CHAPTER RATING: T (Language, Violence, Mildly Sexual Situations)

A/N:

A lengthy Author's Note is required here.

This chapter was originally a one-shot in my Avatar Collection, but one user, named croutondragon (If you happen to stumble across this, and dislike the fact that I used your name, message me, and I'll remove it.) suggested that it was a worthy of its own story.

And I have to say that if there was ever a one-shot that led to its own story, it'd be this. It's been rewritten to allow for the story to continue after chapter 1.

Original inspiration: Music, "Sandpaper" by Fozzy.

Conceptual influence: Story, The Avatar's Smile by Kitakana.

Stylistic Narrative Influence: Story, Of Gods and Men by sablefalls.

You can find these two great stories right here, on Fan fiction...Or, if the case may be depending on where you're reading this from...You can find these two great stories right over there, on Fan fiction!

And as a final note: I never like to give plot details or themes away but here's my barrier to get behind when the inevitable hate train comes barreling down on me.

This is an Azulaang story. It will be told primarily in a Third-person, limited perspective from Azula's Point of View.

Take note of the title, take note of the cover image, and determine if this story will fit your expectations.

Published on: 02/03/2015

Chapter 1: Her Only Visitor

They tackle her to the ground, one of them pushes his knee down onto her neck, which forces her to the floor. Her arms are crossed in front of her. As the jacket tightens, she feels her veins constrict. Something wraps around her ankles, ensuring that she can no longer run, nor move.

"I banish you! To live the rest of your days in solitary confinement, Azula!" The Firelord's voice boomed within the palace halls. "You're far too unstable to live among everyone else!"

She watched him as he descended from his throne. The air was thick with how condescending he was. The entire court had their eyes glued on her.

"Dear brother, you're going to do this to me? Your younger sister? My, my. What a just Firelord you are." She gives him a malicious grin. With a deep breath, a stream of fire expels from her mouth, and she once again felt the hard, cold floor against her face.

"You've only proven my point, Azula!" A leather mask rolls around her, and she hears the buckles behind her neck click. It is just as tight as the straitjacket. They bring her back up to her feet. "Get her out of my sight!" He orders with a wave of his hand. They force her into a wheelchair, and strap her into it.

As they turn her around, she meets everyone's eyes, her gaze as defiant as ever. They look at her with disdain, anger, hate, and rage. All of them.

All of them...Except one.

She brings her eyes to his, and for just a moment, it seems like she's lost in them. The grey hue they bear is plain, but they tell the story of ten thousand lifetimes. There's a sadness there. A sadness that's rooted in empathy, not pity.

That's how she remembers it. It is the memory that plays in her mind every night before they turn out the lights to her cell, forcing her to close her eyes, and in the darkness, relive it over and over again.

After the nightmare plays, the visions and voices begin. Azula lays in her bed, and she hears her mother.

"I love you, Azula. I always have, and always will."

I love you, Azula. I always have, and always will."

I love you, Azula. I always have, and always will."

The echo drives her mad. The voice repeats until she wants to become deaf, to not hear them anymore.

Then, just as suddenly, they stop.

Her vision blurs, with her body still bound, her mother appears before her. The image of the woman says nothing. She just stands there, a specter, silent as death, and watches. She does not leave Azula's vision, even as Azula shuts her eyes. She knows her mother is still there, still watching. Always watching.

The visions and voices haunt her until she can take it no longer, and exhaustion lulls her to sleep.

She undergoes this every night. And she will until her dying days.

...

The sun rises, and with the help of automated machines that creak and whine as they move, she is given a small reprieve every morning. Her people rise with the sun, and it brings her some satisfaction to be able to watch it every day from her small, dark, depressing cell.

Aang's First Visit

This day, the door opens, and he steps through. He was so naïve when he defeated her father, but it was apparent that he'd grown wiser with the events he was forced to face. He may be wiser, but she never had to acknowledge that fact.

She glares at him, with her piercing eyes. But he seems unfazed: a stupid smile strewn across his lips, he held a tray with a steaming teapot, and two cups.

