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Chapter Text

Azula felt the wind get knocked out of her lungs as her father's kick landed on her ribs, the sand and gravel that covered the courtyard's ground biting into her arm as she slid to a stop. Rolling onto her back, she gasped for breath, clutching the pained spot on her ribs where his blow had landed. 

"Again!" her father commanded, his booming voice cutting through the ringing in her ears. 

Biting back the pain in her ribs, she rolled onto her side, watching her father approach through blurred vision from the tears burning behind her eyes. As she tried to push herself back up onto her feet, she could see Ryuzo move from where he stood at the edge of the training yard toward her, but her father stopped him with a raised hand. 

"No," her father ordered, "let her get up herself."

Ryuzo seemed to hesitate for a moment, grinding his jaw as he looked at her, his eyes going soft with concern, but she waved him off with a shake of her head, Ryuzo reluctantly backing away.

Taking a deep breath, she clutched the spot on her ribs where her father's blow had landed and tried to push herself back to her feet, but the pain was too much, and she collapsed back to the dirt.  

"Puthedic," her father spat as he crouched down next to her. "And here I thought you were cut from stronger stone than your brother, a worthy heir to my throne," he said, watching her struggle to breathe for a moment before standing. "but perhaps I was wrong," he scoffed before turning away from her.

His words caused a surge of spite and anger to go through her. It had been over a month since she had been forced to send Ty Lee away, and in that time, she had gotten nothing from her father, having been excluded from the war council meetings she used to attend with him, instead forced to pick through the dozens of proposals for her hand that came in each day, with him bearly even seeming to spare a thought for her beyond the occasional disdainful frown he gave her whenever she happened to cross paths with him in the palace halls, and now after all that time he had decided to interrupt her and Ryuzo's sparring lesson to what? Test her? If he was, she was failing. 

The image of the Agni Kai and Zuko's burning briefly flashed in her mind, her brother's scream echoing in her ears.  'No, I'm not like him. I can't be like him.'  she told herself, pushing herself back up on one elbow.  'I need to be stronger.'

Zuko may have failed to capture the Avatar, but he had, at the very least, proven himself loyal and dedicated to their father, and all she had proven to be was a freak and an embarrassment, but she couldn't be weak as well. 

Trying to stand, Ryuzo again rushed back to her side, grasping her arm to help her back up. 

 "I don't need your help!" she snapped at him as she pulled her arm away.

Ryuzo let go but stayed by her side until she was steady on her feet. Looking back to her father, she felt panic rise in her chest as she watched his servants place his crimson robe back on him and he prepared to leave.

"Get back here!" she demanded, but her father instead focused his attention on one of the courtiers who handed him a scroll, a strange expression crossing his face as he opened and read it. 

"We're going again!" She pressed, trying again to earn his attention. 

Her father glanced back at her for a moment but kept his back to her. "No," he said before turning his attention back to the scroll, "you're done. Lo and Li will-"

"I can do it!" she insisted before he could finish. "I can get it right, just one more round!" she pleaded as she tried to step forward, but another jolt of pain went through her ribs, causing her to let out a ragged cough as she stumbled, nearly bringing her back to her knees before Ryuzo caught her by the arm. 

Her father watched her with a look of disgust before turning to Ryuzo. "Captin, it looks as though your position as the princess's personal guard is secure, as she seems thoroughly incapable of defending herself."

His words cut deep as she felt tears burn behind her eyes, though if they came from the pain of her wounds or her own failure, she could not tell. 

"Get her cleaned up," her father ordered, giving her one last scornful look before looking back to Ryuzo. "Then see me in the war room."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," Ryuzo replied through gritted teeth. Her father paused, glaring at Ryuzo as though he was looking for any signs of disrespect. Either finding none or deciding not to act on it, he turned and ascended the steps back inside the palace, his servants rushing to follow him inside.

As soon as the doors closed behind her father, Ryuzo knelt, hooking her arm over his shoulder. 

"I already told you I don't need your help," she insisted, through a cough, but she didn't try to pull away from him. 

"Yeah, you do, kid," he said as he guided her to the door. 

___

Azula's grip tightened along the edge of the examination table where she sat in the Royal physician's office, letting out a hiss of pain as Doctor Azu tightly wrapped a bandage around her abdomen.

"Apologies, your Highness," he said as he finished securing the bandage. 

"How long will it take for this to heal," she asked impatiently as she lowered her tunic back over her abdomen. 

"Six weeks at most," Azu said with a shrug as he turned to repack his supplies. 

"Six weeks?" she repeated in disbelief. "Isn't there anything you can give me to make it heal faster?"

"I'm afraid there isn't much that can be done for a broken rib," Doctor Azu explained. "These bangies should keep the bone in place, but other than that, I'd recommend placing ice on it daily and plenty of rest." 

"I'll make sure to cut back on the sparring sessions for the next few weeks," Ryuzo said from where he leaned against one of the walls. 

"And what else am I supposed to do in here exactly?" she questioned. Her father had kept her on a tight leash for the past month, keeping her confined to the palace and under constant watch, with her training lessons being the one activity that let her release any of her stress. 

"I'm afraid that's up to you, Your Highness," Azu shrugged, "but I'd recommend nothing too strenuous."  

"You're useless!" she snapped at Azu. "Get out!" 

Azu seemed to take little offense at her outburst, simply bowing before following her order. As he opened the door, she could hear the sound of two sets of shuffling feet approaching from outside the hall, signaling the approach of her two new constant shadows.

"Princess," Lo and Li greeted in unison with a bow as they stepped inside.

Azula had to repress the urge to let out a groan of frustration at the arrival of her babysitters. She remembered the twins from her childhood, her father having briefly assigned them as temporary caretakers for her after her mother had run out on them, leaving her side once she had begun to attend the Fire Nation academy. But ever since her misstep, her father had called them back to court and assigned the two intrusive old bats to follow her around everywhere. They made an eerie set with the way they'd finish one another's sentences as if they were one person, which wasn't helped by their identical pale painted-on makeup that covered the wrinkles and cracks that cut through their faces, constantly hunched and wearing long dark robes that always seemed to hold letters from new suitors that they spent every free moment badgering her to read. This time seemed to be no exception, with Lo unfolding her arms to reveal a rolled-up letter from her sleeves. 

"General Lao has written to the palace expressing his interest in the prospect of your hand in marriage," Lo said, holding the letter out to her.

Azula glanced at the letter disdainfully before returning her gaze to Lo's. 

"He comes from a prestigious line," Lo commented, placing the letter on her bedside table when she refused to take it. 

"...and is highly favored by the Fire Lord," Li added. 

"He's also twice my age," she pointed out, remembering the few times that she had seen the man in her father's war council meetings, having found his unkept wirey beard disgusting and his loud, abrasive nature annoying. 

"An older tree will bear sweeter fruit than a sapling," Li said, beginning one of the twin's incessant analogies. 

"...and its roots are dug twice as deep," Li finished. 

Before she could spit out yet another refusal, Ryuzo stepped in. "We might let the princess rest before pressing this topic." 

Lo and Li seemed to narrow their eyes at Ryuzo, or at least as much as they could through their wrinkles. 

"His royal majesty is insisting that the princess make a selection by the end of the fortnight." 

"He has also requested your presence in the war room, Captin." Lo reminded him. 

Ryuzo seemed to understand their dismissal but still lingered for a moment as he often did, still seeming to feel some guilt for not being there when her father had confronted her, but he left, if hesitantly, all the same when she dismissed him with a nod at the door. Twin sets of eyes followed him as he departed before settling back on her once Ryuzo closed the door behind him.

"If you do not accept one of the betrothals that have been laid out before you in the time your father has allotted to you, one will be made for you without your input," Lo said as if she were scolding a child.

Azula had to bite her tongue to stop any sort of retort. She hated their condescending attitude, acting as though her father letting her pick a man she didn't want was some divine gift to be eternally grateful for. But she knew that any outburst or refusal would reach her father and only sink her into more trouble. So she stayed quiet, picking up General Lao's disregarded letter as though she meant to read it. That seemed to be enough for the twins, one even seeming to smile slightly.

"Your Highness," they both said as they bowed before departing, but as soon as Lo and Li left the room, she lit a fire in her hand that swallowed the letter in a blue flame.

___

Azula elected to skip dinner that night, not wishing to risk the possibility that her father would join her and attempt to push the topic of her marriage and Lao's letter. Instead, she secluded herself in her room, dismissing her servants and wincing as she laid down in her bed. Staring up at the canopy of her bed, her mind wandered to Ty Lee as it so often did, her hand reaching out to the opposite side of her bed, the mattress still carrying a slight indent from where she had used to sleep. She had briefly been able to keep tabs on the movements of the circus in the first few days, but it had eventually become too dangerous to keep up with. If her father had any suspicion of her having a part in Ty Lee's disappearance, he never made it known, seeming content to let her vanish along with any of the shame their relationship had threatened to bring. Taking one of the pillows from the opposite side of the bed, she hugged it to her chest, closing her eyes and pretending for a moment that she was holding her instead.

When sleep finally took her, she dreamed that she was a child again running through the halls of the palace, Ty Lee racing ahead of her, her shimmering auburn braid bouncing between her shoulder blades as a laugh bubbling up in her throat. Sprinted around one of the turns in the hall, she was halted by the sight of her pet snake, Fang, slithering along the floor. She tried to reach down to pick the black-scaled serpent up only to rush headlong into a crowd of noblemen, generals, and their wives, who packed the hall, all dressed in armor and gowns, their backs turned to her Fang disappearing as he slithered between their feet. Taking a few steps back to see over their heads, she could see her father's throne sitting high above them, empty. A part of her was called to it. She wanted to ascend its steps, sit atop it above them all, and feel that power.

"Come on," she said, taking Ty Lee's hand and trying to push her way through the crowd, but Ty Lee didn't move. 

"I don't want to," Ty Lee said, looking slightly scared. "Zula, come on, I want to go play in the garden," She begged, trying to tug her back into the hall. 

"I just wanna sit on it for a minute," she insisted, moving forward into the crowd until she felt Ty Lee's hand slip out from hers. 

"Azula," she heard Ty Lee call out, watching her disappear behind the crowd as she slipped between the legs of the taller adults around her. 

A part of her wanted to go back to her, but looking up, she could see the throne through the shoulders of the people calling to her. Finally making it to the end of the crowd, she stumbled slightly as she stepped out from the wall of people, her fear suddenly spiking as she realized that she wasn't standing in front of the throne but Zuko, the muscles of his back trembling with a sob as his shaky voice filled the Agni Kai arena. 

"Please, Father!" he begged, his voice cracking. "I only had the Fire Nation's best interest at heart. I'm sorry I spoke out of turn!" 

Following his gaze to the other end of the arena, she could see her father's silhouette approaching, each footstep echoing against the walls and shaking the ground beneath her. 

Towering over the both of them, he spoke, "Rise and fight, Prince Zuko!" his booming voice demanded. 

Futilely, she hoped against hope that this time would be different, that this time her brother would fight as their father demanded so he would not have to leave, but he did not stand. Instead, he stayed nealing and trembled, his tear-soaked face turning up to speak, but when he did, it was not her brother's voice that came out but her own. 

"I won't fight you!" she heard herself cry out, feeling tears she did not remember shedding fall down her cheeks. Looking down with blurred eyes, she saw that she was now nealing in Zuko's place.

"You will learn respect..." she heard her father say above her, letting out a cry of pain as she felt him grasp her by her hair, yanking her head back "...and suffering will be your teacher," he said, his flaming hand creeping ever closer to her face. Franticly, she struggled in his grasp, her heartbeat echoing in her ears as she tried to escape the approaching heat, but he did not let go. Feeling the flames begin to lick at her face, she tried to hold in her pain, but she could not do it for long.

She awoke screaming and flailing as she franticly kicked off the blankets that wrapped around her. The door to her room opened, the light from the hall casting a silhouette of someone in the doorway. For a brief moment, she was convinced that she was still in her dream and that it was her father, causing her to let out another terrified scream as she scrambled back in her bed until she was halted by the bed's backrest. 

"Azula!" she heard Ryuzo's voice say as he stepped closer, her mind waking up enough to realize that it was him. "It's just me, kid; you're safe," he reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Just take a deep breath and try to calm down," he said, walking over to the table where a challis of water sat and pouring her a cup. 

"Here," he said, walking back to her and handing her the cup. 

"Thank you," she said, her voice horse from screaming.

"Do you want to tell me what that was about?" he asked as she took a sip, the water soothing her throat.

"It was a bad dream, nothing more," she deflected with a scoff. "Don't blow it out of proportion, Ryuzo." 

"It's been a while since you've had one that bad," he pointed out. 

She decided not to burden him with the knowledge that they had been happening more frequently the past week, each progressively getting worse. 

"What did my father want of you?" she asked, deciding to change the subject. 

Ryuzo narrowed his eyes at her as though he meant to push the issue, but he just shook his head with a sigh.

"That's what I came here to tell you," he said, leaning against one of her bed posts. "Ozai has asked for you in the war room." 

She had been barred from any war room meetings for the past month, and a part of her wanted to feel some relief at the prospect of returning, but she knew better. She had done little to prove herself worthy of that privilege again, and besides that, it made little sense why he would summon her in the middle of the night. 

"What does he want?" she questioned. 

"I'm not sure," he sighed. "He made me wait outside the war room for a couple of hours before calling me in, and I was only in the war room for a moment, but it was busy, especially for this late. I even saw a few of the senior staff in there." 

It must be an emergency meeting, she reasoned, possibly to do with Zhao's offensive or maybe even the siege of Ba Sing Se, but she couldn't know for sure, and it wouldn't explain why her father wanted her there. 

"Did you see anything else?" she questioned, needing more information.

"I'm afraid not," Ryuzo said with a shake of his head. "I wasn't able to get that far in before I was rushed out again...but there was one more thing." He paused for a moment, breaking eye contact with her as he stared across the room, a worried look on his face when he looked back to her. "He ordered me to oversee preparations for your ship to set sale." 

___

Azula stood alone in front of the curtain to the war room, looking over her uniform for any imperfections her servants may have missed while she had rushed them to dress her. Ryuzo had wanted to accompany her, insisting that her ship could wait, but she hadn't wanted to rely on him for a second time today, though a part of her wondered if it was a mistake to not let him join her. 

As she fidgeted with the wrist of her uniform, she saw that her hand was trembling, and for a brief moment, she felt the fear that she had been pushing down finally bubble up, a thousand paranoid thoughts suddenly racing through her head, that they had tracked down Ty Lee and found out that she helped her escape. Or that Zuko had finally succeeded in capturing the Avatar and her father no longer had any need for her and intended to burn her like he had in her dream. 

She cut the stream of thoughts off by clenching her other hand around her trembling wrist. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths until she was able to quiet her mind. When she opened her eyes again, she saw that her hand was still.  

Taking one last deep breath, she pulled back the curtain to the war room. Inside, she saw that it was packed with her father's various generals and advisers, just as Ryuzo had said, all of them seeming to be in a slight panic.

"...none of these make sense," She overheard one of her father's distressed advisers murmur to another as they rushed out of the room, too caught up in the papers he flicked through to take any note of her. 

On the opposite end of the room, she could see a small crowd had formed around her father, his attention still on the scroll he had received in the training yard as his advisers spoke to him. 

Crossing the room, she nealed before him, his back to her. "Your Majesty," she greeted.

Her father seemed to take no note of her, not pausing in whatever he was saying to his advisers before dismissing them. She kept her head bowed as his generals and advisers walked past her. Once they were gone, her father dropped the scroll at her feet. 

"Read it," he commanded before turning away to glare at the war map in the center of the room. 

Picking up the scroll and standing, she did as he bid. Looking over the paper, she saw that it was a military report on Zhao's invasion of the North Pole. 

...initial reports from our northern outpost have documented that less than half of the original armada have returned from the north, with several ships having endured serious damage.

Reports of events of the battle are confused and mixed. Several strange reports of the sea coming to life and destroying the fleet have been noted from several different ships. What is clear is that whatever battle was fought, our forces failed to accomplish their objectives.

Initial casualties surpass 5,000 but may be difficult to account for fully. Members of fleet command still unaccounted for and presumed dead: 

Admiral Zhao 

Captain Daizo 

Captain Kya 

The list went on like that for most of the rest of the page, listing each member of the command by rank, but toward the bottom of the page, one of the names caught her eye and caused her breath to hitch. 

Captain Akaron 

For the briefest moment, she was almost convinced that she had misread the name, blinking several times as she reread the same name over and over again, a smile of disbelief crossing her face each time she did, and if she had been alone, she was sure she would have burst out laughing at how perfect it all was, but she remembered that she was not. Stoning her expression, she looked back to her father. 

'Why was he showing this to her?'  she wondered, slightly panicked. 'To test her? To see her reaction?'

"It seems the Northern Water Tribe was a greater threat than Zhao first anticipated." She eventually said, deciding to steer the conversation away from any mention of Ty Lee's betrothed. 

"This was not the Water Tribe's doing," her father said, turning back to her. "There is only one person who could wield such immense power." 

"The Avatar," she said in realization. 

"Indeed," her father said, glancing back at the map of the North Pole. "We had received reports of his presence in the north. I had hoped that after Zuko's failure to capture the Avatar, Zhao would do what he could not, but your brother interfered against orders, and Iroh has revealed himself for the traitor he is," he said, practically spitting out the last words as he did whenever he spoke of his brother. 

A part of her couldn't help but feel some satisfaction at both Zhao and Zuko's failures. At least she wasn't the only one who had disappointed her father.

"Which is why I will be leaving that task to you." her father continued, taking a few steps toward her. 

"Me?" she questioned, surprised. "Why?" 

"Do not discount your own ability, Azula," he scoffed. "You have remained on the sidelines for too long; this is your chance to make a name for yourself." 

'I would have made a name for myself if you hadn't taken away my ships,'  she thought bitterly but held her tongue. She had to wonder if his words were sincere or if he was only saying this now because he needed her. If he did, then it would not come freely. 

"And what of my betrothal?" she questioned. "For as much faith as you have in my abilities, I doubt I shall be able to capture the Avatar and return home in two weeks," or at the very least, she would make sure of it. 

"This matter takes precedent. Your marriage will have to wait."

"And..." she paused for a moment, her jaw flexing as she debated whether or not the request was worth it, but then she remembered the report she held in her hand. If Jin was really dead, then there could be no betrothal, no wedding. Ty Lee could be hers again; she could see her again, hold and kiss her again, and with this mission, she could finally make up for her mistakes and prove herself. Taking a deep breath, she pressed on with her question, "And what if I do not wish to marry?" she finally asked. 

Her father's expression remained unreadable, and for a brief moment, she feared that he would strike her like before, but instead, he only nodded. 

"Very well," he sighed. "Do as I command, and we may discuss the topic once you return," he promised. 

Azula had to bite back a smile of disbelief at his answer before her father continued. 

"First, you will see to capturing your brother and uncle. For this, I will grant you your ship and the Royal Procession. Lo and Li will accompany you as advisers." 

She should have guessed it was too good to be true. In all likelihood, those old bats would report her every move back to her father, but she had already asked too much of him. She would simply have to see to getting rid of them later.

"What is to be done with Zuko and Iroh?" she questioned. 

"They will be imprisoned as all traitors should be. Iroh, at the very least, will finally be put to death for his treason," he said, the idea seeming to bring a slight smile to his lips. 

"And what of Zuko?" she questioned, unsure of what she wanted the answer to be. 

"For as much of an embarrassment, as your brother has proven to be, he is still my son, and as you are clearly in no rush to secure any heirs of your own, I can not afford to lose what few I already do have."

Azula had to suppress the jealousy she felt twist in her stomach, cursing herself for her own misstep and wondering if he had only agreed to her terms so he could throw it back in her face. 

"Once you have accomplished that," her father continued, "you will capture the Avatar and bring him back alive if possible." 

That caused her to pause for a moment. Briefly, she worried that this had all been some veiled trick to exile her, but she looked back down at the letter, reminding herself of the real danger the Avatar posed.

'No, this is important,'  she told herself.  'He needs me,'  she thought, glancing down at the letter in her hand, her gaze locking back on Akaron's name'...and I need her.' 

Chapter Text

Azula stood perfectly straight atop the deck of her ship, her right pointer and middle fingers grasped in her opposite hand. Behind her, she could feel the twin gazes of Lo and Li scrutinizing every move she made from their perches atop their padded seats. Taking a deep breath, she unsheathed her fingers from her hand, feeling sparks of lightning dancing between her hands. Moving her arms in a circular motion, the sparks generated into an arch of lightning that she traced in the air before she leaned forward, extending her arm into the air and feeling the bolt of lightning travel the length of her arm before firing out into the air with loud a clap of thunder. 

"Almost perfect," she heard Lo croak from behind her. 

"One hair out of place," Li added. 

Azula felt her anger spike as her eyes locked onto the few strands of hair that had escaped her top knot.

"I'm afraid we all can't afford to look our best when fighting for our lives," Ryuzo's voice chimed in. Turning, she saw as he exited the entrance to the ship's tower and walked over to her, a scroll in his hand; Lo and Li's glares following him as he approached her. 

"That was good, kid," he praised, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

"It can't just be good!" she snapped as she tucked the loose hairs back into place. "It needs to be perfect!" 

They had been tracking her brother and Iroh for close to two weeks now, hopping from coastal town to coastal town along the northern coast of the colonies until they finally picked up their trail to a small resort town. She had been cautious to only dock when absolutely necessary, needing to keep a low profile in order for her plan to work, but the confinement had left her feeling restless as she poured over every possibility and scenario in her mind, already having snaped and berated Captain Atkin several times. 

"You're still healing from a broken rip, kid. I doubt it'll get much more perfect than that," he reminded her. "And besides..." he said briefly, glancing back at Lo and Li before he started guiding her further down the deck, "I thought you weren't planning on a fight." 

"I still need to be ready in case something goes wrong." she insisted. 

"While I agree with the sentiment, it might be wiser to instead bring some backup," he advised. 

"I'm not bringing any of the soldiers aboard with me," she said firmly. "My father assigned a whole new crew to this ship. For all I know, they'll be reporting back everything they see to Lo and Li." 

She had already briefed the men aboard of their mission to capture Iroh and her brother, if for nothing else as a show of loyalty in front of Lo and Li, and she didn't trust that they'd stay quiet if they saw anything to the contrary of their mission. 

"Then let me at least come with you," he offered. "If things do get ugly, it's better that I'm there just in case." 

As much as she was loathed to admit it, she knew he was probably right. Iroh, the doddering old fool that he might be, was still an experienced Fire Bender, with Zuko's tutelage under him seeming to have paid off if the rumors of him besting Admiral Zhao in an Agni Kai were to be believed.

"Fine," she acquiesced, her gaze flicking down to the scroll Ryuzo held in his hand. "Is that what I asked for?" she questioned, reaching out to take it. 

"That depends," he said, pausing as he glanced down the deck to Lo and Li. "Are you still sure going against your father's orders is the best call?" he questioned in a hushed tone.  

That same question had been troubling her ever since they had departed from Caldera. She had tried to tell herself that she could trust her father, that Zuko's capture was only to weed out traitors to the throne, and that she was still in his favor. But an itching part of the back of her mind couldn't believe that he would let her mistakes go without any punishment, her father's words still echoing in her mind. 

'For as much of an embarrassment as your brother has proven to be, he is still my son, and as you are clearly in no rush to secure any heirs of your own, I can not afford to lose what few I already do have.'

If she followed through on her father's orders without question, then at best, he would use Zuko as a contingent to dangle over her head in case she failed or perished on her mission. At worst, her father had not forgiven her, and the moment Zuko arrived home, he would finally follow through on his threats and disinherit her as his heir, replacing her with Zuko and leaving her the one who was banished in disgrace. Whether her brother knew it or not, he was an important piece in this game and one that she'd rather keep as far away from the throne as possible. 

"What other choice do I have?" she eventually said, as much to herself as to Ryuzo. 

"Plenty, kid," Ryuzo said, "Just be sure you're making the right one." 

"I am," she insisted, her voice more certain. 

"Good," he said, handing her the scroll. "I think so, too." 

Unfurling the scroll revealed a wanted poster for both her brother and Iroh, the drawings of them mocked up based on the testimonials of some of the soldiers who had seen them on their journey.

"What of the rest of these?" she questioned, looking back up from the scroll. 

"I'll make sure they're a pile of ash sinking below the waves by tonight," he promised. 

"Good," she said, rolling the poster back up, "They'll need a head start if they want to stay out of fathers hands, best no one knows of their treason. Once they're gone, I'll say that we just missed them and blame the royal position for slowing us down." 

"And I'm guessing Lo and Li will be sent back with them," Ryuzo said, nodding down the deck at the two twins who were shuffling their way back inside the ship. 

"Well, of course, we can't very well move any faster with two old women slowing us down, and I wouldn't want to put the health of my dearest advisers at risk," she said with a smirk, 

'And with them gone, I can finally go and find her,'  the thought bringing a smile to her lips as the sound of the ship's horn blaring signaled that they were about to dock. 

___

Azula crouched at the edge of the small clearing, the shade of the tree line shadowing her from view. Fidgeting with the scroll she held in her hand, she carefully watched the small hut that sat at the center of the clearing, a thin line of smoke lazily wafting out of its chimney. The sound of shuffling foliage turned her attention to Ryuzo as he approached. 

"I got as close as I could without leaving cover. As far as I could tell, no one was in there," he whispered as he crouched next to her. "I'll be here if something goes wrong, but I'd be more comfortable if you let me accompany you inside." 

"No," she said quickly, shooting him down, "I don't want to reveal my hand all at once, and you will only reveal yourself if I tell you to." 

"Yes, your Highness," he sighed before slipping back into the foliage.

Standing, she stepped out from the cover of the foliage and into the clearing, feeling slightly exposed in the open as she made her way to the hut. Sliding open the door of the hut, she found a sparsely adorned one-room building with only a few sleeping mats lying out on the floor. The fireplace burned low with a few embers still alight above a tea kettle and a table with a scattering of sea shells atop it, which she glanced at in confusion. How Zuko could ever tolerate to live in squalor such as this, she would never understand. Walking over to the table, she took a seat, placing the scroll she held on it. Her attention was turned to the door when she heard the sound of footsteps and two familiar voices outside. 

"Look at these magnificent shells!" she heard Iroh say, admiring a shell as he walked inside, taking no note of the open door nor her. "I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come!" 

Zuko followed behind him, visibly fuming at their uncle. "We don't need any more useless things!" he said, snatching the shell from Iroh and smashing it on the ground. "You forget, we have to carry everything ourselves now!" 

It had been nearly three years since she had seen the both of them. Iroh looked much the same as she remembered him, save his hair, which had lost what color had remained to it and was now a light grey. Her brother, on the other hand, had changed drastically since she had last seen him. Before, he had been a scrawny teenager with a bandage covering his scar. Now, he was taller and more muscular; his scar had healed and blackened over the years, and his hair had been shaved off, leaving his head bald other than the braid that grew from the back of his head. 

'If you squint, you could almost confuse him for a man,'  she thought to herself. After a moment of watching the two quarrel, she decided to make herself known.

"Hello, brother. Uncle," she said, causing the two to turn, surprise on Iroh's face, anger on Zuko's. 

"Azula? What are you doing here?" Zuko demanded. 

"In my country, we usually exchange a pleasant hello before asking such questions," she scoffed as she picked up one of Iroh's shells from the table. "Have you become uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?" 

"Don't call me that," he demanded through clenched teeth. "Now answer my question."

"What?" she said, with a tilt of her head. "Is wanting to see my dear older brother after so long not a good enough excuse?" 

"You've had three years to do that," Zuko said, his eyes narrowed as he turned to look out the window, scanning the tree line. "So no, it's not." 

"You're a couple of months off," she corrected, "but I suppose that shouldn't surprise me, seeing as arithmetic was never your strong suit." 

Zuko ignored her insult, his attention still focused outside.

"You can relax, Zuzu. I'm alone," she lied. 

"I said don't call me that!" he snapped, his attention turning back to her.

"To what do we owe this honor, your highness?" Iroh said, stepping in to try and break the tension. 

"Hmmm ... must be a family trait." she mused as she broke the shell in her hand, reveling slightly in the angered look she was able to draw out of Iroh. "Both of you so quick to get to the point," she sighed standing.

"Just tell us why you're here, Azula," Zuko demanded. 

"I could ask you both the same thing," she said, brushing off the broken remains of the shell from her hand in exchange for the scroll she had left on the table. "I have to hand it to you, brother. I honestly didn't think there was any possible way you could have angered Father any further, but somehow you did," she said, tossing the scroll to him. Zuko narrowed his eyes at her as he caught and unfurled the wanted poster of him and Iroh. 

His face turned to a mixture of confusion and anger as his eyes flicked rapidly over the parchment. "No..." he murmured. "T-this can't be right," he insisted, his voice louder as he looked back to her. "You're lying!" he accused. 

"Oh, come now, Zuko," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I know I haven't always been the most truthful with you, but be honest with yourself. You had to have seen this coming. It took you years to find the Avatar, and when you did, you let him slip through your fingers time and time again."

"I was doing as father ordered!" Zuko refuted. 

"Yes, you were, right up until both of you disobeyed your orders and interfered in Zhao's offensive. A defeat for which he blames you," she said, nodding over to Iroh. "Frankly, I'm surprised Father let you run around this long embarrassing him before ordering me to come and bring you back in chains." 

Zuko lowered the poster, his eyes narrowing, while Iroh squared his shoulders, both visibly preparing for a fight.

"However..." she said, raising her hands, "I've elected to ignore those orders and am simply here to warn you of Father's intentions." 

Iroh seemed to calm at that, but Zuko gave her a suspicious look, refusing to drop his guard. 

"Why?" he questioned. "You never do anything without a reason." 

She was slightly surprised by his question.  It was unlike Zuko to think two steps ahead of himself, let alone think through others' motivations. 'Perhaps exile has made you just a bit wiser, dear brother,'  she thought. 

"Well, I suppose I could go through the trouble of wasting several weeks dragging you two back to Father, but I'm afraid my hunt for the Avatar takes precedent." 

Zuko's eyes widened in surprise at that. "The Avatar!?" 

"Oh, of course, how could I have forgotten," she said in mock realization. "Father has handed the mission of capturing the Avatar over to me after you failed so thoroughly." 

Zuko's nostrils flared in anger. "You can't do that!" he shouted, stepping closer, the wanted poster in his hand beginning to smoke as he burned it in his fist. "The Avatar is mine to capture! It's the only way I can restore my honor!" 

Azula couldn't help the smirk that pulled at her lips.  'There's the hotheaded fool I remember.'  she thought.

"Your honor," she scoffed, closing the distance between them, "Don't you get it, Zuko?" she said as he glared down at her, reveling in the fact that she was now tall enough to almost be at eye level with him. "Before all this, the Avatar was some myth, an impossible task to keep you chasing your tail around the world and away from court, where you wouldn't embarrass Father any further than you already had," she said, jabbing a finger into his shoulder to punctuate her point. "But now the Avatar has proved to be a genuine threat, and Father doesn't want you making a mess of things as you did in the North Pole." 

"You have no idea what you're talking about! You weren't there!" he insisted, his words almost coming out in a growl as he slapped her hand away. "I had him, I did, but his friends came after me-" 

"Oh, of course," she said, cutting him off. "The Water Tribe peasant and the amateur waterbender; how could I have forgotten? Come now, Zuzu. Even for you, that's a weak excuse."

"I told you not to call me that!" he said, finally snapping, his fist clenching around the wooden center of the scroll until it splintered and broke in his hand before he took a swing at her. His fist met nothing but the air as she ducked back out of his reach, causing her brother to lose his footing and stumble. Seeing an opening, she was about to kick him in the chest when Iroh grabbed Zuko's shoulder and pulled him back.

"Both of you, stop now!" he demanded, putting himself between the two of them. "You are brother and sister, not enemies!" he reminded them. "You should not fight like this!" 

"Princes," Iroh said, his voice softening as he turned to her, "we thank you for your warning and your mercy, and we promise not to betray your trust." 

"Best you don't," she scoffed as she walked past the two of them. At least one of you has some sense," she said as she purposely knocked her shoulder into Zuko's, causing him to let out a huff of frustration. 

"Where am I supposed to go now?" he said, his chest heaving as his voice broke on his words. For the briefest of moments, she felt a twinge of sympathy for him, but she quickly smothered it.

"Well, that isn't my problem, is it?" she scoffed, "but if you know what's good for you, you'll stay out of my way and steer clear of home. If Father gets his hands on either of you, he'll have both your heads on spikes for your treason. I'll tell Father I couldn't find either of you, but I can't help you after that. 

"Thank you, Princes," Iroh said, bowing. 

Briefly, she paused in the doorway and glanced back at Iroh. "And make sure he doesn't get himself killed," she ordered, gesturing to Zuko, her eyes meeting her brothers one last time before she turned to leave.

Walking back to the tree line, Ryuzo emerged from the foliage. 

"Everything all right, kid?" he asked. 

"Fine," she said, stopping in front of him before a loud noise drew their attention back to the hut, the both of them watching as Zuko stormed out of the hut and blasted a burnt-out campfire with his firebending.

"Is there a problem, Captain?" she asked.

Ryuzo turned back to her with a slightly amused look. "Not at all, your Highness."

"Good," she said, turning to walk back down the path to her ship. "Now come on, I want to be back at sea before the sun sets."

"Where too next?" Ryuzo asked as he followed her. 

"The circus," she said with a smirk. 

Chapter Text

Ty Lee's fingers picked at the tight pink silk straps that bound the uncomfortable golden tiara she wore as a part of her trapeze costume to her head as she and the other performers made their way out of the auditorium of the grand circus tent. The sound of their scant audience's applause was easily drowned out by the howling from the wind outside and the rhythmic harsh hammering of rain atop the tent's red and white striped cloth canopy. 

"Spirits, that was an awful show," Yumi, one of her fellow trapeze performers, complained as she wiped away the sweat from her brow. 

Though she had found her time with the circus fun and even rewarding, she had to agree. Tonight had been especially draining with the several mishaps that had occurred all for a small audience, and with this night marking two months with no word from Azula, she couldn't help but remember the circumstances that had brought her here in the first place. 

"Hey Tao!" Yumi called out as they neared the exit to the arena, causing one of the trainers who was guiding the circus's platypus bears to turn toward them. "Why don't you keep that damn thing on a tighter leash?" Yumi shouted, "It nearly knocked over our suspension pole." 

"Pajo just got spooked by the thunder," Tao defended. "Sorry, I can't control the weather, sweetheart!" he said in a condescending tone, causing Yumi to roll her eyes, Ty Lee feeling his gaze follow her. 

"Never should have had a show tonight to begin with," Yumi murmured under her breath. "Barely anyone showed up because of this damn storm." 

"Knowing Shuzumu, he'll probably skemp us on our pay again because of the poor turnout," she complained, though she really had no reason to thanks to the money Azula had given her before she had left, but it still frustrated her whenever her friends had to fret over their expenses. She had wanted to help, but Azula had warned her not to draw any attention to herself, and her having an unexplained pouch of money wouldn't help with that. 

"And never mind the fact that we all told him not to set up camp on a seaside cliff during storm season," Yumi added, the two of them sharing a laugh at the expense of their circus troop leader as they slipped into a back entrance that led to a hall of changing rooms.

"Hey, a couple of the other performers and work hands were talking about waiting out this storm in that tavern in town," Yumi said as they stopped in front of the entrance to Ty Lee's changing room. "You wanna come?" she offered. 

"Maybe," she considered for a moment, "will Tao be there?" she asked. 

"Probably," Yumi shrugged, "it was sort of his idea." 

"Never mind then," she decided, content with spending another night alone, nursing her sore muscles. 

"Why did he try to ask you out again?" Yumi questioned, suddenly looking concerned. 

She nodded with an annoyed sigh. "It's gotten to the point where I just want to tell him that I'd rather spend a night sleeping with Pajo in his cage than with him." 

"Not sure that'll help," Yumi said with an amused snort, "that boy can't take a hint." 

"Or doesn't want to," she pointed out as she pulled back the curtain to her room. 

"Fair enough," Yumi said with a hum before a smirk pulled at her lips as her eyes flicked inside her room. "Besides, it seems like you have plans of your own already," she said.

She gave her a confused look before Yumi gestured inside her changing room. Turning, she saw a bushel of blue flowers lying on the desk of her vanity, illuminated by the light of her lantern, which she swore she had blown out before leaving. 

"No, I don't," she said cautiously, walking into the room toward the vanity and plucked one of the flowers from the bushel and examining it. 

"I'd say they're from Tao, but they look too expensive," Yumi said.

"Yes," she agreed, suddenly remembering the smell of burnt flower peddles and the palace gardens. 

"A secret admirer, then," Yumi decided. "Lucky you," she said with a wink. "Well, if you change your mind, we'll be at the tavern at least until the owner kicks us out," she said before leaving, letting the room's flap sway closed behind her.

Ty Lee turned back to the flowers, bringing one to her nose and smiling at the sweet scent. 

"A secret admirer?" she heard a familiar voice say with a gasp from the corner of the room.

