This was originally going to be another Azula and Kazumi chapter but Hammer suggested that we haven't had an update on the Fire Nation fam in a while so here we are.

Big thanks to HammerTide for beta reading this chapter and making some edits to the chapter.

With that said, let's get it started.


Ursa honestly hated the palace.

She can imagine that statement alone shocking dozens of women. How could anybody possibly pass up the luxuries and services provided by living in a palace ? A place of comfort and security that essentially doubles as an impenetrable fortress to protect oneself from harm. Having legions of servants to cater to your every whim and guards that would lay down their lives for you.

Yet Ursa never quite felt that at all during her time at the palace with Ozai still in charge. She always equated the palace to a overtly fancy and glorified prison, always too damn stuffy and big and it was a nightmare figuring out where to go when she was first starting to live there. No matter how many etiquette teachers the former Fire Lord Azulon shoved onto her, she would always be a village girl at heart and the palace never felt like home.

She's certain there were women that would have killed for her spot, back then before she had Azula and Zuko, she might have willingly given it to them.

The palace had this majestic oppressive feeling to it similar to a prison. And Ozai was her warden.

She hated every minute she spent in the palace back then. She hated the snide and flirty remarks that Ozai made at her, as if he wasn't enjoying every second of her suffering at the palace. She hated having to...submit to him, in bed. Granted, Ozai never made her do anything that she was too uncomfortable with or forced her to have sex, it seems that Azulon managed to drill some manner of ethics into Ozai's skull.

Ozai was still a piece of shit in her eyes, but at least he wasn't a rapist.

She hated that she was denied seeing her parents ever since she was brought to the palace, the closest thing to a bone Ozai ever threw her was when they made the trip to Hira'a after hearing of her parents death. And Ozai had the gall to play the sympathetic husband and hold her while she cried.

She hated the palace...but perhaps that could change with Zuko now on the Throne. And Kiyi was ecstatic over living in the palace, though she imagines that her younger daughter simply liked the idea of playing in its large courtyards.

At the moment, she was in the palace garden sitting at a small table set up by the servants with Ikem, watching Zuko play with Kiyi. It was a wonderful and happy sight all the same and Ursa wished it would last forever...

But then she heard the screaming, followed by the heat.

A charred corpse flying towards them and crashing into the table, caused them both to jump back with Kiyi screaming at the sight of the dead body.

Ursa turns to see Azula standing before them, blood red flames surrounding her and there was a dark sickly aura practically radiating off of her daughter.

" A-Azula ?! " Ursa cried out in shock as she backed away with Ikem.

" The one and only mother..." Azula says with no emotion in her tone.

" What are you doing here Azula !?" Zuko shouted, taking up a defensive stance.

" I'm here to finish some old business...and take back what you took from me " Azula's voice may sound emotionless, but it is laced with underlying anger.

Ursa made eye contact with her daughter...she didn't even look like her daughter anymore.

She didn't look crazed or disheveled in the slightest, in fact she was dressed beautifully in her war armor...

But the thing that scared Ursa to her very marrow was her daughter's eyes...they didn't look like Azula's anymore.

Those beautiful, sharp and golden eyes that once held a bright flame of hope inside of them looked dead, as if nothing in the world mattered to her anymore and this was just a minor inconvenience. Her eyes giving only an icy and cold stare into her soul. Azula didn't look at her with righteous rage like she did before , but instead nonchalant cold apathy as she turned to her brother.

" I challenge you Zuko to an Agni Kai " Azula said simply " Winner takes all "

" And what if I refuse ? "

" I was hoping you'd say that..." Azula threw the sack that she had been carrying over to them.

Zuko and Ikem looked cautiously at the sack that had just been thrown at them, before Ikem knelled down and untied the sack-

And the head of Iroh rolled out of it, causing them all to scream.

Ursa clamped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming, as she saw that it wasn't just Iroh's head that the sack contained.

Aang...Sokka...Katara...

Azula had killed them all. And she didn't even looked like she cared in the slightest.

" You...you murderer ! You'll pay for this !" Zuko shouted " I accept your challenge "

Azula didn't even smirk in satisfaction, just nod " Good to hear it..."

Ursa didn't know how but the whole world seemed to shift around her.

And all of a sudden, she was standing on the sidelines of the dueling arena. Ikem and Kiyi were long gone.

Her two children were about to fight to the death.

Ursa wanted to run over and stop them before this madness could continue when she felt a strong arm hold her back.

" Now, now dear...we don't want to miss the best part " Ozai whispered into her ear as she could only watch in horror at the scene before her.

Zuko's eyes were filled with hate and rage, while Azula's was filled with apathy and coldness.

The two didn't exchange words, didn't say anything to each other at all...as the duel began and the two started to fight each other.

The duel must have only lasted a few minutes, but it felt like centuries as she watched her children fight each other to the death.

