Zuko stood in his war room placing a small flag on the large map-table at the Northern Air Temple, then another at Ba Sing Se and then traced the line back to the Air Temple. He frowned at the report from the temple; at least Azula hadn't shown up until it was over and the other nations couldn't blame him for such a horrible attack. He wiped the current markers aside to start over from scratch. Two years and he only had a handful of sightings.
The Fire Lord picked up the small airship figure and placed it down on the table where the stolen airship had run out of fuel and "landed" in the middle of the Si Wong Desert. He fell behind in tracking his sister, but now that things have calmed down in the political scene and his own people are more or less satisfied with his rule, he felt the urge to try to map out his sister's movements once more.
"What are you doing in here?"
He turned to see Mai standing in the doorway, her face set in a usual neutral line. "Updating my map of Azula sightings. It's my neurotic obsession these days. Keeps me from becoming a psychopath like the rest of my family. Uncle has tea. I have Azula." He smiled and set down another flag just outside of Gaoling.
"I suppose you could have worse hobbies. I was at the Royal Academy for Boys explaining why my brother felt the need to bring in an otterfrog to school." She picked through the wooden figurines that hadn't been seen since the end of the war. She smirked at the small Azula figure that Ozai had commissioned when his daughter went off to war.
"I knew he'd be a handful for the headmaster there. I'm sure we could find him private tutors if it happens again." He shuffled his stack of papers around a little and watched Mai's face for any kind of reaction.
"No. He's allowed to be as much of a spoiled brat as he wants." She set the figure of Azula down in Chin Village. "I'm hoping not to ruin him as much as our parents ruined me."
He set the Chin Village report aside and looked for the next page. "So they disappeared for a while and resurfaced four months later near Senlin Village."
"They must have stolen a boat. Azula is fun on boats." She smirked and planted a flag on the map.
"I bet. Then again, I wasn't too easy to deal with when I was on a boat for three years." He leaned over her to grab another flag. "The next report has a man fitting Teo's description rebuilding a mill in Jang Hui. He accepted payment for his services and headed East." He set the flag down. "They have to still be traveling together. She must be laying low now that they're in the Fire Nation."
"But why would she come here? She's just as much a criminal here as she is in the Earth Kingdom."
"She knows that I'm willing to pardon her due to the fact that if our father hadn't been insane, she would have just been a general instead of Crazy Princess Azula." He follows the trail with his eyes. "Do you think she is coming here?"
"I don't know, brother, it's like I left your spies a trail. I'm disappointed by your security. That's going to change tomorrow."
Zuko turned and gaped at his sister. "Are you trying for the most dramatic entrance?"
She was dressed simply in red robes, a long scarf tied around her short hair. She did not look like a starving fugitive. "Teo bet me three copper pieces that I couldn't sneak right into the palace without alerting the guards." She smiled the same way Zuko remembered when she won one of their childhood games. Teo was a brave man.
"Where did you leave him?" Mai looked genuinely curious.
"Oh he's around. I haven't decided if we're staying yet." She pulled out one of the chairs and looked over the map. She immediately plucked her own figure off the table, a wistful look on her face.
"Do you want to stay?" Zuko sat down next to her and picked up the airship figure.
"It's not like I have anywhere else to go." She genuinely looked sad for a moment before drawing up into a regal pose. "I request political asylum for myself and Teo."
"Azula, you don't have to request asylum. This is your home. I'm the Fire Lord. No one will care as long as you don't try to overthrow me." He hesitantly laid a hand on her forearm, hoping she wouldn't pull away from him.
"Thank you. I'd like my old room prepared." Azula was back to being the selfish and bratty princess.
"Of course. I'll have the servants prepare Teo a room as well." Zuko stood to fetch a servant.
"Oh there's no need for that." She waved her hand dismissively.
Mai smirked. "Ty Lee was so insistent that you preferred girls. I'll be glad to finally collect on that bet."
"Azula, um, are you uhh…" He felt like he was twelve years old again and embarrassed at the mention of holding hands with a girl.
His sister rolled her eyes and let out a long-suffering sigh. She reached in her robe and produced a scroll. "We were married last year. It makes him automatically eligible for citizenship and it made it easier to travel through the Earth Kingdom."
