DESPITE ALL ODDS ( azula )

prologue

It was her mother at her bedside when Azula awoke from her fever. If there was another word to describe her with, Azula would have used it. Ursa wasn't qualified to be her mother. Not when Azula had lost her real mom back on Earth. The mom that actually got her the help she needed. The mom that didn't just see her as a monster.

"Azula, my darling, you're awake." Ursa spoke in a soft, gentle voice. She hadn't heard that tone in a while. "How are you feeling? Do you want some water?"

Ursa placed an arm around her back to help her sit. Azula simply stared at her blankly. All those years she'd spent pining for Ursa's affection felt worthless. Honestly, Azula didn't want anything to do with that woman. She'd lived through three lifetimes, gained knowledge and wisdom, love and care, and yet her old grudges were as persistent as ever.

"I want to be alone." Azula said. Her voice croaked, as they were the first words she had spoken since coming back to her own body. Mostly because she'd gotten severely ill immediately after it happened. She'd never gotten this sick in all three of her lives combined. But coming back to her nightmarish first family was more than enough reason for her condition.

"But, dear, you haven't eaten in—"

You're not my mother.

Go bother Zuko instead.

I don't want you here.

Azula couldn't think of any words she could say without facing consequences. Azula was tired of consequences. She'd already spent two whole lives repenting. She was tired of the remnants of this life haunting her. She was just tired. That's it.

"I'm tired." Azula heaved. "I'm so tired."

Her eyes widened as she felt tears dripping down her face. Her heart ached. The look on Ursa's face made her feel all sorts of strange emotions. You can't care about me now. Please. I can't do this anymore. It hurts. It hurts so much.

"Azula!" Ursa gasped, her brows knitted together in worry, "Azula, what happened, my love? Where does it hurt? Kiyi...? Kiyi! Call the royal physician!"

THE PAIN OF FACING THE TRUTH

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The week Azula spent ill in her chambers, adjusting to being back, was probably the best week of the palace servants' lives. She'd been an impossible, unruly, and untameable child. Abusing the turtleducks, setting an apple on fire while it was on Mai's head... What had little Azula been thinking? It was no wonder Mai had betrayed her.

For her family, it was a seemingly baffling situation. Her mother, Zuko, Lu Ten, Uncle Iroh, even her father had shown up at her bedside, trying to get her to talk. But after uttering those first few sentences, Azula was spent. There wasn't a single person in the whole palace she wanted to expend her energy on.

They had even arranged for Mai and Ty Lee to be brought into her chambers, hoping to get Azula to talk to her peers, at least. Even Ty Lee and Mai had grown concerned for her — something she hadn't experienced since their trip to Ember Island.