The bright blue fire stream that bellowed out of Azula's fist, lighting up the entire courtyard the same hue as her flames, was truly a sight to behold. Prince Ozai knew that his daughter was truly gifted when it came to her firebending; even though she was only twelve years old, she was probably the most impressive firebender in the palace, barring himself, though he didn't tend to brag about his bending abilities. He did not need to- people understood his power, even if his father took little notice of it. Fire Lord Azulon was an old, foolish man, and his ignorance of Azula's abilities, just as he had been of Ozai's own was something that frustrated him greatly. She was meant for greatness, and he wanted her to achieve her destiny; she would be his heir, and she would serve him as the most prodigious firebender in a generation.

He stood there silently for a few moments, as his daughter returned to form, her steely glare meeting his own; she was trying to scan him, to see what he thought about her bending. He decided to let her know with two claps; that was all he would spare for her- she had yet to show him anything new, but simply reaffirmed his belief in her skills. Soon enough, she would master lightning generation as well, and within a few years, she would be more than capable to go to the front-lines, and serve her country; he knew that she would like to do that, and she would be more than capable of hunting down the enemies of their nation, both from outside and within.

He turned his gaze over to his son, who was still kneeling behind him, having watched his sister's bending display; it was his turn, and without even having to tell him to do so, he stood up. At the very least, his son was obedient, though he knew that was an oversimplification. His son mightn't have been as forward to oppose him, but Ozai understood that he was spiteful toward him. That was good; he knew that Zuko was still useful, despite his relative mediocrity as a firebender; he wasn't an idiot, and he was sure that his wits could be used as much as his daughter's ferocity.

"Azula, please sit." he requested of his daughter, "Your brother has to show his forms."

She heeded his command, and eyed her brother as she walked past him, moving out into the courtyard; Zuko sneered, and Ozai pursed his lips upward. The more he despised his sister, the more anger would boil away inside of him; he couldn't beat her, and he probably never could. However, despite that, Zuko was not a weakling, not in the same way the Prince's brother was; he lacked the same drive and ruthlessness as his sister. That drive and ruthlessness could be forged into him, unlike pure skill in firebending just as his brother Iroh had decayed into a decadent and lazy old man; that drive could make his son a formidable bender and fighter, and thus, far more useful in his plans for the future.

His son stood before him in the courtyard, and had quickly taken a firebending stance, and he didn't dare look Ozai in the eye; he knew that he was there to show his progress, and nothing more than that. He took a deep breath, thrusting his right hand forward, sending out a fire stream, before he began to move forward, alternating to his left, before he sent a kick out, an arc of flames firing up into the sky above him. He spun around and kicked again, sending a stream of flames out of the sole of his left foot; the Prince sustained the stream for a few moments, before he dropped down, making a sweeping kick.

He had yet to make a single mistake with his footing; Zuko's firebending wasn't that impressive, but at the very least, nobody was going to trip him over. He spun his hands around, creating a spinning circle of flames in his hands, before throwing his fists forward, concentrating the flames into a powerful stream he created with both hands. He then bent the flames around, arcing them in a circle, sending out volleys of fireballs while the flames encircled him, providing some degree of defence. He then bent all the flames he had surrounding him away from his body, making a spherical fire blast which shot out in every direction; though the flames weren't that hot, the attack itself nearly singed Ozai's eyebrows off, and he covered his face to block the glare.

Zuko returned to form, and bowed respectfully toward his father, a straight, stoic look on his face; his father looked at him for a few moments, considering whether he ought to congratulate him. His bending was nowhere near as intense and graceful as Azula's, and his control was a little soft, but his forms had been perfected. Notably slower than his sister, but he had done it. He wondered how long his son had spent training; perhaps he spent as much time as Ozai did when he was his age, where he'd spend every hour outside of being tutored or sleeping working on his forms. Even then, he had not earned his father's approval, just as Zuko had not earned his; one day, he knew his son would be powerful and skilled enough to compare with the Prince himself, as he knew if Azula would surpass him, Zuko would try to surpass her, even if he never could. The competitive nature of their relationship would ultimately make his son a better firebender, and he would tolerate his envious glares and sneers for what they were- a weapon for his use.

