Sorry FireChildSlytherin5, no Mpreg in this one, just in 'Fire Child' I have the plan laid out and I don't want to mess with that... :D Even though it would be funny, he would have already been tossing his cookies... But, I suppose I'll thing about it, and maybe I'll ask everyone else's opinion. Should Sokka get pregnant? Yes or no? I can do either or. And boy or girl if yes.
Please vote, and no it wouldn't be interactive because I'm not adding reviewers as characters, so please don't ban the story because of it. Poor HKL, my friend HieiandKuramaLover, was unjustly made to get rid of a fic that was accused of being interactive and it wasn't. So if you like the fic please don't accuse it of being interactive, remember, people can request to take down your fics too. Do unto others as you wish to be done to you. I'm just asking a question.
Sorry for the rant, but I felt I needed to say it. Thank you.
(And PS, this next chapter is set after the North Pole eps, end of Book 1: Water, episode 'The Siege of the North (Part 2)', how ever you want to call it.)
Zuko stared at the open sky. He was still tired from the day before, having chased the avatar to the North Pole and now it was just him and his uncle Iroh on this cheap raft. He watched the clouds go by slowly; they made him think of rain, which in turn made him think of water, then of water bending; water bending made him think of the water tribes which meant his mind was on Sokka. He was frustrated beyond comprehension; he hadn't spoken or made contact with the darker skinned teen in a good two weeks, of course having his ship blown up by pirates, stowing away in Zhao's ship, and fighting the admiral did keep him occupied; the rest of the time though… He just couldn't get Sokka out of his mind when he had nothing to do.
The only glimpse he'd caught of Sokka was when he'd awoken tied up on the flying bison in the water palace. The ropes weren't too tight and he'd gotten out of them easily enough. He'd looked over the saddle and had seen Zhao threatening to kill a koi fish. Iroh had Zhao scared enough to let the fish go. At that point, Zuko's eyes flickered to Aang, Katara and Sokka, who were watching helplessly. It was hard no to make contact with Sokka, but he had a score to settle with Zhao. Zhao though, had met his demise at the hand of a raging ocean spirit.
"Zuko," Iroh finally said and the prince's yellow eyes flickered to his uncle, "You do realize that your father will not be very… happy with our actions." Iroh was watching the water in front of the raft where the vessel was drifting. Zuko sat up and contemplated his relative's words, deciding Iroh was trying to sugar coat the situation; his father would be down right outraged that they had saved the strongest water benders of the North Pole, even if it meant the destruction of the moon forever.
"I know," Zuko sighed and sat cross-legged on the raft that was heading south. He thought that if he could catch the avatar it would make up for everything he'd done against the fire nation. Saving the avatar from Zhao weeks ago, he'd done it so that he could still have a chance at getting his honor back. But what the air monk had said when he'd woken up... it made him think and he wondered, if possibly he could be in a steady relationship with Sokka if it wasn't for this war. What if the avatar really could stop the madness? Would he still be banished? Would his people accept him back? Would his father forgive him? He doubted the last two, what would his life be if he didn't catch the avatar? "But there's nothing we can do about that, Uncle"
"Maybe, maybe not," Iron said mysteriously, "They say you should keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." Zuko caught onto the tone in the old man's voice that he was hinting.
"What are you saying?" Zuko asked, wondering where Iroh was going with this.
"I'm saying," Iroh said, patient even though Zuko was not, "That maybe we should make a proposal to join the avatar on his journey." Zuko couldn't believe his ears.
"What!" Zuko nearly yelled, stressing the word out more than really screaming.
"I think we should travel with the avatar," Iroh said again, looking at his nephew, "We have no ship, we have no supplies, and we don't have a crew. No nation sailor will allow us to have a ship, especially with no funds. While your honor to the fire nation may lie in the avatar, it won't do any good to die at sea." Zuko remembered his encounter with Zhao after the avatar was back. After the Agni Kai with Zhoa, Iroh had said that Zuko had more honor in his exile that Zhao had when he was commander; it had meant something to Zuko and he appreciated the fact that his uncle thought highly of him. But when ever Iroh spoke of the avatar is was always 'honor to the fire nation' or 'the fire nation's view of honor', didn't his uncle believe in catching the avatar was right, or was it another thing that was wrong in his raising?
"You say honor to the fire nation," Zuko finally brought up the subject, he hadn't before, "It just my honor that rides on the avatar." Iroh shook his head.
"Prince Zuko, there are many different levels of honor." He explained, having thought of this subject regularly, "There is other people's view of your honor, and then there is your own personal honor, where only you know what your actions are." Zuko thought about his uncle's words, and then thought back to Iroh's fight with Zhao's men. He could see from his father's point of view that Iroh had betrayed the nation, but Zuko knew Iroh felt deep passion for spiritual order and he cared about peace in the world. He'd tried his best to save that spirit, and the brief fight Zuko had seen; he'd never seen Iroh so furious.
"I'm trying to catch the avatar, uncle, not join him," Zuko said. He knew if he joined the avatar on the trip he would have to see Sokka. What if he had to turn on him and hurt him to get to the avatar? What if he had to make a deal that he couldn't catch the avatar if they traveled with them?
"I know that, Prince Zuko," Iroh said calmly, "Its just one of many choices. We could join the avatar and try to stop his war before another spiritual balance is thrown off course again." It was a little clearer then. Iroh wanted to help the avatar protect the spiritual balance of the world; he didn't want the moon to disappear again. "I support any decision you make; I'm just giving you another option, whether or not you decide to listen is up to you. I know you are faithful to the fire nation, but I believe it will hurt us all if the avatar does not succeed." Iroh turned back to the sea and a thoughtful silence stretched for a time. It gave Zuko a time to digest the situation. Iroh's words had meaning, Zuko knew that, his uncle didn't want another spirit disturbed or injured, and Zuko couldn't blame him, he really couldn't.
"I'll... think about it, uncle." Zuko said sincerely and saw his uncle's head nod in a neutral way
Zuko would not give up easily, even if everything seemed hopeless, Iroh would have to say something, or so I believe. Also, mpreg or no? Girl or boy? Its just a question.
