Four months. Four months since Azula's last nightmare. More importantly, four months since Ty Lee had started visiting her. Every week, for one day, the upbeat young woman would bring joy and warmth to the princess' cold, dark cell, and it had helped the broken girl to climb out of the pit her mind had tossed her into. Though she couldn't see outside, Azula could feel that it was a beautiful day. Despite lying on a bed of straw, she couldn't remember the last time she had woken up feeling so well rested. She had begun keeping good track of the days, and knew today was another session with her doctor. She was looking forward to it.
Ever since the first visit with Ty Lee, Azula had started making incredible progress. She no longer felt afraid, forcing herself to kep her emotions locked away, and guilt was no longer corroding her soul. A large weight had been lifted, and it even shone in the princess' eyes, once again flashing vibrantly with the burning golden sharpness they had held before. On some days, usually the one's when Ty Lee visited, she could feel the familiar tingle of energy that told her she could still bend, but in the dark confines of her cell she didn't want to risk testing the theory. Straw had a way of burning very, very quickly after all.
She was feeling more like herself now than she ever had in the entire past year. Almost. Something was missing. Missing, but not missed. She wasn't angry anymore. She hadn't found any use in being angry for the last year, and she didn't like what it had done to her. For the first time since she was a child, Azula wasn't angry at anybody, or anything. Not even herself anymore it seemed. It felt good letting the anger go, leaving space for more positive emotions. She still felt the inner flame, but now it was fueled by new, exciting emotions, many she didn't understand but she embraced them nonetheless. For the first time in her entire life, she looked forward to seeing the new morning sun rise, feeling the warm embrace of a summer breeze, reveling in the sweet aroma of a field of fire lilies during spring. Azula was finally starting to feel happy. Now she wanted to see what it was like when taken all the way. She wanted true happiness, and nothing would stand in her way from it.
The growing clatter outside of her cell signaled the approach of the good doctor. Azula sat, silent and still, as the door was opened and Dr. Tamoran stepped inside. At this point leaving the door open had become standard procedure, and it even surprised the princess this time to watch as the guards returned down the corridor. She wasn't even considered a threat anymore. It was a soothing feeling to know that nobody was afraid of being hurt by her, albeit an unfamiliar one. For so long pain and fear were the only tools she had used to control the people around her. Everything was changing, Azula wasn't even certain what was real and what wasn't anymore, what was up and what was down. She was completely lost in the torrent of change that surrounded her, but the one thing she knew, was that wherever and whoever she was, she was starting to enjoy it.
"Good afternoon, Azula." The doctor greeted her merrily, the glint of ever present kindness especially bright in her eyes today.
"Hello Dr. Tamoran." Azula responded, her voice now fully restored with all of it's silken beauty. A smile crossed her face as she asked, "It's a beautiful day out, isn't it?" Her doctor was taken a bit by surprise at first, but remembering how strong of a Firebender her patient truly was she decided it shouldn't be that difficult for her to feel the sun outside.
"It is quite pleasant out, I assure you." Dr. Tamoran answered jovially. The doctor took her usual seat a few feet in front of the door. Azula noticed her clipboard was completely absent. Her doctor hadn't made very much use of it since her nightmares had stopped, but to leave it altogether? Something was off about her, but the princess decided she couldn't quite figure out what. With the clipboard seeing less and less use, they had spent many of the last few sessions simply talking about things that Azula wasn't sure even mattered. Only one thing really seemed to matter now, and as far as she was concerned, everything else could float away forever and she would never miss them, so long as she had that one thing. "I can see we're feeling particularly good today. Any specific reason?"
"I guess I'm just letting the sun shine in." Azula replied softly, a smile crossing her lips. It almost seemed as if she was fighting off the urge to laugh, something Dr. Tamoran was certain she had never seen the girl do before.
