Disclaimer: I don't own it. Also, this is my first time writing for this fandom, not that it really matters.

A/N: Kudos to anyone who can name the goddess and god. I'll give you a hint: she'sVedic and he's Japanese...I actually just wrote this because I got the scene in my head of her discussing his sister...This isn't an examination of his character, by the way. If I do that, it will be a lot...deeper...

In Zuko's dream, his uncle wore pure white and rode a giant peacock. This might have seemed odd to him, if he hadn't been distracted by so many other oddities, such as the clear red of the sky, or the silent garden in which he stood. Such as the presence of the Avatar and his companions in his little world. Such as the ancient young girl staring at him with a frightening light in her eyes.

He attempted to shudder as the girl--red-eyes, brown-hair, and young, only the age of the Avatar in body--slowly made her way towards the prince, ignoring Iroh and the Avatar's cheerful party, talking animatedly as they sat by a pond sipping tea, but found that he could not. His body was no longer under his control. All he could do was watch helplessly and pray that this truly was a dream.

"Hello, our prince. Welcome to our garden," even though Zuko was certain that it was she who had spoken, his staring eyes had been unable to catch even the slightest movement in her face.

"Why have you brought me here? Who are you?" Knowing that the being in front of him was probably a goddess did not stop the prince from speaking as arrogantly as ever. Inwardly, he cursed his fast tongue. She was not someone that he wanted to make angry.

"We, Prince Zuko? We are blackness and energy, destruction and life, desire and innocence." Again, the voice echoed throughout the courtyard; the goddess took a step closer to the frozen prince, touched his arm. She could feel his need to shudder, his disgust at being touched.

"You have a desire, prince, a strong one." Almost unwillingly, his eyes sought out the small tea party over her shoulder.

"No, that's not quite it…" Zuko fought for control as his head turned to the side. There stood his father, the fire lord, with a shadow at his back.

"She lacks one, you know. Lives only to serve, to obey…" For the first time, Zuko noticed a sort of sly, oily feel resonating beneath the voice. He watched as the shadow stepped forward and became his younger sister.

"You could have her power, you know…" He was able to move his head slightly to look down at the girl as she continued to stroke his arm. Slowly her hand moved up towards his collar, leaving his arm to rub his shoulder and upper back.

"You could have her!" His head jerked back in surprise and disgust. That was not what he'd though that she'd meant.

"She's strong and skilled but once away from your father…She could be yours, Prince Zuko, to do with as you please. To use as you please."

Horrified by the goddesses words, Zuko could only stare helplessly at the phantom of his sister.

"But no, you are not interested in gaining allies, being helped; are you, Zuko?" The oily quality was gone, replaced by a childish quality. Finally, she sounded like the child-like form she wore.

"And the thought of touching her in anything but anger disgusts you. Besides…" The happy group behind them seemed louder for a moment, "you are meant for someone else."

"Zuko." The goddess took a step away from the seething prince, finally ceasing her disturbing ministrations.

"I did call you here to help you, Zuko. To help you remember…" As she spoke, an aura of calm innocence seemed to spread outward from her now-kind eyes. Her now-blue eyes.

"My brother has asked me to remind you of your pledge of loyalty."

At that, Zuko started. While one part of his mind was noting his sudden ability to control his body again, the other part was thinking furiously of any pledges he'd made.

"…Agni…?"

"Your pledge, he said, was not to your father."

Zuko's mind spun, even more than it had a few minutes ago. Of course he'd pledged loyalty to his father; he'd pledged it to the god Agni and to his country. Since his father was the ruler of said country, was the country made human, that meant that Zuko had pledged his loyalty to him, didn't it?

"No. This war is tearing even your land apart, young prince." She answered his thoughts. "Your father no longer has the interests of his people at heart, Zuko; he has been given many chances to repent, but it becomes clearer and clearer that he is no longer worthy to rule. However, you are. Your loyalty is where it always has been, where your father's should have been, with your people."

Zuko could only stare in dumbstruck wonder. Rule? Him? The idea had not entered his mind since the first time his sister had defeated him in a bout. She was skilled; she never questioned their father's decisions, and so it had been a given that she would rule.

"However, you cannot do it alone; you cannot protect your people without the help of the Avatar and his friends." A well-known, sullen feeling developed in the pit of the boy's stomach. He should have known.

"It is not a weakness on your part, boy." The sudden sound of a light, masculine voice came from behind him. Like the girl's it had a strangely resonant quality; this one was light, yet full at the same time and not nearly as solemn.

A man with long midnight hair lounged against a tree just off the patio on which the prince and goddess stood. His clothes reminded Zuko vaguely of those of the Eastern Countries. His dark eyes laughed and a grin was set firmly upon his full lips.

"Do you know what makes a storm so fierce? It is not just the wind and rain, boy, but the lightening, the storm's arrow, so to speak. After all, the wind will knock down a few trees in the forest, but a good bolt of lightening…Ah, now that can take out the entire wood. It is the anger of the storm set against a specific target."

Curses ran through the young prince's mind as he took in the god's knowing look. He understood that this was what his god wanted,--and it didn't even occur to him to deny this as a normal, though strange, dream--but it would not be easy to give up his quest. Then, to help the Avatar…he thought he'd be sick. This was asking too much.

"There are heroes and leaders, young prince, and sometimes, one has the opportunity to become both."

"I know, I know!" He ground out. This was becoming like one of Iroh's lectures. In fact, the laughing god even reminded him of his uncle, in some strange way.

In order to be able to do what he had to, Zuko knew that he had to somehow find a way to erase the bitterness that had boiled inside of him for so long. He would be of no help to anyone if he could not put aside his own goals to help his people.

And that was, overall, his goal. It had been the main reason that he'd been banished so long ago. He'd gone against his father, tried to help.

"Don't worry so, boy; you will have help, and we don't expect you to change overnight." The god of storms quirked an eyebrow mischievously, "after all, you won't catch up to the Avatar for a few more weeks, anyway."

With that, the Prince Zuko sat up in his bed, in his ship, sweating in the chill morning air. He knew better than to pretend that it had been a dream. Breathing heavily, he wondered why his god had sent messengers instead of confronting the prince directly. He shuddered, as he'd been unable to do in the 'dream,' at the memory of the goddess' red eyes. No matter who they'd been, even if they were the highest of gods, the boy couldn't help but hope that he'd never meet them--especially the girl--again. At least, not alone.

Somehow, though, he had the feeling that, if and when he met them again, he would either be in the company of the Avatar…or failed and dead. Closing his golden eyes briefly, he concentrated on evening out the beat of his racing heart. Would the Avatar even listen to him if he proposed an alliance? Would he be able to choke the words out without throwing up?

Would he even matter at the end?

But all of these questions could wait. After all, he wouldn't catch up to the Avatar for weeks.