It wasn't everyday that Iroh received an anonymous letter under his pillow. At first, the Crown Prince thought it might have been a message from a concerned servant about some behaviours in the palace they couldn't publicly discuss, or a letter from the Intelligence Service, who might have had some warnings to give him, in case they were tracking down assassins or spies.

However, the letter hadn't been either of those, but rather a very simple letter telling him to go to a specific tavern in the port city, in disguise without any guards watching him. If Iroh wasn't a master firebender, he might have considered such a ploy dangerous, as he might get attacked without his personal guard; however as an experienced battle commander, he ignored such concerns in the back of his mind. The letter was only interesting due to its last line, which read 'you can save our nation'. He couldn't tell if a patriot wanted to speak with him, or an idealist who was willing to trust him, the heir of the Fire Lord, to aid them in some political endeavour.

So, he put on some commoner's garbs, let down his hair, and took the catacombs out of the palace; it didn't take him long to travel down to the port city, arriving in the early evening, just before dusk. When he entered the tavern, called 'The Ashpit', he found it was a rather busy establishment, primarily full of navy sailors who were off-duty, though a few commoners from the city itself were inside. He paced over to the bar, deciding he'd get himself some rice wine if he was going to have to wait for whoever was coming to speak with him.

He sat himself down on a stool, and the barkeep strode over towards him, "What can I have you, sir?" he asked, and Iroh pulled on his goatee with his hand.

"Hm, just a cup of rice wine." he told him, placing down a few ban to pay for it; the barkeep was a little surprised, and took the money.

"You realise that pays for more than a cup, right?" he asked, and Iroh nodded.

"Ah, yes. I want two, I'm expecting someone." he clarified, and the barkeep just chuckled.

"What you here for a date?" he asked, and Iroh let out a snicker.

"Oh, I wish." he mumbled with a sheepish grin, before awaiting his cup; the barkeep quickly got a bottle out, and poured him two cups of rice wine.

The Prince didn't hesitate to drink some of the wine, and began tapping his fingers on the bar. A few moments later, somebody sat down beside him, and he glanced up and down at the figure; it was a man, a few years his junior, with long black hair and a trim beard. He was not wearing the clothes of a sailor, but instead the kind of garbs he'd expect on a reasonably well-off public servant.

"I see you got my letter, Prince." he addressed him, revealing himself as the one responsible for the message he found below his pillow.

"Who are you?" he asked the man, who just shrugged his shoulders.

"That shouldn't matter." he argued, before gesturing to the other cup of rice wine, "Was that for me?"

"Yes, actually." Iroh confirmed, making the stranger smirk.

"Your affability was no exaggeration." he commented on his polite behaviour, before taking a sip of the rice wine, "Let me ask, what do you think it is I want?"

"You have some dirt on me." he guessed, and the stranger shook his head.

"Quite the opposite. I've heard only good things about you." he clarified, "You are a man of principle, will, and commitment. I have heard of your feats- colour me impressed."

"Most have... that's what happens after nearly twenty years in the military." he acknowledged, and the stranger just chuckled.

"I am not here because I am asking for an autograph." he made his intentions clearer, which only left a darker motivation to get his attention, "I want your help."

"Help?" he asked, "So this is political."

"What isn't these days?" the stranger questioned him back rhetorically, before he turned to face him, "Time and time again, you have made it clear you are a principled man who is reasonable and willing to compromise."

"You need to be in my line of work." he argued, and the shady man just raised a finger.

"So, how far would you go to save the Fire Nation?" he asked him, making Iroh clear his throat, thinking the topic they were discussing was not a smart one when in the presence of off-duty sailors, "Yes, you're right, it is a bit of an issue to discuss."

"So... outside?" he asked, and the stranger shook his head.

"I don't think we could trust each other there... to make the smart moves, that is." he warned him, implying that one would have more reason to betray the other when they could easily try and escape.

"That's reasonable." he conceded, "Perhaps over there." he gestured to a booth that was by the corner of the room, and remained empty.

"You have a good eye." he commended him, before striding right over to the booth, the Prince cautiously following behind.

When he sat down across from the stranger, he took another sip from his cup, before placing it down in front of him. The stranger then cleared his throat, and placed his hands on the table.

"What I meant to say is that I could use your help... or the Fire Nation could." he clarified his prior question.

"In what regard?"

The stranger chuckled, "You are the heir, and will be the Fire Lord one day. I believe we would all be helped if that day was sooner rather than later."

Iroh tensed up upon realising what he was saying, "You want to overthrow my father... and you want my help?"

"No, I want your father dead, Prince Iroh. His crimes are countless and he is morally reprehensible... he deserves to die more than any man in any Fire Nation prison." he corrected him, making Iroh's eyes widen; the man wasn't just seeking some political grievances to be solved, he wanted to stop his father, and by extension, the war.

"Who- who are you?"

"I am but one man, but I am not alone, my Prince." he assured him, "I do not seek to harm you, because I know you are a man of honour, and though your record might not be clean, you have tried better than most." he tried to stress his own positive view of Iroh, which surprising, given how he had just spoken about his father.

"Could you?" he asked him seriously, "Are you able to face me?"

"No, but I am sitting here before you. I do not take you for a wanton murderer." he argued, and the Prince shook his head.

"You just threatened to kill my father... or promised to."

"I never said I would kill him." he corrected him, "I'm sure some Earth Kingdom tribunal would surely enjoy doing so... perhaps the Southern Water Tribe?"

"Y-you are not wrong. Those people have every reason to hold my father accountable for what the Fire Nation has done... but why are you asking for my help? I cannot fathom the kind of treachery you suggest."

"You needn't do anything, Prince Iroh." he clarified, "You simply need to allow the events run their course." he clarified, and he narrowed his eyes.

"When?"

"I cannot tell you... that would go against the point of such a plot." he argued, and the Prince raised a a hand towards him.

"I- I cannot let this pass."

"No, you can. You can choose to prevent it and be proclaimed a hero for some time, or let some 'evil' plotters do your job for you, and give you the chance to make things right. To restore our nation to what it once was. Give the spirits the place they deserve, acknowledge the sages and their wisdom, and stop this pointless bloodshed once and for all." he argued what could happen, and how he could better their nation; the stranger was optimistic to think he'd do all the things he wanted him to, but as he thought about his ideals, he realised that they weren't all too far from his own.

"I could do those things as Fire Lord... but would any of it matter?" he asked him, "The Fire Nation is set on its course, it will take time for the people to understand the futility of this conflict... and more than that, we have nearly one. What would be the point of stopping now, just to have the Earth Kingdom try and destroy us, with good reason?" he asked the stranger, who just raised a finger to his head.

"You can negotiate with them. Do you think that violence will solve all our problems?" he asked, and the Prince just sighed.

"That problem is beyond solving with simple words." he retorted, before rising back to his feet, "I hold no ill will towards you, but I implore you to change your mind. What you intend to do will only anger the people, and they will blame whoever they want to... who do you imagine they would?"

"The foreigners, but we are not." he argued, "The Fire Nation are the only ones who can end this war, your highness."

"I intend to." he assured him, "But please, do not try this... it will end in your death, and the deaths of everyone who works with you. Your actions will only add fuel to the fire." he warned him.

"As you have already said, but I apologise, Prince Iroh. We will act, whether you want us to or not."

"I could call the Intelligence Service here at once. I would only have to say a word." he argued, his words somewhat of a bluff; he knew where their local offices were, and could certainly drag the man there, but he didn't want to do that, not when he had a chance to persuade him against trying something so pointless.

