1. Into the Fire

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, places, or things.

**Chapter One**** – **Into the Fire

Warm air heated by the boiling lake drifted in through the tiny barred window overhead. I felt sweat on my brow, but I was too lost in thought to care about such trifle things. It had been about a year since my failure during Sozin's Comet and since then, I haven't been able to firebend. Besides not being able to firebend, my mind has been fractured. Half the time I don't even know what's real and what is an illusion. At some point I was transferred out of the 'nice' health institute and placed under watch here. I've been vaguely aware of the guards and the way they treat me, but mostly I'm lost to myself.

A slight shuffle outside my cell drew the attention of my true self, but the rest of me didn't react. It was probably just a guard passing by, checking on all the inmates. Still, in a dark corner of my mind, I felt a bit afraid that he would open the door. When I first came here, the guards were all frightened of me. After all, they all knew me and what I was capable of. But after a while here, they began to see me as less and less of a threat. And then they found out I couldn't firebend. Now, the guards did whatever they wanted to me, whenever they wanted.

Suddenly, the door to my cell creaked open. I absently tested the strength of my shackles, as trepidation began to crawl back into my mind. I saw a flash of red robes and dark hair and instantly realized it wasn't a guard. My heartbeat steadied a bit; however, the astonishment of who it was made me hold my breath. It was Mai. The one ultimately responsible for my defeat and imprisonment.

Mai knelt before me, taking in my disheveled appearance and sighing even more despondently than usual. "What happened to you, Azula? The Azula I knew would never let herself go like this."

For the first time in almost a year, I felt rage building up inside of me. The very sight of Mai had rekindled a fire long dormant, and the way she looked down at me fueled it further. I remained silent, though, for I was still not completely in control of myself again. But the rage was slowly beginning to put me back together.

"Even your father, who had his bending and kingdom taken away is better off than you." Her voice, despite how low and morose it usually sounded, seemed to be genuinely sad and disappointed. "I couldn't believe that they had no luck trying to help you and just gave up…I feel sor-"

"Don't!" I snapped, finally regaining the poise and fury of who I used to be. "Don't you ever dare say that to me!" The shocked and startled look on her face was the most expressive I had ever seen it.

She moved her lips as if to say something, but nothing came out. She simply sat there in front of me, dazed, for quite some time before she got a grip on herself. "I see you didn't lose yourself like everyone thought you did. But…I really don't know if that's a good or bad thing."

"Mai, how could you betray me like that?! You made me question everyone. If I couldn't trust you or Ty Lee, who could I trust?" I felt the power of my firebending coming back to life in the heat of my anger. "It's your fault I'm in here."

"No, Azula. You brought this upon yourself. You're the one who drove us to 'betray' you. If only you didn't take after your father so much, things might be different." I could tell from the tone of her voice and the way she looked at me that she was genuinely sad that things had turned out this way. But if she was so remorseful, why did she do what she did? "You both aren't ones to listen to reason."

"You wanted me to turn my back on my father? On my nation? Zuko's a traitor, and I was only doing what was necessary at the time." The yearning to let the energy free was building up so rapidly that I could barely control it. Small azure flames began to leap from my fingertips, only to be snuffed out immediately afterward.

"That's not the case anymore, Azula. Zuko is Fire Lord now, and he's actually doing a really great job. Although, I don't think you'd appreciate his work. It's not quite up to you or your father's standards."

"I still see him as a disgrace to my family, along with my uncle." Memories of the battle at Ba Sing Se drifted back into my mind, bringing a smirk to my face. "I'm not at all surprised that he let Zuko be named Fire Lord. He probably made up some excuse about having to make tea or something and that he couldn't become Fire Lord. He was always one to avoid anything substantial. So, what exactly is he up to now anyway?"

Mai disregarded my condescending tone and shook her head in displeasure at what I said about the man. "I disagree with you about the man, but…you are right about his obsession with tea." A small smile played onto her features, but it quickly faded when she looked into my eyes. "He went back to his tea house in Ba Sing Se."

"I knew Uncle would never do anything important." I shifted my weight around in my bindings so that I was now sitting straight up, my back against the stone wall. "I'll have to pay him a visit and knock that sense of laziness out of him."

"At least he's free, unlike you and your father." Mai's snapped in Iroh's defense, much to my surprise.

A few moments of silence came between us, before I decided to change the subject to keep her talking to me. "Speaking of my father…where is he? And what was that about him not being able to firebend that you mentioned earlier?"

"He's in the prison near the palace. Zuko thought it would be best to keep you two separate. As for his inability to firebend, well, the Avatar did that to him." The mere mention of the Avatar threw even more fuel on the fire. He and Zuko were more troublesome to capture than any city in the Earth Kingdom.

"Father must have made a mistake to let that happen to him. What a fool." My snide remark toward my own father seemed to agitate Mai more than anything else I had said so far.

"If you haven't noticed, Azula, you must have made a mistake, too, since you're, ya know, in prison."

