Reverse

by Nazaki-Sama

Forced to go on another 'Adventure' by his menace of a sister; Zuko got the shock of his life when the two of them discovered a legend, everyone thought had disappeared from their world more than a hundred years ago. Now with hope reignited; Zuko and Azula joined forces with The Avatar to restore balance and harmony to their world. Role Reversal.

1. Book One: Water 'Boy in the Volcano'

…Reverse…

Author's note/Warnings: This is a Yaoi story as in male x male. The pairing is Aang x Zuko. If it offends you, you might want to turn back now. For those that don't mind, I hope you enjoy the story. All reviews are appreciated.

P.S.: This story is a Role Reverse story of 'Avatar: The Last Air Bender' (A challenge given to me by my noisy BFF, and I intended to see it through!). This story takes place in the ATLA's timeline to some extent but with many major changes, such as it being a role reversal, Aang being aged up to sixteen, and other things. Fair warning, English is not my first language, and I am still unsure about the story but I will try my best to give this fic the attention it deserves.

Disclaimer: I will only say this once. I don't own anything and make no profit from this story.

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Chapter 1: The Boy In The Volcano

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Long ago…

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…Long ago…

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…Long ago…

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…The Avatar, Master of all elements…

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…Until the Fire Nation-!

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Wrong…

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…Wrong…

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…Wrong.

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Reverse!

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It was all in reverse…

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…Everyone was wrong.

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….Everything changed when the Water Tribes attacked…

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…("Water. Earth. Fire. Air." A soft, gentle voice started the tale that was as old as time and forgotten by all who lived in the order of the new world. "My mother used to tell me stories about the old days: a time of peace when the Avatar kept the balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads." The children lying in their beds gazed at their mother; their eyes were wide as they hung to every word said by the woman. The boy, the older one, looked at the woman with wide eyes full of wonder, as he drank every word like a man thirsting for knowledge, while the little girl had her nose scrunched, and a skeptical look in her eyes that conveyed how she didn't believe or cared enough about the tale, but all the same, the girl didn't protest and remained quiet, allowing her mother to continue. "But that all changed when the Water Tribes attacked!" The boy let out a startled 'Meep!' when their mother brandished her hands in a claws-like fashion and let out a mock growl.

The little girl burst out in laughter, shrieking loudly as she pointed at the little boy whose face turned red. The boy ordered his sister to 'Shut it!' to which only snickers were heard as the little girl stuck her tongue at him, amusement coloring her face, as she snickered in delight and ignored the boy. "How could you even be called a warrior when you are always afraid every time the Ice Savages are mentioned?!" The girl snorted, sending the boy a mocking grin.

"S-shut up!" The boy squeaked, sending a glare toward the girl and almost picking up one of the pillows and throwing it at his sister's face in retaliation for the mean words said by the girl, because the boy knew well enough if push comes to shove, he would be brave enough to stand and fight; he would always stand up and fight to protect his precious people and home.

"Now, now, kids, what did we say? No fighting." The woman chided softly raising her hand to ruffle the children's hair, ignoring the girl's squeak and the boy's pout. "And no mocking." Here the woman turned to the girl and pinched her cheek softly in a punishment, ignoring the whine and the tiny hands patting her hand away. "Now, where were we?" The woman hummed, finally pulling her hand away from the little girl's cheek and ruffled her hair gently, ignoring the pout on the girl's face.

"The savages attack." The girl grumbled and rolled her eyes and snuggled under her blanket, and the boy couldn't help but wonder. For someone who tried to make fun of him and show that she was not interested in 'Babies' Stories', his sister followed the story with rapid attention.

The woman's lips twitched into a smile, and she didn't point out to the little girl what she and the little boy had observed. "Right." The woman nodded before she cleared her throat, and once more returned to the tale, her voice lowering down a pitch for a dramatic effect. "Only The Avatar mastered all four elements; only he could stop the Savage Water Benders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished." The boy couldn't help the harsh inhale as he heard the last word, and he could only clutch his blanket tightly. "A hundred years have passed, and the Water Tribes are nearing victory in the war. Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken-!" Before the woman could continue the story, a knock resonated in the room, and all three turned to the door to see someone standing there with a frown.

The boy seeing his father in the doorway, could only shift in discomfort and turn to glance nervously at his mother who was tilting her head in a silent question, and then at his sister who was pretending to be asleep… Of course, she will… the boy couldn't help but grumble internally at the thought of his sister once more throwing him in the line of fire. "If you are done telling them foolish stories, then come." That was his father's parting words before he frowned when looking at the boy, making the boy swallow and shuffle under the cover until he was lying under preparing to sleep.

"A few more minutes." The woman stated, not looking that concerned by the man's angry voice or even afraid; she just rolled her eyes and shooed the man away, uncaring of his grumbling words as she went to cover his sister and pinched her cheek once more in punishment ignoring the scrunch of the nose from the girl and how she probably wanted to pat their mother's hand away but couldn't because it would expose her lie.

