Notes: Hello everyone and welcome to My Name is Ursa. This is my 2nd story set in the Avatar universe and my first story to feature a completely first person perspective. I usually use a third person perspective since I normally have a large cast of characters to work with. However for this story I wanted to bring the scale down and tell a much more personal story.

Azula has always be one of my favorite characters to read fiction for since she never really had real closure. So I really wanted to do my own take on her journey of redemption. This is a story I have been rolling around in my head for some time and I finally figured out where I wanted to go with it and before I knew it I had written up a storm.

I really hope you all enjoy and even if you don't I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

My Name is Ursa

POV Princess Azula

Air. Water. Earth. Fire. long ago, the four nations lived separately in endless turmoil. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation set out to share its glory with the rest of the world. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, would be arrogant enough to try to stop us, but his cowardice proved too great, and he hid himself away. A hundred years passed and our goal was nearly within our grasp but a waterbender named Katara and her oafish brother Sokka discovered the new Avatar, an airbender named Aang. Although his airbending skills were passable, he had a lot to learn before he was ready to face us. But from the first day they met him, they believed Aang would save the world. What a joke right? That's at least what I thought back then. Though despite the odds being stacked against them, with the help of his friends, Aang defeated my father Fire Lord Ozai and ended the Hundred Year War. My dear brother Zuko, became the new Fire Lord. Together with Earth King Kuei, Aang and Zuko promised to return the nations to harmony. Of course none of that has anything to do with me anymore.

You see ever since my defeat at the hands of that waterbending wench Katara and my brother during the return of Sozin's Comet at the end of the war, I have been locked away in an intuition. They kept calling me insane and longer I stayed there the more I began to think that maybe they were right. I started to think that I did belong there. But then a few months ago Zuko paid me a visit. He offered me my freedom in exchange for helping him find our mother Ursa. I couldn't help but wonder if it was really I who was crazy. Ursa only thought of me as a monster. She was the one who abandoned us. Why would he want to find that women so desperately? In the end his reasons didn't matter, I would take my chance at freedom. I would find our mother and when I did, I would make her pay.

Southern Earth Kingdom Countryside

At least that's what I thought at the time. However in the end I just couldn't do it. I was too weak to face her. I ran away and then I just kept running. I don't even know where I'm running to anymore. I mean it's not as if I have a home I can return to. Half the world wants to see my head on a pike and the rest want to see me striped of everything and locked away to be forgotten just like my foolish father. Of course it's not like I have much left for them to take. There's nobody left in this world who understands me. There's no one who I can trust. I am alone.

Really though how long have I been walking anyway? I never really thought to keep track of such things in the past. I always had such clear goals in mind before. And before when I traveled long distances I would at least have the distraction of Mei's constant complaints and Ty Lee's cheery ramblings.

Realizing my mind was getting away from me again I shook it violently to clear it. The last thing I needed to be thinking about was those two traitors. Once my thoughts settled I let out a long sigh and glanced around the roared I was traveling along. There wasn't a home or another traveler in sight. "I really am all alone aren't I?" I ask myself in a somber tone. Then after a moment of silence I let out another exasperated sigh. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Then almost on queue a disembodied voice called out to me. "That's not true Azula, you will always have your mother." The voice was unmistakably that of my mother. However I knew better by now.

I felt a fist clench and I knew a flicker of anger spread across my face before I spun around to yell into empty space where voice had spawned from. "Shut up! You're not my mother! You're nothing more than a specter!"

"Azula, you wound your mother. When will you let me in?" The specter asked in a somber tone as the space in front of me began to flicker and take the form of my mother. However it was not the aged woman who I had met a few months ago. No, it was the mother who had haunted me for years. It was the same one who had abandoned me all those years ago and the one who had tormented me on the day of Sozin's Comet.

"You have nothing to offer me specter! You have given me only nightmares! Now leave me be!" I roar.

The imposter only smiled sadly at me before pointing to my clothing. "Perhaps I could at least offer some motherly advice. No proper man will ever want you if you go around dressed like a common peasant girl. Why are you wearing such a thing?" She asks in a condescending tone.

My 'mothers' inquire caused me to instinctively glance down at the dirty and tattered Earth Kingdom garment I was dressed in and when the image of the raggedy garment is reflected in my eyes I can't help but grimace. "It's disgusting I'll emit however it is a disguise. With this I will be able to blend right in with the rest of these dirty Earth Kingdom peasants." I responded dryly.

Which was true, it certainly did help me go unnoticed. Even when somebody would notice me they would try to avoid me at all costs. And I couldn't say that I would blame them, I would do the same if I were in their position. However the reason for my dresses current condition was a bit more complicated then that. I've actually been trying to avoid large cities and villages as much as possible. This is because a large city or village normally means that there is a large number of people. And the more people there are, the more likely it would be for somebody to recognize me. And of course finding decent clothing elsewhere has proven quite difficult. Also the fact that I have no money doesn't help matters I suppose.

