Author's Note: And here I am once again publishing another Azula Ty Lee friendship story! I wanted to do a one-shot, but some ideas began to pop out of my head and I finished doing a multichapter story xD. Enjoy the prologue of this little story! Oh, and for Azure Flames readers, I'll finish chapter two very soon so please wait for it a little longer.

And if you like what I'm doing, or even if you don't please leave a review. They keep me happy and motivate me to write new chapters, so please leave one!

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender

Inner Fire

Prologue: The remnants of a dragon

It's been a year since the end of the war the Avatar and his friends had fought so much to obtain and the world was still trying to get used to the new challenges that surged with peace. It was certainly true that in this new age not everything had been easy - sometimes the conflicts and fights between nations made everyone think another war would be unleashed. However, Zuko, Aang and company always manage to intercede in the worst altercations. That was how the four nations had enjoyed peace and harmony without precedents over the last months.

Every inhabitant of the nations - every inhabitant of the world - had renewed their hopes to have a better life. Even citizens of the Fire Nation - that at first had opposed to forge peace considering they had almost conquered the entire world days ago - had realized that putting an end to the cruel and bloody struggle they could be with their own families and to opt to what every human being wants in life: be happy. Thus, everyone in the world went to work quietly, created new bonds of friendship and enjoyed the new pleasures of life.

Everyone except one girl.

The door of the room opened with a faint noise. Immediately after, Zuko and Mai entered to the small, white room while accompanied for a man dressed in a simple crimson robe that closed the entrance quietly behind himself. The only things that adorned the placed were a small bed with white sheets, a wooden shelf at the corner and a chair located near the only window in the room. A girl around fifteen years old was sitting in the chair.

The Fire Lord and her girlfriend walked through the room until they were at just five meters from the chair, both of them looking at the girl sitting there. A year before, that person had inspired indescribable fear and hate in thousands of people's hearts - were they enemies or members of her own nation. That girl had managed to conquer, with just two allies, the powerful city of Ba Sing Se, a place that her ancestors only dreamt to govern. That woman, armed with superior intelligence and soul of strategist, had foiled the invasion of the Day of Black Sun and devised the plan to incinerate the Earth Kingdom. That girl had been Azula - the cold and fearful princess of the Fire Nation.

But now all that was left of her was an empty, broken shell. Just a shadow of what she had been some time ago.

Azula, now just another patient of nation's mental institution, was dressed in a simple white robe. The girl was with her back straight and supported by the back of the chair, with both of her arms resting in their respective armchairs. Her gaze was directed to the window, to the beautiful garden the hospital owned in that island. However, her eyes - two bright, golden ovals that held a penetrating and fierce gaze one year ago - now were dull and empty and they didn't focus in a single beauty of the exterior.

After some instants that Zuko waited - in vain - for some signal that indicate the patient was aware of his presence, the Fire Lord cleared his throat and tilted his head to look at the man behind him. When he speak his tone didn't show any hate or rancor against his sister. Only sadness and impotence.

"Hasn't she changed, doctor? Has she speak or moved or... or anything?"

"I'm terribly sorry, sir," the man shook his head. He was sad too for not being able to do a thing for the person that has being his patient for approximately a year "I'm afraid that the patient hadn't do a single action. Our nurses had feed her, bathed her and dressed her as usual, but the former princess hadn't respond to anything. She just limited herself to follow the movements the nurses told her to when they take care of the patient"

Zuko bowed her head and looked at her catatonic sister again.

"It's like... she's not even here" he whispered "She looks like... she's not alive anymore"

The young monarch felt that Mai took a hold of his hand, which was equivalent to receive a full hug for any other person.

"Azula's condition hasn't changed in almost ten months" Mai murmured while she supported her other hand on the boy's shoulder "What was the chance that something change today?"

"I don't know, I guess there was not a chance," the Fire Lord glued his eyes to the room's floor "even so… I didn't lose my hope that something in her could have looked different"

Mai hold firmly both sides of Zuko's head forcing him to look at her eyes.

"How long will you keep torturing yourself, Zuko?" her voice was firm and kind at the same time "you've done all you can for her, anyone else would let her rot in prison for all the pain she caused. Certainly to be attended in this hospital is more than what she deserves"

Zuko thought about saying something to contradict Mai, but he understood that her girlfriend was right in everything she said. Besides, Mai was one of the persons who most suffered for Azula's actions. It was impossible to ask her to show some compassion towards the person she betrayed – in all her right – to save the man she loved the most.

