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Chapter Text

        The day was a fairly calm one. The waves were gentle against the hull of the boat and they didn't hit any ice. The last time it happened, Zuko just about lost his mind. Rezalia giggled at the memory, legs swinging from her perch on the railing of the ship.

        "If you keep doing that you're going to fall," Zuko says gruffly as he walks up behind her to lean on the railing beside her.

        "Careful, Z. People might begin to think that you actually care for me," Rezalia teases in response. Zuko scoffs. The girl tips her head back and delves back into her thoughts. 

        Zuko was socially awkward. He didn't show it, usually he hid it by barking orders and hiding in his room. But anyone who grew up the way he did would have issues with social growth, it only made sense. Unlike Azula, Zuko had been in training to be the next firelord nearly his entire life so he had never really had friends. Azula had Mai, Ty Lee, and, to an extent, Rezalia. The girl was kinda fun to hang out with when she wasn't being a raging psychopath. 

        However, Rezalia often snuck out of boring hang outs in the garden in favor of seeking out the young prince. He wasn't a fan of this but he eventually grew to understand that his unhappiness didn't deter her in the slightest. Zuko could usually be found in his room after he accepted this fact. Rezalia suspected that he enjoyed her presence because after a while she stopped having to pick the lock to gain entry. 

        Every time without fail, Rezalia would fling open his door and collapse on his bed before rambling about anything and everything. She had long since given up on getting him to participate in the conversation. As they grew older, he began talking more and more to her. He was still fairly quiet by nature but that didn't stop the girl from filling the silence by talking about her favorite type of bread.

        Rezalia quickly grew to become Zuko's closest friend, though he would never tell her that. Oddly enough, he liked to listen to her rants about that idiot in school who brought a turtle duck and he always missed her when she had to leave. Not only did he enjoy Rezalia's company, Zuko respected her. She was the only person he had ever seen openly defy his father. 

        Ozai hadn't been happy when he learned of Rezalia's adventours and had demanded that she stop instantly. The young girl, only six at the time, had told the Firelord no and had continued to stow into the young prince's room to tell him about how she was pretty sure the baker across the street was an alien. 

        That was something about Rezalia that Zuko would never tire of. Her endless stream of conversation topics, they were more often than not outlandish and they never failed to raise Zuko's spirits. Rezalia stuck with Zuko like glue no matter how hard he tried to be rid of her. She managed to slip past any and all guards, she could pick the lock on any door he locked, and he had managed to worm her way past his walls. So for better or worse Zuko and Rezalia were a package deal.

        Perfectly demonstrated when Zuko was banished. According to Iroh, Rezalia had stormed into the Firelord's chambers and demanded that he cease his banishment immediately. He had, of course, refused. Rezalia had exploded, something very uncommon for her, and had gotten herself banished as well. Of course, Rezalia didn't really care. She hadn't liked it much in the Fire Nation anyway, according to her.

        But she supported Zuko in his desire to return to his homeland. She didn't understand it, but she wouldn't get in his way if that was what he wanted. So for years she recommended places to look and joined Zuko in looking for an Avatar that might not even exist. She joined him on what she believed to be a wild goose chase and told him to relax when he got a little crazy. Which was more often than not and she more or less had to force him to take a breath. 

        Rezalia came off as fairly reserved to the crew, which couldn't be further from the truth. She just didn't want to talk to them. She was well aware of how they felt about Zuko. And she gets it, really. She just thinks that they're assholes. But she didn't feel like getting into a fight (or twelve) so she didn't say anything. It was a feat in itself that they respected her at all. Rezalia was technically a guest on the ship. She wasn't royalty nor was she a noble. She wasn't even really wealthy. 

        But back to the original point, it was a nice day. Zuko had trained earlier in the day so he was calm for the time being. The breeze felt nice as it blew Rezalia's onyx locks out of her face. But of course, the day had to be interrupted by a bright blue light shooting into the sky. The prince instantly starts to shout for the ship to head in that direction, causing Rezalia to lean away from him in order to protect her ear drums.

        "Finally!" Zuko exclaims, turning to Iroh who was playing Pai Sho. "Uncle, do you know what this means?"

        "That I won't be able to finish my game?" the man sighs.

        "It means my search is about to come to an end." In unison, Rezalia and Iroh groan. Zuko glares at them, earning a sarcastic grin from the female. "That light came from an extremely powerful source! What else could it be?"

        "A big ass mirror?" Rezalia mutters, only to be ignored.

        "Or it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing. Please, sit. Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?" Iroh offers.

        Zuko all but explodes in anger. "I don't need any calming tea! I need to capture the Avatar! Helmsman, head a course for the light!"

        "I think you need some tea, Z," Rezalia says, swinging her legs over the rail to face the others.

        "Fuck off, Zali," Zuko grumbles in return, the tone softened by the nickname. Rezalia laughs and stands up on the railing, much to the displeasure of Iroh and Zuko. "Get down from there. You'll be no use in the fight against the avatar if you're injured."

        "Aw, is that concern I hear? Perhaps a hint of worry?"

        "Rezalia, please get off the railing," Iroh says. The teen sighs and jumps onto the deck. Zuko splutters and throws his hands in the air before storming off, causing the girl to laugh.

        As the ship changes course and makes its way to the source of the light, Rezalia heads to her room to change into something easier to fight in. She traded her red dress and gold belt for tight black pants, a tight red tank top, an asymetrical red skirt with gold detailing, a black face mask, black boots that reached the top of her shin, and black fingerless gloves. Leaving the mask down around her neck, Rezalia walks back to the main deck to see Zuko reply to Iroh.

        "Because their honor didn't hinge on the Avatar's capture. Mine does. This coward's hundred years in hiding are over."

        Rezalia sighs at the mention of his honor. He was obsessed with it, but he didn't seem to see that this wasn't the way to regain it. She didn't think he had actually lost it until he became so obsessed with the avatar. When he threw everything away to be his father's puppet. She had told him as much, but he had only gotten angry, so she held her tongue for the time being. 

        Zuko turned at the sound of Rezalia's sigh. "Oh, good. You changed. Where did you get those gloves?"

        "The last market place we went to. They're fireproof and I liked them so," Rezalia replied with a shrug. Zuko nods in acceptance of the answer and turn back to his uncle only to find that the older man had retired for the night. "Wanna spar?"

        Hours pass with Zuko and Rezalia trading physical and verbal blows. The next day, Zuko calls for another formal training session to be held and Iroh is summoned from his chambers along with various guards. Rezalia excuses herself from training and sits next to the former war general.

        Zuko flips and dodges away from the blasts sent toward him before sending out his own. Iroh speaks up. "No! Power in firebending comes from the breath. Not the muscles. The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire." Iroh demonstrates his point by sending a blast at Zuko that stops just before it hits him. "Get it right this time."

        This only serves to anger the young prince. "Enough. I've been drilling this sequence all day. Teach me the next set. I'm more than ready."

        Rezalia frowns. "Z, you have to get this down before you can move on. You're doing great, but have some patience will you?"

        Zuko lets out a shout of frustration and blasts his training partners back with a burst of fire. "The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last airbender. He must be over a hundred years old by now. He's had a century to master the four elements. I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him. You WILL teach me the advanced set!"

        "Get your shit together, Zuko. And let the man finish his damn meal," Rezalia snaps, becoming frustrated with Zuko. He was constantly yelling at everyone about everything and it was annoying. He never seemed to realise that other people had emotions. That, or he just didn't care. 

        Zuko opens his mouth to respond but closes it before saying anything. About an hour later, a flare is spotted going up into the air. A Fire Nation flare. Zuko grabs a nearby telescope and looks in that direction.

        "The last airbender," he mumbles. "Quite agile for his old age. Wake my uncle! Tell him I found the Avatar...as well as his hiding place."

        He hands the telescope to Rezalia. She looks through to see a young boy running toward a small village with a girl around her age. "He's just a kid," she murmurs.

Chapter Text

        Rezalia moves her legs further apart to keep her balance as the ship hits the ice. After a moment, the ramp lowers and her and Zuko exit followed by the guards. A boy with war paint lets out a shout and charges them. Rezalia raises an eyebrow, wondering why he thought that would work, as Zuko kicks the boy's weapon out of his hand and sends him flying onto the ramp. The young prince walks up to an elderly woman and the young girl who was seen with the avatar. 

        "Where are you hiding him?" he asks harshly. Upon receiving silence in lieu of an answer, he grabs the elderly woman and gestures to her. "He'd be about this age? Master of all elements?"

        Rezalia snickers slightly. Silence again. Shouting with frustration for the twentieth time this month, Zuko shoves the woman back to the girl and shoots fire over the heads of the villagers. "I know you're hiding him!"

        Behind them, the boy that had been tossed charges once more with a battle cry. Rezalia grabs the back of his shirt as he runs by to attack Zuko. He swings his boomerang at her but she dodges with a small smirk. Zuko jerks his head and Rezalia shoves the boy lightly in her friend's direction. As he stumbles, the boy throws his boomerang at Zuko. Not expecting the attack, the prince barely dodges.

        "Show no fear!" a young boy calls suddenly, tossing a spear to the older boy. He charges a third time, only for Zuko to snap his spear in half and poke him in the forehead several times before tossing the pieces away. The water tribe boy falls to the ground and his eyes fix on something over Zuko's shoulder. Just then, the boomerang comes back and smacks into the back of Zuko's head, knocking his helmet off. Rezalia represses the urge to laugh as Zuko's expression morphs to one of fury. 

        The prince looms over the boy from the water tribe, fire spitting from his hands, only to have his feet swept from under him as a human-penguin duo slides onto the scene. Rezalia steps forward to make sure her friends is okay, glancing between him and the avatar. As the penguin waddles away, the avatar greets the girl and boy. "Hey Katara. Hey Sokka."

        The boy didn't seem thrilled to see him as he replies. "Hi...Aang. Thanks for comin'."

        The avatar - Aang - surveys the guards and redies his staff as Zuko gets into a firebending position. Rezalia stays back, ready to provide backup, as the guards close in on the boy. Aang sends a blast of air their way, tossing them back. He sends on toward Zuko as well, but the prince shields his face and stays on his feet. "Looking for me?" the avatar asks.

        "You're the airbender? You're the Avatar?" Zuko splutters increadiously. He really did look smaller up close.

        Katara gasps. "Aang?"

        "No way," Sokka breaths. Rezalia raises an eyebrow. Did they not know?

        Rezalia's attention is drawn back to the fight when Zuko fires off continuous blasts. Aang twirls his staff around, dissipating the blasts. However, he couldn't stop them from reaching the villagers, who cried out when a blast got too close. Why they didn't just hide in their huts was beyond Rezalia. Aang looks back to the villagers and seems to make a decision.

        "If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?" the avatar offers suddenly. Rezalia looks at Zuko, who looks at her. She lets her eyes trail over the villagers before giving him a meaningful look. The prince rolls his eyes at her, like he was annoyed that she thought she even had to make that point in the first place, and nods stiffly to the avatar. A guard begins to lead Aang into the ship when Katara steps forward.

        "No, Aang! Don't do this!" she exclaims, sounding exactly like every stereotypical female love interest ever. Aang turns around and smiles softly.

        "Don't worry, Katara, it'll be okay." The guards shove him forward harshly, earning a sharp look from Rezalia. "Take care of Appa for me until I get back."

        Rezalia briefly wondered who Appa was before deciding that it didn't really matter. "Head a course to the Fire Nation. I'm going home," Zuko orders. He makes eye contact with Rezalia before looking to the main deck of the ship. Rezalia nods and looks to Iroh. Zuko shouts for the guards to bring the prisoner to the deck.

        Aang is pulled to face Zuko who is flanked by Rezalia and Iroh. Zuko held the avatar's staff in his hands. "This staff will make an excellent gift for my father. I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks. Take the Avatar to the prison hold. And-" Zuko shoves the staff in Iroh's direction. "-take this to my quarters."

        With that, Zuko walks off. Rezalia follows after him, faintly hearing Iroh ask one of the guards to take the staff to Zuko's room. Rezalia catches up with the prince and walks beside him. It's quiet for a moment. "Was the comment on his upbringing really necessary?" Zuko ignores her. "Z."

        "What?"

        "You've been acting like an ass lately," she says bluntly. Zuko stops and turns to her.

        "What?" he exclaims. "I have not!"

        "Yes you have!" Rezalia respondes. "You've been so obsessed with the avatar that you've failed to realise what a dick you've been! Do you even realise that other people have feelings too? I get it, Z. You want to go back home. But do you really have to throw yourself away to get there?"

        Rezalia doesn't wait for a response before leaving. She walks up to her room and dives headfirst onto the bed. She lays there for a while before turning on her back and chucking a pillow at the ceiling. When the pillow falls down against her chest, she brings it up and covers her face with it. All is quiet for a moment before a crash can be heard coming from the room next to hers. Zuko. 

        Rezalia tosses the pillow to the side and runs out of her room, nearly colliding with Zuko. "Avatar," he grunts as they right themselves and keep running. They chase Aang to the observation deck, where he tosses out his glider and prepares to fly away. Rezalia slows and allows Zuko to rush forward and jump off the deck, grabbing Aang's ankle and causing them both to fall. Rezalia jumps down, rolling when she hits the ground, and pops back up.

        The boys prepare to fight once again but before either of them can fire a blow, a huge flying beast flies toward them. Aang turns and exclaims. "Appa!"

        Oh, Rezalia thinks. That's Appa.

        While the avatar has his back turned, Zuko fires a blast but Aang turns to block just in time before attempting to glide to Appa and his friends. Zuko makes it harder as he fires blast after blast, eventually knocking the boy into the ocean. Katara shouts out as the boy sinks and Rezalia rushes to the railing. Just as she turned to give Zuko her verdict, a huge column of water shoots upward and knocks her back. Zuko kneels at her side, hands on her shoulders as they look up at the avatar.

        His eyes and tattoos glowed a bright white and his face seemed to have lost all of it's child-like looks. Aang lands on the deck and bends his column of water into a sphere before sending it outward and knocking everyone off the ship. Rezalia resurfaces and coughs out the water that her lungs had taken in due to the unexpected swim. She looks up to see Sokka get back on Appa (why had he even gotten off?) and Zuko dangling from the anchor chain.

        Just as the avatar and his friends begin to fly away, Iroh emerges on the main deck, apparently having just woken up. He instantly goes to help his nephew get back on the ship. "Shoot them down!" Zuko shouts, and this time it seemed like an appropriate reaction to Rezalia.

        In unison, Iroh and Zuko send huge blasts of fire toward the retreating group. Unfortunately, Aang swings his staff and directs the fire ball to the ice cliff nearby. Luckily, the crumbling ice doesn't hurt Rezalia too bad, just a scratch on her arm. Unluckily, it destroys the ship. Zuko growls in frustration and climbs down the anchor chain. When he reaches the bottom he extends his hand to Rezalia.

        "Come on."

        Rezalia grabs his hand and allows him to hoist her up. Zuko gestures for her to climb up first and she does so, hands trembling from the cold. Iroh helps her climb onto the damaged deck of the boat. She turns to help Zuko up bu he shakes his head and points to the small fire his uncle had started. Rezalia nods and lets Iroh help him up while she sits next to the fire and lets the heat seep into her bones. After a moment, Rezalia tugs off her gloves, mask, and skirt and lays them off to the side.

        Zuko walks over and puts an additional blast into the fire. "You don't have to do that," Rezalia murmurs. Zuko rolls his eyes and shrugs off his jacket.

        "You fell into the damn ocean," he says as he lays it over her shoulders. Rezalia huffs in annoyance even as she pulls the jacket closer.

        "So did the crew."

        "Yeah, but you're built like a fucking twig. You look like you're one hard shake from snapping."

        "Should I be insulted by that?"

        "If you want."

        Rezalia huffs out a laugh. Zuko settles down next to her and glances between her and the fire a bunch of times. "If you're gonna say something, spit it out."

        "I'm sorry, Zali. You're right. I was being an ass. I shouldn't have snapped at everyone like that. And I shouldn't have dragged you into this in the first place. I'm really sorry," the prince murmurs.

        "Apology accepted, Z. And you never have to apologise for pulling me into this. I live for this kind of chaos," Rezalia returns, bumping her shoulder into his. Zuko smiles slightly and bumps her shoulder in retaliation. Iroh chooses that moment to walk over to them.

        "Good news for the Fire Lord. The nation's greatest threat is just a little kid," he says. Zuko becomes serious once more.

        "That kid, Uncle, just did this. I won't underestimate him again. Dig this ship out and follow them!"

        Rezalia turn to see some of the crew firebending the guards out of the ice Katara had froze them in. "As soon as you're done with that!" she calls.

Chapter Text

        Zuko grumbles as they walk into the naval yard in which their ship was being repaired. "Uncle, I want the repairs made as quickly as possible. I don't want to stay too long and risk losing his trail."

        Rezalia ignores their conversation for the time being as she looks around the dock. Not so much looking at the scenery so much as watching the people. One man tripped and fell off the dock and into the water, which was funny. Another man simply stood there, staring. What the hell was he doing? There was a woman who straight up threw a bucket at one of the men. Damn, he must have fucked up.

        "Getting in the way of what, Prince Zuko?" Zhao's voice rang out, causing Rezalia to frown and tune back into her friend's conversation.

        "Captain Zhao," Zuko greets, his tone making it clear that he held the same distaste for the man that Rezalia did.

        "It's Commander now. And General Iroh, great hero of our nation," the man greets Iroh with a bow. And, of course, doesn't bother to acknowledge Rezalia at all.

        "Retired general," Iroh replies. Zuko scoffs quietly and steps closer to his friend.

        "The Fire Lord's brother and son are welcome guests any time. What brings you to my harbor?" the commander asks pleasently.

        "Our ship is being repaired," Rezalia speaks up, pointing to the aforementioned ship. Zhao curled his lip at her. He was a firm believer in the ideal that woman shouldn't speak unless spoken to. Rezalia was a firm believer in the ideal that people who thought like that should be kicked in the teeth.

        "That's quite a bit of damage."

        "You won't believe what happened," Zuko interjects. "Uncle! Tell Commander Zhao what happened."

        Iroh's eyes widen as he's put on the spot. "Yes, I will do that. It was incredible." The man leans over to whisper to his nephew. "What... did we crash or something?"

        Zuko looked uncomfortable as he responded. "Uh, yes! Right into an Earth Kingdom ship."

        Zhao leans closer to Zuko as he issues his obvious challenge. "Really? You must regale me with all the thrilling details. Join me for a drink?"

        "Sorry, we can't," Rezalia says, false apologies written on her face.

        "Yes, we have to go." Zuko backs her up and the pair prepares to leave when Iroh stops them.

        "Show Commander Zhao your respect. We would be honored to join you. Do you have any ginseng tea? It's my favorite." Zuko's hands heat up in annoyance, but Rezalia, smacks his arm and gives him a stern look. Zuko makes a face at her before speeding up to catch up with the two older men.

        Zhao began regaling them with some of his most thrilling stories. Ones that made him look amazing. Though he conveniently left out the one that Rezalia knew ended with his catching a cabbage to the face. "And by year's end, the Earth Kingdom capital will be under our rule."

        Iroh and Rezalia roamed around the room, looking at artifacts while Zuko sat in one of the three chairs in front of Zhao. "The Firelord will finally claim victory in this war."

        "If my father thinks the rest of the world will follow him willingly, then he is a fool." Rezalia smirks at Zuko's response. Zhao did not seem so impressed. In fact, he seemed rather insulted on Ozai's behalf.

        "Two years at sea have done little to temper your tongue. So, how is your search for the Avatar going?" Zhao asks. Rezalia cuts across the room under the guise of looking at more stuff in order to tap  Zuko's back twice. Lie.

        He didn't need to be told that but better safe than sorry. At that moment, Iroh knocks over a weapons stand and sheepishly apologises. Rezalia wasn't sure it was an accident but lets it go. "We haven't found him yet," Zuko replies in answer is Zhao's question.

        "Did you really expect to? The Avatar died a hundred years ago along with the rest of the airbenders." Rezalia internally winces as Zuko averts his eyes. A bad habit he had. "Unless you found some evidence that the Avatar is alive."

        "No," Rezalia murmurs in response, knowing it would take the heat of Zuko. "Nothing."

        "Prince Zuko, the Avatar is the only one who can stop the Fire Nation from winning this war. If you have an ounce of loyalty left, you'll tell me what you've found." Of course he would ignore her. How kind.

        Zuko looked into the commanders eyes defiantly. "I haven't found anything. It's like you said. The Avatar probably died a long time ago. Come on, Uncle, Rezalia, we're going."

        As they try to exit the room, the guards cross their spears in front of them to prevent their leaving. Another gives his report to the commander. " Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let him escape."

        Rezalia curses under her breath. Zhao looks at them with a snake-like grin. "Now, remind me...how exactly was your ship damaged?"

        Rezalia glares at him. Zhao forces them to sit back down and recount the story of what actually happened. When they were done, he looked thoroughly amused with their situation. "So, a twelve-year-old boy bested you and your firebenders? You're more pathetic than I thought.

        "We underestimated him once," Rezalia says.

        "It won't happen again," Zuko finishes.

        Zhao grins evilly. "No, it won't. Because you won't be getting a second chance." Rezalia's jaw drops.

        Zuko's eyes widen in alarm. "Commander Zhao, I've been hunting the Avatar for two years and I..."

        Zhao's expression morphes to fury and he swipes his hand through the air, sending fire over their heads. "And you failed!" Rezalia was about to remove the commanders head from his shoulders when Iroh sets a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

        "Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. He's mine now. Keep them here."

        Zhao leaves the room and Zuko kicks a small table, shattering it. Rezalia shares the sentiment. "How dare he!" she seethes.

        "More tea please," Iroh requests pleasantly. Rezalia and Zuko turn to him with matching incredulous looks. After while,  Zhao returns and announces that his search party is ready to go. Rezalia, who was sitting on his desk, glares at the man.

        "Once I'm out to sea, my guards will escort you back to your ship and you'll be free to go," the man tells them. Zuko looks up at him from where he sat across from his uncle.

        "Why? Are you worried I'm going to try and stop you?" the young prince asks.

        Zhao laughs in response. "You? Stop me? Impossible."

        Rezalia scoffs. "Watch us," she mutters. She's ignored.

        Zuko stands and looks into Zhao's eyes. "Don't underestimate me, Zhao. I will capture the Avatar before you." Rezalia nods with a dangerous grin, twirling Zhao's pen around her fingers.

        "You can't compete with me. I have hundreds of warships under my command, and you... you're just a banished prince. No home. No allies. Your own father doesn't even want you."

        Rezalia stands and gets in Zhao's face. "Say it again. I dare you."

        Iroh pulls her back. "That's enough."

        "You're wrong. Once I deliver the Avatar to my father he will welcome me home with honor and restore my rightful place on the throne," Zuko says, placing a hand on Rezalia's shoulder.

        "If your father really wanted you home, he'd have let you return by now, Avatar or no Avatar, but in his eyes you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation," Zhao sneers. Zuko's hand tightens on Rezalia's shoulder to prevent her from lunging at the commander.

        "That's a lie."

        "You have the scar to prove it." At that Rezalia tosses Zuko's hand off and her hand become engulfed in white flame. She goes to throw a punch but Zuko scoops his arm around her waist and pulls her back.

        "Agni kai. Sunset," Zuko challenges. Zhao raises an eyebrow.

        "Very well. It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your uncle will do," Zhao says with a grin that made Rezalia want to light him on fire. Zhao leaves and Iroh turn to his nephew with a frown.

        "Prince Zuko, have you forgotten what happened last time you dueled a master?" he asks. Rezalia scowls at the mention.

        "I'll never forget," Zuko respondes. Rezalia runs her thumb over the knuckles of the fist that the young prince had formed over her stomach. 

        They spent the rest of the day training with Zuko. When sunset finally arrives, Rezalia hip bumps him. "You got this, Z. Show that dick who's the better bender."

        "I refuse to let him win," Zuko says. Rezalia cheers quietly and moves to side so that Iroh can give his nephew a few pointers. The two competitors face one another.

        "This will be over soon," Zhao sneers.

        And the fight begins. Zuko sends blast after blast from his hands and feet and Rezalia can see that he's losing control over hs breathing. Zhao dodges and deflects all of his blasts. Zhao fires a blast at Zuko's feet, narrowly missing him. "Basics, Zuko! Break his root!" Iroh shouts. Zhao fires off a volley of flame, alternating fists and slowly pushes Zuko back. On his last blast, Zuko gets thrown to the ground.

        "C'mon, Z!" Rezalia calls. Zhao jumps at Zuko, but the young prince rolls out of the way just in time. Zhao lands on his feet, but Zuko sweeps them out from under them. Zuko advances on Zhao, his seet sending out small waves of fire as they make contact with the ground. He raises his fist to deal the final blow, but stops. Iroh and Rezalia exchange matching grins.

        "Do it!" Zhao shouts, glaring up at the prince. Zuko shoots off a blast that leaves a hole next to ZHao's head and steps away. "That's it? Your father raised a coward."

        Zuko scowls down at the commander. "Next time you get in my way, I promise I won't hold back."

        The prince begins to walk away. As he retreats, Zhao gets to his feet and moves to attack him. He kicks out, foot wreathed in fire, but before the attack can be carried through, a hand closes around it. Zhao looks at Rezalia with shock. She stands between Zuko and Zhao, holding the commanders foot in a vice like grip and looking at him with murder in her eyes. Zuko turns and goes to avenge the attempted attack but Iroh holds him back.

        "No, Prince Zuko. Do not taint your victory," he says before turning to Zhao. "So this is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat. Disgraceful."

        "Zuko is more honorable than you," Rezalia spits.

        Iroh gives him a false smile. "Even in exile. Thanks for the tea. It was delicious."

        Zuko stays quiet as they leave. Once they reach outside, Rezalia all but screams in anger. "That asshole!"

        "Did you really mean that?" Zuko asks quietly, eye flicking between His friend and uncle. Iroh gives him a sly smile.

        "Of course. I told you ginseng tea is my favorite."

        Rezalia shoves him slightly. "You know I did, Z."

        Zuko gives them both a small smile as they make their way toward their newly repaired ship.

Chapter Text

        Rezalia lay on her back on Zuko's bed, watching him meditate. It was rare that he was so calm. Carefully, she turns on her stomach, trying to make as little noise as possible. She wasn't wearing her combat outfit today, nor her dress. She opted for red shorts with a loose black t-shirt tucked in. She wasn't wearing shoes and had her long black hair tied into a sloppy bun on the top of her head.

        Rezalia looks up as the door opens to reveal Iroh. Without turning, Zuko speaks in a dangerously sweet voice. "The only reason you should be interrupting me is if you have news about the Avatar."

        Iroh enters the room fully, holding a map. " Well, there is news, Prince Zuko, but you might not like it. Don't get too upset."

        "Uncle, you taught me that keeping a level head is a sign of a great leader. Now whatever you have to say, I'm sure that I can take it," Zuko replies calmly. Rezalia scoffs inwardly.

        "Okay, then... we have no idea where he is."

        Zuko leaps to his feet and turns, the flames from the candles growing. "WHAT?!"

        And there goes his calm. Iroh shields his face with his arm until the flames die back down. He pulls a fan from his sleeve and uses it on himself. "You really should open a window in here."

        Zuko snatches the map from his uncle. "Give me the map!" Rezalia stands and moves to look over Zuko's shoulder.

        "There have been multiple sightings of the avatar, but he's impossible to track."

        "Awesome," Rezalia mutters before jumping back onto Zuko's bed.

        The prince ignores her. "How am I gonna find him, Uncle? He is clearly a master of evasive maneuvering."

        "We'll figure it out later, Z. For now, we need to worry about dinner. What are we eating? Is it fish? I bet it's fish," Rezalia rambles.

        It was fish. A member of the crew walks in and sets a plate of fish in front of Iroh, Zuko, and Rezalia. Technically, she wasn't supposed to eat with them, but Zuko made it clear that he didn't care. As he places the plate down, he idly comments about the whereabouts of the avatar. Zuko leaps to his feet.

        "The Avatar's on Kyoshi Island?" he begins to leave the room, talking to Iroh over his shoulder. "Uncle, ready the rhinos. He's not getting away from me this time."

        Rezalia raises an eyebrow and exchanges looks with iroh before looking down at the fish. "Are you going to finish that?" they ask in unison.

        Zuko storms back into the room and picks up the plate. "I was going to save it for later!" He leaves once more, followed by a giggling Rezalia and Iroh, who was pouting because he didn't get to eat the fish.

        Not long after, they've begun siege on Kyoshi Island. Zuko and Rezalia walk side by side into the town. Nobody was around, it appeared deserted, but they both knew better than that. Three girls dressed in traditional warrior garb approach them cautiously.

        "Is....is that Sokka?" Rezalia murmurs. Zuko gives her a confused look but otherwise ignores her. Zuko flips onto his hands and spins, knocking the warriors back with fire before righting himself.

        "Nice try, Avatar! But these little girls can't save you!"

        Aang appears on the street. "Hey! Over here!"

        "Finally!"

        The two face one another and Rezalia steps back, content to let Zuko handle it for the time being. The prince shoots off three fireballs but the airbender dodges them and flies over using his staff. Zuko fires another blast, knocking Aang's staff from his hands, causing the avatar to leap away. He grabs two discarded fans and uses them airbend an enormous gust of air at Zuko. Rezalia gasps as Zuko is thrown through a wall. She quickly runs over and helps him up.

        "You okay?" she asks. Zuko grunts and nods. "Don't lie to me, Z."

        Zuko sighs. "My shoulder feels off but other than that I'm fine."

        Rezalia prods her friend's left shoulder, causing him to hiss. "It's dislocated. I can fix it, but it'll hurt. Ready?" She doesn't wait for an answer before forcing Zuko's arm back into his socket. Zuko yelps and glares at Rezalia.

        "A little warning next time?!"

        "I gave you a warning. I asked if you were ready," she responds innocently. Zuko grumbles incoherent things as he stands and Rezalia can only assume that they weren't nice. She ducks undr his right arm and takes some of his weight. Zuko tries to protest but she acts as though she didn't hear him and put her arm around his wist so that he couldn't move away.

        "I can walk you know," Zuko grumbles.

        "Your favoring your left ankle," Rezalia replies bluntly. Zuko huffs and lets her help him back to the ship.

        About a week later, they had stopped in a part of the Earth KIngdom. They'd been there for a couple of days and Zuko was becoming impatient. He walked through the woods toward the hotsprings when he's joined by Rezalia. "Where ya goin'?"

        "To find Uncle," Zuko answers.

        "Oh, well then I'll wait back on the ship. He's in the hot springs and I don't want to see that."

        Zuko snickers and continues walking while Rezalia turns and makes her way to the ship. As she boards, a conversation between some of the crew member stops. She raises an eyebrow at them and continues on her way. Entering her room, Rezalia kicks off her sandals and changes into her combat outfit. Deciding to put her hair in twin plaits, Rezalia sits on the bed and gets to work. Minutes later, she pauses and sighs at the ceiling, wondering why she thought that this would be a good idea.

        Not long after she finishes her first plait, Zuko enters her room and sits down in the comfortable chair in the corner. Rezalia gives him a questioning look. "I told him to be back in a half an hour."

        "Okay. Where are we going after this?"

        "The last place the avatar was seen."

        "Gotcha."

        Everything is quiet for a moment save for the rustling of Rezalia's clothes as she finishes her hair. Zuko frowns and tilts his head at her. "How did you do that without a mirror?"

        "Muscle memory," she responds.

        "You have those?" he quips. Rezlalia makes an offended noise and chucks a pillow at the prince. Zuko smiles and tosses it back.

        Hours passed and Iroh still hadn't returned to the ship. Zuko gathers some of the guards together and they, along with Rezalia, go to look for the former war general. When they reach the hot springs, the area was covered in jagged rocks. Zuko and Rezalia exchange looks as they kneel by the area with the most rocks.

        "It looks like there's been a landslide, sir," one of the guard comments.

        "No," Rezalia shakes her head.        

        "Land doesn't slide uphill. Those rocks didn't move naturally. My uncle's been captured by earthbenders!" Zuko exclaims. For the rest of the day (which wasn't very long), everyone spends their time using the tracks that the earth benders left to follow them. Rezalia and Zuko are the only ones who venture out the next day.

        The next morning, they stumble across a sandal in the road. Before anyone can do anything, Zuko picks it up and smells it. Gagging he says; "Yup, that's Uncle Iroh."

        Rezalia laughs. "Why did that seem like a good idea to you?" Zuko scowls at her, which only makes her laugh harder. After walking for a while, they see Iroh about to have his hands crushed by a boulder. Just as it comes down, Zuko kicks it out of the way. He then turns and breaks the chains of Iroh's handcuffs.

        "Excellent form, Prince Zuko," Iroh compliments.        

        "You taught me well," Zuko returns. Rezalia steps into view and the three stand with their backs to one another. The captain leading the earthbenders steps forward and sneers.

        "Surrender yourselves, it's five against two. You're clearly outnumbered."

        Iroh grins as he responds. "Uh, that's true, but you are clearly outmatched!"

        Rezalia pulls twin daggers out of the holsters on her thigh, hidden by her skirt. All five benders simultaneously send rocks flying at them. However, Iroh takes out three with his chains and Zuo blasts the remaining two with fire. Two earthbenders behind Zuko send rocks at his back. Iroh uses his chains to stop one and Rezalia hits the other with her palm to change its direction. Iroh sends rock pieces flying into the stomachs of two Earth Kingdom soldiers.

        "It's even now," Rezalia comments. The Captain snarls and sends several rocks flying at her. Rezalia dodges them all and tosses one of her daggers in return, cutting deep into his arm and imbedding it into the tree behind him. The Captain shouts and raises two huge boulders above the heads of both teenagers. Luckily, Iroh wraps his chains around the Captain's feet and pulls, sending the earthbender to the ground. The boulders land on top of the remaining three benders. 

        "What asses," Rezalia sighs as she pulls her dagger free from the tree. She plucks a leaf from the tree and uses it to wipe the blood off of it. Returning her daggers to her holsters, Rezalia turns to face her comrades. "Ready to go?"

        "Only if he puts on some clothes," Zuko says, pointing at his uncle. Rezalia laughs and gestures for them to start walking.

Chapter Text

        Rezalia sighs as they sit on their rinos. Honestly, she wasn't sure why they had war rinos anyway. Was a rino really the best animal for this? They had just gotten here, and Rezalia already felt that they'd been there too long. Thankfully, they wouldn't be sitting around much longer if the footsteps walking toward them was any indicator. The chief of the village walks through the door in front of them, yawning.

        "Having trouble sleeping?" Zuko asks as he slides down off his rino. He pushes the chief up against the door roughly. "Seen the avatar lately?"

        The chief hurriedly tells them where the avatar was headed, causing Rezalia to frown at how easy he caved. Did he hold no loyalty to the avatar at all? Not long after, they were back on the ship with Rezalia pacing back and forth on the deck.

        "Sailing into Fire Nation waters...of all the foolish things you have done in your 16 years, Prince Zuko, this is the most foolish," Iroh snaps, voice oozing of frustration and concern.

        "I have no choice, Uncle."

        Rezalia whirls around to face him, anger written on her face in bold letters. "No choice?! You have no choice?! Of course you have a choice! You can sail into Fire Nation waters and get arrested or you can wait until the avatar comes back. He's not an idiot, Z! He won't stay over there forever!"

        "You don't know that," Zuko says.

        "You don't know that he'll stay! You're going over there based off what?! Information that might not even be legit!"

        "I can't take that chance, Zali!" Zuko snaps. "Look, I won't force you to come with me. If you want, we can drop you off at the nearest port with some guards and enough money to start you off. But I have to do this."

        Rezalia sighs, shoulders drooping. "I think this is a bad idea. In fact, I think this is the worst idea you've ever had. But I'm going with you."

        Zuko nods and looks back through his telescope. "There they are! Helmsman, full steam ahead!" he shouts after a moment. Rezalia walks to her room to change into her combat outfit.

        "Er, are you alright, miss?" one of the crew member asks when she emerges from her room. It takes Rezalia a moment to realise that she had been scowling.

        "Oh, yes, sorry. Just arguing with Zuko."

        "The prince?"

        "Yep."

        "If I may ask, what were you arguing about?"

        "The fact that he's making bad decisions. But what else is new. Sorry, but I never caught your name?"

        "Oh! It's Tierson, miss."

        "Drop the miss thing, Tierson. It's not necessary. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm needed on deck." With that, Rezalia walks away, leaving the young crew member to his own devices. 

        "Where have you been?" Zuko asks when Rezalia rejoins him and Iroh. The girl bristles at his tone.

        "Having a conversation. It's something people do, you know. Usually without being an ass," she snaps back. Zuko bites his lip and looks down.

        "I'm doing it again, aren't I?"

        "Yes. You are," Rezalia replies shortly.

        "I'm sorry, Zali. I'm trying. But I keep screwing up," Zuko says, voice full of frustration aimed at himself.

        "I know, Z. I know that you're trying. And I'm so proud of you for that. I just wish I could make you see that all of this-" she gestures to their course. "-isn't necessary. This isn't how you regain your honor, if you even lost it in the first place."

        When Zuko doesn't reply, Rezalia jumps onto the railing and sits there, facing the ocean. The prince leans on the railing next to her and the two rest there together in thoughtful silence. That is, until Zuko spots the flying bison that carries the avatar. Instantly, he orders for the catapult to be used. 

        Once the catapult is ready Zuko walks over to it. Still looking out at the waves, Rezalia hears Zuko order for them to shoot at the avatar. The ship suddenly stops and Rezalia looks up in confusion. "A blockade," she breathes, eyeing the line of ships that blocked their entry to the Fire Nation. 

        Rezalia turns and watches as Zuko and Iroh hold a short conversation before Zuko turns to the helmsman. "Run the blockade!" 

        All of the ships send fireballs into the air at the avatar, uncaring of the other ship in the water. Rezalia yelps as she's almost thrown off the railing sue to the waves that were created by the fireballs. She turns and gets on the deck, stumbling over to Zuko.

        The engine master shouts over to the prince. "Prince Zuko, the engines are damaged! We need to stop and make repairs!"

        Zuko turns and shouts back. "Do not stop this ship!" 

        More and more fireballs are sent to the air, some of them even blatantly being aimed at their ship. Even so, they never stop. Another wave causes Rezalia to crash into Iroh as he starts speaking. "We're on a collision course!"

        "We can make it!" Zuko shouts in response. Rezalia yelps again and she barely manages to stay standing. "Stay standing!"

        "I'm trying!" Rezalia snaps. As they draw closer to the blockade, Rezalia grabs the arms of both Iroh and Zuko and braces herself for impact. However, the blockade cus their engines and lets them through. As they pass, Rezalia makes eye contact with Zhao. "What is he playing at?" she mumbles.

        Eventually, the waves become calm once more and Rezalia releases her death grip on Iroh and Zuko. Zuko turns to his uncle. "What's he up to, Uncle? Why didn't Commander Zhao arrest me?"

        "Because he wants to follow you. He knows you'll lead him to the prize you're both after...the Avatar."

        "If Zhao wants to follow our trail of smoke, then that's exactly what I'll let him do."

~*~

          "Uncle, keep heading north. Zhao will follow the smoke trail while we use it as a cover," Zuko says. Iroh clearly disliked this plan but he held his tongue and allowed Rezalia and Zuko to board the smaller boat and disappear into the smoke. Upon getting to the island, the pair sneak into the temple and stumble across the avatar hiding behind a column. Zuko quickly holds his arms behind him quietly. Rezalia covers his mouth before he can scream. She looks into the boy's wide eyes and waves.

        "Aang! Now's your chance!" Katara shouts. Zuko jerks his head to the side. Rezalia nods and steps aside, removing her hand from Aang's face and allowing the two boys to move into view of the others.

        "The Avatar's coming with me!" Zuko exclaims as he begins to lead a struggling Aang toward the staircases. Rezalia trails behind, her eyes sweeping over everyone in the room. Zuko suddenly grunts and her head snaps in his direction. Quickly she lunges forward and grabs his arm to stop him from falling down the stairs. The pair steadies to see that avatar disappear through the doors of the sanctuary just before they stop.

        "He made it!" Katara cheers. 

        "Z! The doors!" Rezalia whisper shouts, pointing them out to the young prince. His eyes widen upon seeing what she meant.

        Quickly, Zuko has four of the other firebenders help him open the door. They get into position and send off a blast in unison. Nothing. Zuko growls in frustration. "Why isn't it working? It's sealed shut!"

        The Fire Sage turns to them. "It must have been the light. Avatar Roku doesn't want us inside."

        Not long after, all attention is on the rouge firebender. He's forced to his knees in front of Zuko, and by extension Rezalia, with his hands bound. "Why did you help the Avatar?"

        "Because it was once the Sages' duty. It is still our duty," the man replies quietly. Just as Rezalia goes to speak, someone starts to clap slowly. Everyone whirls around to see Commander Zhao advancing on them followed by Fire Nation soldiers.

        "What a moving and heartfelt performance," he drawls. "I'm certain the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you betrayed him." The Fire Sage greets his respectfully but is ignored. "And Prince Zuko, it was a noble effort. But your little smoke screen didn't work. Three traitors, in one day, the Fire Lord will be pleased."

        "Kiss my ass, Zhao!" Rezalia shouts as the soldiers mover to grab her and Zuko.

        "You're too late, Zhao. The Avatar's inside and the doors are sealed," Zuko says as he tries to free himself from the soldier's grip.

        Zhao brushed him off. "No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out."

        Zhao orders for the two from the water tribe and Rezalia to be chained to the column while Zuko's hands are bound and he's forced to be stand, surrounded by soldiers. The water tribe pair give Rezalia apprehensive looks. "I'm not gonna bite, ya know. I've got bigger fish to smoke," she mutters. 

        The Fire Nation troops assume the firebending pose and Zhao speaks. "When those doors open, unleash all your firebending power."

        Rezalia begins to protest on the grounds that it seemed like overkill for a kid, but Zuko shakes his head at her in warning. "How's Aang going to make it out of this?" Katara wonders aloud.

        Sokka scoffs and replies; "How're we going to make it out of this?"

        After a moment, the doors begins to creak open. "No! Aang!" Katara shouts as she and Sokka struggle against the chains. The movement causes the chains to dig into Rezalia's stomach. She winces but otherwise does nothing. Zhao orders his men to fire. They do so, causing Katara and Sokka to scream. When the flames suddenly die down, to everyone's surprise there wasn't the charred body of a twelve year old nor was there a pile of ash. Standing in the doorway was Avatar Roku. The rouge firebender exclaims as much.

        Zhao, the idiot, fires a blast at Roku. The deceased avatar returns the blast tenfold. The heat melts the bonds of the rouge, Katara, Sokka, Rezalia, and Zuko but the energy in the blast sends Rezalia's head flying into the stone column. She collapses to the ground, knocked out cold. Zuko races to her side and carefully picks her up before running out of the temple.

        When Rezalia wakes up, it's in Zuko's bed with said prince pacing at the foot of the bed. "Z?" she asks, voice groggy. She sits up and hisses at the piercing pain that shoots through her skull.

        "Zali! Careful! Do you feel okay?" Zuko asks, sitting on the bed next to her and handing her some water. Rezalia takes a drink before answering.

        "Uh, yeah. I mean, my head hurts but that's really it. What happened?" she asks.

        "They said you might not remember," Zuko mumbles. "We went to Avatar Roku's temple to stop the avatar, but then Zhao showed up. He chained you to a pillar with the siblings from the water tribe. When the avatar came out, it was Roku and not the boy. Roku sent out this huge blast that melted your chains, but it also cause you to smack your head against the pillar."

        "That sounds about right," Rezalia sighs, laying back down. Zuko takes the water from her a returns it to his bedside table. "Why are we in your room?"

        Zuko rubs the back of his neck. "Uh, I would've taken you to yours but mine was closer."

        "And he was panicking," Iroh adds as he enters the room.

        "I was not!" Zuko exclaims. Rezalia giggles, wincing when it sends pain flying through her skull. 

        "Now," Iroh starts. "You are to relax for at least three days so that your head can heal. I brought tea."

        "Thanks, Iroh."

        "Please dear, call me Uncle."

Chapter Text

        Rezalia sits on the observation deck and watches Zuko spar with one of the guards. Usually she'd be on the deck, but the guards had a habit of pulling her into sparring when they got tired and she was supposed to be resting. Not that she actually sparred much anyway. Suddenly, the boat turns and knocks them both off balance. 

        "Someone's changing our course!" Zuko exclaims before making his way to the helmsman. Rezalia joins him, entering the room just after him. "What's the meaning of this mutiny? No one told you to change course!"

        Rezalia silently tugs at the prince's arm and points to Iroh, who sits across from a crew member playing pai sho. "Actually," Iroh speaks up. "Someone did. I assure you it is a matter of utmost importance, Prince Zuko."

        Zuko brightens. "Is it something to do with the Avatar?" Rezalia resists the urge to roll her eyes.

        "Even more urgent. It seems... I've lost my lotus tile."

        "Oh spirits," Rezalia laughs, putting her hand to her head when it throbs dully. The pain had reduced greatly, but it still bothered her.

        "Lotus tile?" Zuko asks. Rezalia pats him on the shoulder and moves to sit down. She examines the game that Iroh's playing an notes a few ways that his opponent could make to win. Or, not lose as badly.

        "For my Pai Sho game. Most people think the lotus tile insignificant, but it is essential for the unusual strategy that I employ."

        Zuko tried to reign in his anger, which Rezalia appreciated. "You've changed our course for a stupid lotus tile?"

        "See, you, like most people, underestimate its value. Just give me ten minutes to check the merchants at this port of call. Hopefully they'll have the lotus tile in stock and I can get on with my life!" Iroh says happily. Zuko tries hard to not get angry, but a blast of fire escapes his mouth and covers the room with smoke. "I am lucky to have such an understanding nephew."

        Rezalia waves her hand in front of her face and coughs as she makes her way to the door. Once she opens it, the smoke clears and Zuko looks at her apologetically. She waves him off and sits back down.

        Once they reach the pier, Rezalia wanders off with a promise to meet them back at the ship in a couple hours. Dressed in her shorts and t-shirt ensemble, she draws much less attention than she normally would. As it is, people whisper as she passes. As she wanders, she buys a pair of black sandals that have straps travelling up to mid shin and tying in the back. Instantly, she puts them on as she had been barefoot previously. 

        As she's looking at the shops, Rezalia bumps into someone. "Shit! Sorry! Are you okay?" she asks, looking up to see that she had run into the avatar and his friends. "Oh, it's you guys."

        Sokka reaches for his boomerang and Aang gets his staff ready. Rezalia holds up her hands in surrender. "Woah, I'm not here to fight you guys. I'm technically not even allowed to fight right now."

        "Allowed?" Katara asks, voice tight.

        "Yeah, I got knocked out by Roku and now I can't fight for a while. Doctor's orders. I mean, I technically could ignore that and bring you to Z, but I feel like he'd be hella pissed if I did that. And Iroh wouldn't be too happy either. They were pretty damn clear on the no fighting rule. Not that I really fight all that much anyway. I usually let Z handle it, cause this is his goal you know? It's not that I can't fight, I just feel like Z would prefer to do it himself. He has this thing about receiving help. He's, like, allergic to it or some shit. I don't know. But the point is that I'm not here to fight you. We didn't even know you'd be here. We're actually here to get a board game piece. Well, Iroh is. Zuko is here so that he can make sure we leave as soon as possible and I'm here 'cause I'm really tired of that damned ship. We go places, sure, but I've spent the better part of two years on a ship. It gets old, you know? Anyway, I should get going. Z's gonna come get me soon anyway. Iroh's probably buying shit he doesn't need again."

        With that, Rezalia gets up off the ground, dusts herself off, and walks away. "That was weird, right?" she hears Sokka ask.

        "Yes," Aang answers. "She seemed nice though."

        Katara responds but Rezalia was too far away to hear what she said. Zuko spos her in the crowd and waves her over. Rezalia falls into step with them as they approach a pirate ship. She lets out a low whistle. "This place looks promising!" Iroh says happily. As they enter, Iroh's instantly drawn to an odd looking monkey statue with red gems imbedded in it. "Ooo! That is handsome! Wouldn't it look magnificent in the galley?"

        "Hard pass," Rezalia responds. Iroh shrugs and continues to inspect the monkey. Meanwhile, Zuko walks over to the owners of the ship.

        "This monk, did he have an arrow on his head?" Rezalia looks over, ignoring Iroh who had begun to make monkey noises.

~*~

        Not long after, the pirates chased Katara through the woods and straight to Zuko. She crashes into him and the prince holds her in place. "I'll save you from the pirates," he sneers. Despite her struggles, Katara is soon tied to a small tree and surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers and pirates alike.

        "Tell us where he is, and nobody gets hurt," Rezalia says calmly. Katara glares at her.

        "Go jump in the river!" she shouts.

        "Rude," Rezalia mutters. Zuko places a hand on her arm and gently pulls her back so that he can talk to Katara. Rezalia steps aside and watchs patiently. She had no doubt that Katara would continue to refuse them information, but Zuko would never accept that.

        "Try to understand, I need to capture to restore something I've lost. My honor. Perhaps in exchange I can restore something you've lost." As he speaks, Zuko moves behind Katara and holds her missing necklace to her neck. Rezalia raises an eyebrow. She didn't know he had that.

        "My mother's necklace! How did you get that?" Katara demands, glaring at Zuko as he moves to face her once more. The prince passes the necklace to Rezalia.

        "I didn't steal it, if that's what you're wondering. Tell me where he is." That much was true. If Zuko knew where the avatar was, he wouldn't be stealing necklaces and he was no pickpocket. He couldn't if he tried.

        Katara refuses to reveal Aang's location once more. At least she has some loyalty, Rezalia thinks idly as she remembers the village chief from a while ago. The captain of the pirates steps forward. "Enough of this necklace garbage. You promised the scroll!"

        Zuko pulls said scroll out of his pocket and lights a fire in his hand before holding it close to the scroll. "I wonder how much money this is worth?" The pirates gasp and move to stop him. "A lot, apparently. Now you help me find what I want, you'll get this back and everyone goes home happy. Search the woods for the boy and meet back here."

        The Captain sighs and gestures fr his men to fall in line. "Fine."

        The pirates return with Aang and Sokka in tow. Zuko looks pleased as he holds out the scroll. "Good job."

        Katara looks at Aang sadly. "Aang, this is all my fault." Rezalia inwardly agrees. If she hadn't stolen the scroll, Zuko never would've known that the avatar was nearby. Aang however, tells her that she wasn't at fault.

        "Yeah, it kind of is," Iroh interjects. Rezalia giggles and turns to Zuko who raises an eyebrow at her, silently asking if she was done. Rezalia gestures for him to carry on.

        "Give me the boy."

        "You give us the scroll," the Captain counters. 

        Sokka looks between the scroll and Aang and begins to speak. "You're really gonna hand over the Avatar for a stupid piece of parchment!?"

        Zuko points at Sokka. "Don't listen to him! He's trying to turn us against each other."

        The Captain looks down at Aang. "Your friend is the avatar?"

        Sokka sidles up next to the pirate. "Sure is, and I'll bet he'll fetch a lot more on the black market then that fancy scroll," he chirps. 

        "Dude!" Rezalia exclaims. "Shut up!"

        "Yeah, Sokka, you really should shut your mouth," Aang agrees, sending the pirates nervous looks. Sokka ignores them both.

        "I'm just sayin', it's bad business sense. Just imagine how much the Fire Lord would pay for the Avatar. You guys would be set for life!"

        "Keep the scroll!" the Captain exclaims after a while. "We can buy a hundred with the reward we will get for the kid."

        "You'll regret breaking a deal with me!" Zuko growls. The firebenders fire the first shot. Zuko, Rezalia, and a couple other soldiers run toward Aang and Sokka who were still tied up. As they draw closer, four pirates jump in front of them and kick Rezalia back. "Rezalia, stop! You're hurt!" Zuko shouts as he fights.

        "So? I'm not useless!" The teen counters as she rejoins the fight. Her head throbs but she ignores it. Fire is shot at random, everyone is dodging flames. Rezalia weaves around pirates and soldiers, punching people and stealing weapons as she goes. One of the pirates grabs her arm and yanks her back but she spins around and kicks him in the face. The pirate falls back and Rezalia uses his body a springboard, jumping and propeling herself up and out of the soke cloud. She looks down and sees Aang, Sokka, and Katara running toward the boats. Rezalia lands, rolls, an makes her way to the boats as well. She doesn't make it in time and instead changes curse to where Iroh and Zuko are standing. 

        Iroh appears to have just broken up a fight between the Captain and the prince. "Are you so busy fighting you cannot see your own ship has set sail?"

        Rezalia skids to a stop beside Zuko. "We have no time for your proverbs, Uncle!" he exclaims.        

        Iroh shakes his head and points the retreating ship. "It's no proverb."

        "Bleeding hog-monkeys!" the pirate curses before running off. Zuko and Rezalia laugh in response. Their laughter is cut short when they spot the pirates using their boat to chase after their own. 

        "Shit," Rezalia cusses as they take off.

        "Hey! That's my boat!" Zuko shouts, as though the pirates are going to turn back and apologise for the mix up. Iroh stands there for a moment before Zuko yells at him over his shoulder. "Come on, Uncle!"

        They chase the boats down the river bank, helpless to do little more than watch as the pirates fight the avatar and friends. Rezalia glances toward their destination only to be meet with a huge drop. "Z!" she shouts as she stops abruptly. Zuko turns his head and stops as well, nearly tumbling off the edge. They watch as their ship sails right over the edge of the waterfall.

        "My boat!" Zuko groans. Rezalia sighs and kicks a rock off the cliff's edge. Iroh catches up to them and pants. Suddenly, the old man laughs. Rezalia and Zuko turn around wearing matching expressions of confusion on their faces.

        "Hehe, Prince Zuko, you're really going to get a kick out of this. The missing lotus tile was in my sleeve the whole time!" Iroh says happily, pulling the game piece out of his sleeve to show them. Zuko's eye twitches as he struggles to control his breathing. Rezalia makes no such efforts and chucks the tile off the cliff and into the water. Iroh pouts at her but she manages to draw a laugh out of Zuko.

Chapter Text

        It takes a while, a long while, but Zuko, Iroh, and Rezalia manage to retrieve the boat along with the help of crew and the guards. Their stuff dried out fairly quickly, with the help of firebending. Of course, while they were getting everything together Zuko and Rezalia threw some of Iroh's thing away and told him they were lost. Only the things he's had for years and not used the whole time.

        Eventually, they were sailing again. And Rezalia was once again walking along the railing, much to the displeasure of Iroh and Zuko. When things got especially quiet, Rezalia would do an ariel just so that they would yell at her. At least it gave her something to do. Also, it was oddly amusing to watch Zuko's face gradually turn purple. Zuko would probably smack her with his telescope if she ever said that out loud, though.

