Chapter IX: The awakening.

It had been three weeks since the fall of Ba Sing Se and since he was separated from Aang, again, Zuko was inside his bedroom on his sister's ship looking at the moon through the window, touching the bands around his arms and legs, each one blocking his firebending but not preventing him from moving, apparently it was a new device Azula designed, obviously taking points out of Ty Lee's fighting method which consisted of blocking the chi of a bender or a non-bender, his eyes instead of showing happiness to went back to the Fire Nation, to his home with his sister and her friends, showed disappointment and sadness, because of him he had hurt the two people that he cared the most: his uncle and Aang.

After being put in a cell on the ship, Zuko had not seen his uncle in days since they left Ba Sing Se behind, and that is what hurt him the most because even if he went to his ship's cell to see him, the man probably would not want to talk to him, not after the betrayal he had committed, if only he could explain to Iroh why he had done what he had done while they were in the crystal catacombs, why he had to pretend he had chosen to join Azula instead of the Avatar team. Now that he thought of them, they would probably traveling elsewhere, far away from where he and his sister were, waiting for the right moment to meet them and fight again, from what he understood, he had been listening to Azula talking about an invasion that the Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom were planning to defeat the Fire Nation during the day of the black sun, but for that it had to be a few weeks before they could carry out the attack.

He came out of his thoughts when he heard the metal door of his bedroom open, he could see Mai approaching to him with a blanket in her hands, Zuko looked at her for a few seconds before turning his back on the gloomy girl that he once considered his closest friend.

"Leave me alone, I don't want to see anyone" Zuko said without even looking at her, but Mai was not going to leave just because her friend (and childhood sweetheart) told her, she unfolded the blanket and placed it around his shoulders.

"I'm not going to leave; I just came to see if you were cold" Mai replied as she stood near him.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you but I have many things on my mind" Zuko said "I can't believe this is happening, it has been more than three years since I left home, I wonder what things have changed, if I have changed"

"I only asked you if you were cold, I didn't ask you to tell me the dramatic story of your life" Mai said as she tried to suppress a yawn, but it did not work, Zuko could hear her, which led him to think she was bored "by the way, don't worry about that" she smiled slightly "you can finally go home, your dad will be happy to see you"

"I don't think so, he's never happy to see me" Zuko said, Mai's smile faded instantly at the pessimistic point of view from her friend, she took Zuko's cheek and turned his face making him look straight at her.

"Don't say that, he will be happy to see you again, you will regain everything you always wanted" the gloomy girl said and tried to get closer to kiss him but Zuko just turned his gaze from hers "now what's going on?"

"Sorry, Mai. But I can't do this to you" Zuko answered "not knowing that I don't feel the same for you, I… I'm in love with someone else"

"Oh, that's why you didn't want to kiss me. Okay, I'm not jealous, I understand if you like another girl, maybe we can still be friends..."

"That's the problem! she's not a girl I'm in love with, who I'm in love with is… it's a boy" Zuko answered suddenly, some images of Aang appeared in his mind, he remembered the moment when they hugged and kissed in the crystal catacombs, tears moistened his eyes just thinking about it "I have known this boy for a long time and I don't know why, but I feel like we are meant to be together and now, due to my stupidity, I will probably never see him again"

Mai was silent for a moment as she looked at the teenager sob, she had no idea what to say to Zuko to cheer him up so she tried to be positive and said the first thing that came to mind.

"Okay, maybe not everything is lost, you know? maybe this boy is out there somewhere, and when you find him, you and him will be together."

"Are you serious? you're not joking are you?"

"I would never joke with something like that, I can't do anything to help you, all I can tell you is that you should wait and be patient, sooner or later that boy will be with you."

With those last words, Mai withdrew her hand from Zuko's shoulder and left the bedroom leaving the prince... no, ex-prince (because Zuko did not deserve to be called that after what he had done) alone.

Meanwhile, Aang and the rest of Avatar team were traveling through the Fire Nation, using a combination of waterbending and airbending to hide Appa in the clouds. After a few minutes working on cloud formation to keep the flying bison hidden, the group reached a desert plain.

"Finally! we're here" Aang exclaimed after Appa landed on the ground, he and his friends jumped down from the flying bison.

The young Avatar walked a bit to appreciate the landscape in front of him, today was Avatar team first day in the Fire Nation Capital, they chose to temporarily take refuge in a cave, and while unpacking their things to set up a makeshift camp, he could see Katara standing at the entrance of the cave, looking towards the horizon, for a second, he wanted to approach her and ask what was happening, but Sokka was ahead of him and approached to the waterbender.

