The Fire Lord enjoyed a few things in life, and her firebending was one of them; that was part of the reason she had been so willing to bend herself to the Avatar's will, because she knew that if she didn't she would face the same fate her father had. Her firebending was her; without it, she would be nothing. So, even if she wasn't intending to fight any time soon, she still made sure she dedicated time to her training. Lo and Li were still there to provide guidance, though as the Fire Lord, she had more than enough authority to demand they leave her to her own devices.

However, Azula was never one to deny good advice when it came her way. Knowledge was power, after all, and that mindset had allowed her to attain the greatest victory the Fire Nation had achieved since the destruction of the Air Nomads: the bloodless annexation of Ba Sing Se. She had learned much from that exercise in her intellect and strategic thinking. So, she could not deny Lo and Li's advice, at least when it remained within the topic of firebending.

She was just moving through a set, one she had practised a few times before. It was elaborate and refined, requiring acrobatic finesse and accuracy which most firebenders lacked. However, Azula had honed her control over her body to a level unlike most firebenders; she moved with fluidity, treating each set, even each fight, more like a dance than a combat encounter. She knew that she would have to react to real enemies, who would not allow her to complete a set, but that was why she was expected to elaborate, and diverge from it, where necessary, allowing her to follow the rhythm each set required.

However, it seemed that Lo and Li, instead of approving silently, or commenting once she had finished the set, seemed uncharacteristically frustrated. She was unsure if it was due to flaws in her form, or because they merely had had issues unrelated to their supervision of her training. Her masters were usually harsh critics, but they tended to leave criticism until after she was done, and not try to throw her off her focus.

Azula powered through, and she finished the set with a kick from her left foot, letting out a massive fire stream; she imagined it would have utterly destroyed the foe she though the set would be used against, who could not hold their balance, run away, or even defend against the power of her bending. With the set concluded, she remained deathly still, waiting for Lo and Li to speak.

"Your bending is as swift as ever." the twins observed, before Lo continued on.

"But your flames are restrained. Your power is left untapped." she warned her, and Li added where her sister left off.

"If you seek to defeat your foes in battle." she began, before both sisters, in their typical fashion, spoke simultaneously.

"You must never hold back." they warned her, and Azula scrunched her lips up, lowering her leg.

She usually would insult and berate those who criticised her, but Azula had always had an exception for Lo and Li; they were her masters, appointed by her father to oversee her firebending training. However, she realised at that moment, unlike the previous times they had overseen her training, her father's authority was non-existent. He was imprisoned, and she was the Fire Lord, the one who would be ordering them who to train and how they ought to do it. That meant that she had no reason to listen to them beyond courtesy, and any respect she had for their knowledge.

"I have faced real opponents... and they do not fall as easily as training dummies." she clarified, recalling the times she had faced the Avatar and his cronies; not even considering the time she was thrashed by the Avatar during the Comet, they had shown her the flaws in a wholly offensive bending style, the kind that Lo and Li espoused.

Lo and Li seemed interested by her response, looking at each other, and then back to her, "Are you suggesting that we are wrong?" they asked her in unison, and Azula placed her hands behind herself, and strode over towards them.

"You missed 'your majesty' there." she warned them, to remind them of the change in the nature of their relationship to her.

"Our deepest apologies, your majesty." they gave the expected words, bowing their heads down.

Azula stood in front of them, standing tall while the old women sat with their legs crossed, "If my opponent has more energy than I do, then how can I hope to defeat them?" she posed them a question, and she was sure they were informed enough to understand she was referencing her defeat at the hands of the Avatar, or even her father's defeat.

"You must strike true." Lo spoke up, "There is no shame in acknowledging that you may not have all the strength of your enemies, but overwhelming force is always effective."

"No, it isn't." she corrected her, before Li had her chance to pipe in with an opinion.

Both twins seemed a little unnerved by her defiant response, but quickly regained their composure.

"Lightning was effective against the Avatar." Li reminded her, "You were able to defeat him once before."

"But he lived... though I assume that was more of a fluke than suggesting he is truly superhuman in constitution." she gave her opinion on why Aang had survived that blow, "You both were present when I was defeated." she reminded them, and they both nodded.

"That we were." both sisters confirmed in unison, before Li trailed off on her own.

"The Avatar has learned to redirect lightning. This power is beyond our knowledge, but it must be learnable by any firebender." she clarified, and her sister continued, both smirking in delight.

"If you are able to discern the source of this technique, then you may be able to exploit it when you next face such a foe." Lo suggested, and Azula raised her chin.

"If you think I would dare to fight the Avatar again, then you are fools." she warned them, not bothering to sugarcoat her words when what they were implying was insane and counterproductive towards her own ends, "I am not refusing because I am weak, but because insurmountable strength is that... insurmountable."

"Many years ago, we were permitted to read the final testament of Fire Lord Sozin." Lo clarified, "You should know that it told us that an Avatar is surely killable, even when they have mastered powers like the Avatar State."

"Hah." she scoffed, "And how would I... completely hypothetically, of course, achieve that?" she decided to entertain their ideas, if only because she was somewhat interested in what her ancestor had to say on the matter.

"Fire Lord Sozin was once a good friend to Avatar Roku." Lo began, telling her something that sounded strange, and almost unbelievable, though the fact it had been hidden from public knowledge made a lot of sense.

"However, they had a falling out over Sozin's mission, and did not speak for many years before Roku's death." Li continued, before both sisters stared at her.

"A volcanic eruption threatened to destroy Roku's home island. Sozin came to his aid." they explained, Li raising a finger.

"Together, they held back the volcano's destructive power while the people were evacuated."

"Sorry, you're telling me Avatar Roku died fighting alongside the man who sought to destroy his reincarnation?" she asked them, finding those two possible facts to be irreconcilable.

"No." Lo corrected her, "When the volcano proved to overwhelm Roku, where the noxious gases proved even more dangerous than the heat. By chance, Sozin was left unharmed, and he left his friend to die."

"The volcanic ash consumed him and his dragon, and they were never seen again." both sisters finished the story, and Azula raised a finger to her chin.

"Deceit and breath." she observed what had ultimately killed Avatar Roku, "I cannot deny your story here does provide a solution... but I cannot imitate it." she decided, already against any kind of plot of the sorts, knowing the strength the Avatar's allies could bring to bear would certainly endanger her life in any possible outcome, "You understand they could be listening as we speak, do you not?"

"We do not care for the ears of lessers." Lo and Li replied in synchronisation, "We only serve you."

"No, you serve my father." she corrected them, "Or at least, you think as if you still do." she clarified her own words, "I cannot do what you claim I should... and I will not."

"Then the Fire Nation is doomed." they declared in unison; Azula grit her teeth, and lit her palms alight.

"Would you like to repeat that, for all the court to hear? Questioning your Fire Lord's will is an offence to your nation." she warned them, and both women turned their eyes down.

"We are your advisors and teachers." Lo reminded her.

"We will always be truthful with you." Li stressed, and both sisters remained in their submissive poses as she turned around.

"Then tell me who you serve." she ordered them, "If you serve my father, then be done with it. Provide me with the advice I require." she demanded, and they remained silent; the pause was a bit awkward, but they did eventually speak.

"We have served the royal family most of our lives." they both explained, "We will always serve the Fire Lord."

"But who has inspired you most?" she questioned them, turning back around to eye them; she knew that they had loyalties, and they were not solely to whomever sat on the flaming throne of the Fire Lord.

"Fire Lord Azulon." they both spoke without hesitation.

"He was the greatest among greats." Lo acclaimed her grandfather, and both she and Li were smiling.

"You are both cut from the same cloth." the other sister argued.

"You will achieve victory. We are certain of it." both sisters declared together, and Azula rolled her eyes.

"Sycophancy does not suit you." she chided them, before turning back around, deciding that she was done with her training, "But I understand... or I would, if I had not only known my grandfather as a heartless man who only sat upon a throne and held favour for a single person." she gave her opinion, leaving out the specifics; it was unseemly to insult her father by implying that Azulon had never loved him, even if everything she saw as a child indicated that was the truth of the matter.

"He derived his strength from not just his firebending." Lo began, before her sister continued.

"Azulon was a great statesman and strategist, who understood how to sway allies..."

"And when to destroy his foes." the sisters declared in unison, making Azula smirk.

"Hm, then your belief is well-placed." she decided, knowing she was as they described her grandfather.

When she stepped away from the training yard, she was prepared to change into her usual robes, which she had slowly grown accustomed to; though they weren't all that different to the robes she usually wore around the palace, the robes of a Fire Lord were larger, heavier, and far more frustrating to put on. She still had servants aiding her in that task, and wouldn't complain about it.

As she stepped into the changing area, a servant was waiting for her, but not one of the servant girls who usually helped prepare her robes; it was a messenger, one of the many servants who was expected to carry letters around the palace.

"Your highness, a letter has arrived. The Minister of Colonial Affairs thought it was prudent that you received it at once."

"Colonial Affairs?" she raised a brow, "If it's not the military, then we haven't been attacked." she observed, knowing that she would have received a letter from one of the divisions via the War Minister, or directly to her office.

The messenger obviously didn't know anything, and just bowed to her, offering the letter. She accepted it before unfurling it. The document was signed by a number of officials, both civil and military, telling her that it was a petition; that was the only kind of letter that would require multiple signings. Azula could only guess where it had come from, but given it was clearly from the colonies, she imagined some colonial officials were getting worried about the peace process, or lack thereof. The colonists would be the ones to suffer if war reignited between their nations.

Scanning her eyes across it, her suspicions were confirmed, as she read about their concerns about being attacked by massing Earth Kingdom regular forces, and partisans, who were already a danger in the most remote colonies. The military officers requested to be able to withdraw themselves and protect moving colonists as they left the border regions where the Fire Nation's control was weakest. The colonists more importantly requested compensation for their lost homes, under the assumptions they could not return; more than that, they needed to be accommodated while they were gone. Without these requests fulfilled, they would remain where they were, but assemble militias as was legally allowed in the face of threats from organised and unorganised military threats.

Azula knew that this letter was a result of Aang and Katara's meddling; that was little surprise, given they were headed to the Earth Kingdom, and presumably learned of her enemies plans to seize her country's land. In any case, the colonists were rightly afraid, and sought to leave; as much as she didn't want to freely give up land, she was sure the colonists would take as much as they could with them, preventing the Earth Kingdom from making use of the infrastructure the Fire Nation had built over the course of settlement.

She turned to the servant, and pointed at him, "Inform the Minister of Colonial Affairs that I will be speaking with him." she ordered him, "I will need him to provide a response at once."

"Of course, your majesty." the servant bowed, "Where will you be?"

"I will go to him. I cannot waste time waiting for him to walk across the palace when he'll need to give orders to his own underlings."

"I will inform him at once." he declared his intentions, and turned around, pacing away with an almost fearful amount of haste; he knew that it was a fool's move to agitate her, and the best way to avoid that was to get her what she wanted, as quickly as possible.

Azula turned her heels, and made a whistle; when she received no response, "I was expecting somebody to change me." she called out; a timid servant girl turned around the corner and bowed shamefully.

"My apologies, your majesty. I did not want to eavesdrop on any confidential matters." she explained her reason for hiding herself; Azula scrunched her lips, and gestured for her to approach.