Feeling herself startle, she turned to the source of the voice, seeing a silhouette stand from her cot in the corner of the room. She watched as they stood and stepped out from the shadows and into the light of the lantern, revealing Azula dressed in a dark cloak, her hair tied low at the back of her head.

"Should I be jealous?" Azula asked, her ruby-painted lips pressed into a smirk.

"'Zula!" she said with a gasp, the flower dropping from between her fingers. Before she was even conscious of her own body's movements, she was rushing over to her, Azula's eyes going slightly wide as she leaped into her arms, her nimble legs wrapping around her torso as she felt Azula's hands quickly flying out to catch her by the bottom of her thighs, the force sending Azula stumbling back causing the two of them landing atop her cot with a slight thud. 

Azula looked as though she was about to complain, but she cut off whatever argument was on her lips by pressing her own to Azula's. Wraping her arms around the back of Azula's neck, her toung quckly pried open her princesses mouth causing them both to let out a moan as Azula lean back onto the cot, pulling Ty Lee down with her.

'Spirits, I missed this,'  she thought with a sigh of relief as she felt Azula's hands glide up her body, moving from her legs to palm at her breasts. How had she gone so long without her princess's touch, her kiss, her taste, her heat? A sudden feeling of frustration that she had to wait this long bubbled up in her chest as her arms unwrapped from around Azula's neck and moved down to pull her hands off her body, pinning Azula's wrists above her head before suddenly breaking their kiss.

"Where have you been!?" she demanded, a bit breathless from their kiss as she glared down at her. 

Azula seemed to be caught off guard and a bit dazed by her sudden shift in mood, but soon, her playful smirk was back. "I assume this means you missed me?" 

She let go of Azula's wrist with a huff. "This isn't funny," she insisted, crossing her arms as she sat up, straddling Azula's lap. 

"Ty," Azula said as she sat up on an elbow with a sigh, "I told you that you would have to be away for a while." 

"You promised I'd only have to stay away for a few weeks at most," she reminded her, "and I've been waiting for two months with nothing, not even a letter!" she exclaimed, Azula quickly pressing a finger to her lips as her gaze flicked over to the rooms thin fabric walls but she kept her glair on her.

"I know," Azula whispered, resting a hand on her thigh, "but things took longer than expected. I had eyes on me all the time, and my father may have already suspected that I had something to do with your disappearance. If he found out I wrote to you, it would have only confirmed his suspitions."

"It's just..." she paused with a sigh. She had known all of this already, but she had fretted each night, fearful that the next day would bring some news that Ozai had finally selected a husband for Azula and that she'd be left behind as some forgotten lover as her mother had warned her. "I-I thought you had forgotten me," she admitted, her eyes downcast. 

She heard Azula let out another sigh before she felt her reach out to caress her cheek. "Hey," she said, pulling her gaze back to Azula's, "I could have never forgotten you," she promised. 

She felt a blush warm her cheeks as she leaned in for another kiss. 

"Besides," Azula said as she pulled away. "My father's prying eyes have been blinded, and now I'm here."

"Yes, you are," she said, her eyes flashing with realization. "So what changed?" 

"Read and find out," Azula said with a smirk as she gestured over to Ty Lee's side table, where a scroll sat. 

"Spirits," she said with a roll of her eyes as she leaned over to grab the scroll. "You and your theatrics." 

"You love my theatrics," Azula insisted as she unrolled the scroll, feeling Azula's gaze watch her expression closely as her eyes flicked down the page, her face morphing from focused to confused and finally surprised as she reached the bottom of the scroll where Jin's name was listed amongst the deceased and missing. 

"Is it?" she asked as she looked back to Azula, who wore an almost excited grin. 

Azula nodded. "Yes, it's him." 

"And are you sure he's really..." she asked, unable to say the last word. 

"As sure as I can be without seeing a body," Azula said with a shrug. "Though if the casualty reports I've seen are anything to go by, then I don't like his chances," she said with a pleased smile. 

"Spirits," she whispered as she looked back at the scroll, a conflicted feeling rolling in the pit of her stomach. 

"What's wrong?" Azula asked, her brow knitted in confusion. "This is good news," she insisted, "now that Jin is dead and he has no brothers to take up the betrothal, the wedding can't happen." 

She let the scroll drop to her side as she got off Azula and stood. "Yes, I know it's just..." she paused with a slight shutter before walking over to her vanity, "spirits, I mean, I never wanted to marry him, but I didn't want him dead and all those other people too."

Azula let out another sigh, this one seeming closer to frustrated than the ones before, as she stood from the cot and walked over to her. "Hey, don't think about that," she insisted as she snaked an arm across her abdomen. "You're a free woman now," she said as she pulled their bodies flush to one another.

"You didn't have anything to do with his death, did you?" She asked as she looked up, their gazes meeting in the mirror's reflection.

Azula cocked her head to the side with an amused look. "No, I'm afraid that was all the Avatar's doing," she said as she rested her chin on her shoulder, "though I am flattered that you think I'd kill for you." 

Despite herself, she let out a small chuckle as she leaned her head back against Azula's shoulder and slid her on her abdomen atop Azula's. 

"But who knows?" Azula shrugged, "Maybe we'll get a chance to thank the Avatar for disposing of our little problem for us once we capture him." 

"Capture?" she questioned, surprised as she turned in Azula's arms to face her. 

Azula nodded. "I've been given a mission by my father to capture the Avatar." 

She did her best to hide her disappointment at that. A part of her had known this was all too good to be true, but she had still hoped that Azula had come to finally join her now that she was away from her father so that they could disappear together and live free, finally leaving all this fear and secrecy behind them. 

"I thought capturing the Avatar was Zuko's job," she said with a forced smile, trying to inject some amusement into her tone. 

Azula rolled her eyes at that. "Yes, well, I'm afraid Zuzu and my old fuddy-duddy uncle weren't quite up to the task, so it's fallen to me to finish his job for him," she said, her fingers skidding under the edge of her waistband as she leaned in closer, "and if you're willing to come along, I could always use your help." 

"Just my help?" she questioned as her hands ducked beneath the fabric of Azula's black cloak to begin fidgeting with the ties on the front of her uniform. 

"Well, that and a few other things," Azula said, feeling her grip tighten on her waist as she tried to lean in for another kiss, but Ty Lee stopped her with a finger on her lips.

"And what about when someone eventually reports back to your father that I'm accompanying you?" she questioned.

Azula gave her an annoyed look at yet another interruption but answered, "To most we come across, it won't seem out of sorts," she said, wrapping her fingers around Ty Lee's wrist and pulling her hand away from her lips. "You'll simply be a dear childhood companion accompanying me on my mission to avenge the death of you're beloved betrothed," she said, feeling Azula's chest vibrate with an amused chuckle as she placed a lingering kiss on the palm of her hand that she held in her grasp. 

"As for my father," Azula continued, draping her arm back over her shoulder, "if he does happen to hear of your reappearance before we capture the Avatar, I doubt he'll be able to do much about it with us halfway across the world. He was already hesitant to let any news of our scandal leave the palace; I doubt he'd change his mind and risk tarnishing my reputation to force me home. It would only bring more scrutiny onto his own line of succession, especially now that his only other heir is a disgraced traitor on the run." 

"And what about after?" she questioned with a tilt of her head. "When we're back home and not out of his reach?" 

"Once we capture the Avatar, we'll be welcomed back as heroes. I'll be back in my father's good graces, and he will have to grant me anything I desire." 

At the back of her mind, she thought that was a far too generous assumption of Ozai's reaction to her being back in Azula's company. But she didn't want to think about that right now; she only wanted to think about her princess touch, which she had been deprived of for far too long. 

"And what is it that you desire?" she said with a whisper as her hand moved to undo the tie binding Azula's cloak around her neck.

"I think you've got a pretty good idea," Azula said as her hand grasped her wrist before pulling it away from the tie around her neck. "but we can wait until we get back on my ship," Azula said as a cruel smile of amusement appeared on her lips as Ty Lee let out a gasp of disappointment and frustration. 

"Why?" she asked with a whine of disappointment. "I have a bed here." 

Azula's gaze flicked behind them to the cot that sat in the corner of the room, looking at the admittedly simple bed with a frown. "Mine's more comfortable," she said, turning back to her, seeming to want to pay her back for all her teasing.  

"Come on 'Zula, It's been nearly two months," she pleaded, feeling suddenly desperate. "You don't know how many nights I spent in here all alone, touching myself." she wined as she pulled their bodies flush again, mouthing needily at her throat. "I thought of you every time," she continued, grazing her teeth over the flesh above Azula's jugular, "I couldn't stop   thinking of you even if I tried."

She knew her words had their intended effect when her words were cut off by a sudden hiss of pain and pleasure as Azula yanked her head back by her ponytail, her hands scrambling to reach back and brace herself on the edge of the vanity. 

"So desperate for me, aren't you?" Azula said, glaring down at her with an almost predatory smirk, her lips dancing close to her own enough that she tried to lean forward to capture them, but Azula pulled her back by her braid just out of reach. 

"Please 'Zula," she begged, her head suddenly feeling light and foggy like it did whenever her princess touched her like this, Azula smiling in amusement at her whine of desperation. 

"Very well," she acquiesced, resting her hand on her waist and twisting her around so she was facing the mirror once more. "But since you're so eager for me, I'll just take you right here," she said, the feeling of Azula's breath on her ears causing a shudder to go down her spine.

"Yes, princess," she said, nodding her agreement the best she could with Azula's grip on her hair. 

"Good girl," Azula praised as she felt her nails scrape up the skin of her abdomen, watching in the reflection as they caught on the fabric of her top before hooking underneath the fabric and yanking it up. Azula watched with hungry eyes as her breasts spilled out from under her top, a mone slipping from her lips as Azula cupped one of them and began to roll her nipple in the palm of her callused hand. 

"Just keep quiet," Azula instructed as her hand traveled up her chest and neck to cover her mouth, "or else all your circus friends will hear what a desperate whore you are," she said, Azula's words causing her to clench around nothing as she bit her lower lip to muffle another mone. 

"Unless that's what you want," Azula said with a knowing smile as the hand at the back of her head pushed her forward until her bare chest lay flush with the desk of her vanity, Azula's other hand slipping away from over her mouth to trace a line down her back causing the hairs on the skin she touched to stand on end. 

"Is it?" Azula questioned as she hooked her fingers under her waistband and yanked her pants down, the fabric pooling at her ankles, causing a gasp to escape her lips at the feeling of the cool air on her skin. 

"To have one of them walk in on us," Azula said as she grasped one of her cheeks, her hand warm enough that she thought she might even be using her firebending.

"Maybe even that boy who wouldn't take a hint." Azula practically growled as her nails possessively dug into her flesh, no doubt leaving several crescent-shaped marks. 

"Have him see what a mess you are around my fingers," she said as her hand slipped between her legs and plunged two fingers inside her, the sudden stretch knocking the breath out of her. "How desperate you are to be a good girl for me."

"Spirits," she said in between gasps as she fought to get back her breath, a slight smile pulling at her lips. "I forgot how jealous you can get."

"I'm not jealous," Azula corrected as she leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I'm just protective of what is mine." Her tone was playful, but she could hear the worry behind her words. Azula had always been possessive, especially around men who paid her any affection, and these months of separation hadn't seemed to help that.

Unsticking her cheek from the polished wood of her vanity, she looked up into the mirror as best she could, being pinned, and met Azula's eyes in the reflection. "I just want you 'Zula," she assured her. "I love you, only you." 

She could see as Azula's eyes seemed to go soft for a moment as her fingers stopped their movement. Her lips parted to say something, a returned  'I love you,'  she hoped, but then Azula blinked, and whatever bit of vulnerability that was there was gone again. 

"Good," Azula said, that confident, playful tone back in her voice as she resumed pumping her fingers in and out of her. "It'll be you and me," she said, punctuating her promise with a curl of her fingers that made her knees buckle. "You'll be mine forever," Azula whispered in her ear as she was forced to bury her burning face in the crook of her arm to muffle her moans. "And nobody, not my father or your parents, will ever take you away from me." 

She wanted to believe that, to trust that Azula's plan would work and that once they had the Avatar, they could go home together. But at the back of her mind, she had her doubts. Whatever promises he had made to Azula, Ozai could just as easily break as he had done so many times before, not that she thought she could make Azula see that. Ozai had also reacted terribly when he had found out about them, and she couldn't stand to think what he'd do when he inevitably learned that Azula had defied him, her frantic mind briefly conjuring the image of Azula with the same bandages that had covered Zuko's scar the last time she had seen him.

She quickly screwed her eyes shut, her mouth falling open in a silent scream as Azula's fingers pulled her first orgasm out of her. The sudden shock to her body willed the anxious thoughts away, her mind only able to focus on the feeling of Azula inside her and the words of praise she whispered in her ears as she shook.

'No, Azula was safe. They were safe,'  she told herself. Azula was here with her, holding her, inside her. They were both together, where they belonged, and that was all that mattered...

...at least for now.

Chapter Text

Azula lay on the cushioned floor of her large royal palanquin, her chin tucked atop her crossed forearm as she pulled back the red silken curtain, watching as the great steel gates of Omashu ground open to allow her party entrance, the black and crimson banner of the Fire Nation splayed across the now conquered walls of the ancient city. Inside revealed a city transformed from stone to steel, with industrial pipes slithering their way through nearly every building as great black plums of smoke rose from its mountaintops. Atop its greatest peak sat a half-finished statue still encased in a shell of scaffolding, a half-finished iron imitation of her father's scowl glaring down on them. 

"Spirits, this city smells," Ty Lee complained from where she straddled Azula's back as she massaged between her bare shoulder blades.

"That's the smell of progress," she said as she let the curtain fall close before resting her chin back on her forearm, feeling Ty Lee's hands glide down her back.

"It still smells," Ty Lee insisted as she harshly pressed the palm of her hand into Azula's lower spine. 

"Yes, I suppose it does," she conceded through a groan as she felt something crack.

One of Ty Lee's new talents that she seemed to have picked up was massages, which she had taken to insisting on giving to her whenever she thought she looked 'tense,' something she had apparently been for nearly the whole of their journey to the newly captured city where their old friend was; Mai's father having been awarded the position of governor after being the one to supply the regional garrison which had taken the city. 

"What did you say this place was called again?" Ty Lee asked as her hand pressed circles back up her spine. 

"Omashu," she said, her voice slightly strained. 

"That's a weird name," Ty Lee commented absentmindedly. 

"Indeed," she hummed as Ty Lee pressed back between her shoulder blades, this time using her elbow to rub all the way up to her collarbone. "I heard some shoeless weirdo singing about it at the port we docked at. It's supposed to be the combination of the names of two starcrossed lovers, Oma and Shu, each of them from a rival village."

"Aww," Ty Lee cooed, tapping on her back to signal that she was done. "Never mind, I like the name now," she declared as she lifted her hips to give her room to move. 

"I figured you might," she huffed in amusement as she pulled her tunic down and rolled onto her back to face Ty Lee. 

"What happened to them, the lovers, I mean," Ty Lee asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I yelled at the singer to get out of my way before he could finish his song." 

Ty Lee let out a sweet laugh at that as she leaned down to drape herself over her chest.

"I'm honestly surprised we captured this city in the first place." She mused, looking at the obscured shapes that passed by the palanquin curtains. 

"Why," Ty Lee asked, almost purring as she began to run her nails across the exposed skin of Ty Lee's back that her top allowed her. 

"Omashu is more of a fortress than a city," she explained. "It's surrounded by mountains, which I'm sure the soldiers marching outside will tell you are agonizing to march through. When my father finally authorized a siege, it was more of a preemptive move to cut the city off while the rest of our forces took care of Ba Sing Se. We weren't supposed to be victorious here for years."

A victory that should have been hers before her father had stripped the chance to win it from her, she thought bitterly. 

"So what happened?" Ty Lee asked as she readjusted her head to rest on her shoulder.

"They gave up," she shrugged, "not even an hour into the siege, and their King ordered them to surrender." 

Ty Lee lifted her head from her chest at that. "Wait," she said, her eyebrows knitted in confusion. "The Earth King was here? I thought he lived in Ba Sing Se?" 

Azula smirked, shaking her head in amusement. "No, you're thinking of Earth King Kuei. I'm talking about Omashu's King, Bumi."

That only served to confuse her more, "but I thought you said Omashu was part of the Earth Kingdom?"

"It is," she said with a slight sigh, trying to think of how to explain. 

"Then how can they have their own King?" Ty Lee questioned. 

"Because, like everything in the Earth Kingdome, it's backward and inefficient. This country is so decentralized that the next town over may not even have the same laws. If Ba Sing Se can't even enforce a universal legal code, then I doubt they can tell the leader of some city what he can and can't call himself, especially one as remote and well-protected as this. Frankly, it's no wonder they're losing this war," she scoffed. 

"Oh," Ty Lee said, still seeming slightly confused as she lowered her head back on her chest, "so why did he surrender so quickly?"

"Agni only knows," she said with a shrug, "we found plentiful provisions inside. They could have held us off for years if they wanted to, though I'm told their King is a madman who eats rocks and keeps man-eating beasts as pets, so maybe the battle finally broke him." 

"I suppose we should be thankful your father hasn't resorted to that," Ty Lee said, her chest vibrating with another giggle. 

"Yes, but that idea might come in handy when I ascend to my father's throne and need to dispose of traitors." 

Ty Lee hummed in agreement at that. "Well, just make sure the man-eating beast is cute, at least." 

"As my lady wishes," she said as she stretched, feeling that some of the knots in her back had loosened. "Spirits, who taught you to get so good at that?" she groaned.

"My friend Yumi and her mother who told fortunes," Ty Lee explained. "I learned a lot of things about the body with them." 

"I thought I had taught you everything you'd need to know about that," she said with a teasing smile.

"Not like that," she said with a teasing smack to her shoulder. "I mostly learned how to read someone's chi." 

"Is that so?" she said with a rase of her brow. "And how is my chi looking?" 

Ty Lee paused, humming for a moment in contemplation. "Pink," she eventually decided with a slight giggle as she leaned over by her ear. "I could also paralyze your entire body if I wanted to." 

"Remind me to stay on your good side, then," she said as Ty Lee nipped at her ear.

"I've got a few ideas for how you can do that, "Ty Lee said as she kissed down her jaw.

"Spirits, you're insatiable," she said, her voice almost coming out in a whimper as Ty Lee's lips latched onto her neck. 

"We've got to make up for lost time somehow." Ty Lee said as she guided Azula's hands onto her hips.

"And being locked away in my cabin for the past two days didn't do that?" she questioned as her nails skirted under Ty Lee's top.  

"Not even clo-" she tried to say, but the sound of Ryuzo's voice from outside the palanquin cut her off. 

"Your Highness," he called out, causing her attention to turn as her hands moved away from the edge of Ty Lee's top and back down to her hips as she made to move Ty Lee off her, but she felt the girl above her place her hands atop hers to stop her. 

"Tell him to go away," Ty Lee whispered, her teeth grazing the edge of her ear. 

She hesitated for a moment before calling out, "What is it, Ryuzo?" she asked, Ty Lee shooting her an annoyed look as she did. 

"I spoke with the garrison commander as you asked," he said. " I have my report on the city's situation. 

She would likely need that if things in the city were worse than they appeared, with local leaders often doing their best to sweep any issues under the rug so as not to draw the ire of the throne. 

She gave Ty Lee an apologetic look before she gently guided her off her chest. Ty Lee let out a huff of disappointment as she rolled off her, flopping onto her back with enough force that she was sure the servants carrying them on their shoulders felt it. Sitting up, she pulled back the curtains, revealing Ryuzo walking next to them.

"Apologies for the interruption, mam," he said, his eye seeming to catch on the annoyed look Ty Lee was giving him. "This shouldn't take too long."

"Just tell me what we're dealing with," she said as he handed over a scroll to her. 

"The city's been under threat from an organized rebellion ever since the beginning of the occupation, along with the outbreak of some unidentified plague. Just last night, they forced out the infected to try and slow the spread, but it appears that in the confusion, the rebels were able to use the evacuation as a cover to kidnap the governor's infant son." 

Azula sighed, "Thank you, Ryuzo, that will be all," she dismissed before closing the curtain. 

Unrolling the scroll, she stared at it, rubbing her temples in exasperation as she considered if this had been King Bumi's plan all along, if he had surrendered because they had already been dealing with this plague and hoped that by letting them in that the sickness would spread to the rest of the Fire Nation army; if this was their King's plan all along then he was a much more dangerous and cruel opponent than they had first anticipated.

"Spirits, what a mess," she sighed as she felt Ty Lee drape her arms over her shoulder.

"Don't think about that right now," Ty Lee implored as she nipped at her ear. 

She considered her offer for a moment before she felt the palanquin come to a halt. 

"No time, I'm afraid," she said, pulling her arm away and patting her on the cheek. "Hand me my pauldron," she instructed, vaguely pointing to where Ty Lee had discarded it atop one of the piles of cushions as she continued to read the letter. 

Ty Lee let out a huff of disappointment but did as she bid, helping her resecure the peace of her uniform back onto her shoulders. 

Stepping out of the palanquin, she turned, taking Ty Lee's hand and helping her down, the two of them climbing the stone steps to the former King's, now governor's palace. Reaching the top, they were met by Mai, who, other than maybe standing a bit taller, looked much the same as she had before with her dark hair, dark makeup, and perpetually bored look. 

Mai gave them a half-hearted bow before looking Azula up and down. "Please tell me you're here to kill me," she said dryly. 

"I'm afraid not," she said with a disappointed sigh. "Ty Lee is, though," she said, nodding back at Ty Lee behind her. 

"What? No, I'm not!" Ty Lee quickly squeaked out, seeming mortified. 

A smile broke across both her and Mai's faces before they both started to laugh, causing a blush to color Ty Lee's cheeks as she crossed her arms. "You guys suck," she mumbled.

"It's great to see you, Mai," she said, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

"Yeah, I guess I'm happy to see you as well," Ty Lee mumbled as she gave Mai a hug. "I just forgot how much you two like to tease me." 

"You make it too easy," Mai said, patting her on the shoulder. "I suppose I should ask you what you're doing here since I heard you ran out on your betrothed to join the circus," she said as Ty Lee pulled back. 

Ty Lee had a slightly nervous look as she shrugged. "What can I say? It was my calling, but Azula called a little louder," she said, looking back at her with a fond smile. 

"Uh hu, sure," Mai said, giving them both an exasperated look. "You two were always impossible to keep away from one another." she said with a roll of her eyes, "So why are you here?" 

"My father has given me a very important mission," she said, "to capture the Avatar, and I could use your expertise." 

"Count me in," Mai said. "Anything to get me out of this place." 

"I've heard you've experienced some attacks from rebels," she said as her guards pulled open the doors to the palace. 

"They tried to crush us with a few boulders," Mai shrugged nonchalantly as they entered the palace. "It was honestly the only entertaining thing to happen here so far, that and scaring away potential betroths," Mai said, causing Ty Lee to laugh as she hung on Azula's arm. 

Inside the interior of the palace was a mess of renovations, with servants and workers rushing to cover the old stone and green colored decorations in red and crimson. Some of the old primitive glowstones that were used for light now replaced with gas-powered lamps. The old throne room looked much the same as they entered, seeing Mai's father, governor Ukano, standing in the center of the room, his wife at his side as he anxiously oversaw two workers who were attempting to hang the Fire Nation banner on the wall behind the old stone throne. 

"Her Royal Highness the Princess Azula!" Ryuzo announced as they entered, seeming more annoyed at Ukano's disrespect than even she was.

"Your Highness," Ukano greeted as he turned, his expression slightly panicked as he bowed, his wife doing the same. "Allow me to welcome you to Omashu. I apologize for my tardiness. As you can see, we have been quite busy preparing for your arrival." he said, his hand trembling as he gestured out to the room.

She remained silent as she walked past Ukano toward the old throne, feeling his anxious eyes follow her before he shared an uncomfortable look with his wife, "I trust you saw our impressive efforts to transform Omashu's skyline to honor your father." he said trying to gain her attention again.

'So that's what that ugly hunk of metal was supposed to be,'  she mused to herself as she sat atop the throne, Ryuzo and another guard flanking her. 

"Of course, how could I have missed it..." she said, finally deciding to speak, Ukano letting out a slight breath of relief as she did. "Tell me, Governor," she continued, her tone dropping, "do you think that such an honor which you have so generously bestowed upon my father makes up for your complete failure to control this city?" 

The question seemed to catch Ukano off guard. "I-, N-no, my apologies, your Highness, I-" he sputtered, a sudden blush of embracement crawling up his face. 

"First a rebellion," she began, cutting his blathering off, "then a plague, and now your own son has been kidnapped!" she yelled, causing Ukano to flinch. 

"I-I confess you've come to Omashu at a difficult time, Your Highness," he said, his gaze dropping to his feet. "At noon, we're making a trade with the resistance to get Tom-Tom back in exchange for the former King Bumi."

"Yes," she sighed. The mere thought of having to deal with such an idiotic trade brought on a headache, though with any luck she likely wouldn't have to. These rebels had already shown their willingness to kill. In all likelihood, this exchange was a trap, and the child might even be dead already, but she didn't need the governor and his wife thinking about that and trying to stop her plans. Mai, at the very least, could be trusted to deal with the situation more rationally, remembering the little affection she had bore toward her father's new heir when he had first been born. 

"I was saddened to hear about your son," she said, crossing her legs and clasping her hands. "But really, what did you expect by just letting all the citizens leave?" she questioned. "My father has trusted you with this city, and you're making a mess of things!" 

Mai's eyes widened in surprise, and Ty Lee was barely able to hold back a laugh as Ukano dropped to his knees in a flash, prostrating himself before her, his wife rushing to do the same. 

"Forgive me, Princess," he begged. "Please tell me what I can do to make things right."

"You've done enough," she spat. "You will stay in your chambers until the exchange is complete," she commanded, waving over to Ryuzo to begin escorting them out. "Mai will handle the hostage trade, so you don't have a chance to mess it up!" she said, gesturing for Mai and Ty Lee to join her. "And one last thing, governor," she said as Ryuzo was hauling Ukano to his feet, "there is no more "Omashu." I am renaming it in honor of my father, the city of New Ozai," she said with a smirk. 

'That should give the old man something to be grateful for, at least,'  she thought.

As Ukano was escorted out with his head bowed in shame, Mai turned to her with a smirk.

"I've got to hand it to you, Azula. I don't think I've ever seen my father move that fast for anyone," Mai said as Ty Lee approached with her arms crossed. 

"New Ozai, really?" Ty Lee said, annoyed, as she stopped in front of her. "As if your father's ego wasn't big enough, you had to rename a whole city after him?"

"A little flattery never hurt," she said as she took Ty Lee by the hip and pulled her onto her lap, causing her to let out a small squeak. 

"Fine," Ty Lee sighed as she leaned back against her, "but only if I get a city named after me as well." 

She paused for a moment in contemplation before nodding. "Very well, I suppose Ba Sing Se is due for a new name by now," she said as she kissed her on the cheek. 

"Spirits," Mai said with a roll of her eyes. "If you two are going to be this insufferable, I'm not coming." 

Chapter Text

Mai was careful to keep low as she skirted the edge of the treeline that surrounded the small clearing they had tracked the Avatar and his party to for the second time that night, the darkness of the early morning shadowing her approach as she followed the tufts of shed white fur they had used to track them. 

The trail ended at the edge of the clearing, where she could see the Avatar's friends franticly packing up their supplies, the short black-haired girl nearly hitting the water tribe boy in the head as she tossed a bag onto the sky bison's back, the great beast looking almost as drained and exhausted as its riders. 

"Hey, watch it!" he shouted down at her from atop the bison's saddle. 

"I can't, you idiot. Now move over," she demanded as she climbed the bison's back to join him. 

"Katara!" she shouted to the water tribe girl who sat at the bison's reins. "Come on, let's get out of here!" 

"We can't," she shouted back. "We need to wait for Aang." 

"Twinkle tows said he'd slow them down while we packed. Now were packed, so let's go, and he'll catch-" 

"Toph!" the water tribe girl snapped, cutting her off. "We're waiting!" 

Seeing an opportunity, Mai carefully unsheathed one of her knives, attempting to creep as close as possible to them without being seen. She knew that even in their drained state, she likely couldn't take on all three of them at once, but if she could blind one of the animal's eyes and retreat, then hopefully, she could slow them down. But as if on cue, the Avatar leaped out from the other end of the tree line, bending a puff of air that kicked up the tufts of fur on the ground to cushion his fall. 

"Aang, come on!" the water tribe girl shouted out. 

The Avatar turned, making it about halfway across the field before a burst of blue flame shot out from the treeline, aimed directly at him. He quickly turned, twirling his staff in his hand and dissipating the flame. 

"Go!" the Avatar commanded his friends as another jet of flame came flying toward him. "I'll hold them off and then catch up with you," he said as he deflected the flame again. 

The water tribe girl seemed to hesitate for a moment before her eyes flicked behind the Avatar to the other end of the tree line. Following her gaze, she saw Azula emerge from the treeline, which finally seemed to convince her to leave. 

"Appa, yip yip!" she commanded, cracking the animal's reins. The beast lifted its tail before swooping it back down, generating a gust of wind that pushed it off the ground and into the night sky. 

"Well, well, well, look who's finally decided to stop running," Azula said as she stepped out into the clearing. 

"Who are you, and what do you want?" The Avatar demanded, leveling his staff at Azula as Mai stalked her way further down the treeline, pausing when she was almost behind the Avatar, Azula's eyes briefly meting hers as she noticed where she was and gave her a nod.

"You mean you haven't guessed?" Azula questioned as she turned her attention back to the Avatar. "What's the matter? Don't you see the family resemblance? Here's a hint," she offered, covering her eye with her hand and deepening her voice. "I must find the Avatar to restore my honor!" Azula said in what was apparently supposed to be an impersonation of Zuko.

The Avatar didn't say anything in response, only keeping his staff leveled at Azula.

"I see you have about the same sense of humor as my dear brother," Azula said with a roll of her eyes as she stocked closer to him. "I must say, initially, I wasn't expecting much from you," Azula said as the Avatar tried to move to the right, putting him further away from the range of her knives. Azula noticed, bending an arch of fire that cut into the field, burning a wall of flame that blocked the Avatar's path. 

"I mean, anyone can keep Zuko chasing his tail," Azula continued, "but after I saw the reports of what you did in the North Pole, I admit you got my hopes up thinking you were going to be an actual challenge rather than some cowering child who would rather run from a fight than end it!" 

Again, Azula bent an arch of flame, this time on the Avatar's left side, boxing him in. He turned his head to follow the fire as it burned higher, allowing Mai to see the look of terror and regret on the Avatar's face. Azula saw it too, and like she always did when she found someone's weakness, she dug the knife in deeper and twisted. 

"What's the matter, killer? Not proud of your victory?" Azula questioned with a tilt of her head as she walked forward, pushing the Avatar back another few steps and closer to Mai. "I have to admit, even I was shocked by how callously you were able to wipe out so many without a second thought. I think I even heard one of our ministers say it was the most deaths the Fire Nation had ever suffered in a single day. Quite the achievement, wouldn't you say, killer?" Azula said as she bent another jet of fire at his feet, causing him to stumble back close enough to fall into her range. 

"I really should be thanking you, killer, seeing as your little slaughter even managed to take care of a nuisance of mine," Azula said as Mai stepped out from her cover, "though I'm afraid that won't save you." 

As the first knife left her hand, the Avatar turned, his eyes going wide when the blade cut a red line across his cheek, but before she could unsheath a second knife, he swung his staff above his head, generating a gust of wind that extinguished the flames around him and blew her and Azula back, Mai stumbling until she was halted by the feeling of treebark digging into her back. By the time she was able to get her feet back under her, the Avatar had opened his glider and was already up in the air. 

The hiss and crackle of static brought her attention back to Azula, who was bending an arch of lighting between her hands. Circling her arm, the bolt danced in the air around her before Azula directed it into the air with a bright flash and the deafening crack of thunder; Mai's gaze followed the bolt as it arched its way through the night sky, only just narrowly missing the Avatar as he ducked below the bolt of lightning at the last moment. 

Standing, she walked over to where her blade had landed. "Well...now what?" she questioned as she wiped the thin stripe of blood from the blade. 

Azula looked back down from the night sky to her, a frustrated scowl on her lips as she opened them to speak, a biting remark or criticism no doubt on the tip of her tongue. But whatever she was about to say was cut off by the sound of ruffling foliage as Ty Lee arrived atop her mongoose lizard. 

"Aww, man, did we lose them again?" Ty Lee said as she climbed off her mount. 

"Where were you?" Mai questioned as they approached her. 

"When we were chasing them, the Avatar knocked me off Speedy, and she got spooked," Ty Lee explained with a frown as she petted the beast's snout. "By the time I calmed the poor thing down, you two were gone." 

"Speedy?" she questioned, eyeing the mongoose lizard as it seemed to nuzzle into Ty Lee's touch.

"That's what I named her," Ty Lee said as she placed a kiss on its muzzle, "because she's so fast." 

"How creative," she said dryly.

"Are you alright?" Azula questioned as she walked over to Ty Lee, looking her up and down. 

"Yeah, I just fell on my elbow," Ty Lee said, lifting her bent arm to reveal a purpling bruise that stained her skin. 

"That cowardly brat," she heard Azula murmur under her breath as she examined the wound. 

The feeling of warmth on the back of her neck caused Mai to turn, seeing the early morning rays of the sun begin to peak their way past the horizon. 

"It's morning," she commented, turning back to them. "What do we do now?" she questioned.

"We keep chasing them," Azula answered without looking up from Ty Lee's arm. "They've likely not slept all night. Eventually, they'll become fatigued enough to slip up and make a mistake." 

"We could also use some sleep as well, you know," Ty Lee said through a yawn as she rubbed her eye with her free hand. 

"We can use the tank train beds," Azula said as she released Ty Lee's arm. "Are you sure you're alright? Does anything else feel broken?" 

"It's a bruise, Azula. Calm down," Mai said, rolling her eyes at Azula's overreaction. 

"I'm fine 'Zula," Ty Lee reassured her, "but now that you mention it, a kiss might make it feel better," Ty Lee said with a smirk as she wrapped her arms around Azula's neck and pulled her down into a kiss. 

"Spirits, I think I'm going to gag if I stay around you two any longer," she said quickly, walking past them. 

___

The tank train they had been traveling in was an ugly thing, according to Ty Lee, with its hard grey steal and sharp edges. Mai personally liked how the machine looked but would have preferred if the carriage they were sleeping in was less cramped. The same went for the cots they were expected to sleep in. 

"Spierets," she complained as she lay down on the supposed bed's thin and uncomfortable excuse for a mattress. "Could they have not afforded to put some extra padding into these beds?" she questioned, trying to get comfortable. 

"They aren't so bad," Ty Lee shrugged from where she lay comfortably on her cot, her hands tucked behind her head. "One time when I was with the circus, our camp was flooded, and we all had to sleep in wet clothes." 

"Well, unlike you, I still have standards," Mai huffed before feeling a pillow land on her chest.

"We'll make do," Azula said as she picked up another one of the pillows and handed it to Ty Lee. "I'm afraid we can't stop to find somewhere more comfortable on account of your beauty sleep." 

"Says the girl that once berated a servant till she cried because she brought you the wrong shade of red nail polish," she scoffed. "Since when did you become above some basic comfort?" she questioned as she tucked the pillow behind her head. 

"Since we let the Avatar slip through our grasp the last two times we tried to capture him," Azula said as she moved over to the cabin's door and slid open its viewport. 

"Ryuzo!" Azula shouted. "I would like to get moving before the Avatar makes it all the way to Ba Sing Se," she commanded before slamming the hatch shut again.

The cabin lurched forward suddenly as the vehicle began moving. Azula tried to move past her and Ty Lee's beds to her own, but Ty Lee caught her by the hand as she passed, halting her. 

"Where are you going?" Ty Lee questioned. 

"To bed," Azula said with a confused look. 

"So get in," Ty Lee said pulling her down so Azula had to sit on the cot with her. 

"This cot is barely built for one person, let alone two," Azula said in an annoyed tone, though she had an amused smile on her lips. 

"I don't mind cuddl-" Ty Lee tried to say before she cut her off with an exasperated groan. 

"For Agni's sake!" Mai snapped. "would you just get in the bed with her so I can get some sleep?" 

"Very well, if you both insist," Azula said in mock acquiescence as she lay down, Ty Lee eagerly scooting over to make room for her. 

"Just keep your clothes on" Mai sighed as she rolled over to face the cabins steal wall.

"No promises," she heard Ty Lee say in a sing-song voice. The sound of some shuffling and giggling followed before the two of them fell silent. 

Mai would like to think that this new obnoxious affection the two of them flaunted was something new she had to deal with, but in truth, a part of it had always been there, just better hidden, perhaps. 

She had known Azula for most of her life, both she and Azula's mothers having been friends at court and the ones to first start pushing for the two of them to do the same. Despite being a year older than her, Azula had been the one to take charge in their friendship, doing almost everything the princess wanted, which mostly consisted of the two of them spending their days in classes alone or rolling their eyes and making snide remarks about the other children and their supposed immaturity. That arrangement had worked just fine for Mai, content to stay quiet like she always had, all while furthering her father's ambition by finding him a connection to the royal family. That was until Ty Lee had quite literally cartwheeled her way into their friend group when she had collided with Azula in the play yard and knocked her to the grass. 

