DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the rights to Avatar the Last Airbender.

So much like I'm doing with Desires of the comet, I'm starting to rewrite/fix up Gaining's One's Freedom. If you're reading this for the first time, sorry if later chapters don't completely add up to the earlier ones, but I am fixing them as I go. While making new ones since this story isn't completed…yet.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1: The Reminder of Freedom

It's been seven years since the war ended. And every day Azula felt that defeat deep within herself. Failure was never an option in her father's eyes. Yet she had failed and she had failed miserably. Not only had she lost the Agni Kai to her brother. She had lost her mind as well.

How humiliating. Now her brother was the fire lord and she was stuck in a cell several stories underground. Her mind had returned to her after time. But her freedom was lost, for what Azula believed, would be forever.

But everything had changed that morning.

Azula awoke to find her brother Zuko looking through the bars of her cell. No longer stood a young teenager; here was a full grown adult. If anyone were to see him they would have believed him to be Ozai himself. He was as tall as Ozai and his young wiry frame had grown into a powerfully built body. His facial features held that strong chin and the amber eyes of Ozai. However, that was where the facial similarities ended. Zuko had no facial hair and the scar, given to him by the man he resembled so closely, still ran across the left side of his face.

"What brings you here Zuzu? Coming to gloat some more about your victory?" Azula asked.

Zuko simply responded, "Ozai killed himself last night in his cell. You will be attending his funeral and you will watch as Uncle and I burn his body together. The guards will be here within the hour to take you up to the dais. The old ways are history Azula. There will be no going back."

Azula responded by sneering at him and turning away. She heard her cell door shut as Zuko left. She wasn't one to cry. Truly what did she care that her 'father' had killed himself. Killing's oneself was weakness. She didn't believe in weaknesses. Not to mention, her father's death didn't upset her one bit. He was a 'horrid' example of a father really. She had had to prove herself every hour of every day to that man that she was loyal and powerful enough to be his equal. Yet no matter what she did, no matter how well she mastered fire bending, she was never seen as an equal. And all that hard work had only gotten her stuck in this prison.

An hour later five guards came to retrieve Azula for the funeral. She was lead out in chains; both hands and feet. As she walked into the light, the first time in seven years, she took a deep breath of the fresh air and closed her eyes to savor the sun.

"How have I not realized how much I miss this? The sun on my face. The fresh air in my lungs. This this is what I need" she thought to herself.

It was not to last however, for two hours later, she was lead back into her cell by the same guards that had taken her out. Her father was now burned to ash by the very son and brother who he had banished so many years ago. And she, she was stuck back in the cold, stench filled and sunless prison cell.

Her desire for vengeance, power and control was such a small thing to her now. Now she craved one thing and one thing only. Freedom. She missed the sun. She missed the fresh air. She missed her home.

As Azula sat there thinking of the sun and the wind and the fresh air. She heard her cell open.

"How are you Azula?" a males voice asked her.

"Why do you care Zuzu?" Azula responded.

She turned around to face Zuko. He was dressed in his Fire Lord assemble. Red and black robes lined with golden trim with black armor plated across his chest. The shoulders sharply pointed upward. The crown of the Fire Lord placed upon his head.

"I care Azula, because if it's one thing Uncle has taught me is that family is important. And you are my family Azula. Even if you do not wish to be…you are. "

"And that means so much to you because? What you TRULY care about, you now have. You have the crown, you rule the nation. I, however, am alone and locked in this cell. A cell you yourself have put me in and have made to be virtually impossible for me to escape from. You've taken my wonderful happy world and have turned it into a living hell. So how am I doing? Perfectly Zuko…just perfectly." Azula finished, looking away from her brother towards the barren wall.

Zuko looked around; indeed this cell was specially designed for Azula. Made entirely of metal and buried several stories underground. This weakened her fire bending and made it impossible to lighting bend without electrocuting herself.

"Your world was NOT happy Azula. Your world was built on the belief that the war was bringing prosperity and joy into other nations. It wasn't. It was bringing fear and hate. That was not the world anyone should live in." Zuko paused. Then with a deep breath he continued. "I understand that it was this belief that made you do all the treacherous things you did. It was that belief, and Ozai's hatred that made you who you are. I once believed the tales and the words of Ozai as well. But you can change that. And I'm willing to give you that chance."

"Really Zuzu" Azula said sarcastically, looking directly at Zuko once more. "How can you possibly give me the chance to change? Going to let Uncle Fatso come and tell me stories of the old ways of the Fire Nation? Maybe have him make me some tea while we discuss how I should change? Sorry brother, but that's not going to work."

"You're right." Zuko replied as he stepped closer and crouched down facing Azula through the bars of her cell. "But releasing you out of this cell and giving you a chance to redeem yourself might."

Azula stopped sneering and looked directly at Zuko. Her face blank and mind racing, she moved into kneeling position giving Zuko her full attention.

She replied, "I'm listening".

"I'm going to give you a quest. You complete the quest and get what I want and you will get what you want. You will be free to do as you will. Your station as Princess of the Fire Nation will be restored and all the benefits that come with that title." Zuko's voice had taken on a quiet and overly kind voice.

"A quest is it? You're going to send me on a quest. You realize that I can escape any guards you send with me. I could kill them all and run. You'd never find me. Then you'd be without a prisoner and without several guards." Azula countered angrily. It was her brother's kind voice that had set her off. She didn't need her brother's kindness. She was the Fire Nation Princess. She was to be feared and respected, not to be treated as a charity case.

Apparently this was the wrong thing to say for Zuko's face became stern. His eyes became fired with anger.

"You can try to kill me Azula. And you can try to run. But my bending is just as, if not more, powerful than yours. It's been many years since our last Agni Kai. Try to kill me. Try to run and you will be nothing more than Ozai. Dust in the wind."

Again Zuko took a deep breath and continued in a kinder yet stern voice, "I saw the way you acted when you were released from the cell this morning. You looked at the sun with a smile on your face that hasn't been there in a long time. You want that freedom. You want that fresh air and sunlight. You want that title. Possibly more than you want me dead. I can help you earn that freedom."

Azula swallowed hard. For she could see that Zuko had indeed changed. He was stronger, his self-control was better. Before, she knew, her statement would have him bending fire blasts from his hands and mouth. But this time, this time he stayed calm, angry yes, but it was a calmed anger. One that she knew was more dangerous than the explosive kind. And even more dangerously, he knew the truth. She did want her freedom more than she wanted him dead.

Zuko's eyes met Azula's directly. His facial expression was one of knowledge and of power. He had the upper hand, and both of them knew it.

"All right Zuzu," she began. "What is this quest? How can I earn my freedom?"

"You will come to dinner tonight and we will determine if you can be trusted enough to go on this journey. Should you pass tonight, you will learn how your freedom can be gained."

And with that, Zuko stood up and left the cell.