Three years later

Azula sat in the courtyard with Mai and Ty Lee. It had been months since they had last seen each other. Soon after beginning traditional lessons with Iroh, her father pulled her out of the academy. He reasoned that the academy was holding her back, teaching her at a pace that would keep her from reaching her full potential. Of course, he ended up being right and the personally tailored lessons from her tutors allowed her to reach greater heights than even she thought were possible for a girl her age.

The only downside of it all was that it effectively separated her from everything outside the palace. If her father didn't approve of it, it disappeared. That included the only two people she considered her friends. Although Ozai never told her that she wasn't to associate with them, she knew he would remove them from her life if he suspected they were causing any setback in her training. She stopped inviting them over out of fear that he would take them away. Keeping them at arm's length was for their own protection.

"Azula, what's wrong?" Ty Lee snapped her out of her thoughts. "Your aura went all grey and blue."

"It is nothing you need to concern yourself with, Ty Lee." Azula sighed. This is not something she wanted to discuss with anyone, much less the very people it affected. Ty Lee would worry and Mai would be Mai about it.

"We should train." Azula quickly changed the subject. "I need to learn more techniques that don't rely on firebending."

Mai looked at her and rolled her eyes. "I already taught you how to throw knives last time."

"And we have the same instructor, silly." Ty Lee giggled. "We should do something fun!"

Azula crossed her arms indignantly. "I am not silly."

"Besides," Ty Lee continued, looking at Azula more seriously this time, "all you ever do is train, study, and go to meetings with your dad."

"That is fun, Ty Lee."

"Yeah, if you think hanging out with stuffy old men is fun." Mai looked up from the stiletto she was toying with to give Azula one of her blank stares. "I'd rather have lunch with my parents than sit and listen to that stupid Zhao guy talk."

Ty Lee nodded in agreement and rubbed her chin in thought. "We could go to the palace spa together! Like we used to do before you left school."

That actually didn't sound horrible. Azula looked at her two friends and noticed that even Mai perked up a little at the notion. She knew when she was outnumbered. It isn't like she were unable to say no to the suggestion; she wanted to give in. She had grown accustomed to using intimidation and manipulation in order to get what she wanted in the palace - not that she didn't already do that before - and was welcoming of this small act of defiance. Besides, a relaxing trip to the spa sounded rather nice.

Azula sighed in an attempt to feign annoyance before giving into Ty Lee's request.

"Fine," she rolled her eyes to feign annoyance. "We can go to the spa."

"Yes!"

Ty Lee jumped to her feet and began walking, leaving Mai and Azula to trail behind her. Azula didn't miss the glance Mai gave her. "I'm not going to talk about it."

Mai shrugged. "I didn't ask you to."

Azula nodded, thankful that Mai didn't let her own curiosity get the best of her.

The trio's trip to the spa ended up being quite nice. Azula was actually able to relax once she pushed past her own passive reluctance. The feeling was foreign to her. There was an invisible weight on her shoulders that came with the burden of being the crown princess. The pressure to be perfect was suffocating. A single slip up, whether it be in a game of wits or a sparring match, could mean complete failure. Every step she took had to be precise no matter the situation.

Ozai didn't tolerate imperfections.

"Earth to Azula." Mai's monotone voice snapped her back to reality.

It amazed her that she was relaxed enough to lose sense of her surroundings.

"And here I was, daring to enjoy myself," Azula replied coolly.

"Oh, forgive me, your majesty."

"Hm, I suppose you may be forgiven." She smirked. "You should be thankful for my boundless generosity."

Ty Lee burst into a fit of laughter, entertained by the sardonic exchange. Azula's lips twitched up into a small smile in response to the acrobat's open display. The entire experience served as a refreshing reminder that she wasn't alone. Such casual conversations were practically nonexistent in the palace, a place where no interaction was complete without subterfuge and manipulation. Mai, whose father worked closely with her own, must have shared this sentiment.

All three of them were smiling in one way or another.

It was pleasant and, for the first time in quite a while, Azula wished that the day could last longer.

Iroh sat at the small table in the Fire Lord's apartment while he waited for Ozai to arrive. Ever since he began formally teaching Azula, his brother arranged monthly meetings as a means to discuss her progress. Azula was a smart girl, she was a sponge that readily absorbed any of the information given to her. Even though he couldn't teach her the exact lessons he wanted to, he could only hope that she grows to understand the true meaning behind his words.

Thinking of the time they've spent together made him smile. His niece was truly an enigma. She was so much like him when it came to reasoning and ability, but everything else about her reminded him of his brother. Sometimes they were so similar that it became difficult for him to move forward with their lessons. Her disregard for the well-being of others and cold demeanor were a trait she always possessed, but Ozai's iron grip on her only amplified them over the years.

No matter how much positive reinforcement he gave her, she continued to gravitate towards his brother. The way Ozai treated her saddened him. He was unyielding when it came to her training. For every barrier she broke, he placed two more in her path. Praise would be quick or nonexistent. He held her to a standard that he was never able to reach himself, turning his own daughter into a pawn that he'd be able to use and discard as he pleased. As long as Azula unquestioningly looked up to Ozai, she would continue down a path of destruction and lose herself along the way.

Iroh sighed to himself. When it came down to it, he wasn't much better than his brother. He taught Azula with the goal of changing the way she sees things, to get her to see things the way he did. He knew that Azula may end up on the throne. She was smart, powerful, and had a personality that spoke for itself. He has seen her talk down to generals and give them no other choice but to submit. Her cunning and aptitude for manipulation made it possible for her to bring great change throughout the Fire Nation.

