AN: TW: Brief rape talk

"Toph!"

Suki ran towards their friend, quickly hugging her and spinning her around. "Oh Kyoshi look at you! You have grown so much" She said amazed, looking upwards.

"Now I can officially put my arm on your head, shortie" Toph mocked trying to support herself on Suki. The latter rolled her eyes with a smirk on her face. "At least someone is happy to see me, contrary to grumpy man over here"

"You just surprised me, that's all" Zuko replied smiling warmly "We are so happy to see you again!"

"I am the blind one and I could even see you were staring at me with a dumb face" Toph replied punching him "What will we do today sparky?"

"Is she legally able to…"

"Yes, she can" Zuko replied to his advisor, then turned towards Toph "As you can see I am in the middle of a meeting, want to join?"

"What else can I do anyway" Toph said pulling up a chair from the ground, making Zuko cringe internally from the broken floor in the room. Suki pulled up to their side, standing in the middle and out of the shadows.

"We can resume the meeting" Zuko announced sitting down "What else has my councilwoman done in the city?"

"Here it reads, according to Onika: Less taxes from fire nation citizens in republic city, A new protected area where the fauna can live with a name to be decided, securing health insurance and payment to the families of those sent to protect the new waterbender prisoner in the north…"

"Hold on, why firebenders?" Zuko interrupted "We are weaker with the moon, there is almost no sun in the poles. Write her a letter on why she did not push harder for earthbenders to protect the prisoner"

"Sparky, that girl is dangerous. Water against fire, or multiple fires, is weaker than with rocks or metal" Toph said, butting in the conversation.

"You know her? Well of course, can you tell us more from what my citizens will face?" Zuko asked, making his advisors write down in the letter to Onika.

"She has no arms" Toph gestured moving hers "She was born without them, she is a lil girl, full of energy and wits as I was. Having no arms has made her attack a lot of no benders with tentacles according to the report from my police department"

"Tentacles?" One of the sages said amazed

"Yes, the more water there is, the more she can expand them. She is not even twelve, can you imagine how much power she could gain? Better be safe." Zuko gestured the writer to send off the letter.

"Proceeding then with his reunion, what else are we going to discuss today?" The firelord asked "Any kind of events where I have to travel?"

"Your wedding was canceled by miss Mai, so other than that, we only have to see what we will do to all of the food already ordered to be delivered"

"Send it to the less fortunate colonies" He demanded, hiding from Toph's shocked gaze "No comments on why, just send it"

"You do have another event to schedule grumpy" Toph said pulling out from her uniform the wedding invitations. Suki barely read them as Zuko reached from them at the table, seeing her firelord smile was making her excited to see what was the place they would both be going to.

"Alright, at least we'll have time to hunt for a gift" Zuko said smiling "Thanks for coming all the way from the city to deliver them"

"I came here to mess you up, do not get it twisted" Toph mocked standing up and pulling Suki with her. "I'm out and taking your guard with me"

Suki let herself be pulled by Toph with a smile, knowing it was useless to go against her.

"OK…."Zuko said annoyed "Sir, can you schedule my departure from the city in four weeks? We will go to Republic City to attend the Avatar's wedding"

Suki heartbeat froze for a second at hearing the avatar's wedding.

"It means…" Suki thought about it, not wanting to see a particular couple.

"We were due to have a reunion, on god" Toph said closing the door and moving her towards the training grounds.

The odd silence between Ty Lee and Zuko contrasted the day he boarded towards the Earth Kingdom, were stories and laughter was heard from all the corners in the castle. Ty Lee kept her guard on him as Suki was with Toph, the new guest on the palace.

She hated herself from recognizing the path they were taking, maybe because she has used it many times before in secrecy, perhaps that was the reason they were so quiet and tense. It was not because she told off Zuko, right?

Ty Lee looked around before pushing a pillar, pulling a lever that opened a small door. Zuko waited for her, not looking at she made her way towards him.

"So…Mai told me" Ty Lee said looking for anything to make him talk. Zuko gave no answer, waiting for the stairs to be revealed. Ty played with her toes, abnormaly shy. "How do you feel?"

"So she did not tell all of the story" Zuko thought sighing, it hurt to him the need to lie about his new relationship, but Suki was right in keeping it a secret.

"I know I said some horrible stuff…trying to defend my friends. And I know it is not entirely your fault…" Ty lee rambled as he walked to the new set of stairs while she closed again the door.

"Ty Lee it is alright" It was not, but he wanted the talk to end

"It is not, I have not even apologize properly" She replied clinging to his arm as to not fall. "But I am sorry…"

"It's okay, I am no mad at you" Zuko said as they walked the eternal set of stairs. "Let it go"

Ty Lee looked at him sadly, looking at his aura. She remained quiet as they reached to the door. He knocked on it with a certain beat, she unconsciously gripped his arm. He understood why, clearly, he felt the same way.

