Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. However, I do own this story. Enjoy!

Author's note: This story is in response to a challenge set forth by AnimeFanGirlWrites4ever: What if Azula hadn't gone crazy in the final episode? What if she didn't banish everyone, and Zuko and Katara arrived to a whole nation rather than a few people?

Since Mai and Ty Lee's betrayal at the Boiling Rock was a pivotal moment in Azula's life and, in my opinion, triggered her instability, my story starts right before this point in time.

Prologue

"Leave us alone," Azula ordered.

The guards obeyed and let go of Mai's shoulder. They respectfully bowed to their princess before walking away. Mai brought her gaze to meet Azula's.

"I never expected this from you," Azula began, her temper beginning to flare.

Ty Lee noticed the shift in Azula's aura and knew nothing good ever came about when her princess was like this. She clasped her hands and stared at Mai for a moment before looking back at Azula with a frightened expression.

"The thing I don't understand is why," Azula continued. "Why would you do it? You know the consequences."

She glared at Mai then, furious that she would do this—to act so foolishly. There was no way she could get Mai out of this, despite being the Fire Nation Princess.

"I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do. You miscalculated," Mai said and the words cut through Azula's pride as sharply as one of the assassin's knives would. "I love Zuko more than I fear you."

Mai's declaration felt like a punch in the gut. It was always about Zuko. First her mother, now her friend. Azula's face scrunched up in fury, and for a moment she lost the tight control she normally had on her emotions. "No, you miscalculated! You should have feared me more!"

The firebender, fueled by pure rage, dropped into a firebending stance. Mai knew Azula would probably react like this, but given the chance to do it again, she would. She loved Zuko and would not watch him die, even though it meant possible death at the hands of her princess. With a calmness she shouldn't have felt, Mai brought her stiletto up, the weapon glinting under the sunlight.

But Ty Lee saw something then in Azula's aura that she had never noticed before but realized had been running under the surface—she was hurting inside. Her decision was made.

With a quickness that nobody saw coming, Ty Lee delivered a series of punches to Mai's torso, knocking the weapons mistress to the ground. Ty Lee's sudden attack was enough to give Azula pause, and she lowered her arms to her sides.

Mai looked up at her friend, stunned. Ty Lee gazed down at her, her charcoal eyes communicating what she could not say in words. "This is the only way I can save both of you." Mai's face remained expressionless, but Ty Lee knew she understood. Mai had done what she needed to do to save Zuko, now Ty Lee would do what she needed to do to save Azula.

The acrobat gracefully turned and stepped beside Azula, showing none of the inner turmoil that she felt. The princess's cold mask was back in place, her initial surge of rage having passed. She was still angry with Mai, but Ty Lee had handled the situation before she had time to get off an attack.

"You're a fool, Mai," Azula said coldly. "Guards!"

"Yes, Princess?" one of them asked as they approached the gondola platform.

"Lock her up for helping prisoners and enemies of the Fire Nation escape."

"How could Mai do this?" Azula fumed. "How could she choose Zuko over m—her own country?"

Ty Lee caught Azula's slip. She knew the princess viewed Mai's actions as an act of betrayal, and that Azula took it personally. She had to get the firebender to understand somehow, otherwise Mai's betrayal would continue to gnaw at her spirit.

"She told you why. She loves Zuko," Ty Lee explained gently, taking a seat beside her friend, who was seated on her bed in the airship's cabin.

"It's always about Zuko!" Azula snapped, startling Ty Lee a bit. "He ruins everything!"

"What do you mean?" Ty Lee had never seen Azula this upset before.

"Everything was going fine. We were a team, the three of us. Then he came along."

"But, Azula. You set them up, remember?" Ty Lee tried to reason with her. "You were the one who convinced him to fight alongside you in Ba Sing Se."

Azula knew Ty Lee was right, but she was simply too angry to listen to reason. She continued to sit there seething. Ty Lee hesitantly placed a comforting hand on her princess's arm. Azula allowed it, and some of her anger dissipated.

Running beneath all that anger was fear. Fear of betrayal. Fear of abandonment. Mai's betrayal brought up memories of her mother that she had tried so hard to push away. "I love Zuko more than I fear you." To Azula that meant, "I love Zuko more than you." Just like her mother.

Azula sighed. She was hurting and she didn't know the first thing to do to stop it. The only thing that seemed to help was the presence of the acrobat sitting beside her. "What if she leaves me too?"

"Azula," Ty Lee began softly. "I'm worried about you. I've never seen you this upset before."

Ty Lee often worried about Azula. There was so much pressure put on her by her father to be perfect in everything she did. It was a lot of responsibility for someone so young. For as strong as her friend was, she wondered how long she could hold up under the weight of what was expected of her.

