Ok, I'm excited to post this chapter. This one will be my longest so far and I hope you all have as much fun as I had writing it!

Chapter Four: Escape

Ikem was awoken by the sound of loud, insistent knocking on the front door. Groggily he got up from the bed, careful not to wake his sleeping wife and child. He exited their bedroom and sluggishly shuffled to the front door.

"Who would be knocking this early in the morning?" he wondered aloud, slightly annoyed. As Ikem walked closer to the door, he winced as the loud knocking continued. He unlocked the front door and opened it.

"Yes, hello? What-"

"WE HAVE RECEIVED AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR FIRE LORD ZUKO!" Mal blurted out, cutting Ikem off and startling him. Akai slapped his brother's shoulder before bowing to Ikem.

"Sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning," Akai said more politely. He sent a pointed glare at Mal before continuing, "we have a message for Fire Lord Zuko; it's important that he reads it as soon as possible." Mal held the rolled up letter out for Ikem to see.

Ikem's eyes widened once he spotted the black ribbon. He moved out of the doorway gesturing for the soldiers to enter. "Right this way, right this way! I'll go wake him."

As Mal and Akai made their way into the house, Ikem beelined for Zuko's temporary room, which was just down the hallway that also led to he and his wife's room. Ikem knocked a few times, just to be polite before entering.

Zuko had been sleeping quite deeply when he was jolted awake by the knocking on his door. He groaned and pressed his face deeper into the soft wool pillow, ready to ignore the sound and head back to sleep. A few seconds later, he heard the door to the room open.

"Zuko? Are you awake?" Zuko could hear the urgency in Ikem's voice. "Some of your soldiers are here to see you; it's very important." Zuko shifted under the warm sheets of the bed, and looked up at his step-dad standing in the doorway.

One glance was all it took for Zuko to understand what was going on as an unspoken message was shared between them. Ikem's yellow eyes were filled with worry and urgency. Immediately Zuko shot up from the warm, comfortable bed, sleep completely forgotten.

"Tell them I'll be right out." Ikem nodded and closed the door as he left the room.

Zuko practically leapt from the bed and threw open the drawers on his dresser. Haphazardly he undressed from his night robes, threw on a shirt, a pair of pants, slipped on his socks and shoes, quickly combed his hair, and in less than 3 minutes was out the door and rushing into the living room.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting," Zuko apologized as soon as he entered the living room, "I heard that you have an important message for me." He stopped just before Mal and Akai.

"Y-yes, here. You must read it at once!" Mal stuttered as he held out the rolled-up message to Zuko.

Zuko's good eye widened when he spotted the black ribbon tied around the scroll. He took it from Mal's hands and untied the ribbon which held it closed. As he read through it, his breath caught in his throat and his heart skipped a beat.

Dear Fire Lord Zuko,

We have apprehended Princess Azula at the small island of Mako. I am the Captain of a boat that belongs to the harbor town of Xin Tai. Her presence in the town was brought to our attention after a man she had attacked and robbed reported her to our department. Soon after, she stole a fisher's steam boat and fled to Mako Island. Azula was brought into our custody at approximately midnight. As I am writing this, we are heading back to Xin Tai to properly restrain her.

Xin Tai is located on the southern coast of the main Fire Island. The time delay of this letter is about five hours to Hira'a.

Sincerely,

Captain Huyango of Xin Tai

"What is going on?" Ursa's confused soft voice caught the attention of everyone in the room. Zuko turned around to face her as he finished reading the letter. Their eyes met.

"Azula has been found." Zuko gave Ursa a beaming smile; Ikem, who had not yet read the letter, blinked at Zuko in surprise.

Ursa gasped and brought her hand up to her mouth. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes, and she ran forwards and threw her arms around her son, holding him in a tight embrace. Zuko hugged her back, just as happy to know that Azula was safe.

"Oh, thank goodness!," Ursa cried into his shoulder, "Where is she now?"

She let go of him and backed up a step to look at him. Zuko could clearly see the worry, but also relief within her golden eyes. Ikem came over and wrapped his arms around Ursa in a comforting manner, kissing her head softly. Zuko held her hand tightly. He could feel her squeeze back.

"She's at a town called Xin Tai. There's no need to worry about searching for her anymore." Ursa lunged in for another hug, Ikem this time joining in.

Mal and Akai awkwardly stood off to the side watching the scene unfold. The two brothers shared an uncertain look. Akai coughed, trying to catch Zuko's attention.

Zuko looked up in remembrance. It'd be best to start getting packed up. They'll have to travel for quite a bit to go retrieve Azula. He let go of Ikem and Ursa and turned around to face the two soldier brothers. They immediately straightened their backs and awaited orders.

