Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When he turned 80 they asked if he regretted anything
The person who wasn't that young for a few decades just gave a breathless laugh
“Do I regret? Of course not, after all I lived the life I chose, not the one that was imposed on me”

It had been 400 years, but the stories continued, they were passed down through generations religiously.
A story about a ship with a crew with no ties to land, a crew that went by only one name.
The blue Spirit

Chapter Text

A ship was sailing silently on the sea, not even the noise of the sails could be heard as it entered the fog.

No one questioned when a mysterious mist covered the sea near the cliffs, but there weren't many people who could have questioned either. It was late, so late that the only light was the full moon shining in the sky, all the villagers had been sleeping for some time; and even if they were awake they would not question what was happening on the cliffs.

Nobody said anything about the cliffs, and the stories they had about there were never good ones.

But they questioned, it only took two days of spying to find out that they would need to intervene, just two days to see that if they didn't do it, no one else would.

“You already know what to do,” he said with a deadly calm.

The rest of the passengers just nodded, the moonlight shining on their masks as the boat slowly reached the side of the cliff.
He just watched as the one wearing the mask of Hennya started to climb like a monkey the ledges that appeared when necessary, it took him just 45 seconds to reach the top.

A rope was thrown over the edge and so the next ones began to climb. The fog followed them, causing the entire cliff edge to disappear in a white glow. The rest of the team didn't bother with the fog, they knew how to find their way around it. And one by one they went towards the little house that was there.
 
Halfway through, the one wearing the Tengu mask made a sign with his hands, then the seven separate as if they were one.
 
The Okame headed towards the trees without hesitation, years of practice prevented the leaves from even making a noise as he settled into the highest branches and drew his bow.

Two went toward the back exits, the others positioned themselves on the sides of the house, one on the right and the other on the left.
The blue Demon and the Kitsune just stood in front of the door; the inhabitants of the house still hadn't heard anything, after all they were silent as they got there.

A simple knock was what it took, while Kitsune knocked on the door and Blue positioned himself, they weren't going to let it go on too long.

He watched as the door opened roughly and a disheveled-looking man walked out with his mouth open in some ready offense. They never knew what he was going to say, never gave him the chance as they positioned a sword at his throat and motioned for him to leave.

He did, but not without first spilling a large ceramic vase alerting the other residents of the house that something was wrong. The one wearing the blue mask gave a sigh and shook his head. They never learned, he thought as he heard the Kitsune whistle.

His team did not hesitate, hearing the whistle they all jumped into action at the same time. The back door was opened as the windows shattered

The men to their credit didn't hesitate as they stood up screaming and grabbing their weapons. Twelve of them, blue counted as he walked slowly into the house. For a moment they stare at each other on both sides of the room.

Until he just gave two high-pitched whistles in a row. It was all his team needed before they went as one on the small troop.

The fight only lasted five minutes, he could tell the others were just playing with the men. And he had to admit it was funny to see those people who had terrorized the little village scream in panic as they were caught by his crew.

Soon the Hennya and Tengu were busy tying them up while the rest started looking around the property for anyone who might pass. A high-pitched whistle of an arrow being released indicated that they had missed one.

They did, but their Okame didn't. The thud of a body hitting the ground was all they heard before half the men started screaming insults and the other half mercy.

Mercy, he thought mockingly. They ask for mercy, how many people before had asked for the same thing and they had denied it. No, there would be no mercy for them today.

It took only three minutes for his team to finish the property, Hennya had the troop positioned so that they were all side by side, their hands tied behind their backs. Blue just pulled up a chair and positioned himself in front of the man he knew to be the leader, he felt rather than saw his team settle around the room, their masks glowing menacingly as they glared at the men.

They said nothing as one by one they walked towards them, cloth in one hand and a vial in the other. Some tried to fight but were useless compared to the masked people. Soon they were all asleep, all but one.

Blue just kept quiet as she looked through her mask at the increasingly pale and trembling leader. He didn't give any indications of saying anything as he pulled out the small knife that was inside his boot, he reached out a hand to steady the person who was trying more and more to move away from him, just when they were so close that his mask brushed against his skin that the Blue Demon spoke.

“I hope all of this was worth it. That way you will be able to say that you died without regrets”

Blue lifted the knife slowly, the sharp metal glistening in the light that came from the candles and reflecting the look of pure terror on the leader's face as he stared at the knife. That look was the last thing Blue saw on his face before a cloth was placed over the terrified leader's face. In a matter of seconds he was asleep.

The team finished positioning the sleeping men while Blue wrote a small note and placed it on the leader's body.

As one they would leave, minus Okame, she had one last job.

The fog followed them as they climbed back to the ship, one by one until everyone was inside and the boat began to move silently. There was only a short stop on a beach where Okame entered silently.

And so the ship departed as it arrived. Without making a sound, accompanied by a mysterious fog.

The next morning, as the villagers were waking up, they found a note in the main shops.

“Every action has a reaction, they finally got theirs. We recommend that you go up to the shack at the top of the cliff. You will have a nice surprise.
Att The Blue Spirit”

When the bravest ones finally went to the cliff and saw what happened, the ship was long gone. But the whispers as usual followed them.

“The blue spirit appeared again”

Chapter Text

Zuko learned a valuable lesson from an early age. Sometimes you need to be quiet.

He wasn't very skilled at it, after all he was born into royalty and learned that princes didn't need to be quiet, everything you said should be heard by people. His words were important.

He believed it. but when he was twelve years old he stopped.
When at a councilors' meeting he spoke; when in a meeting he believed his words were important.

They weren't.

What happened afterwards was just a consequence of your actions your father said.

"every action has a reaction. It's time for you to learn..."

Zuko thought with a sneer that he should thank his father for this lesson as he looked at the plate being placed in front of him.

Probably should be some kind of cake, emphasis on should. For what Zuko was presented with was nothing more than a misshapen dough with a color he didn't think cakes should have.

He controlled his face into a neutral expression as he boldly picked up a fork and brought the dough to his mouth. Just like all the others.

For a few seconds nobody said anything as they tried to chew whatever it was.

"Oh my god" Lori exclaimed as he gasped.

“Oh my god is it great?”

“Oh my god, are you trying to poison me? How did you let me put that in my mouth?” he said as he spit out the rest of the dough into the sea.

Zuko didn't see a better opportunity to discreetly do the same, he saw out of the corner of his eye the rest of the crew spit it out too, whether in the sea or on a napkin.

The taste had lingered on the tip of his tongue, though if you asked him what flavor it was, he couldn't answer for the life of him. He started taking big sips of jasmine tea to see if he could wash away the bitter taste it left in his mouth.

Kazu couldn't cook to save his life, but he was great at making teas. Not for the first time did he think that if one day he and Uncle Iroh met they could revolutionize tea shops forever.

He tried not to think too much about Iroh these days. He sometimes wondered if perhaps he would be proud of him, or would he get sick of seeing his own nephew surrender to piracy?

Zuko never thought to find out the truth, he was too cowardly to even think about facing Iroh, so he never went back to find out.

And he couldn't, anyway. Ghosts didn't speak.

And Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation had been dead for five years.

“It was a great attempt Kazu, really.” Hiro said as he took big swigs of his tea “It was much better than last time. But I still think it's best if we leave the kitchen to me.”

Everyone nodded, looking upset that Hiro hadn't given Kazu his blessing to cook. Still, Zuko had to suppress his chuckle as he glanced at Mai who was discreetly putting a mint leaf in her mouth to get the bad taste out. His shoulders started to shake even more when he saw Kazu pouting at Lori who was coming back from the bow of the ship mumbling about an assassination attempt so soon.

Zuko shook his head and picked up some nuts that were on a table before heading to the end of the ship to see Cosco. Zuko bought it when he was fifteen or more precisely the crew bought it for him, a birthday present they said.

Cosco was a messenger hawk with dark red feathers that he made a point of opening and showing off every morning when he flew to be near zuko while he meditated.

He smiled as the bird landed on his shoulder and started eating the nuts like he'd been starving for the past few days, he was dramatic like that.

“Just like you zuko, your personalities fit!” Yusa had exclaimed happily when Zuko complained about Cosco's drama. He stared at her for so long that her eyes started to burn. But Yusa had just smiled and headed towards the helm.

Sometimes he didn't know why he put up with them for so long. He should have stayed on some farm somewhere.

“Hello Cosco, how beautiful you are this morning” Saori says serenely as she caresses the hawk's feathers, which emits a hoot that could be of happiness.

Saori smiles conspiratorially at Zuko as she hands him a mint leaf, as if he knows that even after all the tea the taste still lingers stubbornly on his tongue, he accepts giving her a nod as he heads out with cosco still on his shoulder to talk to the rest of the crew.

“Okay, where to now?” he says as he picks up a small dart.

“My turn to launch!” Kazu says throwing himself on top of zuko to catch the dart, causing Cosco to emit a hoot of displeasure and fly to the top of the ship.

Everyone rolls their eyes as Zuko hands the dart to the green-eyed boy, who does a prep flourish that shouldn't be so necessary to throw just one dart. The small dart flies towards a large map that is nailed near the stairs and fixes in one spot.

"Omashu!" Kazu exclaims excitedly raising his hand in a high five towards Lori, who smiles and claps her hands together.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for us to be near Omashu?" Mai says tilting her chair so that it only stands on two feet, she is looking at the clouds while turning an arrow in her hand “after all the avatar could be there”

All the members make a face at that phrase. All of them, Zuko mainly, wouldn't want to bump into the proclaimed Gaang. The avatar had re-emerged six months ago, and its crew avoided them like the plague.

The last news they had of them was two days ago when Yusa got a copy of the new edition of Fazui. The newspaper of nations, saying that Gaang had emerged victorious against the fire nation soldiers who tried to invade the northern tribe.

There is not much news of what happened that day, but zuko will always remember. All the colors disappeared and the only thing that could be seen was a red moon, it looked like blood. Zuko was sickened just by looking at it.

Saori had panicked that night. Her waterbending didn't work, she tried in every way, but nothing worked.
Until she started to despair walking to one side. It was getting bad, so they all had to lock themselves in a room together to calm her down, and calm down too.

But just as quickly as it happened, she was soon gone. It only lasted 20 minutes, but it was one of the worst twenty minutes of Zuko's life, as he along with the rest of his family locked themselves in a room and hugged each other and tried to calm a sobbing Saori.
 
Although Saori and Ichiro were from the northern tribe they couldn't say what kind of things the fire nation could do to make the waterbenders lose their power. Without further information they let it go, although Saori was shaken for a few days after the event.

But if the Gaang had emerged victorious from the confrontation it meant that the avatar had mastered waterbending, and that the next step would be earthbending.

Which meant that from now on they would have to pay close attention to the ports they were in.

“But omashu? Will he not go to Ba Sing Se?” Saori asked slowly as she ate one of the nuts Hiro placed there
Zuko was quiet as he pondered the matter; he was certain that Ba Sing Se was a fortress. He still remembered Uncle Iroh's letters saying the place was impossible to enter.

But that didn't mean the avatar would go directly there. They had been to Omashu before, with Yusa and Lori being two earthbenders they thought it would be useful to learn what they could from King Bumi's soldiers, only to be taught by the eccentric king.

And they definitely learned. They learned how crazy and brilliant the king was at the same time.

“Not necessarily, many people know that King Bumi is an excellent earthbender. You learned from him. You know how good he is” Zuko says pointing to the two dominators who nodded in agreement

Bumi wasn't the only teacher they had, but he was certainly one of the most memorable.

“It would be difficult for the avatar to get to Ba Sing Se, even though he is who he is. The safest bet for now is for him to go to Omashu.”

“So no Omashu?” says Kazu with a pout but not sad.

“No Omashu” everyone agreed

Kazu threw the dart again and it landed on a village on the coast. They had their next destination.

Zuko thought about what the people who whispered about The Blue Spirit would think if they knew their fates were decided by throwing a dart at a map.

Personally, I think some things people will never need to know. Zuko decided as he grabbed more nuts and tried to convince Cosco to get off his perch.

 
+

There was a festival going on. The Festival of Lights, said the peasant.

“Zuko stop calling people peasants” the voice of a fourteen-year-old Yusa sounded in her head.

The villager says, zuko repeats it to himself stupidly even in thought.

It didn't look like a village that had been attacked by the fire nation, thought zuko absently as he walked with Mai and Yusa, probably the colonies hadn't arrived there yet, even though they were so close to the harbor.

Kazu and Hiro were jumping excitedly towards the food stalls. Using the coins from their last job to buy a little bit of every portion they were selling. Already talking about replicating on the ship. Meanwhile Saori and Lori were looking at pieces of clothing and ribbons to tie their hair.

  Zuko learned to love festivals; both he and the crew didn't have much appreciation for it at first, but it slowly started to sink into their hearts. These days if they went at least two months without going to a festival they could actually get sick.

“Um, a firebender presentation” Yusa says as she leans over to read a pamphlet, she turns her face and smirks at zuko “looks like we're going to see a real firebender in action after all. Just took what? five years?"

Zuko stares at her before turning around without saying a word, until he hears her loud laugh accompanied by Mai's, then they lock their arms with his towards a crowd near a stage.
This is going to be awful, Zuko decides before the show even starts.

As he'd predicted it really was horrible, the bender had such bad posture that if one of his old masters saw him he'd make him do push-ups until he threw up, his bends weren't smooth and honestly he was over the top beyond the point. One look at Mai let him know that she was thinking the same thing.

Although Yusa seemed to be having the time of her life, as she always exclaimed that the clown on stage did some bending that zuko learned when she was seven.

It's not like she hasn't seen him do bigger things before, he thought and said this to her. Which just made a shush sound as he watched the pitiful performance ahead.

Zuko was bored as he watched the presenter call someone onto the stage to do a demonstration, it was a fire dragon.

I doubt he even has enough technique to make a decent one, thought zuko as he looked at the girl in water tribe clothes sitting on a stool.

It all happened too fast, one second Zuko was looking at the bender farce to make a pathetic dragon only to be blown out by a gust of wind the next; soon a boy who must have been thirteen years old jumped on stage and started doing some tricks to distract the crowd that was starting to stir.
  
The avatar, zuko's mind supplied as he stood up stiffly.

  The avatar was there.

He looked at Mai and Yusa in a panic, before his body snapped and they moved towards the dock, a loud and fast whistle that Yusa let out caught the attention of the closest people, but that was all it took before the entire crew went to meet them.

Half of them had questioning looks, until zuko, with his body running adrenaline, said only the following words

“The avatar. Here. Let's go now"

There was no need to say anything else, they all turned and headed towards the dock. Hiro and Kazu tossing whatever they could get their hands on into a bigger bag so they wouldn't waste time with their hands full. Saori and Lori pushing people away to have a quicker and freer way.

They needed to get out, they were already attracting too much attention. And if the avatar was on stage then so would the rest of your team.

Soon everyone was settled on the ship, it was not necessary to say a word to Saori before she started moving the ship towards the open sea. Faster than should be possible without wind. But not impossible when you had a waterbender on board.

It only took a few minutes before they were out on the open sea, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
 
Everyone except Zuko.

Zuko was panicking, the avatar was there. There. That was close.

Zuko started to breathe quickly before a hand squeezed the back of his neck and reddish brown hair came into view. Yusa he recognized absently.

“Come on Zuko, breathe. You need to breathe. In, out” Yusa said slowly and surely while squeezing the back of her neck, never wavering “Look at the candle, come on you can do it. Match the candle”

Kazu brought a candle to enter zuko's vision, and Zuko concentrated on breathing along with the swing of the candle, just a minute later his breathing was controlling the candle. When he took a deep breath the candle got bigger, releasing the air the fire got smaller.

He stayed like that for another five minutes before he felt good enough to get up from a crouched position he didn't even remember getting into.

As soon as he got up he saw his family there, looking at him. But not ashamed that he had shown such weakness or annoyed that they had to stop to take care of him. No, they just looked at him worriedly. Some nights he would wake up and still not believe he had it.

"I am fine. I'm fine, sorry" he said as he straightened up and brushed his hair out of his face "I was caught off guard, that's all"

Everyone nodded, still worried, until zuko found himself with a cup of tea in his hands. That he'd warmed up with his bending just to have something to do.

Lori opened her mouth to say something before her eyes widened. Curious Zuko followed his gaze to spot a large bison coming out of the forest and entering the clouds. They had a bison, which explained how they traveled from the water tribe to here so quickly.

“I think we're going to need to sail a little faster” Kazu says before heading towards the ropes holding the sails.

Everyone nodded before heading to the ropes and Yusa at the helm.

“No” Zuko said calmly taking a sip of tea, everyone stopped and looked at him “they're leaving, we're not in a hurry. We can stay here for a few days. We're not going to risk hitting them again."

  Cosco, as if sensing Zuko's anguish, flew until he landed on his owner's arm and leaned over to be caressed. Zuko began absently stroking the feathers as he watched Saori deftly steer the boat to dock at the dock.

But before she could get any closer to the city, Zuko asked her to stop. Saori didn't ask for more explanations as she stopped the boat and kazu went back to rigging the sails.

Taking a deep breath to center himself, zuko got up and went to a hook to deposit Cosco. Soon he was ahead of his little crew.

"I think I owe you a show Yusa" he said with a small smile before making a bending motion a thousand times smoother than the presenter.

His flames were different from his too, they were of different colors, zuko's favorite was blue and purple.

They all settled down smiling as Hiro emerged with a bottle of liquor and the bag of snacks he and Kazu had picked up at the festival. Everyone started to smile and ask different things to zuko who in the end showed himself showing how a real fire dragon was.

And there, in the middle of the ocean, making little fires for his family's amusement, he felt complete.

After all, they wouldn't bump into Gaang again.

+

A week later they found the group again.

This time they were at the dock just to buy some things he needed for the ship's maintenance, and whatever Hiro wanted that week for the kitchen.

Two days ago they had helped a group of earthbenders escape from a small minimum security prison.

It was really too easy. But they still needed to buy a few more things, and the gold they had stolen from the guards would be useful.

Just him and the twins had come this time.

Lori as the ship's mechanic would know exactly what to buy.
And Kazu who came just because he loved shopping, and being a nuisance in Zuko's life apparently.

“Kazumi for the last time. We are not going to buy this” Zuko said taking a deep breath as he spoke for what must be the fifth time no to the green eyed boy.
 
They were two years older than him, but sometimes acted like eight-year-olds.

Kazu just made baby seal eyes at him, Zuko had no idea why he was throwing them at him after all he was immune to them when he was fourteen.

He just gave a no sign and moved on. It wasn't until the end of the trip that they found the group.

  Lori spotted them first; it looked like the oldest in water tribe clothes was arguing with some salesman who seemed increasingly impatient. He exclaimed toward a sword that even from a distance Zuko could tell was no good.

There was a girl too, with black hair and blue eyes, she looked exasperated with the boy and looked around like she was trying to pretend she didn't know him while staying close to protect him.

The avatar was even more recognizable, wearing orange clothes and carrying a stick around.

Have these people ever heard of discretion? Zuko mentally asked himself as he tried to get away from them and their clothes that were decoys for anyone.

He and the twins were just about to leave discreetly when they heard the rest of the conversation the salesman was talking to the airbender.

A word was said that turned Zuko's blood to ice.

“The blue Spirit. Trust me, you will definitely find it there.”

He exchanged horrified looks with the twins before Kazu made a sign to hold. Before either of them could say anything Kazu was snaking towards the vendor's tent. The avatar had moved away to check on the sword boy who looked closer and closer to getting into a fight with the stall owner.

"Oh, hello!" Kazu says in an excited voice, while moving his hips making the noise of coins clinking, “I couldn't help but notice these beautiful plant arrangements, did you make that?” he asked melodiously

Of everyone there Kazu was the best for small talk, he could talk to anyone and he could get what he wanted with such light manipulation that no one not paying full attention would notice.

That fact became well known when less than seven sentences later he managed to get to the subject of the blue.

"Couldn't help but hear you talk about pirates" he said almost as a distracted comment as he twirled a vase in his hands "I heard two days ago they helped a bunch of benders"

“Yes” the salesman grumbled excitedly as he picked up a cobalt blue vase and showed it to kazu “They're definitely what we were needing. It's been five years and no one has ever caught them."

“Oh my god, Truth,” Kazu said, eyes widening with an innocent expression of curiosity, “and nobody knows who they are either, and it's been over five years. But I couldn't help but hear you say that people might find something there? Finding what?”

He did a great performance. Leaning forward to look curious and innocent at the same time. Zuko had to give this to Kazu, he was phenomenal in acting.

“Well, not all people, if it was that easy they would have been caught a long time ago” the salesman said smiling as he showed some smaller pots, not seeming to fully register what he was saying as kazu was distracting him by pointing to different pots “Here between us. That was the avatar.”

"No!" Kazu widened his eyes comically and made a show of turning his head to look for the avatar “I heard about their victory a few weeks ago. But if he is the avatar, what could he possibly want with pirates?”

“Yes, they came out victorious in that battle. And that's why they need to find The Blue” the salesman said as he held a glass jar of blue sand high for kazu to admire “He says he needs to train earthbending. The blue has two of the biggest benders if the stories are correct. If he finds The blue he will find his teacher”

"Good. It will be very difficult for him to find them. Nobody knows where they are going” Kazu says with a final, humorous touch and tells the salesman to pack the cobalt blue pot “unless you have a way to locate them?”

“Not that anyone knows. But stories say that the Avatar has a flying bison. It shouldn't be difficult for them to find a ship at sea different from other nations.”

Kazu doesn't say anything after that last sentence, just smiles serenely and pays for the vase and starts walking towards them in slow steps.

Zuko doesn't remember very well what happened in the last few minutes, he just remembers Lori's hand gripping her arm tightly and leading him back to the ship while Kazu holds the rest of the groceries.

When they reach the deck, Kazu just tells Yusa that they need to go.

They have to go now.

After all, the avatar was looking for them.

+

Five days have passed since the departure from the port, and the news that from now on the avatar's group would be looking for him.

Five days since zuko was able to relax for the last time; all of the crew were anxious, looking over their shoulder as they sailed to the next port.

It was Hiro who came up with the idea on the fifth day, when he saw Lori accidentally drop a lamp on the deck when he was startled by the noise of one of the sea creatures thinking it was the avatar's bison.

“I think we should stay on land for a few days,” he said as he set a bowl of stew in front of them.

It smelled wonderful, like everything else Hiro made. But there was a knot in zuko's throat; he thought that even if he tried to take a spoonful he would end up throwing up. Looking around he realized he wasn't the only one. Everyone glanced from time to time with nervous glances at the sky.

He thought about what Hiro had said. Maybe if they stayed out of the sea for at least a few days the group would assume they were too far away and look for another teacher. Maybe getting out of the sea for a while would be good for them.

They had many contacts that they had accumulated over the years from people in different villages, trusted people who became their family. Perhaps it was finally time for them to visit Aya again, zuko thought as he took a spoonful of his soup.

Aya's farm was three days away by boat to the next port and two more days of walking. But it was big enough for them to be able to spend some there without feeling trapped.

He expressed the thought aloud about going to Aya and saw nods of agreement and excited smiles at being able to spend time with the small farming family.

With a destiny set, they all got busy organizing everything as quickly as possible, with a new energy that they didn't have in the previous days. Soon bags of groceries and clothes were separated. Maps and notes were kept and things of value they chose not to take were hidden.

They had places to hide the boat when they needed to spend a few days on land, caves that with the help of the benders were opened and closed without anyone knowing there might be a ship there. Places a boat couldn't navigate if it weren't for a waterbender guiding them. But still they always chose to hide valuable things.

Everything was on schedule, two more days of travel and they would be in port and the next thing they would know how to politely decline while Aya tried to cram more food into them. She always claimed they didn't eat enough, even though a few days was all they knew how to do.

Everything was fine, until the last day of the trip, everything went to shit.
It was getting dark when it happened. A roar was all the warning they got. It wasn't loud, but out at sea it sounded like something bulkier than it was.

They all turned as one to the sky. There; small, but approaching quickly, as if the wind itself was pushing it, was a bison.

The avatar bison.

Everyone was in shock for a minute before they started moving in a frenzy.
 
They didn't need guidance, hadn't in years. His team didn't hesitate when Saori raised a huge fog that had covered the entire sea in the moonless night.

Kazu and Mai moved like water as they climbed onto the ropes and untied the ones holding the main sails, while Lori made a small whirlpool with her sands to propel them forward.

Yusa was at the helm, deftly guiding the boat to the slopes they knew were there. thank goodness they were close enough to the coast. It wasn't the port they wanted, but they weren't going there anyway, not with the avatar so close to them.

Zuko felt rather than saw a wind that was not normal trying to push the fog away, he was trying to pull away from above to locate the boat. Saori clenched her teeth and pushed harder, making the fog thicker and almost impossible to see for people who didn't know those waters.

She looked up at people who couldn't see her with challenge written all over her face, as if daring them to try to get past her.

No doubt the avatar was talented, but Saori had fifteen years of experience in waterbending, especially as she'd spent the past five years perfecting her bending. No; they wouldn't get past her.

Yusa called zuko to the helm when they saw the familiar rocks between the curtain of fog that Saori opened for them. She and Lori positioned themselves on either side of the boat and braced themselves as the boat went faster than it should have been possible but not impossible when being propelled by Saori.

With twin bending movements the two made the rocks shrink into the ocean, thus making the boat pass freely through what would have been a suicidal place for any pirate.
Zuko masterfully turned the helm as he went to a point they marked three years ago and waited until Lori and Yusa opened the cave, he passed the boat across the river inside and waited until they both closed the wall.

It wasn't until everyone was there and zuko lit a flame in his hand to light the cave that Saori finally lowered the fog into the sea.

Even through the wall they could hear the exclamation of a young girl and the questioning of an older one.

“They can't just have disappeared! This is impossible” The boy's voice said with indignation, zuko thought he was the oldest.

"What about that fog? This is definitely a waterbender thing!” this time it was the girl.

Interestingly the avatar didn't say anything, but they could hear the bison's tail beating nearby. They probably weren't as close together as Zuko thought, but when you were at his adrenaline level even the smallest sounds were amplified.

“Well the stories were right, they certainly are powerful. Come on, let's go camping. We can't be looking in the sea all night” The avatar said before making a sound.

In the next few minutes nothing more was heard, everyone was holding their breath as they waited for Yusa to come back from the small crack she had opened in the wall to check that they weren't bluffing when they said they were leaving.

When she came back shaking her head zuko let out a breath he had been holding for the last few minutes.

“Well, shit” Hori said.

Zuko couldn't agree more.

In the end they agreed to spend the night in the cave.

Zuko lit the lamps they had placed on the walls years ago, which left the cave with a soft orange light, the cave wasn't big, but it had a high ceiling that kept them from feeling too trapped.

“We need to decide what we are going to do now. No way are we going to Aya with them behind us” Zuko said later as everyone settled on deck with sleeping bags.

No one had said anything earlier when zuko said he was going to sleep on the deck, they just went down to their quarters and got their bags, and soon everyone was there, gathered together looking at the drops of water that Saori was levitating to the cave ceiling. Combined with Zuko's soft fire they looked like little stars.

"The nearest port is only two hours away, let's go there to get more common earthrealm clothes and stay at an inn for a few days" Mai said as she held a sharpener and sharpened one of her small daggers.

She was anxious, zuko thought. Mai only sharpened daggers when she had to think. She more than anyone understood the implications of the avatar being so close to them.

“It's a good plan, we can be closer to the city than the ports. After all, they could look in the harbor.” Kazu said.

"Shall we leave the ship here and walk?" Lori asked from her twin's side as she made small circles on Hori's hand.

“I believe it is the best option, it would be just a four-hour walk to the port. From there we can decide what to do.” Yusa said beside zuko, her hair getting darker in the candlelight.

"We can solve this tomorrow, now the main thing is to go to sleep" Saori said as she released the drops of water from her control, causing a soft rain to fall on them.

Everyone grumbled at this, but in the end they were smiling. Everything would be fine, Zuko thought.

As long as he had them, everything would be fine.

+

“And something I see.”

"It's big?"

"Yea."

“And edible?”

"It depends. Is the person a psychopath?”

Zuko grimaces as he exchanges a look with Yusa. They had already been walking for two hours and in the last half hour Hiro and Kazu decided to get into a guessing game that only the two of them understood.

“How is that relevant?” Hiro asks

“And very relevant. If yes, then the person is a psychopath then it is edible. If it's not, then it's not edible” Kazu says putting his hands together and making a monk's face, as if that was a phrase full of wisdom.
 
"It's a tree" The twin replies before Hori has a chance to open his mouth.

Kazu makes an indignant sound and moves to try to hit his twin who dodges smiling and runs to hide behind an impassive Mai.

“It's not fair Lori, how do you know that? I already told you that using our twin telepathy is considered cheating.”

“Twin telepathy” Lori says mockingly behind Mai, which is funny as he is at least a head taller than her “I already told you there is no such thing as Kazu”

“Of course there is! How else would you know?” Kazu says throwing her freckled arms in the air.

“Oh my god Kazu” Saori says with a laugh, which she soon turns into a completely fake cough when she sees the indignant look kazu gives her “All around us are trees”

"That doesn't mean anything, it could be that squirrel"

"Is that squirrel?"

“Well, no. But that's not the point!”

Zuko smiles as he watches his family hurl insults at each other. They had woken up calmer this morning, and after having a hearty breakfast with Hiro they took a small walkway that Yusa made out of the cave and started walking towards the harbor.

They had a solid plan, buy ordinary earthrealm clothes from the shops on the docks and head off to a simple inn. Claiming to be refugee friends passing through. It was a solid story few people would question.

An hour later they saw the village, it still hadn't been colonized by the fire nation, few places on that side of the world had. Which is why it was even stranger to have a Fire Nation warship docked at the docks.

Mai saw it first, with an eagle's vision and the knowledge of what the fire nation's ships looked like.

They all exchanged glances as they wordlessly decided to approach the ship to observe what was happening. Zuko and Mai couldn't possibly stay in a place where someone from the fire nation was. Between them and the avatar, Zuko would choose the avatar without hesitation.

As they approached the port Yusa took a scarf from his waist and threw it over Zuko's head and wrapped it around his neck. With the scarf and the hair covering his scar, he looked like nothing more than another passing local.

They had decided beforehand that they would ask around about the ship, see what the other villagers thought of the vessel. But the closer they got, the more strange she looked. Until zuko saw a sign waving on the side of the boat.

“The Jasmine Dragon”

“A tea shop?” Hiro asked reading the sign in bewilderment “What kind of crazy would make a tea shop on a fire nation ship?”

“Uncle Iroh would do it” Zuko said looking at the vessel, knowing for sure who owned the ship “He always wanted one, I'm sure it's him”

He stood there for a minute, looking at the craft, thinking about all the implications of what that moment meant.

“Zuko” Saori said affectionately running her hands down her arm “we don't need to go inside. We can just walk away”

They could. Zuko knew that if he turned around and walked away now, no one would say anything. But he had already put off too much, he needed to at least see it.

"I need to at least see him, even from a distance" Zuko said looking at the ship and trying to take a step "I don't need to talk to him, just see if he's okay."

Why didn't his legs move? He knew what he had to do, so why didn't his legs move?

Before he entered another spiral he felt Kazu on the other side of his arm as well as Hiro and Yusa on his back, and soon Mai was in front of him.

“We are with you Zuko, let's go” She said holding his hand, and soon they started moving towards the ship “We will be together with you”

“Well, not stuck together like this; let's get a lot of attention and that would be the opposite of what we want” Kazu said lightly causing zuko to let out a small laugh “But we'll be at the next tables”

They waited for zuko's nod before splitting up and heading up the ship's ramp in pairs or threes.

Until there was only Saori and Yusa on his side.
They gave him encouraging nods and started to climb the boat.

The interior looked nothing like what he remembered from a Fire Nation battleship. And this was something to talk about considering that five months ago they sank two.
 
There were simple tables spread across the deck with a checkered cloth on top of each one. And the whole place smelled like her uncle's room, jasmine along with different teas.

Zuko saw Mai and Hiro sit at a table on the right and Lori and Kazu on the left. They had chosen to sit further back. So anyone who walked out the door wouldn't come right away.

At the top of the table was a small menu, with the types of traditional tea and some that zuko had never seen, definitely his uncle's inventions. He didn't know what to choose, in fact he didn't even know if he was thinking clearly, his whole body was tense in anticipation.

For now all he'd seen was other locals sitting at tables and the person Zuko was sure was the ship's crew tending tables. But there was still no sign of General Iroh, and that was driving Zuko crazy.

“Welcome to Jasmine Dragon, what can I get you?” An old-looking waiter joined the table, he looked kindly zuko noticed, surely a person his uncle would like.

Not trusting his voice he just signaled for Yusa and Saori to choose, anything would be fine by him. Soon tea was served, on beautiful, worn china. The kind you saw in the homes of families who used them daily, nothing compared to the fine china you'd find in the palace.

He heard Hiro's appreciative groan to his right, and Zuko couldn't help but smile at the sheer delight he saw on his cook's face, as well as the pleasure depicted on Mai's usually stoic face as she ate some cookies.Zuko looked at his own table and saw a plate full of cookies there, he hadn't even noticed the waiter putting them.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts he grabbed a cookie. Obviously it was wonderful, it melted in your mouth. He was sure Hiro was already trying to figure out how he was going to get their recipe so he could recreate it on the ship.

He opened his mouth to say just that when a voice stopped him. And there it was, walking out the door.

Iroh was shorter and fatter than zuko remembered. But he looked so, so happy that Zuko's heart broke just a little. Iroh was smiling broadly as he held a pot of tea and chatted with some customer.

Without other words, Zuko got up holding the shawl closer to his head. He made a motion with his hands to indicate that the girls should stay seated, as they had started to get up with him.

He couldn't stand there, he couldn't be the one to wipe that smile off his uncle's face. He couldn't stay there any longer.

Without other words he headed towards the boat ramp, stopping only at Hiro's table and ordering him to buy each of the teas. All of them.

Alone Zuko started heading towards the trade at the end of the pier, it would be nice to be surrounded by people where no one could see him having a breakdown. Yes, trade was good.

But before he managed to get there, an orange outfit caught his eye.

There was the avatar carrying that stick around with some kind of ape (he thought maybe it was called a lemur?) over his shoulder, followed side by side by what he assumed were brothers of the water tribe.

They were here, zuko's head began to spin at this new information. Instead of panicking he saw an opportunity, if they were here they were heading down. All Zuko and his crew had to do was turn around and they would be free of them.

He felt a hand touch his shoulder and he jumped up a little. God what happened to his situational awareness? His teachers would definitely punish him for letting his guard down like that.

He was punishing himself; in the last five years he'd rarely let his guard down away from his crew, and here he was being caught off guard by...

An unimpressed Mai. She just stood in front of him with one eyebrow raised and her shoulder-length black hair flying around her face as she watched him mentally and physically groom himself.

Instead of talking there, he just tidied up his cottage and headed down the street to a quieter alley where no one would hear them.

"Zuko are you okay?" It was the first thing she asked, before he even opened his mouth.

It still amazed him how much things had changed in the past five years, the eleven-year-old Mai would never admit her worries out loud like that.

"Well. No” Zuko admitted, fiddling with the ends of the shawl. He wasn't doing well, and it wouldn't help anyone if he tried to hide it. "But I'm calmer now that I know how to get rid of Gaang."

Mai looked mildly curious, so zuko started to explain her plan. At the end of her explanation, she nodded. That was all he needed to know she agreed.

They were quiet as they exited the alley and sat on a bench overlooking the pier. they didn't talk, but there was no need to fill the silence with mai either.

That was one of his favorite things about her, she didn't ask. But she understood. Zuko knew that of almost everyone there, she was the one who most understood why Zuko didn't talk to Iroh, or even stay in the same environment as him.

She understood. And at that moment it was all Zuko needed.

They stood there for another forty minutes before they saw the rest of the crew get off the ship carrying bags. They all had some sort of different bag, obviously Hiro had gotten excited and bought more than needed.

“Did you buy a tea set?” Zuko asked expressionlessly as he heard the new set tinkle in Lori's secure hands

"It was a beautiful set, and we needed a new one." Hiro spoke defensively as he placed himself in front of Lori, as if Zuko was going to snatch the bags out of his hands. Then they still had the nerve to call him dramatic.

"We already have eight sets of tea Hiro" He said looking at him with a single raised eyebrow.

"Now we have nine" Hiro said smiling and walked away.

Zuko exchanged a puzzled look with the rest of the crew who were just smiling at him. Traitors, all of them.

"Guys, it's not for nothing, but maybe it would be better if we left now" Yusa said calmly, which didn't match the words she had just spoken.

When everyone turned to her, she just pointed to three people walking up the ramp to the tea shop. The orange outfit glowing in the light was all it took for them to get up and leave. Only Mai stayed a second longer, sizing up the three kids before she went along with them.

As they walked towards a restaurant within the city, Zuko told them that he had a plan to ward off their avatar. But it wasn't until all seven were seated at a circular table that he told them what he thought.

The plan was very simple, from what they realized the Gaang was heading down the river, probably towards Ba Sing Se. All they had to do was go back to the cities they had already passed and wait until they reached the walls. The small group would never think of going back on their way.

He could see that the rest of his crew agreed, it wasn't like them to stay in the same city for such a short period of time. Usually they stopped by a city and didn't come back until after about four months. But it was the best option to get rid of Gaang and help the people who needed it.

They never had a concrete destination or route when they travelled, that was true, but what people didn't know was that they went to Chameleon Bay every semester. It was two weeks away from where they were currently, and hadn't been inhabited since the Kyoshi avatar passed there over four hundred years ago.It was their vacation spot, when they arrived there over five years ago it was nothing more than an abandoned place with only a few precarious structures being maintained.

Now it was home, they had a big house that they built for five months near the beach. It was the place where they could really be. It was their refuge.

The team knew why they couldn't start their trip to the bay, they all did. But they still couldn't suppress their disappointment at having to be away from their home longer. Damn avatar.

Zuko himself was finding it hard to reconcile the fact that he wouldn't see his house for God knows how much longer before he heard Mai clear her throat and draw the table's attention.

“Orrrrr” she said pulling the line, making suspense and smiling as Lori muttered for her to hurry “We can bully them”

"Bully them?" Yusa said looking at her with a curious face.

“Exactly” she said smiling as she took a rice ball “after all, they want a teacher. All we have to do is show them we're not interested and make sure they don't come back."

“Go all The blue spirit on them?” Kazu asked with a mischievous smile appearing on his face.

“Making them not even want to come near us again” Saori smiled like a wolf as she raised her hand in a high five to Mai. Which she gladly returned.

“Looks like we have a plan. They will regret it the next time they think about getting close to the crew of The Blue Spirit” Zuko said smiling as he sipped a glass of wine and saw leers around the table.

After all, those who messed with the blue spirit didn't receive good things in return.

He could hardly wait for the next time he saw that Bison.

+

Three days were all it took for Gaang to track them down again.
 
This time the moon was starting to wane, but it still wasn't enough, so the entire open sea was as dark as oil. The only light they could see was from two lamps swinging on the ship.

Sokka saw Aang guide Appa to hover gently close to the ship, allowing him Katara and Aang to be able to jump onto the deck with ease, while the bison settled into the water beside the ship and easily followed.

The boat wasn't moving fast, it was just being gently propelled by the current of the sea, Sokka realized that not even the sails were open. What was strange.

The deck was practically dark, the lamp they had seen from the sea was on the highest mast illuminating almost nothing of the deck. There was not even someone at the helm of the ship. It was weird, there was something weird there.

He turned to ask if Katara felt it too when three candles lit themselves and Sokka saw a mask staring at him very closely.

He heard Aang let out a scream and swung his staff toward him and Katara went into a defensive stance, opening her canteen. Person. It was a person.

He was hanging from the ropes almost effortlessly and seemed to be mocking them, even when he made no sound as he climbed the rope a little higher, joining someone who was masked as Okame. She brandished a bow towards their heads.

Before Sokka could open his mouth he saw three more people emerge from the shadows, one falling beside Katara as he looked at her with his head turned in curiosity, his mask glowing in the candlelight.

It was a woman, Sokka noticed seeing her body with vines attached to her waist and strange blue sleeves, she seemed to be amused by the defensive position Katara had slipped into. The second person was a tall man, a head taller than Sokka with big arms and a long sword strapped to his waist, he just leaned on the pole and watched them. Sokka felt like prey. Even more so when he looked towards the helm and saw a person who hadn't been there before.

He was also masked and brandishing two large sticks behind his back, and was slowly turning a knife between his fingers, his mask having two bottomless holes in his eyes.

Before he could say anything he felt a chill creep into his back as he looked towards the door.

A woman wearing a Kitsune mask slowly came out of the corridor that led inside the ship, she walked slowly twirling a long stick in her hands and ignoring Aang's attempts to start a conversation. Sokka might think she could be the leader if it wasn't for his stance.

She seemed to be waiting for someone. Which was proved correct when a person with the mask of The Blue Demon came out.

Captain, Sokka thought. He brandished double dao swords on his back, as well as three daggers in his belt and one in his boot. He screamed menace throughout his body.

Sokka just wanted to get away from there, but Aang seemed to think otherwise.

“Hello, I'm Aang,” he said not as excitedly as usual, but still too happy for someone in their position.

The kitsune and blue just watched him, while the rest of the crew watched Katara and Sokka.

Katara was still in her defensive stance, which seemed to endlessly amuse the girl next to him. But as he looked at her, he realized he hadn't yet gotten into a position himself.
 
He took the sword he'd bought in a town a few days ago and brandished it, trying to look menacing.

The boy on the ropes let out a small giggle, as if Sokka amused him. But then he fell silent when blue looked up.

The kitsune made a sign to them that Sokka did not understand.

“Sorry, what?” he tried to say it as respectfully as he could.

He was no fool, if they got into a fight right now there was no way they would emerge victorious, even with the avatar on their side.

The kitsune glared at him and seemed annoyed at having to make the same move. But even when she repeated it for the second time, Sokka didn't understand. He was about to say that until Katara silently said it.

"Sorry, we don't speak sign language"

The girl beside her seemed to mock them, as did the man leaning at the helm.

Blue silences them with some signal at the same time the kitsune's voice rings out on the silent ship.

“What do you want aboard our ship? You weren't invited.” Her voice is full of anger and threat, and she seems to want to grab the knife that was at her waist and go for them at that moment.

"I need an earthbending teacher. I hear your benders are one of the best in the world,” Aang said calmly, no longer brandishing his staff.

The boy at the helm and leaning against the ropes chuckled, as if that phrase amused them. They both looked at Aang at the same time. Sokka will never understand how masked people could show mockery like that.

“We have no interest in teaching anyone” Kitsune said in a firm voice with no room for speech “leave now”

"You don't understand, and it's very important that I learn earthbending," he said approaching and brandishing his staff as he spoke. But he was deathly calm as the man on the mast pointed a sword at his throat.

Sokka realized it wasn't meant to hurt, but rather to demonstrate a point. But it seemed to irritate Katara, who drew some water from her canteen and brandished it at the masthead.

She couldn't even get the bending movement necessary before the girl next to her had apparently conjured water from her arms and intercepted katara. Katara just stared at the water falling from the deck in shock before facing the masked girl who again seemed to be laughing at her.

Sokka practically felt something snap in katara as she pulled her water and threw it towards the girl, who just jumped to the side and pulled her own water, again from her arms. How did she do it? Sokka thought half amazed and half horrified.

Sokka watched as Katara launched lines of water towards the girl. He remembered this movement when he watched one of her classes at the North Pole. Katara had managed to overpower all of the students in the class they taught this fold.

But the girl just laughed when she ended the movement like it was nothing

"Cute" she said ironically with a giggle. Seem to enjoy the counterattacks Katara was trying to launch at her, all of which were easily intercepted. She's been teasing her, Sokka realized with a shudder as he watched the girl circle around Katara.

  Katara barely had the chance when the water the masquerade was bending began to coil around her body cutting off the movement of her arms and hardening. Freezing her right there on deck.

“Katara!” Aang yelled, but didn't dare move as the sword came closer to her neck.

Sokka couldn't move either, when she tried to take a step he heard the bow creaking and the arrow being pointed straight at her head. Looking around desperately looking for a way out he found himself staring at blue, who was leaning close to the edge looking at him with a knife twirling in her hand.

“I think we were pretty clear when we said we have no interest in teaching anyone” the kitsune said again, as he moved to stand beside blue “and now that your mate has attacked one of ours, we have even less interest”

"They attacked Aang first!" Katara yelled indignantly before the water covered her mouth and then froze.

The masquerade put a finger in her mouth and made a Shi noise.

“Find a bending teacher elsewhere” The kitsune says as she watches the stick man move towards them, pulling the sticks from his back “we were politely told to go away. But as a good faith gesture to the avatar we will be giving a little demonstration of how earthbending is.”

Sokka watched as the man with the sword at Aang's throat made him walk backwards until he was beside Sokka, and the girl unfrozen katara and pushed it toward them. She nearly fell over, if not for Sokka holding her.

All three watched until the boy was standing in front of them with the sticks in each fist. He made a little movement with his wrists and holes appeared all over the stick, it looked like a giant flute.

He dropped them on the deck and made a smooth motion, almost like a katara when bending water, and Sokka saw grains of sand rising from the stick holes almost hypnotically. It looked like water, Sokka thought.

Before he could take in what was happening he felt the sand rush towards them, it felt like a wall hitting him, as more grains than Sokka could count pushed him all at once towards the sea.

Aang and Katara's scream indicated that they had suffered the same fate as they fell into the icy water.

When Sokka finally submerged he looked up to see the entire crew looking at them. Blue was in the middle of everyone still turning the knife.

But it was Okome who spoke.

“We were kind, we won't be next time. Don't come back,” she said in a tone of voice that promised death.

The last thing Sokka saw was blue and the kitsune looking at them before the boat propelled forward at an alarming speed and disappeared into the fog.

+

The clash of swords was all that could be heard for miles around. The ship bounced smoothly over the waves as it was propelled by the strong wind and a waterbender. The sun beat down on the hull of various colors, and on its crew members present there.

Who were currently propped up on the top floor of the deck near the helm, playing bets on the two boys dueling below.

“Ichiro if you don't win this fight I'm disowning you as my brother” Saori said laughing as she fed Cosco that was on Mai's shoulder with some seeds.

"Zuko if you lose to Ichiro I'm disowning you as my stepbrother and captain" Yusa said throwing the walnut shells at a half asleep Lori and at a Kazu shouting encouragement.

Both boys ignored the other crew members and concentrated on the fight that was going on. Zuko was more technical. But by contrast Hiro had the strength. was so balanced that it was irritating.

And there was the worst thing, they both trained together for five years. So there was nothing they could do that would surprise the other. In short, it was an endurance test.

But zuko had this in his favor, combined with his firebending training he had a greater resistance to Hiro who preferred to stay in the kitchens rather than fight, although he was better than many soldiers.

In the end it was zuko who managed to win the match. Doing a feint to distract Hiro by pretending to give the opening on his left side.

When Hiro lowered his arm to plunge the sword into his body, zuko turned smoothly, holding his sword with the dao of his left hand and pointing the right directly at the back of Hiro's head.

"Bastard" Hiro said as he straightened up and smiled at zuko, who smiled back and pushed his shoulder.

The others' comments were promptly ignored as Hiro and Zuko made their way to the edge of the ship to grab their shirts and take a sip of water.

