The sun was high in the sky, but Azula didn't feel as if there was any point in getting out of bed. Unfortunately, not everyone agreed with her.

A servant knocked on the door. "Princess Azula, General Iroh is here to speak with you."

"Send him away," she ordered. "I don't want to speak to the traitor."

"Princess Azula, that wounds my heart," he said. He stood at the threshold of her sleeping chambers. "I'm your uncle."

"Not by choice. No if you don't mind, leave. I was asleep." He still visited her most days and constantly told her to eat her food, comb her hair and go outside. She recently found out that it was him who had revoked her order to banish Lo from the Fire Nation. They had tried and failed to see Azula. Unlike them, her uncle had greater power than her so she couldn't send him away.

"It's midday," he replied, gleefully. "I was wondering if you'd like to have some tea and play some pai sho. I remember that you used to love that game growing up."

She narrowed her eyes. She knew that he was spying on her and reporting back to her bother, but there had to be another agenda with him. He was the prideful eldest son, who was rumoured to behind the dishonour and disownment of his siblings. Only Azula's father had bested him at his own game and become the Fire Lord.

However, Azula knew she could beat him at pai sho. She had consistently defeated her cousin, Lu Ten, who taught her and who could beat General Iroh.

"Sure, why not."

He stepped outside to wait in the outer chamber while servants changed her clothes. She combed her hair and then stepped into the other room where the servants had set up the board by the window. She sat down and he let her make the first move. A few pieces in, he predictably began asking her questions about what she ate.

"I'm the princess, my actions shouldn't be questioned."

"But your actions should be done consciously, and that's what the questions do. They're to make you aware of the choices of how you live your life."

"I know what I'm doing."

He took a sip from his tea cup and placed a coin tile. "Then are you aware of the repercussions of your choices?"

She raised her chin and met his gaze. "I'm the princess. All of my choices have been ordained by the spirits."

"Yes, you're the princess, but what else are you?"

"Everything else is unimportant." She put down a lily peace and waited in silence for his next action.

"That was a good move." He stroked his beard. He put down a boat tile then asked, "If you were no longer the princess, then would you think that you would be unimportant?"

She had no answer, so she fired back, "If you were no longer the prince, then you'd just be a fuddy-duddy uncle." Azula placed a rice tile on the board triumphantly. She would win a few more moves.

"I'd be Iroh, the fuddy-duddy uncle to the Fire Nation Princess and Fire Lord, retired General, Dragon of the West, tea lover, tsungi horn player, pai sho grand master, Mushi, husband to the late Lady Suriana and father of the late Prince Lu Ten." He placed a white lotus tile on the table.

Azula's temper flared. She flipped the table. The teapot and cups shattered. The pieces scattered across the floor. Any other move she could've made would've ended in defeat in three moves or less.

"A princess knows when to admit defeat," he said. His expression was unreadable. When she was younger, she could never be sure if that meant if the Dragon of the West was going to yell at her. She no longer cared.

"Well, I lost."

"An apology for spilling the tea would be nice."

"It's just hot leaf juice." She crossed her arms.

His brow bunched up. "First Zuko, now you?"

"Don't compare me to him," she snapped.

"Very well," he huffed. "Would you like this mess to be cleaned up?"

"No."

He sighed. "It's your choice princess Azula. Is there anything else your uncle can do for you?"

"You can leave me alone."

"Very well," he stood up and bowed stiffly. "Thank you for honouring me with your time, Princess Azula."

He left, ordering the servants to leave the mess for Azula to clean, not that she would. It was the servants' job to do that and she was the princess.


One day, while Toph was training the guards, the Boulder, and the Hippo, there was a knock at the front gate. She could sense that there were some children on the other side of the gate, however, none of the on-duty guards listened to their pleas for food and money.

Leaving her students to continue their blindfold drills, she approached the gate.

"Why didn't you open up?"

"It was just some beggars," one replied.

"They just some kids, and I asked why."

"Our orders are to keep the doors closed to beggars," the other guard said. "If you have any complaints, ask the Lord or Lady Beifong."

