It had been a few days since Zuko and Sokka returned from The Boiling Rock. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph, sat on Appa as they flew above the Western Air Temple searching for a fountain among the domes and columns. Of course, most of the temple looked like this, so it wasn't exactly easy to spot. Toph was not helping either as she kept pointing and shouting "there it is!" to no avail. Zuko was not with them. Katara did not trust him enough to bring him along; she believed he might ruin their task, especially if it had something to do with his father. After all, he was his father's son, and what son didn't love his father? Katara loved her dad, even if he did leave them for war. As such, Zuko was left at camp with Hakoda, Suki, and the others. Suki promised she would keep an eye on him.

Sokka gasped, "There! It's there! I see it!"

They gathered on the side of Appa. Aang shouted, "You're right, Sokka! It's the magic water basin!"

Appa descended. Amongst the building was a single mossy, overgrown, overlook with a large weathered water basin as the main centerpiece. Toph grumbled, "What are we looking for again?"

"A water basin," Katara replied, "Like a bird bath."

Aang explained, "I told you guys. It's not just a bird bath. It's said that a powerful spirit lived in a fountain in the Western Air Temple. It could retell everything that's ever happened and even sometimes things that haven't come to be yet."

"And we just happen to be at that air temple?" Sokka added.

Aang grinned, "Yup. Lucky us!"

They landed heavily with a groan from Appa. Aang jumped off with ease. Katara slid off, and Sokka helped Toph down. Toph stomped her feet, "This place is big. It's all rock, though."

Aang nodded, "Yeah. I heard there used to be huge gatherings here. They would try to ask questions to the spirit to reflect on the past and to prepare for famines. Too bad the spirit almost never talked, though."

Sokka asked, "What do you mean you've only heard of it? You're an air nomad, so couldn't you just come and see it?"

Aang blanched, "No way. The Western and Eastern air temples were women only."

Sokka raised an eyebrow at that, "Then how did they have kids?"

Aang paused before he shrugged, "I dunno. Hey, do you think the water's still in there?"

As they gathered around, the stone basin itself was cracked and covered in creeping moss. The remaining water was milky white.

Sokka grimaced, "Ew. Can we still, like, use this thing?"

"Is it gross?" Toph asked.

Aang shook his head, "I think it's supposed to look like that."

Katara questioned, "Aang, I know you were really looking forward to this, but it's almost like milk. I can try to bend it out if you want."

Aang argued, "No thank you, Katara. I'm not really sure how it works. It'll probably be best if we leave it alone."

"Okay, fine," Sokka said, "But how do we get this thing to work?"

They circled the basin. Despite its decrepit exterior, Aang grabbed the edge as he peered in. The milky substance reflected his confused face perfectly. He tried, "Uh, spirits? Uh, I'm Aang. I need to ask you some questions."

When nothing happened, Sokka said into it, "There's a war going on, and we could really use some help."

Katara added, "Aang's the Avatar. We could really use your guidance."

Aang stated, "I don't really know what I'm doing, so if you can hear me, please respond. I might have to take a man's life, but I really don't want to do that."

Nothing happened once again. Toph suggested, "Maybe you gotta be in your Avatar State?"

Aang frowned, "But the other air nomads didn't need to be. They didn't even have the Avatar State!"

Sokka sighed, "Come on, buddy. It just might not work anymore."

Katar nodded, "The spirit could have moved on."

Aang frowned deeper. He peered into the water again and yelled, "Hey! I'm the Avatar, and I really need to ask you about The Fire Nation! They're gonna take over the world unless I stop them! Everything will be off balance, and when the human world is off balance, so is the spirit world. Could you please help me out here!?"

The ground gave a low growl, and the walls started to creak. They gasped as the water swirled before settling and leaving behind the silhouette image of feminine face. The spirit asked in a voice crystal clear, "What is it you wish to ask, Avatar Aang?"

Aang said, "I need to know more about The Fire Nation and Fire Lord Ozai. Why is he doing this?"

It answered, "Ozai is continuing the legacy of his family. He believes The Fire Nation has been given a birthright by Agni to conquer the world to spread their ideations."

