It starts with an argument

Azula thinks the Air Nomads must have lethal airbending forms.

Aang knows she's wrong. While airbending can be used to kill, as can any other element, the Air Nomads valued life and wouldn't have developed any forms prioritizing killing over incapacitating.

He tells Azula as much, but she doesn't take him at face value.

Him. The last airbender.

And, yeah, he agrees that being a firebender doesn't grant one knowledge of all firebending techniques, but the Air Nomads were known pacifists.

Azula counters with records in Fire Nation history of brutal airbender attacks and claims it proves that there were outlier airbenders who weren't swayed by the silly ideals of pacifism.

Aang tells her that a lot of history has been altered by the Fire Nation. He would have told her about his time as Kuzon, but his friends shushed him and warned against telling the enemy secrets. Aang personally thinks they're being ridiculous because Azula is technically on their side now, she's also his soulmate, it's not much of a secret in the first place, and some secrets identities are worth revealing if it's in defense of his entire element.

Aang huffs. His friends don't shush him again. Azula starts quizzing him on airbender history.

Him. The last airbender.

He answers all her questions correctly, of course, and he's feeling pretty proud of himself. Then Azula switches to battle specific questions and, too late, Aang realizes the trap she has sprung.

Aang's answers to her second set of questions are nowhere near as detailed as the first because Aang was twelve when he left and he didn't spend that much time learning about skirmishes in Air Nomad history.

Azula thinks this means she's right, but while Aang may not have memorized historical battles, all his information is first hand, so there. Aang may have stuck out his tongue at this point but it would not be childish of him to do so, Azula, because he is over a century old.

They go back and forth. Aang won't budge because he's the last airbender and this is about the representation of his people. Azula won't budge because apparently the only thing she shares with her brother's personality is sheer stubbornness.

At some point someone (Aang's not sure if it was Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko, or all of them at the same time. He was a bit preoccupied with defending his entire element by himself.) screams at them to either find some proof or shut up.

Aang and Azula pause.


"Aang, are you sure about this?" asks Katara. Her hand is on his shoulder and while normally that would make him feel better, the 'I love you' scribbled on her arm makes his gut sink.

"I'll be fine, Katara. You guys go find information on the shrine, Azula and I will explore these Air Ruins."

Katara bites her lip. "What if she attacks you?"

"Why, I'll be on my best behavior," drawls Azula, "but if you're that worried about the Avatar not being able to hold his own against me...we don't have to go at all if he admits he's wrong."

Katara tugs him further away from the others and pointedly whispers, "I told you what she said."

"I know, but I think she was lying," says Aang. He's about to remind Katara about the power of forgiveness when she asks if he's upset that she's Zuko's soulmate; and that's not a conversation Aang wants to have. Not now when the others are watching. Maybe not ever. So Aang puts on his best smile and assures her that he's fine.

"…and you'll be fine going alone with her? You'll be careful?" asks Katara.

"Of course," Aang swallows, "I'm the Avatar."


Aang winces as Azula trails sparks along her hands.

"Careful, those walls are over a century old."

Azula doesn't respond but she does leave the walls alone. Progress.

"Thank you Azula."

"How are you going to take revenge?"

One step forward. Two steps back.

"Revenge?" asks Aang and tries not to tense when she stares at him like he's a bug on a rock underneath a very hot sun.

"Revenge." Azula enunciates slowly. She raises her hands and creates a ball of fire in one hand, and a ball of air in the other. "The Avatar maintains balance but the Fire Nation has already expanded and destroyed the Air Nomads." She increases the fire in her hand while decreasing the ball of air. "Only one airbender remains while there is a nation of firebenders." She lets the air vanish and holds the fire out to Aang. "You must want to make it even." The fire goes out.

"No I don't," says Aang, his voice calm and unwavering despite the way his heart is pounding (Azula always was good at making his heart jump and his legs run). "The Air Nomads prided themselves on freedom and forgiveness."

Azula crosses her arms. "You cannot be serious. How could you possibly forgive genocide?"

