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 the 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.
"My father, Fire Lord Azulon, had commanded me to do the unthinkable to you, my own son, and I was going to do it. Your mother found out and swore she would protect you at any cost. She knew I wanted the throne and she proposed a plan, a plan in which I would become Fire Lord and your life would be spared. Your mother did vicious, treasonous things that night. She knew the consequences and accepted them. For her treason, she was banished."
-Ozai
Chapter 3: As Time goes by
"Nephew, where are you?" Iroh called, while he and Mai searched for the missing Zuko.
Zuko had promised to only be away for a short time, but after two hours with no sign of him, they'd felt that something was amiss and they'd set out to find him. They didn't expect trouble, so they had left the crew on the ship. However, Zuko was nowhere to be found, forcing them to search deeper in the forest to find any trace of him.
"Either something happened, or he actually managed to get lost in the woods," Mai thought aloud. "And honestly, I think he's too old to get lost."
"Mai, take a look at this," Iroh then said, holding up a scrap of cloth. "This looks like it got ripped off by a branch."
Mai took a closer look at it. "Yep, that's from Zuko's pants." She took a look around and spotted something. "There. It looks like someone got dragged away, and I bet these trails were made by the heels of Zuko's boots."
They carefully followed the trails, which led them a little deeper into the woods before it opened up to a bigger clearing. A small wooden house, looking like the home of someone living in poverty, stood there, with smoke coming out of the chimney. The only remarkable thing about the house was the small herb garden beside it. It looked harmless enough and both of them were confident that whoever lived there wouldn't be too big of a problem if things turned nasty.
Not wanting to tempt fate however, as this usually led to unfortunate consequences, Iroh knocked on the door while Mai stayed a bit away in case of trouble. As much as Mai wanted to be taken serious, she knew she still was a preteen girl and the wrong company could be devastating for her. Iroh was an experienced soldier and could burn off a possible hostile's face.
However, things went very different than expected.
The door opened and Iroh saw the person in it, freezing in surprise as much as in shock. "How...?"
Seeing that he had not gotten run through by a sword, Mai decided it was safe to see what had stunned the man, who otherwise could take a lot to surprise. At first it looked unremarkable. It was just a middle-aged woman wearing the clothes of an Earth Kingdom peasant, nothing extraordinary. However, taking a closer look, Mai realized that she actually recognised the woman from her past, as impossible as that was. After all, she had simply vanished one day and no one had ever heard of her again.
"I know seeing me again in this unlikely place must be shocking," the woman told them, while studying how Mai had changed since she'd last seen her.
Not wanting to follow Iroh's example of becoming a stuttering idiot, she controlled herself. "I'm sure there's a good explanation for this. Can't wait to hear it."
The woman chuckled gently. "I know you were a very direct child and you have not changed in that regard. Please come in."
Hearing her speak finally shook Iroh out of it, barely stopping himself from hugging her in relief. "Ursa? Why are you here? How are you here? You'd been gone by the time I'd returned and no one knew what happened."
"Trust me, it is a very long and complicated story which I only want to tell once. Zuko should hear it as well." Ursa saw their reaction. "He's taken a bad fall and broke his leg. And then seeing me obviously was too much for him. I've given him something against the pain, but he should wake up pretty soon."
Being led inside, Iroh and Mai saw that the inside of the hut was almost as poor as the outside, making it painfully clear that Ursa was living in very primitive conditions. However, this was offset by the hanging herbs, the bottles full of liquids and the cauldron on the fire, which was spreading a sweet smell. It gave the entire hut a somewhat mystical and calming atmosphere. Mai's eyes however were drawn to a bed on which Zuko was resting, one of his legs put into a splint.
"Thank all goodness it was a clean break, otherwise setting it would have been a nightmare. I broke my arm as a child and it had to be set," Ursa explained, before looking at his scar. "As much as I don't want to believe it, I have a good guess who did this to him. How did it happen?"
Iroh knew it was his call. "Much has changed since you left. My brother has pretty much cast Zuko aside to solely concentrate on grooming Azula as his heir. Since you do remember what she'd turned into while you still were present, it now is even worse. Ursa, as much as it pains me to say it, Azula now would not hesitate to murder you if her father tells her to. She's now cold, calculating, deceitful and sadly far too powerful for someone of her age."
Ursa looked saddened. "She'd already been pulled into a dark place by Ozai before I left. With me gone I don't even want to imagine what has become of my girl."
"Thankfully, Zuko did take the morals you taught him to heart. He refused to break or give up, despite everything pitted against him. Some months ago, Zuko spoke out against a senseless sacrifice of recruits in the war room. Zuko thought he'd have to fight the general whom he'd insulted as a result, but it was my own brother instead." Iroh stopped when seeing Ursa look down in sorrow. "He refused to fight; knew it was senseless. Ozai however..."
Ursa knew what this meant. "He punished him."
Iroh knew this was a difficult topic for her. "Afterwards, he declared that Zuko has shown shameful weakness and banished him, until he could capture the Avatar, which means Zuko will never return home."
Ursa looked very depressed and she had to sit down on the chair beside the bed. "I knew what he told me, but I never thought he'd take it this far... I'll tell you what this is about soon enough, promised." Ursa then looked up. "Seeing you here, Iroh, is not that big a surprise. You've always been close to Zuko and given him the love his own father has denied him. Mai however... I know your parents, they would have never let you go with my son."
"They didn't," Mai declared, even seeming a little proud of it.
Ursa sighed. "Oh, child. I can imagine what you did and that it surely had dire consequences. We can save the whole story until we have the time for you to tell me everything that I've missed, since it looks like Zuko is about to wake up."
On the bed, Zuko was working hard on waking up.
He felt it must have been a bad dream - how else could he explain his mother turning up out of nowhere? A dull feeling in his left leg however reminded him of what had had happened for real. While he cursed himself for being so careless that he'd broken his leg, Zuko had other priorities. He was clearly on a bed and not the forest floor, meaning that his crew had found him and brought him back to the ship. His mother probably had been the result of hitting his head. He opened his eyes, and stopped.
He'd expected Mai waiting for him to wake up so that she could scold him for injuring himself, but he had not expected that maybe it had not been a hallucination after all. He sincerely doubted that he'd hallucinate his mother looking down on him with a caring look, before wiping the sweat from his forehead. She didn't say anything, but he noticed her taking a look at his scar and becoming sad. He had never liked his mother looking sad, which however had been far too often in the past.
