Author's Note:

New story, hopefully this one won't be deleted. I see no reason why it would be. If you have any questions about my old story. Look at my Bio.

IMPORTANT: Takes place after the Imbalance Comics. Though if you haven't read the comics you won't be lost. You may be spoiled though, so go read them.

I didn't want to write an old Zuko into a young body since there's so much we don't know about his life between ATLA and Korra. It's also easier if Zuko is still angsty etc.

Instagram/DeviantArt: CeruleanLancer

Chapter 1- Sunny Disposition

In an instant everything in his view changed, like a candle suddenly lighting up a dark cavern. One moment Zuko was with his friends. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Suki, Appa, and Momo. They had been walking around Cranefish town. The next moment he was alone, staring at a giant beam of light in the sky. Zuko didn't register what he was seeing. It was like his mind was still back where his body was moments ago.

Cranefish town, Aang was so excited to show me. He's still a goofy kid when he can be. And he was right. Cranefish town was something special. What wasn't special was the name, which Sokka wasn't helping with. His suggestions were somehow worse than Cranefish town.

But now I'm not there.. I don't know where I am?

The reality of what just happened hit him at the same time as the confusion of what reality actually was. Zuko's eyes widened in shock, panic, and pure confusion. Swinging to the side, he grimaced in pain. My body feels different, my head feels strange, and why do I feel so weak? He was nauseous but most of all, cold. He fell to the ground with a metallic bang. Only now did he notice the light armor he was donned in. Armor he hadn't been wearing moments ago.

"Prince Zuko!" Iroh leapt to his feet, knocking his game pieces across the deck of the fire navy ship. Pieces denoting each of the four elements slid and bumped into Zuko.

What's happening? Zuko groaned. Warm hands met his shoulder and forehead.

"Prince Zuko!" Iroh repeated, "Are you alright?"

Zuko looked around, his head spinning literally and figuratively as his panic increased. Ice, snow, metal, ship, uncle- Prince?

The other members of Zuko's crew noticed him fallen on the ground. Zuko looked up, "Uncle?" Zuko groaned, rubbing his head and feeling a severe lack of hair.

My hair! The beam of light? my armor, the snow. I'm having a dream, I'm back in the south pole looking for Aang! He realized in an instant where he was. A sense of intense dread shot its way into Zuko's heart. His chest sank, it was like his dream back in Ba Sing Se. when he saw himself bald with no scar and a blue arrow on his head.

"Lieutenant Jee." Iroh spoke up while still staring at Zuko. "Help me with him."

"I'm fine." Zuko instinctively responded. With no bark nor bite, he was more embarrassed and confused than angry.

Iroh raised an eyebrow, "Prince Zuko, you've fallen. Are you okay?"

Zuko shook his head and warily stood up. Looking around in awe and shock. "It's n- nothing uncle I- I need to go to my quarters. No disturbances." He sputtered out as he shakily stood up. "Head a course for the light."

With a stumble, Zuko walked past his confused crew. Leaving his Uncle to stare quizzically at his nephew. Worry overtook him as he followed, ignoring Zuko's orders.

Zuko

I'm going insane. That was my first thought after realizing it wasn't a dream. Azula went insane.. more insane. Maybe I can recover like her? It'll probably take me much longer. Even crazy she can recover faster than me… if it can be called recovering for her.

I took a deep breath and tried to center myself. The flames before me rose with every intake of breath. Which meant they rose and fell rapidly and unevenly as I leaned against the metal door of my old home. The beam of light, I remember it. When I first saw it I was relieved. I knew that light was coming from the Avatar. And my next course of action was clear. ..this time though?

I exhaled in a huff. What is this? I'm back where I was the day Aang woke up. I don't feel crazy, this doesn't feel like a dream. But it can't be real. It's just impossible, I've seen some spirit world craziness, but nothing like this.

I growled, this has to be avatar nonsense. It's always avatar magic. Sokka was right. My face softened, Aang will know what to do. I frowned at the thought, wait would he? So far it seems like I'm back at the beginning. Panic raced through me as different fears warred for control.

My eyes widened as that realization really hit me. I'm back! It's impossible but I'm back! My room is the same, my body, my hair, uncle, my ship. Everything is the same. This ship was blown up. This armor should be lost. My mask- I turned to my bed. Hesitantly I reached under my mattress and found it. The blue spirit mask. It wasn't the same one I had gotten rid of by lake Laogai, but I'd lost this one all the same, in an explosion. It was once my mother's and those pirates blew it up.

There's no question. I'm back.. And nothing I did mattered. This is a dream, to torture me for my past mistakes. I put my head in my hands. Father.. He's the firelord again, the war is still going on, and Aang is nowhere close to being ready.

A soft knock jolted me out of my thoughts, "Prince Zuko?" Uncle Iroh's voice sounded, muffled from behind the metal door. "May I come in?"

