Archive of Our Own

Master Kuron sent a fireball towards me, digging his feet into the ground. I easily deflected it and shot my own blue flame at him. As he was dealing with that, I propelled myself into the air by blasting fire at the ground and landed right behind him. I hooked his arm over my shoulder and flipped him over my back, his body landing with an ungraceful thud. Immediately, I offered my hand to help him up.

He took it, rising to his feet and giving me the traditional Fire Nation salute. “You are an extremely talented warrior, Prince Reizo,” he said. “With and without your firebending. It’s almost comparable to the skill of Princess Azula.” He winced at the mention of her. Everyone in the Fire Nation knew about her battle with her brother, then only known as Prince Zuko, and her descent to insanity.

“It’s alright,” I said calmly. “Princess Azula was objectively one of the most formidable firebenders to ever live. It’s only fair that we acknowledge that.”

“Of course,” Master Kuron agreed.

I returned his salute. “But thank you. Your praise means a lot. Good day, Master Kuron.”

“Good day, my prince.”

As I was walking down a corridor towards the gardens, a servant approached me.

“Prince Reizo,” he said with a salute. “The Fire Lord requests that you please head to his study and wait there. He will join you shortly.”

“Tell him I’ll be there,” I replied. “Thank you.”

The servant bowed his head and scurried off. I made my way to the Fire Lord’s study.

Fire Lord Zuko had found me, abandoned, when I was an infant and taken me in as his own. He’d never tried to hide the fact that I was adopted, and I was grateful for that. I’d always take a hard truth over a pretty lie. He’d given me a place to live, food to eat, and the best firebending training I could imagine. He had plans to make me the General of the Fire Nation Army once Izumi took the throne. I was his son in every way but blood.

And yet, I could never bring myself to call him “father.”

I stopped in front of Zuko’s study and stared up at the tall, ornate doors. It occurred to me that it was the first time I was in this room alone. Shrugging, I pushed open the doors and headed inside.

I was greeted with a decently large desk and shelves upon shelves filled with…stuff. On the bottom shelf sat a simple-looking wooden basket with a red blanket tucked inside. It immediately caught my eye.

It must’ve been the basket he found me in, I thought. I wonder why he kept it. Maybe it’s something important?

I strode over to the shelf and picked up the basket. As I turned it over, a piece of paper fell out. I set the basket back on the shelf and picked up the note. Curious, I unfolded it.

I never could’ve prepared myself for what was written.

Dear Zuzu,

I know we’re not on the best of terms. I realize now that it’s my fault. I do love you. Really. It’s just difficult for me to express it. Father wasn’t kind to you, but he was manipulative in his own way when it came to me. I suppose controlling others through fear and hatred was my way of consoling myself.

I’m trying to start a new life, somewhere away from the rest of the world, somewhere where people won’t recognize me. I’m considering the Bhanti Tribe island. I think they can help me. I’ve learned that it’s okay to rely on others now. I don’t have to always fend for myself.

But I don’t trust myself to raise my own son. Don’t ask who his father is; I’m not inclined to talk about it. I know that he will have a far better childhood with you than he will with me.

And just in case you don’t believe he’s my son: he’s already displayed signs of firebending. Tickle his chest with a feather; he despises it. He’ll burn the feather up instantly. His flame will be blue, just like mine.

Please take care of him. If not for me, then for him. He was born exactly one year ago.

His name is Reizo.

Your sister,

Azula

My heart thudded violently in my chest.

So I was royalty after all.

No less, I was the son of Princess Azula.

At least it explained the blue fire. And my rare ability to generate lightning. One of my past firebending masters had even joked that I could be Azula’s son, clearly not knowing how close to the truth he was.

“Reizo?” a voice called behind me.

I startled, quickly stuffing the note into a pocket. I turned and saluted Fire Lord Zuko. “Hello,” I greeted him respectfully.

“Hey,” he said. “I want you to come with me to meet Izumi at the harbor,” Zuko said. “She’ll be happy to see you.”

I smiled. Izumi was my best and only friend, even though she was two years older than me. She was returning from a diplomatic mission to Yu Dao today. “I would love to come,” I told Zuko. “When do we leave?”

“In around an hour,” he said. “Be ready. I would tell you to ride in a palanquin, but I know you prefer your mongoose lizard instead.”

“You’re right about that,” I said. Iko, my mongoose lizard, would probably be my second best friend, except that he was usually locked up in his stable.

He glanced at his shelves and narrowed his eyes at me. “You haven’t been snooping when you were alone here, have you?”

“Of course not,” I replied smoothly, and a thought flickered across my mind. Did I inherit this from Azula too? My lying abilities?

Zuko stared for a moment longer, then burst into laughter. “Only joking,” he assured me. “But that’s all. You can go do…whatever it is you do with your free time.”

“You could have just sent a servant to tell me your message, you know,” I told him. “You didn’t have to call me here.”

Zuko ruffled my hair. I scowled. It was always annoying when he did that, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him not to. Deep down, I guess I liked the attention, even if I couldn’t reciprocate it.

“Maybe I just wanted to talk to you,” he said warmly. “You’re always practicing firebending, or studying, or doing something else. I’m very proud of you. You’ll make a great general one day.”

“Thank you, Zuko,” I said. I saluted once more and left the room, guilt quietly pooling in my stomach.

The ship noisily pulled into the harbor and the bottom opened up, lowering the stairs that the sailors used to get in and out. Iko stood beside me, flicking his tail back and forth. I patted his snout, and he chittered excitedly.

Zuko was pacing a few steps in front of me, anxiously waiting for his daughter to arrive.

“Look, Zuko!” I said, pointing to the stairs. “I think that’s her!”

