Yay! New Chapter! Sorry it took so long, the last couple months have been rough for me. I lost someone very dear to me. Anyway, here it is! What you've all been waiting for. I want to thank you guys for being patient and for not losing hope(maybe you did, I'm just guessing). But I do have good news. I have planned out this story somewhat and all I have to say is that there is plenty more to come. Like a lot. So I hope you stay in it for the long haul. :)

I will try to update more regularly, but with finals coming up, I make no such promises. I can promise that it won't take as long as it did for this chapter though. The latest your probably looking is May, but probably before then, like a week or two.

And as my gift to you, this chapter is twice as long as the others. Woohoo! Okay. Hope you like it. Please R&R.

Chapter 7: Return

We've been flying all day, only stopping for bathroom breaks, which is a lot thanks to the water peasant boy. I've never known someone to pee so much, or talk so much for that matter. Actually, now that I think about it, Ty Lee talked more than anybody. She would talk about everything, ranging from her time in the circus to how green the grass was. It was wonderfully rare to have silence around her. If there was one thing Mai and I could agree on, it would be that Ty Lee talked too much. A small smile unknowingly forms on my lips while I think of her insistent babbling.

"What's got you smiling?" Zuzu looks at me with a smirk on his face.

"Nothing." I promptly wipe the traitorous smile from my lips and send him a sharp glare.

"Sorry I asked."

Even in my own mind I can't escape my former friends.

I look out to the surrounding clouds. The wind is strong and chilling. The setting sun casts an orange glow over the outskirts of the palace on the horizon. We are almost back.

Thinking of the palace reminds of what awaits me there. Uncle and his tea loving kookiness will welcome everyone warmly, except for me that is. All I've received from him is looks of distrust and disappointment, not that I've given him an excuse not to, but it still stings. The leader of the Kyoshi warriors will be there to greet her friends and give me death glares laced with pity. And Ty Lee will probably be there next to her and be all too eager to see everyone but me. She'll be ready to chi block me at any moment no doubt, or tell me how mean I am. And others will be there too—the rest of the Kyoshi warriors, Zuzu's advisers, nameless guards and servants, all of which would rather have me locked up or killed. Wonderful, I can't wait.

I turn my focus back to the people before me. The Avatar and the waterbender have their fingers intertwined and are leaning against each other on the head of the bison. They make me want to vomit. The water tribe imbecile is snoring and has drool leaking out of his gaping mouth. At least he's finally stopped talking. The little flying rat creature is sprawled out in someone's bag and his limbs are twitching slightly as he dreams. Every couple seconds it emits a high-pitched cooing sound. I shift my gaze straight across to mother. She is sitting cross-legged with the child in her lap and is leaning against the father on her right. Why do couples feel the need to always be leaning against each other? Do they lose the ability to stay upright? I don't understand. I look to Zuzu on my right who seems to be informing mother of something. I focus on his words and just catch the end of what he is saying.

"…servants prepare your permanent quarters."

Quarters. Hmm. What about me? Will Zuzu allow me to have my room back? Or has this new-found freedom been a trick and he's going to send me back to that mental prison? If he is, I will need to escape. I can't go back there. Never again.

I look down to the ground. We're still pretty high up, but I can send blasts of fire from my hands and feet at intervals to slow my descent. The Avatar will probably come after me on his glider. I will have to keep him away with my bending. I just need to hit the ground first, then I can use the bustling city streets as cover. Hmm. Even if I manage to keep the Avatar away by burning his glider, I am at a disadvantage with the flying beast. He can maneuver easily and quickly. Fire will be useless against it since Zuzu will distinguish it. With the help of the beast, they will surely reach the ground before I will and I will be vulnerable to their offensive while still in the air. I am surely outnumbered.

I will have to wait till we're about to land at the palace. The timing must be perfect and I will have to be swift in order to reach the city. Everyone will be forced to split up. Then I will have the advantage. Once I'm free I must find a boat and flee to the Earth Kingdom. There I will find a village to hide in. Yes. That will be my means of escape.