"I think it's been far too long since you've seen the sunshine, don't you?" The doctor's words were confusing, turning the princess' smile as she didn't know quite how to respond. "I believe we should take a walk outside." Dr. Tamoran said briskly, standing up and dusting herself off. Azula only blinked in confusion though. Outside?She hadn't been allowed outside of this cell for the last year, now she was being asked to just walk out of this prison? Her doctor offered a hand up, as if to say 'are you coming'? She refused the hand, instead slowly getting up on her own. The joints in her knees cracked, but otherwise she didn't have much trouble. She had been making a habit of walking about her cell as much as she could, but she hadn't expected she would be needing the practice so soon.
"You'll have to lead the way out, Dr. Tamoran. I have no idea where I'm going." Azula couldn't help but laugh lightly at herself. She realized just how hopeless any chance of escape was. The entire prison may as well have been a brick and iron labyrinth to her. Her doctor turned, and as she walked out into the corridor beyond Azula's cell she turned to watch the princess, walking step by step at a nearly crawling pace, making her way for the first time in a year outside of that horrible prison cell. The torchlight was blinding and relentless out in the hallway. Azula cringed as she looked down the walls outside of her cell and found them covered every 10 feet with another torch, each burning just as vibrantly and steady as the last. She turned to look into her cell, and seeing it from the outside made it look so much smaller, so insignificant. Inside that tiny, lightless room had been the entire world to her for the last year. At times it even felt as if there was nothing else. Now as she looked into her cell from the vast, illuminated expanse of the hallway it seemed so pathetic to her, like a tiny, neglected storage room that nobody saw fit to store anything that wasn't broken into.
Azula sighed loudly, remembering that they were only going outside for a couple hours, and then once more this small, dark room would be waiting for her. She decided it was best not to waste any time, and so turned to follow Dr. Tamoran down the corridor. This particular end of the prison seemed very seldom used, and even less maintained. Cobwebs hung thick in almost every corner of every wall. The layer of dust covering the floor was like the thin layer left after the season's first snowfall, only instead of light, clean, fluffy snow it was bitter, air clogging particles of dirt. After a while they were clear of the musty old corridor, and standing at the bottom of a spiraling stone staircase. Azula found it impossible to judge how far up the stairs went. She'd just have to start climbing and find out.
The stairs went on for what felt like eternity. Constantly stepping up, only to find the same wall you've been passing by yet again. Always it turned up and to the left, yet never was there anything behind the turn, just another step. The wall began turning faintly lighter as they went, and soon without warning there was an opening in the wall, flooding with light from the room beyond. They stepped into a large room that must have held over 200 torches all around it's walls. The walls themselves went up fairly high, only to stop at the dark stone ceiling that hung high overhead. Adorning the center of every wall was a large, imposing tapestry of black with gold trim and a red Fire Nation flame insignia.
A pair of guards stood at the front entrance to the room whilst an officer sat behind a desk at the opposite wall. The stairwell the pair had ascended placed them directly to the officer's right. Azula studied all the doors in this room, and seeing the signs realized they all must have gone to different levels of the prison. She gave a look back to see what sign had been used to distinguish her. Solitary. The word stood eerily alone above the ominous archway that lead back to the dizzying stairwell and her dark cell. She decided that had been the best word to describe herself for the longest time now, but Azula was ready for that to change.
"I trust all of the paperwork has been taken care of like I asked?" Dr. Tamoran asked pointedly as they approached the man sitting behind the desk. He looked up at the two and forced an awkward smile, clearly not too excited about what was happening.
"Of course, ma'am, just signing the last one now." He gathered the papers together and neatly handed them to the good doctor. She looked them over briefly before sliding them into her handbag.
"Thank you, captain. We'll be on our way now." She gave Azula a quick nod and the two of them headed in the direction of the pair of guards by the large door at the front of the room. The guards looked to the captain for confirmation, and after he gave them the signal to proceed, they went about opening the large wooden door for Azula and her doctor to step through. If the last room had been large, then this next one was surely a cavern to them. The entrance of the building was more alike to the entrance of a castle or mansion than that of any prison.
