Chapter 1: The Return of the Prince(ss)
How long? those were the thoughts that plagued Former General Iroh as he floated aimlessly across the vast exspanse of the ocean. The siege on the North Pole had been an unmitigated disaster. Not only had Zhao had the audacity to attempt to capture the spirit, he had killed it. In a fit of blind rage Zhao had commited a grand crime against the very balance of nature. The young airbender... Aang, Iroh believed he was called, than wnet on a rampage with the spirit of the ocean. They'd utterly decimated the opposing Fire Nation navy. Even getting their revenge against a defeated Zhao, whom Iroh learned had been beaten yet again by his nephew. While the ocean spirit was rampaged they learned a tragic fact: in order for the moon sprit to be revived Princess Yue of the Northern Water Tribe had give up her life and the small bit of power the moon spirit had left to her, but sadly it wasn't enough...
"What!?!" cried Sokka. They were all crowded around Yue as she held the remians of the moon spirit. She looked up at Sokka gazing into his eyes. "I'm sorry Sokka" she started with a trembling voice "It has to be done. The moon spirit has to live and for that to happen I have to give back the life it gave me." She finished in a slightly somber tone. She looked towards her father, his expression blank but she could see the sadness behind his eyes. Silently she let the energy, her own lifeforce, drain away to the sprirt. That's when it happenned. SHe screamed in pain. "YUE!!" shouted Sokka as he ran to her side, "What's weong?" Worry was plastered across the faces of all those present. Than the glowing blue form of the ocean spirit loomed over them. Aang slid from it on a small wave of water. "Huh? What going on?" he asked dreamily. Yue was the one who answered or tried anyway for she was barely able to form words. "My... life... the moon..." she tried to continue but groaned in pain and fell over. Aang could only stare in confusion. "She doesn't have enough energy to bring back the moon spirit." Iroh finished somberly. "someone will have to give her the rest..." the words hung in the air after he finished the message was clear. Someone else would also have to offer their life along with Princess Yue's.
The short silence that followed was unbearable. "I'll do it" said Sokka. Yue who had by now recovered shook her head. "The energy has to be from a bender and one of equal status and close in age to myself." "I'll do it." stated Aang. SHocked saps filled the small oasis where they all stood. "Aang! You can't!" said Katara. " If you die..." she tried to finish but the taers she was trying to hold back wouldn't let her a they forced their way out. "Who will bring balance back to the world? Who will defeat the Firelord and bring peace to the four nations?" Sokka shouted. " I KNOW!" shouted Aang. Sokka took a step back put off by his normally carefree friends sudden outburst. "I know, but it has to be done. We have to have the moon spirit back. If I die another Avatar will be born and can finish what I started." and with that said Aang stepped forward standing next to Yue as she knelt by the pool of glowing water. Yue looked up and simply nodded before stepping into the pool. The water form the pool and the ocean spirits glowing form began to swirl and rise togehter in a mass of glowing blue water. " You won't die." the voice echoed across the silent oasis. Everyone tried to spot the source of the mysterious voice but to no avail. "You will be taken thourgh the outmost reaches of this world and the realm of spirits and will end up in another wolrd. Which one I cannot say. But you may never be able find you way back to this realm." "I understand" respinded Aang as stepped forward towards the the glowing pond or tried.
The hand had come as a surprise when it gripped the back of his shirt. It came as even more of a surprise when he was trhown roughly back into the arms of Katara. When Aang looked up he was surprised to see Zuko standing before him. "Zuko? what are you...?" Katar said trying to digest what was happening before her. "She needs a bender equal to her." he started not even bothering to turn and face them even as he spoke. "I'm the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation and according to uncle a very powerful firebender so I think I qualify." Iroh stered in shock at his nephew to stunned to even talk. "Why are you doing this?" shouted Aang. Finally Zuko turned his head to stare at Aang and hi friends. What they saw was not the face of the Prince Zuko they knew. It was not the face of the enemy that had so relentlessy pursued them on their journey. His eyes, which once burned with anger, rage and hate, were now so unfathomly gentle that it was like bathing in the gentle rays of the sun. Then Zuko smiled a warm smile which Katara hated to admit made her heart flutter. "If this is the world my nation wants" he started sweeping his right arm at the crimson hued land around them for emphasis. "Then I'll have no part of it." he let out a deep sigh before turning and continueing towards the pool of glowing water."I'll atone for the mistake of one of its admirals as is my duty as Fire Nation royalty. and I'd also like to make up for my own mistakes." He turned once again to face Aang and hi friends. "I'm sorry for the pain I've caused you with my..." he struggled to find the right words "little hunt." he finished scratching the back of his head in embarassment. "I don't expect forgiveness anytime soon." "I forgive you" to Zuko and most everyione elses surprise the voice belongeg to Katara. "Well if Katara can forgive you I guess I can too." said Aang. Sokka merely harumphed but Zuko new he was reluctantly agreeing. Zuko reached the pool a took a his final step forward.