She remembers thinking that Ty Lee would end their interaction by running away in tears like most of the other children who tried to approach them, especially when Ty Lee had only looked confused when Azula commanded her to bow before her when she apologized. Ty Lee's father had been an administrator of one of the more rural provinces of the Fire Nation and had only just recently moved to the capital, evidently still unaware of who Azula was and how to act around her. 

'Well then, it seems we'll have to teach you how to be a proper noble lady of the Fire Nation,'  Azula had said, insisting that it was her duty as a princess to make sure the nobles of her grandfather's domain weren't uncultured slobs. 

Ty Lee had clapped her hands at that.  'and I can teach you how to do cartwheels,'  she had exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Azula's neck and pulled her into a hug, Mai remembering how she had tried and failed to stop herself from bursting out laughing when she saw the flustered look on Azula's face. 

Ty Lee had always seemed to have that effect on Azula, able to put her foot down and make Azula compromise, if not come crawling back with an apology on her lips when Ty Lee felt she had done something wrong, whereas Mai had only ever been able to roll her eyes and begrudgingly follow along with whatever Azula said.

She supposed that's what being in love does to someone, even one as stubborn as Azula, not that she would know; she had never been in love, though she liked to think that she had gotten close once. 

She had made the mistake of revealing her feelings for Zuko to Azula and Ty Lee during one of their sleepovers at the palace; she still remembered how hot her face had burned as Ty Lee had awed and Azula had mocked gagging noises. At the time, she had regretted her confession, especially when Azula and Ty Lee had taken to endlessly teasing her about it; Azula once concocting a plan to make her and Zuko fall into a fountain together, until one day, Azula had invited her on a walk in the palace gardens alone.

'My father will be announcing you and Zuko's betrothal on the morrow,'  she had told her.

'Are you sure? How do you know?'  she had questioned, then unable to mask her surprise and excitement at the prospect. 

'Because I'm the one who convinced my father of the match.'  Azula had said with an almost proud looking smirk, 'No need to thank me. I just needed to make sure one of those overly ambitious girls who's taken to fluttering around Zuzu doesn't finally catch his eye, and he ends up putting our family in more jeopardy than we are already in by inviting some new threat into the palace. Besides, you are of acceptable noble stock. Moreover, I can trust you, can't I, Mai?'  Azula had questioned, giving her a searching look. 

'Of course, princess,'  she had said with a bow. 

The act of kindness had confused her at first, and she had taken Azula at her word. But she thinks she understands why she did it now, maybe even better than Auzla herself had. She may not like to show or admit it, but Azula was terrified of being alone, and forcibly binding everyone she loved together was the only way she knew to keep them all with her, not that it had worked. 

She thinks those few months she was able to spend with Zuko were the happiest she had ever been. How nice it had felt to be someone's sole attention rather than a nuisance that needed to stay quiet and not make trouble. But then there was the war council, the Agni Kai,  the scar, and it had all fallen apart.

That day on the docks when he had left, she had tried to reassure him that she would wait for him, even confessed that she loved him, but when she had tried to reach out to kiss him as she had done so many times before, he had halted her hand. 

'Don't wait for me, Mai,'  he had said, not even able to meet her eyes as he broke her heart before he had callously pushed past her.  

The pain of the memory caused tears to burn behind her eyes, but she quickly swallowed her sorrow and squeezed her eyes shut. When sleep finally took her, it wasn't long before she was awoken again by the feeling of someone shaking her. Turning, she felt that the tank train had stopped moving and saw Azula standing above her.

"Get up," Azula instructed. 

"What's going on?" she questioned as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"We've lost the trail," Azula whispered, "I need you to come help me look." 

"'Zula," Ty Lee called out sleepily as she lifted her head from the cot, the messy strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail partially covering her face. "What's happening?" 

"Nothing," Azula whispered softly. "Go back to sleep." 

"Ok," Ty Lee mumbled as she buried her face back into her pillow.

"Why does she get to sleep in?" she questioned as she stood and stretched. 

"Because I only need one of you, and Ty went with me to look for their trail the last time we stopped." 

"Uh hu," she scoffed as she walked over to the cabin door and opened it. "I'm sure that's what you two were doing." 

"What is that supposed to mean?" Azula questioned as they stepped out into the daylight, the sudden brightness causing her to squint. When her vision adjusted, she could see Ryuzo standing a few feet away, who looked up from the map he was holding as they exited the carriage. 

"It means that you're soft on her," she answered as they approached Ryuzo.

"No, I am not," Azula refuted. 

"Yes, you are," Ryuzo stated flatly without looking up from his map, causing Azula to whip her head around at him, shocked.

"You don't even know who we're talking about," Azula insisted.

"Lady Ty Lee, who else?" he shrugged as he looked up from his map to scan the area around them, something in the distance seeming to catch his eye.

"See, even Ryuzo agrees with me," she gloated. 

"I wouldn't take it too personally, my lady," Ryuzo called out behind him to her as he began to walk toward a line of bushes. "I would imagine the favoritism is because Lady Ty Lee is a much better kisser than any of us," he said with a slight chuckle.  

"I don't see how this has anything to do with our mission!" Azula called out to him as a blush started to color her cheeks. 

She wanted to take the opportunity to tease her further, but the squeak of the carriage door's hinges drew both their attention.

"'Zula," Ty Lee called out as she exited the tank train. 

"I told you to go back to sleep." Azula huffed as she walked over to her. 

"You didn't say you'd leave," Ty Lee wined as Azula took her hand and helped her down, Mai only giving Azula a satisfied look as she let Ty Lee hang on her arm when they walked back to her. 

"Your Highness," Ryuzo called out, drawing their attention to where he nealed behind the line of bushes. "The trail picks up again back here." 

As they approached, she could see that there was a dripping wad of fur clutched in his hand. 

"Wads of wet fur," she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "How delightful."

Ty Lee hummed thoughtfully from where she hung on Azula's arm as she tilted her head. "They're not wads; they're more like bundles or bunches," she paused, scratching her head. "It's got an "uh" sound."

"Clumps?" she suggested. 

"Clumps!" Ty Lee repeated brightly as she clasped her hands together. "They're clumps!" she said before suddenly hugging her. 

Mai flinched back slightly at the contact but let Ty Lee hug her as she reconsidered if it hadn't been a bad idea on Azula's part to let her get some more rest. 

"Yes, well, these clumps are smaller than before," Ryuzo observed as he brushed the fur from his hands. "It is likely that their bison is almost done shedding. After today, we may not have a trail to follow." 

"Which means we're running out of time," Azula sighed.

"The trail goes this way," she said, pointing to the spots of fur that doted up and past a grassy hill. 

"They're heading east," Ryuzo said as he looked back to his map. "There isn't much else out there but a fairy station. They could try to hop one of their boats to catch up on sleep until their bison stops shedding." 

Looking back to Azula, she saw that she was staring upward. Following her gaze, she saw that the branches of some of the treetops were broken. 

"The Avatar's trying to give us the slip," Azula declared, pointing to the treetops. "Knowing the Avatar and his little hero complex, he's likely trying to drive us away from his friends. You and Ty Lee will take your mongoose lizards and head in that direction," she said, pointing in the opposite direction of the trail where the treetops had been broken. "And keep your eye out for their bison," she ordered. "Ryuzo, remain here with the tank train so we have a rendezvous point once we capture our prisoners." 

"And you?" Ryuzo questioned. 

"I'll follow this trail."

"Can't I come with you?" Ty Lee asked. 

Mai gave Azula a knowing look as Ryuzo only smirked and looked back to his map. Azula stared daggers at both of them before she shook her head. 

"No," Azula turned her down. "I can handle the Avatar on my own." 

"Fine," Ty Lee pouted as she followed her toward the second carriage where their mounts were stored. 

___

Mai wrinkled her nose in disgust as she ringed out the exes water from the soaked-through clothes she had changed out of. It had been near sunset when she and Ty Lee had returned to camp, having found no luck in accomplishing their objective with only a pair of drenched cloths to show for their efforts. Behind her, Ty Lee sat beside a campfire wrapped in a blanket as she wiped at her running nose, seeming to have caught a chill from the river they had gotten knocked into. 

"You better not get me sick," she warned as she draped the robe in her hand across the clothesline Ryuzo had tied between two trees before disappearing to oversee repairs to the tank train and leaving her to dry her own clothes. 

"I'm fine," Ty Lee insisted through a sneeze. "I got sick before like this, and it wasn't that bad." 

"Doesn't mean it isn't contagious," she pointed out as the sound of rustling bushes drew her attention behind the clothesline; pulling back one of the drying robes, she saw Azula dismounting her mongoose lizard. 

"I see you both had about as much luck as I did," Azula said as she brushed past the clothesline and toward the campfire. 

"'Zula!" Ty Lee called out in a raspy voice when she noticed her, untucking her arms from the blanket she was wrapped in and reaching out for her, pulling her down into a kiss. 

"Ow," Azula said with a fond smile as she pulled away, Ty Lee letting out a gasp as she noticed a cut on Azula's lip. 

"You're hurt," Ty Lee said through a slight cough as she cupped Azula's face in her hands and tried to examine her wound. 

"And you're sick," Azula pointed out as she tried to pull away.

"No, I'm not," Ty Lee persisted, "and stop squirming around, or I'll have to restrain you." 

"Don't threaten me with a good time," Azula said with a wink before Mai cleared her throat and reminded the two of them that she was still there. 

"So what happened to you two?" Azula asked as Ty Lee let go of her face in favor of taking one of Azula's arms to drape around her shoulder. 

"We got tossed into a river by their sky bison because Ty Lee got distracted flirting with that water tribe boy," she said, sitting across from them. 

"You did what?" Azula questioned with a frown as she narrowed her eyes at Ty Lee. 

"Don't worry, it wasn't serious," Ty Lee reassured her. "It was just so I could get into his head and throw him off while we were fighting, and it worked. He was barely able to take a swing at me," Ty Lee said with a slight chuckle as she snuggled into Azula's side with a contented sigh.

"Anyway," she said with a roll of her eyes, "They flew away from us pretty quickly after that." 

"I'm aware," Azula sighed. "They came to protect the Avatar and ended up outnumbering me, leaving me to retreat." 

"Sorry 'Zula," Ty Lee wined. "Did one of them do that to you?" Ty Lee asked, pointing to the cut on Azula's lip. 

"No," Azula said with a frustrated sigh, "this was courtesy of my dear brother," she said, pointing to the cut. 

Mai felt her heart skip a beat at that. "Zuko?" she questioned, her voice hitching slightly as her breath caught in her throat. 

"Yes, Mai," Azula said, narrowing her eyes at her. "Last I checked, he was the only brother I had." 

"But you said you let Zuko go and warned him to say away," Ty Lee said.

"I did try to give him a chance to escape his fate and disappear, but it seems he's decided against heeding my warning. He was even angry enough at me for stealing his mission that he decided to side with the Avatar against his own blood," Azula said, a flash of frustration and what almost sounded like hurt in her voice. "Though knowing him, he'll go right back to hunting the Avatar as soon as he gets the chance." 

"Well, it'll be interesting seeing Zuko again, won't it, Mai?" Ty Lee said, her voice teasing, but she could see Ty Lee watching Azula's suspicious gaze, which was locked onto Mai, Ty Lee's eyes almost warning her to reaffirm her loyalty as she looked back at her. 

"I suppose," she responded cooly. "But now we have another obstacle in our way." 

"Yes..." Azula said as she seemed to search Mai's expression, "I suppose you're right. Though I wouldn't worry, Zuzu and Iroh shouldn't be too much trouble as long as none of us hesitate," Azula said, looking at her with an almost predatory smile before Ty Lee let out another sneeze drawing Azula's attention back to her. 

"Come on," Azula said as she stood, "when we get back to the ship, I can brew you a tea that can help you with that chill." 

"Will that work?" Ty Lee asked as Azula hoisted her to her feet. 

"I should hope so," Azula said as she walked past her. "It's about the only useful thing the old fool taught me."

"Are you coming, Mai?" Ty Lee asked, pausing in front of her. 

"No, I'll stay out here for a bit. You two go have your fun and hopefully get it out of your system." 

Ty Lee turned to Azula with a flirtatious smile at that as she tried to lean in for another kiss, but Azula halted her with a hand on her shoulder, causing Ty Lee to let out a wine of confusion. 

"No, we're not doing any of that again until you get better," Azula said, placing the back of her hand on Ty Lee's forehead. "Besides, with that fever of yours, you're going to want to rest," Azula said as she turned to make her way back to the tank train. 

"But...but Azula," Ty Lee wined as she chased after her. "That's not fair!"

Mai smirked to herself as she watched Ty Lee rush to chase after Azula. Turning back to look into the flames of the campfire, she realized how unsure she was of the truthfulness of her own words. She hadn't seen Zuko in years and had no idea what he was like now. She wondered if he thought of her as she did, a smile playing on her lips at the memory of their first kiss when he had asked her to accompany her into the city. He had been so nervous, barely able to even look at her, until she had finally gotten fed up with his indecisiveness and pulled him by the collar into a kiss. 

But that had been years ago when they were both still practically children, and too many things had changed since then. If Azula's assessment was anything to go by, then he seemed dead set on capturing the Avatar and had forgotten whatever it was they had. If he had, then if they did cross paths, it would be as enemies. She wondered if she would have it in her to attack him, hurt him even. She didn't know, and she just hoped she'd never have to find out.

Chapter Text

Zuko had always despised the open ocean. He supposed he hadn't minded it as a boy, maybe even liked it when his family would vacation to Ember Island, apart from that one time Azula had dove beneath the waves to sneak up on him and pull him underwater, making him think it was a shark and sending him into a panic that caused him to rush into his mother's arms. His father having scolded him for his cowardice, all while Azula laughed at him.

But once he had been banished, he had come to truly loath the sea, its salt, vastness, and unpredictability constantly setting his plans behind, every drop of it drawing him further and further away from his home and, most of all, its perpetual lingering stench that seemed to weave its way everywhere. But now he thinks he prefers the salty smell of the sea to the stench of sickness and unwashed refugees that pervades the rotting wooden wreck of a ship that he and his Uncle had been crammed on for the past three days. 

As he stared out at the sun as it hung low over the waves of Half Moon Bay, the sound of an instrument's strings being plucked drew his attention to his Uncle, who weaved through the crowd of people as he approached him with an almost excited smile.

"What is that?" he questioned as his Uncle approached, looking at the stringed instrument he held in his hands.

"Isn't it a lovely sound?" his Uncle said as he ran his fingers across the strings. "It's called a pipa."

"Where did you get it?" he questioned, already worried about what his Uncle may have given up for the useless trinket.

"I traded a few of my prized shells for it," he said as he fiddled with the instrument to tune it.

"Well, at least nothing of value was lost," he murmured under his breath with a sigh.

"I thought it would be lovely to serenade our fellow refugees and maybe even the people of Ba Sing Se once we arrive. We might even make some money from it."

"Singing," he scoffed with a shake of his head. "Members of the royal family reduced to stealing food and playing instruments to survive. What a sick joke."

"It's the perfect disguise," his Uncle pointed out. "No one would expect to find two princes doing honest work, especially in the capital of the enemy," he said as he began to play the beginning notes to a song. "You should be more excited to see Ba Sing Se, nephew. I'm told that the girls there are quite lovely. Perhaps you may even find someone special. It's just unfortunate that it's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se!" his Uncle said, abruptly breaking into song as he walked back into the crowd.

'I don't want to hide!' a part of him wanted to scream at his Uncle, the same part of him that he had been suppressing for the past few days. 'What am I doing here?' he thought bitterly as he pushed himself off the ship's railing. Why was he running and hiding like some cowered when he should be working to find the Avatar after letting him slip through his grasp too many times? His thoughts slipped back to a few days prior when he had crossed paths with Azula while hunting the Avatar, finally catching up with them in that abandoned desert town.

'Back off, Azula! He's mine!' he had demanded.

'You know I'm not going anywhere, Zuzu,' Azula had said, raising her fists as she began to circle him. 'You do this, and I won't be able to protect you anymore. Last chance to run, dear brother. After all, it's what you're best at.'

In that moment, he had let all his anger and frustration that had been building and directed it all at her, but in the end, he had still lost. He had been so wrapped up in his anger at himself and his own weakness when Azula had disappeared that he hadn't even bothered to try and stop the Avatar and his companions from leaving, instead making sure that his Uncle was still breathing after Azula had nearly killed him with her lightning bending.

That same burning part of him wanted him to jump off this stinking ship and swim back to shore or die trying just so he could prove Azula and his father wrong. But the last time he had tried something like that, all it had gotten him was an empty stomach and rain-soaked clothes from screaming at a thunderstorm to strike him down. He supposed it was fitting, Azula had taken everything from him now, so why not his pride as well?

The sound of a familiar whistle drew his attention to one of the corners of the ship where Jet leaned with Longshot sat by his feet, the silent archer sharpening one of his arrows.

"Look at everyone here," Jet scoffed as he approached, rolling the peace of straw he always seemed to have in his mouth between his teeth. "Sick or starving, all scared and forced to flee. It's a disgrace that the Fire Nation and now even our own leaders are forcing us to live like this."

"They're better fed now, at least, thanks to us," he reminded him.

He had worked with Jet and his two other freedom fighters to steal the higher-quality food the ship's captain had been hoarding. When the crew of the ship had found the refugees eating the food, they had tried to find out who had stolen it, but no one would give them up. Likely fearing angering the refugees who outnumbered them, the captain had declared the food a gift.

"Maybe so," Jet conceded, "though I think some of us had fuller bellies than others when they came aboard."

He gave Jet a questioning look before he Jet nodded over to someone in the crowed.

"See him," Jet said as he followed his gaze over to a long-faced, jittery-looking man with greying roots. His cloak pulled tightly around him as his eyes nervously flicked across the room.

"I got a peak of some very fine silk clothes he's waiting underneath that dery old cloak when I handed him some food last night. He probably pulled that cloak off some fleeing peasant or his servants while he was running to save his own skin."

"Who is he?" Zuko questioned.

"No idea," Jet shrugged. "Probably just another one of those fat, well-fed lords who sold out his own people and is now fleeing the mess he helped make like a rat off a sinking ship," Jet said bitterly. "But what I do know is that he's hiding a fat coin purse under that cloak, and as far as I'm concerned, he's eaten well for long enough," Jet said as Zuko spotted Smellerbee, another one of Jet's freedom fighters, weaving her way through the crowd. The scrawny, short, brown-haired girl bumped into the jittery lord, her hand slipping beneath his cloak.

"Sorry," she said as she quickly backed away from him, hiding the purse behind her back.

"Watch it, boy," the lord spat, shooting her a dirty look. "Before I beat you bloody," he threatened as he turned away.

"Prick," Smellerbee murmured as she approached them, tossing the coin purse to Jet.

"Nice work," Jet said as he pulled open the purse. "Now let's see what our friend has for us," Jet said as he reached inside. He was expecting to see the round gold and green coins of the Earth Kingdom, but instead, the coin Jet pulled out was rectangular, with a notch in the middle and the seal of the Fire Nation stamped at its bottom.

"Fire Nation ban?" he said, confused, as he watched Jet turn the golden coin over in his hand. "Why would he be carrying that?"

"A lot of towns have stopped taking Earth Kingdom money," Smellerbee offered. "They say it's worthless since they think we've already lost the war."

"Maybe so," Jet said as he reached back into the purse, "but this is going to be a lot harder for our friend to explain," he said as he pulled out another shimmering golden piece, but this time in the shape of a flame.

"What's that?" Smellerbee asked as she took what he now recognized as a Fire Nation hairpin.

"It's a Fire Nation hairpin," Jet said, echoing his own realization.

"What's a Fire Nation minister doing on an Earth Kindom refugee ship?" he questioned as he took the pin from Smellerbee to examine it.

"How do you know he's a minister?" Jet questioned, giving him a slightly suspicious look.

'Shit,' he thought as his mind quickly rushed to think of an explanation of why an Earth Kingdome peasant would know that.

"The rings at its base," he said, pointing to the two golden rings that wrapped around the hairpin. "The Fire Nation soldier who gave me this wore a similar pin," he said, only half lying as he pointed to his scar. "I started taking note of them after that in case I ran into someone with the same one," he said, letting out a slight breath of relief when Jet nodded, seeming to buy his story.

"Well then," Jet said as he unsheathed one of his hooked swords from his back, "let's go get ourselves a little revenge."

"Back for your beating boy?" the minister questioned, looking down at Smellerbee as they approached before he noticed him, Jet, and Longshot behind her.

"What? Did you go crying to your little friends?" the minister said as he looked between the three of them before his gaze locked on Zuko. "Do I know you from somewhere?" he questioned, causing a brief jolt of panic as his mind rushed to try and remember the faces in his father's court and if he was amongst them.

"You might," he replied cooly trying not to let his brief moment of panic show, "especially if you're the Fire Nation scum who burned down my village."

This time, it was the minister's turn to panic, though he wasn't as adept at hiding it. "I don't know what you're talking about," he sputtered as he tried to back away, only to be halted by Jet as he quickly swung his hooked blade out to catch the minister by the coller.

"Not so fast, minister," Jet said as he pulled him back, "I'm afraid you'll be departing from this ship a bit early."

"Hang on!" the minister shouted as Longshot and Smellerbee dragged him by his arms outside to the back of the ship. "I-I didn't burn anyone's village down! I was just in charge of logistics! Strip mining and logging in the Crimson Forest, alright? Metal and trees, that's it! No one's homes!" the minister insisted as he and Jet barred the wooden door behind them.

"The Crimson Forest was our home," Smellerbee pointed out. "Guess we finally know who was responsible for trying to destroy it."

Before the minister could blurt out another defense, Jet stepped forward and cut him off by stuffing a rag into his mouth.

"You know, I almost wish we were on the other side of the Serpent's pass. Getting torn up and eaten alive by that beast would be a fitting end for Fire Nation scum like you," Jin said as Longshot unfurled a length of rope and began to bind the minister's feet and hands behind his back. "But I suppose we'll just have to make do with a drowning," he said, nodding over to Longshot and Smellerbee, who picked the minister up and dragged him to the railing of the ship as he kicked and flailed in his binds.

Zuko felt himself wince slightly at the image of such a brutal end, but he didn't need another citizen of the Fire Nation in Ba Sing Se who might realize his identity.

___

"Wait!" the minister sputtered as he spat out the rag in his mouth. "Aren't any of you at all curious where all those resources where going?"

"Not really, no," Zuko said as he stepped forward.

"Well, now I'm certain we've never met," the minister scoffed as he looked over to Zuko. "I would have remembered someone as stupid and pig-headed as you."

Zuko felt his anger flair up at that as he lunged forward and grabbed the minister by the collar, pushing him back so he dangled over the edge.

"Wait! Wait!" he screamed as his bound hands scrambled to grip the guard rail. "What about your Earth King?" the minister questioned as his wide eyes glanced back at the choppy water below him. "Maybe he would be interested in the massive war drill that's about to tear down his city's walls and end the war."

Zuko had heard early rumors of some war-winning weapon being built around certain Fire Nation outposts but hadn't thought much of it, too consumed with his search for the Avatar to pay those whispers any mind, and he didn't care to hear much about it now, but the feeling of Jet's hand on his shoulder made it clear that he at least wanted to know more. With a slight sigh of frustration, he pulled the minister away from the edge of the railing.

"What can you tell us about this drill?" Jet questioned.

"You lot? Nothing. I will, however, tell the Earth King where the drill is located and when Qin plans to attack."

"And you're going to tell the Earth King all of this out of what, the kindness of your own heart?" Zuko questioned. 

"Funny," the minister scoffed. "No, I'm going to want something in return.  I'm no chump. Maybe a nice villa I can hide out in once I get some guarantees for my safety from the Fire Nation."

"And what did you do to piss your own people off so much that you'd flee to the enemy?" Jet questioned.  

"Like I said, I was in charge of supplying raw materials for Minister Qin's war drill," the minister began. "As you can imagine, building a thing like that takes a lot of resources and money, enough that usually, you can get away with skimming off the top. I just so happened to get unlucky." 

"Let me guess," Jet interjected, "you got caught."

"Caught? Please," the minister scoffed, "as if there was anything to get caught for. Practically everyone else was doing the same. My superiors just so happened to be making a big show of being tough on corruption for the Fire Lord to draw attention away from themselves." 

"So what, you think you can just switch sides after betraying your own people?" Zuko questioned, disgusted by his cowardice and lack of honor.

"Of course I do," the minister said with an almost bewildered look. "I'm hardly the first one to switch sides in this war. I mean, more of your people have come over to the Fire Nation than we have to the Earth Kingdom. That's just how this works. The side with the better information wins, and I have a lot more information than just the war drill."

"Like what?" Jet pressed.

"Spies, secret tunnels, even a few of my fellow backstabbing turncloaks who are working for the Fire Nation, but I think I'll save the rest of the details for the Earth King. After all, I've got to hold some of my cards close to my chest now, don't I? Otherwise, you'd all just kill me, and doing that would only hurt your own side."

There was a brief pause as Jet chewed on the peace of straw between his teeth, seeming to consider the minister's offer before he let out a reluctant sigh.

"Fine," Jet said as he leaned down to begin cutting the minister's restraints.

Zuko was about to protest when the deafening blare of a ship's horn echoed out; turning, he saw the blinding glare of spotlights illuminating the refugee ship pouring down from a tall black tower.

"It's a Fire Nation ship!" Smellerbee called out as she quickly rushed to the port side railing.

Leaning over the side with her, he was met with the sight of a Fire Nation battleship, its golden adorned bow cutting through the waves toward them and marking it as being a part of the royal family's personal fleet. Unless his father had decided to make a surprise visit to the Earth Kingdom, there was only one person it could be: Azula.

***

Ryuzo stood on the rocking deck of the royal battleship as its metal gangway slid out from the ship's body with a mechanical clank, its sharpened hooks reaching out and digging themselves into the wooden deck of the refugee ship, anchoring the two vessels together. The ship's spotlights illuminated their path as he descended down the metal walkway, a division of Fire Nation marines at his back. Reaching the deck of the other ship, they were met with the confused and scared stares of the Earth Kingdom refugees that packed the ship, a few even backing away from them as they approached.

"Get these people in a line and start looking for our prisoner," he ordered, the soldiers at his back complying as they began to call the group of refugees to one side of the deck.

"What is the meaning of this?" An enraged man who must have been the captain of the ship demanded as he pushed through the crowd toward them. "We have a treaty with the Fire Nation to let our ships pass! You can't harass us like this!"

"This is merely a routine search to ensure your ship isn't transporting any contraband or known Earth Benders, which the treaty you're referring to allows for," he reminded the captain. "Let us conduct our search, or else your ship may find a hole in its side and no one around to assist it." he threatened as he pushed past him.

As his men began to organize the crowd, his eye was caught by three strange-looking refugees: one a dark-haired boy no older than Azula with strange armor, another taller, more gaunt boy with a straw hat, and the third more scrawny and short with black paint under his eyes. The three of them came from a hallway that must have led to the back of the ship before slipping in and disappearing into the crowd. Glancing down the hall they came from, he saw the door that led outside was open; a figure that he couldn't quite make out in the darkness was standing in the doorway before they ducked back and quickly slammed the door shut.

"Strange," he murmured to himself as he began to walk down the hall to investigate.

***

"Get back," Zuko demanded as he pulled the minister away from the open door, slamming it shut behind them.

"I think one of them saw me," the minister said, his voice growing panicked.

Worse yet, Zuko had recognized the soldier in the hall, Ryuzo, Azula's loyal dog. He remembered that Ryuzo had been kind to him when he was a boy during the initial few months after his mother had disappeared. But once his Uncle had arrived back from the war, he had paid him little mind, seeming content to focus on Azula while his Uncle focused on him, but after his and Azula's fight in that abandoned desert town...

'I won't be able to protect you anymore,' Azula's last warning to him echoed in his mind.

The words made his stomach twist in bitter anger. As if she had ever done anything to protect him besides backstab and manipulate. And now, if she or Ryuzo found out he was here, she'd surely follow up on her warning.

"What are you doing?" the minister questioned as Zuko slid one of his swords into the door's handle, jamming it shut.

"Slowing him down," he said as he looked around.

"Slow him down for what? Look around, there's nowhere to run. Your friend ordered you to protect me," the minister reminded him.

For some inexplicable reason, it was true. Jet had taken Longshot and Smellerbee to cause some distraction while he had been left to guard the minister, but clearly, they hadn't held up their end of the plan, and unlike Jet, he wouldn't try to pick a hopeless fight, especially one that would end with him in chains and headed for execution all while Azula continued to steal his only chance to restore his honor. 

"Are you listening to me, boy?" the minister questioned, breaking him from his thoughts. "I said to pick up that sword and defend me, or you won't get a peep of what I kno-"

Zuko cut the minister's threat off with a punch to the jaw, knocking him unconscious.

***

Ryuzo could hear panicked whispers from behind the door as he tried to push the door open, slamming his shoulder against the door once, twice, three times before it broke open. A dual broadsword, which must have been jamming it shut, slid across the wooden deck, halting when it hit the unconscious body of the man he had been looking for.  

"Hello, minister," Ryuzo said, looking down at the unconscious man.

He scanned the rest of the back deck, finding no one else before he glanced down back at the broadsword.

"Even stranger," he said as he picked the blade up, examining it before turning and entering back into the main hall of the ship.

"You two," he said, pointing to two of his marines. "Go to the back and make sure our friend gets comfortable in a cell, then let's get out of here."

As the two men walked past him and down the hall, the soft sound of a string instrument being played drew his attention. Looking down, he saw a man with a straw hat covering his face and a pipa in his hand sitting in the corner of the main hall.

"Might I convince you to stay for at least one song, commander?" General Iroh said as he looked up at him with a smile.

***

Zuko felt the muscles in his arms begin to burn as he clung to the edge of the refugee ship, hoping that the Fire Nation soldiers he heard dragging the unconscious minister wouldn't look too closely at the edge of the railing and see his fingertips holding on for dear life.

"Damn traitor," he heard one of them say through a grunt as they dragged the minister across the deck. "He's lucky we don't slit his throat and toss him overbroad."

"Why don't we?" the other questioned.

"The Princess wants him alive. Don't ask me why," he heard the first say before the sound of their footsteps slowly faded away.

'So they were really hunting for him,' he thought as he pulled himself back aboard the refugee ship's deck.

Pausing, he glanced back at Azula's ship, larger and more modern than the rust bucket cruiser his father had given him, the feeling of jealousy that it stirred up causing his scar to itch. At the time of their last encounter, Azula had seemed as dead set as he was on capturing the Avatar as he was. If it were him, he wouldn't have moved on to hunting some random turn cloak if he already hadn't captured the Avatar. The thought caused an image of Azula presenting the Avatar to their father in chains to flash in his mind, stealing his only chance for honor,  his destiny,  his birthright.

A part of him knew at the back of his mind that it was a stupid idea the moment he vaulted over the wooden railing and plunged into the salty water that sloshed between the ships, knew that if he was caught, Azula wouldn't have any mercy, knew it at least would have been smarter if he had brought his mask so he wouldn't be recognized, but he didn't have any time. Finding the iron ladder rungs that stuck out from the side of Azula's ship, he climbed.

As he pulled himself up aboard the deck of Azula's ship, he looked back over the edge of the railing. Back aboard the refugee ship, he could see the lights of lanterns poor out from the slits and windows, with most of Azula's soldiers still on board trying to contain the crowd of refugees, leaving Azula's ship free of most of its guards. Even still, he stayed low, sticking to the shadows as he crossed the empty deck and slowly opened the iron door that led inside the main tower. As he crept through the empty halls, he eventually came across a set of stairs, one leading up and the other down. Azula's ship may have been bigger, but he was sure down still led to the brig where, if she had him, the Avatar must be. As he descended the steps, he heard a familiar voice float up the stairwell.

"Wait, where are you taking me?" he heard the minister's panicked voice say as he reached the bottom of the stairs, watching the two guards who were on the ship drag the barely awake minister into one of the cells.

"Shut up," one of the guards spat as they tossed the minister into one of the cells, Zuko quickly ducking into an empty cell of his own as the guards turned and began to walk back down the hall.

Once the two guards passed and ascended up the stairs again, he stepped back out into the hall. Stopping in front of the minister's cell door, he saw the man sitting alone.

"Hey, who's out there," the minister said as he stood in his dark cell. Zuko slammed the small viewport door closed before he could get a better look at him.  

Jet would no doubt wonder what had happened to the minister, but he could think of an excuse later. Searching the rest of the cells, he found them empty. He wasn't sure if he was relieved that Azula hadn't gotten ahead of him or disappointed that he wasn't able to steal the Avatar out from Azula without her even knowing how. Not that he would have known what to do with the Avatar if he was here.

As he ascended back up the stairs, he realized that if the minister was already down here, then Azula had what she wanted, and he likely didn't have much time before they undocked from the refugee ship. He knew he had already pushed his luck by being here, knew he should rush back out onto the deck and leap back to the safety of the refugee ship and hide until Azula's ship left, but that gnawing jealous sensation at the back of his mind only got louder. Azula may not yet have the Avatar, but she had no doubt continued searching, maybe even had him imprisoned somewhere else. If she had, then she must have some sort of information in her cabin.

Ascending the steps to the upper deck of the ship's tower, he peered behind the corner that led into the main hallway, an open door leading to one of the ship's balconies sitting at the other end of the hall, several other rooms and halls branching off from it. He was about to step out into the hall to continue searching when the sound of approaching footsteps halted him.

Carefully peering out from behind the wall, he watched with sinking dread as Azula turned down the hall and began walking toward the stairwell, toward him. 

"Shit," he murmured under his breath as he ducked behind the wall. Looking back down the stairs, he was about to try and make a run for it when a voice halted him.

"'Zula!" he heard someone call out.

Looking back into the hall, he saw that Azula had paused and turned. Following his sister's gaze, he saw a girl follow Azula out into the hall.

"You didn't finish your dinner," she said, stepping closer to Azula, holding out the bowl of food she held in her hand.

Squinting, he recognized the girl as Ty Lee. She was still dressed in a similar shade of pink she had worn when he had last seen her, and her hair, still tied back in a long braid behind her head.

"Later," Azula said, pushing the bowl away. "I need to see what's taking so long on the refugee ship," she said as she was about to turn away, but Ty Lee grabbed Azula by the wrist, halting her.

"You can do that after you finish eating," Ty Lee persisted as she placed the bowl in Azula's hand.

Azula sighed as she glared down at the bowl. "I'm not a child, you know," Azula said as she shoved a bite of food into her mouth. "You don't need to keep pestering me," she said through a mouth full of food.

"Then you should have no problem finishing your dinner without pouting," Ty Lee said as she wiped at the corner of Azula's mouth before she stood up on the tips of her toes and pressed a kiss to Azula's cheek.

'Strange,' he thought. He knew that girls could be more affectionate toward their friends than boys, but he had never taken Azula to be someone who would allow that.

"Come on, you can check on the ship from the balcony," Ty Lee said as she dragged Azula by the hand to the end of the hall.

Seeing an opportunity, he stepped out into the hall, nearly making it to the open door Azula and Ty Lee came out of when Azula turned to lean her back against the balcony's railing, causing him to have to quickly duck into one of the other hallways.

"Those people look hungry," he heard Ty Lee say as he pressed himself against the metal wall of the hallway and tried to breathe as silently as possible.

"That's the idea," Azula said as he peaked around the corner, seeing that Ty Lee was staring over the railing at what must have been the refugee ship while Azula continued to pick at her food. "It wouldn't do us any good to let able-bodied citizens help with the defense of the city. We just let the starving and useless ones pass so we can drag the Earth Kingdom down with people they won't be able to feed or house, all while we chip away at their walls." 

'Spirits Azula, still as compassionate as ever,'  he thought as he turned to the red wall lamp that illuminated the hall and carefully opened its hatch, extinguishing the flame and masking himself in shadow. 

"This ocean is boring," Ty Lee sighed as she stared out into the horizon.

"It's not any different than the other parts of the ocean we've been sailing on for the past few months," Azula said as she took the opportunity of Ty Lee being distracted to toss the rest of the food in her bowl over the edge of the balcony.

"Nuh-uh," Ty Lee insisted as she turned to look at Azula. "Remember that one week when we had those giant koi fish follow us? They were so cute."

Azula smiled, which was a strange sight to see, as she set the now empty bowl aside. "Well, if giant sea creatures are what you like, then maybe we should take sail on the other side of the serpent pass and see if we can't find that giant sea serpent that swallows ships whole."

"Can we?" Ty Lee gasped as her eyes lit up.

Azula fixed her with a bewildered look before shaking her head. "Ty, no, it would swallow our ship whole as well."

"You don't know that," Ty Lee insisted with a slight pout. "Maybe it's just misunderstood."

Azula smerked at that. "If you're referring to me, I have to say that's a very lazy analogy, Ty Ty," Azula said as she rested her elbows on the balcony's railing.