Mai peered over Zuko's shoulder to look at the documents in his shaking hands. The first document had Azula's alias "Mai Lee, an orphan", the second was one of her true name and parentage. "How did you get this under your real name?"
"I threatened the cleric upon pain of death. I assumed that one of your spies paid him off," she shrugged and snatched her wedding certificates back. "As fun as an Earth Kingdom wedding was, we're going to see a Fire Sage in the morning."
"I can't believe this." Zuko couldn't get past his sister's comments. Azula has always lied. "Do you love him at all?"
Azula stepped back as if she'd been struck. Zuko hadn't seen that look on her face since before their mother left. "Of course I do! He's never left me."
The venom in her tone made Zuko regret calling her out. He opened his mouth and then shut it again. "I'll get your room ready."
At least having Azula around would keep him on his toes.
Teo sat in the back garden of the palace. He was technically waiting an audience with the Fire Lord, but the guard that followed him out to the garden was easily paid off with a cigarette.
He shaves the small scrap of wood with his knife, softening the edge with each stroke of the knife. By the time he heard footsteps along the path, he had the body of a flute started.
"You married my sister."
"I did," Teo pulled the cigarette from between his lips and looked up at the Fire Lord. "Hello Zuko, nice to see you again." He put the cigarette out and tucked it away to finish later.
Zuko sat down on the bench across from him. "Hello. Sorry. I think I'm still in shock."
Teo blew the wood shavings off his carving and then brushed his lap free. "Azula has that effect on people. So you want to know if I'm her hostage, right?"
"Um. Well… yes?" The Fire Lord shuffled his feet, fidgeting with the hem of his sleeves.
He laughed, setting his carving and knife down in his lap. "Zuko, I'm not brainwashed. I'm not her hostage. I care about her. She cares about me in her own way."
"She has her own way about a lot of things." Zuko looked him over and gold eyes met brown. "She's still…"
"Crazy?" Teo leaned back in his wheelchair, scratching at the beard he'd been growing since they'd entered the Fire Nation. "She is. That isn't going to go away. She has serious issues that I've been trying to help her with." He sighed. "Some days are better than others."
Zuko seemed to think that over and then nodded. "Whose idea was it to come here?"
"Hers. We thought about going to Republic City, but we both agreed that it was too close to the Avatar for us to be able to relax." Even after two years, it still hurt. His father's body hanging lifeless because a king got greedy and the world's supposed savior didn't bother to keep track of those he claimed as friends.
"I guess I can understand that." They both fell silent, watching the turtleducks pick at the bugs in the grass.
Teo started carving again, etching an intricate design on the body of the flute.
"There are still groups that support Azula as Fire Lord. She's not going to murder me in my sleep, is she?"
"You're safe. She hates paperwork." Teo smiled and looked up from his work. "She'll probably try to ruin any social events you have going on though."
"I'm sure. What are you doing?" The Fire Lord stood over him, blocking the light.
"I make things. It's what I do." He held the nearly finished instrument up to the Fire Lord.
Zuko took the flute as if he were going to break it. "This is really nice work. You have a lot of talent"
"Thanks." Teo takes the flute back. "I don't know what to do next."
"Well, I have some ideas. But that can wait until you and Azula settle in."
"That sounds like a good idea." Azula put her hands on Teo's shoulders. She was freshly bathed and dressed in clothes that were made for a lady of nobility. Her hair was still damp from the bath as well. "You look like a filthy Earth beggar." She ran her fingers through his hair. "You married into nobility. You will look the part."
Teo grinned up at the princess. "But Azula, I thought we were the eccentric side of the family."
"We are. But you stink." She released the brake on his chair and shoved him towards the palace. "Afterwards we can make ZuZu uncomfortable by being loud in bed."
Teo laughed at the gagging sound that came from the Fire Lord as his wife continued to make fun of her embarrassed brother.
This marks the end of this story. Thank you all for reading, reviewing, following and favoriting. I had fun writing it, despite my frantic rush to try to get this last chapter out in a timely manner and failing at that. I can't promise there will be a sequel, but I might write some of Azula and Teo's adventures as one-shots.