Go on. Read the chapter title and make a guess.

Also, I have completely caught up to all my pre-written chapters. Just warning you now that it might be a while before the next chapter comes out. Speaking of the next chapter, I'm trying to overcome some tricky time skips, so that definitely adds to delay time.

Chapter Five: Sudden Changes

Azula had to force herself awake for the seventh time in the last 20 minutes. She shook her head and let out a yawn before she continued walking along the overgrown footpath. Azula wasn't sure for how many hours she'd been walking, but as evening approached and turned the sky from a baby blue to a rosy pink, she guessed that she had been walking for the whole day.

One thing she had to appreciate was the scenery. It was nice, and for a brief moment in time, mother wasn't there to pester her. She could simply enjoy watching the birds sing and the smell of fresh air. At least this time she had a path to follow.

Back in Forgetful Valley, she had to make her own path through the brush. There were countless obstacles and even more thorn bushes than she could count. This forest was a lot tamer and welcoming with open groves and beautiful streams that flowed down from the nearby mountains. It had a sort of calming effect on her, which was probably the reason she kept nodding off.

The only thing that made the trip unenjoyable was her lack of sleep. A one hour power nap was barely enough sleep to keep her awake. Speaking of sleep, Azula let out another yawn.

'Maybe it would be best that I start searching for a camping area,' Azula thought.

As she walked, she considered the possible spots ideal for setting up camp. It was another half an hour before she found a spot she was satisfied with. It was a secluded area a little way off the trail with a freshwater stream that flowed off to the side.

Azula began her routine of picking out a 'nice' spot at the base of a tree and clearing it of any twigs or rocks. At least this time she had her roll out mat to lay on instead of the dirt.

The unpacking process was relatively short. After all, all she had was contained in the bag she carried on her back.

Once Azula placed down the mat and unfolded the blanket, she did a quick once over to check if anything was STILL wet. It had taken hours for everything to finally dry off, and the bag continued to remain wet well into the afternoon. Thankfully it seemed to have finally dried out.

Azula sighed as she sat down, finally able to rest. She proceeded to get comfortable and unwind, removing her shoes and untying the ribbon that held her hair in a top knot. She reached down to massage her feet, which ached terribly from hours upon hours of constant walking.

She wasn't ready to head to sleep right away. There was still about a little bit of daylight left and all the grime and left over dried sea salt irritated her to no end. She hefted herself to her feet. Azula conducted a quick search of the area, just incase, before making her way down to the stream.

Gingerly, she removed the outer layers of her clothing, self-consciously keeping her undergarments on. Though she was completely alone, it was uncomfortable to undress in a setting other than an enclosed room.

Azula slowly stepped into the stream, tensing up at the freezing water. Cupping her hands, she warmed the water in her palms before pouring it over her arms and scrubbing at the dirt and oil stuck to her skin. Azula grumbled in irritation. It may not have lived up to the baths she used to take at the palace, but personal hygiene was always important. She bent down to scoop up more water and begin the process again.

...

After a quick wash up, Azula redressed and set up a small fire. She sat beside the fire, idly combing her wet hair with her fingers as the shadows of night slowly engulfed the forest. The more she combed, the finer her hair became until she was satisfied with the smoothness she had achieved.

With a yawn, Azula layed down on the sleeping mat and pulled the thin blanket over herself. Though the sleeping mat definitely beat sleeping in the dirt, she was still bitter. She could still be at the palace in her warm bed where the mattress hugged her body just right underneath her smooth, silky blankets and sheets. There was no way to describe the amount of resentment she felt towards Zuko.

The longer she dwelled over what she had lost, the more distressed she became. Azula clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, tossing herself onto her side as she struggled to keep her emotions in check.

Just like the shadows that plunged the forest into darkness, Azula's demons slowly engulfed her mind.

Earlier…

From the air, Xin Tai looked impressive and organized with its extensive port and large marketplace for trading. Adding to the already spectacular sight was the small island off the coast and the much larger land mass behind it that made up the most southern Fire Island.

When they got to the ground however, Zuko could sense that something was wrong. His friends must have felt it too because they also noticed how backed up the crowds of people were at the front gate. There were about eight guards screening people before letting them pass out of the town.

As the group of friends walked up to the town, a guard who was monitoring the people noticed them. The guard swiftly approached them and bowed in greeting.

"Greetings Fire Lord, Avatar, and your companions. Welcome to Xin Tai. Chief Kali told me you were coming."

"Yeah, uh, thank you," Zuko gave a quick bow back, still a bit distracted by the scene at the front gate. The Avatar gave a bow of his own and Katara and Sokka gave the man friendly handshakes.

"It's my pleasure. Now, come along. He is expecting you." The man motioned for them to follow and started walking towards the entrance of the town.

The closer they were brought to the gate, the longer the line seemed to get. They finally got to an angle to where they could see the end of the line. It appeared to span for blocks into the town.

"What's going on?" Aang worriedly asked as they entered the front gates and passed along side the line of people.

