Hello once again everyone, and Happy (Very Late) New Year! I apologize for the very long wait. This chapter went through a lot of changes that set me back quite a bit each time. Also I've been very, very busy with school. Curse my poor time management skills.

Days are important to keep track of in this chapter.

Chapter Six: Aquaphobia

DAY 1

Everything was confusing and scary. So incredibly scary. One day she's completely fine, the next she's a human fish hybrid. Azula wasn't sure what had happened to her, and it terrified her. Before, she thought that she had only herself to trust, but now she couldn't even trust her own body.

Perhaps if she were still a child, becoming a mermaid would have been a dream come true. Nobody warned her how terrifying it would be to lose part of your humanity. Especially so suddenly and without warning. It was sickeningly surreal to have her legs transform into a giant fish tail. Now Azula truly felt like a monster.

For hours after the incident, she continued to ask herself the same questions:

'What is happening to me?'

'How could this have happened?'

'What does this mean for my future?'

Azula could only try her best to come up with answers. All of them continued to lead back to that water witch and Ursa. They've already ruined her life. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? It was such a simple request, but every one seemed intent on bothering her.

The most difficult part of all was avoiding water. Everywhere Azula looked, there was water. The forest, which had once been inviting and calm, had become anxiety inducing and scary. The creeks that flowed down from the mountains crisscrossed the forest floor.

In normal Azula fashion, she quickly devised a solution. Every creek she came across, she would immediately evaporate it and dash across the exposed rock bed before the water started flowing once more. It may have been unnecessary to completely evaporate a stream and some of the surrounding foliage, but as long as it kept her away from the water and the water away from her, she could care less about the damage.

Azula's anxiety only increased the more she continued to list all possible sources of water. The one that concerned her the most was that the Fire Nation's wet season was just beginning, and soon it would be typhoon season. That meant frequent rain, sudden downpours, and storms that could last for large portions of a week. The day was cloud-free, but that could quickly change in a couple hours. Every once in a while, her eyes flicker towards the sky.

By the end of the day, Azula was already overwhelmed. It was only the first day and she was expected to live the rest of her life constantly on the alert for water?! She could barely make it through a day without nearly falling into a stream, let alone avoid water altogether. How would she cope if it rained? What would happen when she needed to bathe?

Azula sat, looking blankly into the freshly stoked campfire. The flickering of the light and its comforting warmth did little to soothe her troubled mind. There were so many more questions she could ask; so many more with no answers, but there was one question she had been avoiding asking. The question existed as more of a feeling of dread than a comprehensible thought. She could feel the tears building up at the corners of her eyes as the words forced their way into existence.

'What would father think?'

Azula brought her knees up to her chest and pressed her face into her arms as tears began to pour down her face. The heavy, uncontained sobs of another breakdown began to wrack her body.

Father would disown her. Azula knew he would. There was no way he would take her back now. Father would only see her as a disgrace. A freak. A monster. Then he would abandon her just like everyone else did. Just like mother did.

The campfire briefly flickers blue as her emotions begin to spiral out of control. Azula curls further inwards on herself.

She didn't ask for this. She didn't want any of this. Why couldn't things just go back to normal? Why couldn't she just go back to normal?

Truthfully, Azula didn't feel like 'herself' anymore. In fact, she has not felt like 'herself' for quite a while now. Azula felt like the complete opposite of everything she used to be; everything she wanted to be.

She could practically hear father berating her for being so weak. She's already failed him twice. First in failing to defeat Zuko and second in failing to kill mother. Now she was going to fail him again, this time because her own body has failed her.

Father would most definitely not want her back. Why would anyone want to love a monster, a failure, and a disgrace like her?

Azula grips her head and wails in anguish. Her head hurts so terribly. Her thoughts feel like they're out of control. She rocks herself back and forth beside the now dying campfire.

Day gives way to night as the dusk sky fades once more. It'll be another sleepless night.

Zuko looked closely at the forest slowly moving past below them. Aang sat atop Appa's head, steering their path, while he and Katara looked over the sides of the saddle.

He consciously decided to join Aang and Katara on the saddle. Even when they encouraged him to search on the ground, Zuko refused. They were confused at first, but when he brought up the point that he needed a stable connection to the Capital City, they didn't press him any further. With the growing pressure from the New Ozai Society, it was important that Zuko stay in contact with Iroh while he was away. It would have been hard to keep a constant connection while in the middle of a forest.

It was quiet, with only the wind to break the silence. It wasn't the peaceful type of quiet, it was the solemn type of quiet; the type of quiet that would occur when something particularly stressful was bothering someone.

