Morality Chain

And on we go…

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"Ngh!"

An annoyed grunt sounded through the garden for the third time and Azula glanced up from her reading in anger. Who was it that kept making that annoying sound?

It was a fine, balmy day in the Fire Nation capital, and the Fire Nation princess had decided to spend it outdoors, whiling the hours away. Finding a good book – one that detailed the exploits of the great heroes of the Fire Nation over the past hundred years – and curling up under the shade of a tree had sounded like a good idea from the moment she'd gotten out of bed, and so far she'd been enjoying herself immensely.

Now, if only the stupid noise would go away…

She waited for nearly half a minute, ears pricked to catch the slightest sound coming from anywhere in the garden, eyes darting back and forth to ascertain that all was indeed silent and tranquil. With a sigh, she lowered her head and continued reading.

'It was in the fifth month of the campaign that General Furin realized-'

"ARGH!"

Azula's head shot up, her eyes blazing. That was it! Snapping the book shut, she stood up and stomped over to the source of the sound. Walking around a rock formation that had been created because Grandfather had liked that particular sculptor's work, and over to a hidden grove amongst the trees, she parted the leaves and glared at the occupant of the tiny clearing.

"Zuzu. What. Are you doing?" She demanded angrily.

Her brother whirled, an expression of alarm and guilt washing over his face. "N – nothing." He stammered. Azula rolled her eyes. Her brother was an awful liar.

Silently, she swept her gaze around the area, noting the charred, blackened grass and the fact that Zuko was panting and sweating.

"Were you Firebending?"

"I-"

"You know what daddy said! Firebending is dangerous, and we're only supposed to do it with the tutors and supervisors present!" she snapped. Not that she ever kept to that particular rule herself, but at least she was smart enough to do it where there wasn't anything flammable present.

"I'm sorry! I –" An expression akin to panic was now on her brother's face. "Please don't tell dad." He finally said in a soft voice.

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a worrywart. I'm not going to tell…" she trailed off. Dad? Why would Zuko be scared of his father in this instance, considering that mother was always the one to discipline him after any wrongdoing? (That, incidentally, was why Azula had largely fallen out of the habit of tattling on her brother. Oh, he would look miserable for a while, and that was enjoyable enough, but their mother had never done much more than to speak to him in a mildly stern tone for a few minutes. And any attempts to talk to her father about Zuko's transgressions merely resulted in him giving an annoyed grunt and little more.)

Azula frowned, sifting through her memory… of their last joint Firebending practice, when Zuko had messed up their newest kata, and their father had been present to observe them. She stared at her brother and raised an eyebrow. He sighed and hung his head.

"I wanted to practice the Kirin's Roar form a little more… and then I could surprise dad the next time he watched."

"Oh," she said flatly. "Any luck?" Then again, if those snarls of frustration had been any indication…

In response, he turned away slightly, bringing his arms up in a manner that might have been sloppily reminiscent of the kata they were supposed to be practicing. Swinging his palms out once, twice, Zuko stepped forward as Azula eyed his footwork warily. And then the short leap forward and the resultant flame burst-

That suddenly flared out of control and was now headed straight at her. With a gasp of shock, Azula let the book drop to the earth and brought her hands up to catch the flare. With a wince of pain at the sudden pressure in her palms, she exerted her control on the flame raging in her hand, subverting what had been Zuko's blast and making it entirely her own before sweeping her arms out and dissipating the flame..

Silence descended on the little clearing as Azula took in deep gulps of air and glared bloody murder at her older brother, who looked like a combination of sheepish and horrified. Finally, Azula spoke up.

"Your footwork stinks."

"I – huh?"

"Your timing is off, your fingers weren't steady when you released the flame, and your movements are far too stiff."

Now Zuko flushed angrily. "Hey, I didn't ask you-"

"Do you know why we have instructors, Zuzu? Because they can tell us when we're doing something wrong." Azula sighed and looked over her shoulder once to ascertain that aside from the two of them were alone in this area of the gardens.

"If I help you do this kata right, then will you quit practicing out here in secret?" And maybe leave me to read in peace? The second half she left unsaid.

Zuko frowned at her. "I'm not a baby, Azula, I can practice on my own."

"And you were doing such a wonderful job before…" she said snarkily. "But if you don't want my help, fine. Just don't yell so loud when you mess up again." With another roll of her eyes, Azula turned and stalked away from the grove, leaving Zuko behind.

