"Wow. When did you learn to do that?"
Azula smiled brightly at her cousin, confident that she was, above all else, a great firebender. Showing off her wall of flames, she could tell that Lu Ten was impressed; her flames were potent and powerful, and had nearly knocked him right off his feet when she created it. It was a relatively simple form, but most firebenders couldn't create defensive forms any more complicated than a fire shield, which essentially consisted of throwing up a bunch of flames in front of oneself and hoping that an enemy couldn't break through it.
"A few weeks ago, Cousin." she clarified, before smirking, gesturing for him to move on her and continue their spar, "Are you afraid of me now?" she prodded him, making him scoff.
"I'm not afraid of a seven year old girl." he retorted, before retaking his stance, "Are we going to continue our spar, or are you just going to stand there and gloat?"
"Gloat?" she scrunched her lips up, unsure what he meant by that, "Uh, yes, I think I will." she decided, thinking it was suitable to the emotion she was feeling at that very moment.
"Okay then." her cousin simply nodded, before conjuring a fire stream out of his right palm, sending it right toward her chest; she rolled under the attack and sent a few small fireballs toward her cousin's legs, hoping to trip him over.
He grunted as he was hit in the shin by one of her fireballs, but he immediately responded by flicking his foot upward, creating an arc of flames which fired up toward her face. She crossed her arms, before throwing them upward, which created another wall of flames, a little less impressive than the last one; if she was to spar her cousin, who was nearly an adult, and thus, was a fair bit stronger than her, then she'd want to conserve her strength. She might have been stout, but her firebending was irrefutably powerful. He couldn't disperse her fire whip that she conjured, grasping him by the arm; she then charged forward, hoping to kick him in the chest, knowing such a hit would hurt, and thus, incentivise her cousin to forfeit.
She was about to kick him, when he turned around and used the very same move on her; obviously he had learned it long ago, given his age, and unlike her own technique, if didn't just block firebending, but her leg as well, when she tried to hammer it into his chest. The flames licking up her leg made her reflexively draw back, despite her desire to finish the kick; when in pain, even she couldn't maintain her resolve. She cringed back, and patted down her right pant leg as she stumbled away, falling down onto her behind; Lu Ten opened his arms wide, with a rather cocky look on his face.
"You're not the only one who knows a thing or two about firebending." he warned her, before his expression softened, obviously realising that his attack had hurt her, "Did that hurt?" he asked her, leaning over to offer her a hand.
It did hurt, but she didn't want to say anything; she was the strong one, the indomitable one. That's what her father had told her. She had to be strong, otherwise she was just like her brother. He didn't get any attention from her father, or at least far less than she did, and she knew why. He couldn't firebend well, he couldn't take a hit, and he didn't fight with all his strength. She whacked away her cousin's hand, not wanting him to think she was hurt.
"Azula." he addressed her with a soft voice; nobody else spoke to her like that, not her brother, or her father, "I know it hurt. You don't have to just sit there and act like I didn't just set your pants on fire." he suggested, the Princess turning her gaze away from him, trying remain serious.
Uncle was usually too jovial and carefree to get all emotional around her, but he was a little better than the others; Lu Ten on the other hand, he actually showed it. Those raw emotions she knew she couldn't; her father would think her a weakling if she did, and she knew that when Zuko got hurt during training, Ozai would chide him for sobbing over his injuries.
He knelt down beside her, "Are you okay, Azula?" he asked her, "I mean, other than me burning your leg. I'm sorry about that."
"I know, Cousin." she mumbled, before turning her eyes toward him, "I'm strong." she told him, as if saying it would make it true; if the strong weren't meant to feel pain, then she obviously wasn't strong.
"You can be strong and not just... well, I don't know what this is, but you look like you're trying very hard to ignore your pain." he observed, before he placed a hand on her shoulder, "Do you need to get it checked at the infirmary?"
