I've started this story after revistiting a concept I've sketched out years ago but never wrote after all, since I had other things to write at the time. When I picked this up again, I thought to give it a try and write it up, especially after seeing to comics and the Korra series, which finally gave me the needed ideas.
If you see the format you can by now see by my other works, that I've specialised in letting the canon story go in interesting directions by changing on factor, which ripples through the story. I found this gave me more freedom in my writing than other ways of doing so.
After positive feedback, I decided to go on with the story.
Chapter-specific notes are always at the end of the chapter to prevent spoilers.
"If your father really wanted you home, he would have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar. But in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation."
-Zhao
Chapter 2: Travels of the Banished
"Zuko... I have to go"
"No, don't leave me!"
He tried to reach out, but a fall of flames separated him from his mother. He could only watch while she vanished behind it and a sense of deep loss crushed him.
...
Waking up, Zuko shook his head to shake of the remains of sleep.
He'd had many of these nightmares after his mother had left. They'd become few as the years went on, but recently the loss of his home had brought them back. It was most often the same, he was trying to hold onto her, but some force was taking her away from him, like this night.
Recently things sometimes got mixed up as well. He'd seen Mai getting cast into a sea of flames and Iroh being swallowed by lava, all while a voice mocked him that he'd never find happiness and that there was nothing that couldn't be taken away from him.
Zuko tried too forget these nightmares while stumbling to the washroom to get ready for the day, as the Eastern Air Temple was close now.
o
"There it is, the Eastern Air Temple. What a beautiful place," Iroh said while pointing at the structure ahead, while the ship was maneuvering through the vast channels in the tall rock island, the spires reaching far into the sky.
It indeed was in amazing piece of architecture. Instead of one huge temple on a big spire, it consisted of three smaller temples on three neighboring spires, connected with bridges. Even though the temple was clearly in a state of serious disrepair and grown over by plants, it still radiated a certain beauty. To the relief of everyone, since the temple was located right next to one of the channels, they could easily dock near the stairs that led to the top, although it would take them quite some time to reach the top.
"I couldn't care less for its beauty, as long as it gives me hints about the Avatar. Have you ever been here, uncle?" Zuko asked, seeing that Iroh seemed strangely familiar with this temple.
"Once, a long time ago. Like your father, I did spend a year in trying to find the Avatar in my youth. It by then had become sort of a family tradition. I felt the Air Temples were a dead end, so I spent the year searching elsewhere. I visited it at the end of my journey since I was in the area and it has lost nothing of its beauty," Iroh explained.
"I never knew you searched for him as well," Zuko remarked, surprised at this revelation.
"It was only a minor event in my long life. Shortly after returning, I met the woman who'd take my heart and give me my beloved son." Iroh looked a bit sad. "I spent many good years with them, until I entered the age where things are only taken from you and no longer given."
Now Zuko felt bad for reminding Iroh of his losses. "I'm sorry."
Iroh held Zuko by the shoulder. "No, no need to be sorry. I've come to terms with my losses, although I will always miss them."
Zuko watched Iroh leave, then looked to Mai, who'd been silent the entire time. "Sometimes I think the whole thing is harder on him than on me, and I feel miserable for losing my home. Do you think he misses home more than I do?"
"How should I know? I left my house willingly, since it had become unbearable, so I have no idea what missing a home feels like. This ship after just a few weeks feels more like a home than my parent's house had ever been," Mai bluntly told him.
"You really mean that? I thought you would have a hard time getting used to it. I certainly do..." Zuko asked, surprised.
Mai rolled her eyes. "Is this supposed to be a joke? The capital felt to me like a slow death-trap of utter boredom enriched with a corset of rules that suffocated me. Combine that with being forced to spend time with Azula, and you can imagine why I'm glad to be gone from there. You were one of the few things I did not hate at that place, and with you gone, I saw no need to remain ,either."
Zuko understood her all too well, she'd always looked unhappy apart from the time they had to themselves. "I forgot that you hate a lot of things... especially the color orange. I remember Ty Lee wearing a bright orange outfit once."
"Please don't remind me. I felt ready to stab my eyes out after that day." It seemed Mai remembered the reason why she hated that color all too well.
Mai's surely something else... Zuko thought, while returning to looking at the temple. She's sarcastic, sometimes blunt and rude, snarks a lot, is not overly concerned with her appearance and has an allergy against girly things. Agni, that is why I like this girl so much.
He did remember how he got officially introduced to her.
Zuko had never felt any connection to other girls that had been presented to him at his tenth birthday, half a year before his mother had left his life. Everyone had said after his father had waited so long before finding himself a wife, he should start looking early for a potential girls to court. However, half of the girls tended to dress in colors that hurt his eyes, giggled a lot and often acted as if they were just half their actual age. The other half was as stiff as a board and completely useless. His mother had even been concerned that he could have not been interested in girls at all.
It wasn't that; it was just that he couldn't find any interest in the usual upper-class girls of the Fire Nation.
His mother had already been desperate, when the very last girl appeared in front of him and he did recognize her from a few weeks ago. While she was hanging around with Azula, he knew it was most likely ordered by her parents and when Azula had pushed both of them into the fountain, the girl seemed genuinely angry at Azula, but managed to conceal her anger. She was very different from the other girls. Her dress was so dark, it was almost black. Instead of giggling, she held an expression as if the whole party was the inner circle of hell. And while she was polite, her undertone was bordering on insulting. She wasn't either girly, nor stiff.
Zuko of course had asked her for a dance right away.
Mai actually was a good dancer, which came with her upbringing. He did apologize again for the fountain incident, but she did not give him any grief over it. Later talking on the balcony, it seemed like Mai was incredibly blunt and other men would have been scared off, but he liked it. He'd never been a friend of all this double-talk in the court and once Mai was done, he'd asked if courting her would be all right. Mai had obviously not expected this and blushed, stammering that it was her parent's idea, but he wasn't fooled at all and the rest was history.
Yes, that had been a very good day, one he still fondly remembered.
o
"Well, this looks like it is a waste of time. This temple got torched very thoroughly," Mai commented, while they looked through the ruins. Everything looked like a flamethrower had went through and plants had gown over the ashes afterwards.
Zuko however was bothered by something else. "I see no human remains. At least bones should be left, lots of them, like in the Western Air Temple. Uncle, was it like this when you were here all these years ago?"
Iroh looked around, wondering about it himself, since it looked nothing like the grim picture of a massive graveyard he'd seen during his last visit. "No. There were countless skeletons of airbenders and soldiers and massive sky bison remains when I was here. It looks like someone cleaned up the temple in the meantime."
