The Search for Ursa

One month, and one week after Yu Dao purchase.

The lightning generation training is going well, my experience with it, which I committed to paper and dispersed, combined with the experience of others has allowed the colonials to progress well.

The road projects have went great, the former colonies now have ten percent completed roads.

It's time finish the restoration of my family. After informing Mai this time around, I decide to visit my father, under the guise of interrogation. This should be amusing.

I enter the room that contains his cell.

"I should count myself lucky. The new Fire Lord has graced me with his presence in my lowly prison cell."

"I would have visited sooner, but i'v been busy advancing my plan for the Fire Nation."

"Why are you really here?"

"Because you're going to tell me something. Where is my mother?!"

"You ought to bring me some tea, Zuko. We'll talk while sipping from steaming little cups, much like you did with my traitorous brother. I'll give you advice on how to be a good Fire Lord. Wouldn't that be nice? Perhaps even the subject of your mother will come up." I respond by laughing at him.

"You give me advice? I managed to keep the colonies, for free. I have advanced our society immensely, the nation now runs off lightning generation, the knowledge of which, I made more common. The Earth King is mocked by his own people, he'll soon be overthrown and replaced, I created cannons that focus firebending that can sink our greatest battleships. Our fleet is being revolutionized, our coffers overflow with gold in spite of it. The world allies with us against the Earth Kingdom, who's king tried attacking Yu Dao to prove himself, but was beaten back by me, and made to look even more pathetic. The vast majority of the Fire Nation is employed, giving the coffers massive tax revenue, which I can wisely spend in further job opportunities, for them creating even more wealth." I say derisively. "I'm not here for the advice of a man, who doesn't know how to do, what I need done. You will give me the information I want, or your current treatment will look like a spa day, when i'm done with you." I finish coldly, projecting my full power and glory. I know, I have impressed and intimidated him.

"If I had to guess I would say Hira'a." He says a very intimidated, and impressed.

"Good. Well done Ozai, you have served your Fire Lord well." I say with a smile. I never expected to actually get the info from him, but this works for me. I then exit the room.

I send word to Aang, and Uncle its time.

Time Skip

Aang, Katara and Sokka and Suki arrive on Appa. Uncle, Azula and I welcome them.

"Iroh! We didn't expect to find you here!" Katara says happily.

"Those jerks in Ba Sing Se ran him out, because Kuei didn't negotiate for more." I say seriously, before saying. "Shame on them, for bullying, frail old men." I finish, making Azula start laughing, while Uncle looks a little annoyed, and amused at my antics.

"Thank you for inviting us to your home, Your Fieriness! We've been out of touch for much too long!"

"It's only been a week. Where's Toph?" I ask, worried I lost her friendship.

"She had to stay at the academy. Now that folks have seen the lily livers- I mean, her students in action, everyone and their mother wants to be a metalbender. Even the Yu Dao police chief went to visit her!" So it's still the same, hopefully I didn't lose her friendship.

"We came as soon as we received your message. Where will we search first?"

"I recently obtained some new information about Ursa, my mother. It turns out she's from a small town called Hira'a on the outskirts of the Fire Nation. I'm going to look for her. Uncle Iroh's agreed to watch over things here while I'm gone."

"That's great, Zuko! But it sounds like you've got everything covered ..." Aang says.

"... So why do you need us?" Katara finishes.

"I suspect since, a shirshu can't find her, and it couldn't find you when you were with a Lion Turtle, that there is a spirit world connection somehow." I explain, knowing that there actually is. "Also we'll work in some firebending training for Aang too. And I have a gift for Sokka." I add as an afterthought.

A servant hands him a Jian sword.

"I figured since you lost yours, I would get you another, so you can keep your skills sharp." He thanks me. We set out towards Hira'a.

Time Skip

We arrive in Hira'a in disguise, after driving away the spirit-mutt. We see Love Amongst Dragons, and encounter Noren, who informed us about mothers past, and invited us to his home. We socialized with them, I enjoyed meeting Kiyi again, this time Azula was nicer, didn't offer to behead her doll. We eventually got the information we needed, we leave after we all bow to them.

