The Search Part One

The Search Part 1 is the first installment in The Search trilogy, a series of graphic novels written as a continuation of the storyline established in The Promise trilogy, which was itself a continuation of the narrative set forth in Avatar: The Last Airbender. Much like in the previous trilogy, The Search Part 1 is written by comic author Gene Yang and illustrated by the art team Gurihiru, and was released by Dark Horse Comics on March 20, 2013.

Overview
''When an Earth Kingdom scholar points out that a nation is like a family, and by treating his own family with dignity, a ruler learns how to govern with dignity, Zuko is determined to set things right within his own family. He makes a deal with Azula, releasing her from the mental institution in exchange for her help on his quest to discover the truth about Ursa. With the help of Aang, Sokka, and Katara, the five set out on a journey toward Hira'a. Tensions between Azula and the rest stir trouble and an encounter with a wolf spirit delays them even more, though as they continue, they find their own dynamic to make it all work.''

Synopsis
The story begins with a conversation between two individuals, the first imploring the second to divulge the whole truth about their past life to the other. The second individual complies with the request and begins to tell the tale from the beginning.



Many years earlier in the Fire Nation town of Hira'a, Ikem, an actor in the village's theater troupe, is standing on a makeshift wooden stage, holding up a decorative mask while reciting lines from a script for an upcoming play about spirits, when he is suddenly startled by fellow actress and girlfriend Ursa, wearing a similarly styled mask. Ursa brings the news that she was cast as the Dragon Empress, to which an enthusiastic Ikem congratulates her, stating that he can now finally fulfill his lifetime ambition of kissing her in front of the entire village. The couple begins practicing their lines from the play with their masks on and attempt to kiss one another, though the masks interfere. Ursa removes hers, though Ikem just looks at her intently. Uneasily, she asks what is wrong, and is caught by surprise when Ikem asks her to marry him, wondering at first whether or not that was part of the script. Ikem takes off his mask, and, using a treasured memory from their shared childhood together, says that he has loved her since they were six. He takes the hand of a blushing Ursa and asks her once more if she will marry him. A beaming Ursa says yes and the two young lovers share a passionate kiss together.



The story shifts to the present day in 101 ASC, some weeks after the events of the Battle for Yu Dao. Avatar Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Fire Lord Zuko are assembled in a meeting chamber of the governor's place in Yu Dao together with Mayor Morishita and his wife, their daughter Kori, her boyfriend Sneers and other dignitaries to discuss the future of the city. The assembly is listening to a lecture of ancient Earth Kingdom theories in government delivered by an aged professor recommended by Earth King Kuei.

While the professor drones on, Sokka complains about the boring lecture to Aang, who sympathizes, believing there should be a new way to see the four nations as opposed to going back to the traditional division. Both are promptly shushed by Katara, who has been intently listening to the lecture. After a snide comment by Sokka aimed at his "boring" sister, he is smacked in the face by a snowball generated by Katara, who made it by bending her tea.



While this bit of commotion is going on, Zuko, who is also zoning out during the course of the lecture, snaps back to attention when the professor mentions the word "family" and interrupts him by asking to repeat his last statement. Though somewhat annoyed by the request, the professor complies nevertheless, reiterating the ancient Earth Kingdom philosophy regarding the nature of family and government and how the two are invariably intertwined. According to the professor, by treating their own family with dignity, a ruler learns how to govern their nation with dignity. Aang catches Zuko staring forlornly into space upon hearing those words, and inquires what is wrong. The Fire Lord recounts a litany of his family's dysfunctions: an imprisoned father, an institutionalized sister, both by his command, and a banished mother; he wonders aloud what that means for the Fire Nation's future. Aang attempts to assuage Zuko's fears, but is interrupted by Sokka's complaints about the professor's lecture again, saying only people like Katara are taking him seriously, which earns him another smack in the face with a snowball.

The story then goes back into the flashback, shortly after Ursa had accepted Ikem's proposal of marriage. An ebullient Ursa arrives home to give her parents the news of the proposal, only to find her mother Rina kneeling dejectedly and crying in the living room, Roku's headpiece cradled atop her lap, nestled within a crimson cloth. A distressed Ursa asks what is wrong and where her father, Jinzuk, is. Rina tearfully responds that he is in the greenhouse entertaining some "visitors" and tells Ursa to go there at once, but stops her momentarily to tell her daughter that she loves her.



