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Ben

Kyoshi island.

Sixteenth day of the second month.

Azula awoke quite comfortably, the air she inhaled filled with the sweet fragrance of that shampoo Ty Lee used. She remembered falling asleep comforted by her, after their shared declaration of love.

*Looks like I'm going to 'boy' in this relationship,* Azula mused as she saw Ty Lee's brown hair right before her, and felt the acrobat's toned tummy under her fingertips, holding her close.

But then, Azula began to realize something was wrong. Ty Lee had never cut her hair shorter than just above her waist, but the hair she saw now was just barely reaching the shoulders. And Ty Lee's stomach was toned but smooth, and now Azula could feel the hard ridges of muscles on that stomach she was caressing, more like what a man would have.

As her stomach churned in horror, she watched the bedsheets fall away to show a muscled arm, adorned with a tattoo she had tried her best to forget. She pulled herself back from that form, almost falling in bed as the other stirred and turned around, revealing her greatest fear.

"Hello princess, time for our weekly appointment," Shen said with that cruel voice which had terrified her for a year, smiling like a twisted lover as he caught her eyes and reached out.

Azula flung herself up from the pillow with an unearthly scream that she didn't even recognize as her own at first. Her wide bed was empty, it had just been a dream. She was alone in her chambers, only a single candle next to the bed giving some illumination.

"Ty Lee?" she whispered as she looked around, but her friend was nowhere to find.

After calming down from waking up out of that nightmare, anxiety was building up again. They had fallen asleep together, where had she gone? Even if she had left the room for a moment, she would have heard that scream.

Then, the double door opened and a figure walked into the bedroom, illuminated from behind as the light from the hallway showed more of the red and black bedroom. Azula shifted to see past one of the poles holding up the canopy above her bed to see if her friend had come back after all.

"Azula, are you alright? I heard you scream," a familiar, gentle voice said as the shadow on the face was removed by the candle next to the bed. "Was it a bad dream?"

Azula's eyes widened in shock as a woman she had never expected to see again sat on the side of the bed and reached out to touch her hand, a comforting smile on her face.

"Mother? No, it can't be, father, he,"

"I know I have been away for too long Azula, away from you and Zuko. But now I will stay," Ursa whispered before her gentle smile turned cruel, her eyes piercing Azula. "No matter how hard you will try to be rid of me, you little monster."

"No, please, mother... I didn't mean to, I didn't want father to..." Azula stammered in fear as Ursa began to squeeze her wrist with an unearthly grip, grabbing her shoulder with her free hand and an equally strong grasp.

"You knew exactly what was going to happen to Zuko, and you taunted him. But I should be grateful for that, you little monster, you betrayed what your grandfather wanted to do, and in return, I was sent away from my favorite child, my Zuko."

Azula began to scream in pain as the grip became unbearable.

"Azula! Wake up, please Azula,"

Ty Lee was shaking frantically at Azula's shoulder and wrist, trying to shake her out of those nightmares she was having. She had been through at least four nightmares so far, and nothing what she did seemed to be helping her.

Desperately, she leaned in and kissed her on the lips, a deep kiss before speaking out loud again.

"Azula, I love you, please wake up," she begged.

Azula murmured something incoherent before her eyes flashed open, looking right at Ty Lee. She flung herself up and held on for dear life, sobbing and repeating those words Ty Lee had heard just before she had woken up.

"Mother, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, I didn't want father to do it."

Ty Lee finally let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding since Azula opened her eyes, gently stroking Azula's back.

It took Azula a few minutes to calm down again, and to realize she was really awake. Finally, as Azula let go, Ty Lee forced herself to ask the question she was going to ask sometime.

"Azula, what happened to your mother?"

"Grandfather Azulon was furious when father proposed giving him the position of crown prince after Lu Ten died. Uncle Iroh had lost the will to fight, and he no longer had an heir. So grandfather told father he would have to suffer the pain of losing his oldest child," Azula said softly as Ty Lee wrapped the blanket around them both, standing at the window looking out towards the coast. "Father was going to have to send Zuko to the army, to lead another attack on Ba Sing Se from the front lines. And father agreed. Zuko had run from our hiding spot by then, and I went to his room to tease him about it. Mother heard, and she made me tell her everything. The next morning, grandfather was dead, mother had disappeared, and father had a letter from grandfather telling the fire sages to crown him the next Fire Lord over Iroh."

Ty Lee was speechless for a moment. She had always heard that Ursa had passed away in her sleep and given a private cremation.

"Doesn't that mean your mother could still be alive, just away?" Ty Lee proposed, bringing Azula's head to her shoulder.