He could hear Mai and Saori mocking Kazu and Lori who had finally woken up and were in a little walnut shell fight.

It had been five days since they had last seen Gaang in the middle of the ocean, and finally Zuko was able to breathe easily again. He doubted they would come back looking for them anytime soon, not when Saori defeated her little bender so easily and proved the older one to be useless.

They celebrated that night with two bottles of liquor they had taken from a house a few months ago, safe to say they were grateful to be out in the middle of the sea as the noise they made would definitely get someone's attention. The others' laughter was incredibly loud as one by one they did imitations of the avatar's companions. Saori was by far the best as she froze herself and widened her eyes at them in a very good imitation of the girl they heard the avatar call Katara.

They had finally started their trip to the Bay and they couldn't be more excited, they were all talking and laughing with each other. Life had returned to normal again.
 
Hiro grumbled as he pulled his shirt over his head, he was still upset that he couldn't reproduce the cookies he ate aboard the jasmin dragon. Zuko hoped he would get it soon, he had to eat the cookies for three days now.

Looks like he didn't get the recipe, Iroh said it was a family secret. As soon as he finished repeating what uncle Iroh had said Hiro started to stare at him acting as if zuko would know what the recipe was.

He didn't. So for the next three days Hiro would try different things on the cookies to try to look the same. Though Zuko would never admit it to him, but they all looked the same.

Lori the great savior of zuko was there all the time giving advice and telling him new things he could try. Zuko never knew if Lori really thought the new things would work out or if she was just saying what Hiro wanted to hear. Anyway thanks to him zuko could silently escape from the kitchens without having to say a word.

It lasted another five days of this before zuko broke. It was sunrise, and he was trying to meditate when he heard Hiro mumbling about different oils and essences. Zuko could barely concentrate anymore, and Lori next to him didn't seem much better.

"Hiro, tell Yusa that we'll stop at the next port to get some information" Zuko said simply and went down to his cabin, ignoring his questioning look. There was no point in trying to meditate anymore, but he might as well get some exercises done.

Yusa didn't ask what they were going to do in the harbor, but the knowing look she gave zuko when he joined the helm said that she too was fed up with the cookie attempts and would like to get this over with as soon as possible.

That's how two hours later they were at the port asking about The jasmin dragon.

Coincidentally, the shop was only four hours away from where they were, four hours that turned into two with Saori driving the boat across the ocean.

“Why are we going there? They won't give us the recipe" Hiro grumbled as he looked at the battleship five points below them.

Zuko and Kazu stared at him like he was an idiot, maybe he needs to take a nap all this mass is getting into his head zuko thought as he watched Hiro.

“Trust us Hiro, tomorrow you will have the recipe” Zuko said as he squeezed the taller boy's shoulder “Why don't you go take a quick nap? We don't have much to do today."

He said while looking pointedly at Lori that he didn't need any more encouragement before he started pulling a Hiro towards her cabin.

"You're not just going to ask for the recipe, are you?" Saori said smiling mischievously

“It seems like you don't know us, obviously we won't ask” Kazu said smiling as he leaned towards the edge to see the ship better “We're going to do what we do best”

"we're going to steal" zuko said smiling.

+

The moon was full, but that didn't stop zuko and kazu from sneaking along the pier like shadows, luckily the harbor was empty. And even at that location there were no people passing by, so there was no one to avoid.

It was silent as zuko and Kazu moved towards the edge of the ship where Zuko knew there was a standard emergency hatch on all fire nation ships. Zuko thanked Tui La that the hatch wasn't creaking as he propelled Kazu through the crack and jumped up to grab the offered hand.

Once inside they closed it silently and started up the ship. The hatch led to the lower levels of the ship, but zuko knew that the kitchen was two floors above where they believed the recipe would be.

They were silent and managed to avoid even the creaking of the metal floor with practice as they passed the crew wing. Soon they were in the kitchen, where they had to pause for a second and look around.

It was a mess, there were so many metal and glass pots tossed around carelessly that one moved out of place could make a fuss. Kazu and Zuko looked at each other as they meandered through the kitchen carefully, zuko lighting a flame in his hand to light up the room.

They weren't interested in silver, they were interested in papers. The recipe would definitely be on some paper or in a book. They just needed to find it and get out.

Zuko cringed when after ten minutes of searching he heard a noise of silverware clattering that sounded too loud on the silent ship. They held their breath with their ears tuned for any sound of footsteps, when they didn't hear anything Zuko looked at Kazu who quickly signaled his apologies before closing the drawer softly to keep from making more noise.

Five minutes later they are about to give up when zuko sees them. There, under a pile of cups, was a book. He catches Kazu's attention and they carefully remove the cups until the book is easy to get hold of. He quickly opened the pages with one hand and there it was. When zuko was about to raise his head to kazu signaling his victory he hears it.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Kazu and zuko jump back so quickly that they end up losing their balance and crashing into a pile of pots that was precariously balanced in the sink, causing them all to fall.

For a few seconds all you could hear was the crunching of glass on the floor, the shards around them in a mosaic. Zuko's heart raced as he held the book with his life and raised his eyes to stare at the person at the door.

“Zuko?” Iroh says staggering a little, and steadying himself on the doorjamb. He was looking at zuko as if he had seen a ghost, which is perhaps true zuko supposes “How. How is this possible? Is that really you, zuko?”

“Hello Uncle Iroh” Zuko softly says to his uncle after five years “Surprise”.

Chapter Text

When zuko was five he was taken to the kitchen for the first time. He still remembers being startled by so many people running around in a hurry holding hot pots and shouting instructions at each other.

It was there that he met Kana and Ken for the first time. They were the head of the maids responsible for cleaning and head of the kitchen. In this order specifically.
 
He didn't understand why he was there, even at the age of five he knew that princes didn't need to go to the kitchen and according to his cousin, princes didn't even need to know where the kitchens were. But still he was taken there by his mother.

He was polite as he was raised to be, and asked politely at first about the services they did, zuko couldn't tell the moment the conversation went from being polite questions to questions filled with real curiosity. He had no idea that so many little things he never noticed were taken care of by people. He mentally promised that he would start paying more attention.

That night he asked his mother why she had taken him there.

“I'm going to tell you a little secret, Zuko. It is very important that you maintain good relations with other nations and high-ranking people. But it is essential that you get to know and treat the people around you politely. They take care of you everyday, it is important that you know their names”

Even at the age of five, Zuko had realized that this was important advice, even if he didn't fully understand what his mother was saying. He was sure if he asked his father's opinion he would look down on him for simply taking the time to think.

But his mother had said that. And his mother was never wrong.
Zuko just nodded and tried to remember the names of the people he had met that day.

+

By the time zuko was seven he was already a regular in the kitchens. He didn't like his teachers; they were bad and often pushed too hard. But Zuko would never dare say that to his father, so he always hid in the kitchens.

Ken always rolled his eyes when he saw him at the door, putting on a completely exaggerated expression of exasperation. But zuko always saw himself with a plate of Snow Flames and hot tea in front of him. As well as a little mess of affectionate hair from the cook himself.

He was treated like anyone else there, there was nothing like a zuko prince, or any other title. He was just Zuko, or to some people Zuzu, referring to the silly nickname that Azula had stuck to a few months ago.

Azula sometimes accompanied zuko in the kitchens, he waited until she was five to bring her; just like her mother did to him

  At first she scoffed at the idea, and didn't come back for two weeks, but whenever she saw Zuko leave for the kitchens she was close to him. She even started having inside jokes with the boy in charge of the juices.

He often stayed close to Kana, the girl's boss. Kana was a strong person who always seemed to be angry. She had a stern face that had frightened a five-year-old Zuko in the first few months. But now she was simply one of his favorite people. Second only to Mom and Uncle Iroh. And maybe cousin Lu ten.

Kana, as zuko discovered a year ago, was also one of her mother's best friends. They had come together to the palace and during her mother's youth she was his housekeeper. Until she got the rank of chief and moved to the west side of the palace.

She seemed to have as her motive in life, taking care of zuko, he thought she saw him as her youngest son. He often said that Yuto, his fifteen-year-old son, could take some lessons in manners from zuko.

Zuko liked Yuto, he was training to join the army when he turned seventeen. He would often teach zuko some single sword moves. He was kinder and more patient than his current teacher, and managed to help zuko improve enough to avoid being scolded by his father that week.

At the age of seven, zuko already knew half the names of the staff who took care of his wards, so he waved to everyone as they passed through the halls, and got his favorite meals when one of the staff wentssip to the kitchen that it had been a difficult day for him. . They were all very gossipy, nothing got past the palace servants.

But he was always very careful not to recognize them in the presence of his father, or any subordinates who were loyal to him. Zuko pretended they were just a part of the room's decor and didn't even look at them. Even when at the end of the day he always went to the kitchens with apologies on his lips. Excuses that were promptly ignored by the employees, after all they more than anyone knew what would happen if Ozai knew that his son was a friend of the servants.

But that was zuko's safe little secret. He learned to adore those people. And he had the hope that they adored him, too.

+

When Zuko was nine he had his first fight with Azula. Who was now seven.

They were close, even when Azula was more talented than Zuko in firebending, or when she in fits of rage said she had real friends as opposed to Zuko who only had servants who were paid to be friendly to him.

Zuko was never truly angry with her, his mother always made sure that he and Azula understood each other. As well as your uncle.

"She's family, zuko, even if you don't like some of her actions, she's your sister, and someday she'll be all you have."

Zuko was always on Azula's side, and she on his. He could always read the signs she didn't speak. She cared for him a lot, in her own way, but she did.

Until he was nine and saw Blue attack a group of turdleducks in the lake with firebending.

He was upset, really upset. One of the things he learned from an early age was that he had some things that you just couldn't hurt. Turdleducks were pure and cute animals, how could Azula even consider hurting them?

He confronted her that day, it didn't end well. Zuko doesn't quite remember the words that were thrown, but it didn't take long before the two were in a fighting stance and flame-covered punches were fired.

They struggled for a few minutes, both out of breath but stubborn to the core and refusing to give in. They were ready to start again before Mai and Ty Lee had arrived and broken up the fight.

Zuko didn't say a word before he faced Azula, showing all his disappointment and turning to run to his rooms.
He informed a guard that he didn't want to be disturbed. And he didn't, but he still found a plate of his favorite food on his living room table when it was lunchtime. Gossip servants, zuko thought fondly.

It wasn't until it was dawn that he heard the bedroom door creak waking him. At first he started to get nervous, assassination attempts were common for princes and he couldn't be an exception. He tried to get up and get into a defensive position until he could finally see who had entered the room.

He saw Azula there. Standing in front of his bed. She was bouncing on her feet and fiddling with the hem of her pajama top, she still hadn't looked up, and that was starting to worry zuko.

“Azula? What happened?"

Before he could even assimilate what was happening he found himself being pushed by the weight of a Azula crashing heavily into him as she hugged him. She hugged him tightly as she buried her face in his chest. He was still a head taller than she was, but she would soon get close to him.

“I'm sorry, zuzu” she said in a muffled voice and to zuko's horror, tears.

Azula didn't cry, it wasn't her thing to do. Even when she fell, or was hurt, she didn't cry. But there she was, hugging zuko as if he could disappear like smoke while she shed soft tears.

"It's okay Az, I promise" he said as he stroked her hair. With some difficulty he managed to get himself and Azula back to bed.

Both of them lay down side by side. Azula was still clinging to him, so zuko just kept running his hands through her hair as she whispered words of affirmation. Soon she was fast asleep.

She was hot, as all firebenders were. So before zuko even realized he was sleeping with her.
 
The next morning she was still there when zuko woke up. She had turned away from him and was sitting up against the headboard. She wasn't looking at him again. Then zuko dragged himself to face her and waited patiently.

“Dad said a few nights ago that people who are hesitant to hurt animals are weak people. And who don't deserve the power they have” she says softly as she looks at the swinging curtains “I just…wanted to be good. I don't want to be weak"

“You are not weak, Azula, you are good. Very good, maybe even a little, very little, better than me” zuko says making two fingers separate by a strand of hair, with an exaggerated expression that made azula laugh “you are very good, but you won't be better at hurting people . Especially not hurting turdleducks”
 
“I know, you got mad at me” she says finally looking into his eyes “I'm sorry zuzu, I never meant to make you mad”

“I wasn't angry az, I was upset. You know how much I like turdleducks, you even say they're me in the form of animals" he says as he moves to sit next to Azula who leans her head on his shoulder "Just promise me the next time Dad says something like that you're going to ask me or mommy first."

"I promise"

Years later, the day came when their father said something similar. The only difference is that zuko wasn't there to stop Azula.

+

Zuko was ten years old when he went to a funeral for the first time. He had sat in front of a tearful Kana, as he tried to support her by holding her hand.

Everyone was there, everyone had gone to say their last goodbyes to Yuto.
He still couldn't understand how the kind boy who had taught him how to fight with swords was dead, didn't get into his head. Yuto had been killed in an attempted attack on a village that was more heavily armed than the spies had reported. He was killed for nothing.

He was only eighteen, and he was killed a week after joining an army he'd dreamed of all his life. He was killed by people who didn't have enough information.

For months Kana had looked like a ghost, she didn't leave her room for next to nothing, and she ate only when it was zuko who brought her meals and sat opposite her while he watched her eat.
 
He had gone to Mai for advice. He didn't know how much help she could be, but in the last few years they had grown very close and had become great friends. Mai couldn't say much, after all, nobody close to her had died. She just said that zuko should stay as close to Kana as possible and help as much as she could.

And that's what he did, he tried to help as much as possible, always staying close to her, reading books she liked and going as far as learning to cook her favorite food only for her to see her little smile when zuko arrived in her room that night proudly presenting the misshapen dish to her. She ate it all while hugging him from the side.

His mother also went to her rooms as often as possible, zuko didn't know what they were talking about. But Kana always seemed to get better for a few hours after conversations with her mom.

For a few months Zuko didn't think it was working, until four months later he saw kana outside her room scolding a new maid.

“I'm gone for a couple of months and you guys try to smear my name by doing these horrible foldings. Not on my watch. Things are going to change.”

Zuko was never so happy to see a grumpy expression, he just remembers running up to Kana and hugging her tight.

It was slow work, but after about six months kana had returned to them. Zuko finally thought life could get back to normal.

Until he turned eleven. And his mother became ill.

+

He was three months away from turning twelve when his mother died.
Queen Ursa had gone peacefully on a Sunday afternoon, surrounded by her two children.
 
She had been battling the disease for a few months now, and all the healers had said these weeks could be the queen's last.

Zuko and Azula stood strong as they helped Ursa get settled as best she could. Ozai has never been there, but Ursa and her children have never been bothered by her absence.

That morning Ursa had asked for Azula and zuko to be called, and she had guided them to lie down on her side when they arrived at the chambers.

She gently ran her hand through their hair as she talked about the last piece they had seen, and how happy they were back then. And she asked the children to promise that they would one day return to Ember Island together to re-watch the play. They just nodded their heads as they leaned closer to their mother

"I love you all so much. Azula, you will always be my little girl, I'm so proud of you” she said as she ran her hands over Azula's hair, who was staring straight ahead, preventing herself from crying.

“I love you zuko. You will always be one of my greatest gifts. And I'm very proud of you” she says running her hands through zuko's hair, who unlike azula didn't hesitate to let the tears fall.

They knew the queen was gone when her hands started to slow down, until they came to a complete stop. Falling limp on the shoulders of the children.

At that moment Azula broke, huge waves of tears streaming down her face as she hugged her mother. Where there, with only zuko to witness, she allowed herself to fall apart.

The funeral was beautiful, Ozai only appeared long enough for people to see him before she disappeared again.

For a few weeks Zuko stayed in his quarters, only Azula and Mai were allowed.

And he understood what Kana had been through, it was like a hole had been in her heart. He missed his mom.

His father didn't share the same feeling. He gave Zuko only two weeks to grieve before he forced him to return to classes. Twice as heavy as they had been before, now that Queen Ursa was no longer there to placate her husband.

For a few months he held on as his life grew more miserable by the day.

Until he turned twelve and everything changed. 

+

“I heard that father and his war generals will be reunited” zuko commented beside azula one afternoon as they stood on the side ledge watching a brood of Turdleducks slowly pass by.

“They will” azula nodded tossing some bread crumbs “daddy invited me. You are not going?"

“Of course not” zuko said looking at the smallest duckling that was furthest from the group “With Uncle Iroh gone, I wouldn't be able to get in at all”

Azula stays silent as she looks at the ducks eating the crumbs. She doesn't say anything else, but zuko didn't expect her to. She couldn't understand, Lu Ten had attended her first council when she was ten. Zuko was already twelve and his father hadn't given any signs of even thinking about calling him. Even though he was not the prince of the throne he should still attend the meetings.

If his uncle Iroh was here he would let him in, after all he was the next firelord, and lately acting firelord. His grandfather had not been in good health for the last few years and his uncle was replacing him in the main duties, but he had to leave a few days ago due to a problem with the walls of ba sing se.

Lu Ten wasn't there, he had been tasked with checking out some villages near the northern tribe. But from what Zuko had heard he was scheduled to go to the walls in two years.

Zuko stays there with Azula's company for a few minutes before a guard appears to inform him that his teacher has arrived. Zuko grumbles and gets up, but Azula doesn't follow him, just keeps silent while watching the ducks.

That night at dinner his father just glances at him long enough to say he expects zuko at the next generals meeting.

“And I expect your best behavior, prince zuko” he says with dead eyes and threat in his entire body expression.

Zuko just nods quickly with his heart beating fast, before looking at Azula. She was avoiding his gaze, which meant she had set it up. She had convinced Ozai to let him participate because she knew how important it was to her brother.

At that moment he had never loved his sister so much. The person who was willing to bargain with Ozai just to make his brother happy.

Azula showed no signs of acknowledging zuko's attempts to speak to her. But when zuko went to her room that night she was already on one side of the bed instead of in the middle, and she didn't say anything else as zuko went upstairs and hugged her tight, a hug she returned with the same intensity. And months after the death of his mother he felt happy.

+

No one gave zuko a second glance as he entered the great war hall two weeks later.

His father was seated at the head, the seat that was reserved for firelords only, but since Uncle Iroh was not there his father sat proudly at the top.

The sight made zuko shudder, with the flames covering the man's front he looked more menacing than usual.

Azula was on his left, her back straight and looking straight ahead. She didn't look at zuko as he slowly walked to her father's right and straightened his back.

So the meeting had begun.

It was, in other words, boring, but zuko kept his face neutral from any expression as he listened to the generals talking about new locations for colonies and invasions that might happen. His face was blank, as he had been taught so harshly by his father growing up.

Until a general got up to talk about a new invasion.

“The walls of that village are big, we don't know their strength. I want to use the 19th legion, they formed just two months ago. We can use them to get to the walls and determine with certainty the strength they have.”

The general proposed his plan with a smile. He seemed proud of it. And for a second all Zuko could think of was Kana.

His mind revolved around the dozen families that would turn
ghosts just like Kana turned when Yuto died. In mothers who would suffer for their children. For the children who would be sacrificed over nothing. That they would die young just so that an army could know the number of forces

Who would be sacrificed, for nothing.

Before zuko could understand what he was doing he found himself standing, looking at the general as he disagreed with his plan and proposed a new one.

He was good at strategy, at least that's what his teachers grudgingly said when zuko took strategy lessons. He thought he did something good, he was the prince. They would take his words into consideration, rather than simply leading dozens of young people to their own deaths.

They didn't.

The generals looked at zuko silently after his speech was over. they were shocked, Zuko thought later, shocked at his insubordination. But at that moment they were silent as they watched the general who had proposed the plan turn red with rage as he opened his mouth to argue with zuko.

No one had a chance to say anything before Ozai stood up, it was slow steps, not even five until he was in front of zuko.

“I told you to stay on your best behavior, prince zuko” he said calmly as he held zuko's face with both hands, almost affectionately “Every action has a reaction. It's time for you to learn"

In a second zuko looked into his father's eyes, his face hadn't changed even an inch.

The next zuko just felt pain, the smell of burning filling their noses as he felt his own skin burning.
A second later zuko had passed out.

Pain haunted him even in consciousness, blinding pain. And in those last moments zuko thought that this is how death should be.

+

It took a day before zuko returned to consciousness. He almost didn't wish he had.

Even the twinkling of eyelashes made his face ache from the sting of a thousand needles, he couldn't think straight with the throbbing that echoed through his head.

He could feel only pain, he quickly glimpsed between his lashes Kana standing beside his bed, fiddling with some bandages on her face before sweet unconsciousness called out to him again.

The next time he woke up the room was dark and silent, at first he didn't notice what had woken him up. Until he noticed a tall man at the end of his bed.
 
He tensed in anticipation, one hand went up in flames, and Ozai's face lit up.

Zuko flinched when he glimpsed the flames in his father's hand, and tried to lean farther back on the bed, away from the hand. Ozai noticed the movement, his lips curled into a small smirk as he watched his son try to stay as far away from him as possible.

“I'm disappointed zuko, I expected more” He didn't approach, but zuko still shuddered when he heard his tone of voice, it was the same tone he had before burning zuko's face “I thought I should come and give you the news. Your behavior was unacceptable, I expected more from you, but I don't know why I bothered. Since you were born, you've never been anything but a disappointment.

But it won't be for long. Today at that meeting you humiliated me in front of the generals, by refuting a plan of his you refuted the crown. And that, zuko. There's no forgiveness” he said as he approached zuko's bed, who was now shaking so much he didn't think it was possible to stop ever again. If possible, Ozai was even more disappointed to see his son trembling like a coward.

“You are revoked of your title as prince of the fire nation. And as soon as I have your grandfather's signature you will be banished from the Fire Nation without honor. You are a disgraceful prince zuko, or rather, Zuko" He says zuko's name with such contempt, as if he hates having to waste time even saying that "But I'll be merciful to you, you're only banned for now, there's one thing that you can achieve that will get you your home and your title back”

He gave a smile, a smile that years later zuko could see was just something a totally sadistic person could form. But at twelve, zuko thought it might be his father showing a little mercy. He was doing what the generals had to do, but he was going to try and give his son a chance.

“Capture the avatar and bring it to me, and you will have your kingdom again Zuko” Ozai says with dead eyes and that smile still on his face.

They stare at each other for a few seconds until ozai extinguishes the flame in his hand and starts heading towards the exit without saying another word. He makes it to the door before turning around.

“Your ban will be effective in one week. If you step into the fire nation again without the avatar it will be considered a war crime, whose sentence you already know what it is.”

He doesn't look back when he sentences his son, he just walks away as if he's grateful.

And zuko never felt so sick in his life.

+

The next time he wakes up it's already morning. He realizes why he woke up when a young healer arrives to change his bandages.

Her whole face hurts, and he can't hear or see very well on his left side, even the ointment that the young woman softly says should help soothe doesn't help at all. He only feels pain.

He hasn't seen Kana, ken or azula in the last two days. None of them had come. He remembers seeing Kana the first day, but now he thinks maybe he must be hallucinating.

But it was strange that Azula wasn't there. Zuko thinks quickly if she would be as disappointed in him as her father?

Until a maid who comes to leave him dinner quickly whispers

“Princess Azula is in her room, her father ordered her not to leave. He even put guards on her door when she tried to run away on the first day.”

Zuko doesn't know if this information makes him feel better or worse. After all, azula didn't come because she was forbidden by Ozai, but he also knew that if she wanted to leave she really could.

Zuko sits there for a few hours watching the room light up with the orange light of the sunset. Before his scar starts to hurt again and he gives in and starts drinking the medicine the young healer passed him discreetly in the morning. Apparently he shouldn't be taking so many medications. But she'd insisted that he take it.
After taking three sips, zuko falls asleep.

+

“Zuko, let's go. Get up C'mon zuko, you have to get up. Now"

An arm starts to shake him heavily. Before Zuko wakes up with a bump

“Come on, stand up. We need to go now”

His hands were pulling him out of bed, zuko stumbled as he tried to get out of the sheets and nearly fell flat on his face before strong hands grabbed him and straightened him.

“That's it, let's go. We must hurry”

Kana, it was Kana. Zuko assimilates before being pulled closer to his window.

The moon was high in the sky, indicating to zuko that it was dawn. He did not understand what was going on. He barely had a chance to open his mouth to ask Kana before simple clothes were thrust into his hands.

“We don't have time, zuko, get changed. Come on, now”

He didn't argue with her, so even though he was confused he started unbuttoning her shirt and ignoring the embarrassment he took off his pants and put on the clothes she had given him. They were simple clothes, the kind servants wore outside the palace. With a jolt he realized that those were Yuto's old clothes. Why was he wearing Yuto's clothes?

He opened his mouth to ask Kana before her hand covered her mouth and she pointed at zuko's door. He didn't understand what was happening, but Kana seemed to be waiting for something. Something that turned out to be a quick combination of three knocks on the door. She just put a finger in her mouth before she moved quickly towards the door pulling zuko along with her.

In the hallway was a guard he remembered talking to several times when he was younger, he looked stressed. As he looked around the empty hallway and made motions for them to hurry. Kana didn't need any more encouragement, she quickly pulled zuko and the two headed running towards the west side of the palace.

Zuko didn't dare speak as he ran, Kana deftly avoided some places with a pattern only she knew. And soon zuko found himself in a garden that was close to the walls that faced the beach, the garden was dark and almost impossible to see. But he was able to identify two people there. One of them was a guard who by his uniform, patrolled the walls.

Soon he recognized the second person there, it was Ken, who had finally quickly approached zuko and Kana. Ken looked sad as he noticed the bandages on zuko's face, he smiled sadly as he passed his hands slowly and affectionately on the scar-free side of her face, while the other was busy putting the backpack over his shoulders.

"I'm very happy to have met you prince zuko" He says with a loving voice as he hugged the boy, zuko was still small compared to Ken. So the cook rested his chin on the boy's head as he looked up trying to hold back the tears.

The last thing zuko felt was that mess of loving hair that Ken always did to him, before the cook looked at the guard and nodded. As one the two moved to an area that was covered in plants. Leaving only Zuko and Kana there.

“Kana, what's going on? I don't understand." Zuko said hysterically to the housekeeper, who just laid her hands on zuko's shoulder

“Zuko I need you to pay close attention. I need you to promise me that you will never come back here again” she says firmly as she looks at zuko.

Zuko didn't understand what she meant by that, what do you mean never go back to the fire nation? That was his home, everyone he knew was there, he couldn't not go back.

“Is this about the banishment? Kana I promise I will work this out. I will regain my honor when I capture the avatar. I will come back, daddy promised me that I would come back when I fulfilled my...”

“this is a mission of fools Zuko!” Kana interrupted zuko with a snap, the younger boy's eyes widened when he saw that the housekeeper seemed to have watery eyes “this is an impossible mission. Ozai is just condemning him to death. Zuko, you have to promise me that you won't come back here."

"I can't. I'll be back, with the right resources I'll be able to locate the avatar. I can return Kana!”

“You can't, Zuko! Please try to understand this” The housekeeper says as she shakes the boy's shoulders gently. She looks angry for the first time “Ozai won't give you anything, he's given you a mission that can't be accomplished. He threw you into the lions' den. You can't stay here, and you're going to be in great danger out there, zuko.

You won't have anyone, the inhabitants of other nations hate anyone from the fire nation, can you imagine what they will do with the prince? And you won't be able to take refuge in the army either, they'll kill you because they think you're an exiled traitor, you won't have your title to defend it anymore. Don't you understand? Ozai sentenced you to death zuko!”

Zuko refused to believe, no, his father couldn't do that to him. He was zuko's dad, he wouldn't do that. would?

"If..." zuko started to say before he had to stop to take a deep breath "if I don't have any more options, what are we doing here?"

“You don't have any more options being the prince my little turdleduck, but if you were anyone else you might have a chance to live” she says as she runs a hand gently over her bandages “I couldn't save Yuto. But I can save you, zuko. Promise me, promise me that you won't go back to the fire nation."

"I...I" he says lost, she was asking him to give up everything. But according to her, he had already lost everything “I promise Kana.”

The housekeeper didn't look happy about the promise, but she seemed more relaxed than a few moments ago. She began to gently pull Zuko over to the same clump of plants that Ken and the guard had disappeared a few minutes ago.

As soon as they passed through the branches, zuko found himself in front of a small gate that led out of the walls, curiously there were no guards there. Just the one with Ken. They set it up, zuko noticed with a start.

“Kana, what are you guys going to do? What I'll do?" Zuko said alternating looks between Kana and Ken, who were tense with the question and had a wordless conversation.

“I have a trusted friend with a small boat waiting for you on the beach, Zuko, he will take you to one of the villages in the earth kingdom. Once you're there, you have to try to get to Ba Sing Se as fast as possible. You will find refuge there. The generals will never admit it, but the place is a fortress. You'll be safe there as a refugee” Ken says as he looked zuko up and down, he seemed to want to memorize the boy as much as possible.

"People will look for me once they notice I'm gone" Zuko told the two, again they seemed to have a silent conversation. But zuko noticed something was wrong "Kana, won't people notice that I'm gone?"

"No" The maid says reaching her eyes, she seemed to take a deep breath before saying "Not if they think you're dead."

"Dead?" Zuko says staggering, he is quickly held by the guard "What do you mean dead?"

"We'll take care of everything zuko, the moment you are at sea, prince zuko's room will be mysteriously attacked and his prince killed"

"They'll recognize it's not me" Zuko says looking at her, seeing the holes in her plane. When the housekeeper doesn't look worried zuko adds "How am I going to die Kana?"

“You don't have to worry about it zuko, we'll take care of everything. What do you need to worry about is how to get to Ba Sing Se. Promise me that you will live zuko. I need you to promise me that you will try.”

“I… I promise” he says looking them both in the eyes “I promise Kana, ken. I promise"

The two hug him tight, his scar hurts when it's pushed into their chests, but zuko ignores the pain in favor of hugging them tight.

Soon the three of them are walking to the edge of the gate, that side of the castle is deserted, no one was really there normally, and at this hour of the morning there was no one.

“How, when will I be able to see you again? Can I try to write when I'm in ba sing se?” Zuko says once the guard says they are ready to go down to the beach.

“Oh zuko” Ken says sadly as he squeezes his shoulder “you can never talk to us again”

“It's going to be very dangerous for you” Kana says cutting zuko, who opens his mouth in indignation with his heart in pieces “But we will always be with you zuko. I want you to know that I'm so proud of you my little Turdleduck"

She says in a choked voice for the first time that night as she pulls zuko into another tight hug, it's whispers softly into her hair, words so silent zuko could almost have missed it.

“I hope you have a good life my boy. Live the life you chose, not the life imposed on you.”

She gives him a kiss on the head before gently pushing him towards the guard waiting by the ramps.

The last thing Zuko sees through the tears is the two adults who have become his family waving at him before silently entering the gate.

Zuko tries to hold on to the broken pieces of his heart as he follows the guard to the beach.
He later realizes that he couldn't even say goodbye to Azula.

+

Zuko and the old man don't say anything as he gives instructions to a clumsy zuko, he just nods to put the little boat in motion and turn towards the helm. The boat isn't big at all, it looks more like a fishing boat, but zuko doesn't complain as he sits in the background and watches the boat go into the open sea.

He opened the backpack Ken had given him. it contained only a few changes of clothing, a simple small dagger, and a few packets of food. Nothing reminiscent of Prince Zuko. There was nothing there that said who he was.

He was nobody now. He had nothing left, zuko thought as his head began to spin. He had lost everything, everything.
He began to control his breathing, as Mai had taught him a few years ago. God he hadn't even said goodbye to Mai, he'd said goodbye to no one. He had nothing left.

Would people go to his funeral, would he have a funeral? God, Mai and Azula would have to go to his funeral.

In, out. In, out. In, out. In, out.

He counted until his breathing had calmed down enough that he could direct a question to the old ferryman without choking.

“How long until the earth kingdom?”

"Tomorrow afternoon we'll be there" the old man replied without turning around.
Tomorrow afternoon he would stop being Zuko and become someone new.

I think I'd better start doing a backstory, thought zuko.
After all, tomorrow afternoon he would land on his new life.

+

He never got off the ship, because the next morning everything went to shit.

+

It happened before sunrise.

Zuko had prepared to wake up early and go over the story he created when he saw them.

A big wooden ship. It was nothing like the fire nation ships, this one was smaller and had several people on deck.
They were coming quickly towards Zuko's small boat. He with a bad feeling woke up the old man, who as soon as he saw the ship got up quickly and started shouting instructions to zuko. Trying to get away from the ship.

They barely made it twenty meters before the ship caught up with them and a loud voice rang out.

“We are the Fluyt pirates. Surrender or we will shoot”

Zuko and the old man barely had a chance to exchange a glance before five arrows were aimed at them. With no other choice, they both entered the ship via a small plank that was placed between the two vessels.

There were more people than Zuko originally thought, at least twenty people were there. All looking at them menacingly.
Zuko didn't flinch, he forced himself to stay calm as he looked down and considered his options.

He was nobody to them, he realized with a moment of realization. He was a nobody, and that could be used to his advantage.

“Well, well, look what we caught today” a tall man approached with a heavy limp, he carried a big sword and was missing an eye “What are you doing so close to the fire nation seas?”

“Us…” Zuko started before stopping and training so that his voice sounded younger and more innocent “He is just a shipper I paid to take me to Earthr kingdom”

As he spoke, zuko drew the attention of half the boat to him, but he didn't flinch, he had endured worse looks during the palace parties.

“What happened to your face?” the man Zuko assumed was the captain asked. It wasn't really a question, it was more of a demand.

“A punishment sir, I lived near the beach after my family passed away and I made the mistake of badmouthing the nation around a soldier. He marked me to teach me a lesson”

He heard grunts from several of the crew, as well as angry looks from others. One of them spat on the ground and muttered something like “Die all of the fire nation, do this even to your own”.
 
He finally understood what Kana meant when he said that Zuko leaving as a prince would be a death sentence. Everyone there looked like they wouldn't hesitate to kill the soldier who supposedly had done that, imagine if they knew he was from the family of the people who ordered?

He didn't say anything as he was assessed by the one-eyed man. He seemed to appraise every bit of zuko, which he forced himself not to sway on his feet.

“What do you have of value? Give us everything” One of the crew demanded.

Zuko had nothing, just like the old man. They told this to the pirates who didn't seem satisfied, two of them even went to the small boat to search themselves.

While the boat is overturned zuko is under the eyes of the pirates. They don't seem to have any interest in the old man, setting him aside while his raft is overturned. But zuko was kept in the middle of the deck while the eyeless man and the captain looked at him critically.

“You old man” The captain says as his crew returns to the ship “We'll escort you to the next post. You will stay there”

“As for you, peasant” The eyeless man says in a gravelly voice. He must drink a lot, thought zuko. “Not many places will accept a fire nation citizen, victim or not. We will keep you from one eyeless person to other.”

It wasn't an invitation, it was a demand. Zuko realized that he would be there whether he wanted to or not. He just swallowed and nodded as he reformulated his plan.

He would stay with them until he was as close to Ba Sing Se as possible. And as soon as they were distracted he would flee to the walls.

Soon the landing post arrived and the old man was evicted, he didn't look at zuko as he walked away. Soon it was just zuko in the company of the eyeless pirate.

“Do you know anything about ships?” he asked, not gently but softer than zuko expected

"No sir" He said as respectfully as possible, not looking too much at her face.

The pirate muttered something and motioned for Zuko to accompany him as he descended to the lower levels of the ship. Soon Zuko found himself in front of a table that had four people playing cards.

The game didn't last a minute before the one sitting at the end of the table ruthlessly destroyed the others. She smiled, like a cat before noticing the one-eyed man calling.

“This” he said as he placed a heavy hand on zuko's shoulder “is our new recruit, you are responsible for training him. Don't let me down”

He says looking into her eyes, who just rolls her eyes at the sailor walking up the stairs before fixing on zuko.

“Well, looks like we have new fish. What is your name?"

"I'm...Lee" Zuko said trying to look as less hesitant as possible

“Well, Lee, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Yusa"

+

Yusa was fourteen years old and had hair that was a deep red when the sun hit it. It was one of the first things zuko noticed about her. The second was that she was ruthless when it came to ordering.

On the second day on the ship zuko was put in the kitchen to wash a tower of dishes, he had never washed dishes in his life. So when it came time to actually do the work it took three times longer than it usually should, and had to redo half of the pile when the cook saw some poorly washed dishes and threatened to skin him if he didn't do it right.

Four hours later he couldn't feel his hands well, and was sent to the top of the ship. There he found Yusa waiting for him. Aside from the first few minutes on the first day he hadn't seen her much, it looked like this was about to change.

And so she started teaching him to do some deck work. He had to tie ropes to the sails, clean hooks, polish swords, and wash the floors morning and night.

For a week he always did the same thing, he got up early and was forced to clean the floors, then he took care of other things on the deck, after lunch he had to wash the piles of dishes in the kitchen and clean, and at night he had to wash the deck again and pull the strings.

By the end of the day he was so tired he could barely find the strength to apply the ointment to his scar. On the third day he had taken off the bandage, and began applying an ointment he found in the bottom of his bag, along with a note describing the right amount to apply and how many times a day.

Two weeks had passed, and his arms were starting to have a little more resistance to the heavy lifting. But he still felt the urge to just pass out in his little hammock every night. But he had to apply the ointment.
 
It was on one of those nights that he found Yusa, she was sitting near the place Zuko usually hid while tending to her scar. He wasn't sure how to act around Yusa, she didn't get too close to him, and she only appeared to yell orders and then leave.

So when he saw her there, he tried to stay as calm as possible as he slipped a finger into the little ointment and lifted it to his eyes. He didn't have a mirror, but he had a sense of where he was hurt and used it to guide himself.

"You forgot a place" She said softly, but it was still enough to startle zuko and almost make him drop the ointment.

He just stared at him stupidly until she rolled her eyes and reached out to take the ointment from zuko's limp hands.

"May I?" she asked as she hovered a finger near the ointment.

Zuko swallowed hard as he pondered the matter. No one had touched his scar yet, and since it was recent, it still hurt a lot. What if she wasn't kind?

"Don't worry Lee, I promise I won't hurt you" She said softly as she looked at him.

She looked different, zuko noticed. She was no longer that person Zuko had met during card games or when he had to work on deck.

A mask, zuko's brain finished for him. It was a performance, zuko could see one from miles away. So used to wearing one himself all these years.

Before he realized what he was doing he nodded to her, who placed a finger gently on the top of her face and began to apply the ointment. She was right. He had missed a point.

She finished quickly, looking clinically at her face as she applied the ointment in places zuko didn't have. They stared at each other for a minute before she closed the jar and handed it back to him.

"When you need help and just tell me" She said before standing up towards his hammock.

Zuko couldn't understand why, but something changed after that day.

In the first few days he struggled with it, it made no sense for him to even approach someone just to have to say goodbye. After all, he would be leaving soon, he was just waiting for them to get close enough to Ba Sing Se.

But even so, a few days later he saw her offer again to help him with the scar. Help he accepted gladly.

That night zuko couldn't sleep and went to the deck, there was no one there, apart from the scout in the high tower and one at the helm.

So zuko lay down in the middle of the deck and looked up at the stars.

“Do you know the stars?” Yusa asked quietly as she lay down next to him. It was their first real interaction outside the dark corner of the ship they used to apply the ointment.

"Just a few, my uncle tried to teach me" he said as he pointed to the constellations that uncle iroh taught him when he was younger.

When he finished he was silent, until Yusa started pointing out the ones she knew. She knew many, before he even realized they had mapped the entire sky.

"If you want..." Yusa says looking at the sky "I can teach you more about the stars another day"

Zuko was quiet for a few minutes, it wasn't worth it. He'd be gone soon.

"I'd like that Yusa"

+

Soon she was everywhere, when zuko had to wash the dishes she'd lean over the counter and start chattering about the new ship's gossip.

She helped him with the new knots he was having trouble with, as well as she guided him on how to climb a rope correctly.

Every night they would get together and apply the ointment on Zuko's scar. That it still hurt, but not the blinding pain it had been in the first few days. Yusa also reported that she was looking better.
 
Before Zuko knew it, a month had passed. He was seriously considering staying there, even though he worked hard and was treated with indifference by the other crew.

If he stayed here, no one would question who he was. He could be just another pirate, and he would have Yusa to help him.

He thought about it, until he participated in the first pirate attack.

It had been a month since they had been on the high seas, zuko was in the kitchen when he heard a shout from the captain saying that he had a target in sight. He was told to stay there. After all, he was only twelve years old and no sword training in real combat, he would only get in the way.

But even so, he climbed the stairs to see, who knows, maybe the pirates were attacking a Fire Nation ship or something.

He could not have been more wrong.

It was a ship full of people, a ship of refugees.

Zuko watched sickly as planks were placed between the ships and the pirates moved over them, plundering everything of value from these people who already had nothing. Zuko looked around until he saw Yusa standing there. She looked angry, clenching and unclenching her fists as she looked at one of the crew bouncing around the ship carrying pearl earrings.

She and zuko exchanged glances from opposite sides of the ship before zuko walked back down to the galleys. He couldn't stay another second there.

Not two minutes later Yusa appeared at her side. They both didn't say anything as zuko gave her a bag of flour, which she punched until she was exhausted.

“Are… are they always like this?” He asked hesitantly, afraid of the answer.

Yusa just nodded as she looked at the bag of flour with her shoulders shaking.

"Why...why don't you just leave, Yusa?" He asked looking away, he couldn't believe that one day he considered staying in a place that took advantage of people like that.

Yusa looked at him like he was an idiot, she walked away from the bag and quickly approached Zuko, before saying softly.

“Lee. Nobody ever leaves here” she said looking into her eyes, zuko didn't understand how that was possible, he just had to leave “Whoever enters here never leaves. There's only one way for you to get out."

"Which is?"

“Dying,” she says in a gravelly voice as she watches the small boat of refugees pull away through the small kitchen window. "The only way you'll ever get out of here is dying, Lee."

+

Before Zuko knew it, two months had passed. He and Yusa had grown closer than ever after that first attack. They sat while sipping zuko's pathetic attempt at tea as she told them about the people who had tried to run away before.

Not many, maybe three or four in the years she'd been there. But they all ended the same way. dead.

Zuko's head was spinning with the new information, he couldn't stay there, he had to leave.

He told Yusa that, he would find a way to leave.

“As soon as you find out, let me know, I'll be with you Lee”

At that moment Zuko truly felt that he could have someone in this new life, that after losing all of his old life he could slowly start a new one.

And so they approached as they tried to formulate a plan, they whispered as they washed the dishes together, or as they tied the ropes. Zuko had gotten much better at making knots, which he made sure to show every time to Yusa, who smiled and pushed zuko's shoulder.

It wasn't until the third month on board that Zuko saw their opportunity.
It was a full moon night, and the captain had told everyone to meet up on deck.

"Attention!" he shouted making all conversations end “One of ours has reported that a troop of fire nation soldiers will be camped on a hillside. It's just three days from here. Let's go there loot their new weaponry and teach them a lesson.”

He said smiling at the crew who smiled back. What an idiot Zuko thought, one thing he had noticed in the last three months was:

The crew as a whole weren't smart at all, the only one who was saved from them was Yusa.

Although today that was a fact that would help Zuko, who met Yusa's eyes and touched her ear twice.

They had created secret signals a few months ago, simple things so they could talk about their plans to escape without anyone getting suspicious. A fact that again proved infallible when no one looked twice at Zuko as he muttered something about glasses and walked down to the kitchen.

A minute later Yusa materialized there, and both were quiet as they headed towards the bottom of the ship.

“We have to prepare to run away when they attack the troops” Zuko said quickly leaning on a barrel “They will miss this attack. And that’s where our opportunity will be.”

“What are you talking about?”

“No troop leaves the Fire Nation without having at least five firebenders in it, a troop has at least twenty people. They will quickly subdue the pirates. And while they're busy, we run away."

“Yes, but not over land” She said as she walked around “Let's give them a taste of their own medicine”

“And how are we going to do that?”

“Oh my little innocent Lee” she said smiling like a cat as she patted zuko's cheek, who pushed her away muttering “Let's do what pirates do best. We are going to steal"

Three days was all it took for the ship to reach where the troops were.

Two days was all it took for Zuko and Yusa to come up with their plan. When the third day came, they were ready.

Yusa caught a mysterious fever a day ago where she had to stay behind during the attack, thus being without battle gains, as a sailor made a point of speaking while mocking her.

Something she made an exaggerated claim about. But no one objected to her, or zuko, as they both stayed on the ship.

The troops were twenty minutes from the beach, he and Yusa watched as the group got off the ship and started heading up the hill.

The two exchanged glances as they started to move, zuko went to the lower barrels where he had hidden two decent swords he stole from a drunken sailor the day before, as well as clothes and bags of food, while Yusa went with two small staples to the door to the captain's cabin.

Zuko stayed beside her as she deftly unlocked the door and entered. They soon tracked down her prize. Four bags of gold coins lay on the table, as well as some parchments.

Yusa busied himself with getting the map, while zuko opened the scrolls to see which ones were useful or not. He decided to just take them all and tossed them into his backpack. He also tied the two bags of gold that Yusa had thrown at him inside his shirt.

Once each had a sword and bags of gold they ran to the small boat they strategically left beside the ship.

As they had gotten used to each other over the last few months it was easy for them to open the sails and tie the ropes, and soon they were sailing.

Once on the high seas he and Yusa faced each other with big smiles before they started laughing hysterically.

free. They were free.

They smiled and hugged each other, and for a few hours everything went well. Until a storm came over the horizon

+

Zuko had never caught a storm at sea, the pirate ship had caught one that wasn't very strong once. He just shook it a little before steadied.

It was very different in their little boat, Zuko was so unbalanced that he had to tie a rope to one of his arms to keep from being thrown overboard. The rain beat relentlessly on him and Yusa, who tried her best to guide the boat to shore.

Zuko could see a bit of land, but it was still further away than he would have liked, he tried to help Yusa as much as he could while feeling the boat tremble under his feet. He looked down and was horrified, as Zuko was wet everywhere he didn't bother to see his feet.

There was water up to his ankles, he looked at Yusa over the rain and saw that she noticed it too. That boat wouldn't last long in these conditions. Said and done, when half an hour later the boat started to sink.

Yusa and zuko looked at each other before they tied their things more tightly around them, as well as a rope that bound their wrists and they threw themselves into the sea.

Zuko has never swam so much in his life, he barely remembers how he got to the beach, he just kept repeating in his mind, keep flapping your arms, keep flapping your arms. At the same time he pulled Yusa's rope that was moving away from him.

As they both collapsed on the beach they took a moment to catch their breath, it felt like zuko's throat was raw as he tried to breathe, and Yusa beside him didn't look much better. He wanted to just stay there, lying there. But the rain was still beating on them, so zuko forced himself to get up and look for shelter.

It took only fifteen minutes of walking before he saw a cave big enough for the two of them to get inside and out of the rain. Yusa was shaking terribly, and zuko honestly wasn't much better.

He quickly opens his backpack to get the clothes when he sees everything wet, thank god he packed the parchments in the plastic as well as the food, but he didn't think about the clothes.

He looks at Yusa, whose lips were already turning blue before he made a decision.
One of the countless bad decisions in his life.

