Many years ago...
   "Dark water spirit, you shall rule--no, no." a man said as he practiced his lines for an upcoming play. "Dark water spirit, you shall rue the day you condemned the mighty Dragon emperor to dwell amongst the mortals!"
   A sudden boo caused him to jump out of fright and fall on his butt. "Ursa, you scared me half to death!"
   "But I thought you were the mighty Dragon emperor?" she teased with a giggle.
   "That's only when I have my mask on." he protested.
   "I know. Without it, you're just Ikem, my poor, cowardly boyfriend." she teased again, touching his face.
   "Cowardly but handsome."
   "Well, handsome, guess who just got the role of the dragon empress?"
   Ikem shot to his feet, excitedly. "Congratulations!"
   The pair rehearsed their lines together. Then Ikem said, "Marry me."
   Ursa raised an eyebrow. "That's in the script?"
   "No." Ikem answered. "You remember when we were six and you kicked me in the stomach and pushed me face in the dirt?"
   "How many times do I have to apologize for that?"
   "I've loved you since that day and I've never stopped. So I ask you again, Will you marry me?"
   Ursa's eyes filled with tears and she could only whisper one word: "yes!"
  They fell into each other's arms.
                       * * * * *
  Team Avatar sat with a vast collection of other people in a meeting in Yu Dao, listening to an old man blabber on and on.
   "Tell me again, how exactly is boring lecture guy supposed to help us figure out what to do with Yu Dao." Sokka asked, leaning over towards Aang.
   As Aang tried to explain that the past is always a helpful teacher, Rose cut in with a comment that the guy could try to make the lecture more interesting. They were all rebuked by Katara.
  Zuko glared at her. "Do not cut off my wife."
   "Oogie!" Sokka shouted.
   "Oh shut up!" Everyone shouted at Sokka.
   "One big happy family." Aurora sighed.
   Zuko cringed at the word, his eyes growing wide as he heard the professor correlate ruling a nation with family.
  "No wonder everything's so hard for me." he confessed to the rest of Team Avatar. "My father is in prison, my sister in a mental institution. My mother's been gone for years. I'm married and yet I don't even know if I can properly raise any heirs." He turned his gaze to his wife. "What if I'm just like my father?"
   Aang, Katara, and Sokka cringed at the thought but Aurora was sympathetic. "Love," Rose spoke up, "I know this is hard for you but I promise you, you are nothing like your father. You are kind and loving. You will be a wonderful father one day. Besides," she moved from her chair in favor of sitting in his lap, "we have plenty of time for that later. We need to deal with this then we can be officially married and start preparing for a child."
   "My point is," Zuko said, voicing his other concern, "if ruling a nation is like raising a family then what does that mean for my nation?"
   "This guy's a blowhard." Sokka said, trying to make Zuko feel better. "Only people like Katara take him seriously!"
   She responded by bending water in his face. Everyone burst into laughter.
                        * * * * *
   Ursa rushed home, smiling all the way. "Mom, you'll never guess what Ikem--" She cut herself off when she saw her mother crying. "What's wrong? Where's dad?"
   "Your father's out back...with a visitor."
   Ursa walked out to the greenhouse and bowed before their imperial visitor. "Ursa, was it? Rise so we can have a look at you."
   Ursa did as the Fire Lord commanded. He regarded her slyly. "Magistrate Jinzuk, your wife raised a daughter far more beautiful than your flowers! We've had such trouble finding Roku's descendants. It's as if he was trying to keep you hidden from us."
   Fire Lord Azulon smirked. "But clearly the effort was worthwhile. The Fire Sages tell me that the pairing of Avatar Roku's granddaughter with my own son will yield a bloodline that will continue for centuries after I am gone."
   He gestured behind himself. "Ursa, may I introduce you to my second son, Fire Prince Ozai? He has a proposal for you."
                    * * * * *
   Later that day, Rose practiced her bending while Zuko watched her through the window as he signed important documents.
   He groaned, stretched, and turned to find Rose beside him. Usually, he would've jumped at her sneaking up behind him but, ever since their bonding ceremony, he knew where she was at all times.
   "Nice try." He smirked.
   They both chuckled, her leaning down to kiss him. She maneuvered herself into his lap and sighed. "So don't be too upset with me and I know you already know what I did."
   Zuko looked down at her. "Why did you go to my father?"
   Rose shrugged. "I just wanted an explanation I guess. I wanted to know why he was so cruel to you."
   Zuko turned his gaze from her. Letting her up, he paced away from her. "Did he give you an answer?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
   "He denied that you were his son. Then...I tried to find out if he knew anything about your mother."
