AN: I thought I'd take this opportunity to address a couple of questions I've received from my readers...

soupcan asked - "How long are you planning for this fic to be?" - I'm not entirely sure...but I estimate that I'm about half way...I'm aiming for the customary 20 chapters that seem the norm for Avatar books

Wren Sharpbeak asked (quite some time ago) - "Those wouldn't be wings sprouting out would they?" (in regards to Itoko's maturation) - no, Itoko is not sprouting wings...his kind do have growths on their shoulders though, and for those who know their mythology, that's a bit of a clue to what Itoko actually is. And you have my permission to steal that line if you wish

Thanks for the comments, guys...it does inspire one to keep going. And now...on with the show...

Chapter Ten

For an endless moment in time all of Zuko's troubles, all his pain and guilt, all that he had suffered and lost, all that he'd inflicted and taken, it all fell away in the circle of his mother's arms. For that moment he was a ten-year-old boy, free of sin and shame. He was safe, he was loved. His world was simple, but complete.

Then it all came back to him. Everything that had happened to him, everything he'd done. He broke from her embrace and backed away, shaking his head, putting as much distance between them as the cramped space allowed. He didn't deserve her comfort, a part of him didn't want it. She had abandoned him after all…

"Zuko…?" She frowned in concern, coming towards him, closing the door as she passed it.

He just kept shaking his head. "You don't know what I've done." He whispered. "What I've become."

Unknowingly he had backed himself into a corner. With no room left to retreat he turned his face away from her again, slumping down onto the bench beneath him. He heard the wood creak as she joined him, and again her gentle fingers touched his face, but he refused to let her turn his head towards her.

"Whatever it is you've become…" She said softly. "It's my fault."

He turned sharply to finally look at her. He could see the anguish on her face. But how could she possibly think she was responsible for all the atrocities he'd performed?

"I knew the environment I was leaving you in…I always feared…without my love and guidance I would lose you to power and ambition…" She lowered her head. "Like I lost your father…"

"You almost did…" Zuko whispered. Mention of Ozai brought a lot of painful memories to his mind, and the question he'd always wanted answered, but had feared to ask.

"My father…did he…?" He began softly, his voice cracking. He turned to her, saw her searching his face. "Did he EVER love me?" He finished in a rush, the words tumbling over each other as if getting them out quickly would somehow be less painful.

Her eyes widened with shock and dread. It was obviously something she hadn't expected, something she didn't want to respond to. Her expression and her silence spoke volumes to him. He lowered his head.

"I…" He halting voice broke the silence. "I don't think he knew what to make of you." She smiled sadly when he glanced her way. "We were both very young…not much older than you are now." She brushed his hair back from his face in an unconsciously loving way. "And the only child he'd ever had any experience with was Lu Ten, and he was not very much younger than us."

She sighed.

"I think he expected a miniature version of himself, but you were not very much like him at all. Even as an infant you were quiet, withdrawn, you always kept to yourself…a loner by nature…"

"And then by circumstance…" He muttered.

She looked at him trying to imagine what his life had been like for the past seven years. He'd never had any friends in his youth, hers had been the only company he'd been comfortable in. Unlike his sister, he'd been painfully shy. She had hoped he'd outgrow it, but it seemed he hadn't. He had bonded with his cousin, but he'd still been very young when Lu Ten had gone off to war, never to return.

First he'd lost his cousin, then his mother and finally his uncle. Everyone he cared about, everyone who had responded to him kindly had been taken from him in some way, leaving only those who were less than charitable towards him. It was no wonder he was reluctant to open up to anyone, or even to accept her presence. He probably thought her as elusive as smoke. If he were to touch her, did he expect her to dissipate? To slip through his fingers and disappears again?

Kanaye had left Sumi's shop as soon as Zuko had started acting…weird. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he looked like he was on the brink of some kind of breakdown. Kanaye didn't know what to do, so he did the only thing he could think of. He went for help.

"Joochan! Rafu!" He yelled as he found the pair at a stall in the marketplace. "There's something wrong with Zuko!"

Rafu's smoky-amber eyes widened at the volume of the boy's voice. "For all that's holy, Kanaye!" He growled. "I don't think they heard you on the other side of town!"

"Huh?" The boy boggled.

With an exasperated sigh, Rafu jerked his head towards the village notice board where Zuko's wanted poster held pride of place alongside the Avatar's.

"Oh…um…well…"

"What's wrong, Kanaye?" Joochan asked gently.

"I took him to Sumi's…" He began, his voice much quieter now.

