Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino do, I'm just the manipulator.
Chapter 1
Zuko stood as he watched him and his Uncle's topknots flow down the creek. They were fugitives of the Fire Nation now.
Was Azula really telling the truth? Does father truly not want me to come home other than to lock me up out of sight? Azula always lies. She had to have been. But why else after three years of being away would she make the effort of trying to arrest me unless the Firelord had ordered her to?
Not knowing how to feel, Zuko silently follows his Uncle's gentle pull away from the creek and further into the forest. It took them till sunset until they found a space Uncle deemed relatively safe to stop and rest at. They were now sitting in a small clearing with a fire going a rock cave nearby.
"Why don't you take the time now to rest, we have a long journey ahead of us in the time to come." Iroh tried to coerce him in his familar calming tone.
"Uncle?" He tried.
"Yes?"
I can already feel the regret of asking this, but what's one more?
"Do you think Azula was telling the truth about father not really wanting me home?"
Iroh frowned, "Zuko," he began, "do you wish to hear what I truly believe?"
"Yes! I'm tired of people constantly lying to me! Especially my own family!"
Iroh sighed, "I won't lie to you Zuko, I do not think my brother intended in you ever having a way to return home. I believe that was his goal from the very beginning,"
Zuko stiffened, "You—you don't think he ever wanted me to prove myself? That can't be right, why else would he give me a chance to come home if he didn't want me to?"
"The Avatar hasn't been seen for one hundred years, no one—not even your father—thought that he would return. I'm sorry my nephew, but why would he send Zhao after him if he wanted you to be the one to capture him?"
"He just wanted me to push myself! Right?" Zuko wasn't sure he believed himself, it felt like he was the one losing the argument.
"No I don't think so Zuko" he said with a grave look.
Zuko deflated, "So you...think Azula was telling the truth?"
Iroh put a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes, "I think you know better than anyone that if the truth is worse than a lie Azula will tell it."
"Doesn't he love me?" Zuko felt more drained than he ever had in his life.
His Uncle shook his head sadly, "I do not know if my brother truly loves anything if it is not useful to him."
"He loves Azula."
"At the moment she is useful to him, yes. But no matter how things change, I will never stop loving you. Please get some sleep now, we must keep moving in the morning." Zuko was reluctant but Iroh had pulled him into a tight hug before laying down himself.
Father doesn't love me. That much was clear. Uncle didn't come right out and say it but that's what he meant. Have I always been this stupid?
A voice that sounded a lot like Azula's told him—yes—he had always been that stupid.
Oh sure. Now get a conscience.
After a while of fighting it he fell asleep.
oOo
Huh. Now that I think about it we haven't seen the Angry Jerk in what? Two months? Not since the North Pole.
Sokka and the rest of the Gaang had stopped at a small Earth Kingdom town to refill their supplies before they headed off towards Omashu when the thought hit him.
"Hey, what ever happened to Prince Ponytail? He just kind of disappeared after we saved him from freezing his ass off—not that I'm complaining we haven't seen him—but I'm curious as to what happened." Asking no one in particular.
Katara was the one to answer, "I don't know, when we got back on Appa the ropes you used to tie him up were burnt through and I didn't see him after that."
"I didn't see him either." Aang added
"Hm. Strange, I thought he would've went after one of you or something." Sokka replied tapping a finger to his lips.
Aang smiled, "Guess he had something better to do."
As they were walking, Katara reminded them that there were supposed to be looking for potential supplies and food and that they should be getting to the market anytime now.
Stupid little sisters and them ruining my conspiracy attempts
When they spotted the stalls Aang had to take a double-take at the bulletin board they had just passed and rushed back, causing the other two in the group to turn back as well.
Sokka noticed wanted posters everywhere—most looked old and had been up there for a while—but the most prominent and newest looking one was hard to believe. And it wasn't Aang's poster.
"No way."
Author's Note: So what do you think? Should I keep this going? Send me your thoughts.