A/N: Still don't own Avatar...Again I'm sorry it took me so long to update, now this is a chapter I think is better than the last because it's not short...Happy New Year one and all!

Chapter 16

Azula

"Sit up, Azula..." That voice again...her voice... "Sit up and drink this..." I could feel her hand push against my back to help me sit up and her arm kept steady to support me.

Any other time I would have shoved off and done it myself, but even now I had to admit and fall victim to weakness. Sitting there in that damn cave...waiting and being loyal...

Becoming irritated at the thought of how loyal I am to the fire nation and my father I took the pouch of water from her and drank, it had a weird taste to it, sweet but bitter after a time. It was all she had, and it was all I needed.

We walked on for what seemed like an eternity. The sun beat down on us so harshly that for once I knew this was not a dream. But even in the heat there was water everywhere, and the ground I walked on moved with me, like a moving island or something. When I stopped I could still feel it moving beneath me and when I looked up at the sun I saw my father and the sky got so much darker. He was looking down on me, the way he did when I was younger, and the way he did before he fell asleep in the cave.

"Azula." He said angrily. "You have abandoned me and thus turned your back on the nation that loved you."

My eyes grew wide and my stomach grew knots that made me feel like I should vomit, my legs started shaking and I just gave in to the pressure and let myself fall. Frightened, the way I used to hide it when I was a child, I fell into a curled up ball and shook, hoping to whatever god may be watching that he wouldn't get me.

"Azula..." I could hear my mother again, but I couldn't see her. "Come on..it's ok..we're almost there..."

"Where?" I mumbled to her.

"We're almost there..."

Zuko

"Zuko?" Her eyes looked like they were going in and out of her head and she just fell over completely passed out.

We needed to get her out of the desert and fast, she was just wandering around alone. She had to have come from somewhere but with her state I didn't have time to ask where she had been or who she might have been with. Sokka had her over his shoulder and carried her through the sand, the sun had come up and we were burning horribly. Coming down off the incredible high from the cactus juice, we realized that it was all we had to give her when she started to wake up.

"Sokka, we need to stop, she needs to drink something or she'll die." I said, he nodded and helped me sit her down on the ground between us. He held her up and I got the pouch of water from our bags. Against my better judgement I took a sip, then Sokka took a sip and then we looked to Azula who was still completely wiped out.

"Sit up Azula..." I said to her gently, pushing my hand against her back to support her, Sokka held her from the other side to keep her up. "Sit up and drink this for me..."

She looked like she was thinking about her next move, as if she planned on attacking us. But how could she in her state of being? She was weak and she knew it, and what looked like some kind of acceptance to her weak state she took the pouch from me and guzzled it down. Her eyes were half open but after a few minutes she was able to stand and walk on her own. Sokka tried talking to her, telling her some weird jokes but she just kept walking as if we weren't there at all.

"She's creeping me out a little..." Sokka nudged me and whispered.

"How?"

"She's being all creepy quiet like she's plotting or something..."

"What could she possibly be plotting? She's in the middle of the desert with no where else to go."

"Look!" He stopped in his tracks and pointed, Azula had stopped ahead of us and stared up at the sun.

We came on both sides of her, and I put my hand on her shoulder. Her eyes were wide and her jaw started to drop. I could feel her legs shaking and she collapsed again, this time she fell into a fetal position and twitched. Sokka immediately bent down to help her up and I stared up at the sun, still feeling a little odd from the cactus juice and although I knew it was my mind playing tricks on me, I could have sworn that I saw the eyes of my father glaring off the sun.

Katara

They hit the cactus juice...very nice Sokka...although he wasn't as far gone as the other two were. He and Zuko were only gone about a day, and, like I knew he would, in the shadow of the night he comes in with two delusional fire benders on each arm. Seeing Zuko wasn't as big of a shock to me as seeing Azula. She was half asleep dangling off my brothers shoulder as he held her up.

"Cactus juice does more than just quench..." Sokka said proudly as he went by me with her. "It can also tame the beast in a former psychotic Fire Nation Princess. You know...I'm starting to think we should market this stuff some how..."

"How did you get her to drink some? Azula doesn't strike me as someone that would take anything from an old foe..." I crossed my arms and stood out of their way.

"She just took it from me." Sokka shrugged, leaving her limp body on a small mattress.

"She must have been out there for days, she was too dehydrated to refuse natural instinct." Zuko sat down beside his sister and leaned against the wall.

"You should get some rest." I suggested.

"I'm afraid of her waking up alone and leaving again..." Zuko didn't take his eyes off her.

"You've been out in that heat for a long time, you need to rest or you'll pass out anyway. Drink something and just try to sleep for a little while. We'll take turns watching after Azula. Don't worry."

"I guess you're right..." He thought about it. "I'll take the first shift."

"Are you sure?"

"I'll stay with him." Mai's voice came from behind me. "If he falls asleep I'll watch out for them both."

"Ok..." I nodded. "I'll go see how Ty Lee is doing."

Suki was still in Ty Lee's room monitoring her every move. I had been healing her wounds the best that I could for days, but some how it was like it did nothing at all. I can't really heal someone's dream world, that would be like healing their mind. After all that she's been through, I don't think anyone can heal Ty Lee's fragile mind right now.

"How is she?" I asked.

"You know how she is..." Suki seemed irritated at the question.

"Sokka and Zuko are back..."

"Did they find her?"

"Yeah...she's in the other room, passed out, Zuko and Mai are with her now." I sat across from her and started healing Ty Lee's wounds.

"I wonder how Ursa is doing..." Suki drastically changed the subject.

"I'm sure she's fine why?"