"Why am I not surprised?" Rafu muttered.

"And he just…kinda…started acting all weird…" Kanaye struggled to find the right words. "And Sumi…she seemed to know him somehow…she talked about his dad…"

Joochan and Rafu exchanged a glance. That certainly didn't sound good. Ignoring the attention they were receiving, the trio set out for Sumi's tiny eatery without haste. They had no idea what to expect, but seeing Zuko tucked up in a corner while Sumi pressed a cup of hot tea into his hands certainly wasn't it.

"I'm afraid I'm not open, gentlemen." Sumi said graciously, moving in such a way as to block the boy from view. "Something has unexpectedly come up." She smiled as she turned to face them.

"We know who he is, Sumi." Joochan assured her. "He is in no danger from us."

"Whether or not he is in danger from you remains to be seen." Rafu said coldly.

Sumi stiffened as she stared him down, her eyes growing as cold as his voice. Kanaye looked back and forth between Zuko and Sumi noticing something he hadn't before he's run out earlier.

"They have the same eyes." He said.

His two older companions glanced back and forth between the pair. It wasn't just the colour they shared, it was the shape, the thickness of the lashes, even the position on their similarly shaped faces. They shone with the same warmth, the same sadness, they shared a sense of pain and loss.

"What is this boy to you?" Joochan asked in an awed whisper, knowing, if she answered, she would only confirm what he already knew.

She looked at Zuko and smiled, seeing something she needed to know in his face, before returning her attention to them.

"He is my son." She said simply.

Outside the tiny establishment, in the shadows between the buildings opposite, two figures lurked and watched.

"Can you see him?" One asked.

"Nah…" He companion replied. "But that kid definitely said his name…and got in trouble for it."

"Yeah…but if this is a wild goose-pig chase the captain will have our necks!"

"Maybe…but it's the only lead we've had."

The pair returned to staring at the small restaurant as if the intensity of their gaze could some how manage to burn right through the wall and enable them to catch sight of their quarry.

"Should we bust in and grab him?" The first asked.

"No." His companion shook his head. "A cornered animal is the most dangerous. And we can't afford to underestimate this kid. Go back and report to the captain. We'll gather the others and take him together."

"Your son?" Joochan frowned. "But he's prince of the Fire Nation…you'd have to be…" He trailed off.

"The Fire Lord's wife?" She provided. "Yes. I am Princess Ursa."

"But, why are you here?" Rafu asked.

"Due to my actions, I, like my son, was forced to go into hiding." She looked at him fondly. "I took a new identity, became a different person." She stroked his hair absently. "But I never forgot those who are important to me."

Zuko looked away, a trouble expression on his face.

The question Rafu was about to ask died on his lips at the loud knock at the door that was immediately followed by it being hurled from its hinges.

Joochan and Rafu spun, blocking both Fire Nation royals from sight.

"We'd like some rice balls, moon cakes…and his royal highness's head on a platter." The man in front of the motley assortment of ruffians that were trying to enter through the cramped opening demanded, the lizard-bird on his shoulder squawking its agreement. He had leaned to one side to enable him to see Zuko glaring at him from behind the two older men.

"I'm afraid we're closed." Rafu said. "A little family crisis. I'm sure you understand."

"Besides." Ursa said huffily as she pushed the pair aside to face the man. "I didn't make any moon cakes this morning…and HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS'S head…or any other part of his anatomy for that matter…is not for sale."

"Who are you?" The barker sneered. "His mother?"

"As a matter of fact…" Ursa began, but was cut off as Zuko swept her behind him.

"This has nothing to do with her." He addressed the pirate captain. "This is between you and me."

"You always did have spirit, boy." He laughed. "Even if yer lacking in brains. You really think you can take on my whole crew alone…" His eyes fell to Zuko's hip where, the last time they'd met his swords had been hanging, which were now very obviously absent. "…and unarmed? You don't even have yer pretty beasty."

"Did you forget?" With a quick flick, Zuko's forearms were suddenly aglow with roiling flames. "I'm never unarmed."

He sensed movement from behind him and caught Joochan and Rafu flanking him.

"And who said he's alone?" Rafu added drawing a rather wicked looking blade from his belt.

"Stay out of this." He hissed at them. "You've done enough…I don't want you getting hurt because of me."

"Zuko…" Joochan said softly. "…wishing to protect others is an admirable trait. But it's a trait that's likely to get you killed."

