The next morning they gathered again for breakfast, which was more casual. Everyone looked tired, as if they stayed up too late and woke to early. Chi enhancing tea brought everyone out of their state of semi consciousness. Zuko made a few announcements, including the possibility of his and Mai's child together. The group clapped and applauded. Katara had a strange smile in place, it didn't quite reach her eyes, and they looked unusually bright. The day began as normally as it usually did in the Fire Nation, as the news of an heir had not been spread, and wouldn't be until it was confirmed. Aang stayed in his room for the most part, nursing his aching head and trying almost every cure for a hang over possible. Azula had left Aang's room soon after their agreement on waiting for the right moment and left Aang to sleep. He had slept well, but was woken up by a servant demanding his presence for breakfast. The tea didn't help. It increased his heart rate, making his head pound even harder. Sokka came to him, asking after Katara. Apparently she had been sneaking off, but he wasn't sure why. Aang was honest, he hadn't seen Katara alone for almost two months and she hadn't come to see him. Sokka left and asked that he not tell Katara about his concerns. Aang assured him that their conversation wouldn't leave the room and shut the door, wanting to rest and relax. Azula stopped by and slipped inside, just wanting a quick kiss and a few soft words to hold her up throughout a stressful day. She didn't get the chance to cure her hang over before Zuko set her to work and as such was having a rather frustrating morning.

Aang checked the hallway and once it was clear, signaled for her to slip past him. She did so and within moments appeared as if she had been purposefully striding the hall without stopping. Aang closed the door quickly to keep the illusion strong and laid himself on the bed. For the first time in a long time he thought of the downsides of the 100 year war. All those people dead, never able to come home to their families. Thousands massacred and their homes desecrated. People uprooted and left without ancestry and honor… it all seemed so far off. Even so, to that day Aang was still working to repair the damage cause by the war. Tearing down Fire Nation colonies and putting up fresh, new villages and towns that were free of the scars of war. He still carried the scar that his lover had given him years ago. Aang reached around and felt it. The skin had healed, but remained discolored and slightly puffy, the way scars do. He still felt the skin stretch and pull taught when he turned the wrong way. In a morbid sense, the war would forever be seared into his flesh where the lightning-bolt had struck him, a reminder of the days when he fought for justice and peace. He found it strange, the concept of fighting for peace, but with his hangover it just made his head spin, thoughts chasing each other around in circles. He rolled over and fell asleep. It was shallow and punctured with fits of wakefulness, but by the afternoon, his throbbing head had subsided into a dull ache that he could barely feel. He decided to go out and do something, hoping that there was something to do. He decided to leave the palace, donning his traveling robes, with a yellow tunic and pants. He had an orange shawl that reached his wrists and had a light, thin hood attached. He slung a hefty bag over his shoulder, deciding to do some good while he was out.

Aang stepped out of the palace gates and found himself among the hustle and bustle of everyday life. He readied himself, stretching and turning about on his waist, preparing for a workout. He ducked and fell to one hand. He positioned himself like a runner. He smirked at what the people around him were about to experience. With an almighty jolt he surged forward, leaving the paper vendor he was next to scrambling to pick papers up and snatch them from the air as they flew everywhere. In a flash he was gone, sprinting and dodging people left and right. He had become extremely fast, so much so that the people closest to him when he took off could almost hear a small boom as air crashed into the space Aang had occupied a moment earlier. He zigzagged, jumping over market tents in a single bound with a loud "Haha!"