The boy, seeing this, could only give a vindictive grin, feeling avenged and a happy mood once more could only be felt as the boy looked up at his mother who sent him a wink. "Mom…" The boy could only whisper when the woman came and started putting him down to bed, his heart pounding loudly and he hoped his father wouldn't hear and scold him for making his mother late for whatever she needed to do at this hour. "Do you really think that the Avatar's Cycle is broken?" The boy couldn't help but ask, wondering if this was really true and if the Avatar was no more; just the thought of that couldn't help his heart from pounding like a scared rabbit because if the Avatar was no more, didn't that mean the Water Tribes would win and then kill everyone?

The woman paused and blinked before she started to pet his hair. "…I don't think so, darling…" The woman smiled then, leaning down and kissed his forehead. "I still believe that, somehow, the Avatar will return to save the world." The boy's eyes widened at that and a spark shone in them; the woman raised the blankets and tucked the boy. "But, for that to happen never let go of 'Hope'." With that, the woman stood up, blew the candles, and left.

"What a bunch of bull sharks." The little girl grumbled to herself, finally daring to open her eyes when both of their mother and father finally left the room, leaving them alone; the boy, hearing this, could only scowl and send the girl a huffy glare.

"You only say that because you don't know what you are talking about." The boy stuck his tongue out at his sister, ignoring the way she rolled her eyes at him. "You just have to have hope that the Avatar will return and then he will; you will see." The boy grinned superiorly, knowing that when the Avatar really returned and stopped this war, then he would rub it in his sister's face because he believed and she didn't.

"As you say, Zuzu, as you say." The girl mocked, making the boy frown at the mention of that annoying pet name his sister bestowed on him when young and then started mocking him using it after her Fire Bending manifested and his didn't (For now that was because he was sure his Fire Bending would manifest and soon!). "I will believe it when I see it, and when the Avatar is back, I promise I will title you as 'The Greatest Dum-Dum to ever live', finder of the Avatar and all that crap-!" The girl didn't even manage to finish her words because she let out a squeak when a pillow hit her face, courtesy of the boy who had had enough of his sister and her annoying blabber. "Why you!" His little sister growled and almost pushed the blankets and jumped on him.

It was only the harsh knock on their bedroom door that made both the children squeak in terror and get under their blankets, fearing that their father was back and would scold them for staying up late past their bedtime. After a while of silence and no one opening the door, a giggle almost left the boy's lips when he heard footsteps retreating back, and no scolding or anything followed; looking at his sister, the boy managed to see the same look of amusement and delight that was wiped away when she noticed the boy's eyes on her.

"You will see, Zula, one day, I will find the Avatar, just wait." The boy whispered, his declaration gaining an eye roll from his sister who shifted in her bed and gave him her back, content to sleep and ignore him.

Shaking his head at his sister's antics, the boy looked at the window that was showing the full moon, his mind still repeating his mother's story again and again… Hope, huh? …The boy closed his eyes, and allowed a small smile to cross over his face… Zuko promised then and there…

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He would find the Avatar, and help him stop the war…)…

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"Come on, Dum-Dum, hurry up!" Azula's annoyed growl could be heard across the clearing, making Zuko who was being pushed by his sister who was giving it her all to make Zuko move (To a distention unknown to him) sigh tiredly and drag his feet forward, almost groaning as he felt his sister giving him another push forward and a punch in the back trying to make him move faster. "We need to go to the tip of the volcano before the sun sits." Another annoyed growl and another tired sigh followed it, and Zuko couldn't help but ponder how this was his life, being dragged away from his work and outside of the protected capital to go to some volcano in a wasteland just because his sister had this brilliant plan about going on an adventure today of all days.

"Remind me again, why are we in this wasteland heading toward a volcano?" Zuko questioned, eying the volcano in the distance before he twisted his head to gaze at their home which was nothing but a tiny spot in the distance; again, how long had they been walking? Three hours? Four? "Are you planning on causing a natural disaster with your presence?" Zuko teased his sister a bit, but even teasing the girl, part of Zuko was a bit worried at the thought of what his sister was planning on doing this close to the dormant volcano… just the thought of what his sister would be up to near this dangerous place, almost made Zuko swallow a curse, knowing that it would be much, much worse if his sister was left unsupervised without Zuko doing damage control.

"Haha, very funny, and no." Azula rolled her eyes and finally after what felt like decades had stopped pushing him to move forward and instead was walking beside him, a scowl was on her face as she noticed how far the volcano was, and how much they would need to walk to reach that place (Which again, was Azula's fault for not thinking things through; what? Did she expect that the guards would let them pass with two Ostrich Horses to finish their journey when everyone was prohibited from taking a step outside of Caldera's metal walls, least of all the Prince and the Princess of the Fire Nation? …Or what was left of their nation anyway…). "We are going there, to get the Famous Panda Lily," Azula stated with confidence, like she was talking about going to the gardens and picking up a few flowers, nothing more.

