Chapter two:
Isn't anyone willing to help?
Ty Lee sped back to the palace just incase anyone got too suspicious. Ty Lee wasn't a bad girl, she had her flaws with time yes, but certainly wasn't one to get sentenced to death by the fire lord.
Ty Lee found Ursa, Katara, and Aang enjoying a cup of Iroh's finest tea. "Ty Lee, it looks like you just ran a marathon. Where did you come from anyway?" Ursa asked, giving Ty Lee a warm smile before sipping some tea. "Yeah, but um…before I tell you all…promise not to get angry with me?" "Why would we Ty Lee?" Katara asked, looking at her friend as if she was crazy. "Of course not dear, just tell us and we'll try to help you." Ursa said, handing Ty Lee a cup of steaming jasmine tea.
"Okay, so I did go out to town but then I made a side quest to the prison tower to see…Azula." Ty Lee said, hesitating on Azula's name. So far none of them blew up at this news. "You…why? Why did you see Azula?" Katara asked, saying Ursa's daughter in disgust. Ursa scowled at Katara slightly but let it slip. "Ty Lee, why did you see Azula?" Aang asked, looking concerned. "How is Azula? Is she still hallucinating?" Ursa asked, worrying about her daughter more than ever. "She's not hallucinating anymore. She didn't think I was an image and she certainly isn't paranoid anymore…she's just…confused." Ty Lee said, explaining things with a sense of uncertainty.
"She's broken on the inside because of Ozai and she needs as much help restoring her emotional health more than her mental. She was never crazy, it was all emotional turmoil induced." Ty Lee continued, shifting her gaze from Katara to Ursa to Aang. "So, will you help?" Ty Lee said, clasping her hands together. "I will help Azula as much as I can; it's my job as the Avatar to make sure everyone's okay." "As much as I don't like her, I'll help too." Katara said, crossing her arms stubbornly.
Ty Lee looked at Ursa. "I…I need to become a better mother to my children…especially Azula. I neglected her as a child and I need to do everything to make things up to her." Ursa said, smiling slightly. Ty Lee was suddenly elated by their offers. "Thank you, all of you."
The first following months revolved around Azula. Ursa was still unsure if Azula even wanted to see her again but Aang and Ty Lee reassured her. Katara was kept busy walking down to the prison tower each afternoon, trying to create some good relationship with Azula until she finally got over her resentment towards the waterbender. Weeks passed quickly and Ty Lee brought all three of her companions down with her during her daily visit. "Hey, 'Zula, we're here!" Ty Lee said, rushing over to her friends' containment. "Azula, you okay?" Ty Lee asked in concern as her friend said nothing. Ty Lee followed Azula's gaze and saw that it connected with Ursa. "Hey, 'Zula…let's not go and do anything we would regret all right?" Ty Lee said, taking note of her voice unsure and wavering. "I know, I'm not stupid Ty. I'm just shocked right now." Azula said, her tone fierce and calmed at once.
Ursa stood still, not daring to move. She couldn't face her daughter now. With a quick turn, Ursa dashed out of the room and into the winding corridor. "Ursa, wait!" Katara yelled, beginning to follow her until Aang stopped her. "Let her be. This was a tough thing to do and clearly she wasn't ready." Katara nodded and looked down at Azula, a pained look on her face.
Her mother didn't have the courage to face her; she didn't even look at her…not once. Katara thought to herself, feeling sorry for the former princess. "She left…" was all Azula said before breaking down into tears. "She left me again! Why?" Azula asked to nobody in particular as tears kept flowing.
"Azula, nobody left you. Your mother was just unsure of herself…give her some time to reconcile with herself and you'll see." Aang said, kneeling down and placing a hand on Azula's shoulder through the cold bars. Katara, as hesitant as she would usually be, bent over to comfort Azula as much as she could, using her waterbending to soothe the girls emotional pain.
Ty Lee embraced the broken princess, reassuring her that Ursa would come back. "Here, I know, for a start, we could let you out. You're good in the mental department, healthy enough to be staying in the palace again." Aang said, smiling a bit as he looked at Azula with his dark grey-brown eyes. "Thank you…but what about Zuko?" Azula asked, her face fell to disappointment again. "Zuko doesn't have to know right now. You can keep in your room and I'll visit you by traveling through the secret passage that leads from the kitchen to your room." Ty Lee said, smiling her trademark grin as she pulled back from Azula. Azula nodded and her mouth curved into a faint smile.
Ursa stood in her room, the door shut and locked behind her back. What did I just do? I abandoned her again! Why…how could I be so stupid? Ursa thought to herself as she though of Azula, her tormented daughter. She had a worse childhood than Zuko, no matter how much Zuko complains. Heck, he was gone half of her life so he shouldn't be complaining. Ursa brushed a slim hand over her forehead and ran it into her hair. Soft dark brown almost black tresses, just like Azula's Ursa thought, remembering times when she had brushed Azula's hair when she was just a child, no older than 6. A knock on the door brought Ursa back to reality.
Steadily she opened it to come face to face with Zuko. "My son…my Lord, what are you here for?" she asked, pulling her oldest into her arms. "I know that you've seen Azula, and I want you to stop. She needs to learn to suffer…like me." Zuko said sternly as he glared at his mother. Ursa was taken aback. "She needs to suffer? Oh, like staying with that horrible man I called a husband wasn't traumatizing enough! Do you know what he did to her?" Ursa asked, scolding Zuko who remained emotionless. "She deserves to be isolated. It's her punishment and that's final!" Zuko shouted angrily, his anger flaring as he turned and walked off, heat radiating off of his body. "That boy is more like Ozai now than ever." Ursa said to herself as she shook her head sadly.