"I wouldn't dream of it. You're much prettier than any giant ship-sinking sea serpent."

Azula let out a laugh, an even stranger sight. "And who says you don't know how to flirt?" Azula said as she leaned closer to Ty Lee.

'Flirt?' he thought confused.

"Well, I've gotten this far," Ty Lee said as she closed the distance between her and Azula and...and

Oh... Oh,  Azula and Ty Lee where...where kissing? On the lips...a lot.

'Was this something else female friends did?' he thought as he watched Azula's hands move lower from Ty Lees's hips to her- 'nope, definitely not just friends,' he decided as he ducked back behind the wall, feeling his face begin to burn up.

'Speriets Azula and Ty Lee,' he thought bewildered.

He remembered hearing whispers of disgust about people like that, mostly about men, when he was a boy. He had learned quickly relationships like that weren't allowed, and he was sure Azula must have learned the same.

'It doesn't make any sense,' he thought. 'Why would she do something so risky ... no, it actually made perfect sense,' he decided bitterly. 'Of course, Azula was able to so blatantly break the rules like this. Father probably knows as well and is simply letting her get away with it.' he thought, remembering his father's words. 'She was born lucky; you were lucky to be born.'

Azula was the perfect Princess, the child who could do no wrong and who got everything she ever wanted, including the one she wanted to be with, while he had gotten himself mutilated and banished over a mere misstep.

"Spirits, I leave you two alone for a few minutes," he heard an all too familiar voice say, breaking him out of his jealousy-fueled thoughts and causing him to duck back into the shadows.

Zuko felt his breath catch in his throat as he watched a ghost from a past life walk past the corridor he stood in.

"A falcon came for you," Mai said as she crossed the hall, walking over to Azula and Ty Lee, giving Azula the letter she held before leaning on the balcony with Ty Lee.

Azula broke the wax seal of the letter with her nail, a strange, almost frustrated expression crossing her face as she read the letter before rolling the parchment back up.

"I need to go see to something," Azula said as she pushed herself off the railing and began to walk down the hall, her focus on the letter. "We may need to change plans."

He wondered if the letter had anything to do with the Avatar but he was already pushing his luck sneaking this far into Azula's ship.

"You still have to finish eating," Ty Lee called out.

"I did," Azula said, pointing over her shoulder at the empty bowl.

"Oh," Ty Lee said with a smile.

As soon as Azula descended back down the steps and Ty Lee and Mai's backs were turned, he quickly rushed down the hall and slipped down the corridor that led to Azula's room, but something made him pause as his gaze continued to linger on Mai.

She was still as beautiful as the day he had messed everything up for them and broken her heart, with her deep black hair and familiar look of annoyance. If he hadn't, then, in all likelihood, they'd be married by now, maybe even have children of their own. In the past, that thought would have filled him with longing and regret, but now he wasn't sure how that made him feel. All those memories seemed so foreign to him now like he was dreaming about a life that belonged to another person. They were both different people. At least he was now, and agonizing over the past only ever served to distract him. Pushing his feelings aside, he descended down the hall.

From what he remembered, Azula had always been obsessed with cleanliness and looking her best, but looking around her cabin, it barely seemed like it was her room, a veil of red silk draped over Azula's unmade bed, candle wax mesally melting on the corner of her desk and dripping ont othe floor, with several articles of clothing scattered around the room, his nose wrinkling as his eyes locking onto a blouse that was too pink to belong to Azula messily pooled on the floor.

'How would two women even-' he wondered for a brief moment before he shut down that train of thought with a shudder of disgust, quickly deciding that he'd rather not think about his sister like that.

The sound of the cabin door creaking open quickly turned his attention and sent a jolt of panic through him, his hand wrapping around the hilt of his sword and unsheathing the blade as he bolted across the room, a thud echoing out as he pinned the intruder to the wall.

He blinks once, then twice, as his mind tries to register what he's seeing in front of him. Mai, her eyes just as wide as his as he holds the blade of his sword to her neck.

He was broken out of his brief moment of paralyzed shock when Mai cleared her throat and glanced down. Feeling something poke at his abdomen, he looked down, seeing the point of the knife Mai held pressed into his stomach, ready to gut him at a moment's notice. A part of him thought he'd deserve that after what he put her through.

Putting a finger to his lips, he signaled her to be quiet before he leaned over and shut the room's door.

"I'm not going to call for anyone, you idiot," Mai said with a roll of her eyes.

"Right...uh, sorry," he said as he pulled his sword away from her neck. "Long time no see, Mai; it's good to see you again," he said, immediately wincing at the stupidity of his own words.

"Yeah, sure," she scoffed, "good enough that you press a sword to my neck the moment you see me."

"I already said I was sorry," he insisted as he resheathed his sword, her stare making his scar itch. 

"Whatever, Zuko," she said with a look of annoyance. "What in Agni's name are you even doing here."

"You stopped the refugee ship I was on," he said as he turned to Azula's desk which sat in the corner of the room.

"And so you decided your best move is to sneak aboard the ship of the one person in the world who currently hates you the most," Mai said flatly as she crossed her arms.

"I needed to make sure you three hadn't captured the Avatar," he said as he pushed aside a vas of blue flowers and began to sort through the papers on Azula's desk, looking for any information on the Avatar.

"Well, you don't have to worry about that; we haven't," Mai said, giving him some sense of relief. "We tried to chase them down, but they got away from us. Azula heard something about the Avatar heading into the Si Wong desert. We were camped out at the coast for a couple of weeks, waiting for any sign of the Avatar, but we got nothing."

"And so she just decides to go after some random traitor?" he questioned as he only grew more frustrated at all the useless information he filed through.

"I don't know, Zuko," Mai snapped. "Believe it or not, Azula isn't exactly forthcoming about her plans. She just got word of it and decided we were leaving," she paused for a moment, letting out a sigh. "Truth be told, I think she's desperate for any sort of victory at this point."

Reading over the last of the documents and only finding another logistics report, he let out a frustrated sigh before turning back to her.

"What about that letter you handed her?" he questioned.

"What about it?" she asked back, narrowing her eyes at him.

"It seemed to shake her up, is all," he pointed out. "Did it have anything to do with the Avatar?"

"Again, I don't know, Zuko," she said through gritted teeth. "Unlike you, I don't have a habit of rifling through other people's mail."  

"What a waste of time," he scoffed to himself.

"Yeah," Mai said back as she glanced at the floor. "Nice to see you too, Zuko."

"No, that-" he paused with a sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Sure, whatever you say," she said as she pushed herself off the wall. "Look, not that it hasn't been nice catching up about you and your sister's shared obsession, but you should probably get out of here," she said as she opened the room's door. "Wait here for a few minutes while I go make sure Ty Lee and Azula are somewhere else."

"Why?" he questioned.

"So they don't see you, obviously," she said with a bewildered look.

"You're not going to tell Azula I was here?" he asked.

"I'm not her puppet, you know," Mai said with a scowl, seeming almost offended.

"I know that it's just..." again, he sighed, cursing his own tongue. "Never mind," he said. "Thank you, Mai."

"Yeah, no problem," Mai said, looking him up and down before turning to the room's door.

"Hang on a minute," he said, reaching out and halting her by the wrist; she seemed shocked by the contact, and for a moment, he feared that he had overstepped again, but he felt her relax in his grip.

"Look..." he began. "For whatever it's worth, I am sorry, Mai...for everything."

She gave him a confused, almost frustrated look and opened her mouth to speak.

"It wasn't-" she said before cutting herself off with a shake of her head, seeming to think better of whatever she was about to say before giving him an almost resigned look as she pulled her wrist from his hand.

"Goodbye, Zuko."

***

"It's been a long time, commander," Iroh said as they walked to the empty front deck of the refugee ship for more privacy.

"Indeed," he agreed, as he handed Iroh what he now knew to be Prince Zuko's soward. "For a pair of wanted men, you aren't very discreet."

"I played a hunch, and considering that you've yet to put me in chains, I'll assume that I was correct," Iroh said with a slight smile.

"And what hunch was that?" he questioned.

"That we can both see there are larger elements at play bigger than the both of us," Iroh said.

He supposed that was true. Azula had made it clear that she had no wish for any of her family members to be returned home, but judging by Iroh's tone and the fact that he would have no idea about Azula's predicament, he had to guess he was referring to something else.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be a bit more specific, your Highness," he said flatly, keeping his expression neutral.

Iroh seemed to clench his jaw for a moment. "Very well," he said with a sigh, "The Fire Nation is causing nothing but harm and untold destruction to the rest of the world, especially under the rule of my brother-"

"A brother who I have sworn my loyalty to," he reminded him.

Iroh only smirked to himself as though he found the statement amusing. "Him or his wife?" Iroh said plainly.

"How did you-" he said, taken aback before he could think better of it.

"Because I know what it looks like to see a man who has lost someone he loves," Iroh answered before he could finish asking.

"The Princess's safety is my only priority," he said coldly, trying not to show any emotion to Iroh's words. "Whatever you are suggesting, I want no part."

"And you feel that staying loyal to my brother will accomplish that?" Iroh questioned. "How far will you go? Who else are you willing to sacrifice?"

"I have a promise to keep Iroh; I'll take it as far as it needs to go," he said, finished with the conversation as he turned to gather his men and leave the refugee ship.

"Is that what happened when you and Ursa helped my brother take my throne," Iroh called out, causing him to pause in his steps.

"Careful, my prince," he warned as he turned back, unable to keep his voice from quivering with anger. "Let us not forget that you are still a wanted man, and we wouldn't want you to return home in chains over some petty jealousy. If you wish to take back your throne from your brother, then fine, but I'll have no part in it."

Iroh only huffed in amusement as he shook his head. "I let go of my desire to sit my father's throne a long time ago."

"Then speak plainly," he demanded, "What do you want of me?"

"Both the Prince and Princess will have a hand to play in the future of the Fire Nation and the world," Iroh said. "All I ask of you is that you do not make it any harder for the both of them to do the right thing."

He was about to open his mouth to say something in response, what exactly he wasn't even sure, when the sound of yelling turned his attention back to the crowd of refugees. Seeing that they had grown rowdier, the same short-haired boy he had seen slip out of the back of the ship, tossing a rock directly at one of the marine's helmets.

"Hey, who threw that!" the marine demanded as he stormed into the crowd.

"It seems that you and your men are no longer welcome here," Iroh pointed out as Ryuzo began to walk back toward the crowd. "Farewell, Captin," he heard Iroh says behind him. "May we meet again as friends rather than enemies."

It took him at least the next half hour to pull his men off the ship, with one of the refugees even trying to chase them up the plank before one of his friends pulled him back onto the refugee ship. As soon as the mettle gangway was retracted back aboard, the sound of one of the ship's doors squeaking open drew his attention.

"Ryuzo," Azula called out as she stepped out onto the deck, a rolled-up letter in her hand, paying no mind to the crowd of marines who bowed to her.

"Yes, your Highness," he sighed as he approached her, rubbing his brow.

"I've received new orders from my father," she said as she unfurled the letter, her eyes scanning over the parchment. "We'll be changing our course to Minister Qin's war camp. I'll need you to make the appropriate preparations."

"Very well, ma'am," he said, noticing a slight nervousness to Azula's body language as she knawed on her lower lip. "Should I inform the minister of our arrival?" he questioned.

"No," she shook her head without looking up, "let's surprise them with the honor of our presence," she said as she turned.

"And what of the minister?" he questioned.  

"He'll be staying with us for the foreseeable future," she called out behind her, "or at least until his useful information runs out."

As the ship let out a blare of its horn and clouds of black smoke began to billow from its exhaust pipes, Ryuzo leaned against the ship's railing. Looking across the bow of the ship, his eye is briefly caught by the sight of a shadowy figure dashing across the rear deck before leaping off the side of the ship.

Chapter Text

Ty Lee picked uncomfortably at the dried mud that caked the skin of her arm, the hum of the armored transport's engines filling its overheated metal compartment that she and Mai had been rushed into as they had made their retreat from the wreck of the War Drill.

They had arrived at War Minister Qin's war camp a few days before his attack was set to take place. Minister Qin had treated the presence like an honor, especially after Azula informed him that the Fire Lord had ordered them to oversee his attack on Ba Sing Se, but it was hard to miss the annoyed looks he'd shoot them when he thought Azula wasn't looking, seeming annoyed by their intrusion, taking a particular dislike to her especially.

Azula hadn't seemed to care about Qin's opinion, only focused on the attack. Everything seemed to be going fine when the attack commenced, with them able to brush off what little resistance the Earth Kingdom had given them, that was until the Avatar and his friends suddenly appeared. She and Mai had done their best to try and put a stop to the water and earth bender girls who had wreaked havoc on the drill's inner machinery, but it had just ended with them being spat out of the back of the drill along with a wave of mud. They had been picked up soon after that, but Azula wasn't with them.

"Do you think Azula's okay?" she asked, looking up at Mai, who sat across from her.

"If we got out, then probably, yeah," Mai said, her eyes closed, and her head leaned back.

"But we didn't see her," she pointed out, "and if the Avatar's friends were there, then maybe the Avatar was-"

"Ty Lee, look," Mai sighed, cutting her rambling off before it could start. "Azula is fine, and knowing her, probably really pissed off, so right now, all I'm worried about right now is avoiding her and getting in a bath."

As if on cue, the transport skidded to a halt, the muffled sound of Azula yelling echoing through the steel walls from outside.

"Your feat of scientific ingenuity and raw destructive power is a massive pile of junk!" she heard Azula's voice yell out, causing Ty Lee's hands to instinctively begin fidgeting with the end of her braid as the door of the transport was pulled open by one of the soldiers from outside, revealing Azula, as angry as she feared, standing in the middle of the war camp, a finger jabbed in War Minister Qin's face as she yelled at him.

"Your Highness," a clearly fearful Qin tried to interject as she and Mai exited the transport, "While this setback is unfortunate, I promise you this was not my doing," he insisted." I had assurances from trusted sources the Earth kingdom would not be prepared for our attack."

"Well, maybe your sources should have warned you that the Avatar himself was within the city!" Azula yelled, cutting him off. "If they had, then maybe it would've saved you from your demotion."

"My what?" Qin sputtered, clearly taken aback. "You can't do that!" he tried to declare.

"Oh, I can't?" Azula said, her eyes wide with a false look of surprise that made her look more scary than anything. "My deepest apologies, Minister. I must not have received the letter informing me that I am no longer a member of the Royal Family and your superior. May I see it?" Azula questioned, extending her hand.

Qin only shrank back at that, remaining silent.

"No?" Azula questioned with a tilt of her head as she dropped her hand. "Well then, since I remain a princess of the Fire Nation who has the power to execute my Father's will on his behalf, then I can do whatever I please, including demoting you and taking over your mess of an operation."

Azula moved to dismiss him, but Qin clearly didn't know when to quit.

"Your Highness," Qin spoke up, straightening his shoulders. "I only mean that I feel such a punishment is wholeheartedly unfair," he said, looking over at where she and Mai stood. "Remember, you were the one who assigned your unqualified friends to protect my drill against my advice," he said, pointing over to them.

Azula's expression only seemed to darken at that before she put on a smile. "You're right, Minister. My deepest apologies; clearly, I was too hasty in my decision-making," she said, Qin briefly, looking relieved at her words before Azula spoke again. "A simple demotion for wasting countless resources on a useless vanity project that was able to be dismantled by a few children is hardly a harsh enough punishment. I see now that I was being too soft. Maybe you can make up for your wastefulness by providing resources for the Fire Nation in one of the colonies' labor camps. I think a mine would be most fitting. I hear they're quite dangerous and prone to losing workers from cave-ins and even a few suffocations from toxic gases, so I'm sure they'll be eager to take all the help they can get."

"What?" Qin said as his relief turned to panic. "You ca-"

"Udder that I can't do something again, and I will take your tongue, old man," Azula warned as she gestured for two soldiers to drag Qin away.

Once Qin was gone Azula let out a sigh as she pinched the brow of her nose in frustration.

"'Zula-" Ty Lee said timidly as she approached her.

"What!" Azula snapped, looking up at her, causing Ty Lee to flinch back slightly.

"I-I was just going to ask if you're okay," she mumbled out.

"Do I look okay to you, Ty Lee?" Azula scoffed, looking at her like she had asked the stupidest question, but before she could answer, Mai stepped in.

"Don't yell at her," Mai interjected, stepping forward to stand next to her.

"Why shouldn't I?" Azula questioned, turning her ire to Mai. "I gave both of you simple instructions, and your failure just set back the Fire Nation's war efforts by years!"

"Give it a rest, Azula," Mai scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "We were up against two benders; we did the best we could."

"Well, it obviously wasn't enough, now was it?" Azula snarled before turning. "Ryuzo!" Azula called out, gaining the man's attention as he stepped off one of the other transports.

"Yeah, kid," Ryuzo said as he approached.

"Round up the troops and prepare for another attack," Azula ordered. "I want to be back in control of the drill by sunrise."

"I beg your pardon?" Ryuzo questioned.

Azula seemed to only grow more frustrated at that. "I said to prepare for a counterattack," Azula demanded, her voice shaking slightly with anger as she pointed out past the gates of the war camp where she could see the war drill still sticking out of the walls of Ba Sing Se. "That is a valuable piece of Fire Nation technology, and I don't want the Earth Kingdom digging through it."

Ryuzo sighed as he held a hand out in front of him. "Look, kid it-" he tried to say.

"Stop calling me that, Ryuzo!" she cut him off. "I'm a grown woman and your superior! You will refer to me as a princess or her royal Highness, do you understand?" she questioned.

"Yes, your Highness," Ryuzo said as he stoned his expression. "But I believe that an all-out attack at this moment, with our troops depleted and exhausted as they are, would only serve to waste our already diminished forces. I respectfully refuse to carry out such a command, and I doubt you'll find another soldier here willing to carry out what you are suggesting."

Ryuzo's words hung in the air for a moment as Azula visibly fumed, looking like a scorned child as her fist trembled at her side, her eyes glistening with the start of tears as she glanced around, Ty Lee only now noticing the small crowd of soldiers who had stopped to watch the interaction.

"You are all useless!" Azula declared as she turned on her heel and walked away.

"I hate when she gets like this," she said as she wrapped her arms around herself, watching Azula storm inside the large crimson tent which sat at the center of camp.

"I wouldn't take it too personally, my lady," Ryzuo said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Her Highness has never dealt with failure in the best way."

She supposed that was true, but it had been such a long time since Azula had yelled at her like that, and even before today, she had been acting strange, seeming cagey and on edge ever since her father's letter had arrived, taking to locking herself in her cabin and studying possible battle plans obsessively as she often did, so much so that she had rarely shared a bed with her in the past few weeks, even requesting that they sleep in separate tents once they arrived at the war camp.

"Something else is wrong," she decided.

"Yeah, you're right," Mai perked up. "That you and I both stink like a pigsty."

"Mai, this is serious," she chided.

"Whatever," Mai said with a roll of her eyes as she began to walk away. "Have fun dealing with her; I'm going to go take a bath and get this filth off me."

As Mai left, Ty Lee turned her attention to Azula's tent. Taking a deep breath, she approached and stepped inside. The interior of Azula's tent was filled with lavish furniture that wouldn't look out of place in one of the rooms of the royal palace, including a vanity, a full dining table, chairs, and even a four-post bed. It was as if Azula had packed up her entire room and took it with her.

She found Azula standing in front of the vanity, her back turned to her, her head tucked low, and her arms crossed in front of her.

"You stupid bitch," she heard Azula murmur as she stepped closer to her.

At first, she thought Azula was speaking to her, but when she kept her back turned and didn't acknowledge her presence, she realized that Azula was talking to herself.

"You had every advantage," Azula continued as Ty Lee noticed the smell of something burning, which pervaded the tent. "Better weapons, a better plan, the element of surprise, and you still managed to fuck it all up, you pathetic failure."

"'Zula?" she said softly as she walked further inside.

Azula flinched at the sound of her voice, Ty Lee noticing that she pulled down her rolled sleeve as she turned, Azula frowning once she saw it was her.

"I'm not in the mood, Ty," Azula said as she turned back around, bracing her arms on the desk of the vanity.

Ty Lee let out a deep huff of frustration, refusing her dismissal. She didn't just get to blow up at her like that and then decide to shut her out.

"In the mood for what?" she questioned as she closed the distance between them. "Arguing? Because you seemed perfectly in the mood for that out there."

"What do you want from me, Ty?" Azula questioned as she raised her head and met her gaze in the reflection of the mirror.

"I want to know what's going on with you," she demanded, "why you've been acting this way."

"I just lost a major battle and the most expensive weapon ever built." Azula scoffed. "Excuse me if I'm a little upset."

"It's not just today," she pointed out. "You've been acting like this for weeks!"

"Like what?" Azula demanded as she turned to face her.

"Shitty!" Ty Lee said, raising her voice to match Azula's. "You've been snapping at everyone, including me. You locked yourself away for weeks; then you started insisting we sleep in separate rooms, and you won't touch me or even say a simple I love you back," she said, her words causing Azula to flinch as she looked away with shame. "And all of this started when your father ordered us here!"

"That's because he didn't!" Azula cut her off, sighing as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"What?" she questioned, still panting slightly after her outburst.

"We're not here on my father's orders. We're here against them," Azula confessed as she sighed through her nose and ran her tongue over her teeth before she opened her eyes and shook her head, turning to open one of the vanity's drawers and pulling out the letter she had received from the Fire Lord weeks ago.

"I wouldn't read it," Azula warned as she placed the letter on the vanity table. "It's not very kind to you." 

"He knows I'm with you?" she asked as she glanced at the rolled-up letter.

Azula nodded silently before she swallowed and spoke. "As you can imagine, he isn't very happy about it," she said as she wiped at her nose. "He says he's giving me one chance to come home willingly," Azula scoffed. "I'm sure he just doesn't want to deal with the scandal it would cause at court if he had to order the military to start hunting for both his heirs."

"Why didn't you tell me this?" she questioned softly as she delicately placed a hand on Azula's arm and began to run circles across it.

"When we captured that Minister in the Half Moon Bay. He informed me that Qin's offensive was about to begin. I thought that if I was here, and we took the city it...it might..." Azula paused glancing at the corner of the room as tears seemed to fill her eyes again.

"That it would make up for us not capturing the Avatar?" Ty Lee finished for her.

Azula nodded as she began to gnaw at her lower lip. "If we had just drilled for a little longer, we would have gotten through those walls won this war, we would have done even more than my Uncle...It would have been worth more than some stupid air bender boy it...it would have been enough."

Ty Lee wasn't sure that was true, but it wasn't worth dwelling on now. Azula was hurting, and she knew the cause. Again, she let her gaze wander to the letter with suspicion. "Is that why you pushed me away?" she questioned. "Because he made you ashamed of me...of us?"

The way Azula squirmed under her gaze like a cornered animal was answer enough.

"Oh, 'Zula baby," she sighed as she reached out, cupping Azula's cheek, Azula's eyes apologetic as they met hers. "When are you going to stop letting him control you like this?" she questioned. "He writes one letter, and it tears you apart for weeks."

"I-" Azula tried to speak, her voice cracking on the first syllable. "I just feel like I've got no idea what I'm doing anymore, Ty," Azula confessed, her tears finally spilling over. "I mean, let's face it, at this point, I'm as big of a failure as Zuko," she said, her voice coming out halfway between a laugh and a sob.

"Shhh," she tried to soothe as she wrapped her hand around the back of Azula's neck and pulled her down into a hug, squeezing Azula's waist tightly as she held her, rubbing circles into her back as she let her cry into the crook of her neck until eventually she felt her breath even out.

"I'm fine, by the way," she said dryly once she had felt Azula calm down, causing her princess to let out a laugh.

"I'm sorry," Azula said with a slight smile as she lifted her head and swiped at her nose. "You're not hurt, are you?" she asked as she pressed her forehead to Ty Lee's.

"Just a few scrapes and bruises," she shrugged, "Though the Avatar's little water tribe peasant girl did call me a circus freak."

"What a bitch," Azula said, causing the both of them to laugh before she tried to lean up to kiss her until Azula stopped her with a finger pressed to her lips.

"We're not doing that until you've had a bath," Azula said, causing her to pout until an idea came to her.

"Care to join me?" she offered with a tilt of her head.

"Very much so," Azula said with a slightly hooded gaze, "but I have a better idea."

___

Ty Lee hissed through her teeth as she sank beneath the steaming waters of the hot spring, the warm water instantly soothing her aching muscles and the dried mud that caked her legs already melting off.

"How did you find out about these?" she asked, turning to Azula, a line of bushes and boulders surrounding the hot springs, giving them ample privacy.

"I overheard some of the soldiers talking about them in the war camp," Azula said as she dropped the bag of towels and perfumed oils she had packed for them. "The whole coast is supposedly dotted with them," she explained as she walked over and leaned on the rocky rim of the hot spring.

"How's the water?" Azula asked as Ty Lee dunked her head underwater, soaking her loose hair.

"It's perfect," she said as she swam over to Azula and leaned up to place a lingering kiss on her lips.

When she pulled away, she caught how Azula's eyes darted lower and lingered on her exposed body.

"May I?" she asked with an eager smile as her hands hovered over the binds of Azula's uniform, but Azula didn't seem as enthusiastic, a nervous look suddenly crossing her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her hands hesitating.

Azula was unable to meet her eyes for a moment before she let out a sigh. "I guess this was going to happen sooner or later," Azula said as she undid the tie at the waist of her uniform on her own; beneath her tunic, the sleeveless undershirt she wore left her arms exposed.

It had been a long time since she had seen the fresh, round, angry, red burns that now adorn the skin of Azula's left arm. Back then, when they had first begun to share a bed, they had never talked about it. She had just let Azula keep her shirt on the times they had made love and had silently felt her own sense of relief when she saw the brins slowly start to heal and fade without any new ones appearing, but it was clear that she shouldn't have been so complacent, the realization that Azula must have been hiding this from her causing an ache in her chest and the feeling of tears begin to burn behind her eyes which she franticly blinked away.

"Go on," Azula said, breaking her from her thoughts.

"What?" she asked looking back up from Azula's arm to see that she was unable to meet her eyes and gnawed on her lower lip.

"Yell...or get mad at me," Azula said almost impatiently.

"I'm not mad at you," she insisted softly, "Why would you think that?" she questioned, confused.

"I don't know," Azula huffed. "Just do something besides staring...please."

"Okay," she said as she took Azula's hand in hers and pulled her closer, closing her eyes as she began to kiss up Azula's arm, gently placing her lips on each burn before kissing up her shoulder, then neck and finally ending on her lips, only breaking the kiss when her hands moved to Azula's waist and pulled her undershirt up and over her head. Azula was able to kick off her boots and trousers on her own, stumbling slightly as she eagerly chaced Ty Lee's lips into the hot spring.

Pressing on Azula's shoulders, she guided her to sit in the water before she straddled her lap and resumed their kiss. Her hands quickly found their way up the back of Azula's neck before stopping on the hairpin at the top of her head and undoing it, letting Azula's hair spill across her face and shoulders.

"That's better," she said as she tossed the hairpin aside.

"Hey, my hairpin," Azula said with almost a pout as she looked over to where she had tossed it.

"Leave it," she said as she took Azula by the chin and turned her attention back to her. "I like your hair better like this," she said as she tangled her hands in Azula's beautiful long black hair, loving the way it draped over and framed her face.

"Whatever my lady wants then," Azula said with a huff of amusement as her hands quickly slid up to Ty Lee's chest and caressed her breast in one of her hands, causing Ty Lee to let out a gasp as she rolled a nipple in the calloused palm of her hand, desire pooling low in her belly. Wanting Azula inside her, she let her hand trace over Azula's left arm without thinking, causing Azula to flinch back with a hiss of pain, her hand leaving her breast to caress her own arm.

"Sorry," she said as she quickly pulled her hand away from Azula's arm.

"It's fine; it's not your fault," Azula reassured her as she looked down at her wounded arm, examining it with a sigh.

There was a moment of silence as she watched Azula stare down at her arm. Normally, she would remain silent and let the moment pass until Azula was ready to continue, but she didn't want to let things fester in Azula's mind without her even noticing like she had last time.

"Why do you do it?" she asked as she leaned forward and nestled her nose into the crook of Azula's neck, hoping her touch would be soothing.

Azula let out a sigh as she leaned her head back. "I don't know," she heard her say as she felt Azula's arms move to wrap around her waist and pull her closer to her chest. "I-I guess sometimes I feel like it's what I deserve...for failing."

She didn't say anything in response to that, unsure of what she would even say, just silently nodded her head against her neck as her fingers continued to dance through her hair and scratch her scalp, quietly urging her to continue.

"I actually used to do it whenever I'd think about how much I wanted you," Azula admitted with a scoff as if there was something amusing to find in the situation. "I thought if I did it enough, I'd stop having those thoughts," Azula confessed as Ty Lee felt tears burn behind her eyes. "but unfortunately, you proved to be utterly irresistible," Azula said as she turned her head to begin kissing up her neck and jaw, pausing when she seemed to notice how upset she was.

"Hey," Azula soothed as she tried to pull back, but Ty Lee only tightened her grip around Azula's neck, wanting to keep her close.

Azula seemed to hesitate for a moment, not knowing what to do. "I'm sorry," Azula said softly as she began to rub comforting circles into Ty Lee's back. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay," she said as she leaned back, Azula caressing her jaw and wiping away the few stray tears that wet her cheek. "I'm okay," she resumed as she leaned into Azula's touch, placing her hand over Azula's and pressing a kiss into the palm of her hand.

She knew that was a lie. In truth, nothing about this was okay. She hated this whole situation, hated how much Azula had suffered without her even knowing and that she hadn't had a chance to try and make it better.

"It's just," she said as she glanced down at Azula's mangled arm. "Next time you want to do something like that, could you just..." she paused, trailing off as she tried to think of what to say. "I don't know, talk to me instead?"

"Okay," Azula said as she pulled her down into another kiss. A small sigh of relief escaped her nose before a smile of amusement pulled at her lips as an idea occurred to her.

"'Zula," she said as she broke the kiss. "There's something I need to confess to you as well," she said, making sure to look hesitant as she stared down at her lap. "Something I've been keeping hidden about myself," she said as she cupped her hands together and submerged them in the water between them.

"What is it," Azula asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

She paused for a brief moment, taking a deep, shaky breath before she spoke. "I'm a water bender," she said, glancing back up at Azula with a barely contained smile.

"What?" Azula asked, her brow knitted in confusion before Ty Lee squeezed her palms, sending a jet of water splashing up and directly into Azula's face.

"Ty Lee!" Azula sputtered through a cough as she wiped the water from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist," she said as she covered her mouth, trying and failing to hold back her burst of laughter, which quickly turned into a shriek of surprise when Azula shoved her back into the water.

When she came back up for air, she found Azula was laughing at her this time, Ty Lee only just now realizing how much she had missed the sound of it. Suddenly wanting her close again, she leaned forward and grabbed Azula by the ankle, pulling her forward through the water.

"You little shit," Azula said through a laugh as they struggled and splashed one another until Azula was able to grasp her by the wrists and pin her hands on either side of her head.

"I win," Azula declared, looking down at her with a confident smirk.

"Does everything have to be a competition with you?" she sighed with a roll of her eyes.

"Life is a competition, Ty Ty," Azula said as she leaned down and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose.

"Well, in that case," she said as she slipped one of her legs in between Azula's. "Maybe I should adjust my strategy," she said as she moved her thigh up to press between the apex of Azula's legs, causing her princess to let out an undignified gasp as her cheeks somehow grew a brighter shade of red than they had already become in the boiling water.

"Does my princess like that?" she questioned with a tilt of her head, watching all of Azula's confidence begin to melt away as she began to move her thigh.

Azula seemed unable to speak, only nodding in response as she felt her begin to rub against her thigh, meaning Ty Lee's own movements, her eyes becoming hooded, and her breath unsteady.

It was rare when Azula was willing to let her take control like this, usually only when she was worn out and tired of ordering people around all day. When Azula was in charge, she liked to poak and prod Ty Lee, overstimulating her with bites, kisses, and touch, whispering filthy things into her ear until she was a mindless, squirming mess below her. But Ty Lee preferred to mostly sit back and let Azula put in the work, only having to rely on the few sensitive spots she knew Azula had to drive her over the edge.

"You look so perfect like this," she said as she felt Azula's grip loosen enough to free her hands. Azula barely seemed to notice or care as she continued to case her own pleasure.

"Ty, I-" Azula whimpered as she traced a finger up Azula's muscled abdomen.

"Shhh," she cut her off as she began to circle one of Azula's nipples, her princess gasping beautifully as she arched into her touch.

"Just let me take care of you," she said before reaching up with her other hand, tangling her fingers in Azula's hair and pulling her down into another messy kiss, her lips moving across Azula's cheek and down her neck, sucking a bruise into her skin as she felt Azula tremble and shudder, a choked gasp escaping her lips as she felt Azula come apart above her before she slumped over her.

She felt Azula's fatigued breaths tickle her neck, her head resting on her shoulder as she massaged Azula's scalp, her other hand moving to caress her back before Azula let out a sigh and pulled back, her still glassy, unfocused eyes meeting hers.

"I love you," Azula said, the confession causing what she was sure was the dumbest love-struck smile to break across her face.

"I love you too," she said as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Azula's.

She wanted to stay in this moment forever, thought- no, knew she could be happy like this, just her and Azula in their own little world where they didn't have to worry about anything, not the war, the Avatar, some stupid drill, or even Ozai.

'It would be good for her...for the both of us if we could leave,' she thought to herself.

For a moment, she lets her imagination run with the idea of the two of them living freely, in some city where no one knew their faces, or better yet, a house in the countryside like where they were now; Azula might need to get used to it, but the house wouldn't even have to be that big, they would just need each other and no one else.

Suddenly, the thought becomes all-consuming, and she can't let it go, can't let it just live as some small fantasy at the back of her mind. The feeling of Azula's lips sliding against hers barely registered as all she could think about was how much she wanted to leave, to get out with Azula as soon as possible and never look back. And now that everything had seemingly fallen apart, there may have been no better time to do so.

She's about to voice the thought when Azula pulls away from their kiss, but she sees her squint at something over her shoulder, suddenly moving out of her embrace.

"'Zula?" she questioned, confused and a bit delirious from the sudden shift in mood as she watched Azula stand, water dripping off her skin as she quickly climbed out of the hot spring, unconcerned about her own nudity as she rushed over to one of the bushes, leaning down and rifling through the branches. When Azula stood back up and turned to face her, she felt her heart sink as she saw an all too familiar clump of snow-white fur in Azula's hand.

"Is that..." she questioned, already knowing the answer.

"The Avatar," Azula said, grinning down at the fur in her hand.

Chapter Text

"How many are there?" Suki heard Shoshang question from where she was crouched in the foliage next to her as Suki stared down at the line of Fire Nations soldiers through her spyglass.

"Hard to tell with how they're spread out down there," she answered as her gaze flicked from soldier to soldier, watching as they seemed to search through the bushes and foliage at the base of the mountain. "If I had to guess, I'd say maybe upwards of thirty, not counting their royal escort," she said as her gaze paused on the two mongoose lizards and their riders.

She could guess who the girl in the front was from her hairpin and the way she shouted orders, having heard plenty about Princess Azula from Aang and Sokka when she was escorting them and a few other refugees across the Serpent's Pass. The girl in pink with a long braid who clung to the Princess's back was likely Ty Lee, the one Katara said paralyzed her and briefly took her bending, while the moody-looking girl with black hair who rode behind them on her own mount must have been Mai who from what she remembered had an affinity for knives.

"Intell said the Fire Nation war camp is all the way on the east bank of the Serpants Sea," Shoshang pointed out. "What are they doing this far north?"

That's where they were initially supposed to have been headed, just a simple reconnaissance mission to scout out the Fire Nation's war camp to try and find out what their next move was after their war drill failed to pierce the walls of Ba Sing Se. She had seen the failed attack all firsthand, her lips still tingling with the memory of the brief kiss she had shared with Sokka before they had to rush off to stop the drill.

"They could be hunting for us," Kaya said from where she sat at Suki's other side, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Maybe," she sighed as she lowered the spyglass, "but we came from the west and them from the east, so they couldn't have tracked us."

"Well, if they're looking for something," Kaya said, unsheathing her fan before standing, "let's give them something to find."

"Get back down," she ordered quickly, yanking Kaya down by the back of her uniform. "Did you just not hear what I said?" she scolded. "They outnumber us more than three to one."

Kaya was the youngest of them and still in training just a moon ago. Initially, she had wanted her to join the other civilians on the refugee ship to Ba Sing Se, but Kaya had insisted that she should stay, that she had earned her uniform and fan, and that she was one of them now. She had been impressed by the normally quiet girl's impassioned argument and had caved to her request, but clearly, her newfound enthusiasm needed tempering.

"Here, look," she said, handing the spyglass over to Kaya. "Do you see those girls riding on those mongoose lizards?" she said as Kaya peered through it. "The one with the hairpin. She is the sister of the prince who burned down our village. And just last month, she and her two companions alone chased down and nearly killed the Avatar and his friends, so if the Avatar himself couldn't beat her, then what makes you think just the six of us can?"