Toph stomped back to her students. The guards may listen to her when she's training them, but outside of training, they didn't.

Right after the lesson, she was scheduled to tend to the penzai trees with her mother. She told her about the incident and her mother overreacted as usual.

"You shouldn't be getting involved with those kids," Toph's mother exclaimed. "They're bad dangerous and bad influences."

"But they're younger than I am, and they seemed to be starving."

Her mother paused. "I'll speak to the mayor and see what can be done." She returned to pruning the miniature tree. "Don't worry about it."

Toph kept pushing, but her stubborn mother began lecturing her about proper leaf distribution instead.

That night, Toph lay on her bed with her feet up to numb her senses enough to let her think.

"What would Uncle Iroh do?" she asked herself. She missed him. He would listen then give her good advice. All her parents would do was try to keep her under their control even with all of her earthbending abilities.

"It is difficult being a parent," Uncle Iroh had said when she complained to him about hers. "You want to make sure nothing bad happens to your child, and there are a lot of dangers in the world."

At the end of the day, Toph didn't want to be a bad daughter by upsetting them, but she couldn't not do anything. They children were hungry and needed food and money. Luckily, she had her own money.

She dug through her hiding location under her bed and took out her the money she won from her first Earth Rumble Tournament and the Fire Nation.

Now she needed a way to distribute it without bothering her parents. Uncle Iroh did say that she didn't need to do everything on her own.


"The Ice Dodging ceremony was a huge success. There were people from villages all over the South Pole and last night, we had the largest gathering of village chiefs and representatives in years," wrote Katara in her letter to Zuko. "We may need to build a larger igloo to fit everyone in."

The gathering, held the evening after the ceremony, was to reconnect the Southern Water Tribe villages and to discuss topics that they would later vote on that would be presented at the Summit in Ba Sing Se in a few weeks.

While there was general optimism about the growing Southern Water Tribe, there was anxiety about the state of the world outside. Some other Water Tribe villages had trade agreements with certain Earth Kingdom towns, however the the Ba Sing Se coup had disrupted trade which hadn't restarted because of the missing Earth King. The news that the Earth Kingdom capital was under control of the generals and the Dai Li had disturbed many.

"Didn't the White Lotus had taken control of the city?" said Sokka. He wasn't a chief or representative, but as someone being trained to become one, he was permitted to ask questions during the meeting. Other people were permitted to attend, but couldn't speak unless asked.

"What's the White Lotus?" asked Ramanto, representative of the most eastern Southern Water Tribe village.

"It's a society that has members from around the world," explained Pakku, who was representing the Northern Water Tribe. "We had taken control of the city on the day of the comet, and are monitoring the transition to Earth Kingdom rule."

"Will the city be safe for the summit?" asked her father.

"There are already representatives from all of the nations and kingdoms present there. It is a safe as anywhere else, and it's an important place to symbolise the end of the war."

"Very well. Katara, what news is there from Fire Lord Zuko?"

She was about to respond but she was interrupted by Ramanto.

"Who is Fire Lord Zuko?"

"The son of the former Fire Lord Ozai."

"The son of the former Fire Lord Ozai?" repeated Kianu, chief of the village closest to theirs in the west. "Is that wise?"

"The continuity of power that Fire Lord Zuko provides will be crucial in maintaining peace in the Fire Nation during this period of great change," said Katara's father. "The Earth King is already missing and we are all feeling the effects. Imagine the disruption in the peace building efforts that would be caused by another change in leadership."

"The Fire Nation Royal Family is greatly revered in the country," added Pakku. "In fact, there are many who were in favour of Fire Lord Ozai for all the technology he has brought during his reign."

"Why not General Iroh?" asked Chief Jumi, from one of the mountain villages.

In Zuko's last letter, he also wrote that questioned why his uncle didn't take the trone.

"He was the Fire Lord Azulon's heir," she continued. "He was the one who broke the stalemate in the north west continent and pierced the Earth Kingdom armour with his siege on the Earth Kingdom capital."

