The Princess and the Assassin

A/N: This is not a love story, this is just the tale of one assassin and how his life was taken from him.

The present:

"How did it all go so wrong, all I had to do was bring her in and then I was done, and I would just vanish from this life, no more killing, no more pain, but then she had to make it difficult didn't she, she has a thing for that, and now I die in her place. She was so… weak I guess would be the word, the most hated person in the world, and she was just pathetic, but perhaps I should tell you my story before I die, at least then you will know that life is more than just death and despair, it all started two years ago."

Two years ago:

"You said I would never have to go back there."

"Well, I lied, you took an oath and they want her dead. Now they are paying a fortune for her death, and even more if you bring her in alive so they can kill her, so stop your bitching and go bring that Fire rat in."

"Fine, but know that this is the last one, after this I disappear and you never see me again, got it."

"Yes, Yes, just bring her in alive if you can okay. Now go!"

So just like that I was going back to the Fire Nation, the one place I swore never to go again. The war may have ended but that didn't mean all was forgotten, I hear that they are even getting rid of the colonies. You see about ten years back when I was just starting to make a name for myself I came across a circus, nice people about what you would expect from however there was one girl there that stood out to me, I think her name was Ty Lee or something like that, but anyway I was told to kill an ambassador from the Fire Nation. He was supposed to be a weak, fat, good for nothing that no one liked, especially the people that hired me, they said he would steal from the people and used his power to get what he wanted when he wanted it. He went a bit far one night though and wound up killing a kid, of course with his power and influence he got off by calling the kid and her family spies, long story short dead kid, and a lot of people angry. Well what I wasn't told was that he was the son of one of the Fire Lords generals, so after I kill the bastard, daddy sends an army after me. After I got away I joined the Guild, because you just don't attack someone in the guild, so he let me go and told me never to set foot on Fire Nation ground.

About the time I get to the Fire Nation it's time for the summer monsoons. Oh ya did I forget to tell you who my target was, well if you haven't already guessed it was none other than the fallen princess, Azula, herself. They say she went mad, and ether killed of banished everyone from the palace. Honestly I didn't care my object was to get her out of the prison they had her locked up in and bring her back to the guild to be sold and killed, simple right? Well it wasn't first she wasn't in the cell she was in the palace, her brother thought it might be a good idea to make her live with other human beings, so now I have to deal with the heavy guards and some unexpected guests, I saw not only the Avatar and his rag tag team of friends, but also two former assassins now working for the young prince, no doubt there to guard his sister, they wouldn't have posed as big a threat as they did had they not both been damn water benders, damn rain, well after they wake half the palace I now have no choice but to grab the girl and run, surprisingly that worked in my favor as she was drugged out of her none existent mind.

Now comes the good part, you see it's a three month journey back to the Guild and after about the third day the drugs ware off and she is freaking out, I half expected her to blast me to a smoldering pile of ash, but she didn't she just screamed and screamed and screamed till I gaged her, she was giving me one hell of a headache. After she calmed down I told her who I was and what was going to happen, and then I got the shock of my life, I saw fear in her eyes, this is the infamous Azula, she makes half the assassins I know look like sniveling babies, and she had actual fear in her eyes, not forced I think this will get me out of this fear but real, genuine, I'm going to die and I don't want to fear. After about an hour or so of awkward silence I took the gag off, half expecting to be torched by something like flame breath or lightning, but nothing she just sat there, staring at me, almost as though she was trying to see this was a dream or not. Finally she asked me something, something that you would only ask if you knew there was no way out, no cheating death, no one coming to save you from the abyss, just you and death, "Will I feel anything… when they kill me I mean?"

"Don't know kid, never been killed."

"But you have killed a lot of people before right? Did they feel anything?"

"Only if I wanted them to, otherwise I can't say," it was quite for a bit then I asked my question, "Why haven't you killed me? They say you can breathe fire and shoot lightning, so why am I not dead?"

She was quite for a bit, "I can't bend anymore... they took it away from me, told me that if I wanted it back I would have to find the last two dragons and beg for forgiveness, and hope for the best. The Avatar says he didn't do anything but he has to be lying, he has to, you just don't stop being able to bend like that, and I saw what he did to father, it had to be him, right?"

I didn't know what to say, she couldn't bend, how was the possible? She is supposed to be one of the most feared Fire benders in the world, and she couldn't bend. Over the next year and a half I would learn so much more about the girl I was supposed to send to her death, and little did I know, she would be the reason for my death.

A/N: All right this is the first chapter in my new story I hope you all enjoy. Also if anyone can beta this please let me know it would be a big help and let me fix the spelling up beforehand. Till next time have a muffin on me. :)