Aang asked into the pool, "How far does the Fire Nation royalty go? Who started the war?"

The spirit said, "The family has gone back centuries, but the first to instigate the war was Fire Lord Sozin. He used the power of a raging comet to advance his army and take hold of the nations. He fathered Azulon, who continued his legacy and pushed for more war. Azulon fathered two children named Iroh and Ozai. Iroh fathered a son named Lu Ten. Ozai fathered two children named Zuko and Azula."

The figures of each appeared on the surface. Katara noticed the pattern and asked, "If Iroh was older, why isn't he the fire lord? What happened to his son? How did Ozai get into power?"

The water's image changed to a young man that was obviously Fire Nation with a top bun and the beginning of a beard. It said, "Crown Prince Iroh was a war general and became known as the Dragon of the West. He and his son, Lu Ten, fought alongside their common soldiers. Unfortunately for them, Lu Ten was struck down during their siege of Ba Sing Se. Filled with grief, Iroh stopped the invasion and soon disappeared.

The royal family knew they needed a new crown heir. Iroh should have rightfully taken his place, but he became overwhelmed with grief and momentarily disappeared. Ozai used the moment to request a transfer of the crown to him. He reasoned there would be no use of Iroh taking the crown if he had no remaining heirs."

The image cleared and soon an old man on a throne replaced it. The spirit continued, "Fire Lord Azulon was displeased with this. He became outraged at what he had seen as a disgrace. Iroh had been his favorite, and to see his other son take pleasure in both the death of Lu Ten and the sorrow of Iroh, Azulon made his own decree."

The image spoke, "How dare you suggest such a thing!? Prince Iroh's suffering is something you shall not ignore or take lightly. As punishment, you shall feel his conflict. You will learn the pain of losing a firstborn son!"

The water swirled. The others were too stunned to speak. Luckily, they didn't have to. The Feminine face reappeared and said, "The young princess Azula overheard the verdict and quickly informed her brother and mother. That same night, Ursa took it upon herself to save her son. She forged an agreement with Ozai. She traded a vial of poison in exchange for Zuko's life. Azulon was murdered, and Ursa fled the palace. With no Azulon and no Iroh, the sages quickly placed the crown in Ozai's hands. This is how he has gained power."

"I don't believe it," Aang said aghast, "Zuko almost died because his dad was mean? What kind of grandpa does something like that?"

"A Fire Nation grandpa," Katara replied.

Toph said at the water, "Hey, I got a question. What happened to Zuko? Why is he suddenly trying to be good? Why do these knuckleheads claim he's bad? He seems okay to me."

Sokka quickly added, "And who's Ursa? Did I miss something?"

The water shifted to an image of the Fire Lady holding a bundled baby. The spirit answered, "The prince has had a rough life. Despite not being the crown heir, Ozai was born with his grandfather's ambitions. He became poisoned with power. He entered an arranged marriage with the granddaughter of Avatar Roku named Ursa. He soon fathered Zuko.

From the beginning, Zuko fought for his place in Ozai's life. Ozai believed his son had lacked the spark of a fire bender and believed Zuko would be a nonbender. His Ursa begged Ozai not to force her child away. He agreed, but he wanted another child. Their daughter, Azula, was born two years later. She had the power Ozai was seeking.

Zuko lived in Azula's shadow. When Azula was four and Zuko was six, Azula developed her fire bending abilities. Zuko would not bend his first flame until a year later at seven. Throughout this year, Azula trained, but she was also given a natural gift. Try as he might, Zuko never seemed to match her abilities.

Azula had a wild, almost otherworldly personality. Compared to her, Zuko was seen as weak and inferior in the Fire Nation's eyes. Ozai never let him forget."

Ozai's harsh voice rang out of the pool, "Azula never needed such luck. She was born lucky. You were lucky to be born."

The spirit continued, "The only ones able to see past this gentle exterior was his mother Ursa, his uncle Iroh, and Azula herself.

When his mother left, Zuko was placed as an afterthought. Ozai did not consider Zuko his son but rather a nuisance he hoped to snuff out. He was given his chance when Zuko was thirteen. The Fire Lord and his elder generals met in a war room. As the crown prince, Zuko felt it was his duty to understand the meetings so that he may be prepared as Fire Lord himself. With Iroh's permission, Zuko was able to observe the meeting."

