Prince Iroh was not feeling in the best mood after speaking with Rina, and though he had thought about just leaving Hira'a at once, he knew that going off to the local market might distract him from the news he had to deliver. He knew that he'd get attention from the locals, but he wasn't going to seek it for the sake of boosting his ego; Iroh already had more than enough praise from his subordinates and comrades in the army. He just wanted to feel like he wasn't there for the tragic reasons he was.

So, he told his Imperial Firebenders to take a break, and join him at the market, get themselves something; perhaps some snacks, or maybe a souvenir from the market. Given how isolated Hira'a was, he was sure there were some odd things on sale. He guessed most of them would be scams playing off the relationship of the village to the Forgetful Valley, which was associated with mysterious spirits.

He was tempted to go and look around the place himself to see if the legends were in any way true, but he knew such a diversion would just be a waste of his time; he was on break from campaign, so he knew he ought to head back to the palace and spend some more time with his son. That didn't mean, however, that he wasn't interested in the spirits. Spirits were of great interest to him, but at the centre of his mind was getting back home so he could console his nephew. Without his mother, he knew that Zuko would be sad and lonely, and he knew that even if he had to spend much of his time on campaign, he could spare some time for his nephew, and now, his newborn niece, Azula.

When he arrived at the first stall, the man behind it was wide eyed and slack jawed, perhaps just shocked to see the Crown Prince in front of him, "Y-your highness... did you want to buy something?"

"Oh, yes, that bracelet." he gestured to one of the various pieces of what looked like handmade jewellery in his stall, "What is it made of?"

"Sanded shards of obsidian threaded with a string." he explained, and he pursed his lips.

"Yes, I'll buy it." he decided, thinking it might be a good thing to give his niece once she was old enough; he knew it was a pretty piece, dark black in colour yet shining from the light of the sky above them- obsidian came from volcanoes, and he couldn't help but think it fit perfectly, even if he didn't know what she'd be like in temperament, "How much?"

"Eighty ban, your highness." he clarified, "It's- uh, handmade. My wife makes all the jewellery I sell here."

"Oh, well, tell her I think she has fine handiwork." he smiled at the stall-owner before he pulled out the required currency, handing it to the stall-owner, who looked at the gold piece with awe.

"I'll never forget this." he mumbled, perhaps not realising the Prince could hear him; when he realised he could, the stall-owner flushed red with embarrassment, "Th-thank you for your purchase, Prince Iroh." he told him as he handed Iroh his purchase, which he quickly dropped into his bag.

"There's no need to thank me." he assured him, before he continued on his way; his men were already fanning out, going to buy their own things, and the Prince furrowed a brow, wondering what else he could buy while he was there.

He decided to just have a look around, instead of trying to focus on something to buy; being the Crown Prince meant he had a fair amount of money at his disposal, but he wasn't going to waste every ban on trinkets. So, Iroh made his way along, eyeing each stall to see what they had for sale; there was the expected, like vendors selling fresh produce or street food, but there was other things, like traditional theatre masks, pottery, tools, and some musical instruments, all of which he guessed were made by the people selling them.

Unlike in the heart of the Fire Nation, or in the colonies, in the outer islands most people made things themselves, instead of using factories to mass produce goods. He found that to be respectable, to put all of one's effort into an art, and make things that others could use, either for practical reasons, or mere enjoyment. He thought he was like that with tea, but even then, he still had to hone his skills there. Spending years experimenting on making new brews while off on campaign, using wild tea leaves and odd ones he bought in the Earth Kingdom. He momentarily smiled at the thought of opening a tea shop, which despite being a great dream of his, was an ultimately fruitless thought; he was to be the Fire Lord, not a teamaker, even if he enjoyed the latter far more than he expected to enjoy ruling his country.

When he reached the end of the market, he noticed that there was a large stage, where he assumed the local theatre troupe would do plays, and perhaps, where announcements would be made by the local officials. The stage was closed up at the moment, with no props on display, and the stage itself covered with a curtain and bamboo fencing, and he was unsure exactly why, given it would be a good attraction on a day when the market was as busy as it was.

He crossed his arms, and scrunched his lips, wondering if he might be able to buy some tea leaves at the market; he hadn't seen anyone selling them, but he guessed if he had another look around, maybe he'd find somebody. Suddenly, he was knocked on the shoulder, and Iroh stumbled back, realising a man had walked into him; the man turned around, immediately shocked to see it was the Crown Prince he had walked into.

"Oh... Prince Iroh, I- you have my greatest apologies." he bowed towards the Prince, Iroh letting out a chuckle, finding it amusing to see him get so frantic.

"It's alright. I just didn't see you coming." he assured him, before turning his gaze back to the stage, "Do you know why the theatre isn't open today?"

"Out of respect." he clarified, the man's expression shifting immediately to a distant, sad look, "We are mourning the loss of one of our own."

His eyes widened, recalling the story Princess Ursa had told him once about her experiences in a troupe; he had forgotten about it, given it was something she offhandedly mentioned when explaining her collection of theatre masks, but now, it seemed more relevant than ever, "So, you worked with Princess Ursa, when she lived here in Hira'a."

"Uh- well, I didn't- uh, know her personally. I came to Hira'a after she left. My colleagues knew her well."

"Oh, alright." he nodded, having thought the man would have known the Princess personally, but it must have been that his troupe's spirits had been dampened greatly by the news; he understood why- the news of the Princess's death was a shock to many, as she had been in fine health before giving birth, "Well, I did know her."

"She was your brother's wife." the man noted, seeming ever so slightly annoyed, before his expression straightened, "Do you know if she suffered? My friends are distraught that she might have been alone in her last moments."

"No, she was not alone." he admitted, recalling that his brother had been by her side when Azula was born, though he didn't think that was out of a desire to ensure his wife was not alone in her terrible last few hours, "Her daughter survived the birth... that is the only good that came of that day." he admitted his honest thoughts; his new niece would not have a mother, but at the very least she had the opportunity to live.

"I heard she was named after the Fire Lord." he noted, and the Prince nodded.

"I thought it was a little odd, but I was named after my mother, so I can't complain." he acknowledged, somewhat humoured by that fact.

"Really?" the man's expression shifted, seeming more surprised, "Is... uh, your mother still alive?"

"No, she died many years ago." he said with a downward glance; he didn't like to think of his mother, because all it did was remind him of his life before she passed, and how his father had been a better man back then- Azulon had never been kind, but he was at least a better father then, "When my brother was young... I forget that people don't always learn about my family. Just the dates of reigns and the names of Fire Lords."

"I didn't mean- uh, I apologise. I mean no disrespect... I just didn't expect to talk to you today, your highness."

"Most people never do." he chuckled, before offering him a hand, "What's your name, son?"

"N-Noren." he gave his name, before glancing behind the Prince, "Did you come here to see the Princess' family."

"Yes." he confirmed, before Noren raised a hand to his cheek.

"How was the old lady? I've heard she hasn't been handling it well."

"She perseveres... but I don't blame her for feeling as she does. To lose a child... it must be the worst feeling. I have only a glimpse at such a feeling."

"Have you lost someone important to you?"

