I do not own ATLA. You know that, right?

Zuko remained silent, crouched behind the bushes, face hidden behind the Blue Spirit's. He'd tracked the Avatar after releasing him from Zhao's fortress, curious to see where he went. The boy had been miles away from the abandoned village he'd left his friends at. He'd not been exaggerating when he said they were sick; they were both pale and exhausted-looking. Even from his hidden spot he could tell they'd been running fevers and could hear their rasping coughs. It was amusing though, to see their reaction to sucking on frogs.

When he was sure the Avatar's friends were going to be fine and that they'd be moving on tomorrow, he slipped away and made the journey back to his ship. The three had no real plan; just head north until they reached the Northern Water Tribe. It would be no problem to sail north along the coast and possibly intercept them on the way. Even with the gigantic flying bison they traveled on, it would still be weeks before they reached the North Pole.

On the riverboat, he exchanged the black Blue Spirit outfit for a simple black Navy pants and shirt. He left the clothes to soak in cold water to remove the stains. They wouldn't show much on black, but that didn't mean he wanted dried blood stains in his shirt. He splashed some of the water on his face to get off the dirt and grime and ran his hands through his hair, which was sticking up in every direction. When he looked a little more presentable, and certainly not as if he'd spent the whole of last night and some of this morning traipsing through the country, fighting for his life, and tracking some airheaded child, he returned to his ship.

He made his way silently through the corridors, hoping to get to his room without being noticed. The sun was up, which meant pretty much the entire crew was as well. He'd just slipped past the door to the mess hall, when a light from inside flickered on in the dark. Still on guard from his late-night adventure, Zuko instinctively went into fight mode.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Uncle Iroh stood in the doorway of the mess hall, a flame flickering in his right hand.

Zuko opened his mouth to respond then shut it when Uncle raised his other hand.

"You know what, I don't want to know right now. Just get something to eat and go to bed. You look like you need it. I'll deal with you later."

Tense after hearing the tone in his uncle's voice, Zuko made his way to his room, where he caught up on a few hours of sleep. He then made sure to get something to eat, and fit a few hours of training in. It was after he finished running through the last set of katas that Uncle motioned his into one of the smaller rooms, originally used for private meetings between the captain of the ship and his officers.

Zuko sat uncomfortably on one of the floor cushions, while Iroh was on the other side of the table making tea. Several minutes passed as the tea brewed and neither one of them said anything. He watched as Uncle poured the finished tea into two cups and slipped one over to him. Iroh gently blew over the cup and took a sip. Zuko did the same, knowing it would be rude if he didn't. Uncle was already upset with him and he couldn't risk any more.

Finally, Iroh sat back and studied Zuko for a long moment. "So where were you last night?"

Zuko took a deep breath and looked his Uncle in the eye. He'd spent the rest of the morning preparing for this moment. He couldn't lie the way Azula could, but little white lies were easy. Over the past four years he'd used them to slip out of the arms of trouble. Sometimes by twisting things around just a bit, or by saying some of the truth but not all, was enough to get out of a punishment.

"What if I said I was with a pretty girl?"

"I wouldn't believe you."

Dang. So much for trying to humor his way out of the situation. He sighed and tried again.

"All right. I went scouting around the area, looking for information on the Avatar. I went a little farther inland than I originally planned and then of course I had to come back, which is why I was gone all night. I didn't mean to worry you, and I'm sorry if I did, but I'm seventeen years old and I'm capable of taking care of myself. You don't need to worry and wait up for me all the time." He managed to say this more calmly than even he'd anticipated and he realized this was true. He'd gone off intending to get information on the Avatar's whereabouts and where he was headed, which he did; he was gone a bit longer than he'd planned; and he was sorry for worrying his uncle. He hadn't lied.

"Zuko" Iroh sighed, "I will always worry about you."

Zuko dipped his head. "I know. You just don't need to."

"So is that all that happened?"

