Lu Ten felt more than a little proud that he'd finally finished his time at the academy; the graduation was all pomp and marching to show off the new officers, but he wasn't really thinking too much about that. Now that he'd gotten back to the palace, he could finally speak to his father about things; the academy was simply the first step he had taken in the great General Iroh's footsteps; he wanted to make his father proud, and the idea of his giddy smile and hearty laugh kept him in a good mood even when he was being ordered to march through the streets of the capital, where they'd been sent for the graduation ceremony.

It would have been a little underwhelming if they had just had a ceremony at the isolated academy, which was on a small, desolate island a day north of the capital. He didn't really understand why they built it where they did, but he guessed the nice sea breeze and the navy ships coming in right to them so they could learn about them up close and personal made some sense. His father and grandfather actually oversaw the graduation itself, as it was custom for the newest officers to be sent off by the Fire Lord; that man being his own grandfather made it a little unusual, but he didn't mind. He wondered if the old man would be proud of him too, but he dismissed that thought, knowing he'd actually have to achieve something of note to get Azulon's attention, and 'finishing school', as he had succinctly put it the last time they spoke, wasn't all too impressive.

But when Lu Ten approached the palace doors, his father was standing there waiting for him, still wearing his ornate armour that he had when he attended the graduation; he had a smile on his lips, and he offered his arms out, his son pacing forward before leaping into a hug.

"I am proud of you, my son." he whispered to him, "You looked more serious than Father when you came out in your uniform." he added in jest, making the young Prince snicker.

"Well, I don't think being funny will help us beat the Earth Kingdom, Dad." he warned him, and Iroh nodded, before gesturing towards the doors.

"Would you like to have some tea? I could get us some food as well... it's still a few hours until dinner." he explained, and Lu Ten smiled, glad that they were just going to relax rather than going to speak with the Fire Lord, which was something he imagined might occur before he and Father ultimately went off to the front together.

"Yeah, I'd like that, Dad." he accepted his offer, before Iroh turned around, raising his hand, gesturing for the Imperial Firebenders to push the doors open.

Once the doors were opened, they made their way down the hallway, and immediately skirted off to the left, heading to the nearest tearoom; the two Princes were greeted by a few servants along the way, and Lu Ten made sure to politely address them, knowing that their diligence ought to be respected. He earned a few smiles and bows back, and when they reached the tearoom, his father let out a yawn.

"Oh, well, that was a tiring day, wasn't it?"

"You make it sound like you did some walking. You took the palanquin back here." he reminded his father of his own relative ease of travel, while Lu Ten elected to walk up to the palace, though he was escorted by a few guards, as was custom when he was out in public.

"Well, you're right, but I had to write a speech. Another one. Do you know how many times I've gone to the academy graduations?"

"Thirty of them, I'd guess." he assumed, knowing how old his father was and when he himself graduated.

"Okay, not that many. Twenty six." he conceded, before chuckling, "Every single time I have to write a new speech, talking about the virtues of soldiery, or giving some anecdote from my time on the front to try and inspire... or maybe just warn the new officers."

"I thought you liked rousing speeches, Dad." Lu Ten suggested with a butting of his elbow, making his father smirk.

"Well, I do, but only when I think they're necessary." he acknowledged, before he glanced around the room, "I'll just get the teapot ready." he explained what he was going to do, before gesturing to the table that sat in the middle of the room, "Sit down, Son. You've earned it."

"Yeah I think I have." he agreed wholeheartedly with his suggestion, and sat himself down at the table, stretching his shoulders and twisting his neck a few times, realising how strained he had been from all the walking around and standing in formation for the ceremony.

Turning his gaze back towards his father, he raised a brow, wondering what they would be doing next, now that Lu Ten had graduated and would be joining his father as his understudy. Most officers were being sent off to the front or to meet with generals, commanders and admirals at their respective bases of operations, while the Prince had the privilege of simply climbing the path up to the caldera to go follow his father around.

"So, where are we going to go?" he asked his father, who raised a brow.

"Nowhere just yet. I'm still ironing out some plans with the war council and Father." he explained, before smiling, "We're close, Lu Ten. Closer than we've ever been before."

He realised what his father was referring to; he didn't seem to be able to shy away from talking it up whenever they came to discuss the war, but now, it sounded like he was serious. They were going to conquer Ba Sing Se, and from the sounds of it, it wasn't just a hypothetical anymore.

"How soon?"

"Two months until the troops are sent in to start the siege." he explained, before raising a brow, "We've got a week to finalise the plans. I don't know if that's enough time."

"I mean, you know how to fight the Earth Kingdom, of all people. You've been fighting them for years." he conceded his father's skill and knowledge when it came to dealing with the greatest threat to the Fire Nation.

"This is something that has never been done before. Plans have been made, but nobody has gotten close, and yet, our forces already surround the city." he noted the present strategic situation, "I have to make sure this plan works, or they'll take the upper hand again. Years of fighting could all be for nothing."

"I know, Dad." he assured him that he wasn't unaware of what was at stake; it wasn't just his father's pride and image as a great, successful general at stake, but the hope of the war actually coming to a close, "I'm... I'm looking forward to seeing a brighter world once we're done."

"I hope so." Iroh agreed with him, before he let out a sigh, his gaze turning to the window, "I just don't know if this will do it."

"Bring peace?" he asked, unsure if he was talking about achieving his destiny as he saw it, or actually bringing an end to the conflict that the world had been enduring for nearly a century.

"If peace is an end to hostility, I am afraid that even taking Ba Sing Se will not achieve it. Peace can only be made willingly, and I just hope that those who have struggled against us for so long will finally be able to see that a settlement can be made."

"Well, they'd be stupid if they didn't. Once Ba Sing Se is ours, the Fire Nation can't be matched... ever. The Water Tribes don't have enough people, and the soldiers left in the Earth Kingdom won't do much without their central command, will they?" he asked his father, perhaps a bit rhetorically, as he already knew from his understandings of their nation's grand strategy that taking Ba Sing Se was the final move they needed to make to force their enemies to surrender- the war did not need to go on any longer, and the peace and prosperity that his great grandfather aspired to might actually become a reality.

"Well, they won't defeat us, there's no chance." his father conceded what was already obvious, "But defeat is not what I am concerned about; if they believe that their struggle is righteous, and that they are defending something worthwhile, then they will not give up, even without the shining hope of Ba Sing Se to inspire them."

"I wouldn't call Ba Sing Se that. It's a stratified, impoverished and overpopulated city that is controlled by people that put the Intelligence Service to shame." he acknowledged something that he'd learnt from his education on the other nations; though his tutors and teachers were never too kind when they spoke about the other nations, there were things that they excelled at, and unfortunately for the people of the Earth Kingdom, their government excelled at being able to ignore the will of its citizenry.

