Ty Lee entered Azula's mind the same way she always did, like a splash of frigid water across the warlord's psyche-a long-forgotten pain made her burn inside. For retribution, for obedience, for anything. Forgotten and buried memories flooded through her, and then disappeared before the brilliant light of the vision playing out before her.

Azula and Ty Lee lay side by side in her bed, as they used to before Azula defeated the Avatar, her own brother, and then her father. But now they were more than just friends. Secret fantasies the firebender had long-since kept to herself played out as Ty Lee leaned over, closing the distance between them, their lips meeting slowly.

Azula moaned. It was like everything she'd ever dreamed, such a sweet, gentle kiss. She was desperate for more, Ty Lee's lips were soft and moist, her big brown eyes so full of life. Ty Lee had always been the only person who could shine like the sun, despite Azula's cold hatred. However, reality gripped her, inevitably, nudging at the back of her mind like a nibbling insect.

Azula knew the truth and could never accept a lie, not even one so appealing. Long ago, Ty Lee had left her.

Azula whispered with sudden startled clarity, staring into the deep brown eyes of an impossibility, "You're not real." Her voice came out unsure at first, but when Ty Lee just smiled and said, "What do you mean, Azula? ~" in a soft, teasing voice, something inside Azula snapped. The firebender pinned Ty Lee down in a fit of sudden rage, her eyes flashing like lightning. Ty Lee's wrists were so frail beneath her hot fingers.

"You're not real! You can't be! You abandoned me years ago... just like all the other weaklings!"

Despite being forced down, Ty Lee didn't struggle. She just accepted the harsh treatment and said, "I'd never leave you, Azula..." In that damnable, sweet voice of hers.

"That's right. That's what you should've said," Azula hissed in agony, "but you turned your back on me. You…" Azula's teeth gnashed together. Her heart ached. This was pointless. She was talking to something false, talking to herself. Ty Lee wasn't listening, just like Ty Lee had never kissed her.

Hate-filled, Azula raised her hands and lunged towards the false apparition, grabbing it tightly around the throat. Ty Lee's eyes widened as she watched the fingers wrap around her neck.

"A-Azula, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice quivering slightly. But despite what was happening to her, she began to smile as she stared up into Azula's eyes "Well, hurry up and hurt me some more… it's what you're good at." Her voice was tinged with pure admiration, the same admiration she'd always had for her princess.

Horrified, eyes soaked with sudden, angry, tortured tears, Azula burned the monstrous vision alive.

Fire Lord Azula's eyes shot wide, and she gasped, as if breathing her first. Her hands searched everything about herself, found ample, soft purchase in the body of another - specifically the curves of the pretty little slave girl lying beside her. Her heart eased its pace in her chest, and she exhaled heavily, sitting up. She was still in the crimson-draped bedroom she'd claimed after she'd executed her father and took control of the Fire Nation for herself. Her bed-slave, detecting that her lord was awake, draped herself across Azula, raising her mouth for a needy kiss.

The Fire Lord scowled, shoved the woman's face aside, and cast her legs over the side of the bed. She'd dreamt of that woman again. That treacherous bitch. The slave gave a whimper, but laid back down, waiting to be called upon again. Azula clenched her fists until her knuckles were pale and strode to the balcony of her chambers. Opening the door in a swift motion, the half-naked Fire Lord stepped out into the cool night. It did little to soothe her spiked temper, but it was better than laying in bed with her tumultuous thoughts. Trying to touch her bed slave would only make her ache for the body that had long since been denied her.

Ty Lee…

Azula leaned her head back and stared at the stars, conjuring up an image of the girl. She felt a tell-tale throb down below. Picturing Ty Lee's big, hopeful eyes, she undid the drawstring of her pants, carelessly pulling her cock free. The tall, pale firebender began to stroke herself, very lightly, her head tilted back. Ty Lee had never touched this part of her, but she could have. She'd never believed she was capable of wanting anything but more power, but then Ty Lee had turned away from her. More than that, the girl disabled her ability to fight with her chi-blocking. Each blow had taken away that which Azula held most sacred, her power. Something precious was destroyed, a feeling she didn't even know existed. When she made it to the top, Ty Lee was supposed to be there. It had never been a question. She had no interest in men, less so in the boring women that surrounded her. The one who her body burned for was…and yet. Just like Azula's mother, she left.

'That foolish, treacherous, worthless piece of -' Azula's hate-filled thoughts turned into a red, warm haze as the pleasure of her ministrations made her head swim.

"I would've uplifted you - given you everything…" Azula yelled at no one, at nothing. The night's freezing wind battered her long, dark hair, the only response. Amber eyes cast toward the stars, Azula let loose a heavy plume of smoke, the excitement in her body reaching an all-time high as she allowed herself to think about something she usually marked as forbidden. Flashes of Ty Lee's body and voice flickered in her mind, memories, and impossibilities…

"Ty Lee, T-Ty Lee!" Panting, snarling, Azula finally came, soaking her hand. The entire world faded away. Azula breathed heavily, long ropes of her wild hair hiding her wild eyes. She flooded her fingers, so much cum pent-up as always. Humiliated, she walked back into her room, wiping the moisture off on a nearby towel. Azula's weak orgasm had made her mood even worse. Ignoring the girl on her bed entirely, she grabbed a silken robe and stepped out of the room. She knew what would make her feel better - that miserable hole she called a wife.

