ANN is here so have no fear, unless of course you dont review.

Disclaimer: nothing owning

2: Avatar anew

He was cold.

Freezing in the northern oceans, as he leaned over the rail of his metal ship and tried to catch a glimpse of the white under belly of the giant bison the avatar used to travel on.

His fire breath, trade mark to the royals of the fire nation, had no effect on his body temperature and he soon ran out of energy to burn.

Life was cold and desolate, a flying torrent of nightmares and pain.

He'd had nothing from the beginning, born premature and weak.

His bending abilities were weak and he had to train hard to get them to where they were.

As the crown prince he was expected to take the throne after his father but in truth he felt neither suited for it nor worthy of it, when he expressed this to his father he was beaten and lain up in his bed for weeks.

The only thing he had ever had, the only thing he could depend on for ten long and tedious years had been his honor. No matter how week and unfit he was he still had his honor.

In the end though that to was ripped away.

The only way to gain back a smidgen of self respect and his right to his crown and nation was to capture the avatar.

'Go forth Prince and do not disgrace us with your presence again until the avatars lifeless body is at my feet.' Father had commanded me before banishing me from the nation, MY nation.

The avatar reappeared less than one year ago on the barren landscape of the South Pole. After six long years of searching he had finally resurfaced and my chance to redeem my self had come.

Except I didn't.

Every time the young avatar was within my grasp he managed to evade me.

He always got away.

The last time had been my failed attempt at the North Pole.

The water tribe peasant had held me in a battle until long in the night, I was almost drained of strength and would have most likely lost had the sun not risen. But even then it was all I could do to escape with my skin still intact.

So here I was in the middle of a freezing ocean chasing a flying bison, how sad and utterly laughable.

"Nephew come inside. The soldiers and I are having a nice hot cup of tea" my uncle said opening the door from below deck.

I turned from the warm yellow glow that suddenly flooded my vision. Maybe if I said nothing he would simply go back to his tea.

I really did not understand why the man chose to stand by me. He sailed through freezing waters on a mission he felt was destined to fail and did not complain. He put up with my sometimes rude behavior with not a word.

And he still offered me comfort always there to turn to no matter what I said or did.

"Nephew your brooding again." The old man said with warmth, shutting the heat and light below deck and effectively killing any hope I had of being left to my thoughts.

"The demons of your past will not be sated by your frozen corpse; they will merely torment you on into eternity. Come away from the rail and let us go inside. The avatar is resting now as should you be." Uncle said placing his arm around my shoulders in a gesture of comfort.

I continued to stare out to sea as I replied "I have slain those demons long ago. I only wish to capture the avatar and regain my honor."

My uncle sighed.

"Your honor was never lost nor even compromised. You stood up for what you believed in. if anything your father was dishonored. Sending the crown prince and only heir to the fire nation off to parts unknown is madness."

"Uncle! Be silent; do not let any of the men hear you saying such treasonous things! They would turn you over to the fire nation in an instant." I hissed sliding away from the warmth of his fatherly embrace.

"Do you honestly believe any man under your command would turn either you or I in for anything less than mass genocide? After all we have seen together during this war. For seven years every man on this boat has been exposed to the harsh reality of this war. The things that they were hidden from in the capital city. They do not fallow your father anymore but you, their only hope for the future" uncle said in a low voice.

I closed my eyes tightly.

The war. The stupid war that had hurt so many; killed so many. Families destroyed utterly, the entirety of the war was pointless. No one nation could rule the world. It took all the elements working in harmony, as uncle liked to say, to balance out the world.

Just as I was about to comment my uncle suddenly shouted. "ZUKO!" then it went silent.

I opened my eyes.

I did not see uncle Iroh.

I did not see the hulking metal ship.

Nor did I see the freezing ocean.

What I saw was a glowing forest every tree and bush and creature highlighted in a silver blue glow.

"What…What is this place?" I asked aloud. The sound of my voice echoed sharply in the silent Forrest.

