Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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His uncle had gotten in the way. That was the reason Zuko abandoned him. Iroh knew how much Zuko wanted the Avatar and yet Iroh always seemed to slow Zuko down. It had happened constantly, when the Avatar was just within Zuko's grasp, Uncle Iroh was either hurt or kidnapped or missing a Lotus Tile that was with them all along. Imagine! Iroh asking Zuko to help the Avatar. Yes, Uncle had been a pest; there was justification in leaving him to join Azula. Or at least, that was what Zuko told himself.

"Brother," a cunning voice whispered.

Zuko turned around to see his sister. He regarded her, his face impassive. "What, Azula?" he drawled, trying to sound bored to keep his voice from quivering. It was true, that he was frightened of his sister. However, he was much too proud to admit it to anyone.

"Zuzu, Father wants to see you. I believe he wishes to praise you on your outstanding performance at Ba Sing Se. You've finally done it. You have your honor and you have your family back."

Don't call me that, he thought bitterly as he stood up. He should have been pleased...he really should. But there was a knot of guilt forming a lump in his throat every step closer he took towards his father. How could he have done such a thing to his uncle? The one person who always stood by him? The one person who loved him?

"Zuko," his father said in a terrible voice.

Zuko looked up in his father's eyes.

"You've done a great thing, my son..."

My son, he said! He called me his son. All of the thoughts of his uncle quickly evaporated as Zuko bowed to his father. "I've done it for you," Zuko whispered. No, that was a lie. Everything Zuko did, he did for himself. He wanted a place in life, he wanted to be loved. He wanted his honor.

There was a small frown on his father's face. "...Yet you failed to capture the Avatar. After all of this time of hunting and searching for him...you come back empty handed."

"The Avatar is dead, Father."

The frown deepened on the Fire Lord's face. "I wanted him alive. With him dead, a new Avatar will take his place and we're back to where we left off. Admiral Zhao had him in custody before he died, yet he was rescued. I have heard...many rumors about the Blue Spirit, none that please me."

Zuko looked up sharply, a trace of fear in his face.

"We could have locked the Avatar away then and there; but the Blue Spirit..." The Fire Lord gave his son a meaningful look. "If we ever manage to find this Spirit, he will most certainly be destroyed. I will have my vengeance, Zuko. Will you do me the honor?"

"Father?"

"Find the Blue Spirit...and kill him."

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"Aang?" a voice whispered, sounding terribly familiar. Aang's eyes fluttered. He managed a weak smile.

"Katara...," he muttered. "Are you alright?"

"Aang, you've been struck by lightning and taken for dead and you're asking me if I'm alright!" Katara cried in exasperation.

"So that's why my back feels like it is on fire," Aang murmured.

"I tried to heal it as best as I could but-," Katara was saying before someone suddenly butted their head into the conversation. Sokka's face swam into focus. He was stuffing what looked like fish into his mouth, chomping down like a cow chewing cud. He was saying something but it only managed to be a muffled series of squelching sounds, spewing mutilated chunks of juicy fish onto Aang's disgusted face.

Katara pushed Sokka away, shouting, "You're not helping!" Toph was laughing in the background beneath the thousands of stars overhead. That was all Aang saw before he slid, once more, out of consciousness.

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"Now look what you did, you stupid oaf!" Katara shouted angrily at her brother.

"Did Sokka kill him?" came Toph's sarcastic voice from where she lay in Appa's shadow.

"Hey!" cried Sokka, a frown on his face. "You people have no faith in me at all."

"No, we don't," said the Earth King from behind his great bear. He stood up, brushing earth off of his elaborate green robe, and strode over to where Katara kneeled with Aang. "What happened?"

"Sokka stuck his Royal Fishbreath into Aang's face and made him pass out again. It was the first time he'd woken up in hours!" Katara gave her brother a sour look.

"I was just trying to help!" Sokka protested.

"'Woljf ju likef fome fishmph' is not helping," Katara said sardonically. "You're trying to kill him." Toph was laughing again, kicking up a slab of dirt to hit Sokka in the butt. He landed flat on his face with a loud "oomph". Now all of them were laughing, except for Sokka who was yelling and for Aang who was practically in a coma.