"Good morning, Azula." His idiotic, optimistic grin widens, showing his teeth.

She doesn't reply, instead she turns to the window, staring back at the sun.

"I thought maybe we could have some tea together."

He's mocking her. She can't move anything at this point because of the restraints. How she wishes she could kill him this instant.

He pushes a button next to her bed, the chair that she sits in, the chair that shows her the sunrise every morning, moves back.

Her scorn for him only grew. He moved a table in front of the window, takes another chair...And dares to block her from what she needs most. He dares to take away from her the only saving grace she could find in this situation. The button clicks again, and stops her right where the table ends.

Her eyes gaze through the window to the sun. But her vision is now interrupted by his oddly shaped head, ugly blue tattoos, and...His deep, grey eyes.

"It's a specialty of your uncle's. He'd love for you to try it." His optimism is a deterrent for her. She watches as he pours the water into two cups, and then, as if he'd just realized that she was bound, laughs at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." He waved his hand, and brought a sphere of water to her.

Angry and annoyed, she rears back, and spits a stream of fire at him that evaporates the liquid on the spot. She revels in the shock on his face. But loses it instantly when he begins laughing like a child.

"Forgive me." He chuckles to himself while pouring tea back into her cup. "Let me do it correctly this time." He stands, takes the cup into his hand, and brings it up to her lips.

Azula turns her head slowly, her death gaze still caught in his eyes. He must love mocking her. Instead of backing down, or realizing his mistake, his eyes widen as if he's been hit with a sudden revelation. The stupid smile returns, he blows at the tea, his cool breath forcing the heat from the cup away. He then nods, and pushes it against her lips.

The warmth only compounded the anger in her. She'd had enough of this, enough of this joke. With a harsh crack, she bites down on the cup's edge, nearly breaking it, and tosses it to the ground.

It strikes the metal floor and shatters, letting the liquid spread into a thin pool. He looks at her in ignorant surprise, and only smiles.

That smile. That stupid fucking smile.

The rage in her built, until she finally decided to speak.

"Get away from me." She whispers. A light shines in his eyes, as if he's overjoyed that she's finally willing to talk with him. Her forsaken gaze reappears. "I said: GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" Her arms shift in their bonds, almost reaching out to him, wanting to strangle him.

She would not give in, her pride wouldn't allow it.

The door opens again. Guards jump through, but the Avatar waves them off. Azula does not watch him leave, she holds her head low, and just waits for the door to slam shut.

"I'll return, Azula." She hears him again. "I don't think you should be alone. No one should be." The tone in his voice mirrored the look in his eyes.

...

That night, as she laid in her prison cell, the voices returned.

"Why did you shun him?"

"Shut up." She whispered.

"Why didn't you enjoy his company?"

"Shut up!" She speaks louder this time.

"He's the only one who's visited you, and you push him away."

"Shut up!" She shouts again, the bass in her voice rumbling the walls.

"He came here, because he cares for you. He cares about you, just as I did, Azula"

"SHUT UP!" She shrieks, nearly splitting her own eardrums.

Then, as before, the voices fade. The visions begun anew and the only peace Azula finds is in the sleep they force her into.

...

Aang's Second Visit

The next day was cloudy, the sun wasn't there to greet her, she was only met with the grey sky. Still restrained in her chair, she remained still until the door opened again.

"Good morning, Azula." The Avatar's comforting voice grated at her ears. She just glares at him. As he did the day before, he moves the table between them, and takes a seat.

The guards step behind her. She hears the buckles coming loose. Her arms are free. But they ache with a weariness from inactivity. She would burn all of them, she would cremate them this instant but she was sure that her muscles would rip apart with any sudden moves.

"Thank you." The Avatar waves them away, and the metal door slams shut again. "Would you like some tea, Azula?" He motions to the cup's on front of them. She only looks away, silently shifting her fingers to regain her sense of movement, warm up her muscles, and then strike.

If he trusted her, even for a moment, he was more naïve than she thought.

Pain shot through her arm as she tried to move her finger. Her face contorted into an expression of pain. Something she should never show him.

