Big thank you to HammerTide for both beta reading and actually editing/co-writing this chapter by adding some extra details here and there.

More author's notes at the end for those who want to see me ramble some more.


You want to know the worst part about being stuck in an asylum ? It isn't being drugged to sleep and manhandling by orderlies who relish in having power over the mentally weak or even the howls of the patients that would echo at night throughout the place that spoke only of pure anguish that would make you think they were condemned , it isn't that...

It's the deafening silence and loneliness.

The feeling of being stuck in a small dark padded room, the only noise you can hear is the sound of your own breath and heartbeat. Nobody to talk to or vent your frustrations out. Your only companion are the voices in your head and the ghosts from your pasts that won't leave you alone. But even those cannot placate that lonely feeling in your heart.

And the straightjackets were unbearable.

They were uncomfortable and contorting. And Azula was no Ty Lee when it came to bending her limbs in unusual positions. They said they were for her own good. She thinks they just enjoyed slapping it on her when they didn't want to put up with her episodes.

Who wouldn't enjoy savoring the former princess' predicament? The whole world wanted her dead, but then they found something more enjoyable than her being buried beneath their feet.

Sometimes she would scream her head off when she just couldn't take it anymore.

Couldn't take the silence, the loneliness, this whole agni forsaken place.

" LET ME OUT ! I'M NOT CRAZY ! LET ME OUT YOU BASTARDS !"

Sometimes they would come bursting in to sedate her to sleep, most of the time they would just let her scream her head off until her throat went sore and she quieted down. They've probably all heard the same rambling from lunatics by now anyway.

And isn't that what she is now ? No longer a proud princess , but just a madwoman that was left to rot by her own family.

The thought hurt. And it bled into grief and sadness...

Before grief and sadness bled into anger...

And she felt a rage build up in her heart like no other.

" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

She let out a scream that could only be described as monstrous as flames burst out and burned her straightjacket to ash. She blew through the pathetic cell door and into the hallway.

" W-What the hell !? Stop her !"

The orderlies tried to stop her. Emphasis on 'tried'.

" AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

They all screamed as Azula burned them to death with her flames and she knew in the back of her head that she was purposefully making sure each and every one of them suffered.

Things started to become blurry...as each kill become easier and more monstrous.

Some of them begged. The nurses that strapped her down and feed her sludge, the doctors that always punctures her once lively skin with a sharp needle to forcefully put her to sleep, she even recognized some of the servants she had banished, the ones that were once loyal to her but made a mistake on not removing the cherry pits when served to her majesty.

She showed no mercy to any of them. She made sure each of them burned long and painfully for sticking her in this hellish place.

As she pushed on, she couldn't bring herself to care for who she was tearing apart. She was just angry and wanted to hurt someone.

By the end of it all, Azula was surrounded by charred corpses and flames that were burning blood red with anger.

" Well done, you killed them all "

Azula's eyes widened as she turned around to see...herself. Rather the shadow of her former self. The one that some deep dark part of her still wishes to be.

Her shadow was smirking at her " Good job, you killed all of them " praised the dark apparition, its voice proud.

Azula briefly wondered what the shadow was talking about before it gestured towards the corpses themselves.

She recognized some of their faces. What was left of them at least.

Ty Lee. Mai. Zuko.

All of them were burned beyond belief, to the point only a small portion of their faces wasn't burned off that she could identify them.

" No...no..."

" You wanted this didn't you ? You wanted to see them all suffer for what they did to you, abandoning you in this place " Her shadow laughed " They deserved it "

" SHUT UP !"

Azula shouted as she sent forth a blast of lightning straight at her shadow-

Only it wasn't her shadow anymore.

It was Kazumi. Standing there with a hole in her chest where her heart should be.

No...NO !

Azula quickly ran to her and held her up by her head, her mouth bled, choking on her blood as she struggled to utter the words.

" Azula...why ? "

" I didn't mean to ! I didn't mean to !"

Kazumi couldn't say anything as she died in Azula's hands.

Once again, Azula was alone. And it was all her fault.

" AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"


" Azula ! Azula ! Please wake up !"

A voice shouted at her as Azula felt someone grab her hands.

Her eyes opened and she could see Kazumi standing above her, holding her hands , worry in her gray eyes. Azula looked around the room and saw that her blanket appeared to have been thrown from the bed and burned partially. And the ceiling appeared to have sustained some fire damage. Again.

She saw that her hands had flames in them that she hadn't even realized she summoned, but that was not the important part for her.

She looked at Kazumi, the older woman who was still looking at her with concern in her eyes, before her own eyes flooded with tears. Deeply concerned that Azula's demons are coming at her once more when they were so close, making so much progress.

" Azula what happened ? Did you have another-"

Kazumi was cut off when Azula suddenly embraced her, holding the older woman close like a lifeline, a dependable comfort. Whenever she embraces Kazumi, she felt like as if she is a warm fire that shielded her from the world.

