A. N. : Chance encounters and complicated situations... just what Zuko loves the most ! On a personal note, my internship is going great, and I'm having lots of fun. Actually, in kind of a funny coincidence, I'd been wanting to get back into translation recently, and now I'm doing Italian-to-French translating work as like. You know. Work. Well part of it, in any case. So that's fun ! Anyway, hope y'all will enjoy this chapter !

Azula.

What – why – she's here ?! She looks just as shocked as Zuko feels, did she not expect him here ? Did she not follow him ?

Why is she here !?

And, Agni, her hair is so short, and her face looks much younger too – did makeup really make that much of a difference ? She seems to have been eating correctly, at least. Doesn't look as tired as she did in Tenuht.

She tsks. Don't tell her the Avatar is here too ?

Zuko tenses. He is so glad he insisted on coming here alone. If Azula is hoping to win back Father's love…

Azula shrugs and huffs. Looks to the side. I'm not here to fight, she says – is she sick ? Her voice sounds… weird. She would just much rather not see the Avatar and his little friends, or worse, Uncle – I'd rather not see you either, mind, but it's already too late for that, she adds with a grimace.

Ah. Yeah, that makes sense, Zuko guesses. She was always a sore loser, and with banishment on top of everything…

I'm alone, Zuko says. He doesn't even know where Uncle is now, too, but it's gotta be far away, with how long he's been gone for. So, uh, Azula doesn't need to worry.

She has a mean laugh. Who's worried ? – she shakes her head, turns on her heels and starts heading down the road with a small wave and a bye.

Zuko blinks.

Jumps down from the wall, careful to avoid a suspicious-looking cobblestone – how many traps are there ? – and goes after her. Wait !

She rolls her eyes when he catches up to her. What, is he scared on his own ? Does little Zuzu need a babysitter ? Zuko scoffs. He doesn't know why she's here, but it's obviously not for the architecture, and in that case, they're probably both heading for the main temple, so they might as well go together.

Azula stays silent for some time. I guess, she says, finally.

She thought he would want to take his time visiting, honestly – and, well, yeah, but to be fair the traps kinda curbed his enthusiasm. He's got things to do before he can die exploring an architectural marvel, even if out of all the ways he's risked his life recently, this is definitely the most enjoyable.

It makes Azula laugh. Planning some permanent holidays later, then ?

Zuko snorts. Maybe !

They keep walking – at one point, he has to grab her arm to prevent her from falling into a spike pit, and later she trips his legs so that flying arrows miss his head as he falls. They bicker about it, of course – couldn't she have not looked like seeing him almost fall face-first into the pavement was the highlight of her day ? – but it's almost… Normal. In a way.

Almost like they're kids playing around in the garden and Azula is being a bit mean as usual, a bit of a sore loser and so annoying, but when all is said and done they will still play together tomorrow and the day after, because Azula is his insufferable little sister and Zuko…

Zuko cared about her. Maybe he still does.

Maybe she still does.

If things got worse without Mother, maybe they can get better without Father. Zuko sure did, but he was lucky enough to not be on his own.

I'm here to study the old forms, Azula says, out of nowhere. Zuko nods. Figures. Me too – the Avatar is a fast learner, he adds.

You're teaching him ?

Azula stopped in her tracks, eyebrows raised and disbelief clearly written on her face, and Zuko should probably feel offended but – well. Next to a genius like her, he knows what he looks like.

But then she raises a finger to her chin, seems to think for a moment. Shrugs with, ah, something like annoyance ? Starts walking again. She supposes he has at least one worthwhile trick to teach.

Should be useful against Father, too.

Her fists are closed tight at her sides, her voice somehow even rougher than before. Their dear Uncle is a good teacher, isn't he – Zuko should count himself lucky.

Ah… Zuko thinks back to how scared she'd looked when he redirected her lightning back in Tenuht, and maybe a lot of it was – exhaustion, or surprise, or the realization that she'd failed and would have to suffer Father's wrath, but…

There's no way she wouldn't resent him for that.

Zuko did what he had to, doesn't regret one bit of it, won't apologize for it either, but, he guesses –

He guesses things can't be normal again in the end.

It would be too easy.