The door opened and a bunch of rooms could be seen, the guard was always hidden, courtesy of the remaining Dai Lee. They walked to the end of the hall, a bit slower than usual.

Hearing the click open from the lock, they opened it, scanning the state of the room.

"Well hello? It is rude to enter without knocking at first, no matter if there is no lock on the door" The calm voice said, gaining attention from the firelord and his guard.

"Zula…?" Ty asked unclasping from Zuko's arm. "How are you?" She said walking towards the corner of the room where Azula played with a knife. She halted for a second as the gold in her eyes shone, almost reflecting the sharpness of the weapon she held on her hands.

"I am sorry" She apologized, hiding the knife "I know it still scares you. Look at you brother, am I here to finally have a formal invitation?" Azula said standing up, letting Ty Lee hug her.

"There will be no wedding" Zuko announced, making Azula concerned. "Mai dumped me"

"So she finally gain her senses?" Azula joked as Ty Lee glared "I am sorry, old habits. How are you feeling?"

"I tried asking him but he gave me no answer" Ty said, afterwards she whispered to Azula as the princess looked at him judgingly. Zuko let them chat, as the news of her not being medically apt to leave the cell would make her angry again.

"So…what is her name?" Azula asked getting close to Zuko, suspecting. Zuko narrowed his eyes, his guard on "Mai would not dump you 'just cause'…"

"What?" Zuko asked untensing

"Is that peas…girl from the water tribe? The one with brown skin and blue eyes?" Azula interrogated him with a smirk. Zuko blushed and denied with his head the accusation.

"She is the bride of the Avatar, Katara" Zuko said sitting down on the bed, a new comfy one sent to her.

"Oh, I thought you liked her. I mean, why else would you have sent her to our Agni Kai? That she won, technically" She smirked, making Zuko and Ty Lee laugh "All hail the first woman firelord"

"I did use to like her, but it was a small crush, nothing else" Zuko admitted as Ty Lee's mouth dropped "Unfortunately, we are not here to discuss my love life, Azula"

Azula rose an eyebrow, sitting straight to hear the news. Zuko felt strange talking so calm with his sister, seemingly, with no cruel intentions. She was the collected, calm, funny Azula, but without that pain that drove her almost to her own doom.

"I know, that is why I changed the topic" She said smiling, looking down briefly. "I thought you visited me for other motive"

Zuko looked at Ty Lee confused, the girl offering him the same look.

"What do you mean you know?" Zuko asked "How?"

"I hear the guards the other day. Thank you for trying to take me out of this new…room." She said looking around at the cell, who was comfier than the other ones and deeply cleaned to help Azula feel comfortable.

"I feel useless…" Zuko admitted "I am the firelord, I should be able to take you out of this cell…"

Azula sighed, throwing back her head in defeat.

"Don't feel like that. You are better than before…Ugh, I still feel sick admitting" She said sticking out her tongue, making Zuko laugh. "That is why you don't demand anything. It is alright, one day I might be able to get out"

"We are pushing everything for you to be let out" Ty said grabbing her hand "I swear on Agni"

"I know, there is no rush, we are young, aren't we?" Azula replied smiling. Her lying was not as good as before, having taken care extensively of that in the therapies she has had on the last years since her fall.

Both of them saw through the lie, and then a big idea surged in Zuko's brain, making him jump. Ty Lee and Azula looked odd at him.

"I will get you out" Zuko said walking towards the door, Ty Lee rushed to his side "You are dismissed Ty! You can stay here. I will move something so you can be with me again" He said towards Azula.

"Zuzu…it's okay. I can hold on-"

"No. I have some friends here that can help me let you out" He said by the door. "Trust me!"

A rock hit Suki right on the gut, making her cough a bit of blood. The armor must have worn out, as the impact was not the least cushioned. She doubled herself on the ground, cursing.

"C'mon Suki! Did that little rock hurt you?" Toph replied sending another one towards her head, that was barely dodged from the pain she was feeling. It had been a while since Suki fought someone powerful. "I am even holding on my whole force"

"Bring it!" Suki said unleashing her katana and running towards her, tasting her blood in the process.

The clash from all the rocks Toph threw at her amused the younger one, wondering how much the katana would hold before breaking in two. Swords are not forever. Suki was making her way slowly slashing and dodging her ways towards the earthbender.

"Is that all?!" Suki screamed with adrenaline "No metal bending today?" She mocked running from the several bigger rocks that Toph threw at her. She started using them as steps on the air to gain more advantage on getting closer.

"You will cry after this!" Toph screamed sending a wave of growing earth, shaking a part of the palace. Suki tumbled on the air as Toph let down all the ground, leaving her flying briefly. Suki looked at anything to soften her fall, but it was useless as she looked downwards.

"Okay, you can roll, you can take off some armor and use it…" Suki thought quickly unclasping her headband so she could roll, she saw her body getting closer to the ground and almost halted at being too slow in getting off her armor.

