So as stated before, this is my first Fanfic. Please comment and critique to your heart's content. Thanks ahead of time!
Silence was heavy in the night air of the Fire Kingdom. The crystal clear summer night carried waves of heat through the Palace into the chambers of the sleeping Fire Lord. The decorative glass doors to the spacious balcony overlooking the Palace courtyards were flung wide open in feeble hopes of summoning a summer night breeze. However they were calling to something else, something much worse, down below.
The Dragon of the West hauled himself up the stairs, concealed by a dark cloak that kept him in the shadows. He kept his breath quiet as he ran, despite the weight of the marvelous royal feast in his belly. It had been destiny smiling on him that he had overheard the Dai Li down in the dungeons. He had taken a particular liking to a young thief thrown in the dungeons, and had grown attached to having tea with her in the evenings. The feast celebrating a year of Zuko's reign had unfortunately kept him busy.
But all thoughts of tea were soon forgotten as he heard the whispers. They would be free by midnight. And they would have revenge. The thoughts only forced him to go faster up the many stairs and down the corridors before approaching the royal chambers. Even if he hadn't have been attempting to be silent and inconspicuous, Iroh wasn't a fan of knocking. He enjoyed surprising his young nephew with new blends of tea thought up, spending his retired days in the kitchens. But Zuko would not be humoring his old uncle tonight with tea.
"Wake up, Zuko," he said quietly, taking the shoulder of his nephew gently. The Fire Lord rolled over, blinking up at him before closing his eyes again.
"Now is not the time for tea, Uncle," he moaned into his pillow before yanking the crimson sheets over his head.
"I know," Iroh grumbled to himself, more in disappointment then anger. Shaking his head, he pulled the sheets back stubbornly. "This is no time to question your elders. You have to go, before the moon is high."
"What have you been drinking, Uncle?" The young Fire Lord abandoned all hopes of sleep as he sat up, staring groggily at the retired General. Neither looked like they were in the joking mood. He rubbed his good eye, wondering how he had gone so many years without the comfort of this giant bed and silky sheets.
"The Dai Li were speaking. Azula has escaped, and they want your blood," satisfied that the young Firebender was beyond returning to sleep, he began bustling amount the enormous chambers, packing everything fervently.
"What?" He shot to his feet, a blaze of fire erupting from his hands as the anger rushed through him. "She must be stopped-"
"You do not understand, Zuko. There is nothing worse than a crazed Firebender, with an army of the worst convicts behind her," he handed the pack to the young nephew, who stared down at it, face falling.
"You want me to run..." He whispered. His fists clenched around the pack. Once again his sister was taking his life away from him. Who knew who he could trust? Not many had been happy with the allegiance he had brought, returning the colonies to the nations they belonged to. He closed his eyes, taking a calming breath as his uncle had taught him many a time before opening them, golden eyes landing on his Uncle. "Will you be safe?" He asked. The old man let out a quiet chuckle, as if amused by the question.
"Who would bother with an old fool like me? I'm a decoration to the Court. I sit there and look pretty," he returned from the closet, holding the tunic of a commoner out to him. He looked at it, and couldn't resist wrinkling his nose in distaste. His Uncle had insisted on keeping the many disguises from his life as an outcast. Many of which he would have prefered to burn. He was, after all, a Fire Lord. Who wouldn't be a little spoiled with this lifestyle.
"Fine," he grumbled not in response to his Uncle, but to the tunic. He slid it on, before drawing a black cloak similar to that of Iroh.
"Do not stop until you have reached the docks. A member of the Order of the White Lotus will be there," he pressed a White Lotus tile into the hands of his nephew, the tile still warm from his late night games with the kitchen staff.
"Where will I go?" He asked, realizing that, for the first time since receiving the crown, he felt fear. A feeling that had only been a phantom in his nightmares, waking him in the middle of the night.
"Wherever Agni sees fit," he smiled reassuringly up at his nephew.
"Be careful," he whispered to his Uncle, face softening. He had made the mistake of underestimating and disregarding his Uncle once. He couldn't lose the father figure again. They embraced, and Zuko was gone, swiftly scaling down the Palace walls and into the darkness.