Disclaimer: This chapter is a bit too short for my liking, but I'll try and make up for it next time. Only two or three more chapters to go. The end it near. I do not own Avatar. There will be a new story coming soon continuing this storyline, but some twenty years after these events. Enjoy!

Zuko had never noticed that once he woke up, as little sleep he may have received, it would be near impossible for him to fall back to sleep again. He didn't mind too much, though. He supposed that the only reason that this idiosyncrasy of his behavior had presented itself was because he was so calm. In fact, the prince hadn't been this relaxed in quite some time. In the coolness of the morning air, Zuko lay with arms behind his head, eyes staring at the treetops above. The sun had not risen yet, though it would in less than half an hour. Their campsite was quiet and Zuko was free to indulge in some thought. Of course, he knew that there would be a battle in the days to come. Not just a battle though, it would be one of epic degree and Zuko dreaded it. He could not imagine taking down his own father. Even though his father detested him, the prince could not bring himself to hate him. How could he? For three years he had sought to earn Ozai's love and approval. But it was not to be. If they were successful in overthrowing the Fire Lord, what would become of the fire nation? Surely Iroh could accept his birthright and preside over the Fire Nation. Not Zuko. Frankly, the idea frightened him. True, he had dreamed of becoming Fire Lord, but as the reality rapidly approached, Zuko was unsure of his capacity to rule.

Then there was the tiny matter of marriage. He could not become Fire Lord without a Lady. In Ozai's case, it was all right since he already had heirs. Zuko was suddenly reminded of his mother and he was determined to think of something else. He rolled to one side to witness Toph snoozing. It was almost déjà vu, for she was positioned similar to the way Sokka had been sleeping yesterday morning. He liked the blind earth bender. She was headstrong and tough, more like a little brother than a little sister. Not to mention she could be flat out hilarious, even if she wasn't intending to be. But no, Zuko wouldn't laugh. Not out loud anyway. In truth, Zuko liked Sokka's presence, too. He was the same age as Zuko and could, in the future, be a good friend. Sure, he was silly and loud and a bit too spastic for Zuko, but he was also a brave warrior. And though Zuko found it hard to believe himself, Aang's optimism was enlightening and welcomed. In thinking about each of them in such terms, Zuko felt as though he was where he should be.

"Nephew?" Iroh's voice broke the silence. Zuko rolled over towards him, surprised, but pleased as well.

"What are you doing up so early?" the kindly old general laughed, standing a ways over, heating a pot of tea.

"I was just thinking."

"Oh?" The way Iroh said it made Zuko think that he wanted him to elaborate, but wasn't going to ask him to because it would be rude.

"Are you going to fight him?" Zuko asked suddenly, though it was met by silence.

"If necessary."

"I'm not ready."

"It takes a strong man to face his darkest fear. You know yours and you are strong. It's unhealthy to brood over it; you'll know what to do when the time comes." Iroh brought his nephew a steaming cup of ginseng tea. Zuko sipped it quietly for a while, and then spoke again.

"Thank you, Uncle."

Iroh drank his tea, though it seemed to Zuko that he was somewhat distracted. His uncle looked him in the eye and voiced his thoughts.

"Zuko, you know that you will become the next Fire Lord. You have chosen your path and it cannot be reversed. Perhaps you should be thinking about things that will be expected of you; they will not all be pleasant." It was the most serious he had seen Iroh since in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se. "Though marriage is a positive institution, it does not lack some bumps in the road along the way…" Zuko's eyes went wide and he gulped his tea loudly.

"Marriage? Uncle, I'm barely seventeen!"

"It doesn't matter. To be recognized as Fire Lord, you must have a Fire Lady by your side. You know that." Iroh chuckled. "You will be find, Zuko. Just don't expect to have much say in whom you marry. The high-ranking individuals, nobility or militarily, must approve." Zuko's expression morphed from shock to concern to disapproval. He sank his head into his hands. "It is all part of being fire nation. It's the order of things to have arranged marriages."

"That doesn't make it any less difficult." Zuko sighed, his voice muffled by his palms. Iroh gave Zuko a hearty pat on the shoulder and looked to the sky. The pinkish glow on the horizon was growing brighter and brighter. The sun was rising.

"Don't allow yourself to be consumed with thoughts of the future. It is just something to consider. You will need a clear mind for the days ahead."

The camp began to stir just as the sun breached to horizon. Sokka was the second to last person to get up, followed closely by Toph. Katara and Suki went about rolling up the sleeping rolls and tidying the campsite. As soon as Aang returned from some morning meditation, the eight of them were ready to head for the fire nation. From where they were, at present, the first piece of fire nation land they would see would be the place where Avatar Roku's temple had been built. It would take less than twenty hours for it to come into sight, considering they were not in the same hurry as they were at the winter solstice. Soon Zuko would be home. Mai sat atop of Appa a good twenty minutes before everyone else was ready, filing away at her nails. She eyed Katara as the water bender climbed into the saddle, not quite over the events the night before. Fortunately, Katara was either oblivious to Mai's fiere glowers, her and Zuko's relationship, or a combination of the two. In any case, Mai discontinued her unsatisfactory scowls, which she deemed unproductive.

