"Where are you going?" Ty Lee asked, crossing her arms. Azula looked as if she did not expect to be caught, and Ty Lee supposed it was not strange for her to believe that.

The princess stood with her hand on her windowsill, the hot wind billowing through the room. She had a bag slung over her shoulder and was dressed for the weather. Running away was not planned, and Ty Lee could not let it happen. She simply could not.

It hurt far too much. Azula slowly turned, cautiously, as if she did not want to face Ty Lee. In fact, she genuinely did not want to look Ty Lee in the eyes and tell her she was running away. That she could not take this world anymore, or something along those lines.

"I'm leaving," Azula said, trying to be firm and cold, but her voice faltered slightly. She felt a little weak in the knees and she could not explain it. Attachments were absurd. Ty Lee did not matter to Azula enough to keep her here, trapped in this prison without bars. Where she was presided over by Zuko.

"Why?" Ty Lee inquired softly. "I won't... I won't stop you."

"I would've left even if you tried to stop me," Azula said coolly and Ty Lee pursed her lips. "You can come with me. Come with me."

Ty Lee gazed at her for a moment and Azula could see the cogs twisting in her mind. She was honestly considering it and that thrilled Azula. Well, it thrilled her before she saw that Ty Lee was going to deny her.

"I can't. You know that I can't, Azula," Ty Lee whispered, wiping her sweaty palms on her nightgown. "Don't leave. I don't care if you leave Zuko but you can't leave me."

Azula averted her eyes, her jaw clenched. "I can't live like this. Not anymore."

Ty Lee hesitated. She supposed Azula had every right to feel that way. But it still made Ty Lee feel this burning sensation deep inside of her. Anger. Because she should have been good enough for Azula, good enough to make her stay.

"I've been at your side every minute. Every nightmare, every..." Ty Lee trailed off because she could see her words... hurting the princess. That, she did not anticipate. Azula had a thick armor around her that did not even tear down in her moments of vulnerability, sobbing nights. And it was slowly cracking and crumbling around her.

"I know that." Azula swallowed. She was not as cold as she wanted to be and she was not as detached as she used to be. "If I stay..."

"If you stay, maybe we can be together like we talked about."

"No. It will never be like we talked about because I am nothing anymore." Vicious. Striking like a wounded, cornered animal and Ty Lee figured she might as well drive the stake deep into her friend and hope she survived the injury.

"You can leave. But don't expect me to be waiting for you if you decide to come back." That ended it. That made Azula choose what she never thought she would decide.

She stepped forward and touched her lips to Ty Lee's. They grazed across the surface for a moment before pressing fiercely. Ty Lee touched her waist and the slid her hand behind the princess's back, holding her in place.

"Don't leave me," Ty Lee said and Azula closed her eyes, leaning onto her shoulder. The armor was gone, if only for a little while.

"I won't. Not again."