Zuko elected to go into the into the Receiving Hall by himself out of fear. What if it was an imposter? An assassin? And who let her into the palace, let alone the Receiving Hall? Someone was getting fired.
Instead of entering from behind the throne as usual, he entered through the main door. He wanted the element of surprise and a moment to take the woman in before she saw him. That's what he was standing there doing now. He was staring at the back of a tall woman dressed in a simple red robe. She had long black hair that touched the middle of her back.
He was afraid to move forward or call out to her. For years, he had dreamed of seeing his mother again. He never believed that she was dead, but he honestly never thought he would see her again. So, why was she here now? Zuko had been the Firelord for years. The entire world was at peace. Surely, she knew that her banishment was over when Ozai lost his power.
He stood there for what felt like an eternity before he took several steps forward. Once he was standing in the center of the room, he let out a light cough.
The woman jumped and spun around quickly.
That when Zuko's breath caught in his throat. He recognized her immediately. Her was styled differently than he remembered and very unkept, but the shape of her face was the same. Her eyes were the correct color and shape as well. The deciding factor was her smile, and it confirmationed everything.
"Hello Zuko," she greeted him warmly in a familiar voice.
Zuko was still in shock and unable to form any sentence. His mind was fuzzy, and a thousand flashbacks were facing through his mind. It was her. She was there. She was real.
"Mom?" He asked, the words sounding foreign to his ears.
"Yes, Zuko. It's me."
"How? Why?" He had a million questions that he wanted to ask her, but this was all he could manage.
"Word of your sister's execution reached even the darkest parts of the world, my dear."
"You mean a lion turtle?" Zuko corrected her.
Ursa cocked her head at him. Little Ursa does the same thing when she's confused… "A what?" She asked him.
Zuko cursed Azula under his breath for this awkward moment whether she was telling the truth or not. "Nevermind," he sayed quickly. "What took you so long?"
"I believed that it was best I stayed away," she confessed. Her gaze dropped from Zuko's as she looked at the ground. Her foot rubbed against a decorative rug. "First from your father, and then you were doing so well. I didn't want to disturb anything."
"Are you doing well?" It was a question Zuko didn't know if he should ask or not, but he felt like he had the upper hand at this moment. It was probably now or never, so he chose now.
Ursa looked confused at his question and then guilty. She pondered how to answer for a moment and then replied, "Yes. I married a nice man, and we have a very smart daughter."
In disbelief, Zuko asked, "A daughter?" Was there another Azula out there somewhere?
"Yes, her name is Ziva. She just turned ten."
She had another child. He had a sister.
She had another life that didn't involve him and his family.
Suddenly, Zuko's head was spinning, and he felt the need to sit down. He couldn't, so instead he managed to take a very deep breath and regained his focus.
She had another life, he thought to himself. She could have come back and saved him from his father's wrath, but she didn't. Part of him understood why she didn't, but the other part was angry and irrational.
He took a very deep breath to get his anger under control, something he had become very good at it over the years. Then, he was able to give her a small smile. "That's wonderful, mom." He almost meant it.
"And you?" There was genuine interest in her voice. It felt weird for someone to ask him about himself. His life was public, and everyone knew everything they needed to know already. His heart cracked at the thought that she knew nothing about him.
His smile vanished. "I actually married Mai."
Ursa's face shifted into a sweet grin. She always knew the pair had feelings for each other. "That's so sweet."
Zuko let out a dry laugh. "I guess all the news doesn't make it to the darkest corner."
"What do you mean?"
"Azula murdered her, mom." His voice was monotone and emotionless. No matter how many times he thought about it or even talked about it, it still hurt. He still wished she were there. He still hated Azula for taking her away.
For a moment, Ursa said nothing. Her jaw dropped a little, and her eyes were threatening tears. In that moment, she felt sadness for both of her children. Zuko because he lost his love, and Azula because she was clearly not in her right mind. How much of this could she have prevented if she was there? "I'm so sorry, son."
"We have a daughter."
Ursa's smiled returned at the mention of a grandchild. She was also thankful that Zuko had someone to take care of, and someone to take care of him. "That's wonderful. What is her name?"
Zuko chuckled with a little more enthusiasm as he thought about the real Ursa meeting his Ursa. He light heartedly replies, "Ursa."
Ursa was taken aback for a moment before her smile spread all over her face. She hadn't even met the child yet, and she was in love. "Thank you," was all she could say without crying.
After a few more moments of silence, Zuko knew that it was time to ask the ultimate question. "Why are you here?"
Again, Ursa dropped her gaze. "I might have a solution for your problem with Azula," in a strong voice. It was almost as if she was declaring something. She met his intense gaze. "I need to meet with the Avatar."