"And you want that as the leader?" Ramanto asked. "Besides, because of the defeat at Ba Sing Se, he lost honour in the Fire Nation court. Many lives were lost including Colonel Lu Ten, his son, and as a result, Fire Lord Ozai was renamed as the heir and successor to the throne."

"Most importantly, General Iroh has never contested for the throne," said Katara's father.

Chief Jumi did not seem convinced. "The current Fire Lord is young. I wouldn't be surprised that he was a tile in the Dragon of the West's political game of pai sho. He's probably waiting on the ensuing chaos so that he can claim the throne."

"Does it matter?" asked Chief Kianu. "The Fire Lord is probably as cruel as the rest of his family, I mean, look at his scar."

"What!? Zuko isn't like that! And he's a highly capable leader!"

"Katara! Be quiet!" Gran Gran.

Sokka glared at her to keep quiet, and Aang looked shocked. The blood heated up her cheeks.

"I know that you are close friends with the Fire Lord," said her Father, "but you were not asked to speak."

Katara didn't mention this outburst in her letter.

"I apologise for my daughter's outburst," he continued. "However, I have to agree with her. I have met the young Fire Lord and must say that he is honourable. And he has sacrificed himself to save not only my life, but the life of Katara, the first waterbenders born to the Southern Water Tribe in generations."

There was some grumbling in amongst the chiefs and representatives.

"That doesn't mean that the Fire Nation should be forgiven for their crimes against the Water Tribes," said Chief Kianu. "It was Fire Lord Ozai who commanded the Southern Raids and should pay for his crimes."

Katara nearly asked Zuko if that was true in her letter, but decided against it. It was something that should be asked in person.

"And how are you going to do that?" her father questioned.

"Make it one of our demands at Ba Sing Se and convince the other countries to put pressure on Fire Nation Zuko to forfeit his father."

Not everyone looked convinced.

"We have the Avatar on our side, he can't refuse," Chief Kianu added.

Aang sat up straighter at the mention of his name.

"What are your thoughts, Avatar Aang?" asked Katara's father.

He took a gulp and then said, "You should forgive him."

"Of course, the Avatar would say that," Chief Kianu. "I still say we should demand Ozai's head for the sake of the balance in the world."

"As his friend, what do you think, Sokka?"

"There are enough sons missing fathers in the world," said Sokka. "And I know the Fire Lord Zuko. I've fought with him. I believe that he has the right vision for the future."

"Katara?"

"According to Fire Lord Zuko, his father is merely a shell of his former self. I don't think that revenge will satisfy you," she said. Apparently, his sister wasn't well either. "In any case, Fire Lord Zuko has honoured his word so far. He has aided us by returning our people and provided us with provisions to get us home."

Multiple people shouted in protest.

"But they killed so many of our people!"

"Traitors!"

"Enough!" commanded Chief Hakoda. "We'll set aside our foreign relationships aside for the moment and focus on strengthening ourselves here and the relationship between the Southern and the Northern water tribes."

"What about Foggy Swamp Tribe?" added Sokka.

"We have a Foggy Swamp Tribe?" asked Ramanto.

"Do you have a proposal, Sokka?" Hakoda.

"Um, a party?" Worry lines appeared on his forehead. "I haven't put much thought into it?"

"Man, to be young and to bounce back from a hangover," chuckled Chief Kianu, rubbing his temples.

"Sounds like the beginnings of a good idea. Now, do we have any other suggestions on how to strengthen the relationship among the water tribes?"

Katara didn't go into too much detail in the letter but wrote, "The chiefs and their representatives will still need to vote on the final actions, but it looks like Sokka, Aang and I will be heading to the North Pole once again after the Summit since we've already been there. On the way home, it would be good if we could visit you and your uncle, of course, in the Fire Nation, however, I understand that the schedule may not be idea."

She answered his question about what the Southern Water Tribe would be willing to trade their tiger dolphins for and with questions about his health and that of his uncle and sister. She finished up the letter with offers for assistance in the rebuilding efforts from the war and the typhoons.

