xXXx Chapter 3 xXXx

He, grabbed the letter. His heart was pounding, and his mind was racing. His hands unwillingly opened the letter and his eyes began reading it.

Zuko was stunned. He couldn't believe what he was reading.

Letter

Azula,

It pleases me to hear that you have taken control of Ba Sing Se, a task no one has fulfilled until now. I will personally recruit more soldiers to hold down Ba Sing Se. As for your brother, he may return home since you say he helped you gain control of the earth kingdom, but know this, he will not receive his honor, he will only have the simply joy of returning home. The only way for him to receive is honor back is to bring me the avatar.

The letter from his father left him breathless.

"I can return home" he thought to himself. He somehow knew that his father would not grant him is honor back, but he could return home. He hadn't been home in three years. He missed the fire nation palace for it reminded him of his mother.

"Well," Azula said from behind.

"I can return home," he said with a whisper

Some how Zuko wasn't as glad as he thought he would be. He should be, he was returning home.

But something was nagging at his heart, some how returning home felt wrong.

"What about uncle?"

"You know what father does to traitors" she said with a wicked smile.

Zuko indeed knew what their father did to traitors; he executed them, or imprisoned them for life.

"But uncle is fathers brother, there has to be another way," Zuko said, pleading for his uncle's life.

"Zuko, uncle will only hold back our nation, he's weak and deserves to be branded a traitor." she said with a heartless tone.

Zuko was now clenching his fist as he grew furious, he knew that Azula didn't care for their uncle, but he did. Not only did his uncle join him in on his three year quest to find the avatar, he also stood up for Zuko in the worst of times. His uncle had become a father figure to him and he was the only person he could trust.

Without saying another word Zuko stormed off to his room.

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( back with the boomeraang gang, j/k)

Every one was sitting on appa's saddle just starring out in to space, each of them with a dazed look upon their face.

"I'm hungry" Sokka said trying to break the ice with the rest of the gang. Every one had been in such a "serious" mood lately and he couldn't remember the last time her heard anyone laugh.

"Sokka we just ate an hour ago, how can you possibly be hungry" Katara said in an irritated voice.

"Hey, I'm a growing man" he said with a proud smile across his face.

Aang, Toph, and Katara could help themselves but to burst out laughing

"Good one Sokka" Toph said sarcastically.

"You know Sokka, your right, your muscles are just bulging " Katara said with a straight face but, began laughing until her eyes became watery.

"Ha ha ha, you think your so funny Katara" Sokka said sarcastically

With all that said Aang got up and laughed at Sokka before seating himself on appas head.

"Aang, are you alright, your back doesn't hurt anymore?"

"Actually I feel much better" he said with a big grin across his face.

With all that said he grabbed appas reins, and was about to say yip,yip but, was dumbfounded because he had no clue where they were going.

"Guys where exactly are we going?" he said turning around to face the group, with a confused face.

"Well, while you were asleep from your injury, we all deiced that it would be best to stay at the eastern air temple so you can.."

"Learn how to control your avatar state" Sokka cut in for his sister.

"Um, do you think that's a good idea?" Aang said remembering that he didn't tell them what happened the last time he saw guru Pathik; he runaway because of the vision of Katara in danger.

"Yeah, we'll be safe there, while you learn to control the avatar state" Katara said with a comforting smile. Aang couldn't help but to agree with her. The eastern air temple was safe and maybe this time he would be able to control his avatar state, even though he didn't want to.

"Aang are you okay, you seem worried" Katara said as she made her way to sit next to him.

"Yeah, never been better" Aang said quickly so she wouldn't suspect anything.

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(back with zuko)

He walked to his room so he could plan.On his way there he paused as he heard voices come closer. He quickly hid himself in the numerous dark currents that laid against the wall.

"So Mai what do you think of Azula's plan" Ty lee asked her taller friend.

"I don't know, I guess it will, work" Mai said with a board tone.

"Yeah, Zuko fell for it last time" Ty Lee said with a grin.

"Ty lee shut up, Zuko might be around" Mai said with a cold face.

"No, he went to his room, and that's on the other side of the palace. He's been in there ever since, Azula read that letter"

"What letter?" Mai questioned

"You know, that letter she made up, so she could take Zuko and Iroh back as prisoners, that was her assignment in the first place from lord Ozai."

Zuko froze, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He fell for another one of Azula's schemes. His anger was rising again, this time he wouldn't let Azula get her way.

Zuko waited till the girls were out of sight before moving out of his hiding place. He looked around making sure the coast was clear.When he saw that no one was there, he ran as fast as he could to his room.