"I don't know. It hurts a little." she admitted, before rising up to her feet; she realised when she tried to properly move her leg, as in when she tried to take a step, she felt a stinging pain along her shin and calf, most sharp just above where her boots ended, "Ow." she muttered under her breath.
Lu Ten grasped her by the back, before he hoisted his arms under her legs, lifting her up into his arms; she realised only at that moment how much bigger he was than her physically, and it reminded her that despite her strengths, she still was just a girl- a child. She didn't want to be a child, to be seen as incapable. She knew she wasn't as smart as all the adults she knew, especially her father, but she knew that she could become smart; if they didn't give her the opportunity to learn, then she would never be like them. Powerful, strong and capable of fighting for her nation.
"I'll take you to the infirmary, Zula." he assured her, the Princess turning her eyes away, ashamed that her cousin had even picked her up- she wasn't a baby, she didn't need to be coddled.
"Don't treat me like a baby, Lu Ten." she argued, making him chuckle.
"You're not a baby, you're a girl." he assured her, "And you're tough too. You aren't even crying." he observed, the Princess narrowing her eyes; to cry was to be like Zuko, and if she was going to focus on being anything, it was to be not like him.
"I'm not a little baby like Zuzu. I don't cry." she argued, the Prince's expression softening, almost as if he was saddened to hear that; she didn't know which part was sad, the fact his nine year old cousin sometimes sobbed and cried like a baby whenever their father chided him, and it was made all the more disgraceful as Ozai usually did so with good reason.
"Crying doesn't make you weak, Zula." he assured her as he began to walk along toward one of the doors back into the palace, "And Zuko isn't a baby. He's just... well, he isn't treated right."
"He's weak, Cousin." she argued, "Have you seen his firebending? I'm sure there's been nobody worse than him in this palace than him for a hundred yearsÇ" she argued, her cousin shushing her with a finger to his lips.
"Not so loud. You don't want the servants to see me carrying you, do you?" he asked her, the Princess nodding begrudgingly; he turned his gaze ahead, and his eyes narrowed, "And he's not the worst firebender."
"Then who is?"
"Me." he argued, "I was like Zuko once... luckily for me, I just didn't have anybody to compare with. But my dad showed me how to be a good firebender. Better than any of those snooty tutors did." he explained, making her eyes widen; she couldn't believe what he was saying- he was a great firebender, perhaps not as good as her uncle or father, but he was far better than her or Zuko.
"You're lying. I know you were better than him. How can you be so good now if you were like that?" she asked him, the Prince sighing.
"Because people grow and change, Azula." he assured her, his warm smile taking away her doubts; he believed he was weak once, maybe like Zuko did, and he had changed.
"But he's not going to get better." Azula argued, "Father keeps chiding him, but all he does is get sad, brood and play with his swords."
"He's actually pretty good with those." Lu Ten offhandedly commented, before straightening his lips, "He'll take his time. Zuko's not... well, he's got to learn. He's not as fast as you, Azula."
"I know that." she stated rather snidely, knowing that to be a well understood fact, "Father says he shouldn't have even been born." she added, knowing that fact was a little unusual to say aloud, given the circumstances of her own birth; she didn't know he mother, not one bit, but she knew that something had to have been wrong, despite her firebending- she didn't know what it was, and it scared her, even if she'd never talk to anybody about it.
"Your father's wrong." he added, "He's not infallible, Azula."
"Infallible?"
"He isn't always right." he clarified the meaning of the word, "He tells you all these things about being strong, and you are strong; but being strong doesn't make you right, but it does make you responsible."
"What..." she scrunched her lips up; even Iroh wouldn't get to such a topic when he talked to her, and he certainly liked to talk about a whole range of things, from trivial to extremely serious, "What are you saying, Cousin?"
"Strength and responsibility go hand in hand. The Fire Lord's meant to be the strongest person in the world, and that means he's meant to look after his subjects and use his strength to protect his nation." he explained something she had already heard before, though how he had phrased it, that was a new thing, "You're stronger than your brother... in some areas, but you shouldn't just look down on him. You should look after him."
