"WOOOH!" Sokka held his arms up in the air. "Now this is how you travel!" he beamed.

For the first time. Team Avatar was boarding the ship which would transport them across the fire nation for their big tour.

And for ones it wasn't a military vessel or a transport ship.

It was a royal luxury yacht. It had rooms with big soft fluffy beds. It had kitchen with its own chef. It had a deck big enough for Appa to just hang out.

There was a pool! On the bloody deck!

"It was a gift for my father." Zuko informed. "I guess… He never really used it. And well now everything he owned is mine so."

"Woooah!" Aang grinned as Mai was already heading towards the lounge chair at the pool…. They hadn't even raised anchor yet.

Zuko smiled lightly. The old team was here. Aang, Sokka, Katara and Toph. But also Mai and Zhau-Li would stay on for the trip.

They were going to meet up with Ty Lee in one of the villages and with Suki in another village. Zuko could not deny he had really looked forward to this trip ever since they started to plan it.

"Well I guess being nobility has some benefits." Toph grinned amused.

"Being friends with the fire lord rules!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Sirs." A servant bowed for them. "We will be raising anchor in fifteen minutes. Dinner will be served at the dinner deck in two hours. Please take the time to relax until then. If there is anything his lordship or honored guests lacks please notify anyone here. Do you wish refreshments while you relax and wait for dinner?"

"Yes! Absolutely yes!" Sokka exclaimed.

"Erhm I don't mean to be trouble." Aang hesitated. "But you guys are aware I am a vegetarian right?"

"Yes Avatar Aang." The servant bowed his head "We are aware and there will be vegetarian options."

"AWESOME!" Aang yelled happily.

Soon enough everyone were launching around the pool with both drinks and coconuts in their hands.

Katara sitting in the water. Mai chilling under a parasol to shield her from the sun. Zuko laying next to her on the deck but directly in the sun with his arms spread out as if he was trying to absorb the rays themselves.

Well the parts of him not covered by Toph who got to take her favorite pillow into use ones more.

Even Zhau-Li had decided that now they were outside of the palace he could let go a little bit and hang out more casually. So he was sitting at the ledge of the pool where he could dip his legs into the water.

"You doing okay Zuko?" Aang asked amused as he looked down at the young fire lord splattered out on the deck.

Zuko sighed deeply. "If my banishment had been just slightly more like this. I wouldn't have minded boats so much." he stated. "Seriously there was times where I was begging I would never have to see another ship."

"Hmm. You never talked about those three years to me." Mai commented and she turned over to look down at Zuko.

Zuko groaned deeply. "What is there to tell?" he asked. "The ship handed to me was a ship that by all means should have been scrapped a decade earlier. It was a beat up rust bucket with a new pipe bursting every day and the chimneys exploding because of rust build up." he commented dryly. "Which probably should have clued me in that the entire thing was a joke. But naive as I was I thought it was part of the challenge and how I needed to proof myself. By not getting any privileges so I could work myself up by my own. How-ever as it happened I was the only one not getting the joke so the rest of the military loved making fun of me and screw me over. The only real clue I had about the avatar was the air temples and a light that had been supposedly spotted at the south pole a hundred years ago. So after climbing to impossible heights all for nothing I ended up sailing in circles in freezing waters on a boat that would often leak in water and if the military could find a way to screw me out of supplies they would."

"Hey that's our home you're talking about." Sokka said. "The south pole is lovely!"

Zuko shrugged. "Maybe because I am fire nation I am biased?" he asked. "I just mostly remember freezing my butt off when the boiler room broke down…. Again. I'll never understand how people can actually live there." he commented. "There's nothing there except ice, snow and then more ice."

"There are many different kinds of ice and snow Zuko!" Sokka lectured.

"Sorry I didn't take the time to appreciate it." Zuko rolled his eyes.

"Sounds like hell." Toph commented from where her head was placed on Zukos stomach.

"Agreed." Mai nodded.

Now Katara pouted. "That's our home you're talking about."

"I think the south pole is lovely!" Aang chimed in. "But it is very cold. That's true. It's so cold my pee would have frozen to ice before I got my pants back up."

"Ew." Mai wrinkled her nose.

"Face it Katara. These people wont ever be able to appreciate the beauty and greatness of the south pole." Sokka commented.

"A place where there is only ice?" Toph asked. "No ground for me to walk on and you know… See things? I'll even have to wear shoes so my feet wont freeze off permanently. That's a no thanks from me."

"That's fair." Sokka had to admit.

"So… That's what your banishment was like?" Zhau-Li asked in a careful voice. "I didn't know."

"Oh." Zuko halted. "Well… yeah."

"He was really set on capturing the Avatar when we first met." Sokka informed. "He literately managed to chase us from the south pole to the north pole! That's the entire world! He went from one end of the world to the other to pursue us!"

"Oh." Zhau-Li blinked. "But then you…. Became friends?"

Zuko shrugged. "Things changes. I got some sense beaten into me… I finally acknowledged the things I pretty much already knew but didn't want to admit." he commented. "Also there was this bald kid who kept insisting that we could totally be friends."

"Hihiii." Aang grinned looking very proud of himself.

