"People eat this." Zuko nodded "They put it in their mouth, chew and then swallow?"

"It's not that bad." he replayed.

"Zuzu, this is disgusting."

"Then don't eat it."

The conversation was going on in a restaurant, located in one of the ex-colonies of the Fire Nation, now under Earth Kingdom control. A nice place, made of wood, had several tables most of which were occupied. There was one waitress, who was casually going around the tables, serving food and taking orders.

"This meal is lucky I'm hungry."

"You know, people enjoy this; it's considered a staple in the local cosine."

"You're telling me, that you are going to tell the cooks, to make this?"

"Well, no..."

Suddenly Azula stopped paying attention, Zuko noticed as well. A bronze skinned man, with a gouty and a somewhat bizarre haircut entered. He was dressed somewhat simply, except his collar, which had a few golden stripes on it. He seemed oblivious to their presence, more interested in having a meal than anything else. His actions spoke of ignorance as well: careless, unaware, completely closed in his own mind. Exactly how they wanted him...

"That's our man." Zuko remarked "Let's have a chat with him."

"Not before I finish my meal."

There was no rush; the man just ordered something, so he'll probably be there for long enough. The Fire Lord knew it, no need to argue with his sister right now. Well, if they were going to wait, they could at least be productive about it.

"So, how do we approach him?" Zuko was thinking about the method, in his mind this had to go perfectly, the needed the information he had, no place for screw ups "We shouldn't alarm him from the get go. We must also be certain that he doesn't lie; if I knew we would be doing this I would have brought Toph along, but I didn't, so this is that. You can tell, right?"

Azula just finished with her meal "Zuko, relax, just act natural." she got up and headed towards the target's direction.

"Yeah, act natural." suddenly it clicked with him "Wait, I don't want you to act - "

Before he could say it Azula grabbed the man by the collar and threw him at the table. The victim, due to the shock, couldn't say anything before he was flat on his back. The princess screamed at him, fire coming out of her mouth, "Where is Ursa!"

The poor man wet himself before she could finish the sentence.

- 2 months prior -

There was nothing but rage inside her. If she could blast anything, she did; if she could scream at someone, she did; if she could punch something, she did. At first she tried to melt her cage, when this didn't work she started pounding the bars until her fists turned bloody. The first time she was going at it until she lost consciousness due to blood lost.

This continued for two weeks. After that she calmed down; in fact, she rarely did anything, except requesting a book from time to time. The guards talked to her, but other than a book request, she didn't say anything. Not to them at least, sometimes she talked to herself, as if there was someone with her. This wasn't unexpected. The guards were prepared, if she wasn't insane, she wouldn't be here. There were exceptions of course, some Fire Lords did throw political enemies in asylums, Ozai did it, and so did Azulon. But this wasn't the case. She was really unstable.

Five weeks after his coronation, Fire Lord Zuko came to visit. Some of the guards were taken aback; in fact this earned him respect. Here she was, Princess Azula, by all means his nemesis, but he did come to see his little sister. The doctors and guards respected him for that; many people were doing less for the love ones they never had issues with, especially if noble blood was involved.

He spoke with a few of them. They assured him – the fact that she calmed down was not an indication that her condition has improved, just that her mood has swung in another direction. Was it safe to enter? No, but the Fire Lord was a powerful bender; he could defend against anything she threw at him. The staff did warn him, but he was willing to take the risk. This was his sister after all.

When he entered the room, she was reading. Her prison was well decorated: a bed with a good mattress, an iron desk and a chair, which she couldn't melt. It was a decent little room inside another room, surrounded by bars. Not the best accommodations, but this was probably the most luxurious prison in the Fire Nation.

"Hello Azula."

There wasn't a response.

"They told me you were stable."

Silence.

"How are you doing?"

"Typical" she answered "still reading. It's not a bad book."

"What's it about?"

"Some fairytale."

Zuko felt at easy. She was responsive, willing to communicate; she wasn't even angry or mad about him, the conversation felt completely casual.

"I'm glad you're alright."

She laughed it off; maybe things wouldn't go as smooth as he hoped.

"Please Zuzu, we both know it's a lie."

"It's true Azula, Ty Lee also wishes for you to get well, Mai as well." he paused for a moment "Although you know how Mai is..."

"You know, my hallucinations usually lie to me, but you're doing it more than any other. I'm a liar you know, I smell those things."

So this is what it was. Azula believed he wasn't real, she thought he was a fiction of her imagination.

"Azula, I'm real. I'm really glad you're recovering."

"Please..." she seemed to be enjoying this "Do you really think I'm going to believe this? Ty Lee and Mai betrayed me, my mother abandoned me, my brother throw me in a mad house, I wouldn't even comment on my uncle. Do you think there is anyone who'll be glad about anything about me? At all? I'm the abomination everyone was telling me, I was just in denial, even though I never admitted it to myself."

