Azula's eyes roamed the crowded halls of her school for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Once again finding nothing out of the ordinary, she looked forward once more, a pensive frown making its way to her face.

For all intents and purposes, it was an ordinary Friday at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. Gossip filled the corridors as the students chattered on about their 'exciting' plans for the upcoming weekend, her friends being no different.

Or one of her friends at least.

"...and then me and my sisters-"

"My sisters and I." Mai's monotone voice corrected as she led them to their next class with a bored look on her face.

"...Me and my sisters are going into the city to shop with mom because our clothes are getting small, and Ty Lao has a recital coming up, and Ty Lum accidentally ripped one of her shirts when it got stuck on a door- which was really funny by the way, and…!" Ty Lee continued rambling at high speeds, paying no heed to Mai's interruption or her royal friend's inattention.

All in all, it was a standard, unnoteworthy, entirely plain day with nothing out of the ordinary.

'So why does it feel like something is off?' Azula thought to herself as she took her seat for her next class, her eyes once more roaming around to find… something. Despite once again finding nothing wrong, the princess could only feel her unease growing, a feeling that her bonded companion reciprocated. 'Have you noticed anything Sora?'

The prodigy's frown deepened at the negatory response she received, her mind moving at lightning speeds in an attempt to find out what had her so on edge.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when a familiar hand gently touched her shoulder, causing her to jerk in her seat. Azula just barely managed to restrain her shocked gasp, finally realizing that their teacher had begun her lesson. After a quick glance to make sure the teacher hadn't noticed her absentmindedness, she turned her attention to the dark-haired girl who had touched her, easily recognizing her friend's concerned looks.

"Are you okay?" Ty Lee, in a failed attempt to remain inconspicuous, loudly whispered. The acrobatic girl winced at the swift glare she received from the teacher for the disruption, breathing a sigh of relief when the adult refocused on the lesson. She quickly returned her wide-eyed gaze to the princess, waiting for an answer. Mai's curious look, which only slightly differed from her normally passive expression, asked for the same.

Azula took a moment to regain her decorum, silently scolding herself for allowing her thoughts to wander as they had. Whatever it was that felt off must have been a result of her imagination, or maybe the fatigue that she was feeling. She had been up rather late last night, even more so than usual. After her trip to Caldera's commercial district, she had decided to spend more time than usual with her dragon. Perhaps that was biting her in the butt now.

Shaking her head to try and clear the uneasiness that refused to leave her completely, Azula gave a smile that was only slightly strained. "Just tired." She answered simply, her whisper much more discreet than her exuberant friend. Ty Lee gave a quick nod and promptly started doodling on her paper, only slightly paying attention to the lecture. The sight caused Azula to sigh, though her smile lost its tenseness. 'She's lucky Mai and I are here to help her.'

Turning her attention to her other friend, she noticed Mai still scrutinizing her, likely trying to see if she was lying about being fine. A strange mixture of indignance and warmth spread through her at the thought, but she pushed it aside for the moment in favor of shaking her head at Mai. 'I'm fine.' Azula thought to herself, willing the words to be conveyed through her expression.

Fortunately, Mai seemed to understand her reassurance almost immediately. Giving a quick and discreet nod, the gloomy girl began to focus on the lesson, diligently taking notes as their third friend should have been doing. Not wanting to get into trouble with the teacher, Azula began to do the same.

'I'm fine.' She thought to herself once more, the words coming out forcefully even within the confines of her mind. Maybe if she said it enough, the uncomfortable feeling in her chest would eventually go away.

Line Break

The day seemed to pass by in a blur, the class being dismissed for the weekend as they would be any other day. Azula led her friends out of the building, her previous worries having faded slightly as she made it to the courtyard and listened to the conversation between her friends with amusement.

"So you are saying a tigerdillo attacked Ty Lum-"

"Yep!"

"Tearing her shirt-"

"Terribly so!"

"Almost killing her in the process."

"It was scary!"

"..."

"...What?" Ty Lee asked, her cheeks puffed out in a pout as she glared up at her taller friend.

