Excited to see her again?" Aang asked, nudging Percy in the shoulder. He nodded slowly. He could not believe it took him two whole days to get back to the firenation on an airship. He thought those things were faster when they left the fire nation a few days ago, But apparently they were not.
"Why didn't you stop them when they went to face Zula?" he asked. It bugged him since the blind earthbender picked him up from Aang's fight with Ozai and told him everything that happened in the past days, since he was gone.
"I tried. But without telling what was really going on between the two of you, I had no chance of convincing them otherwise" she replied.
"I wonder what she did to Zuko" Aang mused. He knew that Zuko was no bad bender. But Azula was an artist and a brilliant one that was.
"Kicked his butt, I suppose. But I wouldn't know" Percy chuckled, he was feeling anxious to see his princess again.
"Who kicked whose butt?" Sokka asked, coming down the stairs to the closed loading dock the Avatar and his earthbending teacher stood in front of.
"No one" Aang replied, without turning around. Sokka shrugged mindlessly.
"Well, we arrived. You can lower the loading dock"
Percy was curious what it was he would see once he left the Airship. The shimmering light was falling through the slowly opening dock, his eyes trying to adjust to the sudden bright light. He really looked forward to seeing her again. This time he would never let her go again, ever. The dock crashed loudly to the floor of the parade ground in front of the firenation palace and Percy thought he would see her standing there, down the loading dock.
But when his eyes sharpened up, he realized, it was not her. It was Zuko and Katara, who were waiting there. He swallowed hard.
Not what he expected at all.
But who knows, maybe she was just still in the palace or something, he thought disappointed. He sincerely hoped she would be there when he arrived.
Walking down the loading dock, accompanied by Toph, towards Zuko and Katara, he suppressed the urge to just burst out with the question which was burning on his tongue. He barely felt Tophs fist hit his shoulder and almost failed to hear her whispered "relax, Percy" when he arrived in front of them. Nodding to Katara, he turned to Zuko.
"It's over" he said relieved. To be honest, knowing that Ozai had been defeated and a hundred years of war had been ended, felt like the weight of the world was lifted off his shoulders. It was very relieving. Zuko nodded, before he too hugged Aang.
"It's over" the firebender repeated confirmatively, sighting slowly. Aang could not help it. He had to ask now. He just had.
"Sooo" he began "where is Azula?" Aang had no idea why he used the words he did. Zuko cleared his throat, visibly uncomfortable.
"In prison" he said. Aang eyes darted to his friends, drilling holes into his head.
"What?!" Percy nearly blew his top. "Why?" Zuko rose a suspicious eyebrow, exchanging a look with Katara who was now finding the ground more interesting. She somehow expected him to be happy about that.
"Because she tried to kill Katara and me. And because she went completely bonzo" Zuko replied hesitantly. Percy could not cope with all the information at once. Prison? Insanity? What was going on?
"I need to see her" Percy demanded
"I don't think that's a good idea, Percy" Katara said. But the look he sent her had her looking the other way once more.
Avatar shook his head.
"No, you don't understand, I need to see her now" he hissed.
"You should bring him to her, sparky" Toph crossed her arms over her chest.