Kiyi runs to me and grabs my sleeve.

"You'll come again? Please please please?" She asks.

"I really hope so, Kiyi." I say honestly.

We then set out for the Forgetful Valley. We encounter and defeat Misu and Rafa, and hear their life story. Aang meditates into the Spirit world, he eventually returns, announcing the arrival of the Mother of Faces. Azula still asks her question in spite of Rafa's plight, but she doesn't run away after, we stay and help, and later in the fight, Rafa's mask is knocked off. Causing the spirit to appear and give him a face, we then depart for the village.

I look into the house, where the family is seated around the low table, a smiling Noriko wiping Kiyi's mouth. I don't know if I should interfere this time. I want to be a good son, and brother, but can I? Yes I helped Azula, but she's basically an adult, can I be there for an even younger sister? Things are different this time around, so there shouldn't be a New Ozai Society causing trouble, if they do this time around, I will defend my family, mercilessly, remorselessly, I will destroy my enemies completely, leaving none to cause trouble ever again.

"Do I have a right to do this? She's happy, if she's publicly known she'll be a target. But I'l also be able to offer protection too, thereby removing that threat."

"Just do it Zuzu, quit being dramatic, and wasting time." She says in, an annoyed voice.

I walk to the closed front door in the darkness and knock twice. The door opens, revealing Noren on the other side.

"Noren." I say bowing my head. "I know it's late, but I-"

"I had a feeling you would return."

"So you know who I am?" I ask feigning surprise.

As Noren turns to glance back into the house, a piercing shriek cuts the relative silence.

"YIII! You came back! You came back because we're best friends!" She slams into my waist, hugging me.

"Kiyi! It's good to see you again!" I say honestly.

"Come eat dinner with us!" She says dragging me inside.

"I don't know if-"

"No, please. Join us." He says while closing the door.

I play the dinner part by memory.

"Tell me, Noriko. Are you happy?" I ask curiously.

Responding happily, gesturing with her arms. "Yes. Of course. I'm where I belong." After hearing this, I smile, If I had respected her wish last time, she wouldn't have been so heartbroken. She wouldn't remember who would cause her heartbreak.

"I've bothered you folks enough. Have a good evening." I say politely.

"No. Stop." Noren says.

As Noriko has been regarding Zuko with a mildly confused look, Noren has been sitting silently with his head dropped toward his lap. He turns to his wife, grasping her hand with both of his and looking into her eyes.

"Noriko, I knew this moment would come sooner or later."

"What's going on?" She asks more confused.

"Go ahead, young man. Do what you came to do. Tell her you haven't forgotten who you are." He says to me.

"My name is Zuko. I am Lord of the Fire Nation-and I am your son. I understand if your confused, but you visited the Mother of Faces, and received a new mind and face. That's why you don't remember." I explain, wanting her to understand somehow.

"When I saw you in the crowd, I immediately recognized you because of the way you radiate power. I had learned all I could about Ursa's life in the royal palace. I knew it would come back to haunt us someday. Forgive me for not confessing the whole truth when you and your friends were here, Fire Lord. I had hoped to give you enough information to satisfy you, yet still protect my home here with Ursa." Noren says.

""Ursa" ...?"

As Kiyi walks over to her mother. "That was your old name, my love, from your old life. You were once a princess of the Fire Nation. You had two children, one of whom grew up to be the Fire Lord." He says.

"Mommy? What's Daddy talking about?"

"He's saying, you have a big brother, and sister." I say calmly. "That, we have the same mommy, but different daddies."

"Yay!" She says hugging me again, I give her an amused look while returning it.

"I sense the Mother of Faces coming here, if you want to remember, its up to you, I was going to leave, and let you be happy. I can even remove your memories of this encounter, if you want to think about it, till she gets here, that's fine too. I say looking at Noriko.

Minutes later...

