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Chapter Text

Azula watched as the Avatar's tattoos began to glow, illuminating his body, wind kicking up dust and filling the air of the cristal catacombs, causing her to have to shield her eyes. Looking back up, she saw the Avatar begin to float up into the air.

'The Avatar State,' she thought, remembering the reports of the sheer destructive power he had unleashed with it.

Knowing it was her only chance to end this, she pressed the first two fingers of her hands together, feeling sparks dance on her skin as she pulled them apart and arched her arm into a circle, tracing a line of blue lightning in the air. Keeping her eyes on the Avatar as he ascended higher and higher, she inhaled deeply before leaning forward and extending her arm, the air filling with a thunderous crack as a blinding white light shot from her arm and arched through the air.

She saw the bolt strike the Avatar's back, saw his muscles and skeleton flash through his skin for a moment, and the light of his tattoos disappear. But once the flash of light subsided, she saw that it was no longer the Avatar who was plummeting to the ground but Ty Lee.

"No!" she screamed, feeling dread sink low in her stomach as she tried to rush to catch Ty Lee, but her feet were too slow. When she reached Ty Lee, she found her crumpled on the ground.

"Ty!" she screamed, tears pouring down her cheek as she collapsed to the ground next to her and tried to shake her awake. "No, no, no, please," she begged as she wrapped her hand around the back of Ty Lee's neck and pulled her limp body tightly to her chest.

"Azula!" she heard her mother's voice yell. Looking up, she saw her staring down at her, anger and disgust etched on her face. "What have you done!" she demanded.

"I-I didn't mean to," she said, feeling like a child begging her mother to believe her. "I thought-" she tried to say, the words getting choked up in her throat when she looked down at Ty Lee's lifeless face.

"I-I'm sorry," she said as she sobbed into Ty Lee's neck.

After a moment, she felt her mother's gentle fingers glide through her hair. Azula wanted to lean into her forgiving touch, but then she felt her hand grip tight, pulling her head back. Looking up, she saw her father looming above her, a flame lit in his hand.  

Azula awoke screaming, her feet kicking at something that wrapped around her legs and waist as her hands rushed to shield her face, only to feel something else covering it.

'A bandage,' she thought as she ran her finger across the rough fabric which covered the left side of her face.

Glancing around the unfamiliar room with her right eye, she saw she was surrounded by metal walls, the hum of an engine echoing through the chamber.

Climbing out of the bed she lay in, she stood on trembling legs. Taking a shaky breath, she tried to take a step forward but a sharp pain in her side forced her to lean against the wall to support herself as she stumbled to the vanity at the opposite end of the room.

Looking through the mirror of the vanity, she saw bandages wrapped around the left side of her face and neck. Memories came back to her like a flood, the riot, the bright flash of explosions, the feeling of sharp pain digging into her flesh.

"No, no, no," she begged as she franticly began to rip the bandages off her face with shaking hands, finding a metal plate covering her left eye and two angry red scars that cut across her face, the first sliced down just above her left eye and through her brow. The other was longer, tracing along the side of her head, its stitches left raw and exposed, thanks to the hair on the left side of her head being shaved off.

Taking a shaky breath, she pulled away the metal plate that covered her eye, feeling her stomach drop with despair at the sight. Her eye, once a bright golden amber, was now clouded and grey. When she closed her right eye, all she could see through the left was blurred colors and shapes.

'Worthless,' she thought bitterly as her hand curled into a fist.

"Fuck!" She screamed as she smashed her fist into her hideous reflection, causing the mirror to shatter into a hundred pieces before she felt a ripping pain in her side, causing her legs to give out from underneath her as she crumbled to the floor.

"No, no, no," she began to beg as she buried her face in her hands. "This is wrong," she sobbed. "This is all wrong. I-I need to wake up, please just wake up!"

The sound of the cabin's door drew her attention. Looking up, she saw Zuko standing in the doorway, an older man in doctor's garb standing behind him.

"Spirits, what did you do?" Zuko said as he rushed over to her and pulled her back up on her feet, Azula franticly wiping at her tears before he could see.

"She ripped open her wounds," the doctor said as he followed Zuko inside.

Glancing down, she saw a dark red stain of blood begin to soak through the bandages that wrapped around her abdomen, causing a memory to flash in her mind of the feeling of a searing burning at her side.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"I'm afraid the lens of your eye was severely damaged and had to be removed," the doctor tried to explain as he leaned down to undo her bandages. "This wound was-"

"I wasn't talking to you!" she snapped as she grabbed a shard of the broken mirror and pointed its edge at him. "And don't touch me!" she yelled, causing him to stumble back in fear.

"Azula, stop!" Zuko said as he stepped between them and snatched the shard from her hand. "Give us a moment," he said, the doctor quickly obeying as he fled out of the room.

"Spirits, would you just calm down for a moment?" Zuko said, turning back to her.

"Look at my face, Zuko!" she said, pointing to her new scars. "I'm not exactly in any mood to be calm. Now answer my questions!"

Zuko looked as though he was about to argue before a look of understanding seemed to flash on his face and he let out a sigh of resignation.

"Fine," he sighed as he tossed the shard back onto the vanity.

"Where are we?" she asked, looking around the unfamiliar room.

"We're on an airship home. We've been flying for two days," Zuko answered. "Things were a mess when we left Ba Sing Se. We were lucky to get out at all."

'Home,' she thought, feeling dread sink low in her chest. She had spent the past few months dreaming of returning home a hero with Ty Lee at her side, but...

'I don't know who you are anymore because the girl I fell in love with wouldn't have done this.' she thought, the memory of Ty Lee's words cutting like a knife.

"What about Ty Lee?" she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "Did she make it out safely?"

"Yes, she got out before we did," Zuko assured her.

"I see," she said, relieved Ty Lee was safe but feeling anger at the thought that she was returning home to marry Jin before she felt a sharp pain go through her head as more memories came flooding back.

She could see a crowd, their chants filling the air before they turned to screams of terror as fire rose up above them. She felt the breath being squeezed out of her lungs as she was crushed before there was the flash of an explosion. The next thing she remembered, she was being lifted and carried. Looking up, she saw Ryuzo staring down at her fear written on his face.

"Ryuzo," she said, with sudden realization as the rest of the memory faded. "Where is he?"

Zuko seemed to freeze up at that, suddenly unable to meet her eyes.

"He brought you back from outside the walls," Zuko began. "You were hurt, bad, but we got you a doctor, only well..." he trailed off.

"What?" she pressed, stepping forward.

"I don't know for sure," he prefaced. "Things were a mess when we left."

"Zuko, just tell me!" she demanded.

Zuko took a breath, seeming to steal himself before he spoke. "Ryuzo attacked Zhao."

"What? Why?" she demanded.

"Zhao was the one who ordered the bombings," Zuko explained. "I suppose he wanted revenge for...well..." he trailed off, his gaze falling on her scars.

"Revenge?" she said, confused, trying to stop the panic and dread that was slowly beginning to rise in her chest. "Y-you said he attacked Zhao, how exactly."

"There were a few rumors when we left, that Ryuzo had cut out Zhao's eye, that Zhao was either alive or dead that-"

"I don't give a shit about Zhao!" she snapped, cutting him off. "Where is Ryuzo!"

"He-he's still in Ba Sing Se," Zuko confessed. "The Dai Li took him prisoner and...and there was talk of executing him."

"And you just left?" she yelled, finally feeling the dam on her emotions break. "Why didn't you try to stop them?

"You nearly died, Azula!" he shouted back, matching her volume before he sighed. "I had to worry about you. Ryuzo told me to get you out, so I did."  

Normally, the Royal guard would be able to act with near impunity, especially when it came to protecting the Royal family, but with the power her father granted Zhao and Ba Sing Se in chaos, who knows what could have happened to him.

'He's dead,' a voice at the back of her mind whispered.

"No, no, no," she murmured to herself, her hands clutching her hair as she tried to shut it out.

"Azula?" she heard Zuko's muffled voice say before it was drowned out by the voice in her head whispering louder.

'He's dead!' it spat , 'Ty Lee despises you, and it's all your fault, you monster!'

"I said shut up!" she screamed, slamming her fists onto the table of the vanity, feeling the broken glass cut into the skin of her hands.

"Azula, stop!" she heard Zuko say, cutting through the chaos in her mind.

Looking up through one of the shards of the mirror that had stayed in the frame, she saw Zuko standing behind her, his hand hovering over her shoulder but not touching her.

'He's scared,' she thought as she clenched her fist tighter, feeling the shards tangle between her fingers. 'Of...me...'

"Get out!" she demanded, but he didn't listen.

"Look, Azula, I understand. I do," he tried to say, causing her anger to spike.

"Understand what?" she scoffed, whirling on him as she felt blood begin to drip down her hands. "That just because we share an ugly scar, that means you think you get to lecture me?"

"Azula, I just-" Zuko tried to say, backing away.

"I said get out!" she screamed, cutting him off.

Zuko hesitated for a moment before he let out a sigh of defeat and left, leaving her all alone.

***

Zuko pulled the lid off of the teapot, smelling the aroma of the boiling jasmine tea. He hadn't been able to get the recipe perfect like whenever his Uncle would make it, but he doubted a perfectly brewed pot would help him in what he was about to attempt before a knock on his cabin door startled him.

"Zuko," he heard Mai's despondent voice sigh through the wall.

"Uh, just a minute!" he said, suddenly feeling in a panic as he pulled the pot out of his room's furnace and placed it on the table in the center of his room, nearly burning his hand in the process before he rushed over to the door.

"Hi," he said a bit breathlessly as he opened the door to let her in.

"Hi," Mai replied, seeming a bit suspicious as she narrowed her eyes at him before stepping inside.

Things had felt strange between him and Mai since he had returned...or at least he thought they were. If he was being honest, he was finding it hard to tell. One moment, things seemed to be fine between them, but then he'd say something wrong...maybe, he was never sure what, and she would pull away. He just hoped that this wouldn't be one of those times.

"What's this?" Mai asked with a quirk of her brow as she looked over the table he had set up for them.

"I thought we might have some tea...together...if you want," he said, already quickly losing confidence in his entire idea before Mai let out what sounded like an amused chuckle under her breath.

"Okay," she shrugged as she walked over to the table to sit down, Zuko almost certain he caught a smile on her lips.

"So, um..." he said, suddenly feeling nervous as he sat across from her.

"So," Mai repeated back at him with a tilt of her head. "Tea?" she said, nodding down to the pot.

"Right," he said, quickly picking up the pot and pouring each of them a cup. "Have you been to see Azula at all?" he asked, deciding that the subject of his sister was an easier topic to start with.

Mai seemed to notice his diversion as well, narrowing her eyes at him, but followed along.

"I tried," Mai said, taking a sip from her tea.

"And?"

"She screamed at me to leave her alone," Mai shrugged, "but I did manage to convince her to finally let that doctor in to check her wounds."

"Have you ever seen her like this?" he asked, taking a sip of his own drink, finding the taste more bitter than he had wanted it to be.

"Once or twice, maybe," Mai answered. "Usually, whenever it had something to do with Ty Lee, but now that she's gone, it seems worse."

"Ah, I see," he said, clearing his throat. "and Azula and Ty Lee...how long had they been...you know."

"You're kidding, right?" Mai said in disbelief. "Those two have been making eyes at one another since we were kids. Oh, and don't even get me started with how many times I walked in on them making out before they finally figured out how to lock a door."

"Really?" he asked surprised.

"Absolutely. I mean, don't you remember how jealous she'd get whenever any boy would take an interest in Ty Lee? Like when she broke you're friends nose because he gave her some flowers."

"Jin?" he said surprised. "That's what that was about?"

"What else?" she shrugged.

"Honestly, I thought she did it to spite me."

"Well, fair. I wouldn't have put it past her," Mai conceded with a slight laugh before a quiet fell over them. "So," Mai said, eventualy breaking the silence, "not that this isn't nice or whatever, but you didn't just bring me here to talk about your sister, did you?"

"No, it's well..." he stammered before letting out a sigh.

'I guess there's no more stalling,' he thought as he set down his teacup.

"Now that I'm returning home," he began, doing his best to muster his courage. "I'll be reinstated as my father's heir," he said, staring down at his hands. "and as heir, I will need a wife and well...I was wondering if-"

"Zuko, stop," Mai cut him off, her voice suddenly seeming panicked.

Looking up, he saw her stand.

"Look, I'm flattered, I really am," she said, looking like she wanted to leave as quickly as possible. "But I-I just can't," she said before moving to the door.

"W-wait a minute," he said, standing with her. "Can't you at least give me a reason why? I-I thought that we still had something," he said, causing her to pause in front of the door. "It's not because of the scar, is it?" he asked, trying to inject some humor into his voice to tamper down his nerves.

"No, it's not that," she said with a slight laugh, "but come on, Zuko, be serious," she said, turning with a sigh. "Once we get home, you can pick any girl you want, and there are plenty other other families out there that are more prestigious than mine."

"Mai, I am serious about this," he insisted as he stepped closer, "and I don't care about the politics or any of the other girls I could have," he said as he reached up and cupped her cheek. "I want to marry you."

A look of hope flashed in Mai's eyes before it was replaced with fear, and they began to well with tears.

"Zuko, you don't know what it was like last time," she said as she placed her hand over his "...when you left, I-"

"It won't be like last time," he promised as he wiped away a stray tear. "I'm not going to lose you again."

She let out a nervous huff as she glanced up before taking a shuddering breath and looking back at him.

"If I say yes to this," she began, Zuko doing his best not to let his relief and excitement show. "Then I need to know it's real, that I'm not going to be left alone again."

"I promise, Mai," he said, leaning in close enough that they were sharing the same air. "I love you."

"Spirits, you're such an idiot," Mai said before she closed what little distance was left between them and kissed him.

He was caught off guard for a moment by how desperate the kiss was, feeling her teeth nip at his lower lip before his arms quickly found their way around her. Feeling Mai step forward, he let her guide him across the room, their lips sliding together as they stumbled backward. He was halted when he felt the back of his legs hit the bed frame, and Mai's hand pushed him back onto the mattress.

"Does this mean you're saying yes?" he asked breathlessly as he looked up at her.

"What do you think?" she said, climbing onto the bed and straddling him. His hands quickly found her waist as he leaned up to kiss her again.

"Don't forget to breath, Zuko" she reminded him as they broke their kiss.

"Right," he said, exhaling.

"And don't keep your lips so tightly pressed together," she said as she ran her thumb over her bottom lip, gently prying his mouth open.

"How do you know how to do this?" he asked as she leaned down and began to kiss up his neck.

"I've had a little bit of practice," she said, seeming amused as she moved up to his cheek.

He felt her begin to kiss the corner of his mouth before a thought possessed him that he couldn't get out of his head.

"It wasn't with Azula, was it?" he blurted out before he could think better of it.

He regretted saying it as soon as Mai quickly pulled back, giving him a bewildered look before blinking a few times and shaking her head.

"For both of our sakes, Zuko," she said, clearing her throat. "I'm going to pretend like you didn't say that and keep kissing you, okay?"  

"Right, sor-" he said before she cut him off with another kiss, now feeling her tongue glide into his mouth.

He lifted his hand from her hip, wanting to feel more of her, but he hesitated, his hand freezing in the air for a moment before Mai seemed to take note, grabbing the back of his hand and pressing it to her breast.

"It's okay," she whispered in between kisses. "You're allowed to touch me," she said as she reached behind her to begin undoing the knots that bound the back of her dress.

"Are-are you sure you-" he tried to say, the words dying in his throat once the front of her dress slipped off and pooled at her waist.

"Yes, Zuko, I'm sure," Mai said, Zuko feeling his mouth go dry at the sight of her.

Her skin was pale, waist thin, but he could feel the hardness of well-toned muscle underneath as he slid his hand up her abdomen to her chest. Her breasts were small enough that he could fit them in his hand. She was perfect.

"Spirits, you're beautiful," he said, looking up at her.

"Shut up," she said with a smile, a blush coloring her cheeks before she wrapped her arms around the back of his neck and pressed their lips together.

Feeling her lean to the side, he followed her lead, flipping their positions so he was now on top of her.

"I want you inside of me," she whispered in his ear causing a shudder to go through him as he felt her hand move to begin undressing him, Zuko rushing to help her.

Once he had managed to kick his pants off, he felt her legs wrap around his waist before he slotted himself between her legs and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He thrusted once, twice, three times, each time sliding past her entrance.

"Hang on, calm down," she whispered, reaching between them, a gasp escaping his lips as she felt her grasp him. "Go slow. We're in no rush," she told him, a lilt to her voice before she steadily guided him forward.

When he slid inside of her, it felt warm, and tight, and good enough that he had to bite down on his lower lip so he didn't finish too quickly. Taking a shuddering breath, he began to move, pulling his hips back and then thrusting back in, each time the both of them letting out small grunts and moans that grew louder, his hand reaching up to tangle in her soft hair, his other sliding down to hook in the bend of her leg to pull it up allowing him to fall deeper into her.

"Zuko," he heard her moan out breathily as he felt her hands reach up to cling to his back. "I-I love you." She breathed into his ear, causing his hips to jolt one last time, a gasp escaping his lips as he spilled inside her.

His mind felt light, his skin tingling as he let his pleasure wash over him, making sure to brace himself with his arm so he didn't put all his weight on Mai before he slid out and rolled over to lay next to her, the both of them panting, their skin glistening with sweat. As the pleasure cleared from his mind, realization struck him. Glancing back down between Mai's legs and seeing his seed dripping out of her.

"Shit," he said as he leaned up and searched around the room, finding a cloth.

"What?" Mai asked before she saw what had happened as well. "Oh," she said as he moved to clean between her legs.

"I-um shit, I'm sorry," he said, feeling a blush begin to warm his cheeks.

"It's okay," she assured him, grasping his wrist and halting his hand.

"Are-are you sure?" he asked as he placed the cloth aside.

"Yes," she said with a smile as she placed a kiss on his cheek. "Besides, I suppose the Fire Nation is going to start demanding an heir out of us sooner or later."  

The image of a babe in Mai's arms flashed in his mind. He imagined that they would have both of their black hair and his golden eyes or maybe her tawny eyes before he realized that he didn't care what their baby might look like as long as it was theirs.

"Yeah," he said, a smile pulling at his lips as he reached for her hand and took it in his. "That would be nice."

___

Zuko lay awake in bed. Even with the warmth of Mai's body pressed next to him, he couldn't find sleep. Each time he closed his eyes, all he could see was his Uncle's face, eyes clenched shut, tears streaming down his face as he was unable to look at him, as Iroh's last words to him echoed in his mind.

'Zuko, I am begging you! Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want!'

'Stop,' he chided himself as he tried to shut out the memory , 'this is what I want. This is perfect. Don't ruin it.' but even still, he couldn't stop the guilt from clawing away at him.

Deciding that he wasn't likely to find sleep tonight, he sighed and gently detangled himself from Mai's embrace without waking her. Pulling on his discarded clothes, he left his cabin and began to wander the halls of the airship aimlessly, eventualy finding himself in front of Azula's cabin. Noticing the door was ajar, he paused.

"Azula?" he whispered as he pushed the door open slightly.

Seeing that the bed was empty, he stepped inside. Glancing around the room, he saw she was nowhere to be found.

"Great," he murmured to himself as he stepped back out into the hall, seeing a guard walking toward him.

"You," he said, calling him over. "Where is my sister?" he questioned.

"Her Highness went out onto the balconies," the guard answered.

"And you just let her?" he said in disbelief.

"S-she asked not to be disturbed," the guard stammered out as he stormed past him.  

Walking down the hall, he eventualy came to one of the hatches that led to the airship's walkways. As he stepped outside, he was immediately hit with the cold rush of the wind, the hum of the airship's propellers filling the air. Wrapping his arms around himself, he looked through squinted eyes at his surroundings. Below him, he could see the ocean, its white waves breaking against the rocks of some coast, which one he wasn't sure. Above him was a clear sky full of stars, the full moon illuminating the walkway and Azula. He could see that she was standing a few paces ahead of him, her now bandaged hands gripping the railing as she stared down at the distant ground below.

"Azula!" he called out, gripping the railing as he inched forward over to her, but she didn't acknowledge him, his voice being carried away by the wind.

As he drew closer, he could see that despite the wind, her eyes were wide open, and her breaths were coming quickly. It didn't hit him what she was doing until he saw her lift her foot atop the railing, about to vault over.

'Shit,' he thought in a panic, his feet caring him forward before his mind even told them to.

Azula was almost over the edge when his arm caught around her waist, tackling her to the ground, the two hitting the metal floor with a hard thud.

"No!" he heard her scream. "Let go!" she begged as her blunt nails scraped against the metal floor of the walkway, trying to crawl her way back to the edge.

"I can't do that," he said as he tightened her grip around her and pulled her back to the wall of the airship.

"I said let go!" Azula screamed as she struggled, even driving her elbow into his ribs, but he held on, the fight seeming to eventualy go out of her.

"Zuko, please," Azula begged, her voice choked, "just let go. You don't understand!"

"I do," he insisted, "believe me, I understand more than you know, but you can't."

After a moment, he felt her go slack in his arms, beginning to sob as he pulled her to his chest.

He was suddenly drawn back to a moment that felt like a lifetime ago. They had just finished searching the last air temple, finding no evidence of where the Avatar could have been, any hope he had had of returning home going with it. He was in the cabin of his old ship. There had been the feeling of a sharp pain, then the sound of a knife clattering to the ground filled the room. Looking down, his trembling hand flashed in his mind, blood streaming from a gash in his wrist before the door opened, and his Uncle was rushing inside to stop the bleeding.

'He saved me, and I betrayed him.' he thought guiltily.

"I'm sorry," Azula sobbed, breaking him out of his thoughts.

He didn't know what to say, so he just repeated the same words his Uncle had told him.

"It's okay. It'll be okay."

Chapter Text

Ty Lee's hand mindlessly stroked through the black feathers of the owl cat that slept in her lap as she watched the rural landscape outside the palanquin's window disappear behind the walls of their family estate, giving way to well-kept gardens being tended to by serving staff who now moved to help unpack the supplies on the carriage behind them.

It had been nearly two weeks since they had left Ba Sing Se, and it had been an exhausting journey the whole way, with Ty Lee barely able to find sleep the entire time. She had wanted nothing more than to rest in a bed that was her own, but looking around her old home felt strange to her, with the estate looking run down and fewer servants than she remembered. But even if it hadn't changed, she doubted it would have felt like home.

As the palanquin came to a stop, she gently picked up Shadow and placed the owl cat back in its cage. As she stepped outside, she was greeted by Ty Lin.

"Hey, sis!" Ty Lin said excitedly, pulling her into a hug as soon as her feet were on the ground.

"Lin," she said, surprised as she returned the hug, having to lean over the swell of Lin's belly.

Looking down, she saw how much her sister had changed in the last months she had seen her. Before, Lin had been as skinny as a twig like their father, something she had prided herself on. Now, she seemed to have gained a healthier amount of weight during her pregnancy. Her hair was also cropped shorter, now ending just above her shoulders.

"You look good," she said as she pulled back from the embrace.

"I think the word you're looking for is fat." Lin scoffed as she rolled her eyes. "I swear they can't go a moment without wanting me to eat," she said, looking down at her belly. "But hey, at least no one will be mistaking us for one another anymore," she said, causing the both of them to laugh.

"I'm surprised to see you out of bed before sunset," her mother said to Ty Lin as she walked up to the two of them.

"Spirits, you're not back five minutes, and you're already nagging me," Ty Lin said with a roll of her eyes. "I'm quite literally growing another human inside of me, Mother. I think I'm allowed to sleep in every once in a while."

"Please," her mother scoffed. "By the time I was as far along with your eldest sister, I was still doing half the work of the servants. Now the both of you come." her mother said, gesturing to follow her as she began to walk inside. "I don't want to waste my entire day out here."

"I really wish someone would tell her that doing all of that work wasn't a good thing so she'd stop bragging about it," Lin whispered in her ear as they followed their mother.

As the three of them entered through the polished wooden doors of the family manor, they were soon halted by the sight of her father walking down the foyer, his eyes locked on a scroll in his hands with a small group of his assistants fluttering around him nervously.

"Inform whoever is in charge of the palace staff that I do not wish to be seated next to General Shezu," her father said as he handed off one of his scrolls to an assistant, "and make sure that Colonel Horu-"

"Dear, we've returned," her mother said softly, gaining his attention and causing him to pause in his pacing along with the rest of his staff.

A nervous energy fell on her mother and sister as soon as his grey eyes looked down at the three of them, his sunken cheeks pulling down into a frown.

"So you have," her father said flatly as his gaze fell on her before he turned to his staff. "Leave us," he commanded, his assistance quickly doing as he commanded.

Silently, her father walked past her mother and Ty Lin to stand in front of her. His glare made her glance away before there was a sudden slap across her left cheek, causing her head to whip to the side and a gasp of pain to escape her lips.

"I hope you know what chaos you've caused this family, you stupid girl," her father rasped as she caressed her stinging cheek.

"Dear, she under," her mother tried to say in protest, but her father silenced her with a glare.

"I was just helping my friend," she objected, causing her father's glare to turn back to her.

"Oh, don't play dumb with me, Ty Lee," her father shot back. "We both know why the princess was so eager to find you, something which I might add she did remarkably quickly."

Ty Lee felt a blush begin to crawl up her cheeks. She supposed it was foolish of her to think that someone wouldn't eventually put it together that Azula had something to do with her disappearance, though it seemed her father hadn't been worried about her safety.

"Well, we still ended the war," she said, crossing her arms as she tried to find any excuse to grasp onto. "Who cares what else we did?"

"The Fire Lord!" her father shouted, causing her to flinch back. "Do you know how many debts to the crown we had that the Fire Lord was suddenly demanding we pay back? I had to watch as our entire investment in trade shipping was liquidated and picked apart by vultures for half of what it was worth and sit quietly by as I was humiliated at court with constant whispers about how my own daughter was the princess's whore. I mean, for Agni's sake, I used to be the minister of agriculture for the entirety of the Home Isles, and now I'm being made to help organize royal dinners like some housewife because of you."

'You were only made minister because of me,' she thought bitterly, but she held her tongue. "I'm sorry, father," she said, trying to placate him. "I didn't think that-"

"No, you didn't," her father cut her off. "You should just be thankful that Jin hasn't decided to call off your betrothal. Now you will do your duty, undo the damage you have done and make him happy, or Agni, help me, I will have you out on the streets." he finished before he let out a frustrated sigh and turned to her mother. "I have been called back to Caldera to assist the Fire Lord in organizing a war summit. Yuko will arrive soon to help organize the packing of my things."

"What?" Ty Lin said in disbelief and anger, "Father, you can't be serious. That freak killed Sa-"

"I do not want to hear a single word from you!" her father hissed, whirling on Ty Lin, cutting her sister off. "Do not think that because your sister's failings have outshined your own, I have forgotten about your missteps or that bastard you carry in your belly, which will no doubt bring shame to all of us."

Ty Lee wanted to say something in protest, but a fearful look from her mother hesitantly silenced her.

"Keep a tighter leash on the both of them," her father said to her mother before he turned to leave.

"I-um, I should help your father," her mother said, not looking at either of them before she rushed to follow their father out of the foyer.

"Spirits," Ty Lin said as they watched their mother leave. "A heck of a welcome home, huh?" she said, tears clearly glossing her eyes. "Are you alright?' Ty Lin asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she said as she stretched her jaw, the pain from the slap already fading.  

"At least that asshole will be gone for a while," Lin said with a shaky breath before she wiped her eyes and plastered on a smile. "Are you hungry?" Ty Lin questioned, "Come on, let's get something to eat." she said, calling over a servant. "You! Have the kitchens prepare us a meal. I don't want my sister starving."

___

The sting in Ty Lee's cheek had mostly gone away by the time the servants had set up a table of food and tea for her and her sister in the garden. It was an impressive spread of food with Fire and Bean cakes, Tea sandwiches, Chicken skewers, Dumplings, and an assortment of fruits.

"Lin, this is too much," she said as she watched the servants bring over the food.

While there had been times while traveling with Azula that they had been given extravagant meals, usually whenever there was some lord or general who wanted to impress them, for the most part, they had grown used to eating the same rations the soldiers around them had.

"It's fine," Lin assured her. "For as much as daddy complains about money, he never actually seems to pay attention to household expenses; besides, most of this is for me and your future niece or nephew," she said as she leaned over to grab a bottle of sake.

"Lin, no," she said in a whispered panic as she snatched the bottle from her sister. "You can't drink that. What are you thinking?"

"Calm down, I'm not," her sister rolled her eyes. "I may have been irresponsible enough to have the kid, but I'm not stupid enough to hurt it. I said most of this was for me, but that's for you," she said, gesturing to the bottle. "Call it a welcome home gift. Plus, I feel like you're going to need it more than me."

"I suppose you're right," she sighed, looking down at the bottle as she sat down across from Ty Lin.

"So you want to tell me why you're here instead of back in the capital with the princess? Last I checked, that wasn't part of our plan when you left."

"That's a long story," she scoffed as she poured herself a cup of sake.

"Well, drink up," Ty Lin said as she leaned back in her chair. "We've got nothing but time."

Letting out another sigh, she downed her drink before she began to speak. She told her everything, how Azula had found her, their fights with the Avatar, the battle at the Drill, and then their time in Ba Sing Se and her and Azula's final argument. By the time she was done relaying what had happened, half of the sake bottle was empty, and she felt on the edge of tears.

"Well...shit," Lin said after a moment. "At least the sex was good, right?" she offered up halfheartedly.

Despite herself, she laughed, Lin smiling with her.

"Yeah, it was," she sighed as she wiped her eyes. "all of it was good at the beginning, just being able to see her and be with her every day and then ending each in the same bed without one of us having to sneak out in the middle of the night. But in the end, I just...I didn't know who she was anymore. I thought that I meant more to her than whatever her father wanted, but I was wrong," she said, feeling her own bitterness and sorrow flair up for a moment as she remembered that desperate pleading look Azula always had whenever she tried to tell her of what her father was going to do as if Azula was trying to convince herself as much as her.

Ty Lin was silent for a moment, watching her as she seemed to contemplate something before she spoke.

"Do you still love her?" Lin eventualy asked.

She didn't have an answer for that right away. Azula had broken her heart in a way that she wasn't sure she could ever forgive her for, but she would be lying if she said she didn't still have feelings for her, feelings she doubted would ever truly go away.  

"I...I still care for her," she eventually answered.

Lin nodded to herself as she seemed to decide something. "Then you're going to want to read this," she said, glancing around the garden to make sure they were alone before she pulled out a small scroll. Its wax seal was broken, but she still recognized the seal on the stamp from the countless letters Azula had received.

"A military report?" she questioned, looking up at Lin. "How did you get this?"

"Father was paying for reports and updates on you and the princess the moment we got word that Azula and found you. That was the last one he received about her." Ty Lin explained before she leaned over at placed a hand on top of Ty Lee's. "But just brace yourself before you read it."

With now slightly trembling hands, Ty Lee unrolled the letter. There were only a few words on the page, something which only should have taken her a moment to read, yet she stared down at the letter for what felt like hours, the word's meanings not properly sinking in until she had blinked down at the page and re-read the words twice over.

On the second night of occupation, Princess Azula sustained severe wounds following a riot in one of Ba Sing Se's slums. She has departed the city with Prince Zuko. Princess Azula's current chances of survival are unknown. Supreme Viceroy Zhao has ordered additional bombings in the central ring to suppress any remaining unrest.

'...chances of survival...unknown...'

That one sentence echoed in Ty Lee's mind as she quickly stood up on trembling legs, the garden chair tipping back and falling behind her.

"I-I don't understand," she said with a shaky voice, her vision blurring with tears as she looked up to a now worried Lin. "What happened? Is-is she okay?" she said, too scared to ask if she was alive or not.

"I only know as much as the letter says," Lin answered, giving her a look of pity. "But she's still a member of the Royal Family; I'm sure she's being seen by the best doctors," Lin tried to reassure her.

"Why did she go out there?" she asked, but at the back of her mind, she already knew the answer.

"I don't know Ty Lee," her sister said with a sad sigh.

"Well, what do you know, Lin!" she snapped before a sob broke out from her throat, and tears finally spilled from her eyes.

She suddenly felt like she was back in her room in the palace, begging Azula to let her help with the burn on her arm or trying to calm her down after a nightmare, desperate to do anything to make her pain go away, but now she couldn't even do that, and worse yet she already knew she had to be the reason why Azula had gotten hurt in the first place.

As she pressed the palm of her hands to her eyes, she thought of Azula, an image flashing in her mind of her lying dead in some street and Ty Lee unable to do anything to save her. She was brought out of her spiraling thoughts when she felt Ty Lin wrap her arms around her and pull her into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry," she choked out, suddenly feeling guilty for her outburst as she felt Lin press a hand to the back of her head and guide her to rest it on her shoulder.

"I know, it's okay," Lin assured her as she rubbed circles in her back.

"Still crying over your lost love, cousin?" an amused voice interrupted, causing her and Lin to turn and look.

Whatever sorrow she felt was quickly replaced with panic when she saw her cousin approaching with a cold smile.

"Yuko?" she said, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"I am family," Yuko said as though it was obvious, "I thought I was welcome here, am I not?" he said, stopping to loom over them.

"Not near me," Lin spat, anger and fear clearly bubbling behind her words as she glared up at Yuko.

"Oh, but how could I resist?" Yuko said with a tilt of his head. "After all, seeing the two biggest embarrassments to the family is the only form of entertainment around here."

"At least neither of us is a killer like you!" Lin shot back.

"Oh, don't tell me you're still hung up on your old boy toy." Yuko said with a roll of his eyes, "I was simply doing as your father bid."

"So do as he asked now and leave us be," she said, trying to turn Yuko's attention away from Lin, but he ignored her.

"You know you really should be thanking me, Lin," Yuko said as he reached out to run a hand through her hair. "That peasant boy was hardly worthy of you, and now you're available for a more...proper suitor."

"Sazu!" Lin shouted as she slapped Yuko's hand away, "his name was Sazu, and he was good to me in a way no one else was, and you took him from me!" she said, jabbing a finger into his shoulder. "And, if you think I will ever forgive you for that, then you are more insane than I thought."

Yuko scowled down at her his hand twisting into a fist as a flash of frustration crossed his face before it was replaced with a cold smile.

"Just as well, I suppose," Yuko scoffed. "It seems having an unscrupulous lover is something of a trait with your side of the family, though at least Ty Lee had some sense in picking one with status," he said before he looked over to her. "Tell me, cousin, what luxuries came with being the princess's personal whore?"

She wanted to punch Yuko in the nose at that, but she knew that would only cause more problems.

"I don't know, Yuko," she said as she returned his smile. "How does it feel to be my father's personal errand boy?"

"Oh, careful cousin, you and I both know what happened the last time I did a favor for your father," Yuko rasped in a threatening tone. "And with your dear princess in such a precarious position, who knows what the Fire Lord might ask of me now that her traitorous protector is gone and his spot needs filling on the Royal Guard."

"Ryuzo?" she said, shocked as whatever vale of confidence she had disappeared.

"Yes, it seems the old dog finally went mad and tried to kill Zhao. It's just a shame I couldn't stay in Ba Sing Se to carry out the execution myself."

Ty Lee felt her panic return in full force. Even if Azula was alive like she had hoped, without her or Ryuzo, she'd be a mess. Mai and Zuko might help, but they didn't know her as she and Ryuzo had. She was broken out of her spiraling thoughts by the sound of her mother's voice.

"Yuko!" she heard her mother shout. Looking over, she saw her storming over to the three of them. "My husband ordered you to the stables not here to harass my daughters," her mother said sternly.

"I was simply catching up with my dear cousins," Yuko said as he raised his hands in mock surrender and backed away but still kept his gaze locked on Lin. "Have fun raising your bastard alone, cousin," Yuko said as he took a step back. "I sincerely doubt you'll be able to find another man willing to take you after I took care of the last one."

"Just get out!" Lin screamed as she picked up one of the tea cups from the table and threw it at him.

Yuko only laughed in response as the cup bounced off his chest before he turned to leave the garden. As soon as Yuko was gone, her sister's ire turned to their mother.

"Why would you allow Yuko back here?" she demanded tears starting to well in her eyes.

"I didn't know he would," her mother tried to explain. "Your father was very clear in his orders to him. He was only supposed to- "

"No!" Lin snapped, "Why would you allow that murderer back here at all after what he did to Sazu?"

"It wasn't up to me, Ty Lin. I tried to sway your father, but he-" her mother tried to say, but Lin cut her off.

"Oh, of course," she scoffed, her breaths coming in increasingly larger sobs. "Just sit quietly and stand behind Father like you always do!"

"Lin, just take it easy for a moment." Ty Lee said, moving over to her sister and trying to calm her. "You need to sit."

"No, I don't!" Lin snaped. "I need Yuko gone!" she yelled as tears rolled down her cheek. "I need him dead-" her sister's words were suddenly cut off by a choked scream of pain, one hand shooting to the swell of her belly and the other reaching out to grab Ty Lee's shoulder to support herself.

"Lin, what's wrong?" she said as she grabbed onto Lin to support her.

"Oh shit," Lin said, looking down at her waist and seeing the legs of her clothes now stained with something wet.

Looking to her mother she saw her expression go pale for a brief moment before it was replaced with a look of determination.

"The baby is coming," her mother said as she hooked her arm under Ty Lin's and began to carry her inside.

___

Ty Lee paced the length of their family's sitting room as they waited for any news of her sister's condition. It had been Agni knows how many hours since Lin's water had broken, and after a while, she had eventualy snapped and told her and their mother to leave the room, not that she could blame her. As she paced, she periodically looked over to her mother, who sat across from her, busying herself with writing some letter. Each time she did, her anger steadily built as he mind kept being drawn back to Azula.

"Why didn't you tell me that Azula was hurt?" she eventualy said, stopping in her pacing but still unable to look at her mother directly.

"Why would I?" her mother said bluntly.

"What?" she said as her gaze moved back to her mother, who had a tired, almost distant look. "She could have died!" she said as she crossed the room to stand over her mother.  

"And what would you have done, Ty Lee?" her mother sighed as she gave her a pitiful look. "She is not your concern anymore."

"Yes, she is!" she insisted, kicking over her mother's inkwell and sending the dark liquid spilling across the page. "She went out into Ba Sing Se because of me because I left!"

"Ty Lee, It wasn't," her mother sighed as she gave up on the now-ruined letter and stood with her. "She was only doing her duty."

"No, she was being stupid and brash!" she refuted as her vision blurred with tears, "which is something she only does when she's having a breakdown, and I was always able to stop her, but...but I wasn't there."

"Ty Lee, please, you have to believe me," her mother said as she tried to wipe away her tears. "There was nothing you could have done."

"Why should I believe you?" she said as she slapped her mother's hand away. "You've been keeping this from me since the moment we left Ba Sing Se."

"I only did that because I knew it would hurt you."

"You have no idea how I feel!"

"Yes, I do, you stubborn child," her mother insisted as she grasped her shoulders.  

"How?" she demanded.

"Because the same thing happened to me!" her mother said, the confession seeming to catch even her off guard as much as it did Ty Lee.

"What do you mean," she questioned, her voice quieter.

Her mother let go of her grip on her shoulders to bury her face in her hands. She took in a shuddering breath before she slid her hands down her face.

"I never told you this because I thought I'd never have to," her mother said, her eyes looking anywhere but at her, seeming to try and find a way out of the conversation. "But I suppose that was foolish of me," she said with a nervous laugh as she began to rub her hands together. "I grew up poor with my mother," her mother began. "She worked for a noble family as a servant. When she died, their family let me stay and take her place. Eventualy, I grew..." her mother paused, seeming to try and find the right word, "close with the mistress of the house," her mother eventualy said, her eyes briefly glancing back down at her, seeming to try and recognize if she understood.

"D-do you mean close like Azula and I?" she asked, already feeling she knew the answer.

Her mother nodded, swallowing nervously before she continued.

"She was older and more beautiful than me. She taught me so much about what it was to be a woman and to feel special, like I was the most precious thing in the world to her," her mother said with almost a nostalgic smile before it melted into a frown. "But then her husband discovered us. I thought that she...loved me," her mother said, choking on the last words as tears seemed to glaze her eyes. "At least, loved me enough to protect me, but in the end, they made up some lie about me being a thief so they could throw me out without dishonoring her reputation. By the time I was your age, I had to start from scratch with nothing and no one, and I swore to myself that I would never let that happen to any of you. But I didn't," her mother said as she cupped her face. "I-I failed you, Ty Lee, and I'm so sorry, but you need to understand that it took me years to, that what happened wasn't your fault."

Before her mother's words could fully sink in, the sound of the sitting room's doors bursting open caught both of their attention. Turning, she saw a winded servant standing in the doorway.

"My Ladies," the servant said, panting, "Lady Ty Lin has finished her labors."

"And?" her mother asked.

"It's a boy, my lady."

___

Ty Lee could hear the baby's cries from all the way down the hall as she and her mother approached her sister's bedroom. Stepping inside, she saw Ty Lin lying in bed, covered in a gleam of sweat and looking exhausted as her newborn son fussed in her arms.

"It sounds like he has his mother's lungs," she said as she walked over to Lin's bedside.

Looking down at the newborn, she could see a few strands of brown hair already sprouting from his head, his face scrunched up and turning a bright red.

"Would one of you tell me how to shut him up, please?" Ty Lin said with a drained and desperate look as the baby reached out and yanked a strand of her hair.

"Well, first of all, you should be supporting his head," her mother said as she stepped over and adjusted Ty Lin's grip so the baby's head rested in the bend of her arm. "The poor boy is also probably starving."

"Of course," Lin sighed. "well, it's not like he's the first man I've known to start crying when he doesn't get to see my breasts," Lin said as she began to unceremoniously undo the top of her robe, Ty Lee quickly turning around to avert her eyes.

"Have you decided on a name?" she asked once the babe was fed in calm.

"I thought Sazu sounded nice," Lin said with a knowing lilt to her voice.

"Your father will be furious," her mother sighed.

"Well, next time, if he wants to name a baby so badly, he can be the one to spend a few hours in labor," Lin said with a tight smile. "besides, it's not like I can disappoint him anymore, especially if Ty Lee finds a new way to outshine me."

"Not funny, Lin," her mother said in a warning tone.

Her sister only rolled her eyes in response before she looked back at her.

"Care to hold your new baby nephew?" Lin offered.

"Of course," she said with a smile as she gently picked up Sazu, mindful to support his neck like her mother had said.

As Ty Lee held her newborn nephew in her arms, she tried to focus on his rosy cheeks, his small contented smile, his nose that looked so much like Lin's, but all she could see was the future he had as a source of shame for the family. Looking at her sister, exhausted on the birthing bed, she saw her alone without the father of her child. Looking at her mother, she saw her trapped in a miserable marriage to survive. She thought of herself, married to Jin, a practical stranger left to be a pretty wife who would bear his children. Not long ago, she had dreamed of holding a babe of her own in her arms, one that she and Azula had somehow made together, but now she felt nothing but sick at the idea. A part of her wanted to run back to Azula, fall on her mercy, and beg her to save her from her fate, but she knew she couldn't; she had spent so long running herself ragged trying to save Azula and in the end, it hadn't made a difference, and now she had no choice but to stay and hope her mother was right.

Chapter Text

Azula stood atop the lighthouse that overlooked the docks of Caldera, cursing under her breath as she fidgeted with the royal hairpin, trying to make the ornament fit in her now uneven hair. Outside, she could hear the chants of thousands of soldiers and commoners alike, all awaiting her and her brother's appearance. As soon as they had made landfall back in the Fire Nation, she and Zuko had been bombarded by an army of servants and royal advisers who had swept them away in preparation for some victory parade. According to Lo and Li, it was to be the start of months of celebrations to commemorate the Fire Nation's victory over the Earth Kingdom, which was to end with a war summit.

Once, the thought of having months devoted to celebrating her victory would have brought her nothing but excitement and pride, but it only now it only served to put her on edge and cause her newly exposed scars to itch.

She had tried to tell herself the entire time that she had been right, that after her victory, her father was ready to forgive her mistakes and welcome her back as a hero, but at the back of her mind, she couldn't stop her paranoid thoughts that this was all some elaborate trap to humiliate her.

'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?' the memory of Ty Lee's voice whispered, causing her guilt and fear to flare up as her grip on the hairpin slipped, sending the ornament clattering to the ground.

"Fuck," she growled in frustration, her voice echoing in the small room as she ran her hand across the scar on the left side of her head and through the short strands of hair.

Before, styling her hair had come easy, so much so that she'd insist on doing it herself without the help of her servants, but with half of her hair gone, it all felt wrong.

'Just calm down,' she told herself as she took a deep breath. 'Father will have to listen to us after what we did. He'll pardon Ryuzo and dissolve Ty Lee's betrothal... he'll have to.'

"Do you need help with that?" she heard Zuko's voice say, causing her to jump slightly in surprise.

Looking to her left, she saw her brother approaching. He was dressed in a matching set of black and gold-trimmed armor as hers, his own hair in a top knot, now looking more like a proper prince of the Fire Nation than he had in years.

"No," she said as she leaned down and picked up the hairpin.

"Are you sure?" Zuko questioned as he walked closer. "I've gotten pretty good at dealing with uneven haircuts."

She stared down at the carved piece of metal with disdain and considered struggling again to put it back in before she acquiesced.

"Fine," she sighed, handing him the pin and turning around.

"How are you feeling?" Zuko asked as she felt him step behind her and begin to gather her hair in his hands and pull it back.

Azula let out a frustrated sigh at that. She had been doing her best to avoid Zuko for the last few days of their journey home. Each time he did manage to corner her, he would insist on trying to talk about what had happened aboard the airship, bringing with it a flood of painful memories and feelings that she'd rather not deal with at the moment...or ever for that matter.

"I'm fine," she said, brushing the question off as she felt Zuko secure the hairpin.

As she turned, Zuko looked as though he wanted to press the issue, but luckily, she was saved by the sound of Li's voice.

"Your Princess Azula, clever and beautiful, disguised herself as the enemy and entered the Earth Kingdom's Capital," Li said from the balcony of the lighthouse, her voice booming even in her old age. "In Ba Sing Se, she found her brother Zuko, and together they faced the Avatar..."

"That's my cue," she said, relieved as she quickly moved to stand at the entrance of the balcony.

"And the Avatar fell! And the Earth Kingdom fell!" Lo and Li said in unison before Li continued on her own, "Their agents quickly overtook the entire city. They went to Ba Sing Se's great walls..."

Zuko brushed off her dismissal, following her. "Azula, you can't keep avoiding this," he persisted as Lo and Li's voices once again rang out in unison.

"And brought them down!" the old bats croaked, Azula wishing they would hurry up. "The armies of the Fire Nation led by Supreme Viceroy Zhao surged through the walls and swarmed over Ba Sing Se, securing our victory and crushing the bloodthirsty mobs of the city."

"Azula," Zuko said as he put a hand on her shoulder. "You nearly-"

"Zuko, enough!" she hissed under her breath as she pulled her shoulder out of his grip.

"Now the heroes have returned home!" Lo and Li said, signaling her to step out onto the balcony. "Your princess, Azula!"

She was met with a cacophony of applause and cheers, which reached up from the crowd below her. The chanting soldiers were a sea of crimson split down the middle, leaving a path open from the gates of the lighthouse to the shoreline where a warship awaited.

"And after three long years," Lo continued, "your prince has returned, Zuko!"

As soon as Zuko stepped out, a fresh round of cheers began. As he took his place next to her, she saw the bow of the warship begin to clink open, the sound of war drums beginning to ring out. Soon, she saw the horn of a Komodo rhino emerge. Behind the beast trailed a line of chained and shackled Earth Kingdom prisoners, with the members of the Council of Five at the forefront of the line. The soldiers flanking the path soon took to shouting insults and throwing stones at the captured soldiers. Soon yet more Komodo rhinos followed, the beasts hauling carts with treasures and gold taken from the Earth Kingdom stacked high, the spoils of war haphazardly tossed out to the observing soldiers. She was sure that she could watch until sunset without the stream of treasures ending, something she'd prefer, but Lo and Li cut her stalling short.

"The Fire Lord has ordered your presence in the throne room," Li informed them.

"Do not keep him waiting," Lo added before the two women turned to leave, Azula quickly following them before Zuko could make another attempt at talking to her.

___

Even with the thunderous applause that greeted her and Zuko, Azula felt like a stranger as soon as she stepped inside her Father's Throne Room. Lined up along the walls of the throne room were what looked to be hundreds of generals, admirals, and noblemen from across the Fire Nation, all of their eyes locked on the two of them, Azula taking note of the ghastly looks in the crowd that were shot her way as they seemed to glimpse her new scars. Looking at her brother, she saw his gaze was locked on where Mai sat in the crowd, the two of them sharing a smile. Finally, she looked up at their father, who sat atop his throne, and although it was difficult to see him with her newly injured eye and from such a distance, she was almost certain that he wore a frown. When she and Zuko reached the foot of the throne, they kneeled, the applause slowly pittering out as she heard her father's footsteps descend the throne.  