Zuko let his head droop.

Just on the inside of his shirt was a folded letter; one he had received only half an hour before their departure.

Momo, the only one who's attention wasn't focused on the ground, must have noticed his downcast behavior for the winged lemur seated himself beside Zuko. The lemur cooed and pressed his cheek into Zuko's side.

Zuko was brought back into awareness. It was then that he realized that he had been more focused on thinking than scanning the forest. He looked over at the small animal. Momo stared back with innocent eyes. He gave a sad coo and put his ears back. The message was clear.

There was no use in bottling up his emotions.

Zuko sighed and gave a slight smile. Momo may have been an animal, but he was a clever little bugger. He gave the lemur a gentle pat between the ears.

He closed his eyes and took a calming breath, his hand wavering over the spot in which the letter was concealed. Zuko reopened his eyes.

"Guys, something's been bothering me," Zuko's crestfallen tone cutting through the serene quiet quickly caught the other's attention. He fully turned around to face his friends.

"Hmm? What's up, Zuko?" Aang airbent down to saddle to sit in front of Zuko.

Katara turned around, her head tilted in curiosity.

"I received a letter from Mother this morning."

"Oh..." Both of their eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"How did she take the news?" Katara carefully asked.

"Not well. Not well at all." Zuko wanted to show them the letter, but he decided against it. He couldn't bear to look at the obvious places where Ursa's tears had hit the page. The shaky writing and smudged ink. "She wants to join us."

"To join us?" Katara asked in disbelief. "But she needs to stay in Hira'a to take care of Kiyi."

"Not to mention that this entire trip is extremely dangerous!" Aang joined in protest. "Ursa could get hurt or lost. Or worse. Azula could…" The Avatar trailed off, leaving a disturbing implication.

Zuko's stomach knotted. It wasn't pleasant to think about. Especially since Azula had once before been so close to taking their mother's life.

"Which is exactly why I don't want Mother coming with us. I hate to decline her request, but mother just doesn't realize how dangerous Azula is." Zuko hated to say it, but it was true. "And judging by recent events, she's only going to get more aggressive. Did you hear what she did to those guards? Soon this won't just be about Azula anymore. I need to take the safety of the citizens of my nation into consideration."

Zuko didn't want to make any drastic decisions, but Azula was starting to push his boundaries.

Katara nodded in understanding. Her expression became serious. "I agree, you should. If she's willing to go as far as kill Ursa, then there's nothing stopping her from hurting others."

"We're all afraid of that, but I'm confident we'll catch her soon." Aang speaks with certainty and determination.

"Me too." Katara's eyes flickered with remembrance. "She's slipping again. We've already come close to getting her once, we can get her again."

"I'm sure we will." Zuko finds little comfort in their words, but he gives them a smile anyways. "Thank you."

"Anytime." Aang smiles back and returns to his spot on Appa's head.

Katara gives a head nod of her own and turns around to look over the saddle.

Zuko turns back around and the smile fades from his face. He isn't any less somber than when he first received the letter. Despite their reassurance, he can't help but think that maybe there won't be a next time. He has a solution, but it makes his stomach churn with uncertainty and regret. Even with these feelings, it was becoming a more and more favorable option.

Maybe they'd catch her faster if he issued a wanted poster.

DAY 2

She is faintly aware that someone is stroking her hair. Their delicate fingers glided their way soothingly through her long locks of black hair. She wants to get lost in these sensations and fall back into the comfort of sleep. No matter how hard Azula tries, it's like the person who is doing this is both calming her and calling her into wakefulness. The fogginess lifts as she comes to and Azula opens her eyes.

What she saw was nothing out of the ordinary. Just trees upon trees. Azula was still in the same forest. The sun had risen just enough that the forest wasn't pitch black anymore.

Azula tilted her head to the side. Above her loomed the unforgettable face of her mother. She looked unaware that Azula had awoken as Ursa continued stroke her hair with closed eyes. It was then that Azula felt her head resting upon something soft.

This woman, whom Azula had the displeasure of calling Mother, had the gall to not only stroke her hair, but put her head in her lap.

Azula forcefully pushed her mother's arm away as it came down to stroke her head once more. Ursa opened her eyes and let Azula out of her grasp. In seconds, Azula was up and she quickly distances herself from her still sitting mother.

"Did I give you consent to touch me?" Azula snaps at Ursa. She does not appreciate being touched while she is sleeping.

Azula shivered in discomfort. She had actually liked having her mother care for her.