"Why would I do that?" she scoffed, "He's mean and a sook." she argued, the Prince sighing.
"I know you don't like Zuko, and I know... he can be a little mean at times." he noted, observing the fact that her brother was, at times, probably just as mean-spirited toward her as her grandfather was towards her father.
"A little?" she asked him, "Zuzu said I should have died." she argued, making his eyes widen.
"He said that?" he asked her, the Princess nodding; it wasn't a lie, even if it sounded like one coming off her tongue.
He might have deserved to be chided for his weakness, but she couldn't believe she deserved to be dead; she might have been in some way the cause of their mother's death, but she didn't choose it, just like she didn't choose to be born into their family.
"He did." she stressed, crossing her arms, "He doesn't even think that's mean. He thinks he's right."
"He isn't." he assured her, "What happened to your mother... it was terrible, but it wasn't your fault, Azula."
"Then who's fault was it?"
"I don't know. Maybe nobody's. Things just happen sometimes. Bad things especially." he acknowledged with a timid face, before he turned his gaze ahead, gesturing toward the infirmary, which they were approaching, "We're here, Azula." he noted, "Do you want to try and walk now?"
She nodded, and he lowered his right arm down, allowing her to drop her legs down; she cringed as they touched the ground, but she remained upright, not wanting to look like she couldn't handle that little bit of pain.
"I can do it." she declared triumphantly, "Let's go, Cousin."
"I'm sorry about Zuko." he admitted, before offering her a hand, "I'll see if my father can talk to him about that. It's... it's just not right."
"Then what is?" she asked him, genuinely wanting to hear his opinion; if her father wasn't always going to be right, then maybe at least Lu Ten could fill in the gaps.
"Forgiveness." he argued, "If you can forgive him, and he can... tolerate you, then maybe you might be able to get along."
"I-" she mumbled, before turning her eyes toward the infirmary; she didn't want to forgive Zuko, because that in and of itself would make her feel weak, but at the same time, she wished that he would be nicer- she didn't want to be his friend, but she didn't want him wanting her dead either, "Maybe if he wasn't so jealous of me, then maybe he'd be nicer."
"Sometimes you've got to take the first step, Azula." he acknowledged, before gesturing toward the infirmary, "And sometimes, it hurts. But you've got to clench your fists, and take the next step. Are you a quitter?"
She shook her head and took the very step he spoke of literally, all while she wondered about the one he spoke about more figuratively; Zuko was mean, and she didn't like him, but she knew that if they were going to stop disliking each other, one of them would have to do something.
"I'm not a quitter." she assured him, before smiling, knowing that for all he'd told her, she ought to at least thank him, "And you give good advice, Cousin." she noted, making him smile at her brightly, patting her on the shoulder before grasping it, ready to help her walk along.
"That's the best thing you can say to me."
Iroh didn't know how long he'd been awake for, and at that point, he didn't care; his arms were sore, covered with burns and blisters from being thrown around by the mind-explosion assassin, who had attacked him and his men once again. He'd commanded the Imperial Firebenders to flee by foot to the north, while he drew the assassins into the woods; he just hoped it had been worth it in the end, knowing that if all his loyal attendants and guards had died, that would be on him. He knew he ought to have run off earlier; the danger of remaining around people was far too great, but Iroh realised that he didn't learn his lessons easily.
It had taken Ba Sing Se to open his eyes to the horrors of war, in a way that he could really understand; he wished it hadn't taken Lu Ten's death for him to gain his wits, but that was what it had taken. Thinking about his son made him clench his teeth, so hard that it hurt; he was not feeling for his son, who he knew was with the spirits, and at peace, but his nephew, whose life was in danger. He needed to save Zuko, and make sure he didn't get himself killed for the same reason his attendants might have been; he was loyal, and Iroh loved his nephew- he was a good man, better than he had been at his age, even if he was misguided in some areas.
