"It's just not a good idea," said Zuko.

Ursa stopped pacing in his office and looked at him.

"Zuko, I know I've hurt Azula. I've neglected her. Whether it was intentional or not, I bear responsibility. I have to do what I can to make up for it."

"What if she doesn't want to see you?"

"Then I will respect her wishes and return to the Fire Nation."

"So, you're going to travel all the way to Ba Sing Se, to try and reconnect with Azula, all with the knowledge that she may just send you away and that you'll have to come all the way back for nothing?"

Ursa's gaze turned steely. "I have to try, Zuko. I've stayed away for the sake of her health, like you said, but I really think I've done enough staying away. Our relationship will never be fixed if one of us doesn't reach out first. I have to let her know that I'm sorry, and I have to show it with my actions, Zuko."

Zuko looked at Ursa, trying to formulate an argument against it. "But what if she—"

"Zuko," said Ursa. "I have to do this. There is nothing that you can say that will prevent me from going. If Azula sends me back, then that will be that, but I have to try. I am her mother as much as I am yours. It's high time I acted like it."

Zuko nodded, a lump in his throat. "You were always a great mom," he said.

Ursa smiled sadly. "Thank you. But in hindsight, I see how I neglected Azula. I made her feel like love had to be earned. Maybe if I hadn't, maybe if I tried harder, Ozai wouldn't have been able to poison her mind." She sighed. "No use dwelling on 'what-ifs.' It's time to see what I can do moving forward."

"Will you be taking Kiyi and Noren?" Zuko asked.

"No. This is something I need to do myself. I think bringing them will only cause more friction."

Zuko nodded. "Well, since you're set on doing this, I'm going to insist that you take two Kyoshi Warriors as bodyguards. There could be any number of dangers in Ba Sing Se, unrelated to Azula."

Ursa nodded once, a sad smile on her face. "Of course. Thank you."

Zuko looked down at the floor, clearly perturbed. Ursa approached him and placed a hand on his cheek.

"I'll come back, Zuko," said Ursa. "I've been here for you, it's just that now I'll have to be there for Azula."

"I know," said Zuko. He smiled sadly at Ursa. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," said Ursa.

"Come back safely," said Zuko.

Ursa smiled wider. "I will."

0-0-0

"Thank you for taking us along with you, Lady Ursa!" said Ty Lee, looking out the windows of the airship as they crossed the ocean.

Ursa smiled. She had always enjoyed Ty Lee and her bouncy energy. Something about that girl was so disarming.

Of course, that's what made her dangerous, but Ursa knew that she had nothing to fear from Ty Lee. She remembered when Ty Lee was only five years old, so excited to show Azula and Mai the new tumbling move that she learned.

"You're welcome, Ty Lee, I'm just happy you agreed to come." Ursa looked out the window of the airship. "I know it might be… difficult."

Ty Lee's smile faltered. "I'll admit, I'm… I am afraid of Azula. And I didn't go with Suki because I didn't want to be so near to her all the time…"

Ursa could feel her heart breaking. What had Ozai done to her children, to make them feared by their own best friends? What could have been prevented if only she were there?

She took a deep breath and tried to calm her mind. The past could not be changed. The future was yet unwritten. All she had control of was the present moment, and Ursa vowed to use her present, moment by moment, to repair the damage that had been done.

"If it's alright to ask, what made you want to come this time?"

Ty Lee swallowed. "I don't want to be scared anymore. It didn't used to be like that, and I'm not sure we can ever go back to just being friends again, but… I don't want to be scared anymore."

Ursa nodded. "I felt the same way when I went to confront Ozai again."

Ty Lee's eyes widened. "You did?"

"Yes," said Ursa. "I was terrified because he loomed so large in my memory, but seeing him in a prison cell, in rags, still acting as if he controlled me… it let me see with unclouded eyes what a sad, pitiful excuse for a man he is." She looked at Ty Lee. "Of course, Azula isn't Ozai, and I don't intend to have her sent to prison, ever. But I do understand that she hurt you, as well."

Ty Lee sighed and flopped back on the sofa. "This is all so complicated."

Ursa raised an eyebrow, and waited for her to continue.

"I mean, it seems like an endless cycle of pain," said Ty Lee. "You hurt Azula, Azula hurt me, I hurt her, Ozai hurt everyone… just, where does it end?"

