"Who would have thought that when we came to this city as refugees that I would own my own tea shop. Follow your passion you two and life will award you." Iroh said to them.

They were in Iroh's new tea shop. They were standing in the back by the counter. Millennia had her earth nation dress on and Zuko's arm was around her shoulder.

"Congratulation uncle." Zuko said.

"Yes, congrats I- Mushi." Millennia corrected herself quickly.

"I'm very thankful." He said.

"You deserve it. The Jasmine Dragon is going to be the best tea shop in the city." Zuko said.

"No, I'm thankful because you get to share this special day with me. You too Millennia. It means more than you know." Iroh said.

They hugged Iroh.

"Now let's make these people some tea!" Zuko exclaimed. He walked away.

"Yes, let's make some tea!" Iroh yelled and ran after Zuko.

Millennia sighed. 'Boys are crazy.' She thought to herself and followed them. She took a bucket and went outside. She put some water into the bucket and started in. Then, she saw a Kyoshi warrior.

"Hello Millennia." The Kyoshi warrior said in a mono tone.

Millennia was shocked. The kyoshi warrior smiled and sent three daggers at her. Millennia stopped it with water but then, another warrior took her bending away by hitting her pressure points. The kyoshi warrior sent three more daggers at her. They pinned her to a trunk and she couldn't move.

"Lee!" Millennia screamed remembering not to say Zuko's name.

Then, she was knocked out.

• • • • •

Zuko was worried about her. Millennia that is. His uncle said that she probably got called in to duty. But, wouldn't she come and tell him? They were at the earth king's palace now.

"Many times I imagined myself here, at the threshold of the palace. But, I always thought I would be here as a conqueror instead. We are the earth king's personal guests, here to serve him tea. Destiney's a funny thing." Iroh said.

"I sure is uncle." Zuko said.

They were lead to a small house. They set up the tea and waited.

"What's taking so long?"Zuko asked.

"Maybe the earth king over slept?" Iroh replied.

Just then, dily agents came in one straight line. In front of them and behind them.

"Something isn't right." Zuko whispered to his uncle.

"It's tea time." Azula said walking in.

Zuko got up.

"Azula!"He exclaimed.

"Have you met the dily? They're earth benders but they have a killer instinct that's so fire bender. I just love it." Azula said.

"Did I ever tell you how I got the nickname the Dragon of the West?" Iroh said standing up.

"I'm not interested in lengthy enactor uncle." Azula told him.

"It's more of a demonstration really." He said.

He took a sip of the tea. Zuko smiled and went behind his back while he blew fire out of his mouth. He blew fire at the wall and shattered it. They ran down the hallway. The dily attacked them but missed and instead attacked the wall. They came to a wall. Iroh threw lightning at it and jumped down into a bush.

"Come on! You'll be fine!" Iroh screamed at him.

"No, she might have Millennia!" Zuko yelled back.

Zuko went back to face Azula.

"You're so dramatic. What are you going to challenge me to an Agni Kai?" Azula asked.

"Yes, I challenge you." Zuko said. "And where is Millennia?"

"No thanks and your girlfriend is fine. She's with Mai and Ty Lee." Azula told him.

Zuko brought his hands up creating a fire ball and shot it at her. Two dily agents brought up the floor and stopped it. The two agents sent gloves made of stone at his feet. Zuko couldn't move.

• • • • •

"Quiet your squirming." Mai said in a mono tone to Millennia.

"You are not going to get away with this."She said to her.

Mai chuckled and left. Millennia was in a dark cave in the old Ba Sing Say. She was tied to a chair. She blew some fire to light up the cave. It was cold in there. She wondered what happened to Zuko. She found a candle and lit it with her fire breathe. She sighed. She knew that she had to get out. but how? She was tied with metal around her ankles and hands. She couldn't water bend it and she couldn't fire bend to cut it away… or maybe she could.

• • • • •

Zuko was lead to a tunnel and he was pushed down it. When he stopped, he coughed from the dust and looked up. Katara was there too. She looked at him with anger in her face. He sat down and faced away from her.

"Why did they through you in here?" Katara asked. "Oh wait, let me guess it's a trap. So that, when Aang shows up to help me you can finally have him in your fire nation clutches."

Zuko sat up turned his face and then went back to the position he was in.

"You're a terrible person you know that! Always following us, hunting the avatar, trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! Well, what do you care? You're the fire lords son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood." She yelled at him.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Zuko finally said.

"I don't?! how dare you, you have no idea what this war has put me through. Me personally." She replied. She sat down and started to cry.

"The fire nation took my mother away from me."She said.

"I'm sorry. That's something we have in common." Zuko said.

She looked up and wiped away the tears. They stood up and looked at each other.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you before." She said.

"It doesn't matter." Zuko said.

"It's just that for so long that whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face and Millennia's." She confessed.

"My face. I see." He said reaching up and touching his scar.

"No, that's not what I meant." She replied.