(X)

Azula had an important task weighing on her shoulders: the capture of the Avatar, the single greatest potential threat to the Fire Nation. Failure would more than likely result in the Avatar eventually overthrowing all the gains and progress the Fire Nation had made over the last century, and the Fire Nation being made weak and vulnerable. That simply could not be allowed to happen.

And that wasn't to mention the added dynamic of all this – that she had to protect her brother and keep him close as she hunted the Avatar, so that she could plausibly pass the credit onto him and return him to his place as crown prince. Zuko's honour and future were resting on her shoulders. Which was why it absolutely should not, could not be that she was –

"AH – CHOO!"

"You're sick." Zuko stated flatly as he looked down at her.

"I am not!" She aimed a piercing glare at her brother, or at least a glare that might have been piercing if her eyes weren't bleary and watering. "I just have a bit of a runny nose, that's all." Well, that was a bit of an understatement. Her nose felt like it would fall off her face any minute, her throat felt dry and scratchy no matter how much water she drank, there was a dull pounding in her ears that absolutely refused to go away, and her head felt like it had been clogged up with seaweed.

"You're sick and you're lying about being sick." He replied as he idly took a drink from his water skin. "It's probably from the rain back in Gaoling."

She growled. "So what? I'll just work it off. There's no reason for us to break off our hunt and –" she was interrupted by another massive sneeze.

Zuko sighed. "I honestly cannot believe that I," and he glanced over to his Uncle sitting by the campfire. "Am the one saying this now, but no. No, we are taking a break from Avatar hunting until you have fully rested and recovered."

Azula bared her teeth. "You don't get to order me around, Zuko."

"No, and that is why Mai and Ty Lee have asked me to tell you that we're overruling your decisions via majority vote. We are not going after the Avatar. We are headed to the nearest town that still has people in it so we can find a place to rest and some proper medicine." he sighed and lowered his voice. "It's not just you, Az. The stuff we have on hand really can't treat the wounds Uncle got during the last fight. He's been acting gamely, but I know him well enough to see that he's hurting bad. We need a trained healer."

With a deep growl of frustration, she wrapped her blanket tighter around herself and glared balefully up at the setting sun. After their battle in the town, they'd departed as quickly as possible before the townspeople could start coming out of the homes or re-entering the town and asking questions. The Rough Rhino's they'd left behind to deal with the fallout.

Now they were once again in the middle of the wilderness, setting up camp for the night. Their Uncle had regained consciousness shortly after they'd left the town and predictably enough, the first thing he'd asked for was some tea. Now he was sitting by the campfire, heavily bandaged and eyes closed in apparent meditation.

Or maybe he had just fallen asleep. Azula couldn't really tell.

After a moment, she felt her brother's hand on her shoulder. "Come on. You should go sit by the fire. It'll make you feel better."

Somewhat numbly, she allowed herself to be led to the fire and settled near to it, closing her eyes and letting her body exult in the warmth of the fire. A moment later, she heard the rustle of Ty Lee poking at the sticks.

"Uh, Ty Lee," she heard Zuko call. "You might not want to…"

"Huh?"

"Have you ever sat near a fire and a powerful Firebender with a cold?"

"Well, er… no."

"Then trust me, move back a bi-"

"Ah - CHOO!" As Azula sneezed explosively, the campfire abruptly blazed up to double the size, flaring blue as well for a brief moment, causing Ty Lee to fall backwards in shock.

Ty Lee blinked once, twice, and then a smile split her face. "Wow! That was awesome! Do it agai-" Azula raised her eyes and gave her a look so powerful it was a miracle Ty Lee's brain wasn't blown out of the back of her skull. The acrobat froze. "Eh… heh. Nevermind." Quickly, she scooted to the side opposite Azula while the princess of the Fire Nation glared at everything and nothing in particular.

Meanwhile, Zuko had crouched at his Uncle's side. "Uncle?" Iroh opened his eyes and gave his nephew a weary smile. "I, uh… I made you some tea. I tried to do it the way you like it, but I'm not sure I got it right…"

Obviously hesitant, Uncle reached out with his undamaged hand to grasp the teacup and bring it to his lips – and despite feeling like a buffalo-yak had sat on her, Azula couldn't help the smirk that came as his eye's widened in barely concealed shock.

