The Last Airbender is not my creation, the people at the Nickelodeon Studios created it, but that will not stop me from making my own little episodes of excitement and romance.

The only thing I own is the plot on your screen. If you plan to take my ideas and put them into your own fanfic, claiming to be your own mind that thought them up, get a hobby. Plagiarism is wrong, don't do it!

A/N- My computer was busted for two days, thus, the excuse I have for updating so late. Sorry.

The Fire Lord hastily put on his red and black imperial armor, preparing himself for the long journey to the border of his capital. He slipped his silver sword into its black leather case and watched his butler polish his metal-encased boots.

"Are you sure that you should do this?" the old General asked as he watched his nephew dismiss the young servant. "I don't think it's wise to take so many men. It could be a trick." He stood beside the door, his wrinkled hands hidden within the spacious sleeves of his large red robe, and his old eyes filled with a distinct paternal concern.

"He's right, Zuko. Jet's known for trickery," Sokka said, leaning against the door frame. "I know that my instincts don't have a good reputation, but I think that you should go alone. My sister's life is at stake here. Not to mention your daughter."

The Firebender's golden eyes flickered between Iroh and Sokka. "I can't just go alone," he concluded. "If he brought his entire band of rebels, they could not only kill me, but Katara and Luna, too."

Sokka shook his head. "No. They wouldn't kill you. Don't you see? They want you to bring everybody. They want you to disregard their request so that when they murder Katara and Luna, their conscience will be guilt-free."

"And why would they do that?" Zuko asked.

"Because they want to look like heroes," Iroh answered as he stroked his beard. "By eliminating Water Tribe blood from the royal line, those who are against mixed blood will rejoice." He sighed remorsefully. "I knew that this would be an issue when you two got married, but I didn't think that it would go this far. The world is at peace, but I don't think it's ready to accept that citizens of two different nations can get married."

"Stupid war," the Water Tribe warrior muttered angrily. "Even after it's over, its ghost still haunts us. I hope Souzen is burning in hell for what he did."

"So you want me to go alone?"

"Of course not," Iroh answered instantly. "Go with the Avatar. Show up at the hut by yourself and see if they'll let them go without a fight. The boy can come in if things begin to get out of control."

Zuko creased his brow in deep concentration as he surveyed every option that he had. By going alone, he could risk a lot of things. Jet's men could gang up on him and assassinate him, despite what Sokka said. If he brought his own men, they could kill Katara and Luna, just like the letter said they would. But if he brought the Avatar the way his uncle had described it, he just might be able to rescue them. The Fire Lord looked over at Iroh and sighed hesitantly. "All right."

It was an hour after midnight when the young Princess fell asleep. Careful not to wake her, Katara laid the infant on the torn mattress that lay on the floor and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, Luna," the mother whispered tenderly and stroked the child's cheek with care, smiling with gloomy content at the way her babe slept without having a clue of what was happening around her. She accommodated herself beside her daughter and leaned against the damp wooden wall, slightly disgusted with the way it felt through her white silk dress.

Jet watched the mother gaze down at her child with admiration. Although he had never been one to take emotions kindly, he couldn't help feeling sad when memories of his long lost parents came to mind. Memories of a woman tucking in him in and kissing him goodnight with the warm caring lips that only a mother has entered his head. He remembered smiling when she'd sit next to his bed, waiting for him to go into the sweet innocent land of slumber. Sometimes, he recollected, she would sing a lullaby or tell a tale about the way it was when she was a girl. He remembered a man, a strong but gentle man, who would play with him in the yard. A man who would hug him whenever he kicked or punched without losing his balance. He remembered a man who would come home from work, smiling that tired smile of his and ruffling his hair as he walked passed him.

Then came the thick smoke and how it entered his nostrils, waking him from his dreams. Something was wrong. He remembered getting up from bed, rubbing his eyes, and walking towards the living room, only to come face-to-face with large angry flames that threatened to burn him to his death. He panicked and began to yell for his parents; his loving caring parents. Go on Jet! I'll be OK! Go on! came the urgent voice of his mother. Go out through the window! He had not wanted to go; he had not wanted to leave them, but the smoke was beginning to intoxicate him. He was feeling lightheaded and the last conscious remnants of his brain pleaded for him to escape the smoke. The last thing he remembered was falling onto the hard dirt ground, the yells of frightened people overwhelming his ears and his brown eyes wearily searching for his parents before they closed.

"How could you marry a murderer like him?" Jet asked angrily as he came out of his whirlpool of memories.

