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The fairy lights blink and waver in the hazy air, a veritable galaxy surrounding the two panting bodies. Katara blinks first, drawing her hand across her wet cheeks and remembering the feeling of the water forming daggers beneath her fingertips. Not now, though. Never again. The loss aches, Azula’s taunt still ringing in her memory. Then a hand squeezes her shoulder and she meets Haru’s intense brown eyes once more. His full lips invite her, so she does, pulling him to her chest and pressing her lips to his in a fireworks display of giddiness. This doesn’t replace water-bending, but it comes close to alleviating the longing for it. It doesn’t erase Azula’s words either, but it comes close to healing the wound formed by them.
Haru breaks first, eyes wide, almost black with dilation. “But, didn’t you want…” Aang. Of course Katara wants Aang. But she can have Aang later. She has all the time in the universe as long as
Azula
doesn’t kill her a
second
time. She silences the beginning of another stupid question with another kiss.
——
It’s all Song’s fault. Song was the one who suggested going into the valley to pick moose-berries after Azula told her they were good for rashes. Song was the one who said ‘oh look, a shiny’, and got the two lost. Jin nods decisively as she runs, panting with a pain in her side. It’s all Song’s fault. That’s what she’ll tell the others.
That is, if she makes it back- well, not
alive
persay, none of them are
alive
, but
less
dead. She glances over her shoulder and yanks Song’s hand so the other girl runs faster. The eagle-wolf behind them screeches and leaps after them. “Cave!” Song pants. Jin makes for the narrow rift in the cliffside. The two girls barrel into it and there’s a messy tearing of the forest floor as the eagle-wolf halts. It clicks its beak and snarls angrily, too wide to enter. Song laughs breathlessly. Jin joins her, gasping, gripping the other girl’s shoulders, staring into her hazel eyes…
It’s all Song’s fault. As the two curl up beside each other to sleep and wait out the eagle-wolf, Jin can’t keep a smile off her face. The full rough lips against hers, the soft chest pressed to her own round breasts… The way Song eagerly returned the kiss. When they make it out
less dead
, Jin will have to lord it over Zuko… Maybe he’ll get jealous and want a kiss of his own…
——
“Hey, Smellerbee, wanna date me?” Jet sucks on his straw and smirks, hands in his pockets.
Smellerbee looks up from roasting walnuts and nods. “Sure.”
“One down.” Jet mutters, then turns to Longshot. “Date me, Longshot?” How dare that fire-bender princess mock him for not having a love life. He would have two.
“Sure.” Longshot says, assembling arrows for the next hunt. “Smellerbee?”
“Definitely.”
It is thus a triad is born.
——
“You… want to date me?? But we’re both already taken!” Zuko, apparently, can not understand the intricacies of polyamory. Jin sighs, feeling slightly under attack from Mai’s lazily disdainful eyes.
“Yes, well… I like you.” Jin says, blazing ferocity from her eyes. “And I like Song. And Mai likes you. So why don’t we compromise.” She shrugs her hands in the air, grinning and ignoring the wrinkle of Mai’s nose. “I have you and Song, and you have me and Mai.”
“Sorry, he’s not interested.” Mai finally speaks, draping an arm around Zuko’s shoulder.
“I want him to say that.” Jin replies.
Zuko looks increasingly uncomfortable as the attentions of two stubborn women clash. “I’m happy with Mai.” Mai smirks, catlike, and twists Zuko’s chin around to kiss him. Jin sighs once more and turns to leave. “But I’ll think about it.”
“Fine.” Jin flounces away from Zuko’s tent. “I’ll just ask Haru.”
Haru is pleased by the plan of joining Song and Jin’s relationship and agrees to talk to Katara about it.
——
“You’ll ‘think about it’.” Mai says once they’re alone in their tent. Zuko can tell this is an argument he won’t win, although since when has he ever won anything…
“Mai, I… I want to date more people than just you. We have an entire forever to be together, don’t you think you’ll get bored of me?” Mai hums, probably thinking of Ty Lee. That’s good, Zuko can use that. Wait- Zuko shakes the notion from his head; he’s starting to sound like Azula. But maybe he needs to channel a little Azula… “Ty Lee has been wanting to kiss you.”
Mai gives him a look of disgust. “Since when do you notice? If you’re trying to act like Azula, at least attempt subtlety.”