A small, red figure was descending hurriedly down the stairs, two soldiers trailing behind her. She didn’t seem to mind them. When her foot reached the wooden harbor, she broke into a run.

“Dad!” she cried when she reached us. She flung herself into Zuko’s arms, and he picked her up and twirled her around. I smiled to myself. It was nice to see my best friend this happy.

She caught my eye next. “Reizo!” she said, equally happy to see me. She broke free of her father’s hold and wrapped me in a hug.

“It’s good to see you too, Izumi,” I said, my voice muffled. “How was your trip?”

“Oh, it was absolutely horrendous,” she said animatedly, her father forgotten. “Yu Dao is probably the most dreary place to exist in this world. Nobody has a sense of humor. And all the officials seem ready to call out every flaw they can find in me! Isn’t that horrible?”

“Very horrible,” I agreed.

“It’s alright, though. I managed to work out the details of our newest trade agreement. I swear they weren’t expecting a sixteen-year-old princess to negotiate with them. I did well, if I do say so myself.”

“I’m sure you did,” I assured her. “Otherwise Zuko wouldn’t trust you with all these diplomatic missions. It’s preparing you to be Fire Lord.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she mused. “But enough about me. What’ve you been up to?”

We fell into comfortable conversation the whole way back to the palace. Izumi also always insisted on riding her mongoose lizard, Emi, instead of a palanquin, much to Zuko’s chagrin. But he never said anything about it, content to let us have our way.

We approached the palace and handed off Iko and Emi to servants. As we walked up the stairs, I pulled Izumi aside.

“I have something to show you,” I whispered. “It’s important.”

“Now?” Izumi asked skeptically. “There’s at least ten people surrounding us.”

“Oh,” I said, embarrassed. “I can get a bit carried away. Sorry.”

“That’s what you have me for!” Izumi said cheerfully, patting my shoulder. “Now come on. Let’s go to our garden and get someone to bring us fire flakes, and then we can talk.”

“Our garden” was a special area that Zuko had created just for the two of us. We’d spent a lot of time there as little kids, and it was still our go-to place when we wanted to talk privately.

Once we were settled there, fire flakes in hand, I pulled out the note and handed it to Izumi. “I found this in Zuko’s study,” I explained.

She took in and unfolded it, her expression unscrutable the whole time. Perhaps that’s what made her such a good diplomat. Although once she was finished, her face broke out into a wide grin. She was still a kid at heart.

“You know what this means, Reizo?” she exclaimed, shaking my shoulders.

“Uh, no,” I said, confused. “I’m not sure why you’re excited by this news.”

“We’re literally family!” she practically screeched. “You’re my cousin! Isn’t that amazing?!”

That part hadn’t occurred to me. My lips slowly curled up into a smile. “Yeah,” I said. “I guess we are.”

“Obviously, it’s not amazing that Dad hid this information from you,” she continued. “So when are you gonna ask him about it?”

“Tomorrow,” I said. I’d already been thinking about that moment ever since I’d found the note.

Izumi nodded. “He goes to feed the turtleducks every morning,” she told me. “You might catch him then.”

“Thanks,” I said gratefully. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I don’t either,” she replied. “Now go prepare some emotional speech or whatever.

I chuckled and headed towards my room, mulling all of this over.

True to Izumi’s word, Zuko was feeding the turtleducks when I found him.

“May I join you?” I asked.

He looked up, startled, then his expression softened when he realized it was just me. “Of course, Reizo,” he replied, patting the grass next to him. I sat, gazing at the tranquil pond.

“You used to do this with your mother when you were a child, right?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said. He gave me a sidelong glance. “But I sense that you’re not here to talk about my mother.”

“You’re right,” I replied. “I’m here to talk about mine.” I handed the note to him, and he took it, blood slowly draining from his face. “When were you planning on telling me about this?”

His hands began to shake as he read over the note. I watched calmly, my expression indifferent.

“You were never supposed to find out,” he whispered. He narrowed his eyes at me. “So you were snooping.”

“Maybe,” I said lightly. “But I still deserve to know the truth, don’t I?”

He sighed. “You remind me a lot of her.”

It felt like a slap to the face. “What?!”

Maybe I was turning into Azula after all.

“Not in the insane way,” he clarified. “She might have been a bad person, but she was also talented. Smart. Powerful. Just like you.”

I stared down at my lap. “So does that make me a bad person?”

“No,” Zuko said. “What you choose to do with those qualities is what makes you good or bad. My sister used them to control people and instill fear in them. I don’t see the same in you.”

I dusted my knees and stood up. “Where are you going now?” Zuko asked.

“To find my mother,” I said, steel edging my voice. I turned sharply and headed back towards the palace. “Don’t try to stop me.”

“Wait!” Zuko called, catching up to me. “Reizo. I’m sorry.”

For a moment, all I could was stare up at him angrily, my fists clenched at my sides. Eventually, I sighed.

“I forgive you,” I said, saluting to him. “Goodbye…Uncle.”

“Hey, do you wanna play Pai Sho with me?” Izumi asked, ducking her head into my room. She raised an eyebrow. “Hold that thought. What’s going on here?”

I ran a hand down my face, exasperated. “What do you think is going on?”

She shrugged, leaning on the doorframe and crossing her arms. “You’re throwing a bunch of clothes into a sack?”

“Yes,” I said, rubbing my temples. “You are correct.”

“Oh!” she said, her eyes lighting up. “Are you going to find Azula?”

I fixed her with a bored look. I didn’t bother to answer.

“I’m gonna take that as a yes,” Izumi said slowly. “In which case, I’m coming with you!”