I looked her straight in the eye with an icy sense of indignation. "I still have my firebending."

"A lot of good that'll do you in this prison." The entire guard force was made up of firebenders, but they were nowhere near powerful enough to keep my bending in check.

"Come on, Mai." I went to raise my hands to gesture mockingly at the cell around us, but the shackles kept the secure behind my back. "You know they wouldn't be able to hole me if I really wanted out."

In a split second, Mai had a knife out and pressed it to my throat. "Maybe I should make that possibility disappear." Her unblinking, challenging stare was more fiery than I had seen in the past, and I knew exactly why.

"Calm down, Mai. You have nothing to fear from me." All of our years of friendship must have had a lot of influence on her, for she retracted her blade from my throat almost instantly. "I'm sure your uncle could easily keep me here. He actually does work, unlike my uncle, remember? You're letting your feelings for Zuzu get in between us again." Her and Ty Lee's betrayal ran vividly through both our minds, bringing up mixed feelings within both of us.

However, even though I knew she still cherished our friendship, I knew that she would always choose Zuko over me. And how could I blame her? "Only because I know he would be the first one you'd go after, if you ever got out."

"You said he's Fire Lord now. That means he's no longer a traitor, so why would I go after him now? Besides, he's not the one who bested me." Vague images of Katara passed before my mind's eye and caused the fury building within me to once again almost explode. "He was too weak to beat me. I'm no longer interested in what he does."

"You've never been one to give up on something before. Don't lie to me, Azula." Her voice was commanding and dreadful, almost sounding exactly how I used to before everything feel apart on me.

"That hurt, Mai." I feigned sorrow, as I rolled my eyes at such a ridiculous demand from her. "I would never lie to you. I really have no more interest in hunting Zuko." My eyes drifted down toward the floor before I continued in a soft voice. "He's merely a pawn."

"If I hear from my uncle that you've escaped, I will have no problem taking you out. Don't continue down your old path, Azula." Mai got up without saying another word, turned toward the cell door, and walked out. The metal creaking of the door hinge made me twitch slightly. And then I was alone again; left to rot in a prison cell for the rest of my life. Too bad I didn't feel like wasting the rest of my life like Father planned to.

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Even at night there was no relief from the hot air, but that was alright. It stimulated the raging fire inside me that demanded to be set free. Tonight was going to be the last time I ever saw this horrid prison and all its contemptible guards. Mai would be back in the capitol by now and wouldn't hear of my escape for at least a few days. Maybe even more if I got a bit…creative with my escape. Either way, I would be long gone once her and Zuko found out. Zuko might even send the Avatar after me, but I had my doubts about that. Mai would want to deal with me herself, without the help of some know-it-all kid.

I curled my fingers around so that the tips were touching the bands of my shackles. With violent yet controlled power, I released my energy and became a firebender once more. The familiar azure flames cast an eerie glow upon the falls of my cell, as they made quick and easy work of my bindings. With a distinctive pop, the shackles fell off my body, leaving me free for the first time in longer than I could remember. It felt wonderful to be rid of my constraints as well as being in full control of myself and being able to firebend again. I missed the sense of undeniable power it gave me.

The clamor of a key right outside my cell made me well up with anticipation and excitement. I snaked my arms around like I had done hundreds of times before, channeling my energy into my most potent attack. The crackle and screech of lighting filled the cell with its commanding presence. I heard the guard on the other side yell at me, but I couldn't understand his words. I was far too engrossed in the exhilarating feeling of having my power back. And before long, my attack was at full strength, and I let it free after being trapped for so long.

It ripped through the door as if it wasn't even there. I heard the guard scream while he attempted to avoid my violent outburst, but to no avail. The wall on the other side of the hallway was torn open, the remaining scraps melting away. As soon as the wall disintegrated, the prison alarm began to wail in the distance. Arcing lighting lingered around the tips of my fingers and sent a thrilling tingling sensation throughout my body. I was back, and there was nothing that could hold me back any longer.

Firebending guards ran toward my cell from down the corridor, as I made my way through the burning threshold that used to be the door. They launched a pathetic barrage of red-orange fire toward me, a palpable sense of fear throwing off their bending. With simple flicks of my wrists outward in both directions, I snuffed out the puny flames with my own bright azure ones. The ease in which I repelled their attacks froze them in their tracks. The all knew what I was capable of, yet their duty to the Fire Nation drove them to try and contain me. I held still for a few seconds, giving them a chance to abandon their duties and let me be on my way.

Much to my surprise, they all resumed their assault after only a few tension-filled seconds of decision-making. Flames sailed toward me in flaring walls, but there was nothing that could shake my confidence now. Instead of simply extinguishing their attacks, I punched through them with my own. Every surface my azure flames touched ignited despite the inflammability of the materials the prison was made out of. Power surged through me, flowing out of my extended arms in vicious thrusts. The few guards that challenged me soon either fell to my firebending or ran for their lives. It had been far too long since I had felt this kind of sweet release.

