A/N: New chapter! Hope you guys enjoy. Let me know what you think.

Word Count: 6164

2. Leaving the Gaang… For Now (For His Horse, Peace and Maybe a Stray Princess)

Percy stayed on the deck of the ship for a while after that. Being company to the rather out-of-it Sokka. It was always rough, and he wasn't lying when he said it never got easier. You just became number. War was war, and indirect deaths were probably something he'd dealt with, but this kind of personal death, it was crushing. Percy knew that all too well.

After comforting him for a while, Katara and Toph came over to sit with the two of them. Percy stood up, leaving Sokka with his sister and friend, and got back to work. The soldiers moved all their prisoners below deck with Percy's help and began their journey. Their Water Tribe ships flanked the Fire Nation vessel before they were deposited in a secluded cove, away from all the prying eyes of the patrols of the Eastern Fleet.

Quickly, with all their crew now on board the one metal boat, they made their way back up the river, towards the lakes and then the Fire Nation. The days-long journey of monotony broken up by strategic meetings and spending quiet time with the kids. When they entered the West Lake, they diverted for the quick stop at his residence over by the side of the lake.

It didn't take too long. What with the frequent healing sessions of Aang, and just the general mood of the group, meant that the few days passed with a stagnation of anything interesting. The repetition of healing a welcome distraction, using Percy's ability to try and create more 'spirit water' as he'd heard Katara mumble a bunch of times. She still hadn't broached that topic with him, nor the fact that he could create hurricanes, but he figured that that was due to the fact that Aang was still very much unconscious.

The waterbender was deeply and overtly worried about her friend, that much was clear. The times when she wasn't forced to sleep by her friends and father, or healing Aang, she was either pacing the deck and checking up on him. Percy felt for her. It was always hard when your friend was critically injured and you felt you could've done something to change that. The guilt was always overwhelming, and in this case, the demigod felt it too.

If I hadn't left them in Ba Sing Se, if I'd have done more… No, it won't do anything to dwell on it.

Percy also had to take regular dips in the ocean, just to get his strength back. He didn't know what it was about his spirit water creation but it took a whole heap of energy out of the demigod, even though he'd only managed it a few times.

Toph and Sokka seemed unaware of his other skill of creating a storm, but the earthbender had picked up on something based off of the weird hovering she'd do around him. Like she wanted to ask a lot of questions.

But in no time at all, and with barely any words spoken, the group landed where Percy had directed. By that time, Aang's back seemed quite healthy. The mark was mostly gone, and he'd began to move around and mumble in his comatose state. Percy and Katara both took them as good signs.

With the airbender still unconscious, he would have to say goodbye to the group without him. Percy slipped into the kid's room before they landed ashore and gave him a goodbye. He wanted to write something with Riptide but it would've been quite useless. This world clearly didn't use English as a written language. He was still confused as to why they did use it as a spoken one but he'd long since decided not to question it.

Percy left the boat, noticing how Hakoda and Bato stood off to the side. He didn't particularly mind but he was going to have to fight with them at some point, so he gave them a respectful nod as he walked up to them. The awake members of the Avatar's group stood on the shore, giving him a small opportunity to speak with the Water Tribe soldiers.

"Hakoda," He went up to them. "look, I get it."

"No, Percy. You were right. It… wasn't the right thing to do or say."

Percy shrugged.

"It's war. It's difficult to find a line between right and wrong. I just didn't appreciate how quickly you went against my decision." Hakoda looked sad at that. "It's something I go out of my way to avoid. Killing people, that is."

They both winced at that.

"But we've got a war to win. So, see you for the invasion?" Percy continued. He held out his arm for the handshake. Or was it an arm shake?

"Until the invasion, kid." The shake was reciprocated, and Percy shrugged off the slightly patronising words, as he knew it wasn't intended. He did hear the relief in Hakoda's tone.

The demigod gave another nod to Bato, before going down the ramp towards his friends. Sokka was starting to look and act more like himself, though still hesitant and withdrawn. Sitting with Percy those few days had apparently helped him a little. Percy approached the boy, taking him to the side slightly.

"Hey Sokka, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine. It's just…"

"Yeah, I get it. I really do. But it's a feeling you need to hold onto. It'll keep you sane. And hey, talking to people always helps. I'll see you for your invasion plan, right?" Percy gave the younger teen a pat on the back. Sokka seemed to gain a certain resolve after that. Good, he'll need it.