"Well, you and I know that, but the people of the Earth Kingdom are fooled into thinking that it's a utopia. I don't blame them- everyone needs something to aspire to, even if it really doesn't exist."

"Does... does our mission really have an end?" he asked his father, drawing that uncomfortable question from comparing the imagery of Ba Sing Se with that of Sozin and his great mission.

"An end? Yes. What end, we have yet to decide... and I hope that I am the one to end it." he acknowledged, Lu Ten narrowing his eyes, realising what his father was actually trying to say.

"You don't trust Grandfather?"

"He cannot see the good in the world." Iroh conceded, "He hasn't for a long time. There are things beyond the narrow mindset his own father enforced upon him... but he has been unable to break the mould." he acknowledged, "I pity him, but... I do not think I can persuade him."

"You say that like you've tried." his son observed, "Did he react badly?"

"He thought I was foolish for thinking so highly of our enemies." he explained the situation matter-of-factly, "But he didn't get angry. He's tired... tired of this war, and tired of this struggle. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have approved my plans. It's far more dangerous than any ordinary campaign."

"But that's just the price we have to pay. As long as the soldiers believe, and know that we can win, they'll follow us right to the palace." he assured his father, who chuckled.

"I... I guess you're right there." he agreed with him, before his eyes turned down to the teapot, which had finished boiling, "So, back to the matter at hand. How much tea would you like?"

"Just a cup." he decided, and Iroh poured the steaming hot liquid into one of the cups in front of him, pushing said cup towards him with a nudge from his fingers.

The Prince took his cup into his hand, and blew on it to cool it down, before he took a sip; the tea was fine, not too bitter, and immediately soothed his parched throat. He let out a smile, and placed the cup back down on the table.

"Thanks, Dad. You really do know how to make a good cup of tea."

"What can I say, Lu Ten, I'm a master of tea-bending." he joked with a smug grin on his face, making Lu Ten laugh; even if they were having a serious conversation, he always knew how to lighten the mood.

"Oh, with jokes like that, I might actually enjoy sitting around the walls of Ba Sing Se for a year." he joked in return, the older Prince cringing.

"Oh, don't say that... then it'll actually take a year."


Watching the messy display of fire before him, Iroh could concede that his nephew's firebending had certainly grown stronger since he last observed him training back in the capital. His form was a little sloppy, but it was by no means ineffective; his footing was firm and his attacks concise, Zuko wasn't wasting any more energy than he ought to on each opponent. The guards that had volunteered to spar him were no pushovers, being the original unit which had defended Commander Zhong, more than ready to defend their superiors life in battle or against potential assassins. They weren't however, anywhere near the level of the Imperial Firebenders that Iroh himself trained with, and it showed; though their bending was impressive, their forms were rather rudimentary and too aggressive, focused on brute force over tactical manoeuvres.

Zuko was moving around them, shooting their extremities with small fireballs, bolts and sweeping kicks which broke their footing; he was able to avoid their own attacks with weaving and acrobatics the likes of which he'd expect with an airbender. Of course, he was certain his nephew's knowledge on fighting tactics were more so derived from what his tutors or Piandao taught him. Momentarily, Iroh amused the thought of what tactics his son had given Zuko, given how much the Prince and his sister had admired Lu Ten.

That thought quickly dissipated as he watched his nephew throw a series of fire bolts into the air, weakening the footing of a few guards before they were all knocked off their feet by an arc of fire. The flames quickly dissipated, but the guards did not recover just as easily; Zuko went on the offensive, throwing blast after blast at the other guards, ripping their own attacks apart by dispersing them away from his body. The Prince even was able to dodge two fire streams at once by dropping to the floor and spinning his body around, shooting out a fire blast from his heel, which knocked one of the men right off his feet. The other guard threw a wall of flames up, but Zuko didn't pay any mind, instead continuing his barrage against the remaining guards, who deflected and dispersed his attacks as best they could.

When time came for them to return the favour, the Prince, instead of defending himself, or dodging, decided to rush right at the enemy, taking advantage of their intended aim to cover his movement. The explosion their collective bending created shook the ship beneath Iroh's feet, and the light was practically blinding, forcing him to shut his eyes from the glare. When he opened them, he realised that must have been his nephew's plan, as he had already beat two guards under the cover of the light.

There were three remaining in the fight, and they rushed at the Prince, two of them creating walls of fire to block him in while the other conjured a fire whip, grappling his nephew by the leg, and throwing him to the ground. Through the narrow gap between the walls of fire, he was able to see Zuko rush at that guard, the two of them throwing fireballs out at an impressive speed, before both caught each other's arms with flame-covered hands. Though the walls were closing in on both of them, the Prince and the guard didn't move, trying hard to push each other over. Obviously, despite his bending prowess, the other man seemed physically stronger than Zuko, and forced him down onto the deck.

Before the guard could blast Zuko in the face to force the spar to a close, the Prince grasped his wrist, causing his fire blast to instead shoot through one of the walls of fire, hitting the man behind it in the shins, forcing him to the ground. His nephew wasn't going to waste a second, and leapt up, kicking the guard in the gut before he shot a small, concentrated bolt of flames through the other wall of flames, hitting its creator in the crotch area. With everyone hurt and reeling, and the flames dissipating around him, Zuko glanced around at the other guards, who in turn eyed him, seeming not too eager to continue sparring him.

"Did you all want to take a break, is that it?" he asked the guards, and after glancing amongst themselves for a few moments, a majority nodded, and Zuko decided to walk away, pacing back towards his uncle, and Mai, who had been sitting beside him, just as interested as Iroh had been in his quick-paced spar, though her straight, ever serious face might have said otherwise.

"I'm impressed, Nephew. I knew you were fast, but... that was something else." he acknowledged his nephew's great skill when it came to combat; even if he wasn't as experienced as Iroh, he still had the innate skill and focus that made him achieving his own level of skill seem all the more likely- it would only take time and practice to achieve.

"Speed isn't everything." Mai noted, "Your aim was better than theirs. They just focused on overwhelming you... which they almost did." she added, seeming a little amused by that fact.

"It's not funny that I almost lost... but I did it to test myself. I need to be ready for a real challenge, and knowing what we've seen already, it's probably closer than any of us would like." he conceded, the Fire Lord narrowing his eyes as he considered Zuko was more than right; it would be foolish to not consider what dangers they might face, even if they'd like to wish that fighting was behind them.

"You're right, Prince Zuko." he agreed with him, which made his nephew furrow a brow.

"So why aren't you training, Uncle? Don't you need to be ready as well?" he asked, and the Fire Lord chuckled.

"I guess you're right, Nephew. I like to spend my time doing exercises... I already know my forms, but what I really need is control. Any firebender without control is like a walking bonfire, just as much a danger to themselves as others if they lack it." he warned his nephew, knowing that even if his control was far greater than it once was, he knew that Zuko tended to get emotional, and though he'd proven himself well against Commander Houken's forces, that was just one fight.

