Prologue

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender

It was a nice evening Ty Lee thought, the sunset was beautiful and there was not a cloud to be seen. She found herself both admiring and dreading the view, the former because the last moments of daylight always brought and smile to her face, while the latter because she knew that by time the sun disappeared over the horizon she would perhaps never see this scene again.

"I have no choice" She one again told herself, she could not stay in the Fire Nation anymore, not if wanted to be happy and free. Ty Lee sighed and looked at herself in the vanity mirror, she was wearing, for perhaps the first time in her life, something not pink but instead simple dark red pants, an equally red and modest shirt as well as a rough looking cloak which she hoped looked like something and world weary traveler would wear. She had a large pack that was stuffed with things she thought she would need on her journey, money, food, a map, her favorite stuffed animal.

Feeling ready, or at least not nearly as terrified, Ty Lee picked up her pack and looked around the room of her family's Capital City home in the Caldara. She had many fond memories of this place and it once again nearly brought tears to her eyes thinking about it. Wiping her eyes she made for window and the large tree just outside it.

Taking a deep breath, more to finalize her decision than anything else, she easily leapt from her window to a low hanging branch which she used to fling herself onto the wall of the garden. Looking around from the top of the nearly ten foot wall she dropped down and dashed to a nearby bush, she probably did not have to be so sneaky now that she was outside her home but she wanted to be careful.

Now she had another decision to make, she needed to get the harbor as quickly as possible; less one of her many family members discover she was gone. On the other hand, she looked towards the imposing Palace, "She deserves being told in person" Ty Lee told herself, she was probably the person who would be affected the most by her leaving, certainly more than her family she thought bitterly.

She shook her head and frowned, her family didn't deserve that, it really wasn't their fault she had to leave, and she knew why they needed her to do what she running away from but she just could not stand it anymore.

Standing up she quickly made her way towards the palace in the quickly diminishing light, there were few people out as most Fire Nation citizens usually started the day as soon as the sun came up and finished the day's tasks when it went down.

Ty Lee found herself next to the large stone expanse that separated the buildings of the Caldara from the Palace wall. Like she had done many times before she looked left, right and seeing that she was luckily in between patrols she bounded up to the wall. Using her momentum she leapt up to wall where she knew there would be a small imperfection she could grip onto, useless to anyone else but it was all she needed.

Tightly griping the tiny ledge she swung herself up the wall from one small hand or foot hold to the other, she had long ago memorized where each one would be. Finally at the top, she poked her hood covered head over the wall; this was always the tricky part. From the wall to the Palace there was nothing but barren rock, making it very hard for an intruder to sneak up to the residence of the royal family.

Ty Lee knew it was always risky doing this, but she needed to tell her best friend where she was going, face to face. Luckily said friend had long ago provided to her the best path to take from the outer wall to her room and avoid being seen. Looking towards the sun Ty Lee was pleased to see that the sun was just about to dip over the edge of Caldara, which was the best time to make her run

Dropping down the entire length of the wall and landing in a deep crouch she bolted to a large jagged rock jutting out of the ground. Looking towards the Palace she quickly moved in seemingly random pattern from rock to rock. It was not the fastest way to Palace but each move was primarily for keeping herself out of sight of the guards who kept a watchful eye on the expanse.

That and the glare from the twilight sun meant that soon she was pressed up against the wall of the Palace, unspotted. Ty Lee shuffled along the perimeter until she came to the point she knew was right under where her Princess's room was located.

She climbed up the wall of the Palace to the top of the wing that housed the royal family living spaces, she knew exactly which balcony she would have climb to and how to get to it but now, as she was about to climb up over the railing, she found herself stumped.

"What are you going say to her?" she scolded herself. Ty Lee knew that she had to tell her that she was leaving but how was she going to say it to her face. Ty Lee, now on the balcony, was berating herself for not thinking this through ahead of time. "How it she going to react, will she try to stop me, will she burn my hair off and scold me for bothering her." Ty Lee was so lost in thought that she missed the balcony doors opening and annoyed grumble being sent her way.

Ty Lee nearly jumped and almost let out a scream as she looked upon a very annoyed, yet amused, Fire Nation Princess. "How odd, most assassins don't usually fall over themselves when startled." She took a playful yet condescending tone towards her and it took a second before Ty Lee realized she had the hood of her admitting shady looking cloak still up.

Quickly pulling it down Ty Lee took the chance of looking her Princess in the eye, a Princess who's expression had not changed from her amused smirk "She probably knew who I was the second she saw me."

As Ty Lee looked at her Princess she took noticed that she was dressed only in her sleeping robe and her hair was actually fully down, not yet in the ponytail she usually wore to bed. "Her hair has always been pretty" Ty Lee though to herself as she subconsciously reached to her own unbraided locks.

"Ty Lee" Her Princess snapped at her, startling Ty Lee out of her stupor. "Although I thoroughly enjoyunannounced visits before I retire for the evening, usually those who disturb me do more than simply stare at me as if I were a sideshow attraction." Her tone was warning that she wanted this impromptu visit to lead somewhere and fast.

"Uh, hi Azula, nice night for a walk huh?" Ty Lee honestly could not think of a better thing to say.

Azula looked at her with a raised eyebrow and replied "It is indeed, it is also a good night to sneak onto the Palace grounds without permission apparently." As she talked the Princess walked slowly towards her until she was well within arm's reach, Ty Lee swallowed and had to slightly tilt her head upwards as despite being the younger Azula always had a height advantage over her.

