This is my first Avatar The Last Airbender fanfiction this chapter was not Beta read and if any are interested in beta reading my work before it's post PM

I would like to thank all my patient readers and hope you enjoy this next chapter and for all those reading please stay safe

Disclaimer I don't own anything related to ATLA


Zuko's head hung heavy as his body was dragged through the city. His mind was still reeling and trying to comprehend what just happened. The images of Smellerbee's and Longshot's glassy blank stares were still lingering in his mind. He could barely feel the stone fingers that dug into his arms, bruising his skin. He could feel his ankles getting cut as he was dragged along. But soon the rough tile stone that he was being towed across became damp and cold like he was in a cave.

Then with a sudden thud, his body was thrown to the ground as his wrists were restrained behind his back. "Now this is a pathetic sight," an amused chuckle was heard as Zuko began to stir back awake. His gaze rising to meet a set of golden orbs in the dark room he was brought in. "Hello Zuzu, miss me?" Azula smirked as she knelt down to meet his eyes.

"Azula?!" Zuko groaned as he tried to shift to his feet but his body was still very much limp. "What are you doing here?! Where am I?!" he said through gritted teeth.

"Well if I'm not mistaken I asked you a question first," she reached out and grabbed Zuko's face, her sharp nails pinching his cheeks as she lifts his head to keep facing hers. "Didn't father teach you respect, or did he give you that scar for nothing?" she said dragging her index finger along the bottom of the burn around his eye.

Zuko yanked his head trying to pull free from her. But Azula's fingers only dug harder into his skin keeping his head in place. "Tisk, tisk, tisk, so rude," she smirked before finally letting her brother's head drop from her grip. She dusted herself off as she stood back up.

Zuko groaned as his face dropped. He then shook his head trying to get rid of the dizziness he felt. When his vision began to clear further he saw as he was surrounded. Dai Li agents were standing at attention around him with one holding him down. And at his sister's sides, Longshot and Smellerbee stood motionless as if awaiting orders. They both wore the same blank glassy-eyed expressions he saw when they attacked him.

Noticing his wide-eyed expression and shock, Azula smirked and walked over to the two freedom fighters. "Surprised huh?" she asked as she pinched their cheeks with no reaction from the two teenagers. "The Earth Kingdom or Ba Sing Se specifically, has a fascinating way of dealing with dissenters and rebellion. If they sense a whiff of weakness, they simply snatch up and brainwash any that they believe can ruin their perfect way of life," Azula said with disgust. "Turning them into nothing but tools... you could barely call them human anymore."

"Upset you didn't come up with the idea first?" Zuko snorted at her.

"No... it is revolting," Azula answered before turning back to her brother. "They turn the men into nothing but canon fodder and the women... nothing more than sexual slaves to fulfill their wants and desires," she said as her fingernails cut into Longshot's face, but he still did not move.

"It's just more proof that the Fire Nation is right," Azula said before kneeling back down to her brother, releasing the freedom fighters from her grip. "These people are nothing but slaves to a pathetic puppet king, whose being controlled by an even weaker man," she answered making the Dai Li agents glance at each other after hearing her words, but they remained at attention. "The Fire Nation will bring them all freedom and prosperity... and you could be a part of it..."

"What?!" Zuko said in confusion.

"Come now Zuzu, don't tell me I'm wrong. You've lived among them you know I am right," she said their eyes locked together.

Zuko could not deny she was right. And him seeing what the Dai Li must have done to Smellerbee and Longshot. It was inhumane, but that doesn't mean that justifies the deaths he had witnessed. The villages that were torched in the name of the Fire Nation.

"I'm going to offer you a chance to redeem yourself," Azula said knowing exactly the words to say. "I've plotted every 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," she promised her words like honey to his ears. "All you have to do is join me."

Zuko felt a shiver go up his body at the prospect, the vision of returning home to his father with open arms filled his mind. "You don't have to answer me now. I'll give you time to think of my offer," she said motioning to the two Dai Li agents next to Zuko. They nod and reach out to help Zuko to his feet. "I'll be waiting," she said as the Dai Li dragged Zuko off to the cells.

Zuko groaned as more feeling began to return to his body. He could feel the poison wearing off as he regained feeling in his fingertips. Then without warning a wall opened up and Zuko was tossed in. His body rolled down the slanted flooring till he hit the ground below. The Dai Li quickly shut the wall behind him leaving Zuko down on the floor. Luckily for him, the room that would be his cell was well-lit. The glowing green crystals nearly covered the cave-type cell, barely leaving a shadow anywhere in sight.

