Chapter III: High Noon

Fire is alive. Once the first flames begin to spark in one, there's so many different ways it can shape and affect the world around it. Like a person, the things around it can transform it into something beautiful and helpful to those around it, but those same things can make it a devastating force that can leave a place in ruin. It's always scared Ty Lee a little to watch her friend, arguably the most powerful firebender on earth, scorch the earth beneath her feet; but there's always this serenity as well. Just like everything else, Azula brings such confidence and control to the battle with her. It's as if she has this aura of battle meditation that inspires allies and weakens enemies.

That's the thing about fire though. It isn't something people are able to have such rigid control of. Most benders hold back, afraid of what they can do if they push themselves too hard. Azula mastered it, and with every brush and stroke of red and blue on her canvas of battle, it's impossible for others not to be astonished by her raw power.

They think it's the best she's capable of. Then… she shows them what truly makes her such a formidable foe. Lightning bending.

There's no chaos with lightning. It's the purest form of energy that a firebender can muster, and while it takes years of discipline and training to master, once a person is able to control it, they can become a one person army. Azula makes herself a literal shining example here on the rooftops of Loud Mesa as she propels herself from one building to another, striking lightning from just her fingertips at the raiders below. She never uses enough energy to kill, just enough to incapacitate. As dishonorable as her enemies are, she maintains hers. It's pretty much all she has left at this point.

When she gets a moment to compose, she takes a look across the sea of rooftops. She's created enough distance between herself and the children she has made it her mission to keep safe, and while she can't see them from her current position, she knows that they haven't gone against her orders. For the time being, they'll be safe.

Which means that all she has to worry about is using the high ground to her advantage.

Like a firestorm, she blasts raiders with fireballs and lightning strikes, making short work of at least a dozen of them within the span of a couple short minutes. There's many more where they came from, though. She watches as foot soldiers from all directions begin concentrating their efforts on flanking her, and while she should be concerned, there's a part of her that actually welcomes the challenge. It makes her feel powerful, alive… in control.

Meanwhile on the sands, Ty Lee and June work on creating an attack plan on the raider's own powerhouse in the armored man with the fire cannon. With the help of Nyla and some of the local militia, they've created a safe distance to hide behind some of the nearby buildings, making sure to stay alert for any immediate threats while dividing their attention to one another.

"Your friend is pretty impressive," June tells Ty Lee, motioning her head in the direction of Azula. Ty Lee doesn't have to look back to know that what she's saying is true, either. She's seen Azula in action against armies before. Against her fellow Kyoshi warriors. Heck, she's even gone toe to toe with the Avatar himself. Azula can handle herself, that's a given.

What she really worries about is everyone else. The men and women defending themselves from this needlessly cruel attack, and the other families of the town hiding in the safety of their hostels. While Azula is a war machine in her own right, there's still dozens of raiders, and their tank man is making short work of everything that gets in his path.

"We can't keep going on like this," she begins, taking a pause to mind the boom of an explosion from not too far away. It startles her, but even more so, it reminds her what's at stake. "We need to make sure all of these people are safe. Azula can't take all of the raiders by herself."

"I dunno, she's doing a pretty good job of it right now," June quips, but the serious glare Ty Lee gives her lets her know to be serious again. "What do you suggest we do?"

There isn't much time to think and she knows it. She's not the strategist that Azula or Suki is, she's just a girl who happens to know how to paralyze enemies and block their chis in a matter of seconds. Even so, she knows in her heart that two things need done if the fight is to be won. One, someone has to take down the big guy. And two, someone has to help out Azula.

She also knows that she can only do one. Maybe there's some selfishness to her decision, maybe there's not. But she knows what she wants to do as she stands back up to ready herself for another fight. "I'm going to go help Azula. She needs someone watching her back," she says.

Although not entirely sold on the game plan just yet, June begins to come on board as she stands up too. "Okay, so what do you need me to do?"

She thinks it over for a second, looking beyond the corner of her shelter to see what things are like out there. The battle still wages hard between the townsfolk and the raiders, and June's dutiful shirshu companion Nyla is a powerhouse in his own right as he strikes soldier after soldier with his poisonous, paralyzing tongue. Watching him for a few seconds gives her the next half of her plan.

"Together we'll work on evening the field a little bit. We'll take out as many raiders as we can, then turn our attention to the big guy with the fire thingy," she articulates the best she can. It's a little amusing for June, but mostly pretty cool to see Ty Lee take charge like this.

"I thought you said you were going to watch Azula's back?"

"I am," she clarifies. "When the big guy sees just how tough you and Nyla are, he'll start chasing after you. Then me and Azula can take out the rest of these jerks while you work on distracting him!"

The bounty hunter thinks it over for a moment with a thoughtful expression, but the dubiousness on her face soon changes into a look of pleasant surprise. "You know, this might actually work," she tells her, earning a smile from the younger woman. Then, she smiles too. "Alright, let's do this."

Azula gets lost in her own little world for a while firing away at raider after raider. A fireball here, a lightning strike there… it's been a long time since she's felt like this. Sure, her life is in potentially grave danger, and the raiders retaliating with their own fire blasts reminds her of that. For the most part though, she feels pretty good about herself. Not enough to lose focus because of arrogance, but enough to keep herself poised and capable of capturing the momentum she continues to gain.

She'll need it too, she realizes. The raiders have deduced at this point that her greatest advantage has been keeping to the rooftops, so they too begin to make their way up high to start battling with her. Occasionally she looks to the rooftop where the kids stay hidden to make sure that no soldiers have compromised their position, and thankfully, it would seem none of them will stray that far. She can just worry about kicking more firebender butt.

Her attention is momentarily curbed by the sound of a loud whistling, one that she follows to see that bounty hunter Ty Lee came into town with. After punching and kicking two goons, the large shirshu makes its way over to her, letting her mount him so that they can run the field together. The tactic piques Azula's curiosity, but they can handle themselves. She's got a wave of raiders to focus on.

One appears from the left, then the right. Straight ahead, one more climbs up the gutter of the parallel building. A quick glance behind her helps her see that her back is clear, but just to be sure, she conjures a fire wall on the ground closest to her. It doesn't seem to catch anything, but if she's lucky its flames will stay alive long enough to offer her rear some protection. "Let's do this," she says under her breath.

The soldier to her left is closer, so she decides to try and take him out with a swift fireball. It connects and sends him reeling off the rooftop. The soldier to her right is close enough now that she can just try some hand to hand combat to bring him down, and that's exactly what she does as she counters a fiery fist by grabbing the back of his armor and then punching him right in his face. It knocks him out instantly, and she shoves him away like a feather. Looking ahead, the straight forward raider makes his way onto her rooftop now, followed by three more goons behind him.

She just cracks her neck and her fists as she welcomes the challenge.

Down below, Ty Lee and June have similar luck as they systematically pick off more raiders. They have the disadvantage of being more outnumbered, including the big guy with the fire cannon coming after them now. Despite the circumstances, everything is going according to plan. Ty Lee utilizes her superior agility and acrobatic skills to practically fly around her opponents and chi block them, all while avoiding the infernos of the big guy's flame cannon. It's unfortunate that the settlers' properties can't dodge them. Not just because they create further danger for herself and her allies, but these are places where families live. These terrible raiders are taking so much from them…

June meanwhile focuses on directing Nyla throughout the battleground. Her shirshu is quick and nimble enough to steer clear of fire blasts from the firebenders, but also big and strong enough to just tear through the crowd with powerful strikes from its paws and tail. His best weapon is his tongue though, striking every enemy he can to completely incapacitate them. The numbers keep dwindling until there's no one left for them to fight, and that's when they catch up with Ty Lee to begin the second phase of their plan.