"I have control, Uncle." he assured him, before gesturing to Mai, "Tell him, Mai. I had control over my bending and emotions, and we beat Zhong's men easily the first time." he argued, before turning to face the recovering guards, "No offense."

"None taken, your highness." one of the guards assured him, "It wasn't us you beat, anyway. That was the Commander's personal lackeys."

Mai turned her gaze over to the Fire Lord, seeming a bit awkward now with both Iroh and Zuko's attention on her, and she gestured towards the Prince, "Zuko isn't nearly as angry as he used to be. We had to be calculating and tactful to win against a whole ship of men."

"And I don't doubt that." he acknowledged, before sighing, "But I am more concerned about the hypothetical of you facing Ozai."

"We will destroy him, Uncle. What can he do when two lightning bolts are aimed at his head?" Zuko retorted with the kind of confidence that, ironically enough, he only ever came from men like his brother.

"Have a plan to outwit us." he acknowledged, "Ozai is no fool, and even if we can orchestrate a plan to capture him greater than anything Sozin did for the Avatar, that does not mean that we will be successful."

"He has control over dozens of high-ranking officers, who will help hide him. And we don't know the full extent of his conspiracy. There could be people loyal to him hiding right under our noses." Mai warned them, "Just like how that officer at Shazui tricked you. We knew about him from the letter, but you had no idea about his treachery until you interrogated one of the assassins." she addressed what Iroh had had to deal with; Kinshu had nearly killed him in a murder-suicide, but Colonel Bao was the one who practically stranded him, acting as if nothing was amiss, and as if he were concerned for him and his guards' safety while he had his men sabotage the ships.

Houken never would have caught him if it weren't for Bao's treachery, and that was the kind of thing that scared him; the Commander had been rather frank about his loyalties when pressed, but others would likely not be as forthright. He could walk into a war council meeting and find himself stabbed to death by officers loyal to Ozai if he was foolish enough to let them remain; that kind of danger still loomed over him, even now on a ship run by those loyal to himself, purged of traitors by Zuko and any officers willing to join him against Zhong.

"That is true." Iroh conceded, sighing as he rose up to his feet, "But we will outwit them... I am the Dragon of the West, after all."

"How can we outwit people we don't even know about?" Zuko asked him, and Iroh chuckled.

"It's simple, Nephew. If you believe that anyone could be an enemy, and every place could be a trap, then you will analyse the situation correctly. Be prepared to flee, to protect your allies, and overcome any dangers."

"What if we face somebody like that assassin Father sent after you?" the Prince asked, clearly concerned they could face such overwhelming power and lose, just as Iroh had, more than once; he was just lucky he could escape with his life, and find a path to destroy Sanyan, with Azula and Sokka's help.

"We'll face them together." he assured him, offering him a hand, "Now, would you like some tea, Prince Zuko?"

"Uh, yeah." he agreed to his offer, the two of them sitting down, and Mai rolled her eyes.

"Great, now we're all sitting down." she observed the rather unimpressive change with a sarcastic quip, "So, what, are we going to plan for the capital?"

"Certainly." Iroh agreed to her proposition, before picking up the tea pot, pouring the hot liquid out into a cup for his nephew, before turning his gaze to Mai, who made a curt nod, allowing him to pour her a cup as well.

He finished by pouring himself a cup of tea, and then blew on it to cool it down before he took a sip; it was still hot, but the taste was fine, not too sweet or bitter, but at the perfect balance. Zuko seemed to approve of the tea, though he wasn't visibly happy, just content as he sipped from the cup, before placing it down on the small table between them.

"What's the plan, Uncle?" he asked him, "Are we going straight for the capital?"

"I hope that we can reach it unimpeded, but I have preparations if we cannot. The Gates of Azulon might fall under your father's control before we can reach them, and even if we could disable them, it would take us precious time that the enemy could use to encircle us." he explained what he saw they'd be facing within the next day.

"Then what?" Zuko raised his hand towards him, "If they have us cornered, then father can try and bargain a surrender out of those who still swear their loyalty to you." he warned him, "We cannot let him have that advantage." he stressed, and Iroh nodded, already knowing that out of all things was what they needed to avoid after what Houken had tried; getting him in a position where he couldn't lead the Fire Nation nor escape to face his brother was seemingly the most effective recipe to forcing the Fire Nation to bend to Ozai without his brother besting him in an Agni Kai.

"I know that, Nephew, so I have already contacted the Order of the White Lotus. There are members across the Fire Nation homeland that may give us refuge if necessary, and if that is unnecessary, then we will gather the Home Guard into an army, and storm whatever fortress your father has holed himself up in." he explained what the alternative to merely allowing themselves to be surrounded would be, "The danger of fighting openly in the homeland has its risks; the population density here is far higher than in the Earth Kingdom, and we will only endanger the people there by partaking in an extended campaign, even if we are likely to be victorious. Their opinions could be swayed to Ozai if we appear as the aggressors."

"You can't be the aggressor, Uncle. He's trying to steal the country from you." Zuko retorted, and Mai raised a brow.

"And what if we surrounded a force of traitors set on killing the Fire Lord, Zuko? If we kill them, we will be safe, but that will only make us seem like we are too willing to use deadly force against dissatisfied citizens." she explained, and Zuko scoffed.

"Dissatisfied? They're traitors, trying to help my father take the throne and destroy the world peace we have barely held together." he argued against the view she was portraying; Iroh was inclined to agree with Mai, however, knowing that the people would only see the violence enacted against their fellow countrymen in the homeland, and not the future violence Ozai would be enacting against foreign strangers in the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes.

"There is dissatisfaction, Zuko. Whether it justifies treason is another question entirely, but that is a fact. Their grievances are real, and they might earn sympathy from the populace, despite my fame and popularity."

"How could they see you as their enemy? You have done more for the Fire Nation than anyone else alive."

"And how much has a veteran soldier, about to retire, done for his nation? How would he feel to see me undo our conquests for the greater good, as I see it?"

"That you betrayed those who died in the line of duty, for the victory we have achieved." he acknowledged that viewpoint, before his eyes widened, turning his gaze away at once, "I- I didn't mean it, Uncle. I'd-"

"Zuko, you're right." He acknowledged the damning, sad truth; those who fought under his command saw their brothers in arms die, for decades, fighting against a seemingly undefeatable enemy, and now that they were finally victorious, they were right to see his actions as dismissing those sacrifices, "Their sacrifices... your cousin's sacrifice... they will all become without reason because of my decisions. But I could not stop my own father, or this war, until I was Fire Lord. I could- I could not betray him."

"I know." Zuko conceded, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say what I did. Lu Ten- his- that wasn't your fault."