"Go wake up Tarrak and the others at your camp and tell them to start packing up. Oh, and tell him to leave the map out. We'll need it to know where we're going." Mal and Akai bowed to Zuko and left the house.

"If you're leaving right away, I can prepare you and your friends some snacks to take with you," Ikem offered. Zuko smiled at him, touched by his generosity.

"I would appreciate that. Thank you." Ikem nodded and walked away. Zuko faced his mother. "Do you want to wake up Kiyi? I'm sure she would want to see me before we go."

"No, no. It's fine. I'll let her sleep and then wake her up when you go," Ursa grasped her son's hands, and in a lower voice added, "She gets a bit cranky when woken up too early."

"I understand. Well, I've got to go wake up the others so we can get packed," Zuko gestured towards the front door.

He gave his mom one final hug and turned to leave the house, closing the door behind him. He walked briskly to the backyard and up a small path towards his friend's camp, which was a short 5 minute walk away from his mother's home.

Aang's bison was too large to stay in Ursa's backyard and any stables were too small to hold him, so they opted for a small clearing in the forest. When threatened with rain, they had to improvise and tie a bunch of spare tarps together to drape over them.

It was peacefully silent as Zuko walked up the muddy path. He watched as the droplets of water from last night's rain fell to the ground and listened to the squirrel toads croak in the cool, moist morning. He let the serenity of the forest calm his nerves. He could already feel how stressful the day would be. Zuko's grip on the letter in his hand tightened as he lapsed into thought.

They finally found her after nearly a week. He was relieved to know that his sister was safe and secure, but the news also brought dread and uncertainty. The last time he saw Azula, she wasn't exactly emotionally stable. In all honesty, Zuko was scared. How would she react to being brought back before their mother? Their last interaction was far from loving, and he was scared for Ursa's safety. At the same time though, he was concerned for Azula.

Another thing bothered him: she had attacked an innocent civilian. Now he would probably have to press charges against her.

Zuko shook his head and sighed. He could decide what to do with her while on the way to Xin Tai. He had time.

Zuko didn't have much time right now anyways. Even though he couldn't see it, he knew he was coming upon his friend's camp if Sokka's loud snoring was any indication. Once he entered the clearing, he jogged the rest of the way up to Appa.

Appa shifted his head as Zuko approached and let out a low groan in greeting and Momo flew onto the edge of the saddle, chittering at him.

Peering up at Appa's saddle Zuko cupped his mouth and shouted, "Hey, guys! Wake up and start packing up your things!"

All he got in response was a brief cease in snoring from Sokka, which started up again, and a few sleepy groans from Katara. Aang was the first one up, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he awoke.

"What's going on?," Aang sleepily asked as leaned over Appa's saddle to look down at Zuko. In the background, Katara sat up and yawned.

"Azula's been captured."

"AZULA'S BEEN WHAT!," Sokka shrieked, suddenly shooting up from his sleeping spot and startling everyone. He leaned over the edge of the saddle, eyes wide. Everyone was awake now, all looking at Zuko in shock.

Katara's expression was a mix of surprise and disbelief, "You mean someone actually captured her?" She crawled out of the saddle and dropped to the ground.

Aang airbent his way down, stopping just before Zuko. "Where is she now?"

"Well, according to this letter, she is at a town called Xin Tai that lies on the southern coast," Zuko handed the letter over to Aang. Katara peered over his shoulder to get a look at the letter as well.

"See!," Sokka pointed a finger in Zuko's direction, "What did I tell you? Reverse psychology."

Aang shook his head as he finished reading. "And to think we were going to search the northern part of the forest today." He handed the letter back to Zuko.

"Talk about good timing," Katara nodded, "We would have been searching in the completely wrong direction."

"I know. I still can't believe Sokka was actually right," Zuko looked at Sokka in confusion, "I still don't understand how you even came to that conclusion."

"Since you guys didn't bother to consider my suggestions, I say you all owe me an apology and a thank you," Sokka said smugly. He was beaming with pride.

"Sorry Sokka," everyone grumbled.

"And…?"

"Thank you."

"You're all forgiven," Sokka gave them an approving nod.

"Well, as I was saying," Zuko started, "I've already told Tarrak and his team to start packing up. We should do the same. It's a five hour trip so I want to get there as soon as possible."

"I'm already on it," Sokka said as he finished folding his own blanket and began folding the other's.

"We'll get the tarp cleared up and I'll get Appa something to eat before we go," Aang gestured to Appa. Katara went to the nearest tree and began untying one of the ropes that held the makeshift tarp up.

