If Zuko had gone out of his way to make sure she was to live in luxury, just as she used to before the war happened, before she became a prisoner in her own home, Azula couldn't say the same thing about her father. Her hands touched the cold walls. They felt as rough as they looked. The light was dim down there and she didn't want to think about the rats that must wander around.

To put it simply, it was clearly a cell.

It was obvious that Zuko cared more about her than about Ozai and she couldn't blame him for once. Time spent away from most people and the outside world made her realize some things, one of them being that she had been a fool. Not that her pride was going to let her admit that any time soon. She had been in denial for a long time. It said a lot about the height of the pedestal she had once upon a time thought her father deserved.

But for now, I must play my role and act like the daughter he knows me as.

One of the Kyoshi warriors besides her signalled to the guards to open the cell. She couldn't help but smirk at that. To think Zuko feared her strength enough to call for the best fighters...it pleased her and amused her all at once.

He is starting to become wearier of me.

Which meant he was on his way to changing into a good Fire Lord with a rational brain. It was a long way though.

In the meantime, I can use his naivety and inexperience to get back where I belong.

Azula walked inside as she always did. Chin up, back straight, composed, graceful. For a split second, she wondered if had been instinct. After all, everything she knew...she had learned it from him.

However, upon entering, she was starting to feel as though this whole ordeal was a set-up of some sorts, a trickery, an illusion even.

Perhaps the servants finally had the guts to drop poison in my wine.

She mused before quickly dismissing such thought. Even at her lowest, people still feared her and she didn't think Zuko would appreciate having his only chance at securing his position snatched away from him.

"Azula...?"

The uncertain voice brought her back to the present, to what she had thought was a mirage.

This man isn't father.

It was a shell, just a shell of the once powerful and intimidating Lord Ozai. Prison did a number on him. He looked his age right then, and not like the fierce commander she used to know him as.

She wondered in that moment if Zuko was satisfied with himself before shaking her head. He wasn't worth any of their pity.

"Father." and yet, she still couldn't address him as anything but that.

Pathetic.

The fire princess tried telling herself it was only because she was putting on an act and not because of any remaining positive feelings. It'd be a disaster if that were the case because even dirty, down on his knees, the look in Ozai's eyes was recognisable. Not to the others but to her?

Painfully so. It was the look she saw every day she glanced in the mirror, another reminder that nor time, nor circumstances could change the fact that blood still bound them.

That look screamed hidden fire, the most dangerous fire there was. It promised pain, chaos, revenge. If cannot bend heaven, I will raise hell. I will wear a crown, whether it's made of light or darkness.

The Avatar might have taken away his bending but he didn't succeed to stuff out that fire. Her father must have been plotting all these years, just like she had, wearing a mask to fool others; resembling a wolf among lambs.

But he couldn't fool her.

And her eyes must have made that clear because Ozai inclined his head in the way he often did to show praise.

"I see my disgrace of a son has been treating you well."

There wasn't relief, only envy but for both of their sakes, Azula chose to pretend that the former was present.

"You know Zuko, always the sentimental, always the fool."

If it dawned on them that the fool was the one in charge now, the one being Fire Lord, they did not show it. Doing that would mean to admit defeat and that was just unacceptable.

"Not so much apparently if he couldn't give his own father the conditions he deserves."

There wasn't any drop of humbleness in that body of his, Azula concluded and it didn't surprise her but to have the audacity to say that?

He gave you more than you deserve. Life.

Any other person would have executed them both, showing little to no emotion.

"I have come to ask you something."

Under normal circumstances, she would have kept up the farce for longer, subtly too but that was before. Now she just wanted an answer to give Zuko. A little gift, for all the trouble she had given him in the past. That and staying much longer in her father's presence without losing her composure would be a tedious task.

"Ask away Azula." She knew the lack of agreement from her part regarding what he said must have irked him.

