The fire war renaissance

Chapter 43: Routes

Okay everyone, this is the last chapter of Part 4. So now we're going to see what Azula's been up to and then bring it all home.

I had actually planned to have this chapter and the last chapter be together within two chapters. But, I decided to let them have their own chapters. So that's why they technically have the same title. "Roots" and "Routes". Sounds the same, but two different meanings to fit the point of the chapters.

Anyways, it might help to re-read chapters 22 and 23 before reading this one, since the topics in this chapter haven't really been dealt with since those chapters.

Chapter Forty-Three: Routes

Azula quickly realized that being on her own was a pretty hard road to travel. Hard and filled with many stops along the way to empty the dirt out of her shoes.

She cursed herself for not really thinking things through, she was so eager to get away from the pressures of murdering someone and injuring her only brother that she didn't even realize she didn't know how to be on her own. It required a huge share of money—which she had only little out of in her neglect to stock up on money before she left—and the correct type of shoes to travel in, she lacked in both and it was beginning to become rather bothersome.

She sighed and remembered that she was nowhere near a town according to her map, and plopped herself right down on the grass and let the heated spring air run over her brow.

"Man, I really should've thought this through," Azula said out loud to no one in particular, voicing her own thoughts. It was incredibly lonely out there by herself, but she actually enjoyed the silence since and ever since she had killed Long Feng a certain voice wouldn't leave her alone.

It's not like you to just give up…the voice said vexingly. No doubt it was the old Azula, once deep within her but now frequently rising up and getting on every one of Azula's nerves. She sighed and ran her fingers through her quickly growing hair.

"I never said I was giving up." Azula said.

You just said 'maybe I should just turn around and go back home', didn't you?

"I thought it…I never said it. And so what, I'm entitled to a moment of weakness, aren't I?"

Not in this body you're not. The old Azula told her. You left the palace to find Tin Ri, so find him!

"Wow, you actually being motivated about something else other than me giving you back control is a nice change of pace." Azula smirked, for more odd reasons than one.