AN: ...working two fanfics is hard...but i'm up to it.

Chapter 7: Looking Back

Anzha managed to get a few hours of sleep back at the cave before Sokka woke her up with a bucket of freezing water. She sat up with a scream, looking down at her now soaked ninja suit. Apparently, he hadn't yet forgiven her for the night before. Looking up at Sokka, he wasted no time.

"Why won't you promise not to talk to Zuko?" She glared at him and stood. Now Aang and Katara were looking at her over their meager breakfast. Moving to their side, she sat down and joined them, Sokka at her heels.

"Yeah, why won't you?" this was Aang. "Are you and Zuko friends or something?"

"She can't be friends with Zuko and friends with us." Sokka stated clearly and Anzha sighed.

"Perhaps it is time that I tell you a little bit about myself and a bit of my past." All three of them looked up interestedly and she continued. "Because my past and Zuko's are intertwined, you may hear some things about him you'll find unbelievable."

Zuko was in his room meditating, trying to force from his mind the memories his conversation with his uncle had brought up. But the further he sank into himself, the more her face appeared and he gave into the seductive call of his past.

Ozai looked back on his life, more particularly, the past sixteen years of it. He remembered the day his son had been born, and he wondered when and if he'd ever stopped loving him.

3 days...

Rumors flew through the Fire Nation, all speaking of the same thing, the new prince. The Fire Lord, as he stood in the courtyard garden, understood now what his grandfather had told him. You never understand love until your own child was born. Someone cleared their throat behind him and he turned. His brother was standing at the entrance to the garden; his usual smile nonexistent.

"What's wrong Iroh? Your new nephew a disappointment?" The Fire Lord's eyes were laughing and soon so were his brother's.

"Hardly. I've never seen something so beautiful as he is. But I am worried."

"What for?"

Iroh moved to stand beside his brother.

"You know as well as I do that our childhood was far from pleasant. I want you to promise me that you and Sita will raise him properly, and far from what our father thought was proper."

"I understand exactly where you're coming from, and it had been on my mind for the past nine months. Don't worry, my friend, I will make that promise without a single doubt. But it won't just be Sita and I, for you have a special gift with children. I'd rather hand myself over to Earth Nation soldiers than exclude you from his life." Iroh chuckled.

"The Naming will be in a couple of days. Have you decided on a name yet Ozai?" Ozai nodded.

"I decided to go with Sita on this. His name is Zuko."

Almost Four Years...

It was a public banquet and Fire Lord Ozai was looking for one person in particular. It wasn't hard to find him. "Captain Zhao."

The man turned and smiled. "Fire Lord."

They began their conversation, going from topics like recent battles to wives to childhood memories to their own children. Zhao had a daughter who had just recently turned three. Zuko himself was four months from his fourth birthday. Suddenly, Zhao nearly fell over. His stumble was preceded by a high-pitched squeal.

"Daddy!" A young girl had seemingly attached herself to his leg and both the Fire Lord and the Sergeant found themselves engulfed in laughter. To his surprise, Ozai found a similar attachment to his own leg. Golden eyes looked up at him when he glanced down. The young girl skipped over from her father and grasped the young prince's wrist.

"Come on, Prince Zuko, let's go climb trees!" Zuko looked up at his father, who nodded in agreement, and then allowed the little girl to drag over to a stand of tall oaks.

"What's her name?" The question from the Fire Lord was directed at the young woman who came up looking decently hassled.

"Her name is Anzha, Fire Lord. And if neither you nor my husband has any objections, I think I'm going to go bury myself in that wine." Neither one protested as she went over and plopped in a chair next to Lady Sita. Soon the two were laughing and talking together. The banquet continued wonderfully. Until…

crack! Whishhhhhhh! Snap! Thud.

"MomMA!"

The girl's cry tore everyone from the festivities, and Lady Natalani was on her feet before you could blink, having recognized her daughter's cry. Ozai ran with her, knowing Zuko had been with the girl, but it wasn't Anzha who had been hurt.

The four-year old prince was sitting up shakily, tears starting to form in his eyes. Judging by the leaves and twigs around him and on him, he'd fallen from the tree. The girl stood near him, seemingly unharmed, but the prince seemed on the verge of a breakdown. His wrist hung at an odd angle. Ozai quickly took his son up in his arms, talking soothingly to him as he cradled the obviously broken wrist. Only then did he notice how hard Zuko was trying not to cry.

His heart softened as he remembered his own father slapping him for shedding a tear. He'd been six, and had scraped his knee on a fountain. "Princes don't cry!" He heard his father's voice all too clearly.

"It's ok Zuko." Ozai said softly. "It's ok to cry." The poor child instantly let the pent-up sobs loose, crying painfully into his father's shoulder.

"Sorry, but Zuko cried?"

"He wasn't even four yet, Sokka, and I was three."

"Weren't you scared when he fell?"

"Yes Aang, but he showed up at my house the next day and we climbed trees again. We've been best friends ever since."

"What happened next?"

"We played, pulled pranks, and acted like normal children until that fateful day, two days after Zuko's ninth birthday." Anzha shuddered involuntarily.