"That is acceptable." she allowed her excuse to pass, as she did prefer that over her eavesdrop, "Go on. I need to speak with the Minister at once." she indicated the urgency, wanting to get that discussion over and done with.

She needed to issue her orders and ensure that the borders were secured; it would take time to move so many settlers away from the frontier, and it would require resources and organisation that was unheard of outside of their largest military campaigns, like the failed Siege of Ba Sing Se. As much as she didn't like to be bossed around by the Avatar, even she could admit that inaction would only risk making herself look like a fool to her own citizens. That was something Azula could not stand for.

The servant stepped over to her, grasping the fabric pauldrons of her robes, and pulled them up and off of her; then she unwound her robes, and dispensed with them. The Fire Lord sat down, and let the servant remove her boots, before she pulled her sleeves and arm guards off; that left Azula in only her undergarments. She stood back up, allowing the servant to wrap her in her much longer and finer Fire Lord robes, which she tied at her waist. She then fastened her collar, making sure it was shut and balanced, before placing her shoulder pauldrons back on. With that done, the servant put her slippers on, which were less hardy than the ordinary boots she wore when training or outside the palace, but were comfortable.

With all her clothes on, she gestured to the pile of clothes that she had changed out of, "Have those washed and returned to my room."

"Of course, your majesty." the servant bowed once more, and collected the clothes into a basket, before taking it out of the room; Azula followed after her for a few moments, before turning around a corner to make her way to the Minister's office.

Minister Hosong was a relatively experienced official from her understanding, and had been in charge of the policies pertaining to the settlement and development of territories within the former Earth Kingdom. She knew he had had experience in charge of the Office of Trade and Development, which was under his present portfolio as minister; that office was primarily concerned with ensuring the development of productive enterprises in the colonies, and ensuring that all possible trade of goods between the homeland and the colonies was utilised.

This meant that he was concerned with one thing above all else, making more money for the Fire Nation government through the variety of tariffs and royalties they exacted on goods moving across the sea. Azula knew they needed to maintain these incomes, and the colonies returning to Earth Kingdom rule would be a very good reason to keep the tariffs, if not raise them even higher. That would ensure fair competition between colonial businesses and those in the Fire Nation, and ensure that they would retain an edge in the long term.

However, she knew that the support of the citizenry was even more important than those incomes. So she would do everything she could to ensure she had the respect, even the adoration of the colonial masses. The people would know that she was the one responsible for their security, and ensuring that the looming threat of the Earth Kingdom never came down upon them. That would ensure her reign would remain unchallenged, and if such a challenge came to pass, it would not without a massive revolt from those people she aided.

The Minister's office was located in the end of the palace dedicated to the various ministries; each high-ranking minister had their own office, secretaries, and various bureaucrats to serve them and fulfil their commands. Orders were then sent out to the various offices that existed across the capital, where each ministry would have up to hundreds of men and women working desks, ensuring that money, orders, and various convoys of goods and people were moved exactly where they needed to be. The Minister of Colonial Affairs couldn't do all that much by himself, but his office would be able to organise the movement of supplies, colonists, and the acquisition or leasing of properties to ensure they could be housed while they had to vacate their settlements.

It took her a while to reach Hosong, having to travel the breadth of the palace by foot, but by the time she did, a few guards were by her side, to ensure her safety while outside of her personal section of the palace. She didn't fear being attacked, though the possibility of assassins, from either her own nation, or her former enemies, was not out of the question; she had many enemies, and with the Avatar's peace plan, she was sure to make more.

Those guards halted at the entrance of the Minister's office, and allowed her to approach, knocking on the door; a few moments later, a secretary opened it, seeming frustrated by the interruption, but her face shifted to one of shock, and she bowed down, dropping to the floor to make her respects clear.

"Her majesty honours Minister Hosong with a personal meeting. I will inform him of your arrival at once." she explained what she would do, which was obvious enough, but it was just a courtesy for her to make the situation clear, and to give the due respects to her Fire Lord.

The secretary stepped back into the office, and a few moments later, she returned, bowing as she opened the door for Azula to enter, "He may see you now." she assured her, and the Fire Lord stepped past her to the doors that led directly into Minister Hosong's office.

Her guards stepped in front of her, and pushed the doors open; once he could see her, the Minister rose to his feet, and bowed for a few moments.

"I am honoured to be of assistance to your majesty."

"Yes, you are." she agreed with the fact that he was lucky to be afforded her time, rather than having orders directly dished from her office by decree, "You must have read this letter, so I won't waste time explaining the situation to you."

"No, I am aware of the situation in New Hachitani." he confirmed, and gestured to the seat across from him, "Please, make yourself comfortable."

"I have little comfort in forcing Fire Nation citizens to abandon their homes." she made her opinion clear; she didn't know the people personally, but it was a dishonour to her name, and her rule, if they were to needlessly suffer for nothing but the Avatar's conscience.

She did however sit herself down, and placed the letter down on the table in front of him, "I have orders that I need your ministry to fulfil at once."

"Of course." he nodded, "I knew it was prudent to send the letter to you at once."

"It was." she agreed with his judgement, "We have no idea if the Earth Kingdom will break the armistice to expel colonists, but the fears of the colonists about the local inhabitants of the region is justified. Our nations have been fighting for a century, and there has been much blood spilled on both sides. Those who lost their homes will want to seize them back." she gave her views on the situation.

"So, shall we evacuate New Hachitani, as they request?"

"Yes." she confirmed, "But not just New Hachitani. Every single colonial settlement on the frontier will be withdrawn. The risks must be determined by the military forces in each settlement, but your ministry will provide funding, and manpower where necessary, to aid in the movement of people to the closest administrative centres. You are authorised to purchase or lease properties to house colonists, and if necessary, appropriate government property for this purpose."

"Are there guidelines to determine if appropriation is necessary?" he asked, and she sighed.

"You are permitted to create the guidelines yourself. As long as people are housed and it makes a minimal impact on the functioning of local administration, then there will be no issue." she allowed, before raising a finger, "I will authorise local garrisons to aid in this effort, and withdraw from their bases if they are no longer protecting colonial settlements."

"What of occupied settlements?" he turned to another topic, and the Fire Lord tapped her chin; she knew that they could not maintain control over those settlements indefinitely, unless they were completely surrounded by colonial settlements.

"Those that would be unprotected and under threat of Earth Kingdom attack will be withdrawn from. I will determine with the local generals which ones. However, if they are of vital economic importance, they will continue to be occupied, to ensure the functioning of our national economy. We cannot have this... situation impede our brilliant successes in that field."

"And then... there is the matter of compensation." Hosong drew her to the matter that was probably the biggest issue for the colonists themselves.

"We will have anything we can bring from the colonial settlements. I expect local bureaucrats can survey the remaining infrastructure and decide how much it is valued to be, and how much colonists should be compensated for their loss. I will make sure the treasury spares no expense to ensure they are fairly treated."

"Should we sabotage that which we cannot withdraw?" he asked, and Azula pursed her lips; she liked his line of thinking, but it was dangerous to publicly do so.

"We cannot do so openly. That would potentially be seen as an act of aggression by the Earth Kingdom. However, we may take things such as trains, machinery, and both processed and raw materials, so that the industry and infrastructure will be useless without the Earth Kingdom providing their own equipment, which they obviously lack."

"A brilliant idea." he commended her decision, "What of those citizens who are of... uh, mixed backgrounds? From my understanding, they form at least a third of the population in the oldest colonies, and even a tenth in more recently settled ones."

"If they decide to remain, they may, but I see no issue with them being resettled in our other colonies. Their loyalty is to our nation, which has provided them with wealth and security. Perhaps we might find use for earthbenders, given I expect the Avatar will demand their art be made legal in our nation."

"Hm, that is wise, though I fear they might start demanding higher wages if they can use their earthbending for labour."

"That is something for the industrialists to deal with. If the wages keep them loyal to our nation and contributing to our economy, it is not a high price." she gave her thoughts on the matter, before placing her hands together, "Do you understand what I require, Minister?"

"Of course, your majesty. I will make sure the colonists are kept safe and happy; it is my duty, and your command." he assured her, and she rose to her feet.

"Good. Send a messenger to tell the Avatar's party that he has made progress in the colonies. They need to know that we are willing to cooperate." she told Hosong, who nodded and gestured to the doors.

"Will you make your intentions known to the guests in the palace?" he asked her, and the Fire Lord crossed her arms.

"They will hear what I want them to." she answered, before narrowing her eyes, "I will not appear subservient and weak in the eyes of our enemies"

"Of course. The Fire Lord is the supreme ruler of our nation and all its citizens. We serve you." he gave meaningless platitudes, and Azula returned them with a word of wisdom.

"No, I serve the people of the Fire Nation. If you do not, then I will find somebody who will. Do you understand, Minister?"

He bowed his head down, clearly afraid of being fired by her for any minor disrespect; she was far less concerned about respect than she was about competence, and Minister Hosong had to prove he was.

"I- I do, your majesty. The people will be given everything they need." he assured her, and Azula rose back to her feet.

"I will inform your office of my specific commands to the garrison forces in the colonies." she clarified, knowing that he was technically not privy to that information as a civilian minister.

"Thank you. I will do my duties to the best of my abilities." he stressed, giving her further assurances; his willingness to do so made him seem less competent, though she gave him the benefit of the doubt and assumed he was simply afraid.

She did not want to punish those who were not worthy of it, because that would make her seem arbitrary and tyrannical; her word was meant to be supreme, but if it was without principle, honour, and duty, then it was as worthwhile as the words of the powerless King of the Earth Kingdom. When she stepped out of the office, the secretary bowed to her, and gestured to the door.

"Is there anything else you need, your majesty?" she asked, and Azula shook her head.

"I have no need for platitudes... nor your aid." she admitted, before stepping closer, waiting for the door to close behind herself, "Where does his loyalty lie?" she asked the secretary with a whisper.

"With the-" she began, and Azula raised her left hand up to silence her.

"This is not a test. I want the truth." she demanded, "Is the Minister loyal to the amount of ban his office might receive or to his nation? Or does his loyalty lie with my father?"

The secretary was nervous, but her head dropped down as she stepped closer, allowing herself to whisper, "Minister Hosong was appointed by your grandfather. He gained this position from his family's long relationship with the royal family. They have served the Fire Nation faithfully for many generations."

"He is a noble, so does he hold any titles? Any lands that provide him with income?" she asked, and the secretary shook her head.

"His family are nobles, yes, but he is personally not wealthy. He is a third son." she explained, and Azula crossed her arms, understanding what that meant.

"So, if he receives a bribe, from anyone, of any sort, I want to know about it." she declared her own demand, "You will give me whatever documentation you can make about it the next time I meet with the Minister. Do you understand?" she asked, and the secretary nodded.

"I swear it."

"I will have capable people double check these things, so do not try and trick me." she warned her, before turning her heels, "Good day." she spoke louder, and stepped out of the door.

The guards shut the doors for her, and she gestured down the hallway, "I need to go write some commands for the colonial garrisons. A War Council will be assembled at once, as their advice will be necessary."

The guards nodded, and one of them stepped forward, "Should I go and inform the Office of War Plans, so the officers may be called to assemble?" he asked her, and she nodded.

"Do it at once. I want their advice by this evening." she clarified her intentions, and then, began pacing off towards her office.