Another wave of earth made her fly, she used that impulse to hold on to the board in the ceiling, using it to catch a breath.

"Where are you Suki? Too old to keep fighting?" Toph mocked as she walked towards a pillar. Suki breathed taking of the armor and dropping it further to confuse her, working briefly as Toph threw another rock at it.

"Smart" Toph thought smiling, focusing on the ground to feel anything metal in the room. She smirked at feeling that the new support on the ceiling of the training room was made of metal. Suki walked silently to fall on a chunk of rubble that wasn't that far from the ground, jumping on it.

Toph felt it and morphed it into a vacuum, trying to suck Suki into the ground. Suki shrieked internally and moved her descend to the floor, rolling as she thought she would but hurting her burnt hand as she rolled.

"Shit!" Suki whispered in pain, looking at her trembling hand before standing up and step dusting to the rocks Toph kept throwing at her direction.

"Alright, this got boring, lets end it already" Toph smirked as she pulled the bars from the ceiling to the ground, Suki smiled at the opening she saw, taking an impulse from all of the structures and jumping straight to punch Toph in the face.

Toph stepped aside imagining the trajectory she had based on the last impulse Suki took from the metal bars, readying herself to punch her. Toph was strong but Suki had new tricks under her belt and could not bare to loose on their first encounter post republic city.

Suki was getting tired, opting to make her fall so she could punch her on the ground and end it. Toph dodged it flawlessly and instead returned the favor, making Suki fall.

"Seems that the teacher has gotten slower" Toph mocked punching her stomach before being trapped on a hold by Suki.

"Game over…Beifong" Suki said punching her chi paths as Toph tried to squirm her way out of the grip.

"Bitch!" Tops said lying motionless, unable to stand up with her feet. Suki took loud gasps of air, feeling like shit after fighting Toph at her strongest. She put a shake hand on her stomach and curled, leaving the hurt one with trembles out of the body.

"I won" Suki said coughing blood, the red from her lips mixed with some dried blood she had. "Admit it"

"You got the best of me today" Toph said proudly "Let's repeat this tomorrow and see if you can hold a candle to me, grandma"

"You lost to this…"Suki said coughing harder "Grandma, lil Toph"

They both laughed on the ground, waiting for the adrenaline and chi blocking to fade. Suki regretted waiting for Toph as her injuries keep increasing the pain.

"Fuck, I should have gone to the nursery" Suki said curling "I thought it was training!"

"I train my people like this" Toph said starting to feel her fingers "I missed yo-training with you" she corrected herself as Suki smirked

"Yeah…right"

"What on AGNI HAPPENED HERE!?" Zuko screamed running towards them, Toph laughed as she slowly started to move her arm, unaware on how much time they had spent on the floor.

"We trained, that happened" Toph said proudly, moving her other hand and fringers. "You should help bombshell bec-"

"Are you fucking serious?" Suki said cringing to stand up, the tremble in her hand not decreasing "I can stand by myself thanks, no need to pick up. I would worry about your chi blocked ass instead"

"Ooh~ Did I touch a fiber candy eye?" Toph mocked rolling to a sitting position, waiting for her legs.

"Suki…."Zuko said getting closer so she could lean on. Suki weakly pushed herself away from him. He was stunned on how beat up she looked: Her bun was non existent, most of her hair down from all the impacts. The dried blood in her green tunic was shocking to him.

"I will walk myself to the nursery, thanks" Suki said coarsely, tumbling from side to side until she collapsed unconscious a few steps forward from the pain, Zuko running to her.

"Toph…"

"Hold on, let me…"

She made a rock bed where Zuko put Suki, walking towards Toph to also help her up. The three walked (Or floated in Suki's case) to the infirmary. The firelord and the chief of the police waited on the room.

"You both went too hard on each other" Zuko scolded Toph who rolled her eyes

"We are adults, when we were younger some people hesitated to kill us. Now they won't, we need to be prepared" Toph replied.

Zuko sighed "You are right, I forgot since there has not been any kind of attacks these years"

"As expected, Suki is a badass" Toph chuckled "She held out with me, that's not an easy task. Were are we going anyway?" she asked, taking Zuko out

"How did you know we were going somewhere?" He asked surprised "I was just about to ask you"

"Because you searched me all around the palace and right now are not by Suki's side mopping" Toph joked "Unless…you are over her?"

Zuko laughed nervously, unsure if lying to Toph would be any good.

"I wanted to ask you a favor. A big one that you might not like that much" Zuko said honestly, remembering that to his friends, Azula was still Azula.

"Is this our missing life changing trip? I'm on it!" Toph said excited "I just had to wait almost six years for it to happen"

Zuko laughed hearty, waking up an annoyed Suki.

"We will need your lying detection skills to this small ordinary, adventure" Zuko said "You sure you are in?"