Too bad that she was the heartless monster he had so hard struggled to create. Caring for anybody else other than herself was a foreign concept and that included him. However, everything was a game and she had to play it perfectly. One slip from her part and it would be ruined. Ozai wasn't an idiot but she had always been the better liar.

"You must know that I don't intend to let Zuko cherish the power he currently wields for much longer. Granted our current circumstances, I have come up with a ploy to undermine him."

The smirk creasing her father's face made her sick to the stomach. She knew that look very well. He was waiting to reap what he had sewn.

Or what he thought he had, anyway.

"As expected of my daughter. Tell me how you plan to get revenge on him and the Avatar and to size the fire throne for me."

Azula fought the urge to laugh. It amused her greatly how he didn't suspect any change in her loyalty.

If I decide to undermine Zuzu, it will be for my benefit.

Never his.

Never again.

"I need to know where the Dragon Sword is, father. It's the key to my plan."

Ozai watched her silently for a few moments but whether he was thinking if she could be trusted or how wonderful it would feel to have his power restored, she couldn't be too sure.

"I see. So, they haven't found it yet and the common people must be causing a ruckus. I suspected this was about to happen eventually."

"Exactly as you predicted father."

It hurt her, to act like the obedient weapon, like the tool he had crafted. She had wanted her parents to love her but it seemed that she failed twice in that aspect.

At least Zuko won once.

That was just one more reason to feel bitter and angry. Ursa looked at her and saw a monster. Ozai liked what he saw, but only as a means to an end until she stopped being useful.

He had proven that to her years ago.

"The location of the Dragon Sword is known only by those who show remarkable strength and will. If Zuko isn't aware of where it is, that proves something we already know: that he does not deserve to be Fire Lord."

Azula almost gritted her teeth. Almost. She had to have the patience of a saint, even when she was anything but. "Yes, as we already know." she intoned.

"Plan my escape, daughter. You do not need the Dragon Sword to undermine Zuko."

She should have expected caution from his part. However, this wasn't the end to her scheme. What he told her? It was more than enough.

"Were you immediately aware, of where it was?" she questioned, pretending to be impressed and fascinated. The 'immediately' was only put there though so it did not sound as if she doubted him.

There was a pause. A slight flick of anger in his eyes.

The one she always had whenever past failures were brought up. That was all the proof she needed to know her father was not as great as she had once firmly believed or as he liked to fool others that he was.

Grandfather must have told him where it was or maybe the sword had shown itself to uncle.

Then she decided that if Iroh knew, Zuko would have never been caught in such a mess in the first place.

"Not immediately but soon enough."

Azula inwardly smirked.

Careful Ozai, you are lying...and it shows.

"As expected of the rightful Fire Lord." she expressed, knowing her words were music to his ears.

"What is your plan Azula?"

Wouldn't you like to know?

The fire princess gave him a cold stare. "A secret for a secret. I thought you of all people would know that, besides, this is child splay compared to conquering Ba Sing Se."

Gone were Ozai's iron nerves. He gritted his teeth, going as far as to punch the wall besides her. Blood dropped on the ground from his fists but it didn't faze either of them in the slightest. "There can't be any flaws in it otherwise we will be ruined."

Some part of her thought that they already were but compared to him, she wasn't going to stay at the bottom for much longer.

"We won't."

Or rather, I won't.

She thought, signalling for the guards to open the cell. It was clear she wasn't going to get anything else from Ozai. The man was weary of her, paranoid even, as he should be.

"AZULA! YOU WILL OBEY ME!" the former leader of the Fire Nation roared with all the pent-up anger and frustration, his hand, firmly handcuffed, going through the motions of fire bending...that he no longer had courtesy of the Avatar.

It struck her with a sudden jolt that he would have left her face marred by a scar like the one her brother had...if he could.

"I HOPE YOU ROT IN HERE!" she screamed, not walking out of the cell yet even as the guards and Kyoshi warriors were telling her to do so. She was not afraid of him.

There was nothing in the world she feared that shouldn't fear her a thousand times more.