"Be careful!" She thinks he says this out of concern for her, not as a demand. "Here." He takes her hand. And it's the first time, in a long time, she has felt someone's touch. "Bear with the pain." He draws a small amount of water from his own cup, and lays it onto her arm in a thin layer. His eyes close as he pulls her arm towards him. She can feel the water easing the tension in her muscles as she reaches outward. And before she can even consider thanking him, her arm fills with renewed life.

He smiles again, and holds out his other hand, motioning to her other arm. Azula shifts her weight, and winces in pain again as he proceeds to do the same as before.

"Take it easy," he speaks again. "That looks painful. I'll make sure that they don't bind your arms again."

She finds it strange that he would even consider that.

He pours another cup of tea. "Try it. Your Uncle has an amazing taste for tea."

She moves her hand to her cup, the warmth just the same as the Avatar's touch. The tea itself is sweet, unexpected from her past experiences, but a pleasant surprise.

"Why are you here?" Her voice asks of its own volition in an unfamiliar, meek whisper.

"I have my reasons." He takes another drink. "But I'm not sure if I can tell you yet." He places the now empty cup down. "You might make fun of me." He laughs.

Azula raises an eyebrow, but doesn't question him further.

He smiles, stands, and leaves.

"It was nice talking to you, Azula. Hopefully next time we can fully get you out of that jacket." He says with a soft tone before the door closes again.

"Hopefully." She whispers to herself.

There she sits, alone, and in silence.

And as she sips her tea, something catches her eye from the window.

The clouds have begun to break, and through the grey veil, there shines a single ray of sunlight.

She turns her head away, and pours herself another cup.

…

That night, as she freely moved her arms, she wasn't visited by the voices or visions. For the first time in what seemed like a long time, she was able to get a full night of sleep.

It was almost a foreign feeling, this idea of being at peace.

...

Aang's Third Visit

The room remains how it was when he left the day before. Today he steps in with his glowing smile, and a tray of food that smells delicious. Though she would never admit it. He sets the tray down, and takes a seat across from her.

"Good morning, Azula." He says for the third time. For a third time, she doesn't acknowledge him. "It's okay. You spoke to me yesterday, so we've made some progress." He smiles, and places down the tray. Lifting up a silver cover, he reveals: A teapot, a bowl of dumplings, a plate of roasted Komodo Chicken, and a large, steaming pot of rice. "Zuko…" Time seems to freeze as she hears him utter her brother's name. "…says that your family loves Komodo Chicken, he brought your uncle some of it when he was in prison."

The guards bring them two cups, two plates, and utensils. The Avatar waves them away, and the door slams shut again. He holds his hand out in a friendly manner. "Go ahead. Unless you want me to serve you…Princess?" A chill runs down her spine when he uses her former title, chill that burns when she feels that he is mocking her.

He wants to play that game…Fine.

She can play.

"If you'd be so kind, Avatar." Her voice recovers into a familiar-although almost lost, condescending and proud tone. He jumps up to his feet, eyes shining, screaming to her how happy he is, like a child who has just won a prize for being the most optimistic, enthusiastic, and clueless boy in a bunch of witless juveniles.

"Of course, Princess Azula." He bows as if he was her personal servant. "What would you like to partake in this fine morning?"

His change in vocabulary feels like another jab at her lineage.

"Komodo Chicken, with white rice, and perhaps some of those dumplings." She doesn't even attempt to add 'please' to the command. Servants should know their place.

"Of course, Princess." He bows again with that same smile. "However, I have been ordered by the chef to inform you that those dumplings are strictly vegetarian." He points to himself. "as am I." He smiles with pride.

A small, smile, and a hint of laughter sneaks its way up to her lips. But she clears her throat, and pushes it away.

"I care not for dietary restrictions." She holds her chin up high with pride as he nods with obedience and fills the plate with food. He finishes her request, and stands by her side like a statue, unmoving, and silent. "What are you doing?" She asks him.

"Waiting for you permission to sit down." He replies. She raises an eyebrow, a small part of her is giggling at how committed he is to playing his role. "Very well, take a seat, and eat as you please."

