Azula's sleep was not fitful that night. In fact, she felt more well-rested than she usually did. She basked in the sunlight that had made its way through her blinds. Her father considered her punishment over and was allowing her to return to classes at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. It had been nearly a month since she saw her friends and teachers. She opened her palm and looked at her pristine blue flames. This time she felt pride instead of hesitation and fear. Her excitement was embarrassing; she couldn't wait to show them.

The morning passed by in a blur. The only thing that Azula could make sense of was the powerful hum of her chi. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. Gone was the frightened child that she had become accustomed to seeing the past few weeks. In its place sat a proud, powerful princess. She smirked and her reflection smirked back. Being back in her father's good graces is doing wonders to improve her mood. She is the Princess of the Fire Nation, after all.

She ate her breakfast with unusual haste. She was more than eager to go back to her normal classes. Although she was already ahead of her classmates in nearly every subject due to her tutors, observing the other noble children was entertaining. She also missed Mai and Ty Lee a great deal. Her rigorous training regimen had the tendency to isolate her from the rest of the world, especially her two closest friends.

Azula could barely imagine the looks on their faces once they saw the way her fire has changed since they last met. There was no doubt in her mind that Ty Lee would be amazed. She smirked to herself as she pictured the young acrobat's amazed expression and words of praise. Mai would not be as openly impressed, but she knew how to read the older girl's expressions. She always had a little glint in her eye when she got surprised or when she appreciated something. Mai didn't give Azula blind praise and loyalty like Ty lee did, nor did she get overly excited when the princess reached new heights with her firebending.

She, a little too eagerly, entered the carriage that would be taking her to school. She looked out the window to catch what little glimpse of the capital that she could during the short ride. It had been so long since she was even able to leave the palace due to the short leash Ozai had her on. He had a way of isolating her when he thought that she was getting weak or that her ideals were straying from what they should be.

"Princess Azula," the guard's voice interrupted her thoughts. "We have arrived."

She nodded and wordlessly exited the carriage, her smirk still firmly in its place. She felt like she was floating as she entered the building. The first lesson of the day was firebending. The instructor was a strict, traditional old man. A man that was powerful and wise, but didn't quite make the cut to be a Fire Sage. Her uncle knew him and invited him to the palace to tea on a few separate occasions.

She entered the school's training grounds and surveyed the room. Mai and Ty Lee were, obviously, not there. The non-benders had a different class while the firebending girls trained. She was slightly disappointed that they wouldn't see the first public display of her new ability. Oh well, she would make the best of it either way. It would be best to keep their reactions to herself anyway. She didn't want to miss them while she was showing everyone else anyways.

Confidence radiated from Azula's body.

"Ah," the firebending instructor, Kaito, bowed to her. "It is nice to see that you've returned, Princess Azula."

She bowed in response, not giving him any verbal acknowledgment. She was slightly taken aback by his genuine smile.

She has been seeing a lot more of those lately.

Azula took her seat and watched as the other girls barely paid attention to whatever their master was talking about. What fools they were to not take their training seriously. Then again, they were the young daughters of nobles. They were being trained to get married while she trained to win the war for her country.

She boredly watched Kaito's display as he demonstrated various intermediate firebending forms. He was a master, that much was clear. His fire, on the other hand, happened to burn differently than the average firebenders' did. It burned freely and followed his lead. He wasn't controlling it, nor was he commanding it as her father did. He moved as if the fire was alive. She had never noticed this about him before - not until her lessons with Iroh, that is.

Before she knew it, it was time for her and the other girls to demonstrate their forms. She was ahead of them all by leaps and bounds. She thought it was quite pointless to tediously go through forms that she had mastered years ago. After finding an open space so she wouldn't burn anyone, she bowed and took a deep breath. Now was the moment she has been waiting all morning for. She began her kata and bright blue flames burst from her hands and feet. She felt freer than she ever had before. Her mind left her body and the only thing she could feel was the warmth of her own inner fire.

This was no longer about impressing her classmates or proving herself to Ozai. It was so much more than that, but Azula couldn't quite place what she was feeling.

At the sight of blue flames, everyone in the room fell silent and watched her in awe. Even their master wore a look of shock. No one knew what to make of the display, some even thought their eyes were playing tricks on them. There was no record of anyone bending fire that differed from the traditional orange color. Her new ability was not only a demonstration of her prowess, but it was also a feat that would go down in history. If she weren't the first, she would be one of the only firebenders in history to achieve this. None of this was lost on the only person in the room that knew more about the history of firebending more than she did.

"Princess Azula," he trailed off, clearly having trouble finding the right words to say. "How?"

