A Different Choice

Avatar Fanfiction by R. Patil

Author's note: "Avatar: the Last Airbender" is property of Viacom, Nickelodeon, and two gentlemen much more creative than I.

Chapter 1

"…look into your heart, and see what it is you truly want."

To leave this place with Uncle, and then capture the Avatar after Azula looses him.

To beat Azula at something.

As his sister left, saying "You are free to choose," Zuko readied a kick to help Uncle out of the crystals encasing him. He was surprised when Iroh's voice aborted the move.

"Stop! I can get out of this myself. What I cannot do is accompany you on this choice. You must follow the Avatar and Azula. And you must decide, on your own, what you know to be right."

Before he could argue, the old general barked "Now! Go!" and he was running down a dark tunnel. Racing towards his destiny and terrified of making the wrong decision. What he truly wanted?

I want to go home.

Why should he have to choose these things?

He couldn't see where he was going.

I want troops and peasants to return to their homes, where it's safe.

Was it so hard to just end a war?

The gravel of the cave floor crunched beneath his feet.

I want to rest.

Ahead he saw a green glow. And he had no idea what lay beyond.

I want my mother back.

He might have lost his sister and the Avatar. And the water tribe girl.

I want her to have her mother back.

Rising into the cavern, he caught sight of the Avatar and the girl blocking Azula's attack.

I want to know what's right.

The princess stood off against the pair, each side tensing.

I want my honor.

He wouldn't shoot someone in the back, so he announced his presence with a fireball between the combatants. It was also to delay his choice, though he'd never admit it. And now, everyone was waiting on him. Watching him. Judging him based on what he did next.

I want my father's love.

Azula hadn't had to fight for that. And the Avatar had his family extinguished.

He looked to the young monk.

I want the Avatar to deserve being hunted.

But Azula had promised that Zuko would finally get what he wanted, simply by helping her.

Azula always lies.

He didn't fully realizes the thought had happened, didn't hear it, didn't understand the power and implications of it. Not until he saw the look of surprise on his sister's face, which was being lit bright orange by his attack, then disappeared behind her own shield of blue flame.

And then he was fighting for his survival. He didn't have time to think; only to react. He didn't have time to attack; only to turn his own counterstrikes into blocks before they could connect. He didn't have time to catch his breath; only to root as his uncle had taught him. And just as suddenly, the pressure was off, and Azula was fighting her other two opponents at the same time. Zuko had just enough time to think I've just raised my hand against my sister, princess of the Fire Nation, and then he was back to frantically blocking. Again he couldn't mount any offense; the heat and fury before him was too great. He went down on one knee when his foot slipped on some gravel. Still blocking what his sister could throw at him, he managed to catch her wrist after deflecting a sharp, penetrating fire blast. He captured her elbow with his other hand and began to twist. She stepped back around with her rear leg, pivoting on her forward foot. The move let her bring her still-captured arm behind her while her other arm was free. As she brought that hand around to turn her brother to ash, a snaking band of water encased it, and then froze. As she looked toward her other opponents, a pillar of stone swallowed her, encasing her up to the neck.

They stayed that way for a moment, brother and sister looking at each other. Still kneeling, Zuko watched Azula's shock at being beaten turn to contempt, then to satisfaction. His heart froze in his chest and his guts fell out as her eyes spoke one word to him.

Traitor.

Somebody said something, but it didn't matter as his actions slowly dawned on him. Then, the voice came through louder. "C'mon! Zuko, we've got to get your uncle and get out of here!"

He thought the girl pulled him to his feet, then with her too a run. Heading back down the same dark corridor he'd come from, he saw only his sister's smiling, accusing eyes.

Iroh had used intense, focused heat and steady rocking motions to loosen his prison; standard training for firebending troops abroad. He almost wished he had let Zuko get him out of there. But no, this was a decision he had to make on his own. His decision could not be a reflection of what his father, or his uncle, or anyone else wanted. I just hope I'm ready to face him if he sides with Azula he thought as he freed his arms. Suddenly, the rest of the crystal receded back into the ground. Turning his head, he saw the Avatar, the girl from the Southern Tribe, and, to his joyous amazement, his nephew running out of one tunnel into another. As they made the turn, Aang called "Time to go, sir!"

Though Iroh was patient, older, and portly, when the Avatar tells you to move, you move! He hadn't run so fast since that broken window incident three weeks ago. The energy came easily to him. Zuko had made the right choice! He had finally let go of trying to earn the love of a blind father, let go of the dreams of glory that weren't really his. Iroh ran through the dark tunnel toward daylight, toward a future with new friends, new freedom, and new possibilities. His mind's eye saw himself training the young Avatar in firebending, lively conversation over tea with Toph, laughing at the petty arguments Zuko would get into with the Water Tribe kids.