"I have to go talk to Tarrak and get my own things packed. I'll be back soon." Zuko waved to his friends and watched as Aang grabbed his glider and took off, most likely heading towards the stables where Tarrak's team were holding their animals.

Zuko turned to leave the camp area, gradually speeding up to a jog and heading in the direction of the other camp. He needed the map to know where they were supposed to be headed.

…

It was a quick trip to Tarrak's camp. He was impressed by how efficiently they were able to clean up the area. In the span of time since he told Mal and Akai to tell the others to pack up, they were nearly done when Zuko got there.

After locating the town on the map and instructing the soldiers to start heading there when they were done packing, he went back to his mother's house to quickly gather up his royal armor and a few pairs of clothing before heading back to Appa.

This time as Zuko walked up the path he was accompanied by his mother, Ikem, and Kiyi who had awoken not to long ago. Kiyi walked along side Ikem, sluggish and looking ready to fall asleep at any moment.

Ikem had a small bag on his side, and true to his words, had packed some nuts, blueberries, a couple apples, and some hippo cow jerky. Zuko already knew Sokka was going to go straight for that jerky.

Ursa on the other hand looked distant and lost in thought. Occasionally her expression would shift and become sad and her hands would wring together in worry. Zuko could only wonder what she was thinking and decided against questioning her.

They walked into the clearing and made their way up to Appa. Aang gave them a friendly wave as he sat atop Appa's head. With the help of Sokka, he lifted his clothes onto the saddle and got them packed away.

"Okay, is that everything packed?," Sokka asked Zuko.

"That's everything. You all ready to go?," Zuko asked his friends, just to make sure. Everyone nodded their heads collectively.

"Here, I packed you all some snacks to eat on the way there," Ikem removed the bag from his side and handed it to Katara.

She took the bag and smiled gratefully at Ikem, giving him a "thank you" in response and put it up on Appa. Katara soon climbed into Appa's saddle, ready for take off.

Kiyi looked up at Zuko, suddenly more awake. "You're leaving already! And you're not taking any of us with you?" She let go of Ikem's hand and ran up to Zuko, hugging him tightly.

Zuko bent down to place his hand on her shoulder. He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, we won't be gone long. We'll be back by the end of the day, I promise."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"Okay," Kiyi nodded and let go of Zuko, returning to Ikem's side.

Zuko walked up to Ursa and gave her a large hug. She embraced him back and they stood in silence, each understanding the emotional tension and strain that came with the letter announcing Azula's capture. Zuko knew Azula's return would have an effect on all of them, especially Ursa.

When Zuko pulled back from the hug, he held his mother's hands. It took all of his self control to not jump in shock. Her hands were cold. Freezing cold. It was obvious Ursa was nervous, but it worried Zuko even further. Was she nervous for him or nervous about Azula?

His eyebrows furrowed. "Are you okay?," Zuko asked, concerned.

Ursa nodded sadly and looked up, locking eyes with Zuko. A gleam came to his mother's eyes; one of motherly determination. "Bring back Azula, please." He didn't need to be told twice.

"I will, mom. I promise you that I will bring her back." Zuko hugged her one last time and pulled back. He turned and climbed into Appa's saddle.

"You all ready to go?," Aang asked as he held the reins, ready to start flying.

"Yeah, we're all ready." Zuko responded. Sokka simply gave a thumbs up and Katara nodded at her boyfriend.

"Bye Zuko!," Kiyi shouted, "Come back soon."

"I hope you have a safe trip," Ikem waved at Zuko.

"I love you, Zuko," His mother smiled up at him, "Bring back Azula for me. For us."

"Don't worry, I will," Zuko responded, smiling warmly at all of them. "I'll see you all later on tonight. Goodbye."

Aang gave a "yip yip" and off they went. Appa quickly flew upwards and Zuko watched as the silhouettes of his family became smaller the farther they traveled.

He turned and sat down, sighing as he leaned against the saddle.

Honestly, he didn't think he was ready to see his sister again. He had been worried sick about her being on her own lost in the forest, but now that they had found her, he hadn't mentally prepared for the emotions that seeing her again would bring up.

Zuko looked up and watched as night began to turn into dawn, beams of sunlight streaming through the low hanging grey clouds. For a few minutes, there was nothing but silence. He sat there as the cool wind whipped through his hair, relaxing in the power the sun gave him as it continued to rise higher.

"Ugh," Sokka's voice broke the serenity of the morning. He must've been thinking too. "I am so not looking forward to trying to bring her back."