To his surprise he didn't stink to the bottom like he thought he would. He felt like he was walknig very soft earth as opposed to the magic water he was actually walkning across. When he reached the swirling mass of water it stopped swirling and opened, much in the way a flower blooms. Yue stood at it's center, her blue Water Tribe garb replaced by a beutiful white dress. She opened her eyes glowing blue irisis locking onto his. She gave him a gentle smile. Zuko couldn't begin to describe what he was feeling. So many emeotions at once. Then it hit him. Peace. Utter and total peace with himself. It felt so good he couldn't help but laugh ignoring the confused looks of those who stared and him. Yue outtretched her right arm waiting for Zuko to take hold. He smiled back at her and continued his walk to her. Memoryories began flashing before his eyes. Feeding the turtleducks with his mother, reluctantly learing to play Paisho with Uncle Iroh, having mock Agni Kai duel's with his cousin Lu Ten, being forced to hide and seek with Azula, Ty Lee and an equally reluctant Mai. He stopped before Princess Yue And reached out to her hand. Stopping for just a moment he looked back at Aang. "You once asked me something, remember?" he said. Aang raised an eybrow in confusion as did Katar and Sokka. Zuko couldn't help but chuckle. "You asked if we could have been friends if he had known eachother before the war." Aang perked up, "oh yeah..." he said sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Well I'd like to think so." said Zuko and with that he took Yue's hand. The water immediatley closed about them swirling about them like a maelstrom. Zuko marvelled at the brilliant display blues and whites. "Well" Yue giggled. "Shall we?" Zuko shrugged "Why not?"
The mass of water began rotating at a high speed. Faster and faster before finally it just exploded sending out a concussive wave that sent everyione spilling about and then silence. When Aang picked himself up he noticed that the red overcast was gone and in the center of the pond were two fish eternally chasing eachother. His broad smile spread across his face. Guess Zuko was a good guy after all, he thought to himself. "Hey!" Katara shouted with joy. "I can waterbend again!" She playfully slapped Iroh with a waterwhip to prove her point. "Hey!" he shouted in surprise and mirth. He then let loose a small fireball that harmlessly axploded at her feet. Katara just smiled back mischievously. "Yue" Sokka whispered queitly to himself. Chief Arnook laid a hand on Sokka's shoulder in an attempte to comfort him. Yue's glowing suddenly appeared. "Goodbye Sokka." She said leaning in. "I'll always be with you" with that she kissed him. She pulled back rising up she looked at Iroh. "Zuko is safe and in the midst of returning balance to another world. Your... nephew... will be a little different when 'he' comes back" the smile that appeared then hinted at some joke that none but her could comprehend. Before anyone could ask she faded away giving a small wave as she did. Iroh stood comtemplating before turning and leaving.
Iroh had not really wanted to leave but given the circumstances his presence would've caused problems. The brother of the Firelord in their domain after the attempted invasion porbably would've caused a few riots her and there. Aang and his friends had bid him goodbye and Chief Arnook, in gratitude for trying to save the moon spirit, had given him a small boat and supplies to last him a few months while he sailed to Fire Nation territory. And that brings us to the here and now.
Iroh groggily got up decideing that laying around doing was, for once in his life, not what he wanted to do. Opening his eyes he was met with a the noonday sun bareing down on him. He moved to make some tea when he noticed the ocean water around him begining to pick speed. He frowned in confusion. There wasn't enough wind to make the water move this fast. Then without so much as a warning the boat was nearly capsized when the water below him actually exploded in a brilliant cacade of light. The light faded and the ocaen went relatively still again. What was that? he thought to himself. Then he noticed the body floating in the water. He immediatey grabbed it and pulled him into the boat. The boy was naked except for a peculiaer armband. "Zuko?" he gasped. the hair had grown some almost to his shoulders. But the dead giveaway was the scar he still bore. "Huh?" Zuko grumbled looking up at Iroh. "Who're you?" he asked. "You... don't recognize me? It's me. Your uncle Iroh." Zuko blinked a few time before saying "blanket." "Blanket?" "I'm wet, cold and naked." Zuko said with a hint of amusement. "Oh well yes." Iroh rummaged around quickly handing Zuko a blanket. "Is my name Zuko??" The question caught Iroh completely off gaurd. "Is your name Zuko? Why would you need to ask that? Are you unsure of your own name?" "Oh I know my name, atleast the one I got when I was reborn the first time at Dirge. I was only told my name was Zuko before being sent back here." "Aah well your name here is Zuko. Crown prince of the Fire Nation." Zuko's face showed his shock at the news. "I'm ROYALTY?" Iroh nodded. Zuko broke out laughing leaving Iroh to grin at him.
Zuko finally started to calm down his hand on his chest as wheezed a bit for air. Zuko than looked down at himself. "Is this how I looked when I left" he asked Iroh. Again Iroh nodded "well your hairs a little longer but aside from that no." Iroh watched as Zuko discreetely inspected his own body. He raised an eyebrow when Zuko tentavly look beneath the blanket, blush then immeadiatly pull the blanket back up again. "Ugh. This is bizarre." He started running a hand through his hair but stopped when it reached his scar. He qucikly leaned over the edge of the bost to get a look at his reflection in the water. Disbelief showed was he traced his scar with he left hand. "What?" he asked quietly turning to Iroh. "Why do I...?" "That is a story I'll tell you later." Iroh said sadness tinged his answer. Iroh glanced down at Zuko's armband this time noticeing the singed and burnt flesh. 'Zuko your arm" he stated in alam (Hey that rhymes. yay me!). "Huh?" Zuko mumbled. Glanceing at his arm he said. "Oh this? Yeah happened when I came back over. Mystical items tend to atract bursts off energy like this." "We must tend to it at once." Berore Zuko could react Iroh was removing his armband. "Wait a--" ZUko couldn't finish a Iroh removed the armband. Iroh was so engrossed with the wounds's on Zuko's arm he didn't notice Zukos entire body shimmer. Iroh let out a sigh of relief. "Well they aren't nearly as bad as... they... appear..." Iroh noticed that while a second ago he was holding Zuko's arm he was no holding an arm that was noticebly slimmer and with longer nails (think Azula). He looked up to see a longed haired girl who looked almost exactly like Azula her golden eyes staring back at him with annoyance and frustration. "Prince Zuko?" Iroh asked gently. "Hmph. Princess Zuko would be alittle more accurate now don't you think?" she replied her voice slightly amused.