I suggest you read chapter one again, seeing as it's a prologue.

Things edited:
Zhao Azula
There we go!

The clouds gave way to sunlight, as a large flying bison took flight. It ascended quickly, as if needing to get out of the range of some invisible weapon. Its riders were silent, as was the creature itself, which gave the whole scene an eerie feel.

Uncomfortable, one of the riders attempted to break through the foggy emotion. He was about 15 or 16, and looked to be of the one of the two Water Tribes. His skin was a brown color, and he wore clothes of blue. No parka, as the seasons had shifted into middle spring by now. His name was Sokka.

He shivered and rubbed his hands together, trying to think up something to say. He opened his mouth…nothing. Every time he tried to speak, no words came out. Even if he thought of what he was going to say beforehand, he was unable to force his throat to produce sound.

Feeling slightly more dampened than before, although the day was as dry as a leaf in the middle of autumn, he settled down near the rear of the bison's saddle.

Another member of the water tribe sat across from Sokka. Their hair color was exactly the same, although Sokka's head was shaved except for the top. Their eyes were the same color as well. That was to be expected, for they were siblings. The girl, whose name was Katara, had her hair braided and wore blue (like her brother). However, her attire included a few things her brother's didn't. It was also lacking things her brother always seemed to carry. For example, Sokka almost always had his boomerang strapped to his back.

He was, after all, a warrior.

Katara always wore a canteen. She slept with it, and wandered with it. Katara of the Water Tribe was a waterbender. Although she wasn't a master, she was still fairly well off.

Shrinking into her corner of the bison's saddle, she thought about the boy with the arrows. He sat directly in front of her, staring out across the ocean. He had seemed so preoccupied after her and Sokka had gotten sick. It had gotten worse since the whole ordeal in the Northern Water Tribe She couldn't imagine why. Maybe it was just the whole 'Avatar' deal. He did have a lot to think about.

But…there was something else. Something she just couldn't put her finger on.

'Could it have been? That night?'

What night?

Katara's thoughts dissipated, knew ones about time springing up. 'How long ago was that? Two months? Three months?' She hadn't exactly been keeping track of time. She did know it was some time during spring, but not exactly when.

'What even happened that night? Why did it take so long?' she thought, bringing herself back to the matter at hand.

She didn't know. She probably would never know. All she could recall was how wiped out the boy had looked. How his clothes were torn. How…down he looked. Thinking about it, she barely remembered what Sokka had said in his delusional state. Something about…friends?

"Did you make any new friends?"

That was it! Of course! What was the response…?

"No…I don't think I did."

'Now damn it!' Katara thought, surprising herself slightly. She barely cursed. If only she knew what happened…

When the flying bison reached its comfortable flying altitude, and had found a proper thermal, it grunted to the boy Katara worried so fiercely about. "Ok Appa," he murmured, replying to the bison's grunt.

Appa, apparently satisfied with this, grunted once more and fell silent.

The boy's name was Aang, and he was the last of his people. He wore the colors of the Air Nomads: yellow and orange. They seemed to be an autumn people, and chose autumn's colors. At least, they were and autumn people. There weren't any airbenders left. But, not only was he the last of the airbenders, he was the Avatar. Reincarnated thousands of times before, he now had to save the world from the wrath of the Fire Nation in order to ensure peace. Ensure that a new Avatar would be born…

Quite a large job for a 12-year-old boy.

Aang had arrow tattoos on his head, hands, and currently covered feet. They all connected through his body, proving to be an intricate design that probably took a good deal of time. A small bat-like creature sat on his lap and cooed softly, trying to comfort the boy: who was obviously distressed.

"…I used to always visit my friend Kuzon. The two of us. We'd get in and out of so much trouble together. He was one of the best friends I ever had, and he was from the Fire Nation. Just like you... If we knew each other back then, do you think we could have been friends too?"

'I wonder,' he found himself wondering. He hadn't exactly gotten an answer. Unless one thought a fist of flames was an adequate response.

He had saved the Prince, again. And his Uncle didn't seem all that bad...

But no. Now wasn't the time of think such thoughts. Not when he had to 'rediscover' the small Earth Kingdom village they had helped to liberate only two months prior. Not when he needed to master earthbending! Not when the world needed saving!

'Was that regret in your eyes? Confusion perhaps? Were you trying to tell me something…? Did they tell me an answer?'