It wouldn't even be accurate to call it a 'fight', Azula had been quick and relentless in dodging her brother's attacks and replying with her own fast-paced and powerful bending, managing to burn her brother more than once. The blood red flames she was producing made her think that they were the flames of hell itself.

By the end of it, Azula stood over Zuko's burned body...while he was still alive and Ursa's eyes were wide with horror and tears as Azula looked down at her brother.

No satisfaction. No laughing. No smiles or smirking. Not even a sigh of relief.

Just cold and unrelenting apathy.

" A-A-Azula..." Zuko croaked out.

" Let me just say...that you were the one I was LEAST looking forward to " Azula said as she raised her foot-

" AZULA DON'T !" Ursa cried out to no avail.

As Azula's boot slammed down onto Zuko's neck, snapping it like a twig and killing him instantly.

Ursa crumpled to the floor as Ozai let her go.

" You made her like this Ursa...both of us did..." Ozai said snidely " Pretty damn fine work honestly, a little rough around the edges but perfect enough..."

Ursa cried as she knew how true it was.

" Ah, Azula good job on your victory over your pathetic brother..." Ozai congratulated Azula as she approached " She's all yours..."

Ozai seemed to fade away into the shadows, as if he was never there and that just left Ursa alone with Azula.

" Look at me..." Azula said and Ursa raised her head to face her daughter.

She looked terrifying and didn't look like her daughter at all.

" Say it "

" Say what ? "

" You know what...that little name you've called me since I was a child, I want to hear you say it..."

Ursa knew what she was talking about and felt a feeling of bile build up in her stomach.

You are a mon-

She couldn't say it. She couldn't say that word to her own daughter.

" No...I won't say it..." Ursa said as tears fell from her eyes.

" Say. It "

" No...I never wanted this for you Azula, I love-"

Ursa was cut off when Azula grabbed her by the throat and squeezed it, causing her to choke.

" Don't you dare say it... we both know how hollow and meaningless those words are..."

Ursa cried as she knew how true it was. She merely hoped that her death would satiate her daughter's vengeance.

" You say you love me mother ? Well..."

Azula's face contorted and twisted, as sharp fangs grew out of her cheekbones and her skin turned a charred black.

" Do you still love me now ? "

Ursa was silent for a moment before speaking.

" You are...You are-"


Ursa's awoke with a gasp for air as she shot up from the bed like a crossbow bolt. She looked around and saw that she was still in her room that she shared with Ikem, who was still asleep next to her. She reached her hand up to feel the sweat that had built up along with the fact that she had been crying in her sleep as well from the dream.

It was just a dream...just a dream...but it felt so real.

Ursa took in a few more pants of breath, before resigning herself to get a cup of tea to calm her nerves. Some part of her knew that she wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight anyway.

She slowly made her way to the kitchen and prepared a cup of tea, rubbing her forehead in a mixture of tiredness and exasperation.

She took a gentle sip of her tea and it just barely calmed her nerves down, she noticed that her own hands were shaking as she held the small cup in her hands.

Why did she have that dream...about her own daughter killing her entire family ?

She didn't know and she'd rather not know at all. The thought of her own daughter going that far...it frightens her. Yet it it feels like everything that Azula accused her of is true, she just looks at her like she had been accused of...a monster.

It was cruel irony in its most purest form. She had heard that her daughter had been suffering hallucinations and nightmares during her time at the asylum, that damnable place clearly not helping her in the slightest. She still could not believe that her first born daughter would end up in an asylum. There is more to explain on why Azula ended up in such a place, Zuko wouldn't allow to just let her be locked in a place to be forgotten, and she had read the doctors reports.

And yet she can only blame herself for not being there for her daughter when she needed her most...when she needed her during her entire life.

Ursa felt fire of guilt burn inside of her, as if threatening to burn her alive for her sins.

Maybe this was her punishment for not doing more for her daughter...for not protecting her from Ozai like she did with Zuko.

She wonders if this is her daughter's way of taking revenge on her. To make her understand a fraction of her pain and what she went through.

You know, she will come for you and Zuko eventually...

Ursa recalls the words that Ozai spoke to her the last time they met, they could never seem to ring more true now.

She knew deep down that Azula would one day come for her and Zuko... and Ursa still has no plans for how she's going to deal with it.

For how much she's been praying and hoping that Azula comes home, she knows that meeting each other again is not going to go at all like she thinks and that its going to be extremely messy.

She can only pray to Agni that she leaves Ikem and Kiyi out of this...despite Ursa dragging them into it in the first place.

Needless to say, Ursa didn't get much sleep that night.


Zuko was at his wits end with his advisors and ministers. Feng and Jiang were in his office discussing- well more likely arguing with him over revoking certain policies and once again the topic of issues of the Fire Nation, poverty and famine on the rise.