"Rise, both of you," their father commanded, she and Zuko complying.

When she looked up, she saw her father staring down at her, a frown creasing the corners of his mouth.

"What a shame," her father said, reaching out and grasping her chin. "Such an ugly scar," he murmured, pulling her head to one side. "What a waste of a pretty face," he said before he dropped his grip on her chin and turned to Zuko.

Her brother's gaze lingered on her with an almost disgusted look before their father placed a hand on his shoulder, turning his attention.

"I am proud of you, Prince Zuko," their father said, his voice loud enough so the rest of the room could hear his praise. "I've waited these long years for you to return to my side. Your loyalty was tested by your treacherous uncle, but you did the right thing and captured the traitor. And I am proudest of all that you fulfilled your destiny and slayed the Avatar."

Azula quickly felt a spike of jealousy and anger at her father's praise.

There had been little to no communication between her and her father since she had left Ba Sing Se, and at no point had she informed him of the details of her and Zuko's fight with the Avatar. For a brief paranoid moment, she thought Zuko had written to their father and lied about what had occurred, that she had been right and Zuko and her father conspiring to push her out had been true, but if the confused look on Zuko's face was anything to go by he was just as caught off guard as she was. Looking back to her father she saw him glance back at her as if he was waiting for her reaction.

'So this is the game you want to play,' she thought, slightly chuckling to herself, 'playing favorites.'

She felt her anger and paranoia disappear as suddenly as they had arrived, the reaction now feeling like a trap her father wanted her to fall into.

"Oh well, I-" Zuko stammered before she cut him off.

"Yes, it was quite impressive," she said, plastering on a pleased smile. "I fear that if I don't keep up with my sparring, Zuzu here might just outpace me," she said, both Zuko and her father seeming caught off guard by her response.

"I'm sure it was," her father said, narrowing his eyes down at her before Zuko spoke again.

"Father," Zuko said, drawing back his attention. "I wished to inform you that I have chosen to betroth myself to Lady Mai," he said, turning to catch Mai's eye in the crowd smiling at her. "With your approval, of course," Zuko said as he turned back to their father.

There was a tense pause as their father briefly glanced back at her, still seeming hung up on her reaction, before he looked back at Zuko.

"You have it, my boy," their father said with a rare smile as he clapped a hand on his shoulder. "To my only son and heir, Prince Zuko!" their father said, holding his hand out, signaling a servant to rush over and bring him a drink. "May his marriage to Lady Mai be long and fruitful!" he said raising his cup above his head, the rest of the room following suit.

___

Azula quickly found herself leaning against one of the walls near the exit on the outskirts of the celebrations, hoping to be able to leave once the door opened again. Despite the fact that this celebration's purpose was meant to be at least partially a way to commemorate her victory, it was clear that the focus was now on Zuko. She had wanted to ask her father about Ty Lee's betrothal and the possibility of pardoning Ryuzo, but it was clear that she wasn't going to get an ounce of his attention tonight.

Looking over the rest of the room, she saw a majority of the crowd circled around Zuko and Mai, her father's hand still on Zuko's shoulder as they seemed to make easy conversation with the nobles and generals around him. She knew this was how her plan was supposed to end, with her brother back in their father's good graces and her put back in the position as the spare, but she had imagined it would sting less if she still had Ty Lee by her side, but now all she had was a fresh set of scars and a new burning jealousy to show for her efforts.

She let out a sigh of relief at the sound of the throne room's steel doors creaking open. Pushing herself off the wall, she moved to make a swift exit, hopefully without anyone noticing. She did, however, regret approaching the doors from the left side when she ended up running headlong into someone coming in.

"Excuse me," she said as she brushed past them, not bothering to take her gaze off the exit, but her attempt to slip out was halted by the stranger's voice.

"Princess Azula," she heard Zhao's gravelly voice drawl, almost sounding amused as she turned to face him. "It's such a pleasure to see you again."

'Of course you're alive,' she thought resentfully, though judging Zhao's current state, one would be mistaken for thinking the man was a walking corpse.

The last time she had seen Zhao, he had already looked different, with his skin a shade paler and hair turned a stark gray, but now the left side of his face was marked with a long ugly pink scar that sliced through his face and across his eye, the memory of Zuko telling her about Ryuzo attacking Zhao coming back to her.

'An eye for an eye,' she thought, slightly amused, before she greeted him with a forced smile.

"Zhao," she greeted.

"Leaving the celebration so soon?" Zhao questioned, Azula only now noticing how the left side of his face didn't move when he spoke, the muscles seeming to have gone dead.

"Yes," she answered curtly, wanting to leave the conversation as swiftly as possible.

"I suppose it's for the best," Zhao hummed, "seeing as you made such a mess of my victory," he said, causing her anger to spike.

"Your victory?" she scoffed in disbelief. "If it hadn't been for my plan, you wouldn't have been able to step a single foot inside Ba Sing Se."

"And if it hadn't been for my soldiers, you would have lost the city the moment you took it," Zhao shot back.

"Is that so?" she scoffed as she crossed her arms. "And enlighten me, Zhao, where exactly does dropping a bomb on and maiming a princess of the Fire Nation fit into that plan."

"War takes a toll on all of us, princess," Zhao said.

"Well, it seems it took its fair share on you, though if you ask me, it's not nearly enough. In fact, once my father pardons Ryuzo, I might just order him to take your other eye." she threatened.

Satisfied with the small twitch of anger her threat received, she turned to leave.

"Oh, I wouldn't count on your dog returning anytime soon; I'm afraid he's already been put down," Zhao said, causing her to pause and turn in alarm.

"Excuse me?" she said, seeing Zhao was now flashing her a self-satisfied grin.

"You mean to say you haven't heard?" Zhao questioned in mock surprise. "Well, I hate to be the one to bear this news to you, princess, but your bodyguard died several weeks ago."

Suddenly, she felt everything she had been trying to shut out for the past few days all come crashing back, her panic spiking as her breath was squeezed from her lungs.

"You're lying," she accused desperately.

"When I ordered the traitor's execution, he tried to escape his fate but died in the attempt," Zhao said mockingly, ignoring her accusation as he leaned down. "I even saw the traitor's body burned to a crisp."

As she glared up at Zhao, the image of her grasping his face and driving the sharpened nail of her thumb through his remaining eye flashed through her mind. She wanted so desperately to feel it slice and pop under her grasp, to hear him scream in agony, to hurt him the way he had just hurt her, but before she could consider following through on her fantasy, the sound of her father's booming voice drew both their attention.

"Viceroy Zhao!" her father called out, raising his cup. "Come join us and tell of how you saved Ba Sing Se!"

Zhao gave her one last half grin before he turned to join her father and brother.

As she felt all her jealousy and bitterness begin to bubble over as she watched all her efforts lead to nothing, she looked across the rest of the throne room, seeing that those who did dare to sneak glances at her all had looks of disgust or amusement, their judgment so clear upon their faces that she was able to imagine what they whispered in their cups.

'Freak, degenerate, failure'

Her gaze was suddenly caught by a servant who held a tray of drinks, which she handed out to the guests. Deciding she needed something to help her silence her thoughts, she approached.

___

Azula wasn't sure how many drinks she had downed by the time the room started spinning, but by then, she decided that if her father was going to ignore her, she would make it impossible for him not to take note of her.

"Zuzu!" she called out, her words slurring as she stumbled over to her brother and hooked an arm around his shoulder, causing the drink in his hand to spill and the conversation around them to go silent.

"Azula?" Zuko said, looking down at her, confused. "Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" she said with a laugh that felt deranged even to her ears. "My victory has been stolen from me, I can't see out of my left eye, Ryuzo is dead, the woman I love despises me and is going to marry some man, oh and how can I forget, you've replaced me as father's favorite," she said, jabbing a finger in his chest as she smiled at the rest of the noblemen around them, a few letting out a nervous laugh before most awkwardly split away from the conversation. "How does that feel, by the way?" she asked as she looked back up at Zuko.

She saw his brows were pinched, and he frowned, seeming suddenly upset.

"Azula, I-" he tried to say, but she cut him off.

"Oh, don't look so sad, Zuzu," she said, reaching up and messing his hair, pulling a few strands loose from his topknot. "I suppose it had to be your turn after so long. Though I was hoping you could tell me any tips you may have for being the family disappointment since I'm a bit out of practice."

"Azula!" she heard a hushed whisper call out. Looking up, she saw Mai hurrying over to the two of them.

"Mai!" she called out, trying to hook her other arm around her, but Mai slapped it away.

"Spirits, how much have you had to drink?" Mai demanded.

"Not nearly enough," she said, plucking Zuko's drink out of his hand and draining the rest of its contents before she felt someone grasp her arm and begin to drag her across the room, her feet having to stumble to keep up. Looking up, she saw her father, his stern expression focused forward as she pulled her out of the throne room and out into the hall.

"What in Agni's name do you think you're doing?" her father demanded as he slammed her against the hallway's wall.

"Oh, how generous of his majesty to finally deem me worthy of his attention," she spat, yanking her arm out of her father's grasp.

"Is that what this is?" her father scoffed. "Are you so desperate for my attention that you'd act out and try to embarrass me like some drunken fool?" Ozai shook his head before he let out a sigh. "I thought you better than that, Azula."

"And I thought you'd respect me enough to keep that bastard Zhao out of here instead of welcoming him back like a hero after what he did to me!" she yelled, pointing at her scars, "after he killed Ryuzo! He had no right!"

"It was your decision to go out into the city during the riot. It is not Zhao's fault that you were too impatient and reckless to what behind the palace walls where it was safe, and as for your bodyguard, I gave Zhao complete authority and command over everyone in the colonies, including you and Ryuzo," he snarled. "And considering your actions over the past months you are in no position to be telling anyone what they do or do not have the right to do."

"Actions," she scoffed, "and what actions have I taken that haven't benefited you?'

"You disobeyed me, Azula!" her father shouted. "The moment I let you out of my sight, you ignored your mission to go track down your paramour, you ignored my orders to come home, and you let your sniveling coward of a brother slip through your grasp and take the glory of killing the Avatar from you."

"And yet I still won your war, I brought your heir home a hero, and I killed the Avatar!"

"And here I thought it was your brother," her father said with a satisfied smirk as he had just won whatever mind game he was trying to play with her.

"Well, it wasn't!" she shouted as she felt tears of frustration begin to well in her eyes. "It was me! All of it was me! I've done everything you asked of me and more!" she said as she pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes, trying to stop the tears she knew were coming.

Ozai was silent for a moment, Azula not brave enough to look up to see his reaction before she felt his hand on her chin.

"Look at me, Azula," her father said, his voice softer and more tender as he pulled her gaze up. "You have served me loyally and faithfully, more than any dutiful daughter should be expected to," he said, the praise bringing fresh tears to her eyes. "You may have strayed from the path set out for you, but it's not too late. There is so much we have left to do, Azula. My throne is your birthright, not your brother's, and if you'd let me, I will help you take it back."

Azula felt her pride flair up for the briefest of moments at his words, her hope that all of this had been a test to spur her on feeling as though it was finally confirmed. She imagined playing into his machinations, of silencing the parts of herself that didn't fit into the mold he wanted. She could find a way to disgrace Zuko again, take his place as heir, find a suitable match to carry on their family, and make her father proud, but when she looked up at him, she felt nothing but exhausted at the thought of trying to win back his approval as only one word whispered at the back of her mind.

'Lier'

"I'm done playing your games, Father," she said as she turned her head, breaking his touch. "Whether you want it or not, Zuko is your heir. Now, just give me what you promised and leave me alone."

"What I promised you?" her father questioned, frowning at her refusal.

"You said that when I returned home, I would be able to decide the fate of my own marriage, and I've decided that I do not wish to marry," she paused, inhaling shakily as she tried to suppress her own nerves. "Instead, I want you to dissolve Ty Lee's betrothal to Jin and allow me to see her again."

The request was a long shot, she knew. Even if her father agreed, there was no guarantee Ty Lee would want to take her back after everything she had done, but if she could just get her back, she knew she could fix the mess she had caused. She would even leave with her if she wanted, take her anywhere in the world she wanted to go, but the fantasy fled from her mind the moment she saw the disgusted look on her father's face.

"No," he said, his refusal cutting like a knife before he tried to turn to leave, her nervousness suddenly turning to anger.

"And why not?" she demanded, pushing herself off of the wall and trying to stand but still stumbling slightly. "Grandfather did the same for you to secure your own wife!"

She had overheard that fact when she was a child during one of her parent's frequent shouting matches. Her mother had yelled that she wished her father would have chosen some other woman and left her alone with her old betrothed. Ursa left that argument with tears streaming down her face and a bruise forming on her cheek, Azula still remembering the look of resentment that was etched onto her mother's expression as she stared down at her.

Looking back at her father, she saw the muscles of his back were tensed, and his hand closed into a fist. For a moment, she thought she might leave this argument looking much the same as her mother had, but when he whirled on her, his hand instead reached out and grasped the caller of her tunic.

"Because I will not allow you to strut around openly with your whore making a mockery of me!" her father shouted, spittle flying from his mouth and landing on her cheek. "And if you think your duty to this family is over, then you are sorely mistaken, Azula. Now go back to your room, compose yourself, and in the morning, I want you ready to serve the Fire Nation," he ordered before shoving her back, causing her to stumble and collapse to the ground.

___

Azula didn't return to her room that night as her father had ordered. Instead, she just wandered to wherever her feet chose to take her. At first, she just walked through the halls, passing by the tapestries of her ancestors before she eventualy left the palace and entered the streets of Caldara. As she walked, she steadily cast off pieces of her armor until she was dressed in nothing but the pants and tunic she wore underneath. Once she pulled her hairpin loose and tossed it in the hands of a beggar, she thought she might even pass for a commoner.

Eventualy, she began to feel herself sober up, her thoughts becoming sharper and her mind filling with Ty Lee's words and the guilt that came with them.

'I don't know who you are anymore because the girl I fell in love with wouldn't have done this.'

Azula let out a cry of pain as she pressed a flame to the skin of her arm, burning her flesh. The pain eventualy shut the voices out, but knowing it wouldn't last long, she quickly stumbled into one of the many sake bars that lined the streets. As she stepped inside, she was immediately hit with the smell of sweat, smoke, and alcohol. The entire room was alive with chatter and music as a band with poorly tuned instruments played. As she glanced around the room, trying to find a servant to pour her a drink, she felt someone grasp her arm as they approached her side.

"Hey there," she heard a sing-song voice say.

Looking down she saw a woman was now at her side. Azula's first thought when she saw her was that she was pretty. At a glance, she looked to be slightly older than Azula, maybe in her early twenties. She had wavy, long, dark brown, almost black hair and eyes to match, which sat above an alluring smile.

"I haven't seen your face around here before," the woman said.

Azula felt herself bristle at the remark, suddenly feeling self-conscious of her scars and eye.

"That supposed to be some kind of joke?" she demeaned narrowing her eyes at the other woman.

"Just an observation, handsome," the woman said, raising her hands defensively before she extended one in grading. "My name's Oka, and you are?"

"Not your concern," she said as she ignored her hand.

Oka only gave her an amused smile as she rolled her eyes and dropped her hand before they were interrupted by some skinny, curly-haired boy who ran up to Oka's side.

"Hey, Oka, I found this nice jucy mark with a fat purse. You want to help me get him shitfaced and-" The boy's words suddenly trailed off as his gaze landed on her. "Whose your friend?" he asked, looking her up and down.

"Not my concern, apparently," Oka said as she scanned the room. "Now, whose your mark."

"No, no, no, you two keep talking. I can handle him on my own," he insisted. "Besides, I have a feeling that, unlike your new friend, he actually has good taste," he said, gesturing down at himself before Oka flicked him in the ear.

"Yeah, yeah, just don't get yourself hurt, Muso," she warned him.

Azula watched as Muso walked over to the bar, grabbed two drinks, and sauntered back to one of the tables where an older man sat dressed in fine silk. Muso handed the other man one of the drinks, who downed it in one sip before he wrapped an arm around Muso's waist and pulled him into a kiss so aggressive it made Azula flinch.

"What's the matter?" Oka questioned, seeming to notice her surprise. "I figured someone like you would be used to seeing that."

"Someone like me?" she questioned, raising a brow.

Oka gave her an equally confused look before she gestured broadly at her.

Azula let out a small laugh as she shook her head.

"I just didn't realize people were allowed to be so...open about these things," she said.

"Spirits, you really must not be from around here," Oka said before she placed a finger on her chin and looked her up and down. "Let me guess. You're from some twenty-person village way out in the sticks, and to avoid having to marry someone you're, let's face it, probably related to in some way, you joined the Domestic Forces to get away, and now you're on leave and want to see the big city...how'd I do?"

Azula was about to answer when Oka cut her off.

"Oh wait, never mind, let me guess, it's 'not my concern,' right?" Oka said with a smirk, Azula unable to help but return it before Oka continued.

"Well, since you seem to need some educating, you can't exactly go out in the streets and do...that," she said, nodding over to Muso, who was now pulled into the other man's lap, their lips still entwined. "But there are certain places like this where people won't bat an eye, and besides, for as much as those Royal assholes like to make a big show of how pure they are, the highest paying customers at our brothel are all admirals or generals, and most of the time, Muso and the other boys are the ones who end up getting their business," she said pausing to look around before leaning in conspiratorially. "I even hear that the Fire Lord's own perfect daughter likes to share her bed with her female companions."

Azula felt herself choke on her own spit at that.

"So you work in a brothel," she said through a cough, quickly wanting to change the subject. "does that mean you're a..."

"Whore?" Oka provided with a smile. "I am. It's not as bad of a gig as you would think. Numi, our mistress who owns the place, treats us well, and it pays the bills, though if it helps your ego, it's my night off, so tonight is strictly for pleasure, not business," she said as she began to trace lines with her nails along Azula's arms causing goosebumps to prickle her skin and a blush to warm her cheeks.

"And is this normaly how you spend your nights off?" Azula asked, trying to distract herself from the other woman's touch. "By robbing?"

"I prefer to think of it as redistributing wealth from rich idiots who are too drunk to protect it, so you at least don't have to worry," she said with a wink.

Azula let out a small laugh, unsure if she should take it as an insult or compliment.

"So handsome...can a lady buy you a drink," Oka asked, looking back at Azula as she began to walk over to the bar. "Or are you too good to drink something bought with money earned from sex and robbery?"

Azula considered refusing for a moment before she remembered that in her haste to flee her father, she had neglected to actually bring any money with her.

"I guess I'm not," she said, following Oka.

___

Azula lost how exactly the next few hours progressed. All she knows is that she and Oka eventualy ended up back at the brothel the other woman worked at, the two of them tangled up in one another as they stumbled into an empty bedroom. Pressing Oka against one of the wooden walls, she gripped the other woman's jaw and pushed her head back, giving her mouth easy access to begin nipping at her neck, her hands frantically undoing and pulling off Oka's top, allowing her hands to roam across her bare skin and nails to dig into the flesh of her breast, causing Oka's back to arch off the wall, her gasp turning into a moan.

"B-bed," she heard Oka manage to moan out breathlessly.

"Yeah," she agreed, a surprised yelp that turned to a laugh escaping Oka's lips as Azula easily lifted her up by the back of her thighs, Oka's legs wrapping around Azula's waste as she carried her over to the bed in the corner of the room.

The bed let out a squeak of protest when they collapsed on top of it. The matrice was no doubt worse than the one she was used to back in the palace, but as she stared down and the desperate, writhing body of the woman beneath her, Azula realized she didn't care. Leaning down, she took one of Oka's nipples into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the nub as her hand slid down her abdomen, underneath her waistband, and between her legs.

"Shit," Oka gasped as her fingers began to circle her clit, Azula feeling Oka's legs twitch each time she brushed over it.

Feeling Oka grow wet enough between her legs, Azula slid two fingers inside her, pumping them in and out steadily until she soaked her knuckles. Looking up, she saw that Oka's eyes were squeezed shut in pleasure, her mouth open in a moan, and her hair tangled, partially obscuring her face for a moment so that if Azula squinted, she thought she looked like Ty Lee. The sight only spurred on Azula further, her hand moving more frantically as she curled her fingers inside her until she felt the muscles clench around them, causing Oka's back to arch as a cry of pleasure escaped her lips. As the two of them panted, she carefully slid her fingers out and wiped them on the sheets.

"Not bad," Oka said as she reached up and pulled Azula down by her neck into a kiss, "definitely better than most of the drunken fools I stumble into bed with," she said as she kissed Azula again, but it felt wrong, something about the texture of her lips, the taste of her mouth, it was just wrong. Azula wanted to pretend that she didn't know the exact reason why, but in reality, she knew that it was because she wasn't Ty Lee.

"Mind if I return the favor?" Oka asked as her hand began to try and snake under her clothes, but Azula's hand on her wrist halted her.

"Don't," she refused quickly, pulling Oka's hand away and standing.

"Something wrong, handsome?" Oka questioned as she sat up on her elbows.  

The only person she had ever let touch her was Ty Lee, and even then, it was rare. If she could barely stand a kiss, then she wasn't sure she could handle someone else touching her, the realization only making her want Ty Lee more. Looking down at her hands, she felt disgusted with herself, hating her own weakness and degeneracy, hating how she had ruined everything she had wanted.

Suddenly, she felt a burn at the back of her throat, and her mouth to fill with saliva. She didn't know if the wave of nausea was from the alcohol or the guilt at what she had just done, but what she did know was that she needed to leave.

Stumbling outside and into the alleyway, she braced herself against a wall and emptied the contents of her stomach. Coughing and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, her gaze was caught by her own reflection in a puddle. Staring down, she saw only a stranger in the water. Azula was barely able to recognize herself as her hand ran through the shaved side of her head and the tangled mess the rest of it had turned into.

"What a shame," she heard her mother's voice say suddenly, causing her to flinch. "You always had such beautiful hair."

Turning to look down the mouth of the alleyway, she saw her mother standing there. She looked the same as the day she disappeared, dressed in her royal garb, with a beautiful frown adorning her lips.

"What are you doing here‌?" she demanded, taking a step back in fear.

"Am I not allowed to see my daughter after so long?" her mother asked as she took a step forward, her foot landing in the puddle, the water not rippling in response.

"No, you're not!" she shouted, her voice echoing down the alleyway as she squeezed her eyes shut and gripped her hair. "Not when y-you abandoned me!"

'This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real,' she repeated to herself, trying to ground her mind, but when she looked up, her mother was even closer.

"I never wanted to darling," her mother insisted as she continued to approach, Azula feeling her back hit the wall at the end of the alley, trapping her.

"Yes, you did!" she shouted, feeling like a cornered animal as her mother loomed over her. "You hated living here, you hated father, and you hated me! You think I'm a monster!"

"No, Azula, I love you," her mother said, her eyes glistening with tears as she opened her arms, ready for Azula to embrace her.

She suddenly felt like a child again, desperate for her mother's affection. Even if she was convinced she was going half-mad, she still leaned forward, bracing herself to feel her mother's warmth, but when she did, she felt nothing but cold air as she stumbled forward into the empty alley, alone.

Chapter Text

Jin awoke as he had for the past weeks, freezing. Even though he was in a tent and wrapped in furs, the cold wind that howled outside cut through and chilled him to the bone. The only thing that could drown out the cold was the throbbing, insistent pain in his leg. The last time he had the courage to look at the wound, he had vomited at the smell of infection and the sight of his own bone and muscle. Now, with their rations running so low, he doubted he'd have much left in his stomach to throw up.

He had been in and out of consciousness for the past weeks, leaving him uncertain of how long it had been since the attack on the Roku or how long they had been marching through the mountains of the northern Earth Kingdom, only just now able to stay awake for longer than a few moments. He knew they were supposed to be making their way south to Pohuai Stronghold, as Oyamo had told him, but he didn't know how close they were or if they'd even make it.

He was brought out of his delirious thoughts by a sudden fresh gust of wind that filled the tent. Struggling to look up, he saw Yuko standing at the tent's entrance, a sadistic grin on his pale lips.

"Still alive, captain?" Yuko said as he glared down at him.

"What in Agni's name are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice shaken by shivers that he couldn't stop. "I ordered you be put in chains for insubordination."

"Yes, well, I'm afraid you were overruled by Admiral Zhao," Yuko said self satisfied as he sat crosslegged next to Jin's head.

"Zhao's awake?" he questioned, shocked. Ever since they had begun marching through the mountains, Zhao had been pulled on a gurney alongside him, still unconscious as they had found him.

"Thankfully, yes," Yuko answered. "Especially since you cant seem to give an order without passing out."

"I need to see him," he said, his muscles straining as he tried to rush to sit up.

"You'll do no such thing," Yuko said, the feeling of cold, sharp steel suddenly at Jin's neck, the pressure from the knife forcing him to lay back down.

"You know," Yuko began to ramble as he pulled the blade away from Jin's throat but still kept it unsheathed. "My father and I would go camping in mountains like these. We had a particular spot we enjoyed called the Ash Vally. Have you ever been?" Yuko suddenly asked, his attention turning back to him as he pointed the tip of the blade back at him.

"No, I haven't," he said as he tried to consider if he had enough strength to yell for help over the sound of the wind or to pull the knife from Yuko's grip.

"Dosen't matter," Yuko suddenly decided. "It was quite a time, learning to hunt and survive in the wilderness, and it was about the only time he ever seemed to be proud of me," Yuko paused, his eyes darting around as he seemed to remember something before he continued. "One year, we were about to get hit by a storm and had to make it out of the valley before it flooded, and as we were hiking out, I came across a small wolf pup with a broken leg. The animal had clearly been left behind by its pack, and I wanted to save it, but I was too weak to carry it, and my father refused to take it, so instead, he told me that I could either let it drown, or I could show him mercy by putting the beast out of its misery before the water came to fill his lungs," Yuko said as he pointed the tip of the blade at his chest, Jin fearing for a moment that he might drive it down into his hammering heart. "I decided to choose mercy that day, and at the time, I believe my father was proud of me," Yuko said as a smile cracked across his face. "Though I'm sure he regretted instilling that lesson in me once he himself became sick, and I had to cut him from the herd as well." Jin paused, leaning down to whisper in his ear. "Now, me personally, I would have done what my father made me do to that dog, but it seems that Zhao still has a soft spot for you."

A sudden fresh gust of wind drew both of their attention, Omu stepping out of the cold with his bag and an assistant.

"Perfect timing, doctor," Yuko said as he stood. "Are we ready to proceed with the amputation?"

"Amputation?" Jin said, trying to sit up as panic suddenly flooded his veins before Omu's assistance held him down by his arms, his muscles too weak to fight back.  

"I'm afraid if we don't, you'll die from your infection," Omu said, his voice cold and detached as he pulled a bone saw out of his bag and handed it to Yuko.

"Zhao did give me the consolation prize of being the one to do the cutting since no one else volunteered," Yuko said as he took the saw and knelt down , pinning Jin's flailing good leg, a scream ripping from his throat as the teeth of the saw ripped into his other leg just below the knee.

___

The heat around Jin was sweltering as he sat next to his new betrothed, the two of them seated in a place of honor above the rest of their guests, whose cheers filled the air, all their attention focused on the pit at the center of the crowd. Inside the pit were two vipers, one brown, the other black, each of them hissing and thrashing at one another.

The fight was supposed to be part of an old wedding tradition meant to reenact the old dances and battles between dragons. The length of the fight determined the longevity of the marriage and the spouse's lives together, and judging by how bloody and scratched each of the snakes were , he and Ty Lee were in for the long haul, but turning to Ty Lee, one wouldn't have thought so. She had a disgusted look on her face, and despite the fact that she had arrived three days ago, barely a dozen words had passed between them.

He had only interacted with Ty Lee a few times when they were younger, and every time, she had seemed to be a bright girl, easy to make laugh or smile, but now she was quiet, seeming to have a constant frown or disinterested look. He supposes he should have been expecting a reaction like this. After everything he had heard about her disappearance, she seemed to want to do anything to escape their betrothal, though he wasn't sure he could blame her, considering his own feelings on the matter.

His attention was brought back to the fight in front of him by a sudden cacophony of cheers and gasps. Looking down, he saw the black snake had sunken its fangs into the body of the brown, the two entangled vipers churning and writhing on the dirt before the brown managed to lung down and sink its own fangs into the back of the black before they both fell still.

"A good sign, my lord," the fire sage said as he walked to the center of the pit and picked up the bodies of the snakes holding them up. "Lord Jin and Lady Ty Lee shall have a long and prosperous marriage to come!" he announced before walking over to the two of them. "If you wish, we can preserve the bones as a keepsake."

Looking at Ty Lee, he saw her recoil in disgust. "I need to go," she said, abruptly standing and walking back up the beach and toward the grounds of his family's estate.

Looking back at the rest of the wedding guests, he saw them all staring at him, but the only eyes he cared about were Oyamo's. She sat across from him on the other side of the pit. He hadn't seen her since they had been rescued by a river patrol near the Pohuai Stronghold and he had been sent home, her typical uniform exchanged for a red silk gown that he thought she looked strange but beautiful in.

He was broken out of his staring when Oyamo nodded over to the other wedding guests, drawing his attention back to their waiting stares. Letting out a strained sigh, Jin stood on one shaky leg, his mettle prosthetic leg squeaking underneath him.

"You'll have to excuse my betrothed. I'm sure it's just pre-wedding jitters," he said, forcing a smile and thankfully seeing it returned in the crowd. "I'm sure you'll all see her tomorrow at the ceremony, but until then, please enjoy the festivities," he said, looking back to where Oyamo was, but she was gone.

___

"Jin...Jin," he heard a voice say distantly as he was shaken awake. Opening his eyes, he blinked his vision into focus, seeing Oyamo kneeling above him.

"Sit up," she ordered, placing a hand on his shoulder and helping him. "I brought you something to eat," she said, handing him a bowl of something warm.

"Where in Agni's name did we get the meat for this," he said, swirling the spoon in what looked to be a meat stew. "I thought we were almost out of rations."

"Don't ask me how, but Chon actually managed to kill a buffalo yak last night."

"Really?" he said with a smirk. "I didn't realize he had any talents beyond fixing an engine and telling everyone to fuck off."

"Well however he did it, it's managed to raise the crew's spirits."

"How many are still with us?" he asked through a bite of his food.

"Twenty-three," she answered.

"That's it?" he said in shock, choking slightly. "We started with nearly fifty."

"We lost a good portion of the group when we were marching over the glaciers, and this damn blizzard hit us. I think a few others decided to slip away in the night, though Agni knows where they think they're supposed to go."

"Spirits, what a mess," he sighed as he set his food aside.

"Speaking of messes, how's the leg," she asked, nodding over to the wound.

"I think technically I have to refer to it as a stump now," he said trying to force a laugh, Oyamo giving him a smile that he thought bordered on pity. "I'm still getting used to it," he confessed. "Even though I know it isn't there, sometimes, I swear I can even feel my toes and my leg itch."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop it," Oyamo said, guilt suddenly clouding her face. "I was out scouting when Zhao gave the order."

"Don't be," he reassured her. "Omu said that if it wasn't amputated, I would have likely died."

"Well then, at the very least, I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop Yuko from having the satisfaction of being the one to do the cutting, and if it helps, as soon as I heard what happened, I knocked Yuko on his ass."

"My hero," he said with an exaggerated gasp. "But really, I should be the one apologizing. I'm the one who got us all into this mess to begin with."

"No, you didn't," she refuted as quickly as the words finished leaving his mouth. "You were doing what you thought was best; that's all any leader can hope to do."

"But I wasn't," he shot back. "You were right back on the Roku. Even if that ship was in danger, we didn't have the resources to help them," he said suddenly, feeling choked up. "I wasn't thinking like a leader. I-I was being selfish because I wanted to be some big hero," he said, practically spitting the last words. "I just...fuck" he sighed, pressing his palms to his eyes. "I thought we were doing something important here, that Zhao knew what he was doing, but truthfully, I feel like none of us had any idea what we were getting ourselves into."

"Jin, stop," Oyamo suddenly ordered, her warm hands cupping his face and pulling his gaze to hers, causing his panic to start to dissipate. "Out of all the people here, you are the last person I need to lose their shit," she said, her voice dropping to a softer tone. "Now, for Agni's sake, would you please pull yourself together."

Jin felt himself swallow, his mouth suddenly going dry at their proximity and the way her piercing auburn eyes boar into him before he saw the bottom of her eyelids begin to well with tears.

'Shit,' he thought, suddenly panicking.

"I will. I'm okay, I promise," he rushed to reassure her , placing a hand over the one that covered his cheek. Oyamo seemed to calm for a moment as a tear spilled down her cheek. "I've never seen you cry before," he observed more to himself than her.

"There's a reason why," she said with a laugh as she wiped away the stray tear, her hands pulling away suddenly, making his face feel cold. "I'm an ugly crier."

"You're beautiful," he insisted, the words slipping out as if on instinct, causing a blush to suddenly color both their faces . "I-shit wait, I-"

"Jin, stop talking," Oyamo said before she put a hand on the back of his neck, her lips suddenly on his.

He felt himself freeze up for a moment before he kissed her back, his hand reaching up to tangle in her hair, his other hand finding her waste as Oyamo climbed on top of him, straddling his waist, and for the first time in weeks, he felt warm.

___

"There I was, back against the wall, watching as those Earth Kingdom bastards broke through our fort's outer wall," General Lao roared, his gruff voice breaking through the stillness of the night as he theatrically threw out his arms.

The bear of a man had been regaling Jin, Minister Eku, and Genrarl Shinu with war stories for the better part of an hour, the night having dragged out long enough that most of the other guests had gone to bed while the four of them had elected to stay up and go through his father's old sake collection, with three bottles already having been emptied.

"I thought it was over." Lao continued gripping his cup like it was the hilt of a sword, causing what was left of his drink that hadn't ended up in his black, wiery beard to spill on the sand. "I was ready to die with a blade in my hand and to take as many of the enemy as I could with me when all of a sudden," he said, pausing dramatically. "I saw Fire Nation banners in the distance rushing in with our very own General Shinu leading a platoon of tanks to crush the rear line!" Lao said, raising his empty cup, the rest of them following suit, though Shinu only gave Lao a confused look.

"That battle was nearly six years ago," Shinu objected. "We didn't even have tanks back then. We were still using Komodo rhinos for charges like that."

"True, those damn things were stuck in R&D for ages, that is, until Qin magically showed up with all new blueprints," Eku said bitterly.

Eku was an old friend from the academy before she had become a War Minister, and was the only ression he had a connection with Lao and Shinu.

"Don't let facts get in the way of a good story," Lao waved off dismissively as he refilled his cup.

"Speaking of Qin," Eku said conspiratorially. "I hear that old fool finally got what was coming to him."

"Indeed," Lao chimed in. "I hear Princess Azula sent him to a labor camp."

"Smart girl," Shinu said, hiding a smile behind the brim of his cup."Though we already knew that when she shot down your betrothal offer," he said, nodding over to Lao.

"It's called having political ambitions," Lao said with a roll of his eyes.

"It's called being realistic, you old fool."  

"In any case," Eku said, cutting off the two men's bickering. "At least Qin got what was coming to him after how much of our budget he sucked up with his drill," Eku scoffed. "Do you know how many frigates or tanks we could have made with the resources he wasted?"

"It's not like it matters now that the war is over," Lao reminded her with a sigh. "I doubt we'll be fighting in any major battles. From now on, it's going to be patrol duties and putting down uprisings."

"Don't be so sure," Shinu said with a knowing smile. "The enemy may just have one more battle in store for us before this war is truly over."

"What do you mean?" Eku questioned, leaning forward in her seat.

"I'm afraid I can't say much else. It's classified," Shinu said with a wink.

"Spirits, you are such a tease. Come on, give us a little more," Eku insisted.

"And you're a gossip," Shinu shot back.

"That was one time," Eku rolled her eyes. "Now come on."

"Fine," Shinu answered with a sigh, "all I can say is that the war summit in Caldera is being called for a reason."

"No shit, I could have told you that," Eku scoffed. "You're useless," she said before she turned to Jin, startling him into the conversation he was mostly drowning out. "Your betrothed knew Princess Azula, right? Why don't we talk to her?"

"Yes, where is Lady Ty Lee?" Lao asked, "I'm sure she has some fascinating tales to regale us with."

"She's in bed already," he assumed, trying to avoid the conversation as his gaze moved to the house, where he saw Oyamo through one of the windows. "I should probably do the same," he said, grabbing his cane and standing.

"As should I," Shinu echoed, stretching. "After the ceremony tomorrow, I need to be in Caldera to meet up with the convoy transporting General Iroh."

"Spirits, I don't envy you. Still hard to believe he's a traitor..." he heard Lao say from behind him, the conversation slowly fading as he walked toward the house, watching as Oyamo disappeared down one of the halls.

___

The howling wind and constant blizzards that had followed them for their entire journey had finally seemed to subside by the time Jin was able to stand on his crutch and walk out of his tent, the snow crunching beneath his boot. It was night. The rest of the camp was asleep along with Oyamo, who was still behind him in his tent, except for a single campfire that burned in the distance, the silhouette of someone standing in front of it. As he limped closer, he saw that it was Zhao.

"Sir?" he said as he walked over to him, the admiral's eyes reflecting the flames of the fire. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing," he said as he pulled the fur-skin cloak over his shoulder, seeing that Zhao was in nothing but his uniform.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" Zhao said as he nealed down to stare into the fire, not seeming to acknowledge his words.

"Sir?" he questioned, confused.

"The fire," Zhao clarified. "It's completely out of its element, surrounded by something that could snuff it out at any moment, and yet it continues to burn," he said as he slowly reached into the fire.

He was about to reach out and pull Zhao's hand away when he saw that he was bending the flames away from his skin, allowing it to dance a few centimeters away from his hand and lick in between his fingers.

"I fear we may have been fighting the wrong enemy all along," Zhao said as he slowly pulled his hand away, steam rising from his skin.

'Couldn't have figured that out before we were all up here freezing to death, and I was short a leg?' he thought bitterly.

"So, are we going back to the Earth Kingdom to finish off Ba Sing Se?" He asked already feeling exhausted at the thought.

"Expand your gaze, boy," Zhao said, standing as he glanced at him with a disappointed look. "When I went to kill the moon spirit, I only did it to try and conquer the water tribe, but you saw what happened afterward, didn't you?"

The image of that...thing rising from the sea flashed in his mind of the sea rising up to swallow almost the entirety of their fleet, the memory causing a shudder to go through him.

"When I was swallowed by the waters of that garden, I entered the spirit world," Zhao confessed, a look of fear flashing across his face as his attention went back to the flames before he spoke again. "I saw things you wouldn't believe there...the power they had... it's nothing compared to what we could muster."

"What are we going to do then?" he asked, feeling dread sink low.

"The only thing you can do when faced with a superior enemy is retreat, fortify, and cut off any path they have to you. If the Fire Nation wants to thrive, we can't afford to allow the spirit world to fight back, and first, we must start with the Avatar." Zhao said as he turned and put a hand on his shoulder. "I need to know you're in this fight with me, Jin."

Jin knew he should say yes; after all, Zhao had been like a second father to him, doing everything to help him progress his career. He thought that he would do anything for him and follow him into any battle, but as he looked around at the desperate state of the camp, thought of all the soldiers they had lost on some foolish venture, his gaze paused on his own tent where Oyamo slept, and he just didn't know if he had it in him to do it again.

"I-I don't know, sir," he sighed breath fogging in front of him as he looked down at his stump. "I don't know if I can keep fighting."

"That's it?" he suddenly heard Zhao snap as his hand moved to grip his collar. "You lose a leg, and you suddenly want to give up?" looking back to Zhao he saw his eyes were wide, his teeth clenched in a snarl as he shook him. "Do you know what I saw in there? The things that tried to kill me? I've lost more than you can fathom!" he said as he shoved him back into the snow, his back hitting the ground and knocking the breath from him.

"All due respect, sir," he said, with a grunt as he sat back up on one shoulder. "I don't give a damn what you've lost. I'm done."

"Then you're useless to me now," he said coldly, his scowle of anger melted away into a look of disappointment. "When we're back at the Pohuai Stronghold, I want you gone, and you can crawl off to whatever palace you came from to rot away in," Zhao said as he stepped over him and disappeared into the darkness.

___

Jin watched Oyamo silently as she stood in front of his parent's two urns, a likeness of each of them, in front of where their ashes now lay. Yet again, he had been too late to see his father before he had died and had been too guilty to ever enter the room . He watched her silently for a moment as she lit a stick of incense and placed it between them before stepping back.

"Oyamo," he said as he stepped inside, causing her to startle slightly as she turned.

"Jin" she said, almost certain that he caught a blush coloring her cheeks. "I-I just came to pay my respects to your mother."

"I see," he said as he walked over to stand next to her. "Did you know my mother well?" he asked, looking down at the small portrait of her that hung above her urne.

"A little," she shrugged. "Professional mostly. I was placed under her command fresh out of the academy at fourteen. She was an admiral by then, so she hardly noticed me, but when she did, she was kind."

Jin tried not to feel disappointed by the answer still feeling like his mother was a stranger to him.

"It's good to see you again," he said as he turned to look at her. "Where have you been?"

"With Zhao mostly," she said, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I had to help organize the army he took to Ba Sing Se."

"How has he been?" he asked, Oyamo giving him a confused look.

"You mean you don't know? I would have thought you two were still in touch, seeing as you're his golden boy."

"Not so much anymore," he answered with a shrug.

"When I saw him, he was acting strange. The entire time we were preparing to march on Ba Sing Se, he was locked in a room going through old scrolls. I even hear he lost an eye when he took the Earth Kingdom's capital, something to do with the princess falling wounded, I think, though I don't know all the details."

Jin thought that once, he may have felt some anger at the thought of someone taking a knife to his former commander, but now he realized he didn't much care.

"What kind of scrolls was he looking into?" he asked suddenly, remembering Zhao's strange words about the spirit world.

"I don't know," Oyamo sighed. "Old ones," she answered vaguely before she glanced at him with a suspicious look. "Did you really come in here to ask me questions about Zhao?"

"No," he said with a small laugh. "I missed you," he confessed, his mind still stuck on that night in the mountains.

"Me or what we did?" Oyamo said with a smirk as she looked him up and down.

"Both," he admitted as he inched closer, his hands hesitating for a moment before they reached out and wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a kiss.

For a few perfect moments, their lips slid together, Oyamo tangling a hand in his hair as she kissed him back before he felt her tug him back.

"Jin," she whispered as she pulled back from the kiss. "We shouldn't," she said, her lips still close enough that they breathed the same air.

Letting out a sigh, he slid his face away, resting his head on her shoulder but still holding her close. He knew this was coming, and at the back of his mind, he knew she was probably right, but a more selfish part of him wanted to press the issue.

"Why," he said suddenly, feeling like a child asking a stupid question.

"You're getting married tomorrow, Jin," she reminded him.

"To a woman who seems to have no interest in me," he shot back, lifting his head to look at her.

"Well maybe if you actually talked to her, got to know her better-" she tried to provide.

"But I know you," he said, cutting her off. "I want you"

"So what would you do? Dissolve your betrothal to her the night before you are to wed?"

"Yes," he insisted subconsciously, pulling her closer.

"Jin," she scoffed, a smile of disbelief grazing her lips before she looked away as it was replaced with a frown. "I can't give you any heirs," she admitted, a look of shame seeming to cloud her face.

"I don't care about that," he insisted as he cupped her cheek, bringing her gaze back to him.

"So you'd let your family name die with you?" she said in disbelief.

"Gladly," he said boldly, causing her to let out a small laugh.

"Well, you certainly know how to make a girl feel special," she said pulling his hand off her cheek and pressing a kiss to his palm. "But I can't let you do that," she said, dropping his hand before he could protest. "Besides, we both know I'm not the woman you should be with right now."

___

Jin found Ty Lee on the balcony of her room, her atention on the view which overlooked the coastline, the sound of waves rhythmically crashing onto the sand coming in from the beach.

"You don't seem very fond of this place," he said in lew of a greeting as he stepped out onto the balcony with her.

"Jin," she said, startling slightly as she turned to him, blinking as she seemed to process his question. "I-no, I like it here," she blurted out too quickly for him to believe it.

"Ah, so it's just me you're not fond of," he said with a slight grunt as he placed his cane to the side and leaned against the railing.

Ty Lee seemed to panic for a moment before she realized he was joking, a smile gracing her face.

"No, not at all," she said with a small laugh. "I just suppose I thought I might have...felt something different once I got here."

"Well, I'm afraid my humble abode can't offer the same thrills as conquering Ba Sing Se," he said, mirroring her smile, though his words seemed to cause her to frown.

"Believe me, that wasn't as thrilling as you might think it was," she sighed as she ran a hand through her loose hair.

Suddenly, he remembered what Oyamo had said about Princess Azula falling wounded in Ba Sing Se, and he winced at his slip-up.

"You and the princess are...close, are you not?" he asked cautiously.

A look of fear seemed to flash on Ty Lee's face before she swallowed, replacing it with a fragile smile.

"Um...yes, we were," she said after a moment of hesitation before looking back out at the ocean, Jin not missing the slight blush that colored her cheeks.

Suddenly, a memory from when he was younger flashed in his mind. He was knocked on his back in one of the halls of the Royal Palace, Princess Azula standing over him, a snarl on her face as she drove her fist down.

"Ty Lee is mine!" he remembers her screaming at him as she was pulled off him by her bodyguard. "You stay away from her!"

Looking back at Ty Lee, something clicked in his mind.

"Look, Ty Lee," he sighed as he glanced behind them to make sure they were alone. "Seeing as we're about to be wed, I think it might be pertinent for us to be honest with one another about what exactly we want."

Ty Lee hesitated for a moment, her hands moving to fidget with a strand of her hair. "I don't think what I want exists anymore," she confessed with a frustrated sigh, "and...if I am being honest, I'm...I'm not sure it's this," she said, gesturing between them with a look somewhere between fear and guilt.

"Neither am I," he admitted with a slight sigh of relief.

"Really?" she asked, turning to him with a shocked expression.

"We barely know one another," he reasoned with a shrug. "Besides, let's not act like this wasn't something our parents arranged for political benefits."  

A brief moment of silence fell between the two of them as neither of them knew what to say before something occurred to him.

"What if we postponed the wedding?" he offered.

"What?" Ty Lee scoffed in disbelief. "But what about all the guests? They-"

"They either came for appearances or for the free drinks," he reasoned. Frankly, I'm sure most will be happy to go home. Think about it. We could cancel the ceremony tomorrow and take the pressure off of all this," he said, gesturing broadly at the estate and the leftovers of the party. "And then when we feel ready, we can get the officiating out of the way."

Ty Lee was silent for a moment, her hands moving back to fidget with a strand of hair, considering something before she spoke.

"And...and what if I'm never ready?" she asked.

"We...cross that bridge when we get to it, I suppose. Until then, I think we both need to get out of here. Despite what you said, I can tell you hate it here, and frankly, so do I...too many bad memories."

"Where would we go?" Ty Lee questioned.

"You decide," he said, smiling down at her.

Ty Lee sighed, her eyes darting around as she seemed to think for a moment before her face seemed to light up with a decision.

"Have you ever been to Ember Island?"

Chapter Text

Uzamu had always hated the Royal Guard's uniform. He had considered it an honor at first to wear the armor, but he soon found that it was more suited as a ceremonial peace than for any practical use, with its stiff material restricting his bending and the neck guard especially making it almost impossible to move his head freely. The grooming standards as well were nearly impossible to keep up with, only confirming for him that the guard was more of an ornamental piece for the royal family than a unit meant to protect them. But the one part of his armor that he hated was its helmet, with its faceplate making it hard to breathe and its small eyeholes limiting his field of view. However, at the moment, he was thankful that his helmet so effectively covered his face, allowing him to close his eyes so he didn't have to witness what was happening in front of him without anyone else noticing.

He had been half asleep when he had been roused in the middle of the night and shoved into the streets of Ba Sing Se with a battalion of soldiers and a list of suspected Earth Benders from Zhao that he was meant to round up. He had tried to be as courteous as possible, knocking on doors rather than kicking them down and assuring worried family members of the prisoners that they would be safe and that some may even return home soon as he assumed they would. After all, it was common practice for the fire nation to register each individual, take those of fighting age to one of the many prisons to hold them, and send those considered too young or old to be a threat back to their families and observed closely.

Uzamu didn't realize how useless his attempts at courtesy had been until their colom was stopped in a field in the outer wall by an execution division, and despite the cries and pleas of his prisoners, the letter from Zhao the executioners had handed him meant there was nothing he could do to stop them. Even though his eyes were closed as he turned to march his men back behind the walls of the city, he could still smell the pungent scent of smoke, the stink of burning flesh unmistakable, which stuck to him and would no doubt be impossible to wash out no matter how hard he scrubbed.

As they marched back through the gates into the streets of Ba Sing Se, he hoped that he might be allowed to rest back at the palace and maybe even be granted an audience with Zhao as he had requested so he might receive permission to leave this forsaken city when he was suddenly broken out of his thoughts by the sound of a shrill scream.

"Where is she!" he heard a woman's voice scream out.