"How?" Zuko finally wondered aloud. He was confused enough that he hadn't processed it yet.
"I will explain it all. Promised." She then noticed him poking her with a finger. "I assure you, I'm quite real."
"I... you..." It was difficult for Zuko to find the right words. He had not expected to ever see her again, thus he was at a loss how to react.
"Please... you don't have to hold back," she encouraged him.
Struggling with sitting up, Zuko hesitated for a moment, but then hugged Ursa, holding her close. Right now he didn't care that it didn't look very masculine or that people would have made fun of a teenager hugging his mother. Right now he just wanted to be sure that she was there and wouldn't vanish. He wouldn't cry, but how he was shivering while holding his mother as close as possible was answer enough over how he was feeling.
While watching the re-union from a respectful distance, Iroh noticed Mai rolling her eyes. However, he could see that her heart wasn't into it and deep down she obviously found the whole thing heartwarming as well. He understood she had difficulties expressing her emotions and simply acting indifferent was her way to hide it. Perhaps having a much better parental figure in her life could ease her up a little. After her parents, things could only become better.
It took quite some time, before everyone was ready to hear Ursa's story.
Zuko still looked at her in wonder, although he now was sure she would not just vanish all of a sudden. Nonetheless, he was sitting beside her as close as he felt she was comfortable with, much to Mai's annoyance. The girl had a feeling that she would have to get used to the idea that Zuko from now on would have another person he could confide in. Mai was trying very hard not to get jealous of Zuko's mother - after all Ursa was a very kind woman and didn't deserve such petty feelings held against her.
"As I said... it's a long, long story. I think I better start at the very beginning for you to understand," Ursa finally began.
"It actually reaches back far into my life, long before Zuko came along. For the first 21 years of my life I lived a simple life in the small town of Hira'a, a completely irrelevant town like so many in the Fire Nation. My father was the local magistrate, although that didn't exactly mean much and we were pretty much the same as commoners - more well off than others, but still commoners. My life was pretty uneventful. I helped my mother in the greenhouse, thought about marrying my boyfriend Ikem and then prepared for playing the female lead in 'Love amongst the Dragons' in the local theatre."
She noticed Zuko's reaction at the mention of the play. "I think it should tell you why I hold a fondness for this play."
Zuko grimaced. "Yes, except these horrible Ember Island Players ruined it each year. I normally never agree with Azula, but her comment that it was like listening to nails scratching a washboard was very accurate."
Ursa sighed. "I really wish I had found someone better to show you, as it is a really beautiful play... normally. Well, Ikem did propose to me and I felt ready to marry him, but when I went home, I learned that my father was entertaining guests and my mother was in tears. I didn't understand back then why she was so sad. I learned very soon however, why. It were Fire Lord Azulon and Prince Ozai. They told me that the Fire Sages told them a marriage between the son of the Fire Lord and someone of my lineage would bring great things."
"What's so special about your lineage? My parents always complained why Ozai had married so below the usual standards," Mai wondered, remembering it all too clear.
Ursa held Zuko's hand to prepare him for a small shock. "My mother's father, my grandfather, was Avatar Roku."
Zuko went still. He remembered looking at the statue of Avatar Roku in the Eastern Air Temple. Back then he'd felt a sort of connection to the man. Roku had always been painted as pretty much weak in spirit for not following the beliefs of the Fire Nation. To learn that he was descended from him...
"How? Why? Why didn't they ever tell me?" That was all Zuko managed to get out. It was simply overwhelming.
It was Iroh who came to the rescue. "They didn't want this information from ever getting out. It was a state secret that Roku even has descendants, so I never go chance to tell you. I think you now understand why they insisted on Ursa becoming my brother's wife."
Zuko finally shook his head. "This is too much, let's worry about it later. But... if you are from Roku's line, why didn't you ever show any signs of firebending? For all I remember, you are a non-bender."
Ursa gave off a humorless laugh. "You can thank my overprotective parents. I've loved them dearly, but when I accidently set my bed on fire at age four, they freaked and got me teachers who only taught me how to force down my bending. I understand why they were afraid I would hurt myself, but after all these years of doing it, the best I can now manage is lighting a candle and starting the fire for cooking."
To prove her point, a small flame appeared in her palm, which every firebender would consider a pitiful show of bending. "That's the extent of what I can do. Azulon and Ozai told me right away not to even do that, as it would be too embarrassing to have me revealed as a crippled bender."
Suddenly the fire under the cauldron flared up. "Oh, these...!" Zuko growled.
"Zuko, control yourself," Mai scolded Zuko, with the effect that the fire returned to normal.
Ursa tsked. "It seems your temper still is a problem." It had the intended effect of Zuko looking a bit ashamed that he'd lost his temper in his mother's presence.
"Let's move on... I could hardly say no, so I had to say goodbye to Ikem and lost all connections to my parents. My life became reglemented and lonely. I was barred from everything that would have brought some lightness of fun into my life. They probably didn't trust me because of my lineage and that I wasn't part of the nobility. I even suspected my mail got intercepted. When I was carrying Zuko, I got the bad idea to test it out by writing a letter to Ikem in which I claimed that Zuko is his child. The next day Ozai walked in and confronted me. Things turned ugly and he declared since I pretend the child to be from another man, he'd treat you exactly that way."
Zuko ground his teeth together in an attempt to not lose his temper again. He remembered how his father had never given him any attention, while his mother was giving him a lot of her time. It now made sense why Ozai would treat him like this, while Ursa was doing her hardest to make up for what she clearly felt was her own fault. The worst was, his father treating him like this just out of spite put cruel to a new level.
Iroh clearly hadn't expected it, either. "I knew a lot about my brother and what he is capable of, but I never expected him to sink this low."
Ursa looked furious with herself. "I still curse myself for being this careless, yet I shudder to think what would have happened if Ozai had actually taken an interest in Zuko right from the start. Just look at Azula to see what could have happened."
Everyone felt sick at the idea of Zuko acting like Azula.
"I spare you the following years, as you all know what happened. Things however came to a head on the fateful day, which at its end would see Azulon's death." Ursa looked to Iroh, and he was startled to see that she looked haunted. "You never knew what really happened that day, Iroh. What I'm about to tell you about your father and brother will be harsh to you."
"I already know they are..." He stopped when seeing the look Ursa gave him. "This bad?"
