Uh...

Thanks for the reviews and here's a new chapter.

Chapter 2: Air and Fire

Aang watched as the fire crackled and popped at the slightly soggy wood.

Sokka and Katara had already fallen asleep, or so he presumed, and now Aang was leaning up against a tree and staring into the burning and light giving fire.

As the fire crackled again, Aang drew closer to it and stared into the burning heat.

It was orange shade, but there wasa hint of blueon the deep inside of it.

It was that on the outside, it was what was portrayed, but on the inside, it was different all together. Sort of like Zuko. He was chasing them because he wanted to return home. He just wanted to be accepted by his father and his people again.

The thought sort of triggered in Aang's mind about how Firebenders can have 2 sides to them and for 100 years, the other 3, or in this case 2, nations have only seen the dark and destructive side.

Maybe there was some different Firebenders; ones who cared and did this for a reason besides for domination and serving the Fire Lord.

Like Jeong Jeong; he had deserted the Fire Nation because he was sick of the violence and he turned out to be good.

As he neared the fire, the smoke slightly burned his eyes and he backed away.

Blinking away the tears, Aang remembered what he had seen in the memory. Could Zuko even cry anymore after the fire burned him? After his own father had burned him? But the question he needed the answer to most was this; how could Zuko still serve his father and want to win him back after his father himself burned him and banished him.

Now, he was declared a nothing, a disgrace, a fool, and so many other shameful and disgraceful things by his own nation.

'Hope.' A voice in his head answered.

Zuko had told him that he had given many people hope since he had awakened. Many people; including him.

Him.

Aang; a 12, well technically 112, year old boy who now had the burden of mastering all 4 elements and defeating, no; killing, Fire Lord Ozai before summer's end.

Staring into the fire again, he saw it rise and fall; crackling and sending small sparks that barely reached out of the fire before their exposure to open air extinguished it.

Stepping closer again, his hand reached out; his fingers dipping into the flames before a sharp sting flew from his fingers and he recoiled back.

Shaking his hand out and blowing lightly on his fingers, he examined his hand.

It was lightly burned, but nothing worse.

Fire.

It felt, to him, like Zuko's true soul; the good side of it.

You can get so close to it and yet you feel so far away; disappearing as fast as it had appeared, and if you try to push any further than he would let you in, the dark side of his soul would take over and you would get burnt; a blow to you physically, mentally, and emotionally.

But what is fire?

An element in destroying, yes, but the other elements destroy. Sometimes, for no particular reason either.

But fire; it had to destroy.

If it wanted to live, it had to destroy something and in return, the fire would live.

Fire wasn't all bad.

It did destroy, but it brought light and warmth upon the creator.

A light in the darkness; warmth, and in a way shelter, from the cold.

His tongue poking at his lips again, he found a small remainder; the familiar scent of firewood and smoke. The same scent of the sweetness of rebirth, and the bitterness of disgrace.

"Aang?" a voice asked and he looked up to see Katara.

"Huh?" Aang asked stupidly.

"Is something wrong?" Katara asked; concerned for him.

He hadn't been acting like his fun self ever since they had been captured by Zuko and to Katara, that seemed a little creepy and a warning sign that something might be wrong with him.

"No. Nothing at all, Katara. Go back to sleep." Aang insisted; raising one of his hands and rubbing the back of his head while he closed his eyes and smiled that childish smile of his.

Katara smiled softly; seeing Aang back to normal was a relief and she snuggled back into her sleeping bag. As soon as she looked away, Aang looked back into the fire.

Fire; a light in the darkness, the warmth from the cold.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Concentrate.

The candles at his motif flickered; rising with every inhale, sinking with every exhale.

Opening his eyes a bit, Zuko unclasped his hands and lightly blew at one of the candles in the corner; the flame instantly vanishing.

Now, he was short of his usual 4 candles in a time of meditation.

Glaring at the candle, a flame instantly burst from the tip of the string again.

As the flame did, a picture of the child Avatar flashed in his mind. Zuko growled; mentally slapping and berating himself for even thinking of him. Ever since that kiss with that child, he couldn't push it aside; for it wouldn't even budge.

Everything he tried, burying himself into working, training non-stop, hours of meditation, and even playing with his Uncle; searching for the Lotus Tile whenever he lost it again. All of it did nothing.

Nothing could stop him from thinking back to that kiss!

That kiss meant nothing!

Nothing!

Just an accident during his interrogation of the child Avatar and a beacon of distraction!

'So if it was only a distraction, why can't you stop thinking about it?' a voice asked him.

'Because the kiss was from a boy; and not just any boy, your prey and the child Avatar.' Another voice answered for him.

'So? Remember what he said; he asked if you and he could have been friends 100 years ago.' A third part insisted.

"Could we?" Zuko murmured softly.

Staring back at his candles, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.