"It could be that the Avatar has returned here after so long. Even if he's an old man, I won't be careless... Lu Ten drilled into me that looks can be deceiving." Zuko touched his scar when saying the last thing, knowing it to be all too true.
They slowly made their way through the ruins, but apart from wildlife, they did not encounter much. Finally, they entered a roofless hall where a huge statue of a female airbender sitting in lotus position stood, although the left side of the huge statue had already stated crumbling after being exposed to the elements for almost a century. The walls of the hall were covered in niches with life-sized statues in them. Approaching the huge statue, Iroh read the inscription on the base.
"This is Avatar Yangchen, the Air Nomad Avatar of the previous elemental cycle phase. So this must be the inner sanctum of the temple, displaying the Avatars of days past, although it surely has seen better days," Iroh explained, pointing out how the back wall was crumbling, having already destroyed some of the statues. "I don't remember this from my visit, the entrance must have been blocked by rubble at the time."
Even Mai was impressed by the statues of Avatars past, noticing how they had been set up chronologically. She then noticed Zuko looking at one statue in particular. It seemed to be the most recent one, as the niches to its right were empty and she spotted a life-sized statue of Yangchen three niches to the left. It was the statue of a bearded man in the robes of the Fire Nation. At least this time Mai's school education paid off. Although it was only brief and mostly propaganda, a picture had been included. She knew this was Avatar Roku, the last known Avatar in history, since the Avatar after him was still unknown.
"Zuko? What's so fascinating about a statue of Avatar Roku?" Mai asked him.
Zuko shook his head, as if trying to clear it. "I have no idea... It was as if I'm attracted to it. I have no idea, why. In school they always talked about how Roku was shortsighted and naive because he didn't share Sozin's dream."
"Whatever you say," Mai waved it off, not in any mood for mystical stuff.
Iroh on the other hand had watched the exchange with great interest. He knew the reason why Zuko felt attracted to the statue of Roku. Roku's bloodline, which he had inherited from his mother, was calling out to him. Zuko might not be the Avatar, but he did have a connection to Roku and Iroh hoped that Zuko would on day be ready to hear the reason why Ursa, a commoner of all people, had been selected for Ozai to be his bride and mother to his children.
Zuko's behavior can't be a coincidence, he thought, while watching Zuko and Mai inspecting the statues.
"The young people today. They know nothing of the past."
"What the...?!" Zuko whirled around at hearing this voice, a fireball ready, while Mai armed herself with some blades, expecting trouble.
They however did not expect to see an old man sitting in lotus position, wondering how they could have missed him. He did look like a strange fellow, his very simple robes giving him the appearance of a beggar monk and his long, white beard gave him an aura of wisdom of authority. The man also didn't seem to be afraid of them at all; even seemed happy to have visitors.
"A long time has passed since the last time pilgrims came to this place. I would not have expected a firebender to be my first visitor," the man said in a friendly manner.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Zuko demanded harshly, wondering if this man could be the Avatar.
The man didn't seem to take offense. "Oh, how impolite of me. I am Pathik, a spiritual seeker searching for enlightenment. The Air Nomads and I were spiritual brothers, we have always shared close ties... Oh yes, I can already feel your question. Neither am I an Air Nomad, nor the Avatar. I have no bending powers at all."
Zuko was taken aback by how insightful the man was. He studied that man for some moments and then felt stupid since the man obviously looked nothing like the Air Nomads shown in books, especially lacking the arrow tattoos that the Avatar should have as was still suspicious however what the man was doing in this lonely place.
Iroh was less concerned with him, feeling him to be harmless. "If the question is allowed, how long have you lived in here? When I visited during my youth, the temple was a giant tomb. Now it's mostly cleaned up."
"I have taken up residence twenty years ago and have laid the dead to rest. Regardless if Air Nomad or Fire Nation, in death everyone is equal. They are all now resting in the ground of this very temple, finally at peace. Since then I have taken it upon myself to restore this place, although it is hard work." Pathik then seemed to remember something. "But where are my manners, come, sit with me. I seldomly have visitors and I have some drinks to offer."
Zuko and Mai found the whole situation so weird that they didn't offer any protest, while Iroh found the man quite fascinating. They did hesitate for a moment when Pathik offered them something to drink, but their social training kicked in and they accepted, feeling it couldn't be that bad... big mistake. Once the three of them had tasted the strange juice, their eyes suddenly went wide in shock, before they spat it out in sheer disgust.
"That tasted like right out of a latrine! What is this stuff?" Mai demanded in disgust, the horrible taste still burning in her mouth.
Pathik for the first time seemed sheepish. "Oh, it's my special onion-banana juice. It's a very special flavor, but I guess it's not to everyone's tastes?"
"I'd rather drink sewer water," Mai said, making her opinion clear.
"It reminded me of when my sister put castor oil into my chalice," Zuko complained, hoping to forget the taste of the juice.
"I think I'll stay faithful to tea," Iroh said diplomatically, although his face spoke volumes.
"Oh, such a pity..." Pathik then took a close look at Zuko and Mai, making them uncomfortable with the attention he was giving them. He then finally spoke. "I see you two are strongly attached to each other. Yet, both of you hide your pain either through aggression or through outwardly indifference. However, I also feel that both of you are meant for great things."
"Should I be impressed by this cryptic nonsense?" Mai wondered, feeling more unnerved than she wanted to admit.
Pathik only smiled. "Oh, I understand why you are skeptical, but you'll see in time." he then turned his attention to Zuko. "I've helped many people over the years. I feel that you and the young maiden are on a voyage not only to become adults but to also find your place in the world. I feel that you will be confronted with many temptations and be challenged to overcome the lies you have told yourselves. When the time is right and you understand, I feel, you will return to me."
Mai and Zuko found this strangely mysterious. Could Pathik really see into the future, or was he just a very observant man who could draw incredible conclusions from just watching people? One thing was sure, this trip at least had not been for nothing, although they had not found anything about the Avatar in the temple.
"People like you a seldom found in these days. It is hard to strive for spiritual enlightenment when the world is in flames around you," Iroh remarked.
Pathik obviously felt flattered. "Well, thank you. Although living alone certainly has its disadvantages." That said he pulled out a portable Pai Sho board. "I long lost my contact to the people I played Pai Sho with. I think most have actually forgotten about me by now and I would love to play one or two games before you are on your way."