He felt adrenaline surge as he ran along the wall of a building next to a packed street where foot traffic was extremely congested. Everyone blocking the street looked up as he ran along the side of the building with loud laugh. Aang readied his bag, setting a course for the poor district of the city. He saw the ramshackle buildings and sketchy characters picking their teeth with knives before he whizzed past them with sudden rush of air. He found a small community, almost separate from the rest of the city. He knew it all too well, the poor families and individuals who had banded together to help and protect each other. Aang jumped and landed on the roof a building overlooking the crowded street, filled with poor people who were down on their luck. He saw sick and hungry, impoverished and weak. With a whistle he caught their attention, they all cheered. He had visited them before, as he had with cities and villages all across the world. He grabbed the bag and up-ended it, dropping gold pieces stamped with the Fire Lord's likeness on one side and the Fire nation symbol on the other, surrounded by several numbers and letters. They were the fresh mint of the coin, as Zuko's likeness graced the coin, his scar prominent. He had chosen to have his scarred side on the coin for reason's unknown to Aang, but he thought it was a good idea all the same. The coins pinged off of the pavement and Aang leapt down behind the crowd who had huddled in to grab some of the money. He tapped the people in the back on the shoulder and one by one handed them a few pieces each. He then went around to those who couldn't charge the gold, or those whose pride kept them in place. Some people shook his hand and thanked him; other's simply nodded and bowed, backing away with a quiet "Avatar."

Once he was sure that all had gotten some, he prepared to go on his way. He noticed the crooked street that made it difficult to walk and the scummy well in the street, filled with disgusting and polluted water. He stomped a foot and the stones that made up the street evened themselves out, becoming almost inhumanly smooth. He bent the water and scoured the well clean before replacing the water once more. It almost glowed with health. He then decided to try something different. He bent a handful of water and approached a small girl who had not gotten up to get any money. He focused, making the water glow and emit a strange rushing sound. He held it against the girl's forehead and she closed her eyes. Her mother stood close by, ready to stop the Avatar should he hurt the girl. He would never do such a thing, but he refrained from acknowledging her presence until he was done, helping the young girl to stand from her make-shift bed.

The people had gathered behind him to watch. When the girl stood they all exploded with cheers and applause. Aang looked confused, but the mother sobbed and embraced her child, smiling as if her prayers had been answered.

She turned to Aang. She had dark hair, pale skin and a rather downtrodden look in her eyes though they now shined with gratitude. Her face was dirty and had become worn with lines of worry. Had she been given the opportunity, she had the potential to be a very good looking woman.

"Thank you, Avatar. My daughter has been dreadfully sick for years… she has been unable to move her limb and… I thought she…."

Aang smiled and bowed to her. Soon the crowd cleared, leaving him with a few others who needed his healing hand. Aang rolled up his sleeves and bent some fresh water, ready to help those who needed him.

He returned to the palace to find a servant waiting outside his chambers. Aang bowed his head, hiding his features under the darkness of the hood and tapped the servant on his shoulder. He jumped and let out a small yelp. Aang smiled and threw back the hood of his robes, showing the servant that no harm was meant.

"The Fire Lord has requested that you join him for the evening meal."

"Tell him I'll be there shortly, I just need to clean myself and change before I join civil company."

"I'll draw the bath myself sir, and I'll launder some fresh clothing. Do you wish for me to lay out your ceremonial robes or your casual wear, sir?"

"Anything will do, just be sure that my bath water is hot, not warm. Thank you."

Aang entered his room, hearing the servant bustle about in the next room, which was Aang's private bathroom. He heard the whooshing of flames and knew his bath water was being heated. He quickly removed his dirty, grimy robes and covered himself with a complimentary maroon bath robe. He heard the service bell ring, signaling that the servant had left and that Aang could enter. He did and was happy to feel hot steam rush across his skin. It felt amazing after a hard day of bending and good deeds.

The doors to the dining room were thrown wide, revealing a figure cloaked in crimson and gold. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked towards it to find Aang in a fire nation outfit. He wore a ceremonial robe, fashioned after the robes of his people, but colored and embroidered with the Fire Nation's colors. In the upper right corner of the shawl, embroidered in gold was a beautiful design of the symbols of all four nations. Apparently Zuko had ordered it from the greatest tailor in the capital and had given it to Aang as a gift. Aang liked the soft fabric, but the dark red and gold felt strange and alien. He had always worn clothes with the Air Nomad's colors on it, aside from when he was in disguise, living on the edge of Fire Nation civilization, pretending to be dead. Even so, that had been necessary to maintain the element of surprise, another element that he had mastered before he had known he was the Avatar. Zuko stood with a look of concern of his face.

