This is a Ty Lee/Azula romance, so if that bothers you now (two girls in a romance), please be warned and read no further. I got sad that most Tyzula stories are oneshots, so I wanted to try to write a longer one. Please be patient :) Feel free to comment with praise/criticism, but please no flames about the yuri. You've been warned about it.

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"Ha! I see that! You're using your thumb to brace yourself, you cheater!" Ty Lee quipped cheerfully at Suki. The Kyoshi leader was panting and gritting her teeth as she tried in vain to mimic one of Ty Lee's effortless pose.

She sighed exhaustedly then willfully let her body crumble to the docks with a thud. Apparently, a handstand balanced on only the tips of your index fingers is harder than I thought. "Huh… it looks like I'm months of training away from that one. I couldn't hold it for more than a few seconds even with cheating!" Suki giggled.

"Don't worry! It's not about finger or arm muscles. It's just…balance." Ty Lee had been walking upside down on her hands to keep eye-level with her newfound leader but held the pose even after Suki had given up. She shuffled her hands over to where Suki lay and lifted one arm up, leaving the entirety of her weight on one finger. "See? I'm sure you'll get the hang of it before we even make it back to the Earth Kingdom."

If it were anyone but the chipper acrobat, the girls probably would've thought she was taunting. Instead, they smiled warmly at their new warrior and gathered around her spectacle. "I can't wait for you to see Kyoshi, Ty Lee. After the Fire Nation destr—errm. Before we left for Ba Sing Se, we had a chance to rebuild and improve our little island to make it more homey and quaint as ever. I know every kid in town will want to watch a world-class acrobat. You'll love it!" one of the warriors chimed.

Ty Lee grinned at the thought of the welcome she had waiting for her, happy to have been accepted into such a tight group of friends. "If it's half as nice as you say it is, I know I will! The Fire Nation will always be home, of course, but when the last place I slept was prison, well—" she giggled in normal Ty Lee fashion of not taking grim subjects seriously. "It's hard not to see the good in other options!"

The warriors chuckled, and one had just opened her mouth to continue raving about their beloved home island when a stern, masculine voice interrupted. "Lady Ty Lee." An imperial guard approached and pressed his fist to his palm in a bow. "The Fire Lord ordered us to intercept you before you leave the capital. He's requested you return to the palace immediately." The guard's arm motioned broadly to the royal palanquin that some other servants carried.

"Why? A—am I in trouble again?" Ty Lee's big grey eyes widen innocently, a sense of panic evident in her voice. She had been freed from prison all of a few days, and now the Fire Lord wanted to keep her from leaving the city already. It's like they heard me joke about prison! Ohh, the universe must be teasing me!

"No, my lady," the guard responded sternly, but not harshly. "Fire Lord Zuko told me to tell you that this is not a hostile visit if you were to become alarmed."

"But, but the ship to carry us to the Earth Kingdom will arrive any minute now! I can't miss it, or else I'll be stranded here for weeks before the next one." Ty Lee looked up at the guards with her big, doe eyes. Please let this get me out if it! I was so excited to go to Kyoshi, and I especially don't want to travel for weeks alone without the other warriors if I'm left behind.

"I'm sorry, my lady. I was told not to return to the palace without you. I'm to assure you that this is of utmost, personal importance."

Ty Lee wasn't sure if that were a threat, if she would be taken at force if necessary. Either way, she didn't want to fight, and if prison is what she wanted to avoid, fleeing from the Fire Lord and the imperial guard is not the wisest path. Her big eyes took on a helpless and dejected look, as she nodded. "Alright…"

She looked back at Suki and the other Kyoshi girls. "I guess…I'll see you guys there," she sighed sadly.

"Don't worry. Just send a hawk when you're about to leave. We'll be waiting for you on the other side to take you to Kyoshi," Suki said calmly. She wrapped her arms around Ty Lee in a reassuring hug. The other warriors did the same and bade their new friend farewell, as she turned to approach the palanquin slowly. Some of the skip was missing from her step, but the leader smiled quietly to herself. It's ok. It's Ty Lee. She'll be back to cartwheels and handstands before she even gets to the palace.

Once situated inside the palanquin, Ty Lee called out to them, smiling widely with her hands fluttering in a child-like wave. "Bye, guys! I'll miss you!"

Yep. Back to her old self before the palanquin even got lifted off.

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The servants knelt slowly to set down the palanquin at the steps of the royal courtyard. "Thanks, guys!" Ty Lee quipped as she jogged quickly up the stairs where Zuko wait.

Her hands pressed together and her head bent as she bowed. Zuko returned the formal gesture and smiled at his sister's best friend. "Thank you for coming, Ty."

"Well, it wasn't really my choice… But, it was nice of you to send the palanquin! I thought only royals were meant to be carried like that. At least, Azula always made us walk beside her."

"Royals, nobility, childhood friends, all the same. It's all formality and tradition," he replied sincerely. "Just look at it as an effort to demonstrate the end of the rigidness and tyranny of the Fire Lord position."