She would write up some preliminary orders, which she could discuss with the council; however, Azula knew that they could only tell her so much. Most of them were just in the capital to provide commands for campaigns, of which they had none in operation. The war was over, so all they could do was advise her on military matters until another war begun. If the people of the Earth Kingdom got exactly what they wanted, then there would be war; Azula was certain of that, no matter if she wore the Fire Lord's headpiece or not.

All she could do was ameliorate the situation for as long as possible, and try to make the Avatar see reason; if she could not, then she would be stuck between fighting him or fighting her own people. Honour might compel her to do what arrogance had made her do before, except now she understood the futility of it. Her mind wandered to her brother's hunt for the Avatar, and the failures he faced before he ultimately gave up, and left her to pick up the pieces; honour had compelled him to pursue the Avatar, even to his doom.

She did not want to face the same kind of dilemma; Azula was no honour-bound fool, but she was the Fire Lord. Her new power came with responsibilities that she had not fully comprehended until she was faced with defeat. She was the Fire Nation, and if the Avatar was to destroy it, then she would share in its damnation all the same.


For better or worse, Zuko felt himself becoming more and more familiar with the humdrum of manual labour; to his luck, he had not had to work out in the fields for a few days after the bandits attacked Liangyuan. Chu and Kuang were willing to let him rest and just work inside the house with their mother and sister. He did eventually have to return, but by that point, most of the work had already been done. His cuts and grazes were slowly healing, and though they were irritated when touched, the pain had mostly receded, meaning he could go and work once more.

He was still being paid, and taken care of, so he would not complain; the arrangement worked, and now, with the work done in the field, he was stuck cleaning up and fixing things in the barn. The building was quite old, and was in a state of disrepair when he took up occupation inside. He was just lucky the roof was still doing its job, otherwise he'd struggle every single time rain came through.

Zuko had learned a lot from the work, the kinds of things he would have never learned as a Prince, or during his exile; how to saw wood and make fittings, how to make thatch, and how to fix holes and cracks in a stone floor. The brothers were giving him advice and showing him the ropes where necessary, but for the most part, he was left to his own devices. He preferred it that way, letting the repetitive nature of the tasks form a rhythm. A song in his mind, of movements rather than of sounds, though there were a few thumps, bangs, and scrapes as he went along.

His mind momentarily turned back to something he had dreaded on the ship: music night; it was something his uncle had enjoyed thoroughly, and the rest of the crew had enjoyed it just as much. He wished he had spent more time partaking in it, not because he sought to learn how to be a musician, but because he knew it would have helped distract him from the tasks at hand. Music soothed the soul, that was something Iroh had said once; he didn't really understand or care for it, but even Zuko could admit that nice music was something he could enjoy listening to while he was stuck doing something as boring as manual labour.

However, his mind was turned from the task at hand when he heard some talking off in the distance, by the entrance of the house; Zuko guessed that some guests had arrived, perhaps to spend some time with one of the brothers, Yong, or Chang. However, he could not be sure, and thought maybe it might have been one of the people he had helped after the fight; they knew it was him doing the work, and probably idolised him as some kind of hero.

Zuko would never admit it out loud, but he loved the idea of people viewing him with such respect; it was something he had craved as a Prince. He wanted to serve his nation, and selfishly, he wanted people to love him for it. He wanted the attention of his father, and when he couldn't get it, the idea of being respected by those around him sounded better. After his exile, he had not cared for the respect of his crew, even though he might have appreciated it; he remembered after the storm, when Lieutenant Jee had commended him, even if it was a very muted sign of respect.

Zuko had felt at that moment that he was doing something right, even if he had made a mistake and put everyone's lives in danger. That was why he had chosen to don the mask and enter Pohuai Fortress alone. He wondered if Iroh would have joined him, if he had begged; the two of them, royals, above the law, killing Zhao and taking the Avatar for themselves; it sounded like something his sister would do, when he had played out that story in his mind. He never would have asked Iroh to dishonour himself in such a way, and he doubted he would have approved of what Zuko had done, if he had any idea at all; he was no idiot, he was one of the wisest and most astute people Zuko knew. If Zhao knew, Iroh knew.

He wondered what would have happened, if he had just not cared; let Jee fall, let him die, let anyone die for his cause. Then, perhaps, his uncle might have lived, and Zuko might have died fighting Zhao at the fortress in the open. At least he would have died with honour, and his father would know he was not a coward. Zuko didn't care for that, not anymore. He wanted to be someone better than he was before, and his anger was both driving him forward, and holding him back. The respect of some villagers, who his father would have thought to be unworthy of living, was something he now felt a strange desire for.

He was drawn from his thoughts when he heard a knock on the doors of the barn; he turned around, and raised a hand, "Who is it?"

Song, the nurse who had helped treat him twice before, peeked her head in; his eyes widened, recalling that she was one of the people who had deduced that he was the Blue Spirit. She had not said it outright, but from the context, he understood that she knew who he was. He just hoped she would not figure out who he really was, because that would earn him the ire of everyone whose goodwill he had been relying on.

"Song." he mumbled her name, "Why are you here?"

"They're here for you." she told him, and Zuko tensed, a shiver running down his spine.

"Who?" he struggled to ask, and Song gestured out of the barn.

"The Fire Nation." she explained, "They're searching the town."

"A-" he was about to say his sister's name, before he realised she was talking about the Blue Spirit, and not Zuko, "You weren't followed, were you?" he asked her, and Song shook her head.

"N-no, no, I wasn't." she assured him, and stepped closer to him, "You need to leave... or at least, hide."

"They'll turn Liangyuan upside down to find me." he argued, knowing that his nation would take the bounty on his head seriously; he had broken into a military installation, and depending on what his sister had done to the reports, he was also responsible for the death of an Admiral, "I have to go."

Before he could turn around to collect his things, Song grabbed him by the arm, "Wait."

"For what?" he asked, "Do you have a preferred path out of the village?" he asked, and scrunched her lips.

"The forest, but I think you already know that." she answered his question, before sighing, "But no, I think you'll need this." she reached into her bag, revealing some burn ointment and antiseptic; the kinds of things he certainly would make use of if he got into another fight.

"Oh." he gasped out, surprised by her generosity; he would not refuse her, knowing that he needed it, "Thank you." he acknowledged her help, taking the bottles and jars and putting them into his bag, "Were those yours-"

"I took them from the hospital." she admitted, "They're not going to be happy when they find it's missing."

"You really trust me that much?" he asked her, and Song shook her head.

"Actions speak louder than words." she argued, "And you've saved our village. My friends, my home. I can't ignore that."

"You just need to ignore it when the Fire Nation questions you." he requested, not wanting to get ratted out despite all the goodwill she had towards him.

"I won't tell them anything." she reassured him, before glancing over to the door out of the barn, "I'll keep watch while you get your things."

"Can you tell the family I'm thankful?" he asked her as he stuffed his things into his bag.

She hummed in a way that told him she would, and he felt confident enough to sling his swords over his back, and then pull out the mask; it was still tarred from the burning it received when he was hunting down Zhao. The mask wasn't the original one he had taken from his mother's things; that one would have burnt with the rest of his things on the ship; so, he felt no great desire to keep the mask, though he still wanted to keep it, to remind himself of what he had done. He could not forget it, because it was the reason he was now stuck as a faceless exile, instead of living as a Prince.

He put the mask over his face, and tied it up once he had his hood on as well, obscuring his hair and all of his features, to make sure nobody could identify him from behind. Zuko then stood up, and turned to Song, who glanced back, seeming a bit unnerved by his appearance.

"So... it really is you." she mumbled with an almost fearful voice, "Did you really-"

"Yes, I broke into that prison to free the Avatar." he answered her question before she had a chance to ask it, "And it was a mistake. It has gotten me in more trouble than you could imagine."

"I'm sure the Avatar would return the favour." she suggested, "He is meant to be all-wise with those thousand past lives and all."

Zuko scoffed, knowing that as the boy knew that the Blue Spirit and Zuko were one and the same, that he wouldn't dare to trust him. He understood that, and didn't even blame him; they were enemies after all, even if the conflict that drove it no longer mattered to Zuko. He was not returning from his exile.

"No, he won't." he assured her, "I am no friend of his."

"Why?" she asked, and Zuko sighed.

"It's too long a story, and I'm sure you wouldn't like it." he warned her, and even if she couldn't fathom who he was, or what he had done, she knew that he was a person who wanted to keep his past to himself.

"Alright." she accepted his request, and when he stepped past her, he let out a sigh.

"I didn't want to leave here in such a rush, but there's nothing I can do about that." he admitted, and Song leaned closer, seeming concerned for his sake.

"Will you return?"

"If I really need the work, then I might." he conceded, "But not while the Fire Nation is breathing down my neck."

"You're brave to stand up against them."

"I didn't. I stood up against... injustice." he admitted; he felt angry at himself for framing it that way, seeing that it was really all about revenge, even at Pohuai Fortress, "No. It was revenge. It always has been."

"Well, I'm sure they were at least deserving. I don't like fighting, but I know some people just... have to." she acknowledged, "Good luck, Lee." she farewelled him, and Zuko smiled under the mask; he was just glad somebody was comforting him, even if she knew next to nothing about him.

He could never admit that, but his face was hidden, so he let his feelings out; he then turned around, and raised a hand, "Thank you. You seem like a nice person. Nicer than most."

"And you seem like an honourable person." she admitted, "Thank you for saving my village." she bowed to him, "Blue Spirit."

"It's Dark Water Spirit, actually." he corrected her, before cringing, "I guess most people haven't seen that play."

"Oh." she mumbled, "What play is it?"

"Love amongst the Dragons." he clarified, and after a few moments, she seemed more confused than anything; she must have realised from its name that it was a Fire Nation play.

"Why would you use a mask from a Fire Nation-" she began to ask and he raised a hand.

"I just liked the play, okay." he tried to excuse himself, "I saw it when I was in the colonies."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-" she began, before sighing, "I know you're secretive, but I can't help but wonder."

"You'll just have to keep on wondering." he decided, and turned to make his way towards the woods; she let out a little laugh at his words, and when he glanced back, she waved.

"Maybe you could be an actor." she suggested, and he cringed at the idea of it.

"I would rather not." he admitted, before gesturing for her to get away, "I need to draw the Fire Nation away from your village."

"Can you- can you be sure you'll get away?" she nervously asked, and Zuko smirked, even if she couldn't see it.

"I'm a fast runner." he assured her, and dashed off towards the road.

He didn't look back, not wanting to second guess his actions; if he wanted the villagers to be left in peace, then he had to leave. That was something that was obvious, even if he could not know exactly what the Fire Nation soldiers were thinking. They had their goals, and if they had to harm Earth Kingdom peasants to achieve it, they most certainly would. He felt a tinge of shame in that fact, but he could not deny it; the truth was there for all to see, and was why his people were mistrusted, if not hated, by the people they declared they had come to liberate.

When he got to the road, he headed back towards the centre of the village, where he could hear shouts and more commotion; as he drew closer, the shouts became more clear, and he understood what was going on. He couldn't waste another moment.

"Where is he?" he heard somebody shout, "The Blue Spirit is in this village. Do not deny it!"

"He saved us!" a woman shouted back, and he heard some thumps and more shouts.

