'This is a bad idea.'

Katara sighed and turned away from her brother. He called out her name but she ignored him as she walked away, her steps long and hurried. He had to jog to keep up with her.

'Revenge is a bad idea. It can only cause problems. And we already have problems. Enough of them. At least for now.'

'You don't understand.'

'I don't understand? Katara-' He grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to stop and face him.

Tears glinstered in her angry eyes. Sokka stared right into them. 'She was my mother too.'

She pulled away from him. 'But you're not the reason she's dead!'

She had intended to say those words calmly, but instead she shouted them. Her voice broke before the last word. Angry with him, but mostly with herself, she turned away from him, continuing to walk towards Appa.

Azula already stood there, Zuko next to her. Behind her, Mai and Ty Lee were standing quietly. Azula was talking with Aang. She already knew what it was about – Aang did not want them to go either. It would have surprised her if it were otherwise.

Aang gave something to Azula. Katara saw it was the whistle Aang used to call for Appa.

They all turned towards her. 'I don't want to hear it,' she snapped, before she climbed on top of Appa.

'Katara, you can't go like this. You're angry. You're crying.' He tried to smile. 'Let's talk about this.'

She snorted and looked at Azula. 'You ready to go?'

'Sure.'

She and Zuko exchanged a glance, before he hugged her. 'Be careful, 'Zula.'

'You too, Zuzu.'

He rolled his eyes, but Katara saw him smile as well, after Azula turned her back on him.

'Don't cause too much trouble,' Mai said as she hugged Azula.

'I could say the same thing to you,' Azula responded. The two girls exchanged a long glance, before Azula turned towards Ty Lee.

'Have fun – and be careful,' Ty Lee exclaimed, sounding cheerful as always.

Azula looked at Katara. 'I am ready to go.'

'Katara, come on!' Aang exclaimed. 'What do you think this will accomplish?' He turned towards Azula. 'Revenge never is the answer.'

'This isn't about revenge, Aang,' Azula said. 'It is about closure – and justice.'

She climbed on top of Appa as well. 'Don't worry – I ll make sure everyone will come back in one piece.'

Katara grabbed Appa's reigns as well.

'I think it is about revenge,' Sokka said. 'And it is dangerous.' He looked at Aang, who nodded slowly. 'I won't stop you from going,' he said. 'I understand you need to go and see this man. I just hope… I just hope you don't make the same mistakes he did.'

'Don't worry,' she said. 'I won't be killing an innocent.'

She looked at Azula, who had sat down.

'Appa – yip yip!'

Zuko sat cross-legged inside the cave. His eyes were closed. In front of him, a flame rose every time he breathed in, and turned to its normal size as he breathed out.

Mai hesitated for a brief moment, her eyes lingering on his face. He seemed so focused and at the same time so very calm – she did not want to disturb him. Carefully placing her feet as not to alert him, she turned away.

'Mai?'

She froze and looked back at him. His eyes were open, the flame was burning normally. 'I did not want to disturb you,' she said.

'You don't.' He stood up. 'Were you looking for me?'

Was it wishful thinking, of did he really sound like he hoped the answer would be yes?

'I was,' she said.

Zuko let the flame disappear. 'Is everything okay?' he asked.

'It is. I just wanted to ask you something.'

Zuko seemed to turn a little paler. He nodded towards the entrance of the cave. 'Let's go outside.'

They walked next to each other in a painful silence. Mai had practised what she wanted to say, had repeated the words over and over in her head, but standing next to him she couldn't remember a single one of him.

She was very away of his presence.

She took a deep breath, loud enough for him to notice. Just tell him you like him, she said to herself. As more than just a friend.

Somehow, the words got lost and instead she asked him if he was worried about Azula. Zuko frowned. 'Not really. Should I be?'

'I don't know. I think she has handled worse.'

'And she has Katara next to her.' Zuko grimaced. 'I am more worried about her than about the man they are going to attack.'

'What do you mean?'

Zuko smiled apologetically. 'I should not have said that. It is just – Azula can handle a firebender. I am not sure if she can handle a really angry Katara.'

