A/N: I know i am a horrible person because it's been over a month since ive updated but now that schools over- im sooo excited to no longer be a freshman in highschool- i can dedicate more time to my stories! dont forget to review!

A REMINDER THAT THE REST OF THE STORY TAKES PLACE TWO YEARS LATER

ZUKO POV

"Prince Zuko, we're approaching-"

"I've told you not to call me that. I haven't been Prince Zuko for two years." I interrupted keeping my eyes on the horizon.

"Oh, Right sir. Captain Zuko we're approaching the Northern Water tribe." Lieutenant Jee amended. I turned to face him.

"Are they aware that we're coming" I asked. It would be really bad to cause any unneeded fighting. I already didn't have many men on the ship, I couldn't afford to lose any.

"They are expecting our arrival."

"Good." I nodded dismissing him. He quickly departed leaving me to continue meditating. I actually found meditating relaxing after Uncle had showed me the technique after...the Agnai Kai. I should have listened to Uncle's warning. He had cautioned me not to speak during the meeting unless spoken to but I couldn't help myself. What General Zhao was saying was just...wrong.

"Prince Zuko!"

"General Iroh." I said unable to keep the excitement out of my voice. Today was the day i would make my father proud. Today was the day I would show him that I deserved what I had inherited.

"Zuko my boy, I know you've been waiting for this day to come but you must be careful." He said seriously putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Be careful? Of what?" What was he talking about? Did he think I would fail? Has he already decided in his mind that I don't deserve this?

"One small mistake. One badly-worded statement and it could all be over. I just want you to proceed with trepidation." He said his dark eyes somber.

"Sure, whatever you say uncle." I said not taking him seriously. It's not like I was rushing out to battle myself. I was just going to the meeting about other people doing that.

"Are you coming?" I called back to him as I walked past. He followed and together we entered the throne room.

I have no idea what uncle was talking about this meeting was dull. We need more money for the army...We need more land for the army...we need more people in the army. Was there anything we didn't need? Besides why do we need to go to war anyways?

"My plan Firelord Ozai, is that we invade the Air nomads and wipe out every last nomad, bender or non bender. Then the avatar will be reborn into the Fire Nation and we can use him to take the other nations. First the Southern Water Tribe, then the Earth kingdom, and last the Northern water tribes. Then the Fire Nation will be unstoppable."

"Yes, that is-"

"What? You can't do that!" I interrupted my father and stood up suddenly. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the wall of fire in front of my father flare slightly higher.

"You object to the plan?" Zhao turned his dark piercing golden eyes to me. I raised my chin defiantly.

"Yes. We can't just kill innocent people like that. And there have always been four Nations; Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. If you take any of them away, what is it then?" I questioned, glaring at Zhao.

"A world united under one ruler. Under one nation. One people together. After this war, all fighting and turmoil should cease. There will be peace" Zhao answered promptly, looking around at his fellow generals who nodded in agreement.

"Peace?" I scoffed. "You can't have peace when-"

Then the firewall exploded in a fiery inferno knocking me and Zhao to our knees. I looked up shocked into the enraged face of my father.

"Enough." He said rising out of his throne, but remaining on the platform. "You, Prince Zuko have disgraced my throne room. Therefore, according to ancient tradition, you will engage in a Firebending duel to the death. Agnai Kai."

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. That was all Uncle told me about that day. That fateful day after my fifteenth birthday two years ago. The next thing I knew, I had woke up in a boat alone, with an excruciating pain on my face. I remember what happened as if it were yesterday...

Uncle had came in and explained everything. I had disrespected my father in his throne room and I had to enter into an agnai kai battle with him. My father. This was where my memories had picked back up. For some strange reason the only thing I remembered about that entire week was the Agnai Kai. I couldn't tell you what had happened the day before that duel, or what I had eaten earlier that week. Uncle said that was because the scar my father put on my face was so severe and traumatizing that it was forever burned (A/N: no pun intended) into my memory. All my other memories faded in the wake of that occurrence and the pain it caused. I yelled at him to leave the room and he did. I stayed and didn't leave the room for three days.

After I had accepted my fate I had asked uncle to tell me exactly what had been said in the war meeting and he did. I had listened thinking of what I should do. Should I return and try to get back into my fathers good graces? Should I forget everything and start a new life somewhere else? I had reached a hand into my pocket subconsciously and touched something cool and smooth. I had pulled it out and saw a blue stone necklace dangling from a dark colored ribbon. A Water Tribe symbol was carved on the stones surface. I gripped the piece of jewelry tightly in my hand as if it was the only thing holding me to this world. I looked up suddenly sure of what we should do.

"We need to find the Avatar."

"Prince Zuko!" Uncle called interrupting my memories.

"Yes Uncle?" I asked patiently.

" I heard that we'll arrive soon! Do you think they'll have Ginseng here?"

"Let's hope." I said absentmindedly as I tried to recover the memories of that week that I had lost.

KATARA POV

"Katara!"

"What's wrong?" I asked turning from the meal I was making. We were low on supplies, I'd have to get Sokka to go into town soon.

"Nothing I was just wondering If you wanted help."

I relaxed at his words. "You freaked me out for a second. I thought Sokka had went and did something stupid again like yesterday when he drank the swamp water."

Yesterday Sokka had found a nasty, dirty, smelly, swamp and decided to take a drink. The water was bubbling for La's sake! How clueless can one person be?!? I had to use most of our supplies making a liquid to get him to throw the poisonous junk up!

"No...not yet anyways."

I laughed. "True, I won't hold my breath."

"So did you need any help?"

"Sure Aang, could you boil some water?"

"No problem Katara."

Aang was such a good kid. It was hard to believe he was the avatar. Yes the same avatar that was supposed to save the world someday. A little less than two years ago Aang had showed up in the Southern Water tribes on his glider. Well no shown up really, Sokka and I had found him in a cave near the ocean. He was deathly ill because of the cold atmosphere, the fact that he was wearing only an orange and yellow shirt robe probably had something to do with it.

Anyways, Sokka and I had rushed him back to the village and Gran Gran had nursed him back to health. He had lived with us for a few weeks until one day Sokka caught him Airbending his stew cool. Then he told us the truth about his past. Aang had told us about how he ran away from his home and needed a new one. Of course we accepted and everything was fine until we decided to check up on where Aang was from. So we all took a journey to the Western Air Temple- which is another story for another time- and found it in ruins and completely deserted. Distraught with sadness and guilt Aang had confessed the whole truth- he was the avatar.

For two years we have been in search of benders to train Aang the skills he needs to know and so far we were pretty successful. I have already taught him everything I know about waterbending and he's almost mastered that element. We had recently found my old friend Toph and she was teaching Aang the basics of Earthbending now. But we still had no idea who we could get to teach Aang Firebending. Sokka had mentioned someone named Jeong Jeong, but I'm not so sure he can trust him. Firebenders these days are untrustworthy and to be avoided at all costs. All of them except for one. One I had met along time ago before the Fire Nation invaded the Western Air temple and wiped out the Air nomads. One who I was still waiting for to find me. Toph was the only other one in our group who knew I met the Prince of the firenation two years ago, but she didn't know what he promised. She didn't know that I was still waiting for him to fulfill that promise.

"Katara." Aang said bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Hmmm?"

"Can we have leechy nuts in the soup today?"

"Sure Aang."

A/N: Whooo glad that chapter's out of the way. And this chapter was mostly filling you guys in on what happened in the past two years with Zuko and Katara. The next one should have more action and dialogue. R&R!