"You bastards! He did what you couldn't! The bandits are gone because of him! He killed them!" a man shouted at the soldiers, and Zuko grit his teeth; he needed to hurry up before things got out of hand.

When Zuko reached the centre of the village, he saw at least a dozen Fire Nation soldiers, some of them mounted on komodo rhinos, while the rest were on foot, wielding polearms and firebending. When they saw him, they stopped paying any attention to the commoners. Those they were holding were let free of their grasps, and all their attention was on him, as he intended.

"Let these people go!" he commanded them with as deep a voice as he could muster, "I am the one you want!"

"Are you him, or an imposter?" the leader of the soldiers asked him, pointing a finger at Zuko accusingly.

"I killed Admiral Zhao." he declared the truth, "I am the man you are looking for."

"Sir... that's- that's confidential information." one of the soldiers warned the leader, who scoffed.

"Yes it is." he confirmed, and lit his palms alight, "You might be brave, but you are stupid, Blue Spirit." he accused him, and Zuko readied his swords.

"Am I?" he asked in return, "I killed a man responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Fire Nation servicemen. Can you say you have served your own nation so dutifully?" he questioned them, and the leader was clearly offended.

"How dare you!" he screamed at him, and rushed at Zuko with his flaming fists.

He weaved right out of the way, before slashing the man's calves; he shouted out in pain, before falling to one knee, "You bastard!" he cried out, and spun around to send a fire stream right at his face.

"Deny the truth all you like." he allowed, ducking under the fire stream before he kicked the leader over, "I killed those bandits... and I would do it again. Go and find their hideout... not the man who helped destroy them." he suggested, before dashing down the street.

The villagers cheered for him, and the mounted soldiers took chase. Zuko was fast, but a komodo rhino at full charge was faster; he knew this, and waited for them to draw near before he leapt up into the air, landing right on one of the soldiers. He used his swords like scissors, slicing at his armour and forcing him back. He grabbed the swords with his gloved hands, but with nobody holding the reins, the komodo rhino veered from the path into some bushes.

When they were past the bushes, Zuko shoved the man from the saddle and took the reins, directing it back onto the road as he decided to get himself as far away as he could before he would inevitably be caught again. The woods would be an easy place to lose them, but he actually had to get there before he tried to. The firebenders kept lopping fireballs at him, and Zuko wasn't fazed, knowing that his robes would protect him for the short time he expected to spend riding.

Once he reached the southern end of the village, the path led out into the forested hills, and Zuko didn't waste time, leaping from the saddle and down onto the path. His mount continued on for a bit, and he let the enemy continue chasing it while he ran into the woods. Flames coursed above his head, and he flinched, if only for a moment. He would have returned the favour with his own firebending, but he preferred to keep moving; getting cornered was his primary concern, not trouncing the soldiers who were just doing their jobs.

The flames lit the woods afire, but Zuko put the flames out whenever they appeared, not wanting to have to deal with a forest fire on top of the soldiers. They couldn't pursue into the woods on their mounts, forcing them to either attack from a distance, or to pursue him on foot. Some were determined enough to do that, and Zuko took position by a hilltop, waiting for them by the cover of some rocks.

He counted five men, but that was out of the two dozen or so he had seen in the village; when they came into the clearing at the hilltop, he leapt out from cover, and disarmed those with weapons as fast as he could, before facing off against the three remaining firebenders. They shot flurries of fireballs at Zuko, who ducked, weaved, and leapt out of the way of them, before slashing his opponents' legs. They couldn't pursue him with those injuries. Once all of them were on the ground, moaning and groaning, he let out a deep breath.

"Don't continue." he begged them, "I do not want to have to kill you."

One of them tried to get back up, "We will not stop until you face justice." he declared, "For the Fire Nation!"

"Then find the bandits." he chided him, "I will not tell you again."

Zuko kicked him over into a rock, knocking him out cold, before turning his heels; he wished that he did not have to fight his own countrymen, and he knew it was his fault.

He had broken his nation's laws to sate his own desires, and now, he would be hunted as long as he bore that mask; he knew he ought to get rid of it, and be done with the Blue Spirit, but part of him was holding onto the idea as if it would kill him to let go. The mask, his mother, and all that was left of his childhood innocence. He could not let that go, not even if it would kill him.

"I hate having to run."


Things had died down in the Fire Nation Capital after the violent protests, but Suki did not think they were any safer there. She had remained in the palace, despite her desire to spend time with her fellow warriors. She had told them that going back to Kyoshi Island might be in order, given that if the war was to restart, she wouldn't expect their island to be left out of any fighting. Their prior conflicts with Azula personally would prevent any future neutrality.

Even though she wouldn't dare to say it, the idea of negotiating with Azula directly for the sake of her people had come to mind. She knew that Kyoshi Island was effectively independent of Ba Sing Se and the whims of the Earth King, and had been so ever since the time of the Avatar who they had named their island after. So, for her to hash out a deal, to secure their freedom and neutrality, that would be of great benefit to her island.

However, she knew that was a foolish idea, not just because of how the Earth Kingdom government might view it, but because freedom from any future conflict did not mean freedom from its consequences. Refugees, bandits, deserters, and pirates; all of that chaos would come to Kyoshi Island, because it would be easy pickings, undefended by the Earth Kingdom and ignored by the Fire Nation. So, Suki kept those thoughts solely to herself, even when part of her just wanted to be done with it; she and her girls were free, and they had a home to return to- a home they longed for.

The Avatar's party had been called to meet with the Fire Lord, not long before they were intending to go have dinner. She knew it might be about her demands that they had yet to agree to, even if they had acquiesced and started moving people out of the city proper, for their own safety. Eventually, those fighters would return back to their homes in the other nations, but their presence was a threat against the Fire Lord that none of them wanted to give up. Suki came along, at Sokka's request, and even Toph seemed to approve of her coming. Given Aang and Katara were gone, Azula's wording might have suggested that only those two were required.

However, both of them agreed that at the very least, Hakoda, who had led the invasion force on the Day of the Black Sun, should come along, and Suki was somebody that they wanted alongside them. There were others, like Tyro, the leader of some Earth Kingdom rebels that had helped in the invasion, and The Mechanist, a man who had provided them with a large number of brand new weapons and devices. However, neither of those men felt comfortable making political decisions, and thought that the decisions ought to rest with Chief Hakoda, the leader of their invasion force, at least while Aang was away.

When they arrived at the tea room, they were let in at once by the Fire Lord's guards, and found the girl herself sitting there, lit by the orange hues of the evening sky that emanated from outside. She didn't seem all that happy to see them, which was no surprise, but she wasn't angry either.

"Good evening." she addressed them, "I have some matters I'd like to address with you."

"What matters exactly, might I ask?" Hakoda pressed her, and she sighed.

"Two matters: that of the Dai Li, which you might have already heard about, and that of the colonies. Your friend, the Avatar, has been quite busy while he is away."

"Don't tell me he's started that war you keep warning about." Sokka pleaded, thinking the worst; Suki was sure they would not be informed so politely if that were the case.

In fact, she expected they would have been immediately arrested, given Aang was not there to threaten Azula at that very moment; she wouldn't have killed them, given their value as hostages. The Fire Nation, despite their extreme brutality, understood that important enemies were better left prisoners than dead.

"Do you think you would be speaking with me if that was the case?"

"Was... was that a death threat?" he asked her nervously, and Azula shrugged her shoulders.

"No, it wasn't." she assured him, and though Suki did not trust Azula, she knew that was the truth; she had no reason to kill them, not yet at least, "Let's just get down to business." she requested, "I have tea, as is required."

"Required?" Hakoda asked as he sat down, sounding ready to laugh, "I don't remember that being part of any demands... not that I was here when they were made."

"No, it's just a courtesy that I, as Fire Lord, am expected to give to anyone of importance when I meet with them." she clarified, and grabbed the teapot, before pouring tea into four cups for each of them; Suki was impressed that she had done that, given how shameful it must have felt for a ruler to do what might otherwise be seen as a servant's job.

She remembered that she was trying to sway them to her side, and kept that in mind as she watched, imagining how the others might interpret it. Toph was less easily swayed, but Sokka and Hakoda might see it as an earnest sign of respect. Suki didn't think the Fire Lord wanted her to believe she respected them, but simply to appease them so they would work with her. She preferred that to violence, so she wouldn't complain, even if she thought the whole act was conceited.

Once the teacups were poured, she pushed the tray across the table, allowing them each to pick up their cups of tea, before she took her own into her hands, "Now, firstly, the Dai Li. Have you considered my request?"

Hakoda stroked his beard in thought, presumably having discussed the matter with his son, "This is to allow them to operate in the capital to spy on your ministers?" he clarified the request, and she nodded, "As much as I want you to be able to keep up your end of the bargain here, how can we trust it?"

"More than that, won't this keep the Dai Li from facing justice?" Toph asked her, and the Fire Lord shrugged.

"Well, we can negotiate that specific issue in the peace settlement with the Earth Kingdom." she assured her, though that sounded unlike a promise and more like a weak suggestion.

"Can we have your word that you will offer that?" Suki pressed her, and Azula seemed less aloof once she heard that; she straightened her posture, and nodded.

"I know their position under me cannot realistically be tenable in the long term... at least while they remain in hiding under Ba Sing Se."

"I was about to ask." Hakoda admitted with a sheepish look, "So, you confirm that they are evading the authorities there?"

"I am confirming that they are not going to just hand themselves over." she corrected him, "And I am well aware that it does not appeal to my own citizens to have foreign spies living in our nation, even if they serve their Fire Lord."

"Then why don't you replace them?" Toph asked her, "You obviously have some equivalent to the Dai Li here."

"I do not trust them." she argued, "Now, remember what I told you..." she pressed.

"We can, what, reveal traitors ourselves?" Sokka asked, and her lips pursed into a cocky smirk.

"Exactly." she confirmed, "It benefits us all if you do so, but the Dai Li will be much more efficient."

"What's to say they aren't already doing that for you?"

"They can only do so much while they are forced to remain in hiding to avoid being detained by your allies." she explained, before hardening her expression, "Your same allies who continue to interfere with the internal politics of my nation. Those protests were exacerbated by their presence."

"That wasn't their fault." Toph retorted, "They were just defending themselves."

"And the Dai Li have loyally served me. Why should they be punished for that?" she countered, "I already made it clear, I will not use them to spy on you. Not that I need to... the servants and guards of this palace already inform me of your comings and goings." she acknowledged, "So, you cannot hide anything, and I will not, not if it threatens our common interest of peace."

"Fine." Hakoda sighed, "I think I can agree to that, if only for the good of these peace plans." he admitted, and the others cautiously nodded; Suki did not, but she was just there to talk- she had little power, beyond her influence upon Sokka, "And this means we will move everyone who is not in the palace to your chosen housing, correct?"

"They can choose not to, but I cannot assure their safety, given the threat of further protests." she warned, and cleared her throat, "Now that is out of the way, I must inform you of the matters in the colonies."

"What did Aang do?" Sokka pressed her, and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm getting to it." she retorted, "The Avatar travelled to speak to Earth Kingdom representatives at a base near the frontier of the colonies. Those forces assembled, I assume, in the aftermath of the Comet's passing; they were intending to move into the colonies and expel my citizens. The Avatar persuaded them to relent."

"And in exchange for what, exactly?" Toph asked, the Fire Lord seeming frustrated.

