I wasn't ready for it, most people aren't but I really wasn't ready to go to sleep and just not wake up. It was dark and things felt timeless. I didn't get bored or tired or thoughtful. It was like that moment where you are staring mindlessly at nothing just before sleep where thoughts are just out of reach yet sleep has not yet claimed you. Perhaps this was the sensation that people aspire to in meditation. But then all of a sudden everything changed, I felt the sensation of falling and jumped awake suddenly.

Everything had changed, I wasn't just myself anymore. I was more and yet I felt lesser, I was smaller, lean, memories not my own surged through me and many I was seeing through 2 perspectives. I was 22, I was 13, I had a home, a job, pets, I was exiled homeless with only a disgraced uncle, a shabby ship, second rate crew and a covered eye. I was in the body of a prince mentored by the greatest man on this world. I was a banished prince with only my mission before me.

I am now Zuko, I was always Zuko, I am whatever is left of who I was before. I have the knowledge to capture the Avatar or help him. I have a lotus grand master by my side training me. I know the secrets of firebending, and that no matter what I do my father will never let me home. I have the knowledge to break him and the rightful firelord in my corner.

I hear 3 soft knocks on the door and a jovial voice calls out. "Zuko, I've just made some Chamomile tea! It may not be my favorite but it's great for what ails you."

Before the part of me that was always Zuko can yell at him to leave I center myself. "Come in Uncle."

The large metal door screeches open as my uncle steps though with a pot of tea and 2 cups on a tray. As I look around I see that the room is quite bare but has a desk with a chair, my bed, Zuko's crossed hook swords I remember how to use, a dresser, and a couple books on a shelf.

A rotund man with gray hair with fer black flecks left in his top knot and receding hair line Iroh is very distinct for this world. At least outside of the Fire nation capital it's not very common. He walks over to the desk and pours me a cup, handing it over with a huge grin as he grabs the other cup for himself.

I almost missed the hand off with my lack of depth perception but luckily he has the sense of mind to hold it steady till I can grab on. I sadly think I know how he learned of that necessity for wounds like mine.

I slowly take a sip and I find that the steaming liquid goes down much easier than in my last life but that I appreciate the flavor much more than Zuko used to. It may very well be the best tea I've ever had with no sugar or honey needed. "Thank you uncle, this is very good."

I don't think he was expecting that if his choking on his tea is any indication. "'Cough' you're welcome nephew I'm glad you enjoy it. I only hope it helps you recover quickly."

I stare at my drink and slowly go for another sip… "Thank you for coming with me uncle. I know this is supposed to be a one way trip…" Iroh stiffens and stares at me with a forlorn look on has face but waits for me to continue. "He knows we won't find the avatar, and even if we did, and we captured him, and we brought them back he would never let us live." Uncle's eyes open in shock but before he can interrupt me I continue. "He's done it before you know?"

"Nephew, what do you know?"

I sigh before I tell him the tale. "After Ba Sing Se, after Lu Tinn's… anyway father went before grandfather and asked to be made heir. Grandfather said that father needed to learn respect and the only way to learn it was to feel your pain. He convinced mother to do it, had her assassinate the firelord escape to never be seen again. Father stole the throne from you and silenced any opposition… If we come back with the avatar he'll do the same to us, might even use Azula to do it."

I looked up at uncle Iroh and saw tears dripping down his face. "I'm sorry prince Zuko, I'm sorry that you have to see the world for what it is so young." He leans in and grabs the uninjured side of my head and pulls me in. We both start weeping for him, it's innocence lost. Me for the homes I've left behind.

It takes many minutes before either of us can continue and I choke out a question. "What now?"

Uncle takes a moment to center himself and exhales deeply through his nose, smoke streaming out and seaming to take all his grief with it. "Whatever you want, nephew, we can travel the world, join the war effort in the east, hunt pirates, find a colonial settlement to live the rest of our lives in peace."

"What of the crew, should they be left to wander the world aimlessly by our sides never to return home?"

