A.N: ok this is a sort of AU story but not much ok. Hope u guys enjoy this.

Summery: With Avatar Roku gone, the fire nation seems to be winning the war. A troubled prince finds a friend with a water tribe prisoner girl and has to keep it a secret. One day she disappears and returns 10 years later as a fire nation slave. But there's one thing... she hates him and he's not the kind prince he use to be...

Chapter 1

The ten year old prince watched with puzzled interest from his balcony as a short line of shackled prisoners made their way into the dungeons located below the courtyard grounds via a heavy steel door. Only high level torture prisoners went to the dungeons beneath the courtyard. There, hundreds of pathways crossed each other to form a never ending maze in which escaped prisoners could never reach the surface. It was called the Dungeon of no Return and was designed by his great-grandfather Fire Lord Azulan to house his victims whom he tortured. Only high ranked generals knew the correct way through.

From high palace view he was able to see over the family's garden and palace walls to see into the courtyard. He drew his brows together in query and leaned further over the balcony to get a better view of the prisoners. That couldn't be right. The prisoners all had dark brown skin and long shabby hair which was randomly decorated with ornaments he couldn't distinguish fully. It was definately strange. He'd never seen such dark skinned people before. Judging from the physique and shape of the prisoners, there were three women and five men and both genders walked with a flowing continuous grace that was beyond words even though they were shackled together by the neck and feet. Their movements reminded him of a continuous flow of water...

Water-Benders, he concluded.

It was his first time seeing water-benders and he was amazed. They were nothing like the slimy fish-like creatures Azula had described them to be though he never believed her to begin with. They were somewhat beautiful.

"Hurry up now!" one of the fire bending guards shouted, shoving impatiently on the shoulder of one of the prisoners. "We ain't got whole day."

The prisoner didn't seem to like being pushed around and immediately swung around and swiftly elbowed the guard across the jaw. His movements were so fast Zuko almost missed it. The guard staggered back, shocked for a moment then regained his composure and backhanded the prisoner with a feral frown. The prisoner's head snapped back upon impact but didn't seem impressed. He turned back around with his lip bleeding at the corner and spat blood directly on the guard's boot.

"Is that the best you've got?" he asked, smirking.

The guard's eyes narrowed menacingly before he replied, "You're gonna wish you had never done that, peasant." He looked down at his boot and frowned.

"If I wasn't shackled I would take your ass down."

"You've got a lot of mouth for someone whose life is about to change for the worst."

"Quit playing with the prisoners, lieutenant!" a high ranking general growled, "You can play with your prisoners after we get them to the dungeons."

"Hear that, lieutenant?" the prisoner chuckled, "You get to play with us after. Now ain't that gonna be fun?"

The lieutenant smiled sinisterly and folded his arms behind his back as if to appear casual. "Oh most definately. "I get to have all my fun with you... Hakoda of the Water Tribe."

"Daddy!" a small voice suddenly wailed.

"Hey you! Come back here." another guard demanded, limping

The small voice came from a tiny dark-skinned girl in some sort of heavy thick looking clothing who had managed to break free from her captor and covered the distance separating herself from her father with a remarkable speed. Zuko stood up on the base of the balcony railing to get a better look as the girl dodged the hand of one of the seven guards stationed and ducked through the legs of another and made a beeline to her father. She used size and speed to her advantage and outwitted the guards who were having a difficult time grabbing her.

"Grab her already!" the general shouted, annoyed at the fact that his officers couldn't mange to yet get hold of the small girl.

"Katara," the prisoner smiled, kneeling down relieved to see his daughter was alright.

"Daddy," the girl said tearfully, wrapping her small arms around her father's neck upon reaching him. "I'm scared, daddy. Don't let them take me away from you."

"I won't let them, honey. But listen to me... where is your..."

"Enough!" the general growled, grabbing the water tribe girl roughly by the neck of her blue clothing and ripping her away from her father. "Get this little tramp out of my sight. Toss her in with the servants."

"Daddy!" the girls screamed, reaching out desperately for her father. "No! I want my daddy."

"Don't you dare-" the prisoner began angrily, raising up as if to defend his daughter only to be knocked to the ground with a stinging blow across the face. This time, the hit came from the general.

Zuko's eyes widened as the prisoner fell back with steam rising off the side of his face, bringing the others who were shackled with him to the ground with him.

"I won't tolerate any disrespect from you, prisoner." the general said smoothly. "I am your superior and you will show me the respect I deserve." He inflated his chest and frowned deeply down at the prisoners. "Guards... take him away... along with his worthless tribe."

"No! Don't hurt my daddy!" the girl yelled, swinging her feet wildly. The general scowled at the girl and held her arms length away to avoid her careless kicks and punches before tossing her carelessly over his shoulder as if she were a sack of rice to one of the guards. He then dusted himself off and walked away to attend to other business.