"You won't." the stranger retorted, "I know that you can't resist the chance to argue with me. You've been trained for this... to be a leader. Well, be a leader, my Prince." he argued, gesturing around the room, "How many of these men will die, fighting for your father, only for it to not mean anything once you inevitably come to power, and decide to make peace with our foes."

"I never said I-" he began, and the stranger raised a finger.

"No, you didn't, but you will. Your calmness and willingness to speak to me, instead of just doing as you claim you could... throw me to the dogs... but you haven't. Ruthlessness is not in man's nature... it is learnt."

"I-" he began, thinking to his brother, and how he had turned out in comparison to him; despite having the same father, and the same home, with basically the same opportunities, Ozai was certainly nothing like his elder brother, "I understand that."

No one was born evil, though they could be born with ills and a mind suited for doing heinous things, nobody could say they were born to do it. They could only choose such a path, as Iroh chose to become a soldier, to lead his nation's armies to victory, to save the young men of his country the trouble of struggling for another century against the same foe.

"So, how can you stand there, and let ruthlessness remain? Let evil fester, when there is good in our hearts?"

"Because I don't have a choice... not one that I won't regret making for the rest of my life." he argued, before he stepped out of the booth, "Your cause is righteous, but I cannot have any part in it. I am loyal... if I wouldn't how could you trust me?" he asked, and the stranger just huffed, amused by his words.

"You are right. My name is Kusaru, and you have my thanks." he gave his name, which probably wouldn't help Iroh hunt down his group, if he chose to do so.

"For what?"

"Giving me insight into how a man can be so good... yet so beholden to his own attachments." he acknowledged, "I am not like you, but... you have my respect for it."

"If we meet again, I hope it is in happy circumstances, and not those I fear they will be." he warned Kusaru, who just raised a hand.

"And so do I."


As a Prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko was expected to be noticed in public, but in all his sixteen years, he hadn't received much attention from the public, nor had so many eyes been on him. He was just a child for much of that time, the second son of a second son, unexpected to become the Fire Lord, but now he stood as one of the potential successors of the Fire Lord, and one who had been entrusted with ensuring the suppression of a rebellion started by his own father.

This news spread across his nation, and as he walked down the streets of a city he'd only heard of perhaps once or twice before the progress, he felt a thousand eyes on him, walking past crowds of people that gathered to see the royal siblings. Azula was clearly enjoying the attention more than he was, with a clearly fake smile, waving and eyeing the adoring public. At least, they seemed to be adoring, or at least, in awe of them. He doubted any member of the royal family had visited the city of Haitani in decades, meaning it was likely the first, and potentially, only time they would ever see a Prince or Princess of the Fire Nation.

The pair were flanked and led by Imperial Firebenders, who were prepared to protect them from the obvious threat of assassination, but also, with their own extravagant armour, showed off the wealth and authority of the Fire Nation. That might have been more useful in a poorer backwater, as Haitani didn't seem to be a poor city, with towering chimneys surrounding them on both sides, and mansions lining the hills, beyond which lay farms and mines, which showed that the city was a place of great industry.

They were heading back through the city after a meeting with local dignitaries, who had been selected to represent the city; it was the same as the past few cities and towns they had passed through, and it hadn't lasted too long. The local industrialists wanted affirmations of the future of the Fire Nation's coal and steel industries, and some local representatives sought assurances about the suppression of Ozai's movement, and what it meant for the personal freedoms of everyday people. He and Azula had tried their best to dissuade their worst fears, but they couldn't say too much, especially on the situation of curfews and the increased patrols and checks by the Home Guard; that was something they couldn't afford, with his father's agents abusing the very fact that they might been indistinguishable from any other Fire Nation citizens.

The meeting itself was mostly a distraction, while his agents prowled the streets and quickly gathered any useful intelligence before reporting back to him. He wasn't travelling around to make any quick arrests, but simply was intent on ensuring that they were able to keep tabs on his father's own lackeys, who were spread far and wide across the Fire Nation. He had spent years building relationships and rapport with various figures, and they themselves had their own lackeys who'd do their bidding, and by extension his father's.

Haitani's coal and steel industry was associated strongly with arms manufacturers and the naval shipyards, both of whom had a vested interest in the war continuing; that meant that if the Intelligence Service could go through their records, they might find inconsistencies that would link back to the insurrection or any hidden plans his father might have been concocting while still in the palace. Iroh couldn't go as far as to arrest their leaders, as they had plausible deniability when it came to their association with Ozai. However, Zuko had no doubt, if anyone was financing his father's plans, it would be them.

As they moved through a fork in the street, they made their way alongside a market, where Zuko could notice the shoppers had all turned to watch their procession; the Prince didn't really want all the attention, at least in the sense he didn't like everyone looking at him. However, as they were walking along, one of his guards stepped over to him and offered out a piece of paper; he hadn't really been paying too much attention to who his guards were interacting with, but he understood where the paper had come from.

He unfurled it, and casually glanced down to try and get a read of it; to his luck, it was brief, and told him what he needed to know. His father's agents had purportedly tried to intimidate a factory owner into having him produce weapons for Ozai's cause; that didn't come as a massive surprise, though the fact they'd rejected it suggested that maybe his arrival had played a role in it. Those who might have otherwise been intimidated into doing his father's bidding had to think twice with the royal siblings touring the country, looking around their cities, hoping to instil loyalty into the populace.

Zuko wouldn't publicly say the progress served a purpose of getting people to like them, but that was its basic function, when it came down to it. Solving grievances was an obvious byproduct of the whole act, and he had no issue with doing that, though he was far more focused on the ulterior motive they had. Ozai's scheming was slinking its away into every corner of the Fire Nation, and it would take them weeks to travel around and gather the intelligence he needed to act on his father's conspiracy.

"So, what does it say, Brother?" Azula asked him calmly, still waving to the populace with an obviously fake smile.

"They're trying to intimidate a factory owner.. or at least, might have been. They haven't got them to make weapons yet." he clarified what he'd learned, "Hopefully the Intelligence Service can trace down these agents before they have a chance to leave... or give us a trail to follow, if they do escape."

"I would hope for the latter." she gave her opinion with a whisper, before continuing her waving.

"How much longer until we get back to the train?" Ty Lee spoke up, stepping up behind the siblings.

"A few more blocks. It's not that far." the Prince clarified, and glanced ahead, seeing that the street continued on, winding down towards the train station in the distance.

As they continued along, the crowds began to lessen, and that made it easier for the guards to move faster, and for the whole group to start increasing their pace. Zuko would not complain, though he wondered where all the people had gone. He began to realise as they approached the city square of Haitani, and he could hear rather distinct chanting and shouts.

"No treaty!" they chanted, and Zuko didn't have to try and guess what treaty they were referring to.

"So, there is support." Azula observed quietly, her formerly pleasant visage dispensed as she glared towards the massing of Home Guard troops that were watching over the protest.

"Patriotism runs deep in our country." he reminded her, and continued to listen in to the chants and shouts as they drew closer to the protest.

"Destroy the dirt-eaters!" he heard one protestor shout.

"Avenge our soldiers!" another shouted, and Zuko looked away, feeling guilty, after remembering what he had said about Lu Ten; he could not let his feelings about his cousin cloud his judgement, not even what he might think of what he was doing.

He wanted to make him proud, but he knew that sacrifices would have to be made for the greater good of the Fire Nation, and of the world. He himself might have been doubtful of the possibility of peace, but that didn't mean he didn't want it. If the war was to go on forever, then his cousin's death would truly mean nothing. As they began to walk past the protest, he could see the protestors face to face, and when they realised who was walking past, that invigorated their anger, and they began to chant out even more.

