Okay, I am going to try and finish this story before updating my other ones. There will be around five more chapters (two of them already pre-written) and I think you will all be satisfied. So here is my next chapter, and I think you will definitely enjoy it! Thanks Spleef, you rock!

You are a dreamer of dreams walking a lonely shore.
Dream if you will but remember there are iron laws.
However much you seek to solve this mystery,
no one ignores the iron vice of history.
All those gone before dreamed to escape.
They tried to fly over the palisades

--Johnny Clegg

Jericho

Traveling by Fire Nation War airship was surprisingly easy. Even though we were floating hundreds of feet above the land, I felt comfortable on my throne. With nothing else to do but spend time with my loved ones, it was a nice existence. Uncle and I had long conversations about life and kingship and I realized how happy we now. Our journey together hadn't ended, but it had taken a much better turn. Now, we traveled together towards a better future.

Of course, Toph was not as happy with the trip. She still had her issues with flight and she had taken to clutching me or Uncle a lot and muttering about the fact that the air ship was shaking. We had been flying into some wind and Toph had finally insisted on remaining in her bed of rock. Uncle and I switched off sitting with her and reading her stories. "This wasn't so bad when I was going to give you the crown," she kept muttering.

"Well, we're flying over the mountains, it's a bit more windy," we kept assuring her. I couldn't imagine how terrifying it was for her to be completely helpless, and yet she never said a word about it. Uncle said she was the strongest person he knew. Coming from him, that was a major compliment.

"Sparky?" Toph whispered one night when I was sitting with her, reading her a story about the Sun God Agni and how he rose over the mountains to visit his wife, the Mountain Goddess Kishar and how the two of them slayed the evil Face Stealer and trapped him in the spirit world. It was one of my favorite ones, one my mother used to tell me. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah," I asked, wondering if she was all right. After all this, I would have the finest doctors in my kingdom look after her. It still felt strange to say my kingdom, as its Fire Lord. "What's on your mind?"

"You and that Mai girl...are you two engaged?" Toph whispered, her voice shaking a bit.

I shrugged. Why was she being so weird? Toph wasn't the type of girl to think about weddings and girly stuff.

"We...liked each other as children. But...I was supposed to be royalty and have an arranged marriage, it was going to be her or Ty Lee. Whoever my father felt would give him better grandchildren," I muttered, which seemed to please Toph. I guess she really didn't like Mai and didn't want to think of having her as a new sister in law. "So no, I am not getting married to her yet."

"Do you want to marry her?" Toph asked, her voice rising a bit as if she was asking if I wanted to steal Uncle's precious tea.

"I don't know. Right now, I just want to be Fire Lord. I'll face that challenge when it happens," I said, shuddering at the girl my uncle and mother would choose to be my bride.

"Good. Now go away and tell me when we arrive," Toph mumbled, giving me a soft smile. "I think I can finally sleep again."

"The Island of Tuyet used to be a trading port for all the nations, a place where people of all tribes used to come to do commerce," Uncle explained as we touched down. It had taken us two weeks and Toph practically ran off the gangplank. "And Toph, kissing the earth is not a custom practiced here."

"Oh, earth and stone and dirt," she cheered, dancing around like a complete madwoman. It was nice to see her moving around again.

"Have the other leaders come?" I asked as my aides on the base came up to greet me. I had been dressed in my finest robes and my crown had been put in my hair, which had been newly oiled. Toph and Uncle both wore crowns as well, as members of the royal family. I had already endowed her with land and would give her a title as soon as we returned to the Fire Nation.

"Yes. They have already arrived and are waiting for your Majesty. They have both been assigned their rooms and we are keeping them from communicating," Colonel Shynu said bowing deeply, stepping forward.

"Excellent. I shall see them immediately," I said, sweeping past them and feeling every inch a king. Today, I was going to end the war and I was going to go down in history.

"I'm hungry. After we save the world, can we have some meat?" Toph asked, taking my arm. "And hot tea for Uncle."
"Sure," I said, giving her a smile. I was feeling good and she was part of the reason why. I was thinking of giving her this castle as a way of saying thank you for all she had done for me. I would give her anything right now, to be walking around with a crown on my head, servants bowing before me and a world free of my father.

We entered the audience chamber, decorated in High Fire Nation decor. It was so good to be home again, all that soothing red and gold and orange, looking like a sunrise and reminding me I was no longer in disgrace. The only thing upsetting the perfect balance of color was a couple of fur-clad Water Tribe yokels, dressed in blue. "May I present His Majesty, Lord Zuko, son of Ozai, anointed of Agni and Master of the Fire Nation, Prince Iroh and General Toph," the page said, as I relished hearing that title.

