During a sunny morning... Fire Lord Zuko had breathed within his royal palace. He stood on stage in front of the royal throne. He was not in a happy mood-nor, was he in an angry mood. He could not sleep as there was one thing on his mind. And that was his father, Ozai. First, Zuko tried to get answers from his father-whom had kept dodging the question about Ursa's current whereabouts. He also tried to get answers from Ozai-on how to properly run a country but refused to tell him what he wanted to hear.

"This is not me." Zuko muttered to himself. He then dispersed the flames that burned on stage. After the flames had vanished, Zuko closed his eyes and sighed to himself.

Within a moment, Zuko heard footsteps coming toward him from the entrance at Twelve o' clock. "Hm?" He opened his eyes-only to see a Kyoshi Warrior walk toward the throne, whom is his girlfriend, Ty Lee. As he looked at her from the throne... he noticed that Ty Lee had her hands together in front of her lower stomach. And that she had a look of worry on her face. "Ty Lee? Are you alright?"

Ty Lee nodded her head. "I'm fine. It's just..."

Zuko blinked as he waited for Ty Lee to finish her sentence.

Ty Lee gulped. "We have to talk." Ty Lee said as she still showed a look of concern on her face.

"Hm?" Zuko raised his left eyebrow in confusion. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I'll be honest with you. I know that you've been trying to seek advice from Fire Lo-" Ty Lee had corrected herself. "I mean... Mister Ozai."

Zuko gasped. "What? Who told you? How did you-"

"I know, Zuko." Ty Lee said as she looked at the ground. "I know... because I followed you." Ty Lee said as she made eye contact with Zuko, once more.

Zuko gasped in shock. "You... were spying on me?"

"I only did it, yesterday morning." Ty Lee begun walking toward the stairs which led to the top of the stage. "Not only because the I wanted to know what was going on between you and Mister Ozai... I did it, because we're all worried about you." Ty Lee said as she had continued to walk on stage.

"We?" Zuko had asked.

Ty Lee nodded. "Mm-hmm. Me. Suki. All of the other Kyoshi Warriors. Everyone is worried about you. We all want to help you in any way we can, Zuko." Ty Lee said as she stood face-to-face with Zuko, leaving a four-foot gap between them.

Zuko just stood there feeling speechless. He felt a bit guilty on the inside for keeping secrets from his girlfriend, Ty Lee.

Ty lee had begun to twiddle her fingers and look down at them. "Do you remember when the war ended last year-and then we all decided to hangout in Ba Sing Se to celebrate?"

"Of course." Zuko replied.

Ty Lee looked at Zuko. "And while we were celebrating and watching the fireworks, you tried asking Aang to..."

Flashback

The group, Team Avatar was dressed in green dresses. Except Aang, whom had wore a yellow Air Nomad attire. They were riding on top of Appa's back while flying across the night sky. Fireworks had exploded in the sky as the people of Ba Sing Se had celebrated the One Hundred Year War victory.

"This is so much fun, Zuko!" Ty Lee smiled as she clutched Zuko's right arm in happiness.

"Yeah." Zuko had a mild smile on his face. Only because his girlfriend, Ty Lee was close by him.

"What's the matter?" Ty Lee asked as she saw Zuko's mild smile. She assumed that Zuko would be as happy as she is.

"Nothing. It's just-"

Aang didn't see Zuko's face as his back turned. "Come on, Zuko. Turn that frown upside down!" Aang made a big smile on his face as he used his fingers to form a big smile.

Zuko then turned to Aang. "Hey, Aang."

"Zuko?" Aang replied.

Zuko then inhaled and exhaled some air. "There's something I want to tell you."

"Sure." Aang said, while keeping a smile on his face.

Ty Lee smiled.

"I visited my father in prison the other day. And I've been meaning to ask you a favor." Zuko asked.

Aang's big optimistic smile begun to fade away when Zuko mentioned Ozai. "Um, sure."

"If I ever show the slightest hints of becoming like my father... I want you to put an end to me." Zuko said with a serious tone.

Those words caused everyone on Appa's back to gasp. They all had shocked looks on their faces. Especially Ty Lee's. No one expected him to say that.

Aang had frowned in shock and his eyes were filled with confusion. "What?"

"My family's bloodline is still apart of me. All of the bad things they did in the past-I can still potentially do. Right now, I'm healing the scars that my country left on the world. And the throne comes with a lot of heavy pressures. And if I'm being honest with myself... I need a safety ne-"

"No!" Ty Lee screamed as she grabbed Zuko by his waist.

Zuko gasped when he saw Ty Lee grappling his lower waist. "T-Ty Lee?" Zuko asked as he looked down at her.

