Azula: the New Avatar

5 - Mastermind

Azula strutted through the corridors of her ship, hiding her amusement at the goings-on of the inhabitants. Iroh scared the living daylights out of every crew member there, and she shouldn't have been as smug about it as she was. She disliked it when people talked about her "weak" uncle Iroh, gone soft-hearted after Lu Ten's death, but of course she'd been one of those saying it. 

She knew it would just make people forget how terrifyingly powerful he really was, but she wasn't supposed to admit that he was powerful as Ozai's favorite child. There were a lot of things she wasn't supposed to do or think, and as she shed those shackles she realized just how confining they were. Zuko had unwittingly refused to be confined in the first place, which had earned him pain and exile; not exactly encouraging.

She opened the door to one of the nicest cabins in the ship to see Zuko looking around in bewilderment.

"What's going on?" he asked once he saw her. "Everyone's suddenly being so nice to me, and they're all terrified now."

"A squad tried to jump Uncle while he was sleeping," Azula said casually. Zuko's eyes went wide as he winced in sympathy. "They managed to infer that he was very protective of you, and now they are working hard to cover up what they did when they captured you."

"I see," Zuko said. "That would definitely make sense. Still, I was hoping to avoid attention like that."

"Father will just hear about Iroh being Iroh," Azula said dismissively. "If everything had gone off without a hitch, he would just be more suspicious."

"No he wouldn't," Zuko snorted. "Our dear father has much too high an opinion of himself for that—everything working smoothly would make him fondle his beard like he does and then make that face he makes; you know the one." He did his best impression of Ozai feeling good about himself, and Azula cracked up.

"That is scary good," she said. "I didn't think you had that much of Father in you—or that you were brave enough to make fun of him like that."

"I've made fun of him in my head for years, now I have an excuse to say them out loud. Let me tell you, I've got some pretty good ones."

"I'll bet," Azula snickered. She wished she were a man, just so it would be socially acceptable for her to do her own impression of Ozai: tearing her shirt off with the slightest excuse and flexing her muscles until they looked almost fake.

"I guess it'll be nice to be treated like royalty for my last week or so," he mused.

"You are royalty," she responded with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm still exiled," Zuko pointed out. "I should be getting arrested right now." His face fell, but he tried to hide it.

"What's wrong?" Azula asked, surprising herself with how gentle her voice was. She'd never been good at being gentle or comforting.

"It was right there," he whispered. "I was only a hundred meters from the shore, and I couldn't touch it. I knew he would do that, but it's still getting to me."

Azula hesitated. "That's not our home anymore," she said quietly. She didn't know if there was a way to say what she needed to without hurting their attempt at a loving relationship. She sighed. "Maybe it will be again, but while you were fighting so hard to get back, I was fighting to get out. Of course, I made sure to do it in a way that pleased Father, but... I've wanted to leave for years. There's nothing there but deceit and treachery. I'll admit that I am spectacular in both those regards, but it still got... old. I don't mean to dismiss your desire to return, but—it's a good thing we're gone. Both of us."

Zuko looked out to sea, his expression pained. "I know," he sighed. "I still want it back. Someday."

"Someday," Azula agreed. They sat in silence for a few peaceful minutes before Azula brought up something that had been on her mind. "So," she said, lightening the tone, "I didn't think you were this devious. Your plan has worked perfectly so far—who knew you had it in you?"