training, and something had felt off, but she wasn’t sure what. 

Azula wanted to blame the ship; being on the water threw her off, but none of that was why she was off in the training room. 

“You miss him, the kind Ursa said, and she rolled her eyes. 

He was a good student, that’s it. I don’t miss him that much, Azula bit back. 

You’re rubbing the bracelet he gave you, the kind Ursa pointed out, and Azula groaned out loud. 

Sometimes she wished her actual mother were more like the kind one in her head, but it was moments like this where she was glad her mother’s annoying observations were only figments of her imagination.

Yes, she missed Ku-San. 

He ended up being instrumental to her accidental trip to the Southern Water Tribe, showing her a different side of herself that she hadn’t known was possible. Azula cared for him, and he made training interesting, bringing joy to each session. He enjoyed learning, and Azula discovered she enjoyed teaching. 

She enjoyed teaching way more than she thought she would. 

Maybe writing him a letter will help, the kind Ursa suggested and Azula hated that she agreed. The princess would work on a letter and maybe find a training scroll to send him during the ship’s next stop. 

As the fire bender finally began to relax, she ended her training session, and the door to the room opened to reveal the Avatar, Toph, and Suki. 

“Told ya’ she was here,” Toph smirked, and Suki rolled her eyes. 

“Whatever, it’s fine. We found her.”

“Found who?” Azula questioned bluntly, and the Avatar smiled brightly at her. 

“You!” The airbender answered, and Azula immediately grew defensive. 

“I haven’t done anything,” Azula was already prepared to fight if she needed to defend herself.

Yes, the people in front of her were the least hostile toward her, but she was still wary of them. It would only take one rumor, one misstep, and she would have a target on her back. The accusations would surround her, and she wasn’t sure if she’d be able to get herself out of it. 

“We know.” Aang felt bad that she thought she was in trouble or that they were there to do something bad to her. That had to be a sad way of living, feeling like everyone had it out for her, ready to blame her when something happened. 

“We wanted to spar,” Aang told her, and Azula stayed on the defensive, waiting for the Avatar to explain why. 

“This feels like a trap.”

“What?” Suki chuckled in surprise.

“I know Sokka asked the Avatar and the blind girl to keep me from being ‘lonely,’” the princess used air quotes as she mocked her friend. “But why are you here?” Azula focused on the Kyoshi Warrior in the middle. Suki had long gotten over what Azula had done to her during the war and even felt sorry for the Princess when she heard stories from Zuko or saw Azula interact with Ursa. It was easy to see why Azula wouldn’t want to open up to them. 

Suki, especially since she was Zuko's girlfriend. 

Still, she knew that with all of that trauma, Azula still had the power and skill to strike fear into them.

“I never back down from a good fight,” Suki couldn’t show any fear. She smirked at Azula, the royal looking her up and down before scoffing. 

“I had just finished my training, but I guess I can gift you with my time. Who’s losing first?” Azula had already moved back into the center of the mat, in perfect form. She was prepared to use her bending or hand-to-hand combat, depending on who took the challenge first. 

Her smirk appeared when the Avatar moved forward, throwing his saffron robe to the ground. The boy from the iceberg had clearly grown into a man. His abs were chiseled as he towered in front of her.

Azula could see why the water bender looked past the Avatar’s childish ways. 

“Bending or martial arts?” Azula asked, and Aang pondered for a moment. 

“Bending. I’ll only use air to make it fair,” Aang decided, and Azula shook her head.

“Avatar, I am no weakling. Use them all,” Azula instructed him, and he nodded, ignoring the nervous look on Suki’s face. 

“Very well,” Aang joined her in the center of the mat. 

Suki had been worried for Azula when the two had started. She was aware that the princess was a prodigy, but that couldn’t compare to the avatar. 

An Adult Aang, not a twelve-year-old boy. 

Suki watched from the side while Toph cheered. Her worry for the princess soon shifted to worry for Aang as the princess evaded each of his attacks while successfully carrying out her own. The avatar grew fatigued as he switched from waterbending offensively to airbending defensively to gain space. Each blast of azure fire was controlled and deliberate as it clashed with the walls of ice in front of her. She used her bending to propel herself forward as she progressed through the hole in the ice wall. 

The Avatar’s eyes widened as the Princess rushed toward him with precision, her eyes focused on her target, when he kicked his feet forward, blasting her with air that forced her back to the other side of the room. Azula coughed as the air left her lungs from the impact of hitting the ground. Azula quickly rose to her feet, dusting off her armor as the airbender still struggled to find his proper footing. The Princess decided that she couldn’t waste a second.

That was the moment. 

A true test for herself and the people trying to befriend her. 

Lightning cracked throughout the room with Azula serving as its source, as she stood in the center of the room again. She gauged the reactions in the room. The princess was met with fear from Suki, which didn’t surprise her, but the Kyoshi Warrior remained firmly in place. Azula followed Suki’s trail of vision to see the Avatar watching her with soft eyes. 

With understanding.

Something she should’ve expected. 

“Azula, you’re testing us.”

“Why would I do that? You heard your zealous girlfriend. I have to be planning something. Plotting my way back to the throne. Scheming on how to take over the world.” Azula’s voice didn’t tremble, waiting to see the switch in their demeanor, waiting for them to turn on her, waiting for them to assume the worst. 

Waiting for them to run to Zuko and tell him to lock her up. 

“Then shoot it. I survived it before, I’ll survive it again,” Aang relaxed, and Azula froze.

That wasn’t the reaction she expected. 

She expected them to move in, crowd her, try to take her down. 

Azula had expected the worst. Somehow, she was the only one who did. 

The Avatar was serious, facing her with his defenses lowered. He was sure that Azula wouldn’t strike him, that she didn’t want to. 

Toph hadn’t moved an inch, and Suki clearly caught on as she watched them closely.

“Fine,” Azula let her fingers twitch, still expecting to be blasted with air before the electricity faded from her fingertips. 

Suki finally exhaled as she watched Aang approach the princess calmly. He reached out, and the princess remained in place as he offered his hand. Azula kept her hand in place, her two fingers still extended from her stance. The Avatar took them, pulling her hand into both of his. Azula felt her body tense, wanting to reject the contact, but she was frozen in place. 

“Azula, I don’t think you have bad intentions. I’m happy for you. We could be happy with you.  You have grown a lot, you’ve changed. You are not the same girl from the war. We were on the same side before, but we can be now,” Aang explained to her, and Azula looked away from him. 

“He’s right,” Suki started, “I talked to Sokka, and he really does want the best for you. We want to help him, help you. And he didn’t ask me to be here, I wanted to. I see the difference too,” Suki spoke up, and Azula only looked at her for a moment before meeting the Avatar’s eyes again. 

“I could have killed you. Again.”

“You could have, but you weren’t going to. You didn’t want to hurt me; you wanted to see how we’d react. To see if we’d fear you,” Aang countered, and Toph scoffed.

“As if I’d be scared of Princess Proper,” Toph finally interjected. Azula froze for a second, realizing the change in nickname before giving the Avatar her full attention again. Azula stared into his eyes, still searching for deception, for the trick, but she found none. 

So she accepted it. 

“I won, you sipped at my hand. Who’s next?” The princess finally removed her hand from the Avatar, stepping back as she fixed her bangs. She faced the two women confidently. 

She accepted their attempt at friendship the only way she knew how.