As I strode down the corridors, navigating my way toward the gondolas, I heard the warden's lively voice barking out orders. No doubt he was attempting to gather the veteran guards to act as a wall to keep me in. It mattered little to me if they decided to show themselves or not. Either way, I was making it out of this place tonight, and I would punish anyone who dared to get in my way.

The veteran guards decided to keep themselves out of my path for as long as possible, only appearing when I stepped out onto the platform for the gondolas. Fifteen of them stood between me and my freedom, with the warden frantically shouting from behind his so-called elite troops. "Princess Azula, I'm afraid I cannot let you leave this place." The warden, despite his imposing position, trembled faintly at the ferocious look in my eyes.

"So, you're still calling me 'princess'? Glad to see you still fear me enough to indulge me." Lighting began to crackle around my fingertips on its own, as if reacting to my next thought before it even entered my mind. "I want you to know it's still warranted."

I released the congregating lighting in a wide arc across the entire platform. The intensity of the attack illuminated the entire crater of the boiling lake, as well as the fearful faces of the guardsmen before me. One of the guards leapt out in front of the rest of the group, seeming to attempt to shield the rest of his comrades from my lighting volley. His right hand shot out toward me, and the lightning began to swirl into the tips of his index and middle fingers as if he were absorbing it. After all the blue-white lighting had disappeared into the man's body, he shot his left hand up toward the sky away from everyone. In a flash of blinding light, all of my lighting was redirected toward the shimmering night sky.

"I see the new Fire Lord has taught you some new tricks in case something were to happen with me. No matter…" Azure flames leapt out of the darkness around me, creating a thin barrier around my body. "You should know that's not my only trick." I felt my matted hair stand on end, as the fire around me twirled around it, enveloping it. Blazing fire began to blur my vision while even more of it began to erupt into life all around me. Soon, all that I could see and feel were the burning flames except the tiny black spots where the prison guards stood. With a ferocious roar, I propelled myself toward them like a raging inferno with the strength of my bending.

I could not see the terror etched on their faces, but, by the way they ran from me as I charged, I could clearly tell they were frightened. The man that had redirected my lighting, no doubt their leader right under the warden, held his ground against me. What a foolish mistake that was. He tried to stop my rapid advance by summoning what _normal_ people would consider powerful firebending. However, all of his attacks simply dissipated as soon as they came into contact with my glorious azure fire. And, as soon as I was close enough to him, I merely batted him off the platform with a flame-swathed punch.

The other guards cried out for their officer over the thunderous roar of flames, but they, too, were soon silenced. I sent out a massive wall of fire that three mediocre firebenders could not halt. They somehow managed to keep themselves alive despite the magnitude of my attack, nevertheless, they were unable to do anything further in attempts to subdue me. The remaining firebenders all launched matching fireballs toward me. I skidded to a halt in front of their barrage, my right side facing them, and began to swirl my hand around counterclockwise. Every single one of the fireballs betrayed their masters and fell under my control instantaneously. None of them could stop me, as I sent their own attacks back at them tenfold.

Sporadic fires burned uncontrollably all about the platform, showing no other signs of life except myself and one other. Instead of speaking out against me as he had so boldly done when his guards were still protecting him, the warden seemed to want to run and hide. The manner of authority he usually carried himself with had vanished, leaving behind a pathetic frightened man. He had no bending skills of his own, and, even if he did, he knew better than to try anything more to try and stop me.

The flames around me began to shrink until they were barely visible, before finally ceasing to exist. "I've grown tired of your _prison_, warden. I'm leaving now." As I strode confidently past him, I shot him a wicked smile that sent him running for safety.

Once the gondola was to the other side of the boiling lake, I shot the cables allowing their travel with lighting. After all, I didn't want word of my escape to get out too early and have Mai and Zuko looking for me before I got anywhere. I started fussing with my hair as I listened to the crash of the gondola cables, trying to get it back into the style I had been so familiar with. Bits of cloth from my prison clothes worked well enough to secure my hair for the time being. Soon, though, I would finally have some real clothes and would have restored my royal bearing. No one could stop me, even if they recognized me.

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The night was unprecedentedly cool, especially after the heat of the boiling lake, but the long Fire Nation robes kept me comfortable. I wore my hair down to throw anyone I came into contact with off, as well as to aid in keeping the chill away. The day before I had washed up and gotten some new clothes, and I began to feel a little bit like myself again. There were still many conflicting thoughts swirling around my mind, but I tried as best I could to focus on the task at hand. I couldn't let myself fall back into the insanity that caused my downfall. There was no way I could allow myself to be so weak again.

Much to my surprise, the troops standing guard outside the palace prison were already taken out. I rushed over to their fallen forms, searching them for anything that would give me a clue as to who could have done this. At first, I didn't see anything that jumped out at me. But, upon further searching of the men, I found tiny darts pricked into their flesh. I cautiously tugged one out of one of the guard's neck and gave it a look over to see if it had any markings whatsoever on it. Nothing. This made absolutely no sense. No one would attack Fire Nation troops, unless…they wanted someone inside like me.

