Hello everybody. Again I was in the right mood and so I could add a new chapter for this little one her. Still a positive surprise for me to see, that this idea gets so much attention in such a short time. Really surprised but also so happy to see that.

FoxFire160: Yes XD. I had the same reaction as this silly idea rushed through my mind and so I simply couldn't resist. Happy to see, that you like my choice as well.

In this chapter, Azula tries to adjust herself a little more with the new situation, especially with her new element. I wish all of you a lot of fun with this new chapter.


First Steps

The sun hadn't rose, when she woke up. A little smile came to her lips, as she recognized Dum-Dum laying on its back, all limbs stretched out wide. The lemur was snoring heavily. She was thankful, that the creature had stayed with her. She stood up carefully, to let the animal sleep on and walked to the closet. Only more robes were to be found in them. She looked at the one she was already wearing and decided to change them after her training. Firebenders rose with the sun and she wanted to keep this habit. And she wanted to get a feeling for this new bending. It wasn't her fire but she wanted to find out more about it. Maybe it would help her to understand, what has happened and how to turn things back. And it also seemed to be a better choice, than staying in this little room. She had barely her door open, as Dum-Dum flew up from her bed and landed on her shoulder. The animal released a muttering sound and watched a bit angry at her. Azula rolled her eyes.

"Really Dum-Dum? I wouldn't wanted to disturb your snoring."

Dum-Dum released an upset squeaker, but stayed at her shoulder.

Both wandered through the temple. Azula was thankful for the first signs of light, the dawn was already sharing with the mountains. She passed open arcades, trainings and meditation places and Zen-gardens. Only a few old monks were already up, meditating at some quite corners of the areal. They greeted Azula with surprise but also with a respectful kindness. The early appearance of a young monk seemed to be an unusual, but welcomed changing in their daily routine. Azula greeted back with a shy and quick nods. She felt highly uncomfortable, that these monks seemed to know her, for obvious reasons, of cause. Her new appearance was still shocking for her. Everyone beside Aang was foreign for her, but all these people knew her, or at least the person, she seemed to be.

After a while, she found a nice place on a higher level of the temple. A nice overgrown plateau. It seemed to be a place, which wasn't gardened, like the others, she had passed before. Two large cherry trees were growing on it, full with cherries. The grass was high grown and filled with colorful flowers, which were closed, because the sun hasn't awoken them from the night. But their scent was laying promising in the air. Azula got carefully closer to one of the trees and picked up a few cherries for Dum-Dum and herself. It must be summer, otherwise the trees wouldn't have cherries on it, but here in the mountains the air was still chilly, when the sun wasn't up. But the fresh clean air, the scent of the wild flowers mixed with the flavor of the fire cherries and an hidden idea of snow from the peaks around the temple were a soothing for her somber mood, like the warm touch of Dum-Dum, yesterday. She handed the lemur one cherry and ate another for herself, while the animal flew to an branch and started to eat the cherry with audible satisfaction and delight.

And then finally the first ray of light climbed over the edge of the mountains. It started to float the plateau and the warm sun greeted Azula as ever. She felt the comforting warmth of it, so familiar crawling along her skin. She sighed and got to a free space of the area and took a deep breath in, while the warm light was wrapping her with its comfort. Azula got in her basic stand for her morning kata. She leveled her breath, like she had learned it from Iroh and did her first punch. A good and strong blow of air pushed the grass and the flowers aside. The stalks bowed and swung under the pressure of the curling air. It wasn't the same without the heat of her blue fire but nevertheless a satisfied smirk came to Azula's lips. She wasn't sure, because she had never bended air before. Not with this level of focus on it. All she did yesterday was pure instinct, but this was her first real try. And it seems, that she was also a natural, when it comes to this new element. She focused even more on her breath and how this new element reacted to her tries to manipulate it.

Within time she was deep in her kata, finding herself surprised, how similar the air was reacting to her demands. It wasn't the same strength in it. Azula felt, that her lack of experience stopped her from an already perfect and forceful control of the air, but it was far more, than a promising start. During her kata she recognized, that she shouldn't try on to "create" air with her hands and feet, like she was used to do. It was more like gathering the air and transferring the flow of her Chi in the air in front of her. But beside these problems the air already seemed to react much similar to her flame, she normally would bend. But she also felt, that the air denied her a full command. It seemed to her, that as more as she tried to get a full control on the element as more her accuracy and and power was lacking in her kicks and strikes.

"You put too much focus on your own Chi and less on the air around you."

Azula stopped in her kata and turned around in surprise. Gyatso as standing a one tree with a warm smile. Azula blushed and turned her head away. She was a bit angry, that he had disturbed her, but also curious. So she closed her eyes and focused. She felt a soft breeze blowing. She felt the wind curling the air, mostly with a constant strength, but sometimes little tugs were in this whispering wind and sometimes it felt down to a weak breath on her skin, only to move on stronger within the next moment.

"Try to match your breath with the breath of the wind, try to work with it, whenever you could, try to work against it only when you have no choice. Let it work for you, when it's possible. But most important..."

Azula opened her eyes and recognized, that the monk has come closer. He did a quick punch with his fist, much faster as Azula would have expected it. An impressive and massive blow of air found its way from his fist. Azula did a surprised gasp and Gyatso smiled mischievous at her for a second. But his patient smile was all, which remained, as he put his hands back in the sleeves of his robe.