"Yusa" he says softly catching the girl's attention "I... I can help us, but you have to promise me not to leave now"

She looks at zuko confused before nodding, zuko takes a deep breath seeing in himself the inner fire that has always been there, he takes a deep breath to calm himself down before lighting both his hands on fire.

Yusa jumps when she sees the fire in zuko's hands, and gets up to stand on the cave wall, as it's a very small cave, so she doesn't go exactly far.
 
"You are a firebender" She says with red eyes from anger and judgment throughout her tone.

Zuko cringes at his tone, Yusa never spoke to him like that. Never, but there she was, looking at zuko as if he had betrayed her. What he supposed he had done.

They'd talked about a lot of things in the last three months, they'd trusted each other, and yet Zuko never said he was a firebender. Even when the opportunity had come up several times, he never told her.

“I am, I understand you being mad at me, I swear. But your lips are blue, you need to warm up" He says, forcing himself to meet her gaze, she was really angry, and still dosen't move "Please Yusa"

Yusa hesitates for a second before she shivers when a wind hits the opening of the cave, soon she was close to Zuko, not like before. Just close enough for the heat of his hands to reach her. Zuko's heart breaks a little as he slowly brings his hands together so that her body better catches the flames and he sees her walk away from him.

It seemed to be an involuntary reaction, as after another second of hesitation she returns to her original spot, but it still breaks zuko's heart.

So in the next few minutes Zuko starts to run his hands down her body methodically drying her clothes, it wasn't enough to get them completely dry, but they were damp instead of soaking, which he still considers a victory. Yusa doesn't look at him once, she just holds her gaze at the cave entrance for the rain to fall.

With everything that had happened in the last few minutes, he shouldn't have been surprised when she stood up abruptly just as the rain had abated. He shouldn't have been surprised but he was. So he just stared, as the person he thought he could call a friend walked away without looking back.

+

Zuko stayed in the cave for a day, completely alone and with thoughts he just didn't know how to resolve.

A part of him wanted to go home, go to Uncle Iroh and beg him to let him come home. It was everything he ever wanted, but he knew it was impossible. As Zuko had only been at sea for the last three months he hadn't seen anything about his death, but he didn't doubt it had happened.

Therefore, he would stick to his original plan, go to Ba Sing Se. He could be Lee there. Just another refugee. Just an ordinary person, a person others wouldn't stray from.

Zuko lit a small fire while pondering where to go from now on, he still had the two bags of gold that Yusa had given him and his sword. He could buy a ticket up to ba sing se.

His mind turned to that scum of people, who called themselves pirates and simply stole innocent people who had nothing. They disgusted Zuko, I hope they got beaten up by the troops, zuko thought with satisfaction.

Zuko was so focused on his thoughts of revenge that he didn't notice Yusa entering the cave until she was in front of him. He looked at her with wide eyes as he watched her sit with her eyes fixed on the fire.

“Your name is not Lee. isn't it? she asked softly. He knew what answer she wanted, and it killed him not to be able to give it to her.

"No, it's not," he said, and watched in real time as her hurt eyes met his.

“Was it all a lie? Those three months? Was I, what, a joke to you?” She said quickly, while staring at him without blinking

"No, Yusa" He said quickly, he wanted more than anything to approach her and hold her hands. But he knew he shouldn't approach her now. “I promise it wasn't, nothing I told you was a lie, least of all my actions. I swear"

She stared at him for a few seconds, where zuko was trying to convey all this through looks before she nodded and looked into the fire.

“You saved my life, I owe you at least the chance to tell your story. But this is your last chance. I recommend that you don't lie to me...” she leaves the end of the sentence open, giving the perfect opportunity for zuko, who doesn't hesitate before saying it.

“Zuko. My name is Zuko, former prince of the fire nation,” he says quietly, ignoring her wide gaze.

He faces the fire, takes a deep breath seeing the flames being controlled by her breath and tells her. He tells her everything.

He talks and talks for hours, about his mother, uncle, azula and Kana and Ken and what they did. He tells about his father and what he did at the war council. He talks until his voice is hoarse.

Yusa doesn't interrupt him once, she just listens to him carefully, until he gets to the part that was approached by the pirates and stops. They're silent for a few seconds before she speaks for the first time since this all began.

"Well, your dad is a dick" she says mockingly making a breathless laugh come out of zuko

"He is not. He had to demonstrate power and respect around generals. He did what he had to do, I was disrespectful” Zuko says the words that have been spoken to him since he was a child, words his father has always thrown at him. “Every action has a reaction, I had mine”

“That…is the dumbest thing I've ever heard” Yusa says, ignoring the indignant squeal that zuko lets out “I was disrespectful to my father several times and that was never a reason for him to burn me or throw me under rocks. . Parents don't do that zuko"

“You don't understand” Zuko says shaking his head “I should have been better, this was all my fault”

Before he knew it Yusa had both hands on zuko's face forcing him to look at her

“Listen to me well Zuko” She says pinching her good cheek as she gently holds the scarred “Nothing. And I say nothing at all would be a reason for someone to do that to you, I don't know if that's what you want to hear, but I'm glad you left."

He didn't totally believe her, it had to be his fault.

After all, Azula has never suffered any of this. But Yusa doesn't look like she's going to give up, so he just waves at her and waits for her to take her hands off her face. But she doesn't walk away from him like he'd thought she would, instead she stays by her side as he got used to in those days aboard the ship.

“I should have known there was something wrong with you” she comments after a few seconds of silence “You are too hot for a normal person”

He just laughs breathlessly and dares to throw an arm over her shoulders, this was something they started doing a month ago, he had no idea how she would react to it now. But surprising Zuko once again she just leaned her head on his shoulder as she got closer to Zuko.

"What are you going to do now?"

“Well, I really only have one option. The original, go to Ba Sing Se.”

She is silent for a few seconds before saying softly.

“What if I gave you a second option?”

“What would she be?”

“You were with these idiots for three months, I was with them for four. We have seen how despicable they are. We could be different”

"What do you mean?"

“We could become pirates, decent pirates who help people instead of robbing them. We could see the world Zuko” she says moving so they face each other “If you want to go to Ba Sing Se I'll understand, but if you choose to stay you wouldn't have to hide. We have enough money for a small ship, and the knowledge necessary to sail it. We can make a difference”

Zuko stares at her for a few minutes in shock. Being a pirate, having a ship with Yusa. It seems too good to be true, does she know who he is, does she know the whole truth and yet she wants to be close to him? Could he have this?

“This sounds too good to be true” he says slowly and he can't help but smile when he sees the girl's eyes roll “Seriously, what's the catch?”

“No catch, I only have one condition” zuko waves his hand for her to continue “You have to promise me that you won't use your firebending to harm innocent people. I don't care if you use it to defend yourself or attack people who deserve it, but promise me you won't use it to attack the innocent. If you get this, I will stand by your side Zuko”

"I promise" Zuko says with a cracking voice, as he extends his hand to a smiling Yusa who squeezes back

“It seems that we are together from now on Zuko. Until the afterlife claims us”

"Until the afterlife claims us, partner" zuko says, pulling her arm so he can hug her.

“Welcome to the crew, Zuko”

+

A week was all they needed to get a boat big enough for maybe five people. It was good enough that Zuko and Yusa were able to navigate it with ease.
 
It was a simple ship in need of repairs, but it was theirs.

Soon Zuko and Yusa started training more, he had improved a little in sword fighting, Yusa was a decent teacher, so they fought every day while meditating together.
 
Soon they were at the next port, it was one close to the northern water tribes, they disembarked to buy the necessary things to be able to fix the hull when zuko felt it.

  The tingle that there was something strange. He stopped in the middle of the street, and saw Yusa standing beside him, looking at him questioningly.

He ignored her as he looked around, the market wasn't crowded, but something was wrong, he knew it was.

Until he saw, there, in a more empty alley, a girl who didn't look older than thirteen, and wearing water tribe clothes was being surrounded by three fire nation soldiers.

Yusa and zuko exchanged a glance as they headed towards her.

And there, without them knowing, a thread is intertwined.

Chapter Text

For a few seconds, the three of them look at each other in the dimly lit kitchen. Iroh staring fixedly at Zuko, still pale.

Kazu was switching glances between them while looking for the exits. Which Zuko realized was only one. The door.

Before Iroh could open his mouth Kazu patted zuko on the shoulder and when he had the boy's attention he quickly signed.

“Shall we take him down? He's just an old man, he's not going to be any trouble.”

Zuko stares at him for a full five seconds before rolling his eyes and slamming the book into the taller boy's stomach, making him let out a choking sound and reflexively grab the book.

“Stop being stupid and get back on the ship. I'll handle it. Tell others what has happened; but don't come back”

Kazu instead of walking, stands there looking at him like he's grown a second head. What maybe he has, he's been kind of having an out of body experience in the last few minutes to be honest.

"Now, Kazu"

Before Iroh could assimilate what was happening, Kazu ran past him, the book clutched in one hand. Uncle to be honest didn't seem the least bit disturbed by the freckled boy's departure, he just kept his gaze fixed on Zuko.

“Looks like you had a great adventure nephew”

Uncle Iroh looked composed, but years at sea and doing other not-so-lawful things made Zuko notice the slightest signs. He was shaken, Zuko could see his fingers shaking before he hid his hands in his sleeves, he also watched as his uncle tried to swallow hard without drawing too much attention, but zuko noticed. He just couldn't tell if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

“I believe so, Uncle. Can we talk on deck?” Zuko, unlike Iroh, was composed both in tone and body. He didn't let any of his limbs betray him as he snaked through the shards of glass on legs firmer than he felt.

Iroh didn't say anything as he gave way to Zuko and the two began to slowly climb onto the deck. They were an arm's length away, and even now Iroh didn't touch Zuko. He kept shooting glances every few seconds, as if to check that Zuko was still there, but not touching him.

Once there, Zuko sat at one of the tables near the edge, facing the sea. Zuko reasoned that depending on where this conversation went he could make a quick escape by throwing himself overboard, he doubted his uncle would jump in after him. They both didn't say anything as they sat facing each other.

And before Zuko even assimilated that he was standing in front of his uncle after five years, a great feeling overwhelmed him. The rage.

“What happened to you?” Zuko asks even before giving Iroh a chance to pull himself together.

"What do you mean?"

“I saw the news three years ago, you resigned” Zuko says looking at him with a hint of anger “you left everything to Ozai's mercy. What. Happened. With. You?"

For the first time in the night, Iroh avoids her eyes. He just looks at the sea with sad eyes, and it seems that every year has come to his uncle's shoulders.

“You died Zuko” He says softly “You died just a few months after Ursa, and my world was shaken. Then...two years later Luten died. And the world was not only shaken, it collapsed. I couldn't do it anymore, I just couldn't-"

“You could” Zuko interrupted him angrily, the resentment he felt when he saw the news three years ago coming back in full force “You should do what's right, instead you left. You left Azula there, alone with him! You left an entire nation in the hands of Ozai!”

At that moment Zuko was getting up from his chair, all the anger he felt coming back in full force. For years he'd known he could never return to the Fire Nation, he could never speak to Azula again, but Iroh should be better. He still remembers when he realized that everything was in Ozai's control. That monster turned firelord.

“Azula; Azula has changed a lot since you left Zuko” Iroh says calmly, which only makes Zuko angrier “She didn't want to listen to me anymore, I tried. But Ozai stood by her side every single time. I don't-”

“Azula was a child! She was just a little kid. You and the adult” Zuko says standing up angrily “You should know better! You tried? You didn't try hard enough, you left her with Ozai. The same Ozai who sentenced his own son to death, and yet you left the throne to him!”

“has condemned you to death?” Iroh says looking at zuko with wide eyes “What do you mean by that? What happened, Zuko?"

"What happened?" Zuko says with a humorless laugh “It just so happened that you weren't there! You weren't there for me. And now it's not there for Azula. You. Were. Not. there!"

Iroh tries to reach for Zuko's shoulder, who angrily pushes his hand away. He can't stay still, so he starts circling around the deck. The words pouring out of him, words that had been stuck for years.

“I lost everything, Iroh. Everything. But what kept me strong was the fact that Azula could be safe with you there. That when grandpa died all this could come to an end, you would be better. You're supposed to be better. If it wasn't for Kana and Ken..." Zuko says choking on the names "If it wasn't for Kana and Ken I wouldn't be here today."

“What happened, Zuko?” Iroh repeats it again, this time standing like Zuko

"This happened" he says angrily as he tugs at his hair, leaving the huge scar showing.

For the past few years Zuko has constantly kept his hair long. Always at shoulder level. He also had long hair when he lived in the palace, although unlike the palace times where he kept it neatly in a ponytail; now he wore them loose or tied them with whatever ribbon he had at hand in a quick bun.

It was useful for when he wanted to hide the scar to avoid comment or stares. But now, face to face with Iroh he saw in real time his uncle's eyes widen as he observed the extent of damage that had been done to his nephew.

“Your brother burned his own son. And not a day later banished him from his own nation in a useless hunt” He says while letting his hair down “A hunt that had only one goal. Death."

“I don't-” Iroh says with shaking hands “I didn't know he did that Zuko, nobody wanted to tell me. Even when I insisted. Nobody said anything”

"You insisted?" Zuko mockingly says “Did you insist? You were Firelord, your word was the law. You haven't tried, not enough. YOU LEFT ME ALONE WITH HIM"

Before Zuko realized what was happening he found himself being hugged tightly by Iroh, the tears that he hadn't even realized were starting to fall soaked his uncle's shirt. Zuko tightened his arms around his uncle tightly. Even after so many years he still had the same childhood scent that Zuko remembered.

“You weren't there. You left me alone with him” Zuko cried softly as he spoke frantically “He burned me, my own father burned me, and then he banished me. And you weren't there"

“I know Zuko. I know” Iroh says regretfully, and Zuko feels tears fall on his shoulders “I know. I will never forgive myself for that. I'm sorry Zuko."

Zuko just cries more quietly, even as a small part of his heart mends as he listens to his uncle's apologies. He continues apologizing, while squeezing Zuko, loud, whispered words of 'I'm sorry'.

It takes a few minutes for both Zuko and Iroh to calm down, then they fall to their seats on the deck. Face to face, while zuko wiped away the rest of the tears with the back of his hands.

"Why? Why did you resign?” Zuko says wiping away tears, her throat is hoarse, but she ignores it in favor of the question that has been on her mind since he saw the poster three years ago. “You could've been the solution uncle. You could've ended this. Then why?"

“Because I didn't want to fight anymore” Iroh says calmly, his throat slightly hoarse as he brushed the strands away from zuko's face, but not daring to touch the scar “I wasn't making an excuse, Zuko. My world fell apart when Lu Ten died. Ozai took advantage of it. He went to his grandfather who was in his final moments and said that someone like me was not fit to lead the great fire nation. And I. I didn't fight it, Zuko, I didn't insist it was okay to command, I was so tired. So when your grandfather named Ozai as the new firelord I just agreed. I'm really sorry Zuko"

“You don't have to apologize just to me” Zuko says, anger at him draining from him “You must have seen how the world is on this ship. Ozai will only go from bad to worse. And Azula. Azula is there”

“She is” Iroh agrees, nodding his head sadly “We're not as close as we were in her childhood. But I'm going to try to fix it Zuko. I will” Your uncle says, promising.

And zuko trusts him, as he has always trusted. Since little. He has to help Azula, Azula can still save herself, it might not be too late.

"How. How did you find me?" Iroh says looking at zuko, who just looks at him questioningly "I meant what were you doing in my kitchen at dawn, Zuko." His uncle clarifies

Zuko shudders, in the last few minutes he had forgotten the reasons why he had gone there. He looks away from his uncle as he considers what to say; it was always on his mind what his uncle would say when he found out he had become a pirate, what his reaction would be.

Guess we're about to find out, zuko thought with a shudder.

“Apparently you have cookies that are impossible to replicate without the recipe”

The sentence hangs in the air for a few seconds as her uncle seems to process the words.

“Did you…did you come all the way here to steal my cookie recipe?”

“Not steal it” Zuko says disdainfully, while staring at his uncle “We were just going to borrow them, but you had to be just in time”

“Well, I'm sorry” His uncle says, mimicking Zuko's sneering tone “If I couldn't help but go check who got on my ship. I should have stayed in bed. You're right"

They stare at each other for a full minute before small smiles start to appear on both their mouths. The resentment is still there, but it's insignificant in favor of the happiness Zuko felt at talking to his uncle again. He missed Iroh, his pointless advice, his tea and his unshakable conviction in Zuko. It was like a hole in her heart not having him around for the last five years.

He can't help but smile as he sees his uncle's famous beard, and the smile he always gave Zuko.

"Are you finally going to tell me what you've been doing all these years, nephew?"

And just like that, the smile is gone. Zuko swallows hard while thinking about what to say.

As much as it hurts in his heart he still doesn't fully trust Iroh, many years have passed for Zuko to have the same blind trust he had in him as a child. He can't risk his crew like that, his family.

"I... I ventured into the world uncle, like a stranger" Zuko says finally, Iroh looks at him critically, as if trying to find a lie

But zuko has learned to lie since he got on the ship and met Yusa for the first time, for him to survive all these years he had to become a phenomenal liar. It's nothing like he was when he was a kid. So even as Iroh looks at zuko without blinking he can't identify the lie.

“I met a few people along the way, and one of them loved her cookies. But he couldn't reply. It was driving me crazy”

"So your solution was to come and steal?" He doesn't say it as an accusation, but Zuko still feels accused. It's not like he's lying, he thinks, after all he told Saori that they were going to steal the recipes.

“Again, borrowing” Zuko says pointedly as he stands up. Iroh follows his example, albeit slower. He has to go, if there's one thing his crew doesn't have is patience. He needs to go before Saori and Yusa find a way to dramatically arrive.

“Well, if it isn't-” Iroh starts to say before cutting himself off. But he seems to regain some confidence when zuko gestures for him to continue, “If you don't mind, I'd like to meet this friend of yours, is that the one you were with in the kitchen today? If you want, can I teach him personally?”

“Even though it's a family recipe and all?”

"Well, it's not like it makes much sense now" Iroh says looking sideways at his nephew "After all, he ran out with the book in his hand"

Zuko can't help but laugh when he realizes that, yes, when he ran Kazu was taking the book with him. He can barely imagine the look on Hiro's face when she saw him.

Zuko just gives Iroh a little wave as he walks over to the plank that leads to the deck. What kind of people leave their board docked even when they go to sleep? Gods and as if they were asking for a robbery.

Zuko forces himself to keep his back straight as he walks to the exit, but before he can step onto the plank he hears his uncle's voice whisper, so softly that if it hadn't been just the two of them there in the silent night Zuko wouldn't have heard.

“Will you come back tomorrow Zuko?” Iroh says, his voice filled with hope that he didn't seem to bother hiding.

Zuko takes a deep breath as he ponders having his uncle back in his life, even for two days. It doesn't take him a second to realize he doesn't have to really think about it. He already has the answer engraved in his heart.

“You bet, uncle,” he says before jumping onto the deck and running to the ship.

He is careful to stay in the shadows as he runs towards the ship, he doesn't know if Iroh still watches him, but he won't risk it.

Not ten minutes later he was climbing onto the deck of his own ship, which was empty.

Zuko starts to calmly walk down the stairs towards the kitchen where he sees everyone there gathered around the huge wooden table.

“Sooo” Saori says with a smirk “How was it?”

Zuko's only answer is to lean against the wall where he slid until he reached the floor. His legs finally giving in

“Based on that reaction I would say it was great!” Yusa says sarcastically while spearing an olive, Hiro was beside her with his nose buried in the book, not even bothering to lift his head “Should we get ready to leave?”

"No." Zuko says accepting Lori's offered arm "After all, we have an invite to tea tomorrow"

In these moments everyone looked at him with slightly wide eyes, even Hiro who finally emerged from the book. Everyone was silent for a few seconds before Mai broke it with a single.

“Holy fuck”

And just like that, chaos ensued in the kitchen.

+

"I still think this is a bad idea" Mai said for the fourth time, as everyone walked along the pier towards the jasmine dragon.

Zuko couldn't disagree with her too much, when he woke up in the morning and realized what exactly he'd agreed to, his first reaction was to want to leave as soon as possible.

Hiro didn't let him.

Zuko should never have told him that Iroh would personally teach him the cookie recipe, now he refused to leave until he learned. Apparently the scrawls in the book were illegible to anyone; Last night they all got together trying to unravel what appeared to be another language, and managed to translate maybe a third of the entire page for two hours before giving up.

Zuko just exchanges an apprehensive look with Mai before heading towards the end of the dock towards the iron ship. To his credit he barely hesitated as he started up the gangplank leading onto the deck. Everyone tensed around a table as they waited for the little old man to arrive.

“I will need to return the book, won’t I?” Hiro says in a sad tone, going so far as to even pout.
 
Half of the crew rolls their eyes, exchanging glances with each other.

“What are you going to want with this book anyway? You can't even read it!" Kazu exclaims, trying to pull the book out of Hiro's hands, who hugs him to his chest.

“I just need to learn another language, it's not that hard!” Hiro exclaims, slapping Kazu's hands still reaching for the book.

“Actually, it's not a different language. It's just poorly written anyway,” Iroh says from behind them.

He appeared so silently that half of them jumped as he turned his head to look at the short man smiling serenely at them, sizing them up. Iroh was dressed in a green robe and was holding a pot of tea that smelled very good, if the look Lori cast at the teapot was any indication.

"You must be Zuko's friends, come on" he says waving towards the door that led inside the ship "Let's talk in a more private place"

“Those words are never a good thing” Yusa whispers to Saori, making the girl giggle.

Mai silences them with a wave of her hand as she walks with her back straight, Iroh still hadn't seen her, but Zuko didn't doubt that he would soon notice. Perhaps it was a little difficult for him to recognize her right away, after all the last time he had seen the girl was when she was ten, and the ten year old Mai had long hair and wore long dresses.

Nothing like Mai who walked beside Zuko, who had her shoulder-length hair where a few strands dangled over her eyes covered in red and blue eyeliner as she put her hands in her pants pockets. No doubt turning the small knives hidden there.

Before Zuko or anyone else could say anything Iroh stopped in front of a big door, if Zuko's memory didn't fail this was a kind of dining room for the crew. Said and done, as soon as the door opened he saw a large square table set up with two types of teapots and some sweets that Zuko vaguely remembered seeing on other tables when he'd visited the store earlier. Iroh moved to the middle of the table where he set the teapot and motioned for them to come closer.

They all looked at each other before starting to move towards the pillows placed there. Mai sat as far away as possible from Iroh who was at the far left of the table, opting to stay at the far left with Kazu beside her and Saori and Lori in front of her. Zuko sat in front of Iroh, thinking that maybe he could distract him from the others by having his nephew lost in front of him, Yusa as always was by his side, thus leaving Hiro to sit next to Iroh.

He tried not-so-subtly to push the book away from the table, perhaps to hide it under a pillow. But unfortunately for him, the movement had captured Iroh's attention.

“Ahh so there he is” He said smiling as he poured a cup of tea to Hiro who was pouting again as he took a sip from his cup “The reason my nephew has a headache”

"pardon?" Hiro says choking on his tea, and zuko wasn't much better

"I misunderstood?" Iroh says casting a questioning look at a still coughing Zuko "I was informed yesterday that the reason they are here is why you are giving him a headache."

“Zuko, what the fuck?” Hiro says, completely forgetting about Iroh beside him as he gives Zuko a betrayed look "You said you weren't bothering you!"

“I wasn't” Zuko defends himself, shooting a scathing look at his uncle who was hiding behind his cup “In the first two days...”

“Zukooo” Hiro whimpers, making everyone laugh, while Lori gives a small smile and bends over Yusa to pat her hand “What about you? Were any of you guys bothered?”

“If in the next two months I don't have to see a cookie anymore, it will still be a short time” Yusa says calmly chewing a cookie from a plate on the table, when everyone is silent she raises her head “What? These are smelling really good.”

Before Hiro could open his mouth, no doubt to complain that theirs also smelled good, Saori addressed Iroh. Who was scanning the faces at the table and almost made it to Mai.

"So you and the Dragon of the West" She says sipping some tea and nodding her head in approval "I have to say, I'm not impressed"

Zuko rolls his eyes as he stops himself from slapping his face with his hand, his uncle doesn't seem bothered as he smiles at Saori.

“Many people we hear about are usually not that impressive in person” He says in that voice of wisdom that Zuko got used to hearing growing up “But I hope by the end of this visit I made a good impression on you, Miss... ”

“Saori” she says after a moment's hesitation, while looking subtly at her family around the table.

“Beautiful name, sounds like something from the water tribes, doesn’t it?” he says as he watches Saori exchange a look with Hiro. How did he know they were from the water tribe? "Forgive me. the years as a general made me notice little things. I noticed that your eyes are blue, and I once had the pleasure of having a pai sho match with some northern water tribesmen and you drink just like them.”

“Holy shit, he's good” Kazu signalize shooting a look at zuko.

He just nods imperceptibly before drinking his tea, obviously his uncle was a good observer, after all he's been in the army all his life, and he's had to make friends with many different people. He had to notice the little things to survive.

Just like me over the years, thinks zuko as he watches his uncle look around the table cataloging information about the people sitting there.

“So how exactly did you guys meet?” Iroh asks while pointing a kettle at Yusa, offering more tea which she agrees with "I didn't get to know much last night"

“We are traveling acquaintances, we met over the years and formed a small friendship” Yusa says in a firm voice, without showing a sign of hesitation.

“Is that so? I am happy to know that my nephew has made so many good friendships over the years” Iroh says smiling at them, while looking at Zuko with affectionate and sad eyes “I am happy to know that he had someone to count on”

“He did” Lori voices what everyone at the table was thinking “As well as we're lucky to meet him”

“Totally, if it wasn't for him we wouldn't have been caught by-” Kazu says smiling at a gaping zuko as he starts to tell the story of how they had met only to be cut off by a brusque.

"MAI?" Iroh says, locking eyes with the tense girl at the end of the table “But…how?”

“Hello General Iroh” Mai says in an impressively bored tone as she picks up a muffin placed there “Good to see you again”

"I heard- You should be dead." Iroh says with a final tone before exchanging glances with zuko "Although I shouldn't believe everything I hear lately."

“I don't think it's wise, General,” Mai says, still sounding bored as she eats the muffin.

Iroh still stares at Mai for a few seconds, seeing the changes in the ten year old girl he had known. He was trying to figure out how she was alive, zuko noticed. The news of Mai's death had been different from Zuko's, she had been missing for two months and only later was presumed dead by the trackers her parents had hired to find the girl.

“The news of my death was also very misguided, you know?” she says as she brushes some of the hair out of her eyes, “There are bad trackers these days. Taking their word for it is not what I would call trustworthy.”

Hiro and Zuko look at each other as they watch Iroh assimilate what Mai was saying. The hand holding the teapot shook a little as he set it back on the table.

“I see, so you also joined a ship with my nephew?” he says, and looks surprised to see half of the team gasp as they shoot the old man alarmed looks.

“Our clothes” Zuko says after a moment of questioning. He realizes he was right when he sees the nod that Iroh gives him

“No earthwalker dresses like that. Only sailors” He says with a nod towards the multi-toned clothes they wore “Lots of colors and cloths, no specific nation. It's not something a simple sailor uses. So it's not a fishing ship, but it's not a big merchant ship either, for I haven't heard of any ship with a crew dressing like that. What makes me intrigued, what kind of ship are you nephew?"

“The kind you've heard of” Zuko finally says, squeezing Yusa's hand under the table, who squeezed back “I believe you've heard stories about a pirate ship sailing in misty waters”

“The blue spirit” Iroh says as he stares at zuko, eyes wide for the first time in the day “The legendary pirate ship, is that you? Have you become a pirate, zuko?”

“Yes” Zuko says silently avoiding his uncle's eyes.

Everyone on the crew tensed in anticipation, what Iroh would say would dictate what happened now. Should he ever make a misstep, his team would not hesitate to destroy this place to leave. But zuko didn't worry about that, he couldn't handle his uncle's disgusted tone, the look of disappointment when the reality of what zuko's life was...

“Your mother would be happy to know that you used the name of her favorite piece for something so noble” Iroh says softly cutting off Zuko's thoughts as he reaches out to shake zuko's hand affectionately “I'm happy for you nephew. Glad you found something to fight for.”

“Are you- aren't you angry? Disappointed?" Zuko says, choking a bit. While his eyes filled with tears, was he happy for him?

"Disappointed? What for? Because my nephew decided to fight for those who can't?" he says as he shook zuko's hand and stood up to hug the boy sideways “I've heard a lot of stories about The Blue Spirit my boy. Disappointed? Of course not, I couldn't be more proud of you Zuko!”

“Are you?” Zuko asks disbelievingly. In all his fantasies he never dared to imagine this, it doesn't seem real.

Yusa, seeming to sense her conflict, reaches out to pinch her waist. Making Zuko let out a whistle and slap her hand, while the rest of the table laughed with the tension now broken. Iroh smiled along with them as he told zuko again that he was proud, as if realizing that the boy desperately needed to hear this from him.

"So pirates" Iroh says once he's back in his chair "That's exciting what you've been up to for the last few days"

“We helped a group of people being attacked by fire nation soldiers”

“We have freed a group of earthbenders”

“We run away from the avatar”

Everyone had spoken at the same time, but unfortunately it was the end of Lori's sentence that caught Iroh's attention.

“The avatar? You are running away from him. Because?"

“It's zuko's mission” Lori started to say slowly, looking confused by Iroh's questioning “Did you- didn't you know that?”

"No, what do you mean by zuko's mission?"

“That's what Ozai tasked me with, five years ago” Zuko says, waving his hand to demonstrate to a guilty Lori that everything was fine “If I captured the avatar I could return to the fire nation and be reinstated as a prince”

“But the avatar only reappeared a year ago” Iroh said looking at zuko “five years ago he was just a legend”

"You don't say" Zuko says sarcastically. He still couldn't believe that for two days he'd thought it was really a chance Ozai was giving him, that it was something he could get. “Anyway, the last thing I want is for Ozai to know that I'm alive again. And having the avatar group close to me isn't going to help with that."

"We've gotten enough attention without him anyway" Mai says casting a glance at Iroh. And it's not as if Zuko could disagree too much with that. “But at least as pirates we're masked. If there's anything we know about Ozai, it's that he had someone hunt down the avatar as soon as he learned he was alive. The last thing Zuko or I need is having to return to the Fire Nation.”

“You are not going back there” Hiro says in a final tone, flexing his huge arms “Not if we depend on us”

“hopefully we don't have to come to that” Zuko says ignoring his crew's nods “That's why we run away from the avatar”

“But why are they after you anyway?” Iroh says looking at the children “What would the avatar want with pirates?”

"Not with pirates, with Yusa and Lori" Saori says waving her chopsticks at the two of them, making Iroh's eyes fall on them.

“We are earthbenders” Yusa says, as she looks at Lori “The avatar managed to master waterbending, the next element is Earth. He wanted our help. But as we've just said, we can't and don't want to have them near us.”

“You had to see how we did it to fend them off” Kazu says excitedly as he reaches out for a high five with Hiro “They won't be coming back anytime soon, good thing they look elsewhere”

“We help people suffering from the war on a tangent; we have no interest in joining the war directly” Hiro said as he absently ran his fingers along the cover of the book “It would be too dangerous to expose ourselves to the world like that, for Zuko and Mai then it's not even talked about. We have no interest in putting a target on our backs.”

“I understand, it's really not safe for you guys with so much at stake” Iroh says nodding his head, causing Zuko to let out a relieved sigh “But… have you ever considered indicate a teacher?”

"Indicate?" Lori says slowly exchanging glances with the other crew

“Yes, I believe that on your travels you've met some great earthbenders. Even if you don't want to teach the avatar there must be someone who can"

“And there is” Zuko says, when a name pops into his head “King Bumi is an excellent teacher, he will be able to teach the avatar in Omashu”

"King Bumi unfortunately won't be available to do that" His uncle says serenely as he warms some of his tea, with firebending "His kingdom has been conquered by some fire troop generals"

“Has Omashu been conquered?” Kazu exclaims as he stands up “Is King bumi okay?”

“He's fine, don't worry child” Iroh says as he beckons Kazu to sit down “He's exactly where he wants to be, ready to take back his kingdom at the most opportune moment. But that means the avatar won't get a teacher there."

His crew exchange glances as they ponder what Iroh had said, appointing the avatar to a teacher could be the solution to his problems, but there was only one question. Who?

“I think” Yusa starts to say while looking at zuko “That we have the right person to give them”

Zuko stares at her as he watches her close her eyes for a few seconds.

"You don't mean…" He says, the beginnings of a smirk appearing.

“surely, I mean it”

"They won't know what hit them" Zuko says smiling as she accepts a cup of tea being offered to him

+

They stayed with Iroh until the moon reached its peak in the sky. After agreeing on who to nominate they joined in the kitchen with their uncle as they watched him teach Hiro how to make the cookies. Being kind enough to even translate half the book for a beaming Hiro.

Zuko was beaming, sitting at a counter with a platter in his hand as he watched each of his team recount how they met and the most recent adventures they've had. His uncle was kind to all of them, and seemed interested in everything they said.

He even praised Saori's bending movements as she demonstrated on the deck of the now closed shop, as she lifts the famous fog. Everyone was calm there, but they needed to leave soon.

it was not known where the avatar's group was going, so they needed to locate them as quickly as possible, so if they were too far away they could reach them without straying too far from the chameleon's bay.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to come with us, uncle?" Zuko finally asked as he held one of the many bundles of food that Iroh shoved into their arms.

“I would put an even bigger target on you than the avatar my dear nephew” Iroh says as he puts a loving hand on zuko's face “I have a shop to run, which is regularly checked by any general who is passing by. I would hate to delay you”

“Do they check on you?” Saori asked as she passed one of the bags to her other hand.

"It's a fire nation boat, it's not strange that they get curious and come see" he says as he smiles at Lori and puts another bag in the boy's hands "And as much as I'd love to go with you I have other plans. I have a niece to track down. But I also have this for you.”

He held out a large sheet of parchment to Zuko, who caught it curiously and realized it was a list.

“This is a schedule of the next ports that we will hopefully be in for the next six months. I just got you back Zuko, I won't let you away from me again. My doors will always be open to any of you” he said before stopping and giving Kazu a little smile “Or in your case Kazu, hatches”

“Best door ever” Kazu says giving a mocking bow, which earned him a slap on the head from Yusa.

They all said their goodbyes once more to Iroh and his team before moving towards the ship itself. Only Mai and Kazu didn't, as they went to the nearest marker to get information about the avatar and its group.

They weren't exactly discreet, they always seemed to cause some sort of ruckus in every town they stopped by, if the source of information Mai found was anything to go by.

Everyone untied the ropes while waiting for Mai and Kazu to board, once inside the ship began sailing towards a small town near where the group was last seen.

“Well, we are sure now that they will go to Ba Sing Se” Mai said as she traced the group’s route on a map “They must have gone to Omashu and seen the conquered city, it delayed them.”

"Good for us. we'll be able to catch them halfway there, and only a day and a half until then" Yusa says as she points with the tip of her knife to the city they expected to see the group "And they'll be lucky, the city their teacher will be is the next”

Zuko smiled as he thought of their teacher, from what he'd heard from the avatar he was still a child, with young and innocent ideals. Their teacher would squash that in the blink of an eye.

“Is she still the best idea for this?” Lori asked as he looked at the town painted on the map.

“She'll have what it takes for their mission to succeed” Yusa says as she walks towards the helm “That's it. If they manage to convince her”

“I can only imagine how and what they are going to deal with her” Kazu says climbing the ropes to sit on the pole.

“they won't. This is precisely the point. We said we would nominate someone. But not that we were going to make it easy for them.” Zuko says as she gets up to follow Yusa "After all, we have a reputation to uphold"

+

“Aang!” Sokka yelled while trying to dodge a small wave "don't get the map wet, it's pretty much the only one we have"

“Sorry Sokka” Aang grinned as he maneuvered the wave further away from the older boy, who just grumbled and went back to sit on a rock “Katara. shall we try again?”

Before Katara could respond she was cut off by Appa's roar, the three barely had a chance to get to their feet before they saw the branches of the nearest trees shake and some people fall from them.

"What are you doing here?" Sokka yelled falling into a defensive position as he waved his boomerang.

There were only three of them, a boy wearing a Tengu mask, a girl with strange bands on her arm wearing a Koomote mask, and finally a tall boy wearing a Blue Demon mask. Pirates, Aang thought quickly as he watched them.

None of the three spoke as they approached the group in slow steps, without anything being said, the three separated, facing each of them.

“I think my brother asked you a question” Katara says as she makes herself arms of water, and glares at the girl angrily. Aang realized that she was the same girl who pinned her on the boat, and as that day he still seems to be laughing at Katara “Come on, it will be different this time”

The girl looked at Katara for a second before quickly signaling something to the Tengu. Aang didn't understand what the signal was, but it had provoked a chuckle from the taller boy as he directed his gaze to katara and her water arms. He watched as the two looked at each other as if they were having a silent conversation before a little whistle from Blue made them look straight ahead again.

Blue tried to take a step when he was stopped by the boomerang sokka threw towards him. Faster than Aang could see Blue intercepted him with a dagger he'd taken from his belt. He held the boomerang in his hand as he looked up at sokka, neither of them saying anything until Blue's quick whistle cut through the air.

Before Sokka or Katara could even begin to react they found themselves being trapped by the two boys in blue's rear. With identical motions they bent over and began to bend water and earth simultaneously.

The rocks Sokka was on top of began to shake causing him to fall into the water as the river that floated below Katara's shins began to swirl. Neither brother had a chance as a large wave surged up the river, intercepting Sokka, and freezing him there. At the same time Katara was thrown out of the water and trapped in a stone wall by the Tengu boy.

“Katara! Sokka!” Aang yelled as he started waterbending alone, how dare these pirates come at them and hurt their friends? “Tell me what you want here, and free my friends!”

Blue just watched him before starting to move towards Aang throwing the boomerang to the ground, his companions didn't follow. It took only seven steps before the boy was at the edge of the stream. He reached over and took out a small paper and handed it to Aang.

“Aang! Don't take it" Sokka yelled from his small ice prison, as he watched the little monk approach the pirate "They might be up to something"

Aang didn't know what to do, after all they had thrown him off their boat, but he had a feeling they wouldn't have come here if it wasn't important. So he made the decision to approach the masked boy and take the paper from his hand.

As soon as the boy dropped the paper, his companions released Sokka and Katara at the same time. As they both fell to the ground the three turned and ran towards the forest, faster than Aang thought possible. He prepared to go after them before being intercepted by Katara.

“No Aang, we don't know what they want. It might be dangerous to go after them,” she said as she took his arm and used the other to steady Sokka.

"She's right Aang, it might be exactly what they want" The boy said as he approached the sunbeam to warm up "What's in that role?"

Aang unfolded the paper carefully, aware of the brothers' gazes on each of his shoulders. The note was simple, only a few lines long, but it would change Aang's life.

Avatar. Even if we have no interest in helping you, we still want to see this war won. The teacher you are looking for is just one city away.
She goes by a name, find her and you will have your teacher. Look for:
the blind bandit
Don't look for us again. With the greetings of the blue spirit

“Well, I think it's worth checking out,” Aang said as he reread the note.

"You are crazy? It could be a trap” Sokka said as she snatched the note from the boy's hands and held it up to the light as if that would reveal his secrets “I don't trust them”

“Me neither Sokka” Katara says softly as she watches him handle the note “But we were going to stop by anyway. It is worth checking"

“Looks like we have a possible teacher then!” Aang says excitedly as he jumps out of the stream “Let's go! Let's find the blind bandit"

"I wonder what kind of teacher this guy must be" Sokka says thoughtfully as he tied his bun.

“With that name, definitely someone creepy,” Katara whispers as she escorts the boys to appa, to begin the search for a possible earthbending teacher.

+

“Toph Beifong will finish them off in a second” Yusa says laughing while crushing some peanuts with a small stick “They'll only find her in the ring. I almost want to go there and see how the avatar hopes to convince her.”

"Do you think her parents would let her go out?" Lori asked beside Yusa as she stole some peanuts, earning threatening looks from the second mate.

“I doubt they will be able to stop her if she decides to go with them” Saori says in front of them feeding Cosco some cereal “Remember when we met her last year? She pretended to be sick for a week as she went to town parties with us.”

“Toph Beifong can definitely handle them, the question is whether they can handle her,” Zuko says from his seat at the helm. They are finally sailing towards the chameleon bay, and expected to arrive in a week, and everyone was looking forward to it.
 
“But they're her problems now. The most important thing is to focus on our objective”

“Vacation” Kazu exclaimed from the top of the ship, earning a chorus from all the other crew. “I will definitely sleep for a week”

"What's new in that sentence?" Hiro muttered as he released one of the strings to release the left Candles.

“Well, well. What do you think about starting to heat things up?” Yusa says abandoning the peanuts and bending down to pick up a deck of cards, making everyone at the table groan “Come on, don't be afraid. It's just a friendly game.”

"you say that, but last time i had late night services for a month" Lori grumbled

"It's not my fault if you're bad"

“It definitely is, when I'm playing against you. cheater”

“Cheater? Me?" She says with big, hurt eyes, “How dare you? I'm so hurt that you think that about me Lori"

“Cut it out, it’s been five years, do you really think any of us will still play this little game of yours-”

"I'm in!" Hiro exclaims as he sits down across from Yusa, earning him a smile from the girl and a horrified look from Lori.
 
Zuko and Mai exchange amused looks as they settle in to watch Yusa crush Hiro for what feels like the millionth time in a row. He sighed happily as he watched his family scattered across the deck and his fate finally in sight, life was returning to normal.

A week later they settled into the chameleon's stall, the first two days being taken up with just cleaning the house and putting away the supplies they'd bought on the way there. After that it was just a vacation.

Their much-deserved vacation was nothing more than volleyball games and bonfires, as well as homemade theater plays and different foods each night, zuko always loved those moments. There were times when he could drop everything and just relax around the people he trusted most. Where his only concern was not getting caught by Kazu and Hiro and being thrown into the sea.

It was the perfect days.

But it only took three weeks for it to be broken.

+

“We have to go, the village here is being attacked” Yusa says as she enters the house frantically squeezing her stick nonstop “It's bad. Really bad. We need to go”

No one hesitated as they got to their feet and started picking up their weapons and clothes around the house. For a few seconds they wondered if they should take the masks or not. Until they decided that it would be better to go as pirates than as people who lived there who knew how to fight very well, it would draw a lot of unwanted attention.

Once ready, they left towards the trail that connected the city. Even from a distance Zuko could see the fire rising through the windows of the burning houses. As they ran up the hill they could see the fire nation boats standing in the middle of the sea. At least two troops were there.

Zuko exchanged a look with his team who nodded as they gripped their weapons tighter. If the Fire Nation was there this wasn't going to be a simple fight. The most interesting reason was why they were there.

That village did not have many inhabitants, it was empty and the few who lived there had no interest in the lives of others, preferring to stay on their farms. It was the main reason why Zuko and his team liked it there, discretion.

Then zuko thought about why they were there when he drew his dao swords and shot down a nearby soldier. He didn't need to turn his head to know that his team had done the same, so they all threw themselves into the fight.

It didn't take much for them to subdue the soldiers there. Soon Zuko signaled for them to split up so they could cover most of the city, and as soon as possible meet in the center. They all nodded before splitting up.

With only Zuko and Yusa left, they both looked at each other and made a gesture that they created even in the days they were trapped in the small pirate ship and threw themselves into the fight. They fought in sync, guarding each other's backs as they took care of the six soldiers surrounding them.

Three for each, Zuko gave Yusa a little tap who nodded in agreement before they unhesitatingly separated and jumped at the soldiers present there. Zuko managed to take down two, and as he was knocking out the third he felt a sword cut the wind in his back.

He managed to dodge in time for his skin to be cut, but the ribbon that tied his mask unfortunately did not meet the same fate. Zuko watched it slip from his face and fall to the floor.

He heard a watery breath that might have been considered disbelief before he looked up. And there he saw it, a face he hoped he would never see again. A face that could ruin everything.
 
“Hello, Prince Zuko ”

General Zhao said while giving a mocking smile while raising his sword to point it at Zuko's chest.

Chapter Text

As a pirate you have to learn some rules from an early age, one of which is to stand your ground in any situation. It doesn't matter if it's a storm you weren't expecting or guards in a dark alley or a random interrogation.

You don't freeze.

So when Zuko found himself in front of General Zhao and his mocking gaze he didn't freeze.

The general's eyes widened and he barely had time to raise his sword to defend himself from the blow Zuko threw at him, both swords ricocheted and he saw the general's arms tremble with the effort of holding himself against the attack.

Zuko dodged the kick aimed at him and jumped back a few times, he trusted Yusa to guard his back while he kept all his attention on the man in front of him.

“So it looks like the brat finally got some nerve, I always knew there was something wrong with the way you died” Zhao said mockingly “Dad would be happy to hear about your miraculous resurrection. Who knows, maybe he’ll give me the honor of killing you myself.”

Zuko didn't bother to respond as he aimed blows at the general's main points, who cursed when one of Zuko's swords made a large cut in his arm.

“Look, it looks like Ursa's little boy has claws” The general says as he tries to stop his arm that starts to bleed without ever stopping to circle Zuko “What happened to the little boy who wouldn't pick a flower from the ground because it would hurt him? ”

Zuko remembered his first death, it had only been three weeks since Saori and Hiro had joined the team. Zuko and Saori had gone out at night to buy supplies when they were ambushed by a group of boys, four of them.

He still remembered Saori's panicked look when she was grabbed by two of them and thrown against the wall while he was held by the other two boys, Zuko knew the look they had on their faces, the look that they could do whatever they wanted with her for simplys becasuse they could. He watched as one of them began to run his hand over Saori's shoulders as if he was going to take off her shirt.

He felt angry, more angry than should be possible. It burned all over him, how dare they touch her? He let his anger spread throughout his body and grow hotter and hotter until it heated his entire skin. He barely heard the two boys who were holding him jump back screaming because their hands were burned, he just focused on the look of horror and fear on Saori's face and on that boy's hand that was starting to get closer and closer. The sound of Zuko's dagger as it came into contact with the boy's neck was like cutting into a piece of bread. The second boy who held Saori soon suffered a similar fate, leaving only the two who held him, who were currently in the corner of the alley cradling their burned hands.

He remembers looking at Saori and expecting disgust or fear, after all he had killed two people, but the only thing the girl did was hug him tightly and hold her arm as they moved towards the boat. For days he waited for remorse or nausea to overwhelm him, the reality of what he had done and yet it never came. He remembered confessing to Yusa under the stars that he was scared of becoming his father, the kind that killed and never looked back but he also remembered her saying that Ozai would never defend a person like he did.

But the thing that made him accept all of this was Saori who three days later came up to the deck in loose pants and a blouse and asked to be taught how to defend herself, that she never wanted to be put in a position like that again and just freeze. She would never freeze again, and rip off the hand of anyone who tried to touch her again.

They never blamed him or looked at him differently for killing those two boys, and when he thought about regretting it he looked at Saori radiant for managing to disarm Yusa in three moves and the only thing he thought was that they deserved more than a death. quickly. Because if there was one thing he learned since he was little, it was that people like that didn't just do it once, Saori wasn't the first in that group and she definitely wouldn't have been the last.