Upon arriving at the greenhouse, Ursa is shocked to discover her father's "guests" are none other than Fire Lord Azulon and his youngest son, Prince Ozai. After comparing her beauty to her mother's flowers, Azulon reveals to Ursa the true reason for his visitation. He states that the Fire Sages had prophesied that a union between the bloodline of Avatar Roku and his own would yield a lineage of powerful rulers, ensuring his family's rule over the Fire Nation for centuries to come. Since he had needed to conduct a long and difficult search to locate the descendants of the Avatar, Azulon speculates it was done intentionally by Roku, though in the end, it had all been worth it, and introduces Ursa to his youngest son, Ozai, who was there to ask for the girl's hand.

Back in the present, Zuko had returned back to the Fire Nation, and was visiting the Capital City Prison, where he had arranged a meeting between his father and sister under the watchful eye of Suki and Ty Lee. However, the two Kyoshi Warriors inform him that not a word had been exchanged between the two prisoners. Hoping to break the silent impasse, Zuko enters the cell to serve them tea, though a bound Azula yanks the tray out of his hands with her teeth, making him fall over, much to Ozai's amusement. She angrily accuses her brother of wanting to watch her lap up the tea like an animal, since that would have been the only way she could have enjoyed the beverage while being restrained in a straitjacket. Any further outburst was prevented by Ty Lee's intervention by chi blocking her, sending her falling to the floor as well. Azula has a psychotic episode upon seeing her old friend, asking her how she and Mai had been convinced by someone else to lose their fear of her. Zuko calls Suki and Ty Lee off, attempting to restore order and enable dignified conversation. Azula interjects, however, that if he wants her and their father to have a dignified conversation, he should show them respect and let them talk in private. Despite Suki and Ty Lee's misgivings, Zuko complies and the three leave the cell.



Another flashback follows, showing a morose Ursa leaving her home aboard a komodo rhino-drawn carriage with Fire Lord Azulon and Prince Ozai after having agreed to the terms of the arranged marriage. When Ursa's name is shouted out and Azulon inquires as to what is going on, a guard informs them that a commoner is blocking the road. Ikem, armed with wooden prop swords and ready to fight, calls out to the Fire Lord, stating that he cannot let him get away with his true love. The guards mock him and, on orders from Azulon, attempt to remove him from the road. However, despite not being a firebender and poorly armed, Ikem holds his own well against the more powerful royal guards. Ursa pleads with Ozai to call off the soldiers, stating that Ikem was just an old childhood friend and was confused. She promises to get him to leave if Ozai could ensure that Ikem would not get hurt. Calling the prince "[her] love", he complies and orders his men to stop, after which Ursa approaches Ikem, telling him to go home. Hurt, he wants her to tell him straight up that marrying Ozai is what she really wants and if so, he will go home. Ursa says that the marriage proposal has brought honor to her family and that she gladly accepted. With tears in her eyes, she tells Ikem to go home, for his and her sake. Devastated, Ikem remains behind, alone and upset on the roadside, as the entourage departs for the Fire Nation capital.

Back again in current time, night falls and Zuko, Ty Lee, Suki, and Azula, who is seated, bound and restrained in a wheelchair, are in the palace courtyard. Zuko orders the two Kyoshi Warriors to allow him to take Azula back to the palace by himself. Suki and Ty Lee reluctantly comply, despite Ty Lee's warning that the effects of her chi-blocking will soon wear off.



Once alone, Zuko questions his sister as to what she discussed with their father. Answering her brother's queries with trivialities, Azula asks him if he has been chi blocked before. When Zuko answers no, she describes the effects on the body in detail and in particular, describes the tremendous elasticity of the muscles and joints that develops prior to the body returning to normal. Azula demonstrates it by casually slipping her arm out of the straitjacket and firing a flash of lightning at Zuko, surprising him. She bounces right out of the wheelchair, shredding the straitjacket to pieces and begins to flee. Zuko orders Azula to stop, and shoots a fireball at his sister upon her refusal to heed his order. Azula somersaults, however, and positions herself so that Zuko's attack would cut through the chains binding her ankles, freeing her completely. Now able to move freely, she throws a blast of blue flame toward Zuko, before nimbly clambering up the side of a nearby building and blasting herself inside.

Returning to a vision of the past, Ikem sorrowfully walks through a terrain of rocks, before climbing onto a tree branch and crying. After gathering his thoughts, he starts construction on a makeshift campsite of branches and leaves, and fashions a weapon and makes a fire, resolving to live his life out as a hermit. Some time has passed as Ikem grew a beard. While sitting on a log staring at the fire, Ikem suddenly hears a slurping noise coming from the nearby river, and discovered a wolf spirit quenching its thirst.