"Well...it's been years since she last saw her two children...and now here they are..."

"That's true...with all that has happened...I wonder how she's feeling..."

Ursa

The years have not been kind to my family...ever since my banishment I have heard horrible stories about my only son and on the opposite side, triumphant stories about my only daughter. They never really behaved well around one another growing up...but now I'm waking up to find them just a room away from me...and I want to rush in and be with them...but I wonder...do I have the right?

Mai

Zuko was asleep in moments after Katara left, right in my arms he just let himself go and he was out like a light. I held him close but stared at Azula. If Zuko were not between us I would have been on her, shaking her senseless and screaming at her. How could she do this to our best friend? Ty Lee was what kept the three of us together and even though I hated Azula with a passion, I still felt some twisted bond of friendship with her. After an hour or two I started to nod off, until the former princess groaned lightly and turned over on her back.

She stirred a bit more and her eyes slowly opened, I was the first thing she saw was me glaring at her. All I could think to do was scream at her...lucky for her once again, Zuko was right there and I didn't want to wake him.

"You're awake sooner than expected."

"Where am I?" She said groggily blinking a bit before her golden eyes opened completely.

"Where you don't deserve to be."

"Is this...a dream?" She was so disoriented.

"You only wish it could be...no Azula, this is real life." I sighed, looking away from her.

She sat up and held her head for a moment, trying to make sense of her situation. I held my breath, still wanting to chew her out for all that has happened, but I just could not bring myself to do it. I was better than that, better than her...

"Who brought me here..."

"Your brother found you wandering around in the desert." I said to her coldly. "You're lucky the heat didn't kill you."

"Zuko...why would he..."

"Because he cares about you, idiot." I snapped at her, which in turn woke Zuko.

"Mai..?" He said softly. "Is Azula ok?"

"As her yourself." I got up and left them, the sight of her sickened me.

Staying nearby I let myself out of the room but stood on the outside of the door way against the wall so they would not see me. I wouldn't leave Zuko with her alone, knowing how they would fight, but I was curious as to what they would say to each other.

"How are you feeling?" He seemed to follow into conversation with her slowly.

"Confused...what am I doing here?"

"We found you in the desert...Sokka and I went looking for you."

"Why?" She sounded so disturbed by her brothers kindness.

"There was a situation..." He tried to put it delicately. "We needed you here."

"What could you possibly need from me?" She spat, I could hear her shuffle away from him, probably turning her back to him as she often did.

"Azula...it's Ty Lee..." He said slowly, and with that she gasped a bit.

"What happened?"

"You mean...you don't know?" Zuko was astounded by her answer and I was then filled with more rage than anything and I stormed back into the room.

"BITCH! You know EXACTLY what happened to her! She's dying and it is ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"Mai!" Zuko stood up and stood between us, but I pushed him down and grabbed the back of her neck roughly and brought her to her knees. "You and your lust for power and the throne is costing you the life of the woman you claimed to love for so long and my BEST FRIEND! How could you do this to her? To us? Did we mean nothing to you?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Then let me refresh your memory you sick little demon!"

With strength I did not know I had I dragged Azula out and down the hall to Ty Lee's room. Kicking the door open I startled Katara and Suki as I threw Azula against the ground. Before she could recover I knelt down to the ground beside her quickly and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and made her stare at the wounded form below us.

"Look at her."

She looked on to Ty Lee and her eyes, for a moment frightened me, grew wide and teary then she looked up at me and shivered as she tried to speak.

"What happened to her?"

"You." I growled through my teeth and through her against the ground again. "You happened to her."

Katara

If I could only see her the way that Azula saw her now...Bruises and cute and burns and everything that could do harm was pelted on the skin of someone she held so dear. She looked up at Mai after she slammed her into the ground I knew there was no way she could explain this to her. Mai stormed out and all that was left with her and Ty Lee were me and Suki. Sukiwas the second to stand and leave, disgusted at Azula's presence.

"I hope you're happy." She said as she left.

"Why would I be..." Azula timidly answered, but mostly to herself.

"We've been doing healing sessions with her...she's starting to get a little better...we hope at least..." I tried to give her some kind of comfort, being around Aang so much I could tell when a person was really hurting inside and as far as I could tell, Azula was torn apart.

For the first time, I think ever, I saw something that most people probably never got to see out of this Fire Nation Princess. A softer side, this must be what Ty Lee loved so much about her. Azula looked up at me for a moment, then down to the floor again and said softly, "Thank you..."

With that I continued my session with Ty Lee, lifting her midriff revealing a large burn. Using my bending I started to heal her, Azula came a little closer to stay by her side and gently took her hand.

"I didn't do this to you..." She looked at Ty Lee, but wouldn't allow herself to cry in front of me or her.

"Of course you didn't." Came a voice from behind her that seemed all too familiar judging the shocked look on her face.

Ursa stood behind her in the doorway with Zuko right beside her. I couldn't leave Ty Lee in the middle of a session so I felt a little awkward being there. Azula seemed afraid to turn around and face her mother and brother. Ursa stepped in more and knelt beside her daughter, and with caution she put her arms around her.

"This isn't your fault, Azula."

Azula

This isn't a dream is it? She's really here this time isn't she? How do I approach this? After all of these years of not knowing where she was hiding. Why now? Of all times why is she here with me now? Maybe because...for once...I actually need her there for me...For ocne I will let go of my pride and just...

"Mother..." I cried and turned into her embrace.

Without any control I just cried, like I never cried in my life. She held onto me and then pulled Zuko into the embrace.

"I didn't do this to her...I'm not a monster...I'm not a monster."

"I know you're not darling...I know you're not..."