History TearJerker / AvatarTheLastAirbenderTheSearch

* Ursa's beautifully tragic backstory: Years ago, she was but an aspiring young actress in Hira'a, who lived a comfortable life with her high class parents, and was just engaged to her [[ChildhoodFriendRomance childhood friend]], [[NiceGuy sweet but]] [[LovableCoward "cowardly"]] Ikem. [[WaxingLyrical Then, everything changed when the royal family arrived]]... Swept up in a political marriage to Ozai, Ursa was taken away from her home. Ikem tried to stop them, but when the royal family threatened his life, Ursa [[CruelToBeKind told him she gladly accepted Ozai's proposal]] and [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim tearfully told him to go home]]. At their wedding reception, Ozai told Ursa that [[KickTheDog she would never see her family again]], now that she belonged to him. And from there, her married life would go downhill...

** Even though it turns out [[spoiler: the letter was a fake meant to [[FeedTheMole see if the letters were being intercepted]], she does reveal to a livid Ozai that the sentiment behind the letters were true. She does wish her sweet son Zuko ''wasn't'' related to the cruel and odious Ozai.]]

* It's a small thing, but there's something prophetic about Ikem warning a young Ursa that if she goes along with Ozai's marriage proposal, it would entail a feeling of never belonging. Sure enough, in her [[spoiler: fake]] letter to Ikem years later, she admits to him that he was right all along: the pain of being Ozai's wife wasn't worth sacrificing her peaceful and idyllic in Hira'a with Ikem.

** Upon being banished, Ursa returned to Hira'a to live with her parents. But an unfamiliar little girl greeted her instead and informed Ursa that the old magistrate and his wife had died, leaving Ursa absolutely alone. The next panel is of Ursa crying on the empty theater stage in the very early morning, apparently having been there all night.

* In the present day, what sets off the adventure is Zuko trying to make peace with his imprisoned father and institutionalized sister. Why? Because during his studies, Zuko's teacher points out that a good Fire Lord treats their nation the way they treat their family, and how a Fire Lord who respects their family with dignity will ultimately do the same for the nation. This gives Zuko pause, as he realizes [[DysfunctionJunction the state of his family]] could be a troubling sign of how he'll ultimately run his nation: [[BigScrewedUpFamily his father is an abusive monster sitting in prison, his sister has lost her sanity, and his mother was banished]]. Although it's not to say he's to blame for any of this, it's still a sobering recap of how Zuko doesn't exactly have the most functional family in the Fire Nation.
* It gets worse when [[spoiler: said story has a BittersweetEnding, with most of Azula's issues (and sanity) still unresolved, and the future status of how Zuko, Ursa, Ikem, and Kiyi's familial situation will organize themselves is still very up in the air.]]

** Just the fact that Ozai had ''[[ForTheEvulz no practical reason]]'' to taunt Ursa that she would ''never'' be allowed to see her parents again for the rest of her life. Yet, he still decided to do so, during their wedding ceremony. All the while, poor Ursa's [[OhCrap expression]] speaks volumes of how devastated she is by this unpleasant news. No doubt Ursa had a lousy honeymoon...

** Fridge Sadness: [[spoiler: If one thinks it's sad as is, imagine how Azula feels knowing she's no longer the youngest in her family like she thought she was. It's hard enough when one gets middle-child-syndrome in a stable home setting. Now amplify it with Azula's current trauma, and you get a rather sobering situation.]]

** Ozai, for no practical reason. Taunts Ursa that she well ''never'' be allowed to see her parents again for the rest of her life. Which he decides to do, during their wedding ceremony. No doubt Ursa had a lousy honeymoon...

** The poor heartbroken look on Ursa's face when Ozai tells her [[spoiler: he recently sent an assassin to kill Ikem. (Thankfully, he was bluffing since he had just learned said assassin had failed).]]

