Notes – It has been a long time since I updated this story. One of the most painful things for a writer is to rewrite a chapter you've already written, but lost. It is rather disheartening, and this took seven-and-a-half years to get back into. Lot's of info has been released since then, some of which joshed what I'm writing, but I don't mind.

FOUR AVATARS II: Awakening
~Awakening~

Time seemed like something escaping him, dripping away as Zuko tried to find the one thing which would gain him favor with his father. The voice in the back of his head kept popping up at the most inopportune times, only succeeding in adding to the frustration piled on due to his inability to properly firebend.

He leaned over the front of the ship, letting the mist hit him in the face, the scarring around his eye actually feeling some relief at the touch. Zuko closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh, wondering if he would ever find the Avatar. The place he was born felt each day even farther away, but the fear of Azula remained poised at the back of his mind.

Deep down he knew this was something done to get rid of him, the unwanted child. "Tea?"

Zuko froze, turning to look at his uncle. "Do you ever feel like something is getting farther away?"

"Wasn't it just the other day that you were talking to Kuzon?" Iroh continued to pour the tea, almost as if he were hiding something, maybe even perhaps planned on telling Zuko finally.

"If you're going to lecture me, then go ahead and lecture me. I don't have time for anything else."

"It feels like I'm dying in here, my memories scattering."

One of Zuko's hands went up to his unscarred eye, his teeth grinding together in irritation. There was ever the presence of that person, a second personality beating away, and yet also threatening to flutter away as if on the wind with how precarious, On one side he wanted to get rid of that voice which had appeared when he was sixteen, only for the fear of losing something important as he stood there. He turned his head back to the front just as a beam of light shot out through the darkening sky accompanied by an aurora.

A cold settled over his body, his limbs quickly going limp as he fell backward onto the deck, pain surging through his entire body from hitting the metal hard. His entire mind felt like it was on fire as the other tried to fight for control, or at least that was what he felt. Zuko could hear his uncle calling out to him, his mind blanking out from the episode.

Bumi gave a slight hop despite his old age, a smile spreading across his face as he headed to the place messages were delivered for him in the Earth temple, grabbing the scroll from the man's hands and unrolling it. The Earth King clucked his tongue, reading the information within the note, before glancing down at the package. He carefully unwrapped the package, recognizing the charred remains of the necklace Kuzon wore before letting a sigh, hobbling off to his sister's room to speak to the ice.

"I've sad news for you Fumi. See, your boyfriend's dead. I know full well you were looking forward to kissing him, but.."

A crack in the ice appeared, making Bumi blink a couple of times, a cackle escaping his lips. "Oh, that's got you mad and you wanting to come out huh? Well, we'll see about that."

A blinding light filled the room, knocking Bumi off his feet, causing the old man to tumble, a laugh escaping his lips, the necklace falling from his hand as some of the guards rushed into the room. "Time has come, for great things indeed!"

Soft steps on the snow left no sound as a light flickered across the icy cave. A thin arm lifted the lantern up, a faint smile crossing Princess Yue's face. "Hello, Uncle Lyto." The young princess sat down on a rock near the icy entrance to one of the old tunnels that at one point led to the outside through a long watery tunnel. The lantern rested now on the rock as well, her arms and legs tucking up. "Remember when I came here telling you I received my betrothal necklace from Hahn?"

A silence fell over the enclosure, and a sigh escaped her delicate lips. "Of course, you don't. You can't hear me in there, and would likely side with our traditions. I want to throw the necklace away. He only cares about rising through the ranks and sees me as a prize. Still, you're the only one I'm able to talk to about my feelings. Did you have someone you were in love with? I forget how old you were when you became frozen."

Yue's eyes drifted up to look at the beautiful ceiling, letting the light on the icy surface fill her with awe.

Something told her to move, her bright blue eyes blinking as she looked back at the icy rock, her feet sliding off the rock, moving backward to duck behind the strong rock. Nothing at first happened, but then a cracking sound was heard. Princess Yue instinctively covered her head in case the ceiling came down on her, wondering how her parents would feel if the daughter saved by the moon spirits were to suddenly die due to a cave in.

The light in the room began to grow, obviously not coming from her lantern. Peeking over the edge of the rock, her head still covered allowed her to see the ice encasing crack, a light coming from said crack. Princess Yue's eyes widen, her body stiffening knowing this wouldn't be a good thing, and yet something deep down told her it was actually a good thing, but also meant to happen. That had been something she'd experienced her entire life, knowing that something was meant to happen, likely a gift from the moon spirits that saved her life.

She ducked down behind the rock again as the cracks grew, and the cracking sound grew to a groan. This came in time for her to fill a gust of wind burst from the icy structure, rushing over her head, causing a few strands of her hair to come loose, her entire body hunkering down knowing that the great release of energy could knock her senseless. The cavern filled with a great light, her eyes snapping shut, only to open when she realized she was now in complete darkness, the blow having not only blown out the lantern but causing it to fly against the back wall, the thud making her jump.