"what do you mean Zuko's gone!" Kira shouts

"calm down" Iroh waves his hands "It was Zuko's choice, he-"

Kira angrily stomped out of the cave

"Where are you going?" Iroh asks

"I'm going home!" Kira shouts

Iroh places his hand on his forehead and breathes out "good grief, kids these days. First Zuko now Kira"

-

On their journey's Kira and Zuko both found themselves remembering the past.

~flashback~

Younger Zuko and his mother, are feeding some bread to four turtle ducks – a mother and her four babies.

"Hey Mom, want to see how Azula feeds turtle ducks?" Zuko throws the rest of the loaf of bread into the water and hits one of the baby turtle ducks.

Ursa is shocked "Zuko! Why would you do that?"

After the baby turtle duck surfaces again, the mother turtle duck charges forth and bites Zuko's ankle hard.

"Ow! Ow ow! Ouch!"Ursa removes the turtle duck from Zuko and gently throws her back into the pond, where she swims off with her babies. 

Zuko is pouting "Stupid turtle duck. Why she'd do that?"

"Zuko. That's what moms are like" Ursa puts her arm around Zuko "If you mess with their babies" She playfully bites behind Zuko's ear." they're gonna bite you back!"

They laugh.

A little while later, young Azula, Kira, Ty Lee and Mai are playing together in the royal yard by a man-made river and a rather large fountain. While Mai sits and watches under the shade of a tree, Azula does a complicated flip but messes up the ending and grunts. 

Ty Lee does the same flip, only she completes the ending perfectly and lands on her feet, arms proudly up in the air. Azula pushes her over, she and Kira laugh.

"Ugh! Azula!" Ty Lee complains

Zuko and Ursa walk by together nearby. Mai sees them, smiles, turns away and blushes. Azula notices her obvious crush, she sees Kira playing with her necklace. Azula smirks and turns to Ty Lee with a plot in mind.

Azula runs toward her mother and Zuko "Mom! Can you make Zuko play with us? We need equal teams to play a game!"

"I am not cart-wheeling" Zuko says annoyed

"You won't have to" Azula rolls her eyes "Cart-wheeling's not a game, dum-dum."

"I don't care. I don't want to play with you!" Zuko shouts

"We are brother and sister. It's important for us to spend time together! Don't you think so, Mom?" Azula shoots her mother an innocent smile.

Ursa places her hands on Zuko's shoulder "Yes, darling, I think it's a good idea to play with your sister" she ruffles his hair "Go on now, just for a little while" Walks away

Zuko glares at his sister, he groaned as he stomped over and stood next to Kira.

"you'll live" Kira says to him

"Princess come here" Azula called

Kira nodded and went over. Azula reaches for apples on the tree that Mai was under earlier. Mai and Kira were now standing in front of the fountain, Azula places an apple on their heads.

"Here's the way it goes" Azula runs back several feet "Now what you do is, try to knock the apple off the other person's head, like this" Azula shoots two small jets of flame to the apples with her firebending and knowingly sets them on fire.

Zuko is shocked and runs forward toward Kira, he slams into her and the both of them fall into the fountain, with Zuko lying on top of Kira's stomach. Both seem very shocked and embarrassed. Mai gets the apple off her head while Azula cheers and Ty Lee sulks.

"I win pay up" Azula said laughing

"What!" Zuko shouted

"We made a bet to see who you would try to save, Azula said you would go to Kira and i said you would go to Mai" Ty Lee explained

"Azula!" Kira shouted

Azula and Ty Lee ran away laughed

Zuko stood up and put his hand out to Kira, offering to help her up. She took his hand and he pulled her up.

"Sorry about that, now your soaked" Zuko apologized a blush on his face

"It's alright, a little water doesn't hurt" Kira answered blushing as well

Kira gave Zuko a quick kiss on the cheek and quickly ran away to Azula, leaving Zuko with a even deeper blush. At that moment, Ursa comes from the house toward the children, a scroll of paper in her hand.

"I was just coming to get you. Uncle Iroh sent us a letter from the war-front" Zuko walks past Ursa, leaving small puddles behind him as he goes "You're soaking wet and your face is red"

Zuko raises hands in frustration "Girls are crazy!"

-

"If the city is as magnificent as its wall, Ba Sing Se must be something to behold. I hope you all may see it someday, if we don't burn it to the ground first!" Ursa, Zuko and Azula laugh at the joke. Ursa continues down the letter "Until then, enjoy these gifts" Two servants dressed in white come up, and Zuko runs to meet them. 