It was his first death, the one he would never forget.

Zuko evaluates Zhao as he takes a few steps forward, forcing the man to take a few steps back to keep his distance. When he was fourteen he was afraid of Zhao the cruel general, but now he saw the man for what he truly was. A miserable stain on humanity that needed to be eradicated as soon as possible.

“I, as General of the Fire Nation, order you to lower your sword Prince Zuko” Zhao says between breaths as he dodges yet another brutal attack from Zuko that this time leaves a cut on the man's thigh “I was personally tasked with capturing the avatar and it's not going to be you and this damn crew that's been irritating us for years that's going to stop me. I order you to LOWER YOUR SWORD!”

Zuko couldn't help it and let out a low, humorless laugh, as he took three quick steps forward and watched as Zhao realized that he had been cornered on the edge of the cliff.

“You wouldn't dare” He says defiantly but unable to hide the tremor in his voice “I'm Ozai's right-hand man, he will come for me. And when he arrives, he will find out about your betrayal and you can bet that I will not stop until I have you tied at my feet.”

Zuko realized at that moment that the General thought he would be a prisoner. And for the first time since that fight started Zuko spoke.

“Maybe” He said smiling as he took out a dagger from his belt and lit it on fire. “I'll have to ask you to tell him in the afterlife for me, okay Zhao?”

The General saw a fiery dagger fly towards him faster than it was possible to intercept and stick itself in his chest, it burned more than anything and it was already possible to feel the blood dripping. He stumbled a few steps back and barely managed to avoid falling off the cliff. When he looked up he found himself staring into Zuko's golden gaze as he approached calmly.

“Goodbye General Zhao” Zuko says softly as he kicks him in the stomach.

The last thing Zhao sees is the boy's hair flying over the scar as he falls down the cliff.

General Zhao died before he could hit the water.

***

Zuko watches the body hit the waters below and turns around, only to find Yusa with a serious but understanding look holding her mask. He manages a weak smile at her before tying the cuts firmly in place. The guards from before are no longer among them, he looks at Yusa who just shrugs her shoulders, he didn't kill Zhao just so that some soldier would go to Ozai and tell him everything.

Zuko sighs and looks forward to find the rest of the crew only to see the avatar and the rest of his team standing there.

“At least now we know why they were here” Zuko says as he starts heading towards them with Yusa at his side

“They are a disaster, if it weren't for us, the huts would be nothing more than ashes now” She points to one of the houses where Saori is bending water to put out the fire

He can see Hiro and Kazu nearby helping the injured and Mai and Lori picking up fallen debris. But most of all he could see the Gaang looking at him with horrified looks.

What is it? Zuko signaled to Yusa when she got close enough. The redhead barely raises her hands before a stuttering voice interrupts her.

“Y-You killed him” The boy from the water tribe says pointing at Zuko, he looks sick “You threw him off a cliff”

Oh

Of course, they couldn't hear what Zhao was saying or see Zuko's face since his back was turned, but they definitely saw him throw the dagger and the same off the cliff. Zuko barely feels a pang for killing the man, he would only bring more problems. But it's still strange to be judged for something that according to his gray morals he was right to do.

“Here's a little advice for you little warrior” Mai says as she practically teleports next to Zuko “That's war, they'd kill you in a heartbeat. So either you revise your morals or be prepared to die with them.”

“That can’t be the only possible option” Aang says quietly as he watches them

“True” Zuko says for the first time making the three jump “But in this case you either kill or you die. They have orders to kill everyone except the avatar, so it's up to your conscience. But my team comes first and I would kill an entire battalion if it meant they would be safe.”

The three remain silent as they look at Zuko's team that is slowly joining them, the avatar is frowning, clearly uncomfortable, the boy twists the swords in his hands but what surprises Zuko the most is the girl who has a calculating look on her face. face. Perhaps there is still hope for the small group.

“Always a joy to see you FireCracker”

“Hello Toph” The team says in chorus as the blind girl joins the group

“How’s it going so far, bandit?” Lori asks, leaning on a stick.

“Without hope, I should have known that anything that comes from you is a problem.”

“We’d hate for you to get bored, Beifong.”

Toph playfully sends pebbles towards them which are intercepted by Saori. Zuko soon notices that the boy from the water tribe opens his mouth to say something but Zuko stops him by raising a hand. He had no interest, much less patience, to deal with the group's litany. He signals the team and they both move in sync to leave.

Not to their cabin but to the other side of the island, where they would go around the sea. He observed that the avatar made a move to follow them but was soon intercepted by Toph who began gesturing to the injured people around.

Zuko definitely didn't want the gaang near any of his team, it seemed like they brought misfortune wherever they went. After a few hours everyone arrives at the cabin in silence. There is a vote on what to do now and everyone agrees that it would be more practical to stay there until the news of Zhao's death cools down.

But just a week later a messenger hawk arrives carrying a message from his uncle, he barely read the short text before having to release the parchment, barely avoiding burning it.

“What does it say?” Kazu asked in a low voice from his spot on the sofa.

Yusa, who had taken the paper, read it while squeezing Zuko's shoulder tightly, he felt that only that touch prevented him from drowning.

“Nephew, I don’t know, you know the news, but General Zhao died during his chase against the avatar. The mission was assigned to someone else yesterday. Be warned Zuko, Azula is out there.”

Chapter Text

"I'm telling you, this it's not a good idea" Toph Beifong says as he crosses his arms and looks in the general direction of the avatar

"But you won't tell us why it's not a good idea" Katara argues with a scowl "Aang needs the information and I don't see you coming up with a better idea"

Sokka watched in silence as the little girl drummed her fingers on his arm. Toph confused him more than he'd like to admit, she was a rich girl who took part in underground fight clubs, a girl who was closer to royalty more than anyone he knew, but she also know pirates and spoke of them with affection.

"Is the territory of the desert people" The girl said in a low but firm voice, this attracted the attention of the rest of the group "If we go in there we'll be in their zone, and I'm not used to dealing with so much sand around me to defend you"

"Who says you're the one who has to defend us?" Katara says

"Listen here princess, you've never fought a sand bender before" Toph says pointing a finger at her "Do I need to remind you where you're going? You're going to be in the middle of the desert with only a canteen of water in a place where there's endless material for them. Sand benders can do a lot of things where your water would barely be able to save you, Aang can barely make a pebble move and your little brother here would be nothing more than a grain of sand to them."

"The blue spirit has one of them, doesn't it?" Aang said quietly, and Sokka suppressed a shudder as he realized that the boy was right. He remembers as if it were today watching that sand rise up and hit him in the direction of the water. And that was just a little bit, imagine a desert of that

"No" Toph says smiling a little as she thinks of the bender, how the girl could think of that little boy in a mask with black eyes with affection was beyond him "He was born in a village near the sea, nowhere near the deserts. But they went there to learn how to bend sand" Toph says picking up some earth and running it through her fingers "They showed me and taught me how to bend too, but I've had little or nothing off a practice and I'm saying we shouldn't go"

"But what do you suggest?" Sokka says for the first time since the discussion began, "We need a way to stop the fire nation, there are a lot of people counting on us."

"Literally anything else, I'm telling you looking for a library that no one has ever found, in an unknown territory with a rare bison sounds like a good idea to you?"

The group settles down for a minute while everyone ponders what to do now, the library seemed like a light at the end of the tunnel, the answers they all needed, but it could easily be a trap.

"Why don't we ask them for help?" Aang says suddenly, looking in Toph's direction "If the pirates have learned from them, it means we can convince them to accompany us to the library

"I don't know twinkle toes" Toph says as he picks up stones from the ground "They didn't tell me how they convinced they to teach them, but they might ask for something in return. Are you prepared to pay, despite the price?"

"Maybe it's priceless, after all you are the Avatar" Katara says slowly, moving to sit next to Aang.

"Of course, because announcing it has always helped us," Sokka mutters.

"Well that sounds like a better plan than any other" Aang says jumping towards Appa "To the library!"

Sokka couldn't explain it, but he had the feeling that his phrase had been stolen. The taller boy sighed as he prepared to spend hours in the air.

"This is going to end badly," Toph Beifong muttered to the wind.

It seemed like a promise.

Sokka dreamt of Chameleon Bay.

The houses caught fire and two troops of soldiers invaded the decrepit village, there were at least forty of them.

The dream shifted like a current and he found himself jumping off the end of one of the soldiers' swords, there were two of them and Sokka was barely managing to dodge, his arms trembling as he stopped one of them from taking a swig.

Everyone was in a bad way, only Toph was holding on, and just barely.

But then they arrived.

In the distraction of the soldiers Sokka managed to knock one of them out and the other hit his head on a rock, finally free of the two surrounding him he could see the whole scene in front of him. He was paralyzed.

The crew of the Blue Spirit looked like the demons that some stories talked about.

They didn't communicate, they just moved in sync, wiping out everyone they saw in front of them.

Small arrows were shot by the short-haired girl at the same time as holes in the ground opened up and swallowed up soldiers. The boy with the huge arms took down six soldiers with just four well-placed blows and the other looked like a monkey as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop throwing daggers at other soldiers.

The girl who bent water fascinated him at the same time as she terrified him. Wherever she went, the water rose to follow her, forming a circle around her, in movements so graceful that it seemed as if she herself had become water, she caused spears to emerge from the circle to find the chest of each soldier. Nine of them fell before Sokka even blinked.

Half the troops had fallen, in less than ten minutes six people had taken down more than thirty soldiers.

The current passed again and Sokka found himself staring at General Zhao's face from afar as a dagger plunged into his chest; the guy was evil, he had made Yue sacrifice himself and destroyed the North Pole, but he was still a person.

Sokka sees the man as if he were there again, his face terrified as he moves his hands around the knife as if he didn't know whether to pull it or not, he watches the man's eyes widen in horror as he watches the boy approach him.

Sokka can only watch in horror himself as the man is thrown down the cliff in cold blood and the boy turns around as if nothing had happened to tie his mask back in place.

The current picks up again and he finds himself facing the kitsune, his long red hair shining in the sun.

He can only watch helplessly as she pulls a large knife from its sheath at the same time as a voice echoes all around him

Either give up your morals or be prepared to die with them

The last thing Sokka sees before he wakes up screaming and a flaming sword is plunged into his chest.

It took them two days to locate one of the desert nomads, and a whole day of arguing with them to get them to believe that Aang was the avatar.

The desert nomads were strange, almost all their skin was covered in cloth, as was their face. They didn't talk much, just waved to each other and didn't seem the least bit interested in helping.

"We understand who you are, but why should we undermine part of our people in this fool's quest?" One of the nomads asked in a condescending tone, he seemed to be one of the leaders, Sokka noticed that there were three leaders instead of just one

"Wouldn't you like the war against the fire nation to end?" Aang asked in an incredulous voice.

"This war doesn't affect us, the fire nation doesn't have the interest, let alone the resources, to try and take the deserts territory." The second leader says

"So far, right?" Katara says, crossing her arms. "They're conquering everything little by little, and it's only a matter of time before they want the deserts too."

"Ha ha, let them try" The first says with a sinister laugh "The desert prevails over those who know about it, fire benders use the sun as their main source, it's true that the sun is scorching in the middle of these areas, but there's more to it than that, you need to know how to walk, look for water and shelter in these lands. If they invade we will prevail"

"We're sand benders in the middle of a big sea of sand, little girl" The second leader says, leaning forward "What can a mere fire bender do in front of a sea of sand? Nothing"

They wouldn't be persuaded to appeal for compassion, Sokka realized, the desert nomads, as Toph had warned them, had their own civilization and their own ideals and that meant that as long as they prospered nothing else mattered. The third leader had been silent since the conversation began, he wanted to help Sokka realized, but outnumbered he would be nothing more than a pariah.

Sokka wondered again how the pirate crew had convinced these men to teach them their methods, obviously compassion or argumentation wasn't going to work. Until Sokka began to remember all the interactions he had had with them.

Either give up your morals or be prepared to die with them

"Fine, then name your price for the fare to the library and back" Sokka said cutting Katara off in mid-sentence, something like trying to be less of a jerk "You're not interested out of the goodness of your heart so let's do business, name your price"

Everyone was silent, even the avatar team who exchanged incredulous glances between Sokka and the nomads. Sokka himself was a little incredulous, he could count on his fingers how many times they were willing to give in to people like that, but he was tired after three days of this in the harsh desert sun and time was running out. They needed the information and Sokka was willing to give up some morals and do business with these people who don't care about anything but themselves.

"Well well well, it's finally getting interesting" The first leader says looking Sokka up and down, who refuses to look away "What can you offer us in return, little warrior?"

"That's not what I asked you, name your price and then we can negotiate" Sokka says looking into the eyes of the three leaders, the third seems to be considering, the second seems to be thinking about the pros and cons and the first has a mischievous smile on his face as he looks from them to Appa "You've got to be kidding, absolutely not"

"What? What do they want?" Aang asks, looking from Sokka to the first leader

"We're not going to give you this," Sokka says in a harsh voice and watches as the first leader leans back "I'd like to remind you that this is not a favor you're doing us, not anymore. We can get there without you, so you can either take us with gold in your pockets or we'll go there anyway and you'll be left with nothing. Make up your minds"

"Give us space to discuss it" The third leader spoke for the first time, he had a soft but firmer voice than the other two, which attracted the attention of the remnants of the nomads who had gathered.

Sokka walked away with the rest of his family and considered the options they had. They could take Appa and go after the library themselves, but they didn't know what state it would be in or if any dangers arose on the way, how they would solve them, and there was also the fact that it was further into the desert, making the way back without a guide impossible.

"Sokka, what were you thinking?" Katara demands, sometimes he thinks this is what it would be like to be scolded by his mother if she were still alive today "We can't trust them, and you go and negotiate with them?"

"Do you have any better ideas? Look Katara see the whole plan here, Toph and these guys are right going in there alone would be suicidal, we don't know how to get around and you barely have enough water to defend yourself in case something happens and we can't rely on the avatar state to save us if something goes wrong" Sokka says patiently, looking not only at Katara but also at Aang "I didn't want to agree with them, but if you have a better idea I'm all ears"

"Aang support me here" Katara says turning to the boy who has an anguished look on his face

"Sorry Katara, I think he's right" Aang says in an even voice, he doesn't seem happy to agree with the nomads but at least he's not ignoring the overall plan "We need the information but I don't want to risk you for it, they're our last option"

Katara looks at the two boys with a tense jaw and then at Toph who is rubbing sand between her fingers. The blue-eyed girl doesn't say anything, just throws her arms up in the air and stomps off.

"We've come to a decision" The third leader speaks, he stands a little further ahead of the other two "One hundred and fifty gold coins, we guarantee you a return ticket to the library and all of you in one piece"

"A hundred and fifty?" Katara and Aang exclaim at the same time

Sokka considered, is a lot of money, almost half of what the North Pole had given them on the way out. But they were guaranteed entry to and return from the library, and with it the information on how to put an end to the fire nation.

"Is money worth more to you than end the war?" Toph says sounding bored, of course for her who grew up rich so much gold meant nothing.

"Done" Sokka and Aang say in unison just a second after the phrase leaves the younger girl's mouth.

"We have one condition, the bison stays here" The second leader speaks and raises his hand when Aang starts to protest "We'll travel at night, when the sand starts to cool down and it's easier to locate things. But he's big and he makes noise, he'll attract things we don't want attracted"

"We'll make sure he's okay on the way back, we gave our word" The third leader says, glaring at the first, who just looks away with a sour face "He can stay here or in a place of your choice or in the camp with the other three nomads who stayed here on the edge of the desert"

Aang looked at everyone and then at Appa who let out a roar, everyone giving the little avatar room to talk to his bison and come to a decision. Sokka looked at the sun, which would set in a few hours and they would be ready to leave.

"Don't worry little warrior, we'll show you the hues of the deserts," the first leader says as he passes Sokka's side, his voice having a mocking tone.

Sokka watches the man's hand move until it creates a small whirlpool and wonders if it was a big mistake.

There would be a solar eclipse in a few months.

The four of them were lying at the bottom of the small boat in varying degrees of thought. But Sokka can only think of the information they almost died to get.

There was a solar eclipse which meant that the fire benders couldn't bend.

It was better to think about what to do with that than what had happened in the library. It took them more than two hours to find the building, which was almost entirely covered in sand; if it hadn't been for the gaze of one of the nomads, Sokka would never have seen it.

He doesn't even allow himself to think about the spirit of the library, he would definitely have nightmares about it, just like the feeling of terror he felt when the building began to shake and fill with sand. If it hadn't been for Toph and the other benders holding the building up, they would never have left.

But they had got the information, the crucial information. They could win.

Sokka watched Aang who was twirling his staff as he watched one of the nomads bend a hurricane of sand to make the boat move. His gaze moved on to Katara who was lying down staring at the stars while picking at her fingernails, a nervous habit of hers that she never entirely lost. Finally he looked at Toph who was sitting on the edge and periodically running her foot over a spike of sand.

Sokka himself didn't know what to do, it seemed more real than ever. Ending the fire nation had always been the goal, but now they had a date. A real date to end a real war.

He had never felt his age as much as he did at that moment, and he remembered Blue Demon throwing a dagger into the general's chest. Was this what he would have to do when he arrived in the nation of fire? Kill or be killed?

"What's that?" Katara asks abruptly, standing up and pointing ahead

Sokka squinted, but he could clearly see, fire. The tree in the camp that housed Appa and the other three nomads was on fire, as was the tent Sokka had seen them pitch. He felt a wind and saw Aang stand up with his staff and fly forward.

"What is it?" Toph asks looking straight ahead

Sokka can't answer, he just whatches until the small boat gets closer. It's a mess, things overturned and two nomads lying unconscious on the ground and a third suspended from a branch by metal ropes. Aang is walking around shouting something.

"Appa, Appa. APPA!" The little avatar screams in anguish as he blows his whistle: "Appa, where are you? APPA!"

Katara wastes no time in jumping off the boat when it finally stops and runs towards the unconscious nomads. The rest of the team rushes to dislodge the other from the branch. Aang is still shouting for Appa, and as he looks in the boy's direction he notices that the things that were in the bison's cell are lying around.

"What happened?" The third leader demands when one of the nomads wakes up after Katara's care

"Sir, sir, merchants and thieves!" The boy says in despair as soon as he regains consciousness "They've arrived, a gang of at least nine of them"

The other two nomads groan as they regain consciousness and the one who was tied up bends over to vomit, he looks horrible, there is blood on the side of his head and his wrists are red from the ties

"They came by surprise, the bison's roar warned us but before we could do anything we were surrounded" the boy says as he carefully rubs his wrists "Three surrounded me and when they saw that I could bend they knocked me out, they went after the bison. They must have seen him in the village"

"Where is Appa? WHERE IS HE?" Aang demands, stopping in front of the three nomads "What have you done with him?"

"They took him, tied him up with ropes, we tried to stop it I swear" The third and last nomad says, this one also looks horrible he has purple marks around his arm and one side of his eye doesn't open properly "They said it would make good money, they were going to sell it to collectors"

"THEY TOOK APPA?" Aang says in a shout, Sokka begins to feel an abnormal wind gather around him "Why didn't you stop him?"

"We tried," the first nomad says angrily, "but there were only three of us, and they overpowered us. They're going to Ba Sing Se"

"You didn't try hard enough, they took APPA" Aang says in a shout.

An instant later, Sokka sees the white lights and knows that the boy has entered avatar mode. The sand began to swirl around them violently and Sokka ran to protect the three boys, who looked terrified. Sokka didn't blame Aang, he knew that this reaction was one of desperation, of looking for someone to blame for losing the only thing he knew for sure in this world. He felt the same way when his mother died. From his seat, he meets Katara's eyes and she nods sadly.

Sokka watches his sister take the hand of the avatar who has tears in his eyes. An instant later, it's not the avatar in a fit of rage that's in front of them, but Aang, a twelve-year-old boy who has woken up in a totally different world and has just lost the only thing he had any connection to. Sokka looks away when the boy hugs Katara and allows himself to cry on the girl's shoulder.

After three difficult hours, Aang had calmed down a little but was nervously twirling his whistle as he looked around as if the bison would appear at any moment, they kept busy while treating the wounded. The nomads returned their gold as well as their things that were lying around.

"I don't know how to apologize for your bison avatar" The third leader says as he hands them a bag of supplies "We've never been attacked on the edge of the desert, so we didn't put more security around it. We apologize for the mistake and hope you can get it back in Ba Sing Se"

Aang says nothing, just nods as he picks up the bag and heads to the back of the boat. They would be taken to the edge of the desert where the sand meets the earth, and once there they could look for a way into the city.

"It'll be all right Aang, Ba Sing Se is the home of the earth benders. They'll clear a path for you, before you know it we'll have Appa back," Katara says encouragingly, squeezing the boy's shoulder.

"We see at least five of you 'avatars' a day" The woman on the stage says rudely "Stop wasting my time and get out"

It took them five days to reach one of the refugee ports, it was a depressing journey, Aang was in a constant state of anger and misery, Katara was hovering around trying to give comfort but constantly being left out and struggling to be patient.

Toph, like Sokka, preferred to remain silent the whole way, trying to stay positive as they only needed to reach the walls to get Appa back.

But the woman on the stage didn't seem to follow the script set out in Sokka's head, she barely looked at them a second time.

"What's that in your hand?" Sokka asked Toph quietly so as not to disturb Katara and Aang

"is a seal of the Beifong house," Toph said, stopping to turn the green paper that was glowing to show him, "We got the ticket with it, but I'm wondering if it's worth it or not."

"What do you mean it's worth it or not? We need to get inside to get Appa," Sokka whispered incisively to her. They had a way in and she didn't want to use it?

"It's not that, it's just that when we get inside we'll do what? They're thieves and they've already shown that they're willing to hurt people, Aang, as angry as he is, isn't going to fight them." Toph said, turning to Sokka. "There are only three of us, we don't know how the city works or what we have to face. I'm talented, Katara has potential and so do you, but you have no combat experience. Do you think it's a good idea?"

"Then what? We stay here?" Sokka says in an incredulous voice, he fixes his face in a look of innocence when he sees Katara looking at them

"We need help, we need people who know how to infiltrate and get Appa out of there without causing more damage than necessary," Toph says looking at Sokka as if he should know that.

Sokka has an idea of where she's going with this and lets out a disbelieving laugh. She's crazy, he decides, completely crazy

"You can't be serious," he says, looking into the girl's white eyes. "They've never shown any compassion for us, why do you think they'd suddenly help us?"

"Because i will be asking them, and different than you, I'd know how to negotiate" Toph says simply "This is different from asking him to be friends with the avatar and train him, this is a job I need them to do" She stands up and puts the seal away "We ask them, if they say no we'll come back here, I'll show you the seal and we'll go in alone"

"This sounds like a bad idea Toph" Sokka says loudly, which draws the attention of Katara and Aang "They are dangerous people, who have no qualms about hurting others. You saw it yourself."

"I saw it" The girl agrees "And that's exactly what we need"

Sokka watches the little girl walk towards the other two in the group and explain the situation. Predictably, Katara's jaw tightens and she complains, but Aang has a helpless look on his face, the same one he's had ever since he lost Appa. He would do anything to get him back, something that is proven when he agrees to Toph's plan and gets up to leave the terminal.

He watches as the two minors leave and exchanges a glance with his sister. He knows just by looking into the twins' blue eyes that they're both thinking the same thing.

If all this is worth it

It took them two days to find the pirates.

Toph never said how she managed to find them, she just ran her fingers over a piece of parchment with several embossed dots. She said they had to go to a village where they spoke to two different people until they met at the back of a restaurant.

The village they found themselves in was old, near a cliff and the locals didn't seem very interested in what they were doing there. They only glanced once before looking away. Sokka watched as the sun set and the stars appeared. The owner of the restaurant lit two candles to illuminate the place and left soon after.

Exactly eighty-six minutes later, the candle shook as the restaurant door opened and three people entered. Sokka recognized the captain wearing the blue demon mask, as well as the red-haired Kitsune and finally the short-haired girl wearing an Okame mask.

"Beifong" The demon's voice sounded loud in the empty restaurant "We received your message, we hope it's important enough"

Sokka forgot how intimidating he was, he could see the swords strapped to the man's shoulders and those on his belt, he absent-mindedly noticed that he had replaced the one he lost when he threw it at the general's chest

"I'd like to request your services" Toph says in a terse voice as he eats a chestnut "I need to get into Ba Sing Se, recover a bison that's been stolen and get out without making a mess"

For exactly five seconds, Sokka recounted, the three pirates stared at Toph. Their masks shone in the dim light provided by the two candles

"You're kidding, right?" Okame says, in an amused yet incredulous voice, "You want us to invade Ba Sing Se?"

"It's not like you haven't done this before," Toph says in a mischievous voice.

"Good point" Kitsune says in a cutting voice "But that was different, you want us to go in and get the avatar's bison. Which must be under tremendous security from whoever stole it"

"Yes, merchants," Toph said, placing his hands on the table and lowering his voice, "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important, but you know that finding things out there isn't that easy, we'd never have a chance on our own and we need the bison."

The captain says nothing, he picks up one of the sticks and twirls it distractedly in his fingers. He exchanges a glance with the rest of his crew who make several signs in succession that Sokka doesn't understand.

"Please" Toph says one last time, and the first time Sokka hears the girl's voice get soft like that he is quickly reminded that she is only twelve years old "You know I wouldn't ask if I didn't have to"

"Tomorrow morning you'll have your answer, Beifong," the demon says in a thick voice and stands up.

Sokka, not knowing what to do, stands up as well and synchronously watches the pirates turn towards him, it was extremely intimidating but he stands his ground. He doesn't trust these people and he's not going to show them any more weakness.

"We'll be waiting," Sokka says with the firmest voice he can muster, but he has the impression that the captain sees behind his façade.

He gives a little nod of acknowledgement, and just as they entered, the three of them quietly leave.

Sokka hopes it's worth it, and for Appa he thinks absent-mindedly. For Appa he would be willing to ally himself with the demons.

The next morning, before the sun had even risen, he found himself staring at Okame's mask beside his bed.

Sokka would have denied it forever, but he gave an unmanly shout and jumped away, only Toph didn't seem frightened.

"We'll help you, Beifong, but we have conditions and we need to talk to people. Meet us at pier nine"

Without another word, she turned and left through the window that Sokka was sure he had closed when he went to sleep.

He exchanges glances with the rest of the team and gets up to get ready, he feels he is preparing for his death

"For Appa" He says in a firm voice, facing Aang who nods and Katara who squares her shoulders.

In less than twenty minutes, Sokka finds himself walking towards the pier.

For Appa.

Chapter Text

After a few years, Zuko can say with certainty that one of his favorite colors, the color that forms when the sunrise hits the ocean. For a long time he was hypnotized by the soft shades of orange passing through the small waves that the sea made.

He sits on the edge of the ship while waiting for the rest of his crew. It took two hours of conversation between them to decide whether or not to help the group and another two to come up with a plan that was not totally suicidal.

They had already entered Ba Sing Se before, but it was at different times, at that time it was nothing more than a test from one of their new tutors. He wanted to see if the team would be able to enter the fortress and stay for a week without being caught. They have obviously succeeded, and with this achievement they have learned precious lessons about espionage and infiltration.

But this situation was completely different, last time they stayed in the lower rings just walking around the city trying not to attract attention, this time they would actively scour the city looking for something that many wouldn't like to be found. If something about piracy has taught them and that the more you look where you shouldn't, the more it catches the attention of people you shouldn't be.

"Why do I feel like we're about to waste five years of escape in a week?" Lori says gravely as she sits next to her captain on the edge of the ship "I know we started to come up with a plan, but it has so many holes that it's more crumbs than parchment"

"I agree, Tui La knows that I agree. But we all agree that this is something we can't leave in the hands of those kids and postpone the end any longer. Zuko says calmly as he watches the sun's rays illuminate the waves "The people of the kingdom won't know it's us, at most a bunch of thieves. And we still have time to fix the plan before we enter the city"

Lori just grumbles as she watches the clouds being pushed by the winds in the sky. He agreed in the end, they wouldn't have decided on the favor if it wasn't unanimous, but that didn't mean he agreed whole-souledly. Zuko couldn't exactly argue against him, if there was something he had gotten used to in the last five years it was to have his family constantly around him and the main part of the plan consisted of having them separated.

But Zuko and everyone else knew that this was necessary, they couldn't leave everything in the hands of children who had little or almost no experience. Well, that's what the little team was, kids.

Zuko hadn't felt like a child for many years, even before his supposed death he couldn't enjoy a childhood. He was watched by everyone, he was the prince and he should act like one. It was only when he joined with the rest of his family that he could experience what it was like to just be a teenager, even with all the dangers and grow up faster than he should he could still make lists and more lists of all the best moments he has lived to date, could the avatar say the same?

Zuko listens more than he sees the rest of his family go up to the deck, unanimously they decided to reveal their identities to Gaang, there was no point in keeping them when they would spend a week together at sea and knows how much longer in the land realm. For this to work, the crew would need to trust them, trust that when they shouted at them to duck they would do it without hesitation, and masking their identity would not help in this journey. But for now masks on the face.

"oh they're coming" Kazu hums leaning on the edge on the other side of the ship that overlooked the deck "By Lai, they stick out like coal dots in the snow"

Yusa hummed in agreement, her dark red hair shining in the morning light as the second in command watched the small team descend the dock, only Toph looked calm, though Zuko couldn't tell if it was because the small bender couldn't see the wooden slats or because he knew they wouldn't hurt them. The brothers of the water tribe were different, they both looked relatively brave, but still gave double glances every time the tide hit one of the ships. The avatar in turn looked half dead standing, even from afar Zuko could see the dark circles and the haggard look of the little boy who was turning his staff absentmindedly.

With everyone facing the group it was possible to see firsthand their reaction when they spotted the boat, Zuko absentmindedly touches the edge of his mask while watching the oldest of the group stand a little more upright and try to mask the previous hesitation, without success, by the way, as well as the girl putting her hands near the canteen and glaring at Saori.

Zuko let out a sigh, of most of the plans they started to draw up yesterday this was one of the main ones, the girl wouldn't just accept what the crew would say without fighting every step of the way and with a time as short as his that was unacceptable. Of the various contingency plans they created, most involved trying to understand what the girl was like in the days they would spend together at sea so that they could decide what to do.

There was a little hesitation from the three before they were led by Toph to the entrance of the ship, once inside Hiro positioned them near the mainmast while the rest of the crew moved to their respective places to undock the boat from the harbor. After so many years it was practically muscle memory, Zuko didn't even think anymore as he watched Hiro and Saoria pull the anchor and Kazu climb the ropes to release the sails. He positions himself at the helm with Yusa to his right as he begins to turn the rudder to make the exit.

And a quieter exit than he is used to, normally and always noisy with so many side conversations and provocations, but this time everyone is quiet as they watch on the outskirts the avatar's group look at all the work being done, the only one who doesn't seem interested and Toph who leans over until she sits on the tiller and gives small knocks on the deck.

"Welcome, I'm second in command" Yusa says once they enter the open sea with a deeper voice than she would normally use, the bender descends the stairs to the group while removing her mask "My name is Yusa, and I'm an earthbender"

The group watches her almost without blinking, Zuko imagines that it must be a shock to see a Blue Spirit crew member gladly give away his identity. Yusa calmly waits to see if there are any questions when she realizes that there are not, she gestures for the rest of the ship's members to join her. Dramatic Kazu as always leans on a rope while jumping on deck

"My name is Kazu," the curly-haired boy says good-naturedly as he removes his mask: "Not a bender and twin brother of that one"

"Nice to meet you, my name is Lori" a face like Hennya says once removing his mask "I'm a groundbender like our second in command"

"My name is Hiro," the tallest boy says once he approaches the group, "I'm a nonbender and this one's big brother."

"My name is Saori" The blue-eyed girl says tapping her brother's hand that was poking her side "Waterbender of the North Pole Tribe"

Everyone ignores the girl's low snort, as well as the increasingly wide-eyed look of the older one.

"My name is Mai" The short-haired girl says from her point on the edge of the ship "Also without a bend, but with a specialty in blade and bows"

As all eyes turn to Zuko who locks the wheel and slowly descends the stairs, absentmindedly he thinks he is being as dramatic as Kazu with such a slow and suspenseful descent, given Yusa's eye roll he thinks is right.

"My name is Zuko" The black-haired boy says removing his mask, he ignores the group's shocked choking at the sight of the garish scar in his eye "And I'm a firebender"

The small gang exchanges glances as they remain silent, they seem more hesitant than ever as if they don't know what to do with so much information being revealed, it soon becomes clear that they didn't expect the crew to reveal their identities so right away.

"Can we have the same privilege?" Mai asks dryly, this makes the children jump and look questioningly at the girl "To have your name..."

"I'm Aang" The airbender says in a low voice "The avatar"

"My name is Katara" The girl says with her chin up and defiant look "Waterbender"

"Sokka" The boy says calmly "I don't have any folds and I'm Katara's brother"

The crew waves as they think of the new names, Zuko should memorize them and stop calling them girl and older in his head.

"And you find it strange? Are we going to have any revelations from you? Kazu says good-naturedly as he heads towards the little girl still leaning on the pole

"You don't have such a privilege yet, circus acrobat," Toph Beifong says with a small smile.

With the laughter of the crew the ice that has settled disperses a little, but it is still all very strange. They are not used to sharing the ship with anyone, in the last five years they have been able to count on their fingers how many people have actually boarded the place they consider home.

"First of all, we have something for you," Yusa says as she pulls out a small bag, "You stand out a lot, we can't be associated with the avatar or any tribe or kingdom. We have separated this for you"

Zuko watches as the group slowly moves to open the bag, inside were several pieces of clothing of various colors and different models. They were all clothes that had belonged to them in the past, each one rummaged through trunks and closets until they found something that fit the new members. There were pieces of the twelve-year-old zuko that were supposed to fit the avatar, as well as clothes of a fourteen-year-old lori that were supposed to be the size of the oldest Sokka and for the girl-Katara Yusa separated his thirteen-year-old clothes.

He watches with calm eyes as little Aang bites his lip and squeezes the orange fabric around his waist, as well as Katara's twisted mouth as she watches the fabrics with such fervor that you'd imagine they've come to life and insulted her over and over again. Only Sokka does not seem indignant or hesitant, the boy moves his hands while enjoying a green blouse with red and blue embroidery.

"You don't have to throw them away," Zuko says in a calm voice as he moves to stand next to Aang, "And only for now, until you can get your bison back."

Zuko and Yusa watch the boy squeeze the orange fabric one last time before agreeing and moving to slowly remove the fabric that covered his torso, which was soon followed by the others. Lori points to two cabins where they could change more privately. 

"This is going to be hard" Zuko says to no one to particular once they were out, but everyone nods anyway "We have a week to have a minimal semblance of unity, what do you think beifong?"

"Aang is so focused on the bison that it can be an asset or a distraction" Toph says without hesitation, cusco stepping down from the pole when the little girl had sat down and was now leaning on one of her knees "Sokka has potential, but you will have to be patient with him. The main problem will be Katara, she's used to always being the leader and making important decisions, she's going to fight with you."

"We were thinking about it," Yusa sighs as she leans on a flagpole, "This is a difficult mission, no matter where you look."

Zuko fiddles with a ribbon before tying his hair higher while waiting for the trio to leave, he and Yusa went over earlier how to approach their demands so that they were as smooth as possible so that they didn't generate too much conflict, but he knows that not everything will be as he would like. 

"Where did you find these clothes?" The older Sokka says as he finishes tying a sash around his waist, Hiro's clothes have become a little loose on the boy's arms, but at the right length of his legs

"With a lot of people we've known over the years and we all know how to sew too, half of the embroidery has been us competing with each other over the years" Yusa says calmly as she rolls and unwinds a rope in her hand "You should sit down, let's start discussing how it's going to be from now on" The trio hesitates a little and look at each other before settling down near the poles. 

"We know you have no reason to trust us, but we also have no reason to trust you" Zuko begins calmly as he sits in front of the small group "The first and foremost thing you must understand is that this is a favor we are doing, not an obligation. If we realize that you are putting us in danger for, we will simply turn our backs and leave."

"We have a very big difference in skills, this is a fact not an offense. We have struggled for years to improve our skills, whether they are in bending or not" Yusa continues to steady her eyes on Katara "This does not mean that you do not have talent, but you must trust us to know what is best in each situation, during this week that we will take to get to Ba Sing Se we will try to focus on some points so that you can help us instead of hinder"

"This means that you will train with us in different things, with all  of us" Zuko says firmly also looking into the girl's eyes, which show evident challenge "We understand that your start with Saori was not good, but you have to overcome it because this week you will spend basically every day training with her,  Leave your disagreements behind"

"I don't want to train with her" the girl-Katara says with her arms crossed ignoring the katara that her brother throws in warning "I'm perfectly capable of learning and fighting on my own, I don't need her"

"But you need to," Yusa says patiently, "She has more than five years of training than you, and has trained with many more masters over the years. It's not something you have to like, we're not asking to be friends, but if you want to get the bison back you're going to need all the training you can get, Saori is the best person for it, whether you like it or not."

"This is not a request, either you agree to train with Saori or we can go back to port and we will walk separately" Zuko says in a firm captain's voice that he has honed over the years, the voice that does not admit of discussions when he sees the girl open her mouth "This is already going to be difficult without you being stubborn and we will not tolerate tantrums that can cost us our lives,  decide now if you will train with her or if we should turn it around"

Everyone watches carefully as the girl bites her lips and moves her eyes between them, she didn't seem inclined to agree, but for that to work she would have to give in otherwise the constant discussions would get in the way of everything. 

"Katara, please," Aang says quietly, meeting the girl's eyes, who visibly relents and with a stiff nod, nods. 

"We will go over the other rules as the days go by, but for now you should rest" Mai says as she waves to one of the stairs that lead to the lower deck "We have set aside a room for you, follow me"

When the small team leaves and as if a weight has been lifted from them and everyone can breathe again, zuko exchanges a pained look at Yusa as he moves to the pole. It will be long days. 

-*

When Katara decided along with Sokka to leave the Southern tribe to help the avatar she expected many things, teaming up with pirates was not one of them. 

"I still think we're making a mistake," she says, for what may be Sokka's fifth time, as she paces back and forth in the room assigned to them: "Sokka, we don't know anything about them, and we already know they're dangerous. How can you accept this? ”

"Do you have a better idea?" Sokka explodes, causing the long-haired girl to look at him shocked: "Katara, this is serious, we have no training, no weapons, and no contacts. We have absolutely nothing, do you expect us to just walk into town and they'll hand us Appa empty-handed? ”

"Anything must be better than allying with them!" She says rigidly crossing her arms

"But we don't have anything but them, look, we're going to deal with it until we get to town and if it's really that bad then we'll just separate from them and search for it ourselves, but until then that's our only option."

They stare at each other for what must be a minute, and for a second she feels remnants of a childhood that has passed, a childhood before her mother died that she and Sokka had this competition of glances about silly things like who would eat the right side of the fish or who would sleep with the fur covering that night. Whenever she remembered these things she is overcome with a feeling of melancholy with anger, the firebenders took it from her and they expect her to simply take orders from one of them?

Sokka wouldn't see the reason, that was already clear, aang was so sad to lose Appa that she didn't want to put any more stress on him and Toph had already shown that he would choose the pirates over them. All she had left was to keep an eye on the crew and protect them all. It was his responsibility. 

A knock on the door breaks his thoughts, it was the huge boy with swords on his waist. The first time Katara saw him, she found him terrifying, after all he's huge, with arms that could easily break a person with little strength, and it didn't help that his first impression was a sword pointed at Aang's throat. But the person in front of her is not the same as that day, instead he wore an apron that had various prints of designs and signatures and a beanie with various embroidery on his head. 

"Dinner will be served in a few minutes, I've come to accompany you so you know where the kitchens are," he says pleasantly, ignoring the tension in the room, "After dinner we can give you a map of the ship's levels."

"How many floors does this boat have?" Katara asks lightly, though she's already thinking about sifting through every little exit in case they need a quick escape

"Only four, the real catch is the number of rooms" He says jovially as he climbs the stairs and looking at him she noticed that he had laugh lines "He's long, so each level has more than six rooms" 

They were on the third floor, or level as the boy who had introduced himself as Hiro said when he corrected her gently, it was the same level as the kitchens; The dining room was one level above. As they climbed, it was possible to smell food in the air as well as loud laughter 

"I swear, there we were and suddenly a little girl who barely hit my waist challenges me to a warp war" One of the twin boys she doesn't remember the name is standing in the chair exclaiming audibly "I obviously accept not wanting to make her sad, and I think to myself 'she must have learned how to move a stone and wants to show off' after that the only thing I see are my own feet in the air and me with my head on the ground"

A loud laugh explodes on the worn wooden table, everyone was already there including Toph who looked smug and Aang who laughed softly, Katara's heart tightens when she sees the boy's smile he was so sad in the last few days. 

"Lori get off the chair" The red-haired girl exclaims entering the room and drawing Katara's attention "And it was your own fault that you fell for it, you didn't  see me on the floor"

"If one day I see you lose a fight with someone I'll eat my own bat" Lori grumbles as she sits back in the chair "And that's hardly fair, you just didn't fall too because you had already seen what she's capable of"

"Life is not fair, love," Hiro says pleasantly as he squeezes the boy's shoulder as he passes.

"Living with you really isn't," the boy says as he picks up a handful of seeds and throws them at the redhead, "They don't know how to appreciate my genius."

"Your genius" They all sneered in chorus, causing the boy to mumble once more, which evokes another round of laughter.

That scene shocked Katara, they looked so normal sitting at the big wooden table by candlelight playing with each other. She exchanged a glance with Sokka who seemed as perplexed as she was. 

"Oh, you arrived" The other twin says, drawing the attention of the room to the pair of brothers: "Come and sit down, let's eat"

The only places left were next to the firebender or the girl who froze her on two different occasions, no matter where she looked it would be an uncomfortable meal. Before she could choose, Sokka chose for her sitting next to the captain, or Zuko as he had said earlier. On Saori's side then. 

The girl exchanged a brief glance with her as she sat down, but otherwise ignored her completely and dinner began. Brief conversations were begun and ended as the crew tried to include them in some subjects without success. Sokka was so rigid in his chair that Katara feared for his back, the older boy avoided looking at anyone and seemed to pretend that the boy next to him was a wall. Aang, on the other hand, seemed to be in another world. Only Toph seemed at ease at the table as he talked about new folds with one of the twins that Katara had already forgotten who it was. 

"Alright, this is being unbearable," Saori said after twenty very uncomfortable, drawing the attention of the rest of the group, "I'm not going to apologize, a few months into this life and you'll understand that in some situations it's either you or them, but we're in it for you, we really are, so can you relax a bit?"

"Easy for you to say, no and you who were thrown overboard" Katara said against her will, she really had no plans to respond, but her anger got the better of her 

"Alright, let's make a deal, if you really put in the effort this week I'll let you freeze me and then throw me overboard, how about it?" She said shrugging as she stared at her "I'll teach you and then you can take revenge, but I refuse to walk on eggshells around you or feel like a stranger in my own home"

This caught her attention who watched the girl, she seemed sincere, she would really let Katara freeze her and simply throw her into the sea, a small emotion of revenge stirred in her at the thought of the look she would have when she was thrown into the freezing water as they had done with her family, and she would do it at dawn she decided,  when the water was colder. 

With a nod she sealed the deal, which released a tension that was present on the table. 

"Please when you decide to do this call all of us, I would literally pay you for letting me see this" One of the twins says with good humor, which earned him a slap from his crewmate. 

Dinner went off without any more problems after that, even Katara was honest enough to be able to say that the food was some of the best she had ever eaten, jokes were thrown everywhere, half of which she didn't fully understand and the other half she got a bit of context. 

She still didn't trust them, not even close, but seeing Aang laughing softly she would make an effort, all to get Appa back even if it meant pretending to resign herself to the pirates. 

"You're too stiff, try to relax a little" Saori tries to say patiently, but even from the helm Zuko can see that she's hanging by a thread "Are you even listening to me? "

"I am!" The girl-Katara exclaims angrily, lowering her arms and facing the older girl "And I'm trying to relax, but it's hard with you screaming in my ear" 

Saori opens her mouth annoyed but seems to think better, Zuko watches as she taps her fingers and takes a deep breath and says in a calm voice "Alright change of plans, how do you learn?"

"What?" This took the girl by surprise, it was obvious that she expected a fight "What does that mean?"

"Exactly what I asked, what is your way of learning? As you may know in the northern tribe girls can't learn to bend, I learned by secretly looking at other people's training until I could find another way" Saoria says as she begins to weave a small thread of water between her fingers, she always got a little anxious when she remembered her years in the water tribe "So I had to adapt,  learning by seeing and then being taught, what is your method? ”

"I.. Katara admits looking at the strands of water connecting in her hands, she looks surprised by this, as if she doesn't know that the fold can be used for something as trivial as threads "What other way?"

Saori hesitates at the question, causing the strands to quiver and dissipate. He watches her exchange a glance with Hiro on the pole and Zuko realized that this was the moment of truth, the moment to know if she could carry it out or not, and that meant opening up to these strangers

"What do you really know about the Northern Water Tribe?" Saori says after one last look at her brother she seems steady, but Zuko knows her, she wouldn't want to be having that conversation. Seeing Katara's lost gaze, she takes a deep breath and looks at the horizon: "I don't know if you were able to observe this in the time you spent there, but in the Northern tribe, women are no better than bargaining chips.  Forced marriages are norms, women cannot learn to defend themselves and any rebellion against the Elders is seen as dishonour and punished accordingly."

"My mother had a life like that, she was promised to my father at fourteen" Saori practically spits out the word "They say promised but we know the truth, she was sold by her own family, sold to one of the worst people possible. My father was not a good man, not that and to say little he was a monster. He managed to destroy our mother's spirit until her last breath, she died when I was three years old and Hiro six. Life was bad when she was alive, but when she died it became unbearable."

"Our father was a drunk, but he had a renowned family so everyone, they all turned their faces away" Hiro who says this time, in a deep voice as he twirled the sword in his hands "They ignored when we ran after the healers because our mother was so injured that she could barely move, they ignored while I used the snow to calm the marks on the skin and ignored while Saori was left only in a bathrobe in the snow at dawn for having spoken too loudly"

"It was at the age of five that I discovered that I could double, it was one of the best moments of my life, it seemed like a way out, a way to defend ourselves. What a silly thought" Saori laughs humorlessly, the strands returned once again "I was only five years old and I thought my father would be happy, and he was, for the first time in years I could see a smile on his face, but I was too young to understand that it wasn't pride, it was greed. As a bender I would be much more valuable when the time was right, his family hadn't had a bender in over three generations and in his words 'At least that useless one managed to make me a healer' I still remember the pain of the ice floor that hit my face when I fell when I told him I wanted to be a warrior and not a healer."