        Things were beginning to go quiet again after Rezalia's latest show of acrobatics when Iroh began to sniff the air. Nobody batted an eye, used to things like this by now. "There is a storm coming. A big one."

        Zuko sighs and lowers his telescope. "You're out of your mind, Uncle. The weather's perfect. There is not a cloud in sight."

        "The storm is approaching from the north. I suggest we alter our course and head southwest," Iroh continued, as if his nephew hadn't spoken at all.

        "We know the Avatar is traveling northward, so we will do the same," Zuko replies, becoming irked.

        "Prince Zuko, consider the safety of the crew," Iroh urges. Rezalia nods in agreement, though she wasn't sure that Zuko saw.

        Based on his next exclamation, she ventures to say that he didn't. "The safety of the crew doesn't matter!" A few of the crewmembers overhear, including the Lieutenant. Zuko spots the Lieutenant and gets in his face. A habit he seemed to have. "Finding the Avatar is far more important than any individual's safety."

        Zuko then storms off. Rezalia rolls her eyes and jumps off the railing to follow him. As she goes, she hears Iroh say; "He doesn't mean that, he's just all worked up."

        Rezalia opens the door to find Zuko lying in bed, facing away from the door. "I did it again," Zuko says quietly. Rezalia steps into the room and shuts the door behind her.

        "You did," she agrees, leaning against the door. Zuko lets out a groan of frustration and turns to lie on his back.

        "What is wrong with me?! I'm trying so hard to do better but nothing's happening! I always go backwards!" Zuko shouts. "Why can I never do anything right?!"

        Rezalia sits down on Zuko's bed next to him and pulls her legs up. "There's nothing wrong with you, Z. Getting better isn't a straight path. You'll go back and forth for a while, but you'll get there. I believe in you. The fact that you're even trying means the world to me. I'll be with you the whole time to keep you in check."

        Zuko manages a small smile and reaches out to squeeze her knee. "Thank, Zali. I know I'm not the easiest to put up with."

        "Bull, Z. You know I'd rather be here than anywhere else," Rezalia replies, patting his hand.

        "That's cause we feed you for free."

        "Yeah, well."

        Rezalia and Zuko remain in his room for a while more, Zuko listening to Rezalia prattle on about how she wanted to somehow make her hair look like fire. Zuko agreed that it would be pretty cool and they went back to the deck. Once there, they're greeted with Iroh and four crew member, including the Lieutenant, watching a storm draw closer.

        "Uh! Looks like your uncle was right about the storm after all," the Lieutenant says.

        Iroh waves him off. "Lucky guess."

        Zuko didn't seem to like the way the Lieutenant spoke to him as he once again got in his face. "Lieutenant, you'd better learn some respect,  or I will teach it to you," Zuko hisses, poking the man's chest with two fingers. Rezalia could sort of understand where he was coming from but it still seemed like overkill to her.

        The Lieutenant seemed done with trying to make peace and spoke, even as Iroh desperately signaled for him to stop. "What do you know about respect? The way you talk to everyone around here, from your hard working crew to your esteemed uncle shows you know nothing about respect. You don't care about anyone but yourself! Then again, what should I expect from a spoiled prince?"

        Well now Rezalia was ready to throw down. Before Zuko can say anything, Rezalia steps forward. "Agni kai. Now."

        Multiple people gasp. "B-but, miss," the Lieutenant stutters. "I insulted the prince, not you."

        Rezalia raises an eyebrow and steps forward, causing the man to step back. She continues to advance while he retreats and is eventually stopped by the railing. "Yes, you did. And I was bothered by it and now I am the one challenging you. You can either refuse to fight like the coward that you are, or you can get your ass handed to you. Your choice."

        The Lieutenant looked around wildly and upon seeing no way out of this, turned back to the teen. "Very well."

        Rezalia instantly makes her way to the center of the deck. Zuko goes after her, forced to hog due to her murder walk. "Zali, what the fuck? You don't have to do this."

        "I issued the challenge, Z. Besides he's pissing me off. I get why he has an issue, you're an ass sometimes, but he had no business taking it that far."

        "You aren't dressed for this," Zuko protests, grasping at straws. 

        "And I'll still kick his ass."

        "Zali, you don't have to fight for me!"

        "No. Z, I don't. But I always have and I always will. I thought you knew that when I was six and I told your father no. Or when I got myself banished because I told your father to suck my dick. I will always fight for and with you. Whether the battle be verbal, physical, or mental doesn't matter to me. Now fuck off, I've got an agni kai to win."

        Dazed, Zuko steps back to stand next to his uncle. Iroh pats him on the shoulder and calls out. "You all know the rules. I will act as the officiator. Begin."

        The Lieutenant instantly fires multiple rounds at Rezalia, who drops low to the ground and sends a wave of her own flames at him. Almost the entire crew gasps at the sight of the white flames. The Lieutenant stumbles back with wide eyes. "The Devil of the Fire Nation," he breaths in fear. Rezalia grins mockingly and forms a concentrated fire ball in her hands, weaving it around her body before sending it flying. The Lieutenant dodges but seems to have lost the will to fight. "Please, have mercy. I had no idea......I'm sorry!"

        Rezalia sighs and drops her hands, dispersing the fire gathered there. "It shouldn't matter who I am. You needlessly commented on someone's attitude, which they are already working on. The fact that you feel sorry once you are sure you face your defeat proves that you are a cocky, spineless coward. If it were up to me you'd be off this ship at the next port. Be glad it is not."

        Rezalia walks away, content with what had taken place. Zuko chases after he once again. "You're the best. You know that right?" he murmurs. Rezalia giggles.

        "Far from it, Z. You'd do the same for me," she replies. Zuko stops and grabs Rezalia's arm, forcing her to stop as well.

        "I would," he agrees. "But I don't know if I would've stopped. You only fought him because you knew talking wouldn't do any good. I only respond with violence."

        "That's not always a bad thing, Zuko. Sometimes it's the only way to get through to people." Rezalia gives the prince a small smile and continues walking. Zuko watches her go for a moment before returning to the deck. Rezalia makes her way to her room and slides to the floor, staring at her hands. It'd been so long since she'd used her flames in a proper fight. She could hardly remember. Her hands shook.

        A knock on the door startles her out of her reverie. Quickly she stands and opens it. "Oh, hello, Teirson."

        "Hi, m- uh Rezalia. I wanted to check on you after your fight," the young man says. 

        Rezalia smiles and pulls her hands behind her back. "I'm perfectly fine! He didn't land a hit!"

        "Alright! Just wanted to make sure everything was okay. Um, I was actually wondering if-" Before Tierson can finish his sentence, the boat rocks violently and shouts are heard. The storm. 

        "Excuse me, but," Rezalia doesn't bother to finish her sentence before running off, her door slamming shut behind her. As she runs the combined forces of her momentum and the harsh rocking of the boat work together to slam Rezalia into as many walls as possible. She finally runs onto the deck, shoulders and back bruised to hell, and sees everyone struggling to keep their footing. Rezalia gestures for anyone who catches her eye to wrap themselves around the railing. They'd get wet, but they'd stay still.

        "Where we hit?" Zuko shouts.

        The Lieutenant answers as he stumbles around deck. "I don't know!"

        Rezalia hooks her arm around some of the younger guards and pulls them over to the nearest ladder. "Stay here!" she shouts over the sounds of the storm. "Hold on tight!"

        "Look!" Iroh shouts suddenly. Rezalia follows his finger to where he's pointing and sees the helmsman dangling. Rezalia gasps but before she could do anything, Zuko takes off. Ignoring the torrential downpour, he quickly climbs up the ladder. Distantly, Rezalia registers Iroh deflecting lightning that was to hit the ship. Rezalia lets out a shout as the helmsman slips off of the rail he was holding onto. Luckily, Zuko grabs him as he falls. Rezalia lets out a breath and quickly moves under the helmsman. 

        "I'll catch him!" she shouts up.

        "Are you sure?!" Zuko asks, even as his grip starts to slip.

        "YES!" Rezalia snaps, wondering why he was hesitating. Zuko looks down at the man and tells him what he was going to do before letting go. Rezalia adjusts her position and catches the man. Due to his weight, Rezalia's knees bend and she sets him on the ground a bit harsher than she would have liked. "Sorry."

        "It's fine," the man says, voice little more than a whisper. 

        "Hold onto something," she instructs. Zuko climbs back down and makes his way to Rezalia. She grabs onto his arm as the boat rocks. Above, the pair spot the avatar's flying bison.

        "The avatar!" Zuko exclaims. 

        The Lieutenant stumbles walks over to them. "What do you want to do, sir?"

        Zuko pauses for a moment before shaking his head. "Let him go. We need to get this ship to safety."

        Rezalia smiles and squeezes the prince's arm. Iroh smiles as well. "Then we must head directly into the eye of the storm."

Chapter Text

        Rezalia chews on her lip as her, Zuko, and Lieutenant Jee look over a map. Zuko's eyes flick toward her and he frowns. "Stop that," he mutters. Rezalia huffs but does as told.

        "We haven't been able to pick up the Avatar's trail since the storm. But, if we continue heading northeast –" the Lieutenant is cut off when the light is blocked. Everyone looks up to see a huge Fire Navy ship. Zuko scowls at it.

        "What do they want?" Rezalia asks, pushing Zuko's hand to indicate that he should close the map. Zuko does so.

        "Perhaps a sporting game of Pai Sho!" Iroh says hopefully. Rezalia doubts it but says nothing. They make their way to the deck. The Herald shoves a wanted poster featuring Aang into their faces. Zuko gives him an annoyed look.

        "I've got nothing to report to Zhao. Now get off my ship and let us pass," the young prince orders. The Herald puts the poster away.

        "Admiral Zhao is not allowing ships in or out of this area."

        "Off my ship!" Zuko thunders. Rezalia places a placating hand on Zuko's back and steps forward.

        "I believe you've overstepped your bounds. It would be wise of you to leave," she says, going for a respectful reproach while still telling them to get the fuck off the ship. The Herald and his men scoff but go back to their boat anyway.

        "Excellent! I take the pot. But, you're all improving. I'm certain you will win if we play again," Iroh says.

        Hours later, Zuko was training well into sunset. Rezalia had taken to making sure he drank water since she was unable to make him stop. Iroh walks out onto the deck. "Is everything okay? It's been almost an hour and you haven't given the men an order."

        Zuko pauses for a moment before looking out at the ocean. "I don't care what they do."

        "Uh oh," Rezalia mutters.

        "Don't give up hope yet. You can still find the Avatar before Zhao," Iroh says encouragingly. Rezalia stands and goes to hand Zuko his water bottle. The prince whirls around to face his uncle, not taking the water.

        "How, Uncle? With Zhao's resources it's just a matter of time before he captures the Avatar." Zuko turns back to the ocean. "My honor, my throne, my country, I'm about to lose them all."

        "No, you're not," Rezalia says. Zuko's heads snaps in her direction. "We'll get there first. We have less people so me move faster. We've had run ins with Aang before. We know their fighting style and how to take them down faster. On top of that, we have more brain cells between the three of us than the entire Fire Nation Army."

        Zuko laughs slightly. "Thanks Zali."

        "Anytime, Z."

        After a while, Zuko tells his uncle and friend that he needs air and walks off. Rezalia gives him an odd look but is quickly distracted by Iroh announcing music night. Instantly, everyone breaks into two teams. It was customary that for the first couple of hours, the crew and guards would split into teams and have a music battle. It wasn't often that Rezalia participated but this time it seemed that she had no choice. 

        One of the guards grabs her arm and tugs her to his team. "Well, I guess I'm on your team then."

        Teirson grins at her. "Hey, Rezalia! You happen to know how to sing would you?" Rezalia sits down next to him and shrugs.

        "I mean, I'm okay."

        "Don't let her lie to you, young man. She's a wonderful singer," Iroh interjects. Rezalia rolls her eyes and gestures for one of the guards to hand her the guitar. She strums a few notes and tunes the guitar before strumming again. 

        "Follow my lead, yeah?" she asks. The men holding the other instruments nod. Rezalia begins to strum the guitar and after a moment the other instruments join in. "If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea, I'll sail the world to find you. If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see, I'll be the light to guide you."

        Tierson looks at her in surprise, but she was concentrated on the guitar. "Find out what we're made of, when we are called to our friends in need. You can count on me like one two three, I'll be there. And I know when I need it I can count on you like four three two you'll be there. 'Cause that's what friends are supposed to do, oh yeah. Ooooohhhhhh, oooohhhhhh, ooooh, oooh, yeah, yeah."

        After a while, Iroh's team is declared the winner and the teams are disbanded. Everyone gathers in a big circle around the fire and plays a few songs. As they play, Tierson tells Rezalia stories about his homeland and things that happen below deck or while her and Zuko are out. Rezalia was laughing with the young crew member when Zuko finally returns. He looked to have a bruise on his face.

        Rezalia frowns and stands. "I'm gonna head to bed." She does, in fact, not go to bed but instead slips into Zuko's room. "How was your walk?"        

        "Refreshing," Zuko mutters as he pulls his shoes off. "Did you want something?"

        Rezalia ignores his question as she leans against the closed door. "That's nice. And was there a specific reason that you needed to change clothes?"

        "I didn't want to draw attention."

        "Makes sense. What's in the bag?"

        "Nothing. Weapons, just in case."

        "How practical of you," Rezalia replies dryly. Quickly, she snatches the bag off the ground. Zuko tries to get her to stop, but Rezalia ducks away from him. She pulls a blue mask from the bag. "And I suppose this id just in case as well?"

        "Zali, I......" Zuko shifts guilty. Rezalia sighs and drops both the mask and the bag onto the bed.

        "Look, Z. You don't have to tell me what you were doing. I already know it was dangerous. But from now on I want you to tell me when you're going out and how long you think you'll be gone. I need to know when to start panicking."

        "You.....you won't make me stop? Or force me to take you with me?"

        "No, I won't. If you don't want to come, I won't. And I know better than to try and stop you from doing anything you're set on." Zuko smiles at her. "Now, I'm gonna head to bed."

        "Wait!" Zuko exclaims as Rezalia reaches for the door knob. "Stay? Just for a while, I mean." Rezalia smiles and nods before jumping onto his bed. Zuko rolls his eyes at her and gestures for her to scootch over. "I had to save the avatar."

        "You what?!" she exclaims.

        "Yeah. Zhao captured the avatar so I went a broke him out. Zhao had some crazy archer guy knock me out, but the avatar saved me? I don't know. I just woke up under some tree and he started talking to me. I don't know what he wanted but he asked me if we would've been friends under different circumstances. It was weird," Zuko says, making a face.

        "Sounds weird. Also, you do know that he has a name right?"

        "Yeah, I know. It just helps when I don't think of him as human," Zuko mutters. Rezalia nods and pokes Zuko in the ribs. "Ah! What the hell, Zali?"

        "You got all broody," Rezalia answers. Zuko scoffs. 

        The two of them talk well into the night, and eventually they both fall asleep. They both sat at the head of the bed with the pillows supporting their backs. Rezalia's head had tilted onto Zuko's shoulder and the prince's own head was tipped back. Iroh knocks on the prince's door only to receive no answer. Which struck him as strange since Zuko was typically a light sleeper.

        Iroh's eyebrows furrow and he slowly opens the door. Upon seeing the position in which is nephew was in, Iroh grins and closes the door once more.

Chapter Text

        The morning after that was slightly awkward, but only for Zuko it appeared. Rezalia hopped up and stretched, complained lightly about the sleeping position, and skipped off to her own room. What Zuko didn't see, was the way that Rezalia cringed to herself in the hall.

        Shaking herself off, Rezalia changes into her red shorts, her red and gold skirt, her sandals, and her black t-shirt tied up just over her bellybutton. After a moment, she decides to leave her hair down and walks to the deck. Climbing up onto the rail, Rezalia does a few cartwheels.

        "Careful, Rezalia," Iroh warns. Rezalia turns and grins at him. "We wouldn't want you to fall."

        Rezalia laughs and does a backbend into a handstand before answering. "I'll be fine, Uncle Iroh. I've been doing things like this since......well since forever."

        "I know, dear. But that doesn't stop me from worrying," Iroh says kindly. Rezalia flips back onto her feet and grins. Zuko walks onto the deck and awkwardly points to the door behind him.        

        "Uh......tea?" he says. Rezalia giggles and hops off the railing. Iroh joins her as they walk over to Zuko. The follow the prince into a room where they all sit. "I really don't get why you like this so much."

        "Ahh! See, Prince Zuko, a moment of quiet is good for your mental well being."

        "Yeah, Z. See, that's old guy talk for relax dumbass," Rezalia quips. Zuko scowls at her but before he can say anything the ship rocks violently. They all rush upstairs to see a woman sitting atop of a giant lizard. Rezalia takes a few steps forward to look closer at it. "Mole-lizard?"

        The lady shouts out, swiping her hair through the air. "Get back! We're after a stowaway."

        Zuko steps forward. "There are no stowaways on my ship!" he protests. Rezalia absentmindedly nods as she circles the mole-lizard. She hums as she examines it's flicking tail. Suddenly, said tail whips up and smashes into the deck and drags out a scrawny looking man.

        "He's paralysed," Zuko says lowly. The lady leans over and picks the man up, setting him on the mole-lizard behind her.

        "Only temporarily. The toxins'll wear off in about an hour. But by then he'll be in jail and I'll have my money."

        Rezalia reaches out to touch the creature, but thinks better of it and walks back to Zuko. "How did you track him here?" she asks.

        "My shirshu can smell a rat a continent away," the lady brags. 

        "So, not a mole-lizard," Rezalia mutters. Zuko gives her a slightly confused look but she waves him off.

        "Very impressive," Iroh musses. Rezalia hums in agreement. Zuko ignored them both. The lady and her shirshu race off. Zuko protests, shouting after her but she doesn't seem to hear. That or she didn't care for what he had to say.

        "We need to find her," Zuko tells them. Rezalia looks at him and tilts her head to the side.

        "Huh? Why?"

        "She broke my damn ship!"

        "Oh yeah."

~*~

        Zuko slams the doors to the bar open. There, in the corner a crowd gathered around a table. If Rezalia stood on her tiptoes, she could see that the bounty hunter they were looking for was in the middle of the circle. Zuko, the tall asshole, could see her just fine. Zuko shoves his way to the crowd while Rezalia simply gestured for those in her way to move. After seeing the way Zuko threw those in front of him, they moved pretty damn quick.

        "Move of be moved!" Rezalia shouts.

        "Out of my way! Step aside, filth!" Zuko shouts, earning an elbow to the ribs from the teen at his side.

        Iroh smiles sheepishly at the people Zuko had shoved. "He means no offense! I'm sure you bathe regularly." Rezalia kind of doubted it, both points. Zuko absolutely meant to offend them, and there was almost no way that these people bathed regularly.

        They make their way to the middle of the circle and Zuko slams his hand down on the table. "I need to talk to you."

        "Well, if it isn't my new friends, Angry Boy and Uncle Lazy. And look you've brought Weird Eyes with you," the woman says lazily. Iroh and Rezalia laughs, but Zuko only gets more pissed. 

        "Your beast trashed my ship. You have to pay me back," he growls. "And don't call her that."

        The lady beats her arm wrestling opponent and collects the money. "Aww, I'd love to help you out, but I'm a little short on money." She turns to the crowd. "Drinks on me!"

        The crowd cheers while Rezalia raises an eyebrow. "Yeah. Short on money. I'm sure."

        Zuko grabs the lady's arm as she goes to take a drink. "Money wasn't what I had in mind." He holds out Katara's necklace. Where does he keep getting that thing? "I need you to find someone."

        The lady scoffs. "What happened? Your girlfriend run off on you?"

        "It's not the girl we're looking for," Rezalia says. The bounty hunter raises an eyebrow at her and gets up. They continue the conversation as they walk outside.

        "It's the monk that she travels with," Zuko adds. 

        "Whatever you say."

        "If you find them, I'll consider the damage to my ship paid for."

        "Ha! Forget it," the lady says as she climbs onto her shirshu.

        "Plus we'll pay your weight in gold!" Iroh adds.

        The lady looks them over. "Make it your weight and we have a deal." Iroh agrees with a laugh and the bounty hunter leans forward to grab Katara's necklace. "Get on!"

        She holds the necklace in front of the shirshu as Zuko, Iroh, and Rezalia climb on. Zuko awkwardly wraps his arms around Rezalia's waist. The teen rolls her eyes and pulls him forward so that Iroh had more room. "Hold tight, Z. This thing goes pretty damn fast."

        Zuko grumbles in her ear but does as instructed. Just as he does, the shirshu takes off, just barely giving the lady enough time to get on the saddle. On the way to wherever the fuck, the bounty hunter informs them that her name is June. This briefly reminds Rezalia of Mai but she shakes it off.

        The first place they come across is a huge greenhouse with only an old lady and her cat. The old lady didn't seem at all intimidated by the shirsu. "Out for a bit of fresh air, are we?"

        "We're looking for someone," Zuko replies, his chest rumbling against Rezalia's back. The teen makes a face at the odd sensation but finds that she doesn't particularly dislike it.

        The old lady frown down at her cat. "I hope it's not Miyuki. Miyuki, did you get in trouble with the Fire Nation again?"

        "Again?" Rezalia asks under her breath. Zuko snickers behind her.

        "The Avatar's been through here. Let's keep moving," June says before snapping her whip and sending them off once again.

        Their next stop is a small village near a volcano. Many of the people give them annoyed or fearful looks. "Why are we stopping?" Rezalia asks. Zuko shifts behind her, putting his hand on her waist to keep his balance.

        June looks around. "Because the girl must of spent a lot of time here."

        Zuko growls lightly and reaches over Rezalia to snatch Katara's necklace away from her. "We have no time for this!" Zuko dangles the necklace in front of the shirsu's face and narrowly manages to avoid being hit by it's tongue. "Hey, watch it!" Zuko jerks back and smacks his head against Rezalia's back. The girl giggles and reaches back to pat the teen's hip.

        "Oh, look! He likes you!" June laughs. Zuko smacks his head again as the other laugh.

        An older woman walks up the shirsu and bats her eyelashes up at Iroh. "Care to hear your fortune, handsome?"

        Iroh grins down at her. "At my age there is really only one big surprise left, and I'd just as soon leave it a mystery."

        Rezalia giggles as Zuko gags. June has them on the road again before long. Their third stop is a small village that specialises in perfumes and lotion. Rezalia stores that information away just in case. "We're getting close," June tells them as they set off for the final time. Rezalia jerks back when they start again and Zuko's arms move to steady her. One wraps almost all the way around her waist and the other crosses her chest to hold onto her arm. 

        "Thanks, Z," Rezalia mumbles. Zuko nods and drops his hand back down to wrap loosely around her waist. The shirshu takes them into the nearby woods, following a clear path rather than simply cutting in straight line like it had been. 

        Katara comes into view, along with Sokka and some random dude, and the shirshu skids to a stop. Rezalia and Zuko dismount immediately. "So this is your girlfriend," June muses from atop her perch. "No wonder she left. She's way too pretty for you."

        Rezalia snickers, earning herself a dirty look from the prince. She shrugs at him and he turns back to Katara and Sokka. "Where is he? Where's the Avatar?"

        Sokka steps in front Katara. "We split up! He's long gone."

        "How stupid do you think I am?" Zuko scoffs. Rezalia reaches out and taps Zuko's arm once. Truth.

        "Pretty stupid," Sokka quips before grabbing Katara by the arm. "Run!" The siblings begin to run off, but the shirshu stings them before they make it too far. They collapse on the ground and Rezalia props them up against a tree before picking them up and putting them on the shirshu's back.

        "What are we supposed to do now?" Zuko asks as while Rezalia makes sure that the water tribe siblings were comfortable. They seemed confused by the actions but Rezalia paid them no mind as she moves back toward Zuko.

        "It's seeking a different scent – perhaps something that the Avatar held," June answers as the shirshu sniffs around the paralysed siblings. A scroll falls out of Sokka's bag. Rezalia grabs Zuko's arm and thy quickly mount the shirshu before it takes off once more. This time Rezalia was practically on his lap due to lack of room. They go back to the village with the perfumes and the shirshu begins walking in circles.         

        "Is it okay?" Rezalia asks. June nods.

        "What's it doing? It's just going around in a circle!" Zuko calls. June looks around before they all look up as something swoops toward them. The avatar. The shirshu jumps up and snaps it's jaw at Aang, but only manages to throw off it's riders. Zuko holds onto Rezalia tightly and falls onto his back, with the girl on his chest.

        "You okay?" Rezalia asks as she gets up, helping Zuko up.

        Zuko coughs and nods. They watch as June jumps back onto her shirshu and takes. They chase the avatar around for while, breaking things and causing general panic until Aang shoves them through a wall. He seemed to do that a lot. Zuko, of course, runs at him hands blazing. The pair exchange blows for a while, neither of them really making an impact before they're both blown backward and through the roofs of separate houses. Rezalia sighs and runs to Zuko's crash sight. In her peripheral vision, she sees June's shirshu sting Appa (who they were apparently fighting now?) but her focus remains on her friend.

        "Hey, Z, when I said relax this isn't exactly what I meant." Zuko rolls his eyes at her and gets to his feet. "There ya go. Up and at 'em. If you're going back out, try not to get yourself killed, yeah?"

        "Zali, please stop talking."

        "Fine. Be that way."

        With that, Zuko shakes himself off and runs along the spine of the roof to where the avatar was just coming to. The two wrestle and shoot blasts at each other, as they tend to do, and Aang was winning because he's already got hang of two elements by now. Zuko was doing pretty damn good all things considered, if you asked Rezalia. AAng sends a wave of water at Zuko, knocking him to the ground. As he gets up, Appa looms over him but before the giant beast can do anything, the shirshu stings him three times. Damn, he is not having a good day.

        Rezalia makes her way back to Iroh in the courtyard just as Katara waterbends a shit ton of perfume over the shirshu. The creature thrashes violently, and stings both June and Zuko. Rezalia rushes forward and catches her friend, sitting on the ground with his head in her lap. Iroh catches the bounty hunter, laying her on his chest. Rezalia raises an eyebrow at them.

        "Uncle? I didn't see you get stung," Zuko says, looking at him the best he can. Iroh shushes him and closes his eyes, causing Rezalia to giggle.

        She looks down at Zuko, her hair forming a curtain around their faces. "You know, you're really taking this relaxing thing to heart. I'm surprised, Z."

        "I fucking hate you," Zuko replies with a glare.

        "Sure, Z."

Chapter Text

        They spend the next couple of days following the avatar. As of now, Rezalia and Zuko were in Zuko's room while the others were having music night on the deck. Rezalia was stretching on the floor and humming to herself while Zuko sat on his bed with his arms crossed, staring into space. Iroh opens the door, causing to Rezalia to look up at him. Zuko doesn't bother as he says; "For the last time, I'm not playing the sumki horn."

        Iroh looks between the two of them before settling on his nephew's face. "No, it's about our plans. There's a bit of a problem."

        Zuko looks up and opens his mouth to speak but is stopped when Zhao enters the room behind Iroh. "I'm taking your crew," he says, completely forgoing formalities.

        "What?!" Zuko and Rezalia exclaim in unison.

        Zhao smirks at them, like the snake he is. "I've recruited them for a little expedition to the North Pole."

        "Uncle, is that true?" Zuko asks, searching the man's face for evidence that this was some kind of joke. Rezalia rises from her split and makes her way to Zuko's side. 

        Iroh looked miserable. "I'm afraid so. He's taking everyone." The man throws his arm over his eyes in despair. "Even the cook!"

        "Sorry you won't be there to watch me capture the Avatar. But I can't have you getting in my way again," Zhao sneers. Zuko lunges, but Rezalia pulls him back and draws a quick 'x' over his back. No.

        Zhao walks further into the room an examines the broad swords that hung on Zuko's wall. The very swords that Zuko used when he was out playing vigilante. Zuko tenses and Rezlalia furiously taps twice on Zuko's back before pausing and repeating the motion. Again and again. Lie lie lie lie.

        Zhao pulls one of the swords off of the wall. "I didn't know you were skilled with broadswords, Prince Zuko."

        "I'm not. They're antiques. Just decorative," Zuko replies tensely. Rezalia stops taping and draws a short line with two fingers. Sorry.

        Zhao hums and turns to Iroh. "Have you heard of the Blue Spirit, General Iroh?"

        Iroh gives the Admiral a weird look. "Just rumors. I don't think he is real."

        "He's real all right. He's a criminal, an enemy of the Fire Nation." Zhao hands the broad sword to Iroh. "But I have a feeling that justice will catch up with him soon. General Iroh, the offer to join my mission still stands if you change your mind," Zhao says as he moves to leave. He pauses. "That offer extends to you as well, Ms. Devil."

        Zuko growls at the name, and Rezalia was sure Zhao only said it because he knew i would make Zuko mad. Zhao shuts the door behind him. "Over my dead body," Rezalia scoffs as she falls backward onto Zuko's bed. Said prince sits down next to her with his head in his hands. She nudges Zuko with her knee and smiles at him when he looks up. Zuko manages a small smile in return.

        Iroh leaves and returns hours later with an awkward smile. Rezalia looks up from the book she was reading, however her vision is slightly off due to the fact that she was laying upside down in the chair. Zuko was lying in the bed facing away from the door. The two hadn't left Zuko's room all day, with the exception of getting meals to bring back to his room.

        "The crew wanted me to wish you safe travels."

        Zuko scoffs. "Good riddance to those traitors." Rezalia frowns but lets in go on the grounds that he was already upset.

        Iroh says nothing for a moment before changing the subject. "It's a lovely night for a walk. Why don't you join me? It would clear your head." Zuko says nothing. "Or, just stay in your room and sit in the dark. Whatever makes you happy."

        Iroh shuts the door quietly. Rezalia marks her page and places the book aside before setting herself rightside up. "Do you want me to stay or go?"

        "I'd like to be alone, please," Zuko murmurs in response. Rezalia nods and follows Iroh's lead, saying a quiet goodbye before closing the door behind her.

        "Uncle Iroh! Wait up!" Rezalia calls. Iroh stops and waits for her to catch up with a grin. "So, tell me about the new tea you got."

        Iroh and Rezalia walk along a beaten path in the woods, talking about the newest tea that Iroh picked up at the last market they stopped at when they're stopped by the sound of an explosion. Both of them whip around to see the endings of their ship blowing up. "Zuko!" Iroh shouts. Rezalia takes off running back to the ship.

        She skids to a stop at the edge of the water. The ship was completely destroyed. On fire, parts missing, and sinking. And no sign of Zuko. Rezalia sinks to her knees. "No no no no no."

        Not long after that, her and Iroh sat in Zhao's office with tea in front of him. Rezalia's face was blank, which unnerved Zhao. Not that he'd ever admit that. "I'm devastated to hear about Prince Zuko. Just devastated."

        Rezalia doubted that. Zhao had never liked Zuko. But her tongue felt leaden so she said nothing at all. "The Fire Lord will not be pleased he learns who was responsible," Iroh says, eyes downcast. Zhao tenses and studies the two of them carefully.

        "You know who... was behind the attack?" he asks.

        "Yes," Iroh says before slamming his fist on the table. "Pirates!"

        "We had an issue with them a while back," Rezalia speaks up, voice little more than a whisper.

        "They wanted revenge!" Iroh adds. Zhao hides his smrk behind his cup of tea.

        "So," he starts after taking a sip. "Have you reconsidered me offer?"

        "Yes, we accept. It will be an honor to serve as your general." Iroh raises his cup in a toast. "To the Fire Nation!"

        "To victory," Zhao says, lifting his own cup. Rezalia lifts hers as well before taking a sip to hide her growing distaste. She hated that man. They remain in Zhao's office for a while, exchanging empty words before Rezalia and Iroh are finally allowed to leave. 

        As they walk through the corridor, the stop next to a guard. Rezalia moves to lean against the railing, looking out. Iroh stands next to the guard, each of them looking past each other. "Our plan is working perfectly. Zhao doesn't suspect a thing," the older man reports.

        "But we'd better make this quick. I don't know how long I can stand to be around him without punching him. Again," Rezalia says. Zuko removes his guard mask.

        "You didn't have to do this," he says quietly. Rezalia glances over his injuries quickly. A black eye and multiple scrapes.

        "No nephew of mine is going to stow away on a ship without some backup!"

        "Yeah, Z. Like hell would we let you do this alone."

        "Thank you," Zuko murmurs. A sound is heard and Iroh instructs Zuko to put his mask back on. Rezalia twirls around Zuko to return to Iroh's side.

        "Stay hidden until we get to the North Pole and the Avatar will be yours!" Iroh whisper shouts.

        "Good luck!" he and Rezalia tell the prince in unison.  With that, the three once again go their separate ways.

        The next morning, Rezalia stands next to Iroh and Zhao as they look out and onto the open ocean. "My fleet is ready. Set a course for the Northern Water Tribe."

        A little less than a week after that, Rezalia could see the Northern Water Tribe in the distance. As of now, her and Iroh joined Zhao on the bridge of his ship. "This will truly be one for the history books, General Iroh."

        Over the past couple of days, Zhao had gone back to more or less ignoring Rezalia. It was clear that inviting her was to get on Zuko's nerves. "Just think, centuries from now, people will study the great Admiral Zhao who destroyed the last of the Water Tribe civilization. You're lucky you're here to see it."

        Rezalia lazily swirls her tea around. "Be careful what you wish for, Admiral. History is not always kind to its subjects," Iroh warns. Rezalia shifts her weight and sips her tea, barely listening to the conversation. Really, why was she here at all?

        "I suppose you speak from experience? But rest assured, this will be nothing like your legendary failure at Ba-Sing-Se," Zhao says, making a not-so-subtle jab at the older man. 

        "I hope not, for your sake," Iroh replies. Zhao grunts and orders Rezalia to tell the captain to prepare the first strike. The teen grumbles under her breathe but leaves anyway, if only so that she didn't have to sit there any longer. On her way, Rezalia runs into Zuko. Literally.

        "Ow! Shit, my bad," she says, rubbing her arm where she had collided with the wall.

        "Sorry, Zali. You okay?" Zuko asks quietly, looking around the hallway.

        "Oh, Z, it's you. We're gonna land soon, so I really hope you have a plan," Rezalia says, putting her hands on her hips. She knew full well that he more than likely didn't.

        "I'm working on it," he replies.

        "Working on it? Z, you've had days to work on it. What the hell have you been doing?"

        "Trying not to get caught."

        "Fair enough. Just, don't get yourself killed out there, Z. Scare me like that again and I'll lose it."

        "I won't Zali. Promise."

        With that, the two of them walk away from one another. Rezalia makes her way to the captain to relay Zhao's message while Zuko goes to do whatever the fuck it is he does. During the attack itself, almost everyone leaves the boats. The only people who remain are the crew, Rezalia, Iroh, and Zhao.

Chapter Text

        Aang was flying over the fleet, taking down as many ships as he could. Rezalia was flipping from dock to dock, helping steady warriors and pulling soldiers from sinking ships. In the mess of water, Rezalia's feet slip out from under her, sending her flying off the ship. "SHIT!" She shouts, extending her arms. Releasing strong flames from both her hands and her feet.

        "Are you okay?" Iroh asks, latching onto Rezalia's upper arm as she flies upward. Rezalia nods and crouches down, looking around for anything that needed to be done. Taking off toward another falling Fire Nation soldier, the purple eyed teen distantly registers Iroh walking toward Zaoh.

        Not long after, the attack is called off and Iroh and Rezalia sneak off to find Zuko. The scarred boy was dressed in all white to blend in with the snow and was preparing a canoe. "If you're fishing for an octopus, my nephew, you need a tightly woven net or he will squeeze through the tiniest hole and escape," Iroh says in a wise tone.

        "...Right," Rezalia murmurs.

        Zuko fixes his uncle with a slightly annoyed look. "I don't need your wisdom right now, Uncle."

        "I'm sorry, I just nag you because, well, ever since I lost my son..." Iroh looks to the side with a pained look. Zuko's face softens.

        "Uncle, you don't have to say it."

        "I think of you as my own." Zuko turns to Iroh and salutes him in the standard Fire Nation fashion. Rezalia surges forward and wraps her arms around his waist. Zuko stumbles back a step, hands resting on the girl's upper back.

        "If you come back with even a scratch, I'll toast your ass. Got it?" Rezalia whispers. Zuko snickers in return, hugging the girl closer.

        "Got it. Bye, Zali," he whispers. Rezalia releases her best friend and lets Iroh take her place. "We'll meet again, after I have the avatar."

        "How foreboding," Rezalia teases as Zuko climbs into the canoe. "Remember to breathe your fire, Z."

        "I will."

        "And put your hood up, keep your ears warm!" Iroh adds.

        "I'll be fine." Rezalia heard the distant sound of Zuko's canoe hitting the water. Her and Iroh exchange looks at Zuko's words. Those words were never comforting coming from Zuko.

        After watching Zuko disappear into the horizon, Iroh and Rezalia rejoin Zhao on the upper deck. "Oh, there you two are. Hold things down here. I have business to attend to."

        "Oh yeah, sure we'd love to," Rezalia mutters sarcastically at Zhao's back as the man walks away without waiting for a reply. Iroh chuckles and leans on the rail, watching the crew walk around the deck. Rezalia jumps up onto the ail beside him, idly swinging her legs back and forth.

        "He'll be fine, dear," Iroh says warmly. Rezalia doesn't answer with words, instead humming idly.

~*~

        Things were apparently going great. The fleet was mostly up and running as Aang hadn't come back to sink any more ships. Zhao had disappeared sometime ago and hadn't come back, but Rezalia wasn't complaining. Of course, that was until huge glowing koi fish rising from within the walls of the Northern Water tribe.

        Rezalia flies up from where she was laying on the rail. "What the fuck is that?!"

        "It appears to be a koi fish," Iroh replies. Rezalia gives him an annoyed look and slides off the railing. Leaving the older man to do as he pleases, the ebony haired girl walks off to check on the soldiers. "Need water?"

        "Uh, yeah, thanks," the man grunts. Rezalia tips some water from the bottle in her hand into the man's opened mouth. Eventually, the giant koi fish receded back into the water and the waves calmed. Hours after that, after everything seemed to calm down, the avatar's flying bison soared up to them. Narrowing her eyes, Rezalia orders a cease fire and ignites a flame under her feet that lifted her skyward.

        "What do you-" Rezalia cuts herself off with a gasp as she registers Zuko in the bison's saddle, unconscious. "That moron!"

        She lands at Zuko's side, ignoring the reactions of Aang and the others. Rezalia slaps his cheek a few times, drawing a groan from the boy. Zuko cracks open his eyes, only to be met with a glaring Rezalia. He groans again. "I'm going to kill you, you know that right?" she asks lowly.

        Zuko groans a third time as Rezalia forces him to sit up and hooks his arm around her shoulder. Wrapping her arm around her idiotic friend's waist, Rezalia turns to Aang. "Thank you, but I'm afraid your efforts are in vain because I'm going to murder him."

        "Um?" Katara looked alarmed.

        "He's lucky I don't throw him off this bison," Rezalia murmurs darkly. Zuko laughs weakly, drawing everyone's attention.

        "You wouldn't kill me," he says, voice low and raspy and paired with a fragile smirk. Rezalia grumbles various profanity and threats under her breath as she takes off once more, lowering them down to the nearest ship. "Didn't even drop me."

        "The night is young."

        Despite her words and various threats upon the prince's life, Rezalia called for a medic. "What do we do, ma'am?"

        "Iroh and Zhao aren't back yet so we just sit tight. Hold down the fort but don't give up any space, just stay here until they get back. I want three people on Zuko at all times without exception. No attacks until I give the word."

AN: Short chapter, sorry! But I'm excited for the next one! Hope ya'll like it! Love y'all! Byyyyyyyyeeeeee

Chapter Text

        They spent days wandering after leaving Zhao's fleet until they finally ended up in an Earth Kingdom resort controlled by the Fire Nation. Iroh was taking full advantage of the services and was currently receiving a massage. Zuko was brooding in the corner as usual as Rezalia sat in a tree, picking at the blossoms in her hand. From inside the structure, it couldn't quite be called a building with how open it was, Iroh groans happily. "Aaahhh... this is what I've been missing. Who knew floating on a piece of driftwood for three weeks with no food or water and sea vultures waiting to pluck out your liver could make one so tense?"

        Rezalia snickers and looks over to her friend, who was attempting to hide his sulking under his hat quite unsuccessfully. "Maybe you should get a massage, Z."

        No answer. Iroh dons a robe and takes a seat on the floor next to his nephew. "I see. It's the anniversary, isn't it?" he asks. Rezalia goes back to her flowers, figuring that iroh was well equipped to handle this one.

        "Three years ago today I was banished. I lost it all. (He looks up suddenly.) I want it back. I want the Avatar, I want my honor, I want my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless," Zuko replies bitterly. Rezalia frowns.

        "I'm sure he doesn't! Why would he banish you if he didn't care?" Iroh says cheerfully. Rezalia nearly falls out the of the tree as Zuko gets up and walks away.

        "Dude, what the fuck?" she asks, jumping down to the ground.

        "Erg... that came out wrong, didn't it?" Iroh asks sheepishly. Rezalia snorts and hands then man the blossoms before going after Zuko.

        She finds him leaning against a tree, hat abandoned at his side. "Heya, Z." Zuko cracks open one eye - his good eye - to look at her. In response to her words, he flicks a finger to the space beside him not occupied by a hat. Rezalia takes the cue and sits down.

        "You aren't worthless, Z. I know you probably don't want to hear this right now, but fuck your dad and what he thinks. You should be doing this because it's what you want to do, not because he sent you on some wild goose chase," the purple eyed girl tells Zuko.

        The prince bristles. "It's not a wild goose chase! We found the avatar, didn't we?!"

        "Yes, but your father had no way of knowing that Aang was alive when he sent you out here! He didn't intend for you to succeed, Zuko!"

        "You don't know that," Zuko replies, voice dropping to hide the slight shake of it. "Please go. I don't want to fight with you. Not today."        

        Rezalia sighs and squeezes Zuko's shoulder as she stands. "Bye, Z."

        About an hour later, the three of them were gathered around a table, Zuko having been dragged back in by Iroh who was currently showing the teens the shells he had gathered on the beach. "Look at these magnificent shells! I'll enjoy these keepsakes for years to come."

        Zuko huffs. "We don't need anymore useless things. You forget we have to carry everything ourselves now."

        Before Iroh gets a chance to answer, someone else speaks. "Hello, brother. Uncle. Freak."

        "Well, hi, brat!" Rezalia chirps in response as Zuko's good eye twitches. Azula gives the girl a nasty look but ignores her for the most part.

        "What are you doing here?" Zuko practically snarls. Azula plays with the shell in her hands, tossing it up and down.

        Rezalia pulls one leg up onto her chair. "For real, Azula, what do you want?"

        "In my country, we exchange a pleasant 'hello' before asking questions." Azula stands and gets in Zuko's face. "Have you become uncivilized so soon, Zuzu?"

        Zuko's lip raises into a sneer. "Don't call me that!"

        "To what do we owe this honor?" Iroh asks in an attempt at politeness.

        Azula appraises her uncle with a look bordering on disgust. "Hmm... must be a family trait. Both of you so quick to get to the point." The princess crushes the shell in her hand and something in Iroh's face shifts. "I've come with a message from home. Father's changed his mind. Family is suddenly very important to him. He's heard rumors of plans to overthrow him—treacherous plots. Family are the only ones you can really trust." Azula's demeanor changes then, softening. "Father regrets your banishment. He wants you home."

        Rezalia's eyes narrow. "The Fire Lord regrets something? This is news."

        Azula turns burning eyes on Rezalia. "Your banishment was not lifted, freak. Do not think that you and my brother are one."

        "I never said anything of the sort. I told good old Ozy to suck my dick, I don't expect a parade," Rezalia snorts. Zuko frowns, looking between his best friend and his sister.

        Azula scowls at his apparent indecision. "Did you hear me? You should be happy. Excited. Grateful. I just gave you great news."

        Iroh steps in. "I'm sure your brother just needs a moment to—"

        Azula cuts him off with a sharp tongue. "Don't interrupt, Uncle!" she snaps before turning to Zuko. "I still haven't heard my thank you. I am not a messenger. I didn't have to come all this way."        

        "By all means, go back," Rezalia replies, propping her feet up on the table. Azula glares at her.

        Azula leaves Zuko to think about his sudden welcome back to the fire nation and walks off with another flippant insult toward Rezalia. The white flame wielder raises her middle finger in response. Zuko paces back and forth with a look in his eyes that Rezalia knew. "You want to go back," she sighs.

        "We're going home. After three long years. It's unbelievable," he rambles suddenly, as if a dam had burst.

        "You said it," Rezalia murmurs, tipping her head back to stare at the ceiling.

        Iroh didn't seem content with the situation either. "It is unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything."

        "Did you listen to Azula? Father's realized how important family is to him. He cares about me."

        Iroh seemed to bristle a bit at that. "I care about you. And if Ozai wants you back... well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine."

        Rezalia doesn't bother to voice her opinion. It wouldn't matter in the end regardless. "You don't know how my father feels about me. You don't know anything," Zuko snaps.

        "Zuko, I only meant that in our family things are not always what they seem," Iroh responds gently. 

        "I think you are exactly what you seem: a lazy, mistrustful, shallow old man who has always been jealous of his brother."

        Rezalia sit up at Zuko's words, feet returning to the ground. "Zuko!" she shouts. The boy ignores her and stomps off.

        Iroh sighs as he watches his nephew walk off. "You aren't coming, are you?" he asks, not looking in Rezalia's direction. Rezalia smiles a bit.

        "No, I'm not. You heard Princess Psycho, I'm not welcome back. Can't say I'm too upset about it, really."

        The next day, Iroh said his goodbyes to Rezalia and set out to meet his nephew. "He'll miss you. Both of us will advocate for your return, dear. I promise," he whispers before leaving.

        Rezalia watches them go, leaning against a tree. "Thanks, uncle," she murmurs, though nobody was around to hear her. As the guards part and bow to the pair, Rezalia turns and leaves. Alone for the first time in years. It was odd. She could hardly remember it ever being so quiet.

        Her journey alone hardly lasted twenty minutes before Zuko came crashing through the foliage. He leaned heavily on her shoulder, panting. "Z? The hell are you doing here? I thought you were going back to the Fire Nation!"

        "It was a trick," he mumbles in return. "She was taking us back as prisoners."

        Rezalia sighs and pats Zuko on the back. "Yeah, that makes sense. Sorry, Z. I should've been there." Zuko pulls back and kneels by the creek. Iroh kneels at his side. "Uh, what are you guys-"

        Her question is answered when Zuko pulls out a dagger and cleanly slices off his ponytail - his last remaining connection to his former glory. Rezalia's jaw drops and Zuko passes the dagger to Iroh who cuts off his bun. Both of them drop the hair into the stream and watch it go. "We're fugitives now," Iroh says gravely.

        "We should probably get a change of clothes, then," Rezalia replies, setting her hands on Zuko's shoulders.

Chapter Text

        They hadn't been fugitives for more than a week and Zuko was adjusting horribly. They had managed to steal some earth kingdom clothes, Iroh wasn't too happy about that method, but other than that they were awful at this whole survival thing. All of their clothes were simple, as they could no longer present as highly respectable people. Rezalia's was the most complicated with tan pants covered by a short green skirt that tied on her hip and a form fitting green crop top that was sleeveless and ended just above her belly button.

        At the moment, Rezalia was gathering more firewood, a fairly easy task, while Zuko was tasked with finding food and Iroh was...examining a plant. Rezalia had opted to leave him be, building a structure with the wood she had found. Zuko bursts through the trees, shouting in frustration.

        "I didn't find anything to eat. I can't live like this. I wasn't meant to be a fugitive. This is impossible!" he screams. Rezalia laughs as he kicks at the ground, earning herself a dirty look. Upon realizing that Iroh hadn't answered him, Zuko turns around. "Uncle... what are you doing?"

        "You're looking at the rare white dragon bush. Its leaves make a tea so delicious it's heartbreaking! That, or it's the white jade bush, which is poisonous."

        Rezalia frowns and looks at the plant. "Maybe you shouldn't eat that."

        "We need food, not tea. I'm going fishing," Zuko grumbles, stalking off once again. Rezalia lets him go, far more focused on convincing Iroh that drinking that plant would be an awful idea.

        She failed. She turns her back for three seconds to organize her wood into a neat pile and Iroh turned his possibly deadly flower into a tea and downed it in one go. "Uncle Iroh!" she exclaims indignantly. Iroh grins at her and sets his cup aside. "Well? Was the tea great?"

        "It was poison," Iroh responds calmly.

        "Iroh!" Rezalia shouts. "Seriously?!"

        For the next few minutes, Rezalia gathers berries that Iroh had told her would fix the problem. "Well, do I mash them up into a lotion or do you eat it?" she asks. Iroh shrugs in response and scratches at his chest. "Dammit, Iroh!"

        Zuko returns shortly with a fish in hand. He stops short upon seeing his uncle still sitting where he'd been when he'd left. "Zuko, remember that plant that I thought might be tea?"

        Zuko's face falls. "You didn't!"

        "Guess what it wasn't," Rezalia says darkly. Zuko practically screams in frustration. Iroh turns to face his nephew and Zuko recoils in shock at the sight of his puffy, red face.

        "When the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing. But look what I found! These are bacui berries, known to cure the poison of the white jade plant. That, or macahoni berries that cause blindness," Iroh says cheerfully. Rezalia drops the berries in her hands. 

        "They WHAT?!" she shouts.

        Zuko snaps a bit, growling in the back of his throat. "We're not taking any more chances with these plants! We need to get help."

        "Where, though. The Earth Kingdom would kill us and the Fire Nation would ship us to your crazy sister," Rezalia says, wiping her hands on her skirt. The three of them share a look.

        "Earth Kingdom it is."

~*~

        The woman laughs a bit as she applies a green paste to Iroh's rashes. "You three must not be from around here. We know better than to touch the white jade, much less make it into tea and drink it."

        Iroh chuckles sheepishly in response. She smeers some more on his face, where the rashes were the worst. "So where are you traveling from?" Zuko jumps a bit at the words, getting to his feet and fidgeting awkwardly. Rezalia gives him a look from where she was lounging on her seat.

        "Yes, we're travelers."

        The woman gives Zuko a slightly amused look. "Do you have names?"

        "Names Of course we have names!" Zuko exclaims. Rezalia sighs and stands, placing a hand on the fugitive prince's shoulder as she smiles at Song.

        "Sorry, he doesn't get out much." Zuko elbows her for that. "I'm Rei."

        "I'm..Lee," Zuko adds awkwardly. "And this is my uncle, uh... Mushi." Iroh leans around Song to scowl at his nephew.

        "Yes, but my nephew was named after his father, so we just call him Junior," Iroh replies by way of revenge. Rezalia giggles a bit, wrapping her arms around Zuko to keep him from lunging.

        "Mushi and Junior, huh? My name is Song. You two look like you could use a good meal. Why don't you stay for dinner?" Song asks as she swats Iroh's hand away from his arm. Iroh pouts a bit while Zuko looks at Song uncertainly.

        "Sorry, but we need to be moving on."

        Song looks a bit disappointed as she wipes the stray ointment off of her hands. "That's too bad. My mom always makes too much roast duck."

        Rezalia notes Iroh's excited expression. "Oh, ignore Lee. He's a bit hard headed. We'd love to stay for dinner if it's not any trouble."

        "Zali!" Zuko hisses, though his protests go ignored by everyone.

        "Not at all!" Song exclaims. Not long after, they were seated in Song's home with her mother.

        As she sits down, she speaks. "My daughter tells me you're refugees. We were once refugees ourselves." Song sips her water before speaking up as well.

        "When I was a little girl, the Fire Nation raided our farming village. All the men were taken away. (sadly) That was the last time I saw my father," she murmurs, looking down at her plate. Rezalia reaches over and squeezes Song's hand.

        "I haven't seen my father in many years," Zuko mumbles, mostly to himself.

        Song looks up at him with slight surprise. "Oh. Is he fighting in the war?" Rezalia winces a bit, the picture of her own father slitting through her mind.

        Iroh pauses eating to watch for Zuko's response. It comes quiet and after a moment of silence. "Yeah." Rezalia grasps his hand with the one not holding Song's.

        After a moment, she speaks up. "As fun and homey as this is, I do need my hands to eat." Song laughs and releases he hand she held in her grasp. Zuko keeps a hold of the one he had, leaving Rezalia to eat with one hand. After dinner, the three Fire Nation fugitives begin to leave. Though, they did hang around for a while, Song and Zuko having a conversation outside while Rezalia and Iroh spoke with Song's mother.

        "Thank you for the duck. It was excellent," Iroh says, clasping his hands together. Rezalia grins and nods her agreement. Song's mother assures them that it was nice to have guests.Zuko begins to leave but Iroh stops him.

        "Junior, where are your manners? You need to thank these nice people," he scolds lightly. Rezalia smothers her laugher at the look on her friend's face. Stiffly, the teen bows and forces out a small 'thank you', which only sets off more laughter for the girl.

        "I know you don't think there's any hope left in the world, but there is hope. The Avatar has returned!" Song calls out to Zuko as they leave.

        Zuko stops for a moment and turns back. "I know."

        On their way out, Zuko stole an ostrich horse much to Iroh's displeasure. Rezalia just hopped on, wrapping her arm around Zuko as she extends the other to Iroh, who gets on with a displeased grunt.

Chapter Text

        Along the way, they found themselves in a fairly small Earth Kingdom town where they stopped to hopefully gather some change. Iroh and Zuko went to one end of town and Rezalia took the other. Placing a small pouch on the ground, she begins to dance to a beat only she could hear. It wasn't long before she had gathered a crowd, her twisting moves and whipping hair drawing attention and her complicated footwork and elegant hands keeping it. At some point, she whips off her skirt and uses it the way one would a scarf.

        At the end of her dance, Rezalia's pouch was overflowing. The crowd around her cheers as Rezalia sweeps low into a curtsey and stands up straight to blow the crowd kisses. Rezalia ties her skirt back around her waist and crouches down to adjust the coins in her pouch so that they fit better, holding the ones that wouldn't fit on her hands.

        Zuko was complaining when Rezalia approached, glaring at a retreating man. Dropping the coins in her hand into Iroh's hat, cutting of Zuko's words. "How'd you make so much," Zuko asks, narrowing his eyes at her pouch.

        "Dancing," she answers, taking a seat at her friend's side. Iroh gives his nephew an odd look that Rezalia chooses to ignore. The longer they sit there, the more people recognize Rezalia and drop coins into Iroh's hat with comments on her performance.

        "You were great!" one of the Earth Kingdom boys says as he drops a few coins into the hat. Rezalia tilts her head up to look at him and grins.

        "Thanks!"