Ursa sits there and continues reading. "For Zuko, a pearl dagger from the general who surrendered when we broke through the Outer Wall. Note the inscription and the superior craftsmanship"

Zuko picks up the dagger admiringly, unsheathes it and reads the inscription "Never give up without a fight"

"And for Azula, a new friend. She wears the latest fashion for Earth Kingdom girls" As Ursa reads, Azula picks up her present. It is a doll wearing green. She picks it up by the head with disgust, making sounds and sticking out her tongue.

"If Uncle doesn't make it back from war, then Dad will be next in line for Fire Lord, wouldn't he?" Azula questions

"Azula, we don't speak that way. It would be awful if Uncle Iroh didn't return. And besides, Fire Lord Azulon is a picture of health" Ursa scolds her daughter

"How would you like it if cousin Lu Ten wanted Dad to die?" Zuko asks Azula annoyed

"I still think our dad would make a much better Fire Lord than His Royal Tea-Loving Kookiness" Azula sets the doll's head on fire.

-

Zuko, Kira, and Azula are happily playing together while Ursa sits in front of the fountain when a messenger in white approaches her with a scroll. She opens and reads it before standing up and crying. 

Ursa turns to the kids "Iroh has lost his son. Lu Ten did not survive the battle."

Zuko seems shocked and sad at the news, while Azula does not seem to react at all. Kira starts crying and Zuko hugs her comfortingly. Ursa walks over and comforts the kids.

-

"Princess Ursa, Zuko!"

Zuko and his mother looks up from their book to see Kira running over crying

"what's wrong?" Ursa asked worried

"my father he's gone" Kira cried "he died, just like Lu Ten"

Zuko and Ursa both hugged the girl.

-

Zuko is in the Royal Palace playing with his dagger from Iroh. He fakes his death, dramatically falling to the floor with a groan. Kira and Azula are sitting cross-legged behind him.

"You waste all your time playing with knives. You're not even good" Azula insults him

"Put an apple on your head and we'll find out how good I am!" Zuko shouts annoyed

"By the way, Uncle's coming home" Azula tells him

"Does that mean ... we won the War?" Zuko asks

"No, it means Uncle's a quitter and a loser" Azula replies spitefully

"What are you talking about?" Kira asks shocked at Azula's insult to Uncle Iroh 

"Uncle's not a quitter!" Zuko shouts

"Oh yes he is! He found out his son died and he just fell apart!" Azula shouts "A real general would stay and burn Ba Sing Se to the ground, not lose the battle and come home crying"

"How do you know what he should do? He's probably just sad his only kid is gone. Forever." Zuko replies sadly 

"Kira's father was good friends with Iroh too and he gave his life for this cause and Iroh runs back home to repay him!" Azula shouts

"my father would understand" Kira mumbles sadly

At that moment, Ursa appears in the doorway "Your father has requested an audience with Fire Lord Azulon. Best clothes, hurry up! Kira your presence is requested too"

Zuko and Kira run past Ursa quickly to get ready, while Azula walks rather slowly.

In the Fire Lord's chamber, a large room with many columns and a wall of fire in front of the Fire Lord's throne. Ozai, Ursa, Zuko, Azula, and Kira are all sitting on the floor some distance back from Fire Lord Azulon.

"And how was it Great-Grandfather Sozin managed to win the Battle of Han Tui?" Ozai asks

Zuko thought "Great-Grandfather won... because..."

"Because even though his army was outnumbered, he cleverly calculated his advantages. The enemy was downwind and there was a drought. Their defenses burned to a crisp in minutes" Azula answered

"Correct, my dear. Now, would you show Grandfather the new moves you demonstrated to me?" Ozai asks

Azula stands up and moves forward. She begins with some circular motions, warms herself up, and firebends. Ozai smiles. Azula does many fairly complicated moves with ease, and Zuko watches her in amazement. She finishes off her routine with a jump and a powerful fire blast toward the throne, before landing on her feet gracefully.

"She's a true prodigy! Just like her grandfather for whom she's named" Ozai praises

Azula sits back down and looks at Zuko out of the corner of her eye and whispers "You'll never catch up"

Zuko stands up angrily "I'd like to demonstrate what I've been learning"

Ozai frowns at this news. Zuko starts off well, doing the same circular motions as Azula earlier. He manages to produce a small fire blast, which does not impress Fire Lord Azulon. When he tries to create another one, he falls. He gets back up, panting heavily, and tries again, only to fall harder. Ursa and Kira gets up worriedly and approaches Zuko to comfort him.