"They have been exiled either way too prince Zuko, the reasons for which may be different for each but they were all assigned here for a reason."

I think about it for a minute and have an idea. "Would it be possible to build ourselves a Home, all of us? Set up our own colony so that they and any family they have at home could join us if they wish. Away from the intrigue and grievances of the fire nation."

Watching Iroh perk up and smile as the gears start turning in his head makes me feel a bit better. It takes a couple minutes for him to think of something but when he collects his thoughts he gives me a great answer. "When I was crown prince we were still having trouble keeping the peace in the coastal provinces of the western earth kingdom. We had held much of the lands for decades but still felt much resistance."

"I proposed an idea that has rarely been used so it's still technically in use. Any earth kingdom province or village can willingly submit to fire nation rule and be allowed admittance unmolested. The village leaders stay the same and the earth benders can even stay free men as long as they submit to fire nation rule. Very few places have done it and since your father has become fire lord none have tried, but if we take a piece of land for ourselves, say a port from some pirates. We can then name myself lord and you as my heir for that territory and "submit" to fire nation rule. I also know a couple people who can get it signed off without even telling the Fire lord."

"Would he not try to revoke our titles after he finds out?"

"Unlikely, he will probably see it as us accepting our exile and leaving us to die in what he sees as poverty." Iroh's smile is a little too big for the words die in poverty having just come out his mouth, but all the same it's not a horrible plan. Now I just need to get the crew on board somehow. Also might want to figure out where a good pirate port to take might be, preferably in the south for when Aang shows up.

"What port should we try to take uncle?"

Iroh walks over to my desk and pulls out the map of the known world and flattens it out on the desk. He first points to a point just southwest of the great divide. "I can't say for certain that we will find a port here but it would be a good location for one. Just outside of fire nation territory but also on the fringes of Omashu territory there would be little in the way of oversight for anyone here."

Thinking this location to be too close to the fire nation and much further north than I would like I ask him for the other options. Next he points to a point between the 2 rivers north of Omashu. "I know that there is a Pirate base that operates out of here but we would be only a couple days' march from Omashu and I believe that the southern water tribe uses it as well. The fight might not be worth it."

"What about around here?" I say pointing at the mouth of the river leading to GaoLing.

"There may well be one down there this cove south of the river would be a great place for one regardless but we would be very far out of the way. Very safe though Kyoshi island to the west had been neutral for decades, GooLing has just kept their heads down and the kingdom of Omashu wouldn't be able to cross the swamp to get to us." Uncle stops talking to think further on the matter while I think of the pros he doesn't know about. We would be close to the avatar, the Kyoshi warriors, the swamp benders, and the greatest earth bender who ever lived.

"I like it uncle, far from the fire nation, secure from potential enemies, we may even be able to set up trade with GooLing and Kyoshi island if we play our cards right and we would be a good stop over port for any fire nation ships that need to travel east around the earth kingdom keeping us in the know of back home."

Uncle smiles and looks at me with fondness, "I'm glad to see you are finding you way my prince."

His words hit me hard and I almost start crying again but I stop myself and thank him. I go to grab my tea but it has gone cold long ago. Luckily I have just the power to fix that, for the first time since my 2 lives have merged I try to heat the cup. Immediately it starts to boil and I almost drop it. I guess memories aren't the only thing that I have been given but power as well. While staring at the cup I turn to Uncle and look at his impressed face. I guess these memories have to be pretty close to that metamorphoses Zuko went through in the anime. "Gather the crew Uncle, it's about time they learned about our new mission. Might also be good to know who I'm about to lead in a fight against Pirates."

He smiles and bows to me "Yes my prince." I bow back with a smile.

—-

I walk out onto the deck to see the entire crew standing at attention, I'm sure more for Iroh's sake then my own they are all at least 3 years my senior. What they must think of me? From 6 fire benders, 10 spearmen, 6 swordsmen, 4 archers, lieutenant Jin, 2 engine crewmen, the cook, and the helmsman. A thirty man crew with its captain and 2 royals.

