Azula looked at the infant who was sleeping peacefully next to her. After what had happened in Omashu, she had been doing this every night in case they tried to steal Korra from her. She would not allow that to happen. Korra was the only thing good about her life and she wasn't going to let her Uncle ruin it.
It's your own fault Azula. You raised her the same way your bastard father raised you, and now you are paying the price just like he did.
The voice of her mother rang in her head. No. It couldn't be her fault. Right? She had raised Korra the only way she knew how to. She now regretted everything that she had taught Korra and wanted a fresh start. She knew that Uncle would allow her another chance, but her pride got in the way of her wanting to switch sides. She couldn't imagine anyone forgiving her for everything she's done. She had regretted lots of her mistakes, but that didn't change the fact that she made those mistakes and she would have to face the consequences and live with them.
Korra stirred in her sleep, and a smile graced her water tribe features as she dreamed of something pleasant. Azula couldn't help but smile when Korra rolled closer to her. Before she knew it, Azula had fallen asleep in her chair.
Zuko looked at the towering place in front of him. He took a deep breath and led his uncle and Katara to a secret passageway he had learned about while playing in the castle as a kid. It was located a little farther off and had a tunnel leading to the private library of the fire lord. No one was allowed inside it, but Zuko had managed to slip inside while no one was watching.
"Are you sure this is the way? We seem to be going farther from the palace." Katara asked, skeptical of his actions.
"Yeah. There is a secret passageway leading inside of the palace. It'll be close to where Azula probably put Korra." Zuko flashed Katara a small smile and she returned it.
Iroh watched silently as she and Zuko subconsciously drifted towards each other and blushed when they realized how close they were. Iroh, amused, chuckled and shook his head at the teenagers actions.
When they reached the passageway, they climbed down as inconspicuous as possible. It was a long walk through the tunnels, but at least they had light. They realized they were underneath the palace and could hear the commotion above them. Servants cleaning and getting work done as quickly as they can so they could go home. The tunnel finally slanted upwards and in a short while, they were standing in front of a door.
They emerged in an unglamorous spot in the massive library. They crept around quietly , trying to find the exit until finally spotting it on the other side of the library. When they reached the door, there were whispers. They had to wait and hide until those people had gone. By this time, it was very late, and they were getting tired.
They slipped unnoticed into the halls of the castle and looked around for guards. Then they realized that they had no idea where Azula would've kept Korra. They decided to check the guest bedrooms first, but they were all empty except for one emmisery for the Earth Kingdom that was sleeping peacefully.
Iroh suggested they take a look near the Royal Family's chamber, since Azula probably would want to keep an eye on the Avatar at all times of the day and night. The second door they opened held both Azula and the child. Azula, it seemed, had fallen asleep while watching the child. Katara and Zuko were shocked at how young the new Avatar was. The fact that the little girl in front of them was a reincarnation of Katara's best friend was impossible to believe.
Iroh gently took her sleeping body in his arms and quietly slipped away before Azula noticed that she was gone. The second they were outside, they breathed a sigh of relief. They ran as fast as they could without waking the child and got outside much quicker. They put as much distance as they could between them and the palace, and they only stopped to rest when they thought they were going to pass out from exhaustion.
Iroh had insisted that Zuko and Katara should sleep and he would keep watch. He pointed out that someone had to watch Korra in case she woke up before them and ran back to the palace. Zuko and Katara were too tired to argue, so they curled up on the softest piece of rock they could find and fell asleep instantaneously.
Iroh watched them both with an amused grin as they were drawn to each other even in their unconscious state. They finally found each other and held each other in their sleep, their limbs tangled together as they drifted off into a dreamless, peaceful sleep.