Zuko kicks the floor. He would give anything to have his fire-bending back and be able to pour his frustration into the autumn-colored sky. He didn’t even realize that multiple relationships was what he wanted until Jin brought it up. Until now, he had been ignoring his growing crush on a certain laidback rebel…
“I like Jet.” He says it out loud and likes the sound of it. “But…” He takes Mai’s chin in his hand, “I like you too. You’ll always be first. No matter how many people I’m in love with.”
Mai snorts. “You don’t have to lie. But fine. I’ve… been wanting to tell Ty Lee how I feel for a long time as well.”
Zuko grins, unable to keep the jubilation off his face. “You amaze me, Mai.”
“Shut up.” Mai kisses him long and slow for good measure.
——
“I can’t believe Jet agreed to date Zuko.” Katara gripes, her hair held in Toph’s steady hands as it’s woven under and over in an elegant braid. “Even worse, I can’t believe Zuko liked Jet. I can’t believe Smellerbee and Longshot agreed. I can’t believe
Mai
agreed.”
“Yeah, well, apparently triangles are the new fad right now.” Toph agrees.
“Hey, guys!” Aang jumps through the window in the roof from a tree branch. Swinging through the trees like a lemur is the closest he can get to flying. Out of everyone, Aang has taken the loss of his bending the second, maybe third, hardest. “I had the best idea!”
“What?” Katara and Toph say at the same time.
“We should all date each other!”
“Yeah, okay, but I call dibs on Sokka.” Toph is the first to overcome the initial shock.
Aang bleps. “You can have him. I just want you and Katara.”
“He’s my brother. But isn’t he dating Suki?”
“Suki said she wants to date Zuko, too, so I think they’re open to an open relationship.” Toph flips a decorative comb around in her hand and clumsily pins Katara’s braid into a bun on the back of her head. Toph has the hardest time adjusting to a different form of experiencing the world, since her eyesight has been restored but her usual method of feeling the ground has been taken away. For her, it seems as though she’s gone blind for the first time.
Katara hums, “Yeah, Zuko is hot.” Toph whistles and Katara quickly amends, blushing, “And a total jerk. Is my hair done?”
“You haven’t answered me yet…” Aang whines to Katara.
“Yeah, sure. Haru won’t mind, he’s already in a triad.” Katara says, then promptly falls over as Aang throws his arms around her and gives her a kiss. “Aang! I didn’t say you could-“ Toph pulls Aang off of Katara, considers him for a moment, and then smooches him. Aang responds eagerly and the two make out in front of the astonished Katara for at least a minute.
Toph decides being able to see Katara’s facial expressions almost makes up for not being able to feel her quickening heartbeat through the ground.
——
“So what’s this like? Bearding the frog-lion in its den?” Suki skips over a rock in the bumpy forest path.
“More like waking the grumpy turtle-duck.” Katara nearly trips over the same rock. At least they don’t have to ask the sister’s permission… Katara can see how well that would go.
“What do you two want?” Mai steps out from behind a tree and blocks the path. Katara glances into the forest on either side. Mai isn't alone. Ty Lee stands mostly hidden behind a fern.
“I could ask the same thing.” Katara places her hands on her hips and stares at Mai’s forehead.
Suki steps between the two and smiles, “We were just going to find you, Mai. We have something we need to ask, alone.” She directs the last word pointedly at a certain fern, which rustles with disappointment.
“Ty Lee.” Mai says and Ty Lee steps out from behind the fern, then cartwheels to Mai’s side and kisses her cheek. Mai pats Ty Lee’s head. “Anything you have to say can be said to the both of us.”
“Your auras are so dingy. You’re afraid of rejection.” Ty Lee says with a concerned pout.
Suki and Katara give each other a look, silently agreeing. “Alone.” They say together.
“Ty Lee stays or I don’t listen.” Zuko’s prima amour doesn’t even have to cross her arms to get her point across.
“We want to date Zuko,” Suki spits the beans. “We won’t get in your way.”
Katara nods, “And you have Ty Lee as well, so if Zuko decides he likes one of us better than you, you’ll have a backup plan.” Suki elbows Katara. “What?”
Mai raises one elegant eyebrow. “You’ll have to talk to Zuko about that. I don’t care.”
“Since when do you care.” Katara mutters. Mai either doesn’t hear or chooses to not comment on it, turning her back on the two and reaching for Ty Lee’s hand. Ty Lee gladly offers it to her and skips beside her as they walk away.