Iroh's eyebrows rose in surprise for a moment, when he saw Pathik placing a white lotus tile on the board prominently. "Well, it can't hurt. I have no real opponents on our ship and my nephew, despite his many strengths, has never gotten the game."
Zuko and Mai felt like facepalming. Leave it to Iroh to make a strange situation downright absurd. Here they wee now, in the ruins of a temple, in the inner sanctum with a man who could easily be over 100 years old, and his uncle had nothing better to do than to play Pai Sho with him. It sometimes made him question if Iroh and his father were actually related, considering their vast differences in personality.
Pathik then gave them a hopeful smile. "While we are playing, can I convince you three to give my onion-banana juice a second chance?"
Zuko, Mai and Iroh shared a look of horror. "No way!" they then said in union.
...Fire Nation capital, a few weeks later...
"Your majesty! It is a great honor to have you personally inspect the advances we have made," Ozai was greeted as soon as he, Qin and some high-ranking generals entered the huge building.
"Your reports are very interesting. Minister Qin convinced me that you have made very promising progresses you plan to show me," Ozai said, being unusually interested in something.
"Indeed, your majesty. Unlike your late father, who had never shown any interest in science and progress and who cut our funding so far that progress had been halted for many years, your more than generous funding has allowed us to make many breakthroughs and develop new technologies. Most of these can be very beneficial for the war effort. Please this way," the leading scientist told him.
Ozai knew exactly why he'd improved funding so much. "The key to superiority, and therefore victory, lies in technological progress. It allowed our nation to be superior to all the others. My late father never understood this."
"The Fire Nation is already in deep debt to you and your foresight, your majesty," Qin praised him. "Ever since you have risen to the throne, the war is going faster than ever towards final victory."
"Yes, I know..." He then saw that they'd arrived at their first destination. "This looks like a remarkable machine."
The first thing the scientist showed Ozai was an armored war machine on wheels with tank treads. "This is our most recent weapon. After the honored minister Qin here brought use the sketches, we refined the design and created this steam-powered battle tank. Its armor can withstand projectiles and heavy earthbender attacks and allows firebenders to safely shoot flames at infantry, if the enemy is not crushed outright under its treads. It can be modified to carry heavy weapons as well. We are especially proud of the fact that if an earthbender flips it over, the cabin was just rotate and the tank can go on. It houses a grappling hook launcher and with the treads replaced by spiked wheels it can even drive up mountains."
Ozai inspected the tank carefully. It was a weapon right to his liking; big and bringing terror to the hearts of their enemies. "Very impressive. How soon can mass production start?"
"We still have some small issues to iron out, then we just need your orders to the steel mills and factories," the scientist replied. "We also have future plans for it. Currently, our planned addition is a weapon all in itself."
He led Ozai to the next weapon. It looked a bit like a big metal tube on wheels. "Our research in blasting jelly allowed us to discover a powder which is well-suited to propel projectiles at high velocities. We have named it gunpowder and this prototype artillery gun you see here is already capable of firing iron projectiles that can shatter walls and demolish whole buildings."
Ozai raised an eyebrow. "Are they capable of bringing down the walls of Ba-Sing-Se?" he asked, seeing an option to victory.
The scientist shook his head. "Sadly, no. These walls are in a league of their own and their thickness would just cause the projectile to get stuck. However, we are already researching ways to create gunpowder weapons that can be carried by a single soldier, although this is still just in the concept phase. The prototype gun however can be brought into service very soon and can also be installed on ships."
"These two weapons alone are very impressive and will clearly bring our nation to victory much faster. You have done very well." Ozai was not lying, he was impressed by the results of the research.
"If you allow, your majesty," Qin said, "there is one discovery that may look small but perhaps could be most important not only for the war effort, but also to boost our economy even further."
"Color me interested. What could this discovery be?" Ozai asked, so he was led to a room where several beakers stood on a table. One of them contained a tar-like liquid. "I'm not impressed. Tar is already well-known to our nation, after all it is strictly controlled for usage in our flaming projectiles."
"You misunderstand, your majesty. This is no tar," the scientist said, holding up the beaker. "This liquid was discovered a few years ago when drilling for water on one of the outer islands and has amazing properties. We tested it on an earthbender prisoner and one of our remaining waterbender prisoners. Both were unable to bend it, meaning it is neither earth nor water. Instead, it is organic in origin and its properties could give us a major advantage, militarily and economically."
"As you know, our main fuel source at the moment is coal, which not only has to be heavily mined in the Earth Kingdom to satisfy our war demand, but also can be manipulated by earthbenders. Our lamps are powered by whale oil, which had brought us into conflict with the Water Tribes in the past and is an economic burden on our nation due to the unstable supply. This liquid, which we have named crude oil, is combustible and changes all of this..."
Ozai had been not interested at first, seeing no use for something that seemingly wouldn't have a military application, but the more he heard the more he became interested. He took a closer look at the black liquid. "Explain further..."
The scientist obviously was thrilled to have captured the Fire Lord's interest. "As you can see from the other beakers here, we were capable of breaking apart the crude oil into various products through a process of refining. Each of these products is also non-bendable and highly combustible. This one here was already tested to be a vastly superior replacement for whale oil in lamps. Another one is well suited for ship engines, although we are still working on adapting the concept of our current steam engines to it. The last two would be well suited for smaller engines, but development has only started on these. Not only would this reduce our dependency on coal but also vastly increase the efficiency and speed."
Qin added "Think of it, your majesty. Ships that can travel much fast and over far longer range before needing to refuel. Army vehicles that are fast. And not to speak of direct military applications. Crude oil floats on water and still burns. Waterbenders can't clean it away easily. It can be used to salten the earth easily as well."
Ozai was pleased. "I will increase funding significantly. Where are the main sources?"
"We have already established drilling rigs in the shallow waters of our nation and will build more as soon as the funds are available. We estimate that this can supply us for a very long time. Additionally we have found vast supplies in the Si Wong Desert. The Earth Kingdom has no power there and we are already in negotiations with the local tribes. We give them a small share of the profits, and they ensure the security of our installations."
"Good, good..." Ozai looked to the head scientist. "You have managed to impress me greatly. Continue your work and you will be rewarded with great wealth."
"Yes, your majesty!"
They left the facility and Ozai ordered his generals to take the other carriage, while he and Qin entered the first for some privacy. It was only during the way back to the palace that Ozai finally spoke. "You have done very well, minister Qin. Our nation will soon crush all opposition beneath its heel with these advances."
"You honor me, your majesty. Speaking of which, during my visit to our... 'co-worker' at the Northern Air Temple, I had the honor of meeting the banished Prince Zuko. I can see why you wanted him to be removed from your presence," Qin reported, having had no time to relay the incident yet.