He did not clap, and simply gestured for his son to return to his spot, "Move onto your next sets." he simply told him, his son's eyes darting up, momentarily meeting his own, "If you want to think about serving your country, you will need to learn faster."

"Yes, Father." he acknowledged him with a straight face, nodding with his eyes facing down to show his comprehension, before he strode over to sit beside Azula; he didn't look at his sister, as expected, and she remained straight-faced, unconcerned by Ozai's words- of course she wouldn't be, because she was the better firebender, and unlike Iroh had been, she was no weak, morally-minded fool.

"That is all I needed of you today." he declared, "You may return to what you were doing." he simply told them, before narrowing his eyes at his son, "More training I assume?"

Zuko looked up at his father, before he nodded, "Yes, Father." he assured him; the hesitation he had in his words told him he was not doing that, but his lie was convincing.

He decided not to bring him up on it, and turned his eyes to Azula, "Have Lo and Li begun readying you for lightning generation yet, Azula?"

"They say the technique is too dangerous to try until I have mastered all the advanced forms." she acknowledged, sounding snide in her comment; she obviously wanted to learn it sooner, and he agreed with that sentiment.

"Well, perhaps they need a little persuasion." he conceded, "I'll speak with them once I have dealt with my own training." he clarified, "You are both dismissed." he simply told them, his children both rising up to their feet, bowing at him, as was custom, before they turned their heels.

Zuko walked away faster, and he swore he could hear a little chuckle coming from his daughter; he did not know what was so funny, but he assumed it had to do with his son's lie. He assumed that if Azula found it amusing, then the content of his lies could not be that serious; his son was still a boy, after all, even if he was starting to show more refined features, mirroring his own, eerily enough. He hoped that Zuko did not take after him in more than looks. If he did, then he could only imagine if his opinion of him mirrored his own opinion of his father. Fire Lord Azulon was a cold old man who had no care for him, and barely ever had; his mother had been kinder than him, but she did not try and stop his father from his cruel ways. He did not intend to be Fire Lord Azulon, and have his son hate him; he wanted to shape him into a better prince, and hopefully, that prince would not be one who would use his skills against him. He knew that would be one way his son could find his way to an early grave.


Fire Lord Iroh was not cold, nor was he in the company of individuals he didn't trust, but that didn't mean that he didn't feel uncomfortable. Sitting at a beach on the western coast of the Earth Kingdom, he was relieved that their steamer had had enough fuel to reach the coast, though with little fuel, they were lacking in choice of their destination. They were meant to reach a Fire Navy port, from which they intended to travel to the city of Omashu. He realised that Bumi, and by extension, the Order of the White Lotus would be of great help with solving his current issue; of course, just getting their help wouldn't do it, given that Ozai likely had spies everywhere, and the assassins he had sent after him were likely not going to be simply dissuaded by the Royal Barge being sunk.

His guards had sent out a messenger hawk as as soon as they reached the shore, and they set up camp, deciding to stay there and wait for a rescue mission to arrive; he hadn't told them about the letter, and even if the Imperial Firebenders understood that he knew what had happened, or at least, more than the fact they were looking to kill him, he wasn't going to say anything else to incriminate his brother. He had Zuko to think about, and more than that, the peace of the world; even if the war was practically over, starting a civil war with his brother was the furthest thing from his mind. What he hoped for was that he could return to the capital without issue, and confront his brother before he found out about his nephew's complicity in Iroh's survival.

"Your majesty." he heard one of his guards address him; it was about time they had dinner, though he was unsure what they were going to eat.

"Yes?" he asked him, the guard making a small smile; his helmet wasn't on, though that made sense, given that the guard was practically off-duty, even if they were all remaining alert to whether the assassins would come for Iroh again.

"Dinner's ready to be served."

"Wait..." he narrowed his eyes, a little confused by what he was saying, as he realised that he was the only one being addressed, "You mean only for me?"

"Yes, the cook was able to save a little duck for you. He says roast duck is what you were meant to be having for dinner tonight." he explained, the Fire Lord letting out a little laugh.