"No, it mightn't have been my fault personally, but I chose to lead that fight, to take him with me. To continue being a soldier even when I saw the wrongs in fighting a pointless war; I chose to serve Azulon, because that was all I had ever done. It was the easy path, Nephew, and I am proud of you... because you had the will to take the hard path."

"But your majesty... you're not just going to let the Earth Kingdom rebuild itself alone, are you? That doesn't... well, school told us what it was like before the Fire Nation got there." Mai asked him, suggesting that the Earth Kingdom might become what it once was, that being a divided, chaotic place, with little state structure outside of Ba Sing Se, rife with banditry and warlordism, the two seeming more similar than anyone would ever want them to be.

"No, I will help them rebuild better than before. The Earth Kingdom doesn't deserve to suffer anymore than they already have. The people there have toiled under tyrants far longer than we have, and I can only hope that they can see some better path forward."

"Who, Uncle?" Zuko asked him, "It's not like the peasantry are a bastion of intellectualism. Is there anyone there... besides the nobles and military, to even take the lead?"

"The University of Ba Sing Se is a good start, in my opinion. I've been there before... after the conquest, and I believe that the men and women there might be able to provide some leadership, or at least, some ideas on how their country can be better organised." he explained, making his nephew snicker.

"I can't imagine a country run by academics, Uncle... especially the Earth Kingdom."

"Well, add in a little reverence for the spirits and nature, and what does that sound like?"

"The Air Nomads." Zuko mumbled, before cringing, "But... I don't believe that worked so well for them in the end."

"It was not their government or culture that destroyed them, it was Sozin." he bluntly told his nephew the truth, having no reason to mince his words any longer; it seemed to hit hard, Zuko's eyes turning down as he considered what happened almost a hundred years prior.

"So what, Uncle?" he narrowed his eyes at him, "I still don't think the Earth Kingdom will see much good ruled by people who haven't seen the breadth of the country." he argued, and Iroh chuckled.

"And you have?" he questioned the basis of such a claim, and Zuko rolled his eyes.

"That's not what I was trying to say." he retorted, more confused than actually annoyed by his retort, "The people of the Earth Kingdom are the ones who can determine their own fates."

"That's exactly what I want, Zuko." he assured him, and the Prince turned his gaze over towards the water beside them.

"Well, it's not what I want."

"You want to see peace, don't you?" he asked, and Mai turned her head slightly, seeming almost annoyed by his question.

"That's not what he's talking about. Nobody here wants to see the war continue any longer than it has to... but this is more complicated than just helping them rebuild their country."

"Then what would you have done?" he asked her, and she seemed to take his words as sarcasm, as if her opinion wasn't valued, "Please, I'm serious. I want to hear other opinions on the matter."

"Why? I'm just some noblewoman from the capital who hasn't even finished school. I haven't ever left the homeland, let alone seen what toll the war has left on the other nations, or even the common people living here."

"But you are smart. I know that from the few conversations we've had, and if Zuko values your opinions as much as mine, then they must be worth hearing." he argued, and she looked at him blankly.

"I..." she mumbled, seeming lost for words, her eyes distant, as if she was thinking of some other place, "I never thought I'd hear those words from the Fire Lord himself before I heard them from my own father."

The Dragon of the West's expression softened as he began to realise what she meant by her words; she and Zuko were far more alike than he had first imagined- he thought the brooding seriousness was a commonality that attracted them to each other, but it was far more than that.

"I am sorry for that." he admitted, "It seems that good fathers are hard to find." he conceded, and Zuko huffed.

"I guess we all have that in common." he mumbled, before Iroh's gaze turned back to Mai.

"Please, tell me what you think should be done." he requested, and she sighed.

"The Earth Kingdom is going to be angry. Zuko remembers the emotions he felt after nearly getting killed by his father's lackeys... well there's a whole country of people that think we want to destroy them, and I doubt they'll be easily persuaded to think otherwise."

"The Avatar might be able to help with that." Zuko conceded, scrunching his lips up, "If he's really as buddy-buddy with Azula as you make it out to be."

"She has earned his respect, and he has hers." the Fire Lord noted, glad that Aang and Azula were able to at least understand each other without their time together devolving into a shouting match over morals and the war that had destroyed the Avatar's people; though, he was rather sure that was how it went with Sokka after the two left the encampment, though that had more to do with the latter's confidence in his own stance, and belief in the evils of the Fire Nation, something the Avatar hadn't experienced first hand.

"Even with his help, you can't just walk out and hope they're not going to take matters into their own hands." Mai warned him, "Retribution is inevitable unless there's an actual settlement."

"Well, that's what I want to achieve." Iroh acknowledged, and Zuko nodded along, raising a finger.

"So we ought to keep our troops in place in the Earth Kingdom, continue to suppress any rebellions or attacks on our positions, so we have as much negotiating power as possible?" he asked her in clarification, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"You're the one who's been educated in strategy, not me." she deflected his question back to the Prince, and presumably, Iroh himself, given his experience as a General.

"She raises a good point, Nephew." he indicated his approval of her opinions, "But we cannot expect to get a positive response from the people themselves if we force the Earth Kingdom into a grossly unfair position."

"What's unfair about taking our fair share? Enough blood has been spilt, Uncle. We have earned our victory."

"And they have suffered enough. We need to rebuild better, Zuko." he stressed, "Your father wants to destroy them entirely... taking the line in between will leave nobody happy, and only give us more war for decades to come." he warned Zuko, before sighing, "But Lady Mai is right. We cannot compromise our positions until we come to negotiate. A ceasefire must come first."

"How can we have one if Father is trying to annihilate them at the same time?" he questioned him about the obvious problem with his plans.

"That's exactly why we can't fail now. Ozai must be stopped for peace to be possible."


Despite all the things that Azula had on her mind, which seemed far more important than any spa treatment, it seemed that Ty Lee was always right when it came to self-care. She had been thinking that going to the spa was just a waste of time; she could better spend her time training and readying herself with any intelligence she could gather for the situation she'd be facing in the capital. In the end, it turned out that a spa-session was what she really needed to clear her head, and just let go, even if only for an afternoon.

"What'd I tell you, Zula? This was great!" Ty Lee turned to face her with a wide grin, "Don't you think so?"

"It was relaxing." she gave her honest opinion, before glancing at the servant girls attending to them, "Now hurry up, I've got some sets to do after this." she prodded them, not wanting to waste the whole afternoon in the spa.

"Of course, your highness." the servant who was attending to her responded, just as expected, returning to her massage, which she did with an increased pace and intensity, which the Princess quite enjoyed; it was far too boring when somebody just tapped her a little on the back, because force was required to help relax her muscles.

"What are you thinking about, Azula?" her friend asked her, and she raised a brow.

"Nothing, really." she admitted, knowing that her trivial thoughts about which way she liked a massage were bound to disappear quickly enough as she returned to relaxing.

"Well, isn't that great?"

"I don't know." she admitted, "I'm always thinking... to not be thinking when I'm awake is... weird." she conceded.