"We are in" Suki said standing up to them "I have her custody"

"I am not twelve anymore Suki" Toph said annoyed

"You still can't beat me, spill it Zuko" Suki demanded excited

"This was supposed to be my life changing trip! Haven't you had enough of seeing each other daily?" Toph replied upset before laughing at their hear patterns "Wait, are you both going out?"

"No" They both replied, Toph was confused on why Suki was saying the truth and Zuko was lying.

"Okay" She said not convinced "Maybe Zuko is still into her, would explain why Suki is saying the truth" She thought as they all stood up.

Zuko gulped nervously, deciding to said it once and clear enough so no more questions would be asked. He looked seriously a both woman, fixing his posture.

"I want both of you to help me bust out Azula"

"What?!" Both said shocked

"You already agreed Toph" Zuko said as Toph grunted annoyed

"Zuko, are you sure?" Suki asked concerned "Did you know why she is still…"

"Yes Suki, you can come and help or not, Toph and I will do it" Zuko said as he moved out of the way "Now" he said gesturing to the earthbender to walk

"You are not thinking I'll follow you just cause, right?" Toph said upset "You owe us an explanation"

"Suki needs to recover from the wounds, first of all cases." Zuko said as Suki sat down rolling her eyes "Second, you both need to trust me"

"I trust you Zuko, not Azula" Toph said crossing her ams

Zuko looked disappointed at them, feeling short of words to make them get his reasoning behind on taking Azula out of the cell.

"We should help" Suki gave in after seeing him, patting Toph on the shoulder "If anything happens, we can always chi block her and not talk about this again. I'll follow in the shadows"

"What? You are on board on this?" Toph said amazed "That butt kicking I gave you made you lose some brain or something?"

"I'll fetch my clothes and follow you" Suki said towards Zuko, walking past him. They gazed into each other, Zuko thanking her and Suki smiling.

Suki let the two of them fix the issue as she ran towards her drawer, unsure if helping him in those crazy ideas was to cover the guilt she was carrying since yesterday. Unable to think about love in a mission as important as to keep an eye to her previous captor, she laughed out loud at how ridiculous the situation turned.

She said she loved the brother of her sworn enemy. She was technically, her sister in law. That if their relationship ever formalized and she was announced to be firelady.

Chills covered Suki's body at realizing the repercussions of that. She was not ready to deal with family at all. Dressed up she started moving in the shadows, ready to strike whenever Zuko told her to.

Sokka and Electra ate in silence, the previous conversation on the room made it uncomfortable for them to talk about anything. It was not the first dinner they did this routine, either. Sokka pulling away everything to see her eat, evidenced on how her cheeks began to fill in again.

"So…Toph?"

Electra shot daggers with her eyes and Sokka smiled goofily, returning to eat his meat. She decided to return the favor, interrogating him.

"Suki will come to your sister's wedding, will you run to her again?" Electra smirked as Sokka frowned.

"That's mean, even for you" Sokka replied biting. "Why would you want to know anyway?"

"Because to the public we are still a couple, I would not like another scandal, being known as 'the girl who councilman Sokka cheated" Electra mocked as Sokka snorted

"It ain't my fault I'm this sexy for girls to swoon" Sokka said flexing his arm, whom Electra did find attractive. But she would not let him win this quarrel.

"Are you sure? I can take both of your girls if I put my mind on it, including Suki" She said biting her sweet potato as Sokka chocked "And you know it's true"

"Suki doesn't like girls" Sokka defended nervously

"Liar liar" Electra sang "I mean, when I kissed her" she said dreamily before composing herself, Sokka looking at her strongly with his cheeks slightly tinted.

"Yes, I saw that. It was an ambush" Sokka defended "But she would not take you, I mean, it would be a weird love triangle, wouldn't it?"

"Well…considering the first one you both had with the firelord Zuko…it is not that weird" She rested her hand thoughtfully as Sokka groaned "Sorry, sorry, how are you feeling with your new therapist?"

"Well, I did get a load off my chest, we did this weird technique that actually helped me let it all out" Sokka said proudly "What we did not discuss is how I could act in front of Suki"

"Just relax, like I do" Electra said with empathy "I taught you well, it is not that hard to hide feelings"

"I don't know…whenever we spent too much time apart we…you know, just…our love came back stronger. It has been some time now and…what if she is somebody else?" Sokka asked sadly, his appetite dying.

"Well, it would be fair for her. Three years without seeing each other is too much, even for the strongest couples. I am sure you will know how to handle that" Electra tried to comfort, unable to make him feel better.

"What about you and Toph? Will you ever tell her?" Sokka asked trying to listen to her, Electra shifted in her sit uncomfortable.

"I think she already knows" She said in a lower voice, pain mixed in the tone "Not that it matters, it is a matter of time before my stupid crush fades away"

Sokka placed both of his hands on his face, leaning on it with sadness. He wanted to help her in some way that he wished someone had, even if he did not reach for it.

