RAIN pattered on the roof, running down the glass windows of the carriage as it carried the Royal Siblings to the palace. A rain drop reached the bottom of the window before another. Azula sighed. She'd been silently hoping for the other raindrop to get there first.

"So, Azula-"

Azula continued watching the rain.

"Azula."

She didn't turn.

"Azula, look at me."

Azula finally looked over at her brother, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Please be on your best behavior?"

"'Be on my best behavior?' What am I, a six year old going to the market?"

"A sixteen year old who is lucky I took her out of a mental institution. Be nice."

"That's pushing it."

"Fine. Be tolerable. Can you manage that?"

Azula sighed. "I can try. No promises."

Zuko but his lip. Air filled his lungs as he tried to calm down. "Just... don't be a b*tch."

Azula looked at him as if he was the crazy one. "But that's my defining characteristic!"

"Find a new one." He huffed.

Azula shrugged. "Nope." She turned back to the window, her chin propped on her palm.

"I'm asking you to do ONE thing!"

"But it's the one thing that comes with strings that will make my life boring."

"If you can only be mean to have fun, you need new hobbies."

"You say that because you're boring. No wonder Mai broke up with you."

She heard Zuko's sharp inhale. Clearly, she'd hit a nerve. A smirk spread across her face. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?" She mocked.

"I will turn this carriage right around."

"Agni, you sound like our mother. Of course, you probably think that that's a good thing, don't you?"

"Of course I do. Mother is wonderful to be around. Unlike someone else I know."

"Yeah. It's a wonder she was around you so much."

"I'm not kidding about turning this thing around."

"I didn't think that you were."

"Why are you trying to get on my nerves?"

"Because it's fun. Why else?"

Zuko closed his eyes, regulating his breathing. Azula said nothing else, so he just took a moment to meditate. She was trying to get on his nerves for no reason other than that she was bored and she could. He shouldn't let her get to him. If he lashed out, it would just amuse her further. Just ignoring her was the best route to take.

A roll of thunder startled him out of his thoughts. A flash of lightning lit up the dark sky. Azula looked down at her hands, opening and closing them. Zuko kept an eye on her. He didn't need her running away again. It had taken months to find her again.

"I know it's still a little early, but happy birthday," he said.

"Is it that close?" She looked back over at him.

"Yeah. Two weeks."

She shrugged, leaning back against the window.

"You don't seem to excited."

"Why would I be? It's not that big of a deal. I'm turning seventeen. So what? I have a birthday every year, though I guess it's possible that you've forgotten that fact."

"I haven't forgot- well, I guess I forgot your last two birthdays, but that was an accident."

"As opposed to purposely forgetting? And why are you saying it now when you could two weeks from now? Trying for an ice breaker?"

"That's possible."

"Well, stop trying. You're just making this weirder. When will we get there?"

"About two hours."

"I'm going to take a nap."

"Azula-" once again, there was no response. He decided to just let her sleep. What was the harm?