Zuko didn't know why Azula wanted to go out on a field trip to the caldera rim when her friends showed up for the day, though he guessed that she wanted to try and impress her friends with her climbing and acrobatics skills. He knew that Ty Lee was definitely better than his sister when it came to that, but it seemed that she always wanted to one up her, and prove that she was the best at anything and everything.

Mai, on the other hand, didn't seem fussed about participating in their competition, and stayed behind. Though Zuko thought he was good at climbing, instead of following the other two, he decided to stay with her, not wanting to accidentally make a fool of himself, and instead decided that he'd just take it slow. The guards who their father had accompanied the group weren't very far away, but he wasn't worried about them overhearing anything he said and reporting that back to his father, because like always, Zuko remained quiet, unless he needed to say something.

"And I thought I was the most boring person to hang around." Mai spoke up for the first time since she refused Ty Lee and Azula's prodding to join them in climbing on the rocks and precipices.

"What?" he turned to face her, a little offended that she had just called him boring, "I'm not boring." he retorted, and she raised a brow at his retort.

"Really? And what do you call walking like somebody just stole your lunch?" she asked him, and the Prince narrowed his eyes.

"If somebody stole my lunch, I would be angry, not just... bored." he argued, before shaking his head, "I'm not going to trip over some rock and break an arm." he gave his reason for not following after Azula and Ty Lee, and Mai shrugged her shoulders.

"So..." she mumbled, before turning her eyes ahead along the path, "Do you want to do something less dangerous then?" she asked, "Because I'm not just going to stand here like an idiot."

"Shoot fireballs at something." he gave his own idea, and she pulled out a knife from her sleeve, making his eyes widen.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked her, and she smirked.

"I stole a few from that stupid cooking class we have to do at school." she explained, before narrowing her eyes, "You wouldn't have to do that at the boys school."

"Uh, yeah." he nodded, "Cooking is... uh, useful, I guess."

"And when are you going to ever have to cook something in your life?" she questioned him, the Prince cringing for a moment, realising the privileged position he held a Prince of the Fire Nation; he would never have to cook or clean for himself, unless he found himself somewhere away from servants.

"Uh..." he mumbled, before trying to imagine what it'd be like once he joined the army, "When me and Lu Ten go and conquer the North Pole. Won't have any servants then. I'll probably have to hunt whatever lives there... seals, I think." he suggested, making her raise a brow.

"You're going to do that?" she asked, sounding more concerned than impressed by his claim, "Do you know what happened to the last invasion?"

"Nothing good." he conceded, recalling from one of his history lessons on the war what had become of their nation's first attempt to subjugate one of the most isolated nations in the world, "My uncle tried it once... but he never even got past a plan."

"The point is, I stole these." she reminded him of what they were talking about, flourishing three knives in her left hand, "Bet I can get it between those two boulders?" she asked Zuko, who looked to where she was pointing, and saw how far away the throw would have to take one of her knives.

"Uh... I dunno." he conceded, unsure how much practice she'd actually had throwing knives, though he remembered Azula mentioning Mai had done it before, "Try it." he suggested, knowing that he was more than a little interested in seeing if she was as good as her tone suggested.

She drew other knives up her sleeve, before throwing one up into the air, where it spun a few times before she grabbed it by the blade, narrowing her eyes at the boulders; in the span of a few seconds, she drew her arm back, tossed the knife forward, flinging it right between the two boulders, though now it was stuck up there, in a rather hard to reach location.

"Wow, good one, Mai!" Ty Lee chimed in with a grin, offering her friend two thumbs up to acknowledge her skilful throw, standing above them on the ledge, while Azula continued making her way forward, "Hey, wait up, Zula!" she shouted at the Princess, awkwardly running along the narrow ledge after her.

"Do you want me to get it?" Zuko spoke up, Mai's eyes turning to meet his own.

"What... you think I can't reach?" she scoffed, and Zuko raised a brow, knowing for a fact he had almost half a foot of height on her.

"I'm taller." he gave his reasoning, trying not to make it sound like he wanted to help her; that would just make him look like a mushy bootlicker, and he knew that nobody thought bootlickers were cool.

"Whatever." she shrugged her shoulders, seeming apathetic to whether he helped or not; Zuko paced ahead, approaching the mass of rock that the boulders sat upon, before he scanned up the length, noting the climb he'd have to make; he raised his right leg up, drawing his dagger out of his boot, before he leapt up, jamming it into a crevasse so he could pull himself up higher, grasping a ledge above his head.

With a quick leap, he pulled his feet up to the ledge, before he leaned into the gap between the two boulders, grabbing Mai's knife. Holding that in his left hand and his own dagger in his right, he skid down the rockface, back down to the path; the Imperial Firebenders who had been following were watching him, perhaps slightly concerned about his reckless climbing, but Mai was anything but.

"Why aren't you up there, showing Azula who's boss?" she asked him, sounding impressed by his speedy climb.

"Eh... she'd probably just knock me over with a fireball so she could win the race." he conceded, knowing that his sister would do anything to win a competition between the two of them; though he sought to one-up her, he wasn't going to go as low as to throw her down an embankment with his firebending just because he thought it'd win him a race.

"So that's how you'd break your arm... not because you're clumsy." she noted, making him scrunch his lips up.

"I'm not clumsy." he argued, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well, I haven't seen you run on a ledge yet." she gestured over to Ty Lee, who was doing just that.

"I'm not going to." he retorted, and Mai tilted her chin up, a little amused by his retort.

"Are you that afraid of your sister?" she asked him, and he shook his head, not wanting to talk about that; Azula was never the one who scared him, because his fears came from far less tangible things than a single person.

"No, she doesn't scare me." he snapped back at her, before he glanced around, wondering if there was something else they could do so she'd stop asking about it, "What should we do next?"

"Lose those guards. I want to be able to walk around in peace." she gave her thoughts, which aligned with his own.

"Hmph." he mumbled, before gesturing over to a narrow gap in the rockface leading underneath one of the larger boulders along the caldera rim, "How about we go through there. They won't fit in the cave." he suggested, Mai's small smirk telling him that she agreed.

Without a moment's hesitation, she dashed into the cave, skidding on the ground to make it under the overhanging boulder; Zuko followed after her, crouching down so he could climb inside, momentarily eyeing back to the guards, who continued to follow, though they didn't even try to warn them against entering.

He moved deeper inside, reaching a small cavern, which had some water running through it, probably coming from one of the natural hot springs that were situated around the caldera. Light was coming from a few narrow gaps from outside, and Mai glanced around with interest.

"This place isn't bad." she gave her opinion, before turning her gaze to another small gap, leading out of the cavern, "But there's got to be more." she added, before climbing on out through that gap.

Zuko followed her, noting the sharper incline as they moved towards the light of the afternoon sky, shining ahead off them. When they reached the outside once more, he realised that they'd come out above the path, higher up the caldera rim. Zuko could see his sister and Ty Lee sitting off ahead of them on top of a boulder, and the latter waved to them as they approached, climbing up the rocks to reach the pair.

"What were you two lovebirds doing, huh?" Ty Lee asked them with a smirk, making Zuko cringe; he hadn't realised that was the assumption she would make when they went into the cave.

"I was looking in a cave." Mai defended them both, "Zuko was just following me."

"I don't know what's more embarrassing, Zuzu." Azula spoke up with an amused voice, before gesturing behind them, "There's a hot spring right there. Wanna dip your toes in?" she asked, her question clearly directed at Mai.

"Are you going to push me in?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at the Princess, "I remember what happened to Zuko last time." she spoke up, referring to when the Prince had almost fallen into a fountain when trying to whack a burning apple off of her head.

"Yeah, that hurt." Zuko grumbled, touching the cheek that had slammed down into the ground when he'd tried to help Mai.

"That was your own mistake, Zuko. Mai was fine... weren't you?" the Princess asked her friend, who remained silent for a moment before responding.

"I was." she answered, almost sounding a little guilty about it, before she turned around to eye the view of the capital before them, "How much further are we going to go?"

"There might be more caves to explore." Azula conceded, before pursing her lips as she eyed her brother, "Would you like that, Zuzu?"

He just rolled his eyes, not even bothering to respond, before he turned around, eyeing the hot spring, "I just want to relax." he gave his own opinion, and a few moments later, he felt two hands on each of his shoulders, the Prince turning slightly to realise it was his sister.

"You can relax right there." she suggested with a devious smirk; Zuko grasped her by the wrists, stepping back towards the hot spring.