“Absolutely not,” I said firmly. “Imagine what would happen if you got hurt. Or worse!”

“Well, what about you?” she retorted. “Your safety is also important!”

“I can firebend, lightningbend, and wield a sword well!” I yelled. “You can barely throw a solid punch! How are you going to defend yourself?”

Her face fell, and I instantly wished I could take it back. “Izumi, I—”

“It’s fine,” she snapped. “Have fun on your little trip.” She strode out of the room, her robes fluttering behind her.

I facepalmed, ashamed of myself. I looked up and caught my reflection in my mirror. While one of my eyes was the fiery orange typical of Fire Nation people, the other was an icy blue. Just another one of my oddities.

I sighed, tied up my bag, and quickly changed into an all-black outfit so I could sneak past the guards. Then I waited in my room, passing the time by tossing fireballs between my hands and generating tiny sparks of lightning.

When night fell, I grabbed my sword, opened my window, and peered outside. It didn’t look too high a jump, especially if I used fire blasts to slow my fall.

I threw one last glance at my bedroom. I’d left a note for Zuko, telling him that I was leaving. It was just an innocent piece of paper, sitting on my bed. I swung my legs over the window and jumped, shooting fire from my palms towards the ground. It was pitch-black outside, the moon largely obscured by clouds. I winced when I realized that parts of the ground were singed where I’d shot the flames. There was nothing I could do about it now. I just hoped no one had seen the fire itself.

After quietly stealing out of the palace walls, I set out towards the harbor. The Bhanti Tribe Island, where Azula said she was going, was the southernmost of the islands that made up the Fire Nation.

It occurred to me at that moment that I had no way to get across the water.

“Ugh,” I groaned, hanging my head in my hands. “I’m actually stupid.”

“I know,” said a voice behind me.

I whirled around, shooting a flame in the direction of the speaker. It missed them narrowly, but I caught a glimpse of who it was.

“Izumi?” I hissed incredulously. “What are you doing here? I could’ve burned you!”

“No,” she said. “You wouldn’t have. And honestly, you kind of need me right now.”

“I don’t—”

“You have no way to get across the ocean. I do.”

I crossed my arms. “Really?”

“When you told me about your plan to confront Dad yesterday, I sent a message to Avatar Aang,” she explained. “He and his sky bison are waiting at the harbor, but they’ll only reveal themselves when they see a blue flame.”

I stared at her for a long moment. And that’s when I realized:

I couldn’t do this alone.

While Izumi wasn’t a firebender and was familiar with about zero methods of combat, she was still my best friend. I had to admit to myself that I needed her with me on this journey. Besides, Azula was just as much her family as she was mine. She deserved to meet her too.

“Fine,” I relented, then grinned. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Likewise,” she replied, punching my shoulder lightly. “Let’s go.”

I’d only met Avatar Aang once, when he’d come to visit Zuko at the palace. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but he’d always been casting me concerned glances when he thought I wasn’t looking. Perhaps he also knew I was Azula’s son at the time. Go figure.

When we reached the harbor, I created a small, yet bright blue flame in my palm. Almost instantly after I did so, I heard a low groan from the other end of the harbor.

“I see it, Appa!” a voice said. It must’ve been the Avatar.

Suddenly, a huge animal launched into the air, a small figure seated on its head.

“Hi, Aang!” Izumi called, waving to him. I simply held the flame in my hand, silent.

“Hey there, kiddo,” Aang replied, hopping off his sky bison’s (Appa’s?) head when they landed before us. “So, you guys need to go to the Bhanti Tribe Island?”

“That’s correct,” I said.

Aang turned to me. “You’re Reizo, right? I remember you.” He held out his hand, and I shook it. “Izumi tells me you’re looking for your mother.”

“You know who my mother is,” I said. It was a statement, not a question.

“Well…” Aang rubbed his neck sheepishly. “I was there when you were dropped off at the palace. So, yeah.” He sighed. “I don’t know how Azula’s doing these days, but she still gives me the creeps.”

He gestured to his sky bison. “But anyway, hop on! We’ll probably reach the central islands of the Fire Nation by morning. Try to get some sleep.”

We threw our bags into Appa’s saddle and climbed on. “Have you ever ridden on Appa before?” I asked Izumi.

“A few times,” she answered. “I see Aang often on my trips.”

“Appa, yip yip!” Aang said. The bison rose off the ground, and we were flying over the water before long.

“This is actually a great way to travel,” I commented after some time. I was laying down, using my bag of clothes as a pillow. Izumi had followed my example. The stars were scattered across the night sky, and the wind blew a pleasant breeze.

“It is,” my friend agreed, sighing contentedly. She turned her head towards me. “What’re you gonna do when you find Azula?”

“I…don’t know,” I admitted. “I think I just want to talk to her. See what she’s like. Her similarities to me. Our differences. And what she thinks of me.”

“That’s fair,” Izumi said. “I wish I could meet my mother. Dad tells me stories, but it’s not the same.”

There weren’t really any words for that moment. I took her hand in mine and patted it softly, like we did when we were kids and one of us was upset about something.

After a while, Izumi spoke again. “What if she’s still crazy?”

“I get the feeling she won’t be,” I said. “Sure, she didn’t raise me herself, but she cared enough to give me what she thought would be a good childhood. That has to mean something right?” I paused. “Also, the Bhanti Tribe is known for being a secluded place away from the rest of the world. They focus on spiritual healing. If that hasn’t helped her…I don’t know what can.”

“Yeah…” Izumi trailed off. “You’re right.” She turned onto her side. “I’m gonna sleep. Good night, Reizo.”

“Good night, Izumi.”

