A/N: I had sudden inspiration to write this one day. It took me forever to finish it. Plus, I wanted to try writing a story in first person. I hope you all enjoy it. I would like to thank, Prince TigerMasters, for being my beta for this story.

My name is Lee, and I'm a pretty normal guy. No, actually, really normal. My physique is the same of all 17 year olds my age, fit but not muscular, and my face looks like one of those run of the mill guys, except for my emerald green eyes. In fact, if I had a silver piece for every time I get forgotten by my friends or get mistaken by other people, I would probably be able to buy the Earth King's palace by now. But I'm okay with that. With a common name like Lee, it comes with the territory.

Maybe that's why the situation I'm in is strange. I was personally called by Fire Lord Zuko himself. A nobody whose only remarkable aspect is that he's an earthbender in a Fire Nation colony, scratch that, ex-Fire Nation colony. I bet he doesn't even remember me when he visited Yu Dao or that one summer. I can't blame him if he did, I do have one of those faces.

The letter wasn't specific either. It just stated that the Fire Lord requested my presences and that he will send a ship for me in a week time. Not saying a reason why, not saying what is going on, or even what will happen if, no, when I arrive. It's never an 'if' when dealing with a world leader, especially those who are personal friends of the Avatar.

A week went by and the ship that the Fire Lord promised arrived. We shipped off as soon as they docked. I barely had time to say my goodbyes to my family and my girlfriend, Xiao. On the ride to the Fire Nation, I realized that I could ask the crew the reason why I was summoned. But alas, it was fruitless. Those navy guys either didn't know or were ordered not to tell me. Now I'm really nervous on what it is to come when we hit land.

When we arrived at the Fire Nation, I was welcomed by the Fire Lord. He doesn't seem to remember me of course. I never understood the proper way of greeting a world leader so I did a mixture of kneeling and bowing. I looked like a dumbass. I should know, I heard one of the Fire Lord's guards muttered it.

We arrive at the palace midday. The ride there was quite awkward he didn't say a single word to me. When I asked why I was summoned, he said he promised her not to tell me. Who ever she is, I hope she gives me some answers... and won't kill me or send me to prison.

We walk in the royal garden. It is a quite beautiful sight, calming even. Fire Lord Zuko said his mother was the one who had made it. He motion for me to sit down on the bench that's looking out on the garden, while he stand. He doesn't look please that I was here or is it because of the woman he was talking about the ride to the palace. He motion one of his guards to come forth. Based on the makeup and the fact that the guard is a young woman, I assume she one of those Kiyoshi Warriors I heard about. Plus the outfit is a clear give away.

The guard gave a slight bowed. "My Lord?"

"You can send her in now. Make sure she's chi-blocked."

"Of course." The guard left.

We waited in silence for the guest of honor. What am I doing here? What does this person want with me? More importantly, who is the person? The only thing I know about this person is that it's a she and that she has some pull on the Fire Lord to make him summon me.

I heard creaking sounds of rusty wheels. I turn towards the sound. My eyes widened in shock when I saw her, I was speechless. I had heard she died at the end of the war.

She shifted her body a bit, I guess to get more comfortable in her straitjacket. "Oh Lee, it is so good to see you. You remember me?"

Of course I remember you. I could never forget about my summer fling. I can't say that, it would be disrespectful of me to call it a fling. Though it was a short time, it was more than I thought it would be. She was my summer love.

Your golden amber eyes, so determined, always a undying fire burning brightly in them, always life in them. Not anymore, now their dulled, lifeless, frantically trying to keep focus on me and not on the exists or your brother.

Your waist long raven black hair always so beautiful, neat, not a hair out of place, but now, uncared for, wild, has split ends, making you look like ... a monster.