The specter however didn't seem pleased with my explanation. Fortunately she didn't seem interested in pressing the matter and just gave me her usual disapproving glare while I continued on my way. I had been traveling along the same dirt roar for what seems like days now. Everything looked so similar out here that I was beginning to think that I might have turned back on myself somewhere a long the way. So I was relieved when I finally spotted a new land mark along the roar. A little bit ahead of me was a fork in the roar and poster board in between it. I slowly walked up to inspect the poster board and quickly realize that it had listings for wanted criminals. A slight grimace came over my features when I notice that all most all of the fugitives were of Fire Nation heritage. And what was even more displeasing was the fact that my poster was among them. I quickly reach out and plucked my poster from the board to inspect it more closely. I let out a scoff as I look at my supposed likeness. "They got my eyebrows all wrong. They are much shaper than this." I complain before looking down at the offered reward for my capture. "Wow look at all those zeros, Zuzu must really want my head bad if he's offering this much gold. I'm half tempted to turn myself in for that price." I say while letting out a laugh.

"I'm sure your brother just wants to see you get home safe and sound honey." The specter assures me.

Not that I for one minute buy that Zuzu really cared about my wellbeing but, it did at least say I was wanted alive. So I supposed there could be some merit to it, if only because of the fact that my dear brother was completely obsessed with his honor and his strange sense of justice. "Well it doesn't really matter, I'm not going back. And I won't let anyone take me. I would rather die than become his prisoner again." I declare to myself as sparks begin to jump from my finger tips and light the poster on fire. Then I quickly toss the burning parchment aside and watch as it's instantly engulfed in bright blue flames and reduced to ashes. As I watch the small fire crackle I can feel a small smile creep its way onto my lips and it wasn't hard to figure out why. My blue flames were once my proudest achievement after all. My blue fire burns hotter than any other and my greatest joy had always been displaying its destructive power to others whether they were friend or foe was irrelevant. However now things were different, my blue flames were a symbol of the world's enemy. So using them now would give my identity away in an instant. I couldn't afford that, so I have had no choice but to draw back the power of my firebending in front of others. And bending in front of others in general has become a fairly rare assurance. So I have tried to saver these small moments when I'm able to use my bending freely, no matter how fleeting they may be.

A moment later and the blue flame finally burned out leaving nothing but a blacked circle on the side of the road and I was finally broken out of my thoughts when the specter called out to me once again. "So where are we going now?"

"I don't know, I guess this way." I grumbled as I pointed down one of the branching paths on the dirt road I have been following and begun on my way down the chosen path.

The specter's face suddenly lit up with what I could only assume was excitement. It wasn't an expression my mother showed me often as a child that is for sure. "Oh, we're heading west! Are we finally returning home?" It asked.

I let out anther sigh and slump forward before responding. "No, we're not. We're close to the ocean now, so I figured we could follow the coastline for awhile. Maybe catch some fish and if I'm lucky find some work with a crew of high risk traders."

The specter then gave me a worried expression. "What do you mean by high risk traders? Are you talking about pirates!? You know those types of people are dangerous Azula!"

I shrug. "Hey you got to work to eat and pirates pay quite well from what I've heard. And of course there's also no need for documentation and best of all they don't ask a lot of questions." I explained. With that said I did have some concerns. It was true that pirates weren't in the business of asking questions and would take just about anyone who was capable. However in most cases they wouldn't think twice about selling out one of their own if the pay off was good enough. And of course thanks to my dear brother, they would have all the motivation they would need. However it was a risk I would have to take if I ever wanted any hope building a new life.

Wait, a new life? Is that what I really wanted? No, what I wanted was my old life back. I wanted my title, and my throne. I wanted my birthright and all the fear and respect that came along with it! Of course no matter how much you want something it won't make it yours. I no longer have any means of returning things to the way they once were. And that meant that a completely new life was the only path that was left open to me now. With that said, what would I do from now on? Surely I the great Azula, Princess of the Fire Nation and master of the blue flame wouldn't spend the rest of her days living in squallier! No of course not, surely there is some place out there where I can achieve the glory I deserve. I know it's out there and I know I will find it some how but until then I go west.

The following day I finally arrived in a small port city known as Beiling. And I want to emphasize the word 'small' here. The fact that it was even called a city was an oddity considering the fact that it only consisted of fifteen or so buildings and didn't show up on most maps. Of course this was likely due to the fact that it had only sprung up a few years ago right after the war had ended. Based on the information I was able to gather on the way here it was mostly created by a noble Earth Nation family from a city known as Goaling which was located only a few days south of here. I had considered going to Goaling instead sense it was more likely to suit my need but then I would be breaking my rule. Goaling being located right in between the southern water tribe and the Earth Kingdom has made a bustling hub of comers. And that meant that there would be a lot of people, too many people. So Beiling it was.