The water became murky, and as it swirled, the spirit said, "One of the elder generals stated a plan that would sacrifice an entire fleet of Fire Nation soldiers. He would use the regiment as bait against the Earth Kingdom, and while they perished, a new regiment would flank the Earth Kingdom soldiers and win the small victory. Most of the members in the war room, including the Fire Lord, agreed with the plan. But given his mother's heart and compassion, something seen as weak and foolish in his nation, Zuko would not agree. He denounced the general and spoke against the plan. The Fire Lord became furious and ordered an Agni Kai or better known as a fire duel. Ozai had planned this. Once given the opportunity, Ozai took advantage of the situation. He would duel Zuko himself.

After he saw his true opponent, The Prince refused to fight. Instead, he fell to his knees and begged for mercy. The cries fell on deaf ears. Ozai attempted to kill him."

The image in the water shifted to a younger Zuko on his hands and knees. Tears streamed down his face as he screamed, "I meant no disrespect to you! Please! I'm your loyal son!"

Ozai's voice responded, "You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."

Ozai ignited his hand and thrusted it at Zuko. Before it made contact, the water swished it away, but Zuko's gut wrenching scream still resonated in the room.

They stood stock still. They all managed to have a look of pure shock and horror. Aang's and Sokka's eyes watered immensely, and Toph blinked as her tears threatened to fall. She muttered, "What-what just happened?"

Aang's voice broke as he said, "Zuko's dad just burned his face. It's bad. I know you haven't seen it, but he has this huge scar. It's like half his face. I-I never thought... He had to get it somewhere, but… I figured it was from an accident, ya know?"

Toph blanched, "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"His own dad?" Sokka whispered. He could never imagine his own dad laying a hand on him, much less one that was on fire.

Katara stated in their stupor, "But that doesn't explain why he's like, well, him."

The spirit's face returned. It said, "After the duel, Prince Zuko was announced as weak and his actions dishonorable. The Fire Lord ordered him to be banished. Zuko was to be imprisoned or killed on sight if he ever stepped foot on Fire Nation territory. He shall never speak to his confidante or his sister again. There was but one way he shall regain his honor and return safely home. He would need to find The Avatar, once thought of as missing or dead, and bring them back in chains. He searched for years until he found you, Avatar Aang."

A deep sadness rested in the pit of Aang's stomach. He struggled to say, "What- What changed his mind?"

"His experience," the spirit answered effortlessly, "After years at sea, he started to lose hope. He became bitter and sorrowful. He was homesick and longed for normalcy. But when he found you, his father had sent another to as well. Admiral Zhao of the Fire Nation Army was sent to retrieve you before the prince. Fire Lord Ozai did everything within his power to cease Zuko's return. Zhao hunted him, and soon, Zuko and his uncle General Iroh were abandoned in the Earth Kingdom. They ventured to Ba Sing Se where they lived as refugees under pseudo names while hiding their birth given abilities. After witnessing the Fire Nation's grip on the other nations, The Prince's compassionate heart willed him to understand others. It worked, until his beloved sister overtook Ba Sing Se. She offered him everything he had been searching for by the promise of returning him to homeland. Grief stricken, he agreed.

His return to The Fire Nation was torture. He regained his sister and his confidante, but his heart knew what his people had been doing. He felt guilt, guilt of his country and guilt of his betrayal of his uncle, and he felt fear. His father, the man who berated him, hated him, attempted to murder him, mutilated him, now walked the same halls as him. Zuko was aware that he was one false step away from his father ending him. He also knew his sister had changed. She was no longer the child she once was but rather a teenager who basked in their father's presence for far too long. He knew his father needed to be stopped. His father would destroy his country just as he had destroyed him. That is why he has changed. His experiences forced him to realize his beliefs were errored, and his father's unwillingness to love him would not end. That is why he wishes to help you now. That is why he has changed."

The group fell into silence. The spirit asked, "Is there anything else you would like to know, Avatar?"