Once Mai's words erased Zuko's sudden sadness, a wave of anger and frustration began to grow inside him. He still couldn't believe that the person that made his life impossible during his childhood and adolescence – the one who tricked him, manipulated him and tried to kill him – have become to… this.

"Where's the powerful princess Azula? Where's the prodigy of the whole Fire Nation, our father's pride?" the Fire Lord closed his fist frustrated "you were so proud of how strong and perfect you were… and now look at you, Azula. You're not even trying to come back to reality!"

Nothing. Azula didn't give the slightest sign that she was listening or understanding what Zuko was saying, fact that made the boy's anger increment exponentially. The Fire Lord gave a few steps forward until he was just a meter from his sister.

"I still can't believe it" he exclaimed with a mix of reproach and frustration "a year ago the only thing you wanted was to kill me for ruining all of your plans, thanks to me you never became Fire Lord! I'm pretty sure that I'm the person you hate the most in the whole world, and I'm just a few steps from you now! Aren't you going to do anything?"

"Zuko that is enough" Mai told him severely

"Aren't you going to react? Not a single insult, flame or lightning?" the boy extend his arms to emphasize that he was an easy target to attack "I'm here, Azula! The person you hate the most! The one you want to annihilate!

But nothing happened. No, the hate and jealousy towards her brother didn't make Azula to come back to reality. The girl continue to look at the window nonchalantly.

"Zuko…" Mai gently took the Fire Lord's arm and began to pull it slightly "it's enough, she's not going to answer"

"I don't understand, I'm sure that her anger and hatred towards me are the strongest feelings she have ever express in her entire life. And even so… she doesn't want to wake up."

It was in that instant that Zuko realized that Azula couldn't go back to reality in any way. It wasn't like, at any moment, a strong emotion or memory could make her wake up. After a long year of visits the fire Lord finally comprehend that his sister's mind – wherever it was – never was going back to her body.

"It's pointless to keep trying" that was Mai who couldn't understand how Azula, even in her clinic state, still could annoy Zuko "It's worthless to try every single week"

The firebender's eyes stared to his sister's dull, unfocused ones. There was no answer, not a single golden shine in her gaze. All that was left of Azula was her body – a shell without life inside.

It was then when Zuko understood that every effort was in vain and he lost all the hopes directed to his sister.

"Yes, you're right, Mai… we'd better go now"

Without any other word the boy quickly exited the room. He decided to lock, for the rest of his life, his memories and feelings towards Azula in the same room that contained her. Mai walked to the exit too, but before abandon the room she looked at the doctor, who had seen all the scene while staying at the door side.

"I don't think we come back here for some time, doctor… if something happens to Azula please do not hesitate in send a message to the palace"

The girl was about to leave, but the man interrupted her.

"But… you would come back, wouldn't you?" the doctor looked more than preoccupied. He was sad for not being able to do a thing for his patient

Mai gazed Azula through the corner of her eye.

"Maybe yes, maybe not. It all depends if Zuko think our visits are convenient… maybe we never return"

Mai hoped that sentence – that threat to stay alone for the rest of her life – wake up something within the patient. The black-dressed girl knew that that ultimatum had been really poor and simple, but it was the only thing she create. Azula had lost everything – her throne, her power, her wealth, her friends… even her mental sanity – What else could Mai took away from her?

But nothing happened. No, the threats and the fear to be lonely didn't make Azula return from wherever she was. The former princess had already experimented, long time before being in her actual state, what meant to be alone. If the girl could be able to answer she probably would have laugh for Mai's pathetic gesture.

"I see…" the doctor murmured "I'll inform you of any anomaly in regards to the patient as soon as I can"

Mai nodded, but before try to catch her boyfriend she remembered one last thing.

"I almost forgot… my friend Ty Lee express her desire to see Azula when the Kyoshi warriors come to the nation. They will be here in two days to celebrate the first anniversary of the Four Nations Treaty. Ty Lee has the Fire Lord's consent to visit Azula. She said she will be here in three days."

"I understand. Don't worry, I'll make sure Lady Ty Lee will be attended as nobility" the doctor make a little bow

And without any other word Mai left the room.

Author's note: Please leave a review!