"That he would try and make colonists leave their homes, to avoid bloodshed. The threat of Earth Kingdom partisans, like the rebels who walk these very halls, looms large over those outermost colonies."

"And how did you hear about this?" Hakoda asked, "Did Aang write to you?"

"The Avatar did not bother. Some local officials co-authored a letter and sent it to the appropriate ministry, and then that letter came to me." she explained how she had learned about it, "Their requests have been accepted, as I have already made clear: I will do what is necessary to ensure this peace settlement occurs." she clarified, as if she was trying to reassure them that she was trying to help them.

Suki could not trust a single word that came out of her mouth; she could at least concede that the Fire Lord ought to protect her citizens, and forcing colonists to leave for their safety would achieve that without any violence. She realised that in that situation, the only losers were the Fire Nation, at least in the sense that they lost ground that they could otherwise use for negotiations with the Earth Kingdom. She doubted that things were that simple, as the Fire Lord would have some plan to turn the situation into her favour, she could just not guess what yet.

"Why?" she decided to ask, and Azula seemed a bit confused by her words.

"Why?" she put the question back to her, almost mockingly, "I have promised to abide by the armistice." she declared with a sense of confidence that made her seem genuine; that was not enough, and it seemed that Toph was catching onto her avoidance of the question.

"No, Suki has a point." she spoke up, "Why would you just do this? There's no benefit to the Fire Nation."

"What benefits the Fire Nation is remaining in the Avatar's good graces, and forestalling a war with the Earth Kingdom."

"Forestalling?" Hakoda interrupted her, "You mean to say you don't believe peace will be achieved?"

"Not in the way you want it to be." she answered affirmatively, before raising a finger, "I am not suggesting that I will not participate in peace negotiations... I am suggesting that the Earth Kingdom has no interest in negotiations."

"Over what, precisely?" Suki pressed her, "Our land?" she asked, and the Fire Lord eyed her.

"I was under the belief that Kyoshi Island remained unoccupied by the Fire Nation." she reminded her of a fact that had been on her mind; she was meant to protect her island, not the whole Earth Kingdom, but she understood after they left Kyoshi, they needed to go and do right by their fellow countrymen.

"Don't play coy." she retorted, "You understand what I meant."

"The future of the colonies is a matter up for discussion, but I am not conceding every inch of land back to the Earth Kingdom merely because they ask us to." she retorted, and raised her hands, "What I have ordered in the colonies, that is an act of goodwill... but it is also rational. Irregular forces will take up arms against the Fire Nation in time, whether sanctioned by the Earth Kingdom military or not. I seek to avoid confrontations with these forces before they even come into existence."

"They already exist." Sokka clarified, "I mean, there are rebels all over your colonies. We've seen them." he argued against her framing, "So, how will you... deal with them?"

"I have been forced to avoid violence, but garrison forces are obliged to defend their respective settlements. So, they will do so." she answered his question, telling Suki that she was more than willing to destroy rebel forces if they weren't acting under the authority of the Earth King; that was much more believable than the posturing she was doing earlier.

"That sounds like continuing the war in all but name." Toph spoke her mind, "So... will you stop the fighting?"

"It is not up to me." she argued, "They are the aggressors. They can claim it is their land all they like, but it will not change the facts on the ground."

"You don't want to die on this hill, do you?" Suki pressed her, feeling that she was setting them up for failure, even if she claimed she wanted to go through with the peace settlement.

"This is why the peace settlement is necessary." the Fire Lord argued, "Those rebels will lay down their arms, and I assume, I will be forced to grant rights to the non-citizens living in those territories." she gave a guess at what would have to be done, "Or, if the Earth Kingdom is so bold, they might demand a condominium, where we rule the region in tandem, each side providing security for the settlements, both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom." she gave a possibility, and the others seemed impressed by it.

"That does sound like a better solution than just forcing everyone to leave." Sokka admitted, "But I mean, there are parts of the country where you'd have a lot of colonists, and parts with barely any. So... are you saying they should all be treated equally?"

"If by they, you mean each community... then no." she acknowledged, "I have already organised a meeting with my War Council. We will decide what non-colonial settlements will be withdrawn from. I have no intention of sacrificing men to protect lands that we have no business in beyond suppressing rebels."

"I mean, that does sound like it would solve that rebel problem." Toph commented, "And then you won't need to have to fight them."

"It is more a matter of resources." she corrected her, "The Fire Nation military may be the largest in the world, but we have only so many men to spare, and occupying large parts of the Earth Kingdom is expensive. If given time, they could be integrated into the Fire Nation economically, but that will never be accepted by the Earth Kingdom."

"So, all of this sounds quite rational... I'll give you that." Hakdoa spoke up, though his crossed arms and steely eyes told Suki he wasn't going to just as easily believe her words, "But these colonists have had to leave their homes. Where do they go now? Back to the Fire Nation homeland?" he asked, and Azula seemed displeased to have been asked that question, though her face quickly returned to a smirk.

"Well, it's quite simple. They move to the larger colonial settlements, where the facilities and space exists for them already. They may remain there for as long as they are forced to leave their homes... which may last until negotiations are concluded."

"But, if the Earth Kingdom takes those frontier lands..." Sokka mumbled, before pointing a finger at her, "Won't that just mean you'll have even more colonists packed into those other settlements, which you'll hold onto even more tightly?" he asked, adn the Fire Lord pointed at him.

"Do you have a better solution?" she asked, and he snickered.

"Yeah, it's called withdrawing all of the colonists." he retorted, before sighing, "But I can see that's going to be a challenge. It will take a long time, and I don't even know if you'd have the resources to house everyone." he admitted the flaws in such a hardline solution; the Fire Lord obviously didn't want it either, though it must have been out of an interest of holding onto the colonial territories.

"No, I refuse that solution." she stated her stance clearly, "It will cost my nation far more than you can even imagine, and the Earth Kingdom will see little benefit."

"Why?" Toph pressed her, and Azula scoffed.

"Do you know how much we have developed the colonies this past century?" she asked her, "All of that infrastructure would be torn up, the businesses closed down, and the factories moved back to the homeland. The poor Earth Kingdom people you care about so much would be out of work, with only the land itself to their names." she explained what would result from their withdrawal; that did make sense to Suki, though she thought to ask why they couldn't leave all their things behind.

She realised that would have been unfair on the Fire Nation, even if they were the aggressors. She could claim all those assets could be taken as reparations, but that would surely infuriate the people of the Fire Nation, who had been acting under the presumption that they had won the war until a few weeks prior. A new war would surely start because of that, and for that alone, she could at least agree that it was preferable to avoid angering one side too much.

"Not to mention, the refugees who fled there, the government, and the nobles, they would all come to make their disputes over who owns what, and I expect... in a matter of years, the Earth Kingdom would once again return to fighting each other." Azula added her further conclusions, "And if you think we could just leave all we built behind-"

"Yeah, no, we get it." Suki assured her, "You'd get overthrown, or something like that, and the war would restart."

"Yes... that's exactly what would happen." she confirmed, seeming almost surprised that she had come to the same conclusion, "I am pleased to see you actually understand the dilemma I face."

"I don't envy you in the slightest." she admitted, before glaring her down, "But don't think that means we think you should just get away scot free. The Fire Nation should help the other nations rebuild."

"If that keeps the peace, then perhaps that is what will happen." Azula gave a half-hearted response, not seeming to make clear whether she supported the idea or not.

"So, that's it then." Hakoda spoke up, "You move people around, and the Earth Kingdom gets their land back. When it becomes too much of a threat to your rule, you'll put a foot down." he explained what he thought would happen; the Fire Lord didn't seem to be all that enthusiastic, and shrugged, before a small, but notable smile formed on her lips, "Why the smile?"

"Well, because I can see the war restarting before any of that is achieved." she admitted, "You all have lofty goals... and I do agree with your ultimate aim. Lasting peace between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation is necessary."

"We just disagree about what that peace looks like." Toph concluded, "And, what, you want to see the Earth Kingdom crushed?"

"To the contrary." she raised a hand, "My preferred outcome is that your people destroy each other in petty squabbles, while allowing the Fire Nation's strength to grow unimpeded... the best alternative is the Earth Kingdom can come to an understanding that our strength is a mere inevitability, and we cooperate to rebuild the world together." she explained her thoughts, and Suki knew it wasn't all a farce; that sounded far more callous, exactly what she expected from her.

Momentarily, she wondered if that was a trick in and of itself; to make them all think she was stuck in her ruthless ways, when she had figured out some alternative path through the chaos. However, she felt that was being too generous; she didn't think the Fire Lord was stupid, but she was too arrogant and smarmy to be a genius.

"I can't tell if you're being serious." Suki admitted, and the Fire Lord just smirked.

"Precisely, because you are all too concerned with what is right, rather than considering what is possible, or simply... probable." she counterted, "The dispreferred outcome, is the same as yours. War."

"What, do you not think you can win?" Hakoda asked, "Your nation was fighting well until you and your father were defeated by Aang."

"Winning is not the issue." she retorted, "Best case scenario, I win, and my nation is forced to deal with the exact same issues we had before, but forced back fifty... sixty years. All the gains made under my uncle, and my grandfather before him, would all have been squandered for nothing. A few months of peace."

"It isn't nothing." Suki declared, knowing that even if it didn't last, the opportunity itself was just that important; after a hundred years of conflict, a morsel of peace seemed like a feast.

"Tell that to the people whose families have died fighting in this war." she snapped back at her; the Fire Lord seemed personally offended, though her expression softened once more.

"You say that like you've lost somebody." Toph keenly observed, having noticed what Suki had; the Fire Lord scoffed.

"How do you think I managed to become the Fire Lord? As much as I would love to say it was due to my martial prowess and great intellect, it comes down more to luck... or bad luck, on the behalf of those who had to fall in my way." she explained, raising a finger, "When I was eleven, my cousin, eight years my senior, died fighting in Ba Sing Se. He was meant to be sitting here, not me."

"Your cousin?" Sokka raised a brow, "Wait, so then... I don't mean to diverge from the point you were making, but who else is there in the royal family?" he asked, presumably just out of personal interest, rather than wanting to clarify the story.

"At that time, my grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon, my uncle, Prince Iroh, his son, Prince Lu Ten, my father, Prince Ozai, my brother, Prince Zuko, and then myself." she explained, "That was the line of succession."

"Then how-" he began, before scrunching his lips, as if he had suddenly come to a realisation "Wait... uncle... you mean that fat guy with Zuko?"

"Ah, I see you're acquainted." she observed with a smirk, "He was meant to succeed my grandfather as Fire Lord, but the succession was overturned after Lu Ten's death. Then, my father became Fire Lord, and my brother his heir."

"Huh." he mumbled, before gesturing, "I guess this is the bit where you explain why Zuko was off chasing Aang instead of being your father's heir."

"No, I don't need to." she refused, "The point of the matter was, he was exiled. He and my uncle were both assassinated by some pirates they had prior dealings with."

"W-wait, pirates?" Sokka asked, before his face paled, and his eyes turned down to his hands, seeming disturbed, "Katara... you idiot."

"Son?" Hakoda asked his son, who looked utterly ashamed.