Everyone groaned and nodded in collective agreement.

"You can say that again," Katara huffed, "She'll be fighting the whole way back."

"She's already destroyed my glider while she was 'passive', what will she do while aggressive," Aang sounded as if he was already exhausted.

"We have time to figure out how we'll restrain her, but whatever we decide, we cannot let her loose again," Zuko added extra emphasis to 'again'.

"So," Sokka seemed a bit hesitant, "What are you going to do when we bring Azula back? To the Capital, I mean." Everyone turned their attention to Zuko, looking at him expectantly. After all, it was his idea to bring Azula with them, so that made him responsible for her.

"I…," Zuko hesitated as he thought it over. He had previously given some thought to that question, but he felt guilty for the answer he agreed upon. For the sake of all his friends and family, he decided upon the safest option available. He knew that Azula would hate him for this. "I'm going to put her back in the institution."

The clouds covered up the sun once more.

Xin Tai, 4 hours earlier

The screech of rusting metal door hinges roused Azula from her light slumber. Azula was ready to dismiss the sound, the gentle rocking of the boat lulling her back to sleep, but the loud thumping of footsteps awakened her senses. She could barely make out the sound of people's voices as she slowly awoke.

The voice of an unknown male echoed through the deathly quiet cell block. "Hope she didn't give you too much trouble. The captain says that you two can end your shifts for the night. He needs you two to get ready to unload supplies on the deck." He spoke in an authoritative tone that was obviously exaggerated. Azula would have almost found it comical if it weren't for the problem his words presented. She listened closely.

"Do ya really have to keep up that 'big man' act. Seriously, cut it," Azula recognized the accent of the male guard outside her cell. "At least this shift is finally over. It's so quiet in here I was just 'bout ready to fall asleep. How close are we to the shore?"

The unknown man sighed and spoke in a much more natural sounding voice. "We're going around waking everyone to prepare for docking and unloading, so I'd say pretty close."

Azula's plan an hour prior had been to steal the keys off one of the guards. If they were doing a guard swap so close to the shore, they were probably bringing in tougher guards to get her ready for transport off the ship. Her previous plan was instantly annihilated.

"What about the prisoner?," the other guard, the woman, inquired, "We can't leave her unattended."

"I'll be guarding and escorting her off the ship. My partner will be here shortly to accompany me," He sounded proud of himself.

"Wait. You'll be guarding her?," the woman snickered slightly. Azula was with her on this one. Was he really going to be guarding her alone? "Well, then I'll leave you to it. Good luck with getting her off the ship," the woman said before the door squeaked once more. "See you later." Her footsteps began to fade as she walked away from the cell block.

Another pair of footsteps began to walk away before they promptly stopped. "Ya sure you'll be fine alone? I can stick around until your partner arrives," the male guard asked with concern.

"Don't worry. I can take care of myself. Also look, she's still asleep." Azula doubted that he would be fine. She could already see the opportunity presented with only one guard to watch over her. She can take the time to adapt her escape plan.

"Well, whatever ya say. If you need any assistance, don't be afraid to call for help," the young guard gave his farewell and his footsteps left the room. The cell block door squeaked and it was shut with a small metallic slam and a click. Silence over took the room once more.

"Tsk, call for help. Like I need your help," Azula could hear the man mutter.

Azula's eyes flickered open and closed. Oh how tempting it was to give into exhaustion; to just give up and go back to sleep… but work had to be done and she had to stay awake. Her freedom was on the line. There was no giving up and absolutely no failure.

Groggily, Azula blinked the cloudiness from her eyes and flexed her fingers. She was still facing the wall, having barely moved from her curled up position on the firm cell mattress. Her clothes were still slightly damp and uncomfortably warm against her skin.

Somewhere in the background she could hear the dragging of a wooden chair and a sigh from the new guard stationed outside her cell. Azula could assume that he was sitting down. This man seemed just as idiotic as the others. If just a little bit of luck was on her side, then maybe he'd be facing away from her. It was a bit of a far stretch, but a possible one.

Azula began to shift underneath the thin blanket that was draped over her body. She uncurled her legs and stretched, one of her legs buzzing with numbness. As subtle as she could, Azula turned herself over onto her back, the cloth rustling.

Unfortunately luck didn't seem to be on her side.

She turned her head and was greeted by the sight of the rather young looking man watching her cautiously from his lazy position on the chair. He had a higher than average male build for someone his age, but his features were soft and untainted. He wore the standard plain looking armor of a regular guard.