Aang tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He coughed and said, "Oh great spirit, do you know how to stop Fire Lord Ozai? How do we get to him? Is there a way where I don't have to kill him? The monks taught me that all life is sacred, so I don't think I could take his life if I wanted to."

The Spirit became silent for a moment. It said, "I am afraid I am not permitted to disclose that information. My time has come to an end. Goodbye, Avatar."

The water swirled until it rested milky and calm. The spirit was gone.

Aang yelled at it, "Hey! I need to know! You said so yourself, Ozai needs to be stopped! Come back!"

Katara shook her head, "I don't think it's coming back, Aang."

Aang stuttered, "But- but I need to know. We can't let him get away with it."

Sokka broke from his state. He said, "Relax Aang. We'll figure something out. Spirits haven't exactly been helpful to us before. We'll be fine."

"Your girlfriend was a spirit," Aang replied.

"Hey!" Sokka interjected, "That doesn't apply! Yue was a princess first and a spirit second."

"It doesn't matter," Toph interrupted seriously, "It's gone. We should go."

Aang looked dejectedly back at the water. "Yeah," he agreed.

They flew to camp in silence.

Dinner that night was uncomfortable to say the least. Hakoda was unsure what to make of it. Katara tried to cook, but he could tell something was bothering her, so he stepped in to help. That left their rice and veggies being slightly burnt, but his bad cooking seemed to be a distraction of whatever was on her mind. He wished he could help the others too. Whatever happened on their trip must have weighed heavily on them.

He wasn't completely sure what it was, but he had a guess. Aang stared angrily at his food, but gave unsure glances at the Fire Nation Prince. He barely ate and picked his food. Momo sat playfully on his shoulder while eating a nut. He messed with Aang's head and clothes, but Aang ignored him; he was too focused on Zuko.

Sokka and Suki did as well, but weren't nearly as subtle. Sokka had told her what had happened almost as soon as they got back, but he only told her. It didn't sit right with Hakoda. Sokka told him everything when he was younger. But Sokka was obviously scared of something. Either that or angry. Perhaps a mix of both. He kept giving Zuko looks of worry and pity, but Suki repeatedly grabbed his hand to return his attention to his food. Every time, Sokka seemed to remember something and became angry. That same anger made its way to Suki's face, but it quickly faded when Sokka was studying Zuko again.

Toph, on the other hand, was not subtle at all. She had always been the closest, but now she was almost too close. When they got back, she refused to leave Zuko's side. She talked his ear off, asked about his bending, complained about Appa's shedding, and simply followed him. At one point, he had to force her to stay away just so he could take a leak. She stuck him like glue. Even then at their awkward dinner around their fire, her elbow kept bumping into his. He seemed mildly annoyed but did nothing. It reminded Hakoda of Sokka in a way; he would do the same with Katara. It was times like this where Hakoda remembered the scary woman chasing them at The Boiling Rock was Zuko's younger sister, and long before this, they probably acted like siblings too.

Hakoda decided to break the silence. He asked, "So kids, how'd it go? You find that magic water thingy?"

Aang stirred his food again before he answered, "Yeah, we did."

"And how'd it go?" The Water Chief asked.

"It told us some things about the Fire Lord," Aang replied.

Hakoda raised a brow at that, "Isn't that good?"

Aang frowned, "No. It wouldn't tell me how to stop him."

Hakoda frowned too, "But what did it tell you?"

Aang fell silent once more. Toph huffed. She placed her own plate beside her. She hated how awkward they were being. She understood that they were worried, but she didn't see why they had to keep it so secret. Why couldn't they be more like her? She was worried, so she did the reasonable thing and kept an eye on him. She's been reading his heartbeat all day. She "looked" up at Zuko and said, "So Sparky, I heard you got a wicked scar on your face."

He choked on his meal in surprise before he looked down at her. "Hmm?" he said awkwardly, "Uh, yeah I do."

Toph shrugged as if she thought of it plainly, "From what I've heard, it's pretty big. You must have done something pretty cool to get it."

He frowned, and his posture deflated. He said quietly, "Uh, not really."