"Now Ty Lee, explain why you are here, at night, with a rough looking cloak and large traveling pack" Azula asked in a deceptively neutral manner. Ty Lee, not really sure how to phrase it closed her eyes and blurted out "I'm leaving." After a few seconds she took a risk and opened one eye to peek out at Azula. Her Princess was simply looking at her with an unreadable expression that betrayed no emotion, to most that is.

Ty Lee could never read other people by facial expressions or vocal patterns, she didn't need to, what she could read was the auras that surrounded people. She knew few people believed in auras and even fewer thought she could actually see them. That had never stopped her from studying old scrolls and books on aura reading, and she was happy to learn she was really good at it. Ty Lee was proud that she could understand what most shapes and colors in an aura meant, which is why she knew she had ticked off Azula.

Azula's aura, which before had been rich and calm was now an inferno of all sorts of different colors and shapes, there were traces of anger, sadness, confusion and, shockingly, even fear which confused Ty Lee.

In a very calm voice that betrayed her feelings Azula spoke "Where, precisely, are you leaving to exactly." Ty Lee really wished she had picked her words better but she was never the look before you leap type of person. "I'm running away, to a traveling circus" she knew better then to attempt to lie to Azula.

"What exactly are running away from, Ty." This was not good; she only used that name when she was losing her patience so Ty Lee decided to put all the tiles on the board. "My whole family, I can't stand them anymore, they see me more like a bargaining chip than a daughter and even then they still don't care who I am."

Ty Lee talked very quickly and with more passion then she should have but she couldn't help it, she knew what she was to her family, and that was simply one of seven, interchangeable at that, political bargaining chips.

Ty Lee realized she had nearly shouted at Azula and quickly focused back on her Princess, who oddly seemed calmer, still angry but slightly less so. Azula looked at her for what seemed like a very long minute and then frowned. "So, you don't like the idea of being a just one of your family's political wrangling tools." Ty Lee nodded meekly. "And you think running off to the circus will somehow resolve your family issues." Again, Ty Lee could only nod.

Azula was looking at her with an intense glare that made Ty Lee look at her feet. "Tell me Ty Lee, why are you here, on my balcony, telling me this." Ty Lee could never admit the reason, even to herself, why she came to tell her princess in person. "I thought you deserved to know, and that I should say goodbye, in person" she answered.

Ty Lee was positive she was almost crying now, she honestly had no idea how Azula would react to her leaving but now she regretted finding out. Looking up at her oldest and possibly best friend, for perhaps the last time, she composed herself enough to give a formal bow. "Goodbye Princess, please forgive me for disturbing you, I will take my leave now." It was probably the most proper thing she had ever said "There are so many things I want to tell you" Ty Lee thought glumly as she rose.

Since Azula had not said anything Ty Lee assumed she wanted nothing more to do with her. Slowly walking over to railing she began think of how she was going to get all the way to harbor from here undetected. She had a foot on the railing before she felt a familiar presence behind her.

Startled, she was unprepared when she was pulled back by her hood, twisted and slammed firmly against that wall. Slightly dazed she blinked a few times, only to see Azula's face filling her vision. "Azu…"

"Silence" her now, again, very agitated Princess hissed. She knew that tone and was now very afraid of what could happen next. Azula had her throat in one hand and both of her hands pinned above her head with the other, both of which had long nails digging into her skin and were vibrating with what she thought was rage. "Ty Lee, I am going to ask you some very simple questions and you are going to answer them quickly and correctly"

Ty Lee nodded as much as she dared, tears threatening to fall again. "First off, who am I" Azula demanded. "The Princess" Ty Lee answered with slight hesitation. "And who, are you" her princess asked. "I'm Ty Lee." That was obviously the wrong answer as she felt the hand on her throat tighten, and she knew what answer to give "I mean your servant." The hand relaxed.

"So tell me, who decides what purpose you serve." That was an odd question, but she had a good idea what the answer was. "Um, you do." Azula smiled, and Ty Lee felt her relax a bit "Let me be clear Ty, you belong to me, I will decided what you do, where you go and if you are to be used as a political tool than I will be the one wielding you"

Azula put her hands on Ty Lee's shoulders and spoke in a soft and shaky voice. "You. Are. Mine." Azula was shivering all over and Ty Lee was worried something was wrong, her eyes were not the calm golden orbs she knew but were wild and deranged. Azula now placed her mouth next to her ear. "You are to never leave my side; you won't leave, will you?" The last part she asked more as a question and Ty Lee finally understood.

Azula wasn't angry she was leaving, she was actually fearful of her going away and never coming back. "I'm so stupid" Ty Lee berated herself; she should have known this should be how her lonely princess would react. She knew how Azula felt about people leaving her, first Princess Ursa disappearing without a word to her, Zuko being banished, which in itself did not bother her but soon after Mai had left for the colonies when her father needed to set up trade deals.

And now here was Ty Lee, her last friend, telling her she was leaving, possibly forever. Looking at Azula's aura she could see she was angry, hurt and likely her shaking was due to fear of abandonment, not rage. Azula would never admit this of course, even to herself, and if Ty Lee couldn't read auras she probably would have no idea either.

Making a decision she hoped she would not regret Ty Lee wrapped her arms around her friend, which caused the Princess to freeze up. "No Azula, I won't leave you, never ever."