His feet hurt as well; he knew that he'd have to rest eventually, but he could not give up yet. He had thought jumping into a river would save him, and allow him to lose the assassins, It didn't work, and he was forced to trek deeper into the wilderness; he knew that there might be some Earth Kingdom villages nearby that he could seek refuge in, but he knew for a fact they wouldn't like the Fire Lord showing up at their village. They had a reason to fear him, and it was two-sided; he was both the man who conquered Ba Sing Se, and the son of the autocratic monarch who had laid waste to their country for nearly eighty years, and had practically destroyed an entire nation.
He was so disgusted by what his father had done in the end, that he was surprised that he hadn't stomached overthrowing him himself; he knew he could have done it, especially before Lu Ten, before he had lost his fighting spirit. He was still a great firebender, but Iroh did not want to fight; he did not want the Fire nation to continue their war, and despite knowing he might have to, he did not want to kill Ozai. He was a cold, callous man, but he was just as much a product of their father's disturbing mind as the Southern Raiders were.
He pushed thoughts of his brother from his mind, knowing that even if he was responsible for the assassins who came after him, he was not the most present threat to his life at that very moment. He almost would have preferred if Ozai had challenged him to an Agni Kai; it would have been a lot simpler that way, and at least then, if he was destined to die, he could at least do it with some dignity. He was sore, and he was tired; to think that he was suddenly preferring the idea of killing his brother in a duel over it suggested to him that he was really in pain. His feet had to be bleeding; that was what it felt like, at least. He'd experienced marches in the army, but it was nothing like what he was experiencing at that very moment. He reached a hand out to a tree, holding it and taking a deep breath; he would need his breath to be steady if he was attacked again- his firebending depended upon it.
"Don't give up." he chided himself, "Zuko's counting on you." he told himself the fact of the matter; even Lady Mai had been the one to send him that letter, he could see his nephew's emotions, his fears, just through how it had been written- he wanted Iroh to succeed, and he would do it for him.
He pushed onward, despite the pain in his heels, and the burns on his arms stung with every brush of wind; he hated it, and wished he could just lie down and sleep, but he knew that wasn't an option. He was not pushing on for his own sake, but for the sake of his country, and Zuko's too; he had to find a way to get rid of Ozai, and he knew his options were limited. Getting back to the palace was going to be dangerous, given that he had failed to kill the mind-bending firebender.
He didn't think it was possible, and at that point, he'd given up trying. The Order of the White Lotus was his next option, and he just hoped that they would be able to do something; warn Zuko, at the very least, or find a way to get rid of Ozai. He was running out of time, and he knew he needed to get to Bumi; he was the closest member of the organisation, and their meeting had been intended to discuss what the Order could do to try and organise a proper peace, the kind that would last.
The Fire Nation's domination of the world was unnatural, but letting everything fall into chaos would be just as bad; Iroh desired to remove suffering from the world, at least as much as he could, and did not presume that a simply reinstated Earth Kingdom would be any better than his father's reign. They had killed his son after all, and the sons of his nation, they had killed many of theirs; it was a to and fro that didn't have an end in sight, and Iroh had played his part and paid his price all the same. Peace would be a struggle to achieve, and Iroh knew that it would be a long road ahead, no matter what path he decided to take; he had to lead his nation to a better future, so his niece and nephew could inherit a Fire Nation better than the one he had.
His attention was drawn by what had to be a smokestack, from either a campsite or a house, just off in the distance, by the top of a nearby hill; he wondered whether he ought to approach, but he knew he didn't have many options. He had to rest, and even if he was to be captured, he'd certainly prefer to be captured by the Earth Kingdom than by the men who wanted him dead. He slowly approached, trudging up along the hillside, where he could see little evidence of his pursuers; he assumed that he had gotten ahead of them, given that there were no tracks about, despite the fact that there were a large number of men on his trail. He knew he couldn't waste the chance, and made his way right toward the smokestack; he was exhausted, but he couldn't pass out- he had to keep moving, no matter how much the aching in his legs told him otherwise.
