Azula stared blankly at the front door of the small Kyoshi Island home. Her fist was raised, frozen midway through an attempted knock. For the life of her, she couldn't find the strength to finish. They had only arrived in the village a few minutes ago near noontime, and already her nerves ignited. After receiving quite a few odd looks from the locals, Izumi had led them here. Why had Azula insisted she be the one to knock? Now that she stood in front of the door, paralyzing dread rooted her in place, unable to bring her fist forward.

A frustrated bubble of anxiety knotted into her throat. She swallowed it, and eased a heavy breath. This should have been simple. Should have been easy. So why did the mere thought of knocking on this door and delivering their news churn such deep sickness through her gut? Spirits, this would only blow up in her face, same as everything else. Mai already hated her. This would only reinforce it.

With a deep sigh, she forced herself to rap her knuckles against the front of the door. One obstacle conquered, still more to go. Footsteps sounded from the other side of the door. Azula instinctively stiffened, tightening her jaw in anticipation. She didn't let it show. Didn't waver. She retained her stern, confident poise, shielding herself behind that familiar wall once again. Even if she had to fake it, she could exude a domineering presence. By the time the door opened, she looked every bit the Fire Nation princess she had always been.

"Hello?" said a chipper voice, as the door swung open.

The voice was old, yet carried with it a familiar, bubbly tone. The woman standing in the doorway was petite and thin, while also uncharacteristically athletic for someone of her age, with an excited bounce in her step. Wrinkles creased her face, depicting the most striking and obvious signs of her age, along with her long silver hair tied back in a braided ponytail. Those gray eyes of hers, on the other hand, hadn't changed one bit, so warm and full of life. Even in the woman's old age, Azula recognized a much younger face beyond that wrinkled exterior, a face that brought with it a flood of memories from decades past.

"Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?" she said, offering a small smile. A real, genuine smile, so different from the one she'd given the last time she said those words to her.

The old woman blinked with brief pause. Her eyes flashed with recognition, a bright smile curling across her face. "Azula! It really is you..." She stared a moment longer, leaning closer for further inspection. "I'd heard the news, but I never imagined... It is so good to see you again!"

"It is?" Azula's regal poise faltered. She tilted her head and lifted an eyebrow, giving her old friend a confused stare. "But... I thought you hated me."

"I never hated you." Ty Lee eased a quiet sigh, still maintaining her warm smile. "I was scared of you for a long time, but I always knew there was a better side of you. That you could change. Now, just looking at you... Your aura is so pink and beautiful."

"Well, I..." Azula couldn't help but crack another smile, in spite of her confusion. Same old Ty Lee, still babbling on about auras. Azula had never understood anything about auras, but if it saved any potential animosity between them, she wouldn't complain. "Thank you, Ty Lee."

Moments later, Ty Lee's face twisted with concern. "Oh... but your aura is also so sad. What's wrong?"

Before Azula could answer, both Toph and Izumi stepped next to her. For now, Azula shrank back behind them. They couldn't drag this out any longer.

"Hello, Ty Lee," Toph said, with a simple nod.

"Oh, Toph! And Izumi!" Ty Lee's face lit up even more, beaming a wide smile. "Welcome! If I'd known I was getting so many visitors, I would have put on some tea. What brings you all here?"

"Well, we..." Izumi started to answer, but stopped herself with a deep sigh. "Is my mother here?"

"Oh, yes, I think she's—"

"Izumi?" Mai appeared behind Ty Lee from within the home, a look of relief washing across her face when she saw her daughter. Running forward, she threw her arms around Izumi and hugged tight. "Oh, I was so worried... I wasn't sure what happened to you after this whole empire mess. It's so good to see you, sweetie."

Izumi returned the hug, holding her hand to the back of her mother's head. "And you as well, Mother."

When Mai let go, she took a step back and glanced between the three other women. Gradual confusion creased across her face, as her gaze settled back on Izumi. "Where's your father?"

"That's actually why we're here." Izumi's expression contorted with sorrow, tears already brimming around the corners of her eyes. "Mother, I..."

Izumi's words choked short in her throat. Unable to speak, she stepped aside and looked back out the door. Anraq approached, an equally solemn expression lingering in his gaze. He carried a bundle that had been wrapped with cloth in his arms. A bundle distinctly the size and shape of a body.

Mai's eyes flared, igniting with horrified understanding, as she stumbled forward out the door. She hesitated, her hand trembling as she worked up the strength to pull back the cloth. When she saw her husband's pale, lifeless face beneath, a wailing cough of sorrow shrieked from her throat. "No! Zuko? No... no, no, no, Zuko..."

