AN: I'm back. Sorry about the long wait but I was waiting for the right time to write and now that I'm on spring break that time is now. So expect a good amount of chapters this week to make up for what I miss. So without further ado;

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls welcome back. Now on with the show.


As Zuko walked into the blinding white light all he could do was keep walking. He couldn't tell where the end was so he kept walking and walking until the blinding white light turned dark. Leaving him all alone in the dark; a feeling all too familiar with the banish prince.

Just then a he felt a burning sensation upon his face. As his hand grab's his face he was prepared to feel the roughness of his scar only to feel the smoothness of his skin. He closes his eyes and take in the feeling of smooth skin instead of the roughness. As he reopens his eyes he sees he's in the throne room with his soldiers facing him, flames rising before him. Zuko looks down to see he's wearing the Fire Lord's robes. As he looks on he hears slithering going on behind him.

Before he can turn to see what the cause of the noise was the blue dragon revealed itself to him, "It's getting late; are you planning to retire soon my Lord?" the blue dragon asked starting to circle him. "I'm not tired," Zuko responded. "Relax Fire Lord Zuko, just let go, give in to it; shut your eyes for a while."

Just as the dragon finish speaking Zuko felt that tiredness he felt before starting to take over.

"NO Fire Lord Zuko. Do not listen to the Blue dragon. You should get out of here, right now. GO! Before it is to late." cried the red dragon.

"Sleep now Fire Lord Zuko," said the blue dragon as it slowly disappeared.

Before Zuko could comprehend what just happen the pillars around him began to come crashing down. The soldiers before him began to break apart piece by piece. The throne room turning back into the darkness that it was before. Zuko wide eye looking as everything around him begins to crumble.

As the blue dragon reappeared in front of him, "Sleep, just like mother," the dragon said coming at him. As the dragon disappeared for the second time he see his mother. Dressed the way she was when he last sees her all those years ago.

"Zuko help me," she cried. Zuko sat there eyes wide and full of shock. Before he could do anything he was sucked into the floor.


"Jee get in here!" cried Shu. Jee enter the room to notice all the flames on the candles were so low that the slightest movement could put them out. Jee rush to Zuko's side.

"Come on, hang in there kid. You've been in a hell of a lot worse places than this."


Zuko felt the air rushing past him as he continued to fall for what felt like hours. Until he finally splashed down. Zuko landed on his back, "That is by far the strangest thing I've ever experienced in my life."

Zuko sat up to take in his surroundings. He looks down to see he's wearing his blue spirit gear again. He started to pat everything to make sure they were there. His wrist guards, his shin guards, his swords, and even his hair was back to the way it was before. Just then he looks down and sees his reflection in the water and he sees his scarred face looking back at him.

Zuko brought his hand to his face and felt the roughness return to his fingers. With a short sigh he stands up and looks around again.

"Great I go from my ship to the village, then to my throne room; only to end up in a swamp. While fighting different versions of myself. Can this get any weirder?" he asked himself.

As if on cue he hears a voice call out, "Help do you need." Zuko looks around and sees no one in the area. "Where are you? Show yourself," Zuko yelled out. There was silence for a few moments making Zuko think he just heard something before an answer was given.

"Down here I am," said the voice. Zuko turned around and looked down to see a two foot tall, pointy ear, old green man. "Hello young one, lost are you?"

Zuko just stood there trying to figure out what the hell he was looking at. "What are you?" he asked.

"I'm not a what but a who," the green man said. Zuko rolled his eyes, "Okay who are you?" he asked.

"Name I cannot give," responded the green man. Zuko was starting to get agitated, "Why not?" he asked.

"Copyrighted it is. Sued the writer may be." Zuko stood there bewildered by what is going on, "Well what can you tell me?" he asked.

The old master started to walk towards him, "That I wield a great power, only known as the force." Zuko stood there, "Okay there's that word again. What in the name of Agni is the force?" he yelled.

"Tell you I can't. Different universe it is."

"What different universe?" Zuko responded. "Tell you I can't. Too simple minded you are." Zuko was about to go over the ledge, "Who are you calling simple minded?" he yelled out.

With that the old master raised his hand and while waving it in front of Zuko said, "You will forget everything I just said about a different universe."

Zuko stood there shaking his head as if coming out of a deep sleep, "What were we talking about?" he asked. "Exactly," said the old master.

"Now follow me you must. To your next challenge I will take you." With that he turned around and began to walk away. Zuko could only do what he was told and followed, using his flame to light the way.


They walk for a few hours only to go deeper into the swamp. Just as Zuko was going to ask something else the old master broke the silence.

"Go into this cave you must. Your final challenge awaits." Zuko was about to enter before he turned back to the green man. "It's cold. What's in there?" he asked him.