The guard gave them a quick response, "Chief Kali will explain in further detail when you get there."

Zuko watched the guard with suspicion and Aang turned to give him a worried look. Sokka and Katara muttered to each other, also suspicious at the guard's dodgy behavior. They continued to uneasily follow him.

The people had little interest in the important group of teenagers that had entered the town. Most seemed bored while some looked on the verge of exploding with anger.

Zuko's frown only deepened and a pit formed at the bottom of his stomach. Something was not right. They weren't telling them something.

As their chaperone brought them further into the town, the line of people diffused and gave way to an open area with beautifully decorated shops and buildings. The streets were bustling with civilians going about their day and children playing around. Their uneasiness faded and gave way to wonder as they took in the sight of the town.

Zuko took a deep breath to calm himself. 'Maybe their security measures are just like that. It has a large marketplace, after all. No need to get myself worked up.' He pushed his worries to the back of his mind. No need to be overly paranoid.

They walked for a few minutes down the same road, passing by various seafood restaurants and tea shops. The smell of jasmine tea reminded Zuko of Iroh's own tea. Maybe he'll get a cup later.

As they walked, the streets around them continued to get even more decorated and colorful until, almost suddenly, they walked out into a very large area filled with market stalls and restaurants. At the very center was a large circular flower bed filled with flowers of various colors. What stood out the most was the art. Everywhere Zuko looked, there was art whether it be carvings or murals or decorations. The place was thriving with culture.

"Woah!" Aang gasped in awe, "It's so colorful."

"Welcome to the plaza that connects most of the town. If you want to get to a place, just come to the plaza, look for the signs, and choose a direction," the guard indicated to the streets that exited the plaza.

"Is that Water Tribe art? What does the moon and the ocean have to do with all this?" Katara questioned as they passed a vendor selling carvings of what seemed to be Tui and La.

"I've noticed that the moment we walked into the town. It's kinda strange. Water Tribe art in the Fire Nation?" Sokka said, perplexed.

Now that it was brought to Zuko's attention, he noticed the unmistakable smooth rolling style of the Water Tribes mixed with the sharp and rigid style of the Fire Nation. If he looked a little harder, past the art of fish and other marine life, he could spot paintings of the moon and carvings of Tui and La, plus quite a bit of blue coloring.

"I know it may seem strange as a town in the Fire Nation, but the moon and ocean are especially sacred to the people of Xin Tai. Most of our connection to the ocean comes from a very particular story. The fishermen say that centuries ago, three waterbenders sacrificed themselves to stop a catastrophic event that would have destroyed half the Fire Nation," The guard explained as he led them around the flower bed at the center.

"What kind of catastrophic event?" Zuko curiously asked.

"An asteroid," the guard responded. "They blasted the asteroid with a large stream of glowing water. Rumors say that they weren't human and were actually mermaids that came from the waters that surround Mako Island."

The group exited the plaza and went down one of the five streets that branched from the center.

"The fishermen also say that something magical happens on Mako Island every full moon, though I'm not too certain what they mean by that," the guard added.

Aang rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I know this may sound a bit weird, but can someone explain to me what a mermaid is…?"

"It's okay, sweetie. It isn't weird." Katara gave him an understanding smile. "Mermaids are mythical half human half fish creatures. They have the tail of a fish and the upper body of a human."

"The Southern Water Tribe mermaids don't sound as friendly as the ones here, though. Mermaids have been said to attack hunters and drag them into the freezing waters." Sokka's eyes widened and he made a pulling motion with his hands.

"According to Fire Nation legends, mermaids can be either signs of good fortune or bad luck," Zuko added. "They could either guide you to treasure or get you completely lost in the open ocean."

Aang's eyes lit up with childish wonder. "They sound really cool!" He paused, "Except for the whole 'dragging hunters underwater' thing."

"You never know," the guard shrugged, "Stick around the ocean for long enough and you might get lucky and spot one. If you want more information, you should talk to Goji down by the docks. He's been trying to hunt down mermaids for years. Most people are quick to say he is crazy, but he has quite a bit of evidence to back up his claims."

"But why would anyone want to hunt down a mermaid?" Aang innocently asked.

"Obviously for scientific discovery and fame," Sokka was quick to answer. "Can you imagine if someone actually caught a mermaid? They'd instantly be rich!"

"Well I say that they're sacred creatures and we should leave them as is," Katara frowned at Sokka.

Zuko nodded his head. "I agree with Katara. If mermaids were to be captured, who knows how the world will react. They could end up hunted down like the dragons."

"To each their own," The guard indifferently shrugged.

As the conversation died down, they continued to follow the guard down the cobblestone street. Katara and Aang talked among themselves while Sokka observed the town's art with interest. Zuko on the other hand was thinking over his newfound knowledge of the town and its nearby island.

From the asteroid to the mermaids, the town had a fascinating culture. What a coincidence for Azula to have been captured on Mako Island while on a full moon. If mermaids were truly real, then they must have given him a helping hand in finding Azula, because there was no way he would have guessed that she would have come to a coastal town like Xin Tai.