"Oh, if you say so." he played into her prodding, the Princess taking a few moments to realise what he was doing.

"Wait, Zuko, don't-" she began to warn him, too late as he pulled her with his whole body weight, tossing the both of them into water.

The weight of his robes dragged him down a little, as well as his sister's hands clawing at his robes, presumably in rage. When his head resurfaced, he began to laugh, looking at her dishevelled hair and annoyed face. Ty Lee was laughing too, Mai struggling to keep a straight face as the Princess barely contained her fury.

"Are you kidding me?!"


With the stability and security of the Fire Nation at stake, Princess Azula did not waste a single moment once she had interned the commanding officers of the armada that had fruitlessly tried to capture the Avatar at Crescent Island. She and Commander Zhao, whose forces had taken command of the enemy vessels, now stood in the Commander's battleship, inside the small prison hold; their interrogation process had already given her some more intelligence that would certainly help their efforts. However, due to the fact that much of the Commander's fleet was damaged, they had to travel west to a nearby Fire Navy dockyard, so that the ships might be repaired; that wasted Azula a whole night, and though she was happy she had gotten something out of the prisoners, she didn't waste a moment and the next morning she got right back into it.

Though they obviously weren't aware of the identities of all their fellow conspirators, she had more than a dozen names of high ranking officers, even an admiral, who were in league with her father; this was useful, at least as long as she could find the means to apprehend them, but given the struggle they had faced against the small armada of ships, she realised that things mightn't be as easy as she wanted them to be. Her father's conspiracy was obviously wide reaching, and even if her uncle had commanded the forces of their nation to apprehend her father and his associates, their lack of knowledge on its breadth and depth made any attempt to stop her father half-baked at best, even if they apprehended the man himself.

They had no idea how many people were really helping her father, or ready to side with him, given that within a matter of days, she was certain a full-blown civil war might begin. Her father would have orders, or some contingency plan now that his complicity in the attempted assassinations had been revealed. Reaching the cell of another officer, she decided to ask the first question she had asked every prisoner before him.

"What comes next?" she gave a simple, open ended question, hoping that they'd reveal anything about the actual plans her father had.

"I've heard you ask it before." the officer retorted, rising up to his feet awkwardly as he moved his shackled hands up, "I'm not telling you anything."

"Oh, that's what everyone else said." she reminded him, before she turned her eyes to Zhao, "Perhaps you'd like to try, Commander." she suggested, and he nodded, before pulling out his keys to open the cell; the officer stepped back, obviously realising where things were about to go.

"W-wait." he stammered, "You don't need to beat it out of me." he assured them, making Zhao scoff.

"Oh, really, and where's your courage?" he retorted, "I expected more from people willing to betray their Fire Lord."

"We were just following our orders, Commander." the officer stressed, and Azula narrowed her eyes, not believing that to be the full story.

"You intended to capture the Avatar, and take him to my father, correct?" she asked, knowing from the other officers that was their intentions; he nodded, confirming that story, before he glanced at both her and Zhao.

"The Avatar is the gravest threat to our nation... far more than the Fire Lord is." he warned them, making Zhao scoff.

"He is but a child." he reminded him, "Even if has much power, it is where that power is directed that counts... and from what I can see, you have only made him your enemy. The Fire Lord has made a far more tactful approach." he explained, and though Azula was unsure if Zhao actually wanted them to align with the Avatar, he certainly could appreciate the strategic genius of it.

The greatest threat to the Fire Nation was not her enemy, nor her uncle's, and that would have great consequences in the future, far beyond whatever her father planned to do. She hadn't considered it much, but her uncle was aligning himself with the most powerful bender in the world, the person who ought to be the arbiter of global conflict, and that meant that he was advantaging their own side, not just against her father, but against the remnants of the Earth Kingdom which might try to opportunistically take advantage of the present conflict within the Fire Nation.

"Tell me." Azula demanded, "Tell me what my father plans next." she ordered the prisoner, knowing he couldn't refuse on threat of torture; she wasn't even the one threatening it, though she found few reasons to object.

"I don't know everything, your highness." he warned her, "None of us do. We receive orders, and we comply."

"And what were your most recent orders... barring your little escapade at Crescent Island." she asked, wanting to know what else they were up to; the Avatar wasn't at the centre of her father's plans, seizing power was.

"To protect the Fire Nation's waters from outside threats." he gave her a rather straightforward order that could be interpreted as simply being a justification for their actions towards the Avatar.

"That's not what I'm asking." she retorted, and Zhao raised a finger up towards him.

"We require specifics." he stressed, "There is more afoot here, and we will not stop until we know."

"That's it." the prisoner emphasised, "We were ordered to protect the homeland. Our forces have been mobilised to blockade the whole Mo Ce Sea in anticipation of any threats." he explained, and Azula narrowed her eyes, realising that he wasn't talking about the Avatar, but her uncle, and whatever military forces he could organise from the Earth Kingdom to accompany him westward.

"So my father wants naval superiority over homeland waters." she concluded, "He won't have it, unless Admiral Liang has sworn his allegiance to him." she stressed, knowing that without the support of the Admiral of the Western Fleet, there was no way for her father to completely secure the waters between the colonies and the homeland.

"You're fools, both of you." the prisoner warned them, "There isn't just one battle group." he stressed, "We do not fight alone."

"And I already have the names of many of the officers who must be leading those other groups." she reminded him, "I will have them sent to Admiral Liang so he may root out the traitors before they can do anything reckless with their ships." she told him exactly what she was going to do, "I don't believe your blockade, if that's what you're going to call it, will last any longer than a week."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." he warned the Princess, "You cannot stop the inevitable."

"And your baseless claims of power do not amuse me." she retorted, before turning her heels around, "I think this is sufficient, Commander. We have names, and you have ships."

"I will not rest until the traitors are apprehended, your highness." he assured her, and she nodded, holding the same belief.

"As will I." she agreed, before she gestured towards the door out of the prison hold, "I believe that concludes our matters here. I will return to pursuing the Avatar, and will face anyone who tries to uphold this so-called blockade." she explained, the Admiral nodding.

"I will have some ships accompany yours... as a precaution. We cannot be too careful when it comes to these snakes." he warned her as he clenched a fist, "If we miss only one head, it might come back to bite us."

"I know that." she assured him, "You remember what happened back at the port, don't you?" she reminded him of what had only transpired a day prior.

He grimaced, perhaps not realising her concerns were not about her ship being sunk, or even being captured; it was the threat of her being murdered by her father's men, which she certainly sought to avoid. Azula was not afraid of them, but she had her guard up, and even if they had been victorious that day, that did not assure that the next fight would go as well. All she could do was prepare, and ensure that others understood the dangers that were looming ahead of them.

The Fire Nation's tenuous peace was over, and she was going to find herself at the front-lines, just like her uncle and cousin before her; she would not be leading soldiers against the other nations who continued to resist them, but against her own countrymen, who had been fooled and persuaded to think the only way to deal with the competing views of their future was through subterfuge, subjugation and the overthrowal of the one man had truly earned his place of power and authority.

Even if he was put into the military by her grandfather, her uncle was no foolish, battle-shy officer who relied on guards and underlings to make sure his battles were won; he was a master tactician, and a student of strategy, knowing both how to fight in battle and command his nation as a whole towards a great future. She might not have agreed with everything he wanted to do, but now, she had no doubts that he was the only one capable of giving their nation a chance to build itself into something more than a war-machine, constantly expanding and destroying everything in its path.

"I assure you, your highness... no harm will come to you while my ships protect your vessel." the Commander stressed, his tone suggesting that he understood the ramifications of failure; she might not have been her father, but she was not going to ignore incompetence on Zhao's behalf, and was sure that he would formulate some strategies so that his subordinates would be able to keep her ship safe from her father's goons, who might still want to capture or even kill her.

Striding through the halls of the Commander's battleship, she approached the stairs that would lead her back up to the deck of the ship; her Imperial Firebenders were still flanking her, protecting her from all sides, which seemed to unsettle even the Commander, who probably imagined his vessel was rather safe. That didn't mean, however, that there weren't traitors onboard, or out in the dockyards; they mightn't command the vessel or control the base, but she wasn't foolish enough to walk around unprotected.

When she climbed up the stairs, stepping outside, she took a breath of the air outside, smelling the coal that was being burnt not in the ships engines, but in the nearby foundries, where steel for spare ship parts was melted down from scraps. It was a rather efficient system, and given the funding the navy had, they were more than capable of spending a few hundred thousand ban on foundries in the homeland, which would earn them the support of those men and women who would have to work in them. Her mind turned away from the industrial might of her nation and back to the matter at hand when she eyed one of the Commander's damaged vessels, realising that things weren't going to go their way if it was just them alone against Ozai's supporters.