She could attack him right now; burn his entire body to a crisp. Azula had enough firepower to overpower the guard's own flames. He was alone and no one was around to hear him, but there was one problem: He sat on the other side of the cell block, away from the bars of her cell and she needed the keys if she wanted to escape.

"Oh. You are awake. Well at least I didn't need to be the one to wake you up," he chuckled slightly. Azula watched as the tension in his muscles seemed to ease and he slumped even further in his chair.

Oh well, there was no use in trying to be subtle anymore. Throwing the blanket off of her, Azula swung her legs over the edge of the bed and sat up. With plan A already failed, her mind was already calculating a new way of escape. She kept her attention on the guard.

He continued to observe her with a criticizing glare and his lips curved upwards in a malicious smile. "You know I've always heard stories about how cruel and cunning you were. Guess all that karma finally caught up? I mean, just look at you," he taunted.

Azula could feel the rage grow with every word he spoke. He was the most idiotic guard she had ever heard, but it made him incredibly easy to assess. She could already read him like an open book.

'Arrogant, careless, prejudiced, haughty…,'Azula could go on and on. He was just like a few of the guards she saw at the Boiling Rock about a year and a half ago. She was actually amused at how annoyed he looked when she didn't react to his words. He proceeded to taunt her again.

"You know last I heard, you were in an asylum. How did it feel to downgrade from a large palace to a small cell?," he knew his question would get no answer, so he continued on without waiting for a response, "You never had any appreciation for how well you had it. I bet you still don't. I mean, it's the whole reason you're here now, isn't it?"

The rage only seemed to grow stronger and it took most of her will to restrain it while looking unaffected.

'Get yourself together! Look for the keys. His opinions don't matter,' her own thoughts involuntarily scolded.

Azula didn't have to look hard to find the keys. Seriously, did all guards have their keys waving about on the sides of their hips?

All that was needed now was to get him within striking distance, and dispatch him.

He must've taken her silence for submission because a cruel sparkle came to his eyes. He laughed darkly and sat up in his chair as he got ready to bully her further.

"I don't understand why Fire Lord Zuko even bothers with you anymore." Azula's head snapped up. Oh that caught her attention. It was time to strike. "He should have just-"

What came to her mind was entirely on instinct. Azula may finally get the upper hand and play his own desperation against him.

"About dear Zuzu, how do you think he will react when he finds out that you've been treating me this way?," Azula cut him off, talking to him in an insincerely innocent tone. There was an under layer of spite.

He seemed a bit surprised by her sudden interaction with him. "What?," He narrowed his eyes What do you mean..?"

"Zuzu's looking for me isn't he? And I'm assuming that he has ordered to capture me and keep me unharmed. That includes mentally. I could always tell him how you treated me while I was in your care."

He wasn't going to fall for her tricks just yet. He knew that she was a chronic liar. "As if he would believe anything from you."

"You are right. He probably wouldn't believe me, but he would believe the staff from the institution. They said that my mental state was fragile and one wrong word could set me off. What do you think will happen when the most powerful political figure in all of the Fire Nation finds out that you've sent his mentally ill sister into another breakdown. You really think you'll be without punishment?,"Azula locked eyes with the guard, relishing the look of fear that crossed his face as her threat dawned on him. It was Azula's turn to smile.

The fear of having to endure the wrath of the Fire Lord was still ingrained into the minds of everyday citizens. Azula could thank father for that.

Azula grabbed the blanket and stood up. "If you're willing to do one simple favor, maybe I'll reconsider telling Zuzu about you," She slowly began making her way up to the cell bars, clasping her hands behind her back.

The guard watched her cautiously as he considered her words. She could practically see the inner conflict as he decided whether or not he should take up her offer. Azula could see the anger bubbling to the surface as he struggled to find his words. He swiftly stood up from his chair about to lash out, but before he could utter a single word she cut him off again.

"When your supervisors find out about how you humiliated them in front of the Fire Lord, how will they see you? How will your companions see you? What would you rather? Do one simple favor or lose your position and go back to being a worthless nobody that everybody hates." His face instantly fell as his strong facade broke, making him look more vulnerable than ever. She had hit the nail right on the head and procured herself a victory.

He tried to patch back together what composure he had, but her piercing glare ultimately made him give in. "Wh-what do you want?," he stuttered nervously.

Azula could have laughed at how easily she was able to move the conversation in her favor.

"You said something about me not being appreciative, did you not?" It was time to lower the stakes. Azula moved her right arm from behind her and held the red blanket up to the bars. "That woman who was guarding me gave me this. Give this back to her and tell her that I said thank you."