Now that Zuko was alone to his thoughts, he had to not only think of a way out but on his sister's offer. "Azula always lies," he repeated to himself while also remembering how she nearly killed him. But Zuko also couldn't deny how messed up things are in Ba Sing Se. But on the other hand, what happens in Ba Sing Se doesn't justify all the deaths and the war waged outside of its walls.

Zuko shook his head as he paced and marched around the large room. As he looked around he found what appeared to be small openings between the crystals. Zuko judged whether they lead to other rooms and reached out to touch them. He quickly found the crystals were razor sharp. It nearly cut open his finger just by touching the smooth edges. Deciding to at least explore his surroundings, he tore his sleeves off wrapping them around his hands. Bracing himself he tried to climb and maneuver between the crystal slabs.

He began to make small successes as he started to weave between the crystals. He was careful not to touch the edges with his body. But as he moved along he began to hear another voice echoing through the cavern. He took a moment to listen carefully and it sounded like a girl's voice. Although it wasn't his sisters it did sound vaguely familiar. He took it as a sign the rooms were indeed connected and kept moving forward.

As Zuko stepped across another crystal, the smooth green surface began to crack. "Oh no...," he instinctually froze in place as he looked down at his feet. The crystal cracked almost violently before shattering under his weight. Zuko began crashing down into the room below. He tried to grab something, anything to slow his descent but it was too late. He fell straight down into the room below.

Just as Zuko hit the ground a shocked scream could be heard echoing in his ears. And as he sat up rubbing his back he was met with the narrow gaze of a familiar waterbender.

"Zuko!" Katara's shocked face becomes one of anger. "What are you doing here?!" she asked her tone already accusatory as she looks at the scarred fire prince.

Zuko didn't answer. Instead inwardly cursing his luck. He went from being in the clutches of his sister to being in the company of the Avatar's waterbender friend.

"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 little Fire Nation clutches!" Katara said figuring Zuko and Azula are working together. She reasoned that is the only explanation for Zuko appearing after she was captured.

Zuko turned his head to look at her, before turning away. He could tell she just wanted to vent her frustrations and his presence only seemed to exasperate them even further. Particularly now they were trapped together.

Katara couldn't help but groan at Zuko's silence and continued to complain. "You're a terrible person! You know that? Always following us! Hunting the Avatar! Trying to capture the world's last hope for peace! But what do you care? You're the Fire Lord's son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" Zuko couldn't help but snap at her words.

"I don't? How dare you!" Katara snapped back. "You have no idea what this war has put me through! Me personally!" she said before turning her back on him unable to look at him. Her fingers instinctually touched her mother's necklace as she began to cry. "The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."

Katara's words hit Zuko hard. His eyes turned to her as he understood her pain all too well. "I'm sorry," he said as he heard her soft sobs. "That's something we have in common."

Katara looked back, surprised, as she wiped away the tears from her eyes. She paused unsure what to say. Katara remembered back to Aangs words to her when Zuko was hurt. And she remembered what Iroh too said about his nephew. And now hearing the soft words Zuko spoke. They were empathetic, ones of true understanding. Ones of shared pain. After a long pause, she finally spoke feeling guilty over her harsh words. "I'm sorry I yelled at you before."

"It doesn't matter."

Katara sighed hearing him as she stood and turned to him fully. "It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face," she said picturing all the times he had chased and attacked them.

"My face? I see," Zuko said as he touched his scar. His body still facing away from her.

Seeing him touch his face Katara winced at her insensitive words. "No, no, that's... that's not what I mean," she said apologetically as she approached Zuko, she now standing in front of him.

"It's okay. I used to think this scar marked me. The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever," he said as Suki and the rest of the Kyoshi warriors filled his mind. "But lately, I've realized I'm free to determine my own destiny, even if I'll never be free of my mark," Zuko said as he climbed to his feet.

Hearing his words and seeing him face to face. Katara indeed felt he had changed. Even though the scar is the same, she didn't see the same angry, violent prince that chased them around the world. "What made you change your mind?" Katara inquired.

"Just like you, I traveled the world," Zuko answered. "I saw... what the war has done to the world... and the part I played in it," he said with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry what happened to your mother... and I'm sorry for when I used your mother's necklace to track you. I shouldn't have done that," he said now understanding the importance of the necklace.

Katara's face went flush, surprised at the sudden but welcome apology. "Apology accepted...," she said as her fingers caressed the smooth blue stone of her necklace. "I'm... I'm sorry too, about your mother. I'm sure she was a lovely woman," she said as she bit her lip.

