A/N So this is an idea that while Aang was trapped in the ice his spirit wondered but he never remembered these trips.
Prompts: Aang
dialogue) "There are so many… I don't know what to choose"
(quote) Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one simply remembers to turn on the light - Albus Dumbledore, Prisoner of Azkaban, J. K. Rowling
Waterbender
Words: 915
The Throne Room
Aang watched silently in the thrown room of Fire Lord Azulon. He had been there for so many years the spirit had lost count. There was a great war going on outside the walls but here, here was where it all happened. Aang wondered whether he'd ever wake up and be able to stop all this but for now he'd just watch and hope things would get better. He had hopes for the crown prince to make things right. Aang liked him; the crown prince seemed like a good man and a good father. It was possible he would be able to see the light and stop this war.
Aang watched as Azulon walked into the thrown room and lit the fire and waited for something. That something was four people, the younger prince and his family. Aang was intrigued as he rarely saw the younger prince in the thrown room, let alone the prince's family. Aang liked the prince's wife Ursa, she reminded him of someone but he couldn't place who. The children were a different story to Aang. Aang imagined that he could be friends with the older one, Zuko. He seemed to have a good heart and got along with his mother well. He wasn't the most accomplished bender Aang had ever seen but he was only ten so really, who was? The sister was ambitious and a daddy's girl, even though from what Aang watched that was contingent on her abilities and not from love.
"What does he want now?" Aang muttered to himself, leaning against a pillar.
Suddenly as the scene unfolded Aang went from mild interest to shock, sadness and back to shock. "Lu Ten is dead? And you want to become Fire Lord?! But that's Iroh's title!"
Apparently Aang was not alone in his feelings. The Fire Lord was livid and sent everyone from the room save the younger prince. Aang watched the family depart, unsure of which to fallow. "There are so many… I don't know what to choose. Do I follow the children? The wife? Or stay with the prince?"
Aang pondered a moment as he moved to sitting on top of the Fire Lord's thrown. From this vantage point the prince looked so small. As Aang sat there, the Fire Lord made his decision for him as he angrily addresses his son. The consequence for his actions? The sacrifice of his son.
If Aang could have a pulse in his spectral body it would have run cold. Aang slipped down to stand next to Azulon. "But he's your grandson! You can't! You've already lost so much! Are you really going to let the blood of your own family be sacrificed?"
But like so many other things, Aang's statements fell on deaf ears and the Prince left the thrown room with his father's orders still echoing in the grand hall. Aang fallowed the Fire Lord around the rest of that day begging, pleading with the man to reconsider.
"He's an innocent! Just a child! He didn't speak out!"
The two walked past a reflecting pool where Aang could see both their reflections in the water. The Avatar wondered weather Azulon could too. He did see the old Fire Lord glance at the water once.
Aang bit his lip as they walked. "Please! Don't do this! You're family will never be happy after this."
For a moment there was silence in the room and then the Fire Lord spoke. "My family will never be happy oh spirit. Not after what my father did to your people. What I did to the people of the South Pole, and what undoubtedly will happen to the people of the Earth Kingdom once my father's comet passes the earth once again."
"Oh come on, your family can be happy!" Aang blurted out. "Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one simply remembers to turn on the light!... I'm not exactly sure what light Master Albus was talking about but maybe he was talking more about the darkest of times bit." Aang blinked. "Wait…. can you hear me?"
"I can hear you spirit. I've always been able to hear you. Penance for my father's actions against your people."
Aang frowned. "You could hear me all this time and you never once let me know? Not once?"
"I didn't want to say something and have someone think I was mad or give in to the madness by talking to you. It is only in my old age that I will finally give in and talk to the dead. I feel I will be joining you very soon. "
Aang frowned and crossed his arms. "You could hear me and yet you still did all those horrible things!? You could hear me and you still ordered your son to kill his son?"
"He needed to be taught a lesson. He needs to suffer."
Aang frowned. "I hate to be the one to tell you this sir but he won't suffer, he won't even look back at what he did. He will kill your innocent grandson and probably feel nothing after it." Aang took a step forward. "Please reconsider your punishment, if not for you or your youngest son for your older one. Will you take from Iroh his nephew after he's just lost his son?"
The Fire Lord was quiet for a moment. "No, I can see another way. I could give Iroh Zuko to raise and-"
Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Ursa came in holding a tea tray.