"Commander, I believe that sending a message to the War Council might be in order, given the threat this blockade might pose if it is actually formed." she explained, knowing the threat that might be towards those her father's men weren't probably even thinking about attacking.

Those most at threat were the garrison troops in the Earth Kingdom, who had to deal with lengthy supply lines and a lack of manpower to begin with. If a rebellion started, she didn't think they could do much to assist them with a blockade in place; Azula could perhaps count on Aang diffusing tensions, but she didn't have any illusions about his opinions on the war, and who was the 'right' side.

"Our troops will be vulnerable if supplies are cut." he conceded, "Even with our superior arms and technology, the Earth Kingdom may yet consider revolting... given our present divisions."

"Though I am amused that my father's actions may lead to the very thing he fears, I do not see any good coming from a rebellion... or multiple." she explained, before narrowing her eyes, "If rebels seize control of a few key roads and chokepoints, our troops will no longer be able to suppress threats across the Earth Kingdom, at least outside of the colonies and Ba Sing Se."

"I know that... that's why the navy is so invaluable to our nation." Zhao agreed with her, though he couldn't help but brag for his own role, "I know this blockade will be dealt with, but... the worst case scenario calls for some planning that may be... beyond us."

"Well, neither of us have authority over the divisions, garrisons, or colonial governors." she stated the fact of the matter, knowing that only her uncle and the War Council had the power to actually prepare for what might come their way; threats sat on all sides, and it would be foolish of them to just look at the most flagrant of them, "I will write the letter myself." she decided, "And do not fear, my uncle will back my words."

"As he should... they are wise ones." Zhao conceded, sounding almost a little impressed with her thinking, "We cannot be too cautious when it comes to the matter of considering the threats to our nation."

She nodded, agreeing with his sentiment, before she glanced across the docks, toward her own ship, where she could make out a few Imperial Firebenders, keeping guard against the kinds of threats she knew could loom anywhere, now they were back on land, "I have to get back on my ship. Don't do anything too extreme with the prisoners... they might still be of use to us."

"Whatever those traitors have to tell, I'll see to it that I hear it." he assured her, his expression having shifted to an almost pleased one.

He must have enjoyed beating and harassing his lessers, though she wouldn't dare criticise him when they were all traitors; she could see some enjoyment in that too, though Azula preferred to keep things impersonal and professional rather than stooping down to personal insults and vicious, spiteful beatings. She wouldn't deny that she'd done it before, and that she had enjoyed it, but she had an image to maintain, and that wasn't one of a short-tempered, blood lusting fool who only cared for revenge and one-upping her opponents.

Without anything else to say, Azula turned her heels, pacing towards the boarding plank, flanked by her Imperial Firebenders, some of whom paced ahead down the plank to check the other side for her, before standing watch as she crossed onto the pier opposite. The plank was less a plank, and more so a long flight of stairs down from the ship's tall deck, leading her down to the stone platform of the pier.

Once she was down, she hastened her pace, making her way towards the end of pier, eyeing a few dockworkers who were resupplying the vessel; it mustn't have taken them very long to recognise her, as they immediately stopped their work and got out of her way, some of them even bowing to her in deference. She might have otherwise appreciated it, but she just wanted to get back to her ship and leave the port, knowing that every moment she wasted there was a moment she could have spent ensuring that Aang was not captured by any more of her father's supporters.

Azula didn't want to waste any time, hastily making her way along the breadth of the docks, eyeing a few of the other ships in port, noting the damages that those ships had sustained in the fighting; it had been a challenge to force the enemy vessels to surrender, and there had been substantial loss of life on both sides. She had realised in hindsight she and her guards were awfully lucky to have to have made it out relatively unscathed, though she knew their combined skill made them formidable opponents, no matter who she faced.

When she made sight of her own vessel, she was relieved to see that it was in fine condition; though it had required a few repairs after the deck had been hit by enemy catapults, its superior construction meant that it was not going to be forced to port or sunk by something that feeble. An underwater minefield might pose a far greater risk, but she was in luck knowing where such minefields were from her navy maps; something more realistic in her mind was sabotage, from somebody loading blasting jelly onto her ship, and arming it. She kept a note of that as she approached the boarding plank of her ship, where a pair of guards stood duty, making sure nobody dared to try and get aboard without their express permission.

"Your highness." they both addressed her with a bow, before stepping out her way, allowing Azula to climb up the boarding plank, up onto the deck, where she saw a few of her guards training their sets, while some sailors sat nearby, eating their lunches; everyone's attention was turned to her at once, and they all tensed up, obviously knowing they were going to do something now that she had returned.

"We're leaving as soon as the engine is tested and running." she warned the crew, "Everyone, get what you need, because we're not stopping until we reach the Earth Kingdom." she reminded them of what they were doing next, before she turned her heels, deciding she ought to go inside and write the letter she intended for the war council.

She stopped herself before she could even cross the deck, knowing there was something more pressing for her to address; her guards stopped beside her, seeming to notice her sudden change of thought.

"Is something wrong?" one of them asked her, and she shook her head.

"Well, we cannot know that until a thorough search is done. Before we leave port I want the ship searched from top to bottom. If there's something out of place, I want to know about it. Understood?" she ordered them, and they all saluted her, understanding what she wanted of them; if there was something amiss on her ship, they would be the first to spot it- their training was half about firebending and half about preventing assassins and other devious individuals from getting near members of the Royal Family.

She then turned around, feeling confident that her guards would do their jobs without any further instruction, and approached the staircase which would lead down into the deck, she was greeted by one of her servants, a woman by the name of Hana, "Your highness." she addressed her, "Lady Ty Lee is waiting for you in your room." she explained, and the Princess narrowed her eyes, remembering that her friend had decided to stay out of the interrogation session.

She instead remained on the ship, telling her that she wanted to make sure nothing was amiss with the repairs or resupply; though she played it off with her cheery exterior, her friend, after what she'd experienced with the Intelligence Service back in the Earth Kingdom, certainly didn't hold must trust in the words of strangers, especially in their own nation.

"I think we ought to have some tea. Have that brought to the office." she requested, and Hana bowed, before allowing her to continue down the stairs.

The Princess noted that the ship was a fair bit more quiet than usual, though perhaps that was because everyone was relaxing now that they were at port, and that the repairs had been completed. Things were dealt with efficiently in the Fire Nation, which led to more leisure time than one might first expect; Azula appreciated hers, though she made sure to balance that with her training and plans for future operations, whatever those might be.

Winding down the halls, she didn't bother to stop and address anyone she saw on the way, servants, sailors or guards, who did bow or salute her, as expected; Azula didn't stand still until she made sight of her room's door, which was closed shut. She drew out her key, and stepped over to the lock, wondering if it was locked shut; she could tell it was when her key audibly opened it, telling her that Ty Lee had locked it shut behind herself.

Once she pushed it open, she made sight of her friend, whose clean clothes, make-up and smile made her look like she was just coming to see her friend, something so innocent that she associated immediately with her time before the search, before she had to come to understand the terrible situation the Fire Nation and her family especially were in. Ty Lee, just the same, was stuck in that terrible situation, and just for a moment, Azula felt the weight of guilt drop on her like a rock; she remembered her friend's unconscious body in her arms as she took her out of Tetsuwan.

"Hi Zula." her friend's chirpy voice took her out of her momentary reflection, forcing a smile out of the Princess, "Did... uh, you get the information you wanted?"

"It was a productive use of my time." she euphemistically conceded, knowing that talking about interrogations would only make the conversation awkward; she stepped closer to her friend, who was sitting at the table, where they'd usually chatter about things, mostly unimportant ones, given Azula felt no great desire to have her mind constantly on the dangers they faced.

"What's next then? Are we going?" she asked, and Azula nodded as she moved over to the table, taking a seat before she responded.

"That we are. I have to write a letter first, to inform the military of what exactly we've learnt, but we'll be going straight back after the sky-bison." she explained, "I cannot let any of those willing the chance to pursue the Avatar."

"Oh, okay." her friend acknowledged her plan, "I don't want them doing that either." she agreed with her, before turning her eyes back towards the door, "Did anything else happen?"

"I told my guards to check the ship. You can stop worrying." she assured her friend, who just grimaced.