Your smile, not what it was before. Whether it was your devilishly smile which hides your true intentions, or your signature snide, conniving, arrogant beautiful smirk of yours, both brought me happiness and a foreboding feeling of my demise. Both excited me back then. But that feeling is gone like the smile I used to love the most about you. You're smiling like a deranged woman now, showing some of your teeth. You're trying so hard to keep that smile of yours, like your life depended on it. Why?

Although many things about her changed, there is one thing that is still the same from that summer a year ago. I notice light red on her cheeks, she is blushing. Like when I kissed her for the first and, sadly, the last time. Or when we used to stare into each others eyes, believing we would be together when the war was over. And like that time too, I feel the familiar butterflies of adolescents, fluttering in my stomach, reviving my love for this girl and betraying my love for Xiao. I guess they have returned from their year long break.

"Well?" She said, cocking her head to the side, making her look like more of a crazy person.

I slowly inhale then exhale. "Of course I have. I could never forget about you, Princess Azula."

Azula smile soften a bit. It now looks genuine. "Good."

Why is she here, I had heard rumors that she was killed by her brother at the end of the war. Wait a sec, she called me here. Why? I'm a nobody, a one of a million. Why would she call me here?

"Princess Azu-"

"It's not a princess anymore." She face her brother. "Right Zuzu?" She asked mockingly.

She's not a princess? She lost her right to the throne? Why am I surprised about this. It makes sense since her brother is the Fire Lord and not her.

The Fire Lord sighed from the nickname. I guess he still hates the name she gave him. "If you get better, than maybe you can get your title back."

She blew a hair out of her eyes. "You became such a prune since becoming Fire Lord." She lean her head back, facing the guard that was pushing her wheelchair. "I'm ready to leave now."

The guard faced the Fire Lord for approval. He nodded in affirmation. She turned Azula around, wheeling her away.

"Wait, Azula!" I start walking towards her until some guards stop me.

"Nice seeing you again Lee." Azula said, not even trying to face me.

What the hell is going on! There's no way Azula would call me here to just leave again. I want answers! I push the guards off of me. I slam my foot on the ground, bringing forth a rock spike from the ground, stopping Azula and her guard in their tracks. I did a quick motion with my left foot, moving the ground underneath the guard to move her away from Azula.

"Stop him!" One of the guards said.

I got in a deep horse stance and brought my hands up, creating a tall dome, sealing me and Azula from the outside world in it. I only got a hour worth of air in this dome of mine. I will get my answers from her.

I walk to Azula. I turned her wheelchair around so I can face her when we speak. I was speechless once again when I lay my eyes upon her. She's crying. Why is she crying? Why is seeing her crying hurt me so? I thought I had moved on.

I cupped her cheek, wiping a tear of hers with my thumb. Why can't I moved on? I have a lovely girlfriend back home but all I care about now is Azula. "Don't cry."

She sniffed back some of her tears. "I'm not crying. Royals don't cry."

I smile at her snobby attitude. She is just as I remembered her to be. "Of course not." She snuggled up to my hand like a dog as I let go of her. She looked sad that I had let go. "Azula, why did you call me here?"

"No reason, I just wanted see your average face of yours one last time. Now that I have, you can leave."

She is obviously not telling me the truth. She used act like this when I approached her after the incident with Chan back at Ember Island. I start to unwrap her from her straitjacket, I can't have a serious conversation with her looking like that. She got up from her wheelchair, stretching her arms and neck once she was free. She ran her fingernails through her messy black hair with a devious smile. She really haven't changed.

"Thank you Lee."

"No problem." I plop down in the ground, bringing my knee up, leaning back. "We have about 55 minutes before the air runs out here. Now that I set you free, mind telling me why you call me here, and what did you mean, for the last time?"

She chuckled before sitting back down in her wheelchair, crossing her legs over each other. "You are probably the only one who can read through my lies and see past my masks." All of a sudden she look aggravated. I heard her whispered something but I couldn't completely hear her.

"Are you okay?"

I saw fear in her eyes, real truth to Agni fear in them. She blinked, replacing her fear filled eyes with one of calm and cunning. What happen to you Azula? "Yes I am. Just some… unpleasant memories."

