Outside of the city lay the graves. Azula could remember the Earth Kingdom bodies hanged from stone and trees, swinging in the cold Ba Sing Se breeze. She never should have come back here, for no reason in the world, but Zuko took her and Ty Lee with him on his trip. She did not know why.

The memories could do nothing but hurt her as she walked over the hundreds of graves and breathed in the sick scent of magnolias and damp rocks. Ty Lee grabbed her hand and Azula tensed up.

"I'm here," said Ty Lee and Azula tried to pull away. But Ty Lee held onto her.

Azula wanted to slap her, her hand twitched, but Zuko and his guards watched and they would lock her up or punish her for doing that to the bodyguard who kept her in check and kept her happy in bed.

"I don't need you," hissed Azula, prying herself free from Ty Lee.

"I love you!" cried out Ty Lee. "It was right here where I realized I loved you. It was right here where I realized I could never live without you."

Azula looked down at her feet and the decaying bones deep in the ground beneath them.

Slowly, she turned around and did the bravest thing she ever had in her life.

"I have always loved you. I still do. Now follow me," ordered Azula, extending her hand.

Ty Lee eagerly took it.

They walked over graves, through streets once filled with their soldiers and beaten, bruised bodies, and to Iroh's tea shop, where they sat down in the guest room and did not speak for hours.

Yet, they still held hands.

They held hands as if, if they let go, they would permanently float away.

END