When I woke up, I saw that we had camped on a tiny, uninhabited island. There were a few more surrounding us. Izumi was also sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

“Good morning!” Aang waved at us from the ground. He was sitting cross-legged in the grass, eating what looked like dried sea prunes.

“Good morning,” I returned. “What’s for breakfast?”

“Dried sea prunes and moon peach jerky,” Aang replied. “Fire Nation food is the best.”

“Of course it is,” Izumi said, climbing down Appa. I followed suit, and we both walked over to join Aang. “But it’s very nice of you to get all of this for us. Evidently, for all his intelligence, Reizo didn’t plan his little trip very well.”

“I think you just underestimated how long it would be,” Aang said. “It’s gonna take us three days to get there, so I had to get food. I don’t think it’ll rain, though; you can just sleep in Appa’s saddle. It doesn’t seem like you brought tents.”

“My mistake,” I grumbled. “I was a little overwhelmed.”

“Completely understandable,” Aang said with sympathy. “Here.” He handed us each a bowl, and we accepted them gratefully.

After we finished, I stood up and found a secluded place to practice firebending. It was something I prided myself on, even though I now realized that my proficiency was probably inherited. I took a deep breath and began going through my katas.

“You’re very talented,” Aang remarked. I hadn’t noticed him watching until he spoke. “Who taught you?”

I turned towards him, mildly surprised. “When I was younger, Zuko taught me the basics himself,” I explained. “He made sure I understood that firebending shouldn’t be fueled by anger, but rather by the energy of life itself. He said it would make me more powerful.” I looked down at my hands. “He was right.”

Aang smiled. “Zuko and I had to learn that lesson together, when we visited the Sun Warriors. Have you met them?”

“Zuko took me to see them when I was ten,” I said, grinning. “Meeting Ran and Shaw was an unforgettable experience.”

“Ten?” Aang whistled. “That’s awfully young.”

“As you said, I’m awfully talented.” I paused. “Maybe not in the best way.”

Aang’s expression softened. “Being powerful doesn’t automatically make you evil,” he said. “It’s what you choose to do with that power that makes you good or bad.”

I scowled. “Did you learn that from Zuko, or was it the other way around?”

“Neither,” he replied. “Continue with your practicing. Have fun!” He waved and began walking back to the campsite.

The next day, after another night of flying, we came upon Fire Fountain City. It was a sprawling urban metropolis, the sound of bustling people and loud voices filling the air.

Appa landed in a small, isolated clearing surrounded with trees and grass. I was surprised that an area like that even existed in such an industrial place.

“You guys should go explore,” Aang said. “This was one of the places I visited when I was trying to stop Fire Lord Ozai. Although I spent most of my time accompanying Toph and Sokka on their mission to scam scammers.” He chuckled. “Those were the good days.”

“No thank you,” Izumi said. “I’ll just stay here and read a book.” Smart girl. I wished I’d brought a book.

“Guess that means I’m gonna go experience city life,” I sighed. “I’ll be back by nightfall.”

“Stay safe, Reizo!” Aang called.

“What he said,” Izumi added, not looking up from her read.

“Whatever,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “See you!”

The city was a lot more crowded than I thought it would be. I kept getting elbowed around, which wasn’t great. The aromas of different food stalls mixed in the air, giving the whole place a living energy.

I kept my cloak’s hood up and my hand hovering over my sword in case I ran into trouble. I couldn’t firebend here, or I’d be found out pretty soon. My eyes were also quite recognizable, and someone might connect the dots and wonder what Prince Reizo was doing here.

As I passed an alley, I heard a shrill scream.

“NO! STOP! GET AWAY FROM ME!”

I doubled back, alarmed, and saw three men dressed in black surrounding a girl. She looked to be about the same age I was. Her clothes were shredded, threatening to slip off at any moment.

“Listen here, girl,” one of the men snarled. His voice was a gritty rasp. “If you stay still and stop fighting, this will all be over soon.”

My eyes widened. I couldn’t get myself to move. I was frozen with shock.

“NO!” the girl screamed again. “DON’T TOUCH ME!” Her eyes darted around wildly, unfocused and fearful. There were tears running down her face.

Why wasn’t anyone else hearing this? Was this a common occurrence?

“Hush,” the same man hissed. “Come here.” He grabbed at her hand, and she shrieked, jumping away and shooting a blast of fire at him. He yelled and snatched his hand away. Firebender.

That broke my trance. In an instant, my sword was drawn and I was stepping out of the shadows.

“Leave her alone,” I said quietly. “If you know what’s good for you.”

The three men turned, surprised to see me standing there. The girl’s eyes darted between me and them, confused and panicked. She crouched close to the wall, wrapping her arms around herself.

The first man laughed. “What, you think having a sword makes you tough?” he said mockingly. “Let’s show him what happens when you cross us, boys. Perhaps it’ll be a lesson for the girl too.” The men’s hands erupted in flame.

“I’ll say it again,” I warned. “You don’t want to fight me.”

They all chuckled. “I think we do,” the man replied. “Unless you know what’s good for you.”

I felt my lips twist into a wolfish grin. “You said it, not me.”

And then chaos erupted.

The men were strong, I’d give them that, but they weren’t trained fighters. Mostly just lowlife thugs. I got rid of the first two easily with a few precise slashes of my sword. They fell to the ground groaning and clutching their chests. Served them right.

The talkative one proved to be a bit of a challenge. It was going well, until at some point, somehow, he managed to pin my hands to the ground and knock my sword away.

“It’s over for you, non-bender,” he spat.

“Is it?” I countered. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to use my bending, but desperate times called for desperate measures. I created a ball of fire in my hand and jerked it upwards. It collided with the man’s face, and he howled in pain, reeling back and flailing his arms. The stench of burning flesh filled the air. I struggled to keep from gagging. I picked up my sword and held it over his neck.

