Ninety-three years into what seemed an endless war, in the early light of morning, a young woman with a long, dark braid boarded what had to be the fourth ferry since she had left Royal Caldera City the previous night. Twenty-four hours ago, the world had seemed at peace, or at least, her mind had, but now, with the Fire Lord's death to her name, even if only two people knew the truth, she was lost. At the age of twenty-seven, Princess Ursa had been banished and branded a traitor.

Within months, Ursa had settled into an apartment in a small city on the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. She blended in easily with the many refugees Iroh's siege had displaced. Ursa found work taking care of the children whose parents were scattered, fighting in the war or healing those hurt. Ursa had no family to provide for, so she was able to take adequate care of herself with the little money she made caring for the sticky children of those who needed more substantial jobs.

She had never really liked children. She had met and married prince Ozai on his sixteenth birthday; she was fourteen. Both were dignified and quiet and had no idea how to behave around Prince Iroh's six-year-old. They decided on their wedding night to avoid having any children for as long as possible. Ursa was sure they would make the worst parents to ever live.

But children came, four years later, screaming and squirming; Zuko looked nearly identical to portraits of Ozai.

The boy grew on her. He was sweet and eager to please and made her laugh. And when a second came, Ursa hoped that she would be able to care for her as she did Zuko, hoped that motherhood had transformed her into the guardian that her name implied, but she found that her preference was unique to Zuko and could never force herself to be more than formal with Azula. She brushed aside her guilt; Ozai showered the girl with plenty of attention.

As she watched the children who weren't her son play together, she thought that perhaps she would never completely outgrow her distaste for the loud, messy beings before her.

The city was colonized and Ursa was glad to see her culture pressed on those around her. She felt civilized again, dressed in the reds and greys and golds she had been raised in.

One afternoon shortly into the forced assimilation, a boy she watched over, but whose name she couldn't remember, burst into her door, tears streaming down his face and the backs of his hands burned. She led him into the kitchen by the forearm, leaving the three small children alone. She could tell what had happened before he said anything.

"You shouldn't have spoken out against them," she scolded him, tending to his hands as he glared defiantly out the window.

"They shouldn't be here."

"And you're going to make them leave? Stop trying to be a hero. They won't hesitate to kill you."

"I don't care. It's my duty to fight them."

"You're a child!"

He was glaring at her now. He was twelve years old, older than she had ever seen Zuko grow, and he had golden eyes; his father had been a Fire Nation soldier, his mother had said. Perhaps, Ursa wondered, this was what Zuko's eyes had looked like when he had earned his own banishment.

"Go home –and don't do anything else stupid."

Honestly, she didn't want the soldiers to leave. It would severely decrease the chances of Zuko ever stopping in the city.

All anyone could seem to talk about this spring was the approach of Sozin's Comet and what it would mean for their little city. Had they been a colony long enough to not be punished if the Avatar couldn't defeat the Fire Lord?

Everyone spoke in whispers, of course; soldiers still lined the streets, even if the newly returned Avatar did seem to be making his way across the Earth Kingdom. Ursa was considering fleeing to an older colony; if she knew Ozai, this little boy wouldn't stand a chance.

"Attention," a commanding voice called out from atop a mongoose lizard. The young girl led her mount to the center of the town square, flanked by two other girls that Ursa immediately recognized. "I am the Fire Nation Princess and my friends and I seem to have lost our supplies." She shot the girl in pink a glare. "I require food and a map of the surrounding areas. I am tracking the Avatar, so you can all understand the importance of the situation. Anything less than complete cooperation will not be tolerated."

Ursa considered going to Azula, telling her that she had missed her and apologizing for leaving. There had been many times over the years that Ursa had regretted not saying good-bye to her daughter. But she led the children around her inside, discreetly hiding her face before rushing inside and closing all the windows.

The Avatar had fallen, but this did not seem to have the crushing effect Ursa had expected. Instead, it seemed to make the Earth Kingdom commoners even more determined to win back their freedom.

Two weeks ago, three Water Tribe men had passed through speaking of miracles: the Avatar was alive and well, villages all across the earth Kingdom were rebelling against the tyranny, and there was going to be a solar eclipse, allowing an invasion of Royal Caldera City.

Men around her sprung up to join them, but Ursa felt conflicted. Though she felt some affection for those close to her, she was unsure if she could betray everything she had ever believed.

The day of the eclipse came and with it, a riot hit the city. Soldiers lay dead in the streets they were supposed to be patrolling. The patriots had donned their Earth Kingdom greens and were destroying anything and everything they came across. Children and adults could be heard screaming.

One man stood on top of a carriage that had been turned over.

"We must fight the Fire Nation's oppression over our people! The Avatar is alive, taking the Fire Nation capital as we speak, just as they have taken ours! Join together and fight for our country and freedom!"

Ursa could not force herself to cheer with the crowd amongst the horror. The man on the carriage shouted maniacally, holding a large poster of Fire Lord Ozai and setting it ablaze. He urged the citizens to join him, until they had a large pile of torn down Fire Nation propaganda, along with several old portraits that seemed to be stolen from the Fire Nation.

His eyes scanned the crowd and he froze, his face contorted in rage. He ran forward and clasped Ursa's arm.

"No! Please, let go!"

"Look at this!" he cried out, pulling her hair loose until it hung down like it did in the portrait of the royal family he had pulled from the pile to be burned. "The Fire Nation has invaded our homes!"

No one could hear her pleas over the angry cries from the crowd. Ursa was thrown to the ground and they turned on her.

Before the sun emerged from behind the moon, the banished Princess Ursa had been killed, unsure where her allegiance truly lied.

Three months after the war's end, and Earth Kingdom man named Tu and his children were led through the Fire Lord's palace. He kissed each of their heads and pushed aside the heavy red curtains to enter the throne room.

The Fire Lord was young, only seventeen, Tu had heard, and he looked his age. He was skinny and was swallowed up by his many robes. He looked at him hopefully, with one wide eye and one narrowed. Tu gave him a traditional Earth Kingdom bow.

"Hello, Fire Lord Zuko. I am truly honored to be in your presence."

"You say you can tell my what happened to my mother."

His voice cracked and he held tightly to the wrist of the thin, pale girl beside him.

"She came to our city as a refugee and she took care of my children for five years after their mother died. On the Day of Black Sun, there was a rebellion and a man had a portrait of the royal family. She was recognized and killed immediately."

He felt his chest ache for the young man, whose face had fallen dramatically. He began to scream, his head in his hands. He shook off the arms of his consort and stood up, shooting flames all around him.

"We were so close!"

The girl stood up and followed him, reaching out for his arm again, turning him to face her.

"Zuko, calm down."

"We were so close, Mai."

Tu looked away as the Fire Lord wept onto her shoulder.