Inner Fire - ATLA fanfic

Hira'a

The next morning, Azula was awoken to the feeling of someone stroking her cheek gently. 

"Azula..." 

She shot up and gasped when she saw her mother kneeling beside her. 

"H-how did you get the jump  on me?!" 

"Give up this futile guest, my daughter, "Ursa said "Go home. The throne is Zuko's destiny. Yous lies elsewhere" 

Azula stood up, glaring at her mother "I should probably be grateful. After all, you've saved me the trouble of finding you!" 

"All your life, you've hidden behind a mask of intimidation and fear" 

Azula ignored her mother "Prepare to meet your doom!" 

Her fingers crackled with electricity, getting ready to attack. 

"Take off your mask. Only then will you see the beauty of your true destiny" Ursa declared 

"N-n-no!...Why must you fill my mind with such lies?! The throne is my destiny!" Azula yelled but her voice faulted, doubt filling her mind. 

"....Isn't it? I--I mean, I have--I have proof!"

Azula shot up from her sleep. Grabbing the first thing she could, finding it to be her sister as she was about to wake her up. 

"Get your hands off her, Azula!" Sokka quickly threw his boomerang at her, making her release Zira's wrist. 

Shai suddenly came running from the forest "What happened? I heard yelling?" 

"Azula attacked Zira" Katara explained 

"She didn't attack me" Zira scowled "She just woke up all of sudden and caught me by surprise" 

"Did she hurt you?" 

"No, I'm fine. But..." Zira looked at her sister finding her muttering and holding her head "Azula?... You okay?" 

"Mother...Where...?--" Azula felt around by her boot and her eyes widened "The letter! It's gone!"

She glared at the others, her fists igniting in blue flames. "Where. Is. Zuko?!"

*

"I can't believe it" Aang muttered, sitting on the edge of a cliff with Zuko "Does Zira know about this?" 

"No, I haven't told her yet. But this makes sense of so much of my life. That's why Ozai was able to banish me without a second thought. I'm not his son" Zuko stated 

"Then why didn't he get rid of you permanently?" Aang asked, handing the letter back to Zuko 

"He was about to. The night before my mother left, my grandfather commanded that Ozai take my life as punishment for asking for Iroh's birthright. Ozai didn't even argue. He was going to do it" 

"But he didn't. You're still here" 

"My mother must have stopped him somehow..." Zuko trailed off, reading the letter again 

"I don't know about all this, Zuko. It can't be true. Or at least, it shouldn't be"   

"Why? All night, I've had this odd sense of...hope" 

"Hope"?! What are you talking about?! If you're not Ozai's son, what's this mean for your reign? Who is the rightful Fire Lord?" Aang exclaimed