"Human, do you wish to return to who you once were? Do you wish to remember?"

"No. You don't have to. You have such a beautiful life here." I say, still worried that i'l fail as a son, and brother.

"Yes." she says.

"Hold still." The Mother of Faces says. The Mother of Faces reaches a long arm down to Noriko and the brilliant yellow light of Noriko's transformation drowns the darkness of the early morning.

Mother and I stand by ourselves in the yard. I turn to look at Noren and Kiyi, sitting around a small fire over which a pot is seated.

"You should go to them." I say, worried about their reactions.

"No. You and I need to talk."

"How are you, and Azula, I noticed she's avoiding me?" She asks concerned.

"We're okay, I was able to get through to her, while she was hunting the Avatar, and Uncle and I. I convinced her to take my side, while I was training Aang, she is currently a High General, and an advisor. Her current personality, is unrecognizable from her past personality, she's still fairly anti-social, has Mai and Ty Lee as friends still. But overall we get along."

"Does she hate me because, I didn't love you both enough?" She asks upset.

"Don't say that. That wasn't the problem, Ozai was poisoning her mind, and encouraging cruelty, you were trying to teach her right from wrong, the behavior Ozai encouraged was bad, so when she behaved like that in front of you, she was punished for the bad, which she thought was acceptable. Driving her back to Ozai's influence, which is probably what he intended. You loved me plenty, I have no idea why you think otherwise." I say trying to soothe her.

"Even if thats all true, I ... I forgot you. What kind of mother forgets her children?"

"Things turned out okay. I've got some good friends now, and a life I can be proud of." I say facing her.

"And a crown on your head! You look so handsome, Zuko. I may not have a right to be, but I'm proud of you, too."

"I know I'm the Fire Lord because it's my destiny. Even if had to destroy a letter you wrote to Ikem, with misinformation in it."

"It's my fault Ozai mistreated you, even if Ozai is a wretched man. To treat you like that just to get back at me, especially when you were so young-"

"But he's still my father. Maybe someday he will feel remorse, but I doubt he ever will. If its any consolation I humiliated him, very badly in retaliation, angered him so badly, his attempt at lightning generation, blew him into a wall and, knocked him out." I say with a smile.

"How?" She asks also smiling.

"It involved taunting, insulting, and jokes about a certain tiny problem, everybody in the Fire Nation knows about. Jokes I wont repeat in the presence of a lady, but he was so enraged he was shaking and unable to form words." I say making her laugh.

Time Skip

We are returning to the Fire Nation, my shadow clones report the existence of the New Ozai Society. Time to play a trick, time to catch them all, fortunately I created just the laws for it. I questioned Azula if she has heard rumors of any groups plotting to overthrow me, she answered no, wasn't deceiving me in anyway. I told her to keep an ear out, my spies have, and that I'm planning a surprise. I informed my family and friends of my plan, they agreed to participate.

Time Skip Surprise traitors.

I wait for the attack.

I hear a yell.

I reveal myself from my poorly guarded carriage, I lift the attackers with gravitybending, I send shadow clones out to catch any other traitors.

I caught Ukano, and thirty others.

"Hello Ukano, I'm going to enjoy punishing you traitors for this attempt." I say coldly.

"Your the traitor Zuko, you undid all of our work."

"There's a problem with your logic, as Fire Lord, I decide who has betrayed the Fire Nation, and I haven't declared myself a traitor. We couldn't have won the war, the very idea that we can occupy it all is insane, and unrealistic."

"It matters little, you'll all die for this crime, if you cooperate your families wont though." I say coldly, before putting my hands in energybending positions, I quickly take his knowledge of the New Ozai Society, members, locations, assets. I find no information involving Kemurikage, or Azula.

"Thank you Ukano, you have cooperated." I teleport him and his lackeys into the Prison near the palace, I send a shadow clone to inform my soldiers to take the other members, and bring them there. I personally teleport to the palace, to inform my family and friends.

I quickly find them.

"Your okay!" Kiyi yells as she gives me a tackling hug, making everyone smile.