For the next few minutes, the guard continued to lead them down the street. Every street seemed to have it's own personality with shops to fit accordingly to the theme. As they moved away from the marketplace, office and residential buildings took the place of restaurants and market stalls.

"Here we are." The guard made a sharp turn towards a building. "The station."

They entered the building and that heavy feeling of dread reentered their bodies. The station was void of any guards except for the receptionist, who greeted them by giving them an uninterested grunt.

They continued to follow the guard as he brought them through a pair of double doors and into a grungy looking hallway. It was silent as he guided the group through the halls. They rounded a corner and the group came to a halt before a lone door. The label on the door read "Chief Kali".

"Chief Kali is in there. Just head on in." Zuko thought he heard a hint of nervousness in the guard's voice. "Well, I have to get back to my position at the front gates. It was a pleasure to serve you Fire Lord Zuko and Avatar Aang." Almost urgently, the guard turned and walked down the hallway, leaving the group in silence. His odd behavior and urgency to get out of the building did not help Zuko's growing anxiousness.

Sokka was the first to break the silence, speaking in a hushed voice and jutting his thumb in the guard's direction. "Is it me or was that guy kind of suspicious?"

"It was like he was hiding something," Aang narrowed his eyes, watching as the guard rounded the corner out of sight.

"I don't have a good feeling," Katara frowned with worry.

"Then we should just pick up Azula as soon as we can and get out," Zuko said. They all nodded their heads in collective agreement. Zuko turned and knocked on the door.

"Come in," a voice called from behind the door.

Zuko turned the doorknob and entered the room, his companions following suit. The room was welcoming. It was not too grand and not too small, looking more like a small study room with bookshelves on every side of the room.

A desk was positioned on one side of the room and behind it sat who he assumed was Chief Kali. He looked to be around his late 40's. He donned a top knot and short moustache grew across his slim face. His armor was laced with traces of gold and were plated with thin sheets of metal, which was more than what the standard guard would wear.

"Sorry Fire Lord, but they'll have to stay out in the hallway," Chief Kali said in his gruff voice. They all gave Kali a weird look.

"It's okay. We can wait outside, right?" Aang turned to Sokka and Katara. "Come on." They followed the Avatar as he left the room, closing the door behind them. Zuko and Kali were now the only ones left in the room.

Zuko made his way up to the desk, seating himself on a chair that was positioned across from Kali.

"Greetings, Fire Lord Zuko," Kali's unapproachable demeanor faded as he nodded in greeting. "It is a pleasure to have you visit our town. I'm Chief Kali, head of the Xin Tai police force."

"Nice to meet you, Chief Kali. I just wish that this meeting could have been under better circumstances," Zuko responded.

"I do wish that as well," Kali sighed.

"So where is she now?" Zuko went straight to the point, "Is Azula in one of your holding cells? I have a team of soldiers coming soon to help prepare her for transport back to Hira'a. I would like to talk to her before we go."

"About that…," Kali hesitated. Suddenly the dread that Zuko had been trying to ignore since he got here got 10 times worse.

'Please don't tell me what I think has happened,' Zuko waited anxiously for an answer.

"Azula escaped in the early hours of the morning, about an hour after Captain Huyango captured her." Zuko's stomach sank. Those were definitely not the words he wanted to hear. "She's been gone for about several hours now-"

"SEVERAL HOURS!?" what was once dread was now replaced by outrage. Chief Kali visibly sank in his chair as Zuko leaned forwards. "You mean to tell me that she has been gone for several hours and you didn't bother to inform me of this?!"

"We sent a hawk as soon as the incident happened! It must not have had enough time to reach you!" Kali explained desperately.

Zuko supposed he couldn't fault them for that. After all, no one can control the speed of a hawk. He leaned back in his chair and took a few calming breaths. The few seconds of silence was so tense, it was almost palpable.

"How did she escape?" Zuko finally spoke. He looked up and locked eyes with Kali. He could see the fear in the chief's eyes.

"We're still not sure…," Kali broke eye contact and rubbed the back of his head. "The men who were tasked with guarding her are seriously injured, so we're still awaiting answers. One has been electrocuted and the other has a concussion and a cracked skull."

Zuko's fear increased. It was another reason why he wanted to catch Azula, and quickly. She has already proven that she is a serious threat to others. He's afraid of what she can and will do to the citizens of the Fire Nation, especially with her erratic behaviour and unpredictable anger.

"How about the rest of the crew?" Zuko asked, concerned.

"Most of them are being treated for second and third degree burns," Kali responded. "A few of them witnessed Azula escape the boat. The boat was close to docking and she jetted her way across the water and escaped the town. At the time most of our boats were still out at sea, and consequently, most of our men. We could not stop her in time…," Kali dipped his head in shame.

"Please, Fire Lord. Forgive me," The chief's voice was shaky with fear.

Zuko looked at him in surprise. "I am not my father. I will not punish you for something you could not control. You all did your best and I appreciate the work you put into trying to capture my sister. You are forgiven, but next time station more than two people to guard her."