" My lord, I implore you to withdraw the reparation money that we are paying to the Earth Nation " Feng asked in an almost condescending way " Or at the very least renegotiate with the Earth King about reducing the amount of money being paid "

Zuko kept his temper in check as he let out a sigh " The Earth King will never go for it. He's still mad over the whole Yu Dao incident and the fact that we're basically splitting the cities that have Fire Nation citizens living in them "

" With all due respect, I think you overestimate the might of the Earth King " Jiang said with as much derisiveness as possible "The man himself is a spineless fool who was blind to the war taking place outside his own city and got made into a puppet by his own spymaster "

" Watch your tongue minister Jiang, the Earth King and his people are allies of us and we are trying to-"

" Rectify our nation's mistakes yes, you've made that quite clear my lord " Jiang cut him off disrespectfully " But we can't keep up with this and the Fire Nation can't keep up with this, we can only advise but you are the one who has to make the decisions "

Zuko was dumbfounded at Jiang...as he considered what he was saying and whether he might be speaking the truth.

" My lord ? " A servant suddenly entered the room.

" We're in the middle of a meeting here " Feng said with a glare.

" M-My apologies...but the Kyoshi Warriors have returned and their leader is requesting to see you "

" Suki's back ? " Zuko stood up " Send her in " He turned to his two ministers " We'll continue this meeting later "

" My lord, we can't-"

" That is an order " Zuko said with authority.

Both Jiang and Feng looked both frustrated and pissed, but they both gave a half-bow that felt more like mockery before they left. Just as Suki and Ty Lee entered the room in a hurry.

" Suki, Ty Lee did you just get back from Kyoshi Islan-" Zuko was cut off when the two girls quickly ran towards him, almost causing him to jump back and fall into his chair.

" Yes, we did ! And we heard all about Ikem's attempted poisoning and assassination !" Suki yelled " Damnit ! I knew we should have left some of my girls behind "

" Wait, wait ! How do you know about that ? " Zuko asked as he tried to get them to slow down.

" I told them on the way here " Mai said as she entered the room " I picked them up at the docks and brought them back to the palace, figured they would want an update on what they've been missing "

" I knew people were unhappy with Zuko...but trying to poison Ikem ? Who could have done such a thing ? " Ty Lee asked out loud.

" Probably old supporters of Ozai that were busted a while back...but who would have the ability to coordinate such a strike ?" Mai posed the question.

They all looked at each other, all of them zeroing in on the same name.

"...Azula is my first guest " Suki said with a shrug " She certainly still has the brains and skill to do that, even if with her being crazy "

" Hold on, Suki that's a little far-fetched don't you think ? " Zuko argued " Because Azula might still be-"

" We don't even know if Azula is still in the Forgetful Forest or if she just flat out fled long before she ran into that Fire Lady Spirit "

" Who ? " Both Suki and Ty Lee looked confused.

" I'll explain later " Mai waved them off " But its not totally impossible that Azula fled the forest and is now organizing this whole coup against you Zuko "

" And targeting Ursa's husband...that definitely sounds like something she would do " Suki agreed.

Zuko tried to think of an argument against them, he didn't want to believe that Azula was behind this.

"...Then why did she use a weak poison ? " Zuko argued " I got the report back from the doctor that treated Ikem, apparently the poison used on him was pretty weak, which would have given us plenty of time to save Ikem's life. Why do that ? Why not just kill him outright ? Or hell even poison me or mom ? "

Mai was quick to the rebuttal "...She's toying with us. She wants us on our toes and afraid of what she'll do next and make us think that she can kill us anytime she wants...as for why she didn't go after you or Ursa, then I think the answer is obvious...because she would want to kill you both herself "

Zuko couldn't deny that some part of him knew the truthfulness of Mai's words.

That Azula would definitely want to kill him in a fair fight, maybe in an Agni Kai. And she would want to kill mother with her own hands too.

She wouldn't resort to petty tactics like poison.

She still had her pride if nothing else.

" I know it isn't a possibility you like to entertain...but you have to consider it now Zuko " Suki said somberly.

" That Azula might be the monster in the night that's been threatening you and your family's safety "

Zuko said nothing as he leaned back in his chair and simply...

Thought. Thought about just how screwed up their family is and how he had no clue on how to fix it.


Ursa having nightmares about Azula is something I've wanted to do for a while now. Since I imagine she has her own fears and worries about what's going to happen when she sees her daughter again. I'll let you interpret her dream however you want for now, but in case any of you are curious for how the meeting between Ursa and Azula is going to go...

I'll let you all pine over how that's going to go for now.

:P

And we have Suki and Ty Lee finally return after their long disappearance, I honestly should have had them come back much sooner but forgot about them. So I hope you're happy to have them back as I am.

Along with Suki and Mai thinking that Azula is behind everything...let's just say that things are going to get messy soon.

And we are closely approaching an arc that I've been dying to get into for a while now.

With those cryptic words, I will see you all in the next one.