Chapter 8: A Land On Fire

(A/N: I hate numbers with a firery passion... Please ignore my blantent attempts to do math... As you can see... I can't do it, which is why I write... Sorry for the trouble.)

SOKKA'S P.O.V.

"Oh man! I can't wait to be back in the Four Nations!" I said as our flight was coming toward an end.

Zuko softly smiled and said, "Yeah, it will be good to be back but..."

He rubbed his automail arm and said, "Not sure how everyone's going to react."

Ed smirked and said, "Oh relax Zuko, if anyone should be worried it's me and Al. We're foreigners to these lands and know nothing of what we're suppose to act like."

Al nodded and said, "Yeah, we're going to have to meet a lot of people without knowing proper greeting or..."

"Hey guys! We're above the capital now!" Aang yelled from Appa's head.

Ed and Al peered off Appa's back looking down at the Fire Nation capital city.

Then Al said, "Awesome! It's on top of a dormant volcano."

Ed smiled and said, "This close to the tectonic plates, I can't wait to see how alchemy will work here. By theory it should be twice as powerful."

Iroh gave a deep laugh and said, "You two are quite excitable when it comes to your art."

Al nodded and said, "It really amazing Uncle Iroh, what alchemy can do under normal circumstances. Just wait till we get down there, by theory our alchemic abilities should be multiplied ten fold."

Zuko smiled and said, "Man, you two are just bouncing to get down there."

Al laughed and said, "You now us Nii-san. We excited about learning in general."

Ed nodded and said, "Yeah and soon we'll have the secret to the Philosopher's Stone as well!"

Finally Appa pulled closer to the ground and landed in the palace gardens.

"Hey it's about time you all got back."

I looked over the edge to see Suki, Ty-Lee, and Dad waiting on the ground waiting for us.

I smiled and said, "Suki! Dad!"

Aang, Toph, Katara, and I jumped down off the sky bison.

Toph quickly earth bent some stairs so the other passangers could get off more easily.

Dad smiled at me and Katara and said, "I missed you two since you went on the mission. By the way, how did it go?"

Katara sighed and said, "Complicated... Very complicated."

Ty-Lee looked at us and asked with a smile, "How so?"

"Brother, look at this place!"

We turned our attention to Ed, Al, and Zuko as they walked down the steps.

Ed smiled and said, "Incredible... The architecture of this place looks almost hand carved... This is absolutely fascinating."

Dad looked at them and asked, "Um... Who are they? And what's with his hair?"

Ed looked at him and said, "What you people never seen blonde hair before?! It's a common hair color in Amestris."

Aang stepped up and said, "This is Edward and Alphonse Elric from Amestris... There's kind of a long story why they are here."

Ty-Lee looked at them and said, "Whoa! Zuko didn't tell me he had younger brothers!"

Suki yelled, "What?!"

I gave a small laugh and said, "Yeah... Ty-Lee how the hell did you know that?!"

She shrugged and said, "They have the same eyes for one and their auras smooth together when they're near each other. Like when Mei is near her brother, their auras merge a bit."

Ed rolled his eyes and said, "Okay... Going to ignore that..."

Dad looked at Zuko and said, "So you have brothers?"

Zuko smiled a bit and said, "Half brothers but still... They're my younger siblings."

Dad looked at him and said, "So I take it you found your mother..."

Zuko, Ed, and Al heads sunk a bit and Ed said, "Our mother died a couple years back and our Dad ran out on us... Al and I have been on our own for years..."

Suki looked at them and said, "Sorry to hear that..."

Al looked at her and said, "It's alright... We have Nii-san now."

Ty-Lee looked at Zuko's arm and said, "But now that I'm looking at your aura... It seems weaker in this arm... What exactly happened Zuko?"

Suki looked at his sling and said, "Yeah, I thought Katara would have healed it by now..."

Katara then said, "I've done a lot of healing sessions... He's just not healed completely yet..."

Dad raised a brow and said, "Must have been some injury..."

Zuko sighed and said, "You have no idea..."

"Hey Al... Let's see how our alchemy works." Ed said while quickly changing the subject.

Suki raised a brow and asked, "Um... What's alchemy?"

I smiled and said, "It's a science... A powerful one at that... Ed and Al are alchemist..."

Ed clapped his hands and placed them on the ground. The familar blue alchemic light filled the air and a statue began to raise from the ground. Soon the light faded and a metal statue of a dragon curled around of fire now stood with Ed smiling.

"Well that took half the time it's would normally."