Azula gaped in astonishment at all of the color and warmth, the plants placed about, hanging from the ceiling in certain places. There were easily 500 torches lighting this room, illuminating it so thoroughly that scarcely a mouse could find shadows to scurry about in. The magnificent crimson carpet embroidered with gold ran the entire length of the room, from the main entrance to the door they had just passed through, and all about the chamber similar flags and tapestries hung, depicting the grand flame of the Fire Nation somewhat like those in the previous room, only these had been done with skillfully laced golden lines and rich, exotic fabrics. It was all very brilliant and beautiful, but it was also a terrible lie. Anybody walking through this room for the first time certainly wouldn't believe that this same building also held dark, torturous prison cells hundreds of feet below the surface.
"Azula," They stopped as they approached the door at the end of the carpet. "I think you may wish to shield your eyes. You were right after all, it is a beautiful day outside." The young woman gave her doctor a smile in response, and stood ready to take on whatever was waiting for her out there. Dr. Tamoran reached out for the intricate, iron handle, and with a hard tug pulled the door swinging open. A blinding white flash burned the princess' eyes as sunlight painted half of her body in it's warm and dazzling brilliance. Her eye's adjusted eventually, and as they did she opened them wide, her face becoming frozen in astonishment. The view was breathtaking out here. She wasn't even sure where 'here' was, but what she did know is that it was isolated and cut off from most of the world. Nobody lived around here, no buildings clogged the skyline, no houses interrupted the view. It was a pure, untamed wilderness, and the prison was built on the perfect hill to see all of it. It was a beautiful day outside.
The vibrant emerald green of the leaves and grass alike washed over everything in view, radiating warmth under that bright summer sun. Small, sharply colored birds darted about the trees, and the water all around them sparkled with a coruscating depth, as if covered in a thin blanket of diamonds. The songs of the birds serenaded everything around her with a sweet melody, and somewhere off to her side, as near as it was far, she could hear the buzzing of some humble insect casually and happily going about it's day's work. Azula didn't even realize she was still standing in the doorway. She couldn't even feel the prison behind her anymore. Her eyes, wide and shimmering, were affixed to the world in front of her and all of it's wondrous colors and life. The princess' lower lip trembled from the rush and her eyes swelled with small, glistening liquid diamonds as she stared open mouthed all about her.
"Going out my dear.?.." Azula heard something, and although she wasn't sure what it was, she had the certain feeling it wanted her to move forward. She reluctantly obliged, cautiously moving her foot from the cold, hard stone she stood on, towards the soft, warm grass before her. Stepping onto the grass she unconsciously let slip a soft moan of delight from deep within while her eyes closed shut with bliss as she felt her foot sink ever so slightly into the soft, plush earth. Her other foot anxiously followed, not wanting to miss the incredibly comforting sensation that the grass afforded her. Maybe 3, maybe 7 more steps (She really didn't know, as it was all the same to her), and Azula found herself completely engulfed in sunshine, fresh air, and the warm radiance of summer's graceful embrace. She thought she felt a tear fall, but it may just as well have been a solitary drop of dew, clinging to the leaf of a tree for dear life, until it found another solitary soul, and finally decided to let go and fall free. Azula knew she would never have the words to describe what she saw and how she felt, but she would always remember the feeling.
Dr. Tamoran walked slowly towards the princess, not wanting to startle her in any way. She placed a hand softly on Azula's shoulder, and Azula reached up to touch it. The girl was desperate for something, anything, that could confirm this as being real to her. She closed her eyes, inhaled deeply of the sweet, fresh air. It has to be real.She told herself, certain that if this was a dream it would crush her utterly, breaking her beyond any hope of repair. Slowly the princess exhaled while her eyes opened ever so slightly. It was still bright. She looked down at her feet, brushing them gently through the emerald grass. It was still soft. Everything was still here, and at this Azula couldn't possibly contain her excitement anymore. To forget the beauty of the world, is a crime the mind should never have to commit. She turned to face her doctor, who stood there beaming with joy as a slight look of gratification crossed her face, as if to say 'I knew it would work.'