"The same Ty Lum that just skipped passed us?" Mai said dryly, pointing at the perfectly healthy septuplet. Ty Lee's head whipped around quickly, her cheeks becoming pink when she spotted her sister in perfect health, happily chatting with another schoolmate.

"I never said she got injured!" The girl blustered, trying to come up with some excuse. Not finding any she crossed her arms across her chest with a huff in an exaggerated expression of anger, "How did you even know that was her!?"

Azula rolled her eyes as she turned to face her friends, finally entering the conversation with a smirk. "She's the only one who wears green," she took a moment to point around the courtyard where several identical girls were spread out, each in distinctive colored clothing. For how in sync the girls were, they each seemed proud of their respective colors.

"Well yeah but maybe-"

"And didn't you say her shirt was caught in a door earlier," Mai interrupted quietly, a tiny smile gracing her face as she met the princess's eye.

"No! I said that she… uh…ripped it on a door when… she was running away?" Ty Lee stuttered out, her words coming out as more a question than a statement. She was on the back foot, and her friends were all too ready to pounce on her weakness

"Besides tigerdillos are native to the Earth Kingdom," Azula continued the argument, hiding her growing smirk as she watched her friend struggle to respond. "Something you would know had you not been asleep during geography."

"We went to a-!"

"You said you couldn't wait to go to the zoo next weekend." Mai did nothing to hide her wide (for her) grin as she watched her friend choke on air at her accurately predicted words. "'My family hasn't gone in, like, forever'" Her words came out in their usual monotone, but they held a distinctly teasing tone.

"Th-thats not… but…" By now Ty Lee's face more closely resembled a tomato than her normal skin tone, which was the straw that broke the lioncamels back. Azula's carefully restrained laughter broke free, ringing through the area, which was soon accompanied by Mai's far softer chuckling. Ty Lee's pout grew more pronounced than ever at her friend's actions. "Hey! It's not fair when you two team up on me like that!" She whined while wildly swinging her arms to emphasize the injustice of it all!

That only caused her friend's laughter to grow, the noises causing the acrobat's denials to quickly calm down. It may have been caused by them teasing her, but hearing her normally stoic and (in her opinion) far too serious friends so joyful was music to her ears.

Before long the three were laughing together, garnering a few looks from their curious peers who still remained in the courtyard. The uncomfortable feeling that had been plaguing the princess was gone at that moment, contributing further to the relief she was feeling.

That was until they appeared.

She felt them before she heard them. The heat emanating from within the two gave away their identities as firebenders, and, judging by the intensity of their inner flame, powerful ones at that. Her laughter died off quickly as she turned, her eyes quickly settling on the pair of imperial firebenders heading directly toward them.

With Azula's remaining levity vanishing, her expression sobered up into one that was expected by the nation's Crown Princess. From the corner of her vision, she saw her friends do the same with even Ty Lee wearing an uncharacteristic frown on her face.

"Can I help you?" Azula stated, her tone clipped and frosty, the previous warmth completely absent. Though she did not show it on her face, her previous unease came back twofold. She had to actively keep herself from tensing up as the soldiers stopped in front of her, much closer than she was comfortable with.

"We need you to come with us Princess," The first guard gruffly said with a bow, though his eyes studiously remained fixed on her face. "The Firelord has summoned you. Your presence is needed urgently." As he spoke, the second guard flanked her other side, effectively boxing her in.

This wasn't the first time guards had arrived to pick her up from school. Ignoring the days when she was younger and had them for protection on both the way to and from school, she had often been collected by them when needed by her father from time to time. Even so, this felt different… off. Wrong in a way that caused the pressure in her chest to tighten further.

"Did he say the reason why?" She questioned, unsurprised when the guard shook his head. He always played things close to his chest, even from her. He wouldn't deign to tell 'lowly guards' why they were needed, fully expecting them to comply without question. "Then we shouldn't keep him waiting."

Azula began marching forward before she received a response from the pair, feeling marginally better with the guards trailing her steps. She paused for only a moment to subtly turn her head, her eyes meeting her friend's concerned gazes. She shook her head, a hopefully reassuring smile on her face. They needn't worry.