"It's very… bracing." He smiled at Zuko and as soon as her brother turned away he hurriedly poured the contents out onto the ground. Azula rolled her eyes. Her brother's tea was spectacularly bland, and while she didn't care much for it, she could only assume that someone like her Uncle would find it particularly unpleasant.

After sneezing once more, she looked up at him, her expression hard. "Uncle."

He looked over to her, and something that might have been a smile flitted across his features. "Azula. How are you feeling? Zuko has told me about the adventures you had during your travels and-"

"What are you doing here?" She snapped, speaking over whatever it was he might have said. "I know you've been following us since the Northern Earth Kingdom, and you must know that I've tried to shake you off our trail more than once." Her Uncle was now watching her intently, an unreadable expression on his face. "So why are you here? Why did you step in to save me when you never liked me?" And how in the world did you manage to catch the lightning and not be reduced to a smoking pile on the floor?

"Azula!" Zuko's voice cut through the deepening gloom. "Uncle just saved your life! How can you-"

"It's all right, Zuko," Iroh glanced at him. "I have indeed been trailing you, and without your permission. For that, I apologize." He shifted his body into as much of a semblance of a bow as his wounds would allow. "And as for your other question," Iroh sighed and paused for a moment before continuing, "There is a rather large gulf between someone whom I feel no great love for, and someone for whom I would willingly stand by as she got herself killed." Their gazes met, and Azula could not see any lie or hesitation in his expression.

"Hey!" Ty Lee's voice sounded off and they all turned to look at her. "Why's everyone so gloomy? Okay, sure, we didn't get the Avatar yet," she looked over at Uncle. "And Uncle Iroh got hurt, but we're all alive and together now, aren't we?"

Iroh chuckled. "Yes, yes we are. And it is good to see you again, Ty Lee."

Azula sneezed again.

(X)

"Uncle." Her voice was low and harsh.

He paused, turned to look at her, a raised eyebrow on his face. "What is the matter, Azula?"

They were on approaching the outskirts of another town now, after having spent the night out in the wilderness. Azula still felt rather ill, but at least she wasn't sneezing so much any longer. Her Uncle, by contrast, was obviously growing more and more pained with each passing moment.

"Yesterday, when we were facing the Avatar…" she hesitated. "When he fired lightning at us, the technique you used was one I've never seen before. Now, I've been through all the scrolls in the Imperial library that detail the various Firebending techniques, and none of them have ever mentioned being able to manipulate lightning the way you did," her eyes narrowed. "So. What was that skill and where did you learn it from?"

Uncle remained silent for a long while as they continued walking up the dusty road towards the town. "Would you believe that I developed that technique myself?" He finally said.

Azula resisted the urge to snort with disbelief. The very idea of her indolent slob of an Uncle actually creating such a useful and powerful technique was utterly farcical. And even beyond that…

"And how, exactly, did you manage to create a technique that somehow eluded every other Firebending master in recorded history?" the sarcasm in her voice was thick.

Her Uncle looked to the sky. "Well, part of it would be that the ability to utilize lightning is rare enough in and of itself that learning how to redirect it wouldn't be a high priority amongst the Firebending masters." There was a significant pause. "Another reason would be that I learnt this style from studying waterbending."

Azula pulled up short in her walk. "What? That's…" Her mind tried to wrap herself the idea. Waterbending… an art so soft and lax and… She sneezed once. She cast a suspicious glare at her uncle, but he appeared entirely unconcerned.

Silently, she fought an internal debate with herself. Up until that conversation she hadn't expected much more than asking her Uncle a few surreptitious questions, enough to figure out where to start studying the technique herself. But he had apparently developed the skill all on his own, and while under most circumstances Azula would have taken it to mean that she herself was perfectly capable of figuring it out too, her Uncle had apparently learnt it from waterbending. Waterbending! That dying art practised by tiny clumps of humans huddled in their frozen fortresses at the forsaken ends of the world! Not, Azula thought unhappily as the ache at her side intensified ever so slightly, that it didn't have its uses in actual combat.

More to the point, she knew nothing about waterbending. If her Uncle had studied waterbending for whatever asinine reason and managed to develop a technique as useful as that… She ground her teeth together. Azula had her pride, yes, but she also liked to think of herself as being pragmatic, and so she let out a tiny sigh.

"Uncle, would… you… could you tell me how to redirect lightning?" There. She had said it, and aside from that tiny acidic lump hissing in the pit of her stomach, it hadn't been that hard.