"Aang, are you alright? We've been looking for you since this morning."

"I'm fine, better than fine. I visited the lower district of the city today."

Zuko's face became sad and etched with lines of worry. He had been trying to fix that part of the city, but the people there felt no inkling of loyalty to the crown.

"And what did you see? How go things in those parts?"

"Poorly, but I think I might have helped that. I believe that after today they may be a little more receptive to your wishes, Fire Lord Zuko."

Aang seated himself in an empty chair that was pulled out for him by a servant and launched into story about the day's events. He described how he had given the newest mint of the gold piece, which had Zuko's likeness stamped on its side. He told the group that by doing so, he had given them a taste of Zuko's generosity and his charity. The coins would hopefully help to cement the bonds between the lower district and the rest of the city. With any luck, Zuko could send a few well chose people from the palace down to help and give out medicine and prepare food for the sick and hungry. Zuko looked impressed at the idea and how well executed it had been.

"So now the entire lower district thinks that I secretly commissioned the Avatar himself to deliver services and money to them? That's genius Aang, this saves me many hours of worrying about how I planned to get them on my side."

"No problem, hotman, always happy to help."

"On a different note, Aang, do you like the robes I had made for you?"

"They're great, though it is a little strange to be out of my own nations colors."

Zuko's smile flickered, how could he have been so stupid? Aang noticed and quickly amended the mistake.

"I do like the way they feel however, and I don't suppose Air Nomad colors work quite as well with silk. I think I could get used to these robes though; I'll be much less noticeable among your Nation's towns and cities. Thank you for your gift, Zuko. I have one for you as well."

Zuko's smile came back, but was then replaced by a look of wonder when Aang produced a set of dual broad swords from behind him and bent them over to Zuko, where they landed gracefully in his outstretched hands. They were made of a strange material and had beautiful engravings of fire along the sheathes. The hilts were wrapped with red leather and the pommel and guards were gold. They were stunningly crafted and seemed to be brand new. Zuko set one aside and pulled the other out of its sheathe. It came loose with a solid click and slid out perfectly, no wobble or anything. The blade was a strange metal and had beautiful lines that seemed too random and beautiful to be purposefully engraved.

"They're beautiful," Zuko said to himself while the others watched.

"They're Damascus blades. They've been treated and refined until they could withstand volcanic heat for hours. The sheathes are made from naturally gathered rhino-lizard ivory and dyed to match Fire Nation style. I also found a book written by their maker, it describes many firebending techniques that can be used with the blades, with descriptions and illustrations for practical use! Unfortunately, they are difficult and time consuming to make, so there are only four sets like it in the world, soon a fifth will be completed, but then he plans on retiring the design and working normal metals and weapons. I only managed to buy these because I tracked down their creator and offered him an outlandish amount of money for them. Happy early birthday, your Fieriness!"

"Aang, these are amazing, I don't even want to know how much-"

"Free! I gave him a ride on Appa and he gave them to me for nothing. I still left a large sack of gold on his table before I left, so in a way he got full price for them."

Zuko stood, removed his billowing cape and strapped on the blades. He pulled them out quicker than Aang's vision could muster and shot a thin flame down the table, lighting the line of candles that went all the way down. The flame stopped right before it hit Sokka, at the other end of the table. He yelped and rolled out of his chair. Everyone laughed as he slowly poked his head up to inspect the danger. He stood, dusted himself off, and took a seat on the side of the elongated table, not wanting to have flames shot at him again.

"Sorry," Zuko called to him. Sokka picked his teeth with a bone from his plate and waved a hand as if nothing had happened.