As I marched my way into the city I tried my best to keep a good amount of distance between myself and other people until I reached the docks. When I arrived the first thing I noticed was the smell. "Ah the smell of the sea, it always reminds me of our trips to the Ember Islands when you were little." The specter chimed in.

"The sea, all I can smell is the fish." I scoffed as I grip the bridge of my nose and began to look around the port for a good candidate.

I was quickly surprising by the large number of ships docked in the relatively small port of Beiling. I could count at least twenty seaworthy vessels of verifying size and nationality spread out across its length. And there were many smaller fishing boats floating about as well. However the only ship that interested had managed to catch my eye was a fairly large and most importantly unmarked cargo vessel. No identifying markings meant that it was privately owned. In my experience if a ship is cargo ship of this size is privately owned, it usually meant that it was involved in some kind of shady business practices. And of course the heavy-duty Fire Nation catapults lining the deck were a dead give away.

Having my target in sight I quickly mill my way through the crowd trying not to draw too much attention to myself until I'm directly in front of the cargo ship. Then I looked around to see if I could find any crew members nearby. Sure enough near the ships ramp stud a large dark skinned men with a long braided beard. The man was clearly of Water Tribe heritage which made sense. These barbarians were known for their affinity for the ocean after all. The water tribesmen was in the middle of barking orders at several other deckhands who were running up and down the ship's ramp carrying large sacks of what appeared to be rice onto the ship and off loading small unmarked crates that were being collected and loaded into the back of a cart by another group of men dressed in dark clothing.

Ignoring the others I quickly made my way towards the water tribesmen. Noticing me approaching the man's eyes narrowed and he called out to me. "Hey, who are you!?"

I took another long look at the ship and then glanced back at the water tribesmen. "Pardon me but would you happen to be the captain of this ship?" I ask a neutral tone.

The man stiffens slightly as if taken aback by the question and then gives me a long hard look. I could only image he was trying to figure out if I was a member of the authorities. "That depends on who's asking!?" He final said.

I allowed a small disarming smile to come to my face as a spoke. "I'm just a desperate women looking for work as a high risk trader."

The man's eyebrows lift up and he lets out a light chuckle. "Oh, is that right lass? Well then, why don't you tell me what use would I have for a scrawny girl like you huh?"

Maintaining my smile and my neutral I responded. "I assure you that I am more than capable of doing heavy lifting. And I am a bender."

The man's interest perked slightly though he still kept an air of skepticism in his voice. "Is that right? Well sorry lass but I already have two earthbenders and they aren't much use on the open sea. You got anything else for me?"

I allowed my smile to widen slightly in response to the question. "Pardon me but I don't recall ever saying that I was an earthbender. I am actually a firebender."

"A firebender you say?" The man asked as he took another long look at me. And he must have finally caught the golden glint in my eyes because looked away and scoffed. She's a half breed is what he must be thinking. "That is my mistake, sorry lass. A firebender would be useful but…" The man trailed off likely still not convinced that I would be able to pull my own weight.

Then I remembered something about commoners that could give me an edge. "My I add that I know mathematics?"

The water tribesmen's interest suddenly sky rocket. "Mathematics you say!? So does that mean you know how to use an abacus?" He asked.

I had to fight back the urge to scoff. It truly amazed me some times how uneducated commoners could be. "Of course, though I usually don't need one to do minor calculations. So are you interested?" I ask.

The man lets out a hearty chuckle. "It seems you're in luck lass. It just so happens that my last accountant thought it would be a good idea to take a little extra for himself. And the spirits must have decided to strike him down since he suffered an unfortunate accident the next day. You see he slipped and fell overboard into lionshark infested waters there was nothing we could do but watch. I trust you know better right lass?" His question was clearly posed as a threat but of course it didn't shake me.

Suddenly I could feel that women's presence around me and sure enough a voice rang out in my head. "Azula no, these people are dangerous! You shouldn't get involved with them!" The specter cried.

I let out a tied sigh, my 'mother' had been so quite lately that I almost forgot about her. I guess I can't get rid of her just like that. Ignoring the specters words I responded. "Of course, I know better then to invoke the spirits wrath. So do I get the job?"

"Almost I just have one more question for. Do you have a name? I haven't caught it yet. Oh and I am Nunock by the way." He asked.

"It's a pleasure Nunock, my name is…" Suddenly my mind froze. I couldn't believe I could make such a miss step. I forgot to come up with back story for myself. I was usually so good at these things but I suppose I have been out of practice with trying to avoid other people at all costs and all. My eyes began to wonder unintentionally as if the answer to the question would appear in front of me. And then my eyes fell on the floating specter beside me. The being only I could see. Then I made my decision. "Ursa, my name is Ursa." I responded.

The water tribesmen gave me a small nod. If he realized my name was a fake he didn't call me out on it at least. "Well then Ursa, welcome to the crew."