"Oh yes. Zuko, you never knew, but on that night I was about to check on you when I heard Azula in your bedroom." She saw Zuko's look of understanding. "I questioned Azula right after she left your room to demand an explanation about what she'd listened in on and told you. I knew Ozai had little scruples, but what Azula told me made me lose the last bit of faith in him. He had wanted to use the moment after hearing of Lu Ten's death at Ba-Sing-Se to convince Azulon to remove Iroh from the line of succession, since he reasoned Iroh's line was now a dead end."
Iroh looked downright pained. If there was one thing that got to him, it was spitting onto his son's memory. "I knew of his darkness, but I would have never imagined him using my beloved son's death for his own goals."
Ursa knew that it hurt Iroh, but he had a right to know. "Azulon was livid and declared Ozai had to learn a lesson. He decided Ozai had to learn the same pain of losing the oldest child and wanted him to kill Zuko."
Everyone went silent when the monstrosity of this order sank in, until Mai spoke up.
"What a family..." As much as she wanted to avoid it, Mai now looked as disgusted as she felt about the royal family. "It seems Zuko, Iroh and Lu Ten are the only good things that came out of the whole royal lineage. Marrying into it seems to be horrible."
"Be glad that you will never wear the same chains I did. Even though Zuko is far away from home, he's now free to live his life out here as he wishes thus preserving your freedom as well." Ursa then finally composed herself. "I questioned Ozai next. Ozai of course was very willing to do it. He had no emotional connection to Zuko and saw it as a good chance to kill him without fearing consequences. I begged him to spare Zuko, and finally he offered me a deal: use my herbal skills to make a deadly poison and he would in turn spare Zuko. However, I would have to leave the Fire Nation forever to never return. The next morning, Azulon was dead at Ozai's hand through my poison."
"I always wondered what you meant with 'you have done to protect me' when you said your goodbyes. You have given up all of it... to protect me." Zuko wondered if he would have found the same courage to leave everything behind.
"I could never let them hurt you. I knew without doubt that day, that Azulon and Ozai are both beyond redemption." Ursa shook her head. "I know I did the right thing, and yet I also feel horrible about it; being an accomplice in murder."
"No, don't!" Iroh said firmly, surprising Ursa. "While I understand you feel guilty for what you did, and honestly it would be worse if you didn't show any remorse at all, you are not an accomplice in murder. My brother is the one who actually killed my father. You did what you did out of love and selflessness under great emotional pressure. And as much as I dislike to say it, my father brought this over himself."
After having feared Iroh's response, Ursa started to cry in relief. "You mean I'm not a horrible person for having done this?"
Iroh held her hands to help her coping. "No. What you did was never born out of hate or greed, just caring about Zuko. You are no murderer but another victim of my brother's schemes."
"Oh Iroh, thank you." Ursa then hiccuped and got another hug from Zuko to help her along.
"Eh, I hope I don't have to hug you as well," Mai said in discomfort. All these hugs reminded her that such blatant displays of affection made her uncomfortable.
Zuko let go of his mother. Ursa still had tears in her face but looked like a weight ha been lifted off her shoulders, giving Mai a gentle smile. "Hugs can make you feel better if there's genuine love put into them. Why don't you give it a try?"
Mai swallowed hard. The things I do for Zuko... she thought, although she was a little curios if it could help. Taking her courage together, she allowed Ursa to hug her as well. To her surprise, being held by someone who meant it felt surprisingly warm and when they separated again, Mai had no snarky comment to offer.
Sitting down, Ursa finally returned to her story. "Where was I? Ah yes! Alas, my newfound freedom gained me little. When I passed through my home village on the way out of the Fire Nation, I learned that my parents had passed away some years ago and the villagers told me that Ikem had left shortly after I did, to be never seen again. I just hope he found the happiness that was denied to me. With nothing left, I went to the Earth Kingdom and settled down in this then empty hut. I managed to use my herbal skills to get by, but even in the nearby village they barely know me. To them I'm just a strange herbs woman. And now you have found me."
"And now what?" Mai asked after some seconds, seeing as the tale was over.
Ursa noticed Zuko looking at her in expectation. He wouldn't have needed to, since she'd already made her descision the very moment she'd discovered him in the woods. "Simple, I go with you. There's nothing to hold me here and I have three missed years to make up for."
Zuko blinked. "Just like that?" He hadn't actually expected his mother to make such a fast decision.
"Zuko, just look around. Do you honestly think that there is anything here which could convince me to stay here rather than being with you?" Seeing that she'd made her point, she added "I think you came here by ship, since you can hardly swim the distance from the Fire Nation."
Was this my mother trying to be sarcastic? Zuko wondered, having never seen this side of her.
Mai rolled her eyes. "I really doubt I can haul Zuko all the way back to the ship. We need some of the crew to help us, as well as for packing whatever you take with you."
"I think I'll go and tell the men we need some help," Iroh said a little too fast.
"While Iroh is going, I should start harvesting all the herbs I want to take with me," Ursa also suddenly said, leaving Zuko and Mai alone. Both of them sometimes found grown-ups a little weird.
Outside, she saw Iroh waiting in some distance. She knew exactly what this was about and approached him. "Iroh, you have gotten my package back when you first returned to the palace?"
"Yes, and I have it with me on the ship," Iroh told her, knowing how valuable the item in question was.
Ursa was relieved about this. "Good. If Zuko is to ever reclaim the throne, he will need it once the time is right."
Both of them then parted ways. Iroh went back into the forest to go to the ship and get as many men as possible to help carry Zuko back to the ship so that the ship's doctor could take a look at his broken leg, while Ursa busied herself with picking the herbs she could take with herself on this journey.
o
Ursa was incredibly nervous, and that with good reason.
Zuko and Mai had quickly convinced her that it would be for the best to only reveal herself to the crew once, when they were all gathered on deck, in order to save everyone time and nerves. So she'd put on a hood to hide her features and none of the others had said a word about her identity, while the crew carried Zuko and her meager belongings to the ship. The only curses came from the soldiers carrying her big cauldron, as this was something she didn't want to part with, as it was important for her brewing.
Of course now was the moment of truth. All of the crew was gathered on deck and Iroh - thank all goodness for him as she probably wouldn't have been able to utter a word - introduced her and she took off her hood to reveal herself. She knew that to be able to travel with Zuko, she would have to gain the approval of his crew, otherwise it would be next to impossible or end up in a mutiny. The crew was clearly shocked to see her, as most obviously had thought her dead after she'd vanished, reasoning that the royal family would want to cover up something like that.