Exiting the flashback, Zuko rushes inside the building through the torn window in pursuit of Azula. Inside the room with furniture set on fire, he finds two guards, one of which lying on the ground. He questions the other guard about Azula's whereabouts, and he runs off in the direction the guard points. The Fire Lord enters another room through a pair of double doors. The room is empty, though he feels the warmth of a framed Fire Nation emblem and firebends at it, causing the door to open and reveal a secret chamber. Zuko finds Azula ranting about her father overcoming "her" control to tell her the truth, while she is rummaging through a chest. She finds a series of envelopes which she claims are years' worth of letters Ursa had written, and tells Zuko to come have a look as they are the key to finding their mother. When Zuko steps closer, however, Azula burns the envelope and secretly hides the letter behind her back, though lets Zuko believe she has burned the actual letter. She laughs at her brother's shocked expression, before having a psychotic break down. Calming herself down, she tells Zuko that she also wants to find Ursa and would tell him what was in the letters on one condition.



The story shifts back to a vision of Ozai and a forlorn-looking Ursa's wedding. During the wedding dinner, Ozai tells his bride how lovely her parents are, a statement she happily acknowledges, saying that they had always been good to her. He implores her to definitely tell them that when she says goodbye to them, as no princess of the Fire Nation is allowed to maintain contact with her family, and has to sever all ties with her former life in order to be able to focus on her duties. Ignoring her state of complete shock, he kisses her on the cheek.

In the present, a week has passed since the meeting regarding Yu Dao, and Sokka, Katara, and Aang have arrived at the Fire Nation Palace where they are surprised to find Iroh, who tells Zuko that his friends are here. Noticing her absence, Zuko asks after Toph, to which Sokka responds that she is detained at her academy, since it gained more students after her original students showcased the possibilities of metalbending in battle.

As Katara inquires why they had been called to the palace, Zuko tells them that he obtained some information about his mother's whereabouts and that he wanted them to help him look for her while Iroh watched over the Fire Nation as interim Fire Lord. When he explains that the required information had come at a cost, Azula appears behind him, causing Katara to immediately waterbend ice spikes at her, though the Princess easily dodged the attack. Sokka and Aang also prepare to attack, though are halted when Suki and Ty Lee emerge, the former imploring them to let Zuko explain. Sokka and Suki joyfully reunite, while the Fire Lord explains to Team Avatar that Azula was the one who got the information about Ursa, and that she was coming with them, unbound and with dignity, to search for their mother. Though they all initially contest the idea, they agree when Iroh pointed out that Zuko has yearned for peace for a while now and that he was perhaps not the only one, referring to Azula.



The next day, Aang greets Azula before their trip, to which she responds by cautioning Aang's handling of her bag on his "shaggy beast". Aang pets Appa's nose to calm him, and airbends her bag onto his saddle without complaint.

Meanwhile, Katara expresses her distaste for the entire idea, to which Zuko replies that someone should keep an eye on Azula at all times. Sokka quickly volunteers to take the first guard, dismissing Zuko's statement that perhaps the task would be better handled by the benders by saying that he got it covered with his boomerang. With arrogant confidence, he tells Azula that it is time to go, threatening her with his weapon. Unimpressed, Azula zaps him with an electric shock, prompting Katara, Zuko, and Aang to bend water, fire, and earth respectively, immediately restraining the Fire Princess. Zuko manages to calm everyone down, reminding Azula of their deal. She simply replies that they would all get along perfectly if Zuko would keep his friends away from her. Meanwhile, Sokka changes his mind about taking the first watch, and offers the spot to one of the benders of the group.

As Appa flies away with Team Avatar and Azula, Iroh, holding a cup of tea, reminisces about the reason why he would have ever aspired to become Fire Lord of "this dreary place". He concludes that the problem with the Fire Nation is that they have had too many weapons and not enough tea, replacing the spear of the nearest guard with his cup, before announcing a "National Tea Appreciation Day" and telling him to drink up.

Now in the air, Sokka talks about how it would be just like old times, to which Aang responds that it would be better than old times because he could now kiss Katara whenever, and proceeds to kiss her, much to the dismay of Sokka. Commenting how much he wished Toph could have joined them, he turns everyone's attention to Azula, who requires knowing from the team whom "she" approached first, and how "she" convinced them to help ruin her life. As her outburst becomes more violent, Zuko holds her back, threateningly holding up his fist which starts to smoke. Azula dismisses the gesture, stating that she was just having some small talk with the others.