        Zuko scowls at the boy and abruptly throws his arm around Rezalia. The boy blinks in surprise as Rezalia rolls her eyes but settles into Zuko's side. "Oh...sorry, I didn't know," he says awkwardly.

        "Neither did I," Rezalia replies. "Ignore him, he's being weird." Zuko glares at Rezalia and pulls her closer. "Ow! Z, that hurt, you ass!"

        Zuko grunts and turns his head away, glaring at the boy from the corner of his eyes until he leaves. Rezalia sighs and adjusts so that she was lounged across Zuko's lap with one leg bent. Iroh gives the pair an amused look but says nothing to them, going back to asking passing people for spare change.

~*~

        Eventually, the three of them find a cave to stay in for a while. There were plenty of trees and shade and food around, so Rezalia assumed that they would stay for a while. Zuko had developed a habit of running off without telling anyone or acknowledging that he was doing it. He just returned with bags of things and it was fairly obvious that he hadn't bought them. Rezalia didn't really see a problem with it, she was fairly sure the people the things belonged to were better off judging by the quality of the things.

        Today was one of those days, only today he didn't stick around long, going to leave as soon as he'd tossed the bags into the cave. His uncle's voice stops him. "Where did you get these?"

        Zuko doesn't turn around. "What does it matter where they came from?"

        Rezalia fiddles with the strings on the bag. "Is there food in here?"

        "Yeah," Zuko says, turning back slightly. "The one you're holding has dried meat and uncle's has pastries."

        "Cool."

        Zuko walks off again and Iroh lowers the jelly bun he had bitten into. "He's getting worse," the man says, watching his nephew. Rezalia rolls onto her stomach, a strip of dried meat in her fingers. 

        "Things have to get worse before they can get better," she murmurs. "But he's....he'll come around."

        "I hope so."

        A few days later, Iroh finds Zuko sitting in the cave with his Blue Spirit clothes still on and Rezalia sleeping with her head in his lap. "Looks like you did some serious shopping," Iroh remarks quietly as he sits down by the fire, inspecting a solid gold teapot. "But where did you get the money?"

        Zuko ignores the question. "Do you like your new teapot?"

        "To be honest with you, the best tea tastes delicious whether it comes in a porcelain pot or a tin cup," Iroh replies as he moves to kneel at Zuko's side. "I know we've had some difficult times lately. We've had to struggle just to get by. But it's nothing to be ashamed of. There is a simple honor in poverty."

        Zuko's hand pauses it's carding through Rezalia's hair, picking up the movement again when she grunts in displeasure in her sleep. "There's no honor for me without the Avatar."

        "Zuko..." Iroh sighs. "Even if you did capture the Avatar, I'm not so sure it would solve our problems. Not now."

        Zuko jerks away from the hand Iroh had set on his shoulder, jostling Rezalia and causing her to blink sleepily with a scowl. "The hell are you...?"

        "Then there is no hope at all," Zuko snaps, ignoring Rezalia's question.

        Iroh grasps his nephew's sleeve. "No, Zuko! You must never give in to despair. Allow yourself to slip down that road and you surrender to your lowest instincts. In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself. That is the meaning of inner strength."

        Zuko stares at his uncle for a moment before gently lifting Rezalia into a sitting position and leaving. Rezalia leans against the wall of their cave and frowns as she watches her friend walk away. It wouldn't be until near sunset that Zuko returned. "Uncle, I thought a lot about what you said."

        Iroh seemed pleased by this as Rezalia comes to stand at his side. "You did? Good, good."

        Zuko's next words cut right through Iroh despite that not being his intention. "It's helped me realize something. We no longer have anything to gain by traveling together. I need to find my own way." Zuko packs up his things, tossing his bag over his shoulder. He stops and looks back at Rezalia. "Are...are you coming?"

        Rezalia smiles a bit and shakes her head. "No, Z. You said it yourself. You need to find your own way and you need to do it yourself. I can't help you with it."

        Zuko frowns but nods and moves to leave again. "Wait!" Iroh calls. Zuko turns back once more to see his uncle holding the reins to the ostrich horse to him. He takes them silently and leaves for good.

        "I-"

        Iroh cuts her off. "I know, dear. I do not have a ride for you, but I wish you the best. With luck we will cross paths again."

        "Thank you, Uncle Iroh. Good luck."

        Rezalia packs a bag of her own, complete with some of her old clothes, food, water, and a few knick knacks Zuko had picked up for her on his excursions. And with that, she took off with a final hug from Iroh and a promise to have tea with him next time they saw one another.

        The trip was, uneventful. She walked, she rested, she walked, she rested. Rinse, wash, repeat. She ate a little bit about three times a day, less if she felt that her rations were running low, and always made sure to keep her bending under wraps just in case. Which turned out to be the best move as about two weeks later, someone was watching her. She knew he was there from the moment he passed by and she knew that he didn't leave. Sometime in the late afternoon, he was joined by two others. Eventually, she got tired of the waiting game.

        "Are you going to come out or just stare for ten more hours?" Rezalia asks as she lights a fire the normal way. Or, normal for people who don't bend fire. Slowly, the three of them step out of the bushes near silently.

        "Sorry, miss," the shortest of the three says.

        Rezalia leans back so that her weight rested on her palms and she could comfortably look up at the newcomers. "I don't really care as long as you aren't being creepy or weird about it. Though, it just looks like you're refugees trying to make sure I'm not Fire Nation, yeah?"

        The apparent leader raises an eyebrow in surprise. "Uh, yeah. How did you know?"

        "Hunch," Rezalia replies with a shrug. The leader smiles a bit and holds out a tanned hand. 

        "I'm Jet. These are my freedom fighters Smellerbee and Longshot," he says around the wheat in his mouth. At least it looked like wheat, Rezalia didn't really care about what it was.

        She lifts her hand and grasps Jet's. "I'm Rei. Nice to meet you guys."

        "We're on our way to Ba Sing Se. They're taking in refugees like us. Want to come with us?" Jet asks. Rezalia idly notes that he had a habit of speaking for the other two.

        "Sure. Why not."

Chapter Text

        "Hey, how do you guys feel about stealing?" Rezalia asks from the tree she was lounging in. "Like, food and water."

        The three exchange looks. "Well," Smellerbee starts. "We're trying to straight, you know? But if we have to I guess it's okay."

        "Chill. Just wandering. The guy I was with before stole everything he saw, he's kinda new to being broke," Rezalia answers, swinging upside down on her branch.

        Longshot nods in response, though Rezalia wasn't quite sure what he was agreeing with. She had yet to really understand his way of communication, which is to say complete silence that sometimes included intense eye contact. Rezalia wasn't quite sure the others didn't use telepathy to talk to him.

        "We're close to Full Moon Bay," Jet says. "We'll get there tomorrow."

        "Great. Not to complain, but I'm tired of walking."

        "Sounds like complaining."

        "Shut the fuck up, Jet," Rezalia says with a grin. Jet grins back and lays back.

        True to Jet's word they did reach the ferries the next day, with passports at the ready. Though, Rezalia's was forged because it was possible that her name would be recognized. Either as the Devil of the Fire Nation or as the best friend of the banished Fire Nation prince. They got through customs easily enough. The biggest problem was the rude lady at the desk, but she let them through without too much of a fuss. She mostly had a problem with Smellerbee's hair. Thought it had critters in it, which was kinda rude.

        Jet said that they would be on the boat for two days, though that was hardly nothing compared to the three years Rezalia had spent on a ship but she couldn't really tell Jet that. He'd ask too many questions. Their little group had gotten to the bay a day early, so they stayed in the waiting room type thing they had set up for the night. 

        As they stayed, they were fed gross food that was probably rotted. It was their only option, no outside food was permitted on the ferry. The food on the boat itself was no better. In fact, coupled with the rocking of the waves, it was almost worse. "I'm gonna go see if anyone else wants this shit, I can't eat it anymore," Rezalia says as she walks off with a wave over her shoulder.

        Jet doesn't seem to hear her, too busy eavesdropping on another conversation. "Aren't we all?" he cuts in. The two males look over, the younger of the two holding his disgusting food. "My name's Jet, and these are my freedom fighters, Smellerbee, and Longshot. Uh, where'd Rei go?"        

        "She's auctioning off her food," Smellerbee replies. Jet doesn't miss the way the younger perks up at the girl's name.

        He doesn't ask any questions about the girl, though. "Hello."

        "Here's the deal. I hear the Captain's eating like a king, while us refugees have to feed off his scraps. Doesn't seem fair, does it?" Jet asks. Rezalia sighs as she walks along the rail toward her friends, not paying any attention to who they were speaking to.

        "Trying to spark a rebellion again, Jet?" she asks as she crouches down on the rail. Jet rolls his eyes at her and tugs her off of it. Rezalia snickers and flips to land on her feet rather than her face.

        "Z- Rei?" a familiar voice calls softly.

        Rezalia whips around, already smiling. "Lee!" she exclaims, almost forgetting to use his fake name. Zuko pulls the girl into a hug, firmly ignoring the way Jet was scrutinizing him. "And you found Mushi!"

        "Yeah," Zuko murmurs as he releases his best friend. Rezalia links their arms and leans heavily on Zuko. "Did you lose the ability to stand on your own?"

        "Yes."

        "About what I was saying before," Jet cuts in. "Are you in?"

        Zuko looks at the other male in surprise, as if he had forgotten about him. "Oh. Yeah, I'm in," he replies as he tosses his food over the side of the boat. Rezalia snorts at his actions. "You coming?" 

        "Nah. I'll sit this one out, you guys have fun though," Rezalia answers as she ducks under Zuko's arm. "You're warm."

        Zuko rolls his eyes but doesn't bother to hide the small smile that formed on his lips. "Are you two...together?" Smellerbee asks slowly.

        "Physically speaking, yes," Rezalia replies easily. Zuko scoffs at her answer but makes no move to deny it, not quite realizing the double meaning of her words. Iroh caught it with ease, snickering behind his bowl. Jet also caught the innuendo, though he was far less amused than Iroh was.

~*~

        "It's good to see you again, dear," Iroh says later that night after the others had gone out on their recon mission. "How have you been?"        

        "Good. I met up with Jet and the others about a week after we parted ways. We've been lounging around for the most part, didn't pick too many fights," Rezalia replies, shooting the older man a grin. Iroh chuckles and nods in content at her answer.

        The two were the only ones awake save for the recon team. Zuko was probably as comfortable as he'd been since he had gotten on the ferry. Dressed in all black and "liberating" things? Yeah, this was his element. Rezalia was in hers as well, waiting for her idiotic best friend to return from some dangerous bullshit. Only this time, he had help. Iroh was as comfortable as ever, though he rarely ever appeared uncomfortable.

        "Imma head off to sleep. Wake me up if Z is dying or if we somehow arrive early," Rezalia requests.

        Iroh laughs quietly. "Sure thing. Goodnight, dear."

        "Night, Uncle."

        Iroh did not wake Rezalia that night, as Zuko arrived perfectly intact with some good food and the ferry was as slow as ever. Zuko and the others stowed the food somewhere where it would be safe until morning and the fugitive prince lays down next to Rezalia, who was fast asleep.

        "Careful not to wake her. I doubt time away from us had cured her of her dislike of waking up," Iroh tells his nephew.

        Zuko lies on his back next to his closest and oldest friend. "I won't."

~*~

        The next morning was full of happier passengers, a few of them getting teary as the teens handed them their food. Jet tells the others to go ahead and eat while he finishes up, so they go and find Iroh. "So," he starts. "Smellerbee, that's an unusual name for a young man."

        Rezalia's eyes widen and she makes the 'cut that shit out' motion. A motion Iroh apparently didn't understand. "Maybe it's because I'm not a man. I'm a girl!" Smellerbee snaps. She stands and storms off, but Longshot stops her before she can get too far.

        "Oh, now I see! It's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!" Iroh calls in an attempt to salvage the situation. As Longshot calms down Smellerbee, Jet takes a seat next to Zuko. Apparently their night of running around in the dark with one another helped them get along better, how odd.

        "From what I heard, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se. I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall," Jet tells them eagerly.

        Iroh sighs with a small smile. "It is a magnificent sight."

        Jet's head whips toward Iroh with wide eyes. "So you've been there before?" he asks.

        "Once, when I was a different man."

        Jet leans back and glances around. "I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of. But that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se, for a new beginning. A second chance."

        Rezalia slumps against Zuko as Iroh answers. "That's very noble of you. I believe people can change their lives if they want to. I believe in second chances." The last sentence seemed aimed at Zuko rather than Jet, but the latter male didn't seem to catch on.

        It didn't take too long after that to reach the shore. As the ferry was pulling in and preparing to release its passengers, Jet walks up to Zuko and Rezalia who were talking quietly about the importance of the lotus tile. He seemed to have no qualms about interrupting them. "You know, as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were." Zuko and Rezalia share a look. "You're an outcast, like me. And us outcasts have to stick together. We have to watch each other's backs, because no one else will."

        "Don't we know it," Rezalia mutters.

        "I've realized lately, that being on your own isn't always the best path," Zuko says, his hand finding its spot on Rezalia's back.

        Jet didn't get the chance to say anything else, but Rezalia saw the way his eyes lingered on the hand that rested on the small of her back. Zuko makes his way to his uncle as the passengers depart the ship. "Making friends, nephew?" he asks as they get in line.

        Zuko grunts as they hand their passports and punched tickets to the grouchy lady at the desk. Did all front desk ladies have to be bitchy? "So, Mr. Lee, and Mr.... umm Mushy is it?" she asks, looking down her nose at the men.

        Rezalia wrinkles her nose at the woman from behind Iroh. "It's pronounced Moo-shee," he says with a wince, smile staying in place.

        "You telling me how to do my job?" she sneers.

        Iroh shakes his head. "Uh, no no no. But may I just say that you're like a flower in bloom, your beauty intoxicating." Zuko makes a face in tandem with Rezalia.

        "You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself handsome. Rawr," she purrs, making a cat-like gesture before stamping their tickets. "Welcome to Ba Sing Se."

        Zuko mutters something lowly to Iroh as they gather their things and step aside. "Miss Rei?" the lady asks.

        "Yes ma'am," Rezalia chirps, putting her weight to one leg. The woman appraises her for a moment before stamping her ticket and telling her to move along. 

        Zuko pulls Rezalia over to where Iroh had taken a seat. "So, is there a plan for when we get inside the city or are we just gonna wing it?" she asks, taking a seat on the floor. Zuko sits on the edge of the pillar with his uncle. " 'Cause I'd rather not sleep on the ground or something because you guys don't have a plan."

        "Uncle says there's an apartment for us," Zuko replies.

        Rezalia nods. The rest of their trip into the city is uneventful save for Iroh almost getting them busted by heating up his tea, though Zuko handled that. Dramatically, as usual. In the end, Iroh even revealed that he had somehow secured jobs for the three of them.

Chapter Text

        "Well, you certainly look like official tea servers," The tea shop owner says happily. Of course Iroh would have them work at a tea shop. "How do you feel?"

        "Ridiculous," Rezalia and Zuko reply in tandem. Iroh frowns as he struggles to tie his apron to no avail. The pair bite back their laughter in an attempt at not getting fired before they even properly start.

        Iroh finally gives up and turns to the shop owner. "Uh, Does this possibly come in a larger size?" he asks.

        The tea shop owner says that he has some extra string in the back. He pours three cups of tea and hands them to his new employees before going to get aforementioned string. Iroh takes a sip and makes a face. "Eeow! This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!"

        "Uncle, that's what all tea is," Zuko deadpans. Rezalia snickers, hiding her laughter behind her hand as Iroh gasps in offense, picking up the entire pot of tea and tossing it out the window.

        "How can a member of my own family say something so horrible? We'll have to make some major changes around here."

        Rezalia laughs out loud and moves to help Iroh. The day is long and many of the customers were rude old men. More than half of them had something to say about Rezalia that neither she nor Zuko were fond of. it took every ounce of their combined self control to not deck someone. By the end of the day, the teenagers were exhausted. Zuko had collapsed on the couch as soon as they'd reached their apartment, Rezalia not far behind him. Each of them rested their end on a different arm rest, their legs intertwining in the center.

        "Would you like a pot of tea?" Iroh offers, not even phased by the day they had.

        Rezalia scoffs loudly and dramatically. "We've been working in a tea shop all day. I'm sick of tea!" Zuko exclaims.

        "Sick of tea? That's like being sick of breathing!" Iroh exclaims as he rummages through the drawers.

        "No. It's really not," Rezalia replies.

        Iroh ignores her. "Have you seen our spark rocks to heat up the water?" Neither Zuko nor Rezalia reply, which Iroh rightly takes as a 'no'. He walks out of the apartment and neither teen move. Iroh returns a moment later. "I borrowed our neighbors, such kind people."

        "Don't they have a little girl?" Rezalia asks as she turns to lie on her side, both legs wrapping around one of Zuko's. Iroh cheerfully confirms, announcing her an adorable little girl.

        Their second day of work, Iroh receives a raise. It made sense to Rezalia, he'd been there one day and his tea had already been pronounced the best in the city. In their one day working there, their customers had doubled. Though, Rezalia suspected that was mostly a product of Iroh's tea rather than her and Zuko's serving skills. For someone with excellent balance mid-fight, Zuko couldn't balance a tray on his hand for shit.

        On a lower note, Jet busted down the doors on their second day. "I'm tired of waiting. These two men are firebenders!" Rezalia sighs and pulls a few stray customers out of the line of conflict. Jet seemed to only have eyes for Zuko as he unhooked hs swords. "I know they're firebenders! I saw the old man heating his tea!"

        "Jet, we work at a tea shop," Rezalia sighs, stepping in between the two boys.

        Jet seemed a bit offended by her lack of faith in her. "He's a firebender, I'm telling you! You have to believe me, Rei!"

        One of the officers who were sitting down enjoying tea stands and gives Jet a stern look. "Drop your swords boy, nice and easy."

        Jet looks over Rezalia's head (she was not at all happy that he was able to do that) to Zuko. "You'll have to defend yourself. Then everyone will know. Go ahead, show them what you can do."

        Zuko sighs and steps forward to stop the officers from drawing their swords. " You want a show? I'll give you a show." He draws the officer's double broadswords for himself, sinking into a fighting stance and gesturing for Rezalia to step aside.

        "Try not to break anything," Rezalia sighs as she moves. She stands with the other spectators, crossing her arms as she waits for the two idiots to resolve this pointless battle.

        Of course, Zuko immediately kicks a table at Jet, ignoring Rezalia's words. Jet slams his swords into the table and jumps over it in a move that Rezalia considered highly unnecessary. Zuko dodges the swords that swung for his legs, landing on the splintered table that Jet breaks once more, causing Zuko to leap to the other half. As he lands, Zuko brings his blades down toward Jet. The brown eyed teen flips out of the way, charging once more as soon as he made contact with the ground. Zuko and Jet swing at the same time, their swords clashing together.

        Zuko slams through the shop door, literally. The door splinters as the table had and Rezalia mentally slaps her best friend upside the head. Jet runs at Zuko, who just barely manages to get his feet under and block the attack. "You must be getting tired of using those swords. Why don't you go ahead and firebend at me," Jet sneers.

        The two trade more blows as Iroh and Rezalia make their way to the front of the crowd. "Please son, you're confused. You don't know what you're doing!" Iroh calls out.

        "Seriously, Jet! Drop it!" Rezalia adds. Jet ignores them both and twirls his swords around in large, circular motions, yanking one of Zuko's swords out of his hand. Zuko walks back to avoid the swinging blades.

        "Bet you wish he'd help you out with a little fire blast right now," Jet shouts.

        Zuko was growing annoyed. Jet swings once more but with a downward stroke, Zuko had Jet's sword pinned to the ground beneath his own. "You're the one who needs help." Jet releases the pinned sword and retreats a step. Zuko lunges forward and sweeps his sword across where Jet's neck would've been if he hadn't leaned back. The blow only succeeds in relieving Jet of his weird wheat thing. he jumps back onto the edge of a well.

        "You see that? The Fire Nation is trying to silence me. It'll never happen," Jet calls in what he probably thought was a call to action. Jet hooks his remaining sword and uses it as a swing of sorts, sending himself flying at Zuko. Both of them trade blow after blow, neither of them able to make it past the other's defense.

        One of the Dai Lee step in. "Drop your weapons!"        

        Zuko backs off immediately, lowering his sword, while Jet points his remaining sword at him and Iroh. "Arrest them. They're Firebenders," he demands.

        Rezalia steps forward. "They're not. I can vouch, I travelled here with them and grew up with them. If they were Firebenders I'd know. This guy just attacked out of nowhere!"

        "This young man wrecked my tea shop, and assaulted my employees," the tea shop owner shouts out.

        One of the officers from before steps forward to stand beside Rezalia. "It's true sir. We saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city."

        Iroh turns red at the man's words. "Oh ho ho. That's very sweet."

        The Dai Lee exchange looks and grab Jet by the arms, dragging him away despite all his kicking and screaming. Rezalia turns to Zuko. "You broke shit."

        Zuko returns the double broadswords to the officer. "I'll fix it," he replies. Rezalia hums her agreement and reenters the tea shop to begin clean up. 

        "I wonder where they're taking him," she murmurs a while later.

        Zuko scoffs from where he was sweeping debris into a pile for Rezalia to dispose of. "Who cares?" Rezalia rolls her eyes and smacks him lightly with her dust pan.

Chapter Text

        A few more days went by without any problem. That is, until Zuko calls Rezalia and Iroh over under what he called urgent circumstances. "We have a problem. One of the customers is on to us. Don't look now, but there is a girl over there at the corner table. She knows we're Fire Nation." Rezalia and Iroh turn to look at a girl in the corner. Zuko forces them to turn back around. "Didn't I say don't look!"

        Rezalia sighs. "You oblivious buffon."

        "You're right Zuko. I've seen that girl in here quite a lot. (Cut back to them.) Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you," Iroh teases.

        Zuko reels back in shock. "What?!"

        "Oh, don't be so surprised, Z," Rezalia says as she picks up a ready tray of tea and walks off to deliver it. Distantly, she registers Zuko asking her what the hell that meant and Iroh laughing at him. She gives the girl from the corner a stiff smile as they pass one another.

        A moment later, the girl rushes out of the shop with a grin. "I have a date tonight," Zuko tells her blankly, seemingly not believing it himself.

        "You are ridiculous, Z. It's a girl, not a Saber Moose," Rezalia says, crossing her arms.

        "I don't know how to talk to girls, Zali," Zuko hisses.

        Rezalia raises an eyebrow. "Oh, wow. Guess I hallucinated this conversation, then. I should probably go see a doctor for that."

        Zuko groans. "That's not what I meant. I've known you forever. I am not a conversational person with anyone but you or uncle. I'm gonna drown myself."

        "Spirits, you're dramatic," Rezalia laughs, ignoring the odd squeezing in her chest. "Just relax and have fun. Try not to let uncle gel back your hair, it's not a good look."

        Zuko laughs a bit and hugs Rezalia quickly before serving the next batch of tea.

~*~

        In the end, Zuko wasn't able to keep Iroh from the gel or his hair so he met Jin outside looking like a butler. She didn't seem to mind. "Hey. Well, look at you. You look so cute!" she exclaims as she muses his hair, an action that had previously been done by Rezalia and his mother alone. He wasn't quite fond of it coming from another person.

        "It took my Uncle ten minutes to do my hair," he murmurs. Jin pays his mutterings no mind as she leads him to a nearby cafe. 

        Zuko was as awkward as ever, demonstrating the point he had tried to make to Rezalia earlier. "So, how do you like the city so far?" Jin asks as Zuko picks at his food.

        "It's okay," Zuko murmurs without making eye contact.

        Jin continues, not bothered by his apparent inability to hold a conversation. "What do you like to do for fun?"

        "Nothing." That one seemed to throw her off a bit, but she recovered quickly.

        The waiter walks over and bows a bit to Zuko. "Excuse me sir. Would you and your girlfriend care for dessert?" Zuko snaps at him defensively.

        "She is not my girlfriend!" he shouts as he slams his hand down on the table. The waiter retreats hastily and Zuko slowly looks back at his date to find her eating without a care in the world. He shifts awkwardly as he searches for a conversation topic. Rezalia said silence wasn't usually good. "You have... quite an appetite for a girl."

        Jin seemed a bit confused by the compliment. At least, she thought it was a compliment. "Um, thanks So, Lee, where were you and your Uncle living before you came here? And the, uh, girl you work with? Did you know her before?"

        "I've known Rei almost my entire life. Um, well, we've been traveling around for a long time. Rei got split from me and my uncle for about a month but we meet back up on the ferry ride here," Zuko answers, the most natural he'd been the entire time.

        "Oh! Why were you traveling so much?" Jin asks, leaning forward a bit as if to get closer to the answer.

        Zuko becomes uncomfortable again. "We were uh, apart of this traveling circus." He internally cringes at his own answer. He could imagine the look Rezalia would give him.

        "Really? What did you do? Wait, lemme guess, you juggled!"

        Zuko folds his arms over his chest and forces out a reply. One he was not fond of. "Yes. I juggled."

        "I've always wanted to learn how to juggle. Can you show me something?" Jin asks, thrusting a handful of random objects toward Zuko. He takes them awkwardly and tosses them into the air in a poor attempt to juggle. It ends with him shattering every bottle he'd been giving, one of them over his head.

        "I haven't practiced for awhile," Zuko mumbles as he sweeps the pottery out of his hair.

        Jin waves off what might have been considered an apology. "It's alright. Hey, I want to show you one of my favorite places in the city." And she was dragging him away again, this time winding around roads and alleys. She rambles as she runs. "I'm so excited for you to see the firelight fountain. The lamps make the water sparkle and reflect in the pool in the most beautiful way."

        They stop at the fountain Jin had been so excited about. "I can't believe it! They aren't lit."

        Zuko bites his lip and examines Jin's disappointed face. Finally, he sighs, already imagining the mental scolding both his uncle and best friend would give him. "Close your eyes and don't peek."

        Jin does as told and Zuko gets to work. Spinning around to quickly light every light around them. When he finishes, Zuko tells Jin to open her eyes. She gasps, hand flying to her mouth. "Oh wow..." Jin spins in a slow circle to take everything in. "What happened? How did they light? What did you...?"

        Zuko doesn't answer, just gives the girl a tight-lipped smile. Jin suddenly gets to close for his liking and he holds a coupon between them. "I brought you something. It's a coupon for a free cup of tea."

        Jin seemed a bit disappointed but takes the coupon with a smile. "Lee, this is so sweet."

        Zuko fiddles with his fingers. "Don't thank me. It was Rezalia's idea. She said it would make it less awkward. I'm pretty sure she was wrong."

        Jin's smile becomes a bit odd around the edges. "She sounds great, Lee. And don't worry, I won't tell."

        Zuko's eyebrows furrow. "Tell? Tell what?"

        Jin gestures to the lights. "This. And that Rei isn't her name. This was really fun, Lee. I hope we can be friends." Zuko blinks at Jin in surprise.

        "I....yeah. Of course. Thank you."

        The walk back to the apartment was a blur. Zuko was vaguely surprised that he remembered the way back. "How was your night, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asks as Zuko walks through the door.

        Zuko ignores him, walking into the room he shared with Rezalia and slamming the door shut. The girl doesn't look up from her book. Slowly, he cracks the door open. "Confusing," he murmurs before shutting the door again, oblivious to Iroh's smile.

        Rezalia marks her spot in the book and sets it aside. "Wanna talk about it?"

        "I..." Zuko trails off. "No. I'm okay, thanks Zali."

        "Sure thing, Z. You take the bed tonight, you look like you need it more than I do."

        "Okay, Zali. Night."

        "Night, Z."

Chapter Text

        It was rare for people from the upper ring to come to the lower ring, Rezalia knew that much after a month. So, when people wearing clothes that were cleanly pressed and had gold stitching, Rezalia knew something up. She was tense as she served the men their tea, avoiding eye contact as they asked about Iroh. "He's making another batch of tea, I can go get him if you'd like."

        "Please do," the man in charge responds.

        Rezalia goes to get Iroh, but Zuko holds his arm out in front of her before she could reach the kitchen. "Are they bothering you?" he asks quietly. 

        "No. They're from the upper ring and they want to see uncle," Rezalia tells him as she slips from his grip. "I don't think it's bad."

        Zuko nods and goes back to sweeping. Rezalia brings Iroh to the front of the shop, where the upp ring men were now standing. "So you're the genius behind this incredible brew. The whole city is buzzing about you. I hope Pao pays you well."

        Rezalia relaxes and takes the broom from Zuko, pointing him toward the next tray of tea. "Good tea is its own reward," Iroh replies with a smile.

        "But it doesn't have to be the only reward. How would you like to have your own tea shop?" the man offers. Rezalia nearly drops her broom.

        "My own tea shop? This is a dream come true!"

        Pao runs over and speaks desperately. "What's going on here? Are you trying to poach my tea maker?" Pao throws himself in between Iroh and the upper ring man with a glare toward the latter.

        "Sorry Pao, that's business for you, am I right?" the man says with a slight smirk. 

        Pao turns on Iroh. "Mushie, if you stay, I will make you Assistant Manager. Wait, Senior Assistant manager."

        "I'll provide you with a new apartment in the upper ring. The Tea shop is yours to do whatever you want. Complete creative freedom," the upper ring man speaks up with the tone of someone who knew they'd won.

        Iroh was practically bouncing in place. "I even get to name the shop?"

        "Of course!"

        Pao was getting more desperate by the word. "Uh, Senior Executive Assistant Manager?"

        Iroh hands the teapot in his hand to Pao, who slumps in defeat. Excitedly, he turns to his nephew who was bussing tables. "Did you hear nephew? This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the upper ring of the city."

        "That's right young man. Your life is about to change for the better. The young lady as well if you'd like," the man - whose name they still didn't know - grins at them.

        "She stays with us," Zuko says before slipping out the front door. Rezalia frowns at him but shakes it off, letting him brood or whatever it was he was doing out there. A moment later, an odd thudding sounds, the noise travelling up the side of the building before stopping. Rezalia seemed to be the only one who heard it so she let it be. It was probably Zuko being weird.

        Iroh plucks the broom from Rezalia's grasp and ushers her out the door, barely giving her time to toss Pao both their robes and the broom. "We need to pack!" Iroh mumbles happily.

        The pair enter their apartment and begin shoving things into their bags. Rezalia was playing with one of her bendable bracelets when Zuko returned to the apartment. "So, I was thinking about names for my new tea shop. How ;bout the Jasmine Dragon? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it," Iroh says, though nobody was a hundred percent sure who he was talking to.

        Zuko ignored his uncle's words all together. "The Avatar's here in Ba Sing Se. And he's lost his bison," he says, holding out a flyer that depicted a drawing of Appa.

        "Z," Rezlia sighs. "You're still on that?"

        " We have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us."

        Zuko clenches his fists as he stares out the window. "Good things that are happening for you. Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea?"

        Rezalia sits up, clasping her bracelet around her wrist. "Z, there's nothing wrong with having a simple life. And if you don't want that, what do you want?"

        "I want my destiny," Zuko snaps.

        Iroh steps forward and sets his hand on his nephew's shoulder. "What that means is up to you." Zuko shakes him off and walks away. Iroh gasps a bit. " The Tea Weevil! No, that's stupid."

        Rezalia smiles at Iroh as Zuko leaves. "He's gonna do something stupid."

        "We'll just have to be there for him when he needs us."

~*~

        "He's gonna need a hospital when I'm done with him," Rezalia mutters darkly. "That moron! I'm gonna kill him!"

        Iroh huffs a bit from where he was walking next to him. "Only if his pride doesn't do the job before you get the chance."

        Rezalia grumbles wordlessly as they slip through the door ahead of them. The figure turns around, raising their swords before dropping them in surprise. "Uncle? Zali?"

        "So, the Blue Spirit. I wonder who could be behind that mask?" Iroh asks sarcastically.

        Zuko sighs and removes his mask. "What are you doing here?"

        "I was just about to ask you the same thing!" Rezalia snaps. "What do you plan to do not that you have Aang's bison? Keep it locked in our new apartment? Should I go lay out a cot for him?"

        "First I have to get it out of here."

        Iroh explodes. "AND THEN WHAT?! You never think these things through! This is exactly what happened when you captured the Avatar at the North Pole! You had him, and then you had nowhere to go!"

        Zuko clenches his fists as he shouts back, "I would have figured something out!"

        "Like hell! If Aang's friends hadn't found you, you'd be dead by now!"

        "I know my own destiny," Zuko says, stepping back a bit as his knuckles go white around the hilts of his swords.

        Rezalia scoffs. Iroh looks his nephew dead in the eyes as he speaks. "Is it your own destiny? Or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you?"

        Zuko flinches a bit. "Stop it Uncle. I have to do this."

        "You don't!" Rezalia shouts, stepping forward. "Shit, Z, stop looking at what you think you have to do and figure out what you want! Who are you?!"

        "You know who I am, Zali."

        "Do I? 'Cause sometimes I don't recognize you." At Rezalia's words, Zuko lets out a cry of frustration and hurls his swords and mask at the ground. "What do you want, Zuko?"

        Zuko looks down at his weapons. "I...I don't want this," he finally whispers. Rezalia walks up to her friend and forces him to face her.

        "Then do something about it."

        Zuko reaches down and grabs his swords. Rezalia steps aside as Zuko stalks toward the sky bison. Appa retreats as far as his chains would allow him to. Zuko swings his swords up and back down again, slicing through the metal that bound the bison to the ground. Iroh grins in tandem with Rezalia as Zuko steps away from the sky bison. "GO!" he shouts, gesturing for the bison to leave.

        "Let's go, nephew," Iroh says gently. "These caves are bad for my lungs." 

        It didn't take long for them reach the surface, pausing to stand on the dock. Zuko stares down at his mask. Iroh squeezes his nephew's shoulder. "You did the right thing, nephew. Leave it behind." Zuko steps forward and drops the Blue Spirit mask into the lake.

Chapter Text

        Zuko had been a little off the entire way back to the apartment. He stopped walking every once and awhile and just stood there until Rezalia tried to help him, then he would shake her off and start walking again. Iroh didn't seem to think anything was off as he cheerfully whistled. Nobody said anything until they returned to the apartment. Iroh waited until he ad closed the door to say anything. "You did the right thing, letting the Avatar's bison go free."

        Zuko stumbles, catching himself on the wall. "I don't feel right."

        And then the teen is tipping onto the floor, breaking a vase as he goes. Rezalia and Iroh both lunge forward, his name on their tongues. Rezalia leaves Iroh for a moment to get a futon for Zuko as well as a bunch of blankets. When she had returned, Iroh had shed Zuko of his shirt and retrieved a bowl of water and some rags.

        Rezalia rolls out the foton and helps Iroh position Zuko onto it. "You're burning up. You have an intense fever. This will help cool you down," Iroh says as he places a wet rag over Zuko's brow. 

        Zuko whines a bit and tries to sit up. "So thirsty."

        Rezalia shoves him back down gently. "Here's some clean water to drink. Stay under the blankets, and sweat this out."

        Zuko snatches the ladle of water from him and drains it before tossing it aside and turning on his side grumpily. Rezalia leans over him, fixing the rag. "You'd probably sweat this out better if you were wearing a shirt."

        "You like it," Zuko mumbles. 

        Rezalia laughs. Zuko never said such things when fully awake and healthy. "Well, I certainly don't hate it. Sleep, idiot."

        Zuko's sleep was not peaceful by any means. Every couple of minutes, his face would contort and his body would twitch. The only good thing about the nightmares was that they were helping Zuko sweat out the sickness. It was late at night when Zuko finally wakes up, though he didn't seem to be cured just yet. Iroh pours his nephew a cup of tea.

        "You should know this is not a natural sickness. But that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea."

        Zuko allows Iroh to prop him up so that he can drink before asking his question. "What? What's happening?"

        "You're critical decision, what you did beneath that lake...it was in such conflict with your image of yourself, that you are now at war within your own mind and body," Iroh replies, urging Zuko to take another sip.

        "What does that mea-" the remainder of Zuko's question is cut off by a violent coughing fit that has Rezalia patting him on the back, ignoring the way it was covered in sweat.

        "You did something nice and it totally fucked you up, Z," Rezalia snickers, pushing his bangs off his forehead to make room for the wet cloth in her lap. Zuko grunts at her rather than glaring, as he didn't have the energy at the moment.

        Iroh continues as if Rezalia hadn't spoken. "You're going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful Prince you were always meant to be."

        "The prettiest butterfly."

        It took a few days for Zuko to regain his health, and in that time Rezalia hardly slept a wink. Between running around caring for her best friend and the odd dreams she's been having that wake her in the middle of the night but she can never remember what happens. Vague shapes, colors, and emotions. Anger, fear, sadness. So yeah, Rezalia was tired.

        Currently, she was half asleep in the living area of their apartment while Iroh made...something in the kitchen. She hardly registered Zuko getting up and donning a robe, and his conversation with his uncle was fuzzy. She could hear them but their words sounded fake in a way, she couldn't understand a word that was being said. That is, until she registered that Zuko's gibberish was being directed at her. "Wha..?" she mumbles.

        "Spirits, Zali," Zuko mutters, his words becoming english again. "Did you sleep at all?"

        Rezalia makes a few noises, but none of them form words. She whines as Zuko worms his arm under her back and props her up. "No," she protests weakly.

        "You're gonna go take a nap, Zali," Zuko tells her as he winds his other arm under her knees and picks her up. Rezalia hums noncommentaily as the gentle rocking of Zuko's footsteps lulls her back to sleep. "I thought I was meant to be the sick one."

        "Fuck you. 'M not sick," Rezalia grumbles as Zuko sets her on the bed. "Wake m'up before the shop opens."

        Zuko shakes his head at her, though she couldn't see as she had yet to open her eyes. "Sure, Zali. But if you aren't feeling better you aren't working."

        "Bitch."

        By the time that Rezalia was meant to be woken up by, the girl was feeling much better. Her bought of sickness passing just as quickly as it had come on. "Feel better?" Zuko asks as Rezalia swings her legs over the side of the bed.

        "I should be asking you that, Z," Rezalia laughs.

        "Yeah, you kinda stole my thunder there, Zali," Zuko snickers. Rezalia grins at her best friend. This was the happiest he'd been in a long time. "What're you looking at?"

        Rezalia smiles fondly and lifts a hand to rest on his cheek. "A dumbass."

        Zuko scoffs and swats her away, though he couldn't hide the smile on his face. "Stop being an ass and get ready. We open shop in less than an hour."

        Rezalia snickers as Zuko leaves the room so that she could change. Her uniform was in Earth Kingdom of course, with a long green dress that had slits in the side that showcased her dark grey pants that matches the belt wrapped around her waist. She donned her usual shoes these days, black boots that ended at her ankles.

        Rezalia meets the boys in the shop. Iroh sighs as she arrives, though this was a sound of happiness rather than anger or sadness. "Who thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end up owning my own tea shop. Follow your passion Zuko, and life will reward you."

        "Congratulations Uncle," Zuko says with a grin.

        "I'm very thankful," Iroh replies easily.

        Rezalia leans around Zuko to flash Iroh a large grin. "You deserve it. The Jasmine Dragon will be the best tea shop in the city."

        Iroh shakes his head and grabs the hands of both Zuko and Rezalia. " No, I'm thankful because you decided to share this special day with me. It means more than you know." Surprisingly, Zuko is the one to bring them into a group hug.

        "Now let's make these people some tea," he says. 

        "Yes! Let's make some tea!"

        Rezalia laughs and cheers before going off to invite their customers inside while Zuko and Iroh went off to the kitchen. As smiling citizens file in, Rezalia takes them to their table (there were far more of them in their new shop) and Zuko takes their order. Eventually, Rezalia was sure that they would need to hire help for now just the three of them was okay.

Chapter Text

        Iroh was practically glowing as the trio walked toward the palace. "Many times, I imagined myself here, at the threshold of the palace. But I always thought I would be here as a conqueror...instead, we are the Earth King's personal guests, here to serve him tea. Destiny is a funny thing."

        "It sure is Uncle," Zuko chuckles. Rezalia hums as she looks around, spinning on the ball of her foot to walk backwards. "Careful."

        The three of them are lead to an ornate room to wait for the king. Rezalia thought it to be bad manners for the king's guests to be waiting for him, but said nothing on the grounds that he was...well, the king. Iroh refused both teens' offers to help set up, instead doing the entire thing himself. After a while, Iroh's bouncing had faded to a more stationary excitement. 

        As Iroh goes to pour a cup of tea, Zuko's impatience seems to catch up with him. "What's taking so long?"

        Iroh shrugs, as unbothered as ever even as his teenage companions become restless. "Maybe the Earth King overslept." 

        As the words leave the man's mouth, several men who Rezalia recognizes as Dai Lee enter the room and form a circle around the table they were seated at. "This is bad," Rezalia mutters, shifting so that she was crouched on the balls of her feet.

        And it was. Azula enters the room, decked out in Earth Kingdom garb, and stands in front of them. "It's tea time," she croons mockingly.

        Zuko and Rezalia rise to their feet in a terrifying unison. "Azula!"

        "Have you met the Dai Li? They're Earthbenders, but they have a killer instinct that is so Firebender, I just love it!" Azula says conversationally.

        "I'd love it if you would leave us alone," Rezalia snaps back. Iroh rises to his feet calmly, cup of tea in hand.

        "Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname the 'Dragon of the West'?" he asks as he sips at his tea.

        Azula rolls her eyes as she examines her nails. "I'm not interested in a lengthy anecdote, Uncle."

        "It's more of a demonstration really." With that, Zuko grins and hooks an arm around Rezalia's waist and pulls her to his chest as he spins them around to duck behind Iroh, who embodies the spirit of the dragons by releasing a large torrent of flame from his mouth. While the Dai Lee were distracted, Zuko and Rezalia crash through the door and into the hallway. Iroh was right behind them, breathing fire at the Dai Lee as he backs out of the splintered door. Quickly, the three of them run down the hall, barely dodging stones as they go.

        As they near the wall, Rezalia forms a concentrated ball of fire in her palms, sending it whipping toward the stone just as Iroh send lightning toward it. The combined blast blows the wall apart just in time for Iroh and Rezalia to leap to the ground even as Zuko skids to a stop. Iroh turns on his back as Rezalia rolls from the impact. "Come on! You'll be fine!"

        "No. I'm tired of running. It's time I faced Azula!" Zuko calls back. Rezalia gets to her feet and hurls a rock through the large hole in the wall, hitting Zuko in the shoulder. He pays it no attention.

        Rezalia screams in frustration as she helps Iroh to his feet. "I know someone who can help," Iroh murmurs to her as they run off, knocking up and dragging along a Dai Lee as they go.

        "Avatar?"

        "Avatar."

        Rezalia didn't bother to ask why Iroh knew where the Avatar lived, she didn't really care. Dumping the Dai Lee on the porch, Iroh knocks on the door and Rezalia can hear the conversation behind the door stop. Upon the door swinging open, the jaws of Aang and his friends drop with the sole exclusion of a short, blind girl that was new to the team as far as Rezalia could tell. "Glad to see you're okay," the new girl says, probably to Iroh. "Is this the girl you were telling me about?"

        "Yes, this is Rezalia," Iroh says, tone grave. "I need your help."

        Aang and Sokka make twin noises of disbelief. Aang point his finger between the girl and the two ex Fire Nation. "You guys know each other?!"

        "I met him in the woods once and knocked him down. Then he gave me tea and very good advice," the girl responds flippantly, as f she hadn't just turned the Avatar's world upside down.        

        "That sounds like uncle. I'm Rezalia, but you guys knew that."

        "I'm Toph."

        "May I come in?" Iroh cuts in. Toph nods and moves aside. "Princess Azula is here in Ba Sing Se."

        Aang expressions melts into a deadly seriousness. "She must have Katara."

        "She has Zuko too," Rezalia adds, crossing her arms over her chest. Aang looks to her and nods in acceptance of her addition.

        "Then we'll work together to fight Azula, and save Katara and Zuko."

        Sokka holds up his hands, making an 'x'. "Woah there. You lost me at, 'Zuko'." Rezalia's eyes flash and she moves to go forward, but Iroh moves before her, setting his hands on Sokka's shoulders in a pleading manner.

        "I know how you must feel about my nephew. But believe me when I tell you there is good inside him."

        Sokka awkwardly peels the man's hands off of him. "Good inside of him isn't enough. Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, okay?"

        "Would you like me to arrange it so that your guts are outside you?" Rezalia snarls, glaring through Sokka's soul. The brunet makes a face and inches away from the girl.

        Aang raises his hands in a placating gesture. "Katara is in trouble. All of Ba Sing Se is in trouble. Working together is our best chance." Sokka didn't look happy about it, but he nodded nonetheless.

        "I brought someone along who might be able to help us." Upon receiving confused looks from their new and temporary allies, Iroh and Rezalia lead them out to the front porch where the Dai Lee was still struggling against his bonds.

        Toph instantly forms an earth prison around him as Rezalia stalks forward to rip off his gag. The man spills without a word from any of them. "Azula and Long Feng are plotting a coup. They're going to overthrow the Earth King."

        Sokka didn't care about any of that. "My sister! Where are they keeping Katara?" he asks, pressing his machete to the underside of the man's chin. Rezalia was pretty sure the man was about to cry.

        "In the crystal catacombs of old Ba Sing Se, deep beneath the palace."

        Their rag tag group departs for the palace, leaving the Dai Lee on the porch. As they reach the castle grounds, Toph crouches and places a hand on the ground, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "Well whaddya know. There is an ancient city down there, but it's deep."

        "We should split up," Sokka suggests. "Aang, you go with Iroh and Rezalia to look for Katara and the angry jerk...no offense."

        "None taken," Iroh and Rezalia chorus.

        "And I'll go with Toph to warn the Earth King about Azula's coup." The flying lemur - Momo, Rezalia was pretty sure - jumps onto Sokka's shoulder as they split up. Aang gets them there, bending earth out of the way while Iroh creates a light with his palm.

        "So, Toph thinks you give pretty good advice. And great tea," Aang says awkwardly and Rezalia drops back a bit. This seemed like a private conversation.

        Iroh smiles at the avatar kindly. "The key to both is proper aging. What's on your mind?"

        Aang sighs a bit before answering. "Well, I met with this Guru who was supposed to help me master the Avatar State, and control this great power. But to do it, I had to let go of someone I love, and I just couldn't."

        "Perfection and power are overrated. I think you were very wise to choose happiness and love," Iroh replies. Rezalia blows a strand of hair from her face as she walks, observing the way the flame light bounced off the walls with an anxious curiosity.

        Aang didn't seem very taken with this answer. "What happens if we can't save everyone and beat Azula? Without the Avatar State, what if I am not powerful enough?"

        "I don't know the answer. Sometimes life is like this dark tunnel. You can't always see the light at the end of the tunnel, but if you just keep moving..." Iroh trails off as Aang beds away the remaining wall of rocks, revealing a large chamber of crystals. "You will come to a better place."

        In the chamber, Katara was kneeling at Zuko's side now facing them due to the commotion. Aang embraces Katara as she runs into him, glaring at Zuko as he does so. Iroh moves forward along with Rezalia to hug Zuko as the fugitive prince glares right back at the Avatar.

        "I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?!" Zuko demands, shoving his finger in Aang's direction. Rezalia elbows him in the ribs sharply.

        "Saving you, that's what," Aang replies. Zuko releases a feral noise and lunges at Aang, but Rezalia steps between them and puts a firm hand on her best friend's chest. Zuko slumps as Iroh instructs Aang and Katara to go find the others. 

        "Why?" he whispers.

        "You are not the man you used to be, Zuko. You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good!" Iroh tells his nephew. Zuko receives no time to process his words as crystals shoot out of the ground and secure Rezalia and Iroh in place. 

        Azula enters the cavern along with two Dai Lee. "I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle and the freak, but Zuko, Prince Zuko...you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you?"

        "Release them immediately!" Zuko snaps.

        Azula ignores him. "It's not too late for you Zuko. You can still redeem yourself."

        "You don't want her redemption, Zuko!" Rezalia shouts, hands glowing with the intensity of their heat. "Azula always lies!"

        "Why don't you let him decide, freak?" Azula snaps before turning back to her brother. "I need you Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day. This glorious day in Fire Nation history. And the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have your father's love. You will have everything you want."

        Crystals shoot up to cover Rezalia's mouth as she goes to protest once more. Iroh speaks up in her stead. "Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want."

        Zuko looks between the two groups, confusion clouding his eyes. His head drops as his face wrinkles in concentration. Azula smirks and leans back in that annoyingly haughty way that Rezalia hated so much. "You are free to choose."

        With a signal from the princess, the Dai Lee agents retreat the way they'd came. Azula goes after the avatar, leaving Zuko to his inner turmoil. It doesn't take but a few minutes for Zuko to run after his sister. Rezalia's crystals erupt from her body, landing in smoking pieces around the cavern as she falls to her knees, clothes smoking and skin still glowing a bit from the heat she had been exuding.

        "We lost him," she whispers hoarsely as she numbly works to free Iroh. The man says nothing in response, his silence speaking for itself. As soon as Iroh could move again, Rezalia was off. As she reaches the fight, Aang was dodging blasts of fire atop a column while Zuko sent blast after blast without a break. Rezalia's fire whips around her without her consent, wild and angry. With a jerk of her arm, a wave of fire forces Zuko back. The prince looks back at her with betrayal in his eyes but Rezalia returns the look ten fold with worlds of anger in her expression and Zuko stumbles back under the force of a meer look.

        Rezalia slowly circles around until she was facing Zuko and standing with Aang. Maintaining eye contact, Rezalia slips into a fighting stance that clearly marked her stance in this battle. Zuko's head dips and his eyes light with a new determination as he sends blasts at the both of them. Rezalia redirects as many as she could, sending a few in Azula's direction, but there were so many and eventually it caught up to her. As she caught a blast in her palm and tossed it aside with her whole body (a move that only she was able to do for reasons that were yet to be uncovered), one of Zuko's attacks catches her in the side.

        She grits her teeth to stop a shout of pain as she drops to one knee. "Rezalia!" Aang calls out in panic.        

        "I'm fine!" she shouts back, getting back to her feet. Rezalia clenches her fists at her side, sweeping them skyward and releasing twin barrels of flame toward Zuko. He lunges behind a nearby crystal formation. The crystals shatter but Zuko remains unharmed. Aang sends a blast of air toward the prince, sending him skidding back several paces. 

        Zuko then decides to interfere with Azula and Katara's fight, cutting off one of Katara's attacks. Azula grins at her brother and turns to Aang and Rezalia. She falters a bit when she sees the white flames that decorated the space around Rezalia, spinning around her in an enrage inferno. Rezalia doesn't hesitate, forming a concentrated ball of flame in her palms and hurling it at Azula. The princess spins around the attack, sending one of her own toward the pair. Aang grunts as he repels the blast of blue flames with his staff, spinning it around to dispel it before it could meet either him or Rezalia.

        As Aang pulls his staff back, Rezalia kicks out with her foot, sending a wave of white flame to collide with Azula's azure ones. Aang slams his fists together, calling upon the crystals to form an armor around him. Once the crystal was secure, Aang rushes at the Fire Nation Princess. Azula waits until the last second to kick a load of built up flame at the boy, shattering his armor and slamming him into the wall of a cliff. Rezalia lights a fire under her feet and back toward Aang, retreating without turning her back to her opponent. She knew better than to do that with Azula. Both fire siblings turn their attention toward Katara in that moment.

        Rezalia shouts out a protest, but it goes ignored as Katara is blown back into a group of crystals and slumps, unconscious. Aang, with a new anger in his eyes, whips his arms to and fro. The constant swirl of air combined with a little earthbending forms a giant dust cloud as Zuko and Azula look toward a sudden rumbling. Aang jumps down from the cliff, slamming his body into the ground and forming a ball of rack to fly at the prince and princess with him in the center.

        The pair ready themselves for the attack but a Dai Lee disperses the ball of rock before Aang could make contact. Aang falls to the ground as more Dai Lee join the fray. Katara, who had gained consciousness a moment ago, wards off a few Dai Lee with he water from the waterfall. Rezalia forms two whips of concentrated fire that she snaps at the Dai Lee who get too close for her liking. Aang looks around desperately before quickly forming a cover of crystal and hiding himself. Rezalia moves to stand beside Katara, their combined effort keeping the Dai Lee from grabbing Aang.

        A moment later, a bright light shoots out from Aang in waves. The Dai Lee shield themselves, abandoning their attacks in favor of protecting themselves from what looked like a human nightlight. Aang's glowing body rises into the air slowly, winding around and around until Azula points her fingers and fires. Blue lightning arcs in what feels like slow motion until it makes contact with Aang's back. Aang jolts, electricity covering his body, until the glow fades from his eyes and tattoos and he falls to the ground. Distantly, Rezalia registers someone screaming. It might have been Katara but it also might have been her.

        Both girls run to Aang's side, though Katara is the one who gathers him in her arms. As the Dai Lee and royal teens of the Fire Nation close in, Iroh drops from above to protect the trio. "You've got to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!" He sends out a volley of blasts. Rezalia steps forward to help. "You too, Rezalia!"

        Rezalia hesitates for a moment before backing toward the waterfall and propelling herself skyward with flame, Katara at her side carrying her and Aang up. If the brunette notices the tears that slip from Rezalia's eyes, she doesn't say anything.

        "I'll...I'll go after we get him to a doctor," Rezalia murmurs hoarsely as they reach Appa and the others. Sokka takes in her ragged appearance and the way Katara was practically glued to her side and pulls her into the saddle.

        "Don't be stupid," he mutters. 

        Toph reaches out a hand. "You're one of us, fire girl. Welcome aboard." Rezalia wipes her face with one hand and takes Toph's hand with the other.

        "Thank you," she whispers. "Will he be okay."

        Katara's brow furrows in concentration as she uses the water stored in her necklace to try and heal Aang. The water sinks into his skin and glows a bit and the rise and fall of Aang's ches resumes and Rezalia almost cries again.

Chapter Text

        It was weeks before Aang woke and in that time, their little team had met up with Katara and Sokka's dad, a few of Jet's old friends, and commandeered a Fire Navy ship. When he awoke, Rezalia was sitting on the railing of the ship talking to Katara and Toph who donned red cloaks over their clothing as Rezalia was the only one of them who owned Fire Nation clothes. Cutting herself off mid sentence, dull purple eyes land of Aang who had fallen on the deck.

        He looked lost and confused and scared and Rezalia could hardly blame him. He'd woken up in a Fire Nation ship, surrounded by people who looked like Fire Nation soldiers. "Momo?" he asks, eyes locked on the little flying lemur. Katara and Toph whip around and rush toward their friend while Rezalia hangs back. No sense in confusing the poor boy any more.

        "Aang, you're awake!" Katara exclaims.

        The airbender rubs at his eyes. "Are you sure? I feel like I'm dreaming." He grunts when Katara pulls him into a tight hug.