"Thank you, Princess." He smiles, and takes a seat across from her.

A silence presides over them, only the sounds of an occasional sip of tea, or knife cutting into cooked chicken.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself?" Azula is the first to speak. Surprisingly, she finds herself having fun. She's able to play pretend, something she hasn't done since she was a child. She's unsure as to how she feels about this, but for now, in this very moment, she's enjoying herself.

"As you wish, Princess." The Avatar places the half-eaten dumpling back onto the plate. "I was raised in the Southern Air Temple. Where I had friends, and mentors." His smile grows as he recalls the memory. "We played, trained, studied, and lived in peace."

She doesn't offer any sort of verbal response, but nods as he contines.

"I usually spent my time with my mentor, Monk Gyatso. He taught me everything I know. Including how to make, and launch moon cakes with exact precision." He laughs.

"A moon cake? I would like to try that some time. Do you happen to know the recipe?"

"Of course, Princess. They're delicious! I shall notify the chef immediately." He stands, "if I have permission to leave?"

"Not yet." She waves her hand, and he sits back down. "Before you leave, there's one more thing your Princess wants you to do." He nods, seemingly eager to serve her. She takes a piece of the Komodo Chicken in between her chopsticks, and places it on his plate. "Eat this."

He looks confused for a second, almost upset, and then he shrugs, and his smile returns. He picks up the chicken meat with two fingers, and does as she says.

Azula cocks her head, and waits for any other response, anger, disgust, sadness, disapproval, anything. But The Avatar gives none. She lets out a breath filled with disappointment.

"You may go." She waves him away, and he walks towards the door.

"Until next time, Princess."

…

As she lay in her bed that night, Azula wondered if this was all part of his plan, if she was just playing into his hands. Or was it that she was the one who had played him. For one, she had been able to make him treat her as if she was a Princess, not a prisoner. But then again, the supposed 'game' that they played would have been his proposal, a game which she willingly took part in.

She turned to her side, trying to cast away the idea.

Again, this night, for whatever reason, the voices and visions didn't appear, and she slept like a child. But before sleep took her again, she had one last conscious thought:

If I was able to make him forsake the traditions of his people, what else could I make him do?

Sure, it was just a single bit of chicken, but she'd test the waters again.

She'd toy with him.

She'd beat him.

She'd win.

…

Aang's Fourth Visit

"Good morning, Avatar." She addresses him before he even steps foot into her cell.

"Good morning." He's talking to her as if they were good friends. Today he bears nothing in his hands, and is followed by two guards. "I had an idea today."

"What's that?" The guards seem unnerved by the small flame she juggles in her hand.

"I think that you'd enjoy yourself more if you were completely out of that straitjacket." His bright smile almost stops her heart.

She wonders if he's still playing with her.

She wonders if he's joking.

She wonders what his true motives are.

"Why?" She blows out the flame in her hand, and a long stream of smoke flies towards the window. "Don't you understand how dangerous I am?"

"Of course," he replies with a wide grin. "But you didn't turn me into a pile of ashes when I offended you with the tea, so I figured that I had so somehow earned your trust."

He made a good point, why didn't she end him then? But then she finds something to still remain strong.

"That's only because I would face dire consequences from them." She eyes the two guards behind him.

"Do you still think you'll kill me one day?"

"Of course."

"If that's the case, then let's get you into a place where you at least have a chance, it wouldn't be like the Avatar to strike down a helpless opponent." His new found confidence is charming. "If you'll please, just relax. These men will need to undo the buckles behind your ankles. Please turn over."

She's dumbfounded, but if he insists, then…she does as he asks, the clicking of the brass buckles are like a song of freedom.

The guards leave with the jacket, and Azula is stuck lying on her back, her legs swinging below her.

"Does it hurt?" He asks while taking a seat next to her.

"I can't feel anything." Azula replies while trying to move her legs.

"They look stiff." He takes her hand again. She nearly twitches with how abrupt the contact is. "We can correct that though." He hoists her arm around his broad shoulders, and stands her up.

"What are you doing?" A low, offended tone escapes her.