"My wife." he admitted; much more than his mother, that was one person he never liked to talk about, but with a whole village in grief, he was willing to admit that pain.

"I-" he mumbled, "I never knew."

"That was kept out of the public eye on purpose. I did not want the whole nation to have their eyes on me and my son... For what it is worth, I wish you had had the luck of meeting Princess Ursa. She was a kind woman, and I know this place is less to have lost her."

Noren's straight face faltered, and he turned around, just pacing away, without another word; Iroh reached his hand out, feeling like something was wrong. This man was in grief, it was obvious, but yet he claimed that he had never even met Ursa. It made little sense, and he wanted sense of it; if this man was in pain and grief, he did not want him to have to lie about it.

"Wait, please." he asked of him, and Noren stopped, momentarily glancing back at the Prince, eyeing the few Imperial Firebenders who were nearby him, before Iroh approached, "I am sorry. I don't know what has happened to you, and I don't ask to receive answers, but if you knew her, you need not lie to me about it. Your grief is shared here, believe me."

"I- I know it is." he admitted, before his expression hardened, "I am not the man I once was... but can I ask something of you, your highness?"

"Yes, you may. Do you need something?"

"Love those children." he asked him, not trying to get any closer to the Prince, though his words bit cold; he knew exactly who he was referring to, but the eyes and voice were not what he had expected, "Please, don't just let her die a memory."

"I- I will not." he assured him, before his expression shifted, wondering why this man cared so much for the fate of his niece and nephew; perhaps he knew of their heritage, or maybe, he just wanted to make sure they were cared for, "I already made my promises, Noren."

"Good... the Fire Nation will benefit from those two growing up into good leaders." he acknowledged.

"Noren!" somebody called out to the man, and he turned his head, his expression shifting at once.

"Uh, yes, Grandma Guchi?"

"I need to speak with you." the older woman addressed him, and the Prince stepped back, gesturing for the young man to be on his way; he gave Iroh a curt nod, before going on his way.

Then one of his Imperial Firebenders, Hayase, approached, eyeing Noren suspiciously, "Was that man giving you issue, your highness?"

"No, no." he shook his head, "He is just a man in grief... just like the rest of this town."

"It seems the Princess was well-liked." he acknowledged, before gesturing down the road, "If you're ready to leave the market, I can escort you back to the carriage, my Prince."

"Well, did you buy anything?" he prodded his guard, who looked a bit lost for words after hearing him ask such a question.

"Was I meant to?" Hayase asked, seeming surprised.

"You may never come back here again. Perhaps you'd like to find something to remember our journey?"

"I- uh..." the guard mumbled, turning away from the Prince as he considered his suggestion, "Well, I guess you're right." he admitted, before his head perked up, "Excuse me!" he called out to the so-called Grandma Guchi and Noren, the two of them seeming surprised to see the Imperial Firebender approaching them.

"Uh, yes, did you want something?" the old woman asked him, and he pointed over to some of the masks that were on display by the edge of the stage.

"Do you have any old theatre masks for sale... I've got uh... well, my daughter's very interested in folk stories and plays." he explained, and Grandma Guchi led out a chuckle.

"Of course we could sell you one, young man." she assured him, before glancing back at the Prince, "Is the Prince paying for all your souvenirs?" she asked, and the Imperial Firebender cleared his throat, awkwardly eyeing his superior for a moment.

"We have an allowance for each trip we go on with the Prince. This is... somewhat of a holiday." he admitted, and Noren gestured up to the masks Hayase had been pointing at.

"Which one would you like to buy?"

"Uh... well, which one do you think my daughter might like?"

"How about the Dragon Empress mask?" Noren suggested, and the Imperial Firebender nodded along.

"Yeah, that sounds like it'll fit." he admitted, and he offered him a few silver pieces, "Is this enough?"

"Five silver is enough." Grandma Guchi clarified, and he gave her the currency, before Noren handed him the mask, which Hayase eyed with interest.

"Thanks... I'm sure she'll like this." he acknowledged, before he paced back over to his superior, "Oh, you were- uh, watching that, your highness?" he asked, and Iroh let out a huff, amused by how embarrassed he appeared to be.

"There's no need to be embarrassed, son. I'm sure your daughter will love that you got her a gift."

"Well, she would have raised hell if I didn't get her anything... I could have been spending these few days with her, but I decided to come along to serve you, my Prince."

"I apologise for the inconvenience."

"No, I didn't want you coming here with some inexperienced idiots. You remember what happened to your brother when he came here to meet the Princess for the first time, right?"

"Ah..." he gasped, recalling that story, and the three perspectives he'd gotten on it; first his father gave a humoured tale about how some boy had come to harass them, and then Ozai had vented his frustrations that somebody would dare stand up to him.

He knew, however, from Ursa's brief, but frustrated explanation, that it had been her boyfriend, who she had had to abandon when engaging with Ozai. She didn't have much of a choice in the matter, and that had become more apparent the more he spoke with his father about the whole arrangement. At first it sounded like he had sought out the Avatar's family and proposed a betrothal with Jinzuk and Rina, but it was certain that he had done none of that. He felt sorry for them all, and now, all they could do was mourn.

"I remember that story, Hayase." he confirmed, and the guard glanced around.

"Well, we haven't been harassed this time, your highness. Perhaps... the circumstances have made that easier."

"I wouldn't say it was easier. It was hard to come and tell a mother her daughter had died." he assured him bluntly, not wanting to ignore that fact; Ursa's passing mightn't have been too heavy a blow on him personally, but the consequences for her children, and the family and home she had left behind, that was far greater.

"I- uh, I didn't mean to sound... I can't imagine how anyone could feel to lose a child."

"I hope you never have to."


Princess Azula had spent months away from home, and now that she had finally arrived, she could only feel unease; walking through the halls of her home, flanked by her Imperial Firebenders, she knew she ought to feel safe, but that feeling didn't come easy to her any longer. She had only glimpsed at what happened at the port, but she wasn't just going to presume they would simply target her ship. Her uncle, after all, was the main target, and that was why she needed to reach him. Knowing how fast messenger hawks flew, she was sure by that point he was aware of what happened, but Azula knew that she couldn't take any chances.

The servants she had encountered upon leaving the catacombs informed her that her uncle was just finishing a meeting with General Hikari, one of the more important men leading the Home Guard; as she made her way towards her uncle's office, she glanced around her home, and quickly noticed something that she had almost forgotten about since first learning of the events in the capital. Her father and his loyal guards had torn the place asunder, though to what end, she had no idea.

All she knew was that her father escaped and more than a dozen Imperial Firebenders died, and that was just inside the palace. There was scaffolding and fabric covering walls and entrances into one of the halls of the palace, which suggested there was a large fight there. Beyond that, she encountered some more damaged walls, though given how dimly lit the whole place was, it was hard to notice the smaller burn marks.

"This is... uh, well, I didn't know what to expect." Ty Lee admitted, "A lot must have happened here."

"A lot of failures." she snidely retorted, frustrated that the Imperial Firebenders, despite their numbers and abilities, were unable to apprehend her father and bring his plot to a close before he had a chance to escape and let his men start attacking his enemies in broad daylight.

