The Sprit World
Disclaimer: …If I owned Avatar, the next episode will be out now!
Iroh was walking down a dirt road a few miles away from the ship…not knowing what was to happen.
Suddenly Iroh hear an air-shattering explosion in the night air. He turned to see the ship burning!
"ZUKO!" Iroh shouted running towards the ship worried about his nephew.
Zuko jumped at the explosion, as the flames came hurling towards him. Zuko put up a fire shield around him, he would have to thank Iroh for teaching him that, but as another explosion came, he came flying out the window into the cold, dark ocean.
Iroh came to the ship just as it, and hopes of his nephew's survival, went up in a smoky blast "Zuko…"
Zuko awoke in the middle of a meadow filled with fire lilies, his favourite flower, he saw someone sitting close to him; someone he hasn't seen in many years, "Lu Ten"
"Hey Zuko, long time now see,"
"Lu Ten…" Zuko started going to ask if he was dead,
"Sort of…"
"Huh?"
"You're dead; but not entirely"
Zuko didn't know what Lu Ten was talking about, "Where am I?"
"You are in a part of the Sprit World where the spirits go that have Earthly Attachment; they have the choice to return."
Iroh looked out onto the beach and saw the body of his nephew!
"ZUKO!" Iroh cried, jumping of the dock and onto the beach running towards Zuko…
Zuko was still staring at Lu Ten after hearing that the only way that one here can become a 'true' member of the Sprit World was if the one that attaches him to the earth either dies or moves on.
Iroh was at his nephew's side in mere minutes. He checked to see if there was a pulse, there was none.
Iroh broke down, tears steaming down his cheeks. He had lost his son Lu Ten, and now his second son! Iroh felt lost…
"So that's why Uncle couldn't find you in the Sprit World!" Zuko exclaimed
"Yes, speaking about dad," Lu Ten said "You DO know he thinks of you like a son…"
"Yeah…" Zuko fibbed
In the true spirit world, all powerful Spirits gathered to discus the fait of Zuko…
"He's my great-grandson, he should live!"
"But he's Fire Nation!"
"Yeah!"
"But according to the prophecy, 'A Prince of Fire will teach the Avatar'"
"That's all Hogmonkey wash!"
"Roku and Tai Min are right, he should live!"
"So it's a tie!"
"You mean you didn't want to return to the physical world?"
"Yeah…"
"Zuko?"
Both boys turned to see a woman with pale skin, black hair and brown eyes.
"Yeah?" Zuko asked
"There is a tie, as always, for your fait; so do you want to live or die"
"I…want…too" Zuko stammered, if he lived; he'll be going back to the Avatar Tracker he became, but; if he died Iroh would sink into a pit of depression and grief…
"I want to live"
Iroh knew what he had to do; he bent a fire dagger and aimed it at his heart…
Zuko awoke to the sight of his uncle about to kill himself!
"Uncle!" was the only thing Zuko could think of to shout.
"Zuko?" Iroh stopped the fire dagger just before it hit his heart,
"ZUKO!" Iroh cried as he embraced his nephew in a warm hug, sobbing into his beloved nephew's shoulder. He was cut and bruised, however he was alive.
"Wh- why are you crying?" was what Zuko asked before realising those tears were tears of joy.
The next day, Zuko and Iroh had a plan…Iroh would take up Zhao's offer on being General, and pretend that Zuko really did die…but he'll be on the ship disguised as a lower officer.
Iroh and Zhao were having tea; and Iroh was telling Zhao what happened that 'terrible night'
"…and when I got back…it was too late…" Iroh reported to Zhao, through not-so-fake tears.
"Did you recover the body?" Zhao asked, adding the tea leaves, out of curiosity, was he really dead?
What seemed to be a long while passed before Iroh replied "No"
"I'm devastated to hear about Zuko" Zhao said pouring tea "just devastated"
"The Fire Lord won't be pleased when he learns who was responsible…" Iroh said to make it look convincing
"You know who was behind the attack?" Zhao inquired
"Yes…pirates, we had a run in with them a while back…they wanted revenge"
"So, have you reconsidered my offer?" Zhao asked; after taking a sip of tea.
"Yes, I accept, it will be an honour to serve as your general." Iroh raised his cup in a toast "To the Fire Nation!"
"To victory!"
"Our plan is working perfectly, Zhao doesn't suspect a thing." Iroh said
"You don't have to do this" Zuko reminded his Uncle for the twelfth time.
"No nephew of mine is going to stow away on a ship without some backup…"
"Thank you, Uncle"
"Someone's coming! Stay hidden until we get to the North Pole and the Avatar will be yours! Gook luck!"