Author's Notes : And we have finally returned back to our beloved Fire Nation and finding out what the hell has been going on with them since then . And I have at long last managed to get in that Mai POV I told you all about in the previous chapter . This chapter was something of a big one since I had a lot of stuff I wanted to cram in here , including the scene with Ursa and a very special character finally making their appearance .

Anyway this chapter is probably one of the longer ones that you'll see , but there is some very interesting stuff that's happening that will foreshadow some very ... important events in the future .

I don't want to spoil too much so let's just get this chapter started .

If there was one thing that Mai could say that she genuinely enjoyed in life - it was simplicity .

No , not the kind of simplicity that her parents forced on her to always be punctual and be the living personification of a living emotionless doll that drove her half mad . It was the kind of simplicity in things she did .

Like knife throwing . It was relaxing in its own way .

Mai took a deep breath as she flicked the knives in between her fingers .

She took a deep breath and didn't hesitate for even a second as she threw the knives at her targets . The wooden posts end up splintering a little from the impact of her knives hitting them hard .

She twirled around as she threw even more knives at her targets , all of them hitting perfectly in lethal areas .

She flexed her arms as she relaxed . She was glad that she could practice her knife throwing freely now , if her parents saw her doing this they would have had a heart attack or give her a lecture . Maybe both .

Being the Fire Lord's girlfriend did come with some very nice perks and one of those was the benefit of getting away from her overbearing parents . And the benefit of finally having a dedicated space to practice her knife throwing .

She hasn't had this much since she went with Azula on her que-

Mai stops herself there . Practically reprimanding herself with the same sternness as her mother .

She didn't even want to think about the Princess .

Mai turned as she heard somebody walk into the training room and she saw it was Ty Lee , dressed in her usual acrobatic clothes and wearing her typical go-lucky smile on her face .

Mai didn't even have time to react as Ty Lee ran to her and hugged her tightly " Mai ! I'm so happy to see you again ! "

" Well yeah ... we see each other every day ...still not a fan of hugs " Mai complained but she didn't even try to fight back .

Excellent . Ty Lee should provide a good distraction from her thoughts .

" I know but with how I work with the Kyoshi Warriors we hardly get to see each out of my uniform " Ty Lee said with a smile as she pulled away " I'm telling you Mai , those outfits are just as uncomfortable as I remember them to be ..."

" Yes ...they were ..." Mai didn't let slip that she didn't appreciate Ty Lee bringing up the time that Azula had gotten them to dress up as Kyoshi Warriors to get into Ba Sing Sae . One of the stupidest things she had ever done .

" Now that you're here , how about we have some tea ? Its been a long time since we've had one of those " Mai calmly suggested .

" Great ! I would love that ! " Ty Lee said excitedly as she pulled Mai away by the hand .

It was about half an hour later that they were set up in the garden , enjoying a nice cup of tea that Mai helped brew . Being around Zuko meant that she was also around Iroh a lot more and that practically forced her to learning more about tea than she would have liked . She never did understand Iroh's obesession with tea of all things .

Mai took a sip of the tea and it tasted pretty good . It seemed her useless knowledge of tea was finally paying off .

She looked over to Ty Lee who had a troubled look on her face by Mai's guess . Ty Lee was an open book so it wasn't that hard to tell her emotions .

" Is something the matter Ty ? " Mai asked after a moment .

Ty Lee seemed to get knocked out of her stupor at that and turned to Mai with a reassuring smile " Oh ! Its nothing Mai its just ... we used to have these tea session with Azula and-"

Mai gave her a look and that immediately silenced Ty Lee .

" ...Sorry ..." Ty Lee apologized .

" Its fine ... its just ..." Mai certainly didn't want Ty Lee bringing up Azula of all things . She knew that Ty Lee could be sentimental but ...after the things that Azula has done she ...

She thought that Ty Lee would be smart enough to not grow too attached to whatever happy memories she may still have of Azula and just forget about them and move on like Mai did .

" Has the team that Zuko sent ...found any leads ? " Ty Lee quietly asked and Mai couldn't resist the sad look that Ty gave her .

" So far the team has found nothing . Which isn't surprising considering how rough and dangerous the forest is " Mai says what Zuko has already told her . She had asked him about it recently and so far he has no other updates for her .

" Do you think that ...Azula is still alive ? " Ty Lee asked with a worried look in her eye .

Mai thought carefully before she spoke " Knowing her , definitely "

Azula was too stubborn and angry to die .

" Mai ... if Azula ever came back ... would you want to see her again ? " Ty Lee slowly asked , knowing full well that she's walking on thin ice , but she has to know .