Toph frowned at this. Sokka, Aang, and Katara gave each other a concerned look. Toph said, "What'd you mean?"

Zuko shrugged, "I did something stupid and got someone mad. It was my fault. So no, it wasn't cool-"

"Stop."

Everyone turned to Aang. "Stop," he repeated.

Aang's gray eyes looked sincere and full of a mix of anger and sorrow. He said, "Zuko, you tried to protect your soldiers from your father. That's a big deal."

Hakoda and Chit Sang sat uncomfortably. Fear graced Zuko's eyes. He said, "How do you know about that?"

Aang answered, "We asked the water spirit about your dad, and then that led to some questions about you. It showed us."
"It showed you?" he asked.

Aang nodded, "It showed us a reflection, we were there watching everything unfold. We didn't see everything, but we did see you trying to protect your troops, and we saw your father's hand on fire. Then we… we.. We heard your scream."

Sokka nodded, "It sounded like you were dying."

"I thought I was dying," Zuko confirmed, "I should have. I don't know why I didn't. If the burn didn't take me out, then the infection should have."

"But it didn't," Toph said determinedly, "You're a lot tougher than you think you are, Sparky."

Suki added, "I don't know you that well, but from what I've seen from the past few days, you don't have a lot of confidence. You second guess yourself and hold your tongue. You're not a bad guy, Zuko."

Zuko frowned at her, "But I attacked Kyoshi Island."

Suki shook her head, "I was furious at first, but I had time to think about it and you while we were in prison, then some more when we got here. You asked for Aang. We refused and attacked first. Aang and Katara put out the fire, and you didn't relight it. Any evil FIre Nation general would have relit it and watched Kyoshi Island burn to the ground. But you didn't do that. You defended yourself. You're not a bad guy."

"But I chased Aang!" Zuko defended, "I followed you everywhere! I crossed the world and found you at The Northern Water Tribe."

"You wanted to go home ," Aang countered, "Your own dad exiled you. You were a kid , Zuko. I mean, if you just told me, we could have worked something out!"

Zuko said bitterly, "Like what, take you to my father in chains? Hope you escape whatever prison they place you in? And that's if he didn't kill you first," he paused. No one had anything else to say, so he continued, "Whatever I got, I deserved it. I always did. I spoke when I wasn't supposed to. My father did what he needed. Ever since then, I've screwed up! I chose Azula over Uncle in Ba Sing Se. I left Mai for Azula at The Boiling Rock."

Sokka said, "Your crazy knife girlfriend wanted to save you. That's not your fault."

Aang added, "You wanted to go home. I don't blame you for that."

"But Katara does," Zuko said, "And I don't blame her. I wouldn't trust me either."

The others, aside from Toph, looked at Katara expectedly. She sighed, "I'm still mad at you for chasing us," she paused, "But I understand why you did it."

Zuko shook his head, "But, I- I… Stop trying to be nice to me!"
"No!" Toph yelled, "We're gonna be nice to you, so suck it up!"

Sokka nodded, "Your dad's a jerk. The biggest jerk there ever was. You're a cool dude, Buddy."

Aang said, "That's why we're gonna stop him."

Together went unspoken, but it didn't need to be said. Hakoda said, "I'm not quite sure what's going on, but if your father was the one who burned you, then according to our tribe traditions, he is no longer your father. He would be trialed and most likely exiled. We'll put an end to his reign."

Chit Sang added, "I was part of the 41st Division, Prince Zuko. I know what you did for us. For that, I thank you. We'll cease Lord Ozai's terror. You will be crowned, and he will be gone."

Zuko's lips trembled. He couldn't cry, he told himself, because Ozai and Azula said crying was for the weak.

Toph roughly punched his arm. "Ow," he complained.

She huffed, "We're gonna take down Loser Lord, and it'll be alright. So stop beating yourself up."

Zuko studied the others around him. For the first time in his life, Zuko realized he was surrounded by friends. He had allies who knew at least some of the horrors his father put him through. Becoming Fire Lord shot his nerves to no end, but he could deal with it later. Right now, whether he wanted them to or not, Zuko was surrounded by people who supported him. He grabbed Toph's hand and squeezed, "I'll try."