The Lady looked up at him and frowned. "He's not a murderer, Jet," she answered, "You are."

He shook his head and looked away. "I do what I must."

Katara would've have argued back if she had not been so tired. Her blue eyes threatened to close and her mind kept wandering into dreamland, but she dared not sleep. Her daughter was in danger, and she would put her even more at risk if she took a nap. So she pinched her arms until it hurt, the pain keeping her alert. Her eyes would scan the room, taking in every detail, trying to find a flaw in the woodwork or in the hinges that held the window together. She inspected the floor for any weapons but saw nothing except a few insects that felt around for food; there were none.

Zula sighed in boredom and looked at her sister-in-law, smirking when an interesting fact came to mind. "So," she began and watched the Waterbender look up at her, "how are things with Zuko…on a personal level?"

The Lady raised an eyebrow at the query. "What do you mean?" she asked, regretting she had even opened her mouth when the Firebender let out an amused laugh. Katara shuddered at the way Zula laughed--it sounded so malicious. So wrong.

"Well, people are saying that you two are having intimate problems," she hushed and smiled in amusement when the statement caught Jet's attention.

The Water Tribe girl blushed in embarrassment. "That is none of your business," she replied indignantly and frowned angrily when she saw the man smirk at her. "But for your information, that is untrue. Zuko and I are fine."

"Oh…" Zula breathed unbelievingly, "Well, that's good to know. Because the maids that clean your sheets - or should I say - don't clean your sheets, tell me otherwise." She observed her hostage's eyes widen at the revelation and laughed. "If you thought that Atar was the only person working for me, you are mistaken."

Jet let out a low chuckle, directing Katara's attention towards him. "So tell me, is he bad in bed? Or does he not get you warmed up?" he asked playfully, a teasing smirk on his tan face and his eyes laughing at her uneasiness. "Or better yet, you have a lover. It's the Avatar, isn't it? I knew you two were close."

"I'm not going to talk about my personal life with you two imbeciles," Katara declared irately and crossed her arms. She was aware that her face was probably red with embarrassment and that she shouldn't feel so mortified, since they were just trying to make her feel bad, but she still felt awful because what Zula had said was true. The last time she had made love with Zuko was about two months ago.

"Now, now, Jet, it's not completely her fault," Zula said mockingly. "If Zuko hadn't kissed Atar, maybe things would be different." The Lady eyed her suspiciously. "But then again, if Katara would have believed her husband, like good wives do, he'd actually be happy with her. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Zuko doesn't come to rescue her - I mean - would you like to have a woman who doesn't believe what you say?"

Jet nodded wisely and smiled. "True."

"Shut up," Katara ordered harshly, her blue eyes glaring hatefully at Zula. "You have no idea what you've put me through. You think I didn't want to believe him? I did. But you don't know what it's like to walk into a room and find your husband with another woman."

"Yes I do," the Firebender corrected angrily, her light mood disappearing as fast as it had arrived. "I do know what it's like to walk in on your husband, so don't tell me that I don't. Hell, what you saw wasn't even real, so don't even begin to tell me that I don't know what it's like to feel betrayed by the one person you love."

The Lady scoffed. "Please. You have the incapacity to love. To have your heartbroken, you need to own a heart in the first place. And you, Zula, don't have one. Never have. Never will."

"Don't you dare tell me that I don't know how to love! Because I did love him. I loved him with all my might and he went off and stabbed me in the back," she said fiercely, her eyes burning with a fury. Her hands were fisted and emitting smoke.

Katara raised an eyebrow, still unconvinced that such a bad-spirited person even knew what the term 'love' meant. "What happened?"

"So many things that I was blind to. Really, it was just about the power. It was always about the power. He wanted to marry me because he wanted to be Fire Lord and I obliged, my young soul unable to see that he didn't care about me. I guess he never did," her hands relaxed as she sighed, her mind going back in time. "It started up slow, with him telling me that I was stupid. Then I became disgraceful. And finally, I became so unpleasing to see that he decided to quench his lust with some whore."

Katara stroked her child's sleeping head, her mind slowly connecting dots. "…It was Zhao, wasn't it?" she asked quietly and looked up, meeting her sister-in-law's eyes with her own.

"Yeah," she whispered angrily.

"Is he involved in this too?"

Zula chuckled momentarily and shook her head, watching her accomplice get to his feet and walk towards the window. "No, he's not," she answered with a sly grin on her face. She took a deep breath and crossed her arms, leaning back against her chair in a relaxed pose. "He's…dead."

