A harsh knock sounded on Zuko's door later that night. He knew who it was even before he opened the door, but he permitted his sister entrance anyways. Her expression was one of fury, though he didn't want to be on the receiving end, it was good to see her showing some form of emotion.

"What were you thinking?" Azula demanded, after a moment of enraged pacing.

"You need help." He sighed crossing his arms and turning to face his sister.

"I don't need help! I've already gotten help." Azula hissed, eyes alive with a fire of their own. "That's why I'm not in prison anymore. So you can stop trying to fix me."

"Azula, you don't talk to anyone, you don't smile, all you do is read and practice your bending. I miss you, the old you. Before father got his hands on you. We used to play and smile; have fun." Zuko couldn't help but smile at the memories.

"Maybe I like it that way. It's not your decision to dictate how I feel or how I act. I like being by myself." Azula straightened to her full height glaring up into her brother's eyes. "Accidents don't happen when I'm by myself. And as far as old memories go, it's the past. Things are different now and you better start accepting it. I am not the innocent girl I used to be."

"You don't give yourself a chance. You believe you're a bad person Azula and as long as you believe that, you'll never be happy." Zuko attempted to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder but Azula was quick to bat it away.

"I am a bad person Zuko." She glared at him for another moment and made a move to leave when there was another knock on the door.

"Come in." Zuko called. The door opened hesitantly and Ty Lee peered inside a bit bashfully. At first she didn't seem to notice Azula but once she did her expression shifted to one Zuko couldn't read.

"If I'm interrupting something I can come back later." She gave a timid smile trying to ease the clear tension.

"We were having a chat, nothing more." Azula replied bluntly. Zuko noticed the way she crossed her arms and held herself with incredible dignity. It was different from her usual posture, the way she'd seemed so relaxed and deadly. This was stiff, protective.

"I see." Ty Lee nodded, carefully stepping inside and holding the door open for Azula.

"Well I hope you enjoy your stay. I'm rather busy." Azula walked stiffly past the chi blocker and out the door closing it sharply behind herself.

"Listen, if I've done something wrong, and if it's going to make things bad here- I can leave." Ty Lee turned to Zuko having watched Azula leave.

"No, you're fine." Zuko promised. "Give her time. She's not eager to move past everything that happened. "

"She believes she's still a bad person doesn't she?" Ty Lee asked leaning on the wall.

"Yes." Zuko nodded.

"You know it was never either of your faults." Zuko tilted his head finding it odd the girl wasn't bubbly but serious for once. "When you're young like that you're susceptible to manipulation. Ozai re-wired her head, and yours."

"I know." Zuko smiled thinly. "But I don't think she's willing to give up on him yet."

"What do you mean?" Ty Lee asked, confusion clouding her features.

"I think a part of her deep down inside still believes that Father might have cared about her. How I used to feel about him." Zuko explained.

"But that's not true. He cared about no one besides ruling the world. He just tried to turn you two into his weapons." Ty Lee frowned her eyebrows creasing together.

"Indeed. Still, she'll have to come to the conclusion herself." A moment of silence passed between the two of them before Zuko continued. "You know, rather than avoiding one another you should talk to her. It may be a difficult conversation but I think it's necessary. One way or another."

"Fine, tomorrow then." Ty Lee promised. With that Zuko escorted her back to her room and returned to his own. Running a hand over his face he was more than eager to crawl into bed. This whole idea may have been more stressful than he intended. Still, he believed there was good that would come from it.

One way or another, whether the bond was healed or not, things would fix themselves. Thinking about his decisions for a moment or two longer it took him some time to ease his mind before falling asleep.

Azula, however, didn't sleep at all that night. How in the world could he do such a thing? Zuko of all people had to ruin everything she had going for her. Everything she'd finally put together for herself. Azula waited impatiently for the morning to come and at last she climbed out of bed and slunk outside going unspotted.

The air was much cooler in the morning than in the day. The chill was always nice, it woke her up, numbed her a bit. After a moment Azula began her games again. Fighting those invisible opponents until not a single one of them remained standing.

The sun would be teetering on the horizon soon enough. Then her power would be stronger. Not a single thing would be able to stop her, imaginary or not. Panting, Azula stopped in her attacks in an attempt to catch her breath.

Her lungs stung and her throat was dry but they were familiar feelings. Blinking sweat from her eyes Azula abandoned bending for the moment to sharpen up on her acrobatics. Combining the two made her twice as deadly.

Azula was lithe and capable of doing nearly anything she set her mind to but bending was first and acrobatics was second. The latter being a bit more foreign and thus resulting in many more mistakes.

"I see you remember how to double tuck." Azula stiffened glancing over her shoulder to see Ty Lee balancing on the edge of a planter box, feet in the air, arms acting as legs. The perfect hand stand.

Azula said nothing and did her best to focus back on the task at hand. She imagined projectiles thrown her way and commenced ducking and weaving, flipping, rolling, diving, every which way to avoid them.

What surprised her however, was when Ty Lee suddenly leapt in front of her and threw a quick punch. Azula, acting on instinct, blocked the attack. Her eyes widened for a split second before narrowing into slits.

Ty Lee gave her a coy little smile which only caused Azula's blood to boil.  In anger her palm ignited a bright blue and Ty Lee glanced down at the silent threat. Azula expected her to back off but instead the acrobat lashed out at her once again.