Percy let him think on that, while going over to his healing partner. He put a hand on either shoulder gaining her attention.

"Keep Aang safe, Katara." She looked up him, with a slight red tint to her cheeks. Yeah, nope. "I believe Aang and you have a lot more adventures ahead in your life, so keep up with the healing. And tell him when he wakes, that I'm thinking of him, and believe in him."

Katara nodded, downcast at the reminder over the airbender's predicament. Percy went over to Toph.

"Hey, Stompy." It seemed she was covering her emotions slightly.

"Hey Toph. Could I get your help on something before you all head off?"

"Yeah, sure, what's up?"

"I just need you to put up some foundations for me. I've got a little project I want to build in between now and the invasion."

"Why not?" She shrugged. The earthbender seemed to be trying to pull off nonchalant, although she looked quite happy about helping him.

The siblings followed along after the two, and they made their way over towards his cave. He began to hear the distant cawing of a specific loudmouth animal.

"Uh oh." Percy said.

"What?" Katara asked.

"There seems to be something running at us up ahead." Toph interjected. That got the siblings in a battle position. "It's… an ostrich horse?" She sounded quite bewildered.

"Yeah, she's mine. Or I guess, she chose me? I don't know the specifics of our arrangement." Percy was getting quite confused looks from everyone.

Said ostrich horse leapt over a boulder in between them and the cave and bowled into the demigod. The rest of his friends stepped in to protect him, but were cut short by his raised hand and words.

"Hey girl," He croaked out. Percy began stroking the feathers on her neck. "Sorry I was away for a while." His friends all seemed frozen as the ostrich horse sat on top of him.

'Sorry?! You're sorry?! You left me alone for weeks! What have you got to say for yourself?!'

The part squawk part neigh that followed was probably something he should've guessed and wasn't very suited to the young audience around him. It was an indignant sound that seemed to tell the rest of the group that couldn't understand her exactly what she was saying.

"Yeah, I know. It's been too long. I'll see if I can get you some special feed. Will that make up for it?"

Sokka interrupted by asking the question he'd kinda hoped he'd be able to avoid. He shouldn't have thought himself so lucky.

"You can understand the ostrich horse?!"

"Don't be stupid, Sokka. He obviously can't understand an ostrich horse, right?" Katara turned to him.

"Yeah, no. I can't do that." The demigod said, with the certainty that he was about to be corrected.

"You're lying!" Came the confused, startled question from his favourite earthbender. "How are you lying?!"

"He's lying?!" Both Water Tribe kids screamed.

"Is that not what I said?!"

"Guys, can we-" Percy paused because he was breathing rather heavily. He hadn't quite appreciated just how heavy his companion was before then. "Oof, can we just skip this part? And Hei," she snapped at him with her beak before ruffling her feathers in a dramatic attempt to 'get comfortable', "sorry, but I don't have a name for you yet. And you are heavy."

His companion huffed contemptuously, but started to pushed herself off of him. 'You're not fucking comfortable anyway.'

"Okay, thanks. Now-"

"You can speak ostrich horse? And summon winds like an airbender?" Katara asked.

"HE CAN WHAT?!" Both Toph and Sokka yelled. Gods, why did they have to yell so loud? They both turned to him. "YOU CAN WHAT?!"

"Alright, guys. It's just…" he sighed. "It's basically like my earth powers. My dad could do it, so I can do it. That's literally all there is to it. But now you know all of them."

"I guess that's why the ostrich horse bowed to you in Ba Sing Se. I mean, I knew you were lying about a lot on Serpent's Pass but… really? You can summon winds like Aang?" Toph said.

Percy got up once his ostrich horse had clawed her way off his chest. The rest of the group was still looking at him in disbelief.

"Mostly, yeah, and you can metalbend." He gave Toph an impressed nod before winking. "Big whoop. Now, about this favour so you guys can go help your actual airbender and prepare for the invasion. I just need" Percy paused to look at them all, finally his eyes settled on Sokka "some time alone. Just to process…everything that's happened. It was all way too much too soon."