"Traitors!" they decried them, "We are the Fire Nation!"

"I thought they wouldn't be allowed to do anything like this." Ty Lee noted, "Wasn't there something about martial law?"

"There are restrictions in the capital. This isn't the capital." the Prince corrected her, before narrowing his eyes, just wanting to keep moving and ignore the protest.

"It may be sedition, but having them arrested would make us hypocrites." Azula added her own opinion, before she glanced back, "Or maybe-" she began, before raising her hand out to shoot out a bolt of fire; Zuko almost shouted at her for doing something so brazen, but when he saw the brick shattering above their heads, he could only feel thankful.

"Now, that's definitely a crime." Mai added, sounding nearly amused by that.

"Who threw that brick?!" one of Zuko's guards asked out, "I'll have your head!" he warned them, and that only seemed to agitate them further.

"Please." Zuko grasped the guard by the shoulder, "You're just feeding the fire." he warned him, and he took a deep breath, stepping back into line to follow the the group, instead of doing his job; it was frustrating to have to tell him that, but more than anything the Prince wanted to avoid a violent confrontation with the public.

It was both undesirable from the perspective of improving their image, which the progress was all about, and the fact that it would be immoral to attack civilians, even if they espoused loyalty to his father. None of the protestors had even suggested such with their words, but were certainly railing against his uncle's policies.

"Stand back!" he heard one of the Home Guardsmen shouting at the protestors, but the sound of grunts and further shouts told him they were refusing to do so.

"Your highnesses, it is best if we move at once." one of their guards spoke up, "The protest does not seem to be remaining peaceful."

"I can clearly see that." Azula retorted, and gestured ahead of them, "Move it!" she told the group, and everyone heeded her words.

However, that didn't seem to help, as the Home Guard were broken apart, and the protestors spilled out onto the street, rushing down towards them; Zuko rolled his eyes as the guards were forced to take up defensive positions. Ty Lee and Mai both moved into form as well, while the siblings looked at each other.

"I feel like fighting them would be incredibly unfair." Zuko admitted, before a brick was thrown their way once again; this time he was the one to shatter it with a bolt of flames, the dust settling over them.

"You were saying?" she prodded him, before taking a deep breath, "I don't play fair." she warned them, "Get close to me!" she told the group, who shuffled closer to Azula, who grit her teeth and raised her hands up.

Suddenly, flames flickered up from the ground around them, quickly rising into a tornado of flames; a tingle went down Zuko's spine as he watched the flames in awe. The towering blue tornado reached into the sky above them, before it pushed outwards and dispersed, revealing that most of the protestors had run away in utter fear, some of them catching alight. Zuko let out a sigh, knowing he had to at least give them the courtesy of not suffering serious injuries because of his sister's gusto.

He reached out, bending the flames away from their body, gathering the fire in his palms, before he shot out a fire stream into the sky, which certainly got everyone's attention. His sister just snickered, while Mai and Ty Lee looked up as the flames were whipped away by the wind above them.

"Show off." Azula derided him, and the Prince just shrugged.

"At least I wasn't trying to immolate the public." he argued, before gesturing down the street, "Now, let's move!"

The group then headed down the street, with the protestors stunned and clearly afraid of the royal siblings; that said nothing of the strength of the others. The only reason Zuko feared a fight, is because it would be terrible for optics. As they made their way down the street, some more Home Guardsmen moved past, ready to deal with the protestors; turning his head back he could see flames spurting up above the square and smoke billowing out, telling him things weren't getting any less violent with their departure.

"Could things get any worse here?" Ty Lee lamented, and that just made Azula shush her.

"Don't say that." she warned her, before their attention was drawn by some shouting; turning their gazes up the street, they noticed that some protestors had come down a side street, and now were right in their path, "See, this is what I'm saying." she gestured towards the protestors, who started chanting as they approached the group.

"Traitors!" they decried them once more, "Fire Nation first!" they called out another slogan, and the Prince just calmly moved into a fighting stance, knowing that they had to get the protestors out of the way; before he bent any flames, he turned his gaze back to Ty Lee, realising her skills were oddly suited to their present situation.

"Uh, Ty Lee, could you-" he began, and she stepped in front of them, understanding immediately what he wanted her to do.

"I got you." she reassured them, and cracked her knuckles; Zuko waited in restless anticipation as the protestors drew closer, with only the chatty acrobat between them and the Imperial Firebenders, who would certainly lack the restraint the girl would show them.

"Come on guys... don't be mad with them, they're not deciding everything the Fire Lord does." she tried to reason with the protestors, which was not what he was expecting, but very in character for the chirpy girl; it was only when one of them threw a fist her way did she resign herself to the other, more direct strategy.

She quickly jabbed the protester a few times, making him grunt a few times; when he tried to attack her again, his arms were limp, and he looked at his limbs with utter confusion, "Wh-what the-" he gasped, before stumbling backwards.

"Get her!" another protester shouted, and Ty Lee sheepishly shrugged before she weaved out of the way of their various attacks, whether they were fists, firebending, or the odd stray brick.

The acrobat then gracefully leapt around them, jabbing them in their backs, guts, and sides, knocking each over with her chi-blocking, most of them not realising they couldn't use their bending, or their arms, until they stumbled over, completely dumbfounded. Zuko realised that chi-blocking was certainly a rarer martial art, though he expected that the protesters would catch on. The very fact they didn't was rather amusing, and it was only after a dozen of them were felled that they decided to rightly flee from their doom.

"Aha!" Ty Lee exclaimed, shooting a fist skyward, "You messed with the wrong sister!" she proclaimed, and Azula tilted her head, seeming a little confused.

"What are you saying?"

"Oh, I'm just used to saying that... you know, we all look the same." she reminded them about her identical sisters; Zuko had only met them a few times, but it was true- the whole of them looked like copies of the same girl, though they were rather distinct from each other personality wise.

That didn't mean he could remember their names for the life of them; Ty something and Ty that was all that came to his mind. It was a little embarrassing when he thought about it, but then again, Ty Lee was Mai and Azula's friend, not his own.

"Come on, let's move." Azula chided the group, "We can't let that happen again, no matter how amusing it is to see her paralyse random people." she added, her opinion making the acrobat giggle as they walked around the downed protesters, who clearly were more annoyed than hurt after being chi-blocked.

"Get back here!" one of them demanded, and the group just continued along without any care.

As the group moved closer to the train station, Zuko made sight of a figure surrounded by some Home Guardsmen; it took him a few moments to realise that it was Mayor Jinzi, the head of the local city council. He had been at their meeting with local dignitaries, though he had to leave the meeting part way through; in hindsight, he realised that must have been due to the protests. He looked a little worse for wear, and seemed relieved to see the group as they made their way down the street. When they got close enough, Jinzi moved out of the cover of the guards, and stepped closer to the royal siblings.

"Your highnesses, it is good to see you are safe." he acknowledged their lack of injuries, unlike himself, "Those protesters... they have no shame." he derided them.

"So, did you try to negotiate with them?" Azula asked, and he nodded.

"Yes, that was what I was trying to do, but they just got more violent. When they threw a rock at me, I decided to get out of the way, and let the Home Guard deal with it... hopefully it doesn't become a riot."

"I am sure the Home Guard is capable of handling them. I understand that their sentiments must be held widely across our nation; this is something we must address." the Prince explained, before sighing, "I do not mean to say we should try and silence them, but deal with their grievances productively."