"What about?"

"My Mother." She snarled.

Her Mother? Back at ember island she never really talk about her Mother. Did something happen to them? Did she hurt her? I made a fist on that thought. If she hurt her, I will hunt her down and make her apologize.

"Lee, I..."

"Yes Az?" Azula usually doesn't get tongue tied.

She chuckled. "To think I would miss your nickname."

I smiled. "What about me?" What am I doing? Why am I flirting with my ex? If Xiao saw me now, she would beat my ass till a bloody pulp before breaking up with me.

She got up from her chair, start circling around me, like a wolf about to pounce on its prey. "Me, missing a colonial peasant. You're thinking too highly of yourself." She stop in front of me. Her arms cross, her confident grin like it was a year ago.

I shrugged. "Maybe so but can you blame me. I had the princess of the Fire Nation under my spell."

"Under your spell, really?" She walk towards me, kneeling down in front of me. She slowly wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer to her. "Last time I checked, you fell in love with me at first sight."

I stared at her eyes. I still see the love she has for me burning in them. Does my eyes show the same love to her or does it show that I love another. "I knew I shouldn't had told you that."

"I think… it's...cute." She close her eyes, starting to lean close to me. Her lips on the direct path to mine. Should I kiss her? Should I give into the feelings I had locked away? Should I betray my girlfriend I've been going out with for 5 months now? What should I do?

Huh? She kissed my nose. Honestly, I feel kinda sad that it didn't happen. "You found someone else did you?"

How did she know? Am I that easy to read. "I, uh." Why can't I say I do.

She rolled her eyes. "You can't lie to me. I am a master at it after all."

I sighed, moving her arms off of me. "Yes I do. Her name is Xiao and we've been going out for awhile now. I'm sorry Az."

She let out a short laugh that was filled with sadness. "I understand. I did disappeared on you out of nowhere." She got up from the ground and walk to the wall of the dome. "I guess Mother was right. I am destined to be alone."

There she goes mentioning her Mom again. What did her Mom do to her? "Az wh-"

All of a sudden a wall of the dome came crashing down and Kiyoshi Warriors start swarming in. They quickly surround us, their fans and swords ready to be use. I got into a earthbending stance, I haven't got all my answers from her yet.

The Fire Lord walk through the hole in the dome. "Stand down Azula and I promise you, our deal will still stand. If you don't however, " He got in a firebending stance. "I will put you back in the dungeon."

Dungeon! How could someone do that to their own blood. I got in front of Az, calling forth a two head-sized boulders for the fight that will sure to come. "No she won't! Whatever deal you had is over!" I deepen my stance.

"Don't worry Zuzu, I will go to the asylum with no trouble at all. Little old Lee here, was just overzealous of seeing me go. Hehe, just like a colonial peasant."

Wait what! Asylum! Why does she need to go to a asylum? I felt a sharp pain in my neck and everything went black. It's just my luck to be knocked out. Before I blacked out, I could've sworn I heard someone said my name. It sounded sad.

I open my eyes to be welcome with a bright blinding light. I immediately close them. What happened? Oh yeah, Az happened. I mentally sighed, I don't want being blind to be on my list of bad luck that happened to me. I slowly open my eyes, blinking repeatedly and rapidly to get adjusted to the light. I check my surroundings, hoping I'm not in a prison. I'm not surprise if I am. What I done could be treated the same as releasing a criminal. Actually, I did just do that. Fuck, I'm so screwed.

"He's up." A woman's voice said. It has some authority in it but I don't recognize it.

I slowly sit up from the bed. I grab my head. I'm having a monster of all headaches right now. "Who knocked me out?"

"That would be my sister."

I looked to my left to where the voice came from. "Hey Zuko."

"It's Fire Lord Zuko." He turned to face the woman. "You can leave Suki."