"She was," Zuko said as a small smile crept at the corner of his lip as he remembered her.

"So, why are you here?" Katara asked curiously.

"My sister had me captured."

"Guess we have that in common too," Katara said with a weak smile trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, guess we do," Zuko nodded his head.

"Is that why you came crashing through the ceiling? You were trying to escape?" Katara asked looking up at the hole Zuko came falling through. But as she looked up at the way the crystals formed, at certain angles you'd barely see if a hole was even there.

"Yeah, but it's hard to get around without cutting yourself or getting trapped," he said shaking his head, agreeing to himself that making another attempt wasn't worth it.

"Well then what do you suggest we should do? We can't just stay here can we?" Katara said already dreading her short stay in this prison.

"Well... since you are here. If the guards come over to check on you, they won't expect to see me," Zuko said trying to formulate a plan. "Maybe we can jump them together."

"That could work, but if we do, we'd only have one shot. If we fail to get out we won't be able to try again," Katara said stroking her chin and thinking carefully about how to make this plan work. Where they could hide and how to attack to catch the Dai Li off guard.

"Can I ask you something?" Katara said as she watched the banished prince still a bit weary. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Sure. Ask away."

Katara paused briefly thinking about how to broach her question. "About your scar...," just as she was about to speak, a rumbling in the earth shook the whole room. She almost fell over nearly crashing into Zuko as she steadied herself. Zuko too almost tripped over as a wall on the far end of the room exploded open. Chunks of earth and crystal shattered across the floor as two figures emerged from the dust.

As the dust settled both Aang and Iroh stepped out and into the room. "Aang!" Katara cried out in joyous surprise as she rushed over to the bald monk.

Aang was caught off guard as he looked at Zuko seeing him alone with Katara. And as Katara rushed over to hug him, he briefly smiled at her, then looked over her shoulder to glare at Zuko.

Zuko too was shocked at the Avatar's and his Uncle's sudden appearance. And as Iroh came over to hug him Zuko glared back at the Avatar. Almost like an impulse seeing the Airbender made his blood boil. Like an ingrained reaction seeing him.

"Aang, I knew you would come," Katara said as she hugged him.

"Uncle, I don't understand. What are you doing with the Avatar?" Zuko asked looking down at his Uncle as he felt his warm embrace.

"Saving you, that's what," Aang snapped as he had a small hint of jealousy from seeing Katara next to the older boy.

Zuko growled and took one confrontational step in Aang's direction, but Iroh stopped him. "Zuko, it's time we talked," he said as he placed a comforting hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Go help your other friends. We'll catch up with you," Iroh called out to Aang and Katara. As he did he kept his hand on Zuko. He gently held his nephew back as they watched Katara and Aang walk away.

As they were about to leave Katara glanced back at Zuko one last time. Giving one last hesitant look, before walking off and disappearing into the dark entrance Aang had made.

"Why, Uncle?" Zuko asked as he turned to Iroh after watching the Avatar and the waterbender leave.

"You're not the man you used to be, Zuko," he said with a warm smile. "You are stronger and wiser and freer than you have ever been. And now you have come to the crossroads of your destiny," as Iroh spoke, he reached behind his back. He pulled out a wrapped bundle he had been carrying.

Zuko watched as the bundle was placed in his hands. "It's time for you to choose," Iroh said placing his hand over Zuko's. "I know you have walked a hard path. One that has to lead you to make many difficult choices... some were even made for you," Iroh said as he reached up and cupped Zuko's cheek, still able to feel the heat that once scored his nephew's flesh.

"How? How can I make such a choice?" Zuko said conflicted.

Iroh's hand left Zuko's cheek and was now pressed against his chest, over his heart. "Look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want. I can not make this choice for you, only you can finally decide who you are," Iroh said with a warm smile proud of the man his nephew had become, and whoever he chose to be. He then began to pull away leaving Zuko standing there with the bundle still in his grasp.

Zuko went silent for a moment as his Uncle left him to make his choice. So many thoughts ran through his mind. He almost replayed the journey he had taken. All the things he had done, all the things he had accomplished, and all his failures and mistakes. Even the people that walked on the journey with him fluttered through his mind and his heart.

As Zuko contemplated his choice he began to peel away the cloth bundle in his grasp. As it rolled and peeled away a familiar sight stared back at him. The dark hollow eyes of the blue demon mask met his gaze. The cloth strands of the mask tangled and tied around his two swords and Suki's fan. Each is a reminder of his path and his choices. Choices that made him who he is and who he is about to become.


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