Mai was silent for a moment before answering " ...No , and I don't ever want to "

Mai didn't ever want to see Azula again .

Mai was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt Ty Lee grab her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze . Mai gave a look towards Ty Lee but didn't move away . Her silence confirming that she appreciated the sentiment .

She didn't ever want to see Azula again . Because doing so would make things complicated .

And Mai hated complicated .

It was some time after lunch that Azula had noticed that Kazumi had disappeared .

Okay , maybe not disappeared would be the right word but Azula could not find Kazumi anywhere in the house . Granted , Kazumi was typically always going in or out of the house to do Agni knows what . Curiosity got the better of her and she decided to look for the woman , it wasn't until that she went outside that she found Kazumi in stance .

But it was not a firebending stance that Kazumi took , no , it was a different kind of stance made obvious by the wood like object in Kazumi's hand that she held with the experience of an elite soldier . From the looks of it , the object seemed to be some kind of wooden practice sword , the kind that Zuko used to train with back then . The wooden sword was in the shape of a katana .

Azula watched from a distance as Kazumi took a deep breath , as she steadied her stance and gripped her sword . In the next instant , Kazumi slashed forward with force that seemed to cut the air itself . She then performed another basic downward slash , the kind that she had seen Zuko perform before . Kazumi then twirled with the grace of a dancer to deliver more slashes around her with utter elegance .

Azula watched as Kazumi performed her sword practices in front of her . She was somewhat mesmerized by it . It had the same elegance and focus that she had with firebending . And from the way that Kazumi fluidly twirled and slashed her wooden sword around , Azula could already tell from Kazumi's movements alone that she had plenty of practice and experience before now .

It seems that firebending is not the only thing that Kazumi is talented in .

Azula thought quietly . The former princess decided that she had enough watching and approached Kazumi , just as the latter had stopped performing her sword swings and had finally taken notice of Azula's presence .

" Ah Azula , glad you could join me " Kazumi gave Azula a soft smile as she approached .

" I didn't know you were a swordswoman as well " Azula commented , narrowing her eyes at the wooden sword set aside on the grass for the moment .

" Like I said before , I am a woman of many talents " Kazumi simply answered , though she quickly took notice of the look Azula was giving her and elaborated further " Swordsmanship was one of the many things the members of my family had to learn as spirit navigators "

" I didn't realize exorcists needed to know how to use a katana to deal with malicious spirits " Azula half-joked .

Kazumi actually chuckled and gave a small smirk to Azula " ...You would be genuinely surprised by what you need to take care of malicious spirits "

Azula didn't say anything in response but instead looked at the now stationary practice sword on the grass .

Kazumi took notice of Azula's gaze and asked " Do you have any experience with swords Azula ? "

" ...No " Azula quickly answered " Father always told me to prioritize improving my firebending . Using weapons was considered ... disgraceful in my family"

Truthfully , she had at one point wanted to learn how to use a sword or any kind of melee weapon for that matter . But dear old mother had stopped her from getting trained under Master Piandao , said that it was 'unlady-like' or some such . Azula was willing to bet that she just did that to spite Azula .

And in a rare string of luck , father had actually agreed with mother . And he had practically ordered Azula to prioritize mastering her firebending and to be constantly improving it .

' Using weapons is a mark of shame for any royal member of the Fire Nation '

That was Father's reasoning at least .

So Azula never got the chance to learn how to use a sword . But she was still deadly even without that .

Azula made sure that she was never totally reliant on her bending to fight , she always made sure to use a mix of wits and martial arts to beat her enemies to the ground . Only a fool relies on their bending to fight .

Sure , she was nowhere near Mai or Ty Lee's level when it came to armed or unarmed combat . She had enough humbleness to admit that her former friends outclassed her in that regard . But she was not helpless without her bending . She had managed to stall the Avatar and his friends while unable to use her bending , sure she had to call in assistance from the Dai Li to do that ... but it was just another sign of her wits at work .

But still ... it would have been nice to learn how to use a sword .

" Do you want to learn ? " Kazumi asked and Azula turn to her in surprise .

Azula realized that she finally had to opportunity to learn what she could not back then .

Father was in jail anyway , it wasn't like he had a say in the matter anymore .

" Yes ..." Azula nodded and Kazumi smiled .

Kazumi picked up the wooden katana and handed it to Azula , who held it with a soft grip .

" Okay , since you don't have any experience with swords , we'll start with the basics " Kazumi went slowly . She didn't want to overwhelm the girl with instructions from her now " Don't be so tense , loosen your shoulders a bit and keep your stance wide . And your body should be lower too "

Azula followed Kazumi's instructions , adjusting her stance and body to her instruction . It didn't feel unnatural or weird . It felt almost similar to her firebending kata's in a strange sort of way .