        "You're not dreaming. You're finally awake," Katara assures him as she pulls away. Sokka hugs Aang nex, forgetting to remove his Fire Nation helmet.

        "Aang, good to see you back with the living, buddy."

        "Sokka?" Aang asks, overwhelmed.

        "Helmet, Sokka," Rezalia calls, swinging her legs back and forth. Aang's head snaps toward her, eyes growing wider.

        "Rezalia?" He starts to sway. Toph calls for someone to catch him and they just barely manage. Sokka lays Aang flat on the deck and they all lean over him.

        "Uh, maybe you shouldn't..." Rezalia says awkwardly. Hakoda catches her drift and gestures for the other teens to back off Aang a bit so that he could breath.

        Finally, Aang groans and sits up. "Why are we on a Fire Nation ship? Why is everyone dressed this way? Why is Rezalia here? And why am I the only one out of it?" He shoots the questions off in rapid succession.

        "You need to take it easy, okay? You got hurt pretty bad. I like your hair," Katara says.

        Aang's hands fly to his head, feeling the hair there with wide eyes. "I have hair? How long was I out?"

        "A few weeks," Rezalia replies walking over to sit beside Katara on the ground. Aang examines her with a confused look in his eye.

        Hakoda walks over, concern showing on his face. "Everything ok?"

        Katara's face darkens a bit and Rezalia grips her hand subtly. "We're fine, Dad."

        "I'm Hakoda, Katara and Sokka's father," Hakoda tells Aang, extending his hand to the boy. Before Aang could say a word, Katara whips her head around to give her father an annoyed look.

        "He knows who you are. I just called you 'Dad', didn't I?"

        Hakoda gives his daughter an awkward smile, not quite sure how to handle the situation properly. "I guess you're right."

        "Nice to officially meet you, Chief Hakoda," Aang cuts in, extending his own arm. Hakoda grasps his arm with a warm grin.

        "It's an honor to meet you."

        "Great, great. Now you guys have finally met, so would you mind giving us a little privacy?" Katara snaps, glaring at her father. Hakoda nods and walks off to pet Appa.

        Aang looks at Katara for a moment before speaking. "Are you mad at your dad or something?"

        Katara's expression became one of confusion even as she tightened her grip on Rezalia's hand. "What? Not at all, why would you say that?" Aang shrugs and doubles over instantly, clutching his side and groaning in pain. "Maybe we should go upstairs. You need a healing session."

        Katara releases Rezalia's hand and helps Aang walk upstair. Rezalia goes back to her place on the railing, this time facing outward. Hakoda walks up to the girl and leans on the railing next to her. "We haven't spoken much," he notes. 

        "Sorry," she whispers in return.

        "It's not anyone's fault, kiddo. Wanna tell me what's on your mind?" the man asks. Rezalia bites her lip as she stares out at the ocean.

        She answers after a moment of silence. "I don't know if I can."

        "What do you mean?"        

        "I.... It.... I just-" Rezalia's voice suddenly catches in her throat and her hands tighten around the railing. "He-" Hakoda quickly rubs his hand up and down Rezalia's back in an attempt to sooth her.

        "That's okay, kiddo. I'll be here when you do want to talk, okay?" he says gently. Rezalia nods, teeth worrying her lip to the point of breaking the skin.

        A while later, everyone was lounging on deck while they ate. Sokka was filling Aang in on what had happened while he'd been out. "After what happened in Ba Sing Se, we had to get you to safety. So after we picked up Rezalia's stuff, we flew back to Chameleon Bay, where we found my father and the other Water Tribe men.The Earth King decided he wanted to travel the world in disguise, so he set off alone."

        Rezalia cuts in, voice soft as she played with her food. "Not completely alone. His bear went with him."

        Sokka nods in agreement and continues. "Soon, the bay was overrun with Fire Nation ships. Rather than fight them all, we captured a single ship and made it our disguise. Since then, we've been traveling west. We crossed through The Serpent's Pass a few days ago. We've seen a few Fire Nation ships, but none have bothered us."

        "So, what now?" Aang asks, looking down at the map Sokka had been using to demonstrate their travels.

        Hakoda speaks up this time. "We've been working on a modified version of the invasion plan."

        "It's Sokka's invasion plan," Katara grumbles.

        Hakoda looks at his daughter with a mixture of confusion and defeat. "Yes, Sokka's plan. We won't be able to mount a massive invasion without the Earth King's armies, but the solar eclipse will still leave the Fire Nation vulnerable."

        "So we're planning a smaller invasion. Just a ragtag team of our friends and allies from around the Earth Kingdom. We already ran into Pipsqueak and The Duke," Sokka adds, gesturing to the pair.

        "Good to see you again, Aang," Pipsqueak says. Aang nods at him by way of greeting.

        Sokka was vibrating as he excitedly went on about his plan. "And the best part is, the eclipse isn't even our biggest advantage. We have a secret. Two secrets actually! Rezalia and...you!"

        "Me?"

        "Yep, the whole world thinks you're dead! Isn't that great?!" Sokka exclaims triumphantly.

        Rezalia sighs and sips at her water. "There goes his tact again," she murmurs, mostly to herself. "Right out the proverbial window."

        Toph snickers even as Aang's face grows horrified. "The world thinks I'm dead? How is that good news? That's terrible!"

        Sokka rolls up the map. "No, it's great. It means the Fire Nation won't be hunting us anymore. And even better, they won't expect you on The Day of Black Sun."

        "No, no, no, no, no. You have no idea. This is so messed up!" As the words escape the avatar's lips, the sounds of an approaching ship reach their ears. Aang instantly whips out his staff. "I'll handle this. The Avatar is back!"

        Even through the pain opening his glider caused, Aang was fully prepared to storm the approaching ship until Katara speaks up. "Aang, wait. Remember, they don't know we're not Fire Nation."

        Aang reluctantly puts his staff away, looking very put out. "Everyone just stay calm. Bato and I will take care of this," Hakoda tells everyone. The Duke and Pipsqueak cover Appa, who was sitting in the cargo pit, in a tarp before joining everyone else on the stairs leading to below deck.

        "Commander, why are you off course? All Western Fleet ships are supposed to be moving toward Ba Sing Se to support the occupation."

        Hakoda fiddles with his fingers behind his back, a nervous habit he shared with his daughter. "Actually, we're from the Eastern Fleet. We have orders to deliver some cargo."

        "Ah, Eastern Fleet. Well, nice of Admiral Chan to let us know he was sending one of his ships our way." Rezalia could tell that the officer didn't believe him.

        Turning to Sokka, she taps his hair piece. Confused, he hands it over and watches Rezalia put her hair up with the ornament. "Back up a bit," she whispers to the others before slipping up to the deck. "Officer Karo? Is that you?"

        The man looks over at Rezalia in surprise, along with Hakoda and Bato. "...Little Rezalia?" he finally asks in surprise. Rezalia plasters a false smile on her face. "Well, it's been forever girly! Didn't you get yourself banished?"

        Rezalia laughs a bit, and Hakoda wasn't a fan of how off it sounded. "I did. But Fire Lord Ozai asked me to come back. Said I learned my lesson and all that."

        "I never did agree with your banishment," Karo says. "If you're on your way back, why did this man tell me that this is a cargo delivery?"

        "Oh, it's supposed to be a secret but I figured you'd keep your mouth shut. Can your men?" Rezalia asks, eyes flashing a bit as they rested on Karo's lackies.

        "Yes ma'am," they hurriedly assure her.

        Rezalia allows a false grin to paint her face once more. "Great! I hope you don't mind but I do have to get going now. Ozai gets a little cranky."

        "Of course, Ms. Devil," Karo says with a wink before leaving with his men. Rezalia resists the urge to flinch when the words that always followed that name never came and returns to the others, silently returning Sokka's hair piece to him.

Chapter Text

        "How many of those guys do you know?" Toph asks. Rezalia makes a noise of thought as she lays on the rail, both legs dangling down. She sort of missed her boys yelling at her. Now it was only Katara.

        Blowing air out of her teeth, she answers. "Most of the higher ranking ones. I was...a friend of the royal family's so I was around the palace more than my own house. I can't tell you how many times I snuck into war meetings. Unfortunately, most of them aren't as fond of me as Karo is. We got lucky there."

        "What's the palace like?" Sokka jumps at the chance to ask questions. Rezalia had been closed off to them for the majority of the time they'd spent together. Rezalia takes a moment to answer.

        "Cold. Which was always weird to me because there's fire everywhere but it's so cold. Maybe it's the people inside. Hardly any of them were warm people. It was big and most of the rooms were empty which made it colder. Everything was red, black, and gold which looked cool but was kind of intimidating to a five year old."

        Katara speaks slowly, as if trying not to scare Rezalia off the topic. "If you aren't nobility how did you end up at the palace?"

        "My bending has been strong since I was a little kid," Rezalia answers. "I was put on track to be the head of the army when I was three but that was never what I wanted. When she was five, Azula pulled together a group of girls she considered the best. The other two girls were Mai and Ty Lee and they were both nobility. I never got too close to them, I had...other friends that I like better."

        Aang leans forward a bit, still looking a bit upset for being told he has to lay low. "I was wondering, why don't you firebend when you fight? You did in the crystal cave but not ever before that."

        "I had a bad experience during training when I was nine. We...I was sparring with my dad when I lost control. My flames are white, they're hotter and harder to control and I lost focus for three seconds and burned down four houses. People got hurt," Rezalia replies, voice hoarse as she sends a small ball of fire twirling around her fingers. "So I try not to use it when fighting."

        "I'm sorry," Katara whispers, setting a hand on Rezalia's shoulder. Toph silently throws a punch at the other girl's shoulder, not protesting when Rezalia caught her hand and held it. Aang nods and manages a weak smile toward Rezalia before heading back to his room.

        Sokka raises his arms above his head as he stands. "Ugh, I'm starving," he complains. "What do we have left to eat?"

        "Not much. Just some dried meat and a loaf of bread," Hakoda replies. Katara makes a face as her father speaks, not bothering to hide it.

        "There's a dock there," Rezalia says, lifting one hand to point past Sokka to where she could see a town on the shore.         

        Toph grins. "Perfect! I can't wait to get off this stupid boat."

        "I'll go tell Aang," Katara says as she walks off. Rezalia stands and ties her hair up into a loose bun before pulling on her sandals.

        "Won't you be recognized, Lia?" Sokka asks as he dons his helmet. 

        Rezalia shakes her head. "No. I spent a lot of time in the palace so hardly anyone knows what I look like. I'll be fine as long as I don't firebend."

        "What about your eyes?" he asks. "Doesn't your legend involve your eyes?"

        Rezalia blows out an amused breath. "Yeah, it does. But like you said, it's a legend. Not everyone knows of the 'Devil of the Fire Nation' and those who do just assume it's a myth to scare people. If anybody in this little town recognizes me on sight it'll be a miracle."

        "Oh, that's really cool."

        Katara returned a moment later, looking a bit upset. "He doesn't want to come. Let's just go."

        Rezalia, Sokka, Katara, and Toph are the only ones who get off the ship when they dock. They'd already decided that small groups were best and larger people tended to draw more attention. It didn't take long to find a place to get food, there were about five shops in the entire village. Rezalia handled all transactions since she knew the most about the Fire Nation, but Katara and Sokka picked out all the food since they knew what everyone else on the ship was allergic to and liked. Toph just wanted to get off of the ship.

        When they return, Katara instantly goes to bring Aang his food. She returns to the deck in a wild panic. "Katara?" Hakoda asks, righting his daughter before she could fall. Bato gives them some space upon seeing the tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

        "He left," she tells him.

        Hakoda grips Katara by the shoulders and ducks down a bit to look at her with confusion. "What?"

        "Aang. He just took his glider and disappeared. He has this ridiculous notion that he has to save the world alone. That it's all his responsibility."

        "Maybe that's his way of being brave," Hakoda says gently.

        Katara rips herself out of his grip. "It's not brave. It's selfish and stupid. We could be helping him. And I know the world needs him, but doesn't he know how much that we need him too? How could he just leave us behind?"

        Hakoda lowers his arms to his sides as his daughter's words sink in. "You're talking about me too, aren't you?" Katara's hands shake as she weeps.

        "How could you leave us, Dad? I mean, I know we had Gran Gran, and she loved us, but...but we were just so lost without you." Her voice trembles. Rezalia sits on the railing awkwardly. She hadn't meant to intrude but neither of them had realized that she was there and they'd see her if she tried to move now. So, she was stuck trying not to breath too loudly.

        Katara turns away from her father, muffling her sobs with her hand. Hakoda steps forward and lays a hand on Katara's shoulder. "I am so sorry, Katara."

        "I understand why you left. I really do, and I know that you had to go, so why do I still feel this way? I was so sad and angry, and hurt," the brunette chokes out. Rezalia slides down the railing slowly, moving away from the private moment as quietly as she could.

        Hakoda rubs his daughter's upper arm soothingly as he speaks. "I love you more than anything. You and your brother are my entire world. I thought about you every day I was gone, and every night when I went to sleep. I would lay awake missing you so much, it would ache."

        Katara slowly turns and wraps her arms around her father. "I love you, dad. Also, I'm sorry you had to see that Lia."

        Rezalia freezes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to-"

        "We know, kiddo. We saw you trying to leave." Rezalia flushes and jumps down off the rail. "Now, why don't we go find Aang."

        All of them work together to figure out where Aang probably went. They all agreed that he had more than likely gone after the Fire Nation, so they set off in the direction that Karo's ship had gone. They passed a few little islands before The Duke shouted out. There, on the shore of an island covered in volcanic rock, was a person. From this distance, they couldn't tell who but it looked about the right size to be Aang.

        Katara, Sokka, and Toph were the first people off of the ship with Rezalia lingering behind. Aang - it was him after all - came to just as Katara dropped to her knees. "You're ok!" she shouts, throwing her arms around Aang's head. This evolves into a group hug that Toph and Sokka drag Rezalia into. Even Momo participates. After a moment, Aang pulls away.

        "I have so much to do," he sighs.

        "I know, but you'll have our help," Katara says, grinning at her friend.

        Toph crosses her arms with a wicked grin. "You didn't think you could get out of training just by coming to the Fire Nation, did you?"

        Rezalia exhales sharply through her nose. Aang asks, "What about the invasion?"

        "We'll join up with Hakoda and the invasion force on the day of the eclipse," Rezalia answers, arms crossed over her stomach. Toph becomes distracted by something in the ground.

        "Hey, what's..." she trails off as she pulls it out of the ground. "Oh...it's your glider."

        The wings of the glider were burnt and broken, the staff portion being the only intact part. Aang rises to his feet, followed by Katara, and gently takes the broken glider from Toph. Even Rezalia could tell that he was upset about it despite his brave front. "That's okay. If someone saw it, it would give away my identity. It's better for now that no one knows I'm alive."

        With that, Aang jumps up to a place where the volcanic rock was still molten and drives the glider into the ground. It catches flame a moment later, turning the antique to ash. Aang jumps back down to the others and turns to Rezalia.

        "I didn't say it before, but welcome to the team Rezalia." Aang bows, hands in the typical Fire Nation form. "Do you prefer Lia?"

        Rezalia returns the gesture. "Thank you. Either is fine."

        "Well then, Lia. Let's get going with this invasion!"

Chapter Text

        After a few days, the teens - minus The Duke and Pipsqueak - climb atop Appa and take off, Katara and Aang forming a cloud around them. They stayed close to the water until they reached land. "I think I see a cave below," Aang tells them.

        "Shhush... keep quiet!" Sokka hisses as Aang disperses the cloud. "Great job with the cloud camo, but next time, let's disguise ourselves as the kind of cloud who knows how to keep its mouth shut."

        Toph scoffs. "Yeah, we wouldn't want a bird to hear us chatting up there and turn us in."

        "Hey!" Sokka exclaims. "We're in enemy territory. Those are enemy birds." Sokka points up to the birds that sat over his shoulder on the rock. Rezalia extends one hand to the birds.

        "Sorry to burst your bubble, Sokka, but these birds don't speak," she murmurs as one of the birds hops onto her forearm, its sharpened claws drawing blood from Rezalia's skin. "Though they are quite loud."

        Sokka grunts and walks toward the cave Aang had pointed out previously. "Well, this is it. This is how we'll be living until the invasion begins. Hiding in cave after cave...after cave...after cave..."

        "Sokka, we don't need to become cave people. What we need is some new clothes," Katara tells her brother. Sokka slumps a bit, as if disappointed by the fact that he couldn't be a cave man. Rezalia didn't bother mentioning that she didn't need new clothes as she figured it wouldn't help any.

        Aang nods in agreement with Katara's words. "Yeah, blending in is better than hiding out. If we get Fire Nation disguises, we'll be just as safe as we would be hiding in a cave."

        "Plus...they have real food out there. Does anyone wanna sit in the dirt and eat cave-hoppers?" Toph asks as she punches the wall, disrupting several bugs. All of them recoil from the critters.

        Sokka then sighs and turns to Momo who was eating one of the bugs Toph had sent running. "Looks like we got outvoted, sport. Let's get some new clothes." 

        Quietly, the teens slip out of the cave and sneak through the woods until they stumble upon a house. Rezalia travels with them out of sheer impulse rather than a conscious decision. Eventually, they wind up crouching in the bushes as they look into someone's yard where clothes were hung out to dry. Aang didn't seem content with their plan of action. "I don't know about this. These clothes belong to somebody."

        "I call the silk robe!" Katara exclaims, running into the yard and snatching the item she had dubbed as hers.

        Her excitement seemed to change Aang's mind to nobody's surprise. "But if it's essential to our survival...then I call the suit!"

        Rezalia makes her way to Toph to help her find something she would like. "Something similar to what you already have?" she asks. Toph nods. "Here, it's a red one piece, a dark red and gold cape thing, and a brown wrap that ties around your waist to keep the cape thing in place."

        Toph snickers a bit at the other girl's explanation of the clothes and voices her acceptance of them. Rezalia turns away for a moment as Toph changes. When she was done, Toph and Rezalia join the others who were now decked out in their own Fire Nation clothing. Aang was wearing an outfit that looked oddly familiar to Rezalia, with the belt to the ensemble tied around his head to hide his arrow.

        "Ta-dah! Normal kid," Aang announces. Rezalia shoots him a thumbs up.

        Toph frowns as she shifts her feet. "Hmm...I should probably wear shoes, but then I won't be able to see as well. Sorry shoes!" With that, Toph sits down and kicks the bottom of her shoes straight off of them. "Finally, a stylish shoe for the blind earthbender."

        Katara calls attention to herself, asking how she looked in her outfit. A cropped red shirt and a layered red skirt paired with red sandals and gold anklets.

        Aang blushes a bit before he catches sight of something. "Uh...your mom's necklace."

        "Oh...oh, yeah. I guess it's pretty obviously water tribe, isn't it?" Katara mutters, fingers raising to brush against her necklace.

        Rezalia steps up next to the brunette and sets a hand on her shoulder. "Let's head into town and get some food. We left all of ours on the ship." The others nod and they set out on the road leading away from the house. On the way to the nearby village, Katara's hand continued to find its way to her neck that was now bare. "Why don't we get you a new one so that it doesn't feel so weird to not be wearing it."

        Katara hesitates for a moment before nodding. It doesn't take long after that to reach town and Aang drags them into a nearby alley. "I used to visit my friend Kuzon here a hundred years ago. So everyone just follow my lead and stay cool." Rezalia wasn't sure if she was meant to be amused or offended by the fact they'd all collectively forgot she was Fire Nation. "Or as they say in the Fire Nation - 'Stay flamin'!" No, they did not say that.

        Aang saunters out into the street, calling everyone he passed "hotman" which Rezalia found equal parts amusing and cringey. Nobody's called anyone "hotman" in eighty years. Sokka quickly takes the lead, taking them to a butcher shop. "Oh, we're going to a meat place?" Aang asks, making a bit of a face.

        "Come on, Aang. Everyone here eats meat...even the meat!" Sokka exclaims, gesturing to where a cow hippo was indeed eating some kind of fish.

        "You guys go ahead. I'll just get some lettuce out of the garbage," Aang tells them. 

        "I'll wait with you," Rezalia says, stepping away from the rest of the group to stand next to Aang. The boy gives her a large grin as the others disappear into the shop.

        As they wait, Aang refers to every passing person as "hotman" and Rezalia decides that it's definaley cringey. A few people look at Rezalia for a bit longer than others, perhaps intrigued by her eyes or her clothes which were bits and pieces of her combat outfit. She'd left the mask and pants in her bag but she wore the rest of it and if you looked close enough you'd be able to tell the clothes were designed for fighting.

        "It's over, we caught you," an approaching officer calls. Aang and Rezalia tense, the latter pushing off of the wall to stand at Aang's side.

        "Who us?" Aang asks nervously.

        The officers stop in front of them. "It couldn't be more obvious that you don't belong here." Rezalia slowly reaches for the holster on her thigh. "Next time you play hooky, you might want to take off your school uniform." She relaxes. "At least your friend took hers off. Go find it, you're going back."        

        "Sorry sir, but I'm homeschooled. I don't have a uniform," Rezalia says. The officers don't look impressed even through their masks.

        "Nice try, only nobility are eligible for homeschooling."

        "And one exception but I highly doubt you're her. She was banished."

        Rezalia reaches into her pocket to pull out her card, a simple piece of metal that showed that she was homeschooled. "Well, I am her. The Fire Lord lifted my banishment, but he'd be very mad if word of this got out. You understand, right?"

        "Yes! Of course, my lady! We'll just take this young man back to school," the officer on the left exclaims, bowing to her despite her just saying that her presence was meant to be a secret. Rezalia watches Aang be escorted away. He turns and she mouths 'I'll get you out'. But he shakes his head and allows the officers to take him away.

        The others exit the shop shortly after Aang recedes from view. "Where'd Aang go?" Katara asks.

        Rezalia does her best to control her heartbeat. "That way," she says, pointing in the direction that the officers had taken Aang. "I'm sure he'll be fine, he knows that he needs to lay low."

        The others shrug in acceptance of this answer and they do a bit more shopping, filling their bags with food that would last a while so that they could travel with it. By the time they made it back to the cave, the others were becoming ansty. "He should be back by now," Sokka mutters.

        Rezalia says nothing as they theorize about what could have happened until they begin to theorize that he'd been arrested. "I'm sure he's fine. He probably just got caught up talking or something."

        Miraculously, the others bought that half baked reassurance, relaxing and talking about what they'd do after this. It was pat nightfall when Aang returned and everyone was sitting around a fire Rezalia had lit. Katara was on her feet at once. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick!"

        Rezalia noted that Aang's clothes were singed. "I got invited to play with some kids after school."

        "After what?" Sokka shouts as he jumps to his feet as well.

        "I enrolled in a Fire Nation school, and I'm going back tomorrow."

        "Enrolled in what?!" Sokka looked to be on the verge of passing out as he turned to Rezalia. "Did you know about this?!"

        Rezalia shifts uncomfortably. "I did. He said not to break him out so I didn't say anything."

        "Why didn't you say anything when he was out until night?!" Katara exclaims. Rezalia's hand travels to the bracelet on her wrist subconsciously.

        "I've never gone to normal school, I didn't know how long it was meant to last," she mutters. Aang gives her a confused look and sits down next to her.

        He ducks his head a bit to catch her eye as she'd been staring at the ground. "Wait, you were actually homeschooled? Why'd that officer call you lady?"

        "Yes, I was actually homeschooled. The card I showed them was my homeschool registration. I was first taught by my father and then by the royal tutor. He called me 'lady' because I technically have the status of nobility despite not actually being a noble."

        Sokka seemed to be stuck on Aang's school situation. "Aang, I'm trying to be mature and not immediately shoot down your idea. But it sounds...really terrible."

        "Yeah, we got our outfits. What do you need to go to school for?" Toph asks. "Also, can I borrow that card sometime Lia?"

        Rezalia exhales sharply. "You could try but it won't work for you unless you have my serial number memorized and change your appearance." Toph pouts a bit at her answer.

        Aang moves on, ignoring their little exchange. "Every minute I'm in that classroom. I'm learning new things about the fire nation. I already have a picture of Fire Lord Ozai." He holds up aforementioned picture. He then holds up another paper. "And here's one that I made out of noodles!"

        "Impressive, I admit. But I still think it's too dangerous," Sokka tells his friend. Rezalia gently touches her fingertips to the wood pile, adding more fuel to their little fire.

        Aang sighs in disappointment. "I guess we'll never find out about the secret river then. It goes right to the Fire Lord's palace. We were supposed to learn about it in class tomorrow..."

        This seems to change Sokka's opinion. "Hmm... I am a fan of secret rivers. Fine, let's stay a few more days." Rezalia didn't bother to mention that the "secret river" was little more than a creek that she and Zuko had shoved each other into as children. Rezalia grows still as the memory registers in her mind.

        "Flamey-o, Hotman!" Aang shouts in excitement, breaking Rezalia out of her thoughts and causing her to cringe physically. Toph laughs at her reaction to the boy's outdated slang.

Chapter Text

        The next day Aang arrives back at the cave panting, as if he'd run all the way from school. "Aang?" Rezalia asks, coming down to the floor from her handstand. "What happened?"

        "They want to talk to my parents!" Aang exclaims and Toph promptly bursts into laughter. Sokka and Katara seemed to be the only ones suitably concerned as Rezalia simply returned to her gymnastics and Toph was cackling.

        The three worry warts began more or less hyperventilating until Rezalia spoke up as she slowly lifted one hand from the ground. "Why don't you two just pretend to be his parents?"

        "Oh," Sokka says, stopping his pacing abruptly. "Yeah that could work. I can wear my fake beard! But I don't have one for Katara..."

        "Why would I need a beard you moron?!" Katara snaps. "I'll just pretend to be pregnant. Oh, Aang what did you tell the school your name was?" 

        Aang tells her the name and they get to work on their disguises. Rezalia flips onto her feet so that she can help Katara adjust her skirt so that it covered her fake baby bump. Sokka seemed a bit too into his beard as they left, going over their own fake names once more just to be sure.

        "Just us," the firebender murmurs to Toph, Appa, and Momo. Appa makes a sort of humming noise while Momo curls around her neck. He was a fan of Rezalia since she was naturally warm.

        Toph tossed a rock up and down as she spoke. "Can I ask you a question?" Rezalia hums her consent as she settles against Appa's side. "When I first joined the group they mentioned you, said you were loud and funny and Zuko's best friend. What happened?"

        "He...he told me and his uncle that he was done hunting the avatar. We were going to have a new, normal life in Ba Sing Se and then he turned his back on us the first chance he got. He had a clear choice and he didn't choose us. But I was done. I'd followed him into banishment but I won't...wouldn't follow him back to the Fire Nation. He made his choice and I made mine."

        Toph was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

        Rezalia smiles slightly despite the fact that Toph couldn't see it. The action felt foreign on her face now. "It's okay. I need to stop being so pathetic about this."

        "You aren't being pathetic, Lia," Toph protests. "He fucked up. You're allowed to be mad or upset or whatever. Now, is there anything to do in this place?"

        The purple eyed girl pulls one leg under her. "Not unless you want to mess with Sokka's boomerang." Toph makes a face.

        "What did you used to do for fun?"

        Rezalia thinks for a moment. "On the ship we used to do a music night every week. I didn't usually participate but it was fun when I did."

        "Did you play an instrument?"

        "Yeah. Guitar. But it was destroyed when Zhao tried to kill...tried to kill Zuko."

        "You'll have to tell me that story later but for now we're going into town," Toph announces as she gets to her feet.

        Rezalia doesn't struggle as she's pulled up. "What? Why?"

        "We're getting you a new guitar."

~*~

        Aang, Sokka, and Katara returned about ten minutes after Toph and Rezalia had gotten back to the cave. Rezalia was smiling at Toph who was attempting to play some kind of song with the guitar. "I'm blind, so I don't know why we thought this was a good idea."

        "Here, give it to me," Rezalia says as the others walk into the cave. She strums a note before adjusting the strings. "Well, it'd help if it was in tune. I'll have to fix that."

        "Where did you get a guitar?" Sokka asks as Katara removes her fake child.

        Toph leans back on the wall of the cave. "A shop." Sokka gives her an unimpressed look. Aang enters the cave a moment after his "parents", seemingly lost in thought. Sokka instantly looms over him, stroking his beard.

        "That settles it. No more school for you young man!"

        Aang steps away from him a bit. " I'm not ready to leave. I'm having fun for once, just being a normal kid. You don't know what it's like, Sokka. You get to be normal all the time."

        "Ha ha," Toph mutters mockingly. Rezalia takes her hands off the strings of her guitar, resting them on the body of it.

        Sokka scowls at his friend, who continues on. "Listen, guys, those kids at school are the future of the Fire Nation. If we wanna change this place for the better, we need to show them a little taste of freedom."

        "What could you possibly do for a country of depraved little fire monsters? No offense, Lia," Sokka tacks on. 

        "None taken."        

        Aang grins. "I'm gonna throw them..." He breaks off into a short tap dance. "...a secret dance party!"

        Rezalia raises an eyebrow as the others drop their jaw. Sokka recovers first, pointing off in some random direction. "Go to your room!"

        "No," Rezalia cuts in, strumming quietly on her guitar. "It makes sense. They don't teach dance of any form outside the palace, and all they teach there is ballroom dancing." Aang beams at her as Sokka looks at her with utmost betrayal.

        Soon, they were setting things up. Toph was bending rock into punch bowls that Katara bent beverages into as well as multi-leveled rocks for the and to play on. Where Aang had found a band, Rezalia had no idea. Perhaps in the same place that he'd found the candles that her and Sokka were lighting. Sokka held his candle to the wick of another as he spoke. "I can't believe we're having a dance party. It seems so... silly."

        "Don't think of it as a dance party, but as a cultural event celebrating the art of fancy footwork," Aang announces as he dodges the small flame that Rezalia had sent around the room to light the unlit candles. 

        Suddenly, Toph drops her arms and calls out. "They're coming! Everyone stop bending!"

        Aang directs Appa into the back of the cave while Rezalia disperses her small flame with a flick of her hand. The band is the first to push inside, hopping up to their stands and starting to play. "Ladies and gentlemen, The Flamey-os! Yeah, this ought to get everybody moving."

        But when he turns back around, everyone was huddled together and just standing there. "Now what do we do?" a small boy asks.

        Rezalia speaks up from her spot standing amongst the candles. "This would be the part where you dance."

        The boy looked at her blankly, along with everyone else. "I don't think my parents want me dancing in a cave," one of them says, hiding their face in their collar. Rezalia snorts quietly.

        "Yeah, what if someone finds out?" another asks before darting toward the back of the group but not leaving cave.

        Aang sighs. "Oh, boy. Listen, guys...dancing isn't something you think about. It's a form of self-expression that no one can ever take away from you."

        The small boy from before shakes his head. "Maybe it was different in the colonies, Kuzon. But we don't do that here."

        Rezalia looks back to Aang, who looks to her for help. She makes a spinning motion with her finger then points to the floor, gesturing for him to dance as she speaks. "Maybe not anymore. But we used to."

        "You have for generations," Aang adds. "It just so happens that I know several classic fire nation dances. A hundred years ago, this was known as 'The Phoenix Flight.'" He crouches low and demonstrates, holding his arms behind him and running in a circle, kicking his legs out with each step he took.

        "And this was the 'Camelephant Strut'." This one was done by hopping from foot to foot, crossing his palms in front of his face as he moved. He ends the move with a flip through the air that takes him an inch away from two girls who had gravitated through the air. They giggle as he flips backwards.

        Toph mutters something that Rezalia doesn't hear as Aang turns on her. "How 'bout you, Lia? Do you know any? You grew up in the homeland." All eyes turn on her in interest.

        "Well," Rezalia says as she makes her way to what had been dubbed the dance floor. "My moves don't have any fancy names, but I guess I have something."

        With that, she extends her arms to the side, one after the other, then brings them to the ground in the same manner. She pushes herself high into the air, turning horizontally as she goes. She lands on one foot and rolls into a standing position, raising her arms above her head and causing the flame from the candles to spike for a moment. Aang grins and claps, the others following with wide eyes.

        "And this is how they do it in the ballrooms of Ba Sing Se!" Aang exclaims and this time they both demonstrate, stepping side to side as their arms follow the motion. Slowly, the others begin to join in and a grin spreads across Rezalia, the most natural it's been in weeks.

        "Yeah, that's it. That's the sound of happy feet. All right, go with that. Everybody freestyle!" Aang shouts and all the school kids break out into what looked like seizures to Rezalia. She doesn't say anything to them about it, progress is progress, and grabs Sokka from where he was sitting and sipping some punch. Rezalia ignores the way that he was still wearing his beard.

        The pair spin around, their hands clasped as they go up over their heads and then back down again. Sokka stops them and spins Rezalia around a few times before releasing her hand. She continues to spin until she stops, inches away from one of the boys.

        He shyly extends his hand as an offer. She sends him a grin and accepts, allowing him to lead her into a quick side step with their hands clasped. Slowly, everyone stops as Aang and Katara steal their attention. They engaged in a dance that Rezalia hadn't seen in a long time, cartwheeling around one another and faux fighting. Crouching and throwing kicks over one another's heads. When their dance was over everyone returned to their freestyle. Rezalia was twirling through the crowd, stopping to dance with those who asked or looked a little hesitant.

        Suddenly an adult's voice rings out. "He's the one we want. The boy with the headband!"

        Rezalia slips away from the girl she'd been dancing with quickly but quietly, moving toward the back of the cave where there was another way out. Aang and the others follow after them as the school kids tie their belts around their foreheads to cause a distraction.

        As they fly through the air atop Appa, Katara turns to her brother. "We're safe, Sokka. You can take off the moustache, now."

        "Oh, no, I can't. It's permanently glued to my skin," Sokka replies, sounding entirely too pleased with himself.

        Toph ignores Sokka. "Way to go, Dancypants. I think you really did help those kids. You taught them to be free." Aang grins sheepishly.

        "I don't know. It was just a dance party, that's all."

        Katara smiles gently, glancing at the small smile that still rested on Rezalia's face. "Well, that was some dance party, Aang."

        Sokka slowly rocks back and forth. "Flamey-o, sir. Flame-ee-o." Rezalia groans, kicking Sokka lightly in the leg.

Chapter Text

        A while later, Appa carries them through a river. Rezalia had been trailing her hand through the water until she noticed that it had turned brown. This didn't seem to bother Aang, who was swimming around in it along with Momo. Aang returns to the saddle, brown river sludge hanging off of him. "Hey guys, I think this river's polluted."

        As he speaks, he bends the sludge off of himself and consequently onto everyone else. Rezalia wipes some off of her face before Aang sends a blast of air their way, ridding them of the sludge but sending their hair into a frenzy. Rezalia pats hers down and helps Katara untangle her hair loops. Sokka turns around from where he was sitting near Appa's head, fishing pole in hand. "Well, that explains why I can't catch a fish around here. Because normally my fishing skills are... off the hook! Get it? Like a fishing hook?"

        Sokka was the only one who found the joke funny. "Too bad your skills aren't on the hook," Toph quips. The others snicker, sans Rezalia who just smiles a bit and Sokka who scowls at them.

        "It looks like we'll need to go somewhere else to get food," Katara says. A long scroll unravels in front of her. "Assuming that'll fit into Sokka's master schedule."

        Sokka holds the end of the scroll, examining it carefully. "Hm...it's doable. But that means only two potty breaks today!"

        Aang leans his upper body outside the saddle as he points. "Hey, maybe we can get food there."

        They direct Appa out of the river and up onto a secluded strip of land overlooking the river. Aang covers Appa with a blanket of grass while Rezalia does the same to Momo. "Now you look just like a little hill with horns. Bye buddy!" Appa grumbles in response as they leave.

        "I don't feel anything. Where is this village?" Toph asks as they stop at the cliffs over the river.

        "It's in the center of the lake. Floating," Rezalia responds.

        "Sure is!" A voice calls from below. A man stood there on a dinky next to an equally dinky boat. "My name's Dock. Mind if I ask who you are?"

        Katara answers. "We're, um, from the Earth Kingdom colonies."

        Dock seemed pleased by this answer. "Wow... colonials! Hop on; I'll give you a ride into town." 

        Rezalia wasn't sure the boat would hold up, but it did by some miracle. "Why do you guys live on the river?" Katara asks, breaking the silence as Dock brought them to the village. 

        "Because we're a fishing town. At least that's how it was before the factory moved in." They all turn to look at the factory on the cliff. "Army makes their metal there. Moved in a few years ago and started gunking up our river. Now our little village is struggling to survive."

        The boat comes to a stop and Toph is the first person off, followed by Sokka who helps Toph out. "Thanks for the ride!" Aang exclaims.

        Looking around, Rezalia could tell that Dock wasn't joking when he said that the village was struggling to survive. There was hardly anyone around and the buildings were broken down. In many of the houses, she could see people who were little more than stick figures, sick and starving. "Look at this place. It's so sad. We have to do something to help," Katara murmurs.

        "No, we can't waste our time here! We have a bigger mission that we need to stay focused on. These people are on their own!" Sokka protests. Rezalia scowls at the way his words presented themselves.

        Katara gasps.These people are starving, but you turn your back on them?! How can you be so cold and heartless?"

        Sokka rolls his eyes. "I'm not turning my back, I'm just being realistic! We can't go around helping every rinky-dink town we wander into. We'll be helping them all by taking out the Fire Lord!"

        "Hey, loudmouth!" Toph snaps, slamming her hand over Sokka's mouth. "Maybe we should be a little quieter when we talk about taking out the Fire Lord."

        Sokka shakes off her hand and speaks again, quietly this time. "Come on, Katara, be reasonable about this. You know our mission has to come first."

        "I guess so," Katara mutters reluctantly. Rezalia squeezes her shoulder.

        "Let's just get what we need and go," Aang suggests. The others nod and make their way to the food stall. Dock poops up from behind the barrier with a different hat.

        Sokka blinks at him. "Hey, Dock. You work here too?"

        "I'm not Dock, I'm Xu. Dock's my brother," Dock - Xu? - replies. Rezalia furrows her eyebrow at him.

        "We literally just saw you like, ten seconds ago. All you did is change your hat. I'm not a moron," she tells him, a little offended that he thought she was so stupid.

        Dock-Xu shakes his head. "Dock works on the docks, that's why they call him 'Dock', and I work in the shop, that's why they call me 'Xu'."

        "I don't get it," Aang admits. 

        "Me neither," Dock-Xu agrees as he pulls out a crate of food that looked to be three years past its expiration date. "What can I getcha? Hey, I'll give you a special deal. If you buy three fish, I'll throw in a clam for free."

        As he speaks, the clams ooze out a brown sludge that seemed a bit thicker than the river sludge. Rezalia pushes down the urge to gag and backs away slightly. Sokka takes the lead as he was the second least revolted. Toph was first as she couldn't see the offending item. "We'll just take the fish. Mind telling your brother we need a ride back to shore?"

        Dock-Xu ducks down before reappearing in his original hat. "Hey, colonials. My brother says you need a lift." Rezalia's eye twitches as she and the others follow the crazy man back to his boat. Katara gets stopped for a moment by a little boy who requests food. 

        She kneels down and unwraps their package, handing him one of their fish. "I wish I could spare more." The boy didn't seem to care that it wasn't much, beaming and rushing off to give the food to his mother who appeared to be sick. Katara watches them until Rezalia gently pulls her along.

        Back at their campsite, Katara and Aang bend the pollution out of the water they would use to cook. Rezalia doubted that it would make the fish taste any better. Meanwhile, Sokka was pouring over his schedule. "Our detour into town today has completely thrown off our schedule. It's gonna take some serious finagling to get us back on track."

        "Finagle away, O' schedule master," Toph says sarcastically. Rezalia snorts.

        Sokka mutters a bit to himself, working out the math and adjusting things to fix what he deemed a problem. "Well, for starters, it looks like we'll need to wake up forty-three minutes earlier every day."        

        "Absolutely not. You can carry my dead weight if that's the route you wanna go. I'm not getting up that early," Rezalia protests. "You're lucky I get up when I do now."

        Sokka scowls at her. "Look, we only have a few weeks to get to the Fire Lord in time for the invasion and the eclipse - which, by the way, only lasts for eight minutes. And we just lost a whole day. So if we want to make up the time and stay on schedule, we have to wake up early!"

        "Again - you can carry me," Rezalia shoots back stubbornly.

        "Or we could just cut out all of our eating breaks," Sokka suggests, only to be met with even more protests as all of them pitched in to shoot him down this time. "I got it, how's this From now on, we'll take food breaks and potty breaks at the same time."        

        "That's fucking disgusting," Rezalia says at the same time that Aang mutters an "Ew."

        Sokka shrugs. "Hey, it might be gross, but it's efficient. Either way, we have to leave here first thing tomorrow morning."

        Rezalia catches Katara's eye and mentally sighs. Sokka was going to kill them.

Chapter Text

        Nightfall came, marked by Toph's snoring, and Katara and Rezalia slowly slipped away from the campsite. They make their way behind a group of rocks. "So, do we just sneak in?" Katara asks.

        "What is this, your first time playing vigilante? No. I noticed in the town that they have statues of this spirit everywhere, you'll dress up like her. You just need a disguise. Luckily, I have some stuff you can use. Here," Rezalia murmurs, handing a bunch of clothing over to Katara.        

        "Where did you get these?" she asks, examining the clothes.

        Rezalia rummages through her bag for a bowl. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to. You change, I'm going go pick some berries."

        "What? Why?" Katara asks.

        "Spirit lady has paint on her face," Rezalia mutters distractedly as she attempts to find the berry bush she'd seen earlier. When she finds it and fills the bowl with them, Katara was done changing. "I'm gonna have to use my fingers since we don't have a brush."

        For the next couple minutes, Rezalia paints Katara's face, hoping that she was remembering the statue right. "There was a forehead stripe. Yes? No? We'll just go with it."

        "This is not comforting, Lia," Katara murmurs, moving her face as little as she could.

        "Yeah, well."

        When Rezalia was done, Katara dons the hat covered in a see through white fabric and the pair set off toward the factory. As they jog, Katara strikes up an interrogation. "Have you done this before?"

        "Not me personally, no," Rezalia answers, jumping a bit as to not trip over a rock.

        "How are we going to get in?"        

        "I'll handle it. I have a knack for getting into places I'm not meant to be."

        "When you said not you personally-"

        "Sh, guards," Rezalia cuts her off, pulling her down to avoid being spotted by the guards that patrolled the outside of the factory. The security wasn't very high, and to their credit there wasn't much of a reason for it to be. The only people around were sick fishermen, fisherwomen, and fisherchildren. It was unlikely that anyone had ever tried to break in before. Something Rezalia took advantage of as she slipped through the doors with Katara. "Stay quiet." She whispers as they split up.

        Rezalia wanders around. Of all the Fire Nation buildings she knew the layout to, factories weren't one of them. Eventually she found a store room that held some dried meat, rice, and berries. Grabbing a sack that was hanging on one of the walls, Rezalia piles in as much as she could carry - which was a fair amount as she was pretty strong - and heads back to the entrance where Katara was waiting with a bag on her own.

        They silently make their way to the docks. "I'll have to take two trips," Katara murmurs. Rezalia nods and kneels, extending her palms over the dirtied water. Releasing massive amounts of heat from her palms without actually starting a fire, Rezalia causes steam to rise from the water. "Nice call."

        Katara uses her bending to spread the steam out over the river to giver some cover as she walks on water over to the village. Rezalia sits against the dock, occasionally forming more steam as Katara jogs back and forth, bringing only the sacks back with her. Once she was done, Katara bends the gunk out of some water and uses it to wash the berry-paint off of her face. "We'll need to find some excuse to stay," Rezalia points out as she stands.

        "I have some berries for that," Katara says with a smirk as the pair make their way to the place where they'd hidden Katara's clothes and the berry-paint.

        "We'll make a vigilante of you yet."

~*~

        The next morning, Appa was groaning as he laid on his side, Katara hovering over him. Aang walked over, worried. "What's the matter, Katara?"

        Katara turns to him with worry shining in her eyes and Rezalia inwardly applauded her acting skills. "I think Appa's sick."

        "What, Appa's sick? That's awful!" Sokka shouts, dropping his sleeping bag that he'd been rolling up. Toph raises an eyebrow. 

        "Wow, Sokka, I didn't realize you cared so much," she scoffs. 

        Sokka throws his hands into the air. "Of course I care. I might as well just throw our schedule away now." Everyone gives him incredulous looks. "And I'm concerned because my big, furry friend doesn't feel well."

        "Nice save, doofus," Rezalia snorts. 

        Aang turns back to Appa. Toph walks closer to the bison. "He must have gotten sick from being in the polluted water." Rezalia nods in agreement, more for the sake of selling to the group than for Toph.

        "He doesn't look sick. You okay, buddy?" Aang asks as he pulls Appa's tongue out of his mouth. Rezalia wasn't sure why he did that but it suited her's and Katara's agenda - and she knew next to nothing about animals - so she said nothing. "His tongue is purple! That can't be good. Katara, can you heal him?"

        Rezalia turns to Katara, this wasn't a question they'd thought of an answer to. Stupid on their time, but she chose to blame it on the fact that it was nearly midnight. Katara seemed to have it taken care of. "It looks like he needs some medicine. Maybe we can find the right herbs in town."

        So, with the help of Dock-Xu they make their way back to town. Toph adjusted her grip on Sokka's arm as she speaks, head tilting to hear the chatter of children better, "Is it just me, or does this place seem different?"

        "Yeah, are the people...happier?" Aang asks, looking around as two children playing ball run past. Sokka seeks his answer through Dock-Xu.

        "Hey, Xu, what's going on with everyone today?"

        Dock-Xu was more than happy to tell him the answer. "Ah, something amazing happened last night. Food was delivered to our village by a mysterious and wonderful person...the Painted Lady."

        "The Painted who now?" Katara asks. Rezalia wanted desperately to question her lack of name but figured that would insult Dock-Xu.

        "The Painted Lady," Dock-Xu repeats, picking up a statue of the spirit. She's part of our town's lore. They say she's a river spirit who watches over our town in times of need. I always thought she was just a legend. Until now."

        Rezalia steps forward. "That's cool! May I?" she asks and Dock-Xu gladly hands over the statue. Rezalia examines it, commiting the face paint to memory as well as the paint that winded down her arms. Stepping back after giving back the statue, Rezalia mutters so only Katara could hear, "We're gonna need more berries."

        "See, we don't need to help these people, they already have someone to help them. All we need is medicine for our sick friend," Sokka says happily.

        Dock-Xu tilted his head a bit. "Medicine? Sorry, all the medicine we have goes to the factory. That's why there's so many sick people in our village." Katara brushes her fingers along the back of Rezalia's arm.        

        "Looks like we need to stay another night so Appa can rest," she says. Rezalia shifts and draws a short line on Katara's wrist (Yes), forgetting that she wouldn't know what it means.

        Sokka sighs in disappointment and exasperation. "I guess you're right. You got any more food to sell?"

        "Would you like the one-headed fish, or the two-headed fish?" Dock-Xu asks happily, holding up their options. Rezalia averts her eyes and takes a step back.

        Sokka thinks for a moment. "Two-headed!" he exclaims, becoming defensive when the others look at him like he's grown a second head. "What? You get more for your money that way."

        "You don't eat the fish's head, Sokka," Rezalia tells him as they board the boat to shore once more.

        Katara and Rezalia help out the villagers that night, Katara racing across the water to heal their sick. As she waits, Rezalia couldn't help but compare situations similar to this one with now. She was waiting, providing as much help as she could, her friend was the face of the scenario. The parallels almost made her laugh. Almost. Katara comes back and they go back to the campsite.

~*~

        Rezalia was going to deck Sokka. "If she really wanted to help, she would use her spirit magic to blow up that factory" what was he thinking? Rezalia was choosing to ignore the fact that he didn't know it wasn't the real Painted Lady doing these things in favor of promising to drop kick him because now Katara wanted to blow up the fucking factory.        

        "I'm not blowing up a fucking factory, Katara. I'm sorry but that's not good for anyone," Rezalia hisses. Katara doesn't take this so well, storming off and all. The firebender was sure she'd do it anyway.

        She was right. Only this time, Aang helped. The pair were laughing when they returned to camp, only to stop in their tracks as they come face to face with Sokka and Toph who both looked unimpressed. Rezalia was still in her sleeping bag, dead to the world.

        "Hi! Sokka! We were just...out on a...morning walk!"

        Sokka wasn't buying it. "Oh, really? A morning walk?" He turns her sleeping bag upside down, dumping out all of the grass she'd shoved in there. "I know you're the Painted Lady. I know you've been sneaking out at night, and I know you've been lying about Appa and feeding him purplizing tongue berries!"

        Toph sticks out her tongue as she holds up the berries, revealing her purple tongue.Katara, what you did put our whole mission in jeopardy. We're leaving right now." Sokka turns on Aang. "And how long did you know about this?"

        Rezalia stirs in her sleeping bag, propping herself up onto her elbows. "You got foun' out?" she asks groggily. "Told you the grass was'a bad idea."

        "You knew about this?!" Sokka shouts.

        "Mhm," Rezalia hums as she flops back onto her stomach, wrapping her arms around her pillow. "Now shuddup. Tired."

Chapter Text

                The teens were packing up, Toph having finally bitten the bullet and woken up Rezalia. As Rezalia puts her sleeping bag into Appa's saddle, an odd noise sounds out. Exchanging looks with Sokka, Rezalia looks over the lake to see a squad of water jets carrying Fire Nation Soldiers to the little village on the water. Toph asks, "What's going on?"

        "Fire Nation soldiers are heading to the village," Aang answers, grabbing his staff. Sokka whips around to glare at his sister.

        "What did you do?!"

        Katara shifts guiltily. "I...kind of destroyed their factory."

        "Sokka you need to calm-"

        Sokka ignores Rezalia. "You what?!" Rezalia sets a hand on Sokka's chest just in case. He doesn't notice in his anger.

        "It was your idea!" Katara snaps.

        "I was joking," Sokka seethes. "I also said to use spirit magic and made funny noises. Did you even think this through? The army's gonna blame the villagers. They're headed there right now to get revenge."

        Now Rezalia was getting a little pissed. "What the hell were we supposed to do, then?"

        Sokka turns on Rezalia, the frustration in his eyes something she knew so well on someone else's face. "Leave! Do nothing!"

        "No. I will never, ever turn my back on people who need me," Katara says lowly as she gets up to leave. "I'm going down to the village, and I am gonna do whatever I can."

        Sokka watches her go for a moment before gently pushing Rezalia's hand away and following his sister. "Wait. I'm coming too."

        "I thought you didn't want to help," Katara mutters.

        "You need me, and I will never turn my back on you," Sokka replies.

        Katara grins and throws her arms around her brother. "Sokka. You really do have a heart." Sokka scoffs but hugs her back.

        "He really does have a heart, doesn't he?" Aang whispers, wiping tears from his eyes. He turns to Toph for confirmation and she promptly socks him in the chest, sending him to the ground.

        As Katara gets changed, Rezalia hands out the responsibilities. "Sokka I need you to take this-" She hands him a hollow reed. "-and make spirit noises into it. You'll be on shore so it'll echo and freak them out. Aang, you'll go across the water with Katara and hide under the docks so that you can airbend with her movements. Toph, find a boulder and smack it into the ground a bunch of time. I'll create the mist."

        "Ooh! We could get Appa to growl!" Aang suggests.

        Rezalia grins. "I knew we kept you around for a reason," she says with a wink. Sokka snorts as they all get into position. 

        The operation goes smoothly, Katara smashing a few water jets into the cliffs for good measure. When the last Fire Nation man had frantically swam away, Toph, Sokka and Rezalia jumped into the boat and rowed over to the village. Dock-Xu was speaking as they came to stand with Katara and Aang. "Me and my brothers really owe you a lot. " Suddenly he narrows his eyes and Rezalia notices that some of Katara's face paint had washed away. "Hey, wait a minute! I know you! You're not the Painted Lady, you're that colonial girl!"

        The little boy speaks up suddenly. "Yeah, you're the lady that gave me a fish."

        "You've been tricking us. You're a waterbender!" Dock-Xu shouts, expression morphing into one of anger. The other villagers pipe up, shouting their own anger toward Katara.

        Sokka steps in front of her. "Maybe she is a waterbender, but she was just trying to help you. Because of her, that factory won't be polluting your river, and the army is gone. You should be down on your knees thanking her."

        Katara pushes her brother a bit. " Sokka, it's okay. I shouldn't have acted like someone I wasn't, and I shouldn't have tricked you. But I felt like I had to do something. It doesn't matter if the Painted Lady is real or not. Because your problems are real, and this river is real. You can't wait around for someone to help you. You have to help yourself."

        "She's right, but what should we do?" Dock-Xu asks. Rezalia and Toph sneak into the crowd as they mutter to themselves.

        "The river is dirty as fuck," Rezalia comments loudly.

        "We should clean it!" Toph adds, morphing her voice a bit. The villagers break out into murmurs once more as the two rejoin their friends.

        Dock-Xu seemed to like this idea. "Yeah, we can clean the river! Thank you. You know, you're not so bad for a waterbender."

        Katara makes a bit of a face, not knowing what to think about the compliment. If it could even be called that. Rezalia leans on her friend as she speaks. "You wouldn't mind keeping that a secret, by the way, would you?"        

        "No problem. Keeping my mouth shut is a personal specialty," Dock-Xu exclaims. "My brother Xu, on the other hand, hoo! He's a blabbermouth."

        Rezalia can feel her eye twitch and Katara takes over conversation for the sake of her sanity. "So, Dock, are you gonna help us clean?"

        Dock-Xu shakes his head. "No, ma'am. I'm going to get my other brother, Bushi. He loves cleaning rivers." Then, he changes hats right in front of them. "Alright, I'm Bushi! Let's get some river cleaning done."

        Rezaila spins on her heel. "Where are you going?" Katara mutters to her.

        "To drink some river water before it gets cleaned up."

        "That'll probably kill you, Lia."

        "That's the idea."

        Katara snorts and drags the shorter girl back to the others. "No, I just saw you! You switched hats and called yourself a different name!" Aang exclaims, growing frustrated.

        "Oh, you know who does that? My brother Dock." Dock-Xu-Bushi's voice drops to a whisper. "He's crazy."

        "Deep breaths," Sokka murmurs to Rezalia. "Though deep breaths might be what made him like this."

        Rezalia snorts.

~*~

        They were on the road - sky? - before long, stopping along the way for food and sleep. Currently, they were lounging on a makeshift roof that covered Appa and staring at the sky. Meteors passed overhead, setting of a sharp pain behind Rezalia's eyes that she ignored.

        "Wow, this is amazing to watch," Katara murmurs.

        Sokka folds his arms behind his head. "Kind of makes you realize how insignificant we are."

        "Shit, Sokka," Rezalia snorts. He grins.