"No, allow me to rephrase that. I will personally make sure you that you do. Whether Zuzu remains Fire Lord or I take the title for myself, YOU, will never sit on that throne again and that is a promise." Her perfect mask was back into place, compared to his shattered one.

Ozai roared again, struggling against the chains binding him...

just like a mouse caught in a trap

small and below me.

"DISGRACEFUL CHILDREN!"

She couldn't deny that but not for the reasons he thought.

"You are right. We all are. That is why the Dragon Sword didn't show itself to any of us."

This gave her an idea. It was a merely a hunch but she was willing to follow it through.

"Do not give him food for tonight." she ordered as she exited the prison, passing by the guards.

"We do not take orders from you!" one of them had the bravery (idiocy really) to talk back.

She fought the urge to throttle him, merely replaying with a:

"My brother will agree. Ask him."

...

"She is blackmailing you."

Zuko suddenly felt much older than his current age. If Aang knew what blackmail meant...it was clear, they were all past the time for games and childhood.

"It's called a bargain, Aang." he sighed tiredly.

The Avatar wasn't convinced, however. "Blackmail under the disguise of bargain, you mean."

He has really gotten smarter.

Zuko mused, half of him proud and the other concerned for any of his remaining enemies.

"She is Azula." he said, as if that explained everything and maybe once upon a time when the world was somehow normal, up was up, he didn't shoulder so many responsibilities and there wasn't any doubt whether Azula was an A-Class monster with no grey in-between...it did.

"And you are the Fire Lord. You can find the sword on your own Zuko. I strongly believe that."

Zuko wished he did too but unfortunately, he was past the time of playing seeker. Now he was just desperate. As much as he had denied it in the beginning, facts were facts and the truth was the truth. Azula would have made a better leader. Not a kind one, but one made of steel and icy fire.

She knew how things worked much better than he ever will.

"That's the only thing I've been doing this past month Aang. I am sick of searching. Azula is my last hope because if a rebellion starts..."

"I will talk them out of it." Aang stated determined, always optimistic, a people's person through and through.

Maybe we aren't that old after all.

His friend was as idealistic as ever.

"Then you'd be going against the one thing you fought for: democracy. If the people don't consider me fit to lead them...they should be allowed the freedom of choosing."

The Avatar remained silent for a moment.

"I have to walk with her through the imperial garden? That's all?"

Zuko nodded grimly, finishing a glass of wine. "That's all."

A servant rushing inside the room immediately drew their attention. "Avatar Aang, Fire Lord Zuko..." he mumbled, bowing quickly.

"Had my sister managed to escape?" he asked, already feeling a headache coming.

"No, gods no! May we never know such horror." the elderly man gushed, talking under his beard.

"Then what is it?" he questioned, much calmer now.

"Lord Ozai...threw a tantrum. He would have attacked Princess Azula if it weren't for the chains binding him or if he still had his bending."

To say that Zuko felt shocked would be the understatement of the century. "Father yelled at her? Attacked her even, out of impulse?"

Aang was quicker to react, however. "How is the princess doing now?"

"She didn't shy away from talking back to Lord Ozai either and made an interesting promise."

"I asked how she is, not what she said." the last Air Nomad repeated himself with barely contained impatience. Azula was strong, stronger than most but that didn't change the fact she was human.

Zuko, shocked even more by the mere idea that his sister who used to idolize their father fought back, urged the servant to keep going. "What did she promise?"

"She, weirdly enough, seemed to be on your side, Fire Lord Zuko. She swore to make sure Lord Ozai will remain in prison for the rest of his life." the servant himself seemed fascinated and confused by what he was saying.

"Did she find out what I wanted her to?"

"That's what she sent me for. Well that, and a request not to bring your father any supper for the evening."

Zuko didn't feel any remorse when he ordered: "Make sure he doesn't eat for a week."

