This is set 20 years after graduation... Some things are never forgotten. But this time she would listen...

Premonition

She was doing paper work when she saw the report of the car crash on the news, a three-car pile–up on the interstate. Apparently, a drunk driver had crossed the median and slammed head on into another car, which was then rear-ended by another. There was only one survivor. She was reaching for the remote to turn up the volume when the phone rang.

It was her sister-in-law, and she was crying.

"Azula, you need to come to the hospital… something's happened…" A sick, ice-cold shiver ran down her spine at those all too vague words.

"What happened? Is Haru all right? Is Zuko?" The guys had left hours ago for a football game. Oh god… they would have been on the interstate… No… she glanced quickly back at the television but by then the weather report was on.

"Just come…" The line went dead and she just held the phone loosely in her hand until her son's voice shook her out of her daze.

"Mom? What's wrong?" She looked up at him. At fifteen he was nearly as tall as his father and she knew the fear in his bronze eyes was mirrored in her own.

"Get your sister."

The trip to the hospital seemed endless. She had no answers for her children's questions and had resorted to snapping at them to keep quiet.

She found Katara behind a curtain-draped cubicle in the emergency room. She was sitting next to Zuko who was propped up by pillows on a gurney while a nurse wrapped bandages around his arm.

His face was so white that his scar looked painted in blood… until she realized that was blood.

"Where is he? Where is Haru?" None of the doctors or nurses would answer her when she asked before.

"Azula… I'm so sorry…" She could feel herself begin to shake as she watched tears slowly trail down her brother's cheeks, making pale streaks ending in crimson drops that fell to the pristine white sheets.

At first she could only look back and forth between their faces. Searching in vain for some shred of untruth. But the pity and grief she found there meant only one thing…

She heard someone screaming, crying out over and over… "No… No… NO!!" Only when she felt the pinch of a needle in her arm and the silence drifted over her, did she realize it was her.

"Azula… Azula, wake up… Wake up…" His voice came as if from far away and she wondered if he was going to haunt her now…

Opening her eyes slowly, she looked into a face she never expected to see again. Clutching him to her, she could only cry and say his name over and over again.

"Haru, Haru, Haru…"

"Honey, what's wrong? I didn't want to wake you, but you looked like you were having a nightmare. I was just about to go pick up Zuko for the game, but are you going to be ok?"

In a flash it all came back to her… The game, the crash… the hospital.

"NO!! Don't go… Don't go to the game… stay with me… please." He frowned but he knew his wife, and she never acted like this. Something was wrong.

Pulling her onto his lap, he hugged her close. "Ok. I'll call and tell him I can't make it."

She sighed and drooped with relief. She knew this was no ordinary dream… even though she'd had only one like it before…

A nightmare filled with incense and screaming… and flames.

Fin