They watch as she does an acrobatic flip over two raiders to avoid the blast of big guy's cannon, putting the soldiers right in the blast range. If not for their and natural resistance to fire, they might not have been able to survive the attack. This quickly becomes a nonissue for their enemies though. They know now that their main concern needs to be the big guy.

Ty Lee sees June mounted on Nyla, and with just a look and a nod, they're able to communicate accordingly. Like a monkey-spider, Ty Lee hops from surface to surface until she's yards away, leaving the rest of the ground level goons to June and Nyla. Like clockwork, the shirshu works on picking off some of the fighters, taking down three within a matter of seconds. As planned, this catches the big guy's attention. He meets June with a cold stare, narrowing his eyes without a word to show his displeasure with her interference. She just smiles at him though, taunting him with a look that says, "Come and get it."

He accepts her challenge, aiming his cannon at her and Nyla to try and blast them with a stream of fire. Luckily they're fast enough to escape it, but that's as far as they go before waiting. Again June smiles, this time with even more audacity in her teeth and eyes. This really pisses the big guy off, and like a game of cat and mouse, the chase is on.

Meanwhile Azula keeps fending off raider after raider. Where she had a break between the first and second wave of them, now they just keep steadily coming after her. She loses count of how many flame blasts and fireballs she tosses around, or how many lightning strikes she has to use to take out ranged attackers.

The situation gets bad enough that she eventually is forced to jump from one building to the one behind it to create space, but even then, it would seem her luck is running thin. As she lands, she sees a raider climb his way up the ledge behind her, then the one next to her. All while they start charging in from the building ahead. She stands her ground though, ready to fight each and every one of them if she has to.

Soon enough, she doesn't have to fight them alone anymore. She takes out the guy behind her and the guy next to her, but one of the raiders charging ahead is faster than she anticipated. He comes within inches of hitting her with a debilitating blow, but before he can connect, he's struck from behind with several chops in succession. Like a paperweight he falls to the ground and stays there, completely robbed of all movement.

Azula looks to see what has changed, and that's when she sees Ty Lee. The two young women meet eyes for only a moment, Ty Lee offering just a little smile. She's here to return the favor, it would seem. The sentimentality doesn't last very long though. At least a dozen more raiders are coming their way, and they're all looking for a fight. Alone, Azula welcomed the challenge. With Ty Lee by her side, she actually looks forward to it.

"Just like old times, huh?" Ty Lee says with a little trepidation. Azula doesn't respond with anything but a glance though, ready to put words and feelings to the side to focus on battle. And she does just that as the raiders draw near. First, she fires a lightning bolt at the edge of the roof, causing two of the soldiers to fall to the ground below and effectively incapacitating them. The others are able to narrowly avoid the elemental attack though, and they hop over to fight close range.

They try to use firebending attacks of their own, but Ty Lee's athleticism allows her to practically soar over them to get in close from behind. She then starts meeting the raiders with flurries of blows, putting down two of them at the same time before turning to the raider behind her to do the same with a crane kick to the jaw.

Azula's technique is a little more straight forward. Throw a fire blast if they're close, punch them in the face if they're closer. The two young women keep up the onslaught of offense until there are but three raiders left on the rooftop to challenge them. As Azula takes one of them out with a leg sweep takedown, Ty Lee tries to chop one of them in the neck. Unfortunately for her, the raider is able to grab her by the arm before she can connect. Like a ragdoll, he grabs her by her other arm too, and he tosses her like a projectile towards Azula.

"Ahhhh!" she screams as she hurdles towards the other girl. It's almost too fast for her to even notice, but Azula's cat-like reflexes allow her to instinctively catch Ty Lee by her shirt as she's about to crash into her. They do a 180 spin on the ledge of the roof, Ty Lee nearly falling off completely. Azula's grasp is firm though, just like her footing, and for a moment the two of them just idle on the ledge together, looking into each other's eyes.

There isn't much time to stare long. Ty Lee is safe, that's all that matters… besides the two remaining raiders behind them. Azula glances back before meeting Ty Lee's eyes again, and the acrobatic fighter gives her a nod to go ahead and do whatever she needs to do to take them out. It takes a second for her nonverbal message to get through, but when it does, Azula doesn't hesitate.

Taking a page out of the raider's book, she spins Ty Lee around to send her flying towards the enemy. This time, Ty Lee motions herself into a savate kick position, and she's able to strike the raider like a missle to eliminate him, leaving only one raider left.

He looks to Ty Lee, then Azula. Both girls meet him with unforgiving scowls. He then looks all around to the rooftops and the sands below, looking to see where his brothers have gone. Unfortunately for him, it looks like they've all been taken care of.

So he does what any practical survivor would do in his position. "I surrender!" he cries as he throws his hands up.

For the first time in a long time, Azula smiles at Ty Lee. Maybe it's not over friendship and happiness and goodwill towards man, but hey! It's a smile. "Would you do the honors?" she asks her more chipper friend. Ty Lee just smiles back, then knocks out the raider with a couple chops.

The two girls take a moment to catch their breaths and have a look around to see if the battle is truly won. Overall, it's looking pretty good with just how many armored bodies are unconscious on the ground. It's almost enough for Azula to praise Ty Lee for her skill and help. But only almost. When she sees her smile at her again, her mind wanders back to the old days. Her own smile quickly wanes in favor of a frown because of that.

Ty Lee notices the change in demeanor as she turns away from her, and it forces the little joy she had to fade away as well. She turns to have a look at the ground again, timidly holding her hand over her arm.

Suddenly, they hear the familiar yelping of a shirshu.

It's been the same song and dance for a few minutes now for June and her large new armored friend. She has Nyla run around in circles hiding behind buildings and pillars here and there and waiting for fire, only to run and repeat. It's not her favorite strategy, but it's the only way she can create safety for herself, and that's the only way she stands a chance of bringing him down. Around the third time finding an empty hut to hide behind, she decides to dismount Nyla to begin a flanking strategy. "I'm going to try and get behind him. Keep him busy," she tells her animal friend. He yips as if to understand.

June takes off to hide elsewhere as the big guy predictably fires his cannon and scorches the shack. As she creeps her way through a narrow alley to the next formidable structure, she hears the sound of the blazing inferno taking down every board of someone's home, then her shirshu yipping again as he runs away from the assailant. Just as he did before with June on his back, he hurries around to try and gain an opening with the firebender, but his cannon is too dangerous with so much distance, and he's forced to take cover behind another structure. All the while, June keeps circling the perimeter, looking to get her own advantage on their enemy. She isn't sure how she'll do it with just how big he is and just how much armor he wears. He's practically more machine than man. She chooses to rely on her perception for a little bit though to see what she can learn about him.

From the safety of her cover, she watches to see just how his weapon works. There don't appear to be any cords or cables, it's actually just an apparatus that he sticks his hand in and carries around. It's long barrel simply adds range and mobility to his fire blasts. On one hand, this makes her feel helpless, like there's not much she can really do to stop him. On the other, she knows that taking away the gun will take away his range. There's dread with that though, because she isn't sure how she'll do it without him flattening her right after.

As she watches him burn down yet another building to try and get to her beloved shirshu, she remembers what's at stake. All of these innocent people and their very livelihoods are on the line today, and she might be the only thing standing between his victory or defeat.