She did reveal the reason why she got banished from the Fire Nation, but left her family history out, since that was a family matter only. She didn't know how she got the courage to go through it without problem and was concerned when the men started to whisper under themselves after she was done. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Zuko, Mai and Iroh waiting how the crew would decide. Zuko had even insisted on staying on deck until the decision was made, ignoring the pain in his leg for the moment.
Finally Lt. Jee stepped forward to speak for the crew.
"Lady Ursa," he began and Ursa had a feeling this could be promising. "After some short consideration, we welcome you on board."
She blinked. "Just like that, even after...?"
"We were shocked you would go this far to protect the prince, but after hearing what had happened in that night, we do not hold you responsible." He held up a hand to show there was more. "You decided to do the right thing instead of accepting 'higher power', which is something we can understand."
"How come?" Ursa still was trying to understand why it had been so easy.
"We, the entire crew, are essentially the Loser's Club. Why do you think General Iroh got us of all people for this ship? He wanted people he could trust and he knew that this here is still better for us than the dead-end in life we would face in the Fire Nation due to our decisions. The war has made all of us disillusioned with our nation when we decided to do the right thing instead of blindly following orders. The ship's doctor treated prisoners of war against orders and got delegated to a run-down hospital in a slum of the capital. The navigator found his last captain holding mere children as pleasure slaves and freed them, resulting in him unable to get onto another ship. Many of us have similar experiences and saw too much bloodshed. Why do you think I'm still a Lieutenant? They didn't want to promote someone like me, and before General Iroh could do so, the disaster at the siege of Ba-Sing-Se happened. No, we do understand you all too well."
"I told you, nephew, that this crew is special. I think now you understand," Iroh told Zuko, while Ursa talked to some of the men about their decision.
"-sigh- Yes, a ship full of losers. Everyone of us got cheated by life one way or another," Mai added. Since she obviously included herself, it wasn't meant as mean in any way.
Zuko had not known, due to how little interaction he'd had with the crew. "First my mother, then the crew and ourselves. Uncle, what happened to our nation that it produces people like us? Broken... discarded."
"I understand your doubts, Prince Zuko. A century of war can do horrible things to the people of a nation, even if said nation is on the winning side. You were sheltered all of your life, but now you have the opportunity to make up your mind and to see how things really are. However, in the end the decision will be yours alone," Iroh told Zuko.
Zuko looked deep in thought, leaning on his uncle while being led to the sickbay.
...in a fire-colony, a few days later...
"And you are really sure about this?" Zuko asked again, worry still written in his face.
Ursa didn't fault Zuko for being this overprotective after what had happened. "I am sure. I'm done with hiding and the more public this is, the better. Once the word is out, they can't deny I'm alive and anything they do against me will only raise more questions."
"I don't get it," Zuko honestly said, wondering how that would insure his mother's safety.
Ursa knew, Zuko still was a young teenager, still learning about life and all the fine things. "When word spreads about me being very alive, it will also raise the question why I vanished three years ago. Either the people will think the Fire Lord is hiding something if no answer is given, or they will think that nothing fits if a lie is told. I also know Ozai is coldly calculating. Trying anything against me is not worth the trouble it'll cause."
Zuko took some moments to process this. "Now that you told me, it makes sense."
Truth to be told, it would take some time to get used to having her around. She seemed to have some difficulties to get used to the fact he no longer was a little kid and sometimes forgot he now was three years older. At least she did apologize right after making a blunder, some of which had amused the crew greatly. However, she was trying to improve. Mai seemed to have no problem with her, which was little wonder. After enduring her parents, everyone (with exception of his father) would be an improvement. Despite how disinterested Mai always acted, it seemed she was longing for a grown-up woman she could ask questions she couldn't ask a man.
He himself of course also had some problems. He'd gotten used to being very independent. Now having his mother wanting to help him out, even though she had the best of intentions, felt a bit embarrassing. He had also found himself almost unable to lose his temper. Not because he actually felt calm, but because he actually didn't want to appear to his mother as a raging idiot. Fear about disappointing her was a surprisingly good motivation.
However, right now these things were not important.
They were finally docking at the nearest colony in order to do some final storm repairs and restock some things that broke in the bad weather. Ursa had mentioned that she probably needed some things, causing Iroh to jump in and say she'd need a bit more than that. After some reluctance, she'd accepted Iroh's offer that he'd never know what to do with his fortune and that she could wear something more comfortable than the clothes of a peasant, which right now were already in a bad state. That in turn had led to the current discussion.
"Just don't worry about me. I'm a grown-up woman and can take care of myself. That, and the two men for carrying my purchases can scare away troublemakers." Ursa resisted giving Zuko a hug in public, before leaving.
"She's right, you know? She can take care of herself," Mai told Zuko, after having witnessed everything from a safe distance.
Zuko sighed. "If I just could go with her."
"Well, you can hardly be of use right now with one leg in a cast and walking on a crutch," Mai dryly observed. "Also, I can hardly imagine how you feel. After all, my own parents never invited me to care for their well-being."
"You do care for me, don't you?" Zuko asked.
Mai thought about it for a moment. While she'd never cared about her parents, she of course did care for Zuko. Perhaps also Iroh and... She stopped when she realized where her thoughts were leading her. "I do. You, and some others."
"Do you also care enough to help me back inside?" Zuko asked.
Mai shook her head. "Sometimes you really make me wonder..." Of course she did help him.
o
All right, first I need something better to wear, Ursa thought, while strolling through the streets. She did notice the looks she got and knew right away that she needed something to fit in better. Right now she looked like a beggar. Thank all goodness she had her hood up right now. She didn't want to be recognised until she was wearing something better - after all she did have her female pride.
Finally, she found a shop that sold upper-class women's clothes. "You two can wait outside. It probably will take a while," she told her soldiers, before entering.
"How long do you think she will need?" one soldier asked the other, knowing he once had had a girlfriend.
"Long. Better find something to do until she is done," the other soldier warned his companion.
It indeed took over an hour before Ursa emerged again, and the difference was startling. Ursa had always hated how heavy the noble robes were, so she'd opted to wear much lighter and simple robes, which nonetheless looked a lot like what she'd used to wear. The pants hidden under her skirt also fit comfortably and she felt much better now with correct fitting underwear. The soldiers then gladly took over her other shopping bags.