She momentarily glanced back at her guards, realising she was referring to the efforts of their comrades, and they seemed more than a little distraught, though clearly, her words were the least of their worries.

"How many of our brothers died here... and for what?" one of the guards lamented.

"This conflict has already taken its toll on our institution. We are lucky to still be breathing, Sergeant." Kan warned his subordinate, who turned away, still seeming frustrated, if not angry about what had transpired in the palace.

"Hold yourselves together." she warned her guards, "You're home. Soon enough, you'll be off duty, and you can take your time to reacquaint yourselves with the palace."

"We know it from top to bottom, your highness. We won't let anyone get in here on our watch." Kan assured her, and she smiled, if only for a moment, before she hardened her glare; that was their job after all, but she did know that they were keeping their guard up, despite having reached somewhere comparatively safe.

"I expect nothing less." she simply responded, before they continued on their way, the Princess keeping her hands behind her back as she paced her way down the hallway, towards her uncle's office.

As she drew closer, she passed by some servants, who must have been confused by her presence, but since she was being led by a uniformed Imperial Firebender, she thought it would be obvious enough. She could see her uncle's office down the hallway, and the guards standing duty, who glanced over as they approached, saluting the Imperial Firebender who had led her there.

"Princess Azula has returned." he gestured to her, "She requests an audience with his majesty."

The guards nodded, and one of them opened the door, whispering to the Fire Lord, before the door was pushed completely open, allowing Azula to step inside; she turned back, and gestured to her guards, "You're all dismissed until further notice. I no longer require your active protection." she acknowledged, before eyeing Ty Lee, "You can wait outside, or come in. It's your choice."

"Lady Ty Lee can come in if she likes." her uncle spoke up, and with that, she did, the door closing behind her.

Azula turned to face the Fire Lord, and bowed to him, "Uncle, it is good to see that you are home." she formally addressed him, "What do you require of me?"

"There's no need to get so serious, Niece. There are things that will have to be done, but that can wait until tomorrow." he admitted, before gesturing to the pair, "Please, sit. I would like to hear about what you've gotten up to since we last met." he explained, before reaching over to the teapot on the desk in front of him, "Tea?"

"No thanks." Ty Lee politely refused, and the Princess shook her head, so he turned to look behind them.

"Could you give this teapot to the guards that came with my niece? They deserve a reward for their hard work." he explained to the guard standing duty behind the ajar door, and he glanced inside.

"Oh, yes, I can do that, your majesty." he accepted his request, striding into the office to pick up the teapot, before he went on his way.

"Huh good thinking." Ty Lee mumbled, "They'll be happy about that."

"Well, that's the idea." he acknowledged, before Azula cleared her throat, having something in mind to discuss.

"I believe your time has been as eventful as ours." the Princess admitted, before placing her hands together, "As I already informed you, soon after leaving the army camp near Omashu, I received a coded letter from Mai and Zuko, telling me to find Ty Lee."

"Yes... and I can see you have."

"It was not without trouble. The Intelligence Service was wielded by Father as a tool to prevent me from reaching Ty Lee and the evidence she bore."

"Ah." he grimaced, "I hope that they didn't give you too much trouble, though I don't doubt their competence." he addressed Ty Lee, who just sighed.

"Well... they burnt down my circus, and forced me to hide in a barn. Luckily, the people there were nice enough to protect me while I figured out what to do next."

"That was until the Avatar got involved." Azula added, not wanting to ignore that important part of the story, "He and his friends showed up, and they were housed with that same family. Ty Lee revealed her identity, and was almost captured. I learned of the Avatar's appearance in that village, where I knew Ty Lee's circus had last been, and arrived a day later."

"Oh, this was the- uh, prison break I heard of."

"I made sure that her name was formally scrubbed from any records of those events. The Warden wasn't happy, but my lies were good enough."

"That sounds like a scandal waiting to happen, Azula." he warned her, and she sighed.

"Well, that's on Ty Lee, not on me." she stressed, "Ty Lee ended up losing that evidence that would have incriminated Father, because one of my guards was serving his plot."

Iroh's eyes widened, "And you-"

"I killed him on the spot. I could not stand to have such treachery go unpunished right in front of me... let alone in front of our nation's enemies. Those earthbenders might have spread stories of my mercy, and I cannot... I should not have something like that on my name."

"Having mercy is no great sin, my niece, even if I understand your desire for a strong image."

"It's no desire, Uncle. It's more than necessary in our line of work. The moment the people believe I lack the will to lead is the moment I lose my throne."

"Your throne?" he asked her, now with a bemused look, "I don't recall making you Crown Princess."

"No, I know you didn't... but I expect that if I am to one day rule, I must build an image of authority and strength."

Iroh placed his hands together, "Well... you may. What else has happened... at least that I didn't get reports of?"

"I-" she began, before turning her eyes back, wondering if the guards would hear them, "I tried to enter the Spirit World." she admitted, and his eyes widened.

"You-" he began, before raising a finger, "Might I ask, what situation would require that?"

"The Avatar was unconscious at a spiritual site, after supposedly chasing a rogue spirit. I thought if I could enter the same kind of state, I might be able to retrieve him, before the spirit returned at nightfall. It had been harassing a village and took a number of Commander Zhao's men captive." she explained, before narrowing her eyes, "I thought that... well, given what you told me about my heritage, I'd be able to more easily enter the Spirit World."

"Entering the Spirit World is no simple matter. It is quite a challenge for anyone that isn't the Avatar to do so."

"How did you... I know you did something... because of Lu Ten, right?" she asked, recalling the stories she'd heard; she wasn't sure whether to believe them, given they hadn't come from Iroh himself, but it sounded as if he had gone to the Spirit World to try and find her dead cousin.

"I travelled to a very spiritual location, where the Spirit World and our world are closest, outside of any time-based constraints such as the solstices. Only there was I able to slip over into the Spirit World... but you are right, you may have a latent potential to enter the Spirit World, but I do not know enough to say how this could be accessed."

"That's... wow." Ty Lee commented, "I thought you were just running- uh, exaggerating, when you told us about that." she addressed Azula's prior claims; the Princess quickly realised that her uncle was actually impressed that she had even thought of such a thing.

"Well, I didn't know for sure, but I trust what my uncle has to say about spiritual matters."

"Perhaps this is something you could discuss with the Fire Sages. They are the kind of people who possess the abilities you seek."

"Seek is not the right word... but I do believe it could make a fine addition to my skill set." she conceded, and her uncle smiled.

"I am glad to hear that you're taking an interest in your heritage, Niece." he told her, before he furrowed a brow, "I just have to ask, how exactly did you make your way here? I had told you to remain in the bay while the situation was handled... but I don't blame you for coming here as quickly as you have."

"Overland to the caldera rim, and then through the catacombs. We were in disguise the whole time... and the city's port was attacked not soon after my ship actually reached it." she noted, realising how much danger they were all in, at any given time, "I am lucky that my assumptions were correct."

"I did not want you to come into port until the Intelligence Service had hunted down those insurgents." he admitted, and she raised a hand to her cheek, tapping it slowly.

"And how long would that take? We have no idea of the scope of Father's conspiracy."

