Here's another chapter guys!

Credit to my beta reader, for she did a phenomenal job and for continuously dealing with my tom-foolery: BrownEyedHoneybadger

On with the show!

What have I gotten myself into?

Currently, due to some minor persuasion from Azula—and then maybe her friends and brother—he was fashioned to be a Swords Teacher. Not the most formal name, Roan had to admit, but it got the point across. And at his meeting with the fire-lord, Ozai, Roan would not bend his knee and kneel, which needless to say made the man angry.

"Why won't you kneel to father?" Azula whispered harshly.

Roan kept a hardened stare straight ahead, meeting blackened eyes with blackened eyes. "This man does not deserve it. I have a sense about these things, if you must know."

Twirling step, Roan fled the room at a quickened pace, marching down to the garden in no time flat. Later that night months ago, Azula stormed into the grass-filled area brimming to the core with a rage he had only seen hiding deep under a grudge at the hands of a ghost. Whispering winds streamed lovingly in the air. And the small pond holding these strange duck-like creatures stood peacefully.

"He's your only option if you want to stay here! You know that, right?! True, you may be from another world but that won't gain you absolution from his wrath!"

Then, in the cold moon's embrace, his cold voice reminded her just of what he was being offered, or what she wanted him for.

"I don't think you understand. Palace or not, I don't care where I am. Training you and the others is the only reason for me being here. Otherwise I would have continued to run. So if you actually want me to be here, don't expect me to bow. Instead, plead to your father and hope he is merciful."

Stepping away from the mighty tree lying next to the pond, Roan bowed to Azula.

"Don't misunderstand me. I would love to teach you. But there are things here that need to be set in motion—even I can see that, and I've only been here for three days."

Azula barely set a foot on the ground as she came closer to him. In her eyes he could see a question, one he could answer, thankfully.

"When I was locked away in the asylum... I held nary a hope of escaping that damned place. But... when a trap door opened above me and a man pushed down a corpse to settle in front of me, with the key, I knew then that I had purpose. Then, Oscar made everything clear... you should know what I am pointing to now. You are a smart girl, a very intelligent girl." Azula loosely knotted her brows together as she pondered his meaning. "The staff in the palace speak of the war you are in, and of the victories that have become a guideline as to what should be expected."

Slowly, Roan tip-toed around the pond at an agonizingly slow pace, balancing himself wondrously at the edge as he tipped his head to look at the water mirroring him.

"Other countries are to fall to welcome peace. That is the cost that has been set. What's worse is that I have acquired knowledge about a certain character named the Avatar."

Azula's head snapped to him, eyes widening in a split second.

"If you're wondering about him than I will say that what I have heard is that the one that has kept balance in the world before... is now gone."

Roan whipped his head to Azula. Leaning down to her, Azula realized he had made his way to stand only a foot away, his back to the pond. Adjusting his blackened armor of Artorias, Roan spoke quietly, "People believe that all hope is lost. Servants that have served you believe in their kingdom, they believe in what they fight for, willingly following you all into the inferno. But not everyone. Some have come to me as a beacon of hope... as a…" straightening out again he walked back over to the edge of the garden, placing a single hand comfortingly on a pillar, and leaning his head to the moon he muttered something to the wind.

Azula had said nothing after, choosing instead to plead to her father. Needless to say, he was made their teacher an hour later where he began all of their weapons training back in the training room.

Roan could feel Ozai's same hardened eyes burden him as the months went by. But that didn't matter. Teaching young children like the two in front of him served as a cooling refresh from the days he spent slaughtering thousands of hollows in a repeat of insanity. Guards patrolled the halls beside him every few minutes as he continued his instruction.

It's like they don't trust me.

"No that's not right. Combat in your fire-bending and combat with a sword are two completely different concepts. Either can be quick and melodious in thought and action. But fighting with a sword is a matter of patience and sometimes bitter strategy," Roan instructed.