“Wow. Queen Bee, much?” Suki giggles. “At least she didn’t say no?”
“Even if she did, we still could have asked Zuko. I don’t see why we had to ask her.” Katara crosses her arms.
“You know Zuko would never go against her.” Suki says. “But come on, we’ve got dates to keep. Haru’s gonna love seeing you in this new kimono.” The family’s weaving skills have grown since the past two years of being stuck in the spirit world.
Katara blushes, wishing for a moment that Zuko could see her in it as well. But there’s time enough for that. “Sokka will fall head over heels when he sees what we did with your hair.”
Suki hums agreement and the two link arms, walking back down the forest path. Katara trips over the rock and drags Suki down with her, laughing all the way and ruining aforementioned hair.
——
“You both want to date me?” Zuko’s face can’t possibly get any redder. What is it with girls and wanting to date multiple people at the same time?? Of course…. he is dating both Jet and Mai… so he can’t really make that generalization. “Um… I’m honored?”
“Yes or no.” Katara snorts. Probably already regretting it.
“We asked Mai and she said she didn’t care.” Suki adds.
“Of course she did.” Zuko presses a hand to his forehead. “Look, I have more important things to worry about.” Like where the blazes Azula’s gone. One day she’s hanging around the village, eating crab-rabbit in a corner by herself and being ignored by the rest of the spirit world, the next day she’s just… vanished.
“We can help you.” Suki offers. Ah, he forgot she was a warrior in her past life. She wouldn't give up so easily.
But maybe she can help.
“Alright. On one condition.” Zuko gives in. They really are both smart and strong women. It’s not a terrible thing to be dating them. “Help me find my sister.”
Katara makes a face. “That-“ She seems to restrain herself from insulting Azula. “She’s gone?”
Of course nobody noticed. Why would they? It’s not like Azula was the friendliest person around back in her old life, but… well, she was trying to change. Trying to be less crazy. Or that’s what it seemed like.
“We’ll help.” Suki places a firm calloused hand on Zuko’s arm.
“I think she went through the mirrors.” Zuko admits. Nobody ever looked at the real world nowadays. It was too dark. Ever since the Phoenix King defeated Aang and destroyed everything. But maybe Azula would have wanted to see she’d helped wreak.
Katara’s face darkens. “Let me talk to my other partners about this.”
“Sokka will want to come with.” Suki smiles encouragingly and Zuko feels his face brighten.
“Really? I, I mean, good.”
——
The family assembles at midnight by the mirrors, the gateways that allow them to enter the real world. Haru stands by Song and Jin, holding their hands. When he sees Katara, his face lights up and he smooches his two paramours before dropping their hands and walking up to greet Katara with a deep kiss. Aang sticks his tongue out at the display, still slightly peeved that Haru got to kiss Katara first, but then Toph stomps up to him, dragging Sokka by the arm, and kisses him.
Suki emerges from the forest with Zuko, Ty Lee, and Mai behind her. Sokka pulls himself from Toph’s firm grasp and nuzzles Suki’s neck. Mai harrumphs, but Ty Lee silences the expression of disgust by licking Mai’s ear with her tongue.
Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot are the last to appear. Jet sidles up to Zuko and grabs his hand, smirking at Mai. Zuko lets go and walks into the center of the circle of people, just in front of the mirrors.
“I need your help in finding my sister.” Zuko stands on both feet steadily, used to public speaking after years (two, in fact, not counting life) of practice herding his found family.
“Why should we help find that bitch??” Jet may have forgiven Zuko for his father’s sins, but he is far from forgetting Azula’s part in world destruction, even if she did kill herself afterwards.
“Shut up, Jet.” Suki retorts, holding onto Sokka’s hand, and Zuko flashes her a grateful glance.
Aang raises his hand. “I, uh, kind of agree with Zuko. Azula may have been a nasty person, but she still tried to live peacefully with us.”
“You call taunting and insulting us at every turn ‘living peacefully’??” Katara grips Haru’s hand so tightly he winces. Song and Jin nod in agreement, though Song seems more likely to forgive Azula by the way she looks at Zuko with pity and understanding in her eyes.
“By peacefully, I mean she didn’t kill anyone.” Aang clarifies.
“Ohh, so we’re just supposed to be satisfied with not being killed for
a second time.