The guard was taken aback. He expected the favor to be much more dangerous or laborious, not to be something as simple as returning a blanket. "That's it...? You just wanted to prove me wrong?"

Azula didn't make any attempt to answer his question. She just continued to hold out the blanket, waiting expectantly for him to take the bait. Behind her back, Azula began to gradually and carefully charge up her electricity.

The man leaned towards the bars, reaching out to grab the item. He awkwardly stuttered, "Just d-don't tell the Fire Lord." His hand passed through the bars and grasped the blanket.

As quick as lightning itself, Azula struck. The guard was barely able to react as she snatched his wrist, the blue electricity sparking as it was transferred to another body. She watched as his face immediately contorted in agony. His body seized and a scream caught in his throat as he fell to the floor. Azula let go of his wrist.

The electricity continued to crackle and spark as he writhed on the floor before finally exiting his body with one final snap and flash. He was motionless, aside from the barely noticeable rise and fall of his chest.

All the while Azula watched with triumphant glee. Oh how satisfying it was to watch your enemies writhe in pain. All her hours spent in that straight jacket allowed herself to train to charge up lightning with minimal movement.

Azula kneeled down and reached for the man's body through the bars. Once she had a good hold, she drug him closer and seized the ring of metal keys from his side. She went up to the cell door and snaked her arms around the front, fumbling with the keys before opening the door with a satisfying click.

Who knew that using her 'mental instability' as a bargaining chip could work so well. That didn't mean she liked the intruding voices, but at least they were useful this one time.

The door swung open and she stepped out. Though she was free from the cell, Azula knew it was just an illusion. She was still stuck within a cell within a cell. That was just the first hurdle. Her next objective was to get off the boat without being recaptured.

Azula stepped over the unconscious guard and looked around the room. They threw her bag off to the side somewhere, she remembered. Hopefully they didn't take it away. She didn't go into the town to buy supplies for nothing.

She didn't have to look for long to find her bag near the cell block door. Azula quickly checked over the contents and slung the bag over her shoulder.

She was reaching for the handle of the metal door when she heard heavy footsteps approaching from the other side. Azula stepped back a few paces and got into a firebending stance. It must be the guard's partner finally arriving.

Azula took a deep breath and held it. The cell block door clicked as the handle was turned and it screeched as it opened.

"Hey Touji. Sorry for taking so long," A man said as they opened the door from the hallway.

As soon as the silhouette of the man came into view, Azula exhaled and punched the air, sending a blast of fire that engulfed the doorway. The force of the impact sent him flying backwards into a closed door. He slid to the floor.

The still conscious man looked back up only to see a foot flying at his face. Azula kicked his head back into the metal door, knocking him out cold.

There were a few gasps to her left. Azula turned her head.

Standing further down the gloomy hallway were four completely dumbfounded guards carrying a variety of items ranging from weapons to boxes of clothing.

A few seconds of uncertain silence passed then all hell broke loose when Azula charged down the narrow hallway. They all dropped what they were holding, the boxes crashing and the weapons clattering as they scrambled to back away from the escaped prisoner. One of them even tripped backwards over a fallen box.

Before the first man knew it, Azula was only a few feet away. Using her momentum, she leapt and kicked him square in the chest; an attack that threw him backwards and into the guard who was getting up behind him. They were both sent tumbling across the floor, crashing into some boxes.

In the background the two remaining men shifted into an aggressive stance. One, an apparent non-bender, now brandished a spear that he had picked up from the pile of discarded weapons.

Azula landed and sidestepped to the right as the head of a spear was clumsily thrust in her direction. She had seen the man rush up to her before she had even landed. She lunged and used both hands to grab the staff of the spear. In one quick motion she yanked one end of the spear free from his hand, struck the side of his neck, and twisted her body so that he was thrown to the ground.

As soon as the third man was down, she swiftly turned around to block an incoming fireball. Azula watched as terror washed over the final man's features as her gaze locked with his. He punched fireball after fireball at her, each one Azula was easily able to disperse.

Timing it perfectly between blocking, she performed a one leg front flip kick, sending a fire slash down the hallway. The attack sliced through any oncoming fireballs. The man gasped in shock, and brought his arms up to protect himself. The slice breached all of his defenses, searing his flesh and blasting him backwards. He skidded to a halt further down the hallway and moaned in pain, making no attempt to get up.

The total amount of time it took to take out four guards was roughly 15 seconds.

The non-bender she threw to the ground groaned as he got to one knee. Azula swiftly kicked the back of his head, ensuring that he wouldn't get up for a while.

Scratch that. 16 seconds. Now, it was time to leave before any more of them decided to get back up.