They all definitely had a lot more questions but the three of them had understanding looks on their faces. It was clear that everything that happened had took its toll on them all. Katara most obviously, with the Aang situation, and Sokka with his confrontation with mortality. Toph just looked like she didn't want Percy to leave.

They moved around the boulder, the ostrich horse trotting alongside, to a small clearing that stood just to the side of Percy's cave entrance.

"Welcome to my humble home." He said, dramatically. That seemed to lighten up the mood again. "So Toph, how about this? I want to build a house for myself. A proper one, one that's not in a cave. But it'd be awesome if I had a floor and foundations of compacted earth. Just to keep it sturdy and together if the water level rises. Or I accidentally flood it."

She nodded, and seemed to prepare herself for it. Before Percy knew it, what looked to be something akin to hardened rock was built, with a bunch of pillars, a floor and some steps up to the front.

"You sure you don't want anything more, Big Foot?"

Percy laughed at that. It obviously wasn't a myth they had here, based on Katara and Sokka's lack of a reaction, making it even funnier for him. It was just a nickname about his heavy footsteps from Toph. She seemed proud that it got the reaction it did, if not a little bit confused as to why. His laughter came to an abrupt end.

"No, it's all good. I'm planning on working away at it. Some timber would be good, but I can get that myself."

He gestured to the surrounding woods with his arms. Toph nodded and they all moved back to shore towards their vessel.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now." Katara said. She ran up to him and gave him a big hug. "Stay safe. We'll see you soon." She wiped a small tear from her cheek. "And thank you so much, for everything. Ba Sing Se, Aang, helping my brother. Just, everything." She pulled back and Percy gave her arms a squeeze.

Sokka came up and gave him the Water Tribe arm shake. "Thanks." He nodded.

"Hey, if you're ever in need of more sword fighting tips, or just, you know, experience, you know where to find me. And remember what I said before."

Sokka seemed grateful for that. The two siblings wander off back to the ramp, heading up to the deck. Toph remained with him.

"I'm not going to miss you, you know."

"I know. Neither will I."

Toph just smiled to herself. "You're lying."

"I know. I wasn't the only one."

She seemed to snivel after he said that, before she quite literally crushed him in a hug, trapping his arms to his side so he could only pat her back.

"I'm going to miss you too." Percy said.

She wiped her face on his robes, but he didn't particularly care. Toph released him from her clutches, only for her to give him her hardest punch yet. Right in the gut. Literally.

He doubled over slightly, watching her teary smirk as she wandered back down towards the ship. Percy could breathe again once the ramp came up and the whole group was standing on deck to wave him goodbye. He returned them, and watched until they were far enough away before turning and heading back to his cave.

Now, I've got a satchel to find and a house to build. And maybe see if I can get that annoying sea serpent to help out their ship too. He thought, before getting bulldozed once more by a very delightful ostrich horse and her loud expletives.

Azula had killed a child.

Killing wasn't something she'd ever taken pleasure in. It'd been a lot more duty than excitement. The manipulation, cunning and strategies were what she lived for, or what she had lived for, but the killing, not so much.

And then she had to kill a kid. Someone five years her junior. Directly to the back. No one could survive that. Percy could. She desperately shook her head. It wasn't the time to think about him yet. No, she was trying to deal with that fact that she'd killed him. Yes, he was the Avatar, and yes, they were at war, but he was what? 12?

He was the enemy. You have done the Fire Nation proud. The voice that was gradually deepening in tone in her mind talked again. It had become practically insistent ever since that day below Ba Sing Se. He was a child! He was the Avatar!

She stood behind a balcony overlooking the Fire Nation. Lo and Li were spieling about her victory, and the return of her brother, but she was in a whole different world. A hollowness had entered her and decided not to leave. The roaring of the crowds outside were dull to her senses. What she'd usually prided herself in, and revelled in, now fell on deaf ears.

At hearing her name called out, she walked forward to the cheers of the Fire Nation, and could only look out to the horizon. Percy was still out there, and she was still very much sleepless. The journey back to the capital, with that stupid excuse for a captain, hadn't at all helped her insomnia.

At the announcement of her brother, the crowd rose even louder than it did for her. She was slightly annoyed, he was banished and she'd done all the work. He'd just returned with his scar that looked partially healed somehow. But that was pushed to the very depths of her mind. She felt rather lifeless as she drifted back away from the crowd after the ceremony was complete.