Katara widened her eyes in surprise. "What?"

"Silence! He's coming!" Jet said harshly and waved his arm in a hushing manner, interrupting the women's morbid conversation. He looked out through a small opening in the curtains, frowning upon seeing the Fire Lord walking down the dirt road towards their hut. "And he's alone."

Zuko furrowed his brow upon seeing the curtain of the upcoming cabin move the slightest bit. He looked up discreetly, seeing the young Avatar several feet in front of him, his arms spread out across the glider's wings as he flew over to the old wooden shack. He sighed heavily, returning his gaze towards the house - that by some miracle he had found, the directions were anything but clear - and lengthened his strides. The Lord just wanted to get there, get Katara and his child safely, and leave as soon as he could.

He watched Aang land smoothly on the roof of the hut, giving him a barely distinguishable thumbs up. He nodded and continued walking, finding himself a few paces away from the worn-out door that hid his family.

The door opened rapidly, exposing a young strong man about the same age as the Fire Lord himself. He had a confident air to him, and his arms were crossed smugly across his puffed out chest. "Nice to see that you showed up," Jet said pretentiously and smirked.

"What? You thought I wouldn't?" Zuko asked defensively and stepped up to the boy, frowning at the man when he laughed mockingly at him. "Alright, I showed up. Let me see them."

The Earth boy smiled innocently. "Of course. A deal is a deal, after all," he said pleasantly but held a hand up when Zuko tried to make his way past him. "But just in case you're a lying piece of scum, my men are going to do a little search."

"What--" the Firebender began to ask, but stopped when the boy whistled a loud tune.

Immediately, five men appeared around the area. "Search the area for any Fire Nation guards!" Jet ordered sternly and watched his companions walk a short way down the road, inspecting every dark alley that lay between each house. "Search the skies too."

"The skies?" the Fire Lord asked suddenly. "Why the skies?"

Jet chuckled. "I'm not stupid, you know. I know the Avatar can fly."

Zuko turned his face away from his adversary and glanced at the men with a small amount of worry. If they found the Avatar, they could kill Katara and Luna. His heart began pounding hard when a young man with a bow and arrow started looking at the roof of each shack. He discreetly tried to calm himself upon remembering that not so long ago, he used to search for the Avatar and not once could he successfully defeat him. There were a couple times when he held him in his grasp, but somehow that kid always got away. He sighed and shook his head, correcting his mistake. No, he never got away. He was always let go.

And the first time that he was let go, it was in a forest after the Blue Spirit's sacred identity was found out.

If we'd known each other back then, do you think we could have been friends, too?

A strong gust of wind ruffled the red leaves of a nearby tree, causing Jet to look at it with suspicion. "Very windy today, isn't it?" he asked and smirked when Zuko faced him, the smallest hint of anxiety on his handsome features. "I heard that there was a storm coming, but I didn't think it'd get here so sudden. The clouds haven't even had time to gather up to make rain."

"It doesn't rain much here," the Fire Lord said quickly.

Jet nodded. "Makes sense, I suppose." He looked at the roofs around with an inquisitive look in his eyes. "Still, it's rather strange - you know - the sudden change in weather." He stepped forward and looked around. "Long Shot!" he called and watched his friend turn around, a questioning expression on his face. "Climb that tree and get an overall view of the area!"

"OK, Jet!"

"Why are you doing this?" Zuko asked angrily. "Why?"

The man merely ignored the Firebender's inquiry and observed Long Shot climb the tall tree with ease. He sat upon one of the higher branches and placed his hand over his eyebrows (somehow resembling a salute, Jet noticed), scanning the ground below him closely.

"Aang!" Katara's voice yelled excitedly, causing Jet to growl in anger before whistling loudly. As if on cue, two men grabbed Zuko's arms fiercely and pulled him back as he tried to fight them off.

"Let go of me!" the Fire Lord ordered vainly as he tried to get rid of the men. "Katara!" he yelled desperately and kicked a ball of fire at Jet, who easily dodged it. "Let go of me! Let me see them!"

Jet shook his head making small disapproving noises. "Now, we had a deal. Come alone and you could see them or come with company and watch them die," he finished morbidly, smiling upon seeing Zuko's face pale the slightest bit. "A shame really. Such a beautiful woman wasted because of your stupidity."

"You forget that the Avatar is in there. There is no way that you can beat him," the Fire Lord said, holding on to his last piece of hope.

