Disclaimer: All rights belong to Nickelodeon, Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, and all the men and women that created the A:TLA show, books, and comics. I take no credit, and I do not mean to break any copyright rules. This is simply a work of fiction made for enjoyment. No money is being made. The lyrics are from the song "Fix You" by Coldplay

Rating: General Audiences. Warning: some scenes contain dark themes and minor violence

Author's Note: My policy on canon is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" so you might be reading some very similar scenes in the coming books - I took what canon had and simply adapted it to fit this story, so you might see some very familiar plot lines mix and matched with different characters or tweaked to fit the narrative I'm writing here. I don't claim to have created that originally, and this entire story is just for fun.

Chapter 2 - The Struggle for Happiness

When you lose something you can't replace

When you love someone and it goes to waste

And the tears start streaming down your face

Could it be worse?

Zuko stands at the head of the ship, the sea breeze blowing his hair back and the sun shining down on him. He's dressed in his full uniform, his boots cleaned and not a single wrinkle in his robes. This is his moment of victory. He has accomplished his "impossible" mission. He has overcome all his obstacles, including the hardest one: himself.

This is his time of triumph. A banished prince, coming to reclaim his throne, his home, his honor.

He has never felt more conflicted in his life.

He convinces himself that he's conflicted because of how long he's been away from home. Of course he's getting mixed feelings. The last time he was in the Fire Nation, he was burned and humiliated and banished. This time he's going to be welcomed as a hero.

He's changed so much, though. He's a completely different person than when he left. Almost three years at sea with no one but a distant crew and his uncle. Will he fit in?

Then he thinks of his sister. She hasn't changed, other than growing taller. She said exactly what he was expecting her to say; she even had the exact same mannerisms. Maybe not as much has changed as he thought.

"Are you sure you want to go back?" Iroh approaches him from behind. Zuko doesn't turn to look at him.

"Of course. This is what I've been working towards for years."

"It's not too late to let her go."

Now he whirls around. "Do you even want me to be happy?"

"Of course I do."

"Then why do you keep questioning me? I've made up my mind. I'm following my destiny. I'm getting my honor back."

"I want what's best for you, Zuko."

"Then you'll leave me alone!"

He turns his back on Iroh. He isn't actually angry at his uncle. Zuko just has a problem of projecting his anger onto others. He knows it; he can't help it. And he won't apologize.

"Goodbye then, Zuko."

Iroh's voice sounds sadder than Zuko has ever heard it. He's tempted to turn around and say something, but then he reminds himself that strong leaders don't show regret. They stand strong. And he's a leader now; he needs to stand his ground.

Three days. He just has to make it three more days and then he'll be home and he can forget about this whole part of his life and he can forget about the kind of person he turned into and he can forget about Katara and his guilt.

This is the beginning of a fresh start for Zuko. Nothing is going to get in his way. Not annoying feelings towards a peasant girl. Not a nosy uncle. Not an unbelieving sister. Not some lesser Fire Nation general.

He is the prince and he's finally coming home.

Katara wraps the blanket around her shoulders tighter and clenches the fabric in her fist. The confusion and sadness that she had been feeling has disappeared, leaving only the anger. Every second she sits here, only the flickering torch light to illuminate her small cell, only the breathing of the guards to keep her company, her anger grows.

In a twisted sort of way she understands Zuko better now than she ever has. She understands the anger he holds inside. In any other situation, it would make her more sympathetic of him; but now, with her anger directed at him, she just grows more angry thinking about him.

Katara has always been a gentle, compassionate person with an extraordinary amount of patience and an uncanny potential for forgiveness. At least, that's who she was before going into the ice. Now?

Now she's hardened. She's suffered great loss. She's fought big battles. She's learned difficult truths. And she's been cruelly betrayed.

She hears slow footsteps on the stairs. A minute later lroh emerges. He waves away the guards and they ascend the stairs while he comes to take a seat outside her cell.

"How are you doing?" he asks.

