It's Justice, Not Revenge

Chapter 1: Uneasy Thoughts

He stared blankly into the sky. It was so vast, so incredible, yet so dark and empty, excluding the little bright dots spread throughout it. It reminded him of himself. Hosting incredible power, but empty except for his memories. If it wasn't for them, he probably wouldn't even be human.

"Zuko my love, come out here quickly!" Called Ursa from the garden. A six year old Zuko put down the scroll he was reading and quickly ran to his mothers side. "Mom, what is it?" He asked leaning close to her.

"Look at this flower Zuko, Isn't it beautiful?" She said, pointing to a red and black Flower, the only one in the royal garden. "I don't understand." Replied little Zuko staring at the plant. "Why are we wasting our time staring at this thing?"

Usra stared at her son, shocked. She then replied, leaning down to his level, "because Zuko, it is beautiful and it brings us enjoyment to stare at it." He sighed. "Dad says that we shouldn't waste our time in the arts, that we should only be concerned with the war and training. He says that's what really matters."

Ursa frowned. She was disappointed in her husband. "Yes Zuko, the war is very important, and so is your training, but that does not mean that the arts are worthless. There are many things to learn from beautiful but simple things, just like this flower." Zuko stared into Ursa's eyes. "Like what?"

"Well, have you ever noticed that when a storm comes that all of the biggest, strongest trees break and die, but all of the flowers are unharmed?" Zuko nodded. "Well Zuko, that is because the flowers have learned to flow with the wind, to bend under the pressure, and that keeps them alive, but the trees are forceful, pushing against the wind only causing them more pressure so that they break."

"What's your point?" Zuko asked. "My point is that if you push yourself to much like the trees, then you will surely break, but if you learn to flow with what life gives you then you will live another day."

Zuko smiled at his mother, understanding her point. "It is a pretty flower."

She always had brought out the best in him. She had been his entire world, and without her he had barley managed to make it. He missed her. It was his fault she had left, he knew it. He was the only reason she stayed, so if she left it had to be his fault. He didn't even know if she was alive anymore. Even worse, if she was in pain. Her pain was his fault. Because of this he never allowed himself to be truly happy, he needed to be punished for what he had done to her.

"I miss you... please come home."

He whispered into the wind as if she could here him. If she returned he wouldn't be angry or confused or hurt, he would be happy. He would run to her and embrace her and beg her for her forgiveness. He would do everything she asked of him, and never leave her side, less she had a chance to disappear again. Everything he did was because of the drop of hope he had that one day she would return. He needed to be here, at the palace, in the fire nation in case that she came home. He would do almost anything to make sure that he was here if she returned. What if she had come home and he hadn't been here? She would leave and disappear forever. Then there would be no hope, no real reason for living. The only other person who had ever cared about him in his entire life he had betrayed, he had done it for her.

"I suggest you think about what you really want"

Iroh's words echoed in his mind. "I have uncle, and I know what I want." He wanted a happy life, and he couldn't be happy until he knew what happened to her, where she was. The thought that she had returned during his banishment, and left because he wasn't there terrified him. It did so to the point of making him violently ill if he thought about it to much. He had to think about something else, a better life.

"Whatcha doing?"

A voice spoke right next to his ear, making him jump to the point of almost falling off of the roof of his room.

"What do you want?" He asked angrily, recovering from his shock to stare at the annoying acrobat who had disturbed his thoughts. "Gees Zuko, I just wanted to know what you were doing." Asked Ty Lee. "Practicing being dead," he replied sarcastically "wanna try?" He smiled. "Your weird, just like Mai." She was starting to make him really angry. "Shouldn't you have left by now?" He asked. "Nope, I'm spending the night! Azula, me, and Mai are having a sleep over!" How could she be so happy to be spending time with Azula? "That's nice, now can you leave?" He asked. She frowned. "Fine then, but if you wake up with some strange animal in your bed tomorrow, you'll know why!" She said before cartwheeling away. "Don't tell me your going to crawl into my bed with me while I sleep!" He said as a come back only to receive a distant "ha ha very funny" in return. He sighed. Might as well as go to bed now that his entire night had been ruined by his sister's stupid friend.

I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of it's characters. It's rights are owned by Nickelodeon, and some American dudes have it's copyright.

I hope that this chapter hasn't portrayed Zuko as a mamas boy. I wasn't trying to do so. I was just trying to show his dependancy on her for love and attention, which he most likely had. Everyone needs love to survive, and due to his fathers neglect, and uncle's long military absences Zuko's mother was probably the only person who had raised and loved him most of his life, so I believe it is safe to assume that he was very close to and dependent of her. That's how I explain my chapter to myself in my special little world in my head, I hope it is as satisfying to you as it is to me.

Flames will be used for roasting marshmallows, but constructive criticism is allowed.