Zuko was the last person to climb atop the furry bison; he stayed on the ground just in case Suki needed assistance, considering her injury. She insisted, however, that she was fine and got onto Appa's saddle with ease.

And once again, they were off. Every once in a while, Appa would descend and rest, paddling methodically in the ocean. Then they would meet the open skies again. Not once were there any singing, only gauche silence and small talk. Occasionally Aang would talk seriously with Katara or Iroh while the others pretended not to listen. But they were.

"So, Zuko, what does the fire nation actually look like? I mean, I've never heard of anyone setting foot there other than fire nation people. Well, we did once. But just on that island Avatar Roku's temple was. And all the stuff in the library was destroyed." Sokka asked curiously, leaning towards the prince with an inquisitive smile. Zuko thought for a moment, running his fingers through his scruffy hair.

"Well, there are a lot of volcanoes. There are also quite a few tropical jungles."

"That's where the mongoose dragons come from." Mai interpolated casually.

"Yeah. It's a lot like the earth kingdom otherwise. Quite a bit warmer, though. And with more mountains; it's like a completely different ecosystem."

"Sounds like a friendly place." Toph commented, sarcasm lacing her voice. The two members of the fire nation chose to ignore the comment; neither wanted to waste energy arguing. Mai's eyes drifted to meet Zuko's. He put forth a wry smile, one only she could see. Zuko had to admit that Mai being here with him was a great comfort. It was as if she anchored him to the fire nation and his past and, though not all sunshine and rainbows, her presence helped him maintain his sense of self, a sense of who he was. The moment his eyes met hers, he knew what he would have to do. Face his sister and his father without looking back. Take back his honor and put an end to the imperialistic fire nation. All for them. And then, Zuko remembered. He would not be alone. Not anymore. The prince held Mai's gaze for a moment, trying to read her mind. She smirked subtly and gazed out over the ocean. The dark haired young woman's brows raised in amusement.

"It's the blockade." Her voice was dull and unfazed.

"This time, Prince Zuko, there is no reason to stop." Iroh chuckled warmly. Aang shouted to Appa the familiar cry, "Yip, yip!" and the sky bison's speed increased drastically. The sea was now simply a blur of blue and glimmer from the sunlight. Mai found the wind that whipped their hair around in untamed, arbitrary directions invigorating. She looked to Zuko knowingly as the initial flaming boulders appeared in the air. Iroh was the first to deflect the assault; a powerful stream of flame forced the rock sailing into the ocean. The old general and his nephew fend off the attack with precision and speed; some of the deflected stones strike the ships.

"That was a lot less scary the second time!" Katara managed to shout over the sound of explosions and shouting from below. Before they knew it, the crescent island was in sight, the ruins of the Fire Temple was the only thing there, no longer smoldering in molten rock, but just ruins. Aang frowned, thinking of the Fire Sage, Shyu, who had helped him contact Avatar Roku. He wondered if he was still alive, or perhaps rotting in one of Ozai's cells. The notion disturbed him and the question that had plagued his thoughts returned.

'What if I'm not powerful enough?'

Now was not the time to worry. They were in the fire nation and they were there for one purpose. To defeat the Fire Lord. There would be no going back now, either. Either they would succeed, or they would fail. And Aang would die trying. They all knew it. The young Avatar would never be able to express his thankfulness for Iroh's teaching; he was an excellent, patient instructor. Aang was no longer afraid or ashamed of fire bending; Guru Pathik had helped him before the coup in Ba Sing Se. And yet doubt lingered.

As the crescent island came into sight, Zuko was taken aback. It was the second time he had laid eyes on his homeland in three years. Only this time, he was with the Avatar. He still remembered leaving, being banished. So did Mai. She had not been able to attend the Agni Kai, nor did she know that he was to face Ozai. Her mother had; she had shuffled nervously around their estate the entire day. It was only natural that Mai would have wanted to see him, though she was disallowed. And he had left, supposedly forever, before she had even woken. That's when all the emotion had been beaten and shoved into some dark corner of her mind and Mai donned her porcelain mask.

The air was thick, even in the skies as they were, as island after island was passed by. Iroh was their guide. They knew what was to be done, but there was no real plan per se, because they did not have any inkling of fire nation geography or much of anything in this land, really. The goal now was to stay out of sight for as long as possible and find some haven in which to plan their strike. The end was near.

AN: Next: Find out what Azula has been up to! The story continues and the battle begins!