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As we began our journey back to the Fire Nation Capital I began to recognize a change in Azula. Her mood slowly was changing into something I have never seen from her before, and before I knew it she and I began to truly become friends. This is my story, a story about a young warrior who left home to help the Avatar; a story about a boy who just wanted to impress his father and show him how much of a warrior I truly am. However, in my journeys I began to learn the importance of friendship and love. I learned many hard lessons and even became a master swordsman. I learned that not all love is perfect and sometimes it can be very annoying. The most important lesson I learned, however, was how much people could change. This is a story about me, Sokka of the Water Tribe, and how I learned how even the maddest of us all could still find the right path eventually.
This story begins on a cold spring night on our way back to the Fire Nation Capital. We had finished setting up camp and, being as exhausted as we were, went straight to bed. However, before I fell asleep I noticed that Azula was still sitting alone by the dim fire. I went out and sat down next to her. We awkwardly sat there for a while until she asked, "What do you want peasant?" I simply shrugged my shoulders indicating that I didn't even know, and then she just stood up and walked away. She went and lied down on a sleeping bag and fell asleep, but when I looked over there I noticed she was shivering; so I decided to do the polite thing and bring her a blanket. Soon afterwards I too went to bed, but in the morning when I walked outside Azula had thrown the blanket I gave her into the fire pit and was yelling at Zuko for giving it to her. However, she didn't realize that it wasn't actually Zuko who gave her the blanket so he was very confused. I went over to the bag of food to eat breakfast but everything was gone. "Hey guys where did all the food go?" "We ate it all," Katara said this from the other side of the camp where she and Aang were sitting together. "Why did you eat it all?" "We were hungry," "You didn't have to eat it all," "If you woke up early like we did you would have had a chance to have some, but you didn't so we ate it all."
While Katara and I were arguing Zuko and Azula were still conversating about the whole blanket incident. Azula was upset because she thought that Zuko was babying her and she believed that she could take care of herself without her older brother's help. However, Zuko was highly confused and was trying to tell her that he had absolutely nothing to do with the blanket incident. This only made her angrier so finally she stormed off through the woods towards the cliff by the bay. "Why is she being all temperamental this morning?" asked Katara. "Well she said something about a blanket and being treated like a child, but I have no idea what she is talking about." "I'll go talk to her," I said but when I did everyone just stared at me like I was crazy, "I just want to make sure she's okay, I'll be back in a minute," I left everyone in a confused state, but I had to apologize to Azula since I was the one who gave her the blanket.
I found her sitting alone at the edge of the bay. When I got closer I noticed that she had been crying a little. "What's wrong?" Immediately she snapped back at me. "Nothing, now get out of here you filthy peasant," "I'm sorry," "Why are you sorry peasant," "Well first of all stop calling me a peasant, and I'm sorry because I gave you that blanket last night," "What! Why would you give me a blanket, are you trying to pity me?" "No I was just trying to be nice, and you looked cold so I gave you my extra blanket." "Well I didn't need your help," "I know but I wanted to help, and I'm sorry that I did," I started to walk away when she said to me, "I'm not sad, I'm actually a little happy. No one has ever gone out of their way to help me without anything to personally gain from it." I turned back around and sat down next to her, "Really?" "Yes I've always had to rely on only myself and no one else; it felt good to know that there might be someone who actually cared about me. However, when Zuko denied it I got upset because I thought he was trying to hide the fact that he cared about me. Now I kind of feel like a jerk since I yelled at him and destroyed the blanket," "Don't feel bad we all have those moments where we lose our cool," "For me it happens a lot and then everyone sees me as a monster; I bet that they are sitting back at camp talking about just how bad of a person I am." "You're not a bad person you've just made a lot of bad choices, but I think that if you try your best you can show everyone just how good of a person you can be," "I don't think I'm capable of being a good person," "You haven't even tried," I held out my hand to her and said, "come back to camp with me and I'll tell everyone that it was my fault that you lost your temper," but when I said this she lost her temper again, "I don't need your pity I can handle this on my own and I don't need you to make excuses for me," she then ran off into the woods again. I stood there for a moment until I realized that Azula would never be able to accept anyone's help so I just left back to camp.