Zuko took to the stage and readied himself, taking a battle stance with a sword on either side of his body. He lifted a leg and thrust out a sword, he put the leg down with a stomp and slashed, sending a semi-circle of fire at his audience, who clapped and whistled. He continued, doing something that Aang recognized to be the Dancing Dragon, but with the swords Zuko improvised to keep the flames out of reach of anything that might catch fire. He jumped and brought down both swords in a fiery slice, then weaved back up and struck downwards again. The display continued and Aang remember doing the Dancing Dragon with Zuko, if front of a live dragon. Zuko must have done it since, because he remembered every move and every stance, performing it flawlessly, even with the swords. He ended up with both swords thrust at an invisible enemy, with his chest, arms and head, hanging from his waist, his entire top half angled into the stabbing gesture. Aang got up and clapped with the rest. He then inhaled deeply and let loose a whistle that made everyone's ears pop.

Zuko bowed and returned to the table, tbut he stopped right before he could seat himself.

"I think I can do it."

"What?"

Zuko looked at the swords still in his hands.

"Generate lightning."

Aang looked at him. He was unsure about Zuko's idea. He had seen Zuko attempt it before, but either nothing happened or the energy manifested itself as an explosion. But then Aang realized something. Zuko's swords were a part of him, two thirds of the man. They made him whole. He knew that Zuko could do it.

"Go for it!"

"Here?"

"On the balcony, try it!"

Zuko rushed out and the Gaang followed. They knew that Zuko had wanted to generate lighting for years, could this be his moment? He took a stance, his swords crossed in front of his chest. He swung them, dipping down then weaving up, the lighting crackled off of his hands and the blades of the swords as they sung through the air. Suddenly everything smelled of ozone and there was a deafening KA-BOOM! Lightning rushed from the point of both swords, striking the clouds and lighting the entire city for miles around. The dark clouds opened where the lighting had shot through and The Gaang clapped madly, whooping and embracing Zuko. He stood there, stunned by his success. The Gaang lifted Zuko onto their shoulders and Sokka yelled "Three cheers for Zuko Lightning-Sword!"

"Hip hip, Hooray!"

"Hip hip, Hooray!"

"Hip hip, HOORAY!"

No one slept that night. It was spent laughing and talking and singing and dancing. The court musicians were roused and took to the stage in their pajamas. They wanted to play slow, tiring tunes but at the request of the Fire Lord, upbeat, ecstatic music rang through the room. There were cheers and toasts and they made merry till dawn, when Zuko commanded that they all go to bed. Aang beamed at Azula, who had a genuine smile on her face for the first time in even Zuko's memory. Iroh patted Zuko on the shoulder one last time and went off to his chambers. Everyone got up and exited the room, still drunk with happiness at the night's events.

Aang waited, hoping Azula would come to his room as she had before, but when the sun crept over the edge of the palace walls, he figured she was sleeping, or otherwise preoccupied. He laid down and slept. After some time, he heard his door open. He ignored it, thinking it was from a dream. He felt something warm and soft slide underneath the covers behind him, barely making a movement. He was so unsure that it was an actual event that he simply ignored it and attributed the warmth to the sun at his back. Then he felt an arm drape over his chest. His eyes opened and he looked down. The arm was pale and the fingers were slender, womanly and tipped with talons that would make an eagle cry for its mother. Azula had slipped in under the cover of Aang's all-consuming sleepiness. Her hand slowly pulled him toward her and Aang felt her body press against him. He made so sign that he had woke up and continued to steady his breathing, not wanting the moment to end. He felt Azula shift behind him and then felt her breath on the side of his head. She pecked him on the cheek and whispered in his ear.

"I love you, Aang."

He moaned and sniffled, pretending to be asleep. She laid herself back down behind him and wrapped her arms around his chest. Aang continued to feint sleep and slowly but surely felt himself drift off into sweet slumber. Azula, who had locked the door behind her also slept, hoped that neither the Avatar nor her would be missed for a few hours.