"Yes I am, my soldiers are taking the others prisoner. Then I'l deal with them myself." I explain, calmly. "Thanks for sticking around everyone, if you do need to go, my family is safe now."

"We will in a few minutes. What where there plans?" Aang asks.

"If I refused to step down, they where going to burn the carriage, they believed my family was in, with them in it." I answer coldly. "I need to go deal with them, I just need Uncle to make something law for me." I say, handing Uncle papers, after reading them, his eyes widen in shock.

"I'l do it Zuko, your going for the solution, right now." He says, in awe.

"Thank you, Uncle. Everyone, i'l try to be done quick." I say, before quickly leaving.

Scene Break

I'm standing in front of Ukano right now, i'm going to break the leader first.

"I'm going to enjoy your punishment, first i'm going to kill your son, and make you watch, then I'm going to make you watch as I kill your last hope, my father." I say coldly, scaring him.

I order a shadow clone, to bring me an illusion of Tom-Tom, bound and, gagged.

"Watch Ukano, tell your son its going to be okay. Who knows, if you play along, I might even spare him." I say, with an evil smile.

"I-its going to be okay Tom-Tom." he says, scared.

"Shame on you! Lying to your children!" I say, with a false, chiding tone, before cutting the illusions throat, discreetly making a gurgling sound. After, I will the clone to stop moving, I throw it to the clone, who takes it out, I will it to dissipate, when its out of sight. I decide to just kill Ukano, I get into energybending positions, I absorb his chi, Life-force I transmute his soul into chi, I put the life-force behind seals till i'm thirty. Erasing him from existence.

I do the same to the others. I destroy all the bodies. Then teleport back to the palace, to deal with the legal aspects. I can operate at Comet-enhanced level for seven hours now.

I see my family, still waiting on me.

"Hey everybody, i'm done with the physical aspects of the justice process. I still need to transfer the assets of the traitors, to innocent family members, if there are none, i'l absorb their holdings into the royal family."

"You executed them?" Uncle asks, with a voice, having no shock, anger or condemnation. but still causing shock, to break out among my family.

"Yes, I want this dark chapter in Fire Nation history over. I want us to move on, as a nation to better things. I may order the execution of Ozai, to destroy the hope of the traitors. I want this over with, so we can move on and atone for our actions. I know some of you are sickened by my actions, you should be, because so am I." I quickly leave.

Time Skip

I decide to transfer Ukano's wealth to Mai, she can give it to her brother when he's of age, or keep it. I told her so, she said, she would think about it till he's of age, then decide. She was surprisingly okay with me killing her father.

Wealth was absorbed from the families, who wouldn't submit to my rule. Which I will invest into, the economy.

Wealth was given to loyal family members, of the traitors. I personally interrogated, these people.

I'm finally, finished.

"Are you okay Zuko?" Mom asks.

"Yes, I know that what I did was wrong, but I did it to end the threat once and for all. While not a valid justification, at least i'm not a remorseless killer, who goes around killing and enjoys it. Do you consider me a monster?" I ask, fearing the answer, but needing to know.

"No, those evil men wanted to start the war back, and would have killed children to do it, Kiyi among them. The fact that you feel remorse, is more than enough to prove your not a monster." She says, reassuring me.

"I'm glad you understand." I say making her smile. "How does everyone else feel about it?" I ask.

"Their all surprisingly understanding, they see that, they where a threat, and that you removed them. We all feel that you acted to defend your family, after you told them what they planned to do. But how did you know that?" She asks, curious.

"I used a lost bending art, to take Ukano's knowledge regarding the group, including plans. The Avatar has the same ability, I'm just better at it." I say finishing in a boasting tone, making her smile.

"I'm going to bed Zuko, you should consider doing the same." She says, in a motherly tone.

"I may, Good night." I say as she leaves.

Well I removed that annoying threat from Ukano. That sick bastard needed to die, why would I regret that? He caused so much damage and I was to weak to deal with him permanently.