"Not yet." he admitted, before he turned around, reaching over to a scroll, "But there is news in that area."

He placed the scroll down on the table in front of her, and unfurled it, her eyes widening as she realised what was lying in front of her; it was her brother's phoenix tail, cut off from the base, lying there, right in front of her.

"Is that- uh- Zuko's-" Ty Lee gasped, clearly sounding shocked by what she was looking at.

"Yes, it is." Iroh confirmed, his expression shifting, "You ought to read the letter, Niece."

Azula eyed the piece of bound hair for a few moments, wondering exactly what had led to her brother making such a brash decision; her eyes turned to the paper, and began to read its contents. The first few lines weren't of much interest, as she could already infer from her uncle's earlier letter that there were dangers in the region; her brother had gone off and dealt with insurgents near the capital, he had come to the correct conclusion that it was a ploy to draw away Home Guard forces from the capital. Azula didn't doubt that if the insurgents hadn't attacked, and drawn the attention of the Home Guard, the port mightn't have been attacked, but then again, if was due to said attack that she had acted so cautiously.

Reading further done, the quality of the penmanship quickly reduced, and Azula's eyes widened as she read the name she never wanted to see in a letter again, "The-" she grit her teeth, before reading further down, realising what her brother was suggesting; the Dai Li were working with her father, and there was nothing to say that this partnership did not extend before the fall of Ba Sing Se, before her cousin's untimely death.

She just sat there, unable to decide how to react; she had had her own suspicions on the breadth of her father's plotting, but she had never suspected that he had anything to do with Lu Ten's death. It was too unbecoming of even her father to try and cut his own nephew out of the line of succession, all for the assurance that he'd be the Fire Lord. Then, the more she thought of it, and Zuko's poorly scribbled, rage filled words, did those very emotions fill every fibre of her being.

"Azula." her friend uttered her name, placing a hand on her shoulder as she struggled to hold in her emotions.

"No." she squatted away her friend's hand, before rising to her feet, refusing to even look at her uncle, "Do you believe him, Uncle?"

"I- I don't know if I want to." he admitted honestly, the pain in his own voice raw, "Please, don't- don't do anything brash, Azula. I only want what is best for you."

"Why- how..." she gasped, before turning her gaze back to Iroh, "How could you have not figured this out sooner? You were literally there. You- you killed them. They didn't say anything? No records? No threats?" she asked, and Iroh's gaze turned down.

"They were there to kill me, not my son. He was- he was just-" he struggled to put his thoughts to words, but Azula understood enough.

"Why?" she asked him, placing her hands on the desk, "Why didn't you just ask for an Agni Kai? Before Grandfather died, before any of this? You could have prevented all of this, Uncle."

"I did not want to deprive you of a father." he admitted, "Just like I was deprived of a son."

She grimaced, realising how he had seen such a possibility; even if he had considered it, he knew it would have ruined her and Zuko's lives, so soon after losing their cousin, even if they might have really been better off without Ozai.

"I hate this." she admitted the honest truth, "I hate what he is making us do, what he is creating." she snarled, pointing down to the phoenix tail, "Zuko trusts you now, but how long, Uncle? How long until he breaks?"

"He will not give up." he assured her, and she scoffed.

"Oh, I'm well aware of that. Zuko is the most stubborn person I know... and he would stop at nothing to get what he wants. He and father have that in common."

"I-" Iroh's eyes widened, realising what she was suggesting, and Ty Lee turned to face the Princess.

"Azula, don't- Zuko isn't like your dad. He won't hurt innocents... I know him."

"You knew a Zuko who was barely content with his life, held back by the person he has every reason to blame for every single terrible thing in his life. Do you know what that will do to a person?" she asked her friend, who looked almost afraid.

"He's not going to- I don't even know what you're trying to say!" she exclaimed, now clearly frustrated with Azula's way of speaking about the issue.

"He will kill anyone and everyone who stands in his path. Do you know why I know that? Because I was taught to do that- the difference between Zuko and I, is that I have not suffered as much as he has. I might power my flames through anger, but I don't know hate, not like him." she declared, before turning to face her uncle, "Why did you let it get this bad?"

"What did you expect me to do, Niece? Send Zuko away from the palace and your father to learn from the world? He might treat that as much of an insult as everything your father was doing to him before this began."

The Princess sighed, knowing she had no answer for her uncle's question; perhaps, there was no way they could have prevented what had happened. Her family had been torn asunder, and now, her brother, no matter his righteous goal, was seeming more and more like her father. Azula wouldn't criticise him for violence, or killing his opponents; she was more than willing to do that if it would protect her own life, and the lives of those she was entrusted to serve. It was only circumstance and a lack of courage that had stopped her from slaying Sanyan, after all. She did, however, take issue with the way he thought about his violent acts, which was obvious enough from how he wrote; he believed every action that helped him reach his goal, their father, permissible and reasonable, no matter if it were irrational or downright stupid.

"Zuko will be Zuko." she just admitted all she could; her brother wasn't going to change so easily, but there was one thing that still loomed in the back of her mind, "But Uncle, this conflict isn't going to end with Father. What happens when you try to negotiate peace with the Earth Kingdom? What will Zuko choose to do then, when our nation is secure from internal threats?"

"I am not privy to your brother's thoughts." he retorted, seeming annoyed that she was suggesting he could predict his next move; she was certain, as Iroh knew Zuko perhaps better than anyone, even Mai, that he would know what he would do when it came to the inevitable conflict with the other nations, "You act as if he will go against me... but you too hold doubts over the feasibility of my goals." he reminded her, and she let out a sigh; she didn't want to agree with him, but she did, though she held her tongue for just a moment.

"Well... can't everyone just sit down and talk it out?" Ty Lee optimistically offered a solution, and both uncle and niece eyed each other, the doubt obvious in Iroh's eyes.

"I don't think I can command my nephew what to think. He has to decide that for himself, just as Azula does... as anyone should." he gave his own opinion, and Azula crossed her arms, wondering if her own aspirations would line up with her uncle's as well, or perhaps, if she was just deflecting; maybe she, Zuko, and her father had far more common when it came to their views on the Fire Nation's future than she did with her uncle, and it was just her respect for the Fire Lord that was stopping her from acting on those opinions.

Those intrusive thoughts were pushed aside as she remembered what her uncle's true goal was- peace; she was going to help him and Aang make peace, and that would ensure her nation's prosperity and security, far more than any absolute victory Ozai sought would. That didn't mean, however, that she just wanted to give up every inch of strength her nation had to appease their lessers; the other nations were weaker than hers, that wasn't up for debate, it was simply the root cause of that weakness that seemed to so starkly divide her uncle and father from each other, and now, might soon divide her and her brother.

"I have my doubts, Uncle." she admitted the honest truth, "About your plans, and how effectively we can work with the other nations, if at all." she stressed, before rising to her feet, "But you should not doubt my loyalty. I am loyal to you, Uncle... you know the path, better than anyone."

"I am pleased by your... unexpected honesty, my niece." he smiled at her briefly, before he rolled the scroll back up, and put it back on the shelf behind him, "I have to eat my dinner, but we can talk after that, if that is what you want." he offered, and she furrowed a brow.

