Hello. Well, I actually started to write this...it was supposed to be practice. You see, I think I'm weak in dialogue, so, this piece was meant to give me a safe place to practice without destroying any of my other more important works. I found myself starting to like it; go figure. There wasn't enough Azulaang material out there, and many people say it's an impossible crack ship. Well, if it's a crack ship, then I'll gladly serve as a crew member on the vessel. If it's bad, tell me. I like constructive criticism. If it's horrible, tell me to stop writing, and I'll listen.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (and all characters associated with) is owned by Viacom, Nickelodeon, Michael Dante DiMartino, and Bryan Konietzko. In other words, I hold no ownership

1

Aang had grown out of the anxious nature that he once held walking into the room of smooth white stone. The sounds of the heavy metal door slamming shut no longer caused a freezing chill to travel down his spine. He was now able to breathe deeply, exhaling all reservation before entering the room where in which all reason seemed to fade away.

Hearing the doors lock behind him, he opened his eyes and spoke, "How are you feeling this morning?"

The figure that he addressed did not stir or perform any gestures acknowledging his presence. The young Avatar sighed, and casually walked closer towards the individual chained against the room's farthest wall. Stopping a few feet short of reaching distance, Aang sat in the full lotus position, placing his glider at his side.

He looked towards the person who sat before him, and felt a wave of sadness overtake him. She sat, cradling knees to chest, head looking towards the bare white floor as her dark hair draped the entirety of her face. Aang didn't expect a response from her today. Like all of the other days he visited her, she chose to simply remain silent, ignoring his presence. Her silence disheartened the young Air Nomad, forcing him to question the futility of the endeavor he had taken upon himself. He was left to wonder if he was capable of making a breakthrough with the fallen princess. He began visiting Azula at the request of Zuko over a month ago, and still he was unable to illicit a single response from the silent girl. For half an hour he sat in meditation, contemplating his next course of action.

He breathed deeply once more, and smiled weakly. If she would not speak to him, he would speak to her; just as he did on every prior visit. "Did I ever tell you about the time when Sokka was attacked by a Sabertooth Mooselion?"

Azula didn't move, or speak.

Aang continued, "Toph was just beginning to teach me the philosophy of earthbending. I remember her mentioning that earthbending requires a person to stand firm, much like a rock and face challenges head on. It was, well, a rather difficult concept for me at the time. Earth is on the opposite side of bending spectrum than my original element, air. Where earthbending requires one to become rigid and unmoving like the earth itself, airbending teaches one to become light, evading and avoiding all obstacles."

She buried her forehead further into her knees, clutching the sides of her red silken pants tighter.

Aang frowned a bit, but continued to persevere. "I'm boring you, so I'll skip to the good part. Okay, so I remember Sokka being hungry for meat the entire day. While Toph was busy barking at me with Katarra coaching her on how to provide positive reinforcement, Sokka wandered off to catch dinner. It wasn't until hours later that we realized that he had been missing for quite some time. Anyways, I ran off, and found him trapped from the shoulders down in rock. He must have been stuck that way for quite some time, his hair was a mess and he was sporting a particularly painful looking sunburn. He found a baby sabertooth moose lion cub, he even named it; Fufucuddlelypoops, I believe," Aang laughed in reminisce. "So, he's stuck there and I'm convinced that I can't Earthbend him out. Well, the Sabertooth Mooselion cub's mother arrives and starts to charge. I bat it away a few times with Airbending, hoping to discourage any further advances. It was a no go. I resorted to distractions and even a bit of dancing to focus its attention on myself, instead of Sokka. Also no good. It continued to charge Sokka despite everything that I attempted, until I stood my ground and forced it backwards with a large gust of air. It turns out that Toph was watching the entire time. I was angry, full of rage when I realized she sat there and refused to lift a finger to help. However, she did this for a reason. She told me, that by standing up to the ferocious beast, that I became much like the earth, firmly rooted and resolute. She then demanded, at that exact that instant, that I Earthbend. I followed her commands and low and behold I moved the earth."

Azula remained silent.

Aang began to speak once more,"Beyond the humorous elements of the story, I think there is something else there. I remembered it for a reason. Seeing you here, like this, completely silent reminded me of earthbending. You have chosen not to open up to me, despite my daily visitation. You choose to hide within yourself, and ignore the outside world. You are firm, and unmoving, like a rock. Honestly, it's absolutely frustrating dealing with you like this, Azula. I wish you'd open up for me…but on another level, I think I…respect your determination."

Her breathing, once constant in a slow, flowing rhythm, paused. She shifted in her shackles, bunching up even tighter than before.

Aang saw her reaction, and continued to speak, hoping that he had reached her on some level. "I know that you're hurting, more so than I can possibly imagine. It's difficult when everything that you've believed in your entire life comes crashing down right on top of you. I get that, I understand. I just wanted to say, that despite all of that, your will, even if it is used to ignore me, is amazing. Azula, I-"

"Avatar," She whispered in a hoarse voice, cutting Aang off mid sentence.

"Yes," Aang replied in a voice full of childish anticipation. She slowly raised her head from the shelter of her knees. Her tangled hair draped forward, shadowing her pale skin. Aang saw two golden orbs surrounded by bloodshot sclera pierce into his very heart.

"Stand and leave. Do not, ever, use your breath to compare me to the filthy dirt again," She hissed.

Aang, taken aback by the words of the former princess, attempted to clarify his comparison "Azula, I didn't intend for-"

"Leave…" she whispered as she buried her head into her knees once more.

The Avatar sighed, grasped hold of his glider, and rose from the stone floor. "I'll take it. It's progress, after all. Now that I know you can talk, I can't wait to see you tomorrow," he said with a wide grin. Before walking through the large metal door, Aang looked back to Azula and bid her farewell. She did not respond.

As Aang exited the room Azula whispered to herself, "…leave, just like everyone else."