Summary: After returning to his ship, Prince Zuko ponders about his adventure the day before. Set after the Blue Spirit episode.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for this story.


Zuko sat in his room, meditating. The candles in front of him were lit, while the flames expanded and contracted in time with his breathing. He thought about the events the previous day..

Zuko had woken up to find himself in a clearing in the woods. He looked to his right to see.. the Avatar!

He was sitting not far from the prince, talking about a friend of his from 100 years ago, who happened to be from the Fire Nation. Kuzon was his name..

"If we knew each other a hundred years ago," the young Avatar suddenly stated, "do you think we could have been friends?" The Avatar gazed down at Zuko hopefully.

Zuko was flabbergasted by his action. The Avatar actually considered the possibility of being friends with him! Zuko was just a banished prince, who had lost his honor in front of the Fire Nation, who had done nothing afterwards but chase after the Avatar.

But the Avatar doesn't know anything about that..

The young prince became engulfed in his thoughts ever since the Avatar questioned him. On one hand, he had to think about his honor, his throne, his country - everything he had been fighting for since he was sent into exile when he was fourteen. He couldn't give that up just because the stupid Avatar offered him some stupid friendship.

But on the other hand.. Zuko recalled fighting with the Avatar at Zhao's fortress...

It did feel good to fight alongside the Avatar, thought Zuko. For some reason, things finally felt right; I felt... honorable, for once in a long time. But shouldn't I feel more honorable when I finally hand in the Avatar to my father, the Fire Lord, and gain back everything I had lost?

Zuko was caught in between two choices. Which was better? To restore his once-lost honor and redeem himself in the Fire Nation.. or to do the right thing by turning against them in a quest to help the Avatar restore peace to the world?

..Wait! Argh, what am I thinking? I'm not about to give up my honor.. Zuko thought idly to himself.

But.. maybe someday.. someday he could join the Avatar..

Just maybe, he mused.


A/N: Well, hope you enjoyed it, this is my first fanfic. Constructive criticism is welcome, and please, no flames.