   Zuko stopped his pacing and went stiff. "What did he say?"
   "He refused to answer. He said he would never help a traitor." In her mind, she continued replaying his words.
   Zuko turned quickly and moved closer to her. "He dared insult you?"
   "He called you a traitor and disowned you and you're worried about him insulting me?"
    "I'm not worried. I'm angry." He said, taking her hands in his. "You're my wife, my soulmate, you loved and cared for me when everyone thought the worst of me, and you changed my heart and their minds." He sighed, loosening his grip so he could pull her into his chest. "This isn't working. I've tried talking to him, you've tried. We need a new plan."
   "Yea but I don't like what you're thinking."
   "I don't either but we don't have much of a choice."
   Zuko called for a messenger, whispered something to him, then took Rose and headed to the throne room. Moments later, Zuko sat in his throne, Rose in a throne next to him, guards on either side of them, and another figure before them.
   "I know this is risky but I'm going to tell you the truth. I feel disconnected from the good in my own family and in my own nation. For a whole host of reasons, I believe finding my mother will help me reconnect. I've had conversation after conversation with Ozai and it's gone nowhere."
   "And I, too, have tried." Rose added.
   "He refuses to reveal what happened to her. So I've come to an uncomfortable conclusion. You are the only person in the world who can coax the information I need out of Ozai. Tell me then, what do you want in return for helping me find mother?"
   Azula, sitting in a wheelchair, strapped into a straitjacket, smirked.
"Don't be silly, ZuZu! The satisfaction of serving the Fire Lord and future Fire Lady in some small way will be compensation enough. Besides not a day has gone by since you put me in here that I haven't wondered--" Here she paused and glared at something no one else could see. "Whatever happened to our dear mother?"
   At this, she burst into fits of laughter. Zuko nodded and she was taken away to speak to Ozai.
   Rose sighed. "I really don't like this."
   "I don't either but, like it or not, she's my best chance of finding my mother."
                          * * * * *
   Ursa broke into tears when Ozai proposed. This wasn't what she wanted! But she had no choice. She could not refuse a prince.
   A little while later, she was riding in a carriage with Ozai and Fire Lord Azulon, quiet as the Fire Lord attempted to sway her with the idea of the fancy palace and city she would be living in following the wedding.
   At that moment, Ikem's voice sounded from outside. "Fire Lord Azulon, you have my-my true love in your carriage! With all due respect, I c-can't let you take her from me!"
   "Take care of him." Azulon cruelly told the guards.
   As they began firebending at Ikem, Ursa begged Ozai to call them off. "Please...my love."
   Ozai opened the carriage door and called them off as she wished. Ursa ran out and yelled at Ikem to go home.
   "Ursa, please, we belong together! Whatever they're offering you, it isn't worth it!"
   "The decision's been made."
   "Tell me marrying that Prince is what you truly want. Tell me and I'll go home."
   Ursa looked back at the carriage. Taking a deep breath, she spoke. "Fire Prince Ozai honored my family by asking my hand in marriage. I joyfully accepted." Tears ran down her face as she commanded. "Now for your sake and mine go home."
   Then she reentered the carriage and it pulled away, leaving him behind.
                       * * * * *
   Zuko waved the Kyoshi Warriors away, demanding that he take his sister on his own but he couldn't prevent Rose from joining them.
   "So when's the wedding for the lovely couple?" Azula sneered.
   Zuko's face remained impassive as he continued pushing her along the pathway. "We haven't decided on a date yet."
   "I want everyone to be there." Rose added. "All our families. Including his mother. And I'd like for you and Ozai to be there as well if at all possible."
   "Oh...well how sweet of you to invite me!" Azula laughed. "But I'm afraid I'm gonna have to decline. Sorry."
   "My wife shows you kindness by offering. You should show her more respect as she will be your sister soon."
   "Ah! And I would definitely love having a sister." Azula drawled. "But I--" Here she paused. "Wait. You called her your wife not fiancé. Oh ZuZu...are you dabbling in rare aetherbender rituals? Not very smart."
   "How do you know about that?"
   "Have you ever been chi blocked, ZuZu?" Azula randomly asked. Zuko shook his head. "Funny thing. All your joints go soft like they're made of melted wax." She looked up, sharply. "Then, for just a few moments, as your strength returns, you find yourself more flexible than you ever thought possible."
   It was then they realized that Azula had broken free of her restraints. She lightningbended at Zuko but missed. The distraction was long enough for her to escape. Rose and Zuko took off after her finding her moments later in a secret passageway, rifling through a box of letters.