"Is that what you did? You replaced your anger with self-loathing and self-pity?"

"No, it just became clear to me. Ty Lee jumped to defend Mai, my mother went into exile to protect my brother. I consider this, although foolish, a sign of friendship and love." Azula's voice was getting louder "They supported each other – never me. Why? Because I am a monster, and monsters belong in cages – forgotten and contained."

"This is not true; you have friends and family..."

"WHAT DOES AN APPARATION KNOWS ABOUT IT!"

Suddenly she started laughing hysterically.

"Look at me, getting angry at phantoms, I really have become pathetic."

"I am real Azula, as is my concern for you."

His sister was always strong headed, but this was childish and annoying, even for him.

"Alright apparition, prove me you're real." She went to the cage and extended her finger.

As soon as Zuko pulled it the situation changed. Azula, who was by now sure of herself and laughing at the situation jumped back, scared. Her eyes widened; the realization that she wasn't alone in the room started to sink in. It took a few moments before she made any movement.

"Why are you here, what do you want from me!" her voice was trembling, she was shaking. "What more could you want from me? Why don't you leave me alone!"

"I just want to make sure you're alright."

"I'm a monster; I am never going to be alright!"

"Don't talk like that about yourself."

After that he lost her. She went back to her desk and ignored him.

Zuko was persistent. He came every day since then, when not occupied with adviser or government actions, or his new family, he went to see his sister. They usually had a good conversation, until Azula realized he was real and started to ignore him.

"She is stable yes..." the doctor didn't seem to fully approve of the Fire Lords idea "but I wouldn't say harmless. I know that our staff hasn't been hurt, or that you yourself were never put in danger, but that may be due to her subdued nature. She is still insane and her actions are, by their nature, unexplainable. She may have not have done any damage, because she realize that she can't. There is also the fact that inside her cell things are calm, we can't be sure how her mind would take on the turbulent outside."

"I trust your expertise, " Zuko began, maybe this wasn't the best decision, but from his travels with the Avatar he learned to trust the good in people, even his sister " but you yourself know her condition, there hasn't been a change since she calmed down. She either read or talks to herself."

"Things like this take time Fire Lord." the doctor was thinking "But you might be right, she hasn't been dangerous to anyone." the doctor looked at the Fire Lord, he admired him for sticking up for his sister "I will give you permission, but I want assurance that I will not lose my patient!"

Azula was oblivious to all of it; she was reading quietly when he entered. Zuko observed her for a while, how much she changed. Before she faced destiny heads on, bending everyone to her will; now the only thing that didn't frighten her were the shadows of her own mind. Although, there were reports that even those hallucinations spooked her, from time to time.

"Azula..."

He didn't expect a response, but he did receive one.

"You are the real Zuko, aren't you?"

Inside, he felt his heart fill with joy; he was no longer an apparition.

"Yes"

She was quite for a moment.

"Since you started to come, Imaginary Zuko ceased his visits, he was more honest than you, you know."

Things were going well, they were having a conversation.

"Azula I might need your help."

His sister laughed and he could swear – this was the most sincere laugh he ever heard from her.

"So this is why you were coming these days, I knew you were up to something."

"I need your help to find mother."

The Princess stopped. Her face twisted in anger.

"That woman..."

"Azula..."

"She abandoned me, she left me, why would I want to see her! WHY!" Her voice echoed through the corridors "WHY SHOULD I HELP YOU FIND YOUR MOTHER! WHAT HAS SHE EVER DONE FOR ME!"

"I am sure she'll be willing to explain, mother isn't like father, and she loves her children – me and you." Zuko was thinking about what he was about to do, maybe she wasn't as well as he thought, but the die was already cast, there was no turning back. "I will also take you away from this cell, at least for a time."

Azula didn't answer, she was standing there, without moving, breathing heavily. Minutes passed before she moved and it looked to Zuko like she was trying to get a hold of herself, dispose of the anger the mentioning of her mother brought her.

"She was never my mother." It was obvious she was holding back her temper "And why would I want to go outside. People hate me, all of them ready to backstab me or to kill the abomination. Monsters like me belong in a cage. There is nothing outside!"

She was obviously not ready. Zuko gave a sigh; he really hoped that he could search for Ursa with her. He didn't need to, but he wanted to. After taking the throne, ending the war and marring Mai, he had one wish – to see his sister restored and maybe mend their relationship. Obviously this had to wait.

"Bye Azula, I'll see you when I get back."

"Wait..." Her face turned soft, her gaze was pinned at her own feet "I'll come...I'll...come with you."