Family lunches are always fun

[iamfirelord]

It had been so long since Azula had a bath and even the ones she had from the mental ward were not indulgent, relaxing things. But Zuko had arranged a morning of pampering and she spent the time in peace from the voices in her mind. Free from her mother and when she finished, she felt better than she had in a while but had been fearful of

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[iamfirelord]

“This isn’t how its supposed to be.” She feels Mai freeze up and a distant part of her tries to figure out why so she can use it against her but she just…can’t. She stops struggling completely and falls against Mai just a little.

When Zuko mentions their father, Azula looks up sharply. She’s not sure she will forgive their father either and she isn’t sure what to make of Zuko’s words. It’s a trick. But then her mother is standing by him and telling her to trust him and she squeezes her eyes shut, moving against Mai and turning her hands to grip Mai’s. “I will never be loyal to you!”

[maixknives]

Mai doesn't resist Azula's hold on her hands - she just kneels there. Anything she wants to say - or would have said - dries up in her throat. She just sits there.

She knows it's insane to let Azula hold her bare hands like this - she could be burned - but she doesn't move. She can't shake how Azula had, just seconds ago, actually relaxed against her, just for a moment.

So she just...sits. Waits. Wonders what she is supposed to say, if anything at all...

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko looks at Azula sadly, "No, I decided I want you in my life Azula. You are my sister, and I still love you regardless of our past."

Zuko shakes his head and looks back in at the pond. He thinks to himself, "I loves her even though she tormented me when we were children. Zuko your taking a big risk with this gesture of good faith. What if she hadn't change, and she is playing you for a fool?"

[iamfirelord]

His words don’t make sense. Love…family, its all meaningless to her. She can’t remember when family mattered. Her hands are shaking and she’s swaying on her knees, her body bumping Mai’s as she moves faintly. He would never offer his loyalty, it has to be a trick. If their father turned his back on her, how could she trust Zuko’s loyalty?

“No. I don’t believe you. You would never give me your loyalty.” She pulls her hands away and starts to struggle in Mai’s hug, thinking she’s sensed the trap.

[maixknives]

Mai opens her hands, now. She lowers her gaze and stares at some part of the ground, not moving from her spot. She knows, now, that it was pointless to try. For Azula, it was only about fear and loyalty.

She places her hands on her knees, feeling something in her snap, but she doesn't cry - she knows it will only make things worse.

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko looks at Azula and smiles, "Well loyalty is one of the emotions that go hand and hand with love. I am loyal to Mai because she is my wife. We built loyalty through trust and understanding. Azula, the one mistake Father showed us love. Mother did, but father wanted nothing but loyalty and respect. However loyalty and respect is earned and it not given to us by divine right, Azula.

Zuko throws up his hands in frustration if he keeps talking about it. It gets more confusing and continues, "God I am sounding like Uncle. Azula you don't have to earn my love for you. Your my sister, and I will love you regardless."

[iamfirelord]

Her eyes become hard when he mentions their parents. “Our mother loved you!” Even though they are outside, her scream seems to echo as she stands immediately and knocks Mai over in an attempt to get to Zuko. She jumps on him, pushing him to the ground. “I don’t want your love! I don’t---“

[maixknives]

Mai feels the sting of her shoulder hitting hard ground, but nothing is more stinging than the shock of being knocked down in the first place.

But instinct takes over, before any other thought or emotion, and in one fluid move, her hand dives into her sleeve and grabs hold of half a dozen stilettos. With careful precision, she then flings her hand out, aiming carefully towards the threat towards her husband, aiming to incapacitate, but not hurt.

It's only when she lets go of them that she realises who she's aiming for, and her heart stops.

[sifuhonorpants]

Suddenly realizes he is being attacked by Azula. With all his strength, he rolls her over, so she is on her back looking up at him and yells down at her totally looses his temper and patients with her, "THAT IS CRAP AZULA MOTHER LOVED US BOTH IF YOU DON'T SEE THAT YOU ARE BEYOND HELP!"

[iamfirelord]

As Zuko flips them over, one of the stilettos scrapes past her arm but she barely notices as the blood drips onto the grass and Zuko pins her hands above her head, preventing any attack. Azula struggles, squirming underneath her brother and staring at Mai behind him. “But you love me and loooove is everlasting and you’ll love me regardless.” Her voice is mocking and she laughs cruelly. “Mother was smart. She was afraid of me.”

Azula tries to keep the hurt out of her voice but its getting too hard to fight everything trying to overtake her. Mai taking aim at her brings her back to when she first betrayed her and she struggles harder, screaming. “I know how you really felt Mother!!!” She is looking at Mai when she screams it.

[maixknives]

Mai gets to her feet quickly, adrenaline powering her closer, her hands vanishing into her sleeves. She finds her heart beating now, so fast it almost hurts. She can see the icy insanity within Azula's eyes now, see how the colour is clouded with delusion and rage as she screams.

Slowly, hoping to show some kind of peace offering - although she knows that that kind of thing is long past - she lowers her hands to her sides, showing them empty.

The words suddenly just come out of her, surprising her - and she wonders if she'll regret it.

"I thought I made it clear to you, Azula. I'm not afraid of you...not anymore. I haven't been afraid of you for five years."

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko still pinning her to the ground looks down at her and takes a deep breath and says softly, "Azula believe what you will I was honest and truthful in what I said.."

[iamfirelord]

In her hysterical state, she sees her mother showing her the empty hands. She hears her mother’s soft voice speaking to her and she watches her lips move, becoming still beneath Zuko. She begins to sob, staring at the image of her mother. “I don’t---I don’t believe you. You always feared me, Mother.”

Her head finds its way into the crook of Zuko’s neck and she sobs, soaking his shirt. She wants more than anything to believe it.

[maixknives]

Slowly, Mai walks over and kneels down beside both Zuko and Azula, placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder gently and giving him a meaningful look. "I don't think we should keep going. Maybe we should bring her back to her cell...it's your call. I just think...we're doing her more harm than good right now."

[sifuhonorpants]

Zuko feels like all his paranoid feeling towards his sister are being washed away by her tears. He helps her to his feet, and decides to wrap his sobbing sister in his arms. He loves his little sister, and he finally after so many grueling year, he is finally realizes how much he loves her.

He brushes Azula hair with his hand, looks at Mai, and says to her, "I think your right, Mai." Zuko realizes Azula is bleeding and his eyes go wide.

"Mai can you bring me something to wrap her arm." He still holding Azula. Trying to calm her down.

[iamfirelord]

She sobs against him, staring at Mai who suddenly isn’t her mother.

Why did her mother always lie to her? Tell her she loves her, that she isn’t afraid of her. Why is everything so wrong anymore? She lifts her arms, hesitating. Why isn’t she sure of herself anymore? She used to be so strong, so powerful…so respected and feared.

Azula pulls away just slightly, keeping herself mostly in Zuko’s arms. “I don’t want to back there.”