A few minutes went by when Momo suddenly perked his ears up. He started chattering and making a great deal of ruckus. "Hush, you guys," Katara said quickly. She turned to look at the lemur. Momo glided down from his perch on Appa and gracefully landed on Aang. The young Avatar moved his head slightly to the left, wordlessly moving his lips. Everyone around the campfire silently stood up.

"Aang?" Katara whispered uncertainly. Aang stirred and struggled to lift his head.

"He's waking up!" Sokka cried, half a fish protruding from his mouth.

"Any swifter and you'd be a river," said Katara, eyeing Sokka's fish with distaste. She turned back to Aang and bent down at his side.

His eyes flashed open and he shot up from his blankets. "Ozai!" he screamed, gasping for breath. His tattoos were faintly glowing before they went to their usual electric blue.

"Aang! It's just me," said Katara. "You were having a nightmare." Aang's grey-blue eyes slid into focus. He was still breathing hard.

"The Fire Lord...," he murmured. "Something awful's going to happen."

Sokka swallowed the remains of his second fish with a loud gulp. "Like what?"

Aang put a hand on his forehead, shielding his eyes from the light of the fire. "I...can't. Katara...please, some water. My head is burning."

Katara bended some water from the pouch at her hip and formed a glove around her hand. She gently pressed her shimmering hand onto Aang's forehead, his skin boiling beneath hers. "He has a terrible fever," she whispered worriedly. "Aang, you'll need to sweat this out. Sokka, hand me that blanket...Aang, look at me. Aang? Aang!"

The flames were climbing high into the night. Aang couldn't see anything. But he heard a voice in his ear. A horrendous drawl that sent chills down his spine. He spun around to face the Fire Lord. "You're too late, Avatar." With a sweep of Fire Lord Ozai's hand, Katara collapsed among the flames in a heap of smoke.

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Curse these chains! Iroh thought. Curse my nephew! He added bitterly. He then glanced at the tray of food that had been shoved beneath the door. And curse this tea! The tea, truly, had been awful. Iroh had never been treated as such in his entire life. Even the Earth Kingdom had been more hospitable, and they had tried to break his hands with boulders! He tilted his head against the metal of his cell. He didn't know how much longer he would be in there before his brother decided to kill him.

No matter how much he tried to think about something else, his thoughts kept drifting back to his nephew, Zuko. That look he gave me! The sight still had his stomach twisting in guilt. Had he been wrong in helping the Avatar? The last chance for peace? Iroh had thought, for once, that his nephew had changed for the better. I guess I was wrong. Prince Zuko always said I was a foolish old man. I came between him and his lust for honor and for that, I am a fool.

Iroh hadn't been the only fool, and he knew it too. How could Prince Zuko think that his father would just welcome him back with open arms? Didn't I tell him that the Fire Lord wasn't the forgiving type? Iroh sighed. I suppose I should be happy for him. He got exactly what he wanted, though not in the way he planned. Perhaps he will think twice before trusting Azula once I have been executed.

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Zuko buried his face in his hands. He knew. Father knew all this time. He knew because Zhao told him. Zuko cursed himself for his stupidity. How could he have hung those swords on the wall like that? For everyone to see? Zhao knew Zuko was the Blue Spirit the moment he stepped into the room. Now Zuko would have to pay for it.

What does he want me to do? Kill myself? Is Father really that cruel? He thought back to the time he met a girl with burns on her leg. What had been her name? Song...That was it. The Fire Nation had done that to her. The Fire Lord had started a war to destroy the other nations. And for what? To rule the world? What's the good in that? How many innocent people must die before Father finally hears their screams? Yes, Father was really that cruel.

The door creaked open. It was Azula. Judging by the smug smile on her face, her father had given her the news as well. "Zuzu," she said with an innocent angelic smile, "Father tells me you've been put on a new mission. To kill the Blue Spirit. I say, you must be bursting with pride. It isn't everyday that you're given such high responsibilities." Zuko hated her that moment. He hated everything about her.