"I barely made it in time to stop him, I was barely nine years old, but seeing him kick Saori while screaming that he wouldn't suffer the humiliation of having his own daughter talk about seizing warbends was enough to break something in me, I grabbed one of his bottles and broke it on his head" Hiro laughs humorlessly "It erased him for some time,  Of course, after he woke up it was much worse, but at least it was me and not Sori"

"It was a horrible few years, you know, the neighbors heard the screams and managed to appease our father for a while, until he started leaving marks where no one would see and silencing us. I focused on healing training with my whole being, for Hiro who was carrying all the weight of his anger and drinking for us, every night I healed both of us. The healers knew and taught me more advanced things as a way of helping, but they couldn't interfere more than that, after all they were just women, and women don't know anything" Saori laughs humorlessly and meets the gaze of her brother who has the same sore smile "From the window of my class I could see the boys' training camp,  Silly kids who didn't seem to want to be there and took it as a boring obligation, how dare they? I would give everything, everything to be in their shoes, to learn how to trap that man with a single movement and sleep a single night without feeling afraid of when he arrived stinking of drink, but I couldn't after all they were men, I didn't equal them"

"But I couldn't help but watch, I would arrive two hours early every day just to see their training from a window in the shadows, the healers would let me, I thought I was hiding from our country which to some extent was true, but I just couldn't stop looking. Look at those boys who had opportunities I would never have just because they didn't have boobs. It was when I saw them make a simple wave movement that a manic thought arose" Saori says as she makes the next movement pushing the waves around the boat "It was three in the morning at the bottom of a bridge that I tried for the first time, I managed it the first time, which was not so surprising given how much I had stared at those boys,  memorized the shape of the arms and how they moved their legs. Seeing the little wave I felt something fall into place, I would learn that too or die trying."

"I got her two months later," Hiro says fondly, looking at his sister, "In the dark backs of a healer's room with a scroll and a pencil trying to draw the movements of the courtyard below. I can't deny that I was furious, our father would kill her if he found out, the masters would probably make her get frostbite just for daring to want to draw those folds, but I looked at my little sister who was barely nine years old and saw the challenge in her eyes, she wouldn't give up, she would do it to me or without me. So we joined in this suicidal idea"

"It was at the age of eleven that I managed to find the other way, from nine to eleven I had already learned so much and if Paku deigned to look he would see that I would already be classified in his most advanced classes, I would know after all I also observed these training sessions and wrote them down. Of course this always earned me a beating, after all the training sessions were at night and what would a girl be doing on the street at this time instead of staying at the house and making dinner?  But I learned, until I was caught." This time a genuine smile appeared on his face as he exchanged a glance with his brother "His name was Shiri, he was sixteen years old and he was one of the kind ones. He caught me one night under one of the rarely used bridges making tentacles of water, to this day I remember the terror it was to see him there I thought it would be the end of me, but to my eternal surprise he just smiled and said that my posture was great. I could barely answer just turned around and ran." 

"My legs were burning, but I entered the house as quietly as possible, little did I want to imagine what our father would think seeing me arrive at this time. I woke up Hiro and told him everything, unfortunately at the age of eleven I had lost all my naivety I knew I only had two options, either I would be handed over or blackmailed, I didn't have a third option. But Shiri the sweet and stupid Shiri proved me wrong" Saori smiles as she exchanges a look with Hiro who smiles and looks at the horizon "It turns out that nothing happened because Shiri had a crush on Hiro here, although it's not really a crush, we found out later that he was in love with one of his superiors,  he just thought Hiro was kind and wanted to learn so he wouldn't be embarrassed later."

"That idiot, and he had already risen a few ranks in the army so even at fourteen he shared shifts with the boys from sixteen to eighteen, the day after the event I barely made it to my post I was scheduled to patrol with him and I thought I was going to vomit all the way. Every second was torture, I wondered if he was thinking about which elder to talk to or if he was taking the time to use in the best possible blackmail. It turns out that it was neither, he waited until we reached the point of the wall that the wind was so strong that it was not possible for anyone to hear us and told me that he had seen Saori. I could barely open my mouth to beg before he asked if we wanted help," Hiro says, running his hands through his hair and laughing in disbelief: "Help, can you believe it? It turns out that her family was progressive, her grandmother was from the water tribe and there they fought, she was lucky to marry for love and make sure that this teaching was passed on to her children and grandchildren. No one in his family bent but him, but he believed that everyone deserved to learn."

"And that's how from eleven to thirteen years old I started going to Shiri's house with the excuse of learning more about healing, when in fact he was teaching me everything he had learned in class that day. I was good at learning on my own, but having someone to teach me? To adjust my posture accordingly and how to move my hands correctly at first instead of observing at least three classes to memorize? I felt like I was in paradise and I trained, I trained harder than anyone in that tribe, I trained until my arms trembled and I couldn't breathe, but I trained every day and every moment I had available. I quickly outpaced him to the point where he had to dig up scrolls of folds that had been in his family for generations for me. I wanted to be one of the best and in those years I realized that I could be, I would be one of the best and with each passing day learning more and more I could finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, until on my thirteenth birthday everything changed" 

"An arranged marriage, and not just any marriage, a marriage to a twenty-four-year-old man who was as cruel as our father," Hiro says with his jaw clenched, "An army superior who took pleasure in torturing the younger recruits until they cried, that his own sisters were afraid and avoided his gaze. The monster that forced us to call him father would force my thirteen-year-old little sister to marry a man twice her age to be nothing more than an incubator for a family that wanted to have the power of the bending. Saori and I knew what would become of her, he would abuse her until she gave him a folding child or die trying"

"We fled the water tribe a month after the news we had enough time to come up with a flawed plan and accumulate everything we could carry, I'll spare you the details of what it was like to run away from our father, we almost didn't make it, but we were finally free. Shiri helped us in secret, found a small boat that barely fit the two of us, and gave us supplies and money out of her own pocket. No one ever knew, it took two days for us to reach the earth kingdom and I bent like never before, propelling that little boat until my arms couldn't take it anymore. But we were free, we were finally free."

"Five days after we arrived we met Zuko and Yusa, they saved us and gave us a home without pain and without asking for anything in return. And for the first time since Shiri we had people who pushed us to improve and for the first time I didn't have to hide anymore and I promised myself that I would do everything to protect that, to protect this family that took us in with scars and everything. That's why I'll never apologize for what I did to you on our first date, Katara." For the first time since it all began, Saori looked at the girl, who had a trembling hand on her mouth and tears streaming down her cheeks: "I will never, ever apologize for protecting my family, for using everything I've learned so that I can let this light that I finally found safe. And I learned in those five years I learned a lot, good things and bad things, but I wanted to learn everything, and in the midst of so much pain that I suffered growing up I became the best that I ever knew I could be, I became a legend."

Saori takes a small step forward and puts her hands on the little bender's shoulders and leans over to meet her eyes "And I'm going to teach you how to become one too, I'm going to teach you how to be one of the best that ever existed. And you're going to learn, we're going to save your bison and you're going to go back to your tribe with your head held high like a legend of your own, so we can show everyone that a waterbender woman saved us all."

Saori smiles, the smile she's learned to have in the five years she's spent aboard the ship, a smile she's had with five years of love and family with no pain in sight. 

"You're going to be one of the best, so relax and let's go again" She says as she puts herself in a stance that Katara automatically copies, if a single ounce of defiance in sight "Come on, we'll turn you into a legend"

***

The boy, Sokka watched when the two girls make identical folds, it took a while, but they were finally in Sync. Zuko watched out of the corner of his eye as the two imitated arms of water as he approached the boy.

"Don't worry so much about them, Saori may be a little impatient, but she's a great teacher" He speaks with what he hopes will be lightness, but still watches as the boy visibly startles and then becomes rigid.

He shouldn't have been so surprised by Zuko's approach, after all he hadn't been silente and his footsteps echoed in the wood, making him have situational awareness Zuko decided, one more thing for him to learn being placed on the mental list he had started to write.

Zuko didn't know very well how to approach the boy, it was true that he had in his family's words 'the emotional of a water turtle', but he didn't understand very well what he had done for the boy to be so afraid of him to the point of getting rigid every time they were in the same environment. Although it could be because of him being a firebender, yes that should be the most correct, after all in the five years he saw the different reactions that people had when they met firebenders, ranging from obvious hatred to raw fear.

Okay, he also understood that in their first meeting he had more swords than necessary, and that he had seen him kill a man and then push him down the cliff, but still why so rigid? Zuko shook his shoulders mentally pushing aside the hesitation, they only had this week for him and Mai to train him until he had the slightest semblance of knowing how to wield a sword, after all what else there was in the earth kingdom were Dai Li's hidden in every crack and without Hiro there they would need all the help they had.

"I'm not worried" The boy said simply, but he couldn't fool Zuko, he watched as the boy gasped his hesitation and the way he cast worried glances at his sister.

Zuko even observed the way he didn't so discreetly look at what the others were doing. All his emotions were there, stamped on his face and that was not ideal, he would have to learn to be discreet, something else added to the list. Learning to have subtlety, so that when he found himself in situations he didn't want, he could perform so perfectly that he would make anyone think that they were the ones who shouldn't be in that place and not you.

Zuko moved a little closer until they were on their sides, almost shoulder to shoulder which made him stiffer than before, spirits Zuko felt sorry for his muscles, being so straight shouldn't be good for his back "How much have you learned? '

The boy twisted his hands unconsciously and looked at him from the corner of his eye: "What do you mean?"

"In sword fights, which one do you use and how much do you know? And who were his teachers? ”

"Oh, I learned from my father. He's a general and taught me when I was younger. But my main weapon is a boomerang," he said unconsciously touching the instrument strapped to his waist.

A Boomerang Zuko thinks absentmindedly while looking at the object, it was not ideal. Few people used it, which made it too flashy, and the time you have to wait for it to come back could cost you your life: "But have you ever fought with swords?"

"Yes, I even have a brand new one that I bought at a market a few weeks ago," the Sokka boy says raising his chest a little proudly.

"Market swords are usually garbage, made for exhibitions and not real fights," Zuko said lightly, but still managed to see the boy's indignation: "Either they're made directly with a trusted blacksmith or else they're no good."

"Well, this one's different, it's really good" The boy says wringing his mouth "Maybe I was lucky and you weren't"

"Let's see her then," Zuko says, going downstairs to go to the lower levels. In the distance he hears a noise of confusion but can hear footsteps following him.

The weaponry room was on the same level as the guests' room, so it was just a short stop to Sokka's room, who took the sword from the side of the bed and proudly displayed it to Zuko. It was definitely the same sword that Zuko had seen in the market weeks ago, and seeing it up close it was as cheap and weak as the distance. Zuko raised an eyebrow at the boy, not being able to resist letting out a mocking look which made him unconsciously squeeze the handle of the sword. Zuko would manage to break that thing in three well-placed blows, shaking his head he pointed a finger towards the corridor and wordlessly headed for the final door.

"That sword is trash," Zuko said as they walked down the hallway, and for the first time he could see any other reaction on the boy's face besides stiffness and hesitation, he saw offense "I'm not saying this offensively. People who have been using swords for a long time can see the difference, and yours is for nothing more than show. I'll show you what real swords look like"

He opened the door and managed to see firsthand Sokka's wide eyes, he didn't blame him that room was their pride. Virtually every wall was filled with weapons, as were several chests on the floor overflowing, from swords to whips and even sickles. That was their spoils of war, accumulated over the years of known crimes and blacksmiths. He guided Sokka up a wall that must have more than ten different swords.

"This is our armament room, here we have all kinds of weapons and we know how to use each of them, my specialty is the Dao" Zuko says as he takes his favorite Dao off the wall and turns it into twin swords "Do you know how to use them? "

"I've never tried" The boy says weakly as he watches the room shamelessly, his eyes resting on Mai's small spears

"No problem, it's not used much, but I learned it from a young age," Zuko says, twirling the swords in his hands, "Are you ambidextrous? "

"No"

"Alright, we'll work it out" Sokka didn't seem more relaxed with his words, if anything happened it was that it looked like weights were placed on his shoulders.

Zuko tried to incorporate all the positivity he had learned over the past five years, with Lori, Kazu and every new person who arrived at his house by addressing the next words to the boy "Don't worry, it's not a bad thing that you don't know, if there's something you have and an advantage. That means you're a blank canvas and you can use whatever paint you want."

"Choose one, it will take a while before we find one that will fit your hands" Zuko encouraged waving at the wall, and saw the boy hesitantly draw one of the swords.

It took eight different swords before they found one that Zuko found acceptable, the one that belonged to Yusa who had it custom-made with a blacksmith they saved about three years ago. This sword had fitted into Sokka's hand as if it had always been there, his arm didn't seem to weigh down when holding it and it didn't seem too light either. Zuko gave a nod of approval as he headed for the door, pausing briefly only to grab a few small hand spears.

"What was it like growing up in the water tribe? I imagine it was hard to grow up with a sister who bends" Zuko says rolling one of the spears in his hands, he can feel the weight of the sword on his waist which gives him more comfort than should be necessary "I know the stories, and that there are no more benders there, it must have been difficult for you"

"You would know, wouldn't you? After all, it was your nation that wiped them all out," Sokka says in a harsh voice, squeezing the handle of his sword, he doesn't look to the side, he just stares in front of him as they climb to the next level.

For the first time it was Zuko who hesitated, but unlike Sokka none of this was shown other than a slight twist of mouth that no one but his family would have seen "I totally understand, in the last five years I have seen more things than you can imagine that were caused by the fire nation. But I'm not them, I'm not a representative of them. In recent years I have been able to see firsthand everyone's hatred and I don't take away for a second their reason, but this is a war and in a war there are no winning sides."

"And yet the Fire Nation seems to be winning a lot in the last hundred years," Sokka says wryly, contempt not matching that face Zuko thinks absentmindedly.

"In a war everyone loses, I bet you as well as all of us on board had to grow up faster than we should after all look at us, I'm the captain of a pirate gang and you are just a boy who had to drop everything to fight in an adult war, a fight he shouldn't be participating in,  But have you ever stopped to think that the same may be happening to them? " He asked Sokka who just shrugged his shoulders without compromise "I'm not defending them, don't get me wrong, but I've seen what happens there. A place where boys are indoctrinated from childhood with only one version in hand, and then torn from home for a war. Where they barely become adults and have to follow orders from generals, generals who were introduced in school who were the right ones in history"

Something in his words made the boy freeze, until he turned to Zuko angrily "Do you think their suffering equals ours? Follow orders? These people killed my mother just because they suspected her was a waterbender, she died because of them"

Zuko breathed more calmly, barely realizing that he was doing breathing exercises. Oh that kind of hatred, he had met more people than he would have liked who had lost family members at the hands of the fire nation, there was nothing he could talk about that would change what happened, not really, he saw firsthand what grief could do to a person where pain turned into a desire for revenge that would eventually result in both sides losing their lives. All that was left was for him to try to show another side.

"I know firsthand what the fire nation has caused, both externally and by living with my family on board, after all half of them have lost someone to the fire nation" This seemed to surprise Sokka, Zuko figured that he didn't expect people who suffered from the fire nation to follow a bender of theirs "But here's one thing you should think about too,  Half of these people were taken from their homes young to fight in this war too, they also have to see the horrors every time they close their eyes."

"They looked very horrified as they destroyed our tribe," Sokka says sarcastically

"Of course there are exceptions, why do you think I killed that general?" Zuko says lightly making the boy jump when he hears the tone of disdain "He wasn't one of them, he was one of those who supported the ideal. But do you remember what Yusa told you that day? ”

"No," Sokka mutters hesitantly, looking annoyed as he remembers Zhao

"Either you kill or you die, and that's what's ingrained in the minds of some of them. I don't speak of all, but many of them have been taught that the fire nation is correct, and if you dare to doubt that? Either you are thrown away to people who did not hesitate to kill you or you are killed by your own general" The boy says thinking of the troops he has seen over the years "Humans are selfish by nature, corner them and they will choose themselves almost always, why should they lose their lives by refusing to set a house on fire? After all, they also have families they love and want to see again, so they swallow it and follow orders so they can see a new day."

Sokka seems bothered by the thought, as if putting the fire nation as a victim was also something unacceptable to him "I'm not generalizing, after all we have fought and killed many of them over the years, we do not hesitate, hesitation to know if they are one of the good ones or one of the monsters that can cause death. But as I said, in a war there are no winners, only survivors, thinking about it can help a little with anger."

"Were you one of them? One of those who did not follow the ideals? That’s ehy you have the scar? ”

"No, I was never a soldier, and the scar is a story for another day. But I'm definitely against ideals, and every day I fight so that some people can grow up with a little innocence, even if it involves using any means necessary," Zuko says gravely, making the boy shut up. "And that's why my family follows me even though I'm a firebender, because they also want to protect that innocence and they're willing to cross lines to get it done and they've found people who would cross with them."

The conversation died down a bit as they went up to the main deck, but before they went up Sokka says quietly "I don't know if I'm ready to have that same principle, I hate them, but I'm not ready to cross some lines"

"You don't need it, we're not asking for it, after all this is just a temporary alliance. The reason we will be there is exactly because we have different ideals. With our experience the lines do not exist for us, hesitation does not come and exactly this will save your bison. The only thing we are asking is for you to learn enough so that we don't have to take care of ourselves and you at the same time, so this week Mai and I will train you as much as we can."

Zuko squinted briefly as he climbed onto the deck and barely took a second look at the two girls in the middle, but Sokka stopped. In the center of the ship Saori and Katara had domes of water on top of their heads with tentacles sticking out, it was the same thing as the octopus, but instead of the ground it was above. "The eagle flows from you, we always knew that, but when you are really in tune with the water you feel it all over your body, some attacks are obvious or we need to use a lot of body movements, but I learned that with this dome and with a lot of tuning  a simples small finger movements are enough. Observe"

Zuko and Sokka watch as Lori and Kazu throw small spears of thin woods, almost darts towards Saori, who with finger movements intercepts them. Katara watches closely copying the movement of her fingers, but her dome doesn't seem to move. He keeps an eye out as Saori begins to explain the principle to Katara and sees Mai approaching Sokka.

"Got your sword?" She asks making the boy jump and the short-haired woman frown "We'll have to work on your situational awareness, I made a lot of noise coming here"

The boy seemed embarrassed by the girl's reprimand which made Zuko swallow a laugh, of course Mai would be the second person to realize that these people had no idea of their surroundings. He exchanged an amused glance with the archer and together they went to the other end of the ship.

"The first thing you should learn Sokka is that when it comes to swords muscle memory is everything, so for now let's do two moves until I decide you got the hang of it" Zuko says taking one of his Dao and demonstrating a simple move of getting up and defending, that has already saved them a lot,  the muscle memory of putting the sword in front of your body even when you barely knew what was going on "You have to hold it that way and do this movement, attention to your feet, a solid base and everything."

Sokka tried to copy the move, but Zuko could see that his grip was wrong, he held it too loosely "No, you must feel the sword as an extension of your arm, like this" Zuko showed the grip slowly and Sokka to his credit tried to copy it, he really tried, but it was still wrong "No,  So, spread your fingers a little apart and focus on the thumb part"

He felt the boy's hand get hard under his, which went against the whole principle of explanation, Zuko raised his head in questioning and found himself face to face with the boy's face, they were very close after all Zuko had basically entered his space to adjust his hands. And soon he remembered that Sokka was still afraid of him, having Zuko enter his space like that without warning must have been a lot. "Sorry, froce of habit. But you got the principle, then again. Very good now let's go to the movement"

The next twenty minutes were dedicated to doing the same move over and over again, it was probably after the first ten minutes that he could see Sokka's impatience every time Zuko uttered the word 'again', it was obvious that he thought it was stupid and it lasted longer than Zuko had imagined when he finally exploded "I already got the hang of it,  Can we move on to the next thing? I don't know what else I could learn from doing this."

"This is important, you need to learn this" Zuko says patiently

"I've already learned, after all it's been twenty minutes that I've only done this"

Zuko looked sarcastic and unsheathed one of his Dao, he waved his sword urging Sokka to approach, which after a moment of hesitation the boy did. His posture with his arms was good, it could use a little work, but it could be worse. He didn't have much solidity in his feet, he moved them too much and Zuko saw in the last two minutes no less than four openings to take him down with just a movement of his legs and he always looked where he was going to attack which made each save from Zuko comically easy.

After a moment Zuko went on the offensive, with just one blow the boy's arms trembled, the second his sword went to the side and the third Sokka had a sword positioned against his throat. "In my second move you should have used what you learned in the last twenty minutes, it would have saved your neck or at least given it time to think about what to do. You still haven't gotten the hang of it, so go again"

Sokka took a step back away from the sword and clenched his jaw, but repeated the movement again and again. It was close to move forty that Zuko found acceptable and showed him another one. They stayed at it until Hiro came to call them for lunch, when he dropped the sword Zuko saw the boy's arms trembling.

Lunch was much livelier than dinner the night before, everyone was laughing and even Katara seemed to have softened a little, he watched with a small smile as Saori taught her how to braid strands of water on her fingers.

"Here's the truth, absolutely none of the three of you have situational awareness" Mai said pointing to the trio, who stopped at the time, only Sokka didn't seem surprised "We'll talk about this later, but in the earth realm you must always, always know what's going on around you. Be the gaze of a merchant to whoever is on the other side of the window. So during your week here we will make you aware of this"

"And how will you do that?" Katara asked curiously

Zuko exchanged an amused look with the rest of his crew, who had sly smiles on their faces.

"You'll know," Zuko says enigmatically as he takes another bite, ignoring the look the trio exchanges with each other.

They would teach them the same way Zuko taught everyone else over the years. Oh, that would be fun.

***

Three days later the progress of the tribe's brothers was remarkable, Katara was incredibly talented and sucked Saori's words like rag in water, Sokka had also impressed everyone, in three days getting the hang of the ladder in a not very conventional but effective way. But the main change he saw in the three of them, the avatar included, was their frantic glances at their surroundings and the sudden turns of their heads at the slightest noise.

The team was training them the same way they were all trained to know their surroundings, with scares at any second. Were you going down to the baths? Lori would be lurking in a dark corner to give you the most fright of your life. Climbing up to start the day? Kazu would descend from behind one of the poles and tie you up almost causing a heart attack, after all you didn't bother to look up. Were you getting ready for bed? Yusa would come out of a wardrobe that you didn't bother to look at and would almost kill you with stress.

Of course it was unconventional, but I couldn't deny that it was giving results. All three began to create the habit of looking around everything when they entered a room, discreetly too, because every time they were caught analyzing the exits with obvious looks, Mai would simply emerge from behind them and flick them on the head.

After three days they were finally arriving at their first stop. They were going to meet with Iroh who said he had something he could use to help them enter the city. Once in the port it was easy to find the huge ship in the shape of a tea house, it was a surprise for Zuko to see that when they got close to the ship the tribesmen didn't look hateful, after all Zuko learned a lot in these last three days and one of those things was how much Katara hated fog benders. Level four out of five hatred, so he allowed himself to look incredulous as the girl walked up the ramp willingly with a smile on her face.

"Why, hello everyone," Iroh said with a kind smile as he greeted them, "come on, I've prepared a great breakfast for us."

"It's good to see you again, uncle" Zuko said in a low voice so that the others wouldn't hear, he had no plans to tell the trio that he was a renegade heir.

"It's good to see you too, nephew," Iroh says in an equally low voice as he squeezes Zuko's arm.

"Azula?" Zuko asks curiously

"Later"

With a wave from both of them they begin to descend into the same room they used last time, which was indeed full of food. Kazu and Hiro's eyes lit up and they were the first to start digging.

"I didn't know you knew each other" Aang lightly as he pulls a plate for himself

"Well, all the renegades of the fire nation know each other in one way or another" Iroh says evasively as he pours tea to those closest to him "But we are not here to talk about meetings, but about your entrance to the city"

"What is your option? Last time we went to the refugees, which was relatively easy, but we don't want to risk them seeing Aang there, it could lead to gossip," Yusa says, staring at Iroh while taking a sip of tea, which ends with her raising the cup a little in approval.

"Have you heard of the White Lotus?"

"Of course" The crew speaks in chorus

"Who?" The trio asks at the same time

"Have you heard?” Iroh seems surprised by the news and a little thoughtful as he stares at them, but then turns to the trio "White Lotus is a society that goes beyond the four nations, which has always been about philosophy, beauty, and truth. I wonder how you met one of us Captain Zuko"

"We've met a lot of people over the years, it's that surprising that at least one of them is White?"

"Hmm... true, it shouldn't be that surprising" Iroh concedes "Well, as you can imagine, we have a wide network of people and after your letter Zuko I contacted some in common and asked for help"

"What kind of help?"

"A boat that was already destined to go, carrying provisions and will also carry some guests" Iroh says innocently with a sly look "And I happened to find seven perfect people to complement your list"

"A trade boat, the perfect way to get in, after all few people pay attention to the constant movement of the docks" Yusa says thoughtfully, exchanging a glance with Zuko: "We would just need an excuse to be in town"

"Kirin can help us with that," Zuko says, thinking of the forger they know will be on their route: "Fakes for the lower and middle rings"

"Shopkeepers and small governors, it can work" Mai says spinning one of the cutlery "We would need to stop at one of the points and pick up the clothes and jewelry, and the things for the lower store"

The avatar trio watched the exchange of words like a match, their eyes constantly moving and seeming not to quite understand what was happening. Of course, people who haven't entered the city yet wouldn't understand, but there were some things you only heard in the lower rings and others only in the higher ones. They would have to separate, that was already in the plans and of course but they only had four more days until they could incorporate all the training possible in the trio to help.

The conversation went on almost until lunchtime, where Iroh had to apologize so he could go help his team with coffee. The crew took the opportunity to start creating a plan with the new information. It would be much easier to follow the roles they wanted by arriving on a merchant boat instead of the refugees. It had been decided that Zuko, Yusa and Saori would go to the earth realm while the others would follow their course as the blue spirit so that no one would connect them to the events that would be about to happen.

Zuko, Sokka, Aang, and Toph would stay in the upper Rings looking for more information while Saori, Yusa, and Katara would stay in the lower ones for word-of-mouth searches.

Katara wasn't too pleased to walk away from her entire group, but after a few words in Saori's low voice she seemed to agree to the task. Sokka and Aang just waved and the younger boy seemed to get up a little when they estimated that at most four days of mission to retrieve the bison.

"Four days, with an earthbender on each team it will be easy to search the tunnels of the lower levels and see if we can find who stole it in the higher ones" Zuko says as he stands up, he had seen it less than a minute ago Iroh gestures to him gives the door crack "Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom"

Some people made nods of agreement but didn't pay much attention, they were focused on Lori who drew a map in her head of what they remembered from the lower ring.

"If you can walk me to the kitchen, Captain Zuko" Iroh says in a low voice as he gestures to a door down

"It's really weird to hear you say that" Zuko admits, putting his hand on his neck.

"But the truth is not, after all you are a captain" His uncle says humorously as he opens the kitchen door that was as messy and cluttered as the last time zuko was there "I have news about Azula"

Zuko takes a deep breath and unconsciously prepares himself. Azula is a subject that he only allowed himself to think about a few times each month "And? Were you able to talk to her? How is she?"

"One thing at a time nephew, yes I was able to talk to her briefly, in fact it was right on the day that the Avatar task was assigned to her" Iroh says taking out a cookie and holding it out to zuko who denies it bluntly "I'm not going to lie to you zuko, she's unrecognizable. I've always known that being in Ozai's company for long periods can be bad but Azula... Azula has turned into someone without mercy, who will do anything to get what she wants even if it means stepping on an entire nation. She became just like Ozai."

"Don't say that," Zuko said harshly, making Iroh look at him hesitantly, "Don't you dare compare my little sister to that blue monster, she will never, never be like him. You must be wrong"

"Her memories of a childhood with her have blinded you nephew, she is no longer a helpless little girl, she has become a cold person" Iroh says gravely "I'm not saying she doesn't have salvation or the right to a second opinion, but I tell you this directly that if she finds herself face to face with the avatar she won't hesitate,  she will either capture him or kill him without remorse."

Zuko felt sick, it wasn't possible that his little sister, the same one who stayed by his side, the same one he saw growing up could have become this person, who could have become Ozai. Zuko didn't decide with himself, Azula wasn't that person, she didn't become that person.

"I'll draw my own conclusions if I ever meet her, but for now do you know where she's going next?" Zuko said decisively, keeping the thought of what his little sister turned into a box in the back of her mind.

"She's coming in the same direction as ours, but I heard that she stopped to pick up a second person, an old friend of hers, Ty Lee. So the chances of you meeting are low."

Spirits he didn't want to think about Mai's reaction when he learned that Ty Lee was with Azula hunting the avatar. He waved to his uncle as plans dominated his head, the chances of them meeting the pair in Ba Sing If were low, Azula was different from Zuko, widely known as the crown princess so she couldn't get into the city easily, but even so he couldn't rule out the idea. Ty Lee's abilities were dangerous, but Kazu had improved himself with the same teachers as her, they would have to put the avatar and katara against Kazu for them to see what it was like to fight someone like her.

Zuko waved to his uncle as he made his way back to the dining room, so many new lines were coming and he seemed more and more trapped under them. He could only focus on the mission of saving the bison and hope it was as simple as he imagined, he definitely doesn't want to put it off any longer and longer and encounter ghosts from the past.

They stayed at the tea shop long enough for the last of the lunchtime customers to leave and they could return without attracting attention. Upon leaving, Zuko exchanged a quick hug with his uncle and a goodbye, which attracted some questioning looks from the southern brothers, but he ignored it, acting as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

Once back on the ship he immediately pitted Aang and Katara against Kazu while going to write a letter to Kirin, they would need the documents as soon as possible, as well as change the route two hours early so they could pick up the stolen nobles' clothes they had in one of the many hideouts around the nation.

They were finally starting to fill in the holes in their plan, and for the first time when Katara fought without hesitation against Kazu even though he only had one working arm he managed to allow himself to think that this couldn't be totally suicidal.

They had four more days, but four days and things would start to happen for real

***

The last day on board was difficult, it was not uncommon for the team to split up but always away for short periods of time and only in neighboring cities, this time they would actively go to different directions of the world with no chance of contact so they hoped it would be only four days of mission and a few more days to meet.

The Avatar team watched quietly from the other side of the ship, he saw that Aang watched from a corner as Saori hugged her brother tightly and whispered to each other, Yusa hugged Lori while squeezing her shoulder and Mai clung to her back and Zuko who couldn't help but squeeze Kazu more and more in his arms as he felt the boy squeeze him with the same force.

"Try not to get into too much trouble without us," Zuko says in a wet voice as he watches the family he was leaving behind line up in front of him

"Please, we were the ones who taught you everything you know," Lori says waving her hands in mockery but her eyes were full of tears

"Keep telling yourself that, mechanic" Yusa says smiling as she wipes her tears with a fist "We'll be back in a week, I hope to see my house in the same condition we left it, after all you can't be trusted."

Hiro gave a wet laugh as he hugged the second in command once again "See you in a week, good luck"

"Until the afterlife claims us," Zuko says joining hands with them

"Until the afterlife claims us" Everyone echoed and with a last goodbye they left the ship.

The avatar's team followed them silently, each carrying a huge backpack, they would spend the night at a nearby inn and tomorrow they would board the ship that would take them to the earth realm. They came in with the fake names Kirin had made for them, and that's where their performance really began.

Zuko was first in line, his role was that of governor of a small kingdom who traveled with his sister and some cousins of consideration. He demanded in a loud voice and a little different from the usual a room that was suitable for his family's status, which made the attendant widen her eyes and the people around her look. That was good, after their departure gossip of a dumb governor would be told and not people getting out of a slightly strange boat at the end of the pier.

Once with the keys he slowed down the stairs while watching Katara's turn, Yusa had addressed the attendant with a fear and hesitation that would deceive everyone, asking for the simplest room she could share with her sisters from the orphanage, her execution was perfect they barely got a second look they were just another trio of orphans. He saw Katara shrink and look scared, she was doing a good job but anyone could see that her shoulders were hardened with defiance, Zuko hoped that people would think she was just another rebel.

Once inside Zuko guided everyone to take a shower and sleep, they would discuss everything on the boat when there were no ears on the walls.

The ship was not as big as his, in fact it was half but it was made of the best wood and even from afar he could see gold carvings. Only a showy idiot would spend money carving his own boat in gold, Zuko avoided an eye roll as he came aboard with a look of disdain at the people on the dock, just another arrogant ruler who thought he was better than everyone else. He heard the rest of his 'family' follow him to the designated room, when he went down he was already able to memorize all the exits and places that could have unwanted ears.

It was only at dawn that he could hear Yusa's footsteps on the wood, so light but pronounced in a way that Zuko could recognize tied upside down. He signaled for Sokka and Aang not to make a noise as the door opened silently and the girls entered.

"Phase one is complete, me and Saori broke into the captain's office and added the two requests to the list, any complication in the city we acted as if it was a shipping error" Yusa says seriously as she ties her hair "Earlier I saw a small tea merchant, I got a job for the three of us in one of his shops, we will be located in the eastern part near the lake Lagoai, a little too close to them but better than nothing."

"Of who?" Aang asks in a low voice looking at them

"From the Dai Li, we found out that they have some bases under the lake and I don't feel comfortable staying so close to the lake. This will mean that will be a greater concentration of them than usual"

"Who are the Dai Li?" Sokka asks again

"They are the high-elite spies of the earth realm, raised and trained to be one of the best when it comes to dealing with the security of Ba Sing Se," Zuko says as he remembers the ones he encountered, "The reason there are no conflicts there is due to them, they are everywhere watching and reporting everything,  people they consider a threat to the internal balance of the city are caught and have their minds changed"

"Literally" Saori says humorlessly, they all knew she wasn't joking after all they got to see firsthand how effective and their brainwashing service

The avatar's team seems uncomfortable, as if they didn't know if it was a joke or not, but they were distracted by Saori opening a scroll.

"Here are the documents of each one, I managed to add your name in one event Zuko and Toph's in another, try to find out information about the merchants who were in the desert at that time. You're with Sokka in one and Toph is with Aang in another" She says as she passes a sheet with the place and time of the event as well as their new documents "we'll meet at two in the morning in the south ring, if you still keep the same routine this will be the time of the Dai Li's shift change and we can exchange information"

Zuko accepts the documents as long as he settles, he already had more than five plans ready and had no doubt that the same was happening to his girls. It seemed relatively easy, the most challenging thing would be to fool the Dai Li, the description they had been embedding for the past seven days in the avatar team would be more necessary than ever.

More plans and information were exchanged before they decided to go to bed, the forecast for arrival in the kingdom was ten and they would need to be attentive. He watched as Sokka's hand trembled slightly as he held his new documents. Zuko approached and gave a small nod of approval as he saw the boy's head rise and his direction, even in stress he was aware of his surroundings.

"Don't worry, we just need to get these people talking enough to find the bison," Zuko says encouragingly, "You are a governor's nephew, act like it with these people, you'll have as much right to be there as they are, remember that every second you're in that town."

'I'm the nephew of a governor', Sokka repeated quietly, "my god, it's going to be four unbearable days"

"Would you rather be four months?" Zuko asked humorously as he tilted his head, which made the boy's eyes widen and his mouth open quickly "I'm kidding, I know that's not what you meant. Go to sleep Sokka the sooner we get the sooner we'll leave"

***

Yusa arranged her posture for something more hesitant as she was guided to the lower east wall, she watched out of the corner of her eye the people around her and managed to spot four guards patrolling and an agent Dai Li standing near the square.

Damn Dai Li, they would be a huge headache during the mission, the little ones always swarming on rooftops or dark corners of alleys. The last time the crew was there, they saw right away that the city only had a false sense of deliverance, when it was actually a prison without bars.

She took a look at Katara while pretending to turn her head at the sound of a bucket of water being thrown away, she seemed to be doing fine Yusa realized that it was hard for her to see the rest of her friends go to the upper rings without her, Yusa expected crying or tremors instead she clenched her jaw and started trying to copy Saori's frightened girl posture. She was good.

Finally they arrived at what was a small five-story building for refugees, the room barely fit the three of them and the conditions were basic but it was perfect, it was actually wonderful the fact that they had to climb five flights of stairs and everything, but was Worth because of the window, ah the sweet window that was given to them on a platter.

Yusa tested the wooden support by supporting herself pretending to wave to passersby in joy that she had a place to live, seriously she even threw a 'finally safe' so fake that she felt sorry for her own ears. She discreetly observed that there was a smaller building next to it and behind the two one that had nine floors, an easy thing for her and Saori to climb and start watching to see if the Dai Li's routine was still the same.

As she turned around the smile disappeared, she began to gesture in sign language to Saori who waved, Katara looked at her hands attentively, she showed interest in learning the language during the ship's time so she and Saori had started teaching her. Temporary alliance or not was important, so basic words for the girl who soon recruited the rest of her team to learn.

"That's it babes we've finally arrived, let's take a walk around the city, see everything the earth kingdom can offer" She said winking at the girls as she threw her bag in a corner, Katara approached to store her own bag next to it and only when she reached the same level as her that she could whisper "I'll see if the tunnels are still where they should be with my earth bending, Saori will go check on the Dai Li who are in the area. Your job will be to check the guards, how many there are, what weapons they use and if they stop to give information to each other. This is important, I'm counting on you"

Katara stared at her and gave a decisive wave, and with that the three of them went out into the street. Yusa had already learned how to read by the vibrations of the ground before meeting Toph, but it was more one of the skills collected and not something she actively used, but when she met Beifong it changed, she used this fold to see the world and still made it possible to see much more, after all you could almost always see what people really thought just with a beat of hearts. Yusa and Lori never thought much about it after all you can't use on wooden slats which was almost where they spent their time, but when they landed in the new city they decided to use that. And damn Beifong, she was right, you could know everything.

After she and Lori found out about it they spent a good two weeks having fun, Yusa pretended to be a love psychic for days and always keeps saying the names of people in the village until she heard the familiar knock faster, Lori heard the vibrations and scared people through dark alleys.

She smiled as she remembered as she felt the world beneath her feet, and there was still the corridor of a tunnel that was at the bottom of a house in the square. She subtly waved to Saori, signaling that she was still there, the same in turn also signaled that the Dai Li were in the same place and they would know in ten minutes if the rotation was still the same.

Yusa went to feel the tunnel a little more through the vibrations when a racing heart caught her attention, she wasn't amateur to the point of staring sharply at Katara, instead she raised her hand against her face, smiled and pretended to ask the girl "What happened?"

Katara as an amateur that she was jumped at the question, she quickly looked at Yusa and then her eyes went straight to a boy thrown into a wall further down the street. If this were a crush Katara would lose a lot of points with Yusa, seriously, where is the good taste?

"Friend of yours?" She asked calmly, she caught Saori's attention who focused on the girl too, while gesturing that the old shift change would be in five minutes "Seriously girl, staring so much can give a bad impression, unless that's what you want?'

"I don't want anything from him" Katara spat with hatred scaring Yusa and Saori minimally, jesus this girl didn't know how to take life calmly?

"Oookay?" Saori says hesitantly upon noticing the girl's anger, "And what? Old boyfriend"

"As if" Katara turned to the girl and started to move one of her arms "I would never be the girlfriend of a crazy and inconsequential boy like him"

"Wow, it seems to have a story here, isn't it," Yusa says smiling, a smile that only floods when she sees Katara's angry look, this girl desperately needs more women in her life "Look, I don't know what he said when they broke up, but it's not worth it, we got here and we're finally safe, so let's enjoy the city and see everything it has to offer."

Katara opens her mouth still looking annoyed until she finally hears Yusa's words, they weren't there for silly things like boys, they were there to retrieve a bison and get out in less than four days. She saw the girl throw one last look at the boy before turning to the guards on the other side.

Shift change, their schedule is still the same, Saori signals discreetly, and Yusa blinks as a form of understanding.

So they would be dealing with the same things as two years ago, that was good. They took a few more turns and even entered the café where they were going to 'work' before going to the dormitory.

Once there, she and Saori checked all the rooms and closed the window just in case.

"Okay, Spill out, your vibrations gave me a headache the rest of the whole ride" Yusa says throwing herself on one of the mattresses on the floor

"Say what?" Katara says petulantly leaning on the small kitchen furniture

"Oh, so we're not talking about you almost killing a boy with your gaze?" Saori says sarcastically as he falls on top of Yusa, literally on top her elbow was crushing her "What did he do to you anyway?"

"He" Katara spits the word angrily, and spirits was too much hatred for a person a spa day definitely came "almost killed several people, and that, if I hadn't been there he would have killed people"

"Is that all?" Saori says surprise which causes Yusa to slap her on the head "No I meant... give more context please"

"He claimed to be a savior, that he was doing good against the fire nation" Katara said getting more energetic by the second "Oh how stupid I was, I fell like a fool in his story and in the end you know what I got?" Yusa and Saori quickly deny it to appease the girl "He using me to make water geyser and kill innocents, innocents who were just living their life who had done nothing wrong"

"Oh, you found that kind of person," Yusa says ruefully as she rests her head on one of Saori's shoulders, "The kind of traumatized person who claims to be a vigilante but is actually just copying the actions of their oppressor."

"The most hypocritical guy there is," Saori agrees, ignoring Katara's wide-eyed look, "People who have been oppressed and do the same atrocities and call it giving back, whatever, and if it's going to be like that, at least be honest man. Do you know something we learned five years in this life? After all, we are also the villainous side of the story. We have learned that our traumas are not always excuses for our actions"

"Half of us lost someone to the fire nation, you know," Yusa says lightly as she wraps an arm around Saori's waist, making it more comfortable: "We've all had our moment of hate, that's what makes us the blue spirit, the opportunity to pay back. But it's different if you give it back and you do something as bad as them."

"Zuko warned us that in the beginning, that doing the same things they do can be just as bad, that nothing is worth your conscience," Saori says, smiling at the thought of the captain: "He always said that our trauma can be an answer but never an excuse. We don't use the excuse of the horrors we suffer to be as bad as them, even we have a line you know."

"So we invade, steal, tie up the ones we take and let them suffer their own karma in advance," Yusa says with a fox smile: "Don't worry so much about that boy, he is just one of those that grief consumed in the wrong way. But he's in Ba Sing now, if he still has that ideology, you can bet that soon it's going to be taken away from him."

"What does that mean?" Katara asks

"The Dai Li won't allow you to have someone spreading hateful words inside the city you know, it makes others uncomfortable," Saori says sarcastically as she runs an arm around Yusa's shoulder, "So they'll find a way, but don't think about it too much, we won't be here enough for you to have to worry about it."

"Sounds like something I should worry about," Katara says faintly as she sits down

"Yes, you could, but you don't have time for that," Yusa says as she closes her eyes and gestures like a teacher: "If you keep stopping all the time to solve other people's problems, when will you finally have time for yours? Are the Dai Li a problem? yes. But at the moment Ozai is a much bigger one, so focus on the bison and you can worry about the Dai Li when this war is over."

Katara seemed to want to argue, but with the steady gaze of the girls, she seemed to accept defeat as she headed to the bathroom.

"She's still young, let innocence prevail a little longer," Yusa says quietly as she settles better next to Saori, who gives a murmur of agreement while also moving to sleep.

They would need to be as sleepy as possible, after all at dawn the real work would begin.

They would find that bison at any cost.

***

From atop her lizard a girl sees the sea in front of her.

It would be a beautiful setting for anyone, it was definitely for the girl who was on the lizard next to it casting murmurs of appreciation. To her, the sunset was like Zuko's flames when he was younger, with a warm, familiar tone.

Princess Azula of the Fire Nation looks up as she casts one last thought to the heavens

Don't worry Zuko, I'm going to finish this mission you can't.

With one last look at the sea, the girl made a noise at the lizard and went out on its hunt.

Chapter Text

Zuko hid a smile as he feigned irritation at one of the Joo Dees who had come to show them around the house.

He hadn't expected to have to deal with one so early in the trip, but it was a good way to test Aang and Sokka's performance. The house was surprisingly large for a last-minute pick, and he made sure to inform Joo Dee of this, sounding as arrogant as possible.

They were located right at the end of the ring, almost as if it were a border with the lower ring. There was no better place for him to see Yusa without attracting too much attention. But Joo Dee couldn't know that, so arrogance and irritation were all she was left with.

"I want you to know that we have a party to attend tomorrow, so we'll have to leave early because we're so far away," Zuko says, his mouth twisting. After all, that was the only part of his face the woman could see. "Just know that my father will hear about this."

"We're sorry, sir." Joo Dee bows slightly, that huge, sinister smile never wavering. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Sokka shiver at the woman's smile. "We hope your time in Ba Sing Se is the best it can be."

"We'll see about that," he says dismissively as he turns his back on the woman and enters the house, making sure the scarf hadn't moved from his face.

It was a little annoying to walk around with the cloth covering his eyes and nose, but it would definitely draw less attention than just a bandage covering one eye. Joo Dee would mention a scar like that the second he was out of sight to the Dai Li, and then they would have unwanted company.

He saw Aang pulling back the collar of one of his shirts to cool himself off, which drew an amused smile from him. The boy was covered from head to toe and had his own headband. The tattoos were very recognizable, so Zuko put on as many clothes as possible.

"That woman is scary," Sokka says, shrugging as if that would dispel the memory of Joo Dee's smile. "Seriously, what's wrong with her?"

"So many things. I didn't think we'd have to deal with one in the days we were here. It must have been the confusion with the house papers," Zuko says, removing the scarf from his eyes as he enters the room with the closed windows. "They're palace employees, guides, they say, but in reality, they're spies for the high court; the Dai Li must have sent one to see if we'd be a problem."

"What do you mean, a problem?" Aang asks as he takes off one of his shirts as quickly as possible.

"Don't worry about it, we have to focus on tomorrow's party, not Joo Dee's," Zuko says as he peers out one of the windows.

He never really liked Ba Sing Se, always having to look over his shoulder, always having to watch what he said and how he walked to avoid attracting unwanted attention.

A week in that city made his paranoia grow to absurd levels, of course that was exactly what his teacher wanted to happen, he was not happy about having to be back in the city and on top of that looking for illegal animals.

"There's more than one?" Toph asked with a frown; it was obvious she hadn't fallen for Joo Dee's fake smile. "How many people like that will be at the party tomorrow?"

"Not many. Joo Dees aren't placed at parties like this; they're guides, not ladies-in-waiting. If there are any, they'll be reserved for people the Dai Li want to keep control on," Zuko said, glaring at the three of them. "But despite that, the party tomorrow will be packed with nobles and merchants. We'll have to pay as much attention as possible. Any wrong word means the Dai Li is on us."

"Oh, nobles, this party is going to be so boring," Toph said in a whiny voice as she slumped onto one of the couches. "They're all insufferable people."

"Hey, not all of them," Sokka protested angrily, too angry for a simple comment. Zuko noticed. "And aren't you royalty too, Toph?"

"I am, and that's exactly why I'm telling you this." Toph says, pointing to something a meter away from the boy. "Nobles are always two sides of the same coin. Either they'll sell whatever information they can get from you for the highest price, or they're naive and will sell you out without realizing it."

"Not everyone should be like that. Yue wasn't," Aang says peacefully.

"Who's Yue?" Zuko asks, the name sounding familiar for some reason, but he can't quite put his finger on it.

"She was the princess of the Northern tribe, and she was an incredible, kind person," Sokka says, his arms clenched, his jaw tense. There was definitely a story there. "She would never sell our information."

"So she was one of the rare ones," Zuko says simply with a shrug. Saori had never actually met the princess, but had seen her from afar a few times and claimed she seemed kind, but must have had a sad life. "I'm giving you fair warning of what tomorrow will be like. Many of them might be innocent at first, but in their world, you either adapt or get swallowed alive by those willing to actually play the game."