"It's a beautiful day out, isn't it Dr. Tamoran?" Azula asked, her silken voice flowing softly on the open air for the first time in an entire year. Her face was so incredibly relaxed, her features all softened with a kindness that most would never have recognized on the princess.
"Quite pleasant out, I assure you." Was her equally as gentle reply, returning her patient's grateful smile. "Azula, I'd like to speak with you about our session, if I may?" Azula's look slowly faded from overjoyed to bitterly disappointed as she remembered how limited this entire experience would be.
"Yes, I suppose you're right doctor." She replied regretfully, the pain of the last year along with the fear of returning to the darkness sinking into her words.
"I'm quite pleased with the progress you've made, Azula. When I first came to you, I saw a broken, distraught, and ultimately defeated little girl who was quite frankly mad. You had allowed your anger and hatred to overwhelm and control you, molding you and ultimately forcing you to act like some sort of monster." She noted the way her patient cringed at that particular word, 'monster,' before continuing. "But you are not a monster, my sweet girl. You are a beautiful, talented, courageous young woman who has endured many hardships already in your short life, and I've had the pleasure to watch as you've healed wonderfully over the course of this past year." The doctor's words offered some uplifting promise, bringing her patient back from her gloom.
"I know that I'm feeling a lot better, and I know that I have you to thank for that, Dr. Tamoran. I can't say how far I've got to go though..." Azula trailed off, the uncertainty of how much longer she would have to remain trapped in that cell overshadowing the momentary feelings of joy and gratitude.
"Nobody can, Azula. The best anyone, including myself, can do is to hope for the best. I believe there can be no full recovery in that prison cell, and that you have come as far as that oppressive place will ever allow. It is hereby my recommendation that you be released." She paused to see the tears swelling in Azula's eyes as disbelief immediately flooded her expression. "Immediately." Dr. Tamoran concluded, giving the young woman a proud look of satisfaction, knowing she had done everything she could to help her patient.
"Free..." Azula whispered to herself, unsure of what the word even meant. A whistle from somewhere overhead grabbed her attention. A small, blue bird with a red belly had landed on a branch some 20 feet above her and begun to sing. It entranced the princess in such a way that all the earth around her could have shattered and she would never have even noticed. The sweet melody was so hypnotic, so soothing... and yet it seemed so sad. This bird was so free, so vibrant, so full of life, and yet it's song sounded so tragic, so full of sorrow it nearly made the Firebender's heart burst. Azula didn't know that bird's story, what tragedy had befallen it, but she did understand it's pain. The small bird finished on a long, drawn out and tragic note, then cocked it's head to look down at the one who had listened to it for a brief moment before flying off briskly to a future unknown. She watched as it disappeared into the trees some 60 yards away. Whether she realized it or not, Azula would never forget that bird's song.
"So this is it then, I'm actually leaving this place." She said in awe, the weight of reality finally settling on her. As the princess spoke she never looked back to her doctor for confirmation, instead she only stared off into the open world around her.
"That's right, with these papers it is official my dear." Dr. Tamoran handed the small stack of papers she had received from the guard in Azula's direction. The princess walked forward and grabbed them gingerly, not entirely sure what they were but knowing they were important.
"So what now? Does anybody even know I'm leaving? What am I supposed to do swim-" Panic was suddenly taking her when the doctor cut her off.
"My dear, I'm sure if you just start walking you'll figure something out. It all starts with that first step." The good doctor proposed earnestly, offering some notion of guidance and hope.
"I guess I'll just start walking then." Azula replied confidently, giving her doctor a look of reverence and gratitude. "Thank you for everything Dr. Tamoran. I hope we'll see each other again."
"My dear it's been a pleasure watching you make such an astounding recovery. I'm certain we'll see each other again sometime in the future. You go on now, there's a whole new world waiting for you out there." The good doctor's promising words of praise reinvigorated the princess' confidence and spirit. Azula couldn't remember the last time she had felt this driven, focused, and determined. She was ready to face the world and take everything it threw at her. She gave her doctor a small farewell hug to show her gratitude, and then turning, she faced the bright new world in front of her, preparing herself for those first steps.