Ozai made a small sign of disgust. "My son is weak and his refusal to honor the terms of the duel proved it. My daughter is a far more worthy heir."
"This girl that keeps him company was very impertinent as well. She even questioned the wisdom of your decisions," Qin continued.
"Princess Azula brought her to my notice as well. She told me that her parents are deeply disappointed with her and want her to be punished for turning away from the greatness of our nation. Such insubordination can not stay unpunished," Ozai said, looking affronted at the idea of being doubted.
"If I am allowed to ask, how do you plan on punishing the girl, your majesty?" Qin asked, curious what the Fire Lord could plan.
Ozai gave him a very knowing look that made Qin shiver a little. "If she wants to stay with my useless son, so be it. She will suffer the final consequence of her decision. After all, suffering is the best teacher."
...some days later, a fire-colony port...
Things had not exactly worked out according to plan for Zuko.
He'd planned that they'd take course to the Southern Air Temple next, but news from a nearby freighter had shot that down when telling them that some huge storms were brewing together in the seas south of Whaletail Island, making passage through the rough waters very dangerous. And while Zuko was a hothead, he knew his old ship was not exactly made to resist a major storm, so after some discussion with Iroh they'd moved north and spent time at the western coasts of the Earth Kingdom, visiting some of the colonies for minor supply runs and giving themselves something else to do.
Right now they were approaching the docks of one of the smaller colonies to stock up on some things they were running low on. Mai had hidden as usual, since she was expecting trouble. By now she seemed to treat it like some sort of game. She seemed to get some kind of satisfaction from humiliating the soldiers.
However, Zuko was in for a surprise when looking at the docks.
"Have they actually given up trying to get her back?" Zuko wondered, when seeing just a single soldier waiting at the docks where he'd expect at least a dozen.
His surprise was no wonder, after all, the previous two colonies they'd docked at, they'd been boarded by guards in order to find Mai and return her to her parents in the Fire Nation. Of course the soldiers had been met with failure, as Mai was really good at hiding, greatly frustrating the soldiers in the process. Zuko'd even felt a sort of perverse pleasure at seeing them turn up with empty hands after hours of fine-combing the entire ship and getting a snarky scroll from Mai in return.
"I would not be so sure about that, a single soldier is a bad sign for Mai," Iroh said, having a suspicion what this could be about.
"Why would it be bad if Mai's parents finally give up forcing her to return?" Zuko asked his uncle, wondering what Iroh was thinking.
Iroh shook his head, sometime Zuko could be horribly naive. "We'll see soon enough. Just heed my warning that you might not like this development."
I should have expected this to happen. I hope Zuko does not react too bad, Iroh silently added.
The soldier came on board as soon as the ship had docked. "Prince Zuko, I was ordered to give you this." He gave Zuko a two scrolls that had the seal of Mai's family on it, although they looked a bit different from each other, then left right away.
"Strange..." Zuko knew better than to open Mai's mail, so he decided to wait if something would happen, but no one came. "Uncle, what could this mean?"
Iroh looked troubled. "I fear it means bad news for Mai. Come, let's wait for her inside. She will soon enough realize that no one is looking for her."
Indeed, sitting by the map table in the command tower, it took less than ten minutes, before Mai appeared.
"Have they finally given up trying to get me back?" she asked.
"They didn't tell us anything, just gave me two scrolls for you." Zuko gave her the scrolls.
Mai took one look at the seals and frowned a little. "I do recognize the seals. This one is from my uncle, the warden of the Boiling Rock prison, and this one is from my parents. I can already imagine the one from my parents is far worse, so I'm going to read it first."
Breaking the seal on the first scoll she read it and although to anyone else it seemed that she took whatever it was without emotion and the only movement were her eyes scanning the document, Zuko could see the small change that hinted at disappointment and she also went a tiny bit paler, hinting that it indeed had been a nasty surprise to her.
Finally, Mai was done and looked up. "Well, I have expected this. My mother found out that she's expecting another child. They told me basically that I'm no longer needed and disowned me." Seeing Zuko being about to jump up, she gave him a look that made him back down. "I don't blame the child, even feel sorry for it. Spirits only know what my parents will now pull off after their first try at parenting ended in failure. However, I did not expect what followed."
Now Zuko was really concerned. "What did they do?" he growled, already feeling incredibly angry that Mai's parents had discarded her as if she was broken goods.
"They did use their influence and somehow managed to convince your father to boot me out of the Fire Nation." Zuko looked shocked and Mai knew that this was hurting him. His following look of anger made his thought processes clear. "Yes, I know. They are important, but not that important. You better believe that they approached Azula first and she gave your father this idea. She must have found amusement in the idea of both of us living in banishment."
Zuko looked ready to explode. This time he did jump up and ran outside. His hands gripping the railing... "RRRRAAAAAAHHHHHHHHGGGGGGHH!" Even Mai was impressed at the huge fireball he was breathing out into the sky, while screaming his frustration out to the world. He then walked back in, still shaking in anger.
"Did you get it all out?" Mai asked, having just raised an eyebrow at this reaction.
"Most of it..." Zuko was still incredibly pissed, but the target of his anger was half a world away. "This little..." Zuko didn't continue, but it was clear who he meant.
She's not worth losing any temper over, Mai thought darkly.
"This is indeed a very sad development. I would have never thought they would do so..." Iroh shook his head in disbelief. "It should have been expected, since they are very vocal supporters of my brother. It was only logical to them to adopt his approach to unwilling offspring." He knew it was hard on Zuko, but it needed to be said.
"They can banish me all they want. Both of you care more for me than they ever did." Mai then looked to the second scroll. "My uncle... He actually did care for who I am. He often got into shouting matches with my parents when he visited, telling them that they were wasting my talents and that I should be allowed to do things that I want to do. It was thanks to him that I was allowed to learn throwing knives."
Zuko was still unable to answer in his anger, but Iroh did. "I did meet him one time. A very interesting man, who despite his belief that discipline is very important was not parroting every word my brother said. You do seem to dread what he could write."
Mai finally opened the second scroll and read it quickly. "My uncle is really disappointed that I ran away from home, even though he adds that he is not surprised, citing the suffocating atmosphere in that house. His opinion on Zuko is also not the best and he questions if I really want to stay with someone who was disgraced like this. He however thinks that outright banishing me is way over the top. He can't condone my actions but hopes I'll stay safe... Zuko, there are also some words directed to you. He basically tells you to treat me well, because if he ever hears different, he'll hunt you down and rip you into pieces after removing a certain body part first."