" Good , you got it . Now try to take a swing of it , get a feel for the sword " Kazumi instructed standing a bit to the side to watch Azula .

Azula resisted the urge to roll her eyes , she could swing a stick of all things . Keeping in her stance , Azula delivered the same downward slash that Kazumi did earlier .

" Very good Azula . You're a quick learner " Kazumi praised Azula with a soft smile .

" Well , I am a prodigy ..." Azula let a bit of her old pride leak out for a second before she shoved it back in .

" Let's try a few more , just to make sure ..." Kazumi said before proceeding to instruct Azula on a few more basic sword stances and such .

Azula followed Kazumi's instructions without complaint . Performing each stance and swing after the last , she could tell that Kazumi was purposefully going slow for her sake since she had no experience with swords . Though Azula didn't say anything , she had endured far worse training under father and her own fire instructors , so this was practically a breeze compared to that .

No ... maybe its not the training itself that makes it easier . But rather Kazumi's method of teaching is different .

Kazumi was both patient and gentle when it came to teaching her , she was not like Father who would practically be waiting and watching her with those hawk eyes of his , more than prepared to call her out if and when she made a mistake without a seconds hesitation . Azula had damn near ended up developing a fear of ever making a mistake ... in front of Father at least .

She wasn't like Lo and Li who would point out the flaws in her stance or being 'one hair out of place ' with those grating voices of theirs , that almost made her want to tear her hair out sometimes . Whenever she made a mistake , Kazumi may have been quick to point it out but she was gentle in explaining what exactly Azula did wrong in her stance or swing of the wooden sword . And Azula was quick to correct it .

That's right ... Kazumi isn't like Father ...

Azula pointed out the very obvious thing that anybody with half of her former sanity could tell .

And Azula didn't want to admit but it was ... enjoyable to be taught by Kazumi .

This continued for the next hour or so by Azula's count and she was almost working up a sweat at this rate .

" Alright Azula , I think that's enough for today " Kazumi calmly took the wooden sword out of Azula's hand " You're very good at swordsmanship Azula and you're quick to learn all the stances "

" It feels ... just like firebending a way ..." Azula explained .

" I had that same feeling when I was your age " Kazumi had a reminiscent look on her face before it was gone " Well , that time has long past . Come on Azula , let's get back in the house "

As they walked back to the house , Azula was unconsciously rubbing her hands together nervously .

" ...Kazumi ? "

" Yes ? "

" Can you ... teach me more ? About swordsmanship I mean " Azula asked with a hint of nervousness in her voice .

Kazumi looked surprised for a moment before she gave Azula a warm smile " I would love to Azula "

Azula would never have admitted it but she felt ... happy a bit .

Known only to a special few , there was a prison that was constructed just a short walk away from the palace grounds . It was typically used to imprison 'special' prisoners to the Fire Nation family . Or even members of its own royal family that needed to be kept close in order to keep a proper eye on them .

And this prison housed only one prisoner- the Former Phoenix King Ozai .

He was kept in a very simple cell , with iron bars that he could have easily melted if he still had his bending .

The Avatar had somehow taken it away . But Ozai did not despair .

If they genuinely believed that he was done for just because his bending was taken... they are sorely mistaken .

Ozai's musing was temporarily put on hold when the iron door to the his cell opened . He wondered if it was Zuko came crawling back asking for more advice on how to run a nation that he was neither prepared to run and completely lacked experience for dealing with .

To his surprise , it was not the familiar half burned face of Zuko that stepped in , but a familiar face nonetheless .

Very few people were allowed to visit him and he doesn't doubt that there are even fewer that even knows his location right about now . If it was public knowledge of where he was being kept than he was certain that his supporters would have come for him long ago .

But that's for neither here nor there , now he has to deal with this familiar face who had just stepped in his lovely abode .

" I see the years have been kind to you ...Ursa " Ozai gave a small compliment as he recognized the face of his wife . It had been years since he had last seen her , but her face was unforgettable .

" I can't say the same for you Ozai ..." Ursa said with an icy tone as she stepped inside his cell .

Ozai smirked as he stood up and walked over to the bars of his cell , calming resting his arms against them as he faced his wife . He immediately noticed the slight tense in her body as he moved closer and she looked like she was about to take a step back but stopped herself midway .

" Don't tell me you're still scared of me Ursa . I'm certain Zuko has graced you with the tale of how the Avatar stripped me of my bending " Ozau practically spat the words out at his wife .

" You deserved far worse Ozai ... but perhaps being caged up like a rat is a fitting fate for you " Ursa stood her ground .