   "What are those?"
   "What? These? They're many years of letters that she wrote. And they're the key to finding her."
   That said, she burned them in her own fire.
   "Azula, what is wrong with you?"
   "You're psychotic!" Rose accused.
   "Why don't you ask her that? I'm sure she'll be happy to tell you." Azula held her head as she heard her mother's voice repeating, "I love you, Azula. I do."
   "Azula, she's not real." Rose told her.
   "Oh she's very much real." Azula said with a laugh. "Believe it or not, dear brother, I want to find her too so I'll tell you what was in those letters on one condition."
   "Don't even think about hurting my wife."
   Azula sighed. "Do you honestly think I care about her? The two of you can live happily ever after for all I care. No. I want something else...."
                        * * * * *
  Ursa stood next to Ozai as they performed their wedding ceremony. Sadness remained in her eyes all the while. Later, they sat down for a feast and Ozai complimented how lovely her parents were.
   "They've always been good to me." Ursa said with a smile.
   "Be sure to tell them that when you tell them goodbye. Your last words should be filled with gratitude and kindness so their memory of you will always be sweet."
   "Last words?"
   "As a princess of the Fire Nation, you must sever all ties to the past and devote yourself entirely to your new duties." He took a sip of his wine. "After this day, never mention your old home, family, or life ever again. You belong to the royal family now and to me."
   That said, he leaned in and kissed her.
                        * * * * *
   Later that day, Team Avatar arrived to Zuko's palace. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Aurora, and even each of Rose's siblings as well as her own mother had come to visit.
   "Iroh, we didn't expect to see you." They commented, save for Aurora. Iroh stood before them, decked out in full on Fire Nation attire.
   He greeted them warmly, especially his old friend, Aurora. Then he called for Rose and Zuko to enter the room.
   Zuko was decked out in full Fire Lord attire with Rose in a fancy white dress, her hair in a equally fancy hairstyle.

   The group happily greeted each other, Rose hugging her family and Zuko (uncomfortably) accepting the same from Catie, Katara, Ophelia, and Aurora.
   They caught up on what had been going on, including the explosion of people joining Toph's Metalbending Academy.
   "We came as soon as we received your message."
   "What's this about, anyway?" Catie asked. "You never ask for help from the family."
   "I thought it was appropriate to include all of you as you will all be my family soon."
   "If not already." Catie smirked. "We heard about the bonding ceremony."
   Zuko blushed. "Anyway...I thought it was important since this is a family matter. I recently obtained some information about Ursa, my mother. It turns out she's from a small village just outside the Fire Nation. I'm going there to look for her and Rose insisted on joining. Uncle Iroh's agreed to look after things while we're gone."
   "I understand this is a family matter and you consider us family." William began. "And far be it from me to question you after saving me and my brother from prison and bringing all of us together."
   "But it seems you have this covered." Jasper stated bluntly. Ophelia elbowed him and he added, "No offense, Fire Lord."
   "What do you need us for?" Katara asked.
   Zuko sighed. "The information about my mother came at a cost. You see--"
   From behind him, a curtain opened, revealing Azula. Everyone immediately got into fighting positions, only for Suki to also step out from behind the curtain. She and Sokka ran into each other's arms and Aurora explained.
   "She knows about the whereabouts of your mother so she asked to lead the way but be mindful, Zuko. Let her lead you not astray."
   As most of the group told Zuko he was nuts, Rose cut in. "He needs this, guys, and like or not but we're all family and family sticks together."
   Aang nodded. "She's right...as usual. We're your family. We've got your back."
   The rest of the group reluctantly agreed.
                       * * * * *
   "I still don't like this plan, love." Rose said later that night as they prepared for bed.
   "I know." Zuko said, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm not particularly fond of this plan either but it's better than if we did it ourselves. We need Azula to find my mother but we can't handle her alone.
  "Especially not since she knows about our bond. With only one or both of us, we are at a severe disadvantage. But with the help of our family, we can fight her off should she choose to do anything stupid."
   "I don't trust her." Rose said with a sigh. "She's hiding something."
  "Then don't trust her. Trust me."
   Rose turned to her newly wed husband. "I trust you as long as you don't do anything stupid or reckless." She stroked across his scar. "Sometimes I think about how much simpler it was when you were my biggest threat...then I think about how far we've come..."
   Zuko smirked. "If you miss the old days so much, perhaps I could chase you around a little bit before reminding you who you belong to?"
   Rose grinned. "I'll get the rope."
                         * * * * *
   The next morning, Team Avatar, Rose's family, and Azula met up together in their travelling clothes to begin their journey.