'If there even is a next time,' Zuko added in his mind.

Kali lifted his head. "Thank you, Fire Lord Zuko. Thank you."

"Now," Zuko began, "Have your men started searching the area?"

"Yes," the chief sounded much more uplifted, "We have patrols searching the town and surrounding forest. I've organized for extra security measures just incase she may still be inside the town, but so far we have not found any trace of Azula."

Great. Guess he'll have to wait for Tarrak to arrive. Maybe the trackers could find something the guards here may have missed.

"Continue searching," Zuko sighed, disappointed with the outcome of this conversation. He sat up from his chair and turned away from Kali. "Thank you for your help."

His companions stared at Zuko as he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. They were all frowning.

"So… how much did you hear?" Zuko asked.

"Enough to know Azula has escaped again and is now a larger threat than before," Katara sighed in reply.

"I guess our quick pickup is going to be extended then?" Sokka asked.

"But what about your mother? Kiyi and Ikem, too?" Aang worriedly asked.

"I know! I know! And I feel terrible for letting them down." That's what tore up Zuko the most. He had promised to bring Azula back. He gave them all so much hope. Now it was going to be destroyed.

"Then let's not disappoint your family and get Azula back for them," Sokka placed a hand of Zuko's shoulder, determination evident in his eyes.

"Who's ready for an adventure?" Sokka asked no one in particular.

Katara and Aang shared a look. They were obviously feeling the rush of exhilaration.

"Great!" Sokka didn't need an answer, "Then let's all get prepared." Sokka turned to walk down the hallway. Zuko and the others followed suit.

"I'll head into the market and buy us some food to take with us," Katara said.

"And I'll come with you," Aang stated happily. He blushed a little bit. "We need to be better prepared for our travels," Aang sheepishly explained. Katara gave him a smile and a small peck on the cheek as they walked out of the police station.

Sokka made a disgusted face. "But more adventures means that I have to spend more time around that." Katara gave her brother a pointed glare and sent a snowball in his direction. Zuko smiled in amusement.

"Hey, guys, I'll be heading to the post office," Zuko cut in. "I have to inform a few people about what's happened."

"Oh, sure thing," Aang nodded. "I'll tell them once they decide to stop." Aang pointed at Katara and Sokka who were squabbling with each other. Zuko gave them a departing wave and went off on his own.

Being on his own out of sight of his friends left him time to think over his emotions and future decisions.

The severity of the injuries caused by his sister deeply worried him. Now she has proven that she will attack innocent civilians, making her an even larger threat to the people of the Fire Nation. It was now urgent that he capture his sister as soon as possible.

A part of him still cared for his sister. It was a confusing whirlwind of focusing on capturing Azula and still wanting to make sure that she was okay. He couldn't decide on one. Capturing his sister would probably make her hate him even more, but he wants to bring her back so he could get her the help she needs.

Zuko sighed. He was already stressing over something that hasn't even happened yet.

'One step at a time. Just need to keep a level head and focus.'

First step was to send his mother a letter informing her of their situation. He knew that she would be crushed, but it was better than leaving her in the dark and making her even more worried when he didn't come back by the end of the day.

Zuko continued making his way down the road, scanning the streets for a post office.

...

They sat around a table in the lobby of a motel they had chosen for the night. The friendly clerk offered them some tea, of which they gratefully took. Now they sat, quietly talking among themselves at the round lobby table while they drank their tea. The soft dusk light filtered in through the small motel windows.

"I feel like we've just wasted an entire day," Sokka whined. He took a drink from his tea.

The search team had arrived late that afternoon. As soon as they heard the news, Mal, Akai, and Xia took charge of most of the group and prohibited them from searching any further than they already had, explaining that tracks were fragile and that they didn't want extra footprints tainting any clues. To the further disappointment of the citizens, Zuko had to order the officers of the town to close off most of the trails while the trackers took a look at the area.

So they were forced to remain in the town while the search team what they did best. In the meantime, they were able to get their stuff ready for their upcoming travels.

Aang and Katara had shopped for them, making sure to stock up plenty of food. Zuko was busy most of the day doing more paperwork and sending out letters. Sokka on the other hand spent most of his time looking for the promised 'Goji' guy, to no avail.

Zuko took another sip from his tea. Chamomile, if he remembered properly.

"I just wish they would have at least let us help look around," Katara said glumly.

"So, it's been only one day. How far can someone get in one day?" Aang, ever the optimist, questioned.

"If what you mean by one day means 'from midnight to dusk', then I'd say pretty far," Sokka frowned.

Zuko looked down at the cup of chamomile tea. It was supposed to calm the nerves, but he felt anything other than calm. He felt restless; itching to at least be able to look around.

"I would have liked to help out too, but they probably know their stuff better than us. They're trained to do this stuff," Zuko sighed.

"I'm a hunter! You don't think I can track?" Sokka placed an offended hand on his chest.