"You sure?" She said, eyeing me like a criminal. Technically I am criminal so she is justify.

"Yes. We need to talk anyway."

"If you say so." She eyed me one more time before leaving.

When she left, Zuko stared me down. He looks beyond livid right now. I can't tell if he is angry as a Fire Lord or from being an protective older brother. He sat down at the chair across of me. He inhaled, causing the candles in the room to ignite. The flames dance full of life, burning brightly, covering the room with a light shade of orange and yellow. This made Zuko looked extremely threatening, really befitting for a Fire Lord.

"How do you know my sister?"

He still doesn't remember me, I guess it's time for him to remember. "I kinda was her boyfriend...I guess, I'm not really sure."

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "You're not sure?"

I scratch the back of my head, smiling sheepishly. "We really didn't put a label on it. That and we only saw each other for that one week on Ember Island a year ago."

"Ember Island?" His eyes widened in shock. I guess he finally remembered. "Wait, you're that Lee? The one that Mai saw with Azula at that party. Whose party was it again, Chan, right?" He ran his hand through his hair. "I honestly thought she was kidding. Azula doesn't seem like the romance or dating type."

I chuckled. "Yeah she really isn't."

"Now I understand why she called you."

Finally we are getting somewhere. "Why did she call me here, and what this talk about a asylum?"

"She didn't tell you?" I shook my head no. "That's like her alright, never telling the truth." He face turned grim and I can see regret in it.

"During the last couple of months of the war, Azula had a... mental breakdown. She started seeing our Mother and at times, believes she talks to her, judging her, telling her she is a monster. Azula believe our Mother was conspiring against her, but that's untrue obviously." He stood up, walking to the window, admiring the garden we were in earlier. "I made her a deal. Go to an mental institution where she could get professional help and once she is better, regain her title as princess, or continue the rest of her sentence in the royal dungeon in isolation." He turned to face me, walking solemnly. "She agreed on one condition."

"To see me."

He nodded. "Yes."

I can't process all this information. Az went nuts after the war. She was in prison. If I knew I would've come to help her. That would explain why she stop sending me letters. But a new question come to mind now. Why did she want to see me? "Why?"

He shrugged. "I guess it's because she wanted to say goodbye, I don't know. I've never been able to understand her."

"I understand." Knowing her, she probably did want to say goodbye. She never was the type to leave some unfinished business. "Where is she?"

"I'm sorry but she is already have been sent to the institution."

"Then tell me where it is."

"I can't, she made it specifically clear for me not to tell you. I promised her I won't."

No! You can't reignite my feelings for you then disappeared. No Az, you won't do this to me again. I won't allowed it. Huh, my feelings for Az. I finally understand now. I haven't moved on from her because I still love her. I love Az, and I won't let her brother stand in my way.

Zuko took a brush from inside his arm robe and ink from his sash. "You know, she did say not to tell you but nothing about me writing out the address for you." He said writing on a piece of paper in the room. It was like he was reading my mind.

Wow, I didn't think Zuko could be this nice. Last time I saw him, he was quite a hothead who is quick to anger. "Wait, do you always carry that brush and ink around?"

He stop writing, placing his utensils back where he got them. "Um, Uncle said it was a, uh, good idea. You know, always be prepared." He said shyly. He seems embarrassed to admit that.

He really changed did he. I never thought he would help me. He hand me the paper. I read the address and the instruction on how to get there. It is highly detailed, so much so, even an idiot wouldn't get lost from reading this.

"Thanks."

"No problem." He began to leave the room. He stop at the door, turning to face me. "You better keep my sister happy Lee...or else." He said coldly. He left, leaving that threat linger in the air. He certainly got threats down pack.

After finally getting out of the palace, with some little trouble from that guard Suki, I arrived at the mental institution. It is quite a sight. It is a big place with tall fences, barred windows, and a tacky looking dragon on the roof. This is probably the scariest and lamest mental institution I ever seen, which isn't saying much because this is the only mental institution I ever seen. I walk up the trail, I noticed some guards at the door, they look ready for a fight at any moment, and enter the institution.