Her Uncle gazed at her silently for a long moment. "Why would you feel the need to begin learning such a skill?" He finally asked, silently.

She bit back a snarl. Getting openly angry at her Uncle wasn't going to help her. "Why would I not want to learn such a skill?"

Iroh sighed. "Azula, think this through carefully. As of now, exactly three people in the entire world have the ability to generate lightning: your father, you, and me. You're obviously not going to be shooting yourself, you have my word that I will never attempt to kill my own niece, and it is plain that my brother t – he values you greatly." Azula didn't miss Uncle's slight stumble over her father, but she let it pass for now. "As far as I am concerned, it would be a wasted skill you do not need to learn."

"What about the Avatar?" She demanded fiercely in between a slight sniffle. "Have you forgotten the reason that we even need to find a healer for you is because he shot lightning at you?"

"I do not think that will be of much concern. That ability of his only manifests in extreme circumstances." This time Azula caught the subtle facial cues that she had been looking for since the start of their conversation. He's lying. He knows something I don't. With a snarl of frustration, she turned away.

"Well, in that case why would you need to invent this stupid skill? After all, like you said, there're only three of us who can generate lightning, and I'm certainly not going to – to…" She trailed off as the implications of what she had just said began to come to light. Iroh looked at her for a long time with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Treasure the relationship you have with your sibling, Azula." He finally said softly.

"Uncle! Az!" Zuko interrupted their conversation with an excited shout. "I think they have a healer here!" He was pointing at a nondescript building with a man standing in the doorway looking over another man's broken arm.

"I don't need –" Azula began and then decided against it. Meanwhile, her Uncle had brightened up considerably.

"Perfect. I really need a place to rest these aching bones of mine. And some salve, of course, for these wounds. Oh, and some tea! I hear the region has an exquisite blend of several different herbs-"

As she had done so many times in her childhood, Azula tuned her Uncle out and focused on what was in front of her. As she neared, the owner of the establishment smiled at the man with the broken arm and sent him on his way. That done, he looked up as Azula's group approached him, a warm smile on his face.

"Welcome, welcome! I'm Healer Yi Sheng, but you can call me Yi. Now, what seems to be the prob –" He broke off as he noticed Uncle, and his expression morphed into one of alarm. "Have you been walking around with wounds like that? Oh, this won't do at all!" He half turned. "Oisha!"

"Yes, dear?" A woman stepped out into the sunlight, one hand clutching a walking stick, and Azula nearly fell over from shock. The healer continued to prattle on about preparing a room, and she vaguely noted her brother asking for two instead, but most of her attention had been grabbed by the lady – Oisha.

She wore loose-fitting garbs that allowed her freedom of movement, and her hands were well-worn, along with a rather heavy tan that showed she was no stranger to physical work. But all of that paled into insignificance next to her hair that was as black as sable and her eyes that were deep amber. In between those features and the shape of her face, it was impossible to mistake her for anything else.

She was from the Fire Nation.

(X)

Azula sighed as she stared up at the ceiling of the room. Zuko had insisted she get a room of her own to rest in until she was fully recovered, and the Healer – Yi – had made some vile herbal concoction that was supposed to aid her in a swift recovery or something. Azula had taken an experimental sip from the stew and promptly thrown it out the window (and she could have sworn she'd heard an annoyed yell from Ty Lee from the street outside). After all, all she had was a stupid cold, she'd be fine in a few days.

Just then, there was a soft knocking on her door, and a moment later the woman – Oisha – stepped in, holding a cloth and a small basin of water. "Are you feeling any better, milady?"

Azula grunted. "No, I – " Wait. " She pushed herself up onto her elbows to glare at the woman. "Milady?" She repeated, a dangerous tone in her voice. Silently and under the blankets, she shifted her fingers, preparing to Firebend if necessary.

Oisha's hand went to her mouth. "Oh, forgive me! It's just…" she sighed and walked over. "I used to work as a Royal Guard in the Fire Nation capital – I can tell what Fire Nation nobility looks like, is all," she bowed in obeisance. "My apologies. If you wish your identity to remain a secret, then a secret it shall remain. Now, please lie down."

Hesitantly, Azula lowered herself to the bed. As Oisha dipped the cloth in water and began to gently wash Azula's forehead, every instinct in her body screamed at her to jump out, twist away, strike Oisha, do anything but simply let a complete stranger touch her in a such a weak, vulnerable state. She fought those urges down as best as she could, tried to give no outward sign of her discomfort.