'They could have,' his voice. And…he seemed to be laughing! At Aang! For not understanding!

'What was it!' Desperate now.

'The answer? Well now…What do you think it was?'

'I don't know…'

'Then find out.'

'How?'

…Silence…

A child (for that was what he was…at least, as much as a child as one who has been emotionally scared could be) sat in front of a row of four candles. They flickered, uncontrolled even when the child was clearly making his best attempt to control them.

Breathe out.

"Kuzon…"

The light in the room dimmed considerably, features of the child now less pronounced. The candles waned, but still they flickered. As if not completely controlled.

Breathe in.

"Just like you…"

The flames grew, as if breathing themselves. The shadows danced, the child now visible again. He seemed to be a 16, although his face seemed hardened. It might have had something to do with the scar which stood out like a light in complete darkness. His eyes were closed, but had they been open one would've stared into a deep pool of golden-like liquid. Amber even.

Breathe out.

"Do you think we could've…"

The candles flared briefly, and died.

"…been friends too?"

"That was a different time. A different way of thinking," the child said slowly, to himself if not to the voice that continued to haunt him.

If it wasn't for the dammed Avatar, he could have been at peace. He wouldn't necessarily have died, and he wouldn't have to feel as if he owed him something. The pain for the loss of his crew (who, although he would never admit it, was the closest thing to... a family than he had had. Even if he did order them around much too harshly... )

'Why is this time different?' He shook his head. No. Not now. There were too many things at stake for him to get distracted by such trivial matters. It was only a question. Probably not even meant to be taken seriously.

But then…why did he take it as such?

Opening his eyes, he re-lit the candles with his finger and stood. He wore the armor which was widely feared by the world. Fire Nation armor. The child was Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, and he had been sent to capture the Avatar.

"I don't know why this time is different…It just is."

'But is it really?' the voice said seriously, uncharacteristic of the speaker. 'Is it really?'

The child's uncle, Iroh, stood outside his nephew's door. He was a chubby man, with rapidly whitening hair. Zuko made sure of that. Ah yes…Prince Zuko. He had been worrying the old man much more than usual lately. He hadn't eaten enough for a boy his age, although he did not seem to be malnourished. He had become less irritable, and even less sociable than he had been previously. After…the incident.

The Prince only seemed to leave his room when Iroh dragged him out for meals (not literally, of course), or the Avatar was spotted.

The Avatar. Zuko even seemed to be less enthusiastic about hunting the Avatar. Regaining his honor. The caring uncle that he was, he often checked in on his clearly troubled nephew. Trying to prove to himself that it was just a phase. That the Prince was just distracted by some elaborate plan. That needed two months to perfect. Was it even two months?

That didn't matter.

So here he stood, outside that door. More often he had started to hesitate before entering silently, dreading what he might (or might not) find. He debated with himself, trying to find a pattern in his nephew's erratic behavior. He was still standing there when Zuko opened the door.

"Uncle?" he asked with a raised 'brow.

"Prince Zuko! I was just about to knock," Iroh said quickly, disguising his emotions with a stone face. The Fire Lord's army was good for something it seemed.

"Why?" His tone was suspicious.

"I just wanted to update you on the whereabouts of the Avatar, and offer you a cup of calming Jasmine tea."

Ignoring the offer of tea, Zuko waited impatiently. "Well?" he asked.

"I was thinking we'd discuss that over the t-"

Zuko cut him off with a sigh and a tired look. "Uncle," he started, and stopped.

"Come now nephew. Let's go." Iroh winced as nearby candles flared, but only briefly.

"Why do I even bother?" Zuko muttered in defeat, following his Uncle.

"Princess, you asked for the reports on…"

"Yes. Admiral Zhao allowed the Blue Spirit to escape, without even notifying the Fire Lord, so you more than know that as well as hunting for the Avatar, I must track him down as well. I'm not in a good mood, get this over with quickly."

"Of course, my Princess," the soldier said hastily. "It appears we have received an anonymous tip," he added, holding out a sealed scroll. "I wasn't sure whether or not to-"

She grabbed the scroll out of the soldier's hands, mumbling something that sounded like "dismissed." The soldier bowed deeply, and left.

As the Princess read the letter, a malicious grin broke out upon her face. Re-reading it, the grin grew broader.

"You have been practicing, my Brother. You will pay dearly for your mistake."