"Meditation and training." She shrugged dismissively. No one else needed to know of her difficult training. She worked hard to keep her image of perfection up. To show that she worked for it would only tarnish her reputation.

The rest of the class period consisted of her showing off and demonstrating her new ability. Although it did wonders to reinflate her ego after Ozai's cold treatment, it wasn't as fulfilling as she thought it would be. She desperately wanted to see Mai and Ty Lee so she could show them. They wouldn't ask so many questions, they wouldn't leave her feeling so secretive. They were the only ones who knew of the small cracks in her glass house. Though she couldn't tell them everything, it was always comforting to be able to trust someone else.

Azula was not able to see her friends until it was time to have lunch. The time she spent with her tutors apparently taught her too much. She was put into classes with girls quite a bit older than her. It wasn't miserable - Azula enjoyed learning as much as she could, but she also enjoyed the feeling of superiority she had over other girls her age. The drastic changes left her feeling rather drained, nearly sapping away her excitement from the morning. Azula kept all of this to herself, of course, and walked into the courtyard of the school with her usual haughtiness.

"Azula!"

She barely had time to react before being pulled into a bone-crushing hug. The injuries left from training with Ozai were screaming in pain from the sudden assault. It took every ounce of self-control for her to not burn the person that dared to invade her personal space.

"Hello, Ty Lee." She barely returned the hug, refusing to show weakness in front of the other girl. "You can let go now."

"Sorry!" Ty Lee let go of the princess, an elated grin plastered on her face. "I just missed you so much! Why were you gone for so long?"

"She was probably running errands for the Fire Lord." Azula's head turned to see Mai calmly walking towards them, her usual stoic expression firmly in its place.

Now was her moment.

"Not exactly." Azula opened her hand and generated a small flame. The slight widening of Mai's eyes and Ty Lee's audible gasp was worth more than the reactions from all of her classmates combined. Her smirk returned but, unlike the others, this one turned into a small smile.

"Being a princess isn't all fun and games, you know."

"That's so cool, Azula!" Ty Lee was practically jumping up and down. How that girl got so much energy, Azula didn't know. "How did you do it? How many colors can you make it?"

Azula quickly put her hand up to end her friend's vicious onslaught of questions. "Surprisingly, my fuddy duddy uncle helped me with this. He taught me some breathing exercises and, well, it just happened.

"As for different colors," Azula's smile faded a little. She was truly frustrated that she couldn't change it from blue to orange on command. "It is stuck like this."

"Huh, go figure." Mai sat back against a nearby tree and began eating. "Something that you can't do."

She was wholly unfazed by the glare Azula shot her way.

"Even though you can't change it, your aura became a nice yellow when you started bending!" Both of the other girls rolled their eyes at Ty Lee. Neither of them bought into the foolish "aura" talk.

They ate in silence for a few moments, simply enjoying each other's company. Azula could sense Mai's wariness over her achievement but decided to ignore it. She attributed it to Mai just being Mai. Neither of her friends displayed any signs that they would leave her. For that, Azula was thankful. She was aware that they had grown distant since her mother left with Zuko. Ever since that day, Ozai has been steadily increasing how much time she has to dedicate towards training and political matters.

That was also when she began to sense Mai's slight apprehension around her. It would fade, but then it would return again whenever her father pulled her out of school. Azula figured that her friend was just worried. Mai always displayed emotions in odd ways. She usually returned with a slew of minor injuries so this explanation made sense. The matter was easy to shrug off.

The rest of the day was uneventful. All she had left to do were her calligraphy and history courses. Just like in all of the other subjects, she excelled at them. Even in classes with girls much older than herself, she kept her own standard higher than what was required. There was no such thing as almost doing something or almost understanding. Almost isn't good enough. Ozai made sure she understood that. Her father's high expectations left her constantly striving to be perfect. She had to be if she was going to be the Fire Lord one day.

"Azula," Iroh smiled as he approached her. "I hope you are ready for our lesson today."

"Yes, uncle." She was taken aback by Iroh's forward approach as well as the fact that she had completely forgotten about him being her tutor. She wanted to invite Mai and Ty Lee to the palace sometime this week so they could catch up, but Iroh continuing her lessons after school made that nearly impossible. Once again, her responsibilities were building up and keeping her away from things she'd rather be doing.

"I'll send a servant to bring tea. I have been looking forward to this lesson." He walked towards his chambers and Azula dutifully followed. Would he be teaching her new forms? Perhaps they would be doing more breathing exercises? Iroh was not the man to throw out answers unprompted.

"What will we be doing, Uncle?"

