Reaching the Fire Nation was just as treacherous as I thought it would be. I trailed behind Azula and Zuko like an abandoned pet hoping to be accepted. Mai would still glare at me from over her shoulder, grab Zuko's hand, and kiss him every time we made eye contact as if claiming ownership or marking her territory. I frowned, and my stomach somersaulted. I didn't know why it bothered me so much. I didn't care if she "owned" my childhood best friend. I'd never done a thing to her to deserve such a genuine hatred, nor had I had any intent to compete with her for his affection or attention. Ty Lee had become the only tolerable one, though she always had been when it came down to it. She played with my hair as we walked down the ramp to leave the ship, on our way to a ceremony. Azula would continuously yell at her to stop, but Ty Lee would sneak and braid my hair every time the princess wasn't looking. I rather enjoyed it— mainly because it irked Azula, and that was one of the very few pleasures left in my life.

We stood on a balcony behind a wall of fire, listening as Azula's mentors recalled the entire endeavor to what looked like every Fire Nation citizen within a thirty-mile radius.

"Your princess, Azula— clever and beautiful— disguised herself as the enemy and entered the Earth Kingdom," shouted an old woman.

Another old woman, identical to the first, continued. "In Ba Sing Se, she found her brother Zuko—"

"—and, together they faced the Avatar!"

Their voices collided, giving me chills. "And the Avatar fell! And the Earth Kingdom fell!"

"Azula's agents quickly overtook the entire city—"

"—they went to Ba Sing Se's Great Walls —"

Together, they shouted, "—and brought them down!"

"The army of the Fire Nation surged through the wall—"

"—and swarmed over Ba Sing Se, securing our victory!"

In unison, they announced, "Now the heroes have returned home!"

Azula proudly emerged through the flaming barrier at her cue, and everyone cheered. Zuko looked at me for approval, and I looked away. Don't seek my approval, I thought. You won't get it. He frowned and looked forward, emerging through the fire just as his sister did. The crowed cheered even louder.

"Isn't it great?" Ty Lee beamed. "Zuko's finally home! He doesn't have to live like a poor person anymore!" She stopped and looked at me, tilting her head with an innocent smile. "No offense, Saki. On the bright side, you get to live in the palace again! Aren't you so excited?"

"Ecstatic," I replied dryly, then gave a forced smile.

She squeezed my arm excitedly. If I was going to have someone on my side throughout this ordeal, I was glad that it was her. Her optimism was relieving. I spent that afternoon in the garden. I sat by the turtle-duck pond and tossed bread crumbs into the water. I smiled as I looked down at one of the ducklings. It paddled towards me in hopes of catching more while its siblings were fighting over a single chunk of bread.

"My mother used to bring us out here when we were younger." Zuko's voice startled me. I didn't turn to look at him, and he welcomed himself to sit next to me. "I remember when she first brought you to the palace. We were expecting some sort of souvenirs from her trip to the South Pole; Uncle would always send me a weapon native to wherever he was, and Azula would get dolls. Imagine our surprise when she came back with a little Water Tribe girl." He gave a soft, short laugh and looked at me. When I didn't look at him or laugh, he cleared his throat nervously. "You were so fascinating. I'd never met anyone like you—"

"Is this your way of apologizing?" I blurted.

Aghast, he tripped over his words. "I— No— Why would—"

"Good because you're doing an awful job," I said bluntly. "You don't get to just be friendly and act like things didn't happen in the way that they did."

"Saki," he frowned. "I followed my heart, just like you told me to— and now you're angry at me for it!"

"No, you didn't," I replied. "I know you like I know my own mind, and this is not the you that I know."

"What are you doing out here?" Azula's sharp voice came from behind me, once again leaving me with a racing heart. She glared down at me. "You have no right to speak to a member of the royal family so casually. Stop wasting everyone's time and go do my laundry. I want everything cleaner than it was when it was new. Are you really going to make me repeat myself? Go!"

I stood up and scurried back into the palace, tossing the remainder of the bread onto the ground next to Zuko. Behind me, I heard, "Honestly, ZuZu, I would've expected you to be bored of that peasant ages ago."

I rushed through the maze of halls and reached Azula's larger-than-life chamber doors. Two guards stood outside her door even though she wasn't in the room. They eyed me in a that could only be described as creepy. I looked forward and entered her room, their eyes still focused on me. I overheard one of them mutter under his breath, "Man, has she changed in three years."

"Careful," the other warned his buddy as I collected Azula's clothing. "She belongs to Prince Zuko. If he hears you saying that, you're a goner."

I straightened up, carrying the clothing in a basket as I exited the room. I turned around, and they were at attention again, as if they thought I hadn't heard them. "Let's get something straight," I said. "I belong to nobody— and I especially don't belong to a pompous prince, or a couple of meatheads like yourselves." I turned away and bit the inside of my cheek.

I don't want to be here, I thought. Spirits, I want to go home!