Second Thoughts

Zuko was sitting in his room, trying to meditate. As he breathed in and out, the fire from the candles in front of him got bigger and smaller. He usually had no trouble controlling the flames, but for some reason he couldn't get the rhythm right. He opened his eyes and looked at the candles. "Damn it," he whispered as he gave up. He went to his bed and lied down, staring intently at the steal ceiling above him.

This is so stupid, he thought. Why can't I get her out of my head? Her painful face keeps appearing in my mind's eye. What's so great about this half-breed? He didn't know why he kept thinking about the Angel of Darkness or her tragic story. When he saw her just a couple months ago, she looked so hurt in the eyes. She was beautiful, and she seemed like a kind person. Yet, she had gone through so much suffering. He almost felt sorry for the girl.

"No, I'm Prince Zuko, the rightful heir of the Fire Nation Throne. I shouldn't feel one bit of remorse for that half-breed traitor." Why was he saying this? It wasn't her fault that so many hated her. Zuko had a reason to be called a traitor. At least she was innocent.

Something else was on his mind. Hiroki had used his powers to hurt this innocent girl. She really didn't deserve that kind of punishment. Why did Hiroki and Uncle Iroh want her destroyed? Was she that powerful? Maybe she was too powerful for him to handle. Maybe he should just leave her alone. He didn't need her to find the Avatar. He could capture the airbender on his own. Zuko got up and walked to his uncle's room, where Iroh and Hiroki were drinking tea.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh said gleefully. "Hiroki and I were just discussing about how to capture the Angel of Darkness. Would you like to join us and have some tea?"

"No thanks, uncle. I want to talk about the girl though." Iroh and Hiroki smiled as he sat down.

"So," Hiroki started. "Have you decided to follow our advice and destroy the Angel of Darkness?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Zuko said, "but I think we should leave her alone." The two men's smiles disappeared. "When you took over Katara's body, you hurt the girl. I don't think it was necessary to flog her so much. In fact, she looked so confused about her own self. Maybe she doesn't know about her powers. I certainly don't. We should leave the poor girl alone and concentrate on the Avatar." Iroh looked at his nephew with disappointment. Iroh knew that the girl needed to die, but he still felt sorry for her. He smiled and turned to Hiroki as the wizard spoke.

"I disagree, Prince Zuko. We need to find the Angel of Darkness and destroy her before she realizes her powers. If she remembers her past, she will destroy the world."

"Hiroki, even though I agree that the girl's powers are dangerous, I will have to side with my nephew." Hiroki was surprised at his friend's response. "The girl may never recover her memories. She may be safe. I must say that I can't approve of the murder of an innocent life."

"Iroh," Hiroki continued. "You know very well that she is hardly innocent. She destroyed her entire village with one blow. Imagine what she will do to the Fire Nation or even the world."

"I'm sorry, Hiroki, but I have to follow my nephew's advice. He is the Prince of the Fire Nation, and as of yet he has never led me astray. I trust him with my life. We will not go after the girl anymore. We will focus on the Avatar. If we do come across her, we will capture her and keep her in a safe hold." Hiroki couldn't believe what Iroh was saying. Iroh knew how dangerous the Angel of Darkness was, and yet he wouldn't follow through with his original plans. Hiroki stood up and grabbed his staff.

"I'm sorry," Hiroki said in disappointment. "This girl could bring about the end of the world if she gets her memories back. I cannot let that happen. If you will not help me, I have no choice but to leave you and look for her on my own. I wish you a safe journey and luck with your search for the Avatar." He bowed and in a cloud of purple smoke he disappeared. Zuko looked back at his uncle, who had a smile on his face.

"Uncle, did you mean what you said?" Zuko asked.

"Of course I did," Iroh answered. "We will not go after the girl. She deserves her peace. Now, join me in a cup of tea." Zuko smiled and sat down next to his uncle as he poured tea for both of them. He was glad that Iroh had stood up for him. He was even happier that Iroh had said that he trusted Zuko with his life. Maybe he didn't give the old man enough credit. It was him that raised him to the man that he was. From now on, he would treat him with more admiration. "After we are done, how about we stop and get some Lotus Tile? I need a new one since you threw mine into the river." Then again, maybe he should hold back a little.

"Get everything loaded, including the weapons! I want to be prepared for the Avatar this time. He will not get away." Admiral Zhao was yelling orders to his men as they loaded his ship. He was going after the Avatar after the Blue Spirit had helped him escape. He wanted to find the accomplice too, but all he had for a clue was the blue mask left behind. He would not let the Avatar escape this time. He would prevent Zuko from returning to the Fire Nation by capturing his only hope. He grinned but turned around quickly at a husky voice.

"So, you want to capture the Avatar?" the voice said. The man was dressed in blue robs with green trimming, the hood pulled over his head to hide his face. "I know someone that would be worth the while if you helped me."

"Who are you?" Zhao asked. "How did you get past the guards?" The man chuckled and lifted his hood to reveal his face. Zhao realized who he was. "The great wizard Hiroki. I guess it wouldn't be that hard for you to get to me. May I ask what you want?"

"Have you ever heard of the Angel of Darkness?" Hiroki asked. Zhao nodded and let Hiroki explain. "She is still alive, but she has no memory of who she is. I need to capture her and destroy her before she gets her memories back. If she realizes her true powers, she could destroy the entire world. I need your help to do this." Zhao laughed and turned his back on the wizard.

"I am the admiral of the Fire Nation Army," he remarked. "My priorities are to capture the Avatar and bring him back to the Fire Lord so we can win this war. Why should I waste time chasing after some girl that might be a threat." Hiroki smiled as he answered Zhao's question.

"Because the girl is traveling with the Avatar." Zhao turned to face the wizard with a look of surprise. "Imagine getting your hands on the Avatar and possibly the most powerful being in this world. You would be recognized as a national hero. You would be Lord Ozai's right-hand man, possibly the next inline for the throne. What do you say? Will you help me save the world?" Zhao smiled at the invitation. This was his chance to prevent Zuko from ever returning home. Hell, if he was lucky, he could put out a bounty for the brat and have him executed. He walked to Hiroki and held out his hand.

"Alright, I accept. Welcome to my crew. You will travel with me and together we will save the world." Hiroki gave him a worried look.

"Let me make one thing clear," Hiroki explained. "My last partner turned his back on me and gave up the search for the Angel of Darkness. I want to have your full support for my search." Zhao nodded.

"Don't worry, my friend. I will have no second thoughts about this decision." With that, they got on the ship and sailed away in search for their targets.

Ok, I hope you guys are satisfied. I just spent an hour working on this. I have about five different stories going on right now, so I might not be able to get the chapters out as fast. I'll try to keep you happy. Cya.