"And how, exactly, do you propose we keep track of them? How do we stop them from forming their own tribe and eventually leaving? They are firebenders, Zuko! And they have enough women to breed! They'll survive and grow and come back to burn you! And us! We don't need a rogue firebending country out there!"

Azula was really beautiful when she lost control. It was so strange. Pacing and ranting and breathing harshly, sparks of fire punctuated every point and lit her eyes and face in their blue glow.

"Stop looking at my face like that!" Oops.

"Azula, calm down. They won't be able to leave that island, and they are too far away even if they could. At worst, they will hide out and we'll never hear of them again. If it works, I get scores of extra firebenders, and precedent for more."

She crossed her arms and looked unconvinced. He sighed, and continued.

"If they survive and grow, most of their kids will be firebenders. Which is good. We can always come back and recruit them, and it'd be another line of defence against the north. If it works, maybe we could do something similar with the old air nomad territories. It's just an idea." He quickly added on, over her objections.

It was her turn to sigh. "What if it works? What if they decide to train, and they play along? They become your personal guard, and you let them watch your back? Just how long do you think it will take them to kill you?"

"They won't be watching my back. They'll be in front of me. Running into battle, on the front lines. They won't be my guard, not really. More like a herd of Komodo rhinos." Meaning I'll let them train themselves up, then hone their skills and give them weapons and armour, point them at the enemy and give them a push. They'll charge in and strike the first wild blow, with our troops following up behind them methodically. Then call them back, and repeat.

"So what's the problem, Azula?"

She bit her lip, just a little, but it was enough to set him on edge. Azula, losing control and freaking out? This must be bad.

"We make a good team, Zuko. We work very well together, and I can trust your skill. I can trust that you aren't trying to pull some silly political manoeuvre or betray me, because you are the Crown Prince, and you actually care somewhat about me. For whatever reason. You are in the rare position of not benefitting if I die, unlike every other noble. Ty Lee and Mai were the only two at the Royal Academy from families unable to benefit from me, and when Mai's brother gets older, that might change.

"Father built this prison, Zuko. He spent a very large amount of gold, very publicly ensuring this facility was equipped to hold the most dangerous firebending criminals. For you to swoop in and do this... If this doesn't work, you'll have set free the worst criminals, and armed them. But if it works, you'll have proved a better solution existed, gotten use out of these scum and shown all that gold, all these men, was wasted. That he might as well have just dumped them on that island."

She took a deep breath.

"Somehow, Zuko, I don't think he would be pleased."

And I don't want him to take you away from me. Not when we are just getting along. Not when there is nobody else. Not when you are the only other blue firebender. Not when it's you and me.

He gulped. Damn. Why was it always politics? There had to be a way around this. A way out. But first.

"I do care about you, Azula. And I'm really glad you told me about this, but I've already told the warden. By now all the guards know about it, and a hawk's probably halfway home. So, uh, any ideas?"

oOo

"You already-" Gah! Could he do nothing right? She felt the urge to light something, many things, on fire but forced it down. She was the Princess of the Fire Nation, she would not be reduced to petty arson! One deep breath later, she began to think it through.

"We need to find some way to make this look like something else. You are taking all the firebenders from the most secure prison in the world to a nearby deserted island. An island that once held the start of our civilisation, the first firebenders." Well, apart from the dragons. "We are chasing the Avatar, hunting our enemies, destroying rebellion. So we need to find some way taking these criminals to that island falls within one of those things."

Zuko considered this and began pacing. "We need them for to help trap the Avatar? No, that's stupid... Umm, we need firebenders to practice lightning on? Which makes even less sense..." Azula watched him spout idea after useless idea but didn't pay attention. Practice...

"What if we were taking them to the island so they could practice that firebeam form?"

It was perfect. Of course they would teach such an unstable form to expendable criminals first, and naturally they would go somewhere they wouldn't damage such a fine, expensive prison. If some of them suffered accidents, and the others tried to escape, well, there was no need to go to the trouble of official funerals. And if some supplies fell overboard, it was just the crew getting used to the airships, and they were suitable reprimanded.

All they needed was tell the warden it was the plan from the beginning, in the strictest confidence, and imply this technique was too dangerous to let the general public become aware of it. Thus ensuring the rumours.

"So, I save you once again, Dum-dum. Be careful next time."

oOo

Zuko smiled at the nickname. It put him at ease more than anything else; she only called him that when all was well, even if it might have been a close call. Usually saved by her. Still, he didn't exactly like it.

Payback time.

He gave a small bow, thanking an equal for assistance, and then hugged her.

They both stilled.

The last person he had held was Uncle, the traitor, and before that it had been... Mother. So very, very long ago.

oOo

The last person who had held her was Ty Lee, who didn't really count. Not when she hugged anything that moved, and it was more of a death squeeze. Friendly greetings from Mai were different, clasped arms more than hug. This was like... back when Father used to hold her.

Ages passed, and then the moment passed. They pulled apart, neither willing to be the first to break eye contact. For the first time in a long while she didn't know what to say. She idly wished her eyes were as pure gold as his instead of being that burnt gold more common to their line.

"So... Want to show me your new flying skills?"

Did she ever.