There was definitely nothing that could qualify as a road out here, or even a footpath for that matter. It didn't really matter though as the warm, soft grass made a much more accommodating walkway to her coarse, cold, dusty feet. As she started to walk she found it was slightly easier than she had anticipated. Her practice in the dark cell had now become apparently useful to her, as she was able to walk about in the outside world with relative ease. Azula stopped as she reached the edge of the summit of the large hill the prison was built upon. She turned back one last time and gave her doctor a wave farewell, and Dr. Tamoran responded with a happy nod. The princess then turned, inhaled deeply, and began making her way down the long slope as a silent 'Thank you' escaped her lips.
It wasn't until she came to the bottom of the hill that she realized she didn't even know where she was going. Azula found herself walking aimlessly, passing through the shadows of the trees that loomed thicker and thicker on each side. She didn't seem to care though. She was out walking through a peaceful world on a beautiful late summer day, breathing the sweet, fragrant air of the outside world. She was free. It didn't matter where she was going anymore than it mattered where she was. The light shining through the forest canopy gave everything around her a soothing emerald sheen. Brilliantly colored flowers blossomed in the small clearings amongst the trees. As Azula walked, admiring the flowers and their humble beauty, she noticed the forest clearing away to reveal a large, dazzling field beyond.
The princess stepped out of the trees and into a dream. Flowers of every imaginable color spread wildly and free around the emerald field, painting the entire landscape in an incredibly intricate, incomprehensibly beautiful mosaic for the heavens to adore. Thousands of brightly colored butterfly's and other harmless insects fluttered about the field lazily, completing their mindless tasks at a gentle pace. Sunlight danced in beams of radiance that bounced off of every flower petal, every single blade of grass, and even the trunks of the trees that framed the field, all with the gracious goal of bathing the entire field in it's warm, vibrant, dazzling light. Azula couldn't help but lose herself in this stunning new world, forgetting just about everything else that existed as she melted seamlessly into the landscape around her.
Azula looked around in wonder at everything, each sight more breathtaking than the last. Then she saw something brown pop out of the flowers in the distance. The princess blinked and it was gone again. After a moment she shrugged it off as a hallucination and continued making her way through the pathless field. There it was again, only now in a different spot. This time she was sure she saw it, and decided to make her way towards the strange brown creature in the flowers. It disappeared again, diving under the flowers just as it had before, and then after a short while it reappeared yet again, just a few feet away from where it had gone under. As the princess drew nearer, she noticed the round creature had a tail, a fairly long one as far as she could tell. It still didn't seem to notice Azula approaching it though, as it continued it's never ending diving and resurfacing among the flowers.
"Where did you go?" Azula froze in her tracks. It wasn't an animal, it was a person! One who's unmistakable voice almost caused the princess to cry when she heard it.
"Ty Lee, what are you doing?" Azula asked tiredly, seeing that her old friend hadn't changed a single bit and so still found it acceptable to play around with bugs in the grass. The small brown head stopped for just an instant, and then before the princess could even react Ty Lee had jumped up and spun around to face her.
"Azula!" The acrobat squealed as she raced forward to give her old friend a big hug. "They told me you were getting out today, I wanted to come get you. I guess I got a little... sidetracked?" Ty Lee blushed a little, slightly embarrassed that her childish ways were still so prevalent. The princess only laughed at her though, giving the acrobat a friendly smile before responding.
"Ty Lee, I wouldn't ever change a thing about you. I just hope you realize that." Azula said earnestly and lovingly, comforting her friend's insecurities. The acrobat didn't know what to say, so she decided just to give her friend another hug.
"Thanks Azula." She whispered in the princess' ear. It felt good to have somebody who just accepted you for everything you were. After a minute they ended their embrace, and for a second Azula was gazing longingly into her friend's big, soft blue eyes before she caught herself.
