Azara followed quickly after her sister, their small feet barely making a noise against the red carpet below them. They pressed their backs against the wall, looking around the corner at the back entrance to the kitchens. "Okay, I'm going to go in, you stay back here and act as a guard," Azula whispered to Azara, who frowned at her sister's suggestion.

"I was the guard last time, you be the guard this time," Azara snipped, grabbing her sister's arm, and tugging her back. Azula huffed in frustration as she turned around to face her sister.

"Well, it worked last time, so obviously you're the better guard and I'm the better thief," Azula insisted, but Azara shook her head.

"I'm not being the guard again!" Azara argued, crossing her arms over her chest. "You do it!"

"Shut up!"

"You shut up!"

"What are you two doing out of bed?" a voice asked from behind them, causing the two sisters to whip around, identical innocent smiles on their faces.

"Nothing, Lu Ten," Azara spoke softly, causing her cousin to quirk an eyebrow as he sent a knowing smirk at his two youngest cousins.

"So, you two just both happen to be out of bed by the kitchens for no apparent reason at all?" Lu Ten inquired, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's correct," Azula lied, still smiling up at Lu Ten.

"And it wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you know that the kitchen is preparing mochi as we speak for the festival tomorrow?" Lu Ten prodded, a knowing smile on his face as Azara and Azula shot each other a look.

"Please don't tell our parents!" they suddenly choked out in unison, causing Lu Ten to chuckle before he squatted down to their level.

"I won't tell your parents," Lu Ten promised, causing Azula and Azara to sigh in relief. "And I believe that I have a solution to your other problem." Azula and Azara turned to look at each other, before smiling and nodding at Lu Ten.

Azula and Azara hid behind the door to the kitchen as Lu Ten strode in confidently, his normal kind smile plastered across his face as he greeted the kitchen staff. "Prince Lu Ten, to what do we owe the pleasure?" the head cook, a woman about Uncle Iroh's age, asked as Lu Ten inspected the kitchen. His eyes landed on the mochi, which were placed in the corner of the room.

Smiling at the cooks, Lu Ten discretely pointed in the direction of the mochi with his hand that was hidden behind his back. Azula and Azara crept forwards in the direction of the mochi as Lu Ten conversed with the kitchen staff. "I was just passing by on the way to my quarters and I couldn't help myself from coming to see your wonderful cooking before the festival tomorrow," Lu Ten replied smoothly as Azara and Azula reached the boxes of mochi. Grabbing three boxes each, the two girls shuffled out quietly as Lu Ten continued to talk with the kitchen staff.

Spotting Azara and Azula slip out with the mochi boxes, Lu Ten widened his smile and bowed lightly to the kitchen staff. "Thank you for your time, but I'm afraid I must be going. Big plans tomorrow, you know," Lu Ten spoke, causing the kitchen staff to bow to the prince as he slowly walked out, blocking any sign of Azula or Azara. Lu Ten nodded to the kitchen staff again before he closed the door slowly behind him.

Confident that no one was going to follow him out, Lu Ten turned to his cousins, who were already munching on some of the mochi they had stolen. "How did we do?" Lu Ten asked, bending down as Azara handed him two boxes of his own.

"Our best score yet," Azara noted proudly as Azula nodded, powdered sugar already covering her lips from the mochi. Lu Ten chuckled before grabbing a mochi himself.

Azara sat up suddenly in bed, breathing heavily. Looking around at the room she found herself in, Azara sighed and swung her legs around to the place on the floor. She wasn't in the Fire Nation, she was in Ba Sing Se, she reminded herself. Sighing quietly, she held her face in her hands as she forced the memories back again. She had gone so long without memories of the Fire Nation slipping into her dreams, but obviously their arrival in Ba Sing Se had undone her streak.

Sighing again, Azara noted the lack of light in the room she shared with Katara and Toph, who were both still asleep. It was early, but Azara knew she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. No, she needed to move, she needed to do something. Her thoughts drifted to the day that they had learned of Lu Ten's death, but she shook her head before she could replay them fully.