" Perhaps , perhaps my dear ..." Ozai gave a small laugh at that , which unnerved Ursa .

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...

Things were silent between the two of them for some time before Ozai broke the silence .

" I'm actually quite surprised that Azula didn't kill you Ursa " Ozai said nonchalantly " I figured she would have at least burned you a little , but it seems you made it out alright ..."

" Do you always expect the worse out of everyone , even your children ? " Ursa asked through gritted teeth .

" Of course not . I always expected the worse out of Zuko and the best from Azula ..." Ozai smirked at Ursa " Much like you did in vice versa too ..."

" So did Azula get cold feet when she confronted you ? Did she breakdown like a child in front of you ... while you gaped and apologized like a fool ? " Ozai smiled wickedly " Am I getting close ? "

Ursa was downright shaking in anger at this point as she glared at Ozai " Its because of you that Azula turned out this way , if you hadn't done what you did to her ... forced your damn near endless expectations and standards onto her ... she never would have turned out this way ! "

Ozai was silent for a moment , before he laughed right in her face .

" What's so funny ? " Ursa asked through gritted teeth .

Ozai calmed down from his laughing to smirk at her " You forget my dear wife that parenting ... much like marriage is a two-way street and it is meant to be shared . Any damage I did to our children , you did half of it "

Ursa could say nothing in retort . Because she knew it was true .

" She hated you , you know " Ozai said bluntly " And she missed you too "

Ursa snapped her gaze back at Ozai in surprise at what he had just said .

" She may have pretended not to care about your sudden disappearance but I could see it in her eyes ... she missed you ... and she hated you for not loving her for even a second of her life " Ozai said in a cold tone "And your ghost haunted her nightmares and even here in the waking world right as she was losing her mind "

Ursa was shocked ... did she really do that much damage to her own daughter ? To the point where she was having hallucinations about her ?

" Of course , I'm not going to pretend that I was the better parent . But I just want you to know Ursa , that what Azula became was not completely my doing ..." Ozai glared at Ursa " You had a hand in it too . So don't you dare come in here and try to pretend that you were the noble , selfless parent of our children"

Ursa stared in the floor in shame , she could not believe that Ozai of all people had told the truth of her failings ... and he was right about it .

" And where is Azula now ? Is she still locked away in that asylum Zuko dropped her off in to rot for a year ? " Ozai insulted , knowing he was hitting the right spot " I'm almost impressed by Zuko's cruelty towards his own sister , almost makes me proud ..."

Ursa was not just going to stand here as Ozai insulted her son " ... She's not there anymore . Azula fled into the Forgetful Valley over a month ago "

" After she confronted you , I presume ? " Ozai said , not sounding concerned at all .

Ursa said nothing but nod slightly .

" And they have found no trace of her as well , I'm guessing ? "

" ...No ..." Ursa said quietly " Do you know where she is ? "

" Do I look like I'm in a position to monitor my daughter's movements ? " Ozai said bluntly " ... But I do know this . Azula is alive "

" And how do you know that ? " Ursa asked .

" Because I trained and raised her , that's why " Ozai said plainly " And have you forgotten what I said my dear ? Azula has luck on her side "

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...

" You know , she will come for you and Zuko eventually ... " Ozai said as a matter of factly .

Ursa said nothing but turned to exit the cell .

But just before she left , she looked over her shoulder at Ozai .

" I know ..."

Ursa exits the cell , leaving Ozai to his own dark thoughts . But she could practically feel his smirk behind her as she left the cell , trying her hardest not to let him see the vulnerability on her face .

Some part of her mind knew that Azula was still alive . She was too strong to die .

But that left Ozai's assessment , Azula would eventually come for her and maybe Zuko as well . Ursa knew it to be true . She hoped that Azula would at least leave Ikem and Kiyi out of it .

And if ... when Azula came back ... Ursa doesn't know what else to do but beg for her daughter's forgiveness .

Even Ursa knows how much of a far cry of a plan that is .

Wow , this chapter was one hell of an emotional bitch to write . I'm really glad I was able to fit both the Mai POV and Ursa's little talk with Ozai into here . This was definitely one of the more interesting chapters to write for me . And I am happy that Kazumi is slowly teaching Azula a thing or two about kindness or more specifically being a good mom figure to Azula . Which I think all of you have figured out by now .

Now I know I already said this last chapter , but Azula's short swordsmanship lesson in this chapter does not revamp my earlier decision/declaration that there would not be much conflict in this point in the story . There will be some conflict/fights later on the in story , I can assure you that much , but at this point its mostly just centered around Azula's Healing arc right about now .

With that said , I'll see you all in the next one .

Angel Out .