A bath house was not exactly where Mai had hoped they'd end up after floating downstream for three weeks, but it was better than nothing. Groaning, she stood and stretched her aching limbs as the raft came to a stop.

"Aah, this is what I've been missing!" Iroh declared happily. "Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood with no food or water and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?" Mai cringed, did he need to remind her of those things?

"Dry land is dry land," she said. "Right, Zuko?"

The banished prince sat alone by the doorway, head resting on his hands. He looked strange in the plain gray robes and the wide-brimmed straw hat; for a moment she wondered if this might not be such a good idea lest people find out they were Fire Nation. But Iroh didn't seem to care as he'd immediately accepted the attendants' offer of a massage. She sat down next to Zuko, glancing under the brim of his hat.

"Zuko, what's-" She blanched. "...oh, right." How could she have forgotten the date so easily?

"It's the anniversary, isn't it?" Iroh said as the attendants finished their work and stepped back. Zuko turned to face them, looking as blank and hopeless as he did the day Zhao betrayed them.

"Three years," he said quietly. "Three years since I was humiliated and banished and shamed in front of all those people." He made a tight fist, suddenly shaking his head. "I want my honor back, I just want to go home and live my life the way I used to. I want my father to think I'm worth something again!"

"Zuko..." Mai put a hand on his shoulder. "Stop worrying. You're doing your best to find the Avatar, and your efforts will pay off sooner or later."

"And your father does think you're worth something!" Iroh added. "Why would be banish you if he didn't care?"

Mai winced as Zuko glared at Iroh, shrugged her hand off and walked away.

"Nice move," she muttered, and Iroh cringed.

"That came out wrong, didn't it?"

"Yeah, I would say so!" Mai sighed. "So what, is this one of those times where we comfort him, or yell at him?"

"I don't think either will do any good right now, Mai," Iroh said. "Perhaps we should leave Zuko alone for the time being, let him work through his feelings by himself." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "In the meantime, would you like to take a walk with me? It is a beautiful day."

Mai shrugged.

"Sure, why not?"

*

Somewhere in the distance, a Fire Nation ship was headed towards their location at alarming speed. Princess Azula smirked dangerously.

Dear brother and uncle, you have disgraced the family name for the last time. Today is the last day of the rest of your lives!

*

When Zuko returned from his own walk, Iroh had just walked into the cabin with a bag full of seashells.

"Ah, nephew!" he greeted. "Aren't these shells magnificent? I'll treasure these keepsakes for years to come!" Zuko rolled his eyes.

"Could you stop collecting useless trinkets? We have to carry everything ourselves from now on, remember?" He blinked. "Where's Mai?"

"She went to the market to get us some supplies," Iroh said. "Now, Prince-"

He was cut off by the door swinging open and an all-too-familiar voice.

"Hello, brother. Uncle."

Zuko's chest tightened and he stepped forward, looking his sister in the eye.

"What are you doing here? Come to gloat in person about my latest failure to catch the Avatar?" he snapped. Azula feigned a gasp of shock.

"Why, Zuzu, where are your manners? Don't you remember how to say hello to your dear sister?" she asked. "And of course I haven't come to gloat, why would I do such a thing?"

"Because it's what you always do, and don't call me that," Zuko said sharply.

"To what do we owe this honor?" Iroh asked calmly. Azula sighed.

"It must run in the family, you both just want to get straight to the point!" she said. "Very well, then. Zuko, Father has changed his mind and wishes for you to come home right away."

Zuko's heart skipped a beat and began to pound.

"Why?"

"He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him," Azula said. "Treacherous plans. He's quite nervous, even if he wouldn't admit it himself, and right now he needs his firstborn by his side more than anything." Her words sent a surge of hope through Zuko, even as he noticed his uncle's face darkening with every word his sister spoke. "Family is so very important to Father, after all," Azula continued.

Don't believe her, the little voice warned, but Zuko brushed it off. Home. Could it be? His father truly wanted to see him again? Azula always lies, a small voice reminded him, but why would she lie about something like this? His father must mean it if he sent Azula all the way here to tell him so...at least, it made sense in his mind.

She wouldn't lie about this.

"Did you hear me?" Azula's voice cut through his thoughts. "You should be very happy at the wonderful news I've just given you. Grateful, even! I didn't need to come all this way, but I did out of the goodness of my own heart!"