Ursa didn't seem surprised in the slightest. Instead she ignored Azula's outburst. "My daughter, why do you chase a throne that you know is not yours?"

It definitely wasn't a question Azula was expecting, but her expression quickly turned into a scowl.

"You know more than I that the throne is rightfully mine. Have you forgotten about the letter? The one that clearly states that Zuko isn't even Ozai's son." To further press her argument, Azula added, "How about our Agni Kai? I struck him. He lost that Agni Kai on the day of Sozin's Comet. It should be me on the throne. Me!"

She roared the final word with the ferocity of an angry tigerdilo and even brought flames to her palms. Her presence alone would have been enough to scare the most hardened soldiers. How Ursa could just sit there unfazed in the midst of her fury and instability brought a white hot burning rage to Azula's stomach.

Her mother only sighed and shook her head, as if Azula simply didn't understand what she was talking about.

It took most of her control to not lash out at her mother. What could Ursa possibly know that she didn't?

"Your destiny does not lie on the throne. Can't you see that your destiny has changed?" Ursa gestured towards Azula.

Ursa doesn't state it outright, but Azula understands her clearly. She shifts her legs. "I know what you're doing mother. You do not control my destiny."

"Have you considered that certain things happen for a reason Azula?" Ursa frowned.

"If you think I'm going to let this curse you've placed upon me change my plans, then you're terribly mistaken."

Azula glared as her mother rose from her spot on the ground.

Ursa shook her head once more and began to back out of the clearing.

It was then that a barely noticeable stream of water coming from the forest caught Azula's eye.

"Please, consider my words." Ursa continued to back out of the clearing as more water began to flow from the forest. Azula's breathing quickened and her adrenaline spiked. "If you continue down this path, it will have dire consequences." And with those final ominous words, Ursa disappeared into the trees leaving Azula in the midst of the rapidly flooding clearing.

Azula was at a loss of what to do. Her head swiveled back and forth as she frantically looked for a way out. She could find no exit as the water had quickly surrounded her. In a panic, she blasted the approaching water, hot plumes of steam rising into the air. Despite her best efforts, the water had reached her feet, and quickly her ankles.

Before she knew it, the ground gave way and the water swallowed her whole. When her eyes reopened, the forest was replaced by a bottomless ocean abyss.

Fear surged through her body. Azula quickly started swimming up, kicking with all her might as she tried to reach open air. Her head was close to breaching the surface when a familiar tingling sensation made its way through her limbs and her body was briefly engulfed in bubbles. When vision returned once more, she watched in terror as the surface was pulled away from her as she sank.

She kicked and thrashed in desperation, but her body felt paralyzed. Her muscles refused to obey, producing only feeble twitches. The tail was like a lead weight pulling her down into the abysmal ocean depths.

All the while her chest grew tighter the longer she held her breath. With all her thrashing, it wasn't long before the need to breathe became unbearable. Against better judgement, and following the instinctive need for air, she inhaled. Regret was her first thought at the water painfully entered her lungs.

She was quickly caught in the vicious cycle of drowning; trying to cough up the water only to inhale more in her need for air.

Her mind raced with fear and panic as she choked.

There was nothing she could do but watch as she fell further and further from the light.

...

Azula wakes with a gasp. She bolts into an upright position and grasps her throat. Desperately, she takes large gulps of air. She feels short of breath and there is a tightness in her chest.

She can do nothing but ride out the episode. And so she does, taking large breath after large breath as she tries to calm herself.

Ever so slowly, the tightness eases and her breathing calms. Azula hesitates for a moment before finally removing her hand from around her throat. Slowly, she lowers her hands to the ground.

Azula lets out a shaky sigh of relief as her fingers meet the dirt.

'You're okay.' She reassures herself. 'You're okay.' Azula takes another raspy breath to ground herself.

She was not drowning, not sinking, not swimming in an endless abyss of water. It was just another dream. One sent by mother to torment her further.

Azula had to give her credit though. It was clever of Ursa to force her into listening to her by making her experience something horrible if she refused.

This only strengthened Azula's defiance. She wasn't going to give in to Ursa's demands. This was her destiny and her mother had no say over it.

She looks around. The forest was still mostly engulfed in the shadows of the early morning. The fire she sat beside was long dead.

She must have fallen asleep sometime during the night. It surely wasn't enough sleep because she still felt terribly exhausted. Even if she wanted to rest, the sun was close to rising; Azula could feel it. With its increasing strength, it would be futile to try and sleep now.