After a few more minutes, the tension in the room became unbearable, and Azula spoke up. "Why?"

"Hm?" The lady paused in her work. "Why what?"

'Why are you here? If what you told me is true, if you really were a Royal Guard, then what are you doing out here in some backwater Earth Kingdom village, working with a healer?" A thought flitted through her mind. "Are you some sort of espionage mission?" Even as she spoke she knew that it didn't make sense – there was nothing of value here worth spying on.

Oisha's face remained calm as she dipped the cloth into the basin again. "Well, first, this place has already been Fire Nation territory for nigh on three decades, so no, they don't need a spy of any sort. As for why I am here…. Well, it's a bit of a story."

Azula barked out a harsh laugh. "I'm not going anywhere."

"That's true, I suppose." Oisha hesitated. "It's been nearly fifteen years, hasn't it. Back then, Fire Lord Azulon still reigned in the capital, and I was a Royal Guard at the palace after having proven my worth in combat. My parents were common folk and they were proud of me – to be able to serve in such close proximity to the Fire Lord was a high honour for our household.

"But then," she paused in her work, her face shadowed. "My hometown – it got implicated in a plot against the Fire Lord – something about aiding and abetting dissidents and insurgents. Overnight, my village vanished – and I never saw my family again." She paused, reaching up to dab at the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry, it's just… I still don't really know what became of them."

Lying on her bed, Azula continued to stare silently at her until she continued.

"Well, they knew I was from that town, and they also knew I had been serving there for too long to have been part of anything that happened, but I was still no longer trustworthy. So they had me demoted to a common footsoldier and sent to the frontlines of the war.

"I suppose I was confused, and more than a little upset. All the friends I'd made in the palace were no longer around, and being a Royal Guard was far different from being a footsoldier who was engaged in constant battles," Oisha was no longer even pretending to work anymore as she gazed off into the distance, eyes lost in memory. "More than anything, I was angry. Angry that my parents, whom I knew were completely loyal, had been taken away. Angry that I had been forced into a strange, alien situation that I didn't know how to adapt to." She paused again.

"Well, I spent a couple of years fighting, until the 3rd Battle of the Valley of Dust. My company had been assigned to make a surprise strike against the Earth Kingdom forces, to try and cut off their troops. That battle went badly for us – so badly that as far as I know, there waeren't enough survivors and they disband my entire troop.

"During that battle, I was wounded in the leg; you might have noticed my walking stick. We were trying to retreat then, and they left me behind after that sword wound. They thought I would slow them down too much, so they just… left me to die," Oisha closed her eyes. "I would have died if Yi hadn't found me." She chuckled, a soft melodious sound in the dusty room.

"Think about it – a young Earth Kingdom citizen who's had nearly a hundred years of hatred and anger built up against us for attacking his home country, and yet when he found an unconscious, dying soldier of the Fire Nation, he simply brought her to his home and took care of her until she was well enough again. He was never anything but kind and gentle with me – to him, I had been injured, and so he would help me, and that was all there was to it." Oisha shook her head, "It took nearly six months for my leg to be healed enough for me to walk," unconsciously, she ran a hand down the side of her robe. "During that time, none of my officers – no one from the Fire Nation – came to look for me. They had just assumed me dead. And after he diagnosed me well enough to leave him, well I – I found I didn't want to." A tiny smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "So I stayed here. I stayed as his assistant, and helped him run his business. And after a while, I – guess you could say it progressed naturally from there," a blush tinged her cheeks. "And now here I am. Yi is… he's the kindest, gentlest, most forgiving soul I've ever met."

"I see," Azula said in a low controlled voice. The burning sensation in chest had been growing steadily throughout the woman's recounting of her life story, and now she almost felt like she was about to burst. "So in the end, you're nothing but a traitor."

"What?" Oisha's eyes widened. "I-"

"How dare you?" Fighting against the sudden dizziness, Azula yanked herself upright, letting all her rage out in a torrent. "How dare you! That you, a daughter of the Fire Nation, would even consider lowering yourself to such a level! Don't you have any self-respect? You abandoned your standing, your birthright, your nation for some filthy healer from the Earth Kingdom and his run down shack of a clinic? How on earth – why would you –" A series of coughs wracked her body, forcing her to cut off her tirade, and when it had finally subsided, she glared murderously at Oisha who was completely still, her eyes wide and her face pale.