        Toph shrugs, not at all impressed. " Eh, you've seen nothing once, you've seen it a thousand times." Rezalia releases a huff of laughter. One of the meteors grows closer and closer, shooting right over their heads.

        Sokka sits up with the rest of them as they turn to watch it go. "Oh, man. You've never not seen anything like this."

        Rezalia flips under the roof and into Appa's saddle in time with Aang, the others taking a bit longer. Eventually, they were in the air, heading in the direction of a large fire where the meteorite had landed. "The fire is gonna destroy that town," Katara gasps.

        Aang sets his jaw. "Not if we can stop it."

        Appa lands close to the fire and everyone sans Katara gets off as the brunette takes the reigns. "There's a creek over here. I'll bend the water on to the fire."

        "I try and keep the flames under control," Rezalia throws over her shoulder as she races along the other side of the fire and extends her arms, pushing the flames back. A moment later, a trench forms around the impact site courtesy of Aang and Toph. Rezalia clenches her fists and pulls her arms to her as if dragging something in physically. The raging inferno folds into itself, becoming more compact as Katara flies overhead with water. Toph stomps out some flames with stone slabs as Aang grabs some water from Katara. Rezalia plunges her right arm into the flame, absorbing some of the fire before Katara shouts for her to watch out. The black haired girl flips out of the way quickly.        

        The water forms snow as it falls down, covering Sokka and Momo. Rezalia tucks her right arm under her shirt as Aang cheers.

        The next day, their group heads into town for some food. They settle into an open, outdoor pavillion, Sokka choosing to sit on the ground with his feet dangling off of the drop to the street. "These people have no idea how close they were to getting toasted last night," Aang remarks.

        "Yeah, the worst thing about being in disguise is we don't get the hero worship anymore. I miss the love," Toph says as she eats her dumplings. Rezalia grins and punches her lightly in the arm.

        Sokka grumbles. "Boo-hoo, poor heroes," he mutters sarcastically.

        Rezalia frowns. "What's with you?"

        "You haven't even touched your smoked sea slug," Katara adds.

        Sokka sighs. " It's just...all you guys can do this awesome bending stuff like putting out forest fires, and flying around, and making other stuff fly around. I can't fly around, okay? I can't do anything." 

        "That's not true. No one can read a map like you," Katara offers.

        "I can't read at all," Toph pipes in. 

        Rezalia sends a light kick to Sokka's side. "You're wicked with that boomerang."

        "Yeah, and who keeps us laughing with sarcastic comments all the time I mean, look at Katara's hair, right," Aang picks up a lock of Katara's hair. "What's up with that?" Rezalia resists the urge to slap the avatar as Katara takes her hair back.

        "What? What's wrong with my hair?" she asks, using her hands to try and cover it.

        Aang panics a bit. "Nothing, I was just trying to..."

        "Look, I appreciate the effort, but the fact is each of you is so amazing and so special, and I'm not. I'm just the guy in the group who's regular," Sokka mutters, calling attention back to his identity crisis. Katara rises from her seat and sits down next to her brother.

        "I'm sorry you're feeling so down, but I hope you know none of us see you that way. I know something that's gonna make you feel better."

        "You do?"

        Katara does, in fact, know the perfect way to cheer up her brother. Leading them through the town, she stops outside a weapons store. "Shopping!" Sokka squeals.

        Rezalia wanders over to the bo staffs and twirls one around her palm, testing the balance. The shopkeep bustles over to her. "You look like you know your way around weapons, young lady. Perhaps, these would interest you?" he gestures to a display case where various knives were before slipping off to bother someone else.

        Rezalia was very unhappy that the shopkeep was right. The knives were gorgeous. Quickly, she makes her decision and grabs two as well as a holster that would attach to her lower back. "That's it. That's what you needed all along, Sokka," Aang exclaims as Rezalia rejoins them.

        "A sword?" Sokka questions skeptically.

        "Not the sword...a master. We've all had masters to help us get better. You should see if you can study with Piandao."

        Katara grins. "That's a great idea. I could've never gotten to where I am without Master Pakku. Everyone needs a teacher."

        "I learned from badger moles. They don't talk, but they're still good teachers," Toph offers.

        Sokka pulls the sword from its scabbard and examines the blade. "It would be nice to be a master swordfighter. All right, I'll talk to him."

        Rezalia claps him on the back. "Atta boy, lemme just pay for this real quick." She walks over to the register and hands over a card similar to her homeschool registration. The man examines the card and his eyes widen. He quickly jots down the proper information and hands the card back.

        "Here you are, my lady! Thank you for choosing our shop!"

        "Oh, relax. I don't bite," Rezalia scoffs as she puts her card in her pocket. Securing her knives, she meets the others outside the store.

        Toph taps Rezalia's pocket, where the card was. "What's that? You use it at every Fire Nation shop we go to." Rezalia grins.

        "That would be my charge card. The shopkeepers put the charge of my purchases on the card and the card owner pays the bill for it," she answers happily. "The card was given to me good ol' Ozy when he needed me to buy something or another for the castle. The dimwits who handle the transaction haven't realized the problem yet."

        "Wait, so you mean..."Katara trails off.

        Rezalia grins wider. "Yup. The Fire Lord has unknowingly been funding our rebellion."

Chapter Text

        Sokka splits off from the rest of them to go talk to the sword master, leaving the others to lounge around their campsite. Rezalia was working to tune her guitar under the makeshift roof along with Appa - who was sleeping - as the others lay in a circle on the ground.

        "What should we do today?" Aang asks, hands folded over his stomach as he watches the clouds go past. Rezalia hums lightly as she plucks the strings in a short melody before stopping to adjust something once more.

        "I'm tapped out. I already picked my toes, twice," Toph sighs. Rezalia makes a face as the words register in her words and she tunes out for a while. When she tunes in, Katara was making bad jokes. Rezalia paces her palm across the strings, cutting the notes off early.

        "It's not that hot out here," she comments.

        Aang tilts his head lazily. "Maybe not in the shade."

        Rezalia snorts. "You guys are the dorks who chose to lay out there. And why don't you just whip up a breeze, clouddancer?"

        "I hate it when you make sense."

        "I'll try to tone that down, then."

        After a while Toph shoots into a sitting position. "Hey, why don't you sing for us, sparky?" Rezalia raises an eyebrow at the nickname.

        "After that nickname, I'm not sure I want to," she says. "I'm a bit offended."

        Toph scoffs. "Oh, sure. C'mon just sing one song!" The others join in, crowding around her and pleading, Aang een bringing out the seal-puppy eyes. Rezalia groans and gestures for them all to sit down.

        "Here's something I've been working on," Rezalia murmurs, starting up the melody on the guitar. "I used to think one day we'd tell the story of us. How we met, and the sparks flew instantly..."

        When Rezalia had finished her song, the others clapped and went back to laying on the ground. Rezalia puts her guitar away and lifts herself onto her hands, walking around until she lost balance and repeating the process. Eventually, Katara brings out the map for her and Aang to go over.

        "So where are we going next? We're starting from here."

        Aang's eyebrows furrow. "No, we're over on this island."

        Toph scoffs. "You noodle-brains don't know what you're doing. I miss Sokka." Rezalia ignites a fire beneath her hands, flipping onto her hands.

        "Ooh, I got one. If you miss him so much, why don't you marry him?" Katara jokes and once again nobody laughs.

        Rezalia leans over her shoulder. "For the record, we're over here," she says, pointing to a spot on the map. Aang suddenly jumps to his feet.

        "I keep forgetting to ask!" he shouts. "Can you teach me firebending?"

        Rezalia's smiles dims. "Er..I'd love to Aang but I can't. Like, literally can't. My fire is white naturally, it's not hotter through training like Azula's. If I tried to teach you how I learned, it would only hurt you. I'm sorry."

        "Hurt me?"

        "Yeah. My dad was...intense. He taught me through repetition until I was dehydrated and throwing up and it all hurt like a bitch because of the heat. That's why I have a higher tolerance to heat."

        "Spirits," Katara whispers, horrified. Even Toph looked disturbed. "That's awful, Lia."

        Rezalia shrugs. "I'm fine now so it's no big."

        The others didn't seem convinced but they let the matter drop. Rezalia's fingers absentmindedly trail over her side, where a coarse scar laid under her shirt. Shaking herself out of her own thoughts, Rezalia drops into a backbend. She flips around and around, in the air and on the ground, leaving hardly an inch of the campsite uncovered.

        After a while, Toph sits up from where her and the others had dozed off around the map. "Sokka's coming!" Rezalia jumps down off the roof that Appa still napped under.

        "Hey, guys. What are you doing?" Sokka asks before he's practically tackled by the others. Rezalia is the first to pull away, followed by the others a moment later.

        "Sokka!" Aang exclaims.

        Toph smiles a bit as she speaks. "You're back."

        "We missed you so much," Katara tells him.

        "None of them can read a map," Rezalia whines. Sokka's head was whipping from person to person as they left him no time to answer.

        Aang demands, "Say something funny." Sokka gives him a confused look.

        "Funny how?" And Katara and Aang dissolve into hysterical laughter. Rezalia backs away from them a bit. "What's their deal?"

        Toph feigns ignorance. "I don't know. They missed you or something. I didn't care."

        Sokka snorts. "Thanks. That warms my heart. Anyway, I need some help." He gives them the rundown of his situation and they all readily agree to help. Rezalia was slightly regretting her decision to help when she realized how heavy the meteorite was. 

        "Do either of you wanna make this rock thirty pounds lighter?" Rezalia grumbles to Toph and Aang as they roll it up the cliff. Neither of them answer as they reach the gates. Piandao raises an eyebrow at their little group.

        "Who's this?"

        Sokka looks back at them before looking back to his master. " Oh, these are my friends. Just other good Fire Nation folks." Piandao bows to them, Rezalia and Aang bowing back. "Do you think we can make a sword out of a meteorite?"

        Piandao confirms that they could and he and Sokka set out to make it. The others wait, occasionally going to watch Sokka work through the window. Eventually, the sword was done. Rezalia was grateful as Piandao's butler had been giving her odd looks. Sokka kneels in front of Piandao, who stands with his butler - holding Sokka's sword - behind him. Toph, Rezalia, Aang, and Katara sit behind Sokka.

        "Sokka, when you first arrived, you were so unsure. You even seemed down on yourself. But I saw something in you right away. I saw a heart as strong as a lion turtle, and twice as big. And as we trained, it wasn't your skills that impressed me." Piandao's butler hands over the sword. "No, it certainly wasn't your skills. You showed something beyond that." As he speaks, Piandao unsheathes the sword, showing off its black blade. "Creativity, versatility, intelligence... these are the traits that define a great swordsman. And these are the traits that define you." He hands the sword to Sokka. "You told me you didn't know if you were worthy, but I believe that you are more worthy than any man I have ever trained."

        Sokka sighs and shakes his hand. "I'm sorry, Master. You're wrong. I am not worthy. I'm not who you think I am. I'm not from the Fire Nation. I'm from the Southern Water Tribe." Rezalia feels her jaw physically drop. "I lied so that I could learn swordsmanship from you. I'm sorry."

        "I'm sorry too," Piandao murmurs before quickly drawing his sword and swinging it down. Sokka leaps to his feet and dodges, using his sword - still in the scabbard - to block the next attack. 

        The others get to their feet with the intention of helping, Rezalia reaching behind her to grasp the handle of one of her new knives, but Sokka gestures for them to stand down. "No, this is my fight, alone."

        And so Sokka's fight continues, travelling outside and into the garden before leading them back to the patio. All throughout the fight, Piandao kept shouting out encouragement and pointers, which Rezalia found really fucking weird for someone who was trying to kill their friend. Though, with a closer look, Rezalia could see the way Piandao pulled back slightly on the blows that Sokka couldn't block entirely and she relaxed. "Hey, any chance you could bring me some water? My head is killing me," Rezalia asks Piandao's butler, who nods and walks off. He returns with a water bottle, still sealed.

        "Lia! Really?!" Katara asks incredulously. Rezalia rolls her eyes an gestures to where Piandao had Sokka held at the tip of his sword. They all jump the railing and rush toward Piandao, who swings his sword out to stop them.

        "Excellent work, Sokka," he says warmly, causing everyone sans Rezalia to give him confused looks. Not that he could see them, Sokka had thrown sand into his eyes. He gestures to his butler, who throws his scabbard at him just in time for Piandao to put his sword in place. "I think I'm a little old to be fighting the Avatar."

        Everyone looks at him shock as Rezalia walks down from the balcony to join them. "How did you know?" Aang asks.

        Piandao wipes the sand from his eyes with the towel his butler had provided. Oh, I've been around a while. You pick things up. Of course, I knew from the beginning that Sokka was Water Tribe. You might want to think of a better Fire Nation cover name. Try 'Lee'. There's a million 'Lees'." Rezalia stiffens a bit. "Sorry, Rezalia."

        Rezalia's hand travels down to her thigh holster as she gives the man a suspicious look. "But why would you agree to train someone from the Water Tribe?" Katara asks.

        "The way of the sword doesn't belong to any one nation. Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all." Piandao pulls Sokka's sword out of the ground and gives it to the brunet. "Sokka, you must continue your training on your own. If you stay on this path, I know that one day you will become an even greater master than I am."

        Piandao's butler leads them to the front gate, handing Sokka a bag before leaving. Sokka opens it to reveal a lotus tile. Rezalia grins. "What does it mean?" Katara asks.

        "I have no idea." Suddenly, Sokka reaches into his pocket. "Ooh, that reminds me. Toph, I thought you might like this since you've probably never had a chance to bend space earth before."

        Toph takes the chunk of meteorite eagerly. "Sweet. Check this out." She makes it into various shapes, much to Aang and Rezalia's amusement.

        "You know, I don't think there's such a thing as "space earth." If it's from space, then it's not really earth," Katara muses.

        Sokka sighs. "Must you ruin everything?"

        "I can't believe I missed you. Hey, Lia, how did Piandao know your friend?"

        "Lotus tile."

        "What? What does that mean? Lia? Lia, what does that mean?! Rezalia?!"

Chapter Text

        "I'm so excited to spend the weekend on Ember Island. It's gonna be great to hang out on the beach and do nothing," Ty Lee chirps. She and Azula were standing on the deck while Zuko and Mai lounged in the shade. All of them were already wearing their swimsuits.

        Zuko growls. "Doing nothing is a waste of time. We're being sent away on a forced vacation. I feel like a child."

        "Lighten up," Azula scoffs. "So dad wants to meet with his advisors alone... without anyone else around. Don't take it personally." Zuko rolls his eyes.

        Ty Lee turns to Azula. "Doesn't your family have a house on Ember Island?"

        "We used to come every summer when we were kids."        

        "That must've been fun!" Ty Lee exclaims. Zuko's hand clenched into a fist as memories of running around the beach with Rezalia flit through his mind.

        "That was a long time ago," He mutters. Mai frowns at him from where she was still sitting in the shade. It doesn't take too long for the ship to reach the shore, where Li and Lo were waiting. Behind the dock was a dinky looking cottage that the teens examined with distaste and suspicion.

        "Welcome to Ember Island, kids."

        The elderly pair lead their guests up the stairs and into the house. As they step into the house, Zuko's nose wrinkles. "It smells like old lady in here."

        Mai mutters back, "Gee, I wonder why."

        Zuko frowns. Rezalia would've found that funny. "Who are these two beautiful women?" Ty Lee suddenly asks suddenly, looking at a portrait of two young women leaning over seductively with their asses touching.

        "Can't you tell?" The elderly women strike the same pose. "It's Li/Lo and me."

        The teens recoil, Zuko clamping his hand over his mouth. After recovering their eyesight, the teens go back to exploring the cottage. Ty Lee falls back onto one of the beds. "Can't you tell Ooh, I love this seashell bedspread!"

        "Are you serious? It looks like the beach threw up all over it," Mai tells her. Ty Lee shrugs and sits up as Li and Lo enter the room.

        "We know you're upset that you were forced to come here this weekend. But Ember Island is a magical place. Keep an open mind," Li says.

        Lo continues. "Give it a chance..."

        Then together, "...and it can help you understand yourselves and each other. The beach has a special way of smoothing even the most ragged edges." The teens give them unimpressed faces, Azula yawning, that quickly turn to horror as Li and Lo drop their robes to reveal their swimsuits. "Time to hit the beach!"        

       Mai lifts a hand to cover Zuko's eyes, something he was eternally grateful because he was pretty sure he'd been frozen in place. 

~*~

        Rezalia was sitting on the side of the lake that Aang was swimming in, gently swinging her legs back and forth through the air. "Aang, I know swimming is fun and all, but do you really think you should be exposing yourself like that? Cover up!" Toph calls.

        "What? I'm wearing trunks," Aang calls back, Momo curled up on his stomach.

        Rezalia strips her shirt off, revealing her swim top - which was really wraps similar to Katara's - that matched her bottoms, and slips into the water. "I know...it's your tattoos. I'm worried about. What if someone sees you?" Toph says.

        Katara turns her head toward the earthbender lazily. "There are walls all around us. It's completely safe."

        Rezalia hums her agreement before ducking beneath the water. When she resurfaced, Aang was gone. "Where'd he go?" she asks the others, not too worried as they weren't panicking.

        "Found a water slide," Sokka murmurs. Rezalia nods and falls back into the water, resurfacing on her back and staying there.

        Aang returned a moment later, leaping over rocks in his excitement to go again. Momo curls up on Rezalia's stomach for shelter, apparently not a fan of the water slide.

~*~

        On the beach, Mai and Zuko had secured a place under an umbrella, pressed close together on their shared towel. Nearby, Ty Lee was being waited on hand and foot by a bunch of guys who had been drawn to her. Distantly, Zuko thinks that Rezalia would be swarmed if she was here. But she wouldn't like it nearly as much Ty Lee was.

        Mai sighs, snapping Zuko out of his thoughts. He spots a seashell in the sand and grabs it, offering it to his girlfriend. "Here...this is for you."

        "Why would I want that?" Mai asks bluntly.

        "I saw it and I thought it was pretty. Don't girls like stuff like this?" Zuko asks, growing frustrated. 

        Mai scoffs. "Maybe stupid girls."

        Zuko bristles and throws the shell aside. "Forget it!"

        The two sit there in silence for a while before Zuko silently gets up. Mai doesn't even seem to register that he'd left beyond moving into his spot. Zuko wanders over to the ice cream vendor he'd seen earlier, ignoring the girls who watched him as he passed. He returned shortly with two strawberry cones. Rezalia's favorite flavor since he didn't know Mai's.

        "I thought since it's so hot... Here," Zuko says gruffly. They both watch as the scoop of ice cream falls into Mai's lap.

        Mai stares at it as it seeps into her clothes. "Thanks. This is really refreshing."

        Zuko huffs and hands his own cone off to some random kid as Azula calls the two of them over. He turns to help Mai up but she ignores his hand and walks past him. Azula shouts for Ty Lee to join them as well. "Hey, beach bums, we're playing next. Ty Lee, get over here now!"

        The Fire Nation Prince takes off his shirt in preparation, and maybe to try and get a rise out of Mai, and tosses it to the side. Ty Lee joins them and they huddle up. "See that girl with the silly pigtails? When she runs towards the ball, there's just the slightest hesitation of her left foot. I'm willing to bet a childhood injury has weakened her. Keep serving the ball to her left and we'll destroy her, and the rest of her team. Dismissed!"

        With that, they break huddle and start the game. It was an intense game with Zuko's team very clearly winning. Azula was their main spiker with Zuko and Ty Lee covering receives and Mai setting. For their final blow, Azula uses Zuko's back as a spring, spiking the ball down with such strength that it scatters the other players and sets the net on fire.

        "Yes, we defeated you for all time! You will never rise from the ashes of your shame and humiliation!" Then, casually to her team Azula announces, "Well, that was fun."

        Two boys walk up to their little group - more specifically Ty Lee. "I'm having a party tonight. You should come by," the taller of the two announces.

        "Sure...I love parties!" Ty Lee exclaims.

        The shorter gestures to Mai, who was standing next to Zuko looking uninterested. "Your friend can come, too."

        Azula scowls and walks up to them. "What about me and my brother? Aren't you going to invite us?" The boys exchange skeptical looks. "You don't know who we are, do you?"

        The tall one shoots back a cocky grin, demonstrating that he very much did not know who they were. "Don't you know who we are? We're Chan and Ruon Jian."

        "Yeah," Ruon Jian tacks on, feeling the need to say something. Zuko stalks forward, anger clouding his features but Azula stops him.

        "But fine, you're invited. Just so you know though, some of the most important teenagers in the Fire Nation are gonna be at this party so...try and act normal," Chan tells them.

        "We'll do our best," Azula says with a wicked grin.

Chapter Text

        Later that day, everyone was gathered around the dining table and Zuko was still fuming a bit. Li and Lo were peacefully oblivious as nobody had bothered to fill them in. "Why didn't you tell those guys who we were?" Zuko asks his sister.

        "I guess I was intrigued. I'm so used to people worshipping us," Azul replies with a shrug. 

        "They should," Ty Lee pipes in.

        Azula nods as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Yes, I know, and I love it! But for once, I just wanted to see how people would treat us if they didn't know who we were."

        "Like waves washing away the footprints on the sand, Ember Island gives everyone a clean slate. Ember Island reveals the true you. To the party!" Li and Lo exclaim in unison.

        Do you guys happen to speak english like the rest of us? Rezalia's voice sounds in the back of Zuko's head, bringing a grin to his face that he hid by dipping his head down a bit. "What time are we even meant to be at this stupid thing?" he grumbles aloud.

        "Well there wasn't a specific time," Ty Lee says with a slight frown as she realized she hadn't gotten a time from the boys.

        Mai laid her head on Zuko's shoulder. "Guess that means we can't go. Shame."

        "Don't be ridiculous, Mai," Azula scoffs. "I heard Chan tell someone that the party would last from dusk to dawn so we'll have to leave soon. Ty Lee, you have his address?"

        "Sure do!"

        Zuko was already prepared to leave the party and they weren't even past the front door yet. Hell, Chan hadn't even opened the front door yet. When he finally did, he gave the group an odd look. "Um... You're a little early. No one's here yet."

        "I heard you telling someone you'd be partying from dusk till dawn. It's dusk so we're here," Azula replies with a glance toward the horizon.

        "But that's just an expression," Chan tells her, a bit confused. 

        Azula didn't seem to care all that much about his expressions. "We are the perfect party guests. We arrive right on time because we are very punctual," she says as she makes a chopping motion into her palm. Chan shrugs and opens the door wider, leading them inside. 

        "All right, listen, my dad's an admiral. He has no idea I'm having this party, so don't mess anything up." Zuko wasn't really listening to Xhan as he looked around the house. It was nice enough, elebrotly painted vases scattered around the room, a large crystal chandelier in the middle of the room hanging over the large table full of food. A few small couches were sitting against the walls and pillars made the open floor plan more elegant in a way. Rezalia would've made fun of the weird looking flowers that were scattered around the building.

        Zuko was drawn out of his thoughts by Azula speaking. "That's a sharp outfit, Chan...careful, you could puncture the hull of an Empire-Class Fire Nation Battleship, leaving thousands to drown at sea...because it's so sharp."

        ...What the fuck was that? Not-Rezalia asks. Zuko snorts in amusement as Chan gives his sister a weirded out look.

        "Hey, first ones here, huh?" Ruon Jian asks as he turns away from the mirror he was looking into while combing his hair.

        Zuko gives him an annoyed look as they pass. "Pft. He thinks he's so great. Well, what do you think of him?" Mai stops walking and looks at him as she looked at everything, but Zuko could see something shift in her eyes.

        "I don't have any opinion about him. I hardly know him," she says.

        "You like him, don't you?" Zuko says lowly and Mai walks away. Not-Rezalia speaks in the back of Zuko's head again. Don't be such an idiot, Z.

        It didn't take too long for others to arrive, something Zuko was grateful for as sitting in silence with Mai was starting to become weird. He missed Rezalia's random conversation topics and inability to stand silence. Mai looked at him in the corner of her eye as if she knew what - or rather who - he was thinking about.

        "I'm bored," Mai huffs suddenly. Zuko doesn't even look at her.

        "I know."

        Mai's frown deepens. "I'm hungry."

        "So what?"

        "So, find me some food."

        "Sure," Zuko mutters, unwrapping his arm from around Mai and walking off to the food table. Once there, he realizes: he has no idea what Mai likes. She'd never expressed an interest in much of anything. Well, do something Z, Not-Rezalia laughs at him. And so Zuko fills the plate in his hands with random foods, hoping that Mai didn't have any allergies, only to have the plate knocked from his hands as soon as he turns around. "Hey, watch it! That food was for my cranky girlfriend!"

        The shaking boy look in the direction had pointed to and his eyes widen. Zuko looks as well to see Ruon Jian leaning over Mai. Zuko stalks over angrily and shoves Ruon Jian away. His hands instantly go to his hair as he says, "Whoa! What are you doing?"

        "Stop talking to my girlfriend!" Zuko spits, the roaring of waves in his head drowning out Not-Rezalia.

        "Relax, it's just a party." With that, a solid palm collides with Ruon Jian's chest, sending him flying across the room and into a vase. Everything stops, conversation cutting off as people turn to watch.

        Mai grabs his shoulder and yanks him around to face her. "Zuko, what is wrong with you?!" Zuko can't help but note that this was the most emotion she'd shown their entire relationship.

        "What's wrong with me?!" he echoes incrediously.

        "Your temper's out of control. You blow up over every little thing! You're so impatient and hot-headed and angry!" This yelling, people scolding him when he was in the wrong, this was something Zuko was familiar with and the waves in his head calmed.

        He fired back. "Well, at least I feel something...as opposed to you. You have no passion for anything! You're just a big 'blah'!"

        "It's over, Zuko. We're done," Mai hisses and wait, shit that wasn't what Zuko had wanted. Not-Rezalia stops him before he can follow her as she walks away. Not right now, Z. It'll make things worse.

        Chan suddenly comes on scene, crying out in horror at the vase Ruon Jian had collided with and subsequently smashed into pieces. "Who broke my Nana's vase?" Ruon Jian, who was clutching his shoulder, points to Zuko. Chan turns on him. "That's it, you're out of here."

        "I was just leaving," Zuko snarls as Mai stands beside Ruon Jian. He stalks out the door and along the beach, slowing as the sound of waves returns - outside his mind this time.

        As he walks he imagines the look Rezalia would've given him. The way she'd have stopped him in his place and slapped him around verbally and probably physically as well. He remembered the way she never got away with anything that wasn't okay. He remembered the way she would've walked out with him, even if he was in the wrong. The way she would've sat him down and made him explain himself. The way she would've hugged him after they'd worked out why he'd lashed out. He missed her.

        Looking up, Zuko found himself at the mansion he and his family plus Rezalia had visited long ago. He stares for a while before aking his way up the stairs. Memories flood his mind as he approaches the front door. Rezalia sitting atop his adolescent shoulder on the beach as his mother laughed from the shore. Azula laughing as she pelted Rezalia and Zuko with water balloons. Azula finding it far less humorous when Rezalia returned the favor. The kids running around the house laughing and playing and Zuko's mother watching and laughing and cheering. Building sandcastles and splashing each other.

        Zuko stops in front of a portrait of his family. He was sitting as his father's side in the picture. Ozai seemed to look into Zuko's soul, stern and hateful, and Zuko walks away once more. Wandering around the Great Hall, Zuko crouches down in front of a small, round stone. Imprinted in it was a small handprint. His or Azula's, Zuko couldn't remember. 

~*~

        Rezalia sits up groggily as Toph flies into a sitting position beside her. "Guys, you're all gonna think I'm crazy, but it feels like a metal man is coming."

        "The fuck does that-" Rezalia mutters but her question is cut off by Aang moving forward and a loud explosion hitting a nearby cliff. "SON OF A BITCH!"

        "You said it," Sokka mutters as he rises back to his feet as the blast had knocked them all backward. Katara attempts to stop the next explosion with waterbending, only succeeding in creating a large cloud of steam. "Who is this guy?"

        "An asshole?" Rezalia offers.

~*~

        "I thought I might find you here," Azula says as she walks up the steps of the porch, where he now sat. Distantly, Zuko wonders how she'd known. He hadn't meant to come here himself. 

        He stares down at the handprint in his hands, so much larger now. "Those summers we spent here seem so long ago. So much has changed," he murmurs. Azula begins to walk back down the steps.

        "Come down to the beach with me." Zuko doesn't answer and Azula turns back. "Come on, this place is depressing." Zuko sets the handprint aside and follows after his sister.

        As they approach the beach, Zuko spots the others sitting around on the sand. He makes his way to Mai. "Hey-" she starts.

        Zuko cuts her off. "Where's your new boyfriend?" he sneers. Mai scowls and turns her head away. Zuko softens his tone. "Are you cold?" Mai scoffs and slaps away the arm that attempted to wrap around her.

        "I'm freezing," Ty Lee groans, filing the awkward silence.

        Zuko grins at her. "I'll make a fire. There's plenty of stuff to burn in there," he says, looking up at the mansion he had spent so much time in.

~*~

        More explosions rain down and their little group hides behind a rock formation. "This is crazy! How can we beat a guy who blows things up with his mind?" Sokka snaps in annoyance, ducking further as another explosion rocks the mountains.

        "We can't," Aang answers as he crawls forward. "Jump on Appa. I'll try to distract him."

        Rezalia doesn't let Katara protest, grabbing her by the wrist and taking off as Aang leaps into action. Appa flies up quickly, unsettled by the explosions and circles above the cloud of dust and smoke. Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Rezalia each keep an eye out for Aang in a different direction as Momo snores away in the center of the saddle, unbothered. Though, Toph was really just listening for screaming or other sounds that would alert her to Aang's presence.

        "There!" Katara exclaims, pointing, and Rezalia instantly tugs at Appa's reigns to direct him toward Aang's falling body. They get underneath Aang just in time for Katara to catch him.

        "I'm ok," Aang groans. Rezalia doubted it but let him be, he didn't seem too beat up. Just tired.

        Toph grunts. "Well, that was random."

        "I don't think so," Katara says. "I get the feeling he knows who we are."

        Rezalia whines. "Super."

~*~

        Zuko tosses his family portrait into the fire, watching as it shrivels up. "What are you doing?" Ty Lee gasps. Zuko gives her a look.

        "What does it look like I'm doing?" he replies.

        "But it's a painting of your family."

        "You think I care?"

        "I think you do."

        Zuko turns away from her, looking out to the sea with his arms crossed. "You don't know me, so why don't you just mind your own business!"

        "I know you," the words come quietly, but too quiet for Zuko to miss. The waves roar in his ears again.

        He whips around, already glaring at the girl sitting in the sand. "No, you don't. You're stuck in your little Ty Lee world, where everything's great all the time."

        "Zuko, leave her alone," Mai snaps. Not-Rezalia's words echo the sentiment. Zuko ignores them both as he mocks Ty Lee.

        " 'I'm so pretty, look at me. I can walk on my hands, whoo!' " Zuko throws his legs in the air, supporting himself on his hands before letting himself fall onto his back. "Circus freak."

        Azula laughs even as Ty Lee's eyes tear up. "Yes, I'm a circus freak. Go ahead and laugh all you want. You wanna know why I joined the circus?"

        "Here we go," Azula mutters. 

        Ty Lee continues as if she hadn't spoken. "Do you have any idea what my home life was like, growing up with six sisters who look exactly like me? It was like, I didn't even have my own name. I joined the circus because I was scared of spending the rest of my life as part of a matched set. At least, I'm different now. Circus freak is a compliment!"

        "Guess that explains why you need ten boyfriends, too," Mai says sarcastically.

        "I'm sorry, what?"

        Mai meets her eyes calmly. "Attention issues. You couldn't get enough attention when you were a kid, so you're trying to make up for it now."

        "Well, what's your excuse, Mai? You were an only child for 15 years, but even with all that attention, your aura is this dingy, pasty, gray..." Ty Lee trails off, running out of words in her anger.

        Mai scoffs. "I don't believe in auras."

        Zuko stands with a humorless laugh. "Yeah, you don't believe in anything."

        "Oh, well, I'm sorry I can't be as high-strung and crazy as the rest of you."

        "I'm sorry, too," Zuko replies as he walks a bit closer to Mai. "I wish you would be high-strung and crazy for once, instead of keeping all your feelings bottled up inside. She just called your aura dingy. Are you gonna take that?"

        Mai lays back on the flat-topped rock she was sitting on. "What do you want from me? You want a teary confession about how hard my childhood was? Well, it wasn't. I was a rich only child who got anything I wanted. As long as I behaved...and sat still...and didn't speak unless spoken to. My mother said I had to keep out of trouble. We had my Dad's political career to think about."

        "Well, that's it, then," Azula pipes up. "You had a controlling mother who had certain expectations, and if you strayed from them you were shut down. That's why you're afraid to care about anything, and why you can't express yourself."

        Mai sits up suddenly. "You want me to express myself?" She stands and shouts, "Leave me alone!"

        "I like it when you express yourself," Zuko says, reaching for his girlfriend.

        Mai shouts again. "Don't touch me. I'm still mad at you." Zuko pulls his hand back immediately. He knew better than to touch someone who didn't want to be touched. Rezalia had nearly taken his arm off enough ties for him to learn his lesson.

        "My life hasn't been that easy, either, Mai," he mutters, annoyed.

        Mai scoffs. "Whatever- that doesn't excuse the way you've been acting."

        "Calm down, you guys. This much negative energy is bad for your skin. You'll totally break out," Ty Lee says, trying to get everyone to sit down.

        Zuko whips around and she knows she's chosen the wrong words. "Bad skin? Normal teenagers worry about bad skin. I don't have that luxury. My father decided to teach me a permanent lesson on my face."

        "Sorry, Zuko, I..." Ty Lee murmurs, not sure how to fix it.

        Zuko faces the ocean again. "For so long, I thought that if my dad accepted me, I'd be happy. I'm back home, now my dad talks to me. Huh, he even thinks I'm a hero. Everything should be perfect, right I should be happy now, but I'm not. I'm angrier than ever and I don't know why."

        Azula leans forward. "There's a simple question you need to answer then. Who are you angry at?"

        "No one, I'm just angry."

        "Yeah, who are you angry at, Zuko?" Mai pipes up.

        "Everyone..." he covers his ears in frustration, gripping locks of his hair between his fingers. "I don't know!"

        "Is it Dad?" Azula.

        "No, no!"

        "Your uncle?" Ty Lee.

        "Me?" Azula.

        "Rezalia?" Mai.

        "No, no....no!" Zuko was only rowing more and more frustrated.

        "Then who? Who are you angry at?" Mai.

        "Answer the question, Zuko." Azula.

        "Talk to us." Ty Lee.        

        "Come on, answer the question." Mai.

        "Come on, answer it." Azula.

        The words rip themselves from Zuko's throat as their fire surges. "I'm angry at myself!" The girls back away a bit to protect themselves but otherwise remain focused.

        "Why?" Azula pushes.

        "Because I'm confused. Because I'm not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore," Zuko admits, both to himself and the others.

        Azula scoffs. "You're pathetic."

        Mai walks over to him and wraps her arm around his waist. "I know one thing I care about...I care about you," she says with a small smile. Zuko can't help but think that she looked a little sad. He smiled back.

        Azula claps, a sound that was inherently sarcastic coming from her. "Well, those were wonderful performances, everyone."

        Zuko and Mai turn, still holding one another. "I guess you wouldn't understand, would you, Azula. Because you're just so perfect," he sneers sarcastically.

        "Well, yes, I guess you're right. I don't have sob stories like all of you. I could sit here and complain how our mom liked Zuko more than me, but I don't really care. My own mother...thought I was a monster. She was right, of course, but it still hurt."

        It goes silent for a moment before Ty Lee speaks up. "What Lo and Li said came true. The beach did help us learn about ourselves. I feel all smoothed. I'll always remember this."

        After that, Azula suggests that they ruin the party. They all readily agree. As they smash everything in sight to pieces, Not-Rezalia screams in Zuko's head. He ignores her. Later that night, Mai found Zuko in his room. "Can we talk?" she asks.

        "Sure," Zuko replies, gesturing for her to take a seat. She stays standing.

        Mai doesn't look him in the eye and Zuko's stomach drops. "I can't do this, Zuko."

        "...Do what?" He knew the answer.

        "You know what. This. Be with you. I meant what I said, I care about you. I care about you more than anyone else. But you don't feel the same about me," Mai says, eyes trained on the spot over Zuko's head.

        Zuko's hand begins shaking. "What? Of course I do! I care about you!"

        "Not the same way I care about you. You think I haven't noticed the way you zone out all the time? The way you smile at nothing? I know what you're thinking about, Zuko. You're thinking about her," Mai tells him. Zuko didn't need to ask who "her" was.

        He swallows. "I'm sorry."

        "Don't be," Mai replies, reaching out to lay a hand on Zuko's arm. "I'm only breaking this off because I can't be in a relationship with someone who doesn't love me the way I love them."

        "I'm sorry."

        "I just told you not to be, idiot," Mai snorts as she turns to leave. SHe stops in the doorway, turning with one hand on the doorframe. "Promise me something."

        It wasn't a question. "Yeah?" Zuko asks hoarsely, throat dry.

        Mai finally meets his eyes. "When you see her again, you had better try your damn hardest to fix things. I won't watch you sulk for the rest of your life."

        "I promise. I-" Zuko cuts himself off. Mai had said not to be sorry. "Thank you." Mai smiles a bit and leaves.

Chapter Text

        Nothing much had happened in the past few days. No men whose powers made Rezalia feel the biggest wave of "why the hell can't I remember you" ever, no big fights, no run ins with the Fire Nation. They'd taken a trip to an old island covered in volcanic rock in order to further Aang's spirit journey but all the others had really done was hold hands.

        Rezalia wasn't the only one feeling restless. The others were getting a bit jumpy, especially during training. Katara and Toph were at each other's throats currently, with Aang blindfolded in the center of the fight and completely oblivious to the fact that they were longer training him. After a moment he spoke up, "Are we taking a break?"

        Sokka runs at him, grinning wickedly. "SNEAK ATTACK!" Aang easily throws a wall of rock into Sokka's path before removing his blindfold.

        "Sneak attack my ass," Rezalia snorts from where she was lounging on a nearby rock. 

        Aang smiles a bit. "Sokka, sneak attacks don't work if you yell it out loud." Sokka scowls at both of them, rubbing his nose. Behind the boys, Toph and Katara were wresting in the mud that they'd created together. Shouting insults at one another, both parties got a healthy mouthful of mud. A situation that only one of them was terrinly upset about.

        The airbender turns and frowns at his friend. "Uh guys, I thought we were supposed to be training me."

        Both girls stop short, looking oer at Aang. Katara composses herself and steps forward, acting to all the world as if she had any dignity remaining. "Very well, pupil. I believe we've had enough training for today."

        "While Katara cleans up," Toph speaks up, blasting the mud off of herself. "Let's go have fun!"

        The boys cheer as Rezalia rolls off of the rock and blasts flames in her palms to send her into a standing position. "How do you manage to be that lazy?" Sokka asks, raising an eyebrow at the girl.

        "It's an art, really," Rezalia responds as she joins the others in their trek toward town.

        As they walk, Sokka carries his swoard across his shoulders, using his wrists to hold it in place as he gazes around. A messanger hawk passes by, gaining the boy's attention. "Look at all those messenger hawks! You know, I've been thinking about getting one for myself. That way, I wouldn't have to talk to anyone. I could just send them messages."

        Toph nods. "I gotta say, I like the idea of not talking to you."

        Sokka shoots her a nasty look as Rezalia snorts. "Seriously, who would you message? Everyone you talk to on a daily basis is here and the hawk hasn't ever been to the water tribe."

        "Irrelevent," Sokka huffs. Aang cuts off their argument before it could properly form by holding up their last silver piece.

        "So, guys. What are we gonna get with our last silver piece?"

        Toph stops walking, head tilted to the side a bit. "We can get more money. Right there," she says, pointing to the side. The other three look over and see that on the level below them was a man running one of those con games. The group moves to stand with the crowd gathered around the poor man being dupped out of his money as another man moves shells around on the table top.

        "This is where you seeing people are at a disadvantage. Everyone guesses wrong because the dealer moves the rock at the last minute. But I can feel it with my earthbending," Toph murmurs, concentrating on where she could feel the small rock under the shells. 

        The man inevitably loses the game, sulking off to the side, and the crowd thins a bit as others lose interest. The con-man spts Toph in the crowd and calls out to her. "You there. Wanna play a friendly game?"

        "How can I possibly play?" Toph asks, voice painted in faux innocence as she wabes her hand in front of her face. "I'm blind!"

        "You don't have to see to be lucky," the con-man says, giving the earthbender a sly grin. Rezalia scowls at the man, uncomfortable by his general existance. Toph sits down in front of the table and feels around wildly, really playing up her "helplessness".

        The con-man gets to it instantly, slipping a rock under one shell and quickly switching around the shells. Toph smiles a bit as she senses his tricks and waits for him to stop. Toph points to the shell on her left when the con-man was finished. The man grins cockily as he lifts the shell only to do a double take when he saw that the rock was, in fact, under the shell he had just picked up.

        "Flameo, Toph," Aang grins as the crowd breaks out into applause. Rezalia exchanges looks with a nearby lady, who seemed just as grossed out with the use of the old slang as she was and shrugged.

        The con-man's eyes narrow. "Wow. Fancy guessing. You are amazing at this. Would you like to make the game a little more interesting?" He jangles a few silver sieces in his loose fist.

        "More interesting? How?" Toph asks as she perks up a bit.

        The con-man points to Sokka's sword. "Well, let's say you toss in your friend's fine sword there," he says as he pulls a large bag of money from his side and plops it down onto the table. "Then I'll put up twenty silver pieces against it, and that's more interesting."

        "I'll do it for forty silver pieces," Toph haggles as she reaches back and grabs Sokka's sword. Sokka looks between the two with wide eyes.

        "Shut your mouth, doofus," Rezalia mutters. The water tribe boy ignores her.

        The con-man agrees and goes to do his trick once more, moving the shells much more quickly this time. Rezalia tracks the movement with her eyes subconciously, despite knowing that he was using a trick and the rock wasn't going to be in the shell it had started in.

        As the con-man stops, Toph points to the shell in the center. "Sorry, little lady, but-" the man's words end abruptly as he lifts the shell. "Huh?!"

        "I won!" Toph cheers, grabbing her prizes off the table and dashing. The other three follow her lead, laughing a bit as they stumble around corners and nearly crash into pedestrians. Slowing to a walk, the group decides to buy some food with their newfound money and gets to scoping out the stalls.

~*~

        Katara eyes the baskets of goods as the group reenters their campsite from where she was cooking something in a large pot. "Where did you guys get the money to buy all this stuff? Did Lia buy it?" she questions. Rezalia shakes her head as she sits down on the ground, leaning back onto her palms.

        "Toph got us money. She scammed one of those guys in town who moves the shells around all sneaky-like," Aang answers, moving his hands around to physically demonstrate what he was talking about.

        Katara frowns as Sokka continues, oblivious to his sister's disapproval. "She used earthbending to win the game! Classic!"

        "Ah, so she cheated," Katara remarks dryly.

        Rezalia clicks her tongue. "Can't say it's not fair, that guy cons people all the time. Nobody's meant to win that game."

        "Yeah!" Toph exclaims, taking a bite out of an apple. "I only cheated because he was cheating! I chated a cheater! What's wrong with that?"

        "I'm just saying this isn't something we should make a habit of doing," Katara says, a slight defensive edge to her voice.

        Rezalia sighs a bit, watching the argument play out idly. The crew members on Zuko's ship never bickered like this in front of her. It was quite interesting. "Why? Because it's fun? And you hate fun?" Toph scoffs and Rezalia represses the urge to let out a low whistle.

        Katara lets out an offended noise. "I don't hate fun!" she shouts, pulling Momo over to her and setting him atop her head. "See? Fun!" Momo screetches at her as he scrambles off of her head.

        "Let's...not do that," Rezalia says slowly, giving the other girl an odd look.

        Aang gets to his feet and moves his headband a bit so that his tattoos were visible. "Katara, I'll personally make you an Avatar Promise that we won't make a habit of doing these scams."

        They ended up doing more scams, of course. Between Toph and Rezalia, Aang's promise didn't stand a chance. The scmas had gone from messing with conartists in the street to conning nobles out of money for "running over" Toph. Their bags of money and goods were piling up in the campsite, much to Katara's displeasure. Rezalia didn't mind the cons at all.

        She didn't find them particulary thrilling like the others did, but it reminded her of Zuko's shenaggins when he had tried to provide for his family in the only way he thought he could at the time. Katara's huffing draws Rezalia out of her thoughts. "Guys, I think these scams have gone far enough. If you keep doing them, something bad is gonna happen."

        "Could you for once stop being such a sourpuss and just lighten up?" Toph asks, tossing a few coins at Katara.

        Tossing them back, Katara sneers, "Oh, I'm sorry! You think I should be more like you? Like some wild child?"

        "Yeah! Maybe! Maybe then you'd see how great we have it! I mean, look at us! We're traveling around the world! Making easy money! Having fun! With no parents to tell us what to do!" Toph exclaims, folding her arms behind her head. Rezalia winces a bit.

        Katara steps back a bit and folds her arms. "Ah. I see. You're acting like this because of your parents."

        Rezalia took that as her cue to leave and quietly slipped away, wiggling her fingers at Sokka by way of goodbye when he caught her eye. He nodded at her and turned back to the girls. Wandering around the town on her own was different than when she was with the others. Now, she could slow down and take a good look at the shops. Some evil part of her mind noted that Zuko had always walked at her pace to allow her to see everything even when he was beyond bored.

        She pushed that voice aside. He left me. Shaking herself off, Rezalia enters the closest shop to her without paying attention the store sign. A clothing shop. Wandering around idly, she fingers a few clothing items. The clothes were all various shades of red and orange with a few black garmets here and there. Stopping in front of a see through, flowing, red shirt that cinched at the waist and hung off of the shoulders with a tight black crop top with thin straps under it, Rezalia zones out for a moment.

        Snapping back to attention, Rezalia grabs the shirt and marches to the register, not paying too much attention to the reason she had grabbed the shirt in the first place. I miss you, a small voice murmurs in her mind. Rezalia stops in her spot, annoying several people who were expecting her to keep walking.

        "Stop it," she whispers. "You left me."

        "Are you okay, sweetheart?" Rezalia's head snaps to the side, eyes coming to a stop on an older woman looking at her with a concerned gaze. The firebender doesn't answer as she rushes away, shirt clutched tightly in her grip.

Chapter Text

        "Woah, Lia, what's wrong?" Sokka asks as Rezalia nearly crashes into him. The girl looks up at him with wide eyes that didn't appear to really be seeing him. Hawky makes a soft cooing noise from his shoulder, drawing the smaller teen's attention.

        "Wh...what? Why do you have...?" Her sentences were choppy and small, convincing Sokka that his friend wasn't all there. He gently pulls her to the side by her elbows.

        Rezalia doesn't take her eyes off of the messenger hawk even as Sokka begins to speak. "Lia, what happened?"

        "Wha...nothing. Nothing, I'm fine. I just..." Her eyes cloud over again. "He..."

        That was all Sokka needed to hear. He knew exactly who this was about. "Rezalia, c'mere. Sit down." She does as told. "Look, I don't like Zuko, you know that. I think he's a huge jerk. But you love him. He's your best friend, Lia."

        "No," Rezalia protests, shaking her head as if she could physically shake off Sokka's words. "No! He...I can't."

        Sokka smiles a bit. "You don't really get a choice, do you? He hurt you, I know that. I know you're mad and hurt and upset. I know he's the one who made you like that. But he's your best friend. Lia, you got banished for him. He's given up the avatar for you. I know it hurts but you never stopped loving him. And when he comes crawling back, you'll forgive him because he's your best friend. Just do me a favor and make him grovel for a while, yeah?"

        Rezalia smiles a watery smile and blinks back the wetness in her eyes. "Yeah, okay."

        "But he has to come to you, got it?"

        "Obviously." And that was the Rezalia he knew, so Sokka nudged her back into the crowd and the two continued on their way.

        It doesn't take long for them to make it back to the campsite, neither of them speaking and just reveling in the gentle comfort that blanketed the air around them. Katara and Aang were in the stream bending water back and forth when they returned while Toph sat near the fire pit and counted through her money. "Toph, while I was in town, I found something that you're not gonna like," Sokka says, pulling a paper out of his satchel.

        Rezalia sighs as Toph blinks. "Well it sounds like a sheet of paper, but I guess you're referring to what's on the sheet of paper," the blind earthbender says, raising an eyebrow.

        "It's a wanted poster," Sokka explains. "Of you."

        "Oh look, they nicknamed you 'The Runaway'. Sick," Rezalia comments idly, not very worried about the warrant out for her friend's arrest. She had quite a few of her own arrest warrants, so she wasn't exactly in a position to judge. 

        Toph grins at the sound of the name. "A wanted poster! That's so great! "The Runaway." I love my new nickname. Is there a picture of me? Does it look good?"

        Sokka holds up the poster and glances between it and the girl a few times. "Well yeah, actually, it does look pretty good. But, Toph, you're missing the point. Maybe Katara was right. These scams are drawing too much attention to us."

        "Don't be such a worrywart like your sister." Toph stands and hands Sokka a bag of money. "Think of it this way: Now you've got plenty of money to help with the invasion plan."

        Sokka hums a bit. "Well, that is true. I had this idea of making armor for Appa." They all look over at the sky bison, who cracks an eye open upon hearing his name.

        "Here's a little extra, so you can get yourself a nice map of the Fire Nation. You know what? Make it an atlas" Toph adds, shoving more money into Sokka's arms.

        "I do like expensive atlases," he murmurs.

        Toph plucks the wanted poster from his grip. "Of course you do. That's why this wanted poster is going to stay our little secret. Got that, Lia?"

        "What you aren't gonna bribe me?" Rezalia jests. Toph gives the open space near Rezalia an unimpressed look. "Yeah, yeah, I'm just kidding. You're talking to the girl currently making the Fire Lord pay for his own downfall, I'm not gonna flip over a few arrest warrants."

        "Don't you and Zuko have a shit ton of them?" Sokka asks. 

        Rezalia shrugs a bit. "I mean, Zuko probably got pardoned but I do. Luckily, nobody has ever actually tried to act on those things."

        At the sound of Aang and Katara approaching, Sokka shoves his money into his shirt. Katara gives a tired sigh at the sight of the hawk perched on Sokka's shoulder. "Sokka, tell me you didn't buy a bird."

        "Not just a bird, a messenger bird," Sokka announces proudly. "Now we can send messages all over the world. Even to Gran Gran."

        Aang was enthralled. "Wow, how does it work?"

        Sokka deflates a bit, as the point that Rezalia had made previously comes back into play. "Uh, I never actually thought about that. Hawky," Sokka instructs, pointing away from himself." Gran Gran, South Pole." The hawk ruffles his feathers but doesn't move from his perch. "I think he gets it."

        "That's not south," Rezalia calls out causing Sokka to frown at Hawky.

        Before the tan boy can attempt to rectify the mistake, Momo launches himself at the messenger hawk with a mighty screech. Sokka shouts at the bird to play nice, apparently ignoring the fact that Momo had started the fight in the first place. Rezalia does nothing to help, instead electing to sit back and watch the most entertaining thing to happen since Iroh had opened his own tea shop.

        The two animals do not play nice and eventually end up being seperated. Katara, who had been cooking all of their meals lately, was using waterbending to stir the hot concoction in the pot when Toph and Sokka return from their latest trip into town, accompanied by even more bags of money.

        "Well. Look who decided to join us," Katara remarks, sarcasm coating her tone. "Where have you two been? Off scamming again?"

        Toph puts her bags down. "Yes, we were."

        "And I suppose you don't think what you're doing is dangerous at all?" the waterbender asks, sliding up beside the blind girl.

        Toph huffs. "No, I don't."

        "Really?"

        "Yes, really."

        Katara hums and reaches into her pocket. "Well then. What's this?" She asks holding up the wanted poster that Toph still couldn't see.

        "I don't know! I mean, seriously! What is with you people? I'm blind!"

        Rezalia snorts a bit, shooting a small flame into the fire under the pot. "It's a wanted poster of you! 'The Runaway'! Is that what you're called now? Are you proud of this?"

        Rage colors Toph's face. "Where did you get that!?"

        "It doesn't matter where I got it. The fact is-"

        The other girl cuts her off. "You went through my stuff! You had no right!"

        "Your stuff was messy and I was just straightening up, and I happened to stumble across it!" Katara shouts back defensivly. Rezalia's fingers automatically tap twice against the ground. (Lie)

        "That's a lie! You're lying, Katara!"

        Katara shoves Toph's finger out of her face. "Fine! It's a lie! But you've been so out of control lately, I knew something was up! I knew you were hiding something and you were!" Katara shoves the poster at Toph again but the shorter girl simply rips it out of her hand and tosses it aside before storming off. "Don't you walk away from me while I'm talking to you!"

        "Oh really, Mom? Or what are you gonna do? Send me to my room?" Toph scoffs.

        "I wish I could!"

        Toph stops walking abruptly. "Well you can't! Because you're not my mom, and you're not their mom!" she exclaims, gesturing toward the boys and Rezalia, who were sitting around and watching the argument unfold.

        "I never said I was!"

        "No, but you certainly act like it! You think it's your job to boss everyone around, but it's not! You're just a regular kid like the rest of us! So stop acting like you can tell me what to do! I can do whatever I want!"

        Katara reels back. "I don't act that way! Sokka, do I act motherly?" Sokka jumps and averts his eyes.

        "Hey. I'm staying out of this one."        

        Katara rounds on Aang. "What do you think, Aang? Do I act like a mom?"

        "Well. I, uh-" Aang mumbles, rubbing his eye in a poor attempt to hide from the seething girl in front of him.

        "Stop rubbing your eye and speak clearly when you talk!"

        Both boys instantly sit up straight. "Yes, ma'am!"

        "Lia?" Katara asks.

        Rezalia scoffs a bit and shakes her head. "Hell nah. You guys can work this out by yourselves."

        Toph lets out a frustrated shout. "I can't be around you right now!" Katara whirls around and echos the sentiment. Both of them storm off in different directions as Hawky caws lowly.

        "I know, Hawky. Why can't they just get along?" Sokka sighs. 

        Hours later, neither girl were speaking to one another. In fact, they refused to be in the same camp as one another and were currently sat on opposing cliffs with their backs to each other. The boys wanted to fix the problem. Rezalia just kind of wanted to push Katara off the cliff since Toph would sense her coming.

        "Hey, Aang. You wanna test out my messenger hawk with me? I've got an idea," Sokka whispers. "You too, Lia." Rezalia leans toward them and nods as Aang voices his agreement aloud. "I'm going to send a note to Katara and say it's from Toph, who wants to apologize. Then everyone will be friends again."