"Your uncle sounds like a very scary man..." Zuko gulped. He'd never met the man, but that he'd openly threaten a prince was proof enough that he was not to be joked with.
"Oh, he might act all tough and is a hard-ass when on duty, but you wouldn't believe that he becomes a huge softie as soon as he's in my presence outside of duty," Mai commented.
Zuko looked skeptical, but decided to drop it. "Even if I do find the Avatar, you'd not be allowed to return... This isn't fair."
"My dear nephew, life is not fair by nature, we have to make it fair," Iroh told Zuko. "I learned this lesson. It sometimes is the way, that only if we work to change the world we are allowed the happiness we desire."
Zuko knew what this meant. "So I have to fight for her...? So be it!"
"She is worth even the worst struggle. I can see how good you are for each other. You especially, since you have lost your temper only a few times... Hm, I think..." Iroh seemed to be deep in thoughts.
Zuko knew when his uncle was like this, it was futile to try and talk to him, as he'd drifted off into his thoughts. Walking outside with Mai, he looked over the port they're in, until Mai interrupted him. "It seems our families are more alike than I thought at first. They both are horrible," Mai stated as a fact.
"Don't say that. Your uncle seems to have his priorities set straight and not all of my family are bad. Uncle Iroh is a good man and my mother..." Zuko paused for a moment. "She'd always been so good to me, not even once did she treat me badly. I wonder where she is now..."
Mai did remember Ursa. One thing she had seen very early was, that Zuko's mother was the exact opposite of hers. While her mother was very ambitious, strict, stuck-up and as boring as possible, Ursa was the exact opposite. She'd been very compassionate, relaxed, humble and not interested in political games. Perhaps it was because of coming from humble roots, after all people still wonder why Ozai had married a woman of very minor, almost totally impoverished rural nobility, which was basically indistinguishable from commoners.
Ursa had given her more warmth in days than her own mother had given her in her whole life.
Seeing the look of longing on Zuko, Mai wondered what it would have been, growing up with a mother who actually cared. Putting an arm over Zuko's shoulders, she joined him in just watching their surroundings in silence.
...at the same time in the Fire Nation capital...
Ty Lee wasn't having a good day.
In the contrary, she was having a bad day, like so many days recently. The girl normally was radiating optimism and it seemed nothing could damage her positive outlook on life. That is, until recently. It was bad enough to have six identical sisters and having parents who treated them interchangeable, but she'd always found a way to escape from the pressure in other ways. The more recent problems however made things more and more complicated.
First of course there was Zuko's banishment. She hadn't been that close to him, but her interactions with Azula and Mai had brought her into contact with him regularly. She would've been tempted to get a bit closer, but Mai had declared him hers and she didn't dare going against her. Zuko had been good looking, but she had no idea if that still was the case after what she had heard.
Even though he was always trying to be so serious, it had been fun having him around and even Mai's aura had gained some color in his presence.
That of course had led to the bigger shock that Mai had actually ran away from home to go into exile together with Zuko. While it certainly was kind of romantic, it had left her completely alone to suffer the fallout from Azula. Not that Azula had been throwing around fire in anger, she was far too composed to do anything like this. Azula instead had turned quite nasty.
Azula felt that Mai had committed personal treason against her by deciding to leave with Zuko and decided to make Mai an un-person in her presence. Ty Lee had mentioned Mai exactly once and as a result she was now missing the last ten centimeters from her long braid. Azula hadn't said anything, just took hold of her hair and burned it away. No words wee needed, it was clear that Mai's name was no longer to be said in her presence.
Her parents had almost had a heart attack when seeing her burnt hair and after being told what exactly had happened, had been tempted to no longer have her in Azula's presence. Alas, this of course was impossible, since she was the princess and denying her would have severe consequences.
Azula had proven how much she despised Mai just days ago. She had gone out of her way to help Mai's parents convincing the Fire Lord to banish Mai from the Fire Nation. Ty Lee would have never thought that Azula would go this far, but there was no doubt about it now.
She'd never lost a thought about the fact that Zuko, and therefore Mai, were always targeted as outlets when Azula had a bad mood or when she felt she needed to be petty or cruel. In retrospect it was simply astounding how the two of them had shaken off this verbal and sometime subtle physical abuse. Now that these two were gone, Ty Lee was suffering in their place and she didn't like it one bit.
Whatever loyalty she had to Azula was badly shaken by now.
It was made worse by Azula actively searching for a replacement for Mai, stating that this time she'd pick a girl that had no conflicted loyalties. Ty Lee knew Azula would force her to make friends with that girl, if she wanted or not. Ty Lee knew it din't work like this, you can't order someone to be friends. With Mai it had been a gradual process and despite their differences, they actually respected each other.
Just a few more months, and then I'm free... she repeated again.
It was her last year in school. Just a little longer, and she was free of any obligations and even Azula then could not complain when she went her own way in life. She'd get far away and actually return the color to her life, which had lost most of its colors at the moment.
She sighed when walking past Mai's former house, her parents having removed all evidence of her very existence. She even envied Mai, who now was free to do as she wanted. She knew Mai's opinion on her parents, so she also knew the most likely girl felt no loss over this.
Finally arriving home, she saw her mother already waiting for her. Ever since the hair incident she was paying special attention to her. Ty Lee had always wanted special attention, but not due to almost being injured by Azula. Her mother looked a bit concerned, and she already knew what this could mean.
"Dear, Princess Azula wants to meet you in the palace gardens. She wants to show you... Mai's replacement." He mother looked pained when saying this. The few time Mai had been over, her mother had found a liking to the girl.
Ty Lee knew she could not postpone this for long. "I'll go as soon as I've changed out of my school uniform!" she said, then dashed upstairs.
Once in her room, she closed the door and sighed in resignation, her optimism really gone for today. Just a few more months, and then I'll never have to see them ever again!
...at the Southern Air Temple...
"Careful, Zuko! If you drop gravel on me, you won't hear the end of it," Mai warned Zuko, while they both climbed up the rope to the plateau of the Southern Air Temple.
It was times like this where Zuko actually wished he had an earthbender on his ship, who could have just created them a staircase to the top from the rock. However, since this was not the case and the Fire Nation no longer had any dragons for flying available, it left them with the hard way: climbing up the rope after they'd shot a grappling hook over the edge. Iroh had right away declined to accompany them, stating he was too old for this.
"It could be worse. At least its no longer raining!" Zuko shot back.