Turning, he saw one of the family members of the prisoners he had taken storming over to him, a man who seemed to be her husband trying to hold her back, but she pulled herself from his grip.

"Where is my daughter, you Fire Nation bastards!" her eyes red-rimmed as she yelled. "Where did you take her!"

"Ma'am, I already explained your daughter had to be taken away because she was an earthbender," he reminded her as he felt himself back away, trying not to think of the smell of smoke, which refused to leave his mind.

"She was just a builder!" the woman screeched, her voice breaking. "Not a soldier! She was no threat to you!"

"It wasn't my decision, ma'am," he tried to defend himself.

"Yes, it was, you coward!" she said as she shoved him backward, causing two of his soldiers to spring forward, grabbing her by her arms and pulling her back.

"Wait, please stop!" her husband begged as he tried to intervene, but one of the soldiers responded by shoving him back, the man falling to the ground, his head colliding with the stone ground with a sickening crack.

"Hano!" the woman screamed out as she tried to break out of the soldier's grip.

'Stop fighting,' he wanted to scream. 'You'll only make it worse,' but she didn't, still struggling to get to her husband.

"Someone please help!" she tried to call out, causing heads to turn and people to exit their homes, a crowd steadily forming.

.

"What are you doing?" he heard distant voices from the crowd yell out, "Let her go!" another demanded as he began to see the beginnings of another riot start.

Uzamu was about to order his men forward to disperse the crowd before they became outnumbered when the stone bricks of the street suddenly began to shake just ahead of the crowd, a wall of stone suddenly jutting up from the ground, blocking the gathering crowd from them.

"You ought to keep these peasants in line, lieutenant," he heard Yuko's voice call out. Turning, he saw the man approaching with a smug smirk on his face and two Dai Li agents behind him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were about to let them burn down their own city for a second time."

"Apologies," he said, feeling some relief at the arrival of reinforcements but dreading that it had to be Yuko. "We had some trouble gathering prisoners."

Ever since Ryuzo had been arrested, Uzamu had felt Yuko's eyes on him like a hawk, as if he was waiting for him to do something that would prove he was a traitor, every task feeling like a loyalty test, and this one had been no different.

"I can see that," Yuko scoffed as he looked over to the woman who was now sobbing as she stared at her husband, the fight seeming to have gone out of her legs limp now beneath her. She would have no doubt crumpled to the floor if the two soldiers weren't holding her up by her arms.

"Get her out of here before she causes more trouble," Yuko ordered.

"What do we do with the husband?" one of the soldiers questioned.

"Leave him," Yuko waved off dismissively. "We've already done enough to deal with these peasants dead. Let them take care of this one."

"No, wait, please!" the woman begged as she was dragged away, but her pleas were ignored.

As he watched her go, his gaze was dragged back to her husband, whose head now had a puddle of blood beneath it, but Uzamu could still see he was breathing.

"Sir," he said, catching Yuko's attention, "he's still alive."

"So he is," Yuko said like a child who was just given a gift as he almost skipped over to the dying man.

"He might make it if we give him medical attention," he tried to persuade as he followed Yuko.

"And waste valuable medical supplies?" Yuko scoffed as he knelt down next to the man. "I think not."

"It could help smooth over tensions with the locals," he tried to point out as he watched Yuko pull out a silk handkerchief.

"With a savage lot like this?" Yuko said as he pressed the handkerchief over the man's mouth and nose, beginning to suffocate him. "Only a firm hand will keep them in line."

Uzamu held his tongue watching as the man's body twitched, only looking away when his eyes fluttered open and locked with his.

"I do hope you do a better job of keeping this city under control while I'm gone," Yuko said once the sound of the man struggling stopped.

'Thank Agni, ' he thought, relieved that he was leaving.  

"Where are you going?" he questioned, trying to keep the joy from his voice.

"I've been called back to Caldera," Yuko said with a smug sense of pride. "The Fire Lord wishes for me to oversee... certain courtly matters," Yuko said as he stood and wiped the blood from his fingertips. "I'll see you back in the capital, assuming you don't get yourself killed." Yuko chuckled to himself before strolling down the street, no doubt off to find some puppy to kick.

Uzamu let out a frustrated sigh as his gaze flicked back to the dead man in the middle of the road. He wondered if it wouldn't be fitting for him to die here after what he had done. At least then, he wouldn't have to bear the burden of command and following Zhao's orders.

"Sir?" one of the Dai Li agents that Yuko left behind said, breaking him from his thoughts. "What are your orders?" he asked.

"Clean this up, and let's get out of here."

___

Uzamu had been blinded by Ba Sing Se's beauty when he had first arrived, even mistaking its great walls for cliffsides when he had first seen it from a distance. While Caldera may have been a technical marvel with its series of gondolas and rail cars that connected the capital to the bottom of the volcano it sat in, Ba Sing Se was larger and more ancient in its splendor than he could even imagine, with the city seemingly stacked higher and higher on top of its own past. But after the riots, his image of the city had turned sour, with him unable to turn a corner without seeing the destruction Zhao's bombing had wrought.

The inner district, where he now walked, had weathered the riots better than the rest of the city, but not even it had remained untouched, with the mansions and estates that surrounded the Earth King's palace having been picked apart for all their valuables, the hallowed outbuildings now turned into makeshift barracks, infirmaries, and taverns where the solders sought some comfort after their patrols.

He had wanted to be relieved of his duty here in the city and return to Caldera with the prince and princess, but Zhao had ordered him to stay, reminding him that the Fire Lord himself placed him to his command and that all duties to the Royal family were now secondary to serving him and securing the Fire Nations greatest conquest.

When he entered the Earth King's Former Palace, he found it in a similar state of disarray as the rest of the inner district's estates. In the lue of the throne room, Zhao had taken up residence in the administrative wing of the palace, its great halls now tightly cramped with loose piles of scrolls and courtiers running back and forth in various states of panic. From inside Zhao's main office, he could hear heated voices snapping back and forth at one another.

"We were promised rewards for facilitating the Fire Nation's takeover of the city, lordships, lands, wealth, marriages, and power, and instead, you've reduced us to glorified lackeys!" he hard Hu, the leader of the Dai Li yell.

"The titles, lands, and marriages the Princess promised you were not hers to give," he heard Zhao's voice reply calmly. "The Fire Lord has deemed it more important that they are bestowed to noblemen from the home isles to better integrate the new colonies into the Fire Nation's hegemony."

"You mean you're going to hand them out to your fire nation cronies," Hu spat.

"I'm afraid I don't understand your confusion, Captain," he heard Zhao sigh. "Your order served the earth king faithfully for hundreds of years. This should be familiar to you."

"Served," Hu scoffed. "Clearly, you're not as well versed in our history as your predecessor was. You should be wise to remember that the Dai Li controlled this city long before you ever stepped foot here and it was only by our hand that you ever had a chance of taking this city." He said before Uzamu heard the sound of footsteps, Hu storming out of the office seemingly without taking note of him.

When he stepped into Zhao's main office, he found it in a much more orderly state than the rest of the building, the colony's new viceroy sitting at his desk writing something down.

"Supreme viceroy," he greeted, bowing.

"Lieutenant," Zhao greeted back without looking up from his work.

Even after a week in the infirmary, Zhao's face was still a gruesome sight, with the tightly wrapped bandage dipping in to fill his now empty eye cavity, the still raw red flesh of his scar peeking out from under the line of the bandages.  

"I trust there is an important reason you called for this meeting," Zhao grunted out, breaking him out of his gawking.

"Yes, sir," he said, clearing his throat as he tried to gather his thoughts. "I wished to see if you had given any more thought to my petition for reassignment back in the Capital."

"No, I have not, as I have much more pressing matters on my mind," Zhao said bluntly. "And my answer remains the same: you are to remain here until further notice."

"I see," he said as he ground his teeth. "It's just-" he said, pausing for a moment as he considered whether or not pressing the issue was worth it before the memory of those burning bodies flared up in his mind again, and he decided it was. "Sir, with the Prince and Princess back in the Capital and the Commander currently... indisposed, the royal guard will be stretched thin," he tried to argue.

"A new commander of the guard will be selected soon," Zhao answered dismissively.

"And when might that be?" he pressed.

Zhao let out a frustrated sigh, putting his calligraphy brush aside and leaning forward in his chair, his lone eye meeting his.

"Once you prepare the former captain for his transfer to Caldera and his stay of execution is up."

"I-I beg your pardon, sir?"

"Is there something in my words that confuses you, lieutenant, or were you just not listening?"

"No sir, it's just...an execution seems a bit... extreme."

"And his actions were not?" Zhao questioned as he gestured to the bandage, which now covered his eye. "The Fire Lord wishes to make an example of these traitors and show that disloyalty will not be tolerated, especially in such a precarious time for our nation as this," Zhao said as he opened a drawer to his desk, pulling out a key and sliding it over to him. "I suggest you make haste, lieutenant. The Fire Lord wishes for the prisoner to be in the capital soon so his execution may be a part of our victory parade."

Uzamu felt rage and fear bubble up in him as he briefly considered vaulting over the table and finishing what Ryuzo had started, but soon, a better idea flashed in his mind, and he silently took the key.

***

Ryuzo's cell was damp, a constant drip in the corner of the room the only thing to keep him company in the pitch-black dark. He didn't know how long he had been down here, minutes turning into what felt like days, with sleep feeling the same as blinking. At first, he had tried to light a flame in his hand so he could see, but eventually, he realized the food the guards were bringing him wouldn't be enough to sustain him and the flame, so instead, he resigned himself to the dark, his mind looping in a constant state of worry as the image of Azula half dead and covered in blood flashed in his mind. It had been stupid to abandon her like that, but he had been so consumed with anger at Zhao and himself for being unable to protect her. It wasn't like it mattered now. His little act of petty revenge had likely sealed his fate.

At first, Ryuzo thought the sound of approaching footsteps was a hallucination, another instance of him hearing things, but as they drew closer, the more real they felt. Lighting a flame, he stood. He thought it was death that was coming for him, a guard coming to drag him away, but when he looked up, he saw a friend's face illuminated by the flame in his hand.

"Uzomu?" he questioned, his voice scratchy and eyes stinging from the sudden light.

"Captain," Uzamu said with a breath of relief as he knelt next to him. "you're still alive," he said as he handed him a skin.

"I am?" he asked with a dry laugh as he pressed the skin to his lips, feeling cool water pour down his throat. "What are you doing down here?" he asked when he was done whipping away stray drops from the corner of his mouth.  

"I've been ordered to kill you," Uzamu answered matter-of-factly. Ryuzo suddenly noticed the silhouette of two Dai Li agents standing in the doorway.

"I see," he said, his throat suddenly dry again as he felt what little hope he had withered away at his words, thinking it was a cruel joke that Zhao would send a fellow guardsman whom he had recruited to kill him. But Ryuzo's despair turned to confusion when the two Dai Li agents entered the cell, and he saw that they were dragging in the limp body of a dead man, the back of whose head was cracked and staining his skin as it leaked down his face.

"Who's that?" he questioned as he watched the Dai Li agents dump the corpse in the opposite corner of the cell.

"You," Uzamu answered with a knowing smile. "Condolences, Captain, you're a dead man."

Looking closer at the body, he could see that it was a man of a similar height and build.

'A decoy,' he realized as he looked back to Uzamu.

"And what happened to...me," he asked.

"I was ordered to prepare you for transportation to Caldera so you might be executed there, but unfortunately, you resisted me when I came down to try and take you away, and we had to use force, but you being as skilled of a warrior as you are things turned deadly," Uzamu answered before he lit a flame in his hand and began to coat his decoy's body in flames, Ryuzo standing on shaky legs as he covered his nose with the back of his hand, watching the two Dai Li agents back away. "Meanwhile, in all the confusion," Uzamu continued. "An unnamed prisoner will disappear in all the confusion and slip away on a fishing boat," Uzamu said as he turned back to him.

"I see," Ryuzo said with a knowing smile before he looked over to the Dai Li agents, who moved to exit the cell. "Why are they helping?" he asked.  

"It seems that before her coup, the princess promised the Dai Li riches, noble wives, and lordships, which Zhao isn't keen on following through on."

"Clever girl," Ryuzo murmured under his breath, feeling a bit of pride. "Where is that fishing boat taking me?" he asked.

"Anywhere you want to go," Uzamu answered. "Though if I had to suggest a location, let it be somewhere no one knows your face.

Ryuzo knew Uzamu was likely expecting him to chart a course to some forgotten corner of the Earth Kingdome where he could hide away, and a part of him considered it, maybe even thinking he could find Ursa again, but in the back of his mind, he knew there was only one answer.

"Then it's taking me to Caldera."

Chapter Text

The sun was just starting to rise by the time Ryuzo found himself wandering through the winding streets of Caldera. He had been gone for months from the city on top of the three weeks it had taken him to sail back here from Ba Sing Se, but even still, he found it easy to retrace his steps to Numi's brothel.

He knew it was risky to return to a place where he would be recognized, but he didn't have many funds left and needed a place he could stay while he gathered what information he could on Azula. And if there was one person he knew who could keep a secret it was Numi.

As he turned a corner down the alley, he saw the entrance to Numi's brothel. Just out front, he was greeted with the sight of some vagrant or customer pressing one of the working girls against the wall, his advances clearly unwelcome. He was about to intervene when he saw Numi come storming out of the building, a wooden stick in her hand, which she used to crack over the man's head, causing him to collapse to the ground.

"I told you if you can't pay inside, then you won't get to touch the girls," she shouted to the man, who was clutching the top of his head as he crawled away. "And you," she said, turning to the girl," I thought I told you not to come out here alone."

"Sorry, Numi," the girl apologized sheepishly. "Oka was going to go with me, but she got distracted with that girl she brings around."

"Of course," Numi sighed, pinching her brow. "Tell her I want to see her."

"Yes, Numi," the girl said before she rushed inside.

Numi was about to follow her when he approached.

"You've still got a good swing, I see," he said, causing her to pause and turn, her expression going from barely veiled annoyance to shock, her wide blue eyes blinking in disbelief.

"Ryuzo?" she gasped, the stick slipping from her hand and clattering to the ground.

"Hey, Numi," he said with what he hoped was a charming smile as he walked up to her. "Long time no-"

Ryuzo was cut off when he felt her hand crack across his face, his head snapping to one side.

"How fucking dare you!" Numi yelled as he backed away a few steps, clutching the spot where she had struck him. "I haven't seen you in what? Months? And you're just going to show up out of nowhere like nothing happened?" she scoffed as she tried to turn to go inside.

"Hang on a minute," he implored as he reached out, grabbing her wrist to stop her. "I got deployed on a mission, Numi," he tried to explain. "I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter."

"No goodbye, not even a letter explaining things," Numi shot back as she pulled her hand out of his grasp and whirled on him, Ryuzo able to see tears of frustration glistening in her eyes. "You just disappeared like you always do, you selfish asshole!"

This was always a problem with Numi. He had always used her as a replacement for Ursa, a warm body for him to wrap himself around while his mind disappeared into the past. He knew there was a chance of her getting attached in a way he couldn't, but he didn't think it would affect her this much.  

"Hey, hey, hey," he tried to soothe as he took a tentative step closer to her. "I'm sorry," he apologized with as much sincerity as he could muster before he reached out to caress her cheek, Numi flinching slightly but eventualy leaning into his touch. "I wanted to write to you, but it wouldn't have been safe."

"Why not?" she demanded, trying to hold onto her anger, but he could see her resolve wavering.

"Invite me inside for a drink and a warm bed, and I'll tell you all about it," he said, hoping that this time a charming smile would work, and thankfully, it seemed to.

"Asshole," Numi murmured as she took his hand and pulled it away from her face to lead him inside.

___

"You stabbed Zhao," Numi said in disbelief as she poured them each another cup of tea. The two of them sat across from one another in her private apartment.

"Technically, I cut out his eye," he said as he took a sip from his drink. "Though stabbing him in the neck certainly would have been better at finishing the job."

Numi laughed. "I've missed this," she said, reaching across the table to take his hand in hers. Ryuzo was able to tell where this was going by the look in her eyes.

"So did I," he admitted, finding that it was true.

Despite the fact that she wasn't Ursa, he had always found comfort in the nights he could steal away with her. For a moment, he considered that this time, he could stay in the moment with her instead of slipping off into the past, but before he could act on the idea, a knock on the door interrupted them.

"Spirits, I swear I can never get a moment alone," Numi complained as she stood and opened the door.

Glancing back, he saw one of the working girls standing there, Oka, he thinks her name was, remembering when she had made Uzomu a nervous wreck the last time he was here.

"What is it?" Numi asked, clearly annoyed.

"You said you wanted to speak with me," Oka said, her arms crossed before her gaze moved to him, "but if you have company, I can..." Oka trailed off as she tried to slip away.

"No, wait, stop," Numi said, halting her. "I remember what I wanted to talk to you about. That girl you keep bringing over, I took a look at the books, and she isn't a paying customer."

"So?" Oka shrugged with a bored expression.

"So either you're holding out on my half, or you're taking up a room one of the other girls could be using."

"First of all, she's not a customer, so don't freak out, and it's my room, so I can do what I want with it," Oka rolled her eyes. "Besides, I only bring Ursa here on my nights off."

Ryuzo felt himself choke on his tea as he turned to look at her.

"Who?" he asked as he stood up.

"Ursa?" Oka repeated with a confused look. "She's just a girl I have some fun with."

"What room is she in?" he demanded as he stood.

"Three? Why?" Oka asked as she looked between him and Numi.

"Ryuzo, what's wrong?" Numi asked, looking at him.

"Nothing," he assured her as he walked out of the room and into the hall. "I'll be right back."

Walking down the hall, he pushed open the door to room three. Ryuzo wasn't sure what to expect when he stepped inside, but a pasted-out Azula face down in one of Numi's beds certainly wasn't one of them. He blinked in disbelief for a moment before he heard footsteps behind him.

"Spirits! What's the matter with you?" he heard Oka demand. "Haven't you ever heard of privacy?"

Turning, he rummaged through what few coins he had left, pulling out a gold piece and pressing it into Oka's hand.  

"She was not here...ever," he said. "Do you understand?"

"But she's here all the time," Oka said, confused.

"Of course she is," he sighed to himself before he closed the door and turned back to Azula.

Looking closer at her, he felt himself wince, guilt bubbling up at the sight of the scars that now adorned her face, one cutting a line through the side of her hair and her now short-cropped hair.

"I'm sorry, kid," he whispered to himself before he walked over to the room's only window and pulled open the curtains, letting the early morning sun pour into the room and onto the bed.

"Close the fucking window," Azula grumbled, still clearly half asleep as she buried her face further into the pillow.

"Time to get up, kid," he said, causing her bloodshot eyes to shoot open, Ryuzo seeing that the pupil of her left eye had gone a milky grey.

"Ryuzo?" Azula said in disbelief as she sat up. "What- how- I," she sputtered for a moment as she looked him up and down before she seemed to find her voice. "Are you really here?" she asked.

"Yes, though, I wish it were under different circumstances," he tried to joke, though it didn't seem to land, Azula looking almost scared as her eyes darted over him.

"Prove it," Azula suddenly demanded as she held out her hand.

"What?" he questioned.

"Prove it!" she repeated, more insistent. "Touch my hand."

He wanted to ask why, but he could see from the desperate look in her eyes that it was important to her, so he decided to indulge her, placing his hand on hers.

"Satisfied?" he asked, but as soon as the words left his mouth, the wind was suddenly knocked out of him as Azula sprang forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"I-I thought you were dead," Azula said, her breath suddenly shaky, her grip tight like she was scared he would disappear if she let go.  

"I know, kid, I'm sorry," he said as he returned the embrace, glad that for at least a moment, he knew she was safe before he realized that she felt thinner in her arms. "Have you been eating enough?"

___

Ryuzo could feel the questioning look Numi was giving him as she placed two bowls of soup on the table in front of him and Azula.

"Thank you," he said with a look that he hoped communicated that he would explain everything later.

"Of course," Numi said with a frustrated sigh and a forced smile, "anything else?"

"A drink would be nice," Azula grumbled as she ran her spoon through her bowl of foggy soup.

"Make sure it's water," he quickly added to Azula's order, causing her to let out a scoff and roll her eyes.

Numi looked between them, no doubt questioning why he was suddenly taking an interest in some random girl, before she shook her head and walked away.

"What's with you and her?" Azula asked as she watched Numi go.

"Nothing," he said, dodging the question.

"What, is she you're girlfriend or something?" Azula pressed with an exaggerated gasp as she looked back. "I've gotta say not bad."

"Stop trying to change the subject, Azula," he sighed. "Now, do you mind telling me what in Agni's name you're doing here?" he asked. "And why are you using your mother's name?"

"I don't know," Azula shrugged, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. "Oka kept asking, and it was just the first one to come to mind. That and I figured using my real one would be a bad idea."

"And what exactly have you told this Oka girl about you?" he pressed, making a mental note to ask Numi about her.

"Nothing, okay?" Azula sighed, suddenly seeming embarrassed. "She's just a girl I have fun with, that's it."

"You still haven't told me why you're here."

"Please don't tell me I have to be the one to tell you why one normally comes to a brothel," Azula said as she crossed her arms. "Besides, I could ask you the same thing. Last I heard, you were dead."

"So did I," he sighed, remembering the days he had spent in that cell under Ba Sing Se, awaiting death. "But Uzomu and even a few of your old Dai Li friends managed to help me escape, even burned a dead body in my place to make sure no one came looking for me."

"And if you hadn't happened to stumble upon me in here would you even have come looking for me?"

"When it was safe, I would have found a way to get to you and make sure you were okay," he tried to reassure her.

"Never one to miss an opportunity to scold me, even if it means breaking into the royal palace, huh?"

"Well, that would have been preferable to finding you here," he sighed.

"What's so wrong with this place?" Azula questioned. "I mean, the beds are uncomfortable, but the drinks and company aren't that bad, as I'm sure you can attest to."

"Because being here is dangerous and reckless. If your father knew you were-"

"My father doesn't really give a shit what I do these days," Azula scoffed, cutting him off. "Now that Zuko's come back as his perfect heir, he doesn't need a fuck up freak like me to ruin his name," she said, clearly fuming before her anger suddenly turned on him. "And why do you even care what I do? In case you haven't heard, you're not captain of the Royal Guard anymore. My safety isn't your concern."

"Is that honestly why you think I do this?" he said in disbelief. "I love you, kid, and I made a promise to your mother that I would protect you."

"My mother," Azula scoffed as she stood. "She didn't care about me! She thought I was a monster!"

"That's not true, Azula," he insisted as he stood with her.

"Oh yeah?" Azula snapped as she whirled on him. "Then why did she leave? Why did Zuko and Ty Lee, and you leave?" she said as she shoved him away, tears beginning to well in her eyes. "But you know what? It's fine because I don't need any of you," she said as she tried to turn to rush out of the building.

"Azula, wait, please," he begged, halting her in the doorway with a hand around her wrist.

"Just leave me alone, Ryuzo!" Azula yelled, tears spilling from her eyes as she yanked her hand away. "I'm not your daughter. You don't need to keep pretending that you care about me."

"I'm not pretending, Azula," he insisted as he tried to chase after her. "It wasn't your fault your mother left," he shouted as she pushed the door open back out into the street.

Following her outside, he was met with a bustling sea of people, the city's population having awoken to crowd the streets, Azula disappearing into them.

"It was mine," he whispered to himself.

___

Ryuzo and Ursa stood in the hall just outside of Azula's room, his heart hammering so loud in his chest that he could hear it in his ears.

"Are you sure..." he asked, his mouth going dry as he stared down at Ursa's abdomen. "That...that it's mine."

"It has to be," she said, looking just as scared as he felt. "Ozai will know it's not his. Even if it looks like me, he hasn't touched me in months. He's even accused me of Zuko not being his before. If he finds out, there's no telling what he'll do."

"Okay... okay," he said, his voice shaky as he ran a hand over his hair, trying to think of what to do. "We could leave," he suddenly blurted out. "Tonight," he said, grasping Ursa by her shoulders. "We take the children, and we just go."

"Ryuzo, we can't," Ursa said with some sad resignation. "Ozai would never allow us to flee with both his heirs. He would hunt us down like dogs."

"Well then what are we going to do?" he asked, feeling himself become more and more desperate.

"I'm going to make a deal with Ozai," she said as though she had already thought it through, and maybe she already had. "I'll give him the one thing he desires, the throne, and in exchange, he'll let me leave."

"How?"

"I can make a poison to slip into Azulon's tea that not even the royal physician will be able to detect. Once he's gone, Ozai will take the throne, and with two heirs, he'll have no more use for me."

"Then why not kill both of them?" he questioned, already feeling himself grow desperate to avoid having to leave the children behind. "I could get the poison in both of their tea, and it's not like the bastard doesn't deserve it either."

"We can't!" Ursa rushed to shut him down, gripping his arm. "Azulon may be in good health, but he's still an old man. No one will suspect anything if he dies, and it would be in Ozai's interest to stop anyone from asking questions, but the Fire Lord and his son dying on the same night would draw too much suspicion. Iroh and Ozai may have their differences, but if he discovers what we did, honor will demand that he punish us."

He already knew what that meant. He had only ever met Iroh on a few occasions, and while he had seemed nice enough, he had also heard stories of his brutality on the battlefield. In the end, if they were found out, an execution likely awaited for both of them, and for their child, he had no idea.

"What about Azula and Zuko?" he questioned, "without you-"

"They'll be better off without me," she answered before he could finish the question, seeming to try and convince herself as much as him. "I mean, I've never been the best mother to begin with. Iroh already treats Zuko like a son, and let's face it, you're better with Azula than I am," she said with a sad smile.

"You want me to stay behind?" he said in disbelief, backing away from her as if he had been slapped until his back hit the wall.

"I know it's not fair of me to ask this of you," Ursa rushed to say, trying to close the distance between them and cupping his face so their gaze met. "But I can't stay, and you can't go," she said, her eyes filled with tears. "Please, Ryuzo, for the love you bear me, swear to me you'll take care of her...protect her."

A part of him wanted to refuse, to insist that he come with her so he could protect them, but another knew that he could never refuse her. His hand reached out to caress her stomach where their child grew as he took a moment to imagine the life they could have had together, of what their child might look like, and the life he would never get to see them live before he took a shuddering breath and looked back to face her.

"I swear it," he promised.

***

Azula's head was still spinning from last night by the time she made it back to the outskirts of the palace, using the old hole in the fence to sneak her way into the garden. She thought that if she got to her room quickly enough, she could grab some more money, change into fresh clothes, and maybe get one of the servants to bring her something to eat, but that didn't solve her main problem of needing a new place to sleep. She didn't want to stay here long enough for her father to find out she was back, but unless she wanted another earful from Ryuzo, then she needed to avoid that brothel.

She thought that she would have been happy to see him alive again, but him forcing old wounds and memories back to the surface was the last thing she needed right now. She tried to block out what he had said and just focus on getting inside, but her mind wouldn't let her forget.

'I never wanted to leave Azula...I loved you,' her mother's voice whispered, causing bile to burn at the back of her throat. Rushing over to a tree, she spilled what little was in her stomach on its stump.

'Loved me,' she thought bitterly, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she stumbled over to the edge of the garden's pond and reached down to scoop the water into her mouth to wash out the taste of vomit. As she stared down at the water, she locked eyes with her rippling reflection.

"What happened, Azula?" she heard her mother's soft voice say as her reflection appeared next to hers. This time, the water was still, her own reflection looking younger, closer to five or six than seventeen.

"It won't wake up," she said, staring down at the small turtle duckling that sat in front of her. Its body limp, eyes closed, and neck twisted upward, but wrong somehow.

"Did you do anything to it?" she heard her mother ask.

"I tried shaking it, but that didn't work," she said, looking up, seeing that her mother was staring back at her with a look she couldn't understand but always made her feel as though there was something wrong with her.

"D-did you do anything before that?" her mother asked.

"I was feeding them bread," she said, shifting nervously on her knees as her hands twisted into the damp cloth of her pants from when she had waded into the water to retrieve the duckling.

Her mother looked out onto the pond. Following her gaze, she could see that she was staring at the heel of bread bobbing in the water that she had tossed toward the turtle duck family.

"Did you throw that at them?" her mother asked.

Azula nodded hesitantly, beginning to feel as though she had done something wrong, but still not sure what.

"Azula...you can't do that," her mother sighed, sounding disappointed as she knelt down next to her.  

"But I just wanted to give them more bread," she insisted as she felt tears begin to burn behind her eyes.

"I know, sweetheart," her mother said as she rubbed circles into her back. "But you hurt it."

Azula felt her stomach drop, remembering the noise the small animal had made, her now blurred eyes locking back onto the turtle duckling. "B-but why won't it wake up?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"Because..." Her mother said before cutting herself off with a sigh, pausing for a moment as if trying to think of what to say next. "When you hurt something enough..." she began, before pausing, seeming unsure in her explanation, "it'll go to sleep, and it won't wake up anymore. It's called death."

Azula could feel her tears spill over, dropping down her cheeks as she looked up, scanning the water for the turtle duck's mother and the other duckling, but they were both gone.

"I'm sorry," she heard herself say, though she wasn't sure if she was saying it to the duckling itself, its family, or her own mother. Either way, her mother was the only one there to respond.

"I know, sweetheart," her mother said, wrapping her hand around her shoulder and pulling her close, letting her cry into her chest," shh, it's okay," her mother soothed, placing a soft kiss atop her head. In that brief moment, it was one of the few times Azula could recall feeling safe, comforted, and loved, and then she heard her father's voice.

"What in Agni's name are you whimpering about?" she heard her father's stern voice say, his tone dripping with disgust and anger, causing her to flinch.

"Not now, Ozai," she heard her mother say, her tone equally frustrated as her father's.

For a brief moment, she hoped that this time, her father would listen and leave them alone, but he didn't. Instead, she heard him walk closer.

"Spirits, is this what you're crying about?" he said in a mocking tone as he stared down at the dead turtle duckling.

"No," she said, quickly pulling away from her mother's embrace and standing." I'm not crying anymore," she insisted, wiping the tears from her cheeks with her sleeves. "See?"

Her father narrowed his eyes down at her. Then throw it back," he said, kicking the limp body of the turtle duckling toward her. She felt herself clench her fist, a part of her not wanting to, but her father was right, like he always was. She shouldn't have been whimpering over something stupid. Unclenching her hand, she leaned down to pick it up.

"Azula, no," she heard her mother say as she stopped her with a hand on her wrist before she looked back to her father. "Enough, Ozai," she said.

"What do you think you're doing, woman?" her father spat as he stepped closer, glaring down at her mother.

"Please stop fighting," she said, but her voice was weak, and neither of them heard her.

"I'm stopping you from turning her into a monster!" her mother yelled, and then there was a flash of anger in her father's eyes. He raised his hand before cracking it across her mother's face. Ursa's head snapped to one side, her mother's hand dropping hers.

"Do not raise your voice at me!" he yelled, "and do not dare to presume that you can tell me to raise my daughter!"

Her mother was hunched over slightly, her head tucked down as she held the spot where she had been struck, and Azula could see that her mother was trembling.

"Do you understand me, woman?" he demanded.

Slowly, her mother straightened her posture, her expression blank as she met Ozai's eyes. Azula was able to see a small cut on her mother's lower lip. "Of course, Your Highness, I apologize," she said, her voice steady.

There was a tense silence as the two stared each other down before her father turned back to her.

"Throw it back," he commanded.

Azula briefly looked back at her mother, but her gaze was locked down, away from her. Turning back to the turtle duckling, she picked up its limp body by the shell and quickly tossed it back into the water, its body briefly splashing beneath the water before bobbing back up to the surface.

She heard her father let out an indiscernible huff before she heard him turn and begin to walk away, and for a moment, she felt relief that he was leaving before he spoke.

"Come," he demanded, "I've grown sick of this place."

Obeying, she turned, following after her parents up the garden path back to the palace, and took her mother's hand. Feeling her mother squeeze her hand back, she looked up, seeing tears pooling in her blank eyes.

"I'm sorry, Azula," she heard her mother's choked voice say.

The feeling of tears rolling down her cheeks pulled Azula from the memory. Wiping them away, she looked back at her reflection, seeing her older, scarred reflection staring back at her.

Taking a shaky breath, she stood and began to walk to the garden entrance of her old room when she heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Quickly ducking behind a tree, she waited for the guard or servant she thought might pass by, but instead, she was surprised to see that it was Zuko, seeming to be as cautious as she was. She watched as he made his way over to the garden's wall, looking behind him to make sure he was alone before he pulled his hood over his head and began to climb over it.

Chapter Text

"What in Agni's name was that?" Zuko heard Mai demand, no doubt hot on his heels as he stormed down the palace hallway, his fingers fidgeting with ties on his fine silk clothes.

"What was what?" he asked without looking back at her as he pushed open the door to his room with an annoyed huff.

"Don't play dumb with me, Zuko," Mai said, standing over him with her arms crossed as he flopped back on his bed with a relieved sigh, still not used to how soft the mattress and sheets were.

He and Mai had been spending almost every day since they had returned to Caldera entertaining all of the lords, ladies, or military leaders with even a hint of clout who had traveled to the capital in anticipation of his father's war summit. At first, he had thought it would be easy, but he soon found that making nice with noblemen was nearly impossible, with each night becoming more and more exhausting and mind-numbing, and tonight, he had finally grown sick of it.

"You know, when I stormed out of that banquet, I was hoping to be alone for once," he said as he sat up on his elbows.

Looking back up at her, he could almost swear he was staring at a stranger. The white and red silk dress she wore was beautiful and no doubt expensive, but it looked wrong on her, just like the face of makeup she wore and the way her hair was styled. About the only thing he recognized was her scowl.

"I'm not leaving until you explain to me why you blew up at lord Eku and caused a scene like that," she said, glaring down at him.

"He was bragging about how much money he had saved for the Fire Nation by underpaying his workers. Those people have families to feed. Don't you care?"

"Of course I do," she defended. "But you can't just go around pissing off the most powerful people at court."

"Well, I apologize that I'm not able to emotionally shut down like you, and why do you even care? Last I remember, you couldn't stand half of the people at the court. Now it's all fake smiles and compliments and...that," he said, gesturing broadly at her.

"What's wrong with how I'm dressed?" she demanded, bewildered as she looked down at herself. "It's the highest fashion in the city."

"That's exactly it!" he said, standing up. "Of all the things you suddenly choose to care about, it's some stupid dress so you can impress a bunch of assholes who you don't even like!"

There was a beat of silence after his outburst, the only sound being their breaths. He could see Mai's upper lip twitch for a moment, unsure if she was about to start crying or lash out at him again, but instead, she just let out a frustrated sigh.

"You know, Zuko," she sighed, her voice sounding defeated as the tension in her body suddenly deflated. "If it was really about any of that, I could maybe understand, but it's not. Every day, you find something new to flip out about, and I'm sick of it!" she said, turning on her heel to storm out.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked, chasing after her.

"I'm leaving you alone to cool off as you asked!" she snapped back at him, causing him to pause in the doorway, letting her leave.

Walking back to the edge of his bed, he sat down, his gaze catching on the mirror that hung from the wall across from his bed. Despite what he had said to Mai, when Zuko looked at his reflection, he didn't recognize himself much these days either. He seemed the very model of a perfect prince, something he had fought years to become again, but there was still one part of him that lingered. Reaching up, he ran a hand over his scar until he reached its edge, feeling the hair that he had spent so long diligently shaving before pulling out his hairpin, letting it clatter to the floor once it was loose. He had used to hate seeing his scar, the constant reminder of his shame to the point that it had become his whole identity, the one thing that drove him, but now that he had finally restored his honor, his scar was the only part of himself he could stand to look at, with all the fine silk, comfortable beds, and servants feeling wrong somehow, like he hadn't earned it yet.

'This is water from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole,' the memory of Katara's words echoed in his mind. 'It has special properties, so I've been saving it for something important...' she had said before another memory took its place. '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?'

Zuko felt a sudden burst of anger at the memory. Picking up his hairpin, he hurled it at the mirror, causing it to shatter, the frame falling from the wall and smashing to the floor.

'The water,' he decided, silencing any other doubts he had in his mind. 'That has to be it.'

If the Avatar was still alive, it could ruin him, and he needed to do something about it quickly, but even still, he felt some hesitation at the back of his mind, his gaze moving over to where his red hooded cloak hung against the wall.

***

Azula watched with disgust as a cockroach crawled its way along the floor of Iroh's cell. The whole room had a disgusting, pungent smell that she had no doubt was coming from her uncle. The bars that separated her from Iroh seemed pointless, with her uncle dead-eyed and drooling as he stared up at a corner of the room. According to the guard she had interrogated, Iroh had been like this ever since he had returned to Caldera, with Zuko turning on him, finally seeming to have driven the old fool completely mad.

When she had seen Zuko sneaking out of the palace yesterday, she hadn't needed to follow him for long to figure out where he was going, and when she had, it only served to infuriate her. She had managed to bribe one of the servants to let her bunk with her and not tell her father where she was. Allowing Azula to use the servants' passages without anyone noticing, including Zuko when he had stormed out of the palace with that same ridiculous-looking red cloak, seeming to think no one would notice it was him with it on.

The sound of the cell door screeching open drew her attention, Zuko standing there in the doorway, wearing the ridiculous red cloak in question, his expression turning shocked as soon as he saw her.

"Come here often, Zuzu," she said with a raised brow as she turned to face him.

"Azula?" he said, a look of panic suddenly washing over him as he took a step back. "W-what is this?" he demanded as he looked down the hall.

"Not the trap you seem to think it is," she said with a laugh. "Besides, don't flatter yourself. If I really wanted to, I could beat you in a fight all by myself."

He seemed cautious for a moment before he stepped fully inside the cell. "Okay, fine," he said as he shut the steel door behind them. "You caught me. Now, what do you want, Azula?"

"I want to know exactly what you were thinking when you decided to come here," she demanded.

"It's none of your business where I go, Azula," he dismissed, unable to meet her gaze as he crossed his arms.

"And here I thought I was the one who went blind," she scoffed. "Tell me, Zuzu, what exactly do you think Father will do when he finds out you've been sneaking out in secret to see Iroh?"

"Nothing, most likely," he shrugged flippantly, "you said it yourself. I'm his favorite now, remember? I'm sure he let you get away with all sorts of stuff, so why not this?"

'Not everything,' she thought bitterly.

"Oh, please, Zuko," she scoffed. "You're a lot of things, but you're no idiot. You know that if Father finds out you've been here, you'll join Iroh in that cell," she said, nodding behind her.

"And you're here, why exactly?" he questioned. "To give me a head start before you run off to tell Father and take my place?"

"Believe me, Zuko, I have no interest in becoming Father's heir, and as for his sudden affection, it's all an act. He knows I'm the one who killed the Avatar, and he's only playing favorites to try and get back at me."

"Could you be any more self-centered?" he scoffed.

"He told me himself," she confessed. "He even wanted me to betray you and find any opportunity or excuse to get you banished or executed."

"So why don't you?"

"Very funny," she said, rolling her eyes.

"No, I'm serious," he pressed, pushing himself off the wall where he leaned to step closer to her. "Ever since we were kids, you wanted to be Father's heir. Now, all of a sudden, you're pushing me to become his heir and trying to help me."

"Can't it just be out of sisterly affection?" she deflected, feeling like he was trying to press her to confess something.

"In your case, no," Zuko said flatly.

"Look, what do you want me to say?" she said, feeling backed into a corner. "I have my reasons."

"Did those reasons have anything to do with Ty Lee?" he asked, seeming cautious to bring her up. "I know something was going on with you two."

"Did Mai tell you?" she questioned, suddenly feeling a flood of panic and shame wash over her.

"No, but you did just now," he said with a flash of a self-satisfied smile.

"Spirits, you're such a dick," she said, angry at herself for falling for the same trick she used to use on Zuko when they were kids.

"I learn from the best," he shrugged. "Now tell me what's going on with you, and I'll tell you why I'm here."

"Fine," she said with a frustrated sigh, wondering how Zuko had managed to turn her ambush into a negotiation. "Yes, Ty Lee and I were..." she trailed off, not knowing the right words.

"In a relationship?" Zuko provided.

"I...yeah, I guess," she admitted, avoiding his gaze as she kicked at a loose stone. "There's something wrong with me. I think I've always known it. I could never feel what I was supposed to with boys, but with Ty Lee, it was... different." She shrugged, a smile grazing her face before she shook herself out of it. "Anyway, the whole plan to bring you back was supposed to be for her, but it...it didn't work out that way."

"Because of Ty Lee's parents?" Zuko asked, "They wanted her to marry Jin."

"Sure," she sighed, deciding that she didn't want to dredge up old memories. "Father also said that with you gone, I'd have to marry to carry on the bloodline."

"So the only reason you wanted me back was so you could avoid having to marry a man."

"Why else?" she said, covering up with a smile. "Not like I've been dying to hear your whining again. Now, for Agni's sake, would you just tell me why you're here?"

Now, it was Zuko's turn to clam up and break eye contact.

"I needed some advice," Zuko admitted hesitantly.

"Advice?" she scoffed in disbelief. "So you decide to go to him? Zuko, I brought you home, made your father's heir again, restored your honor," she said before pointing at Iroh. "All he's ever gotten you is in trouble, and last I remember, our deal was that if you were struggling with anything, you would come to me, not to spill your guts to a half-mad traitor!" she yelled, her voice echoing around the small cell.

"Well, you weren't exactly around the past couple of weeks," he pointed out.

"I'm here now," she said with a huff. "So what's going on?"

"I think the Avatar is still alive," Zuko admitted with a huff as he dug his hands into his hair and began to pace the cell. "I know he's out there, and I'm losing my mind."

"Look, Zuko," she prefaced cautiously, wondering if her brother hadn't just started going stir-crazy after chasing the Avatar for so long. "I get that being back here is hard to get used to, but I'm pretty confident the Avatar is dead. There's no way he could have survived what I did to him."

"But there might be," Zuko said, halting in his pacing to look at her, seeming scared, making her pause in her doubts.

"Zuko, what do you mean?" she said, crossing her arms as she stepped closer to him.

Zuko swallowed nervously, unable to meet her gaze. "When I was in the crystal catacombs with Katara, she showed me this healing water from the north pole, and I think there's a chance she used it to save the Avatar."

Azula felt a flash of anger go through her, her fist flying out and slamming into Zuko's arm almost on instinct.

"Ow!" he winced, clutching the spot where she had hit him.

"You fucking idiot!" she yelled. "What in Agni's name possessed you to wait so long to tell me?"

"Azula, in case you don't remember, you weren't exactly in a state to be making good decisions," he pointed out, causing Azula to suddenly feel a flood of shame as she remembered what she had almost done on the Airship. "Though I'm at least glad you're feeling enough like your old self to start yelling at me again," Zuko added with a slight smile.

"Yeah, well, you make it easy," she huffed. "Now tell me everything about this water, and if I find out you're hiding something else from me, I will break your arm."

"Okay, okay, fine," he conceded. "All Katara told me was that the water was from the Spirit Oasis at the North Pole and had special healing properties. She even offered to use it to heal my scar."

"Why?" she questioned.

"I don't know," Zuko shrugged. "I think she felt bad for me."

"I suppose you always did have a sort of kicked puppy charm about you."

Zuko looked confused and vaguely offended at that before he shook his head.

"Yeah, well, in any case, she didn't use it on me; she also said that she was saving it for something important, and if there was ever a moment..."

"Then it would be to save the Avatar," she finished for him with a frustrated sigh as she ran a hand through her hair, trying to think.

If Zuko was right and the Avatar was alive, then their father with think Zuko a failure, giving Ozai the perfect excuse to push Zuko out like he wanted and force her back into his clutches.

"Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "Before we do anything, we need to be certain that the Avatar is still alive," she began. "It would be too suspicious if either one of us disappeared from Caldera to go looking for him, so we'll need to hire an outside party. Someone skilled at tracking but discreet, and most importantly, Father can't find out, or we're both in trouble."

"That's it, huh?" Zuko scoffed sarcastically.

"Don't start complaining when you're the one who got us into this mess, Zuzu, and start thinking of solutions."

A beat of silence passed between them before something seemed to occur to Zuko.  

"I actually may know someone who can help us," he said, considering something. "Do you have any more hair from the Avatar's sky bison left?"

Chapter Text

"Zuko, I swear to Agni if we are lost," Azula groaned as she followed her brother through the crowded slums of Caldera. 

"We're not lost!" Zuko insisted, clearly lost as he wandered aimlessly through the streets, looking every which way, searching for something, though where exactly that was, he had still yet to tell her. 

It had taken Zuko a few days before he had gotten back to her with any information. Though she had wanted to be there, Zuko had insisted on meeting with his mystery mercenary alone, and he somehow managed to pull it off, telling her that they were to meet his contact in the city. At the very least, she had managed to get him into a proper disguise that wouldn't make them stand out before he had dragged her down into the slums. 

Growing fed up with Zuko's aimless searching, she was about to grab him by the back of his caller and hall him back to the palace to find him a map of the city when he suddenly halted at the center of a crowded crossroads, causing a few commoners to shoot him a dirty look as he seemed to orient himself before his gaze caught on something. 

"This way," Zuko waved her over before darting through the crowd. 

"You better be right this time," she said as she caught up to him. 

"I am," he assured her.

"So, are you finally going to tell me who this mystery man we're meeting with is?" she questioned. 

"She's a woman, actually," Zuko corrected. 

"Is that so?" she said, looking at him curiously. "How exactly did you meet her?" 

"I hired her before to help me hunt down the Avatar," he explained. "She has a knack for tracking, though things didn't exactly end well for us." 

"Oooo," she hummed. "Sounds scandalous," she said, bumping him on the shoulder. 

"It wasn't like that, Azula," he shut her down. "We just lost when we fought the Avatar. Besides, she's at least five years older than me."

"I don't see why that's a problem," she shrugged, Zuko giving her an almost concerned look. 

"Why do you care anyway?" he questioned.

"You were the one who started prying into my dating history. Sorry, I thought I could do the same," she rolled her eyes. 

Eventualy, Zuko stopped in front of some splintered old building with the sound of drunken revelry pouring out. Looking up, she saw a wooden sign with 'The Drunken Dragon' inscribed on it, along with a fitting drawing of a passed-out dragon with a bloated stomach. 

"Here? Really?" she asked, her nose wrinkling in disgust from the smell wafting out. 

"This shouldn't take long," he reassured her as he pulled his hood up. "Now, let's get this over with." 

Stepping inside, the raucous only became louder with music, yelling, and the smell of vomit filling the air. 

"There she is," Zuko said, gesturing to a table at the center of the room where a pale-skinned woman with dark hair and makeup sat, tattoos littering her skin. Across from her sat a thin, bald man, sweat glistening on his forehead, as his wide eyes fixated on a knife stabbed into the center of the table and the purse overflowing with coins that sat next to it. He licked his lips, contemplating something before he nodded. 

"Alright, I'm in," he nodded with a gruff voice as he pulled out his own purse to match the woman's bet, causing the crowd around them to let out a cheer. 

The woman only gave a confident smirk as she pulled the knife from the table. Placing her free hand on the table, she splayed her fingers out. Taking a deep breath, she began to stab the spaces between her digits in quick succession, the blade moving like a blur before she finished and stabbed the knife back in the center of the table, causing a chorus of sighs and cheers to ring out. Picking up the knife with shaking hands, the man managed to get halfway through before he sliced one of his fingers, causing him to let out a cry of pain, another chorus of cries ringing out as money began to exchange hands. 

"You know," she whispered, leaning over to Zuko. "Between her and Mai, I'm starting to suspect you've got a thing for women who wear dark makeup and like to play with knives.

"I don't have a thing for her," Zuko insisted with a huff before he stepped forward, the two of them finally managing to catch her eye, an amused smile playing on her lips as she looked him up and down. 

"Hey, June!" one of the men, who had several bandages around his hand, called out to her. "How about another round with me, this time double or nothing?"

"Afraid I can't, boys," she said, standing without taking her eyes off them. "I've got some business to attend to, and besides, if I took all your money, I'd never hear the end of it from your wife," she said before walking over to the two of them.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my old friend, the pissed-off little prince," June said as she looked down at Zuko. 

"Would you keep your voice down?" Zuko whispered through his teeth. "We're trying not to draw attention?"

"Fine then, let's go somewhere more private," June said as she guided them over to a private room adorned with pillows and lanterns. 

"So, are you going to introduce me to your lovely little friend?" June asked, looking Azula up and down in a way that made her flush slightly.

"I'm his sister," Azula answered, clearing her throat. "That's all you need to know about me," she said as she watched June sit down, spreading herself out on the cushions like she owned the place.

"A sister?" June said with a quirked brow. "Well, I see good looks run in the family...along with scars, apparently," she mocked as she gestured between the two. "And what about your darling uncle, or are you only hanging around the pretty members of your family these days?" 

"You're just dealing with us," she answered, Zuko seeming to have gone quiet at the mention of Iroh. "Now tell us what happened with the Avatar. Is he alive?" 

"He is," June answered matter-of-factly, like she hadn't just revealed the most dangerous piece of information in the whole Fire Nation.