When the air reached his lungs, he stopped; exhaling immediately.

Air.

Although no one could see it, it was everywhere.

Not only was it everywhere, it was also needed for life.

The most important thing needed for life; to be exact. The thing every living creature needed to survive was air.

Exhaling sharply through his teeth, he had leaned in close to a candle and had blown it out.

Staring intently down at the smoking string, Zuko saw the 3 remaining candles.

Although he could always relight it anytime he wished, there still wouldn't be as much light in the room with only 3 candles.

Sort of like the world if your perspective range is wide.

The Air Nomads and nearly all of its inhabitants had perished during the first strike of the war started by his Great-Grandfather; Fire Lord Sozun. And now, there was only 1 survivor; the Avatar. Even though he was only 1 person, he had lit a light of inner hope for many people all over the world.

His element, Air, had seemingly breathed hope and life back into people as they were rejuvenated once more from their dead souls.

But what was Air?

Air was a giver of life, a savior of many, a force everyone needed in order to live.

Air was a giving element; a kind of element that Fire would never be.

Air; a giver of life and the savoir of living.

Relighting all of the candles again, a sudden flash of the kiss snapped into his mind.

"Augh!" Zuko griped in anger; pulling on his topknot. Why did that scene keep popping up?

As he fumed on mentally, a whiff of a certain scent burst from his lips and shot through his tongue.

The all too familiar burning incense and fresh forest wood; of the Autumn Air and saltwater over the seas.

With a throaty and strained snarl, Zuko slammed his fist onto his meditation table; causing the candles to tip and some of the wax to spill over. With a quick wave of his hand, the flames disappeared and Zuko was left in his dark chamber; trying to get those images out of his head. Why did those keep coming back? Why couldn't they just leave him alone?

All of a sudden, the voices came back and Zuko was suddenly thrown off by the overwhelming arguments they made.

"Will you all shut up? It was only a kiss!" Zuko meant to shout mentally, but his vocal chords had found his thoughts and his voice echoed through his hollow and small ship.

The voices had gone and Zuko, wide eyed, sat down on his mattress; collapsing as the door opened.

"Prince Zuko?" a voice asked and Zuko dared not to even move a muscle; his head would surely explode if he changed anything.

"Yes, Uncle?" Zuko answered dully; as if bored.

"Well, I am inviting you to music night." Iroh said calmly.

"No." Zuko said simply. "Alright. But I am curious; what did you mean by 'it was only a kiss'?" Iroh asked and Zuko groaned; pulling himself up.

"Nothing, Uncle." Zuko said simply.

Suddenly, his uncle's expression changed; as if he knew and Zuko instantly tensed up.

"Uncle, no it is not what you think---." Zuko began as he saw his uncle's face twisted from a slightly disturbed face to a cat-like grin.

"Ah, so that's the reason you've been down in the prison holds so often." His uncle said and Zuko almost heard a purr in his voice.

"Uncle---." Zuko began, but choked.

"Well, it is perfectly normal." His uncle insisted and Zuko blinked.

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked.

"You like that Water Tribe girl, don't you?" his uncle said simply and Zuko staggered backwards.

"Uh--." Zuko stammered.

"And somehow, you two would up kissing." His uncle continued almost giddily.

Zuko sat down on his mattress again and sat stiffly.

"Oh, don't worry, Prince Zuko. Your secret is safe with me." Iroh said; slightly winking as he exited the room.

Zuko sighed and flopped down; resting his back.

"And will I expect grandchildren anytime soon?" Iroh asked; poking his head through the door once again.

Zuko grabbed something that felt hard enough and hurled as hard as he could at the door; not caring that he had missed.

When the door clicked, Zuko lay still for a few minutes.

Pulling himself up, he walked over to the door and kneeled down to retrieve the object he had thrown at the door.

Looking down, he had seen it was a picture frame and the picture revealed when he was younger and back when his father had loved him.

Loved him? No way. His father didn't give a komodo rhino's ass about him or his uncle, nor his ship and crew, and let alone his fate. All he had cared about was winning this war. Well, guess what? Not anymore.

Zuko slipped the photo out and examined it once.

In the photo, he was 4; just a few months before his mother had died, and his father was with him. He had his arm around his son and seemed to have loved him back then. When his mother died, everything changed. Instantly, his sister was born lucky and he was declared lucky to be born.

Clutching the piece of paper tightly, a fire caught on and Zuko watched as the picture burned into ash.

When there was nothing more but a small pile of thin, black flakes, Zuko took the ashes and threw them out his window.

Breathing in once more, the fresh ocean air filled his lungs.

Air; a giver of life and the savoir of living.

Are they too OOC?

Whatever.

So what if I said this was slash? Well,this fic will have abase on Zukang, BUT since I'M the author, I can do whatever I want. And I am also a Zutara shipper. So, why not throw Zutara in?