When he reached the top of the hill, he realised that he was at some kind of Earth Kingdom farmhouse, given the barns and pens he could see, as well as a few fields of vegetables and grains. He wondered if they would immediately recognise him; he was lacking much of the robes and ornaments that signified his position as the Fire Lord, given he had been wearing only his under robes when the Royal Barge was attacked, and said robes were torn and dirtied from all the walking and fighting he had done. He grit his teeth, his right leg falling underneath him, and he dropped down onto his knees; as he panted with exhaustion, his breathing shallow and almost pained, he realised that it was late in the afternoon- he'd been walking all day, and now, he had no idea if he was going to be able to find anyone before he passed out. For all he knew the inhabitants of the farm could be off at a market, or eating their dinner. He decided he could only press onward, and hope that somebody was home.
He stumbled forward, making his way down the other side of the hill, out of the woods and toward the nearest building. He wondered if he ought to just hide in a barn and not bother speaking to, and thus endangering the inhabitants of the farm; he knew that if they were kind, they might help him, and at least give him somewhere to rest before he moved onward. When he reached the wall of the barn, he leaned himself up against it and groaned, slumping down to sit himself down in the dirt; he didn't care for the filth, not when he was about to pass out. He heard footsteps in the distance, and tensed up; he didn't want to have to fight some peasants, people who were completely undeserving of what might come their way.
Suddenly, a teenage boy appeared in his field of view; he was probably a few years younger than Zuko, and seemed very concerned by the exhausted Fire Nation man sitting by his barn's wall, "D-Dad!" he cried out, "Somebody's hurt!" he exclaimed, before moving toward Iroh, understandably cautious; he reached his hands out, and waved them over his face, "S-sir, are you... okay? What happened to you?"
"People..." he mumbled, before groaning, "They want to kill me." he simply told him the truth, the boy's eyes widening with fear.
"Wh-what did you do?"
He almost laughed at his words, and made a small smile, "Nothing." he whispered, "Please, I- I need some water. Do you have any? That would help... a lot."
The boy nodded, and paced off, back out of view; a few moments later, an adult male appeared, presumably the boy's father; he was a fair bit younger than Iroh, and had a thick black beard, and wore his hair in a topknot. He was obviously confused by the Fire Lord's presence, though he doubted he knew his identity.
"Who... what are you doing here?"
"Hiding." he told him the fact of the matter, "I'm running. Well, not anymore. I can't run." he admitted, the man turning around.
"Tao, get this man some water!" he asked of his son, who was already doing just that; he returned a few moments later with a bucket of water and a small cup.
"I'm sorry if this doesn't taste that good. It's just from the well." he explained, the Fire Lord nodding; he would appreciate it no matter the taste.
He scooped the cup into the bucket and swilled it down; it did taste a little dirty, but not so much that he couldn't drink it. Upon it touching his lips, he realised how much he had needed it; perhaps it was the dehydration and not the exhaustion that was really getting to him.
"It is good water." he assured the boy, "Thank you." he simply bowed himself forward, before filling the cup up once more and taking another swig.
"What... what happened to you? Who are you hiding from?"
"Bad people." he simply acknowledged, "They want me dead." he added, before sighing, wiping the sweat from his forehead, "I apologise... I shouldn't have come here, but I... I'm very tired."
"No, no, it is alright." the man acknowledged, placing a hand on Iroh's shoulder, "You can rest here. Will you need to continue moving?" he asked the Fire Lord, who forced out a nod; even if he didn't want to, he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.
"I must." he admitted, "I can't put your family in danger."
"What kind of people?"
"The kind nobody wants to fight." he admitted, the man's expression becoming clearly more unnerved.
"I..." he mumbled, before turning his eyes away, "Should I send my family away... while you're here?" he asked him, the Fire Lord grimacing.
"If it can be done... I recommend it." he acknowledged, "I can't... I can't protect myself, let alone you all." he admitted with an exasperated voice, "I need to find my-" he began, before cutting himself off, knowing he couldn't say any more; he did not want to out himself as the Fire Lord.