"One thing you need to understand about these circles is that you don't realize how toxic that environment is until you breathe fresh air for the first time," Toph says, wiggling her fingers. "I'm used to their mind games, as is Zuko, so tomorrow Aang will be my guide to see, and Sokka, I recommend you stick close to Zuko's side and pretend to be mute."

"I can handle mind games," Sokka protests indignantly.

"Shouldn't we ask the nobles for help in securing an audience with the king?" Aang asks. innocently from his side of the couch. Zuko's head snaps up so fast his neck hurts.

"An audience? For what?" Zuko asks in a hard voice, making the boy stop and stare at him.

"So... they can help with the war?" Aang asks in a hesitant voice, more of a question than a statement. "With the eclipse coming, we're going to need all the help we can get."

"You won't get help from anyone in Ba Sing Se, didn't you hear Joo Dee? War doesn't exist within these walls."

"What do you mean? Of course it does. Where do people think all the refugees come from?" Sokka suddenly asks.

"I think you still don't understand where we are. This is the utopian city of Ba Sing Se," Zuko says firmly, staring at the two boys. He doesn't need to do this to Toph, who, on the ship, understood what the city was like from Yusa's stories. "The information is carefully analyzed before being passed on to people, and even then, it's different information for each ring. It's normalized that the subject of war is taboo, and I bet the people in the upper rings barely know there are so many refugees in the city."

"But they must talk to each other."

"They don't. I'm telling you, the Dai Li control everything around here. From the moment you passed through these walls, you put yourself at their mercy. Whether it's by restricting information or acting as If you were the ones in the wrong, if you try to talk about it out loud," Zuko explained calmly. "Don't try to talk to any of the citizens here about the war. The Dai Li can't have reason to distrust us, but talking to the people here will only result in doors being slammed in your face and the Dai Li on your tail."

"What do they think is going on outside these walls?" Sokka asked hesitantly.

"They know what the Dai Li want them to know," Zuko said definitively. "Don't expect help from the king, at least not until you find your Bison. Once you have him, you can do whatever you want. But until then, keep quiet," Zuko said, staring at Aang. "And I'm telling you now, don't expect much help from them. When the eclipse comes, you might have to kill Ozai yourself."

"I'm not going to kill him," Aang said, giving Zuko a strange look, which made the boy freeze completely.

"What?" Zuko said quietly; he must have heard wrong.

"I'm not going to kill them, monks don't kill, that goes against everything we've learned," Aang says, looking at Zuko like he's the idiot.

The young pirate stares at him for five seconds, waiting for the Avatar to laugh. The laugh doesn't come, and Zuko can only think one thing:

What the fuck is this?

*-*

Katara watches Yusa skip through the streets with a goofy, pewter smile on her face. The corners were dark, with only small fire lamps illuminating the circle they stood in, she watched as the flames glowed in Yusa's reddish brown hair as her eyes moved to different locations.

She couldn't help but stare as she walked through the streets of the immense Ba Sing Se, surrounded by walls that were supposed to offer protection. He felt the opposite: a tightness in his chest, his eyes alert to every shadow. She remembered Zuko's warnings during the trip, but seeing it in person was very different.

The people in that city seemed to smile too much, even the refugees had a smile on their faces and strange looks, as if they were hiding something.

She'd noticed earlier that the guards always watched with a look that mixed suspicion and control. There was something strange about this place, she decided, a forced tranquility, as if the city hid truths that couldn't be told.

Insecurity grew with every step, not because of what she saw, but because of what she couldn't see or understand. She'd summoned the courage to confront the two girls about what the Dai Li might do to Jet to change his mind when she emerged from the baths, but by the time she returned, they were already asleep.

Katara wasn't quite sure how to act around them; during their time on the ship, they'd remained distant, almost clinical, while teaching them all different types of training. With the small exception of that first day, when Saori had opened up about her past, and Katara had gotten a little closer; but that had been just her. Yusa had barely exchanged five words with her all day, so it was a shock to see the girl be so open and casual with someone she'd barely looked at twice in a week.

But there they were, strolling through one of the squares while Yusa used her bending to check out what she claimed was another tunnel leading to the lake. She strangely missed Saori, who had separated from them to go to a tavern to see if she could get any black market gossip.

Yusa nudged Katara subtly, but it was still enough to make the girl jump slightly, which caused one of Yusa's eyes to twitch slightly in frustration. Holding back a grimace of anger Katara looked at her questioningly, with a fluidity she could only begin to have the girl's head tilted towards one of the alleys.

Katara would barely have paid attention if it hadn't been pointed out to her, there were three men, all dressed as refugees and looking a little dirty as if they had been rolling in the dirt. They glanced around every few moments, but didn't seem to be doing much else.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked quietly, once she'd looked away from the men.

"Couldn't you tell?" Yusa asked with amusement in her voice, as if Katara were a child who'd messed up something obvious.

She'd constantly felt this way about these people during those days on the ship, which was ridiculous; she didn't need approval from people who robbed and killed people daily. But even so, she felt a tingle in the small of her back at missing something that should have been obvious.

"Pay more attention, little bender," Yusa says quietly next to her ear, moving Katara's head back to the men with a finger on her chin. "They're too clean. The dirt is in strategic places, but not on their ankles or hands, and it's not dry. They were placed there to divert attention. The third one near the alley often glances at the guards stationed on the other side. The one sitting is drawing something. Can you see how he often looks at the walls behind us? And the third one is on the lookout, making sure people aren't watching them. What does all this tell you?"

"Are they thieves?" Katara asks weakly, having really not realized anything until the girl says it.

"Hmm, good guess, but no," Yusa says, moving the girl's chin somewhere else as if she were a doll. "Thieves wouldn't put in that much effort, and it's all too performative, and they're trying to blend in with the scenery. My best bet? Spies."

"Spies? Where did they come from?" Katara asks, barely able to keep her voice low.

"Hmm, how about we find out?" Yusa says with a foxy smile, so much like the mask she wore that Katara has to suppress another grimace.

She follows a step behind, obsessed despite herself with the fact that Yusa seems to blend in with each floor. She walks quickly, but at the same time so slowly that she blends into the shadows that the flashlights can't reach, and before Katara knows it, they're on the side of the alley. Before Katara could take another step, Yusa grabbed her arm and hid in a shadow as she leaned in to get a better look.

From her shadowy corner, Katara could observe them with new eyes. They had alert looks and were armed: one with a broadsword, another with a double-edged dagger, and the third with a wooden staff. From her days on the ship, she could tell they were good-quality swords for refugee thieves; Yusa's hunch was becoming increasingly accurate.

"Hmm, how charming," Yusa says in an amused voice as she stares at the three men. Katara watches as the woman pulls two long daggers from under her blouse. She hadn't even noticed Yusa was armed until that moment. "Keep an eye out, but unless you feel ready, don't get involved."

Before Katara could respond, the woman was already moving, much more agile than before, and soon she was at the entrance to the alley. Katara watched from her shadow as she passed, glaring at the men until she reached the center of the alley, where it was even darker.

"Very bold to walk around here alone, little girl. Can't you see we have this spot to ourselves? Go away before we throw you out," one of the men said in a deep voice, raising his sword; he was the one watching the guards. "This is your last warning before things get scary."

"How sweet, should I be scared now?" Yusa said with a smile, raising one of her daggers. "My turn to threaten, either you give me these papers or I'll have no choice but to wipe you out."

The three men laughed, moving closer until they were all swallowed by the shadows of the alley. Katara tried to approach silently, almost pressed against the wall, and watched from beside a crate, trying to understand what the hell Yusa was doing. She watched with a racing heart as the first attacker charged with his sword raised. Yusa spins, dodging lightly, and draws the blade with a hissing sound of steel. In a quick strike, he disarms the attacker, making the sword fly and stick itself into a wall, the head of its wielder hitting it afterwards.

The second comes right behind, daggers spinning. Yusa barely blinks as she backs away, spinning low until she manages to make him fall, once he's down she delivers a clean cut to his thigh—making the man scream in pain, a strong kick causes him to also faint like his companion.

The third hesitates. But he raises his staff and advances, trying to keep his distance. Yusa grabs the sword that was stuck in the wall and blocks him, with a flick of his wrist and, in a single movement, breaks the staff in half and pushes the man against the wet bricks.

"Now, are you going to give me those papers, or are we going to have to do this the hard way?" Yusa asks, bringing one of her daggers to the man's cheek, who trembles in terror.

Katara couldn't comprehend what had just happened. In less than two minutes, the girl had defeated three men without even blinking. She opened her mouth to stop Yusa when she saw a small cut being made on the man's cheek where the dagger was pressed too firmly, but something caught her attention first. It was the first man, the one who should have been unconscious. His hand moved slowly toward a discarded dagger nearby; it was obvious he didn't want to draw Yusa's attention.

Before Katara realized what she was doing, she felt her bending awaken, and pulling a stream of water from her canteen froze ropes around him, stopping his hand an inch from the dagger. Now she had Yusa's attention, though the girl barely seemed to be having any trouble restraining the man against the wall.

"Very good, little bender," the girl says, smiling as she strikes the man, who collapses like a doll with its strings cut. "We can still make a rebel out of you."

"Don't compare me to you," Katara says angrily, making the woman laugh again as she raises her arms in surrender. "What the hell was that? You don't even know if they were spies or not."

"No, unlike you, I was sure," Yusa says as she retrieves the papers one of the men was drawing and slowly walks over to the frozen man. "Isn't that right, little Fire Nation spy?"

"What?" Katara asks as the man cries out.

"Please, have mercy."

"Ah, always asking for it. Let's ask our bender, how about it?" Yusa says with even more amusement as she flips through the papers. "What do you think of waterbending? Should we have mercy on the men who are drawing plans for the wall so they can find the best location to invade?"

Katara stares at her in shock and with a body that is not hers, moves towards the papers offered in Yusa's hand.

Indeed, it was a drawing of the walls, showing weak points and where an entry might be most effective. She didn't quite understand what mechanism was being designed, but apparently it was something that would break through the wall.

As she lowered the papers, she found herself face to face with the soldier, who she now knew was a man planning to invade one of the last remaining safe havens in the land.

How dare they? There were children there, Katara had seen them look at the children, and yet they were still making plans to bring another war into their lives? More bloodshed?

With a rage that wasn't her own, she grabbed another stream of water and threw it at the man with such force that his head hit the ground twice more before his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out. She braced herself as she moved her eyes to face Yusa, she had let her anger get the better of her and she wasn't going to apologize for it.

But looking at the girl, she was shocked to see a smile, a real one this time.

"It's good to be bad, isn't it? You know, just to let off steam a little," she says, still smiling as she moves to pick up the discarded daggers and motions for Katara to pick up the others. "I'm not going to lie to you, beating people up like that is quite addictive. It's been five years and I can't get enough."

"Don't compare me to you," Katara says again as she holds the weapons and moves with Yusa to the other side of the alley. She hesitates a bit before saying reluctantly, "But it was a good fight, you didn't even have to use your bending."

"Well, of course not. Relying on your bending can be deadly in a life like ours," Yusa says, hiding the two daggers under her blouse and the two stolen from the spy in her sleeves. "We have to know everything, after all, I never know if one day I'll find myself in a metal cage or a wooden prison. Bending can't be all you have."

Katara paused for a moment at that sentence. Ever since she'd truly mastered bending, she'd used it for everything; it was what she'd always wanted. But it was true that fighting in this war would mean encountering people prepared to stop her. The Fire Nation had captured all the benders in her tribe and successfully stopped them. She really shouldn't rely on her bending for everything.

"Can you teach me?" Katara asked suddenly, startling herself and Yusa, who gave her a strange look. "I mean, I can't afford to be left without options if I get caught by people like that."

Before Yusa could say a word, they saw Saori coming down one of the streets. The waterbender had messy hair and was walking down the street, apparently drunk. Seeing the two standing in front of the alley, she staggered toward them.

"I got information on three possible illegal warehouses on the west side," she said in a firm voice, without any sign of her previous drunkenness. Katara sees it firsthand when the girl notices the men passed out behind them. "You know, Yusa, can you remember a time when you didn't try to solve all your problems with violence?"

"Yes, it was a horrible life," Yusa says, pushing the girl a little as they share a mischievous smile. "Come on, help me hide them."

Katara can only watch in shock as Yusa and Saori pick up the men one by one and throw them into one of the large crates there. Once all three are placed, Yusa folds some large rocks over them, trapping them permanently.

"What happened?" Saori asks, clapping her hands together to dust them off.

"Fire Nation spies, I explained more at home," Yusa says, putting one of Saori's arms around her shoulders and acting as if she had to guide the girl, who had started acting drunk again as soon as they left the alley.

"About your question, I won't be able to teach you," Yusa says quietly to Katara as they walk slowly through the streets, smiling like two drunks and using Katara as the only sober one in the group.

“Why not? Am I not good enough for you to teach me?” Katara says defiantly, even Paku taught her after a while, did this woman really think she wouldn’t learn?

"No, mostly because we'll be parting ways in three days," Yusa says patiently, her calmness making Katara pause. She'd forgotten she'd only be spending four days with the pirates.

"Your brother can teach you," Saori says wisely, pretending to slip on a rock while laughing out loud.

Katara grimaces at the two of them. It was nice to be reminded that it would only be a few days with them. After all, she didn't want to spend any more time there than necessary, but it would still be nice to know a thing or two. She held her tongue as they walked to the building where they were staying. There was no point arguing with the girls about it.

"Listen, tonight I'm meeting Zuko," Yusa says gravely once they're back home, away from everyone's eyes. "You're going to stay with Saori here. When I get back, we'll have to start training you more so you'll stop being so shocked by us being so casual with you."

"Maybe I'm just shocked because during the days we spent together, you barely spoke to us," Katara says, crossing her arms and glaring at the girls. Her fists clench when she sees the two exchange a pained look.

"Maybe I just didn't want to waste my time talking to someone who so obviously disapproves of me and my family," Yusa snaps, making Katara stare at her in shock. "You weren't discreet, Katara. In every story you had a look of disapproval, every time you saw the things we've accumulated over the years, you'd twist your mouth in disgust, and let's not talk about Zuko."

"What about him?" She says petulantly, thinking of the firebender.

"You don't like him, and that's obvious. But he's like a brother to me. I'd kill for him, and I know he wouldn't hesitate to do the same for me," Yusa says, starting to look angry. "So I'm sorry if I don't want to have to make small talk with someone who seems to hate my brother just for existing. But I'm not here to change your mind. We're here for a goal, and for it to be accomplished, we have to act like sisters who are orphans, which means we must be close. So when I come back, we'll practice this on you, understood?"

The two stare at each other, neither willing to give in.

"Listen, Katara, you don't have to like us. But we're here for a reason," Saori says firmly, but not as angrily as Yusa, after all, they had gotten a little closer during bending training. "This will all be an act. You just have to pretend to be close to us and laugh at the jokes we make, because that's how sisters act: they tease each other, and that's exactly what the Dai Li will be watching us for. So we're going to tease you until you stop looking so shocked or angry."

"I don't look like that," Katara says angrily, then grimaces.

"You do, you're just like your brother. Everything you think is written all over your face. That means every time we laugh at you, anyone can tell you're not used to it," Saori says, squeezing Yusa's shoulder. Yusa sighs at the touch and stands up. "So when Yusa gets back, let's start training a little so it feels like we've spent years together, okay?"

This time, she and Saori stared at each other. She wanted to argue, but she realized they were trying to do everything they could to get Appa back as quickly as possible. Appa, that was why they were here, not to make alliances or friendships, but to get back the last thing Aang had.

"Understood," Katara says as she looks away from the two girls, ignoring the frustrated spirit Yusa mutters.

She just needed to pretend for the next three days that they had sisters; that was easy. After all, it would all be an act.

*-*

Sokka walks alone down a perfectly paved street. The sky is clear, but the air feels... artificial. The houses are impeccable, too symmetrical. Dai Li soldiers pass with silent footsteps. Everything is clean, polished—dead.

He heard it on the boat and thought he was prepared, but when he actually finds himself there, it's very different.

He feels goosebumps as he sits on one of the benches in yet another immaculate square. Precisely manicured gardens surround perfectly symmetrical fountains—nothing out of place, not even a single patch of grass taller than the next, so—so artificial that he feels like he's in a dream. And there he sees Joo Dee for the first time, but she's not the same one who accompanied them to the house; she's slightly different, as if Sokka is seeing her through a foggy mirror.

He watches her as she meets up with two other girls, and this time he has to blink quickly to make sure he wasn't seeing wrong. They were identical, with wide, empty smiles, perfect postures, and eyes that saw everything and nothing at once.

"Hello, citizen! How nice to see you enjoying your afternoon in Ba Sing Se," they said to everyone they met in the square, all with the same tone of voice and the same smile.

It was strange as hell, and he'd seen a lot of strange things in the year he'd spent with Aang around the world. Seeing the three women getting ready to leave the park, he began to follow them discreetly, trying to channel everything he'd learned from the pirates during the week so as not to draw anyone's attention.

They had entered a narrow alley behind a decorated stone wall. Sokka stopped at the corner, just listening. Low, barely recognizable voices, but he didn't want to get any closer and be discovered until he heard a cold, calm male voice on the other side of the wall.

"The next assignment will be in the east. Her memory is still unstable. Prepare the new schedule."

"Yes. Everything is perfectly under control." They say, perfectly synchronized and without any emotion.
Sokka starts to walk away, his eyes wide.

"New schedule"? "Unstable memory"? What are they doing with these women? What is a Joo Dee?

He starts to head back to the house, barely able to avoid looking around; it would only attract attention, but he can't help but feel like every well-pruned flower might be watching. The plaza remains perfect. The fountains still murmur crystal clear water. But now... it seems like everything is watching him. And waiting. And it's terrifying him.

"What exactly is a Joo Dee?" Sokka asks, almost shouting, to Zuko once he reaches the house. The firebender stares at him in disbelief as he gestures in a universal gesture for more information. "I just saw three of them in the square, and they were identical, completely identical. Same voice, same hair, even the same sinister smile. And they were talking to someone about programming and unstable memory, what are they?"

He watches with a racing heart as Zuko pinches the space between his nostrils and takes a deep breath.

"Joo Dee's are just another thing the Earth Kingdom controls. They're programmed," Zuko says softly, staring at one of the walls. "When we came here last time we encountered them, we couldn't understand how someone could be like this; it wasn't natural. It was through a merchant in a dark bar far from the Dai Li's earshot that we learned the truth.

The "Joo Dee" aren't a person. They're a role. A character. When someone starts asking too many questions, when a citizen doesn't "contribute to the balance," they are... re-educated. Erased. And if the person has the right appearance, is calm enough, obedient enough... they become a Joo Dee."

"Are you telling me those women are... victims?" Sokka asks, shocked.

"Some were artists. Others were mothers. Even teachers. All had their memories erased by the Dai Li. They live to smile. To watch. To maintain the illusion that Ba Sing Se is perfect." Zuko says, locking eyes with Sokka. "I warned you, there's no news about the wars here; they've learned to program people to maintain balance."

Sokka swallows hard, staring at the stone floor as if trying to grasp the gravity of it. "This... is monstrous," the boy finally says, feeling sick at the thought of someone being erased and living a role someone else assigned to them.

"It's Ba Sing Se."

Sokka stands, his gaze now hardened.

"How can you be so calm about this?" he repeats angrily. How can Zuko talk so calmly about people being brainwashing like it's just another day?

"Because I understand there's nothing I can do about it. I know my own insignificance compared to the system Ba Sing Se built centuries ago," Zuko says patiently, as if speaking to a child. "You take down one Dai Li, another twenty will come to stop you. You take out one Joo Dee from mind control, and another twenty will come to surround you. That's the truth in this city, and that's what kept it going even under Fire Nation sovereignty."

"But that's wrong. We can't turn a blind eye to it." The boy protests, making Zuko glance at him. It was obvious he thought Sokka was being naive. "No, I'm not wrong to protest against that."

"You're not," Zuko agrees with him. "But right now, you're also in no position to oppose this. Remember why you're here, Sokka. To get Appa back. Once you have him, you can even storm the palace if you want, but until then, you'll be nothing more than another of those who are 'disrupting the balance.'"

Disrupting the balance, Sokka feels physically ill just thinking about being caught by the Dai Li and being nothing more than another of those walking husks smiling as they claim there's no war in Ba Sing Se.

"What's going on?" Aang asks as he enters the room, looking at the two boys facing off. Or rather, Sokka having a fit and Zuko looking at him like he's an idiot.

"They wipe people's minds, Aang. They turn them into smiling puppets. The 'Joo Dee' who greeted us wasn't the first. Nor the second. It's a role. They strip everything from a person until all that's left is a smile and obedience." Sokka explodes as he begins to pace, barely seeing the airbender's wide-eyed look, too busy having a crisis.

"But... why? Why would anyone do that?"

"To maintain control. To pretend the city is perfect. 'In Ba Sing, if there is no war,' remember? This isn't security... it's a giant lie, controlled stone by stone."

Aang is silent for a few seconds. His expression slowly transforms—from confusion to indignation.

"These people... are they alive? And are they trapped inside their own bodies?" The small bender seems confused by the thought, as if something like this were inconceivable to him. "This isn't what the Air Nomads taught. This isn't peace. This is fear disguised as order."

"Exactly, and the people have to swallow it. After all, there are Dai Li everywhere; they could be the next to be caught."

Aang closes his eyes, takes a deep breath. When he opens them again, there's a spark of determination—the kind only the Avatar can carry.

"We have to end this. Free these people. Ba Sing Se can't go on like this."

Sokka finally stops, smiling at the airbender, finally someone on the same page as him.

"Finally. Because I was already thinking about doing something really stupid. And dangerous."

"Then let's do this together. Like always."

Sokka was already shaking his head before a harsh voice interrupted them.

"You're not going to do a single damn thing about this," Zuko said, standing up in one fluid motion and facing the two boys. He was using his captain's voice, the one that didn't dare to have questions directed at him. Sokka unconsciously straightened his posture. "I understand your outrage, I really do, but you're not going to put me or my family in danger by bringing this to the Dai Li's attention. Once you get your bison back, you can worry about the Joo Dee Aang, but until then, you're going to stay put and not draw unnecessary attention to us."

"But they're trapped inside their own bodies," Aang protested angrily. "That's wrong."

"Yes, I know it's wrong. But what can we do about it right now?" Zuko looked directly at him. "I need you to think about this. Ba Sing Se has survived for centuries like this and still survives even with the Fire Nation trying to invade here for over a hundred years. You really think they don't have precautions in this place? What do you two think you can do to change this? I'll tell you, absolutely nothing."

"I'm Avatar Zuko, I can't just stand by and watch things like this," Aang protests, throwing his arms up in frustration.

Sokka, who had started the whole argument, ended up in the middle of the two, watching the argument as if it were a game.

He unfortunately understood Zuko's point; it went against his very nature to ignore it, but without a decent escape route with Appa in the sky, they were trapped in that city in case they ended up surrounded by the Dai Li. He shuddered at the thought of Katara becoming a Joo Dee.

"Yes yo are the Avatar, and that's exactly why you can't make rash decisions just out of indignation," Zuko says firmly, reprimanding the boy, who stares at him with wide eyes at the injustice. "You can't put yourself in unnecessary danger and further delay our mission because of something you discovered two seconds ago. I won't allow you to put my family in danger just out of anger. After we finish this mission, you can do whatever you want. Hell, you can even use your bison and invade the palace to try to change things. But until then, you're going to attend those parties, smile, and not draw any attention to us. Are we understood?"

"I... I can't turn a blind eye to this; this is wrong," the boy says, lost, sounding so childish that Sokka has to stop himself from going over and hugging him.

"I'm not asking you to turn a blind eye to this, I'm saying you have to wait," Zuko says, stepping forward and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. The boy looks up to look at him. "I know it's hard, but we have to prioritize here. And our main priority is your Bison. After that, you can think about stopping the Dai Li, okay?"

"Okay," the boy says weakly. Sokka sees Zuko squeeze the boy's shoulder one last time before heading toward one of the rooms.

Sokka exchanges a look with Aang as he moves to open one of the windows. Outside, the city still exists. Perfect. And rotten.

*-*

Sokka tries not to move too much as he stands in the center of the room wearing a formal green tunic that seems a little too tight. He can see Zuko watching him with his arms crossed, trying not to lose his temper.

"Sorry, okay, but who invented these collars? This is a neck trap!" the boy says, fiddling with his collar again, earning a slap from the firebender.

"Focus, Sokka. The party is full of Earth nobles. If you act like a Water Tribe fisherman, we'll be discovered in two minutes," Zuko says, moving closer once more to adjust his collar, and Sokka unconsciously stiffens a little. He still hadn't gotten over the Joo Dee conversation from earlier, but Zuko had once again asserted that the party was their priority; they could think about the bad things in town later.

So there they were, wearing finely embroidered clothes that Zuko admitted the twins had stolen from some nobles a few months ago. Over Zuko's shoulder, he could see Aang fiddling with his own clothes with a pained look.

"First of all, I'm a warrior, not a fisherman. Secondly," Sokka said, trying to walk gracefully, but failing, "how do you manage to walk without tripping in those clothes?"

Zuko let out another long sigh, and seriously, could the guy be any more dramatic? "Okay. Let's start with the basics. Posture. Shoulders back. Chin straight. You're not going to war—you're pretending to belong to the elite," the boy said as he demonstrated the posture, and Sokka imitated it, exaggerating: chest puffed out, chin almost pointing to the ceiling. "Now you look like you're trying to scare away a lion-ostrich. Less so."

Sokka laughed despite himself, relaxing a little, which caused a smile to form on the other boy's face.

"This is kind of insane, isn't it? We're preparing for a party like it's a battle," Sokka says, looking back at the sheet Zuko had given him earlier that listed all the cutlery and glasses he needed to memorize.

"Because it is. But weapons are words, appearance... and control. And with the people in this city, we need to be more prepared than ever," Zuko says, lifting one of Sokka's arms to fix his sleeves. His hands are warm, Sokka notices absently, feeling them even through the fabric.

"Do you have a fever?"

"What?" the boy says absently, looking at him.

"You're hot." Sokka's eyes widen as he realizes what he said. "I mean, your hand, your hand is really hot. Not that you're not hot, but that it feels warmer than usual. I mean—"

"Sokka," Zuko cuts him off with a single word. The warrior's mouth closes as he looks at the boy, who smiles slightly. "Firebenders are naturally warmer than others, so no, I don't have a fever."

"Oh, cool information, man," Sokka says, wishing he could be strangled by that collar and die. "I didn't know that."

"Now you have a little curiosity to tell people about," Zuko says with a small, mocking smile as he leaves him to straighten Aang's robes, Aang soon receives a slap of his own for fiddling with his collar. "I'll get my clothes, try to memorize the list I gave you."

Sokka begins to look at his own list, starting to feel a little overwhelmed. There were so many things to memorize, not to mention the fact that they would have to deal with Joo Dees and perhaps undercover Dai Li agents. He noticed out of the corner of his eye that Aang was walking toward him, carefully trying to avoid tripping on his clothes.

"Would you…" The boy began.

"Later, Aang," Sokka said, still focused on the list and what he was sure was the beginning of a crisis.

"Like to…" The boy tried again.

"Kind of busy here," Sokka said, seeing no less than seven different forks to memorize.

"See my marble-" The bender said, her hands clasped together and a pleading look on her face.

"No!" Sokka said, pinching his nose as he saw three different glasses listed.

"I just think my marble trick might be something good," the boy said, smiling.

"What's the marble-trick, Aang?" Zuko asked curiously as he entered the room carrying an armful of clothes, making Sokka throw his hands up in frustration. He would never memorize that damn list.

"It's a trick I learned when I was a kid in the Air Temples," Aang says, picking up four small, walnut-sized balls and floating them, spinning around his head like satellites. He then quickly rearranges them: a spiral, then a straight line, then forming a smiley face with them. "We called it the 'Temple Dance.' I could keep it up for hours."

He sees Zuko watching him for a moment, and then something rare happens: he laughs. A low, sincere laugh. Not mocking—just surprised and amusedly impressed.

"Very cool, first time I've seen airbending tricks," Zuko says, impressed, moving to get a closer look. "It's a bit like what Lori does with her earthbending."

"Do you know any tricks, Zuko?" Aang asks curiously, spinning the balls between his palms.

"I have one I use to cheer up the girls on board, do you want to see it?" Zuko asks a little shyly as he sets his clothes on a small table.

He barely hears Aang nod excitedly, too busy watching Zuko walk over to a planter and pluck four leaves from one of the branches.

"Hmm... the girls named it 'Clumsy Dragon,'" he says with a small smile as he lights the tip with a sigh.

With a delicate movement of his hands, he begins to bend fire into small shapes, making tiny dragons dance between his fingers. They release puffs of smoke and even chase each other in miniature. Sokka is shocked to see this; he's never seen firebending used for something so simple, let alone something like small dragons. But the thing that surprises him most is:

"How are they different colors?" Sokka and Aang ask simultaneously as they see blue, purple, pink, and red dragons. Sokka never knew there were other colors of fire.

"I had the opportunity to learn from a pair of masters who had colored fire when they joined forces. Since then, I've dedicated myself to bending with different colors, but that's only something the family knows." He smiles as he gathers all the dragons and moves his fingers, forming a fist-sized momo in different colors. "When we have to fight and I need to bend, I only use the red one."

"It's beautiful," Sokka says, watching the colored flames flicker down Zuko's arm. He didn't know it could be so beautiful.

"Yeah, flames can be beautiful too," Zuko says with a sigh as he lets the flames dissipate. "It's a shame the Fire Nation has distorted their meaning. Your trick is good, Aang, but unless you can do it without airbending, I don't recommend you show it to anyone else in town."

"Okay," Aang says absently, still staring at Zuko's now-vanished hands. "Okay, I'll think of something else."

"Do that," Zuko nods. He turns back to the pile of clothes and moves to take off his shirt.

He hears Aang gasp, and he can't help but stare.

"Monkeyfeathers, Zuko! You have a tattoo!!" The boy says, placing his hands on the boy's back to get a better look. "Do you know what this means?"

"Um... no?" The boy says, a little startled, which Sokka thinks is fair, and he doesn't even have an avatar stuck to his back.

"We're Ink Buddies," Aang says, elbowing Zuko respectfully while smiling.

"Cool. Can I put my shirt back on now?" Zuko asks, moving back to the pile of clothes, but is stopped by Aang's elbow. "Anything else?"

"What does it mean?"

"What?" Zuko asks, lost. He looks increasingly more confused as he is turns on his back again so Aang can get a better look at the tattoo.

"I've never seen these symbols before. It looks like a flower, but at the same time, a sun," Aang mutters as he looks at the tattoo.

Sokka also can't stop looking, he doesn't know what's wrong with him, but he finds himself staring obsessively at Zuko's muscular back that contains the said tattoo in the middle. He finds himself cataloging the small lines of scars scattered throughout. Sokka looks away, trying to loosen his collar again, feeling hot watching Zuko move his back, trying to dislodge Aang.

He must be lacking oxygen because of that damn collar.

"I doubt you saw it; it was drawn by Mai," Zuko says once he finally dislodges Aang, a hand shyly rising to his neck, causing the muscles in his back to expand. Definitely lack of oxygen. "It was done during a poker game between us. We were pretty drunk and decided to get it. We all have one to match."

"All of you? How cool!" Aang says even more excitedly. "How come I've never seen it?"

"We did it in places where people wouldn't normally see it. We can't afford for people to see and talk about it," Zuko says, smiling as he moves to finally put on his tunic, which allows Sokka to breathe again. "So unless you saw us half-naked, you really wouldn't see the tattoos."

Sokka thinks about that week he spent almost every day training with Zuko and Mai. They've never taken off their shirts, and honestly, even if he had, Sokka was so tired from training every day that even if he had seen the tattoo, he wouldn't have been able to process it.

"Okay, I'll get dressed too and teach you how to walk," Zuko says, draping the green and blue robes over his arms. "Then I'll do a little drill with you, but it'll be dawn soon and I need to meet up with Yusa."

Right, Yusa, who was with Katara in the lower rings. Sokka hoped they were okay, he could barely contain the terror of imagining Katara defying some Dai Li and becoming a Joo Dee.

"Di you think they okay?" Sokka asked suddenly, his voice panicked, catching Zuko and Aang's attention. "I mean, Katara's pretty stubborn, what if she's caught the attention of some Dai Li? What if she's been caught? What if—"

"Sokka," Zuko says calmly, placing those two warm hands on either side of his cheek. It might be Sokka's oxygen-starved brain, but they seem to get even warmer. "Take a deep breath, inside, outside. Come on. I trust the girls with my life; they wouldn't be caught by them for anything, and they'd protect Katara with theirs too. They're okay, Sokka, come on, repeat after me."

"They're okay," Zuko and Sokka say in unison.

"That's right, but how about you write her a letter? I'll have Yusa deliver it," Zuko says, nodding when Sokka does.

Once Sokka's breathing normalizes, Zuko removes his hands from his face, which Sokka strangely misses.

"Okay, let's go. Let's teach you how to walk," Zuko says with perfect posture as he moves around the room. He looks like a prince, Sokka thinks as he straightens his posture and begins to pace the room too. "Let's rock this party, get your bison back, and then, Aang, you can give the king a piece of your mind."

Sokka lifts his chin as he dispels the terror of Katara being caught by the Dai Li. If it were up to him, no one would have to feel that terror again in four days.

Sokka was going to make this party his bitch.

*-*

The sky is covered in heavy clouds. The moon tries to escape, but is swallowed by darkness. Zuko, dark-hooded and alert-eyed, moves nimbly across the sloping rooftops of the lower Rings. His footsteps make no sound. He stops beside a bell tower, hiding behind a chimney.

On the opposite rooftop, a hooded figure already waits for him—still as a statue. The wind whistles between the tall buildings.

"You're late," the second figure signs, and even from a distance, Zuko can see the amusement emanating from her.

"It took longer than I thought to teach them to walk inconspicuously," Zuko complains once Yusa gets close enough. The two lean against the bell tower wall as they look down at the dimly lit city below. "How are things up on the lower?"

"Well, Katara, it's been a nightmare," Yusa says with a pout, which makes Zuko let out a silent laugh. He feels Yusa wrap an arm around his waist as she lays her head on his shoulder. "The shift schedules are still the same, and the tunnels we learned about last time are still intact. I discovered two new ones, and Saori got four locations. Some must be warded, so you have to try to narrow it down to two so we don't draw attention."

"On it, speaking of Katara, I have a letter from her brother to her," Zuko says, pulling a scroll from his robes, which Yusa skillfully hides. "He's worried about her. He discovered what the Joo Dee really are.”

Yusa grimaces at him as she looks up at the walls of the upper rings.

"We met an acquaintance of hers who seems to be a twisted vigilante and mentioned that Ba Sing Se had a way of dealing with them, but we didn't delve too deeply. That girl looks like a hate bomb waiting to explode," Yusa says gravely as she leans back against Zuko. "If she had found out about the washings, she definitely would have done something impulsive and put us in danger."

"Is it that bad?" Zuko says quietly as he rests his head on her cheek, feeling at peace for the first time since they arrived on the city.

"She doesn't trust us, which, given the information you discovered about her mother, I understand. But her stubbornness might be costing her precious time," Yusa says, gesturing with one hand. It was a habit of hers; the more frustrated she becomes, the more her arms flail. "We try to smile at her, and she always grimaces. We try to touch her, and she always twitches. We try to talk about stupid things like the weather, and she looks at us like we're crazy for even talk to her."

"You have to give her time," Zuko says, acting as the peacemaker.

"But we don't have time, Zuko," Yusa says gravely as she steps away to pick up a stack of papers. "I discovered some Fire Nation spies today; it seems they're trying to break in with some kind of metal drill." She says as she passes the papers to the boy, who flips through them with a frown. "We need the Avatar to get his bison back and go kill Ozai as soon as possible."

"Good luck with that," Zuko says humorlessly, staring at the girl. "The Avatar won't kill Ozai, it 'goes against everything the monks taught him."

"You're joking, right?" Yusa says after a moment, her voice incredulous.

"I wish. Right on our turn we have a peacemaker avatar."

"Spirits, this sounds like the beginning of a bad joke," Yusa says, placing a hand on her forehead. "I just want to get this Bison soon as possible, and get the hell out of this city. My paranoia doesn't work well here."

"You and me Yu, you and me," Zuko says, leaning on her again. He shouldn't spend too much time there; they only have ten minutes left before the guards' shift change. "How's Saori?"

"Well, being much more patient with the girl than I am," Yusa says, smiling. "Although I also see her a little frustrated, it doesn't help that Katara seems disgusted with everything we represent."

"But we really don't depend on her opinion," Zuko reminds her. "We just need to pretend."

"Yes, we just need to pretend."

They both look once more at the vastness of Ba Sing Se before standing up. Zuko puts the papers in the compartment of his shirt before hugging Yusa again.

"Be careful, we'll meet here tomorrow after the party and I'll have the location of the warehouses for you," he says against the girl's hair as he hugs her.

"Be careful at this party, lots of eyes and ears nearby."

"I will," he agrees.

They nod one last time before heading in opposite directions, Zuko's head spinning with the new information from the spies. A damn drill? Seriously?

Spirits, the party first, then he'd deal with this.

*-*

Crystal chandeliers sparkle from the vaulted ceiling. A selection of musicians play classical Earth Nation instruments with ceremonial precision. Nobles in luxurious robes dance throughout the grand hall, and everyone toasts and smiles through perfect masks. The atmosphere smells of flowers, expensive tea, and secrets.

Among the guests, two nearly invisible faces: Zuko, in a formal dark green tunic, his hair tied in a bun, much of it falling over the scar over his eye that had been covered with makeup, his posture impeccable. Beside him, Sokka, forcing an uncomfortable smile as he takes a snack from a tray of teacups like a pseudo-noble waiter.

"Disaster alert: This tie is trying to strangle me," Sokka whispers as he finally takes the snack.

"You're doing well. Just... don't talk. Don't sweat. Don't stare at the General with the inverted eyebrow," Zuko says without looking at him, more focused on the group of merchants across the room.

Sokka turns discreetly. The general stares back at him suspiciously.

"Too late," the boy says in a panicked voice as he turns his back to the general.

"Focus. Yusa said four sheds. We need to find out which merchants were in the desert at that time so we can filter them," Zuko says, discreetly pointing to the group ahead. "I'll talk to the tanner ones, and you take care of the others. Remember the phrases I taught you?"

"Yes, yes," Sokka says, downing one of the champagne glasses. "You got it, I have it."

Sokka pauses for a second in a dark corner as he watches Zuko address the group. There were three of them in total. A young, talkative woman, a more reserved man, and a robust man with rings on every finger.

"I hope I'm not interrupting, but hearing laughter in a place like this is an invitation hard to resist," he says in a melodious voice, almost dripping with honey, and Sokka gasps. He'd never heard that voice in the days they'd been training on the ship.

The three figures turn. The young merchant woman smiles instantly.

"Oh? A poet among bureaucrats? Or just another bored noble?" The chatterbox smiles at Zuko, extending a hand to his arm.

"Unfortunately, just another noble, but curious since childhood. And nothing says more about a city than its merchants. Or their stories." Zuko smiles a little wider as he leans toward the woman, who smiles even wider. "After all, I want to run my father's merchant market one day; there's no better school than the experience of others."

He sees the stockier man eye Zuko with a hint of suspicion, but the other man watches him with genuine interest.

"So, sir...?" he asks with a pause.

"Lee. From Shu Jing. Silk trade," Zuko says with a slight smile as he looks the man over from head to toe, causing a pink stain to spread across his cheeks. "But lately, I've been interested in... logistics."

The stockier one raises an eyebrow. "Logistics? That's just a fancy name for spreadsheets and bribes." The three laugh. Zuko smiles along, controlled, but always keeping his eyes on the shyer merchant.

"That's precisely why it's fascinating. Especially when certain shipments pass right through the walls, without public record, and disappear into the Inner Ring. After all, I don't want certain things stopped," Zuko says, his voice light as silk as the merchants stare at him.

"And what would those things be, little merchant?" The woman purrs as she leans into Zuko's space once more.

"Whatever I want," he says, looking at each of them in turn, but when he stops at the last man, his smile becomes more seductive and intentional. "And I usually get what I want."

"I bet you do, Lee, how about another drink?" The shyer merchant asks, standing up and standing in Zuko's space, who gives him a mischievous smile.

Sokka watches with wide eyes as the two walk to the massive drinks table on the other side of the room, always chatting in each other's space. He sees Zuko give him a look of confusion that Sokka is still in his corner, which he responds with a nod and heads toward his assigned group.

If Zuko were to ask him later how he got the locations, he couldn't tell him for the world. He barely remembered what he'd said, words and jokes tumbling out of his mouth automatically while every few seconds his eyes found themselves back on Zuko and the merchant.

He'd never really stopped to think about love interests like that; after all, he'd grown up seeing only men and women in relationships; he'd never really considered seeing two men. He didn't even know why he was so obsessed with the way Zuko smiled at the merchant, or why he so desperately wanted to know what it would feel like to have those hands running down his arm. Would they be as warm as they had been during the fitting the day before, or could he tune that out?

Spirits, Sokka was losing his mind. Where had this come from in the first place? He wasn't even interested in that, much less interested in Zuko like that. It must be the shortness of breath from that damn collar again.

“I got two locations,” Zuko says quietly as he stops beside Sokka again when the party is almost over.

"Me too. One of them was in the desert back then, the other a little closer to one of the colonies," Sokka says gravely, avoiding the boy's gaze, preferring to survey the remaining people in the room.

"Very well, Sokka," Zuko says approvingly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I knew I could count on you, let's go."

Sokka feels the warm burn of his hand the entire way to the trains. Once inside, he can't help but steal glances at the well-dressed boy beside him.

"So, is that always how you get information?" Sokka asks sarcastically, hoping it will mask his dull curiosity.

"For heaven's sake, don't tell me you heard that?" The boy asks hopefully, but quickly covers his eyes in embarrassment when Sokka nods. "Spirits, thanks to them, Kazu wasn't here today. 'And I usually get what I want,' my god, what an idiot I am. He'd never let me forget that."

Sokka thought it was anything but stupid, but for once he remained silent, choosing to watch in fascination as the boy still held his hands over his eyes and muttered the taunts he would receive from the others if they found out.

"You can never tell them any of this, are we clear?" Zuko said gravely, lowering his hands and locking his honey-gold eyes with his.

Honey, like his voice when he spoke to that merchant.

"Sure, man," Sokka said quickly, looking out the train windows.

Spirits these thoughts needed to stop, he couldn't wait to get that damn collar off.

*-*

Zuko barely suppressed a groan of relief when he finally arrived home. He couldn't wait to get out of those heavy robes and the hair that had been bothering him all night.

He cast one last glance at the boy beside him, who was fidgeting with his fingers anxiously. He couldn't quite understand what was happening to Sokka; he only knew that the boy had gotten quite distracted in the middle of the party and hadn't snapped out of it yet.

He hoped that whatever was bothering him would pass soon, they would need everyone to be alert.

"Hey guys," Aang says excitedly, already out of his tight robes. "How was the party? Did you meet many people?"

"Good, it was good," Sokka says hurriedly as he runs to his room, tugging at his collar.

"What's his problem?" Aang asks curiously.

"How knows, and you've known him the longest," Zuko asks, taking off his coat. "Where's Toph?"

"I'm here, Sparkle. Calm your hair," Toph says as she enters the room, already without her slippers and party makeup.

"How was it?" Zuko asks anxiously. Of all of them, Toph would be the one who would see through the court's lies the most.

"The king is useless, his secretary who controls everything," Toph says with a lazy wave of her hand.

"Long Feng?" Zuko says in surprise. Of course, he'd never met the guy, but he'd heard stories last time. "Holy shit, the perfect disguise."

"Well, take Long Feng out of the picture and maybe we'll have a chance to talk to the king," Toph says, then completely ignores Zuko, fiddling with a small metal plate.

"Hmmmm, what are you doing?" Zuko asks curiously as he watches the girl start to sweat, focused on the plate in front of her.

"You'll find out if I can get the hang of it," Toph says, her hands still on the metal plate.

"Okay," he says, giving the girl one last look.

Spirits he was surrounded by crazy people, how he missed his crew, at least he was already used to that particular madness.

"Okay, I'll get changed and give Yusa the location of the warehouses tonight. Don't worry, Aang, if everything goes well, you'll have your bison tomorrow," Zuko says, nodding to the boy, who glows brighter than before.

With one last look at the two children, Zuko moves toward the bedrooms. He hesitates briefly at Sokka's door before nodding and heading toward his own room.

They had a mission to focus on; he could find out what was wrong with the boy tomorrow.

*-*

The white light from the streetlamp illuminates the vast streets of Ba Sing Se, providing just enough light to keep the two girls hiding in the shadows from tripping as they run toward one of the nearby warehouses.

Light escaped through the cracks in the boards. The place was too quiet. Saori could sense Katara walking quickly through the empty corridors of the stable, her eyes wide with anxiety.

"Slow down," Saori says softly, slowing the girl's pace with a hand on her arm. "We don't know if anyone's keeping watch around here."

The waterbender turns her wide eyes to her, and Saori can't resist pulling the little girl closer. She feels Katara relax slightly and smiles to herself, finally making some progress.

They've managed to soften the girl up by spending the day making jokes and telling the least illegal stories they have. And they managed to get several smiles off the girl's face. Saori kind of missed that smile now.

"We'll find him, but we need to be quiet, okay?" Saori says close to the girl's ear, while simultaneously squeezing her. "We have six doors, take the ones on the right and I'll take the ones on the left."

At Katara's nod, they separate, the girl quieter than before, and suddenly the entire warehouse goes quiet, almost as if she's holding her breath. The first two rooms are empty. Saori is about to go to the third when she hears:

"No... no, no, no..." Katara whispers in panic.

Saori runs as quietly as possible to the girl and for the first time sees the large room, or rather, the space that might have been housing the Bison during those days. It's empty. Straw is turned over. Broken chains. Disorganized footprints. No sound. No soft roar. No furry trunk.

Ignoring Katara on the ground, Saori looks around. She approaches, examines the broken chains. Pick up a dark metal fragment from the floor. She turns it between her fingers and frowns.

"This... doesn't look like an escape. It's very clean. Cold. Planned." She says, still scanning the space.

He kneels and touches a mark on the ground—a deep footprint, perfectly molded into the earth. His face hardens.

"We need to get Yusa, I have a feeling where he is," Saori says hurriedly as she stands up, pulling Katara into the shadows.

"Where is he then?" Katara almost screams, but is stopped when Saori's hand covers her mouth.

"Shut up, Katara, this just got a hundred times more dangerous," Saori says, pressing her hand to the girl's mouth as she looks around the shadows with new eyes. "I hope I'm wrong, so we need Yusa to confirm it. Until then, I need you not to say a word, okay?"

Saori locks eyes with the girl, who nods slowly and remains silent as Saori slowly removes her hand from her mouth.

"Stay here, hidden in the darkest place you can find," Saori said as she led the girl to the first room she checked, the darkest one yet. "I'll get Yusa, and when we enter, I'll knock on the wood four times. Don't come out until you hear those four knocks. Understood?"

"What's going on?" Katara asked, her eyes wide as they entered the room that barely had enough light to see her own hand.

"Just stay here," Saori said, pushing the girl lightly into the room.