So she tries to get closer, creeping around to get behind the building closest to her left. There's a pretty sizable gap between them, so she knows she'll have to expose herself for a moment to run over. If she times this right though, she might be able to do it while Nyla keeps him occupied. Like before, Nyla hurries to try and blitz towards the gunner, but his powers are too fast for him, and he starts charging up his fire cannon again. Sensing this, the shirshu hurries to take cover behind a nearby building.

Unfortunately, the big guy isn't as dumb as he looks. June learns this as she starts to run, catching eye of the big man just as he prepares his next attack. Instead of firing for Nyla directly this time, he chooses to fire at the base of the building before he can even hide behind it. It begins to crumble, and as Nyla tries to rebalance himself after an abrupt halt, the wreckage falls and tumbles down on him. He cries out in pain as the rock and mortar bury him, and seeing such an awful sight breaks through June in a way she simply can't help. "Nyla!"

Big guy hears her, and he turns to see where she stands. Like a doe caught in a spotlight, she idles for a moment, taking in the reality that she now faces. It's just him and her now; her beloved Nyla has been eliminated… perhaps permanently. There's not enough time to worry about him though as she faces the might of the armored man, and she knows she can't face him head on. Instead, she runs, just barely escaping the trail of fire that soon follows her.

Azula and Ty Lee hear the shirshu's last cries, realizing what has happened. The smell of ash permeates the air with all that's been done to this humble desert town, and Azula follows the smoke in the air to see just where it's coming from. That's where the armored man is, she realizes. None of this will matter until they can take him down.

She looks to Ty Lee once more, searching for similar understanding. She isn't so focused on the same thing though as she looks out to the town, seeing how its bright glow has been replaced by overcasting grey from the destruction these insurgents have wrought. Families of innocents have been hurt forever because of this attack, and it breaks her heart to know this.

There's no room for weakness, Azula always tells herself. But in this moment, she can't help but let some of Ty Lee's pain contage her. She too takes but a moment to respect what's happened, to give purpose to an otherwise mindless battle. She doesn't know these people, but she knows they've done nothing wrong, even if they are weak.

People like those kids.

She hurries to check the rooftop where she left them, trying to see from this distance if they've moved or if they're even there. From where she stands though, she sees nothing. Are they still taking cover? What if the smoke is heavier there than she realizes and they've decided to move? Or what if they were stupid enough to stay? What if they weren't given the choice because of some raiders? It shouldn't be her responsibility to care right now, but for some reason… she just does.

Her reverie is broken when Ty Lee calls to her. "Azula, look…"

They watch as some of the firebenders below slowly come back to their feet, ready to start fighting again. Like undead zombies, their resolve is too firm to be weakened by anything less than finality. They all understand just as well as Azula and Ty Lee do that as long as they have the support of their heavy gunner, they'll be victorious.

Again, Azula and Ty Lee's eyes meet. This time, there's a greater sense of desperation from both of them. For Ty Lee, she sees something she's very seldom known from Azula. She's becoming frightened. Maybe it's only because she doesn't want herself to get hurt, or maybe even because she just doesn't want to lose. It's so hard to tell if there's anything selfless inside her amber eyes, but Ty Lee chooses not to dwell on that. She came back to help, and that's what counts.

Azula on the other hand sees something all too familiar from her old accomplice. It's a certain panic that comes with weakness, fear, and distrust. All of the things that she showed back at Boiling Rock. This is the part where she cracks under pressure, where her scrawny backbone gives in and she accepts defeat.

Or so she thinks until she speaks up. "We have to help them!" she cries, catching Azula off guard. The fear she thought she saw has been replaced by a different kind of desperation, the will to fight for every bit of strength that she has. "These people have done nothing wrong! These raiders are just bullies looking to take what isn't theirs! It's not right and you know it!"

There's serious dissonance in seeing Ty Lee express such passion and fury. It's so unlike the person she knew three years ago, and while she hears what she says, she isn't sure she can believe it. She certainly isn't sure what to say either, so she just looks at her with a confused, quiet expression.

That just adds fuel to her fire, and she actually grabs her by her arms. "We have to do something Azula!" Again, she says nothing. Her eyes become angrier upon feeling Ty Lee's touch, but when Ty Lee doesn't show any remorse, that impatience ebbs in favor of the same stupor as before. It just burns inside of Ty Lee, and it doesn't take long for her to simply give up. "Ugh! Fine, I'll go take care of this myself!"

Before she can trudge too far past Azula, she feels her grab her by her arm. "Wait," she quietly says. Ty Lee turns to face her, and Azula takes a deep breath before meeting her gaze once more. There's a new look of focus, something more similar to the Azula she knows so well. At the same time, it's as if she's almost accepted a loss of her own. "We need to work on taking down that metal man. As long as he's standing, the rest of them will just keep getting back up. And even if they don't, he'll burn this whole place to a crisp if we don't stop him."

Although flustered, Ty Lee understands that she's right. She tries to calm down enough to converse this to an understanding. "Alright, so what are you thinking? Because we can't leave those other guys alone. They'll find the townspeople and hurt them!" She says nothing though, and Ty Lee can't help but get excitable. "Azula!"

Belatedly, Azula bores a glare into her eyes. At first she assumes that maybe she's upset over her impatience, but what she finds is actually a different kind of anger. A vengefulness not for Ty Lee, but for the rest of the world. "I'll take care of the hostages and the raiders. I need you to find your bounty hunter and take out the gunner."

"What?!" she questions, but Azula is quick to explain herself.

"Before you get your panties in a bunch, listen to me. My bending is only so powerful against his metal armor. You on the other hand, you have the speed advantage," she starts. "If you can flank him, you can use your chi blocking attacks to weaken him through his armor. Block his chi, take him down."

She thinks it over for a moment, the concern evident in her face and tone. "I don't know Azula. Are you sure it will work?"

She turns away to look to the ground. "It worked on me, it can work on him…"

Hearing those words hurts Ty Lee, but she doesn't have the luxury of guilt right now. Not with things so dire. So she swallows her pride, readying herself for what she needs to do. However, as Azula turns away, she can't help but wonder just how true her intentions are. Old habits die hard, after all. "Wait!"

Azula merely turns her head to hear what she has to say. Although somewhat worried about how she might react, Ty Lee braves forward. "Please help them Azula. They need us."

The tension is palpable between them for a moment, and even more so as she watches Azula's fist clench. She doesn't turn to face her though, she just keeps walking forward to the ledge of the roof. "I know what I'm doing." With that, she propels herself across the sky, hovering over the rising raiders that ready themselves for another battle. They all look to the sky to see the blue flames from her feet and hands, and before they can have a chance to change their minds about this, she comes soaring down like a phoenix. "Ahhh!"

Ty Lee protects her eyes for only a moment as she rears back, and when she feels safe to open them again, she hurries forward to have a quick look. Down below, she watches as Azula systematically fights through soldier after soldier with fire, flames, and fists. Where she was worried she might not be able to handle all of them alone before, she now worries she might handle herself too well.

Unfortunately, she has another powerful firebender to worry about. And if she doesn't find him soon, there's no telling what could happen.

The man in metal is relentless in his pursuit. June runs as hard and as fast as she can, but he just keeps coming. It seems like he only gets faster too as she grows tired and weary, her head getting heavy with all the smoke that fogs the world around her. She has to cover her mouth as she can't help but cough, desperately looking for any place to hide or escape his onslaught. There's still so much pain in her heart to think that her most loyal friend and companion in Nyla may not be alright, but she has to keep going. She can't let his sacrifice be in vain.