"What are you thinking Katara?" Sokka asked as he placed a hand on his sister's shoulder pulling her out of her trance, Aang hid behind a rock and listened to their conversation.

"I was just thinking about Zuko... I really hoped that he could decide to join us and not his wicked sister" Katara replied "I can't believe that he has hurt me, Aang, his uncle, all of us"

"Well, I'm still not able to believe that he's on her side now... or that he at least pretends to be" Sokka told her, Aang did not understand that last thing. What was Sokka referring to? maybe Zuko's betrayal at Ba Sing Se was nothing more than a facade so they could escape and then he would try to betray his own sister when the right time arrives? no, impossible, Aang had seen clearly that Zuko was more than determined to join his sister before him.

"I explained before, Sokka. He is still on our side, maybe what he did in Ba Sing Se was just a trick to try to gain his sister's trust" Katara speculated "you weren't there when that happened, I was"

"Whatever you have seen and you have told me only made me conclude that Zuko is evil and that he will never change" Sokka told her, Aang lowered his gaze to stop looking at his two friends arguing about Zuko's behavior "you know? there's a phrase that says 'a villain will always be a villain'"

"Don't you know it's impolite to spy on people, light feet?" a voice asked behind him, Aang turned his gaze and was startled to see Toph standing behind him.

"W-what?! n-no, I wasn't spying on them, I was just... I was..." Aang tried to explain to the earthbender.

"You know you can't lie to me right? I can feel your heartbeat"

"Ok, you're right, I was spying on them" the young Avatar said feeling bad for not having the ability to hide things from his blind friend "but I didn't do it with bad intentions! I just want to hear what they're talking about"

"And do you think what Katara says is true?" She asked him as she crossed her arms around her torso.

"I'm not sure, maybe I need to go for a walk to clear my doubts. I'm a bit confused about what I heard" Aang told him.

"Okay, go if you want but come back soon, we have to look for new clothes so we can blend in with the Fire Nation citizens.

Aang thanked her and began to walk away from the makeshift campsite that his friends had set up, trying to clarify his thoughts and feelings towards a certain Fire Nation prince, he could feel his heart squeeze upon hearing what the Southern Water Tribe boy had said because a part of him knew that was not true, but now he just wanted to deny it and go along with Sokka, he wanted to forget about Zuko, forget that they could share a bond beyond being just enemies, forget that they could stop hating each other but also he wanted to forget the unconditional love that the airbender felt for him and only for him, but no matter how hard he tried, his thoughts ended up taking him to the moments lived with the prince over and over again, he remembered the last kiss they shared after separating in the crystal catacombs.

After walking for several minutes, he ended up arriving at a beach that was not far from away the camp where his friends were, once there, he sat on the white sand, then he lay on his back, he closed his eyes and sighed sadly.

"Zuko..." Aang whispered to the wind, maybe his mind was trying to make him forget his love but his heart desperately claim him, wishing he could have him by his side and kiss him as they do before he betrayed them in Ba Sing Se. He could feel his pants a little uncomfortable and tight, he did not know what was happening to him, unconsciously, Aang brought a hand to his chest, then he slid it down to his belly to finally reach the problem he had in the pants, he had no idea what he had just had his first erection and all because he was thinking about Zuko, he also had no idea how to get rid of that and the best thing he could think of to get rid of this problem, was to explore that area. He touched, squeezed, then rubbed it, it felt really good, but also a little weird when he rubbed it, so he continued, until he began to feel his pants become a pain and he took them off along with his underwear stripping off from the waist down. Aang lay back on the sand and rubbed his dick again imagining that it was Zuko who was touching him, soft gasps and moans along with the firebender's name escaped from his lips, the sensation of touching himself while thinking of Zuko made him feel so good but at the same time it was a pleasant sensation, he continued until he could feel a slight wave of heat hit his stomach "Z-Zuko... ah! gh... Zuko~" he moaned as he moved his hand even faster, that is when he reached his edge, staining his abdomen with his own cum. After reaching his orgasm, Aang remained lying there on the sand with a soft blush dying his cheeks trying to calm his breathing, after a few minutes, he calmed down and went to wash himself, none of his friends had to know what he had done, because everything had been by simple impulse and nothing else.

He walked back to the camp after finishing washing the cum on his body and dressing up, when he arrived, his friends were waiting for him. Just like Toph had told him, they were looking for new clothes so they could blend in with the Fire Nation citizens, thus eliminating the need to hide. They found an unattended clothesline and stolen some outfits, Toph had to modify her shoes by removing the soles so she could see and feel the vibrations of the earth with her feet.