Azula carefully lifts herself onto shaky legs. Her muscles twitched and shook uncomfortably, still recovering from the shock.

She gathers up her things and dismantles the firepit before promptly exiting her campsite.

As she walks, she can still feel the phantom pain in her chest, as if her lungs had really been filled with water. With the dream still fresh in her mind, her thoughts keep flashing back to it: the helplessness she felt, the absolute terror. It deeply disturbs her. Azula shudders.

There were many things you could learn about a person if you spent enough time with them. Especially if said person was the only source of interaction for hours on end. Sokka found that Suresh was a nice guy. He had an interest in music, a fascination with constellations, and liked to carve. What sold it for Sokka though was their shared interest in delicious cooked meat. It took a little while for the soldier to open up. However, what quickly became apparent was that Suresh was terribly anxious.

"I think those might be two-headed rat viper burrows." It's the fifth comment Suresh has made on the small burrows just off to the sides of the overgrown footpath. Despite multiple reassurances, and even a suggestion to use his ostrich horse as a therapy animal, it did nothing to quell his anxiousness.

"You just have to relax." Sokka says in a tone that suggests he's already had enough of Suresh and his constant comments on every little danger he sees.

"Ok. Relax. Just relax." He hears Suresh take a deep breath before the forest goes silent. Their footsteps are the only sounds produced.

Sokka silently pleads it remains this way.

Suresh, of course, breaks the silence.

"I don't know- AHHH!"

Suresh jumped as a small black creature emerged from one of the burrows.

Instinctively, Sokka turned expecting the worst. He took one look at the offending creature standing in the middle of the path and gave the soldier a raised eyebrow.

"Seriously?"

A large black elephant rat stood in the middle of the path, staring up at the petrified soldier with its beady eyes.

"It's just a… just a rat…," Suresh nervously laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hehe… maybe I am a bit too paranoid."

"A bit too paranoid." He looked at Suresh as if that was the biggest understatement of his life. Sokka gave a sigh, turned, and continued walking. "Let's continue moving. Hopefully we can reach the next checkpoint by nightfall."

The ostrich horse looked down at the rodent, curiously tilting its head back and forth. There were a few tense seconds, then the elephant rat shrieked as the ostrich horse took a peck at it and ran off into the grass.

"Woah hey!" Suresh pulled back on the lead as the ostrich horse tried to go after the rodent. Sokka turned to see what the commotion was about.

The large bird squawked in protest and only pulled harder against Suresh.

"Sokka! I need a little help here!"

Sokka rushed over and took hold of the lead.

A look entered the ostrich horse's eye. One mighty push from the large beast was all that it took for the rope to be yanked from their hands.

The ostrich horse took off after the fleeing elephant rat into the brush.

Both stood there in shock for a few moments as the ostrich horse carrying all of their stuff bolted off. They looked at one another with equally alarmed faces.

"After the ostrich horse!" Sokka yelled out and charged into the bushes.

Sokka followed the path of destruction, ducking under broken branches and forcing his way through the thick bush. Suresh was on his heels, picking up any items that may have been dislodged from the saddle.

They burst into an open clearing.

The elephant rat was squeaking in terror as the large animal pecked furiously at the ground.

The elephant rat made a mad dash for the burrow on the other side of the clearing, the ostrich horse right on its tail. It dived for the hole, and just like that the elephant rat was gone, leaving a frustrated ostrich horse to scratch at the entrance.

"Gotcha!"

Sokka seized the lead and quickly tied it around the trunk of a tree.

Both let out sighs of relief.

"She must be hungry. We should let her graze for a bit," Suresh suggested as he began repacking the fallen items.

Sokka turned and observed the clearing, trying to determine the way they had entered. Thankfully, they weren't lost. The obvious hole in the bushes was easy to spot, but during his overview of the area he spotted something curious in the grass.

Sokka made his way over to the dark patch in the grass. The closer he got, the more obvious the pile of burned wood became. Sokka observed the scorched spot curiously.

"Hey, Suresh. Come here."

He heard the firebender jog up behind him.

Suresh looked at the pile of ash with familiarity. "Looks like it was a campfire."

"Maybe this is a campsite," Sokka suggested. He had a sneaking suspicion that it might have belonged to a certain someone… "Look around. Maybe there might be some clues."

Suresh nodded and both went in opposite directions.

Sokka walked along the clearing's edge, looking out for anything out of the ordinary.

