Thank you to everyone that reviewed, your kind words made this chapter move faster than I expected.

Also, if this chapter seems really Azula centered I'm really sorry. She is not going to be a focus character of the story, just an occasional reoccurrence. If this chapter is boring let me know, I wasn't sure how I felt about it and would like to revise it if someone else thought so too.

TotallyTeamAlec & Katrina3064: You'll just have to keep reading to see if it was Katara. She'll definitely be showing up soon.

…

The night's event had left him deeply shaken. The knowledge that a waterbender had been masquerading under his nose in his own household was both exciting and terrifying. What if he couldn't find her, having only the color of her eyes to go on? What if she was a spy? What if she didn't like him?

He would find her. Nothing was more definite to him.

Zuko swallowed his nervousness and made up his mind as to what he had to do to set things in motion.

…

"A festival, Fire Lord Zuko?"

Zuko turned and faced his advisors, "Yes, I wish to throw a festival for the sun and the moon on the upcoming equinox. This is not up for discussion."

"But sir, traditionally in the Fire Nation the festivals only honor the sun and the harvests. It is unheard of for us to celebrate the moon and the darkness."

"I understand that and I don't care. To promote understanding between the nations I believe it would be wise to honor Lady Yue as well, after all the damage we've done to the Water Tribe culture the least we could do is show some compassion."

His advisors looked back and forth between themselves. "Lady Yue, Fire Lord Zuko?"

He let out a sigh of frustration and pinched the bridge of his nose; he had said this was not up for discussion. "The moon, she was the princess of the Northern Water Tribe and selflessly sacrificed herself when Zhao killed the moon spirit. I believe she is unhappy with the Fire Nation's role in the demise of her predecessor and that harmony between our nations would please her."

Murmur of agreement went through the room; one thing Zuko could count on was old men to be superstitious.

"So it will be that for the spring equinox that we will give tribute to both the sun and the moon, for without one harmony could not exist."

"Here here," one said, the others nodding in agreement.

The man to Zuko's left stood and spoke, "With that settled we have concluded our agenda for the day gentlemen, we will meet again in three days to discuss the national budget and farming subsidies."

"Thank you Head Advisor Wen, please make sure a copy of today's meeting notes is sent to my office. Make sure announcements are made up and posted in the city regarding the equinox."

"Of course Fire Lord Zuko."

"And invite the Northern and Southern Water Tribe. Send the messengers on eel hound or by fastest hawk, the event is approaching quickly."

"Yes sir."

"Very good, this meeting is dismissed."

Zuko returned to his private living room and rang for a servant; a nervous young woman appeared before him a moment later.

"How may I help you sir?" She wore a deep red dress that signified her upper rank among the household.

"Nia is it? Can you fetch me a pot of jasmine tea? That would be lovely."

"Of course sir, will that be all?"

"Yes, no wait; will you summon the head of the lower servants as well? Please convey that I am not upset with her." Zuko knew the only way to rebuild his relationship with the staff was slowly and with much patience.

"I will with all speed sir."

Zuko flopped back onto the thick cushion piled around the table, closed his eyes and thought about the night before.

The intense azure color of her eyes made even bolder by the light of the moon. She was beautiful and all consuming in the way she stared at him. Like her element though, she slipped through the cracks away from him.

"You sent for me my lord?"

Zuko sat up and put a composed look on his features.

"Yes Ming, come in."

Apprehension was thick in the air, both a little nervous of how the conversation would go.

He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, "I saw a girl the other night, she had blue eyes. I want you to bring her to me."

Ming swallowed thickly, "Sir, I have not had the chance to inspect the eye color of all of the scullery maids. They are taught to keep their eyes down when being addressed as to not appear haughty. I'm not sure I have seen a blue eyed girl in the lower servants that is a very unusual color."

She observed the Fire Lord's displeasure, "But I will check."

Zuko scowled, thwarted again.

"If she has offended you my Lord I will make sure the cook finds her and gives her appropriate discipline."

"No! I mean… she hasn't angered me. Just find her, is that understood?"

Zuko knew he was being suspicious, or at least mildly neurotic. He didn't have to explain himself.

"Of course, I will find the girl."