"Well, that's very kind of the cook." he smiled, genuinely appreciative of his efforts; to think the thing he'd saved when the Royal Barge was sinking was Iroh's next meal was a little amusing, but given that it was his job to feed the Fire Lord, he couldn't say he was surprised, "You all ought to be getting something decent too. I know that navy rations mightn't be the nicest."

"They aren't." the Imperial Firebender admitted, "But we will persevere, your majesty. That is your will."

"I did say that." he raised a finger to his goatee, before turning his gaze back to his guard, "I'll have my meal now."

He nodded, and paced off, presumably to go get him his food; he was unsure what exactly the cook was using to cook the duck, but he assumed that one of the campfires would have sufficed to cook it. He turned his gaze over to the campfire in front of him, wondering what exactly was going on; he understood that his brother wanted him out of the way, so he could become the Fire Lord, but he had no idea what his plans were beyond assassins. He wondered if there was a larger conspiracy at work; he knew from what Zuko had told him that that was a possibility, but he still had no clue as to who was involved, and how dedicated they were to the plot. He didn't want to inadvertently start a civil war by prodding Ozai's supporters into rising up to help his brother.

A few moments later, the cook approached him, with a bowl of roast duck and some chopsticks in hand, "Your majesty, he's your dinner." he bowed down toward him, Iroh smiling as he rose up to his feet, accepting the meal.

"Thank you for spending your time making this. It is truly appreciated." he assured him, "Please, make sure the rest of the crew and my guards are well fed. Whatever we can spare, we should eat. The Fire Navy will be here soon enough, and I'd rather we are rescued with full stomachs." he explained, the cook nodding, understanding his command.

"Of course, your majesty. Everyone will be fed." he stressed, "Some of the crew are making a pot out of the emergency supplies we had on the steamer."

"Good." he nodded, before sitting himself down, "Go ahead and enjoy your evening. I will try to enjoy mine."

"Yes, your majesty." he bowed toward the Fire Lord, before turning his heels; Iroh picked up a bit of roast duck and chewed it down- it was delicious, and it brightened his mood a little.

The most frustrating part about them being shipwrecked was that tea was not one of the essential items in the emergency supplies; he would not complain, however- they weren't dead, and that was what counted. He turned his gaze around the beach, noting the treeline in the distance, which a few of his men were patrolling. There was a chance that some local Earth Kingdom fishermen or hunters might show up, which wouldn't be very good for them; his Imperial Firebenders were tense, and might end up attacking anybody who came across them, no matter their intentions. Everyone was tense, because everyone had seen what had happened on the Royal Barge. Iroh was nearly killed by the most deadly assassin in the Fire Nation, and the rest of the goons following him were almost as dangerous, and were able to contend with his guards- that was not a good thing, given that he knew that they may return to finish the job. While on land, though they had places to run away to, they were unlikely to be able to hide from the assassins.

He ate his meal in silence, but he knew that he'd have to address the matter eventually; telling the Imperial Guards everything he knew was dangerous, even if would help motivate them and allow them to understand the situation; forgoing the truth was better than putting their lives, and the life of his nephew in danger. If Ozai knew they knew about the plot, he might try to have them killed, just as he feared he might do to Zuko. He decided on a middle ground, knowing that otherwise, his guards might panic at the possibilities.

"I know you're all worried." he addressed his guards, who were sitting around him, for his safety, and not their own; he knew that they were unsafe being anywhere near him, "People want me dead."

"You're the greatest hero of our nation." one of his guards spoke up; the way he said it was not flattery, intended to please the Fire Lord- it was confusion, "Those men, they were Fire Nation. Why would they try to kill you?"

"I don't know." he lied, "All I know is that they want to get rid of me. We have to remain vigilant. Every moment you spend with me is a moment in danger."

"We can protect ourselves, just as we can protect you, your majesty." one of the guards argued, the Fire Lord raising a hand up.

"Can you defend against a man who can firebend with his mind?" he asked, the guards grimacing; they knew they couldn't- Iroh barely could, the only thing he could do was hope that lightning would do the trick.

"No, we cannot, your majesty." another guard spoke up, "We can't abandon you. That would be to rescind our oaths. We cannot do that."