"So," The princess said quickly and nervously, "How are we planning to get back to civilization?" She asked prudently, clearly wishing to change the subject before the subject was brought up.
"Actually, I took a small airship to come get you. I figured it would be perfect for the two of us." Ty Lee responded gleefully, proud of herself for being so resourceful and independent. "I landed on the beach, just on the other side of these trees." She pointed to the side of the field opposite where Azula had entered.
"Well, we probably shouldn't waste any time. Lead the way, Ty Lee." Azula nudged her friend onwards, eager to leave this island behind her. Although the island itself was an incredibly beautiful place, that didn't change the fact that there was a terrible prison built underneath it, and Azula wanted to get as far away from it as fast as possible. Ty Lee felt a little sad that she couldn't enjoy the colorful field longer, but that feeling soon washed away as she realized she had gained something infinitely more valuable to her. She had her princess back, and this time she wouldn't let anything take her away. No matter what.
As they came to the edge of the field and stood in the shadow of the forest beyond, both girls gave a final farewell look back. Ty Lee sighed lightly, then turned to face the trees once more. As she did, she caught Azula's eye, and for the slightest moment she saw something she had never seen in the princess before. It was almost like there was some sort of longing, a hunger that clung desperately, fighting so hard to hold on but wanting with every ounce of it's being to let go. Ty Lee didn't know what to make of it, but she decided she'd respond anyways. In one swift, fluid motion she grabbed the princess' hand and held it softly in her own. Azula was caught completely off guard, unable to even move her hand before it was taken by the quick little acrobat. It was a pleasant surprise, and in any case Azula made no attempt to take her hand back, instead finding much more comfort in allowing herself to be lead forward by her friend's hand.
They made their way swiftly through the forest, hand in hand, following a path Azula couldn't discern herself. Ty Lee seemed quite certain of where they were going however, and the princess enjoyed the feeling of trusting somebody else to find the way. She had no idea how long they had been walking when suddenly the trees parted to reveal a golden, glimmering coast. The soft, coruscating, warm sand molded to fit her feet perfectly as she stepped onto the beach. Her eyes were entranced by the scintillating splendor of the ocean beyond. Gentle waves washed tirelessly over the sand, the soft wooshof the surf serenading the beach in it's soothing symphony.
"The airship is over there." Ty Lee pointed to the south, where a crimson zeppelin rested patiently on the peaceful beach. A large, black flame insignia displayed itself proudly on the side of the ship, clearly marking the airship as Fire Nation. It brought back quite a few memories for Azula, mostly bad ones. The countless expeditions she had undertaken in the name of conquest, the multiple searches she had executed in the search for the Avatar as well as her exiled brother and uncle. Even the final attack came back to her. They were supposed to have rained fire and destruction on the earth from their fleet of airships as Sozin's Comet blazed through the sky. Of course, those airships had been much, much larger and frightfully more menacing. These small ones were perfect for a few people to travel conveniently through the air, but they were laughably ineffective for any sort of massive air strike. Azula shrugged off the memories, determined not to let her past haunt her any longer.
"Looks like it's in great shape, but when did you learn to fly one?" The princess asked quizzically, remembering how terribly inept Ty Lee had been in the past when it came to such things. The acrobat had nearly crashed them into the side of a mountain on more than one occasion in the past, and at that memory the princess forced herself to stifle a laugh.
"I took some classes after my first visit with you four months ago. I thought it would be a nice surprise for you to be picked up with one." Ty Lee replied joyfully, proud of herself for her accomplishment.
"Well, it is a nice surprise, but the real surprise is that you managed not to crash into a mountain." Azula stated sarcastically. They both giggled lightly, although not entirely out of amusement from the princess' joke. Ty Lee was just happy to see that Azula could make a joke, regardless of what it was about. Azula was content just with having Ty Lee near, and hearing her laugh was simply a welcome bonus. Together the two walked laughing down the beach, still hand in hand as they headed towards the awaiting airship. They came at last to their ride, resting lazily in the sand. Slowly and reluctantly, they let each other's hands slip free so they could go about preparing the ship for take off. It may have been a while, but Azula still remembered the simple processes involved. A few knots was really all there was too it, aside from tossing some sandbags into the basket.