"Oh hey! There's a stream down here." He heard Suresh call from behind him. Sokka expected that to be the end of it, but a few moments later…

"Sokka… you're going to want to see this," Suresh's voice shook with his trademark nervousness. Sokka turned on his heel and quickly made his way towards Suresh's voice. When he rounded the corner, what he saw made him stop in his tracks.

There was a large, deep drag mark in the mud, as if something heavy had been pulled from the stream. It began at the bank and continued until it reached the open clearing. Even then, the drag marks continued judging by the flattened and torn grass.

Sokka walked alongside the indent, taking in and observing the odd sight until he made it to the stream's edge. An item left by the bank caught his attention. He bent down to pick up what looked to be a waterskin.

"I've never seen anything like this. What could have caused this?" Suresh asked, baffled.

Sokka was just as confused. He rubbed his chin in thought.

"A campsite in the middle of the woods, strange drag marks… it could have been Azula."

"But how can you be sure that this was Azula's camp?"

"We can't, but it's the best lead we've got. I mean just look at it," Sokka gestured to the obvious drag marks in the mud. "Do you think any sane person would make markings like this on the ground?"

The soldier gulped. "You don't think it could have been a body, do you?"

Sokka hesitated. Truthfully, he doesn't know. This was Azula they were talking about, so naturally he thought the worst. His expression became serious. "I wouldn't put it past her. We need to tell the others as soon as possible."

"But it will be hours before the Fire Lord comes to check up on us."

"I have a simple solution for that." Sokka dug his hand into his pocket and fished out a strange looking piece of wood. He smirked. "A bison whistle."

...

Surprisingly quick, Appa had arrived at the site with a perplexed Avatar, Fire Lord, and sister on board wondering why Appa had changed direction so suddenly.

When they were led to the mysterious drag marks, they only became even more perplexed. None of them had ever seen anything like it.

After taking a good hard look at the tracks and the clearing, it was obvious that someone had been there, but to say it was Azula was hard to determine. Other than a waterskin and an old campfire, there was no other material evidence to tie her to the area.

Katara was the one to suggest that they should look a bit more before jumping to conclusions.

Their little group trudged down the overgrown footpath. Behind the group, Suresh led his ostrich horse while Momo flew through the trees. Much more ungracefully, Appa crashed through the undergrowth doing his best to shove his way down the small path.

At the head of the group was Zuko. He was on high alert, scanning the undergrowth and path for anything that might be of interest. So far, the only evidence had been back at the camp. There was nothing else along the path. Or so he thought…

Zuko's good eye widened in shock and he halted in his walking. Being at the head of the group, he was the first one to witness the carnage when they came upon the first stream.

"If we weren't sure before, there's not a doubt in my mind now that Azula has definitely been this way," He commented.

Obviously curious, his companions nudged their way past him to get their own look. The expressions on each of their faces morphed into ones of shock and surprise.

The scorched forest stood out like a sore thumb in the lush surroundings. Partially burned and blackened trees lined the stream's edge. Further evidence that someone had bent fire long and hot enough was the blackened and baked earth on the stream's bank.

"All the plants, the trees…," Katara gasped as she looked at the area of blackened plants.

Zuko walked up to the burned grass. By the scorch marks alone, it was clear that there was no effort made to put out the fire once it was started. It was a miracle that it didn't spread further and start a wildfire.

"But why would she go out of her way to burn a bunch of trees?" Aang shared Katara's feelings for the plants. The Avatar gently placed his hand on one of the blackened trunks.

"It seems wrong to have such a beautiful steam flow through such a barren area." Katara frowned.

Sokka shook his head. "I don't understand. There's no strategic value in this."

"Makes it easier to find her, doesn't it?" Suresh gave an unsure smile.

"I don't know." Zuko narrowed his eyes. The clue was just too convenient and obvious. "It's kind of suspicious, don't you think? I thought she was trying to get away. Why make such an obvious trail?"

"You don't think she's planning something, do you?" Sokka turned to face Zuko.

Zuko paused as he considered the possibility. It could be a product of her instability or an elaborate trap. He shook his head.

"Honestly, there's no real way to tell."

"What do you suggest we do, Fire Lord?" Suresh asked. The others turned their heads to look at Zuko.

"I'll send out a message to the other groups. If this truly is a plan of hers, I want all of us together if and when we face her. We'll continue following the trail in the meantime."

DAY 3

Dehydration. It's an unfamiliar feeling to her; definitely not one she thought she'd ever experience. She's always been well fed and well hydrated, but it wasn't hard to tell that her days of not drinking were taking a toll.