"I'm not letting you go down that route! You have friends who all care about you and doesn't want to see go down a dark path! You are not your scar or your family's bloodline! You're a person, just like everyone, here! And most of all, you're my boyfriend!" Ty Lee said as she looked up to Zuko with tears in her eyes.

Zuko gasped when he saw Ty Lee cry in front of him. He hated seeing Ty Lee cry. He then looked at all his friends, whom had serious faces. Sokka, Toph, Katara and Aang.

End Flashback

"I know. I was worried that I might end up like my father, then. But in reality, I was looking for the coward's way out." Zuko said with a look of guilt on his face.

Ty Lee saw the look of guilt on his face and decided to extend her left hand out toward Zuko's right hand and grabbed it. "I understand you don't want to be like Mister Ozai. And I also understand that you wanted guidance from him, because he used to lead and run a country. But, you also have others that can teach you how to do that, too." Ty Lee smiled.

"Really? Who?" Zuko asked.

"General Iroh, silly." Ty Lee smiled.

"But... uncle is in Ba Sing Se right now. Running his tea shop." Zukos said as he thought of the Jasmine Dragon tea shop.

"I know. But it wouldn't hurt to send him a messenger hawk, asking for advice every once in a while. Hehe." Ty Lee giggled.

As Zuko watched Ty Lee giggle in happiness... he could not help but think of all the times when he had met with his father, Ozai in prison.

"In the past, ever since Zuko had became the current Fire Lord... he thought that if he seeks advice from Ozai, then he would give him the answers he wanted. But in reality, he was only fooling himself. And every time he did see Ozai... he would be rejected or given half-truths. And when Zuko begun to keep secrets... he would slowly distance himself from his friends and fellow countrymen... He would not learn of that fact... until now."

A light smile had brightened on Zuko's face. "Ty Lee."

"Hm? Zuko?" Ty Lee had responded as she looked into his fiery golden eyes.

"I..." Zuko had stopped for two brief seconds. "I think I understand now. I now understand that-"

But before Zuko could finish his speech, a Fire Nation General named Mak had ran into the throne room with urgent news. "Fire Lord Zuko!" He quickly took a knee in front of Zuko.

Fire Lord Zuko and Ty Lee then turned their attention toward the Fire Nation General.

"General Mak! What's wrong?" Zuko asked as his right hand was released from Ty Lee's grasp.

"A..." General Mak had panted. "A message has arrived from one of our spies that you sent to the Earth Kingdom." General Mak had informed Zuko.

"Spies?" Ty Lee gasped, then looked to Zuko.

"What's the message?" Zuko asked.

"Your suspicions were correct. The Earth King and his army now marches toward Yu Dao!" General Mak had informed Zuko.

Zuko's face then showed a look of seriousness. 'Father. For once, you were right.'

Ty Lee once again looked at Zuko with concern. "Zuko?"

"Send a message back to our spies saying that "We, the Fire Nation's will be arrive soon and defend Yu Dao at all costs!" Zuko had informed General Mak.

"Sir!" General Mak had replied, then had turned around and ejected himself from the throne room by running.

After General Mak had left the room completely.

"Zuko!" Ty Lee had called.

"I'm sorry, Ty Lee. But we have to do this another time." Zuko told Ty Lee, then turned his back to go elsewhere.

"No, wait Zuko!" Ty Lee then grabbed Zuko's left wrist with both her hands.

Zuko then turned his body three-quarters toward Ty Lee. "I can't do this with you, right now! Yu Dao is in trouble and-"

"I'm coming with you! You need my help!" Ty Lee yelled with a serious look on her face.

Zuko gasped for a second after he heard her, then nodded toward her. "Thanks."

Later That Afternoon...

More than a dozen large Fire Nation ships had set sailed east toward the Fire Nation colony, Yu Dao. The ships sailed with great haste as the Fire Nation had learned of the Earth Kingdom's invasion. There were over thirty elite Fire Nation soldiers on each ship. But there was one ship ahead and in front of the Fire Navy fleet. And that was the ship where Fire Lord Zuko had stood on.

Fire Lord Zuko gazed straight forward and only forward. His focus was stopping the Earth Kingdom from reconquering the Fire nation colony, Yu Dao within the Earth Kingdom. Beside him were two Fire Nation elite guards dressed in armor.

Standing right behind Zuko was Ty Lee, whom still had worn her Kyoshi Warrior uniform and makeup. She frowned as she looked worried as the ship they rode on was currently sailing toward Yu Dao. Something had also appeared on her mind. A short brief image of herself, Zuko, Aang, Toph, Katara, Sokka, Momo, Bosco and the Earth King Queue inside the big green throne room in Ba Sing Se had randomly appeared in her mind.