Eventually, she thinks she may have found some refuge. One of the buildings nearby has a window wide open, and if she's quick enough, she may be able to hurdle in without his detection. She turns her head for only a second to see nothing but a fire slowly dying out, and beyond it, the face of her nemesis. There's no emotion to be seen, only cold callous. As quickly as the first flame died though, he's quick to reignite, sending another blaze fast behind her. "Ahhh!" she screeches as she hurries to escape it, but the sudden blast is too much too soon. It creates a small explosion on the ground, enough to send her crashing into a nearby cabbage cart.

It's all so much for her. The smoke, the pain, the fire. She tries to power through it and raise herself up, but he's too fast for her, and she's too weak. Her arms give out, and she falls to her face again. She just barely opens her eyes to look ahead, seeing the face of the iron titan that will soon put her life to an end…

As he raises his cannon, she shuts her eyes. The last thing she sees will not be this. It will be Nyla, her parents, Ty Lee; the people who have loved her and given her reasons to smile over the years.

As it all was happening, Ty Lee ran. She fled through the fire and smoke, through the falling ash over a decimated Loud Mesa. She fought through the feelings of fear for Azula and the raiders, she fought her anguish over that same girl and everything that's happened today, everything that's happened over the last four years. She couldn't give up, these people needed her. June needed her. Zuko, Iroh… Azula…

She ran as hard as she could until she made it to the city limit, where more sand takes the ground than brick and mortar. Fire rises in every direction, burning down places where people made their livings. As it burns, she looks through the smoke to see him: the metal man. From where she stands, she sees more of a machine than a person. He stands still, looking to the ground before him as if to take in all the destruction. She tries to see just what he's looking for, and when she sees it, she panics. "June…"

She closes her eyes. He won't be the last thing she sees. As she hears the sound of his cannon blazing, her heart nearly stops in her chest. This is it, the end of her life.

However, nothing happens. No pain, no suffering. There's the sound of a high pitched "Yah!", and the warmth of a new fire rising beside her.

The metal man reels back for a second to recover from the sudden blow to his head, then he shakes himself of the grogginess to see what happened. He tries looking around, and as he turns left, he feels a sudden jolt to his side, then another, then another. Finally he sees what's happening, a small brunette girl with a long braided ponytail is attacking him.

Stunned to see that such a small girl could get such a lucky shot on him, he has to just watch her for a moment before she realizes she's been caught. Then she looks up to him with a look of terror, a look he's seen from so many people before. At first, it's kind of amusing. Then, he sees the dents in his armor from where she socked him.

She sees his eyes widen, and she knows now to run like heck. "RAHHHH!" the man screams, furiously firing his cannon in the air. As she runs to find cover, she notices he favors his ribs after making his battle cry. Just a few more strikes like those, and she might actually be able to pull this off.

One by one she takes them down. At first she keeps count, almost like a game of sorts to help her keep focused on surviving the battle. At some point though, she stops counting. She starts seeing not the faces of strangers, but the face of her father. The careless black eyes, the scorning grimace he always wore, the look of a man who is a monster. Who made her a monster. Who looks like her. "AHH!" she cries as she punches him right in the face, sending him down to the ground below.

She can't help it, she has to grab her head with her hands to grasp what sanity she has. This can't be real, she can't be fighting her father.

As she opens her eyes, she takes in the world around her. At her feet, there are raiders left and right, all with strange, unfamiliar faces. When she looks to the man she just knocked down, she sees the same thing. A nobody.

She doesn't know what she's more relieved to see; that this was the last of them, or that it isn't the fallen Fire Lord Ozai. Regardless, there's still much more that needs to be done. These may not be the last of the raiders, and there are people that need her help. People like three children she made a promise to.

She picks up the pace as she makes her way over to the alleyway where she left them, keeping her eyes opened for any surprises. There may be raiders lurking around, or even… her. Always watching, always waiting, always ready to tell her she's a savage. A disappointment. A monster.

She can't see her now, she won't! She has to help people! Doesn't she know that? Doesn't she know that her daughter is only the way she is because of her?! Because of father?! She shakes herself, trying to see what's really ahead of her and not everything that's behind from a life she's tried so hard to forget. "Get out of my head!" she cries as she makes it to the stairwell. Finally, she's made it. Quickly she ascends the steps, anxious to see what's happened to those three children. Unlike her parents, she'll be there for the kids she's taken responsibility for…

That's what makes it so heart shattering to see that they've disappeared.

She stops and stares for a while, just looking at the same spot on the roof where she left them. She remembers their faces, they had to be real. They had to be. She keeps looking all around, searching in every direction for any signal or sign that they were here, that they've gone somewhere. She finds nothing though, and she doesn't even know what names to call out to try and find them.

Instead, she just hears her heavy breathing as she hurries back down the steps, making her way into the boarded up cantina where she last saw them. There's no one inside though, not even the two soldiers that she- that they took out.

Finally, she just has to stop. For a moment, she just stares at the ground imagining their faces in her mind's eye, then the god forsaken faces of her mother and father. She never sees what she wants to see, she only ever sees the world for what it is.

Even when she tries to do the right thing.

It's quiet. He looks around in all directions, but he sees nothing but the beautiful destruction he's brought to this weak village. As great as fire and smoke are though, they mean nothing unless he can be victorious. And he can't be victorious until he finds the little wench that had the audacity to kick him in the head.

Like a chameli-jaguar, he methodically paces the sands in search of his prey. He underestimated her, it would seem. He thought her lucky shot was a mere fluke, but when he saw the way she could flip and fly around him like a circus freak, he realized she was a legitimate threat. The sooner he takes her out, the better. She's the only thing standing in his way of conquest, now.

Slowly and carefully he paces the sands, trying to check every nook and cranny of every alley and every building to see if she may be hiding somewhere. She was so small and petite though. She could literally be any-

Like before, she pops up from out of nowhere, striking him with four more flurrying blows. One to his thigh, two more to his ribs, and a kick to the arm. He lets out a wail of pain as he drops his cannon to grab hold of the tender spot. "Ahhhh!" As he does, Ty Lee looks to the fallen gun. This is her chance. She can find a way to destroy it now and be done with it. She looks to him, she looks to it. She looks to him, she looks to it. She looks to him… he looks back. He looks to the cannon…

Quickly, Ty Lee tries to grab hold of the barrel. If she's fast enough, she might just be able to bend it down the middle or something to break it. However, the big guy's rage proves to be a powerful asset, because he's faster in swatting her away with the back of his hand. "Yah!" she cries as she's sent reeling back.

As she sits herself up to recover from the winding blow, she watches as he picks the gun up by the barrel. He doesn't even bother equipping it again, instead, he just starts darting after her while carrying the thing like a bludgeoning mallet. "RAH!" he roars.

Quickly she begins scurrying away, hurrying to her feet as he hammers the cannon down to try and smash her. She luckily evades, but the brutish tyrant just keeps coming. His step is a little slow with his thigh being injured, but he's still quick enough to keep up a steady pace with her. Still a little worn down herself, Ty Lee just focuses on running. No flips, no dives, just running away as he follows close, alternating between flailing the cannon and tossing fireballs with his free hand.