"As much as it pains my honour to say this... but I am sorry." he apologised directly to the Fire Lord, who was more amused than anything.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, because my sister... her obsession with learning waterbending... that got us in the mess with those pirates... and then... well, you just said it." he explained, "It's our fault they're dead. I didn't like Zuko, but I- I can't have that on my conscience."

Azula seemed quite annoyed by his words, though it was unclear why; perhaps she actually did have some anger and grief about their deaths.

"No, no it isn't." she retorted, and stood up, "It's a matter of personal honour, but I cannot tell you why you are wrong."

"What?" Toph blurted out, "Okay, now you're really confusing me. You're saying the pirates didn't do it?"

"No, I didn't say that. What I'm saying is that they were paid to kill them. It was not because of whatever spat your sister got my brother into." she clarified, crossing her arms, "I was sent by my father to investigate these matters, and I will not bring them up again."

"Why... why even bother to tell me that?" Sokka asked, and the Fire Lord looked at him with a snide, prideful look.

"Principle." she answered, before sitting herself back down, "I will not have you blame... relative innocents, when there were actual wrongdoers in the mix."

"So, what was the point of you telling us all of that?" Toph asked, and Azula crossed her arms.

"That I am Fire Lord due to mere luck... and all these people have died, trying to serve their country. Every last one of them... barring my grandfather, who just passed in his sleep." she acknowledged, "And though my father may be physically alive... in spirit, your friend killed him, make no mistake."

"Heh, so much for all that pacifism." Toph snickered in amusement, though Sokka shut her up by elbowing her lightly.

"So, do not try to confuse my lack of hate with a lack of loss." she warned them, "All that loss cannot be for nothing. I wish that those in charge of the Earth Kingdom realise that before they throw everything away for hopes of a little more land."

"You mean the Earth King?" Sokka asked, and she scoffed.

"I said what I said. You know as well as I do that he is not the one in charge of things."


Zuko did not know whether he ought to feel more at ease surrounded by his own people. The Fire Nation colonies were not the homeland, but many settlements mirrored it in such a way that if it were not for the differing climate and vegetation, he might actually think he had walked into a random town in the homeland. However, the settlement he had found himself in was not one of those; it was some older town that had been settled by colonists, and built up as a centre of local industry. It was called Yoikaikou, a place that he had never visited before; that was because it was upriver from the coast, and not easily accessible by a sea-going ship like his own.

He did know about the place, from his journeys, but knew little about the kinds of opportunities he could find there. He hoped only for some work, and a place to stay, if only temporarily. He knew that his actions as the Blue Spirit had ruined his last chance at normalcy, so he decided he would have to relent using that disguise again. He knew it might be necessary at times, but Zuko realised that it was his desire to fight that was making him act so poorly. It was either that, or a desire for justice, and he preferred not to think that, if only because it made him sound stuck up and self-deluded.

Zuko was sound of mind, even if he had done terrible things that no sane person ought to have. He tried to keep those memories at bay by focusing on the task at hand, which was searching for employment. He had spent a whole week out running through the wilds, making sure to lose the soldiers who were pursuing him before trying to return to civilisation; that left him hungry, tired, and in need of a safe place to rest. He had enough savings from his odd jobs that he could house himself in an inn for a few days, but that was all.

His only relief about him being chased as the Blue Spirit was that they were looking for him, not Zuko; even then, he was no longer himself. His phoenix tail was gone, and his formerly shaved hair had grown messy and oily. He no longer looked like a Prince, and he had lost a decent amount of weight and muscle after he recovered from his earlier injuries. That was despite all the manual labour he had been doing. His firebending skills were out of practice, and he was afraid to have to actually use them, feeling that he might either go overboard, or not have the power to back himself up.

The tavern he found was off of the main road, inside the middle of town; it was bustling, full of customers during the midday rush for lunch and drinks. Men and women, Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom alike, filled the place, and despite what he had been imagining, they actually seemed to get along. However, he could see that some were less than pleased with each other's presence, especially among the older customers. For his own safety, he avoided going near or trying to interact with the Earth Kingdom customers inside, and just focused on getting himself a hot meal, and an idea of the employment opportunities available.

"What can I get for you, son?" the bartender asked, and Zuko put down a few ban.

"Whatever slop you've got in the pot." he gestured to the pot that lay in the kitchen, which was open up to the bar so everyone could see what was being made.

"Ah, you're hungry, not thirsty." he observed, before chuckling, "Well good, you're probably too young to be drinking in any case."

"I would have asked for tea." he admitted, and the barkeep raised a brow.

"Do... do you want some?"

"I'm on a tight budget." he stressed firmly, and the barkeep winced, seeming sympathetic.

"Well, I'll get you a bowl." he accepted his request, and took the money, "That's more than enough for a few."

"Just one bowl." he clarified, "Is that enough for lodging?"

"One night, and another meal." he clarified, and narrowed his eyes, "You don't really know your money."

"Urgh... sorry." he turned his head down; he didn't want to out himself as a noble, as among colonials, he imagined that would not inspire the kindest of reactions, "I'm really tired after walking into town."

"Makes sense." he accepted his excuse, and handed him a bowl, "Will you stay the night?"

"Yeah." he nodded, before the man checked the money; he pushed back a few pieces of cash in change, before reaching under the bar, and handing him a token.

"This is for a room. Just show it to one of the staff tonight, and they'll have you sorted... unless you want to put your things away now?" he asked, and Zuko scrunched his lips.

"I have to find some work... but, yes, I'll put my bags in the room." he clarified his intentions, and the barkeep nodded.

"Understood." he accepted his proposal, before tapping on the bar, "Ay, Debu." he addressed the man sitting beside him, "You were looking for a job recently. Got any leads for the boy?" he asked, and the man turned his head up.

He was a rather portly man, about Zuko's father's age, and he seemed to be somewhat intoxicated.

"Yeah..." he mumbled, "Ah, are you strong?"

"I mean... I guess." he sheepishly nodded, unsure what exactly to say; he was not exceptionally impressive, but Zuko had trained for years to fight the Avatar, so compared to the average commoner, he would call himself strong.

"Well then, I heard that the port authority wanted more labourers. They've been running short with everyone moving out to the new settlements east of here. You fit the bill... young, poor, hungry." he observed, and Zuko looked away.

"Thanks." he acknowledged the man's help, "When will I be able to get work?"

"If you go there tonight, you'll be able to get work tomorrow." Debu explained, before raising a finger, "Just tell 'em ol' Debu sent you. I never know when I'm gonna be out of a job again."

The barkeep handed him the bowl of soup he had requested, along with a spoon to eat it with; Zuko didn't waste a moment, and dug into it. The soup had enough spices that he felt it wasn't disgusting to eat, though the textures of the mixture were most unappealing. The soup did fill his gut, and he felt re-energised by the time he had scooped it clean. He glanced around, and wondered if he seemed like easy pickings to be robbed; that was something he had been cognizant of, but given his own strength, he had not really paid much mind to it. Zuko had unfortunately outed himself as having some savings on him, meaning that anyone desperate might try and steal from him. He decided to deal with that issue immediately, and get his bags in a room, so he could head down to the port and ask for a job, as Debu suggested.

"Barkeep, I'll go get a room now." he explained his intentions, and the barkeep nodded.

"Alright." he accepted his request, before making a whistle, "Hideko!" he called out to one of the workers in the tavern, who paced over to the bar.

"Yes?" she spoke up as she arrived, and the barkeep gestured to Zuko.

"This boy wants a room. He's paid for it, just take him up and make sure everything is handled." he explained what he wanted her to do; she turned her gaze to Zuko, and eyed him up and down; that made him feel a little uncomfortable, as he guessed she was thinking unsavoury thoughts just from her eyes alone.

She gestured towards a staircase, "Follow me." she told him, and he did just that.

She led him to the staircase, up it, reaching a hallway lined with rooms; she eyed the doors, and turned back, "Your token." she requested, and Zuko handed it to her.

She turned around and unlocked a cabinet at the end of the hallway, by the staircase, and pulled out a key, "This is for you." she offered it to him, "You'll give it back tomorrow when you're leaving. If you need us to hold onto your things while you're out in the town, we can do that." she clarified, "Our locker is secure... never been robbed." she assured him.

Zuko was unsure whether he ought to believe that; Yoikaikou was not the nicest of towns, and he had seen more than a few vagrants and people that clearly belonged to gangs. However, there was a decent number of town guards, all of them well armed, and presumably, most were veterans of the war. So, he hoped that they would be doing their duties and keeping the peace.

The woman gestured down the hallway, "The room is the second last one on the right." she told him where his room was, before eyeing the bag he was carrying, "I'd offer to help, but you seem to have that handled."

"Yeah, I'm fine." he stressed; even if he was tired, he really didn't have that many things on his person, so having somebody else carry his things was unnecessary, not to mention dangerous, given they could uncover his identity as the Blue Spirit.

He thought he ought to get rid of the old mask and find something new, in case he had to go out under disguise again, but he relented, feeling an odd sense of attachment to it, despite only getting it two months prior from a market.

"Don't be a stranger." she spoke up, and gestured back down the staircase, "Drinks are cheaper for those staying."

"I'm... I'm fine." he assured her, "I need to go find a job."

"Everyone needs money to live." she conceded, "I wish you the best of luck with that." she acknowledged, before making her way back down the stairs.

Zuko didn't waste any time, and paced over to his room; he unlocked the door, and placed his bags down inside. In case any of the workers came to clean the room, he made sure to hide his swords and mask underneath the bed, and kept his money on his person. He didn't have all that much, but losing it would force him to do more unsavoury things. Robbing people was dishonourable, even it could be justified.

Once he had his things in their places, he turned back around and left the room, locking the door behind himself. He didn't want to waste any more time just standing around; he needed a job to keep himself housed and from going hungry. Even if he was disappointed with having to live the life of a commoner, he could at least rest easy that nobody was actively hunting him down, at least while he kept his head down.

He made his way down the stairs, waved to the barkeep and exited the tavern; the streets were still quite busy with people heading from their lunches back to work. He hoped that he could catch whoever was in charge of the port so he could get some work there. He didn't expect to immediately start working, and Debu's warning was just a confirmation of that.

He expected that paying somebody for half a day was a bit complicated, and he'd have to be shown the ropes before he would be able to do anything useful. Zuko would consider working unpaid initially if just so they'd teach him what to do, as that would certainly help if he wanted to get work at other ports, or even on a ship. That would at least make it easier for him to go back to the homeland, if he could be bothered trying.

Zuko thought about his home in the palace, but he knew that going back to the homeland without returning as himself was a bit pointless. The only benefit he could see is that the homeland was wealthier, and if he really wanted to try and live a normal life, it would be easier to find a permanent job. He imagined that teaching firebending might be possible, given his experience with firebending theory and the knowledge Iroh passed down to him over the years he had been in charge of his instruction.

He pushed that thought aside as he approached the port district of Yoikaikou; there were some guards standing duty in front of the port proper, presumably to prevent the movement of illicit goods, or stowaways. Zuko slowed as he approached, and wondered what he ought to say; he doubted the guards had any connection with the actual running of the port, but he knew it was worth asking.

"Halt." one of them addressed him, "Are you a dock worker?" he asked, and Zuko shook his head.

"No, I'm actually looking for a job." he clarified, and he realised that his tone might have been a bit too harsh, as both guards seemed to be a bit off put by him.