"Shit," she breathed out, Zuko looking equally panicked. "Are you sure?" 

"Quite," June answered, "they may be disguised as Fire Nation civilians, but that sky bison of theirs was harder for them to hide." 

"Wait, why are they dressed as Fire Nation civilians?" Zuko asked. 

"Because they're here," she sighed, feeling her anxiety grow. 

Why, in Agni's name, they thought hiding in the Fire Nation was a good idea was beyond her. Maybe they thought it wouldn't matter if no one was looking for them while they planned their next move, but it put them in more danger of being caught and of her and Zuko being found out to be failures. 

"Indeed," June agreed. "I found them along the outer islands and heading inland." 

"You weren't spotted, right?" Zuko asked. 

"I remember what you said, or have you forgotten that I'm a professional?" June said with a wink.

"Right," Zuko said, clearing his throat. 

"Spirits, alright," she said, rolling her eyes. "What exactly is our next move?" 

"Well, it seems to me that you two are in quite a bind," June observed with an almost amused smirk. "I don't suppose you're looking for anyone who can take care of your little problem." 

"You? Really?" she scoffed. "I hear that the last time you faced the Avatar, it didn't go down so well."

"Spirits, no," June agreed. "After my Nyla nearly lost her sense of smell, I'd rather avoid tangling with them again, but I do happen to know someone who might be up to the task." 

"And who might that be?" she questioned. 

"Well," June said, standing and stretching, Azula's eyes lingered on the defined muscles of her abdomen before she shook herself out of it. "He's not exactly a talkative fellow," June continued," but he's capable." 

"So is the Avatar," she pointed out. 

"Let me put it to you this way, princess," June said, stepping closer and leaning forward to loom over her. "Once we had a job together, a heist, very high risk but worth the reward. We were meant to rob an armored train carrying the payroll for an entire Fire Nation legion. We had an entire plan to stop it that would have cost us half our payout, but he blew it completely off its track by shooting an explosion out of his forehead." June said, tapping between Azula's eyes to emphasize her point. "Granted, he did lose an arm on that job, but I hear he managed to find a replacement for it." 

"How?" she demanded, brushing June's hand away, doubting if there was some form of fire-bending they didn't already know about. 

"If the man didn't bother to tell me his name, then do you honestly think he took the time to explain how his abilities work?" June hummed with a cocked head. "And besides, I don't exactly see anyone else lining up to take the job, now, are they?" 

"Fine," she huffed, deciding that they weren't going to find anyone better on such short notice. "What is this going to cost us?" 

"Five hundred ban," June answered as if it was nothing. 

Azula let out a sigh as she tossed her purse onto the table, golden ban spilling out onto the table, causing June to let out a snort in amusement. 

"That's a good start," June nodded, looking back at her. "But that's just my fee for finding the Avatar. I'll need another two hundred for facilitating the highering of your assassin, and last I checked, he cost around seven hundred per hit, which you can entrust to me, of course. I'll take care of the rest without either of you having to get your hands dirty." 

"Zuko?" she said, turning to where her brother was now leaning against one of the walls, his mind obviously somewhere else. "Zuko," she repeated, gaining his attention as she walked over to him. 

"What," he looked up, seeming annoyed at her all of a sudden. 

"The money?" she said, holding her hand out. 

"Right," Zuko said distantly as he took his purse of coins from his belt and placed it in her hand, but when she tried to take it, he held on. 

Azula shot him a confused look as she yanked the purse from his grasp and threw it on the table with the rest of the money before Zuko suddenly stormed out. 

 "This is why I love working with nobility," June said as she leaned forward and picked up the purse. "No need for haggling even when I overcharge." 

___

"What was that?" Azula demanded as she chased Zuko back out into the streets. 

"What was what?" Zuko brushed her off as he stormed forward into the streets and through the crowd. 

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she rushed to catch up to him before grabbing him by his sleeve and pulling him into an alley. 

"What was with you suddenly freezing up in the middle of that?" she said through a growl. "We had the whole deal set up, everything was going smoothly, and then you what? All of a sudden, try to back out?" 

"I wasn't backing out!" Zuko denied. 

"Then why did you hesitate with the payment?" she questioned. 

"I- shit," Zuko sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, sliding his hood off. "I don't know, alright? I just don't know if killing the Avatar was the right move." 

"What other choice do we have, Zuko?" she pressed. "You heard what June said! The Avatar is alive and in the Fire Nation, doing Agni knows what. Sooner or later, someone else is going to recognize him, and the word is going to get back to Father that you failed again!" 

"You don't know that!" Zuko snapped. 

"Yes, I do," she shot back as she jabbed a finger into his shoulder. "And unlike you, I also know what's required to stay father's heir." 

Zuko scoffed, trying to turn away from her. 

"Or maybe you do understand and are just too weak to do what's necessary," she yelled after him, causing him to halt, his fist clenching. "Oh, that's it, isn't it?" she said as she stalked closer. "I mean, spirits, Zuzu, I knew you could be pathetic, but honestly, what is it with you? It seems like every opportunity you have to prove yourself, you have to be pulled, kicking and screaming, into doing what's necessary," she spat, but Zuko still kept his back to her. "Come on, Zuko, what is it?" she demanded, shoving the back of his shoulder. "Do you just like being a failure and an embarrassment to the family?" 

"Like you're so much better?" he yelled as he whirled on her, shoving her back. "I mean, our whole life together, all you could ever talk about was duty and ambition and how you were so perfect compared to me, but then when Ty Lee left, you suddenly disappeared and started avoiding your duties. If we're actually being honest here, Azula, you're just as big of an embarrassment as me, and all because you know what a monster you are, and you know what? I bet Ty Lee knew that as w-" 

Azula didn't register that her limbs were moving when she lunged at Zuko until they both hit the ground. Despite two lifetimes of training between them, there was absolutely no grace or technique from either of them as they fell to the grime-covered floor of the alley, hands twisting in fabric and digging into hair as they flailed at one another, half of their punches barely even connecting. 

"Get the fuck off me, you psycho!" Zuko shouted as he managed to slam his knee into her ribs, causing her to let out a cry of pain before he shoved her off him, Azula clutching the spot where she had been hit as she rolled onto her back. 

"What the fuck is you're problem?" Zuko demanded as he scrambled away from her. 

"You don't get to say her name!" she spat, tears blurring her vision as she sat up against the alley wall. "And...and you're wrong!" she insisted, suddenly feeling like she couldn't catch her breath. 

"I love you, Azula, I do," she heard Ty Lee's voice say. Looking up, she saw her standing there, tears in her beautiful grey eyes, looking just as she had left her in Ba Sing Se. "I have loved you since we were children, but I don't know who you are anymore because the girl I fell in love with wouldn't have done this."

"Shut up," she said, her voice breaking on a sob as tears began to spill down her cheeks.

"I-I didn't say anything," Zuko said, looking confused and worried, before she blinked, and her mother was standing there in Ty Lee's place. 

"I love you, I love you so much, darling," Ursa said, Azula slamming her palms over her ears, but her mother's voice still rang in her head. "I love you more than anything you could ever do wrong." 

"I said shut up!" she screamed, her voice shaking as she slammed her hands over her ears and squeezed her eyes shut until the sound of her blood thumping in her veins was the only sound she could hear. She tried to calm herself, taking shaky breaths, but her mind wouldn't stop racing; images of her mother's sad eyes and her father's furious scowl flashed in her mind before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she saw Zuko standing above her with a worried look. 

"Stop staring at me like that," she said, taking her hands off her ears and shoving his hand off her shoulder. 

"I'm not sure how else I'm supposed to look at you after whatever that was," Zuko said as he sat down next to her. 

"Spirits, why do I keep seeing Mom whenever I'm in an alley?" she whispered to herself. 

"W-what?" Zuko said, confused. 

"Nothing," she shook her head. "Just stop talking for a second, please, Zuko," she begged as she wiped her eyes, a silence falling between them before she spoke. 

"Sorry, I hit you," she mumbled. 

"Sorry for what I said about Ty Lee," Zuko apologized back. "I didn't mean it. I was just pissed off." 

"Don't," she said, her voice choked up. "You were right," she admitted, feeling fresh tears burn behind her eyes. "In Ba Sing Se, Ty Lee's parents didn't make her leave. She went willingly."

"Why?" Zuko questioned.

"Because she couldn't stand what I had done," she admitted as she pulled her knees to her chest, curling in on herself. "I think I really fucked things up, Zuko," she confessed with a sob, unable to stop herself from breaking down as she buried her face in her knees, not wanting to let him see her cry. 

There was a moment that felt like an eternity where she allowed herself to wallow in her own sorrow before she felt an arm drape around her shoulder, breaking her out of her crying. Looking up, she saw Zuko staring at her with what had to be the most panicked and pained smile she thought she had ever seen. 

"It's okay," he said, sounding completely unsure of his own words as he patted her on the shoulder.  

"Spirits, you suck at this," she said through a laugh as she found herself leaning closer to him. 

"Whatever," he said, laughing with her. 

"What in Agni's name do we do now?" she said, letting out a sigh as she ran a hand through her hair. 

"I don't know," Zuko shrugged. "To be honest, by now, I thought you would have disappeared to wherever you've been staying and wait until June tells us what happened." 

That wasn't an option for her. She had just spent what coin she had on June, and if she couldn't keep paying the servants to help hide her, then they'd no doubt run to her father. 

"No," she decided. "We can't stay here and wait for something to go wrong. We need to get some distance between us and Father just in case." 

"I could use a break from this place and all the aristocrats," Zuko agreed. 

She sighed, leaning her head back and letting it thunk on the wall behind her as she tried to think. "We can't go anywhere too suspicious, but also somewhere Father won't want to come with us." 

"A place that Dad hates," Zuko mumbled to himself, pausing to think for a moment before he answered. "What about Ember Island?" 

Chapter Text

Azula dreamt that she sat alone high atop her throne. The room around her was empty, surrounded by darkness and cold, with her only source of light and warmth being the braziers of blue flame that burned low at her sides. Reaching out, she let the flames dance between her fingers, but she felt no pain or heat. 

"'Zula," she heard Ty Lee call out in a sing-song voice. 

Whipping her head around, she saw Ty Lee standing in front of her with a beautiful, sweet smile on her face.

"Ty?" she breathed out in disbelief. "You're here," she said as she reached out and wrapped her arms around Ty Lee's waist, soaking up her warmth.

"Where else would I be?" Ty Lee said, sounding amused as she placed a comforting hand atop her head. 

"You left me," she said, her voice weak as she looked up at her, ready to hold onto Ty Lee until the end of time if it meant she'd stay. 

Ty Lee only let out a sweet laugh in response. "I'm right here, silly," she said, leaning down as she pressed a kiss to the tip of Azula's nose. "Come on," she said as she pulled back, taking Azula's hand and pulling her forward off her throne. "It's time."  

"Where are we going?" she asked as Ty Lee led her through the darkness of her throne room.

"You'll see," Ty Lee said, looking back at her with a smile. 

Glancing down, Azula saw that the plush rugs of her throne room had given way to the floor mat of the Agni Kai arena, a flood of snakes slithering around her feet and ankles, pulling her forward. Following their path, she saw a figure standing ahead of them. As they approached, she realized that it was her mother standing there, her back to them. 

"What is she doing here?" she asked, feeling a sudden hesitation. 

"She's always been here," Ty Lee answered as if it were obvious. "We all have." 

Confused, she looked back to her mother, seeing the darkness that surrounded them pull back, revealing Zuko, Mai, Ryuzo, and Iroh standing there silently. 

"Why are we here?" she asked Ty Lee. 

"Because of him," her mother answered instead, turning to face her as she stepped aside to reveal her Father kneeling on the floor, his arms bound behind his back and mouth gagged, his eyes staring at her trying to give her a command to free him, a part of her wanted to listen but before it could get any louder her mother stepped in front her.

"It's time to finish this, Azula," her mother said as she took Azula's hand, placing the hilt of a knife in her grip, her thumb running across the engravings in the wood, recognizing it as the blade Ryuzo had gifted her for her birthday so many years ago. 

"I-I can't," she said, her voice shaky as she looked back to her Father, his glare halting her hand. 

"Yes, you can, 'Zula," Ty Lee said, cupping her face and turning her gaze back to her. "Can't you see?" Ty Lee questioned. "He's taken everything from you. This will only end when he's gone." 

Azula looked at her mother and the others that surrounded her Father, watching them turn and disappear into the black void of shadow that surrounded them. 

"Where are they going?" she asked, suddenly feeling panicked. 

"They'll come back," Ty Lee assured her as she guided her over to her Father. "Once he's gone," she said, feeling Ty Lee take her hand, the two of them placing the tip of the knife to Ozai's neck.

"Please don't leave me again," she begged, not taking her gaze off Ty Lee's beautiful grey eyes. 

"I'm not going anywhere, 'Zula," Ty Lee promised, cupping the back of her neck and kissing her as they drove the knife forward. 

Azula awoke with a gasp, her blurred gaze darting around her cabin as she shot up in bed, sweat dripping from her brow as she tried to gain her bearings. Looking down at her trembling hands, she half expected to see them drenched in her Father's blood, but her palms only glistened with sweat. Her heart was thundering in her chest as she stumbled out of bed, her legs nearly collapsing beneath her. 

'Air, I need air,' she thought, feeling like she was going to suffocate and throw up all at once as she pushed open her cabin door and rushed out onto the deck, the cool early morning hair hitting her skin as she gripped the wooden railing of the Royal pleasure barge to steady herself trying to catch her breath. 

It took her a moment to calm herself, images of her Father bleeding out and lying dead flashing in her mind before she managed to shut them out. 

'What kind of freak dreams about killing her own father?' she thought, disgusted with herself as she ran a hand through her sweat-soaked hair.

Looking out across the black water their ship cut through, she saw the silhouette of Ember Island peaking above the horizon. It had taken a few days to get things organized and for Zuko to convince Father to let them leave, though surprisingly, it had been harder to convince Mai to come with them, with her and Zuko seeming to be constantly bickering with one another. 

As if her thoughts had summoned her, Azula heard the sound of the ship's cabin door bursting open again. Whipping her head around, she saw Mai storming across the deck toward her. For a moment, Azula feared Zuko had spilled his guts and told her the real reason why they were visiting Ember Island before she suddenly turned, gripping the guardrail and doubling over the edge of the ship, emptying her stomach into the waves below. Azula was frozen for a moment, watching in disgust as Mai vomited before she glared at her.

"Azula!" Mai said through a cough, "Stop standing there like an idiot and hold my hair." 

"Oh, right," she said, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she pulled Mai's black locks behind her head, Azula turning her gaze to look anywhere but at Mai, watching as the sun began to rise on the horizon before her friend's sputtering eventually subsided. 

"I've gotta say, Mai," she said as she released her hair and watched Mai stand up straight. "I thought you would have grown some sea legs by now after all that sailing you did with me."

"I was puking my guts out the whole time then, too," Mai said, wiping her mouth with her sleeve as she turned to face her with an annoyed look. "You just didn't see because you were spending all your time locked in your cabin with Ty Lee."

Azula felt herself flinch at the mention of Ty Lee's name, Mai seeming to notice.

"Sorry," Mai apologized. "I shouldn't have mentioned her." 

"It's fine," she brushed off the apology. "It's hard to get her off my mind anyway," she admitted. 

"It does feel a little strange coming here without her," Mai said. 

"I suppose," she shrugged. 

"Remember that one time you nearly drowned that girl because she knocked over our sand castle," Mai said, causing Azula to smile at the memory. 

When they arrived on the island, Azula had taken to conscripting her friends and brother to build a sand castle with her. She had been in the middle of micromanaging Zuko's wall design and where Ty Lee had chosen to place her garden when a beach ball had crashed in the center of it. The girl who threw it had been unapologetic, and the altercation had ended with Azula dragging her by the hair into the water and forcing an apology out of her, much to her mother's fury. 

"Not my fault she was so rude," Azula defended, "and besides, how else was I supposed to react after she made you and Ty Lee cry?" 

"I didn't cry!" Mai refuted. 

"Yes, you did," she insisted, rolling her eyes. "You used to melt down any time you were around Zuko, and everything didn't go perfectly." 

"Whatever," Mai said, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. 

"Speaking of which, not that holding your hair back while you throw up isn't nice, but shouldn't Zuko be the one taking care of you?" 

"We had a fight," Mai sighed, her face suddenly dropping. "He's in another cabin, and I feel like rushing over to puke on him would only make things worse." 

"What were you fighting about?" she asked. 

"Honestly, I can't even remember anymore," Mai sighed as she ran a hand over her face. "He's just been acting strange." 

"Strange how?" she pressed, knowing this had something to do with the Avatar. 

"Just edgy. He keeps blowing up about nothing!" Mai fumed, clearly frustrated. 

Azula hoped that after they had taken care of their Avatar problem, Zuko would have started settling a bit more, but obviously, she had hoped for too much.

"He probably just needs some time to get used to being home," she reasoned. 

"Time...right," Mai scoffed. "You know he said the same thing about you, but unfortunately, I know you both too well to know that isn't true." 

"Why were you talking about me?" she questioned, surprised, but it only seemed to set Mai off. 

"Gee, I don't know," Mai said as she turned to glare at her. "Maybe it's because you made a massive scene at a state dinner and then disappeared for weeks on end," Mai said bluntly. "Or maybe it's because Zuko had to stop you from jumping off the edge of an airship!"

"He told you about that?" she said sheepishly, unable to meet Mai's gaze. 

"It was a little hard not to ask questions when Zuko came back to our cabin that night, about to have a breakdown," Mai answered, clearly growing angrier. 

"Mai," she sighed, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "It's really not your problem." 

"Well, I'm sorry if I don't want my best friend to kill herself," Mai snapped. "I mean, spirits, is it just hereditary for everyone in your family to act like a selfish asshole?" 

"Mai I-" she tried to say, but Mai wasn't finished. 

"What exactly were you thinking when you tried to do that?" Mai berated, turning to face her fully, Azula only now noticing tears glistening in her eyes. "I mean, did you even stop to think about what that would have done to me? To Zuko?" she said, jabbing a finger into her chest. "It would have destroyed him if you were dead!" 

Azula doubted if that was true, but she could see how upset Mai was and didn't want to make it worse. 

"Alright, Mai," she said, her voice shaky, as she held up her hands in surrender. "I'm sorry, okay?" she sighed, trying to put what she had been feeling at the time into words. "I-I just didn't see a lot of options at the time, and I couldn't face going home," she admitted. 

"We've all had it rough, Azula," Mai said, her voice calmer but still trembling with anger. "We've all made mistakes and disappointed people. That doesn't give you the excuse to bail on me," she said, her lip beginning to quiver slightly as a tear finally rolled down her cheek. 

"I'm not going anywhere, not anymore," she promised as she cupped Mai's cheek and wiped the stray tear away.  

Before Azula knew what was happening, Mai was lunging forward, her arms wrapping around Azula's abdomen as she... hugged her? Azula took a moment to search her memory, trying to remember the last time she and Mai had hugged and drew a complete blank. 

"Good," Mai said as she pulled away. "Because if you do, I'll follow you into the spirit world and haunt you," she threatened before turning to go back into the ship's cabin. 

***

Azula's hands felt like lightning as they traced every inch of Ty Lee's body, her nails carving lines into her skin, leaving trails of goosebumps in their wake, a gasp escaping her lips as they dipped between her legs, pulling her slick-covered thighs apart.

"'Zula," she breathed out desperately, her voice trembling as she felt Azula's teeth trace the skin of her neck, the tip of her tongue dipping out as she moved her mouth up to her ear, causing Ty Lee to shudder. 

"What is it, baby?" Azula whispered as she nipped at the lobe of her ear, her fingers tracing torturously close to her clit before retreating. 

"P-please touch me," she begged as she squirmed, her hand twisting in the bed sheets.

"But I am touching you," Azula said in a teasing voice as she looped her arm around her neck, pulling her back until their bodies were flush with one another. "See?" she said. 

"No," she whined, "not-not like that." 

"Oh, I see," Azula whispered, a smile clear in her voice. "You don't want me just to touch you. You want me to fuck you," she said as she cruelly grazed a finger over her clit, causing her legs to twitch. 

"Yes, yes, please, 'Zula," she begged as she nodded her head frantically. 

"No," Azula said in a scolding tone. "I want to hear you say it," she said, leaning over to whisper in her ear, her warm breath feeling like fire. "I want to hear you beg for it like a good girl." 

"Please, please fuck me 'Zula," she whimpered, close to tears. "I'll be good for you. I promise I'll be such a good girl for-" 

Her rambling words were cut off by a sudden stretch as her fingers pressed deep inside her, Ty Lee's ankles sliding against the fabric of the sheets as Azula curled her fingers inside her. 

"Spirits' Zula!" she moaned as she began to pump in and out of her at a brutal pace, feeling like she was about to scream from the sudden overstimulation before Azula slapped a hand over her mouth. 

"Shhh, Ty Ty," Azula warned. "We wouldn't want your beloved betrothed to know what filthy things you were getting up to, would we?" 

The thought of being caught somehow only made her grow wetter, yet when a sudden knock came from her cabin door, she felt shame and panic flood her. Quickly sliding her fingers out of herself and pulling the covers of the bed up to her chest, she sat up.

"Lady Ty Lee?" she heard the voice of one of the servants say from the other side of the door. "Is everything alright?" 

"Yes!" she shouted back, trying to sound as composed as possible and utterly failing. "I'm... I'm fine. What is it?" she said, clearing her throat and lowering her voice, her face flushed with embarrassment. 

"Lord Jin wished for me to inform you that we're nearing Ember Island," the servant said.

"Thank you," she called back. "Please inform him that I'll be out in a moment." 

"Very well, my lady," the servant replied before the sound of her footsteps faded away, Ty Lee letting out a relieved sigh once she was gone and flopping back down on the bed.

Despite this impromptu vacation's preparation only taking a week, she had found the wait excruciating. With little distraction to be found at Jin's estate, her mind had started wandering back to Azula. She had heard word that Azula was at least alive and back in Caldera, but beyond that, there were no further details, leaving Ty Lee to dwell on her and what had happened. 

A part of her wondered if it would be easier for her to stop dwelling on Azula and move on if Jin wasn't so disinterested in her. Out of all the men she may have been forced to marry, she supposed he could have been worse. He was kind, and she found him handsome enough that if he had insisted on her performing her wifely duties, she wouldn't have minded, but instead, she felt stuck with these old feelings she couldn't get rid of. 

Looking over to the empty side of the mattress where she had imagined Azula, she stretched her hand out, running it over the sheets before her gaze was caught by the glowstone bracelet Azula had given her, glistening on her wrist. She hadn't known what possessed her to go digging through her things the night before they left to find the bracelet, but now she was beginning to regret having the constant reminder of her princess. 

Letting out a sigh, she let her mind slip back to Ba Sing Se, a smile grazing her lips as she remembered the night Azula gifted her the bracelet, how happy and carefree she had felt dancing in the streets before it turned bitter with their fight, then the promise Azula had made to choose her, and eventually her betrayal. 

Turning her head, she looked out her cabin's porthole, seeing the peak of Ember Island approaching on the horizon. Standing, she walked over, opened the window, and unclasped the bracelet from her wrist before she stuck her hand out the window. She wanted to let it go and, with it, her feelings for Azula, but something held her back. Letting out a few shaky breaths through her nose as her anger turned to hesitation. 

Suddenly, she felt her panic spike as she envisioned dropping the bracelet into the ocean, her grip tightening as she yanked her hand back and quickly shut the window.

***

"This is where we're supposed to be staying?" Azula questioned in disbelief as the three of them stepped inside the small beach house. The interior was a mess of clashing pinks and gold with enough seashell decorations to make Iroh jealous. 

"Apparently," Zuko said from where he stood next to her. "Father said that our old beach house is too run-down to stay in."

"I would have preferred a hole in the roof to this," she grumbled. 

"It looks like the beach threw up all over this place," Mai complained. 

"At least it's...cozy?" Zuko tried to offer. 

"Cozy is just what people with small houses and no taste say to cope," Mai said. 

"It does smell like old lady in here," Zuko agreed. 

As if on cue, the door to one of the bedrooms slid open, revealing Lo and Li. 

"I wonder why," Mai mumbled under her breath. 

"Welcome, your Highnesses," Lo and Li greeted with a bow. 

"What are you two doing here?" she demanded, feeling caught off guard by their sudden appearance. 

"The Fire Lord thought it would be best if we accompanied you," Lo explained. 

"After all, it's been so long since you all have been here," Li said. 

"Right," she said, narrowing her eyes at them, not doubting for a second that her Father had sent them to spy on them. 

"We shouldn't waste any time," Lo said with a wrinkly smile. "Let's hit the beach!" she said as the two of them pulled off their robes to reveal loose-fitting bathing suits. The horrifying sight caused Azula to consider the pros and cons of cutting out her good eye. 

***

"Jin, you okay?" Ty Lee called out, putting a hand over her brow to shield her eyes from the sun as she looked back,  watching her betrothed limp his way across the beach, his prosthetic leg sinking into the sand with each step. 

"I'm fine," Jin grunted, clearly struggling. 

"Here," she said, walking over to him and hooking his arm over her shoulder. 

"Thanks," he said as she guided him to the shoreline. "This thing isn't exactly built for sand, which you think they would have taken into account, considering I'm about to become an admiral," he said, letting out a sigh of relief as he sat down in the sand once they got close enough to the tide. 

"You didn't tell me that you got promoted," she said, surprised. 

"Must not have come up," he shrugged as he removed his prosthetic from his stump. 

Ty Lee wasn't sure why that stung so much. It wasn't like she had been sharing every detail of her life with Jin, but it made her feel like an afterthought to him, memories flashing in her mind of her and Azula spending countless nights talking about nothing, and it only made her realize how forced and artificial this whole relationship was. 

"Hey!" she heard an energetic voice say. Turning, she saw some scrawny boy standing there with an eager grin. "Can I help you unpack?" he asked. 

"Uh, I don't know, can he, dear?" she said, looking down at Jin expectantly, who was now occupied picking grains of sand out from the spring in his prosthetic, only gaining his attention when she cleared her throat.

"Huh?" Jin looked up as she tried to communicate with her eyes to tell the boy to go away. "Uh yeah, why not?" he waved distractedly before he returned to his task. 

"Great!" the boy said as he pulled her bag off her shoulder and dumped its contents onto the sand, her beach towel falling out last before he picked it up and splayed it out. 

"Perfect," she sighed as she looked at all her carefully packed items strewn on the ground. "Thanks," she said, mustering the most pleasant smile she could manage, expecting him to leave, but the boy stayed, grinning at her eagerly. "Uh...you can go away now."

***

Azula watched from the sidelines of the courtyard as a group of teenagers played a game of kuai ball. It had only taken her a minute of watching to grasp the rules, those mainly being to use one's hands, feet, and head to hit the ball over the net until the ball hit the ground, scoring the corresponding team a point. It was more rudimentary than the games she normally liked to play, but right now, she felt the need to burn off energy. Even though they had managed to slip away from Lo and Li when the two old bats had fallen asleep sunbathing, she still felt tense. 

"Hey, beach bums!" she called out, causing the game to pause as the group looked over at her. "I'm playing next." 

The group looked amongst themselves before one of the boys shrugged. 

"Uh, okay?" he said. "Just go grab some extra people so the teams are even." 

"Fine," she scoffed, rolling her eyes at the idea that she needed teammates before she went off to find Zuko and Mai. 

"Here," Azula heard Zuko say as she approached the two of them where they rested in the shade of a boulder, watching as he picked up a shell from the sand and tried to hand it to Mai.

"Why would I want that?" Mai questioned, turning her head away from him. 

"I saw it, and I thought it was pretty." Zuko reasoned. "Don't girls like stuff like this?" 

"Maybe stupid girls," Mai scoffed. 

"Forget it!" Zuko fumed, throwing the shell. 

Azula rolled her eyes, already reconsidering trying to spend any more time with them. 

Looking at where the shell landed, she saw some boy with shaggy hair pick it up. For a brief moment, she considered trying to strong-arm him onto her team before his eye was caught by something in the distance, and he suddenly bolted down the beach. 

Following his path, Azula felt her heart freeze in her chest, blinking once, twice, three times, each time expecting what she saw to disappear or for her to realize it was a stranger and not who she thought it was. Azula even considered, for a brief moment, that she was hallucinating again, but she doubted even her mind could conjure the image of Ty Lee in the white swimsuit she was wearing. 

Azula wasn't sure what exactly she was going to do when she pushed herself off the rock she was leaning against, feeling like she was in a trance as she walked over to her, only knowing that she needed to be closer to Ty Lee. 

***

Ty Lee tried to suppress the annoyed sigh she let out as another boy came to join the one who refused to take a hint and kept blathering at her. 

"Here!" the new boy said, shoving a shell in her face. 

"Oh, uh, wow!" she said with what little false enthusiasm she could muster up as she took the shell before she saw someone else approach in the periphery of her vision, mentally preparing for yet another unwanted suture. "Thanks," she said, looking up. "This is so..." 

Ty Lee's voice trailed off as her vision focused on the person behind the two boys, her breath catching in her throat and eyes going wide in disbelief as the shell slipped from her fingers and fell to the sand. "...pretty," Ty Lee finished as she fully took in Azula. 

The first thing she noticed was the short scar that ran across her face and through Azula's now milky grey eye, with a longer second scar cutting a bald line through her now short-cropped hair on the left side of her head. But more than anything, she could see an anger burning behind Azula's eyes that seemed more uncontrolled than before. She knew Azula had been seriously injured in Ba Sing Se, but to see it so viscerally on her skin made her feel sick. 

"Not as pretty as you are," the shaggy-haired boy said dreamily, oblivious to Azula looming behind both of them before the other one shoved him away. 

"That shell's not so great!" he said, the two of them clearly about to get into a fight before Azula suddenly grabbed them both by the back of their necks. 

"Leave, now," Azula growled, one of the boys letting out a choked sound before she shoved them, both of them falling in the sand before they scrambled away. 

When Azula looked back at Ty Lee, her expression softened, seeming somewhere between fondness and regret. Suddenly, Ty Lee felt tears burn behind her eyes as she was suddenly flooded with guilt that she wasn't there to take care of Azula, that the reason she was probably out there and in danger in the first place was because she had left. She wanted to reach out and take Azula in her arms, run her hand across each of her scars, ask for every detail of what happened to her, and make it all better, but before she could do anything, the sound of Jin's voice turned her attention. 

"Ty Lee?" she heard Jin say with a grunt as he stood. "What's going- Oh, uh, Princess," Jin sputtered, quickly bowing. "Forgive me; I didn't recognize you." 

"Akaron," Azula greeted bluntly, her expression hardening again as she looked him up and down. "It's been a long time, though if I remember correctly, the last time I saw you, I told you not to sink any of my Father's warships." Azula sneered as she glanced down. "Which seems to be another thing you've 'lost'." 

"Azula!" she scolded, whirling back on her. "What's the matter with you?" 

'She's jealous,' Ty Lee thought, the realization sending a strange thrill through her. 

"Just making an observation about his poor job performance, Ty Ty," Azula said, smirking down at her, Ty Lee unsure if she wanted to blush or slap Azula for using the old nickname, 

Before Azula could escalate things any further, she saw Zuko and Mai quickly approaching, a concerned look on both of their faces. 

"Mai! Zuko!" she gasped as she pulled Mai into a hug. "It's so good to see you both!" 

"It's good to see you too, Ty Lee," Mai said, patting her on the back before lowering her voice to whisper into her ear. "What's going on?"

"Azula is getting jealous and looks like she wants to kill Jin," she whispered back as she pulled away and looked back in horror, seeing that Azula had gone back to interrogating Jin.

"Of course she is," Mai sighed as she glanced at Zuko before nodding him over to Azula. 

"Why does it always have to be me?" Zuko grumbled as he walked over.

"So Akaron, I hear you managed to survive the Avatar's little massacre before losing the Fire Nation's flagship to a bunch of water tribe sav-" 

"Hey Jin, long time no see," Zuko said, cutting Azula off and stepping between the two of them. 

"Prince Zuko," Jin said, smiling in relief. "It's good to see you again." 

Zuko stood there for a moment before he glanced down. "What happened to your leg?" Zuko blurted out, Ty Lee wincing at the question.

"Long story," Jin said, seeming to take no offense. "What happened to your face?" 

"Also, a long story," Zuko said. "I'll tell you about it, over here," he said, guiding her betrothed away from Azula, her glare following him. 

"Good luck," Mai whispered before she walked over to join Zuko. 

"So," Ty Lee said, walking next to Azula, drawing her glare away from the hole she was trying to burn in the back of Jin's head. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked. 

"On vacation," Azula said. "Why else would anyone come to this waste of dirt?" 

"I've never known you to take a vacation willingly," she remarked. 

Azula narrowed her mismatched eyes down at her. "Then maybe you don't know me as well as you thought you did," she said before she glanced back at Jin. "Are you two on your honeymoon?" she asked, her jaw visibly flexing as she said the words. 

"Something like that," she sighed, not bothering to mention that they hadn't officially married yet.

"You sound disappointed," Azula observed, tilting her head with a pleased smirk. "Tell me, Ty Ty," Azula whispered, leaning in and tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Did your new husband lose a few more parts up north?" 

"That's really none of your business anymore, is it, Princess?" she said, slapping Azula's hand away. "And besides, we both know that isn't the reason I accepted his proposal," she said, a part of her reveling in the jealousy burning behind Azula's eyes. 

"I suppose not," Azula scoffed as she crossed her arms. "You did it to spite me." 

"To spite you?" she said in disbelief. "Spirits, you're unbelievable. You don't actually believe that, do you?" 

"Why shouldn't I?" Azula shrugged. 

She was about to rise to Azula's bait before she let out a defeated sigh. 

"Believe whatever you want, Azula. I don't know what else you want from me." 

Azula was silent for a moment before her gaze moved to a kuai ball court where a game seemed to be wrapping up.

"I want you to help me beat those beach bums at kuai ball," Azula said, looking back at her with a smirk. 

"You can't be serious," she scoffed in disbelief. 

"I never joke about winning Ty Ty," Azula said with a wink that caused her to bite her lip to hide a smile. "Zuko! Mai! Come on, we're playing next!" Azula yelled, calling them over as she walked to the courtyard. "Oh, and we'd invite you to play Akaron, but all you'd do is slow us down."

"Uh, okay?" Jin said, seeming confused, as Zuko and Mai joined Azula. 

She gave Jin an apologetic smile before she followed the three of them.

***

Azula watched the opposing team through the mesh of the net, observing them carefully as they moved into a huddle around one another. She was trying to stay focused on them and form a plan, but her gaze kept flicking back to Akaron, who stood on the edge of the courtyard.

An image of his hands and lips on Ty Lee flashed in her mind, causing her grip to tighten on the ball in her hand until the leather dented under her fingers before she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself as she instead pictured bashing Akaron's head in with his metal leg until his piss color hair turned red, a smile gracing her lips as she let out a sigh, feeling better. 

"All of you gather around," she called out to the others, Mai rolling her eyes before she joined them in a huddle. 

"You see that tall, muscular boy," she said, nodding over to the other team. 

"You mean Chan?" Ty Lee provided. 

"How do you know his name?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes at her as she felt her jealousy flare up again. 

"Because I actually listen to people other than myself, Azula," Ty Lee said like she was explaining something to a child. 

"I didn't realize there was anyone else who was worth listening to," Azula snarked back. 

"Spirits, would you two stop flirting and finish explaining what we're doing? My back is starting to hurt," Mai complained. 

"We're not flirting!" She and Ty Lee objected at the same time, causing Mai and Zuko to share a knowing look.

"Whatever," she sighed in frustration. "Just keep the ball away from...Chan," she said, pointedly looking at Ty Lee. "Also, see that girl with those ridiculous pigtails? When she runs toward the ball, there's just the slightest hesitation in her left foot. I'm willing to bet a childhood injury has weakened her. Keep serving the ball to her left, and we'll destroy her and the rest of her team."

"Spirits, it's not that serious, Azula," Ty Lee said. "This is supposed to be fun." 

"Winning is fun," she insisted.

"Ty Lee, you're with me on offense. Mai and Zuko, watch the defense," she said before they broke. 

"Let's get this over with," Zuko grumbled as he pulled off his shirt, some of the girls on the sidelines gawking at him for whatever reason before Mai sent them scurrying with a glare. 

Taking the rear of the field next to Ty Lee, Zuko and Mai lined up in front of them. Holding the ball out in front of her, she took a deep breath before she threw it into the air and gave it a running kick that sent it flying over the net. Chan dove for the ball, bouncing back onto their side. 

Zuko quickly sprinted forward, hitting the ball before it could hit the ground, sending it back toward Ty Lee, who kicked the ball back over the net and right into the shoulder of the thinner boy, causing him and the ball to hit the ground. 

"Sorry, Ruon-Jian!" Ty Lee called out, wincing. 

"Don't be. We have a point now," she said as she watched Chan tee up to hit the ball before her gaze was caught on Akaron again, an idea forming in her mind. 

Chan kicked the ball over, Mai jumping up to hit it back. It bounced off one of the girl's foreheads, though if she had purposely tried to hit the ball or if it had just hit her was hard to tell. Either way, the ball went arching back onto their side.

Sprinting forward, she felt fire burning through her veins as she slammed a closed fist into the ball, feeling the leather bend around her hand before a bomb rag out, sending the ball burning through the net to slam into the side of Akaron's head and sending him crumpling to the ground. 

"Oops, sorry," she said, unable to hide a smile as she watched Akaron writhe in the sand, blood dripping between his fingers and down his face. 

"Azula!" Ty Lee yelled as she shoved her shoulder. "What is wrong with you?" 

"Already said it was an accident, Ty Ty," she said, putting her hands up in mock surrender. 

"Spirits, you are unbelievable!" Ty Lee fumed, Azula forgetting how cute she looked when she was angry. "Just because I'm with someone else doesn't give you the right to attack them!" 

"Ty Lee?" Mai called out from where she and Zuko were hovering over Akaron. "You wanna maybe help out?" 

"Oh...right," Ty Lee said as though she had just remembered he existed before she rushed over to them, Azula watching as she helped Akaron to his feet before the two boys from the enemy team approached her. 

"Hey, I'm having a party tonight," Chan said to Ty Lee. "You should come by." 

"Oh," Ty Lee said, looking caught off guard before she looked over at Azula, a smile flashing on her lips. "Sure, I love parties," she said, fluttering her eyelashes and running a hand over his arm that made her want to peel off his skin and burn it until there wasn't any trace of Ty Lee's fingers on him. 

"Your friend can come, too," Ruon-Jian added, winking at Mai. 

Zuko shot him a glare and tried to put his hand on Mai's shoulder, but she shrugged it off. 

"What about Jin?" Ty Lee asked, giving Azula a pointed look. 

"Uh, I'm not sure how much fun I'll be bleeding everywhere," Akaron said, his voice nasally as he pinched his nose to stop the blood. 

"Oh, right," Ty Lee said, turning back to him. "I'll take you back to the beach house and get ready," she said, trying to reach out for his face, but Akaron backed away out of her reach, looking at Azula, his eyes wide with fear as she stormed over. 

"Sounds fun," she said, butting her way into the conversation. "We'll see you there." 

"I don't remember hearing Chan invite you," Ty Lee said, seeming offended on his behalf. 

"Chan, my brother and I are invited," she declared, glaring at him. 

"Uh, sure...I-I guess," he agreed, shrinking under her gaze. "Just try to act normal. Some of the most important teenagers in the Fire Nation are gonna be at this party." 

"We'll do our best," she said, giving Ty Lee a long look up and down that made the other girl blush before she put on a pout and turned away.

Chapter Text

Azula fiddled with the hem of her top, trying to pull it down to cover the jagged scar on her abdomen as she followed Zuko and Mai up the stairs to the beach house. She had spent at least an hour cycling through every outfit her servants had packed for her, and this had been the best she had come up with. She knew it was futile, especially with the scars on her face and her bathing suit being far more revealing, but she just couldn't stand the sad, pitiful way Ty Lee had stared at her and wanted to limit the number of eyes on her.

Knocking on the front door to the beach house, the sound of the party came flooding out as the doors swung open, Chan greeting them. 

"Oh, you're here," he said, seeming surprised and slightly scared. 

"You said we were invited. Why wouldn't we be here," Azula said as she brushed past him to scan the crowd of people already inside, but saw no trace of Ty Lee yet. 

"Technically, I didn't, but whatever," Chan huffed before looking back to Mai and Zuko. "All right, listen. My dad's an admiral. He has no idea I'm having this party, so don't mess anything up." 

"Calm down, Chan," the other boy from the kuai ball game said as he walked up and hooked an arm around Chan's shoulder, a drink in each of his hands. "Our new guests won't be a problem," he said as he looked Mai up and down. "I didn't get a chance to introduce myself at the beach," he said, handing one of the drinks to Mai. "I'm Ruon-Jian." 

"I can get my girlfriend a drink myself," Zuko said with a snarl, blocking Ruon-Jian's offer. 

"Well, now you don't have to," Mai said as she reached over Zuko's hand to take the drink.

"Come on. I'll show you guys around," Ruon-Jian said, leading them inside. 

"He thinks he's so great," Azula heard Zuko grumble to Mai as they walked deeper into the crowd, her gaze still searching for Ty Lee. "What do you think of him?" he said, looking at Mai suspiciously. 

"I don't have any opinion about him," Mai said with a blank expression as she took a sip from her drink. "I hardly know him." 

"You like him, don't you?" Zuko accused. 

Already fed up with their bickering, Azula split off from them, finding a pillar to lean against as she carefully watched the door. Vaguely, she saw a blob of color approach from her left side. 

"Hey," she heard a voice say, turning to see it was Chan, his hand on the pillar next to her head as he leaned against it. "I don't know if you remember, but my name is Chan," he said, reaching out a hand for her to shake. 

"I don't care," she said, brushing him off as she heard the front door opening. 

Turning to look, she saw Ty Lee step inside wearing a pink top and matching flowing skirt. For a brief moment their eyes locked, Azula was about to rush over to her when the boys who had been bothering Ty Lee at the beach suddenly swarmed her. Azula half expected Ty Lee to use her chi blocking to get them off her, but instead, she took one of their hands and guided them and the two other boys across the room, meeting Azula's eyes with a cruel smile as she passed in front of her. 

'She couldn't actually be interested in those idiots,' she thought as she ground her teeth. 

"You're pretty," she heard Chan say vaguely. 

"I know," she answered as she craned her neck to try and see Ty Lee as she and her gaggle of boys disappeared into the crowd. 

For a moment, she considered that Ty Lee might be trying to make her jealous, in which case she thought Ty Lee would want her to chase those boys off, but each time she had done so with Jin, Ty Lee had yelled at her, though she didn't necessarily mind it when she did- 

'Spirits, this is pathetic,' she scolded herself, cutting off her train of thought. She had barely seen Ty Lee for a whole day, and yet she was already obsessed and ready to cut off the hand of anyone who touched her. 

"How did you get those scars?" Chan asked, reminding her of his existence and causing her anger to flare up. 

"A bomb blew up in my face," she answered bluntly, turning to glare at him. 

"Oh..." Chan said, seeming caught off guard as she hoped for a brief moment that he would stop talking to her before he smirked and leaned in. "I've got some scars of my own if you wanna come see them."

"You want to see my scars?" she questioned, her anger suddenly turning to confusion. 

"Sure do, baby, every single one of them," he said with a wink. 

She remembered Ryuzo mentioning something about soldiers sharing war stories and comparing wounds, and at the current moment, that sounded better than staring at Ty Lee while she flirted with strange boys. 

"Fine," she said, pushing herself off the pillar to follow him. "Just don't refer to me as a toddler." 

"Ha! Good one," he laughed for some reason as he guided her through the main room. 

Azula wasn't sure what part of what she said was funny but continued to follow him anyway as he guided her down a hallway and eventually into a room. 

"This is my bedroom," he said, letting her inside. 

"Cute," she said, looking around the small room.

'Be normal, stop thinking about Ty Lee, and make conversation about something,' she thought as her attention landed on a collection of model warships displayed on some shelves. 

"Those model ships are completely inaccurate," she said as she crossed the room to look them over carefully, wondering if the person who had made them had even been aboard any of these vessels. 

"Right..." Chan said as he closed the door behind him. "Why don't you show me over here?" he said, walking over to sit on the edge of his bed. 

"Look, it's right here," she said, picking up one of the models and sitting next to him so he could see its inaccuracies better. "An Empire-class battleship would have three artillery pieces, not two, and-" 

"Hey, how about you show me those scars you were talking about," he cut her off, winking for some reason, as he abruptly changed the subject and took the model away from her, putting it aside.

"Uh...Okay," she said, trying not to stare at the model's incorrectly proportioned bridge tower. "Well, I got most of these in Ba Sing Se, she said, gesturing at her face. "What about you? Where did you serve?" she questioned. 

"Serve?" he repeated dumbly, seeming confused. 

"You know, what battles did you fight where you were wounded?" she elaborated. "I got this one during a fight with the Avatar," she said, pointing to a jagged scar on her elbow. 

"And what about this one?" he asked, Azula feeling him grip the back of her neck.

Briefly, she wondered if she had somehow missed a scar back there when she felt him pull her close, seeing him suddenly leaning in with puckered lips. On instinct, she pulled away as her hand flew out and struck him in the throat. 

"What in Agni's name are you doing?" she demanded, quickly standing up from the bed.

It took him a few moments to answer as he choked and writhed on the bed. "I think you broke something," he eventually gasped, clutching his neck. 

"Yes, your windpipe. Now answer me before I break something else," she threatened causing Chan to quickly scramble back to the other side of his bed. 

"I was trying to kiss you," he answered through a cough, his voice wheezing. 

"Why?" she demanded, ready to lunge forward and beat the answer out of him if he didn't speak faster.

"I don't know. You seemed eager to come to my party, and I was flirting with you..."

"That was supposed to be flirting?" she questioned, bewildered. 

"Y-yeah?" Chan answered, now seeming just as confused as she was. "That's why I was giving you all of those compliments? And I thought that since you followed me in here, you might want to..." he trailed off. 

"Ew, no," she said in disgust. "I thought we were going to compare war stories and scars." 

"I don't have any scars!" he yelled, or as loudly as one could yell with a damaged trachea. "I'm barely eighteen! I've never even been to war!" he continued, looking at her like she was the crazy one while she wondered what kind of overprotective, sheltered freaks he was raised by. 

"Spirits, you're a weirdo," she scoffed before she turned and left his room.  

***

Ty Lee fidgeted with her glowstone bracelet nervously as she watched the hallway where Azula had disappeared with Chan, her breath catching in her throat when her princess finally emerged, looking tense and shaken up as she passed by where Ty Lee leaned against the wall. For a moment, Azula paused, glancing over at Ty Lee and the three boys that surrounded her, whatever they were saying being drowned out by the sound of her heartbeat picking up as she thought, for a moment, that Azula might storm over to chase them off. Instead, Azula only rolled her eyes as she walked over to the far side of the room, throwing a sliding door open and disappearing out onto the balcony. 

Ty Lee let out a huff of disappointment, remembering a time when it felt like Azula could never take her eyes off her, or let a boy get as close to her as they were now. Admittedly, a part of Ty Lee had always reveled in how special and unique it had made her feel, but now she only felt rejected and slightly desperate. 

"So Ty Lee, what brings you to Ember Island?" one of the boys said, drawing her attention away from Azula and back to the three boys who had been nipping at her heels from the moment she stepped foot in the party.  

"Huh?" she said, trying to tune back into the conversation before her mind caught up with what he asked. "Oh well, I used to come here when I was younger with my friends, so I suppose I was feeling a bit nostalgic." 

"Friends?" the boy to her left perked up. "Did they come with you?" he asked, looking around the party. 

"They're around," she answered vaguely, as her eyes shot back to the door Azula had disappeared behind, feeling desperate to get to her before she disappeared again. 

"You know," The boy in front of her said, snapping her attention back. "Some girls come to Ember Island for the company," he said, leaning in and placing a hand on the wall next to her head. "Are you one of those girls?" he asked, the smell of rice wine thick on his breath. 

She thought his question may have been able to pass for subtle if it wasn't for the fact that he was staring directly at her tits.

For a moment, she considered chi-blocking the three of them so she could rush after Azula before she thought of a more graceful way to make her escape. 

"Actually, I came with my fiancé," she said with a tight smile, the boy to her left immediately rushing away from the conversation. 

"Really," the boy in the center scoffed, glancing back at the rest of the party. "Where is he? Because I don't see him." 

"He's back at our beach house. As a captain in the Navy, he has quite a lot of work and couldn't join me," she said, causing the boy on her right to mumble something into his drink before disappearing with the other boy. The one in front of her dropped his hand, seeming to grow less confident but still staying. 

"Well...um, I just graduated from the Naval Academy and-"

"Oh well, good for you. I'm sure that even though the war is over, you'll find a way to distinguish yourself," she said, patting him on the arm before she tried to slip away from him, but before she could make her escape, she felt his hand on her wrist. 

"Hay, just wait a-" he tried to say as she whirled on him, striking a few nerves up his arm until his grip around her wrist went limp. "W-what did you do?" he demanded as his arm flopped to his side. 