Katara sealed the letter and put it in the container which already held the letter going to Toph and her father. It said that they were going to arrive in Gaoling in a couple weeks to pick them up to go to Ba Sing Se.

The new hawk that Zuko sent had a larger wingspan than Hawky, however Sokka still insisted that his was superior.

She attached the container to the bird, whispered the instructions to deliver it and sent it on its way.


Aang's boots made a crunching sound on the snow on his way to Aora's igloo.

"C'mon, Momo. We have to bring these pots for Katara and them maybe she'll have time to spend with us."

She was always busy helping out with the tribe or writing letters to Zuko and their other friends around the world. Aang wanted to be around her more so he offered to help, but he got sent on this errand instead.

Momo chattered away on his shoulder. The South Pole was beautiful and the sky was clear, but Aang missed flying on Appa to explore new places like he used to do with the monks.

"Maybe if we get this done, we can convince her to go to the Fire Nation with us. I want to ask Zuko's uncle for some new advice."

In Ba Singe Se, he said that it was wise to choose happiness and love over perfection and power, and that he had to keep pushing through difficult situations, but the advice didn't seem to be working.

"Aang come play!" called one of the kids waving a snowball.

He waved back. He loved hanging out with children. They didn't treat him any differently because he was the Avatar and were almost always impressed by his spinning marble trick.

"Sorry," he apologised. "I have to deliver the pots to Aora for Katara."

"C'mon! Just a quick game!"

"Please!" the other children chorused. Momo flew over from his shoulder to a child offering him some berries.

"Okay." It sounded fun. It was rare for him to have time off from training and the Avatar duties he was doing. He was asked for his opinion a lot, however, they didn't always listen to his advice especially when it came to forgiveness. Even Katara wouldn't forgive Hama even though she had forgiven Zuko and said at the gathering that revenge wasn't the answer.

Aang and the kids had convinced Sokka and his class of little warriors to join.

"Think of it as a tactical learning opportunity," Aang told him while the boys pleaded to let them join.

Soon, Aang and the kids had managed to round up all the other kids in the village to join in the snowball fight, even the shy ones. If only it was as easy to have the adults get along as easily as the little kids.

"Aang!"

He froze in fear. He completely forgot about the pots!

"Oh, sorry, Katara." He turned around and saw that he had her hands up in the air. Snowflakes fell from the sky. He looked up and all the snow fell on him. He heard her laugh.

"Look, it's great that you and the kids are having fun, but can you at least finish what you said you do? Aora came over looking for the pots."

"Sure thing," he said sheepishly.

"Katara come play!"

"Sure!" She picked up the pots up. "I'll just drop this off first."

Aang bounced to her. "I should be the one to do it."

"It's all right," she dismissed. "I wouldn't want to spoil the fun."

She suddenly raised a hand and the incoming snowball puffed into power.

Sokka booed her. "Katara! Don't fraternise with the enemy!"

"Do you want to have Aora's noodle soup for dinner, or not?" she snapped.

Aang wanted dinner that was actually vegetarian instead of a meat or fish with seaweed. When he asked for something that didn't have a dead animal in it, Gran Gran looked offended.

"How are you supposed to keep your energy up if you don't eat meat?"

Luckily, Katara knew what he'd eat.

She walked away from her brother telling her to hurry back and join his team, not that it would help him much when facing Aang's team. He didn't use any of his bending, but tactics would only work if they could predict their actions, and Sokka was up against an airbending master and kids.

When Katara returned, a hush came over the snowfield. They waited to see what side she was on. She flashed a bright smile to Aang and pelted a snowball at her brother.

"C'mon! let's go beat Sokka," she laughed.

Aang felt happier than he had in days. There was no way he could lose with Katara by his side.


"Let me," said Zuko taking the teapot and refilling the cup for his uncle. It had been a while since their usual morning tea and he had a lot of things he wanted his uncle's advice on.

"From the Fire Lord?" Uncle Iroh said with a smile. "You honour me greatly."

Zuko put down the pot and said, "Uncle, I still don't completely understand why you don't claim the throne. The ministers trust and respect you."

