Chapter 1: As you wish princess…

He really didn't want to be here. Nothing was getting through his head. All he was hearing was 'Blah Blah Blah'. It wasn't his fault, not really. He just had too much going on in his head.

After the whole mess in Yu Dao, all he wanted was to spend his time teaching the acolytes about his culture and spend time with Katara… But of course, nothing ever went how he wanted to.

He groaned internally. He would've thought that learning about the Earth Kingdom government would help him clear his head even if for just a few hours. But at this rate, he was this close to falling asleep.

Maybe no one would notice if he did anyway. Most of the other people in the room were fairing about the same as him. He would just have to close his eyes for a second, and that's it. Yeah, that's all he really needed, just a few minutes of-

"Professor, can you repeat that?" Zuko, who was sitting right next to him, spoke up suddenly, jerking him out of his doziness.

The professor sighed as he ran a hand through his beard. "A teenager is a teenager, even if he's head of state… I was explaining, Fire Lord Zuko, that family is in essence a small nation, and the nation a large family. Do you understand? In treating his own family with dignity, a ruler learns to govern his nation with dignity."

Familly… He used to think he knew what that meant, after everything he and his friends went through in the war. But now…

He shook his head. This wasn't the time to wallow in his sadness.

He looked at Zuko, as he somehow seemed as despondent as him. He grew concerned. Something was bothering him.

"Psst. Zuko" – He leaned towards his friend – "You okay?"

But his scowl remained as he turned to face him. "Did you even listen to what he said?"

"Sorry, I tried listening but all I'm getting is 'Blah Blah Blah'" He tried a joke to cheer him up, but Zuko didn't look impressed.

"I put my father in prison and my sister in an institution. While my mother has been banished for years… What does that say about me as a ruler?" He said through gritted teeth, fists clenching on the table.

Dammit, he messed up again…

"No- Zuko, that's not what-" But before he could finish, he was interrupted by the louder voice of the professor.

"Well, it seems like the Avatar and the Fire Lord would rather converse between each other than listen to me." He gave a deep disappointed sigh. "No matter, I was just finishing anyway. I can only hope that the rest of my listeners got something out of what I said." He then turned around and gave a bow, before exiting the room.

"Shit… sorry about that." Aang sulked in his chair.

"No, it's okay. I was also hearing a bunch of 'Blah Blah Blah' anyway." Zuko was giving him a smile. "I didn't get the chance before, but I wanted to ask… Where's Katara and Sokka? I'm sure I extended the invitation to them as well."

And there it was. He was sort of hoping he wouldn't notice them not being here, but… who was he kidding, of course he would notice.

He really didn't want to go over that whole disaster again, but he did owe it to Zuko. He was his best friend after all.

He gathered all his courage and took a particularly deep breath.

"Well… Long story short. Katara and I broke up."

"What?!" Zuko's voice echoed through the large room, alerting the representatives of the other nations.

He winced as he muttered a quick apology before turning to face Aang once again. "What? But how? What happened? You guys seemed inseparable."

Yeah, he thought so too. "Nothing crazy to be honest. All I wanted was to teach the acolytes and do my job as the Avatar with her by my side, but then she said she wanted to go back to the south pole to see her father and then… well…" He sighed, this seriously sucked. "Well, she did, and she wanted me to go with her. But after a few weeks of being there she told me that she wanted to stay, to help rebuild her home and be with her family. And when I asked her for how long… well she said she didn't know. And then there was this dumb fight about how I had to do my duty as the Avatar and that I also had the acolytes to worry about, and then-!" His voice picked up in volume, once again alerting the other people around them. He coughed before quieting back down. "And then she said that she didn't think she could go with me anymore… And that if that was a problem then maybe we shouldn't be together…" He dropped his gaze to his feet, as his posture slouched. He hadn't told this story to anyone yet… And it really sucked.

"Wait, when did this happen?" Zuko's face was filled with sympathy for his friend. He knew how tough break ups could get.

"Like… three months ago?" Aang really didn't remember, he was really messed up for weeks after that…

"Months?! Why am I just hearing this now?" Zuko hissed, not letting his voice get any louder.

"Well, I was too busy feeling sorry for myself and… well I don't know why Katara didn't tell you…" This was all too complicated even after all this time. "And I guess I sorta didn't want to admit it happened myself…"

Zuko stared at him for a few seconds before he gave a big sigh. "Well, at the very least I'm glad that you told me… If you need someone to talk to, I'm here buddy." He put a hand to his shoulder and gave him a smile.

"Yeah… thanks." Aang smiled back. He was glad to still have a friend with him.

"I know! Why don't you come with me back to the Fire Nation, I… I'm planning something important, and I could really use your help."

"What is it?" He wonders what exactly Zuko would ask of him after what he did here in Yu Dao.

"I'll tell you when we get there, I'm still not too sure how I'm going to go about it yet…" He said with a nervous laugh, but his eyes definitely looked concerned.