"Panda… Lily?" Zuko questioned, stopping in his place and crossing his arms over his chest, a harsh frown on his face as he gazed at his little sister who stopped and looked back at him when she noticed that Zuko wasn't following her anymore. The name 'Panda Lily' rang a bell inside of Zuko's head, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember where he had heard that name or if he had read it in one of the books in the royal library. "Ok, fine, I will bite, what the hell is that?" Zuko questioned, even when knowing that it would be stupid to ask and that his sister was known to do strange shit like this all the time without offering some explanation to go with it. "What was so important about this Lily that you pulled me away from my work for? Is it a miracle cure that would stop the war?" Zuko questioned and just to be a little shit he cooed his next words, making his face take a surprise look and widening his eye in mock shock. "Or did my baby sister finally get in touch with her feminine side?" Here, Azula's face scrunched in disgust, looking at Zuko with a look that told him she was thinking about how he lost his mind, ignoring how Zuko smirked at such a reaction.

"Ha-fucking-ha!" Azula rolled her eyes and snorted before. "Think this way, finding it will restore your honor. Gotta be optimistic, don't you think?" Azula stated off-handedly turning around and planning on hiking through this wasteland toward the volcano in question; ignoring how Zuko stiffened in place as he heard this, the smirk on his face vanished and he could only gaze at his sister's back with humiliation and anger.

"…You know what?" Zuko spat, whirling around and starting his trick back toward Caldera; feeling so furious that his sister had brought this topic up once more and this time, it was in relation to another stupid game of chase for honor that his sister had invented to get Zuko in trouble and make fun of him after… "Bye! Have fun trying to find that stupid Lily; I am going back to the palace." Zuko huffed, planning on walking back home where in the end, Zuko would end up having to explain to his uncle how his stupid sister had dragged him outside of the walls on a stupid chase for a stupid flower and that all the panic happening within the city was their fault and Zuko would take responsibility for it… like he always does with Azula's schemes.

"Oh, come on! Don't be so sensitive!" Azula huffed, the stomping of the footsteps behind Zuko informed him that his sister was following him, which made Zuko scowl harshly and continue on his mission. "Man, you are even more sensitive than a girl on her period- ouch! What the heck was that for?!" Azula squeaked in pain, her hands going immediately to her stinging forehead while she sent Zuko a glare filled with anger when she saw Zuko throwing and catching a pebble in one hand, which no doubt informed her what had hit her forehead in the middle not a few seconds ago.

"First, for being a brat, and second, because I wanted to." Zuko rolled his eyes, letting go of the pebble in his hand before returning to his journey, feeling avenged by the pain he caused this brat who still even after all these years, brought back the painful topic that kept Zuko up at night, and made him the laughing stoke of every person in Caldera for years, and years to come. "Goodbye." Zuko waved and walked through the wasteland, scrunching his nose when he heard footsteps following him before that annoying brat jumped him from behind.

"Oh, come on!" Azula whined, trying to use force to steer Zuko back in the direction of the volcano (Not that she managed to do such a fate, and the only reason that she managed to drag him here in the first place was because Zuko allowed her to), Zuko used his agility to kick Azula in the leg (Gently), making her stumble and let go, allowing Zuko to get away from her, using his speed, Zuko ran forward and ignoring Azula who was hoppling after him. "Wait, wait, just wait!" Azula cried out, and Zuko, even when he didn't want to, slowed down and turned slightly to his sister, raising his eyebrow at her and telling her to fess up before he had it up to here with her stupidity; Azula pursed her lips at that before she sighed through her nose and mumbled. "This is important; I need you to come and help me find this Lily…" Making Zuko blink, blink, and blink some more, wondering if the heat had affected him and how he was seeing a mirage with his sister's face…

"…Uh-huh?" Zuko hummed slowly, raising his hand to rub his right eye hoping this mirage would vanish… Nope! It was still here! …Zuko then cleaned his right ear before saying. "Could you repeat that? I think you said it in my bad ear." Making Azula flush red with anger and embarrassment, but the girl in the end, forced the words once more through gritted teeth, and Zuko could only blink and think that 'Yup!' he was losing it. "Say 'Sorry' and 'Please'." Zuko couldn't help but be a little shit, feeling a bit giddy and excited at the thought of his sister being desperate enough to seek his help that she would probably do whatever Zuko asked if it meant she would achieve it (Knowing that her manipulation tricks wouldn't work on him and that if she wanted something from Zuko than she should get on his good side or he would end up retaliating in a way she would regret… the pink bedroom and decor was a lesson hard to forget, and Azula learned the hard way when she was forced to sleep in that Girly Princess room for months on end before she finally broke down and came apologizing).

Azula growled, stomping her feet and looking angry, like she was going to unleash her fires at him any minute now but was holding back; in the end, Azula did none of that but allowed a huge pout to dominate her face as she choked out. "…Please…" Not apologizing like Zuko demanded (And when did Azula ever apologize for anything? It was not in his sister's habits to apologize, and part of Zuko was even sure that the girl was allergic to apologizes or something, but oh well, at least, the girl said 'Please', a win in Zuko's books), still Zuko sighed and shrugged.

"Fine, I will help." Zuko walked toward where his sister was standing, feeling proud of himself for making his sister say 'Please', something that Zuko was going to record in his journal because it was an amazing fate by itself. "But first, what do you need this flower for, and what does it look like?" Zuko questioned, wondering if he could know why the name of the flower was so familiar but at the same time hard for Zuko to put a finger on.