"Yes!" Zuko said quickly, fighting panic out of his voice. Was Uncle suspecting him of lying? "Yes, Uncle" he said, in a calmer tone of voice, "I swear to Agni that is all that happened last night."

Iroh watched him and Zuko stared at him, trying to look as if he had nothing to hide, yet not look too defiant. It seemed to succeed as Iroh sighed again and sipped more of his tea.

"All right. I believe you. I know you don't like it when I nag at you for things, but I only do it because I care. "

"I know." Agni, how he knew. There were times Uncle could nag worse than an old housewife. But it was a relief to know someone cared.

He'd spent the rest of the day examining maps and making plans. He realized the Avatar hadn't been strategically avoiding him; he had no idea where he was going. How hard was it to know which way the Northern Water Tribe was? He pushed aside thoughts about the child's naivety and focused on making plans.

Zuko became impatient that evening. He usually didn't like it when the sun set, but tonight it couldn't come fast enough. When he was certain that evening that everyone was either asleep or at their post, he put on the mask and slipped away.

This became the routine for the next two nights. After sunset, he put on the Blue Spirit outfit and disappeared into the shadows. It wasn't even that had to find the Avatar's campsite. They didn't try to cover where they went when they were on land and that furry monster was too easy to see in the sky.

Zuko crouched in the shadows, staying hidden much as he had done the night he spied on the Avatar after freeing him from Zhao. The group appeared to be asleep; that giant bison was lying underneath a massive pine tree, with the Avatar curled up on his side on one of the beast's legs. The Water Tribe boy was sprawled a few feet away, snoring and completely dead to the world. The lemur was lying across his stomach. Zuko then noticed something. The girl was gone. He instantly went on alert. She could be awake, maybe even watching him, preparing an attack. He then reassured himself that these people weren't cautious enough to set up a watch, as he'd seen previously, and even if she did attack, he was certain he could take her with his swords if necessary, moon out or not.

Fears settled, he focus on figuring out where the girl was. A splashing sound gave it away. Just upwind of the campsite a small stream flowed. Sure enough, the girl was out there, trying to bend the water. He examined her as she waved her arms about. Her whispers of frustration as the water failed to do what she wanted carried over to where he stood behind a tree. He could tell she was untrained; it was a task for her to just lift the water at times. For a split second, he felt a twinge of empathy for her; he too had struggled with his bending before. The feeling was there for a second before he reminded himself she was allied with the Avatar, and therefore, she was an enemy.

Pity it had to be that way. With her skin gleaming in the moonlight, her long, dark hair flowing down her back, and her blue eyes sparkling despite her frustrations, she was a pretty girl. For a savage, anyway.

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Katara settled herself on the cushion in Aunt Wu's home. She'd never met a fortune teller before and since such things weren't in the Southern Water Tribe, it was a foreign concept to her. Still, she was curious and unlike Sokka, she was going to keep an open mind. If nothing else, it would be fun to see what was in store for her.

Aunt Wu entered the room. She was tall and not as old as Katara imagined, though her hair was a silvery color. She smiled at the group though red painted lips. "So who's first?" When none of them responded, Katara stood up.

"I guess me" she said, secretly pleased she got to go first. She followed the fortuneteller into a large, lavishly furnished room and sat down on another cushion.

"Let me see your palm. Whichever hand you like."

Katara held out her right hand and Aunt Wu took it. Her hands were cold and soft. A few moments passed as she studied her palm.

"So…is this stuff real? I mean do your predictions come true?"

"Real? My dear, of course. As long as you choose to believe in it. Have you ever seen a real spirit?"

"Um…no."

"No, of course you haven't. Very few ever have or will. Yet you believe in the spirits, correct? You worship them where you come from?"

Katara nodded. "Mainly the Moon and Ocean spirits."

"You don't see them, yet you believe in them. People who come to me have no idea if what I tell them is true or not, but they believe it anyway. Funny thing is, no matter what fate has in store for us, we make our own destinies."