Making Mai into a toy was the only activity capable of making her mother, Ty Lee, all those traitors - leave her head.

"Ty Lee... It's okay. Don't panic. You can do this."

The sound of waves crashing against the dock was a vague afterthought, almost drowned out by the chatter of dock workers and seabirds that filled the air with much fiercer measure. Ty Lee stood staring out at the sea in the middle of the port of a distant, Earth-kingdom village, Tai Shu. It had managed to remain mostly unscathed by the Fire Nation so far, one of the few places that could boast such a feat. Ty Lee, dressed in plain clothes much darker than her standard pinks, turned to look at the speaker. Her eyes, the color of mahogany, glittered with youthful vitality, yet true fear was visible in their depths. Ty Lee bit her bottom lip, twirled her braid around her finger, and seemed to fold and withdraw into herself, shoulders slouching inward.

"It's not about whether I can, Katara. You know that. It's about even having to." Her voice trembled, betraying just how frightened she was at the future that loomed before her like a great preying animal. But even the empathetic, gentle waterbender across from her couldn't understand the depth of what she felt. "So much could go wrong. What if... what if she doesn't believe the act? What if she-"

"Ty Lee, there is only one person Azula ever showed weakness around. You said that yourself." Katara grasped Ty's hands, squeezing them softly. The gentle touch filled the martial artist with a vague sense of comfort, and she exhaled slowly, steadying her rapid-pacing heart. Once bitter enemies, they had survived as fugitives together, and time had made Ty Lee much closer with Katara and her few remaining allies.

Katara had been the first that could stomach talking with and trusting Ty Lee, despite her former position as Azula's favorite comrade. Many thought she was possibly treacherous when she first joined up, some still did, but not Katara. Somewhat of a spiritual mentor, Katara was the one who realized the task of toppling the Fire Nation could only be trusted to Ty Lee; the search warrant for Ty Lee had been made public knowledge across the Fire and Earth nations, with many people eagerly anticipating her capture. After years of evasion, Ty Lee would allow herself to be caught.

That was the big plan, their only plan left; so many other attempts had failed over the years. Once captured, the true test would begin. Ty Lee would have no one but herself in the Fire Nation, and maybe one other person... but she didn't dare hope. Eventually, her allies would make it to her, but she truly didn't expect to survive this ordeal.

Katara stroked her cheeks like a worried big sister, her expression full of warm fondness. "If you return to her, she will suspect you. But her arrogance will allow you to slip right back into her heart. That is the type of evil monster she is. Don't worry, I believe good always has to prevail…"

The soft-faced Fire nation woman, who had long forgotten the innocence of her girlhood, smiled sadly at those words. "...That's right... The Princess... The Fire Lord loves me," Ty Lee said softly, "or she did."

The guilt hit, hard and fast, just like usual. It was so overwhelming that Ty Lee could feel the coldness of her own thoughts seeping into her bones. Every day, she - for at least a few moments- became trapped in the past, replaying the moment when she withdrew from Azula's side. It was a moment that she couldn't erase from her mind, a moment that would always haunt her no matter what she did. Before that, she'd always thought that Azula was invincible, both physically and emotionally. She had always admired Azula and even worshipped her at times, but now everything was different. She'd realized that even Azula had her weaknesses and fears, and Ty Lee was one of them. This realization had completely transformed her life. The guilt she felt was not just about what she had done, but also about what she had failed to do.

She had failed to protect Azula from her own demons.

"She's not capable of real love," Katara interrupted in a short, cool tone. "We've talked about that, Ty Lee." The waterbender's eyebrows furrowed, and doubt filled her expression. "Ty, she killed Zuko in cold blood. And… with his corpse still warm, she made a public spectacle out of her brother's lover. She even killed her only ally, her father, all for power… "

Ty Lee gasped as she remembered the treatment of her former best friend, who, unlike her, hadn't escaped Azula's grasp. If the rumors about the Fire Nation were true, Azula had put Mai on public display like a trophy. She had played with her body, tortured her with shame, excitement, and pain, until the girl gave in, and then married her. That was right… Azula had married Mai. Azula wasn't even thinking about Ty Lee. She didn't love Ty, she just loved having an obedient slave. The firebending dictator was incapable of anything outside of herself. She was a murderer, a dictator, a monster…

Ty Lee stared down at her hands, and she slowly smiled. "Don't worry, Katara. I'm ready… I promise. I'll be able to do what I need to. I'll…" She stared more steadily at the waterbender, her voice becoming cold. She had to save Mai from what she'd been subjected to, had to serve her nation, it was that simple. "I'll kill Fire Lord Azula, with these hands…"

Katara nodded. "That's right, Ty Ty. It's for the best. Remember Aang. Remember Zuko, everyone. Remember what she did, what she deserves… we at least have to try."

Ty Lee exhaled heavily. Truly, the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Ty Lee's slender fingers, which had once brought joy and pleasure, working out the stress and ailments from her leader, now had a darker purpose. These were the hands that would steal life from her sweet princess. This was not a duty she could put aside. Ty Lee had a purpose… and she would serve it. Even if it tore her apart on the inside.

When the ship came, she was ready for it. Only Katara said goodbye, the others standing off, talking quietly amongst themselves. Theirs was an alliance of necessity, not friendship. Even so, Ty Lee waved from the ship as she was taken away from one of the only safe places left in the world, and headed straight toward the heart of the Fire Nation…