Azula began calling for me less and less as the days went by, and I couldn't have been more grateful. I rarely saw Zuko in the palace due to his obligations as prince, so I spent more time with Bao. We'd train with one another in the courtyard, and sneak food from the kitchen late at night. We were even closer than when we were on the ship. I even spent time with Ty Lee when the other girls weren't around. She would braid my hair and teach me tricks she had learned in the circus— I didn't even know she was in the circus. The three of us often found time to be together, which infuriated Azula.

One particular afternoon, Zuko and Mai were off on a picnic date, Bao was off doing guard duties at the prison, and Azula was most likely making someone else's life a living nightmare. This left me with Ty Lee in the garden, attempting to learn how to contort myself into a human knot like her. She laid on her chest and bent her back so that her legs were crossed over her head. I, on the other hand, had bent my back to the point of no return. I was stuck in position while Ty Lee transitioned into her next trick. When she finally took notice to my predicament, she giggled. "Not like that, silly!" She nudged me with her foot, making me tip over and fall back into a more natural state. "I'm glad you agreed to practice with me, Saki," she said as I pushed myself to sit upright. "Azula and Mai never want to do anything I want to do."

"No one can do what you want to do," I teased. She began fidgeting with her braid and her hair was as pink as she claimed her aura to be. "Is everything alright, Ty Lee?"

"Everything's....fine," she muttered. Without having to pry, she blurted, "I don't want to fight for Azula anymore!" She covered her mouth just as quickly as she'd opened it, her face blushing even more.

"You...what?"

Ty Lee shifted so that she was close to enough for her whispers to be heard. "I don't like what we're doing to other people. What happened in Ba Sing Se? I didn't want to ruin so many lives... Azula has been scary lately," she confessed, "and really mean."

I didn't know what to say to her. What was I supposed to say? 'Oh, yeah, you should totally just cut your losses with that crazy sociopath of a demon princess'? Right— because that'll end wonderfully for everyone. "What are you going to do?" I asked.

"Nothing!" She said. "She's still my friend! Promise me you won't tell her what I said! Promise me!"

Without hesitation, I nodded my head. "I promise."

That evening, Bao had promised to take me into the city after his shift at the prison. Naturally, this was my main motivation for finishing my mediocre chores. My final task was to take Zuko's dinner tray to his room. Just as I'd reached the hallway that led to Zuko's door, a figure appeared in front of me, startling me so badly that I had nearly swung the tray.

"Where do you think you're going?" Azula asked me.

"I'm just doing my job," I said. "I'm taking Zuko his dinner."

She blocked my path, stepping in the same direction as me. "You never learn, do you, peasant?"

"I'm just doing my job," I repeated as I tried to get past her.

"Your job is to serve me, you Water Tribe filth," she snarled.

I snapped, "Get out of my way, Azula!" I had lost all patience with her. I had lost patience with her entire existence, if we're being honest. "I'm not dealing with your condescending, manipulative, head-up-your-butt personality right now. I have a job to do, so get out of my way!" I pushed my way past her, accepting whatever wrath she would unleash onto me through even more degrading work. However, that was not what she had in mind. A lightening bolt struck the door just as I reached up to push it open. I flinched away from the scorched spot and spun around to face her. Her fingertips were aimed directly at me, her lips curled into a menacing smirk. "My brother can't protect you forever," she said.

I dropped the tray to the floor and bent the water from the small teapot. "I don't need his protection."

She shot another bolt. This time, she had no intention of missing. I swerved to the right and thrust my arm forward, the water following suit and throwing Azula backwards. She caught her footing and scowled at me. Blue orbs of fire shot from her fists, and I deflected each one with the water. Fed up, I swung my arm and the water did the same, whipping her across the face. There was a red line on her cheek from the impact. She stood there for a moment in shock, as did I. She shouted for the guards to hurry, suddenly screaming bloody murder. Two guards quickly ran to her aid. "That Water Tribe girl attacked me!" She shouted.

I was dragged to the prison by the two guards, Azula followed with a triumphant smirk on her face. Just as I was tossed into the cell, Azula put her hand up. "Just a moment," she said. She stepped into the cell and snatched my necklace from around my throat. A yelp escaped my throat as the clasp broke from the force. She back out of the cell and ordered the guards to lock it up and throw away the key. The guards left after reassuring that the princess would be 'safe' from me. Azula looked at my necklace in her hands, then at me, and gave a menacing grin. Her hand sudden gave a blue glow, and my necklace soon did the same. "You don't deserve this," she said angrily. "My mother treated you like her own. She always favored you and Zuko! She loved you, and treated me like a monstrosity!" My necklace burned in her palm. The ashes slowly rained down onto the floor. My chest tightened as I choked back pain and tears. "You don't deserve any of this!" She threw my necklace to the floor and let it continue to burn. The ruby began cracking from the heat, eventually shattering. Azula didn't say anything else. She turned and left.

I had no water to put out the flame. I fell to my knees and gripped the bars of the cell. The one last reminder that I would be okay was now burning just an inch out of my reach. My chest heaved as I broke down into tears. Never had I felt so much loss, or betrayal, or anger, or sorrow in my life— much less, at the same time. The flame danced gleefully on the ribbon before slowly fading. All that was left was a pile of ashes and a shattered jewel, still glowing from the immense heat. I gripped the bars tighter as I cried, my face against the cold metal, my body shaking violently.

A hand suddenly touched my shoulder to console me, and it was then that I realized someone was in the cell next to me.

"I am so sorry," whispered the voice, "that we have to meet again in such an awful way."