Azula was thankful for the new project. It was a distraction that was well needed. She spent an entire week locked away in her room writing letter after letter. They were sent all across the nations requesting volunteers for the United Forces. She had yet to receive replies but that was expected. People were busy.

She had eaten little through this entire process, hardly noticed her family coming and going replacing old food with new. It was just ink on paper. That was the priority. Once that was accomplished she eagerly moved on to finding provisions.

Not only would military personnel be needed but supplies, engineers, communication systems, maps and routes to follow, updated technology, specific job training, funding, public propaganda. It was a cauldron of things people often didn't realize.

Her mind didn't cease racing until mountains of paper in organized piles rested on her desk. Azula could be seen merely as a ghost moving about the palace delivering her propositions to messengers.

When heading to the local smith they tried to deny the princess' order of supplies to be sent to the ship yard. They claimed legal documents were needed. Azula of course had thought three paces ahead.

She traversed legal qualifications and necessities with lighting speed even Zuko couldn't accomplish. The entire nation was sent into a buzz within days. The ship yards were alive building armored vessels. Experimental aircrafts were being tested. New motorized vehicles were under building plans.

The economy was stimulated for the first time in ages with jobs being in high demand. Zuko was impressed to see the nation let out a sigh it had been holding since the end of the war. Many people had suffered greatly and been thrust into poverty, they were now presented with an opportunity to climb free.

Though Azula was seen very little throughout the palace she was in a frenzy of action. Zuko had been sitting at his desk late one night when Azula practically kicked the door off its hinges, marched in, and slammed a bill on his desk.

Zuko glanced over it. "You understand finances are the treasury's job."

"Their calculations are six months behind." Azula replied curtly. "That's a current estimate. Three percent increase in production, ten percent decline in poverty, eight percent decrease in public dismay, four percent decrease in infant death due to poverty, thirteen percent increase for royal funding, nine percent decrease in missed taxes."

Zuko glanced at his sister with wide and surprised eyes. "Wonderful work."

Azula said nothing. She gave him a curt nod before turning on her heel and leaving him to shake his head in disbelief.

Word eventually flooded the streets that the princess was responsible for this rare upsurge in opportunity. They were demanding a public appearance and had been for nearly a month. When Zuko mentioned the idea to Azula she refused on each occasion.

It wasn't until he pleaded with Ty Lee that an interesting answer occurred. Ty Lee visited the princess late at night, the candles were still burning as Azula scribbled frantically on a sheet of paper.

"How does your hand not go numb?" Ty Lee questioned leaning on the doorframe.

"One learns to bear pain." Azula mumbled reading over her work.

"What's that for?" Ty Lee asked letting her head rest on the door frame as well.

"It's a letter of recommendation." Azula explained dryly. "An earth kingdom general I've researched. I've reviewed all of his records reaching back decades."

"I see." Ty Lee smiled slightly.

"I'm assuming you came here on my brother's request. Do you always run his errands?" Azula asked finally looking up from her work to see Ty Lee. She was thrown off by the girl's slack appearance.

Ty Lee was always well put together, she took pride in her careful appearance. It seemed the girl had already dressed for bed. It couldn't be that late? Oh, but it was.

The hall's soft light sent a small halo around Ty Lee's form. The acrobat's hair wasn't pulled back like normal. Not to mention the thin pink pajamas the servants had given her. God why was it always pink? Certainly she'd have been annoyed of the color by now. Apparently not.

"He wants me to encourage you to make a public appearance." Ty Lee hardly finished her sentence before Azula's face twisted into one of disgust and she slammed a white knuckled fist into her desk.

"Damn it! When will he learn to leave me be?" The latter part of the sentence was meant for Azula's ears alone, but Ty Lee was well aware of what had been said. "Tell him I said no."

Ty Lee was surprised by the quietness with which Azula had spoken the last sentence. She sounded so tired. "You understand he just wants what's best for you."

"No one wants that." Azula's writing hand was shaking most likely from over use. It had been a long time since Ty Lee had seen Azula so tired and frazzled.

"You'd be surprised." Ty Lee laughed. Before Azula could begin writing again Ty Lee crossed the room and carefully took the brush away. "May you answer a question of mine?"

"I've been answering questions for the past month or so." Azula replied. "I assume, however, that my refusal won't stop you. It never did before."

Ty Lee ignored the attempted insult and pressed on. "Why are you so against making a public appearance? You flourish in the eye of victory, your speeches were the highlight of the nation for so long."

"They were speeches meant to intimidate and corrupt. My image is associated with nothing more than a manipulator of the people." Azula replied coldly, her actions were aggressive as she organized documents.

"The people? Azula, the people are asking for you. Do you have any idea what this scheme of yours has done for them? This plan to unite an international force has stimulated economies world wide. Trade is being renewed. Exchanges of parts and goods are relieving poverty stricken communities." Ty Lee couldn't understand why Azula wouldn't want to revel in that success. Why she wouldn't want to smile at the good she'd spread.

"They wish for a speech?" Azula asked ignoring what Ty Lee had said.

"Well yea-"

"Then I will write one." Azula reached for a blank piece of parchment. Ty Lee smiled and made a move to hug Azula in celebration. The princess held up a hand stopping her friend. "You will deliver it."

"What?" Ty Lee asked in utter surprise.

"You think people won't take this opportunity to humiliate me?" Azula questioned and if Ty Lee hadn't been looking carefully, she'd have missed the flash of fear hidden in Azula's eyes. "It's naive to believe such a thing. The public needs a new face, someone likeable, someone they can relate to. Another person who has come from rags to riches."

"I've never made a speech to thousands of people." Ty Lee could feel the panic forming inside her chest.

"Which is why I'll teach you." Azula replied firmly. "Now go, I have plans to finish."

Ty Lee blinked. "Do you ever rest?"

"As long as my demons wake I will never sleep." Azula's eyes returned to the paper in front of her. "Now go, please."

Ty Lee didn't expect the please. She expected a demand, but with a small bow Ty Lee obeyed. She left the princess to burn candlelight late into the night.

Azula had always been magnificent with words. She'd always been far more poetic than she ever dared show. For once there was no fire lord like her father to steal away such pathetic ramblings. If Zuko wanted a speech so dearly then he was going to receive one. It was going to be the most memorable speech ever written.

With a fire in her heart Azula wrote like her life depended on it. No one would believe the words of a liar. Everyone would believe the words of an acrobat. Closing her eyes she took a shaky breath. It was time to attempt trust once again. Her faith was now riding upon Ty Lee's shoulders.

If the girl could not deliver, there was no hope that Azula would ever willingly shake the cloak of loneliness that rested on her shoulders. It was a time of great importance, what the princess did not know, was that Ty Lee lay awake in her room.

Her mind racing as she realized the play at hand. Azula had always been one for tests and this was by far the biggest one she had yet to face. The proposition had seemed harmless at first, but Ty Lee knew one thing about the princess; nothing was ever harmless.

The acrobat could very well make or break what was to become of the princess.