Then he remembered the old wig laying under his bed, a bit dusty. Running for it and leaving for a few seconds a puzzled Electra, he came back swinging on the chair and sitting by her side, his fake beard on and a new voice she had never knew.

"Sokka?" She asked clumsy, looking downwards to him. "What are you wearing?"

"I am doctor Wang Fire, ready to heal you and your woes. Care to elaborate?" He said pulling out a board with a paper and a pen, leaning on the chair to listen to her.

"This is ridiculous" She said wanting to stand up, but hesitating at seeing Sokka writing on the paper. "Wait, is this for real?"

"Ma'am, I know that negation is a strong feeling that often takes time to heal, so take your time on your journey" Sokka elaborated on what he was writing as Electra sighed.

"I am not negated, I just know nothing would ever happen with Beifong" She exclaimed annoyed, crossing her arms "She has this dog of a lover and she is not into girls"

"Have you discussed your feelings verbally with miss Beifong?" He asked as he wrote gibberish on the paper, mimicking actual notes.

"No, but she can feel the heartbeats of people, right?" Electras asked to Sokka, who agreed with his head "I always get…excited and…jumpy around her. My body and face keep still but my heart doesn't. It is hard to lie to your own heart"

"I see" he continued writing nothing as he thought of a plan to help her confess "Do you have a romantic partner in the same room as Beifong?"

"What?" Electra asked "I mean, most of the time you- Sokka, is present" She corrected herself after Sokka gave her a pointed look.

"Maybe she confuses the feeling of love for her, thinking is with this sexy lad you have for a boyfriend" Sokka said smirking as Electra face palmed herself slowly, cursing under her breath on agreeing on this brief therapy.

"But it won't change anything if I confess. There is no purpose other than jeopardize the dynamic on the friend group" Electra concluded standing up "I need sleep, talking about feelings tires and bores me"

"It might not affect the external outcome, miss Electra. But your feelings will change after admitting it out loud. She could accept you or reject you, but after letting it out you will be able to move on" Sokka said wisely. "You should go for it"

"Having to do it and actually doing it are two different things" Electra said unbraiding her hair, stopping briefly to place a hand on Sokka's shoulder "Thanks for listening and giving me some tips, I might consider them"

With a brief kiss on the cheek she left the room, thinking that his advise was not that bad at all for someone who is still taking therapy for a broken heart.

Sokka started planning as he ate the leftovers on how to get Toph and Electra closer. It was something odd to do by someone who was his current girlfriend, but seeing the lack of enthusiasm by her urged him to help her get out.

To confront her crush.

"Now…what would Toph like?" He thought walking towards his room, closing the door.

"Okay, should we wait for Suki or is she really following us in the shadows?" Toph asked as they waited for the door to open, Ty Lee nodded, not wearing her uniform so she could be more comfortable around Azula.

"She is really sneaky, so no worry, I'll give her a signal in case anything goes wrong" Ty said excited "Not that it will go wrong! Zula has changed"

"Right" Toph said annoyed, already sensing the long steps that guarded them. "Let's move before I regret this"

Zuko sighed as they entered the door, his pace faster than his two companions, wanting to introduce Azula formally to Toph as a new person before any of them could talk. He knocked fast as the cells opened again, reaching his sisters door in no time.

"You are here again Zuzu? Will you finally tell me that juicy gossip of the new girl?" Azula purred, a smirk covering her face. "Oh? You actually brought her?"

"No, I am here to free you" Zuko said smiling as he opened the door, Azula looked suspicious.

"How did you convince them?" Azula asked before seeing the eathbender surface from behind.

"I will" Toph said crossing her arms "News said that you are not a good liar anymore"

"Miss beifong?" Azula asked Ty Lee as she nodded excited "How will they believe a foreigner?"

"Don't sweat it princess, just limit yourself to actually change and tell the truth and nothing will go wrong" Toph said as she held her position, focusing on her heartbeat. Putting a thumbs up towards Zuko so they could start the interrogatory.

"Azula, do you feel you have changed?" Zuko asked, making Azula roll her eyes at how simple the question was.

"Yes I have" She answered simply, Toph gave a thumbs up, signaling she was telling the truth.

"How can we be for sure you changed?" Ty lee asked "We need something from you to prove it"

Azula looked at her hurt, before thinking how to prove she was actually telling the truth. Unless she wasn't.

"I can't promise I will be super truthfull all the time, right now I am not even sure if this…hallucinations have ceased completely. But I am giving my everything to change and move forwards, including apologizing and paying for my crimes" Azula said in a serious tone, not so different to the one she used to convince entire armies.

Toph held still for some minutes before concluding she was telling the truth, smirking in the process.

"Will you still search for vengeance against the Avatar and his companions?" A doctor asked, making Azula's heart stutter.

"No" She said briefly, trying to convince herself "I will not" she said more firmly, looking at Toph to see if she had not caught the lie. Toph's own face dropped, believing at first that the change was happening.