"I might wait for Zuko to return. We have much to discuss." she admitted, before eyeing Ty Lee, "In the mean time, would you mind going down to the training yard with me, Ty Lee? I've been itching for a good round with the training dummies."

"Uh... sure, Zula." she awkwardly smiled at her, before turning to face the Fire Lord, "It was nice to speak with you again, uh, your majesty." she acknowledged him with a short bow, before rising to her feet, "I'll make sure Azula doesn't get into trouble." she assured him, the Dragon of the West let out a snicker.

"Oh, I'm sure you've been doing that ever since you reunited."

"She's the one making trouble, Uncle. Did you forgot her escapade with the Avatar?" Azula reminded him, before grasping her friend by the wrist, "Come on, I'm not just going to stand around mindlessly."


Zuko knew his attire was too ragged to walk around in a place like the Fire Nation Palace, but he couldn't care to fix up his tattered robes; the armour was evidence enough that he'd returned from doing something dangerous, so it would dissuade the servants or any officials from thinking he was just a slob or accidentally ruined his clothes. Mai hadn't bothered to change at all, only dispensing of her mask to not give off the look of an assassin entering the palace.

At first, the servants were confused when they saw him, given his hair had changed drastically since he was last there; the black locks falling over his face were foreign, but he didn't mind them too much. He had to find his uncle, but he was unsure exactly where he'd be; it was around dinnertime, with the sun already having fallen below the horizon, but he couldn't be sure if and where he'd be eating. He might otherwise be in his quarters, a tea room, or his study, reading reports or something else worth his attention.

So, he and Mai paced down the halls, heading first to check the dining area; as they made their way down the hall, he made sight of something odd; a number of men were just standing by one of the Imperial Guard stations, dressed in plain clothes, drinking tea. It was odd, given if they were guards, it was rare for them to be out of uniform while on palace grounds. He approached them, and they mustn't have recognised him, turning to face the Prince and his companion with hawkish glares.

"Who are you? Some Intelligence Service gook?" one of them asked the Prince, "I'm assuming you're here for the Prince. We don't know where he is- we're on break."

"On break... in the hallway?" he asked them, surprised that they'd be acting so casually.

"We've had a long day." one of them spoke up, "The Fire Lord was kind enough to offer us some tea he brewed himself for our efforts."

"Doing what, exactly?" Mai asked, and they looked amongst themselves, before laughing.

"You don't have clearance for that, ma'am." the same guard assured her with a smirk, before Zuko ran his hands through his messy bangs, narrowing his eyes at them.

"You really are clueless." he snarled at them, before pulling the hair back so they could see his face properly; their expressions were first confused and a little amused, before the looks of dread appeared.

"Uh..." one of them made out a gasp, "I- I don't know if we should apologise or bow." he admitted his thoughts, and the Prince just sighed.

"You have my deepest apologies, your highness." one of them stepped forward, "My men didn't recognise you with your hair... we meant no disrespect." he stressed, making himself out as the leader.

"Just tell me what you were doing, and I'll be on my way. Better yet, tell me where the Fire Lord is."

"Uh, his majesty's eating dinner, I believe." the guard clarified, "And we've just returned from our journey."

"Journey?" Zuko raised a brow, before Mai grasped his arm.

"Azula." she uttered his sister's name, and Zuko turned to face her, momentarily confused why she had said it.

His eyes widened as it dawned on him, realising who exactly they were talking to; Azula had returned with her Imperial Firebenders, obviously in some kind of disguise, which would explain the plain clothes and the fact that none of the guards or servants actually mentioned it to him- they were probably as clueless as he was. He knew from his uncle's last report that they were on the approach, but he had no idea that they'd be arriving so soon.

"My sister's here?" he asked, and the guard nodded.

"Yes, your highness. We returned not even an hour ago... we heard you went to deal with insurgents. Was your mission a success?"

"In terms of lives lost... yes." he admitted, knowing that at the very least, he had prevented the would-be casualties that might have resulted if Kenzai and his men had barged right into the town centre without his own unintended distraction, "I- I should probably see my sister." he realised, knowing that he hadn't seen her for months, and he had been itching to know exactly what had transpired leading to their uncle's capture, as well as what ended up happening with Ty Lee; from the report his uncle had told him of, she was with Azula now, but that was all he knew.

"Is Ty Lee with her?" Mai asked, going to what he was already thinking of, and the guards nodded.

"Ah yes, the talkative girl. She's with the Princess." the leader confirmed, "I believe the two of them were speaking with the Fire Lord... but that was a while ago." he conceded, the Prince furrowing a brow.

"Well... I guess we'll find them sooner or later. I bet they've either gone off to the spa, or to the training yards."

"She does have a predictable schedule." Mai conceded, before she strode on past the guards, "We'll be going now." she decided for the both of them, and Zuko was forced to pace on after her, awkwardly leaving the conversation.

"Thank you for the information." he acknowledged the Imperial Firebenders with a clumsy wave before he continued after Mai.

Catching up to her, he pointed down the hallway, "The dining room isn't this way." he told her, gesturing to their right, towards the open air gardens that lined the side of the hallway, "It's over that way."

"We're not going to the dining room." she retorted, sounding rather confident of herself, "We're going to the training yard... if they're not there, they might have already decided to go to the spa. You know Azula would rather die than give that place up." she suggested, the Prince scrunching his lips up; he did forget at times that Mai probably knew his sister better than he did himself.

"Uh... yes." he agreed to her proposition, and with that, the pair made their way down the hallway, turning at the next fork in the path to mark their way to the training yard; he hadn't been there since he returned to the palace, though it wasn't out of a lack of desire to hone his skills.

His mind had been so set on the Intelligence Service and his new responsibilities that he hadn't even considered going to train, "Maybe we could train some time. We haven't done much of that since we left Piandao's." he suggested, and she raised a brow, before shrugging her shoulders, seeming impartial to the idea.

"Maybe." she gave an unhelpful, albeit playful answer, forcing Zuko to wonder if she really wanted to practice her skills, or if she would rather not have to think about fighting; she might have enjoyed it once, but after all they'd been through, he wouldn't blame her for wanting to do less violent things in her downtime.

As they made their way towards the training yard, he made out the distinct noise of firebending, alongside the expected grunts and vocalisations that would come from intense exercise. When he reached the open air space, he finally laid his eyes on the place, and could see the source of the noise. Azula was running through some firebending sets, and dressed in the most unusual fashion. Instead of her usual training garbs, which were similar to his won, or her armour, she was wearing the clothes of a commoner, without any thick outer robes.

Dashing around shoeless through the courtyard, she was attacking the straw dummies with the kind of speed he still envied; Zuko might have been quick on his feet, but he wasn't that fast. She hadn't picked up on their presence, and neither had Ty Lee, who was sitting between them, watching the Princess as she ran through her sets and attacked the dummies in quick succession. She ended the exercise with a few slicing arcs of fire, which he assumed would harm her opponents quite badly.

Then, she noticed, her eyes meeting his and Mai's; at first, he thought she might have been afraid, perhaps unsure how he would feel about seeing her again, given the sour mood of their last meeting. That was Ozai's fault, in the end, and he wasn't going to lash out at her for her aspirations to catch the Avatar, no matter how selfish they were. Her expression wasn't one of fear, or annoyance, but simply interest as she pointed towards him.