Next was finding a hairdresser. Despite having taken care of her long hair as best as possible, her limited resources over the years had left her hair dull and in need of trimming at some places. She would need a professional for fixing that. On the way she already noticed many people trying to hide that they were looking her way and whispering the entire time. It was to be expected, since her portrait had been circulated widely through the Fire Nation and colonies before her disappearance.
She had not expected the hairdresser to almost have a seizure when seeing her, before trying to treat her like royalty. Ursa needed almost five minutes before she could convince the woman that she just needed to have her hair taken care of and no special treatment. Nevertheless it seemed extra work went into her hair and she had no way to protest when a top knot with a nice headpiece was thrown in without any extra costs.
"Seeing you now, it's as if you had never left," one of the soldiers commented as soon as she walked outside.
Ursa knew it was true. While she wasn't wearing royal robes, had a much more simple headpiece and her face showed how hard these years had been on her, one could still think she'd just walked out of the palace gates. The citizens obviously thought so as well, since the whispering was no longer hidden and she seemed to be the center of attention. No doubt, the news would spread though the colonies like a wildfire.
She couldn't care less as she was done with hiding and went on to get some other important things.
She didn't see a guard watching her from some distance. He then quickly left to get an officer in order to confirm what he'd just seen.
...the next day, Fire Nation capital...
Blue flames streaked through the air like a deadly dance, before hitting their unfortunate target. The woman had already suffered horrible burns over her hands and arms and the latest attack set her clothes ablaze while at the same time slamming her against the wall, knocking her out before she could scream. Attendants quickly snuffed out the fire with their own bending powers, looking at the downed woman in grave concern.
"You have done well and eclipsed everyone else, as I have expected," Ozai told Azula, while her latest sparring partner was carried away in a hurry. The woman was in need of serious medical attention and it was clear no one would anymore want to spar with Azula unless ordered to do so.
"I thank you, father, though I have to admit that defeating these weaklings gives me little problem anymore. I do need a greater challenge," Azula told her father, not even winded from all the firebending.
"Oh yes, in due time you will test yourself against master firebenders." He stopped when he saw a servant entering the training court in haste. "Yes, what is it?"
"Your majesty, a priority message from the colonies. For your eyes only," the servant said, giving Ozai a scroll.
Ozai knew that it could only be bad news, otherwise it wouldn't be a priority message. "All of you, leave us alone."
Fearing what could happen once the Fire Lord would read bad news, it took less than a minute for everyone to leave Ozai and Azula alone. Ozai then opened the scroll and read through it. Although there seemed little change in his expression, his eyes hardened significantly the further he read and when he was done the scroll suddenly went up in flames in his hand. He dropped the burnt remains onto the floor.
"What kind of bad news was it, father?" Azula asked, having seen this kind of reaction very seldom.
Ozai quickly composed himself. "Your useless brother has found a way of even being annoying while in exile by gathering undesirables around himself. After your traitorous former friend, he now has somehow found your weak mother in the Earth Kingdom."
On the outside Azula didn't react at all. Deep inside however she was angry. She'd done everything to forget her mother, having never forgiven her what she felt was favoritism towards Zuko. In her mind, Zuko always got special attention from Ursa, while she herself got little from her mother apart from what she felt was disdain. In her imagination her mother had treated her like a monster, so Azula felt she didn't owe her anything. On the contrary, she actively wished something bad happen to her as punishment for the imagined injustice.
"So, what is to be done about that?" Azula asked.
"Nothing."
Azula arched an eyebrow, as this wasn't an answer she had expected. "Nothing? I would have thought you would take the chance to either discredit her or make her disappear permanently."
"As tempting as this is, you still have a lot to learn about politics," Ozai lectured her. "Any kind of action we take against her will draw even more attention to her than there already is. Attention, which we don't need as it will cause too many questions. We can block most of it from reaching the mainland, but there is no chance of stopping the spread of news about her return in the colonies."
"So in essence doing nothing will bring about faster for people to lose interest after a while?" Azula now understood.
"Exactly. Once the novelty has worn off, people will turn to other things. The attention span of an average person is very low. While she won't fade away again, it will be far easier to deal with than making her a martyr by getting rid of her permanently," Ozai explained to his daughter.
Azula had to admit that it was an annoying situation. "Of course that all changes once she does something that warrants a more active stance?"
"Yes. Once that happens, we can bring down all our might on her. Until then we have to be patient."
...one year after Zuko's banishment...
It looked beautiful; the sun slowly rising above the horizon, bathing the sea in its light. However, Zuko had little mind for its beauty while standing at the bow of the ship and looking over the endless sea. He'd risen early since he knew what this day meant. As of today he'd been banished from home for exactly one year.
One year. It had felt so much shorter.
Of course he felt the loss. Losing his home and everything he knew still hurt a lot and he still was determined to find a way to be able to return home. However, his search for additional clues what could have happened to the Avatar had not given him too many good leads. The Earth Kingdom was vast and what he had found were only records of confusion where the Avatar could have gone. He would never give up, but by now doubts were starting to take root in him.
For one thing, would he really simply hand the Avatar over to his father?
During his search he'd seen what the war had done to everyone. Areas of the Earth Kingdom, devoid off life with burnt-down villages and fields of human bones. The air of hopelessness in Earth Kingdom settlements and the suffering the population close to the frontlines had to go through. The sheer endless army of Fire Nation soldiers who got seriously injured in the war - missing limbs or having suffered disfiguring injuries - and now were kept out of the public's eye since their sight after all would undermine public morale.
And he was supposed to allow this endless suffering to continue by handing the Avatar, the only person capable of stopping this madness, over to his father? Zuko had no idea what to think, part of him actually hoping that he would never manage to find the Avatar so that he also would never have to make a hard decision. While his faith in the Fire Nation was shaken badly, he still loved his country and a part of him feared trying to end the war could mean the Avatar making the decision to simply destroy the Fire Nation.
More personally, part of him wondered if he even wanted to return home.
While he did miss home, there was no one he wanted to return to. After everything he had learned, he no longer blamed himself for his banishment. Ever since his mother had returned, it became more clear to him that his father despised him. Add to it that returning home would mean having to deal with Azula and being away from home suddenly seemed not so bad after all. To make it worse, neither Mai nor his mother could return with him.
