Ty Lee was on her way to Azula's prison for the fourth or fifth week when somebody entered her path.
"There you are," the girl said.
"Suki!" Ty Lee exclaimed, when at last she recognized the fully-made-up warrior girl. She was getting better and batter at that... "Oh! I mean..." She gave a salute. "Madame Head Kyoshi Warrior."
Suki stared at her for a second. "Right, well...That's kind of why I'm here. The Kyoshi Warriors...The girls...We're heading back to Kyoshi Island. Tomorrow morning."
Ty Lee's smile utterly vanished. "Kyoshi Island, like wayyy...Kyoshi Island? Isn't there still stuff to do here?"
Suki's face was solemn. "We can't ignore our home. The people on the island need us above all else."
"But...I just really-"
"We've agreed that the Kyoshi Warriors are leaving tomorrow. Are you a Kyoshi Warrior?"
Right to the point. Suki was always a little snappy with Ty Lee. Most of the war vets didn't trust her, since she'd been so cliquey with their enemy for so long. Suki hadn't spent the time with her that the other girls had, so she was no exception.
"Are you making me choose between being a good friend and being a good warrior?" Ty Lee asked quietly.
"If you were a true warrior of Kyoshi, it wouldn't be a choice."
Ty Lee squinted, confused. "What does that mean? You pick 'Kyoshi Warrior' over 'friend'?"
"If that friend was Azula."
Ty Lee felt herself turning very red. This was what everyone saw. Azula's mark on her. And everyone wanted her to denounce it. "I'll see you tomorrow," she said to Suki, then sprinted along down her original route.
...
Azula was asleep when Ty Lee arrived at her cell. She slept somewhat fitfully, but not as bad as usual.
That was because Zuko sat beside her with a soothing hand on her back.
"She's shattered," he said softly. "Being a fire bender...being royalty...it was integral to her identity. Now she's coming apart at the seams."
"She's being forced to ask herself questions," Ty Lee replied, sitting down beside Zuko. "I don't think she likes the answers much."
"I knew her for who she was," Zuko breathed, and in that quiet moment, Ty Lee saw a bit of his uncle's wisdom in him. "I don't know who she is now. I doubt she does, either."
"She's like a butterfly," Ty Lee said slowly, trying not to sound too silly. "Now she's in her cacoon. We'll just have to wait and see how she turns out."
Zuko shook his head (His hair was growing out again.) and stood. "She isn't a butterfly," he answered, making his way to the door. "She's a sword, being forged in fire. Pounded, put under severe pressure-"
"A sword is a weapon," Ty Lee protested. "A tool."
"I'm wondering if that's what she always was to my father," Zuko sighed, and Ty Lee felt Azula shiver.