"You disgust me," she finally whispered. "Get out of my sight."

Silently, Oisha gathered her things turned and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Alone, Azula sank back onto the bed, coughing.

(X)

"Uncle?" Zuko creaked the door open. "How are you feeling?"

His Uncle sighed. "About as well as can be expected. I will say that this Yi really knows his work. And his tea." With a chuckle, he turned to pick up the cup that had been left at his bedside. "Come on, Zuko, join me for a drink."

Zuko sighed and entered the room. Settling himself onto the creaking chair by his Uncle's bed, he accepted the tea cup and brought it to his lips, taking a cautious sip. "It's… not bad." He finally said.

"Indeed. It's fantastic!" His Uncle happily drained his cup and set it down again. Meanwhile, Zuko stared at the brew in his hands. "Uncle…" he began after several seconds.

"Yes, Zuko?"

"What Azula said… was it true? Have you really been trailing us all the way from the resort?"

"Well, there were a few times I had to make detours, but, yes, more or less."

Zuko hesitated. "But… why? I thought you'd accepted your status as a fugitive. You were the one who told me to go with Az!"

"Well, yes, I was, but…" Iroh closed his eyes. "I was… worried about you, Zuko. I wanted to be nearby, so that if you ever needed my help, I would be there for you."

Zuko shook his head. "And here I was, worried about you instead." He said softly.

"I know I told you this at the North Pole already, but ever since Lu Ten…" One hand reached up to grasp his shoulder.

"I know, Uncle." Zuko reached over to hold his Uncle's hand as well, and a brief smile graced his features. "You don't have to say it. I know."

Iroh stared down at his bandaged body. "I do not think I could bear to lose another son."

Zuko nodded. "You don't need to worry, Uncle. I promise this will all work out. Once we capture the Avatar and I'm allowed to return home, I'll find some way to fix all this. I'll explain what really happened at the North Pole, and then you'll be free to come home as well. I… I promise."

His Uncle barely seemed to hear him. Finally, he looked up into Zuko's eyes, and the Fire Prince was stunned at the intensity of his gaze.

"Prince Zuko. Have you ever asked yourself why you want to capture the Avatar?"

"Why I…" He paused, wrong-footed. Where did that come from? "What do you mean?"

"Let us take your sister. She wants to capture the Avatar, and she wants you to take the credit, so that you'll be allowed back into the Fire Nation. That is her choice and her decision. But you? Why do you want the Avatar captured? What do you gain from this?"

"Why? B – but…" Zuko paused, flustered. "T – the Avatar is the enemy of the Fire Nation; as long as the Avatar exists we can never truly-"

"I didn't ask for propaganda slogans, Prince Zuko. I asked for why you want to capture him."

The young prince was quickly becoming flustered – as well as frustrated. "I – the Avatar's capture, it… I'll be allowed to return home, and…"

"Is that it? Are you saying that you're selfish enough to sacrifice the future of a young boy for your own? Him, and his friends? Are their combined worth somehow less than yours?"

"I – I don't -! W – why are you asking me this now, Uncle? You never said anything about this before! A- and my sister! You yourself acknowledged Az's reasons, so why isn't mine good enough?"

"You and I both know what Azula is like, Prince Zuko. There is no need to ask questions about her," his Uncle's eyes were boring into him with an intensity he had never seen before. "And I am the one asking the questions now. Your turn can come later, but first – Why do you want to capture the Avatar? Why?"

"Be – because I-" Zuko halted, nearly stumbling over his own words. "Because I want my honour back, all right?! I want to be able to go home again! I want everything that was lost to me on that day returned! Is that good enough for you, Uncle? Is that too selfish as well?" His temper was well on its way to spiralling out of control.

But Iroh merely shook his head once. "Your honour. Remind me, Prince Zuko, why were you banished?"

"What? I–" He bared his teeth. "Don't play with me, Uncle. You know why! You were there! You heard Father!"

"Refresh my memory."

Why was his Uncle being so ridiculously obtuse? "I spoke out of turn in a war council meeting that I wasn't supposed to be in. Father took that as an insult to his standing and challenged me to an Agni Kai. After he won, he had me stripped of my honour and banished," he said tightly. "There, Uncle. Any other questions?"

"And how," his Uncle said in a low tone. "Is capturing the Avatar related to any of that?"