I just wish I could take mother with me. I have finally received her love. Do I really want to never see her again? But I can't go back to that nuthouse. I will surely lose my mind and end up killing someone. I don't think I will survive insanity a second time. How could Zuzu do that to me again?

But he hasn't. Not yet, at least. Will he? He seems to be set on fixing our family. I should probably test him before I make any rash moves.

"Zuzu, will my room in the palace be set up for me?"

"Of course. I have already asked the servants prepare your old room before we left. It should be ready." Interesting.

"So you're not going to lock me up in the nuthouse again?" His face saddens for a split second, then quickly hardens it into a firm expression.

"No. I'm not going to send you back there. Not unless, I'm forced to."

"So I'm not going to be restrained anymore?" There it is again. A quick expression of sadness followed by a stern one.

"No, but I am going to have two guards watching you at all times…for…safety reasons."

"For my safety or for others?" I send him a smirk.

"Both."

Hmm. No long pauses, no questionable uneasiness, steady eye contact. He seems to be telling the truth. Plus I can't quite place the brief looks of sadness. And he ordered the servants to prepare my old room before we even left? What's that about? Does Zuzu actually feel bad about what he did to me? But why would he? I wouldn't. That's a lie. If Zuzu acted like I did, I would feel pity for him. He makes things so difficult for himself. He's too sensitive, always has been. I've felt bad for him in the past, but only briefly since it was mostly due to his own stupidity. However, he is showing signs of improving intelligence. Having guards watch me at all times is smart, though I'm sure it's more for the safety of others than my own. But are two guards really enough Zuzu? Oh well, fine by me.

I suppose I won't have to use my escape plan after all. Though I will store it away if the need to leave ever arises.

There's a loud snore that ends in a shout. The winged rat wakes with a screech and finds sanctuary on the Avatar's shoulder. Questioning faces turn to the water imbecile, boomerang posed above his head—ready to attack. Once he realizes there's no danger he relaxes.

"Oh, sorry. I dreamed that Azula was attacking us. I mean…uh…heh heh." Even he dreams about me killing him.

All faces turn me. I let a devious smirk creep onto my features.

"Good to know that you fear me even in your dreams." Zuzu rolls his eyes and looks away.

"I'm…" His voice cracks. "I'm not afraid of you." It comes out much deeper than usual. His attempt at manliness maybe.

"Sure about that?"

The waterbender lets out a laugh.

"Kaataaarraaaa."

"Don't whine Sokka, it's funny."

"Says you." He lets out a huff and looks over the side of the saddle. "Hey we're here." Thank you captain obvious. I liked it better when he was sleeping.

I peer down to the people awaiting our arrival. There's Uncle with an all too happy smile. Ugh, he makes me sick. On his left side is the leader of the Kyoshi warriors, not accompanied by Ty Lee. That's strange. They always seem to be operating together. I search the rest of the courtyard. There are only guards and servants, no Ty Lee. Why wouldn't she be here? Oh well, at least I don't have to worry about being chi blocked. Though her absence leaves me a bit uneasy.

We land with loud thud and the beast lets out a deep groan. I begin to stand when a loud screech in my right ear knocks me off balance, forcing me to clutch the back of the saddle for support.

"Suuuukkkiiii!" One day I will kill that peasant slime of a boy.

He is quick to embrace the Kyoshi warrior, kissing her on the cheek. What she sees in him I will never know. I get back to my task of getting off this smelly creature.

"Sokka, it's only been three days."

"I know. I just missed you so much."

"I missed you too."

Get me away from this couple before I puke. All I want to do is eat dinner, take a bath, and go to bed. A wave of fatigue washes over me. I haven't done anything but sit all day and resist the urge to not kill the snow idiot, why am I so tired? I start towards the hall that leads to the dinning room, when two guards purposely block my path.

