There was an awful sense of familiarity in being bound and forced to kneel on a hard stone floor. Zuko gritted his teeth, heart pounding. Everyone was there with him, even Yuzo and Atsuo. They'd all been taken by the warriors and brought in front of the sages. The middle cushion on the dais, which belonged to An Dung, was empty.

"If we get out of this alive, I'm going to kill that cover-blowing brat myself," Azula hissed, shooting a glare at Aang.

The tip of a jian blade touched her chin. "I thought I told you no talking," Chiyo said, and dug the blade in just enough to draw blood. "Do it again and it'll be the last thing you say."

Azula's eyes narrowed. Still, she remained silent. Only an idiot would push their luck. Chiyo stood at the front of their line with her sword unsheathed, ready to subdue or execute. Judging by her hard expression, she wouldn't care if it came to the latter. She didn't even seem to care that her son was now awaiting judgement.

An Dung, frail and stooped as ever, emerged from one of the shadowed side passages of the temple and took his place at the centre of the sages. His piercing gold eyes swept over them, lingering on Zuko and Aang. Then he glanced at Chiyo. "Thank you for gathering them here."

She bowed slightly and moved to the side, though her sword remained unsheathed. The other warriors surrounding them did not relax their guard either.

"You all know why you're here," An Dung said, eyeing the group with an unreadable expression. "The punishment for entering the tribe under false pretences or abetting outsiders to do so is death. We have never made an exception."

Ursa bowed as best she could while bound. "Please allow us to explain, Head Sage."

"Oh, you will explain. To bring outsiders here is one thing, but the Avatar?"

Aang winced, shoulders slumping even more. No doubt he was beating himself up for getting them caught, though it sounded like he hadn't been in control of his body at the time.

"I would not have brought him here if I didn't think it necessary," Ursa said. "You know I would not."

Taiyo formed a steeple with his fingers, peering down at her from the dais. "And what reason can you offer us that made it so necessary?"

"Because he was summoned." She held her head high, unflinching. "The guardian spirit of our tribe called the Avatar here."

A few murmurs and whispers broke out.

"Is this true, Avatar?" An Dung asked.

Aang nodded and explained his dreams, along with the strange trance he'd gone into that had made him attack the warriors when they'd tried to get in his way. "I really don't want to hurt any of you or expose your tribe. I'll even help you maintain secrecy if that's what you want. But there's something here that's calling to me. I heard its voice, I felt it near, and I think it can help me regain what I've lost."

More murmurs and whispers. The sages exchanged a few words in hushed tones, too quiet to hear. Zuko's heart pounded and pounded. So far things seemed to be going okay—the sages were at least listening and considering—but Chiyo still watched them like an executioner biding her time. Her sword gleamed in the firelight.

"Let's say you are telling the truth," An Dung said, fixing those piercing eyes back on them. "Let's say the guardian spirit called the Avatar here. That does not change the fact this boy lied and tricked his way into our tribe, and you all helped him."

Aang hung his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to lie."

Ursa was far less apologetic. "What choice did we have? I knew you wouldn't let him in if we told you he was the Avatar. At best he would have been imprisoned."

"And yet granting him entry was not for you to decide, Lady Ursa."

She swallowed, losing some of her boldness.

"The Ito Tribe has survived this long because we have strictly adhered to the laws put in place by our forebears. You chose to risk all of that because a boy had a dream."

"He's not just a boy!" Katara exclaimed, unable to stay silent any longer. "He's the Avatar, and the world needs him!"

Zuko cringed, waiting for the inevitable retaliation, but there was only a glint of dark humour in the An Dung's eyes. In all of the sages' eyes, in fact.

"Oh, the world needs him, does it?" a woman with grey streaks threading her hair responded. "And where was the world when fire healers were being hunted and killed? Where was the world when our kind were snatched from their homes and forced to heal until their energy dried up and their bodies gave out?" Her expression hardened. "Better yet, where was the Avatar?"

Katara opened and closed her mouth, flailing for the right defence.

"That is all in the past," Ursa said smoothly. "Perhaps the world did turn on fire healers once, but that does not mean we have to turn our backs on it now. The Fire Lord must be stopped. Avatar Aang can do this, but right now he needs our help. He needs our guardian spirit's help. I know he was summoned here for a reason."

"Of course you would say that, Ursa," Taiyo said with a faint sneer. "We all know how much you hate your husband, especially after he forced you to abandon your children. Plus, given your ancestry, it's no wonder you decided to assist the Avatar."

"Ancestry?" Zuko blurted before he could stop himself.

"Avatar Roku is my grandfather," she explained.

Zuko's jaw dropped. What the heck? Why had no one ever told him that? How had such a thing even been kept secret? He glanced at his sister and saw a mirror of his shock. It seemed she had not known either.