Slumping to the floors, Azula and Zuko tiredly settled their longswords on the ground beside them, tending to lay them parallel to their legs like Roan had taught them. Both had been good listeners, Zuko sometimes even more so. In sparring matches between the two, Roan found that Azula still held a grudge larger than a sister should to her brother with no end in sight. But... it had been improving lately.

"You two should know by now that fury is not a place that welcomes open anger," standing up from his seat opposite the entrance, Roan walked serenely around the two, tossing his hand loosely in the air, he continued, "It welcomes patience and discipline."

Zuko laid back on his hands holding him up like they were stilts. His red and black uniform was crinkled and torn in some places.

"Where did you learn to fight?" Zuko asked, his voice laced in his tiredness.

Looks like both of them are gasping for breath... I'll give them time.

Stopping in his steps Roan placed a single digit on the Helm of Artorias adorning his face, finally matching the rest of his armor. Where did he learn again? It couldn't have been by his mother... she was dead and buried respectively on their home ground back in Balder...

Shaking his head he tipped his head back, he looked to the sealing in repent at his folly; the memory simply wouldn't show itself.

Stuttering slightly, Roan responded, "I-I forgot."

Azula stood quickly, along with Zuko, moving towards him she bowed deeply to him.

"Let's just say you taught yourself. Remember, you spoke to me about your travels before you were turned, so you must've learned then," Azula said.

Looking over to Zuko, she nudged his arm.

"...Yeah..."

Roan bowed to the two before he shot a happy smile and sat back down in his chair.

"Thank you. Let's begin again." Throwing out his arm, he continued. "Raise your weapons and slash down, just like I showed you!"

After Azula and Zuko practiced his arts later that day, fire-bending training was next with their mentor. And of all times of the day, fire-bending training was the one thing he did not like, for what they taught them contradicted his teachings, since fire-bending for the nation was a source of anger and utter chaos to be controlled. So for them to even bend they had to have a rage and fiery wrath to make their attacks effective. All of which translated to his lessons.

Walking through the halls like he always did, Roan observed the banners lining every inch of the walls. His dark eyes glinting in the hallways torched lights.

Suddenly, a shadow picked off in the distance and he felt a slight rise in temperature condensate around him. Loud noises Roan could only assume were voices yelling at one another channeled like a beacon to a ship. He felt his feet move quickly, embellishing on him his Slumbering Dragoncrest Ring, silencing his own sounds all together while also removing his Dark Wood Grain Ring. Opting to stay in the shadows, he followed the movement not far from him before he found himself behind one of the two giant banners falling from the ceiling.

Well shit. Whoever decided to go and see the Fire Lord at this time was insane.

"Are you sure about this Azula?"

Roan rolled his eyes. He should have known.

"Of course I am. Just watch! You know we're both interested about what father's going to do to our mentor!"

Raising his brows, he crept closer to them. Curiosity would be the death of him for sure, he sulked. Zuko faced Azula completely, and Roan lost his look, though his voice remained a coherent whisper.

"Blaming the mentor for letting an assassin in is a good way to get him killed! I thought we were only going to get him fired!" Zuko whispered sharply.

Azula merely gave him a sour look.

"And let Roan be blamed for our trouble in training? Please." Azula shoved a hand in Zuko's face. "Our 'mentor' has been feeding father a bunch of lies and you know it."

Smiling to himself a little, Roan decided to make his presence known.

"I'm glad that you two care about me so much."

Jumping slightly, Roan couldn't help but chuckle at their shocked glancing looks in his direction. Then the fire in the room lit and burned more violently than before as all three of them listened to the fire-lord scold their mentor like a dragon burning its prey. And like a dragon, Fire Lord Ozai shot the flames higher as he stood and pointed at the poor guy.

A small lithe hand planted itself on his shoulder. Roan turned and met Azula's soft look. She was nodding, a smile gently gracing her usually fiery stare.

"Let's go," he beckoned. "The damage is done. We know he's gone at this point."

Stepping slowly out of the room, Azula and Zuko smiled greatly to him, both embracing him fondly.

"You know you could have just let him kick me," he commented humorously.