" K-K-Kazumi ! I-I thought you were...that I-" Azula couldn't even speak properly, as her sobs drowned out her voice. She couldn't lose another, not now. Not when she needed her the most. She could only imagine losing this woman when everyone that she once loved decided that she is worth to lose.

The older woman hugged the girl back, holding her close. She may not know the full extent of what had transpired...but she will be there for Azula. She will not make the same mistake that made her the woman that she is today.

" Its alright Azula...I am here...I'm not going anywhere " Kazumi whispered, her cheek on her head while her hand softly combed her hair like a mother would do to its own crying daughter.


It took about a half hour for Azula to fully calm down, the two of them moving to the dining room with Kazumi preparing some tea for the both of them.

" Here you go Azula, this should calm you down a bit " Kazumi said as she handed the tea cup over to her.

" T-Thanks..." Azula nodded as she took a sip of the tea. It semi cooling her nerves if nothing else.

" So...did you have another nightmare ?" Kazumi quietly asked.

"...Yes " Azula replies almost instantly, no longer afraid to tell her problems to the older woman, unlike a woman she could name that would blame her.

" What was it about ? "

Azula looked away " I don't want to talk about it..."

" Azula-"

" I said I don't want to talk about it alright ?!" Azula shouted before she calmed down with guilt in her eyes " Sorry I just...let me be for now..."

" Azula..."

" Just...please leave it alone Kazumi...please " Azula moans, she hated this. The feeling inside her heart that needed to be chained inside her. She wanted to tell it all to her, that she's broken and needs to grieve for months on end in her arms, but she wouldn't. No matter what, no matter how deep, there is still some pride in Azula's void.

Kazumi could only sit there as Azula left the tea cup and went back to her room...and she could see the sadness in her eyes. She will not let her go, she may give her space but she will not let her be.

The moment I let go, my heart and soul will be damned forever.


Kazumi let out a sigh as she cleaned up the teacups and went into the hallway. She should have known that something like this would have happened eventually, not talking about her hallucinations. She needs to have a serious conversation with Azula about this in the morning.

She didn't go back to her room though, she instead took a walk outside and stood in front of her house.

Kazumi was not an easy person to anger, being a Spirit Navigator she had learned to keep a lid on her emotions at all times.

But seeing Azula continue having these nightmares and ghosts can really test her patience.

She honestly hated this sometimes.

Kazumi, for all her beauty that men would kill for and for all her talents that masters would envy her for, still does not know how to be a mother, how to console and control the demons that surrounded her.

She hated how cruel and unfair the world could be. How Azula's own family turned their backs on her and abandoned her. And Kazumi hated this feeling of helplessness to change anything. It felt as if she relived that fateful day.

Kazumi wonders if she can ever truly help Azula...or if she's just stitching up the wounds.

Then again, who is she to talk ?

She never did heal all that well after what happened...after she forsake her duty as a Spirit Navigator and turned her back on everything she ever knew...

Kazumi knew well from experience...

That some scars don't heal too well...some never do.

The older woman let out a breath as she stared up at the moon, before she walked back inside.

She hated this waiting.


Kazumi awoke to the sound of something coming from outside, she needed a moment to adjust to the sunlight coming in through her window followed by getting up. Her ears immediately picked up the sound of something coming from outside...

Is that wood being cut ?

Whatever the case, Kazumi quickly got dressed and headed outside. Upon exiting, she quickly saw where the noise was coming from.

She saw Azula repeatedly striking a nearby tree with her sword, the cuts so hard and vicious that it actually cut the wood and if Azula kept at it , she surely would have managed to cut the whole tree down. The older woman could see that Azula's strikes were full of anger and she hadn't even noticed Kazumi exiting the house.

Kazumi immediately stepped in, running up behind Azula and calling her name.

" Azula ! Azula ! You need to stop !" Kazumi yelled as she ran up to her.

She didn't respond but just kept slashing.

" Azula ! Azula please !" Kazumi pleaded as she decided that she needed to physically step in.

Kazumi quickly grabbed Azula's wrist holding the sword and held it upward " Azula you need to stop !" Kazumi's gray eyes tried, but she was unable to find hers.

Azula resisted a little but eventually gave up and went limp, allowing Kazumi to take the sword away from her. Judging from the bruises on Azula's palm, this had went on for a while.

" Azula what's wrong ?" Kazumi asked as Azula faced the ground.

" I'm fine, I was just practicing-"

" Coming close to chopping a tree with a wooden sword isn't fine " Kazumi pointed out, her patience wearing thin" Is this about last night ? Because if you want to , we can talk about-"

" I said I'm fine ! I just want to practice and-"

" Agni damn it Azula, trying to pretend the problem isn't there isn't going to help !" Kazumi shouted surprising Azula " Burying yourself in training and occupying your mind isn't going to change anything...if you yourself don't deal with it" She adds, her voice loud in her anger, truly she was the dragon that Azula expected and hoped to be, but she wanted more.