"So, you mean to say the Fire Lord should change his foreign policy?" the Mayor asked, before sheepishly scratching the back of his scalp, "I do not mean to question you, Prince Zuko. I know little of those matters... I am but a local official. Haitani is all I am concerned about."

"As you should be." Zuko agreed with his own position, before turning to face Azula, hoping she'd have a better answer for Jinzi than he might.

"The Fire Lord will be proportionate and cautious with his policies." she told him something that was definitely true, but didn't say whether he would try and compromise his peace plans, "He will make the right decision for the Fire Nation, as is expected of him."

"Certainly." Jinzi agreed with a bow, "Please, I suggest you return to your train. The protest should be dispersed soon enough, and it should be safe for people to go about their business."

"As I'd hope." Zuko commented, before glancing back up the street, "A heavy-handed approach does not always work, but talking does not solve all problems."

"As I've learnt." the Mayor mumbled, clearly still in pain from having been hit, "I wish you the best of luck with the rest of your progress, your highnesses."

"We might need it at this rate." Azula commented, not sounding very confident, before she paced past Jinzi, "Good day." she farewelled him curtly, and the Prince followed, giving him a nod as the guards followed suit after his sister.

As they moved towards the train station, Zuko glanced back at Mai, realising he hadn't really asked for her input on the whole ordeal they just went through; she seemed ever so slightly annoyed, though he couldn't tell whether it was with him or with the situation as a whole.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, and she just shrugged her shoulders.

"We didn't get stoned, so I won't complain." she bluntly responded, before glancing down at the knife in her hand, "I don't think any of us would have enjoyed hurting those people."

"No." Zuko agreed, "It would have been pointless."

"Well, I did beat some of them up." Ty Lee spoke up, and the Prince shook his head.

"Because we knew you wouldn't hurt them." he reminded her, and she nodded.

"Yeah... I guess that was thoughtful of you." she commended him with a near whisper.

"No, I didn't do it for the right reason. I want the people to respect us, and not hate and fear us. If they did, how could I claim to be any better than my own father." he argued, and Mai whacked the back of his shoulder.

"Stop talking like that. It's pretty obvious that you are."

"To the people who don't know the first thing about me, that isn't true." he argued, knowing that not everyone knew him like Mai did; the people of the Fire Nation would just see the children of Ozai, who were willing to betray him and remain loyal to their own nation.

What the people made of that really depended on who they thought should be the Fire Lord; the politics of it outweighed any of the immorality of his father's treachery. So they would see them as either pawns of his uncle, and traitors to their own father, or loyalists to the throne, who loved their nation more than their own family. The latter image was obviously the preferable one, but he didn't know if it was a good one, because Zuko did care. Once he had cared about his father, but those feelings had evaporated as quickly as that bomb had burnt his back.

"You're showing restraint. That's more than your father can say." Mai proposed a difference between the two of them, and the Prince just chuckled.

"Restraint towards random civilians, yes... but I won't share any of my father's affability when it comes to my foes." he warned her, clenching his fists, "Mercy is a privilege they do not deserve."


Finally returning to her quarters, Princess Azula felt a sense of calm; even if the train wasn't her true home, it was far better than being out on the street with a non-zero chance of getting a brick tossed at her head. She knew that Haitani would soon be behind them, and she wouldn't have to think about the town ever again; she held no real ill-will towards it, though the reaction they had gotten from the protesters made her unwilling to return any time soon.

Her room on the train was nowhere near as large as hers back at the palace, but it was at least decked out with the luxuries she expected of it. After those days camping out with her guards and Sokka, she felt far more appreciative of the warm room and soft linens. So, she decided she would lie down for some time before she was called on for dinner, which would be served around sunset. When she lay herself down, she shuffled around a little to find a comfortable spot, but it seemed her head couldn't lie well. She patted the pillow a few times, but felt that something was off; she reached under the pillow, and found something she didn't expect.

It was a sealed letter; she wouldn't have felt confused if it weren't for the fact the letter had her own seal on it, meaning that it had been sealed on the train; she thought it might have been some love letter, or a practical joke, the latter seeming more realistic, especially coming from Mai or Ty Lee, but when she broke the seal and unfolded it, she realised it was nothing of the sorts. The penmanship was instantly recognisable, though that was only because she'd seen the person's work herself; it was fine, but had a rough edge to it.

"Father."

Reading something written in his own words was perhaps the oddest experience, as she realised she had never had a letter addressed to herself. The last letter she'd written to him was concerning Lo and Li after she had kicked them off the ship, telling him why she did so, as she had not wanted him to get a load of lies and exaggerations from the elderly twins when she was perfectly capable of justifying her actions. Now, it felt so strange to see his words, and the content was no less disconcerting.

Ozai, after all the time she'd spent fighting for her uncle's cause, was now requesting her support; she would be more surprised if it weren't for the obvious fact he needed an heir, and there was no question that she was the preferred one. That just made her wonder why her father hadn't remarried; perhaps he thought that she and her brother were sufficient as heirs, and there was no need for spares, as one might call them.

He was offering her the title of Crown Princess in exchange for her loyalty and aiding his efforts to seize the throne; that seemed simple enough a proposition, if it weren't for the fact that he could have asked her that months ago, before he had sent assassins after her uncle. At that time, she might have actually considered joining his side, but without an Agni Kai and a dead Iroh, she had no reason whatsoever to aid her father, not even considering the questionable aims he had as Fire Lord.

However, beyond any questions about her father's motivations to send such a letter, her mind was now turning to how the letter ended up under the pillow. The first, and perhaps, most dangerous possibility was that the letter was in fact a fabrication; there was only one person who could reasonably benefit from sending her such a letter, and that was her very own brother, who had a good reason to exclude her from the line of succession. It made so much sense that Azula was physically uncomfortable just thinking about it; her brother had promised not to fight her, and if she was somehow persuaded by the letter to betray them, he would not have broken any promises.

She rejected that possibility out of pure disgust by the implications, and decided to consider the letter to be real, or at the very least, having originated from her father's agents. That told her that they had to be on the train, which itself was a serious threat to all their lives. If she publicly revealed her knowledge about the letter, then the traitor would have ample time to find a way to flee the train; that would be unacceptable, as she wanted to deal with the traitors first and foremost.

So, she resolved that she had to investigate the matter before revealing anything, even to her brother, whose innocence she couldn't presuppose, at least without some evidence in his favour. Ty Lee and Mai couldn't know either, as discussing the matter could unintentionally out her to the traitor, who could be listening at any time; the train had thin walls, after all. The Princess folded the letter back up, and put it back underneath the pillow, before she straightened her bedsheets.

She stepped off the bed, and approached her door, and glanced out into the hallway that lined the side of the carriage. There were some guards standing duty, but no one else was out and about. So, she decided the first place she would go was the messenger hawk coop, which was in a carriage by the end of the train. She paced down the hallway, let out of the carriage by one of the guards, before she crossed over to the next carriage, which was one of the kitchen carriages; the cooks seemed surprised by her presence as she made her way along.

She ignored them and moved along to the next carriage; it was full of cargo, and there was a small area dedicated to cooled goods; past that were the quarters of the Intelligence Service agents that had been brought along, though the servants and staff were sleeping in the same set of carriages. There were fewer guards there, making it easier for her to just move on through, finally getting to the end of the train, where the messenger hawk coop lay. A guard was attending to it, and seemed surprised by her arrival.

"Oh, your highness. Were you expecting mail?" he asked her, and she shook her head.