She knew that no matter how much makeup her servants and maids used, the dark circles under her eyes would most likely shine through. Her ragged appearance was only kept together by those around her. And those around her annoyed the princess to no end.

Mai and Ty Lee were both in…confusing moods. Azula hadn't been able to piece it together. Ty Lee looked wistful, yet sorrowful, which was an odd combination, especially for someone like her. Mai, on the other hand, looked quite pleased with herself. That wasn't too much of a surprise, as she was around Zuko a lot more. Azula was quietly pleased about her friend's happiness. Not that she'd ever say that to anyone. And as long as she was Mai's priority.

(-)

After yet another sleepless night, Azula came upon Zuko sitting over the pond with turtle ducks in it. She'd never liked them. The mother was always so… protective. As a child, she'd thrown many a thing at them. Splashing them too. It used to be good training when she was a kid. Then here Zuko was, feeding them like she'd seen her mother do so often.

As soon as she arrived, the turtle ducks swam off quickly. Typical. Weak.

"You seem so downcast. Has Mai gotten to you already? Though actually, Mai has been in a strangely good mood lately."

"I haven't seen Dad yet. I haven't seen him in three years, since I was banished."

"So what?"

Zuko's angst really could grate on her nerves a lot of the time.

"So, I didn't capture the Avatar."

"Who cares? The Avatar is dead."

Zuko looked directly at her. Interesting, so he doesn't think the Avatar is still alive. Good, it means he's dead. Which means I killed a child! She shook herself, intent on getting Zuko back in her web of manipulation.

"Unless you think he somehow miraculously survived." Azula continued.

"No. There is no way. The waterbender had spirit water from the north pole. She used it on me instead."

Oh… Excellent! The second voice only got deeper, sounding more masculine. The two teens glared at each other. It did explain how he'd gotten his scar somewhat healed though, she was grateful for that nugget of information.

"Well, then I'm sure you have nothing to worry about. I was wondering why there was more of your good side than when you were banished?" Azula asked.

The princess had a plan, one where she'd become the Fire Lord, but she needed her brother to fear for his position if it was all going to work out in her favour. She needed him to need to come to her. And worrying over the Avatar being alive was the perfect way, but it seemed Azula was trapped, having killed a child. Well, there are other ways you can get your brother to fear you.

Zuko stood, lightly throwing the rest of the bread into the pond for the now scattered turtle ducks. Her brother seemed to skulk away, probably back to Mai, until he was out of sight.

Azula, for the first time in her life, sat down by the edge of the pool. With no intention of burning or throwing anything at the stupid, peaceful, weak turtle ducks.

After minutes of silence, and some peace, she felt quite calm. There were little sounds in the palace, as their war was pretty much a success. Life had slowed to a calmness that seemed to be reflected in the pool of water in front of her.

The water sloshing about behind the animals settled her heartrate slightly.

The princess' eyes started to droop as she heard the distant humming from the back of her mind. Slowly letting it take over her, she felt the gentle caress of a brush through her hair once more. A look in her reflection showed her that indeed, no one was anywhere near her, and the little area of greenery was completely empty. But the humming persisted.

Her mother's tones, the ones that she never got as a child, penetrated through her anxieties and her stresses. Right as her eyes were about to close, the face of Ursa came right over her shoulder. The princess didn't have the energy to be surprised, after days of fatigue, and let sleep overcome her.

(-)

Azula woke in a meditation-like pose. Legs crossed over each other, arms comfortably in her lap. One she'd been in before a thousand times over, but never slept in. She didn't know how long she'd been there, but the princess could tell that it was more than a few hours, based on the position of the sun.

In that time, the turtle ducks appeared to have completely forgotten her presence. Or at least, forgotten the implications of her presence. They swam amiably in front of her, carelessly, following on behind their mother. Looking down at the water, she was tempted to burn them for their naivety, but something held her back.

The way the animals moved with an almost purposeful innocence. Sliding around the little pond, ducking and weaving without a care in the world. The mother, to the new baby turtle ducks, always hovering around, making sure they didn't get lost or go astray. She momentarily saw the face of her mother once more, looking back at her from the water, reminding her of how she'd fallen asleep.

Why do I keep seeing Ursa? The traitor! She called me a monster, she thought me a monster, why would she… help me sleep? She can't have been here.