“Consider yourself lucky that I’m leaving you alive,” I snarled, kicking his back. He groaned in pain.

“Blue fire…” he choked out. “How…”

I knelt down and pressed my sword deeper into his neck, drawing a trickle of blood. “If you tell anyone else about this, I won’t be so merciful again.” I stood up, dusting my knees. “Now get lost.”

He hauled himself off the ground and stumbled onto the road, a hand pressed over his burning face.

I turned to the girl, who was still crouching by the wall, wheezing and sobbing quietly. I quickly took off my cloak and handed it to her. “Are you okay now?” I asked softly.

She snatched the cloak from me, wrapping it around her herself, and frantically wiped the tears from her face.

“W-Who are you?” she whispered.

I held out a hand, debating whether to tell her. In the end, I settled on, “No one important.”

She took my hand, and I pulled her up. She ended up an inch from my face, and for a moment, all we could do was stare at each other with wide eyes. Hers were a beautiful amber. I would’ve lost myself in them, if given the chance.

I stumbled back. “S-Sorry,” I said, blood rushing to my cheeks. What was I thinking? “I hope you stay safe.” I turned to leave, but she caught my hand. I stopped in my tracks, heart racing.

“Thank you,” she said. “No one has ever stood up for me before.”

I gazed into her amber eyes again. “No one deserves to be treated in such a way,” I replied simply.

She smiled, and I swore it could light up the whole world.

What was happening to me?

“How can I repay you?” she asked earnestly.

I shook my head. “Your happiness and safety is payment enough.”

“But I want to do something,” she insisted. Her behavior now was a stark contrast to the scared, traumatized girl I’d met a few minutes ago. She checked her pockets and whistled. “It seems like I have just enough money to buy a lunch for two,” she declared. She grabbed my hand again and dragged me back onto the bustling road. I could’ve broken free of her hold at any moment, but I chose to follow her.

Ten minutes later, we were seated at a table outside a restaurant, plates with komodo chicken skewers before us.

“So,” I said awkwardly, unsure of what to say. I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Your eyes are really pretty.”

She giggled, and I wished I could bottle the sound. “You’re officially the first person to tell me that,” she said. “Did you only save me because you thought I was pretty?”

“Of course not!” I said indignantly. “What kind of person do you think I am?”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “I think it’s only fair that you tell me who you really are now. I don’t honestly know what kind of person you are.”

I hesitated. “My name is Reizo.”

She simply stared for a moment. “You’re joking, right?”

“Why would I joke about such a thing?”

She hung her head in her hands. “I wish I could crawl into a hole right now,” she muttered. “Why did I have to be seen by the prince in this state?”

“Hey, it’s okay,” I said. “You don’t have to be embarrassed.”

“You’re literally royalty,” she snapped.

“And yet, I don’t see you addressing me as ‘Your Highness.’”

“I don’t really have anything to lose, so why bother?” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You know, your eyes are really pretty too. I thought they were just rumors, but…”

“Lucky me,” I said wryly. “I’m surprised you didn’t notice sooner.”

“Well, I was a little preoccupied.”

“Evidently.” I grinned. “You never got around to tell me your name.”

“Sakura,” she replied. “For the cherry blossoms.”

“That’s a beautiful name,” I said softly. Just like you.

We sat in comfortable silence for a bit, enjoying our komodo chicken skewers. After we finished, Sakura shot up out of her seat excitedly.

“What’s the rush?” I asked curiously.

“Well, I don’t know why you’re here, but I feel compelled to show you around,” she said. Then she seemed to realize what she was saying and looked down at her feet, a blush creeping up her cheeks. “That is, if you want to.”

I stood up too and brought my hand up to her cheek. A tiny voice in the back of my mind kept questioning why I liked her so much, but I dismissed it.

“I would love to come with you around the city,” I said sincerely.

She grinned, and I got a weird fluttery feeling in my stomach. “Great!” she said. She grabbed my hand once again and began walking…somewhere. I realized that I didn’t care, as long as she was with me.

“Lead the way, Sakura.”

The whole day, I was swept up in happiness and fun. Sakura took me to more food stalls, antique shops, and we even happened to stumble across a festival. There was loud music and everyone was dancing.

“Come on, you have to try!” she said loudly over the voices.

“I can’t dance!” I called back.

“I don’t care!” Before I knew it, we were spinning each other around, laughing our heads off.

By the time the sky began to darken, Sakura was taking me to a small, secluded part of town. “Where are we going?” I asked.

“The place I call home,” she answered. She wrapped my cloak tighter around herself. She’d found herself new clothes while we were out, but she seemed to like it. I didn’t mind.

We stopped in front of a quaint little house, dim light streaming out of the windows. “I guess this is the part where you leave,” she said sadly. “I had a lot of fun. And thanks for saving me again.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.”

I watched as my hand slipped away from hers, hanging limp at my side. After a moment, I turned to leave.

“Wait,” Sakura said. She whirled me around and kissed me.

For a moment, I froze. And just as suddenly as she’d leaned in, she pulled away.

“Sorry,” she murmured. “I wasn’t thinking—”

I tipped her chin up and our lips met again. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and mine curled around her waist. She tasted sweet. Like the cherry blossoms.

I pulled away, breathing heavily. Her cheeks were rosy, and she smiled.

“I know it’s dumb to ask,” she said, laughing softly, “but will I ever see you again?”

I wrapped her in a hug. “I’ll find you again,” I promised. “I don’t forget faces.”

She nodded, then looked back at her house. There were faint traces of conversation floating from inside. “I should be going now,” she said reluctantly. “Goodbye, Prince Reizo.”