"...accept that you couldn't control air completely. Find the perfect balance between control and let go."

Azula frowned at Gyatso's quote but the man placed his hand comforting on her shoulder.

"You said to Aang, you're a firebender?"

Azula nodded at the question. Tears started to come back to her, but she fought it successfully. Gyatso pulled her carefully in a hug. The genuine interest in her fate and his real worries about her wellbeing let her accept this gesture. She didn't know why, but he cared for her fate. She could feel it. And she had seen it in his eyes. He released her from his hug and nodded at her.

"Than I understand. Fire needs ultimate control, otherwise the bender might be consumed by the own fire. It must be hard and very unfamiliar to give up some of this control, but try it. You'll see, it helps."

He returned back to the tree and lifted himself easily with a little jump and his bending and took seat on the branch beside Dum-Dum and smiled at her. Azula sighed and took her basic stand again. Then she started her kata again, but she tried to take more care about the air around her.

And it worked. Her blows became stronger and more precise. A smile came to her lips while she continued her kata with much better results, than before.

"Good. Feel the air around you. Accept the nature of the element. Accept the changing of it. Let go some of your control and just let it flow."

Azula focused on Gyatso's guiding voice. Her movements became more relaxed, but still controlled. They became… balanced. The last punch of her kata created a mighty blow, nearly as powerful as Gyatso's before.

"Wonderful!"

A happy and supporting laughter came out of the tree. The old monk did a jump, supported by his bending and landed beside Azula, who gave the old man a shy but thankful smile.

"You seems to be a natural. Like Arashi."

For a brief moment a flicker of sadness rushed over his face, but his warm smile was back nearly instantly. Azula also chewed her cheek. Of cause this changing was affecting the other monks. And especially her friends. But the monk simply squeezer her shoulders to comfort her and cheer her up.

"Air is an element, which is shared with everyone in the world. Not for one bender alone to control. Accept, that you cannot control it completely."

Azula raised an eyebrow and watched the man in disagree.

"Fire shares its warmth with everyone. It could also be found all around you." She pointed at the rising sun. "It brings you its light and life every day and so every other firebender."

Gyatso's eyes widened in total surprise. Also Azula took a surprised breath. She could almost her her uncle chuckling about her quote. She would never tell him, that he actually seemed to have listen to some of his stupid lessons. But in was the fitting argument against Gyatso. And due to the proud smile, which was growing on the monk's face, he seemed to agree this argument. The man bowed deep before Azula.

"Wise words, Ara… Azula."

His eyes got a vivid sparkle as he straighten up again.

"Aang could be happy to have found such a good teacher for firebending, like you."

Azula instantly bit her bottom lip. Her face felt visibly and Gyatso's got a sad look. The teenager blushed deep and turned nervous away from the monk.

"I see. You haven't crossed paths in peace and friendship."

Azula thought for a moment to start running. But the monk placed a hand on her right shoulder and took stand beside her. Tears were in the eyes of the man.

"Don't worry, this doesn't change my mind about helping you. You don't have to tell me anything about it."

Azula turned her face to him. Tears were also running down her cheek. She observed the sad face of the monk with surprise. Dum-Dum landed on her other shoulder and started to lick away some of her tears. Normally she had pushed the creature away, but in this moment she didn't care. She petted the lemur on her shoulder while she spoke to the monk.

"But don't you want to know more. What has happened…?"

The monk wiped away some tears and his smile returned.

"No Azula. All what's important for me is, what happens here and now. Whatever has happened between you and the Avatar, it belongs to another time and probably another place. As long as you're willing to accept this, I'm willing to accept it, too."

He hugged her again and this time she returned the hug thankfully.

"No one deserves to be separated from the own body, time and friends. No one. I'll do all I can to help you. To help you going back to yourself and to get along here as long as it takes to help you."

Azula nodded in his arms and stayed a while in the comforting hug of the old man. As he released her out of the embrace his warm and gently smile had returned to his lips. He bowed for a goodbye.

"Thank you, for the lesson about fire, Sifu Azula. I'll keep them in mind."

She returned the greeting and to her surprise she felt a flattering tickle going down her spine.

"Thanks for you help..." She hesitated a moment, but then she continued. "…, Sifu Gyatso."

The spark in the eyes of the monk warmed her again. The man nodded.

"You would be a good teacher for Aang. In this time and in yours."

Azula wasn't sure. How could this work. Beside being his enemy she was bound up like a package and thrown in a cell. She was about to disagree, when she spotted some smoke rising up in the distance. Dark clouds climbed up in the valley through the fog, which was still covering the world below. She frowned and looked back at Gyatso. The face of the monk had become serious. Azula stumbled a bit. Until now, she had never thought about it, but she suddenly realized. She looked worried at the old man.

"Firenation?"

Gyatso nodded at her with a worried face. She recognized three gliders starting from the temple. The monks instantly started to follow the smoke and were soon swallowed by the fog. Azula's face darkened in worries.

"It'll mean trouble?"

Gyatso released a sad sigh.

"Since Avatar Roku's death even more."

His face got clouded by his dark thoughts, as he finally left the plateau. And also Azula wasn't sure, if she should welcome the presence of the Firenation. She may be the Princess of the Fire Nation, but not now. And not as an airbender.