Her refreshed brain started to work again and she remembered she had the meeting with her father. Picking herself up, and corralling some of the hair that had fallen out of place, she walked briskly to the Fire Lord's meeting room.

Barely pausing at the Fire Nation seal on the cloth door, or noren, she entered the blazing chamber. She was to meet the Fire Lord before her brother, as she intended, and it seemed Zuko hadn't been there. Azula moved to the front, coming to the base of the flames and kneeling deeply. The princess didn't realise it at first, but her pulse began to race, her palms became sweaty and her hands began to shake. It was all too normal for it to happen to her, in this room.

"Your mission was a success, my daughter. And I'm proud of you for bringing back your brother. You're a Fire Nation hero. You captured your traitor of an uncle, gave your brother his redemption. Tell me which one of my children killed the Avatar?"

Azula smiled internally, ignoring how she was clenching and unclenching her fists.

"It was my brother, Prince Zuko. He was the one who slayed the Avatar." She paused, collecting herself. "There was another bender there."

"And why is that any importance to me, Azula?" He asked, with contempt.

Think Azula, think. Tell the truth! The deep voice echoed around her head much like her father's echoed around the chamber. No, this could work. This could work for me.

"Because, father, he could bend multiple elements."

"WHAT?!" Well that certainly got his attention. "Another Avatar?!"

"I don't know, father. But he's a waterbender. One who could summon storms and shake the earth." She could feel her father's eyes boring down on her.

"Where is he?"

"He left Ba Sing Se with the body of the Avatar."

It took all the willpower within herself to not flinch and stutter when speaking about the child she killed.

"Well, he needs to be dealt with then. Azula, you shall once again bring honour to our family, and the nation, by ending this bender. He is an unnatural stain on our prosperity."

Azula smiled to herself. It was one of the only times she'd ever successfully manipulated her father. It wasn't something she was able to do often, purely for her own benefit over his. She absolutely wanted to go be the one to find Percy, but she really wasn't sure what she wanted to do with or to him just yet.

"And by your return, I expect that, now you've reached the marrying age, you'll be accepting suitors."

The new topic absolutely threw Azula off. No, he can't. He can't do that to me!

"Father?" She questioned, somewhat shakily.

"We will discuss it more when you return with the savage's head." He dismissed her, with a wave of his hand, as though he hadn't just dropped a bomb on the sixteen-almost-seventeen-year-old.

The voices, that had quieted once more after her nap, had come back after the meeting with her father. The deeper voice was especially loud. Kill the savage! Father can't! I… I will be the Fire Lord. Why would he do that to me?

Azula walked out of the throne room, thoughts rattling around her head. Deciding that it wouldn't do her any favours to think on it for too long, she focused on her upcoming trip. I can figure my way out of that later.

Now, whether to bring along her friends.

There were still a few hours left before she'd have to subject herself to yet another sleepless night. The pond earlier a momentary respite. Azula's internal dialogue was disgusted at herself for letting herself fall asleep in a weak position, and due to a traitor no less. In those few hours, Zuzu would be meeting with their father. She could get her friends organised before the princess had to go to bed, and the inevitable Zuko interruption would occur.

Azula made her way through the corridors of the Fire Nation palace towards Zuko's room. Mai would definitely be there, as she hadn't so much as left his side since he'd come home. Well, with the exception of sometimes gossiping with Ty Lee, which was quite odd to Azula. Mai was acting a lot more open about everything.

She knocked on the door once she arrived, impatiently. Mai's head poked its way in between the frame and door, before opening it completely once she saw who was there.

"Azula." She greeted the princess with a smile, which was very unbecoming of the Mai from a few weeks ago, but was beginning to become the new norm. Her voice was still as monotonous as ever though. "What brings you here?"

The firebender saw that she was indeed alone in her brother's room. Rolling her eyes, only slightly disgusted at what could've possibly been going on in there, she got down to business.

"I have a new mission from my father." Mai looked a little downtrodden at that news. "I'm going to track down Percy. He's a threat to the Fire Nation."

Her friend looked very conflicted in front of her, as they both stood, awkwardly separated by the door frame.

"So, you're bringing Ty Lee and I with you?" She said, slightly disheartened.

