HELLO!

Its been a long time.

My hiatus deal is probably nothing new for readers who know me but also equally annoying if not more.

We are going through trying times and I hope that this chapter will distract you from all the drama going on in the world.

Enjoy

Zuko

Zuko couldn't believe he was here again, glaring into the fires that consumed the last of Fire Lord Azulon's body. On Zuko's left stood Azula, and on his right stood his father, the newly crowned Fire Lord. He thought back to the day when this all started…

Flashback

When their mother told him of Lu Ten's death, Zuko couldn't believe it. Right then and there he blamed himself for not trying harder to protect Lu Ten. Already, there was news that General Iroh had put an end to his siege on Ba Sing Se and was headed for the Fire Nation. His mother quickly led him and Azula to her room from prying eyes that would report back to Ozai if they saw or heard anything.

"What's going to happen now, mother?" Azula asked. She didn't bother masking the concern that was in her voice.

"Oh my babies," cried Ursa as she wrapped her arms around Zuko and Azula. After a few minutes she leaned back and placed her hands on one side of her children's cheeks.

"Listen to me and listen well. Your father has approached the Fire Lord about taking your Uncle's place as her to the throne," Ursa confessed, "And Azulon has ordered for your death Zuko"

"No…," Zuko choked, boiling with rage; but his mother shushed him.

"I offered your father an opportunity to take over as Fire Lord"

"Mother you can't be serious! If you go… If he… "

"Prince Zuko! I asked you to listen and you will do so"

Zuko shut his mouth but held onto his mother's robes with unshed tears partly clouding his eyes. Beside him, Azula was silent uncertain of what to say. She remembered all that Zuko told their mother of his past life, and could relate to the helpless feeling her brother was feeling at that very moment. If things were going the same way as Zuko's previous life, did that mean that she too was bound to be the cruel sister that tormented her brother? Did that mean that she would no longer have the relationship she had with her brother and mother and finally become her father's weapon?

"Azula, my love, calm down," Ursa said softly, placing her hands on Azula's cheeks and rubbing them softly. Azula's body stiffened as Ursa continued,

"As fate would have it, I will be making a choice, the same one that Zuko spoke about. I am not doing this because I want to abandon you but to protect you. I realise that what I'm about to do may leave you defenceless against your father, but what reassures me is that you both are together and have each other.

"Zuko. I know with everything that's going on right now, you are confused and frustrated with yourself, especially with how things may not be going the way you had hoped. But I want you to take this as an opportunity to prepare yourself better for what's to come. I don't believe that your actions to this day have been in vain. Right now, the future is uncertain despite the similarity of events, but I believe you have the power to change your destiny and the destinies of those around you. Don't be disheartened and don't punish yourself too much. Acknowledge the things you were able to do. Always remember who you are, Prince Zuko and never forget what life has taught you. Don't let anyone or any being tell you otherwise, not even Ozai. Understand?"

Zuko choked before answering, "Yes, Mother"

Ursa smiled and turned to Azula.

"My sweet Azula. You have changed so much. I was worried that your father would shape you into his likeness, but I'm so glad that you are the one shaping your own life the way you want it to be. You are still young and no young child should be pressured into following the desires of us grownups, nor should you have been forced to grow up. I want to see you happy all your days without a care for the world of politics and war that your father wanted to push you into. I'm sorry that it took me this long to act like a proper mother, but I want you to be strong for me okay? It may be hard a few times, but you should remain the strong and passionate girl I know you are. I love you my dear Azula. Never forget that"

Azula broke into tears and flung into her mother's arms. Ursa in kind wrapped her arms around her daughter, bringing her close to herself. Zuko stood on the side awkwardly, not sure of what to do until Ursa dragged him into the hug. After much shedding of tears, Ursa took the children to her bedroom where she laid in-between her children as they slept.

Flashback end

That was the last time they saw their mother. The following day, they heard news of Fire Lord Azulon's death, and that their father had been declared heir to the throne. Which brought them to this point where they stood, dressed in white funeral robes, in front of the fire that consumed Azulon's body.

Zuko glared into the raging fire, recalling the events of the past few weeks. It was time for him to upscale his efforts if he really wanted to change the destiny of the world. But every one of his actions, as he realised, would have a different reaction to the outcome he wanted; and in any case he would have to prepare for any possibility. Zuko had the option to request assistance from the spirits, but quickly dismissed the idea knowing full well that he hadn't restored the airbenders yet (and that was a different mission he had yet to figure out).

His reality as of that moment was that he didn't have his mother or Uncle beside him. He didn't have anyone aside from Azula. The allies he would have wanted at that moment were scattered around the world, with a common hate against him and the Fire nation. They didn't have the same memories he did that created the bond of friendship he had with them.

But that didn't mean he couldn't try.

Later that night Zuko was in his room in the palace. He was seated on his bed, with Azula's head on his lap with him gently patting her back. His sister's presence in his room was as a result of not wanting to be alone, which was understandable given the rush of events. He turned his head to the open window, a portrait of the darkness of his land, barely lit by the rays of the full moon. As Zuko fixed his concentration on the moon, his vision got hazy, and figuring that it was sleep, he shut his eyes.

However, a familiar chill ran down his spine, forcing him to snap his eyes open. A thick white mist seeped into the room, gathering to together into the form of a figure. Zuko didn't have to think hard to know that he was being visited by a spirit. He gently slipped from the bed and bowed before the apparition, very much doubting that it was Agni given the spirit's entrance.

"Rise, Agni's chosen one," a female voice said.

Zuko obeyed the command and stood at attention. Standing in the centre of the swirls of mist, was a pale woman in red robes wearing a wide brimmed straw hat.

"You're the Painted Lady," Zuko stated.

"Indeed I am," she said.

"What brings you here, my lady?" Zuko asked, "Is there a problem in your village?"

"I come bearing a message for you, Prince Zuko.

The scales of balance are not in order; not in the realm of man and not for the spirits. The destination is not as it seems. But take heart, you are not alone nor will you ever be for more will join your noble quest"

"What does that even mean?" Zuko asked, confused by the mystic message.

"I have delivered my message. It is time I return to my home. Farewell, Agni's chosen"

With that, Zuko watched as the Painted Lady disappeared in vortex of fog that receded into the ground before blowing out in every direction of the room. Zuko lifted his hands to his face as the mist blew against him so strongly he felt as though he would blow away.

Before he knew it, Zuko's eyes snapped open with the sun glaring into his face from the open window. He was back on his bed, in the same position he was in the night before, seated with his back against the pillows and Azula sleeping soundly on his lap.

Zuko rubbed his face with both hands as his thoughts went to the conversation he had with the Painted Lady (to be more specific, dishing out on Zuko a cryptic message). The vague lines of her "message" aside, the ones about imbalance of the Spirit World, he had an idea of what the rest of her message was about.

"Obviously, the imbalance in the world refers to the war," Zuko mumbled, "and my friends will help me out on this quest eventually"

The line that left Zuko puzzled the most, straightforward as it may be, was the one to do with the destination. Zuko knew that everything as he knew it from his original timeline would either remain the same or change to a certain degree, which meant that the spirit's words left him more confused than before. As Zuko would later discover, he would not have time to dwell much on cryptic messages from the spirits, especially when his father had this announcement to make

"For my first act as Firelord, I order a taskforce that will journey to the South Pole and apprehend the waterbenders"

A/N

I know this chapter is short compared previous chapters, but I hoped you enjoyed it.

Please review and leave helpful critics.

Until next time

Jiang-sama