He knew he was getting ahead of himself. He knew things never worked out as happily as one could dream. But right now he didn't care. There was HOPE!!

Sokka and Toph had gotten captured, been thrown in the same cell as the Earth King, broke out thanks to Toph's new ability to bend metal (and how cool was that!?), snuck into the throne room, neutralized the perky-gymnast girl, were literally given the bear by the scary-knife-throwing-girl, and were now running toward Appa, with no resistance in sight. In short, things had gone far too easily, and Sokka expected everything to go to skunkbear piles any moment. Of course, he said nothing, lest the universe hear him.

High ceilings, lots of shadows; he knew they were going to get pinched in the great hall. But they got back to daylight unmolested. No cover, running down steps; he knew the Dai Li would hit them here. But they got to Appa alright. Having to wait for Katara and Aang, helping the King and his "bear" (and he couldn't tell which of them was daintier); they were definitely going to be attacked now. But they stood there for nearly a full minute in the setting sun, both kids keeping careful lookout, Sokka from Appa's back, Toph from the ground. Another minute.

Then Katara and Aang came running out of the cave. Sleetpiss! They had firebenders on their tail. Before he drew his boomerang, though, Sokka remembered these were his firebenders (or, more like Toph's firebender and his jerkface nephew, but anyway…) The rest of the group scrambled on, the old man looking excited, jerkface looking weirdly frantic, and everyone else just looking tense.

Aang called "Yip, yip!" as he leaped to his usual position on the back of Appa's head. With a couple of giant steps, they were airborne, soon to leave the palace and find a safe place to regroup. They were gonna make it. They were gonna make it! They were gonna… get hit by that huge rock flying toward them!

Yep, the universe could definitely hear his thoughts.

The uncle yelled out "Incoming! Boulder from rear, right, below!" They started to maneuver, but with so many inexperienced riders and no saddle, Aang could only bank cautiously. Fortunately the boulder changed its mind, with Toph's help, and returned, crashing, to the Dai Li who launched it.

The young runaway was itching for better. "C'mon! They've arrested the generals! We've got to get back to the prisons, break out the military brass, use them to round up the Earth Kingdom's armies, and kick some major butt!

"No, Toph." Iroh countered. "We've been very lucky so far. We're too badly outnumbered to win an open fight, and we don't know where the generals are imprisoned. Escape is our only chance."

"Uncle! Look!" Zuko was pointing to the ground they'd been standing on a minute before. Everyone who looked over the side saw, amid a hundred indistinct men in green robes and tasseled hats emerging from the palace and tunnel, Azula in a low, wide stance, moving her arms in graceful arcs.

"Everybody back!" The order from the old general forced everyone but the prince away from their vantage point. Simultaneously they were blinded by light and deafened by crack-boom. By the time recovered their vision, they saw Iroh sitting, looking somewhat dazed, and his hair was a bit frizzier than before. Zuko looked back towards their attackers and drew his fists back. Then, at once, he threw them both, launching a huge fireball presumably at his sister. He continued throwing smaller blasts steadily, scattering the Dai Li and keeping them from launching more boulders. On the opposite side of Appa, Katara used her water to rain ice daggers with the same effect.

It was a half-minute before anybody realized they were out of harm's reach. Katara called to Zuko, who refused to let up his assault. "I think we're out of range."

He continued.

"Zuko?"

He continued.

She put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, and nearly got cooked as he spun to face her. Fortunately she blocked his hand upward, making his shot go wild. The look in his eyes was like an animal, trapped in a corner, ready to snap at anything. As he drew back to continue his attack on the girl, his uncle got between them. "Zuko STOP! It's over!" Taking his nephew's shoulders, Iroh repeated, more quietly "It's over."

The wildness fell into a cold despair as he looked from his uncle to everyone else. Then he simply turned his back toward everyone, sat down, and silently looked back at Ba Sing Se. Katara moved to approach him, but was stopped by a gentle hand from Iroh. Everyone but Zuko looked at each other in turn, all letting the events of the day sink in.

"So, what now?" from Toph.

"Our Dad's fleet is still anchored in Chameleon Bay," Sokka suggested. "We should go there."

Another minute of silence. As if trying to get his head around the idea, the deposed monarch said "The Earth Kingdom… has fallen."