Katara shook her head. "Sokka, anyone can track through snow. This is hard ground, and if you haven't noticed, hard ground doesn't leave that many footprints."

"Then how come Zuko's buddies aren't back yet?" Sokka gestured across the table towards Zuko, giving Katara an annoyed glare.

Just seconds later, the door to the motel lobby opened and the sound of heavy footsteps on the wooden flooring filled the room. The group of teenagers, excluding Sokka, turned their attention towards the approaching group.

Sokka's face deadpanned. "They just entered, didn't they?" He turned around.

Approaching them was Tarrak and the rest of his soldiers. He came to a stop and gave a short bow.

"Good evening, Fire Lord. I hope we are not interrupting anything." The man's eyes scanned the table of tea cups.

"Oh no. Not at all!" Zuko shook his head. "Do you have anything to report?"

"Yes, we do. I'll let Mal, Akai, and Xia speak with you… mostly Mal and Akai." They gave the soldier questioning looks. Tarrak stepped to the side to make way for the three men to step forwards.

One of the younger firebenders, Kizar, leaned in. "Xia isn't much of a talker," Kizar answered in a hushed voice. Zuko nodded. He could respect if Xia didn't want to talk.

He turned his attention towards the three trackers standing across from him.

"Good evening," Zuko nodded in greeting.

"Good evening, Fire Lord. If you could please clear the table of your stuff, it would be much appreciated," Akai requested. They picked up their tea cups and Zuko placed the teapot onto the floor. "Thank you."

Sokka grumbled in annoyance as Xia shoved his way past him. He threw down a rather large map onto the table, the scroll rolling it's way towards Zuko until it was fully open. Xia stepped back and slunk into the rest of the group.

Upon the piece of paper was a highly detailed map of the area and the surrounding roads and trails. A few places on the map were marked with ink; places which Zuko had no doubt were important.

Akai cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention. "First, we must thank you for you patience. We've conducted a full search of the area around the town and searched some of the trails. Because of the town's police's own searching, it took a while to differentiate between their trails and any clues."

"We did however manage to find something very interesting along the east wall." Mal made his way to the other side of the table and pointed to a circle and some dotted lines along one side of the town. "There was a small trail of broken tallgrass that leads from the town's wall and stops right before a main road."

"We made an educated guess and narrowed down her possible path as heading north or north east." Clearly marked trails were highlighted. "A main travel road, which heads east to a nearby town, and two other trail systems that head north into the wilderness."

"It's hard to narrow it down to one single path. They have all been traveled along recently and the trail systems are quite extensive."

"Which is why we would like to propose some plans. We would like to split us all up into groups of two, with our komodo rhinos going down larger paths and the ostrich horses taking the much smaller ones. Also the extra group of three can fly your… ," Akai paused and looked to Aang for a little help.

"Bison"

"Yes! To fly your bison… "

The group paused as they took a moment to look over the map. Zuko wrung his hands together as he processed their request.

The trails, were indeed, quite extensive with many forks in the road and lots of branching paths. Not only that but some of the trails went on for miles and miles, all the way up to one of the main island's large volcanoes. It would be efficient to make groups of two, but…

"Wouldn't it be hard to communicate? It could take days to backtrack just to give information."

"Maybe we could rent some messenger hawks?" Katara pitched in. "There's a place around here that has some, right?"

"That or I could fly Appa to each one of us while also keeping a lookout from the air."

"Exactly! Kill two sea ravens with one stone," Mal encouraged Aang.

"Yeah, yeah, you all have good ideas, but aren't you thinking about how dangerous it would be to be spread out?" Sokka's expression turned serious. "What if we run into Azula and don't have any backup?"

"Please, Sokka. Look at these trails." Akai gestured to the map. He gave him a pleading look. "We need as many people spread throughout the trails as possible to make sure we don't miss anything, meaning that you could… uhh… you could… " Akai nervously looked towards Mal. His brother caught on quickly.

"...meaning that you could be a part of your own search team with… Suresh!" A quiet 'Wait what' came from the group of soldiers. "You're a hunter aren't you? You'll be great at tracking!" Katara gave them a criticizing glare, but otherwise didn't speak up.

Sokka gasped. "My own team!" He paused. "Does this mean he has to follow my orders?"

"Yes! He has to follow every order you give him," Mal smiled nervously.

"Hey! Why don't I get a say in this?" Another quiet comment comes from the group followed by an annoyed "Suck it up." Raleigh gives Suresh a quick punch to his arm.

"Ok I'm in. This plan is great." Sokka gives a satisfied smile.

Akai seems to hesitate. He looks to Zuko. "What do you think, Fire Lord?"

Everyone's attention turned towards him. He was the only one who could truly confirm their searching plan.

Zuko liked the sound of it. They could cover a lot more ground, minimize the amount of clues missed, and possibly catch up with Azula before she gets away again. Sure, the spacing was a bit of a problem, but splitting up into more groups would cover a larger amount of land.

"Yes. We'll go through with it. Though getting one messenger hawk wouldn't hurt."

The soldiers bowed.