Azula's throat was parched and dry, triple the amount of discomfort she had felt the day prior. Her lips were cracking and her skin felt tight. There's a dizzy feeling in her head that doesn't seem to go away.

"It's just another thing to overcome," Azula keeps telling herself.

A part of her recognizes the irrationality. She just wants to scream at herself to cut the crap, but the overwhelming fear outweighs this urge.

Now she stands just feet away from the next stream.

The day had been particularly warm and the terrain was progressively becoming rougher as she neared one of the island's many volcanoes. She was exhausted and weary, and her throat itched with the need for water.

And so she gets closer, driven by the instinct to survive. She can feel her heart rate increase with each step she takes.

Azula manages to kneel down on the bank.

The water is right there. Precious, life giving water. Water that will satisfy the dryness of her throat and ease the uncomfortable feeling in her body. All she needs to do is reach out and touch it.

She lifts her arm and slowly extends it towards the glistening surface of the flowing stream.

'You can't give in.' A little voice at the back of her mind speaks up.

Her confidence falters and her hand stops moving. She holds her hand just a couple centimeters above the flowing water. Her hand is trembling.

The dream flashes in her mind; sinking into the endless, inky black abyss. The memory of her first transformation flashes in her mind; the vulnerability, confusion, and terror she felt during that moment.

She bails at the last second.

Azula flinches as she snaps back to reality. She jumps to her feet and retreats from the water's edge.

She can't do it. She can't. Not again. She didn't want to experience that terrifying transformation again.

Azula continues backing up until she is at what she feels is a safe distance. She moves into a stance and punches the air.

"RAH!"

The blue flames burst from her fist, creating an explosion of hot steam as it meets the water. Azula holds the stream of fire steady until she is sure it is safe to cross. She drops her arms and sprints across the exposed rock bed, stumbling onto the other edge of the stream.

The steam dissipates and new water quickly refills the displacement.

She shakilly sighs and runs a hand down her face. Azula let's a few moments pass to compose herself. She lifts herself back up and takes a few steps forward, ready to continue her journey.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" A soft voice speaks from behind her.

Azula whips around, startled. She stares at the area in confusion. No one is there.

"I don't want to see you hurt yourself," the voice speaks again.

She follows the sound and looks down. Staring back at her past the ripples in the water is Ursa.

"You." Azula says with spite. Her voice sounds gravelly and talking feels uncomfortable with her dry throat; something that comes as a slight surprise to her.

"I am here for you, my daughter." The warm smile Ursa gives her makes Azula roll her eyes.

"You haunt my dreams and now you hide within the water. Typical of you. Too afraid to actually talk to me face to face." Azula readjusts the bag on her back and turns around. " Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go now."

"You shouldn't have to be afraid to ask others for help."

The word "afraid" catches her ear. Azula pauses in her walking. She looks over her shoulder.

"I don't need anyone's help. After your last walkout, I definitely don't need yours." Azula aims a pointed glare at Ursa.

"I'm sure your brother and the Avatar could assist you." Ursa suggests with a smile.

Azula turns to look at Ursa in the reflection.

"Are you suggesting that I actually lower myself to asking Zuzu for help?" The idea was so preposterous, Azula could laugh at it. "Even If I did, which I definitely do not want to, what am I supposed to say? 'Oh, I'm a mermaid now'. Do you know how crazy that sounds?"

The irony of her words is lost on her.

Azula swallows. "I can overcome this myself." The roughness of her voice suggests otherwise.

"You're trying to overcome the wrong fear."

'Afraid… fear…' the words echo in her mind.

The fact that Ursa continues to suggest she's scared fills her with an uncomfortable, vulnerable feeling. Azula wants to end this conversation soon. Ursa's warnings only serve to make her more defensive than open her up.

"It's not fear," Azula argues. "It's because of you and that water witch, Katara, or whatever her name is! Do you think I want to avoid water for the rest of my life?"

"Don't hurt yourself anymore than you already have, my daughter."

"I am not hurting myself, I'm just not letting you win. You can torture me all you want, but I'll never admit deafeat to you."

Ursa wears a look of concern.

Azula huffs and turns around. "Goodbye." She walks away from the stream's edge, continuing her journey on the trail.

"You're scared, Azula." Her mother's voice calls from the reflection in the stream.

She pauses in her walking. Her fists clenched in anger. "I said goodbye, mother," Azula bites out.

There is no response. Azula takes it as her queue to leave. She leaves the edge of the stream and continues walking.

If she's been keeping track correctly, she should hopefully reach her desired destination by tomorrow night. Azula looks to the sky where the midday sun looms. It'll be quite a while until then.