Even through her makeup, she could see Kaya was blushing from embarrassment, "Sorry," she said as she handed back the spyglass.

"It's alright," she said, her tone softer as she wrapped an arm around Kaya's shoulder and pulled her into her side, "but part of this is knowing how to pick your battles."

"Yeah, kid, just take it easy for now," Shoshang said. "You're no good to any of us dead."

"Suki!" she heard Mika's panicked voice say from behind her.

Turning, she saw the girl rushing down the slope of the hill toward them. She had sent Kila and Saph with her to scavenge for food after they had begun running low and had to start rationing their supplies.

"Did you find any food?" she asked as Mika came to a halt next to her.

"Yeah, some," Mika said, panting. "But we also found this," she said as she reached into her bag, pulling out a tuft of snow-white hair, her eyes widening in recognition.

"Wait, let me see that," she said, standing, Mika handing over the clump of fur. "No, it couldn't be," she murmured to herself as she ran her thumb through the hair.

"Suki?" Shoshang said as she stood, seeming concerned.

"Take me to where you found this," she ordered Mika.

They followed Mika up the mountain slope to a small clearing where Kila and Saph were; all around them were broken branches, ripped-up grass, and even a whole tree having been toarn from its stump, with the whole area littered with white fur.

"Must have been some fight," Shoshang said as Suki followed the trail of fur up the slope, noticing large paw prints in the mud.

When she reached the top of the slope, she saw what must have been the ruins of some old temple, a tree sprouting from atop the ruins, forming a sort of cave. When she stepped closer and saw what was inside, a gasp escaped her lips.

"Appa? Oh no," she said as she stepped closer.

The poor thing had thorns and cuts littering its body, his fur stained red and brown from the blood and mud, and a set of shackles bound his feet together. If he had been the one the princess was searching for, then they would need to move him soon, but he was obviously scared, growling at her as he backed further into the cave.

"Suki?" she heard Shoshang call out to her from further down the slope.

"It's gonna be okay, Appa," she assured him as she backed away. "I have to leave, but I'll be back soon with help."

"Suki, what's going on?" Shoshang asked as she and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors tried to ascend up the slope.

"Wait," she said, halting them. "No sudden movements; it's Appa. He's been lost for a while, and he looks like he's hurt," she warned them. "He's shy around people and scared. Stay low and stay quiet."

"I can't believe you found the Avatar's bison." Kaya said excitedly, "Didn't you just see the Avatar a few days ago?"

"Yes, they aren't too far from here in Ba Sing Se," she said as she slowly ascended up the hill. "It's our responsibility to get Appa back to him safely. This could be our most important mission yet."

As soon as she peered over the top of the cliff, she heard Appa let out a growl, his muzzle just barely peeking out from the shadows of the cave.

"Give him some space!" she warned as she turned to Mika. "and hand me some food," she said. Mika complied and handed her an apple from her bag.

"Appa, it's me, Suki. I'm a friend," she said as she stepped forward, Appa letting out a growl in response. "I want to help you," she tried to explain. "You're hurt, and there are bad people looking for you. We can help you feel better," she said, taking a few more steps, and again, Appa growled in response. "And we can help you find Aang," she said, this time causing Appa's growls to soften.

Holding out her hand, she offered him the apple. Curiously, Appa leaned his head forward out of the cave and took the apple from her palm, allowing her to place a hand on his nose. The sky bison let out a huff of air in response before he laid down.

She and the other Kyoshi Warriors were able to steadily coaks Appa out of the cave and pull the thorns out from his side. They had just finished pulling off his chains and getting him looking back to his old self when Appa suddenly tensed, his head lifting as he looked to the tree line. Following his gaze, she saw the blue glow of a ball of flame as it shot out from the treeline, flying over them and knocking over a tree from its stump behind them. The sound of ruffling of foliage and thundering footsteps followed as two mongoose lizards broke through the treeline and slid to a stop.

"My, my, you're easy to find," Princess Azula said from atop her mount as she tossed the tuft of Appa's fur in her hand away. "It really is astounding my brother hasn't captured you yet."

Unsheathing their fans and shields, they quickly formed a defensive line in front of Appa.

"What do you want with us?" she demanded as Appa let out a growl behind them.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Azula scoffed, unimpressed. "The Avatar's fan girls?"

There was a beat of silence before the girl behind Azula let out a laugh. "Ooooh, I get it," she said, propping her chin on Azula's shoulder. "Good one, Azula."

"If you're looking for the Avatar, you're out of luck," she said.

The one named Mai let out an annoyed sigh. "I knew this was a waste of time," she said as she rolled her eyes.

"Now, now, Don't be so pessimistic, Mai," Azula said as she lit a blue flame in her hand. "After all, any friend of the Avatar is an enemy of ours," she said before bending a jet of flame directly at them. She and her fellow warriors quickly pulled their shields together to form a wall and block the blast, able to feel the heat of the flames through the metal.

When the heat let up, and she could look back through the gaps in the shields, she saw that the saddles of the mongoose lizards were empty. Glancing up, she saw Ty Lee and Mai leaping over their shield wall, causing Appa to back away further toward the cave. As Azula landed in front of them and let out another jet of flame, Ty Lee swiftly hit Shoshang in the back three times, paralyzing her.

Before she could even react, she heard Mika let out a cry of pain. Turning she saw that Mai had embedded one of her knives in the back of Mika's leg, sending her crumbling to the ground in pain. As their shield wall steadily crumbled, she suddenly felt the heat of Azula's flame let up before there was a swift kick to her shield, sending her stumbling back, the feeling of her back and head hitting the wall of the cave causing her ears to ring and vision to blur.

When her eyes focused again, she saw Appa cowering further into the cave with her. Turning her attention back out of the cave, she saw that the princess and her companions had managed to spread out and separate the other Kyoshi Warriors.

"You're so colorful," she heard Mai say, turning her attention back to the girl as she watched her pin the sleeve of Saph's arm to a tree. "It's making me nauseous."

"Yeah," Ty Lee said as she saw her begin to attack Kaya. "and you're not prettier than we are."

"Don't be so vain, Ty. Looks aren't everything," Azula said as she kicked a struggling Mika back to the ground. "Especially when they can so easily be taken away."

"Suki!" she heard Kaya's panicked voice call out. Looking back to her, she saw the girl franticly trying to block Ty Lee's blows with her shield.

By the time she was able to find her feet, unsheath her sword, and charge toward them, Ty Lee had managed to get behind Kaya, delivering three swift blows to her back that sent her to the ground. She thrusted the tip of her blade toward Ty Lee's chest, but the girl quickly twisted out of the way of the blade, the point of Ty Lee's knuckles swiftly striking the length of Suki's arm, the limb suddenly tingling as a numb feeling shot down the left side of her body and sent her to the ground.

"Ty!" she heard Azula call out, drawing the attention of the girl who had just paralyzed her. "Do you know how to calm this thing down?" Azula questioned as she tried to approach a growling Appa.

"Uh, maybe?" Ty Lee said as she rushed to Auzla's side, "I don't think we had any of these at the circus."

"Well, see what you can do," Azula instructed. "I just need to keep him here until reinforcements arrive, and we can get some fresh chains on him."

As she heard Ty Lee try to soothe Appa, Suki struggled to push herself back up onto the one leg she still had feeling in. Looking back to Appa, she saw that Ty Lee had managed to calm him down a bit, almost able to place her hand on his snout.

"Sorry, Appa," she murmured to herself as she unsheathed her fan and flung it through the air, its sharpened edge slicing across Appa's leg, causing him to let out a cry of pain.

"Go, Appa!" she yelled out. "Fly away from here!"

Appa lifted his tail, kicking up a wave of dust as he began to push himself into the air. Azula quickly rushed over to Ty Lee, tackling the girl to the ground and covering her protectively with her own body as Appa flew over them, the sky bison pausing for a moment in the air as he looked back down at them.

"Get out of here!" she yelled up at him. "You have to find Aang! We'll be okay!"

Appa let out a whine before he turned and complied, causing Suki to let out a small breath of relief as she watched him disappear over the treetops.

"Well, well, well, look who still has some fight left in her," she heard Azula say behind her, turning to face her. She unsheathed her last fan, limping slightly on her numb leg as she tried to stay standing.

"Oh, come now," Azula scoffed as she approached, her hands behind her back. "Don't you know fans just make flames stronger?" she said as Fire Nation soldiers began to pour out from the tree line.

"If you surrender now, we may just be able to bind your friend's leg before she bleeds out," Azula offered as Suki's gaze flicked over to Mika, who lay passed out on the ground as red began to stain the leg of her uniform and pool out onto the ground.

"I'd suggest you hurry. There are quite a few vital blood vessels in the leg that make a wound like that hard to survive," Azula said as she stepped close enough that Suki could strike her, though Azula seemed to have no fear of that. "And besides," Azula said with a tilt of her head as she looked her up and down, "I'd hate to ruin that pretty face of yours."

She hesitated for a moment before she gave in and dropped her fan, raising the one arm she could still move up in surrender.

"Good choice," Azula said with a smile before she kicked her one good leg out from under her and sent Suki careening to the ground.

___

Suki's hands twisted and pilled at the shackles that bit into her wrist and bound her to the wall of her cell. Her vision was blocked by the blindfold tied around her head, leaving her to rely on her other senses for the past however many days she had been captured to tell what was going on.

She could tell her cell was made out of wood, likely the same cells the Fire Nation used for their Earth Bender prisoners. She knew her cell door led to the outside, able to feel the warmth of the sun on her skin and hear the sounds from the outside clearer whenever a guard would open the door to empty the stinking chamber pot that sat next to her or give her water but never any food, her stomach beginning to ache at the emptiness.

Even with the cell door closed, she could still hear the sounds that poured into the cell, footsteps, muffled orders being shouted, the hum of engines, and even the sound of digging, with her guessing that there was maybe some sort of construction or a mine nearby. But what scared her the most was what she couldn't hear, with no familiar voices of her fellow Kyoshi warriors, her mind spinning with the possibilities of what was happening to them, if Mika's leg had healed, if the others were okay or even alive or if a fate far worse had befallen them.

She was broken out of her spiraling thoughts when she heard the sound of her cell door opening, causing her to flinch. She expected to feel the press of a spoon on her lips and water to pour down her throat, but instead, her blindfold was abruptly pulled away from her eyes, causing her to blink franticly as her vision tried to adjust to the sudden influx of light.

When she could finally see again, she saw a masked Fire Nation soldier staring down at her, her blindfold in one hand and a lantern in another. When she turned to place the lantern on a hook in the ceiling of the cell, she could see Azula leaning against the cell wall, her arms crossed and a pleased smile on her lips as she stared down at her.

"I'll be outside, your Highness," the guard said before Azula dismissed her with a wave.

"Where are they?" she demanded as soon as the cell door closed. "I swear if you've done anything to them, I'll kill you," she threatened as she yanked on her chains futilely.

Azula just smirked, "you're quite a fascinating lot," she said, brushing off Suki's threat. "A group of warriors comprised entirely of women, such a novel concept for a country as backwards as the Earth Kingdom," she said, pushing herself off the wall and uncrossing her arms, revealing a ceramic bowl with a lid atop it in one of her hands.

"We're from Kyoshi Island," she scoffed. "We have a long lineage of female warriors stretching back to when your country was nothing but a backwater that could barely go a decade without having a succession crisis," she spat. "Our founder Avat-"

"Yes, yes," Azula said with a bored wave of her hand, cutting her off. "I'm well aware of your little island and founder," she said as she crossed her legs and sat across from her, placing the bowl between them. "I used to read quite a lot about Avatar Kyoshi when I was a girl."

"I didn't realize your country would stoop so low to teach the history of such a backward nation as ours." she scoffed. "I'm truly honored."

"We don't," Azula said, narrowing her eyes at her. "I did my own private studies on Kyoshi," Azula shrugged. "Call her a childhood heroine of mine, that, and I've found that it always pays to know your enemy. I always admired how pragmatic Kyoshi was, how...ruthless," she said, reaching out and running one of Suki's braids through her fingers, seeming entranced by it for a moment. "but now look at what's left of her legacy," she said as her gaze focused back on her. "Nothing but a group of scared, weak little girls," Azula scoffed.

"And what of it?" she said as she yanked her head away and out of Azula's reach. "You think that what? Justifies invading us and burning down our home?"

"Yes, I heard of my brother's little attack on your home island," she said as she pulled away her hand, unbothered by her outburst, "and here I thought Zuzu didn't have it in him."

"So, is everyone from the Fire Nation as crazy as you two, or does it just run in the family."

"Call it what you want," Azula shrugged, "but the fact is we're beating you in this war, and in a few years at most, we'll have won. The strong take from the weak; it's as simple as that," Azula said confidently as though it was a fact. "But that does not mean that I am completely without mercy," she said as she reached down to the bowl between them and pulled the lid off it, her nose being hit with the smell of something spiced and delicious, revealing a bowl of noodles with fresh cuts of spiced meat laid on top.

"You think you can bribe me?" she tried to say without showing her desperation for the food, swallowing the saliva that had pooled in her mouth.

"Come now," Azula said with an almost amused look. "You haven't eaten for almost three days, maybe even more, judging by how dismal your supplies were when we captured you, so why don't you cut the act and take my offer." she said as she gestured down at the food, "For every question you answer I will let you have one bite. I may even consider feeding your little friends."

She hesitated for a moment before the image of her friends sitting alone in their cells, wounded and starving, flashed in her mind.

"Fine," she sighed as she gave in.

"Very good," Azula said as she reached down, taking the chopsticks in her hand, and began to twirl the noodles around them. "To start, why were you with the Avatar's sky bison."

"We were on a scouting mission, we stumbled upon him, and then you came along," she said, trying to give as little information as possible away.

Azula seemed to notice, flashing her what almost looked like an amused smirk. "I suppose that'll do for now, but next time, I'll want a more detailed answer," she said as she lifted the noodles out of the bowl.

"You're not seriously going to feed me, are you?" she scoffed in disbelief.

"And risk unlatching you?" Azula said with a tilt of her head. "As a princess of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne, I'm afraid I can't risk my own safety so callously," she said condescendingly as if she was explaining a simple fact to a child. "Now open up," she commanded as she held out the noodles expectantly.

Suki ground her teeth in frustration before she complied.

"Good girl," Azula praised as she placed the food into her mouth, causing anger to bubble up in her chest.

Suddenly, she felt the urge to spit the food back in her face, but Azula seemed to catch onto her intentions, reaching out and wrapping her hand tightly around her mouth and pressing the back of her head against the wall of the cell.

"Swallow," Azula commanded with a growl, "or the next thing you'll be spitting out will be your own broken teeth."

Reluctantly, she complied, swallowing the noodles, the spices burning her throat but soothing the ache in her stomach.

"There, was that so hard?" Azula said condescendingly as she removed her hand. "Now, what was the Avatar doing in Ba Sing Se without his little pet?"

"They lost him in the Si Wong Desert and were heading to the capital to try and find him."

"I see," Azula said as she narrowed her eyes at her, seeming to scan her face for any sort of lie as she handed her another bite of food. "And they were only in the capital to find their bison, not to plan any sort of attack?"

"No, I don't think so," she answered through the food in her mouth.

"And what of you?" Azula questioned. "Have any of you been inside Ba Sing Se?"

"No, why?" she questioned before there was a knock on the cell door.

"Perfect timing," Azula said, seeming to perk up as she placed the lid back on the bowl, causing Suki to let out an involuntary whine of protest.

"Oh, calm down," Azula said with a roll of her eyes as she stood. "Once we're done, I'll let you have the whole bowl all to yourself, and all you'll have to do to get it is sit there and look pretty."

"Done with what?" she questioned as Azula walked over to the cell door.

"You making up for the fact that you scared away my bait for the Avatar," Azula said as she opened the cell door, Ty Lee standing on the other side, a beaming smile on her face and Suki's satchel in her hands.

"I got her bag," Ty Lee said as she practically skipped inside the cell, sitting down in front of her as she began to rummage through her bag.

"What do you think?" Azula asked as she closed the cell door and sauntered up behind Ty Lee. "Can you copy her look?"

"Yeah, probably," Ty Lee said as she began to pull out her makeup and other belongings from her bag. "Everything else is pretty simple. It's just the eye shadow I'd need to practice."

"Well, luckily, she hasn't been crying like some of the others, so her makeup hasn't smudged," Azula said as she absentmindedly ran her fingers across the top of Ty Lee's head, the girl seeming to preen under the affection.

'Crying?' she thought, as her mind rushed to think who it could have been. Worrying that it might have been Kaya, she suddenly cursed herself for not listening to her instincts and ordering the girl to stay on the refugee ship.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the gasp Ty Lee let out. "I love this shade," she said as she held up the glass jar of the reddish-pink makeup she used for her eyeshadow. "What is it made of?" she questioned.

"Rice powder and the peddles of a flower that grows on our island," she explained.

"Ooo," Ty Lee said as she admired the jar.

"Keep it if you want," Azula said as she walked around Ty Lee to sit in front of her. "All belongings of our prisoners are property of the Fire Nation."

Ty Lee seemed to hesitate for a moment before she looked over Azula's shoulder at Suki. "Don't worry. We won't use all of it," Ty Lee reassured her with a wink before she pressed a hand to Azula's chest. "Lie down," Ty Lee commanded as she pressed her back.

"Why?" Azula questioned even as she complied.

"I need my canvas to be steady," Ty Lee said as she moved to straddle Azulas lap.

"Why do you need to know how to do my makeup?" she questioned as she watched Ty Lee coat one of her thin makeup brushes in her black eyeliner.

"I want to try out a new style," Azula said nonchalantly, brushing off her question. "Which I'll have you know I'm perfectly capable of doing on my own," Azula insisted to Ty Lee.

"Of course 'Zula," Ty Lee said, the tip of her tongue sticking out slightly as she began to carefully trace winged tips around Azula's eyes, a smile pulling at Azula's lips as Suki watched her hands slide up Ty Lee's thighs to her waist.

Then it all suddenly clicked, the closeness, the affection, the way Azula had dived in to save Ty Lee from being trampled by Appa without a second thought, none of it matching the cruel, cold-hearted way Sokka and Katara or Aang had described her.

"Oh, you can't be serious," she gritted out in frustration before she could think better of it, causing the both of them to break their eye contact with one another and look at her. "The princess of the Fire Nation has another woman as her lover," she scoffed.

Ty Lee blushed at the accusation as she tried to pull away from Azula, but the princess kept her hands around Ty Lee's waist, stopping her from moving.

"I would keep that obvious and defamatory lie to yourself," Azula said, her face calm and unaffected. "Else, you might find yourself without a tongue to speak so slanderously about a member of the royal family," Azula threatened cooly.

"Oh, come on, I thought we were being honest with one another," she said, reveling slightly in the sudden advantage she had over her captor. "I'm part of a group of warrior women, remember? It would be pretty hard not to run into someone who shares your affections," she said, her mind immediately going to Saph and Mika, wondering if they had been separated.

"I think you have far better things to worry about right now than my love life," Azula said as she looked back to Ty Lee, tapping her on the thigh and signaling her to continue.

"Shouldn't you two worry about how you'll only be hurting yourselves if the Fire Nation wins this war?" she shot back.

"Yes, because the Earth kingdom is so much better," Azula drawled.

"Some places, yes," she insisted, "not all our laws are the same, which is better than the Fire Nation where anyone like you would be hung."

"Whatever you say," Azula hummed, clearly ignoring her, but Ty Lee paused for a moment before Azula regained her attention with another tap on her thigh.

"Huh?" Ty Lee said as she looked back down at Azula. "Oh, I'm done," she said as she stood.

"How do I look," Azula asked as she took Ty Lee's hand and pulled her up.

"Like a Kyoshi warrior," Ty Lee said as she pressed a kiss to Azula's nose, Azula scrunching her face in response before she seemed to realize something.

"Oh, one last thing," Azula said, turning to Suki and looking her up and down. "We'll be needing your uniform."

___

Surprisingly true to her word, once Suki had changed into the uncomfortable prisoner cloths and wiped away her makeup, Azula allowed her to be unshackled, letting her finish her meal all while a guard watched over her before she was once again shackled, though thankfully with a longer chain attached to a wall, allowing her to have some mobility around her cell and to finally lie down on the straw mat she had been given.

That night, though, she awoke to the sound of her cell door opening. When she blinked away the sleep from her eyes, she was surprised to find the prince's lover standing in the doorway, the moonlight silhouetting her back.

"Hi," Ty Lee said with a small wave as she entered the cell, a lantern and a small pouch in her other hand.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned as she sat up and put her back to the wall defensively.

"I came to give you this," Ty Lee said as she knelt in front of her, placing the lantern down before untying the cloth that bound the small pouch, revealing some kind of cream tart sitting atop a porcelain dish.

"I gave some to your friends as well," Ty Lee said as she handed her the dessert. "Mika's leg is doing better and-"

"What is this?" she demanded, cutting her off as she eyed Ty Lee and her offering suspiciously. "Another one of the princess's tactics to try and make me talk?" she scoffed as she leaned back. "Because I already told her everything I know."

"'Zula doesn't know I'm here," Ty Lee confessed as she continued to hold out the pastry. "I just want to ask you something."

She hesitated for a moment before she sighed and took the offering. The pastry was sweet and warm as she bit into it, Suki letting out a sigh at the taste.

"Good, right?" Ty Lee said expectantly.

"What do you want," she said impatiently in between another bite.

Ty Lee seemed to hesitate for a moment before speaking. "You said there were places in the Earth Kingdom that were okay with people like 'Zula and I. I want to know where they are."

"I don't know, a few places," she said, narrowing her eyes at her. "I knew some people in Gao Ling, though last I heard, the city was under siege by the Fire Nation. Omashu was another one, though, that isn't really an option for you anymore now, is it?" she scoffed.

Ty Lee's eyes darted around in thought before she spoke, "What about Ba Sing Se?"

"I don't know, I've never been inside the city walls," she said as she finished the pastry, wiping the crumbs off her hands. "Why do you want to know anyway?" she questioned when she noticed how Ty Lee's face seemed to fall at her answer. "Are you thinking about running away or something?"

Ty Lee didn't say anything, but the mix of worry and hope on her face was answer enough.

"You do realize that if the Fire Nation wins this war, then there will be nowhere for you to go, at least nowhere they all won't hate you and everyone like you," she pointed out as Ty Lee began to fidget with the end of her braid. "Doesn't that bother you?" she questioned. "That you're fighting for a nation that despises you?"

Ty Lee seemed to hesitate for a moment, her mouth opening to speak, but before she could hear a word, Azula's voice broke through the silence.

"Ty!" Azula's voice called out from outside the cell, causing the girl to stand swiftly.

"I have to go," Ty Lee said as she quickly took the lamp and moved to leave.

"You're on the wrong side of this, and you know it," she said, causing Ty Lee to pause for a moment in hesitation before she exited the cell.

Looking back down, she saw that Ty Lee had forgotten the dish her gift came with. An idea came to her as she placed the plate underneath her sleeping mat and steadily applied pressure until she heard a crunch. Taking the largest share of the shattered plate, she began to chip away at the wooden wall in the corner of the cell.

___

It must have been two days later when she had managed to shave away enough of the wood in between her guard delivering her meals and dropping in unexpectedly when she was able to loosen one of the wall panels enough that she could slip out of her cell. It was night when she decided to scout out the camp and try to make a plan for their escape; the moon was thankfully dark, allowing her to stay hidden and close to the shadows.

Outside of her wooden cell, she saw what must have been at least a hundred just like them, causing dread to sink low in her belly. It would no doubt take her days to search through each one and find each of her fellow warriors, and for everyone she would look through, she would no doubt find more people to save.

In the distance, she could see a row of lights illuminating the top of the massive steel wall that encircled the camp and ended at the massive cliff that the camp sat in the shadow of, making any potential escape near impossible, but every fortress had its imperfections, and she was sure there was one place she could find it.

Azula's tent was easy to spot, its crimson canopy sticking out above the other sea of smaller tents. As she approached, she could see what looked to be a staging ground where several of the war machines' engines roared to life from where they were lined up as a whole army of soldiers marched behind them and out of the opened metal gate of the camp, a potential escape route for them if it wasn't so well guarded. When she neared Azula's tent, she was able to peek through one of the gaps in one of the canvas flaps. Inside, she could see Azula's back as she and what looked to be several high-ranking soldiers standing around a war map that was sprawled out onto the floor.

"Our first infantry division shall attack toward the wreck of the drill to draw most of the defender's attention," a gruff-looking woman dressed in black armor said as she used a plotting rodd to push a few models forward on the map.

"Meanwhile, our armored divisions will attack from the north to test the defender's reaction time," a man said, his voice old and gravelly.

"Tell them to keep note of the quality of the troops," Azula said. "We need to know if we're putting a drain on their resources."

"Your Highness," she heard a voice say as her gaze moved over to the entrance, where a man in crimson armor stepped inside, a letter in his hand.

"Yes, Ryuzo," Azula said as she gestured for the man to enter.

"It appears Minister Mazo was correct about Qin's sources within the city," he said as he approached, handing Azula the rolled-up piece of parchment.

"So our mole has finally decided to reach out," the older man said with a smirk as Azula unrolled the paper.

"Order the mining teams to start digging toward the city," Azula eventually said. "Let's see if this information checks out. Either way, we can send Minister Mazo back to the Fire Nation to await his punishment. Even if he is telling the truth about this new source, he's used up all the useful information we need."

"With pleasure," the woman said. "It's the least that traitor deserves."

"And what of the other prisoners?" she heard the one called Ryuzo question.

"They can go with him," Azula answered. "I'm sure the colonial mines can always use more bodies, though make sure they're separated. We don't want them trying to organize anything."

"Kid, I-" Ryuzo tried to say.

"That will be all, everyone," Azula said, cutting him off as she dismissed them, the sound of the existing member's footsteps disappearing steadily, being drowned out by the beat of her heart, panic rising in her chest. She had heard horror stories of those camps, people barely lasting a day in the mines. At best, they'd all be dead within a week, and she would no doubt need at least twice that time to organize any sort of escape.

___

Suki didn't sleep that night when she snuck back to her cell, her mind too consumed with thoughts of what would happen to all of them as she franticly tried to think of any sort of plan, most of which involved her sneaking back out into Azula's tent and sticking the shard of her plait into her neck while she slept, but all of those would lead to her and her fellow warriors dying in some way or another. So when her guard came for her in the morning, she knew only one plan had a chance of keeping them all alive.

The sunlight stung her eyes when she was shoved out of her cell by her guard, her grip not leaving her shoulder as she guided her through the sprawling war camp and over to the base of the cliff the camp sat under, steal rails cutting through the ground leading into the mouth of several mine shafts, the carts that where pushed out by the sweat-soaked miners filled to the brim with glowstone crystals.

The largest of the rails that cut through the camp was occupied by an iron train, smoke billowing from its chimney as it waited idly, no doubt for her. As her guard shoved her closer to the train, her eyes searched franticly through the crowd of dust-covered minors when her eyes were caught by Azula standing pristine in her black and red uniform as she examined one of the minecart's contents.

Seeing her chance, she drove the heel of her foot into the shin of her guard, causing her to let out a yelp of pain as her grip loosened just enough for Suki to slip from her grasp. Making a break for Azula, she caught the attention of a few of the workers she passed by, but by the time they realized what was happening, she was already past them.

When Azula turned to notice her, a brief look of what almost seemed to be fear appeared before Suki quickly fell to her knees in front of her. She was about to speak when there was a sudden tug on her hair and the press of cold steal to her throat. Looking up, she saw Mai glaring down at her; having must have missed the other girl in her rush.

"If that was an assassination attempt, I have to say I'm disappointed," Azula said as she smirked down at her.

"Your Highness," she began, swallowing past the knife that pressed to her throat, "I have only come to plead for your mercy, not to harm you."

Azula let out an amused laugh as she glanced at Mai before looking back down at her.

"Now, isn't this a pleasant change in attitude?" Azula said, seeming to maul over her words. "Well, since you asked so nicely, I suppose I'll hear your request out," Azula said as she signaled for Mai to release her hair and remove the knife, though the other girl stayed lingering over her.

"I beg of you, please spare my fellow warriors from the mines. You may send me in their stead, but not them." she implored, making sure to keep her gaze low in deference.

"Well, aren't you pretty when you beg," Azula drawled, causing that anger to bubble back up again. She wanted to spit every vile insult she could think of at that moment, but she held her tongue and kept her gaze lowered.

"Very well," Azula said as she knelt down to her eye level. "I'll spare your little friends and send them to the Caldera city prison where they'll be comfortable, or at least as comfortable as they can be behind bars. I'll even keep those two love birds, Saph and Mika, together." Azula said, causing Suki to let out a shaky breath of relief, though the feeling was short-lived.

"For you, however, I can't promise the same." Azula continued. "But, if you truly care for your warriors, you won't want any of them to accompany you where you're going."

She felt a twist of anxiety at Azula's words, but she didn't care as long as the others were safe.

"Though it is the least that you deserve," Azula snarled as she looked at her with barely concealed anger. "Especially after that little stunt you tried to pull to turn Ty Lee against me."

She was unable to stop the gasp that escaped her lips as she looked up, eyes wide in shock.

"What? you didn't think she'd tell me?" Azula questioned almost mockingly "I'm afraid Ty Lee isn't so easily swayed as you thought she might be." Azula said as she stood.

"I-I wasn't- she tried to defend.

"Save it," Azula snapped, cutting her off as she felt two guards rush up behind her and grab her by the arms.

"I'll make sure you receive a warm welcome at The Boiling Rock," Azula said with a smug smile and a wave as she was dragged away.

Chapter Text

'You're on the wrong side of this, and you know it!'

Suki's final words to her rang out in Ty Lee's mind as she quickly rushed out of the wooden cell and back out into the night, the muddy ground sloshing beneath the boots Azula had gifted her with every step. It had been a foolish endeavor going to Suki, her acting upon that fantasy in the back of her mind, but a part of her had let herself hope that there was some sort of out for them, a place they could disappear to and leave all of this behind as she had dreamed. But Suki had made it clear that simply running away was no longer an option. She should have known, but even still, she couldn't help the feelings of sorrow and dread that began to bubble up in her chest at the thought of having to go back home, of what that could mean until she could feel the emotion burning behind her eyes.  

"Ty," she heard Azula call out to her as she watched Azula turn a corner through the rows of cells. "There you are," Azula said as she paused in front of her. "What are you doing over here?"

"I-I was-" she tried to choke out, but the words wouldn't come. She felt her chin begin to quiver as she could see Azula's expression turned from confused to concerned through her tear-blurred eyes, and suddenly, she couldn't take it anymore, letting the tears fall down her cheek.

"Ty Lee? What happened?" she heard Azula say, her voice stern and slightly panicked as Azula closed the distance between them before she felt her calloused hand caress her cheek while her other wrapped around her waist. "Did someone hurt you?" Azula questioned as she looked her up and down.

"No," she managed to choke out. "It's just-it's not fair," she said through another shuddering sob that rocked her body as she wrapped her arms around Azula's neck and buried her tear-soaked face in her neck.

She felt Azula tense up for a moment beneath her before she felt Azula's hands wrap around the back of her neck and shoulder.

"What isn't fair?" she heard Azula question, her voice still panicked but softer.

"All of this," she said halfway between a sob and a bitter laugh. "I-I don't want to be here," she confessed, "I just want to run away with you. Just keep moving from place to place every week like it was with the circus, seeing new places and people," she said the brief though bringing a smile to her lips.

"You know we can't do that, Ty," Azula said as she stroked the back of her head soothingly. "My father would never allow it."

And there it was, the one person this always came back to. She knew the thought was treasonous, but it felt like they would all be better off if Ozai was dead. She just wondered if Azula thought the same.

"I know," she sighed as she sniffed. "It's not like it matters anyway. Suki said there was nowhere for us to go."

"Suki?" Azula questioned as she pulled back, her voice suddenly stern again. "Is that where you were?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I guess I just got too caught up in the fantasy of leaving with you and asked her if there was anywhere we could go."

"I see," Azula said as a dark expression crossed her face.

"What is it?" she questioned.

"Nothing" Azula said as she replaced her slight frown with a smile. "Come on, let's get you back to bed."

___

Back in Azula's tent, she watched from under the covers of their bed as Azula used her firebending to brew her a pot of tea to help her sleep,

"Here," Azula said, as she walked over to her and handed her the cup, "careful, it's hot."

"Thank you," she said, taking a sip before putting the cup aside.

She felt calmer now at the very least, her tears having finally dried, but at the back of her mind, she could still hear Suki's words whisper at her incessantly.

'You're on the wrong side of this, and you know it!'

"What's wrong?" Azula asked as she sat on the bed behind her, her worry evidently showing on her face.

"Noth-"

"Don't say nothing," Azula cut her off before the word could even finish leaving her mouth.

"I guess I-" she said, cutting herself off with a sigh.

"Go on," Azula encouraged as she felt her hands begin to undo her braid.  

"I'm just scared 'Zula," she confessed.

"About what?" Azula asked as she kept her eyes focused on her task.

"That this isn't right," she sighed. "What we're doing with the war? I mean...are-are we doing the right thing?"

She felt Azula's hands pause in her work for a moment before she continued, feeling the tension at the back of her head loosen as Azula finished undoing her braid, her hand fanning out her now loose hair before Azula placed a finger on her chin and turned her head to face her, Azula's beautiful golden-amber eyes bearing into her's.  

"It's the right thing for us," Azula said so confidently as if it were a fact before she leaned in and placed a tender, lingering kiss on her lips.

___

Suki and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors were gone the next day, which she decided was for the best, especially when Mai told her about Azula's comment on how prettily Suki begged, but for the next few days, Azula seemed to be just as absent, Azula seeming to prefer spending her days by the camp's mines, her mind always seeming to be somewhere else even when she spent time with her.

"Maybe she decided to keep that Suki girl after all and is hiding her from you in the mines," Mai had teased one night with a smirk after Ty Lee had spent probably longer than she realized venting her frustration.

"That's not funny, Mai," she had huffed before tossing a pillow at her face.

Eventually, she got fed up and decided to seek out Ryuzo. She had found him at the edge of the war camp's training yard, overseeing what looked to be hundreds of troops as they trained.

"Hi Ryuzo," she said as she skipped over to him.

"Hello, my lady," Ryuzo said as he turned to face her with a smile. "What may I help you with."

"Have you seen 'Zula?" she asked.

"Well, there's a surprise," he said with a slight chuckle. "You're usually right by her side."

"I guess she's been busy lately," she said with a nervous smile.

"Is everything all right?" Ryuzo questioned, seeming to notice.

"Of course," she said a little too quickly, feeling as if she was trying to convince herself as much as him, but she could see from the worried look on his face it hadn't worked. "I'm... I'm just worried about her," she admitted with a sigh.

"I'm afraid I know the feeling," Ryuzo said with a hum as he placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her away from the crowd of soldiers.

"I think she's scared," she said as she began to fidget with her braid. "She always gets frantic like this and starts to bury herself in things to do."

"I think it's her way of feeling some security or control," he said, pausing in his steps once they had found a more secluded spot. "Just give her some time, and I'm sure she'll be back to attending to you."

"I know," she sighed. "I suppose I've just gotten used to having her all to myself out here, especially compared to back at home. I almost wish we didn't have to go back," she said, trying to cover the confession with a nervous laugh, but Ryuzo seemed to catch on, pausing to glance around them to make sure they were alone before he spoke.

"I know what it can be like to love someone you can't have, my Lady," Ryuzo confessed with a sigh.

The admission came as a surprise, Azula, having never told her much of his personal life, but she could see by the look of regret on his face that he understood. It was the same look she recognized in herself whenever she'd stare in the mirror too long, and her mind would let the reality of her and Azula's situation sink in before she inevitably shook herself out of it.

"But Azula loves you," Ryuzo continued, "and as ashamed as I maybe should be to admit that I need to rely on a mear girl who is barely a woman, you are good for her, my lady, and I know she'd do anything for you."

She smiled, feeling some comfort in that, but another part of her was almost scared when she thought of what lengths Azula would go to to get what she wanted.

'You're on the wrong side of this, and you know it!'

"Thank you," she eventually said, plastering on a smile. "I just hope it's all worth it."

"Speaking of which," Ryuzo said as he nodded over to the distance.

Following his gaze, she saw Azula approaching, her black and gold trimmed uniform gone in exchange for beige and green commoner clothes, a bag slung over her shoulder.

"Have fun, my lady," Ryuzo said with a knowing wink.

___

Ty Lee gripped the railing of the motorized mine cart as it sped down the mine shaft, its rocky walls and wooden support beams passing by in a blur. Azula stood across from her, a smirk playing on her lips as her loose black hair flowed in the breeze.

"You going to tell me what we're down here to see?" she asked, having to shout over the mine cart's engine.

"That would defeat the purpose of a surprise, no?" Azula said with a wink.

For a brief moment, she thought of Mai's comment and felt a small surge of jealousy before she realized it wouldn't make much sense if Azula was taking her down here.

"Could you at least tell me what the occasion is?" she said as she crossed over to stand next to Azula.

"Simple," Azula shrugged. "It's our anniversary."