"What is the meaning of this?" They both look uneasy and are shaking in their boots. They're terrified. Good, they should be. Zuzu comes to my aide and they visibly relax.

"It's fine. She is no longer to be treated as a prisoner, but as your Princess."

"Of course, Firelord, sir. Princess." They both bow to each of us before returning to their original positions.

I let smile grace my lips. Not only has Zuzu admitted that I was treated as a prisoner, but he declared I be treated as royalty again. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pleased. I walk with a new purpose. I am Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. I am to be worshiped once more. No longer am I deemed 'the crazy Princess.' I can't help but feel a new sense of pride envelope me. Oh, how I have missed this.

I decide to take a quick detour to my room to freshen up. Everything is exactly the way I left it, except for it being recently cleaned and polished. I head over to the bathroom sink and wash my face. I am hesitant to look into the mirror before me. Who will I see this time? Mother or the strange version of myself? What will she say to me? I slowly flick my eyes upward. My face is the only one I meet. I turn my head to the left, then to the right. The face in the mirror follows just like it should. It does not utter any words or waver in any way. It is simply a reflection. I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding in. I quickly towel off and head to dinner, feeling a bit lighter.

I am the first to arrive, but I can hear the whole entourage coming down the adjacent hallway. I promptly take my usual seat—the seat to the left of Father's at the head of the table. I suppose it's Zuko's seat now, since he's the new Firelord. This time there is no bitter taste in my mouth at the thought of Zuzu being Firelord. I guess I've finally accepted it.

I look down to inspect my nails as everyone begins to take their seats. They're not as long as I usually have them. I can thank the attendants at the nuthouse for that. Something about them being hazardous to myself and others, or some other rooster-pig crap like that. Now that I'm free I can grow them out to their previous glory.

"Have you been waiting long?" I divert my attention to my mother who is taking a seat next to me.

"No."

"That's good." She reaches out and touches my left cheek. Her sudden show of affection causes me to flinch slightly. She rubs her thumb across my cheek. "I'm so happy that you're here."

"…thanks." She gives me a small smile before she turns to the child on her left.

That was weird and random. She's never been so openly affectionate like that before. I turn my gaze forward to see Uncle staring at me. He seems to be studying me. I send him a sharp glare. Before I can ask him what he's staring at, a servant sets a bowl of soup in front of me. Its heavenly fumes cloud my senses and it's all I can focus on. Food! Real food! I take my first sip. It's even more delectable than it smells. I want to gulp it down by the bowlful. I may have been treated like an animal, but I am not going to eat like one. I take small sip after small sip like the poised princess that am.

Conversation buzzes around me, but I am too busy savoring my soup to hear any of it. Uncle looks at me occasionally, but I have all but disappeared from the table otherwise. This continues course after sweet course and I still don't have the faintest idea what anyone is talking about. I am too engrossed in the delicious meal before me. I almost forgot what real food is supposed to taste like. It's been over a year since I've had such premium quality.

"Hey Suki, where's Ty Lee? She's usually with you." My ears perk up at the mention of my old friend, which brings me out of my food stupor. I see Zuzu has been wondering the same thing I have.

"I gave her the day off, since we weren't expecting you to be back so soon. And your Uncle insisted he didn't need any guards, nonetheless two." I listen to the Kyoshi warrior's explanation as I cut another bite of meat.

"Azula's friend, Ty Lee?" Everyone looks at me and I continue eating without so much as a glance from my plate. Zuzu coughs, sending all eyes back to him.

"Uh…yes. She's a Kyoshi warrior now."

"Oh, how exciting. It will be so good to see her after all these years. She was such a sweet little girl. So cheerful."

"She still is. She has the best attitude of all the girls." The Kyoshi warrior seems to radiate pride. Pfft. As if she had anything to do with Ty Lee's attitude.

"That's good to hear. Is Mai here as well?" Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Zuzu visibly deflate at the mention of Mai. A sad solemn look makes its way onto his features.