"I'm helping." He smiles. As much as she wants to strangle him, she remembers who he is. The Avatar, the strongest bender in the world. Just to test him, she leans more of her weight against his shoulder.

He doesn't stumble, but rights his posture, and holds her steady. His left hand tightly holding hers, pulling her over his shoulder. Her face flushes with red when his other hand pushes up against her hips to hold her with a firm, reassuring grasp.

She's happy to see that he doesn't notice. His expression, filled with determination. He bites his lower lip, and does his best to hold her up.

And, to her surprise, he manages to do so. He's become stronger since she last fought him.

"Okay, focus now." He looks down at her feet, she does the same. "Imagine yourself walking. See your legs moving."

She finds the instructions stupid and repetitive. Of course she would be picturing herself moving. With a deep breath, she tries to will her leg to move. A step forward, and his smile lights up. She pushes down, and a pain shoots through her. Her right side crumbles, and she falls towards the floor.

But the Avatar's always a faster thinker, and always alert. He creates a cushion for her, and she lands on a pillow of air that's softer than any cloud in the sky.

"Are you okay?" He bends over and holds out his hand.

"I-I'm fine!" She needs to show him how strong she is. She can't show vulnerability, so she swats away his hand in response. But she can't move her legs. She just holds herself up with her hands until he offers to help her up again, and with a grimace, she accepts.

He takes a tight hold on her, waves his hands, and she sees air gathering in front of her.

"Try lifting your legs onto the clouds." Azula is skeptical, but tries her best to pick up her limp legs. She manages to situate herself, and soon it feels like she's walking on air, they're like slippers made out of infinitely soft cushions, she releases all of her weight on them, and there isn't any pain. "Better, isn't it?" He continues to guide her as they walk out the door. He walks with her through the halls of her prison, her blood is flowing again, and she's beginning to regain the natural sense of walking.

"Stay by my side." He whispers to her as every guard they pass stare at her like some circus act. "I'll make sure no one hurts you."

The words strike something inside her. Something that bothers her. Those words are for the weak and vulnerable. Two qualities that she strives not to be.

But if there's anything that she isn't, it's stupid. She knows that the only thing keeping her out of the straitjacket is the man that stands beside her.

So she plays along. And decides to see how far she can push him.

Her left hand intertwines with his, she pulls him closer. His head rests precariously close to her chest. "I need a little more support." She whispers into his ear, and changes her tone of voice into one of innocence. "Please, Avatar. Keep me safe." She begs. Her other hand holds his, and slowly slides it further down her hips.

She can feel the heat rush through his body, but he doesn't show it. He stands firm, and as she expected, he does what the Avatar has to do.

As he carries her down a hall, they come to a door. When it opens, she's greeted with the sight of a large red room. It looks as if she had just stepped back into her quarters at the Fire Nation Palace. He helps her over to the bed, and sits her down.

"What is this all about, Avatar?" She spits out.

"I saw you get dragged away that day." His voice is low. Almost as if he doesn't want to tell her. "And I didn't feel right. It didn't feel right to see them wheel you away like an animal."

"But they did it for a reason." She retorts. "I'm a danger to society." She mocks her own brother.

"I'm the Avatar-"

"And you think that you can stop me?" She interrupts him.

"I think I can help you, Azula." He replies. "If I can't help this one person from herself, then how can I help others?"

"That's a good point." She mockingly agrees. "I don't think you can though."

"We'll see." He smiles. "Enjoy your new cell." He says it with a hint of sarcasm, before he turns around, and walks out the door.

…

After the sun's light fades, Azula basks in the ability to walk on her own again. She looks to the locked entrance, a steel door just like before. But across it, she eyes a door made of glass that leads outside.

She steps outdoors into a beautiful garden. The area doesn't entirely allow her freedom, as the huge balcony eventually comes to an end, and she finds that she is hundreds of feet high, a fall from this height would be fatal.

Regardless, tonight sleep eludes her. In the garden, she practices her firebending forms, letting sapphire flames fly from her fists, and occasionally lighting up the night sky with a streak of lightning.