"So are you usually imagining things? Battles? Scenarios? That kind of stuff?" Ty Lee prodded her with some ideas, which were rather accurate, though they didn't really grasp the full scope of what her mind went over on a daily basis.

"I do think about those things... But there's other things."

"Like what?"

"The world. The places I see and visit... Their histories, all the things that have happened there and what that means for other things I know about." she explained, "A lot of things have happened, and I've started to realise, our schooling really only scratched the surface. We learned about the Fire Nation, the great achievements we've made, and some of the things leading up to the war, but that's it. The long history of the other nations... Ignored, if not dismissed. There's probably things we could all learn from their successes and failures. The past Avatars too, especially now."

"Yeah I think you're right, Azula. We really don't know much about what happened before." she acknowledged, before turning her head to face Azula, "But do you think about our history? You know, like when we were all little?"

"Sometimes." she conceded, knowing that her childhood wasn't necessarily that far away from her present, and it brought mixed emotions; that certainly wasn't Ty Lee's fault, but it didn't make the memories any better, "Our lives have changed a lot since we first met."

"Yeah, we got old." her friend bluntly noted a fact of life, "I mean, we're not that old, but we're not little five year olds anymore."

"You didn't just get old, you got along with your life. I can't say anybody else our age has actually gone and achieved their dreams like you had."

"Well I set a pretty low bar." Ty Lee conceded, "Joining the circus was pretty easy. I wouldn't have been so eager to join if it was going to be like some civil service examination."

"Oh, certainly I understand that. As much as I strive for perfection, the easiest path forward is always preferable."

"Then why'd you always like climbing on roofs with me?" Ty Lee quipped back at her, reminding the Princess of something she did look back upon fondly; despite Ty Lee's edge in the skill of acrobatics, her athletic ability was on par, and she always loved putting it up to the challenge by climbing and running around rather dangerous places.

"Fun overrides easy."

"If your stories about what Zuko was doing at night were true, then maybe it's a family thing." she suggested, and the Princess' mind turned back to when her brother would just sneak out at night, perhaps for the fun of it.

"Zuko really ought to have been more cautious when he snuck around."

"You don't know how long he was doing it before you found him, don't you?" Ty Lee asked, and she raised a brow, actually quite uncertain how long her brother had been sneaking around; she was sure he'd already tried it a bit when he was young, but that didn't mean he was going off to spy on their father at age eleven.

"No, I don't." she conceded, before shrugging her shoulders, "I never really cared... only when it seemed like he was actually going to get himself into danger did I say anything."

"What, like what he's in right now?" she asked, and Azula tensed up, remembering that, despite the bragging rights she might have gained from being so, her correct assumptions about where Zuko's spying would lead him were all too disturbing; she held no great love or respect for her brother, but getting himself into fatal danger with their father was something so stupid even she couldn't allow for it.

"Zuko has brought this upon himself." she simply gave her opinion on that, "Even if my father is in the wrong."

"Well, I'm glad we can agree on that part." her friend acknowledged, her tone suggesting that she was nervous about the whole situation; even if they were now assured by a direct letter from her uncle that Zuko and Mai were both fine, that didn't take back all the time they had spent fearing for the life of their friend.

"I don't know why he dragged Mai into all of this."

"Why did Mai drag me in?" Ty Lee retorted, "Because they care about each other. That's what friends do."

"I wouldn't have sent you those letters." she gave her own opinion, knowing that if she had been in Mai's shoes, she would have done things differently, "Well, they ought to have gone straight to me."

"Maybe you're right." she acknowledged, before narrowing her eyes, "But wouldn't have the traitor just burned them anyways?

"Hmph, I guess we'll never know." she conceded, before sighing, knowing that the whole ordeal Mai had faced was avoidable, "Both you and Mai didn't need to deal with this... I just wish I'd tried harder to get her to come with me to find the Avatar."

"Do you think she'd want to?" her friend asked, sounding unsure herself.

"I think she'd do anything to get out of that house and away from her parent's prying eyes." she acknowledged her friend's desire for freedom and autonomy, something Azula did sympathise with somewhat, more so now that she had realised how far gone her father was, "Well, perhaps that's why she decided to help Zuko, despite better judgement."

"Or maybe she really just does believe in doing what's best for the Fire Nation. You do." she suggested, and the Princess turned to face her friend, wondering if that was even true.

"I don't think so." she admitted her honest feelings, though saying so she realised that she was in the presence of servants, "Do not repeat what I am about to say." she warned them, and both servant girls nodded, before continuing their respective massages.

"About to say what?" Ty Lee asked her, her usually bright eyes turned down, wondering what she meant to say.

"That I don't act in the best interest of the Fire Nation." she acknowledged, "I do what is best for myself... and I always have."

"Was going to rescue me from the Intelligence Service in your best interest?" she asked her, "That just sounds like a recipe for drama."

"Preventing a civil war was... though I still sought to help you, Ty." she explained, adding the second part a little softly, "Even trying to save my uncle... that was for myself."

"How? You care about him. That's why you went off and chased him, and let Aang go, right?"

"I let Aang go because I didn't have a choice in the matter, and..." she began, before shaking her head, realising she'd run into a flaw in her argument, "To protect the Imperial Firebenders."

"Aha, see, told you so. You tried to keep everybody safe, and then you went to save your uncle." Ty Lee concluded from what she had just told her and what she knew of the events.

"Yes, to save him so the Fire Nation would be led by the best possible person." she acknowledged, narrowing her eyes, "Even I could see at the time my father wasn't up for the job. He's always been temperamental, like Zuko... I've just had to try and keep him pleased, for my own good and the good of my family."

"You can't act like everything you do is selfish. I mean, you're doing all of this to try and help the world. For peace, right?"

"And who does peace benefit?" she asked, and Ty Lee raised her chin.

"I'd say everybody." she acknowledged, and the Princess pursed her lips.

"I see you've reached a good argument." she conceded, "Is acting in everybody's best interest my best interest?"

"Why are you so intent on some philosophical debate? I just want you to be happy, Zula." she assured her, and the Princess shrugged her shoulders.

"Debates are fun." she gave her opinion on the matter, "That's why I'm trying to have one."

"Okay, so debating makes you happy." Ty Lee concluded, perhaps in jest, and turned her head so she could face her friend, "What's a good debate?"

"Good debates usually aren't the nice ones. They're the ones that make people uncomfortable, and make them question what they think. My uncle's best at those." she explained, recalling the conversations they'd had on the way to Ba Sing Se, considering her father's treachery and whether what Iroh was doing was right.

Ty Lee nodded, before glancing behind her, looking at the girl who was attending to her, "Are you nearly finished?" she asked, and the girl nodded.

"I am, my lady. Would you like your robe?" she asked, and Ty Lee smiled, before making a curt nod; the girl stepped away, and gave her her robe; she turned to face the Princess, and gestured towards the door into the change room.