"Welcome your Majesty. I am High Chief Hahn, Lord of the Northern Water Tribe and master of all Waterbenders," a furry-looking teenager said, holding his nose in the air like something smelled bad. Which, considering how much the room smelled like seal blubber, was most likely him. All those robes made him look like a fat beaver-fish and was actually quite ridiculous. Who was he trying to impress?

"What happened to Chief Arnook?" Toph asked, sounding very suspicious. She must have known a lot about the tribe from her former friends.

The snooty guy's face paled with anger. "My late pregnant wife, Princess Yue was killed during the invasion of the Fire Nation. My father in law died of grief soon after and left me as heir." he sneered. He was hiding something, I knew Toph's smirk long enough to recognize that.

"Always nice to meet someone who got to power on his dead wife's skirts..." Toph mumbled, a grin on her face. "I'm sure you think of her during long walks in the moonlight." I didn't even bother to ask why Hahn looked so freaked at that information, since two large man in dark robes flanking a tall balding man strode in.

"Lord Earth King," I asked softly, promising myself I'd find out what happened to Hahn's wife later. "How good of you to come." He looked much more imposing then I had heard about a king who had never left the palace of his birth. He looked like he would be someone who would be trouble.

"I am Long Feng, Grand Secretariat and Chancellor of Ba Sing Se, here as the king's representative," the man intoned gravely. "You must be Fire Lord Zuko."

"I am. These are my assistants, Prince Iroh, general of the Fire Nation and Lady Toph. They will be my attaches for the meeting," I said, nodding to my companions and motioning for them to be seated. "We hope you are well."
"Shall we dispense with the usual pleasantries and ask why you've brought us here?" Long Feng asked. "I trust you aren't asking for our immediate surrender?"

"Yeah, because we won't surrender," Chief Hahn said, bristling like some fat otter-seal. I tried to resist the urge to laugh.

"No, I merely want to discuss a fair way to end this war," I said in a low and dignified tone.

"A Fire Nation Lord wanting peace? Why should you wish that when you are on the verge of winning the war?"

Long-Feng asked. His two goons glared at me under their hat, but I glared right back.

"Yeah, sounds suspicious," Chief Hahn piped in. I pitied the poor woman he was married to.

"I am sixteen years old and I am a Fire Lord. I have thousands of widows and orphans in my country, thousands of men who are on the frontlines and want to go home to their families. I know my people are not the only ones who suffer. So let's end the war. Merely agree to my terms and we'll shake hands on the agreement," I said softly, as I watched Toph from the corner of my eye.

"And what are your terms?" Chancellor Long-Feng asked, studying me with his cold eyes that reminded me too much of my father.

"Yeah, what do you want from us?" Chief Hahn said, his nose in the air. Oh, there was something about him that reminded him of my late sister. Arrogant, annoying and cruel. Happily, he was stupid, something Azula had never been.
"The Water Tribe will pay the Fire Nation tribute every year, consisting of ten thousand gold coins, two thousand fur pelts, and five hundred pounds of ivory. Steep terms but they are within your budget, I've had a spying mission to your culture," I lied, remembering that fiasco.

I did not even need Toph's signals to know that the chief of the tribe was terribly nervous. "You infiltrated our lands?" he whispered, looking traumatized. I also didn't feel the need to tell him how badly that exhibition had went. Let him suffer in his ignorance, as Toph would say.

"Yes. I did." Oh, I enjoyed saying that and watching that worm squirm. "I know the only reason you survived the Fire Nation attack on the tribe was the direct intervention of the Avatar, who has disappeared again. I doubt he'll be coming to your aid again, but I am trying to reach a diplomatic solution."

"So you better take it before we crush you like a bug," Toph supplied helpfully. The Fire Nation was richer for having her.
"You wouldn't dare!" Hahn whispered, but I knew he knew we would dare. I had nothing against the Northern tribes, but this guy was seriously a pustule that needed to be lanced.

"Oh really? Well, unless you wish to see if I make good on my threats, you will agree to the terms. Also, you will send seventy-five waterbenders a year, to work for the Fire Nation as sailors, as irrigation experts, and healing and will be generously paid and given room and board on royal expense, and be allowed summer visits back to their family. This will allow the Fire Nation to interact with other cultures in a more positive way."

"But that would be terrible," Hahn said, paling terrifically. I think I would actually enjoy knowing he was suffering.
Long Feng broke into the conversation. "I take it that the Earth Kingdom will face similar bribes for peace?" he drawled.

"The king will cede all lands west of the city to the Fire Nation as a peace offering. As tribute, they will offer three hundred Earthbenders and twenty-five thousand in gold coins and five thousand pounds of crafts." I smiled at Uncle as I put the contract on the table. He had helped me plan the terms and I had to admit, I was really glad I had his input.