"No, I'm not going down that track again," Azara muttered, standing up and preparing for the day. As she dressed and braided back her hair, Azara paused as she thought over the reports that she had read on the failed siege of Ba Sing Se. From what she remembered, the Fire Nation had managed to pierce the Outer Wall, but they retreated before they pierced the Inner Wall. And she knew a great number of casualties occurred in the Agrarian Zone between the two walls.

Standing with new determination, Azara slipped out of the room quietly, leaving a note on her bed that she was going out to explore the city, before making her way outside the house. Walking along the Upper Ring streets, which were empty save for a few workers shuffling towards the manors, Azara kept her eyes focused ahead of her.

She hurried along, quickly reaching the train station in the middle of the Upper Ring. Azara slipped into the awaiting train and waited quietly for the train to start the journey towards the Lower Rings of Ba Sing Se. Sitting along the windows, Azara stared out at the passing city as her thoughts drifted again.

Azara walked quietly through the hallways of the Fire Nation palace, only the dim light of the moonlight illuminating the ground in front of her. On a normal night, the hallways of the Fire Nation palace would be heavily trafficked by guards, servants, nobles, and other miscellaneous Fire Nation citizens. But tonight, it was silent.

Although she was only nine years old, Azara felt like she had aged over the last week. One moment everything was great, as life should have been for the royal children. And the next, it was anything but great. Slipping into a nearby hallway, Azara waited for the usual rounds of the guards to pass by before carrying on her way.

Turning a corner, Azara slowed her steps as she walked past her room, choosing to go to the room next to her own. Knocking lightly on the door, Azara waited for a moment before pushing open the door. Her sister jumped to her feet as the door opened, before relaxing once she saw it was only Azara. "What do you want, Azara? It's late."

Azara wanted to comment on the noticeable redness in her sister's eyes but knew that bringing it up would escalate the situation and she didn't want to be alone tonight. "The kitchens were making mochi again," Azara stated as Azula looked over at her sister with a questioning look.

"Why should I care about that?" Azula snapped as Azara pulled out her pack and the three boxes of mochi she had stolen from the kitchen. Azara didn't respond to her sister, but merely held out a box, a knowing look in her eye. "Why did you steal three boxes?" Azula questioned as Azara fiddled with the golden band on her wrist.

"I thought we could bring one to him, like old times," Azara stated as Azula's eyes widened for a moment, before hardening.

"He's not here, Azara. He's gone," Azula muttered, glaring down at the box of mochi.

"I know," Azara nodded quietly, staring at her sister. "Did you want to come with me?" she offered after a moment. Azula didn't say anything, so Azara simply grabbed the two remaining mochi boxes and turned to leave. As she was about to slip out the door, Azara grabbed her arm, their matching gold bracelets catching the light of the moon.

Azara and Azula didn't say anything, but a message of understanding was passed between them before they slipped out into the palace hallway. Walking through the path they had memorized from a young age, the two sisters reached their destination, a door draped with white flowers. Opening the door to the room, Azara and Azula stood in front of the altar at the foot of the bed, Lu Ten's smiling portrait smiling back at them.

The two sisters worked quietly to relight the candles around the room before sitting down on the floor in front of the portrait. Azara turned to Azula before picking up a mochi box. Together, the sisters placed the box on the altar, before opening their own boxes and munching on mochi silently, neither choosing to acknowledge the tears dripping from the other's eyes.

"Final stop!" the train conductor yelled out, causing Azara to stumble out of her dream. Looking out the window, Azara frowned as she spotted the Lower Ring below her.

Standing up, she walked over to the train conductor, who was glancing up at the sky as she approached. "Excuse me, this is the last stop on this train?" Azara asked, causing the train conductor to look over at her with a bored expression on his face.

"Yes, that's what I just announced," he muttered, causing Azara to roll her eyes internally.

"I understand that, but I need to get to the Agrarian Zone," Azara replied calmly as the train conductor looked at her oddly.