Aang smiles. "I'm not saying it was easy. I started with seeing people as individuals instead of as firebenders. Then I forgave the individuals and eventually the Nation. How did you forgive Mai and Ty Lee?"

"That was different," snaps Azula, "I had to forgive them in order to escape."

"Escape what?"

Azula hesitates. There's a harrowing in her eyes, and suddenly the picture paints itself.

You tried to join your father first, didn't you?

But Aang doesn't ask and Azula doesn't answer. The silence stretches on.

Azula is staring at something past Aang. Her lips are moving, mouthing words, leaving a whisper in the wind "you're not real" that he wasn't supposed to hear.

Aang has to say something. He has to. But Azula questions him...

If he advises her as the Avatar she'll pick and prod him with her words and discover that Gyatso is nothing like Ozai, and that Aang doesn't have all the answers.

But he can't stay silent. He has to try. He knows she likes bending...

"Let me show you an airbending technique," offers Aang. Her lips stop moving. He slinks slowly down onto the grass and goes into a meditative pose. When Azula doesn't follow, he adds, "It's very difficult." The grass sinks down next to him and Aang nearly sighs in relief. He can do this. They'll make a space in between hatred and toleration.

"Now you breathe in slowly," Aang demonstrates, "then out."

Azula releases a torrent of flames from her mouth and states, "This is a firebending technique to draw fire from you core."

She's back. Aang tries to hide the relief in his voice when he explains,"It's also an airbending technique. Except, instead of your core you have to draw from your surroundings."

"Breathing," Azula deadpans.

"No, not quite. You have to draw in your negative emotions and expel positive ones."

Aang isn't looking at Azula, but he can feel the look she's sending him. He takes a look at their surroundings and tries a different approach.

"See that Willow tree? It bends in the wind and that allows it to survive storms that fell Oak trees. However, you can't bend unless you acknowledge what's pushing you. You need to recognize the wind physically and spiritually. Breathe in your negative emotions and let them go. Bend like the Willow tree."

"What if you have too many negative emotions?" asks Azula. Her eyes are closed.

"Try and put them into one word. Into how they make you feel."

"You first."

Aang breathes in. He thinks about how he liked Katara first. How he fought for her when Zuko fought against. How it didn't matter in the end. He breathes out and says, "Inadequate."

He thinks Azula will whisper her word, but she breathes out the word, "Alone" as though she was commenting on nothing more than the weather, then she turns to him and asks, "and how do you make it positive?"

"By making it less bad. When you acknowledge the pain, it hurts less. Eventually it won't hurt at all." He hopes.

"Thank you," Azula says while getting up and Aang smiles in response.


"I see evidence of poor design choices not of any airbending forms. Where did you train?"

"In the courtyard, I suppose, although we didn't really 'train' we played. We let the air flow through us instead of controlling it."

"My lower judgment of your airbending notwithstanding, we agreed beforehand that lack of evidence meant I'm right."

"How is this lack of evidence? We're so peaceful we don't have a training room." Aang gestures to the surrounding courtyard to further convey his point. "Also, 'lower judgment' ?"

"You slacked off in the courtyard instead of training," declares Azula, "perhaps you are actually a mediocre airbender in comparison to your peers."

"Nah, if I was mediocre I wouldn't have these tattoos. They're only given to those who've mastered airbending."

Their eyes both drift to the blue markings on Azula.

"I see," says Azula after a beat, "but mastery requires forms. There must be some place where you kept instructions?"

Aang rubs his neck. There's an awkwardness in the air. "There was a buildings only adults were allowed in. That could be it."


Air Nomads do not follow traditional family units. The children are raised as a community. Everyone is their mother and father.

There are places where only adult Air Nomads were allowed entry, regardless of airbending mastery.

Aang didn't realize the two things were related. Until now.

He is slowly recovering from the loss of his childhood innocence, as well as forming a new slightly more gross view on the adults in his life, when he hears it: a laugh. Not a malicious one, but a full on cheek hurting, voice losing, joyous laugh and Aang is staring because he didn't think Azula could laugh like that.

"You were right Avatar," she says, breathless, "airbending is more versatile."