Saori barely looked back as she blended into the shadows and ran toward the other warehouse; thank Tui La they were close enough. She had barely made it halfway when she saw a figure appear and disappear in the shadows. Her heart raced for a second as she strained her vision. It was only when she caught a glimpse of those twin daggers that she could breathe a sigh of relief. Using her bending, she created a small mirror of light to get her second-in-command's attention.

"What's going on?" Yusa asks directly once she finds herself in the shadows with Saori.

"I think I know where he is, but I need you to confirm," Saori says in a hard voice as the two girls run back to the warehouse. "I hope I'm wrong, because if I'm not, this shit just got twenty times more complicated."

"Don't tell me..." Yusa says; she's always been one of the quickest in the group to pick up on these clues.

"Okay, I won't tell you," Saori says, managing a smile despite herself.

Once they reach the warehouse hallway, she signals for Yusa to wait. Knocking four times, they spot Katara emerging from one of the rooms, her eyes still wide and anxious.

"This way," Saori says as she leads Yusa into the prepared room.

They barely had to wait two minutes, Yusa did exactly what Saori had done earlier. One look at the state of the room revealed it had been set up to distract anyone who entered. Upon noticing the footprint, Yusa's head snapped up and she locked eyes with Saori, who nodded somberly.

"Holy shit," Yusa said as she shifted her feet. Saori didn't even need to ask to know she was using the earth's vibrations. "What the hell, I can't believe this."

"What, what's going on? Who took him?" Katara asked, glancing between the two girls.

"The Dai Li," Saori said, her eyes steely. "The Earth Kingdom took him."

"What? But...but—then where is he?"

"At their headquarters," Yusa said, twirling one of her daggers. "At Lake Laogai. We're going to need to invade Lake Laogai," she said in disbelief as she fiddled with the chains.

"Well, shit," Saori says with an incredulous laugh, looking around.

This mission has officially become suicidal.

*-*

"The Dai Li got him." That's the first thing Yusa says to Zuko when he comes running across the rooftops.

The boy stops so suddenly he almost falls onto one of the tiles, only to be stopped by Yusa's strong arm.

"You're kidding, right?" Zuko says incredulously as he stares at his second-in-command, who doesn't have a trace of amusement on her face. "But where would they hide one—Lake Laogai. By the spirits, the bison is in Lake Laogai."

Zuko pauses for a second to grasp the implications of that as he watches the sun rise beneath the wall. It was hard to come here twice in one night without attracting anyone's attention. And now he's faced with the fact that they'll have to enter the city's den of horrors. Enter the Dai Li headquarters.

"We're going to have to fight them. It'll be impossible to get the bison out of here without them talking about it later," Zuko says, looking at Yusa, who nods gravely, understanding the implications. "We could have an even bigger target on our backs, not to mention the fact that we'll have to prevent ourselves from being captured."

"I know, believe me, Saori and I spent the last two hours trying to come up with a plan," Yusa says as she watches the trains move along the tracks. "My best bet is to go in at dawn today."

"Today? Are you crazy?" Zuko asks, startled, going in on the same day without even a formal plan.

"We'll never have a perfect plan, not with the Dai Li," Yusa says, squeezing one of his arms. "All we can do is go in and hope we don't get caught. And we know that by dawn most of them will be scattered throughout the city."

"There are still a lot of them left inside," Zuko says somberly, but he understands her meaning. "I'll gather us all and find an excuse to disappear without being tracked later. Where will I find you?"

"Remember that tunnel we discovered in the second plaza, the one that connects to the lake?" Yusa says, pointing vaguely to a spot between the lower rings. "The shift change will happen at one in the morning. We'll be able to get in without anyone noticing, and if the spirits are with us by sunrise, we'll have the bison and get out of here."

"This is going to be messy," Zuko says, squeezing his sister's hand.

"What's new in our lives?" Yusa says dryly, squeezing his hand just as tightly. "See you later, don't be late."

They wave one last time before heading in opposite directions.

Zuko barely recognizes the bread stall vendor he stopped at to make an excuse for being out so early. They'd have to go into the damn Lake Laogai, spirits, that would be a huge pain to explain to others.

"So I have good news and bad news," Zuko says as he wakes everyone and gathers them in the main room.

"What's the good one?" Aang asks, rubbing his fists against his eyes to ward off the sleep.

"We found your bison," Zuko says, trying to suppress a grimace as he sees the boy's eyes open and he quickly rises into the air with his bending.

"You found Appa? You really found him? Where is he? Let's go to him!" The little Avatar starts talking excitedly at a mile a minute.

"He's at the Dai Li headquarters," Zuko says, cutting the boy off, who nearly falls over from the speed with which he turns.

"What?" Sokka asks weakly.

"The Dai Li have them, at the bottom of Lake Laogai," Zuko repeats again, trying to assimilate the information. "We'll need to invade there to get him back."

"But... why would they take Appa?" Aang asks confused. "Shouldn't they help me? We should go to the king; he has to help me, I'm the Avatar."

"And precisely because you're the Avatar, that they want to keep your Bison away from you. It's just another form of control," Zuko explains patiently, trying to ignore the anger and hurt on the boy's face. "Your being here means war is on in Ba Sing Se, and they won't tolerate that. And for the last time, Aang, you can't go to the king before retrieving the bison. How would you explain to him that you're here without anyone knowing? That would only draw attention to my crew."

"Could...could they have hurt him?" the boy says quietly, looking down.

"I don't think so, but the Dai Li don't take care of prisoners. They must be keeping him sedated, probably to prevent him from escaping. If we want to save him, we have to act quickly, so we're storming the lake tonight."

"Tonight!" Sokka and Toph exclaim in unison, but Sokka's voice stands out. "Have you lost your mind?"

"No, but I also know that if I actually stop to make a plan, I'll never be satisfied," Zuko says as he starts walking, gesturing to his stitches. "We'll need to come up with a excuse good enough to disappear this afternoon and not relate it to you finding your bison tomorrow, Aang."

"Isn't there where they're suposely make the Joo Dee's?" Sokka asks weakly, his eyes darting between everyone in the room.

"Possibly," Zuko agrees absently, still too busy thinking of an excuse to get out of the rings.

"Aang, we can destroy whatever they use to brainwash from the source," Sokka says, meeting the boy's eyes, which begin to shine with determination.

"Yes. We'll do that after we get Appa back," Aang says firmly.

"Yes, yes, everything's beautiful and lovely, but nothing will work if we don't have a good excuse to go to the lower rings without the Dai Li suspecting," Zuko says once, stopping to look at them.

"Can we pretend one of our 'parents' died?" Toph asks for the first time, making air quotes.

"That would only draw attention to a ruler who doesn't exist." Zuko dismisses the idea.

"One of us could get sick? They probably don't want any illnesses in this place," Sokka says thoughtfully.

"An illness... we could say they assigned us to the refugee boats, that way we'd have an excuse to be in the lower levels. Very good, Sokka." Zuko smiles at the boy, who strangely looks away.

Ignoring this, Zuko begins to outline his plan with the three of them.
It wasn't until late in the afternoon that they finally put it into action. The person who would get sick would be Aang, who had learned enough from Zuko that he could heat his own skin to simulate a fever.

Zuko had bribed a healer in advance, letting him believe he wanted to leave the city due to a large merchant influx in his district and would use the illness as an excuse to avoid offending the king.

He once again feigned irritation as he dealt with Joo Dee, who showed up at his house later that day, just as they were finishing packing.

"Yes, you should be sorry. We've been put on a ship that must be full of people with more diseases than my sister's guide," Zuko said angrily, pointing at Aang, flushed and sweating on the couch. He saw Joo Dee's eyes scanning the entire scene, until she gave a tiny nod of agreement to herself. "And on top of that, we'll have to stay in the lower-level rings until tomorrow. This is absurd!"

"We apologize again, Governor Lee," a dead voice said, its smile never wavering. "Let's hope your next stay in Ba Sing Se is better."

"I hope so too," Zuko said, his mouth twisting; after all, he had the damn cloth on again. "You can leave now."

Joo Dee bowed one last time before leaving. It was only when she heard the door click that Zuko allowed himself to breathe. That was their confirmation that they wouldn't have the Dai Li's attention.

"Okay, let's go," Zuko said decisively, removing the cloth and facing the three. "We have a headquarters to raid."

It was already dusk when Zuko and his "family" were escorted to the lower rings by a pair of soldiers, placing them in one of the best buildings on that side. But Zuko could still sense Sokka's disbelief as they walked through the narrow streets.

The ground was dirty, covered in dust and mud. Buildings piled on top of each other as if the city had forgotten how to breathe. Clothes dried on improvised clotheslines. He saw children playing with rocks and sticks, laughing with a kind of joy only people who had been through hell could feel.

It was very different from the rings they were in, where the streets were all paved and nothing was out of place. People lived... and died... in the Lower Rings. Unaware of the world above. Of the palace. Of the golden gardens where the nobles pretended war didn't exist. The city was divided like the world itself: a few at the top, many crushed below.

Zuko waved goodbye to the guards and entered the building. Even though it was what they said was one of the finest, it had the decay of centuries. Small cracks crept up the walls and thin windows.

"Is this how tey let these people live here?" Aang asked incredulously, staring at a man walking with heavy steps while carrying a sack of rice.

Zuko wondered if he was thinking the same thing, if he could see on that man's shoulders—on everyone's knees—the weight of the lie. The illusion that Ba Sing Se was perfect. It was more obvious here than in the upper rings how much that lie cost, with streets where people spoke but didn't say. They looked but didn't see. A city that existed as if everyone had learned to live with their heads down—for fear of being noticed by the wrong eyes.

"I told you, this is war," Zuko said, turning his back to the window as he pulled a small scroll from his pocket. "Let's get ready, when the moon is high, we'll have to leave."

*-*

Zuko signaled for everyone to be quiet as they walked through the shadows of the city. They were twenty minutes from the rendezvous point, and if he wasn't mistaken, they only had to avoid two patrolling guards, and thanks to Agni, no Dai Li.

It was there, just before they reached the square, that he saw a small beam of light on the right. Saori.

"Remember, we have to be quiet," Zuko reminded his companions one last time, his voice barely a whisper louder than the wind. At the three's nod of agreement, he began walking toward Saori.

"Almost late," Yusa said once he got close enough.

Zuko rolled his eyes, barely paying attention to the girl as he scanned the square. It seems the girls had extinguished their lanterns in advance, leaving only the moonlight to illuminate the room.

"Come on, I'll open the hole and then we'll simply be in one of their tunnels," Yusa says as she moves toward one of the houses. As she gets closer, Zuko sees two men passed out, hidden by a cloth. Zuko moves to face the woman, who lets out an indignant "What?"

Zuko doesn't say anything, but lets out a small laugh of amusement.

"Come on, what's the worst that could happen?" he asks amusedly once they enter the room, and Yusa bends down to punch the earth.

"Oh, I don't know, could we die?" Saori asks dryly, smiling at the hole being open.

"Please, as if that's ever stopped us before," Yusa says, smiling once there's a large enough opening. "Last one in is a bear."

The earthbender barely finishes her sentence before deftly jumping into the hole, followed by Saori and then Katara. Zuko feels his adrenaline rising, and soon he jumps into the hole himself, quickly followed by the remaining three.

"Beifong, close the opening," Yusa says quietly, all traces of amusement gone from his voice.

Looking around, Zuko understands why.

The air below was humid and thick, smelling of wet stone and something worse—something rotten, like old lies. The torches on the walls cast a ghostly green light that distorted the faces around them. Zuko held his Dao swords like an old friend waiting for the right moment.

They'd never actually entered that headquarters, so Zuko didn't really know what to expect; it definitely wasn't this.

"These guys really like to dramatize," Sokka said, trying to lighten the mood, but quickly fell silent when no one laughed.

"Yusa, watch your back. Beifong, you're better at vibrations, stay alert," Zuko began to command unconsciously as he observed the green walls. "Katara and Saori, one on each side. I can hear the water running through here, so use that. Sokka and Aang with me. Aang, just use earthbending."

They all nodded and moved to their positions without arguing, and so the team began to walk down the corridor, cautious with each step; everyone was alert, but Aang was different—quieter, more... tense. As if every second inside was a knife pointed at his chest. He felt it too. Appa was close. He could almost hear his heavy breathing echoing through the halls.

Then came the sound—stones cutting through the air.

The Dai Li

Zuko saw Toph counterattack instantly.

"Did you think you'd catch me off guard? Please," the girl said as she swung the rocks at the Dai Li, knocking them down. He could hear Yusa doing the same in the background.

Zuko watched as Katara swung her sword at one of the Dai Li, her arms spinning with precision. Water flew out of the canteen like a living serpent, swirling around her before stretching out like an icy whip. Saori was her twin on the other side, attacking several agents as they ran deeper into the corridor. Zuko saw one of the agents coming from above, his arms already glowing with stone plates, and he whistled a warning to the Southern tribe bender, who jumped to the side and, in the same movement, launched a jet that struck him in the chest. He fell with a dull thud.

The fight was pure chaos, but it was the kind of chaos Zuko was accustomed to. Sokka screamed as he swung his sword at one of the agents, using the moves he'd been taught during a week on the ship. Toph made the ground writhe as if it had a life of its own, knocking agents down in droves, while Yusa made steps appear on the walls, knocking down the Dai Li on the ceiling, who were quickly caught by Saori.

They were gaining on them, but they kept coming—silent, almost mechanical. Their eyes, empty. Washed out. Washed out by Long Feng's lie.

Zuko waved for Aang to lead the way, which the avatar did with little hesitation, racing through the rooms at a speed only airbending could have achieved.

Zuko watched from his own circle as one of them came too close to Katara, who blocked the attack with a water shield and, in a fluid spin, froze her legs to the ground, but she wasn't fast enough to stop a punch to the side of the head from one of the shadow Dai Li.

"Katara!" Yusa exclaimed as she used her bending to pin the man to the wall and ran to the girl. Even from a distance, Zuko could see that the blow had only disoriented the bender, not injured her, but even so, Yusa ran her hands through the girl's hair. "Come on, little bender, we still have a squad to beat up!"

Zuko began to smile as he knocked down two soldiers with his spar and ran to help Sokka.

Then he heard Aang's voice.

"Appa!"

He looked—and saw. Aang standing in front of the cell. And inside, the white, sleeping mass of Appa. The sound of the bison's faint roar was like a dagger in his chest. It broke his heart. But they had found him, they had finally found him.

He saw Katara rushing to help, knocking down another Dai Li with a concentrated jet of water. Aang was trying to get closer, but more enemies were appearing, trying to stop him.

"I didn't put myself at risk to be stopped by you," Saori says in a voice that promises death as she positions herself beside Zuko.

"Either you get out of the way now or we'll lose our patience," Yusa says, positioning herself on the other side. The Dai Li don't hesitate, moving as one to intercept them. "Well, you asked for it."

And they showed what five years of experience fighting together can do to a team.

The world became a blur of rocks, water, blades, and muffled screams.

As the three fought against the hordes like demons, Toph opened the cell with a seismic tremor, cracking the chains that bound Appa. Aang screamed in relief. Katara froze the last of the approaching guards. And then—like an explosion of freedom—Appa rose.

Zuko saw Aang leap onto the bison, followed by Katara and her brother. The last to go was Toph.

“Make an opening,” he shouted to Yusa as he let his firebending awaken for the first time, causing a huge wall of fire to rise between the bison and the soldiers.

For a second, all they could see was Zuko's wall of fire, and then the sun.

Zuko and his girls barely had time to react as the bison sped toward them. He automatically jumped into the animal's soft fur as it was carried upward by the wind.

He could hear Yusa and Saori cursing nearby as the bison rose higher and higher, until all Zuko could see was the sunrise reflected in the lake.

"Fuck, I didn't sign up for this shit," Yusa complains as she releases Appa's fur with trembling hands and sits on the ground.

"I thought it was fun," Saori says with a laugh, which makes her laugh even harder when Yusa makes a rude gesture toward her with her still-shaking hand.

Zuko starts laughing along with them, the adrenaline draining from his body as reality sets in. They fought against a platoon of Dai Li and emerged victorious; they actually managed to retrieve a bison from the hands of the trained warriors.

"We're the best pirates of this century," Zuko says with a laugh, raising his arms high.

"We're the baddest," Saori says, giving Zuko a high five.

"We're not done yet, we still have to go to the palace," Aang says, still hugging Appa, who licks him enthusiastically.

The three pirates stop laughing instantly as they look at the team, who, sensing the change in mood, stop to stare at them too.

"What are you talking about? We're not going to the palace," Yusa says slowly, staring at them.

"What do you mean you're not going? What about the Joo Dee?" Sokka exclaims in shock, staring at Zuko.

"What about the Fire Nation spies?" Katara says, staring at the two girls.

"That's not our problem anymore. Our job was to get the bison back," Zuko says, pointing to the beast that was still licking Aang, even though his owner was motionless, watching them. "He's recovered, and From now on, we're separated."

"That1 it? You're just going to leave? How can you just turn your backs on everything we've learned these past few days?" Katara says indignantly, glaring at Yusa and Saori.

"Quite simply, actually, we have family waiting for us," Saori says as she sits next to Yusa on the floor. "Going to the king and appealing to him was never part of our contract, nor was dealing with the Joo Dee and everything else. I have to find the rest of my family and not stay here any longer than necessary."

"You think helping brainwashed victims is a waste of time?" Sokka says, his mouth open as if he can't comprehend.

"Of course not. I feel sorry for them, but right now they're well fed and safe in the upper rings," Saori says patiently. "Far from war and any conflict, the same can't be said for our family, which is attacked daily and is without the other half of the crew to help."

"You don't need us to go to talk to the king and deal with everything you discovered," Zuko says quickly, seeing his brothers' mouths open. "Go and storm the palace like I said, make the king listen by hook or by crook. Free the Joo Dee women; all of this can be done, but without our help."

"I never imagined you could be so selfish," Katara says quietly, and if Zuko is reading correctly, hurt.

"Always judging Katara," Yusa says, shaking her head. "Think outside your own little world. If we don't want to be in the spotlight of this war, we must have a good reason."

"And what reason would that be?" Sokka asks, throwing up his hands in frustration.

"That's so we know, and if I were you, you'd go quickly," Saori says, standing up, patting her legs to clear the sand. "Long Feng must have already been warned about what happened here."

"Let's go, they've already finished what they came here to do." Toph speaks for the first time since all this began. She doesn't sound resigned, but determined. She could probably see the truth in their words.

Going to the palace and standing beside the Avatar would mean death for Zuko and everyone else, depending on Ozai's anger. Being called selfish was a small price he would gladly pay if it meant his family would be safe.

"Thank you for your help. We never would have figured it out so quickly without you," Toph says, clasping her hands and bowing. He sees Sokka's tense jaw and Katara's clenched hands, but soon all four bow too.

"Anytime, Beifong, which means please don't talk to us until twenty years from now," Yusa says with amusement as she accepts Saori's offered hand to stand.

"Good luck storming the palace. I know you'll be able to stop Long Feng," Zuko says, nodding, ignoring the pang he feels when Sokka doesn't meet his eyes. "Don't forget to mention the spies; it might help them with troops against the war."

The team doesn't look at them again as they begin to climb the bison, but Zuko ignores this in favor of placing each arm on the girls' shoulders.

As one, they watch the Avatar take off toward the Ba Sing Se palace.

"Come on, let's find our family," Yusa says once the bison is nothing more than a shadow in the sky.

Zuko smiles despite everything, he couldn't wait to see them again.

It was almost dusk, after the avatar, in a story that would be told for generations, invaded the palace with his team, that a small farmer near the train stations to Ba Sing Se realized that three of his ostriches were missing. While the man circled the area looking for the lost animals, three pirates in colorful outfits sang stories as they made their way to the nearest port.

They had a ship to return.

*-*

The smell of smoke still lingered in the air. Not the intense heat of the open flame—they had managed to arrive in time to prevent that—but what remained afterward. Ash. Burning wood. A silence that screamed louder than any human scream.

Mai walked among the rubble with slow steps. Ash rose beneath her feet from the small houses that had burned faster than they had anticipated, some still burning further back. She could hear the crackling of the flames as they consumed the wood.

She exchanged a look with Hiro, who was nearby. They weren't wearing masks, so she could see the boy's pain as he see the houses he couldn't save.

It was partly their fault that the village had been attacked; they had planted information that the Avatar might be passing through to help a group of rebels in the nearby town. But as always, the pattern remained the same: a rebel group from the Earth Kingdom was hiding; soldiers of the Fire Lord were following. The village ended in the middle, crushed between fire and despair.

She heard Kazu's whistle, low enough to almost be mistaken for a bird's, a warning.

Mai turned quickly, feeling her bow tense on her back as her arm rose, small daggers in her hands.

And there, for the first time in five years, she heard footsteps again. Light, almost dancing, moving as if they weren't touching the ground.

"Hi...Ty Lee," Mai said calmly.

And it was there, in a village covered in fire and ash, that she met Ty Lee's eyes again.

"Mai?"

Chapter Text

Mai still remembers when she thought she'd fallen madly in love with Prince Zuko.

He was always so serious and dedicated in his training, whether swordplay or bending. His face was serious, yet at the same time so kind as he took time for her, Azula, and Ty Lee.

Now at sixteen, she thinks the feeling started because he was one of the only ones who didn't make fun of her for wanting to wield blades. He actually took some daggers from his own collection to give her. It was a feeling of friendship, not love. But eight-year-old Mai didn't understand that.

So, at eight, as she accepted a dagger from a shy Zuko, she thought she finally knew what love was. After all, what else could that be other than that feeling of accomplishment, that someone finally saw her enough, listened enough, to go to the trouble of finding her, giving her a simple dagger, and teaching her basic moves?

So, from the ages of eight to eleven, she always made a point of being close to Zuko, but never in his direct view. She just wanted to watch, and being quiet sometimes paid off handsomely, and in Mai's case, she got to see a side of Zuko no one else saw.

How he was always careful with the little ducks in the pond, how he always tugged at the right sleeve of his robe when he had to make a decision, and how he always smiled at the palace staff, Mai kept those smiles like little balls of flame deep in her heart.

She never told Azula or Ty Lee any of this. The reason Azula couldn't know was simple: she could be two sides of the same blade with the revelation, and Mai wasn't willing to risk it with either side. Now with Ty Lee, for some reason she didn't want to have to look into the girl's kind golden eyes and talk about crushes, for some reason it felt wrong.

So she kept what she thought was love to herself, waiting for the perfect moment to finally approach him and talk to him and pursue what she thought would be an epic love story.
The moment never came, because when she was eleven, a guard arrived with the news that Prince Zuko had burned to death in his own room.

Mai...Mai didn't handle it well.

No, that was nothing; she went into complete denial, which was understandable given that she was eleven and believed she had lost the love of her life. So she did what she did best: she remained silent.

Silence. A kind of silence that screams. Mai hadn't looked outside for days. She only went out for the first few days because that was what was expected of her. But as she put her hair in small buns, already dressed in her black robe, she thought again about the news.

That idiot guard said he burned to death. That there was fire, smoke, a charred body that they believe is Zuko.
They believe it.

They're not sure. She clung to that phrase with both hands. And during her fragile state of grief, a crazy idea occurred to her.

"He's just... hiding," the girl muttered as she checked herself in the mirror, her eyes wide, a hint of madness shining in them.

But why would he hide? He was the prince; it made no sense.

But Mai clung to it with both hands, it was a truth in her mind. He would come back, he would always come back. Even after the heavy training that made the boy come back with his legs shaking, he came back, even after the harsh words he still raised his head.

He would return; he couldn't have died.

Even so, there was a funeral. She didn't dare tell anyone else that Zuko wasn't dead. When she told his family, she received looks of pity and fear. Of course it was Zuko; who else could it be with the same body type lying on the prince's bed?

So, against her will, there she was, at the funeral.

The funeral was unbearable; she could barely look at Azula, whose face was perfectly composed, not a hair out of place. She didn't even shed a tear for her dead brother. Prince Ozai appeared long enough to show himself, but his eyes were cold and he looked, from Mai's perspective, happy. The girl felt her own fists clench and her nails dig into her skin at the sight, the monster so happy that his firstborn had been murdered.

Even though he wasn't, Mai thought to herself.

Because they were wrong. Everyone is wrong.

Mai starts laughing to herself right there in the middle of the funeral. Quietly. But it still catches the attention of many people. She didn't mean to; it was a hollow sound that escaped unintentionally. As if she were someone else.

She almost says out loud: You don't know him like I do. But there's no need. I know. And that's enough.

She thinks in the back of her mind that she really does look like the crazy person everyone is starting to call her. Because they've started calling her that, softly, almost like whispers. The girl who went crazy with the prince's death, the girl who talks to herself as if he were still there.

Let them talk as they please, but she knows the truth: Zuko wasn't dead.

She had moved away from the girls. Ty Lee for being constantly annoying and trying to make the girl see “reality” while hugging her in comfort. And Azula...Azula, who barely acted as if she had a supposedly dead brother.

Just the sight of the girl got on Mai's nerves. She tried to comment only once about the possibility of Zuko being alive and was held so tightly by the arm that it left bruises for days. Azula had spoken in a low, hissing tone to Mai not to come up with that crazy nonsense to her, that she was the crown princess and no longer had time for her daydreams.

That was one of the last conversations they ever had.

Mai began to feel constantly alone; not even the palace staff Zuko was close to were there for her to share her theories with. The two main officials in charge had died of grief, Mai was told when she asked about them.

They died after hearing the news about their beloved prince.

They died for nothing, because she knew Zuko was still there. He had to be.

After a month without news, Mai began to grow restless. She knew Zuko wouldn't be hiding in the Fire Kingdom, so there was only one place he could have gone: the Earth Kingdom.

She couldn't get any news about him, everyone thought she was falling deeper and deeper into madness. So Mai did the only thing she could think of.

She went after him herself.

And at her peak of eleven years, the noblewoman wrote a letter detailing that she could no longer stand the whispers and would spend a few days in the colonies. She did not dare write that she would look for Zuko, after all, if the boy was really in hiding, she would not want any more eyes on him. Mai packed enough clothes and money into a bag and grabbed her favorite daggers, as well as the ones she'd received from Zuko over the years, and in the dead of night, while the entire kingdom slept, she left.

She would find him.

For three weeks, she wandered the villages closest to the Fire Kingdom, dressed in her simplest clothes without her nation's colors, asking everyone if they'd seen anyone who looked like Zuko. Each negative answer was like a knife to the girl's heart, and each confused look was like a drop of doubt that began to rise in her mind. But she remained steadfast.

It was in the fourth week, a month after she had fled, that she encountered the first bounty hunter who was tasked with finding her.

Mai was lucky; she had climbed a tree to pick some fruit when she heard footsteps nearby. From her spot in the tree, she could see the man looking at a poster, and even from a distance, she could see her own painting there.

Mai froze, the branches barely providing enough cover for anyone to hide. Someone was behind her; she knew it might happen, but she never imagined her family would actually put a bounty on her. The girl took a deep breath, barely daring to move for fear the rustling of the branches would attract attention as she carefully aimed one of her daggers at the man's calf.

She will never forget the feeling when she saw the small projectile fly and hit home. For the first time in eleven years, she had used what she had worked so hard to learn, and she had succeeded.

Hearing the man's scream, Mai quickly fell from the tree and ran to his ostrich, which was standing a few meters away. The man with the bleeding calf was barely fast enough to brush against his robes as the girl climbed aboard and sprinted off into the forest.

And as she went faster and faster, she couldn't resist raising her arms and letting out a cry of joy. For the first time in her memory, she wasn't a noble girl with a role to play; she was just someone who had done something crazy and had managed to win.

The sound of the girl's happy laughter could be heard from the nearby clearings as she sped past.

Mai lasted another month before encountering the second hunter. This time, she froze, but for a completely different reason.

This one was a woman.

Mai couldn't help but stare from her spot on the floor as the curvaceous woman dressed in black stepped off a massive Shirshu and approached her.

"Well, well, little fugitive," the huntress clucked her tongue as she pulled the girl up. "Slender, aren't you? But not enough to fool Nyla here."

"Who are you?" Mai asked as she tried to move her hand toward a dagger, which proved futile. Her entire body was limp.

"I'm the one your parents paid to find you," the woman said, throwing the girl onto the Shirshu. "Time to go home, little girl."

"No!" Mai screamed so violently that even the unfazed woman paused.

"This isn't a negotiation. I need the other half." She said after a moment. "Which I can only get by taking you back."

"Please, I'm looking for someone. I can't leave until I find him," Mai says, trying to lift her head to face the woman, but still failing. "I just need to find him first, then I'll come back. I just need more time. I'll pay you back if you leave me here."

"So young, so innocent," the huntress says, shaking her head. "What's stopping me from stealing you and taking you back and getting double in the end?"

Mai pauses, making the woman let out a mocking noise as she climbs onto the animal. She hadn't really thought about it that way. Damn, she really was a fool. What did she think? That she could just leave and nothing would happen?
But she'd lasted two months out here, the girl thinks determinedly. It had been over four months since Zuko died; she couldn't give up now.

"Give me your price to track someone down before you take me back," Mai says, trying to summon all the seriousness her name carries as she addresses the woman. "I need to find someone, I'm not leaving until I do."

Because she finally knew who the woman was; she was the best and most expensive bounty hunter in the world. She had heard stories about her Shirshu, how he could find anyone.

"And who would that person be?" the woman asks mockingly without even turning around.

"A friend," Mai finally says after a pause. "Who everyone says is dead, but I know the truth."

This time the woman turns, and looking at her, Mai dispels all the doubts that had been growing during the months she'd been in the Earth Kingdom. All the denials that had begun to creep into her mind. She mustered all the determination she had as she faced the woman; she had to show her that this was the truth.

"Dead and dead, little girl," the woman says, only for a brief pause. "What makes you think otherwise?"

"He wouldn't die like that. I know he wouldn't," Mai says firmly, trying to push away the whispers of madness and denial that begin to rise in her ears.

"My prices are quite high," the woman says after a moment. "And I need something that smells like him. If he's still alive, Nyla will be able to smell him. Otherwise, you'll stay silent for the rest of the trip and not try to fight. Deal?"

"Deal," Mai says quickly, her heart racing.

"Don't get your hopes up, I know why you ran away," the hunter says after a moment as she guides the animal. "I highly doubt anyone can escape that. Nyla will prove it in a second when she can't follow the scent."

Mai clenches her jaw at the woman's condescending tone, and it's obvious she thought this would be easy money. After all, Zuko was dead and buried. Mai would pay money for nothing.

But the girl needed to know; the Shirshu would be her final truth, whether she had truly gone mad or not.

It was later in the evening that Mai felt her body regain its previous sensitivity. The hunter, feeling the girl move, guided the shirshu to a small clearing.

"Very well, the gold first," the woman said, extending her hand.
Mai gritted her teeth as she pulled a small bag of gold from her blouse. It would be almost all the money she had with her. If Zuko were truly dead, she would have no choice but to return to the Fire Kingdom; after all, she couldn't live there without provisions.

Mai shook her head as she placed the bag in the woman's hand, who wasted no time opening it while counting the small gold coins. Once satisfied, they nodded to the item bearing Zuko's scent.

This time, Mai handed her a long dagger; it was one of the last things Zuko had given her. He had used that same dagger for years and taught the girl how to sharpen it properly, although Mai never did such a thing, it sat like a treasured item on her shelf.

The girl watched with a racing heart as the hunter placed the dagger close to the Shirshu's nose.

That was the moment of truth, now was the moment she would know if it was all worth it.

The two women watched as the animal lifted its head after sniffing the blade and began pawing north.

"We have a scent," the huntress says after a moment, her voice thick with disbelief. It was obvious she hadn't expected the Shirshu to be able to track him.

"I told you," Mai says shakily, barely feeling the tears streaming down her face. "I told you, I told you! I told them all he wasn't dead. I was right. I was right." Mai says the last part softly, reality starting to set in.

Relief washes over her so strongly that she falls to her knees. Alive, Zuko was alive. Four months of questions and two more of her wandering through various villages and houses, and she finally has the answer.

He was alive, Zuko was alive.

It was after a few minutes that Mai's trembling stopped and she can lift her head and face the huntress.

"I want you to take me to him, please," Mai says, staring at the woman who looks at her curiously. "I need to see him, I need to know if this is true."

"This will cost you, little girl," the woman says, extending her hand again. "Nothing is free in this world."

Mai hands over the rest of her gold without hesitation, not now that she's so close to finding him.

"Nice to meet you. My name is June," the woman—June—says, extending her hand.

"Mai," the girl says, shaking it after a moment's hesitation.

She spent three more days with June until they arrived at what appeared to be a trading port. In those three days, she learned a lot about the woman; she learned that the woman was everything she wanted to be. June was fearless and didn't take any crap from anyone. One night in a tavern, she took down three men without hesitation. She was so confident with a whip that it was almost an extension of her own arm.

She also learned what life was like outside the palaces and the nobles' parties. June didn't hide anything from her, telling her about the people she'd hunted over the years and the atrocities she'd seen. Mai didn't need this insight; she'd seen it herself in the two months she'd spent in the Earth Kingdom, as she'd moved farther and farther from the established colonies. But it was on the last day before they reached the port that she truly saw firsthand what the Fire Kingdom was doing.

The sky was tinged orange and gray. Smoke still rose from some burned-out houses. The ground was dry, cracked, covered in ash and footprints, which grew ever higher as Nyla passed. Dirty, silent children hide behind suspicious adults. The sound of the wind was the only sound.

Mai stared wide-eyed at Nyla as she slowly passed through the devastated village, her eyes fixed on the charred walls, the battle scars... the faces.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this." She says softly to June, whose eyes are hard as she walks forward. “They said it was for honor. For peace. But this... this is just destruction.”

“This is what the Fire Nation does,” June says in a hard voice, unfurling her whip to ward off some onlookers. “What? You expected them to just arrive and people would hand everything over empty-handed?”

And for the first time since leaving her home, she doesn't think about Zuko; she thinks about these people who are losing everything.

Mai feels her eyes grow cold as she sees a little girl covered in ash rummage through a destroyed house and pull out a small, burned doll.

“This is wrong,” Mai says for the first time since she began to understand the war.

“Yes, but I don't imagine you in your beautiful home near the palaces would understand that,” June says.

“I'm not there anymore, am I?” Mai snaps, making the woman's mouth twitch.

And Mai truly no longer looked like the girl who had run away two months ago. She had bought new, simple clothes so she could blend in more with the villagers, and after her encounter with the first hunter, she had cut her hair short to make her more difficult to recognize. She truly was no longer the foolish noblewoman she had been two months ago.

“Indeed, but let’s see how long that thought will last when you return,” June says again, seeming to find amusement in something Mai doesn’t understand.

And for the first time, Mai hesitates. How could she return to the Fire Kingdom after knowing everything that was happening there? How could she face those generals with boredom, knowing they gave orders to burn everything a person could possibly have?

The Fire Kingdom had always been her home, but for the first time, she began to doubt whether it should truly remain so.

Zuko first, those thoughts could come later.

Mai would always remember the first time she saw Zuko after his 'death.' She barely recognized him. He no longer looked like the slender, princely boy she'd known; instead, he seemed stronger and tanned, with longer hair flowing down his shoulders. But the main difference was the enormous scar that ran across one side of his eye.

Where did that come from?

Mai remembers squeezing Nyla tightly when she finally saw the boy sitting at a small table with three other people. The animal made a sound of discomfort that caught the attention of several people nearby. Among them Zuko.

And for the first time in four months she meets his gaze again.

"Mai?" Zuko squeaks, sounding panicked.

The other three members turn to look too, but she can't help but stare at the boy as he climbs off Nyla and approaches.

The first touch was like a blast of fresh water through her mind; all those months of doubt, of whispers calling her crazy, all of them, washed away right there. Mai barely thought as she pulled the boy into a tight hug, not even daring to feel embarrassed, not now.

Alive, he was alive.

"Zuko... You," Mai says after a few minutes, still unable to let go of the boy. "You're going to explain to me what the hell is going on."

And Zuko explained. For twenty minutes straight, the boy talked nonstop. About Ozai, about his mission, about Hana, and about the pirate ship.

During that time, he also introduced what he said was his new crew. He told them about Yusa on the pirate ship and about the Water Tribe brothers he had met two weeks ago.

Mai listened in silence, entranced by the boy in front of her, fearing that if she blinked, he might disappear. But he remained there, telling her about what he had planned to do and what he had discovered.

"How did you find me?" Zuko asked, his eyes wide, turning from Mai to June nearby, who had also gotten off Nyla and sat at a nearby table to eat something.

And it was Mai's turn to explain. She talked and talked, about how it didn't make sense and how no one understood her anymore. She explained about Ozai and Azula pretending nothing had happened, and about her escape and the bounty hunters.

"I needed to know," Mai concluded, accepting the glass of water from the girl, Yusa, so she could wet her throat.

"Now that you know, what are you going to do?" the Water Tribe girl asked, looking at Mai curiously.

Mai stopped, staring at Zuko. Her ultimate destiny had always been to find him, but now that she knew everything, she couldn't allow anyone to know he was still alive. Much less Ozai and Azula, he would be killed, for real this time.

"I... I don't know," Mai finally says. "I've always defended what the Fire Nation does, but that was before, before I really saw it. I don't know if I can look those people in the same light after seeing all this."

"I went through the same thing," Zuko says sympathetically as he looks at the girl, who still can't see the proof of what Ozai did without feeling sick. "It was just a mission, you know? 'Enemies of the Fire Kingdom.' It was easy to think that way when you couldn't see their faces. But those months at sea... I could never truly complete the mission Ozai gave me, whether it was true or not, I couldn't help him destroy more than they're already destroying."

"Now I see. Everything. And I hate every second of it," Mai says quickly, surprising herself. She never considered going against the ideals her family and her people had been taught, but she can't forget the ash-stained little girl searching for her doll. "They're not to blame. None of these children called for war."

"No one is," Yusa says, drawing Mai's attention to her, who stares at the girl's red hair, entranced for some reason. The girl glances at Zuko before hesitantly saying, "Just saying, if you don't want to go back, you have a place to stay."

"A place to stay?" Mai repeats, confused.

"When this war is over... if it's over... I don't want to be remembered for this," Zuko says, waving his hand around. "But I also don't want to be remembered for doing nothing. Back in my days on the ship, Yusa and I decided we could help, but without compromising ourselves. After all, I don't want Ozai to know I'm still alive."

"You're asking me to become a pirate?" Mai asks incredulously, staring at the four members who look determined.

"We're asking you to be the difference," Zuko says, leaning across the table and staring into the girl's eyes. "Stop obeying what you were taught, or just out of fear. Show who you are—not who he told you to be. Show that not all of the Fire Nation are monsters."

"That's naive thinking," Mai says, but it's not really her saying it, and Azula's voice in her head.

"Maybe, but it's better than turning a blind eye to it just because you're comfortable," Zuko says, not arrogantly, but directly.

And Mai looks at him, really looks at him. A determination Zuko never had shines in his eyes now, and Mai knows he's changed; he won't give up on this, even if it means going against his home and his family. If Zuko, the prince of the Fire Nation, could change, why can't she?

"I'm proud of you," she says softly, making the boy startle. "The boy I knew would never have dared say that before, too afraid of upsetting his own father."

"Well, I've heard from some people that my father is a jerk," Zuko says, nudging Yusa with an elbow, causing the girl to slap him.

A laugh escapes Mai against her will. This is crazy, completely crazy. Abandon everything and become a pirate? Turn your back on your family and friends to join those people who keep throwing little chestnuts at each other? This is madness.

But according to the people of the fire kingdom she was already crazy, what would be one more step?

Meeting Zuko's gaze, she realizes she wants that too, wants that freedom that seems to be in the boy's smile, wants the freer shoulders of no longer carrying the weight of being perfect. She wants it, and it burns, but there's still one obstacle.

"I can't, people will look for me," Mai says, feeling for the first time since she ran away the weight return to her shoulders. She was the eldest daughter of nobles; they wouldn't simply give her up.

"Well, you just need to do what worked once," the huge boy, Hiro, says for the first time.

"And what would that be?" Mai asks, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"You'll have to die," her sister finishes for him, with a huge smile.

And there, surrounded by three different nations, Mai is able to think for the first time about a future where she is more than a daughter who could be an asset in an arranged marriage, where she could be more than just someone to entertain a princess. A future where she could be whatever she wanted.

"Okay, how am I going to die?" Mai says, smiling, her cheeks aching as she feels her smile widen, seeing everyone else smiling too.
A future where she could be whatever she wants. She would just need to die first.

It turns out her death was quite anticlimactic.

They used June; with her incredible reputation, no one would dare doubt the huntress. It took three hours and two bags of gold the crew had been saving to convince the woman, but in the end, it worked, and as Mai boarded the ship, waving to the woman already mounted on her shirshu, she felt the weight lifted from her shoulders.

She had found Zuko and was free. Two for one; she couldn't have asked for a better bargain.

Within a week, June arrived at her parents' mansion, announcing that she had found her daughter's body at the bottom of a cliff. In the huntress's hands were the noblewoman's clothes, as well as increasingly insane scrolls about meeting Zuko in the afterlife, now that she finally knew the man must be dead, so she had to be with him. What truly sealed the deal were the sea-scented locks of hair the huntress brought, all she had managed to retrieve before the sea claimed the body. And so, Mai died, and without anyone knowing, the blue spirit received a new crew member.

Of course, not everything went as she had hoped; the epic love story she dreamed of with Zuko didn't happen. Seeing herself interacting with the boy every day, she realized she had more of an ideology about him than anything else; the feelings she experienced during those moments of mourning never returned.

She realized in the first few months that she was waiting for something that never truly arrived, and this confused her. She always thought Zuko was what she'd always wanted, but the feeling never came.

"You know, you don't need to know everything right now," Yusa says one night, sitting with the girl on the deck while teaching her how to tie knots. "You're only eleven, you don't need to have romantic feelings for someone to love them. It's not all about that."

"But I always thought I loved him," Mai says, suppressing a frustrated grimace at the sight of her loose knot.

"From what I understand, you loved how he paid attention to you and listened to you. That's something friends do too, you know. We're too young to put labels on it yet. You can love him like a brother and like family. That's enough."

Love him like family, Mai thought about it for a few minutes. In her family, love always had a purpose, whether in marriage or to gain something. She never thought love could simply be a feeling.

But as the months passed, she grew closer and closer to those people, and she began to understand. She began to love Zuko simply for loving him while he grumbled about candles; she began to love Saori, who made threads of water shine on the sea to amuse her; she began to love Hiro, who taught her more and more about swords; and she began to love Yusa simply for lying with her on the deck at dawn and teaching her about stars. And three months after she became a crew member on that ship, she began to love a pair of twins who arrived simply for being themselves.

Simply for loving, without needing to give anything in return.

Maybe she wouldn't get the epic love story she always hoped for, but she could still have an epic story to tell when it was all over.

*-*

Mai can't quite understand what she sees. There stands Ty Lee, dressed in flowing pink circus robes, robes that contrast poorly with the destroyed scenery around her.

Mai forces herself to blink slowly, not an illusion. Not a memory. She is right there—in flesh, blood, and eyes that still shine as before..., but now covered in smoke and time.

She doesn't move. Neither does Ty Lee. There are meters between them, and it looks like an abyss. But Mai can only see the flakes of ash on the girl's clothes.

For an instant, time freezes. Everything around her becomes a distant noise. Only the two of them remain.

"You did this?" Mai says, her voice hard, waving around, waving at the village engulfed in flames. So identical to the one she first saw when she was eleven.

"I..." Ty Lee says hesitantly as she takes a step forward. Cautious. As if she no longer knew who Mai was, “You’re alive…”

“I didn’t ask about me,” Mai cuts her off, and takes some satisfaction in seeing the girl flinch slightly. “I asked if you did this.”

“Azula…we were given the mission to capture the Avatar.” Ty Lee begins, watching the girl with eager eyes as if cataloging every change. “The villagers weren’t talking, so…”

“So you decided it was best to burn everything to the ground?” Mai says disgustedly, and feels satisfaction when she sees the girl’s pained look upon realizing this. “You decided it was best for children to watch their homes and precious possessions be burned to the ground?”

“Mai, what happened to you?” Ty Lee asks, and immediately looks surprised, as if she herself didn’t want to ask the question. “For five years we thought you were dead, what are you doing here?”

“I’m doing the opposite of you!” Mai snaps, angrily, as she hears a roof tile falling nearby. being consumed by flames, the crackling noise rising up her back “I’m trying to save what I can of these people’s lives instead of destroying everything on a whim”

"These aren't whims!" Ty Lee shoots with wide eyes, watching the girl's bow and Hiro nearby, helping a civilian. "These are orders. We have to help the Fire Nation, don't you understand? You used to understand! Isn't that you, Mai! Attacking outposts? Helping... rebels?"

"I've decided not to help a nation that only destroys instead of creating 'peace,'" Mai says acidly, taking a step back when the girl takes another one toward her. "How can you not feel disgusted with yourself?"

"Disgusted with myself?" Ty Lee looks confused, which only makes Mai's nausea grow, because five years ago she would have looked confused too. "You... deserted." Ty Lee says calmly, like a revelation. "You allied with enemies of the capital. They overthrew outposts. They freed prisoners..."

"I chose the right side in this war," Mai cuts her off impatiently. "Yes, I guess you can call me a deserter if you want, but it's not desert if the home you swore to protect turns into something you no longer recognize. Did you really look at things before burning everything to the ground? Looked at the faces of the children? The old people?”

“You can still go back,” Ty Lee says, staring at Mai, who lets out a surprised laugh at the girl’s insanity.

“Go back? Go back to what? To the palace? To the army? Or to pretend we still have a homeland worth something?” Mai lets out a dry laugh, which makes the girl shrink even further. “Look around, that’s exactly why I never went back in these five years. And you... you’re just like them.”

“Don’t say that, I wasn’t the one who let everyone believe I’ve been dead for five years.” For the first time, the girl shows anger, staring at Mai with those huge eyes that had always been so complacent in childhood. “Maybe, unlike you, I’m just trying not to break everything that’s left.”

“It’s always been broken, Ty Lee, we just pretended it wasn’t.” Mai says, turning slightly when she hears Kazu's next whistle. "I don't... I can't believe you've become this person."

"Me? How can you say that? We held a funeral for you, we cried for you." Ty Lee runs to stand in front of the girl, she looks frantic. "I mourned only to find out you spent all these years trying to destroy everything we achieved?"

"All the Fire Nation achieved was a land of ashes," Mai says, trying to dodge the girl who steps in front of her again. "Get out of my way, Ty Lee, I don't want to hurt you."

"Hurt me? No, you're going to stay and explain this to Azula," Ty Lee says, trying to grab one of the girl's arms, but soon has to jump back to dodge one of the blades. "Mai?"

"I'm not going to see Azula, I didn't even want to see you," Mai says, pointing the small spear at the girl and trying to move again when she hears Kazu's second whistle.

There was no way she will see Azula. She didn't want to see the face of the girl who hadn't even shed a tear at Zuko's funeral and who would burn down houses full of children just for a mission. And above all, she didn't want Azula anywhere near her or Zuko.

Finding herself face to face with Ty Lee again, Mai acts quickly. In a move the girl didn't expect, Mai grabs both of her arms, actively restraining her, and at the same time lets out a short whistle.

The last thing she sees are Ty Lee's confused eyes as she tries to free herself before Hiro hits her over the head with a piece of wood.