"I can't let it happen again." she explained, and Azula narrowed her eyes, remembering exactly what happened at Tetsuwan.

"You didn't let anything happen. I did, by being too trusting of my guards... I should have vetted them before even considering to go against my father." she conceded her own failure, "If I was as competent as I imagine myself to be, then those papers would still be in existence, and their words could have been utilised against my father's own... if he even tried to defend himself."

"I... I don't know if that's going to happen." her friend conceded, making the Princess snicker.

"Trust me, it won't. He'll have some master plan to force my uncle into an indefensible position so he can claim the throne without division." she explained her thoughts on what could come next; she didn't think the blockade was the greatest threat, but public opinion.

If the people turned against the Dragon of the West, Azula wouldn't have much of a nation to rely upon, and it would make her seem all the more foolish for siding with her uncle, no matter how righteous he was. She shook her head, knowing it was pointless to worry about that, and turned her attention back towards her friend, knowing there were other things they could discuss that didn't involve her family or the fate of the Fire Nation.

"So... uh, was the Commander any nicer today?" Ty Lee decided to break the silence, making Azula raise a brow.

"Zhao doesn't catch me as the 'nice' type, even when he ought to be... sycophancy is one thing, but genuine kindness is another." she conceded, knowing that the Commander didn't really have the kindest intentions; she trusted his respect for his Fire Lord and his desire to make something of himself, something she knew could be utilised against their enemies, and already had been- he threw himself at the chance to fight the traitors, and was more than a little thorough in his interrogation, "But he is effective at what he does."

"Well, I guess that's what counts." her friend conceded, before pouting, "I just wish there were more kind people in this world."

"Kindness doesn't win you power." she warned her.

She knew her uncle's popularity came from his 'soldier of the people' image that was touted about; his authority had only been gained through his position as a prince, which was inherited. That didn't mean he didn't deserve it, but to say he was powerful because of his kindness misconstrued the facts.

"But it can help you keep it." Ty Lee suggested, and Azula shrugged her shoulders.

"Keeping people happy is what keeps the powerful in power. Look at the Earth Kingdom... do you think they were happy before Sozin set up the colonies?"

"I don't think they're any happier now." she gave her own opinion, which frustratingly was Azula's own.

No matter the ifs and oughts, she knew that the people weren't happier under Fire Nation rule, no matter the stability, technological advancements and infrastructure her nation provided; they certainly wouldn't be so willing to resist and fight her nation if that wasn't the case.

"I don't think kindness is going to defeat my father." she explained her thoughts, before sighing, "That sounds like some dopey logic Aang would use... and I don't mean to call him stupid. He's just naïve."

"And what do you call yourself before you went on your journey?" Ty Lee quipped in return, her question a rather valid one, despite what Azula wanted to think about her own wisdom.

"I wasn't naïve... I just believed my nation's path lacked flaws... at least, any massive ones in need of correction." she conceded, shaking her head as she realised she was talking about the exact kind of thing she didn't want to, "Can't we just talk about nothing?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." Ty Lee nodded, before smirking, "So, who do you think is cuter... Aang or Sokka?" she asked, making the Princess grimace, realising her decision to change the conversation topic ought to have had some caveats.

"One, Aang's twelve, and two, I have no time for boys... unlike yourself, I focus myself entirely on my goals." she gave her answer as succinctly as she could, "How about we discuss something other than the appearance or demeanour of others?" she requested, not wanting to continue any further down that path.

"Aw... but I thought you'd have some actual opinions... y'know making them your prisoners and all that."

"Are you trying to say the only way I can talk with boys is by imprisoning them?" she questioned her friend, who shrugged her shoulders with a smug look on her face.

"I don't know... you said it, not me."

"I don't find any pleasure in making conversation with any random people." she retorted, knowing that it wasn't her intention to force people into situations where they had to talk with her; she would only do so when she wanted to, and that wasn't often.

"So, me, Mai, and anyone important?" she asked, making Azula facepalm, wishing that they'd just stayed off the topic of her social life, or lack thereof.

"Just-" she began, before stopping herself, "I just want to have a normal conversation with you."

"This is a normal conversation. Talking about stupid pointless stuff like if you prefer bald or ponytail." she suggested, making the Princess want to slam her own face into the table.

"Please stop. This is worse than what those prisoners had to endure."

"Ooh... maybe I'd be better as an interrogator than an acrobat. I sure do love talking." she gave an idea which amused Azula, given there was evidence right in front of her that she could annoy answers out of other people.

"Maybe." she conceded, before raising a finger towards her, "Now, back to something else."

"Avatar Roku was pretty scary." she reminded her of what they witnessed only a day prior.

"Oh, scary isn't the word I'd use to describe it." she mumbled, making her friend scrunch her lips up, seeming confused.

"You're not the girl to get scared, Zula." she noted, before turning her chin up, eyeing her with interest, "So, what did you think?"

"I didn't think anything... I only felt awe. That kind of power was unimaginable... until I saw it with my own two eyes." she explained her thoughts of what she had felt; it was like nothing she had ever seen before, and only made her uncle's story about her ancestor's passing seem all the more absurd- he could make a volcano erupt, and yet, that was what killed him in the end, "Aang has that potential." she stated the obvious conclusion to come from it, "That could be him."

"I don't think he's angry enough to destroy like a whole temple at once." she conceded, and Azula narrowed her eyes.

"What if you woke up after a hundred years had suddenly passed, and somebody had destroyed everything you held dear- your home, your friends, your family and your culture? Would you not feel a seething anger towards those responsible?" Azula asked her to put herself in Aang's shoes, and consider the anguish and fury that must have been boiling away under that cheery, amicable surface.

"I- I don't know." she conceded, "I wouldn't be happy. I think I'd be more sad."

"Well, maybe you would be. But do you think Aang's just going to let what happened to his people go on to be just a mere fact in the history books."

"No... I don't think he will." Ty Lee admitted, before grimacing, "What's he going to do?"

"Something I don't think I'll enjoy... at all."


Striding up onto the deck of his ship, Zuko turned back for just a moment, to look at Houken's base, which was presently billowing out smoke from the fires their fighting had started; the battle had not been as long as he anticipated it would be, but then again, he had brought as many men as he could, along with Mai and those guards who formerly served Commander Zhong, and now served him. His uncle had been helpful as well, once he found him, and now, they stood victorious over their enemies, though clearly not their real enemy, Ozai. His father would be waiting in the capital for them, and now, Zuko had all he needed to return and allow his uncle to reclaim control over the Fire Nation.

"Now there's only one thing left to do." he spoke up, his uncle's head perking up as he understood what he was referring to.

"To go home." he concluded, his stern glare suggesting he understood the dangers just as well as Zuko did, "You know as well as I do that your father will put up a fight."

"And what happened to the Earth Kingdom, Uncle... after all their struggle?" he asked him rhetorically, as he of all people would know the answer.

"They only suffered, and lost their country." he acknowledged, turning his eyes away, "This was never going to be good for our nation, even if your father's ploy is ultimately doomed."

"I wouldn't say that." he warned his uncle, knowing that as much as he wanted to stop Ozai, defeating him was not a certainty while they lacked knowledge on the scope of his conspiracy and the finer details of his actual plans, for both the Fire Nation and the world, "He has a chance as long as he is a step ahead of us... and, well..." he trailed off, unsure what to say next.

He really didn't know if his father understood what had been going on, but he had a feeling that he wasn't as unaware as he wished he would be; that kind of thinking nearly got him killed once before, and he was unwilling to fall to it once more.

"We can't be certain what he plans to do now." Zuko stated his opinion as clearly as he could, knowing that nothing he would say would really bring any clarity to things; they could only plan, and anticipate, but they could not know for certain what awaited them in the capital.

"I do not take my brother for a fool, but if he seeks to win over the people, he has not done himself any favours." his uncle warned him, and the Prince sighed, knowing that no matter how his father might have justified his own point of view, it was unlikely he had any consideration of what commoners, let alone the soldiers he would try to command, thought of his ideals and plans.

"He doesn't care what they think. Father's views of the duties of the Fire Lord don't... exactly fit in public opinion." he warned his uncle, knowing that his father was more than willing to ignore their opinions, in favour of those who could provide him with the arms and support he needed to actually win power- the people he'd been courting for years now, even before his uncle went to Ba Sing Se.

"But the opinions of one man don't change the facts." Iroh spoke up, more confidently than before, "I will stop him, Nephew. I promise you... I've already promised enough people. I cannot fail, not now."