"Thank you Ming, will you tell the guards on your way down that I'm going to visit my sister in an hour?"

"It will be done."

He dismissed Ming and went back to lying on the cushions when the first servant came back and went through the show of pouring his tea and making it up exactly as he liked, with sugar and no milk. She handed the cup to him and bowed her head.

"Thank you Nia, everything is perfect."

"Is there anything else you require?"

Zuko was about to dismiss her but had another thought, "This is rather unconventional but do you know anything that would please my sister if I brought her something?"

"Well if she has been fed prison food for the past few months I know she always liked tangerines. Maybe a comb or something pretty that isn't dangerous, I used to sit with her and brush her hair for hours."

"Thank you, those ideas are excellent." He waved his hand to signal her to leave.

He only wished he had someone as helpful to ask what waterbender like and how to get one to come out of the woodwork.

…

Zuko arrived at the asylum prepared for her insults and ridicule. He was escorted to her cell where he was pleased to see that she was looking cleaner and less ghoulish than in past visits.

"Hello Azula, you look nice today," he spoke softly; he didn't know if she knew he was there. Her mind was fairly touch and go according to the psychologist, fine one minute hysterical the next.

"I thought you left me here to rot, traitor."

"When you feel better Azula you can come home."

She walked over to the bars separating them and gripped her hands on them. "So I can live with my brother that grovels to the peasant's gods because he's scared? I'd rather stay sedated in this hell for the rest of my life."

Gossip travels faster in the capital than an airship now apparently.

"Things are different now, balance between the nations is important."

Azula tsk'ed and walked over to the windows. "I think you're scared that the spirits are going to set you on fire as if you killed the water consort. Still scared of spirits Zuzu? They'll come up here one of these days and tell me that you were set a flame by the gods and burned to death. Trying to please the moon, how pathetic."

Very fast and with much detail as well.

Zuko eyed her suspiciously. "Those are just stories Azula."

"But everything comes from somewhere Zuzu."

"I brought you something, would you like it?"

He held out parcel wrapped in a cloth with a neat bow on top. He realized that it was incredibly risky being this close to her; it was like approaching a wild animal that you knew was agitated. If she didn't want what he brought she would probably just burn it, he hoped, and not himself.

He placed the gift on the floor and backed away while Azula came and picked it up. She sat on the floor and carefully picked the knot undone.

"Oh Zuzu…" she crooned, "You know my vanity so well."

She lay down on her bed and began to comb out her hair. "So, favorite brother, tangerines and a tortoise shell comb fit for a queen. What do you want exactly?"

Zuko sat down on the far wall. "Your temper is more fickle than I was told."

"If you don't have anything specific in mind then would you like to continue our discussion about your slut from last time as I presume you do?"

"Don't call her that!"

Azula cackled on her bed, madness still vibrant in her voice. "She won't come back because you sacrifice some livestock on the sea shore you know."

Teasing him was her favorite hobby and he had to ignore her.

"Shut up Azula!"

"You're going through all that effort and you're just going to be left alone, so then you come and visit your sister in the lunatic asylum."

Unfortunately she had always knew how to play him like an instrument, knowing exactly how to get the reaction she wanted.

"I said shut up!"

"They all were the same

Those on the far away shore

The fire they tried to tame

But killing the water maid started a war.

They will suffer, Fire's proclaim

He announced their end as the fee

It became the island's shame

The ocean became the dead sea

As the guilty were set aflame."

Zuko covered his ears trying to block out the gruesome poem. Azula giggled the awful syllables pleasing to her twisted mind. These were from the stories Ozai had told them when Ursa had asked him to read to his children. He had pulled a thick volume from a high shelf in his library and told the young and naïve about what happened when you angered the spirits.

An island in the Fire Nation had once tried to tame the god that controlled the volcano. Every time he would go to meet his watery wife the ground would shake and spew forth lava. Until her cool embrace had slaked his heated lust the village would not be safe. The volcano always simmered peacefully unless he met with his woman. The land that was supposed to yield life instead brought death. The water nymph was held captive by the people of the island, they told the lord of the volcano to cease his destructive ways or he would not see his love again. While trying to negotiate her release he found out she had passed away, sad and unable to rejoin the ocean. The god became enraged and set about to punish the villagers for their horrible deed.