"Let me try a more 'accurate' way of reading for you." The fortuneteller pulled out a bowl filled with strange looking bones with symbols carved onto them. Katara was afraid to ask where the bones came from.

Aunt Wu gathered the bones in her hands and tossed them before her on the table. They fell in a jumbled heap with certain symbols pointing up.

"You will have a long life; long enough to see at least three great-grandchildren come into the world."

She gestured to another pile of bones. "You will be faced with many different choices and opportunities in your life; each will lead you down different paths, but only by following certain ones will you find happiness. The best thing I can say for you is to always follow your heart. It will not let you go down the wrong way."

Katara interrupted "What about…I mean, I'm curious about…love." She said that last word quietly and lowered her head, feeling shy.

"Of course you are. All the ladies want to know that. Some of the young men too, even if they claim they don't."

"As a matter of fact, I do see a romance in store for you. You will find love right in front of you if you pay attention and let yourself feel it. Love is almost always where we don't expect it to be."

"What's he like? Is he tall? Handsome?" Katara asked eagerly.

Aunt Wu allowed herself a small smile. "I'm afraid the bones don't say that. But his fate places him in a position of great responsibility and power, of which he may come to rely on you to help him get through. He is also a very powerful bender. And no, the bones don't say what element it is he bends."

"Hmmm. A guy in an important position and he's a powerful bender, too? I must be a lucky girl."

"You may be. It is impossible to tell from the bones how this relationship will end; if it will be long or short, happy or tragic, but once it starts, it will be strong and passionate while it lasts."

"Well, thank you, Aunt Wu. For reading my fortune. It's given me a lot to think about." She laughed. "Now I'm probably going to be dreaming about this romance and wondering what my future mystery lover will be like."

Katara didn't know a certain boy was listening in through the door or that he'd done a flip in the air when Aunt Wu said "a very powerful bender".

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Sokka didn't believe any of it. Katara had spent the next few days trying to pry more information about her future romance from Aunt Wu. The woman would just shake her head and say how she would just have to wait and find out. She didn't want to wait! The woman was a fortuneteller; she told about people's futures. Why couldn't she tell her more about this?

"Hey Katara." It was Aang, who came strolling along in a casual way, different from him usual, energetic self.

"Hi Aang. Can you believe Aunt Wu won't tell me anything else about my future romance? I mean, she's a fortuneteller, she tells about people's futures. But she won't tell me anything."

"So…uh, what did she tell you about your romance?"

"That I'll have a strong, passionate relationship with someone who's in a position of responsibility and power and that he's a powerful bender."

"Really? I mean, that's cool. Good for you. Well, uh, I'm gonna go find Sokka now." With that, he ran off. Katara watched him leave with a puzzled look on his face. Aang seemed to be acting weird around her lately. Then again, he was only a kid.

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"Urgghhh!" Katara shouted her frustrations as she stomped a path through the woods that night. Aunt Wu had still refused to give her any more information and Aang had gone from goofy kid to annoying brat within the last few hours. His was either ignoring her or coming and driving her up the wall with silly gestures and such. It had been cute at first and she'd appreciated the attention, but now, coupled with her anger towards Aunt Wu, it was just annoying.

Her feelings didn't ease even after she went to bed, which was why she was now sulking in the woods in the middle of the night. She sat down on a rock and became so focused on her emotions she failed to notice the shadows creeping towards her before it was too late.

"Well, what do we have here?" said a smooth voice behind her. Katara spun around and leapt to her feet. There were at least five Fire Nations soldiers standing before her and she prayed those flicking shadows in the moonlight behind them didn't mean more.

Of course, the one time she doesn't have her waterskin on her, she actually could use it! She looked around, hoping to see the reflection of moonlight in a lake or stream or even a puddle.

The men were moving closer, chuckling, and they reminded her of the men that had previously tried to imprison them.

"Looks like a water wench to me" one of the men said in response to the question asked by his companion.