"So you actually did it." she acknowledged, "I never thought you could be so dramatic about a haircut, Brother."

Upon hearing her address him, Ty Lee's head perked up, and she turned around, her expression brightening up at once, "Mai!" she exclaimed with joy, rushing over to hug her friend, though when Zuko saw her tense up, he imagined it might have been more of a tackle than a hug.

She did allow Ty Lee to embrace her, however, and the chirpy grin shook Mai around like she hadn't seen her in years; it hadn't really been that long since she had ran off, but perhaps she really did miss her that much.

He sidestepped the two of them, approaching his sister, who had picked up a towel to wipe the sweat off her face and body, "So Uncle told you all about what I was up to, I assume." he guessed, and she furrowed a brow.

"Uncle enjoys lying more than I do, Zuko, so... I can't actually be sure." she conceded, her accusation rather forward, though not unsurprising; she was always blunt when it came to her opinions, especially when it came to Iroh, "So, is it true?" she asked, and Zuko tensed up, remembering what he had actually said in that letter."

"Father being a traitor is nothing new... but, if it is what it looks like, then... then... I don't want to believe it." he admitted, struggling to put his feelings to words.

"But you do." she assumed correctly, Zuko sighing; he didn't truly want to think the worst of his father, but after all that had happened, any doubts were as far gone as his phoenix tail was.

"I do." he confirmed, before he glanced back at Ty Lee, "So, what happened with you... other than the whole Avatar hunt?" he asked, knowing that her original plan was far gone now.

"A great deal of things. Some of them my own fault, some of them Uncle's, some of them the Avatar's. Ty Lee even got her fair share." she admitted, seeming humoured by that, before her expression hardened, "Things have changed, Zuko." she warned him, her serious tone reminding him that much had happened since they last spoke.

"The Avatar's on our side... supposedly." he noted, "I assume you had something to do with that."

"Uncle made a unilateral decision. I don't believe Aang has even agreed to help the Fire Nation." she conceded, and he raised a brow.

"So that's his name." he realised, not having learned the name of the last airbender, who from what he'd heard, was a twelve year old, which made very little sense, given how long ago Avatar Roku died, and thus, how old the Avatar ought to be, "Can we trust him?"

"I don't expect a naïve child to betray us... but to refuse to assist our nation because of our crimes, that may be possible. He did break into a prison and free its earthbender inmates, after all." she noted, and Zuko raised a brow.

"Sorry, he what?" he asked, now quite concerned; he didn't understand how that wasn't on his uncle's agenda in the slightest- the conflict with Ozai was serious, but so was anyone else trying to undermine their authority.

"Hey, that was half my plan. I deserve credit." Ty Lee spoke up, sounding almost proud of having done something that was by all accounts illegal and borderline treasonous; feeling lost for words, Zuko turned to face her, and just stared, "Don't blame me, Zuko, I tried playing nice, but they tried to arrest my friend... and me." she argued, and he just face-palmed, finding the whole tale stupendous.

"You've got to be kidding me." he mumbled under his breath, and he felt Azula tap him on the shoulder.

"No, she's quite serious." she warned him, not seeming amused, "Don't worry, I already reprimanded her for doing something so foolish." she assured him, and the Prince just sighed.

"Whatever... it's not exactly my problem, is it?" he asked Ty Lee rhetorically, before narrowing his eyes, "And what's this about getting arrested?"

"The Intelligence Service framed her for arson... which they committed." his sister answered his question, and now, as the leader of said organisation, he felt more than a little concerned.

"Please tell me you know why they did it." he requested, and Azula just smirked.

"Certainly. Our father fed the Intelligence Service false information, and they took the bait. He was obviously trying to cover up the fact Ty Lee knew about all his treasonous acts." she clarified, "It wasn't the fault of those agents... they made sure to shut up and pretend like we never discussed any of it."

"That's good to hear." he admitted, before turning his gaze back towards the dummies, recalling when he would once watch his father batter them when he trained; once, he feared him, but now, all he felt was anger, "Not that it matters anymore."

"No, it doesn't." she agreed with him, "So... I heard you can generate lightning."

"Can you show us?" Ty Lee asked, and the Prince shook his head.

"I'm exhausted." he refused, before he thought back to when he'd killed Houken, "But I can."

His sister narrowed her eyes at him, seeming suspicious of him, "Why did you kill that Commander, anyway? I mean, I met the man, and though I can say he was a foolish moron, I don't see why you needed to execute him." she admitted, and his eyes widened; out of all people, he wouldn't have expected Azula to argue against killing someone like Houken, after he'd captured their uncle and put his life in danger.

"Did she-" he mumbled, before turning to face Mai, who seemed surprised, which was hard to tell usually, but he could see it in her eyes.

"Azula." she addressed her sternly, "What happened to you?"

"What?" she scoffed at her, looking at her clothes for a moment, before she realised she was referring to her attitudes; the Azula they knew would have agreed to execute someone like Houken on the spot, and if she didn't, then she must have been through something while she was away, "What do you mean, Mai?"

"You must have seen a lot out there to come back here and say something like that. I don't agree with what Zuko did, but I thought you would have." she admitted honestly; Zuko understood that she was never as partial to killing as he was, and even then, the Prince only ever did it when he felt justified- it wasn't as if he'd kill anyone and everyone who got in his way, just those who earned the punishment.

"I-" she began, before gritting her teeth, turning away, "Those idiots, and their stupid morals." she mumbled under her breath.

"Who?" Zuko asked her, and she shook her head.

"Never mind." she waved a hand at him to dismiss his question; he didn't press it, and she paced past him to go and grab the outer pieces of her robes, "I'm not a completely different person." she addressed Mai's initial statement, "I killed an assassin the other week, didn't I, Ty?" she asked her friend for back-up, and she grimaced, indicating that she wasn't just trying to brag for the sake of it.

"How many assassins have you had to deal with?" Zuko asked, curious if she'd had to deal with as much as their uncle had.

"Just that one and Uncle's." she answered, "I don't think they'll be stupid enough to try that again."

"It won't take one assassin anyway." Mai spoke up, "I have no idea why they'd only send one."

"Maybe they were really confident." Ty Lee suggested, "Or really stupid."

"With a lack of skill, those two things are the same." Azula assured her, tying up her waist band as she finished putting her outer robes back on.

"What about you guys?" the acrobat addressed Mai and Zuko, "Did you have any more... stuff to deal with?"

"We made the most of our supposed deaths and fake identities." the Prince admitted, "I guess you guys didn't have that luck."

"Oh, I tried that." she replied, "Didn't really work."

"Why?" he asked, and Azula rolled her eyes.

"The Avatar." she answered his question for him.

"How did you even meet him?"

"By accident. He and his friends came shopping... and well, the family I was with let them stay with them."

"So, you made friends." Mai noted, "How Ty Lee of you."

"Oh, you'd like them Mai. They're fun and like fighting, just like us... well, I mean, maybe Aang doesn't. He's more into sneaking and dodging." she explained, and the stoic girl just shrugged her shoulders.

