Chapter-73

She heard someone coming up the stairs and quickly hid the scissors behind her, ready for a confrontation. She had no intention of remaining a prisoner of these waterbenders.

"What are you doing? You shouldn't be standing!"

Azula blinked twice when she saw a ten-year-old girl with dark hair, brown skin, and green eyes – typical features of the water tribes. The girl was carrying a tray with soup and a glass of water.

Azula remained tense as the girl placed the tray on the floor and approached her. The princess was tempted to attack, but held back when the girl gently took her hand, guiding her back to the bed.

"You should rest; your wounds still haven't healed. Don't be foolish," scolded the girl as she helped Azula lie down.

Azula stayed silent as the girl returned with the tray. With gentle movements, she manipulated the water in a glass and brought it to the princess's chest. Azula let out a moan as she felt the cold water on her wounds.

"In a few days, your ribs will be fine. I did my best to heal you," the girl reassured.

"How long have I been asleep?" Azula inquired.

"Two weeks," came the reply.

Azula stared at the girl's face, who was deeply focused on tending to her injuries.

"I thought you'd never wake up. You're lucky Pity found you."

"Who is Pity?"

The girl whistled, and a bird with white feathers landed on her shoulder, flapping its wings with joy. It seemed like a fusion of a parrot and an armadillo.

"Pity finds girl. Pity helps," the girl explained.

"..." Azula just looked at the ceiling in silence, while the waterbender tended to her wounds, several minutes passed until she finished.

"You'll be able to walk more comfortably now," the girl said with a smile as she gathered the water and returned it to the fountain. "I'm Rina. What's your name?"

"..."

"Can you hear me? Okay?"

"Zu."

"Is that your name?" Rina asked, sounding surprised by the name.

"Any problem with my name?"

"No, no! I just find it interesting," the girl quickly apologized for thinking she might have offended the teenager. "I left you some soup. I have to go to school. There's a bathroom downstairs to the right, and some clothes."

"..." Azula remained mostly silent, avoiding eye contact and showing little interest.

"We can't see."

"You shouldn't have helped me."

"Hey?" Rina paused at the door, confused by the statement. She looked at Azula, who was now staring at her.

"I didn't ask you to help me."

"You were dying. I couldn't just ask for your permission," the girl replied, clearly perplexed by the princess's anger.

"You should have let me die."

An uncomfortable silence settled between them. Azula's intense gaze clashed with Rina's confusion as she struggled to understand the princess's words.

Did she want me to let her die?

"No one should have to die if someone can prevent it."

"I don't need your pity," Azula growled with a fierce look that might have intimidated others. However, Rina simply crossed her arms, her face displaying a determined frown.

"I don't pity you. I just helped, that's all."

"I don't need it. I didn't ask for it."

"Sometimes, you don't have to wait for people to ask for help; you just help whoever needs it." With these parting words, Rina left, realizing she was running late for school. Her pet perched on her shoulder as she exited, leaving Azula alone.

The princess waited until the girl was gone and then looked at the soup beside her for a moment. Her stomach grumbled, and she finally got up to eat.

….

After four days of strenuous exercise, Azula was drenched in sweat as she performed push-ups, her body upside down on her arms. Her forehead glistened with perspiration as she continuously lowered and raised herself, working to regain her physical strength. Without her firebending abilities, she knew she had to rely solely on her physical prowess.

One might assume she could break free from the self-destructive cycle that had consumed her, but Azula had found something far more compelling – a new reason to face each day: revenge.

Her newfound purpose was clear. She aimed to avenge those who had exploited her during her lowest moments, relishing the idea of eliminating each of them one by one, inflicting as much pain as possible.

Her thirst for vengeance didn't stop with them; there was one more person on her list: Him….

"Hello, Zu!"

Interrupted from her intense concentration, Azula frowned as the water tribe girl approached the rooftop, a bowl of rice and fish in her hand. "I learned a lot at school today. Did you know the first earthbenders were moles?"

The princess continued her push-ups, now with just one hand. Unfazed, the girl kept talking. "Today, I was bothered by Ymi and her friends again. I don't know why. My mom said that if I'm nice, people and friends will like me."

Azula growled, "You should freeze her and the other brats in a block of ice and break them into pieces."

The girl played with her fingers. "But... My mom said we shouldn't use our power to harm people. My waterbending is supposed to heal, not harm."

"You might need to seek different advice because that one doesn't seem to work," Azula replied calmly, switching hands for her push-ups.

"I can't ask her for more advice. She's not here anymore... She passed away."

Azula halted her exercises, sitting on the wooden floor as she locked eyes with the girl. "How did it happen?"

"My mom was taken from the Southern Tribe during one of the Fire Nation attacks. She was pregnant with me. After she escaped, she came here and made friends who helped her. But a few months ago, she got sick... and didn't make it."

Azula remained emotionless in her posture, even though the girl's story made her briefly imagine herself in a similar position, without a mother by her side. After a moment, she questioned, "You never told me exactly where we are."

The girl beamed and offered her hand, pulling Azula toward the stairs. The princess complied, following the girl. "I want everyone to meet you!"

"Everyone?" Azula glanced around, her curiosity piqued. It was her first time descending from the rooftop, and she could hear the sounds of music, loud laughter, and an overpowering mixture of alcohol and perfume in the air.

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