A/N: This is my first Zutara fic so please leave me some reviews! I really want to make a good fanfic. If there are any suggestion I will gladly take them and build on them. Thank you! I OWN NOTHING.

All was quiet in the rebel camp as many members had finally dozed off for the night. Flames flickered from the last remaining campfire illuminated the face of Ozai, the former Phoenix King, giving him a malevolent look. He sat silently as he thought about his recent escape from the prison that his own worthless son had locked him away in for the last few years. Ozai suspected Zuko must have been told about his escape. The trail of dead guards Ozai left leaving the palace grounds must have been noticed by someone by now.

He wouldn't have been able to do it on his own of course, Ozai had people on the inside that had slowly been giving him information regarding Zuko's rule. Zuko was an imbecile in Ozai's eyes. The foolish boy had ended the War, the Fire Nation was no longer the dominant nation, and to top it off the Avatar was still alive. Zuko had ruined everything that Ozai had worked so hard to create.

Ozai honestly never thought Zuko would claim the throne, in his mind Azula was the one that deserved the throne. She was a daughter to be proud of. She instilled fear in countless servants hearts and had the guts to punish anybody that did her former king ground his teeth together and began to feel hatred boil in his body. Ozai was not one to quit, he planned on hitting Zuko's weak spot. The boy thought Ozai had been a horrible person when he had been ruling the Fire Nation?

Just Zuko wait until Ozai enacted his revenge.

"What do you mean he ESCAPED?!" Zuko yelled furiously at his guards as they bowed before his throne.

"My lord, we don't know how but he killed every single person he came into contact with. Sixteen of our troops were found dead."

"And everybody claims to not have seen or heard anything? What kind a prison loses the ONLY prisoner? I told you Ozai was not to be left alone!" Zuko started pacing back and forth. If Ozai was free then he had to have gotten some type of help. His father didn't have his firebending abilities. In Zuko's opinion that left Ozai pretty vulnerable in the world. Plenty of people must have hated him enough to want him dead? But if he managed to get out what type of people were helping him?

"Nephew, you must calm down, Ozai cannot have gotten far. Did any troops find any evidence as to where Ozai might have gone?" Uncle Iroh asked as the guards looked to him.

"None." The guard shook his head grimly. "There is not a single trace that he had any help other than the troops that were dead."

"How did they die?" Zuko demanded

"The palace physician is examining the bodies, My Lord."

"As soon as he finds out I want him to report to me." Zuko stopped pacing as he tried to think. "You're dismissed." The guard nodded as Zuko turned to his Uncle.

"Zuko, what are you thinking?"

"I'm trying to think of where he might be heading. With no bending abilities what options does he have? And who would have helped him? Everything's been quiet, Uncle. I should have known this would happen, we should have sent him to exile in the South Pole or maybe tried to send him to outer space."

"And risk him injuring more innocent people? Imagine if he had found Miss Katara's village. My brother is a cruel man Zuko, he would have figured out a way to kill every single person no matter what the location."

Zuko knew Ozai had a very strong following. The fact that after three years people were willing to help Ozai escape told Zuko that they (whoever "they" were) were not afraid of death.

"Should we alert the Nations that he has escaped?" Zuko asked his Uncle. Though he had been King for 3 years now Zuko always tried to get advice from his wise Uncle. Iroh always seemed to make things clear somehow.

"I think you should consider all possibilities." Uncle Iroh stated.

"How much damage could he possibly do, Uncle? If we spread word that he's escaped will people even care? He can't burn anybody, I doubt he has much strength after being locked up for so long. The last time I saw him he looked weak. But if we announce his escape what if people start to doubt my capabilities? I've worked hard to get my people to trust me."

"His weakness might have been an act," Iroh rubbed his beard in contemplation, "And we don't really know what type of person could have gotten him out. We also don't know his objective. Perhaps it would be best to keep quiet and send out a search party to look for him."

"If anybody is going to look for him it's going to be me." Zuko said as he stormed out of the throne room.

It had been three days since Ozai had escaped, each day Zuko found his anger and regret increasing. If only Ozai had been killed, instead they had all resorted to locking him up assuming Ozai would stay there without a fight. Zuko ground his teeth as he stormed to the palace Physician's rooms. Zuko had tried to wait as patiently as possible for the cause of death of the soldiers Ozai had supposedly killed. Zuko pushed the doors open roughly as he entered the rooms and immediately began looking for the Physician. Just before visiting the Physician Zuko had spoken with General Qiang, whom had been the one to inform Zuko of Ozai's escape, it seemed Ozai had not been working alone.

Bent over a still body the Physician worked diligently as Zuko walked over to him. The Physician, known as Gen to many palace inhabitants, had been working for Zuko's family since Zuko could remember. At 67 years old Gen was a tiny older man, his bent back prevented him from standing for too long, yet he did his job without complaint. Physician Gen's breathing was ragged as he got older with age, his squinty eyes were blocked by large glasses and despite Physician Gen having tan skin Zuko assumed the old man hardly ever left the rooms to go outside. Yet any time there was a palace celebration Physician Gen was always there even if only for a few minutes. Zuko made a mental note to personally thank the physician for all his work.

"Physician Gen." Zuko spoke finally breaking the trance the older man had appeared to be in.

The older man jumped before hastily turning to the young Fire Lord and bowing. "My lord! I apologize, I did not realize you were waiting."

Zuko waved his apology aside, "It's alright, you seem busy. I came to see if you had made any progress on my soldiers that were killed by...Ozai." Zuko had almost said "my father".

Physician Gen shook his bowed head solemnly, "Yes, my Lord," Physician Gen began shuffling towards a door at the very back of the room and opened it to reveal a few bodies covered by white sheets, "It is the strangest occurrence ever, my Lord, I examined them all many times and it would appear they died drowning."

"Drowned? But there was no water, and the clothes were dry when they were found."

"Correct," Physician Gen nodded, "This has led me to believe Ozai received help from a waterbender or a few. Their lungs were filled with water. Waterbenders are the only ones capable of doing anything like this, my Lord. There are very few, if any really, waterbenders in the Fire Nation. General Qiang came by and told me they suspect a group of 6 or more people helped Ozai escape, many may have been earthbenders."

Zuko nodded, "Yes, he's explained this assumption to me as well. Thank you Physician Gen." Zuko left the Physician and decided to go look for his Uncle. If Ozai was receiving help from earthbenders it would definitely explain how he had been able to get away without a trace, but why drown the guards? Maybe it was to send Zuko a message. To tell Zuko that even with no fire bending Ozai could still kill, but why Waterbenders? Ozai believed firebenders to be the superior benders. He could have easily had someone burn the guards alive.

"Uncle!" Zuko yelled out as he reached his uncles rooms.

"Yes, Zuko?" His Uncle came out from behind a door with a cup of tea in his hands.

"I'm going to look for him."

"I will come with you." His Uncle hastily replied.

"No, I need you to stay here while I am away. Please watch over the Fire Nation." Zuko left to pack up some of his things. He needed to ask a few other people to help him as well.