To think of it, everyone who cared for him and he did care for in return was with him on this ship. His mother, uncle Iroh and Mai. There wasn't anyone he would terribly miss. Recently he felt more appreciated than he'd ever been. Perhaps it was because he'd earned the respect of his crew? Maybe it was because with Azula not present and others backing him, his training in firebending was finally showing progress, although his uncle had been forced to start from the beginning, backed by his mother?
"What has driven you to get up this early?"
Turning around, he saw Mai approaching, currently sporting a bad case of morning hair. She was no morning person. "How did you know I'm here?" Zuko wondered.
"Please, Zuko, give me some credit. I'm a light sleeper and woke up when you closed your door." Looking to the early dawn she added "Although I can't fathom why you would want to get up at such an ungodly hour."
"It's been one year since I got banished. I feel sad, yet I also feel happy. This is all so confusing," Zuko honestly told her.
Mai rolled her eyes at this. "Maybe you are happy because you're not constantly used as the whipping boy and have people who actually care about you? Oh spirits, sometimes I really wish you'd be less emo at times."
By now Zuko didn't blink an eye when she was this blunt. "Despite this you still like me."
"Of course I do. Without your faults you'd be like all these other noble brats who are either arrogant jerks or polished into formless whimps." That said, Mai stood beside him. "I really hate early dawn. Too much orange."
Zuko was distracted for a moment when he again saw how Mai had changed in the year since they'd left home. Mai's body had matured quite a bit and was slowly filling all the female curves that would define a woman. The effect this had on him was interesting, although Mai was trying hard to act as if nothing had changed. While he technically knew everything about it and what he himself was going through, actually experiencing it was very different. Both of them were still a bit too young for these things, but both of them knew their relationship would change dramatically in the near future, although not in a bad way.
He had no idea that Mai's thoughts were on the same topic.
For her, the year had been far easier, as it without doubt had been her happiest year, far away from all the things which had soured her childhood. Even though being on the ship was at times boring, the places they visited made up for it and she had people who cared for her as a person. She could finally do the things she wanted to do, not what others expected from her. It was very liberating.
However, the changes she was going though were quite stressful.
It had been supremely embarrassing when Ursa had sat her down and asked point blank about how she would change in the years to come and about the facts of life. Mai had been forced to admit she just knew the bare basics, so Ursa he proceeded to explain to her in all the glory details not only how and in which places her body would change, but also how there would be changes in her psyche so that she would notice things she had ignored up to now. Ursa had finished with a repeat of the facts of life.
Mai had felt like sinking into the ground in mortification.
Nonetheless, over the following months she'd noticed the changes beginning that would turn her to a grown-up woman. There was still way to go, but at least she had a woman she could confide in about her embarrassing fears and questions. Equally confusing were the mental changes. While she had always liked Zuko, she was now starting to see him in a different light and had caught herself more than once watching him a little too closely when he was bare-chested for firebending training. As loathe as she was to admit it, she wanted to see more of it.
Oh, and the worst is yet to come, Mai shuddered inwards, knowing what was yet to happen. As if I need my mood once a month to be worse than normal.
"I know you don't like it. But... can we just watch it? For me?" Zuko asked her.
Mai knew when to give in. "Since it is you..."
She didn't like early dawn, but she had nothing against Zuko's arm holding her by the hip while they watched the sun rising and returned the favor. Despite it being as boring as something could be, she actually liked it.
"You know, I like that you let you hair grow out again. You looked stupid with a shaven head," Mai finally said, looking at the currently unruly hair on Zuko's head.
Zuko moved his fingers through his hair. "I knew you never liked me shaving it, but when my mother told me it would give my father another win, I felt it's pointless and stopped doing it. The hair also makes the scar less prominent."
"Zuko, you know..." Mai turned and stopped.
Both of them had turned at the same moment. Looking each other in the eye and noticing how close they actually were. Both felt something stir in them. Zuko also noticed how inviting Mai's lips looked. "Mai, eh... can I...?"
Mai meanwhile was cursing herself, since right now she was losing control and blushed like a schoolgirl, which was so unlike herself it wasn't even funny. Yet, when she tried to answer Zuko, she sounded... actually quite shy. "S-sure... Please be very careful."
Very carefully, Zuko then captured Mai's lips.
They didn't know they were being watched. From the upper levels of the command tower, Iroh and Ursa watched the two teenagers gently taking the first step on the big journey. Ursa was generally an early riser and Iroh had needed an early bathroom break, thus both of them had noticed Zuko and Mai. While it had been too far away for hearing what the teens were saying, their actions were very clear.
"Both of them are still quite young, but they are obviously on a good way," Iroh commented.
Ursa held a gentle smile while watching this scene, yet couldn't help but to feel a little old. "They are growing up so fast. When I left, Zuko had still been an innocent child, and now he's growing up into a man."
"Yes, time knows no mercy. However, we should celebrate the good things that happen to us, instead of bemoaning what we have missed," Iroh told her.
Ursa had no answer to this. Was she still young enough to get new, good things for herself?
...time passes...
"Good! Good!" Iroh praised Zuko, watching the teenager hitting the targets with separate flame strikes. "Your control has improved significantly!"
Zuko took some deep breaths to calm down. "I know, and I have to thank you for it. Well, my mother and Mai as well, since they encouraged me to start back from the beginning."
It was true it had been a very rocky start, as while Iroh had finally offered training him, he had made it very clear he wouldn't teach Zuko unless he'd start back at the basics and find a different source from where he'd fuel his inner fire, as anger was a very bad idea. Zuko had been quite a bit offended at first until Ursa and Mai had backed Iroh, forcing Zuko to give in. Normally he would have been too stubborn, but the two of them had managed to convince him. He'd felt like a pre-schooler with his uncle teaching him the basics, but the end results spoke for themselves.
Without being constantly compared to Azula and positive feedback, he'd managed to make significant progress on making up for his completely screwed up first training, which his uncle had called 'a crime'. Sure, he was far from being in Azula's class, but he was making progress. His uncle had forbidden him from ever using blue fire, as he deemed it wasteful, just being flashy and generally bad for one's health. Zuko didn't need to be told, since even the Fire Lord was using normal flames and Azula had demonstrated wonderfully what could happen if you lose control over blue fire.
The biggest problem had been finding a new way to fuel his inner flame. With his anger dying down, so did his bending. He had asked his uncle what he did use as driving emotion, and his uncle had told him that it was the joy of life itself. This hadn't helped Zuko much, so he had asked his mother what she did to sustain her own powers, as small as they were. She'd told him that she used the warmness of love for it. This had been closer, but Zuko doubted he could use love in that way.