She would be fine.

Line Break

They made their way to the Palace at a swift pace, and before long Azula found herself walking through the long hallway that would lead to the Firelord's Throne Room. Her back was straight and her head was held high as she made the familiar trek, though her mind was somewhere else entirely. She had been conversing with Sora since the walk had begun to reassure the dragon (and herself), but the ever-present feeling of wrongness made her attempts fall flat. It didn't help that Sora was feeling much the same, causing something of a loop that only made things worse.

It felt almost like an omen when she finally saw the ornate doors to the Throne Room. She had been here often in the last few months and while the visits had never been very pleasant, this felt entirely different, something Sora seemed to agree with judging by the spike of anxiety through their bond.

Her mind idly flashed back to a lesson from a teacher she had when she was younger, a man much too enthusiastic about animals which had often caused him to go on unnecessary tangents. At the time she had been distinctly annoyed by his inattentive lessons, but, being the good student that she was, had always listened anyway. She vaguely recalled a time he had mentioned how many animals could feel that something bad would happen, like a sixth sense for danger.

As she kneeled before the silhouette of her father, sitting on his throne and surrounded by fire, she couldn't help but agree that there was some merit to his words. His presence was always grand, but right now it was stifling.

She pushed away the stray thoughts as she sunk into a formal deep bow, her eyes focused on the intimidating sight before her. She had been in this exact place many times before, facing both her father's delight and displeasure alike but this was different. Never before had it felt like this.

Never before had she felt like she was in danger.

"Rise Crown Princess Azula," Her father drawled, his emphasis on the title alarming the still kneeling girl. He rarely called her by her full title, but it was the tone that stuck out to her… the contempt in his voice was unmistakable. She stood slowly, never taking her gaze off the man before her.

For several seconds that seemed to stretch on for eternity, there was only silence. Azula studied her father closely, her mind racing through all the possible reasons for this sudden change in attitude. Had she not done everything he had asked of her? She had studied all he had thrown at her, tackled the intense training she was given ferociously, and even became a master at the age of ten. He had been satisfied- joyous even- since Zuko's banishment so why…

The girl felt her heart drop into her stomach, as the worst scenario played through her mind. She had always done as she was asked by her father. No matter how difficult or daunting his requests were, she delivered results to absolute perfection. The only things she had kept from him that would cause him this much rage was…

'So-'

Her thought was interrupted as her father's powerful voice wrung throughout the room, blanketed by the roaring fires around him. "Tell me, Azula," He began with a tone of anger laced with curiosity. "What does the title Firelord mean to you?"

Azula had to withhold a flinch at the seemingly random question. Her eyes met her father's for the first time since she entered the room as he allowed some of the flame's to dissipate. The furious expression on his face served to throw her even more off-centered than she already was. Her thoughts came up short, the absolute confusion finally breaking through the tight control she had been maintaining. "I… I do not understand father."

Her words were quiet, the lack of confidence making them sound like they were coming from someone else. She felt so flat-footed, and even the support she was receiving through the bond did nothing to alleviate the feeling of how lost she felt.

Had he truly found out about Sora, or was she simply fixating on the worst-case scenario? For all she knew she was completely wrong and it was unrelated to her dragon. Her father, for all of his emphasis on controlling emotions, could be incredibly volatile, especially when angry. The suddenness of everything gave her so little time to think. Right now the safest way to navigate this was using the confusion she felt as a shield to avoid saying the wrong thing.

That was the strategy.

Confusion was promptly replaced by fear as she watched her father snarl, the heat in the room starkly increasing as the flames rose alongside him. "What does the title of Firelord mean to you?" He asked once more, striding forward with swift, long steps. "Does it mean loyalty? Or maybe aspiration? Is it a position you respect?" By now he was in front of her, his golden eyes almost seeming to glow as they reflected the scorching flames blanketing the area around them.

As she met those golden eyes, full of anger and, even worse, malice, Azula felt any response she may have made leave her. She felt like she was choking, like the air she was trying to breathe was replaced by thick plumes of smoke, leaving her to wheeze pitifully.