The chase continues on, but Ty Lee knows she can't keep running like this or she'll be doomed. She wishes Azula were here to help, or even June and Nyla somehow. But they're not. She realizes she is on her own as her eyes follow the sand on the ground.

The sand.

One quick glance behind shows her that a fireball is headed her way, and she quickly ducks to avoid it. Keeping her head turned, she sees that Mister Metal is ready to swing his weapon again. She knows her idea is risky, but it may actually be the only way to stop him; use his momentum against him. So she stops in place, planting her feet firm like an earth bender as he flails the gun once to the right. She swiftly ducks and twists to avoid the blow, grabbing a handful of sand as she does. He comes back around with a swing to the left, and this time she jumps up to avoid it smacking her.

At his eye level, she tosses the sand right in his face, catching him right in the eyes. "WAAAAAH!" he hollers in pain, grabbing his face after to try anything to help subside the agony. He holds his eyes for a few seconds as he blindly swings his weapon around to try and catch the little shit who just sandbagged him, but he hits nothing. She played him like a fool.

As his eyes finally well up enough to help him see a little, he looks out to the world. There's the same flame, smoke, and sand as before; as well as a pile of rubble where it looks like something smashed into it. There's nothing there though. He doesn't pay attention too long to it, deciding that he should rely on his other senses to try and use the girl's own method against her. She made him vulnerable to attack, after all.

He waits a minute before walking, not even going anywhere in particular. He listens close, but he hears nothing. He doesn't smell her, he doesn't see her. Like a ninja, she's made herself invisible. But years of battle have given him a sense that most people just don't have. It's an instinct that just tells him when something is about to go wrong. Like how she's about to attack him from behind with a flying kick.

He turns around at the last second to elbow her right in the leg. "AH!" she yelps as she hits the ground. It takes a moment for her to open her eyes, but she isn't given the chance to fully recover. A heavy foot steps down on her chest, pressing her down like an anvil to keep her from going anywhere. Her eyes then meet the dark, evil eyes of her attacker, eyes that before were cold and lifeless. Now, they're just full of rage.

There isn't even time for her life to flash before her eyes. She feels her heart pound heavy in her chest as he raises his cannon, ready to smash it down on her and end her life for good. It's too painful to watch, so she closes her eyes.

After a few seconds of waiting though, she hears a strange sound, and she has to open them again to see why she isn't dead. When she does, she sees the way the metal man's face has changed, contorted as if he's lost control of himself. Soon enough, it becomes clear that he has, because he falls down to the ground right on his back. Again, there's no flashing of life before her eyes or anything that dramatic, she just looks up after taking a deep breath to see that a large shirshu stands over the man of metal.

"Nyla!" Ty Lee happily cries, and he snorts at her as if to let her know he's proud of what he's done.

Slowly, she makes it back to her feet, favoring her leg a little after being struck by the iron fighter. She makes sure to have a look at him one last time, checking to make sure that he's really down for the count. He almost looks dead the way his eyes are glazed over and the way his tongue flaps from his mouth, but she knows better. Nyla was just able to get one good tongue lash to the back of his exposed head. Realizing that, she goes over to the furry creature to give him head scratchies. "Good boy, Nyla! Good boy!" He just purrs a little, then perks up upon sensing something.

Ty Lee turns to see what it might be, but thankfully it's just June making her way over. Her rib is hurt from the looks of it, but she seems fine otherwise as she limps over. Ty Lee smiles at her, but June decides to have her own look at the big guy to make sure he's down before responding. "You did it…"

Hearing those words stuns Ty Lee a little. In a way, she's right. Before Nyla showed up, she was the one to fight him off. She got a couple good hits on him, and even saved June's life. It's an unusual thing to know that she didn't just play the role of sidekick this time, but that she actually held her own. Even given the circumstances, she can't help but be a little proud of that fact.

Even so, she feels wrong taking more credit than she deserves. "Don't thank me; thank Nyla! He's the one who saved the day!"

If he could smile, he probably would. And knowing that makes June smile as she steps her way over to her favorite furry friend to nuzzle against him. "I thought I lost you for a second, boy." They share their embrace for a moment longer as Ty Lee watches on with warmth in her heart, but the joy is short lived as they remember the fire and smoke around them. They look around taking it all in, seeing the damage that's been done by these Fire Nation Raiders. The smiles wane from their faces, and they look to one another as the same thought enters their minds.

"We have to go check on the civilians. There could still be more soldiers," Ty Lee says.

June nods, but a thoughtful expression comes over her. "What happened to your friend? The princess?"

Ty Lee looks up to the rooftops, but as she expects, she sees nothing. There's no telling what may have happened to Azula, but in a strange way, she doesn't worry about whether or not she's been hurt. If anyone can handle herself in a situation like this, it's her.

No, instead she worries about whether or not she'll even get to see her to find out for sure.

There's a stillness in the air. Everywhere she steps, there's an empty quiet, a lifelessness she's never experienced in this desert town. It's a far cry from the waging battle that had taken over the city just minutes ago, and in that regard, Azula finds some relief. It's not enough to keep her from fretting over the children she left behind though.

She looks inside of every building, peeks around every alleyway. There's nothing though. The only other people around are the few soldiers that still lay unconscious on the sand, and the few that met worse fates at the hands of militiamen and women who were less forgiving. There's casualties on both sides though.

As much as she would like to only focus on her current prerogative in finding the three siblings, she can't help but let her mind wander to other places. Questions about who these raiders are and where they come from. Thoughts of her distant mother and father that she's left behind for years now. Images of Ty Lee's face, both from the past and the slow burning present. It's amazing how little she's really changed on the surface, but seeing what she was capable of on the rooftops makes her realize that she has changed. She's not just a follower anymore. Whatever her passions are, they've brought her here on her own. Sure she had Zuko's guidance, and yes she had the bounty hunter's help. But those two didn't fight by her side today. Only Ty Lee did.

It makes her wonder just what other things are different though. What's the capital like now that Zuko rules? Do they have rebel insurrections like these often? Is father still alive? Do they have tea and discuss politics and how much they hate one another for being disappointments? And what of Iroh? Sure, they never were close like he was with Zuko, but knowing now that he isn't long for the world, Azula can't help but wonder how that affects him.

She should have paid better attention to the absolutes and not the what if's. She realizes that as she hears footsteps coming from behind her, and she instinctively flares up her fists to defend herself.

"Easy! We're the good guys…" she hears. With a moment to judge for herself, she sees that it's one of the militiamen of the town, joined by an accomplice. They're armed with swords, but she can see in their eyes that they don't intend to use them. That's the only reason she lowers her own defenses as she stares at them, anticipating whatever it is that they have for her.

Nothing is said though. With more time to study, she can tell that they're the ones waiting to see what it is that she will do. She thinks over how to handle this with care and sensitivity, because she does want to leave this place and go on her way with as little trouble as possible. Then again, she still has a few loose ends to tie up. Loose ends that she'd rather not speak of until she's sure it's safe to.

Finally, she decides on how to break the ice and get the ball rolling. "How many more are there?" A good question, she thinks. It lets them know that she means them no harm, and their answer lets her know if they're even safe to begin thinking of anything else.

"They're retreating. We've been watching them from our outpost," the militiaman answers. He's not lying from what Azula can see. Whether it's true or not is yet to be seen, but he at least believes that things have settled down. It suits her fine enough, but she decides not to say anything more. She's given them reason to trust her, now they need to do the same.

Belatedly, he begins to speak again. "You should come with us. Our mayor would like to honor you for everything you've done."