"I know you cannot." he acknowledged, "But if the time comes, please, try and save yourselves. I do not want any more blood on my hands." he argued, the men timidly looking down; everyone knew what happened to Lu Ten, and even if some people might have commented about Iroh's failures behind his back, those who knew him on a personal level, like his guards, understood the guilt he felt- there was reason he barely ever spoke about Lu Ten- his death was his greatest failure.

"I should have died in Ba Sing Se." he acknowledged, before narrowing his eyes, "But I did not." he stated the fact of the matter, "We will survive this, but I know... I know those men won't just give up."

"We will kill them, your majesty." one of his Imperial Firebenders assured him, "That is our duty. They have committed treason by trying to harm you."

"They have." he acknowledged, "For coin or for honour, I don't know which." he added, another lie; he did not want them understanding the truth of the matter, that Ozai was the one who wanted him dead.

"We will get to the bottom of it, your majesty." one of them spoke up, making a small smile, "If we can find them, we will stop whatever group conspires to kill you. That is our duty."

They would go after him, and they would die, if they could reach his brother to begin with; the guards spoke of duty and honour, but they didn't realise that they would be the ones dying if they really lived up to their oaths.

"You should not." he warned them, before looking down to his meal, which didn't look so enticing when he considered what might come after their rescue, "To die without a life well lived is to die for nothing."

He didn't want them to die for him, to die to protect a man who ought to protect himself; oaths were stupid, especially when they led to needless death and suffering. Just like the war, which he wanted to bring to an end; he wanted peace, that was all he had wanted since he had lost his son, and realised the fault in his ways. He wanted peace in his family, peace in his nation, and peace for the world. He needed to get off that beach and find a way to contact those he could trust to handle the situation; his Imperial Firebenders were powerful, that was true, but they were not suited for the kind of situation they had found themselves in. The Order of the White Lotus was as secretive, if not more so, than his brother's conspiracy, and he would be able to gain their assistance, as he intended to stay on the promise he had given them; the war would be over, and it would be other by his hand, or the hand of whoever succeeded him. He just hoped, of all things, that if he was to die, that his niece and nephew didn't kill each other over the throne; that wouldn't just make him a terrible father, he'd be a terrible uncle too.


Zuko couldn't help but feel paranoid when an Imperial Firebender came to his room, telling him that his father wanted to see him. He and Mai had sent their letters, and he just hoped the one to Iroh had got to him in time; to be told by his father that his uncle was dead would be a rather awkward thing to deal with. That was ignoring the sadness he would feel from his uncle's demise; he had seen it coming, however, so he could face it down with a straight-face, that much was certain. Unlike Lu Ten's death, which he had had no foresight of; he had heard it straight from the mouth of Fire Lord Azulon, who spent the entire time chiding his father. The old man was dead, and now, Ozai was poised to sit on the throne that was never intended for him; he clenched his fists, and snarled, knowing exactly who ought to be on it.

"Cousin... I won't let him steal what is yours. He doesn't deserve it." he mumbled to himself, knowing that he wasn't really speaking to his cousin; he missed him so much, even after all those years, and wished that things could have gone differently.

He would have preferred his uncle to lose the siege and return home with Lu Ten. At least then he'd have somebody that he could reach out to; a friend that he could trust without a shred of doubt. He liked Mai, he really did, but they didn't have the same bond he and his cousin had; he was like a brother to him. It was the kind of bond he assumed he was meant to have with Azula; he wouldn't have a bar of that, however. She didn't deserve his help, and she didn't need it either.

He stepped over toward the doorway, and eyed the Imperial Firebender who was standing there, "Where am I meeting my father?"

"He is in the throne room." he explained, the Prince turning his eyes away, before he shook his head; he was not surprised in the slightest that his father was in the throne room, relishing in the power he was going to seize for himself- he wasn't just a conceited man, but an unabashed and boastful one.

He strode down the hallway, knowing where he had to go; he wouldn't have an Imperial Firebender escorting him around the palace. It was not as if somebody was going to try and assassinate him, or at least, from what he could tell, there wasn't. His father didn't want him dead, at least not yet; he could understand him shifting his feelings on the matter if he found out about Zuko's message and his snooping. Of course, if he did that, he'd inadvertently doom himself, and the young Prince would still win in the end, even if he did not live to see it. He did not want to die, but worse than dying was losing; his cousin, despite his death at the hands of the Dai Li, had not lost- Ba Sing Se was theirs.