"Ok, so listen…" The way his sister paused when she said this, made Zuko's heart drop because he knew there was a catch, and his sister would either try to run in circles in the hopes of disorienting him and making him forget about it or would look at Zuko and demand that he do a miracle to make the impossible possible. "…It's a black and white flower, that grows on top of volcanos and…" OK, that was not so bad, Zuko could work with that, so far, so good… "…It's probably not native to the Fire Nation…" There it was! There it was right there! The catch!

"Yeah, no, I am heading back." Zuko whirled around, planning on returning back home because no; no, no, no, no, no, no, NO! Zuko was not going to endanger his life and possibly bring the attention of the Water Savages toward him and his sister because the little girl had this brilliant (Not!) plan of going to the top of the sleeping volcano outside of Caldera to try and find a flower that was not even native to their home!

"Zuko!" Azula's shriek resonated loudly in the wasteland before once more Azula jumped on Zuko's back and tried to stop him from taking another step forward and leaving her alone. "I need your help! The Princess of the Caldera is demanding help!" Here, Azula decided to use a different approach by using her whiny personality to get what she wanted, ignoring how Zuko was walking with Azula on his back like she was as light as a feather. "Are you going to leave your delicate sister all alone unprotected where she could be hurt? Do you not fear for my life if I was attacked by the ruthless Water Benders?" Azula whined and whined and whined some more, until Zuko let out an annoyed groan and shook his back harshly, causing his little sister to squeak when she was shaken off and fell on the ground below.

Zuko gazed at the little girl with annoyance, wondering how a twelve-year-old like her could cause Zuko so much trouble and it wasn't even afternoon! "…I will fear for that someone's life, not you. And really, delicate, you? You are anything but that, brat." At these last words, a smirk of pride flashed on Azula's face before the girl caught herself and wiped it away, giving Zuko a mock look of hurt when her brother continued to look at her with annoyance and nothing more. "Tell me though, what is it so important about this Panda Lily that you dragged me from my work, away from the palace, and toward the dormant volcano?" Zuko questioned, watching how Azula shifted a bit while hearing this, and her face twisted into a complicated expression. "It better be good, Zula, I was in the middle of preparing for Szeto's Festival, and dragging me away from my work would only increase my workload." Zuko sighed, already feeling the headache pounding in his head at the work left for him when he returned back today… or tomorrow, because from the look of it, Zuko wouldn't even see his room at all in the next hours or so.

At the reminder of the festival, Azula's face scrunched in distaste before she stood up and started patting herself from the dirt and sand clinging to her from the fall. "…Why do you even care about that stupid festival…" Azula grumbled to herself, looking angry as she patted her butt. "…It's not like anyone would care enough to celebrate it or show up at the palace, why bother with it…" More grumbles followed, and Zuko could only press his lips tightly and look away.

"…I know…" Zuko admitted after a while of silence, feeling uncomfortable and a touch humiliated, but want it or not, Zuko promised his uncle he would handle all about the festival even if no one showed up in the end (In the deeper part of his heart, though, Zuko could only feel humiliation and helplessness because he knew that his people would have celebrated if anyone but him was the one who was overseeing the preparation if it was his uncle, his father, or hell his sister! Or… The image of his mother flashed before his mind's eye but Zuko shook it away… people just didn't like him…). "But that still didn't mean we should forsake our traditions just like that; besides, people need a boost and a chance to forget about the war even for a bit; this festival could be just that." Zuko offered gently, even when he knew that after a hundred years of war, what they needed wasn't a festival as much as they needed to find the Avatar so this war would end.

"Or, it could be a total waste of time, money, and food." Azula rolled her eyes, looking too annoyed as she crossed her arms over her chest, a scowl painting her face. Zuko on the other hand, even if he was feeling the same, didn't have it in him to agree with his sister; part of him hoped that maybe, just maybe… "Stupid, I can't believe Iroh told you to prepare for the festival…" Azula grumbled some more before she huffed under her breath hoping that Zuko's bad hearing wouldn't pick it up. "…If Dad was here he wouldn't allow such stupidity to continue…" But Zuko managed to hear it, and at the mention of his father, Zuko could only shift.

But Dad isn't here, he wasn't here for the past three years, and wouldn't be if the Avatar wasn't found… Zuko wanted to say back, but in the end, he swallowed what really wanted to leave his throat and rolled his eyes. "That's Uncle Iroh for you." He chided his sister for calling their uncle by his name just like that when she should show respect to the older man. "Anyway, the Panda Lily?" Zuko reminded his sister, getting them back to the topic of this strange flower that got his sister in a tizzy.

"Oh, right, The Panda Lily." Azula's eyes regained that manic light that was in them when she burst inside his room this morning and dragged him away, ignoring Zuko's protests and how he barely had the time to pick up his Dao swords and his Azula-Backpack (Which included everything needed when Azula went in one of his crazy moods and decided to drag Zuko with her on crazy adventures that would result in them -Mostly Zuko- getting in trouble. That pack held a first aid kit, water, nonperishable food, ropes, antidotes to poisons, several weapons to use in case they needed them -Which they probably don't, but they couldn't be careless about things-, and other things… sigh… life with Azula was hard…). "Well, it's said-!" And then Azula started telling him about that damned lily, making Zuko's face fall with every word said until he all but facepalmed so hard the sound resonated back to Caldera.