“Goodbye, Sakura.”

I watched her climb up the tiny staircase and push open her door. She threw me one last grin and disappeared inside. I sighed and began my journey back to the campsite.

“Well, someone looks especially happy,” Izumi said dryly. She must’ve been pissed off by the ending of her book. She was always like that when she read something unpleasant.

“What do you mean?” I’d been grinning like an idiot the whole way back, but I’d hoped to school my expression before I actually got here. Guess I didn’t.

“Wait a minute.” Izumi squinted, then gasped. “Why are your lips swollen?”

“They are?” I brought my hands up to my lips, and sure enough, she was right.

“Alright, what’s going on?” Aang asked, joining us. “Reizo got into trouble or something?”

“Perhaps…” Izumi said slowly, then grinned mischievously. “Did you meet someone, Reizo?”

“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I stammered.

“Just tell us her name,” she said, bored. “You’re not fooling anyone.”

I shrugged, accepting my fate. “Sakura.” Just saying it brought another smile to my face.

“And here I was, thinking that instalove wasn’t a thing,” Aang added. “But that’s so sweet! Are you gonna go find her after all this is over?”

“I hope you do,” Izumi said. “You need a girlfriend. You’re always depressed when I’m not around, and I’m not around a lot.”

“That’s so kind of you,” I drawled. “But thanks for being relatively nice about it.”

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Izumi asked, confused.

“I thought it would be a scandal or something if I liked someone who wasn’t nobility.”

“That’s a thing of the past,” Izumi said dismissively. “I mean, it matters a little when it comes to me, since I’m the heir to the throne and all, but you’re honestly free to do whatever.”

“And this is why we’re best friends,” I said, satisfied.

Aang cleared his throat. “This is very touching and all, but we need to load up and get in the air soon if we want to reach the Bhanti Tribe by morning.”

We helped Aang pack up and climbed into Appa’s saddle. “Yip, yip!” Aang called, and Appa lifted into the air. I soon fell asleep, thinking of Sakura and Azula and who I really was.

Who I was meant to be.

“We’re here!” Aang announced.

I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. Izumi was already awake, her nose buried in another book.

“Do you just have an infinite supply of books?” I asked groggily.

“This one isn’t for fun,” she said. “Dad asked me to study the history of the Fire Nation’s policy on foreign trade.”

“He doesn’t even know you came with me, does he?”

“Relax, I left him a note,” she said, waving her hand. “And he’d told me to do this a while ago. I was just putting it off.”

“Whatever you say.” I slid down Appa’s back and landed next to Aang. “Where’s the temples?” I asked him. “All I see is water.”

He took my shoulders and spun me around, and I gasped. Huge temples filled the landscape, their spires almost touching the sky. The sound of running water filled the air, and flowers bloomed on well-groomed trees.

“I can see why Azula wanted to come here,” I whispered.

“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Aang agreed. “Izumi! Let’s go!”

“Alright, alright,” she grumbled. “I’m coming.” She joined us reluctantly. “The Fire Nation established a system of mercantilism to fund their industrial and militaristic operations.”

“What?” I was unsure why she felt the need to share this with me. “I’m only familiar with battle strategies, thank you.”

“Oh. My bad,” she said embarrassed. “I did not mean to say that out loud.” She frowned. “Stupid Yu Dao,” she muttered.

“Hey!” Aang protested. “Yu Dao is a perfectly nice city!”

“For you, maybe,” she said. “I think it’s boring.”

“Let’s stop arguing and start heading towards the temples,” I suggested hopefully.

“Good idea,” Aang said. We headed through the trees, making our way to the largest temple. It was the center of their civilization.

When we finally reached the edifice (suffering many cuts and scratches along the way), I realized it was a lot larger than I’d thought. There were gardens surrounding the building, and they were being tended to by some sages. One of them turned toward us, surprised, as we approached.

“Hello!” he greeted us cheerfully. “How can we help you?”

I stepped forward nervously. “My name is Reizo,” I said. “I’m looking for someone.”

The sage nodded. “I am called Niran,” he told us. “Please, come inside. We can talk more about what you may need.”

I motioned for Aang and Izumi to follow as Niran led us inside the temple. It was even more ornate and intricate inside, filled with carvings depicting the spirit world and the history of the Fire Nation.

“This place is beautiful,” I said, then jumped when my voice echoed loudly from the walls.

Niran laughed softly. “It is quite an architectural feat,” he agreed, then turned down a corner. He pushed aside a curtain that opened into a room with a steaming pool inside. There was a large mat to its side. We joined him as he sat cross-legged on the mat.

“I sense much confusion in you, little one,” Niran said to me. “Who is it you are looking for?”

I hesitated, unsure how to put my thoughts into words. Izumi and Aang gave me an encouraging nod, and I took a deep breath.

I might actually get to meet my mother.

“Around thirteen years ago,” I began, “did a woman named Azula come here?”

“Yes, she did,” Niran said, nodding. “We found her in a severely shattered state of mind.”

I swallowed. “Is she still here? Is she…happy?”

“She faced many challenges at the beginning,” Niran told me, “but we are glad to say that she is happy here.” He frowned. “We are well aware of Azula’s past. She has many enemies who would want to seek revenge. Why have you come looking for her?”

“I…I’m her son.”

To his credit, Niran didn’t seem to be surprised or even shocked. He simply bowed his head in thought, then looked up at me again.

“Can you prove it?” he asked.

Wordlessly, I held up my hand and produced a small sphere of blue flame.

“Hmm.” Niran was lost in thought. “One moment.” He stood up and left the room.

