Hello everybody. I have managed to finish this chapter this week. This little project is about to reach it's final. After this one, I have planned a last chapter for it.

Littlebrwk: Thanks, that was the plan. I wanted to try to play with some ideas in order to see if this would work as a running plot. So thanks for this feedback :-)

In this chapter Azula has to handle the results of the damage, she has has delt. I wish all of you a lot of fun with this new chapter.

When Lightning Strikes

She refused to eat the next day. And the day after the next one. At day five she felt really weak and dizzy. She barely left her bed. She got more and more thin and bony. Her skin was pale and it was cold all the time. Her face showed more and more of her skull with every day, she refused to eat. At day eight, she didn't even recognized the staff, who has brought her the lunch. But someone must have brought her a tablet, like all the other days, cause it was set up on the table as usual. Suddenly her eyes opened wide. It was not set up as usual. A candle was placed by her meal, ready to be light up. She checked her room, but she was alone. With almost all of her last strength she managed the way from her bed to the table. A letter was placed by the candle. She took it with cold shaky hands:

You and I knew, that my idea was a mistake. But the Azula I know was never afraid off to prove someone wrong, even herself. What role do you want to play? Don't give up searching!

She watched the candle with tears in her eyes and with a motion of her hand she lighted it up. The flame shared its little warming life with her. She pressed her eyelids together and the hot tears were rolling down her cheeks. She took seat with wobbly knees and started to eat. She did it slowly and she stopped many times to read the little note over and over again. He still cared for her. He still hasn't give up hope for her. How could his fire burns so strong, that it was able to share its warmth with her, even when he wasn't around? How could he still have the strength to fight for her? Why did he still tried to help her, beside the fact that she has killed him once?

"Because that's his role!"

No, not only his role. That was what he really wanted to be. He was the Avatar. No, he was the kind of Avatar he wanted to be, with all the positive and negative aspects. And because it was his choice he could find the strength to fight on, when others would give up. Azula stared at the candle. He has found his role and this fact gave him strength. She suddenly understood. He was never really her enemy. The war had forced him to be her enemy. Her father had forced her to be his enemy. The question for her was, would Aang force her in a different role or would he leave her a choice. She continued her meal with the head full of thoughts. The hope has returned. She didn't know when he would show up again, but she would wait for him. This time she would be prepared. This time, she would listen more carefully.

Two weeks later a guard showed up in her cell after breakfast.

"The trainings place is ready for you."

Azula lifted an eyebrow. She heard the nervousness of the man.

"Is the Fire Sage here?"

She hoped, that Aang would wait for her on the trainings ground. The man shook his head. Azula saw, that he must have felt most uncomfortable.

"The Sage hasn't returned since his last visit. He has only send the note for you and has ordered to prepare the trainings ground every day, as soon as you would be strong enough again to continue with your training."

Azula smirked and shook her head a bit. He was confident enough to be sure, that she would pick up the fight again, because of his letter. When did she became so predictable. She stood up and nodded at the guard.

"Well, fine then. Lead me to the trainings place, please."

She has trained for three hours. Her body was sore and aching. Her muscles burned and she was out of breath. She was completely exhausted and after a last forceful punch she felt down on her knees struggling to gain back her breath. She has never felt so happy and satisfied. The air was still filled with the flavor of fire and sulfur. But she had still one thing left to train. She got back on her feet and focused on her breathing. Then she started to make wide circles with her arms to separate her Chi. She felt the electricity tickling up her spine, buzzing and humming the way to her arms and her fingers. Blue little flares started to dance around her fingertips. Her eyes started to search for a target, but suddenly they found the dark spot, the candle has left at her last training. The candle, Aang has burned down, as she had freed his rage. A vision flashed before her eyes. For a short moment, she could see her arm darting at the Avatar down in Ba Sing Se. She saw her lightning hitting him. She saw him falling. She knew, that she had killed him. A wave of anger swapped over her. Anger about herself. And shock. She was shocked about herself. Shocked, that she nearly, no, that she has killed the only person, who seemed to care for her now. And she felt guilty. And sorry. And grief about everything she lost. About her family, her friends and her Nation. About how she had treated other persons fire. The raw and twisting emotions took over for a second. She lost control of the energy. The Chi flowed back together before her and exploded right in front of her. The shock-wave punched her back and she crushed into the wall of the trainings place. Her world was black as her limp body hit the ground with an awful cracking sound.

She heard a painful scream from the distance. It sounded familiar but strange at the same time. She tried to focus on the direction, but the screaming came from nowhere and everywhere at the same time. She tried to move her head but she couldn't. Or did she only thought, that she couldn't? She wasn't sure. But every time she tried to move the painful tortured screams only increased. She tried to open her eyes. She was a bit angry with herself, that she hasn't tried it before. She managed to open a small slit. A persons face was near her. It looked familiar too. She heard the screams nearer and clearer. They started to hurt her. She could hear the pain, within these screams. She could feel the pain. It was her pain. And it was her screams. She began to panic. She had done a bad mistake during bending a lightning. She had hurt herself in an accident. The pain burned within her and she screamed louder. She couldn't believe, that this was already possible but she managed to intensify her screams. The pain was overwhelming. Broken bones, ruptured muscles, punctured organs, burned nerves; never had a pain felt so real for her before. It seemed to her, that the pain wanted to squeeze the life out of her. She started to cough blood between two screams, and she could feel her lungs filling with it. Her screams turned into a gurgling sound and she felt her remained working muscles cramping. All she wished now, that the pain would fade, that this would be over soon. She felt her strength fading. She felt her fire dying. Her resistance started to get weaker. There was not enough air for her fire anymore. She recognized the person again. The eyes of the person had started to glow. And the big arrow on his forehead too. And then the pain faded.