Zuko's eyes widened. "What are-"

The door behind him swung open. "I'm sorry," Yi said. "But I'm afraid the patient really needs his rest. Master Lee, if I could ask you to wait outside…"

Zuko hesitated, glanced at his Uncle, who had sank down onto the mattress and closed his eyes, and then at the physician again, before shaking his head and heading out.

(X)

He had scarce stepped out into the evening sun when he saw Mai standing in front of him, her gaze narrowed and her arms folded.

"We need to talk."

"Mai?" He said weakly. "This really… this isn't a good time." And it was true. His head was whirling with so much thoughts and questions that it would be a small miracle if he could concentrate on anything.

"Oh, and when has it ever been a good time?" She snapped. "The past month, it has never been a good time with you. You're always busy with something that apparently couldn't wait for a five minute chat with me. So, what is it now?"

Too much. Everything his Uncle had just said to him, flashes of some hidden meaning he couldn't really grasp, a niggling feeling that he was missing something about the Avatar at the back of his mind, his Uncle and his sister's condition, and now this. With a groan, he sank onto a nearby bench, head in his hands.

Mai had apparently noticed the genuine discomfort he was showing, because she relaxed ever so slightly, the peeved expression on her face lessening somewhat. "What's the matter, Zuko? What happened?"

He almost opened his mouth and spilled everything to Mai right then and there. Everything his Uncle had said, everything he didn't understand… Almost. But somehow, he didn't think Mai would understand.

He wasn't sure anybody would understand.

"I've… just been given a lot to think about." He said. It was a lame line, and he could tell it didn't cut any ice with the quiet girl.

"You know, you've been giving me a lot to think about, too." Mai stated flatly. But she turned and settled herself down next to Zuko. "I've been kept wondering the past few weeks have been all about."

"Huh?"

Mai shifted her gaze to him. "Please don't tell me you really haven't noticed." Her tone was still hard, but even though Zuko had never considered himself particularly perceptive when it came to the opposite sex, he could tell there was a deeper layer behind Mai's words.

She was… Agni, she was afraid.

But afraid of what? Why would she be afraid… that Zuko thought that there wasn't anything wrong over the past month, where he had been avoiding her and trying not to let himself get distracted by her…

Oh. Oh no.

"Mai," he said, quickly, and perhaps a trifle desperately. "I'm not trying to avoid you or anything-"

"Could have fooled me."

"Okay, I mean, maybe I was trying to avoid you, but not for the reasons you think. It's not that I didn't enjoy spending time with you or anything like that. In fact, I did enjoy spending time with you. I enjoyed it so much that it… it became a little too much."

The only visible response was a single raised eyebrow.

"Mai, you know that we're on this quest to capture the Avatar, and..." he broke off momentarily as his last, frustrating conversation with his Uncle came to the fore again but he quickly shoved it aside. "And… and I needed concentrate on this. I can't… afford distractions. That's not to say you are a distraction – I mean, normally. But now I can't afford to let my mind wander and I…" He paused, out of things to say. "Please don't be mad." He finally said softly.

Mai continued to watch him for a very long time, and Zuko was sure he could feel sweat trickling down his forehead. Finally, she closed her eyes and shook her head once.

"You," she said calmly, "Are such a dork."

"Ah – I… huh?"

"Why didn't you just say something? Did you really think I wouldn't understand?" Shifting her gaze to the sunset, Mai leaned back against the wall. "I didn't know why you were pulling yourself away – I thought it was my fault, somehow."

Zuko laughed weakly. "Well, sometimes it's not you, and the other guy is just a big jerk."

A smile briefly flitted across her face. "Maybe."

A comfortable silence descended upon the two of them, and they sat there in silence, watching the sunset. Then Mai shifted slightly and sighed, "Orange is such an awful colour," she muttered.

Zuko smiled.

(X)

"Az?"

She glanced up from her book. "Yes, Zuzu?"

He stared down at the ground. "I… uh, I still can't figure out how to do the form properly, so…"

She remained where she was, although a smile began to spread across her face.

"So… uh… could you show me how?" A pause. "Please?"

"Well, okay." Snapping the book shut, Azula stood and laid it at her side. "But remember, you owe me."

"All right, all right."

"Okay, now, the first thing to do is to make sure your stance is correct…"

Chapter End

Okay, seriously, is anyone else having trouble with the e-mail alerts? I haven't been receiving anything for about a month or so now.

Thanks for reading. Please review.