Aang woke to find the afternoon sun setting outside his window. He slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes, wanting to get something to eat from the kitchens. His stomach rumbled from hunger and he forced himself up and out of bed. He turned to where he had felt Azula lying behind him and found a note. It hadn't been a dream. All that was on the note was a few hastily scribbled words reaffirming their love, along with a single letter, "a." Aang knew who it was from but was surprised to see the artistic license Azula put into that single letter. It had been drawn in a large lower case, and looked to be a dragon eating its tail, with the little line coming off the end being a tiny wing. It was wonderfully drawn and almost seemed to watch him when he turned the note over. Aang had never thought Azula to be an artist. Being a royal prodigy, he supposed, her parents must have put her through just about every class possible to find her talents. What a pity that she excelled at everything she did, only to be disappointed in herself when she didn't quite perform to her own standards. Aang flipped the note and found a large drawing of his own name, spotted here and there with hearts, lightning bolts and Air Nomad and Fire Nation symbols. It was a bit much, but Azula was a very refined and laid back woman, she didn't often express herself with any sort of exaggeration or gesture. She had to let out her feelings somehow, and her two ways of doing that were bending and drawing, or at least, that's what Aang had thought of the realization.

He got up and stretched. He was tired, but he also had much pent up energy. He wanted to bend, to fly and shoot fire from his hands. He wanted to freeze objects and throw some boulders. In short, his Avatar spirit was calling him out for some exercise. He dressed in his Fire Nation robes and found himself a courtyard that had been created just for him. It was a dedication to the Avatar where he could practice all forms of bending. Targets had been set up and a patch of open dirt graced one corner of the courtyard, while a pool, a lit brazier of fire and an open space where the wind blew leaves into a tornado-like frenzy graced the other four. The courtyard had recently been renovated and restored, as Fire Lord Sozin had destroyed it and closed it off after his genocide of the Air Temples.

Aang stood in the middle of the courtyard, where a small circle had been paved into the courtyard's stone floor. He placed his hands together and inhaled deeply. His eyes snapped open and he was firebending, throwing punch after punch at a stuffed dummy. He knocked the head off of it and built up his momentum. He released it with a swift kick and knocked the dummy clean off of it's stand. He resumed his pose of calm and focused on easing his breathing. Within moments it was restored and he whipped around and began to waterbend. He sent slices and iceicles flying into the dummy. With a flourish he raised a small tsunami of water and wrapped it around the target. He then clenched his hands and the water turned solid. He bent even more water from the pool and built up pressure. With a small splashing sound a powerful jet of water with a blunt end hit the ice, shattering it and the dummy trapped inside. He once again adopted the neutral pose. He then turned so that he had a hand outstretched towards both of the other two dummies. He held one fist clenched and the other hand stayed calm and loose, angled so that he could begin a rotating motion in a seconds notice. Aang focused, allowing the power of the Avatar to flow through him. The power of thousands of master benders flowed through him. He heard whispered advice, shouted hints and calm instructions, all resonating and echoing within him. He focused on air and earth, allowing other Avatars to pour their knowledge into him. His eyes began to glow.

Aang used the power he held to bend to elements at once. Not much power was needed but when one Avatar lent a hand, they all chipped in. Aang felt amazing powers course through him and began moving. He rotated a wrist and allowed one arm to shoot a large, powerful blast of air straight at the dummy. The other hand lifted a boulder that was bigger than a tank and dropped it on the dummy. All of this happened within a few brief moments. He lowered his hands into neutral position, then down to his sides. The glow faded from his eyes as he looked at the devastation and power the Avatar state provided him with. He was beginning to think that maybe it was not a curse after all, but a blessing. Without this power he would never have been able to defeat the Ozai, nor would he be able to help all those people. He smiled. Azula was watching him. He could see her in his peripheral vision, standing in the shadows of the cloister surrounding the courtyard. He turned to her and beckoner her towards him. She was clearly uncertain of their status of privacy as she spoke in a steely tone.

"An impressive display, Avatar."

"Thanks, Azula. That means a lot coming from you."

"Perhaps, one day, you would consent to duel me, if you have the time?"

"I have time now, Azula. Let's see what you can do. I promise not to hurt you."

"That is of no concern, I assure you."

Azula entered the courtyard, removing her fancy over robes and tying back her hair into a precise and perfect bun. She walked and stood in the fire corner. Aang stood opposite her in the water corner.

"Agni kai?"

"No, let's keep things fair, Avatar. If you were restricted to fire, you'd be no match for me. I prefer a challenge."