"And in exchange, you acknowledge the war over?" Long-Feng asked, his voice tight. "Harsh payment indeed." His voice was really starting to annoy me, but I forced myself to continue. "Perhaps we should negotiate further. We could wait out quite a long sieges, we have plenty of food and water and supplies."

"Well, we could destroy you," Toph mumbled. 'You didn't notice the big drill parked outside your city, ready to puncture you like a pig-sheep bladder." Sometimes, I really loved that little kid. By the signals she had given, Long-Feng was getting very nervous and I had him on the ropes.

"You make a serious point," the Chancellor said softly, stroking his beard. "I agree, I will make the concessions." It was sudden, but I supposed he had seen a good deal and taken it. It was the mark of an excellent statesman.

"So will the Water Tribe," Hahn said bitterly. "We hope you choke on the tribute." Without another word, the furry boy had stomped out, sounding pretty angry with himself. "I'll sign in the morning."

"As will I. I have much work to do, Majesty and I feel that a good night's rest would be vital," Long Feng said, with Toph's signal for lying. He was most likely going back to lick his wounds. Well, I had no problem with that. As Fire Lord, petty things like that were meaningless to me.

"You are dismissed," I said haughtily. It was good to be king.

"So, the war is over," I said, leaning back on a pile of pillows. "That was easy. I don't know why your Avatar had such a hard time." I would go back a hero and I had nothing but a long and happy reign to look forward to. From the spirit world, I hoped my father was looking at my circumstances and dying of jealousy. He had failed where I had succeeded, I had a family that loved me, an empire soon to be un-plagued of war and a wonderful future.

"I would not be too sure, my nephew. That was too easy. More negotiations I have attended took days, weeks, even months. But you...it took you an hour and they have agreed. Something is not right," Uncle mumbled, as he sipped some tea.

"What could go wrong?" I asked, as I bit into some delicious roast duck on a golden plate. "They don't want to have another Ozai on the throne. So they are willing to bribe for peace."

"I just want those Dai Li gone. They make me nervous, always sneaking around like they are up to something," Toph sniffed, as she loudly chomped on a duck wing, the grease dripping down her chin. "They probably are."

"I just want to finish this and return to your sweet mother," Uncle said softly, patting his belly. "She can make the sweetest dumplings in the world." I was starting to hope that Uncle wasn't hinting to anything. I didn't mind the fact that Mom and Uncle were to marry soon but I wasn't exactly comfortable with it. I mean, my mom didn't want more children, did she? And the thought of more Azulas made me sick.

"Someone's at the door, it's a Dai Li," Toph piped up, her sightless eyes narrowing as she tapped her feet.

"Open the door," I gestured, as Toph bended the door open with a careless gesture of her hand.

"His honor, the Secretariat invites the Royal family of the Fire Nation to his chambers," the robe-clad guard intoned, standing at the door and looking shadowy.

"For what reason?" Uncle asked, his voice rising with suspicion. "The Fire Lord has retired and is in no mood to entertain."

"No, it's all right. I am a Lord now, I should show hospitality," I said. "I'll be back soon."

"I'll come with you," Toph said. "Just in case, I can tell that no one lies to you," she said, rising to her feet and accompanying me along. "We'll see you in a few moments."

"Be careful. Do not trust him, he's a thief and a liar and he has none of your interests at heart," Uncle growled, sounding nervous.
"I have Toph with me," I said, putting my arm around my little protector. "Nothing could go wrong."

Along the beautiful hallway we walked, following the silent agent. "Your uncle really loves you. A lot...of people do," Toph began, sounding very confused.

"Yeah, I'm pretty lucky. Mom and Grandpa and my new family, things are wonderful." I loved how she managed to cheer me up, she was such a wonderful friend to me.

"This is his Excellency's room," the agent said, bowing low. He had listened to our idle prattle but had made no comment. "Please enter."

We walked inside and found the room strangely dark, with only a single torch. "Something is wrong," I murmured, a second before the doors slammed shut. I turned around but all the light had faded, leaving me as blind as Toph. I felt against the wall and found only cold metal, something I couldn't bend, nor could Toph. If Uncle and I tried anything, we'd cook ourselves in this oven, an excellent option to avoid dishonorable defeat but one I was not looking forward to using. "Open this door," I commanded.

"We have you hostage. The Fire Nation will do anything to get you returned, including surrender to my forces. Did you think a foolish boy and girl and some half-dead old man would bring the most civilized and orderly city to its knees?" Long-Feng's voice cackled through the walls, terrifying me. "You've been outmatched, boy. And you are going to pay for it."

We were locked in a metal box. We had been double-crossed. All my good luck, my happiness and any inkling of my future was gone.

Everything had gone dark.

AN-I know, I'm evil. So review and tell me so!