The pictures were the worst. Words could be forgotten but the imagery stayed haunting and terrifying. Women, beautiful on one side with their face melting off on the other, people rushing forward into the ocean but the water would yield no relief. Bodies floated atop the surf as the gulls came to circle the sad scene.

Zuko had nightmares about it as a child. Lying awake at night he had imagined the shadows on the wall was the angry god coming to punish him. Azula had made it worse, sneaking to his room at night, making weird noises in corners that he couldn't see her in. He had woken up more than once to his little sister holding a handful of fire over his head whispering 'I'll get you for what you did'. It almost never failed to make him scream which delighted Azula to no end.

The humming from the cell brought back his attention. Azula was deftly braiding her hair much to Zuko's marvel. She may be kept in a cell but her mind was quick and she was a brilliant strategist.

"What would you do if you wanted to capture someone?"

Azula rolled onto her stomach and regarded him as one would a small child. She shrugged her shoulders casually, "Well, I would find them and make them submit to me after I best them in combat. But you're soft; you don't want to do that. And you don't remember your finer lessons from the Fire Academy or you wouldn't be asking me something so stupid."

"Thank you Azula, I know you were an excellent study of espionage and subterfuge."

She yawned and rolled over trying to ignore him just a little. A bit of her sanity had returned to her for the moment.

"Normally I wouldn't care what the hell you want but you did bring me nice things. If you want to get something or someone so badly, you don't get them. You have to make them come to you. Smother a fire with fuel and it will die. Leave a tiny trail of kindle for a spark to crawl along and it will get to you eventually if you are patient. Make your trap irresistible. Find out what they would want and offer it up on a silver platter."

She bit into a tangerine and looked at him oddly.

"Or don't, you try so fucking hard all the time. Maybe disinterest will bring her around. I'm assuming that's what you were talking about."

Zuko allowed a bead of sweat to fall down his brow as he watched her in her cage. A bit of juice slipped down the side of her mouth in mimicry as she ate a tangerine.

"Leave now, I'm bored. They'll come to feed me soon and drug me under the guise of 'tea'. I won't be useful for a long time afterwards."

Zuko swallowed thickly, wondering exactly how dangerous she would be if she wasn't drugged constantly. He knew exactly how terrible that would be as he dredged up memories of her lightning attacks.

"Yes, that is fine. I will visit again soon with things for you. I hope you stay well until then."

He left swiftly, medical staff bringing the food tray with the drugged tea as she said they would. Zuko felt himself go a bit woozy when the breathed the heavy aroma as he walked by. The nurses both had face masks covering their nose and mouth.

Azula's madness made her unpredictable. It also made her adroit; as if a very strong magnifying lens was held over a small portion of her mind. The part under inspection was flawless and better than before; the other portions were fuzzy and hard to make out. She could not help but act erratic when she couldn't make out what lay outside her narrow boundaries. He hoped with treatment the scope of her lens would increase until she could remember who she was in the big picture; make her perception of what she was needed for less blurry. Until then he would allow her to be drugged if it gave hope of improvement, though he did not like it.

Zuko thought it best not to think about it too much, go back to the palace and lay out his plan to find the waterbender. His waterbender. He would not fail in his attempt this time.

Katara, came the stray thought into his mind. Had she been here all along?

Zuko promised himself that when he found the girl that had enflamed his fire of passion that he would make whatever sacrifices to ensure her place at his side. Whatever it took. No recompense would be too great.

…

AN: Thanks again for reading; I promise this will be the last 'crazy sister-centric' chapter for a lo-ong time. The anticipation is building! Who is Zuko going to find? Is his mystery girl going to play nice and bring her identity to light or shy away and keep a secret until the opportune moment? Will Ming find the lovely lady hiding on her staff or will Zuko have to pursue her relentlessly for a chance?

Next chapter: The Trap is Laid

… Even then what would he say, 'Hey I think I'd like to flood the Coronation Plaza for the equinox, think anything could go wrong?'…

… Zuko felt unsettled and looked behind him to catch a flash of silver and a rustle of tall plants. The prying eyes were lost in the garden's endless flowers to his disappointment. …