"What?" The three chorused simultaneously. Anzha's voice was ominous as if speaking the most horrible thing one could imagine.

Nine Years...

"The first day of school."
"Momma, I don't want to go to school!"

"Me either!"

Lady Natalani had the two children by the hand and was dragging them down the street towards the huge Fire-Bending Academy. It was there that all potential fire-benders would learn the art to the best of their ability. Upon graduating, they would immediately be inducted into the army, unless they were nobility. Anzha and Zuko were definitely nobility, but this apparently didn't make anything easier, for both were digging their heels into the loose dirt.

"Come on, Momma, we can learn fire-bending from Zuko's daddy!"

"Yeah, I'm sure Dad would teach us! Or Uncle Iroh would!"

Natalani sighed but continued her march towards the Academy. In truth, Zhao, her husband, had been the only one adamant about the two going to school. She knew for a fact that Ozai or Iroh would have taught the two, but Zhao wanted Anzha to go to the Academy and no doubt enter the army afterwards, and Zuko would go wherever Anzha did, so…here they were.

An elderly gentleman met them at the door to the Academy. "Greetings Lady Natalani." She nodded, having to shift her weight against the pulling nine-year olds.

"Greetings, Master Adouri." The Master's gaze drifted to the fighting children.

"Ah, Prince Zuko and Anzha. We have waited a long time to take these two under our wing."

He reached down and took their hands, and they found it much harder to fight his grip than Natalani's.

"I assure you, Master Adouri, you will not find any cooperation in these two."

"Don't worry, my lady, we deal with rebellious youngsters all the time.

With this, he led…er…dragged Zuko and Anzha within the Academy, and one of the lesser teachers glanced about to make sure no one else was coming, and then shut the door. Natalani forced herself to turn and return home.

30 minutes later…
Ozai was looking through some scrolls with his brother Iroh, when sharp children's laughter and a man's angry growls caught their ears. They turned around to behold Master Adouri dragging Zuko and Anzha down the street, muttering under his breath.

"Master Adouri!" the Fire Lord called out. The Master looked up to meet his eye and turned to join the two brothers. Seeing the two children trying so hard not to laugh, the first thought in Ozai's mind was what did they do?

"What happened?" The Master said nothing, just plopped the children at his feet and walked away. When he did, they could see exactly what had happened. Half the back of his robe was burnt off. Looking down at the children, Anzha pointed at Zuko who grinned sheepishly.

"I saw one of the upper classes doing this move, and it looked easy enough to do, so I thought I'd try it." Zuko began, but then his grin grew wider. "Well, I can do it." Anzha grinned.

"But I can't." Iroh chuckled lightly.

"Well, I don't think Adouri is going to let either of you back anytime soon, so I'll guess Ozai and myself will have to teach you."

Ozai shook his head. "I have a better idea." Reaching over, he picked up a couple of basic fire-bending scrolls, paid for them, and then handed them to Zuko. "Here son. Since you have a natural ability for bending, you teach yourself, and then teach Anzha when you master a move."

Zuko gazed eagerly over the scrolls but then threw his arms about his father's waist. "Thanks Dad! I promise Anzha and I will be the best warriors you've ever seen!" Ozai smiled and patted his son's shoulder.

"Alright, now you and Anzha go home and tell Lady Natalani what happened. She needs a good laugh."

Zuko nodded and grabbed Anzha's hand. The two ran through the streets laughing like the carefree children they were. Iroh chuckled and put a hand on Ozai's shoulder. "I wonder how long that'll last." Ozai shrugged. "Well, come on big brother, there's a shipment of tea in that I'd like to check out."

Ozai rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest but followed Iroh anyway.

Anzha glanced up at the sky. "That's enough reminiscing for one morning. We should get going."

She immediately stood, but Aang, Sokka, and Katara sat where they were, mesmerized by her tale. "So," Aang started. "How long did it last?" Anzha turned around from packing her things to meet his gaze.

"How long did what last?"

"Zuko teaching himself and you fire-bending." Katara stated.

Anzha sighed, her eyes taking on a faraway look. "Until he was banished."

"So you're Zuko's best friend?" This was Sokka.

"Yes, ever since I was three."

Aang and Katara had gotten up and were putting the supplies on Appa, but Sokka had one more question.

"You said that your mother took both Zuko and you to the Academy that day. Where was his mother?" Anzha shouldered her pack and looked away towards the coast where she knew Zuko's ship was anchored.

"The Battle of Andor lasted barely a day and was counted a victory in the Earth and Water Nations. Thousands of fire-benders and potential fire-benders died that day." Sokka nodded at her words.

"I remember my father telling me about that. He did say it was a great victory."

"Did he tell you that only twelve men died? On both sides?"

"But you said thousands…"

"I did, and thousands did die. Andor was a resort, a get-away for nobles. Thousands died when it was leveled, thousands of women and children."

All three of them stared at her, mouths agape, and she continued, tears in her eyes.

"Nearly everyone lost some member of their family that day. I myself lost a cousin. But Zuko," here her voice choked and it was several moments before she could continue. "Zuko was there, and Zuko lost his mother."

just some adaptations...please review...