She almost scoffs at that, but she decides to keep the cynicism to herself. She could care less about the honor of mere commoners, but at the same time, if anyone can help her, it's the mayor of the town. "I'm- I'm looking for someone," she reluctantly admits. If worse comes to worse, she can just kick these punks to the curb and continue her search on her own.

Thankfully, they don't seem to have any issue with this. "Well, whoever you're looking for, they'll be at the outpost. We can take you there now," the man says. She stares hard into his eyes to see if this is some sort of trick, but she doesn't sense any deception. Either they don't know about the bounty on her or they just don't care, and apparently they've learned to trust at least one firebender.

"Take me there."

Riding along on Nyla's back, Ty Lee and June see that the battle is truly over. Whatever soldiers were left have fallen back, and they even watch one make it to his feet and run like hell to the storm gate. It makes June laugh a little, and Ty Lee even cracks a smile. Not so much because it's amusing to see him squirm, but more because she realizes the people of this town can be safe again.

They arrive at their destination, the militia compost. Several militiamen and women wait around the perimeter, and soon an older woman in a white kimono steps out to see them. Upon dismounting Nyla, June gives him a little chin scratch, and Ty Lee turns her attention to the woman in white.

"You must be the outlanders that everyone is speaking of," the woman begins with a little grin. "Which one of you is the firebender?" she then asks with a more inquisitive look.

Ty Lee and June look to one another before it dawns on them what she means. "Oh, she's not with us. I mean, she's with us, she's just… not here," the former states.

The older woman nods to one of her guards, then puts back on the comforting grin she wore. "Well, maybe she'll join us soon. Until then, why don't you two come inside. I'm sure the children would take comfort in seeing your exoctic pet right now," she tells them.

June winces. "As long as they don't touch him."

"Splendid. Come then, we have some things to discuss," the woman says before turning to make her way inside. Again Ty Lee and June exchange a look, but they decide there's no harm in indulging her. So with a shrug, Ty Lee leads the way, and June and Nyla follow close behind.

Inside the compound, they see groups of militiamen and family members all huddling around, whispering about all the excitement that's happened today. Most of them look healthy and well enough, but some militia in the back corner are being treated by doctors and nurses. Thankfully, there don't seem to be any serious casualties. At least, none that they're likely to see or hear of in here.

"My name is Val Su. I'm Loud Mesa's mayor," the woman tells them. "Normally we meet outsiders with an air of skepticism, but after seeing how you two helped take down that metal man-"

Nyla huffs at that.

"Sorry. The three of you… we knew we had to honor you as our guests."

June seems indifferent, but Ty Lee smiles. "It's really not necessary. We were happy to help."

"I believe you," Val Su says with a smile of her own before becoming more somber. "Which is why I'll ask you to forgive me for this; but I have to ask. What brings you to our town on the same day as a Phoenix's Ashes raid?"

"Phoenix's Ashes?" Ty Lee questions.

"They're an army of raiders that's been quickly rising up throughout the nation. No one knows how they got their footing, but government officials are doing everything they can to figure out more about them."

Ty Lee looks conflicted as she thinks it over. "Why wouldn't Zuko say anything about it?"

"Maybe he didn't know until after we left the capital. Maybe that's how new they are," June speculates.

Val Su meets their statements with shock. "Wait a minute? You two were sent by Fire Lord Zuko?"

They look to one another again before Ty Lee answers on their behalf. "That's why we need to find our friend. The firebender."

Sometimes when the devil is spoken of, they shall appear. Coincidentally enough, Azula makes her entrance into the compost with her escorts shortly after Ty Lee's edict. She doesn't waste any time in scanning every inch of the building searching for the three children, looking in all directions to try and find their familiar faces. There's no way she didn't just imagine them. They have to be here, they have to be safe! She doesn't know what she'll do if they aren't…

Her tunnel vision is only stalled by the sight of Ty Lee standing in the center of the room with the bounty hunter and a strange older woman, likely the mayor her escorts spoke of. Ty Lee can wait though. The older woman can't.

She starts hurrying her way over, causing the guards to become defensive. "Hey, wait!" her escort calls out. The mayor doesn't budge as Azula trudges over with a madenned look in her eyes though. In fact, she gestures to everyone else to ease up. This is the only thing that helps Ty Lee relax, both in her heart and her clenching fists.

"I take it you're the firebender," she guesses, unimpressed by her lack of decorum.

Azula could care less though. She just looks at some of the guards with a similar lack of enthusiasm before meeting eyes with Val Su once more. "I am," she curtly states, giving her little time to wonder what her reason is for being so blunt. "There are three children who live here, all with the same hair and eyes. Where are they?"

Hearing this troubles Ty Lee, which troubles June. She hasn't gotten this far with her only to let the princess of persnickety cause problems now. Val Su still doesn't let herself become intimidated though, narrowing her eyes at this stranger. "Why do you want to know?"

Before any more words can be said between the two, and before anything can be done to lead to any conflict, they feel the presence of someone approaching them. When they turn to see who, they discover three children... all with the same hair and eyes.

It stuns her. Absolutely stuns her. After searching for such a long time, here they are again, safe and sound. They left the roof. For one reason or another, they disobeyed her orders and made their way here. She couldn't be any more satisfied with the result, though. All that matters is that they're all here now, each of them looking at her with their bright, mirthful eyes. The tallest even smiles at her.

It brings her such an overwhelming new feeling of relief. Where she felt so much rage and pain in her heart making her way here, now there's this numbing sensation that slowly gives way to something new. Something proud and noble that she hasn't felt in ages, maybe even ever. She's not able to speak, but her eyes water a little facing the children she helped save.

For a moment, no one speaks. They just watch the anomaly that is Azula's vulnerability, all of them feeling conflicting blends of concern, uncertainty, and even a little joy in seeing the reunion. For Ty Lee, there's all three of course, and they're all for her old friend. "Azula?" she whispers, stepping just a little closer to her.

She's almost scared to look away. What if when she does they disappear? What if it's all in her head, what if she never even woke up from her fever dream? She can't trust herself for anything anymore, but in this moment, she realizes one unavoidable truth. She does trust Ty Lee.

Her eyes finally meet hers, and although she doesn't cry, she comes close as she quietly asks her. "You see them too, right?"

Although she's not sure what she means by that, she decides not to ask. It doesn't matter as long as Azula is okay. "Yeah," she simply says, looking back to the kids and smiling at them.

As scared as she was to look away, she's even more afraid to look back. There's no room for weakness though. There's no room for weakness…

She looks upon them once again, sure enough seeing them, the reality sinking in that she's not crazy. She didn't mistake herself. For once, she did something right, she did something good. She feels it warming up inside her as the two smaller children now smile too, both happy to see the mysterious stranger who blazed a trail into town and saved the day.

The air is changed by the arrival of two new faces, a man and a woman with worry in their eyes. They rush over until they see the children, then stop to have looks at everyone around. "Children, what are you doing here?" the man, likely their father, asks.

The mother kneels down to their level and caresses the youngest's cheek before facing Val Su. "What's going on here?"

Val Su looks to Azula, seeing all the emotion that swirls in her eyes. She isn't sure what to make of it, but she now feels more like she can trust this firebender. Even so, she still has one thing to figure out for herself. "I don't know little ones. Why don't you tell us what's going on?"

The children all exchange looks at one another, their parents, and the town leader before deciding to let the oldest speak on their behalf. With a smile, they look up to Azula. "She's a hero, Mom. She saved us."