Ty Lee jumped nimbly into the basket after they were finished, then extended a hand to help Azula up. "Want to go for a ride?" She asked the princess sarcastically, a coy smile crossing her face. "I can show you the world." Azula blushed, then took her friend's hand, not necessarily because she needed the help up.
"Let's go see it." The princess replied eagerly. As long as she was with Ty Lee it didn't matter where they went or what there was to see.
"Care to do the honors?" Ty Lee pointed to the firing mechanism which would generate the hot air. Azula looked at it hesitantly, not entirely certain she was ready to resume firebending so soon. She sighed, knowing sooner or later she would have to do it, and raising her fist she inhaled deeply. That's when she realized she no longer had the anger to use as a catalyst. The ignition source she had relied upon her entire life was gone, and now the once revered prodigy couldn't even produce a small, simple flame. "What's the matter, Azula?" Her friend asked sympathetically. Ty Lee never imagined Azula would forget firebending, not in one year not in a hundred years.
"Nothing!" The princess snapped, clearly frustrated and disappointed with herself. "I just.. have to get used to it again, that's all."
"Well maybe I can help." Ty Lee leaned in closely, until she was right behind Azula. The princess felt a hand lightly pressing on her shoulder and her friend's warm breath tickled her neck. A strange, uneasy feeling grew in Azula's stomach and her heart began pounding hard, then all of the sudden a massive blast of blue flames exploded from her fist. Ty Lee squealed as she jumped back, completely taken by surprise. The princess jumped slightly herself, totally dumbfounded by what had just happened. After a moment she turned to look at her friend, and the epiphany struck as she did. Azula had found a new catalyst, a new, more powerful emotion to fuel her fire.
"Uh, Azula? Maybe you should do something about that?" Ty Lee proposed worriedly, pointing a shaky finger above the princess' head. Azula turned quickly to see flames spreading. She cursed to herself, trying to think quick and clearly but having way too much floating around her head for it to be possible. Instinct took over though, and she quickly and efficiently willed the flames to extinguish themselves. Small plumes of smoke rose from the balloon, but aside from a few charred spots the ship was fine.
"Well that was odd." Azula stated with a laugh, trying very hard to avoid her feelings. It was no easy task, especially with Ty Lee right there, but the princess managed to fight them away. For now anyways.
"Looks like someone's getting a little rusty." Ty Lee chuckled, poking fun at her friend's imperfection. Azula clearly didn't look entertained however, and in an attempt to escape the death glare she was beginning to receive Ty Lee hastily added, "Well at least you still got it! I mean, with a little practice you'll be just as good as before!" Her hopeful words met only with a continuing scowl, and so she slunk back and decided it best not to say anything else. It hadn't been her words that upset the princess though, instead it was Azula's own feelings that were doing that. Still got it...She thought to herself. It wasn't true though, and she knew it deep down that her bending would never be the same. Whatever she 'had' back then was gone now, and in it's place was something new, something different. Azula didn't understand it all quite yet, but there was one thing she was certain of as she looked up at the scorched balloon and remembered the blast she had just produced. The raw power was undeniable.
"Yeah, practice." The princess' hazy words trailed off along with her gaze, the jumble of confusing thoughts clouding her head. "That's what I need." She finished, returning her attention to her friend. Azula's words were far from convincing though.
"Why not work on getting us out of here for starters, and we'll see where it goes from there." Ty Lee's cheery demeanor returned as she encouraged her friend on. The princess breathed deep as determination flowed throughout her. She wasn't about to let one small failure defeat her, and with that in mind she concentrated the energy inside of her to ignite a small, steady burning flame in the palm of her hand. Breathing, she increased the intensity of the flame until it was burning a brilliant sapphire hue, then raised her hand to the opening in the balloon. As the hot air flowed up, the sagging, wrinkled sides of the zeppelin began stiffening and smoothing themselves out.