Well, this did look important. There was no real reason to refuse.

"Okay, sure! I just have to go meet the acolytes for a bit, but I'll drop by in a week."

"Great! I'll try to set things up by the time you arrive." He gave him a nod. "I'll see you then."

As Aang watched his friend go, he couldn't help wondering what exactly would have him so nervous…

He'll just have to wait and see.


Arriving back in the Fire Nation, Aang didn't really know what to expect. It's been months since he's been back here, and it was when he was still with Katara.

He just hoped whatever Zuko wanted his help with wasn't as troubling as asking him to kill him if he turned out like his dad…

Entering through the palace doors he was greeted by a familiar face.

"Iroh! It's good to see you!"

"It's good to see you as well, Avatar Aang." He said as he led him to the throne room entrance. "I'm glad you decided to help my nephew in this quest of his… It really is heartening to see he has friends like you on his side."

"Oh, well I still don't know what Zuko wanted my help for…" His worry was climbing, he didn't really like the serious tone from the older man.

"Zuko, your friend has arrived!" He heard Iroh call out as he peeked into the curtains to the throne room.

Soon enough, Zuko appeared. "Aang! I'm glad you made it!"

Aang bowed exaggeratedly. "Thank you for inviting me to your home, your Fireiness! It's been far too long!" He joked to try and ease his nerves. But Zuko simply stared at him with a confused look.

"Uh… It's only been a week."

Aang sighed internally. Guess everyone was acting serious now…

"Right, yeah. So, what's the thing you needed help with?"

"I recently obtained some information regarding my mother, Ursa. It turns out she's from a small village on the outskirts of the Fire Nation called Hira'a. And I'm going to look for her." He said as his eyes glinted with determination.

Really, that's it?

"Wait, it sounds like you have everything covered… So why do you need my help?"

"Well that's…-"

But as he made to answer, Aang noticed a second person come from behind the curtains. She had golden eyes, just like Zuko's, that almost seemed to bore holes into his skull. Her shiny silky brown hair was held up in a top knot, while her face held such a refined air that Aang would even dare call beautiful. That is if he didn't know who it belonged to.

"Azula?! Why are you here?!" He swiftly settled into a fighting stance, preparing to launch an attack at the first sign of trouble.

But Azula just scoffed, as she gave him her usual menacing smile.

Aang couldn't help but sweat under her gaze, as memories of a time underneath Ba Sing Se flashed through his head at the sight of it.

"Oh, what a pleasure it is to meet the Avatar…" She slowly made her way forward. "My, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost…"

She was right, he did feel like he just saw one. "Stop! Don't come any closer!" He readied a ball of air on his hands. "I don't want to hurt you!"

He said that, but it was more that he didn't want to fight someone like her.

"Ha! Like you could hurt me, Avatar." Her feet started moving again, as if daring him to try and attack her.

"That's enough! Both of you!" Zuko shouted over them, making them back down. "Let me explain, please." He looked directly at Aang, pleading him to listen.

"What's going on?" If everything before this was a red flag, then seeing Azula was like twenty extra flags. He really didn't want to be here anymore.

"Azula is the one who gave me the information… And I want her to come with us to search for our mother." Zuko stared both down, trying to avoid any further trouble.

"Wait, what?! You want her help?!"

What was he thinking?! This could only ever end terribly…

It seems he inadvertently was glaring at Azula, as she returned it along another smile. "Well, I for one, am glad to be working with you, Avatar…" She said his title with so much venom that he could feel shivers take control of him.

Dammit, why was he so shaken?! He defeated the Fire Lord, why is she still affecting him this much?!

"Zuko, I'm sorry but this sounds like an awful plan!"

"Aang, I know what you're thinking, but she deserves to come with me on this journey. She was her mother too…"

It was subtle, but Aang notice Azula click her tongue at the mention of their mother.

"And I want her there when we find her. So, she'll come with us, unbound and with dignity." He finished with such an unyielding tone that Aang found himself unable to respond.

He shook his head sulkily. He really couldn't see any way this ends without him getting another lightning scar…

But he couldn't just let Zuko travel alone with her either…

He sighed. He really didn't know what he should do.

"I know that it's not an easy request, Aang." Iroh, who had remained silent during the whole exchange, suddenly spoke up. "But ever since ascending to the throne, my nephew has wanted nothing but to usher an era for peace. And finding Ursa might just bring that peace… And not just for him, but Azula as well."

Aang thought for a moment. He was right. Everyone deserved a second chance. A chance to make up for their mistakes.

He looked at Azula, who was busy biting at one of her nails. He was so focused on his own fear he hadn't taken her in until now. She looked skinny. Way more than she did the last time they saw each other… And she had bags under her eyes that indicated nothing short of months of sleep deprivation…

In other words, she looked awful… He can only imagine the stuff she's been going through now that her father lost the war… If anything, she looked smaller now. Maybe it was his height but…

That's right. He often forgot that she was barely a few years older than him. She was put at the front of a conflict that spanned a hundred years and had no choice but to fight for a chance at survival… and she lost. So, she took the brunt of the blame even when she was just a child.