"No, I just wanted to check the records with you. We can never be too cautious with checking the messages coming and going from the train." she explained her reasons for being there, and the guard nodded.

"Of course, Princess." he accepted her command, opening up a book where the arrivals and departures of birds were recorded, "Are you looking for something particular?"

"No, I am just doing my due diligence. If my brother won't check it, then I will." she argued, knowing that was a reasonable excuse for her presence; Zuko being as paranoid as he was, would have likely checked through the records himself just for the sake of it.

He nodded, seeming to not suspect her intentions, and flipped through the pages, "These are the most recent arrivals... all this this morning, when I started my duties here." he explained as he gestured to the lines of markings, which had names, locations, and times all marked upon them.

Azula knew for certain that the letter hadn't been there before she left her room earlier in the day; she had last been in there preparing her outfit before they went into Haitani. So, checking based off the time she left, there were five letters that arrived at the train; two of them were marked as personal letters, one of them was a classified letter from the Intelligence Service headquarters, another was a government-marked letter, and the last was a military-marked one, presumably from the Home Guard. She knew out of those, the only one that would be reasonably sent in to her father's agents would be a personal letter as that could only be collected by a specific individual.

It was technically possible that one of the other letters was the one from her father; it could have been indirectly sent via the Home Guard or a government official from wherever he was hiding. She kept that possibility in mind, but decided she'd look for whoever the personal letters were addressed to. She glanced at the names, and didn't recognise either, but she quickly noted them down in her mind: Jia and Zhen.

"Thank you, I'll make sure to have these checked with my brother." she explained her intentions, which weren't wholly truthful; she would talk to Zuko about the letter, but only once she could find evidence of his own innocence.

She strode back out of the carriage, deciding she'd check with the head of each group for the names she'd gathered; there were servants, train operators, cooks and cleaners, and finally the Intelligence Service and the Imperial Firebenders. Any of them could be traitors, whether by coercion or by choice, so she had to be sure to find them. Making her way through the quarters of the Intelligence Service agents, she quickly reached the first place she needed to check; it was the quarters of the leading agent on the train, Agent Taki, who her brother had supposedly worked with before.

She knocked on the door, and a few moments later it opened up, "What is it?" she asked out, sounding agitated, before glancing out the door to realise who was standing in front of it, "Oh- uh, your highness." she addressed her, opening the door fully, "Apologies for any offence, I've been getting all the reports from the agents trawling through Haitani."

"Yes, you have a lot of work on your hands." she acknowledged the work she had set out for her, "I wanted to just inquire about something."

"Of course, I'm all ears." Taki assured her, and the Princess placed her hands behind her back, trying to seem as innocuous as possible.

"Do any of your agents go by the name of Jia or Zhen?" she asked, and the agent furrowed a brow.

"Uh, I have a subordinate called Zhen." she confirmed, "Do you need his assistance?" she asked, and the Princess shook her head.

"I just need to speak with him." she clarified, "Is he still in Haitani?"

"Honestly, I am unsure. He hasn't reported back to me yet, but he could have given his findings to one of the other agents." she acknowledged her own lack of information on her own agent, which was suspect enough.

"Well, if he comes to report back, please send him to my quarters. There is an important, delicate matter that I need to speak with him about." she explained, stepping closer to Taki, "You understand what I mean, Agent?"

"Y-yes." she nodded, seeming unnerved by the Princess; that was the exact feeling she wanted to inflict on the woman, knowing that if she was afraid, she would comply.

"Good." she smiled, pleased that she was clear on the matter; she turned back around and began pacing down the hallway, deciding to check with the head of the servants next.

Azula made her way down towards the room of Kang, who had been the leader of the servants on her own ship, and had come to the train to ensure things all remained organised; she knew he would tell her what she wanted to know, and after her previous attempt of intimidating him, it was clear he was a pushover. Whether that was a good thing for her own safety was questionable, but he would tell her exactly what she wanted to hear.

However, as she approached his room, she found herself looking right at Ty Lee, who was coming down from the next carriage, staring her down; the Princess tensed up, realising that she might question what she was doing. Perhaps she was looking for her, and wanted her for something; she could only hope it was because she wanted them to get a massage at the makeshift spa they had set up in one of the carriages. However, the look on her friend's face told her it was something worse.

"H-hey, Zula." she addressed her, "There's something you need to see."

"Fuck." the Princess gasped, before raising a finger towards the other girl, "Do you know what privacy is?"

Ty Lee's expression lit up once she understood Azula was well aware of the letter, "You already-" she began, the Princess gritting her teeth before she grasped her by the arm.

"Not another word from you." she demanded, with as calm a voice as she could muster, and the now startled and confused acrobat complied, "Come with me, now."

Ty Lee followed her through the next few carriages, finally reaching the storage carriage, where she led her behind some crates, and got her to sit down, "I can not express how annoyed I am with you." she warned her, and Ty Lee tilted her head.

"You haven't tried to set me on fire." she noted, and the Princess narrowed her eyes at her.

"Because that would get a lot of attention. I'm not stupid." she warned her, before leaning closer, "You cannot tell anyone... and I mean anyone, about that letter."

"Are..." her friend mumbled, her expression shifting to one of concern, "Are you going to agree to it?"

"What do you take me for?" she asked her, trying to keep her voice as quiet as possible, "I am not a traitor, Ty Lee. I won't accept whatever offer he gives, because I have no reason to help him."

"But that's not what he must think." Ty Lee mumbled, and Azula placed a hand on her shoulder, glad she was going down the same route she had.

"Precisely... and if he thinks I might help him, then what does that mean?" she asked her rhetorically, knowing that the acrobat had been the one to give her the idea in the first place; when she recalled it, her eyes lit up.

"My idea!" she gasped out, Azula covering her mouth to make sure she didn't speak any louder; once she removed her hand, she glanced around, an eager expression forming on her face, "Really? So we can just trick him into giving away where he is... as long as you make it seem like you'll betray us."

"That is exactly what I was thinking." she confirmed, before narrowing her eyes, "The traitor is in our midsts, and I need to find them."

"Is that what you were doing?" she asked, and Azula nodded.

"I was trying to confirm their identity. I have... two suspects; one of them an Intelligence Service agent and the other some unknown person on the train." she explained, not wanting to mention her suspicions that Zuko had faked the letter; she couldn't have Ty Lee accusing her brother of anything so heinous, because it would just ruin any chances she had of actually making amends with him.

"Okay... so what are you going to do?" she asked, the the Princess raised a finger to her chin.

"I can't have them believing that I know that they placed the letter, but I also need to confirm my suspicions. If I don't then I might just throw some random person off the train and into the Boiling Rock without cause." she explained her plans, "If they are a traitor, they will try to make contact with my father's operatives, wherever they are. If they believe I know, and try to escape, we can ascertain their guilt that way."

"Uh... isn't that- uh, I can't remember what they called it in school..." she mumbled, trying to recall the term for what Azula was suggesting.

"It's entrapment. I know it is questionable as a strategy, but I must find the traitor. I am not calling for them to be killed or anything that extreme." she reassured her friend, not wanting her to think she was going to go and murder a traitor for merely giving her a letter; that was perhaps the least damaging thing they could do, and probably would aid her efforts in finding her father, "They must be found, so I can make sure my father is left unaware."

Ty Lee nodded, seeming to understand her point; the Princess gestured down the hallway, "Go back to your room. If I need to discuss this further with you, I will."

"What about Mai and Zuko?" she asked, and the Princess raised a finger.