But more than anyone, she knew that changing oneself was something that happened everyday, five years and Azula still wanted to go against them? That was a threat. All of them being adults did not stop anybody from killing them.

Zuko's face twisted in defeat, upset that Azula was still holding grudges against them. He looked with deception at his sister who frowned scared, not for the first time she might admit, at facing her brother.

"She is telling the truth" Toph lied, turning to the doctors "What else do you want me to prove so she can be set free? I don't see down here and I am being driven nuts inside"

The doctors considered Toph's words, and in hushed conversation discussed wherever they should let out Azula completely free.

Zuko went towards Azula and looked at her intensely, wondering if Toph lying for her would set her away from fully recovering.

"We have decided that Azula can be set free only on the palace. She can't be seen outside, not even the gardens for now until we have a clean record" One of the physicians said bowing towards Zuko.

Ty Lee screamed happily and went to hug her, being well received. She signaled Suki to come out of the shadows with three finger plays, looking around with Zuko and Azula for her to come down.

"are you searching for someone? There is no one else in here" One of the Dai Lee agents said puzzled "We would have already pushed him or her out"

Toph looked at where Zuko was, while he thought on the reasoning behind Suki skipping the event she accepted after a lot of hesitation. Unless she had backed out in the last moment.

The four walls surrounding me seemed to get closer and closer the more I shifted my position in this black pitch of a cell, the more I feel disheartened to ever be let out of my new home.

The boiling rock.

I was betrayed and punished for standing up against firebenders. Why did I fucking thought I could stand a chance in this type of environment?

No, relax, we are not alone.

"I am not…" I say out loud, is not like anyone will hear me anyway. They barely give me food inside. I can't even see how many days I have in here…I have been writing something on the wall but it's not like I can actually read it…

"Fuck" I say laughing. Being in here is boring and I have slept like crazy. It makes the time go even slower. How in the world did I ended up here?

I am proud and I love doing what is right, that's why Suki. Stop banging your head on the wall! It makes us dizzy.

I wonder how did Azula linked us… Who told her that Sokka and I were even…something?

Are we something? Sure we kissed…twice but…uh…I do not think I will ever get out of this cell. Not soon enough at least. He surely has someone else, I mean, did even matter the first time I kissed him? He crushed and lost someone else too in this war.

Nothing promises me that I'll even see him again, maybe the Avatar wins and he dies on a mission.

Well shit, that option did not weight on me until now. Who would let me out of here then? I am sure they noticed we were not us the moment Azula spoke, how did they not notice? How could Sokka even confuse my voice with hers?

Unless…well…he is alright. She said she would lure him with me. She is good with this, fuck.

Fuck, fuck fuck.

"Fuck! Fuck!" I said punching the metal door. It is strong, of course. My dumb ass thought would go through it, not even earthbenders can do this. I can't let them win, not even if the Avatar's dead.

Of course the Avatar would not fall to them, that's stupid. Even with my last breath I will honor them, honor Kyoshi…honor Sokka in case something happens

I need to do something to get out.

"Oh Agni, you are as pretty as you are stupid"

I clench my teeth angered, I do not value myself in physical beauty, at least not after all the time I have spent on this…excuse of a jail.

"Really? You will say nothing this time? This was a compliment" Those ugly gold eyes examine me as if I was a rat. How I want to punch her "Was, of course. You just showed me you are actually brain dead"

I stare at her without muttering anything. I can't risk giving any kind of information, clues or locations unknowingly. Blue fire, how original.

"I know by now you are bored by me startling you with punches" She mocks me, swipping some hair away from her face "But your sisters…they are another story"

"Leave them alone!" I scream immediately. The raspiness in my voice gives away that I haven't drink enough water to scream at the tone I did. That fucking ugly smirk ughhh

"Or what? you'll do something? As if" She laughs, I am risking a punch to her nose and I will gladly die for it. To see her snotty face shocked that I dared to touch her. It would rearrange those ugly features.

"Azula-"

"Hush peasant. I do not know which academy ever taught you those moves from the academy but believe me, I'll have a blast taunting your little squad of clowns. Have fun rotting alone, without sukka"

"You scared of me handling you again?" I trash talk, earning a bit of interest. Might as well take the fall from them. I can hold on as long as my girls are intact.

"You? And who are you exactly? The one who lost" She laughs, again. "I am surprised you have not reacted to that snow savage name. You have such a bad taste, not that matters. The moment he lands here I will make sure both of you can never touch each other"

I should not react to Sokka. It will only make her win on this stupid game. We are both bored, but I am stronger.

"Your kids would have looked horrendous! I mean…just look at him. Scrawny, dumb and smells like fish. You should seek for better thi-"

I dropped her to the floor, almost stepping on her neck until she moved away, in position.

