Thanks for the reviews that I did get, but I would appreciate more. I'm just greedy like that! Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, but this story IS mine. But, someday, my precious, oh yes, someday. . .

Prince of Fire

Chapter Two: The Journey Begins

The cold gray mist bore down upon Katara's neck and clung to the tips of her hair. She removed her headband and let her tresses fall about her shoulders before neatly pinning it up again. The fog held steadfast.

Katara sighed. It had been a painfully long day. She and the rest of the group had spent most of the day gathering supplies for the trip that lay ahead. Nothing major-food, blankets, and a few trinkets for minimal fun. That had been the easy part. The difficulty lay in convincing Sokka, Toph, and Aang what they were doing was right, and smart.

The others had gone along with collecting provisions simply because they were unsure of their destination. After a few hours, though, Katara was forced to reveal her ideal destination: the heart of the Fire Nation.

It was strictly her idea. She was firm in standing behind her logic, though it was a bit flawed. Aang needed a Firebending Master to teach him. Who better than the man who had trained his enemy? Katara wasn't entirely sure where Iroh was or whether or not he was even alive. She was positive, however, that he would most likely be in the middle of everything.

Katara leaned forward, burying her face in Appa's coat for both warmth and as a safeguard against Sokka's incessant whining.

"I mean really, Katara, you just had to go and pick the one Master who would be the hardest to find. Geez, you just won't settle, will you?" asked Sokka, throwing a small disk-like object from hand to hand, his eyes following its every movement.

Katara rolled her eyes at her brother. Sometimes he could be such a grumbler. Sure, they could have picked any other Master to teach Aang, but there was no way to know where their loyalties lay. With Iroh, they were certain that he was on their side; at least he had been when he was captured.

"Are you okay?" asked Katara, glancing at Aang, who sat two feet away. She had been so worried about him lately. After Aang ran away a couple of days ago, she wasn't sure that he'd ever be the same. She still wasn't sure.

"I'm fine." replied Aang, gazing down at the unseen landscape below. Every now and then he would grasp around for his glider, only to realize that it was gone.

"It's not there, so stop trying to find it." Said Toph, irritated after the last time he scrounged around for it. Katara could see how Toph could get annoyed by the scratching noise of Aang's hand on Appa's saddle. To her sensitive ears, it must have been a nightmare. But Katara still wished she wouldn't be so rude about it.

"So, where exactly are we at? I mean, I can't even see the ground. How can you possibly know where we're going?" asked Sokka, throwing his bauble a little too hard. He groaned as it sailed over the side of Appa into the mist below. "You could have helped me out a little there, you know? I mean, it would have taken just a little air. . ." he said, glancing at Aang.

Katara shot him a death look and laid her head back on Appa's warm coat.

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Somewhere, in a dank, dusty, hole of a chamber, Iroh awoke. He'd been waking up every few hours to the pit-pat sound of what he could only think of as footsteps. But, who would be down here?

Iroh had been imprisoned for longer than he thought or could even suspect. After the first few days, he had stopped counting for the fear that he would drive himself crazy. He occupied his time now by making up short ditties about the life he had known before.

"Oh, how the sweet trees bloomed under the sun. Green leaves under the sun. Ripe for the picking. . ." he sang. His songs didn't make much sense now. He'd created so many that they began to run together in one long stream of ceaseless melodies that was enough to make anyone lose their mind.

Then, there it was again, the pitter patter of feet. He stopped singing long enough to realize that he wasn't going mad. Someone was there.

"Hello?" he said, standing near the bars of his fire-resistant prison to get a better view. Then, he saw him, standing in the far corner, a dark figure that he would recognize anywhere.

"So, Zuko," said Iroh, sitting down once again, "you've finally decided to visit your old uncle."

Zuko moved in the shadows, if only slightly. Zuko himself wasn't sure why he had chosen now to visit his uncle. He'd awaken in the middle of the night, too, restlessness about him. He hadn't been sleeping well lately. His dreams were vivid, image descriptions of people he'd met and places he'd seen.