"What makes you think she's Water Tribe?" another asked.

"Just look at her you idiot! She's wearing blue! Everybody 'round here where's green or brown."

Katara was hoping to run away while the men argued, but there was no way for that to work. They'd moved until they stood in a circle around her. There was nowhere to go.

"You can make this easier on all of us if you just surrender now."

She glared at them, her anger giving her confidence. "I'll never surrender to monsters like you!" she snarled, putting as much venom as she could into her voice.

The men glared back and the one in the center shrugged. "Fine. This should be fun."

Katara braced herself as the men lunged forward with weapons prepared, and for some, fire in their hands. She could only hope they'd just kill her quickly, because that was a better fate than what she feared they had in mind for her.

They hadn't even reached her when one of the soldiers dropped limply to the ground. The others froze for the briefest second to look at their companion. Then, something swooped out of the shadows and attacked them.

In the moonlight, it seemed to be a swordsman for the light glinted off of long blades. Katara found herself caught defenseless in the fighting. She felt a shove at her back and stumbled forward before regaining her balance. She felt hands on her and shrieked in surprise, trying to shove her attacker away.

The wind whistled as a sword sliced through the air and the man holding her fell. She turned and saw another come towards her but couldn't duck under the blow. Something cold and metal- a sword hilt, perhaps- slammed into her forehead. Katara stumbled backwards as bright flashes of light appeared before her eyes. She fell onto the forest floor and heard the sound of metal striking together.

For a moment her eyes cleared, and she realized the men that attacked her were either dead or had fled. She tried to look up, to thank the mysterious swordsman who'd saved her, but the flashes of light began again as a terrible pain filled her head.

As the lights stopped and the world faded into complete darkness, she glimpsed a demonic blue face glaring down at her.

Warning: very long, rambling author's note ahead! If Iroh seems a little OOC in this chapter with him being upset with Zuko, there's a reason for that. Iroh was known to have been a great general in the army and also a prince, meaning he'd have been used to being respected and obeyed. We know pretty much nothing on his wife, so I assume he raised Lu Ten a lot on his own. Now, he is a surrogate parent for Zuko. Yet in the series we see Zuko be rude and disrespectful and talk back to him. I know none of my elders would let me talk like that to them. Respect seems to be a huge deal in the Fire Nation but Iroh doesn't seem to be disciplining Zuko. If he was, Zuko wouldn't be acting that way. I'm pretty sure the only times Iroh yells at Zuko ( these are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head) is when Zuko tries to send his ship into the Fire Nation to capture Aang despite being banished, when Zuko wants to practice with redirecting lightning, and when Zuko has to choose between freeing and stealing Appa. If his parenting with Lu Ten was the same as it is with Zuko, it makes me wonder a lot about how Lu Ten was, especially as a teenager. I think when Lu Ten died he wasn't much older than what Zuko is now. He looked to be late teens or early twenties in the picture shown of him. If he had a somewhat reckless personality anything similar to Zuko's, well now I'm wondering exactly how Lu Ten died. To lose a child is the most painful thing a parent could go through. They feel as if they failed in caring for and protecting them. A majority of Iroh's grief is plagued with guilt and he doesn't want a repeat performance with Zuko, hence, why he acts how he does.

Also, unless Zuko and Azula have younger siblings that we never see, then Zuko is the youngest male member of the royal family. Meaning if he were to die without a son to succeed him, then the royal line would pretty much die with him. If Azula had children (a scary thought), they would have the blood in them, yet they would be a part of their father's family. Bloodlines were always carried on through the men in the family. If Zuko had a son (an interesting idea; if Zuko was a father through all of ATLA, it would certainly alter the story; marriage and childbearing while still in the teens or even younger wasn't uncommon in royalty; would anyone like a plot bunny?) then the royal family's line would be safe as it could be continued through this child.

Sorry about the ramblingness. I won't get started on Ozai or Ursa or Hakoda's parenting skills. Otherwise we'd be here for a while.