"I'd prefer not to involve them. I can't have either of them revealing what I know... or this plan. It needs to be believable, Ty Lee." she explained; her friend scrunched her lips, and leaned closer.

"Mai wouldn't say anything... so, you're really just worried about Zuko." she deduced, frustrating the Princess; she didn't believe it'd be that obvious, but in hindsight, her own enmity with Zuko was rather open, even if they were trying to make amends.

"I-" she gasped, before gritting her teeth, "It doesn't matter if I'm worried about him... you know I'm right, he's going to want to catch the traitor immediately. He's too cautious."

Ty Lee glanced away, mulling over her point, before sighing, "Yeah... you're right."

"Glad we could come to an agreement." she acknowledged with a small smile, before raising a finger once more, "Please don't tell Mai. I trust her to watch my back and keep quiet, but not enough for her to keep it from Zuko."

"Uh, yeah. I can do that." she agreed to her proposition, "I hope this works. This could be a lot easier than riding a train around the whole country."

"My thoughts exactly." she nodded, before her friend paced off; once she left the carriage, Azula just let out a sigh of relief.

She didn't suspect her reasons for excluding Zuko; though she did genuinely fear he might try to jump the spy, she could not be certain he wasn't behind the letter. She'd have to check Jia and Zhen first, to see if they might actually have been behind the letter showing up underneath her pillow. If she could not find evidence of their treachery, she'd check with the other receivers of letters, and try to discern their own loyalties.

The last option was Zuko, even if his involvement might have jumped to her mind immediately; she couldn't fathom his rationale, other than out of pure malice and selfishness, which didn't fit the Zuko she knew. He might have despised her once, but he had more honour than someone like her father, or the average officer in the Fire Nation military that might consider supporting him.

Azula stepped out of the cover of the crates, and glanced down through the carriages, knowing she had to find Jia. She paced down the hallway, passing a few servants who were making their way through the train; they seemed surprised by her presence, and bowed as she made her way past. None of them seemed any more nervous than the other, which might have marked them a potential traitor, perhaps Jia themself.

When she arrived at Kang's office, she knocked on the door, and when he opened it, the immediate look of fear on his face arrived, "Oh no... who's betrayed us now?" he asked her with a whisper, Azula almost laughing at his reaction; the fact he had it in mind showed that her attitude on the ship had certainly gotten to his head.

It was quite amusing as his assumption was wholly correct on her reason for being there, but she couldn't be frank with him, not when she wanted the traitor to think they were still in the clear.

"This is nothing of the sort." she lied, before gesturing into the office, "May I come in?"

He nodded, and allowed her past, before closing the door behind her, "Is there something you need from me, your highness?"

"I need to discuss something with someone, and I wanted to check if they are a servant under you." she explained her intent, before stepping closer, "Does anyone by the name of Jia work for you?"

"Ah yes, she is one of mine." he confirmed, "She's a cleaner by trade. She's worked in the palace for many years now." he gave a description of the person she wanted to find.

"That sounds about right." she mumbled, before nodding, "Well, could you tell me where her quarters are?"

"Of course. It's room three on carriage eighteen." he clarified, gesturing over to the door, "So, down the train a carriage from here." he explained, and the Princess just turned around.

"Thank you for your assistance." she farewelled Kang before opening the door and shutting it behind herself.

The Princess turned around and began to walk over to the room Kang referred to; when she reached it, she knocked on the door. Servants who walked by were confused by her appearance there, but she ignored them, waiting for a response. A few moments later, a young woman opened the door, and almost cried out in shock upon seeing the Princess at her door.

"Pr-Princess Azula" she gasped out her name, before hurriedly bowing to her, "What gives us the honour of your presence?"

"Is Jia here?" she asked, and the woman stepped out of the way, gesturing to a woman sitting by one the beds; she was a tall, sharp-looking woman, who was presently sewing some clothes.

Jia looked to be in her mid thirties, older than a lot of the other servant women she had seen at the palace; her face was instantly recognisable from the palace, though she'd never actually learnt her name. She used to clean her room and do her bedsheets, but that was many years ago, when Azula was a little girl. She was unsure if a servant could be aiding her father, though it was wholly plausible, given her place within the palace.

"Good day, your highness." she noted her presence, her calm demeanour making her seem less suspicious; if she was behind the letter, she would have been worried that she was being found out, though perhaps she was so calm due to her prior familiarity with her, "Is there something you needed from me? Did you need some new sheets, or your clothes washed?" she asked her, presuming that Azula's presence was due to requiring her services.

"My brother has sent me on an errand here." she made an excuse that sounded reasonable, "He wants all the messages sent onto the train to be vetted." she explained, and her head perked up, realising what she was talking about.

"Oh, of course." she smiled, reaching over to her bag, "If you need to read it, you may." she offered out a letter; the fact that she had one seemed to prove her innocence, but she guessed that there was no harm in reading it.

She took the letter, and opened it up, realising from the handwriting and manner of address that it was from her own son, who according to the letter was a student at one of the more prestigious schools in the capital, the Caldera Boy's Academy. Even if his mother was a servant, she must have earned enough to send him there, which was surprising, as she hadn't been aware of just how much palace servants were paid. The boy spoke about his time at school and his firebending training, which he supposedly excelled at, and the letter seemed rather innocuous. It reminded her of the kinds of things she'd talk to Lu Ten about when he got back from the officer's academy. The letter also said that the boy had just received a gift from his father, which was a well-made Pai Sho set, and told her that he was hoping to learn to play.

Azula found the letter completely unremarkable, until she reached the very end, where Jia's son gave his best wishes, and wrote his name: Sozin. Having the name of a previous Fire Lord was something highly prestigious and distinctive, and actually was seen as being somewhat taboo, at least according to what she'd learnt at school. Only nobles would tend to take their name, and even then, it was usually due to some blood relation with the royal family; otherwise, it was rather uncommon to see someone take such a name. Sozin had, however, been dead for nearly eighty years, long before Jia would have been born, so the name wasn't that inexcusable. She wouldn't critique a woman for what she named her son, of all things.

"How old is your son?" she decided to ask, partly curious, but also wanting to make some small talk to make her intrusion less suspicious.

"He's just turned twelve." she clarified, before making a smile, "He's a very good student, your highness. He wants to go join the officer's academy when he is old enough."

"Well, I wish him the best of luck." she gave a courtesy, before handing her the letter back, "So, I assume you've left him at home with his father."

"Oh, no. He is staying with my parents, actually." she corrected her, making Azula furrow a brow; she would have expected that she and her husband were still together, but perhaps that was just wrong of her to assume.

She didn't sound to be speaking with any disdain in her voice, telling the Princess she was still amiable with him. She didn't really care for the personal life of servants, but if she was to try and discern any treachery, even from the most unassuming servants, then she'd need to know as much as she could.

"Thank you for helping with my work, Jia." she acknowledged her help, before stepping back towards the door, the other woman opening the door wide for her, giving a strong, almost comical bow.

She glanced back to Jia, who did bow as well, though more casually, "It was nice to speak with you, your highness. Your courteousness is appreciated." she added, which stung a little; Azula knew that in the past she tended to be rude and very to the point with her servants, and though she still tended to do so, she had been trying to be more courteous and amiable, for her own sake.

If she was to be the Fire Lord, then taking after her uncle was not the worst idea; being kind and jovial was natural to him, and though she doubted that would never be the case for her, she had to work on her social skills if she was to earn the respect of others. The line of succession was still up in the air, after all.