Not expecting an answer I jumped when I heard an irritated voice reply

"This is the sprit world foolish mortal! A better question would be why you are here."

The oddest part though was that I thought I heard it in my head. I spun around crouching into a basic firebending position, ready to fry anyone who came near me.

"Get up you fool, even the avatar can not bend here. This is the Valley of Peace." the formerly irritated voice replied, now filled with scorn and contempt.

Except now he knew he was crazy…or dreaming but if he was dreaming wouldn't that mean now that he knew he was dreaming he would wake up? Unless of course he was just dreaming he was dreaming…but it was to confusing to think out. The point being I knew something was up because the voice was coming from a giant primate, not only that he had heard it in his mind.

"Idiot mortals and their narrow minds. Didn't I say this was the SPRIT world? Primates have sprits to, though technically I am more of a…prehuman. And of course I am speaking in your mind the spices had not developed vocal cords by the time I was born." The voice said, becoming more irritated with each word/thought.

I snorted at this. The creature must be delusional because it looked no where near human.

It was large, six foot at least, and covered in thick silvery hair. And it had a TAIL. no human i had ever met had a Tail.

I felt a sharp pain in my head then the voice continued "now mortal why are you here? You are clearly not dead so why are you here?"

"Why am I here" I repeated dumbly.

"You do not know" his voiced stated.

"Well it is fairly obvious. Aang is not here but you are. You must be the new avatar. Though you appear to be a firebender and I had thought water was the next element but the disappearance of the airbenders must have distorted the cycle. Now leave this place and get back to your body before it disappears." The last rang in my ears as I closed my eyes.

I felt a gentle tug on my body and suddenly I felt my self soaring through the air. I landed with a jolt, flat on my back and stunned.

I opened my eyes and groaned.

I was no longer in the spirit world and, thank Agni, the primate creature was no where to be seen. All the glowing colors were gone save the warm orangey one that shown from the fire grate.

I was in the captain's quarters on my ship lying in between the familiar fire red sheets.

"Zuko!" a voice rang out across the room, clear with relief.

"Uncle" I said in a coolly even tone, betraying none of my own relief to see him again.

Uncle came running over from his seat near the door. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were dirt and rumpled. I looked at the film over his eyes and the red that was rimming them.

"Uncle? Are you alright?" I asked trying not to let him know I was worried.

I tried to sit up but found it difficult, it seemed as though my limbs were flaccid and week. I shoved my back against the broad head bored of my bed and was able to sit up. Uncle stopped his hurried walk to my bed side about a foot away from me.

"Am I alright?" uncle said aloud, as if testing the words to see what they meant.

"no, young prince, I do not suppose I am. Do you realize how long you have been lying here in this bed unconscious? Two weeks. Two whole weeks of half wit doctors proclaiming you were all but dead. I haven't slept but when forced, I only ate when your men forced me to. Even I had all but given you up for dead. Had I not heard you mumble and saw you toss once, only once in two weeks. I would have already sent you to Agni in a flaming chariot days ago. What happened? What caused you to fall into this death sleep, for that was no normal sickness consuming you." The old man finished in a quite tone, a tone that spoke of unshed tears.

I looked down at my hands, clenched in fists so tight my knuckles had bled of all color.

"I don't know uncle. I had a strange dream though. We shall have to see what, if anything at all comes of it." I said, my throat feeling scratchy and unused, it reminded me of the primate thing which had no vocal chords at all.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and I looked up into his wrinkled and worn face. His face glowed with happiness.

"No matter what my boy we shall get through it together. I will Always stand by you." He said.

"Now you need to get some sleep. Rest and we will speak in the morning."

As he reached the door I clinched my eyes tight before saying "I'm Sorry." In a quite voice.

I waited until I heard the door click shut before opening my eyes.

I shot my arm out and up; a move the avatar had used to defeat me before. The heavy cloth hangings above my bed split and collapsed onto the floor. A low poof was emitted. It hadn't been a dream after all.

ANN says

i dont really know if that was a clife hanger or not...

your thoughts?

should i go on?

then tell me!