        Rezalia blinks a few times as hhis words register before grinning slowly. Aang grins as well. "I gotta say, Sokka, you continue to impress me with your ideas," the airbender chirps.

        "Took the words right out of my mouth," Rezalia drawls.

        "It's a gift. 'Dear Katara, sorry for everything. Your friend, Toph.'" Sokka then attatches the note to Hawky's leg and sends him off. Katara reads the note and gets to her feet, facing her brother with anger in her eyes.

        She holds up the note, crumpling it in her fist. "I know this is from you, Sokka! Toph can't write! Ugh! You're all driving me crazy!" Katara exclaims before storming off once more.

        "I can't believe we forgot Toph can't write," Aang sulks.

        Sokka nods solemly as Hawky returns to his arm. "Yup. We're idiots."

        "No argument here," Rezalia laughs, earning glares from her two friends. "Don't look at me like that, this was your idea."

        Aang moves on quickly. "I guess Plan B is we send a note to Toph pretending it's from Katara." Rezalia almost laughs.

        "I think we're gonna run into a similar problem. Sorry, Hawky. Looks like I'm gonna have to do this without your help," Sokka says as he gets to his feet and walks over to Toph. "Come on. We need to talk."

        Rezalia isn't quite sure what Sokka said to Toph or what had happened when Katara had stomped off, but both seemed much better by nighfall. Katara approaches Toph first. "Hi, Toph. Um, I wanna-"

        Toph stops her by holding up her hand. "Katara, stop. You don't need to apologize. I was the one being stupid. These scams are out of control, and I'm done with them."

        Katara smiles a bit, fiddling with her fingers. "Actually I wasn't going to apologize. I was gonna say ... I wanna pull a scam with you."

        Rezalia chokes on her water, barely registering Sokka's answering slaps to her back in an attempt to help. "What? You wanna pull a scam?" Toph asks, jaw practically on the ground.

        "Not just any scam. The ultimate scam." At that, both boys pass out. "Whaddaya say, Toph? Just me and you. One last go. You in?"

        Toph obviously agrees and the two head to bed with scheming on their minds.

Chapter Text

        Early the next morning, the girls all make their way to town, Katara and Toph to pull their scheme and Rezalia to watch and make sure things didn't get too out of hand. Climbing onto the rooftops, Rezalia calmly watches as Katara mutters something to Toph, who nods and walks a little ways off. Katara makes her way over to a nearby guard and holds up the poster, pointing to Toph with her free hand.

        The guard instantly calls over a few nearby coworkers and they begin to walk toward Toph quickly. Unbeknownst to them, she could sense them coming and broke out into a run when they had gotten close enough. The earthbender lead them around in a small chase, ending in the center of town, where Katara waited. Rezalia moved silently from rooftop to rooftop, following Toph on her journey and settling down when she had rejoined the waterbender. 

        Once she had sensed Katara, Toph allows one of the guard's nets to encompass her. Looking up, she calls out loudly, "How could you do this to me? You betrayed me!"

        "You brought this on yourself. I had no choice," Katara responds coldly in a surprising show of acting skill before turning away from her friend. Toph gets dragged away and Katara is taken aside to collect her reward. As she walks back to camp, Rezalia notices someone trailing her and stops.

        "Did you need something?" she snaps, head turned just slightly in the direction of her shadow.

        Tierson steps out from behind a nearby tree, a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry, Rezalia."

        Rezalia whips around. "Tierson?!"

        "Yeah," he says, smiling brightly at the girl. "I didn't mean to freak you out or anything, I was just...worried."

        Rezalia crosses her arms and raises a single eyebrow. "Worried?" she echoes. "What for? I can take care of myself, you know."

        "No, I know!" The former crew member rushes to explain. "It's just...well, there's a huge bounty on your head right now. When Prince Zuko returned, the reward for your capture, dead or alive, went up by a lot."

        Rezalia leans against a tree, tilting her head to the side. "You gonna turn me in, Tierson?" she asks teasingly, knowing damn well that he would never.

        Tierson didn't seem to understand that she was messing with him. "Of course not!" he practically shouts. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay!"

        "Relax, Tier," Rezalia laughs a bit, not commenting on the red that colored the boy's cheeks upon the nickname slipping her lips. "I know. Say, you'd be down for a revolution, yeah?"

        Tierson blinks, taken aback. "Like...against the Fire Lord? I mean, as long as I don't die or anything, yeah. He's kind of a huge dick."

        His words startle a lough out of Rezalia. "Who knew you had it in you," she muses. "In that case, follow me. Again."

        Tierson flushes once more at her teasing but silently trails after her as she sets off toward camp once more. Sokka didn't notice Tierson at first, far too focused on trying to get his hawk to fly somewhere. Anywhere. When he does eventually look up, he practically shrieks. "Who are you?!"

        "This is Tierson," Rezalia introduces as she sits down. "He was a member of the crew for the ship I was on way back when."

        "And you brought him here?!" Sokka hisses, though Tierson most definitely heard him.

        Rezalia nods and pats the ground for her friend to take a seat. "Yup. He's down for kicking Ozai's ass." Sokka looked close to passing out. If this was how Sokka reacted, Rezalia couldn't wait for Katara to find out. "Oh, relax. He's cool. I wouldn't have brought him if he was a spy."

        "Oh, 'cause you just know when people are spies," Sokka scoffs.

        "I mean, obviously," Rezalia scoffs playfully, a grin playing at the corners of her lips. "It's a gift really."

        Sokka wasn't impressed. "I hate you, I hope you know that. I hope Katara beats your ass."

        "She can try," Rezalia says offhandedly as she looks around. "Where's Aang?"

        Aang was frowning and didn't even comment on Tierson's presence. "Do you think this scam of theirs should be taking this long?"

        "I was just wondering the same thing. We'd better check it out," Sokka says, getting to his feet. "You stay here. Appa's in charge."

        Rezalia snorts and shrugs at Tierson. "Guess we're leaving you here. Try not to chew anything up, yeah?" Tierson snorts and nods.

        After walking through the town for a while, Rezalia lets out an annoyed sound. "Where the hell are they?!"

        "Where do you think anyone is?" Aang replies. His words are meet with the sudden appearance of Combustion Man. "Sokka, watch out! It's 'Sparky-Sparky Boom Man'!"

        Rezalia curses and ducks out of the way. "You know," Sokka calls. "I'm starting to think that name doesn't fit."

        "Not the time!" Rezalia snaps.

        "Right, sorry!"

        The three of them continue to duck and weave but the mercenary continues his attack without pause. It was beginning to piss Rezalia off. Sokka loudly whines about how low their chances are, which thank you Sokka, that's very helpful. Aang screams at Rezalia to turn around. She does so, coming faced to face with an incoming fire ball. 

        Instinctually, Rezalia braces one foot behind her and raises her hands, the blast stopping as if it had hit a wall and travelling upward. The fire disapates, hot air rustling Rezalia's hair and clothes. The assasian makes eye contact with the girl and takes a step back. He hadn't known she would be here. The prince hadn't mentioned anything about her. He hesitated. His job was to kill the avatar and those he travelled with. Did that extend to the Devil of the Fire Nation? Everyone knew that Prince Zuko and the girl were practically attached at the hip. Or rather, had been. 

        During the man's hesitation, Katara and Toph swoop down on Appa and gather the others before flying off. The man doesn't pursue. Rezalia watches warily as he grows smaller in the distance. "Why didn't he come after us?" Toph asks, not hearing the tell tale blasts of their attacker.

        "I can't be certain," Rezalia mutters. "But I don't think he knew I was travelling with you guys."

        The others frown a bit, thinking it over. "Oh, hey," Aang says suddenly. "That move you did back there, to block the blast, it looked like an earth bending move."

        "It was," Rezalia nods. Upon seeing the confusion of the others, she elaborates. "I'm proficent in bending techniques from all the nations and apply them to my fire. Makes fighting easier."

        Katara decides not to comment on the fact that the girl rarely used her bending in battle. The rest of the flight was fairly peacful as Rezalia leaned over the edge of Appa's sadle and let her mind numb, refusing to think of anything but the way the wind felt as it ran through her hair.

Chapter Text

        The woods were dark, vines creating eerie shadows that Sokka was taking full advangtage by telling horrible ghost stories. "Suddenly, they heard something down the hall, in the dark. Oooh... It came into the torchlight. And they knew the blade of Wing - Fun was haunted! Aah-ah..." The water tribe boy draws his sword and wails in an attempt to sound crazy.

        "I think I liked "the man with a sword for a hand" better," Aang murmurs, awkwardly scratching his cheek.

        Toph scoffs. "Water Tribe slumber parties must stink."

        "Did you ever have sleepovers, Lia?" Aang asks suddenly.

        Rezalia tilts her head. "Well, I snuck into Zuko's room a lot so yes, but no. We never told stupid stories or braided one anothers hair or have pillow fights- well except that one time but that was mostly because I pissed him off but that's not the point. Yes I slept over but we didn't do typical sleepover things."

        "Oh," Katara mutters.

        "I do know a story, though," Rezalia offers. The others perk up. "In the heart of the biggest volcano in the Fire Nation, there lies a demon. Trapped away for thousands of years, shackled to the Earth's core, and yearning for a way out. So it crafted a human of molten rock and fire to set him free. Only, the demon had been in that volcano for so long and no longer remembered what a grown human looked like. So it crafted a baby, a child it could mold to it's very whim. However, as the demon layed the the child on the volcano's edge to cool, the nation's bravest warrior saw the child."

        "The warrior did not know what the child had been crafted for, what the child was. So, he did what any good man would do and took the child into his home to raise as his own. The warrior's wife was overjoyed to finally have the daughter she had always wished for and the people were happy that their finest warrior would have an heir. On the child's second night among humans, it's true nature was shown."

        "Flames the color of the purest snow raged against the stone house, trapping the wife inside and burning her alive. The warrior had not been inside the house at the time of his wife's death but he did return in time to cease the spread of the fire, saving the rest of the town. But he was too late to save the woman he loved. And yet he kept the child, determined to raise it properly and turn it into the greatest fighter to ever grace Fire Nation soil. The people could not understand the warrior's wishes but they respected him and thus respected his wishes."

        "The child trained day in and day out, but for years could not control its horrid flames. It burnt down training facility after training facility and yet the warrior continued to train it anyway. For years the child was trained, discipline crafted into its very core. But it was still unstable. The child had been crafted with a purpose. One it could never forget. So, the child stole into the heart of the kingdom and used its twisted words to bend the innocent prince to its will. The great Fire Lord could not save his poor son and was forced to banish him, taking the child along with him so that the demon could never be freed from its prison."

        "The child went on a rampage, killing all that it encountered. Nations far and wide came to know of the Fire Nation's greatest shame. A child they could not control, a devil they could not tame. The child still roams the world, searching for a way to gain access back to it's creator and killing all that stand in its path. When the wind howls in the night, it is the pained cries of a not-human child yearning for its maker. When the embers in your campfire burn just a tad too bright, it is a sign that the child is near. When the air grows too still it is a sign that the child is near and it has killed all that breathes around it."

        At the end of Rezalia's story, the group was barely breathing. "Lia," Sokka says slowly. "Was that story...about you?"

        "Kinda," Rezalia shrugs. "That's the ghost story parents tell their kids to scare them into behaving but it is technically about me. Hardly anything about it is true, though."

        "I...see," Katara mutters. "Lia, I mean this as respectfully as possible, that's horrifying."

        Rezalia snorts. "Yeah, that's kind of the whole point."

        "I think she meant that there are ghost stories about you," Toph interjects. "And that they literally dehumanize you."

        The fire bender shrugs. "It's whatever. They've been doing that shit since I was a kid, I really don't care anymore." Rezalia's words did not seem to calm them down.

        Toph suddenly lurches forward, pressing a hand to the ground and successfully taking the heat off of Rezalia. "Wait. Guys, did you hear that? I hear people under the mountain, and they're screaming."

        "Pft, nice try," Sokka scoffs.

        Toph glares in his general direction. "No, I'm serious, I hear something." Rezalia examines her closely. She wasn't lying. Subtly, the fire nation girl reaches under the folds of her skirt and rests her hand on her dagger. Thumbing at the leather handle, she glances around the forest idly.

        "You're probably just jumpy from the ghost stories," Katara reasons.

        Toph frowns. "It just stopped."

        "All right, now I'm getting scared," Aang whispers. Rezalia whips her knife out and spins around.

        "Hello, children." The others scream at the sudden appearence of the elderly woman. Rezalia's eyes narrow. "Sorry to frighten you, my name is Hama. You children shouldn't be out in the forest by yourselves at night. I have an inn nearby, why don't you come back there for some spiced tea and warm beds?"

        Sokka nods, face still pale from earlier fright. "Yes, please." Rezalia frowns but sheathes her dagger without protest. Hama leads them through the woods and into a little inn, setteling them down with some tea. Rezalia smiles polietly and sets the cup aside. "Thanks for letting us stay here tonight. You have a lovely inn."

        Hama coos. "Aren't you sweet? You know, you should be careful. People have been disappearing in those woods you were camping in."

        "Dissapearing?" Rezalia parrots, eyeing the woman out of the corner of her eye. Hama seemed to be sizing the teen up in much the same way.

        "When the moon turns full, people walk in, and they don't come out. Who wants more tea?" She frowns when nobody answers. "Don't worry, you'll all be completely safe here. Why don't I show you to your rooms, and you can get a good night's rest?"

        The next morning, Hama drags them all out to shop with her. Rezalia keeps her head low, bangs brushing her eyebrows, in an effort to remain unnoticed. The others chat idly as Rezalia sticks to Sokka's side, his boisterous manner drawing attention away from her lack of prescence. Hama passes her things to Katara and sends them off to the inn. "This is a mysterious little town you have here," Sokka comments, narrowing his eyes at Hama.

        "Mysterious town for mysterious children," Hama returns easily, smiling just a bit too wide. Sokka and Rezalia exchange looks.

        "That Hama seems a little strange. Like she knows something, or she's hiding something," Sokka remarks as he places the groceries in the cupboards.

        Katara scowls at him. "That's ridiculous. She's a nice woman who took us in and gave us a place to stay. She kind of reminds me of Gran-Gran."

        "But what did she mean by that comment, 'mysterious children'?"

        "Gee, I don't know. Maybe because she found four strange kids, camping in the woods at night? Isn't that a little mysterious?"

        "I don't trust that woman as far as I can throw her," Rezalia says firmly, closing the door to the pantry.

        Toph smirks. "You could probably throw her pretty far, sparky."

        "It's an expression," Rezalia answers, rolling her eyes though she knew Toph couldn't see it.

        Sokka ignores them all. "I'm going to take a look around."

        Katara whirls around to scold him. "Sokka! Sokka, what are you doing? You can't just snoop around someone's house." 

        Sokka waves her off as he continues up the stairs. "It'll be fine." He pokes around a bit, though the old woman's house was sparsley decorated. Aang and Katara voice their concerns, anxiously fidgeting as they watch Sokka open various doors. Eventually he comes to a cabniet in the wall that refuses to open. 

        Rezalia jams her dagger between the panels and pries them open, jumping back when a small group of marionette dolls spring foward. "Ok, that's pretty creepy," Aang admits.

        Katara awkwardly closes the doors. "So... she's got a hobby. There's nothing weird about that. Sokka, you've looked enough. Hama will be back soon."

        Sokka ignores her once more and copies Rezalia's technique to open a locked room with his sword. Inside lie only a sinlge ornate box. The water tribe boy picks it up and turns it over a few times before surrendering it to Toph who begins to mold her meteroite bracelet into the shape of the lock. Sokka urges her to hurry, both of them ignoring the worried hissing of Aang and Katara. Rezalia makes her way to the single window and gazes out, eyeing the dip in the side of the mountain thoughtfully.

        Toph finally manages to open the box, only just beginning to lift the lid when Hama's voice rings out. "I'll tell you what's in the box."

        Sokka attempts to hide the box behind his back for a moment before relinqueshing it and watching with bated breath as Hama pulls out the treasure painstakingly slow. In the end, it is revealed to be nothing more than a simple comb. " It's my greatest treasure. It's the last thing I owned from growing up in the Southern Water Tribe." 

        Hama's words cause Rezalia to whip her head to the side, eyeing the woman with renewed interest.

Chapter Text

        "You're...from the Southern Water Tribe?" Katara questions softly.

        Hama nods. "Just like you."

        "How did you know?"

        "Your eyes," Hama smiles. "That shade of blue is specific to our corner of the world."

        Sokka frowns a bit. "But why didn't you tell us?"

        "I wanted to surprise you. I bought all this food today so I could fix you a big, Water Tribe dinner. Of course, I can't get all the ingredients I need here, but ocean kumquats are a lot like sea prunes, if you stew them long enough."

        Rezalia and Aang grimace. "Great," the avatar mutters.

        "I knew I felt a bond with you right away!" Katara cheers.

        Sokka grins along with her. "And I knew you were keeping a secret, so I guess we're both right." Katara socks him in the shoulder. "But I'm sorry we were sneaking around."

        "Apology accepted. Now let's get cooking."

        Hours later saw them seated around Hama's dining table, surrounded by bowls of traditional Water Tribe dishes. Aang leans over to Toph and whispers, "I'd steer clear of the sea prunes."

        "I thought they were ocean kumquats."

        "Close enough."

        Hama stands. "Who wants five-flavour soup?"

        Aang, Katara, and Sokka all raise their hands. Hama flicks her wrists, sending soup into each of their bowls. Katara gasps. "You're a Waterbender! I've never met another Waterbender from our tribe."

        "That's because the Fire Nation wiped them all out. I was the last one."

        "How is it that you ended up all the way out here?" Rezalia asks, stirring her spoon around her empty bowl. 

        Hama narrows her eyes at her suspiciously. "I was stolen from my home. It was over 60 years ago when the raids started. They came again and again, each time, rounding up more of our Waterbenders, and taking them captive. We did our best to hold them off, but our numbers dwindled as the raids continued. Finally, I too was captured. I was led away in chains. The last Waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. They put us in terrible prisons here in the Fire Nation. I was the only one who managed to escape."

        "How did you get away? And why did you stay in the Fire Nation?" Sokka questions. Rezalia leans back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. 

        Hama shakes her head. "I'm sorry. It's too painful to talk about anymore."

        "We completely understand. We lost our mother in a raid," Katara pipes up. 

        "Oh, you poor things," Hama frowns, patting Katara's hand.

        "I can't tell you what it means to meet you. It's an honor, you're a hero," Katara says genuinely. Rezalia exhales sharply through her nose.

        Hama smiles kindly at Katara. "I never thought I'd meet another Southern Waterbender. I'd like to teach you what I know, so you can carry on the Southern Tradition when I'm gone."

        "Yes, yes of course! To learn about my heritage, it would mean everything to me."

        Rezalia excuses herself without so much as touching the food set before her.

~*~

        The next morning, Rezalia drags the others outside, refusing to be in the house while Hama teaches Katara whatever it is she was aiming to teach her. Aang uses this as an opportunity to look for what might be causing the spirit to capture the townsfolk. "This has gotta be the nicest, natural setting in the Fire Nation. I don't see anything that would make a spirit mad around here."

        Toph shrugs. "Maybe the moon spirit just turned mean."

        Sokka whirls to face her. "The moon spirit is a gentle, loving lady. She rules the sky with compassion and... lunar goodness!" he huffs. Rezalia watches with widened eyes as he crosses his arms and turns away childishly. Before the situation could escalate, Aang walks over to a passing man.

        "Excuse me, sir. Can you tell us anything about the spirit that's been stealing people?"

        "Only one man ever saw it and lived, and that's Old Man Ding," the man answers. After pointing them in the right direction, the man takes off once more.

        The group approaches an older man nailing nails into a board. "Old Man Ding?" Aang calls cautiously.

        The man turns as he swings his hammer down, hitting his thumb rather than the nail. "Eeh, yeow! Aw, dang blame it! What? Can't you see I'm busy Got a full moon rising. And why does everyone call me that? I'm not that old. Aww... well, I'm young at heart. Not ready to get snapped up by some moon monster, yet, at least."

        "That's what we wanted to ask you about, actually," Rezalia says, handing Ding the hammer he'd dropped.

        Aang questions, "Did you get a good look at the spirit that took you?"

        "Didn't see no spirit. Just felt something come over me, like I was possessed. Forced me to start walking toward the mountain. I tried to fight it, but I couldn't control my own limbs. It just about had me into a cave up there. And I looked up at the moon, for what I thought would be my last glimpse of light. But then, the sun started to rise. And I got control of myself again! I just high-tailed it away from that mountain as quick as I could!" Ding recounts.

        Sokka frowns. "Why would a spirit want to take people to a mountain?"

        Toph gasps, yanking at Rezalia's sleeve. "Oh, no! I did hear people screaming under the mountain. The missing villagers must still be there."

        Cursing, Rezalia takes off, trusting the others to follow. "Lia, where are you going?" Aang calls.

        "The window in Hama's creepy secret room faces this cave!" she calls back. "Might as well start heading in that direction and then Toph can listen to see where we need to go!"

        Toph does exactly that, leading them toward the entrance to a cave. The darkness leads them to a metal door, with torches on either side. Aang and Sokka each take a torch as Toph opens the door using her bending. Inside, the light of the torches reveals lines of towns people chained to the wall. Small, dehydrated shouts of joy go up upon their arrival. Toph and Rezalia immediately begin to undo their shackles.

        "I didn't know that spirits made prisons like this, who brought you here?" Aang asks.

        "It was no spirit," a woman spits out, rubbing at her aching wrists.

        A man adds, "It was a witch."

        "A witch, what do you mean?" Sokka questions. 

        "She seems like a normal old woman, but she controls people like some dark puppetmaster."

        Rezalia hisses, "Hama."

        "Yes, the innkeeper," the prisoner confirms. 

        "I'll get these people out of here, you go," Toph urges. Sokka and Aang give their torches to two of the freed townsfolk and the three of them take off running. The tell-tale grunting and shouting of conflict leads them to Katara and Hama. 

        Sokka shouts, "We know what you've been doing, Hama!"

        "Give up!" Aang adds. "You're outnumbered."

        Hama's lips twist into a cruel imitation of the kind smile she'd given them just that morning. "No. You've outnumbered yourselves."

        As the elderly woman raises both arms, their bodies stiffen. Rezalia's body moves against her will, running toward Katara and reaching for her knife. Hama forms a cyclone to protect herself, using Aang, Sokka, and Rezalia as her human puppets. Sokka and Aang do their best to warn Katara of their movements, though Hama changed them so wildly that it was difficult to shout in time. Rezalia released controlled blasts of fire from her hands and feet to blow herself off course, which eventually frustrated Hama to the point where she pulled the girl from the fight entirely.

        "I could tell there was something wrong with you," Hama hisses.

        Rezalia grins wolfishly. "Who, me?"

        "You wretched fire bender," the woman snarls. "I let you into my home, I feed you-"

        "You try to use me to kill my friend," Rezalia continues for her.

        Hama releases a feral scream. "YOU BRAT! I COULD KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!"

        "You could," Rezalia agrees. "But unfortunately for you, you let the boys go."

        Hama's eyes widen but she does not move. Mostly due to the fact that she couldn't. Rezalia, now having full control over her body once again, turns toward Katara. The girl's face was pinched in anger and pain alike, arm outstretched as she halted Hama's movements. Slowly, Katara lowers her arm, forcing Hama to kneel as Toph and the freed prisoners return. Katara collapses in the arms of her brother as Hama is dragged away in chains.

        "She- I didn't- I had to-" Katara gasps out.

        Rezalia shushes her. "I know," she murmurs, pulling the water bender into a hug. "I know. It's okay. Everything will be okay."

        Hours later, after Katara had fallen prey to sleep, Toph would ask what happened and Rezalia would be the only one with an answer. "Blood bending." The name alone is enough to draw horror to everyone's face. "I heard about it but I was never sure of the credibility of the rumors. It's plausible, sure, but I'd never met a water bender who would even think of controlling someone like that. That was what Hama did to us when we were attacking Katara. She was using the water in out blood to control our movements. That's how Katara stopped her too."

        There's silence for a moment. "When we were being controlled," Aang starts slowly. "I couldn't use my air bending, but you could use your fire."

        It wasn't a question but Rezalia answers anyway. "Fire is different from the other elements. With water, earth, and air you have to use the preexisting elements around you. But you create fire from your very being. It comes from within you and, truly, doesn't require much movement to use. The movements are for control and precision. With other bending, the movements help bend the elements to your will, so you can't really bend without moving. Does that make sense?"

        It didn't but Aang nodded anyway.

Chapter Text

        They arrived at the meeting site a day early and without problem, if you ignore Aang's shortlived bout of insanity. It wasn't long before they were stood on the beach watching the ships file in. All but Rezalia had shed their Fire Nation garb. The first to arrive come via Southern Water Tribe Navy ships. Sokka and Katara bounce foward and hug the first man off the ships. "You made it Dad!" Katara cheers.

        "Were you able to locate everyone I told you to find?" Sokka asks.

        "I did. But I'm a little worried, Sokka. Some of these men aren't exactly the warrior type," Hakkoda says, glancing over at two swamp-men. Rezalia steps a bit closer to Sokka as they approach. "Ah, and who's this?"

        Rezalia dips her head down. "My name is Rezalia."

        Hakkoda smiles kindly at her but says nothing as one of the swamp guys speaks up. "Whooo-wheee. This place ain't
nothing like a swamp. What'd you reckon that is, Tho? Some sort of exploding Fire Nation exploding trap that would eat ya?"

        "What?" Rezalia whispers as Sokka snickers.

        "It's just a rock, Due."

        "Well, I'll be."

        Hakkoda leans toward them. "Is it just me, or are those fellas a little loose in the leaf head?"

        Another water tribe man appraoches and Rezalia knew him to be Bato from the stories her friends had told. "I just wish they would wear pants."

        "Pants are an illusion and so is death," a swamp man sniffs.

        "Hot take," Rezalia mutters.

        It would be a little under an hour before they all arrived, gathering in rows in front of a podium as they awaited the grand plan. After a moment, Sokka walks to the front. "Good morning, everyone!" is all he gets out before tripping over nothing and dropping all his scrolls.

        "Uhm... So, as you know today we're invading the Fire Nation. I mean I know you know that. Because otherwise why else would you be here Anyway... The Fire Lord's palace is here. Uh no, uh wait, uh wait , uh wait. It's here and uh there's an eclipse today and Aang's going to fight the Fire Lord and the firebenders won't have any fire to use so that's good for us and uhm... I'm sorry, let me start at the beginning," Sokka rambles nervously.

        "KataraandIdiscoveredAangfrozeninaniceberg.NowIdidn'tlikeAangatfirstbutIgrewtolovehimovertime.ThenwewentovertotheSouthernAirTemplewhereAangusedtoliveandthenwemetSukiwhoisaKyoshiwarrior.Shemademedresslikeawomanandthenshekissedme-"

        Katara blows out an amused breath. "Wow, he says beginning, he means beginning, beginning." Rezalia grins.

        "andthenAang'sfriendwasacrazyoldmanandthenKataragotHaruarrestedandthennowhe'sgrownamustacheandifyoulookinthefrontrowyoucanseehim-"

        Hakkoda awkwardly pats his son on the shoulder. "Thank you, Sokka. It's okay, why don't you take a break? Let me just clarify a few points for everyone. Today is the Day of Black Sun and I want to thank you all for your self sacrifice and your courage. They're two steps to the invasion. A naval stage and then a land stage. To gain sea access to the Fire Nation capital, we have to get pass our first major obstacle here. The Great Gates of Azulon. Next, we hit the land and we hit hard. We must fight past their battlements and secure the plaza tower. Once we do that, it's up to the royal palace. At that point, the eclipse will begin. Now, Rezalia, I believe it's your turn."

        Rezalia stands and takes Hakkoda's place. Before she could get so much as her name out, someone opened their mouth. "Why is she here, she's Fire Nation!"

        "Hello to you too," the fire bender replies drly. "My name is Rezalia, though some of you may know me better as The Devil of the Fire Nation. I've been trained since birth to be the youngest and best general the Fire Nation has ever seen. Meaning, I know more about the Fire Nation army than any of you combined. But by all means, I'll leave if that's what you prefer."

        Nobody says anything. "That's what I thought." Rezalia leans on the podium. "Alright, as I was going to say, the whole premise of the Fire Nation is intimidation. If you look like you can hurt someone," Rezalia extends an arm, holding a raging ball of fire in her palm. "They will believe you can." She closes her fist and puts the fire out. "A lot of people use smoke and mirrors to climb through the ranks to a comfortable leadership position where they get sent out to watch over captured territories and never have to see action."

        "Of course, not everyone takes that route. Obviously, if they did the whole 'world domination' thing would've gone a lot differently." A few people snort. "However there is one fundemental part of bending education that will ultimetely be their downfall. See, in fire bending academies you are taught to bend with brute force, fight with brute force, win with brute force. Hardly anyone in the Fire Nation puts any real thought behind their attacks and honestly, it works for them. Because above all else humans are animals. And when cornered and attacked, animals will reliably attack back with brute force."

        "But if you stop and think, their attacks really aren't that difficult to get around. They only use the one move, just in different forms. So, I don't give a shit if they come at you with a blast of fire that's eight times the size of your house, there's always a way around it. Especially now, due to the eclipse. Now, I also have the simply amazing privelage of practically growing up in the castle." Toph snickers at her sarcasm. "There are more guards scattered around the base of the small mountain it sits on. The idea is to stop the attack before it can begin. As such, the guards at the top never see any action. As someone who's had many conversations with them, they are the laziest assholes on the planet. So once you get past the outer defense it should be easy from there. Honestly, some of them might just turn tail and run when their bending stops working. Any questions?"

        Haru raises his hand. "You're a strong bender, right? How will the eclipse effect your fighting?"

        Rezalia smiles a bit. "Oh, I don't usually use my bending when I fight so I should be fine." Haru nods, content with that answer, and nobody else raises their hand. After that, Hakkoda delivers one last inspiring word of advice and everyone scatters, all doing their part to prepare. Before Rezalia knew it, she was boarded on Hakkoda's ship and the fleet was sailing toward her motherland, shrouded by artficial fog.

        As they drew closer to the gates, Hakoda ushered everyone below deck. Rezalia sat against the wall of the ship and gazeds idly at the others. Though she had vanquished all thoughts of her being useless earlier, they still didn't trust her very much, which was perfectly understandable if you looked at the situation objectivly. 

        Rezalia may not have seen the front lines of war but she'd been trained for them. Hell, she'd practically been hunted for sport. She was no stranger to prying eyes and whispered words but she couldn't say she liked it. Rezalia's hand toyed with her dagger as her eyes moved restlessly around the ship's interior. They were on the same side for now but Rezalia had been blindsided before. She knew better than to get too comfortable.

        "There they are, the Great Gates of Azulon," Hakoda murmurs as they grow closer. The waterbenders revive the fog as Katara makes her way to her father's side, Rezalia a half step behind. 

        "I don't see any gates."

        Rezalia answers, causing the other two to startle a bit at her prescence. "With any luck we won't see them."

        Neither Rezalia nor Hakoda reply to Katara's confused look, opting to turn and begin doling out instructions. "Try to spread the fog out as far as you can," Rezalia suggests. "It'll be hella suspicious if there's just a huge section of fog gathered in one area."

        The swamp benders comply immeaditly, not caring about her reputation in the slightest. There was a high possibility they weren't even aware. The others frown for a moment before ultimately doing the same. Unfortunately, their efforts were for naught and the bell rang anyway. Rezalia curses as the flaming net raises from beneath the water, blocking their exit.

        "Show time, boys," she calls as she skids past Sokka and Aang, the others not far behind.

Chapter Text

        By the time the Fire Nation coast guard was on the boats, everyone else was off of them and gathered into the underwater vessels that Sokka had designed. Said young man blushes as the others praise his inginuity, looking out the windows with awe. They pass under the net without issue and Rezalia absentmindedly notes that she'll have to remind Zuko to correct the design flaw when he took over. The thought makes her freeze where she stands.

        "Hey, you okay?" Teo - a friend of the others - asks. Rezalia allows her metaphorical mask to slide into it's well worn place. 

        "Fine."

        Teo didn't look convinced but allowed her to move past it and join the others in approaching Aang. "So, this is it huh?"

        "Are you ready for the Fire Nation to know the Avatar is alive?" Sokka asks. Aang confirms that he was and begins to bid everyone goodbye. 

        Toph holds out her fist. "I hope you kick some serious Fire Lord butt, Twinkle Toes." Aang laughs as he bumps her knuckles gently with own.

        "When you're beating his ass tell him I send my regards, yeah?"

        Aang cackles at Rezalia's words and promises to do so as he steps into her hug. After that, Rezalia blows Katara and Aang a kiss and drags Sokka away from the pair. "This is the highest level of betrayel, Lia."

        "Would you let your sister get laid, please?"

        "LIA!"

        Sokka's protest is drowned out by Toph's laughter as Rezalia pulls them to the doors of the vessel. "Stop pouting and go get your warrior clothes on," she instructs. Sokka only sulks a moment more before snapping into the proper mindset and lining up with the others. "Remember, they'll still have their fire for the first half of this thing, so don't get too cocky."

        "The next time we resurface, it'll be on the beaches. So stay alert, and fight smart," Hakoda adds, hand on Rezalia's shoulder. "I know you said you don't fight with your bending but is there any chance...?"

        "For you? Anytime," Rezalia replies and Sokka screams again. With the tension sufficiently loosened, the fire bender turns to the front and braces for a fight.

        As soon as the doors cracked open, Rezalia was off. As she ran, her arms fly toward the sky in a fluid motion, her fire mimicking the movement of water in the way it rises in front of her and curls at the edges. Skidding to a stop, Rezalia pushes her palm foward in a distinctly earth bender, sending the wave of fire to the Fire Nation warriors who had yet to react in any capacity. 

        The effect is immeadite. Screaming sounds out as the warriors run from the flaming watch towers. Rezalia didn't allow them get very far, raising a circle of flames around them in the sand with a flick of her wrist. Wary of the flames far powerful of their own, they press together in the center. "You'll pay for this, traitor," one of the hisses at her. 

        "Promise?" Rezalia purrs in return, blowing a ring of fire toward him and allowing it to dissipate before it could reach him. She was gone before he could respond. 

        As they made their way up the mountain, Rezalia fronted their attacks, backed by earth benders and tanks alike. Sokka and his batallion had dissapeared from the girl's view but she hadn't the time to worry about them. To be distracted was to be dead and to be dead was to be a disgrace.

        "On your left!" She shouts as she races past Haru, white flames flowing with her hand as she flings it through the air at incoming enemy soldiers.

        "Thanks!"

        Rezalia doesn't waste her breath responding, her entire being locked in battle with those who had watched her grow up. Regardless of the morals of the strategy, it granted her an advantage that she would gladly take. "Hey Lino, how are the kids?" The woman falters and Rezalia does to her as she did to the others. Any feeling she had on the matter could wait until after she'd won.

        It wasn't long before Rezalia's fire cut out along with the others. She doesn't hesitate as she draws her knives from their sheathes on her back. As she'd predicted, a large number of the Fire Nation soldiers turn tail once their bending was cut off. Those who don't are quickly taken care of and Rezalia veers away from battle once she was sure that the others had it covered. She and Aang make it to Sokka at the same time.

        "Please tell me you're here because the Fire Lord turned out to be a big wimp and you didn't even need the eclipse to take him down," Sokka pleads.

        Rezalia highly doubted it and Aang's words only confirmed the sinking feeling in her gut. "He wasn't home. No one was. The entire palace city is abandoned."

        "Fuck," Rezalia hisses, roughly running a hand through her hair. "How could they have known?"

        Katara shrugs helplessly and they spread out to tell everyone that the fight was for naught.

        Once they were back together, the five of them sit in a circle on the ground, Rezalia laid flat on her back as she traced patterns into the ground. "It's over. The Fire Lord is probably long-gone; far away on some remote island where he'll be safe during the eclipse," Aang tells them softly.

        Rezalia frowns. She only knew of one island that the royal family had ever stayed at and she highly doubted they were going on vacation. Sokka shakes his head, "No. My instincts tell me he wouldn't go too far. He would have a secret bunker; somewhere he could go and be safe during the siege but still be close enough to lead his nation."

        "If it's an underground secret bunker we're looking for, I'm just the girl to find it," Toph remarks, pointing to herself.

        The others hum in agreement and Katara turns to Rezalia. "Any chance you would know how to navigate the bunker?"

        Rezalia shakes her head. "No. Ozai never was fond of me and as far as I know, they've never actually used the bunker before. I didn't even know there was one."

        Sokka begins to piece together a plan from the fragments of their invasion and Rezalia drifts in and out of focus, a feeling washing over her. "Lia?" Aang asks.

        "Sorry," she mutters. "Just...a feeling. Something's happening. Happened. I don't know. Doesn't matter."

        The others frown for a moment before quickly filling her in. Katara was to stay behind and evacuate their forces safely while the rest of them went after the Fire Lord. Before Rezalia knew it, they were walking into a hole in the side of a volcano. Were it not for Toph leading and her and Rezalia's combined ability to sense the magma, they would've been dead twenty times over. 

        Toph stops when they arrive in a large chamber of spewing magma. "The tunnel continues on the other side and It leads right to the bunker."

        "We'll have to be fast, but careful," Sokka tells them, taking a step forward. Rezalia yanks him back as Aang sends a gust of wind to cool and harden the molten rock.

        "You were saying?" Rezalia asks, releasing her grip on Sokka's upper arm.

        Sokka stares at the cooling magma with wide eyes. "I was wrong. We need to be fast, careful and lucky."

        With those wise words of wisdom, the four of them were racing through the cavern. It was only years of battle hardened instincts that kept Rezalia from meeting an ironically firey death. As it were, the hem of Sokka's shirt was singed and smoking. He didn't seem to notice. 

        And then there was just an open lake of lava with no way to cross. "Okay, what the fuck," Rezalia groans, flicking the sweat from her brow aside. Aang opens his glider and takes them across in two trips, Toph and Sokka - who screamed the entire time - and Rezalia - who merely clenched her jaw tight enough to crack a few teeth. 

        After that, the only thing left was a huge industrial door between them and the Fire Lord. Sokka, of course, was far more worried about the door itself. Not how to get past it, but the design of it. Go figure. Toph diverted his attention by bending the metal of the door and allowing them entry. Sokka seemed torn between being impressed and mourning the loss of the really cool door.

        Impressed seemed to win over. "I am so glad we added you to the group!"

        Rezalia had a knife to the throat of the Fire Nation attendant before he could so much as blink. He didn't hesitate. "The Fire Lord's chamber is that way, down the hall, to the left, and up the stairs, you can't miss it!"

        The fire bender waits for her companions to pass in the indicated direction before releasing him. "Coward," she hisses out. The attendant flinches back and Rezalia leaves him.

        Aang knocks down the door as soon as Rezalia rejoins them but they all stop when it's Azula's voice that greets them rather than Ozai's. "So, you are alive after all. I had a hunch that you survived. But it doesn't matter. I've known about the invasion for months." Rezalia scowls, knmives slipping into her hands. "And I see you've gone full blown traitor. Not a good luck, freak."

        The fire bender doesn't deign to grace her with an answer. Childish bickering had a time and place and war was not it. 

        "Where is he? Where's the Fire Lord?" Aang demands, staff in hand.

        Azula pouts a bit as she stands from the throne she'd been lounging on. "You mean I'm not good enough for you? You're hurting my feelings."

        "Cut the shit," Rezalia snaps.

        Sokka steps in. "Stop wasting our time and give us the information. You're powerless right now, so you're in no position to refuse."

        "And stick to the truth. I'll be able to tell if you're lying," Toph adds, fist clenched in preporation for a fight.

        Azula's faux hurtful expression slips from her face. "Are you sure? I'm a pretty good liar. I am a four-hundred foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings."

        Toph sends the Earth up to encase her but it was for naught. The rock crumbled as soon as it'd settled in place. Azula smirks as she brushes the dust from her shirt. "When I left Ba Sing Se I brought home some souvenirs: Dai Li agents!"

        The agents in question drop from their hiding places and back up the princess. "Still can't stand on your own, Zuly?" Rezalia mocks because childish bickering may not have a place in war but phsychological tactics absolutely did. Anger Rezalia sought and anger she recieved.

        The battle was a whirlwind of punches, kicks, and rocks. Try as she may, Rezalia couldn't manage to pin down the royal pain in the ass. She hadn't fought long enough with her companions and they were only getting in one anothers way. Azula lead them through the halls at random, flying around corners and ducking into openings. "I can't pin her down! She's too quick!" Aang shouts as they chase after her.

        If it were anyone else, Rezalia may have seen what she was doing. But this was Azula. And the prince and princess of the Fire Nation had always rendered Rezalia a bit blind. Luckily, Sokka had no such issues. "Wait! Aang! Toph! Stop attacking! Don't you see what she's doing? She's just playing with us. She's not even trying to win this fight!"

        They skid to a stop and Azula leans against the wall, a perfect picture of relaxation. "Not true. I'm giving it my all."

        "You're trying to keep us here and waste all our time!" Toph rages, fists clenched as she glares at the wall just to the right of Azula's face.

        The princess scoffs. "Um, right, I think your friend just said that, genius. And since you can't see, I should tell you I'm rolling my eyes."

        "I'll roll your whole head!" And as much as Rezalia would love to see that, she places a restrictive hand on Toph's shoulder. Azula was not the one they'd come for tonight.

        Sokka speaks up once more, lingering back in the direction they'd run from. "She'd baiting again."

        "Ignore her," Rezalia says gruffly, tugging Toph back. "She's not worth the energy."

        Azula seemed to take offense to that, rising from her place on the wall. "You vile-"

        They collectively ignore her, turning away. Azula sneers a warning at them, not bothering to chase them down. "Ignore!" Sokka replies, tossing a hand in the air.

        "So, Sokka's your name, right? My favorite prisoner used to mention you all the time. She was convinced you were going to come rescue her. Of course you never came, and she gave up on you."

        Hook, line, and sinker. Sokka was flying toward Azula before Rezalia could get a hand on him. Toph only just barely manages to pin her to the wall using the rock behind her before Sokka was within striking distance, towering over the girl. "Where. Is. Suki?"

        Rezalia had heard of her. They didn't have time for this. "Leave it, Sokka." The blue eyed boy turns to her, betrayl clear in the lines of his face. "Suki's a fighter. She's fine. And Azula's never going to tell you anything."

        Azula smiles coyly at them before pausing as she feels the heat surge through her veins as Rezalia did. "Oh, seems like the firebending's back on." Rezalia pulls Azula's fire into herself before it could harm anyone but the girl escapes their grasp regardless. "Dad's all the way at the end of the hall then down a secret stairway on the left. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to see you now."

        She leaves before they have the chance to respond. The feeling from before returns and Rezalia turns to face another hallway. Stepping toward it, she frowns. 

        "Lia, what's wrong?" Aang asks. Rezalia frown deepens.

        "I...don't know. I thought I heard..." The sound of pounding footsteps seemed like little more than a distant memory now and Rezalia couldn't help but wonder if she'd finally fallen off the deep end. 

        Sokka softend. "You're probably just tired. Let's get out of here."

        Luckily, due to Katara's efforts most everyone was already gathered on the beach. But the Fire Nation were nothing if not stubborn and it was far harder than it should've been to leave on time. Not everyone would make it.

        Hakoda seemed to have come to the same conclusion and ushered the children to Appa. The goodbyes were tearful and rushed but even so, Hakoda stopped to bid Rezalia farewell too. The girl blinks at him for a moment before nodding in return, words lost before they'd reached her tongue.

        The Fire Nation didn't go after them. They didn't need too, it was clear that they'd be back.

        The strange feeling from before persisted, even as they grew closer to the Western Air Temple. Something was happening. Something big. She was silent for the entirety of the ride and everyone let her be.

Chapter Text

        As it turns out, lugging around eight grown people, a flying lemur-monkey thing, and a body full of armor is increadibly tiring. Who would've thought. The point being, that they were now walking to the air temple and if Teo made one more joke about not having the use of his legs, Rezalia was going to push both him and Toph off of a cliff. They truly never should have met. The jokes were awful.

        "This is humiliating," Katara sighs, lips pulling down at the corners.

        Sokka huffs a bit as he kicks at a rock in front of him. "You mean getting thoroughly spanked by the Fire Nation or having to walk all the way to the Western Air Temple?"

        "Both."

        "I wonder how the rest of the troops are," Teo murmurs and Rezalia decides that that may not be an answer they want to hear right now.

        Haru answered, "They're probably on their way to a prison. Seems like my dad just got out and now he's going back in."

        Moments later, Toph slams her foot into the ground with a grin. "Hey, we're here! I can feel it!"

        Rezalia takes a moment to gaze out at the barren cliff top around them before looking back at Toph. Katara seemed to share the sentiment. "Uhhh ... I think your feet need their eyes checked."

        Toph did not look impressed with her opinion but Aang spoke before she could say as much. "No, she's right. We are here!"

        Aang evidently did not feel the need to elaborate, simply running toward the cliff's edge and jumping like the lunatic he so clearly was. "I really need to write to my therapist," Rezalia mutters as she jogs to the edge along with the others. Multiple people side eye her.

        Being an air bender, nobody was too worried about Aang jumping off of clliffs aside from the general consensus that it wasn't a very healthy practice to be involved in. "Any chance you could go see if he died or something?" Sokka asks idly, staring down at the foggy nothing below.

        Rezalia doesn't hesitate to jump off the edge. This, however, does warrant some panic before she ignites flames under her feet and shoots back skyward to reassure the Duke that she wasn't dead. "You've got to stop doing that to people." The smile on Katara's face directly contradicted her words but Rezalia wasn't going to point that out.

        Rather, she gives a two fingered salut and extingushes the flame, allowing herself to fall freely. As she fell, she could see what it was that Toph had felt. Nestled quite literally into the side of the cliff there was the Western Air Temple. It was dirty and overgrown after all these years but nonetheless it was beautiful. "AANG!"

        The avatar comes when called, flying in pace with Rezalia's falling. "Yes?"

        "We should get everyone down here before exploring."

        "Makes sense."

        Katara would doubt it forever but she was hiding a grin when the two of them returned. 

        Out of everyone, it was Teo who was the most fasinated with the ancient architecture. "Didn't you live in an air temple?" Sokka asks. 

        "I did," Teo confirms. "But the air temples are all different."

        Aang nods. "The practices of the monks were pretty much the same everywhere but the temples themselves were super different. I mean, the one I'm from is on a mountain and has a different feel. Mine was more like a small village and this one looks like an ancient royal castle or something."

        Call what you will, it was old. Beautiful, but old. And Rezalia wasn't fond of the idea of falling into the ground or something while she slept so she recruited Toph and Haru to reinforce the ground in all the areas they'd be frequenting. "I can't believe I'm letting you boss me around like this," Toph huffs playfully. Rezalia snorts a bit and gently flicks her on the back of the head.

        "You are a very good fighter," Haru murmurs as Rezalia walks over to test his portion of the floor. Rock solid, of course.

        She glances at him. "Thanks."

        The conversation doesn't go any further and both of them allow it to remain that way. It wasn't long before Teo and the Duke were whisking Haru off in search of hidden rooms. Katara snags Aang's sleeve before he could join them. "So, what's the new plan?"

        Rezalia idly wanders around their little circle as she listens. "Well, if you ask me, the new plan is the old plan! You just need to master all four elements and confront the Fire Lord before the comet comes."

        "That was your plan?" Rezalia asks increadusly. Sokka makes a face at her. "No, seriously guys, that might be the best plan ever. I don't think I've ever heard a better plan in my life. i can't wait until you guys are on councils and shit, the plans will be on another level."

        "Okay!" Katara snaps. "We get it! The plan sucks!"

        Rezalia sighs. "That's because it's not a plan. It's a to-do list full of things that he might not even be able to do. Who's gonna teach him firebending? And defeating Ozai before the comet? As much as I'd love to knock his ass down a few hundred pegs it's near impossible."

        "I know that," Aang replies stubbornly. "But I have to try."

        The firebender hums dubiously. Sokka speaks up, "Why can't you teach him again?"

        "My fire is a lot different than his and also my teaching methods might kill him."

        "...Noted. Maybe we can look for Jeong Jeong!" Sokka diverts. 

        "Yeah ... right. Like we'll ever run into Jeong Jeong again," Aang scoffs as he lays down.

        Toph's face scrunches up. "Who's- oh, whatever," she grumbles, crossing her arms. "If it's important we'll find out." Rezalia laughs a bit.

        "Who's we? I know who Jeong Jeong is."

        "Fuck you."

        The others appeared to be ignoring them, opting to watch Aang divert all responsibility and go do loops in the air. Rezalia frowns as she watches him for a moment before walking away to roam the temple. The marble and stone was surprisingly stable for the things it had undergone so Rezalia allows herself to zone in and out as she walks.

        At first, her thoughts are trivial. That plant looks funny. I wonder how much it would take to convince Sokka to eat that plant. I wonder how much convincing it would take to stop Toph from eating that plant. There are a lot of plants. Oh look a bug. The usual. But slowly they turn on her as they always do. Is he okay? Where is he right now? Does he still think about me?

        The feeling from the invasion returns and Rezalia stops. "What's happening?" she murmurs, mostly to herself. The feelings persists, annoying in it's dullness. Simply a prodding prescence just behind her eyes that she could neither ignore nor place. It reminded her of Katara's jokes a bit. Makes no sense but unavoidable and demanding attention. The comparisson draws Rezalia's attention from the feeling for just a moment until it grows stronger.

        "I don't know what you want from me," she whispers, staring blankly at the crumbing fountain before her.

        The distant sound of shouting pulls Rezalia from her thoughts and she takes off, flames licking the stone as she propels herself faster. It takes mere moments to reach the others, skidding to a stop beside Sokka. "What's going on?" she demands before looking up and making eyecontact with the golden eyes that had been haunting her for months.

        Everything stops as they stare at one another with wide eyes. "Zali," he breathes. 

        Rezalia doesn't deign him with an answer. Make him grovel for a while. Sokka's words pass through her mind as his arm presses into hers. Pain flashes across Zuko's face but he shakes it off quickly and turns back to Aang. "Right. Well, uhhh ... anyway ... what I wanted to tell you about is that I've changed, and I, uhhh, I'm good now, and well I think I should join your group, oh, and I can teach firebending to you. See, I, uhhh..." he trails off as Toph and Katara scoff loudly.

        "You want to what now?" 

        Katara backs Toph up seamlessly. "You can't possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean, how stupid do you think we are?!"

        "Yeah, all you've ever done is hunt us down and try to capture Aang!" Sokka adds as he sets a calming hand on Rezalia's back. Zuko follows the motion and presses his lips into a flat line before answering.

        "I've done some good things! I mean, I could have stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but I set him free. That's something!"

        Said sky bison licks Zuko, evidently for the second time. Aang turns to Rezalia who nods slightly. "He did."

        "Appa does seem to like him," Toph mutters.

        The water tribe siblings weren't having. "He probably just covered himself in honey or something so that Appa would lick him. I'm not buying it," Sokka says stubbornly, free hand toying with the hilt of his sword.

        "I can understand why you wouldn't trust me, and I know I've made some mistakes in the past," Zuko replies and a traitorous part of Rezalia was so so proud of him for recognizing that. For saying it out loud.

        Sokka snorts. "Like when you attacked our village?"

        "Or when you stole my mother's necklace and used it to track us down and capture us?" Katara tacks on, arms crossed in a way that reminded Rezalia of Zuko's mother when she got mad.

        Zuko shifts uncomfortably. "Look, I admit I've some awful things. I was wrong to try to capture you, and I'm sorry that I attacked the Water Tribe. And I never should have sent that Fire Nation assassin after you. I'm going to try and stop-"

        "Wait, you sent Combustion Man after us?" Sokka rages, pulling his boomerang from it's holster and stepping in front of Rezalia. She did nothing to stop him.

        The Fire Nation prince seemed to want to scream and slap himself and bury himself alive all at once. "Well, that's not his name, but-"

        "Ohhh, sorry. I didn't mean to insult your friend!" Sokka snarks.

        "He's not my friend!" Zuko snaps, hands clenching into fists at his side.

        "That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up!" Toph joins Sokka in standing, the ground trembling slightly beneath them.

        Zuko glances between them and Rezalia knew that look. He was cornered and multiple people were coming at him and his mind was going a mile a minute. Usually, this would be where Rezalia would step in. She stays where she is and says nothing. Zuko turns to Aang. "Why aren't you saying anything? You once said you thought we could be friends. You know I have good in me."

        Rezalia looks at the avatar as well. She'd never heard of this from either of them. "There's no way we can trust you after everything you've done. We'll never let you join us," Aang replies after a moment of thought.

        Zuko's expression drops and Katara speaks again. "You need to get out of here. Now."

        "I'm trying to explain that I'm not that person anymore!" he protests and Rezalia believed him. She hated that she believed him.

        Sokka didn't care about whatever transformation Zuko had undergone. "Either you leave, or we attack."

        When Zuko could come up with no other option, he drops to his knees and raises his wrists, offering to be their prisoner. Rezalia takes a step back at the sight and Katara demands his exit once more. Zuko looks up at Rezalia in despair but before he could speak, Sokka stepped in between them and snarled, "Don't look at her."

        Zuko leaves and Sokka pulls Rezalia to his chest as she trembles.

Chapter Text

        Rezalia sat on the edge of the fountain with Sokka and Toph to each side of her. Sokka had an arm around her shoulders and was rubbing her arm while Toph simply pressed up as close to Rezalia as she could get. Both actions were comfoting in their own way. "Why would he try to fool us like that?" Katara asks as she paces in front of them.

        "Obviously he wants to lead us into some kind of trap," Sokka replies though Katara didn't appear to hear him.

        She continues. "This is just like when we were in prison together at Ba Sing Se. He starts talking about his mother and making it seem like he's an actual human being with feelings." Rezalia jolts a bit at the mention and she feels more than hears Sokka's response. "The thing is, it worked. I did feel sorry for him. I felt like he was really confused and hurt, but obviously, when the time came, he made his choice, and we paid the price. We can't trust him."

        Aang speaks up, "I kind of have a confession to make. Remember when you two were sick and I got captured by Zhao?"

        Rezalia did not. She doesn't say anything, soul torn between defending him and hating him.

        "And you made us suck on frozen frogs? How could I forget? I had a wart on the flap that hangs down from the back of my throat for a month!" Sokka whines a bit. Rezalia could tell that it was mostly for her sake.

        Katara sighs in exasperation. "Sokka, I looked at it, and I told you, there was nothing there!"

        "I could feel it! It's my throatal flap!"

        "Anyway," Aang interupts. "When Zhao had me chained up, it was Zuko who came in and got me out. He risked his life to save me."

        Katara turns to Rezalia for confirmation. The girl shrugs. "I don't know. There...there was a while where he kinda...shut himself away from me and Iroh. He left late at night and came back early in the morning and never told me where he went or what he did."