Like the first time wasn’t enough.” Katara sneers.
Aang pouts at her. Toph glares. “Listen, you didn’t trust Zuko either when he first came-“
“Wow, and look where trusting him brought us.” The camp devolves into uproar as most parties try to throw in their two cents. Mai and Song are the only ones silent, besides Zuko himself.
“Please, ladies, don’t fight over me.” Zuko interrupts the growing tensions threatening to divide the camp. “Nobody has to help. But I would appreciate it if you did. She’s my sister, no matter how bad she is.”
Toph stops stomping the ground and glances apologetically at Katara. “I’ll help.”
Katara snorts. “Fine, I’ll help too.”
One by one, the others declare their intention to help or not. Jet, Longshot, and Smellerbee offer to hold down the village while Zuko is gone. Song and Jin also plan to stay. Mai and Ty Lee will help. Haru pauses for a long moment and finally says he’ll stay as well. Aang will help. Sokka and Suki will help.
Zuko nods to himself. More people will help than expected. He knew Mai and Ty Lee would come since Azula used to be their… ‘friend’, as well as Katara and Suki due to his deal with them. Sokka, Aang, and Toph are a welcome surprise. “We leave at dawn.” He says, and everyone settles down to wait, even those who aren’t helping, split into small groups of chatter, some people wandering from group to group. Azula never was part of any group, even if he did catch her eyeing Jet with poorly hidden intrigue. Even though she used to hang around Mai and Ty Lee, she avoided them after their betrayal and her death.
Azula never was good at making people like her. A talent she lacked which Zuko seemed to have in abundance, seeing as how many people wanted to date him. But maybe all she had to do was turn good. Like he had.
At dawn, the mirrors shimmer with the weight of two worlds being drawn together. As the group readies itself to pass through, and the people they’re leaving behind say their farewells, a dark shape forms in the surface.
Zuko orders his family to stand back. And well he does, for a great black dragon, as black as obsidian with slitted gold eyes, pokes its head through the mirror and begins to wind through into the spirit world. And on its back sits the princess Azula, proud, yet solemn as a lion-turtle.
—CHAPTER TWO—
Azula hadn't been planning on crying her eyes out in front of a cave. No matter that no human could see her. No matter that she was dead and there was a obsidian-black dragon sitting beside her mutilated
real
body, sniffing at the shoes she had taken off before stabbing the dagger into her neck.
She never cried. Azula never cried. She couldn’t. Maybe a few tears of frustration, here and there, but they were pointless weak things and above all Azula hated being pointless and weak.
So why now? Now of all times?
The pain-not-pain redoubles, causing her to arch in on herself. The dragon sniffs at her and the emptiness is alleviated by the feeling of its warm breath. All her life she choked down emotions, cut them out, strived to feel nothing.
And now she really and truly can’t. The tears stream down her cheeks as the spiked void drives every sane thought from her mind. She roars at the dragon, dares it to kill her a second time. She has nothing. She has no kingdom. She has no friends. She has no bending. She is nothing. The roar devolves into ragged laughs.
The dragon snuffles and presses its wet muzzle to her forehead. A whirlpool of memory-thought-emotion pours into her and she breathes it in, calming.
They. Not it. They. The dragon, once a human, moans softly. They died here too. Their former form stripped away from them for nothing worse than a simple plot gone awry.
Azula presses her hand to their whisker in not-pity when she sees the only way to undo the curse. An act of true love. She blocks the memories of Mai and Ty Lee, the closest to lovers she ever got. They betrayed her and chose Zuko twice. Were they ever even her friends?
Was she ever theirs?
Azula shakes her head. Her hastily chopped locks fall about her face and she finds herself annoyed that she couldn’t have had a maid cut the unruly hair. Ah, but she fired all of them. Laughter begins to bubble out of her lips once more
Her father had destroyed the world with his flames, leaving her with nothing but a meaningless title. He never cared for her. The emptiness in her chest feels like it should hurt. Wet heat spills over her eyelids and the laughter becomes aching sobs. Azula doesn’t cry. Is she even still Azula?
The dragon nuzzles her and a name is shared in the silence. “Keahi,” Azula-not-Azula whispers the name, wiping her eyes and sniffling her overflowing nose mucus. The fire. “I’m not the person who can help you.” The words come out less cold than she meant them.