"Regardless of what you think, Sage Taiyo, my grandfather has nothing to do with this," Ursa said. "I brought Aang here because it was the right thing to do. He is destined to bring balance to the world, and it seems our guardian spirit is now a key in helping him to do that." She looked at each sage challengingly. "Would you really go against the wishes of our guardian spirit?"

There was a tense pause. The sages glanced at each other and once more spoke in hushed voices. Zuko couldn't claim to be the best at reading body language, but it seemed to him that some were being persuaded to their side, however reluctantly. Perhaps there was hope in salvaging this mess after all.

"What of the others?" Cam, the elderly female sage, asked. Gone was the friendliness from the other day; her eyes were sharp like a hawkfox. "These three claimed to be the Avatar's family, yet that can't be true."

"Kuzon is a fabrication," Ursa admitted, "but the others are who they say they are. Lee, Ruolan and Kana simply took the Avatar in when he needed their help. I was the one who convinced them to act as his family. I also persuaded Yuzo and Atsuo to go along with our story when we ran into them."

Zuko tried very hard not to show his surprise. His mother had lied. Why had she lied? Surely there was no point trying to maintain the pretence now?

An Dung stared at Zuko piercingly for a moment. "Is that so? What a coincidence that the Avatar should find himself with a Free Walker for a friend just when he needs to enter our tribe."

"Or perhaps it's fate," Ursa suggested. "We were all brought together, all led back here. Is that really so strange? Were you not the one who told me our lives are shaped by destiny?"

There was a story behind those words, and not a very happy one judging from the faint bitterness that edged Ursa's voice. Zuko hoped he'd be able to ask her about it later. For now, he bit his tongue and watched as An Dung turned to his fellow sages for what seemed to be the final deliberation.

The seven talked for a long time. Eventually, they reached a decision and An Dung once more faced them with an unreadable expression.

"The Avatar will be allowed to stay," he declared.

Zuko let out a big sigh of relief. Thank goodness.

"Lady Ursa and Shizue, however, must face the consequences for breaking the law." His eyes hardened. "We are disappointed in you, Shizue. A Silencer should have known better. As for you, Ursa, do not think that your status will spare you this time. You had no right to bring the Avatar here without first gaining our approval, regardless of how necessary you thought it. You even encouraged these children to deceive us."

Ursa bowed her head. "I understand."

Shizue also bowed, back stiff and emotionless.

"Wait," Zuko said, glancing from the sages to Shizue and Ursa. "What consequences? What are you going to do to them?"

"That is no concern of yours."

"Of course it is! They both—"

Azula nudged him hard with her elbow and mouthed at him to shut up. He didn't understand. Then his mum caught his gaze and shook her head. Reluctantly, he closed his mouth, throat tight and defensive words still threatening to spill out. It was so hard to stay silent. He had never been good at playing passive spectator.

"Will they be okay, though?" Aang asked in a small voice. "You won't hurt them, right?"

"They will live."

An Dung's answer was not comforting. The fact Ursa and Shizue both looked even grimmer did little to assuage the knot of unease building in Zuko's chest. Yet his mum had made it clear he shouldn't interfere. He had to trust her judgement … right?

The trial was formally closed and the order given to take Ursa and Shizue away to the prisons. Zuko's heart lurched as he watched his mum get hauled to her feet. She looked so frail, so thin and emaciated. It made his chest seize and his heart beat in erratic skitters.

"Wait!" he burst out. "You can't—"

A jian sword entered his vision, the sharpened tip pointing at his face. "Don't push your luck, boy," Chiyo said coolly. "Be grateful for the mercy you have been extended. If it were up to me, you'd all be joining them."

"Even your own son?" Katara exclaimed, eyes widening.

Chiyo glanced at Atsuo, and something about the hard glint in her gaze made it clear she wanted him to read her lips. "I might as well have no son."

Raw pain twisted Atsuo's face. It was horrible to watch, like witnessing a heart be pierced and gouged. Zuko wanted nothing more than to rush to Atsuo's defence. He knew the pain of being rejected by a parent, just as he knew Atsuo did not deserve such treatment. Nor was he the only one bothered by Chiyo's response. Yuzo looked furious, while Katara and Aang seemed more horrified than anything. Only Azula remained calm.

"I'll be watching you all," Chiyo warned them. "One misstep, one hint that you have lied to us about your intentions, and I guarantee there will be no mercy offered next time. I do not care if you're minors. I will end your lives myself."

Zuko swallowed. The threat felt very real when she was pointing a sword at his face.

She glared at them a moment longer before stalking off to follow the warriors who had taken away Ursa and Shizue. He was soon grabbed by his arms and yanked to his feet. The chains were removed. He rubbed his wrists to ease the tenderness as the others also get released from their bonds.