        "I'm sure he only did it so he could capture you himself!" Katara concludes. 

        Aang frowns even as Sokka agrees. "Yeah, face it Aang, you're nothing but a big prize to him."

        "You're probably right..." he concedes.

        Toph grunts a bit. "Considering his messed-up family and how he was raised, he could have turned out a lot worse."

        "Could be Azula," Rezalia mumbles. Toph seems to be the only one who hears her.

        Katara scoffs. "You're right, Toph! Let's go find him and give him a medal. The "not as much of a jerk as you could have been" award!"

        "All I know is that while he was talking to us, he was sincere. Maybe you're all just letting your hurt feelings keep you from thinking clearly," Toph snaps back and Rezalia remembered that Toph didn't actually know much about Zuko. The topic had been avoided once Rezalia joined them.

        The waterbender throws her arms in the air. "Easy for you to say! You weren't there when he had us attacked by pirates!"

        "I was involved in that too," Rezalia says, voice little more than murmur but everyone heard her regardless.

        Katara falters in her rightous anger. "What?"

        "I said," Rezalia replies. "I was there too. You guys seem to forget than nearly everything Zuko's done to you, I was involved in. I was there. I could've stopped it." Katara's eyes flicker away from the firebender multiple times as she fumbles for a response. "I'm not vouching for him. Or saying that he's changed. Because I don't know if he has. But if you're going to condemn him for those things you have to condemn me too."

        Nobody says anything as Rezalia extracts herself from Sokka and Toph and leaves. 

~*~

        Zuko felt like an idiot. He had royally fucked up his chance at righting his wrongs and seeing Rezalia again felt simutaniously like being burned alive and like the first breath after drowning. She was there. Real. And she wasn't speaking to him. Could hardly even look at him. 

        But the water tribe boy got to touch her. Be by her. Protect her. Zuko had lost the right to that and he couldn't even be mad about it because it was his own fault. He felt like crying. He felt like screaming. Sleep doesn't come easy but it does eventually come.

        It doesn't last. The rustling of nature had always set Zuko on edge. He used to have Rezalia to punch him in the shoulder and tell him to shut the fuck up and go to sleep. The thought calms him enough to send him slipping again. 

        Snap.

        Immeaditly, Zuko's pushing a wave of fire out toward the noise. "Who's there? Stay back!"

        A startled shout rings out. "It's me!" That was the earth bending girl. The one he didn't know the name of. "Ow! You burned my feet!"

        "I'm sorry, it was a mistake!" Zuko apologises, moving to help. The girl didn't want his help, scrambing backward with anger and pain and fear painted across her face. 

        Try as he may to help her, to calm her down, she didn't listen. After being sent back several feet by the Earth itself, Zuko watches her dissapear into the forest before flopping back on his back with a loud groan. "Why am I so bad at being good?!" he shouts at exactly noone.

        He resolves to do something the next morning. Go back and beg or maybe pitch himself off the cliff. But something. Maybe Rezalia would say something to him this time. Zuko doubted it.

~*~

        Rezalia stayed in her room for as long as she could before getting bored of staring at the wall. Her thoughts couldn't stay away from him and she wondered how long she would be able to. Donning the sheer red shirt the cinched at the waist and the black crop top that paired with is as well as black shorts and sandals, Rezalia joins the others by the fountain.

        "Woah, what happened?" Rezalia asks upon seeing the angry red of Toph's feet.

        "Zuko happened," Katara replies bitterly. Rezalia clenches her jaw and ignores her, kneeling at Toph's side. "What're you doing?"

        Rezalia hovers her hands over the injured appendages as she answers, "I'm going to draw out the heat and then you're going to heal her as much as you can with your bending."

        Toph squirms a bit at the feeling of the heat leaving her feet, gathering instead around Rezalia's hands and sinking into her hands. "Is that going to give you burns?" Haru asks as he watches.

        "No."

        Once she'd finished and stepped aside to allow Katara to do her thing, Rezalia pulls Sokka and Teo aside. "What happened?" She asks again.

        "Toph went to go talk to Zuko and he burned her," Sokka replies.

        Teo clears his throat, looking between the two warily. "Uh, she said it was an accident, though."

        "Whatever," Sokka scoffs.

        Rezalia frowns. "He was probably just startled."

        Sokka looks at her increadulously. "Startled?" he repeats. "He's not a cute little animal, Lia. He burned her feet, I don't think it was an accident."

        "She went to him unannounced in the dark in an area he's not farmiliar with," Rezalia replies, irritation growing. "Zuko doesn't even know Toph's name, let alone that she sees with her feet!"

        Toph interjects from where she'd been moved to dip her feet in the fountain. "He did keep apologising and tried to help but I kinda panicked and pushed him away with a big rock."

        "Why wouldn't you have said that before?" Katara asks doubtfully.

        "Oh, yeah, let me just advocate for Zuko to the head of the Anti-Zuko club, that sounds reasonable," Toph scoffs. "Lia's the only one who would've believed me anyway. And maybe Haru, Teo, and the Duke but those three aren't the ones hung up on the whole Zuko thing anyway."

        Haru and the Duke shrug in admission at her statement. "He apologised, which is enough for me but, yeah, this isn't really my buisness," Haru replies.

        "You're right," Katara snaps. "It's not. So all of you just back out of it."

        Rezalia crosses her arms. "I'm not backing out of shit. This is my buisness as well as yours and Aang's and Sokka's and Toph's. We're all involved so pull your head out of your ass and stop acting like you birthed me."

        Katara steps back a bit but doesn't get the chance to respond. Combustion Man was back and with terrible aim, it seemed. 

        The blast hits the stone below them, sending more than a few people stumbling. As Sokka and Aang carried Toph away as quickly as they could, Rezalia locked in on the man's position. There, beside him, was Zuko. He was shouting, talking with his hands the way he does when he gets worked up. Rezalia raises two fingers and channels the heat she'd absorded from Toph into a single, thin stream of fire. Combustion Man growls as it hits him in the shoulder, pushing Zuko off the ledge as he turns.

        Rezalia's heart stops beating for a moment and Haru has to pull her away from the blast. The raven haired girl fights him every step of the way, despretly yanking him to stop so that she could search for a sign that he hadn't died. That she hadn't lost him for good this time. Haru doesn't let her, holds her tight despite her writhing and screaming.

        Haru passes her to Sokka, who hisses something into her ear before throwing his boomerang. She doesn't hear him. Everything sounds so dull now, even the rumbling explosions of the air temple under attack. She doesn't register as Combustion Man falls and gets back up. She doesn't register as the rock he stands under crumbles and sends him tumbling into the cavern below. Nothing computs until she sees his arm grasp the stone floor as he pulls himself up.

        Rezalia's legs go weak and Sokka doesn't complain as he takes the full brunt of her weight.

        "I can't believe I'm saying this, but ... thanks, Zuko," Aang says, smiling awkwardly at the older boy.

        Zuko's returning smile is even more awkward. Sokka whines, "Hey, what about me? I did the boomerang thing." Zuko ignores him.

        "Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday, I've been through a lot in the last few years, and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what's right. All I want to do now is play my part in ending this war, and I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world." Zuko turns to Toph and bows. "I'm sorry for what I did to you. It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild, so as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending, so I don't hurt people unintentionally."

        Rezalia - now standing on her own - finds her hand drifting to the roughened skin on her side, visible through her shirt.

        Aang considers Zuko for a moment. "I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher. When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara, and after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love. I'd like you to teach me."

        "Thank you." Relief was palpable in the air around the prince. "I'm so happy you've accepted me into your group."

        The avatar shakes his head. "Not so fast. I still have to ask my friends if it's okay with them. Toph, you're the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?"

        "Go ahead and let him join. It'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet," Toph jokes, pounding her fist into her palm. 

        Aang turns to Sokka next, who frowns a bit as he glances at Rezalia but responds, "Hey, all I want is to defeat the Fire Lord. If you think this is the way to do it, then, I'm all for it."

        "Katara?"

        Katara clearly wasn't a fan of the idea but she relents. All eyes turn to Rezalia. Gold meets purple once more and Rezalia speaks without looking away from Zuko. "My thoughts on the matter have been clear since I joined you guys."

        Zuko flinches a bit but Sokka sighs dramatically. "Guess you're in, hotman." The face Zuko makes is well worth the wait. 

        But Rezalia had a promise to keep so she doesn't walk to him the way she wants to so, so badly. Doesn't smile or speak or even look at him again. Haru is the only one who sees Zuko's heart fracture.

Chapter Text

        Aang, ever eager to learn firebending, hardly allows Zuko to settle in before demanding lessons. Lessons that he insists Rezalia attend because she "can absorb the fire if he messes up too badly". Rezalia thinks that this is a load of shit. She attends the lessons again.

        To his credit, Zuko did appear to be devoted to his task, even if his gaze did find Rezalia far more often than needed. "I know you're nervous, but remember, firebending in it of itself is not something to fear," Zuko says sternly and Rezalia can't help but think that mentorship suited him in a way.

        "Okay. Not something to fear," Aang parrots. Rezalia leans against the wall and watches them, fingers fiddling with the bracelets that had remained around her wrist since they'd been gifted to her.

        Zuko seemed to really be going for the teaching style of his private instructor, a bitchy old man who liked to think he was the scariest thing on the planet. "But if you don't respect it, it'll chew you up and spit you out like an angry komodo rhino!" Aang whimpered a bit and Rezalia graciously pretended not to hear it. "Now show me what you've got. Any amount of fire you can make."

        Aang performs one of the forst firebending moves taught to young benders and, technically, his form was perfect but when he extends his palm all the comes out is a puff of smoke. He deflates before turning to Zuko hopefully. "Maybe I need a little more instruction. Perhaps a demonstration?"

        Zuko nods. "Good idea. You might wanna take a couple steps back." Zuko, too, goes for a simple move, likely for Aang's sake. However, all that's produced is a small flame. Rezalia sits up, watching as the golden eyed boy gapes at him own hand even as Aang claps. "What was that? That was the worst firebending I've ever seen!"

        Rezalia disagreed. She said nothing.

        "I thought it was ... nice," Aang offers. Zuko doesn't answer, opting to try again. Multiple times. It all yields the same result. 

        Zuko barely represses a scream of frustration. "Why is this happening?"

        "Maybe it's the alititude." It wasn't.

        "Yeah, could be." Zuko knew it wasn't.

        They move to a place closer to the fountain and Aang perches himself on a crumbling pillar while Zuko tries again. Rezalia leans against one of the intact pillars, looking out at the fog that covered what lay below. Again and again, Rezalia hears Zuko try and fail to produce a decent amount of fire. "That one kind of felt hot," Aang pipes up. 

        "Don't patronize me! You know what it's supposed to look like!" Zuko snaps, pissed.

        "Sorry, Sifu Hotman," Aang replies, not sounding all that sorry.

        Zuko growls a bit. "And stop calling me that!"

        "Lia told me that was the correct term," Aang says confused. Rezalia snickers as she watches Sokka approach.

        He speaks before Zuko could say anything to Rezalia. "Hey, jerks! Mind if I watch you two jerks do your jerkbending?" he asks with a bright grin and Rezalia wonders if he was here to check on her and Aang or to watch Zuko exercise. 

        "Get out!" Zuko shrieks childishly. Sokka concedes and leaves, patting himself on the back as he goes.

        For the remainder of the day, Zuko tries and fails to produce anything more than a spark. Aang has Rezalia try and pouts when she easily ignites a fire in her palm, proving that it was definately a Zuko specific problem. The entire time, Rezalia sees Zuko pulling away from her. She can't tell if she's grateful or if she hates it. Probably both.

        Later that night, when everyone had gathered around the campfire Rezalia had started, Zuko brings it up to the rest of them. "Listen everybody, I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff."

        Toph instantly raises both hands above her head. "Don't look at me, I didn't touch your stuff."

        Zuko just blinks at her for a moment. "I'm talking about my firebending. It's gone." Katara's laughter cuts through the shocked silence.

        "I'm sorry. I'm just laughing at the irony. You know, how it would've been nice for us if you lost your firebending a long time ago," she remarks. Rezalia subtly pinches at her arm, earning an annoyed look.

        Zuko grits his teeth. "Well, it's not lost. It's just...weaker for some reason."

        As Katara and him continue their senseless bickering (commentary provided by Toph, of course), Rezalia stands and positions herself underneath on of the less stable archways. "Uh," Sokka's voice cute through Katara's needling. "What are you doing?"

        All eyes land on Rezalia but she locks eyes with Zuko and raises her palm to the rocks overhead. His eyes widen. "Zali, stop."

        "What? What is she doing? Lia?"

        Rezalia doesn't answer. Zuko knew what was happening. He was running before the flames even hit the archway. Just in time, Zuko's body collided with hers as he folded himself over her and held her tight. The warmth of his flame washed over her and Rezalia allowed herself to relax into his embrace, just this once. 

        Zuko's fire raged for a moment even after the rocks stopped falling and the panicked rising and falling of his chest was the only movement for a long while even after the fire had ceased. Then he pulls away and Rezalia slips on her well-practiced mask in the face of his anger. "Are you insane?!" Even as he screamed, gentle palms pushed her hair from her face so he could scan her for injury. 

        "No."

        "Oh, yeah?" Zuko scoffs. "Then explain what the hell that was. You could have died."

        "I wouldn't have."

        "You don't know that! What if my firebending hadn't come back? Huh? What then? Then you die and I have nothing Rezalia! I might as well throw myself off this goddamn cliff!"

        Rezalia flinches at his words. "Like hell you would! Don't say shit like that!"

        "It's true!" Zuko hadn't ever yelled at her before. Not like this. "I don't have a life without you!"

        The words hurt and soothe all at once and Rezalia takes a step back. It's silent for a moment, words hanging heavy in the air. "Your bending isn't gone." Her voice is quiet and hoarse. Sokka and Haru step forward. "It never was. It's just coming from a new place now."

        "What does that mean?" Aang asks cautiously.

        Rezalia takes the out for what it is. "Firebending is a highly emotional thing. It's violate and hard to control and responds to the things you feel. When they're young, firebenders are taught to bend with their anger. To use their rage and hatred to bend others to their will. That's why Azula is so strong. But Zuko let go of his anger. He moved on and is trying to right his wrongs but now he doesn't have that anger to draw power from. He just needs to find a new source."

        "I don't suppose him caring for you can be the new source?" Haru asks. Rezalia hates the way his eyes seem to look into her soul. She doesn't respond. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

        Rezalia doesn't want to hear what he has to say. "Yeah."

        They make their way out of everyone's hearing range and Haru crosses his arms as he looks down at her. "You're torturing him."

        "What?"

        "Zuko," Haru clarifies, as if Rezalia didn't know who 'him' was. "You're killing him. Everytime you avoid him or look away or ignore him his heart breaks a little. He's not good at hiding it. And, look, I don't know what happened with you guys. I don't know why you're so mad at him. But what he said out there? Fuck, Rezalia. I know you're hurting. But so is he. Just...think about that, yeah?"

        He doesn't wait for her answer and leaves her standing there staring blankly at where he was as he rejoins the others. 

        When Rezalia finally does come back to the fire, it was to the middle of a discussion of bending sources. "-the original benders were badgermoles. One day, when I was little, I ran away and hid in a cave. That's where I met them. They were blind, just like me. So we understood each other. I was able to learn earthbending, not just as a martial art, but as an extension of my senses. For them, the original earthbenders, it wasn't just about fighting. It was their way of interacting with the world."

        "That's amazing, Toph!" Aang gushes. "I learned from the monks, but the original airbenders were the sky bison. Maybe you can give me a lesson sometime, buddy." Appa grunts a bit, uninterested in the topic of conversation.

        Zuko frowns a bit. "Well, this doesn't help me. The original firebenders were the dragons, and they're extinct."

        "What do you mean? Roku had a dragon, and there were plenty of dragons when I was a kid," the avatar says, brow furrowing.

        Both Zuko and Rezalia tense up a bit. "Well, they aren't around anymore, okay?"

        Aang holds up his hands in surrender, apologising. Rezalia plays with the food inside the bowl she'd been given. "There's the Sun Warriors."

        "Sun Warriors?" Teo asks, leaning forward a bit in interest.

        "An ancient tribe of firebenders," Rezalia says.

        Zuko adds on, "They were the first to learn from the dragons."

        "They died off thousands of years ago, though."

        "So? Maybe we can learn something from digging around. Their civilisation isn't far from here."

        Sokka seemed tired of their two person show. "So, what? Maybe you'll pick up some super old Sun Warrior energy just by standing where they stood a thousand years ago?"

        "You're just jealous that you don't have cool dragon warriors as your ancestors," Rezalia notes wisely. Sokka snorts but doesn't say anything else.

        Zuko shrugs. "Either I find a new way to firebend, or the Avatar has to find a new teacher."

        Aang did not look thrilled at the prospect. "Guess we're going to those ruins then. Lia?"

        Rezalia doesn't miss the face Zuko makes at the nickname. The face he makes everytime it's said. "Try and stop me."

Chapter Text

        Zuko was feeling a lot of things but at the top of that list was awkward. Rezalia was here. Next to him. Mostly because Appa's saddle was only so big but still. She was here. And he could reach out and touch her if he wanted to. He did want to. He kept his hands to himself. Being this close to her was amazing and horrible all at the same time. He wanted more space between them. He wanted less.

        But Zuko knew he wasn't allowed to want things when it came to her anymore so he kept his mouth shut and looked away. Looked away from her and looked away from Aang, who was staring at him oddly. But maybe that's the way he always looks so Zuko doesn't mention it. "We've been riding for hours. I don't know why, but I thought this thing would be a lot faster," he says, trying to stop the awful itching feeling that had begun under his collar.

        Appa growls and Aang frowns at him as well. "Appa's right, Zuko. In our group, typically we start our missions with a more up-beat attitude."

        Rezalia snorts. "Since when? Two weeks ago Sokka threatened to throw Toph overboard if she made us stop to pee again." Zuko laughs and maybe he's imagining the way Rezalia's head twitches in his direction. Maybe she misses him too.

        "Hush," Aang scolds.

        The purple eyed girl nods seriously. "Yes, sir, Mr. Avatar, sir."

        Aang scowls at her. Luckily, the ruins come into view before Aang can throw her overboard. All of them stop and stare, awed. Before long they were strolling through the collapsed city. Zuko and Aang prattled on about architecture and the past, bonding in some weird capacity Rezalia would never understand. It was going pretty well until Aang nearly died.

        Only just barely managing to avoid both the arrows and the metal spikes, Aang turns to them in terror. "Zuko, I think the past is trying to kill me."

        Rezalia snorts, kneeling in unison with Zuko to look at the spikes. "I can't believe it. This booby trap must be centuries old and it still works," Zuko murmurs.

        "Not a whole lot of dust, though," the girl notes, swiping a finger along the side of one of the spikes and holding it up as proof. Zuko frowns a bit, humming low in his throat as he thinks.

        "There's probably a lot more. Maybe this means we shouldn't be here," Aang says nervously.

        Zuko grins a bit and runs along the wall to join him on the other side of the hole. "Where's that up-beat attitude you were talkin' about?"

        Rezalia flips over, ignoted flames under her hands and feet to keep her airborne. "Don't be a spoilsport, Aang, this is the fun part. Besides, boobytraps are only used when someone has something to hide."

        "Crazy," Aang moans. "You're both crazy. I hate you."

        "Ooh, don't let the monks hear you say that," Rezalia teases and Aang pushes her for her efforts. Her and Toph truly were an awful influence on the boy.

        Zuko slowly drags his thumb down the center of his chest and Rezalia nods once, falling back a bit as he sped up. When Aang attempted to follow Zuko, Rezalia was there to pull him back and whisper in his ear. "He hears something, stay with me."

        In the end, Zuko found nothing and waves them forward. They enter a large building that was mostly intact, surprising for something hundreds of thousands years old. "Look, this seems promising," Aang chirps as they gaze around at the statures of men and dragons. "Though I'm not sure what this tells us about the original source of firebending."

        "They look pretty angry to me," Zuko replies, examinging one of the statues. 

        Aang gazes at the dragon statues, breathing fire at the men. "I thought the dragons were friends with the Sun Warriors."

        "Well, they had a funny way of showing it," the prince mutters, taking a few steps before stopping short as Aang begins to speak.

        "Zuko, something happened to the dragons in the last hundred years. Something you're not telling me."

        Rezalia gives Zuko a once over, noting the tense set of his shoulders and the restlessness of his fingers tapping against his thigh. He was uncomfortable but too much. She didn't need to step in. "My great-grandfather Sozin happened," Zuko walks as he talks and the others follow him. "He started the tradition of hunting dragons for glory. There were the ultimate firebenders. And if you could conquer one, your firebending talents would become legendary and you'd earn the honorary title, Dragon. The last great dragon was conquered long before I was born, by my uncle."

        Aang gasps a bit. "But I thought your uncle was...I don't know, good?"

        "He is," Rezalia murmurs, staring at the statue of a dragon's head in front of them.

        "He had a complicated past. Family tradition, I guess. Let's just move on."

        They walk in silence for a moment before coming to a locked gate. Aang attempts to open the gate using his taff but it yields no results. Rezalia trails her fingers along the metal as Zuko steps back and looks around them. "Wait. It's a celestial calendar. Just like the Fire Sages have in their temples. I bet that sunstone opens the door, but only when sunlight hits at just the right angle. On the solstice."

        Rezalia turns to see what he was seeing as Aang groans. "Monkeyfeathers! The solstice again? We can't wait here that long."

        "Monkeyfeathers?" Rezalia echoes, a grin playing on her lips. "Just say fuck."

        "No."

        Zuko interupts before Rezalia could attmept to make the younger boy say an actual curse word. " No, we can't. But we might be able to speed time up. Let's see if we can outsmart the sunstone."

        Rezalia watches as Zuko unseathes one of his swords and kneels down next to where the sun hit the ground. As he redirects the beam of light up to the sunstone, she coos, "Well aren't you smart."

        Aang pretends not to notice the way Zuko ducks his head bashfully. The gates creak open and Aang comes face to face with a staute of a very angry man. "Looks like my father," Rezalia muses and Zuko snorts.

        "It says this is something called the Dancing Dragon," Aang says, looking down at a plaque on the series of statues in the center of the room. Rezalia steps back as Aang drats forward and grabs Zuko's hand, dragging him to the statues. "Zuko, get over here! I want you to dance with me!"

        Zuko pulls his hand back. "What?!"

        "It is your turn, the rest of us already spun around a time or two with clouddancer," Rezalia puts in helpfully. Zuko pouts at her but allows Aang to push him into position.

        Aang speaks as he walks to his own starting position. "Let's follow the steps of the statues." They move through the forms of the statues in synch, though Zuko's form was far more firm than Aang's. "Don't you see? These aren't dance moves. These statues are giving us a lesson. I think this is some kind of Sun Warrior firebending form."

        "This better teach us some really good firebending," Zuko grumbles.

        "Put some energy behind it!" Rezalia calls out from where she walked along with them along the outside of the room. "I want to see your inner fire!"

        Zuko mutters something under his breath and Rezalia just grins to herself. When they finish, for a moment nothing happens. Then, the ground rumbles as a small column raises from the ground, supporting a golden egg. "Hurray!" Aang cheers. "Wait, what exactly is that?"

        "It's some kind of mystical gemstone," Zuko responds.

        "It's an egg," Rezalia adds, gaining two unimpressed looks.

        Zuko reaches out, only to have his hand slapped away by Rezalia as Aang shouts, "Well, don't touch it!"

        "Why not?"

        "Because you should know not to touch shit by now, moron," Rezalia replies with a roll of her eyes.

        Aang nods in agreement. "Remember what happened out there with those spikes? I'm just very suspicious of giant glowing gems sitting on pedestals."

        But of course Zuko ignores them because when has he ever listened to anyone and picks up the egg. Rezalia is very farmiliar with the way Aang's eye twitches. "It feels almost alive," Zuko remarks before attempting to return the egg.

        Go figure, the ancient boobytrapped ruins didn't like that and released a sticky black-green slime. Both Zuko and Rezalia release an impressive stream of cuss words as the slime sends the three of them to the grate in the ceiling. "I can't move! Zuko, do something!"

        "Me?" Zuko splutters. "I can't move either!"

        Rezalia glares at the two of them to the best of her ability. "Why is it that whenever I'm with either of you I end up it the stupidest situation?!" Both of them wince. "I'm going to kill you both."

        "Do I get a last meal?" Aang jokes weakly.

        Rezalia scoffs. "You lost the right to that three stupid situations ago and Zuko lost that right eight years ago. You'll die hungry and you'll like it."

        "That's fair," Zuko replies.

        Hours pass and the sky darkens and the slime doesn't move. "You had to pick up the glowing egg, didn't you?" Aang mutters bitterly.

        Zuko lets out an offended noise. "At least I made something happen. If it were up to you, we'd never have made it past the courtyard." Aang opts to ignore him and call for help instead. "Who are you yelling to? Nobody's lived here for centuries."

        "Well, what do you think we should do?" Aang asks, irritation creeping into his tone.

        The older boy shrugs as best he can. "Think about our place in the universe?"

        "No," Rezalia refutes immeaditly.

        Luckily, they didn't have to do that, as someone found them. The Sun Warriors - evidently very alive - make quick work at removing them from the grate and getting the slime off of them. Rezalia wasn't fond of the feeling of aardvark sloths licking her but she opted to keep quiet. They were pissed enough as it was.

        "For trying to take our sunstone, you must be severely punished!" the chief announces.

        Zuko protests as he tries to subtly shake off the aardvark sloths. "We didn't come here to take your sunstone. We came here to find the ancient origin of all firebending."

        "Yeah, right. They are obviously thieves, [Cut to the chief and Ham Ghao from the side to show that he is holding the sunstone.] here to steal Sun Warrior treasures," the man who had found them - Ham Ghao - scoffs. Rezalia scowls at him.

        Aang shifts as he speaks, "Please, I don't normally play this card, but...I'm the Avatar. Just hear us out."

        Ham Ghaoopens his mouth to speak but the chief cuts him off. "You, girl, what is your name?"

        Rezalia meets his eyes, confusion painted across her features. "Uh...Rezalia. Why?"

        The chief does not answer and Zuko takes the attention off of his best friend. "My name is Zuko, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. O-or at least I used to be. I know my people have distorted the ways of firebending, to be fueled by anger and rage. But now I want to learn the true way, the original way. When we came here, I never imagined the Sun Warrior's civilization was secretly alive. I am truly humbled to be in your presence. Please, teach us."

        "If you wish to learn the ways of the Sun, you must learn them from the masters, Ran and Shaw," the chief says gruffly, eyeing the two in front of them.

        Zuko looks up with furrowed brows as Aang speaks, "Ran and Shaw? There are two of them?"

        The chief does not elaborate. "When you present yourself to them, they will examine you. They'll read your hearts, your souls, and your ancestry. If they deem you worthy, they'll teach you. If they don't, you'll be destroyed on the spot." Rezalia winces in sympathy. The chief leads the three of them to the bottom of a large staircase. "If you're going to see the masters, you must bring them a piece of the Eternal Flame. This fire is the very first one. It was given to man by the dragons. We have kept it going for thousands of years."

        "Damn," Rezalia mutters. 

        "You will each take a piece of it to the masters, to show your commitment to the sacred art of firebending."

        Aang rubs the back of his neck. "Umm, Mister Sun Chief Sir, yeah, I'm not a firebender yet. Couldn't my friend here carry my fire for me?" Rezalia's watches as Zuko's brain shuts down temporarily at the mention of being Aang's friend.

        "No. This ritual illustrates the essence of Sun Warrior philosophy. You must maintain a constant heat. The flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big, and you might lose control."

        Everyone watches as the chief splits the fire into two and hands them pieces to the boys. "What about the girl?" someone asks.

        "She does not need to learn from the dragons," the chief answers without hesitation. "She is the Child of the Dragon and as such has already mastered firebending. She is likely more proficient than even me."

        And now it was Rezalia's turn to shut down. What?

Chapter Text

        "She's the what?" Zuko asks, flame flickering harmless in his hands as he steps in front of Rezalia.

        The chief doesn't answer him, merely gesturing for him and Aang to make their way up the stairs. Neither of them move, Aang looking between the two nervously while Zuko merely stood in front of Rezalia stubbornly. She steps forward, hand raising before pulling back and lowering. "Zuko," she says softly, catching his attention immeaditly. "Go."

        "What?" he protests. "But-"

        "But nothing. I'll be fine and if I'm not you get to play knight in shining armour."

        "You could beat them youself."

        "I know," Rezalia grins.

        Zuko hesitates for a moment, only relenting when Rezalia physically pushed him toward the stairs. Both of them ignore Aang's stupid grin. The chief speaks once more when they reach the first step. "Fire is life, not just destruction. You will take your flames up there. The cave of the masters is beneath that rock."

        When nothing else is said, Zuko and Aang begin making their way up the stairs. "So," Rezalia speaks up only once her companions were out of hearing range. "Care to explain literally any of that?"

        The Sun Chief smiles. "I suppose I could. Sixteen years ago a women came to us. She was having issues with her pregnancy and bending. We didn't think that there would be anything we could do but we sent her to the masters anyway. She was with them for a long time and we assumed her dead but she eventually returned. When she came back, she was different. She was healthier and on her abdomen, where her womb was, there was a mark. The mark of the masters."

        "Before she left she told us what had happened. The masters had infused their ancient magic with her baby's life force. Because of them, the child would live. In return, the woman would give her own life and would never speak a word of this place or what had happened here. The woman knew that her child would be special and as such named her after an ancient goddess. The Lady Rezalia of the Hearth."

        The young firebender stares at the chief for a long moment. "...Right. And that's the reason for what? My flames? My eyes?"

        "Those are byproducts, yes. I suppose the most impactful effect is that on your bending."

        "There's nothing wrong with my bending."

        "No," the chief agrees. "But it is not the same as mine or the prince's. During the eclipse, did you attempt to use your bending?" Rezalia shakes her head. "if you had attempted, you would have undoubtedly succeded. Your bending is not drawn from the same place as others. Firebending is already different from other bending but even though it comes from within, the power is still drawn from the sun and heat. Your bending, however, is drawn from the magic within you. It is an unending and extremely powerful source of power. As such, you can do things other benders cannot."

        Rezalia hums, considering his words. On the surface level, he sounded absolutely insane. But when Rezalia stopped to consider his words, they made sense. In the history of firebending, nobody's fore had ever been anything but the natrual red-orange to begin with and nobody had ever been able to absorb flame the way she could.

        "I don't know what you want me to do with this information," Rezalia say everntually.

        The chief laughs. "You asked," he reminds her. "But you are not obligated to do anything."

        "But?" she prods.

        "But," he concedes. "That stone was not merely a stone."

        "It was an egg."

        "Yes."

        "And you want me to...what? Repopulate the dragons?"

        "Something like that."

        "Holy fuck this is insane. Yeah, okay. Fine. But, uh, after we kick Ozai's ass, yeah?"

        The Sun Chief barks out a laugh. "Very well. Works for me, my lady."

        A bright surge of multi-colored light distracts them before Rezalia could tell the chief not to call her that. Where Aang and Zuko supposedly stood, there was a tornado of flame that burned in all colors of the rainbow and outside it all were the masters. Dragons. When the lights receded and the dragons returned to their caves, Zuko and Aang wasted no time returning to Rezalia. 

        "Their fire was beautiful. I saw so many colors, colors I've never imagined," Zuko practically gushes. 

        Aang nods in agreement. "Like firebending harmony."

        "Yes. They judged you, and gave you visions of the meaning of firebending."

        Grumbling in dissapointment, Ham Ghao walks away along with the other Sun Warriors. "I can't believe there are still living dragons. My uncle Iroh said he faced the last dragon and killed it," Zuko remarks as he settles at Rezalia's side.

        "So your uncle lied," Aang says with a small shrug.

        The Sun Chief grins. "Actually, it wasn't a total lie. Iroh was the last outsider to face the masters. They deemed him worthy and passed the secret onto him as well."

        "He must have lied to protect them, so no one else would hunt them," Zuko says, something within him settling at the thought.

        Aang bounces on the balls of his feet in excitement. "All this time, I thought firebending was destruction. Since I hurt Katara, I've been too afraid and hesitant. But now I know what it really is ... it's energy, and life."

        Rezalia slugs him in the arm. "Atta boy."

        "Yeah. It's like the Sun, but inside of you. Do you guys realize this?" Zuko asks.

        The Sun Chief raises an eyebrow in amusement. "Well, our civilization is called the Sun Warriors...so yeah."

        Zuko's too distracted to be embarresed. "That's why my firebending was so weak before. Because for so many years, hunting you was my drive ... it was my purpose. So when I joined you, I lost sight of my inner fire. But now, I have a new drive. I have to help you defeat my father and restore balance to the world."

        With those words, the two of them release a blast of fire far more powerful than what they had done at the air temple. The Sun Chief's face takes on a serious quality. "Now that you have learned the secrets, and you know about our tribe's existence, we have no choice but to imprison you here forever." He pauses for a moment and Rezalia taps her thigh twice as Zuko and Aang's faces drop. "Just kidding. But seriously, don't tell anyone!"

        After assuring the chief that they would keep their mouths shut, the three of them make their way back to the Wesstern Air Temple to tell everyone all about it. Aang and Zuko demostrate the Dragon Dance for them with bright grins on their faces. "With this technique the dragons showed us, Zuko and I will be unstoppable!" Aang cheers. 

        "Yeah, that's a great dance you two learned there," Sokka calls out as everyone claps for them.

        Zuko glares at him. "It's not a dance. It's a firebending form."

        Sokka continues in his newest favorite hobby - riling up Zuko. "We'll just tap-dance our way to victory over the Fire Lord!"

        Zuko takes a step forward, raising his hand threateningly. "It's a sacred form that happens to be thousands of years old!"

        "Oh, yeah?" Katara asks. "What's your little form called?"

        At that, the prince folds in on himself a bit, averting his eyes. "The Dancing Dragon."

        As everyone laughs and Zuko's face slowly turns redder and redder, Rezalia yanks him down next to her and avoids the looks practically everyone was sending her. She really needed to get some less nosey friends. "Hey, Zali," Zuko speaks up suddenly. "The chief called you the 'Child of the Dragons'. What does that mean?"

        "Well," she starts, leaning back on her palms. "Essentially, in order to save my life my mom gave up hers and also infused me with super old dragon magic which is why I am the badass you see before you."

        Toph cackles at her explination while the other stare at her blankly. Zuko, however, nods as though any of that made sense. "That kinda makes sense, I guess. Does that make you a goddess?"

        "What? No. Why would it?"

        Zuko shrugs. "The Sun Warriors have always believed the dragons to be direct decendents to the gods and since you're the child of the dragons that would make you a goddess to some degree. Also you're named after the Goddes of the Hearth but that doesn't technically mean anything."

        Rezalia blinks at him. "...Well, shit." Zuko's lips press together as he represses his laughter. "Stop laughing at me, you dick!"

        His wheezing grows louder as Rezalia smacks him on the arm. "I'm s-sorry," he forces out between full body bouts of laughter, clearly not meaning it in the slightest. 

        Rezalia can't find it within her to be mad at him, even as Sokka makes various faces at her over Zuko's shoulder. Right. Grovelling.

Chapter Text

        Later, that evening, everyone had settled down around the fire, talking as Zuko made and passed out tea. "No one can make tea like Uncle, but hopefully I learned a thing or two. Would you like to hear Uncle's favorite tea joke?"

        Sokka looks at Rezalia incredulously but she just shrugs at him. "Sure," Katara agrees as she accepts her cup. Aang and Toph pipe up as well.

        "Okay. Well, I can't remember how it starts, but the punch line is 'Leaf me alone, I'm bushed!'" Nobody says anything because, truly, what was there to say to that. "Well, it's funnier when Uncle tells it."

        Rezalia snorts. "That might be because he actually knows the whole joke." Zuko scowls at her but she can tell it's all for show, his eyes lighting up as everyone around them laughs.

        "Maybe," he murmurs as he takes a seat across the circle from her.

        Toph clears her throat and reaches behind her. "Hey, Lia, you should sing us a song." It wasn't exactly a request as she held out Rezalia's guitar.

        "Uh...sure, I guess," Rezalia replies as she takes the instrumant. "Requests?"

        "That one you finished writing like, a week ago," Sokka says and Rezalia gives him an unimpressed look. 'Grovel,' he mouths and the firebender rolls her eyes but complies, strumming the first notes. As she did so, Toph used the nearby rubble as makeshift drums.

        "I used to think one day I'd tell the stroy of us, how we met and the sparks flew instantly, and people would say 'they're the lucky ones'. I used to know my place was the spot next to you, now I'm searching the room for an empty seat 'cause lately I don't even know what page you're on."

        Teo bobbed his head to the beat as Haru and the Duke drummed the beat with their fingers. Sokka was as subtle as an elephant mammoth in the way that he kept looking at Zuko but the prince was as oblivious as always and didn't even notice.

        "Oh, a simple complication, miscommunications lead to fall-out." Rezalia watched as Zuko cringed a bit as the meaning of the words sunk in. "So many things that I wish you knew, so many walls up I can't break through. Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room and we're not speaking and I'm dying to know- is it killing you like it's killing me, yeah? I don't know what to say since the twist of fate when it all broke down and the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now."

        Haru sits up more fully as he catches on, looking between Zuko and Rezalia with renewed interest. Aang seemed prepared for a fight to break out.

        "Next chapter. How'd we end up this way? You see me pulling at my clothes and trying to seem busy and you're doing your best to avoid me." Zuko flinches a bit. "I'm starting to think one day I'll tell the story of us- how I was losing my mind when I saw here but you held your pride like you should've held me. Oh, I'm scared to see the ending why are we pretending this is nothing? I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how." Zuko's eyes fly up to Rezalia's face from where he'd lowered them.

        "I've never heard silence quite this loud. Now I'm standing alone in crowded room and we're not speaking and I'm dying to know- is it killing you like it's killing me, yeah? I don't know what to say since the twist of fate when it all broke down and the sotry of us looks a lot like a tragedy now."

        Rezalia and Toph slow the music in unison, the blind girl having heard the song throughout the entirety of it's creation.

        "This is looking like a contest of who like they care less but I liked it better when you were on my side." Zuko blows out a stuttering breath, hand tightening around his cup. "The battle's in your hands now but I would lay my armor if you said you'd rather love than fight. So many things that you wish I knew but the story of us might be ending soon!"

        Sokka seemed extremely betrayed by the lyrics. Truly, it was his own fault for never listening to them when she was writing the song.

        "Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room and we're not speaking and I'm dying to know- is it killing you like it's killing me, yeah? But I don't know what to say since the twist of fate when it all broke down and the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now, now, now! And we're not speaking and I'm dying to know- is it killing you like it's killing me, yeah? I don't know what to say since the twist of fate 'cause we're going down and the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now. The end."

        Rezalia presses her palm to the strings, cutting the music off short as Toph does the same. Sokka pouts at her, "That song did not end the way I remember it ending."

        "That's probably because you were losing your shit over invasion preperations instead of listening."

        "Hey, those were very important preperations!"

        "Uh huh. And that's why you asked me how long Ozai usually takes in the bathroom?"

        "VITAL! INFORMATION!"

        "Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude."

        Rezalia sets her guitar aside and picks up her tea, gathering heat in the palms to warm it up again. Sokka grumbles to himself as he sags against the side of the fountain.

        It was obvious to everyone that the raven haired girl was avoiding Zuko's insistant gaze. He wasn't having any of it. "Zali." She looks to him before she could stop herself, though her eyes flickered away right after they'd made eyecontact. Zuko stands and makes his way around the circle to his best friend. "Can we talk?"

        Rezalia nods and allows Zuko to help her to her feet. "My room," she murmurs. Sokka waves his pinky through the air lazily. Call for help if needed.

        She apprieciated the thought but she knew it wouldn't be necessary. Rezalia sits on the window sill, eyes trained on the floor just in front of Zuko. But this was Zuko and Zuko knew Rezalia entirely too well and so he kneels down in front of her so that she had no choice but to look at him because once they locked eyes and he started speaking there would be no way for her to look away. "Hi," he breaths out.

        Rezalia laughs despite herself. "Hey."

        "I owe you an apology," Zuko starts. "I owe you eight thousand apologies, actually. I'm so fucking sorry, Zali. I...elements this sounds so stupid but I really never meant to hurt you. I just...I've always wanted my dad to be proud of me, you know? And when we were in that cave and I was given the choice all I could think was 'this is it. My last chance for him to love me' and it blinded me. The entire time that I was in the Fire Nation, I was thinking about you. Fuck, Zali, I think I literally went insane. I kept hearing your voice in my head, telling me that I was a moron. Telling me all the things you would've said if you were there. And she - you - were right. I'm a moron. I'm quite possibly the stupidest person to ever walk this planet. Because I walked away from you. Out of all the stupid things I've done, and there's a lot of them, that was the stupidest. You've always stood by me, Zali. Always. And at the very least I owe you the same."

        He's crying, Rezalia realizes dully as she stares at him. She might be crying too. She can't tell. Zuko continues, "If you tell me you never want to see me again, I'd understand. And I'd leave. Me and Aang could work something out. I just really fucking hope you don't say that. Because I miss you so damn much, Rezalia. You mean more to me than anything my stupid father could ever give me. I meant it when I said that if you died, I would too. I can't imagine a life without you, Zali. I don't want to."

        "Careful," Rezalia replies hoarsely. She'd definetly crying. "That almost sounded like a proposal."

        Zuko laughs wetly. "We'll get to that."

        With that, Rezalia drops from her perch and into Zuko's lap and buries her face in his neck. Zuko readily adjusts his stance for her weight and wraps himself around her securely. "I think I cried for months after," she chokes out. "It-it wasn't even what you'd done. Not really. Just that you were gone. That everytime something happened I would go to look at you or talk to you and you weren't there. I swear to every god that has ever existed, if you ever leave me like that again I'll hunt you down and-and cut off your hands or something."

        "I'll hold you to that," Zuko murmurs into her hair.

        They stay like that for a while. Until their joints are stiff and the tear tracks have dried on both their faces and their eyes are heavy with exaustion. When they pull away, things between have changed once more and Rezalia knows in her heart that it'll stay this way. She doesn't think she could survive it if they didn't.

        Zuko half helps - half carries Rezalia to her feet, determined to be as close to her as he possibly could be. When they return, both Sokka and Haru are watching them closely. "I sure as hell hope he grovelled," Sokka says, glaring a bit at Zuko. Rezalia laughs, leaning into the warmth behind her.

        "Yeah, he grovelled."

        Sokka brightens. "Great. I have a question for him then." With that, the water tribe boy stands and motions for Zuko to follow him. Rezalia shoos him away and settles in the circle between Toph and Haru. "So back to besties or what?" Toph asks.

        "Something like that." Rezalia wasn't sure what exactly they were. She didn't care right now. She had Zuko back and he wasn't going anywhere.

        Moments later, Zuko returns and plasters himself to Rezalia's side once more. As he slips an arm around her waist, he leans forward. "Your friend is...interesting."

        "And?" she prods.

        "Not subtle at all." With a laugh, Rezalia taps her finger once against Zuko's knee. True. He grins at the action, ignoring the looks practically everyone was giving them. Even Toph was wiggling her eyebrows at the area just above their heads.

Chapter Text

        Later that same night, Zuko shakes Rezalia awake and the two make their way to Appa. The air bison hardly reacts, remaining docile when Zuko scratches his head, and the two of them climb into the saddle and settle down again. Rezalia curls into Zuko's side and allows his warmth and the steady rise and fall of his chest to lull her back to sleep as he wraps his arms around her. 

        It doesn't take long for Sokka to make his way to Appa as well, attempting to steal away in the night. "Not up to anything, huh?" Zuko murmurs, the vibrations of his chest stirring Rezalia from her sleep. Sokka's eyes flicker between the two of them, eyes dropping down to Zuko's thumb tracing light circles on Rezalia's waist, and scowls.

        "Fine, you caught me. I'm gonna rescue my dad. You happy now?"

        Zuko blinks at him. "I'm never happy." Rezalia snorts, sitting up a bit but not removing Zuko's hold on her.

        "You're melodramatic, is what you are," she tells him. Zuko's lips quirk up.

        Muttering something about stupid firebenders, Sokka gathers his things from where he'd dropped them and stands. "Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea, it was my decision to stay when things were going wrong. It's my mistake, and it's my job to fix it. I have to regain my honor. You can't stop me, Zuko. Lia, you're not even awake so I don't think you could."

        "I could beat you with my arms tied behind my back," Rezalia replies, tone light as Zuko shifts away from her in order to stand and join Sokka on the ground.

        "You need to regain your honor? Believe me, I get it. I'm going with you."

        Rezalia knew she was included in his words and leaned forward to look Sokka in the eye. "Helping stupid boys regain their honor is kinda what I do."

        Zuko chuckles. Sokka was not so amused. "No. I have to do this alone."

        "Now where have I heard that before," the girl mutters, mostly to herself although Zuko heard her and shot her a look.

        The firebender turns to the other boy. "How are you going to get there? On Appa? Last time I checked, prisons don't have bison daycares. We'll take my war balloon."

        Sokka sighs and gestures for Zuko to lead the way. Extending a hand to Rezalia, he helps her down from the saddle and with a hand on the small of her back, guides her to where he'd left the war ballon. "You two are nauseating," Sokka grumbles. The pair only exchange confused looks in response.

        "Okay," Zuko says once they'd arrived, far enough from the others that he allows his voice to come out at a normal decible. "Zali, do you have the note?"

        Wordlessly, the girl presses the paper she'd written up last night into Zuko's hand and curls up on the floor of the balloon. Zuko rolls his eyes fondly and puts the note in front of a sleeping Momo, holding a finger to his lips when his big eyes open. Momo rolls over and goes back to sleep, much like Rezalia.

        Moments later, the three of them were in the sky. Neither of the boys seemed to know how to talk to one another. Rezalia, uninterested in their weird discussion about clouds, pulls a long sleeve shirt out of her satchel and pulls it on before falling asleep. It wasn't until the phrase "my first girlfriend turned into the moon" left Sokka's lips that she properly woke up, staring at him blankly.

        Zuko seemed unsure how to react as well. Shifting and avoiding eyecontact, he eventually settles on, "That's rough, buddy." Rezalia cackles, gaining a dirty look from Zuko before he falters. "Is...that my shirt?"

        She looks down at it. "Uh, yeah." She catches the red in his cheeks even as he turns away to hide it.

~*~

        It takes a while for them to arrive at Boiling Rock. Sokka had fallen asleep and Zuko was resting as well while Rezalia kept them airborne. "We're here!" she calls, rousing Sokka from his sleep. Zuko stands, looking out at the island in the center of the boiling lake. "Get your vigilante faces on, boys. This outta be a hall of a ride."

        As the words escape her mouth, the ballon begins to lose altitude quickly. With a yelp, Rezalia pours more fire into the tank. "We're going down!" Zuko shouts, quite unecessarily in Rezalia's opinion.

        "The air outside is just as hot as the air inside so we can't fly!" Sokka replies.

        Cursing, Rezalia forces her flame brighter, hotter and manages to shakily drop them on the shore of the island. They crash into the ground, the base of the balloon tipping them out while the jagged rocks rip a hole in the material. Flinging her hair from her face, Rezalia sits back and stares at the ruined war balloon. Zuko rubs his hands over his face. "How are we gonna get off the island if the balloon won't work?"

        Sokka shrugs, standing and wiping himself off. "We'll figure something out! I suspected it might be a one-way ticket."

        Both firebenders turn to gape at him. "You knew this was gonna happen?" Rezalia demands.

        "And you still wanted to come?" Zuko adds.

        "My dad might be here! I had to come and see!" the water tribe boy replies defensively.

        Zuko blows his bangs out of his face. "Uncle always said I never thought things through. But this ... this is just crazy!"

        "Hey, I never wanted you to come along in the first place!" Sokka scoffs as he shoves the balloon into the boiling water. "And for the record, I always think things through! But my plans haven't exactly worked, so this time, I'm playing it by ear. So there."

        "So what? You were just gonna run off and potentially be stuck here and not tell anyone?"

        Sokka just looks away. Rezalia presses her lips into a thin line and looks to Zuko. The taller boy nods at her slightly. "I hope you know what you're doing," he tells Sokka. "Because there's no going back now."

        The three manage to sneak into the building fairly easily. Because of the lake, there wasn't a whole lot of reason to keep super tight security so it was easy to get in. They practically walked through the front door. If the prison had a front door, that is. By the time they were in, the sun had begun to rise it. 

        Unfortunately, this brought on a whole new round of problems. The first of which being the guard who caught sight of Rezalia. The boys were luckily behind the corner, so they weren't in the guard's line of vision. "What are you doing here?!" the guard demands, raising his fists.

        Rezalia raises an eyebrow, slipping into what Sokka and Toph referred to as 'General Mode'. Her hands calmly slid behind her back, one hand grasping her opposite wrist to show that she wasn't intimidated in the slightest. "What does the warden not tell you anything? Makes sense, you're hardly important."

        "You're a fugitive."

        The girl laughs once, the sound cold as she channeled Azula. "Not anymore, unfortunately for you. Ozai brought me in to locate his wayward son, I'm only here to cover all my bases. Who knows what you people have let in here."

        "Am I supposed to believe that?"

        "I suppose you don't have to," Rezlia replies, tilting her head a bit. "We could always send a message to the Fire Lord. I'm sure he wouldn't mind taking time out of his very busy schedule to clear up a little misunderstanding. I have a pencil on me, do you happen to have paper?"

        The guard falters, eyes growing wide. "No! I mean, no. It's fine. I'll bring you to the warden."

        Rezalia offers a cold smile in return, crossing her fingers behind her. Go.

        The warden was a strange looking man. His age was difficult to place and his face was angular though not in the same way Zuko's was. His cheeks seemed to be almost sunken, as though he was eating the same thing the prisoners were. He starts when he sees Rezalia walking toward him, perfectly calm with her arms swinging lightly at her sides.

        "Guards!"

        Rezalia holds up a hand and everyone freezes instinctivly. "That won't be necessary. I'm here on behalf of the Fire Lord."

        "I wasn't informed of your arrival," the warden replies dubiously.

        "I fail to see how your incompatence is any of my concern. I'm here to find the prince, not listen to your shortcomings."

        The warden's eyebrows furrow. "Why would the Fire Lord send you to find the runaway brat."

        "It will do you well to remember to watch your mouth," Rezalia snarls. "He is still the prince. And he trusts me. I can get close to him. Would you like to ask anymore stupid questions or am I free to conduct my search?"

        "How long will you be here?"

        "I will take as much time as I need."

        The warden accepts this as an answer and gives the young soldier free reign of the prison, instructing the guard who brought her here to tell the others of her prescence.

Chapter Text

        Rezalia had no idea where the boys had gone. So she wandered aimlessly around the prison, acting as though she were looking for suspicious activity, and when a sea of guards swept her toward the courtyard, she went willingly. In the center, the couse of the crowd, was a large prisoner. He seemed more annoyed than anything else but the much shorter guard in front of his seemed angry. "I didn't do anything! I'm going back to my cell," the prisoner says, turning to walk away.

        Rezalia makes her way to the front of the crowd as the guard responds, "Stop right there, Chit Sang! I've had it with your unruly behavior!"

        Chit Sang exclaims, "What did I do?"

        "He wants to know what he did. Isn't that cute?" the guard asks two nearby guards who instantly tense up.

        "Uh, very cute, sir." And though he lowered his voice, Rezalia would recognize it anywhere. There was Zuko and next to him was surely Sokka.

        Sokka nods quickly. "Super cute."

        The guard nods approvingly and walks up to Chit Shang. "You didn't bow down when I walked by, Chit Sang!"

        "What? That's not a prison rule."

        The situation only escalated from there until Chit Sang was being seized by the guards. It was only when they stopped and looked at her that the first guard noticed Rezalia's prescence. "Lady Rezalia! I heard of your prescence. What would you have us do with the prisoner?"

        He was clearly looking to impress her. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "Need to be told how to do you job?" Rezalia replies icily. "You have a freezer do you not? It's standard protocal so follow it. Or would you like me to write down directions for you, as well?" The guard flushes and hurries away, snapping at a few of the prisoners who were snickering as he passes. Rezalia turns to the still gathered crowd. "Well? Shows over."

        Everyone scrambles away and Rezalia looses the boys once more in the chaos. She remains in the coutyard, pacing around the perimeter and keeping a distance from the girl eyeing her. Rezalia wasn't sure what she wanted but she did know that she couldn't afford to break her cover. 

        After a while, Sokka falls into step behind her and they make their way up to the second floor. "I think I might have an idea on how to get out of here," he mutters and Rezalia hums lightly in response, gazing into the courtyard with feigned disinterest. 

        "Hey there, fellow guard, how goes it?" Zuko asks from behind them. Rezalia snickers as Sokka raises his visor.

        "Zuko?"

        Both of them quickly hush them. "I accidently have literally everyone on the look for Zuko so please shut up," Rezalia hisses.

        "Gee thanks," Zuko grumbles. "Listen, I asked around the lounge. There are no Water Tribe prisoners. I'm afraid your father's not here."

        Sokka deflates. "What? Are you sure, did you double-check?"

        "Yeah," Zuko replies, voice soft. "I'm sure."

        The boy slams his fist into the wall and Rezalia and Zuko express their condolances. "Ah, what would Uncle say? Sometimes, clouds have two sides, a dark and light, and a silver lining in between. It's like a silver sandwich! So...when life seems hard...take a bite out of the silver sandwich!"

        Rezalia stares at the boy increadulously but Zuko seemed so proud of himself so she said nothing. Sokka suddenly runs up to the railing, grinning up at something. "Maybe we haven't failed after all!"

        "That's the spirit! I can't believe that worked. I didn't even know what I was saying."

        Sokka shakes his head. "No, what you said made no sense at all. But look! It's Suki!"

        Rezalia follows the line of his finger to the girl who was staring her down in the courtyard. "Oh, her. She was trying to stare a hole into my sould earlier."

        "You have one of those?" Zuko asks innocently.

        "Suck my dick." He only laughs in response. The bell rings and the prisoners return to their cells. Luckily, they were quick enough to follow Suki to her cell. "Z, you stay here and guard the door, I'm gonna take a lap. It'll look weird if I hang with you guys for too long."

        Both boys nod and Rezalia walks away as Sokka slips inside the cell. The guards stand at attention as she passes, a weird parralel to the way she was treated in the palace. Rezalia pays them no mind, occasionaly stopping to examine a cell or closet, pausing in the mess hall the longest.

        "Lady Rezalia!" Rezalia glowered at the title. "We've found the prince!"

        The girl instantly rounds on the guard. "You what? Bring me to him."

        They quickly make their way to the room on the top floor, dorectly across from the warden's office. The warden grins when she enters. "My lady," he greets. "Here he is. I trust the Fire Lord will hear of this?"