"Well, you forget that your prodigy of a sister is in there, too."

The Fire Lord lifted his leg up and kicked, his rage flowing out in the form of fire and pushing Jet back into the hut. Caught unaware, the two men loosened their grip on Zuko's arm, giving him the advantage of releasing himself from their grasp. Ducking before they could restrain him once more, he sent a puff of flames at their ankles causing them to step a few steps back. He stood up quickly and ran into the hut, stepping over the unconscious Jet, who lay sprawled on the floor, his face holding new burn marks.

The first thing he saw was Katara standing in the corner of the small room, Luna held tightly against her chest. The Avatar and Zula fought fiercely against each other, fire against fire. A victory smirk covered the prodigy's face as she sent a blow at Aang's mid-region. The cries of a frightened child filled the air, causing Zuko to run to his wife's side. He grabbed the water-filled flask that he had tucked under his breastplate and tossed it to Katara, who miraculously caught it despite the chaos within the hut.

"Are you okay?" he asked hurriedly, passing a fatherly hand over Luna's head.

The Lady nodded nervously. "Yes, yes I'm fine," she answered. "Are you?"

A strong gust of wind shook the house and a hot blaze of fire caught onto a chair, setting it aflame. "Yes," he responded quickly, keeping his eyes on the spreading fire within the shack. "C'mon, we have to get you two out of here."

He looked at the wall beside him and kicked it. The wood shook and he calculated, that maybe, with enough force he would be able to take it down. He kicked it harder and growled when it shook just the same.

"Forget it," Katara said. "It won't come down."

Zuko look at her and frowned. She was right. "Okay, maybe we can sneak our way around them," he said and pointed to the fighting prodigies in the middle of the room. He watched Katara nod a hesitant yes and placed a hand on her shoulder, signaling her to follow closely behind him.

Smoke was filling the atmosphere quickly. Soft disturbing coughs were escaping Luna as the smoke filled her lungs. "Maaaa," she whined, her eyes stinging from the hot temperature of the room.

"It's alright sweetie," the young mother hushed, putting a thin cloth over her daughter's mouth and nose. "It'll be over soon."

A blast of fire lit the opposite wall, burning a large hole in it. Flames licked at the wood all around them, encasing them in a mighty inferno. The fire reached their only exit and before they knew it, they were trapped.

"Oops," Zula said and began laughing. Her evil cackles resounded within the room as the roof above them began creaking, its foundation falling apart. "Looks like we're all going to hell together," the Firebender commented lightly, her form appearing through the smoke. "Isn't it nice dying together?" She sat on the ground, humming a disturbingly happy tune as she rocked back and forth.

"Maaa--" Luna continued to complain and coughed softly, the heavy smoke beginning to take its toll on her. She was slowly losing consciousness, causing her blue eyes to close. "Ma…"

Katara looked around the room desperately upon noticing that they were missing one person. "Where's Aang?" she thought out loud and rocked her child. "Aang!" she yelled through the smoke. "Aang! Aang, where are you?"

The Fire Lord turned around and saw Katara trying to look through the intoxicating gray clouds, Luna squeezed tightly against her chest. "Get on the floor!" he ordered. "The smoke is lighter near the ground."

"I can't find Aang!" the waterbender yelled worriedly and got closer to her husband.

Zuko pulled her down to the ground and cupped her face with his hands. "Don't worry about him. He's fine," he assured, although in truth, he knew nothing about the boy's whereabouts. He watched desolate tears make trails on his wife's soot-covered face and brought her closer to him, his arms wrapping themselves around her and their child protected between the two bodies. "I love you, Katara," he whispered and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, too," she answered back, her voice hoarse from all the fumes.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you," he began to apologize. "I'm sorry for not being a good enough husband for you. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble all these years. I'm sorry for everything, Katara." The smoke was getting him light-headed, and oh, how he wanted to fall asleep right there. "Please forgive me," he whispered softly, his eyes closing.

She was suffocating. Her throat was dry and covered with ash but she listened to her husband, crying at his words. "No, Zuko," she said and coughed. "Don't be sorry."

Part of the roof fell, exposing small remnants of the midnight sky. The moon looked down on the three bodies huddled together and ordered a soft breeze to blow, allowing a bit of the smoke to retreat. She shone her heavenly light on them and tried to convince the Fates to give them one more chance at living.

They nodded and watched the shack explode.

A/N- Stole "The Fates" idea from the Disney movie, Hercules. Don't sue me.

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