The two simply stared at him before shaking their heads, and exchanged glances for a moment. Azula stepped up as Zuko grappled his arm. Aimlessly, they wandered for a few silent minutes. Nothing corrupted the pure unabridged silence.

Azula rebounded from her gentle side a moment ago, painfully realizing a slip in her mask. She knew she needed something to cover it up. Her eyes met the long pony-tail stretching off from the blue black and grey headpiece. She kept looking and within a minute her eyes attracted his attention.

She spoke the first thing that came to mind. "It's not like we like you." She faced forwards. "You're an abundant source of knowledge and you're honest with us...and you're a friend of ours," Azula added.

Roan merely laughed in his head as he nodded. He knew what she meant. Not one for conversation, Roan knew what she could get like if she felt uncomfortable saying something and right about now she was that same child trying to act grown up. Though perhaps less of one. Sparking memories popped in his head at the flustered look from Azula, oh yes, he could remember, but he wouldn't spoil the thought.

"Thank you."

Zuko's arms drifted them through the halls at an agonizingly slow pace. The sun burned brightly down in the hallway before them through the windows. Outside, Roan could swear he could see a nicely sized town stretch out and to a dock positioned perfectly out to this giant statue, arms held wide open. He sighed.

Roan guessed now would be a good time for the kids to go to bed as the day was long and. He regarded the two royalties with pristine patience.

"Well now, off to bed with you two. We'll see what happens with your other mentor tomorrow, alright?"

Walking off, Roan watched as the two started small conversation as they walked in the hallway, almost like actual siblings would.

Night fell over the palace and a silent wind caressed every hall in what seemed a clandestine evening. This is just creepy, it feels like something terrible is about to happen. Roan placed a solemn hand on the black breast-plate jutting out from his chest below a ragged blue cloth hanging over his shoulder. Assassins had made it fairly evident that they didn't want to kill the Fire Lord's wife, and if they had they would have killed her several times over from the lack of guards outside her door.

Roan looked to the entrance of the palace. Large as it may be the red doors were easy to open, he had experienced that himself not long ago. Tripping over a misplaced tile tended to make one lose their balance. Not long ago rumors came spilling through the halls to stop at his ear, and what he heard disturbed him, so determined Roan sat near the entrance with his arms crossed and his head held down as if he were sleeping. Silently, he waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Until finally, footsteps rang out like a bell awakening him to the moon's beloved embrace. Lifting his head, Roan set his eyes on his target. Whoever she was she wished to remain hidden, and by the way she walked there was no possible way to determine if weapons spoiled her. Roan tilted his head, trying to inconspicuously determine who this woman was.

Dark red robe, red shoes, black hair, and... what is that?! On top of the woman's head sat the royal headpiece meant only for the Fire Lord's wife.

"What is she doing?" he asked himself.

Ursa continued her trek down the hall before passing him, and then her eyes met his. Curious, Roan leans away from the wall and stepped in front of Ursa.

What are you up to?

He narrowed his eyes, the moon's lights shading his face perfectly to leave everything to the imagination—just what he needed.

"What are you doing, Ursa-san?"

No matter how long he stayed there, the royals of the family preferred for him not to be formal with them, opting for his mutual rights as a mediator in some cases. This did not apply to Fire Lord nor Azula, though the girl changed after a period of time.

Ursa's voice trembled slightly as she spoke. "I'm leaving."

"Where and when will you be back?" Roan asked in mock innocence.

"Never."

Roan's eyes widened and his fists clenched.

"I can't take what I did anymore, and leaving was a part of the de-" Ursa slapped her hands over her mouth.

"What deal?" Roan commanded firmly, silently.

Ursa shook her head. "I can't tell."

Cracking his fingers, Roan attempted to deal with the headache coming on to him. What deal was she talking about? Did it have to do something with the mentor being fired, or was it something else? Thinking back on what happened, he couldn't remember anything truly drastic other than meeting Iroh, Fire Lord Ozai's brother—a happy fellow if one asked him.