Fire ignited in my golden eyes, as I picked myself up and stormed off toward the prison complex. If the person or persons responsible for the death of the guards was still here and were after the same person I was, I would dispose of them—whoever they were. I didn't risk traveling through a nation that obviously knows my face, getting closer and closer to my brother, for nothing. The thought of me finding an empty cell made me want to just torch the place then and there, but I couldn't jeopardize my cover. Azure flames drifted around my fingertips, waiting impatiently for me to release my fury.

Rapid footsteps clamored down the stairwell in front of me. I quickly ducked away into a hallway to get out of sight, not knowing who was racing down the stairs. I held my breath as the small group of men rushed past the corridor I was hiding in. They were all wearing unassuming clothes that appeared to originate from the Fire Nation. As I pondered all the possibilities as to who these men were, I saw him. A few paces behind the last man ran my father.

He was smiling that wicked smile of his that he had passed down to me. My emotions raged out of control, threatening to send me spiraling back down into darkness. I tried to reign them in, to prevent me from slipping again, but met no success. The only thing I could remember was how he had left me all alone to unravel while he went out to conquer the world. If only he had let me be by his side, things might have turned out differently. Then again, if I had been by his side when the Avatar beat him, I might not have my firebending as well. But still...how could he do that to me?!

I singled my rage out from all my other turbulent emotions and latched onto it like my life depended on it. Azure fire crackled to life, as I leapt out from around the corner to ambush the group of escaping men. I unleashed my fury full-force upon them, desiring to rid the world of such wretched men, yet I could not bring myself to hurt my own father. My flames whipped around him so quickly that he didn't realize what was going on. The men breaking him out were instantly crushed by my attack, their screams disturbing the otherwise peaceful night.

Father skidded to a halt just before he hit the wall of flames, spinning around to face his attacker--me. "A-Azula?!" His voice was as commanding as ever, yet the shock of seeing me made him question his own confidence. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to discuss some things with you, father. I'm glad I caught you before you disappeared." I kept the wall of flames burning so that he had no choice but to talk to me.

He took a long look at me and somehow saw past my calm exterior to my inner turmoil. "I can tell you're still not yourself, my daughter. You know you shouldn't be out and about in your condition. It's...dangerous."

"For who, father? You? Or me? Judging from the skittish look in your eye, I'd say you. I can handle myself." I could feel myself slipping back into the darkness of insanity, but I had to hold on if I was ever to be rid of it.

"That's what you thought before, Azula, and then you had that breakdown. I don't think you know how to handle yourself."

"And who's fault is that?!" The azure flames around us roared with restored vigor, almost drowning out the sound of my voice. "You're the one who brought me up to be like you. And then you abandoned me when I needed you most!"

My father shook his head as if he were disappointed in me. "Poor child. Is that what you really think of me? Some monster that gave up on his own daughter."

"Yes, because you are!" My rage pulled free from my control for a split second, and I had him by the collar.

He chuckled to himself, as he stared into my burning, confused eyes. "You may be right. But...the fact remains that you are responsible for yourself. Don't blame others for your inadequacies."

"You're lucky I don't kill you where you stand." Venomous hate dripped from my every word, threatening to overtake me as well as my father.

"Come now, Azula, you could never kill me." Somehow, my father made his voice sound soft and caring while he spoke such powerful words. "I'm your father. The one who actually raised you, unlike your mother. You rely on me too much to do anything to me."

"But I realize now that you never truly cared. You were just using me my entire life to get what you wanted, and I fell for it. Losing your mind brings your attention to all the little details of one's life." I felt a nervous tick in the back of my mind when I spoke about my own insanity. It made my body shake to remember just how far I had strayed from my path.

"It only took you how many years to figure that out? Your brother figured that one out a long time ago."

Images and thoughts from my interrupted coronation flashed in my mind, resurrecting some of those twisted emotions. "Don't bring Zuko into this. He has nothing to do with it."

"Oh, really?" He mocked in a condescending tone. "Then, tell me why you got so flustered when I mentioned him? Are you still bitter over the fact that he was crowned Fire Lord instead of you?"

"You know that has nothing to do with it!" I was at my limit for tolerating my father, and if he didn't stop messing around, I would put him in his place.

"What is it, then? Come on, refresh my memory."

The way he was treating me made me believe everything anyone had ever said bad about the man and that I had ignored. All I wanted to do was get the information I came for and be rid of him. "Just tell me where my mother is."

"Was that really so hard?" The fire in my eyes was about to manifest itself into my murder weapon. "You need to be more open with your feelings, Azula."