I sat quietly, peeling at the dry skin on my fingers. I hadn’t done that in a while; it was mostly a coping mechanism for nerves.

“Stop doing that,” Izumi said. “You know how much Ty Lee worked to get you to moisturize your hands.”

I laughed, but it was strained. I was actually here. The reality had failed to sink in until now.

“What did you call me for, Niran?” a faint female voice asked. “Is it important?”

“Patience, my dear,” Niran replied. They were getting closer. I began scratching at my hand more violently, my heart racing. I think I started sweating.

“Calm down, Reizo,” Izumi said. Aang, on the other hand, was taking this time to meditate peacefully. Good for him, I guess.

“Are the fire lilies going to die if I don’t water them enough?” the woman asked again. “I knew I—” She abruptly cut off once she saw me. I stood up, taking a step closer.

I’d seen a painting of Zuko’s family when I was young. In that picture, Azula had her signature hairstyle: a tight bun and two strands framing her face. She was cold and unsmiling back then.

Now, her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail, and she had a warm and friendly look about her. The direct opposite of her past self.

Azula stared at me, a single tear rolling down her face. “Reizo?” she whispered. “It can’t be you…can it?”

“H-Hello,” I said, my voice wavering.

She surged forward and wrapped me in her arms, sobbing quietly into my shoulder. In my mind, I was expecting her to simply be emotionless, neither kind nor cruel.

I was not prepared for this. I stood still, unsure of how to react.

She pulled back and held me at arm’s length, studying my face. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?”

“Uh…” I pulled out the note that she’d written all those years ago. “Apparently, I wasn’t supposed to find this, but I did, so…”

She took it, laughing to herself as she read over her words. “It’s nice of Zuzu to keep this,” she said. “Let me guess: you found it in his study? Along with the little basket I put you in?”

“Yes, actually,” I admitted, surprised. “How did you guess?”

“He’s quite predictable,” she replied, shrugging. “Always was.” A guilty expression passed over her face. “How is Zuzu, anyway? Is he alright?”

“He’s fine,” I said. “But I’m really here to talk to you.”

“Oh,” she said, flustered. “Um. Okay. Do you want to walk outside?”

“Sure,” I said. “Izumi, Aang, would you mind waiting somewhere else?”

 Azula turned to my two companions and was startled when she realized who else was in the room. “Hello, Avatar Aang,” she said, wincing.

“It’s alright, Azula,” Aang said with a calm smile. “No hard feelings. I know you’ve been through a lot.”

“Thank you,” she exhaled, bowing her head. 

“Hi,” Izumi interrupted, her voice balanced. This is what she must’ve sounded like at meetings. “I’m Izumi. Zuko’s daughter.”

Azula smiled warmly. “It’s good to meet you,” she said. “Zuzu ended up marrying Mai, right? How is she?”

“Oh…” Izumi winced. “She died while giving birth to me.”

Azula’s face fell. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said sadly. “She was a good friend before I went and ruined everything.” She tilted her head. “Well, our relationship was a little toxic from the start. That’s also my fault. She must’ve died still hating me.” She hung her head in her hands. “I wish I could’ve fixed things, but I ran away like a coward.”

“You literally had your whole life torn from you,” I said. “I don’t think you’re a coward for running away.”

She ruffled my hair a little bit, and I scowled at her. “Not you too!”

Aang laughed suddenly, and we all turned to him, confused. “What’s so funny?” I asked suspiciously.

“Nothing,” he said. “It’s just…you two definitely seem like mother and son.”

“Oh,” I said, flustered.

Azula gestured to the curtain. “Do you want to go outside now, Reizo?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” I gave Aang and Izumi a small wave. “I’ll come find you guys later.”

With that, I headed outside with Azula, ready to hear her story.

“After my brother became Fire Lord,” Azula began, “I was, understandably, more than a little pissed off.”

We were strolling through the vast gardens surrounding the island. The sound of chirping birds filled the air. There was a noticeable distance between the two of us.

“My brother sent me to a mental institution," she said. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I hadn’t known this before. “I spent around a year there, until Zuzu called me out to help search for our mother.” She snorted. “Funny how that’s come full circle.”

“Yeah…” I realized. “I never thought about that.”

“Anyway, I had a strained relationship with my mother,” she continued. “I always thought that she loved Zuzu more than she loved me. I was convinced she was slowly turning all my friends and allies against me.” She took a deep breath. “When we found her, I accused her of all of this, but she simply apologized for not loving me enough. That sent me into another spiral of insanity, and Zuzu and I had another fight. After that, I ran away to Forgetful Valley by myself.

“A couple of months after that, I formed a band of rebels and orchestrated a revolt against Zuzu as Fire Lord. I got Mai’s father, Governor Ukano, to be the puppet leader of the New Ozai society, and then my rebel girls and I dressed up as the Kemurikage to kidnap little children.”

“What?!”

“It was to create unrest,” Azula said defensively. “Zuzu, as I had foreseen, responded poorly, and his people’s trust in him began to waver. Unfortunately, the Avatar swooped in and foiled my plans. Again.” She sighed. “Well, I suppose it was fortunate in the long run, because otherwise I never would’ve ended up here.”

I kept silent, allowing her to gather her thoughts.

“After my disastrous attempt to turn Zuzu into a more ruthless Fire Lord, I fled the capital again. This time, instead of meddling with politics or family again, I took up work as a bounty hunter.”

“I could see you doing that,” I commented. “But how did you get around the fact that you were extremely recognizable?”

“Masks, obviously,” she said. “I especially liked the one I used for my Kemurikage costume. It was a little supernatural. Scared the people I was capturing.”

“Uh-huh,” I said sarcastically.

