Trial and Error~ An Azula Redemption

Chapter Two

AZULA'S eyes tracked the nurse as she packed a bag with the princess' few current belongings. "What you doing?" She snarled, though she could care less. It was boring here. She got entertainment when she could.

"You're being released to your brother in an hour."

"Ooh, Fire Lord Zuzu is trying this again? That's a bad idea. Not that I'm complaining." Her mental health had started declining again since she was put back in here. Her hallucinations- no, visions- had returned. If she got out of here, she might could put the brakes on them again.

The nurse ignored her. Azula rolled her eyes, though there wasn't much that she could do about it. As a member of the royal family, she still held power. But her orders didn't have to be obeyed if they put herself or others in danger. Which was fair, she would admit.

So Zuzu wanted to let her out again. As if the last time he'd tried that, it hadn't ended in disaster. She wasn't sure whether to be impressed by his boldness or roll her eyes at his idiocy. Zuko was playing with fire with this decision- quite literally. He had to have a motive, though Azula wasn't sure what exactly it was.

She'd knew that she would be heavily guarded and watched. But that wasn't much different than when her father was on the throne. The palace servants had no respect for the privacy of the young princess. They'd barge in on her whenever they felt justified to. It was beyond annoying.

She had confronted Ozai on it, but he said it was for her own benefit. She knew it was actually because he always had to know what was going on with his family. She didn't dare tell him that, of course. But the result was that Azula constantly had to look over her shoulder for snoops who would report anything of mild interest to her father. If anything, Zuko would be more chill. He'd always respected her space.

Azula kept her eyes on the nurse as she walked over with a bottle of medicine. Azula couldn't see what was in it, but she knew what it wasn't. "What, no sleep syrup today? Worried that'll get you into trouble with the crown?" Her lips twitched up into her signature smirk. Of course it would. Drugging up the princess would no doubt be frowned upon. Didn't usually stop them, but since Zuko himself would be seeing her today...

The nurse didn't respond to her, pouring water into a small cup. She opened the bottle, a small pill falling into her palm. "Open your mouth," She ordered.

Azula didn't comply. She turned her head away. She didn't need the medicine. She could handle this mental stuff alone, just as she always had. Why bother with meds that hardly worked? She would just tough it out like her father had taught her to do for her entire life.

The nurse sighed. "You have to take your medicine."

"Make me. I dare you," Azula snarled.

"Just cooperate this once, Princess."

"How about no."

"Princess-"

"Princess blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I don't care. I don't want to take that, and you can't make me."

In all actuality, the nurse COULD make Azula take the medicine. They both knew it. Azula was just trying to get a rise out of the woman; or better, make her give up.

The nurse, who was all too familiar with Azula's mind games, didn't react. She pushed Azula back onto the bed and tied the straps on the bed to the straps on the straightjacket. Then she simply dropped the pill in the glass and watched it dissolve, dispersing into the water. She forced the liquid down Azula's throat, then covered her mouth for a minute so Azula couldn't spit it back out.

Azula glared at her, but it had been done. The nurse untied her from the bed and left the room. "Half an hour until your brother gets here."

Azula rolled her eyes. Peasants. Too scared to put up any sort of fight. It was pathetic. Well, what did she really expect out of Zuko's rule? Brave, strong warriors? The thought made her laugh aloud. There was certainly a reason her father hadn't wanted her older brother on the throne, despite the traditional line of succession. Of course, if their family had stuck to the traditional line, Zuko wouldn't be Fire Lord at all. No, it would be their fuddy-duddy uncle. Which would arguably be worse.

Azula shook her head. She wasn't thinking about this right now. Her thoughts had to stay on going back to the palace today. Ever since Sozin's Comet, Azula had struggled to think straight. Of course, her mind had always moved at a hundred miles an hour, and she'd get off track. But it had gotten considerably worse. Maybe there was something that could help with that. Uncle probably knew a tea with special properties.... and now she was getting off track about getting off track.

Forcing her brain back onto the topic she needed to be thinking about, she contemplated what she was going to do. Immediately make her displeasure known? Terrorize her brother? Would she go along with whatever? She knew that her wretched mother and her new peasant family were living at the palace now. She assumed she would ignore them.

Even though she'd become sane enough to realize her mother couldn't possibly have been scheming against her, she still wanted nothing to do with her. The woman had left her to deal with her father and his standards that would always be just above Azula's grasp. No matter how clever she was, or how hard she strained her arm, her fingers would only be able to scrape her father's affection. Which was enough for her. She had made it be enough. But she should not have had to.

Her mother, the one person who was supposed to love her unconditionally, didn't. At least, not enough. Ursa had said so herself. The woman had gone off, forgotten her own children, remarried, and had another child.

Another daughter! Because, of course Azula had to be replaced. She'd never been good enough. Well, Ursa had gotten her way. That little Kiyi was a goody-two-shoes, just like her half-brother. Azula had seen the spirit, the fight in the little girl. The firebending talent. She respected it. She remembered wanting a little sibling as a small child. Well, up until she realized that her father might favor another child over her. And she couldn't have that.

As for her mother's new husband- what was his name, Noren? Ikem?- she would just not pay any attention to him. He didn't hold any interest to her. He might as well not exist.

As for how'd she be around Zuko, well, she'd probably be about the same. She certainly didn't hate her brother, but she also wasn't particularly fond of him. Besides, tormenting him was always fun.

'Or, maybe you could try acting differently. If you want people to like you, you have to treat them kindly.' A voice that didn't belong to her whispered in her mind.

Azula shook her head sharply, once, then twice. "Shut up."

A knock at the door startled her out of her semi-coherent thoughts. The door opened, revealing no other than Fire Lord Zuzu. Her mouth twitched into a smirk, almost on instinct. "Hello, brother."

"Hey, Azula." He took a seat next to her. "How have you been?"

"About the same. You know, there's better food in the spirit-infested wilderness than there is here." She rolled her eyes.

Zuko chuckled. "Glad to see your still... you."

'There!' She told the voice triumphantly. 'I've told you time and time again this IS me!'

'You know that it isn't true. It's only who others think you are, and who you have been taught to be. But it isn't the real you.'

'I'm sure the "real me" you keep talking about died when you left me in the hands of my father. Now, go away.'

Her mother's voice sighed before vanishing.

"Azula, are you alright? You look angry."

"I'm fine," She snapped. "Now, let's get this over with, shall we, Zuzu?"