As I walked down the beach, staring into the myriad of fiery red, orange, and gold that peeked from behind the distant horizon like a wagon cresting hill, I could not help but feel… trepidation.

This had been the third time, and I felt no more ready for it now than I had the previous two times.

The first time, I had turned away as the ferry emerged from the fog-bank. To anyone else, the obsidian rock, verdant green fields, and rich gray beaches constituted a paradise on Earth. After all, it had been the premier destination for vacationing families in the Fire Nation.

To me, it was a pitiful veil that hid the underlying cruelties of the Nation.

When I had gone the first time, with Ozai, Zuko, and Azula, it had been the closest to... fun that I had ever experienced since my marriage to Ozai. Mostly, it had reminded me of Hira'a. The lush greenery, the volcanic rocks, the happy families, and the smell. The smell of a rainfall, the tantalizing sense of refreshing torrents of water made me forget the horror of my existence for but a moment.

The families, the children, the relaxation… it had been the furthest thing from the intrigue, cruelty, and narcissism present in the Capital. I was able to enjoy the time I had with Zuko and Azula. My worry for Zuko, my wariness of Azula, my hatred of Ozai; it had all melted away as the cool sea breeze washed over me and the sounds of exultant children playing filtered through my ears.

Now, looking back, many of those children belonged to murderers, fanatics, and zealots. Many of those children who had played 'tag' with Zuko, run in fear from Azula, and run around, shouting 'find the Earthie' had grown up to hold a spear in their hands or don the skull mask of the Firebender Corps.

It had been the paradox of it all that led me to refuse the first time. How could I return to a time that was simpler… even happier? After all that had happened- the Mother of Faces, Ikem, the War…

I just couldn't do it.

The second time I had tried, I got as far as the beach. I felt the smooth wood of the jetty, felt the gentle brush of the sea-breeze, and heard the delighted screams of children. Then, I had glanced behind herself, and lost my conviction.

I saw Ikem growing steadily older, as I had, smiling as he helped Kiyi- now a young woman in her own right- off of the large ship. I saw Zuko, a man now, with his wife and his child, looking far more regal and kindly than her late husband.

And I remembered my daughter. The one who had never returned from that jungle. The one that was, as the searchers had insisted, probably dead.

They had always reassured me that she had been corrupted by Ozai. That I had had nothing to do with the way she turned out and that her actions were her own responsibility. Yet no matter how true their words might have been, there had always been one incontrovertible fact that had always kept me up a night.

Azula was my daughter; and no matter how many times I blamed Ozai for her fate, I always wondered to myself if I could have somehow… prevented it.

And so I retreated once more, returning to the ferry in some mixture of uncertainty and fear that I couldn't quite quantify.

I stood on the beach until the sun had sunk far beneath the horizon, bathing the beach in a sea of rich indigo, and pale rays of moonlight that poked through the hazy clouds like arrows through a wall.

I inhaled deeply, savoring the rain-smell, the smell of the sand and the beach, and the faint tang of meat. I looked back at the large mansion- the one that had been restored, the one that had previously belonged to Ozai- buzzing with activity and life.

A figure approached me, smiling as he entered into view. I lay my hands on his chest and gave him a quick peck on the lips, smiling sadly as I stared into his ochre eyes and studied his face, which was somehow entirely foreign and intimately familiar all at once. Was he Noren, my husband? Yes, but he was also Ikem, my closest friend and my eternal love from all those many years ago in Hira'a.

It had been that way with my own face, looking into the mirror, and no longer seeing Noriko, but Ursa once more. It had been more than fifteen years since the Mother of Faces had given me my face back, but the strangeness never left. Sometimes, I would wake from a dream, seeing her towering, tree-like figure looming from the Forgetful Valley, her many faces and masks impassioned and neutral in all things.

"Something's bothering you," Ikem said, knowing me all too well.

"It's nothing," I sighed. "It's just… this place. It's… difficult."

He hugged me tightly, and I nestled my head beneath his chin, taking solace in his company and embrace. Since the incident with the Kemurikage, I had always taken relief in his presence, and the terror we had both felt had strengthened our relationship even further.

"I'm sure it must be," he said simply.

I released him, clasping his hand in mine as we strolled down the beach silently. For what seemed like an eternity, all but the tree-crickets and birds cawing was silent, and I was as relaxed as I could be.

"It's different now," I said, at last, breaking the silence.

"How so?"

"He's not here anymore. He… he can't control me now, like he used to. Ozai isn't… he isn't a factor anymore; Zuko is."

Noren nodded.

"You're right. You are safe here, and I'll always protect you, Ursa. I'll always be here for you; just like the Dragon Emperor."

I smirked.

"You can take the actor out of the theater…"

He laughed, guiding me gently back towards the house with a knowing grin.

"Hey, even that little snippet was better than anything the Ember Island players ever put on…"

I laughed.

As we returned to the old vacation house, filled with my family and friends, the pain was duller, somehow. The guilt, the old wounds- they would always be there within her. That was just the way things were.

With her friends and family, however, that pain could be cured at least a little. Just enough to live her life the way she had always wanted; in peace.

The third time was the charm, after all.

A/N:

So this fic is for round one of the Fanfiction Probending Circuit, a fanfiction writing contest I am participating in. These prompt stories will be posted every couple weeks, and I hope you enjoy, whether you're from the Probending Circuit or otherwise.

Position: Firebender (Ba Sing Se Badgermoles)

Prompts used:

(Dialogue) 'Third Time's the Charm'

(Location) Ember Island

(Character) Ursa

Word Count: 1113 (not counting A/N)