"Shut up!" Lightning crackled all around me, filling the room with its eerie glow, it's thunderous noise, and unrivaled power. All i needed to do was let it free, and I would no longer be in my father's shadow. My father just stood there with an impassive face as if he wasn't in any danger at all. His complete indifference caused my anger and frustration to break my concentration. I shot my right hand out at him, my pointer and index fingers aimed at his chest. In a split second it could all be over, and I felt so relieved that I was finally going to be free. But when I went to release the energy to end it all, it simply vanished. I was left standing there, in position to deliver the final blow, staring up into my father's eyes.

"What's the matter? Can't do it?" As I eased away from him, he smirked arrogantly. "I have no reason to fear you."

I tried to harness my firebending, to give him something he could fear, but nothing came. "Just tell me where my mother is."

"Why is it so important to you children to find your mother? First Zuko and now even you." He let his posture relax, as he spoke, which gave away the fact that he had feared what I would do. "I'm actually quite confused as to why you would wish to see her."

"I have my reasons. Now, tell me where she is!"

"Since you're so persuasive," Once again he mocked me, but there was something different about it this time. "I'll tell you. She's in a small village near Ba Sing Se. You've been so close to her before, but you never knew it. Your brother was quite frustrated at learning this little bit of information."

The hopes of my plan being successful were already beginning to wither. "So Zuko has already seen her?"

"No. If he had, he would have already brought her back here, since her Banishment would no longer matter."

Doubts began to fill my head about the validity of his information. "Why are you being so straightforward with me now?"

"I have my reasons." He sneered, obviously trying to provoke me into another impotent humiliation.

Before I could do anything, we were alerted of incoming guards by the sound of their hurried footsteps. "You'd better leave, Azula. You don't want to go back to prison with me, do you?" I gave him a long, hard look and then strode toward the back entrance behind my father. Once he was behind me, I heard a sharp scraping sound and the crunch of gravel under foot directly behind me. I spun around to see my father lunging toward me. Stunned, I couldn't react for what seemed like minutes until he put a hand on my left shoulder.

His touch snapped me out of my daze, and sent me tumbling into action. I threw my left arm upward, knocking his big hand off my shoulder and up into the air. While his right arm was out of the way, I hit him in the stomach with a quick jab before he could block with his left. The blow did more damage to him than I thought it would. He staggered backwards a few steps and then just glared at me. Without thinking, I kicked him in the stomach with enough force to knock him back against the wall.

As he floundered on the ground in pain, I towered over him with a contemptuous glare. "You've grown soft, father." He looked up at me through his tangled mess of hair and spat at me. I easily dodged it, kicking him in the ribs for his cowardly act. "Prison life is the best way to make you suffer for what you have done."

"You're going to regret this, Azula…" He shakily tried to defiantly stand back up in front of me, but I pinned him to the ground with the hell of my boot.

I shoved his face down against the dusty ground, leaning down to speak directly into his left ear. "Have fun rotting in this prison, father." Grinding my heel against his should, I spun away from him and ran off toward the rear exit of the prison.


	2. ReAlign

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, places, or things.

**Chapter Two**** – **Re-Align

I felt sick to my stomach. Ever since I had entered the Earth Kingdom, I had seen people from all three nations getting along together. None of the people I saw even gave one another a second look. All that my ancestors, my father and I had worked toward all of our lives had all vanished in the past year. Equality was not what we had hoped for the world. We wanted to show the power and nobility of the Fire Nation to the world, but these people were lowering themselves.

I was just like everyone else—an equal—despite the fact that I was Fire Nation royalty. No one that I ran into seemed to recognize me, not even the few members of the Fire Nation nobility that I remembered from father's meetings. They seemed happy enough for the state of this new world, not even an ounce of remorse for our nation's fall in their eyes or mannerisms. Their abandonment of our traditions, above all else, brought my blood to a boil.

My brother had managed to humiliate our entire nation in such a short time. I clenched my fists until the knuckles turned white, unable to control my building rage. How could he do this to our people? We were not meant to be on equal terms with these peasants but to rule them. I wanted to torch the place, to give them a reason to once again fear us, but I had to admit…it was easier to travel this way. Although, it also proved a bit more boring.

While I was lost in such troubling thoughts, I almost missed the familiar person walking down a side road. My eyes widened in surprise, as I contemplated why Ty Lee, dressed in the armor of a Kyoshi warrior, was in the middle of the Earth Kingdom. The fact that she was out of prison didn't surprise me in the least, but that she was here, that was what I didn't understand. Then again, she did always try to fit in anywhere she possibly could.

Almost immediately, I began to pursue her, but all the people around made me rethink my actions. There was no telling how she would react to me being here, so it would be better to meet with her somewhere more private. I stopped at a small shop at the corner of the road, letting Ty Lee disappear into another part of the town. The shopkeeper's head came up at the sound of my entrance. "Is there something I can do for you, miss?" His masculine voice sounded sleepy as if he was on the verge of sleep before I came in.

"Yes," I took one last look out the door to see that there was no one eavesdropping on me. "I was wondering if you could tell me where the Kyoshi warriors are staying. One of them is a…friend, and I wanted to pay her a visit."