Xia reached over and rolled up the map, allowing them to place their cups back onto the table.

Zuko picked the teapot from up off of the floor.

"Here. You've all done a great job today. How about you have some tea with us?"

When Azula awoke the next day, she half expected to find herself in her cozy bed back at the palace, but the reality was harsher than fiction. It was just another nightmare to come taunt her about all she had lost. It was nothing new, but that didn't mean that it hurt any less.

Azula let out a heavy sigh and sat up from her sleeping spot beneath the tree. With herself already awake, she may as well start packing up. So she began the small tasks that would eventually set up her new morning routine.

She started by combing her hair and retying her top knot, letting her classic bangs fall against the sides of her face. Next, she slipped on her shoes and stood up, patting down any wrinkles in her clothing.

With such a small amount of supplies, cleaning up the camp was quick and easy. She rolled up the sleeping mat and folded up her blanket in less than 5 minutes.

After a quick breakfast, which only consisted of a few pieces of jerky, Azula was ready to head out.

Just as she lifted the bag onto her back, she remembered that she had forgotten to check her waterskin. She placed her bag back down and opened up the flap.

Good thing she remembered. When she found the waterskin, it was nearly empty with little under a few gulps of water left. She picked it up and walked down to the stream.

As Azula crouched on the banks of the stream, she took a few moments to regard her appearance in the reflection. Her makeup had long been washed off and the makeup she had brought with her was probably still on the Avatar's flying bison in her other bag. Whatever. It wasn't like she needed her makeup. At least now without it, it would make her less recognizable if anyone were to pass by.

Azula emptied the old contents of the waterskin and dipped her hand into the cold water to refill it. She really hoped that the water was clean. It may have been fresh water, but that didn't mean it was free of dirt and other things that might have made its way into it.

A few moments passed before a barely noticeable tingling sensation seemed to spread from her hand up to the rest of her arm. At first Azula thought nothing of it, disregarding it as just the cold water, until the sensation began to rapidly spread throughout the rest of her body. Within just a few seconds, the tingling sensation intensified drastically. Startled, Azula jumped to her feet and dropped the waterskin.

An odd blue sparkling substance akin to water engulfed her body, starting from her feet and swiftly making its way to her head. In the blink of an eye, Azula was falling. It was as if her own body had swept its feet from beneath her and she barely had enough time to get her arms out in front of her to take the force of the impact.

The water splashed as she went plunging face first into the cold water of the stream. Azula gasped in surprise as the cold water met her skin. A few moments passed and the water calmed once more, flowing around her body which now obscured its path. Azula laid there in shock, mouth agape. She blinked a few times before she was brought out of her daze.

'What just happened…?'

The first thing she noticed was that her hair, which had previously been in a top knot a few seconds ago, was now untied and obscured her vision. Almost immediately after, she realized that her clothes were gone.

In alarm, Azula tried lifting herself to her feet. After a few failed attempts at getting up, a strong sense that something was wrong made her stomach sink with dread. She couldn't move her legs. She couldn't get up. She wasn't paralyzed was she? No, she couldn't be. She could still feel her muscles tensing and could still feel the water and ground beneath her.

Azula whipped her torso around to see what was happening.

As soon as the golden scales came into sight, Azula froze. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight.

A tail. She had a tail. One that stretched for a few feet longer than what her legs would be. The tail was golden-orange in color, reminiscent to that of a goldfish. A short dorsal fin ran along the back that ended just before a large flying dolphin fish-shaped fluke. The tail sparkled and glittered as she shifted her body.

It was then that she noticed that she was not completely naked. A matching bra, complete with scales and orange coloring, covered her chest.

"W-what in A-agni's name…," Azula stuttered in disbelief. She couldn't believe her eyes. She refused to believe. There was no way in Agni's name that she was…

"... a mermaid…," Azula croaked out, barely audible for even her to hear.

It had to be a hallucination. The nurses and doctors at the institution always told her that her mother was just a hallucination, maybe this could be one?

Azula tentatively reached down to touch the scales at her waist that transitioned from her skin to her tail. Once her fingers had made contact with the golden scales, it was immediately obvious that this was not a hallucination. She could feel the pressure she applied to them.

She stared at herself in horror filled awe as she took in the sight of her new tail. The scales were hard and strong, each one about the size of her thumbnail. The scales along the back of the tail were darker in color and slowly transitioned to a light beige color on the underside.

Azula rolled herself over and propped herself up on her elbows. Experimentally she moved her tail and watched as it lifted a few inches in the air before she relaxed and let it splash back into the shallow water of the stream. The tail was thick and obviously very strong. She could feel the power in her muscles.

'But how?! What could have caused this…?' Azula was in a state of disbelief.

Azula thought back to the moment she woke up to the moment she transformed. She thoroughly scanned through her memories. Waking up, tying her hair, packing her stuff… Nothing stood out in any way that could have affected her. Maybe it was something she consumed? All she had were a few strips of jerky and after that, she went down to get some water...

Water.