"I'm a little upset," she admits. "I'm not sure who I am anymore. Too much has happened in a short time."

He nods. "Having an important legacy to live up to in a time of war is never easy," he says. "You're not the only one struggling."

She knows he's referring to Zuko. It makes her upset. She doesn't want to be compared to him. She'd never betray someone she cared about like that. She'd never be so cruel.

"Why did you come?" she asks. "You aren't going to break me out."

"I came to tell you a story."

A story. Of course. But she's grateful for the company so she turns and faces him and settles into a comfortable position.

"There was once a young woman. She came from a very powerful bloodline. She was in a good relationship with a man she loved dearly. He finally asked her to marry him and she was happy.

"But it was not to last. That very night she was forced to agree to marry another man - a man with royal blood. He was a cruel man and they didn't love each other. He wouldn't let her have any contact with her family. After her two children, a boy and a girl, were born, she tried writing some letters back home secretly. She suspected that they were being intercepted and read by her husband. In order to confirm her suspicions, she wrote a letter to her old fiance saying that her firstborn son was actually his child, not her husband's. Her husband became so enraged that he confronted her about it and claimed she was committing treason by writing such things. He demanded to know why she would write a lie. She told him her plan, but she also, in her fury, said she wrote it because she wished her son was from her first love, not from him."

Katara stares in shock. "What happened?" she whispers.

"He said that he would treat their son that way, since it's what she wished. And he did. He always favored their daughter, always treated her better. He was always cruel and cold to his son." Iroh takes a deep breath. "But that is only the first part of the story."

She hugs her knees to her chest. "So what else?"

"That man happened to be second in line to the throne, after his older brother. His older brother was away fighting a war when they got the news that the older brother's son had died in battle." Iroh swallows. "The younger brother asked their father if he could be the direct heir then, since his brother's bloodline had ended. In response to his insolence, their father demanded that he feel the pain of losing a son. He ordered him to murder his own son."

Katara covers her mouth with a hand. "He wouldn't," she whispers, but deep down she knows it's not true.

Iroh shakes his head. "He would. He was fully prepared to. But then his wife begged him not to. She said she would do anything to spare his life. So together they hatched a plan to murder the man's father, thus putting him on the throne. The woman procured odorless, colorless poison for the deed. Her husband didn't trust her to live with him after that, as he was afraid she would use it on him, so he banished her for treason. She begged to be allowed to take the children with her, but he refused.

"She knew leaving their children would destroy them. Especially her son, who was compassionate, caring, and loving like her. She knew his father and his sister would tear him apart. But she had no choice. She couldn't even say a proper goodbye. She left the palace in the night and never returned."

Katara feels tears sting at her eyes. She knows how much it hurts to lose a parent; but to lose the only parent who loves you? And to not even be able to understand why they left? She was lucky enough to have closure with her parents' deaths. But to not know whether they left you by choice? That's horrible. And to not have anyone left to support you?

"What happened to him?" she asks. "What happened to the son?"

Iroh looks at her sadly. "You already know."

It only takes her a moment. "It's Zuko," she says quietly. "That's his story." She looks up at him. "But why tell me?"

"I know you're angry at him. And you have every right to be. His past does not excuse his behavior. But I came to ask you a favor. One day, when he is ready, he'll take the right path. I need you to promise me that you'll give him a second chance when that day comes."

Katara looks away. She can't look into his pleading eyes without feeling guilt. Learning Zuko's full story was a blow, but it wasn't a big enough blow to wipe away her anger. He became her friend, he trusted in her, he even admitted his feelings for her - and then he still betrayed her. She can't forgive him, no matter how bad his life has been.

"How do you know that he'll do the right thing one day?" she asks instead of answering. "How can you be so confident?"

"Because I was just like him. I was a proud, strong, cruel general. I thought my destiny was to tear down the walls of Ba Sing Se. I thought my destiny was to become Fire Lord one day."

"What changed your mind?"