"It's been over a year. Everyone knows Zuko is the Fire Lord. She would have come back by now," Azula shook her head softly as another tear escaped her eye. "Father is gone, and so is mother."
Ty Lee didn't answer and just comforted her friend as best she could. But her thoughts were different.

*Sokka, you're going to have show just how good the White Lotus is.*

The Fire Nation.

The mansion of Piandao.

Twenty-third day of the second month.

"So, your friend Ty Lee believes that the order of the White Lotus would be able to find lady Ursa, even after all these years?" Piandao said as he moved the brush across the paper in deliberate, gentle strokes to form the symbols.

Sokka nodded as he waited for Piandao to finish. The master would not be rushed. Even when a hundred soldier from the Fire Nation had been bouncing on his gate, demanding the surrender of the deserter. Instead, he had finished his tea and then strolled to his gate, defeating each soldier sent to arrest him. Finally, Piandao placed the brush in its holder, and Sokka strained to read what had been painted upside-down.

"Zuko's been sending people to find her all year, but Ozai made sure she disappeared.. And when they questioned him, he just laughed at them," Sokka explained as Piandao turned the drawing so that Sokka could read. "Because you're the Grand Lotus in the Fire Nation, I thought you had, you know, contacts who know more."

Looking over again, Sokka watched the text before him, a Haiku. With a fond memory from Ba Sing Se, his eyes went over the lines.

Four nations in war

Young children have saved this world

They will now lead us

"I will give you my contacts," Piandao said as he saw that Sokka began to understand the Haiku, "You see, when you told me you knew nothing, and wanted to learn, I realized you were the one I was waiting for. I am nearing seventy Sokka, and I don't know if I will become as old as Bumi. I have kept training you after the war not only so you could become the next great swordmaster, but also my replacement as a Grand Lotus. I just hope your students will be better at drawing."

Sokka's face displayed shock and then amusement as he saw a twinkle in the eye of his stern teacher. Sokka had to admit the old master was right, he was a poor artist. But his sword skill had been getting better with every training.

"If lady Ursa is alive, I am confident you will find her. But before you leave, I have a gift, and a lesson," Piandao continued as he motioned for his servant Fat to approach, who was holding a wooden box. "My lesson, is that you need to be more careful with your belongings."

From under the writing table, Piandao retrieved a wrapped package in a shape that Sokka recognized immediately.

"Boomerang! You came back again," he exclaimed as he unwrapped the metal weapon and let his fingers move over the material before looking at fat. "Then, in the box?"

Piandao nodded as Fat slipped open the box and revealed a shining black Jian blade.

"After you told me how you lost the sword, I sent search parties in the area where you lost it. Both weapons were brought back to me a month ago. After all, I can't let my student walk around without the best weapon he could have."

Sokka put both weapons down besides him and placed his hands of the ground, bowing his nose nearly to the ground.

"Thank you, Sifu. I'll do my best to make you proud," he promised from the dept of his heart.

"You helped free the world. I am already proud of my best student."

Kyoshi island.

Second day of the third month.

"Aaaarrrggghhh!"

Azula's frustrated scream bounced of the rocky edges of the small valley only to return back to her, driving her failure back in only deeper.

She punched her fist out again, creating just a small puff of smoke. A kick at waist-height yielded even less result. Frustration boiled up inside her, leading her to her most desperate attempt of the day. She tried her best to focus as she extended her index and middle finger on both hands, bringing her right hand up alongside her body, creating small trails of energy which gave her deep satisfaction. In a fluid motion her muscles remembered perfectly, her left hand mirrored her right with the same lines of energy, blinding her for the fact the lines weren't as they should be. Finally, she put her fingertips together, rejoining the energies the technique had split.

The next thing Azula saw was Ty Lee's worried face right above her, a few clouds floating past behind her. Her ears were still ringing, and spots flew across her vision.

"Please, please don't do that again," Ty Lee almost begged as she helped Azula up to rest against her legs, seeing the tears forming again in those yellow eyes.

"I lost my bending Ty Lee. I lost everything I was, what I am. I lost..." Azula's voice was breaking in her complaints before Ty Lee swiftly cut her of with a deep kiss.

"We'll get you your bending back, I promise. Somehow, we'll get you your bending back," Ty Lee promised in a comforting tone, gently stroking Azula's hair.

"Indeed we will Ty Lee. Like me when I lost my son, you will need to find a new drive, to power your bending, little niece,"

Azula's eyes shot open wide at that calm, comforting voice she hadn't heard since Ba Sing Se. Ty Lee helped her to her feet before walking over to the elder man.