By the time Team Avatar was beginning to approach Hira'a, it was already evening and Zuko suggests to set up camp so they would not enter the town suspiciously in the middle of the night like a gang of bandits. Agreeing with the idea, Sokka turns to Aang in order to get him to lower Appa, but is startled upon noticing the gruesome face the Avatar makes, which Aang claims was caused by the presence of a spirit. Sokka makes fun of it, much to Katara's annoyance, and continues to do so even after Aang spotted the spirit running below them, since he was the only one able to see the creature. Katara smacks her brother in the face again with a snowball, adding to the commotion.

Azula utilizes the team's distractedness and tells them all goodbye, saying that she will travel to Hira'a on her own from there on. Much to Zuko's horror as they are still high in the air, she jumps off. Aang dives behind her, slowing down her free fall by grabbing hold of her and gliding down. Not appreciating the gesture, Azula turns and sets fire to one of the wings of Aang's glider, singeing it. Aang subsequently crashes down while Azula makes an elegant landing and runs off. As Appa lands, Zuko tells Katara and Sokka to make sure Aang was okay, while he would take care of his sister and runs after her.



Azula stops, as Ursa's image has appeared in a river which told her that she was just hurting herself. Azula yells angrily back at the river, telling her mother not to pretend to care for her, and that she is stronger than she realized. She also argues that Ursa had been conspiring to take her down from the moment that she was born, all because she was jealous of her power, though asks how she was able to contact Zuko, Ty Lee, and Mai after she had disappeared. She then triumphantly shows her mother's mirage the letter that she salvaged from Ozai's secret chamber and claims that she now has all the evidence she needs to take the throne from Zuko. However, blaming her mother for everything that had gone wrong in her life, she states that Ursa is the only thing still standing in her way to absolute power, thus she is on her way to Hira'a to end her life. Ursa responds by showing her love for her, but Azula, unable to cope with that information, covers her ears and screams, shutting out her mother's voice. Azula shatters the mirage by sending a lightning bolt straight through the reflection in the water, causing it to rise up, and yells that the love declaration was just Ursa's last treacherous act to turn her own mind against herself.

Zuko arrives to see a panting Azula, and asks who she was talking to. As Azula arrogantly brushes him off, he reminds her of their deal, to which Azula responds that she has no need for Zuko anymore since they are already that close to Hira'a. Both prepare to fight, though Katara intervenes by swiftly waterbending an ice case around Azula, incapacitating the princess. Azula angrily insults Katara for being an uncultured co-conspirator of Ursa, when she stops mid-sentence and stares in horror as the giant wolf spirit Aang had seen earlier appears by the river behind an oblivious Sokka, who believes her shocked expression is because of his boomerang.



Back in a vision, Ursa writes a letter which she hides in her dress once done. She moves to a picture of her and Ozai's wedding day and lifts it in order to reveal two masks from the Love Amongst Dragons play, the Blue Spirit mask, and another white mask. She lovingly caresses the mask of the "Dragon Emperor", which was Ikem's role, before someone knocks on her door. She conceals the masks again, and answers the door through which a young Zuko appears, recounting a nightmare in which his whole room was on fire with Azula standing in the middle, laughing at him. Ursa carries him back to his bed and told him it was only a nightmare, showing that Azula was sleeping in her bed. Tucking her son in, she tells him to hang onto the good dreams with all his might when they come.



Instead of returning to her own quarters, she walks through a hall and knocks on a door in a kitchen, which is answered by an old woman named Elua. Ursa entrusts Elua to deliver the letter to Hira'a safely in confidence, thanking her for her service, stating that she would not know what to do without the woman, as she has been like family to her. Elua happily obliges, though as Ursa has left, she moves to stash it away. However, she reads it first, and, shocked by the content, goes to hand it to Ozai, who was practicing his firebending, stating there was a secret that required his immediate attention. After Ozai read the letter, he yells out the impossibility of the secret, and crumples the letter in his hand.

Returning to the present time, Team Avatar is busily fighting with the wolf spirit. Combat is difficult as Aang does not want to hurt the spirit and implores everyone else to show respect for it as well, a notion that Sokka deems ridiculous since he just barely avoided the snapping jaws of the spirit. Zuko notices that the markings on the wolf spirit's chest resemble the gruesome expression Aang's face kept making. Claiming that he understood now, Aang addresses the wolf, saying that he is the Avatar and could therefore sense his presence before. He politely explains that he and his friends were on their way to Hira'a and apologizes for disturbing him. The spirit does not listen, however, and snaps at Aang again, who just barely avoids the attack. Zuko, Katara, and Sokka immediately launch a combined attack at the wolf, though to no avail, as he did not even seem to notice Sokka's boomerang hitting its forehead, nor Katara's water spikes at his chest, and just ate Zuko's fire and burped, much to the firebender's surprise. The spirit launches himself at Aang again, though Appa interferes and after a brief skirmish, slams the wolf down with a powerful swipe of his tail.