He brought a hand to his chin, keeping an eye on Ursa, and turning to the garden's door. Was it something that happened before his coming?

So he voiced his idea, "Was it a controversy before I came? Anything that I haven't heard from the staff?"

Ursa nodded.

"Is it possible that the staff were ordered not to speak of it? Because with what I've seen and heard is that your servants are talkative and extremely loyal, so it wouldn't be a surprise if that's the case."

Again, she nodded.

Roan considered his options. Either convince her to tell him about the deal, or learn about it later after she's gone. Well those were the only options he could come up with—he never really was the smartest out there, or at least that's what Big Hat Logan stated once.

"Tell me then, and I'll consider letting you go," Roan said slowly. His eyes locking with hers in what was an erasable stare that kept Ursa from running away.

"I made a deal with my ex-husband," Roan flinched, "to help concoct a traceless poison."

Tears traveled down her face as she took on the look of a woman ultimately broken, she continued sobbing, "and that poison was used to help kill his father!"

She grabbed his shoulders. "I tried to have it so that my children could come with me, but he wouldn't allow it! He wouldn't even let me take my own children with me!"

"But why wait so long?" Roan questioned. Everything she said stabbed at him. What were the two brats going to think? He remembered losing his mother at a young age after all the hardships they went through. Losing a mother was only a supplement to the anger and hatred that the Fire Nation was trying to instill and if she left, there was no way possible that he could keep them looking towards the light high in the sky instead of the hell-bound flames in the earth. Certainly he had time to think about his anger in a cell and come to a conclusion, but that wasn't an option for the children!

"It was your arrival alone that made me postpone my plan. I couldn't leave my children when a stranger was made their teacher after only a few days!"

"I don't think you understand," Roan grasped her shoulders, leaving her to clutch her chest. "You won't have a choice about your children when you leave. Besides, why not just take your children with you regardless of what that idiot Ozai thinks?"

Ursa hung her head. "I would, but the entire guard would come after us, and the assassins attacking Zuko and Azula would only increase with no security!"

Again, Roan considered what she said. Nowhere to go that is safe, running from the law in that country... in that country... he took on an inquisitive look, in a moment Roan's eyes stared hard at Ursa, a plan hatching as the seconds kept passing.

"I'll protect you three, we can leave the country, and I'm sure there are many guards that would want to help us! I doubt that the servants wouldn't have much to object to either once they learn of the situation." He brought her close, embracing her. "And think Ursa. If any of them work against us I can simply knock them out. You of all people should know that I am strong enough to protect you and the children—spying on us during our earlier sessions should prove enough," he said seriously.

Minutes passed and Ursa made no move. She simply stared deep into the blue fabric pressing comfortably against her. Tears slowly exited her eyes all throughout. Perhaps her choice had been made? His hypothesis rang true in a moment as Ursa's voice resounded with a strength he had never seen from her before.

"Alright, let's go get the children and along the way you can talk to any guards or servants. If they choose to not follow us, than you know what to do, ok? I'll handle Azula and Zuko."

Nodding, Roan smiled, finally holding her closer for a moment longer before stepping away.

"Let's go."

Azula awoke to her doors opening quickly, interrupting her dream, and summoning a scowl Roan had taught to use when facing a person in battle. Naturally, it had become her usual face when she was mad. Though to her surprise, her mother strode in the room with red tear streaks marring her usually beautiful skin. What happened?

As she was about to ask her question, Ursa grasped her shoulder before pulling her up and out of bed.

"Azula, get dressed alright, sweetie? Go to the entrance. Roan will be waiting for you," she said.

Confused, Azula just nodded her head as she began to dress in her typical uniform. What in the world was that about? Her eyes traced the window high above her dresser, a beam leading straight to her eyes. The moon looked so beautiful.

Finally feeling her clothes, she patted down anything that seemed out of place before moving to the door. Several guards moved to where the entrance was and again her mind felt around for any hints of what was going on, coming up with a blank. Looking back around in her room, Azula couldn't tell what was happening, but just in case.