"Relax, it'll only last a few hours... probably," she said before quickly slipping away from him and heading to the balcony. 

Taking a nervous breath, she opened the door. The sound and smell of the ocean hit her as she stepped out onto the balcony. The light of two torches on the corners of the railing illuminated Azula, her back to Ty Lee, as she stared out at the beach. Feeling bitter that Azula wouldn't look at her, she slammed the door closed behind her, causing Azula to glance back, giving Ty Lee a brief flash of satisfaction. 

"Help you with something?" Azula asked before she turned to face the ocean again.

"I suppose I was just wondering why you felt the need to hurt Jin like that today," she said as she leaned on the railing next to Azula. 

"Oh, right...That," Azula said with a cruel smile. "Please tell me I broke his nose again." 

"Well, I see that you're still as sadistic as ever," she scoffed, crossing her arms. 

If Ty Lee was being honest with herself, she wasn't that bothered by the incident, but she felt the need to yell at Azula about something, and dredging up what she actually felt right now was too intimidating. 

"Right," Azula drawled as she turned to face Ty Lee, her eyes flicking down to her glowstone bracelet for a brief moment, a smirk flashing on her lips. "Because you weren't trying to make me jealous by wasting your time talking to all those boys." 

"Just because I'm talking to someone else doesn't mean it has anything to do with you, Princess," she scoffed, though Azula seemed to see right through her lie. 

"And yet," Azula said as she leaned in, bracing her arms against the railing on either side of Ty Lee, boxing her in. "When you were with me, you didn't feel the need to play all these games to get attention. Tell me, has your new husband really been so neglectful of you that you need to come running back to me?" 

Ty Lee didn't have a response to that, so instead, she just let out a huff and turned her head away from Azula's piercing eyes. 

"Truthfully, I am sorry to disappoint Ty Ty," Azula continued, leaning in to whisper in her ear, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on edge. "After all, you did always love being reminded how precious you are to me," Azula said, placing a gentle hand on her chin and turning her head to face her. Ty Lee felt herself melt under Azula's mismatched eyes, her gaze flicking down to Azula's lips, only just now noticing the small scar on her upper lip, Ty Lee wanting nothing more than to lean in and trace it with her tongue.

But another part of herself that was quickly losing out hated herself at that moment. After all, she had been the one to leave Azula, to finally put her foot down and say enough was enough, that she had gone too far, and yet all it was taking now was five minutes of Azula sweet-talking her and a hand on her chin, and she was ready to jump back into her arms.

"Spirits, I hate you," she whispered as she uncrossed her arms, letting her hands rest on Azula's waist before pulling her close and leaning up. Briefly, she felt their lips graze, but before the kiss could deepen, there was the sound of something shattering and a loud thud that reverberated through the other side of the wall, causing the two of them to jump apart. 

 "Zuko!" she heard Mai yell from inside. "What is wrong with you?" 

"Now what?" Azula sighed as she moved to the door and slid it open, revealing Ruon-Jian crumpled against one of the walls, sitting in the shards of some vase. Across the room, she saw Zuko and Mai fighting, the rest of the party watching them. 

"What's wrong with me?" Zuko yelled back. "You were the one who was flirting with him!" 

"No, I wasn't!" Mai denied. "And even before this, you've been blowing up over nothing! Your temper is out of control!" 

"Well, at least I feel something!" Zuko snapped back. "You have no passion for anything! And what you do put effort into doesn't matter!" 

"Spirits, not this again," Mai said, rubbing her face in exasperation. "You know what? I'm done," she said, turning to leave. 

"Wait, done with what?" Zuko said suddenly, seeming panicked. 

"With you, Zuko!" she snapped, whirling back on him. "I'm done with you taking me for granted while you mope around!"  

"Spirits, what drama queens," Azula sighed as she watched them fight before Chan suddenly rushed out into the main room, stopping in front of Ruon-Jian. 

"Who broke my nana's vase?" Chan demanded, his voice sounding wrecked, Ruon-Jian weakly pointing to Zuko. "That's it!" Chan yelled at Zuko. "You're out of here!" 

"I was just leaving," Zuko scoffed before storming off. 

"Get that freak out of here as well!" she heard the boy, whom she had paralyzed, yell, pointing at her with the one arm that worked, Chan flinching back once he turned and saw Azula. 

"You, you, and you," Chan said, pointing at her, Azula, and Mai. "Get out as well. You're all too much trouble." 

"What did you do to Chan?" she questioned as she and Azula followed Mai outside. 

"I broke his windpipe," Azula shrugged. 

"'Zula!" she tried to scold but was unable to help letting out a small laugh. 

"What? It wasn't my fault he tried to kiss me," Azula said. "What about that other boy? What did you do to him?" 

"I paralyzed his arm when he tried to touch me," she admitted, Azula giving her what almost looked like a proud smile as they stepped out into the night. 

"Shit," Mai sighed, searching the beach house's porch. 

"What is it, Mai?" she asked. 

"Zuko's not here," Mai said, seeming to grow worried. 

"I mean, yeah," Azula shrugged. "You guys just broke up. Why would he stick around?" 

"I don't know, I just-" Mai said before she cut herself off with a sigh. "Look, would you just help me find him before he does something stupid?" 

"Fine," Azula sighed. "I've got a good idea where he's headed. I'll go find him. You two wait for us on the beach."

***

Azula felt more and more nauseous with every step she took up the old splintered stairway that led to their family's beach house, trying to keep the memories that clawed at the back of her mind from breaking through as the decrepit, creaking house loomed over her. Reaching the top of the steps, she found Zuko sitting on the porch, his back against one of the pillars, as he stared at some old stone in his hand. 

"I thought I'd find you here," she said as she sat down across from him, Zuko only letting out a hum in response as he continued to look at the stone slab. 

"What are you looking at?" she questioned. 

Zuko turned the stone around, revealing two small handprints pressed into the stone, one slightly larger than the other, each of their names carved next to them. 

"Feeling nostalgic?" she said with a small laugh. 

"Maybe," Zuko sighed, turning the stone around to stare at it again. "Those summers we spent here seem so long ago. So much has changed."

"Not really," she said, looking up at the beach house. "This place is still as depressing as ever." 

"It was nicer when we were just here with Mom," Zuko said, placing the handprints aside.

"For you, maybe," she said, letting some bitterness slip into her voice. "All I remember is Mom yelling at me while she focused on you."

"Please," Zuko scoffed. "You were the one who was always hogging her attention by causing trouble."  

"It's not like I had much of a choice," she shot back. "Every time I tried to do anything with Mom, you would come in crying and blubbering because Dad yelled at you or you tripped over a pebble, and she'd rush off to coddle you like a baby." 

"What, so it was all my fault?" he snapped, seeming to grow upset. 

"No, Zuko, it's just-" she said before she cut herself off with a groan. "Look, whatever, it's not like it matters anymore," she said, standing and reaching out a hand. "Come down to the beach with me." 

Zuko seemed to mull over her offer for a moment before he let out a huff and took her hand, leaving the old handprints behind. 

***

Ty Lee let out a sigh as she sat down on one of the rocks that surrounded the burned-out fire pit they had stumbled upon, Mai sitting across from her on an old driftwood log that had been turned into a makeshift bench.  

"Spirits, this whole trip has turned into such a mess," Mai sighed, burying her face in her hands. "Sorry, we dragged you into this, didn't mean to ruin your honeymoon." 

"It's okay," she shrugged. "There's no honeymoon to ruin," she admitted.

"No?" Mai questioned, seeming surprised. "Azula said that's why you were here." 

"Jin and I decided to postpone the wedding and take a vacation," she explained. "Azula assumed we were on our honeymoon, and I decided not to correct her." 

"You wanted to make her jealous," Mai said with a knowing smirk. 

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about."

"Sure," Mai drawled. "So, how did you convince Jin to postpone the wedding?" 

"I didn't have to. He wasn't exactly thrilled to marry me." 

"He wasn't?" Mai said, raising a brow. "What's wrong with him?" she questioned, seeming offended on her behalf. 

"Nothing," she said with a small laugh. "I just don't think I'm old enough for him," she said, Mai looking like she was about to ask a follow-up question to that. "What about you and Zuko?" she asked, changing the subject. "I've never seen you two fight like that before." 

"Honestly, I don't know," Mai admitted, her face falling. "I thought that maybe he was just having trouble adjusting to being back home and that getting away would help, but he's acting the same." 

"I'm sorry, Mai," she tried to comfort her. "I know you've wanted this for a long time, but I know Zuko wants the same thing, too. He loves you." 

"I want to believe that, and I really need things to work out, but if I'm being honest, I'm scared he's going to do something stupid and abandon me again," Mai said, wrapping her arms around her abdomen. 

"I suppose I can't blame you for feeling that way," she sighed. Despite what Azula may insist, she and Zuko were a lot alike in that regard. "I had to leave because I couldn't trust Azula." 

"And yet here you are," Mai pointed out. 

"I know," she sighed, burying her hands in her face as she felt a blush warm her cheeks, though frankly, she couldn't be blamed when Azula showed back up in her life, acting possessive, in a bathing suit and with scars that made her look unfairly hot.

"Look, I'm not telling you what to do. I mean, Agni knows you were probably the best thing in Azula's life, but just be careful getting involved with her again. She hasn't been doing so well after you left, and I don't want either of you to get hurt again." 

"What's been going on with her?" she questioned, feeling a little vindicated that Azula was being affected by their breakup, like she was, instead of the uncaring front she was putting up. 

"She's been acting out, disappearing into the city for weeks. She even got into an argument with Ozai," Mai listed off. 

"What did she and Ozai argue about?" she questioned, surprised. 

"If I had to guess, you probably," Mai said before she seemed to grow hesitant. "There is one other thing," she sighed. "Azula will probably never forgive me if I told you about this, but if you two are set on getting involved with one another again, you probably deserve to know that when we were on an airship flying back home, Azula...she nearly jumped off." 

"Jumped...off?" Ty Lee repeated, hoping that what she was thinking was wrong.

"She tried to kill herself, Ty Lee," Mai clarified. "Zuko had to stop her." 

Before what Mai had said could even sink in, she spotted Azula and Zuko approaching. Suddenly, she couldn't get the image of Azula falling to her death out of her head, and she was on her feet, rushing past Zuko and over to her, wrapping her arms around her waist and pulling Azula close. 

"Ty?" Azula questioned, seeming a bit stunned by the sudden embrace. "Everything okay?" 

"Can we talk?" she asked, looking up at her. "Please?" 

Azula sighed, glancing back at Zuko, who was walking over to where Mai was sitting. 

"Later," she said, pulling back from their embrace. "I don't think this is over yet." 

"Hey," she heard Mai greet Zuko as they walked back to the fire pit.

"Where's your new boyfriend?" Zuko said as he sat down next to Mai. 

"Do you really want to start this fight again?" Mai warned, narrowing her eyes at him, 

Zuko let out a huff but dropped it. "Are you cold?" he asked instead. 

"I'm freezing," Ty Lee said, hoping to draw the two away from fighting again. 

"We'll make a fire," Zuko said, looking back up the cliffside to the old beach house. "There's plenty of stuff to burn in there."

***

The fire pit crackled to life as Azula used her firebending to light one of the crumpled-up old documents they were using as kindling, the flames steadily rising to lick at the broken wooden chair legs they had placed on top, warming the four of them as they huddled around the fire. 

Picking through the box of things they had grabbed from the beach house, her gaze landed on an old family portrait. She and Zuko were sitting on their knees on either side of their Father, who sat in a chair at the center of the painting, an unnatural smile no doubt added on by the artist, while her mother was on the edge of the frame, a part of her expecting the drawing of her mother to start talking to her. 

"I figured you'd like to get rid of that one," she heard Zuko say. 

"Don't you want to keep it?" she questioned, surprised. 

"Why would I?" Zuko shrugged. "Don't you remember how awful that day was?" 

"Not really," she admitted as she stared back down at the painting. 

If she was being honest, she didn't remember a lot of things from her early childhood, but what she did remember was spending countless nights staring at the painting, her ire focused on her Father's hand placed on Zuko's shoulder, burning with jealousy and hating that she was cast aside with her mother. She had assumed Zuko felt the opposite. 

"Sparring practice had gone terribly," Zuko began as he walked over to her, taking the painting from her hands. "You and Mom had been fighting about something all day, and Uncle had won some major battle, so Dad was obviously on a tear. Eventually, he yelled at all of us to pose for the Royal painter. Something about putting on a good face so we would be taken seriously as candidates for the Fire Nation's next rulers." Zuko said before his expression turned bitter. "The whole thing was a sick joke," he scoffed as he tossed the painting into the fire, Azula watching as the flames burned through her Father's face, giving her a strange sense of satisfaction before the image of her cutting Ozai's throat flashed in her mind and she was suddenly flooded with guilt at the thought. 

"Why did you do that?" she snapped at Zuko.

"What?" he said, seeming confused. 

"I didn't say I wanted to get rid of it!" she yelled, unsure of why she was so upset. 

"I don't know why you're so surprised," Mai scoffed. "That's what he does, just burns everything to the ground and runs, everyone else be damned." 

"He did the right thing," Ty Lee suddenly jumped in. "It was a lie. Lies should be burned," she said pointedly, looking at Azula. "I just don't know why you two fought so hard to get back here." 

"I didn't exactly have a choice when I left, Mai," Zuko said, Mai rolling her eyes in response before he turned to Ty Lee. "And you don't know what you're talking about," he said, walking over to her. 

"I think I've been around your family long enough to have a pretty good idea," Ty Lee insisted, standing up to meet his glare. 

"No, you don't," Zuko refuted. "You're stuck in your little Ty Lee world where everything's great all the time. You get to run away with the circus to follow your dreams while I get forced out!" he said, shoving a finger in Ty Lee's shoulder, causing Azula to feel a burst of anger as she moved over to them. 

"Zuko enough," she said as she shoved him away from Ty Lee. 

Zuko only scoffed as he turned to walk toward the shore, "I'm so pretty. Look at me. I can walk on my hands. Whoo!" Zuko said in a high-pitched mocking voice as he did a handstand before he flopped onto his back in the sand. "Circus freak," he spat. 

"I said enough, Zuko!" she snapped at him, about to storm over before Ty Lee halted her with a hand on her arm. 

"Spirits, both of you, stop!" Ty Lee said, stepping between them. "I don't need you to defend me, Azula, especially over something that was your fault!" Ty Lee snapped before she turned her ire to Zuko. "I didn't leave with the circus because I wanted to. I left because Ozai found out that Azula and I were together," Ty Lee said, looking back at her. "And instead of doing anything to stick up for us or even yourself, you hid me away because you were so ashamed of us!" 

"Ty, I-" Azula tried to say, but Ty Lee silenced her with a hand. 

"Don't start, Azula. I've already heard all of your excuses, that you did it all for me, that you had no choice, but you did! And when I thought you actually wanted to leave, you lied to me!"

"You know why, right?" Zuko said. "It's because she's obsessed with being daddy's perfect little model princess all the time, so our father has something to compare me to, and the moment there's a crack in that facade, she crumbles."  

"Well, what's your excuse, Zuko?" she said, turning away from Ty Lee's glare, instead walking over to where Zuko lay in the sand. "I brought you home, I gave you credit for killing the Avatar, I restored your honor," she listed off as she crouched down to loom over Zuko. "I gave you the throne Father promised me over and over again, the life I was promised, and that you failed to get yourself! But all you can do is whine and sulk in the sand like a child!"

"Right, and I'm supposed to believe you did that out of the kindness of your own heart?" Zuko said, sitting up. "You did it because you wanted to avoid having to get married. You just used me like you always do. 

"That's not true, Zuko," she said, trying to hide the hurt in her voice as she stood and turned away from him. 

"Well, then what was it?" Zuko demanded as he fully stood to follow her. "Did you need to bring the screw-up back so you could look better in front of Dad?" he questioned. "Or maybe where you just bored and wanted to play mind games with me again!"

"I wanted my brother back!" she finally snapped as she whirled on him, the truth tumbling out of her lips before she could stop it. "You don't get it, Zuko! Once you were gone, suddenly, everything was on me! I didn't want to be perfect, I had to be! But nothing I ever did was good enough because...because I'm a freak, okay? And yeah, maybe I brought you home so Father would get off my back about marrying a man, but I missed you, you asshole!" she said, still slightly panting from her outburst. "I missed having someone I could trust."
 
"You always had me, Azula," Ty Lee said sadly, a shadow cast from the bonfire shrouding her face. "I never needed you to be perfect because, to me, you already were," she said, shaking her head as she let out something halfway between a scoff and a sob. "But that wasn't enough; none of it was, and you dragging Zuko back won't fix it either." 

Azula felt like she could hear what Ty Lee truly meant. 'Monster,' Her mother's voice whispered, scratching at the back of her mind, Azula having to dig her nails into her arms to shut her up. 

"Yeah, well, I hate to break it to you, Ty Ty, but your little boy toy replacement isn't much better," she scoffed. "Akaron is Zhao's right-hand man. He helped to invade the North Pole. Do you honestly think he doesn't have any blood on his hands?" 

"This isn't about Jin, Azula!" Ty Lee snapped, causing her to flinch back. "I didn't leave you for him! I left you because you didn't give me a choice!" Ty Lee yelled, tears welling in her eyes. "I mean, what do you want me to say? That I'm miserable? That I would rather be with you? Because I am, I would," Ty Lee said, her voice breaking on the last word before she seemed to grow angry again. "But I can't because you were the one who ruined everything for us!" 

"Oh, don't start acting so high and mighty now, Ty Lee," Azula shot back. "You were right next to me the whole time until you decided to let your conscience catch up with you and abandon me." 

"Well, at least I didn't pretend like I was going to be rewarded for it," Ty Lee spat. "How is your standing with your Father these days anyway?" she asked like she already knew the answer. 

Azula felt her eye twitch in anger as she realized she didn't have a response for that, but before Ty Lee could notice, Mai interrupted. 

"Spirits, you two really are perfect for one another," Mai scoffed. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ty Lee demanded, turning her glare on Mai. 

"Attention issues," Mai sighed flatly. "You grew up in a household with seven sisters, and you couldn't get enough attention when you were a kid," she said before she gestured to Azula. "You, on the other hand, got too much attention. Your Father piled expectations on you and made you compete with Zuko, so you never felt good enough, plus you being attracted to girls probably didn't help." 

"What's your point, Mai?" Azula snarled, not liking where this conversation was going. 

"It's simple," Mai sighed as she leaned back on the boulder she was sitting on. "Azula gets the unconditional validation she never got, and Ty Lee gets to feel special by being your secret lover and getting to save you...well, that was until she lied to you," Mai smirked. "But I'm willing to bet you two will be back all over each other in a week, if not tonight."

To her frustration, Azula didn't have a response for that either. Looking at Ty Lee, she saw that she was pouting, Azula privately thinking she looked adorable.

"Well..." Ty Lee sputtered as she crossed her arms and scowled before she found her words. "What's your excuse, Mai? You were an only child for eighteen years, but even with all that attention, your aura is this dingy, pasty, gray-"

 "I don't believe in auras," Mai cut her off. 

"Yeah," Zuko said, stepping forward back into the light of the bonfire. "You don't believe in anything."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry I can't be as high-strung and crazy as the rest of you," Mai rolled her eyes with a sigh. 

"I'm sorry, too. I wish you would be high-strung and crazy for once instead of keeping all your feelings bottled up inside," Zuko said before he gestured at Ty Lee. "She just called your aura dingy! Are you gonna take that?"

"Well, what should I care about, Zuko?" Mai snapped as she sat up. "When I tried to help secure your position at court, you yelled at every lord at the party and flipped out about my dress!" 

"That doesn't mat-" Zuko tried to insist. 

"It does to me!" Mai cut him off, her fists clenched at her side as she stood up. "I know you're used to blowing everything up once things get hard, but I don't have that luxury! My whole life, all I was told was to behave and sit still, and I didn't speak unless spoken to. My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. We had my dad's political career to think about, and the one time I was allowed to care about something, it was you!" 

"Well, that's it, then," Azula shrugged. "You have a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them, you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything and why you can't express yourself," she said, a part of her wanting to get back at Mai for what she had said about her and Ty Lee. 

"You want me to express myself?" Mai snapped, glaring at her. "Leave me alone!" she yelled. 

"I like it when you express yourself," Zuko said, stepping closer and trying to put a hand on Mai's shoulder. 

"Don't touch me!" Mai said, shoving his hand away. "I'm still mad at you," she said, sitting back down. 

"My life hasn't exactly been that easy either, Mai," Zuko said, growing angry again. 

"Whatever," Mai huffed. "That doesn't excuse the way you've been acting."

"I know," Zuko conceded with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair and turned back to face the fire. "For so long, I thought that if my dad accepted me, I'd be happy. I'm back home now, my dad talks to me, I'm his heir. The whole Fire Nation thinks I'm a hero!" Zuko said with a bitter laugh. "Everything should be perfect, right? I should be happy now, but I'm not," he said as he stared into the flames. "I'm angrier than ever, and I don't know why!"

"Then there's a simple question you need to answer, Zuko." Azula sighed, shaking her head as she stepped forward. "Who are you angry at?" 

"No one," Zuko insisted, glancing at her. "I'm just angry."

"You're angry at someone, Zuko," Mai pressed. "Who?" 

"No one!...Everyone!" Zuko said, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I don't know!"

"Is it Dad?" she prodded, not buying his answer. 

"No," Zuko sighed as he pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes. 

"Your uncle?" Ty Lee asked.

"Maybe," Zuko sighed, pulling his hands away with a sigh before he shook his head. "I don't think so."

Azula gnawed on her lower lip nervously before she asked. "Are you mad at me?" she questioned, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.

"No, n-no," Zuko rushed to reassure her.

"Then who, Zuko?" Mai demanded. "Who are you so angry at?"

Zuko was silent, his jaw flexing and hands clenched at his side. 

"Answer the question, Zuko," she pressed. 

"Yeah," Ty Lee said in a more reassuring tone. "You can talk to us." 

Zuko continued to stare into the fire, his face twisting into a snarl and his eyes squinting close like he was trying to shut them out. 

"Come on," Mai said. "Answer the question."

"Answer Zuko," Azula repeated, sensing that he was close to breaking. 

"I'm angry at myself!" Zuko finally shouted, his voice echoing across the sand as his fury caused the flames of the fire pit to flare up in a blazing pillar, Azula covering her eyes from the heat and light as she recoiled back. When the heat died away, she looked back to the fire pit, seeing that the flames had smoldered out, Zuko having turned away to face the ocean. 

"Why?" she questioned, crossing her arms. 

"Because I'm confused," Zuko admitted. "Because I'm not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore. Trying to kill the Avatar, conquering Ba Sing Se, giving Father all that power, I don't think what we did was good...even for us." 

Looking over at Mai, she noticed that she seemed more panicked. 

"So, coming back home was a mistake?" Mai said as she stormed over to Zuko. "Coming back to me?" 

"Yes...no," Zuko sputtered as he dug his hands into his hair. "Mai I-" he tried to say, but Mai's face had already dropped.

"No, it's fine," Mai said, looking close to tears as she cut him off, backing away from him as he tried to reach out. "I get it. This whole thing was a mistake, right? So why bother to stick around? I mean, I already survived being your forgotten betrothed. Why not leave me to raise our child alone!" 

Mai's words didn't fully sink in until she heard Ty Lee let out a gasp, seeing her eyes go wide as she covered her mouth with her hands. 

"Oh shit," she murmured as she looked back to her brother, who looked like he was about to pass out from shock. 

"Our...what?" Zuko sputtered through a nervous swallow. 

"I'm pregnant, you idiot!" Mai said, looking like she was about ready to slap him out of frustration.

Zuko's eyes darted around, looking anywhere but at Mai before he managed to say something. 

"Is it mi-" Zuko was about to say, Azula quickly shaking her head, silently begging him not to finish the question, though Mai already knew what he was going to say, quickly shutting him up by gripping him by the jaw. 

"Finish that question, and it's going to be the last thing you say," Mai threatened before releasing him with a shove. 

"Alright, alright," Zuko said, rubbing his jaw. "Spirits, I forgot how scary you can be when you're angry... It's kind of hot." 

"It would explain why you like pissing me off so much," Mai grumbled, crossing her arms. 

"Hey," he said, putting a hand on her chin and pulling her gaze up to meet his. "I'm sorry if I scared you. I'm not leaving you...either of you," he said, wrapping an arm around her abdomen and pulling her into a kiss. 

"Okay, okay," Azula interrupted, rolling her eyes as she looked away. "You two have made up. Congratulations. Now, please get a room." 

"Now you know how I feel," Mai said, giving her a pointed look.

"Spirits, what a terrible way to end the night," she sighed. 

"I don't think it was that bad," Ty Lee said as she walked up next to her. "It felt good to yell at you, at least," she said, looking up at her with a smile as she leaned her head on Azula's shoulder. 

"Well, at least you had a good time," she hummed as her gaze moved up the cliffside to Chan's beach house, seeing through the window the silhouette of people still at the party. "You know what would make this trip really memorable?" she said with a smile as an idea formed in her mind. 

***

Ty Lee followed Azula back into Chan's beach house as she kicked the door in, the crowd inside turning to face them. 

"Hey!" Chan said as he stormed over to the four of them. "What in Agni's name is wrong with you guys? I already kicked you freaks ou-" 

Chan was cut off when Azula punched him in the face, sending him crumbling to the ground. 

"We've got some bad news, Chan," Azula said with a sadistic smile. 

"Party's over," Zuko said as he and Mai followed them inside.

Looking out to the rest of the crowd, Ty Lee saw a mixture of fear and confusion staring back at them. 

"Everyone out!" Azula shouted, causing the rest of the guests to rush past them and out the door. 

As she stepped over Chan, a part of her thought that maybe she should try to talk Azula out of this, but if she was being honest, right now, she didn't care. She had screamed and fought with Azula enough for one night, and Chan, of all people, wasn't worth arguing over. 

As Zuko kicked a table in half and Azula burned a family portrait, Ty Lee grabbed a chair, looking around before a window caught her eye. Taking a few steps back, she hurled the chair through the window, causing it to shatter, feeling some of her pent-up anger disappear. As she looked around for other things to break, she spotted Mai looking bored in the corner of the room.

"Come on, Mai!" she called out. "This is fun!" she said with a giddy jump. 

Mai only rolled her eyes, seeming uninterested as she knocked over a vase like a bored cat.

"Zuko!" Mai called out, causing him to turn from where he was helping Azula burn one of the room's supporting beams. "Come on, I want to go to bed," Mai said. 

"But-" Zuko said, gesturing at Azula, who had a gleeful smile on her face as she sent blue flames spreading across the room. 

"Please," Mai said with a tired whine. 

"Okay," Zuko conceded as he walked over to her before pausing by Ty Lee. "You might want to get her out of here before the whole building collapses," he said before they left. 

Walking over to Azula, she watched as she bent a stream of flames up the walls, singing the wallpaper and licking up to the ceiling, only pausing once she seemed to notice Ty Lee standing next to her.

"Hi," she said, beaming up at her. 

"Hi," Azula said with a slight huff of exertion, a sheen of sweat glistening across her brow and the muscles of her arms. 

"Having fun?" she asked with a smile and a tilt of her head. 

"Not as much fun as I will be," Azula said as she wrapped a hand around the back of Ty Lee's neck and pulled her into a kiss, causing her to let out a contented sigh as their lips slid together. 

A part of her missed their old dynamic, where she could just follow Azula around doing what she said without having to worry about anything, but another part of her felt some hesitation, a sudden moment of clarity gripping her as she pulled away, remembering what Mai had said.

"Wait, 'Zula," she said, stopping her from chasing after her lips. "Maybe we shouldn't," she said, her resolve immediately wavering as she saw Azula looking at her like she wanted to devour her. "Or...we should at least talk first."

"Come on, Ty Ty," Azula said, giving her a charming smile. "How many nights do we have here? Do you really want to spend them fighting?" 

"But I-" she tried to say before Azula leaned forward, beginning to run a trail of kisses up her neck, her protests cut off with a gasp.

"We can talk later," Azula promised. "And besides, It's been far too long since I last got to touch you," she said, nipping at the skin of her neck, causing a moan to slip from her lips. "I'd hate to waste our opportunity." 

"Alright," she conceded before a flaming section of the ceiling came crashing down behind them, causing them to both jump back. "But could we find a better spot?" 

"Good idea," Azula said, coughing slightly from the smoke that was starting to fill the room. "I know just the place for us to go," she said, taking Ty Lee's hand and guiding her outside.

On the porch, she saw that Chan was on his knees, staring at the fire, tears, and snot running down his face as he cried. "My parents are gonna kill me," she heard him sob as they walked past him. 

"By Chan!" Azula called back. "I'd say we're sorry about the house, but we're not!" she said, causing Ty Lee to let out a giggle into Azula's shoulder as she guided her along the path.

___

Azula's hands had a bruising grip on Ty Lee's waist as she guided her into the royal family's old beach house, their lips barely parting for air as the two of them stumbled back. Each kiss was biting and rough, like they were laced with all the anger and resentment they had built up toward one another, but weren't willing to face right now. 

Ty Lee's breath caught in her throat as she felt her back hit a wall, Azula's calloused hand reached up and gripped her jaw, pressing her head up, and exposing her neck as Azula's mouth found its way to her neck again, nipping and sucking at the skin like an animal starved. 

"'Zula, fuck," she moaned as she buried her hands in Azula's long black hair, feeling Azula's other hand reach down to try to undo her skirt. "Wait," she said, panting as she pulled Azula's head back. "You're not seriously going to fuck me against a wall, are you?"  

"I recall you eating me out in the middle of the woods once when we were younger, and now you're suddenly too good to be fucked against a wall?" Azula teased with a slight smirk as Ty Lee felt her blush deepen at the memory. 

"We didn't have an entire beach house at our disposal then," she pointed out. "We should make the most of it." 

"As my Lady wishes," Azula conceded with a sigh as Ty Lee felt Azula's hands grip the back of her thighs before lifting her up, causing Ty Lee to let out a small squeak of surprise that was soon swallowed by another rough kiss as she wrapped her legs around Azula's waist. 

When she and Azula were together, Ty Lee had always enjoyed how easily Azula could pick her up and manhandle her, but as Azula carried her inside the old dark bedroom, she noticed that she seemed more tense, feeling her arms tremble slightly.

"You've been slacking off in your training," she teased, pulling away from the kiss as she was carried over to the bed. 

"Shut up," Azula huffed, sounding slightly winded before she pressed her down into the mattress, her teeth going back to nipping at the skin of Ty Lee's neck as her hands gripped her wrist and pinned them above her head, before Azula sat up to stare down at her, something in the way her eyes crawled across her body causing Ty Lee's inner walls to clench around nothing. 

"Before we start," Azula said as she met Ty Lee's eyes again, her tone warning. "You should know I'm going to make this hurt. Not just because I know it's what you like, but it's also what you deserve for leaving me. I'm going to leave marks you'll never be able to get rid of, so the next time he tries to fuck you, he'll know what you let me do to you. Because no matter how much you want to forget me, I won't let you. Every time he touches you, or even when you touch yourself, you'll only be able to remember me. You belong to me, Ty Lee." 

"Spirits, you really are crazy, aren't you?" she said breathlessly. 

"Maybe," Azula said, unbothered, as she released her grip on Ty Lee's wrists. "You can leave if you like," she offered, gesturing to the door. "Go back to your new husband and forget I was ever here." 

There was a moment where they both waited, staring at one another, their panting the only sound to break up the silence, Ty Lee looking up at her defiantly but remaining where she lay.

"That's what I thought," Azula said as her hands moved to rest on Ty Lee's legs. "You can pretend all you like that this isn't exactly what you want," Azula continued, her fingers creeping under the hem of her skirt as her warm hands slid up her thighs. "But we both know the truth," Azula said, slowly coaxing her legs open. "I mean, for Agni's sake," Azula scoffed as she cupped her pussy, causing her to let out a gasp in surprise, only the damp thin silk of her small clothes separating her hand. "I can feel how soaked you are just at the thought of all the things I'm planning on doing to you."

She had a thousand biting replies on the tip of her tongue, but all that came out was a barely repressed moan, Ty Lee unable to stop her body from squirming as she tried to find more friction against Azula's hand. 

"Not yet," Azula chided, pulling her hand away, causing her to let out a whine of frustration. "Turn around for me," Azula commanded, ignoring her pouting. Ty Lee huffed in annoyance but did as Azula bid, flipping over so that she lay on her stomach. 

"Good girl," Azula praised, Ty Lee able to perfectly picture the smirk that was no doubt on her lips just by the tone of her voice. 

As she felt Azula lather kisses on the back of her neck, her hand pulled on the fabric of her skirt until it came loose before her fingers hooked into the waist of her small clothes and pulled them off, leaving her bare. 

"Up," Azula commanded, Ty Lee sliding her knees underneath her to present herself for Azula. 

"Just as pretty as I remember," Azula whispered as Ty Lee felt her slowly spread her open, her fingers moving torturously slow. "And to think that fool Akaron hasn't even bothered to touch you." 

The mention of Jin stirred some mischief in her, a part of her wanting to see just how jealous she could make Azula and if she would live up to her word. 

"Who says I haven't let him touch me," she teased, looking back at Azula. 

It was a blatant lie, but judging by the way Azula's eyes darkened and the slight way her nostrils twitched, she believed it.

"Has he touched you?" Azula questioned, her jaw tight. 

"I already told you, Princess, it's none of your business anymore," she said with a satisfied smirk before she looked away. She felt pleased with her teasing for a moment until she felt a harsh hand grip her ponytail, pulling her head back, her mouth opening in a yelp. The next thing she knew, Azula was hooking her fingers into her mouth. 

"Spit," Azula commanded harshly, Ty Lee gagging on the feeling of Azula's blunted nails dancing between her tongue, a choked gasp escaping her lips as Azula removed her fingers causing a trail of spit to leak out, coating her lips and chin.

Ty Lee was already soaked enough as it was, so if she had to guess, it was a way for Azula to show her dominance, that she could do anything to her, and Ty Lee would let her.

She was broken out of her thoughts by the harsh stretch of Azula's fingers suddenly pushing inside her, a gasp ripping out from her throat that turned into a moan as Azula began to pump her fingers in and out of her, the mixture of her spit and slick making it easy. 

"You know he's never going to make you feel this way, right?" Azula said as she wrapped Ty Lee's ponytail around her fist and yanked her back, causing her to let out a sound halfway between a scream and a moan as Azula pulled her up on her knees, her fingers driving deeper into her as she pulled their bodies flush.  

"No one else knows how to touch you like I do," Azula rasped into her ear, nipping at her ear lobe. "I'm the only one who knows every part of you, every single bit inside," Azula said, curling her fingers and hitting a spot that made her toes curl to emphasize her point. "And out," she finished with a satisfied sigh as she watched Ty Lee squirm before she felt Azula abruptly pull her fingers out, leaving her empty as a desperate whine escaped her lips and her hips bucked against nothing. 

"Open," Azula said as Ty Lee felt her slick fingers slide past her lips and into her mouth, her own sweet and salty taste coating her tongue. 

"See what I do to you?" Azula said as she spread her fingers inside her mouth. "How wet I make you? It'll never feel the same, even when you're up late at night, touching yourself, desperately trying to feel what I did to you again. Do you know why?" Azula said feverishly as she pulled her fingers out of her mouth and slid her hand back between her thighs, shoving into her roughly, causing her to let out a cry as Azula began to pound into her. "Because you're mine, mine, mine, mine," Azula repeated, seeming to grow more desperate and rabid with each thrust as she left nips and then bites etched into her neck and collarbone.

"Fuck, 'Zula!" she cried out as her vision went blurry, her hands reaching back to grip the fabric of Azula's clothes as she tried to steady herself before she fell over the edge, her body shaking, inner thighs growing sticky as she spilled over Azula's hand but even then she didn't stop. 

"It could have been so perfect, Ty Lee," Azula said, her voice suddenly sounding fragile.

"'Zula, wait," she gasped, beginning to feel overstimulated against her onslaught, but she didn't respond, seeming to be lost in her own mind. 

"I could have had you like this every day. We could have been together forever like you promised," she said, her voice seeming to grow angry. "But you left just like that bitch, Ursa!" Azula growled as she shoved Ty Lee down, her limp body colliding with the mattress before Azula's fingers slid back into her. 

"Why did you have to go?" Azula said, sounding close to tears as her fingers twisted inside her, her other hand holding her down by the back of her neck. "Why did you have to leave me?" 

Ty Lee wanted to object, to insist that she never wanted to leave her, but with the way Azula's fingers were hammering inside her and her hand pressing her into the mattress, all she could manage was a choked gasp as her fists tangled in the bedsheets and she spilled over Azula's hand again.

Her brief moment of euphoria was ripped away from her when she felt Azula's hand pull off of the back of her neck and her body weight roll off her, leaving her sweat-soaked back cold to the air. Lifting her head from where it had been pressed into the bed, she saw Azula lying on her back next to her. Her eyes glistened with tears as she stared up at the ceiling. 

"'Zula?" she said, still panting as she sat up on her elbows. 

"It wasn't my fault," Azula coked out. "It wasn't my fault you all left." 

"'Zula I-" she tried to say as she scooted closer to her. 

"Just tell me it wasn't my fault," Azula cut her off as she turned to look at her tears spilling down the side of her face. "Please," she begged with a choked sob. 

Ty Lee wasn't sure what to say. She knew it was partially true. Her mother and Zuko leaving couldn't have been Azula's fault, it had been Ozai's. Even her leaving Ba Sing Se was in part because of him, but even still, Azula had been the one who had lied to her, who had chosen to stay by her Father, but right now, she didn't want to be angry with Azula, she only wanted to hold her and tell her it would be alright. 

"Shhh," she soothed as she reached over, gathering Azula in her arms and cradling her head to her chest. She felt Azula's hands dig into her side so tightly that she was almost sure it would leave bruises, but she didn't care, a part of her even liking how desperate Azula was to be close to her. 

Caressing her chin, she pulled Azula's tear-stained eyes up to meet hers. "I never wanted to leave you, 'Zula," she said as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "And I know no one else did. It wasn't your fault they left," she said as she leaned in to kiss her, the salty taste of Azula's tears on her lips. "I'm right here 'Zula," she soothed in between kisses. "I'm not going anywhere, not tonight."

Chapter Text

When Azula awoke the next morning, it wasn't with a scream or flailing limbs as she was ripped from another nightmare; instead, it was slow, her surroundings coming into focus as she gained consciousness. First was the smell of Ty Lee's floral perfume, not as strong as it had been the night before, having mixed with her sweet natural scent, but still filling her nose. The next was Ty Lee's arms wrapped around her waist, holding her tight to her chest. 

Turning over in Ty Lee's arms, she let out a contented sigh as she blinked the blurriness from her eyes before the sight in front of her almost caused her heart to stop. Looming above the two of them was her Father, adorned in his royal robes and a glare of disgust on his face. 

"F-father?" she gasped out, her voice trembling as she felt frozen in fear. 

"What have you done, Azula?" he demanded, his voice booming in the small room, causing her to flinch and curl up as shame and panic flooded her. 

"I-I'm sorry," she begged as she sat up, Ty Lee letting out a soft whine as she turned around in her sleep. "She was here, and I-" 

"I'm not talking about your whore, you stupid girl!" her Father snapped before his voice lowered into a growl as he leaned forward. "You betrayed me," he accused. 

"What?" she said, panicked for a moment, thinking that he had found out the Avatar was still alive. "Father, I haven't! I swear I've done nothing!"

"This is nothing?" he questioned, Azula watching in horror as the skin of her Father's neck split open in a thin red line, blood soon gushing out from the wound. "You did this to me, you monster," he said, his voice gargling as blood spat from his mouth and stained his lips. 

Looking down at her hands, she saw them coated in Ozai's blood, a stained knife sitting in a pool at her feet, and for the briefest moment, she felt her lips pull into a smile as she realized what she had done, even letting herself revel in the thought of her Father meeting such a violent end at her hands, before shame suddenly came crashing down on her. 

"No!" she screamed as she tried to rub the blood from her hands. "I-I wouldn't I-" 

"'Zula?" she heard Ty Lee's soft voice say as she felt a hand on her shoulder. 

Whirling around, she saw Ty Lee awake and sitting up, her beautiful grey eyes staring at her with worry. 

'No, no, no,' she thought in a panic. 'She can't see what I did!'

She was about to bolt out of the room in fear before Ty Lee's next words gave her pause. 

"Who are you talking to?" Ty Lee questioned. 

"My F-" she tried to answer as she turned around, the words dying in her throat, seeing that her Father, the knife, and the blood were all gone.

"Shit," she murmured under her breath as she realized what had happened. 

This whole situation had been hard enough to brush off when Zuko had seen her hallucinate like this, but Ty Lee was different. Azula knew what would come next, the strange pity-filled looks, the endless questions that she wouldn't have answers for, and maybe this would be the thing that finally drew Ty Lee away after all the nightmares and the lying, this would be what made Azula too much for her to deal with. Suddenly, she began to feel herself panic at her rushing thoughts, all of it too overwhelming, tears starting to well in her eyes, and her breaths coming faster and faster. 

Azula's train of thought was halted when she felt Ty Lee's arms wrap around her waist, pulling her back until she lay against her chest. 

"What are you-" she tried to question. 

"Shhh," Ty Lee cut off as she began to run a hand through her hair. "Just relax for a second." 

Azula wasn't entirely sure what was happening, and a part of her felt that she should just leave, but Ty Lee's nails against her scalp did feel nice, and the sound of her heartbeat was making the spiraling thoughts in her head finally shut up. For a few minutes, they just lay there, Azula feeling herself eventually calm.

"Do you feel better?" Ty Lee asked after a moment. 

Azula thought for a moment before she nodded her head, finding that it was true. 

"Just...please don't make me talk about it," she begged. "Not right now." 

"Okay," Ty Lee agreed softly before she felt her place a kiss on the top of her head. "How about we get something to eat."

***

Ty Lee watched from across the table as Azula picked at her food, the fried bangus fish on her plate barely being eaten while Ty Lee had almost finished her seaweed salad. 

Letting out a quiet sigh of disappointment, she glanced out over the restaurant's balcony, seeing the crowds of people below them as they walked along the island's pier. She had figured that if Azula didn't want to talk about what was going on with her, then she could at least get her to eat, but right now, it didn't seem to be working. 

Ty Lee wanted to do as Azula had bid and not make her talk about this morning, but it was getting harder and harder by the minute. She thought that she had gotten used to all of Azula's...problems, but waking up to see her yelling at a wall like she was talking to someone who wasn't there made her worry in a way that she hadn't since the first time she had seen Azula have one of her nightmares. And then there was what Mai had told her. 

'She tried to kill herself, Ty Lee. Zuko had to stop her.'

"How's your food?" she asked gently, putting on a smile as she tried to push the memory from her mind. 

"Fine," Azula huffed as she looked away from her plate and stared off into nothing. 

"Could you maybe try to take a few more bites?" she asked, reaching across the table and taking Azula's hand in hers. "For me?" 

"I don't need you to mother me, Ty Lee," Azula snapped, pulling her hand away. 

Ty Lee let her own hand linger in the middle of the table where Azula had thrown it off.

"You could have fooled me," she scoffed as she pulled her hand away. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Azula demanded, focusing her glare on Ty Lee. 

Ty Lee knew that she should probably hold her tongue, but...

'She tried to kill herself, Ty Lee. Zuko had to stop her,' the memory of Mai's voice repeated. 

"It means that I'm worried about you," she said. 

"I don't see why you care all of a sudden," Azula huffed, trying to brush her off. 

"I've always cared, 'Zula," she insisted. "You know that."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't," Azula said, her tone less biting, almost sounding like it was a confession. 

"What do you mean?" she questioned, hoping she was just misreading what Azula meant. 

Azula looked like she was about to say something before she closed her mouth and seemed to reconsider. 

"It means that after we leave Ember Island, we're never going to see each other again, so why act like this is anything else but just a brief fling?" 

"It doesn't have to be," she tried to insist, "I could talk to Jin. We could move to the capit-" 

"Jin...right," Azula scoffed. "And how exactly is your husband going to feel about you sneaking off to fuck someone else." 

"He doesn't care," she insisted, feeling herself grow more desperate to hold onto Azula as she only pushed her away. "We're not even married yet." 

"But you will be eventually," Azula said, sounding resigned to the fact. "And I care, Ty Lee. I'm not sharing you with some man who will carelessly put his heir in your belly to secure his succession," she spat, Ty Lee watching as Azula's fist seemed to clench in anger at the thought. 

Ty Lee wasn't sure if her heart wanted to flutter or break at Azula's last possessive comment before she grew angry at Azula's hypocrisy. 

"So you make me sneak around your father for almost the whole time we were together, but you can't do this for me?" she said, choking out the last words as she felt a lump grow in her throat.

"We would still have to, Ty," Azula admitted with a sad sigh. "You were right. My Father refused my terms. Even after everything I did for him, he won't let us be together." 

Ty Lee felt slightly taken aback at that. The last weeks of their time together had been consumed with arguments over whether Ozai would allow them to be together once they returned to the capital, with Azula always so adamant that he would reward her to the point Ty Lee had her moments where she was almost convinced, but to hear Azula so blatantly admit she had been wrong almost made the past few months of arguments seem pointless. 

"You should have run away with me then," she said, unable to stop some bitterness from slipping into her voice. 

"Yeah... probably," Azula said, chuckling to herself as she stared off into the distance. "But it's too late for any of that now."

"And what's going to happen if I do leave you?" she asked, trying to swallow the knot in her throat. "Look me in the eyes, 'Zula, and tell me you'll be okay." 

Azula flexed her jaw, not even bothering to try and meet her gaze, instead staring off into some corner of the balcony. 

"You can't, can you," she said, wiping her eyes before her tears could fall. 

"I don't need you to protect me, Ty Lee," Azula insisted. 

"Don't I? I mean, for Agni's sake, Azula, you were talking to no one this morning! And Mai-" Ty Lee paused, lowering her voice. "Mai told me about what happened on the airship." 

That finally seemed to cause Azula's gaze to snap back to her, a mix of fear and shame flashing on Azula's face before she stoned her expression. 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Azula deflected. 

"Azula..." she sighed. "You can yell at me if you want, but please don't treat me like an idiot." 

"Then don't treat me like some little project you need to save!" Azula snapped, slamming her fist on the table, causing the dishes to rattle. 

"You're not a project for me, 'Zula," she said, unable to keep the hurt from her voice. "I loved you." 

"And yet you left," Azula spat as she abruptly stood from the table. "You left me like everyone else." 

"I had to, Azula!" she said, standing with Azula as she raised her voice to match hers. 

"Of course you did," Azula scoffed. "Because I'm some irredeemable monster, right? My mother knew it, that's why she left. Even my own Father doesn't trust me anymore," she said with a bitter laugh before she stared down at her hands, her voice growing shaky. "I mean, what kind of daughter sees her Father's blood on her hands and smiles?" 

"Is that what this morning was about?" she questioned. "Was that what you saw?" 

Azula froze, seeming to realize what she had said before she abruptly turned to leave. 

Ty Lee wanted to chase after Azula, to wrap her arms around her, hold her close, and promise never to leave her again, but she knew it wouldn't help.

"I did love you," she said instead, causing Azula to pause in her retreat and hesitantly turn to face Ty Lee, her gaze almost seeming scared at what she would say next. "I think I fell in love with you the day we met," she confessed with a sad smile as the memory of her cartwheeling into Azula on the playground flashed in her mind. "From that day on, all I ever wanted was to protect you," she said as she tentatively closed the distance between them. "From your Father's cruelty, from the loneliness your mother left you with, from yourself and all your anger..." she listed off as she reached up to caress Azula's cheek, the other girl flinching slightly at her touch, looking like a scared animal that would flee at the slightest sudden movement. "But I realize now that only you can do that," she said with a sad smile. "You're not a monster, Azula. You never were. You're just a coward who's too scared to do the right thing." 

Azula's chin trembled slightly, and Ty Lee swore she saw tears start to gather in her eyes, but before they could fall, she turned away, storming back inside. 

***

Azula still felt like she was spiraling by the time she made it back to Lo and Li's beach house, Ty Lee's last words incessantly ringing in her ears. 

"You're not a monster, Azula. You never were. You're just a coward who's too scared to do the right thing."  

'Stop, ' she thought, cutting the memory off. 'She's better off without me, ' she told herself, trying to forget how desperately she wanted to fall into Ty Lee's arms again and never leave and do whatever it took to win her love back...but what would that solve? Ty Lee would still have to marry, she would still be a disgrace to her Father... she would still be a monster. All she would do was drag Ty Lee down with her. 

Her thoughts were cut off by the sight of a line of servants carrying out their things from the beach house and to the docks, all of them keeping their eyes cast away from her and in a hurry, as she glared at them. 

As she drew closer to the beach house, she saw Mai and Zuko sitting on the balcony, Mai's legs slung over Zuko's lap, the two of them kissing and seemingly oblivious to anything that wasn't each other. 