"Do you want to finish up?" she asked, and the Princess scrunched her lips up; though she'd like to continue her massage, given how relaxing it was, she knew there were other things that needed to be done.

"We have things to do. Remember my sets?"

"You do. I can just sit back and relax." Ty Lee quipped, "Unless you want to spar again." she suggested, and the Princess shook her head.

"I'd prefer to test my Imperial Firebenders. Seeing that they may face a dangerous battle against their own comrades, I think it would be best to prepare them." she explained her thoughts on what she wanted to do instead, before turning her eyes up to the girl massaging her, "My robe." she requested, and she immediately stepped away to retrieve it, while Azula turned to watch as her friend quickly wrapped the robe around her body, before stretching her arms up, letting out a yawn.

"Aw, that was pretty good." she gave her opinion on the spa experience, "What'd you think?"

"It was sufficient." she acknowledged, before turning her eyes to the servant girl as she handed her the robe, "Thank you." she gave her the simplest of formalities, and that seemed to surprise her; Azula usually refrained from being so deferential to her lessers, but she was in a relatively good mood, so she could spare it.

The servant girl bowed to her, clearly thankful for her response, "It was an honour, your highness. Would you require anything else?"

"Not yet. I would like my lunch ready after I do my sets, but that is not urgent." she added the first thing that she could think of, before she wrapped the robe around her body, rising up to a seated position, "Now, Ty, let's get changed." she suggested to her friend, who got up and followed her as she approached the change room's door.

Pushing the door open, she stepped inside, sitting herself down in one of the changing booths, where she'd left her clothes; sitting on a rack were her armour pieces, and hung on the wall her tunic and leggings. She didn't need to necessarily wear armour around all the time, but seeing that it was far more intimidating and formal than the simple robes she could otherwise wear, she preferred it.

She quickly dispensed of the robe she had been wearing in the spa, and put on her tunic and leggings, hearing Ty Lee shuffle about in the booth beside her. Azula didn't waste any time, putting her boots on, and taking each armour piece, first the vest, and then the chestplate, over her torso; she tightened them in place, something that she might otherwise get her servants to do for her, but given the tight space she was in, that was rather impractical.

Once she had the main pieces of armour on, she slid her wrist guards on, before she tightened them and turned her attention to her hair, which had been put in a ponytail by the servant attending to her; she pulled it out, and massed the hair above her scalp, taking her hair bands to tighten it before putting in place with her headpiece. Momentarily, she glanced at the mirror, checking if her bangs were in place, which they were, before she stepped out of the booth, eyeing her friend who was still putting her boots on.

"Oh, hey Zula. I see you're all dressed." she observed, and the Princess just gestured to her attire.

"Obviously." she scoffed, before gesturing to the door out, "Are you going to come with me to the deck?"

"Might as well." she agreed to her proposition, "Oh, did you want me to get tea or something?"

"That might help with honing my focus." she acknowledged, nodding before she pushed the door open, noting that the servant girls were still cleaning up the room.

She watched as they bowed to her, and strode past, heading to the exit, pushing it open hard enough that Ty Lee didn't need to grab the door as she followed behind. Stepping out, she glanced down the hallway, wondering where all her guards might be at that very moment.

"So, what do you think Mai and Zuko are doing right now?" Ty Lee asked her, and the Princess turned to face her.

"Did you expect me to know? I'm not omnipotent." she retorted, and she shook her head.

"Of course not. You're very smart. Maybe the smartest... but nobody's omni-whatever. You can't know everything."

"I'd sure like to."

"Me too. I could win every trivia night on this ship." she argued, making the Princess raise a brow.

"There's a trivia night?" she questioned, not having heard of such an occurrence before that moment.

"Yeah, it's like once a week. You've never been?"

"I don't imagine sailors would be keen to invite their superior to a competitive event. That's an easy way to get kicked off the ship." she argued, making Ty Lee chuckle

"Eh-heh, that would be kind of funny." she conceded, "You wouldn't actually-" she began, before scrunching up her lips, obviously noticing Azula's dead-straight expression, "You're being serious?"

"Losing is a grave offence." she acknowledged, before turning her gaze down the hallway, "I don't know what Zuko or Mai are doing. I hope it isn't anything inappropriate." she gave her actual opinion on the matter, rather than just being snarky, which was her usual go-to response; Ty Lee seemed amused by her answer, and patted her on the shoulder.

"What, don't you want Zuko to have any fun in his life?" she prodded her, making the Princess roll her eyes.

"I just don't want to think about that." she retorted, before pacing ahead, down the hallway, "I don't care if Zuko has fun or not, anyway."

"But you do... uh, you know, care about him, right?" Ty Lee prodded her with another question, which made her narrow her eyes, immediately understanding where she was trying to lead the conversation.

"Why do you feel the need to ask?" she questioned her friend in return, "We don't need to discuss Zuzu."

"I just mean... he did almost get killed by your dad's men. Mai too." she acknowledged what had transpired a few weeks prior, "What about that? Were you angry?"

"It is not my fault that they were in danger, so I was not angry." she simply explained her rationale on feeling calm, at least relatively, about what had happened to them, "I simply wish that my brother had taken a more cautious approach to our father."

"Cautious?" Ty Lee raised a brow, "Wasn't he like, sneaking around, trying to make sure nobody knew he knew about what was going on?"

"I presume so. But instead of demanding my uncle arrest Father on the spot, as soon as he knew he was plotting to do something, he just let things go along, only waiting until he had some evidence of the assassination plans." she explained, before raising a hand, "That's right, isn't it?"

"That's what Mai said in the letter." she confirmed, "I mean, you're right. They probably could have done something earlier."

"Not them. Mai never even had to be involved. If Zuko wasn't so stupid, we wouldn't be in this situation." she explained her thoughts, still frustrated by the very fact of what had occurred; her uncle's life in danger, Ty Lee's life in danger, and their country thrown into what was looking to be the beginnings of a civil war.

"I don't think he's stupid." Ty Lee softly responded to her frustrated commentary, and Azula raised a brow.

"Since when did you like Zuko?"

"He's always grumpy, and too angry, but he's not a bad guy, Azula. He's pretty smart too, at least, that's what Mai said."

"Excuse me, you're saying Mai actually gave somebody a compliment. I'm amazed." she quipped, a bit sarcastic in her tone, before smirking, "She really must like him."

"That's exactly what I was saying." Ty Lee agreed, snapping her finger as she said so, "She denies it, of course... but we all know. Everybody knows."

"It is obvious." she conceded, before narrowing her eyes, recalling what they had actually been talking about, "Why do you want to know if I care about my brother?"

"Because he's somebody you should be able to rely on."

"I can't rely on the one person I trust to undermine me." she retorted, "He wants the throne just as much as I do."