When she stepped out of the room, the door was closed behind her, and she turned back towards the front of the train, knowing she ought to get ready for dinner. As she made her way through the carriages, she received the same bows and salutes from servants and guards, and eventually reached her room once more, where Ty Lee was waiting for her, awkwardly tapping her hands together.

Her head perked up when she saw her, "So... did you find anything?"

"I don't know. I'll have to see what the other one has to say." she admitted with a whisper, before clearing her throat, not wanting to discuss the matter any further, "Were you really just going to stand there waiting for me."

"I thought we could go to the spa." she suggested, and Azula scrunched her lips.

"Dinner will be ready soon." she reminded her, and the acrobat shrugged her shoulders.

"Eh, I don't know... having a massage would have to get your mind off of all this stuff." she countered, and the Princess pinched her nose bridge; she was just lucky that Ty Lee always provided the solutions she needed, even if she didn't ask for them.

"I can't disagree with that."


Knocking on Azula's door, Ty Lee felt uncertain of what might follow; though a spa, dinner, and sleep had removed her from their prior conversation, it now was the only thing on her mind. She had washed up, and was getting ready for breakfast, but knew that the letter matter had to be dealt with first; the Princess certainly would have been thinking about it. When the door was opened, Azula was already dressed, hair washed and done up, wearing her usual formal attire.

"So, has anything happened?" she asked her friend, who glanced behind her momentarily before dragging her inside the bedroom.

"I have checked the records and spoke with Zhen, the other receiver of a letter. He showed his own personal letter and there is no way he was able to place that letter in here. I was on the train after he left and before he returned." she acknowledged the situation, before turning around, hand at her chin, "Jia might still be the traitor, though how a twelve year old child could be mixed up in this, I am uncertain. Perhaps she was lying about the letter's timing." she spoke her thoughts, turning slightly so her right eye met Ty Lee's, "What do you propose I do?"

"Uh, the Intelligence Service. Did they get any letters?"

"Yes." she confirmed, "It is plausible that they were behind this, given their own prior loyalty to my father. They were run under his supervision for nearly five years."

"But why would they do it here... they could get themselves arrested, or worse." she noted, "Zuko- uh, well, you heard the kinds of things he was saying."

"Yes, he'd kill them on the spot." she noted what was implied from her brother's ranting, "Like Commander Houken."

"Uh... yeah." Ty Lee nodded, concerned about what might transpire if the traitors were revealed, "Maybe we should go to him."

"You can't be serious." Azula scoffed, "Did you listen to a word I just said?"

"He's not crazy, Azula, and if we give him some time to think over it, then we'll come to a better solution. Not having him involved is just making this harder. Mai can help too." she pressed the Princess, hoping that she'd change her mind after having a night to mull it over.

Her friend seemed conflicted, which was a good sign; it meant that she wasn't set in refusing to tell her brother and Mai about what they'd learnt. She sat herself back down on the bed, and glanced towards the window, eyeing the landscape that moved as the train travelled along. Hills, trees, and mountains by the horizon, a nice distraction while they considered such a serious matter.

"Please, Azula." she begged her, "I just want to make sure we're safe."

"And what about your plans?" she asked, "The one involving me pretending to support my father?" she asked her, and Ty Lee cringed.

"I don't know. We can still do it, but we should get Zuko and Mai to help. That's why we're all here. To do this together."

"I thought you wanted the free vacation." Azula argued, and the acrobat just snickered.

"I mean, I like that, but I wanted to help you, Zula." she assured her, "And make sure Mai was safe too."

The Princess seemed a little amused, but straightened her lips quickly, "I want to make sure this doesn't blow up in our faces, that's all."

"Yeah, I get it." Ty Lee nodded, kneeling down in front of her, "But please, listen. I know you might think your brother's a bit crazy, and he is, but that doesn't mean he isn't trying to do the right thing. I mean, what are we trying to do?"

"Defeat my father." she recalled, and let out a sigh, rising to her feet, "Fine." she accepted her request, "We'll tell Zuko."

"Yes!" she exclaimed, leaping her feet, "I knew I could get you to see it."

"I don't see anything but a disaster waiting to happen... it's just in our interest to control it as best we can." she spoke her mind, reaching under the pillow to take the letter.

She tucked it under her waistband, out of sight, before stepping over to the door, "Let's get this over and done with."

Ty Lee followed her out of the room, and closed the door behind them, following her up along to Zuko's quarters; the Princess knocked on the door, and after a few moments, the door opened. Zuko was standing there in a robe, with his hair still wet and hanging down after he showered, "Uh, is it something important? I've got to get dressed."

"I'd prefer it if you were." Azula admitted, before stepping away from the door, "Go ahead."

He closed the door behind himself, and the Princess gestured to the next room across, "Go get Mai. Don't bother explaining the issue until we're all together." she directed her, and the acrobat just smiled, before pacing over to Mai's room, knocking on the door.

She got a response not long after, and the door opened slightly ajar, "It's Ty Lee." she identified herself, and Mai opened the door for her; unlike Zuko, she was fully dressed, and seemed ready to go.

"Is something wrong?" she asked her, and Ty Lee tried to keep a straight face.

"Uh... well, kind of." she mumbled, unsure what exactly to say, "We're going to talk about it."

"Together?" she asked, leaning out of the room to see Azula standing by the windows across from Zuko's door.

The Princess raised a hand casually, "Hi." she addressed her, and pointed towards the door, "I'm waiting for him to get dressed."

Mai seemed a little confused, but stepped out of her room nonetheless, closing the door behind herself, "Are you going to explain what's going on?" she asked the Princess, who shook her head.

"This is a sensitive matter." she warned her, crossing her arms as she leaned up beside the window, "We will talk in a moment."

Ty Lee leaned up against the window, beside Azula, between her and Mai, who remained upright, hands tucked up her sleeves, where she'd usually be hiding daggers.

"How did you sleep?" she asked her friend, whose usual stoic expression remained unchanged.

"Fine." she mumbled, "Trains are weird."

"Yeah, the rumbling. I like it. Like a massage... but sounds." she gave her own opinion, which seemed to amuse Mai.

"Of course you'd say that."

A few moments later, Zuko stepped out of his bedroom, having hastily dressed himself, wearing his usual robes, though without the armour, as Azula was wearing; his hair was up, but he'd obviously rushed it, with strands hanging out of his topknot.

"Okay, what is it, Azula?" he asked his sister, who gestured into the bedroom.

"We should be more discrete." she warned him, and his eyes widened, realising the kind of matter she wanted to talk about.

"Y-yes, come inside." he gestured for the group to enter, letting them walk inside before he shut the door behind them.

"So, what is it?" Mai pressed her, and the Princess just pulled out the letter, shoving it in her brother's face.

"Recognise this?" she asked, and the fact he just seemed confused, and not nervous, told Ty Lee that Azula's worst fears weren't actually true; Zuko wasn't behind the letter, much to her own relief, "Good."

"What?" he mumbled with a squint, and she unfurled the letter for them, letting Mai and Zuko read it while she held it up in front of their faces.

The look on Zuko's face went from confused to angry rather quickly, and she moved the letter away before he could try to burn it. He didn't utter a word, leaving that to Mai, who just looked at Azula, seeming to be conflicted.

"You realise what's going to happen now, right?" she asked the Princess, who crossed her arms.

"If you're thinking about the plan to trick him into revealing himself, I think I'm on board with it... though we'll need more information before we act." she gave her thoughts, while Zuko just turned around to stand by the window, still not saying a word.