The events happened after she had touched the water. She went down to fill her waterskin and once she had touched the water, her skin started tingling and she transformed. It had to be water. She needed to get out of the stream.

Azula rolled back onto her stomach. The tail, though strong, was heavy; far heavier than her human body. With time (and difficulty), Azula was able to turn herself around.

Reaching up, she dragged herself up the bank of the stream. Inch by inch Azula drug herself farther from the water, her tail dragging in the mud until she made it to the grassy area of the clearing away from the stream. She continued to make her way across the clearing until she made it to her bag where she flopped onto her back and looked up into the morning sky.

She felt numb, as if the whole situation felt too outlandish to actually be real. Mermaids weren't supposed to be real. They were supposed to only be myths and stories made to entertain young girls.

"What is happening to me…?" Azula asked no one in particular, mostly herself. It wasn't like there was anyone around to answer her anyways.

Azula took a deep breath. She needed to get to the bottom of this. Water possibly couldn't be the only reason she had transformed. She had bathed in the same water the day before and nothing ever happened. It didn't make sense!

She propped herself on her elbows once more to stare at her tail.

Azula struggled to connect the dots, but slowly her fractured mind pieced together bits of information and she drew up a conclusion that made the most sense.

It was a curse. A curse placed upon her by that water peasant - no! That water witch that had defeated her during her Agni Kai with Zuko. Afterall, why wouldn't it be her? That peasant ruined her life, why not ruin her ability to walk and live on land. Water was the complete opposite of fire, too. Firebending while in water was almost impossible.

Her heart skipped a beat and she quickly whipped out her arm and took a deep breath. Azula let out a sigh of relief as the familiar warmth formed in her stomach and her blue flames ignited in her palm. At least she still had her firebending. She wasn't sure what would happen to her without it. She cut off the flame and placed her elbow back on the ground. She turned back onto her stomach.

She clenched her fists in anger. Azula knew just how that witch cursed her, too. Just like her mother had set up everything to defeat her, Ursa gave that water witch the curse and Azula has been cursed since the day she was chained to that dreaded grate. But one thing didn't add up. Why activate it now after she's already escaped? Why didn't she activate the curse as soon as she ran into Forgetful Valley?

An event from the day before came to mind. The island. She had forgotten all about it, the memory lost in the pile of plans she had for escaping that boat. She remembered the way the full moon seemed to oddly position itself right above her and suddenly flash before moving over the cone of the volcano.

It had to be her mother and that water witch. It was Ursa who kept her up all night and brought those guards to her so they could chase her into that cave, so it had to be the witch who activated the curse.

Maybe they simply transformed her today so they could lure her in with a false sense of security and pull the rug out from beneath her. It would explain why she didn't transform yesterday. Or maybe they waited to transform Azula to starve her and keep her disabled. Afterall, she was in the middle of the forest with no lakes or rivers around to offer her movement even if she accepted that she'd be stuck like this.

"So now you want to kill me, mother?" Azula laughed bitterly. "Was turning my own mind against me not enough so now you want to destroy my humanity and turn my own body against me?"

She wasn't expecting a response, but she should have known better than to directly address her mother. Speaking her name, heck just thinking about her was like summoning a demon.

"You know I would never do anything to harm you, right?" Her mother's voice came from behind her. Azula could hear her mother's footsteps approach her. In her peripheral vision, she saw Ursa kneel down on the grass beside her.

"So what do you call this?," Azula turned and hissed at Ursa, indicating to her long tail. "You've transformed me into a real monster now."

"This is not my doing. Why do you think I would do such a thing as this?" Ursa softly asked. Azula looked away from the worried eyes of her mother.

"Because you've been actively trying to sabotage my life since I was born," Azula growled.

"This not does not have to be negative. Some changes can be good," The hallucination of Ursa tried to comfort Azula.

"So you admit that this was you and that water witch's doing!" Azula accused. She quickly turned to look up at Ursa. "I demand that you transform me back. "

Azula expected to hear one of her mother's witty comebacks. Instead what followed was silence.

"You can change me back, right?"

Still nothing.

"It's not permanent, is it? Tell me it's not permanent," there was a hint of fear in Azula's voice.

Ursa was dead silent. She looked down at Azula with pity and sadness.

Azula stared in disbelief at the hallucination of her mother. She was the one person who was always there to annoy Azula; always trying to deter her from doing something bad or telling her to try something different. Azula never thought that she'd want to hear her mother talk as much as she wanted her to in that moment. She was seriously hoping Ursa could do something for her.

Azula watched in horror as Ursa stood up and turned to walk away. Even her hallucinations didn't have an answer for what was happening to her.

"Where are you going?!" Azula demanded angrily. She turned to face her receding mother. "Come back here!" An odd feeling rose up in her chest. "Aren't you going to help? You're the one who cursed me, so change me back! At least tell me how to change back! I don't want to be stuck like this forever!"

Her anger slowly changed to desperation as Ursa continued to walk away. She wasn't coming back to help. Azula began to hyperventilate as she watched Ursa disappear into the trees.