'I think she can.'

'In a fight, maybe. But that's not what I meant.' Mai wasn't entirely sure what he did mean, but she didn't inquire.

Instead, she again took a deep breath. This time, before she had the chance to speak, Zuko started talking.

'Do you think we should fight my father? Azula and I?'

This conversation wasn't going as planned.

Mai pondered the question. 'I don't know if I should answer it,' she said after a short silence. 'I think the two of you should decide on that.' He is your father, after all, she wanted to say.

Zuko sighed. 'I know. But that might be the problem.

Definitely not the way she wanted it to.

'Is that what you wanted to ask me?' Zuko asked.

'No, it wasn't,' Mai said quickly. 'Zuko – I…' She fell silent, searching for the right words. She glanced at him, feeling her cheeks turning red.

Zuko was looking right at her.

He suddenly smiled and she immediately knew he wasn't laughing at her. He would never do that. So she smiled back, relieved.

The words 'I like you' suddenly seemed quite easy to say, but Zuko didn't give her a chance. He very softly touched her cheek, with the back of his hands, very careful. He looked at her, as if to ask permissions.

She smiled and nodded.

Zuko smiled back and kissed her.

'They don't understand,' Katara said.

Azula didn't respond. She understood why Katara wanted to do this, she understood why she had to. It wasn't right that someone could still live their lives freely, after committing such a horrible crime. She wasn't sure if Katara should kill the man. It watergirl seemed like the kind of perhaps that would be haunted be such a deed for the rest of her life.

But then, it wasn't Azula's decision to make, nor to live with.

'They don't have to understand,' she responded. 'As long as they don't judge.'

Katara seemed to ponder that question for a while. 'But they did judge me,' she said eventually, looking of her shoulder.

'I don't think they did. They are just worried about me.'

'And you aren't?'

Azula smirked. 'I trust you will make the right decision.' Whatever that is.

There was a short silence. 'Do you think I should forgive him?' Katara asked her, her voice a little lower than usual.

'I don't know, Katara. I don't have history with him. But I think you could choose neither forgiveness, nor revenge.'

Katara nodded. 'But what if I chose revenge?'

'That would be up to you.'

Katara sighed. 'I was eight year old. When they came.' She bit her lip. Azula, slightly shocked by this sudden honesty. She wasn't entirely sure if she wanted to know how her countrymen had killed Katara's mother, but she didn't stop her.

'Sokka and I were playing outside. We suddenly noticed that the snow had turned black, so I went to look for my mother. When I found her, she was talking to a Fire Nation soldier. He told me to get lost. She comforted me, told me everything would be alright.' She takes a deep, trembling sigh. Her hands clench the reigns a little too tightly – Azula noticed the knuckles getting white.

'I went to look for my father. When we returned, she was dead. She had told the soldier that she was the last waterbender of the southern water tribe.

'But she wasn't,' Azula said. 'You were.'

Katara nodded. 'I know it's not my fault that she's dead. I am not the one who killed her. But if it weren't for me, she would still be alive. The Fire Nation wouldn't have come.'

'You don't know that. Not for sure.'

'No. But she was very strong. The chance is that she would still be alive.'

Azula noticed the tears in Katara's eyes.

'So I choose vengeance,' Katara whispered. 'For her. That monster can't get away with killing her.'

It was a few hours later when Azula pointed in the distance. 'A Fire Nation ship.' It was easy to recognize, even when they couldn't see the flags yet. The ugly grey colour, the smoke that circled above it… only the Fire Nation built machines like that and called them ships. It was starting to get dark, the first contours of the full moon above them. Katara steered Appa towards the steamboat.

'Southern Raiders,' Azula eventually said, when she could see the flag. 'The man you're looking for should still be here, on the ship. As its commander.'

'If he's there, we'll find him.'

She took a deep breath, concentrating on the power the moon gave her. She was no longer a scared, little girl. She was ready to fight. To avenge.

'What is your plan?' Azula said. 'If we come any closer, they'll notice us for sure.'

'I don't mind.'

Azula frowned. 'I told you, I don't want any ordinary soldiers killed.'