Ty Lee beamed back. "Thank you, then! I'm glad the Fire Nation is now in service of a nicer ruler."

At that, the warmth and friendliness started to fade from Zuko's face. She's such a sweet and innocent girl. Can this new "nice ruler" of the Fire Nation really ask this of her? I have to. It's the right thing to do, for the new rule and for my family.

The Fire Lord swept his arm towards a gate and followed the younger girl through to one of the palace's many gardens. Inside, he settled onto a stone dragon-shaped bench, beckoning Ty Lee to sit beside him.

"Actually, Ty Lee, the Fire Nation needs your service right now. No, well… That's true, but I personally need your help right now, also. It's something I've thought about a lot, and I keep coming to the same solution. It has to be you."

"What do you mean?" the girl asked excitedly. From all the times he'd seen Azula wrap Ty Lee tighter and tighter around her finger, he knew by now that Ty Lee loved to feel needed and indispensable.

"I'm sorry I didn't approach you earlier. I know you had plans to leave. But, with the coronation and peace negotiations, well, the past few days have been too hectic for me to attend to my most intimate matters."

"Intimate matters?" The solemn tone of Zuko's voice seemed to gnaw at the corners of Ty Lee's bright face, threatening to turn her expression into a frown.

"Yes, if there's any wisdom that I learned during my three years of exile, it's that family and loyalty are to be honored…cherished. My uncle forced that lesson onto me over and over by example when Agni knows I was being petulant, reckless, and violent. I wronged a lot of people, but I got a second chance…a third one, too. Now that I'm Fire Lord, I feel like I need to pay respect to what I've learned and display this same love and forgiveness."

"That's great that you learned all that, Zuzu!" Zuko winced slightly at the embarrassing nickname, but it somehow irritated less when it didn't come from his little sister. "But, I don't understand what this has to do with me."

"You know that no one has been allowed to see Azula since my father was defeated?"

"Yes." The acrobat's large eyes turned down to stare sadly at her lap. "I tried to see her as soon as I was released from prison. I thought that maybe she'd like to meet my new friends and come with us, what with the war being over and someone else in the throne. But, I was told that no one was allowed to speak to her. They said it was an indefinite order from—oh—you, I guess. Then, they sent me away and told me not to come back. They were really short with me." She finished with uncharacteristic bitterness as brow contorted to as close as a scowl as Ty Lee could come.

"I did order that. I couldn't have anyone see her the way she is."

"The…way she is? What happened? Is she ok?"

"Physically, she is fine." Zuko said flatly before sighing. "It's her mind that's broken."

"Wh-what does that mean?" Ty Lee's voice quivered slightly, partially confused and partially concerned.

"After Katara and I beat her in that agni kai—well, no. I suppose it started before that, but I wasn't around to see when. She started slipping, losing her grip on her rationality. I couldn't have beaten her any other way. After she lost, she completely snapped. She's really not well."

"You mean… 'Zula's gone mad?" the innocent girl asked, horrified. Before Zuko could respond, tears already began to well up in her big, grey eyes. The Fire Lord nodded, sending those tears streaming down Ty Lee's face. "Oh, no! Will she be ok? She'll be ok, right?"

Zuko ignored her question and continued to explain himself. He didn't mean to be dismissive. He just simply did not know what his sister's prognosis was.

"That's why I kept her under wraps. I couldn't let the Fire Nation see her turned into a madwoman. She was this country's hero just days ago. She was the most talented bender, the most skilled military tactician, the heir to the monarchy. Having her seen like that would be a blow to our nation's character, a piercing nail in the coffin of our defeat in the war. I know that's contestable, but…but more importantly, it would be a disgrace to Azula's pride. I know she wouldn't want to be seen in that fallen state."

Ty Lee continued crying and began to shiver slightly at Zuko's talk of her best friend's condition. Her carefree nature had already forgiven the princess for her imprisonment, but even if she hadn't, she never would've wished madness onto her dearest, childhood companion.

"That's why I need you, Ty. Azula needs help, and I can't think of anyone who can reach her besides you."

"Me?" Ty Lee sniffled, a bit confused. "I mean, of course if Azula needs me, I'll do it, but…but why do you think it has to be me?"

"I've sent every doctor and waterbender I know to see her. She's damn near deep fried all of them even with her arms and legs bound. The sight of me also seems to throw her into fits. And Mai—well, her visits have been more mixed. She still rages, but sometimes, I think Azula can remember glimmers of their friendship."

The young noblewoman cringed at the thought of her princess in chains. Azula was always so proud and in control…

"When I saw that Mai could get her to show the slightest signs of hope, I immediately knew we needed your help. Even if we're just imagining the hope, I think—I think Azula needs you now."

Although his intentions were benevolent at heart, Zuko had learned a thing or two as a child of Ozai. In this case, with a touch of a guilty conscience, he knew he was pressing all of Ty Lee's buttons. Words like "need," "want," and "only you" played towards Ty Lee's agreeable personality and desire to please, especially when it came to Azula.