Dad, Suki, and Ty-Lee looked at it wonder and Dad said, "That's made of metal... Only Toph is a metal bender..."

Ed smirked and said, "Well I'm not a bender... I'm an alchemist. Alchemy is the science of understanding the flow of matter and its laws... The process of comprehension, deconstruction, and reconstruction. As an alchemist I understand this flow and able to manipulate the matter into forms I desire."

Suki then said, "Wow... Just wow..."

I looked at them and said, "Why don't we head inside so we can talk a bit more..."

Zuko looked at Ed and Al and said, "We'll catch up... Me and my brothers have someone we need to see."

AZULA'S P.O.V.

(A/N: You've all been waiting for this...)

"Azula... You have a vistor..." My guard said as I sat with my prison cell, hands bound behind my back, feet chained together, and dressed in rags.

I've been in here since Fire Lord Zu-zu put me in here for trying to kill him and the Earth Kingdom... But so what? I was going to be the Fire Lord, and Father and I were going to rule the world in a new age!

But now Father can't bend and I'm bound like this...

On the bright side... No more visions of her... Of my Mother...

She thought I was a monster... But the sights I saw, told me she loved me but I knew better... She wouldn't have left me, her 3 year old daughter, if she did...

The door opened and three figures entered the door.

The first was Zu-Zu with his arm in a sling, his arm was wrapped up with bandages and long sleeves, and a small book in his free hand.

Why was he here? He hates me too for trying to kill him! But back to the other people...

The second was a young boy with long golden hair, a red cloak, white gloves, and golden eyes like me and Zu-zu's.

The third was dressed in a full suit of armor and was nearly 7 ft. tall.

I looked at Zu-zu and said, "Well, well, if it isn't Fire Lord Zu-zu... Who have you brought to me to see?!"

I yanged my chains and said, "Come on then! You came all this way to see the insane Fire Princess right?! Tell me who you are?!"

The golden haired boy then said, "I see why you didn't want to us meet her Zuko..."

I yelled, "Tell me! Tell me who the hell you are?!"

The armor looked at me and said in the voice of a child, "I'm Alphonse Elric... And this is my older brother, Edward Elric."

I glared at them and said, "So boys, why come see me?! Why come speak to the all too insane Fire Princesss?! Here to pity me?!"

Zuko looked at me and said words I never thought I would hear...

"I found Mom..."

I felt my museles tense and said in a shocked whisper, "What...?"

Zuko repeted, "I found Mom... I really found her Azula..."

I sat down in pure shock and said, "So... Where is..."

"She died a few years back..." Edward whispered quietly and mournfully.

I looked down and said, "I see... So how did you know her?"

Edward reached into his coat and pulled out a image and said, "This is called a photo... In my country they're used to take instant portiats... And in color..."

He showed me the picture and my eyes widen...

There was a younger Edward and who I assumed to be a kid Alphonse, hugging onto my mother with smiles.

I looked at Edward and said, "So... That's how we know her... She's our Mother too..."

Zuko nodded and said, "Azula, I'd like you meet our younger brothers..."

Younger brothers...?

I have... younger brothers...

Alphonse looked at me and said, "Nii-san told us about how Mom was forced out of the country... Sorry."

I looked at him as he looked down and said, "Our Dad walked out on us when we were little... Then couple years later Mom got sick... When she died... Me and Ed was all on our own."

I looked up a little bit and said, "So where was she?"

Ed replied, "Our country... Amestris..."

Zuko cringged and said, "Ow! What the heck...?!"

Ed looked at him and said, "It's just the rain Zuko... I get the pain too when it pours..."

I looked at Zuko's arm and asked, "What happened to your arm Zu-zu?"

Zuko looked at Ed and said, "What do you think? Should we tell her?"

Ed crossed his arms and said, "Might as well... She's our sister, she deserves to know me and Al's past but your arm... That's up to you... By the way if you take your arm out of the sling the rain won't hurt so much."

Zuko nodded and said, "Fine... I'll tell her..."

The three looked at me and Ed said, "Azula, I would never tell this story to anyone I just met but... You're my older sister and you desevre to know..."

Then Ed and Al began to tell their story... On how they tried to bring Mom back... On Ed loosing his leg and arm... On Al loosing his entire body... Their journey to get their bodies back... Then they told me about the automail and... Showed me the metal replacement arm that Ed has...