I introduce myself to the receptionist and told him about the reason I was here. He seem surprised that someone was visiting her so soon after admission. Once the receptionist got the okay, he asked a nurse to lead me to Az's room. The nurse opened the door to her room.

I was welcome with the sight of Az sitting on her bed, staring at me. It look like she was expecting me. She over dramatically rolled her eyes. "I should've know Zuzu wouldn't keep his word. He had betrayed me once before."

I walk inside the room, the nurse closed the door behind me. "Did I heard that correctly, the great Azula, didn't expect something to happen. Hmm, maybe you are going crazy." I said in a joking manner.

A feral looking frown form on her lips. Her eyes became wide in white hot anger. She launched off her bed to get to me. "I'M NOT CRAZY!" She yelled on the top of her lungs. She has her hands close to my face with her signature blue flames burning menacingly in them. She looks ready to burn my face off to prove a point.

Me and my big mouth. I really shouldn't had said that. Mom and Xiao did said that I have a problem with saying inappropriate things as jokes. "You're right. I shouldn't had said that to you, I'm sorry."

She looked to the left, and stared there for a bit. She kept on switching her craze like stare from me to the empty space on my left every couple of seconds, contemplating on what to do next. After a minute or two of the most tense situation I ever been in, I heard her muttered, Fine Mother, before her anger twisted face of hers, relaxed. She dropped her hands to her side, extinguishing her flames. Her regular demeanor is back and she look slightly annoyed. I can't tell if it's because of me or her Mom.

"Apology not accepted. Now that is done, you may leave. I got an early appointment tomorrow morning with my psychiatrist and Mother, and I want to have a good rest before they probe my mind." She walk to her bed and lay down.

It is getting late, I should find a place to stay. But first, I need to show her how I really feel about her. I walk to her and sit down on her bed. She maneuvered her body to face me, she still look annoyed. Probably still angry from me calling her crazy or at her Mom from stopping her from killing me. But I bet she won't be for long. I place my hand next to her head for balance for what I am about to do. She looked calm but I can tell she is nervous from her rapid eye movements. I start leaning close to her. As I was getting closer she closed her eyes and I did as well. Our lips touch and I never felt so exhilarated before. I never felt like this when I kissed Xiao. I guess this really confirms that I still love her.

I separated first, already missing the feel of her lips on mines. I smile at her, Az's face is red in embarrassment. Just like the first time we kissed. I always seem to forget how innocent she actually is.

"What about your girlfriend?" She said, squeaking on the last word.

I chuckled when she squeaked. It was really adorable. "She would understand. Hopefully, she won't kill me when I tell her about us."

She wrap her arms around my neck, pulling me down. "In that case, I guess we should make this visit count then, huh?"

"I guess so." I whispered.

I allowed her to pull me down for another kiss. I never felt such happiness before. Maybe being separated from her actually made my feelings for her grow rather than diminish. It sure does feel that way now. Man was I a fool for thinking that I moved on.

We broke the kiss, gasping for air. I should calm myself before we do something we both regret. We stared lovely at each other. I place my hand on her cheek, caressing it.

"I love you."

Az place her hand on top of mine and smile at me. This smile not like it was before, it's no longer a devilishly smile which hides your true intentions or like the deranged woman I saw today, battling for your sanity. It's one of complete hope for a better day, one of pure love for me, a normal average earthbending boy, and of course, one that shouts, she is the one, and only, Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, my girlfriend.

"I love you too, " Her smile turned to a smirk. Ah, how I miss that smirk. "Peasant."

A/N: That's the end. I don't know if I'm going to continue this. I originally planned this as a one-shot but from how I ended it, I probably make another one to give it a more satisfying conclusion. It probably won't be a new series but it might become one if I feel motivated enough. Anyways, please tell me what you folks think of it.