Shadows and Embers

Deathless Mother Nestling in Dreams

As Soza made her way through the secret passage to Azula's room, she couldn't help but feel excited about what was to come. These two were a formidable team, and they had been planning and executing missions together since they were young. Soza knew that Azula always had something up her sleeve, and she was eager to hear what her sister had in mind.

When she arrived she didn't bother knocking and used her bending to open the passage door (a/n like the fire sage's doors but much smaller), Azula was already deep in thought, studying a map of their target location. Soza leaned on her shoulder, eager to hear the plan. "So, what's the plan?" she asked. Azula turned to her with a sly smile, "Why are you asking me? We usually come up with them together."

Soza laughed, "Well, you seem to have given it more thought than I have." They began to bounce ideas off of each other, discussing the best approach to the mission. They both knew that a large group would be too conspicuous, and they needed to move quietly to avoid detection.
"Okay, but you know father will never agree. He would want everyone to know that the Fire Nation doesn't let war criminals go unpunished," Soza pointed out.

Azula nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but I think he just wants us to get the job done, no matter how. Plus, if we bring back their bodies, he can parade them across the caldera to prove his point." Soza smiled, impressed with Azula's cunning. "Good point," she replied.

They continued to strategize, throwing ideas back and forth until Soza let out an obnoxiously loud yawn. Azula laughed and suggested that Soza could sleep on her bed. As they continued planning, the candles flickered out. Soza relit them, but they went out again. Azula giggled, looking guilty, and they eventually gave up on any further planning for the night, resigned to the fact that they were too tired and playful to be productive. They unpinned each other's hair and drifted off to sleep, knowing that the mission would require all of their focus and attention tomorrow.

( - )

Azula was woken up by the rays of sunlight beginning to poke through the curtains. She groggily felt around for her twin sister, Soza, only to realize she was alone. The spot where Soza had been the previous night was now cold. Azula had been up for a while, so she got up to get dressed, then headed off to Soza's room. Perhaps she had woken up early and gone back to her own room. The princess knocked on the door and walked in before getting a response; they never actually knocked on each other's doors, but it was just a courtesy today.

To her surprise, however, Azula found the room empty. If Soza wasn't in her room, then there was only one other place she would be this early in the morning. She walked up to the pond and tapped her sister's shoulder. "Hey, are you okay? It's not like you to wake up early," she said, giggling.

Soza looked up at her, then patted the spot next to her, gesturing for Azula to sit down. So she did. Soza looked at her, her face blank. "I had a dream..." she said, trailing off and turning her attention to the turtle ducks in the pond.

"A dream? That you remembered? You never remember your dreams," Azula said.

Soza smiled at her and looked back down at the pond before speaking. "I know, and of all the times for me to start remembering my dreams, why now? Why this dream?"

"Soza, are you actually going to tell me about your dream, or will you just keep describing it without actually describing it?" Azula asked.

Soza sighed, then began recounting her dream. "It was the last time we went to Ember Island as a family, before she left us, before Dad became Firelord, just before we started bending, and she stopped loving us. It was actually the day I started bending and burnt Zuko(his upper arm not canon obviously, not his face, Ozai still did that)," Soza said, referring to a time when they were children.

Azula remembered the incident, too. It was one of the pivotal moments in their lives that put them on the path to becoming as strong as they were now.

"She didn't want to hear what we had to say. She never did. To her, we were monsters. Do you remember when Dad found us crying later on? What he said?" Soza looked up at Azula expectantly.

Azula nodded. "Never apologize for being strong. Never admit weakness. Never cry. If you think you're weak, you are. If you are not strong, not the best, you are not anything."

Soza stood up. "Then he said he was proud that I burnt Zuko. It showed a killer instinct that any Firebender worth anything should have," she smirked and began dusting off her clothes. "That was the day I stopped caring what Ursa thought, when I realized she wanted me to be weak... like her and Zuko."

Azula listened to Soza's dream, her expression unreadable. She didn't say anything for a moment, considering her sister's words. Then she spoke, her voice low and steady. "It's natural to feel doubts, Soza. But you have to remember that weakness is not an option. Our mother was weak and look where that got her. We need to be strong, to maintain our power and control. That's the only way to survive in this world."

She paused, studying Soza's face for a reaction. "Don't let sentimentality cloud your judgment. We're not like other people. We better than that."

Soza looked past Azula and said, " I know Zula, I was just wondering why I dreamt of her after all this time, and she's still ruining everything, even dead, she won't leave me alone."

"Don't let her memory haunt you, Soza. You're stronger than she ever was, and we have a destiny to fulfill. We can't let Ursa hold us back, I know how you feel I dream of her as well, the time we found out Lu Ten died and Uncle deserted, do you remember what she said to me, or when we found out Dad was going to kill Zuko, what she said to us."

Soza looked at her older sister with understanding,"really how could anyone actually be as useless as those three; Uncle ran back home like a coward, Zuko couldn't even stand up for himself and all that bitch ever did was hold her children back, Zuko included, I can't believe we're related to them."

Azula got up and took Soza's hand smiling at her, "Let's go, we're leaving early tomorrow let's make sure all the preparations are complete, you know how incompetent that captain can be, and who knows maybe banishment has been good for Zuzu, and he'll agree to come quietly."

Soza laughed. "Fat chance with Uncle fatso in his ear," she said. "There's a higher chance of Firelord Zoryu rising from the grave and jumping off the great gates of Azulon than Zuko doing something sensible."

Soza let Azula drag her along as they completed preparations for their mission.