Completely forgetting my order for no disturbances I nodded, then realized he couldn't see me. I sighed, "Come in."

The door opened, I unconsciously relaxed. Uncle looked at me with worry written all over his face, he spoke calmly. "Prince Zuko, it was just a celestial light. Please, we have been down this road before. I don't want you to get worked up over nothing."

Almost word for word, except he's worried this time, not annoyed. I thought, "It is the Avatar, but that's not the problem."

Uncle's eyes widened, "Not the problem?.. Nephew, are you alright?"

Everything is the same, my eyes bulged. His firebending is back! What if he remembers too? Even if he doesn't he still has his firebending. He almost killed me, he'll know. Azula will find out and tell him, what do I do?

"Zuko, what is the matter?" Uncle asked, clasping his hands over mine.

"It's insane, Uncle it's insane and I don't know what to do." I admitted, "I need your help." I looked up to him, ready to tell him everything. Trust implicit in my every action, I am not who I was years ago. Uncle looked at me and nodded, sitting down without a word. But how do I tell him? I know Uncle, he will help me, But this is insane! How can he believe this? This is all happening so fast.

"You're not going to believe me.." I started.

"Nephew, something is different about you. Something about you has changed, what happened?" Uncle asked again.

I looked him in the eyes, "I- I don't know Uncle I'm sorry."

"Deep breaths nephew." Uncle smiled. I got the sense that he was ignoring my change in attitude. It must have been a shock to him, I went from being so angry and confused to.. still confused but for a different reason. I looked into Uncle's eyes, he held my gaze and nodded. I calmed my breathing, "Uncle.. I'm." I paused for a long moment, Uncle waited patiently.

"I'm from the future."

My uncle looked at me as if I had just reenacted a hog monkey's squeal while dancing naked. His lips pursed and he raised an eyebrow. He paused and scrutinized my face.

"…"

"…"

"…"

He softened, and coughed "Please.. go on.. nephew."

I looked at him incredulously, "You believe me?! How can you believe me?"

"I see no reason why you would lie." Uncle deadpanned, "You are very different somehow.. but I was not expecting that."

"But- it's crazy!" I started.

"Yes, it is. Go on." Uncle smiled.

I took a breath, "It's probably something to do with spirits or- or it was all a dream."

"Dreams have meaning, if it was a dream it has clearly had a huge effect on you. So much so that I doubt it was a dream at all." Uncle explained. "Whatever happened to you, we will figure it out. But first, I need to know, go on."

I frowned, took another breath and spoke. "I am from roughly three years into the future. A lot has happened.. Uncle, the war ended. I found the Avatar and together we ended the war."

Uncle's eyes widened, "Together?"

I nodded, "I accepted what father was, and still is. I've done so much...and so much has happened."

Uncle sighed in relief, that simple action caused heat to swell in my chest, I chuckled. "I had to accept it sometime. I lost my way though.. many times. Only your guidance brought me back."

"I have always been here for you, and it seems like I'll be there for you in the future too!" Uncle chortled. "A lot has happened. You have the air of a grown man now. I think it would be best if you started from the beginning. Start from the celestial light."

"Well, I didn't fall the first time. And I knew it was the Avatar back then too." I grimaced. "His name is Aang, an airbender."

"He must be older than I am." Iroh chuckled.

"He's 12." I deadpanned. "He's just a kid, but in less than a year.. He will save the world." After another moment's pause, I told him my story. He listened intently, asking questions here and there. Not an ounce of doubt was in his face as I spoke. He believed every word, even when it sounded crazier than me being from the future.

I told him about meeting Sokka and Katara.

"The brother, Sokka. He's a non-bender but eventually he outpaced me in swordplay. He's an annoying sarcastic idiot but I've never met anyone braver, or smarter. He's clever in a way you wouldn't expect and has the courage to take part in his own insane plans."

Uncle Iroh nodded, "He sounds like a born leader."

"His sister.. Katara, she's scarier than Azula sometimes. But not because she's cruel, she's terrifying because if you break her trust she will be on her guard and ready to protect her friends at any moment. She was like the mom of the group, I trust her with my life."

"She took the role of the protector." Uncle hummed.

"I met them today, I attacked their village." I admitted. "Katara, who has never had a waterbending teacher, froze three of our men. Sokka almost knocked me out twice. Once with his boomerang, and then with Aang's staff."

I told him about my Agni Kai with Zhao, attacking Kyoshi Island, Chasing Aang around the world, using Katara's necklace to track him, and the pirates.

"It was up your sleeve the whole time!" I growled.

"I can't be embarrassed about something I haven't done yet, nephew." Uncle chuckled.

I told him about saving Aang as the blue spirit, and more. I told him about the others that joined along the way.