Out of ideas, he'd asked Mai, a non-bender, for advice.
She'd concluded that he was the most bull-headed person she'd ever met, but doubted that stubbornness would be a good emotion for firebending. However, it had made him thinking and then experiment around. Even though stubbornness was not the right thing, it had given him an idea and after some time, he did find the right emotion: determination. After all, if there was one thing he was sure about, it was his determination to protect the ones he cared for. His uncle had agreed, saying that determination for the right cause is a very powerful emotion.
Finally having spent his fire for the moment, Zuko noticed that he'd gained quite a big audience. He understood that in order to fight boredom, everything unusual was entertainment for the crew, and may it be him training his firebending skills.
That's also different. They all want to watch me honing my skills, Zuko observed.
"You have done really well, Prince Zuko. You'll soon be ready to learn a skill that will help you to combine your swordfighting with your firebending skills," Iroh told him.
"You mean the Swords of Fire?" Zuko had long wished to learn how to infuse his swords with fire, but had never managed to do so.
Iroh could clearly see, how eager Zuko was to learn this skill. "Oh yes. I always shied away from teaching you due to your temper. Now that you have better control, the time has come."
o
"What is it with these masks? I don't remember them being on the wall some days earlier," Mai observed while waiting for Ursa to mix something for her... regular problem. Sometimes she hated being a girl and was thankful Ursa knew some things that would lessen the discomfort experienced at her age.
Being in her cabin generally was an adventure in itself. While half of it looked like a regular cabin where Ursa would sleep, change or generally did her everyday stuff, the other half, separated by a curtain, looked like a herbalist shop with only the big cauldron missing, as Ursa had had no wish to any longer live next to it. The cook had been gracious enough to give her a place in the galley for it. it was no secret that Ursa's love for herbs was her way of re-connecting with what she had lost after being forced to leave her home village.
"Oh, I bought these in the last colony we visited. They are the masks of the two main characters in 'Love amongst the Dragons'. Since my original ones are probably collecting dust in a chest somewhere in the palace, I bought them for the sake of nostalgia," Ursa explained, while carefully filling a potion into a crystal bottle.
"This looks... tasty," Mai grimaced when seeing the greenish syrup in the bottle.
"Oh, it tastes way better than it looks. I just need to heat-treat it for a moment." Suddenly a flame - not spectacular but still a flame - erupted in the hand holding the bottle, bathing it in heat for some seconds. "There, all done."
"I had no idea you could do that," Mai asked, while accepting the bottle.
"Oh, Iroh loves to try and coax a little more firebending out of me, but all these years are hard to shake off. Still, it does have its uses. In the last port a drunk didn't stop offending me until I threatened to burn off his balls," Ursa chuckled, remembering the incident very well.
Mai knew why she had gown so fond of Ursa.
o
Zuko and Mai had not been thrilled that they'd been roped into watching a circus performance at the colony they were currently docking at. Granted, the acrobats were rather impressive, especially that one girl, but it still was the matter of the principle. They felt treated like little children by being forced to attend. Both of them also had been rather embarrassed how enthusiastic both grown-ups had been about everything.
"You two could at least try acting your age," Mai snarked.
"Oh, why should we do so? Everyone once in a while needs a little fun, regardless how old they are," Iroh told her with a smile.
"Forget it, Mai. Once Uncle Iroh has has mind set on something, it's useless to get him away from it. And it seems my mother got into it as well," Zuko told Mai, not wanting to be drawn into the argument.
"You two really need to relax a bit more," Ursa lightly scolded the teenagers. "You're on a good way, but it could still be... Oh sorry!" Ursa was stopped when she nearly ran into someone, namely the impressive acrobat girl. However, her apology was cut short when the girl took one look at them, and...
"Oh, yesyesyesyes! I can't believe it! I can't believe it!"
Mai paled when recognising that voice and it was confirmed when the girl pulled off her headgear to reveal her face and long braid. "Ty Lee?... Ouch!" She was stopped from saying more when the girl suddenly hugged her.
"Oh, this is so greatgreatgreat! I'm so happy that I can see you again and you are no longer just gray. There's a number of interesting colors now. Oh, and is this Zuko, he looks like a hunk and the scar doesn't look as bad as I had feared. I can't believe you've found his mother, I heard it but didn't believe it at first and I..."
Ty Lee finally stopped when Ursa put her hand onto her shoulder. "I know you are enthusiastic to see them again, but I think there's a better place for a reunion than on the open road."
"Oh, I know the right place! Come!"
A little later found them sitting in some chairs behind a caravan with Ty Lee serving them some juice while still babbling in her joy at seeing them again. Mai still wasn't thrilled to see Ty Lee again, but the sheer enthusiasm the girl was radiating made it hard to dislike her. Zuko in turn tried hard to concentrate on Ty Lee's face, since he hadn't failed to notice that she'd 'developed' a lot since he had last seen her. Mai hadn't missed this and sent him some warning looks to keep his eyes under control, while Ursa and Iroh watched the whole thing with amusement, relieved to see these two exhibiting typical teenager behavior.
Finally, Iroh felt that mercy was needed for Zuko and Mai and held up his hand. "Clam, child. I think these two are a little overwhelmed with your verbal assault."
"Oh, oops!" Ty Lee blushed a little.
Mai enjoyed the silence for a moment, before finally asking the important question. "How comes you are here? Shouldn't you be at home or did you run away?"
Ty Lee's cheerfulness vanished. "You have no idea how bad things have gotten since you've left. Oh, and that wasn't exactly nice to leave me all alone to deal with Azula."
"To be honest, we have no idea at all what happened after we left. Why don't you tell us?" Zuko admitted, unnerved how serious Ty Lee suddenly looked.
Ty Lee sighed, while sitting down. "I honestly can't blame Mai for leaving; it's quite romantic after all. However, Azula felt that this was a very personal betrayal, so Mai's has become 'she whose name shall not be spoken'. The one time I did, I lost ten centimeters of my braid."
Mai and Zuko shared a look. They had never lost a thought that others could suffer for Mai's decision to leave.
However, Ty Lee wasn't done. "It actually becomes worse. Azula felt that she needed someone else to replace Mai; a girl she felt would never go against her. Mai's replacement... I hope I never see her again. She's a brute of a girl who looks more like a man with overly many muscles and who is called Astria. She absolutely loves violence and does everything Azula orders her to. Right on the first day, Azula suggested ripping off the head of a turtleduck, and that girl did it right in front of my eyes with a sadistic smile. Thank all goodness she's no firebender."
