Azula's Recovery - Avatar: TLA

10.2 - Azula

"You have to let the energy flow through you, creating a pathway from your fingertips, up your arm to your stomach, and then back up and out your other arm." Zuko demonstrated using his own fingertips, moving up his arm, down to his stomach and out again.

Azula copied him as he went on, "Your stomach is your 'sea of chi', it's where all your energy comes from. You must let the lightning pass through your stomach, and not your heart, because the results could be fatal."

Azula nodded, "All right. Let's try it."

Zuko's eyes went wide, "Uh...look, I'd love to make sure you know how to do it, but I'm not just going to shoot lightning at you."

Azula rolled her eyes, "Come on Zuko, your lightning could barely knock someone off their feet at the moment. Try it."

Zuko looked a little upset at that comment, but she had to know – could she really do it?

He didn't look convinced at all, "I don't even think I could do it. You say we can't have any doubt when we do it...but I'm feeling a lot of doubt right now."

Azula huffed, throwing up her hands, "Fine, I'll find someone else who will." She crossed her arms, "In the meantime, perhaps we could duel. I would challenge you to an Agni Kai but..." Azula trailed off as she pushed away the memory of their Agni Kai. It was still a soft spot for her.

"Oh...I actually had them outlawed. Apparently, they call our fight the 'Final Agni Kai'. I read about it."

Azula's eyes widened, "They wrote about it? What did it say? Did it talk about me being..." Crazy?

Zuko backtracked, "No! No, it was um, about me. My history. It's not finished...it's still being written, you know, because I'm not finished being Fire Lord yet. But that's what the historian told me, that when the laws passed and messengers were sent out to the villages, people were confused. They wanted to know why I'd taken such drastic action so soon. I think some chatty servants talked about my Agni Kai with father, and with you."

Azula was stunned. Agni Kai's were banned. Illegal. Azula had only ever fought in one, but she'd watched so many. As a child she had loved watching the masters duel each other, loved seeing the superior ones destroy the weaker ones. It had just been a normal part of life – the strong ruled and the weak were punished. It's how it was with father, and the court and everything. 

But recently she'd learned that things didn't always go that way...that they shouldn't go that way. Zuko's friends were arguably the most powerful people in the world – master benders, skilled strategists and fighters, politicians and leaders. And they were all teenagers.

In all their strength, they never once abused their power, or lorded over the weak. They helped them, cared for them, encouraged, and entertained them. Suki had been hurt by Azula in so many ways, and yet she'd put that behind her and worked hard to help Azula heal and become her friend. Sokka had helped her find her favourite dress ever. Aang...the most powerful bender in the world – had forgiven her for all of her actions and shown her that power didn't have to be the only goal – friendship, love and peace were more important.

Zuko had seen all the brutality, excessive strength and force of the Agni Kai's and rejected it, in favour of these other goals. 

It had never before occurred to Azula to see his Agni Kai with father through his eyes – to her, it had just been another day. Zuzu had messed up again, and was facing the punishment. She'd always known in the back of her mind that father would do the same to her if she messed up, but she never did. Zuko had not even put up a fight, Azula had thought that he'd gotten what he deserved. Firebenders fought back. They were the best and they had to show it. But he'd surrendered. And he had to pay the price.