A.N. I do NOT own the illustration. But this is what I pictured Azara looking like. 

Azara leaned on the railing of the Fire Navy ship, staring down at the icy waters as the ship continued to plow forwards. Some of her dark hair was pulled back into a traditional Fire Nation top knot, the rest fanning around her as another breeze blew by. Her gold eyes stared with disinterest as another iceberg floated around the ship.

She could hear Zuko arguing with their uncle, but she had learned how to tune him out a long time ago. Honestly, Zuko's sourness was just his personality at this point, ever since he had been banished. If she weren't so intent upon staying as far from her father as she could, she would have returned home months ago.

Her father had not been initially supportive of her desire to join Zuko on his expedition that was doomed to fail from the start. But, Azara, with the help of Uncle, had managed to convince her father that it would be good experience for her future role in the Fire Nation. She had mentioned something about how touring the world would give her insight into the weaknesses of the other nations, a line that had immediately pleased her father.

It had been nearly three years since Zuko had been banished and Azara knew that she should expect a letter or messenger from her father soon regarding her journey. While Ozai had every intention of letting his son search the world for the rest of his life for the Avatar, Azara knew that her father had other plans for her.

From a young age, Azara and her twin sister Azula had quickly taken to firebending. Both were highly accomplished in firebending, far better than Zuko, and had thereby gained Ozai's attention. Azara wasn't particularly sure what role her father had in mind for her, especially considering Azula was much more cutthroat and staunchly loyal than Azara had ever been, but she knew she did not want to be associated with him anymore.

Frankly, she had been on the same path as Azula since she was born. They did everything together, trained together, took lessons together. They were inseparable. Then their mother disappeared. While Azula seemed unbothered by their mother's disappearance, Azara had been more distraught. It was no secret that Ozai was far from a doting father, save for when he would praise their firebending. Azara distanced herself more from her father afterwards.

Then, the Agni Kai happened. Zuko had challenged a battle plan from one of their father's generals and was forced to fight in an Agni Kai for his honor. Of course, once he saw that his challenger was his father, Zuko begged for forgiveness on his hands and knees. Ozai had not cared and had left a permanent scar on Zuko's face as a reminder of his dishonor.

Despite the fact that Zuko was her older brother, Azara had felt protective of him after the Agni Kai and the subsequent fallout. She had been horrified when Ozai had scarred his own son. When the opportunity to get away from her father appeared, Azara was quick to beg her uncle to help her get away from the Fire Nation and her father.

Suddenly, a beam of blue light appeared in the sky, startling Azara and causing her to look up from the glacial waters. She could see Zuko arguing with their uncle again as the light disappeared, leaving no trace of its existence.

"Helmsmen, head a course for the light!" Zuko yelled, prompting Azara to push off the bar and walk towards her older brother.

"What do you think it was, Zuko?" Azara asked as Zuko turned to glare at her.

"Obviously, the Avatar," Zuko scoffed, prompting Azara to roll her eyes at her brother.

"Yes, because we're such experts on finding the Avatar," Azara replied dryly, accepting a cup of tea from Uncle. She could nearly see the steam pouring out of Zuko's ears at her statement, and the sight made her smirk.

"Stay out of my way. I am about to capture the Avatar! And then, I will bring him home to Father and restore my honor," Zuko stated, standing proudly as the ship turned to head towards the beam.

"Zuko, we don't even know if that was the Avatar. And even if it was, what makes you think you'll be able to capture the Avatar? You can't even beat me in a—"

"—Why did you even come on this trip if you did not believe in me? Sail home for all I care. I'm better off without you!" Zuko shout, causing Azara to sigh and Iroh to look up from his game.

"Now, Zuko, that is no way to speak to your sister," Uncle spoke, ever the peacemaker between the siblings. "And Azara, please do not push your brother's buttons." Zuko turned away from them, moving to stomp away.

"Zuko, I came on this trip because I care about you," Azara started, but the action did little to lessen the tension in Zuko. "I know more than anyone else in the world how harsh Father has been, and I don't want you to fixate on the idea that he's going to welcome you home with open arms, even if you do find and capture the Avatar."

"And what would you know about disappointing Father? You've always excelled in his eyes; you could never understand what this means to me!"

"No, maybe not," Azara conceded, calm. "But . . . I want my brother back, and I don't think I will if you keep going down this destructive path." Zuko said nothing in response before he turned around and walked away. Azara huffed at her brother's antics and moved to return to her own cabin.

Closing the door behind her, Azara sighed and pulled off her coat. Setting the coat carefully on her desk, Azara sat on her bed and stared at the dark metal ceiling of her room. A knock came from the door, prompting Azara to sit up. "Come in," she called. She glanced towards the door to see Uncle. "Are you coming to tell me I should stop winding Zuko up?"

"No . . . but you should stop doing that as well, Azara," Uncle chuckled, sitting on the edge of her bed. "You have to forgive your brother . . . he's—"

"—Obsessed?" Azara supplied, her golden eyes staring at her uncle. "I noticed." Her uncle sighed and stared at the Fire Nation symbol on the wall, before turning back to his niece.

"Are you happy here, Azara?" he questioned, concern in his eyes. Azara's eyes widened at the question and she leaned against the wall. Pulling her knees to her chest, Azara thought over the situation at hand. Her nearly three year trip with her brother on the search for the Avatar had certainly taken its toll on her, but would she really have been better off in the Fire Nation?

"Does it really matter? I mean, either way I have people yelling at me for not being harsh enough, not strong enough," Azara sighed, glancing out the window at the icy setting.

"That's not what I asked, Azara," Iroh stated, prompting Azara to turn to glance at him. "Are you happy here?"

"No . . . no, I'm not," Azara let out after a moment, sitting crisscross on her bed. "If that beam of light was really the Avatar . . . I don't want to be part of the crew that delivered the world's last hope to my father," Azara explained, causing her uncle to nod.

"What's stopping you from leaving, then?"

"What's stopping . . .? Where else do I have to go, Uncle? I ran away from the Fire Nation to get away from my father. If I ran away from here to get away from Zuko . . . where would I go?" Azara asked, as Uncle pulled something out of his pocket.

"Remember all the times I would try to teach you Pai Sho when you were younger?" Iroh asked, causing Azara to raise an eyebrow.

"How could I forget?" she chuckled lightly, remembering the frustrating hours she and Zuko had spent with Iroh trying to learn from him how to play Pai Sho. Iroh turned and held out his closed hand. Azara held out her own, staring down at the familiar piece. "The White Lotus tile?"

"Many underestimate the significance of the white lotus. I seem to recall beating you several times at Pai Sho through the use of it," Iroh teased, causing Azara to grin. "You are the White Lotus tile, Azara. Many, including your siblings and your father, underestimate your significance. But I know that when used properly . . . or placed on the proper path . . . the white lotus will prove to be a most important piece on the Pai Sho board. The one that could tip the scales."

Azara smiled lightly as she stared down at the Pai Sho piece, running her finger over the familiar tile. "So . . . what proper path do you think I should be on, Uncle?"

"I think you already know that, my dear niece," Iroh smiled, standing up. "Zuko has a separate destiny from you, Azara. And I think that crossroads is coming soon." Azara stared down at the tile once more as Uncle walked out of the room. As the door shut, Azara clenched her hand around the tile and sighed to herself.

Getting up, she walked towards her dresser. Pulling out a bag, she started shoving some belongings into the bag. She zipped the bag closed and threw it onto her bed. This was it. Once she left, she knew that she would never be able to come back. And the thought was oddly not as scary as she previously had thought.

A.N. Kind of a slow start, but the story line will pick up soon after this chapter!