The Prince shook his head, knowing that thinking of such things was pointless; he had everything in place, assuming that Ty Lee received the letter with the evidence, and all he had to do was wait. If his father suspected him, his bargaining chip would be especially useful especially if Iroh was still alive. He hoped that he was; he wanted his uncle to be the Fire Lord. He knew that out of all people, he was the one with the right demeanour and skills to deal with the peace that would inevitably come with the Fire Nation's domination of the world. The other nations would accept the status quo for what it was, and with that, Iroh could work on making the world a better place, bettering the Fire Nation and the rest of the world, just as Fire Lord Sozin had intended. There was no need to do something as insane as burning down the Earth Kingdom.

As he made his way down the hallway, he strode past a few officials, who looked like they had just met with his father. They seemed a little concerned, and were quietly speaking amongst themselves; if he wasn't heading to see Ozai himself, he might have gone and eavesdropped on their conversation. He was sure that whatever they were talking about was likely to be the topic of the one-way conversation between him and his father. Prince Ozai was not going to tolerate his son speaking up, especially in a way that went against his own authority; he didn't intend to say anything too extreme, assuming that his uncle was still alive. Given that the guard spoke with urgency, but didn't inform him of the specific fact, he was inclined to believe that whatever his father was to speak with him about didn't have to do with Iroh.

He made a small smile, hoping that he was safe; he knew whatever assassins his father had hired would have been very dangerous, but his uncle was a very skilled firebender, who used many forms Zuko had not learned, and from his understanding, neither had his sister or father. They were unique to his person, and he assumed that was due to his long running interest in learning about bending as a whole. He seemed rather inclined to talk about the Four Nations and the elements, and how they could learn from each other, though he hadn't really seen anything that struck out to him as being 'waterbending but it's firebending', or something of the likes. Not that he'd ever seen a waterbender before, let alone an earthbender; firebending was the only bending art he had any real understanding of, though from his training he understood at least, in theory, what to expect when facing an earthbender or a waterbender. He was sure that with whatever knowledge his uncle had, he'd be able to combat whoever Ozai had sent his way.

When he reached the throne room, the Imperial Firebenders who were standing there immediately got out of his way; they obviously knew he was coming, from what he could tell. Their masks covered their gazes, but he could tell they were on him; how they shifted their posture and turned their heads slightly as he approached told him enough. He walked past them without even addressing them, as they opened the doors for the young prince; he looked down through the massive throne room, seeing his father sitting there imposingly. He was not wearing the crown, given that he was not the Fire Lord, and simply sitting in his brother's place until he returned to the capital; Zuko had a feeling that if Iroh returned to the capital, it would be with a fleet of ships and a demand for an Agni Kai, a duel he was sure that Ozai would lose. There was a reason he didn't try to do such a duel when Iroh ascended to the throne; it was because even he knew, with all his cockiness and arrogance on the topic of firebending, that his brother was a better, more tact firebender, who would be able to beat him in a one-on-one fight.

Zuko approached his father, and when he got close enough, he knelt down; he was glaring at his son, who refused to look his way. He knew protocol, and he would stick to it while he wanted to at least retain an image of respect toward his father. He did respect him in many regards, such as his wit, skill with firebending and authoritative image; he had made himself into someone who ought to be feared and submitted to, and he had not served his country to make that image- it was all in the way he presented himself. However, there were many areas where he thought his father was a fool; his arrogance held no bounds, and his ruthless desire to destroy and obliterate their enemies was both respectable and dangerous- he knew that if he took the throne properly, he would do untold damage to their enemies, and perhaps even their own nation.

"Prince Zuko, the Fire Sages have brought me important news." he addressed him, the Prince narrowing his eyes; the Fire Sages were about as far removed from the actual politics of the Fire Nation as peasants in the fields of a remote village, "The Avatar has returned." he explained, Zuko's eyes widening; that was terrible news, in his eyes- the Avatar was not just a threat to their nation, but also a tool for Azula to gain more respect from both their uncle and father, so she could try and cement herself above him in the line of succession.

"The Avatar?" he turned his gaze up to his father, "How long ago?"