"It is?" she questioned, surprised.

"Of course, I can't believe you don't remember," Azula said in mock outrage. "If you'll recall, on this day eight years ago, I heroically and selflessly defended your honor by breaking the nose of that pathetic little brat Jin after he gave you an abhorrent gift."

"I see," she said with a slight chuckle. "And why is it exactly that we've never celebrated this before?"

"Well, usually, I like to mark the occasion by going out and breaking the nose of any man that's annoying me in memory of your dearly departed betrothed, but I figured you'd prefer something a bit more romantic."

Suddenly, Ty Lee felt herself stumble forward into Azula's arms as the engine of the motorized mine cart came to a halt with a sudden lurch, its metal wheels screeching upon the rails.

"Watch it!" Azula snapped at the conductor, the taller, more muscular man flinching slightly.

"Apologies, your Highness," he said quickly, bowing.

"I think I just found my new target," Azula murmured under her breath before she looked back down at her. "Are you alright?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah," replied Ty Lee as she stood herself back up out of Azula's arms. "You know, I also recall a few other things happening that day," she said, "like you coming groveling back to me with a gift, me kissing you on the cheek, and you blushing so hard because of it that you nearly fell out of a tree."

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, Lady Ty Lee," Azula said, gasping dramatically as she opened the cart's gate and let her out. "I remained perfectly stoic and composed the entire time." Azula insisted as she extended her hand for her to take.

"Of course you did, 'Zula," she said, smiling as she took her hand.

"Wait here," Azula ordered back at the driver as she walked them down one of the tunnels. "We may be gone a few hours, so I suggest you get comfortable," Azula said, causing her to let out a small laugh as she leaned into Azula's side.

As Azula lit a flame in her hand and guided her down through the winding cave network, she noticed that the cave walls around them slowly became smoother carved stone rather than jagged rock. Turning a corner, she saw a green light begin to pour its way into the cave from what looked to be some sort of doorway.

"How is their light this far down here?" She asked, squinting.

"You'll see," Azula said as she let the flame in her hand burn out.

As they reached the end of the hall, and her eyes adjusted to the light, she felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight. The narrow cave's mouth opened up into a massive room, its ceiling reaching high above them with pillars carved from stone reaching down and bisecting the aqueducts that poured across its floor, each corner seeming to shine with growths of glowing green and turquoise crystals, some larger than even the bow of Azula's ship, which illuminated the subterranean amphitheater.

"What is this place?" she asked, turning to Azula in amazement.

"Welcome to Old Ba Sing Se," Azula said with a smile, gesturing out into the grand hall theatrically as they walked out onto one of the footbridges that arched over the canals.

"This is incredible," she said, still in awe, as she looked over the stone railing into the crystal blue water.

"Indeed it is," Azula said, sitting next to her. "This is just one of the rooms we've found," she explained. "There's an entire network of caves that lead to other rooms such as this, some with buildings carved of stone, stretching all the way underneath Ba Sing Se. I imagine this is where the first Earthbenders lived, carving their very own city out of the rock."

"Why did they leave?" she asked as she looked around at the massive room.

"Who knows?" Azula shrugged. "I suppose after a while, they got tired of living underground, and eventually, this place got paved over and forgotten about, that was until whoever our spy on the inside of the city informed us of it."

"That's kind of sad," she said as she rested her head on Azula's shoulder. "A place this beautiful doesn't deserve to be forgotten about."  

Azula gave her a soft smile before she placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Speaking of beautiful," Azula said as she reached into her pocket. "I got you something," she said as she pulled out a bronze chain with a small green glowstone hanging from its pendant.

"'Zula," she gasped as Azula held up the bracelet for her to admire. "It's beautiful," she gushed, twirling the glowstone between her fingers. "Thank you."

"Thank Ryuzo," Azula said, with a pleased smile as she secured the chain around her wrist. "he was the one who got me that chain," she said before placing a delicate kiss on the palm of her hand. "He knew you'd like it."

"Well, I'm afraid he was wrong," she said as she wrapped her hand around the back of Azula's neck. "Because I love it," she said before pullin her into a kiss, "and I love you," she managed to say in between presses of their lips as she tried to climb into Azula's lap and sneak her hands under her shirt.

"Hang on a moment," Azula said, halting her hands and breaking their kiss, causing her to let out a whine of disappointment. "As much as I would love to continue," Azula said, a bit breathless. "I'm afraid I have a bit more planned for us and wanted to save that for the end of our evening," she said as she stood them both up.

"You're no fun," she whined as Azula began to pull her across the bridge.

"Don't look so disappointed." Azula said with a roll of her eyes, "I've made much more comfortable accommodations for us than a pile of rocks."

Guiding her to the waterfall, which poured out from the back wall on the other side of the massive room, they managed to squeeze their way between the stream of water and the wall, behind which they found another tunnel. Sparking a light in her hand, Azula guided them to the back of the tunnel, where it split in two different directions.

"Which way now?" she asked, turning to Azula.

"Up," Azula replied as she began to climb, Ty Lee only now noticing the handholds carved into the wall.

At the top, their way was blocked by an old stone manhole cover. When Azula pushed it away, it revealed the night sky staring back at them. Climbing out, Azula extended her hand, pulling her up and out of the hole and into a dark alleyway surrounded by base stone buildings on either side. Turning toward the end of the ally, she could see the glow of green lanterns illuminating the chaos of a bustling city crowd. Further out, she could see the green rooftops of yet more buildings, along with a great stone wall reaching up to block the horizon.

"Spirits, 'Zula, are we?" she said, looking around.

"Welcome to New Ba Sing Se," she heard Azula whisper into her ear from behind her as she pulled their bodies flush.

"Are you crazy, Azula?" she said as she turned in her arms to face her. "We can't be here! What if we're see-"

She felt Azula silence her with a swift press of a kiss to her lips.

"Calm down, would you?" Azula said as she pulled away, "The commoners in Caldera never recognized me, let alone you. I very much doubt a bunch of Earth Kingdom refugees would know who we are."

Ty Lee felt herself calm at that. "Are you sure?" she asked, still a bit nervous.

"Positive," Azula reassured her with a smile, placing a kiss on her forehead before she took her by the hand. "Now, come on," she said, pulling her into the busy crowd.

"Where are we going?" she asked as they weaved their way through the lantern-lit streets,

"Anywhere you want," Azula said, smiling back at her.

***

"'Zula, look!" she heard Ty Lee gush as she pulled her to another stand for what must have been the hundredth time that night, the strap of the bag full of trinkets that Ty Lee had wanted digging into her shoulder. Her regret over her offer to give Ty Lee free rein of the city fully sank in when she saw the stand Ty Lee had pulled her to was filled with animals and pets.

"Aren't they adorable?" Ty Lee said as she cooed over a cage of what looked to be newly bord owl kittens.

"I suppose," she said as she stuck a finger into the cage to try and pet one of the cats before it hissed at her. "Though I'm afraid I've never had much luck with pets."

"I'm sure the poor thing is just scared," Ty Lee insisted as she unlatched the cage door, the shop attendant trying to stop her before Azula silenced her by tossing her a coin.

"You're okay," Ty Lee soothed as she reached inside the cage, the animal backing away as it puffed up its black feathers as her limp hand approached before a talin swiped out and cut Ty Lee's finger.

She was about to intervene when Ty Lee put up her other hand, halting her.

"It's fine," Ty Lee said, keeping her eyes on the animal as its panting leveled out, its golden eyes with their slit pupils darting from Ty Lee to her hand before it sniffed her cut and licked at the blood.

"See, it's okay, just a bit scared," Ty Lee said as she lifted the now docile creature and held it to her chest.

"You and your pets," she huffed in amusement as she scratched the animal's head. "Against my better judgment, I'll get her for you, but only if you promise not to overrun my tent with strays."

"What's the matter 'Zula?" Ty Lee said as she nuzzled the owl cat's cheek, "Afraid of some competition?"

"Not in the slightest," she said, "because I don't have to scratch you to make you scream."

"I'll have to hold you to that," Ty Lee said with a smirk before she cleared her throat. "In any case, we'll have to come back for her," Ty Lee said as she placed the owl cat back in the cage. "Since I doubt we can do that with a pet in our hands," she said, nodding over behind her.

Azula felt dread sink low in her belly when she turned and followed Ty Lee's gaze, seeing a group of men playing instruments in front of a fountain and a crowd of people laughing and...dancing.

"Oh no," she said as she felt Ty Lee take her hand.

"Oh yes," Ty Lee insisted as she pulled her through the crowd.

"Neither of us know how to dance," she pointed out, desperate for an excuse.

"I do," Ty Lee said, undeterred.

"Since when?" she questioned franticly, watching as the shifting dancing crowd grew closer.

"I learned while I was in the circus," Ty Lee explained. "Some cute boy taught me, and I'll teach you."

"What cute boy?" she questioned, her dread briefly forgotten as they came to a halt at the edge of the crowd.

"Jealousy doesn't make for good dancing 'Zula. Now put your hands here," Ty Lee said as she placed her hands on either side of her waist before draping her hands around the back of her neck, "and then step to the right, then back, then the left and back again," Ty Lee instructed, Azula complying.

"Look at you," Ty Lee gasped. "We'll make a dancer out of you yet."

"And what might I need to do to get the rest of the way?" she asked with an amused scoff.

"Well, to start, you could loosen up a bit," Ty Lee said as she began to sway her hips. "You look like one of those wooden dummies you train with."

"Well, I do know one way to do that," she said as she leaned in and kissed her, Ty Lee gasping into her mouth as their lips slid together.

"None of them are looking at us," Ty Lee said when they pulled apart as her eyes darted around at the crowd.

"Told you they wouldn't recognize us," she reminded her.

"That's not what I meant," she heard Ty Lee murmur before she rested her head on her chest, Azula deciding to pretend like she hadn't heard the comment.

It was only when they were out of earshot of the rest of the crowd that Ty Lee spoke again. "So, are we going to use the caves for the attack?" Ty Lee questioned.

"Ryuzo and our soldiers will, but you and I will be using a more direct method to get into the more prestigious parts of the city," she said, pointing up past the city skyline to the highest rung, its walls stretching above the rest of the roofs with the glimmering palace shining like a beacon above the rest of Ba Sing Se.

"Luckily for us, none of the Kyoshi Warriors have ever been to Ba Sing Se or have met the Earth King, so we'll be able to make an introduction for them," she explained.

"Ah," Ty Lee said with an almost knowing look, "and here I thought that you just wanted an excuse to see Suki out of her uniform."

"Now who's jealous," she said as she cocked her head to the side. "You know, I hear it makes for bad dancing."

"Well, it does feel a little hard to compete with a girl who's the spitting image of all those old illustrations of Avatar Kyoshi I found in your room when we were children."

Azula felt the slightest twinge of panic at the thought someone had found those before she had burned them out of shame but masked it with a smug smile.

"Well then," she said as she leaned in closer, "you best make a good effort when I drag you up to the room I rented," she said, pulling a brass key out of her pocket.

***

Ty Lee's muscles were still aching and trembling when she rested her head on Azula's bare, sweat-soaked chest, the sound of the bustling city outside being drowned out by Azula's heartbeat. A sigh escaped her lips when she felt Azula's hands begin to scratch her scalp soothingly, the two of them trying to catch their breath as she hoped the other people in rooms next to them didn't complain of all the noise they had made, but feeling content here all the same.  

"We should stay here," she said, letting the words slip out before she could think better of it.

"We can, at least for a few more hours," Azula said casually, clearly not taking the meaning of her words.

"No," she corrected, deciding to commit to her confession. "I mean, we shouldn't go back ever, not to the war camp or the Fire Nation."

"What?" Azula said as she stopped in her ministrations.

"I want to stay here," she declared as she sat up to look Azula in the eyes. "Like you said, no one here recognizes us. We could take the money we have and disappear."

"Ty Lee, enough. We've already had this conversation," Azula said firmly, trying to cut the conversation short as she stood from the bed. "You're being ridiculous."

"And fighting on the same side that hates us isn't?" she questioned.

She saw what Azula became like when she tried to please her father. The lengths she'd go to, at times, scared her, and she knew returning home would only make it worse, a part of her at the back of her mind fearing that if Ozai commanded it, Azula would send her away again.

"It's the side that's winning," Azula insisted as she leaned down and picked up her discarded trousers. "You're beginning to sound like Suki, you know."

"Excuse me?" she questioned, shocked.

"Nothing," Azula sighed as she tried to wave off the comment. "Come on, let's get back to camp," she said as she tossed her her shirt, but she wasn't willing to let the comment go.

"Well, did you ever consider that maybe Suki was right?" she said as she stood, disregarding the garment on the bed. "That we might be on the wrong side of this war?"

"No, because she isn't!" Azula snapped causing her to flinch back slightly before Azula took a breath to calm herself. "Ty, what exactly do you think is going to happen when the rest of the Fire Nation takes this city? This war is practically over even without us, and once it is, there won't be anywhere for us to go but home. We can either go back in chains or heroes."

"So we stop them," she said boldly, trying to sound confident in her idea. "We go to the Earth King, and we trade what information we have for refuge like that minister we captured tried to do, and we stay here together where it's safe."  

"You want me to betray my father," Azula scoffed in disbelief before she turned away with a huff as she leaned down and picked up her shirt.

"He betrayed you first," she reminded her as she stood and crossed the room, following after her, feeling like she was screaming the most obvious fact at a wall. "Remember the offensive he stripped from you? and how he beat you?"

"He had to punish me because he caught us!" Azula insisted, raising her voice as she whirled on her. "Now, we need to give him a reason to reward us, which is why when this is all over, we need to come home as heroes of the Fire Nation. It is the only way I can protect the both of us."

It scared her how easily and confidently Azula said those words. Before, when they were younger, Azula would at least have a tell, ether gnawing on her lip or unable to look her in the eyes, but there was none of that now.

"So being with me is wrong," she pressed, trying to make Azula change her mind as she stepped closer, glaring up at her.

"Of course it is!" Azula insisted as if it was a fact. "Spirits," Azula said, stepping back, pressing the palms of her hands to her eyes, and taking a shaky breath. "But despite that," she said as she looked at her again, "I still want you, I still need you. You are the one weakness, the one in imperfection I allow myself, and I am doing everything I can to try and hold onto you if you would just let me!" she said, her voice trembling on the last words.

Ty Lee felt tears begin to well in her eyes. She hated this, not just the arguing but seeing the kind of person Azula became when she tried to please her father, a person who would do anything no matter how heinous, twisting herself into knots of delusions and lies to try and justify it, a person she didn't recognize.

"You're the smartest person I know, Azula," she said, her voice thick with tears. "You're always plotting and scheming, seeking to bend the world to your will, but no matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to escape the fact that if you ever want to be the next Fire Lord, you're going to need to marry a man who can give you the heirs you need and I'm sorry but I can never be that for you, no matter how much you want me, your father or the court would never approve. I mean, let's face it, if I could give you any heirs, I think it would have happened by now," she said, letting out a bitter laugh.

Even through the tears, she could see Azula's eyes go soft, letting out a sigh as she crossed the room over to her.

"We'll have time to figure it out, Ty," Azula soothed as she wrapped a hand around the back of her neck and pulled her to her chest. "My father won't be dead for years," she said as she rubbed circles into her back, feeling comforted until she spoke again, "and I won't have to marry till then, and when the time comes, we can still be together; I'll just need a more...official match," Azula said, causing Ty Lee to feel sick as she pushed herself out of Azula's embrace.

"I don't want to be your mistress, Azula!" she snapped. "I don't want to have to spend the rest of my life sneaking around and hiding or pretend that I don't want to kiss you or hold you or love you!" she said, feeling anger and panic rising in her chest as she thought of Ryuzo and that sad look of regret he had on his face, imagining that as her future. "Spirits, Azula," she sobbed, "I don't want to give you ultimatums because I didn't think I'd ever have to, but it is either me or your throne."

Azula was silent for a long moment after that; the only sound in the room was their breathing and her own sniffles as she wiped away her tears before Azula spoke.

"May I think on it?" Azula asked, her voice barely audible as she kept her eyes on the ground.  

She never thought Azula would have to hesitate to answer that question, but this night seemed determined to prove her wrong.

"Of course," she said, plastering on a shakey smile, "I'll see you back at camp."

***

Azula exited the inn alone. Ty Lee insisted that she could get back to camp on her own despite her protests, but she seemed to want to be away from her at the moment.

'How had the night gone south so quickly?' she lamented as she took one last glace up at the rooms window. 'And how could she ever ask her to give up her birthright and betray father?' she thought more bitterly as she turned away from the building and began to walk down the city street.

She had disobeyed her father when she sought Ty Lee out, but she had a plan to win back his favor. But this time, if they went through with this betrayal, then there would be no going back. Her father would despise her, and no doubt hunt the two of them down. The thought sent a jolt of anxiety through her as the memory of Zuko's own Agni Kai flashed through her mind.

Ever since she was a girl she had always dreamed that it would be she and Ty Lee together forever. She sat atop the throne, and Ty Lee draped upon her lap, the two of them ruling together, but despite her insistence, Ty Lee had been right. If she ever wanted to remain her father's heir and rule after him, then she would no doubt have to marry and lay with a man. The thought sent a shudder of disgust through her. In the end, she would lose Ty Lee, and the throne would mean nothing without her, but betraying her father would be unthinkable, borderline suicide, especially if the Earth King rejected them. And then, as she walked past a restaurant, she saw her answer sitting at a table across from some ratty-looking dark-haired girl.

'Zuko.'

Chapter Text

Ty Lee tossed uncomfortably back and forth in her and Azula's bed for what must have been the hundredth time, finding herself unable to sleep without Azula's presence, even if she was frustrated at her. After her and Azula's argument, she had arrived at camp alone, thankfully able to avoid any questions from Mai or Ryuzo. She had been anxiously awaiting her Princess's arrival and answer for the past few hours, but even now, as she saw the first rays of morning sunlight begin to pierce their way through the tent's canvas, Azula still hadn't come. She was about to get up to find Ryuzo and tell him to begin searching for Azula when the sound of approaching footsteps drew her attention.

"Ty," she heard Azula call out from the other side of the tent flap. "Can I come in?" she asked, her voice sounding more tentative and nervous than she could ever remember hearing it.

"Yes," she sighed as she rolled over on the bed, turning away from the tent's entrance as she heard Azula's footsteps approach.

"I got you something," she heard Azula say as she reached over her to place a cage with the owl kitten she had wanted in front of her.

She wanted to open the cage and take the sleeping creature into her arms, but she held firm, needing an answer first before she gave Azula what she wanted.

"Have you made up your mind yet?" she asked, still refusing to look at Azula.

"Yes," she heard Azula sigh as she felt the mattress dip slightly behind her with the weight of Azula sitting on the edge of the bed.

"And?" she asked through a nervous swallow, feeling her heart rate pick up as she began to fear the answer.

"I'm choosing you," Azula said, causing a gasp to escape Ty Lee's lips as she turned and shot up in bed fast enough that it woke the owl kitten.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you 'Zula!" she said as she wrapped her arms around the back of Azula's neck and pulled her close. "I knew you'd make the right choice!" she said, relieved.

"Shhh," Azula quieted her as she pulled out of her embrace. "Not so loud," she warned. "If we're going to do this, we need to be careful. No one else can know what we plan to do."

"Right, sorry," she said, lowering her voice but unable to keep the smile off her lips.

"We're going to use the Kyoshi Warrior uniforms to sneak in as planned," Azula explained. "According to my spy, the situation within the city is unstable, so we must tread lightly and trust no one except each other until it is safe and I know everything is in place."

Ty Lee did her best to take in all the information, but her mind was already filled with images of what their perfect life would be like in Ba Sing Se, spending every night as they had tonight free and together.

"Can we take Mai with us as well?" she asked excitedly. "We don't have to tell her what we plan to do right away, but I'm sure she'd be happy to come with us."

"I suppose," Azula hummed as she brushed away a loose strand of hair back behind her ear before caressing her cheek. "Though adding a third person will make it more complicated."

"I know," she conceded as she nuzzled into the feeling of Azula's touch. "Its just she seemed so unhappy without us."

"Mai is always unhappy," Azula snorted.

"More than usual," she insisted as she placed her own hand atop Azula's. "Besides, I don't want her to get in trouble for anything we do," she said as she began to place kisses on her calloused palm.

"Very well," Azula hummed absentmindedly, seeming far more focused on what she was doing. "But don't say a word to her until I tell you," she added.

"Of course, 'Zula," she said as she leaned up and pressed a kiss to her lips.

"So does this mean I'm forgiven?" Azula asked in between kisses.

"Maybe," she mused as she pressed her teeth into Azula's lower lip and leaned back, dragging Azula on top of her. "Though I still think you have some work to do," she said as she guided Azula's hand beneath her waistband and to the warmth between her legs.  

"Well, in that case," Azula said as she pressed her thumb down on Ty Lee's clit, causing a jolt of pleasure to go through her and a gasp to escape her lips. "I best ge-"

The sound of a soft meow cut Azula off.

"It seems we've forgotten about our guest," Azula sighed as she turned to look over to the cage that sat on the bed, the owl kitten's golden eyes staring back at them.

"Guest implies she won't be staying forever," she said as she leaned over and opened the cage, the animal quickly making a clumsy attempt to fly over to her before it landed upon her chest.

"And now it's taken my favorite spot," Azula groaned as she sat up and plucked the animal off her chest, the owl kitten letting out a squeak of protest.

"Hey," she protested as she sat up on her elbows, "where are you taking her?"

"Somewhere she won't bother us," Azula said as she walked over to the tent flap. "Ryuzo!" she called out.

"Yes, your-" she heard Ryuzo say as she saw him step into the tent doorway before he was cut off.

"Take this thing," Azula said as she shoved the owl kitten into his arms.

She was barely able to bite back a laugh when Ryuzo seemed to panic for a moment as the animal flailed its wings, one hitting him in the face.

"And what exactly am I meant to do with it?" Ryuzo questioned as he held the owl kitten away from his body.

"Just don't kill it, or Ty Lee will have your head," Azula said as she turned away, letting the tent flap fall close behind her.

"That was cruel," she said through a slight giggle as she watched Azula eagerly rush back to the bed.

"I can live with that if it means not having an audience," Azula said as she practically leaped on top of her. "Now, where were we," she said before their lips collided together again.

"Hey," she said as their lips broke for a brief moment, able to catch Azula's eyes. "I love you," she said.

For the briefest moment, a look that she couldn't discern crossed Azula's face before it disappeared.

"I love you too, Ty."

___

The first thing Ty Lee took note of when she, Mai, and Azula entered the Earth King's throne room was its shear enormity, likely twice the size of the Fire Lord's, the green and gold pillars that supported the room reached up so high that the light from the glow stone lanterns didn't even reach the top of the ceiling. At the center of the room sat the Earth King's golden throne, fine silk drapes reaching down to the throne's carved stone visage of a Badgermole. Atop the throne sat who must have been the Earth King, though he was far smaller and scrawnier than she would have imagined him. The Earth King watched through the pair of round glasses perched on his nose as Azula crossed the room fearlessly, she and Mai trailing behind her, the three of them disguised in the Kyoshi Warrior's uniforms.

"In our hour of need, it is with the highest honor that I welcome our esteemed allies, the Kyoshi Warriors!" The Earth King announced as they approached, Ty Lee noticing a brown bear with an adorable-looking hat and shirt asleep at the foot of the throne steps.

"We are the Earth King's humble servants," Azula said as they bowed before him.

"Look, Bosco!" the Earth King said as he looked at the sleeping bear. "The Kyoshi Warriors are here to protect us! Aren't you excited?"

Bosco let out a yawn before he lifted his head, blinking sleepily at the three of them before his dark eyes locked on her. Standing with a huff, the bear walked over to her.

"Hi," she greeted as she reached out and scratched him behind his ear. Bosco let out a pleased growl before he collapsed in front of her with a contented sigh.

"Please, all of you stand," the Earth King said with a smile. "I was told by the Avatar to prepare for more in your retinue. When shall we be expecting them?"

She froze in her petting of Bosco as she nervously looked up to Azula, but she looked unbothered by the contradiction they had been caught in.

"Yes, there were, but I'm afraid we suffered heavy losses at the hands of the Fire Nation on our way to Ba Sing Se," Azula lied, putting on a convincing mask of mourning.

"My condolences," The Earth King said sympatheticly. "I'm afraid I only became aware of our war with the Fire Nation a few days ago. My most trusted advisor, Long Feng, and his Dai Li agents were hiding the truth and tried to take control of Ba Sing Se from me."

"How dreadful," Azula said as she clearly contemplated something. "It's terrible when you can't trust the people who are closest to you."

"But there is good news." The Earth King said, perking up, "As we speak, the Council of Five is meeting to plan an invasion of the Fire Nation this summer on the day of a solar eclipse."

"Really?" Azula said, her eyes visibly lighting up. "Now, that sounds like a fascinating and brilliant plan. Tell me how-" Azula tried to ask before a dark-haired woman dressed in a beige and green striped robe abruptly entered the throne room from a side entrance.

"Parden, the interruption, your Majesty," the almost unnaturally wide-eyed woman said with a bow as she stepped between Azula and the Earth King. "But it is time for Bosco's feeding."

"Oh, very well then," The Earth King said as he stood. "Bosco, come," he said with a clap, causing the bear to stand and follow him as he moved to leave.

"Just a moment, your Majesty," Azula tried to stop him. "I was wond-"

"Greetings," the woman cut her off, stepping between Azula and the Earth King with a stilted voice and a smile so wide that it looked like it was painful to maintain. "My name is Joo Dee!" she introduced herself. "I have been given the great honor of Escorting the Kyoshi Warriors to their royal chambers."

"By who exactly?" Mai questioned as she glanced over to the Earth King as he left.

"Welcome to our wonderful city." Joo Dee continued as if she didn’t hear Mai's question, "Shall we get started?"

"In a moment," Azula tried to brush her off.

"Great!" Joo Dee interjected again, undeterred. "I'll show you to your new home here. I think you'll like it!" she said as she brushed past Azula and began to walk towards the doors to the throne room.

"Very well," Azula huffed with a glare before following her.

Ty Lee felt a brief flutter of panic as she watched the Earth King disappear, fearing that he was taking their only opportunity to switch sides with him before she tried to calm herself.

'Azula knows what she's doing,' she told herself as she rushed to catch up with her. 'This is all part of the plan. Everything will be fine.'

___

"And this is the Royal apartment that has been so generously allotted to you by our benevolent King," Joo Lee said as the three of them entered the room behind her.

Their apartments were cozy, with stone and wooden walls illuminated by glowstone lights. The sitting room at the center was surrounded by several doors along the walls, one of which led to a balcony that gave them a view over the top of the city, the others to three separate bedrooms.

"These chambers were once inhabited by the princ-" Joo Lee tried to say.

"Get out," Azula ordered sharply, this time cutting her off.

"Of course," Joo Lee said, her vacant smile almost seeming to twitch for a moment. "Your breakfast shall be served in the morning," she said before she bowed and left.  

"What a freak," Mai scoffed as soon as Joo Lee shut the door behind them.

"Normally, I'd say you just don't like people who smile, but yeah, she was weird," she agreed as she crossed the room to stare out the balcony, able to see the people below them move throughout the city as the sun set over the green tile rooftops.

"She was also quick to rush us off," Azula pointed out as she walked over to a basin of water and began to scrub the makeup off her face.

"Who knows?" Mai shrugged as she followed Azula. "Maybe they just don't know how to keep their servants in line here. Move over," Mai said to Azula as she stepped aside from the basin. "I need to get this stuff off my face."

"What's the matter, Mai?" she called out to her from the balcony. "Are you tired of wearing makeup that doesn't make you look totally depressing?"

"Ha ha," Mai deadpaned as she dried her face, I'm going to bed. If you two don't mind, take the room farthest from mine and try to keep it down."

"No promises," she said with a wink.

Mai just rolled her eyes in response before she disappeared into her own room.

"This city is so beautiful from up here," she said as she felt Azula approach her from behind and wrap her arms around her waist, resting her chin on her shoulder. "I can't wait to live here with you."

Azula only let out a barely audible hum in acknowledgment as she began to kiss up Ty Lee's neck.

"We're going to talk to the Earth King again, right?" she said as she turned in Azula's arms, briefly breaking their embrace.

"He was a foolish oaf who wasn't even aware his kingdom was at war. I doubt he was aware of what was happening within the walls of his own city, let alone outside of them. He'd be useless to talk to," Azula brushed off as she tried to lean in to kiss her again.

"Then we'll have to talk to the council of five," she said, dodging the kiss and trying to meet Azula's eyes again. "The Earth King said they'd be arriving in the city tomorrow to form a new plan, and if we help them, then they'd have to let us stay. We could even tell Mai and-"

"All in good time," Azula said, cutting her off by pressing a finger to her lips. "Now come on, I've been wanting to get you out of this uniform all day."

Ty Lee wanted to protest but she told herself Azula was right. The generals wouldn't even be in the city until tomorrow. They had time.

'Azula has a plan. Azula always has a plan,' she reminded herself as she pressed a smile onto her lips. 'Everything will be alright.'

"Okay," she nodded, "let me just get this makeup off," she said as she tried to step past her to the basin of water, but Azula kept her hands tight around her waist.

"No," Azula said as she raised her hand to cup her cheek. "Keep it on," Azula whispered, seeming almost transfixed as she slid the pad of her thumb across her bottom lip. "I want to ruin it," she said as she parted her lips and slid the digit inside her mouth, her eyes fluttering closed as a moan escaped her lips.

***

Azula felt tense even as she lay in bed with Ty Lee; the warmth of her body pressed against hers as she absentmindedly traced circles over the new bruises and love bites that now stained Ty Lee's skin. The accusation that had been echoing in her mind ever since they had entered the city repeated over and over again in her mind.

'Lier,' it hissed in a voice all too similar to her mother's. 'You're no better than you're father, you monster.'

Her fingers itched to light a flame and press it to the flesh of her arm, but with them wrapped around Ty Lee's sleeping form, she instead silenced the incessant voice with a sharp bite on her lower lip, pressing down until the sudden pain brought tears to her eyes and drowned out her thoughts.

She hadn’t been lying to Ty Lee, not technically, she was choosing her over her throne; she had just neglected a few of the details, deciding it would be easier to get her into the city if she let Ty Lee believe what she wanted. In truth, she had learned far more about the events that had occurred inside Ba Sing Se than she had let on, and it meant that what Ty Lee wanted could never happen.

According to her spy, the Avatar had been the one to overthrow the Dai Li, leaving their leader, Long Feng, in a cell. The Council of Five would soon be in the city to fill the power vacuum the Dai Li had left, and with the Avatar no doubt having their ear, meaning that even if they did try to approach the Council of Five, there would be no possible way they would trust her, not after what she had already done to them leaving the Dai Li as her only potential ally.

A small dark part of her had been relieved at the excuse to keep to her original plan and win the glory of taking the capital of the enemy for her father, but she knew that even with this victory, she couldn't have the throne she wanted, not without losing Ty Lee. But with Zuko here as well, she could salvage her dream and make a compromise of what she and Ty Lee both wanted.

She would win Zuko back with the promise of capturing the Avatar and restoring his honor. He would be their father's heir, and Mai, his wife. Though the thought still sparked some jealousy in her, she would be willing to sacrifice her birthright if it freed her from the burden of marriage and kept Ty Lee with her. And after everything, winning the war for her father, restoring Zuko's honor, bringing Mai's betrothed back, and sacrificing the throne for Ty Lee, they could all stay together. She wouldn't have to tear her family apart, they would all have to love her, and she would never have to be alone again.

'You don't have to let anything go,' her father's selfish voice whispered louder than the last. 'A snake takes what it wants,' it reminded her.

'She'll understand,' she told herself as she took one last look at Ty Lee before untangling herself from around her and standing from the bed. 'She'll have to; I'm doing this all for her.'

Quietly redressing herself before she slid the bedroom door open, she was only slightly surprised to see the silhouette of a Dai Li agent with their distinctive dark black robe and a wide-brimmed hat that shadowed their face standing in the center of the room.

"Spirits," she said as she closed the door behind her, "you know how to make a quiet entrance."

"It's what us Dai Li are best at," he said as he stepped closer. Under his hat, she could see that he was middle-aged with a faint scar cutting across his chin, leaving a bald spot in his short-cropped black beard. "Hu Qiang at your service, Your Highness," he said with a bow.

"I presume that since you're currently not trying to kill me, you're my turn cloak," she said as she crossed the room, taking a seat on the room's sofa and crossing her legs.

She had already gathered from her spy's detailed correspondence on the events inside the palace that he'd have to be an inside member of the royal court, and with her appearance inside the city, it would only be a matter of time before he showed his face.

"I prefer to think of myself as more of a conscientious objector," Hu said not unkindly. "But yes, I have been the one sending you information from inside the city."

"Well, it's good to finally put a face to an intelligence report. Though it did take you long enough."

"I could say the same for you, Princess. Your side was supposed to have won this war weeks ago with that war drill."

"I'm afraid your previous benefactor's plan was unsuccessful," she said as she glanced at her nails, bored. "I have made a new one."

"And not a particularly subtle one." he pointed out. "I assumed you would have used the cristal catacombs I informed you about to make your way into the city as you did last time."

'So they had eyes on me before,' she thought to herself, making note of that at the back of her mind.

"I'm afraid I needed to make a grander entrance to gain your superior's attention."

"And you very much have it," Hu said as he held up a pair of anti-fire bending cuffs. "He ordered me to drag you down to his cell to offer you a deal."

"Well then," she said as she stood before raising both her hands above her head. "You have my unconditional surrender."

___

"What is this about?" she demanded in mock outrage, making sure that her voice was loud enough to drown out the sound of echoing screams and murmurs of pain that filled the dimly lit halls of the palace prison level. Azula walked a few steps ahead of her so-called captor before Hu stopped her in front of one of the cell doors.

"Throw me onto the floor," she whispered to Hu as he unlocked the door. "I want to make this look convincing."

"As you wish, Your Highness," Hu said with a slight chuckle before tossing her inside the cell, Azula being sure to make her fall look painful.

Looking up, she saw who must have been Long Feng sitting cross-legged in the middle of the cell.

"Your agents show up in the middle of the night and drag me down here?" she huffed indignantly as she stood herself back up. "You will not treat a Kyoshi Warrior this way!"

"But you're not a Kyoshi Warrior, are you?" Long Feng said, standing, "You're a long way from home, Princess Azula."

She faked a brief look of shock before she covered it with a smirk.

"What can I say? I figured it was time to take a vacation and see the wonder that is Ba Sing Se before the Fire Nation's armies inevitably destroy it," she said with a shrug, faining nonchalantness. "Though, if I have to be perfectly honest, the reception has been less than welcoming," she said as she glanced around the cell before her focus landed squarely back on Feng, "especially the way you got that freak show of a girl to ice me out when your idiot of a King was spilling his guts to me," she said before letting out a scoff. "Frankly, I'm surprised that you managed to lose the faith of that feckless fool."

"Yes, and you will help me regain that faith. It's time that I regain control of Ba Sing Se."

"Will I now?" she questioned incredulously with a tilt of her head. "And tell me, why exactly would I do that?"

"Because you have the trust of the Earth King, and I can give you the Avatar," Feng said plainly.

"You're making quite a lot of lofty promises for a man stuck in a cell."

"I was able to drag you down here, wasn't I?" Feng pointed out, narrowing his eyes down at her. "Imagine what else I can do from this cell, especially to you're two lovers back in your room."

She was barely able to bite back a bark of laughter at the thought of what Mai's reaction would have been at the accusation that she was her lover. Thankfully, she was instead able to cover her amusement with a convincing mask of outrage.  

"Oh, come now, let's not resort to making veiled threats," she sneered. "Especially since if I really wanted to, I could burn you to a crisp, even with these," she said, pulling the chain on her cuffs taut. "Now, please, can we get down to the details?"

Again, Long Feng narrowed his eyes at her, his jaw flexing as he seemed to consider something before he let out a huff.

"Tomorrow, the council of five will be in the city to discuss plans for an offensive against the Fire Nation," he began. "They are the only other force that could stand in my way of taking control of the city."

"And what of the Avatar?" she questioned.

"Currently, he is located outside the city, but his companion Katara has remained here to negotiate with the generals."

"Good, we can use her as a hostage. Have your Dai Li find her a cozy cell, preferably in the cristal catacombs; once we use her to draw the Avatar out, I'll want him in a confined space."

"Very well," Long Feng agreed too quickly.

"So let's say all this works," she questioned. "What will you want at the end of it."

"A peace treaty," he said plainly. "The Fire Nation has been trying and failing to take Ba Sing Se for decades. It's time you cut your losses, and you need the Avatar more than you need this city."

She feigned consideration for a moment before nodding. "Very well then," she said. "To an ever-lasting peace between our nations. Now, I'd shake your hand to secure our deal, but" she paused, holding up her cuffed hands.

Feng only rolled his eyes in response. "I only require the knowledge that you know if you try to betray me, I will put you in a cell far worse than this one," he threatened before turning to sit back in the center of the cell.

'Or so you think,' she thought to herself.