"Now you want to play? My my, you are indeed my favorite prisoner"

Shit

Shit

Shit

Both of my hands are tied

"Suki, your are not there, come back, you are hurting yourself"

I forgot how weak I am with that ugly food we eat in here.

"Let that be a lesson that your cute dance only works as entertainment, and a boring one, might I add"

My back hurts like the Unagui just fell on me…ugh

"Regarding your sisterhood…they had already been punished, marked for their sins so they can remember until they die, that going against the fire nation the best thing you can have is a burn, the worst is meeting me personally" She grins on my face, pushing me to face upwards as her heel digs on my stomach.

I will fucking kill you

Fuck you Azula

"What are you feeling?" Mai asked as Suki frenetically held her arm in place

"Pain…not breathing…." She said between gasps as Mai removed the hand from her stomach, letting the warrior exhale comfortably. She looked at the bed she was, noticing she was not in her room.

"You fell on the way to Zuko's meeting" Mai filled the gaps on Suki's mind. "They searched for him and ran to my room thinking he was with me. I guess people already know about you two"

"No" Suki replies faintly "They do not"

Mai raises an eyebrow with suspicion, returning to her normal face afterwards.

"I wonder who is the responsible one for that" Mai mocks standing away from the bed to continue packing.

"You don't have to leave" Suki says trying to shrug off the awkwardness "Zuko still needs you"

Mai closed her eyes, unable to let her expression to be read. She turned annoyed to look at Suki who looked cautoiously at her reaction, being able, most of the time, to read how the other person felt.

"I know, that is why I'm leaving" Mai replied upset "He chose you"

"Mai, I…"

"Do not apologize, Agni. This is not a tearfest" She said disgusted "I dumped him because of that. I see how in love he is with you, can you at least try to pretend you feel that too?"

Suki had not seen Mai that altered in the brief time they had interacted with each other, she only had shown two moods: A happy one with Aang and Zuko and her normal demeanor, cold and serious. It was not out of the blue the way she acted harsh with her.

"I am not pretending to love him" Suki said walking up towards her "I am trying to do"

"Start pretending then, it is annoying how you keep stringing him along to something that will never be" Mai said stepping backwards from her "You owe him that at least"

Suki frowned "At least?"

"Yes, at least" Mai said angrier "He has been through so much in his life, to carry with your burdens and problems while also ruling a country that hates him and will try to put him out by any means now that a foreigner will be the new firelady"

"I did not apply to guarding him if that meant falling in love and being that! I do-"

"You, you, it is always about you!" Mai exploded "You are living such a new life, having his love on the shadows whenever you feel sad but leaving a big opportunity for Sokka in case he decides to come back"

"You don-"

"You have all these amazing friends that will die for you, your sisters, a town back at Kyoshi Island and you have those two awesome men fighting for you. And look at you! After all the shit that has happened you are so pretty and unique, but you can not seem to grasp that your codependency to someone else is exhausting and fucking ugly!"

"Mai what the hell has gotten into you!" Suki replied stepping up to her "You don't even know me for fucks sake!"

"I have seen enough to get this conclusion. Pretend or disappear if you really love Zuko, you will only hurt him further if you accepted him to leave him stranded the moment he appears renewed" Mai said putting both hands on her hips, not afraid of facing her off.

"You have always been mean to me and I…I tried to form an alliance with you" Suki said finding hard to find good adjectives to describe their interactions "You more than anyone should be self-aware to know that love cannot be chosen"

"And that's why I left Zuko opportunity to choose you" Mai replied "I love him and want the best for him, even if that means being with a childish redhead who can't let go of his new ex"

"Can you stop that crap about Sokka for a second? I am more than him" Suki said clenching her teeth. "Thank you for picking me up while I had an attack, but I think all those feelings you are lashing out on me reflect more of what you feel than what I am"

"I heard from close sources that Sokka it's actually changing, I wonder if that means his new girlfriend would get everything you wanted him to do with you" Mai mocked cruelly, suki's eyes saddening for a second.

"Good for him, he deserves to be happy as much as I do. The war has left scars in our insides that are different from yours" Suki said calming down, remembering that Mai was still hurt about all those problems Zuko told her "I will take care of Zuko, even if Sokka came back and begged me…I won't take him. I am Zuko, and only for Zuko"

"You lie badly, do you know that?" Mai said, looking down at her "Zuko deserves better"

"I know" Suki admitted "That's why I am also putting all my own to actually love him"

Mai looked disappointed but nodded in affirmation once, continuing to fold her clothes to fit on the bags.

"I am sorry Mai, really" Suki apologized touching her shoulder, whom Mai ignored.

"Why were you having an attack?" She asked spontaneously making Suki let go of the touch. "What triggered you, I mean. Zuko's trigger used to be his dad"

Suki gulped, unsure if the plan that Zuko created and actually worked. She would clue Mai that Azula is safe and that might upset her or Azula would just roam free and she would then find out like the rest of the palace.