"Good for you." she told her with a tone that told Zuko she didn't really care that much, but she might have been at least pleased her friend was safe; that was obvious enough when she accepted her hug.

"What about Crescent Island?" Zuko asked her, recalling that report they had received, "Did the traitors give you any trouble?"

"The traitors?" she looked at him with an amused smirk, "I believe Avatar Roku was the one giving them the trouble... though we played our part." she admitted, eyeing him for a few moments, before her expression shifted, "He... he didn't tell you." she realised, and Zuko had no idea what she was actually referring to.

"Uncle?" he asked, assuming that's who she was referring to, "Tell me what?" she asked, and Ty Lee's expression shifted.

"Wait, are you- maybe you shouldn't, Zula." she warned the Princess, who raised her chin, before shaking her head.

"Enough lies." she declared, sounding angry; that was the first time he'd seen her angry in a while, and it was different- not the kind of anger he'd seen in her eyes when she messed up a set, but the kind he saw in her eyes when they learned about Lu Ten.

"Azula... what happened?" he asked, now feeling worried something actually had happened; he knew that Azula was holding back- she always did, but now, he was certain there was something bigger going on, looming over them.

"Uncle's going to tell you a story." she declared, before turning her heels, "No matter if he wants to or not."


The Fire Lord had been enjoying his dinner, finishing up on his dishes of braised pig-chicken, egg noodles, spiced dumplings and slices of grilled fish, when he was interrupted; his eyes turned up to see the Imperial Firebenders open the doors, revealing four teenagers before him. Azula, Ty Lee, Mai, and Zuko, the latter without his phoenix tail, reminding him once more of the starkly worded letter and rather extreme symbol of commitment he had received.

That brought back the shock and pain he had felt in reading that letter, with the mere suggestion that his brother could have actually been behind his son's brutal death at the hands of the Dai Li paralysing him. If he'd been in worse health, he might have had a heart attack from such news; he could barely believe it, but the serious look that stayed on his nephew's face even then, after returning to the safety of his home, told him that he couldn't have been exaggerating his belief.

"Nephew." he addressed him, "I am glad to see you have returned in one piece."

"And I'm glad no assassins have tried to destroy the palace yet." he retorted, his quip almost making Iroh smile if it weren't for the terrible implication of his words being no surprise.

His gaze turned over to his niece, who seemed far more annoyed than she had been when they first reunited only an hour prior; she was almost snarling, and she strode over towards the table, placing her hands down firmly on it, "Uncle, I know you love your lying and half-truths as much as Father does, but may I ask that you don't deny Zuko the truth about himself." she pointed back at her brother, making Iroh's eyes widen; he had first thought she was annoyed by reuniting with her brother, but it was apparent that she was annoyed to learn that he hadn't told his nephew about Roku and his ancestry.

"May you leave us for a moment?" he asked of the Imperial Firebenders, knowing that he didn't want them around for this; they nodded, and stepped out of the door, closing it behind them, leaving Iroh to turn back to his niece, "I apologise for... well, how you were told that, back in Omashu. It is my fault, I ought to have been frank with both of you... a long time ago."

"Frank about... so Azula isn't just making stuff up like usual." he realised, stepping up beside his sister, "What is she talking about, Uncle?"

"Your... well, the history of your family."

"You mean our family?" he asked, and the Fire Lord shook his head.

"No, I mean yours- you and your sister specifically." he corrected him, "Your father and mother had an arranged marriage, you should already know that." he admitted, the Prince nodding, "But it's why their marriage was arranged, that is what I never had the chance to tell you, and what your father would refuse to."

"Roku." Azula cut right to the punchline, and Zuko's eyes narrowed, turning his head, which flicked his now shorter locks around as he faced his sister.

"Avatar Roku? What does he have to do with our parents?"

"He was your mother's grandfather." he told him what he had been afraid to say, "The Avatar... who I allowed your sister to hunt down, is the reincarnation of your great-grandfather."

"Wh-" Zuko gasped out, his eyes wide as he stumbled back, "You've... you've got to be- this-"

"Think about it, Zuzu. Why was father so disappointed when you were born without any supposed firebending potential?" she asked him, referring to a story that Ozai must have spouted to put his son down, which angered the Fire Lord, though he restrained himself, knowing that he should allow Zuko to have some time to ask questions of him and his sister, "That's why... every single... little... bit of disappointment." she told him as she tapped on his sternum, "Every bad look, cold remark. It's all because of that truth. We were born for greatness... to be the greatest firebenders in a generation."

"And..." he mumbled, "And our mother... she- how could-"

"The Avatar's lineage was reasonably well-known... Roku was a noble, and married a noblewoman himself." Iroh clarified what he assumed his nephew was trying to ask, "And, there is more than that to our families connections."

"You can say that again." Azula grumbled, before eyeing her brother, who was still just shocked, jaw agape as he struggled to comprehend what he had been told, and perhaps, what his sister was suggesting, which was rather unhelpful, even if it was true.

"So... there's a reason. There was always a reason."

"Our father isn't stupid or spiteful for no reason." she conceded, "I am more surprised that he went along with it. The Avatars are meant to bring balance to the world, as the legends say, so then why wouldn't that... infect us."

"What... what you think we're cursed or something?" he scoffed, beginning to laugh, before that laughter clearly turned back to shock as he stumbled back further, leaning up against the nearby wall, "What in the spirits... Uncle? What does this mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything." he retorted, knowing for a fact that his ancestry had to be known, but it shouldn't define him, "You are your own man, Zuko. I don't expect who your great-grandfather was to define you, as you shouldn't expect Sozin being my grandfather to define me."

"I... I can't believe this... I have so many questions." he admitted, sounding almost afraid.

"And you will get your answers." he assured him, before gesturing to the table, "Please, sit. We have not spent any time together as a family in months. I would like to speak with you both." he explained, turning his gaze to Mai and Ty Lee, "I apologise for asking this... but may you leave us for just a bit. I'm sure the servants can get you something to eat. You must both be hungry."

"Uh..." Ty Lee mumbled, eyeing Zuko and Azula for a moment, before turning to face Mai, "Well, we could."

"How about we go to my house? My parents are still waiting for me to get back home." she suggested, and Ty Lee's expression brightened up.

"A sleep over?" she asked her giddily, "Really?"

"Yeah, you can." her friend replied, her monotone response humouring Iroh just a little, before he noticed Zuko step over to them both.

"It was- uh, good to see you again, Ty Lee. Hopefully- uh, we can all work together tomorrow." he suggested, and the cheery girl just punched him playfully.

"Oh, so you like hanging around me now, is that right?" she asked with a grin, before winking at her friend, who just rolled her eyes in response.

"Yes... Zuko. We will come back over tomorrow."

"Make sure to get the Imperial Firebenders to escort you back to your house. With the bombing of the port... I, well- you know." the Prince suggested, and she nodded.

"Yes, I will, if it'll stop you from panicking." she accepted his request, and he looked a little offended, while his sister just snickered at how he awkwardly stepped back, and waved her goodbye.

"See you later." he farewelled them, and Ty Lee dashed back over to Azula, giving her a hug so fast Iroh might have otherwise thought it was a tackle.