Initially, Zuko was shocked. He wasn't shocked by her reason for coming back but by the fact that the Avatar was the one she wanted to speak to. A million emotions ran through him, but he one he recognized the most was jealousy.
Clenching his jaw, Zuko turned swiftly to the door he had come in. He opened it and told the guard standing outside, "Send for the Avatar."
Then, he slowly walked back to where his mother was standing. They awkwardly waited in silence for Aang.
Luckily, they didn't have to wait long because Zuko's friends were waiting nearby for word from him. Aang, in his ceremonial robes, joined him in the center of the room.
He smiled the entire way there, unaware of the building tension. He bowed to her. "Firelady Ursa, it's an honor to meet you."
Ursa returned the bow. In her exile, she had clearly not forgotten royal protocol. "It's an honor to meet you as well, Avatar Aang. Please, call me Ursa."
Aang's mind was racing as he tried to connect the dots as fast as he could. Clearly, this was in fact his mother and not an imposter. But why did Zuko call him in here to meet with her? Why was she there?
Aang studied Zuko's face and noticed that he was not looking as enthused as someone who had just discovered that their mother was actually alive. Weird family, he thought to himself as an explanation of some sort.
Finally, Zuko begin to explain the situation. "Aang, my mother has come here with a solution to our 'Azula problem.'"
Aang's brain felt like it might explode right then and there. A solution? Wait, how did Ursa hear about a problem while on a lion Turtle? And more importantly, why did she care?
"Avatar Aang," she began, still using a formal voice. It was almost monotone. "For the last several years, I have lived with a group of nomads. Not Air Nomads, but nomads that don't stay in one place very long. While traveling to our latest destination, we encountered a source, per say, that enlightened us with information on how to help you with Azula. I was personally sent here on a mission to give you the information."
Aang's eyes grew wide, and he had to stop his jaw from physically dropping. Was Zuko's mom insane? Mentally unwell? Brainwashed? Why did she sound like he had sent the last few decades at Lake Laogai? Next, she was going to be telling him that she hears voices.
Slowly, he said, "Okay?" The past Avatars didn't offer him another option, so what could Ursa and a bunch of nomads know that they don't?
Ursa smiled at him as if she was able to read his thoughts. "I know this is kind of unconventional, but there is always a solution without violence."
For a second, Aang was taken aback. That's a philosophy he had. The Air Nomads had instilled it into his brain, his being. Was that a sign? "What is the solution you are proposing?"
"You have to take her memory away from her."
Aang and Zuko pondered her words for a moment, and then they looked at each other for advice. Taking her memory away from her? What did that mean? More importantly, would it work?
"Let me elaborate," Ursa continued as she saw the confusion on their faces. Man, she was not doing a great job at being a vessel. "Avatar, there is a technique that you know called 'energybending,' correct?"
Aang nodded. "It takes away bending abilities. I used it on Ozai."
Ursa nodded back at him. "Yes, there is another dimension to energybending. This is where you will learn who to erase someone's memories. In this case, you will wipe Azula's memory clean, and she will remember nothing about herself. I will be more than willing to take her back to my clan and claim her as my daughter. The clan is on board with pretending she got amnesia from an accident and hiding her true identity forever. All that we ask is that you also take her bending as well."
Aang was unsure. Actually, he was unsure about a lot of things. First, could he really erase her memories? Second, if he could, would it be permanent? Third, should they set Azula back into the world? And fourth, why does it keep coming back to him taking her bending away? Internally, he groaned.
Zuko had heard what his mother said, but all that he could take away was the fact that Azula would get to live with their mother and not him. She would think her childhood was perfect, which it basically was. She wouldn't know about their father's mental and physical abuse. She wouldn't have suffered, and everything would turn out okay for her… like it always did.
Aang stole another glance at his friend and could tell that Zuko was practically seeing red. Quickly, he had to think of an excuse to get them both out of there. "Thank you for the advice, Ursa. I will have to consult my past lives before making a decision."
Ursa nodded in agreement. "I understand, Avatar Aang. I only have a few days before I need to head back to the others, or else they will move on without me to an unknown location."
Aang nodded to her in understanding and bowed. She bowed back. Then, Aang gave Zuko a look that was more like a warning.
Zuko managed to slip out of his thoughts and said, "A guard will take you to a room you can stay in while we discuss this. Thank you." Before Ursa could reply, Zuko took off towards the door. Aang was quick to follow.
As they exited, Zuko gave the guard outside the door strict instructions in a low voice "Please take her to a guest room. No one goes in or out."
"Yes, Firelord."