"General Iroh, welcome to Kyoshi island," she said as she bowed deeply.

"Thank you Ty Lee. Everyone has told me that you have been a caring and loving nursemaid to Azula. For that, you have my eternal gratitude," Iroh replied as he offered a bow in return, before both turned to look at Azula who had turned her back on them, shoulders sagging.

"Why are you here uncle? I know you think I'm a monster for following father, for making Zuko turn on you in the Earth Kingdom. Just like mother thought I was a monster when I was a kid," Azula almost whispered, herself unsure if she should be angry at someone.

"Your mother sent me many letters when I was fighting in the war. As you were growing up, she would ask me for advice because of my experience with Lu Ten, especially when it came to Ozai's influence. And don't tell me your mother didn't love you. Ursa would have given her life for you if she had to, and she did," Iroh said sternly as he noticed Azula's shoulder sag even more, her head falling forward. "Zuko asked me to come here because he cares about you. I came here because I love you. We both know you're having trouble, Zuko had the same problem when he left on the day of Black Sun. He was driven all those years by finding the Avatar, to please Ozai, and by the anger of your place as Ozai's favorite. And that is also what drove you Azula, the will to please him. Your drive to be better than Zuko, to keep that position as his favorite. And now, with him gone, and that terrible year in prison, you don't know what your drive is any more."

Iroh crossed the distance between them and put his hand gently on Azula's shoulder, making her turn immediately and place her face against Iroh's shoulder. Iroh placed his arm around her back, allowing her time to compose herself. After a few minutes, she took some distance again, her eyes betraying a question.

"I am going to take you to an island where only a few have come back from. The island of the Sun Warriors, the original students of fire bending. We're going to teach you from the beginning."

The Fire Nation.

Royal Palace, the throne room.

Fourth day of the second month.

Shen was trembling as he was brought before the throne where Zuko sat alone, all the torches and candles in the room burning brightly to reflect the state of mind of the Fire Lord. The two royal guards dumped Shen on his knees, making him quickly throw his hands before him.

"When I had you sent to the south pole for hard labor Shen, I didn't know the full truth, because my sister was almost destroyed. But her caretaker has heard her talking in her sleep. Guards, take him outside, and execute him," Zuko ordered with a face of stone, betraying not a single emotion as the begging Shen was dragged the way he came.

As the doors closed, the fires and candles calmed again. Zuko put his hand to his face, having faced one of the most difficult decisions as Fire Lord. Of all the war criminals that had been brought before him, most had been sent for hard labor, or to the Boiling Rock. Now that he was Fire Lord, Mai's uncle had turned out to be a very agreeable and driven man. But now, he had sentenced a man to death. It had been selfish maybe, many former officers had done and ordered terrible things. But the abuse of his sister, in the most terrible way possible, it made him wonder how she had managed to hold on.

"You wanted to see me, my lord?" A female voice asked as she knelt before Zuko.
He had been so distracted by his thoughts, he hadn't noticed her entering and approaching the throne.

"Yes, Ming. You worked at the Capital Prison when Iroh was there. He told me you were always very kind and caring," Zuko said quickly as he regained his composure. "But after the day of Black Sun, you didn't return. How come?"

"General Iroh warned me to stay home my lord, and I did. I was afraid the rest of the prison staff was going to think I betrayed them," Ming explained as she stood to her feet, facing the Fire Lord.

"Well, things are changing. From now on, you are the head warden of the capital prison. But if you do anything even close to what Shen did, and you will be joining him."

Ming nodded with a resolved look on her face.

"Yes my lord, thank you."

"Then you are dismissed," Zuko simply said, waiting until she had left the room.

He stood quickly and walked through the door behind the throne and into his personal chambers. He pulled the pin from his topknot and carefully placed it on a piece of cloth, followed by the removal of his outer robes.

From a bench, Mai watched silently. She knew why she hadn't been at his side during the last part of his day, and why Zuko's face was showing that his mind was continents away. Eventually, he sat down next to Mai, who gently took his shoulders and guided him to lay down with his head on her lap.

"It was more difficult than I thought Mai. I almost didn't do it, but he harmed a member of the royal family, and I think he was the cause for father's death. I had to make an example.:"

Zuko let out a long sigh, staring at Mai's face.

"I think you could use a fruit tart," Mai suddenly offered with a mischievous grin, leaning a bit towards Zuko.

"I think we should order four, with rose petals," Zuko retorted, glad that gloom girl from so many years ago was now the first person to lift his spirits when his life as Fire Lord came to smack him in the face.

They kissed deeply as Zuko made a single motion to kill most of the candles in the room, leaving only a few for a romantic light.