"I'm honored," he said flatly. Honored to die for my father. Is that what he really wants? Is he so sick of me that he can't stand to have me in his palace?

Azula's smile widened, evil glinting in her eyes. She turned to the door, suddenly turning back. "I almost forgot. These are yours. I thought you might want to hold on to them."

Zuko realized that she had been holding an object behind her back. She tossed it at his feet. His dual swords. Zuko looked up sharply, his eyes wide and fearful.

"Oh, and Zuzu? Don't fail."

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"Burn it all! Let me out of here!" Iroh roared, banging his fists on the metal door to his cell. "Kill me if you'd like, but for the gods' sakes, don't keep me here locked up!"

"Uncle?"

There was an awkward silence. Iroh could see his nephew through the bars in his cell door. Iroh turned away from him, telling himself not to let anger get the best of him. "Prince Zuko," Iroh said respectfully through his gritted teeth.

"I thought that was you. I could hear you all the way up in my room," said Zuko.

Great, thought Iroh, that means everyone else is just ignoring me.

"In fact, I...I wanted t-to talk with you," said Zuko.

"About what?" asked Iroh coldly.

Zuko bowed his head. "I'm...sorry. How I could have chosen my father over you...after all you've d-done for me?" He looked up. Iroh thought he could see tears in his nephew's eyes, but Zuko blinked and they were gone.

"What has he done?" Iroh demanded, using all his might to refrain from saying, I told you so.

"It isn't what he's done, it's what I am going to do," said Zuko weakly. He raked his fingers through his hair until it was standing on end. "I'm such an idiot!"

Yes, you are, Iroh thought bitterly. "I don't understand," Iroh said. "What do you mean, what you're going to do?"

"F-father wants me to...to kill the Blue Spirit in revenge of letting the Avatar escape."

Iroh closed his eyes. So it was worse than he had thought. "Are you surprised?"

There was a pause. "No," Zuko finally said. "I guess I had it coming. I should have listened! Why, oh, why didn't I listen?" Zuko was furious. He kicked the cell door angrily with his foot, flames jumping up into Iroh's face.

"Yes, you should have listened," said Iroh as he wearily sank to the ground. "But thinking what we all should have done isn't going to help anyone. What are you going to do?"

"I don't know!" he moaned. "If Father really wants me to..." He couldn't say it. He just couldn't. He cleared his throat and said, "Then I'll do it."

"No!" said Iroh sharply. "You're not going to give him that satisfaction. Or Azula for that matter."

"What I don't understand is why he's taking it all out on me for the Avatar's death. It was Azula's fault. Azula killed him. Doesn't he know that? Azula is the one to blame." Anger overtook Zuko. "IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"No," said Iroh. "You're right. It isn't fair. I am the Fire Lord's brother and I am imprisoned by him. Is that fair? What about your scar? Given to you by your father. Is that fair? Ozai doesn't rule based on fairness. You should know that by now. You should have had that in mind when you abandoned me."

"When I abandoned you?" Zuko repeated incredulously. "So it is my fault. Why does everything I do always blow up in my face? Why is it always my fault?" Iroh faintly remembered his nephew saying something similar when he was trying to teach Zuko how to bend lightning. "I did not abandon you," Zuko continued, knowing it was a lie. "You betrayed me! For that waterbending peasant. You let her slip away! I would have found great pleasure in killing her myself, but you let her slip away."

"You don't mean that," said Iroh quietly. "After what happened down in that cave you would never be able to do it. She tried to heal your scar. She showed some compassion for the person who had chased her and her friends across the world, constantly trying to kill them. You couldn't kill someone who would do that. She tried to help you, yet you turned your back on her. You chose power over friendship. Power over a chance for peace. So yes, this is all of your fault. You chose your own demise and you abandoned me. Just like you did everyone else."

Zuko turned away, knowing his Uncle was right. "What can I do? You are to be executed tomorrow!"

Iroh gave him a faint smile. "You can bust me out of here for starters."

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