"So, Ty Lee," Zuko asked softly as he placed his shoulder on the younger girl's shoulder. "I know it's a lot to ask, and I can tell you upfront it won't be easy, but…will you help her?"

"Y-yes. Anything I can do to make her better," she tried to respond resolutely, despite being shaken by her tears.

Zuko wrapped his arms around Ty Lee in gratitude. "Thank you," he offered a weak smile, and then stood. "Come. I'll take you to her."

He led her down a labyrinth of hallways and stairwells until they reached a set of imposing steel double doors with no apparent way to open them. With an elaborate series of firebending forms, Zuko burst flames into the ironclad pipes. The doors lurched open, and immediately a faint cackling could be heard from inside.

Ty Lee's sadness transformed quickly into fear as she recognized Azula's voice. Even in her more sadistic and triumphant conquests, she'd never heard that laughter. Sensing her uneasiness, Zuko placed his hand on the acrobat's back and nudged her into a walk.

She became more and more disconcerted as they passed scorched pillows, garments, fans, combs, all of the usual comforts of a princess burnt to a crisp and hurled about the large hall. "Wh-why do you keep her in this big, dark room?"

"We don't. We light the lanterns and torches several times a day, but she always firebends them out. I guess she just likes it dark. Here." He extended his hands and ignited the room's lanterns. The large, regal room revealed itself to be one of the palace's many ballrooms. It was accessible only through the metal doorway and, with the windows covered, completely hidden from any visitors to the capital. "It was the best we could put her in without giving her away. Don't worry. You won't be spending your days in a palace prison. We'll be moving you as soon as—"

"ZUZU!" Azula's piercing voice screeched, echoing through the large hall. "You brought me someone new to play with!"

Ty Lee's fear overtook her, causing her to literally shake in place as she snapped her head around the large room, searching for the hidden princess. I-I've never heard her like this before. Not even when she thought she killed the avatar! Not even when she got permission to kill Zuko! Oh, Azula…is this really you?

The ballroom lights suddenly extinguished. The room fell dark again except for a weak, blue glow behind them. She turned quickly to the source only to meet the searing golden eyes of the fallen princess with a suspended blue fireball between her bound hands. Ty Lee gasped sharply and jumped back in reflexive instinct.

"It's ok!" Zuko put a bracing arm around the terrified girl. "She can't bend any more than that with her hands and legs shackled."

"Zuuuuuuuuzuuuuuuu!" Azula cooed with a singsong voice as she continued to cackle. "This is your best gift yet!" She approached Ty Lee, leaving only inches between their bodies and faces. "My prettiest pet."

Despite her nature, Ty Lee could not bring herself to return Azula's menacing grin with a smile. The beautiful princess' hair was tangled and wildly disheveled, her clothes scorched and torn. Even her eyes had a distant, but nonetheless furious glaze to them that Ty Lee had never seen in fourteen years. This isn't Azula! This isn't Azula! She kept repeating to herself in efforts to calm herself out of her quivering and mortified state. "Azula, I— Zuko, I—I—" Oh, Agni! What have I gotten myself into…

Ty Lee started to back up, her fearful instincts taking hold of her again. But, the misery of seeing her formerly invulnerable and powerful best friend insane combined with true horror proved too much for the sensitive, young noblewoman. Her head felt light, and her legs felt weak all at once.

"Uh oh! I've scared my pet!" Azula sneered with a giggle.

With a delicate thud, Ty Lee collapsed to the ground.

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Zuko looked over to mattress where Azula's freshest victim lay. He sighed deeply. He knew that anyone who had so much as met Azula before would no longer recognize her. The shock naturally was harsher for her closest friend. He buried his hands in his hair and dug his nails into his skull. Poor Ty Lee…

The sweet, innocent daughter of a nobleman always wore her emotions on her sleeve and looked for the best in people, but when it came to the crown princess, she was— She was just so damn obvious about my sister. She always showered her in compliments and admiration, usually only to have fireballs slung her way; she always perked up in joy at the slightest hint of kindness from the princess.

Azula never returned the same degree of affection and respect, of course. She's Azula. But there were some times when the calculation and malice subsided from Azula's eyes, some times where they even showed a tender chink in her impermeable armor. Those moments had always been for Ty Lee. She seemed to be the only person my sister didn't outright relish in torturing and…and that had to count for something.

Even if it was only sometimes that her humanity and connection to others showed, sometimes was better than never for my sister at this point.

The Fire Lord looked over towards the unconscious acrobat, but quickly returned his face to his hands. "I'm sorry, Ty," he muttered shamefully. I'm sorry you're so good-natured and loyal. I'm sorry I'm using it against you. I' m sorry I'm feeding you to the fire and risking to crush your sensitive feelings. But right now, you're Azula's only hope. We need you.

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Thanks for reading the long-ish buildup. I promise more Tyzula interaction will come! : )