“Azula, I love you.” Ursa called.

“No she doesn’t, she is weak and so is your brother.” shouted Ozai.

“I love Zuko more than I fear you.” Mai said.

“You miscalculated, you miscalculated!” They chorused. 

“SHUT UP!”

Azula shot up in to a sitting position covered in sweat. The dreams, they never left her alone. All she wanted was sleep yet her mind kept her awake. Back in the nut-house, they gave her pills to keep her asleep. The pills almost never worked. She tried to get up but a sheer shock of pain came blasting up her leg.

“Ow!” Azula cursed.

She crawled out of the tent and inched to the dying embers. Azula shot out two fingers and relit the wood. The fire was cold blue, heartless and ruthless, much like her self. The dream came back. 

“Argh, leave me alone!”

She suddenly felt a sick pit in her stomach, a pit of depression, loneliness, fear, and the cold. Even her flame wasn’t hot enough to warm her, Azula swallowed her sadness and barely kept her tears at bay. I am so alone, I am so scared, I am so cold, what went wrong! 

“WHAT WENT WRONG!” shouted Azula at the sky.

No answer.

Azula curled in to a fetal position and set her focus on the fire. The fire changed color when she stopped concentrating on it. Now it retained an orange and yellow glow. Azula sent a blue spark at the fire and it turned blue once again. The flames licked the air as if it were trying to burn it. 

“Ha, air and fire.” Azula muttered.

Then the strangest thing happened. The fire became silver, the color reminded Azula of the man who helped her in the woods. Who was he, what is up with his eyes. Suddenly it all made sense. Azula jumped from excitement but fell right back down because of her leg. He was an Air Bender! They ran in unnatural speeds. The girl blasted air to jump out of the trench. There were a few unanswered questions. What in the world were they doing here and why did the man help her! 

“Why are you awake!”

Azula turned, Katara had her hands crossed and she didn’t look too happy.

“I could ask the same thing.” 

“It is the full moon, nothing much I can do about it.”

“Oh, you can’t sleep during the whole moon, poor you.” 

Katara stared at Azula, her lips in a straight line.

“Why the sarcasm!?”

“I can’t sleep at all, at any night.”

Katara’s eyes softened.

“Why?”

“None of your business.”

“I made it mine, while you are with us, your business is our business too.”

Azula narrowed her eyes, Katara watched her with pity. 

“I am fine, I don’t need sleep.”

She laughed, her voice like bells.

“Everyone needs sleep silly.”

“I don’t”

“Come on, I will help you.”

“Why are you trying to help me, you are supposed to hate me?”

Katara’s face darkened.

“I still hate you but I pity you too, when we fought during Sozin’s Comet, you weren’t yourself. After I defeated you, you had a mental break down. I still haven’t forgiven you for what you done to Aang and nearly to me. But you are hurt inside and I want to see if you were helped, perhaps… perhaps you will change for the better.”

Azula was thunderstruck, that is not what she was expecting. 

“Okay?”

They sat in silence starring at the fire before them.

Snap

Azula and Katara shot up from their places.

“Who’s there!” Azula commanded.

Aang walked out of the shadow.

“Sorry to have disturbed you.” 

Katara smiled.

“Glad you can join us for a midnight party.”

Aang cracked a grin.

“I thought it was girls only.”

Azula dragged herself into a standing position.

“I would like to catch some sleep, Good Night.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aang yawned, he didn’t sleep at all because of his excitement. Katara didn’t either and she kept him company. They discussed memories and watched the whole moon in the sky. Yue was doing her job well. They were proud of her. 

“So Aang, do you want to help me with breakfast?”

“Of course Katara, but isn’t it too early for breakfast?”

“Yes, but the early we go, the earlier we will get to the Swamp.”

“Alright!”

Aang grabbed a basket and headed towards the woods to scavenge something. Katara snatched the bucket and walked to the river for water. She had the desire to make boiled nut oatmeal for breakfast.

Aang strode in the forest. The sun was just beginning to rise and the sky changes from black to purple. He took a deep breathe of fresh air. It smelled of trees and nature. A branch caught Aang’s shawl. 

RIP

 Aang tripped and crashed into a tree.

“Monkey feathers.” 

He rubbed his head when he noticed a hazelnut shell on the soggy ground. He inspected it and looked above. A Hazelnut tree! Aang airbend himself off the ground.

“Havelnuts? Katara’s favorite!”

He eagerly grabbed the basket he dropped and climbed the ancient tree.

 Pluck, Pluck, Pluck

Went the Hazelnuts as Aang tossed them into the basket. The nuts rattled against each other, releasing a pleasant nutty aroma that made his belly growl. Aang grinned at

 the nuts.

“You smell better then the ones in the market, I guess that is the case because nature made you on its own.”

Aang gently floated to the ground, he was excited to show Katara of his discovery. 

Azula roused when the sun touched her face. Her dreams were very strange that night. They weren’t nightmares, they were memories.

Flash Back

Happy Birthday Azula! 

Azula stirred in her bed, birthday or not, she wasn’t going to be dragged out of bed regardless of what her mom told her.

“Azula, honey, time to wake up.” 

Azula opened one eye, her mother was smiling.

She groaned.

“Do I have to wake up?” She whined 

“Yes sweetie, now up, up.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Princess Azula, Happy Birthday to you!”

Everyone cheered as she blew out the candles of her chocolate cake. Chocolate was a delicacy in the Fire Nation. Only on special occasions did anyone including the Royal Family have chocolate. Azula adored chocolate. It was smooth, a bit bitter and very rich. The chocolate always melted in her mouth and sent happy shivers up her back. Her absolute favorite chocolate dish was a Hot Lava Cake. It was the best thing Azula ever tasted. She wished she could have a Hot Lava Cake everyday, but since chocolate was rare, this wish couldn’t be granted. Azula smiled as the cake covered in thick dark chocolate was spooned in to her much awaiting mouth. The chocolate was gooey and warm, fresh from the oven. Too soon Azula finished her slice. Even of constant begging, her mother refused to yield to Azula’s demand of another slice. She would have to wait for her brother’s birthday for another chance with the Hot Lava Cake. Azula jumped off her chair and waddled a bit to the present table. Every year she got the same exact things; Jewelry, clothes, perfume, makeup, hair kits, scrolls of books or fire bending, toys and… A small velvet box with a tag written “To Azula” was at the top of the entire pile of presents. Azula carefully lifted the box and inspected the velvet. The velvet scarlet with Fire Nation insignias and something else. It looked oddly familiar. Azula hesitantly lifted the cover. Inside the box there was a gold and silver locket in a oval shape. The edges were engraved in an unusual style. Azula tried to open the locket but it wouldn’t give in. As she lifted the necklace out of the box, on the back of the locket was an engraving.

It shall yield to its other

Azula only gaped at the inscription, it wasn’t signed and what in the world did it mean.

She looked at the designs again. Something clicked and without realizing it, Azula slipped on the locket without hesitation.

End Of Flash Back

Azula slammed her hand to her chest, desperately trying to find the locket. She felt a hard oval shape collide with her shaken fingers. She grabbed the object and stared at it. It was the locket Azula got for her birthday 12 years ago. Why in the world did she remember her six year’s birthday. Now all she desired was a Hot Lava Cake.