A/N: I do not own Avatar. R/R

Chapter 17

Azula

They've left me alone with her for now, my Ty Lee, we are finally together again. But this isn't how I wanted it to be at all. All I wanted was to become a successful Fire Lord after my father and be the lover to Ty Lee that I always wanted to be, and to give her everything she would ever need in life. yet here we are, I'm a fugitive from my own home, and she is lying before me in a dream-induced coma covered in burns and ash. Despite what I thought before it is my fault. I left her alone and she came after me and now because of that she could very well be dying.

"You need to rest." Came the soft spoken but hardly familiar voice of my long lost mother from behind me.

"Not yet." My gaze focussed only on Ty Lee.

"She will be here, don't worry."

"I will not leave her again."

She stayed silent for a while, I can only imagine what she was thinking. Given the circumstance she could not criticize me on abandonment, instead she just put a hand on my shoulder.

"I will get you a few blankets, you can stay in here with her tonight."

Then she was gone just as soon as she had come in. Sighing heavily my body was finally giving way to exhaustion once again. For a moment I let my body rest against the ground and before I knew it I was falling right to sleep. A gentle kiss pressed against my cheek and a voice too light for me to understand was the last thing I heard before blacking out completely.

Aang

"So now that we have Azula...what do we do about Ozai?" Sokka asked as we all sat around a table, contemplating our next move.

"Even without his fire bending, he still poses as a threat to the Fire Nation." Zuko reasoned, cracking his knuckles nervously.

"And the Fire Nation Royal Family." Mai added to that.

"So when we find him, should we just send him back to the prison?" Suki partially suggested, looking between me and Zuko as she did so.

"Some how, I don't think prison will be enough for him." I sighed.

"What do you suggest then?" Zuko leaned forward and gave me a puzzled look.

"I don't know..." I denied what I wanted to say.

I never thought I would see the day when the thought would even cross my mind. It seemed that even at the end of it all, Fire Lord Ozai wanted to die, even in the avatar state I could see it in his eyes that he wanted all or nothing. Knowing that he had lost in that very last second before his life could have ended he would have accepted death...but instead I killed off the one part of him that fueled his terror. Yet some how...that wasn't enough? Now looking back on it, I don't regret my decision, but now I'm considering that option again. To Kill Ozai...No. No matter what it still isn't right.

"It's ok." Zuko nodded, as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. "We won't go to any extremes. But I would still like to have him in custody, that way he doesn't spread like a cancer."

"Where could he be hiding?" Katara asked Zuko, as she reached for my hand beneath the table and held it tightly.

"Hey! What about that cave we found Azula near? Do you think he could be in there?" Sokka stood up and leaned over the table.

"It's worth investigating I think..." I nodded.

"All right! Team Avatar strikes again!" Sokka did a little dance.

"Count me out." Toph stretched her legs out on the end of the table. "I'm not going through that desert EVER again. Everything is too blurry...it bugs me."

"And I want to stay here and keep an eye on Azula..." Mai said glumly.

"I'll go, it'll be good to get out again. I'm sure Appa is pretty bored too just sitting around here..." I chimed in, then looked to Katara. "Are you coming?"

"I should stay here with Ty Lee, the healing sessions seem to be going well, but I just want to be sure."

Disappointed, yes, understanding...well...I had to be. Katara had been working with the burns on Ty Lee's body for days and it seemed like she was finally making progress, it would be completely selfish if I asked her to stop healing someone who needed her strength. Katara leaned in and kissed me softly and then pulled away, excusing herself from the table to check on Ty Lee.

"All right, should we get going then? It would be safer to travel the desert by night then in the day, am I right?" Sokka asked.

"I agree. We should head out now, the sun just went down an hour ago, so we'll have plenty of time." Zuko stood up with him.

"Ok, I'll go get Appa ready. You guys get what you need and meet me outside."

I hope this journey ends soon...

Ozai

She abandoned me. Left me in the cave alone and vulnerable...I didn't want to do this to her...but it seems I have no choice...You have given me no choice Azula...you could have had it all back...and now...you are a failure...just like your brother...

Azula

"No...." I could feel the timid word vibrate out of my throat. "I didn't fail you father...they abducted me I had no choice."

"You had a choice!" He was furious with me.

This had to be a dream, because here I was kneeling before him like I used to in front of his throne. My former Fire Nation garb felt as it once did so long ago, and he wasn't the straggly old prisoner anymore, in all of his glory he was The Fire Lord. And the way he used to glare at his subjects with so much disgust and hatred, was now the look he gave to me at this very moment. Even though this was a dream...it still frightened me to see him that way.

"Father..."

"SILENCE!" The flames shot up from all around him as he screamed. "You have once again lost sight of your mission. Do you not remember what I told you to do?"

"No..." I replied timidly.

"Then why haven't you done anything yet?"

"I haven't had the opportunity..." I lied.

"And you won't...You have been too much of a failure to me thus far and now I know that I can no longer rely on you. If you won't kill Zuko, then someone else will."

"Who?" I dared to ask him.

Then before my eyes he stepped from the flames, but his body transformed from his tall and strong being to...one much smaller but equally as strong...and in a voice to familiar I knew it only as my own he said...

"Someone more up to the task."

My eyes shot open and I was awake in a cold sweat. I looked to my left and saw Ty lee still sleeping, and a blanket now covered half of me. Looking at her, I realized something I never considered before...he did this to her...some how...some way...he did this...Though I did not understand I knew one thing...I had to warn Zuko. Dashing from the room I crashed into the water tribe girl.

"Hey! Watch it!" She snapped as she hit the ground.

"Where is my brother?!" I asked urgently helping her up quickly.

"You just missed him...he, Sokka, and Aang just left to go find Ozai..."

"What?! How long ago?"

"Don't worry..." She tried to assure me. "He'll be in custody soon enough and everything will finally be under control."

"No..." I panicked and darted away from her, hoping to catch up to them. "ZUKO!!!!"

I was to late...I could see the bison flying into the distance. That couldn't stop me, so against my better judgement, I went after them. Not saying a word to anyone I just picked up a bag of supplies and left.

Zuko

Soon enough, things will be under control and Ty Lee will be back to normal and acting like her same old crazy self. That is what we all hoped for. The cave was a few hours away by flight, so Aang just told us to rest until then. Rest...I don't think I've really done that in years....so maybe for once...I'll just let it happen...the world can turn with out me for one night...