He looked over his shoulder at her. "We will be playing Pai Sho."

It took every last ounce of her mental energy to keep her temper in check. He seriously propositioned that they play a board game for their lesson. This had to be some kind of sick joke that her father orchestrated. It was hard for her to believe that this was the same man who had nearly conquered Ba Sing Se. No, she had never played the game herself; it was a petty little game for children. She did not have the time for such trivial things when she had actual training that she could be doing. Then again, this is what she thought about the breathing exercises at first.

Her opinion must have been clearly displayed on her face again because he quickly added onto his original statement.

"Pai Sho is more than just a game, Azula." His soft smile was unwavering as he opened the door to his personal apartment. "It is a tool that can do a great deal to teach you about strategy and balance."

Just like their first genuine interaction, Azula's interest was piqued and she was drawn in. Iroh's ability to read her never failed to catch her by surprise. She sat down on one side of the table and looked at the board in front of her. Her uncle had already prepared their pieces. Adjacent to each set of pieces was a small, black pot. She watched him curiously, unsure of how to interpret his actions. Iroh was certainly much harder to read than her father.

Iroh thanked a servant for bringing their tea and poured two cups before taking his place across from her. She watched his eyes scan the surface of the table before looking up at her. "Tell me," he smiled and picked a piece up, "have you ever played Pai Sho?"

"No."

"That's good. That means we can start from the beginning."

He sounded happy, excited even. Azula, on the other hand, was struggling to hold back a groan. This was proving to be nothing more than a test of her patience.

Iroh began carefully setting each piece onto the board. It was unusual for her to see him be this meticulous about anything other than tea. He placed half of the pieces down in some hexagonal shape, leaving the other half to the side for the time being. She raised her eyebrow at him. She may not have any personal interest in the game, but she was certain it wasn't played like this.

"What are you doing?"

"Patience, Princess Azula." He chuckled and she sneered. She was being patient. "Before we can begin a game, I must teach you the rules."

She was progressively becoming less and less invested in the lesson.

"Each piece in Pai Sho is important, Azula." He didn't allow her to interject. "There are no tiles that can be used and discarded at will. Although you may lose some pieces along the way, it is important to maintain harmony with the ones you have left."

She was confused. "How could something like "harmony" matter in a silly little board game?"

"For harmony to be present, there is an unspoken balance among the pieces." He paused and examined her. She wanted to hear what he had to say. He noticed this and continued. "Consider the way firebending works, Azula. What happens when you use too much chi?"

"I lose control of the flame." The answer was obvious, but it was clear he wanted her to interact with the information he presented.

Iroh nodded, indicating that she was correct. "What happens when you are too controlling?"

"The flame dies."

"Very good. Why do you think that is?" He looked at her expectantly.

He knew she would be able to connect the dots and she hated it. She wanted to give him the wrong answer out of spite but pride held her back.

She stayed silent for a moment to try and feign ignorance.

"Balance between the two is required to consistently generate and maintain a flame."

He smiled at her and she sighed. Despite all of the stupid metaphors, his lesson was practical and, worst of all, it made sense. This meant that the timing of his guidance and the awakening of her blue fire couldn't be a coincidence. She had tried to spin it any way she could in order to attribute her success to anyone else, but it was impossible. The truth was right in front of her.

Her inner turmoil must have been obvious to him, she realized. He stayed silent and allowed her a moment to mull over his words. It was clear that he would not speak until she was ready. She glanced up at Iroh with a look of resignation. With one look, she surrendered to him. The small amount of information that he had already given to her carried more weight than anything Ozai has ever told her. Ozai's rules made her strong and allowed her to push past her limits, but Iroh offered explanations for her to truly understand her own abilities. If she implemented all of the information offered by both her father and her uncle, she could be unstoppable.

Iroh noticed the shift in her demeanor and took the opportunity to speak. "To win a game of Pai Sho, the same concept of harmony and balance must be understood and applied. If your movements are too bold, your own tiles risk falling into a trap. Simultaneously, being too timid will result in nothing more than your tiles getting captured by an opponent."

Azula nodded in understanding. Her eyes followed his hand as it moved towards the pieces he had arranged into a hexagon just a few minutes earlier. "There are six flower tiles in total. Of the six, three are red and three are white. Each tile is harmonious with the ones beside it and disharmonious with the piece directly across from it."

She followed his finger as it placed itself on the flower at the top of the hexagon. "This is the rose tile. It lives in harmony with the white jade and chrysanthemum tiles. It is disharmonious with the jasmine tile.