"No, I cannot." Zuko retorted, knowing that his failures had led to their present situation, "I had a chance... and I squandered it." he argued, certain that he could have tried to inform the Imperial Firebenders of his father's actions, and maybe, just maybe, he'd already be in chains and his conspiracy revealed without the loss of a single life, something that would have sat better with his conscience than what lay behind him.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his arm, and he flinched, turning around to realise that it was Mai, who seemed ever so slightly concerned by what he had just said, "Zuko, you're getting yourself worked up over something you can't even control." she warned him, her point making the Prince's gut sink in his chest; that very lack of control was what scared him, because he couldn't protect those he cared about, and his nation as a whole.

"I can't control it." he agreed with her, "I can't control what's going to happen, and now, things are only going to get worse."

"I'm never going to say this is a good situation, but... I think we have a chance, Zuko." Mai tried to reassure him, her straight face not matching the confidence in her voice, which was surprising; perhaps she too was afraid, for her own family, and for what might become of their lives if they were to fail.

"Struggle is a fact of life, Prince Zuko." his uncle spoke up, "This will test us all, but I believe we can overcome this." Iroh assured him with a smile, "You are not to blame for your father's actions, and I know you can help stop him."

"I have to." he agreed, restating what he already had told him before, before he glanced off towards the water, eyeing the various ships that had moored themselves around the base; he had been the one to gather Zhong's forces against Houken, to save his uncle, and with Mai and those willing, he had fought to free him- his success was at least proof that Ozai's supporters were not as devious and prepared as he imagined they might be after his experience back in the capital.

"We won, remember that." Mai assured him quietly, her closeness making him slightly uncomfortable, though that was because his uncle was standing right in front of them, before she stepped past him, "I'm going to get changed out of this stupid uniform." she clarified what she was about to do, and Zuko nodded, before narrowing his eyes.

"Alright... I think I'm going to rest for a bit. We can discuss our plans after, right Uncle?" he asked, and his uncle resolutely nodded.

"Of course, Prince Zuko. A man needs his rest... and you definitely need yours."

"Heh... you're right." he chuckled, letting himself smile for a moment, knowing his uncle understood him better than most people; he knew the kinds of things he'd be thinking about, constantly worrying and focusing on his plan to help Iroh, which to his relief, had finally come to some kind of close.

He turned his head around, noting that one of the junior officers in Zhong's fleet was pacing up the plank towards him, and the Prince immediately recognised him as the man he'd told to retrieve Houken's files, so he could have a better understanding of what his father's forces would be doing next. He had a bunch of papers tied up in his right hand, and as soon as he got onto the deck, he offered them towards the Prince.

"Prince Zuko, I got what you requested." he simply explained his reason for being there, and Zuko let himself smile, glad that he was as fast as he had been.

"Thank you." he acknowledged his efforts, "Take a breath before you go back... you look one step away from passing out." he warned the officer, whose heavy breathing had told him just that; his eyes turned back up to the Prince, and he nodded, leaning onto the railing beside himself.

"I- uh, will do that, your highness." he accepted his suggestion, before the Prince turned his heels.

"I'll see you later." he addressed Mai and Iroh, who both looked his way as he began to pace towards the door into the superstructure; he was going to go to his room to read the documents, and then, meditate, so he could rest his mind and ensure he wasn't needlessly overthinking his circumstances, which had become a rather obvious problem as he undertook his quest to save his uncle.

Pushing the door open, he paced into the dimly lit hallway, making his way towards the fork at the end of the hallway. When he reached it, he eyed the staircase to his left, which led down towards the engine room, and up towards the bridge; a few voices could be heard in the distance, but the humming of the ship's engine below him was louder. He had not grown used to such sounds and vibrations, but they weren't annoying as he originally anticipated. Turning his gaze down another hallway, he made his way down it, noting the door at the end of it, leading back out to the deck of the ship; he took a left turn, then making his way towards one of the doors, which sat by the rear of the superstructure. Zuko strode to it, unlocking the door, which then led him into the small room he made his own.

He didn't take the Commander's room, instead electing to have a more obscure, isolated room, mostly because he didn't want everyone knowing exactly where he was, which would obviously lead to the officers, sailors and others coming to speak with him about their plans. That wasn't something he wanted to do on a whim; the Prince valued his image as a serious, calculating leader, and didn't want to spend his time constantly spouting his thoughts. He knew that most the people on the ship had far more experience with sailing, fighting and strategy than himself, so he trusted them to what they thought was right, and would take their advice to heart; he was not the Dragon of the West, and he knew it would be many years before he'd be anywhere near as wise as him.

He locked the door behind himself, and moved to sit himself down on the mat he'd had set up by the window; Zuko pulled out the bound stack of papers, unfurling them and laying them on the table in front of him. He quickly began to scan through the documents, flicking from one page to the next to eye their titles, dates and seals, if any were marked on them.

What he found wasn't surprising in the slightest; his father and his subordinates had been planning various operations to blockade the Fire Nation's waters as to prevent navy forces loyal to his uncle from either going to the Earth Kingdom or the Fire Nation. Splitting up his uncle's supporters geographically made a lot of strategic sense, as it would make maintaining the occupation of the Earth Kingdom a challenge, and thus force them to either reinorient to fighting Ozai's forces, or to suppress revolts in the Earth Kingdom. His father also seemed to have some plans to organise his supporters in the homeland to move to various locations, given with code-names he didn't understand; this meant that Zuko couldn't discern the exact plan. However, he assumed his father intended to send them to seize control of military installations and key locations, such as logistical chokepoints the Gates of Azulon, or key navy bases that were used to supply the Western Fleet.

When he felt like he had read enough the Prince leaned his head back, and let out a sigh; he turned himself around, and moved to sit himself up against the wall. Turning slightly, he set some of the candles alight with a wave of his hand, before taking a deep breath, his breath making the flames flicker, grow and shrink with each of his breaths. Zuko wanted to clear his mind, wishing that things weren't as complicated as they had become; he already had to worry about protecting his uncle, but now he realised that the strength of their nation's military was under serious threat from within; it was the one thing that had ultimately given the Fire Nation its advantage, and though he wouldn't dare tell his uncle how he felt, he was scared. Scared for what might become of them, if the worst came to bear, even if Ozai was ultimately defeated.

He had been told to love the Fire Nation, and that idea had stuck with him, for better or for worse; that was the only thing his father ever told him he needed to love, because it was what he owed his duties to, but in hindsight, Zuko understood this might have merely been a way to justify his father's treatment of him. Without love for one's own children, or family, one could be wholly dedicated to the idea of service to one's nation, by which Ozai presumably was able to justify all his actions; now, that contortion of patriotic duty was leading their nation down a path of destruction and unwarranted suffering. Zuko, however, loved things other than the glory of their nation, some abstract, imagined thing that his grandfather and father both loved to tout about; he loved people, and wanted to protect them, because they were the nation, the thing that made them who they were.

He let out a smile, knowing that his path, no matter how dangerous, was leading somewhere bright; he had hope, and that was enough for him to grasp onto. He knew his uncle felt the same; he wouldn't have taken up the duties of being Fire Lord if he didn't think they could succeed, and come out victorious against the threats that stood against their nation. Though the Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, and perhaps most importantly, the Avatar, were once viewed as the most clear threats to the Fire Nation, Zuko knew that wasn't the case, not since his father's plans had come to light. The war as he knew it, for better or for worse, was over, and though he knew that the other nations would not give up, the Fire Nation could not either; he could only hope that the right decisions would be made, and that his nation would not find itself right back in the thralls of war.


Although Mai had been told that his uncle made the best tea, she had thought Zuko had been exaggerating on the Fire Lord's behalf, but it turned out that he wasn't just trying to compliment him; given her parent's predilection for perfect meals, attire and aesthetics, she had had her fair share of niche and fine teas at family banquets, where her mother and father would show off with the finest foods and teas for all their distant relatives who'd come to the capital from time to time. However, the Fire Lord just seemed to have the right tea for the occasion; it wasn't too sweet, nor too bitter, but certainly had a soothing taste and aroma to it, calming her down almost immediately.

Though her mind had crossed to Zuko for a few moments, wondering if he was alright, probably just off brooding in his quarters, she decided not to worry about him, and just let herself relax for the afternoon, given what she'd already had to deal with that morning. However, from the look on Iroh's face, she could tell that her day was not done just yet; he might have been relaxed with his teacup in hand, but he didn't seem content, and given what had transpired over the past few months, she couldn't blame him for feeling that way, because she felt the same.