"I failed" Zuko says sadly

"No. I-I loved watching you" Kira comforts him truthfully

"This is who you are, Zuko. Someone who keeps fighting even though it's hard" Ursa smiles

"In the aftermath of Lu Ten's death I have come to a decision!" Azulon announced suddenly, the 3 return back to their places as he continues speaking "Princess Kira your father bravely fought for the fire nation against his own kingdom and lost his life! So his sacrifice will be used to better his daughter's life, since your previous fiancé Lu Ten has also lost his life in battle I have decided that you will still be marrying into the royal family! By royal decree, from this moment onward, Prince Zuko and Princess Kira will be engaged! Princess Kira will take the position as Prince Zuko's Princess Consort or  first Concubine"

Zuko and Kira both blushed before bowing to Fire Lord Azulon "yes Fire Lord Azulon"

"Now Prince Ozai, tell me what you want. Everyone else, go!" Azulon commanded

Ursa, Kira, Zuko and Azula start walking out of the throne room; however, Azula pulls Zuko off to the side just before they exit. Kira and Ursa go to the pond to feed the ducks together.

"Kira dear, are you alright with this, being engaged to Zuko?" Ursa asks

"y-yes" Kira replied blushing

"oh i see" Ursa smiled "you have a crush on Zuko don't you"

"i-i..." Kira looked away embarrassed

"It's alright to admit it" Ursa laughed a bit "it's quite cute"

-

Zuko is sleeping in his room at night when a hand gently touches his shoulder. He awakens drowsily to see his mother dressed in a cloak.

"... Mom?" Zuko questions

"Zuko, please, my love, listen to me. Everything I've done, I've done to protect you." Ursa tells him

She pulls the barely conscious Zuko into a hug "Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are. Take care of Kira and she will take care of you. I love you Zuko" She turns away from him with a sad smile and disappears down the dark hallway.

Ursa walked into Kira's room and gently touches her shoulder like she did with Zuko

"Princess Ursa" Kira says as she sits up

"Please watch out for Zuko, he might become reckless so remind him who he is. Take care of Zuko and he will take care of you" Ursa tells her sadly "please stay by his side, please love him Kira. Be careful and remember to take care of yourself" She turns away from her with a sad smile, pulls her hood up and disappears.

-

Zuko is in his bed in his room. He wakes with a start.

"Mom?" Zuko leaps out of bed and runs out of his room down the hallway "Mom? Mom!"

Zuko enters a pillared room, where Azula is admiring Zuko's dagger from behind a pillar. She re-sheathes it and steps out to face Zuko.

"Where's Mom?" Zuko asks

"No one knows. Oh, and last night, Grandpa passed away" Azula replies

"Not funny, Azula! You're sick. And I want my knife back, now" Zuko tries to grab it, but misses as Azula quickly moves out of the way, and loudly grunts.

"Who's going to make me? Mom?" Azula asks tauntingly

Zuko dashes forward and grabs his knife from Azula, who was dangling in a tantalizing manner. He runs away to keep looking. Zuko reaches the garden where his father is standing still, staring into a pond.

"Where is she?" Zuko asks

Ozai does not acknowledge that he has heard Zuko. Zuko bows his head and runs in the opposite direction.

"Kira!" Zuko calls out desperately "Kira!"

Zuko runs around calling out in desperation, trying to keep the tears from falling "Kira!"

"Zuko"

Zuko stops and turns to see Kira standing in a hallway. He runs to her and hugs her, in that moment all Zuko could do was cry. Kira returned the hug and rubbed his back.

-

Row upon row of people standing on the palace grounds, wearing red hooded cloaks and carrying long, red, rectangular flags. At the top of the steps to the palace, a Fire Sage leader dressed in red, with several other Fire Sages in white behind him. There is an elaborate coffin behind him as well. Zuko, Kira, Azula, and Ozai are standing to his right.

"Azulon. Fire Lord to our nation for twenty-three years. You were our fearless leader in the Battle of Garsai. Our matchless conqueror of the Hu Xin Provinces. You were father of Iroh, father of Ozai, husband of Ilah, now passed. Grandfather of Lu Ten, now passed. Grandfather-in-law of Kira. Grandfather of Zuko, and Azula. We lay you to rest"

With those words, two attendants in white firebend Azulon's coffin, which was on a layer of wood so it burns easily. The Fire Sage holds up the fire crown "As was your dying wish, you are now succeeded by your second son" He places the fire crown in Ozai's top knot and steps away. "Hail Fire Lord Ozai!"

Ozai stands up, and the group of mourners wearing red and holding flags all kneel down at once, as do the Fire Sages behind him and Zuko, Kira, and Azula. Azula is smiling wickedly at this new development. Zuko looks over at Azula and the crowd with absolute fear in his eyes. Zuko held onto Kira's hand for some kind of comfort. From then on Kira was the only person in the castle he could trust and forever will be.