"Moving clockwise, the chrysanthemum tile is also harmonious with the rhododendron. It is disharmonious with the lily." He looked at her and a smile found its way back onto his face. She was much more entranced by this than either of them would have guessed. "The basic ideas I just explained apply to all of the flower tiles."

When Iroh told her Pai Sho was about harmony, she did not expect it to actually be a key aspect of the game. He usually explained things using silly idioms or abstract comparisons. This was a serious, fatherly side of him that she had never seen before. Then again, the things he tried to explain were silly and abstract. Pai Sho was actually in front of her, not nested in her mind as a concept left to be discovered through meditation. The fact Iroh's lesson was tangible this time certainly made his guidance easier for her to accept.

She looked at the other tiles curiously. She wanted to know what they could do so she could truly see how they functioned in a game. Azula quickly realized that she was genuinely eager to play a frivolous little board game. It was embarrassing, but it also wasn't hard to see the real-world application. Perhaps her father's council could use a few Pai Sho lessons. They might actually lead a successful campaign that way.

"The other six pieces," she began, "what purpose do they serve?"

His face lit up. She realized that he must have been waiting for this moment. He quickly placed four of the leftover tiles in front of her. They looked very different from the flowers. Unlike the flower tiles, these tiles had average, everyday items depicted on their faces. Considering the theme of balance and harmony, Azula could guess what they stood for.

"The four elements."

This was a pleasant surprise to Iroh. "How did you know?"

"That tile," she pointed to the rock tile, "has the same symbol on it as the Earth Kingdom's flag."

He chuckled happily, and his smile widened. "You're very perceptive, Princess Azula. I expect nothing less from my own niece."

The other three tiles were certainly less obvious, consisting of a boat, wheel, and what looked like wheat. She waited for Iroh to continue his explanation.

"As you have already noticed, the rock tile serves to emblematize the element of earth. Just as the boat represents water, the wheel represents air, and the knotweed represents fire. I will teach you their roles during our next lesson," he laughed, "it is a rather messy explanation. Right now, you are only trying to learn the tiles and what they mean."

He moved the four tiles to the side of the board and set the last two in front of her. They looked similar to the flower tiles from before.

"The white dragon represents yin. It must be placed on your opponent's side. It can capture any piece, but it can also be captured by any piece. It cannot form any harmonies or disharmonies."

"Then why even use it? If the goal of the game is to form harmonies and the white dragon cannot, then what is the point?" Her arms were crossed and her eyebrows were creased in concentration.

His response was simple.

"Balance."

She narrowed her eyes, urging him to elaborate.

"To complement the white dragon, the yin, there is the most versatile piece in the game." He picked the piece up and held it out to her.

She took it and turned the tile over in her hands before setting it back down on the board. It didn't seem very special at all.

"The white lotus symbolizes yang. It must be placed on your side of the board and, just like its counterpart, the white lotus can both capture and be captured. What makes this tile special is not what it can do under normal circumstances, but what it is capable of in the face of adversity."

She looked at him as if he sprouted a second head. "What do you mean?"

"If your opponent has more pieces in the pot than you do, your lotus tile blooms and is able to form a harmony with any tile on the board. Remember, Azula, the goal of Pai Sho is to form and maintain harmonies, not to dominate an opponent. This makes the white lotus tile capable of turning the tables in your favor." He paused and looked at her. His gaze was soft, trying to convey more depth and emotion than his words were allowed to. "Even when it seems that all hope is lost."

Iroh busied himself with putting the tiles away, leaving Azula to mull over what he said. The moment she finally began to understand the purpose of this lesson, he pulled the rug out from under her. Up until now, everything he was saying had been literal. Perhaps not as literal as she was used to, but they were still rules to be followed. The last tile he showed her seemed to have some form of metaphorical meaning that he was trying to explain. She was at a complete loss and left unable to make sense of his shift in tone.

She was beginning to truly despise metaphors.

A/N: Hey everyone! Wow! This is the longest chapter that I've ever written. It all just kinda came bursting out of me hahah. I'm going to try to update every week and maybe prep chapters in advance so I can still post a new chapter if I don't have any inspiration. The Pai Sho lesson in this chapter was pretty long, but there are like... A LOT of rules to Pai Sho. I wanted the lesson to mean something and be accurate so I actually looked up the rules and made my own board so I could figure out a way to make it work with my goals for this story. It really did help too. It was pretty insane to see how well the philosophy involved in Pai Sho is woven into all of Avatar.

I was also thinking of putting review responses in the chapters. Where would you all prefer I put them? At the beginning of the chapter or at the end with my author's note?

Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! Please R&R, it helps give me inspiration!