His room was huge, it had a green king size bed with many dressers. There were also two tables filled with small trinkets, on the floor near one of the tables was a small gray bag filled with his little belongings. He quickly gather it and hid it under his bed. He was setting on his bed making a plan to rescue his uncle. "First I need to find the guard that possesses the key to uncles cell. Then I'll sneak out in the middle of the night with all my belongings to uncles cell" he thought. There was just one problem; what was he to do when he freed his uncle, where would they go, how would they fend off Azula? But none of that mattered right now, he would figure that out later; if there was a later.

Zuko nearly fell off his bed when he heard a knock at the door.

"Prince Zuko, dinner will be ready in an hour, if you wish to join your sister and her accomplices." said a deep voice from behind his door.

Great he thought sarcastically, nothing in this world would better than eating with is evil twisted sister and her lackeys. He seriously thought about not going but then an idea hit him; one of the guard would have to go to his uncle's cell with food. Unlike the other cells Irohs did not have a food slot, because they believed he would somehow find a way to escape.

"I'll be there he said"

A second after the guard left, Zuko made his way to the kitchen. As he opened the door, he saw an enormous room but the thing that caught his eyes was the mound of veg tables, fruits and meats lying on a table. There were ten stoves and a sink next of each of them. above the mound of food was hundreds of pans handing from a metal piece.there was also three pantries filled with food. As a couple of voices made their way to the kitchen, Zuko dodged into one of the opened pantries.

"Is the food almost ready, I have to feed that old man again in the top level security" said a small man, who was a member of the dialee( sorry for my spelling)

"Yes, just hold on while I get a plate and some tea for him" said a fat cook, wearing an apron with numerous stains.

"There you go, and don't forget we are playing pia sho in lee's room tonight" said the cook handing a plateful of food toward the guard.

"Yeah, yeah, I know" he said before leaving. The cook left too, making it clear for Zuko to follow the man.

The man was alone as Zuko walked a clear distance away from him. He made sure that the guard wasn't suspecting anything.

As the man entered the prison room his uncle was in, Zuko hid behind a large tapestry that hung against he wall. the man began shuffling for the key in his robes. after he found it he opened his uncles cell with caution.

"Here you go, complement to the chief" he said as he turned around.

"Thank you Kyo" said Iroh. Zuko couldn't understand why his uncle was being nice to someone who locked him up in a cell.

As Zuko saw the man or what his uncle called him-Kyo locked the cell, he figured is was now or never. Zuko snuck up behind him and punched him, making the guard unconscious and hit the ground with a "thud."

"Kyo" cried his uncle.

Zuko ignored his uncle while he tied the guard with his own metal handcuffs and hide him behind a table of torture devices. He then searched for the keys. "yes, got them" he said in his mind as he pulled a small golden key to his eye level. Now for his uncle. he didn't know what to say to him, his uncle had not spoken to him in awhile. "well, here goes nothing" he said, looking for the right words to tell his uncle.

"Uncle, its me," he said leaning against the cell door.

"I know you probably don't want to speak to me but, that's beside the point. Uncle, Azula plans on taking you and me back to the fire nation as her prisoners again.

"So what do you plan on doing, nephew"

"Uncle, your speaking to me" he said with joy.

"What else am I doing," Iroh said with a grin. "Well, the plan" his uncle questioned.

"I plan on sneaking out of here with you at midnight and hiding in the nearest forest."

"Well then its settled." said his uncle.

Later on that night

Zuko ate dinner in silence when he was with his sister and her lackeys, which was very uncomfortable, now knowing what they were planing on doing to him. After that, he went to his room and study the guards from outside his window. Hours later when all the guards had gone to their rooms, because they sensed to threat to the kingdom. Zuko dressed in black and gathered his things. The walk was long and quite, the only noise came from the night birds. When he reached his uncles cell he found his uncle asleep.

"Uncle, lets go" and with that said they made their way out of the palace unseen. Of course it had to be raining Zuko thought. There would be an occasional lightning strike and thunder would follow after. They made their way out of the city and to the nearest forest just as Zuko said, they were about five miles away from the palace. But as they walked into the forest they looked up at the dark rumbling sky and saw a bolt of lighting hit in the far distance, it lit the whole sky, but when it disappeared it left a small object illuminated by white light falling from the sky.

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I'm really, really, sorry i wrote so much, but when i get started I cant stop. Another reason why i wrote so much was becuase I also had to put in a few things in here before I write the next chapter. Please review, I know it probably annoys you but it inspires me to write, I know that sounds corny but its true, so can you please review.