For all her faults, Azula was still his sister who never turned her back on him. Always aware of his presence, if only to offer an insult or make a biting remark. She had also helped him more times than he cared to count, even when he didn't ask her to.

"Will do." the man paused, shifting his attention towards Aang. "Princess Azula said Lord Ozai refused to give her a straight answer. However, she believes she could find the sword, but only if you aid her, Avatar Aang."

Could this be a ploy? Zuko had to wonder but before he could have made up his mind, his friend had already decided for him.

"Lead the way then."

...

"Okay Princess, I'm here now." Toph paused, marching inside the throne room as if it was hers to begin with and he was the guest. She stopped, making a show of looking around, as if she could actually see something... "Why the fuck am I here though?"

Zuko visibly grimaced. He was a guy and they were all adults now but hearing Toph swear never ceased to shock him. Especially whenever she did it in sacred places.

Does she have no shame at all?

He couldn't help but wonder although he was sure the answer to that was pretty obvious.

"Look, I'm sorry for sending Zen to fetch you at this hour..."

A scoff interrupted him. Rudely so.
"You are lucky I took my time robbing your prissy-winny fire benders off their money otherwise he wouldn't have reached me before I left."

Zuko swore one of his veins was going to pop one of these days. "You can't go around robbing..."

"Not my fault if I do a hell of a fantastic job and win every time!"

Patience. Have some more. Remember what uncle taught you.

"Then it's not called robbing!"

The smirk she flashed him next was infuriating at best and made him want to strangle her at worst. "I never said I played fairly."

Sensing that the young Fire Lord was very close to tearing at his own hair and what a pity would that be for Sugar Queen, Mai and whoever drools over him, Toph decided to be more sensible. "Fine, fine. I'm serious now. Why did you sent for me anyway other than to ensure your hair turns grey much earlier?"

"I needed Azula to help me..." he began, a little unsure.

"Uh-uh"

"And we made a deal." he paused again.

"Aha..."

"And then things got a little more complicated..."

By this point, Toph was tired of pauses and hesitation. One more pause and she will be beating the information out of him!

"For fuck's sake Zuko, get on with it already! I don't have time to waste! I won't be able to reach the Earth Kingdom tonight if..."

This time he was the one to interrupt her.

"You already have a room prepared here."

Toph paused mumbling to herself at the mention of that, considering it for a few moments. "You better feed me lots in the morning."

Zuko couldn't help himself, cracking a small smile. "Don't I always?"

"Yeah Sparky, you are a generous host. Now get on with it."

He scowled but proceeded to tell her everything that happened.

"No, you know what? Forget it. I'm not going to eavesdrop on them. It's not right." the earth bender refused vehemently, already heading towards the door to get out.

"Now you find your morals Toph, seriously?" Zuko called after her, beyond frustrated, doing his best at dodging the cracks she was currently busy making in his floor on her way out.

"Why me though? Why don't you do it? Or put a servant or something?"

Proof that she was having second thoughts about her quick decision was the fact that she let him catch up with her.

"Because you can sense when somebody is lying."

"Azula..."

Zuko firmly cut her off, taking her hand and giving a relatively hard squeeze, whether to assure her or prevent her from storming off, he didn't know. "Is the best liar I've ever met. True, she had managed to trick your senses once in the past but it's been years, Toph. Years she spent in prison, while you were out there, building a school to teach people metal bending from scratch, training day and night."

She still wasn't convinced, however.

"That doesn't mean..."

"Try and then tell me you couldn't. Otherwise you would have failed twice. As far as I can remember, the Toph I met years ago, who vouched for my goodness and change of heart wasn't a quitter."

She could count on one hand how many times she had gotten speechless.

"Alright, I will do it but just so you know, flattering isn't what got me to accept."

He rose an eyebrow.

"The food you have here, Zuko. That's your only charm." Toph paused, patting his chest roughly and using her bending to fix what could be fixable about the floor with her talent alone and not a team of builders.

"Right. Your blush tells me something differe— OW"

"Don't push it."