"The boiling rock" She resumed "I was in isolation and tortured sometimes"

Mai looked at her with a small glimpse of pain.

"I apologize for what my uncle did to you, I hope is not anything body related, like ra-""

"It wasn't him" Suki shut down quickly, trying to block the memories of the prison cell and her fighting guards who tried to molest her. "It was-"

"Suki! Are you alright?" Toph said barging into the room "Where the hell were you?"

Zuko walked behind Toph with scared eyes, until he froze at seeing Mai and her together. Suki smiled.

"Apparently, with my friend. Hello Mai, hello…Suki?" Azula said puzzled at seeing her standing up with fire nation clothing. "Suki? Sokka's girlfriend?"

"Ex" Toph muttered annoyed "Why do you act so shocked? You fought on the boiling rock"

"More than that" Suki added distrustful "So she is out?"

The room went silence as the tension rose between the three girls, two who did not pair up until seeing Azula standing on the frame of the door.

"I did not expect less from the leader of the Kyoshi warriors…well I did expect less." Azula said reflecting

"Azula…"

"Do not worry Zuzu, I know how to handle this" She whispered walking towards the pair who stared at her as if they were about to fight again. "First…I am recovered from these hallucinations and bad attitude that led my path to failure on the war"

"I am so happy for you" Mai said without any facial expression moving.

"I can see that" Azula said with a confused frowned "Second of all, Suki. I am so sorry for what happened at the boiling rock"

"Anything specific you want to apologize for?" Suki said stepping dangerously to her, while Azula just stood proudly, her smile slightly twisting into a smirk.

"For example" Azula pushed Suki as the redhead dangerously saw red, the darkening slowly rising at the sides from her body.

"For torturing my sisters on that rotting cell?" Suki barked as Zuko ran to step between them, Mai shutting him down with a dead stare.

"I am sorry then for torturing your sisters" Azula said extending her arm to keep distance with Suki. "I thought you might be more upset for that chat with your….Oh. RIGHT."

Azula smirk turned into a sad pout, which for some reason made Suki angry. She clenched her fists and was tempted to knock her our now that she had the opportunity. She relaxed the grip, exhaling, not deeming her worthy enough to cause a conflict with her current boyfriend.

"Just…don't talk to me" Suki said moving past Zuko and Azula, wanting to get out of the room before her darkening became more noticeable. Zuko whispered as she passed but fell to deaf ears as she tried to grab Toph outside.

Azula noticed the tone in Zuko as he tried to make them accept her, smirking once again at noticing (Faster than her friends, she might add) that the new firelady would not be a fire nation noble.

At least not yet, watching Suki get out of the room with Toph reminded her why she had always vowed for Mai and Zuko to be together. Emotional outbursts in Mai were non existent unless Zuko was the topic.

Suki was just the same as Mai, the names just changed with Sokka. Even after all those years and after having, apparently, an affair, Suki was not over the water tribe boy. Even if she could not see why, as her brother was better looking and more stronger, she would support the interest of her friends first.

Now it was time to make Zuko realize that, Suki, is just his savior complex screaming, his new project, as shown by the brief darkening in her.

"It's not personal, Suki" Azula thought going to hug Mai, who just stood there.

"Can you let me go?" Mai said bored, pushing her away.

"That is not a way to receive a friend is it?" Azula said pulling an arm around her, seeing Zuko start to walk out too. "Are you going on a trip with Zuzu?"

"You more than anyone know we are done, officially" Mai said rolling her eyes "You can stop faking liking me thought"

"I am not faking, I do have changed for the better" Azula said proudly, her smile shining brighter than before "My talents will now be used to serve the firelord Zuko and his new firelady"

"Okay" Mai said indifferent, continuing to pack. Azula grabbed the bag and threw all the clothes to the bed, making Mai groan.

"You will stay dummy, you are the new firelady" Azula said sitting on the pile of clothes

"I am not, I am sure Zuko will fill…"

"Zuzu has always been dumb and you know it" Azula said looking now at her hair on the mirror, who was not properly cleaned. "Nothing personal against the islander, is just…you'll see"

Mai walked at her with a knife, pulling it into her throat as a treat.

"Let him be happy" She threatened, her anger evident on the way she spoke slowly. Azula smiled, more sincere than Mai has ever seen before.

"I will, is just something all three of you haven't notice. Let Azula be in charge to show you the way" She said as Mai released her. "No violence or scheming this time. Only patience"

"Just patience until both of you stop playing mom and dad" Azula said crossing her arms. "Stay for a girls sleepover, it will be Ty Lee, Toph, you, me and Suki"

Mai sighed heavily, already tired.

"All right, I won't be the one doing the invitations" She backed out immediately, as some servants entered the room to fold all the clothes in the bed and floor.

"I will!" Ty lee said getting out of the bathroom "Uh…where is everyone?" She asked seeing the room.

Azula smiled at her two friends, excited at finally doing something deemed good by the general audience.