"And here I thought we were just starting to get along," she sighed in mock disappointment as the cell door opened behind her, and Hu escorted her out.

"So when does Feng plan to betray me?" she asked Hu as soon as they were out of earshot of the cell.

"You catch on quick," Hu said with a slight chuckle as he unlocked her cuffs.

"Well, I'm not blind, and unlike Feng, not an idiot," she said as she rubbed at her wrists. "That and I plan on doing the very same thing to him."

"Feng can be an impatient man," Hu informed her. "I imagine that as soon as he has control over the palace, then he'll make his move. Of course, he'll be doing so under the belief that all of his men are loyal to him."

"And how many are disloyal to him exactly?"

"A little less than half. There are some like me, while there are others whose confidence has been shaken in Feng by his imprisonment and can easily be swayed to our side. As for the few who are foolish enough to remain loyal to him, they can easily be taken care of."

'Assassinations,' she thought at the back of her mind. 'Nothing uncommon in a coup,' she told herself.

"Inform them that the Fire Nation could have a place for the Dai Li after this war is over, and if that isn't enough, then maybe a regiment of Fire Nation soldiers at my back will be enough to persuade them."

"I'll also have some of my own men keep the Earth King stowed away as a hostage and out of Long Feng's hands to strengthen our position."

"Our position now, is it?" she questioned. "And tell me, what exactly has the Fire Nation done to earn your touching loyalty, so much so that you'd betray your own country?"

Hu scoffed at that. "My people are starving, and my country is burning while those in power seem content to spend their days wasting what resources we do have on parties and dancing bears, and you consider me the traitor?"

"A bleeding heart for the common people," she said, almost amused. "You and my brother would get along. Speaking of which, my dearest sibling is in this city, and I need you to find him."

"I'm afraid Long Feng is already aware of that," Hu informed her. "We had some boy who was screaming about Fire Benders in the city. We shut him up quickly, but Feng had a few agents follow up on the lead, and I'm afraid they found the tea shop your brother and Uncle own. Feng is planning on inviting them to the palace before the coup. He thinks that if he has both your father's heirs, then he can leverage the both of you as hostages for further concessions."

With the standing the both of them were in with their father, she wondered if Ozai might just decide to cut his losses and start over.

"Of course," she scoffed. "Leave it to Zuzu to be found out already. I'll need to get to him first."

***

Ty Lee paced the floor of the living room's apartment over and over again, her mind consumed with worried thoughts as she felt Mai's eyes follow her from where she sat on the sofa.

"Okay, so what happened?" Mai sighed as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"I don't know," she said, unable to keep the panic from her voice. "I just woke up, and she was gone."

"Okay, so she left." Mai replied, "I mean if someone had taken her, I think we would have heard."

"But she wouldn't have left, not without telling me!" she insisted, feeling close to tears.

"Alright, alright," Mai said as she stood from the sofa. "Maybe she went out to get you something," she reasoned. "Did you guys have another fight?"

"No!" she said, frustrated.

'What if Ozai had somehow gotten to her,' she worried, 'or she had had another bad dream, and I didn't wake up to comfort her?'

"We need to go out and find her," she decided to pause in her pacing.

"Ty Lee, just calm down for a second," Mai said, placing her hands on Ty Lee's arms before she could make for the door. "Azula's a better fighter than both of us. She can take care of herself. What are you so worried about?"

"You don't understand Mai. 'Zula...'Zula and I were supposed to join the Earth Kingdom," she confessed.

"What?" Mai questioned, shocked.

"We-we had this plan," she explained. "tomorrow, we were supposed to talk to the Council of Five and-"

"Hang on a minute," Mai said, putting her hand up quickly, halting her. "Did Azula make this plan?"

"Um, well, no, I did."

"Okay..." Mai said, seeming to look concerned for a moment. "And you convinced Azula to switch sides?"

"Yes, why?"

Before Mai could respond, her eyes flicked over Ty Lee's shoulder. Turning, she saw Azula enter the room.

"'Zula!" she gasped in relief as she rushed across the room and wrapped her arms around her. "I was so worried," she said as she squeezed tighter before her eye was caught by a man in a dark uniform standing behind her.

"Who is that?" she questioned as she pulled back from their embrace.

"It's fine. You can trust him. He's with us." Azula said before she looked over her shoulder at the man. "You can leave now," she dismissed.

The man bowed before leaving.

"Where were you?" she asked looking back to Azula.

"I just needed to make sure some plans were still in place."

"So when were you planning on telling me that you two were going to switch sides?" Mai questioned, her arms crossed.

Ty Lee was about to answer when Azula beat her to it.

"We're not," Azula said.

"What?" she questioned, turning to Azula, shocked. "But y-you said that we'd-"

"I said I'd think about it, and I did. Now I have a better plan." Azula said without a hint of remorse. "We're going to ally ourselves with the Dai Li and take Ba Sing Se. We'll even be able to capture the Avatar."

"What about your marriage?" she pointed out, grasping at any possible way to make Azula change her mind. "If we go back, you'll still have to-"

"I already have a plan for that," Azula said, cutting her off. "Zuko is in the city as we speak. Once he's with us, he can take the throne, and I won't have to marry," she said before looking over to Mai. "What do you say, Mai, care to get your beloved betrothed back?"

Mai's eyes seemed to grow hopeful at the offer, and for a moment, Ty Lee feared she'd won her over until her gaze flicked to her and back to Azula, Mai's face hardening with a frown.

"Fuck off, Azula," Mai scoffed as she began to make her way to her room. "Look, you two figure out whatever it is we're doing. I just want to go home," she paused in the doorway to her room with a sigh before she looked back at her. "And Ty Lee, if you want to talk afterward, I'll be here," she said before closing her door behind her.

"I-I can't believe you," she said as she looked back to Azula. "Now you want to drag your brother into this?"

"You said it was you or my throne, and I've chosen you, but if we want to have any chance of taking this city, this is how it has to work now."

"That is not what I meant, and you know it, Azula," she said, feeling as though she wanted to scream.

"No, instead, you'd ask me to betray my nation and my family," Azula snarled bitterly.

"I'm more of a family to you than he's ever been, Azula!" she insisted pointing a finger to her chest. "And yet you’ll destroy an entire country for him, but you won't try to save it for me."

"I am doing this for you, Ty Lee! All of this!" Azula gestured out before she ran it through her hair frustratedly. "I mean, for Agni's sake, I'm sacrificing my right to the throne for you. I figured you'd be more appreciative than this."

"Appreciative?" she scoffed in disbelief. "You lied to me, Azula!"

"You wouldn't have come if I didn't tell you what you wanted to hear," Azula justified, her voice so steady it made Ty Lee feel sick. Out of all the people she had seen Azula manipulate and twist to her will, she had never thought that she would be one of them.

"Well, I won't help you," she said, trying to grasp onto any shred of defiance she could muster.

"Fine, then you can stay in the royal chambers and watch over the Earth King, but with or without you, this plan is going to happen."

"I-I can't believe you," she said before she turned and began to walk to the empty bedroom.

"Ty Lee, where are you going," Azula said as she heard her footsteps follow her.

"To bed," she called out behind her, keeping her eyes forward as she opened the bedroom door.

"You're being childish," Azula said as she put her hand on the door, halting it before she could try to close it behind her. "I had to negotiate my best hand, and I did. This will be the best outcome for us." Azula paused, sighing as she relaxed her grip on the door. "Ty, I just need you to trust me."

"How can I after this?" she said as she closed the door in Azula's face.

Chapter Text

It was just past mid-day as Zuko began to clear the last of the occupied tables in the Jasmond Dragon from the lunch rush. It was only the second day of his uncle owning the tea shop but it was still busy as ever. Thankfully, though, as the day began to wind down, there were fewer customers he had to worry about, the last being Mrs. Lone, an older, wealthier woman who owned several shops around the city.

"Thank you, dear," she smiled up at him as she stood from her seat. "Here, take this," she said, handing him a handful of golden coins.

"Oh," he said, surprised. "Thank you, but I can't," he tried to refuse.

"No, I insist," she said as she pressed the money into his hand. "And tell your charming uncle that if he's free tomorrow night, I'd love to take him out."

Whether she was looking to buy their shop or date his uncle, he didn't know or really want to find out.

"I will," he said politely, waving as she left.

"I think that's our last customer for the afternoon, uncle," he called out to the kitchen.

"It's been a good day of business for us so far," his uncle said, sticking his head out of the back window. "Would you mind closing up while I go out to restock before we reopen for dinner?"

"Not at all, uncle," he agreed.

As he heard his uncle leave, he walked to the back room, picked up one of the brooms, and began to sweep the golden and green dragon pattern rug in the center of the floor.

At first, he thought he'd find the work demeaning for a prince, but as stressful as he found it, he was surprised to find that it was oddly rewarding, allowing him to keep his mind focused on the tasks in front of him and not-

The memory comes back to him easily enough, the sound of rattling chains, the Sky Bison's cries of despair, his uncle's words.

'I'm begging you, Prince Zuko! It's time for you to look inward and begin asking yourself the big questions. Who are you, and what do you want?'

Then, the sound of chains shatters as the beast flies free.

He had thought he had answered that question that night, but even now, he felt the restlessness and unease of indecision. He was broken out of his thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps from behind him.

"Sorry," he said, clearing his throat as he turned, "But we're closed until-"

The words died in his throat as he saw who stood in the doorway. At first, he thought his eyes were tricking him, the green and gold clothes she was wearing seeming so unfamiliar on her that he was almost convinced it wasn't her until she spoke.

"Do you think you might be able to make an exception for family?" Azula asked with a tilt of her head and a teasing smirk.  

Zuko could feel his heart start to pound in his chest, his muscles tensing as his mind began to race.

'What is she doing here? ' he thought franticly. 'Had Mai gone back on her word and told Azula he was here? Would he have to fight her?' evidently, Azula could see him trying to think of what his opening move should be.

"Careful now, Zuzu," she warned. "Let's not do anything rash. I'd hate to have to ruin this lovely tea shop. I simply want to have a talk." she said, raising her hands.

"Just talk?" he questioned almost disbelievingly, feeling himself hesitate for a moment.

"Exactly," Azula said with a smirk, deciding she had been given an invitation to step inside.   

"I know I said to stay away, but hiding in the capital of the enemy was actually quite genius of you," she said as she brushed past him. "Assuming, of course, that the enemy never finds out you're here and that we don't find a way in...oh wait," Azula said as she glanced back at him in mock realization.

'Is that what she's trying to do?' he wondered to himself. 'Scare us away again?'

"How did you get into the city?" he questioned.

"And where would be the fun in telling you that?" she said, dodging the question as she leaped over the quartz tile bar and into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, following her as she disappeared under the bar.

"What does it look like?" she said with an annoyed look as she stood back up, holding a pot of tea. "I'm getting us something to drink, and since you seem keener on starting a fight than doing your job, I figured I'd do it myself," she said as she poured herself a cup. "Though I'm not surprised work like this is completely undignified for a Prince. Now, are you going to keep sulking that I outsmarted and found you, or are you going to listen to my offer?"

"Let me guess," he grumbled as he set the broom aside and sat on one of the stools. "you want uncle and I to leave the city, and you won't kill us."

"Quite the opposite, actually," she said as she poured him a cup of tea. "I want to restore your honor and bring you home," Azula said nonchalantly as if she hadn't just started dangling the best chance for returning home he'd had in months.

"Last time we spoke, you wanted me as far away from home as possible," he said cautiously, doing his best to hide his shock and hope at her words.

"What can I say?" Azula shrugged. "I'm feeling generous, and I'm sure Father will be feeling much the same after we not only end this war but capture the Avatar."

His mind immediately flashed an image of the Avatar's sky bison chained below the palace. If he had been in the city, then the Avatar couldn't have been far behind.

"Will we now?" he scoffed as he crossed his arms and leaned back. "This is beginning to sound a bit too good to be true."

"Oh, Zuzu. You, of all people, should know that I have a plan for everything," she said before glancing under the bar. "Now, I know it's not your strong suit, but do try to have a little bit of patience," she said as she pulled out three tea cups.

"What are you doing?" he questioned as he watched her stack the tea cups, one on top of the other two.

"Providing some visual stimulation so you don't get distracted. Now, pay attention," she said, gesturing at the three cups. "Right now, we have just so happened to enter Ba Sing Se at an extremely opportune moment. Not only are the Avatar and his little friends staying here, but thanks to them, the city is in the middle of a power struggle, one which, if we are to play our cards right, can end with the Fire Nation as the victor," she said before looking down and gesturing at the bottom left teacup its porcelain stained black and gold. "To start, we have the Dai Li, the Earth Kingdom's secret police, who have been ruling over this city with an iron fist and using that bumbling excuse for a King as their own personal puppet," she said, pointing to the white cup that was stacked atop the other two. "Or at least they were right up until the Avatar had their leader, Long Feng, thrown into a cell. Now they're scattered, scared, and desperate to cling onto any remaining power they have left, so desperate, in fact, that I was even able to strike a deal with their imprisoned leader. Thanks to him, we now have the whole of the Dai Li at our disposal."

"And you think you can trust him?" he questioned.

"Not in the slightest," she scoffed. "But neither can Long Feng trust his own men, and even if he could, within an hour's time, I'll have a unit of fire nation soldiers within the palace itself," she said with almost a proud smirk.

Zuko wanted to press her on how she planned to do that, but he doubted she'd give him any answers.

"Finally, we have the Earth Kingdom army," she said, pointing to the last green cup. "They're led by a group of generals known as the Council of Five. Typically, they like to stay out of the capital and its politics and focus on the rest of the Earth Kingdom, but the Dai Li's failure has opened up an avenue for the military to seize power. Normally, this would be a problem for us as the members of the Council are spread out along several different fronts, but on this day and this day only, they are meeting here in Ba Sing Se for a war summit to hammer out plans for an invasion of the Fire Nation."

"Hang on a moment," he said, stopping her. "What invasion?"

"Oh, right," she said in mock realization. "I almost forgot the small detail that the Avatar and the Earth Kingdom army are planning to attack Caldera on the day of the eclipse when our people and army will be totally defenseless."

"And where did you find out about this?"

"Straight from the Earth King's mouth," she said smugly.

"You met with the Earth King?"

"Remarkable the kind of access a little makeup and some stolen Kyoshi Warriors uniforms can give someone, isn't it?"

"Do I even want to ask how you got a hold of those?"

"I'll be able to regale you with all the tails of my travels in due time; let's just say I've been a busy girl. Unlike you, I've had more important things to do than sit on my hands and serve tea." she said before continuing, "In any case, according to his majesty, it seems the invasion will be a particularly brutal affair. With pillaging, rapes, burnings, and even a public execution for Father. I suppose losing for so long has left the enemy with quite a lot of pent-up anger."

"If you're trying to guilt trip me, it's not working, Azula."

"I'm simply just trying to give you all the facts, Zuzu." she rolled her eyes before continuing, "Once the Dai Li have captured the Council of Five that's when I imagine Long Feng will attempt to betray me. When the time comes, I'll have a legion of Fire Nation soldiers at my back, and Long Feng will only have traitors, opportunists, and turn cloaks at his." she said, flicking the black and gold tea cup forward and sending the top cup tumbling down.

Zuko quickly lunged forward, and he caught the cup. "Careful," he warned, looking it over for any chips or scratches. "These things cost a fortune."

Azula only laughed. "Agree to my proposal, and you'll be able to buy a thousand of those cups, all made of gold, when we're home."

"Okay, fine," he sighed as he placed the cup back down on the table, "so the Dai Li imprison the Council of Five, and we win the war, but you still haven't mentioned how you plan on capturing the Avatar."

"That's where you come in," she said as she pulled out a scroll with the Earth King's royal seal on it. "it's a false invitation from the Earth King to serve him his city's new finest tea," she said as she rolled the scroll across the bar over to him. "I'm sure once you and Iroh arrive, you'll both put up a valiant and convincing enough fight before being captured. You will be imprisoned in the cristal catacombs along with the Avatar's little peasant girl."

"Kattara? how?"

"Like I said, I don't have time to explain every little detail of what I've been up to, Zuzu."

"Azula," he pressed. "I'm not exactly in a trusting mood, especially with you."

"Fine," she sighed. "Funnily enough, she came running to the palace thinking I was her Kyoshi Warrior friend, screaming about you being in the city. Frankly, you should be thanking me. If I hadn't been here, you and Iroh would probably be in a cell right now."

"And yet you're going to put me in one with Katara to do what exactly? babysit her?"

"Guard her," Azula corrected. "It's important I have someone I can trust guarding her, as she'll act as our bait for the Avatar. I don't know a lot about the little brat, but I'm sure he'll try to rescue her. Once the Avatar arrives, he'll be in a confined space with nowhere to run."

"I can't imagine Katara will be happy to see me."

"Pretend you've been captured," Azula said with a dismissive wave. "I'm sure you two will be able to find some common ground in despising me."

"What about Mai and Ty Lee? Where will they be?" he questioned absentmindedly.

He knew he had made a mistake in asking the question when Azula narrowed her gaze at him suspiciously.

"How do you know they're with me?" she asked back.

'Shit, the refugee ship, ' he thought, slightly panicked.

"Because they're never far from you," he said, not technically lying but hoping his nervousness didn't show.

Azula searched his expression for a moment but seemed convinced enough by his performance.

"Ty Lee will be guarding the Earth King, and Mai will remain with me as backup," Azula explained before she leaned in conspiratorially. "And though Mai would never admit it, she misses you. Once you are back, I don't see any reason why you can't resume your betrothal. You will need a wife sooner or later."

Zuko could feel his cheeks warm slightly as an image of him and Mai living in the Royal Palace together flashed in his mind, even catching himself trying to imagine what their children might look like before he shut that line of thought down. Even if it was possible, he knew Azula too well to trust that she wanted that for him.

"And why would you want that exactly? I mean, let's not pretend like you haven't been eyeing up Father's throne since we were children. Bringing me back would just ruin your chances at becoming Father's heir."

"Oh, Zuzu," she said with a condescending look. "If you think a few royal titles and a pretty-looking hairpin is what gives you power, then you're going to need more of my help than I thought."

"And is that what you're offering?" he scoffed. "Help?"

"Scoff all you want, Zuzu, but that scar of yours should be proof enough to you that you're going to need my experience navigating petty court politics if you want to stay in Father's favor."

He felt a brief spark of anger at her callous reminder of his Agni Kai, but a part of him knew she was right. It had been his brashness, naivety, and weakness that had gotten him banished.

"Alright, Azula, I can see that you've thought this all out, but how can you trust that I won't just run to the Council of Five and tell them your plan?"

Azula scoffed at the idea as though it was absurd. "Well, to start, you may be a lot of things, Zuzu, but you're no traitor, and even if you did, what makes you think anyone would believe you? The Avatar has the ear of the Council of Five, and after everything you've done to them, they'd have no reason to trust you. On top of that, you're the son and heir of the Fire Lord, making you a very valuable prisoner. Now, have I answered all of your burning questions, or do we have a deal?"

"What about uncle?" he questioned.

"Ideally, we'll keep him in a cell where he won't cause any trouble," Azula said with a roll of her eyes, seeming to grow impatient.

"He could help us," he offered half-heartedly.

"I could tell you that if you somehow managed to get Iroh on board with our plan, but we both know you won't be able to sway him, and even if you did, Father isn't exactly fond of when his older brother overshadows him. I imagine that at some point, a dose of poison will quickly happen to find its way into his teacup," she said before taking a sip of her own drink. "You ask me, it would be cleaner and less risky to just put the old fool out of his misery and-"

He cut her suggestion off with a slam of his fist on the bar, causing the tea cups to rattle.

"I'm not going to betray him," he said firmly.

"You betray him?" she scoffed. "Zuko, look at where your loyalty to uncle has brought you," she said as she gestured out to the tea shop. "A Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne doesn't belong in the enemy's capital serving tea like some commoner."

He felt the more prideful part of him flare up for a moment, wanting to agree with his sister's words, but it was soon drowned out by the jealous thoughts that flooded in to replace it.

'Azula's always gotten everything she's ever wanted, Ty Lee, father's approval, and now she comes here making me beg for whatever scraps she deems me worthy of. Why should I accept anything that she could so easily take away?' he thought as an old mantra from his childhood flashed in the back of his mind.

'Azula always lies.'

"Well, I'm sure it's better than whatever cell you plan on tossing me in once you get the chance."

For the briefest of moments, quick enough that he was almost certain his eyes were playing tricks on him, Azula looked almost hurt at his words before it was replaced with a scowl.

"Is this really how you want to play this, Zuko?" she asked, her tone warning.

"Yes, it is," he insisted as he stood from the stool and tried to walk away, but Azula followed him out from behind the bar.

"What do you think is going to happen once I capture this city?" Azula questioned as she grabbed him by the arm, halting him.

"I don't know!" he snapped as he pulled his arm from her grasp and whirled on her.

"Well, you better start thinking of something then, Zuzu," she challenged, unintimidated.

"I'll run," he said, blurting out the first answer that came to him.

"Where?" she pressed. "Last I heard, you aren't particularly popular amongst the Northern or Southern water tribes."

"The Earth Kingdome is big. I ca-" he tried to insist, but before he could finish his idea, she cut him off.

"So is the Fire Nation army, which, believe me, Father will send after you, and even if you do manage to somehow stay ahead of them, is that really how you want to spend the rest of your life? Running from village to village while you're hunted like a dog? Face it, Zuko, helping me is your only way to prove your value to Father and restore your honor."

His mouth opened to try and refute her point, but nothing came out but a defeated sigh. He had forgotten how good Azula was at arguing, able to back him into corners and argue a point he barely agreed with.

"Fine," he eventualy sighed as he sat at one of the tables. "But," he prefaced before she could say anything next, "we're going to give uncle the chance to leave."

"All right, Zuko, you win," she said, putting her hands up in mock defeat. "If it's that important to you, then I suppose we can let Iroh go. Besides, I'm sure the Avatar and Ba Sing Se will more than make up for him."

"Let's hope," he said with a slight smile. "Give me some time here, then I'll go to the palace and surrender myself."

"Very well, just be there before sunset," she said, turning before pausing. "Oh, and Zuzu," she said as though a thought had just occurred to her, "don't leave me waiting. I'd hate to have to put yours and the Dai Li's loyalty to the test on the same day."

He felt himself bristle slightly at her threat but nodded. "You won't."

"Good," she said with a contented sigh, "I have to admit I've missed these little chats of ours, especially the part where you inevitably realize I'm right."

"Fuck off, Azula," he said, almost letting a small laugh breakthrough.

"Good to see you too, Zuzu," she called back as she left the tea shop.

___

Zuko put ink to page soon after Azula left. Every word he inscribed in the letter to his uncle feeling like a betrail, one after another. Maybe that's why it ended up being so short and less of an explanation than his uncle deserved, or perhaps deep down, he knew Azula was right and that his uncle wouldn't understand even if he tried to explain why he needed to do this.

He warned his uncle to stay away from the palace, pack lightly, and get out of the city as soon as possible. He hoped he'd listen and disappear to some corner of the world he could be happy in like he had been here.

Delicately, he placed the barely dried letter on one of the tables with a clear sigh before taking one last glance at the tea shop. He could admit to finding some kind of peace here, but he knew deep down that it would have never lasted, that a life like this wasn't his destiny, and that desperate clawing urge to return to his old life would keep coming back.

Or at least that's what he told himself as he closed the tea shop's doors behind him and left for the palace.

***

As the sun set low past the walls of Ba Sing Se, Ryuzo watched through the spyglass as the division of tanks and barely full troop transports cut through the baron desert, clouds of dust being churned up by their treads as they made a break for the ruins of minister Qin's war drill.

'Good,' he thought, hoping the dust would be enough to hide their numbers and the fact that the attack was a mere distraction to draw the attention of the defenders. Soon, he and a hand-picked division of soldiers would descend into the Cristal Catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se to take the Earth King's Palace, where their true target lay.

Looking back down at the rest of the camp from atop the watchtower, one would barely be able to see from a distance that it was almost completely abandoned, with a majority of their remaining forces having departed under cover of night to circle up toward the north of Ba Sing Se where they would be let in once the walls of the city came crumbling down from within. What soldiers did remain were ordered to make as much noise as possible, singing songs and lighting bond fires, all to make it seem as though their forces had stayed put.

Or at least so he thought, his eye suddenly caught by a large number of lights and movement at the camp's east gate. Peering through his spyglass, he could see what looked to be a whole Fire Nation army division marching into the camp. Rushing down the steps of the watch tower, his attention was quickly caught by the flash of the royal guard's crimson armor, a familiar face wearing it.

"Uzomu!" he called out, the other man's attention turning from the Soldiers he was ordering to him. "spirits, what are you doing here?" Ryuzo said, a smile of surprise breaking across his face, but it quickly faded as he drew closer to his fellow guardsmen, seeing a somber, almost guilty look on his comrade's face.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you're being relieved of your command," Uzomu said as he handed over a rolled-up letter. Examining the stamp of wax that sealed it, he saw the dragon of the royal family's sigil staring back at him.

'Ozai, ' he knew at once.

"And who is taking my place?" he questioned.

Uzomu was silent, unable to meet his eyes, but Ryuzo got his answer as he watched a palanquin, gold and crimson in its splendor, march into the camp, the sea of soldiers parting to make way for its occupant.

Ryuzo felt his breath catch in his throat as the palanquin's silk curtains opened, and a ghost stepped out.

Chapter Text

"He's late," Mai said from where she leaned against a wall, Azula feeling the other girls eyes follow her as she paced nervously in front of the passageways that led from the damp servant tunnels under the Earth King's palace into the cristal catacombs.

"I'm aware," she grunted out, frustrated as she flexed the fingers of her hand, trying to stop it from shaking.

Today was the day of her coup, the day she would take the city which had eluded the Fire Nation for nearly a hundred years and end the threat of the Avatar once and for all. Right now, she knew a division of her forces where throwing themselves at the ruins of Qin's war drill to distract the remaining Earth Kingdom forces within the city and draw them away from the palace. Although she knew she couldn't trust Feng in the slightest, it was still in his interest to dispose of the Council of Five, and assuming he and his men weren't totally incompetent, they should be taking care of them right now. She wanted desperately to be up there verifying every detail, but right now, all she could do was sit here and wait for Ryuzo and her reinforcements.

"What do you want to do?" Mai asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

She sighed, pausing in her pacing to think. Hu Qiang had assured her that he had been able to turn more than half of the Dai Li agents to his side, but she still didn't entirely trust him, and besides, Ryuzo's men would give her the edge she needed to make sure the coup went off without a hitch. Still, if they waited for too long, the other Dai Li might lose their nerve and stay on Feng's side, leaving her to have to fight a battle in the heart of an enemy city which she might not win. There was still a chance if they acted swiftly, they could reach the city walls and get them open for the rest of her army, but she had left Ty Lee with the Earth King in the palace, and giving Feng a potential hostage was something she couldn't risk.

"We need to wait," she decided, "at least for a little longer."

"And what about Zuko?" Mai questioned, Azula already regretting having told her of her plan with him.

"He'll be fine," she said dismissively, uncertain of her own words. Even if she thought she could fully trust Zuko, he might not be able to handle the Avatar and Katara alone.

Mai looked as though she was about to argue when the sound of footsteps began to echo up the pathway. Turning, she let out a sigh of relief at the sight of soldiers marching toward them. They were disguised as Earth Kingdom soldiers, but the red armbands they wore marked them as Fire Nation.

"Spirits, there they are," she said, relieved as she searched the faces for Ryuzo's, but the only ones she recognized were those cold, pale grey eyes she had seen in her Father's war room, her heartbeat beginning to pick up when she realized who it was.

"Hello again, Your Highness," Yuko said with a bow as he pulled off his helmet.

"Yuko," she greeted, doing her best to stone her expression and keep any of the panic or surprise from her voice, "how good it is to see you again. We had heard you were-"

"Dead?" Yuko finished for her, the thought almost seeming amusing to him. "Yes, well, thankfully, those reports were simply premature."

"Did anyone else survive with you?" she asked, her mind immediately going to the others who had been in the north with him and why, in Agni's name, he would possibly be here.

"A few," Yuko shrugged. "Though some of us came back with some bits and pieces missing," he said, a smile pulling at his lips as he seemed to remember something amusing.

"I see," she said, trying to keep down her frustration at his lack of specific names. "Tell me, where is Captin Ryuzo?" she asked, glancing one last time at the passing faces, hoping that she had just missed him.

"Ah, yes," Yuko said as he waved the men down the hall. "I'm afraid your little bodyguard was relieved of his command by the Fire Lord himself, and I was given command of this mission in his stead."

'Father?' she thought, confused. She had expected some sort of punishment when she returned home for ignoring his orders, but she had thought she would have already taken the city and the Avatar to smooth over his anger by then.

"Personally, I thought it strange that his majesty would overrule the orders of his trusted daughter, but far be it for me to question the actions of the royal family." Yuko shrugged with a knowing smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, Your Highness, I'm afraid I'm expected and the city's north gate," he said, beginning to follow the rest of the men up the passageway.

"Yuko," she called out, halting him. "If I'm not mistaken, when I formulated this plan, I allotted half of these men to myself."

"Oh, of course," Yuko said, faining realization. "You," he said, grabbing one of the soldiers by the arm, startling the man. "Take half of the men here and make sure the Princess remains unaccosted."

"Yes sir," the soldier quickly agreed, Azula having to bite back her frustration at him ordering her own soldiers around as if they were his own.

"Oh, and Your Highness," Yuko said, looking back to her, "on behalf of my family, I thank you for finding my wayward cousin. She is very dear to all of us, and we can't wait to be reunited with her," he said with a barely veiled threat.

"My pleasure," she said with a tight smile, Yuko bowing once more before he turned to leave.

"What the fuck was that about?" Mai said with a bewildered look once he was gone.

"A problem and a big one," she answered with a frustrated sigh, "but one we're going to have to deal with later. Now come on."

___

As soon as her soldiers pushed open the doors to the throne room, the attention of all the Dai Li agents lined up in the room, turning to her, Feng's eyes going wide once he saw her from his seat atop the Earth King's throne.

"Celebrating a bit prematurely, aren't we, Feng?" she said with a tilt of her head as she stepped inside the room.

"Earth Kingdom soldiers?" Feng said, standing, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Oh, them? Don't worry. They're actually Fire Nation soldiers," she corrected. "I'm afraid that when I caught wind of your little betrail, I figured I could use a few more friends."

"A double cross then, is it?" Fang scoffed as he stood from the throne. "Very well, if I have to trade you back to your father with a few more scrapes and bruises, then so be it, seize her!" he commanded, Azula letting out a barely audible breath of relief when none of the Dai Li moved to do as he bid.

"What are you all doing?" Feng demanded, bewildered as he looked franticly down at his men. "I gave you a command!"

"It's because they haven't made up their minds," she said, causing Feng's attention to snap back to her. "They're waiting to see how this is going to end."

"What are you talking about?" Feng demanded, a waver of fear creeping into his voice.

"I can see your whole history in your eyes," she said as she began to cross the room and approach the throne, the crowd of Dai Li agents parting for her as she did. "You were born with nothing, so you've had to struggle, connive, and claw your way to power. But you've gotten too comfortable in your position, risen so high that you can't even see the cracks in the foundations of the pillars that are holding you up. But the truth is power is never certain, it has to be taken from those who are unworthy of it and guarded from those who wish to steal it. You seem to have forgotten that, even now, you take the loyalty of the men around you for granted," she said, her eyes searching the crowd of Dai Li agents around her before locking onto Hu, who nodded to her in acknowledgment. "The fact is, half of them don't know which one of us is going to be sitting on that throne and which one is going to be bowing down," she said, feeling a sense of satisfaction at the fear she could see in his eyes. "But I know, and you know," she said with a smirk as she looked back to Hu, "Isn't that right, Lieutenant."

Feng barely had time to look surprised before two pairs of stone handcuffs shot out from the crowd of Dai Li and wrapped around Feng's wrists, the pathetic old man letting out a cry of pain as he was pulled forward by his hands down the steps of the throne to kneel in front of her.

"Do any of you wish to remain loyal to this weakling?" she called out to the rest of the Dai Li, none of them making a move to save their former leader. "It seems they've made up their minds," she said, looking down at Feng with a smirk.

"Y-you beat me at my own game," Feng said in horrid realization, unable to even meet her eyes.

"Please," she scoffed as she stepped over him and began to ascend the steps of the throne. "Don't flatter yourself. You were never even a player," she said, sitting atop the throne. "Now get him out of my sight and bring down the walls of this city."

***

Ty Lee watched as the Earth King tossed an apple across his bedroom, the fruit landing in Bosco's jaws.

"Good job, Bosco!" the Earth King praised from where he sat cross-legged on the floor, clapping his hands almost like a child.

It had been a few hours since a Dai Li agent had escorted her into the King's bedroom to watch over him and she still felt as uneasy as she did the night before when she and Azula had gotten into their fight. She had expected it to be a challenge to keep the Earth King stowed away in his room, but at no point did he ever seem to question it, even keeping himself entertained with his pet bear. Instead, she felt like the one who was about to start clawing at the walls.

"Shoshang," she heard the Earth King call out to her, using the fake name Azula had told her to use while they were here. "Do you want to try feeding Bosco?" he asked, holding up the bowl of fruit.  

"That's okay," she refused, worried about what would start coming out of Bosco if they fed him anymore.

He seemed slightly disappointed at that before he began to glance around his room. "If you'd like, we could play Pai Sho," he offered instead.

"Sure, your majesty," she agreed with a smile.

"Please call me Kuei," he insisted as he stood, seeming excited.

Sitting across from Kuei, she watched as he carefully set up the Pai Sho board between them, Bosco taking the opportunity to lazily waltz across the room to rest his head in her lap.

As she scratched the top of the animal's head, her mind wandered to what must be going on outside this room. She knew by the end of the day, the Fire Nation would be in total control of the city, but for Kuei's part, he didn't even seem to notice something was amiss.

"Why haven't you asked to leave yet?" she questioned before she could think better of it.

"What do you mean?" Kuei asked, confused as he paused to look up at her.

She wasn't quite sure herself why she was asking any of this. Maybe it was out of boredom or guilt.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "We've been in here almost all day, and you haven't asked why?"

"Because you told me to stay here," he shrugged back with an almost nervous smile.

"But why? You barely know me," she pointed out, "and you're the Earth King? If anything, you should be telling me what to do."

"I don't think that would be a good idea," he said, seeming to grow more anxious.

"Why?" she pressed.

"Because I-I was never supposed to be King," he admitted, "it was supposed to be my brother," he said, his eyes dropping. "I never got to meet him. He died before I was born, but everyone always talked about what a great King he would have been, and well... I suppose I never felt like I could live up to that. My mother died giving birth to me, and my Father was so old that Long Feng was already running everything when I became King. I never really learned how to rule, and Long Feng always seemed to know what to do best, and it was just easier to leave everything up to him, but look where that got me." he scoffed. "Truth be told, I'm not sure I was meant to be King."

Ty Lee could feel the pit of guilt in her stomach deepen as what they were doing sank in. In all likelihood, if Azula's plan succeeded, the best Kuei could hope for was to spend the rest of his life in a cell as a war trophy for the Fire Nation and all for something he never wanted.

She opened her mouth to say something, what exactly she wasn't sure, maybe to apologize, but before any words could escape her throat, there was a sudden slam against the door. Standing and turning, she saw the doors bulge, its green-painted wood splintering as there was another slam.

"What's going on?" Kuei asked as Bosco awoke and began to growl at the door.

"Get behind me," she told him before there was one final slam, the doors splintering as they broke open, a piece of polished stone pushed through before retreating back into the hall. As the dust cleared, two figures appeared, one shorter than the other.

"Sokka, Toph!" Kuei said from behind her. "Shoshang, it's okay. These are the Avatar's friends," he explained, rushing past her to greet them. "What are you doing here?" Kuei asked, turning to the two of them.

"We're here to rescue you," Sokka said as his gaze flicked over to Ty Lee, a bolt of anxiety immediately going through her.

"What did you say your name was?" he asked, his eyes narrowing at her suspiciously.

"Shoshang," Kuei repeated, obviously not sensing the tension in the room. "You must remember her."

"I do," Sokka said as he stepped closer to her. "But I also remember Shoshang was taller, had black hair, and hadn't been chasing me and my friends across the Earth Kingdom with the Fire Lord's Daughter," he said as he reached behind his back and unsheathed his machete, a gasp escaping her lips.

"What's going on?" Kuei questioned.

"Your protector isn't a real Kyoshi warrior," Sokka answered, not taking his eyes off her. "How did you get their uniforms?" he demanded.

"Hang on, I-" she tried to say as she backed away from the tip of his blade.

"How!" he shouted, cutting her off.

"We took them!" she rushed to explain. "We captured the Kyishi Warriors a few weeks ago and used their uniforms to sneak into the city."

"Where are the actual Kyoshi warriors? Where's Suki?"

"I-I don't know. Azula sent them away. She never told me to where."  

"You're lying!" he accused as he stepped forward, Ty Lee backing up until she was pressed against the room's wall.

She wasn't looking to start a fight with them, but she knew if she had to, she could likely paralyze him without much trouble, though that Toph girl might give her more trouble. But luckily, before she had to make a decision, Toph intervened.