"Zuko?" Ty Lee spoke up, wondering what he had to say; it was obvious he was going to, so she needed to prod him.

"It's too good to be true." he almost whispered, before turning his gaze back to Azula, not seeming angry, but more suspicious, "Have you done preliminary investigations already?"

"Yes." she nodded, "I checked the messenger hawk logs, and there were two people who could have likely received this letter and placed it in my room."

"And?" Mai spoke up, stepping closer to the Princess.

"One of them was an agent who was outside the train for the period where it could have been placed... and the other was a servant woman who has an alibi. She did receive a letter from her son, who's in an academy at the capital. Father isn't there, that much is certain." she explained what she knew, "That means that the letter was most likely placed there by one of the Intelligence Service agents... and if it came yesterday, then the only person with the authority to receive it was Taki." she explained, and the Prince shook his head.

"No... no... no... that makes no sense." he refuted her suggestion, "She literally nearly died fighting against father's goons. There's no way she's working for him." he argued, before raising a hand, "Unless she lied."

"About what?" Azula asked, and Mai cleared her throat.

"She said that her friend died fighting against the Dai Li with Lu Ten." she explained, the Princess scoffing.

"What, so she could have made that up to save her skin... and make herself seem all sad and broken?" she asked Zuko, who seemed a little offended on the woman's behalf.

"I didn't say I thought she was lying." he retorted, "I'm saying that's the only way she could be my father's lackey."

"If she lied about that, then she could have lied about other things. Like the Dai Li being in Kakouko." Mai argued, crossing her arms, "Maybe your father is setting us up."

Azula's eyes narrowed, seeming intrigued by the possibility, "He might want you to go around on a rampage... ruin your public image."

"I've been trying my hardest to avoid that." Zuko argued, before sitting himself down on the bed, "This... this is getting too complicated."

"What, you thought this would be easy?" his sister asked, the Prince not appreciating her attitude.

"Hey, come on." Ty Lee tried to restrain Azula's commentary, "He's had a lot to deal with."

"Yeah, so have I." she retorted, before leaning her head so she could see her brother, "How does being Avatar Roku's great-grandson make you feel now?"

"Like I'm a failure."

"Ah, see, we have that in common, Brother." she agreed, with a cheery attitude that certainly didn't match the topic, "Though... I am afraid that part was heritable."

He began to snicker, before falling into a laughing fit; Ty Lee didn't understand the joke in the slightest, and turned back to face Azula.

"What's funny about that?"

"Roku is the reason the Hundred Year War happened, because he was a coward and lacked the will to do what had to be done." she explained what her brother was laughing about before narrowing her eyes, "But Zuko, I will tell you, you are nothing like him." she argued, stepping over to him and offering a smile, "You've shown more guts in the past few months than I have my entire life."

Ty Lee gawked, and looked at her friend, who she could never imagine saying something so self-degrading, "Did you really just say that?"

"Zuko deserves credit where it is due... and it's been due for a while." she reaffirmed her statement, "You and Mai are probably the only reason Uncle is alive, and by extension, you saved us."

"Oh yeah, you did." Ty Lee realised, recalling the letters she'd received from Mai, "Though, I don't know if you saved me there."

"Yeah... uh, that might have been a bad move in hindsight." the Prince conceded, "I did think he'd actually win, that's why we sent you those documents."

"So then..." the Princess spoke up, "What will we do now?" she asked, clearly addressing her brother.

"I- I don't know." he admitted, "There is not enough information for us to act just yet. If you receive another letter, perhaps we could try and figure out if there's any commonalities in the messenger hawk records." he suggested a possible strategy, "But that's all I've got. Nobody should speak of this, not even to the Intelligence Service, because Azula, you're right. They could just be lying to me."

"I am grateful that you believe me, Brother." she gave a curt bow, before she cringed, though Ty Lee was unsure if the other two noticed, "I must apologise."

"Why?" Zuko asked, and she turned her head back up.

"I thought you might have put that letter underneath my pillow." she admitted her feelings, "But your reactions made that infeasible. You're not good enough at covering your emotions, Brother." she explained, the Prince seeming frustrated by the revelation, and he sat himself down on his bed.

"I wouldn't do that." he reassured her, "That's- I can understand why you'd think I could, but I would never do that."

"I didn't say I believed the possibility." Azula stressed, "I just knew it was possible. If I could, I would have kept this from you all until I had some confidence in my own information, but... Ty Lee is a snoop."

"Wow." Mai gasped, before eyeing her friend, "You really don't change, do you?"

"Hey, I was just wondering where she was, sat down on the bed, and felt something weird." she defended herself, and Azula placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm not actually mad." she reassured her, "If I was, then this conversation wouldn't have happened. I would have broken your nose."

"How is that... meant to make me feel better?" she asked, sounding more concerned by the comment more than anything.

"Because it didn't happen." she argued, "So, be happy."

Zuko didn't seem to agree with the sentiment, "I don't think that's something she should be happy about. It should be expected."

"What, for me to break her nose?" she asked her brother, who looked utterly aghast, and then facepalmed, shaking his head with disappointment.

"No, no, the other way around!" he tried to correct her, now clearly getting frustrated.

She just began to snicker, and pointed at her brother, "I'm just joking, Brother. You should have seen your face!" she laughed at his expense, making Zuko roll his eyes.

"Real nice, Azula." he grumbled under his breath, before gesturing towards the exit, "So, are we going to breakfast?"

"Good point, I'm hungry." Ty Lee nodded, grabbing Mai by the wrist, taking her with her to the door, which she opened, letting them out into the hallway; her friend didn't seem very happy to be dragged out, but didn't complain.

"Are you really that hungry?" her friend asked, and the acrobat just grinned.

"Oh, but this is royal food. You can't miss it!" she argued, and Mai tilted her head.

"Yeah, after what I was eating in our... exile, if you want to call it that, I can agree." she noted, obviously not enjoying whatever she'd been forced to eat.

"What are you saying? That skewer was the best food I have ever eaten." Zuko spoke up, having come out the door behind them.

"Sorry?" Azula asked, clearly confused by what he was saying.

"After he got hurt by the explosion, we came down to the port town, and the first piece of proper food he ate was a skewer I bought him." Mai clarified, making the Prince lick his lips.

"I cannot overstate how much I enjoyed eating that."

"Trauma is good for the tastebuds, it seems." his sister made a rather disturbing conclusion.

"Okay, please stop talking." Mai requested, and the Princess just snickered.

"Sure, if you stop saving my brother's butt every week." she countered, and Ty Lee just looked back, confused why she'd ask that.

"That's not fair."

"Because I won't stop talking." she told her, smirking as she paced on past her, heading towards the dining carriage, "Are you coming, or what?" she asked the other two.

"Yes, Azula." her brother agreed, seeming a little amused by her antics.

"Is this what it feels like to be stuck with me?" she asked Mai, and her friend just gave her a few taps on the shoulder.

"You're far more tolerable." she assured her, and even though she was already a carriage away, the Princess was still able to hear.

"I heard you!" she warned her, "Don't get on my bad side, Mai." she warned her, though she clearly didn't take the threat seriously.

"And don't get on mine." she warned her back, drawing a dagger out her sleeve; upon realising what could happen, Ty Lee grasped Mai's wrist.

"Wa-wa-wait!" she pleaded, "Don't do that here."

"Yes, she's right." Zuko nodded, "gesturing to the windows, "When we get to the next town, there's sure to be some fields about. They can fight each other there." he suggested, and Mai just looked ready to laugh, though they all knew she never would.

"How thoughtful."