"You're free to go," one of the warriors said. "I suggest you return home. There's been enough excitement tonight."

No one moved.

Azula huffed and grabbed Zuko's arm. "Come on. There's no point standing around here."

"But Ursa and Shizue," Aang said in that same small voice. "They're—"

"There's nothing we can do for them," she said sharply. "You'll only make things worse if you try."

Zuko didn't hear what was said in response. Instead, he glanced up at the dais to where the sages were making their own departure. An Dung met his gaze, piercing and unreadable.

"Hurry up, Lee."

This time he didn't resist when Azula tugged him towards the door.

oOo

The mood was sombre when Zuko, Aang, Katara and Azula returned home. Yuzo had taken Atsuo to stay with him, which was probably for the best, but the trial had left an unshakeable weight on all of their hearts. Aang was taking it especially hard. He huddled on the floor, face hidden against his knees, and apologised over and over even as he berated himself for the trouble he had caused. The hiccupping catch in his voice told them he was trying not to cry.

"Hey," Katara said, kneeling next to him and wrapping her arms around him. "It's not your fault. You were in a trance. You couldn't control what you were doing."

"But I should have been able to." Another hiccup. "I keep messing up. I keep losing control, and then things go wrong and people get hurt, and now … now Shizue and Ursa are …"

Zuko gritted his teeth. "Nothing bad is going to happen to them. I won't let it."

"Oh, really?" Azula said, raising her eyebrow. "And what do you plan to do?"

"I don't know, but I'll think of something."

She laughed without humour. "Typical."

"Well, do you have any ideas?"

There was a beat of silence as they stared at each other. Then she looked off in the other direction. "Not yet."

He almost snorted. "And here I thought you were supposed to be the one who always had a plan."

"At least I know how to think before I act. After what happened with Father, I would have thought you'd know better than to speak out of turn, but you're still the same over-emotional, impulsive idiot."

He flinched, struck by the low blow.

"Did you even realise they were looking for an excuse to give us a harsher punishment?"

"Of course I did, but—"

"Really? Because if I hadn't made you shut up, you'd be in that prison as well. Maybe we all would." Open scorn glinted in her eyes. "Frankly, you're all as bad as each other. It's like the concept of consequences doesn't exist to you."

Katara glared at her. "Well, we can't all be as unfeeling as you. Some of us actually care about others."

"Oh, of course, because I'm just a monster who doesn't care about anyone, right?"

Zuko's brow creased. There was something too brittle about Azula's tone. Even her expression was like ice put under too much pressure: cold, harsh, yet riddled with vulnerability. For some reason, he thought back to the night she'd told him their father was plotting to kill him—the way she had taunted and wounded because, as he had later come to realise, actually admitting she was worried for his safety was something she didn't know how to do.

He let out a deep breath. "You're not."

She twitched, glancing at him. "What?"

"You're not a monster." He held her gaze, wanting her to see his sincerity. "And … thank you for looking out for me tonight. For all of us."

Her eyes widened a fraction.

"You're thanking her now?" Katara said, staring at him like he'd grown an extra head. "After all she just said?"

"Because she's right. Arguing with the sages wasn't the best option, and"—his gaze flickered back to his sister—"she knows I tend to say too much when I get upset."

"That's true," Azula said. "You never could hold yourself with any decorum once you got started on one of your outbursts. It used to be funny to watch when we were children, but not so much when our lives are at stake."

"No need to rub it in," he grumbled.

Her lips curved a little. Not a sharp smile, as he was used to, but smaller. Softer. The sight was enough to make him blink. How many years had it been since he'd seen her make an expression like that?

Katara removed her arms from around Aang and stood up, facing Azula. "Fine. Maybe you were helpful tonight, but you don't have to act so smug about it."

"It's not my fault I'm the only one here who seems to be able to use my brain."

Katara's eye twitched.

Recognising the danger signs of a temper about to blow (and knowing his sister was probably riling her up on purpose), Zuko stepped behind Katara and placed his hands on her shoulders. She was tense like a band pulled too tight, but as his thumb moved to brush caressingly against the exposed skin on the back of her neck, the stiffness eased out of her.

"Whatever," she muttered, and turned to Aang. "Can you still sense the spirit?"

He sat up straighter, eyes a bit puffy. "Not anymore."

"Then do you at least remember where you sensed it?" Azula asked.

"Honestly, my memory of that whole experience is kind of foggy. I didn't really know what I was doing at the time."

Azula's lips pursed. "I noticed."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to drag you into that, but thanks for coming after me and trying to protect me. That was really nice of you."

She wrinkled her brow. "Of course I had to go after you. You're the only reason we're here, and I would have never heard the end of it had I let you go off on your own."

"Even so, it made me happy."