His gaze took a warmer tone as he looked at her.

"You're right… I'm sorry for getting so worked up before." He leveled Zuko with an understanding look, as if telling him he finally gets what he had meant earlier. "I'll help find your mother, for both of your sakes." He gave Azula a final smile, while her only response was a glare and a huff.

He knew it would be hard, but he had to at least try. He was the Avatar, after all.

"Thank you, Aang. It means a lot…" Zuko gave him a final nod.


"Good morning, Azula! Beautiful day for a trip, isn't it?"

And it really was. The skies were clear, and the sun was shining brightly. But Azula didn't look particularly impressed.

She shot him an unamused look as she threw her bag to the ground. "Make sure to be careful when putting my stuff into that shaggy ball of fur you call a pet, will you?"

"He's not a pet! Appa is a friend! And he's going to be the one to help US find your mother!" Aang jumped to the ground, anger etched in his face.

"Oh, will it now? Well, I don't care." She said with a roll of her eyes.

Aang felt his temper rising. He knew she was just trying to rile him up, but it was working anyway.

It seems Appa and Momo picked up on this, as they started growling at her.

He sighed. He needed to be calm if this was going to work out. "It's okay buddy, it'll only be for a little while." He rubbed his nose trying to calm him down.

"Why are you always so mean, Azula?" Ty Lee, dressed in her Kyoshi Warrior outfit, made her way towards them.

"Yeah, Appa has feelings too!" Suki followed up as she walked beside her.

In a way, having their presence there calmed his nerves a tiny bit. He only wished they came along with them…

Wait, will they?

"Hey, are you guys coming with us too?"

"Oh! Um…" Ty Lee looked at him awkwardly, as if she didn't want to answer.

"Actually, Zuko told us he had sent messages to the rest of the gang, but…" Suki answered for her, before giving him a sad look. "I heard about your breakup, Aang. I'm really sorry about it, I wished we could've talked sooner, but..."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Suki." He gave his best reassuring smile, but he was sure he still let some of his frustrations seep through his voice. "Whatever happened was between me and Katara, so seriously, it's okay."

But thinking about her words, he couldn't help feeling guilty for them not responding Zuko's message…

He really had to get himself together.

It was here that Zuko had finally made his way to join them. "What's going on?" He looked at the group's solemn looks, growing confused. "Why is everyone looking so sad?"

"Oh Zuzu, didn't you listen? The Avatar here broke up with his little peasant girlfriend and is all sad about it…" She mocked by faking a sympathetic tone.

"Azula! Why do you have to always-" Ty Lee's voice held so much frustration, but was quickly interrupted.

"No. She's right. I can't let myself keep grieving about my failed relationship anymore." And he definitely won't let Azula get under his skin. "So, thanks, Azula!" He fixed her with a wide smile, which clearly had the intended effect of annoying her.

And it seemed to work, as she scowled at him.

"Whatever." She said with a scoff.

Witnessing their exchange, Zuko could barely stifle a sigh. He only hoped nothing bad happened during their trip…

"I heard you sent a message to the others." Aang said with a sad smile. "Sorry they didn't come…" He was clearly blaming himself.

"No, it's not your fault. It was on really short notice anyway… So don't worry."

Aang wasn't really convinced but relented anyway. He decided to ignore the part of his brain that told him he could've easily have brought them with Appa, as he wasn't even sure if he would've agreed to do that anyway.

"We'll just have to be sure to keep constant watch of Azula between the two of us." Zuko said as he started climbing up on Appa.

Easier said than done, Aang thought.

"Actually, I was thinking I should come with you guys too." Suki spoke up. "Now that the others won't be coming, I really think it would be for the best. You'll need all the help you can get."

Ty Lee's eyes widened, clearly not seeing that coming. "Wait, are you sure about this? Shouldn't we be guarding Iroh and the palace instead?"

But Suki gave her a reassuring smile. "I trust you and the girls to handle things without any problems while I'm gone, so don't worry."

Ty Lee looked between her and Azula, deep concern in her eyes. But she eventually backed down. "Okay, you can count on us!" She said, mustering all the confidence she could get.

Suki gave her a nod before she made her way towards Appa. "Will that be okay, Fire Lord Zuko?" She said as she bowed exaggeratedly, to which Zuko could only answer with a chuckle.

"We would be happy to have you."

Aang also felt better now with her on their little team. All in all, things were looking up!

"Avatar! I thought I told you to put my bag on your bison!" Azula quickly shattered his newly gained optimism.

He could only sigh in defeat at her words. "As you wish, princess." He said as he airbent her stuff into Appa's saddle.

He honestly couldn't believe how ridiculous things had become since the Yu Dao summit, but honestly, he was kind of glad to get his mind off his troubles.

Even then, these would definitely be a long couple of days.