Anraq closed his eyes, turning his head away with a mournful frown. "I'm sorry..."

Mai lost herself to a flood of grief. She hugged Zuko tightly, holding her head against his shoulder while she cried. Izumi approached in an attempt to console her, but Mai didn't even notice she was there. The others watched in silence, listening only to the sound of her anguished weeping.

"I'm sorry, Mother," Izumi said, resting a hand against her shoulder.

Mai hiccuped, and raised her head to give a gentle, parting kiss to her husband's lips. When she pulled away, she staggered on trembling legs before catching herself against her daughter. She held herself there for several fleeting moments, before standing upright under her own power. Her tearful gaze shifted around the group, coming to settle on Azula. The air electrified when their eyes met, igniting Mai with a surge of anger.

"You... You did this, didn't you?" Mai glared death at Azula, fury gleaming in her tear-stained eyes. "This is your fault! How could you let this happen!"

Azula made no attempt at disputing the claim. Didn't even attempt a response. Mai was right. There were too many reasons why this was her fault. No point trying to deny it now. Even if she wanted to, she'd only make the situation worse. If there was anything she needed to get better at, it was restraint. That meant knowing when to remain silent and take a scolding. Instead of shouting back at may like she might have done long ago, instead of insisting Zuko's death wasn't her fault, she simply bowed her head in shame. No less than she deserved, really.

Izumi stepped forward, putting herself between Mai and Azula. "Mother, no, this isn't Azula's fault. It's mine."

Mai shifted a confused stare towards her daughter. "What are you talking about?"

"I was being held prisoner, and they came to rescue me," Izumi explained, hanging her head. "During the escape, Empress Yula attacked us, and... I'm so sorry, Mother."

A moment's pause lingered between mother and daughter. Mai lowered her own gaze, eyes squinting shut with renewed tears leaking down her cheeks. Izumi held her in a warm embrace, and Mai sank into her arms, sobbing.


Three hours later, Azula wandered through the small home. Ty Lee had been generous enough to allow them to stay there for the time being, while the news of Zuko's death settled. Azula had since avoided everyone else, even Annie. She needed those moments alone to reconfigure her thoughts. To regain her composure. Nausea and malady had been squirming through her stomach ever since delivering the news. There was a time not so long ago where she might have mocked Mai's anguish. Now? Seeing her former friend in such pain brought her no joy. Only sorrow.

Azula turned into the kitchen, freezing in place when she noticed the two women sitting at the central table. Mai's hands cupped around a steaming tea cup. Judging from the red puffiness in her eyes, she had only recently stopped crying. Ty Lee sat next to her, holding a comforting hand against her arm. Azula stared at them, and they back at her. Her heart pounded inside her chest, as if willing her to turn back around the way she had come and leave. She fought against it, and stepped forward. This reunion was too long overdue.

"Mai, Ty Lee..." she uttered, with a deep breath. "May I join you?"

Ty Lee smiled. "Of course, Azula."

Mai shot a cold look of disbelief towards Ty Lee, before settling her attention down at her tea cup. No words to offer.

Azula sat across from them at the table, folding her hands in front of herself. Spirits, what on earth could she say that would sound even the slightest bit sincere? "Look, Mai, I... I know I'm far from your favorite person. I just want you to know I'm sorry for what happened to Zuko. I tried to help him, but I... I couldn't."

"Oh that's real shocking," Mai scoffed, with a roll of her eyes.

"Mai." Ty Lee frowned at her. "She's trying to offer her condolences."

"Her condolences? What is that worth? She tried to kill him back then, don't you remember? She never cared about him! She would have celebrated his death. She'd have been happy!"

"I'm not that person anymore!" Azula's retort carved through the air with a sharpness she hadn't intended. She immediately sat back in her seat and eased a calming breath. There she went, already on the defensive. Already shouting. That wouldn't help at all. "Or at least... I'm trying not to be. I know I was horrible in the past. I've come to realize that now. I've changed, and Zuko helped me accomplish that. I owe him so much, more than I can ever express. I did care, at least in the end." She swallowed the tightening knot in her throat, allowing her eyes to sink with uncharacteristic sincerity. "He was my brother, and I loved him. Now he's gone, and... I never expected it to hurt this much."

Mai remained silent, maintaining an unyielding focus on the tea cup clutched in her grasp. The hate and anger in her eyes softened, and faded. Slight, but still noticeable.

"I also want to apologize to the both of you, for how I treated you back then," Azula said, with an earnest nod. "I was awful. You two were the only friends I ever had, but I never knew how to keep you by my side without being cruel and horrible. I can't imagine all the ways I hurt you. In the end, that's what pushed you away. If I knew back then what I know now, I'd do things differently. I'd treat you like actual friends, and... I don't know, maybe things would have worked out better."