* Ursa's beautifully tragic backstory: Years ago, she was but an aspiring young actress in Hira'a, who lived a comfortable life with her high class parents, and was just engaged to her [[ChildhoodFriendRomance childhood friend]], [[NiceGuy sweet but]] [[LovableCoward "cowardly"]] Ikem. [[WaxingLyrical Then, everything changed when the royal family arrived]]... Swept up in a political marriage to Ozai, Ursa was taken away from her home. Ikem tried to stop them, but when the royal family threatened his life, Ursa [[CruelToBeKind told him she gladly accepted Ozai's proposal]] and [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim tearfully told him to go home]]. At their wedding reception, Ozai told Ursa that [[KickTheDog she would never see her family again]], [[UpToEleven now that she belonged to him]]. And from there, her married life would go downhill...

** Ozai, for no practical reason. Taunts Ursa that she well ''never'' be allowed to her parents again for the rest of her life. Which he decides to do, during their wedding ceremony. No doubt Ursa had a lousy honeymoon...

* Ursa's beautifully tragic backstory: Years ago, she was but an aspiring young actress in Hira'a, who lived a comfortable life with her high class parents, and was just engaged to her [[ChildhoodFriendRomance childhood friend]], [[NiceGuy sweet but]] [[LovableCoward "cowardly"]] Ikem. [[WaxingLyrical Then, everything changed when the royal family arrived]]... Swept up in a political marriage to Ozai, Ursa was taken away from her home. Ikem tried to stop them, but when the royal family threatened his life, Ursa [[CruelToBeKind told him she gladly accepted Ozai's proposal]] and [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim tearfully told him to go home]]. At their wedding reception, Ozai sadistically told Ursa that [[KickTheDog she would never see her family again]], [[UpToEleven now that she belonged to him]]. And from there, her married life would go downhill...

* Ever since he read his mother's letter, Zuko has been under the impression that [[spoiler: Ikem/Noren was his biological father. There's a certain [[HopeSpot hope]] that maybe, he's not meant to be with the monstrous Ozai and his insane daughter, but rather belongs in Hira'a with [[ChangelingFantasy Ursa, Noren and sweet little Kiyi]]. There's even that momentary bit where he calls Noren "[his] father". But then in the end, Ursa reveals the truth with a heavy heart: what she wrote in that letter was [[YankTheDogsChain a lie]], she only said it to [[FeedTheMole oust]] Ozai stealing her letters. Zuko somberly realizes Ozai, in all his cruelty, is his biological father. He comes to an acceptance of it, but it's still poignant that Zuko can't escape his relation to such a despicable, abusive man.]]

** The poor heartbroken look on Ursa's face when Ozai tells her [[spoiler: he recently sent an assassin to kill Ikem. (Thankfully, he was bluffing).]]

** Azula's [[spoiler: final scene in the trilogy, in which she confronts her amnesiac, different-faced mother, probably takes the cake for the most heartwrenching moment. Just when you thought she couldn't possibly be more of a JerkassWoobie, she becomes one.]]

** ''The look on her face'' [[spoiler:when she realises Kiyi is her half-sister. [[ShadowArchetype This happy, well adjusted little girl who plays dolls and adores Zuko]] and...]] there is so much wrong with that situation.

-->'''Azula:''' Zuzu, how could you be so naive?!
-->'''Zuko:''' You're right. I ''have'' been naive. ''(to Sokka and Katara)'' Take her down.

* Ikem wasn't faring any better. After she left, [[HeroicBSOD he went into the woods to despair]], becoming a [[BeardOfSorrow unkempt hermit]]. [[spoiler: Even after he got a different face and started over as Noren, he never truly moved on. As indicated, when Ursa later asks why he didn't start a family, he sadly answers "[[TheMourningAfter You know why]]".]]

* Generally, [[spoiler: poor little Kiyi's trauma at what happens: her new friend (Zuko) suddenly turns scary {in her eyes) by insisting that her parents are his parent too, her father reveals several shocking truths he's kept to himself for years, Azula attacks in a violent rage and calls her a replacement for her, and finally, her mother gets a completely new face and identity.]]