Azula leapt easily out of the way and spun striking back. Blue fire raced towards her former friend who ducked underneath it. Azula didn't let up, she wanted to be alone and Ty Lee refused to leave her be.

The acrobat was kept dancing due to Azula's persistent attacks; hardly able to get close at all, but they were both skilled at their craft. At last, Ty Lee took her opportunity to step in close to the princess, and with quick successive hits, disabled her bending.

With a growl Azula fell to her knees arms weak and chest aching from effort. Still the damn acrobat just looked at her with a smug amusement.

"Familiar isn't it?" Azula asked expression harsh.

"Yes." Ty Lee agreed and sat cross legged in front of the other girl. "I figured we should talk without you possibly melting my face."

"I don't want to talk." Azula snapped struggling to her feet.

"Maybe you don't want to, but maybe you need to." Ty Lee countered standing as well and stepping in front of the princess.

"You have no value to me anymore." Azula glared up at Ty Lee not used to the height difference. "You lost all respect ages ago."

"Yet you forgive Mai?" That question Azula hadn't expected to come from Ty Lee.

"There is a difference."

"Is there?" The acrobat questioned.

"Yes, I have no choice, she's someone I will see everyday as long as she and my brother remain romantically involved." That was the only explanation Azula was willing to give.

"Really? That's your answer. Or is there something more?" Azula wasn't used to being on the receiving end of such a smug and stoic person. She was used to dictating conversations and she certainly didn't like this role reversal.

"Mai was always distant, it's easier."

"I didn't see you as the type of person to take easy over difficult. What happened to liking a challenge?" Azula wanted to smack the girl in front of her. The way her eyebrows were arched infuriated her.

"I have no reason to answer you. Now move." Azula made an attempt to step around Ty Lee but the acrobat simply flipped back in front of her. "I command you to move."

"Sorry princess but I don't take orders from you anymore." Ty Lee shrugged. "I don't understand why it's so hard for you to talk. You used to be wonderful at making speeches."

"What will it take for you to leave me alone?" Azula snarled, her clenched fists smoking.

"An explanation. As to why you hate me. I can take it. I've dealt with your harshness before- it's nothing knew. I'd just like to know why." Ty Lee shrugged as if it were that simple. It wasn't simple. It had never been simple. Azula hardly knew herself until she'd thought long and hard about everything.

"Fine. You want to know why I hate you? It's because I trusted you. More than Mai. Always." Azula crossed her arms and straightened to her full height. The confession seemed to surprise Ty Lee. "I expected her to betray me for the sake of my stupid brother. I knew it was coming. But you, you surprised me. I never calculated your move."

"Azula, that was ages ago." Ty Lee laughed. "I thought you'd have moved past it by now."

"What you don't understand, Ty Lee,  is that you not only acted against me but you chi blocked me. Something you only reserved for enemies." The slow realization of the meaning behind her actions began to dawn on Ty Lee's face. "Even when we were younger Mai spent most of her time staring at Zuko. We were close but, you were the one who helped my schemes. Who explored this damned palace with me. You made it quite clear at the boiling rock where we would stand from then on. Enemies. Not friends."

"That's ridiculous!" Ty Lee shook her head. "Azula, did you ever think of seeing it from my point of view?"

"I don't see why I had to."

"You were going to kill Mai. I wasn't going to stand there and let you do that. Have that blood on your hands and later regret it. Besides, she's my friend too and I have the right to protect her. Your judgement was impaired." Ty Lee explained, walking alongside a very angry Azula who was trying to make her way back to the palace- alone.

"Maybe you're right." Azula admitted, pausing in her tracks to stare at the other girl with a heated gaze. "But you were the one person I knew I could count on when Mai, my brother, my mother, and my father failed. But I was wrong, and I never saw it coming, that's what makes it worse, because maybe I don't know you as well as I think I do."

"I'm still the same person." Ty Lee insisted. "Listen 'Zula-"

"Don't call me that!" Azula yelled this time. Her hands burst into flames.

"Azula, if you want an apology, I really am sorry. I never meant to hurt you. You're still my friend and I still care about you. I care about you and Mai because you are the people I grew up with. I was closer with you than my own family. Please, just give me a chance to make up for it."

Azula scowled and Ty Lee thought for a brief moment she was going to be burned to a crisp. "I don't know what you expect from me, but fine. Consider us friends."

"Thank you." Ty Lee sighed in relief, her voice uncharacteristically soft. "I really am sorry."

"Sorry changes nothing, I would know, I'm still a criminal." Azula replied stepping inside.

"You're not you know. A criminal, I mean. That wasn't you, that was the person your father made." Azula paused, intrigued by what the girl had to say. "This time, the second chance you have, is a way for you to be the person you never got to be. To be happy and excitable, anything you want. More than a strategist and bender. You get to be Azula not just the princess."

Azula lingered a moment longer before leaving Ty Lee outside. She knew the acrobat was right but the problem was Azula didn't want to change. She didn't know anything else but who she was now. Cold and harsh. She liked it that way and in all honesty she was scared to let her guard down.

Practically everyone Azula had ever known had taken advantage of her at some point. She intended for it to never happen again.