Zuko finished his speech and waited as the crowd cheered. Its over he thought or the millionth time, almost unable to believe it, the four nations are free once again. When he ceremony was over he went to his room. Mai stood there, her long black dress flowing beautifully to the floor.

"is it really over Mai?" Zuko asked.

Mai nodded and smiled as she only did for Zuko. They hugged, enjoying being together again after so long.

Mai broke away first. "i need to go speak to my father about the current condition of the prisons. Are you gonna be okay without me?"

Zuko grinned, "i don't know," he teased "it's pretty scary out there" as if on cue, Aang popped up outside the window. Zuko scowled but Mai just laughed at the young mans antics.

This seemed to scar Aang. "she's smiling!" he exclaimed.

Zuko sent some sparks at him, sending him running the other direction. Mai went to talk to her father and Zuko sat on his bed to think. many things still troubled him, despite the end of the hundred year war. His father, as well as Azula, was in the jail below the city, The capital city was to be started immediately, and... his mother was alive.

Zuko pulled on a cloak and headed down to the jail cells. Azula sat in her cell quietly and calmly. All trace of her insanity was gone.

"hello Zuzu." she said as he emerged from the shadows. " and what would bring our new fire lord to my humble abode?" she looked around herself as if she sat in a small house rather than a prison cell then she fixed her gaze on Zuko "so what do you want Zuzu as you can see I'm very busy, and if this is because you want me back i would never return to sit next to a traitor like you. oh, but i don't think that's why you're here, you proved your dislike of me in our last Agni-kai. so what is it? are you lonely?" her tone changed to one of teasing and then back to her normal evil drawl "it's information, isn't it? you want to know something that only i know. well, ask away brother! it's not like i would tell you, but now I'm curious."

"where is my mother?" Zuko asked.

"you're mother?" she asked in feigned hurt "last time i checked she was my mother also!"

"where is she?" Zuko snarled, losing his patience.

"where do you think?" she asked with an evil smile on her face 'you were there for the burial, yes?"

Zuko waited a second before saying "she's not dead."

this seemed to catch Azula off guard 'of course she's dead!" she said irritably "why wouldn't she be?"

Zuko smiled at the irony "you didn't know either, did you?" he asked and then walked away.

Azula's screams for information followed him down the hall. Zuko ignored them and kept walking towards the one person who would know the truth about his mother.

the once great Ozai lay pathetically on the floor, his short cropped hair no longer covered his face but you could already see how two weeks in prison had changed him. he no longer looked like a king, he looked like something you would scrape off your shoe.

"i should count myself lucky," Ozai said "the new firelord has graced me with his presence in my lonely prison cell."
it surprised Zuko how similar the greetings between Azula and Ozai were. Azula truly was her father's daughter.
"what do you want?" Ozai snarled impatiently.

Zuko didn't hesitate but walked forward, towering over his father. "i want you to answer my question." Zuko replied "where is my mother?"

Ozai looked Zuko in the eye, "i don't know."

Zuko glared at his father "what do you mean you don't know?" he asked, unsure who to ask next, or if there was even someone else to ask.

Ozai sat up, "i don't know." he said again. "i banished her, how should i know where she went?"

Zuko growled in frustration "you have to know something!" he yelled.

Ozai smiled tauntingly "it really kills you doesn't it?" he asked "to have your mother alive, and yet you will never see her again."

Zuko balled his fists "don't patronize me!" he yelled his hands glowing with the fire he so desperately wanted to release.

Ozai stared at him, silently daring Zuko to release it. silence fell and they stood in tense anticipation of Zuko's choice.

Zuko unballed his fists and let the fire die. he took a steadying breath and walked away.

"you're as much a coward as she was." Ozai said as he reached the door.

Zuko stopped, but didn't look back.

"i must be very brave then." he said, and walked out, leaving an angry Ozai to rot in his cell.