Zuko considered his words for a moment. For so long he'd tried to do everything alone, forever turning away any and all offers of help and companionship. The only thing he'd ever managed to accomplish successfully was when he had asked for the assistance of those he had seen as enemies.

He nodded his acceptance of Joochan's words and help, but he still wasn't willing to risk their lives. He sent a spout of flame towards the pirate captain, forcing him to take a step backwards and out of the room to avoid being burned, entangling himself into his crew that were pushing up against him and sending them all tumbling to the ground outside. The beaded curtain that covered the entrance erupted into flames, barring the pirates' entry for a few moments at least.

He turned to his mother. "Does this place have a back door?"

"No." She shook her head.

"It's about to." He muttered. He took a stance and hurled a massive fireball at the building's back wall, easily creating a gaping, smouldering hole. "Let's go…quickly. There's no way they didn't hear that."

He waited, letting the others pass before him, watching the door in case the pirates decided to rush through the flames rather than let their prize escape. Ursa looked at him with awe as she passed. The last time she'd seen him firebend he'd barely produced a flame and hadn't been able to stay on his own feet. Now he'd hurled such a massive blast at a wall that he'd destroyed half of it but had not touched anything that lay beyond it and stood poised with a sizable flame around his fist ready to defend her and his three companions.

Kanaye was grinning from ear to ear. "That was amazing!" He gushed. "Could you show me something else?"

"Now is not the time, Kanaye." Zuko reminded him tersely as he stepped through the shop's newly installed rear exit to join the others in the dim alleyway outside. He lifted the boy over the smouldering wreckage, the heat would have burned him, but had no effect on the firebender's bare feet.

"We have to get back to the boat." Joochan said, glancing up at the pale faces in the windows above them. "It's not safe for you here now."

"Those men are pirates." Zuko said gesturing back towards the shop. "They have a boat…a ship…much bigger than yours. Escape is not an option, they'll just run us down, or follow us back to your home. I can't let that happen."

"Are you suggesting that we turn you over to them?" Rafu turned on him. "THAT is not an option."

"You owe me no allegiance." Zuko told him.

"Maybe not." Rafu admitted. He sighed. "I may not have known you very long. You may have this terrible reputation, unfounded or not. But I consider you a comrade…a friend. And I do not turn my back on my friends!"

There was something about the light in his smoky-amber eyes that seemed so familiar to Zuko. The former prince smirked at what he thought he recognised.

"You've got some fire in you…" He commented with an arced brow.

"You have no idea." Rafu muttered, returning the smirk.

"So…" Joochan enquired. "The boat, then?"

"It's still not a good idea." Zuko shook his head. "They'll just make chase."

"Then we'll just have to make certain that they can't." Ursa said. "I'm sure between the three of you, you can work out a way to disable their ship."

The trio turned to look at her, but before they could formulate their plan of sabotage, the back of Ursa's former store exploded with the mass exiting of numerous pirates. Zuko sent a spiralling fireball towards them, earning an awed 'cool' from Kanaye, scattering them long enough to allow them to get some distance between them.

As they ran towards the harbour there was a shriek from above them. Daring to glance upwards, Zuko saw the captain's lizard-bird high above them, effectively marking their trail for its master.

"We've got to get rid of that thing." Rafu commented. "It'll lead them straight to us."

"Don't waste your time with it." Zuko countered. "I'm pretty sure they already know where we're going. Trying to shoot it down will only will only delay us allow them to catch up."

As they broke out of the narrow alley and into the main market square they were met with several men brandishing weapons, news of Zuko's presence had obviously spread and now the pirates were not the only ones with their eyes on the price on his princely head.

"Prince Zuko." One, the bravest it would seem, stepped forward and addressed him. "Son of Fire Lord Ozai…" His voice dripped with contempt as he spoke the name. "Prepare to be taken into custody…"

"I don't have time for this!" Zuko snapped. The coldness of his voice and expression caused the men facing him to pause, some even backed away. They obviously hadn't expected resistance at the sight of what they felt were overwhelming odds. So they obviously didn't know what he was capable of.

He didn't see his mother's eyes widen as he began to step through a firebending form far more intricate than she'd ever seen him perform. The tone, the words…they were too much like his father. The move he performed generated a ribbon of flame that snaked outward and upwards, a wall of fire effectively separating the two groups without doing anyone any harm. THAT, she felt, was something his father would never do.

"So which is their ship?" Joochan asked as they reached the docks.