"No. Mai…Mai…I…She um…She left."

"Oh. I'm sorry, Zuko. I didn't realize that you-"

"No, it's okay."

Mother nods, realizing the heaviness of the situation.

"You know, Ty Lee might know where she is. She's been sending letters to somebody. It's probably Mai." The Kyoshi warrior's voice is soft and sympathetic.

Zuzu brightens at her words. As much as I love seeing him in distress caused by his own stupid actions, he and Mai are perfect for each other. Plus, it's a lot easier to humiliate both of them when they're together.

"I'll have to talk to her then."

Yeah, me too. I know I can't avoid a so-called heart-to-heart with Ty Lee forever, especially since I've been deemed mentally stable and have been reinstated as the Princess of the Fire Nation. She tried to talk to me once, but it didn't go well. It ended up with me chi blocked and screaming obscenities while she ran away crying. Since then, I've been dreading the moment when she tries again. I have a feeling it's going to happen soon too. It's only a matter of time before she finds me.

As I approach my room, I can't help but relax. I have longed to have a proper bath and curl up in my silk sheets on my big comfy bed. A warm orange glow seeps out from under the door, as if inviting me in. As I reach the door, I hear paper shuffling and a quiet muttering. I check my location. Yep, this is my room. I look back at the door accusingly. Who is in my room?

I fling the door open and fall into a firebending stance as I turn to face the intruder on left side of the room. They jump at my sudden presence. It looks as if they were rifling through the drawers of my desk. My stomach drops as I realize who it is.

Ty Lee stares at me with a frightened expression. She relaxes after her initial shock of being caught and sends me a questioning glance.

"Azula, what are you doing here?"

"This is my room. What are you doing here?"

She lets out a giggle.

"I know that. I mean what are you doing back so soon? I thought you were looking for your mother." She gasps suddenly. "Did you find her?"

"Yes."

"And, she's alive?"

"Well, I didn't kill her if that's what you mean."

"Oh…um…I didn't mean-"

"It's okay. I was going to, but then…then I didn't"

"Well that's great! How are you doing? You seem…better."

"If by better, you mean not crazy and delirious, then yes. I'm better. Deemed mentally stable by Zuko himself, hence me here, unchained, in my room. What I want to know is why you're here, digging through my drawers."

"Oh, right. You see some of the girls and I were talking…and they wanted to see…so I said I…uh…I was looking for…uh…hmm. Let me start over."

"Please."

"Okay. Do you remember that portrait I had done of us and Mai for your eighth birthday?"

"How could I forget? We had to sit still for hours for that stupid painter to 'capture our essence.' Mai almost died of boredom and I'm pretty sure we had to sedate you. What made you think that was a good idea for a birthday present for an eight year old?"

"It was my mother's idea."

"Well that explains it."

She starts laughing and it is so infectious I can't help but release a few as well. The dread in the pit of my stomach has dissipated, leaving me surprisingly calm. It is the first time we have been at ease in each other's company for a long time. It's nice to see her genuinely smile again. It feels even better that I evoked that smile. Her whole face just lights up and you can't help but return it.

I take this time to fully look at her. She has on a simple pink shirt and red pants that stop at her ankles. She is wearing black slippers and is loosely wrapped in a red robe. But what is most prominent is her hair. It is not in its usual braid, but is cascading down her shoulders and her back. The long, silky tendrils flow like that of a brown waterfall. The warm glow of the room perfectly illuminates her angelic face.

Wait, what? What was that? Angelic face? I was simply admiring her beauty. Right. Friends do that. Are we even friends though? I mean I did leave her in prison to rot. Well, she did deliberately attack the Princess of the Fire Nation, which has a much more severe punishment than I gave her. But more importantly, she betrayed me. Can I ever trust her again?