Azula ran down the hallway, leaping over the guard's still smoking body as he lay on the ground. Just down the hallway was the doorway that led to the stairwell up to the deck. She stopped just before the doorway and pressed herself against the wall. She listened closely, peering carefully around the corner when she was sure there was no one in the stairwell.

The coast was clear. Azula slipped from behind the corner and snuck up to the staircase, carefully walking up the stairs. The door at the top of the staircase was open, revealing the dim sky of the early moon-lit morning. She guessed that those guards back there probably left it open so they could make continuous trips without stopping.

Azula stood just inside the open door, peering out of the dim stairwell. Outside there were seven people near the bow of the ship, mostly lower ranking guards lugging around boxes and a few holding out a flame for light.

Azula stealthily snuck out from within the ship and trailed along the shadowed right wall of the accommodation deck. Once she reached the end, she quickly turned out of sight and slipped beneath a staircase. That should give her some cover for now.

Her eyes scanned the dark waters. Weren't they supposed to be docking? Taking a small risk, she peered back out onto the open deck. Lights in the distance caught her eyes. Across the water she could see the lights of multiple lanterns and torches that illuminated the dock and the town behind it. They were close, but not close enough for a quick escape.

She cursed herself. She should have made sure that all the guards were unconscious before going up on deck. Now she risked getting caught again if those guards got up, or if someone found those guards before the boat reached shore. In some way, shape, or form, alarm would be raised about her escape.

Azula slipped back into the shadows, keeping the guards just in sight. She would wait and let time drag out for as long as it could. No need to cause a ruckus when no one else was aware of her presence.

Time boringly dragged on as Azula observed the guards perform their monotonous tasks. They organized the boxes based on weight and what type of items they contained while a few others checked over them to ensure that they were properly organized. The guards standing around providing light seemed even more bored. Their slumped over postures displayed their tiredness and one seemed to doze off before catching herself from falling over.

The longer she waited, the colder she became as the wind blew against her still damp clothing. In the distance, the lights of the town slowly became closer and brighter. She just needed to hold out for a little longer.

It wasn't long before one of them noticed the absence of some boxes, and consequently the four missing guards. Azula had expected this. She watched as few of them turned to each other and tilted their heads, most likely asking one another where the others were. They became noticeably on edge and wary.

For a few seconds, no one seemed to know what to do until they picked someone out of their group of people to go check downstairs. They tried to protest, but reculantly they agreed to check up on the missing guards.

Azula pulled back into the shadows as the man walked towards the open door. Her heart began to beat faster as she prepared for an upcoming fight. She knew she was soon going to be discovered, it was only a matter of time now. The man passed through the open metal door and walked below deck.

There was silence. Dreadful, tense silence with nothing but the waves and wind to break it. Azula steadied her breathing. Two minutes had passed before the telltale sound of boots hitting metal rung from below deck. The man burst out into the open and those dreaded words slipped from his lips.

"THE PRINCESS HAS ESCAPED!"

Instantly the boat went into a panic. "Someone go warn the captain!," Azula heard someone yell out. She recognized the young man that had previously guarded her cell as he dashed towards her hiding spot, presumably towards the staircase she was hidden underneath.

Azula ambushed the young man, hitting him in the chest with a precise blast of blue fire that flung him back the way he came. This elicited a few surprised gasps and yells from the other guards. In retaliation, they began firing at her hiding spot.

She rolled to the side and out into the open as she dodged a particularly large fireball. As soon as she was upright, she began blasting her own fireballs. The woman who had also previously guarded her was unlucky enough to be closest to Azula, and immediately went down with the first blasts. It was repetitive for the first few moments of fighting. Blast, deflect, blast deflect.

Two non-benders frantically rummaged through the boxes, pulling out the ropes with the weights on the ends. They swung the devices above their heads and launched it at Azula.

She leapt back and avoided the attack, the metal weights banging on the deck of the ship. It may have worked to capture her the first time, but she was in water then.

Azula dropped to the floor and swept her leg, performing a fire sweep. The fire washed its way over the deck of the ship, illuminating the area in an eerie blue glow. Those who weren't able to jump over or deflect the blast screamed and fell to the floor as their ankles and lower calves were seared.

All that remained were three firebenders. By now the rest of the crew had obviously noticed the fight and an extra four men came dashing down from the accommodation deck.

Suddenly the boat lurched and the lights in the distance caught her keen eye. For the past 12 minutes the boat had been steadily moving closer to the docks, and a group of people could clearly be seen waiting for the boat, but now the lights were beginning to move to the right as the boat began banking to the left. Realization hit her.