   "Good morning, Azula!" Aang greeted, kindly. "Beautiful day for a trip, isn't it?"
   Azula hmphed and tossed her bag to the ground. "Be careful when you put my luggage on that shaggy beast of yours. I'd prefer a dragon but since my brother and his bride and those people are hogging them--" She gestured to Rose's family.
   Appa growled and Aang pet him gently. "I don't like it either, buddy, but it's just for a little while."
   As Ophelia, Aurora, and Jasper pulled on cloaks over their outfits, Zuko addressed the group. "We need to make sure someone is watching Azula at all times.
   "Well, if worse comes to worst, we have plenty of people to do that." Katara consented. "The Avatar, a firebender, a couple of waterbenders, an airbender, an aetherbender, a witch, a couple of warriors, and--what was your mother again?"
   She turned to Rose. "A dual bender. Aether and water."
   "We're in good hands." Zuko said.
   "I'll take first watch!" Sokka volunteered.
   "I appreciate the enthusiasm, Sokka, but perhaps you should leave this to the benders."
   Sokka waved him off, intending to demonstrate what he could do. Azula lightningbended, knocking him down.
   "Don't you ever mess with my brother again!" Katara shouted
   Azula shrugged. "Tell your brother not to wave his toy in my face."
   Zuko reprimanded her. "We had a deal, Azula. Keep your manner in check."
   "Keep your merry band of misfits in check."
   "Let's all just remain calm." Rose said. "We are all family after all even if some people want to deny it."
   Azula smirked. "You're adorable. I see why ZuZu likes you now."
   The group then split up. Rose and Zuko climbed onto Crystal, Aurora and Jasper onto Thorn, Will and Catie onto Fyrien, an elder dragon, and Ophelia onto a golden dragon named Arya. Finally, the rest of the group--Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Azula--climbed onto Appa.
   The Kyoshi Warriors and Iroh bid them goodbye. Iroh began bemoaning the lack of tea in the palace and declared a National Tea Appreciation Day. The guard simply sipped his tea quietly.
                       * * * * *
   That evening, Crystal had up next to Appa. Zuko gestured. "We're almost there. We might want to set up camp, though. I don't want to go in too late. What do you think, love?"
   Rose was quiet for a second. "Something's out there." she said, suddenly. "I feel...a spirit of some kind."
   Zuko looked up, sharply. "I feel it too--through our bond."
   "They're telling the truth. A spirit is nearby." Aurora added. "One I cannot pinpoint."
   "I can feel it, too." Sokka joked. "That's why I'm doing this." He made a crazy face, holding his eyes open with his fingers.
   Katara reprimanded him. "Sokka, this is serious!"
   "As serious as this?" Sokka made another face.
   "Knock it off!"
   "It's down there!" Jasper shouted.
   Rose, Aurora, Jasper, Will, and Ophelia all mentioned seeing it, a type of large wolf spirit. "There's nothing there, love." Zuko told Rose.
   "I don't see anything either." Catie added.
   "Did the giant wolf spirit look like this?" Sokka made yet another face, stretching his mouth open. Katara bended water in his face. "Ow! What was that for?"
   "I told you to knock it off."
   Zuko shouted, "Azula, get down from there!"
   Azula stood on the edge of Appa's saddle, grinning evilly. "I can't tell you what a pleasure it's been riding with you all, listening to you bicker! But I guess not all siblings get along as well as ZuZu and me. Now that we're close, I'll bid you farewell." Her eyes grew wide and crazy as she added, "I'll be sure to give her your regards!"
   Then she jumped.
   "No, Azula, it's too high!" Zuko shouted.
   "Azula!" Rose shouted after.
   Aang jumped off Appa after her, rushing to help. "Nice glider. Is it fireproof?"
   Azulas set Aang's glider on fire and landed. She ran off.
   The group landed. "You guys check on Aang! Rose, her family, and I will go after Azula!"
   "Got it!"
   They took off in separate directions.
   As Azula ran off, she noticed her mother's reflection in the stream she had just jumped over. "You're only hurting yourself, my daughter." Ursa said.
   "Don't pretend you care about me!" Azula fired back. "You thought you could break me by having Zuko lock me up in that institution? But I'm stronger than you realize! I used that time alone to figure out the truth!
   "You've been conspiring to take me down from the day I was born! Even when I was an infant, you saw something you never had...power! That's why you think I'm a monster! My power makes you fear me!"
   Ursa shook her head. "No. You're confused."