She could formulate plans and spot weaknesses almost as fast as he could. Best of all, she knew when to advance and when to take a step back. Iroh chuckled to himself; it is part of what made her such a formidable Pai Sho opponent. She may even surpass him when she opens her mind enough to understand the true meaning of the game. For Azula, the balance and harmonies of Pai Sho were merely rules. She viewed them as nothing more than a means to an end. Then again, that was how Azula saw most things.

Ozai walked in and looked at Iroh. "Early, as always."

"Of course," Iroh smiled, "I am always eager to discuss her progress."

"Then you'll be pleased to know that I've arranged for Azula to present her abilities in front of the Fire Sages." Ozai sat across from Iroh and poured himself a cup of tea.

"Why?"

"She is to present herself and become a master." He smirked, waiting for the retired general's reaction.

Iroh simply took a slow sip of his tea. "You speak as though you know she will succeed."

"Do you doubt her training?"

"No," he closed his eyes in thought. "I simply wonder why. She is only thirteen, Ozai."

"She is possibly the most gifted firebender of her generation. Becoming a master opens a new door of opportunities for her."

"Like what? She is a child."

"We both know that she is more than that."

Iroh frowned. Ozai was right. Although she would never be seen as an equal on the council, becoming a master would keep the others from giving her dirty looks during war meetings. Aside from being considered a child, Azula was a girl. A woman's input was rarely seen as important or welcome. Most of the generals thought she was only present because of her relation to both himself and Ozai. It made them look down on her and disregard her input.

The entire nation would be invited to watch the Fire Sages administer her test. Most of the noble class would come with expectations of failure. He knew she would pass. This was not a mere test of her abilities. Ozai knew that there was talk amongst the nobles about who he would marry Azula off to, about which noble son would become the next Fire Lord. As the first female heir in over a hundred years, this was Azula's chance to prove herself to her country.

"She will be one of the youngest masters in Fire Nation history, Ozai." Iroh was worried about the pressure it would put on Azula. She was strong, but she was still a little girl. "Is she ready for that title?"

"Of course she is." Ozai glowered at Iroh. "I know my own daughter's limits."

Iroh shook his head. This was a battle that he would not win.

"Then what do you recommend I do to help prepare her?"

The Fire Lord smirked at his small victory. "Abandon your little theory lessons for now and teach her things that will supplement her bending abilities. During the test, she will be sparring against others who are at or above her level. She needs to be victorious against them for her display to be taken seriously."

"Very well."

Iroh sent one of the guards to inform Azula that their lesson for today would be cancelled. Although the birds happily chirped and the breeze was cool, the usually comforting beams of light from the sun beat down on him and only served to make his current dilemma harder to focus on. He knew that he couldn't keep Ozai's desires a secret for long. He also knew that Azula would agree without a second thought. Whether it would be to please Ozai or for her own personal gain didn't matter; Azula was a person that thrived on progress.

He began to reflect on his thoughts from before Ozai entered the room. Perhaps she was more like him than he had previously assumed. Perhaps he was doubting her abilities. Yes, her ruthlessness and cold behavior were traits that had clearly been nurtured by Ozai, but it would be shortsighted to believe that is all she is capable of. She was intelligent, adaptable, and ambitious.

She reminded him of the man he was.

The thought had never occurred to him before, but it did make perfect sense. Every belief that Azula currently holds are the ideas he supported while leading hundreds, maybe thousands, of men on the battlefield. It was only after Lu Ten's death that he questioned the Fire Nation, its rule, and the divinity it claimed to have. He had abandoned the formidable general that nearly took Ba Sing Se and returned to the Fire Nation as a man enlightened by his own suffering.

The pain and anguish he went through after losing his son made him understand his enemies. In understanding his enemies, Iroh realized, he stopped understanding the people he once thought were his allies. In order to truly help Azula, he needed to understand her more than he currently did. He needed to reach out to her more effectively than he currently was.

Could it be more effective for him to support her in the ways Ozai refused to? Would it be better for him to supply positive reinforcement when she did well at the very skills he was ashamed of himself for having?

He considered the idea and thought back to his travels before he returned to the Fire Nation. Specifically, he thought of the time he trained and made allies with the waterbending masters at the North Pole. Maybe it was actually a decent idea. The focus of waterbending is to use the water as an extension of oneself, guiding it and allowing it to take its shape as it needs. If the water is forced in any direction, it will simply fall back into wherever it came from.

Iroh was unsure whether or not the ideology would help him with Azula. Azula was the exact opposite of everything that water represented. She was precise, forceful, and always desired to have absolute control over any given situation. Then again, the unrivalled strength of waterbending came from its ability to redirect energy.

It might not be the perfect method, but it was the only option he had left with Ozai pushing her as hard as he has been. If his brother is truly serious about Azula officially being named a master by the Fire Sages, it will add an overwhelming amount of pressure onto her already burdened shoulders.

As of now, she is barely treading water.

Ozai is standing at the bottom of the lake, ready to pull her down and Iroh is the only one left to grab her hand.

A/N: I am so, so sorry for the long delay, everyone! School got hectic and I got burned out and lost inspiration. And hey, I'd rather put out a chapter late than put out one that is uninspired. This one was particularly hard to write because I had to reach into the way I interpret Iroh's mindset and philosophy as well as write in his POV. I hope I wrote him well enough! I suppose this, along with the next chapter or two (that I still have to write), is going to be the final act in this part of the story. After this arc, we will actually be in the timeline from the series. I'm so excited to write it!

Thank you for reading, everyone! Please read and review! Not only does it keep me inspired, but I also truly enjoy reading your guys' feedback