He smiles sadly. "I lost the thing that mattered the most to me. My son died. And I realized that without him, all my military achievements, all my accomplishments - they meant nothing. They didn't make me happy. So I quit the siege and spent some time searching for happiness again. I found Pai Sho and tea and, eventually, I found Zuko."

It took Iroh losing the one he loved the most to realize that his destiny wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. But Zuko has already lost the person that matters most to him - his mother.

"Zuko doesn't have anything left to lose," she says. "He's lost everything."

Iroh shakes his head. "Not yet. He still has you. And he still has me. He may not realize it, but we're what makes his happy. We're the ones here for him - the real him, not the perfect prince act that he puts on."

"He's already lost me. I don't think I can forgive him," she admits.

Iroh nods. "I know. That's why I'm only asking you to give him a second chance. I hope that forgiveness will follow, but that is between you and him."

Katara takes a deep breath. She feels like she might regret it, but Iroh has been so kind to her that she can't refuse him this one thing. "Okay. I'll give him a second chance. But I'm doing it for you, Iroh. Not for him."

"I understand. Thank you, Katara." Iroh stands, and she notices for the first time a bag slung across his back.

"Wait. Are you leaving?"

"I will always support Zuko, but he is choosing a path I cannot follow him on. It is time for me to go my own way." Iroh walks a few steps before turning. "I want you to know, Katara, that although I cannot free you now, I will always be on your side. And you will never be alone in your fight. You are the Avatar. The Avatar never stands alone."

And then he's gone and Katara is alone again but now she has something to think about - something besides letting her anger simmer and eat herself from inside out.

The cannons from the pirate ships fire right at them. Sokka shoves Suki and Hanae to the ground and lays over them, shielding them from the debris and heat from the explosion. Around them, the market explodes. Wooden carts are blown apart and fruit and vegetable pieces shower the ground. People scream and run away, clutching their bags and family. One man falls to his knees by an exploded cart. "My cabbages!" he wails.

Sokka, Suki, and Hanae climb to their feet. Already a group of Kyoshi Warriors is working to evacuate the harbor while another group is fending off the group of pirates that has waded ashore.

"We need to take out those cannons," Hanae says. "We don't stand a chance with them firing."

Suki nods. "Sokka and I will take care of them. The girls on the beach look like they could use some leadership."

Hanae bows quickly. "I'll see you when the battle's over," she says. Suki bows in response and then Hanae runs towards the fight.

Suki turns to Sokka. "Let's go."

"Where, exactly? The cannons are on ships guarded by a dozen pirates."

Suki smiles. "Only a dozen? That's not a problem. You can swim, right?"

Can he swim? Can he swim? "I'm from the Water Tribe. Of course I can swim!"

"Good."

She leads him away from the harbor on a path that lines the shore. They sneak past little skirmishes and wind their way along the treeline until they are nearly perpendicular to the pirate ships.

"They had to anchor in the bay to get a good shot on the village," Suki explains as they peer over some rocks. "We can swim out and climb up the back of the ship. The battle is drawing their attention forward. We take out the guards first, then the cannons. Then anyone left on the ship."

Sokka nods. He's feeling more than a little nervous, but Suki's confidence is contagious. If she believes he can do it, then he also believes. Besides, he knows she'll have his back.

They slip into the water and swim quickly towards the ships. Sokka has no idea how she can swim so fast wearing a full dress and armor, but he's not entirely surprised.

They reach the hull of the first ship. Suki keeps her fans folded and uses them to stab into the wood, pulling herself up slowly. Luckily this ship isn't too big. Sokka watches from the water as she finally climbs over the railing. He hears two soft thuds and then a line of rope is tossed down to him. He shimmies up it quickly.

When he emerges on deck, Suki is fighting off four pirates at once. She's keeping them at bay with swift, powerful kicks and the threat of her razor sharp fans. When she sees him she calls out, "Nice of you to finally join the party!"

