Night.
In the quiet pavilion of the manor, beneath the gentle gaze of scattered stars, Azula turned back with her arms folded.
Leaning against a stone pillar, her eyelids lowered, she looked drowsily at Zuko and Ren.
“Is there something that can’t wait until tomorrow?” Ren nudged Zuko with his arm and whispered, “I’ll go first.
I’ll leave you siblings some space to talk.” Zuko nodded.
Ren walked off, though he didn’t go far, just over to the railing on the other side of the corridor, where he busied himself admiring the ornamental fish in the lake.
“Zuzu, what is it you actually want to say?” Azula asked, somewhat confused.
She did not know what Zuko wanted to say that required him to deliberately send Ren away.
Zuko was deeply conflicted.
On one hand, there was his pride as the older brother, his dignity.
On the other, a buried envy of Azula’s talent.
Between the two, the apology that should have come easily stuck in his throat, refusing to come out.
But he thought of Ren’s encouragement earlier, and he didn’t want to disappoint his friend.
He turned his head away, avoiding Azula’s eyes, and said, looking somewhat embarrassed: “It’s about…
that time you set the garden on fire with your firebending.” Azula pretended not to care.
“Oh, you still remember that?
I got over it a long time ago.” As she spoke, a flame flickered to life at her fingertips.
She gave a light laugh.
“After all, I can control fire with precision now.
What happened back then was just an accident.
“Oh, sorry, Zuzu.
I forgot—with your level of skill in firebending, you probably wouldn’t understand.” Listening to Azula’s words, arrogant and laced with mockery, Zuko felt his temper flare.
During the time he and Ren had spent training together under their master, he’d grown somewhat more even-tempered.
But he was still a firebender—and an easily provoked one at that.
Already simmering with jealousy over Azula’s talent, and now stung by her sarcasm, Zuko forgot entirely why he’d come out here in the first place.
He gritted his teeth, stared into Azula’s eyes, and said, “So what you’re saying is, when you burned me on purpose, that was an accident too?” Azula gave a light flick of her wrist, and the flame at her fingertips swelled instantly into a small fireball, casting both their amber eyes in a wash of red.
The smile never left Azula’s face.
Her tone stayed just as slow and unhurried as before.
“What do you mean, burned you on purpose?
My dear brother, if I recall correctly, you were the one who challenged me.
Accidents happen in a duel—that’s perfectly normal.
Please, do me a favor and stop wailing about how wronged you are, like some cat that just got its tail stepped on.” “A cat with its tail stepped on?
Is that really what you think of me?
Why don’t we talk about you instead?
You’ve always been like this—so full of yourself, never caring how anyone else feels!” “You think you’re perfect, don’t you?
That everyone should adore you?
Well, you’re wrong!
“You’re like some monster wandering alone in the dark!
All you do is make people afraid of you!” Zuko’s fury broke past whatever restraint he had left.
He flung his hand out to the side, and a burst of fire erupted from his palm, scorching the stone pillar black.
The flame burning in Azula’s palm seemed to mirror exactly what was happening between the two siblings in that moment—each of them carrying a fire of resentment toward the other that refused to be put out.
Azula closed her fist, crushing the flame in her palm.
Her eyes narrowed, and for a moment she looked as fierce as a tiger choosing its prey.
But she composed herself quickly.
Her voice stayed even, though a shadow had crept into it now.
“Zuzu.
We’re both tired tonight.
Let’s go get some rest.” The moment the cruel words had left his mouth, Zuko already regretted them.
He shouldn’t have let himself get so carried away.
“I’m sorry.” Having calmed down, he wanted to say more.
But Azula only stared at the calm surface of the lake, her voice completely cold now.
“I said, enough.
I don’t want to see your face right now.” Ren, who’d heard the argument escalating and sensed things were about to come to blows, had long since lost interest in the fish.
He hurried over.
Seeing the look on Zuko’s face, he asked with concern: “What happened?” Zuko gave Ren a strained smile.
“It’s nothing.
I’m heading back.” He turned and walked off without waiting for a response.
What just happened?
Ren was completely lost.
He wanted to go after Zuko and get the full story, but he couldn’t very well leave Azula out here by herself.
After all, it had been his idea to bring her out here in the first place.
“…Monster.” Once Zuko was gone, Azula seemed to lose all the strength in her body at once, sinking down into a chair, her composure cracking visibly on her face.
Ren sat down beside her and waved a hand in front of her eyes.
“Why do you look like you’re about to fall apart?” Azula rolled her eyes toward him, her voice distant.
“If you’re here to take his side, you can leave right now.
I don’t want to hear that name.” “That’s not it.” Ren shook his head.
Although he did not know what Zuko had said to leave Azula in such a state, Ren still chose the classic older-generation conversational opening: empathize first.
“I just think it’s very novel that Her Highness, who has always been confident and composed, can have such a dejected side too.” Azula glanced at him, her tone flat.
“If your goal was to make me angrier, congratulations, you’ve succeeded.” “You’re not going to set my butt on fire, are you?” Ren asked, feigning caution.
Azula hadn’t realized Zuko had told Ren even about that incident.
She tilted her head, looking faintly annoyed.
“No, because I’ll set your whole body on fire instead!
I’ll burn you straight to ash!” “Even if I’m burned to ash, I’ll still have to say that I was unfortunate enough to be defeated in battle against the greatest firebender in the world.” Ren rubbed his nose and deliberately put on a solemn tone, as if he were recounting an epic battle.
Seeing him deliberately act foolish like this, Azula was immediately amused.
Her brows and eyes curved like slender moons.
“What, did I get something wrong?” Ren asked, feigning confusion.
“Hmph.
I suppose you have some sense after all.” Azula said with an arrogant little snort.
“So, what did Zuko do to upset Her Highness, exactly?” Ren pressed, seizing the opening.
“Didn’t I just say not to mention his name?” “Who said anything about him?
I didn’t mention anyone.” Ren said, the picture of innocence.
Azula rolled her eyes at him.
Still, after Ren’s interruption, she was indeed not as angry as before.
Feeling a little cold, Azula took off her shoes and curled herself into a ball on the chair.
Only then did she stare at the cracks in the floor and slowly say, “Zuko… he said I’m a monster, that I only make people afraid.
Do you think so too?” Ren took off his coat and gently draped it over her shoulders.
He thought it over for a moment, then answered seriously: “Azula is just Azula.
Not a monster, not anyone else.
To me, you’re one of a kind.” Hearing his answer, Azula’s fingers curled around the coat, feeling the warmth still lingering in the fabric.
She looked up at this gentle, bright-eyed person beside her.
The exhaustion from waking early, the fatigue of travel, and the energy spent fighting with her brother— All of it came crashing down at once into a deep, overwhelming drowsiness.
For once, with no walls up at all, Azula let her amber eyes fall shut, tilting her head to lean against Ren, murmuring softly: “Ren.
I’m tired.”