* Fridge-Tearjerker: [[spoilier: Ursa choosing to forget her palace life ''and'' her children is sad enough on its own. But it gets sadder when one realizes the scope of why she made her choice. We as the readers know it would be five years time before Zuko became Firelord, and Ursa just had to bide her time until then. ''[[DramaticIrony But she didn't know that]]''. For as long as Ozai lived, she would never see Zuko or Azula ever again. This isn't just Ursa making a somewhat [[ParentsAsPeople selfish and flawed choice]]. This is her sadly coming to terms that [[DespairEventHorizon she'll never see her children again]].]]

* Ikem wasn't faring any better. After she left, [[HeroicBSOD he went into the woods to despair]], becoming a [[BeardOfSorrow unkempt hermit]]. [[spoiler: Even after he got a different face and started over as Noren, he never truly moved on. As indicated, when Ursa later asks why he didn't start a family, he sadly answers "[[TheLostLenore You know why]]".]]

* Ursa's beautifully tragic backstory: Years ago, she was but an aspiring young actress in Hira'a, who lived a comfortable life with her high class parents, and was just engaged to [[NiceGuy sweet but]] [[LovableCoward "cowardly"]] [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Ikem]]. [[WaxingLyrical Then, everything changed when the royal family arrived]]... Swept up in a political marriage to Ozai, Ursa was taken away from her home. Ikem tried to stop them, but when the royal family threatened his life, Ursa [[CruelToBeKind told him she gladly accepted Ozai's proposal]] and [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim tearfully told him to go home]]. At their wedding reception, Ozai sadistically told Ursa that [[KickTheDog she would never see her family again]], [[UpToEleven now that she belonged to him]]. And from there, her married life would go downhill...

* Ursa's beautifully tragic backstory: Years ago, she was but an aspiring young actress in Hira'a, who lived a comfortable life with her high class parents, and was on the precipice of being [[NiceGuy sweet but]] [[LovableCoward "cowardly"]] Ikem's fiance. [[WaxingLyrical Then, everything changed when the royal family arrived]]... Swept up in a political marriage to Ozai, Ursa was taken away from her home. Ikem tried to stop them, but when the royal family threatened his life, Ursa [[CruelToBeKind told him she gladly accepted Ozai's proposal]] and [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim tearfully told him to go home]]. At their wedding reception, Ozai sadistically told Ursa that [[KickTheDog she would never see her family again]], [[UpToEleven now that she belonged to him]]. And from there, her married life would go downhill...

** During Ursa's banishment, she decided to go home to live with her parents. But when she got there, a unfamiliar little girl greeted her instead. According to her, Ursa's parents died years ago. So she has no place to go.

* Ursa's beautifully tragic backstory: Years ago, she was but an aspiring young actress in Hira'a, who lived a comfortable life with her high class parents, and was on the precipice of being [[NiceGuy sweet but]] [[LovableCoward "cowardly"]] Ikem's fiance. [[WaxingLyrical Then, everything changed when the royal family arrived]]... Swept up in a political marriage to Ozai, Ursa was taken away from her home. Ikem tried to stop them, but when the royal family threatened his life, Ursa [[CruelToBeKind told him she gladly accepted Ozai's proposal]] and [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim tearfully told him to go home]]. At their wedding reception, Ozai told Ursa that [[KickTheDog she would never see her family again]], [[UpToEleven now that she belonged to him]]. And from there, her married life would go downhill...

* Ursa's beautifully tragic backstory: Years ago, she was but an aspiring young actress in Hira'a, who lived a comfortable life with her high class parents, and was on the precipice of being [[NiceGuy sweet but]] [[LovableCoward "cowardly"]] Ikem's fiance. [[WaxingLyrical Then, everything changed when the royal family arrived]]... Swept up in a political marriage to Ozai, Ursa was taken away from her home. Ikem tried to stop them, but when the royal family threatened his life, Ursa did [[CruelToBeKind the only merciful thing]] and [[BreakHisHeartToSaveHim told him to go home]]. At their wedding, Ozai told Ursa that [[KickTheDog she would never see her family again]]. And from there, her married life would go downhill...

** The poor heartbroken look on Ursa's face when Ozai tells her years later [[spoiler: he recently sent an assassin to kill Ikem. (Thankfully, he was bluffing).]]