" What are you so afraid of ? " Kazumi asked softly. And the way she said it made Azula's heart skipped a beat, had someone ever asked her that question? Father, mother, uncle, Zuko, Mai, Ty Lee?

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

Azula was silent for the longest time before she spoke again, the hand that Kazumi held curled into a fist.

"I'm scared Kazumi..." Azula closed her eyes as tears forcefully freed themselves from the corner.

Azula said out loud which surprised Kazumi when she finally spoke again.

" I'm scared of hurting you Kazumi...I'm scared that I can't change my nature...and that the only thing that has changed is that I just have some new powers to play with...but deep down I'm still the same unlovable monster everyone knows me as...I'm still the wretched girl that you found in the muddy forest..."

Kazumi was shocked by this as she listened.

" My nightmare...it was about the asylum...my family...I killed them all Kazumi..." Azula whispered " And worse of all...I killed you too "

Kazumi was shocked at first, but understood. She already knew that Azula's nightmares weren't going to go away completely.

" Azula you have to know it wasn't-"

" Of course I know it isn't real !" Azula shouted " But...But it felt real...and I wondered if it was something that I doomed to do. Just hurt everybody around me until they were dead or gone...no matter how much I try, I'm still a mons-"

This time Azula was cut off when she was suddenly pulled into a hug by Kazumi.

" No. Don't you dare say that. You are not a monster Azula " Kazumi whispered to her. Oh how she knows so deeply what it is like, what's like to see yourself as that horrendous murderous monster.

" I feel like I am...and that I can't change " Azula muttered as she cried a little. "I have nothing, Kazumi...I am nothing."

" You're not nothing to me, Azula and you're not a monster n matter how much you tell yourself that." Kazumi says, holding her close as she put her hands her sides to wipe down the tears. "If you're so afraid that I'll be gone then I'll be there to with you and you Azula...every step of the way "

Azula couldn't respond as she hugged Kazumi back, as she sobbed into the older woman's shoulder to let it all out.

It may not have been the step forward she was looking for...but it works for now.


It took Shin less time to make it back to Hira'a than expected since he was travelling alone, that meant he could go at his own pace and not have to worry about anyone else but himself.

Upon reaching the village, he got himself set up at the inn and after that started searching through the forest once more.

Shin was more focused on retracing his steps and trying to find any clues for where Princess Azula might have gone to...

Though he couldn't deny a certain level of fear going back to the forest, as if a ghost in the back of his mind was telling him to leave and never come back. But he couldn't do that, he had already offered himself to go back alone to the Fire Lord and he couldn't just go back without a good reason until then.

Searching through the forest alone definitely didn't do much for his nerves though...

Shin knew that he couldn't just keep relying on the same tactics as before...which was essentially just canvassing the forest hoping they would find a clue about where Princess Azula was or where she went.

Especially when the chances are she's been kidnapped by this Fire Lady have gone up exponentially.

So the only thing he could do...was try to find this Fire Lady.

He obviously wasn't planning on searching for her at night or try to confront her himself...he was an Yuyan Archer for Agni's sake, not the Avatar himself.

But if he could find some clues during the day as to what this monster is...then they might have a chance.

His first move was to go back to the camp of where they saw the Fire Lady, with any luck there should or he's hoping there should be some trace of it there.

Shin kept his hand on his weapon at every point during the walk back to where they originally camped before they ran for the hills. Even during the daytime, Shin was still creeped out by the forest and every shadow and breeze that went past, almost made him jump.

It almost funny how in his 20 years of service, he has never been more afraid of a forest before. Its fucking ridiculous.

Fortunately, the walk back to retrace his steps to the former campsite was uneventful and as he crossed through the bushes into the clearing of where the campsite should be...

He finds nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Shin's eyes widen as he saw that there was no trace or remains of his team's camp. He still recalled how the Fire Lady burnt and set the camp alight...

He inspected the entire small area...and could find no trace of what was left of their camp. Not even a scrap from their tents.

The fact that there is no trace of where their camp used to be where it should was odd and creepy.

Its almost as if somebody...or something went through the trouble of carefully disposing and getting rid of any trace of their existence of their camp here.

Did that Fire Lady do this ? If so then why ? Why go through the trouble of cleaning up after us ?

Shin's train of thought was interrupted when he heard the sound of an animal in the distance and he decided to withdraw.

He didn't know what was going on...but there was more to this Fire Lady than it seemed.


And with this third chapter of this side-by-side update, we see that Azula is still dealing with her issues and trauma from the asylum. Like I really wanted to hammer home the fact that Azula avoiding talking about her emotions and issues by burying them in training is not going to help in the slightest. And she needs to properly handle and take care of these issues before they eat her up from the inside out.

Hopefully in the next chapter, I'll be able to show that happening with Kazumi helping her out.

And I was able to sneak in a small scene where Shin realizes that something is amiss but can't quite pin down what it is.

With that said, I'll see you all in the next one...and let me just say this again.

It's good to be back.