One tear. One tear manages to escape Azula's eye, falling down to her cheek like the weight off her shoulders. She really did it. She really did do something good today. It's not something her father would have wanted, but it feels good. It feels right. Looking around at everyone else smiling at her, she can't help but feel humbled. The older woman, the children, their parents, the townsfolk, the bounty hunter… Ty Lee… hers is the one that maybe digs the deepest into her heart.

She was supposed to leave this place and never come back. She was going to start over again with a new name, just like she did when she left the capital three years ago. She wasn't supposed to see her ever again, and she certainly wasn't supposed to be a hero. And yet, here she is. Almost like it was all supposed to be this way.

Before she can get too lost in her feelings, Val Su reaches over to rest a hand on her shoulder. She's startled at the touch, her instincts telling her that no one is to touch her. Ever. What rage would have followed simply does not, though. Instead, she just looks to the older woman, fixing her eyes on hers as they glow with pride. "What is your name, firebender?"

There was a time when her name was to be feared. It was to be respected. Everyone who heard or uttered it were to show nothing but devotion to her every will and word. Today, it's as if she's just like everyone else in the room. She's not better than any of them, and they aren't here to bow to her. They're here to celebrate her for her deeds, not her title. Even so, there's so much anxiety at the thought of it. This is so unlike the life she knew before, and even if it's supposed to be this way, what happens when they hear the truth? What happens when they learn who she is? Won't they vilify her and cast her out?

She isn't sure what to do, so again, she looks to Ty Lee. She doesn't know why, but she knows she feels secure in trusting her judgment now. She'll know the right thing to do. Her friend, her best friend who came all this way to find her… smiles. She smiles because this is what she wants for her. This is the way she's happy seeing her old friend. So maybe… maybe this is how she should see herself too? Maybe this is how it's supposed to be, after all.

There's no room for weakness, and there's no place for fear. That's why she stays strong, stays brave as she looks to the older woman with a straight face to tell her the truth. "I am Azula. Princess of the Fire Nation."

Only a matter of seconds pass after she lets the words free, but they're some of the slowest seconds of her life. This is it. This is the part where they all turn away and betray her, just like everyone else always has…

But they smile. They all keep smiling at her, even the old woman as she removes her hand from her shoulder. "To Azula! May honor follow her wherever she may go!" Her declaration is followed by roaring applause from everyone else in the room. The children clap with joy, their parents show nothing but humble appreciation in their eyes as they clap along too. Some of the younger men join together to holler "Woo, woo, woo!", and even June has to clap a little too as she cracks a small smile at her.

Then there's Ty Lee. She's the last to start clapping along, but it's only because, for a moment, they get lost in one another's eyes. Of all the people in the room, her joy is the most selfless. Her smile is one of pride and empathy, one that shows that she wants this for Azula more than anything she knew she wanted. It brings a warm feeling to Azula, all of it does. But mostly her. Mostly Ty Lee.

Her head begins to feel a little fuzzy though. As she hears the applause, she looks around to all the people smiling and cheering for her. She begins to feel a little dizzy trying to take every face in, every new person that she doesn't even know. This is their first time seeing her. How can they be so happy? Don't they know who she is? What she's done?

Father knows what she's done. So does mother. And Iroh. And Zuko. And the water bender who chained her up that fateful day. The smiles of the children disappear for her. As she circles the crowd, she sees them. The same faces that have haunted her nightmares every night for the last three years. Why? Why can't they just leave her alone?

Ty Lee sees the demeanor of her friend changing, and her smile slowly fades as Azula keeps going through these motions. She was a fool. This isn't what she's supposed to be, this isn't where she belongs. This is the illusion of someone who isn't a princess, someone who isn't supposed to lead armies and command forces and be the very best of the best that her ancestors always taught her to be. Her heart beats faster, her head becomes lighter. Everyone keeps cheering though, applauding the lie that is the hero Azula. She's no hero. She never was.

"Stop!" she finally snaps. Everyone in the room freezes, completely shocked by this reaction from her. The children gasp, Ty Lee almost does too before she covers her mouth.

Azula looks around at everyone again, seeing the same faces of commoners as before. How weak, how helpless they all are! This is how they're supposed to be; afraid to be in the same breathing space as her, all subject to treat every word that leaves her mouth as gospel. The more she thinks about it, the more she realizes they need it.

"You think this is a game? You think this is some sort of party?! It's not!" she starts, being sure to look to every face of every nobody in the crowd. "You are not safe! Those raiders won't go away forever just because they were beaten once. No! They'll come back stronger than ever, ready to destroy each and every one of you!"

Many of them gasp at her strong warning. Val Su watches with both disgust and somber attentiveness, trying to dissect every word that leaves the fallen princess' mouth as she continues on. Just like June, who can't help but be both angry and disappointed. When she looks to Ty Lee and sees the way she wears her heartbreak on her sleeve, there's mostly disappointment.

"And what about that big guy? The one with the cannon? Did he just up and leave? Did you finish him off?" Azula asks. No one says anything though. Not June, not Ty Lee, not anyone. No, everyone just stays silent as they listen. Even the children, the ones who called her a hero; now they just hold tight to their parents, afraid to see who their hero really is. And she sees that. She sees the sorrowful weakness in their eyes.

It just reminds her what she's always known to be true, though. There's no room for weakness in this world or in her heart. She is Azula, and she'll be strong where others fail to be. "I will not be here to save you all the next time this happens. If you were all smart, you'd tie up that Goliath and get every piece of information out of him that you can so you can be ready the next time those ravagers come! But you're not strong enough. I see it in you," she states, looking directly in the eyes of Val Su as she does. Unsurprisingly, she says nothing back though. She might be mad about it, but she knows she's right deep down. "Your best bet is just to leave then. Leave this place and find somewhere to start over. Go somewhere where Fire Lord Zuko can protect you," she says mockingly before finishing with a bitter end. "Or don't. I don't care either way."

She doesn't wait to see how the children will look at her. She doesn't look to see the way the older woman scornfully gawks at her. She really doesn't care, and frankly, she can't afford to anymore. What she does is make a beeline straight for Ty Lee, not even giving her a moment to speak her mind regarding her shocking words. "You," she curtly says, pointing her finger at her. Obviously it sparks concern in her. Whatever could she have to say now? It all happens so fast, she hardly has to any time to wrap her head around everything that's just been said.

Which makes it even more shocking to hear her say, "We're leaving. Now."

"What?" Ty Lee utters, but she can't work out anything else. Azula only looks to her for a moment to make it known that she's very serious, then she turns to walk right past her. She doesn't even acknowledge the dirty stare June gives her, she just heads for the exit. Even though there's a lot going on in her head, Ty Lee can't just let her walk away without getting some sort of explanation. So she turns to yell for her. "Azula, wait!"

"I'll be at the storm gate waiting for you. Finish whatever business you have here quickly before I change my mind," she turns to say before leaving, this time for good.

Finally Ty Lee is able to start putting some of the pieces together. Apparently, she's decided to come with her back to the capital. Whether or not that was always the case remains to be seen, but even so, she can't help but wonder what's changed. What's the real reason she's come to this decision? Is it because of her family and friends, is it because she's just tired of running? Is it everything?