"Seems like you two made up," she smirked, crossing her arms, gaining the two's attention and causing Zuko to flinch away from Mai, a blush coloring his cheeks once he noticed her. 

"Not totally made up yet," Mai corrected. "But we're certainly on our way," Mai hummed as she hooked her arms around the back of Zuko's neck and pulled him into another kiss. 

"I thought I made up for everything last night," Zuko said with a wink. 

"You going down on me does not make up for you being a dick for two months straight," Mai said with a laugh. "But it's a start." 

Azula covered her ears, making a disgusted sound to try and drown them out. 

"Spirits, both of you, stop before I puke!" she said, ready to tear off her ears. 

"You're one to complain after all those graphic displays of affection you and Ty Lee put me through," Mai rolled her eyes. "Call this payback," she said with a cruel smile. 

"Wait, they did what?" Zuko questioned, glancing between the two of them with a concerned look.

"Don't worry about it," Mai said, pressing a kiss to his cheek before she looked back to Azula. "Speaking of which, where's Ty Lee?" Mai asked. "I saw you two disappear together after our little bonfire at Chan's."

"I don't want to talk about it," she deflected as she looked back to the line of servants. "What's going on here anyway?" 

"We are leaving Ember Island," she heard Lo's voice say from behind her, causing her to jump. Turning, she saw the two twins standing behind her, Azula having to bite back a laugh at the sight of their sunburnt skin, the two no doubt spending all of yesterday burning to a crisp after they fell asleep on the beach. 

"Why?" she questioned. 

"The Fire Lord's War summit is ready to commence," Li answered. 

"He wishes for all of you to return to Calderia," Lo finished before they both narrowed their eyes at her. 

"And be assured, Princess," Li said in a threatening tone. "His Majesty will be informed of your... disappearance last night," she warned before the two old women descended the steps back to the Royal Pleasure Barge. 

"Great," she murmured to herself as she wondered if the twins had followed her last night. 'Another problem to deal with later, ' she decided before her mind went to the larger problem. Glanced back at Zuko, the same look of worry on his face as hers. 

"Mai, give Azula and me a minute," Zuko said, Mai giving the both of them a suspicious look before standing. 

"You two better not be doing anything stupid," Mai warned as she followed Lo and Li down the steps. 

"Please tell me you've heard something back from our hitman," she said as soon as Mai was out of earshot. 

"No," Zuko admitted. "Do you think Dad knows about the Avatar? If that's why he wants us back home?" 

"I never know what he's thinking," she admitted with a frustrated sigh before she looked down at where the Royal Pleasure Barge was docked. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."

***

Ty Lee managed to hold herself together all the way on her walk back to Jin's family beach house, her mind doing its best to push Azula to the side, a part of her even thinking that she just may be able to forget about Azula for the rest of the day. But the moment she stepped foot on the stairs to the beach house, she felt herself begin to tremble as her vision began to blur with tears.

Stopping at the top of the steps, she took in a shaky breath, wiping her eyes before clenching and unclenching her hands at her side and plastering on a fragile smile as she tried to hold herself together, but even still, she couldn't stop the oncoming flood of emotions, suddenly unable to get the image of Azula alone standing on the edge of some cliff or balcony, about to jump off and her unable to help. 

Covering her mouth, she muffled the sob that broke through her lips, feeling her chest become tighter, suddenly unable to get enough air, before her legs finally gave out from underneath her as she collapsed to the ground, as fresh tears spilled from her eyes. 

Managing to steady herself, she sat down on the steps, pulling her legs to her chest and burying her head between her knees as she sobbed, finally letting everything out, each broken breath causing her whole body to shudder as she dug her hands into her hair trying to find some way to ground herself. 

She had seen Azula in so many states of emotional disarray before, in jealous, possessive frenzies where she couldn't keep her hands off her, breaking down in sobs after she had disappointed her Father, or screaming in fear as she was trapped in a nightmare, even in blinding terrifying, rages that could sometimes scare here her. That's what had always attracted her to Azula, she thinks, her passion that burned hot like her firebending. It could be scary and burn her, and yet Ty Lee couldn't help but want to be close to her warmth. But the Azula she saw this morning was nearly unrecognizable. She had never seen her so defeated before, so...broken, like she was about to finally give up without even putting up a fight, and that, more than all her cruel words or displays of violence, scared her more than anything.

The sound of the door sliding open behind her drew her out of her spiraling. Looking up through tear-soaked eyes, she blinked until her vision became clear, seeing Jin standing in the doorway with a concerned look on his face. 

"Jin!" she said, surprised as she quickly turned her head, hiding her tears as she wiped them away. "I'm fine... I'm-I'm alright," she rushed to reassure him before he could even ask what was wrong. 

"If this is you when you're alright, I'd hate to see you when you're not," Jin said as she heard the springs of his metal leg squeak with each step toward her. "Here," he offered as he handed her a silk handkerchief as he sat down next to her. 

"Thanks," she said as she took the handkerchief and finished cleaning the tears from her face.

Looking at him closer, she saw that there was some slight bruising across the bridge of his nose and under his eyes. 

"Are you alright after yesterday?" she asked with a slight wince at the sight of his injuries. 

"As well as one can be after taking a flaming beach ball to the face," Jin said with a small laugh. "At least my nose isn't broken, which is a nice change of pace when it comes to my interactions with the Princess." 

"I'm sorry about Azula," she apologized. "She can be...a lot, sometimes."  

"Who am I to judge my fiancé's choice of lover?" Jin shrugged. "Though it seems she did more damage to you than me." 

"I'd rather not talk about it," she sighed, Jin humming in acquiescence.  

Again, she came back to her same dilemma. If Azula was dead set on pushing her away, then maybe she should let her go like she seemed to want, but at the same time, what would she be leaving her for?

'Him?' she thought as she looked to Jin. 

"Why haven't you tried to kiss me?" she suddenly blurted out without thinking it through. 

Jin seemed just as caught off guard as she was. "What?" he questioned, giving her a bewildered look.  

"Well, it's just- I mean, we're engaged," she shrugged. "You could if you wanted to." 

"Because if I did, the princess might kill me," he said with a slight laugh, clearly trying to brush the conversation away. 

"She might not be a factor anymore," she admitted as much to herself as to Jin. "And I'd like to know if there's any further here," she said bluntly. 

"Ty Lee," Jin began with a sigh, his brows pinched as he seemed to try and find what to say. "Look, you're a very pretty girl..." he began, trailing off with a huff as he seemed to run out of words. 

"I sense a but coming," she provided. 

"But," he began again. "We just don't know each other very well."

"You mean not as well as you know that other woman," she said with a pointed look. 

"Y-you know about Oyamo?" he said, surprised as a blush seemed to color his cheeks. 

"I didn't have to," she shrugged with a resigned smile. "I always just figured there had to be someone else." 

Jin let out a small laugh. "You're too smart for me," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Yeah, well, I wasn't smart enough to stop myself from getting into this mess," she sighed as she pressed her face to her knees. 

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about what happened with the Princess?" he offered gently. 

"I don't know," she said with a dramatic groan as she leaned back, lying on the balcony. "I thought that maybe this was just her being typical and pushing me away, but this time, it feels more...permanent," she said with a nervous swallow. "I was always there to watch out for her, and if I can't do that, then...I-I don't know," she sighed as she rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands. 

"Well..." Jin began as he seemed to consider something. "There might be a chance you could see her again if you want." 

"What?" she gasped as she suddenly sat up, feeling a flush of hope. "What do you mean?" 

"I received a letter from Zhao inviting me to the Imperial War Summit," he explained, seeming to smile at her sudden enthusiasm. "Normally, spouses are supposed to attend, not betrothed, but I'm sure if I talk to the right people, they can make an exception for you." 

"And you think she'll be there?" she asked, already trying and failing to temper her excitement. 

"It's a Royal War Summit," Jin shrugged, "I don't see why the Royals wouldn't be there."   

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jin!" she said as she leaned over, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug. 

"Uh, no problem," he said with a slight laugh as he patted her on the shoulder. 

"I'll go pack my things right now," she said as she quickly stood up. 

"We have servants for that," Jin reminded her. 

"I know," she called back as she rushed inside. 

A part of her knew that it might be foolish for her to think that seeing Azula again would change anything. In all likelihood, Azula would just try to push her away again as she had today, but if there was just a small chance that she could pull her away from the edge, then she had to take it.

Chapter Text

Azula tossed in her bed for what must have been the hundredth time that night, her eyes squeezed shut as she once again tried and failed to fall asleep. Despite the long journey back to Ember Island and arriving back at the palace in the middle of the night, she couldn't manage to get a wink of sleep, her thoughts consumed with a mix of Ty Lee, the Avatar, and her Father. Thankfully, she had been able to avoid the ladder thanks to the hour, but even with how draining the journey had been, she was still wide awake.

' You're not a monster, Azula. You never were. You're just a coward who's too scared to do the right thing. ' The memory of Ty Lee's voice whispered as it had every time she tried to close her eyes, causing her to feel sick. 

' She's a fool, ' a voice at the back of her mind whispered. ' The same bright-eyed girl from when you were children who always saw the good in you, no matter how many times you proved her wrong. '

But somehow that didn't feel right, maybe it was because it had always been easier to tell herself that she had no choice in how she turned out or what she did, but now she just felt stuck, trapped by her own decisions with no way out.

' If she's right, ' she thought, ' then what have I done? ' 

Turning over one last time, she looked out her window, watching with frustration as the sun rose over the crimson tile roofs of the Capital. Letting out a sigh, she sat up, finally giving up her fight to fall asleep. Burying her hands in her hair, she pressed her nails into her scalp, unable to stop Ty Lee's words from rattling around in her mind. For as much as she wanted to deny what she had said, a part of her knew Ty Lee had been right. Omashu, Suki, Ba Sing Se, all the terrible things she had done had just been a desperate attempt to appease her Father because she was too terrified of disappointing him, and when even that hadn't been enough, she hadn't challenged her Father in any real way, just lashed out by disappearing into the city for a few days all so she could have her own little pathetic attempt at rebellion and regain his attention. 

She was suddenly pulled out of her self-loathing thoughts by the sound of muffled footsteps, multiple sets by the sound of it, from the other side of the door. Feeling herself frozen with panic, her mind ran to the Avatar. For a moment, she was convinced that her Father would come bursting through the doors with the Royal guard ready to throw her in a cell for her treason, but instead, what entered was a rush of servants, and behind them, the wrinkled smiles of Lo and Li.

"Good morning, Your Highness," Lo said as she approached in lockstep with her twin.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded as she watched the army of servants flutter around her room, opening windows, beginning to dust, and bringing in new clothes. "I specifically requested to be left alone," she reminded them, frustratedly as she stood from the edge of her bed, a few servants rushing to begin stripping her sheets for fresh ones. 

"Maybe so," Li said, brushing off her ire. "But His Majesty has requested your audience this morning." 

"He has provided you with a new dress, quite fitting for this morning." Lo continued as she gestured toward one of the servants who was laying out the red and gold silk garment atop her dresser.

Azula eyed the supposed gift suspiciously. As far as she knew, she hadn't done anything worth being rewarded for, though considering her Father usually had a better sense of what she liked, maybe this was meant to be some form of punishment. 

"Why?" she demanded, narrowing her eyes at the two decrepit old bats. 

"Because it is what is expected of you," Li said as if it were obvious. "Now, please let the servants dress and ready you so we may join The Fire Lord and His Highness Prince Zuko." 

That was even stranger than some gift from her Father. The last time she could remember her family all sitting down for a meal together was before her Mother had disappeared. Afterward, barring some great feast where other lords and noblemen needed to be entertained, they all started eating alone. She tried to think what her Father could want, her mind immediately going to the Avatar. 

"I don't suppose I have a choice in this matter," she questioned, feeling the urge to grind her teeth. 

"No, you don't," Li said with a wrinkled smile. 

'I can't wait till you drop dead, you decrepit old bitch, ' she thought, clenching her fists at her side as she tried to stone her expression. 

"We expect you to be ready in the next hour." Lo croaked out before they both turned to leave. 

"The rest of you out," she ordered as soon as Lo and Li were gone, causing the servants to pause in their work. 

"But princess, we need to dress you," one of the servants protested. 

"I am perfectly capable of dressing myself," she shot back. 

"But...what about your makeup?" the servant said, sheepishly gesturing to her left eye. "The Fire Lord said that we should cover your scar." 

Azula felt her annoyance spike. "Tell me," she said, leaning over the servant as she glared down at her. "Did my Father insist on painting my brother's face to cover his scar as well?" 

The servant leaned back away from her, her eyes dropping before she shook her head. 

"No?" Azula questioned with a tilt of her head. "Well then, I see no reason to cover mine. Now do as I bid, and leave me." 

"Of course, your Highness," the servant bowed before her, and the others quickly departed as well, finally leaving her alone in her room again. 

Azula never thought she would hate being back home as much as she did now. The freedom her time in the Earth Kingdom had afforded her had made her forget how easily her Father was able to barge into her life and make demands of her that she couldn't refuse while remaining completely uncertain of what he wanted. Briefly, she considered just leaving the palace and disappearing into the city again, but she knew she had nowhere to go, at least nowhere that didn't land her in another unwanted conversation with Ryuzo, and knowing her Father, he would likely send soldiers out looking for her and drag her back to attend whatever social obligation he had set up. 

Feeling her frustration boil over, she stormed over to where the crimson silk dress lay, wanting to rip it to shreds and burn the scraps to a crisp just to spite her Father, but when she picked it up to do so, she felt something slip from the fabric and fall gently to the floor. Looking down, her brows pinched in confusion when she saw a rolled-up piece of parchment at her feet. Placing the dress aside, she picked up the parchment and unrolled it, finding that it was a letter. 

You need to know the story of your Mother's disappearance. It will reveal your own destiny. 

____

Azula honestly couldn't remember the last time she had worn any of her dresses, most of them sitting unused in her closet since she went off to the academy, instead exchanging them for her armor and tunics, yet that strange letter had convinced her to squeeze into the tight-fitting fabric. She was almost certain that it was just another test by her Father, either to test her loyalty or to just mess with her head. Either way, if she wanted answers, she didn't have much of a choice.

As she walked down the palace halls, her mind was stuck on the letter, unable to stop her mind from searching her memories, rolling over each detail, trying to find some meaning in all of it, and what it had to do with her destiny. Turning a corner, she saw her Father standing in front of the doors to the dining room, clearly waiting for her. 

"I'm glad to see you've chosen to join us," her Father said in lieu of a greeting. "I half expected you to disobey me and go gallivanting in the city where you could make a mockery of me, but it seems your vacation was enough for you to compose yourself."

Azula felt herself tense up at that. She supposed this was the reaction she should have been expecting, but the remark made her anger spike, hating how her Father assumed everything she did still revolved around him. A part of her wanted to spit back some retort, but she decided to hold her tongue. 

"I apologize for my lack of discretion," she said as she looked away, preferring to stare at some corner of the hall instead of her Father's disapproving glare, but she felt his hand on her chin, forcing her gaze back to him, his eyes squinting down at her disapprovingly as he examined her.

"I told those servants to cover that ugly scar and make you presentable," he said, frustratedly. 

"I thought it unnecessary," she said, trying to pull away from his grasp.

"I decide what is necessary for you, Azula," her Father said as she subtly felt his grip tighten on her jaw. "Or have you forgotten, like everything else I taught you?" 

"No, of course not, Your Majesty," she said, keeping her voice steady as she tried to bite back her anger. 

"Good," her Father said, releasing her jaw before standing up straight. "I suppose you'll have to do for now," he remarked as his eyes looked her up and down, Azula feeling him scrutinize every inch of her. "Do you like the new dress?" he questioned, looking at her expectantly.

"It's fine," she said as she crossed her arms, covering herself in a small act of defiance. 

"Just fine?" her Father questioned, arching a brow. "That dress is made of some of the most expensive silk in the world." 

' Just say what he wants to hear, ' she thought with a resigned sigh. 

"Thank you for the gift, Your Majesty," she said, not bothering to meet his eyes. 

Her Father only let out a huff in response before he moved to tell the servants to open the doors.

"Wait," she said before he could fully turn, some sudden panic gripping her as she remembered the letter she had received, feeling the need for answers. "I wanted to ask you something," she said, taking a small breath as she tried to steady herself. "...about Mother and why she disappeared." 

Her Father turned back to her, his expression a mix of confusion and suspicion. "Not now, Azula," her Father said, turning to the servants, gesturing to them to open the doors. "We have an important guest tonight and I need you focused." 

' So it wasn't you, ' she thought, her confusion only deepening.

As she followed her Father into the dining room, she saw Zuko stand up from his seat to the right of her Father's as she expected, but his attention didn't turn to her or her Father as they entered, instead staying focused on the other side of the table his stare fixed into a glare, following her brother's gaze she was surprised to see Zhao standing on her Father's left-hand side, which was traditionally supposed to be her seat, she noted with a tinge of bitterness. 

"Sit, all of you," her Father ordered them as she walked over to the seat at Zuko's side.

As she sat, her brother only then seemed to take note of her, looking her up and down as if she were a stranger.

"You're wearing a dress," he said, seeming baffled.

"Nothing gets past you, does it, Zuzu," she whispered, wanting to brush past the topic as she glanced around the rest of the room, finding the other seats empty. "Where's Mai?" 

"We're not technically married yet, so I decided to spare her from this family gathering," he answered. 

"No fair," she huffed before glancing over to Zhao. "Why is he here?" 

"No idea," Zuko whispered back. "He hasn't said a word since he sat down." 

"I've invited Viceroy Zhao to dine with us. There was some business that we still needed to discuss," her Father informed them as if he had heard what they said. 

Azula didn't believe that for a second, having a feeling that this whole facade of a gathering was centered around Zhao.

"Thank you for inviting me, Your Majesty," Zhao nodded in deference.

"Kiss ass," she mumbled under her breath, causing Zuko to have to bite back a smile.

Her Father seemed to notice the comment, but if he meant to chastise her, it was cut off by a line of servants entering, each of them carrying plates stacked high with extravagant food, two of them hauling in a skewered boar and placing it at the center of the table. As the servants filled their plates and drinks, one stepped forward with a knife to cut the boar, but Zhao halted him with a hand.

"Allow me," he said as he took the knife from the servant. "I prefer to be the only one in the room with a blade," he explained before he looked back at her and Zuko. "How has your time back in the capital been, your Highnesses?" Zhao questioned as he began to sharpen his knife. "I'm sure it's been quite an adjustment being welcomed back as heroes after so long away." 

"I guess," Zuko said, narrowing his gaze suspiciously at Zhao. "I've mostly been preparing for my wedding." 

"I suppose one would long to settle down after chasing the Avatar for so long," Zhao commented as he cut into the thigh of the cooked pig. "As I'm sure you'll recall, my prince, I myself was quite fatigued by my own hunt." 

"Unfortunate, how it ended," she said, as she took a bite of an ash banana from her plate to cover up the smile that pulled on her lips as she remembered how Zhao's forces in the north had been decimated by the Avatar. Zhao shot her a glare at that, but quickly refocused on Zuko. 

"It was quite interesting," Zhao began again as he placed the piece of pork on his plate. "Once upon my travels, I actually managed to capture the Avatar and hold him in Pohuai Stronghold, though not for long, I'm afraid. Soon after, a strange man wearing a mask of the blue spirit and wielding dual broadswords broke in and freed the Avatar, though to what end I do not know," Zhao said, leveling a glare at Zuko. 

She wasn't sure what Zhao was referring to, but judging by the sudden look of panic that struck Zuko, he did. 

"Personally, Viceroy," she said, butting into the conversation and answering for Zuko. "I don't think it would do well for one's reputation to go around telling tales of how you managed to let a single man with no bending break into one of the most secure bases in the world and escape with the Fire Nation's greatest enemy," she said with a pointed smile. "Thankfully, my dear brother and I had far more luck in subduing the Avatar." 

"As my daughter tells the tale, Prince Zuko himself struck him down," her Father said, speaking for the first time in their conversation. 

' He's telling my old lie, ' she thought, glancing at her Father suspiciously. ' Is he trying to make me jealous of Zuko again? ' she wondered. 

"Is that so?" Zhao said, fixing his gaze on Zuko. "Please, do enlighten us, Prince Zuko. How did you finally kill the Avatar?" 

"With my lightning bending," Zuko said nervously, glancing at her for a moment like he was asking for help.

"It was quite the impressive sight," Azula said, corroborating Zuko's lie. "And just in time, the Avatar was on the brink of killing us all before he struck him down." 

"Is that so?" Zhao said, keeping his focus on Zuko. "I wasn't aware that you possessed such a talent." 

"My Uncle taught me," Zuko said tightly.  

"And here I thought that bumbling traitor had nothing useful to teach," Zhao scoffed as he bit into his food.

"In the end, it didn't seem to do him any good," her Father added. "That weakling was always more concerned with poetry and brewing tea."

She could see Zuko's temper flare at that, his face morphing into a scowl, looking as though he was ready to challenge Zhao to another Agni Kai. Reaching under the table, she found his clenched hand and squeezed his wrist, gaining Zuko's attention and giving him a small shake of her head. Zuko's lip twitched in repressed anger for a moment, but she felt his fist unclench before she let go. 

"How has the occupation of Ba Sing Se progressed?" she asked, changing the subject as she looked back to Zhao. "The last time I was in the city, things seemed to be quite out of control under your rule." 

"The situation has calmed significantly," Zhao said stiltedly. 

"I'm glad to hear it," she said with a false smile. "It is quite strange how, as soon as you took charge of my occupation and began your crackdowns, the rioting only seemed to grow worse." 

"Azula," her Father growled in a warning tone as he shot her a glare.

"What?" she questioned undeterred, "I'm simply making an observation," she shrugged with a smirk, glancing at Zhao over the brim of her glass as she took a sip of her drink. 

"It's quite alright," Zhao said, putting his hand up as he returned her smirk. "Perhaps the princess just isn't aware of what objectives were truly important in Ba Sing Se, such as securing valuable political prisoners like the Earth King." 

"The Earth King?" she scoffed in disbelief as she felt her anger rise. "If you had actually spent any time in Ba Sing Se gathering intel as I had instead of burning it down, you would be aware that the Earth King was merely a puppet to the Dai Li, whom I subdued long before you even arrived and-" 

The whole table and all the dishes placed atop it suddenly rattled as her Father slammed a closed fist down, cutting her off and causing her to jump slightly. 

"Everyone out!" her Father demanded as he stood, causing the servants to scurry out in fear quickly.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Zhao said, seeming completely unfazed by her Father's outburst as he stood and bowed before leaving. 

Zuko stood next, seeming as shaken up as her, Azula quickly following suit. 

"Not you," her Father said, halting her with a glare that sent her back to her seat.

Zuko stayed where he stood, glancing down at her, unsure. 

"What are you waiting for, boy?" her Father growled, drawing Zuko's attention back to him. "Leave...now," he ordered. 

Zuko hesitated for another moment, his fist clenching at his side, before he let out a huff and obeyed him.

As soon as the doors closed behind Zuko, her Father's ire turned to her.

"Has your time gallivanting in the Earth Kingdom completely stripped you of all the decency I tried to instill in you?" her Father questioned.

"I'm not sure what you expected when you invited Zhao, considering he did this to me," she shot back, pointing to her scar and blinded eye. 

She had barely dropped her hand away from her face and back to her lap before her Father was on her in a flash, his hand hooking under the table to flip it over and out of the way, sending the food and plates crashing to the ground. Azula tried to scramble back, but was halted when her Father reached down and grabbed her by the jaw. 

"I expect some basic decorum," her Father hissed as he shoved her back. "Spirits, I thought I had trained all of your Mother's weakness out of you, but you have her habit of needing to make a scene whenever something doesn't go your way," he said before he turned away, seeming to pace in frustration. 

Azula quickly backed away as far as she could before her back hit a wall. Managing to get her trembling legs back under her, she stood taking steadying breaths as she tried to get her panic under control. 

"There are more important things than your whims, Azula!" her Father shouted as he paused in his pacing to face her, his anger boiling back up again. "There is the Fire Nation, and our family's legacy that you must think about! And now, because of you, your sniveling weakling of a brother is the only one to carry on my legacy!" he screamed, pointing at his chest as he loomed over her. "Mark my words, girl, if you disobey me again, you will disappear just as your Mother did," he threatened. 

"Is that why she left?" Azula questioned, managing to find some anger to spit back at him. "She disobeyed you one too many times, so you had her disappear?" 

Her Father only scoffed at that, his anger seeming to dissipate into amusement. "You truly want to know why your Mother left?" he questioned. "The truth is, I didn't have to do anything to make her leave; she was desperate to leave us because she couldn't bear being a wife to me and a mother to a monster like you!"

Azula tried her best not to show any reaction, but her vision began to blur as her eyes welled with tears without her permission, her Father only shaking his head in disappointment. 

"Pathetic," he scoffed before he turned and left her alone with his last words replaying in her head. 

___

Azula's hands were still shaking when she pushed open the doors to her Mother's long-abandoned quarters. Despite her Mother disappearing over half a decade ago, the room looked untouched. The only difference from when she was a child was the thin layer of dust that covered the room. Clearly, the servants returned to this room as often as she did. 

She had no idea what she hoped to find in here, maybe some answers or comfort, or maybe she had just exhausted all her other options. Wandering around the room, she began to search it, throwing open drawers, searching through her Mother's old clothes, and even flipping over the mattress, but finding nothing. 

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she noticed a tarp covering what must have been her Mother's old vanity. Walking over, she noticed that on the wall next to it were hung framed paintings of their family, though curiously none of the illustrations featured her Father. All of them were instead made up of Zuko or her, with one curiously featuring Ryuzo that looked to be hand-sketched. 

Looking back at the vanity, she pulled off the tarp, revealing a cracked, cobweb-covered mirror. Yanking on the old drawers, she found nothing but old glass jars of makeup. She expected to find much the same in the last one, but when she pulled on the handle, it stubbornly stayed closed. She yanked on it harder, assuming it was just stuck, but it wouldn't budge.

Kneeling down to examine the drawer closer, she found a keyhole, causing a brief flash of excitement and fear to go through her as she wondered if she had finally found the answers she was looking for. Deciding that she didn't want to turn the room over for a second time to find a key that may not even be there, she instead undid her topknot and took out her royal hairpin. She stabbed at the rotted wood once, twice, three times until the drawer finally gave way, leaving the metal of her hairpin bent. Tossing the useless decoration aside to some corner of the room, she slid the last stubborn drawer open. 

Azula wasn't sure what she expected to find locked away, but a few wooden trinkets weren't it. Picking through the wooden bead necklace and comb, she paused when she saw what looked to be a small carved lizard. 

Picking it up to examine it closer, she saw that it was actually a crude dragon...a dragon she recognized, causing a memory to flash in her mind of her in the woods, a knife in her hand with the same carving in its hilt. Looking back at the wall of paintings, she focused back on the out-of-place sketch...the sketch of Ryuzo.

Chapter Text

Azula felt like she was a million miles away even as she walked through the halls of the Palace toward the main entrance, where her Father had ordered the royal court to gather in anticipation of greeting the last of the noblemen and military leaders who would be attending tomorrow's war summit. 

It was an important event, one which Lo and Li had once again awoken her to attend with yet another new dress from her Father. While it still had the traditional gold and red colors, this one had a lower cut neck and no sleeves, exposing her arms, though much to Lo and Li's annoyance, the outfit was left incomplete after she had broken her hairpin, with one of the servants replacing it with a crimson silk hair tie. But even with how irritated Azula felt at her Father once again insisting he dress her up like some doll, she could only keep her mind focused on what she had found in her Mother's old room. 

Plots within plots skeemed up by a nest of vipers, no doubt crawled all around her, and she still had no answer for whoever had first snuck that letter to her, but judging from what she found in her Mother's room, she was almost certain Ryuzo had something to do with it. Either way, if she wanted to get answers from him, she would still need to find a way to get out of the Palace without her Father noticing, and him having his hands full entertaining a bunch of nobles tonight would give her the perfect opportunity. 

That morning, she had managed to find the old bag filled with commoner clothes that she and Ty Lee used to use near the hole in the Palace garden wall and topped it up with what she would need for tonight. As she entered the foyer with its high sealings, long marble and golden pillars, and the grand metal-framed, crimson doors to the Palace, she was met with the sight of what must have been a hundred servants all scurrying around the room, quickly rushing to get everything ready. 

The one person who seemed to be standing still was Zuko, his gaze locked on the rear wall where a team of workers were hanging great tapestries of each Fire Lord. Her Father had ordered that they be taken from the Royal Gallery and moved to the grand foyer, something about reminding their visitors of the legacy and greatness of the Fire Nation Royal Family, though noticeably, he neglected to display the tapestries of each Fire Avatar that were meant to accompany them. 

As she crossed to the room toward Zuko, her gaze scanned each tapestry. The first tapestry on the far side of the hall depicted Lu Ten, known as the Great Unifier. He had led her family's clan on a series of bloody wars to unify the Fire Islands, a part of her wondering if her uncle had hoped for her cousin to accomplish something similar when he named his son after him. 

The next portrait depicted Fire Lord Kuzon. His sobriquet, The Sun Slayer, marked the only notable achievement of his rule when he had waged a war against the Sun Warriors, but the army of lords he had gathered soon became disgruntled, betraying Kuzon and letting the enemy capture him. His rule came to a fittingly fiery end when he was burned alive by the Sun Warriors' dragons before they disappeared from the face of the Earth. Even still, his tapestry depicted him grasping the sun in his hands, holding it steady and firm with all the control he lacked during his invasion. 

The portrait Zuko was focused on was Sozin's. The tapestry depicted a comet arching over the fire lord's head, a scroll clutched in one hand, a fire burning in the other with a legion of Fire Nation soldiers at his feet. Though why Zuko had suddenly taken an interest in him was a mystery to her.

"It's never too early for a sitting with the court painter," she said in lieu of a greeting as she walked up to her brother's side. "Make sure he gets your good side."

"You're one to talk," Zuko scoffed. "At least I can still see when I close my right eye." 

"Ouch, low blow, Zuzu," she said, a bit surprised that he had insulted her back. 

"Yeah, well, if you think that's bad, I overhear some courtiers calling us the scarred siblings," Zuko said. 

Azula curled her lip in disgust at that. "If anyone says that to our face, we should give them a scar of their own." 

"Agreed," Zuko said as he glanced over his shoulder conspiratorially before looking back at her. "I've been meaning to ask you something," he said, lowering his voice. "What do you remember about our great-grandfather's history?"

Azula raised an eyebrow at that. "Why?" she questioned. "As far as I know, we don't have any history tests coming up, and even if we did, I already told you a long time ago that you can't copy off my notes anymore." 

"Spirits never mind," Zuko fumed, suddenly growing frustrated as he moved to turn away. "I'll just keep digging through more scrolls." 

"Wait," she sighed, causing him to pause. "Calm down, I'm joking, you idiot." 

"So are you going to tell me what I want to know?" Zuko questioned as he turned to face her again. 

"Alright, fine," she sighed as she mentally tried to gather all the information she could remember. "After the death of his Father, Fire Lord Kuzon, Sozin began his rule with a campaign of revenge against the lords who had betrayed his Father, stripping their ability to raise armies of their own in exchange for a centralized, powerful army that allowed the colonization of the Yu Dao peninsula. He spent the next decades secretly preparing for war. He was as patient as he was clever, famously waiting for a comet, later renamed Sozin's Comet, and used its power to launch his full-scale invasion of the world, destroying the Air Nation and their armies, which was later followed by the destruction of the Water Tribes' military capabilities, earning him the moniker of 'Sozin the Conqueror.' In the end, he died a very old and successful man." She finished with a huff, thinking that her old instructor at the academy would have been pleased with her diatribe. 

"But how did he die?" Zuko questioned. 

'All that information and that's his only thing he asks,' she thought as she wondered what the purpose of this line of questioning was.

"Spirits, you really must not have paid any attention in school," she smirked to herself. "He died peacefully, in his sleep. The man was ancient."

"Just like grandfather," he said as he looked at Azulon's portrait, Azula following his gaze. 

The tapestry depicted Azulon's slender form standing on the back of a writhing lion turtle that carried the world on its shell, which had been commissioned when the fall of Ba Sing Se was thought to be imminent before her uncle had retreated in shame. Her memory of the exact details of her Grandfather's last years as Fire Lord were admittedly a blur, mostly consisting of what she had overheard when she would sneak into council meetings and the night of her Mother's disappearance. She had only learned the exact details of her Grandfather's rule through historical scrolls once she was older. His biggest accomplishment had been the construction of the Great Gates of Azulon to protect the capital after the Earth Kingdom's and Northern Water tribe navy attempted to attack the home islands before being destroyed and retreating, but his legacy was mostly regarded as continuing the work of Sozin. She wondered if her legacy would be the same as her namesake, a simple footnote who desperately tried to copy her own Father's legacy.

The newest addition to the tapestries, which was still being put up, was her Father's, his familiar sneer depicted almost perfectly. All around him were gears and pipes spewing black fire. It seemed her Father intended his legacy to be that of a modernizer, which for him was surprisingly humble. 

She was about to ask Zuko what had brought on his sudden fascination with Sozin when a sudden clamoring of footsteps drew her attention. Looking back to the hall of the foyer, she saw her Father enter, adorned in black and crimson military attire, a full detachment of the royal guard marching behind him. Her Father's gaze quickly found hers, silently ordering her over to him.

"Come on," she said, nodding over to Zuko. "Looks like the show's about to start."

Taking her place next to her Father on his left side, a member of the guard approached, bowing in deference. 

"Your Majesty," a familiar voice said. 

Azula's eyes widened in realization as she turned to look at the guard watching as Ty Lee's cousin, Yuko, took off his helmet, his pale grey eyes briefly glancing at her with an almost revealing glint to them, like he was waiting for her reaction. 

Even though she wanted to demand why her Father had appointed a worm like Yuko to such a prestigious position, she knew an outburst wouldn't help her, so instead she looked away. In any case, she was almost certain this was all Zhao's doing. 

"Is everything ready?" her Father asked Yuko. 

"Yes, your Majesty, the guests are entering the Palace grounds as we speak," Yuko answered. 

"Good," her Father said with an almost annoyed sigh. "Let's get this over with." 

As they moved to the Palace entrance, a group of servants pulled the massive metal doors open, sunlight and the cheers from the distant crowd poured in. Looking out from where they stood atop the steps to the Palace, she saw soldiers from each branch of the military lined up shoulder to shoulder, stretching the length of the stone stairway, their banners flying in the wind as drums played to herald the arrival of their guests. Approaching them was a caravan of palanquins stretching to the gates of the inner wall that surrounded the Palace. Beyond that, she could hear the faint cheers of the crowds of people that no doubt crowded the streets of Caldera. 

The first palanquin to approach looked to be nearly as expensive as her own, with silk curtains and sculpted golden trim that reflected in the light. As the servants lowered the palanquin to the ground and its curtains opened, the Royal announcer called out, introducing their guest. 

"Presenting Supreme Viceroy Zhao, commander of all Fire Nation Colonial territories, conqueror of Ba Sing Se,  and breaker of the Earth Kingdom!"

Zhao had spent the past several weeks as their guest inside the Palace, but it seemed he wished to make a flashy entrance for the sake of the rest of their guests who hadn't properly been subjected to his theatrics and self-aggrandizing yet. As Zhao stepped out, he approached them with a self-satisfied half smirk, the rest of his mouth limp from his scar. 

"Your Majesty, your highnesses," Zhao said as he bowed before her Father. "I am honored that you would invite me to such a crucial war summit." 

"I wouldn't wish to decide the future of the Fire Nation with anyone else," her Father said, clapping Zhao on the shoulder. 

Azula only rolled her eyes at the theatrics; the only one that seemed to notice was Yuko, who was giving her a look she mistrusted like he knew something she didn't. Before she could try and discern any more of his motivations, he moved on, following Zhao, Yuko chasing after him like a loyal dog into the Palace.

The next group to ascend the steps arrived on foot. The distinct pointed black hats of the Dai Li were easy to recognize, though she noticed that their uniforms had been altered, with the green and gold of their uniform having been replaced with Fire Nation black and red, and the symbol of the Earth Kingdom that used to adorn their chest having been completely removed. 

"Presenting Hu Qiang, Commander of the Dai Li Colonial Security Forces!" the royal announcer called out. 

"Fire Lord Sozin,"  Hu Qiang said with a bow, the men behind him following suit. "We thank you for your invitation. I'm sure you will find our report on the security situation in Ba Sing Se, and how our...expertise can be utilized, very enlightening." 

"I'm sure I will," her Father said. 

"I was also hoping to discuss with you the allocation of former Earth Kingdom assets to the Dai-" Hu Qiang tried to say, but he was cut off when her Father raised a hand. 

"All in good time," her Father said, clearly annoyed by the mention of the topic. "I'm afraid that we have more pressing matters to attend to before that." 

Azula was certain that she would be berated for this later, as she had been the one to make promises of lordships and gold to the Dai Li if they helped with her coup, though she didn't think it wise for her Father to ignore their demands now. 

"I see," Hu Qiang said with a disgruntled huff before his attention turned to her. "It is good to see you again, Princess Azula," Hu Qiang greeted, his acknowledgment catching her off guard. "I was saddened to hear of the wounds you sustained before you departed from Ba Sing Se," he said.

"Don't be," she scoffed, quickly getting over her surprise. "You should see Zhao's." 

"Oh, I have," Hu Qiang said with a slight laugh. "It al-" 

"If you would make your way inside the Palace, I'm sure the servants can show you and your men to your quarters," her Father butted in, clearly disgruntled by the change in subject. 

"Of course. You have my thanks, Fire Lord," Hu Qiang said, seeming to understand, before quickly bowing and taking his leave. 

Next, two palanquins approached, one smaller than the other and less ornate than Zhao's had been. 

"Introducing the Governor of the Great City of New Ozai, and its administrative territories, Lord Ukano, his wife, Lady Michi, his son Tom-Tom," the Royal announcer said as the three of them stepped out of the larger palanquin. "And his eldest daughter," The announcer continued as the curtains of the smaller palanquin opened. "Lady Mai, betrothed and one true love of his Highness Prince Zuko." 

Mai's parents immediately rushed over to her Father, bowing to him, before Lord Ukano jumped into some clearly rehearsed speech about how much New Ozai has flourished under his administration, while Mai walked over to Zuko with a barely there smile, Azula deciding to join them instead of listening to more political blathering. 

"One true love, really?" she heard Mai say as she approached the two.

"I didn't tell him to say that," Zuko defended. 

"That isn't very romantic of you, Zuzu," she chimed in. "Shouldn't you be declaring your love for dear Mai from the rooftops instead of the royal announcer?" she said with a teasing smile, Zuko only responding by shooting her a withering look. 

"It was probably my Father who set it up," Mai said with an annoyed sigh. "You would think he was the one marrying Zuko with how much he talks about the wedding preparations." 

"Yes, well, if he keeps talking my Father's ear off about how good a job he's doing, he might just call the whole thing off," she said, glancing back at her Father, whose eyes looked like they were about to roll back into his head. 

"I wouldn't put it past him," Mai sighed, a slight look of worry flashing across her face. 

She looked back to Zuko expectantly, but he just glanced at her dumbly, seeming completely oblivious to Mai's anxiety. Letting out an annoyed sigh, she flicked her brother on the ear to get his attention. 

"Ow," Zuko said, flinching back. "What was that for?" he questioned, still clueless. 

"Spirits, it's a miracle you've ever managed to talk to a woman without getting slapped," she rolled her eyes. "This is the part where you swear to Mai that you'll never let that happen and do anything to secure her hand, dumb dumb." 

"Yeah," Mai said, letting out a slight laugh of amusement, some of her anxiety seeming to have disappeared. "If you're not careful, I might just leave you for your sister," Mai said as she placed her elbow on Azula's shoulder and leaned into her. "She knows how to treat a lady." 

"Well, I have had plenty of practice," she said, giving Mai a wink, barely able to bite back her amusement. 

"Please stop flirting with my fiancé," Zuko said, his voice half a whine. 

Their laughter was suddenly cut off by her Father. 

"Prince Zuko," Ozai said, causing all of their attention to turn to him, Mai's Father finally seeming to have finished his tangent. "Why don't you escort Lady Mai and her Family to their quarters inside the Palace?" 

The three of them shared a brief, confused look between one another before Zuko complied.

"Of course, Father," Zuko said, holding out his arm for Mai,  who linked it with his before they guided the rest of Mai's family inside leaving her alone with her Father,  the realization causing a brief feeling of worry as she stood back at his side ready to greet the next guest, but instead, Ozai finally decided to acknowledge her.

"I heard you visited your Mother's rooms last night," he said with barely a hint of emotion for her to decipher. 

Azula felt a small jolt of anxiety through her, but she quickly got a hold of it, not letting any of her fear leak out into her expression. 

"I did," she admitted, trying her best to sound unbothered.

"Why," her Father questioned, some of his disapproval creeping into his voice.

"I...I didn't want to believe what you said about Mother, so I tried to find something that would contradict it," she said, giving him half the truth. 

"And what did you find?" her Father questioned.

"Nothing," she lied, hoping to sound convincingly disappointed. "You were right, Ursa was nothing but a weak coward who had no place in this Palace, let alone at your side," she spat, disgust thick in her voice, the words falling from her mouth more easily than she expected, feeling like a girl again who was desperate to mimic all of her Father's beliefs. 

"Good. I'm glad to see that whatever confusion has plagued you recently has subsided," her Father said, Azula seeing a hint of a smile on his lips, giving her some reassurance that he believed her. "I will need you at my side, focused and ready for what comes next." 

She wanted to ask him what exactly was coming next, but knew she shouldn't push her luck and kept playing the dutiful daughter. 

"Of course," she nodded. 

To her relief, another palinquin approached being set down, but that relief soon disappeared when the curtains opened and the announcer once again called out. 

"Presenting Supreme Commander of the Mo Ce fleet, Admiral Jin Akaron and his betrothed Lady Ty Lee!"

Azula felt her breath catch in her throat as her eyes landed on Ty Lee, as beautiful as ever, adorned in a pink and gold silk dress as she took Jin's hand and stepped out of the palanquin.

"You claim you are loyal to me again," her Father said, his hand gripping the back of her neck as he pulled her in to whisper in her ear. "But I've let you fool me before, Azula...now it's time you prove it." 

***

Azula was avoiding her, Ty Lee was sure of it. When she had first arrived at the Palace entrance with Jin and was greeted by Azula and the Fire Lord, she was understandably standoffish with her Father right next to her and yet Ty Lee had been practically stalking the princess almost the entire night, hoping to catch her in a moment alone, but every time the chance arrived, Azula would plaster on a fake, and slightly unsettling smile as she would seemingly purposefully draw herself into a conversation with some lord or general, nodding on to whatever they said while looking miserable almost the entire time. All of which was made doubly unfair by how gorgeous Azula looked in the dress she wore. 

Currently, she and the rest of the guests were gathered in the Palace gardens, where red lanterns hung on lines strung above them to illuminate the space, and servants danced between the huddled groups of conversations carrying food and drinks. She had managed to have a brief chat with Zuko and Mai, but they had soon been forced to engage in other conversations with guests of more prestige than her. 

"You're sulking," Jin said in lieu of a greeting as he walked over to the corner where she was nursing her drink.

"Azula's ignoring me," she said, her voice unintentionally coming out in a whine as she fidgeted with the glowstone bracelet around her wrist. 

"Don't be so sure," Jin tried to reassure her as he glanced over to where Azula was talking with members of the Dai Li. "This is an important part of any war summit, especially for one as big as this. "Your princess is probably helping her Father make all sorts of promises to everyone here, along with the rest of the royal court." 

"Really?" she questioned. "It seems like this is just an excuse to get everyone drunk," she scoffed as she sipped at her honeyed rice wine. 

"For you maybe," Jin teased with a slight laugh. "But look around. Every little group you see represents the interest of some faction in the Fire Nation. The Fire Lord has a vested interest in this summit going as smoothly as possible. He can't afford for anyone to make a fuss and cause his Majesty to look weak, especially when we're in such a precarious situation."

"But we've won the war," she pointed out, confused. 

"Yes, but every resource we have has been stretched thin, the army is struggling to maintain control of our new territories in the Earth Kingdom, and every faction is worried they won't get their fair share of the spoils of war. Right now, deals are being made and egos smoothed over," he said conspiratorially. 

Ty Lee felt herself frown, a part of her not wanting to believe that Azula would so easily go back to being Ozai's lackey again, but if that was true, then she'd need to understand what was going on if she wanted to have a chance to convince Azula of anything.

"What factions are there?" she asked, finding it hard to pick them out in the crowd. 

"Well, to start, you have the noble land owners who are looking to expand their holdings in the colonies," he said, gesturing to a group of finely dressed men and women mumbling amongst themselves, her and Mai's Father among them. "I imagine the more powerful houses will receive some land possessions and maybe a few military postings here and there, so the crown might pay off their debts to them, but most of it will likely fall under state control."

Ty Lee imagined that her father would likely be one of the lords to receive very little after everything she did to make the Fire Lord hate them. 

"Then you have the military, which, as always, is split between the navy and army," he said, gesturing to two separate gatherings of military uniforms who occasionally shot dirty looks at one another. "The Navy is going to be in a tough spot. They've been receiving the lion's share of the military budget forever, but now that the war has been won, the army will be the priority in order to consolidate the Fire Nation's land gains. I've heard that the Admiralty will try to get the Fire Lord to agree to a second invasion of the Northern Water Tribe, but if they can't get Zhao to agree, then we'll likely see cuts." 

"Do you think he will?" she questioned. 

"If you asked me that a few months ago, I would have an answer for you, but honestly, I don't know anymore," Jin sighed, before his gaze seemed to lock with an older-looking woman huddled with the admiralty.

"Someone you know?" she questioned.

"What?" he said, snapping out of whatever trance he seemed to be in as he looked back at her. "N-no, it's nothing," he insisted. 

A part of Ty Lee wanted to press him, but before she could, Jin moved on. 

"Anyway, then you have the Fire Sages. They've been losing influence over the past decades and are no doubt going to push for the spread of their beliefs in the new colonies, but with things as precarious as they are, I wouldn't count on them even getting to speak." 

"What about the Dai Li?" she asked, seeing Azula's conversation with them finally starting to wrap up. 

"Who knows," Jin shrugged, suddenly seeming to grow cagy. 

"But didn't you say that Zhao worked with the Dai Li in Ba Sing Se? He must have said something about them," she pressed. 

"Not really," he insisted. "To be honest, Zhao hasn't said much to me as of late," he sighed, seeming to grow slightly mournful before he shook it off. "Besides, the Dai Li are secret police, and they tend to keep their secrets better than most." 

Not satisfied, she wanted to press the issue again, but before she could, the sound of someone ringing a glass drew the whole crowd's attention. Glancing over the noblemen and generals' heads, she could see Ozai.  

"Honored guests," Ozai's voice boomed out, causing all other conversation to die out. "I would like to take a moment for all of us to appreciate the gravity of why we are all gathered here today. Almost one hundred years ago, my Grandfather, the great conqueror, Fire Lord Sozin, began this war, bringing the prosperity and greatness of the Fire Nation to the shores of the backward and stagnant Earth Kingdom, and now today, his work is finally done!" he said, the crowd erupting in applause save for the Dai Li who seemed more reserved in their clapping while Azula kept her hands folded behind her back as she seemingly tried to stay out of sight, giving Ty Lee a brief flutter of hope. 

"I am sure that the strategies and solutions we decide upon tomorrow will be agreed upon by all and lead to another hundred years of prosperity for the Fire Nation and the World!" Ozai continued.

Another round of applause erupted at that, Ty Lee sure that she wasn't the only one who noticed Ozai's barely veiled threat for them to cooperate. 

"I would also like to express my congratulations to my son and heir, Prince Zuko and his betrothed, the lovely Lady Mai, on their forthcoming nuptials," Ozai continued, raising his glass to wear Mai and Zuko stood their arms interlinked, the two of them looking uncomfortable at the sudden attention. 

Ty Lee joined in with the applause this time, though her enthusiasm was nothing compared to Mai's Father. 

"Now please enjoy the rest of the celebrations," Ozai said, raising his glass as almost on cue a ball of light shot up into the air before exploding in a bright flash of red, followed by more fireworks lighting up the sky, causing the crowd to look up in amazement. Looking to where Azula had been standing to see her reaction, she saw that she was gone. Searching the crowd, she eventually spotted Azula at the edge of the garden slipping behind the wall of hedges. 

Letting out an exaggerated yawn, she turned to Jin. "I'm afraid all this celebrating has drained me. Would you be so kind as to make my excuses to the rest of the guests while I turn in for the night?"

"Of course, my lady," Jin said with a knowing smirk as he handed off her drink to him. "Tell the princess I said hi." 

Sticking close to the edge of the distracted crowd, she followed Azula's path, finding the gap in the hedge she had slipped through. On the other side, she found a familiar sight, the same cherry blossom tree she, Azula, and Mai had spent their days in the Palace under. Azula knelt by the foot of its trunk, fiddling with something. 