"So, let's get this straight…" Zuko started slowly, his hands pressed flatly together while he looked at Azula; an unimpressed look on his face as he looked at the girl who was puffing her chest with pride. "…You dragged me all the way here, to search for a Rare flower, that was Native to the Earth Kingdom in the lands of Fire." Zuko said every word slowly, emphasizing the words 'Rare' and 'Native', watching how his sister nodded her head to confirm. "You dragged me to one of Caldera's dormant volcanoes to find a flower that was used to express love and devotion to your significant other." Zuko pointed with his hands (That were still pressed together with palms flat against the other) at Azula as he said that, watching how her face scrunched at the implication but still, she nodded. "Let me get this straight… so you raised the alarms in Caldera signaling an attack from the Water Nation, causing chaos and fear inside Caldera, all so you will manage to sneak us past the Great Walls of the city and to this wasteland without a way back and ignoring the fact we could be taken hostage and killed by the Ice Savages, just to search for this mysterious lily…" Zuko's eyes didn't leave his sister whose smile started to slip a bit at the realization of what kind of trouble she just threw them in.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Azula chuckled and shrugged carelessly, giving Zuko an innocent look (That Zuko wasn't buying at all!), that made Zuko groan as he facepalm so hard, even Azula winced; Zuko could only mutter something under his breath, trying to take deep breath to stop himself from exploding at his idiotic sister who had just endangered their lives and would cause their death for a stupid flower that didn't exist at all!

"Azula…" Zuko said slowly through gritted teeth, glaring at the girl who was whistling and looking away, not seeming to care about the situation they were in. "Fire Lilies!" Zuko snapped, glaring at his sister with a look full of anger and ignoring her grimace at his loud voice. "It's the Fire Lilies season!" Zuko shrieked, throwing his hands up in the air, and glaring at the little girl who was just pouting and looking annoyed more than anything. "What use are Panda Lilies for us, when we have Fire Lilies! Oh, my Agni! Our garden is full of Fire Lilies, you could have just picked one or ten!" Zuko scolded the little girl, feeling so annoyed at being stupid and allowing things to go this far by following his sister's mad plans. "Also, who is the one you are trying to throw Fire Stones at their heart? Don't you think you are too young for that?!" Zuko couldn't help but question, part of him feeling a bit hysteric at the thought of his baby sister looking at someone with interest to the point of endangering herself to get their attention. Oh, when If he got his hands on that runt who made his sister this stupid then he swore he would-!

"Sheesh, Mom." Azula huffed and rolled her eyes, grumbling to herself, and ignoring how the title she used made Zuko freeze and send her an angry look. "First, it's not the Panda Lilies I am interested in, but what's found buried underneath them!" Here, against his will, Zuko managed to relax a bit at the fact that it was not that damned flower his sister went crazy for. "…And secondly, ewwwww!" His sister gagged, sending Zuko a nasty glare. "What in Agni's name?! Zuzu! The only thing I will throw at someone is a boulder! And I will throw it at their heads!" Zuko hearing this, managed to relax completely because 'Yup!' That was his sister.

"Oh… you got me concerned for a second here…" Zuko stated dryly rolling his eyes but allowing the tension to leave his body when it appeared that there was no one his sister fancied… for now… "I thought you were possessed or something." Zuko in an act of punishment, raised his hand and flicked Azula's forehead hard, ignoring the hiss the girl let out before she kicked him in the shin, glaring at Zuko with anger when the teenager didn't react and only raised his eyebrow at the display, having gotten used to getting his shin kicked by her that it stopped hurting and was just annoyed when it happened. "Also, where are Mai and Ty Lee? Shouldn't these two nuisances accompany you…" Zuko's words trailed off when he managed to catch the tiny flinch before a scowl covered it.

Zuko's heart couldn't help but drop at that reaction, and the first thing that wanted to leave Zuko's throat was 'What did you do?!' already dreading the political nightmare that Zuko would be thrown into because his sister refused to play nice with her friends… it wasn't that long ago that Zuko had to bow his head and beg for forgiveness from Ty Lee's parents when his sister had used the girl as a practice target for her lightning just because Ty Lee said or did something she didn't like (Azula refused to tell him what happened, what was said or done, and just kept her silence like a stubborn brat, even Ty Lee refused to admit to anything, continuing to say nothing happened even when everyone swore high and low they saw Azula almost shooting the girl with lightning). Zuko's lips pressed into a tight line, and he could only close his eyes in resignation, knowing that it was of no use and that Zuko's voice could just vanish from how much he talked and scolded the little girl and his sister would still refuse to listen and would do what she liked whenever she liked and damned everyone and the consequences.

"You know what? Forget about them. I want to be the one coming with you, only to rub it in your face when this quest fails, nothing more." Zuko sent his sister a smug smirk as he said these last few words, making the girl glared at him. "Besides, can't leave my delicate little sister alone, who knows what kind of bad people she will meet on her journey." Zuko baby talked to his sister, flicking her on the forehead, and swiping her feet off with a well-placed kick causing the girl to screech as she fell on her butt.