"Why would you need to get to the Agrarian Zone?" he questioned, causing Azara to purse her lips together in frustration. "Besides, no trains stop in the Agrarian Zone. It's just the Inner Walls and the Outer Wall. You can enter the Agrarian Zone from the Lower Ring on the ground," the train conductor informed her before walking off.

Azara huffed, before stepping off the train and starting to walk down to the Lower Ring. In the time that it had taken her to get to the Lower Ring, the sun had risen higher, and the streets were now full of refugees and day laborers. Azara glanced through the crowd, trying to see any opening in the Lower Wall that she could exit through.

Pushing through the crowd, Azara continued to walk along the main street, but there was still no sign of the supposed gate the train conductor was referring to. Sighing in frustration, Azara stopped beside an alley and rubbed her face tiredly. "This was such a dumb idea, Azara," she muttered to herself, glaring up at the Lower Wall.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of a scuffle in the alley behind her. Turning around, Azara hurried towards to the noise. As she turned the corner, she saw a woman being pinned against the wall by a larger man, who had a sinister grin on his face. Behind the two of them, two children were being held back from the woman by other goons.

"Leave her alone!" the little boy shouted out, trying to wrestle himself from the grip he found himself in.

"Minung, stop! I can handle this," the woman ordered the boy, who continued to struggle in the man's grasp. "Please, leave the children out of this—"

"—I'm afraid I can't do that, Shoma," the man sighed dramatically before leaning in closer to the woman.

"Hey! Why don't you pick on someone your own size!?" Azara snapped, stepping forwards, glaring at the three men. The man who held the woman against the wall scoffed, staring over at Azara.

"Mind your business, girl, this doesn't concern you," he snapped as Azara stepped forwards.

"I'm asking nicely for you to let the woman and the kids go. Don't make me ask again," Azara warned, raising her fists as she prepared for a fight. The three men chuckled as Shoma looked at Azara worriedly.

"Get rid of this girl while I finish up business," the man snapped to his goons, who shoved the kids they were holding to the ground before charging at Azara. The firebender gazed at the two men before getting into her stance. The first man to reach her threw a punch at her head, but Azara easily dodged the strike and kicked the man's feet out from under him, causing him to tumble to the ground.

The other goon jumped forwards, brandishing a jagged knife. Azara dodged two slashes of the knife before grabbed the man's wrist and twisting hard, causing him to scream out in pain and drop the knife. Azara pulled him down to knee him in the face before turning back to the first man who had charged her. Blocking his fist again with her arm, Azara spun and landed a kick on his stomach, sending him back again.

Turning back to the man who held the woman hostage, Azara glared at him as he stared at her in horror. "Who the hell are you? Who sent you?" he demanded, stepping forwards.

"None of your concern," Azara scoffed as the man turned and charged at her. Azara took a step back before raising her leg to block his kick. Ducking under his swing, Azara leaned down and grabbed the man around his waist, throwing him straight onto his back by using his own body weight against himself. As the man groaned on the ground, Azara glared over him. "Now, leave this woman alone and I'll leave your face intact," Azara demanded as the three men got to their feet shakily.

"You don't understand, this woman owes me a debt!" the man tried to argue, pulling out a scroll and glaring at the woman behind Azara. "You're helping a thief!"

"A debt you say?" Azara asked, holding out her hand. The man looked at her warily before tossing her the scroll. Azara caught it easily in her hand, but she didn't even spare a glance at it before incinerating it in her palms.

"You're . . ." the men gasped out, staring at Azara with newfound fear in their eyes.

"I'm about to get even angrier if you three don't get out of my sight," Azara snapped, causing the men to scramble out of the alley. Satisfied that they were gone, Azara turned around to the woman and the two children, who stared at her in amazement. "Is everyone okay?" Azara questioned, glancing over them for any sign of injuries.

"Hey, you're just like my dad—" the boy started to say when he was cut off by the woman.

"—Minung!" the woman scolded, causing the boy to stop his sentence. Sighing, the woman smiled up at Azara. "Thank you for your help. Those men have been terrorizing my family for weeks," she explained as Azara nodded back to her.