The pirates make the fatal mistake of turning. She takes out two of them while Sokka throws his boomerang, knocking one out with a perfectly aimed shot to the forehead and hitting the second one in the stomach with his club. When he keels over, Sokka knocks him out with a hit to the back of his head.

Suki smiles at him. "Nice job. You take out the cannons, I'll clean the rest of the ship."

Sokka follows her as she reaches the first cannon and starts fighting the pirate in charge of it. Sokka walks around them and reaches the cannon.

He doesn't know what to do. He decides that instead of trying to figure out how to disable it, it would be easier to just get rid of the ammunition. He drags the bag of cannon balls to the railing and manages to haul it over the side. Then, just to be safe, he tosses out the rods used to clean the cannon.

He moves to the others ones and does the same. Suki meets him by the last one.

"One ship down," she says. "Four more to go."

Four more? Sokka wipes his forehead. He's already exhausted from hauling cannon balls around, but he follows her.

She grabs a rope from the rigging and then takes a running leap before flying across the space between the two ships. She releases it and lands perfectly on the deck of the adjacent ship. Sokka stares with wide eyes. She waves him over impatiently.

He grabs the rope when it swings back and copies her. He misjudges the distance and drops a second too early. As he falls, he manages to grab onto the edge of the railing. He holds on tightly, his legs dangling over the water. He swallows and looks up.

Suki runs over and pulls him up. They turn to see themselves surrounded by a half dozen angry pirates.

"Remember your training," Suki says. "Use their force against them."

"Shut up!" a pirate yells.

"Aw, look, they're just kids," another one points out.

Another pirate reaches for Suki. She grabs his wrist and flips him overboard. He hits the water below with a splash. The other pirates attack then. Sokka defends himself, recalling what Suki has been teaching him the last couple weeks.

A couple minutes later, all the pirates are laying at their feet, moaning. Suki and Sokka step over their bodies and take care of the cannons. Then they move on to the next ship and continue working.

By the last ship, Sokka's arms are shaking so hard he can barely haul the cannon balls overboard. He wipes a sheen of sweat off his forehead and turns to look back at his work.

Over a dozen cannons spread out across five ships - all sitting there, their crews knocked out and tied up by Suki, their ammunition settling in the bottom of the ocean courtesy of him. Not bad for a day's work.

Suki comes to stand next to him. "Look," she says, pointing towards the harbor. "The pirates are fleeing. We did it."

"I guess we did," Sokka replies, still not quite believing that it's over.

She turns to look at him. "You were pretty brave today, Sokka. You know, for a boy." She leans up and kisses his cheek. "I'm glad you washed up on our shore."

Sokka feels his face turning red.

She smiles at him. "Now let's go before the pirates get back."

A couple hours later, all the Kyoshi Warriors are sitting in a large meeting hall in Nagiso, the village leader thanking them and a huge meal spread out in front of them. Sokka's mouth is watering. Hanae had invited them to stay the night so they could start their hike back fresh in the morning. Sokka is rather glad about the arrangement.

Suki is sitting cross-legged next to him, her knee touching his. He's not sure if she's always looked so beautiful or radiated such a bright aura or if he's just noticing it for the first time. Either way, he can hardly take his eyes off her. Not even for the food.

For the first time in a while, he feels free from the weight of his past life. He'd been holding onto his grief over the loss of his parents and his sister and village until this moment. Here, celebrating with a bunch of other warriors - even if they are girls - he feels truly happy.

He lost one life but he's gained another.

Azula walks past the rows of tents laid out in the empty plain outside the unimportant Earth Kingdom city. She watches her step, sneering with disgust at a big pile of dung from some weird animal. She is a princess; she should not be here, smelling the waste and dirtiness of a dozen different exotic creatures.

How can she live in such horrid conditions? Azula thinks to herself. When she last saw her friend, they were almost equals (being the daughter of the Fire Lord, Azula has always been above her friends) at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls. How did the girl go from being a star student at the most prestigious Academy in the Fire Nation to this poor excuse of a life?