"Darkness," he answered. Zuko looked back to the cave.

"Something I'm used to." With that he went in to the very darkness of his soul.


"How's he doing?" asked Jee. Shu looked up at his commanding officer, "His breathing's better but the fever is still there." Jee nodded and took the wet rag and wiped it across the young prince's forehead. "Don't worry kid we're here for you, when you get out."


Zuko kept walking into the darkness around him, with the fog and the branches surrounding him it was hard to see even with his fire illuminating from his hand. He reached for what he could tell was the center of the cave. "Now what?" he asked himself.

Just then a bolt of lightning came from his right. He barely had enough time to dodge it. Zuko took a fighting stance but except the moonlight from the hole above the entire place was in darkness. Zuko stood waiting for the next move.

"Alright I've already fought two other versions of me you might as well show yourself," he yelled out into the darkness.

Just then three different fire balls came at him. Each a different color one blue, one bright red, and the other a regular fire orange. Zuko was able to block two of the three fires but the bright red fire ball pushed him back. Zuko got back into his stance and began to blast at the shadows. Every time he let out a blast he could see an outline of his attacker.

"You can't win. I know every move you are about to make before you can even think it," said the voice from the darkness. Zuko stood there in his stance trying to develop a strategy by every time he tries and thinks his enemy takes this time to attack. Each flame a different color which includes hotter flames but he was able to block the majority of them.

Zuko was starting to lose his cool and did what the old Zuko would do. "Well if you know what I'm thinking than I guess I just won't think then." Zuko began to shot wildly at every direction he could face. His fire was no longer precise but sloppy and wild. He began to lose focus and energy.

But through all his efforts all he could do was hear his enemy laugh. "It doesn't work that way kid," he said.

Zuko just about had it with him. He summoned twin fire whips and began to whip them at the enemy each time just catching a glance of his enemy's outline. Then the enemy grabbed one of the whips. Zuko thought he had him and tried to hit him with the second whip but the attacker grabbed that one to. Zuko then decided to yank on the whips to get him closer but that was his undoing.

While yanking his enemy towards him, his enemy went over his head but grabbing the fabric of his shirt and flipping him over with him and threw him against the wall. Before Zuko could do anything his attacker grabbed him by his hair and dragged him back to the center. His attacker knelt down beside him, "Do you yield?" he asked.

Every muscle in his body and the voices in his head told him to give up, there's no point but he never was one to listen to reason. "I never give up without a fight." Zuko prepared himself for the worse but it never happen instead he was lifted to his feet and was facing his opponent and what he saw scared him.

He saw himself but different from the others. His face kept changing; one second his face is clear, the next bloody. Scars formed then healed only to be reopen again. His large scar came and went as well.

Before Zuko could say anything his older self-spoke, "I know what you're thinking. What the hell is going on with our face?" he said. All Zuko could do is nod.

"Well it's quite simple really; you see everyone's future is usually set. Your future was set but something happen."

"What?" Zuko asked.

"It seems that fate missed an unseen variable. Now our destiny has been reset and even the fates themselves can't tell us how our story ends," he said. "Which is why I'm changing before you; because the future is always changing."

Zuko stood there taking in all that he's just heard. "What was the variable?" he asked. His older self-smiled, "Kai."

"Kai?" Zuko asked.

"Yes. You see you were supposed to be driven out of that village and that's all I can say about that," he said. "Why?" Zuko asked.

"Because I only know what would've happen. Now I can't tell what will happen."

"So what now, why am I here?" Zuko asked.

Then before his eyes his other two selves stepped out from behind his future self. "You're here to learn," said his past self. "We brought you here so you know what's at stake now, for all of us," said his present self.

"You see Zuko destiny is like your swords," his future self-grabbed them from his back and handed each blade to his counter parts.

"You learn from the past," said his past self-putting his sword in Zuko's hand.

"You live for the present," said his present self-putting the sword in the other hand.

"And when you bring them together," said his past and present self-taking each of Zuko's hands in their own and combining the blade's into one.

"You fight for your future," said his future self.

With that his other self's took a step back. His past self-turned into flames and burned away. His present self-turned into smoke and blew away with the wind. Zuko looked to his future self only to see himself as he was standing there.

"Go on he's waiting for you," said his future self before turning into a bright white light and flying out of the cave.

"Wait I'm still confused," he shouted, "Who's waiting for me?" said Zuko.

Zuko stood there before he felt another presence he turned around to a familiar face.

"Hello cousin."


AN: Wow that was a long one but you guy's deserved it. Like I said before I'm on spring break so expect a few chapter coming out this week. That beginning scene was taken from the episode "The Earth King". Again thanks for the reviews and supports.

Until next time my fellow readers.