"Who? Who are you?" the man asked him, and his eyes turned away; he didn't want to tell him who he really was, but he knew there might be something that would resonate between the two of them.
"A man who doesn't want anybody else to lose their families." he acknowledged, the man's expression softening; Iroh took another swig from his cup, and the man rose up to his feet, and nodded.
"I will get you a blanket and a change of clothes. They might not fit, but they'd be better than those rags." he acknowledged, making the Dragon of the West smile.
"Generosity is a great virtue. I am sure you are a good father."
"Do you have-" he began, before turning his eyes away, "Did you have a son?"
"Y-yes." he mumbled, wincing at the thought of Lu Ten, "I have a nephew, too. I want to protect him, but I can't do it here."
"You are a long way from anywhere." the man acknowledged, making him chuckle.
"Well, I must be away from those people who were chasing me." he deduced, before sighing, "I have to- I have to find some friends of mine. Do you know how to get to Omashu from here?"
"Omashu?" the man's eyes widened, "Uh, it's a long walk, if that's what you're wondering." he noted, the Fire Lord smiling.
"I guessed that. I just need some directions."
"That place is under siege, I don't know why you'd want to go there." the man noted, telling him something Iroh was already well aware of; he was the one who had overseen the plans for the siege to begin with, even if his father had been the one to order it.
He had wanted Iroh to finish off the Earth Kingdom, something that he was not going to do. The legacy of Fire Lord Azulon was something he had little care for, not when most of that legacy just seemed to be confounding misery upon those who did not deserve it. His thoughts moved to the Order of the White Lotus, and what they might be able to do; what they could all achieve together, for the greater good of the world.
"As I said, I have a friend." he admitted, before his attention was drawn by the man's son, Tao, who had a few rice crackers in his hand.
"I guessed you might be hungry." he noted, Iroh making a small smile.
"I'm famished, but those crackers will do." he acknowledged before taking them into his hands, "Thank you." he simply acknowledged, before turning his eyes to the man, "I will leave by tomorrow morning. I swear it. I will not let them come for your family."
"Who... who's coming?" Tao asked them, his father shaking his head and gestured toward the farmhouse in the distance.
"Never mind. Go to your mother and brothers, and get this man a blanket. Tell them we need to be ready to leave." he asked of his son, who grimaced at the suggestion, before nodding.
"Yes, Dad." he accepted his wishes and paced off away from them.
"How dangerous?" he simply asked the Fire Lord.
"The vicious men, led by a bender that even the Avatar would fear." he acknowledged, the man's eyes widening.
"The Avatar." he whispered, before turning his eyes toward Iroh; he blankly looked at him for a few moments, before he scrunched his lips, "Haven't you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"I heard that the statues at a temple near here glowed. The eyes of the past Avatars." he explained, the fire Lord's eyes widening; he had not expected that, and the only thing his mind could be drawn to was what his niece would do.
The Avatar had returned, or at the very least, had come out of hiding; the glowing eyes meant that their connection with their past lives must have been activated. And then he considered that he had sent the one person who was likely to be able to find the Avatar and succeed to do just that, all when he wanted to establish peace. If the Avatar ended up in Ozai's hands, then that little bit of hope the world held would be gone for good.
"That's... that's news." he acknowledged, the man nodding, though his eyes showed that he wasn't exactly happy about the news.
"The Avatar's been gone for a hundred years, but now they've returned. And the comet is going to come back." he acknowledged, turning his eyes away, glancing in the direction of the farmhouse, "I don't want to know what the Fire Nation's going to do when that happens."
Iroh didn't want to answer the man's question; that would only bring unnecessary anguish and fear, when he himself was completely capable of stopping the horrors his brother intended. His attention was more easily drawn to the fact he had just learned, and its implications. Azula was going to find the Avatar, sooner or later, and all he could think about was how to make sure his niece didn't do the wrong thing; he hoped that she would spare the master of the elements, whoever they were- the last of the Air Nomads, he assumed. His niece was not the kindest girl in the world, but she was not of malicious intent; just like he had when he was her age, she sought to serve her nation. He could only hope that that 'service' was not the same kind Ozai had in mind.