"Is the tea to your liking?" he asked her, and Mai gave a resolute nod, not smiling, but simply confirming his suspicions, "Ah, that's good." he acknowledged with a smile, before his eyes turned back towards the window of the room they were sitting in; it was one of the officers quarters, which had been set out for the Fire Lord, after its original inhabitant was outed as an Ozai supporter, along with Commander Zhong, and thrown in the ship's brig.

"What did the Commander do to you?" she asked Iroh, wondering if his short time imprisoned had been any worse or better than Zuko had imagined; the Prince was frantically concerned about his uncle's safety, even if he masked that under his serious and angry outward persona.

"Houken?" he raised a brow, "Not much, to be frank." he conceded, "He took me and my guards prisoner, and we were only in that base for a day. Zuko arrived this morning, and things fell apart quickly... I don't believe he was going to torture me, or anything of the likes. He simply was trying to restrain my efforts of returning to the homeland, and presumably, assumed appeasing me through a relatively nice cell and the safety of my men would stop me from going after him."

"You were going to try and get him too?" Mai raised a brow, realising that Iroh might have had the same intentions as Zuko.

"Well, I wasn't going to..." he began, before stopping himself, "I didn't expect that of Zuko."

"After nearly getting cooked alive by Ozai's agents, I'm surprised he didn't kill Commander Zhong on the spot." she gave her own opinion on the matter.

It wasn't a surprise that he was angry and vengeful, no matter how much more danger that would put himself in; Zuko, despite his knack for plans and secrecy, was not always the most rational person.

"He's in the brig, isn't he?" he asked her, and she nodded, recalling that Zuko had interrogated him a few times to try and get some more details on Ozai's plans, to no avail; Zhong's role seemed to be focused around the homeland, containing Iroh's supporters in the case of an outbreak of fighting, which didn't tell them anything about Ozai's actual plans to seize control of the Fire Nation, "I might go and speak with him, if only to see if I can get some sense out of him."

"Zuko tried, and he failed to get anything." she warned him, "I don't think anyone's going to do much better."

"Well, I hope that the Order of the White Lotus can provide me with some more intelligence about Ozai's plans, if they have been doing what I asked of them." he conceded, Mai furrowing a brow.

"How many people do they actually have?" she decided to ask, "Piandao was messaging some members in the capital, but there's more of them, right?"

"Of course. The Order is everywhere... I just hope that my brother doesn't catch onto that. It should not be them to suffer for my inaction." he admitted, his voice sounding genuinely afraid; she didn't know how well he knew the other members of the order, but he obviously was just as concerned as them as he must have been about his guards, who he'd allowed himself to be captured for the sake of.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door, and Iroh's head turned, "Come in." he allowed whoever was there, and when the door opened, she realised it was one of his Imperial Firebenders, who quickly saluted the Fire Lord.

"Your majesty. We've searched the ship... it seems that Zhong wasn't as smart as Commander Kinshu." he explained, and the Fire Lord nodded.

"That is good to hear. Are the others alright?" he asked, the guard nodding.

"They're being treated at the infirmary. We hurt the enemy more than they hurt us, your majesty." he assured him, and the Fire Lord smiled.

"Well, that is what you're trained to do. I will come and see them as soon as I'm done here." he explained his intentions, the Imperial Firebender bowing in respect.

"Of course, your majesty." he acknowledged him, before turning his gaze to Mai, "Lady Mai, we are in your debt. You and the Prince are the reason we have been able to achieve this great victory, and keep his majesty safe."

"I'm just doing my duty." she assured him in return, "I am loyal to my nation." she stressed, and the Fire Lord chuckled.

"Loyal to your friends." he suggested, before giving his subordinate a wave, "Thank you, Sergeant Takumi." he farewelled him, and the guard stepped back before pulling the door shut, leaving them alone once more.

After a few moments of silence, Iroh's gaze turned to her own, "Are you comfortable here?" he asked, and she narrowed her eyes, unsure if he was referring to the room, or the ship in general.

"This ship is fine. Whether we are safe is yet to be seen." she gave her thoughts bluntly, knowing that he understood the danger that he drew by virtue of his position, "I assume you received our letter."

"Yes, I did." he confirmed, before grimacing, "I only wish that it had come a little earlier."

"We sent it as soon as we knew what was happening." Mai clarified, narrowing her eyes as she recalled what Zuko had told her about the messenger, "Ozai has a lot of redundancies in place, it seems. One messenger getting stopped wasn't enough." she conceded, before she turned away, "I'm sorry, for what it's worth."

"You shouldn't apologise, Lady Mai. This is my doing... if I had just taken my nephew's warnings more seriously, none of this would have transpired." he stressed to assure her of his own wrongdoing, which was admirable; he was willing to acknowledge when he made mistakes, something he shared with Zuko- it just seemed that their reactions to mistakes were very different.

"Zuko's been trying hard." she admitted, "He's never been this determined... I mean, I've seen him angry. You have too, I guess." she acknowledged, scrunching her lips up as she recalled what Zuko had revealed earlier, that he had killed Commander Houken on the spot, and he hadn't even tried to harm Iroh, although he hadn't known that at the time, "Did you think he'd kill somebody?"

"I don't know what Zuko will do." he gave perhaps the least useful answer, "He's his own man... and I am glad that he is taking matters into his own hands, even if... well, he does foolish things."

"No, I mean, did you teach him to do that?" she asked, "Not the lightning... I mean, kill people."

"I have killed people, Lady Mai... and though I regret many of the lives I have taken, in war, it is either you or the other man, and I elected to protect myself and my soldiers." he explained his own opinions of killing, which sounded far more apathetic than she had expected from a man who was so upbeat, "I never wanted my nephew to become like me... to be a soldier, a fighter with bloodied hands. He should be better than that."

"But he isn't." she reminded him, "I doubt Azula's going to keep her hands clean at this rate either." she warned him, knowing her friend better than most people, and her willingness to act with violent force if the situation required it of her; that wasn't to say either of them would ever enjoy killing people, but how Zuko spoke of Houken, he made it sound like he deserved it, "He wanted him dead... and if he gets his hands on his father, I don't know if he will be able to restrain himself."

"Patricide is both immoral and undesirable. It does not make a good man or alleviate one's grief." he warned her, though clearly, his words ought to be addressed to his nephew himself, "I will handle my brother. I made that clear."

"You should." she agreed with his intentions, "Azula and Zuko shouldn't have to be cleaning up this mess."

"I will need their help." he conceded, before smiling, "I hope you might be able to help me help them."

"In what way?" she raised a brow, the Fire Lord chuckling.

"Well, you're friends with both of them. They trust you... and you seem to be a wise girl. You can help temper their... less desirable qualities, and ensure they become the Prince and Princess they were always meant to be."

"You say that as if you can't guide them. They both look up to you... and not because you're the Fire Lord, your majesty." she acknowledged his position above both Zuko and Azula, who treated him with more respect than perhaps any other person, and that was before he was Fire Lord.

"I am a flawed man with a flawed past. Everything I say can be doubted because of the things I've done, the things I've made others do." he acknowledged his own guilt, which seemed to be bigger than the death of his son, Prince Lu Ten, and more to do with the war as a whole; though Mai was rather ambivalent about the whole matter, she understood that he wanted to make right by the world, and fix the mistakes his predecessors had made, "You are someone they trust, and they will respect your words."

"I am not going to make them do my bidding. I'm not my parents." she retorted, knowing that the last thing she wanted to do was needlessly try and control others' lives, especially that of her friends, who she actually respected.

"It is not about control, it is about their futures. They cannot become stronger, and wiser, without some well-placed criticism and advice. You must know where and when to say such things, am I wrong?" he asked, and she sighed, knowing that he was right.

She knew them very well, and though she was unsure if they'd just listen to her if she warned against brash, or simply outright vengeful and ruthless actions; the siblings were headstrong, and if they'd both turn against their own father, it wasn't a stretch to say they could turn on either each other or her.

"I'm not..." she began, before narrowing her eyes, knowing that the Fire Lord was the one with more respect in the eyes of the siblings, "Trust me, I want to help them... they're my friends." she assured him, before rising to her feet, "But this is your problem. Not mine. I'm just a teenager like them... the world can't be fixed by teenagers with no real experience. It has to be done by you." she warned him, knowing that despite their confidence, Zuko and Azula were not up for the challenge of running the Fire Nation, or making peace with the Earth Kingdom, at least not without some careful consideration and learning on their behalf.