A few minutes passed and several members of staff waited at the door alongside several guards. The deal that Roan had managed to work out with them was that they were to pick up their families as they left the country, which ultimately made the plan all the more dangerous, but then from what he heard immigrants were easily dismissed to travel to the colonies and searching was made minimum if one had enough money. That, and with the Fire Lord's schedule being so rigorous, Roan knew that he wouldn't be able to see his children until it was too late and they were already out to sea.

"Is everyone here?" Roan asked.

One of the guards nodded, pointing to the children walking alongside their mother, though both of the children had a serious case of bed-head. Roan chuckled.

"Good, now open the doors. We're leaving."

"Wait! Why are we leaving? Where are we going? And why the secrecy?" Azula commanded tiredly.

Kneeling down to her level, Roan waved past everyone to keep going ,leaving the royalty to stay behind for a second.

"There are things happening in the Fire Nation that you have not been made aware of. We are protecting you, Zuko, and your mother from this danger with as many volunteers as we can gather."

"Why isn't father here?" Azula asked.

Roan knew this information wouldn't be easily received for her and he would be proud to see her against it and not just for her, but for Zuko as well.

Ursa answered for him, "You're father is causing the danger and we need to get away as quickly as possible. Please trust us."

The looks on the children's faces mirrored absolute confusion and it didn't take long for Zuko to start shedding tears, but that wasn't what surprised Roan. What surprised him were Azula's tears finally breaking the barrier as she collapsed into his arms, Zuko falling into his mothers. He could feel Azula wetting his armor and a small patch of wetness forming on Ursa's shoulder. This was a response he really wanted, he supposed.

"Is that a yes?" Roan asked, gently.

He didn't need to hear an answer as Azula and Zuko both looked up and into the adults' eyes.

"Yes."

Nightfall sheltered them, guiding them like the North Star to a new hope and a new future sitting just over the horizon as the families all boarded a specifically meant for long trips over the seas. Long had they waited, hours of conversation with distraught family members, and now the moment of truth came in the shape of one of the guard's ships owned by his father ready for a voyage he had originally planned to take with his family on. Roan looked to the moon nestling itself just over the sea. If only his world could've had that...

"Alright everyone! Hop on in we need to go!" the captain yelled.

"Roan."

Turning his head, Roan locked eyes with Azula. She moved to sit beside him against one of the walls of the deck.

"Why aren't you with us where the beds are? You of all people deserve to at least have the courtesy of sleeping."

He shrugged. Did he ever tell them about that? The way she asked him that question suggested that he hadn't but he could've sworn otherwise—oh well, better late than never.

"I can't sleep." Holding up his hand he stopped her from replying. "And before you make any smart comments, I mean I literally can't sleep. Being undead doesn't allow me the luxury."

"Oh."

"Ah, don't worry about it too much. Not being able to sleep has allowed me to think clearly during the nights. Though lonely as you can imagine, it really isn't as bad as you think."

Azula punched his shoulder. "Shut up. Don't remind yourself of that if you don't have to."

"I don't, but I want to."

"Shut up either way."

Time slept mockingly slow around them and then before he thought Azula was asleep she spoke, "You said you were undead, correct?"

Roan nodded.

"Well does that mean if you are killed you will rise again, healthy as before?"

There's no easy way to explain that, he thought. Leaning his head back against the ships wooden wall, he looked again to the stars. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Thinking back, Roan recalled all his memories regarding his numerous deaths. What happens exactly? He's killed, that's a given. But then, was he resurrected by the Dark-sign alone? Roan could only guess that since he had never really worked that out before.

"I believe what happens is that I die." He motioned to his neck. "Then I revive healthy again like you suggested back at a bonfire where I rested last."

"Does that apply to this world too?"

Roan shook his head, he already had thought about that, sadly. "Not that I know of."

Azula pulled her knees to her chest and held them tightly before wrapping her grey silk robe around herself like a blanket.