"So." Zhau-Li looked at Aang. "He chased you across the world and you still wanted to be friends with him?"

"Well… yeah." Aang said. "It's true Zuko would never give up when chasing us and he was very angry all the time but… He wasn't like some of the other soldiers either. Zuko was never cruel. He never hurt anyone. He didn't even seem to enjoy what he was doing. It confused me a lot." he commented thoughtfully. "And then he broke me out of prison so that was kind of weird." he chuckled.

Zhau-Lis eyebrow rose up under his hair line and he looked at Zuko.

Zuko groaned. "At the time I really thought the terms of my banishment were legit and Ozai wanted me back. The terms though was that I was the one who had to bring back the Avatar. But then Admiral Zhao caught Aang. So if Zhao brought back Aang my banishment would be forever. Therefore I had to make sure that Zhao would not bring back Aang so…" he sighed. "I had to free him."

"Heh. I knew it wasn't for selfless reasons." Sokka smirked.

"Well he still saved me." Aang said. "If not for Zuko I might still be sitting in a fire nation prison while Ozai managed to burn the entire earth kingdom to the ground like he wanted. So I think it's all for the better anyway." he beamed.

Zuko groaned. "We don't need to keep talking about this."

"Keep going." Toph asked. "This is also new information to me! I don't know all the things that happened before I joined either."

"Also. Zuko took lightning for me and saved my life." Aang reminded them all. "And that was selfless! So there you go."

Zuko shook his as he leaned back then sighed.

"Your heart range changed." Toph commented.

Zuko shrugged. "I just keep being so surprised that well… I am in this situation now you know." he said. "It's so incredible that I can… You know. But with my friends like this." he said then he quieted.

"What is it?" Katara asked.

"I… I sometimes wonder what my mom would think." Zuko said. "I tried asking Ozai what happened to her but… he refused to answer." he sighed. "All he would do is mock me. Tell me it's only a question of time before I will fail."

"You don't believe that do you?" Aang asked.

"It is a scary thought." Zuko commented. "But then I went to visit Uncle which was the right thing to do. He told me my accomplishments are already phenomenal." then he sighed. "What sucks is there is no way I'll ever got any answers from Ozai. He wont tell me… If my mother is dead or alive." he shrugged. "I don't know."

"I'm so sorry Zuko." Katara whispered.

Zuko sighed deeply. "I wondered if maybe I should send search warrants out for her. But then I also think that if she is alive. She would be coming to me right?" he asked. "Ozai is gone. The capital is a place where everyone is free to come. So if she is alive and really wanted to see me… She would come right?" he commented. "But then again she's might hidden away somewhere far from civilization where she wont know what is happening. Maybe she's living in poor conditions and can't make the travel. Shouldn't I look for her? She saved my life! But I don't know where to even begin. And there's so much else that requires my attention. Am I allowed to spend so much time and resources on this selfish quest when it's very possible she might just be dead and there's nothing to find."

"Well…" Sokka hesitated. "We'll be travelling across the fire nation. At least we can ask a bit around."

"The chances that she is in the fire nation are very low though." Zuko pointed out. "I mean. If I was fleeing from the new fire lord because I killed the old one… I would probably leave the fire nation not stay there."

"Ah." Sokka realized. "That's a good point."

"I just wish I knew what happened to her." Zuko admitted. "I mean if she is dead… I would like to know."

There was an odd quiet among them then Katara looked up.

"We'll find her." Katara suddenly said. "We are team Avatar. Represents from all four nations."

"Yeah!" Sokka grinned. "Any excuse for a new adventure is a good excuse!" he stated. "So don't worry about it buddie. This is vacation! Relax."

"It's not a vacation Sokka!" Zuko exclaimed.

"Well until we make land it is." Sokka grinned as he held up his coconut.

"Snozzles has a point." Toph smirked. "Can't do anything right now. But don't worry. If she's out there we'll find her." she commented.

And Zuko smiled lightly. "Thank you guys."

"Hey." Katara smirked. "What is family for?"

Zuko smirked amused then swallowed. "I havn't heard anything about Azula either." he then commented. "Not a peep. That's… Sort of unnerving isn't it?"

There was quiet.

"You don't regret letting her go do you?" Sokka asked.

"No… I don't." Zuko said. "It was the only thing I could do for her." he swallowed. "I just hope it was the right decision. I hope she hasn't…" he halted then glanced down.

"Well… " Aang said. "Maybe she's figuring things out and that's why we haven't even heard of her." he said. "I mean it could be that. Or she could be organizing a shadow ring too take you down. Either thing is possible. But until we know otherwise we should believe the best and hope she's making a good recovery!"

Defeated Zuko shook his head. "That would be a miracle." he commented. "But I hope so."

"Azula can take care of herself." Mai reminded Zuko. "I wouldn't worry if I were you. Listen to Sokka. Just relax. You worked yourself to the bone in the palace."

"Hmm." Zuko nodded as he closed his eyes. "Could I please have another mango juice." he asked in a higher voice and at ones a servant rushed towards the kitchen and soon Zuko had a fresh glass in his hand. "Okay so being fire lord has some benefit." he smirked.

"That's my guy." Sokka grinned.