And until then, Azula's answer would've been a certain yes. But looking at Mai, in that moment, she decided that maybe, just maybe, she would be better off alone. Or only with Ty Lee. Maybe.

"No," that surprised the girl, "well, I thought about it, but no."

Mai seemed to be rather pleased at that, which kind of made it worth it for her. Weakness will get you burned. She shook of the deep voice, aided by her most recent nap. The sleep really did help her keep a lid on all of them.

"Why?"

Azula didn't really have an answer for Mai. Not one that didn't sound… very unlike Azula.

"You've got to keep an eye on my brother for me. Don't want him getting burned again." And with that, before Mai could push any more of her weakness out of her, Azula went off to find the other part of their trio. Still with absolutely no idea whether or not she wanted to come.

She didn't miss the excitedness of Mai, who seemed all too pleased to be staying with her boyfriend. As much as Azula needed to be the priority, she found herself smiling at it nonetheless.

When she knocked on Ty Lee's door, she was treated to a much more different mood. The girl looked worried, and nervous. Azula had picked up on it, slightly. It'd been a busy few days since the fall of the Earth Kingdom. They'd barely spoken. That worry was pushed aside by the gymnast, who was clearly trying to hide it from the princess.

"Azula!" She said, a little too brightly. "What's up?"

Ty Lee sprung back to her bed, before patting to her side, indicating Azula to sit next to her. Azula, to her own surprise, obliged.

"Not too much. I have been told to track down Percy by my father."

Ty Lee gasped, before quickly recovering.

"So, what are you gonna do?"

Her grey-eyed friend began to fiddle, as though she wanted to do something with her hands. Azula turned to the side, remembering how much Ty Lee had enjoyed doing her hair when in the desperately tired state she'd been in. Much to her amusement, Ty Lee jumped at the opportunity, undoing her bun, before starting to redo it again.

"I'm not sure." Azula said, quite honestly. She was feeling off about what she was saying. It's not right! You know what's right. "I have to bring him in or…" she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"It's for the good of the Fire Nation. He's a threat." She continued.

Azula noticed her friend pause slightly at her implication. That was suspicious to the princess. As far as she was aware, they'd only interacted with each other once or twice when he was in the cell on the tank train, and then when they were fighting by the drill. Since when did she worry about what happened to him? Her eyes narrowed slightly.

Fear is the only reliable way.

As soon as Ty Lee had finished with her hair, and finding it quite annoying that she'd done it much better than her servants, she pulled away from her friend. The gymnast's maintained silence on the topic was also weighing on the back of Azula's mind. She always made her opinion of things known, and had barely any kind of filter. So, the only reason she would've withheld anything would be because it was in direct opposition to what she'd said.

A now familiar feeling bubbled in her stomach, making her angry and annoyed. It was the same feeling she'd had when hearing about Percy's talks with her friends, or when hearing about Percy from that annoying Kyoshi Warrior.

Finally, Ty Lee spoke up.

"So, when are we leaving?"

It was said in a much more nervous tone. One matching her face when she'd opened the door. Was this what she was thinking about before I came? About the savage! About him? Flushed with the growing feeling, Azula let her fire appear in her palm.

"No. The Fire Lord has ordered it to just be me to bring him in. Zuko killed the Avatar, I'll kill Percy."

She turned and didn't miss the flinch from Ty Lee, that could've been from any number of reasons. Her piercing gaze, the fire, the way she'd said it. But Azula was feeling slightly petty, and a whole bunch of other emotions.

She also knew it was a bad lie. A terrible one, actually. The second part was mostly true, but she'd already told Mai a completely different story. The princess didn't particularly care at the moment, she didn't like how her friend seemed to be around the person she was supposed to bring in or kill.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow. I need you to keep an eye on Mai for me." She stood and walked to the door. "That is all."

(-)

Azula lay on her bed, still thinking over her talk with her friends. Adding those anxieties to her Percy problem wasn't something that did her brain or sleep cycle any favours.

She couldn't help the voices that argued over whether or not she'd been fair to the both of them. Or whether or not fairness was at all necessary. Thankfully, the predictability of her brother's fretting calmed her.

I've still got it. She thought, right as he entered the doorway.

"Why'd you do it?"

Azula smiled with her eyes closed. Oh, this is just too easy.

"You're going to have to be a little more specific."