"Two days ago." he clarified, "The Fire Sages at Crescent Island say the statue of Avatar Roku glowed; that is indicative that the Avatar has activated their Avatar State." he explained, the Prince narrowing his eyes; the Avatar awakening didn't exactly mean much if nobody had any idea where he was.

"Do we have any idea where the Avatar is?" he asked his father, who pursed his lips upward; that indicated that he did have some idea.

"A navy report has just come in from the Southern Seas this afternoon. It's five days old, but it reports of sightings of an odd creature. I asked the Fire Sages about this, and they believe that it is the Avatar's sky-bison."

"May I ask, Father, who filed the report?" he asked, the elder Prince raising his chin up.

"Commander Zhao." he clarified, "He commands a fleet in the region."

"The Avatar is a great threat to our nation, Father. Will you task him with ensuring that the Avatar cannot threaten our occupation of the Earth Kingdom?" he asked his father, knowing that Ozai couldn't disagree with his suggestion; that image had built up required that he be decisive and swift in his actions- he was not one for playing around.

"Hmph." Ozai ran his right hand down his goatee, before straightening his posture; he didn't seem to disapprove of Zuko's suggestion- if anything, he was impressed, "Well, I believe that would be the best course of action, Prince Zuko." he agreed with his idea, "Commander Zhao and his fleet should be well equipped to track down and corner the Avatar before he becomes a real threat. The rebels in the Earth Kingdom might try to abuse the situation if he comes to their aid."

He nodded, pursing his lips upward, "Our ships are fast. The Avatar will not be able to evade them for long."

His father let out a little laugh, before smirking, "Ah, now I almost wish my grandfather didn't allow the hunting of dragons. Riding upon those, our men would be more than able to destroy the master of the elements. A shame." he noted, before narrowing his eyes, "I have already sent a message to your sister to inform her." he noted, smirking at him; now the smirk was less approving of Zuko's ideas and more of the fact that he had his 'preferred heir' poised to capture the master of the elements, "She will make quick work of the Avatar, as soon as she finds him."

The young prince turned his gaze downward, and tried to hide his annoyance with a straight face; his father was right- Azula would make quick work of the Avatar, and then he'd have to find something of comparable weight to achieve. He turned his eyes back up to meet his father's, feeling frustrated that he could even agree with what Ozai just said, and hated the smug look on his face; he knew what he was thinking, even if he did not know of the rebellious things he had done against him.

"Yes, yes she will."


Princess Azula looked over the scroll she had in her hands once more; it was one of the many scrolls she'd been able to retrieve from the Eastern Air Temple, which she found of great interest to her quest. The specific scroll was one of poetry; usually she wouldn't care very much for the musings of some random individual, but Air Nomad poetry intrigued her. It spoke of the world, but not in the way she herself understood it. The Fire Nation saw the world as something that was to be shaped by the hands of man; the spirits were relegated to legend, even if some cropped up for real, from time to time, and the world was something that could only be wielded by humanity. Their power, both over the elements and over their minds, made them far more capable than any other creatures, and the Fire Nation was the epitome of this. Their element was the most powerful, capable of creating fire, the most fundamentally necessary aspect of their civilisation; they burned coal, melted ore, burned down and cleared woodland, cooked food. It was the most powerful element, above all else, and they wielded it; the Fire Nation was destined to shape the world in the image of that power.

The Air Nomads, in contrast, seemed to see the world and humanity in a very different light; there was no power, no strength or control- those things were pointless, in their eyes, and only went against the natural order, against balance. Things like fate and destiny themselves were ephemeral, just as human lives were; perhaps they even could have seen their doom coming, but didn't care, given that it was bound to happen eventually. They thought that any attempt to control the material world was as futile as trying to stop a river from flowing- that was what the poem was about, actually; if one dammed a river, the water would build up and overflow, and flood the valley below. Control and order led to more chaos than there was to begin with; their worldview showed her at the very least, why there was some kind of conceptualisation of balance to begin with. She didn't agree with it, but she understood it; balance, in their eyes, was created by impartiality and non-intervention.