"Come along now," the guard said, a bit too cheerfully, "Gotta put you away like the rest of your tribe."

"No!" she screamed, struggling against her captor, "Dad-dy!" she cried as she watched another guard tug the rest of her people through the heavy steel door.

Her father was struggling against the chains but was kicked forward by the same guard who had backhanded him before. "Move along, Hakoda. We don't wana see your daughter hurt now."

The prisoner gave his daughter one final smile, a smile that never quite reached his eyes before he disappeared through the steel door.

"See?" the guard holding the girl said, "Daddy's gone." he faked a shocked gasp when he saw the girl sobbing. "Oh-oh. Sad daddy's not here anymore?" he cooed. "Well," he laughed, "better toughed up, little girl, because daddy ain't gonna be around to protect you anymore."

With that he dragged the struggling girl to the servants quarters.

"Zuko, honey? What are you doing bending over the balcony?" a gentle voice asked suddenly from behind him.

Zuko swiftly turned around and found his mother standing with her arms tucked inside the long sleeves of her black and gold fire nation robes and her eyebrows drawn together in a delicate frown.

"Mom, did you know water bender prisoners are here?" the young prince said excitedly, pointing towards the courtyard beyond the protective walls of the palace.

"Yes I did, now come down from there before you hurt yourself." his mother urged, releasing her hands from inside her sleeves and mentioning her son towards her.

Zuko willingly obeyed and jumped down and followed his mother inside to his bedroom. "Now hurry up and get ready for lunch. It should be ready in a few moments."

"Can't I just go to lunch with what I have on now?" Zuko asked sullenly, looking down at his black and gold attire. He hated changing his clothes everyday for lunch. It was silly and wasted time.

"Not if you want your father to be cross with you again, dear." his mother reasoned, gliding gracefully across his room to open his closet. "Now come and put on these robes I have chosen."

She held up a black pants and a matching long sleeved, high collared shirt embroidered with a red and gold dragon swirling over the shoulder. "How about these? They would make your eyes look pretty."

"Mo-om!" Zuko groaned, dropping his shoulders.

"Okay, okay," she smiled, "but wear these robes. They make you look handsome."

Zuko took one look at it and folded his arms. "Fine, but I still hate changing for lunch."

"Of course, dear. I'll be waiting outside your door." She smiled warmly before tucking her arms inside her sleeves once again and exiting his room.

Once the door closed, Zuko dropped his arms and sullenly grabbed the outfit his mother had left neatly on the bed and stomped off to his ajoining bath to get changed. He came out five minutes later and found his mother waiting patiently beside his door. She smiled down at him and asked,

"Ready?"

He nodded and they made their way to the dinning hall. Upon arrival, Zuko saw his sister and father already seated at the grand dinning table. Zuko bowed and gave his acknowledgment to his father then took his seat next to his sister.

"Royally late again, brother?" Azula sneered silently while the Fire Lord gave the signal to the two servants posted at either side of the dinning hall entrance to bring in the food.

"Shut it, Azula. I'm not in the mood for your teasing right now."

"I wasn't teasing, brother dearest. Just merely stating the obvious."

Zuko glared at his sister who gave him an innocent smile before picking up her fork and eating. He looked across the table to his father who sat elegantly eating, then to the empty seat which belonged to his uncle and finally his mother. She caught his gaze and nodded towards his food and mouthed 'eat'.

Frowning, Zuko picked up his fork and began eating when suddenly his shin erupted in pain. He yelped in pain and dropped his fork to rub his aching shin. Azula. He glared at his sister who chose to ignore him.

"What's the matter?" his mother queried, lowering her fork.

"Azula kicked me." Zuko mumbled, shooting eye daggers at his sister.

"Oh please," Azula waved off, "Why would I kick you?"

"Azula!" their mother said sternly, "That's no way to behave at the table further more treat your brother. Now apologize."

"But mother..." Azula began.

"Quit babying the boy, Ursa." the Fire Lord interrupted, "He's just looking for attention."

"But father," Zuko protested, "Azula really did..."

"Quiet boy!" The Fire Lord snapped, "I won't tolerate back talking from you."

Zuko fell silent and willed himself not to look up at his sister. He just knew she had a smirk on her face. The lying idiot. She was good at that, his sister. It came like breathing to her, that and fire bending. Easy and without thought. Clenching his fist, Zuko pushed back his chair.

"May I be excused?"

His mother looked up from her food and frowned. "But Zuko, you haven't touched your roasted beavergoose."

"I'm not hungry anymore."

"Go," his father waved off, not bothering to look up from his food.

Zuko bowed respectfully and stiffly left the dinning hall not even aware that he left his mother alone to watch his empty seat sadly.