He looked at me funny, like he didn't quite believe me, but then shrugged it off. "Yeah, I can tell you. They're using some of the houses in the southern part of town as their residences. They've been a real help rebuilding this town and keeping the peace since the Fire Nation withdrew from here. It was a real mess, but they came through for us many times. You should be proud of your friend." The notion nearly made me to laugh.

"Oh, I am." As I turned to make my way out of the shop, I didn't even try to hide the sarcasm in my voice.

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I sat quietly in the little home I was told that Ty Lee used. As the day was getting darker, the air began to get cooler and cooler. Soon, I felt a shiver go down my spine. I lit the few longs in the hearth with azure fire, which instantly warmed and illuminated the room. It had been a while since I had had a chance to relax like this, and it was starting to make me drowsy. All of the well thought-out things I was going to question her about began disappearing as if I had never thought of them. But I had to be on my guard. There was no telling how she would react to me being here, and she wasn't exactly a pushover.

Outside the building, I heard a girl wish someone else goodnight. I knew it was Ty Lee's voice and forced myself straight up in the chair to be ready for anything. She slowly opened the door, shuffling into the house after a long day of work. "Welcome home, Ty Lee."

She stopped dead in her tracks at hearing my voice before staring in astonishment that I was in her home. "Azula? What are you doing here?" Shock and confusion was evident in her shaky voice, which made me grin slightly.

"I was on my way to see someone, when I saw you out in the village. So, I figured I'd stop by." I explained nonchalantly as if it were an everyday occurrence.

She was keeping her distance, so she could escape quickly if need be, but I saw something in her eyes that gave away her true feelings. "How did you get out of prison? Last time I heard, you were in the Boiling Rock."

"Well, you heard correct," My right hand began to tremble at the thought of that place and all it meant for me. However, I casually reached my left hand over and held it more or less still. "but I grew bored with that place. Mai's uncle doesn't know how to run a pleasant prison."

She seemed to be having doubts that I had broke out of prison all by myself, despite knowing what I was capable of. "I hope you didn't hurt Mai's uncle. She would be furious with you, if you did."

"Don't worry, I didn't harm him." I could tell she was relieved that I hadn't gone and done anything to escalate the tension between Main and I. "However, she's still not going to be happy that I escaped."

"Why? I thought she would be happy her friend is back to normal." Her innocent confusion reminded me just how easy it had been to manipulate her in the past.

"She thinks I'm going to go after Zuko because he became Fire Lord." I rolled my eyes and let out a huffy sight, mocking Mai's thinking as I spoke. "She thinks I want revenge and won't stand for it."

Ty Lee regarded me for a moment in silence like she was deciding whether or not she should say something. "She does have a good reason to think that, Azula. I mean, I thought you'd want to go after him, too."

"He's of no consequence to me." I stood up rapidly yet with grace and walked over to the burning fireplace. "I don't care that he's been named Fire Lord. And if he ever came after me, I could beat him easily. He's the weaker one in the family." Putting my right forearm against the mantle, I leaned on it, staring blankly into the fire I had lit.

"Knowing you, I don't think I can believe that so easily." She twiddled her thumbs in the middle of the room, afraid that I might lash out at her for speaking the way she was. "You've been waiting for the position of Fire Lord for such a long time, I just didn't think you'd just walk away from it."

I was disappointed that both of my 'friends' didn't believe me about Zuko, but then again, I couldn't really blame them. "Mai didn't believe me either. Then again, I did break out of prison after telling her I wouldn't. but I just couldn't let myself be like my father and waste away in prison for the rest of my life."

"You had no hard feelings about throwing me and Mai in prison, yet you didn't want that for yourself." Obviously she was hurt that I had done that to them, and she had a right to, but her comment just set me off.

I whirled around away from the fireplace, took a few purposeful steps forward, and went off in her face. "Both of you, especially Mai, betrayed me. That was the only thing I could think to do at the time. My anger and pain wouldn't let me do anything else."

"Azula…" She couldn't hold my fiery gaze for more than a single word, her head dropping in shame. "I didn't betray you. Yes, I did stop you, but that was to save Mai, as well as you. I didn't want to see my two best friends kill each other. That's the only thing I could think of doing at the time to stop both of you in your blind anger."

"All it did was _save_ Mai. Because of both of you, I ended up losing everything I had worked for. I have nothing but my own life now. And even that is being threatened." The fire at my back reacted to you heated words, expanding outwardly until it threatened to consume the small home.

She looked up into my eyes with her watery ones and spoke in a soft, comforting tone. "You have me, Azula. Sometimes I don't agree with you, but I don't hate you or anything."

Things didn't make sense. There was no proof to make me believe what she said. She was just lying to me. There was no way that she could actually care for me, not after all that has happened. She betrayed me once, and now she was trying to get back on my good side, so she could do it again.