"Feeling nostalgic?" she asked as she approached, causing Azula to jump before she turned to face her. 

"What are you doing here?" Azula demanded as she stormed over to her, seeming panicked by her sudden appearance. 

"I could ask you the same thing," she pointed out, walking around to where Azula had been kneeling, seeing the old canvas bag they hid the commoner clothes they used to wear when they snuck out of the Palace. 

"Planning a trip?" she questioned, looking back to Azula, who seemed almost nervous. "It's a shame you'll have to change. You look beautiful in that dress." 

"It was a gift from my Father," Azula huffed, a slight blush coloring her cheeks as she walked over to the bag and shoved it closed. 

"Oh," she said, wrinkling her nose as she wondered when Ozai got such good taste in women's fashion. "Never mind then."

"You still didn't answer my question," Azula pointed out as she stood, her mismatched eyes glaring down at her. "Why are you here?" 

"And you didn't answer mine," she pointed out, holding her gaze. "So you answer mine, I'll answer yours." 

"Spirits, you're such a brat," Azula mumbled under her breath before she let out a sigh. "Fine," she conceded with a roll of her eyes. "I'm going into the city." 

"Why?" she pressed as she reached up and hooked her hands behind Azula's neck. 

"That's more than one question," Azula pointed out with a self-satisfied smirk as she pushed Ty Lee's hands off of her. "Now, why are you here?" 

Ty Lee let out a huff of annoyance as she crossed her arms, but answered. "Believe it or not, my being here has nothing to do with you. Jin was invited to the war summit." 

"So you following me around all night was just what? a happy accident?" Azula pointed out. 

"Well, after how we left things, I figured you'd want to talk," she said, feeling herself growing angry. 

"I can't talk, not right now," Azula said as she turned and began to pull a change of clothes out of the bag.

"Of course not," she scoffed. "You never want to talk when things get hard, you just shut down like always." 

"It's not like that, Ty," Azula insisted with a frustrated sigh as she stood back up and turned to face her.

"Then what is it?" she demanded. "Why are you avoiding me?" 

"Who invited Jin here?" Azula asked as if she already knew the answer. 

"Zhao, why?" she answered, confused. 

"Exactly," Azula huffed, shaking her head in frustration. "This whole thing is just one big trap by my Father to test my loyalty."

"And you sneaking out is going to prove your loyalty, how exactly?" she questioned. 

"He won't notice I'm gone, not with all the celebrations and plotting he'll be doing tonight," Azula reasoned. "And besides, I won't be gone long." 

Ty Lee paused for a moment, wondering if that was true. She supposed there was a chance, but Jin had also been Zhao's right-hand man and was now an admiral on top of that, plus Azula had a habit of making excuses to try and avoid conflicts like this, and she didn't plan on letting her slip away so easily. 

"Then he certainly won't notice me leave either," she said, testing the waters. 

"You want to come with me?" Azula questioned, seeming taken aback. 

"Why not?" she shrugged. "I already told Jin I was going to bed and to make my excuses, and besides, it'll be like one of our old dates," she said, leaning in closer as she put on a smile and fluttered her eyelashes in that way that always made Azula crack for her. A blush warmed Azula's cheeks, and for a moment, she thought it had worked, but Azula looked away.

"No," Azula said, the sternness in her voice weak. "This is just something I need to do, Ty," Azula said with a sigh. "...alone."

Ty Lee had to blink back tears at the refusal. "But you don't have to, 'Zula," she insisted, reaching out and sliding her hands around Azula's waist, pulling them closer, Azula thankfully not shoving away her touch again. "You always do this, you push everyone who wants to help you away when things get hard."

"It isn't like that, not this time," Azula insisted, her gaze going soft. "I promise," Azula said, as she felt her calloused fingers softly grip her chin and lift her gaze to hers, Ty Lee nearly melting at the way Azula looked down at her. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said on Ember Island." 

"Y-you have?" she said, taken aback, suddenly feeling unsure of what Azula would say next. 

"Yes," Azula said. "And you were right about everything, my nightmares, my Father, me being a coward...everything," she admitted.

Ty Lee wasn't entirely sure if she was dreaming. With the old Azula, it would have taken weeks of fights, screaming, and denial for her to even come around to barely half of Ty Lee's suggestions, but now she seemed to take all of them in stride. 

"I promise you that things are going to change, that I'll change," Azula insisted, a fervence burning behind her eyes. "But right now I still have questions that need answering." 

"And you think those answers are in the city?" she asked, swallowing around the nervous lump in her throat.

"No, I know they are," Azula insisted emphatically. "And I promise I'll explain everything once I return," she said, a chill running down Ty Lee's spine as she felt the pad of Azula's thumb across her bottom lip, almost coaxing her to believe her. 

Looking up into Azula's mismatched eyes, she searched them for any hint of a lie and didn't find any. Ty Lee felt torn in half, a hopeful part of her telling her to believe Azula, to trust that she had finally changed, but another part of her whispered that she had trusted Azula before, and she had still betrayed her, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't find it in herself to trust Azula to go alone.

"Ok," she said, nodding hesitantly. "But I still want to come with you," she insisted, though it came out as more of a plea. "I won't pry, I promise, but I just want to be there with you," she said, feeling her grip subconsciously tighten around Azula's waist.

"You don't give up, do you?" Azula said with a slight laugh, her hand dropping from her chin to the back of her neck. 

"Not when it comes to you, no," she said as she leaned up, their lips sliding together as they kissed. 

Chapter Text

Ty Lee felt almost entranced as she watched the flames dance through the festival air, their shape morphing and melting into the form of a dragon swirling over the crowd, causing gasps to erupt from the audience that was packed in front of the wooden stage.

"As the dragon's Agni and Kai flew above the village, their battle grew fiercer, their flames of fury scorching each other's scales and the village below!" The firebender performer belted out from the stage as he burned a second dragon into the night sky, the two beasts swirling around each other, causing a gasp to escape Ty Lee's lips.

Turning to Azula to see her reaction, she had half expected her to give some criticism of the performer's firebending, or at the very least show some mild interest in the show, but instead she found Azula with the same distant expression that she had worn ever since the two of them had managed to sneak out of the Palace unseen, the old hole in the garden fence and path to the city, still there from when they were younger.

Usually, Ty Lee prided herself on being able to easily place whatever was bothering Azula, but with how tight-lipped she was being the entire time they had been wandering around the city, it was hard to pinpoint. The two things that she was almost certain of were that it had to do with whatever was in Azula's bag that she gripped so tightly around her shoulder, and with the way Azula was letting her drag her to whatever caught her eye in the celebratory city, including this performance, she was hesitant to face whatever it was.

"But from the ashes rose the first fire benders!" The performer continued as the two dragons melted together. "Having learned the dragons' techniques from their battle, the villagers would spread their knowledge across the Fire Isles and then the whole world!" he roared out, the flames forming the symbol of the Fire Nation causing the rest of the audience to erupt into applause.

"What did you think?" she asked, turning to Azula.

"Hmm?" Azula hummed as she seemed to blink away whatever thought she had been buried in.

"About the performance," she said, nodding over to the stage. "Personally, I thought the firebending was a bit mediocre. You used to be able to bend better dragons when we were kids," she said, trying to bait Azula into a conversation.

"Of course it was," Azula scoffed. "All firebending is mediocre compared to mine," she bragged with a cocky half smile, Ty Lee returning it, glad to see her break out of whatever thoughts she had been stuck in.

"Thank you! Thank you!" the firebender bowed, drawing their attention back to the stage. "For my next trick, I would like you all to welcome my lovely assistant, Shu!" he said, gesturing over to the side of the stage where a perky girl in a revealing bright blue costume practicaly hoped out onto the stage and bowed, the outfit reminding Ty Lee of her time in the circus and how tight and revealing those old getups could be.

"Well, this should be interesting at least," Azula said as she clapped with the rest of the crowd.

"Of course, you're only interested when some girl in a skimpy outfit struts out on stage," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Sounds like someone's jealous," Azula remarked, leaning down to whisper in her ear, Ty Lee almost certain she could hear a smile in her voice.

"Jealous of what?" she scoffed. "I wouldn't be caught dead doing a performance this small," she said, mustering as much confidence as she could, yet all the same, she hooked her arm around Azula's and pulled her closer into her side.

"She will be performing a most dangerous stunt for you all!" the firebender said as he drew a crackling string of fire from the brazier and formed the flames into a ring. His assistant took a deep breath as she put on a determined scowl before charging forward and doing a frankly disappointing somersault through the ring, causing the crowd to erupt in applause.

"That's it? Really?" she gaped in disbelief.

"What? I didn't think it was that bad," Azula said in a clearly teasing tone.

"You've seen me do trapeze stunts almost twenty feet up in the air," she scoffed, tightening her grip around Azula's arm. "You should have higher standards for your entertainment."

"Well, to be fair, Ty," Azula said, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "You've had quite a lot more experience entertaining me than anyone else," causing a blush to warm Ty Lee's cheeks.

"You know, if you wanted to, you could give them a real challenge," she dared, flashing a smile up at her.

Azula looked up at the stage, a smile grazing her lips, something dangerous flashing in her eyes as she seemed to consider her offer before the hand on her bag tightened and she looked away.

"Not tonight, Ty," Azula said, her smile disappearing as she turned away from the stage. Ty Lee frowned at the cloud that seemed to pass back over Azula's eyes, but followed at her side back out into the streets of Caldera.

Looking around at the sea of partygoers, not a single resident of the entire city appeared to be sober, with almost everyone around them drinking or throwing up whatever they had just drunk. Ty Lee even caught glimpses of a few people kissing and coupling in the shadows. For all the moral virtues the Fire Nation officially espoused, none of them seemed to be on display tonight, a part of her finding it freeing. But Azula paid attention to none of it, seeming to have slipped back into whatever thoughts had been consuming her.

"So," she said as she rested her head on Azula's shoulder, managing to grab back a moment of her attention. "Are you finally going to tell me where we're going?"

She felt Azula clench up under her all over again at the question as she pulled the strap of her bag tighter around her shoulder.

"It's, um...a place," Azula said, clearing her throat.

It was too dark to be sure, but Ty Lee was almost sure that she could see a faint blush coat Azula's cheeks.

"I could guess that much," she said with a slight laugh. "What kind of place is it?"

"It's a place where girls- and boys work," Azula rushed to add.

Ty Lee let out a frustrated sigh as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion up at Azula, having hit another brick wall, before her gaze was caught by the sight of an alleyway, and an idea sparked in her mind. Tightening her grip around Azula's arm, she pulled her into the alley and pressed her back against the brick wall.

"Ty?" Azula blanched. "What are you-"

"What are you hiding?" she demanded as she gripped Azula's chin and glared into her eyes.

"Ty, stop," Azula said as she tried to brush away her hand, but she kept her grip.

"No," she insisted, "I know you better than anyone, and you're not telling me something."

Azula let out a sigh and rolled her eyes, giving Ty Lee a brief moment of hope that she had won before she felt Azula grip both of her wrists, her vision blurring as she was the one who suddenly had her back to the wall and arms pinned to the side of her head.

"Are you done?" Azula questioned, looking down at her with a tilt of her head.

Ty Lee tried to press against Azula's grip, frowning incredulously when it didn't work.

"I'll take that as a yes," Azula said as she leaned in closer. "But since I also happen to know you better than anyone else, I know you won't let this go, so I'll tell you this. I have questions, important ones that only someone at the place we're going to can answer."

She opened her mouth to ask for more details, but Azula cut her off before she could even speak.

"And since you weren't invited, you should be happy with how much information I'm giving you," Azula said as she leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Is that good enough for you?"

She glared up at Azula for a moment before she let out a huff. "It's a start," she conceded.

"Good," Azula said, releasing her wrists. "Now stop pouting," Azula said as she cupped her chin and ran a thumb over her bottom lip.

Suddenly, the image of those people coupling openly caused an idea to flutter in her mind.

"Make me," she challenged as she took Azula's thumb into her mouth and began swirling her tongue around the digit.

"Ty," Azula said in a warning tone as she removed her thumb from Ty Lee's mouth with a slick pop, yet not pulling her hand back.

"What?" she said with a smirk as she moved to kiss along the palm of her hand

"You have that look," Azula said as she squinted down at Ty Lee.

"And what look would that be," she said, pulling Azula closer by her arm, her other hand landing on the wall next to Ty Lee's head as she loomed over her.

Azula smirked down at her, a dangerous look flashing in her eyes before her hand slid down to her neck, pulling her close, causing a gasp to escape her lips as she felt almost limp in Azula's grasp.

"Like you want me to take you in the middle of this alley," Azula answered, the feeling of her breath on her ear causing a shiver of pleasure to run down Ty Lee's spine.

"T-then you're very observant," she stammered out as she felt her blush deepen, her hands roaming up around Azula's waist and pulling their bodies flush.

Sometimes, Ty Lee really did hate how easily Azula was able to read her and take over like this, especially when she wanted a clear answer out of her. But now it was too late; she had already pried her way under Ty Lee's skin and made her practically itch for her in a way no one else could, and right now, she just needed Azula, holding her, around her, in her.

"Please, 'Zula," she begged, a whine slipping from her throat as she began to feverishly kiss up the skin of Azula's neck.

"Please, what?" Azula said teasingly, but she was in no mood to play along. Instead, she sank her teeth into Azula's shoulder, causing her to let out a sound that was somewhere between a yelp and a moan before she gripped Ty Lee by the chin and pulled her back.

"If you think that's going to get you anywhere, you're sorely mistaken," Azula scolded before she leaned in and pulled Ty Lee into another kiss, but before Ty Lee could slip her tongue past her lips and deepen the kiss, Azula pulled away.

"Nice try," Azula said as she pulled back, releasing her grip on her chin. "But we have places to be," she said before turning to walk to the other side of the alley.

"You're mean," she whined, the rejection stinging more than she would have liked to admit as she rushed to catch up with Azula, grabbing her arm and pulling her back to her side.

"And you're insatiable," Azula shot back as she leaned over to place a kiss atop Ty Lee's head. "Now come on, we don't have all night."

***

Ryuzo's fist collided with the face of some idiot, causing his teeth to go flying out of his mouth and go rattling across the floor as he fell to the ground with a grunt.

"What the fuck is your problem?" the man gargled out, red drool spilling from the mess of his mouth as he tried to stagger back to his feet. "I paid for the girl!"

"You didn't pay to hit her," Ryuzo said as he kicked the idiot in the ribs, sending him back to the ground.

"Actually, he didn't pay at all," Oka said from where she stood in the doorway to her room, caressing a bruise on her jaw.

"Well, let's rectify that then," he said, reaching down and taking the man's coin purse from his belt, and walking it over to her. Oka reached out, but before she could take it, he pulled the purse out of her reach. "What's the first rule here?" he said, giving her a pointed look.

"I know," Oka rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. "Don't let them in unless they pay, but I could see he had the money."

"Well, next time make sure they hand it to you first," he said as he gave her the coin purse. "I shouldn't have to tell you this."

He was about to turn to deal with the customer when Oka halted him.

"Hey, wait," she said, causing him to turn. "Have you heard from Ursa at all? She hasn't been here in a while."

For a brief moment, he felt a jolt of panic go through him before he remembered that it was the alias Azula had been using.

"No, I haven't," he said, swallowing his nerves as he recognized that expression on her face, the same expression he had worn whenever Ursa had slipped out of his rooms and the same he had caused Numi to wear over the years.

Oka didn't seem to believe him, but she let him go as he grabbed the barely conscious customer and dragged him outside. The night was warm as he tossed the idiot onto the damp brick street, his face splashing into a puddle, which didn't even seem to wake him.

Letting out an exhausted sigh, he walked over to one of the water barrels near the mouth of the alley, washing away the blood from his knuckles. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of celebration pouring in, though he was in no mood to join the festivities, all of it making him feel even more out of place in this city than he already was.

"I suppose being a dead man will do that to you," he mumbled to himself as he dried his hands.

He was about to head back inside when he suddenly heard the noise of quickly approaching footsteps. Feeling himself tense up, he expected to see that customer or a mugger rushing to attack him, but when he turned to look, he saw some brown haired girl hurtling towards him... no, not just some girl, but-

"Lady Ty Lee?" he said, confused, before she collided into him, practically knocking the air from his lungs.

"Ryuzo!" she said, hugging him tightly. "You're alive!"

"I am," he said with a slight chuckle of disbelief as he returned her embrace.

"I heard that you were killed in Ba Sing Se," Lady Ty Lee said as she gave him one last tight squeeze before she pulled away. "What happened to you?" she said, looking up at him, her eyes wide with genuine concern.

"Yes, well, I'm afraid that's a very long story," he said with a tighered sigh. "Let's just say some friends of mine helped me get out. But what are you doing here?" he questioned, looking down at Ty Lee and her attire. "And why are you dressed like a commoner?"

"Well, we couldn't very well go prancing around the streets in silk dresses," he heard Azula's voice say. Looking up, he saw her standing there in similar clothes to Ty Lee, a bag slung over her shoulder, and a nervous smile on her face.

"Hey, kid," he said, returning her expression as a flood of relief went through him.

"You could have told me we were going to see Ryuzo," Ty Lee said with an annoyed huff, looking back at Azula as she approached, Ryuzo having no doubt that they had been having this argument all night.

"I wasn't sure he'd still be here," Azula said, looking at him.

"I wasn't sure you'd come back," he remarked, causing her to glance away from him. "Besides, there aren't many places for a dead man to stay, and with a whore house at least there's plenty of soft beds and company," he said, trying to joke.

"Hang on?" Lady Ty Lee said, turning to Azula. "A what house?"

***

Azula was almost certain her arm was moments away from falling off with how tightly Ty Lee was gripping onto it, her circulation to the limb steadily being cut off every time one of the girls in the main lounge so much as glanced at where she and Ty Lee were standing toward the back.

"You could have at the very least warned me that we were going to a brothel," Ty Lee whispered to her as she shot the gaggle of working girls who were watching them a dirty look.

"Well, technically," she said, straining her neck to look across the room at Ryuzo, who was talking to a clearly annoyed Numi. "For legal purposes, on paper, this place is officially a bathhouse," she said, thankful that they at least hadn't seen Oka yet.

"Right," Ty Lee said with a knowing tone that she mistrusted. "Well, you seem to be quite popular here. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you've taken quite a few baths here," she said, her tone teasing, but a part of Azula felt like she would be in trouble if she were honest with her.

"Look, I'm just here so I can talk to Ryuzo," Azula said in lieu of an answer.

"About what?" Ty Lee pressed as Azula thankfully saw Ryuzo wave her over.

"I'll let you know once I have some answers," she said as she extracted her arm from Ty Lee's vice grip before placing a kiss on her forehead, which seemed to placate her.

"Come on, we'll have some privacy back here," Ryuzo said as he guided her to one of the rooms in the back. Inside was a storage room, a few shelves, and crates with a table in the center acting as the only piece of furniture.

As soon as Ryuzo closed the door behind them, she felt the need to take deeper and deeper breaths, all the emotions she had done her best to control ever since she had searched her mother's room, finally starting to boil over before she flung her bag onto the table.

"I'm guessing there's something you want to talk about," Ryuzo said, raising a brow at her outburst as he rounded the table.

She didn't respond; instead, she dug through her bag, pulling out her dagger and stabbing the tip of the blade into the wood of the table.

"Look familiar?" she questioned, her jaw clenched with barely contained anger.

"It's the knife I gave you for your birthday," he said, reaching out and tracing the dragon head that was carved into the hilt.

"And what about this?" she said, digging through the bag and finding the carved necklace, throwing it at him, Ryuzo catching it, a brief look of fear or maybe guilt flashing across his face as he looked at it before his expression went neutral again.

"I do," he answered, his tone flat, which only made her more angry somehow.

"And this?" she said, growing more upset as she pulled out the comb, the carved wood bouncing off his chest, Ryuzo not bothering to catch it. "And this!" she said, finally turning the bag over, letting the wooden dragon whistle that matched the hilt of her knife and the portrait of him fall onto the table.

Panting, she watched Ryuzo trying to see if any reaction would crack through again, any hint of shame or guilt, but instead, he looked as though he was lost in some memory as he ran his hands over the trinkets before he paused over the whistle.

"Recognize anything?" she questioned as she watched him pick up the whistle, but all he did was press it to his lips and blow, letting out a high-pitched squeak, a smile gracing his lips.

"Is this some sort of joke to you?" she demanded, her fists clenched at her side.

"In some ways, yes," Ryuzo sighed, dropping the whistle back on the table. "And a very cruel one at that," he said as he picked up the portrait of himself. "I always told her to take this damned thing down off her wall, that someone would notice. I just didn't think it would take this long."

"So you admit it then?" she demanded. "That you and mother were..."

"Yes," Ryuzo answered plainly before she finished her question, the only hint of any emotion being a nervous swallow.

Azula knew that's what she had expected to hear, what she had wanted to hear ever since her mother had disappeared, but it didn't make the fact that Ryuzo had been lying to her sting any less.

"And you know what happened to her? Why she disappeared?" she asked, unable to keep the nervous tremor from her voice; his silence the only answer she needed.

"Spirits, why am I even asking you that? Of course, you knew," she said, digging her nails into her scalp as she dragged a hand through her hair before her anger suddenly came back to her. "How many times did I ask you, no, beg you to tell me why my own mother left me, and you lied right to my face!"

The look of shame that she had been expecting finally appeared on Ryuzo's face as he broke eye contact, unable to look at her.

"What do you want me to say, kid?" he asked, his voice cracking on the last word, almost sounding like a plea.

"The truth!" Azula snapped, slamming her fist on the table. "The same truth that you've been hiding from me for years!"

"I can't, Azula," he said, looking up at her, his eyes almost begging her not to press on.

"Why not!" she demanded, ignoring him.

"I made a promise to you're mother that I wou-" he tried to say.

"That's not good enough!" she snapped, cutting him off, slamming her fist on the table. "She's been gone for years, and I'm here! Whatever promise you made to her shouldn't matter anymore! You owe me this, Ryuzo, you owe me the truth!"

"Kid, you don't understand I-"

"No, you're the one who doesn't understand," she said, taking a deep breath and trying to steady herself. "Because if you don't give me the truth, I'm walking out that door and you are never going to hear or even see me again."

Her threat hung heavy in the air as Ryuzo searched her face like he was trying to see if she was bluffing or not, and for a moment, she thought he might call her on it, but thankfully, he let out a sigh and looked away.

"Alright," Ryuzo conceded as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking as if he was preparing himself to jump into some great battle. "What do you want to know?"

"Why did my mother have to leave?" she demanded, barely able to keep the emotion from her voice. "Let's start with that."

"That night," Ryuzo began. "After you told your mother and me that Fire Lord Azulon had ordered Ozai to kill Zuko, we knew we had to do something, so you're mother made a deal with Ozai. She knew how to make a poison that would kill Azulon without drawing any attention; it would just look like he died in his sleep, and with Iroh gone, Ozai would be free to take the throne and act as though it had been his Father's last wish for him to do so."

That took her back for a moment, she still had small flashes from that night, of her telling Zuko what their Father planned to do, of her mother dragging her through the halls and her crying in her arms after she admitted what she knew, afraid she was in trouble again, and a barely there whisper of her mother telling her something while she was half asleep.

"I never knew she could make poisons," she said instead.

"Her mother was their local village's herbalist," Ryuzo said with a fond smile, like he was remembering something. "Taught her everything she knew, was even supposed to take over before Ozai came."

Somehow, that made her chest ache with some unknown emotion, in many ways, Ursa had been a stranger to her, more so after she had left, but she had never thought much about the life she had had before marrying her Father.

"That still doesn't explain why she left," she pressed.

Whatever courage Ryuzo seemed to have disappeared again as he pulled his arms tighter around his chest.

"That was a part of their deal," Ryuzo said. "Ozai would get the throne, and she would get to leave."

Azula could feel a lump growing in her throat as she realized what he was avoiding.

"She wanted to leave because of me, didn't she?" she said, her voice tight with emotion.

"What?" Ryuzo said, looking up at her in disbelief. "Kid, no," he said as he rounded the table and tried to put an arm on her shoulder, but she brushed it off.

"It's okay," she tried to insist even as her vision blurred with tears. "She always hated it here, even I could see that, and I just made it worse, the little monster that I was," she said, spitting out the last words.

"Azula, no," Ryuzo insisted. "You may have been a handful like any kid, but you were the last reason your mother wanted to leave," he said, cupping her cheek. "Your mother loved you more than anything, Azula, and it broke her heart to leave you."

"Then why did she?" she asked despite her fear.

Ryuzo took a shuddering breath, pulling his hand away and clenching it at his side. "She had to leave because she was pregnant."

At first, Azula was confused, wondering why her mother would have to leave if her parents had conceived another child before the realization hit her like a blade through the chest. She had to brace her arms on the table to stop her legs from going limp beneath her, a mix of a gasp and sigh leaving her lips, her mind unable to decide if she was relieved or shocked by the answer, feeling Ryzuo quickly grasp her by the arm, concern clear on his face.

"What?" she questioned. "H-how?"

A barely hidden smile flashed on Ryuzo's face.

"I know you've never been fond of boys, Azula, but please tell me I don't have to be the one to explain to you how a woman might get pregnant."

"Do I have to explain it to you?" she shot back with none of the humor Ryuzo had as she pulled her arm out of his grasp. "Spirits, how stupid do you have to be to start an affair with a princess and get her pregnant as well!"

Ryuzo's smile disappeared as he backed away. "She told me that it wouldn't happen. The Royal Physician told her that she was infertile," an almost proud smile spread across his face, "but I think it was really Ozai who was the problem."

It took Azula a moment to process the information, her mind almost rejecting the notion that her Father, the great conquering fire lord, whom she had been terrified of her whole life, was impotent, until she remembered a conversation they had years ago, and it all clicked.

"Have you bled?" her Father had demanded, his tone scolding, the memory of the question still making her skin crawl even now.

She still remembered how the heat from a blush of embarrassment had crawled up her neck to her cheeks as she nodded her head silently.

"Then you are fertile and therefore ready," he had declared.

"So...Zuko and I...We're all he has," Azula said with a startling realization. "That's why he wanted me to marry so bad."

"I suppose s-" Ryuzo tried to say before she cut him off with a startling bark of laughter.

Azula almost felt half mad as she laughed, barely able to stifle the noise with a hand over her mouth, her other hand clutching her stomach as she stumbled back before she felt her back hit a wall and slid to the ground.

"Kid?" Ryuzo said as her breath ran out and her howling died down.

Glancing up at him through blurred eyes, she saw him staring down at her with a concerned look.

"Don't you get it?" she asked as another laugh bubbled up in her throat. "I'm a freak and Zuko's a failure and-" she paused, hissing as her breath died out and she had to take in another gasp of air. "And we're all he's ever going to have, and he hates us!" she laughed, her arms wrapping around her abdomen as she hunched over.

She had always hated herself for what she was, a freak who couldn't be normal and wed a man for the sake of her Father and their family, but now she couldn't be happier about it, a part of her reveling in the fact that she got to be the one who got to strip him of ever having his perfect heir to carry on his legacy.

"I suppose it is," Ryuzo said as he sat down on the floor next to her.

After a moment, she wiped away the tears that had welled in her eyes and managed to calm her laughter, her and Ryuzo sitting in the silence for a moment.

"So," she eventually said, turning to look at Ryuzo. "Where is she?"

"I don't know, kid," Ryuzo sighed. "That was never part of our deal, she never said where she was going, and I never asked, never even wrote to each other...for both our safety," he said, the last part sounding like he was trying to convince himself as much as her.

"Of course," she scoffed, feeling her anger come back to her. "So, my mother is out there somewhere, with a sibling I never knew about, your son or daughter," she added with a pointed look. "And you just let them leave," she spat before she ran a hand through her hair in anger. "I mean for Agni's sake, they could be dead for all you know," she said, a part of her hoping that she would cause some pain to flash in his eyes. "They could have been killed by some bandits or deseas, I mean maybe she didn't even make it out of the birthing bed, and you would have no idea, I mean did you even think about that? About what would happen to them without you?"

"Of course I've thought about it, Azula," Ryuzo almost snapped, "But I didn't have a choice," he insisted with a frustrated sigh.

"Yes, you did, you could have-" she tried to insist, but she was cut off.

"Don't even start," he warned, narrowing his eyes down at her even from where they sat. "Don't think for a second that I don't go to sleep every night thinking about what I should have done. Like how I should have killed Ozai or taken you and Zuko and gone with her? There are a thousand different things I could have done, and most of them probably would have protected you better, but I didn't..." he swallowed his voice, growing less harsh as his eyes grew mournful. "And I'm sorry for that, Azula, I-I really am."

Azula tried to imagine what that life would have been like, on the run with her mother, Zuko, and Ryuzo, having to hide from the Fire Nation, but she wondered if it would have been preferable as she pictured getting to curl up to her mother each night instead of wondering where she had gone, maybe even getting to hold her younger sibling. That image flashing in her mind caused her to consider something, something that made her feel hope in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.

"When did it start?" she asked. "When did you and my mother..." She trailed off, but Ryuzo picked up on what she meant easily enough.

"About a year before she left," he answered, seeming oblivious to the weight of his answer.

"Oh," she said, suddenly unsure why she felt so disappointed.

"What's wrong?" Ryuzo questioned, suddenly seeming to notice her shift in mood better than she had as her eyes began to well with tears.

"Nothing," she insisted as she wiped the tears from her eyes before they could fall, but soon more came; her chin began to tremble unbidden.

Suddenly, everything seemed so unfair, even though the idea that she could have been his child had only occurred to her for a brief moment; she had barely even been able to hold onto the idea before it had been dashed away.

"I-I just thought that-" the words getting stuck for a moment as she felt a lump in her throat. "I thought there was a chance I could be yours."

"Oh, kid," Ryuzo said as she saw tears begin to fill his own eyes. "You are," he said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder to pull her closer. "In all the ways that matter, you are."

That finally broke whatever damn had been holding back the rest of her tears as she leaned closer, burying her face in his chest, as she felt him cradle the back of her head with his other hand while she sobbed.

"Did you love her?" she eventually asked, her voice still thick with tears.

"I did, fool that I was," Ryuzo admitted with a slight laugh. "I wouldn't have done half of what I did in my life if I hadn't."

Briefly, she thought of Ty Lee, whom she had left back in the main hall. She had thought that Ember Island would be the last time she would ever see her, that she had finally managed to push her away for good, but even still, there she had always been coming back to her, always wanting to help.

"Do you regret it?" she asked.

"I regret a lot of things, kid," Ryuzo said with a sad smile. "But falling in love with your mother was never one of them."

Chapter Text

Ty Lee was starting to really hate this place. Every girl and boy who worked here seemed to be staring at her like they knew something she didn't, and one of the clientele even tried to proposition her, thinking she was a worker. She had come all this way back to the capital to find Azula and try and help her one last time, and now she was shutting her out without explaining anything, like always. She hadn't wanted to believe Jin's suggestion that she was back to doing Ozai's bidding, but all this secrecy was making her nervous, memories of what had happened in Ba Sing Se and the way Azula had lied straight to her face flashing in her mind.  

"Hi there," she heard someone say, breaking her out of her thoughts. Turning, she saw an older-looking woman with short brown hair smiling at her.

"Hi," she said with a short wave as she tried to muster up what little courtesy she could manage. "Sorry, do I know you?" she questioned, giving the woman and her low-cut, revealing outfit a once-over.

"No, but we do have a mutual..." The woman paused, seeming to mull over her words for a second, "friend," she finished with a wink that Ty Lee immediately mistrusted.

"And who would that be?" she questioned, already feeling like she wouldn't like the answer.

The woman smirked as she placed a hand on the wall next to Ty Lee's head, causing her to curl her lip and flinch away slightly.

"Well, she's got dark hair, a very handsome scar," the woman began, leaning in, Ty Lee catching a whiff of rice wine on her breath. "A bit closed off at least until you get a few drinks in her," she giggled. "Oh, and she happens to have some very talented fingers, as I'm sure we both can attest to."

"E-excuse me?" she blanched as she felt the heat of a blush color her cheeks.

"Oh, come on," the woman said in an almost mocking tone. "Don't play coy, I saw the way you were clinging to her like you were afraid she was going to chase after any one of us that caught her eye."

"You and her..." Ty Lee tried to say, but she didn't want to breath life into the thought.

"Oh, quite a few times," the woman finished for her as if it hadn't just shattered what little hope she had.

Ty Lee wasn't sure if she wanted to slap the woman or choke her at the idea of her and Azula-

The thought was cut short when the woman reached out and cupped her chin, pulling her face up to get a better look at Ty Lee. "She was definitely broken up about someone, and if it was you, I'd call it a waste. I mean, sure, you have a pretty face and a nice body, but she should have known that a relationship with another noble girl like you could never last."

"We're not nobles," she tried to deny as she slapped her hand away.

"Oh, please," the woman rolled her eyes. "You two can dress up like us all you want, but after working in a place like this for a while, noblemen like you are easy to spot."

"You don't know us," she tried to refute.

"Tell yourself whatever you want," the woman scoffed. "But if I were a betting woman, I'd say that whatever happened to cause your little split will probably happen again, and when it does, I'll be waiting, because the fact is, relationships like yours don't last, at least not up there in your palaces with all your rules, only here. One day she'll marry some noblemen, and when she needs a reminder of what she really is, she'll come back to me."

Ty Lee wanted to say something, anything to refute what she had said, but before she could, the woman had already turned away, her attention caught by something else. Following her gaze, she saw Azula and Ryuzo stepping out of the back room where the two had been. Azula's eyes were red-rimmed and puffy, as if she had been crying. Immediately, she wanted to rush over to Azula and take her in her arms to comfort her, but before she could even take a step forward, the other woman was already standing in front of Azula and putting a hand on her cheek before she slid it behind her neck to pull her in for a kiss. Ty Lee couldn't bear to look, her vision burning with tears as she turned away and stormed out back into the streets.

***

Azula was still half lost in her thoughts when she felt a soft hand on her cheek. When she looked up, she expected to see Ty Lee, but instead, another brown haired girl stood in front of her. Only a few seconds after she had registered it was Oka, she was grasping the back of her neck and trying to pull her in for a kiss. Their lips only brushed for a moment before she pressed her forearm to Oka's chest, shoving her back until they slammed into a wall.

"What in Agni's name are you doing?" she demanded with a hiss.

"What's the matter, handsome?" Oka said, seeming unfazed by Azula's outburst. "Did you forget about me?" her breath reeking of rice wine.

"I'm not here for you," she said as she pushed herself off Oka.

"Well then, maybe you should have told that to your friend," Oka said with a self-satisfied smirk as she nodded back to the entrance.

Turning, she saw that Ty Lee was gone from the spot she had left her, only catching the flash of her auburn braid as she fled back out into the streets.

"What did you say to her?" She demanded, turning back to Oka.

"Just the truth," Oka insisted.

Azula wanted to demand more detail, but she instead turned to chase after Ty Lee.

"Azula, wait!" Oka said, desperately catching her wrist and stopping her from chasing after Ty Lee.

"What did you just call me?" she demanded, trying not to let any fear or surprise slip out into her expression at hearing her true name.

"I know who you are," Oka said as she tried to snake a hand around her waist and pull her in again. "I know you're a princess," she said as she leaned in to whisper in her ear, "And I know how to serve you."

Before she could push Oka away again, Ryuzo stepped in, pulling Oka toward him by the arm.

"Enough, Oka," he said, giving the woman an almost pitiful look.

Oka didn't say anything, instead looking back to Azula like she expected her to tell him to let her go, like she thought she was going to accept her offer. Instead, she turned back to the entrance to follow Ty Lee.

***

Streaks of dried tears lined Ty Lee's face as she lay in Azula's bed, staring up at the red silk canopy that hung above her. She wasn't sure exactly why she had decided to come here instead of the room she and Jin had been assigned to, but by the time she had made it back to the Palace and slipped through the old hole in the wall, the celebrations had died down, allowing her to move about unnoticed, and her feet had carried her here.

If she had gone back to Jin, that might have made Azula jealous, but even as angry as she was at her, she still wanted to wait and see if Azula would come to chase after her. Yet the words of that woman rang in her ears again.

'I'd say that whatever happened to cause your little split will probably happen again, and when it does, she'll come running back to me.'

She wondered if Azula would even bother coming back to her room tonight or if she would just slip into that woman's bed again. Suddenly, she was unable to stop the insecure thoughts that floated around in her mind, that Azula had really gone back to being Ozai's puppet, that she had found some replacement to warm her bed, who didn't mind being a hidden-away shameful secret, and never demanded more of her like she had.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of a timid knock on the room's door before it creaked open. She refused to look at the entrance, instead keeping her gaze fixed on the ceiling, but she knew it was Azula when she heard her let out a small sigh of relief before she seemed to take in a breath to steady herself.

"Ty?" she heard Azula say, her voice sounding meeker than she had ever heard it. "Can I come in?" she asked.

"It's your room," she huffed as she rolled onto her side so her back was to Azula. "Come in if you want."

There was a pause of hesitation, and for a moment, Ty Lee feared that Azula had decided to leave, but then she heard the door creak all the way open before it latched shut, the sound of footsteps approaching from behind her.

"Listen," Azula said, clearing her throat as she dropped her bag with their dresses onto some corner of the floor. "Can we talk about what Oka said?"

"Oh, so that's what her name is," she cut Azula off bitterly. "You know you could have at least had the decency to tell me that you were with someone else before I made an idiot out of myself."

"I'm not with her," Azula quickly corrected, her voice sounding almost petulant.

"That's not what she said," Ty Lee sniffed as she wiped at her nose with her sleeve.

"Well then, what exactly did she say?" Azula sighed in annoyance as she sat on the edge of the bed, Ty Lee feeling the mattress dip behind her.

Ty Lee could feel tears burning behind her eyes at the memory, but she told her all the same, still refusing to turn, not wanting to face her.

"She said that you two...slept together," she answered, practically choking out the words.

"That was after Ba Sing Se and before Ember Island," Azula rushed to clarify, trying to place a hand on Ty Lee's waist.

"She also said that you would leave me again for her," she said, brushing off Azula's touch as she sat up and turned to face her.

"You were the one who left me first," Azula reminded her defensively as she stood, placing her hands on her hips as she seemed to pace the room in frustration.

She wanted to bite back at her with some retort, but she had a more pressing question.

"Would you?" she asked, her voice cracking involuntarily. "Leave me for her?"

"What kind of question is that?" Azula scoffed, turning to face her as if the notion was absurd.

"The kind I ask when you dragged me to a brothel while avoiding all of my questions! and-" she snapped, her voice rising, before Azula cut her off as she hushed her with a finger to her lips.

"No," Azula answered, her voice lower but still hissing with anger, "of course I wouldn't leave you for her, I told Oka as much when she tried to kiss me."

The image of Azula pushing Oka away brought some bitter joy to her, but it wasn't enough to quell all her doubts.  

"So why did you need to go to that...place?" she pressed.

"I needed to talk to Ryuzo," Azula said as if that explained everything.

"About what, Oka?" she asked, cruelly she knew, trying to cover up another bout of panic.

"No," Azula sighed, seeming to grow exasperated at her questions.

"Then what?" she pressed.

"It's complicated," Azula said, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I'm used to complicated," Ty Lee reminded her as she stood to meet her eyes... or as well as she could.

"Ryuzo...he lied to me about something... something important, and I needed to confront him about it," Azula said, avoiding her gaze, her frustration seeming to melt into something else. She wanted to press Azula for more details, but she could tell that she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"And that's it?" she asked.

"Yes, I swear," Azula promised, Ty Lee unable to find any lie as she searched her expression.

"Spirits 'Zula," she sighed with a mix of frustration and relief as she rested her head on Azula's shoulder. "You are the most frustrating woman I've ever known."

"I'm sorry, but I just don't want to get into it right now," Azula said, clearly missing her point.

"No, not that," she quickly cut her off, looking up at her.

"Then what?" Azula questioned, her brows pinching in confusion.

"You can make all these calculations about what a hundred different generals and lords will think with every decision you make, but you honestly can't predict how I would react to you dragging me to a brothel where you used to fuck some other girl?" she questioned in exasperated disbelief.

"Because I thought you would trust me!" Azula yelled, Ty Lee shushing her this time.

"And why would I when you can't ever seem to trust me?" Ty Lee shot back. "How am I supposed to know that this isn't just Ba Sing Se all over again? I'm your girlfriend for Agni's sake, but that doesn't ever seem to make a difference to you!"

Ty Lee expected some sort of retort right after that, for their argument to continue until they were both out of breath and red in the face, but instead, there was a pause as Azula seemed taken aback.

"I didn't realize you were my girlfriend," Azula said as if the notion had just occurred to her.

Ty Lee felt a blush of embarrassment flood her cheeks at that. Suddenly, she felt like some dumb love-struck girl who had made the same mistake of rushing in, wanting too much, assuming they were something they weren't anymore, spirits they had never even said what they were out loud when they were together, and now she had-

"Are you?" Azula asked, the question cutting off her spiraling thoughts.

Glancing back up at Azula, she suddenly looked as nervous as Ty Lee felt, but also a little hopeful. As much as she wanted to say yes, she couldn't get the image of Azula and Oka out of her head. She knew it wasn't reasonable of her to still be mad at Azula for that, but at this moment, she didn't feel particularly reasonable. Maybe it was because it had always been her who others pined after, while Azula would be the one who would grow jealous and possessive, take her like she was marking her property, and now she felt the urge to do the same to her, the thought causing her thighs to rub together.

"That depends," she said as she looked around the room before her gaze was caught by the sight of Azula's wardrobe, its door slightly ajar, the shine of red silk reflecting in the light peaking through. "Did you ever bring Oka in here?" she asked.

"No," Azula answered, as Ty Lee turned away from her and crossed the room to the wardrobe. "What are you-"

Azula's questioned died in her throat as Ty Lee pulled her top over her head, leaving her back bare to Azula.

"Something wrong?" she asked with a coy smile as she glanced over her shoulder, seeing a blush now coloring Azula's cheeks as she stood there, her mouth slightly agape.

"N-no," Azula eventually answered, Ty Lee's question seeming to knock her out of her brief stupor. "Not at all," she swallowed, her eyes glancing down to her ass appreciatively as she slipped her trousers off her legs.

Turning back to the wardrobe, she pulled its door fully open, took down the robe from where it hung, and slipped it over her shoulder. As she did, she caught a whiff of Azula's familiar smoky scent on the fabric, a relaxed sigh escaping her lips as she let it envelop her, feeling calm before she remembered that she was supposed to be mad at Azula. Pulling the robe closed over her chest and tying the sash tight around her waist, she turned to face her.

"And what about this?" she said as she gestured at the robe. "Did you ever let her wear your clothes like you let me?"

"No," Azula said, her fists clenching at her sides almost nervously as Ty Lee started to close the distance between them.

"How did you fuck her?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side as she looked up at her.

"Ty, why do you want to know all this?" Azula said, her cheeks growing red as she was unable to look into her eyes, before she grasped Azula by the chin and forced her to meet her gaze.

"Answer the question, 'Zula," she ordered, briefly tightening her grip to punctuate her point.

"With my fingers," Azula answered dutifully.

"And did you let her touch you?"

"No," Azula said, her blush deepening. "I swear I never-"

"'Zula," she cut her off, quieting her by pressing the pad of her thumb to Azula's lips. "Stop talking and get onto your knees. There are better things your mouth should be doing right now."

A part of Ty Lee had expected some sort of rebuttal from Azula, maybe even another argument to get their blood pumping like on Ember Island, but instead, the only sound that passed through Azula's lips was a whimper, her blush deepening as she slowly lowered to her knees in front of her. She let out a breath, somewhere between aroused and amused at how desperate Azula looked.

Keeping her mismatched eyes locked on her's Azula reached up and pulled the satin sash around her waist loose, causing the middle of her robe to fall open. Azula briefly glanced down between her legs, the tip of her tongue darting out to graze her bottom lip before she looked back up to her like she was waiting for permission to move.

Reaching back, she gripped the marble pillar of Azula's bedframe to steady herself before she lifted her leg to hook around Azula's shoulder. Azula placed a hand on her thigh to steady it there before she tilted her head to the side so it rested next to her knee.

"You're so beautiful," Azula whispered as she looked back down between her thighs, though if she was saying it to her or her cunt, Ty Lee couldn't be entirely sure.

Azula began to kiss the skin of her inner leg, keening as she moved closer and closer until she halted Azula with a hand in her hair, causing her to let out a whine of disappointment as she looked back up at her with an almost adorable, desperate look, as she questioned her with her eyes.

"Do you love her?" she asked, sliding her hand down to cup Azula's cheek.

"No," Azula said, rapidly shaking her head.

"And who do you love?" she asked, tucking a strand of loose hair behind Azula's ear.

"You," Azula said, her throat bobbing with a nervous swallow. "Only you, Ty."

"Good girl," she said as she hooked the bend of her leg behind Azula's neck and pulled her in close.

A gasp escaped Ty Lee's lips, her head tilting back in pleasure as she felt Azula's tongue slide between her folds, its tip quickly finding the bud of her clit and beginning to slowly circle around it, causing her to let out a breathy moan that she had to cut off with a hand over her mouth.

'Spirits, I missed this,' she thought.

Azula fucking her into the mattress on Ember Island had been fun for what it was, but it had been all anger, teeth, and claws nashing at her like a scared wild animal, and the night had just ended in tears and another argument in the morning. But now Azula was just a needy and pliant, whimpering mess underneath her.

Reaching down, she gripped the uneven locks on the side of Azula's head, keeping her steady as she began to rock her hips, riding her face. She felt Azula's hands reach up, one caressing the swell of her ass under the robe, while the other raked its nails up her abdomen until they groped one of her breasts.

She was about to scold Azula for touching her without permission, but the warning was cut off by a moan when she felt Azula's lips wrap around her clit, sending a shudder through her as she began to suck on the nub.

Feeling her legs begin to tremble underneath her, she dug both her hands into Azula's hair to steady herself, having to suffice with biting down on her lower lip to quiet her moans before they turned to cries of pleasure that would wake the whole Palace.

She tried to lower her leg off Azula's shoulder to gain some balance, but the princess's arm kept it in place. Her other leg soon gave out underneath her, causing her hand on the pillar to slip, sending her sliding back onto the mattress, Azula's lips not parting from her for a second as she continued to work between her legs.

Straining her neck to look down at her, she saw as Azula's hand gripped the thigh of her other leg to hook it over her shoulder, her nose buried in the thin patch of well-trimmed hair above her clit, before her mismatched eyes looked up and locked with hers, and that was all she needed to finally fall over the edge.

Craning her neck back into the mattress, she let out a cry of pleasure loud and unashamed as she hooked her trembling legs around Azula's head, holding her in place as her hips rocked back and forth against her face, until her orgasm finished burning through her and her legs loosened with exhaustion, falling back over Azula's shoulders.

Azula released her with a wet pop and a gasp of breath like she was surfacing from underwater and starving for air. The shimmer of her slick coating Azula's chin caught the light as she tilted her head back and ran a hand through her hair, pulling the few strands that had fallen loose from her braid away from her face before she dipped back between her legs, causing Ty Lee to let out another gasp that melted into a moan as Azula hooked her hands into the bend of her legs and pressed her thighs to her chest so she had better access to her, though this time her pace was less rushed, like Azula wanted to devour her rather than pull another orgasm from her.

She felt Azula suck and lap at her wetness like a woman starved, even feeling her tongue dip inside her, before another orgasm washed over her, this time feeling lighter and only causing her to let out a soft whimper of pleasure.

Once Azula had been sated, she began to kiss and nip at her thighs, leaving bruises and bites on her flesh as she ascended her body, pausing on her chest to pay special attention to her nipples, causing her to gasp and arch up into her mouth. After a few moments that felt like an eternity, she couldn't take it anymore and gripped Azula by the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss, tasting herself on Azula's lips as their tongues slid together before Azula was kissing along her cheek and then nuzzling into her neck.

"Am I still in trouble?" Azula asked, Ty Lee able to feel the hum of her voice against her skin between kisses and nips. "Or has my lady chosen to be merciful and forgive me?"

"Oh, 'Zula baby," she whispered sweetly into Azula's ear as she ran her nails through her dark hair, causing her princess to shudder atop her. "You were never in trouble."

"Is that so?" Azula said, raising her head to look at her. "Because with the way you were teasing me, I'd have thought I committed some sort of treason."

"It's not your fault, I was just away for too long," she reassured her as her hand slid down Azula's cheek and cupped her chin. "And you forgot who you belong to."

A fresh blush colored Azula's cheeks as her eyes lit up with fresh lust, Ty Lee feeling her hands begin to run across her body again as she tried to nuzzle back into her neck, but Ty Lee's hand on her chin halted her with a tisk.

"Who gave you permission to touch me again?" she chided, causing Azula to let out a whine of desperation as she reluctantly pulled away from her neck. "It's my turn now," she said as she cupped Azula by the chin. "Now get on your back."

Azula narrowed her eyes down at her in what almost looked like annoyance, but complied all the same, pushing herself off from atop Ty Lee, and flopping onto her back at her side with a huff.