She felt like she was right back on that fateful Agni Kai, watching as her brother was mercilessly burnt and feeling so, so afraid. 'Will he do the same to me now?'

The terrifying thought snapped her back into focus as she met her father's gaze once more, not even a foot separating them now. "O-of course I respect you father! Why would you-" Her desperate response was cut off by a fierce slap, the sound echoing through the large room alongside the roar of the fire.

The powerful blow sent her stumbling back, her hand instinctively reaching up to her quickly bruising cheek. She barely registered the sting as she felt her father approaching once more, his inner fire burning so intense that her resonance seemed pulled toward it, blocking everything else out except for him. She barely felt Sora's surging anger and the roars she was releasing without care for subtlety. As her eyes focused on her father once more she could only notice how big he was. He was always a large man, but now it felt like he towered over everything else.

"Do you take me for a fool!?" He shouted, grabbing her chin so he could look into her eyes. "Did you think you could get away with hiding that lizard? That I wouldn't find out that you have been lying to me?"

Azula flinched from both the loudness of his words and the spittle that flew from his mouth. Her legs were shaking, though she barely noticed as a strange numbness came over her. He knew about Sora. Somehow, he had found out about her deepest secret. Everything was happening so fast, and she could barely process the overload of information. 'I-I don't-"

"Do not lie to me!" His shout caught her off guard, along with the shove that sent her tumbling to the ground as her legs weakly gave out. "Do you think I would buy your excuses!? I was the one who taught you how to lie you foolish girl. Are you so arrogant to think you could get away with doing it to my face!?"

'I've done pretty well at that for a year now.' The traitorous thought was thankfully kept to herself, but at this point, she doubted it would make a difference. She had never seen her father so angry. Not even when her grandfather refused to make him the crown prince had he been as furious. She kept silent as she watched his blood-red face, carefully looking for any sign that he would continue his assault. Any tiny movement that could indicate he was about to start firebending.

Her father may have been powerful, likely the strongest firebender alive, but If it came down to it she would defend herself, futile though it may be.

Fortunately, he seemed to be calming down, his quick panting smoothening out in long breaths and the exertion leaving his face. Before long he looked almost like normal with only his tousled hair and blazing eyes exposing his loss of composure. He glanced towards the two guards at the end of the room who had resolutely stood at attention throughout everything. "Let him in." At the nod they received from their lord, they opened the doors to the throne room.

From her place on the ground, Azula used her resonance in an attempt to see who it was without taking her eyes off of the man before her. Regardless of who entered, he would remain the largest threat in the room, and she would not give him any opportunities to hurt her as he did her brother.

She was mildly surprised to feel the heat of a normal person, the lack of inner fire indicating a nonbender. Had her fear not been as all-encompassing as it was, her irritation at the situation would have been growing fast. Another person being added to this mess was not what she needed right now. Too much was happening and she still knew so little.

'Could they have been involved with father finding out about Sora?' She thought to herself as the man came into view, standing beside her father. He was unassuming, how features common for a person of Fire Nation heritage. He had light brown hair placed in a top knot, the shade slightly darker than the color of his eyes. His face still looked boyish, making her reevaluate referring to him as a man. He was likely only a couple of years older than Zuko. The nervousness that was visible in his posture only confirmed her thoughts.

Ozai seemed to notice her examining the young man, his face twisting into a sneer as he gestured to the unknown person. "Hopefully you aren't so far gone that you can put together that he was the one who caught you during your nightly… activities." The distaste in his voice felt like a slap in the face, almost as painful as the last one she received. "Your name is Chan, or something yes?"

"N-no," The young man coughed to clear his throat as his voice cracked, his eyes resolutely focused on anything other than the two royals. "It's Chen, my lord." He looked as though he was about to bow before he seemed to realize it was too late for such things. The aborted movement would have looked comical in any other situation, but Azula was too preoccupied to notice.

"Stand up straight!" Her father barked, his anger seeming to resurge at the clumsy movements of the guard. She could imagine the irritation her father felt at someone like that being the one to catch his 'prized' daughter. "Relay what you told me last night."