The Princess placed the scroll to the side, deciding that she'd return to her meditation; she looked to the flames, and remembered what the scroll had said. The river was her like her firebending; if it was held back, and then released, it would be stronger, but the same could be said about a river when it was filled with too much water. The rain was her emotions; control over her emotions was like making sure the river flowed just as it should. Not too strongly, and not so weakly that it dried up and all the fish lay dead from suffocation at the dried riverbed. That was like her losing her emotions and drive for her bending.

She took a deep breath, remembering that even if the Air Nomads were stupid for their ideas of impartiality and lack of control, their ideas of balance could very well be applied to make her a better firebender; the best firebendere was not the most angry or driven one, but the one who had the best understanding of their element how how to best use their drive. Her uncle was living proof of that; he might have lacked the drive to be the kind of Fire Lord their country needed, but he certainly held the inner strength and control that made him an unstoppable firebender. She wished that she could wield the wisdom and calmness of Iroh and the tenacity of Ozai as one; she understood strengths and weaknesses, and sought to find the right path. A master firebender needed to be powered by the right fuel, and though she could fall back to fear and hatred, she knew that was not the most effective path; she had her dream, her ideal of the future- it was what had driven her to sail around the world looking for the Avatar, and it was what would drive her to the throne.

Suddenly, she heard a sound she hadn't been expecting- a knock on her door; she was certain could only mean one thing. Azula pursed her lips upward- it was not time for her dinner, so there was only one reason somebody could be interrupting her afternoon meditation. She rose up to her feet, and took a deep breath, the flames on the candle tips that surrounded her growing brighter as she inhaled. She approached the doorway, and pulled it open, eyeing the Imperial Firebender who stood by her door.

"Where?" she asked him, the Imperial Firebender handing her a note; she unfurled the note, and saw that it was a message sent from a Fire Navy base on the south coast of the Earth Kingdom- rumours of the Avatar being on an island in the Southern Sea.

"Kyoshi Island." he explained; she had heard of that island, and given that they were heading in the general direction of it, she was certain they'd be there very soon.

"Ironic." she pursed her lips upward, before shaking her head, realising that was a misjudgement of the situation.

It wasn't ironic, given that the Avatar had a subconscious connection with all their past lives. It made complete sense that the Avatar would show up on Kyoshi Island of all places, associated with the great Avatar Kyoshi, whose many feats were what inspired the fear she could feel in her grandfather's notes.

"Do you want us to set a course for the island?" the Imperial Firebender asked her, the Princess nodding.

"I do. I will need to speak with the helmsman once he has a course and a time-frame. We cannot afford to lose the element of surprise. None of the previous sightings of this sky-bison sound to be hostile, so we can assume the Avatar isn't expecting to fight us." she explained, before straightening her face, realising that she shouldn't have spoken her mind so openly to one of her guards; there was meant to be a professional distance when it came to her relationship with them, "Go on." she gestured for him to go follow her orders, which he did, after bowing toward her with respect.

Air Nomads were pacifists, but even then, the person who had awoken had to be someone who was aware of their abilities, and had access to the Avatar State. She was certain that the Avatar would know how to fight, and she was ready to face them. She understood airbending and the culture of the Air Nomads, at least as well as somebody uninitiated to the culture could be, especially given that nobody had seen or spoken to an Air Nomad in a hundred years.

She closed her door, and turned back to face the candles, they lit up bright with her blue flames; unlike usual, the flame was not a cool blue, but a bright, unwavering blue, the flames themselves almost looking white while her room was bathed in the colour of her flames. She pursed her lips upward, knowing that her inner feelings were expressed quite well by the outward effect of her firebending. Azula was ready to do what those of her bloodline had failed to do for generations; she was going to capture the Avatar, take him back to the Fire Nation Capital, and rub her victory in her pigheaded brother's face.

He was going to see what her determination and wit was capable of; she was not just the greatest firebender in a generation- she was the only one capable of beating the Avatar. She wouldn't go as far to say she would be able to predict their actions; whoever they were, she understood where they had come from, who had raised them, and what they would do; a pacifistic Avatar was going to be a lot easier to handle than an aggressive one, but she knew that the desire to flee would likely cause issue. She didn't worry, however; Azula was fast on her feet, and if the Avatar relented for a single moment, she would take him down.