"Stop pouting," she chided.

"I'm not p-" Azula tried to say, but her retort was cut off when Ty Lee sat up, letting her robe fully slip off her shoulders, leaving her bare.

Azula's eyes raked down her body appreciatively, her glances tracing along the bite marks and welting bruises that she had dotted her skin with, almost seeming proud of her work, before Ty Lee broke her out of her staring when she cleared her throat.

"Strip, now," she commanded, Azula quickly doing as she bid, kicking off her shoes to somewhere across the room and undoing the ties that secured her trousers.

Ty Lee waited for a moment, but her patience frayed and broke quickly, causing her to reach out and begin to undo the ties of Azula's tunic.

"By Agni, you're slow," she huffed as she finally pulled the tunic open, revealing Azula's perfect breasts and muscled abdomen, both of which she had missed the sight of.

"You're just impatient," Azula rebudled as she kicked off her trousers, leaving her as bare as she was.

Her only response to that was to silence Azula by pulling her into another kiss. As their lips slid together, she felt Azula try to push her on her back again, but she shut her attempt down with a hand on her shoulder, shoving her back.

"Nice try," she said between kisses as her hands moved down to Azula waist, her fingers briefly tracing the ridges of Azula's lopsided X-shaped scar that marked her skin before they moved down to her hips and finally slid between her legs, Ty Lee's middle finger combing through her dark, wild patch of public hair, before she felt slick wetness and slid between her folds, Azula letting out a gasp that she mimicked with a mocking smile that only seemed to make Azula's blush deepen.

Slowly, she began to circle the pad of her finger around the nub of Azula's clit, causing her hands to twist in the bedsheets as her breath began to come quicker and quicker before she tried to reach up and wrap her hands around the back of Ty Lee's neck to pull her into a kiss but she pulled away out if her reach, causing Azula to let out a whimper of disapointment.

"No touching," she scolded. "You haven't earned that yet."

"You're a sadist," Azula said through a shuddering breath, her eyelids fluttering as her hands returned to her sides, defeated.

"And you're just impatient," she mocked, but placated Azula by pressing a kiss to her lips as she moved her fingers faster, Azula panting into her mouth as their tongues slid together. Azula was obviously doing her best to try and keep her composure, but after just a few moments, whines and moans began to slip from her lips between kisses, her hips squirming as she tried to buck up into her touch.

"Ty Lee, please," Azula begged.

"Please, what?" she asked back with a cruel smile as she began to kiss and nip at the skin of her neck.

"Please le-" whatever Azula was about to ask for was suddenly cut off with a hitch in her breath as Ty Lee slid her finger inside her. "Oh fuck," Azula gasped instead, her request seeming completely forgotten to her.

As she stretched Azula with a second finger, she began to pump the digits in and out of her faster and faster until she could feel slick running down her knuckles.

"You're close, aren't you?" she whispered in Azula's ear, curling her fingers inside of her to punctuate her point, Azula only able to nod in response.

'Spirits, she's beautiful,' she thought, loving how flushed her pale skin was, how it lit her up all the way down her chest, how she gnawed on her lower lip, and squeezed her eyes shut as she trembled beneath her, all of this for her...only her.

Suddenly, Ty Lee felt a surge of possession, never wanting anyone else to see her princess like this. Leaning down, she sank her teeth into the skin of Azula's collarbone and bit down hard enough that she would mark her so that everyone knew she was hers.

A sudden gasp was pressed out of Azula's lungs as she felt a hand reach up to tangle in her hair, Azula's nails digging into her scalp. For a moment, she thought Azula might pull her away, but instead she felt her hold her in place as she arched her back, Ty Lee feeling Azula clench around her fingers as she came with a scream that she was almost certain had woken the whole Palace before it tapered off into whimpers and shuddering breaths.

Slowly, she removed her fingers, using them to circle Azula's clit as she came down from her orgasm. Once she felt Azula's grip in her hair go limp, she released her bite, admiring the dents her teeth had left in her skin. Leaning back down, she lathered the reddened skin with kisses before moving up to her neck. It was only when she reached Azula's mouth did the smell of smoke hit her nose.

"Is something burning?" she questioned, pulling back in confusion.

"What?" Azula said, still seeming half in a daze, the sudden shift in mood probably not helping her.

Looking around the room, she couldn't find anything that would be the source of the smell until her gaze landed back on Azula, more specifically her hand, which was still tangled in the bed sheets, a ring of singed fabric around her fist.

"'Zula..." she said with a slight laugh of disbelief. "Did I just make you..."

Azula sat up, following her gaze before she lifted her hand and unclenched it, letting charred bits of silk fall from it.

"Oh fuck," Azula said, covering her eyes with her other hand as she floped back onto the bed.

"Did I just make the great fire-bending master, Princess Azula, lose control?" she said with a mock gasp of astonishment.

"Please stop," Azula begged, her voice muffled by her hand as she dragged it down her face.

"I must be truly something special if I caused that to happen," she said, lying back down at Azula's side, smiling at the blush of embarrassment that was reddening her cheeks.

"Spirits," Azula sighed as she turned to look at her. "You're never going to let this go, are you?"

"Never," she said with a wink as she lifted her fingers to her mouth and licked what was left of Azula's slick off the digits.

Azula let out something close to a growl before she was suddenly on top of her, Ty Lee's fingers quickly being pulled from her mouth as Azula pinned her wrists above her head and replaced the digits with her tongue.

***

"Ok, so...your mother was having an afair with Ryuzo," Ty Lee said from where her head rested on Azula's chest, seeming to process everything she had told her. "Then she got pregnant because she thought she was infertile, but it was actually Ozai who was, which is really funny." Ty Lee said with a small giggle that she echoed. "And that's why she had to leave," Ty Lee said, her voice growing sad.

"That's about the gist of it," she sighed as she ran her hand through Ty Lee's loose hair.

"That's... a lot," Ty Lee sighed as she rested her chin on Azula's chest. "Especially to learn in one night... Sorry, I got mad at you."

"Don't be," she said, leaning over to press a kiss to Ty Lee's nose that made it scrunch. "I should have explained things better. Besides, it didn't end too badly," she said, gesturing to where they lay in bed.

"I suppose not," Ty Lee said with a smile. "So what are you going to do now that you know all of this?"

"Not much I can do, really," she admitted. "I could tell Ozai, maybe it would even get me back in his good graces."

He would no doubt ask her how she had found the information, maybe she could come up with some convincing lie to cover Ryuzo. But he would no doubt want revenge and would try to seek out wherever her mother was and kill her along with Ryuzo's child.

"Yet you don't seem to want to," Ty Lee observed, seeming to see her thought written on her face.

"No... I don't," she agreed, the realization surprising her somewhat.

"And what about Zuko?" Ty Lee pressed. "Doesn't he have a right to know? Ursa was his mother, too."

She had already considered that. Part of her wanted to tell him, having considered it for the entire walk home. But another, more selfish part of her wanted to keep it to herself, just for a little bit. The idea that she knew something about their mother made her feel closer to her somehow.

"I'd rather not talk about this tonight?" she said with a frustrated sigh, rubbing her face with her hands.

"Then what do you want?" Ty Lee said, her voice tentative, like she was testing the waters for something.

"You," she said as she leaned down and pressed a kiss to Ty Lee's lips.

"'Zula," Ty Lee said with a slight laugh and a blush coloring her cheeks before she kissed her back.

This time, the kisses were slow and lazy, neither of them rushing as she wrapped her hands around Ty Lee's waist and flipped their positions, causing Ty Lee to let out a surprised yelp that faded into a giggle as she began to kiss and nip down the line of her neck.

"You know," she said as she felt Ty Lee hook her legs around the small of her back. "You're beginning to remind me how miserable I am when I'm not with you."

"I'm sure," Ty Lee said, with a slight scoff. "I suppose the other girls you brought into your bed didn't stack up," she said, Azula hearing the jealousy creep back into her voice.

Azula paused in the bite she was currently marking Ty Lee with to sit up on her elbows so her face was hovering over Ty Lee's.

"No, she didn't," she said, pointedly reminding Ty Lee that it had only Oka. "And I am serious," she said, causing Ty Lee's smile to falter slightly. "I hate myself when I'm here, when I'm trying to please my Father," she said as she cupped Ty Lee's cheeks. "I only ever feel like myself when I'm with you."

The words were half a surprise to her as they fell out of her mouth, but every part of her felt them to be true, the realization not bringing her any sort of fear or self-anger as it usually would, but instead... relief.

"Zula..." Ty Lee said, looking up at her like she had realized something just before she had, "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she said as if one wrong breath would break whatever fragile connection was between them.

"I am," Azula nodded. "I want to leave with you, run away with me like we always talked about."

Ty Lee's mouth dropped open, but nothing came out, a silence hanging between them as Ty Lee's eyes flicked back and forth, seeming to try and search for something before she seemed to find it.

"You're serious?" Ty Lee questioned almost in disbelief as she sat up on her elbows, Azula backing up to sit on her haunches to make room for her.

"I am."

Ty Lee let out what sounded like a scoff of disbelief as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed, her gaze seeming like she was looking a million miles away.

"Where would we even go?" Ty Lee questioned, looking back over her shoulder at hers, though their eyes didn't meet.

"Anywhere you want to go," she said, placing a hand on her shoulder, Ty Lee, not even seeming to register her touch.

"Ryuzo's friend Numi, the one who owns the brothel, she has a smuggling operation," she rushed to explain, suddenly feeling desperate to convince her. "She can sneak us out of the city to wherever we want."

Ty Lee didn't say anything; instead, she stood picking up her discarded robe and wrapping it around herself, trying to shield herself before walking a few paces away from her, like she needed distance before she turned to look at her, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Is this real?" Ty Lee said, her voice almost breaking on the last word, Azula hating herself for ever making Ty Lee feel like she had to ask that.

"Yes, it is," she said, standing from the bed and crossing the room to her, but not daring to touch her yet. "I promise it is."

"But-" Ty Lee paused, seeming to swallow down fresh tears from welling in her eyes. "But why?" Ty Lee finally asked.

Azula could discern the meaning behind the question: why now?

"Because I can't-" she tried to say the words choking in her throat.

"Can't what?" Ty Lee questioned.

"I can't stay here," she said, reaching out and lightly cupping Ty Lee's cheek, wiping away her tears before they could fall. "But I can't leave the person I love behind," she confessed, leaning closer but giving Ty Lee room to back away. "I'm not going to lose you again."

Ty Lee closed the distance between them, their kiss only lasting for a moment before she broke it, almost looking pained as she did, but keeping their foreheads resting together.

"I want to believe you," Ty Lee confessed, seeming to war with herself. "But I-I don't know how I can."

"So let me show you," she said as she turned to rush over to her desk, fearing that if she took too long, Ty Lee would leave. "Here," she said as she pulled open a drawer and began to thumb through the stacks of maps she had before she found the one she was looking for. "We can go anywhere you want to go, anywhere," she said, laying the map of the world flat on the table before she tried to grab her calligraphy brush, but her hand slipped, causing the inkwell to spill onto the page.

"Shit!" she cursed as she tried to stop the spill, but she was halted by Ty Lee's hand on her wrist.

"'Zula, just calm down for just a moment," Ty Lee said. "Just take a deep breath. I'm not going anywhere."

Azula did as she said, taking in a shuddering breath, the feeling of Ty Lee's touch grounding her somewhat.

"Good girl," Ty Lee said as she placed a kiss on her cheek before she guided her gaze to her soft grey eyes. "Now, let's think this through together. Tell me how we're going to escape."

Chapter Text

"Deep breaths for me, 'Zula," she heard Ty Lee's calming voice say from behind her, feeling one hand on her shoulder while the other gently combed its way through her hair. "You ready?" Ty Lee asked, Azula nodding hesitantly as she closed her eyes, before she felt Ty Lee's hand leave her shoulder and begin to gather a few strands. After a few moments of anticipation, she cracked open one of her eyes, seeing the flash of metal in the reflection of the mirror, causing her panic to flare.

"Wait!" she said, reaching out and halting Ty Lee with a hand on her wrist.

"Come on, 'Zula," Ty Lee sighed in frustration as she dropped the hand that held the scissors to her side. "This is the third time we've tried to do this."

"I'm just not entirely sure this is necessary," she tried to reason, failing to instill the detached logic she wanted in her tone.

"Azula," Ty Lee said sternly, Azula's eyes catching her glare in the reflection of her vanity mirror. "Even if you weren't attending a war summit tonight, your hair is a mess, and it needs to be cut."

Azula looked back at her reflection, finding it hard to disagree. Ever since she had been wounded in Ba Sing Se and the left side of her head had been hastily shaved to deal with the wound that had slashed her, she had mostly neglected her hair, leaving one side noticeably shorter and uneven compared to the rest. She had been able to manage it up until now, but it was becoming a hassle to have to pin the shorter strands back constantly.

"I know," she sighed, leaning back into her chair as she ran a hand through the shorter side, the strands barely brushing her jaw.

"Trust me," Ty Lee said, "when I was in the circus, my friends taught me how to cut their hair, and they had to go out in front of hundreds of people every night," she reasoned.

"Why would you need to do that?" she questioned, looking up at her in confusion.

"Because unlike royals, circus performers don't have an army of servants to attend to their every want and need, so we had to take care to look our best all by ourselves." Ty Lee said slowly, like she was explaining it to a child.

"Right," Azula said, rolling her eyes as she looked back at her reflection. "I'm just...not good with change," she admitted, squeezing her hands into the fabric of her trousers, trying to relieve some of her stress.

"I know," Ty Lee assured her as she placed a kiss atop her head before she seemed to think of something. "How about this?" she said, gathering Azula's hair into a braid before handing her the pair of scissors. "You can make the first cut," she offered, Azula hesitating for a moment before she nodded.

"Alright," she sighed, feeling slightly better at the idea as she took the blades into her hand, glaring at them for a moment before she held them behind her head, feeling the braid of her hair slot in the scissor's jaws. She applied some pressure, feeling the blade's dig into her hair, slicing a few strands, before she lost her nerve and stopped.

"Hey," Ty Lee said, seeming to notice her hesitation, causing their eyes to meet in the reflection of the mirror. "Just think of it this way," she said, a slight smile on her lips. "Imagine how pissed your Father will be when he sees it."

Her hand moved almost on instinct, the sound of a loud snip coming from behind her head before shortened strands of hair came to curtain around her eyes. Taking a shuddering breath, she combed her hair back with her hand before finally building up the courage to look in the mirror.

"What do you think?" Ty Lee eventualy asked, hesitation in her voice as she placed the sliced braid of Azula's hair gently on the table.

Surprisingly, Azula found that she didn't necessarily mind the look, with the rest of her hair at least at a similar length to the left side of her head, though her silence seemed to unnerve Ty Lee.

"Here," Ty Lee said, taking the scissors from her hands. "Let me clean it up a bit."

After a few minutes of cutting and falling strands of hair, Ty Lee stepped back, seeming satisfied with her work.

Turing her head, she examined the haircut, finding that Ty Lee had neatly trimmed the strands to an even length so that they grazed her jaw. She considered the look for a moment before her gaze landed on the hairpin resting on a satin pillow, a gift from Ozai, waiting for her to daun it once again despite her several attempts to get rid of the thing.

"Cut it shorter," she ordered, catching the way Ty Lee's eyes widened in the reflection of the mirror.

"A-are you sure?" Ty Lee questioned, blinking in surprise.

"Have you ever known me to be indecisive after I've made my mind up about something?" she said, looking back at her.

Ty Lee looked as though she was about to shoot back some clever retort, but she seemed to think better of it.

"No, 'Zula, of course not," Ty Lee said, biting back a smile before she repositioned Azula's head and began to cut once again.

Eventualy, Ty Lee wound her way around to Azula's front, unceremoniously straddling Azula's lap, her tough sticking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration as she continued to adjust her head and snip at her hair before giving her a once-over and nodding in satisfaction.

"What about now?" Ty Lee asked as she leaned out of the way for her to look in the mirror.

Azula squinted at her reflection, examining the cut. This time her hair was cropped to just aboveher ear, the middle naturally parting, with the back left longer yet still cropped close to her neck. The look was almost boyish and almost certainly short enough to make wearing her hairpin impossible. Though the shorter cut did put her scars on greater display, she found that she didn't mind, almost liking how they looked on her.

"It's satisfactory," she eventualy decided.

Ty Lee rolled her eyes. "Well, for what it's worth, I think it looks great, handsome even," she saidas she combed her fingers through her now shortened locks before she leaned in to plant a kiss on her lips, Azula's hand snaking to the back of her neck to hold her there and deepen the kiss, their lips sliding together in a lazy tempo.

She knew it was probably a bad idea to have let Ty Lee stay the night with her, the servants and spies that littered the palace no doubt taking note, yet she couldn't find it in herself to care, Azula reassuring herself that they would be long gone from the capital before Ozai could mount some sort of retaliation. First, she would definitely need to-

"'Zula," Ty Lee said, suddenly pulling away from their kiss with a slightly annoyed look as she peered into her eyes searching for something. "What's the matter?" she demanded.

"Why does something have to be the matter?" she questioned, leaning back.

"Because you stopped kissing me back and got that dumb, adorable look on your face, you get when ever you're thinking too hard," Ty Lee said matter-of-factly as she brushed Azula's bangs out of her eyes.

"Wait, what look?" she questioned, taken aback.

"Nothing," Ty Lee said as she leaned in and planted a reassuring kiss on the tip of her nose before she rested their foreheads together. "Do you need to run through the plan one more time?" she asked.

"Maybe," Azula admitted with a sigh, wondering when she became so easy to read.

"Today I will be packing everything you put on our list for when we leave," Ty Lee began before she grasped Azula by the chin and guided her gaze back to hers. "What are you going to do today?"

"I'm going to talk to Zuko before the war summit this evening and tell him everything," she said, letting out a reluctant sigh.

"Something wrong already?" Ty Lee said, tilting her head down at her.

"I still think it would be better if I talked to Ryuzo and got our escape route set up before telling Zuko anything," she admitted.

"Do you honestly think that he would tell Ozai what we're doing?" Ty Lee questioned.

"Yes," she said almost instinctively before she reaconsidered. "No...maybe, I don't know," she sighed, resting her head on Ty Lee's shoulder, the scent of her perfume from last night still clinging to her.

"Zuko's your brother, 'Zula," Ty Lee reminded her as she ran a hand through her hair. "He trusts you; you should trust him."

"When did you start getting so good at being right about everything?" she said, looking back up at her.

"I always have been," Ty Lee said as if it were obvious. "You only just started to notice."

"Mmm," she hummed in agreement. "You should find Mai once you're done here. Take her shopping or something, I just don't want you in the Palace by yourself."

"If you're so worried about that, I could always find Jin and have my galent betrothed protect me," Ty Lee offered with a sadistic smile.

"Not funny, Ty," she warned, narrowing her eyes at her as she tightened her grip on her thighs positively.

"Only joking," Ty Lee reassured her as she leaned in and placed a kiss on her nose.

***

Jin watched from behind a corner in the palace hallway as the doors to Princess Azula's bedroom creaked open, her Highness's head poaking out to look around.

"There she is," Oyamo said with a sing-song voice from beside him. "And it looks like she's alone."

"Don't be so certain," he said, nodding over to Azula as she tried to slip out of her room before Ty Lee appeared behind her and pulled her back by the arm into a kiss. "Told you," he said, turning back to Oyamo.

"Huh," Oyamo said, her brow raising in surprise before she looked back to him. "You know, for a man who was just cuckulded by the princess of the Fire Nation, you seem quite happy about it. Is that something we're going to have to unpack later?" she questioned with a smirk and a tilt of her head.

Jin only rolled his eyes in response before she leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. "Well, considering I wasn't exactly alone last night either, I feel it would be quite hypocritical of me to get upset with her," he said, giving her a knowing look, Oyamo responding with a blush and a swift elbow to his side, Jin having to lean on his cain and stifle a grunt as Princess Azula turned a corner near them.

"You know, considering the history of broken noses she's given you, you are certainly putting a lot of faith in the idea that the princess will even want to talk to you, let alone be able to do anything," Oyamo pointed out as she watched Azula disappear around a bend in the halls.

"Now that the love birds have made up, I don't need to convince her of anything. I just need Ty Lee to, and she seems to think that Azula isn't too fond of Zhao," he said, though a part of him wasn't so sure about that last statement, Ty Lee seeming like she was trying to convince her self as much as him when she insisted that Azula wouldn't just fall back in line with the Fire Lord.

"I think you're overestimating the amount of influence you have over your betrothed," Oyamo pointed out. "Nobody else is even convinced that something is wrong with Zhao."

"That's because they haven't noticed," he said, almost snapping at her in anger. "No one knows him as well as I do, and trust me, there is something wrong with him, and it's becoming dangerous.

Zhao had always been someone he thought he could admire, always level-headed, always with a plan, and even if he didn't disclose all the details, Jin thought he could trust him. But ever since he had woken from his coma, Zhao had been different, more secretive, even paranoid, and according to the clerks and assistance he had bribed, Zhao had been demanding to see scrolls on the spirit world and holding council with fire sages while refusing to speak to him and the few times he did it was always in riddles, all while having the Fire Lord's ear.

"After the war summit, we'll approach them, Ty Lee will give us an in with the princess Azula, and Prince Zuko. After that, the rest of the general staff will have to listen to us."

***

"What about this one?" Ty Lee said as she shoved yet another set of brightly colored baby cloths in her face, a nervous line of tailors and shop workers watched them.

"It's, uh...fine," she said, rubbing her eyes from where she sat on the cushened sofa that she had spent the past hour and a half on.

"But that's what you've said about all of the outfits I've shown you," Ty Lee pouted, Mai almost certain that she had spent years mastering that look to get whatever she wanted out of Azula. It had been the same look she had used to guilt-trip Mai here, though she was almost certain that there was another reason why she had dragged her out of the palace and all the way into the shopping district, every business they had stepped into clearing out their stores to serve them.

"Ty Lee, why are we doing all of this?" she said, sitting up, being mindful of the new bump that was beginning to protrude from her stomach. "The kid isn't going to need outfits like these for at least a year after it's born."

"Well, we might not get another chance to go shopping like this again," Ty Lee said a bit sadly as she turned away and placed the set of clothes back on the hanging rack before turning to face her with a smile. "Besides, I want to give the baby something."

"And here I assumed their aunt Ty Lee would take every opportunity to spoil them rotten," she said, merrioring Ty Lee's false smile but narrowing her eyes at her suspiciously, knowing in her bones that something was wrong. "Is there any reason why that wouldn't be the case?"

Ty Lee's smile disappeared as she started to fidget with the end of her braid before she seemed to remember the line of taylers behind her.

"None of these are to the future Fire Lady's tastes," Ty Lee said to them, her voice suddenly strict. "Bring us more clothes to look at!"

"But my Lady, you've already looked at our entire inventory," one of them said, shrinking back nervously.

"So go make us more," Ty Lee said, shooing them away, the group quickly pulling the rack of cloths away and scurrying out of the room.

"Spirits, finally," she said as she tried to stand up. "Now tell me what's wrong."

"Nothings wrong," Ty Lee insisted as she rushed over to sit Mai back down.

"Then why are you talking like you're about to ship off to war and I'm never going to see you again?" she said as she reluctantly sat back down.

"Well, I might be," Ty Lee huffed as she sat down next to her.

"Why? Is Jin being posted somewhere new?" she questioned.

"No," she said, looking down at her twisting, clasped hands. "Its...Azula."

"Ah, so you two did disappear with one another last night," she said with a satisfied smirk. "Zuko thought it would take at least another day for you two to even start talking to one another," she said, making a mental note to rub that in his face later. "So let me guess, you got into another huge fight, and now you're running away so you never have to see her again," she said, only half joking.

"No...well, yes, we did get into a fight, but she made it up to me," Ty Lee said, trying to brush it off.

"Ugh, never mind, I know that look," she rolled her eyes.  

"What look?" Ty Lee questioned.

"That, 'I just got my brains fucked out but need to act all coy about it now that I'm in polite company' kind of look," she explained.

"Right, because your company is so polite, Mai," Ty Lee said as she crossed her arms petulantly. "And for the record, I was the one who fucked Azula's brains out," Ty Lee said almost hotly.

"All right, I apologize," she said as she put her hands up in mock surrender. "Now please, no more details about your sex life."

"You started it," Ty Lee mumbled under her breath.

"So you two are okay then?" she asked.

"I think so," Ty Lee said with a nervous smile. "At least enough to ask me to run away with her."

Mai's hand flew out almost on instinct to grip Ty Lee's sleeve, her eyes going wide.

"She what?" Mai sputtered as her grip tightened. "When?"

"Last night," Ty Lee said with a nervous laugh. "We're planning on leaving while everyle is busy with the eclipse."

"So let me get this straight," she sighed, releasing her grip on Ty Lee to rub her eyes in frustration. "After being back in the same vicinity with one another for a few hours, you argue, fuck, and then make plans to run away together. Oh, and on top of all of that, instead of immediately telling your best friend flat out, you decide that the best option was to drag me out to go shopping under false pretences before springing this on me?"

Ty Lee was silent for a moment, a blush coloring her cheeks, looking like a child who had just gotten in trouble before she managed to build up the courage to speak. "Uh, well, it's a little more complicated than that, but... yeah, I guess that's the gist of it."

"I hate the both of you," she sighed, pinching her brow. "I mean, I love you, I do," she quickly corrected. "But you two are so incredibly messy, and I need you to understand the amount of stress you put me through."

"I know," Ty Lee whined as she floped onto her side, her head resting on Mai's lap. "I'm sorry."

"And on top of all of that, this poor kid isn't going to have their aunt Ty Lee, who I could have pawned off on whenever I need a break," she said as she ran a hand across Ty Lee's head.

"Well, I thought if we went shopping for the baby that might make up for it," Ty Lee said, looking like she was about to burst into tears from the guilt.

"I'll tell you what," she sighed. "Go see if they have any outfits in black," causing Ty Lee to quickly spring up and rush to the back.

***

Azula watched the turtle ducks pick at the scraps of bread that had been thrown into the pond's water, unable to look at Zuko since she had found him here in the gardens, and sat down next to him. Cautiously, she glanced at her brother, the loaf of stale bread sitting loose in his hands as a thousand emotions seemed to war on his face.

She had practiced what she was going to say to him, every detail she chose to include or omit, the rehearsed words spilling out of her as she waited for Zuko's reaction, yet for the past few minutes, he hadn't said a word, just staring blankly at the water, the loaf of bread hanging loosely in his hand before his grip suddenly tightening and he hurled the whole loaf into the water causing her to flinch back as the spash sent water flying into the air and the flock of turtle ducks to flee.

"Wow, running everyone off, are we?" she said as she wiped the water droplets from her brow.

"Fuck you," Zuko snapped as he stood, turning away from her to pace.

"Sorry," she murmured, realizing that her words were a bit too harsh.

Zuko barely seemed to take notice, only shooting her a sharp glance.

"Why are you telling this to me?" he questioned, pausing in his pacing.

"Because you deserve to know," she said, echoing what Ty Lee had told her.

"Oh well, thank you, your highness," Zuko said with an exaggerated bow. "I really do appreciate you dropping this on me before you decide to disappear and leave me with your mess to clean up."

'Now you know how I feel,' she thought bitterly, but held her tongue.

"Look, I know I promised I would help you, but things are bad here, Zuko," she tried to reason. "Maybe when you're-"

"Stop," he cut her off, "Don't try and make up for this with another promise we both know you're not going to keep."

"You don't know that, Zuko," she pushed back, feeling her patience begin to wear thin.

"Of course I do, Azula!" he said as his breath came quicker, unsure if it was from anger or panic, "I know you better than anyone, you lie and manipulate its what you do, for all I know its what you're doing right now," Zuko said, narrowing his eyes down at her.

"What? You think I'm lying to you about all this? About Mom?" she questioned, standing up to meet his glare.

"It wouldn't be the first time," he shot back.

"And what reason would I have to do that?" she questioned, wondering how in Agni's name she ended up being the reasonable person in this argument.

"I don't know, but it's not like you've ever needed a reason before," Zuko snapped. "For all I know, you're just doing this to hurt me."

"I'm not, you asshole!" she tried to insist, but he didn't seem to want to listen, trying to turn away again, but she didn't let him, quickly closing the distance between them to grab him by the sleeve and turn him back around. "You know what this really is? You're just pissed off because you were always Mom's favorite, and now you have to deal with what I've lived with for years, she abandoned us, not just me, not just dad, but you too! And you weren't good enough to make her stick around. "

Zuko opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out, instead she saw his right eye begin to well with tears.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath as he yanked his arm out of her grasp and turned away to rub at his eye before the tears could fall.

Azula honestly couldn't remember the last time she had made Zuko cry. When they were kids, it was easier, but eventualy he had grown a tougher skin, mostly just getting mad whenever she would antagonize him. In fact, it had been so long since she had even seen him cry that she had no idea what to do when she saw his shoulders begin to shake and his hands move more frantically to wipe his face, clearly failing to get a hold of himself. She desperately tried to think of anything to do or say, but she just felt frozen, so instead she just turned and walked away, but before she could reach the safety of the palace, she ran into Mai and Ty Lee.  

"'Zula, there you are," Ty Lee said, smiling up at her before she seemed to notice something was wrong. "What happened?" she questioned.

"I followed your advice," she said before pushing past the two of them.

Chapter Text

Azula had always prided herself on having the good sense to stay out of bad situations and especially not causing them. Yet right now, as she leaned against the wall just outside the war council chambers with the rest of the members of the general staff who were waiting to go inside, she couldn't say she had done either. Across the hall, Zuko stood, not bothering to look at her as Mai fussed over him, refusing to talk to her before they were called to the war room. Worse yet, when she looked down the hall, amongst the rest of the guests, she saw Ty Lee standing next to Jin, nodding along to whatever he was saying. 

For a brief moment, Ty Lee glanced over at her, giving her a smile and a small wave before she looked over to where Zuko and Mai were and frowned. Looking back at her, she nodded over to Zuko, trying to encourage her to talk to him. 

She rolled her eyes. ‘Like that's going to make a difference,’  she thought even as she sucked in a breath through her teeth and finally relented. Pushing herself off the wall and re-adjusting the chestplate of her armor, she walked toward Zuko. As she approached, she opened her mouth to speak, though what exactly she planned to say wasn’t even clear to her, but before she could even get a word out, Zuko turned away without a word and quickly retreated past the curtains of the war room. 

“Well, that could have gone better,” Mai said, drawing her attention to her. 

“No shit,” she scoffed, crossing her arms. 

“He just needs some time to cool off, trust me,” Mai said with all the assurance she lacked. 

“Yeah, well, he'd better do it quick,” she said, not wanting to stay in the Fire Nation any longer than she and Ty Lee had to be.

“About that,” Mai said, frowning as she narrowed her eyes at her. “It would have been nice to have been given a heads up about your plan before you told him, instead of outsourcing it to your girlfriend. I could have made the news go down a lot smoother.”

“You can scold me later,” she sighed. “While you think about all the things I did wrong, would you keep an eye on Ty Lee for me, maybe take her to your family's mansion for tea or something?” 

“Anything I should be worried about?” Mai said, lowering her voice and leaning in.” 

“Nothing you can’t handle,” she assured her with a wink before she turned to slip past the curtains of the war room.  

***

Ty Lee let out a disappointed sigh as she watched Azula follow Zuko into the war room. She had only gotten a scant retelling of their argument from Azula. Though she could gather that learning about what happened with their mother, along with her and Azula’s plan, didn’t go over well, but she didn’t expect things to blow up this badly between them.

“My Lady?” Jin said, snapping her out of her thoughts and back into the conversation she had zoned out of.

“Yes?” she said, turning back to face him as she tried to remember what they were talking about. 

“I was asking if you and the Princess wouldn’t mind meeting with an associate of mine,” Jin explained with a somewhat stiff smile. 

“Oh…” she said, mulling over the strange request, wondering why her betrothed was suddenly asking to meet her girlfriend who had punched him in the face multiple times. “What’s the occasion?” 

“Dinner?” he said as if the notion had just occurred to him. “I only ask that we meet soon, as this is somewhat time sen-” Jin’s words trailed off as his attention turned to something behind her.

Turning to follow his gaze, she saw Ozai approaching down the hall, two guards flanking him, the rest of the guests that where still loitering in the hall bowing in deference as he passed, his eyes fixed forwarded until his attention seemed to flick over to her and Jin. 

“Your Majesty,” Jin greeted with a bow, Ty Lee not bothering to do the same. 

“Admiral,” The Fire Lord greeted in a gruff voice, pausing in front of them. “I trust that this war summit is important enough to you that you can see your way to cutting short your goodbyes with your betrothed?” 

“R-right of course,” Jin stuttered out, suddenly flushed with embarrassed at being scolded as he turned to her. “My Lady,” he said with a stiff nod before rushing off as fast as he could manage to the war room along with the rest of the generals still scattered around the hall, a few of them glancing back at her. 

Turning back, she felt her stomach drop as she saw that Ozai's attention was now focused squarely on her. 

“Remind me, My Lady,” Ozai said in lieu of a proper greeting. “You and the Admiral are staying in the east wing of the palace with the rest of our guest are you not?” 

“We are,” she said, doing her best to keep her expression and tone as neutral as possible. 

The corners of his mouth twitched upward for a moment before he waved off his guards, only speaking once they were out of earshot. “And yet despite that, I was told that last night you were seen in the royal wing of the Palace, near my daughter's bedroom.” 

She stopped herself from taking in a deep breath like her lungs wanted, keeping her breathing steady and appearing calm. “Oh, of course,” she said with a laugh. “I fear I got myself lost after the celebrations," she said, trying to play up her persona as the ditsy young bride of an admiral. 

“I see,” Ozai said, not seeming to fall for her charms, instead narrowing his eyes down at her. "And yet you and my daughter disappeared from the celebrations at the same time," Ozai noted as he tilted his head. "And now I hear you were in my daughter's chambers last night. Now what am I to make of that?" he questioned, his auburn eyes looked her up and down. 

'Shit,' she thought, trying not to let any of her panic show as she kept on a placid smile. 'So much for disappearing unnoticed.' 

"I was with my betrothed for most of the night, though I was feeling quite tired before everyone else, so I decided to turn in early, and got myself quite turned around, as you already know," she said with a light laugh as she gestured around her. "As for the princess, I fear she was so busy talking to others that I had no time to reacquaint myself with an old friend." 

She could tell that Ozai didn't buy her lie for a second as he reached out and cupped her chin, Ty Lee deciding to let him instead of flinching back or chi blocking his arm like she wanted to.

"What exactly makes you so special?" Ozai questioned as he pulled her head to the side, exposing her neck. Ty Lee suddenly regretted how liberal she had let Azula be with her marks. "Why would she give this all up for you?" 

Glancing up at him, she realized that the question wasn't rhetorical; in fact, he looked genuinely perplexed, like he was waiting for the answer to come to him by looking at her or even for her to tell him. 

"I suppose that it would be confusing to you, wouldn't it?" she said as he released her grip on her and pulled his arm back, as if he had been burned. 

"Excuse me?" he questioned. 

"You know, I've known Azula for quite a long time," she said, whatever fear or reservations she had melting away in the face of her own boiling hatred. "And I've seen what you've done to her, how you treat her like she's not a person but just some tool for you to use. But that’s how you view everyone, isn’t it? So why would you understand what Azula and I have?" she scoffed. "Why should I even waste my breath trying to explain it to you?" 

She saw Ozai's lip twitch, and for a moment she feared that he might do something, but instead he just let out a huff, Ty Lee almost certain that she saw the glow of ember light up his nostrils. 

"You're pathetic," he spat through his teeth. "And I will not let you drag down my daughter to your degenerate level."

"I suppose we'll find out, won't we," she said, plastering on the same placating smile. 

"So sure of yourself, aren’t you?" Ozai said with a sickening smirk. "But by the end of today, you will be of no consequence," he said, brushing past her.

She stayed as still as she could, not letting any of her anxiety or anger show as she watched Ozai go. For a brief moment, she wondered what her chances would be if she tried to chi block him and break his neck before anyone could react, until he disappeared behind the curtains of the war room, only then allowing herself to let out a shuddering breath, and her panic to flood her veins. 

A desperation to protect Azula gripped her as she tried to think of what to do. A part of her wanted to just rush into the war room and pull Azula out, but before she could act on that thought, she was jolted from her panic by the feeling of someone slipping their arm through hers. Turning, she saw that it was Mai who began to walk forward, pulling her along. 

“Mai, what are you-” she tried to ask. 

“Eyes forward, and keep that pretty smile on your face,” Mai said, looking completely unbothered. “And whatever dramatic emotional outburst you have planned, keep it to yourself.” 

“Mai, you don’t understand,” she tried to insist. 

“I understand that Azula told me to keep an eye on you and out of trouble, and not a moment after that your having a private conversation with the Fire Lord in front of half the royal court,” Mai said, looking at her like that was somehow her fault. 

Looking back, she saw that Mai was right, the eyes of the nobles still in the hall following them. 

“Yes, and he knows I was with Azula last night, and he’s going to do something,” she rushed out in a hushed whisper. 

“Calm down,” Mai reassured her with a pat on her arm. “He’s just trying to get under your skin, to make you panic and do something stupid. Even if he knows something, he can’t do anything about it while the palace is crawling with every general and noble of the Fire Nation. If it got out that he’s locked up his own daughter, it would be a massive scandal and undermine him.” 

Ty Lee wanted to believe Mai’s reasoning, even letting herself feel a bit of calm. That was until they passed by a junction in the halls, seeing two figures standing in the shadows, spotting a scar cutting through one of the men's eyes, a scar distinctly belonging to Viceroy Zhao. He was talking to someone in royal guard armor who turned to glance down the hall with pale grey eyes as they passed. 

'Yuko's eyes,' she realized.

***

Azula had always hated the war room. She had never understood the point of needing a dedicated chamber such as this, it always seeming redundant when they could have just as easily moved the war map into the throne room, though if she was being completely honest, most of her bias was down to the uncomfortable seats her and her brother were relegated to on their father’s flanks, though if Zuko was bothered by the flat seat cushions, he didn’t show it, keeping his gaze forward and still refusing to look at her. 

Normally, she wouldn’t care. Zuko had a tendency to throw these tempertantrums whenever he was pissed at her, seeming to think that the blessing of not having to hear him speak was somehow a punishment, yet this time it felt different. Maybe it was because, for once, she was objectively in the right that made her so mad when he refused to concede, though she was certain Ty Lee would insist that it was because she didn’t want to leave on bad terms with him. 

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a sudden uproar of applause from the general staff. Looking to the entrance of the war room, she saw the source, Ozai, entering and ascending to his seat between them without bothering to acknowledge anyone else in the room, only giving her a sideways glance, which she was certain was only because of her new haircut, before he took his place between her and Zuko. 

As soon as the applause died down, the room's attention turned back to the entrance as a line of fire sages entered, the High Sage at their head, each of them swinging Thuribles, leaving trails of smoke behind them. 

"The sun and stars have spoken!” The High Sage began reaching his hands up into the air, his croaking voice echoling trough the war room. “Angi and Kai, in their wisdom and fury, look down upon this day of victory with pride. The dreams of Fire Lord Ozai and Avatar Roku have been fulfilled! May they grant the Fire Nation, and its supreme sovereign, with the vision to lead the world into a thousand years of peace, unity, and prosperity!"

Another round of applause once again began around the war table as the clergy bowed and left. 

“General Shinu, your report,” Ozai ordered. 

General Shinu nodded before standing from his seat. “Thank you, your Majesty,” he said, walking over to where Ba Sing Se was illustrated on the map. “Ba Sing Se is still under our control. However, the riots caused extensive damage, especially to the agricultural district, with our analyst predicting that the city and many surrounding territories will be on the brink of famine within the month.” 

“What fools,” Ozai scoffed. “Burning their own food.” 

Azula was almost certain that it was Zhao’s bombs that caused those crops to burn, but she held her tongue.

“Are our soldiers still able to be resupplied?”  Ozai questioned.

“Yes, our new airship fleet should be able to keep our supply lines open to our occupying forces,” Shinu answered. “However, Earthbender rebellions have prevented us from achieving total victory in the Earth Kingdom.”

“What areas are most affected?” Ozai questioned. 

“Mostly rural regions, we don’t have much control over yet, and there are reports of riots in Gao Ling,” Shinu explained. “It seems that meany ex army elements have decided to continue the fight even after their king's surrender.”

“A problem that none of you will thankfully have to deal with,” Ozai said, causing the room to erupt in laughter that lasted far too long. “What do you recommend Genral?” 

“Our army is currently spread too thin to respond to every report of rebelion but once the eclipse is over and the invasion defeated, we should transfer more domestic forces into the Earth Kingdom. Looking to more long term soulutions, it is my recommendation that we begin to start folding in what elements of the Earth Kingdom’s military still remain, with them under Fire Nation commanders, of course,” Shinu added. “Additionally, thanks to our liquidation of Earth Kingdom currency, we should see many eager to join in order to acquire the ban.”

Ozai seemed to consider Shinu’s words for a moment before he turned to her. “Princess Azula,” he said, his sudden acknowledgment of her causing her to jump. “You fought alongside Earth Kingdom turncloaks. Can they be relied upon?” 

“Well,” she started clearing her throat as she tried to think of what to say. “The Dai Li are certainly capable fighters and were integral in my plan to overthrow the Earth King.” 

“And yet they betrayed their sovereign,” Ozai pointed out. 

“Only because I gave them no choice,” she said, trying to keep the annoyance from her tone. “They were already fighting on the losing side of the war and functionally in control of the capital; all they were really looking for was a way out. I believe that General Shinue’s occupation strategy is built on the same principle and has merit,” she finished, noticing Shinu giving her an appreciative nod before the curtains to the war room where once again pulled open, Zhao entering. 

“Viceroy Zhao,” Ozai said, a faint smile flashing on his lips as the rest of the room stood to greet him. “Welcome.” 

“I apologize for my tardiness, your majesty,” Zhao greeted, bowing. “I had an important matter that it was crucial I to attend to.”

“More important than a war summit to decide the fate of the Fire Nation?” she questioned, tilting her head. 

“Quite a lot of work goes into ruling the Fire Nation and its colonies,” Zhao said, barely hiding the patronizing tone from his voice. “I wouldn’t expect her Highness to understand all of its nuances.”  

“Indeed,” Ozai agreed, giving her a scolding look that she elected to ignore. “Though I am curious to hear your assessment of the situation, Viceroy. You have been ruling over these people after all.” 

“Ruling only in your name,” Zhao said, bowing, the display of sycophancy making her want to vomit. 

“Yes, Viceroy,” Shinu chimed in. “I’m sure we are all curious to hear what steps you have taken to bring your new domain under control,” Azula not missing the almost antagonistic tone to his voice, recalling some vague mention of a rivalry between the two men. 

“It has indeed been a challenge,” Zhao conceded. “And while I do respect the General’s perspective,” Zhao said, gesturing to Shinu as he stepped past him. “I fear his interpretation of our new subject’s attitudes towards us is far too generous.” 

Azula narrowed her eyes down at Zhao, feeling in her bones that something wasn’t right about this, wondering how Zhao knew Shinu’s plans if he had only just arrived. She tried to lean over to catch Zuko’s gaze to see if he noticed as well, but his eyes were fixed forwarded like he wasn’t even aware of what was happening. 

“You all see these rebellions as an issue,” Zhao began, gesturing to his audience. “An obstacle to our complete victory. On the contrary, they are an opportunity, for now we are finally able to see our enemy for what they truly are, terrorists and brigands, set on destroying our future and the order and progress we bring. They may drape themselves in the cloths of civilians to try and force us to stay our hand, but make no mistake, this is no time for hesitation; we must seize this opportunity to strike and exterminate anyone who is hostile to us.” Zhao said, almost seeming to be in a fever of fervor as he struck his fist down on his hand to punctuate his point. “If we are to succeed in the dreams of this nation, our new territories must be peaceful and pure. This can only happen by exterminating anyone who has the notion of impeding our will.” 

The room erupted in whispers and murmurs, seeming divided. 

“Yes..” Shinu said, seeming clearly uncomfortable with what Zhao was suggesting. “That is all well and good, Viceroy, but as I stated, we still have the problem of manpower. Even after the eclipse, if we move all of our domestic forces to the colonies, we would need to have a nuanced and delicate touch when it comes to peacekeeping in order to not be overrun. Perhaps if we-” 

“I am not talking about putting troops on the ground,” Zhao cut him off. “On the contrary, I wish to put them in the air,” he said rasing his hand up. “We have new, never-before-imaged technology at our disposal, technology that allows us to control the sky where no one can challenge us while we rain fire down on our enemies below. Why shouldn’t we use it?” 

“What are you proposing, Viceroy?” Ozai asked, Azula catching a far less subtle smile on his lips. 

“A strategic bombing campaign, across the Earth Kingdom using the air fleet,” Zhao said, gesturing across the breadth of the Earth Kingdom on the war map. “Specifically targeting settlements and areas we know to be highly disloyal.” 

“And how exactly do you plan on determining that?” she questioned, causing the room’s attention to turn to her. “Are we just going to go around to every house and ask them if they have had disloyal thoughts or plan to commit treason?” 

“They will make themselves known in time,” Zhao said as if that was an adequate answer. “My- Our Nation’s bombing of Ba Sing Se’s outer ring during their treacherous insurrection was only the start. A proof of concept that if we control the air, we can control the world with no one left to oppose us, but we will need an opening salvo. I propose we draw a line of fire starting from the swamps on the coast, lighting a blaze that will burn as we move to Ba Sing Se.” Zhao said as he walked across the map, each step plotting the path of destruction he proposed. 

“Are you suggesting that we bomb the city?” Shinu said, blinking in disbelief. “The civilian casualties alone would be in the tens of thousands.” 

“Hundreds of thousands,” Zhao corrected with a shrug. “And what of it? Their deaths will act as a warning to those who remain, and the only peacekeeping we will need is the knowledge that if any one of their neighbors chooses to defy our will and they do not turn them in, then they too will be snuffed out. More than anything, Ba Sing Se is a dangerous symbol of the old regime’s power. Once it is leveled and gone, we will build a new city in its place where our people will tame the broken land, and who better to lead us from the front in this new formation of our empire than you, your Majesty,” Zhao said, gesturing to where her father sat. 

Azula had to do her best to stop herself from bursting out into laughter, feeling almost giddy at the realization that Zhao must have completely lost his mind and that it would be the final slip-up to get him laughed out of the room. But after a moment, the room stayed silent, and so did Ozai; in fact, he looked almost… pleased. 

“Yes…” Ozai said as he stood and began to descend the steps of his throne to the war map. “You're right, Viceroy. Sozin's Comet is almost upon us, and on that day, it will endow us with the strength and power of a hundred suns. No bender will stand a chance against us.”

“What exactly are you suggesting, sir?” Shinu asked. 

“When the comet last came, my grandfather, Fire Lord Sozin, used it to wipe out the Air Nomads. Now, I will use its power to end the Earth Kingdom...permanently.” Ozai said, Azula leaning forward to look at Zuko, seeing that he was finally paying attention, with a confused and horrified look on his face. 

“From our airships, we will rain fire over their lands, a fire that will destroy everything, and out of the ashes, a new world will be born. A world in which all the lands are Fire Nation, and I am the supreme ruler of everything!”

Zhao began to applaud loudly, spurring a few of the other general staff to do the same, though she noticed that Jin and even Shinu were slow to follow.  

Before her mind could even catch up with reality and let her emotions on what they had just suggested form, she saw Zuko stand out of the corner of her eye and begin to walk down the steps of the throne, his fists clenched at his side. Quickly, she stood as well, catching up to him as he neared Ozai, halting him by the arm before he could do anything stupid. Zuko looked back at her like she was insane, Azula returning the expression. 

“Do you have something to add, your highnesses?” Zhao questioned, causing the room and Ozai’s attention to turn to them. 

“Yes,” she said, clearing her throat as she released her brother’s arm. “I just wish to say that I applauded your plan, your Majesty. It will surely bring glory to this new age of the Fire Nation. Don’t you agree, brother?” she said, turning to Zuko, trying to communicate with her eyes for him to follow her lead. 

“Yes,” Zuko said, his voice tense. “I’m sure it will secure your name in the scrolls of history, your Majesty.” 

“Very good,” Ozai said, his gaze flicking between the two of them before he looked back to the rest of the room. “This meeting is adjourned. Please enjoy the celebrations, all of you. Your new orders will be handed down soon.” 

She tried to make a beeline to the exit along with the rest of the room, but before she could even get three steps in front of her, she was halted by Ozai’s hand on her shoulder. 

“Not you, Azula, stay here,” Ozai said, causing her blood to go cold as she caught Zhao giving her a look that she mistrusted as he left. 

It took her a moment to realize that Zuko hadn’t moved either, his jaw clenched tightly as he held Ozai’s gaze. 

“Just Azula,” Ozai said, looking pointedly at him. 

Zuko’s gaze flicked to hers, Azula nodding at him to leave, causing him to let out a breath through his nose before he hesitantly walked past the curtains of the war room, leaving her and Ozai alone.