There was a moment of silence, with everyone shuddering what Azula could form out of someone already this violent. Zuko also was disturbed due to his love for turtleducks.
Ty Lee shook her head. "And then there are Mai's parents." She looked to Mai. "They've literally erased every trace you have even existed and act as if they were expecting their first child. I went by their house one day and heard horrible shouting coming from the inside, before your uncle stormed out, looking like was ready to kill. He grumbled how they could do this to you and that he felt pity for the unborn child. I really don't want to think what they'll do to this kid."
Ty Lee then drank half a glass of juice, before she continued "My parents were jumpy ever since the braid-incident, so when I was done with school, they were all to eager to help me get onto a Fire Nation circus touring the colonies, far away from Azula. I'm really happy here. Everyone appreciates my talents."
"Oh dear..." Ursa had guessed from everything Zuko an Mai had told her, that things back in the Fire Nation were not good on the personal front, but they'd obviously neglected to see if others would suffer from it. "You poor girl..."
"No, really, I'm much happier now!" Ty Lee insisted, while standing up. "Everyone likes me here and says I have great talent. The audience always applauds when I show what I can do. It's the happiest I've ever been!" To underline it, she made cartwheels around the group, finally regaining her happiness.
"You've obviously found your calling in life," Ursa observed, "I knew you were good at gymnastics back then, but never imagined you to become this good."
"Great, isn't it!" Ty Lee then let herself fall back into her chair. "But enough of me! Ohhh, you must have seen so many exciting things while traveling around the world. Oh please, tell me, tell me everything!"
Mai felt another headache coming up. It was nothing personal against Ty Lee, she even was glad that the girl got away from the hellhole that was the capital of the Fire Nation. However, Ty Lee's energetic personality was like sandpaper on her nerves. Add to it that this would take longer and they had to edit their tales to spare Ty Lee the more gruesome details of some places, and it would be a test of endurance for her.
...southern arctic ocean, almost 2 ¾ years after Zuko's banishment...
It was cold. Well, that was little wonder, considering that the ship was currently cruising in the southern arctic ocean, evading icebergs. Standing at the bow of the ship, Zuko watched the horizon. The cold didn't bother him much, while he was remembering why the ship was currently cruising through these waters.
After almost three years of searching, Zuko saw this as the final straw he could hold on. All other leads had proven to be useless and it seemed the Avatar had never been in the Earth Kingdom, which gave Zuko two last hopes: that either the last Airbender was still living in the Souther Water Tribe, or that the Avatar was reborn into it. Zuko didn't want to imagine the Avatar living in the Norther Water Tribe, unreachable for him. So in a last attempt to locate the Avatar, he'd ordered course towards the South Pole, regardless how little the chance was to find anything, especially since the Fire Nation had made good on destroying the tribes by force and root out waterbending.
To be honest, it would not be horrible for him to find nothing.
Zuko was actually content with his life. He did have a crew that held to him and was in a strange way an extended family. His mother and uncle, the only relatives he cared for and who cared for him, were with him and offered their help when he needed it. And of course there was Mai. Snarky, sarcastic and taking no shit from anyone; he couldn't have wished for a better girlfriend. He knew she was very nice under her hard shell, but she would only show that to the ones she trusted. Yes, the search for the Avatar was, as his uncle had said, next to impossible and he had finally accepted this fact and would soon fill his time with more useful things he could do.
Looking to his left, he saw Iroh and Ursa enjoying some warm tea while playing some sort of board game he did not understand. Iroh was not bothered by the cold, while Ursa preferred to wear a heavy coat, despite having an inner fire of her own. Maybe she simply didn't trust her firebending skills too much, as she had never managed to let any fire leave her hand. Holding a flame in her hand seemed to be the best she could do.
"Why are you staring at the empty ocean?" Mai asked, having appeared behind him. Unlike Zuko, she'd put a hundred curses on how damn cold it was and was wearing a think coat, annoyed that it seriously hampered her throwing skills.
"It's a strange feeling that something important could happen..." Zuko had no way to explain it, the feeling was just there.
"Of course." Mai had long since given up on trying to understand any spiritual stuff. For her, it all was just a huge pile of crap she didn't give a damn on. "Don't complain to me when you get a cold, however."
It was now Zuko who rolled his eyes. "I don't get colds due to..." Zuko stopped in mid-sentence.
This sudden change unnerved Mai. "Zuko?"
"There... is something." Zuko felt strange and then noticed his mother looking disturbed as well, while she was walking up to them.
"You feel it as well?" Ursa asked, "It's so strange, as if something is about to happen."
She didn't look like she was in pain, so Zuko was not concerned, but if both of them, but no one else felt it, it must have had to do with...
His thoughts were stopped when all of a sudden a bright column of light erupted from a place behind the horizon, while at the same time the seals and sea lions on the ice floats woke up and howled in union. The light lasted for quite some time before it faded away.
"Zuko?" Mai wondered, now concerned what all this could mean.
Zuko ha not expected that this day would ever come, but this was a sign all too clear. However, if it was true, he also soon would have to make a very difficult decision for the future. He no longer was the same Prince who had left the Fire Nation in disgrace. All this time away had changed him. And the decision he hoped he never would have to make was approaching fast.
"The Avatar."
to be continued...
Next Episode: "Avatar Aang"
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. I therefore left her backstory intact, but made it that she doesn't find Ikem, so she leaves for the Earth Kingdom.
Also, the sage's prediction that she'll bring great things to the lineage make no sense with Ursa being a non-bender. Then I had the idea that while she's a firebender, her skills are crippled after years of being taught to hold her fire down. I got the idea from the habit on old China to cripple the feet of high-status women.
By now Zuko and Mai are acting quite a bit different. Zuko has spent almost three years with people who care for him, so he doesn't have much anger in him and is much more reasonable. However, as we will see, he's still impulsive and goes with the head through the wall. Mai also complains about him being emo at times.
Mai herself was a challenge. So she's different from canon, having spent the very important teenage years growing up with people who actually cared. Of course she's now more mellow and open than in canon. But make no mistake: Zuko made it clear she also still is a lot like the canon Mai.
Now that Aang has awakend, the three chapter long "prologue" has ended, and the actual story has begun. I felt for worldbuilding, I needed this much.
I also will try to enter the story at TVtropes.