Azula's Recovery - Avatar: TLA

BONUS - Agni Kai 2

Azula held her stance, and the lightning flashed as it rushed to the peasant. In a second, it would be there and Katara would be no more...

For a fleeting second, it occurred to Azula that by targeting Katara, she had broken the rules of the Agni Kai. Only two firebenders could fight, and no one else could be targeted, challenged or hurt. 

You lost...

It didn't matter now. Zuko and his peasant would be dead in minutes. Then there'd be no one left in her way...

Zuko yelled, and raced to get between the lightning and Katara, reaching it just in time to absorb it. Azula gasped as he took the bolt of lightning, catching it with a hand and holding it within himself.

Azula grinned. She knew it wouldn't be long before the lightning burned him up from the inside, but still it flashed around him, as if he was controlling it? It didn't matter. The comet's power would have made her lightning a hundred times stronger. Bye-bye Zuko!

Zuko flew back before landing hard. It released out through his other hand as he hit the ground, but still the electricity flashed around him. He curled up, and the peasant ran to him.

I don't think so, thought Azula gleefully. She was so close. No one could tell that she'd broken the rules of the Agni Kai if there were no witnesses left. Azula sent another blast towards the girl, but she wasn't really sure if it was fire or lightning at this point. It felt as though both elements burned around her, one on either hand.

Azula cackled as she realised the power she had...as she realised she had won! Zuko was unable to fight, and with the comet on her side, there was no hope for Katara to beat Azula.

She'd done it! She was better, she'd always known it.

Azula relished the fear in Katara's eyes as she desperately tried to doge Azula's attacks – only staying half a second in front of her. Azula pushed herself up, onto the roof to get a better position.

The peasant kept trying to rush back to Zuko, and Azula realised she was trying to help him. Heal him. Azula grinned - it didn't matter how many people cared about Zuko...loved him, he would meet his end too. She would win. She always wins.

Azula laughed as she summoned her lightning again with ease, taunting Katara, "I'd really rather our family physician look after little Zuzu if you don't mind!" 

She dropped down and sent the lightning towards Katara again. Azula enjoyed tormenting the two of them, and she was almost upset that it would end so soon.

Oh well. The lightning struck the ground and sent smoke flying up. Azula was sure that not much would have survived that, but she didn't care. She'd won!

She sent another column of fire towards Katara's position, laughing as she did so.

Zuko lost! Her mother, Mai, Ty Lee! They all lost. She was the best, she was perfect. She'd show her father. He'd be so proud; she'd show him that he'd made a mistake by not bringing her.

She'd show them. All of them.

Katara poked her head out from behind a column and Azula blasted her again, knocking the column clean out. The girl ran but Azula was closing in.

Azula leapt off the roof and flew around to where Katara was hiding. She arrived in time to see the girl send a huge column of water up to where she'd last been standing on the roof.

Azula chased her, repeating the words over and over to herself, I won, I won, I won, I won!

The peasant girl bent her water, sliding along it as she tried to get away. Azula chased her gleefully, enjoying this final game. 

Katara would lose. 

The thought filled her with glee. Azula always wins.

Katara dived out of the way, barely avoiding another one of Azula's blazing attacks. Azula sauntered over to her, ready to put this thing to an end and claim her crown for good.

"There you are, filthy peasant!" Azula walked towards her, beginning to feel the fatigue in her body. It didn't matter now, this was it.

The girl didn't move, only stared Azula down as she got close. Azula paused, waiting to see what she'd do. Katara narrowed her eyes and Azula tensed in preparation. The girl twisted, sending strands of water towards her, Azula dived, rolling out of the way before moving to summon her lightning.

Azula grinned: she had her.

But then Katara jumped up, and the water in the channel beneath them flew up around them both, freezing them in place.

Azula felt her body simply stop. NO! NO THIS ISN'T HAPPENING!

Katara melted the water around her, before fastening the chain to both of Azula's wrists and securing her to the grate below them. The water dropped and the two of them gasped and coughed.

Azula didn't hesitate, she shuffled and shifted, trying desperately to get herself free of the chain. But Katara was too quick. She tightened it quickly, before heading over to Zuko.

Chains...no. No this isn't happening. I just have to...no... I won!

Azula's breaths came in jagged rasps as the reality of her situation set in. The girl had beaten her. She'd won. NO! Azula twisted, the chains digging into her wrists.

I had them...I had them! This is mine! I won! NO!

She screamed. And everything she felt seemed to pour out of her. A column of fire shot from her mouth, but she was too angry to be surprised at the new skill.

Azula screamed as she struggled against the chains. That horrible voice in her head had stopped now, it's job complete. Azula was ruined.

Everything she'd worked for – it all meant nothing. She'd become a monster, she'd done everything she could to survive, to be better, better than Zuko and her mother and uncle. She'd become what her father wanted and it still wasn't enough. 

She screamed harder, her back arching as she wrenched uselessly on the chains again.

Her mother didn't love her, her friends had betrayed her, her father didn't care, Zuko had been better than her. All her power, all her fear...It all meant nothing... NOTHING!

Her screams turned to sobs, and she couldn't stop the ache in her chest and her body as the realisations hit her one after the other.

Azula screamed and sobbed until her throat burned and she couldn't move. Zuko and Katara stood a few feet away, but by the time she noticed them, she'd burned out. Her body was going numb from the uncomfortable position, but so was her mind...her heart. She couldn't summon an inkling of anger, hate or anything. She just felt lost...empty.

And then, she passed out. 

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Hey again! So I hope I did it justice. I did quite a bit of reading on what people had to say about Azula's mental breakdown, and I used a lot of different inspiration and analyses from far more knowledgeable people than I.

I must say though, I am just a humble writer, so this is definitely not 1000% accurate, and I don't pretend it is.

Writing it was strange because part of me felt so sad for her, but the other part was trying to remind me that Azula was more than ready to go in for the kill. 

I hope you liked it, and also enjoyed the video at the top - it's so beautiful and sad and I watched it a bunch of times to try and get the right feels. 

Anyway, thank you for reading, and don't forget to vote for the two chapters! There is happy stuff coming soon I promise!