"A lovely reunion," the boy says dryly as he starts running back to the ship once Ty Lee is placed on the ground.

Mai wastes no time in answering him, as in the distance she can already see a small group of soldiers led by a girl. Thanks to the spirits, they are far enough away that Azula doesn't recognize her.

Two more whistles, and Kazu and Lori are at her side, and as one, they run toward the sea.

"Damn it, damn it," Mai curses as she braces herself at the helm to steer the ship out to sea. She prays to all the gods that Azula won't look in that direction. "Now they know."

"With Zuko in Ba Sing Se, it was only a matter of time," Lori says as he jumps from one of the sails.

"Even so, I wish this meeting had never happened," Mai says anxiously, glancing back at the land to see if any soldiers arrive at the port. "We don't know what the situation is in Ba Sing Se, what if she decides to go there and meet Zuko?"

"We won't have to worry about that," Kazu says, walking toward them with a messenger hawk—not Zuko's, this one is different. "It looks like they succeeded, which, duh, Yusa, of course they did. They're two ports away. We can find them tonight."

"Come on, let's get our family," Hiro says, placing a comforting hand on Mai's shoulder, who leans toward the boy. "We'll worry about that when we're all together."

Mai took a deep breath before nodding. Spirits, the last five years were catching up with her, and she didn't like the sight it was creating.

*-*

The sound of Azula's silk sandals echoed on the grass as she approached Ty Lee, who had barely regained consciousness and was sitting in the ashes, rubbing her head.

"What happened, Ty Lee?" Azula asked, narrowing her eyes as she scanned the village for people who might have attacked her. "You're pale. More than usual."

It was when she looked at the princess that everything came back to her in a flash.

She's alive. Mai is alive.

"I need to tell you something. About... Mai," Ty Lee said, her hands shaking. If it weren't for the pain in her head, she would have sworn she'd hallucinated everything because of the fire.

Ty Lee watched as Azula stood dangerously still.

"Mai's dead," Azula said, with that sharp tone she'd accumulated over the years, so much like Ozai that the girl couldn't help but shudder. "Why did you decide to talk about bones from the past?"

"No, Azula. She pretended. It was all staged. I just saw her," Ty Lee said, carefully standing up and looking around. "She's...helping the rebels."

"What?" Azula's tone was cold, and even though she was firebending, Ty Lee swears the temperature had dropped slightly. "Is this a sick joke? She died, we both went to the funeral, we saw the letters."

"I don't know how, but it was a lie," Ty Lee said, taking a deep breath to stop her hands from shaking. "She deserted. It was her, along with others, who were stopping the attack earlier. I saw her."

"Where is she?" Azula asked quietly, her words unsteady as her hands began to glow blue. "Where? "

"I don't know," Ty Lee admits. "She imprisoned me and beat me so she could escape."

"So besides being a traitor, she became a coward?" Azula says, still with the same sharp tone. It was like hearing her father say, "How dare she deceive me? She Dare run away and betray her own nation?"

Ty Lee doesn't answer, after all, even she didn't quite understand. Mai was always the quiet one, the one who hated this kind of thing—drama, turmoil, lies. She was always so... her. Cold. But also so honest, in her own way. Why would she do something like that?

"Don't you feel disgusted with yourself?"

Spirits, the girl's face. She looked nothing like the memories she had of the three of them in the palace courtyards as children.
But they weren't children anymore. After all, at eleven, Mai faked her own death; they were only eleven, and while she was practicing acrobatics and complaining about her sisters. Mai… was plotting her own escape and betrayal against them.

If even Mai had reached this point… then something was very wrong.

Ty Lee didn't dare show these thoughts on her face, the thoughts that had been accumulating as she grew older and began to understand the world more and more. And certainly not to Azula, who still fidgeted restlessly as she looked around, as if Mai might appear at any moment.

Ty Lee closed her eyes for a moment, remembering the times when the three of them—she, Mai, and Azula—played in the palace gardens. Azula always gave the orders. Always set the rules. And they… obeyed.

It was simple, easy. Until it wasn't.

It started when Zuko died, and with him all the kindness Azula might have had left. But just a few months later, Mai died too. And right there, as an empty coffin was burned and Azula began giving orders again as if she were nothing more than a servant, she felt something break permanently.

"It's always been broken, we just pretended it wasn't."

Ty Lee remembered seeing Mai throw knives at Fire Nation soldiers—with the same precision as always, but with a very different look in her eyes. It wasn't contempt, nor arrogance. It was... decisiveness. As if she had finally become the master of her own choice.

"I chose the right side in this war—it's not a desert if the home you swore to protect turns into something you no longer recognize."

A small voice in her mind whispered, "You've known that for a long time."

Ty Lee clenches her fists as she discreetly does breathing exercises, not wanting to draw Azula's attention to herself. Mai chose to run away, but she? She stayed. She kept smiling. She kept pretending everything was fine, that Azula was still just... a friend. But sometimes, times like now, when Azula shouts orders to the soldiers closest to her, she feels again, that feeling that she's just a pawn. A flexible, useful puppet.

"Come on, first we'll get the Avatar, and then," Azula says, her eyes deadly as her hands glow blue again and she throws a jar of fire at a nearby tree. "Then I'll go after that traitor and make her pay for even considering deceiving me."

"She ran for five years, Azula," Ty Lee says, scanning the trees, remembering the girl's sickened look upon seeing the village. "You're just like them." "She won't be found so easily."

"That was before I knew she was alive," Azula says dryly, her back straight. "I'll get her back, one way or another."

Ty Lee watches silently as the princess turns and begins to move toward the lizard.

But Ty Lee hesitates for a moment, still watching the tree being burned just because Azula got angry.

"I'm trying to save what I can of these people's lives instead of destroying everything on a whim."

And there, in a small village, Ty Lee lets the thoughts she almost never dared to think take shape. After seeing what a former friend has become.

I don't blame her, Ty Lee whispers safely in her own mind as she forces herself to stop staring at the tree that begins to release its burning branches, she chose to leave before it was too late.

As Ty Lee runs toward her own lizard after an impatient noise from Azula, she lets a final thought form in her head. For the first time in a long time, she felt that perhaps she was on the wrong path—and that Mai, silent, firm, determined... had simply done what neither of them had the courage to do.

"May the spirits be with you, old friend," Ty Lee whispers as she begins to walk into the forest, leaving the burned village behind. "You're going to need it."

*-*

"I still can't swallow this," Katara says out of nowhere as the team sets up camp in a small clearing.

"Katara, please, enough of this," Toph says impatiently, moving her arms to form a stone triangle.

"How can you accept what happened?" Katara explodes, making the girl place her hand on her forehead.

"They had a goal. That goal was accomplished. Learn to deal with not everyone being as benevolent as you," Toph says matter-of-factly, with the same matter-of-factness with which Zuko and his team turned their backs on the horrors of Ba Sing Se.

It had been over a week since the incident, but Sokka couldn't help but remember the look on the pirates' faces when they said they wouldn't go to the palace with them. The look of dry glee Zuko gave him when he thought Sokka was being naive in protesting.

They just turned their backs and walked away.

Sokka couldn't understand. After hearing those things on the ship and the days they spent in the city, Sokka thought he had begun to understand the pirate captain. Only for him to come and destroy everything Sokka thought he knew.

Sokka looks at the cast-iron sword that lay beside his mattress, the same sword he had received from Zuko on the ship; the man hadn't asked for it back when he left.

Why did they leave? They saw everything that was happening and simply left.

"Are you guys hearing that?" Toph asks suddenly, turning to the trees.

"Hearing what?" Katara asks distractedly, still fuming with anger even after a week.

"It looks like two lizards, and they're coming our way," the girl says softly, starting to shuffle her feet. "Aang, take a look."

The tattooed boy gave a small wave before opening his staff and taking to the sky.

Sokka barely glanced at the boy before his eyes widened as he saw a bolt of lightning shooting from the forest toward the boy.

The warrior stood up quickly upon hearing Appa's growl, bending down to hold his sword in one hand and his boomerang in the other.

"Please don't tell me it's them?" Sokka shouted, spinning around, seeing nothing in the darkness.

"They're getting closer," Aang said hurriedly as he returned to the ground. The boy ran toward Appa, throwing everything they'd put on the ground back onto the saddle with airbending. "They're from the Fire Nation, the same ones from last time."

Sokka cursed as he stuffed his things into his arms and ran toward the bison. They had been chased by two unknown people for more than three days. So far, nothing they'd done had kept them away, but it was the first time Sokka had discovered they were from the Fire Nation.

He heard Katara run to his side from afar so they could jump onto the bison, which barely waited for Aang's order before soaring into the sky.

"Damn it, how do they keep finding us?" Katara cursed, trying to look down but seeing only a sea of trees as Appa climbed higher and higher.

"I don't know, let's go further," Sokka said, trying to slow his heartbeat. "Let's run until they get tired."

Everyone on the team, except Toph, stared at him, but he didn't have much of a better plan.

He just hoped they'd finally go somewhere else.

*-*

The branches hit Sokka's face as he ran along the narrow trail. The dry leaves crunched loudly under his feet. Behind him, Aang soared with Appa overhead, Katara ran beside him, and Toph… well, she just crushed everything in her path.

It had been five days since their last encounter, and the girls—because he'd discovered the hard way they were two girls—hadn't given up yet.

Okay, Sokka, think. You're a strategist. A warrior. A sharp mind. Brains of the group. Surely he'll think of a better plan than "run until they're tired."

But Sokka could barely think of his own name as he stretched out his arms for balance when he saw a nearby tree set on fire.

Another thing he learned: one of the women was a firebender who could conjure lightning. He didn't even know that was possible.

Zuko could conjure colored fire, a small voice said in the back of his mind, and Sokka had to physically shake his head to keep his mind off the boy; it wasn't the time.

Damn, he was tired. It had been over eight days since he'd had more than three hours of sleep, and it was starting to affect them all.

"They're still chasing?!" The boy shouted over his shoulder, though it was unnecessary, as a second later, another tree, this time near Katara, was set on fire.

"Yes!" Katara replied, huffing. "You think they'll give up just because we're sweating?!"

"I'm glowing, not sweating!" Aang retorted, spiraling down with his staff. "There's a difference, okay?"

Of course, the flying monk is fine. I'm here carrying half a ton of boomerangs and trauma. Damn, what he wouldn't give for a little more of the pirates' skills right now.

No sokka, no thinking about them.

Shit, he really needed sleep.

From the top of the trees, a sharp crack—The other girl leaped like a panther, arms outstretched, a dangerous smile.

"The Right!" Katara shouted, still running.

Sokka spun around, pulling back the boomerang. He aimed quickly and threw—The woman dodged it with an absurd spin, as if the air around her were a trampoline.

"She's made of rubber?!" Sokka yelled, gasping. She moved like Kazu, but unlike the laughing boy, she was there to knock them to the ground.

He discovered, again the hard way, that the girl knew how to block chi just like the twins. It was tough for Sokka to be caught by Aang and his airbending and thrown onto the bison when he thought it would be a good idea to face the girl head-on.

Spoiler: it wasn't a good idea.

The woman advanced again, and he tried to block with his sword, tried to use the same move he'd spent over twenty minutes learning from Zuko. She smiled, took a step, and—

"TOPH! NOW!"

From the ground, a huge rock rose and hit the ground next to the woman, kicking up dust and knocking her back. Sokka stumbled backward, his heart pounding like a war drum.

"Thanks, Toph!" he said, trying to sound calm, but his voice came out a little... high-pitched.

"Less talking, more running!" Toph replied, pulling him by the shirt like he was a sack of rice.

Okay, okay. First problem: hyperactive martial artist dodging everything. Second problem: the crazy thunderclap...

A sharp whirring sound cut through the air.

Suddenly, all Sokka could hear was the crack of the woman's lightning striking the tree next to him. Fragments flew everywhere. Sokka felt the heat on the back of his neck. This was the closest of all.
Aang descended with Appa, extending his hand.

"Hurry up!" the avatar said, hovering the bison, but never stopping.
Sokka grabbed the flying bison's fur and pulled Toph along. Katara jumped last, using a wave of water to propel herself.

As they soared into the sky, Sokka saw the two women appear between the trees, one of them with her hair down, her hands still sparkling.

She watched them with that sharp gaze—not defeated. Just... calculating.

She'll come after us again. It's just a pause. Like... the interval between one nightmare and the next. Taking a deep breath, he lay down on top of Appa, sweating and his heart still racing.

"Well... at least the boomerang almost hit," Sokka said, trying to lighten the mood.

Katara looked at him, arching an eyebrow.

"It passed within two meters of her."

"Almost," he repeated with a tired smile. "That's progress."

Even smiling, Sokka couldn't help but worry; this couldn't go on forever. They were tired and had few coherent thoughts.

After all, they had saved themselves once again, but how long could they endure this?

The entire team fell silent as they moved toward one of the cliffs.
It wasn't until Aang circled Appa twice in the sky that they finally stopped to rest, or try.

Katara sat with her back to him, brushing her hair with her fingers. Her eyes fixed on nothing. She hadn't said a word since they made camp.

Toph, meanwhile, was stirring the dirt with her fingers, creating miniature sculptures that she immediately crushed. With each noise in the forest, her shoulders stiffened for a second—as if expecting another ambush.

Aang had moved away a little, meditating at the edge of the cliff. But he wasn't at peace. His face was frowning, his body tense.

Sokka sighed before stirring a small fire again.

"Anyone want... tea? Or a bad idea that probably won't work, but it's what we have?" Sokka said, smiling as he picked up a cup.

Katara gave a weak laugh, without turning around.

"Even you can't make a joke about this today, can you?" The girl says quietly, looking at the trees with weary eyes.

"I'm trying," Sokka says, throwing a twig into the fire. "But even I can admit that... it's hard. Seeing that crazy lightning bolt with that 'I'm going to fry you for dinner' look... and an acrobat? She was just... a smiling girl. Now she almost broke my arm. Again."

Toph spoke without looking up.

"I don't like running. But that's what we do every time they show up."

Everyone fell silent after that, because that was the truth, wasn't it? They were running away, as if they were the bad guys in that particular story. Sokka didn't like the feeling.

"I know we're strong. But... there are times when I just want to stop. Stop running, stop fighting, stop feeling like the next time might be the last." Katara says as she turns around, and Sokka can see her eyes welling up. It's like a punch to the gut.

He was the oldest, he should have a plan, instead he's sitting there with no idea what to do next.

Sokka sighs as he moves to grab his own sleeping bag. Staring out at the sea, he can see a small, solitary boat passing by, a small one barely holding two people—a fishing boat.

But Sokka can't help but stare as, after eight days, a plan begins to form in his mind.

It's crazy. Total, utter, brilliant crazy. The kind that Katara will want to beat me with. But... it might work.

He already knew they wouldn't be able to compete with the two girls, but what if they met someone who could?

"You've got that 'I'm going to do something stupid' look on your face, Sokka," Toph said from behind him, stretching. "What's the idea this time?"

Sokka hesitates, biting the corner of his mouth. This was crazy; they'd barely helped them before, why would they do it now? Katara had said she'd barely gotten along with the girls, and Sokka realized after carefully reviewing each day in his mind that Zuko was only being friendly because of the mission.

Why would they bother fighting two women for them?

"I'm thinking about asking Zuko for help," Sokka finally says, and even saying it out loud seems insane.

"Zuko, the captain of the Blue Spirit," Toph says, crossing her arms as she looks in Sokka's general direction. "The same Zuko you've been complaining about for over a week about not going to the war front with you. This Zuko?"

"Yes, this Zuko," Sokka says through gritted teeth as he tries to ignore the girl's voice.

"And how, tell me, do you plan to get him to agree to this?" Toph says doubtfully.

"I don't know, okay," he exclaims, throwing his hands up. "What I do know is that those two are getting closer, Aang is exhausted, Katara barely sleeps, and I can't think of a plan that doesn't involve us running until we drop dead! I need to stop for a second, and if something we learned from the Dai Li is that three of them can stop a battalion, and you know how the crew with a whole and deadly. I don't know how to get him to help me. I'll beg if I have to. But I need a damn break."

Toph studied him silently for a moment.

"You know Katara won't like this," the girl said after a moment, causing a grimace to appear on Sokka's face.

Katara would hate this idea; she already didn't trust pirates, and after Ba Sing Se, that increased tenfold. You could barely get the word "pirate" out before the girl's mouth twisted and she began to complain loudly.

"I know she won't" Sokka says quietly, picking up the mat. "But right now, I really don't have a better idea."

"You have an idea?" Katara asks behind Sokka, making the boy jump. "What is it?"

Confronted with his sister's blue eyes, Sokka hesitates, but seeing little Aang lying nearby with dark circles under his eyes and a wet cloth on his head, Sokka shrugs.

"I'm thinking about asking the blue spirit for help," Sokka says in a rush, watching his sister's reaction.

It was exactly how he imagined it would be, actually. Katara's mouth twists and her eyes widen in indignation.

"What?" The girl asks quietly, shaking with fury. "And you think we can trust him? After everything?"

"I don't!" he says, trying to remain patient. “But I trust myself and I know we can't keep running away like this, and I also know we need help. And they didn't hesitate.”

"They hesitated when the moment mattered most," Katara points out.

"They didn't hesitate. At the moment we needed them most, they fought the Dai Li without mercy," Sokka says, staring at his sister, who closes her mouth and looks away. "We need someone like that. I'm afraid of that too, Katara. But if we keep fighting like this... we'll break. One by one. Zuko isn't the magic solution, but it's a chance I'm willing to take."

Katara looked away, biting her lower lip. The anger was there, still burning, but now mixed with sadness and doubt.

"I don't like this," she says finally.

"Me neither, but do you have any better ideas?" Sokka asks, looking at his sister.

The two stare at each other, Katara the first to give up. With hunched shoulders, the girl returns to Aang, who opened his eyes at the sound.

He feels Toph punch him lightly in the arm as she passes, but the boy barely notices the pain.

No, he's too busy thinking about what he'll say to Zuko when he sees him again.

He can only pray to Tui La that they'll help them.

Sokka really needed to sleep, after all.

*-*

The water cascaded down the high slope of the island, forming a crystal-clear pool surrounded by smooth rocks and the canopy of trees. The sound of the waterfall drowned out the world. It was one of those days Zuko always loved. When he could pretend the world outside his little oasis didn't exist.

Zuko brushed his hair back from his face as he accepted a ribbon from a smiling Saori. The former prince watched his team at various points along the waterfall with loving eyes.

There were Yusa and Kazu trying to drown each other, and Mai and Hiro watched from afar while betting. Lori had decided to stay on the shore reading a small map.

"I bet the fallen prince can't hit that rock with his flame!" Yusa taunted, pointing to a distant rock. It seemed she had won the drowning battle.

"I'm not a prince anymore," Zuko grumbled, but formed a small, multicolored flame in his hand.

With all eyes on him, Zuko fired.

Obviously, he hit the target.

"Show-off," Kazu commented, laughing as he ran his hands through his curls to keep them out of his eyes.

"It's been five years and you still doubt it," Zuko said with a laugh, extending a leg and pushing Saori into the lake.

The bender let out a scream as she fell straight into the water, but she was the one laughing, because a water vine wrapped around Zuko's calf and pulled him down with her.

It felt good to smile like that, carefree. It had been almost two weeks since they'd returned from Ba Sing Se, and needless to say, Zuko was constantly looking over his shoulder.

It wasn't good to hear from Mai what Azula had done to that village; it only reinforced what Iroh had said about the girl. And Zuko, no matter how hard he tried, couldn't reconcile this new person with his younger sister.

He couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that the girl who was always willing to see the other side would simply burn houses to the ground for a mission. Though he couldn't judge too much, after all, if he hadn't escaped, he might very well have been in her place.

Zuko shook his head as he swam to the edge of the rock where his dark tunic lay, now folded with more care than anyone would expect from a pirate. They had some more time before they had to descend to the port, which was a half-hour walk away.

After all, they never stayed in one place for long; it was getting too risky after Ba Sing Se and Mai's reunion with her former friends.

Zuko turned to speak to his family when he felt it.

The air shifted.

A current of wind swept down like a whirlwind. Leaves rustled, the waterfall's water rose slightly. Saori stood on the rock, her eyes half-closed.

He wasn't the only one who felt it; everyone around them stopped to look up. And it was there, in the silence with only the sound of falling water, that they saw it.

"We have visitors," Lori said gravely, dropping the map and quickly standing up, looking to a spot to her left.

There, floating above the edge of the trees, was the Avatar's bison.

"What do they want?" Hiro asked doubtfully as he moved toward the shore, his eyes glued to the animal.

Zuko didn't bother to answer, too busy watching the animal descend to the ground. In his cell, he could see the other crew members, all with dark, somber eyes.

"Thanks to the spirits, we were finally able to find you," Aang said, jumping off the animal before it even landed.

Zuko watched with increasingly confused eyes as the Avatar approached; he looked hideous. Zuko could see the sunken eyes and the skin gray with exhaustion, as well as small cuts on his body.

"What do you want?" Yusa asks directly, staring at the others. Zuko can tell by looking at them that they're just as bad off as the boy.

"We need your help," Sokka says quickly as he approaches Zuko. The boy has crazy eyes and his skin is dirty and deep. "We have two people following us, and we can't get rid of them. We need help. I'll do whatever you want."

"What?" Mai blurts out, her eyes wide as she stares at Zuko.

But the boy can barely see it. Two girls, two girls.

Azula and Tylee.

They were being followed by Azula and Ty Lee, and they put Zuko and his family right at the forefront of this chase.

"We need to go," Lori says gravely, grabbing one of Zuko's arms as he hurriedly moves to her clothes. "We have to go now!"

"Tha's it? You're not even going to help us?" Katara says indignantly as she watches everyone rush back to their belongings.

Zuko barely notices this; he can only replay it in his mind.

Azula and Ty Lee, Azula and Ty Lee. AzulaandTyLee.

No, he wasn't ready. Not like this, not during a chase, and not while Ozai was still alive.

Zuko barely noticed when he began hyperventilating, too busy trying to think about what it would be like to see his sister again after five years. Not like this, it couldn't be like this.

"Zuko, I need you to snap out of it," Yusa says gravely as she places a firm hand on the back of his neck. "I know, I know. But we can do this on the ship, we have to go now."

Zuko tries, he really tries, but the air isn't coming through his system. All he can think is that it wasn't supposed to be like this. Not like this.

"What's going on?" Katara asks in the background, but Zuko barely notices her.

Not like this, not like this. He's not ready to look his little sister in the eye and tell her he let her think he was dead for five years. He barely knows how to begin to explain why he left her alone in that huge, cold palace.

Not like this. It wasn't supposed to be like this...

"We're not going to help you," Kazu says harshly, pushing the avatar away from Zuko while holding the boy's other arm. "Don't come near us again. Get rid of her yourselves."

"What do you mean?" Aang looks worried as he notices Zuko's condition, who is practically being carried by the twins. "We can't! They're chasing us relentlessly. We barely had three hours before they found us again."

With that, the entire team stops; an outsider might think they were frozen in that position, barely breathing.

"Tell me she's far away," Mai says quietly, staring at the avatar's team, who shift in place under the deadly gaze. "Tell me you managed to lose her before she came to find us."

They don't speak; Zuko starts to feel sicker with each passing second, and they remain silent.

"Damn it," Yusa curses as she runs for her robes.

"Come on, we have to go before they get here."

"But..." Katara begins, lost, her indignation fading at the frenzy around her.

"Shut up, Katara," Saori snaps as she pulls on her shirt. "We can't stay here, forget you ever knew us."

Everyone begins moving toward the path to the harbor, barely bothering to be polite as they practically trample the Avatar team to clear the way. He can hear shouts and questions around him, but Zuko just forces himself to take a deep breath, he needs to take a deep breath.

Zuko has become hyperaware of his surroundings in his attempt to return to his own body, and that's why he hears them before anyone else.

There in the middle of the trees, light footsteps, but ones he would recognize anywhere.

"Well, well, Avatar. I finally caught you. Last chance to surrender, or you'll come back half-burned." A cold voice spoke, so similar to Ozai that Zuko quickly raised his head.

And it was there, in a clearing far from everything, that Zuko, the former prince of the Fire Nation, met his sister's eyes again.

*-*

Katara had opened her canteen in anticipation. The waterbender didn't understand what was happening with the pirates, who seemed scared and trying to run, but she knew she would barely have a second to breathe now that the girls had found them.

Katara got into a fighting stance as she watched the girl with watchful eyes, but she didn't need to, because as soon as the black-haired girl's eyes scanned around she stood still.

Completely still.

Katara followed her gaze and saw that the girl was staring at Zuko confusedly, even tilting her head as she looked at the boy. The girl in pink had also stopped when she noticed the pirate among the crowd.

"What?" The woman said in a low, soft voice, almost as if she were dreaming, "An illusion? Why do you look so much like Zuko?"

Katara saw Zuko turn white at the words, his mouth opening and closing rapidly, though no sound came out. Even from a distance, Katara could see he was still struggling to breathe.

"Answer me, peasant, why do you wear my brother's face?" The girl shouted angrily, pointing two fingers at the man. Katara felt the cold water churn as she pulled a trickle of water. She knew what those fingers would do. "Answer me now!"

"Azula," Zuko said softly, but his voice echoed in the silence. "It's not an illusion. It's me."

This time, it was the girl, Azula, who seemed to struggle to breathe at the sound of Zuko's voice. Katara watched in confusion as the girl took a step back in shock, her face turning white and her arms falling limp at her sides.

"No. No," the girl says, shaking her head as if in a trance. "You're dead. I saw it, I went into that room. I saw you charred on that bed."

"Azula," Zuko repeats again, his eyes wide.

"No, an illusion, a trick of the mind. I know the truth, I saw it." The girl's eyes grow wider and wilder, as does her voice, almost shouting the last word.

"Azula, look who's on the far right," the girl in pink whispers, her eyes also wide.

 Katara and Azula look to the far right, and Katara can see Azula's reaction firsthand when the girl stares at Mai, her reaction frightening Katara more than the crazy looks she'd begun giving her.

Her face lost all emotion, like a string doll whose smile had been reshaped with just a flick of her fingers. Katara watched in shock as the girl smiled, a hollow smile the kind that would shatter mirrors.

"Oh, you faked your death too, dear brother?" she says calmly, as if she were arguing about the morning sun. "You ran away to become a rebel like our little Mai here? Why didn't you bother to leave a letter detailing your betrayal? It would have saved us time planning a funeral."

"Azula, please let me explain?" Zuko says, his voice firmer, but Katara can still see his fingers trembling. "Please, Azu, just let me explain."

"Shut up, only my brother could call me that." Azula snaps at the statement, startling Katara with the sudden change in her expression. "And you're not him anymore."

"I'll always be your brother. Azula, please, five minutes is all I ask," Zuko says, taking a step forward.

Katara had barely moved quickly enough to see what had just happened. With a scream of fury, Azula conjured a large fireball from her fist and fired it straight at Zuko, who parried the blow in a single movement.

After that, Katara saw only red and blue, an exchange of blows faster than she could even observe. She had never seen two firebenders fight before; it was terrifying. Azula, who always seemed composed and calculating as she pursued them, seemed completely insane as she launched attack after attack at Zuko, who parried each one efficiently while still trying to speak to the girl.

"Azula, please, let me talk to you," Zuko said, raising his hands to block the next attack.

"Shut up, I don't want to hear anything else from you, you liar!" Azula was screaming now, conjuring fire kicks. "My brother died, I cried for him. I burned half the palace for him. You're not him because he would never do that to me!"

This time Zuko was a little slow to defend himself from the next attack, barely managing to dodge in time as he stared at the girl with wide, pained eyes.

"That's not true, Azula, and you know it," Zuko says with pain in his voice as he continues to defend himself.

Defending, but never attacking. Katara observed.

"What I know is that you ran away. As always, after all, once a coward, always a coward. Father was always right about you," Azula said with a cold, maniacal laugh. "Only this time, your escape left something behind. It left me with an... empty body. A dead brother. Killing the last bond I had. That's what I know."

"You don't know everything, Azula," Zuko tried again as he tried to take a step forward. "Please let me tell you."

"I don't want to hear anything that comes out of your mouth," Azula shouted, and in one motion, she launched what Katara could only consider a spear of flame toward Zuko. "Explain this to Agni when you get there."

This time, Katara saw Zuko flinch at the hatred in the girl's eyes. Her arm didn't come up fast enough to stop the flame that struck her right side with precision, causing Zuko to fall, and the smell of burning flesh sweetened the surroundings.

"Zuko," Yusa shouted, quickly bending the earth to block Azula's next mad attack.

It was like a switch being flipped, and suddenly the entire pirate crew was back in motion. Katara saw Yusa duck as she placed her own body in front of Zuko.

"Azu, please," Zuko said, leaning sideways on the ground, placing his hand over the massive burn Katara could see from afar.

"I told you, you're an illusion wearing my brother's face," Azula said, conjuring another fireball, which Lori stopped this time. "Well, well, little brother, hiding behind earthbenders? Coward, coward. But I'll kill her if I have to to get to you."

She was insane, completely insane, Katara decided as she saw the girl begin to conjure lightning right there in the middle of the clearing. Katara watched from her corner, paralyzed, as the girl began pointing her fingers at the fallen and injured Zuko, as if she were actually going to kill Yusa to get to him.

Until she simply stopped.

No, but paralyzed, as if she could no longer control her own arms. Katara watched in confusion as the girl's hand jerked sharply to the right, like a doll's.

"You will not do such a thing," Saori said, her voice low and cruel, as she began to bow, one hand outstretched.

Katara watched in horror as Saori moved one of her hands, and Azula's hand moved with it. It was bizarre; Katara had never seen such a bend before; it seemed as if the girl was controlling Azula.

"I will kill you, do you hear me?" Azula said with pure hatred as she was tossed around, "I will personally burn each and every one of you for this."

"Kazu," Saori said softly, her eyes still fixed on Azula, who had been forced to her knees with her hands thrown at her sides.

At the mention of his name, Kazu didn't hesitate. Katara saw the boy quickly jump to the girl in pink, who was moving her hands frantically around Azula as if that would help. She was barely quick enough to stop Kazu from hitting all the right spots on her body.

And just like that, the girl who had been disturbing their sleep for over two weeks fell frozen in her own body.

Azula was next, with only a few spots being pressed. Katara saw Saori release her bending. But Azula remained on the ground. But her eyes never left Zuko, who seemed increasingly colorless in response to the pain.

"Please, Azula, I promise I'll explain everything." The boy spoke slowly, his face aching and covered in sweat.

Katara saw Yusa's worried look as she saw the boy's condition, she and Hiro exchanged a look before the man moved to hold the boy.

As he was caught, Zuko let out a groan of pain that echoed in Katara's bones. She could hear Azula grunt, trying to move her hands while staring at Zuko with wide eyes, and if Katara wasn't mistaken, tears.

"We have to go," Hiro says hurriedly as he starts running toward one of the trails.

Seeing Zuko walking away, Azula fights harder against her own body.

"No! You're not running away again!" Azula screams desperately as she sees Zuko walking away.

"Azula," Zuko says, reaching out one last time to the girl. "I'm sorry."

"No! No!" Azula begins to scream frantically as she tries to move again, and Katara sees a small flame, the size of a candle, ignite in the paralyzed girl's hand. "NO!"

"Come on, we have to go," Lori says hurriedly, waving to the group, ignoring Azula, who begins to scream from her spot on the ground.

This time, they are the ones who unfreeze, running along with the pirates away from the waterfall. Katara swears that even after five minutes, she can still hear Azula's screams. Zuko starts to look worse and worse as he's rocked in Hiro's arms.

"Appa can take him faster," Sokka says suddenly, his eyes glued to the captain.

The crew stops to look at the boy, Zuko's groans echoing around them.

"Can you take us all? We need to leave quickly," Mai says, her eyes never leaving the clearing behind us.

"If it's close," Aang says, biting his lip as he sees Zuko's sweaty face.

It turns out it was indeed close. Somehow the pirates had managed to get the boat into a rip current nearby, making it only a ten-minute flight until they were on the deck of the ship she'd spent a week on.

Katara tried to stay out of the way as a frenzy began. She watched the twins quickly unfurl the sails while she was nearly thrown against the wood with the speed with which Saori moved the boat. The only one who hadn't moved was Yusa, who had taken off her shirt and was trying to rub it on Zuko's sweaty face, who was in her lap on the deck.

"We need to heal him soon, Saori!" Yusa shouted in panic as she pulled Zuko's hand away from the burn. "Now!"

Saori waved as she ran toward the boy. Together, they picked up Zuko as they descended to the lower levels. Katara against all her better judgment went along. She had learned a bit about healing; perhaps she could help.

"Azula," Zuko mutters in a half-delirious state, reaching for a shelf.

"It'll be okay, Zu," Yusa murmurs, holding the outstretched hand tightly as she stares at the boy's wound with teary eyes. "It'll be okay."

"I know, after all, it's just another burn from a relative I collect," Zuko says, still half-delirious, but forcing a smile.

"For Agni, Zuko, for once in your life, shut up," Yusa says, her voice teary as she squeezes the boy's hand again.

Katara finds herself speechless as Saori opens an expensive-looking bottle and draws a stream of water, which quickly begins to swirl over Zuko's wound in a bright blue color.

"How bad is it?" Lori asks gravely to Katara's left, making the girl startle.

Looking around, she noticed the twins were there, staring at Zuko with heavy, sad eyes.

"Not as bad as we expected," Saori says absently, moving her hands over the wound, which is already starting to look more pink than necrotic. "He was even joking about having another scar given to him by a family member."

"If he's joking, then he'll be fine," Kazu tries to say in a light voice, but Katara can see his fingers trembling as he looks at the wound. "It could have been worse."

"Thank the spirits it wasn't," Yusa says, still holding Zuko's hand, who finally seemed to have fainted. "Coming from that crazy Azula, it's the least bad thing that could have happened."

"Are you going to explain to us how they're related?" Katara blurts out, drawing the attention of everyone there who hadn't noticed the girl before. "She said he died, and called him her brother."

"It's not our story to tell," Yusa cuts him off with a harsh voice, glaring at the girl angrily. "And it's certainly not your place to question that at a time like this. When Zuko is better, he can tell you. If he wants to."

Katara shuts her mouth quickly, feeling embarrassed. Of course, this wasn't the time. Gods, Yusa was right; sometimes she did get stuck in her own little world.

The girl takes one last look at the sleeping boy before discreetly stepping out onto the deck. There's Appa, lying in the middle of the deck, watching the sea part around him. Katara sees Hiro's dark gaze from his seat at the helm, his eyes darting forward and to the lower floors simultaneously.

"Saori says he'll be fine," Katara says hesitantly, and relaxes as she sees the boy's shoulders slump as he lets out a sigh of relief. "He's even making jokes about scars."

"Of course he is," Hiro says, managing a small smile.

Seeing the boy's nod, Katara moves to her small group, which is resting on one of Appa's paws.

"How is he?" Sokka asks anxiously, looking at his sister.

"Well, the wound looked much better when I left," Katara says, leaning against Appa, letting the bison's breathing calm her. "He was making jokes about receiving scars from family for some reason."

"So, is that girl really his sister?" Aang asks with hard eyes. "The one who's been hunting us like animals for two weeks and tried to kill him?"

"I don't know, Aang. Yusa said it wasn't her story to tell," Katara whispered as she watched Mai run to the lower levels once the ship was far enough from land. "But it seems there's a lot more here than we initially thought."

Ignoring the questioning looks from her family, Katara watched the sails sway gently against the wind.

It seemed she was going to have to start seeing more of the world than she originally thought.

*-*

The wood of the deck creaked softly with the rolling of the waves. The only light came from an oil lantern attached to a beam. Zuko had climbed in when the moon was already high in the sky, with everyone asleep, even the bison at the end of the deck.

But Zuko couldn't sleep at all; he could only stare at the sail while his head was tormented by thoughts.

She wasn't like this. Not always. Azula was cruel… yes. But calculated. Cold. Brilliant in a way that frightened. But now…? Now she's something I don't recognize.

Zuko let out a sigh as he let the sea breeze calm him, soothe the words that were like daggers in his chest. He'd never forgotten Azula, not really. She was the last thing connecting him to his mother.

Killing the last bond I still had

Zuko takes a deep breath to steady himself. He'd never wanted to abandon her. But he was just a child; he truly thought he was doing the right thing by leaving her far from the war and the dangers he'd begun to face. He'd thought she'd be safe with Iroh.

But he'd been naive; Azula had stayed. She stayed, sunk into the paper Ozai wrote for her more perfectly than Zuko ever could.

"Zuko," Mai says calmly, standing beside the boy.

She didn't need to say anything else, not really.

"She was so... calm. Almost unrecognizable. It wasn't the Azula I knew," Zuko says, his voice aching as he remembers the girl who had attacked him so angrily. "Even when she was young, that Azula could manipulate everyone, like pieces on a board. She could even do it to Ozai. What has she become, Mai?"

"We were warned about this," Mai says calmly.

"I left her there," Zuko shouts, startling his hawk on top of the ship. "I left her there, and look what she's become. I barely recognize her anymore, Mai. Her eyes, that madness shining in them, that's what Ozai does. And I left her there."

"You weren't responsible for her, Zuko," Mai says calmly.

"I was the last person left to be," Zuko says dismissively, feeling the guilt he'd stifled for years rise up. "And yet I left. I left and let my sister become that person."

"You were just a child," Mai says more pointedly, turning to face him. "I was just a child, we all were. We always knew what Azula was like. No one can guarantee she would have come. I know you want to ignore that, but he always wanted power, Zuko, always wanted control."

"I still should have tried," Zuko says. "She's my sister."

"She's not just your sister, Zuko, she's also Ozai's daughter," Mai says, gripping the wood. "We have this conversation every year, but I'll tell you the same thing I always do. Azula is a complete person. She was always by Ozai's side, and seeing firsthand what was happening, she could have left if she wanted to, she just never did."

Zuko lets the words sink in, as he does every year on Azula's birthday.

Little Azula who was braver and more calculating than Zuko ever was, little Azula who wouldn't let anyone stop her when she had an idea.

She could have left if she wanted.

"It doesn't make things better," Zuko says with a sigh, running his hands through his hair.

"I know it doesn't," Mai agrees, placing a hand on Zuko's arm. "But neither does dwelling on things that can't be changed."

Zuko takes another deep breath as he leans toward the girl, who wraps an arm around his waist, avoiding the bruise that still stings slightly.

"Ozai will know now; we have nowhere left to run," Zuko says quietly, feeling the man's regret.

"Then it seems we'll have to show that we're no longer the children we were five years ago," Mai says decisively, pursing her lips. "I'm ready to face all the ghosts of the past if you are too."

"With you by my side? I'd even face Agni himself," Zuko says, smiling despite himself, feeling the girl's nod of agreement.

They stayed there for another five minutes, each lost in their own thoughts, until they heard creaking coming from the stairs.

Sokka and Aang jumped in surprise when they saw the two pirates simultaneously turn their heads to face them. Zuko could see Katara over Sokka's shoulder and Toph further down the stairs.

"Sorry, we didn't want to disturb you, we just came to see Appa," Aang said hesitantly as he finished climbing the stairs.

Zuko didn't respond, just took one last breath of the sea air before turning his entire body toward the new visitors. He had heard from Yusa that Katara had questioned everything that had happened, and right there in their cabin, they decided to tell the truth. It wouldn't be a secret anymore anyway; as soon as Ozai found out, he would surely put a price on Zuko and Mai's heads.

"No problem," Zuko said once he calmed down. "We need to talk anyway."

"Was that really your sister?" Sokka blurted out as Zuko finished speaking, as if the question was stuck in his throat, just waiting to be released.

"She is," Zuko confirms calmly, ignoring the gasps of shock around him.

"What did she mean when she said you were dead?" Katara asks curiously, staring at Zuko intently.

"Because to her, and to everyone in the Fire Kingdom, I'm dead," Zuko says with what he hopes is lightness. "I died three days after my father, the now Fire Lord, Ozai, tasked me with capturing the Avatar when I was thirteen."

"Your father is the Fire Lord?" Katara says at the same time as Aang.

"Capture me?" Aang says, shocked.

"It seems we have some introductions to make," Mai says dryly, nodding in Zuko's general direction. "The great Avatar, meet the former prince of the Fire Nation, the Sea Lord Zuko."

"Seriously, Mai?" Zuko asks with mock irritation.

"How does one become a former prince?" Sokka asks, staring at Zuko with wide eyes. It was obvious he hadn't expected that.

"When someone fakes their own death at thirteen and decides to become a pirate who attacks their own subjects, they're no longer seen as a prince," Zuko says dryly, making the boy's mouth crack shut. "I grew up, as the crown prince knows, until at a meeting I realized everything they were really doing..."

Then Zuko talks, talks about growing up as a prince, about Azula and his mother. About the meeting of the generals and how he refused to accept it.

"When I say I know when to recognize my own insignificance, I meant it, Sokka," Zuko says, locking eyes with the boy, who looks increasingly shocked. "Because when I thought I had power, that I could actually achieve something, I only received a punishment."

"He disowned you as a prince because he didn't want to sacrifice people?" Aang asks indignantly.

"No, not just because of that," Zuko says, chuckling despite himself as he remembers his own childish naivety. "According to him, my renunciation was only temporary, you know. I could return on one condition. If I captured you."

"But Aang didn't show up until last year. How could you capture what was until then just a myth?" Katara says softly, her eyes filled with a mixture of confusion that Zuko doesn't bother to decipher.

"Exactly what Hana told me the night I ran away. I believed him, you know? That he was being merciful, tasking me with an impossible mission," Zuko says with a mocking sound as he points to his scar. "He even made sure to leave something so I would never forget what I did."

Zuko sees Katara put her hand to her mouth in surprise as Aang closes his eyes in sadness. But the reaction that gets him the most is Sokka's, who curses loudly, his eyes wide with shock.

"Your own father burned your face?" the boy asks weakly.

"Yes. It would be my reminder to never forget my place again," Zuko says, touching his scar. "I was willing to try; I would hunt down the Avatar myth and reclaim my lost honor. Until two days later, a family friend woke me up in the middle of the night and showed me the truth."

And Zuko tells him about Hana, about the ship and the rogue pirates. About how Zuko, knowing he could never return, decided to be the difference, but in secret.

"So I decided not to go along with their plan. Fuck Ozai and fuck chasing the wind, I'd make my own destiny," Zuko says, staring at them. "A destiny that has now been given to my sister, the one who was always the prodigy in my father's eyes."

Zuko takes another deep breath as he tries to organize his thoughts. He has to try to explain five years in just a few sentences.

"When I found out you were alive again, I panicked, you know?" Zuko says humorously, staring at Aang, who looks at him with a mixture of pain and sympathy. "I knew Ozai would hunt you down until he couldn't anymore. You're the only thing that can destroy his reign. So we decided to stay as far away as possible. Ozai couldn't possibly know I was alive. He would kill me without hesitation, my dear father."

"And we led them straight to you," Katara whispers, shocked. For the first time since Zuko met her, her eyes hold no anger or distrust, only pain. "We did, and you almost died because of it."

"It was only a matter of time," Zuko says, trying to calm the girl. "This war was going to catch up with us one way or another. But I admit I wasn't ready to see Azula today. She wasn't how I remembered her."

He sees the avatar's group exchange glances as they talk about Azula; it was obvious the girl hadn't made a good impression on him. Zuko couldn't even find the strength to defend her at that moment, remembering the small flashes of insanity shining in her eyes.

"The whole thing is, our first meeting, our second," Zuko says, ticking off his fingers. "Even Ba Sing Se, all of that was so we could get as far away from Ozai as possible."

"And in the end, they found out because of us," Aang says, his voice pained as he stares at the firebender. "You escaped for five years, and they were only able to find out because of us."

Before he could say anything, he heard a shocked noise from Katara, who had a hand over her mouth in shock as she saw things through a new lens.

"Like I said, it was only a matter of time, don't take all the credit," Zuko says, trying to lighten his mood, suppressing a grimace when nothing changes. "But yes, that's a bit of the truth. I threw away everything I once was and decided to become a rebel, a traitor to my own country. Eventually, someone would connect the dots. We couldn't run forever."

"Now that Azula and Ty Lee know, it's only a matter of time before posters with our faces appear everywhere and mercenaries hunt us," Mai speaks for the first time, her tone resolute, ready. "It seems you'll have to share center stage with us, little avatar."

Zuko watches as the monk's team absorbs the words. He sees the realization sink into their faces. Zuko and Mai would be hunted as much as Aang. Ozai wouldn't allow his son to play dead and become a rebel to continue breathing; it would be the worst kind of dishonor for him.

“What are you going to do now?” Katara asks, staring at the two renegade citizens.

"What have we done all these years" Zuko says, squeezing Mai's hand, who squeezes back. "We will survive and try to prevent as much destruction as possible. With mercenaries after us or not."

"Then please end this war soon," Mai says, addressing Aang, who looks at her anxiously. "We can hold out for a few more years, but not forever."

"I need to see a guru, who they say can help me unlock the Avatar State." Aang begins, exchanging glances with his team. "He's on an archipelago a few days away. I couldn't get there since Azula kept finding us."

"We can take him there; after all, lizards can't swim," Zuko says, looking back at the open sky. "But we can solve this tomorrow. You should sleep. Your dark circles are making my eyes hurt."

Zuko watches as the children wave and start heading for the stairs, leaving only Katara

"I didn't understand before, I think I'm starting to understand," the girl says softly, looking at Zuko for the first time, truly looking at him with only sadness and regret in her eyes. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," Zuko says sincerely, meeting his gaze. "And I don't blame you, this war took a lot from people. I've met many people like you over the years, believe it or not, but I'm used to it."

If possible, Katara's eyes grow even sadder at these words. The Water Tribe bender gives one last wave before following her brother down the stairs.

Zuko, once only in Mai's company, turns back to the sea.

This war had finally caught up with them; it was time for him to face some ghosts from the past.

*-*

The boat rocked gently against the crashing waves, Iroh whistling to himself as he climbed to give the deck a final check.

As he climbed the last few steps, he felt his years as a general resurrect. Everything seemed in order, but there was a stillness around him that disturbed him.

The old general took the last hesitant steps as he climbed the deck, and there in the background, barely visible in the shadows, he saw the silhouette of a person.

"We're closed," Iroh said in a firm voice, preparing his hands in case he needed to bend. "Come back tomorrow."

"Unfortunately, this is a matter that cannot wait, dear uncle," Azula said coldly, conjuring a single flame on her ring finger. "I have a fantastic story that I need your wisdom to understand."

"And what story would that be, niece?" Iroh says, his eyes flicking over the girl's face, and even from a distance, Iroh can see the cracks in the armor she calls a face.

"About a prince who's no longer dead, who hangs out with a noble's daughter who's also no longer dead," Azula says slowly, looking at General Iroh, who has a mask as firm as the girl's on his face. But that was Azula, the family prodigy; somehow, she managed to see the truth. "You know, how interesting."

Iroh watches as the girl slowly stands up to approach the man.

"Then you'd better explain to me exactly what's happening before your precious teahouse is nothing more than ashes."

She steps in front of Iroh, who can feel the heat of the still-lit flame on her finger. Up close, he can see the small hints of madness in Azula's eyes as she tries to come to terms with this new reality.

"What really happened to Zuko?"