Azula was alone, forced to face the reality that she had become a mermaid and that she had no idea how to change back, if it was even possible. It deeply terrified her that the simple decision to get some water has altered the rest of her life. Now it seemed that she would be stuck like this forever.

No, no, no! This couldn't be happening. There had to be a way. If mother didn't have the answers, then she would find her own answers. She didn't need her useless excuse of a mother.

'If water was the thing that transformed me, then maybe drying myself off will reverse the effects?' Azula took a guess. It was her best bet, and probably her only option.

Azula rolled over and drug herself over to her bag until she got close enough to grasp the straps. She pulled it closer and ripped out all of her neatly folded items until she came across her blanket. She hastily unfolded it and began rubbing at the scales on her tail.

The longer she continued to dry herself off, the greater her fear grew. Something has to happen soon. Maybe she just missed a spot. To the best of her ability, she reached down further to dry the scales along the end of her tail.

In all honesty, Azula didn't think her idea would work, but she was pleasantly surprised when that odd tingling feeling spread throughout her body and watched as the same odd, blue, bubbly substance engulfed her once more.

When she opened her eyes, it was as if nothing had ever happened. Her legs were back in their rightful place and her clothes had reappeared on her body. Even her once untied hair was retied in the exact same way she had styled it.

Azula held her breath as she slowly shifted her legs and reached down to touch her thigh. They were back! Her legs were back. Quickly, Azula scrambled to her feet. She caressed her legs as if letting go of them would make them disappear once more.

She needed to get away from this place and continue moving. Azula hastily gathered up her items once more and stuffed them into the bag. She threw her bag over her shoulder and was ready to leave the area, until her discarded waterskin by the bank of the stream caught her attention. Azula paused.

Water. Her worst enemy, but one of the most vital elements for life.

Cautiously, Azula approached the bank of the stream once more. She leaned over the waterskin and carefully bent down, holding out her hand. She debated as to whether or not she should pick it up.

Was the transformation a one time thing? Would it become permanent if she did change again? What about drinking? Would she transform if she drank water?

She lightly grasped the damp waterskin and stood up. Wrong move. Her fingers started tingling and she quickly threw the waterskin back down. In a panic she wiped her fingers on her shirt, quickly drying her hand. Azula quickly backed up from the stream, and thankfully the tingling went away as soon as she had dried off her hand.

She looked back at the flowing water of the stream as if it were some living thing. It felt like a creature waiting for Azula to get close enough so it could consume her. She knew it was irrational to feel this way, but this fear felt more dominant than her rational thinking.

The longer she continued to stare, the faster her heart seemed to beat until she could hear it beating in her ears. The color seemed to drain from her surroundings. Slowly, the edges of her vision darkened until it felt like the water was the only thing she could see. Her breathing quickened with her ever increasing fear. She felt frozen in place, the fear quickly becoming overwhelming.

Suddenly, she snapped back to reality. Azula suddenly jerked back, turned, and ran out of the clearing. She didn't want to get near the water. She didn't even want to see it.

She burst out of the brush and sharply turned right onto the trail she had been following. As soon as she was out of that area, she felt like she could breathe easier; like a heavy cloud had been lifted. Azula placed her hands on her knees and took a few deeps breaths.

Just another reason why she hated feeling this way and why she used it against people. She was supposed to control the fear, it was not supposed to control her! So why couldn't she push this feeling away?

Her wretched mother and that water witch were to blame. It was always the same people ruining her life, wasn't it?

Her fear slowly fueled her rage. She needed to focus on her objective and get to the Gates of Azulon.

Her objective. Azula's eyes widened in remembrance.

How would her new transformation of hers affect her plans? Her reign? Her nation? A new level of seriousness was added to her situation.

No one could ever find out. Whatever she did, she would make sure to never transform again. Even if it meant not drinking just to keep her secret.

Maybe that was their plan: To make her every waking hour as hazardous as it could be so her mother could expose her to the world as a real monster. It would be a challenge, but it was necessary to take any precautions to prevent her from transforming again.

Azula stood up straight, her breathing finally calm enough for her to properly function. She would continue onwards despite the circumstances. She has overcome impossible odds before, she can do it again. Afterall, it is her destiny to become Fire Lord.

Azula continued to walk along the path.

Yes! Finally the moment you have been waiting for! I mean, it's an H2O crossover fic so how can there not be mermaids? It's probably an unexpected reaction from Azula. Think of Cleo's reaction times 20. I wanted to have 2 Azula POV's to express the suddeness of this change. Tansformation seems to only happen about a day after falling into the moonpool, as shown by Evie in Mako Mermaids.

One of the reasons I love the show so much is because of the tails. They are the most realistic mermaid tails I've seen, and I love their golden coloring. The H2O season 3 tails were my favorite.

Also another nod to H2O season 3 in referencing Bella, Rikki, and Cleo as the three mysterious waterbenders who stoped an asteroid. I suggest watching the show finale, Graduation.

Well, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Hope this lived up to expectations. I'll see you all next year ;)