Ed looked down and said, "So for the last couple of years we been trying to get our bodies back... But nearly 3 months ago Zuko and his friends came to see if they could find Mom... We ran into each other and put the pieces together... So he was helping us trying to get our bodies back but... There was an incident..."

Ed nodded and Zuko slipped off the sling and gently set down his arm...

He set the book in his lap and began unwrapping his hand with the slightest bit of destress... I watched wide eyes as the white bandages fell, revealing a blackish metallic replacement arm...

Zu-Zu missing an arm...

Zuko looked down and said, "A serial killer was going after Ed and Al... I jumped in front of them and..."

He gripped his arm and said, "He severed my nerve in my arm and the blood began to pool in my hand so..."

"They cut it off... We had our friend made him a new arm..." Ed said in a hoarse whisper.

I just sat back in pure shock, trying to prosess the information they just told me...

Zu-Zu rubbed his shoulder and said, "So that's what happened to Mom and our little brothers Azula..."

I looked at him and said, "I understand Ed and Al's story... I understand you missing an arm to save Ed... But what I don't get is what actually happened to Mom! I mean I knew she was banished but she didn't even..."

Zu-Zu held up the small book and said, "This is mother's journal... In the back there's a letter addressed to all of us..."

My eyes widen a bit as Zuko opened the book up and began to read aloud;

My Dearest Children,

If you're reading this then I have passed on and you have discovered your siblings.

Yes, Zuko, Azula, Edward, and Alphonse... You are brothers and sisters once again.

I am sorry to have hidden this fact from you but there was reasons.

Ed and Al, I couldn't tell you because I wasn't aloud to return to the Fire Nation because of my banishment and if I brought you two with me... I don't even want to think about what they would have done to you...

Azula and Zuko, there would be two reasons why you're in Amestris.

One your father banished you here or two you defeated your father and the war is over.

While he was in power I couldn't contact you... I couldn't even tell you I was alive, and for that I am sorry.

I shall give you each a message of your own.

Edward, you are a kind, sweet, and smart young man. You and Al have the makings of excelent Alchemist... I only ask of you to watch out for your younger brother and your older siblings too.

I know how much you resent your father Ed but could you please give your father this message...

'I'm sorry, but I'm the one dying first.'...

To my sweetest Alphonse, I hope you and your siblings get along well. You're so sweet, always caring for others and keeping a calm head.

(Try to calm everyone else down since they're all hot heads)

My kind Zuko, you're strong no matter what your father tries to say, you are one of the strongest people I know and I know you'll do anything to protect your family. Like when a Cat Viper got into the garden when Azula was a year old, it tried to bite her but you jumped in front of it. Don't be too recklace, alright Zuko?

And finally to my beuatiful Azula, look I know what you think... Azula you are the farthest thing from a monster, I've ever seen...

You are a lovely young girl who just wanted to play instead of being forced to contantly study... Knowing your father he been trying to mold you into his pawn...

He doesn't see you as his daughter, only his weapon... Just like his fathers before him, he's slowly drifting into the madness of power and this war that it brings... And he wanted you to follow him into that madness...

Azula, I love you and your brothers with all my heart, and the fact that you think I think you're a monster just breaks my heart...

You're not a monster, you're an angel with torned wings, who needs help putting them back together again.

I feel my self getting weaker by the second...

I love you all so much, please try to find family in one another...

Love,

Trisha Elric/Lady Ursa of the Fire Nation

Your Mother

"Mom wrote that...?" I whispered out as Zuko closed the small book almost on the brink of tears.

He nodded and said, "On her death bed... She gave it to Granny Pinako for when we would arrive."

I looked down and said, "All this time... I thought... I thought she thought I was a monster..."

Ed raised a brow and said, "Seriously? Even if you were a monster, which by the way you are not, she loved you unconditionally..."

Al nodded and said, "She loved us no matter what we did and always tried to set us on the right path."

A knock came at the door and the guard said, "Lord Zuko, night is begining to fall."

Zuko nodded and said, "Thank you, we'll finish our business."

Zuko began re-wrapping his arm, wincing with a slight pain. As soon as it was wrapped and placed in the sling once more, he stood up and said, "Well Azula... This is goodbye for now."

The door of the cell opened and my brothers began to walk out.

Ed looked back at me and said, "You know, you're not as bad as everyone says... You're just a little loss and needs help finding the right path."

I looked up as the door slowly closed and Ed said, "It's never too late for redemption... Sister."

A/N:I know it's short but, it's all I could come up with at the time... Again I say writer's block sucks but thanks for the awesome ideas Iron117Prime!