Every man and woman here must have history, 3 of the 8 women on board look at me with hate filled eyes, 2 more look down and away almost scarred. 3 of the men look depressed, a fair few falsely stoic. 4 of the younger men look to me with hope I might soon be crushing. Jin, the old cook, helmsman, and leader of the foot soldiers all are clearly only here out of respect to Iroh. They stand at attention but their eyes won't even meet mine. "Thank you for gathering here. I know that none of you wish to be on this ship. Some of you might hope that this is just some couple year long appointment that we'll get recalled from after I learn my lesson. I'm here to tell you that is not the case, but I think that you deserve to know why we are out here. 16 days ago I sat in on the first war council I was allowed to attend."

"General HaiGou proposed a plan to sacrifice an entire battalion of new fire nation recruits to die at the hands of the earth kingdom army, just so that they could then ambush them after they let their guard down." I now held the attention of every person on deck, the tension so thick people seemed to stop breathing. Even Iroh looked shocked I would talk about this.

"7 other generals sat in that room, 4 admirals, 2 princes and the fire lord sat in that room. No one else seemed to bat an eye at the planned deaths of over 400 loyal soldiers. I spoke in the defense of those men and how we couldn't just throw the lives of our soldiers away. That was the mistake that got me into this mess. I was told I spoke out of turn, my defense was that the plan was out of turn and the dispute had to be settled with an Agni Kai." I looked around at the crewmen before me and for the first time saw real respect in some of their eyes.

"I walked out to the battle grounds the next day to fight a man who would so easily lay down the lives of so many men for a slight advantage and instead saw my father." The first breath many of my crew had taken in over a minute was a gasp of air at this proclamation.

"My crime was not disrespecting the general, no it was disrespecting my father for daring to speak out against that madness. I begged forgiveness and refused to fight him." I pointed to my covered eye, "this was my lesson in humility, this trip is to make sure it sinks in for the rest of my life." One of the young men in the back turns around and walks to the side of the ship and starts to vomit over the side. Most of the rest just stare at me in horror.

"That is why we are on this trip, I can't say I know why any of you were chosen but I can make some guesses. "Some of you were a little too good so you needed to be shuffled off from incompetent superiors." I stare down one of the fire benders as I say this, then I turn to the captain of the spearmen. I know him, he was close with one of Tai Lee's sisters. "A couple of you might have been too close to someone 'outside of your rank'. Or maybe you were pressured to give up something you should never have been asked to." This last statement I direct to 2 women standing next to each other.

"I can't fix the past, but I can tell you what I plan to do now. We are not going to crisscross the world looking for someone who has been missing for 100 years, no we may have been banished from home for alleged crimes leveled against us, but we will build a new place to call our own. It won't be easy or the same, but it will be ours and maybe we can rebuild some of what we lost."

I pull out a crude map of the western earth kingdom and point to the mouth of the GaoLing river.

"Here we will build our new home, but it won't be easy. We'll have to find a pirate cove, claim it for ourselves and liberate the area into our care. Then we will have to turn a den of pirates into a real port and pacify the locals to accept our rule or the area. After that we will have to get as much of the surrounding territory as possible to peacefully join us to legitimize us as a colonial province. After that we just need to try to keep the pirate problems around us down and live quiet and hopefully comfortable lives in our new home."

I try to look every crewmember in the eyes after saying this and many are looking at me in a new light. The prince that would fight an agni kai for soldiers he's never met. The reason they are out here, but also the one giving them new hope. A couple even seem proud to be here, but most give me hard looks, not out of hatred or malaise but knowing how hard this new task I have set will be.

I decide to leave them with something to think about and bow deeply to them. "You are my crew now, and if there are any goals that I can help you achieve, come to me and we will try to meet them together. Dismissed." With that I turn around and walk back to my cabin. I'll let uncle handle any questions for now.

AN: So what does everyone think so far. I hope that this premise is as intriguing as I hope it is.