"I know I wasn't all there for a while, but I don't remember you ever coming to visit me. So how can you say that you're still loyal to me?" Once again she could not keep looking me in the eye and focused back on the ground instead.

A tear fell from her eyes but quickly evaporated from the heat of my flames. "I'm sorry, Azula…You know me, I get sidetracked easily. The Kyoshi warriors took me in, and I've been doing work for them ever since. I wanted to come see you, but I just never got a chance."

"Ty Lee…" The gentle tone in which my voice came out surprised me and brought her gaze back up to my face. "I'm willing to forgive you, if you come with me now."

"I dunno, Azula…" She turned her back on me and stared out the small window on the other side of the room. "I can't just leave the Kyoshi warriors out of nowhere. I have responsibilities here, and friends."

The augmented flames behind me began to shrink back into the fireplace. "I understand." I replied in a flat voice, showing absolutely no sign of emotions.

"But, since it's you," She unexpectedly turned back toward me with one of her big, childish smiles plastered on her face. "I'll do it! It'll be sort of like old times again!" And then she did the unthinkable—she threw her arms around me and gave me the biggest hug I had ever received.

I was utterly shocked by her sudden outburst of affection, and didn't quite know how to react. My muscles tensed up, and I wanted to yell at her, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. "Okay, you can get off me now." She hesitantly unwrapped her arms from around me and took a few steps backward, still smiling.

"I'm just so happy that you're back to your old self, Azula. I was so worried that I'd never see you again."

"Thank you. I'm glad you decided to come with me again. I couldn't count on Mai, but I know I can trust you." The words just seemed to flow freely from my mouth without me having any control over them. I had no idea where they came from, still, it seemed right…for the situation.

Ty Lee gave me a long look, cocking her head to the side as if something were baffling her. "I've never seen you like this before. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." I shook the odd feeling I was getting, and focused my mind on my next move. "We need to be going before someone finds out that I'm here."

"Where are we going?" She now seemed much more interested in what was going to happen next, easing my nervous feelings.

"To visit my uncle in Ba Sing Se." I said flatly, thinking it best to keep my mouth shut about my mother for now.

The look on her face told me that she was a bit confused about why I would want to see him. But instead of asking my reasons, she took a different approach. "Will he even be willing to talk to you, Azula? You two aren't exactly on good terms."

"He'll answer my questions, one way or another." I felt a wicked grin come across my face at the thought of what I could do to him to make him talk. "It probably won't be all that hard, though. Remember, he's a softie when it comes to family."

"Whatever happens," She seemed far less confident than I that he would go along with my wishes. "just know I'll be by your side." I nodded my acknowledgment, as I walked past her toward the door. She spun around in her usual perky manner and followed me out into the darkening night.

00000000

I slowly woke up to the sound of bird calls, reveling in the joy of being free. Something firm yet soft pressed at my back and made it impossible for me to roll onto my back to look up at the sky. Sluggishly, I propped myself up on my elbow to get a better look at my surroundings in the daylight. Nothing had changed from the night before, except whatever was at my back. I twisted my head around to get a good look. My eyes widened in surprise and confusion. It was Ty Lee.

She wall all curled up against my back like a small child cozying up to its mother. I had never seen her like this—so fragile, so at peace. I tried to get up, to put some distance between us, but my body wouldn't listen. At first I thought she had betrayed me again, but I realized then that it wasn't the case. I had been so alone for such a long time that I truly enjoyed having her close to me; another human being who actually cared for me.

Instead of trying to get up again, I just laid back down the way I had been. This was a new feeling to me, but I didn't hate it. I began to wonder how I managed to get along without it. It seemed so crucial, so meaningful, that I simply couldn't comprehend. Yet, as much as I didn't understand it, it seemed to calm my mind and give me…happiness. This must be what Zuko felt around his friends.

Before my mind drifted back off to sleep, I felt the ground quiver slightly as if something big was traveling nearby. The more I felt the tremors, the less convinced I was that it was a harmless occurrence. I slowly got up, nudging Ty Lee awake with an elbow as I rose. She sluggishly began to wake up and move around. "What is it? Is it time to go already?"

We were both soon on our feet, and I surveyed the area while she struggled to shake off sleep. "We have company." Just then five earthbenders popped up out of seemingly nowhere to block our path east toward Ba Sing Se.

The man in the middle, obviously their leader, looked oddly familiar, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. "To what do we owe the pleasure of having the great princess Azula visit out kingdom?" He tipped up his wide hat with his pointer finger to ensure that I saw his impish grin.

"If all you came to say was snide remarks," I took a few bold steps toward the Dai Li agent and looked him in the eye. "I'd suggest you leave."

"I'm afraid I can't just leave. You are an enemy to us all, not just one nation. I cannot allow you to leave here freely." As soon as he was finished speaking, the other four earthbenders used their skills in an attempt to subdue and capture me.