"I-" he gasped, before his eyes turned down, his expression shifting immediately; he had been hopeful, but now he only seemed anguished, "I am sorry. I just... I don't know if they'll trust me. I failed to deal with their father, and to save their cousin... my son; I lied about what I thought was right for my nation, and I ended up exactly where I didn't want to." he explained his feelings bluntly, "I may have defeated the Earth Kingdom, but... I don't know if I am worthy."

"I bet Zuko and Azula are thinking the exact same things." she conceded, "You have a big responsibility... more than anything I think I'll ever have to deal with... and I'm glad I won't." she admitted her own feelings, knowing that the Fire Lord had not really chosen the life he'd been given; he could have run away and made a life for himself somewhere else if he really wanted, but obligation tugged on him, just like it did with Zuko- the Prince had no reason other than duty to put himself in danger and leave Piandao's estate.

"I will not fail my nation, I know I cannot." he acknowledged, "But there is more to this than winning and losing, it's making sure that I'm... that I'm right." he acknowledged, "I believe in something- a better future, for all of us, and every time I see these men turn against me, proclaim me a traitor, it breaks my heart." he continued on, growing more disheartened with every word, "I want them to believe that our path is righteous... truly. Not just swear an oath to me and be done with it."

"The only way you can do that is yourself... or at least, show them what you think is wrong with this world." she suggested, "I know for a fact that unless somebody tells him otherwise, Zuko's going to keep demonising his sister, acting like she's as bad as Ozai." she conceded something that she'd learned through her years of friendship with Zuko; though their antagonism waxed and waned, it was no secret that the Prince disdained his sister, irrationally and with not much justification.

"My nephew and niece have never had the best relationship, and my brother's unnecessary comparisons have made it all the more worse." he noted the main cause of their quarrel, "I only wish that they could see that they are equals, and not each other's enemy."

"Even though I agree with you... there is only one throne." she warned him of the inevitable conclusion, and perhaps, part of the reason behind their conflict; both wanted to be the Fire Lord, desperately, and wanted to prove their worth for that title, "That's the real problem."

"Well, I can't make it so that there are two Fire Lords." he conceded, "My only wish is that they could come to an amenable conclusion. One takes the throne, and the other serves our nation just as dutifully. There are more things than being the man... or woman, in charge."

"Yeah, that's why Zuko keeps imagining that he's a navy commander now." she reminded him of their present circumstances, sitting on a ship commanded by Zuko himself, "What will you make him do?" she asked the question that she imagined Zuko himself had.

"I require his assistance in stopping his father, just as I do Azula's... but once that threat is neutralised, we must work together, and formulate a new peace with the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes. That is the only way that we can end this needless conflict... victory by arms is no victory if they keep trying to kill our soldiers and sailors."

"Well, I'm unsure if diplomacy is Zuko's strong suit." she conceded quietly, before she realised she was still standing up, "Did... did you want me to sit back down?"

"Uh, well, I thought I ought to stretch my legs anyway. Should we go to the bridge?" he suggested, and Mai gave a curt nod, thinking that sitting around didn't really suit her when they were having such a serious conversation; usually she wouldn't get too emotional, but given the stakes, she felt like the Fire Lord's suggestions were only making her anxious and annoyed- now she understood why Azula would get annoyed by his attitudes at times, given it only seemed to lead to more questions rather than answers.

"Alright." she accepted his offer, striding towards the door that would lead them out of the room; she pulled on the handle, opening the door out to the hallway, and as she stepped out, she glanced down, and immediately spotted Zuko, who was walking their way; he was, unlike herself, still wearing his armour, and had a slightly concerned look on his face.

"Is something wrong, Nephew?" Iroh asked him, and Zuko revealed a letter, which had clearly only been written recently from the cleanness of the parchment; he unfurled the letter, and gave it to his uncle, his eyes turning to Mai's.

"It's Azula." he explained, "Something- well, something weird happened."

Iroh scanned the paper quickly before his eyes widened, clearly shocked by the document, "By the spirits." he gasped, "Well, that explains what the Avatar's been up to."

"What happened?" Mai asked, and Iroh cleared his throat.

"The Avatar was pursued by my brother's forces to one of the Fire Sage's temples in the Outer Islands, which is dedicated to Avatar Roku... and when they tried to storm the island, Avatar Roku somehow appeared, instead of the Air Nomad boy, and caused the volcano to erupt, and destroyed the temple, as well as much of the enemy armada." he explained, Mai's jaw dropping as she realised what she was hearing; she had heard of the Avatar having amazing power, but the past life of an Avatar materialising and then laying waste to the Fire Navy was something else entirely.

"And what does this have to do with Azula?" he asked, the Fire Lord scrunching his lips.

"Well, this letter isn't from her. It's from the enemy commander, who barely escaped with his ship. The rest of them were captured by Azula and Commander Zhao. He obviously still thought Zhong was commanding this ship." he explained, before smirking, "It seems that your sister has been busy dealing with the traitors as well, Zuko."

"Well, she did say in that letter that she was going to slaughter them." the Prince recalled, making Mai raise a brow.

"She did?"

"The last letter that came to the palace from her, before we were attacked. Father was surprisingly impressed, given that he was the one behind it all." he conceded, seeming both disturbed and intrigued by the oddity of it, "Are you going to tell her to come to the capital as well, Uncle?" he asked, and the Fire Lord sighed.

"We will need as much help as we can get, if you father is going to put up as much a fight as I believe he will." he conceded, before narrowing his eyes, "I believe the Avatar will be fast enough to reach the North Pole without anyone else interceding to capture him." he noted, before glancing down the hallway, "What did you learn from Houken's letters, Nephew?"

"Ozai's planning a blockade, and he's organising his forces in the homeland for something, but it was too cryptic. We have to be careful, Uncle." he warned him, and Mai turned to the Prince, knowing things were already in their favour; as long as they were fast enough, Ozai's forces wouldn't even realise what was going on, and the capital would be taken from his grip.

"We're already halfway there... nobody can stop us now."

"Unless he raises the Gates of Azulon on us." Iroh conceded, "Then we'd have to go overland."

"And gather the whole Home Guard against him." Zuko suggested, "That only helps your cause."

"Hmph, you're more optimistic than I thought, Prince Zuko."

"I know our strengths and weaknesses, Uncle. That's enough to know how we can win."


The midday sun hung high above Ty Lee and Azula's heads, and though the acrobat wasn't confident she could beat her friend in a one-on-one, she knew how she fought, and the Princess knew how she did; it was as evenly matched as one could get, although firebending certainly could hurt more than chi-blocking. They had already been training for some time, and despite feeling a bit drained after all that, her heart was pumping, and she was ready to give it all she had. The Princess, seeming confident as ever, stood in form, ready to firebend at her upon a moment's notice.

"Come on now, Ty Lee. You haven't gotten shy after all that time not having to fight, have you?" she asked, and Ty Lee scoffed.

"You should have seen the prison rig guards." she warned her, and the Princess raised a brow.

"I imagine giving all those prisoners coal was the main reason you won... not considering the stupidity of the plan in the first plan." she noted nonchalantly, her tone suggesting she didn't really care about what happened on the prison rig, even if she had seemed rather annoyed about it at first.

"Well, that helped. It was a good plan." she quipped in return, "We won, remember?"

"You won. I'm not sure you'd call that a victory for the people of Tetsuwan." she warned her in return, before lighting flames in her palms, "Enough boasting. Show me what you've got." she demanded her to attack, and Ty Lee sighed, before smirking, deciding she'd accept her request.

The acrobat leapt forward, deciding she'd feign a direct attack to weaken Azula's stance; rushing right at her mightn't have been the brightest idea, as the Princess shot a fire stream right at her head, but Ty Lee already knew she would, dropping lower as she skid along the steel deck of the ship, the flames flying right above her scalp. The Princess eagerly began throwing fireballs at her friend, who was forced to somersault forward, narrowly dodging the attacks before she threw her left leg out, trying to kick her over. She got Azula in the calf, almost knocking her right foot from underneath her, but she didn't falter, spinning around to shoot out some flames from her left fist. Ty Lee met it with her palm, momentarily stopping her flames from forming; that was all she needed as she threw her hand into Azula's right arm, chi-blocking the pathway leading down from her bicep.

She let herself smile after achieving that small victory, but the Princess wasn't going to let her savour it, blasting her off her feet with a fire blast to the chest, having pushed her palm out of the way; before Ty Lee could get back up, Azula shot a fire blast out from her boot at her tunic, probably aiming to hit her in gut and wind her. Instead, she was able to narrowly roll out of the way, patting the embers down that had landed on her tunic; when she eyed the Princess once again, she was aiming her fingers her way, ready to fire a charged bolt of fire from her left hand.