        "You are dismissed," Rezalia replies, eyes remaining on Zuko. The warden leaves the room and she crosses her arms. "What was the one thing you weren't supposed to do?"

        "Get caught," Zuko replies, shifting in his chair.

        "And I leave for five seconds and what happens?"

        "I got caught."

        Rezalia fiddles with the sleeves of Zuko's shirt that she still wore. "We'll just keep lying low, for now. The warden won't be able to do anything with you for a while so just go do prisoner things, I guess."

        "You have such a way with words," Zuko teases.

        "Oh, fuck off," Rezalia scoffs. Then, quickly, she rolls up onto her tip toes to kiss him on the cheek before leaving the room.

        She wanders for a while longer (truly this place was far bigger than it looked) until she and Sokka crossed paths once more and made their way down the stairs. Just to the side were Zuko and the girl who'd stared at Rezalia. Both were mopping and doing their best to lay low.

        "Oh, good, you guys have met," Sokka hums, leaning over the side of the railing to look at the others. Rezalia, who had an image to uphold within the prison walls, stood up straight and looked down on them. 

        Suki grunts. "Actually, we met a long time ago."

        Zuko pauses his mopping to look at her with confusion. "We did?"

        "Yeah, you kind of burned down my village," the girl replies with a hint of bitterness. 

        "Oh," Zuko mutters after a moment, awkwardly starting to mop again. "Sorry about that. Nice to see you again." Rezalia smothers a laugh and her and Sokka duck around the corner with the other two, hiding from view of the other guards.

        The raven haired girl keeps an eye out for incoming guards while Sokka explains his escape plan. Unfortunately, she's only one person and as s uch can only look in one direction at a time. "Yeah, how are you going to get the cooler out?" Chit Sang asks, jumping over the railing of the staircase and landing next to Rezalia, who takes a step away.

        "What the hell are you talking about?" she asks, using what she liked to refer as her 'rich brat tone'. She'd learned it from Mai, who used it to get out of the trouble Azula had gotten them into.

        Chit Sang didn't look at all impressed. "I heard you hatching an escape plan, and I want in."

        "There's nothing to get in on," Zuko insists, managing to come across as both confused and annoyed. His acting really had improved over the years. 

        Sokka nods in agreement. "Yeah, the only thing we're hatching is...an egg?"

        Zuko's chin drops to his chest while Suki and Rezalia share matching looks over dissapointment and resignition. Even Chit Sang takes a moment to process the utter stupidity that had just escaped Sokka's mouth. "Okay, well, I come with you or the warden hears about this egg, too."

        Suki frowns and looks to Sokka, eyes soft. Rezalia recognized the look as one she'd directed at Zuko many times before. "I guess we have no choice."

        "Okay, you're in," Sokka sighs, handing Zuko a wrench he'd gotten from who knows where. "Now first we need someone to unbolt the cooler, from the inside."

        Chit Sang grinned. "Oh, I can get you inside."

~*~

        Of course, because Zuko was Zuko, he had to be the one to enter the cooler. Rezalia didn't see why Chit sang didn't so it, if he wanted to be involved so damn bad. Rezalia was in the center of the courtyard when they started. Zuko backed into Chit Sang "on accident" who then whirled around. "Hey! What are you, stupid? Watch where you're going!"

        He shoves Zuko, who stumbles back a step before retaliating. "Hey, you watch who you're shoving!" Rezalia takes back what she said about his improved acting skills.

        "I think you mean whom I'm shoving!"

        Seriously, who wrote this script.

        Regardless of the lackluster trash talk, a crowd formed. Go figure the isolated prisoners were starved for entertainment. The guards all began shouting for backup, Sokka shouting the loudest. Rezalia merely stood and watched. She was supposedly here for a purpose, no reason to interfere.

        Once they'd drawn a big enough crowd, Zuko fires a column of flame at Chit Sang. The flame was small and he missed by a mile but the guards were on him anyway. Suki, who was still mopping makes eyecontact with Sokka as the crowd disperses and walks away to wait for the next step. Zuko looks to Rezalia as he's led out and, well aware of the eyes on her, she says nothing. Just brushes her hair behind her ear using her pinky and ring finger. Good luck.

Chapter Text

        It wasn't until nightfall that Sokka went to retrieve Zuko. Rezalia had been offered an amazing room - the warden's words not hers - with a view of the courtyard. When the boys passed through it, she could see the slight shivering of the other firebender. The cold truly was horrible for them.

        He turned and looked up to where he knew Rezalia would be standing and she nods, making her way to the exit. "Took you guys long enough. This here's my girl and my best buddy, they're coming too," Chit Sang announces. Rezalia feels her eye twitch.

        "Fine. Everybody in the cooler. Let's go," Sokka orders, retrieving his clothes from where he'd stashed them. Zuko grabs Sokka by the elbow and murmurs something to him, glancing back at the prison as he does. Rezalia moves away to let them talk. Chit Sang's friend leans in and leered at her. Zuko catches the action and scowls but his focus is recaptured by Suki walking over and joining the conversation, eyebrows furrowed. 

        Chit Sang turns. "Hey, leave the girl alone. She's spoken for."

        Rezalia didn't bother to correct him. Whatever kept the creepy dude away from her. Any other reasoning was her own buisness. Turning to check on the boys, Zuko appeared to be giving Sokka a very passionate speech. Chit Sang's girlfriend sighs and mutters something that causes him to cross his arms. "Hey, if you two are done cuddling, can we get a move on?"

        As annoying as Chit Sang was, Rezalia agreed. They were sitting ducks out here.

        "No. I'm staying. You guys go." Sokka turns to Suki. "You've been here long enough."

        Suki shakes her head. "I'm not leaving without you, Sokka."

        "We're staying too," Zuko says,  moving to stand at Rezalia's shoulder. She nods, reaching out to softly punch at Sokka's shoulder. The other jailbirds decide to take off, to nobody's surprise.

        Sokka sighs. "We gave up our only chance of escaping. I hope we haven't just made a huge mistake."

        "Well, doing the impossible is sorta our whole thing, right? If anyone can break out of this joint twice, it's us." Sokka snorts and reluctantly nods. They make their way back to the entrance to the prison, taking their time a bit as they walk. Zuko stays mostly quiet, as was usual for him, and lingers near Rezalia's shoulder. Suki walks on the other side of Sokka, putting space between her and the prince. Everyone pretended not to notice.

        Then the alarm goes off.

        "The plan failed! They're caught!" Sokka gasps, turning back to where lights had been focused on the escapees.

        Zuko and Rezalia exchange looks.

        It was easy enough to sneak back into the room, what with everyone and their mothers being so focused on Chit Sang. Maybe the man was good for something after all. Suki and Zuko gathered cleaning supplies while Rezalia sat on the railing to "survey" while they "cleaned" behind her. Sokka lingered nearby under the guise of making sure that the prisoners were behaving.

        When the gondala appeared, they all watched for the newcomers, keeping an eye out for Hakoda. True to the dramatic flair that ran through the while family, Hakoda was the last off of the gondola. Suki grabs Sokka by the arm. "Dad..." he murmurs.

        As was custom, the newcomers were lined up in front of the warden. Rezalia squeezes Zuko's arm in goodbye and joins them in the courtyard. The warden welcomes her with a wide smile. She ignores him and makes brief eyecontact with Hakoda who quickly controls his expression and twists his face into a sort of neutral but also displeased look. To the side, Rezalia sees Sokka join the line of guards.

        The warden begins to pace in front of the prisoners. "Welcome to the Boiling Rock. I'm sure you've all heard the horrible rumors about our little island. Well, I just want to tell you that they don't have to be true, as long as you do everything I say." Suddenly, he stops in front of Hakoda and scowls. "Look me in the eye when I'm talking to you."

        Hakoda sets his jaw and keeps his gaze fixed firmly just to the side. "No."

        The warden sneers and before anyone could blink, he'd pushed Hakoda down into a sort of bow via a foot to the handcuffs. "I know exactly who you are, Hakoda of the Water Tribe. So strong-willed. [Cut to the warden's face.] But don't worry, we'll get rid of that in time. Now look me in the eye!"

        With great reluctance, Hakoda looks up at the warden. Somehow, the warden didn't seem to mind the obvious glare on his face. The warden smiles nastily. "See, isn't that better?" He turns to the others in the line. "You will all do as I say or pay the price. You will all-" As he turns, the warden tangles his own foot in the handcuffs he'd been stepping on and falls flat on his face.

        Embarrased, the warden aggresivly shoves the guards who'd stepped forward away and demands that the prisoners be removed from his sight. Sokka trails at an acceptable distance as his father is lead to his cell. Rezalia lingers outside the cell to ward people away, keeping an eye out for Suki and Zuko whenever they were within her line of sight.

        When the two of them exit Hakoda's cell, the man brushes shoulders with Rezalia. She gently pushes back, keeping her eyes trained away. Sokka quickly fills her in on the plan and then goes to tell Zuko. Moments later, the warden comes rushing over in a fit of glee. "Come with me, my lady," he rushes out gleefully. "We have him."

        In true warden fashion, he was kind of lying. Zuko wasn't yet in the room when I entered. The warden rrushed back out before I could demand answers, returning a moment later with Mai. She stops cold upon seeing me, turning to make sure the door was shut before striding over to me. "Rezalia? Why are you...? How are you...?"

        "The official story is that Ozai sent me to hunt down Zuko."

        "And the unofficial?" Rezalia doesn't answer, glancing back at the door. Mai nods. "Right. Don't worry, I'm not here to turn him in. My uncle thinks he dumped me over letter."

        Rezalia snorts. "Who, Z?"

        "Yeah. I haven't told him that I dumped him."

        Rezalia continued to pretend to know that she knew that the two of them had even been together. Both of them raised their hands defensively when the door opened again. But it was only some guards dragging zuko between them. They toss him to the floor and he scrambles to his feet. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

        "I wouldn't say that," Rezalia murmurs. Zuko whips around to find two girls giving him dark looks. Mai gestures for the guards to leave.

        Zuko sits in the chair that'd been set up in the center of the room. "Mai? How did you know I was here?"

        "My uncle is the warden, moron," Mai scoffs. "More importantly, did you do what I told you to?"

        Zuko relaxes and nods, smiling a bit. "Yeah. Yeah, I did."

        Mai glances over to Rezalia, who had settled into the corner of the room and was looking off to the side. "Yeah?"

        "Well." Zuko follows Mai's gaze and frowns. "I thought so. Zali?"

        Rezalia turns to look at him. "Hm?"

        "Are you mad at me?"

        "No. Why would you think that?"

        "Zali, you just asked me why I would think that. You're obviously mad at me. What did I do?"

        "Nothing, Z. Don't worry about it."

        Zuko stands and moves to stand in front of Rezalia, eyebrows furrowed. "Rezalia, c'mon. Just talk to me."

        Sighing, she reaches out and takes Zuko's hand. "Later, Z."

        "She's right," Mai says. "We have to go. I can run distraction but even then, you guys would only have a small window to get out. How many of you are there?"

        Zuko turns around fully, keeping a firm hold on Rezalia's hand. "Five."

        "Six if you want to come," Rezalia offers.

        Mai shakes her head. "No. I have to go back home. I can do damage control there. Maybe try and sneak you guys some information."

        Suddenly the door is thrown open. Rezalia drops Zuko's hand. "My ladies!" A soldier calls out. "There's a riot going on! I'm here to protect you!"

        Mai and Rezalia exchange looks and Zuko scoffs. "They don't need it."

        "I'm sorry, but I'm under direct orders from your uncle to make sure nothing happens," the guard insists. Zuko nods along before sending a blast at the guard and rushing out the door. Rezalia's jaw drops and she rushes out after him.

        "Asshole!"

        They catch up to the others in the yard where, true to the guard's word a riot had broken out. "Lia! Zuko! Good, we're all here. Now all we need to do is grab the warden, and get to the gondolas!"

        "And how do we do that?" Zuko asks.

        Sokka kind of shrugs, wincing as the frustration mounted on Zuko's face.

        "I thought you thought this through!"

        "I thought you told me it's okay not to think everything through!" Sokka argues.

        Zuko rubs his hands over his face. "Maybe not everything, but this is kind of important!"

        Suki rolls her eyes and takes off. Chit Sang seemed to be the only person who noticed, the others far too engrossed in the argument. "Hey, uh, fellas. I think your girlfriend's taking care of it."

        Everyone turns to see Suki kick absolute ass and make it look easy. Rezalia lets out a whoop. In no time, Suki had the warden hogtied and ready to board the gondola. "We've got the warden! Now let's get out of here!"

        "I would marry you, Suki," Rezalia exclaims, pressing a quick kiss to Suki's cheek. The other girl laughs and reaches out to pass Zuko on the arm. Once everyone had caught up, they filed onto the gondola. Zuko takes a moment to break the handle and jumps on just in time. Turning back toward the platform they'd just left, Rezalia feels her face drop. "Holy shit, guys, it's Azula!"

        Zuko curses and grasps her by the waist, pulling her back. Rezalia places her hands over his and stumbles back to match his quick movement. They distangle, preparing for a fight as Ty Lee and Azula make their way up to the gondola. Suki crouches into a deeper stance, more reminicent of earthbending. Evidently, she had a bone to pick with Ty Lee and the two of them got to it as soon as the fire nation girl was within reach. Likewise, Zuko went after his sister immeaditly. The others stayed back, happy to get out of the way and only step in if necessary. 

        Azula's attacks were hot and heavy, lashing out against her enemies and allies alike. Sokka interferes, pushing Azula away with his sword. Suddenly, the gondola stops, the leftover momentum swinging them back and forth. It was only years of living on the seas that kept Rezalia standing. Sokka wasn't quite so lucky and went crashing to his knees. If it weren't for Zuko, he'd have slid right out of the gondola.

        "They're about to cut the line!" Ty Lee shouts from the top of the gondola. Azula takes this as her cue to leave and her and Ty Lee jump onto a gondola passing by the other way.

        In the panic that comes with being faced with the very real possibility that in the near future, they may all be swimming in the boiling rock, nobody bothered much with the fire nation girls. Rezalia prepared to grab as many people as she could and maybe fly out but then the gondola begins moving again.

        "Who's that?" Sokka asks, peering down at the dock where one person was kicking the shit out of everyone else.

        Zuko and Rezalia exchange grins. "That's Mai."

        And boy, was Azula mad. Unfortunately, Rezalia doesn't get to see the result of her anger before the gondola reaches its location and they unboard. They stumble over the edge of the volcano before pausing to take a breather. Zuko suddenly stands up, looking around.

        "What is it, Z?"

        "My sister was on that island," he replies distractedly. Rezalia's eyebrows shoot up and seh begins to look around as well.

        Sokka makes a face at them. "Yeah, and she's probably right behind us, so let's not stop!"

        Zuko shakes his head and makes his way up a nearby hill. "What I mean is she must have come here somehow. There!" He exclaims, pointing down toward the beach. "That's our way out of here."

        "Race ya," Rezalia chirps before taking off running. Zuko makes a noise of protest and takes off after her.

        By the time they make it back to the Air temple, it is once again nighttime. Katara was the forefront of their welcome party and she didn't seem thrilled. "What are you doing in this thing? What happened to the war balloon?" she asks, looking at the air ship. Zuko winces a bit, wrapping an arm around Rezalia. 

        "It kind of got destroyed," he offers.

        Aang looks between the pair of them, eyes darting to Zuko's arm and back up. "Sounds like a crazy fishing trip."

        "Did you at least get some good meat?" Toph asks.

        Sokka beams. "I did. The best meat of all. The meat of friendship and fatherhood."

        Toph didn't seem thrilled even as Hakoda, Suki, and Chit Sang file off of the ship. Chit Sang waves to everyone as Katara throws herself at her father. The rest of the politely look away as the water tribe family has their reunion.

        "Seriously? You guys didn't find any meat?" Toph cries out. Rezalia snickers and pulls away from Zuko. She tilts her head in the direction of her room and he nods, shooting her a soft smile.

Chapter Text

        Rezalia was not at all impressed with Katara's attitude. It was clear that she was pissed about a variety of things and taking it out on Zuko. Zuko, who noticed and, for the most part, ignored it. She made a snide comment, he bit his tongue. She needed help, he offered it and turned a blind eye to the way she rejected it. Everytime, Rezalia stood by to run her fingers through Zuko's hair and pick his spirits back up.

        Until the day that he ran into Rezalia's room, where she was staring up at the carvings on the cieling. "I figured it out!"

        She tilts her head to look at him. "The Katara thing?"

        "Yeah!" he exclaims as Rezalia sits up and moves to face him. "Katara is really upset about the death of her mother, right? And somehow she's transferred the blame to me so if I can help her get closure on that, then everything should be good!"

        Rezalia smiles. "It's defineatly worth a shot, Z. Need me to tag along?"

        "No. I think this is something I need to do by myself."

        She nods and stands. "Okay. Let me know if you need anything from me. Try not to kill anyone if you can help it." Zuko laughs and squeezes Rezalia's hand as he leaves.

        Sokka is the one to burst into the room a while later. "Can you believe them?" He doesn't wait for an answer. "Katara wants to go track down the man who killed our mother and Zuko is just gonna help her? Can you believe that? They're planning on killing that guy!"

        "Sokka-"

        "I mean, I'm not happy about Mom's death either but we can't just go around killing people! And Zuko! Zuko's never killed anyone before so why the hell does he think this is a good idea?"

        "Sokka-"

        "Not to mention that this is going to draw so much attention to us! We are so close to finally ending this and they want to go make the biggest scene anyone has ever made! This has seriously got to be the stupidest thing that either of them have ever done and from what you've told me, that's a really big milestone for Zuko! I thought Zuko was done with the whole revenge thing. Doesn't this totally screw up his whole redemption arc? I mean-"

        "SOKKA!" Rezalia shouts, reaching out to shake the boys shoulders. "Relax! Zuko is not going to let your sister kill anyone, okay? He's gonna give her the option and she's absolutely going to chicken out. Katara is not a killer."

        His shoulders sag. "How do you know she won't let her anger control her?"

        "Because Zuko wouldn't let that happen. Just...trust me. I know Zuko better than anyone else and you know me, right?" Sokka nods. "So relax. And trust Zuko."

        Sokka nods again and wraps his arms around Rezalia's shoulders. "Thanks, Lia. They're defineatly planning on sneaking out, aren't they."

        "Absolutely."

        Sokka sighs and begins to sway the two of them back and forth. "I really want to trust him. I do. I just..."

        "I know. Believe me, I know. And Z understands that. He knows that trust doesn't just materialize, all he wants is a chance. I really apprieciate that you guys are giving him a chance."

        "He means a lot to you, Lia."

        Rezalia laughs as they rock back and forth more and more violently.

~*~

        Zuko comes to find Rezalia many hours later. She holds out her hand for him to take. "All good?"

        "Yeah," he murmurs, pressing his face to her hair. After a moment he speaks again. "Zali, we gotta talk."

        Rezalia pulls away and looks up at him, confused. He smiles sofltly and tucks a lock of hair behind her ear before gently pulling her to a secluded area outside. "What's going on, Z?"

        "You never told me why you were upset back at the prison."

        "Oh." She frowns. "Seriously, Zuko, it's nothing."

        "If it was nothing, you would've told me by now."

        Rezalia sighs. "It's really not a big deal, Z. I just...you never told me that you and Mai were together."

        Zuko blinks for a moment, mouth forming an 'o'. Then, he shifts so that he was facing Rezalia more. "Zali, Mai dumped me."

        "Yeah, she mentioned."

        "No, Zali, listen for a second? Please? Mai dumped me for the same reason that the earht kingdom girl said she wanted to just be freinds."

        "And that reason is?"

        Zuko laughs a bit as he talks. "Because I am chronically incapable of shutting up about you! I told you that I was hearing your voice in my head. Mai basically told me that she couldn't be with me because I was always thinking about you and the earth kingdom girl kept a running tally of everytime I mentioned you. It was a lot."

        "Oh." Rezalia ducks her head. Zuko takes her hand and runs his finger over her knuckles.

        "Rezalia." She looks up at him, cheeks tinted pink. "Can I kiss you?"

        She doesn't answer verbally, instead opting to practically tackle Zuko off the bench. Zuko cradles Rezalia's head as she tilts it to better slot their lips together. He doesn't seem to mind the rocks and dirt under him, focused soley on moving his lips against hers.

        Rezalia doesn't know how long they laid there in the dirt but it was Suki that found them. She instantly lets out a loud wolf whistle. Rezalia rolls over and off of Zuko, laying back and laughing to the sky. Zuko grins and covers his eyes with his hands. "What's going on over here?" Aang asks curiously.

        "Rezalia and Zuko finally got their shit together," Suki replies, wiggling her eyebrows at the two.

        Sokka hums. "Out in the open? Ballsey."

        Rezalia kicks at him. "Ew, you freak. We didn't fuck."

        Zuko blushes at the insinuation, rolling over to hide in his girlfriend's hair. His girlfriend.

~*~

        Being at the beach house again was certainly an experience for Rezalia. She'd loved this place as a kid. It was far smaller and warmer than the palace back in the Fire Nation. Although it was now oddly devoid of any family portraits, it was still mostly the same. Zuko wasted no time jumping back into Aang's lessons, this time held in the courtyard and usually with spectators. Rezalia would be the first to admit that she loved watching Zuko bend. 

        Eventually, they all decide to take a bit of a break even though only two people had really been working in the first place.

        "Doesn't it seem kind of weird that we're hiding from the Fire Lord in his own house?" Katara muses from where she and Toph laid on the ground.

        Zuko wipes his head with a cloth as Rezalia comes to sit next to him on the fountain. "I told you, my father hasn't come here since our family was actually happy. And that was a long time ago. It's the last place anyone would think to look for us."

        Katara watches as Zuko finishes toweling himself off and wraps his arm around Rezalia's waist. "You two seem comfy."

        Rezalia just offers a smile and leans into Zuko's hold. He grins, pressing a kiss to Rezalia's temple. "I'm going to go shower, Zali. See you in a bit?"

        "Sounds good," she replies, a smile playing on her lips as she watches him go.

        Toph makes exaggerated gagging sounds causing Rezalia to roll her eyes as Katara giggles.

Chapter Text

        Suki bounces on her toes a bit, golden fire nation jewelry jangling. "We were just in town and we found this poster!" She holds it up for the others to see. On it was what Rezalia refers to as the original team, Katara, Sokka and Aang, while in the background Zuko's face looms.

        "What? How is that possible?" Katara asks, squinting at the paper.

        Sokka grins, clearly very excited. "Listen to this, 'The Boy in the Iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu-on Tim, who scoured the globe gathering information on the Avatar, from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage'."

        Zuko frowns a bit and looks to Rezalia, who shrugs. She didn't know anything about a cabbage merchant. 

        "'Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players'," Suki reads, tilting the poster back toward herself.

        Instantly, Rezalia wrinkles her nose and wraps her arms around Zuko's waist at the same time. Zuko brushes her hair off of her shoulder and wraps his arm around her lower back. "Ugh! My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered Love Amongst the Dragons every year!" he complains. 

        "Are you two going to be gross for forever?" Sokka asks, eyeing the couple with faux distaste.

        Suki elbows him. "Hush, they're cute."

        Katara took a moment to roll her eyes at her brother before getting back on track. "Sokka, do you really think it's a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?"

        "Come on, a day at the theater? This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I've been missing!" Sokka cheers.

        "The play has been running for a few days now, we can just tell people that we're in costume," Rezalia reasons. "And if that doesn't work, we can just beat everyone up and run." Katara fixes her with a look. "Joking!"

        Zuko chuckles, squeezing his girlfriend closer as he does. She lays her head on his shoulder as everyone makes plans to go to the play. He presses a kiss to her head, just because he could.

        As the sun began to sink, the group donned cloaks and headed out to the theater. Rezalia remains glued to Zuko's side, hand securely tucked in his. Zuko kept his hood up, reaching up every now and again to make sure it hadn't slipped. Luckily, Rezalia still had her card and was more than happy to use it to pay for tickets. 

        Their seats were easy enough to find, they had a box all to themselves. Semi-jokingly, Katara banished all of the couples to the back row. Suki and Rezalia sat on the inside, their respective boyfriends on the outside. Zuko grins as Rezalia leans on his shoulder, pressing her cheek to the arm connected to the hand she was holding. Beside them, Suki settles under Sokka's arm and offers Rezalia a handful of snacks she's swiped from the counter when they'd walked past. She giggles and accepts.

        "It's starting," Zuko murmurs, more to himself than anything else.

        The curtains rise, revealing "Katara" and "Sokka" on a small boat in icy waters. "Sokka, my only brother! We constantly roam these icy South Pole seas, and yet never do we find anything fulfilling!"

        "All I want is a full feeling in my stomach! I'm starving!" "Sokka" proclaims, holding his arms out as he delivered the punchline.The original models turn to one another, moderately disgusted. 

        "Is food the only thing on your mind?"

        "Well, I'm trying to get it out of my mind and into my mouth! I'm starving!"

        Rezalia sighs. "Oh my god."

        Zuko nods, squeezing her hand. "Every time."

        Sokka leans forward, arm sliding so that just his hand rested on Suki's back. "This is pathetic! My jokes are way funnier than this!"

        "I think they've got you pegged," Toph disagrees with delight.

        "Every day, the world awaits a beacon to guide us, yet none appears! Still, we cannot give up hope! For hope, is all we have! And we must never relinquish it, even...even to our dying breath!" "Katara" proclaims dramatically before draping herself over the side of the boat and crying. Katara's jaw drops.

        She crosses her arms. "Well, that's just silly. I don't sound like that."

        A bright light shines and a large cardboard iceberg shows up on stage. The light glows from within the iceberg and the shadow of a figure shows through. "Katara" and "Sokka" stand up in their canoe.

        "It appears to be someone frozen in ice, perhaps for a hundred years," "Katara" says, turning toward the audience.

        "Sokka" turns as well. "But who? Who is the boy in the iceberg?"

        Rezalia leans forward, tapping Aang on the shoulder. "Did you actually hatch from an iceberg?" Aang makes a 'so-so' motion with his hand. Zuko raises his arm for her to nestle under, rubbing his thumb idly over her hip while his free hand grasps hers.

        "Sokka" climbs up onto the model iceberg and "Katara" swipes her hand through the air. "Waterbend! Hi-yah!"

        The shadow dissapears and a burst of steam spills out from the new fissure in the iceberg. Then, out pops a girl clearly meant to portray Aang. She wore a baldcap complete with a depiction of the arrow tattoo and entirely too much blush. It sort of remined Rezalia of when Ty Lee first got interested in makeup.

        "Who are you, frozen boy?" "Katara" asks.

        "Aang" laughs, voice pitched up. "I'm the Avatar, silly, here to spread joy and fun!"

        Aang gapes. "Wait, is that a woman playing me?"

        It doesn't take long for the scene to switch to things that Rezalia remembered. "Iroh" sits on the deck of their old ship, holding a plate of cake. "Prince Zuko, you must try this cake!"

        "Zuko" scowls - Rezalia notices that his scar is on the wrong side - and lowers his telescope. "I don't have time to stuff my face! I must capture the Avatar to regain my honor!"

        The real Zuko drops his head back onto the back of the seat. "Is it too late to leave?"

        "Afraid so," Rezalia hums, grinning.

        On stage, "Iroh" make a pun about cake and "Rezalia" does some cartwheels in the background. Well, Rezalia couldn't really complain about that as that was what she'd spent most of her time doing on the ship. Wasn't much else to do.

        "You sicken me!" "Zuko" snaps and Rezalia can feel her Zuko's arms tense up around her. She frowns.

        He murmurs, "They make me look totally stiff and humorless."

        Katara shrugs. "Actually, I think that actor's pretty spot on." Rezalia kicks the back of her seat.

        "How could you say that?" Zuko protests and then, moments later, the actor on stage utters the same phrase in the same cadence and Zuko deflates. Rezalia pats his arm.

        Overall, Rezalia didn't have much issue with her portrayl. The actress looked similar enough to her and, though some of the lines made her cringe they weren't overall terrible. The others weren't quite so lucky. Suki made out well enough by only playing a minor role as well as the fact that Sokka's actor was there to distract from her. "Katara" continued to cry about hope and other ridiculous things, "Sokka" made ridiculous jokes and, much to Aang's dismay, he continued to be played by a girl.

        Rezalia was, however, worried about Zuko. This play was taking the parts of Zuko that he hated about himself, blowing them up, and shoving them in his face. With every harsh word spat toward "Iroh" or "Rezalia", Zuko srunk in on himself more and more. He perked up occasionally, such as when he had the oppurtunity to laugh at Katara about her flirtations with Jet or when he finally learned what the hell Sokka had been talking about when he said that his girlfriend had turned into the moon, but other than that he remained quiet. Rezalia held his hand and made the occasional comment about how Zuko would never say that but it didn't seem to make a big difference. 

        When intermission is called, they group makes their way to the balcony. Toph, Zuko, Suki, and Sokka sit on the steps while the other stand around them. "So far, this intermission is the best part of the play," Zuko mutters, hiding his face in his hood.

        Rezalia hums in agreement. Sokka throws his hands into the air. "Apparently, the playwright thinks I'm an idiot who tells bad jokes about meat all the time!"

        And thus starts the bickering over who had the worst portrayl. Rezalia laughs a bit at Toph's additions to the conversation. Katara suddenly turns to Rezalia. "Honestly, I think Lia had the best character."

        "Really?" she asks, eyebrows raised. "I thought Suki's was ok."

        Suki waves her hand through the air. "I don't count, I had like three lines. Your actress is pretty, she fights pretty well, and some of her lines sound like things you'd actually say. By far the best."

        Rezalia laughs as Zuko murmurs, "Zali is prettier."

        After a moment more, they make their way back into the theater to watch the second part of the play from hell.

Chapter Text

        The first scene of the second act opens in the earth kingdom, where Toph is finally intorduced as a six and half foot tall body builder that used echolocation to see by screaming exremely loudly. Against the expectations of the others, Toph was thrilled. Absolutely over the moon. 

        The play goes through their greatest hits and, although it was overdramatic and awful to listen to, the play was oddly accurate to the events that unfolded in real life. Rezalia watched the events of the cave again, jaw tight and grip on Zuko's had even tighter. She had decided that she hated this play.

        Though she did get a good laugh out of "Katara" and "Zuko" flirting. Mostly because of how uncomfortable the two of them were. Aang left after that part and didn't come back.

        The play took another break where the majority of the world thought the story ended not more than a month ago. With Azula shooting Aang down in the crystle cave and Rezalia changing sides. Zuko was the first out of the theater. "Should someone go talk to him?" Suki wonders.

        "And Aang. He left to get me fire gummies, like, ten minutes ago and I'm still waiting!" Sokka exclaims, crossing his arms.

        Katara stands. "I can talk to Aang. Rezalia?"

        "No," she replies. "Zuko knows how I see him but that's not going to help him right now. He needs to hear it from someone else."

        Toph gets up and stretches her arms above her head. "I can take a crack at it."

        Which leaves Rezalia to go get food while Suki sneaks Sokka backstage. Eventually, she figures it's safe to join Toph and Zuko, who appeared to be pouting. "Aw, whatsa matter, Z? Fire flakes?"

        He takes some, still pouting. Toph laughs, "Some kid told him that his scar is on the wrong side."

        Rezalia bites back a laugh and pats Zuko on the knee. "Alright, well, c'mon. We were supposed to be back a while ago."

        Sokka catches them up to speed just in time for them to watch "Katara" and "Aang" profess their sibling love for one another. Suki frowns and leans over to Sokka, who was now sat next to Rezalia. "I thought you said that you saw them kiss?"

        "They what?" Rezalia hisses as Zuko leans across her to listen in. Sokka gestures for them to shut up.

        "Shut up, I'll tell you later," he promises. Rezalia and Zuko exchange looks and refocus.

        Not long after, the play catches up to the present and then continues into the predicted future. "Azula" kills "Zuko" and "Ozai" kills "Aang". The rest of them are implied to have died offstage, which was fun.

        When the lights come back up, everyone sits there in silence for a while. Zuko is the one to break the silence. "Well...that play sucked." The others agree and begin to leave. As they exit the theater, Rezalia slips her hand into Zuko's.

        "How are you feeling?" she asks.

        He lifts their joined hands to kiss the back of her hand. "I'm good. Thank you."

~*~

        The next day, Zuko decides to ramp up the training. In the meantime, everyone else drinks wateremelon juice and tans. Zuko lasts about a week before he gets tired of it and, if you asked Rezalia, it was Sokka's beach party that pushed him over the edge. Zuko had walked off to do who knows what, leaving the rest of them to build sculptures out of sand, or surfing, or laying on the sand so that the waves just barely washed over them.

        Rezalia turns onto her stomach to watch the other unveil their sand sculptures. Sokka is the next to go, reveailing a clump of sand with various shells and strips of seaweed pressed into it. "Is that a blubbering blob monster?" Aang asks genuinely. 

        "No, it's Suki!" Sokka exclaims, crossing his arms.

        Rezalia giggles, idly swiping her legs through the sand. Toph snickers. "Suki, we'll all understand if you break up with him over this."

        "I think it's sweet," Suki replies from her beach towel. Rezalia smiles as Sokka kisses Suki on the cheek. The nice moment doesn't last long before Zuko rushes in throwing fire balls. They were wildly off the mark so Rezalia wasn't too worried but she still sat up, eyebrwos furrowed and sand stuck to her entire body. She would never fully be rid of the sand.

        Aang runs off as Katara comes back to shore. "What happened?"

        "Zuko's gone crazy! I made a sand sculpture of Suki and he destroyed it!" Sokka cries as he rebuilds the sculpture. "Oh, and he's attacking Aang."

        Rezalia snickers a bit as she gets to her feet. Katara attempts to help wipe the sand off of her but she just waves her off. "Don't bother. Let's go chase down my boyfriend, yeah?"

        When they all catch up, Zuko had just finished climbing onto the roof in pursuit of Aang. "Get a grip before I blast you off this roof!" Aang snaps.

        Zuko extends his arms. "Go ahead and do it!"

        "Z, what in the name of the spirits are you doing?" Rezalia shouts out. He turns his head a bit at the sound of her voice but doesn't answer, instead refocusing on Aang. He fires a shot, again missing wildly. Aang dodges and escapes into the house. Zuko, true to fashion, breaks through the roof to find him again.

        Moments later, Zuko comes flying out the house and the others gather around as he scrambles to his feet. "What's wrong with you? You could have hurt Aang!" Katara exclaims, all the while she actively scans Zuko for injuries.

        "Z, what's going on?"

        Zuko frowns at them. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with all of you? How can you sit around having beach parties when Sozin's Comet is only three days away? Why are you all looking at me like I'm crazy?"

        Rezalia exchanges looks with Sokka. Aang slowly approaches the other boy. "About Sozin's Comet...I was actually gonna wait to fight the Fire Lord until after it came."

        Zuko's jaw drops. "After?"

        "I'm not ready. I need more time to master firebending," Aang reasons. 

        "And frankly, your earthbending could still use some work too," Toph adds. Aang grimaces.

        Zuko looks around at them all. "So, you all knew Aang was going to wait?"

        "I thought you knew," Rezalia says, stepping forward and laying her hand on his arm. He looks at her, eyebrows knit.

        Sokka reaches up to scratch at his chin. "Honestly, if Aang tries to fight the Fire Lord now, he's going to lose. No offense."

        "The whole point of fighting the Fire Lord before the Comet was to stop the Fire Nation from winning the War, but they pretty much won the War when they took Ba Sing Se. Things can't get any worse," Katara tries to explain.

        Zuko shakes his head, running his hands through his hair. "You're wrong. It's about to get worse than you can even imagine. The day before the eclipse, my father asked me to attend an important war meeting. It was what I dreamed about for so many years. My father had finally accepted me back."

        Zuko goes on to explain the meeting and the awful plan that Ozai wanted to be carried out. How they'd asked him about his expierences in the earth kingdom, how they'd taken his words and twisted them, how Azula and Ozai had fed into one another's psycho thoughts.

        "I wanted to speak out against this horrifying plan, but I'm ashamed to say I didn't. My whole life, I struggled to gain my father's love and acceptance, but once I had it, I realized I'd lost myself getting there. I'd forgotten who I was."

        Katara takes a step back, hand pressed over her mouth. "I can't believe this."

        "I always knew the Fire Lord was a bad guy, but his plan is just pure evil," Sokka adds, hands curling into fists. It doesn't take Aang long to dissolve into a state of panic. Pacing back and forth, he begins to chew on his nails.

        "What am I gonna do?"

        Zuko walks over to Aang. "I know you're scared, and I know you're not ready to save the world, but if you don't defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes, there won't be a world to save anymore."

        Rezalia winces a bit at his blunt words. Aang begins to walk away. "Why didn't you tell me about your dad's crazy plan sooner?"

        "I didn't think I had to. I assumed you were still going to fight him before the comet. No one told me you decided to wait," Zuko calls at his retreating form. Aang stops, turns in a very frustrated circle, and sinks down to his knees.

        "This is bad. This is really, really bad."

        Katara kneels down next to him and places a hand on his back. "Aang, you don't have to do this alone."

        "Yeah, if we all fight the Fire Lord together, we got a shot at taking him down," Toph agrees. Sokka cheers, proceeding to them name each of the elements as well and fan and sword, presumably in reference to each of them. Zuko shifts to stand next to his girlfriend, watching as Aang continued to stress out.

        After a moment, the avatar took a depp breath and smiled wearily at his friends. "Fighting the Fire Lord is going to be the hardest thing we've ever done together, but I wouldn't want to do it any other way."

        The others laugh and pile onto Aang. Zuko stands aside, smiling softly as Rezalia is dragged in. "Get over here, Zuko. Being part of the group also means being part of group hugs," Katara reminds him as Sokka and Rezalia reach out to yank him in as well.

Chapter Text

        Rezalia swung her legs from where she was perched the roof overturning the courtyard where Aang and Zuko were holding their lessons. This specific lesson appeared to be about redirecting lightning if the demonstrated moves were anything to go by. Rezalia couldn't really hear but she'd seen Zuko go through the moves countless times. They pause for a moment, talking. Aang's eyes shoot up to Rezalia as they speak and Zuko nods. Katara walks over, gesturing up toward Rezalia and then to herself.

        "Gossiping right in front of me?" Rezalia calls down, grinning. "Seems a bit uncouth, don't you think?"

        Zuko laughs and waves her down. "C'mere!"

        She tips forward, allowing herself to fall toward the ground. At the last second, she sends out a burst of fire from her feet to slow her fall slightly. Standing fully, she makes her way to Zuko's side. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he speaks, "We were talking about using bending techniques from other nations in firebending which reminded me that I wanted to ask you something."

        "Anything."

        Zuko tightens his arm around her lovingly. "I wanted to know if you would mind joining me in teaching a lesson. You know more about incorporating foreign bending techniques better than anyone I've ever known."

        "Z..." Rezalia hesitates.

        "I know," he assures. "But you can demonstrate the techniques, yeah? Obviously, you don't have to if you don't feel comfortable."

        She shakes her head. "It's okay. As long as it's not traditional training, I can help."

        Katara frowns. "Wait. Is what you've been doing not traditional training?"

        "Not at all," Zuko denies, frowning. "Traditional training is awful. You make a mistake, you are punished with fire. It's a system designed to breed hatred and fear and pain to fuel anger used to bend. It's an awful system that I refuse to participate in."

        Rezalia squeezes his hip. "It's only thanks to Iroh that either of us received training that didn't give us endless amounts of trauma."

        "We got our trauma elsewhere," Zuko quips. Rezalia laughs. Aang and Katara looked like they weren't sure if they were allowed to.

        Katara speaks up after a moment. "Lia, I know that you don't like to bend but I have to ask: will you bend during the fight?"

        "I don't dislike bending. I just..."Rezalia trails off. "It's complicated. I told you about my father and how I was supposed to be a war general, right? Because of my training, my traditional training from before Iroh took over, I don't have good memories with fighting with my fire. I can do it, I just prefer not to use it on people. But for this....I'll think about it."

        Aang smiles. "Don't push yourself, Lia."

        "You're no use in a fight if you question every move," Zuko adds. "If using your bending is going to hold you back, just kick ass the way you always do."

        Rezalia laughs, listing up onto her toes to kiss his cheek. "Aye aye, captain."

        He rolls his eyes. "We're going to be late to Sokka's drill thing if we don't get ready now."

        "What? My skirt doesn't seem war training appropriate?" Rezalia teases, gesturing at her outfit consisting of a thin black skirt with a tied cloth belt and her red bikini top with the gold chain straps.

        Zuko blushes a bit and rolls his eyes. "Zali."

        "I'm going, I'm going. Meet you here in ten?"

        "I'll be waiting."

        Rezalia only takes a moment to change into a pair of cloth shorts and an athletic tank top and pull her hair up into a ponytail. She meets Zuko right back where he said he'd wait. "Ready?"

        "If you are," he murmurs, holding out his hand.

        They don't say anything on the walk to the cliff where Sokka had insisted training be held. He said that it was more realistic given the hill that the palace sat upon and the others didn't care enough about the location to argue. Zuko swung their hands the entire way up the top of the cliff, grinning when Rezalia laughed.

        "There you two are!" Sokka exclaims, hands perched on his hips. "Can we finally get started or would you like to have a picnic?"

        Rezalia hummed and turned to look up at Zuko. "I think a picnic sounds great, how about you?"

        "Anything you want, Zali," he promises. Sokka gags at them and pushes them into line with the others. Then, he makes his way to the edge of the cliff and puts a carved melon of the end of a set of sticks dressed to look like a person.

        "Gather round, Team Avatar." The name he'd taken to calling to group by. "In order to take out the Fire Lord - or in this case, the Melon Lord - our timing has to be perfect. First, Suki and I will draw his fire. Then, Katara and Zuko charge in with some liquidy hot offense, and while the Melon Lord is distracted, Aang swoops in ... and bam! He delivers the final blow."

        "And us?" Rezalia asks, swinging her thumb between her and Toph.

        Sokka gestures toward the melon. "For now, you two will be the Fire Nation army."

        "So I get to chuck flaming rocks at all of you?" Toph asks, face lighting up.

        Sokka shrugs. "Whatever makes the training feel more realistic."

        Toph reaches out and punches Rezalia on the shoulder. "Sweet."

        As it appeared, Toph was a semi-decent actor. That or she just got genuine glee out of throwing flaming rocks at her friends. Either way, Rezalia's job was pretty easy. Light the rocks on fire and let Toph chuck them. Zuko and Katara tag team Rezalia, engaging her in a fight to distract her while Aang goes for the kill.

        Only, he doesn't. He stops just short and then backs away. Rezalia looks over to Katara, eyebrows furrowed. She frowns and shrugs a bit. Zuko steps forward from where he'd stopped. "What are you waiting for? Take him out!"

        Aang shakes his head. "I can't."

        "What's wrong with you? If this was the real deal, you'd be shot full of lightning right now," Sokka says seriously.

        "I'm sorry, but it just didn't feel right. I didn't feel like myself."

        Rezalia sighs. "War sucks. There's no two ways about it. But this isn't something we can put off. We have a very short window. You can kill Ozai or Ozai kills everyone else, that's how this works. If I could take the shot for you, I would, but it has to be you Aang."

        Aang grimaces and flies off. Zuko groans, rubbing his hands down his face. "This is a disaster."

        "He'll come around," Sokka says. He didn't look convinced.

        Later that night, Katara gets their attention during dinner. Aang remains faced away from everyone else. "I have a surprise for everyone!" she grins, waving a scroll.

        "I knew it! You did have a secret thing with Haru!" Toph exclaims. Rezalia chokes on her water and doubles over, coughing to expel the invasion. Zuko thumps her on the back, leaning closer to make sure she was ok.

        Katara stares at her for a moment. "Uh, no." Nobody really believed that. "I was looking for cooking pots in the attic, and I found this!" She unfurls the scroll. "Look at baby Zuko. Isn't he cute?" Rezalia looks over at the picture and wrinkles her nose. That's not Zuko. Katara pushes her fingertips against Rezalia's shoulder gently. "Oh, lighten up, you two. I'm just teasing."

        "That's not me. It's my father," Zuko tells her. She pales a bit and rolls the scroll back up.

        Suki frowns down at her plate. "But he looks so sweet and innocent."

        "Well, that sweet little kid grew up to be a monster, and the worst father in the history of fathers."

        "He's still a human being," Aang murmurs.

        Zuko whips around. "You're going to defend him?"

        "Easy," Rezalia murmurs. He glances back and sets his hand on her knee.

        Aang stands and sets his plate aside. "No, I agree with you. Fire Lord Ozai is a horrible person, and the world would probably be better off without him, but there's got to be another way," he says desperately.

        "Like what?" Zuko asks, voice much calmer than it had been.

        Aang rubs his eye. "I don't know." He suddenly perks up. "Maybe we can make some big pots of glue, and then I can use gluebending to stick his arms and legs together so he can't bend anymore."

        Rezalia could practically hear Toph's face contort. Even Katara exchanges looks with Suki. Zuko scoffs. "Yeah, then you can show him his baby pictures, and all those happy memories will make him good again."

        Aang doesn't seem to register the sarcasm, despite it being a staple in Zuko's personality since he was seven. "Do you really think that would work?"

        "No," Zuko replies bluntly. Aang's face falls as Sokka and Suki attempt to smother their laughter.

        "This goes against everything I learned from the monks. I can't just go around wiping out people I don't like."

        Rezalia frowns. "Aang, this isn't about you not liking him. It's about him commiting mass genocide. You kill him or he kills millions of people and I don't know about you but that math is pretty damn easy to me."

        "It's not that easy, Rezalia!" Aang snaps.

        "From where I'm standing, it is!" she snaps back and this time, it's Zuko attempting to calm her down. She places her hand on his shoulder. "I don't know what you've been through or what you're thinking but Ozai has made my life a living hell for my entire life. He screwed over Zuko, he screwed over Sokka and Katara. He's fucked us all over! So, yeah, maybe my reasons are selfish but that asshole deserves to die. He deserves to die a thousand times over."

        Aang takes a step back. "How could you say that?!"

        "Because I'm not a monk! I don't believe in a higher power or a reason for being! I believe in the effect people have and that man's effect on the entire world has been nothing but terrible. He was a terrible husband. He was a terrible father. He's put over half of the Fire Nation into poverty because of his relentless need to expand, which, in case you missed it, has been terrible for everyone else! You name one good thing that that man has ever done and I'll let it go. Until then, we can continue to argue about it."

        With that, she walks away, leaving the others to stare at her back.

Chapter Text

        Aang, as it turned out, did not react well to conflict. He was gone by the time everyone was packed and ready and nobody could find him. They scoured the island and nothing. The only thing alluding to his prescence at all was the staff he'd left behind and his footprints leading out to the ocean.

"So, he went for a midnight swim and never came back?" Suki asks, frowning slightly.

"Maybe he was captured," Katara adds.

Sokka shakes his head. "I don't think so. There's no sign of a struggle."

"He could've been taken at sea," Rezalia murmurs, leaning down to examine the footprints.

Toph wrinkles her nose. "I bet he ran away again."

"Uh-uh. He left behind his glider and Appa," Sokka reasons.

"Then what do you think happened to him, oh sleuthy one?" Toph scoffs.

"It's pretty obvious. Aang mysteriously disappears before an important battle? He's definitely on a Spirit World journey."

Zuko cocks his head to the side a bit in the way he does when he's trying to solve a puzzle. "But if he was, wouldn't his body still be here?"

Sokka deflates. "Oh, yeah. Forgot about that."

"Then he's got to be somewhere on Ember Island. Let's split up and look for him," Katara says, looking around at the others. At her words, Suki slips her hand into Sokka's and Toph clings to Zuko's arm. Panicked, he looks at the other with wide eyes, only to recieve confused looks from the others and a raised eyebrow from Rezalia. He assumed she wasn't too angry as she seemed amused as well. He hoped she wasn't angry.

"I'm going with Zuko!" Toph seems to sense their confusion. "What? Everyone else went on a life-changing field trip with Zuko. Now it's my turn."

Rezalia laughs. "Fair enough. Guess you're stuck with me, then, Katara." The waterbender smiles and allows the other to link their arms.

They searched and the closest they got to finding him was the actress in town square. When they all met back up at the house, it was revealed that one, nobody had found a trace of Aang and two, Momo was missing as well. Sokka gasps, as overdramatic as ever. "Oh no! I knew it was only a matter of time! Appa ate Momo! Momo, I'm coming for you, buddy."

He opens Appa's jaw, examining the inside. "Sokka, Appa didn't eat Momo. He's probably with Aang," Katara sighs.

"That's just what Appa wants you to think," Sokka murmurs as he begins to climb into Appa's mouth.

Zuko reaches out and grabs the back of the other boy's shirt. "Get out of the bison's mouth, Sokka. We have a real problem here. Aang is nowhere to be found and the comet is only two days away."

"What should we do Zuko?" Katara asks. The others turn to look at him as well, Rezalia with more amusement than anything else.

Zuko shifts uncomfortably. "I don't know. Why are you all looking at me?"

"Well, you are the expert on tracking Aang," Katara explains.

"Yeah, Z. Let's hunt the avatar again."

Zuko scowls at her but wasn't able to hide the slight twitch of his lips. "Fine."

It doesn't take long to board Appa as his saddle had already been packed. Zuko takes the reins and steers them away from the island. Rezalia had never really spent much time doing the actual tracking of the avatar so she swings her legs over the side of the saddle and settles in for the ride.

"I hate it when you do that," Zuko mutters, glancing over at where she sat. Just like old times.

After a while, Sokka finally speaks up the way he's clearly wanted to since they'd taken off. "Zuko, I don't wanna tell you how to do your job, but why are we heading towards the Earth Kingdom? There's no way Aang's there."

"Just trust me," he replies.

He leads them to a shadier part of the kingdom and Rezalia perks up a bit. She knew this place. Katara frowns at the building Zuko had settled Appa in front of. "And the reason you've brought us to a seedy Earth Kingdom tavern is what now?"

"June," Zuko and Rezalia answer in unison.

True to fashion, June was engaged in a bar fight when they entered. Of course, she was beating ass. Sokka hummed a bit when he recognized her. "Oh yeah, that weird bounty hunter with the giant mole."

"Mole?" Suki echoes. "Her skin is flawless."

Sokka shakes his head. "No, she has this giant mole creature she rides around on."

"See, I though it was a mole-lizard at first," Rezalia says. "But apparently it's not."

"It's a shirshu," Zuko says. "It's the only animal that can track Aang's scent anywhere in the world. It's the one shot we have of finding him."

Toph listens to the fight with a broad grin. "I don't know who this June lady is, but I like her."

Rezalia laughs and pushes through the crowd. June catches sight of them as they approach and leans back in her seat. "Oh great. It's Prince Pouty and Princess One-Liner. Where's your creepy grandpa?"

"He's my uncle. And he's not here," Zuko says, shifting uncomfortably.

June clocks the action and moves past it. "I see you worked things out with your girlfriend."

Zuko rolls his eyes. "Katara is not and never has been my girlfriend."

"I meant the other one, genius."

Rezalia's eyebrows shoot up. "How did you know?"

"It's my job to know things, kiddo. Now, what do you want?"

Zuko tangles his fingers with Rezalia's. "We need your help to find the avatar."

"Hm. Doesn't sound too fun."

"Oh, really? That sucks, 'cause I was really only in this for kicks. Become Fire Nation's most wanted, fight in a war, it all sounds like shits and giggles to me," Rezalia replies, pulling Zuko back when he began to lunge forward.

June frowns, examining her for a moment. Eventually, she sets her drink down. "You're lucky I like you kid. Come on."

They give Aang's staff to June for her pet to sniff. The shirshu - evidently named Nyla - wanders around for a bit, sniffing everything before lying down and covering his nose. "What does that mean?" Zuko asks, peering down at the animal.

"Means your friend's gone," June tells them, running her hand over Nyla's side.

Toph frowns and crosses her arms. "We know he's gone. That's why we're trying to find him."

"No, I mean he's gone gone. He doesn't exist."

"What the hell do you mean doesn't exsist?" Rezalia asks, stepping forward. Zuko squeezes her hand.

Sokka steps into line with her. "Like...he's dead?"

"Nope. We could find him if he were dead. Wow, it's a real head-scratcher. See ya." With that, June hops onto Nyla's back and goes to ride away. Being as little help as possible.

Toph scoffs. "Helpful. Real helpful."

"Wait," Zuko says, stopping June in Nyla's tracks. "I have another idea. There's only one other person in this world who can help us face the Fire Lord. I'll be right back with a smell sample."

Rezalia's eyebrows knit and she turns to watch as Zuko releases her hand and walks toward Appa. He digs around for a moment before finding whatever it was that he was looking for and coming back. The others, save for Toph, pinch their noses when the smell hits them. Zuko and Rezalia had become desensitized and, well, Toph spent her free time underground or fighting other earthbenders so she'd likely smelled worse.

"You saved your uncle's sweaty sandal?" Sokka gags, backing away.

"I think it's kind of sweet," Toph adds. Rezalia stifles a giggle, averting her gaze when Zuko turns to glare at her. Luckily, Nyla picks up this scent. June barely waits for them to climb into Appa's saddle before taking off after the trail. Zuko settles his arm around Rezalia's waist as Katara takes the reins.

"She's interesting," Suki says, leaning with one elbow on the side of the saddle to watch their path. "How do you know her?"

Rezalia shifts a bit so that her shoulder wasn't digging into Zuko's side. "She's something, for sure. We met her when we were tracking down the avatar. Pre-character arc."

Zuko scoffs a bit, rolling his eyes even as he brushes his thumb over her hip. Sokka tosses his own arm around Suki's shoulders. "Yeah, I remember that. That stinger is no joke."

"Tell me about it," Zuko mumbles, nose scrunching a bit as he recalls his own encounter with the wrong end of the shirshu. Rezalia grins a bit. Toph scratches at her nose as she gazes out at the passing sky, content to just listen for the time being.

It wasn't long before Katara was directing Appa to the ground, landing next to where Nyla was digging at the wall of Ba Sing Se. Zuko frowned at the wall, voicing his confusion. June places her hands on her hips. "You're uncle's somewhere beyond the walls. Nyla's getting twitchy so he can't be too far. Good luck."

"Thanks, June," Rezalia says, flicking a coin at her.

June snorts, tliting the coin in thanks. "See you around, Weird Eyes."

For once, Zuko didn't say anything. Just frowned as he watched June leave. "I really wish she wouldn't call you that."

"I don't mind."

Sighing, Zuko turns to the others. "It's been a long day. Let's set up camp and start out search again at dawn."

"Dawn?" Toph asks, groaning a bit. Katara swats her on the arm. "I mean, dawn!"

Rezalia snickers at the obvious faux enthusiasm in the earthbender's voice and moves to help set up camp.