"Well, I'll keep the elemental switcheroo to a minimum. Wouldn't want to defeat you too easily."

They stood there for a moment, sizing each other up. For a moment, Aang remembered the last time he fought Azula, in a small ghost town in the Earth Kingdom. He saw a similar look in her eyes, but it seemed less malicious now, less evil. He had to keep his cool, he may love this woman and she may love him, but she would show no mercy. Aang went over strategies in his head.

"Rules?"

"How about the first to go down? We don't want Zuzu thinking we were beating on each other. Can't risk his precious Avatar getting hurt, can we?"

"Nor can we have the Fire Nation's Princess breaking a finger nail."

Aang saw her lips twitch, almost forming a smirk before becoming stern once more. The tension was palpable, but Aang loved it. A fight with the woman of his desires, this would be fun.

Aang was about to strike when suddenly Azula struck first. Blue flames shot from her fist and Aang dodged. She shot again, predicting the dodge and correctly guessing his placement. He shot a blast of air, feeding the fire until it died. They stood there once more, preparing for the next barrage. Aang grinned, feeling his adrenaline kick in. Everything seemed to stick out in detail. He could see every nook and cranny, every imperfection with the courtyard, inside the cloisters and the designs etched onto the columns lining the courtyard. He waited for a moment, then sensed that Azula was about to strike. He fired a blast of air at her, causing her to drop to the ground and send a low kick of fire in his direction. He leapt upward on a jet of air, and then shot down. He hit the ground, sending a shockwave of air throughout the courtyard. The dust in the cracks of the stone was lifted and suddenly there was a huge cloud of dust. It pressed against his eyes and Aang could feel himself breathing it in. He stopped, listening for any sign of movement. A faint whooshing came from where Azula had been. He then saw a faint blue light and he ducked, feeling the searing heat pass by him.

He levitated, slowly riding around until he was sure he could not locate Azula. There was no way she could have heard him though. Suddenly, a flame shot at him from above. He looked up, seeing Azula crouching on the cloister roof, looking down at the dust cloud. Aang bent the wind towards him, and Azula came scooting down the slanted roof, trying to keep her balance. She landed among the dust, which had begun to settle. Aang laid flat, she wouldn't find him until the dust cleared or unless she stepped on him. He listened to her footsteps. They were extremely light and well places, barely making a sound, except that Aang was pressing himself against the ground, feeling her vibrations running though the ground. He then realized she was headed right for him. He waited. Her footsteps came nearer and nearer. Then an idea seized Aang. He opened his arm so that it was wide away from him. Azula came closer with very cautious steps. She placed her foot right in the space between his arm and his side. He struck, clamping her foot between his side and his arm. He rolled, pulling her down by her under robes. She hit the ground, but immediately caught herself before her body touched down. Aang pulled himself upright as she pushed herself back onto her feet. They were extremely close together, even closer than two duelists would be. Azula seized the opportunity to strike at Aang with a few fiery jabs. Aang countered, pulling from his knowledge of water bending, he pushed her blows past him, redirecting them so that nothing touched him. Finally he had both of her wrists trapped in his grip. They formed an "X" in front of him. Azula tried to pull them from his grip to no avail. She kicked at him, but he simply sidestepped, dragging her wrists along to unsteady her kicking stance.

She pulled again and again, increasing her momentum with each pull until Aang let go, causing Azula to stumble from the amount of force she put into tugging away from him. Before she could right herself Aang had shot a blast of air at her, and in her unsteady stance she was knocked to the ground easily. Her eyes, which normally would've burned with rage, seemed to burn with something else. Aang held out a hand to pull her up, but she pulled him down on top of her. She had combed the cloisters during their duel, no one had been seen by either of them, so they assumed, for the moment, that it was safe. Aang fell into her waiting arms and they kissed passionately for a few moments. Aang pulled away and pushed himself up, pulling Azula up with him. They readopted their harsh tones and bowed to each other, hoping to keep up a rather ridiculous illusion to any who had seen what happened seconds earlier.