"Why did you tell Father that I was the one who killed the Avatar?"

"Can't this wait until morning?"

"It. Can't."

Azula sighed at her brother, dramatically.

"Fine. You seemed so worried about how Father would treat you because you hadn't captured the Avatar. I figured if I gave you the credit, you'd have nothing to worry about."

"But why?"

She got out of bed, stretching her arms up high. In her silky-smooth voice, she spoke to him, her patronising thinly veiled.

"Call it a generous gesture. I wanted to thank you for your help and I was happy to share the glory."

"You're lying." Well duh.

"If you say so…"

She walked past him towards the door. Her lack of sleep meant that she was starting to want to return to that stupid pond.

"You have another motive for doing this, I just haven't figured out what it is."

"Please Zuko, what ulterior motive could I have? What could I possibly gain by letting you get the glory of defeating the Avatar?" She approached him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Unless, somehow, the Avatar was actually alive. All that glory would suddenly turn to shame and foolishness. But you said it yourself, that was impossible."

She grinned internally at his inner conflict shown clearly on his face. You're making this too easy, Zuzu.

Her brother was about to leave, and she was about to tell him to sleep well, before he paused at the door.

"No, the Avatar is dead. There's no way. That's not the reason you told him what you did. And why did you tell him about Percy?"

Azula hadn't thought he'd asked that. She'd been too busy with her friends to think about if their father would tell Zuko of his new plan.

The princess was annoyed that her manipulation hadn't had the desired effect. It was the first time that Zuko hadn't caved to one of her plans, and she hated it. She also despised the way those words pierced her once more. The death of the boy, the murder, felt like it was pulling her to the depths of an ocean.

"Because he's a threat. You saw him."

"I did. And even your lightning couldn't do anything to him. And I now hear from Mai that she's staying here instead of going out to find him with you."

"Do you have a question, Zuzu?" Trying to throw him off balance with his nickname. This time, however, it didn't work.

"How do you plan on defeating him? I heard he took on a whole group of firebenders and soldiers and won."

Mai must've been talking a lot about Percy. Azula's eyes were slits as she looked on her brother.

"What are your real plans for him? He can airbend, and it seemed he could waterbend as well." Zuko kept berating her with questions.

"And-"

She stopped herself before she could correct him. Habits of their childhood reared their ugly head. Azula being competitive and prideful about knowing more than him. And shoving it in his face.

"And what, Azula?" Zuko seemed to be very interested.

"Why don't you ask your girlfriend, brother?"

"What else can he do, Azula?"

She rolled her eyes at him, bringing back some semblance of control to the conversation. At least now we're not talking about my plans with Percy. Which were, annoyingly, still undecided.

"It seems he's able to earthbend too. But I have to leave very early in the morning, so, sleep well Zuzu." Azula didn't miss the look of recognition on her brother's face, and it intrigued her.

"Could it be him?" She heard him mumble. A sound that carried very well through the deathly quiet room. She laid down in bed, rolling over to turn her back to him.

Hearing the patter of his feet as he left her to her thoughts, Azula realised she most certainly wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. I'm going to have to get him to stop talking about the waterbender with me. The last time she'd seen him, his obsession with the Avatar had taken priority. Maybe that's the way to gain control again.

But what about Percy?

A/N: So there's the chapter. Things are beginning to change as the ripples of Percy widen. A lot of Azula, setting up a whole bunch of character changing and defining events.

Quite a bit of criticism about how the last chapter ended, and most of it has been fair. If this story just isn't for you, then I can't really change your mind. But what I will say, is that there is a difference between a Percy that you specifically want to read, and a reasonable/canon-accurate Percy. Post-HoO, we have two examples of him being given potential world-ending events, both times he lets other people handle it in order to live in normalcy (and it's not his destiny/prophecy). This first book was him having to leave that mindset behind. That's his whole arc. I'm also not going to spoil what I am going to change, because I don't want to ruin it. But I will say more than half of this will be non-canon, and a lot more will diverge from canon.
The Hakoda stuff, that's what's called a trigger. He has spent years being used for the gods war, so at the mention of being "used" by Hakoda, he reacted the way he did. He still said he'd fight, this chapter we see that (like I tried to imply in the previous chapter) he was always going to fight with the kids. He just took offense to being "used". He's not shying away from it, and he'll stand up when necessary.