She can't sleep, but it's not the voices.

It's not the visions.

It's not the nightmares.

It's happiness.

...

Aang's Fifth Visit

Azula moves like fire does as it burns kindling when she's practicing out in the sun, beautiful, mesmerizing, deadly. The Avatar moves to greet her on the outer balcony. She wonders what thoughts run through his mind as he watches the sweat run down her body, making her glisten, as is she were blessed by the sun.

He faces her, and bows.

"Is that a challenge?" She questions with defiance.

"It is. If you want it to be." He shrugs.

"I wouldn't mind a little exercise in the morning." She grins. "But I don't know if I've got the control down yet. Accidents may occur."

"I'm sure I'll manage. But first." He holds up a finger, and begins to channel air into an orb. Slowly, he pulls his arms away, and the sphere expands. It wraps around them, and surrounds the balcony. "In case one of us falls." He smiles, and throws a rock into the spinning winds. It strikes as if the wall were made of stone, and hurls back to his feet.

"Impressive, as expected from the Avatar. But from me, you shouldn't expect any mercy." Azula grins, and bows.

Aang does the same, and takes his stance. Azula charges towards him, launching fireballs that stream past his head and strike the wall. Her feet move at a blinding speed as she takes to the air, and flips forward, bringing down a flaming heel directly onto his crown.

But he dodges, stepping aside, he pivots on his left foot, and moves behind her. He places a hand on her back, and moves with her as she tries in vain to face him.

Frustrated by his laughter, she sweeps her leg behind her, shooting a stream of fire that scars the balcony in black ash. But he leaps back, lands on his hands, and begins to run on his own air wall, dodging her attacks as they strike the swirling wind and explode behind him.

He lands and sweeps his feet, but she easily dodges his attack. Azula rears her arm back and fires another flame towards him. But in a single instant she notices that her attack is only going straight up. The air he summoned with the leg sweep collided with the balcony, and shot back, knocking her off her feet.

But no one should ever count Azula out, she pulls her knees into her chest, and shoots a stream of flames that she uses to flip over back onto her feet. The smoke thickens, and she loses sight of him.

The balcony has turned into a blackened battlefield. Azula feels that she's made a mistake, the smoke is building, and she can't make out anything two feet in front of her.

Then, a whirlwind arrives, it sounds the smoke out of the way, forcing it into her eyes, and before she can even how to recover, she's balancing herself on the heels of her feet, while feeling the dull pressure of two fingers pressing against her throat.

"Okay, you got me." She raises her hands to her sides. "You win."

He smiles. "It was a pleasure sparring with you, Azula." A wave of his hands removes the giant sphere. "We should do it again some time."

...

Aang's Final Visit

Azula's leaning against the railing this morning. She looks down towards the waves that crash against the rock wall of her island prison. The door behind her clicks, the door hinges creak, and footsteps creep against the stone balcony.

"You're here again?" She asks without turning around.

"You don't want me here?" He replies. "I could leave, but I thought maybe you'd like to hear about the good news I have."

She turns around at those words. "Good news? Am I to be executed soon? Dying would be better than living in this hell." She grins and raises an eyebrow.

"That's not it." He laughs. "I talked to your brother." He paused. Azula thinks he's waiting for a reaction from her, but she gives nothing.

"Go on..." Azula tapped her chin. "You have my interest."

"I asked him to let you go free, I asked him if he'd allow me to take you with me when I left."

Another wave of happiness washed over her.

Azula was finally free.

But as she moved to thank him with a hug, she had one thought in her mind.

What else can I make him do?

A/N: Given the first chapter, what do you expect from this story?

An extra addition. Read these lyrics, and see if you can discern a meaning. I've come to find that a lot of music I listen to relates to what I write.

From "The Game" by Disturbed

Tell me exactly what am I supposed to do?
Now that I have allowed you to BEAT ME!
Do you think that we could play another game?
Maybe I could win this time?

I kind of like the misery you put me through.
Darlin', you can trust me COMPLETELY!
If you even try to look the other way.
I think that I could kill this time..

Thanks for Reading!