"Don't remind me." Mai was just glad they'd arrived just when the rain had finally stopped.
There wasn't much more conversation until they'd finally cleared the edge and were finally on the plateau from which a way led to the Southern Air Temple. Compared to the previous temple, it seemed to be in far better condition and didn't look like a huge fire had swept through it. However, this peaceful image was disturbed by the many human remains that littered the landscape, which even almost a century of rain and storms hadn't managed to remove.
Zuko didn't like this place at all, as it reminded him that the attack on the Air Nomads had been a savage slaughter. Mai didn't show it, but she was quite disturbed by the fields of bones they made their way through. Both teenagers, who'd been raised with stories of the greatness and glory of their nation, couldn't help but to question if it was really worth it.
Finally arriving at the temple, they were surprised that there were no bones inside. "They must have run outside in panic, where they were cut down like cattle," Mai finally concluded regarding the strange contrast.
The first thing they found was a huge door to the central room, which, unsurprisingly, was closed and locked. Zuko took a closer look at the locking mechanism. "Reminds me of these locks the Fire Sages use at their temples."
Mai looked annoyed. "You mean only an airbender can open it?"
Zuko looked annoyed as well. "Yes, the only other way would be to blow it open. But even if we could get explosives up here, I have no wish to bring the entire temple down onto us."
The further search gave them surprising results. Unlike the other temples, the western one burned out, the northern one being re-settled and the eastern one being a total ruin, this one looked as if time ha stopped inside. The rooms inside the temple were still in their original condition, even the time seemed to have started to eat at the substance. The big library of the temple had not been touched, but they wouldn't have known where to look at anyway. Finally, looking for the room of the head monk brought results when they uncovered an entry in his journal.
Zuko looked at the book. "Mai, listen to this: 'Monk Gyatso is acting foolish in regards to the Avatar. He still insists that Aang is to grow up with personal freedoms and not under a strict training regime, as it was decided. Doesn't he understand that the growing tension with the Fire Nation means we need the Avatar sooner? He even scolded us for telling his charge before his 16th birthday...'." Zuko looked up. "This is actually a really good lead, I wonder why my ancestors ignored it."
Mai waved it off. "Just remember what kind of men they were."
Zuko knew this was as much an answer as he could expect. "Let's see if we can find this Gyatso's room..."
It took some searching, but thankfully all the rooms had name plaques besides the doors, making things far easier. Logically, this Gyatso must have been rather prominent and therefore most likely had lived in the inner parts, near where the head monk had lived. The room looked relatively spartan, but his desk attracted their attention. One book laid open on the desk, while two scrolls laid beside it.
Mai took a closer look at the book. "It is from monk Gyatso... Let's see." Mai picked it up and started from the beginning. "It actually starts when he was told about his charge being the Avatar at an early age. It's the first entry..." She then skipped through the pages. "It seems to be mainly about his student alone, as there's nothing about himself in it... The last entries however are interesting."
"Why, what is written in there?" Zuko asked.
"It seems the council decided to tell the Avatar early about his heritage. Gyatso writes this had bad effects on Avatar Aang's psyche and that the other boys avoided him as well. When the council decided to send the Avatar to the Eastern Air Temple for strict training and away from his mentor, he ran away with his flying bison. In his last entry, Gyatso expresses his hope that they can recover Aang unharmed." Mai closed the book. "I guess this means we won't find him here after all."
Zuko picked up the first scroll and read it. "Ah yes, the Avatar pretty much says why he left here. He felt crushed by the pressure, very alone and the prospect of being separated from his mentor made it too much."
Zuko was feeling strangely reminded of himself when reading this. He himself had also felt very alone in the world due to his position, the very high expectations had weighted heavy on him and he'd felt very alone after his mother had left his life. In a way he did understand the Avatar, even though he'd never met him.
He then took the other letter and removed the item that sealed it, putting it into his pocket, before he read it. "This one is addressed to the Avatar. Gyatso has written it at the start of the attack. Listen:
'Aang, I hope you will be able to read this. If you find this scroll it means I am no more. I write this in great haste, as the Fire Nation is attacking the temple on their dragons. The world is facing dark times. I never wanted them to separate us and I planned to fight for you... Aang, I put my faith into you that you make the right decisions. The world needs the Avatar, but the Avatar needs to be human, not a single-minded tool of balance...
I hear them coming, I need to go. They however won't get me without a fight. Aang, live long and bring peace to the world.
Your loving mentor, Gyatso'."
"Well, he obviously didn't return. So it's another dead end," Mai commented. "Make you wonder why everyone else didn't find these before we did."
Zuko wondered himself. "Maybe uncle does know."
"So we got little out of this trip, other than knowing the Avatar with a child who ran away... Zuko, why are you putting these things into your bag?"
"Maybe Uncle Iroh has a use for them. He's good at these things," Zuko said, while closing up his bag.
Walking outside, they were surprised when suddenly numerous small, white animals noticed them and ran away. Mai looked after them in disgust. "What in all names was this? White rats?"
"To be honst, I don't even want to know, I just want to get out of here," Zuko replied, while they made their way back to the rope.
o
"The temple had been empty. And to be honest, I don't want to ever go there again. It's too depressing," Zuko told his uncle as soon as they had returned to the ship.
"So you found nothing at all?" Iroh asked, while playing some Pai Sho with a few members of the crew, although he seemed to take notice that Zuko didn't like being around so much death.
He's so unlike his father, who would have found the sight amusing, Iroh thought.
"Not exactly nothing." Zuko showed him the things he'd found in Gyatso's room. "I now know what actually happened, but without knowing where the Avatar ran off to, it leads everywhere, meaning to nowhere at all..."
Mai and Iroh could already see a depression forming. While Zuko had become better, he was still prone to become depressed or angry. The prospect of having searched through the temples without getting anything more concrete. Iroh knew he'd have to give Zuko a small ray of hope in order to make him go on.
"Prince Zuko, I'd not exactly said you accomplished nothing. Unlike your predecessors who treated the Avatar as a mere target instead of a real human being, you managed to find more clues than they did in almost a century," Iroh said, getting up from his game of Pai Sho. "Having these documents at our disposal, we have the first real clues about his whereabouts since the days of Sozin."
"You mean I'm the first who actually got this far?" Zuko all of a sudden felt a lot better.
Iroh gave him a small smile. "You are still at the start of your search, but you already have better chances to at least find out what happened to the Avatar, than anyone else before you did."
That reminded Zuko of one fact. "What if he fled and died of old age... Wouldn't that mean he would''ve been reborn into the Water Tribes?"