Ursa took a deep breath. "It ends when we decide to end it. For me, that is by making amends however I can. For you, well, you'll have to figure it out for yourself."

Ty Lee was silent for a few moments. "I don't want to hurt Azula again. I miss being friends with her. But… I don't want to let her hurt me, either."

Ursa nodded. "That is perfectly reasonable. And if you feel that staying away is in your best interests, then by all means, do so. You deserve to feel safe, too. I'm sure Yuna has me covered from any outside threats, and I know a thing or two about fighting myself."

Ty Lee perked up at that. "You do? I thought you were an actress."

Ursa laughed. "Well, stage fighting is very different from real fighting, but I did pick up some tips about self-defense. Plus, I accompanied Zuko to all his lessons with Master Piandao, so I have at least a theoretical knowledge of swordplay. And of course, firebending training when I was a girl."

"You're a firebender?" Ty Lee asked.

Ursa opened her hand and summoned a small, orange flame. Ty Lee watched the flame dance in Ursa's palm until she closed her hand, extinguishing it.

"Ozai forced me to marry him because of my genetics," said Ursa. "He wanted powerful firebending heirs, and I am the granddaughter of Avatar Roku. However, if I were a nonbender, he probably wouldn't have married me." She sighed through her nose.

"I just never saw you bend before, and neither Zuko or Azula said anything about it, so…" Ty Lee trailed off. "Are there any other cool things that I don't know about?"

Ursa chuckled. "Oh, there are many cool things that no one knows about me. For example, I was raised in an herbalist household."

Ty Lee cocked her head.

Ursa smiled a secret smile. "So, I know all kinds of ways to mix herbs to heal ailments… or… to put a permanent end to them."

Ty Lee's hands shot to her mouth. "No!"

"Yes."

"Have you ever…"

Ursa pursed her lips. "I will neither confirm nor deny whether any life has ended by my hand. However, the Fire Lord may have confidential information which he might deign to divulge."

"Zuko ordered you to kill somebody?!"

Ursa drew back, shocked. "No, of course not! He just might… know something about whether or not someone may have passed away under unusual circumstances, who may or may not have been helped along, long before he was Fire Lord."

Ty Lee let out a breath. "I see. To be honest, I could never see Zuko ordering someone's death. He hasn't even killed Ozai."

Ursa nodded curtly. "I am aware."

Ty Lee looked away from her quickly. Ursa's mom senses tingled. Ty Lee obviously wanted to say something, but was holding back. Kiyi was getting a bad habit of doing that too, but usually it was because she caused some kind of trouble, and not because she didn't want to offend.

"You don't have to hold back for my sake, Ty Lee. Whatever you want to say, I can handle it."

Ty Lee nodded and took a breath. "If… if you know how to do that… have you ever thought about… killing Ozai?"

"Yes," said Ursa immediately. "I used to think about it every day."

Ty Lee blinked. "Why didn't you?"

Ursa sighed. "Well, two reasons, I suppose. The first is, I don't want him to have such a stranglehold on my life, that I am consumed with revenge. The second… sort of contradicts what I just said."

Ty Lee leaned forward eagerly.

"Poisoning Ozai would honestly be too merciful. For a man who put so much value in brute strength, being left powerless and alone in a cell, with no one who will ever listen to him again… it's the perfect punishment for him."

Ty Lee shivered. "I can see where Azula gets some of her intensity from."

Ursa blinked, and then smiled. It wasn't often someone linked her to her oldest daughter, and having something in common made Ursa feel… lighter. Like a small weight she had long gotten used to was removed.

Yuna came back from the dining area of the airship, munching on food. "Sorry guys, I just got hungry," she said, sitting down next to Ty Lee. "What'd I miss?"

Ursa smiled. "Oh, just catching up with Ty Lee."

Author's Note:

I've always liked Ursa. She made mistakes, but she had to deal with Ozai for a husband. Who encouraged only the worst in everyone around him.

I also like to think that Ursa has her dark moments. She did kill Azulon, after all. I know some people are mad that the comics "retconned" this by having Ozai be the one to actually give Azulon the poison, but in the immortal words of Avatar Kyoshi, "Personally, I don't see the difference." Ursa is the one who made the poison, Ursa is the one who gave it to Ozai, heck Ursa is the one who brought up the idea in the first place. She is totally guilty of regicide.

I hope you enjoyed this! Comments are appreciated! :D