The two, dragon and spirit, sleep curled together on the cave floor, the spirit tucked underneath an arm on Keahi’s belly. The dragon is warm, rumbling peacefully with all the weight of a volcano. It’s almost hard to believe this gentle beast used to be a ruthless and ambitious water-tribe noble.
The next morning, Keahi is gone, having left only a single dagger-shaped scale behind. The spirit picks it up and considers the keenness of the blade. She could destroy her spiritual body as well now. Surely that is why Keahi left it. But no. Perhaps there is a reason they met her. Perhaps this second life does have a meaning. She must learn who she is, what love means, and how to obtain some for Keahi.
Then the dragon will be loyal to her and her alone, and she shall rise up to rule the spirit world; all shall live in terror of her name. Yes. That sounds like Azula. The princess tucks the dagger into her sleeve and stalks out of the cave. Her ambition will outstrip the dragon’s, and unlike them, she won’t fail.
----
It isn’t hard to find the weaklings’ camp. They were defeated so spectacularly that the princess doubts love is the answer to power, and they have the gall to camp only a few kilometers away from the mirrors.
Though, there is something to be said about camaraderie as they set up tents woven from stalks of hemp within the next few months. As they chow down on berries and nuts, Princess finds herself longing for a roast bear-duck.
She’ll introduce herself to them the next day. Perhaps a hunting party can be arranged. The dagger in her sleeve calls out for blood. Spirit or real.
——
Aang is the only person to pause before turning away. The other eleven don’t even look at the princess as they walk back into their camp, leaving her alone in the woods.
Ty Lee is the only one to approach her that night, holding out a blanket. The princess almost sneers at the traitor. But it’s cold, (who would have thought the spirit world would have temperature), and Keahi’s rumble still echoes in her mind. So she grabs the blanket with gratitude disguised as a grunt. Ty Lee lingers for a moment, then Princess snarls and the acrobat backs away with wide eyes, disappearing into the forest.
An earth kingdom girl is the third to show pity. It’s raining and Princess’s robes are soaked, and she doesn’t have any shoes; what
idiot
thought it was a good idea to tell everyone to go into the spirit world
without
shoes… But the girl introduces herself as Song and helps her erect a hemp canvas over the side of a fallen tree. “You could join the camp…” Song offers, but Princess knows empty words when she hears them.
——
Katara had reacted worse than Princess thought she would, the former water-bender having run off in tears, an earth kingdom boy following her. All the spirit had done was remark on Katara’s lack of bending ability and how now it wouldn’t help her get boys to like her. That is what boys like about girls, isn’t it? Their awe-inspiring talent? She was just being
conversational
.
No matter. Katara’s kiss with Haru has cemented a new lesson about love in Princess’s mind. Apparently, all that’s needed is a proper atmosphere and added pity.
——
The princess puts her shipping prowess to the test a month later by suggesting to Song that the moose-berries in the valley are excellent for healing the rashes that many of the camp members are getting. Song has shown herself to be the least likely to jump to conclusions about the princess’s presence, unlike some other people, and she’s willing to listen. That will be her downfall. Princess has lured an eagle-wolf to the valley, and she knows Song will take Jin on her adventure with her.
Seeing Jin’s flushed face and tousled hair alongside Song’s radiant smile the next afternoon makes all the trouble worth it.
Love is formed by shared danger. Princess has a feeling she once knew this. But her few attempts at flirting were wasted on the wrong sort of people.
——
The earth kingdom rebel almost gets mauled by a wombat-moose. Princess steps in, or rather jumps in from a tree branch, and slices the wombat-moose’s throat with her dagger. She shakes the blood off of her outfit (one point for spirit world clothing never staining) and offers a hand to the handsome boy sitting on his rear end. “Well?”
He spits in her face. “Bitch. You killed them all. It’s your fault they’re dead.”
Silly boy. It’s the Phoenix King’s fault. But at least he recognizes royalty when he sees it. And he had the good sense to look awed as she defeated his attacker. Perhaps he is worth her attention.
“Foolish boy. Open your eyes. We’re both right here. Alive. It’s no wonder you have no lovers.” Princess says, and it feels like just the sort of thing Azula would have said before kissing the object of interest. Pity, right? Pity and proper atmosphere. She grabs his elbow and pulls him to his feet, staring deep into his dark, almost
obsidian
black, eyes. The forest is filled with bird chirps around them.