The boat was turning around.

Azula aggressively began firing at the guards who were now closing in on either side of her, deflecting and curving attacks around her. Forcing her way through the fire, Azula pushed her way to the right side of the deck letting the guards corner her against the rails.

Though this made defending easier, deflecting attacks from mainly one side, this let their offense become stronger. Every few deflects and blast, a fireball would slip by, forcing Azula to leap further backwards towards the metal railing of the ship.

Soon, the ship was perpendicular to the docks, probably the closest it will ever be before heading back out to sea. In one final spectacular attack, Azula stomped and brought up both of her hands, pulling up a shield of blue flames and forcefully pushing forwards.

The resulting wall of fire flew forwards, overpowering their flames. They had to jump to the sides, a few not-so-lucky ones screaming as they were sent sliding across the deck.

Before any of them could stop her, Azula turned and ran towards the railing of the ship. Her eyes were focused on the dock, which was a good 50 feet away. Azula leapt onto the railing and pushed off with all her might, launching herself off the deck and into the air.

Azula took a deep breath as positioned her fists behind her. The blue flames blasted to life and her falling ceased. In an instant, Azula was rocketing her way across the water. She could hear the guards on the boat yelling at her and blasting fire, but their attacks dissipated before they could reach her.

The people waiting on the docks went into a terrored frenzy, running frantically about the dock as Azula barrelled towards them.

"WATCH OUT!"

"EVERYONE DUCK!"

Everyone dropped to the floor to avoid the deadly blue flames as Azula flew overhead. She went straight over the crowd of people.

Azula cut off her flames as she came in for a landing, falling to the dock and landing in a roll. The amount of stamina it took to cross the distance over the water left her somewhat breathless. Coupled with the lack of sleep, Azula already made up her mind that she wouldn't fight anymore. Instead when she got to her feet, she immediately booked it up a nearby staircase.

One thing she noticed was the distinct lack of people and boats. She was right about the messages and delay time. Their boat was the first to arrive, and as a result there was no backup to stop her now. Azula cackled and smiled in triumph.

"After her! Hurry, don't let her escape!," Someone yelled into the crowd of baffled guards who were still in shock.

Azula beelined for the town, quickly slipping into the shadows of the dense housing. There was no way they were catching her now. Azula jumped out into the open streets of the town and continued running deeper into the center. Soon, the yells coming from behind her became distant echoes.

When she was sure there was no one following, she stopped in an alleyway to get a few moments of rest and to collect her thoughts. She leaned against the wooden wall of a small building. Azula shook her head in an attempt to clear the fuzziness of drowsiness. She needed to think of a plan to get out of the town.

"What might be the safest way…?," She tapped her chin in thought. The front gates were obviously the worst option of escape, though easiest. There were probably guards there already waiting to catch her. Maybe the wall? The wall of the town was only a short stone wall to discourage people from trying to steal from the marketplace.

Yes, the wall. It wouldn't be as guarded as when she first tried to escape and would probably be the most inconspicuous way of exiting Xin Tai. Azula pushed herself off the wooden wall and left the alleyway, traveling towards the right side of the town.

Silently she dashed through the gloomy streets, traveling through the shadows and quietly running across open areas. There were barely any people around, mostly homeless men and eccentric people who wandered the streets.

The closer she got to the city wall, the fewer signs of guards she found. She doubted there was even any guards on this side of the town.

Freedom was close, and as Azula slowed to a stop, she found herself at the last hurdle. The wall. It was a sturdy stone wall, about 10 feet in height, but it did nothing to stop the agile bending prodigy from getting over it. Climbing up a small building, she leapt from the ledge and onto the wall, silently dropping down to the grass on the other side.

Azula smiled. She was free once more.

She had memorized the routes in the area earlier that day so she could take the most direct route to her next destination, which was supposed to be further east. She needed to change her route. Guess she was heading to The Gates of Azulon far earlier than planned.

Spotting the dark outline of the nearby forest, Azula began jogging towards it. She needed to leave as soon as possible. The place would be swarming with people soon.

Using the full moon's light as guidance, she ran through the grassy field before locating a small footpath and disappearing into the dark trees.

Finally get to see Azula in action. I believe that she still retains her personality and character traits such as being manipulative. As shown in the comics, Azula can now produce lighting much faster than before with much more minimal movement. I liked the idea that she's been training herself in secret. Also I love writing fighting scenes. They're so energetic and exciting.

Sure, Zuko wants to help her, but she's obviously a threat to everyone. He can't exactly have her walking free around the palace, especially when she's nearly killed their mother. I quite like using symbolism.