   "I still haven't figured out the details!" Azula raged. "How did you contact Zuko, Ty Lee, and Mai after you disappeared? How did you tell that snow peasant how to beat me? How did you make Zuko fall for the enemy? Luckily though, father was able to fend off your conniving long enough to lead me to this!"
   Here, she pulled out a letter she hadn't burned. "Now I have the evidence I need to take the throne from Zuko! But I can't become Fire Lord with you still talking in my ear! So I'm going to find you myself...so I can end you!"
   "I love you, Azula. I do."
   "STOP LYING TO ME!" Azula shouted, firebending at the water.
   "Who are you talking to, Azula?" Zuko asked, rushing over.
   "What do you care? What do any of you care?"
   "Keep to our deal, Azula."
   "We can find her together." Rose added.
   Azula threatened to lightningbend at her. "Don't touch my wife or I will go back on our deal and kill you myself!" Zuko reminded.
   "You need me ZuZu! I have information you don't. But now that we're so close, I really don't need you or anyone anymore."
   She shot lightning toward Rose. Zuko jumped in her path but he needn't have bothered as Aurora appeared out of nowhere and incapacitated Azula.
   At that moment, the rest of Team Avatar showed up. "Maybe you should rethink this plan with your sister?" Sokka said.
  As the group began talking over what to do, everyone but Sokka looked up as a giant wolf spirit appeared behind him.
                      * * * * *
   Ursa sat at her desk, writing a letter. She quietly sighed as she stood up and walked to the other side of the room. Behind a hidden panel, she gazed at a plethora of masks, one looking a lot like the Blue Spirit mask Zuko would later wear.
   A sudden knock at the door had her covering the panel back up. Her favorite child stood at the door. "Mommy, I had a nightmare."
   Picking him up, she brought him back to bed as he told her about his dream. When she laid him down, she gave him a kiss on the forehead. "Worry not. The good dreams will come soon." she soothed.
   She began singing a lullaby and he was asleep in minutes.
   Sighing, she made her way to where her link to the outside world was and handed her the letter. The old woman promised to deliver the letter as she did all the others.
  Once she was sure Ursa was gone, she read through the letter and what she read caused her to rush to Ozai. "Forgive my intrusion, Fire Prince Ozai. The latest letter from your wife." She presented. "This one is different from the others."
   Ozai took the letter and read it. Anger flew across his face and he crumpled it up. "That's not possible!"
                       * * * * *
   Rose tried to appease the spirit, explaining that she was the Avatar but she was promptly ignored as it attacked. The rest of the group attacked too, Zuko firebending, Katara and Catie waterbending, Ophelia dual bending, Jasper aetherbending, Aurora using her wand and a bunch of potions, and Will and Sokka using their weapons--fancy sword-spear and boomerang respectively.
   "Did that spirit just eat my fire?" Zuko asked in shock.
   Suddenly, the spirit threw up a bunch of what appeared to be spirit bugs. Azula smirked. "Let me out of this, ZuZu, and I'll save you and your friends!"
   "No."
   "Right. Because you're all doing so well on your own?" Azula shrugged. "Alright. I'll admit it. I shouldn't have run off like that, after we made a deal. And, if you can't trust your family, who can you trust?"
   Zuko groaned. "Fine."
   He released her from her bonds. She used lightningbending to fry the bugs and the rest flew away with the giant wolf spirit. Azula then spread her arms and smirked. "Ta-da!"
                           * * * * *
  That night, the group set up camp. Azula was the first asleep, mumbling about being betrayed. Katara and Aang were cuddling next to Appa, each other couple cuddling next to their dragons, aside from Ophelia and Rose who both slept alone.
   Zuko and Sokka talked a bit then Sokka pulled a blanket over Katara and Aang, commenting on the cold. Zuko then began placing blankets over each of his new family members, starting with Ophelia, moving to each of her sons and daughters by marriages, then finally to Rose.
   "After all those snowballs thrown at your face," Zuko said quietly, "yet you still look out for her."
   "We're family. It's what we do."
   Zuko looked around at everyone he had covered up then to Azula. Taking one last blanket in hand, he moved to cover Azula while Sokka excused himself.
   As Zuko covered Azula, however, he noticed a letter sticking out of her boot. He pulled it out and began to read:

   My dearest Ikem,
   It's taken me a long time to admit it but you were right. I belong with you and nothing is worth this pain. My one consolation is our son, Zuko. When I look into his eyes, it's as if I'm looking into yours.
  My thoughts are with you always.
  Love,
  Ursa

  One thing kept repeating itself inside his head. "Our son."
  His eyes widened in shock.