Responses to Reviews:

RonaldM40196867: There may be holidays for spirits in villages next to natural features which have spirits associated with them; but considering how old spirits are I don't think there would be spirits for holidays.

Zigzagdoublezee: I don't know, I can't really picture it. There also doesn't seem to be any fanart of it at all.

As Always, Please Review!

Zuko grunted as he was shaken awake roughly. Then adrenaline kicked in and he sat up, a fire dagger appearing in his hand expecting trouble.

A figure scrambled off him and held their hands up, a gesture of peace. Then, in the light from the fire dagger, Zuko recognised his cousin.

"We need to move," Lu Ten said urgently.

"What?" Zuko was still quite tired and did not really understand what was going on.

"I said we need to move!" Lu Ten repeated himself impatiently. "You're in danger!"

"What does that mean?" Zuko pulled the covers off himself and began fumbling for his clothes.

"The Firelord thinks you committed treason, genius," Lu Ten rolled his eyes. "You do know what he does to traitors?"

"A small slap on the wrist and then we carry on like nothing ever happened?" Zuko asked hopefully. Lu Ten shook his head.

"Have you ever known Ozai to be so forgiving?"

Zuko shook his head.

"The penalty is death, Zuko. Death." His cousin looked at him with concern.

"I've seen it happen. It's not pretty."

"But why?" Zuko felt tears threatening to well in his eyes. "I'm his son!"

"I know," Lu Ten said softly. "But that's not going to stop him. He says he'll be setting an example for the rest of the country."

"He says- have you talked to him about this?" Zuko demanded.

"He has mentioned it," Lu Ten nodded. "Now, come on!"

The corridor was empty as the two Princes stepped out of Zuko's room. Lu Ten beckoned for Zuko to be quiet as they made their way down towards the stairs. The Fire Nation flagship continued cruising south, its own little world cut off from the maelstrom that its occupants had unleashed upon the rest of the four nations.

Zuko's feet clattered upon the steps, making Lu Ten wince at each footfall, but they made it up the steps and on deck with no difficulties. Lu Ten then pulled his cousin behind a barrel.

"I've had a boat prepared," he said. "And I've timed this carefully."

He pointed out to sea.

"The coastline of the Earth Kingdom should be about half a mile that way. This is the closest we'll get to it all voyage. You need to get on a boat and go there."

"Why?"

Lu Ten frowned.

"Zuko, your own father wants to kill you! How many times must I remind you of that?"

"Yeah, but... the Earth Kingdom? Aren't we at war with them?"

"Exactly!" Lu Ten nodded. "If our side gets you, they'll deliver you up to Uncle Ozai and he'll-"

He cut himself off for a moment, and then continued.

"If the Earth Kingdom government catches you, you'll likely be treated as a valuable Prisoner of War. They're unlikely to want to hurt you when they could use you."

"So you want to put me in an Earth Kingdom prison?" Zuko's voice raised several octaves. Lu Ten hastily gestured for him to be quiet.

"No!" He said. "You can live as a refugee. It won't be much of a life, but it will be far preferable to what happens if you stay here."

Zuko didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say. He had a choice between an uncertain future here, possibly resulting in death at the hands of his own father. He could run, which would lead him into the jaws of a nation at war, a life as a refugee or as a prisoner. Neither fate seemed great.

He cursed his luck. If father had just told him what was going on to begin with this wouldn't have happened! But now he seemed completely beyond reason. If Zuko didn't know better, in fact, he could almost suspect that his father might have been looking for an excuse.

"Fine," he scowled. "Where's the boat?"

Lu Ten stood up, and then quickly ducked down again.

"It's Azula!"

"Hello Cousin," Azula's voice suddenly got a lot closer. "Taking the air?"

"The night is too beautiful not to," Lu Ten replied casually.

"Maybe," Azula seemed unbothered by that. "I find it clears my head."

"That it does."

There was a pause.

"Are you looking forward to getting home?" Azula seemed unsure of something.

"Not particularly."

"I don't know," Azula suggested. "There's something that seems unclear to me."

"Really?"

"It seems that there is going to be a shakeup of the line of succession soon," Azula said, calmly.

Lu Ten did not say anything, torn between defending Zuko and incriminating himself.

"You're older, and a man," Azula continued. "I'm the sister of the current heir, and daughter of the Firelord. It's going to be one of us."

She sounded completely unbothered by this information.

Lu Ten didn't say anything.

"Just something to think about!"

Then she wandered off. Zuko heard the sound of her footsteps on the stairs.

Immediately Lu Ten was pushing him towards the boat.

"What was that?" Zuko demanded.

"I don't know," Lu Ten shrugged.

"But neither of you are the heir," Zuko said irritably. "I'm the heir."

"You know that, and I know that," Lu Ten replied gently. "Unfortunately, our family may not see it that way."

He began trying to put Zuko on the boat.

"What am I going to do?" Zuko asked.

"Improvise," Lu Ten told him. "Just try to get as far away from us as possible."

He paused.

"I hear Ba Sing Se is lovely at this time of year, and it's unlikely the Fire Nation will be able to touch you inside. Get there, and you can have a life."

Zuko had never been to the city, which was so big it was an entire province of the Earth Kingdom on its own. He nodded, but internally cringed. How was he supposed to get there, let alone live there? But even as he contemplated this, Lu Ten flicked a switch and the winch began to turn, lowering the boat down the side towards the water below.

"Remember!" Lu Ten called after him. "The coast is that way! And Zuko!"

Zuko looked back up at him.

"Good luck!"

The boat hit the water, and then Zuko was on his own.