“You’re weird.” Jet says, breaking the intensity and smirking. “I do too have lovers. Two, in fact. Longshot and Smellerbee.”
Princess pulls away in disappointment. She mixed up the elements and now he’s lying to get away from her. “Very well.” She says and retreats into the forest, only turning to watch Jet when she knows she’s out of sight. Jet is standing still, considering, his wild hair falling over his ears like a mane. Azula blocks the memory of a similar wild mane, softer than soft, blacker than black.
She follows him back to his camp and frowns as he proposes to his… followers? Friends? Well. They’re both his lovers now. What should she take from this? Taunt people and they find love? Should she taunt Keahi and see if they run crying into someone’s arms? Probably Aang’s. The child seems to be a sucker for animals.
But no, that wouldn’t work. The triad had to have loved each other before Princess interfered.
She wanders the forest surrounding the small camp of twelve people, lost in thought and plans for what she’ll do with spirit world domination.
Like father, like daughter. If she’s still the same daughter of the Phoenix King.
But unlike her once-father, she won’t destroy what’s hers.
——
Aang is surprisingly easy to manipulate. All she has to do is remark on how happy the Freedom triad, as they called themselves, seem, and how Katara and Toph seemed so down lately. Aang sighs, and Princess digs further by hinting that Haru wouldn’t be opposed to an open relationship. Aang brightens suddenly and leaves, shimmying into the treetops. Funny. He had come to try to redeem her, but it seems she ended up helping him instead. It’s exactly how Azula would have handled it. Maybe she is the same. A smile twitches on her face and she leaps down from her perch on a boulder to follow Aang.
She watches as he talks to Haru, watches as he rushes off again with excitement, and then finds herself unable to watch him after he jumps into the makeshift house he and Toph share. It’s not for the lack of windows, either. Some things are private, but that’s never stopped her before. No, it’s the queer knowledge that some loves must remain precious, innocent almost. The love Aang has for Katara and Toph is like that. As for how Katara and Toph feel about eachother… Princess has seen them arguing like an old married couple only to make up later, and she’s seen them casting longing glances at each other. The three’ll make a great triad. (Funny, would Azula have thought that? Princess can’t feel, so why is she involving herself in other people’s love affairs?)
Love is whimsical. Love is loyal. Love… sometimes involves more than two people at once, and then gets really really complicated.
——
It isn’t until the next year that Princess hears from Song how Zuko confessed to Jet. The two had a raging argument that ended in the both of them kissing. She is now thoroughly confused. What constitutes love? Or is all this philandering merely the result of teenage lust?
She avoids Ty Lee on her way out of the small village that everyone built. Ty Lee and Mai got together too, shortly after Song and Jin did. She is… not happy for them. She can’t be happy for anyone, not that she ever was. But she is satisfied with Mai and Ty Lee’s choice of each other. She never had the social intelligence (imagine, Azula admitting her lack of intelligence, what a day that would have been.) to see that hidden facet in their relationship, but now that it’s out in the open, it makes sense.
----
So what is it that constitutes love? Princess paces in her small glade. Haru and Katara have been going on dates to waterfalls and exploring the rivers together. Song and Jin keep everyone’s spirits (heh) up with their cooking and singing. Haru, Song, and Jin started the tradition of dancing together in the village green every night.
Katara, Aang, and Toph are ridiculously adorable together, and then when Sokka comes up Toph will sneak a kiss and blep at Suki. Suki will steal Sokka back and kiss him long and slow, and then the two will retreat for private weapons training.
Mai and Zuko don’t hate each other, and Jet will hold Zuko’s hand sometimes when the wombat-moose are rutting. Mai and Ty Lee practice acrobatics and throwing knives together.
Jet, Longshot, and Smellerbee perform theatrics on warm nights.
Everyone is trying to move on together from their painful (Azula’s fault.) past. Everyone is trying to live and love and forget.
But what is it that all of these relationships have in common? What ties them all together?
And then Princess has it, a black string of fate winding around her pinky finger, the answer.
So she makes for the mirrors. One of the few stable connections between the physical realm and the spiritual one.
And as she fades out of the brilliance of the spirit world, she feels the brush of scales against her skin, and hears a happy rumble, faint yet close. And she knows. She’s still Azula. Her goals may have been muddied, but they’re still there.
The answer to true love: Adventure.
And what greater adventure is there than world domination? Princess Azula doesn’t know.