"Your move." she prodded her smugly, obviously believing she was victorious.

Before Ty Lee could try and trip Azula over, lest she get her hair set on fire, she heard a voice behind them, "Excuse me, your highness." she heard a man address them, and the Princess turned her head around to look the way the voice had come from, "A messenger hawk has arrived."

Ty Lee's head perked up, wiping the sweat from her forehead as she realised a guard was standing watching her and Azula; their spar had been a bit exhausting, given how agile both of them were, and well attuned to each other's fighting styles, but now they had an excuse to stop. The Princess, who'd been standing above her friend, just having knocked her to the ground, narrowed her eyes, eyeing Ty Lee for a moment, before turning around to face the guard.

"And what kind of message have I received?" she asked, and when the guard didn't respond, obviously not wanting to peer into the private messages sent to the Princess, she snapped a finger at him, "The colour of the ribbon. What was it?"

"Black." he clarified, "It's concerning national security." he acknowledged the meaning of such a colour.

"Not many people have the authority to send messages with such ribbons." she noted, before stepping away from Ty Lee, approaching the guard, who offered the letter out to her with a bow.

She accepted it into her hand, before she untied the ribbon; a few moments after unfurling it, the Princess' expression shifted, and she turned to face Ty Lee, seeming perhaps the most concerned she had on their journey from Tetsuwan onward; not even facing Avatar Roku had elicited such a reaction from her.

"Well, I know what's happened now." she admitted, her friend blinking a few times, wondering if Ozai had been defeated, or something else of that magnitude.

"Has somebody stopped your dad?" she asked, the Princess shaking her head.

"Uncle got captured, and Zuko and Mai took over a whole battle group, and went to free him." she explained, "They're heading for the capital as we speak... and we need to go there too."

"We're going home?" she gasped, not thinking that would happen while they were still on Appa's trail; it seemed, however, that Iroh's plans had changed, given they were what Azula was following to begin with.

"Yes, yes we are." she confirmed, before she tried to move her chi-blocked right arm, seeming annoyed by the fact that it was still limp, or nearly so, as she could still move her shoulder, "You could have jabbed a little lighter."

"What, I don't want you burning my hair. You're really tough, Zula." she warned her, and the Princess nodded along, seeming to agree with that compliment.

"I am." she acknowledged with pursed lips, "But gloating won't do either of us any good. I'll go tell the helmsman where we're going. I probably ought to send a message to whoever Zhao's got tailing us. Their assistance won't be required any longer."

"But... isn't it dangerous if we're heading back to the capital?" Ty Lee asked her nervously as she pulled herself back to her feet, "We could get attacked."

"Zuko and Mai took over a battle group." she reminded her of what she had read in the letter, "I don't imagine there's many people left threatening us in the homeland, seeing how many ships we caught back at Crescent Island."

"And what about your father?" she asked, nervous to imagine what might be going on in the capital; though she wasn't exactly worried about the man who'd literally sent spies to silence her, her whole family lived in the capital, in close proximity to the palace, and the government's affairs- if things went sideways there, that would only spell bad things for her mother, father, and sisters.

"He'll face justice soon enough. If he's lucky, he'll be allowed to have an Agni Kai." she noted, seeming almost enticed at the suggestion of it; Azula obviously still got the thrill out of a fight, even if she understood the wider threat Ozai's plot posed, and the danger he posed to her life personally.

"I hope it just stops soon." she admitted her own opinion, not really caring about Ozai, but simply about returning to some sense of normalcy.

"At this rate, Zuko will defeat Father instead of Uncle... and I don't imagine he'll have any of the patience for mercy Uncle has." Azula conceded, though Ty Lee was unsure if that was a rib at her brother, or a genuine acknowledgement of his achievements thus far.

"Why?" she asked, wondering what made Zuko all the more willing to face Ozai; Azula, of all people, ought to know, or at least, have a good idea what was going through her brother's head.

"He's angry. He's always been angry. That's the difference between Zuko and I... I control my emotions, but they control him." she explained, before narrowing her eyes, "It just seems he's gotten better at channelling them, and now, he has no reason not to go after our father."

"You've always said your dad was powerful. Can Zuko do it?"

"It is not a matter of can, but how." she redirected her question, "Zuko and Uncle merely need a plan... and then Father will fall."

"Maybe that's why they want you back in the capital." she noted, realising that Azula, being as smart and good a fighter as she was, would only hasten Ozai's defeat, if it really was as near as Ty Lee hoped.

"Well, I'm looking forward to my inauguration as Crown Princess." the Princess suggested with a smirk, though her expression faltered after a few moments, "Though... I doubt Uncle is going to pick sides, not yet."

"What, because it'll make you and Zuko have another fight?"

"Not just any fight. A real one." she warned her, before rotating her right shoulder, moving her arm a little better than before, "And I am unsure if I am ready, if that's the case."

"Really?" Ty Lee asked, having thought her friend was stronger and more focused than ever.

"Yes." she admitted, before tilting her head back towards the superstructure of the ship, "Let's go write that letter."

She followed after her, and only felt more unsure as she eyed the Princess's expression from the side, noting that she was clearly not happy.

"Why?" she asked her bluntly, "Do you think Zuko's stronger?"

"Pfft... of course not." she scoffed at the suggestion her brother was actually a better firebender than her, "His advantage now has nothing to do with strength."

"Then what is it?"

"Belief." she admitted, making Ty Lee narrow her eyes.

"Like in the spirits?" she asked, unsure what she was specifically referring to.

"No. I doubt Zuko cares at all about them. This is about our mission- the Fire Nation, and our duties. Zuko has not seen what we have seen." she addressed the truth, "I do not seek to empower and assist the enemies of the Fire Nation, but unlike him, I understand what they have faced... not what we have been taught in school; I doubt the very foundation upon which our ideals and war were built upon."

Ty Lee's jaw dropped, realising what she was hearing; her friend has always been determined to serve the Fire Nation, and fight against its enemies. That had changed with her cousin's death, but not as much as it had now; Azula was saying she didn't believe in the very thing her ancestor had set out upon. Maybe it was Aang, or maybe it was whatever she had seen in her journey around the world, but whatever it was, she obviously didn't see things the same way she had before. Then her mind turned back to one thing that they had barely discussed, which was Roku, and her family, which she had only recently learned about.

"Does this have to do with Roku?" she asked, and the Princess stopped walking, as she was just about to climb the stairs up towards the messenger hawk coop; her posture was frozen, and her head turned slightly, her eyes gleaming from the light of the afternoon sun.

"Do you know what it is like to learn everything you thought you were was a lie?" she asked her, obviously rhetorically, as Ty Lee really had no idea.

"No." she conceded, "But I hope you... wanted the truth." she admitted, knowing that the Princess was always looking for knowledge and ways to improve her skills, and now that she knew something important about herself, she might have less doubt about herself, and what she wanted to achieve.

"I didn't want to be lied to." the Princess bluntly told her how she felt, "If Father had just told me and Zuko why he married our mother, let alone even mentioned her once... then maybe I wouldn't be so frustrated about this. And the thing is... I don't even know if Uncle's going to tell him."

"If he told you, he'll tell Zuko." Ty Lee gave her own opinion on that matter, "Your uncle doesn't seem like the kind of man to keep the truth away."

"Oh, but he is." she narrowed her eyes, "That's the problem, Ty. We're all a bunch of liars... my whole family." she acknowledged what she saw to be the crux of the issue, "I don't think for a second that Uncle wanted to tell me about it. It was only because the crazy King of Omashu was joking about the ironies of me teaching Aang firebending."

"Well, it is ironic." she softly conceded, before shaking her head, "But I think you're overthinking it, Zula. Your uncle's a good guy... I mean, every time I've spoken to him he's been nice."

"Nice and honest are two, very different things, Ty Lee." she warned him, "And my father is neither... that's why he even has a chance of winning. He doesn't care what he loses on the way, or what farces he has to spout to get people to believe him."

"Do you care?"

"I don't know what to care about anymore... but it sure won't be 'the mission'. I'm long past that now." she acknowledged, before her eyes narrowed, and her expression darkened; it was as if something finally clicked in her head, except it wasn't a good idea, or some nice memory- it was something she had to do.

"We're going to go home, and we're going to fix things... permanently."