The messenger hawk preened it's feathers after yet another long flight. Below it's position in the tree, two men stood around a campfire. One held up the message the hawk had just delivered while the other listened with interest. Behind the encampment, some ostrich horses and komodo rhinos slept peacefully.

"I can't believe it. An easy to follow, defined trail," Tarrak commented as Xing finished reading out the scroll.

Xing let out a small snort, "Me neither, but it looks like we might be closer to pay day than we thought."

Tarrak couldn't help but give a short laugh, but quickly composed himself.

"We still have to capture her first," he pointed out, "She may have been cooped up in a mental hospital for a year, but it doesn't seem like she has lost any of her strength. Azula is going to put up one hell of a fight."

"We can worry about that when we reach her. Right now, I've got to start searching for the quickest path to the Fire Lord's area." Xing handed the letter over to Tarrak and walked into the tent.

Unbeknownst to the soldiers, two men listened with intrigue from the shadows of the forest.

He absentmindedly stroked his short beard.

"So, they have a definite trail on where she's going." He spoke as quietly as he could, his deep voice making it hard to keep a soft tone.

"Doesn't sound like something Azula would do, though. Unless she has a plan of her own." His accomplice spoke from behind him.

"Either way, we can't let the princess get caught. We need her if we want to bring this nation back to its former glory." He turned around.

His accomplice raised his eyebrow in suspicion. "Why do we need her? We have the society to free him. Do you doubt their abilities?"

He narrowed his eyes at his partner. "I don't doubt their abilities, but think about it. It's been what? Months? And we haven't made any progress with removing Zuko from the throne."

The other man paused as he thought this over. "You bring up a good point, but you're forgetting that we know where Zuko is and that he doesn't have his guards to protect him. Why not just kill him? Slice his throat while he's not looking."

"Have you forgotten about the Avatar!?" He hissed and roughly jabbed the other man in the chest. "He's at Zuko's side nearly all of the time. There's only two of us. Most definitely not enough to take down an Avatar. It'll just add to the list of failed assasination attempts."

The other man huffed. "I suppose you're right. But then what shall we do?"

"If you had been listening, Azula is heading north. Don't you see? She's not just trying to get away, she's trying to circle back to the Capital. There, we'll have the proper equipment and men. And with her as our leader, we'll finally have plans to set into motion. She's probably the only one who can get him out of prison."

"So we need to ensure that she makes it to the Capital?"

"Exactly."

"If that's the case, then we need to slow them down."

"I have just the plan," he chuckles darkly. "For the New Ozai Society."

His partner nods back. "For the New Ozai Society."

"Follow me." He pulled back into the shadows, his partner following after.

The two men slunk away from their hiding spot on the edge of the campsite and disappeared into the darkness.

DAY 4

As soon as Azula awoke that morning, she could sense that something was terribly wrong. It wasn't just the extreme dryness of her throat that set her on edge. The first telltale signs was a feeling of extreme fatigue that refused to go away, even after having a full night's rest. Her limbs felt heavy and her movements were noticeably sluggish. Her head feels fuzzy and her thoughts incomplete, as if her mind was shrouded in thick fog.

Azula stumbles along the path, her movements more like a drunk after a night on the town than her usual graceful and purposeful strides.

She craves water. There is no more juicy fruit to, at the very least, ease her dry throat. What remained of her rations was salty hippo cow jerky, which would only serve to worsen her dehydration. Her instincts yelled at her to drink, but even if she wanted to, there were no sources of water in her immediate area.

In the dim light of the early morning, she spots something ahead. It is out of the ordinary in that it does not match the surrounding trees. Rather, it is a structure of some kind. A sign sits in the middle of the four converging paths.

The closer she gets, the more comprehensible the words on the sign become. Azula stumbles into the intersection.

Her legs buckle in exhaustion and she falls to the ground, landing with a hard thump. Her bag goes rolling off her back and its contents spill onto the dusty ground.

Azula slowly lifts herself into a kneeling position before the sign and looks up. Amongst the various different names, her eyes spot the desired indicating arrow: Phoenix City; the closest place to the Gates of Azulon besides the outpost itself. The next stop in her journey back to the capital.

Azula sluggishly gathers up the things strewn around her and stuffs it into her bag. She struggles to lift herself up, her muscles feeling useless and weak. Her legs buckle once more, forcing her back into her position on the ground. The strength feels like it has been drained from her body.

She looks helplessly up at the sign. She is so close to her destination. So close. Phoenix City was just one last day of walking through the mountain pass.