Rock jutted up out of the ground rapidly on either side of me, catching my arms by the wrists and locking them in place. Just as the arm restraints came on, earth formed around my shins to further prevent me from moving at all. They all gave each other self-satisfied smirks once I was all tied up in stone. They had no idea who they were dealing with. I casually twisted my head back around to see if they had done anything to Ty Lee, but she had disappeared. I knew what her plan would be, yet somewhere in the back of my mind I thought she had abandoned me.

"I hope you liked prison because you're going back." His arrogance brought a wicked smile to my face at the thought of just how little the man actually knew. He used to bow to me for a reason. "You don't have the power this time, I do."

Just to toy with him and his ridiculous preconceptions, I opened my mouth and let a jet of azure fire roar out of my mouth. Taken aback by my sudden attack, the Dai Li leader barely managed to thrust up a wall of earth to shield himself from the blaze. The fire harmlessly billowed out in a small circle from the point of impact. I laughed at the frustrated and enraged look on his face, which managed to do what I wanted it to—anger him further.

His face contorted in anger, and he was just about to use his bending to make me regret my defiance when something struck him. The sound of multiple punches echoed off his armor in the span of a blink of an eye. He fell forward, even more furious than he had been a second before. "Perfect timing, as always, Ty Lee." She gave me a friendly smile before cart wheeling backwards out of the way of an erupting pillar of rock.

Lighting began to crackle all around me, as I focused my power on what I needed to escape my confines. The tiny bolts of lightning struck the clumps of earth holding me in place, leaving behind little charred divots in their wake. Not having all the time in the world to wait for them to do the job, I forced all the power of the lighting into the tips of my fingers. A sudden and unexpected sense of dread came over me while all the power became confined into one place and kept from being released. But, despite my instinctual warning, I continued to gather it all.

Ty Lee was having trouble evading the attacks of all four earthbenders, but she was well qualified to do the job. She had managed to draw all their attention away from me while I worked on freeing myself. Finally content with the amount of energy I had collected, I released it full-force into the earth bindings attached to me. The rock shattered into millions of tiny pieces upon impact, flying out in every direction. The thunderous concussion that heralded my freedom redirected the attention of three of the four remaining Dai Li agents back to me.

Accompanied by a blaze of azure flames, lighting still crackled around me where my restraints had been. There was nothing they could try to do to me that would actually stop me. I was far more powerful than they were, and they were now beginning to see by exactly how much. Even Ty Lee and the other Dai Li agent stopped their fighting to stare at me. I grinned wickedly at the astonished looks on their faces, relishing in their fear and awe of me.

Two of the Dai Li, shaking their fear of me from their minds, created boulders out of the ground. They put their fists to them in the traditional earthbender fashion, sending them flying toward me at breakneck speeds. I lifted both my arms and directed a hand at both of the rocketing boulders. Plumes of azure flame whooshed out of both my palms and consumed both of their bending weapons. Nothing—not even ash—made it out of my fire, as it continued to spread outward toward the two men.

Right before my firebending was about to claim two more victims, the ground beneath me started to quake violently. I tumbled to the right just when the spot of ground I was standing on shot up into the air in the shape of a spike. As soon as I recovered from my tumble, I gave the third earthbender a dark scow. He had a conceited smirk upon his face that I wanted to replace with a look of terror and agony.

I sprang up from my crouched position, firing a jet of flame from my outstretched right arm. The first Dai Li my fire came towards threw up two walls—one in front of the fire and the other in between him and myself—of earth to protect himself. Instead of allowing such foolish tactics to work against me, I bent the end of the line of flame around his pathetic walls. He let out a cry of agony that brought another pleased smile to my face. The other earthbenders were not as cheerful as I was that one of them had just fallen to me.

As I continued to engulf the area in azure flame, I saw Ty Lee weave in and out of multiple attacks, rushing toward her target. It was clear that the Dai Li agent attempting to defend himself was slipping, and it wouldn't be long until he was no longer a threat either. The fact that I had someone else to count on in situations like this again was actually somewhat of a relief. As much as I enjoyed taking care of all my opponents by myself, sometimes it was just better to have another person there to help. Especially if the ones posing a threat were not worth my time.

My firebending soon overtook the second earthbender in its path, who proved to be the weakest of them so far. He hadn't even made a worthwhile attempt to save himself; he just accepted his defeat. Ty Lee's fists thumped against the fourth Dai Li's body, sending him sprawling onto the grassy ground. The last earthbender glanced back and forth nervously between my advancing fire and Ty Lee as if wondering which would be the best way to go. But rather than standing and dying with dignity, he turned tail and ran.

"Should I go after him, Azula?" Ty Lee was not far from him and could easily catch up to him and bring him down.

I thought about it for a brief second before deciding. "No, let him go. He's not worth our time. Besides, now my uncle will probably find out and give me a proper welcome." She gave me an odd look, which I disregarded with a wave of my hand. "Let's keep going. We still have a long way to go before we reach Ba Sing Se."


End file.