"Thanks for getting me home, Zula." she told her, before snickering, "Even though I don't wanna be here."

"You have more courage than you think." Azula told her, pushing her away, "When you go back to your parents, remember what you've been through. You're not the same as your sisters." she assured her, and Iroh smiled, glad that his niece was so supportive of her friend; after all he'd made her endure, he felt relieved to see Azula had grown as a person, even if she was as melodramatic and demanding as ever.

"Yeah, I will." Ty Lee agreed, before she followed Mai out the door, leaving Iroh alone with his niece and nephew.

"Please sit, both of you." he asked them, and they both complied, sitting down across from him, beside each other, though Zuko seemed slightly annoyed to have to do so; Azula noticed this, and she flicked her bangs with her fingers.

"I'm not here to argue with you, Brother."

"Good, because I didn't want to have to." he agreed with the sentiment, before turning to face his uncle, "When were you planning to tell me about Roku?"

"When I felt that you were ready?"

"I don't think anyone could be ready to hear that, Uncle." he retorted, sounding understandably annoyed; Azula was as well when she learned the truth, so he was expecting a similar reaction, "I... I don't know how to feel about this, no matter what ideas Azula has about it."

"Oh thanks, glad my opinion is appreciated, Brother." she snarkily retorted, and Iroh sighed, not wanting them to feud over it.

"You act like it's because of something innate to us that our father treated us the way he did." he recalled what she was trying to say earlier, "I disagree."

"What, because you were the one mistreated?" she asked, and he scoffed.

"Exactly. If it was all really about Roku and our potential, then why didn't he bother to train me?"

"Because you weren't as good as me." she argued, and Iroh placed a palm over his face, finding that no matter how truthful her statements were, that didn't make them not hurtful.

"Are you trying to agitate me, Sister? Or are you just unwilling to accept the truth?" he asked her, before pointing at Iroh, "It's because of him."

"What?" the Fire Lord asked, blinking a few times as he considered what he had just said, "Why am I to blame?"

"Because Father's acts have nothing to do with Roku, or some great potential... I figured that out before you even told me about that." he argued, and the Princess turned to face her brother, now seeming quite interested.

"How so, Zuko?" she asked him, not sounding disingenuous in the slightest.

"What do you think made our father so spiteful that he'd be willing to kill his own brother?" he asked her bluntly, and she just stared at him, before glancing at her uncle.

"The throne." she gave her answer, and he laughed, and heartily at that; Zuko usually didn't laugh, and Iroh looked at him, slightly concerned he was losing a thread.

"Nephew, are you alright?"

"She gave the wrong answer, Uncle." he clarified, with an unexpectedly bright smile, "There's a first time for everything."

"That was a pretty subjective question." she snapped back at him, "That was a pitiful victory, if that's what you're going to call it." she argued, and he shrugged his shoulders, before he returned to explaining himself.

"It's not about the title. It's never about the title." he warned her, his smile quickly having dissipated, What did you fear most, before you left to search for the Avatar?" he asked her, and Iroh could see her eyes flicker as she must have thought back, and tried to imagine her past self.

"Father's approval." she answered, before narrowing her eyes, turning to face Iroh once more, "Wait... are you trying to say- this is all about Grandfather?"

"Of course it is. You knew how he treated Father... does that remind you of something?"

She tensed up, and eyed her brother with something Iroh would not have expected; genuine fear in her eyes, which made him think of their prior conversation, before Zuko's arrival in the palace.

"You wouldn't kill me, would you, Brother?" she asked him, trying to keep a straight face, but it was a clear struggle; she wasn't usually afraid of anyone, and that told him that her brother had truly struck a nerve.

"No." he acknowledged, "Father and I, we are both driven by spite, I see that now... but I would never betray my sense of honour. That is my duty as a Prince, as a citizen of the Fire Nation" he assured her, "You see the problem now, don't you, Azula?"

"We've been repeating their mistakes." she acknowledged, before her eyes fell down, raising a hand to her cheek, "Why would he let this happen?"

"Because he thought it would make us stronger... that's my best guess." Zuko admitted, "His logic has been lost to me for a while now... how about you, Uncle?" he turned their attention to the Fire Lord, who tensed up.

"I am the same as you, Prince Zuko. I do not know what rationale your father has been following, but obviously he will not stand for weakness, in himself, or our nation, as he sees it."

"Because he cannot let you be better than him." Azula commented, her eyes meeting his own, "That's why Zuko said it was your fault. The better you are, the more you sway us to your ideals, the stronger our Father's drive becomes."

"Then... by that logic..." Iroh mumbled, realising what all of this implied; his head fell into his palms, realising Jeong Jeong had been right the whole time, "I'm a fool... if only I had just gone with him."

"Who?" Zuko asked, and the Fire Lord shook his head.

"It doesn't matter, not anymore." he assured him, before wiping the tears from his cheeks, "There is no point regretting about the past, but that doesn't mean it holds no value. There is somewhere I think you both should go: the Dragonbone Catacombs."

"That old heap of dust?" Azula retorted, "What do we need there?"

"Answers." he acknowledged, "The last testament of Fire Lord Sozin is what you seek. It will give the truth, or at least, one side of it."

"About what, exactly?" Zuko asked, and his sister just narrowed her eyes.

"Is this about that eruption... the one that killed Roku?" she asked, and he nodded.

"That, and much more."

"It sounds like a story you need to tell us." Zuko admitted, and he chuckled.

"Oh, well, I feel that the first-person account is far more engaging than whatever I can whip up." he conceded, knowing that his grandfather's prose would inform them well enough of both his logic and regrets when it came to his deeds.

"Thank you, Uncle." his nephew acknowledged him with a curt seated bow, "But, I'm... really hungry."

"I'd expect you to be after all you went through today." he acknowledged, before whistling out to the servants, who strode into the room, standing in line for the Fire Lord to see.

One of them stepped forward and bowed in deference to the Fire Lord, "Yes, your majesty?"

"I want my niece and nephew served their meals."

"Of course, your majesty. We shall bring them out at once." the servant accepted his command, and snapped his fingers, "With haste." he told the other servants, who immediately filed back out of the room, heading off into the kitchen to retrieve their meals, while one of the servants began setting up the siblings' plates, bowls and utensils.

"I missed the brevity of this place." Azula admitted, making Zuko raise a brow.

"Didn't you have servants on your ship?" he asked her, and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Not as many, or as good a kitchen." she responded, before eying her uncle, "What is for dinner, Uncle?"

"Roast cow-pig, noodles, dumplings, and stir fried vegetables." he clarified, and she pursed her lips.

"Good. I have been waiting all afternoon for this." she acknowledged, before glancing at her brother's bandaged hand, "What about you, Brother?"

"I will take whatever they give me." he simply responded, "It is an honour to have such luxuries."

Iroh smiled at his nephew, feeling that both of them had changed in attitude after their experiences, returning home stronger and more well-rounded individuals, as he had intended for Azula, and hoped for Zuko. It was only a matter of time before they faced more struggles, so he was glad that they had returned home; after all, rest made a person whole, and without it, he knew that they would become irascible and dour.

"Yes, yes it is."