Azula swallows in an attempt to ease the almost unbearable dryness of her throat. Her breathing was raspy, further evidence of her dehydration.

"Now do you see what I mean?"

Azula doesn't need to look over to know who it is.

The hallucination walks up one of the paths towards her.

"I tried warning you. Helping you. I wish you could have realized sooner," Ursa softly says.

"Way to tell me 'I told you so', mother." Her voice sounded gravely and hoarse. Azula winced at the sound of her own voice. Dear Agni did she sound terrible.

"You have to come to terms that you are afraid. Only then will you overcome this."

"I'm not afraid," Azula lies to, not only the hallucination, but herself as well. She only wished she believed it.

But she is afraid, isn't she? It's the whole reason why she went through with this ridiculous plan of not drinking. It's the reason why she is on the ground right now, about to succumb to the effects of her rash decision.

She refuses to admit that she made a mistake.

"You should let me handle this, mother." Someone speaks from across the trail. It's a voice Azula knows very well and very personally.

The bushes rustle and out walks a girl.

Absolute terror grips Azula's body. She gasps and her eyes widen in fear.

"After all, we are the same person."

Azula blinks once, twice, and rubs her eyes, yet the illusion does not disappear. The person that stands before her is none other than herself.

The girl walked with all the grace and power that Azula had once had. Her top knot adorned the golden crown Azula once wore. The elegant black, red, and gold royal armor that covered her body only amplified the aura of power and intimidation the doppelganger seemed to give off.

"H-how… I…," Azula stutters in disbelief. "This isn't possible." She cannot wrap her head around the situation.

"Mother obviously had no chance of getting to you, so I thought I'd come and speak with you myself."

The hallucination came to a stop before her. Her cold gaze wandered over Azula's pathetic frame on the ground. Its expression settles on one of disgust.

"To think you were once as great as me."

The other Azula begins to circle her, like a predator stalking its prey. Her double sighs.

"I can't believe you've let us fall this low. Look at you. You're filthy and on the brink of death. You've weakened yourself."

Azula finally finds the courage to speak. "It's not like I was trying to!" Azula tries to defend.

"That's not a viable excuse, and you know it," The girl snaps.

Azula recoils.

"You've allowed fear to cloud your judgement." She speaks in a condescending tone that makes Azula shift uncomfortably.

"It's not fear. It's… it's," Azula struggled to find a word.

"You can't deny that not drinking is probably the stupidest plan you've ever come up with."

"Don't you think I know that already?" She grumbles in annoyance.

"Yes, but if you had at least kept that waterskin, you would have had a way to collect water."

"It's days behind me. It would be futile to go back for a waterskin."

"That's not my point. My point is that we are the ones who are supposed to control fear, not let it take control of us!" The other Azula snarled. "Look at where this aquaphobia has gotten you. Never thought that you would fall victim to such a thing."

"I am afraid, alright!" Azula blurts. "Is that what you wanted to hear? For me to finally admit that I'm actually afraid of something?"

"Oh, no. I already knew. It's just even more pathetic to hear it come from you directly. I would say that you should just get over it, but…," her doppleganger trails off.

"... But it's too late for that, isn't it?" Azula finishes.

Over the course of the conversation, the dizziness in her head had worsened. Her mind felt fuzzy and her vision moved in and out of focus.

"I must cut our conversation short. I don't have much time to stick around." Her cold eyes briefly flickered towards Azula. "And it seems like you don't either." With those final words, her doppleganger departs, leaving a disturbing implication that makes Azula's stomach knot with dread.

"I've made a mistake." She softly says.

Azula buries her face in her hands, paying no attention to the dissipating hallucinations. "How could I have been so foolish? It was a bad idea. It was a bad idea. It was a bad idea…" Azula continues to mumble to herself. If she weren't so horribly dehydrated, she would be crying.

Regret isn't something she feels often, but in that moment it was all she could feel. That deep feeling of regret and fear that she has done something wrong and that she can't reverse it.

The world around her seemed to spin and distort, a feeling of weakness spreading throughout her limbs. Azula's vision blurred further. Against her wishes, she could feel her body fall to the side before her mind was forced into sudden unconsciousness.

I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter. It was quite tricky to fit all this content into a decently sized chapter. I decided to make them kind of like short stories from each day. This one was interesting to work with, as I'm working with emotions and traits Azula usually doesn't show. Also the exciting introduction of some possible antagonists.

I'll see you in the next one, which I will (hopefully) get out a lot sooner than this one. No promises though.