'So he was the one who found out about Sora," the princess thought with a glare, as she listened to the story, taking advantage of her father's lack of attention to slowly move on the ground so she was in a better position to act if it was necessary. 'I thought the guard patrols were off lately, but to have been following me…'

The thought made her both uncomfortable and vexed. She had the ability to track things just like that, but she had grown overconfident in herself and had become lazy. Now she was in danger, which was bad enough, but that was dwarfed by the fact that Ozai knew about Sora. Whatever danger she was in now didn't matter. 'Sora you have to leave now!'

She was instantly met by a fierce denial, the word 'No,' so loud that it seemed to reverberate in her mind. It was easy to feel the defiance in her dragon, the choice that Sora wouldn't run as long the princess wasn't safe. The usual warmth she felt at that thought was replaced by agitation and fright. 'This isn't the time to be stubborn! You need to-'

"...A-and that's what happened my lord." Chen's words interrupted their argument, causing the princess to focus on her father once more.

The Firelord was nodding his head, his attention leaving the young man to turn to the subject of the story. "That is a big claim, the zie only matched by its absurdity." Chen flinched at his words, his eyes widening and his mouth opening to defend himself. He was cut off before he began by Ozai holding up his hand. "Yet it is one I believe."

Azula watched as Chen's shoulders sagged in relief, though her mind was already working through her father's words. Why would he know it was the truth? Had she been told that her brother had been secretly keeping a dragon, visiting it every night, all while fooling everyone then she would have called them crazy. She would have needed to see it with her own eyes…

The nausea she was feeling grew as her mind came to the only conclusion that made sense, that he, or rather someone he trusted, had already confirmed the story. Even now she could feel through the bond that it was already too late.

"I was prepared to have you incarcerated for lying to your lord, but you don't seem like the lying type." Ozai looked as though he had smelled something bad, likely caused by his disgust at someone being unable to lie. "I had men sent out immediately to confirm your words and, once they did, had them set up a perimeter around the area. They have been waiting for the right time to act."

Azula met her father's eyes, growling at the smug satisfaction that was radiating off of him. It all made sense now. The reason she had been feeling so off today wasn't because she was being watched, it was coming from Sora. The dragon had likely sensed that something was wrong, but she was stuck in her clearing, surrounded by trees, animals, and other things that made her unable to figure it out.

Now she was here in the throne room, surrounded by guards and, worse, her father, unable to leave even if she resorted to force. They had been caught in his trap before they even knew he had set one up. The final part of his plan had already begun…

She was frozen for all of a second before she felt hurt through their bond, echoing that Sora had been hurt. "Don't you dare hurt her!" Azula surged to her feet before she could even think of the consequences, her blue flames flying from her hands to strike at the two guards nearest to her. Their hasty attempts to block her attack were useless, the two flying into the nearby pillars as they were hit.

Quickly turning towards the exit, Azula made to run but found herself blocked by half a dozen guards. Fruitless as she knew it was, she got into a stance, her fire licking at the edge of her fingertips. Just as she was preparing to make the first move, she felt heat approaching her back.

Quickly rolling out the way, she turned and found herself facing her father's thunderous face. "Have you lost your mind!? Attacking your own people for a stupid animal?" As he moved forward the guards around her approached as well, each of them now prepared for a battle. Her mind was working at lightning pace to find a way out of this situation, but she knew it was useless. She was surrounded, and to fight back would only make things worse. "Stand down, Azula. You have already brought enough shame to yourself as is."

Azula kept her stance for a few moments longer, the intense staredown making it seem as though time was completely slowed down. As they stood there, she felt Sora's pained roars as she was restrained under the force of countless firebenders, though they seemed intent on not causing her unnecessary harm. It was that thought that caused her to break out of her stance and slowly kneel to the ground, allowing the guards to restrain her,

If Sora wasn't in immediate danger, then it would be better to wait things out and try to make a plan from there. With that thought, she allowed herself to be guided out of the room without resistance plans flowing through her mind.

She paused for only one moment to look back at her father, glaring at him with utter fury. She could ignore a lot, but hurting Sora was unforgivable.

'He crossed the line this time.'