Iroh knew where this would lead to. "Your grandfather Azulon had had the same thought. Why do you think he ordered all waterbenders to be captured? The Southern Water Tribe is crippled now, but we would be hard pressed, if the Avatar was reborn to the Northern Water Tribe. You know the war against them is still ongoing and they have retreated into their territories."
"I doubt the Avatar is there," Mai said, while putting her attention to the Pai Sho table. "They would've used him as a weapon long ago otherwise and we would know."
Lt. Jee approached them right then. "Regardless what your plans are, we right now have a more pressing problem at our hands. Our coal supply is seriously depleted and we only have coal for ten days left."
"Damn it," Zuko cursed. It times like these where he got reminded of his status. "Where can we re-supply?"
Jee walked to the map table and showed a marking at the south-western coast of the Earth Kingdom. "Since we would be unwelcome on Whaletail Island, as the Southern Raiders dislike anyone meddling into their affairs, our best bet is this supply depot a little north of Kyoshi Island. We should manage to go there in a few days."
Iroh also gave Zuko a knowing look. "Also remember that the Avatar had been a child when he left. He could have never survived the cold of the South Pole. Our best bet would be to look for further clues in the Earth Kingdom."
Zuko then had made his decision. "Lt. Jee, set course for the depot."
"Right away, Prince Zuko."
"Your men respect you," Iroh observed. "At the start of the journey they had been very unhappy with how you treated them in your anger, but you have become a lot better since then and it gave your the respect of the crew."
Zuko didn't know what to say, and then felt something in his pocket. "What...? Oh." Taking it out he saw it was the item hat had sealed the letter and he recognized what it was. "Uncle Iroh, here. I think you have more of a use for it."
"Where did you find a white lotus tile?" Iroh wondered, looking at the weathered Pai Sho tile.
"The letter to the Avatar was sealed with it. Don't ask me, why." That said, Zuko returned his attention to other things at hand.
Iroh took a closer look at the tile and then smiled. This perhaps is the most important discovery of them all...
...Fire Nation supply depot, some days later...
The supply depot was nothing to write home about. Essentially just the docks, a few buildings, huge coal storage towers and the loading cranes. The rest of the surrounding landscape outside of the walls was just wilderness. That however was not what had captured Zuko's eye. It was the huge cruiser, which easily dwarfed his ship, that was docked there. He put little attention to the crew preparing to open the coal chutes and instead groaned when seeing the name of the ship.
"Oh, that's perfect..." Zuko groaned.
Mai raised an eyebrow at his stranger behavior and Iroh explained. "This is Captain Zhao's personal ship."
"Ah." That was explanation enough for her.
Zhao was one of the most unpleasant men she'd ever met, as the last time she'd seen him during the Agni Kai had proven. It seemed that no one actually liked him at all. Zuko was very open with his dislike while Iroh usually hid it behind politeness. To think of it, everyone disliked Zhao except for the Fire Lord, who for some reason favored him.
Zuko ground his teeth together. "Let's get this over with as quick as possible and then leave. I have no wish to meet him in person."
"Ah, Prince Zuko."
Zuko cursed silently about his back luck when Zhao right then came aboard, spotting them at once on the foredeck. The man looked as smug as ever and seemed to enjoy being in a position of strength against the disgraced prince.
"Captain Zhao," Iroh said as polite as possible, although it was clear he disliked the man.
"And General Iroh, great hero of our nation." The way he said this, it was clear he saw him as actually weak for abandoning the siege. "And who do we have here. If this isn't the girl who is swooning over the young prince. I did hear the news."
Mai didn't change he dull expression, but deep inside the insult had stung. It was one thing that she got banished, but it was something different if she was made fun of because of it. "You are certainly not here just to insult me."
"Oh, I wouldn't even think about it." Zhao's innocent act also needed work, as it was painfully clear he didn't mean it in the slightest. "I actually wanted to use the opportunity before I have to leave for my new base to invite the three of you to dine with me and my crew."
"Do you really think we...!" Zuko started, his temper getting the better of him, but Iroh held him back.
"Oh, we would be delighted to accept," Iroh said diplomatically.
"Good, I'll see you in two hours." That said, Zhao left.
Zuko waited until Zhao was gone, before he looked angry at his uncle. "Uncle, why did you do this?" he growled, right now not happy with Iroh.
"To deny Captain Zhao's invitation would have caused you problems. He is very smart and lays out his traps carefully. Better be careful during the lunch. I'm sure he has more planned against you," Iroh cautioned Zuko.
Zuko looked especially unhappy, then felt Mai's hand on his shoulder. She didn't look thrilled, either, but seemed to take it better. "Just get over with it. He can't do anything worse than your father did."
Zuko knew she was right, while he touched his scar. Zhao couldn't be worse than his own father.
o
It was pretty clear that the lunch invitation was mostly to show Zuko how much he'd lost. The mess hall of Zhao's ship was huge compared to the one on Zuko's ship and the crew was easily numbering over 300 men. At least his cooks were much worse compared to the cook on Zuko's ship, a small consolation while he, Iroh and Mai sat at the head table of the officers that overlooked the mess hall.
So far, everything had been civil and lunch was done without any problems and drinks (non-alcoholic due to discipline) were given out. The three of them however had a bad feeling. If Zhao had held back until now, it meant he was waiting for the right moment to do whatever he intended to do.
As if on cue, Zhao decided to strike and called for attention. The hall went silent, all eyes directed to him.
"I wanted to thank the great General Iroh and young Prince Zuko for dining with us together with their adorable female companion. As you all know, the Fire Lord has banished his son, the prince, renounced his ties to him and will not let him return to the Fire Nation unless he finds the Avatar. The Fire Lord believes his son is too soft, and believes by doing this, he will become strong."
"I commend the Fire Lord's discipline. For example, it seems I need to remind Prince Zuko that, despite wearing the uniform of the army of the Fire Nation, he does not have the strength nor the heart of a soldier. It is like a child wearing a costume."
So, this is what he'd been planning, Mai thought darkly, while watching Zuko getting more wound up by the second.
Zuko himself had been prepared for much, but not that Zhao but humiliated him in such manner publically. He already saw the mocking looks of the soldiers. They didn't see a prince, the saw a disgrace they barely tolerated in their midst. If Zhao intended to exclude him even further than already, he'd reached his goal.
Zuko was about to jump up and attack Zhao, when he felt Mai's hand on his own. She shook her head then looked to the guards standing beside the table. Only then did Zuko understand. Zhao wanted him to lose his temper and attempt to attack him outside of a duel. Thus he would have a reason to arrest him.