Zuko let out a mean laugh as he ran toward the volcano, ignoring Azula who was shrieking, and ran after him, sending a Fire Blast that Zuko managed to dodge easily. "You ass!" Azula growled, running after him without a care in the world, but when Zuko glanced back, his lips twitched up when he noticed the small smile on Azula's face as she chased him around.

It wasn't that long when they reached the volcano that Azula had been hounding him about, an hour or so (A record if Zuko had to say) and Zuko could only sigh as he gazed at that place, knowing that what was waiting for them was a long, long hike, filled with Azula's complains and whining and later her demands for Zuko to carry her on his back because she was tired (Ignoring that Zuko was tired because of her and her crazy adventures that she always throw Zuko into).

Looking at the sun that was high in the sky (And knowing that uncle had no doubt noticed them missing and was flipping the palace upside down trying to search for them… oh, the punishment that Zuko was going to receive after today… Zuko could only shiver just thinking about it), Zuko could only let out a defeated sigh when his sister went to the volcano's side and went straight into Jet-Stepping so she could scale the walls, ordering Zuko to hurry.

Defeated Zuko ordered Azula to get down before getting some ropes from his backpack, tying one of the ends to Azula's waist while the other around his, securing the two of them, ignoring how annoyed Azula was becoming when Zuko ordered her not to use her bending and try to climb like a normal person (Mainly not to attract any of the Water Savages if they were around). With that, they went climbing the volcano's side, with Zuko cursing inside his head, wondering to himself why he was stupid enough to agree to follow his sister, but knowing at the same time if he didn't, his sister would have come here alone and possibly got hurt if Zuko wasn't here to protect this annoying brat.

"Azula, stop, let's rest here," Zuko called out after reaching a protruded rock on the side of the volcano, making sure it was stable and wouldn't fall and cause their death; Zuko pulled Azula up to sit beside him, letting out a sigh as he rested his tired muscles after all the climbing and hiking he did all day long. Shuffling through his pack, Zuko managed to get two water canteens and give Azula one while drinking from the other.

"…I didn't know you had this in your bag of wonders. Thought it only contained books, scrolls, and maps." Azula took the canteen from Zuko, letting out a satisfied noise when Zuko gave her some dried fruit and nuts to go with the water.

"That's my other bag; this one is your crazy adventures bag." Zuko gave his sister a teasing smirk; taking a couple of dried fruits from the container, Zuko popped them in his mouth and chewed. Zuko's eye trailed toward Caldera, and he could only pause in chewing as his sight caught the Great Walls in the distance that enclosed their home… the only city left from what once used to be known as the Great Fire Nation's isles.

"What are you staring at?" Azula's questioning tone snapped Zuko out of his trance, and he could only blink once before resuming his chewing; sipping another mouthful of water, Zuko looked toward the sea in the distance, seeing The Great Gates of Azulon that was burning brightly for everyone to see.

"You could see the Great Gates of Azulon from here." Zuko nodded to the direction of Azulon's gate, making his sister turn to the direction Zuko nodded to and furrow her brows in confusion while grumbling 'Where?', making Zuko's lips twitch up. "There." Zuko raised his hand and pointed at the burning gates, watching his sister's face scrunch up when she finally managed to spot the gates in question.

"You mean that big wall of fire enclosing the eastern borders," Zuko hummed in confirmation, making Azula raise an eyebrow but continue munching on the dried fruit and stealing more nuts from the container. "As if it matters, it's just one wall from many others that enclosed Caldera. A weak one at that, especially surrounded by sea, where the Ice Savages could break through." Azula 'Tsk'-ed, glaring at the firewall like it insulted her ancestors; as for Zuko he didn't have it in him to point out the pros of the great wall that was built by the best craftsmen in their grandfather's time and how it was built like this intentionally to stop the Savages from piercing through the metal and using the sea to their advantage and destroy any wall built, all in the hope of stopping them from advancing to Caldera.

The Fiery Gates of Azulon was two hundred meters in height. With a complex system that ensured the net was always coated with a flammable mixture that would ignite at the slightest spark even after being submerged in water for days on end. A marvel that the only way to cross was to swim under (Impossible as the metal net was attached to the seabed in fear of the Ice Savages being able to bend the water and part the sea) or fly above (So far other than the extinct Air Nomads no device created managed to transport people by air), something that Zuko was assured wouldn't happen and the gates wouldn't be breached…

"Should have just built a sixty-meter wall like the rest and be done with it." Azula rolled her eyes and kicked her legs while she leaned back on her hands to gaze at the steel walls surrounding Caldera. Zuko took another sip and swallowed before closing the cork and putting his canteen in his pack, gazing at Caldera in the distance with a complex look in his eye…

Where the Great Ba Sing Se had their high walls made of solid rocks and earth to protect them from the Ice Savages, the Fire Nation had their steel walls; walls created by Azulon himself when the savage Water Benders had attacked and killed his father Sozin and the Air Nomads, a hundred years ago during Sozin Comet's Festival and with that starting the war. Walls that were the only reason Caldera was still standing after a century of war against the Water Nation and hadn't fallen like the rest of their islands in the Water Benders' greedy hands. Zuko seeing these walls (Seeing this prison surrounding Caldera because that was what these walls were, even if they offered protection, they were nothing but a prison, keeping what was left of the Fire Benders alive and trapped) could only frown harshly, clutching his hands in tight fists, and swore that one day he would make sure that these walls were no more and that this wasteland that was once the Fire Nation would be filled with greenery and life instead of death.