"Happy to help," Azara replied, though she stared at the boy with curiosity at his earlier statement. As she glanced over the boy, her eyes widened slightly when she noted his amber eyes.

"How did you defeat those guys? You didn't even look like you were trying!" the little girl exclaimed, running over to Azara with Minung close behind her.

"Years of training," Azara smiled, bending down to the children's height. "I started when I was about your age."

"Wow," the two children gasped, causing Azara to chuckle in amusement.

"Minung, Liang, leave the woman alone. I'm sure she has many things of her own to get to," Shoma replied, placing her hands on her hips.

"It's really not a problem," Azara insisted as the children turned back around to face the firebender. "I was just walking through."

"Where were you going?" Liang asked Azara, who smiled kindly down at the girl.

"Just . . . wandering," Azara finally responded as Minung rushed over to grab her hand.

"You should join us for lunch!" Minung offered, his sister nodding enthusiastically next to him.

"Well, I wouldn't want to intrude," Azara trailed off, looking up at Shoma, who sighed before smiling at Azara.

"I supposed we do owe you for helping us. But only if you have time," Shoma stated, causing Azara to smile and nod.

"I would be honored to join you for lunch," Azara nodded, causing Liang and Minung to cheer next to her.

"Wonderful. But I don't believe that we caught your name," Shoma requested as the small family led her through the back alleys of the Lower Ring towards their home.

"My name's Azara," she introduced, causing Liang to turn to her mother with wide eyes.

"Like from the stories Dad told us?" Liang questioned her mother, who looked at Azara with surprise.

"Your dad?" Azara inquired, looking between Liang and Minung for any more details about their mysterious father, who she apparently reminded them of.

"Yeah, Dad's not from Ba—" Minung started to explain, before his mother cut him off again.

"—Minung, lower your voice," Shoma scolded, before turning to Azara with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, it's just . . . I'll explain once we're in a more . . . secluded area." Azara nodded, glancing up at the roofs for any sign of the Dai Li agents who had already caused her plenty of problems.

As they continued through the streets, Azara's mind was racing a million miles a minute. If Minung said his father was like Azara, and that his father was not from here . . . her mind couldn't help but drift to the possibilities.

After turning another corner, Minung and Liang took off for a pavilion of sorts, which was surrounded on all four sides by apartments. "Dad, come look who we found!" Minung shouted before running through the tarp and into the building, his sister close behind him. As Shoma and Azara entered the pavilion, Shoma greeting some of the other people hanging around. They all stared at Azara incredulously.

"Do I have something on my face?" Azara joked as she grew increasingly unnerved by the surprised looks on the faces of the people around her.

"It's very rare for us to bring visitors home," Shoma explained, nodding to her neighbors as Azara glanced around the compound. "We're very . . . cautious of bringing outsiders here."

"Do you mind if I ask why that is?" Azara asked as Liang burst from the tarp, running down to grab Azara's hand. Azara let the small girl tug her towards the main entrance to the apartment buildings.

"My dad's coming out to see you," Liang whispered, an excited look on her face. Azara waited at the base of the stairs, her heart thumping in her chest. At the sound of footsteps, Azara stared up at the tarp covering the doorway. Minung ran through first before a hand reached out and pulled back the tarp. Azara held her breath as she waited for the figure to become fully visible to her. Her lips started to twinge into a smile as the figure straightened up.

But as she stared into unfamiliar eyes, Azara's smile dropped to the ground and shattering into a million pieces. She couldn't help the tears that dribbled from her eye as the man stepped forwards, a knowing look on his face. "This is our dad, Jun. Dad, this is our new friend, Azara," Minung introduced as Jun thanked his son quietly.

Turning to the Fire Nation princess, Jun appeared apologetic as he noticed the tears in Azara's eyes. "You were expecting someone else, weren't you?" he inquired quietly, as Azara nodded, wiping the tears away quickly.