Zuko stood up slowly and looked at Zhao, still very pissed at him. "One day, my father will take me back and you will bow before me." He then left in a huff.
Zhao looked after him, a little disappointed, then laughed before giving Mai an interesting look. "Well, it shows he's not ready to lead our nation ever. His taste in female companions also is lacking."
Mai at first didn't say anything, just took her chalice an then threw her drink into Zhao's face. "You think you are powerful. I'll say only this: Zuko is a hundred times more of a man than you are."
Mai then left and the guards looked helplessly between her and Zhao, as this wasn't exactly an attack, just a woman showing her displeasure. The crew had watched the whole scene in stunned silence, not believing that a prepubescent girl had just thrown her frink into their captain's face and called him less of a man, before leaving just like that.
Iroh felt this was the best time to take his leave. "The lunch was tasty, if not exactly up to the standards of our cook," he excused himself, unable to hold back this little arrow.
Zhao finally shook himself out of his surprise and his crew knew right away to keep away from him when seeing the pulsing veins on his forehead.
Iroh meanwhile had returned to their ship and found Zuko and Mai standing at the bow of the ship, Mai being busy with calming Zuko down in her own way. It seemed to work as well, as Zuko started to hold her close. It was then when Iroh noticed Lt. Jee approaching him and looking with interest at the display in front of them.
"It is really beautiful to see such young love blossom, doesn't it?" Iroh asked, feeling young when seeing this.
"Perhaps, but I'm also grateful for the young lady joining us. After the first week we all feared that we would have to suffer under Prince Zuko's moods and anger for years. Her presence actually managed to make him reasonable," Jee observed.
Iroh stroked his goatee in thought. "Indeed. Her mere presence helps calming down my dear nephew. Without her to help him, Zuko would have gone to a dark place. I think he'll soon be ready to re-learn firebending, this time without the constant comparisons to his sister, which have crippled so much of his potential and without anger, now that there is something else for him."
"I wondered about this. I've seen him using his firebending, but no actual training. I thought he simply didn't feel the need anymore," Jee said, remembering Zuko training with weapons, but not his bending.
"Oh no... he gave up on it, feeling that it was hopeless after the fateful Agni Kai. I know he would have started again on his own in due time, but approching him looks to be the better option," Iroh concluded.
They then left to leave the couple in peace.
...some weeks later, western coast of the Earth Kingdom...
"Good thing we landed in this bay, this has been a very strong storm and our ship wouldn't have survived it out on the open sea," Lt. Jee said, while watching some of the crew making repairs to the small damage done to the ship in the rough weather while make some marks on a scroll. "Thanks again for spotting it this early, General Iroh."
"Oh, it was all a matter of experience, Which my nephew right now is still lacking," Iroh waved it off. "I trust that the crew is in good health?"
"Oh yes... with exception of Lady Mai. It seems she is a bit sensitive to too much ship movement and is still suffering from it." Jee looked to his left, where Mai was being busy with sacrificing to the sea, pointing to her with the rolled-up scroll. "She is a very tough girl, but her stomach is almost comically weak."
-whiiiiz- -tack- A throwing knife shot the scroll out of his hand and pinned it against the command tower (as impossible as it seemed, considering it was made of metal). Jee looked to Mai, who was busy with wiping her mouth and giving him a dark look.
"It is enough that I get sick. No need to make fun of me as well." Mai then looked around. "Where's Zuko?"
"Oh, he said he needed to get his mind to other things and is taking a walk through the woods. He should be back soon," Iroh said, pointing to the forest that began a little distance off the coast.
Indeed, Zuko was trying to think while walking through the forest.
I've studied the journal of this monk from start to end... The way he describes the Avatar, he was just a regular child, not an almighty warrior ready to strike down the Fire Nation, he thought, trying to get his information into order.
Gyatso had no idea where his student has run off to. The South Pole is out, no kid, not even the Avatar, can survive out there on his own for long. That leaves the Earth Kingdom... the huge Earth Kingdom. Zuko knew it would be like searching a needle in a haystack, if the Avatar was even alive by now.
The sages could be wrong that they would know if the Avatar was reborn. They claim they'd know right when it happens, but what if they are wrong? Zuko felt as if he only now understood the whole magnitude of the problem.
Even though he still was determined to find the Avatar win back his honor and make up for his mistake that had caused his father to punish him, he was starting to doubt and lose his motivation. Mai made no secret that she thought of Ozai as cruel and heartless and said Zuko was not to blame for what happened to him. Everyone else would have gotten a sharp reply, but Mai, who was blunt and never censored the truth, was someone had could hardly write off as being biased.
Am I actually starting to accept that this is my life now? he wondered.
Zuko didn't watch out while thinking and suddenly. "Ahhh!" He'd missed a steep slope and suddenly was tumbling down, only to come at a sudden stop when his left leg slammed into a tree and a sharp pain shot through him.
He didn't dare to move, the pain in his leg being answer enough. "Oh great... a broken leg is the last thing I needed."
"Are you all right? You took a nasty fall."
Zuko froze when hearing this voice. He felt that this was impossible, that his mind was just playing a trick on him. After all, too much longing could have strange effects he'd once heard. He slowly moved his head to face the source of the voice.
"Zuko?"
Zuko was frozen in disbelief. It felt like a strange dream. There was a woman standing there in the Earth Kingdom clothes of the common folk, holding a basket with herbs in it. She looked a bit older than he remembered her, some lines having appeared in her face, yet she'd lost nothing of her beauty. Right now she looked at him in shock, as if seeing a ghost.
"Mother?"
Then the stress became too much for him and part of him was glad that Azula was far away. She would have never let him live down the fact that he fainted right then.
to be continued...
Next Episode: "As Time goes by"
Notes:
Now, let me first tell you that I did have read "The Search", but found Ursa's decision to erase her own memories very questionable. While I will keep almost all of the backstory, her story after leaving the Fire Nation is different.
While you'd connect technological progression more with the Korra series, I always found it odd that the Fire Nation would have such a strange tech tree. More explanations and how this will impact the story will be seen later. It also gave me a chance to show a side of Ozai that I suspected considering the seemingly rapid technological adcances in his riegn: that he's very fond of technological progress.
You have probably noticed that Zhao's speech and the setting are from the movie. The movie is shitty, but with some alterations, the scene was actually salvagable.
An the Pai Sho tiles... Let's say while I took a guess with Pathik, Gyatso was heavily implied in canon to be a member.