"Would it be foolish to assume that we could do the same thing here? Couldn't we try to recreate it?"

"I don't know. I would have to use the Dark-Sign to light a bonfire with a sword sticking out of it and then I guess you would have to also kill me to test it out."

He shrugged. "I wouldn't mind trying if that's what you're asking."

Azula punched his shoulder, harder this time. Why could she just not hit him for something that trivial?

"Alright, alright." He held his hands up pleadingly to her. "We can create the bonfire in a few hours and we'll see what happens."

Not surprisingly, he got punched harder. Azula bared her teeth closely to him in a repressed scowl. She really didn't want him to go and try it did she?

"Don't you dare," she threatened. There's his answer!

"Fine, fine, whatever you want, my apprentice."

Again, the two sat in complete silence, letting the sailors maneuver around them efficiently and cohesively. They both watched the workings of the ship as nearly fifteen minutes passed until...

One of the guards came out of the lower hatches, possibly leading down to the living quarters if Roan had to guess. When the man spotted them he promptly called them over, "Azula, Roan! Come on down! We're officially out of Fire Nation territory and we're approaching the open sea where we can hopefully settle down somewhere unpopulated. We can just wait and see what happens, but for now, why don't you both come down so we can share a few stories to tide over the journey?"

Roan and Azula looked to one another, settling their minds on the idea of being with the others, a little too long and Roan nodded for them.

"We're coming!"

Down under the main deck, Roan and Azula sat comfortably on a single barrel with everyone following their lead. The overall appeal of the ship was nice since it was a classic old ship that wasn't made of metal. Thankfully, it followed instead in the path of an old pirate ship's look but without the black flag. As to why everyone wanted them down there was a mystery, as he never was a sociable person and he really only ever talked to anyone under the pretense that it was absolutely necessary, so this was a tad overwhelming for him.

Around twenty plus people sat around him and all of them gave him kind yet scrutinizing looks, to the dislike of Azula sitting next to him. And as per habit, Azula broke the small silence that had eroded over the crowd.

"I trust that we've been called down here for some sort of storytelling?"

That snapped everyone of their funk. All of the people moved uncomfortably in their seats, even some of the servants followed that. One of the people stood up and walked over to the two, choosing to kneel before them, removing his hood at the same time. Roan could only persuade himself that he was the butcher the cook would buy her meat from. Interesting.

"Could you tell us what your world's like?" he asked quietly.

Roan raised a brow. Did he have to be so formal?

Shrugging, he answered, crossing his arms. "Sure, I don't care. Ask away."

Everyone smiled at that, finally calming down and letting the atmosphere lighten a little. Some even started small talking a bit.

"Why though? Hasn't anyone heard?" At the people's shaking heads, Roan simply sighed. "With how chattery you bunch are, I'm very surprised."

"Well, we haven't heard. What we learn is what we see and what our family tell us when we're off duty. The only people you have told are probably Azula and Zuko, perhaps even their friends."

Roan looked to Azula to explain, only to receive her eyes rolling mockingly at him. Raising a hand to the crowd, he allowed her to regale his story to the people once more with his own comment coming in every now and then. After the information was out, the people sat again in pregnant silence.

What would their reactions be? he thought.

"I'm so sorry for your loss."

Roan smiled to the woman sitting just across from him. "There is nothing to really be sorry about, Miss. My world has renewed. I know that now. In fact, I could not possibly be any less sorry."

Roan explained at their confused looks. "Would any of you like to experience what it's like to die countless times and to be brought back over and over again with no end in sight? That's how it felt. Time and time again I died and was brought back to learn the area I was in, and for what? More suffering? No..." He brought his hands together. "I'm not sorry. Though I think the only person I am sad to leave behind is my Fair Lady."

"Who's that?" Azula asked. Not even she had heard of her, or even the covenants for that matter. Should I tell her? Roan peaked small glances towards everyone around, trying to gauge their reactions, what would they think? Am I ready to speak of her?

Roan glanced at her pleading look and collapsed. He would have to try.