"I'm sorry, I just . . ." Azara rambled out as fresh tears appeared. ". . . I thought, some part of me just hoped that he . . . my cousin . . . was here all along." Shoma rested a reassuring hand on Azara's shoulder as she hurried to wipe the rest of the tears from her cheeks.

"I'm sorry for the disappointment and for your loss, Princess Azara," Jun spoke softly, bowing lightly as Azara waved him off.

"You can just call me Azara," she insisted, causing the man to nod. "Forgive me for asking . . . but are you—"

"—Perhaps we should continue this conversation inside?" Jun interjected, looking around suspiciously for wandering ears.

"Of course," Azara nodded, before following him inside. Shoma pulled up the rear, shoving Minung and Liang in front of her, before she moved to close and lock the doors and windows of the room, bathing it in darkness. Before Azara could light a flame in her own hand, she found multiple flames decorating the room, held in the hands of her people.

Azara's eyes widened, her mouth falling open slightly at the sight of other firebenders. "You're all firebenders?" she gasped out as Minung stood beside her, showing her his own small flame.

"Not all of us," Jun corrected as he wrapped his arm around Shoma's waist. "My wife, for example, is of the Earth Kingdom."

"And I'm not a firebender," Liang announced, standing on Azara's other side. "Like my mom."

Azara found the words dying in her throat as she looked around at the refugees in the room, who all smiled kindly at her. "Forgive me for my . . . lack of words, I'm just . . ."

"Surprised?" a man joked from Jun's side, a thin scar running the left length of his face. "To see firebenders in Ba Sing Se?"

"Well, not only that, but firebenders who, well, aren't with the Fire Nation," Azara added, looking around at the group again. "I mean, I met other deserters, like Jeong Jeong, but . . . never this many. I always thought that deserters were . . . removed . . . immediately." Azara glanced down at Minung and Liang before turning her gaze upwards again.

"Most of us never officially deserted," another man piped up from Azara's left. "We were predominantly left behind by our own nation." Azara noted how he cradled one arm to his chest, which was covered in thick scar tissue.

"And with the Fire Nation, missing or crippled is as good as dead," Jun stated, causing Azara to nod in agreement. "But a few of us deserted, like Shaozu and Tuzo." Azara followed his gesture across the room to two men who smiled and nodded at her.

"You deserted? And survived?" Azara questioned, looking surprised over at the two men.

"Well, we were initially captured by a group of Southern Water Tribe warriors, but they released us after we laid down our weapons and relinquished our armor," Shaozu explained, causing Azara's eyes to widen in recognition.

"The Water Tribe men, were they led by a man named Hakoda?" Azara inquired, causing the two Fire Nation men to nod.

"The very same. Very honorable," Tuzo spoke softly, causing Azara to smile and nod.

"Well, I'm glad that you were able to escape the Fire Nation successfully either way," Azara commented, before turning to the man next to Jun.

"Many of us have you to thank for our escape, Princess," he replied, causing Azara to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"While I'm flattered, I don't see how I played a role in any of your escapes," Azara responded, causing Jun to smile and chuckle.

"Do you have any idea how damaging your change of allegiance was to the whole image of the Fire Nation? Many soldiers turned to each other and started to question what they were doing if a princess had chosen to abandon ship," Jun explained as the man next to him nodded. "Take it from Aiki, your whole journey with the Avatar inspired a resistance movement in the Fire Nation and abroad."

Azara's eyes widened in shock at the new information. "I had no idea," she gasped out as the soldiers around her chuckled at her surprise.

"It's true, my dad tells us stories he heard from others about you," Liang smiled as she leaned over towards Azara.

"And it helps to have a more . . . positive role model for Minung to look up to," Shoma added as Azara turned to Minung, who was nodding vigorously.

"Yeah, my dad says people like you prove that not all firebenders are bad," Minung explained as Azara smiled, ruffling his hair.

"Your dad is right, Minung," she nodded, glancing up at Jun before turning back to the younger boy beside her. "But you also have to be careful. Not a lot of people like people like us, for a reason. Still, you shouldn't be ashamed to be a firebender, Minung. It's part of who you are, who we are," Azara explained, smiling around at the group.