"But I'm not talking about being the Fire Lord or Crown Princess or whatever. He can't hate you for that."

"I think you're wrong." she snapped back, "Zuko can't put that to rest, and he won't. It might be father's fault, and in his best interest to want the throne, but it will always stand between us."

"Well, can't you try?"

"Who says I want to? Zuko hasn't given me a reason to try and care about him."

"How about sending that letter to you? He wanted you to know what Ozai was doing." she suggested, and the Princess narrowed her eyes.

"That wasn't him. That was Mai." she corrected her, "And even if he does want my help, that's just self-interest."

"Urgh, why do you have to make everything seem logical?" Ty Lee questioned her friend, who just chuckled, certain that her conclusions had merit to them.

"Because that's how the world works, Ty Lee. People will always act in their own interest... if they didn't people would throw their lives away for nothing." she argued, and the acrobat narrowed her eyes at her.

"And about sacrificing oneself for the Fire Nation. Isn't that supposed to be a good thing?"

Azula narrowed her eyes, not wanting to turn the conversation into one over morals, "It shouldn't even be necessary." she retorted, "I will not let anyone do it under my watch."

"So you do want to protect people." her friend mumbled, before smiling, grasping her by the shoulder, "I knew you cared! I was right!"

Azula rolled her eyes, but was unable to come up with a good response to that; she didn't want anyone else to get harmed because of her decisions, and even though it might have seemed inevitable, she couldn't disagree with Ty Lee. She did care, but not in the way she was asking her to care about her brother; she knew that human lives shouldn't just be wasted, and she didn't need her uncle or Ty Lee moralising to figure that out. All she had to see was the Air Temples, and the deathly silence as the wind echoed through the halls; that was enough to persuade her against slaughter, and to value the lives of those under her command. If she didn't, then she'd be just as bad as the people who took her cousin from her; the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom had both taken much from each other, and even if her side had won the war, that did not mean the sacrifices they had made were worth the results.


The sight of the towering seawalls and sprawling port of the Fire Nation capital wasn't something Mai expected to get her in a good mood, but after her few weeks away, and what she'd had to deal with to get back, she was relieved to see it. Holding her hands tightly on the railing in front of her, she felt the sea breeze whipping through her hair, and watched as they drew closer to the port. The sprawling port city ahead of them was surprisingly calm, which told her that if anything had transpired there, because of Iroh's command, it must have already passed. She didn't know whether that was good news or not, but the fact they were able to get through the Gates of Azulon with no worries was certainly evidence against a more pessimistic viewpoint, which was that Ozai had already won, and was allowing them to enter port purely so he could arrest them.

She imagined that was what was going through Zuko's head as he stood beside her, wearing his armour and ready with his dao sheathed on his back, as if he believed a fight was imminent. She turned to face him, thinking his overly paranoid attitude wasn't going to help them now that it seemed clear that they weren't about to face an army.

"Zuko." she addressed him calmly, not wanting to make it seem like she was concerned, "You're worrying about something that isn't there."

"Father." he reminded her of who was causing all the problems they were facing, "If he's not there, in chains, waiting to be condemned by Uncle, then he's out free." he gave his own argument, gesturing towards the pier that they were approaching, where she could see a group of Imperial Firebenders massed, and it was clear that he was right; they didn't have a prisoner with them, but that wasn't to say Ozai hadn't been apprehended.

"It would be dangerous to have him in chains in public. What if he tried to escape? Then that'd make the Imperial Firebenders look like a bunch of fools." she retorted, hoping her own argument would soothe his paranoia; he let out a sigh, and nodded, seeming to agree with her point.

"No, you're right." he conceded, "I'm... I'm overthinking it."

"Like with most things." she observed something rather obvious about him as a person; Zuko couldn't help but over analyse and overthink whatever he was dealing with, whether that be a fight, or some unknown danger that he couldn't prepare for, "We're ready. As ready as we can be."

"Get the boarding plank ready!" she heard a sailor shout out behind them, and Mai glanced back to see a few sailors pacing across the deck to go collect said plank.

A few moments later, she noticed that some Imperial Firebenders were climbing out of the staircase leading from the centre of the deck, and with them came the Fire Lord, wearing a set of armour, as if he were about to enter battle. His appearance reminded her that he was a battle-hardened general, and not just a cheery, affable old man; he strode over to the railing, flanked by his guards, who stood ready, now wearing all their armour, which was in stark contrast to how they appeared when they first met. Their time in Iroh's service had left them battered, but that seemed to only make their resolve to protect their monarch even greater.

Mai's attention was drawn back down towards the dock, as she saw the Imperial Firebenders there take formation and salute the Fire Lord in synchronisation; Zuko grasped her by the hand, she turned her eyes to meet his own, realising he wanted to follow after Iroh as soon as the plank was down. So, she followed after the Prince, making her way past the Imperial Firebenders to stand behind Iroh, who turned around as he noticed their arrival.

"Good day, Lady Mai, Prince Zuko." he addressed them rather formally, "I'll handle the debrief... but then we'll get to work." he explained his intentions plainly, before Mai's attention was drawn by a few thumps that lightly shook the ship- the anchors had just been dropped.

Her attention was drawn back towards the sailors who were holding the plank, ready to put in place for the dock; they raised it up at once, pulling it over the railing and turning it around, allowing them to slide it down into place. The sailors, obviously knowing what they were doing, quickly put some bolts down to keep it in place, before getting out of the way, allowing the Imperial Firebenders to move down the plank at once; Iroh followed after, and Mai and Zuko did the same, the three walking in file down the plank. She eyed ahead, noting that the Imperial Firebenders in the port were clearly not calm, not in the slightest; most of them had gone back into defensive positions after saluting the Fire Lord, which didn't give a glowing appraisal of their present circumstances. She had been under the presumption that Ozai had been thoroughly defeated, even if he wasn't caught or killed, however, it seemed that was not the case.

When they reached the bottom of the staircase, the leader of the group of Imperial Firebenders, signified by his uncovered face and slightly more ornate armour, stepped forward, and knelt in front of the Fire Lord. He seemed distraught, if not ashamed, and this demeanour seemed to unease Zuko, who obviously caught on to what it implied; the Prince stayed back when they reached the bottom of the plank, watching with Mai as his uncle stepped closer to the commanding officer.

"We have failed you, your majesty... I have failed you." he explained himself, though not giving any context to his words, it was obvious as to what he was referring to.

"We haven't received any letters from the capital since I sent out my commands. Why?" Iroh asked the officer, whose head remained low.

"He had every single post office and messenger hawk coop in the city destroyed. It was so systematic and methodical, by the time we realised what was going on, it was too late to inform you of what happened." he explained, the unease in his voice only solidifying the doubts Mai had about their 'victory'.

"What about my brother? Was he captured?" the Fire Lord asked, and the officer shook his head.