"My niece, please be better than him."
Mai knew something was wrong; Zuko hadn't just asked to speak with her for no reason, and his panicked paces as he led her up to the edge of the caldera, somewhere they could be away from people- anyone who could hear what he had to say. She first thought it might have something to do with the Avatar, who she'd learned had returned, at least according to the Fire Sages; it was probably the biggest news since the Fire Lord's passing a few months earlier. However, his nervousness suggested it wasn't that, and there was only one thing she could presume if it didn't have to do with the Avatar, it would have to do with his uncle.
She knew they had only sent their message less than a week prior, and given the distance, it was going to take some time for them to learn if it had been any help. She hoped that Iroh was alive, knowing that the anguish that would bring to Zuko would not be any good, for either himself or the Fire Nation as a whole. He and Azula were both rather emotional, especially when it came to their loved ones; though she hadn't understood it very well at the time, the death of their cousin Lu Ten, who they were both close to, was a very tough thing for the two of them. Given Zuko knew exactly who was responsible, he mightn't even try the legalistic route of removing his father from power; in his fury, he might just try and murder him, something she wouldn't put past him- if Ozai was willing to kill his own brother, his son would be more than capable of killing him.
When they actually got out of the city, she decided she ought to actually ask him, knowing the possibilities were going to make her panic; if there was one thing Mai didn't want to do in front of Zuko, it was losing her cool. Her stoicism and calmness had its benefits, and they would be lost if she grabbed him by the shoulders and demanded to know what had happened. If Iroh really was dead, then both of their lives were still in danger, given their letter could have been retrieved by the assassins, if the Fire Lord's body was retrieved or his quarters searched. They were walking up a narrow gravel path which led them up to the rim of the caldera, which they'd be able pass through via a dip in rock formations, allowing them to look out over the countryside. She decided that they were far enough from anyone by that point and she had to know.
"What is it, Zuko?" she simply demanded of him, her voice monotonous, disguising her unease, "I know something's wrong if we're going all this way to speak in private."
"It's Uncle." he simply told her, "He's not dead, not yet."
Her expression softened, relieved by the news, before she straightened her lips, remembering that the threat of Ozai understanding their complicity in his survival was still present, "Does your father know about the letter?"
"No." he shook his head, before he continued on ahead, walking, toward the dip in the caldera rim, where she could see the light of the afternoon sun peeking out through it, forcing her to raise her hand up to cover her eyes.
"What does he know?"
"That his assassination attempt failed. The Fire Navy was told of the attack, and that men imitating Earth Kingdom soldiers were behind it. Firebenders. He knows that Uncle knows whoever attacked him was Fire Nation." he clarified, before narrowing his eyes, "I don't know if Uncle even received the letter. It might have come too late."
"If he didn't see it, maybe we'll be safe." she deduced, "Then he won't come back to fight your father." she argued, "If Ozai knows that Iroh knows, he'll come to conclusions."
"My father isn't an idiot, that's for sure." Zuko admitted, "I wish he hadn't done this... but he did." he acknowledged; he was obviously conflicted over the fact that he was going against his father, even if he didn't like him that much.
"If Iroh knows... then it's only a matter of time, Zuko." she admitted, "Ozai's going to come for us, and he has the power to do so. All those conspirators, the Imperial Firebenders, they'll follow with whatever he wants." she warned him, having figured out that they had little chance of winning even if they revealed Ozai's duplicity- they didn't have the evidence, only the threat of it, so for that moment, all they could do was wait.
"Then we'll have to leave." he simply concluded, "I mean, we don't have much of a choice. My father will have someone kill us to keep his actions secret." he acknowledged the rather disturbing situation they were in.