"It's okay. I used to think this scar marked me. the mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the avatar forever. But, lately, I've realized I'm free, to determine my own destiny. Even if I'll never be free of my mark." He said.

"Maybe you could be free of it." Katara told him.

"What?"Zuko said and turned around to face her.

"I have healing abilities." She said.

"It's a scar. It can't be healed." He said.

She took out something from her robes and held it up to show him.

"This is water from the spirit oasis at the north pole. It has special properties so I've been saving it for something important." Katara said walking towards him. "I don't know if it will work but."

Zuko looked at her and then closed his eyes and bowed his head. Katara touched his scar. Then, all of a sudden, the cave exploded. It was the avatar and Iroh.

"Aang!" Katara yelled and ran over to him and gave him a hug.

Aang smiled and frowned at Zuko. Iroh hugged Zuko.

"Where is Millennia?" Iroh asked him.

Zuko frowned and lowered his head.

"I don't know." He said. "Uncle I don't understand. Why are you with the avatar?"

"Saving you that's what." Aang told him.

"Ugh!" Zuko went towards him and Iroh held him back.

"Zuko, it's time to talk." Iroh said.

All of a sudden, they heard screaming come from the other side of the wall.

"You are crazy!" someone said.

"Millennia!" Zuko yelled.

"Huh? Ow!" She yelled.

Then, it was quiet. They didn't hear anything. Then, they heard a grunt and blasting.

"Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you." Iroh told Katara and Aang. Aang bowed and then they ran.

"Why uncle?" Zuko mumbled.

"You're not the man you used to be prince Zuko. You are stronger, wiser and freer than you have ever been and now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny. It's time for you to choose. It's time for you to choose good."Iroh said.

Just then, Iroh was between rocks. Zuko got into fighting stance. Azula and two dily agents came sliding down.

"I expected this kind of treachery from uncle but, Zuko, prince Zuko, you're a lot of things but not a traitor. Are you?" Azula asked.

"Release him immediately." Zuko replied.

"It's not too late for you Zuko, you can still redeem yourself." Azula told him.

"The kind of redemption she offers is not for you." Iroh exclaimed.

"Why don't you let him decide uncle. I need you Zuko. I've plotted ever move of this day. This glorious day in fire nation history and the only way we win is together. At the end of this day you will have your honor back. You will have father's love, you will have everything you want." Azula told Zuko.

'Not Millennia.' Zuko said in his mind.

"Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want." Iroh said.

"You are free to choose." Azula said. They heard a scream that came from Mai. Azula put up her hand and the agents went back to the tunnel. Azula walked past Zuko. Zuko bowed his head.

• • • • •

Millennia ran into a part of the cave where there was a river. She saw Katara, Aang and Azula fightning. She saw an open shot at Azula and went for it. She made a water whip and whipped her.

"Millennia how nice of you to join us." She said jumping down from where she was, in between Katara and Aang.

"Shut your trap." She told her.

Azula made a face. Then, a fire ball exploded in front of them. Zuko was in a fighting stance and moved closer to them. Millennia smiled at him. He smiled back. He looked at Azula then at Aang. Then, he sent flames at Aang.

Millennia was horrified. It felt like her heart was being strangled and died. She teared and then shot fire at him. He blocked it and saw his attacker. He was shocked when he saw Millennia attacking him.

"I don't want to hurt you." He exclaimed.

"Too bad! You already did!" She screamed at him and crashed a wave over him.

Zuko dodged all her attacks when, she was finally attacked by Azula. He attacked Aang instead.

Millennia created lightning and shot it at her. She dodged it and threw a fire ball at her. She blocked it and she made a world pool around her. Then, she added fire and she made it last. Azula shot lightning at her. It hit her side and she went flying. She landed on some rocks and wasn't getting up.

Aang built a rock ball. Sat down and crossed his legs.

They wondered what he was doing and then he blasted out in the avatar spirit. Katara smiled at him and then he was shot with lightning from the back. He fell down and crashed. It was Azula. Katara made a wave and rid it. (I know, it's incorrect grammer.) She caught Aang and was tearing. Zuko and Azula were walking to them when a flame shot at them. It was Iroh and he jumped down from where he was and landed in a fioghting position.

"You need to get out of here! I'll hold them off as long as I can!"Iroh yelled at them.

While they left. Iroh did some fire bending moves. ( I'm too lazy to get into details.) Then he stopped and he was confind in rock

Then, Millennia jumped out and grabbed Zuko. She held him up to a wall. He saw sadness and anger in her beautiful purple eyes that he loved so much.

"Millennia!" Iroh screamed.

She dropped her head and let go of Zuko. She was confind in rock too.

"You two are traitors. You will be sent to prison when we get to the fire nation." Azula said. She turned to Zuko. "Zuko, when you return home, father will welcome you as a hero."

Zuko turned and frowned. He wanted his father to accept him but, he would never get Millennia to trust him again. Zuko sighed.