Azula went to open her mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. She never expressed her doubts or things that hurt her, save that one time on Ember Island when she slipped.

"Do you want me to help you with your armor?" the acrobat asked, hoping a change in topic would help.

Azula shook her head. "Leave it. I'll have to meet with my father as soon as we arrive back at the capital. He's not going to be happy with this recent turn of events."

Ty Lee frowned a bit. "Is he still mad about what happened after the Day of Black Sun?"

"Yes. And I think if it weren't for everything I've achieved in his name, I'd have a scar to match Zuko's," Azula explained dryly, causing Ty Lee to shudder a bit.

Azula's temper flared again. "See! This is exactly what I'm talking about. Zuko ruins everything. I gave him a chance to regain his honor, to return home. I let him share in the glory of conquering of Ba Sing Se. I gave him credit for slaying the Avatar. And how does he repay me? By throwing it all back in my face!"

"Azula, please calm down," Ty Lee encouraged her. She brought her hand to the firebender's back and began to move her hand in a soothing pattern. She could feel the tension in the girl's body.

Ty Lee was right; she needed to keep her head, especially since she would be in her father's presence soon. The princess deepened her breathing, calming herself down. The acrobat's touch seemed to help as well.

There was a knock on the cabin door. "Princess, we're about to make landing."

Azula easily got up to stand and strode to the doorway. Turning back, she looked at Ty Lee. "Wait for me in my chambers at the palace."

Azula entered the throne room and bowed low before the Fire Lord—her father. Her face practically touched the cool marble floor as the roar of the fire that surrounded her father's throne filled her ears. She could feel his anger emanating almost as strongly as the heat from the flames.

"Azula," he said. She could tell he wasn't happy. Keeping her face an emotionless mask, she sat back on her heels and gazed up at her father. "I understand that your brother was allowed to escape, using one of your airships no less."

She remained quiet. There was no excuse and she wasn't exactly in the mood to lie—not after what happened the last time she lied to her father.

"You're getting too complacent, Azula. Perhaps a reminder is in order."

The Fire Lord rose from his throne and walked down the steps to stand before his daughter.

"Get up," he growled. She did as she was told, continuing to look him directly in the eye.

Ty Lee patiently waited for Azula in the princess's chambers. She occupied herself by balancing on her hands, alternating between each one. She was worried about Mai, but hoped she was being well taken care of—well, as well as a prisoner could be taken care of. There were some advantages to be had by having an uncle as the warden.

But she was even more worried about Azula. The princess had been gone for several hours, and the servants weren't able to tell her anything.

Eventually, Ty Lee's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the heavy door opening. Looking up, she saw Azula walk in. Her hair was down from its usual topknot and she looked exhausted.

"Azula!" Ty Lee exclaimed as she got back onto her feet and ran over to her friend. Her armor was charred and there was a burn on her left forearm. She gasped. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," Azula muttered, walking past the acrobat and over to her bed.

"What happened?" Ty Lee asked worriedly, following her.

"Father felt it was necessary to test my battle prowess," was all Azula would say. Ty Lee could tell from the firebender's tone that the topic was not up for further discussion.

Instead, the acrobat carefully removed Azula's armor. The princess didn't object. The servants could have just as easily been doing this, but she preferred Ty Lee's presence. Ever so slowly, she gently pulled away the charred sleave over Azula's left arm before cleaning and bandaging the wound.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" she asked, her gray eyes filled with concern.

"No."

They sat in silence for several moments before the firebender finally spoke again.

"Ty Lee, I need to ask you something," Azula began. "Why did you strike down Mai? Don't you consider her a friend?"

"Of course I consider her a friend, as I do you. That's exactly why I struck her down," Ty Lee explained.

Azula gave her a confused look. "What are you talking about?"

"I couldn't stand by and watch my two best friends fight like that. Azula, you were about to kill her. You've never killed anyone in your life. I know you were upset, but I couldn't let you do that to yourself or to Mai."

"Mai made her choice. She chose Zuko—a traitor. That makes her a traitor."

Ty Lee sighed. Azula just wasn't getting it.

"I would have done the same thing," Ty Lee said simply.

"What?" Azula narrowed her eyes at the acrobat. "What do you mean you would have done the same thing?"

"If it were you on that gondola instead of Zuko, I would have done exactly what Mai did," Ty Lee said, wondering if Azula would finally get it through her head.

Amber eyes widened slightly in surprise at her friend's admission. "Why would you do that, Ty Lee?" she asked, suspicious. "It's not just loyalty, and she certainly doesn't fear me."

"I would have hoped you'd figured it out by now, Azula," was all the acrobat could bring herself to say before getting up to go back to her room, leaving the princess to her own thoughts.