"Toph is… she's something. Toughest person the world will ever see. I regret never taking her on her own life changing field trip. If there's one thing you need to know about her, never cage her. She'll break out then break you."

"Now this one I'm scared of." Uncle chuckled.

"Suki is a dedicated Kyoshi warrior. Honorable in a way that I didn't understand for years. Very resourceful too, she thrived in the worst fire nation prison, the boiling rock. She'll teach you that you're never alone."

"A valuable lesson." Uncle grinned.

I told him about the fall of the earth kingdom, the day of black sun, my Agni Kai with Azula. I told him about her, about father, and about mother.

"She's alive.. I had only hoped." Iroh wiped his eyes. "And she's safe."

I slowly moved on to the conflicts that almost started after the war, ending with Cranefish town. By the time I had finished it had been two hours. As I spoke the pressure mounted on me, my chest sank even deeper and my hands chilled. The dread from before returned in full force when I realized what I had to do.

"Then I woke up here." I finished. "And now.. now I have to do it all over."

Uncle was silent for a moment, "What do you mean?"

"All those mistakes, everything I did- I have to do it again!" I sagged to the ground. "I hurt people Uncle." The Kyoshi warriors, Katara, Lee- the boy from the earth kingdom town. "And I'll have to do it again. I could never make the right choice, the few times I did I passed out and could have died. I have to relive it all."

"…" Uncle laughed, "Prince Zuko- soon to be Firelord Zuko I suppose. What makes you think you have to make those same mistakes again? You've been given a second chance. Not many can say that so literally."

"What?" I asked.

"You are not who you were, you can do things differently now." Uncle explained. "You are the master of your own destiny."

"It's hard to say that when just a few hours ago I was ripped from my time and put here." I mumbled.

"Ah." Uncle sputtered, "I suppose so- yes. But you see.. every cloud has two sides. A dark and a light with a silver lining in between. Like a sandwich, Take a bite out of the silver sandwich! Take this second chance and choose your own path."

I paused for a moment, then laughed in relief. He's right, I can do things differently, "Do you think I can?"

"You have before." Uncle smiled. "It is up to you, we are the only ones who know the truth. We don't know why or how, but you are back."

"I'm back." I nodded, still not fully accepting it.

"What are you going to do?" Uncle asked, raising an eyebrow. "From what you've told me, there is a lot to prepare for."

I looked down and thought for a moment, "I'm going to do what I did before, help the Avatar end this war. But I'm not going to let the earth kingdom fall, and Aang is going to be ready before the comet. Zhao's invasion will never start, I'll also save him.. and Azula."

"Save her?" Uncle choked.

"I told you about Sokka and Katara." I paused. "And the search for my mother"

Iroh nodded, "I know, but your sister is crazy and needs to go down."

"Azula is not fa- Azula is not your brother." I corrected myself.

"Wise words…I suppose after she goes down, you can help her back up." Uncle pursed his lips and frowned.

"I tried before." I sighed.

"Your sister is like my brother in many ways. But your mother's influence humanizes her, despite her attempts to smother it." Iroh took a deep breath. "She is your sister, I gave up on my brother and I still feel that that decision was right. Your family is who you choose, and my brother is not a part of my family. But I shouldn't assume she is my brother reborn."

"I want to help her, if I can." I admitted, "This second chance- there's a lot I can do."

"What do you want to start with?" Uncle asked.

"I need to meet Aang." I said instantly. "But we have to make sure that word of Aang doesn't get out." I shook my head. "And we can't do anything that would set Azula after us."

"Yes, that would not be good." Iroh nodded.

I stared into his eyes, "I don't know how, but she would know something is different about me. If I betray Father's fire nation then she will be sent after us. I should keep playing the part of the banished prince."

"Play the part?" Uncle asked.

"I'm getting the idea from Azula, from the way she impersonated the Kyoshi warriors and the Kerimukage." I admitted. "She's taught me a lot.. I used to hate it, until I understood her more."

"So.. your goals are to end the war with little bloodshed, and to save your sister. One of those is easier than the other." Uncle smiled. "With your determination, I'm sure you will succeed. And I will help you however I can."

I looked up and smiled, "Thank you uncle."

"..."

"…This wasn't how I was expecting this day to go." Uncle admitted.

"I know, tomorrow will be a busy day." I grimaced. "I have to let Aang and the others know that I'm on their side. But they'll think I'm crazy if I tell them I'm from the future…"

"I wouldn't open with it." Iroh chuckled.

I nodded in agreement, "Well, I can't do any worse than the first time I tried to join their group."

The change in third person to first person was intentional. It was to show right off the bat that Zuko is NOT me. I am not inserting myself into Zuko.

Also, College has been great. I haven't had much urge to write because I've been hanging out with new friends and working on assignments. Updates for this story won't be consistent due to this. Sorry. Let me know what you think of that chapter!