Zuko didn't know how long he and Azula rested on the rock, replenishing their strength after hours of walking followed by climbing, but looking at the sky above, Zuko could only sigh and stand up, taking the canteen from Azula's hand and putting it in the backpack. "Let's hurry, we need to climb faster if we want to reach the top before the sun sets," Zuko ordered the little brat with him, watching how Azula patted herself down before she started climbing once more; Zuko waited and when he saw the girl was paces away, he started climbing behind her making sure that in the event her foot slipped and she fell, he would be able to catch her.

"Finally, we are here!" Azula laughed when they finally reached the top of the volcano, grinning victoriously and mischievously that Zuko couldn't help the headache that made itself known and told him that his sister was up to no good. Sighing to himself Zuko's hands went to untie the ropes around his middle, only to pause when his eyes caught his sister's manic ones… you know what? Just on the safe side, Zuko was keeping these ropes.

"Yeah, wow, and all of that, just go find your Panda Lily, and let's go, the sun will set any minute now," Zuko ordered, loosening the ropes a bit to give his sister a bit more room to go and explore, hoping that she would find that damn lily so the two of them could make the journey back home (Hoping desperately that his uncle wouldn't have his head for being stupid and allowing Azula to endanger both of them with such stupid action). "You can go now, but don't take these off." Zuko sighed, sat on a rock, and gazed at Caldera who was nothing but a tiny dot in the distance; he already had a solid plan to get back inside, but what Zuko wasn't keen on was what was waiting for him back home when his uncle caught the sight of him and then would punish him by kneeling in the Ancestral Hall all night long for such stupidity exhibited by him when he allowed Azula to get into his head and convince him of her very stupid plan and also sits the alarm and terrify their people's beyond imagination just to sneak away.

"Hey, Dum-Dum!" Azula's annoyed voice resonated loudly and Zuko's snapped out of his daze, letting out a sigh and wondering what his sister wanted this time. "A little bit of help is appreciated!" Azula ordered him, and Zuko could only roll his eyes for the umpteenth time that day, grumbling to himself about how this lily was Azula's to find and not his.

"Now why would I- Azula!" Zuko turned toward his sister, only to screech when he saw her dangling from the rim of the volcano with the ropes, Zuko specifically ordered Azula not to take off, lying on the ground paces away from the girl. Without thinking about it, Zuko sprinted toward his sister and dove right in to take hold of her legs, his heart in his throat as he tried to pull this idiot who would be the death of him one day. "Oh, my Agni! Azula what in the name of everything holy are you doing?!" Zuko screeched, trying to pull his sister off the edge and toward her certain doom, only to get the girl to growl and try to kick him in the face before Zuko managed to grip both of this brat's legs.

"Just Hold my leg, and lower me a bit, I see something!" Azula ordered, wiggling like a slippery eel and ignoring Zuko who was a second away from a heart attack; forget uncle punishing both of them, Zuko would be the one who killed this brat when they both got back to Caldera! "Hah! I found it! I found a Panda Lily! Take that Mai! Fuck you! I found one! Let me see you talking shit now!" Azula laughed manically and wiggled more to make Zuko let her go, something that would have happened if Zuko hadn't managed to hold the brat before it was too late. "Zuzu, lower me so I could pluck it!" Azula laughed and ignored how Zuko almost vomited his heart trying to stop his stupid sister from falling to her death.

"What? No!" Zuko screeched, trying to pull Azula up and ignoring her as she tried to kick him to get free. "Hey, stop moving around, you will fa-!" The sound of electricity crackles made the fine hair on his body stand on its end, and it wasn't long before that distinctive sound of Azula choking out 'Uh…Zuzu…' in a voice that Zuko had long since categorized as the girl getting into serious trouble and needing Zuko to come and help her. "…What did you do?" Zuko swallowed before whispering, feeling his heart drop to his stomach when the sound of a pebble falling and causing an avalanche was heard. Terrified and with his heart pounding rapidly in his chest, Zuko leaned toward the edge, his eye widening almost comically when he saw the mass of rocks going down and breaking the hard shell on the surface of the volcano that had been dormant for over a hundred years… As the earth began to shake, Zuko knew it wasn't that long before lava started rising to the surface so he needed to move fast. "…Fuck…" Zuko choked out, finally snapping out of his terror and pulling his sister from the edge.

"Hey, my Lily!" Azula shrieked and Zuko just held his sister over his shoulder like a sack of rice and started running toward the edge, terror clouding his eyes as he wondered how the hell they were going to survive this and get down this damn volcano unscathed.

"Fuck that Lily!" Zuko could only screech, as he saw smoke rising in the background; getting out one of his Dao swords, Zuko gave it an apologetic look for what he was about to do, and jumped down the mountain, thrusting the metal into the solid rocky structure all his strength to slow down their fall. Another earthquake followed, and a muffled explosion was heard, causing Zuko's heart to drop then and there, he could only curse in every language he knew as he looked back to the top to see how long they had until the lava reached them… only there was no lava and the black smoke… stopped?