Mai did not like her own father very much, given how he had treated her as a young child, but she knew he was incapable of such heinous things; to kill one's own child was a disgusting thing, and even if she didn't personally hate Ozai, the picture Zuko had painted for her was one that she found to be despicable and ruthless.
"How... where?" she asked him, "Should we try and find Azula?" she suggested, knowing that his sister was probably the only person with the acumen and resources to help them make sure Iroh was returned to his throne.
"She'll like to abuse this situation for her own ends." he simply told her, the suspicion in his voice unmissable.
He feared what Azula might do, while in Mai's eyes there really hadn't been much to suggest she'd even side with her father when it came to Iroh; she spoke of her uncle with familiarity and respect, in stark contrast to the subservient relationship she had with Prince Ozai.
"Zuko." she addressed him, "There's nothing to say she won't help us. She likes your uncle, doesn't she?"
"She wants to be the Fire Lord more than anything." he argued, making her narrow her eyes; though he didn't speak about it as much as his sister did, at least when she was still in the capital, she was certain Zuko had the same intentions, even if he didn't want to be the Fire Lord until he was a grown and wisened man.
"So do you." she simply told him what she believed to be true; he didn't take it very well, and stopped walking, turning to face her with a clearly annoyed expression.
"Are you saying that I'm like her? We're nothing alike. I want to serve my country, she just wants to rule it like it's her play-thing." he argued, making Mai roll her eyes; she had expected him to get defensive about it, but she knew that the issue had to be addressed.
"I'm pretty sure that's just what you think." she argued, "I'm not saying she should be Fire Lord, but is she really wanting to do it for selfish reasons? She's been told her entire life that she was destined for the throne by your father."
"Because that's what he believes. But he isn't always right... actually, he's wrong more than not." he argued, "She's filled with all his lies, and thinks she'd be a great Fire Lord. She thinks that we're all just barriers in her way."
"She doesn't hate you." she argued, "She told me that."
He turned away, "She doesn't hate anybody. She just sees everyone as a tool. We're not to be cared for or hated. That's why she lies as much as she does; she doesn't care about the truth either, just about power." he argued, making her shake her head; Mai knew he was filled with just as many lies about Azula as the Princess was herself, and she knew that Ozai was responsible for what she was hearing- Zuko had been prodded into hating and thinking the worst of his sister, because it was in his best interests.
"That's Ozai." she argued, "She's her own person, Zuko. I know that you think she's this evil person, but she hasn't really done anything to suggest she wants to kill you all and become the Fire Lord." she warned him, before placing her index finger on his sternum, "Are you really going to fall for all of that? You sound crazy."
"I'm not crazy." he retorted, "You just don't understand."
"No, Zuko, I do." she argued, raising her voice only for a moment, before she forced it down, "Just try and look at your sister without all those... things you think her to be. She can help us, you know it, and you don't want her help, because it'd hurt your pride."
"It'll hurt more than my pride. What if she just outs me to Ozai so she can get me out of the way?" he argued; Mai sighed, and turned her gaze away- he had to be able to see a better possibility if he was going to accept that Azula could help them.
"Even if she does that, she'll know. And once she knows, she'll be able to stop him. Do you think she'll go along with his insane plan? Do you think she'll stand by while he tries to kill your uncle? She doesn't want him dead, does she?"
"I don't know." he admitted, and with that she crossed her arms.
"No, Zuko, you do know. She won't. She loved your cousin. She loves your uncle. She will help us." she assured him, "And if we don't tell her, I'm pretty sure Ty Lee will anyway."
"We told her not to do anything unless I'm... dealt with." he admitted with a timid voice, and she narrowed her eyes at him, knowing that despite what they had told her to, her friend would not stand by while help could be found.
"And if Azula meets her, do you think she'll really be able to keep her mouth shut?" she asked him, the Prince sighing, turning his eyes around, looking back across the Caldera City, toward the palace; he obviously knew what she did- the acrobat was a girl who wasn't overly skilled at keeping the truth in her head, especially when it came to friends.
"She wouldn't be Ty Lee if she did that."
