Azula's Recovery - Avatar: TLA

4.1 - Azula

The next day Azula sat on the same bench in the garden, thinking about what Kaya had said.

Love doesn't have to be weakness...

Love doesn't have to be weakness...

Love doesn't have to be weakness...

Love doesn't have to be weakness...

Love doesn't have to be weakness...

She just repeated the words over and over, trying to understand. Perhaps love didn't have to be weakness, but that didn't mean it wasn't.

Love made you care about things more than your goals. Love meant you had something people could exploit. Loving things put them in danger. Love was like fire and it would burn you if you didn't control it.

Azula frowned at the thought; she was a firebender after all. She knew better than anyone that fire was dangerous, and control was vital. But...love wasn't controllable, not really. No the best way, was to not love at all. Love is weakness...

She was interrupted by a chorus of voices all speaking on top of each other.

Five children entered the garden, and congregated in the shade of the tree overlooking the turtle duck pond. Though Azula could see them easily, she knew she was sheltered from them by the large dragon topiary beside her.

"No, we played that yesterday, let's play masters and students!" one of them whined.

"But Asuka and I can't firebend!" another complained.

"I know! Guys stop! Let's just play tag! Everyone can play that and it's fun," another voice reasoned. Azula froze; she knew that little voice. She'd threatened to cut her doll's head off. Kiyi, she remembered, Ursa's daughter. My...sister.

"You can start over," Kaya had said. You can start over...

The other children seemed to agree and Kiyi began laying out the rules, 'just to be safe'.

"Okay, no firebending or chi blocking. No give-backs and you have to tag people on the arms. If you trip anyone over, you're it straight away. Oh! And make sure you call out who's it when you tag them, so everyone knows. Hmm, and–" Kiyi froze when she saw Azula standing only a few metres away, watching them. Azula hadn't even realized that she'd moved.

Kiyi's eyes widened with fear, "Hi..." she squeaked.

Azula studied the girl. Though sisters, they looked nothing alike. Where Azula was tall and lithe, her face angular and harsh, Kiyi was shorter, with softer features. She had brown eyes, nothing like the royals' treasured gold ones. Her hair was lighter, more brown than Azula's dark hair.  "Hello," Azula finally replied.

Kiyi shifted nervously on her feet as her friends looked uncertainly between the two. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I–" Azula took in a deep breath. What on earth was she doing here? "I was just out for a walk. What are you doing?"

"Um...we're playing tag," Kiyi still seemed defensive, but then seemed to shift slightly. She sucked in a breath before the words tumbled out, "Did you, uh, did you want to play?"

Azula frowned, "You want me to play tag with you?"

Kiyi's eyes widened in fear, "No, well, just...I mean, only if you wanted to..."

Azula contemplated her offer. You're thinking of playing a game, a children's game, she chided herself. But when was the last time you ever got to play a game? It could be fun... And she would definitely win...

"All right. Tell me the rules."

Kiyi seemed to shrink a little, but obliged, repeating the rules she'd laid out before.  The other kids jumped in at times, explaining why rule had been created. These kids were apparently more dangerous than they looked, finally something Azula could relate to.

"...and last of all, you can't leave the gardens. If you do, you're out." Kiyi looked to Azula, "Got it?"

"Of course," Azula grinned, "Get ready to go down..."

Kiyi looked terrified but the other kids whooped and cheered as they prepared for the game. Kiyi volunteered to be 'it' first, and turned around, covering her eyes to count to ten. The other kids bolted and Azula did too, taking refuge behind the topiary she had sat behind earlier.

Kiyi finished counting and ran off after movement on the west side of the garden.

"It's on little sister..."

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