When I got back to camp I heard everyone talking, "Hey Katara what do you think Sokka and my sister are talking about?" "Honestly I don't think they're talking at all I bet Azula is threatening to hurt him or something," "Come on you two, do you really think that Sokka would stick around with Azula if she threatened to hurt him; he probably got lost." "True, but aren't you even a little worried about your brother," "I am a little. Azula is such a monster, no offense, and I know that she could really hurt Sokka, but I haven't heard any screaming so he should be fine," At hearing this I got a little upset; I couldn't believe how they were talking about Azula behind her back like that and before I knew it I rushed over there and yelled at all three of them. "How dare you guys say that about her, she is a confused and lonely person, and she doesn't deserve this treatment; all she wanted was to know that someone cared about her, and she assumed it was Zuko. However, when you denied it she got upset because she thought you didn't care enough about her to tell the truth. However, she didn't realize that it wasn't actually Zuko who helped her but me. When she learned the truth she actually seemed happy, but then I upset her again and she ran off into the woods." After I said this I ran back into the woods to find her leaving my friends completely confused.
I ran for a while, but I eventually ran out of energy and sat down. I looked up into the sky and thought out loud, "Where could you be?" "Right behind you," Azula was standing right behind me and when she spoke to me I nearly jumped ten feet. "Azula there you are I was looking for you," "Thank you," when she said this I was surprised, "Well I couldn't let you get hurt being out here all alone," "No, thank you for sticking up for me. Honestly no one has ever done that for me," when I looked into her face I could see in her eyes sincerity, and you could tell that she had been crying. "Well they didn't have to say those mean things about you," "They're true though, I am a monster." "No you're not!" "I appreciate you saying that and it truly means a lot to me to hear that, but I know the truth. I am a monster. I'm like a dragon I devour you with my flames and turn you to ash without thinking. I have hurt so many people that I cared about. I'm a monster, and you know that it's the truth," she began to cry again and all I could do was go over to her and hold her in my arms and say, "Would a monster be crying right now?" We stood for a while in the darkness alone, as her tears slowly and silently trickled down her face I couldn't help but begin to have deeper feelings for her.
When she stopped crying we walked back to camp and everyone was taking down tents and packing. When we entered the camp everyone starred, but we ignored them and I walked back to my tent to pack up my belongings. While I was doing so Katara walked over to me, "Sokka I seriously want to know what is going on with your head right now," "What's wrong with my head?" "Well let's see maybe it's the fact that you were standing up for a psychopath?" "She's not a psychopath; she just is a very confused person who happens to make a lot of bad choices," "Yeah bad choices that have almost killed all of us and almost destroyed the world," "Okay I get it she has made very bad choices but instead of judging her we should be trying to help her change her life," "Why do you even want to help her, didn't you like hate her guts like a week ago," "Yes I did but that was wrong of me. I should've never judged her." "She is a monster Sokka you seriously can't believe that she can change?" "I do," at this moment I walked outside of my tent and put my stuff on Appa. While I was doing so I overheard Zuko and Azula talking. "Look Azula I know you are trying to do your best, but when we get back to the capital you have to be under restraint again," "Why, are you afraid I'm going to hurt you?" "No, you have committed crimes against the Fire Nation and you were lucky enough to be able to join me on this mission," "What crimes have I committed the only thing I've done is obey our father. How is that a crime?" "Listen, you are just too dangerous to be free to roam the streets. You can either go back to the Mental Hospital or you can join father in prison?" "I choose neither I want a chance to be free. I already apologized for losing control earlier, isn't that a big enough step into doing the right thing for me to be at least given a chance?" "I'm sorry Azula, but I can't trust you yet," Zuko then walked back into his tent to get the rest of his things. Azula then walked over to grab the sleeping bag she was using and brought it over to Appa. When she was putting it on Appa I noticed that a tear was sliding down her cheek. I decided then at that moment that I was going to help Azula no matter what the cost.
I walked into Zuko's tent, "Listen Zuko, I know that you and your sister are still not capable of trusting each other, but don't you think you could at least give her a chance to show you that she can change?" "Sokka I don't know what you and my sister were talking about earlier, but I am not as easily fooled by her." "You think that she is lying?" "Yes, do you really think she is being honest?" "Why else would she be crying?" "Azula doesn't cry. She doesn't have any emotion, and more importantly she only cares about herself. She wants to be free so that she can take over the Fire Nation." "How do you know that, maybe this long journey has made her realize just how important family is and she wants to change?" "Why would Azula want to change she thinks she's perfect?" "She thinks she's a monster!" "Well she is." "How can you say that about your own sister?" "Do you even know all the things that she has done to me?" "No, but..." "Listen Sokka I understand that you want to help, but you can't help Azula. She's too dangerous and she will destroy you if she found out that you were trying to help her. That's what she does she finds peoples weaknesses and uses it against them to get what she wants. Don't you understand? She knows that you are a big brother and that you would do anything to protect your sister, and she's using that against you," Zuko then walked out of the tent with his things. I stood there for a moment thinking about the things he had said. Could she really just be using me? Am I really that gullible to fall for it? I didn't even know what to think and then Aang walked into the tent, "Sokka were about to get going you should probably go put down your tent," I decided that it would be a good idea not to think about it for now. Besides once we got back to the capital I would get to see Suki again. I tried to think only about that while I put down my tent. However, I couldn't stop thinking about earlier when I was holding Azula in my arms comforting her. That moment had felt so real. I couldn't believe that someone could fake those emotions, but I supposed that Zuko had to know his sister very well. Therefore I decided to trust Zuko. I had to let Azula go somewhere she could get help.
