Chapter Three
Zuko continued to stare into the flames, watching the fiery dance while simultaneously watching his flood of memories pass before his eyes.
This was it.
Barely being able find the voice to speak out, the sound was lost to the air surrounding him and to the gazes of his subjects.
"Father, I only want what's best for the fire nation! I am your loyal son."
The look in his father's face that he would never forget, whether it was one of hatred, disappointment, or wicked glee, Zuko was not sure.
He had searched his memory many times for a sign of regret on that face, but he had found none.
"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."
He felt a burning pain. Surely the memory did not hold the power to harm his physical body again, did it?
His reverie had left him dazed and confused, but this time he was going to fight it. He was older, stronger. Three years had passed and his father could not take advantage of him anymore. He blocked the fiery blows and sent his own hurtling back at his attacker.
"Not again, Father! Not again! I can give it back!" he screamed, remembering his breakthrough on the mountaintop. A cold laughter stopped him in his tracks. Was it his father? It was his laugh, but not his laugh at the same time.
The air swallowed the flames from the battle, leaving him in the dark with an unmistakable silhouette before him. It was Azula.
"Oh, you can give it back now, can you, Zuzu?" she chuckled. "I'd like to see you try. No doubt that would be very amusing. Perhaps you'll get the chance to see Father pretty soon anyway, won't you?"
Heavy cuffs were instantly clapped on Zuko's wrists and he was tightly bound with rope that cut into his flesh. He couldn't see his captors, but he knew them. Ty Lee and Mai.
Zuko didn't say anything. He had nothing left to say, and it was better quit now before Azula got even farther ahead. He couldn't remember ever winning an argument against her, and now he was in no position to win a battle against her and her friends.
"Now that was easy," Azula cackled. Ty Lee laughed along, but Mai sighed. Everything was always so easy. Still, a new kind of excitement filled her. After so long and although it was too dark to see each other, she was finally with Zuko again! The thought hadn't crossed her mind yet that she was his captor and would soon be leading him back to his doom.
What wouldn't be easy was Azula's next decision. Did she take Zuko back to the Fire Nation now, or bring him with her as she captured the Avatar? It would be wonderful to see the look on his face when she succeeded, but he would have to be bound the whole time and could never leave her sight. She would have to meditate on this one.
A/N: I actually should have fused this chapter with the next one, but then it would be really long and not match the first two. And that would bug the crap out of me, being as extremely obsessive-compulsive as I am.