"Alright, boy." the other guard addressed him, and gestured to what looked like a large office, "That's the port authority building. Go in there, and speak with the receptionist. She should be able to get you in touch with the boss."

"Thank you." he acknowledged their help with a curt bow, before turning his heels.

He stepped over to the front door, and pushed it open; inside, it smelt of incense, ink, and perfume. He guessed that the last smell was coming from the receptionist. She was a woman in her thirties, with a bit too much make-up and an overblown hairstyle. She was probably the relative of whoever was in charge, knowing how things tended to work in the Fire Nation. He was a member of the Royal Family, and they were the apex of nepotism within Fire Nation society, but not exceptionally so- most families did the same, just on their own scale.

She noticed him come in, and raised the brush she was writing with up towards him, "What do you want, sweetheart?"

"I'm here for a job... and, uh, Debu sent me." he clarified, and the woman seemed amused.

"Ah, so you must be new around here." she correctly deduced that he was an outsider, "Yes, we're in need of a few more men at the docks. There's been a lot of construction materials being brought in, so more hands are needed." she explained why they needed more work, not mentioning the labour shortage that Debu had; perhaps she didn't want him to think that his labour was worth more than he might have imagined.

Zuko was frustratingly unaware of the actual wages labourers received, as he had mostly been working odd-jobs, and though the farming family had paid him relatively well, that seemed to be because they actually needed his help- they had few alternatives. So, for whatever she offered, he'd be sure to try and push it up a bit higher, knowing that he needed at least three dozen ban to cover his expenses for the day: food, accommodation, and any supplies that he might otherwise require.

"So, am I meant to speak with you, or is there somebody else in charge?"

"The port administrator. He's a busy man, so I handle a lot of the busybody work... including recruitment." she clarified, "How much experience do you have?"

"I've never worked as a dockworker before, but I have experience working hard labour. I'm good at it." he assured her, and she gestured over to a full bag of rice, which looked to weigh about as much as he did.

"Okay, prove it." she demanded, and he stepped over, before swinging the bag over his shoulder; it was quite heavy, but with bent knees and a good stance, he could hold it well enough, "They don't make boys like you every day." she admitted, "What are you, a deserter?"

"N-no!" he exclaimed, offended by the suggestion, and put the bag back down where he found it.

He might have been forced to abandon his quest, but his father had only demanded he capture the Avatar to end his exile, and not that it was necessary for him to continue living in peace on his ship. However, he could see that his actions might have been analogous to desertion; that made him feel uncomfortable, so he pushed that thought to the back of his mind.

"I'm just strong." he argued, and she hummed.

"So, you can firebend?" she asked, and he nodded, "Well?" she pressed, probably wanting an idea of how advanced his firebending skills were; he was certainly above the average soldier, but he could not say he was better than the elite firebenders that trained all their lives for battle.

"I mean, I'm unsure what's expected of a dockworker... but I didn't think fighting was part of it."

"We need muscle to make sure nobody steals the goods we are contracted to move, and to punish those who do." she argued, "Do you have a problem with that?"

Zuko cringed at the thought of being hired muscle for what might be some corrupt local official; however, he knew that was a relatively secure form of employment, assuming he didn't mess with his employer's business. He sighed, and nodded.

"No I don't. I can fight."

"How well?" she pressed, "I mean, no offence, but you look like you've been beaten more than you've won fights." she warned him, and Zuko leaned over towards the desk, deciding to employ another tactic, so he wouldn't actually have to show off his own fighting style.

"Miss, I mean no offence, but do you think I'm weak if I got this scar and lived?" he asked her a rhetorical question, and she understood the underlying meaning.

"I- uh, sorry... I can see you are physically capable." she apologised, and cringed, "Well, I just need evidence."

"I'll do you one better." he suggested, before he pulled his dagger from out of his robes, and tossed it right into the bag of rice, making some grains spill out.

"Hah." she gasped out, seeming impressed, "Okay, that's... good." she approved of his skill, before sighing, "But I'll need to sow that back up." she realised, sounding more annoyed now.

"Sorry." he apologised, and bowed towards her, "I just wanted to-"

"No, I get it." she interrupted him, "You seem good enough. Here's a token. Show it to the guards when you arrive tomorrow morning, and I'll have one of the supervisors teach you the ropes. I need you here at dawn."

"I will do my best to be here punctually." he assured her, and she seemed amused by his response.

"Alright, Mister Fancypants." she noted his use of vocabulary, "Don't go speaking like that with the others. They won't take kindly to educated gentry types." she warned him, and Zuko felt obliged to clarify.

He held his tongue, knowing it was in his best interest for nobody to have any idea about his actual background.

"Understood." he accepted her advice, "They don't like well off people."

"If you're in Yoikaikou, you're not well off." she retorted, "You certainly aren't. You should probably wash up before you come in... even we have standards." she added another suggestion, before gesturing to the door, "You can be on your way."

Zuko reached into his pocket and placed down a coin, to cover the cost of the bag he had just torn, "For the bag."

"How chivalrous." she commented, and he couldn't be sure if she was being sarcastic or not, "Go on." she waved him off, and Zuko stepped over to the door, not wanting to intrude for any longer than was necessary; the woman wasn't the kindest, but she had given him a chance, and that was all he wanted.

Once he was back outside, he glanced around, and wondered what he ought to do; he needed to go wash up, but he would do that at the tavern, as he was sure they had some facilities available for that purpose. Zuko was about to begin walking when somebody patted him on the shoulder.

"Hey, you dropped this." a man addressed him; Zuko turned around to see that it was a tall man with moppish hair and a gaunt face, who looked a bit strange.

He had Zuko's bag of coins in his hand, and he wondered for a moment if he was being scammed, "Uh, thanks." he accepted the coins.

"You're new around here, aren't you?" he guessed, and he nodded, "Well, take a word of advice... you could use some friends."

"Friends?" he raised a brow, "I- what, do you think I have none?" he asked, and the stranger crossed his arms.

"Eh, I mean, would anyone be coming here alone if they had any friends. The colonies aren't very nice... especially this place." he warned him, and Zuko furrowed a brow, finding the man's behaviour a little suspect; perhaps he had seen Zuko earlier, and wanted to speak with him, though he could not be certain why.

"Okay." he mumbled, unsure what to say, "Any more advice? I mean, I can't say I'm the best at being a vagrant. It's new to me."

"It's not new to me." the stranger assured him, and that was no surprise, given his appearance, and the ragged cloak he was wearing, "There's more than meets the eye with a lot of people. You can't guess all their intentions. You're wanting to work here at the port, right?" he asked, and Zuko nodded; that was easy enough to guess, and didn't strike him as being a particularly suspicious observation.

"Yeah. Do you have an issue with that?"

"You're not going to make many friends working for these people." he acknowledged, "However, I'm guessing you're not trained in anything that could help you get a proper job."

"Maybe a firebending instructor." he admitted a thought that had come to mind.

The stranger seemed surprised by that, and smiled, "Ah, well, there's never a shortage of kids learning firebending. Maybe if you head off to one of the wealthier colonies, you can find yourself a tutoring job." he suggested, "Those are really popular in the homeland."

"Thanks for the advice." Zuko acknowledged his point, though he had already thought out such a plan.

He realised that he was paralysed by his own indecision, and fear of actually moving someplace permanently. The idea of having people know him, on a deep and meaningful level, that really did scare him. Iroh was the only person he really trusted, and with him gone, he didn't know if he could ever vest that amount of belief into another person again. Everyone who cared about him was gone, or they were dead; he didn't want to repeat his mistakes. Perhaps he could find a life of peace, but Zuko felt that it was impossible, not with the war happening all around him.

"Be glad you have that opportunity." the stranger suggested how he ought to feel; that offended Zuko, but the man's face spoke of pain untold, "Not everyone does." he admitted, before pulling his cloak up over his face and walking away, "Good luck, stranger."

"You too." Zuko awkwardly farewelled him; a few moments later, he thought about the fact that the stranger had picked up his bag of coins, and knew he had to check.

He didn't want to have been swindled by such a polite robber; he reached in, and counted the coins by touching them; it didn't seem like any were missing, and in fact, he found something new, though the texture was familiar. He pulled it out of the bag, and identified it at once: a white lotus tile, from a Pai Sho set. He grit his teeth, remembering the last, and perhaps only memory he associated with such an item.

Perhaps it was the inevitable cause of everything; a twist of fate, that Iroh had thought his White Lotus piece had gone missing, and they went on a search to buy a new one, inadvertently leading Zuko to make one of the first in a set of terrible decisions: to hire the pirates to help him capture the Avatar. It turned out that was all for naught, for the piece was in his robes. Now, with another piece in his hands, Zuko felt ready to toss it right at the stranger, knowing he must have put it inside.

Zuko held himself back, and put his coins away, before pacing back in the direction of the tavern. He couldn't stomach doing it himself. A sign, perhaps, but certainly not one of fate. It was deliberate, and he couldn't help but feel it was not a coincidence that his uncle had 'lost' the same piece. What it all meant, he could not be certain, but he knew his uncle was a more nuanced person than he might have appeared to be at a glance. He was not a bumbling, jocular old man, but a wise, sage warrior, somebody that anyone ought to listen to, and he had searched hard for that piece, holding some great reverence for it, that could not have just been sentiment.

The piece had to have a meaning, and though he thought to chase down the stranger, he did not want to be duped into something beyond his comprehension. Zuko had already faced that before, in the War Council meeting. He had sacrificed his own wellbeing for nothing, and now, his uncle's life; he would not let everything be for nothing. It was not the Avatar he desired, but his own freedom.


The doctor was a nuisance. He was the only one who bothered to come visit him, and yet, he was refusing to tell him anything. Ozai's frustrations were reaching a tipping point; he was unsure how many days it had been, but he guessed it had to have been more than a month since he was tossed in that spirit-forsaken cell. The strongest firebender in the world reduced to a powerless wretch, forced to writhe in a cold, dark place that no man ever desired to call his home. He knew his punishment was fair, if only for the fact that he was proven to be so weak.

He denied it for so long, believing that he had been tricked, but the truth was plain there for him to see. He could no longer bend his element, and his will to live had been sapped, almost entirely. He hated eating, he hated sleeping, he hated living. It was perhaps a greater torture than any ever devised by the mind of man. He did not need to be punished, because living was punishment enough. The hole left in him by the Avatar was something that could never be filled. No leisure, pleasure, or fine abode would soothe that ache. When Ozai realised that, that was when he realised that the cell was irrelevant; it held him physically, but it could not punish him any more than that loss already did. He could leave the cell, return to his throne, and yet, he would not be free of it; it would only feel all the more worse. However, at least there, he could know what was going on, and perhaps enact his will, whatever remained of it, for the good of his nation.

That was why the doctor annoyed him. Not because he was refusing to free him, but because he refused to give him the only thing that could actually help him: information. So, when he heard footsteps once more, knowing that it was not meal time, he grit his teeth and turned around. He would not be checked by the idiot once again, only to be refused any answers. He did not know if Azula reigned, if she had even survived her battle with the Avatar; he didn't know what was happening to the rest of his country. All Ozai had left was the Fire Nation, and for it to be destroyed, that would sap the last of his will to live.

"Father." he heard a familiar voice, which he hadn't heard in so long, that it almost sounded like honey; for a moment, he thought he had heard Ursa again, but he was a fool to think she would return.

