The prince is lying next to his love, unable to sleep. He rises from bed and dons a hooded cloak. Slipping by an unguarded path over the crater's rim, he makes his way to a prison tower embedded in the slope of another, nearby volcano. As he stands in the prison courtyard, looking upward, a guard spots him.

"Who's there?"

Without a word, Zuko turns and leaves.

…

The next night, Zuko goes again.

"You again? Stop where you are." The figure raises its head, revealing a well-known face with a telltale scar. "Prince Zuko?" Zuko grabs him by the collar and slams him against the wall.

"I'm going in for a visit. You're gonna stand guard here, and no one is going to know about this."

The cell is bisected by a wall of bars so that one half is accessible from the door and the other half serves as a cage. Iroh, unkempt and dressed in rags, is seated cross legged on a mat, facing the wall to the right of the cell door as one enters it. Zuko walks in and up to the bars.

"Uncle. It's me." He removes his hood. Iroh turns away to face the back of his cell, scowling.

…

"You brought this on yourself, you know. We could have returned together. You could have been a hero!" Iroh turns a shade further away from Zuko.

"You have no right to judge me Uncle. I did what I had to do in Ba Sing Se, and you're a fool for not joining me. You're not gonna say anything?" Enraged, he kicks a stool and bends a blast of fire at the wall.

"Ahhrr! You're a crazy old man! You're crazy, and if you weren't in jail, you'd be sleeping in a gutter!" He leaves, slamming the door behind him. Iroh bows his head, closing his eyes

…

"He won't talk to me." Zuko said to Cadi as they lay on her bed.

"You're lucky I'm even talking to you. After Ba Sing Se, I'm not surprised." She saw the scowl on his face. "I'm not here to comfort you with lies. I'm here to tell you the truth then comfort you in the best way I can."

"You're here as privileged prisoners. Nothing else." Zuko got up angrily and left Cadi to stare at her door. She couldn't cry about what he said, it was true.

…

Zuko and Mai are sitting enjoying a sunset picnic and a chance to canoodle in private.

"Orange is such an awful color."

"You're so beautiful when you hate the world."

"I don't hate you."

"I don't hate you, too." They kiss.

"Ahem!" The two lovers look up at Azula in irritation. "Zuko, could I have a word with you?"

"Can't you see we're busy?"

"Oh, Mai...Ty Lee needs your help untangling her braid."

"Sounds pretty serious." She gets up and leaves. Walking past Azula, she shoots the princess a quick, poisonous glance behind her back.

"So...I see you've decided to stay with Mai, and I hear you've been to visit your Uncle Fatso in the prison tower."

"That guard told you."

"No, you did. Just now."

"Okay, you caught me. What is it that you want, Azula?"

"Actually, nothing. Believe it or not, I'm looking out for you. If people find out you've been to see Uncle, they'll think you're plotting with him. Just be careful, dum-dum."

Zuko looks up at her suspiciously.

"I haven't decided either."

"Better do it soon. I give you till…" She looks away for a moment before looking back. "Sozin's Comet. I'll tell them both if they don't figure it out by then." Azula smiled and walked away.

…

Zuko kneels and passes a packet of food through the bars.

"I brought you some komodo-chicken. I know you don't care for it, but I figure it beats prison food." Iroh, sitting down, is silent, his back to his nephew. "I admit it. I have everything I always wanted, but it's not at all how I thought it would be. The truth is, I need your advice." He clenches the bars. "I think the Avatar is still alive. I know he's out there. I'm losing my mind. Please, Uncle, I'm so confused! I need your help."

Iroh is motionless. Zuko stands, enraged. "Forget it! I'll solve this myself! Waste away in here for all I care!"

He walks to the door and opens it, turning back for just a moment, and then quickly slams the door. A single tear rolls down his cheek

…

Zuko walked through Cadi's door. "I'm sorry about earlier, I was being mean and I just need to hold you now."

"Go away." Cadi said half sleeping.

"Please."

She sat up. "You called me a prisoner and walked out. You can come back tomorrow but let me sit in here and whine to myself about how I'm not good enough and you need Mai because no matter what you say, she's the perfect one, not me." She looked at her hands. "Leave."

"No." Zuko walked to the bed and wrapped his arms around her and let her silently cry to herself until she fell asleep. He left her with a kiss on the mouth.

…

Smokestacks cloud the night sky. Zuko, hooded, walks into the middle of the yard and removes his hood. A clanking noise is heard.

"You're sure you weren't followed?" Zuko is speaking to an ominous looking figure twice his height. "I've heard about you. They say you're good at what you do. And even better at keeping secrets. The Avatar's alive. I want you to find him… And end him."