From the sound of her little speech just now, it doesn't seem like she's very excited about it. Crazy enough though, Ty Lee can't help but feel a little glad to hear that her old friend will come back home with her though. She's never been closer to being able to help Azula, and maybe things will actually work out for the best in due time. Then again, it is Azula. Something could go horribly wrong, too…

She decides it's best not to dwell on it for too long until she gets back to her. First, she has a few things to take care of. She has to get what little traveling gear she has, she has to find a mount, she has to talk with June, figure out how to go about leaving these people…

As she looks around and sees their dejected faces, she can't help but wonder a terrible thought. What if Azula was right about the things she said? As she considers all of the options, June makes her way over with a somber expression on her face. It doesn't stop her from making an attempt to lighten the mood though. "She's kind of terrible," she says of Azula, smiling a little to try and rub off on Ty Lee. It doesn't work though. She just frowns as she looks to the townsfolk all gathered around with similar depressing auras.

"She's kind of right though. What if these people aren't safe? What if more raiders come? Then what?" she thinks out loud as she turns to June. It makes the older woman sad to see this, but she also has to respect one thing about Azula. Sometimes you have to tell people what they don't want to hear. "I don't know. I do know that we better get going if we don't want her royal pain in the ass-ety to take off without us though."

It was hard for her to say, but harder for Ty Lee to hear. She keeps watching the denizens of the fortress whispering to each other about what they can possibly do to protect themselves. Their home has already been ransacked, they've already been through so much. The militia men who fought bravely to defend their lives, the mothers and fathers and children who simply want to live happy, normal lives...

It may be impulsive, but she comes to a decision. She knows it might be the only thing they can really even do for now. "No. I'm going alone," she tells June, looking at her with a straight face.

It stuns her to hear. "What?" is all she can say, almost like she doesn't believe her.

"June, I hate to ask anything else from you. These last few days you've been so helpful and supportive and patient with me and… and I can't even begin to tell you how much I appreciate it," she tells her, wearing her heart on her sleeve. "But these people need more help. They need someone to get them on their feet and give them some direction." She says, gesturing to the same people she's felt so much sympathy for. That's heart wrenching enough for June, but then she drops the big bombshell. "That, and our metal friend could still become an issue."

She saw firsthand what he was capable of. He nearly killed her, he nearly killed Nyla, and he almost even got to Ty Lee. If the three of them had trouble with him, there's no telling just how dangerous he could be left in the hands of these simple townsfolk.

Even so, it's a bitter pill to swallow. "Ty Lee…"

But Ty Lee has made up her mind. "Look, I know this isn't your responsibility, but I'm begging you. Please stay and help out a little longer. I'll tell Zuko everything when we get back to the capital, and he'll make it so worth your while!" she bargains. June is quick to interrupt though.

"Ty Lee, look. I don't care about the money right now. I'll do what I can to help these people. I don't know how much I can really do for them, but I'll try. I'll do that much for you because you're a good kid." She then breaks away from Ty Lee's eyes to look back to the exit where Azula left them. "But are you sure you want to go back alone? With her?"

She looks down to the ground for a moment as she composes her thoughts. In a way, she even makes sure this is what she really wants. But it doesn't take much consideration to know that deep down, it really is. "I have to keep trying, June. I know she's… well, she's Azula… But she's my friend. My best friend. I need to see this through."

June digests her words, her sincerity coming in clearly as she sighs with understanding. She can't help but smile with admiration as she pulls something from her travel bag. She hands it to Ty Lee. "Here. This is a map. I've marked some safe places to stop and gather supplies and some decent areas to camp in case you need to. I don't know if you'll need it, but you might be able to use it."

She's slow to accept it. In a way, she's glad to have it and glad to see that June understands her. On the other hand, she realizes that this means goodbye. And goodbyes have never been easy for her. She stays strong though as she meets June's eyes, listening closely as she speaks up again.

"I'll stay here tonight and see what I can do to help out. Once I'm sure these people can handle themselves, I'll have Nyla get the scent from our tall, shiny friend and follow it back to wherever these goons came from."

Just thinking of how dangerous the man with the cannon was is enough to trouble her, but the idea of more men like him and his fellow raiders almost makes Ty Lee second guess everything. "Are you sure about that?"

June doesn't seem too worried though, and helps calm her nerves. "I might be able to get some really valuable information for when I come back to the capital. Information that I'm sure Zuko would be interested in hearing." She just smiles down to Ty Lee, a little weakness showing in her bright blue eyes. As tough and strong as she is, Ty Lee's seen the best of her on their journey to Loud Mesa. She's not just a hired hand, she's a friend.

"Well, I guess this is it then," she says, somberly studying the map for a moment before looking back to those blue eyes. "Thanks for everything June."

As much as it pains her to admit it, she'll miss Ty Lee too. She shows it in the way she smiles back, forlornly letting the words linger in the air for as long as they're allowed to. All good things must come to an end though, and they both have very important work ahead of them.

She isn't able to walk away so easily though. Ty Lee can't hold back anymore, and she has to wrap herself around June for a big hug. Normally she wouldn't at all be interested in such a gesture, but for her little friend Ty Lee she makes an exception. "Okay, easy there kiddo," she says before gently creating some space between them. She meets her with one more smile as she looks in her eyes, this time knowing that it will be the last chance she may have for a while. "You be careful out there, alright?"

With a little tearing in her eyes, Ty Lee just says "You too," before making her way over to Nyla. Maybe it's just her imagination, but the way he looks back to her almost makes it seem like he's sad to watch her leave too. She comes closer to give him a loving nuzzle, holding on for a few seconds to let him know he's loved. "I'm gonna miss you buddy."

If she could, she'd hold on longer. But she knows she can't. She knows that, not only was Azula serious about the possibility of changing her mind, but also that the journey back to the capital will be long and hard. There's so many things that could be said between the two of them, so many ways things could go wrong. At the same time, she can't help but be hopeful that maybe they'll go right.

She takes one last look around at everyone though, giving herself reason to trust that they'll all be okay. June will look after them, she'll make sure they'll all be taken care of. Everyone from the older woman named Val Su to the three children that brought Azula back to them, she knows that together, they can all stay strong and fight anything that threatens their peace. In fact, she even smiles as she takes it all in.

There's no more time to spare though, she knows that. So she makes her way to leave the compost, looking down to the map in her hands. June just wistfully watches her, hoping to herself that everything will work out well for the girl. If anyone deserves it, it's her.

Her little reverie is broken as Val Su makes her way to her side. "She smiles an awful lot for someone like her," she quips in spite of the brooding air of the room.

Seeing that she can have a sense of humor gives her hope. The same kind of hope that she gets seeing Ty Lee's smiles. "If the world had more people like her, we'd all be in a much better place."

Hey true believers, thanks for reading. Hopefully you had fun doing so.

I have a couple short things. One, this thing is still in its early stages. I won't make guesstimations or anything, but I'll say that this will be a little long by the time it's all said and done lol. I'm trying to keep chapters around 10k words though, but sometimes I just get so carried away xD. The point is, I don't want to shortchange anything, and we all have to suffer for it.

Two, it took us a bit to get here, but now we're gonna get to the Tyzula stuff lol. The next chapter will be very dialogue heavy and focus on those two traveling together, so if that's your fancy, you're in luck. If not, Idk, go read some Lumity or something.

Three, I don't know how frequently/regularly I'll update. I've had the luxury of being able to just sit around my house this last month, but I'm going back to work soon, and yeah. Hopefully I can stay on this thing and have updates fairly often despite that.

That's all I have for now. Comments and stuff are appreciated, and again, thanks for reading!:)