"Sokka enough," Toph said as she pulled Sokka away from her by his caller.

"But she knows where Suki is!" Sokka insisted.

"Listen, boomerang boy," Toph said, jabbing a finger in his face. "We don't have time to worry about your girlfriend right now. We still need to help Katara and Aang and get out of this city."

Sokka seemed to hesitate for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Fine," he decided before his gaze moved back to her. "What are we going to do with her? She's still dangerous."

"Yeah, and if she was going to do anything, you'd be paralyzed and on the ground already, just like the last time you tried to fight her." Toph reminded him.

"I won't do anything," she interjected to reassure them. "I-I never wanted any of this. Azula and I were supposed to..." she cut herself off with a sigh. "It doesn't matter now," she decided. "Most of the Dai Li will be at the city walls, but Zuko will be with Azula in the cristal catacombs. Just please don't hurt them," she begged.

"No promises," Sokka said as he resheathed his blade.

"Yeah, because you'd be able to do anything against them in a fight," Toph scoffed. "Now, come on, let's get out of here."

As they turned to leave, Ty Lee felt something nudging at her leg. Looking down, she saw Bosco staring up at her with sad eyes.

"Goodbye, Bosco" she said, kneeling down and pressing a kiss to his nose, the bear letting out a contented grunt.

"Come on, Bosco," Kuei called from the doorway, the bear bidding him before Kuei looked one last time at her, giving her a small smile and wave, Ty Lee returning it before Kuei left.

***

Zuko watched Katara from where she sat on the other side of their shared cell in the cristal catacombs. They had been down here for Agni knows how long, with only the occasional rumble from above them to break up the monotony. The Dai Li guards had made a good show of acting as though he was a real prisoner by tossing him on his head when they threw him in here, but it hadn't seem to make much difference to Katara, who had greeted him with as much anger and disgust as he expected but, at the very least, hadn't decided to attack him, instead keeping her distance from him.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you before," Katara said, surprising him. Looking over at her, he saw her staring back at him, her eyes still puffy and slightly bloodshot from her tears.

"It doesn't matter now," he said. 'It's not like it was undeserved,' he thought.

"It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face," Katara said as she stood.

"My face?" he asked, surprised as he touched his scar. "I see."

"No, no, that's-that's not what I mean." she tried to explain as she approached him.

"It's okay," he said, cutting her off. "It's fitting, I suppose. Its why my Father gave it to me in the first place. The mark of the banished prince cursed to chase the Avatar forever."

"Your own father did that to you?" Katara asked, clearly horrified. "Why?"

"My punishment for speaking out of turn during a war council meeting and refusing to fight back against my father during my Agni Kai," he explaned.

"That's it?" Katara questioned. "That's... that's all you did?"

Zuko wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry at her confusion. He had repeated the events of those days countless times over the past years, always berating himself for his own weakness and naivete, but the idea that his Father had overreacted had never seemed to occur to him.

"It doesn't matter now," he decided. "I thought that after so long, my mark didn't have to define me and that maybe I could leave my past behind, but I'm starting to think destiny comes for you whether you want it or not," he said, Azula's words echoing in his mind.

'Face it, Zuko, helping me is your only way to prove your value to Father and restore your honor.'

Katara seemed to consider something for a moment before she spoke, "Maybe you could be free of it," she said, crossing the room.

"What?" he said, confused as he stood.

"Your scar, I mean," she explained. "I have healing abilities."

"It's a scar. It can't be healed," he said, trying to shut her down, but Katara didn't seem deterred.

"This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole," she said, reaching for the water skin at her hip and holding it up. "It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important," she said, closing the distance between them. "I don't know if it would work, but..." she reached up, Zuko flinching slightly as she touched his scar.

He couldn't remember how many nights he had spent staring in the mirror aboard his ship, wishing that the next time he blinked, it would just disappear, but now that the possibility was before him, it almost didn't feel real. If his mark could be wiped away, then maybe he didn't have to go through with Azula's plan. Maybe he could-

He was suddenly broken out of his thoughts by the sound of crumbling rock behind them. Turning, he expected to see Azula with her Dai Li, but instead, he was met with a sight he'd never thought he'd see, The Avatar standing next to his uncle.

"Aang!" Katara exclaimed as her hand retreated from his face, before she rushed over to him. "I knew you would come!" she said as she wrapped her arms around him.

The Avatar met her embrace but kept his eyes locked on him with a glare, Zuko returning it in kind before he glanced over to Iroh.

"Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?"

"Saving you, that's what," The Avatar answered, causing Zuko's anger to spike as he reconsidered backing out of Azula's plan, but his uncle put a hand on his shoulder, halting him before he could move.

"Zuko, it's time we talked," his uncle said before turning to Katara and the Avatar. "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you."

Katara nodded, the two of them rushing to the other end of the room, The Avatar bending the rock wall back to reveal another cave before they disappeared down it.

"Uncle, my letter, I told you to leave. What are you still doing here?"

"I couldn't let you go through with this, Zuko. You're not the man you used to be." Iroh said with a smile. "You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good."

Before Zuko could even contemplate his uncle's words, jagged crystal rocks suddenly burst from the ground underneath them, his uncle letting out a grunt of pain as they encased him, Zuko stepping back in confused horror.

"I'm afraid that's where you're wrong, uncle," he heard Azula say as she slid down the short incline to the small chamber, two Dai Li agents following behind her.

"Azula, release him immediately!" he demanded.

"And why would I do that?" Azula questioned as she stepped past Iroh to stand between them. "He is a traitor who just confessed to helping the enemy," she said, tilting her head to catch his eyes as he tried to glance back at his uncle.

"We had a deal, Azula!" he insisted. "You said we would let him go free!"

"We said we'd give him the chance to go free," Azula corrected, "and he has chosen to stay and betray Father. But not you, Zuko. You are a loyal son and brother here to redeem your honor by capturing the Avatar," she reminded him.

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you," his uncle shouted desperately, causing his attention to turn back to him.

"Why don't you let him decide, uncle?" Azula snapped.

"Zuko, I am begging you!" his uncle implored. "Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want!"

"Shut him up and get him out of our sight!" Azula commanded, one of the Dai Li agents bending a patch of cristal to cover his uncle's mouth.

"Enough, Azula!" he snapped, feeling his anger finally flair up at that, Azula seeming to flinch slightly at his outburst before her expression morphed into a scowl.

"We had a deal, Zuko!" Azula pressed as she grabbed his arm, halting him when he tried to step past her. "I need you, Zuko," Azula said as he glanced back at her. "I've plotted every move of this day, but the only way we win is together. After today, the war will be over. The Avatar will be captured, your honor restored, and all of us, you, me, Ty Lee, and Mai, will return home as heroes."  

'Azula always lies, ' a voice at the back of his mind reminded him.

"Will I?" he questioned as he yanked his arm out of her grasp. "For all I know, at the end of this, you'll just throw me back in a cell or turn father against me so you can have his throne."

"I won't!" Azula insisted, a note of desperation in her tone that sounded foreign to her voice.

"How can I trust you?" he questioned as he tried to turn again, seeing the Dai Li agents preparing to fight him, but before he could make any move to free his uncle, he was halted by Azula's words.

"Because it won't be me!" he heard Azula shout from behind him, her voice echoing in the small chamber.

"What?" he said, turning, seeing that whatever determined mask Azula had kept on had slipped away into a look of desperation.

"I-" she tried to say before her eyes flicked behind him to the Dai Li agents. Grabbing him by the wrist, she pulled him further into the cavern where their voices wouldn't be heard.

"I can't be father's heir," Azula said, seeming unable to meet his eyes. "If I do, he'll make me marry, and I-" she cut herself off, her lip curling in a look of disgust. "The truth is I'm not even supposed to be here," Azula confessed. "Father ordered me home months ago. I thought that if I-" she paused, taking a shuddering breath as tears began to well in her eyes. "I thought if I won the war and captured the Avatar, you could be heir, and Ty Lee and I could..." she trailed off, crossing her arms as if to hold herself before she glanced up at him with bloodshot eyes, seeming to implore him to understand something without her having to say.

The memory of Azula kissing Ty Lee aboard her ship flashed in his mind. In his jealousy, he had thought that their Father had allowed her to break the rules and take Ty Lee as a lover, but if she would do all this to stop him from forcing her to marry, then he could have been wrong. A part of him was still skeptical that she was tricking him, but Azula had never resorted to tears to try and fool him. In Fact, he couldn't remember the last time he had seen her cry or look so frantic and scared.

"I'm in trouble, Zuko," she admitted, "and now Father has sent soldiers with Agni knows who else to retrieve me, and if I don't come home with you, that's... that's it for me."

He felt his scar begin to itch as he considered what their Father would do to her for disobeying him. His mind suddenly brought back to the last foggy memory he had of his mother, her arms shaking him awake. He had still been half asleep, not even sure if it had been real, but one part stood out now, "Take care of your sister, " she had told him. "Look out for one another."

Zuko glanced one last time at his uncle, seeing that his eyes were clamped shut and cheeks wet with tears.

'I'm sorry, uncle,' he thought before looking back to Azula.

"Alright," he agreed with a nod.

***

Ty Lee watched from one of the palace balconies as what seemed to be an endless line of Fire Nation soldiers marched past the gates of the city's inner wall and into the palace. In the distance, she could see plumes of black smoke rising from the rooftops of the city and the sun peaking through the gap in the outer wall where the Dai Li had brought it down to let the Fire Nation in. She felt sick as she watched it all. She had spent so many of the past few nights dreaming of living with Azula here, safe and far away from Ozai, but Azula had dashed all of that while insisting that it was for the best.

Behind her, she heard the door that led inside open, for the first time feeling her stomach sink with dread rather than excitement at the thought it could be Azula. She had stayed up here for the past hour, hoping to postpone having to see Azula and the fight she knew would come with it once she did.

"Ty Lee?" she heard a familiar voice say, but it was not Azula's. Turning, she felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Mother?" she said, shocked. "W-what are you doing here?"

"I came for you," her mother said, stepping closer and opening her arms.

Ty Lee searched her mother's expression for any anger or disappointment, but all she could find was worry. She felt tears begin to well in her eyes, suddenly feeling like a little girl again as she rushed into her mother's arms.

"I'm sorry," she said through a sob as she desperately clung to her mother. "I thought that-"

"I know," her mother soothed as she rubbed circles into her back. "It's alright. Everything is going to be alright." her mother promised.

"You've ruined your makeup," her mother said as she pulled back from her embrace. "Here" her mother said as she pulled out a handkerchief and began to wipe at her tears.

Ty Lee suddenly felt sick as she remembered what she was wearing. "I want this stupid makeup off," she said as she began to franticly rub at her Kyoshi Warrior face paint, "and I want out of this outfit, and I-I."

"Ty Lee," her mother said gently, taking her trembling wrists in her hands. "It's going to be okay."

"I-I just want to go home," she said as another wave of tears hit her.

"Oh, don't worry, cousin, you will soon," she heard another voice say. Causing both her and her mother to startle. Looking past her mother she saw the pale grey eyes of Yuko staring back at her.

"Yuko? What are you doing here?" she said, confused as she wiped at her tears.

"Your mother was worried for you," he explained. "And being the dutiful nephew that I am I thought I would escort her in returning you to your long lost betrothed."

"Jin?" she said, shocked. "He's alive?"

"He is," Yuko sighed, sounding almost disappointed. "Though not entirely in one piece, thankfully, he managed to keep the important bits that are required for a marriage," he said, chuckling to himself, the sound making her skin crawl.

"Yuko," her mother said in a scolding tone before looking back at her, "Jin is waiting for you back in the Fire Nation," she explained. "Once we return home, you will be wed."

A few months ago, the thought would have sent her into a panic, but now, after everything Azula had done, she didn't know how to feel about it. But before Ty Lee's emotions could make up their mind, the sound of more approaching footsteps drew her attention to another figure who stepped out of the shadows of the palace and into the light of the sun.

She had only seen him in passing, usually whenever she'd wait for Azula outside the war room, and even with the grey that now collared his hair, she could still recognize Zhao.

Chapter Text

"How much longer is this going to take!" Azula fumed, feeling like a caged animal as she paced back and forth helplessly in front of the emerald green doors of the former Earth King's throne room, forced to wait to receive an audience with Zhao like some commoner rather than a Royal. It had only been a day since she had taken Ba Sing Se, but looking around, one would think she had just arrived. Zhao had taken complete control over the ruling of the city with his troops now marching through the streets and her being stuck in one of the palace's rooms, supposedly for her own safety.

"I'm not sure, kid," Ryuzo said from where he stood guard by the wall of the hall. "Zhao doesn't seem keen on seeing anyone he doesn't want to."

"I'm a member of the Royal family," she pointed out bitterly. "I don't care what he wants! I outrank him!"

"Not according to your father's letter," he reminded her, pointing to the parchment she held in her hand.

She already knew well what the letter said. It had been the only piece of information she had been given so far after Ryuzo had ordered her released. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she paused in her pacing to re-read the letter, having to do everything to hold back the flames that licked under her fingertips from burning the parchment , a desperate part of her hoping that this time, there was something she had missed or misinterpreted.

By order of His Majesty Fire Lord Ozai, first of his name, Ancestor of the Sun

Grand Admiral Zhao is hereby named Supreme Viceroy of the Fire Nation Overseas Colonial Territories with authority to act upon the Fire Lord's behalf in all manners. All those acting within his jurisdiction are to do as he commands and defer to his will.

Her Highness, the Princess Azula, is to return to the Capital at due haist to report to his Majesty.

Just like that, with a stroke of a brush, her father had decided to strip her victory from her and ordered her to come home as if she were some dog at his beck and call.

"I'm sick of this," she finally decided, crumpling the paper in her hand before she turned to storm through the doors.

"Hang on a minute, kid," Ryuzo said as he put a hand on her shoulder, halting her.

Azula quickly pulled away from his grasp, whirling on him. "Touch me again, and it will be the last thing you use that hand for," she threatened, Ryuzo seeming surprised but backing away.

"Look, kid, I'm just not sure there’s much more we can do here," he tried to reason. "Things are bad here as it is. There's an airship waiting for you and your brother-"

"If you want to run like a coward, then go," she snapped, cutting him off. "But I'm not going to throw away my victory," she said, not bothering to see his reaction before she stepped inside.

As she stormed across the throne room, she could see the source of her ire, Zhao, back from the dead and now sitting atop the Earth King's throne as if it was something he had earned rather than stolen.

Moving closer, she could hear General Imasu's voice flote over as he gave his report. He  and the rest of the generals and Dai Li she had commanded surrounding Zhao like sycophants. "The Earth King's location is still unknown, and it’s likely he’s escaped the city with the remnants of the Avatar's retinue. Additionally, the civilian population has greeted our soldiers with some hostility. Scattered reports of riots have begun to crop up, and according to our-"

"Zhao!" she shouted, cutting Imasu off, her voice echoing across the room.

The generals that surrounded Zhao turned to look at her, but Zhao himself continued to stare at a letter, refusing to acknowledge her.

"I want posters of the former Earth King's likeness distributed to the surrounding colonial provinces. As long as he is free, these rebels will have a figure to rally around." Zhao eventualy said, passing off the letter before standing. "Take what units we have in reserve and have them begin patrolling the streets. Have them make an example out of any of the traitors. Any acts of insurrection are now punishable by death," Zhao ordered flippantly before the rest of the generals bowed and began to pour out of the room.

"Your Highness," Zhao greeted, finally glancing down at her. "Is there something I might help you with?"

"I want to know what is going on," she demanded. "I've been locked in a room for the past day, and now I hear that there are riots in the city?"

"Everything is perfectly under control, your Highness," Zhao said dismissively.

"Really?" she questioned. "Because it seems like you're making a mess out of my victory!"

Zhao seemed to almost smirk at that, which only inflamed her anger worse. The thought of beating the man flashed in her mind for a brief moment before the sound of the door opening turned her attention. She expected to see Ryuzo but instead was met with the sight of Ty Lee's cousin.

"My Lord," Yuko bowed in greeting once he crossed the room, his pale grey eyes flicked over to her. "Your Highness," he said as though it was an afterthought, not bothering to bow.

"Why are you here, Captain?" Zhao questioned, seeming annoyed at the interruption.

"I am simply being a dutiful nephew," Yuko said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "My aunt is concerned about the growing unrest in the city and has requested a military escort for her and my cousin."

The mention of Ty Lee made Azula freeze in panic.

"When?" Zhao questioned curtly.

"As soon as possible," Yuko answered. "They wish to be out of the city by tonight," Yuko said, glancing at her with a knowing look that made her blood boil.

'No, please, not now,' she thought, clenching her hand so tight until it trebled. 'Not when I can't stop it.'

Without saying anything, she turned to rush out of the Throne Room, feeling powerless enough already in here.

"Leaving so soon, princess?" Yuko questioned.

"Out of my way," she grunted as she pushed past him.

She was about to open the palace doors when Zhao spoke.

"Your Highness," she heard Zhao call out, causing her to reluctantly pause and glance back at him. "You should know I expect you to heed your father's orders and be out of my city by tonight as well."

She feared that if she spoke, she might just snap, so instead, she only nodded. When she stepped out into the hall, she saw that Ryuzo was gone.

'Fine,' she thought to herself, 'if the coward wants to run, then he can go. I don't need him.'

***

"No, that should go here," Ty Lee said as she quickly rushed over to one of the servants, taking the jar of white face paint that she had taken from Suki and placing it in another basket separate from the rest of her own makeup. "And you can place these dresses with the rest of my clothes," she instructed, feeling in a frenzy as she rushed around the apartment she, Azula, and Mai had stayed in.

"Ty Lee," she heard her mother say as she moved to start folding what few clothes she had brought with her. "The servants will take care of the packing," her mother reminded her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I know," she mumbled as she handed over one of her folded tops to a servant to put away. Feeling as if she stopped, she might just break down and begin to sob like she had done last night, wanting only to leave this city as soon as possible.

"Where should this go, my lady?" one of the servants questioned.

Ty Lee felt herself freeze when she saw the golden glowstone bracelet she was holding.

"I-I'll take that," she said as she took the bracelet Azula had gifted to her.

She knew she should probably get rid of it, knew that it would only serve as a reminder of Azula, something she wouldn't need in her new life, but she placed it in her pocket all the same.

"Maybe we should get something to eat," her mother offered, startling her out of her thoughts. "It's going to be a long journey to the ship."

Ty Lee was about to refuse when the sound of Azula's voice drew her attention.

"Out of my way!" she heard Azula's order from the other room as her footsteps grew closer before she appeared in the room’s doorway.

"What in Agni's name do you think you are doing here?" her mother questioned, stepping in front of Azula to halt her. "Admiral Zhao assured us that-"

"What?" Azula said with a tilt of her head, cutting her mother off. "That you could sneak Ty Lee out of the city without my knowing?"

"I am simply helping my daughter do her duty, princess," her mother said sternly. "She will make her family proud back home where it is safe instead of running around the Earth Kingdom doing Agni knows what with you," her mother said with barely veiled disgust.

"There is no more Earth Kingdom; your daughter and I saw to that. If helping to win a war isn't duty to one's Nation, I'm not sure what is."

Her mother looked as though she was going to argue back, but Ty Lee intervened before she could.

"Mother, please," she said, stepping between them. "Give the princess and I a moment to talk, and then we can leave the city."

Her mother hesitated for a moment, briefly glancing back to Azula before letting out a sigh.

"Very well, but only for a moment," she agreed, gesturing for the serving staff to give them the room before stepping out, Azula's glare following her as she left before she turned back to Ty Lee.

"Please tell me you only agreed to leave with her to get her out of the room," Azula questioned smugly like she already knew the answer.

"What do you want, Azula?" she sighed as she turned back to where her clothes were on the bed and continued to fold them, feeling the need to do something with her hands and that she couldn’t look Azula in the eyes quite yet.

"I wanted to talk about our next move, but it seems you've already made up your mind about it," Azula accused, sounding like she was waiting for her to deny it.

She didn't know how to respond to that, so she didn't, instead focusing on folding and trying to hold back the tears she could feel burning behind her eyes.

"Ty Lee," Azula said with a shaky exhale, hearing her step closer, "can you look at me, please?"

She hesitated but did as Azula bid. "I'm just not sure there's anything to talk about Azula."

"What do you mean?" Azula questioned, her eyes searching her face before it morphed into realization, then anger. "Are you really just going to give in and marry him?"

"What choice do I have, Azula?" she shot back, beginning to feel her frustration bubble up.

"My father can anole-" Azula tried to say.

"Your father?" she scoffed, cutting her off. "Azula, look around! Your father just sent Zhao to strip you of your command and ordered you home! He doesn't trust you, so why would he do anything you ask?"

"He did that before he knew Zuko, and I killed the Avatar and took Ba Sing Se." Azula insisted, growing defensive. "Once we return home as heroes, he'll have to reward me," she said, seeming to try and convince herself as much as Ty Lee.

"You...you did what?" she said, suddenly feeling disgusted as she backed away from Azula. She had known Azula could be violent when she needed to be, especially when it came to doing what her father wanted, but she had never thought she'd-

"What?" Azula questioned, cutting off her train of thought as she stepped closer to follow her across the room. "The Avatar? Oh please, you can't be serious. What did you honestly think was going to happen at the end of this, Ty Lee? That we were just going to what? Ask the Avatar to pretty please stop?" Azula said in a condescending tone.

"I thought I could trust the person I loved!" she said, whirling on Azula.

"You can," Azula insisted as though it was a fact before letting out a breath and taking Ty Lee's hand in hers. "Everything I've done here is so we can be together," Azula said, her tone softening.

A part of her wanted to believe that so desperately, as much as Azula seemed to, but she couldn’t.

"You did it because your father told you to," she shot back as she pulled her hand away.

"I disobeyed my father so we could come here and take this city," Azula said seeming almost offended by Ty Lee's reaction.

"Well, I didn't ask you to!" she snapped, finally fed up with Azula's excuses. "I never asked you to do any of this! All I wanted was to just leave with you, for you to choose me," she said, pointing a finger at her own chest to emphasize her point. "Not the Fire Nation or your father! Me and what we had!"

They both paused for a moment, their breathing only sound as Azula's eyes darted to each corner of her face as if she was trying to discern something before a realization seemed to strike her.

"So that's what this is?" Azula scoffed. "You're punishing me for not indulging your delusional fantasy?"

"This is not about punishing you, Azula!" she shouted, feeling tears of frustration finally starting to well in her eyes. "I can't go back! I can't bear to see what your father has turned you into! Because you would destroy a whole city for him no matter how many people it hurt, but you wouldn't save it for me."

"And what kind of person is that exactly?" Azula said almost in a snarl as she stepped forward, looming over her. "Go on, say it," she pressed, causing Ty Lee to flinch away. "That I'm a monster, right? Spirits," Azula scoffed before burying her head in her hand and turning away. "I'm such an idiot. I don’t know why I thought you could have loved me."

"I love you, Azula, I do," she insisted softly, feeling her voice begin to choke up with tears as she grasped Azula's hand, causing her to pause. "I have loved you since we were children," she said as she gently reached up to cup Azula's cheek, her face seeming to soften for a moment before she spoke again. "But I don't know who you are anymore because the girl I fell in love with wouldn't have done this."

The corner of Azula's eye seemed to twitch before they grew glossy and welled with tears. It made Ty Lee want to gather her in her arms and tell her it would be okay, but she knew it couldn't. After a moment, Azula's expression hardened her hand, moving up to pull her hand away from her face. Ty Lee saw the glint of tears running down Azula's cheeks before she pushed away and stormed out of the room.

***

Azula swiped angrily at her tears as she pushed her way out into the halls of the palace, feeling the eyes of Ty Lee's mother and the servants who waited outside following her. Darting past them as quickly as possible, she let her feet carry her aimlessly through the halls as she tried to outrun the beating panic in her chest until she found herself outside and stumbling down the steps of the palace. Feeling the warmth of the late-day sun on her sun as she rested her head on one of the marble pillars before a shadow suddenly cast itself over her. Looking up, she saw that the sunlight was blotted out by the silhouette of a passing Fire Nation airship, its gold-increasing bow shimmering in the light as it floated over the conquered city.

'My city, my victory,' she thought bitterly.

'And what did you give it up for,' a voice at the back of her mind whispered, carrying the same rasp and anger as her father's. 'You had everything in your grasp, and you just let it slip away.'

'And in the end, you lost the person you loved,' a second voice said, this time sounding like her mother's, causing her to break.

"Shut up!" she shouted, slamming her fist into the marble pillar, causing the stone to crack and pain to throb in her hand, but it caused the voices to quiet.

"Azula?" she heard a concerned voice say, causing her to startle.

Quickly looking up, she swore she saw her mother standing atop the steps over her, but when she blinked, it was Zuko and Mai standing there instead, both staring down at her with a worried look.

"What are you staring at?" she snarled.

"Are you alright?" Mai asked. "Your hand-"

"I'm fine!" she snapped.

Neither of them seemed convinced but didn't press the issue.

"Ryuzo said there's an airship waiting for us to take us home," Zuko said, "we were just about to head there."

The sudden sound of an explosion rang out, drawing all of their attention. Looking out to the skyline, she saw a ball of flame rise up above the rooves of the city, adding to the plumes of black smoke that were already filling the air.

"Don't wait for me," she told them before she descended the steps of the palace, heading toward the walls of the inner gates.

___

Azula stood in one of the many twisting streets of Ba Sing Se's slums, broken glass and rubble littering the brick street, the smell of smoke from burning buildings thick in the air. In front of her stood a line of soldiers standing between her and an oncoming sea of riotous commoners. The sound of their wild chants filled the air in one voice. She had grabbed the first platoon of soldiers she could find after leaving the palace and ordered them into the streets of the city. The small scattered riots that had started as soon as the Fire Nation stepped foot into the city now seemed to be reaching their crescendo, with every peasant and refugee that had packed the city in the past years pouring out onto the streets in force with Zhao taking to burning the sections of the city he couldn't control.

The ear-ringing sound of a whistle cut through her thoughts and the roar of the mob, signaling the line of soldiers to raise their shields and lower their spears, forming a shield wall and bracing for a fight as the crowd marched up to the tips of the soldier's spears hurling insults at them but not coming closer. The soldier's commander dropped the whistle  and replaced it with the megaphone.

"People of Ba Sing Se, this is an illegal gathering!" he shouted, his magnified voice echoing down the street. "Disperse immediately and return to your homes! By order of the Supreme Viceroy Zhao, those who do not will be punished by death!"

In response, a stone arched over the line of soldiers and hit the commander directly in the shoulder, causing him to curse and stumble back.

"Fuck you, Fire Nation scum!" one of the rioters yelled, followed by a volley of stones, causing her men to raise their shields, the rocks ricocheting off them.

"Azula!" she heard a voice call out from behind her. Turning, she saw Ryuzo storming toward her a furious look on his face. "What in Agni's name are you doing out here!" he demanded.

"I'm restoring order to the city," she answered flatly, keeping her arms crossed and gaze locked on the crowd.

"You were supposed to be on an airship home hours ago!" he said, his tone scolding as he stepped in front of her line of sight.

"No!" she snapped at him. "You told me to get on that airship, and I refused!"

"Spirits, I'm not arguing about this, Azula. You're about to be overrun, and we need to go!" he said, grabbing her by the wrist and trying to pull her away.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded, pulling her hand out of his grasp.

"Zhao is ordering all forces to pull back into the inner wall. If we don't leave now, you'll be locked out here."

"That fucking coward," she snarled to herself. "He probably did it just to spite-"

"Azula, enough!" Ryuzo snaped in a tone she had never heard him use before. "It doesn't matter why it's happening, but we are leaving now!"

He was cut off by the sound of a slam against the shield wall. Turning, Azula saw that one of the rioters had broken through the shields. He paused for a moment, seeming surprised that he had even made it through before his gaze caught on her, and he began to charge. Ryuzo moved to step in front of her, but she pushed past him.

When she was close enough, the boy tried to punch her, but his swing was sloppy, easy for her to dodge, and trip him up, sending him careening to the ground. He tried to scramble back to his feet, but she grabbed him by the caller, slamming him back down to the ground. She could see the fear in his eyes like he could see right through her to the monster she really was, and all she wanted was for him to stop looking at her, so she made him.

She could hear a sickening crunch as she brought her fist down, felt his nose break under her knuckles, and watched with each swing as the boy's face changed, first to Yuko, then Zhao, then her father's, and finally her own. As her fist came down harder and harder, she felt something wet on her face. At first, she thought there was blood, but as her vision blurred, she realized she was crying. She only stopped hitting him when someone hooked their arms under her elbows and pulled her back.

"Let go!" she screamed, kicking and struggling before she heard Ryuzo's voice.

"Kid, stop!" he yelled as he grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around to face him.

"I can't!" she yelled back.

"Azula," he sighed, his head dropping before he looked back at her, his tone softer. "There's nothing else you can do."

"Then what am I doing here!" she yelled, asking herself as much as him. "I did everything right, everything I was supposed to," she sobbed, feeling fresh tears begin to spill down her cheeks. "What's wrong with me, Ryuzo?" she said, staring down at her trembling hands, now covered in scrapes and blood. "Why does everyone leave?"

Ryuzo looked at her with pity before she felt him wrap his arms around her. "I'm not going anywhere, kid," he assured her as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

Azula clung to him desperately, trying to calm herself as she heard the sound of his heartbeat through his chest, but that was soon drowned out by a sudden gust of wind and a mechanical hum that filled the air. Looking up, she was blinded by a sharp beam of light that cast itself down onto the alleyway before it moved, darting over to illuminate the crowd of rioters. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, having to blink away the spots in her eyes before she saw what was above them.

"An airship?" Ryuzo said, echoing her own realization.

She saw that it was hovering low above them, its propellers humming as the airship steadily turned to line up its body with the length of the ally and the mob. Aboard the airship's scaffolding, she could see figures darting back and forth, two of them lifting what looked to be some black metal ball. It was only when they dropped it off the side of the ship did she realized what it was, and by then, it was too late.

The flames of the explosion spat out over the rioters like water on fire and lit up the ally. The deafening boom was only drowned out by the screams that echoed out. Her soldiers pulled their shields up to block the flames before their line began to bulge as they stumbled back, and then, finally, it broke. Several rioters pushed through, starting as a trickle before more of them spewed between the lines like a flood until her soldiers disappeared in the crowd.

Azula braced for a fight as the mob rushed toward them, but the rioters swarmed right past them, barely taking note of her, too busy trying to flee the fire, and before she could escape it, the crowd had surrounded her, now unable to find Ryuzo as she began to be pushed back, the mass of people carried her until her back hit the wall of one of the buildings on the side of the ally with a thud that squeezed the breath out of her lungs, the pain causing her eyes to blur with tears.

Hearing Ryuzo's voice cut through the swarm of sounds, calling out her name, she scrambled for perches on the wall behind her, pushing herself up against the crush of the crowd. She gasped for air, her blurred eyes desperately searching the sea of people, only to be blinded by another bright ball of fire that erupted in front of her. Quickly, she turned her head to the right before she felt pain hit her body in a hundred different places, the last slamming into her head and bashing it back into the wall.

***

"Open the gates!" Ryuzo shouted up at the inner walls of Ba Sing Se, the muscles in his arms burning from carrying Azula's limp body through the city streets.

Above him, he could see soldiers staring down from the battlements, seeming to hesitate.

"I have the princess of the Fire Nation!" he shouted, trying to be heard over the distant sound of explosions and screams. "She needs help!"

That finally seemed to get them moving, their heads quickly disappearing over the edge of the wall.

"Just a little longer, kid," he said, looking down at Azula.

The sight of her caused rage and fear to go through him. There were shrapnel bits of wood and rock jabbed into her chest plate, a shard of metal sticking from her abdomen that had clearly pierced through.

'If it hadn't been for her armor, she'd be dead,' he thought before shutting it down. 'No, don't focus on that. Just get her to safety.'

But the fear came back to him when he glanced back at her face; it was a mess, blood covering half of it, which spilled from a gash above her brow, her left eye already starting to swell shut.

It had been a nightmare trying to get Azula out of the crowd, having to push through a hundred people before he had even found her crumpled on the side of the ally, but she was alive, and now he just needed to keep it that way.

When the gates finally opened, he rushed inside.

"I need a doctor now!" he demanded of one of the soldiers, who quickly pointed him to a row of tents that had been set up at the foot of the palace. Above that, he could see a lone airship, no doubt the one he had ordered to take Azula and Zuko away and out of the city.

'Good,' he thought, relieved that there was still a way out of here for her.

Stepping inside one of the tents, he could see a long line of wounded soldiers laid out. Finding an empty bed, he delicately laid Azula down. Even though the tents were clearly overflowing with the wounded, a team of doctors was soon around her, cutting through her leather armor and pulling her breastplate off. The tunic she wore underneath was stained dark with blood. Carefully, the doctors removed the shard of metal, causing Azula to let out a scream of pain. Her right eye was wide, the left barely able to open. She tried to lift her head, but he stopped her.

"No, don't look," he said, placing a hand on her forehead and pressing it back so she couldn't see as the doctors lifted her tunic, revealing a wound that cut from the center of her abdomen to her side, the flood of blood from the wound quickly being covered by a bandage. The rest of her skin was scattered with shallower cuts, but they were likely not fatal.

"Ryuzo?" Azula said, seeming panicked and confused, her blown-out pupils darting from side to side.

"Hey, kid," he said, softening his tone as he grabbed a cloth out of the water basin beside her and began to wipe away at the dried blood that coated the side of her face, seeing now that there was a second gash that ran along the side of her head hidden by her hair.

"I'm cold," she said, her voice trembling as much as the rest of her was.

"I know, kid. It's going to be okay," he tried to comfort her, his gaze being caught by one of the doctors bending a flame in his hand and heating a cauterization tool.

"Ryuzo," Azula said, tightly gripping his wrist. "Where's Mom? I want Mom," she insisted, clearly growing upset.

'You and me both, kid,' he thought, thinking somehow that Ursa would know how to deal with this better than him.

"She'll be here soon," he promised, "with Ty Lee too."

That seemed to calm her down before she let out a yelp of pain as the white-hot metal cauterized the wound, her eyelids fluttering before they rolled back and closed.

'She's just passed out,' he told himself.

"Will she be alright?" he asked, turning to the doctor who was now bandaging up Azula's wound.

"She'll live if that’s what you're asking," he answered, staying focused on his work. "As for that eye, I'm not so sure."

The sound of approaching footsteps and a gasp drew his attention. Looking up, he saw Prince Zuko and Lady Mai standing at the tent's entrance, two guards flanking them.

"Spirits, what happened?" Mai questioned

That was a good question, one that he hadn’t had a moment to ask himself until now, but the answer was simple, there was only one person inside the city who had the power to order a bombing like that, and all while he would have known Azula was out there.  

'Zhao.'

"She'll be fine," he reassured them as he stood. "Once your sister is stable, get her on that airship and out of the city."

"What about you?" Zuko questioned.

"Don’t worry about me. Focus on your sister," he told him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If I'm not there by the time you're ready to leave, then you go without me."

He didn’t wait to see what Zuko's reaction was, if he had any, instead stepping back out into the courtyard.

___

Zhao was easy enough to find. He was standing atop a section of the inner wall two Dai Li flanking him. Ryuzo felt his anger spike when he saw him standing proud with a smile on his lips as the flames from the city illuminated his face. He was sick of all of this, having to cower down, being unable to protect Azula, and breaking his promise to Ursa over and over again.

'S ware to me you'll take care of her, protect her,' he heard the memory of Ursa's voice say in the back of his mind. But when had he ever done that? He could never protect her from Ozai or herself, and now she nearly died in his arms.

'No more,' he told himself, the boom of each explosion echoing the pounding in his own head.

Zhao didn't even seem to take note of him as he drew closer, too focused on the city.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Zhao murmured to himself before Ryuzo grabbed him by the caller to face him. The Dai Li looked as if they were about to stop him when Zhao put up a hand, halting them.

"Beautiful?" he questioned in disbelief. "Do you know what you've done? You nearly killed Princess Azula!"

"I did no such thing," Zhao said as he jerked back out of Ryuzo's grasp. "I instructed the Princess to return home, not march out into a war zone without permission."

"You knew she was out there!" he snarled, jabbing an accusatory finger into Zhao's chest. "You put her in danger, and I won't let you simply get away with that."

"Are you threatening me, Captain?" Zhao questioned.

"You best believe I am. I challenge you to an Agni Kai."

A look flashed in Zhao's eyes that almost looked like fear before he stoned his expression.

"I am the Supreme Viceroy of the Fire Nation's Colonies. I can't risk my safety with such a frivolous tradition."

"You can't-" he tried to object.

"I have been given the authority to do as I please on behalf of the Fire Lord." Zhao cut him off, "Including your presence, spoiled degenerate of a princess."

Ryuzo wasn't sure exactly what happened next. All he could feel was a white-hot burning rage. His hands moved on their own accord, one grabbing Zhao by the neck and the other the hilt of his dagger. Then, there was a sudden flash of red dripping down the left side of Zhao's face and the feeling of stone cuffs on his wrists.