Azula's Recovery - Avatar: TLA

2.1 - Zuko

Zuko was running late and already felt awful, but he had slept in after last night. After burning everything in her room, Azula had entered her guest room and immediately ordered a bunch of servants to change the sheets, and rearrange this, and move that, and fix everything else. Zuko had stayed to make sure no one got hurt, and to ensure the servants weren't too scared.

After he had returned to the palace and been crowned Fire Lord, Zuko had begun to really notice the servants. As a child, Zuko hadn't paid them a second thought, he was a prince after all. Their orders were to be silent and unseen, and they mostly had been. Even after his return he hadn't thought much about them until one day a younger servant had been pouring him tea. Zuko had lifted his hand to pick up a letter and the boy had flinched away from him.

Zuko had apologised profusely, but it seemed to have no effect on the boy. He dropped to his knees, begging the Fire Lord for forgiveness, accepting whatever punishment Zuko saw fit.

In that moment, Zuko had remembered what he had said to his father on the Day of Black Sun during the invasion: The people of the world don't see our greatness, they hate us. And we deserve it.

"It's all right. I'm not going to hurt you," Zuko had said as he gently pulled the boy to his feet.

The serving boy looked up with wary red eyes, shocked at this strange new idea. The Fire Lord wasn't going to hurt him?

"I'm sorry if I scared you, I was just reaching for this," he held up the letter. "Has...has someone hurt you before?"

The boy just stared wide-eyed. Nobles didn't talk to servants! Least of all the Fire Lord.

Zuko just waited patiently, and when it seemed like the boy was going to pass out from shock, Zuko waved a hand, "That's all right, you may go now. But please, if anyone does ever raise a hand to you, do not hesitate to tell me."

The boy bowed deeply and scurried off quickly after that. 

He came each morning to pour Zuko's tea and still he remained silent. Some days Zuko tried to spark up conversation, talking about different aspects of court life, or asking the boy about the weather or something mundane. He never spoke, but seemed to ease up. One time, he even smiled at one of Zuko's silly jokes.

His thoughts returning to the present, Zuko sighed as he watched the buildings outside pass by. I always knew rebuilding the Fire Nation would take time, he thought sadly.

The carriage stopped outside of an ornate building on the main street. Zuko stepped out and nodded to the driver, before walking inside, leaving two Fire Nation guards out the front to keep watch.

The tea shop's many tables were empty, except for a round table in the centre of the room. Noren, Ursa, Kiyi, Mai and Ty Lee were already seated with steaming cups of tea in front of them.

"Finally! We were beginning to think you bailed on us," said Ty Lee brightly. She was in her usual Fire Nation clothes, taking a little break from her duties as a Kiyoshi warrior.

"Sorry, things have been busy since...well you know," Zuko sighed as he sat down between Kiyi and Ty Lee.

They were all silent as Zuko poured his tea and took a sip. Ursa spoke first, "So...how is she?"

Zuko hesitated, before deciding to answer honestly, "She's Azula. She came back and tried to get under everyone's skin. She lit her old room on fire. Then she spent the entire afternoon and half the night having servants rearrange her room exactly to her specifications."

Silence again as they all took this in. "This is...normal for her?" asked a concerned Noren.

"Yes," chorused Zuko, Ty Lee and Mai all at the same time. 

"Don't you remember how she broke into our house and tried to kill us?" Kiyi said exasperated, "She's scary."

Zuko put a hand on her shoulder, "Yeah, she can be a little bit scary. But I think she just needs some friends to show her a better way. Would you believe that I was once angry and scary like Azula?"

"No..."

"Well that's because I met some good friends. They helped me to see that there is a better way. They helped me to become the Fire Lord that I am today," he smiled at Kiyi, but she still looked hesitant.

"You don't think...she's going to turn on all of us the moment she can?" asked Ty Lee, fiddling with her tea cup.

"Yeah, I mean, we did betray her and the Fire Nation, and then make her go crazy," Mai added deadpan, sipping her tea.

Zuko looked up at her and felt a tug in his gut. He and Mai had broken up ages ago, but he still missed her. He knew that she had been on other dates, and seemed to be moving on. Zuko tried to be happy for her, and he did his best to do the same, but there wasn't much time for anything when you were Fire Lord.

He sighed, "I think Azula needs some time to get used to everything. You're right about your betrayal, but I believe she'll come around."

"And if she doesn't?" Mai held his gaze, her face unreadable.

"We can't think like that."

"No. We can't," agreed Ursa quietly.

Silence filled the room again, as they sipped their tea.

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