"I'm sure your brother just needs a moment to-" Iroh began, but Azula pushed him out of the way.

"Don't interrupt us, Uncle! Hmph, it seems as though your manners retired along with you!" She looked at Zuko. "So? Where's my thank you?"

Zuko swallowed, looking back and forth between them. Azula always lied, and Uncle usually knew best, but...

"He truly means it? He wants me back?" he stammered. Azula smiled.

"I'll give you some time to take this all in, then," she said. "I'll call on you tomorrow, though, and I expect your answer by then. Good evening."

As soon as she left, Iroh clamped his hand down on Zuko's shoulder.

"You know she's lying," he said. "Your father-"

"She wouldn't come all this way just to lie!" Zuko snapped.

"I know my brother better than you do, Zuko, and I have never known him to regret anything," Iroh said firmly.

"Well, you obviously don't know him that well at all, then," Zuko said, "didn't you hear Azula?"

"Every word, and she is lying to you, Zuko! Just like she always has!" Iroh sighed. "Look-"

"No, you look. Father cares about me, okay? He wants me back and I'm not going to let you talk me out of a chance to regain my honor!"

"Honor, honor! It's always about the honor with you, isn't it?" Iroh groaned. "Zuko, listen to me. In our family, things are not always as they seem, and this is a prime example."

Zuko clenched his fists and stared him straight in the eye.

"I know exactly what you are," he said through clenched teeth. "A lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who has always been jealous of his brother! You just can't stand the thought of me having my old life back because you want me to become lazy and foolish like you!" He turned on his heel and stormed out before his uncle could answer, just in time to run into Mai.

"Woah, hot stuff coming through," Mai snorted, blinking when Zuko didn't even roll his eyes or chuckle at her attempted humor. "Zuko, are you all right? What's going on?"

"Well-" He cut himself off. Did he dare tell her Azula had shown up unannounced? I don't want to involve her in our family's drama, he thought, but he knew it was a lie. She'd become involved ever since she chose to run away and join him three years ago.

I don't want her to see Azula, he admitted. He'd grown too close to Mai in these last three years, and if she knew Azula had been there she'd want to see her. What if she realized she'd been a fool for associating with a banished prince? Even if Father had changed his mind it would take years to undo the damage done to his reputation, and Azula would make sure Mai knew this.

Ever since we were children she's had everything and I've had nothing, he thought resentfully. Every time something good was going to happen to me she'd use her tricks and her charms to ruin it, and when she wasn't scaring off any friends I made she was bullying them over to her side by making me look bad.

He wasn't going to let Azula take Mai from him, and that was that.

"Well?" Mai looked at him expectantly.

"I had a fight with Uncle, it's not important," he finally said. "How much stuff did you get?"

"I got us blankets and enough food to last us a couple weeks. Any word on where the Avatar's headed next?" she asked.

"Mai...what would you think if I told you something had changed, and we were going back to the Fire Nation?" Zuko ventured. Mai blinked.

"Right. Let me guess, the Avatar stopped by and offered himself up as a prisoner?" she deadpanned. "Where're you hiding him, Zuko?"

"He didn't." Zuko thought for a moment, trying to come up with a feasible lie. "I got a message from home, it said Father changed his mind and needs me for something important."

"...really." Mai didn't look like she believed him. "Where's the message?"

"It's not on paper, some soldier came by earlier and left right after he told me," Zuko lied. "But we're going home, Mai! We don't have to live like this anymore!"

"Well..." Mai shrugged, then smiled. "I guess that's good, then. It'll be nice to sleep our own beds and see our families again. When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow morning," Zuko said. "We should leave as early as possible."

"Does your uncle know?" Mai asked, and Zuko bristled.

"He's not coming," he said. "He said he'd rather live a nice, quiet life as a peasant...you know Uncle, privilege and titles don't mean anything to him these days."

"Oh..." Mai put a hand on his shoulder. "Won't you miss him, though?"

"Well, yeah, but we'll write to each other every day," Zuko said. "The important thing is, you and I are finally going home."

"Okay..." Mai put the bags down. "I'll go start packing, then."

"Me too." Zuko went back to his room and began to rifle through his things. Iroh left to go for another walk until the sun set, after which he came back to help Mai make dinner.

The trio barely said a word to each other for the rest of the evening, each one too caught up in the suddenness of all that had happened. Only Zuko remained certain of anything, of one thing.

We're going home. I've finally regained my honor.