The dreams weren't always unpleasant but were always unnerving. Something was always wrong with the people's faces- a deep sorrow filled their eyes. And the places were always on fire, great billowing clouds of smoke pouring forth from the cities. Then, Zuko would wake up and have to tell himself over and over that the dreams weren't real.

That was what had wakened him tonight. And a sense of urgency had led him down to the dungeon where his uncle was being held.

Now, Zuko spoke, his voice void of all emotion. "Hello, Uncle." It was all he could say without bringing up any of his memories in his mind. He moved forward out of the darkness, close enough for his uncle to see him.

Iroh shook his head, displeasure written all over his face. He leaned back against the cold wall and spoke. "What have they done to you, Zuko? You are not yourself."

Zuko didn't his surprise show on his face. "Are you disappointed, Uncle? That I'm not a traitor like you?"

Iroh forced a knowing smile and chuckled. "Me, a traitor? Never. I merely had a change of heart. Is that such a bad thing? To finally realize that all you have been fighting for has nothing to do with what is really important?"

Zuko's face fell slightly, but he quickly recovered himself. "And what's so important that you would give up your rightful place with the Fire Nation? You have dishonored us all."

"My nephew, freedom is what is important. I have only just understood that. And, you, you are what is important, at least to me. Do not let your father or your sister deceive you into thinking that they want what is best for you. In the end, they are only concerned for their own good."

Zuko recoiled at his uncle's words. "How dare you insult my father! If it weren't for him, you would be dead right now."

"As opposed to living in a cage? Are you certain that I should thank him, Nephew?" asked Iroh. He let his eyes droop closed.

Zuko stood for a moment, Iroh's words echoing in his ears. What he said made sense of a certain kind. But, Zuko still believed that his rightful place was with the Fire Nation. What was his other choice? To be imprisoned like his uncle, or killed like so many others?

The frustration welling inside of him escaped in a howl and a shower of flame, bouncing off the bars of his uncle's cage, and then finally fading into the night.

Iroh didn't even open his eyes as Zuko trudged back up the stairs to enter the merciless world once more.

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"Are you sure about this, Katara?" asked Aang, securing a piece of cloth around his head.

"Positive." she replied, putting on a pair of shoes that were hefty on her slender foot.

They had reached their destination unseen. By the grace of some unobserved force, the fog had remained, assuring that they would not be spotted.

The two guards standing at the entrance were easy enough to overtake. Two of them against four of them, not even a fight. Although she wouldn't admit it aloud, that made Katara nervous. There should have been many more sentries defending one of the most influential places in the world. The word 'trap' echoed in her head again and again.

"You two stay here with Appa and Momo. Aang will come get you if we need you." said Katara to Sokka and Toph.

They looked at her doubtfully but agreed, if only because there weren't enough disguises to go around.

She glanced once more at Aang, who had volunteered to be the one who went along. She couldn't disagree with him. He was, after all, their unofficial leader. But, Katara could sense that the position had somehow temporarily fallen on her shoulders.

Katara could sense the evil radiating from the building in front of her. It was almost tangible. But, she could also feel something smaller, weaker, underlying the evil. A hope, a small glimmer of something or someone who knew that all was not lost.

Katara didn't know how or why her senses were heightened at that moment, but they were. , Katara and Aang stepped through the shaded door into the most dangerous place plausible and prayed that whatever sense of hope was letting itself known to her was right. That all was not lost.

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How was it? Okay, so it was kind of STUPID for them to go into the Fire Nation's headquarters just to find Iroh. But, they've all done some pretty stupid things before and I thought it seemed plausible. And, it did seem really easy for them to actually get in. Remember, Katara thinks it's a trap. Plus, something really bad might happen to them because of their stupidity . . . hmmm, you never know. . .

Oh, this story takes place where the show currently is as far as what's happening. But, do not correct any mistakes that I may have made as to the location of anything or anyone, it's intentional and necessary. I know what I'm doing.