Chapter 4!

hi there, as always I have to state my poverty saying: ahem... I do not own own Avatar: the Last Airbender. With that clear, let's us continue.

A long time passed since she began to run, the clouds that were gathering before where now letting rain fall down the cruel scene, Azula ran trough the forest with the people from the village following her closely. Thunder roared as some of her chasers used earthbending to trow rocks at her, and while some of them missed her by inches and some others were dogged she wasn't as lucky with all of them, for some of the rocks reached her back hitting her with abominable force that made her lose balance yet not made her fall.

Several more minutes had passed and she was still on the run, some of the villagers were tired and stopped the chase wile leaving fewer pursuers every time, the ones that were left were still following her relentlessly in under the heavy amount of rain that was now falling, the number of earthbenders had decreased but some were still attacking her very successfully at times for her demise.

With her body injured, scarred and bleeding by the many rocks that had stroked her and with her speed fading as the tremendous pain that was overrunning her in that moment, she knew that she was running, yet she did not felt any strength left in her body, she was now moving out of sheer will power.

The chase continued to reveal a clearer vision in the area in front, suddenly she found herself in front of a river fueled by the torrential rain that blocked her path for it's current was to strong to swim trough and there was no time to go around it "this is as far as you go, your highness" one of her pursuers said as the furious bunch of people surrounded her. "you will not scape us this time, it is only fair that we make you suffer as much as you did to us" one of the earthbenders said as he used his bending to pull a rock from the ground and made it orbit above his hand. "remember that we must take her alive or else there will be no reward" one of the men said to the furious looking earthbender. "oh I will not kill her, I plan on enjoying this as much as I can".

While they talked and approached towards her locking her in between the human wall with their eyes filled with wrath and blood-lust and the violent current of the river behind, she was motionless not because of fear or anything of the sort but for her lack of strength, she knew that in such deplorable situation she would be unable to fight so many adversaries much less talking her way out of the situation, she had never being a fan of participating in lost arguments or shielding herself behind petty excuses, for nothing she could say would heal the scars left by her deeds. In the heat of the moment she realized that the only two options were: to let them do with her as they pleased or trow herself into the river and see if she could made it.

Their menacing approach was leaving less time and space to do anything, suddenly she had made her choice, taking some steps back she took a quick look at her sides "what do you think you're doing girl!" where the words of an earthbender that watched her leap into the turbulent waters.

She was struggling in the water that did not showed any mercy at her as it violently smashed her body against the rocks in it, the pursuers just watched her drifting away fighting for her life against the merciless river that pulled her down so that she was no longer for any eye to see.

"She won't make it" were the words of a man that looked somewhat displeased.

"Such a pity it was a huge reward, but we still have to settle our score with that traitor Shu for helping her out." one of the men said as they leave the river side with empty hands and thirst for revenge.

While they left, in a lower part of the river Azula's body was being brutally slammed in every direction and against every obstacle possible yet it was not lifeless the former princess was still fighting and holding on to life, the reason was unknown even by herself, it would have been so easy to let the river take her life and all her suffering along with it, were the thoughts of that part of herself that was already giving up, yet she would not listen to that, not now, not ever.

The river dragged her kilometers down until she reached a place with a low level and could crawl to the river side while she lied for some minutes. She had survived yet again, after catching a second wind for a brief moment, she stood up, and as she moved she felt a sharp pain run trough her whole body, she could barely withstand it let alone walk, she felt the many injuries across her body as one big wound that didn't stop to hurt, specially her left arm which she grabbed in multiple places just to find that it was broken.

Yet little could be done in the very moment for the rain had not yet ceased and the sun would go down in a few hours, her best option was to endure the pain and find a pace where she could treat her wounds and rest, and so she started to walk in the search of place that she might not find, a place where she could rest.

For a long and agonizing time she walked trough the trees and the rain, and in a certain point she stopped and directed her sight to the sky, letting the drops of fresh water that fell from the trees nuzzle her face, such soft and loving feeling transported her mind to the time when her mother covered her before sleeping and nuzzled her face with the warmness that only a mother could give.

Under the rain, alone, she drifted in a stream of memories of the days that were no more, the time when she had everything that she did not desired: love, friends family, home all that which she tossed away for nothing. What she wouldn't give in that moment just to feel that once more.

After that seemingly brief moment she started to walk again, with the sun almost gone time was of the essence, she continued to walk until she faced a large rocky mountain, she decided to inspect the great boulder to see if she could find any shelter among the rocks. After some time she came across a great dark cave "this place will do" she said as she entered the darkness of the large cave, yet after her previous ordeal and her lack of strength her fate was unknown, she advanced trough the darkness to find a place where she could rest as well as inspecting if there was a potential treat that was also sheltering there from the rain. As she proceeded trough the surprisingly large cavern she saw what was seemingly a flame in the depths of the cave, weak, cold and in the verge of collapse as she was, this was no short of a miracle, yet it was unknown who had started the fire, but at the same time there was no one to be seen near it, she seated aside the fire were she was about to treat her broken arm.

"who goes there?" a voice said coming from the back of the cave that almost scared the life out of azula who felt a paralyzing chill trough her back. She quickly turned to see the form of a young man getting closer to her, she tried to stand but she was completely devoid of strength, and with the inability to stand up she could just drag herself in a desperate attempt to scape the unknown man who silently approached her.

The silent approach filled her with even more despair, as she used her right arm to move as fast as she could she was on her limit of her strength, she saw powerlessly how the silent hand of that man approached her imminently towards her, "please...do not harm me" she said as all strength left her body and made her collapse on her back unconscious, to an unknown fate.

Chapter 4 end.

Well this is getting interesting, if I can say so myself. :)

thank you for reading. Comment! see you in next chapter. And hasta la vista.