She just stared at him like he was a rabaroo that had started talking. Zuko almost smiled. Trust Aang to find a way to throw her off her game. He had a knack for getting under people's guard with his friendliness.

Aang got to his feet. "Anyway, I wish I could remember more of what I sensed and heard while in that trance, but I can't." His shoulders slumped again. "I'm really sorry."

"Enough with the apologies," Azula said with an impatient roll of her eyes. "So things didn't go to plan thanks to your little trance expedition, but it's not like it was a total waste. We know the spirit is definitely somewhere on the islands. Perhaps it will summon you again, perhaps not. At the very least, you can talk more openly to people now about finding it."

"That's true," he said, brightening. "I don't have to hide who I am anymore. Maybe it'll be easier now."

"Lucky for some," Katara mumbled. "The rest of us have to keep up our act."

Azula raised her eyebrow. "And yet you two don't seem to mind too much."

Zuko blinked, suddenly conscious of the way Katara was leaning against his chest, and how his own hands had moved to lightly skim her arms. He even had his chin propped on the top of her head. (She was, as he had discovered thanks to their position, the perfect height for it).

Blushing, he pulled back from her. "Maybe we shouldn't talk about this now." He lowered his voice. "People could be listening."

"Perhaps there's still hope for you, Brother. You actually said something intelligent."

"Ha ha," he muttered, rolling his eyes. "Look, I'm serious. I don't think M—Ursa would have said all that unless it was for a good reason, so … let's just trust her."

It wasn't like he didn't have a million questions either—about why she'd lied, about the fact Avatar Roku was his great-grandfather. But while it was one thing to talk vaguely about their plans and frustrations, it was quite another to openly admit they were living a lie straight after being pardoned. He didn't trust the walls or the tribe.

Azula was of the same mind, despite her teasing. "There's nothing we can do tonight anyway."

Katara chewed on her lip. "I just wish we had a way to know that Ursa and Shizue are okay. I'm worried."

"Maybe … maybe they'll just be imprisoned?" Aang offered. "That could be punishment enough, right?"

No one said anything. Zuko could still remember the ominous words An Dung had spoken.

"They will live."

"Let's just get some sleep," he muttered.

He didn't want to think about this anymore. It made his gut a mess of anxious knots.

They said their goodnights for the second time and went off to their separate rooms. Zuko crawled back under the furs with Katara, but instead of immediately snuggling into him as she usually did, she lay facing him with a concerned look in her eyes.

"What?" he said.

"You'll tell me if there's anything I can do for you, right?"

His brow furrowed in question.

She moved closer, cupping his cheek with her hand. "I know you've been putting on a brave face for Aang's sake."

That was true enough. Aang had been so upset and full of self-blame after everything that had happened that Zuko hadn't wanted to add to it by letting the full extent of his own distress out.

"But it's just us here now," she whispered. "And if we're quiet like this, no one will hear …"

His heart quickened a little, only getting faster when her thumb grazed his lips. He wasn't sure if it was an accident or not. Their faces were close and her eyes had never seemed softer. It did odd things to his stomach, like hybrid butterflies had somehow escaped and now fluttered amidst the knots tangling up his insides.

She held his gaze, warm and patient, allowing him to make the next move. Whatever that was meant to be. He inhaled a shaky breath, unsure of what he wanted. Every gesture, every glance, felt weighed with something more. It made him nervous. Made him confused. His heart stuttered a beat of anguish and worry, yet his pulse whispered of possibilities.

It was too much.

Something shifted in her expression, and she removed her hand from his face so she could instead wrap her arms around him. "Is this okay?"

A small breath escaped. Like a house of cards folding, he pressed his hands into her back and pulled her closer, burrowing his face into her neck. His eyes slid shut as he breathed in her scent. "Yeah," he said softly. "This is fine."

She trailed her fingers through his hair, even as all the confusing flutters and throbs settled down in him again. Of course he wasn't stupid; he knew what it had all meant. But he was glad she had not pushed him all the same.

Maybe one day he would be ready to act on those feelings, but not tonight. Not like this.

oOo

Golden flames rippled around like an endless shield. The sage knelt on the floor, head bowed. "You were right," he said. "It did not take long for them to expose themselves. We caught the Avatar tonight."

"And did you do as I asked?"

"Yes, I made sure the Avatar and his companions were not executed. Lady Ursa and Shizue had to be punished, of course. We couldn't let them all go free. It wouldn't look good."

"No matter. Those two are useless to me anyway."

He glanced up at the figure who controlled the flames. "May I ask why you're helping these children?"

A smile. "Because I do not wish the world to be without its Avatar. His role, whether you like it or not, is important."

"And the other boy? Wouldn't it be easier to—"

"Patience, friend. Just do your part and everything will work out like I promised."

He dipped his head in another bow. "As you wish, Shūrin."