“I’m not proud of it either,” she said, wrapping her arms around herself. “One day, when I was sitting in a bar, I was knocked over the head with something, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up on the side of the road, my clothes in tatters and a sick feeling in my stomach.” She glanced over at me. “That sick feeling was you.”

My eyes widened, horrified at what she had to go through. “So…you don’t know who my father is?” I asked slowly.

She shook her head. “All I know is that he was Water Tribe. Because only Water Tribe people have eyes that shade of blue. Like yours.”

I stared down at the ground. “Does that mean I wouldn’t have a real claim to the throne then? Not that I want it, but just a thought. I’m not really into politics. Izumi takes care of that stuff.”

Azula shrugged. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t think so, but since to the rest of the world you’re Zuzu’s adopted son, you shouldn’t get too much backlash. At least, not more than your cousin.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve never had a female Fire Lord before. I mean, I was close, but everyone feared me at the time so they didn’t have much to say about it.”

I stared off into the distance, processing all of this. “And after all of that, once I was born, you came here?”

“Yes,” she said. “I realized that I couldn’t keep living like that, so I decided to help myself.” She smiled to herself. “Best decision I ever made.”

I smiled too. “I’m glad I got to meet you.”

She pulled me into another hug, but this time, I hugged her back. “I thought I would never see you again,” she whispered. “Are you happy with Zuzu?”

“He gave me the best life I could ask for,” I said, “but I’ve always felt somewhat out of place there. Not anymore, though. Finding you helped me figure myself out.”

I wriggled out of her embrace, and she chuckled. “You never did like hugs, even when you were a baby.”

“It’s not that I don’t like them,” I protested. “I’m just not used to them, is all.”

She sighed, ruffling my hair again. This was starting to become a habit. “What?” I asked her.

“It’s just very nice to see you again,” she said. “Leaving you was probably the hardest thing I ever did.” She brought her hand up to my cheek, and I leaned into her touch.

We stood like that for a few moments. Just a mother and son enjoying each other’s company.

“Anyway,” I said, clearing my throat, “do you think you could ever come back to the Fire Nation someday?”

Azula raised an eyebrow. “Why would I do that?”

“Well…” I hesitated. “I think Zuko would appreciate you being back. And you would have a lot to teach me.”

She hung her head sadly. “I’ve done a lot of bad things. I don’t know if they would want me back.”

“You could always try,” I said hopefully. “Please. I want you to be there, now that I’ve found you. It feels like I’ve finally found my real place in the world.”

“Alright,” Azula said with a reluctant smile. “I’ll come back…for you.”

As Appa landed on the harbor, I spotted Zuko standing some distance away. Izumi immediately ran up to him and tackled him with a hug, as she usually did. I trailed a bit farther behind, kicking rocks around with my feet.

I ended up standing in front of Zuko. We stared at each other for a few moments. Then, wordlessly, he wrapped his arms around me.

“It’s good to have you back, Reizo,” he said.

“I’m sorry for leaving,” I mumbled.

“Don’t apologize,” he replied. “You were right. You deserved to know your own history.”

“Speaking of which…” I gestured back towards Appa. “I brought someone.”

Azula stepped up behind me. “Hey, Zuzu.”

Zuko’s eyes widened. He was clearly not expecting her to return. Surprisingly, she knelt at his feet.

“I know I’ve done a lot of bad things and basically ruined your life,” Azula said, her shoulders beginning to shake. “But I hope you can forgive me. I’ll do anything to fix our relationship, I promise!”

She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes, and that was all he needed. He knelt next to her and cradled her head in his arms.

“You don’t need to do anything,” he told her. “It’s just nice to have my sister back again.”

“Now that this happy reunion is out of the way,” Izumi said impatiently, “why don’t we go back to the palace now? I’ve been denied Pai Sho for far too long!”

I chuckled, and we began to head home.

ONE YEAR LATER

“Two fingers,” Azula reminded me. “Two fingers for a precise shot.”

I took a deep breath and tried again. I pointed my index and middle finger at the training dummy and shot my fire at it. This time, the blast hit the dummy right in the center of the chest. I exhaled and leaned back, wiping sweat from my forehead. It had been a grueling two hours.

Azula nodded sharply with a small smile. “Well done, Reizo.” (Her teacher persona and her parent persona were two very different things.)

It had taken some time, but eventually, Azula had readjusted to palace life. She’d taken it upon herself to teach me all her personal firebending techniques. I wasn’t complaining; it did make me a better fighter.

I picked up my robe but didn’t bother putting it on. The summer heat was affecting us all. “Bye, Azula,” I said. I’d always preferred calling everyone by their first names. I think Azula liked it that way too. “I’m going to my room.”

With that, I strode down the covered walkways surrounding the training areas. Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind me.

“You look really hot when you’re shirtless, Prince Reizo.”

I grinned and turned around. “Hello to you too, Sakura.”

As promised, I’d gone back to Fire Fountain City after things had settled down to find Sakura again. She’d been ecstatic. During my short stay there, I’d found out that she had a brilliant mind for engineering (she had grown up in an industrial hub, after all). I talked to Zuko about getting her a job in the Royal Archives, and he readily agreed. It didn’t take much to convince her parents after that; they were simply glad she was putting her talents to good use.

She walked up to me and leaned her head on my shoulder. I put my arm around her, pulling her close. “We’re still having dinner together, right?” she murmured.

“Of course. Why would I pass up an opportunity to be with you?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Azula watching us. Her lips curled into a knowing smirk. I smiled back, content to enjoy this peaceful moment with my girlfriend.

I had Azula. I had Izumi. I had Sakura.

No matter what happened…

…I knew that everything would turn out okay.