'You don't mind getting them wet?'

'I don't think so. Unless you mean you want to throw them in the sea. In which case, I do mind.'

'It's warm weather. The sea is calm. They'll be fine.' She took a deep breath, letting go of the reigns as she let a wave roll over the sea, towards the ship. Two of its members noticed it in time. One of them produced fire, letting the water evaporate before it could hit her. The other one, together with three more unfortunate people, got carried away by the wave and into the water.

Katara gritted her teeth, sending smaller, more powerful blasts of water until the deck was completely empty. Azula stayed silent, gliding down Appa's fur until her feet hit metal.

'Let's go,' Katara said.

'Follow me.'

Azula moved with ease through the ship. The layout was probably familiar to her. Within half a minute, they had reached the main control crew. Three men were present. Startled when blue fire appeared, the tried to flee.

No, Katara thought. Not this time.

It was a conscious decision. Katara asked herself what she would do to find the man who murdered her mother, and the answer was – everything.

They fought Azula, but the flames turned blue before they could do any damage. She forced them into the defence, moving forward and hitting one between the shoulder blades. Paralysed, he fell to the ground.

One of them was hit with water, hard enough for him to fall to the ground. Azula darted forward and hit the last one as well.

Azula looked at Katara. 'Are you alright?'

She nodded.

Azula turned back to the soldiers. 'Which one of you is the commander?' she asked them. They did not respond and she wasn't sure if they could.

She repeated the question and eventually one of them answered. 'I am.' He was younger than she had imagined him to be, perhaps in his early forties.

'You were the leader of the last raid of the Southern Water Tribe,' she said.

There was a brief silence. Azula heard the water leap against the metal ship.

'What?' the commander managed to say. She could see the fear in his eyes.

'You. You were the commander of this ship when it raided the Southern Water Tribe, six years ago.'

'I don't know what you are talking about.'

She frowned as she looked at him. Normally, commanders were not promoted that young.

'You are lying,' Katara sneered.

'Look at him,' Azula said. 'Are you sure it is him?'

She helped the man to his knees.

Katara stared at him and the man stared back. Azula felt like an intruder to a strangely intimate moment.

Katara sighed. 'It is not him,' she said.

She took a few steps backwards. 'It is not him.' She wanted to turn away.

'Wait,' Azula said sharply. She grabbed the man and pulled him upwards, forcing him to face her. A blue flame covered her hand – not that she intended to hurt him, but she was just making sure he wouldn't try anything daring. 'If you are not the man we are looking for, than who is? Who was commander before you?'

He breathed heavily. 'Yon Rha,' he said, his eyes transfixed on the flame. 'Tell me the village were he lives,' Azula said.

He responded. Azula let her flame disappear, wondering if this meant he knew who she was.

'I am sorry,' she said, before chi-blocking him. She also paralysed the last of them, stepping over their bodies as she left the room. 'They'll be out for an hour,' she said, as she closed the door. 'That'll give us extra time.'

'They are not faster than Appa,' Katara said.

'No – but they know who I am.' Azula sighed. 'They might get into contact with others.'

They hurried back to Appa, who careful watched the railing, probably out of fear of some fire bending soldiers. His tail moved up and then down, creating a dust of wind that was strong enough for wet hands to lose grip on smooth iron.

'I know where to go,' Azula said. 'Let's get this over with.'

Katara immediately recognized the man when she saw him. Time had done him no favours. Had his hair been grey, six years ago? She wanted to attack him the moment she saw him leaving a shop, holding a bag of vegetables, but Azula stopped her.

'Not here,' she whispered.

It was raining, which meant that less people were outside. They covered their heads as they walked, following the man. Yon Rha. She had known his eyes for years, but now she had his name as well.
She noticed that Azula kept her eyes on the environment. 'Are you afraid you'll get recognized?' she whispered.

Azula shook her head. 'I know it's not probable. But, who knows? Maybe there are posters with my face on it and the promise of a large sum of gold if you catch me alive.'

The man walked quickly, but his shoulders were slouching. She almost started doubting if he were the man they were looking for.