Once the camp was all cleaned up we got onto to Appa and began the journey back to the Fire Nation. Everyone was silent for the longest time not even the annoying couple talked. Eventually Zuko spoke, "Hey Aang how much farther do you think we are from the capital. "Well if I'm doing this right we should be back before sunset." It seemed like it was already past noon so we weren't too far from our destination. I looked over at Azula and noticed that she was looking over at the horizon where you could see that there was an ocean. I wondered what she was thinking of. Could she be thinking about being free and spending all day on the beach? Could she be thinking about how she was going to get her revenge on all of us, or how she is going to escape? However, those last two seemed unlikely. The look on her face seemed almost happy like she was remembering an old memory. I didn't understand how someone like her could actually possess a heart, but there she was gazing at the horizon with so much hope. However, that moment seemed to pass fast because not too long later we arrived back at the capital.
The city was beautiful, the way the light of the sun reflected off of the mountain side made it almost look like paradise. I loved spring because of this. The way the world seemed to freshen up after a long time of dryness and death. When we got to the palace Suki and Ty Lee were waiting there to take Azula back to the Mental Hospital. I jumped off of Appa and ran over to Suki and gave her a hug, "Suki, it's so great to see you." "You don't sound like you're happy to see me," she was right. Something had changed while I was gone. I don't know what, but I knew that I wasn't in love with Suki anymore. However, I couldn't break her heart so I decided to stay with her. "I am happy to see you I'm just tired from the journey," "Well than you should go get some sleep. I have to go take little miss psychopath back to the hospital so I'll see you at dinner," she gave me a kiss on the cheek and went over to Ty Lee. I watched as the two of them took Azula back to the hospital. I couldn't help but feel sorry for Azula. Even though she made a lot of bad choices; she still is a human being who deserves to be given a second chance. "Hey Sokka why don't you come inside and get some rest," I knew that Katara was just trying to get me to stop thinking about Azula, but I couldn't. "Sokka come on you can't seriously be feeling bad for Azula right now?" "What if I am, why do you care what I think?" "Sokka you can't be serious right now. Azula is a psychopath, and she needs to be locked up for her own good." "How is that for her own good?" "Sokka stop asking stupid questions and just come inside already," I decided to listen to her and went inside. Once inside I decided to go straight to a bedroom. I lied down in the bed and just closed my eyes. I thought about all the things that had occurred today. I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Azula was faking her emotions. I couldn't accept that she was all bad. I wanted answers, but I didn't know how to get them. I then decided that I would need to talk to Azula directly. I snuck out of the room and made my way to the Mental Hospital.
On my way to the hospital I got lost a lot. I didn't actually know how to get there so it took me about an hour to find the place. Once I got there I asked the nurse at the front desk if I could speak with Azula. However, she wasn't going to let me see her because I wasn't immediate family. However, after a little persuading I got her to go ask Azula if she would speak with me. When she came back she seemed surprised somehow, "The patient says that she would like to speak with you," so the nurse took me back to her room. "Now I'm going to warn you, Azula is a very unstable person. Therefore, you should never trust her. If she starts getting too close get out of that room as quick as possible. She is currently chi blocked, but she can still move a little so be careful. When I got into the room it was dark. The nurse turned on the light and I saw Azula sitting on her bed. "Hello peasant," "I thought you were going to stop calling me that," I laughed a little, but she didn't return the laughter. "Does my brother know that you're here?" "No, he doesn't," "Hmmm..... How strange, why exactly are you here?" "I need to ask you something," "What would that be?" "Back in the forest were you faking all the emotions you had?" "Why would I do that?" "So you could use me to get revenge on your brother, so you could make everyone believe that you changed so they would let you out of here." "Do you want to know the honest truth?" "Yes that's why I came here!" "Honestly I was going to use you, but then you did something that changed my mind." "What's that?" "You held me in your arms and made me feel like I was truly cared about," she began to stand up, but she fell over. I rushed over to her and helped her stand up. I looked deep into her eyes and saw that she was telling the truth. I began to lean in to kiss her, but then the door slammed open. I turned around, and at that moment I realized that my life would be different from this moment on.
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