"The Fair Lady was a daughter of the Witch of Izalith. You see, one day the Witch of Izalith saw the impending darkness and attempted her own flame of life, instead creating the Demon Ruins and her new form, The Bed of Chaos. What happened to her daughters though? Some were killed, corrupted. The Fair Lady and her sister Quelaag were bound to giant monstrous spiders."

Azula's eyes widened considerably, along with everyone else.

"It's not bad. The reason why she is called the Fair Lady is because of what she did for a dying town, or what she tried to do." A sparkling tear split from his eye, surprising everyone. "All she wanted was to save people from their suffering, so she took everyone's pain away by taking it into herself," he gritted his teeth. "She suffered. Endlessly. Quelaag stayed as her protector for who knows how long."

More tears made their way down his face and he knew he wasn't done crying yet. He still had a long way to go. A hand grasped his shoulder, but he ignored it.

"I entered their domain. I knew I had to ring the second Bell of Awakening in order for some clue to show up, and I knew going into that web filled cave that I would have to fight some giant spider, but I wish I hadn't. If only I had known beforehand that going into that cave would make Quelaag hostile there would have been no way I would've fought her, I would've searched for another way to get to the bell, if only I had known about their story about what had happened."

More tears dribbled down his face and his wrenching stomach danced again as he doubled over, then everyone could see his silver tears falling down his face. No, he wasn't ready to tell that tale again. As people started to come over he spoke again stopping them in the process.

"I joined her covenant in order to help ease her pain as humanity was the only cure I could see that helped her in any meaningful way. I guess you could call me insane because I became obsessed with her health. Then one day I heard her voice for the first time." He looked to the crowd before him. "I don't think I will ever hear such a frail and innocent voice again."

The crowd burst into frenzy, asking questions with one common core. "Did she get better?"

So he answered, "No. I found a ring that allowed me to speak to her, and what's worse..." He wiped his eyes, attempting to settle himself before sitting back up. He smiled at Azula and the others temporarily. "She was asking for Quelaag and saying how much everything hurt, though I won't deny it when I say that I did enjoy the slight smile on her face when I gave her the humanity."

"How long did you keep trying to heal her?" Zuko asked. Roan observed all of them. He smiled. All of them were on the edge of their seats waiting for what he was going to say. Wow, he thought sadly.

"I tried for too long. Honestly, I should've kept healing to make the pain less dull, but I wanted the curse of the undead to end."

Roan looked down to the ground and waited for a response. He wondered what they were going to think.

"So this sword, the one you gave me, it's Quelaag's Fury Sword?" Azula asked. "And it has the soul of Quelaag residing within it?"

Roan nodded, wiping his eyes again. He responded in his usual voice, "That's why I asked you to keep it safe and use it wisely."

He looked over to Zuko when he saw the slight look of jealousy cross over his face and he knew what he needed in a heartbeat. Looking through his bag Roan sat in a trance as he fingered through each item that had meaning for him. Ah! There it is!

"Zuko, you can have the Abyss Greatsword. The owner before that was of the Great Abysswalker Knight Artorias, one of the most powerful and honorable people I have ever met. He died fighting alongside his companion Sif, the Great Grey Wolf, and even though Quelaag was no peach."Hhe looked to Azula, "There was never a thing she wouldn't do for her sibling."

"Do you two understand?"

The two nodded as they eyed their swords with certain reverence as they touched and caressed the sides of the blades. Roan watched as Azula seemed to speak silently to the blade as if it were a pet, a best friend even. Zuko was not far behind.

"What have you taught those two?" Ursa asked, holding a hand humorously over her mouth before winking at him.

The children looked to get offended by this as they answered before he could even dream of doing so, "A weapon is an extension of one's own being and soul. You are no better than the weapon you possess and the weapon is no better than you. As long as you wield a blade it is your best friend and your partner to the end."

Roan looked at Ursa and then his students. "To the 'Tee'."

Ah, here we are at the end.

The next story I am updating is A Path Paved In Ice.

Review, it does help.