"He was not." he confirmed her suspicions, "He used a body double to fool us in the palace... it was only upon interrogating his men that we realised that body belonged to some prisoner. He must have snuck out through the catacombs. We were able to defeat those in the guard loyal to him, but his operatives were already at work across the city. Setting off bombs, and... dealing with threats to your brother's cause."

"Elaborate." Zuko demanded, stepping forward, "What did they do?"

"The Minister of War was found dead in his office. Generals Hong and Boei were both killed in their homes, while off duty. The National Archives were set alight, the city's defences sabotaged, and the port facilities here bombed; they've only been cleaned up in the past day."

"It is no coincidence that two of my comrades from the siege were targeted. They would not have stood for my brother's treachery if he was victorious." Iroh acknowledged, seeming saddened by the fact, "Did you capture the perpetrators of these acts of terror?" he asked, and the office nodded.

"Why did he have Minister Qin killed?" Zuko asked the officer, "I know for a fact that they were working together on a number of projects."

"Perhaps that is why, Prince Zuko." Iroh acknowledged a possibility, "He could have told us exactly what your father was planning to do, if their partnership was as deep as you say." he suggested something rather disturbing; it was one thing to kill one's enemies, but then to kill one's own allies just because they might have dared to say anything about their plans if caught.

"We need to interrogate the prisoners." Zuko spoke up, "They're the only way we're going to find Father, wherever he's gone."

"Well, perhaps not the only way." Iroh conceded, before turning around to face the Prince, handing him a folded up piece of paper, and he unfurled it, looking at it for a few moments.

"What's this?" he asked, and the Fire Lord chuckled.

"Something you shouldn't show anybody else." he warned him, before glancing at Mai, "Except her, of course. We can trust her."

Zuko nodded, seeming to be glad that he could tell Mai what was going on, before Iroh stepped ahead, placing a hand on the shoulder of the officer, "I'll need a proper debrief, but first, we should head to the palace. He didn't have it burnt down, did he?"

"There is some damage throughout the palace due to the fighting, but... it will be repaired soon enough." the commanding officer assured him, before gesturing down the dock, "We have a palanquin waiting for you, your majesty."

"Good." Iroh smiled, before glancing back towards Mai, "I assume you might want to go see your parents, Lady Mai." he suggested, and her eyes widened, realising she'd almost forgotten about that when her mind was so focused on the chaos Ozai had caused.

"Y-yes." she confirmed, and Zuko turned to face her.

"We'll go together. I ought to explain to them my... poor choices." he acknowledged, and she raised a brow, surprised he was still going on about his 'failure', as he saw it.

"You've done a lot more than just nearly get killed by those assassins, Zuko." she conceded, before glancing towards the Fire Lord, "We'll come back to the palace as soon as I can. He'll want to beat the information out of whoever the Imperial Firebenders caught." she gestured to Zuko as she explained what would follow her meeting with her parents; the Prince seemed a little embarrassed by how casually she referred to his desire to interrogate the prisoners, but she was simply expressing what he was already thinking- it was rather obvious that he was itching to get something productive done, and an interrogation or two certainly fit the bill.

The Fire Lord nodded, seeming a little amused by her comment, and gestured to some of the guards behind them, "I need four of you to accompany the two of them until they return to the palace."

"We don't need that many guards, Uncle." the Prince tried to reassure him, but he wasn't going to budge, and turned around at once, followed by his own guards as he made his way towards the palanquin.

"But you do, Prince Zuko." he warned him as he paced away, and Mai turned to face the Prince, who seemed a little offended.

"We can defend ourselves... but if Ozai really wants us dead, then it's better safe than sorry." she warned him, knowing that Iroh was right, no matter the Prince's pride.

The Prince sighed, and nodded, before pacing on after his uncle, "I can't be sorry if I'm dead."

"Precisely." she agreed with him, "Now, let's enjoy the privilege of your rank and make sure we don't have to walk the whole way."

"Huh, yeah... we're not hitchhiking again." he acknowledged, recalling how they had first reached Shu Jing; he turned around, and snapped a finger, "One of you, get us a palanquin." he ordered the guards, and one did pace ahead of them to go get them what they required.

"So... what's on the piece of paper?" she whispered to him as they made their way down the dock, and he pulled it out from his pocket, revealing it to her; it was a scribbled down address, and she could tell from the numbering and street name that it was some building in the port city, "Some place we need to go to." she observed, and he nodded.

"I think I know what it has to do with." he admitted, "I mean, Piandao got his information from somewhere."

She blinked a few times, understanding what he meant by his words, and nodded; the Order of the White Lotus might be the key to hunting down his father with their vast network of contacts across all of the nations, though it was clear that Iroh didn't want to be publicly seen consorting with them, as it might give a bad look, given they were probably seen as insurrectionists by the Fire Nation as a whole.

As they reached the end of the dock, she watched as Iroh entered his own palanquin, giving them a wave, before it was picked up by the bearers, and began moving towards the entrance into the city. She glanced down the breadth of the port, and made sight of another palanquin, which was slightly less ornate than the Fire Lord's, though by no means smaller. She would have preferred not to get stuck in a palanquin meant for one person with Zuko, given the time it would take them to climb the caldera and reach her parent's house.

"So, are you looking forward to seeing your parents?"

"Not the frantic panic they're going to be in, asking where we went." she retorted, already having an image in her head of how her mother and father would react to her arrival; they might be happy to see her, but they would obviously not be happy about the circumstances they were all in.

"Well, at least your little brother won't know what's going on." Zuko suggested a potential bright side to the whole situation, and she glanced his way, wondering if Tom-Tom would have even noticed her departure.

"That's if he doesn't understand that I wasn't just on a holiday. I mean, my parents can't have been in a good mood after they heard the news of our 'vacation'." she explained, knowing that her and Zuko's supposed deaths would have hit her parents hard; even though they annoyed her to the core with how they treated her, she knew that they did care about her, and if they heard she had died, she couldn't imagine how they'd react- not with any of the calm stoicism they had enforced upon her, that was for certain.

When the palanquin-bearers arrived, they dropped the palanquin down in front of the pair, before they opened the door, bowing to them in deference, "Crown Prince Zuko, Lady Mai." they addressed them formally, and she raised a brow, knowing for a fact that the title of Crown Prince hadn't been deferred upon anyone since Ozai's formal branding as a traitor.

"Um... thank you." the Prince addressed them awkwardly, "That was a mistake, right?" he asked her, seeming unsure if they had just mixed things up, or just assumed he was Crown Prince now; she knew he wanted to be Crown Prince, perhaps more than anything, but even he knew that it was just wishful thinking.

"Well, unfortunately for you, yes." she conceded, before stepping into the palanquin, "Are we going, or what?"

"Yes, of course." he assured her, stepping into the palanquin and sitting himself down across from her, "I can't keep a lady waiting."