Lunch was soon served, the group breaking into various conversations about their days or gossip running around the Lower Ring. Turning her gaze up to the woman she had saved earlier, Azara couldn't help the question that was dying to pop out of her mouth. "If I could ask you a question, Shoma?" she questioned, causing the woman to turn towards her, a kind smile on her face.

"Of course, Azara. You did save me earlier today, I find it only fair," Shoma smiled as Jun looked at his wife questioningly.

"She saved you?" he asked quietly as Shoma turned to her husband.

"From Yu and his goons," Shoma dismissed as her husband's eyebrows shot up in concern. "But after what Azara put them through today, I don't think they'll be bothering us ever again." Shoma patted her husband on the knee in reassurance, before turning back to Azara, waiting for her question.

"Does it . . . I mean, didn't it bother you that, well, that they're Fire Nation?" Azara stuttered out, glancing around the room for a moment, before turning back to Shoma.

The Earth Kingdom woman nodded at Azara's question, straightening up as she pondered how to best answer it. "I'll admit I was surprised and taken aback when Jun finally told me," Shoma spoke, smiling up at her husband, before turning back to Azara. "But, at the end of the day, I love my husband and my children more than I fear or hate the Fire Nation."

Jun kissed the side of his wife's face as she finished speaking, causing Azara to smile and nod. "It warms my heart to see people of different nations coexisting so peacefully here. I only wish that this war would end so that this peace can spread further." The group smiled and nodded at Azara's words.

She spent another hour talking with her fellow Fire Nation refugees before getting up to leave. "Thank you for all of your hospitality, but I really should be returning to my own residence," Azara announced softly as Jun and Shoma nodded.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Azara, and thank you again for earlier," Shoma replied, grasping Azara's hands in her own.

"Of course. Please stay safe, all of you," Azara stated to the group, who nodded back to her.

"Allow me to walk you out," Jun offered, causing Azara to nod, and follow him out of the building, Minung and Liang on her heels.

"Do you really have to go?" Minung whined, his father chuckling at his insistence.

"I'm afraid so, but I'll return one day," Azara promised, leaning down to bid goodbye to the children. "But only if you behave for your parents while I'm gone."

"Promise!" the two children chorused before rushing forwards to hug her. Azara chuckled before hugging the two back. Releasing the children, Azara stood up and smiled at Jun.

"Run inside with your mother," Jun ordered his children, who whined, but trudged inside after waving goodbye to Azara. Once they were out of sight, Jun turned to Azara. "I know that we were not who you were hoping to find today, but I hope we were able to provide you with some comfort."

"More than you could know," Azara returned, a genuine smile on her face. "In there . . . that reminded me of home from so long ago, I nearly forgot it happened." The two stood silently for a moment before Jun continued.

"I didn't know your cousin personally, Azara, but there's no doubt in my mind that he would have been proud of you for choosing your own path and for all the people you've helped along the way," Jun spoke, a kind smile on his face. "I know we all are."

"Thank you," Azara nodded, fresh tears pooling in her eyes at his words and the mention of her cousin again. "I know he would be."

"And know too that you have the support of more of us than you think. You're not alone out here Azara," Jun added, as Azara nodded, a warm smile on her face. The two bowed to each other, the bottom of their left palms resting against their right knuckles, before Azara straightened up and walked out of the pavilion, heading back towards the train station with newfound peace in her heart.

A.N. So, here's The Tale of Azara! So, it wasn't Lu Ten, but I hope you guys still enjoyed the chapter. In preparation for writing this chapter, I was reading a whole bunch of theories about Lu Ten and honestly got really wrapped up in the theory that Ozai ordered an assassin or something to kill him in Ba Sing Se. Anyone have any favorite Lu Ten theories or headcanons? 

And super shout out to everyone who got this story to 6000 votes! Thanks as always for reading, voting, and commenting!! The Tale of Azara and Sokka should be out within a week, so stay tuned!