"So, about the portrait." Her words bring me out of my thoughts. "The other Kyoshi warriors and I were talking about how we were as kids and Yujin asked if there would be a picture of me since we were friends, and I remembered the portrait and came to find it."

"So they wanted to see what you looked like as a child?"

"Yeah."

"And you just raided my room?"

"Yeah. I figured you wouldn't be back for a couple more days and it's not like you were living in here anyways." Since I was locked up in the institution. Got it.

"I see."

"No. That's not what I meant. I didn't-"

"It's okay. It should be over here."

I walk over to my bedside table and pull open the top drawer. I sink to my knees and reach into the very back. My fingers brush a dusty scroll. I pull it out and unroll it to make sure it's the one we're looking for. Ty Lee is leaning over my left shoulder. There we are. I'm sitting in the middle with a slightly annoyed look on my face, Mai is on my left, a downright miserable expression instead of her usual stoic one, and Ty Lee is on my right, a droopy smile on her face.

"Oh my spirits. I look so goofy. I remember drinking some special relaxing tea, but I didn't realize it made me look like some debilitated child. I can't show them this, I look completely incapacitated."

I let out a light snicker.

"Hey." She puts her hands on her hips. "It's not funny."

"Oh come on. I mean look at Mai." I turn and show her the portrait once again. I sit back on my heels as her stern expression breaks.

"Okay. It's kinda funny."

She erupts in laughter and I let out a few chuckles. Has her laugh always been this sweet sound? It is so soothing. I can't help but be enticed by it. I don't know why I was dreading seeing her again. She's so wonderful.

What is wrong with me? Why is Ty Lee so spectacular all of the sudden? I've just been deprived of normal interaction with someone in over a year, that's all. It's the same thing with the food. It's just over stimulation, nothing more.

While lost in my thoughts an uncomfortable silence has made its presence. Ty Lee, not being one who can stand silence, clears her throat.

"Umm…I know you just got your mother and your mind back, but I can't just ignore what happened between us at the Boiling Rock a year and a half ago." All the dread I felt at seeing Ty Lee again has returned tenfold. "The last time I brought it up was…less than ideal. It was pour judgment on my part and I take responsibility for that one. I just want to you to know that I don't blame—"

The door bursts open and bangs against the wall. There stands Zuzu with an irritated look on his face. Thank you Zuko!

"Azula, have you seen—oh Ty Lee, just who I was looking for." He scans the room. "Uh…Where's Azula?"

"I'm right here, dumb dumb." I say while getting up.

"Oh, well then. Ty Lee, may I have a word?" Yes! Take her away.

"Actually, Azula and I were—" This time I cut her off.

"Nope. It's fine. I need to take a bath anyway. And I'm…" I feign a yawn. "…awfully tired. Long day. I should get some rest. Night." I quickly head to the bathroom and lock the door. The last thing I see is Ty Lee's angry pout. The click of the door lets me know they've gone. I let out a sigh of relief. That was way too close.

I walk over to the tub and turn the water on. I pry off my boots and throw them in the corner. I walk over to the vanity and let down my hair. It takes me a couple minutes to brush all the knots out. I strip off my clothes, which smell of dirt and sweat and dump them in the hamper. By now the bath is almost full. Slowly, I ease into the relaxing water. Fully submerged from the chest down, I lean my head back and let out a content sigh. This is nice. I could stay in here forever.

So what did you think? Let me know. And if you're wondering if that is a hint towards Tyzula, yes it is. But just so you know that ship is moving very, very slowly. I haven't decided if it's only going to be one-sided or not yet. But don't worry, for those of you who could careless about them together, the story still mainly revolves about Azula's redemption and such. Right now, Azula is just trying to figure things out. Don't worry, friendship first.

Please let me know what you think. Good or bad. Review is always welcome. And if you're not comfortable leaving a review, feel free to always send me a private message. (Even if it is to tell me to get my butt in gear) I promise I will respond within 48hrs to a P.M. Okay, I'm done.

Thanks for reading. :)