No matter. Azula is here to rescue her and give her purpose again. Azula gives out second chances; she's nice like that.

She finds the girl balancing upside down on her fingertips in the midst of the tents. Her eyes are closed and she looks peaceful. Probably the only peace she gets from this awful place.

"Ty Lee," Azula says. "Could that possibly be you?"

The girl's eyes pop open and she flips from her position into an upright one. "Azula!" she cries, running up and hugging her.

"Continue whatever it is that you were doing," Azula graciously says once Ty Lee steps back. "I'm only going to take a few minutes of your time."

Ty Lee returns to her yoga, keeping her eyes on Azula the whole time. As she should. A visit from Azula in person, especially in a place like this, is a high honor. Asking for her undivided attention is but a small favor.

"So tell me," Azula continues, "what is someone as educated and powerful as you doing in a dump like this?"

Ty Lee follows her gaze as she looks at two men struggling to lead a dressed bearver into a tent.

Azula doesn't wait for an answer. "I have a proposition for you," she says. "The Avatar has been found. By my brother, no less." She rolls her eyes. "Anyways, my father doesn't trust anyone except for me to ensure that the Avatar doesn't escape before they are safely within the Fire Nation. I can't do it alone, so I'm trying to get the old gang back together. I figured I could count on your help."

Ty Lee slowly stands up. "I would be honored," she says. "But the truth is, I'm really happy here. My aura has never been pinker!" She smiles brightly and motions widely with her hands.

Azula stares at her. Is Ty Lee...refusing her? She's the princess of the Fire Nation! No one refuses her. Especially not old friends.

She puts on a neutral expression. "I'll take your word for it," she says. Then, in a voice that hides a slight warning, "Well, I wouldn't want you to give up your happy life just to please me."

Ty Lee, of course, is completely oblivious. She smiles warmly and bows. "Thank you, Azula. I wish you the best of luck on your mission!"

Azula watches her with narrowed eyes, her arms crossed over her chest. Who does she think she is, refusing the princess? Thinking that everything is okay? Azula is being generous enough to offer her an escape from this horrid life and she's refusing the gift?

No matter. Azula will get her to come, one way or another. Azula is a very good convincer.

Azula begins to walk away. A few steps later, she half turns. "Of course, I'm going to catch your show later. I didn't come all this way just to say goodbye already."

There's silence for a moment. Then, in a shaky voice, "Oh. Of course. I hope you enjoy it!"

That's right, Azula thinks as she walks away. Now you remember who you're speaking to.

"We're deeply humbled to have the Fire Lord's daughter in attendance to our show today," the circus owner announces at the beginning. "Please let us be sure to know if there's anything to make the show more enjoyable."

Azula smiles cruelly. "I will," she promises.

The first act is Ty Lee balancing on wooden poles high up in the air. She does it expertly. Azula has seen her do it a dozen times.

"Incredible," she tells the circus owner. "Do you think she'll fall?"

"Of course not," he replies, falling right into her trap.

"Then it should be perfectly safe to set the net on fire, right?"

His eyes grow wide. Then, "Of course, princess." He stands and punches a stream of fire at the net.

Ty Lee continues her balancing but Azula notices her arms shaking more than usual. She smiles innocently. "Brilliant. Now, what kind of dangerous animals do you have?"

"Well, our circus holds the most exotic assortment - "

"Great! Release them all."

After the show, Azula finds Ty Lee in her personal tent, sitting in front of a mirror and taking her hair down.

"That was amazing," she gushes. "I can't wait to see how you'll top that tomorrow."

Ty Lee stands. "I'm sorry, Azula. There won't be a show tomorrow. I think the universe is telling me that it's time for a career change." She hangs up her costume. "I want to join you on your mission."

Just as I thought, Azula think smugly to herself. Out loud she says, "I'm glad. I've missed having you around."

One down, one to go.