"Somehow I think it's the one with the scorch marks." Rafu said jerking his head towards it. All eyes fell on Zuko who simply shrugged. Then he closed his eyes, centring himself, and with the same precision he'd used when he'd lit the lamps of the Firelight Fountain, he sent a rapid series of tiny flames in every direction, burning through each and every rigging. Sails and ropes flopped to the deck in a delightfully off-key timpani. It would take them hours to repair it, by which time their own boat would be safely out of sight.

"Why didn't you just set it alight?" Kanaye asked. He almost sounded disappointed.

Zuko's head was lowered and he was breathing heavily. His shoulder and hand ached from the effort his firebending had inflicted on his still healing body. He was exhausted. Ursa, more accustomed to the rigors of firebending, and concerned for her son who was now swaying on his feet, wrapped an arm around his waist, letting him rest against her shoulder to keep him from falling.

"How far is your boat?" She asked.

They got Zuko aboard just as his strength gave out. They settled him as comfortably as they could in the boat's stern, in the same spot in which he had managed to sleep on their voyage out, only this time he had the added warmth of his mother's presence.

"What's wrong with him?" Kanaye frowned, glancing to where Zuko and Ursa had returned to their interrupted reunion. The mother had her arms wrapped around the son as they whispered to each other. Zuko's colour didn't look good, he'd taken on a rather unhealthy greyish tone and appeared to be struggling to keep conscious. "He was all whoosh, bang…and then…he just fell over!"

"It was less than a week ago we found him close to dead on the beach, Kanaye." Joochan explained. "He pushed himself too hard."

"My mother's going to have a fit." Rafu noted. "And take it out on me. She told me to make sure this didn't happen."

"It's not like we had a choice." Joochan told him.

"Yeah…maybe…" He muttered as he scooped up a water skin and headed to the pair of former Fire Nation royalty now that they were well out to sea and the riggings didn't need to be so closely tended.

"You shouldn't have brought me." Zuko whispered as Rafu handed him the water skin. "They saw you with me…you can never go back."

"Well…" Rafu sighed, glancing at the receding coastline. "It never was a very lively place."

"It's alright, Zuko." Joochan said as he squatted down beside him. "We only go for supplies that we can't make or grow ourselves. There are others who can go in our stead."

Kanaye hung his head guiltily. "You didn't get what you went for…"

"That's okay, Kanaye." Zuko smiled wearily. "I got something far more precious." His eyes grew heavy as his head lolled onto his mother's shoulder.

"You need to rest." She chided. "You know better than to overexert yourself when you're injured."

"I'll sleep when I know we're safe."

"You worry too much." Rafu snorted. "We're taking the long way home. We won't get back until tomorrow morning, but it'll throw them off our trail." He rose to check the riggings. "And hopefully you'll have perked up by then and my mother would feel the need to kill me."

The pirate captain glowered up at his ship, at the sails draped over ever part of it. "This is the third time that boy has damaged my ship." He grumbled.

"At least he didn't set it on fire this time." The barker commented.

The captain turned his angry eyes on him. "Just go and get some bloody rope!"

"You're looking much better this morning." Rafu commented as he joined Zuko where he was standing at the bow, gazing into the distance.

"Dawn's light rejuvenates us." Zuko said.

"And a solid ten hours sleep?" Rafu questioned.

"That too." Zuko smiled.

"C'mon." He jerked his head towards the others who were just stirring. "Let's get some breakfast."

It was obvious to anyone arriving at Sakanatokoro that morning that there had been trouble just by the scorch mark that ran from the docks to the marketplace. Most would just pass it off as some sort of accident, but some knew better. The mark was too precise, had left too much untouched. This fire had been controlled, this fire had had a mind behind it, directing it.

"A firebender?" The grey-haired man frowned as he rose from expecting the mark. "This far south?"

"Do you think this is need for concern, Master?" One of the blue-robed youths with him asked. "Do you think this may be a prelude to an attack?"

"Perhaps…" He mused, stroking his trim beard thoughtfully. "You there!" He snapped at a passing native. "What happened here?" The man looked a little nervous, stammering too much to form an answer. "There was a firebender here, wasn't there?" He prompted.

"Yeah…it was a firebender." Another man told him. "And not just any firebender. It was the Fire Lord's son!"

"The prince!?" The younger man gasped. "That can't bode well, Master! If the Fire Lord has sent his own son…"

"Calm down, Sangok." The man growled. "We will deal with this." He looked at the man who had addressed him. "Where did he go?"

Avatar: The Last Airbender and all related characters are (c) of Bryan Konietzko, Michael DiMartino, Nickelodeon and Viacom International Inc