"Guys, how do I look?'' Katara asked as she appeared in her new outfit, Aang blushed shyly when he saw her, he could not deny that the waterbender looked dazzling in her Fire Nation outfit, but quickly pointed out that she should take off the her mother's necklace if she wanted to stay incognit.

Then they went to a bazaar to buy some accessories and a new necklace for Katara, already in the city, the group tried to blend in with the crowd, act naturally and avoid attracting attention, a plan that is obstructed by Aang, who, after having traveled the Fire Nation a century earlier, he claims to be an expert on its customs, he calls people he sees on the street "hotman" and uses other expressions that are obviously out of date. When the others go to buy food at a meat store, Aang abstains due to his vegetarianism and walks away for a moment; however, he is caught by a group of soldiers escorting him to a classroom, apparently his stolen clothing is a uniform from a local school and the soldiers assumed that he was an absent student.

Once inside the classroom, Aang could feel all the other boys and girls looking at him in confusion, until the teacher spoke.

"Oh… are you a new mind ready to be molded?" the teacher asked him.

"Yes, it is. Let the molding begin" the disguised Avatar replied.

"Wait a minute" the woman said as she looked at him suspiciously "you are not from the Fire Nation" she approached Aang and began to walk around observing him "clearly you are from the colonies"

"Y-yes, from the colonies, of course" Aang said feeling a bit relieved that his identity has not been discovered, at least not for now "the Fire Nation colonies in the Earth Kingdom"

"Your etiquette is terrible" the teacher commented "in the homeland, we bow before our elders, I will show you"

She walked away from Aang and gave a brief demonstration of the greeting she was referring to.

"I'm sorry ma'am" Aang apologized as he mimicked the greeting but after seeing one of the girls correct him, he got it right the second time.

"Also, we don't use headbands indoors."

"Uh, I have a scar and it's kind of embarrassing" Aang replied.

"Okay, and what's your name?" the teacher asked the Avatar in disguise "or should we call you a colony slob with no manners?"

Aang laughed a bit at the woman's question, but then composure himself and get serious again.

"Oh, slob sounds good... or just call me Kuzon."

After that presentation, at the end of the first day of classes during recess, Aang met a friendly girl named Onji, as well as Onji's supposed boyfriend, Hide, a popular student with a much more aggressive personality. After a little confrontation, Aang ends up making new friends and playing a game known as "hide and explode" with a boy named Shoji and other boys from the same school.

Meanwhile, the Fire Nation soldiers are seen marching through the streets and tundra tanks rolling towards the Earth Kingdom's royal palace. Among the citizens of the Earth Kingdom who are in Pao's teahouse, Iroh and Zuko's former employee, Pao, Jin, Ying, and Than can be seen with their baby, Hope crying in her arms, all of them frightened by what was happening. In the royal plaza of the Fire Nation palace, two old women, Lo and Li, who seems to be twins due to the fact that they both wear the same robes, the same hairstyle and have almost identical faces, appeared on the balcony of the plaza to give a public announcement.

"Finally, our heroes have returned home" both women announced.

"Your princess, Azula" Li exclaimed introducing the girl who walked to the balcony wearing her best formal clothes, people began to cheer and shout excitedly when they saw her appear from the balcony of the square.

"And after three long years, your prince has returned" Lo announced "Zuko" they both exclaimed, the Fire Nation prince appeared wearing different clothes than he wore when he was traveling on his sister's ship back home. People also clapped and shouted with enthusiasm when they saw him appear on the balcony, despite all the people present there cheering him, Zuko felt that he was out of place, that he did not deserve to be there, he did not deserve any of all that and he did not deserve it. what's the point on to be treated like a hero? after all the person he loved the most would never be with him again.

At the end of the public announcement, Zuko was in the palace garden feeding the turtle ducks as he used to do with his mother long time ago, until Azula appeared and stood next to him, seeing her, the turtle ducks swi away from there leaving both siblings alone.

"You look so depressed" Azula commented, looking at her brother "Mai had already contacted you? because lately she's been in a really good mood, that's strange coming from her"

"I haven't seen dad yet" Zuko answered and looked away from her sister "I haven't seen him in three years, since I was banished"

"And what with that?"

"I didn't capture the Avatar."

"Who cares? the Avatar is dead now" the Fire Nation princess replied nonchalantly but she noticed that her brother's gaze had changed so she decided to take advantage of the situation "unless you think that somehow, he miraculously survived, isn't it? but we both know that this is impossible, no one can survive the attack of a lightning and less of one as powerful as mine was"

And there she was again, showing off how talented she was as a firebender, Zuko wanted to do something, he wanted to tell her to shut up and leave him alone with his thoughts and his guilt but, unfortunately, that was not going to happen, at least not that day. Cautiously, he recalled the water from the North Pole spirit oasis that Katara had shown him, as well as she revealed her healing properties.