She knew it was forbidden, after all. He turned to face his daughter, and saw only a hooded cloak. She was dressed like a common criminal, disguising herself in a place that ought to belong to her, if she still claimed what he had given her.

"Are you not the Fire Lord?" he asked her, "Rags are unbecoming of a monarch."

"That is rich coming from you." she observed his own attire, and he scoffed; she was willing to bite back, which was new.

She no longer feared him in the same way she must have before, when he had all his power, both in his station and in his bending. However, the fact she was there told him that she was there because she still wanted his approval, or even, his advice.

"I had no choice in it." he reminded her that he was in prison, and not just confined to a room with all his material possessions, "The throne seems to have loosened your tongue. I can't say I'm not impressed."

"Impressed that I talked back?" she asked, seeming more confused than anything; Ozai didn't need to respond, as she had correctly observed his feelings.

He shuffled closer to the bars of the cell, so he could try and see her face; if they were going to talk, he would not have her standing back, talking at him. Even if he was in that cell, he was her father. She understood, and sat herself down, so they were looking eye to eye; her golden irises gleamed almost green from the light of her flames, which lit the space between them.

"What did you come here for?" he asked, before raising a hand, "No, how? And why the rags?"

"I am not a prisoner... at least not in the way you are." she answered his first question, "You might call the conditions of my release making our own nation hostage to our foes. So my cell might be larger... but it is still a cell." she admitted, seeming frustrated by such a situation, as she ought to be, "I am the Fire Lord, and the servants, guards, and ministers still follow my command."

"You are the Phoenix Queen now." he declared, "If I cannot have my dominion, then it is yours."

"There is no reason to claim a title that I cannot hold." she countered, "The Avatar has seen to it that an armistice was called... and Ba Sing Se was taken from our grasp before that."

"The conniving dirt-eaters have proven their knack for timing." he admitted, "During the comet... that is quite brazen."

"It was not the Earth Kingdom that took the city. It was a secret society... which I know little about, beyond the fact they must have powerful benders in their ranks." she explained what she knew about the people who had made a mockery of her great victory; Ozai felt a tinge of pity for her, knowing that Ba Sing Se had been her conquest, not his.

"This society... did they have firebenders among them?" he asked, assuming that only a firebender during the comet, or many of them, would have been able to stand up against the defenders of the city.

"Yes." she confirmed, seeming a bit aggrieved in her tone; perhaps she was disgusted by such treasonous behaviour.

Ozai thought she ought to turn those feelings into action.

"They must die." he declared, and Azula's eyes moved up to meet his own.

"In time." she gave him a rather weak assurance, but an assurance nonetheless.

"And what about the Avatar?" he asked, "If you had to come here in such a disguise, then he must still be lording over our great nation." Ozai concluded, making his disgust known through his face, "Will you put an end to this mockery of our nation's sacrifices?"

"The Avatar cannot be defeated." she retorted, her tone calm, yet firm.

Azula may have defeated him once, but if she had failed during the comet, then Ozai had to concede that defeating him in combat was effectively impossible. However, there were surely other ways she could outplay him, as she had outplayed the Avatar and his cronies in Ba Sing Se; he was impressed with her politicking there, and it proved that his idea was possible.

"In battle. In the sphere of politics, he will crumble far quicker than his predecessors." he argued, "Do you have a plan?" he asked, presuming that his daughter, being as quick-witted as she was, would have already begun to ferment a plot to destroy his stranglehold over the Fire Nation.

"The armistice will surely be broken, and I do not intend to break it." Azula explained herself, "Before you call me a coward-"

"I wasn't going to say that." Ozai raised a hand up towards the bars between them, "I understand. You need to make our enemies his enemies... the enemies of the peace he so desires."

"Yes." she nodded resolutely, before bowing her head down, "Father, what should I do?" she humbly asked for his advice, and he was more than willing to give it; he had waited ever since he had been tossed in the cell for that very opportunity.

"Make yourself the guardian of the innocent." he argued, "These weak-willed fools love a hero. They love somebody who will defend those who cannot defend themselves."

"That cannot sway everyone." Azula whispered, and he looked at his daughter with slight bemusement.

"Oh, you only need one mind to turn against the Earth Kingdom." he gestured his index finger upward, "Once he is yours, you have nothing to fear from him."

"And what if I cannot?" she asked, and Ozai stroked his beard.

"There is only one reasonable solution." he admitted, knowing that the Avatar would turn the tide in whatever conflict might follow, "You must make our enemy's war untenable."

"How?" she pressed, and he looked away; he had spent many war council meetings learning about how war was conducted, and most importantly how it was won.

"You cannot let them claim anything. Make every single step forward worthless. They will take only ashes." he declared, and Azula's eyes widened.

"You're referring to the colonies, Father?" she asked, and he raised his chin.

"I'm referring to everything." he declared, "But they will never reach the homeland. They lack ships... let alone the industry to produce them at the scale required."

"And what about the Avatar?" she asked, "I can't just ignore him."

"Unless he tries to intervene directly, there is no need." he argued, "The Avatar is an Air Nomad. He is a coward. Unless he is compelled to, he will not attack you. That is why you must be the defender of our nation."

Azula understood his words, and nodded slowly, "And what about the threats from within?"

"What threats?" he asked her, "I crushed all dissent against my rule. Nobody dared to stand against my commands." he argued, and Azula narrowed her eyes.

"The ministers are self-interested, and always have been."

"As long as that interest benefits the Fire Nation, there is no harm." he argued, "You need competent underlings to enact your will."

"I am denying their competence." she responded as if that was not a serious claim to make; it was as if she was simply commenting on the weather or some other trivial, undisputed fact.

Ozai knew that there was corruption within his government, but he had tolerated that as long as it benefitted his goals as Fire Lord. The Fire Nation was a machine with many moving parts, and replacing those parts forced things to slow down; the various ministries were bloated after decades of corruption, embezzlement, and general malfeasance, but Ozai had cleaned things up. At least, in the sense that he ensured that all the ministers were directly loyal to him. He wondered if their lack of competence in her eyes was derived from that fact; she wanted a clean slate, as he had when he had been crowned Fire Lord.

"That is a bold claim." he argued, before leaning closer to the bars, "Do you really fear a coup that much?"

"A coup to reinstall you as Fire Lord?" she asked in return, and Ozai's lack of a negative response seemed to confirm that for her, "I am well aware that some might prefer you as Fire Lord, but they know that the Avatar will not tolerate it. I am much more concerned that extremists will take matters into their own hands."

"Proud patriots, you mean?" he gave them another name, and Azula did not seem amused by his words, but rather angered.

"I do not want to die at the hands of peasants." she retorted, "They will bring more bloodshed and chaos... and I will not have that. Ba Sing Se was ours because I decided to fight with my mind instead of my fists. Anyone who replaces me will not be smart about it." she argued, and Ozai narrowed his eyes.

Saying 'anyone' was a bit broad, and he knew as well as she did that there was a threat equal to, if not greater than, any uprising by the masses against whatever peace process the Avatar enforced on their nation.

"I would not call my son an idiot." Ozai warned her, and Azula's eyes flickered; he broke her, only for a moment, and saw inside; he clenched his fists, knowing that she knew something, "Azula, do you have something to tell me?"

Her gaze averted his own, "Zuko won't do anything. I made sure of that." she stressed, before clenching her own fists, "You might not think so, but he does have a shred of honour. He would not waste that by deposing me."

"It's not a matter of deposing you, my dear daughter." he clarified, "Your brother remaining alive is the real threat to your rule, no matter his feelings about the throne, or whatever promises he gave you." he warned her, "Though... I do prefer that it was my brother and not him who perished on that ship. Iroh would have been far too willing to bend to the Avatar's demands."

"I think we can both agree on that, Father." she assured him of her own view on Iroh.

She was always a sycophant when it came to him, and though he did approve of her loyalty, he didn't want her mindlessly agreeing with him just because she thought it would earn his approval. With Zuko out of the picture, she was assuredly his heir, so there was really no need for such games.

"Your opinions on your uncle have been blemished by your desire for approval." he gave his honest assessment, "And for the throne."

"Is there any need to say that? He is dead. What does it matter?" she asked him, and Ozai sighed.

"Well, your brother will certainly care about that opinion." he warned her, before turning his gaze over to the door that led out that section of the prison, "I expect that he will reveal himself in time, no matter his promises."

"Why?" she asked, "Zuko is a coward."

"No, no he is not." Ozai retorted, "He is an idealistic fool, not a coward. A coward wouldn't have spoken up in that meeting chamber."

"He didn't fight back." she reminded him what happened, and Ozai raised his chin.

"Do not mistake loyalty for cowardice." he warned her, "That is what you must understand when it comes to leadership. Once you have loyalty, it is more useful than any deal you make with your enemies." he argued, and Azula seemed to absorb this advice, "Your brother was loyal to a fault. He refused to strike at his own father, even if it cost him half his face."

"You say that like it was what you intended." she commented, and Ozai didn't consider the need to respond to that; he just shrugged his shoulders.

"Your brother learned his lesson. If he has grown past his foolishness, he will not repeat it."

"Well... I think he did." Azula admitted, "But, no, he won't repeat it again."

"Oh, you mean..." he recalled the Agni Kai Zuko had fought against Zhao; that whole spat was gained Ozai's interest in the Commander, and in hindsight, he would have much preferred if his son had killed the man then and there.

It would have saved countless sailors, ships, and soldiers, who found themselves destroyed by the Northern Water Tribe and the Avatar. Ozai found the whole ordeal extremely wasteful, and was surprised to hear that the Northern Water Tribe had refused to send men south to fight; they were perhaps bigger fools than the Admiral himself.

"It may be that I am responsible for my own downfall, then." he realised the consequences of those actions.

If Zhao was not in the way, his son might have had a good chance of capturing the Avatar, and unlike his daughter, he wouldn't have almost killed him, but failed. He would have the Avatar in chains, instead of being the one in a cell. Azula certainly wouldn't have been happy with that outcome, but he didn't care; Ozai would have preferred a victory with his son than a failure with his daughter.

Even then, Azula was just as responsible for that as the Admiral. She had never explained things properly, and her reports were inconsistent, though they seemed to suggest that his son had broken free and run, on Azula's watch. Because she was the better bender, she must have allowed it to occur.

"What, because you promoted Zhao?" she asked, and Ozai raised his chin.

"I placed too much faith in you." he admitted, "You let Zuko run free, instead of making him finish his quest."

"I did that out of self-interest." she retorted, before rising to her feet, "You cannot blame me for that."

She turned around, and Ozai knew that he had touched a nerve, "I didn't take you as a runner, Daughter."

"If you had shown him an ounce of respect, then Brother would have run back to serve you." she argued, "In the end, he loved Uncle, not you." she declared something that bit, because it was true; she pulled the hood back over her face, and snuffed out the flames in her palm, leaving Ozai in the dark once again.

When she shut the door behind her, Ozai grit his teeth and moved back to the ragged bedding he had been afforded in that cell; he was unsure what time of day it was, and still had no certainty how much longer he would be subjected to such terrible conditions. His daughter's sympathies ran short, and of course they did; she acted exactly as he taught her to, even when it was to Ozai's own detriment. With no flames, he was useless, alone, and shrouded constantly.

"I hate the dark."