Anyways, let me know what you guys thought of this chapter. Some review replies:

Gabe1234: I'm glad you enjoyed! On the love stuff, it'll be interesting. I hope my plan can be written as well as I've got it figured out in my head. Sokka will have a whole semi-arc that'll influence him more when Percy rejoins them all. There are a bunch of ways that I'm going to take it. It'll also be used as another argument in the debate between Aang's pacifism and Percy's... let's say moral relativism.

Jctherebel/WildMan98/Snowbot/HellRaiderS/GoofyTnT/Tom2801/IAmOutOfIdeas/unseenw0lf/Death Fury/screwthefates1806: Thank you all! We'll continue to see it all, Percy's ideals will, as always, be tested and you see a little more of Azula functioning without sleep here. There's a reason for it all.

BloodyWyvern: I hope you could read the paragraph above. You don't have to agree, but that is the reasoning. He never shied away, only reacted to Hakoda's poor use of words. He absolutely will stand up against the Fire Nation, but he's also a lot more mature in how he approaches things like this (as seen in Trials of Apollo if you've read it). He has committed to the war effort now, and always planned to post-catacombs. Hope yo enjoy what I do with it.

Artorias78: That's probably true. Peace is most likely a better thing for her character to find, at least first. It will absolutely be harder than Zuko's due to exactly what you said. You'll just have to wait and see (and hopefully like)

Riptide50: It's an interesting thought. I am trying to keep Percy's mechanics of how his powers work separate from the atla powers, as they are different. But it'd be interesting. Perhaps he just sees better through them, like a night vision goggles type effect *shrugs*

YungTurd: He isn't? If you're referring to the Hakoda stuff, then please read the above paragraph to hopefully understand where I'm coming from. If not, then idk, you weren't very specific.

Inana: Idk if you're going to read this as you say you're stopping, which I won't try to make you not do. This story won't be for everyone. On what's changed, characters have. That's the most interesting aspect of the story for me, and it doesn't mean that the story won't change, but it's my focus. I wrote this to see a realistic arc of Azula when compared to Zuko, and what's the point in fanfics if you're going there. Not to bang her, but to see how she can grow when given her own good influence (like Iroh for Zuko).
A post-series Azula was put in the asylum and would have none of the character development of this Azula, plus it'd lose all the interest of being in the avatar world. To have to write Percy doing what? Being her literal therapist? I've had people complain about that on this story and that's with barely any of it. I would say that would be so much less interesting.
On the nostalgia... I literally can't do that. I watched it for the first time less than a year ago. The ATLA writing IS excellent, and while it does have it's flaws, they're few and far between. After Book 2 is some of the best writing in the show, so I don't know where you're getting that from. I haven't read the Kuvira comics, but the Azula one didn't do her justice at all... hence my want to write a story like this. The romance wasn't terrible, but it never was a romance show. It had realistic relationships between children that have complexities that very few cartoons have. Kataang wasn't the best but they were children.
I don't think Percy being 'boss level' has any impact on whether events change really. It's more about what characters would decide to do given the situation, and a post-HoO Percy has shown to canonically let others fulfil their own destinies for a chance at normalcy, so he had to have consequences for his inaction.
In the last chapter, I'm pretty sure I've already answered those points so I'll just say, it was never about 'not fighting'. And those deaths being on his shoulders is a thing that I wanted. He isn't perfect, why would I write a character like that. And it was a decision he made and it had consequences.
This was only this long as you're anonymous, I would've put most of this in a PM.

Lady Hemera: Couple points, I get the pattern thing, but they're for character reasons. She absolutely is caught in a tug of war between two ideals, but the italics (when not described as a soft/traitorous voice) is 100% her own thoughts for exactly that reason. And I agree, which is why they're more the manifestations of those two outside forces into internal conflict of character. I do agree that Azula needs agency over her own decisions and that's why she does have her own internal voice. I get that and I appreaciate the constructive criticism. Hope I helped you understand a little better what I was trying to do.

I will ask that if you do have quite long reviews, that I'm always open to a PM as well. Definitely leave a review if you want, but I'd much rather open up a discourse. Otherwise it's like I'm speaking at a brick wall for a week. Anyways, hope you enjoyed, sorry that got a bit long.

-PS