"If I was to become the Fire Lord, we, as a nation, risk being stuck in our old ways. If the seasons change, if the Avatar changes, then so must we." He took a sip of his tea. "And you have a legitimate claim to the rule."

"But I still have much to learn."

"And that is part of what makes you a great leader. You have also chosen to take on this role and have worked and fought to get the position you have now."

"But I haven't had the proper education a prince would have." It was one of the grievances that he frequently heard from the noblemen and ministers.

"Do not underestimate the leadership skills and knowledge you have gained from your time in exile or serving tea. A leader is a servant of the people."

Zuko looked down and clenched his fists. "But they still don't trust me. They seem to be disagreeing for the sake of disagreeing with me and they think that I'm a puppet to the Water Tribes and Earth Kingdom."

"Trust and respect require time build," said his uncle. "And while connections are a source of power, the problems you face will be easier with a cohesive group."

"What should I do?

"What do you think you should do, Fire Lord Zuko?"

"I could punish them for being disrespectful," he guessed.

"And what would the outcome of that be?" Uncle Iroh did not sound impressed.

Zuko slammed his cup to the table. "Can't you just tell me what to do?"

"You cannot take my advice on blind faith. I do not know everything." Years ago, Uncle Iroh would demand that he do exactly as he commanded, but that had changed. "I am here to provide my advice, but my time will eventually come and it will be you and your generation that be left. Now think."

"If I punished them," Zuko said, putting a hand on the scar on his face, "they would resent me."

"Do you choose to punish them then?"

"No."

"Then what will you do instead?"

"I'll go talk to them."

"Then you have made your choice."

"What if I made a mistake?" A lack of punishment could be seen as a further sign of weakness.

"Then at least you have made a choice, live with it." Uncle Iroh went into that far off place he always went into when he talked about his son, Lu Ten. Zuko's cousin was a prodigious Fire Bender, level headed and very honourable. Despite his status as heir to the throne, he always had time to play with his younger cousins.

Zuko sighed. "People think that it's a mistake that Azula has so much freedom."

"Is there true freedom if you are unable to make a choice?"

"What do you mean?"

His uncle refilled his cup. "Your sister has had so many things provided for her, that she hasn't used her decision-making skills. They have deteriorated to the point that she can't make simple choices for herself such as eating or getting up."

"But what do we do with her?"

"It will require time to gain her trust and get her healthy again. She is still young. There is still hope. We need to make sure she's connected to the world and not just tethered by one thing."

Zuko didn't know what to say.

"She reminds me of another teenager I once knew in a similar situation."

He bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

"I've already forgiven you."

"Thank you." If it wasn't for his uncle, he would've surrendered to his lowest instincts.

"What do you notice about these tea cups?" asked Uncle Iroh.

Zuko looked at them closely. "They're cracked."

At first glance, the cups all had gold lines that looked like painted lightning, but upon closer inspection were golden joints keeping the broken pieces together.

"I bought it when I visited Kintsu. The craftsmen take broken pieces and join it together with gold. I wonder if they take commission." A crease formed between his brows. "I should've saved those pieces. Anyways," he said, shaking his head, "what do you think they represent?"

"Things that are broken can be mended again." Zuko offered. "Is that right?"

"There is no right or wrong when it comes to your thoughts," he answered. He held his cup up to eye level and turned it in his hands. "It also reminds me that our faults and scars are not something to hide but display with pride. Always remember that, Fire Lord Zuko."

They drank the rest of their tea in reflective silence. Zuko, his country and the world were certainly scarred and broken. He rubbed the starburst scar on his chest. Like Azula, the world would take time to heal and change, but hopefully, it would result in lasting peace and balance.


Author's Note:

Sorry! I had every intention of posting up this chapter earlier this week, but things started getting emotionally draining. I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but I do want to get to the next chapters. Rest assured, that I'm not just doing nothing! I'll aim to have the next chapter out in a couple of weeks!

By the way, I'm just going to fix the seasons… So right now, in the Avatar world, it's roughly autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere, depending on the latitude.