Aang tries to respectfully reason with the spirit again, inquiring if it was okay after Appa's attack. The spirit gets up and throws up moth wasps, which immediately attack the team. As they struggle with fending off the insects, Azula pleads with Zuko to free her so she can help them. Zuko hesitates, but after Azula points out that him freeing her could not possibly make things worse for them and states that he could not trust anyone anymore if he could not even trust his family, he melts her icy restraints. The Fire Princess keeps her word, and immediately generates a massive lightning bolt which she fires in a direction away from the team. The fierce light draws the moth-wasps to it, and they all follow it away from the group, the wolf spirit running along with them.



At nightfall, the team has set up camp. Sokka and Zuko are sitting around a fire, with Azula sleeping uneasily away from the group, shivering and talking to herself, Aang meditating, and Katara sleeping. Sokka questions why Zuko lets Azula sleep with her hands unbound, to which he responds that he is giving her a chance, since she did save them all from the moth wasps. He is confident that it would be okay, since Katara and Aang had agreed to each take a shift watching her as well. When Zuko asks why Sokka is still up, the Water Tribe warrior comically mentions that he has bladder issues since he drank too much water to get rid of the moth wasps' taste. Sokka looks over his shoulder to his sleeping sister, commenting on the cold temperature, before getting up and covering Katara lovingly with a blanket. Zuko is surprised by Sokka's caring action, wondering why he would still care for her after she had thrown so many snowballs in his face, to which Sokka answers that it evens out as he throws witticisms at her. When Zuko proceeds to point out that Sokka seemingly has the short end of that deal, he gets the simple answer that Sokka does not mind getting the short end of the deal when it comes to his sister.



Inspired by those words, Zuko asks if Sokka has another blanket to spare. After Sokka gives one to him, and retreats in the forest to empty his bladder, the Fire Lord moves to cover his shivering sister as well. Returning to his seat by the fire, he notices a letter tucked in her boot. He cautiously reaches for it, being careful not to wake her, and reads it: "My dearest Ikem, it's taken me a long time to admit it, but you were right. I belong with you. And nothing is worth this pain. My one consolation is our son Zuko. When I look into his eyes, it's as if I'm looking into yours. My thoughts are with you always. Love, Ursa." Zuko's surprise and shock grows more apparent the more he reads, and he looks up, completely bewildered, at the mention of "our son".

Series continuity

 * Before Rina directs her daughter to the greenhouse, she can be seen cradling Roku's Crown Prince headpiece.
 * The Blue Spirit mask can be seen in Ursa's palace chambers, together with the other theater masks from Love Amongst the Dragons.
 * Ursa was cast to play the Dragon Empress in Love Amongst the Dragons, a play she would often go watch with her family on Ember Island.

Goofs

 * On the cover for The Search Part 2, at the top of Zuko's right boot, there is a design in the shape of a point. However, in The Search Part 1, this design cannot be seen on Zuko's boot.
 * Azula has this design on her boots throughout the comic, but not on the cover of the comic.
 * On the first panel of page forty, the airbending emblem appears on Katara's necklace instead of waterbending's.

Trivia

 * In Ozai's secret chamber, there are artifacts from each of the four nations.
 * The white mask in Ursa's secret compartment closely resembles an early development art of the Blue Spirit mask.
 * Azulon took an interest in the flowers of magistrate Jinzuk's greenhouse. Notably, his great-grandfather let himself be portrayed standing amidst flowers and several leaves in his official portrait.
 * His son Iroh also took interest in gardening, as seen in Ba Sing Se, where he was tending penjing, small trees in his apartment.
 * The targets in Ozai's training chamber are clothed in the armor of the Fire Lord Ozaider Guards]].
 * The Earth Kingdom scholar's appearance, clothing, headgear, and even his speech about the importance and similarity between good governance and a harmonious family is extremely similar to the views of Mencius, a Confucian scholar and sage.
 * This is the first comic set after the end of the Hundred Year War in which Toph does not appear, though she is mentioned several times.
 * The wolf spirit somewhat resembles Moro, the wolf spirit in Princess Mononoke. The creators themselves have stated that they have drawn inspiration from that particular Miyazaki film several times.
 * This has led to controversy as to whether or not Zuko is actually the son of Fire Lord Ozai because Ursa's letter states that Zuko is the son of her and Ikem.