"No" Zuko answered "there's no way he survived"

They both looked at each other with a challenging gaze, Azula could also deduce that something was wrong with her brother; however, she was unable to decipher what it was that had him so downcast.

"Well, then I'm sure you have nothing to worry about" the princess said putting aside her little competition of gazes, with those last words she turned on her own steps and walk back to the palace.

Later, Zuko was called to go to the throne room to meet Fire Lord Ozai, the teenager was standing in front of the entrance that was hidden with a curtain that had the Fire Nation emblematic symbol printed on on it. He took a deep breath and entered in the room, he could see the shadow of his father kneeling on a pagoda placed on a platform in the room and fire enveloped the surroundings of the pagoda, Zuko walked slowly and once he was a few meters in front of his father, he bowed to his knees as a sign of respect.

"You have been away for a long time" Ozai said from the platform where he was sitting "I see that the weight of your travels has changed you, you have redeemed yourself, my son" he got up from the platform and walked towards Zuko, who looked up at him "welcome home"

Aang returned to the cave at dusk, covered in ashes as a result of the game, much to the relief of Katara, Sokka and Toph who had been concerned about his long absence.

"Where have you been? we were looking for you everywhere, you had us worried sick" Katara told to her friend looking at him with concern and scolding him at the same time as if it were an older sister scolding her little brother for running away from her for a couple of hours.

"I went to play with some boys after school" the young Avatar replied with a smile on his face as he took off the headband that covered the tattooed light blue arrow on his forehead.

"After what?" Sokka exclaimed, obviously overacting how surprised he was by what he had just heard.

"I enrolled in a Fire Nation school."

"You enrolled at what?!" the Southern Water Tribe boy shouted, instantly he felt his pressure drop and he was unconscious, Katara approached to him and tried to awake him and after a few minutes, Sokka woke up. Now both he and Aang and Toph were sitting in front of the campfire that they had lit inside the cave "Aang, I'm trying to be mature and not destroy your idea so suddenly" he said trying to be reasonable with him "but that sounds... really terrible"

"Yes, we have our outfits, why do you need to go to school?" Toph asked, who did not seem convinced with her friend's idea.

"Every minute I was in that classroom, I learned new things about the Fire Nation. I already have a poster of the Fire Lord Ozai" Aang told them, showing them a poster of the fearsome Fire Lord "and here's one that I made with noodles"

"Impressive, I admit it. But I still think it's too dangerous" Sokka said.

"Then I suppose we can never find any information about the secret river..." Aang said turning his gaze a little disappointed "it goes straight to the Fire Lord palace. We were supposed to learn about it in class tomorrow"

"Hmm... I'm a fan of secret rivers" Sokka said thoughtfully and then made a decision "well, I'll give you a few more days"

"Flameo hotman!" Aang exclaimed enthusiastically and ran out of there under Sokka and Katara confused gazes.

Zuko go back to the Fire Nation prison, he had already been there the first night he returned home but then he regretted it and returned to the palace without even giving himself the opportunity to go inside, visit his uncle and try to talk to him. As he walked down the corridor, he was confronted by the guard that night, who had observed him from the outer ramp of the prison.

"You again?" the man asked while holding his spear "stop where you are" Zuko raised his head exposing his hooded face to the guard "prince Zuko?"

The teenager grabbed the guard by the top of his uniform, causing him to drop his spear and slammed him against the wall.

"I came to pay a visit" Zuko said aggressively "you're going to stand guard here and no one has to know about this" after saying this, he let the guard go and proceeded to let him get inside Iroh's cell. Iroh walked away from him, showing great disappointment to his nephew "uncle… it's me" the Fire Nation prince lowered the hood of his cloak revealing his face but Iroh did not look at him "you asked for this you know? we could have go back together, you could have been a hero" Iroh did not reply and just moved a little instead "you have no right to judge me, uncle. I was just following my own plan and I did what I had to do in Ba Sing Se and you are a fool for not following me" he still got no response from the old man "are you not going to say anything?" Iroh's indifference towards him caused a fit of fury on Zuko "you're crazy. You're a crazy old man, and if you weren't in jail, maybe you'd be sleeping in a sewer!"

With those last words, he turned on his steps and left the cell leaving the old man alone, hurt and more disappointed than before.