Ty Lee offered a gentle smile, reaching out to hold one of Azula's hands. Her fingers were thin and bony, frail in her old age. "It's never too late. We may be old, but we're not dead. We can be friends now."

"What?" Azula furrowed her brow in puzzlement, shifting her gaze back and forth between the two women. "Are you serious?"

Mai sighed deeply, and took a long sip of her tea. "I don't know what I am right now. I don't even know who you are." She flicked her attention towards Azula, careful and curious. Deep-seated caution lingered in her eyes. Caution that gently muted and crumbled away, renewed by a subtle, unexpected warmth. "I want to be mad at you so much. I want to blame you for what happened to Zuko. It would be so much easier... but you're just not the same, are you?"

Azula gave a firm nod, staring back in earnest. "I'm trying to be different this time around. To be better, and make things right."

Mai eased a deep, heavy sigh, as her gaze shifted towards the steaming tea kettle sitting at the center of the table. She offered a subtle, barely noticeable smile, before her expression faded into her trademark indifference. "Do you want some tea?"

"Yes..." Azula said, cracking an ever so slight smile of her own. "I'd like that."


Azula stretched her arms over her head with a deep yawn, as she made her way towards the front of Ty Lee's home. Dull silver light beamed down overhead, glowing from the waxing moon hidden behind faint wisps of cloud. A beautiful night, but no time to stop and marvel. Now that Druk was ready to fly again, they needed to leave as soon as possible.

Anraq met her outside the front entrance. "You almost ready to head out?"

"Almost," she said, slipping an arm around his waist. Soothing warmth wrapped over her. How lovely it was, simply having someone to hold when her mind was such a mess of emotions. "Just finished prepping Druk for the trip. I think that dragon took Zuko's death as hard as I did. He's miserable."

"Well, they were friends for a long time."

"Right... so they were." Azula sighed, making her way back inside through the front door. Toph, Izumi, and Ty Lee knelt in front of the small gathering table sipping tea together, while Mai had long since gone to bed. "Anyway, we shouldn't waste time. If we leave now, we can make it to Republic City by morning."

"Oh, you're leaving already?" Ty Lee said, lifting her eyebrows

Anraq nodded. "If we could stay longer, we would, but we have to return to Republic City as soon as possible. There's a war coming."

"Yes, and I need to be there," Azula muttered. Her eyes sharpened, fierce and hostile. "Yula killed Zuko, and when I get my hands on her, she will suffer for it."

"I understand," Ty Lee said, with a small sigh. Standing up from the table, she tightened her arms around Azula in a warm hug. "It was nice seeing you again after so long. Especially now, since you're... you know."

Azula froze in brief hesitation. She smiled, and returned the hug with a tight squeeze of her arms. Such a strange sensation, after so long. "It was good seeing you again too, Ty Lee. Thank you."

"Izumi, Toph, you ready to leave?" Anraq asked, glancing to the two women at the table.

"Actually, I think I'm going to remain here for a while," Izumi replied. "I should be here for my mother right now."

"And I'm staying too," Toph said, taking a sip of her tea. "I've had just about enough excitement for the rest of my life. The only thing I'll accomplish going back with you to fight a war is getting myself killed. At least here I can catch up on my sleep, until I decide to return to my swamp."

"Oh, I see," Azula said. "Well, if that's what you want..."

Izumi stood up with a deep sigh, and placed a reassuring hand against Azula's shoulder. "I won't be staying forever, so we''ll see each other again soon, I'm sure. I do want to help put a stop to Yula. She still has my friend, Yira, imprisoned somewhere in Ba Sing Se. For now, though... Goodbye, Aunt Azula."

"Thank you," she replied, offering a small smile to her niece. Now that was even stranger. She had a niece, and they actually liked each other. Sort of. At least they didn't hate each other. With a deep breath, she turned towards the old woman still kneeling in front of the table. "Toph, before we leave, I... I just want to tell you... I'm sorry for your daughter. You were right, I am responsible for her death. I know this won't change anything between us, but I want to own up to it. I want to apologize. For everything."

Toph furrowed her brow, taking a long sip of tea. She hummed a quiet, thoughtful breath, and lowered her cup to the table. "I sense that was very difficult for you to admit. You're right, this doesn't change anything between us, but thank you for saying it. It means more than you realize."

"You're welcome." Azula offered a parting nod, and turned to Anraq. "Well, I suppose it's just the two of us."

"Right," he replied. "Let's go."