The airship jolted up out of the sand and slowly began lofting it's way to the clouds, while a soothing cool breeze sent them towards the endless expanse of shimmering blue water that lay before them. As they reached a decent altitude Azula gave the fire a rest, satisfied there was enough hot air now in the balloon to last a good while.
"Good job Azula. I guess there's some things you just never forget." Ty Lee said elatedly, giving her friend a sincere smile. The princess couldn't help but grin herself, partially because of how infectious Ty Lee's smile's were as well as from a sense of pride and accomplishment. Not only had she survived that terrible prison, but she had also regained both her sanity and, more importantly, her dearest friend in the entire world. Azula also still had her fire, that very thing which had defined her entire existence for as long as she could remember. That very thing which had caused her hunger for power, and ultimately her demise. She promised herself she would never let it control her again. This time, she told herself, I'll finally control it. That wasn't good enough she realized, wasn't good enough because the fire wasn't the problem. This time, I'll finally control myself.
"They didn't call me a prodigy for nothing." Azula gloated, giving her friend a wink. "So how far is home from here?"
"Well it took me about five days, but who knows, maybe you'll get a lucky wind." Ty Lee replied. "But what's the rush Azula, wouldn't it be nice to take it slow, see the sights, enjoy the free air? Open your eyes, and I think you'll find there's a lot of beauty out there." She offered lightheartedly.
"You're absolutely right Ty Lee." Azula stated ardently. She wasn't looking at the outside world though. "It certainly is beautiful." They both stepped to the bow of the airship, and together they gazed upon the world sprawling out before them. The cool ocean breeze caused some of the princess' long black hair to sway freely in her wake. With twin smiles of contentment, they peacefully floated west, chasing the setting sun.
Footsteps echoed down the dark corridor, reverberating off of the brick walls and heralding the passage of a tall, cloaked figure. The few sparsely placed torches were barely adequate lighting, their faint glow casting long, forlorn shadows down the empty chasm. The corridor gave way to a small, equally as dim chamber where upon a small throne sat another hooded man, his cloak nearly identical save one small medallion pinned to his chest. The insignia engraved on the medallion was that of a raven digging it's talons into the neck of a dragon. As the first man entered the chamber, he raised his right hand to show it was empty, then proceeded to approach the man sitting upon the throne.
"I bring news, Great Brother." He stated calm and quietly. The sitting man stirred, anxiously awaiting the information. "The princess is free." A greedy smile grew underneath the hood of the man on the throne.
"Then it is time. I'll have the word sent out to our brothers and sisters across the three nations. Proceed exactly as planned, I've waited a long time for this and I will not tolerate any failures." His deep, regal voice was stern and smooth as he gave his orders.
"Of course, Great Brother. I will see it done." The first man replied obediently, bowing his head slightly. "Is there anything else?"
"Actually, yes." The man shifted in his throne, and produced from within his cloak a rolled up parchment. "Be sure this gets to the acrobat." He said sinisterly as he handed the note over. The man bowed in acknowledgement as he accepted the paper, then turned and began briskly walking towards the exit, his feet falling silently on the bricks as he passed. As the man on the throne watched him disappear into the shadows of the corridor, he whispered to himself, "Have a safe trip home, princess. We wouldn't want anything unfortunate to happen." Malicious chuckling echoed down the brick halls and seeped into the crevices of the dungeon, an ominous sound which even the torchlight seemed to shy away from.
Author's Note: Alright, I decided to put off the full scale revision of these chapters in favor of simply putting them up for you guys right now. I know there's a bit of enthusiasm for this story on here, and it isn't fair of me to continue to keep it off of this site simply because I'm not personally pleased with the chapters' quality. One of these days, hopefully I'll have the spare time to go back and finish up these revisions, but for now I have enough to deal with just getting the new chapters up. On a positive note, that means 6 more chapters for you guys right now. Enjoy ^^