Until he stopped walking and suddenly turned. The only reason he didn't see them, was because Azula quickly grabbed Katara's wrist and pulled her behind a tree. She caught a glance of his face.

'It really is him,' she said.

'Let's go after him. Let me go after him. I'll stop him.'

'No,' Katara said. 'It has to be me.'

She saw Azula hesitate, but eventually she nodded. Katara took a deep breath. It rained hard for her to accumulate a good amount of water, enough for him to hit the man. He stumbled forward.

'Run!' Azula said, but Katara didn't hear her. She was already running.

Yon Rha stood up, his groceries forgotten. He moved into a firebending stance, sending fire in her direction. She moved the rain, but it wasn't enough water, she realized with sudden horror. She tried to duck, but she would still have been hit if the flames didn't suddenly turn blue and dissipate.

Yon Rha gasped. He knew what it meant, she thought.

Katara froze the pool of water directly behind him. As he took a step backwards, he fell on the ground. Azula stopped before him, her fist aimed on his face. Yon Rha put his hands up. 'Please! I'll cooperate. Princess.'

Katara stepped before her. 'Look at me,' she commanded.

Yon Rha's eyes flitted from Azula to her, then back to Azula. He obviously assumed she were the biggest threat.

'Look at me!' Katara yelled, louder this time. It wasn't just rain on her face.

'Listen to her,' Azula said.

Now he did look at her, but she didn't see any recognition on his face, only fear. He looked at her because he was told to do so.

'Don't you recognize me?' she asked.

'I – no, I'm sorry. I don't know who you are!' He looked at Azula as he said those last words.

'Take a closer look!' Katara screamed.

She believed he told the truth – he really didn't recognize her. He had killed her mother and forgot about her.

He stared at her.

'You were commander of the Southern Raiders, six years ago,' Azula said. 'When the Fire Nation last raided the Southern Water Tribe.'

Now she saw some recognition on his face. He nodded eagerly. 'That was me, yeah.'

'Look at me again,' Katara said. 'Look at me again and tell me you don't recognize me.'

He looked at her again. Eventually, she saw his eyes widen a little. 'The little girl. You are the little girl.'

'I am,' she said. 'And you murdered my mother. Because you believed she was the last water bender.'

He looked at her. 'But she wasn't,' he said. 'Was she?'

'No,' she said. 'I was!'

She moved her arms, letting the rainwater pools over their hands. They were standing dry now. Katara looked at the face of the man who had ruined so many of her years.

'You have to understand – I was only doing my job,' Yon Rha said.

Katara looked at him in disbelief.

'Katara,' Azula said slowly. 'Think before you act.'

'I have thought about it. I have thought about it for years.' She took a deep breath. Never in her life had she felt so much hatred for a person.

But there was something else as well.

What kind of person considered killing someone as a job? How empty, how pathetic did you have to be?

Water formed a ball above her head. She stretched her arms, sending the water towards him, turning them into sharp pins of ice that would pierce through his skin, into his heart.

But she couldn't do it. The shards kept floating, in front of the face of the terrified old man, before she sighed and stepped back. The ice turned into water again, falling on the ground.

'I have always wondered what kind of monster could do what you have done,' she said. 'But I think I understand now. You are empty, and sad, and pathetic. And my mother wouldn't want me to become a murdered just to avenge her. Just to kill someone like you.' She spat those last words. A few seconds she stared intently at the man, before turning around and walking way. She suddenly felt a heavy weight lift from her shoulders.

Her mother would have proud of her, she realised. She had faced the man, she had wanted to kill him – and she hadn't. Not because he didn't deserve it, or because she didn't want to kill him.

Because she didn't want to honour her mothers memory with murder, however deserved it may be.

Azula followed her, quietly. She didn't say anything, but she did pat Katara awkwardly on the shoulder, before she blew the whistle for Appa.

She didn't make a remark on the tears that were on Katara's cheek, something Katara was grateful for. She just stood beside her as they waited.

'There's Appa,' Azula finally said, as the gigantic air bison appeared in the sky, completely soaked because of the rain.

Katara nodded. 'Let's go home.'