"Eh? That's it?" Azula questioned with an almost bored tone and Zuko if he had it in him to be pettier and angry at what happened more than he already was, he would have dropped her then and there and allowed her to plummet to the ground below and turn into the definition of a bug getting stepped on. "Let's go and see! Maybe I could still find my Panda Lily!" Azula ordered, struggling and almost causing Zuko to let go of his Dao sword and fall a thousand meters down.

"Azula!" Zuko snapped, only to get stepped on when his sister started to climb up the rocky wall like a spider monkey, letting out a burst of manic laughter, uncaring about losing her life or about the wellbeing of Zuko's heart. "You brat! I swear to Agni when I find you I will throw you into this damn volcano myself!" Zuko screeched as if his life depended on it, pulling his sword back from the rock, Zuko followed that brat who was hellbent on killing him via heart failure.

"Oh, relax, we are Fire Benders! We could control fire and lava! What more do you want?" Azula laughed as she continued climbing her way up, and Zuko wanted to then and there remind her about how Avatar Roku even when being able to bend lava and fire still died when the volcano on his island erupted! "Besides, you are in the presence of the best Fire Bender in history! I will get us out of here unscathed, no need to get all scared cat on me now. We are on an adventure!" Azula's giddy voice reached Zuko, and the teenager couldn't help but groan in pain as he finally managed to catch up to his deranged sister.

"Adventure, she says; getting out unscathed, she says. Best Fire Bender, she says!" Zuko grumbled to himself as he finally reached the top once more, and Zuko could only send his crazy little sister a glare. "Why is it that every time we do something together, you end up causing a natural disaster, or we almost end up losing our lives? This is the third time this month!" Zuko growled, hissing at the girl like an offended cat, and ignoring her wide grin that almost broke her face in half, and wouldn't that be a sight?

"Oh, shut it, you are having fun and you know it!" Azula stuck her tongue at him as she finally climbed over the edge, grinning at Zuko when he also reached the edge. "Way more exciting than those books your head is always buried in." Azula started patting herself looking around with excitement that seemed to diminish when she saw that nothing had happened, ignoring how relieved Zuko was actually feeling when he saw that this was a false alarm and the only thing that was released was gases trapped for a hundred of years and not lava.

"Well, those books you hate, could help us in stopping the war and finding the Avatar." Zuko huffed, walking toward the rim and glancing at the volcano, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw no lava bubbling and trying to break to the surface. Zuko then straightened himself and started patting the sand and dirt away from his armor.

"Ugh!" Azula grimaced, looking so angry and huffy as she stomped her foot down. "Again, with that Avatar's business?!" Azula questioned while glaring at Zuko and giving him a look that informed him his sister thought he was nothing but a stupid idiot for believing in legends and old tales that had proven to be wrong. "Zuko! There is no such thing as the Avatar! The Avatar is dead!" Azula snapped, with her words, bringing up the years-long argument the two of them had about the Avatar's fate every time Zuko acted 'Stupid' and believed in 'Dead Myths' as Azula put it.

"You don't know what you are talking about." Zuko rolled his eyes in annoyance, wondering why now of all time his sister decided to bring up the topic that had caused Azula to try and burn his room many times in the hope of burning his books and maps and the years of research he spent trying and find the Avatar. To this day, Zuko didn't know why his sister would always get angry and huffy at Zuko for still believing that the Avatar was out there when everyone had all but lost hope and washed their hands off such myths, but for Zuko, believing and having hope was the only thing he had after… Zuko shook his head trying to banish the unpleasant memories of fire and pain. "The Avatar is alive; you just have to believe in him and he will…" Zuko started only to get cut by his sister who growled at him and looked incensed.

"Oh, shut it with this stupid old tale!" Azula snapped, pointing at Zuko, and giving him a look that dared him to continue and suffer her wrath when they got back to Caldera (If they got back to Caldera because his crazy sister from the look of it was planning on killing him then and there).

"It's not a stupid tale and you know it! Mom-!" And with that, their argument started once more and Zuko could only get more agitated when this brat continued to mock and make fun of Zuko and to be even more cruel brought the Agni Kai that happened years ago and rubbed it in his face. "You know what? Go to hell!" Zuko snapped, already at his wit's end by the stupid adventure his sister had made him go through followed by the near-death that they experienced. "Ever since that Agni Kai and you had been acting like a complete bitch!" Zuko threw his hands in the air in annoyance and rage, his movement harsh and annoyed and Zuko could only glare at his sister. "Always causing troubles and throwing me in them, not caring about what I am forced to go through to right those damn mistakes of yours…!" Zuko snarled, letting his anger besting him.

"Uh… Zuzu…." Azula choked out, but by then, Zuko was in too deep; ranting and letting go of all his anger that accumulated over the past few years when his sister turned on him and started making him the butt of jokes for every living person in Caldera all because he was stupid enough to stand up and talk during a war meeting.

"…Ever since Mom died, I have been doing all the work in the palace! Yours too! While off you went on being like a menace to everyone else and causing problems left and right that, I, needed to come and solve for you!" Zuko snapped, pointing at his sister with anger. "Do you know what it is like to fucking bow to every single person in Caldera and apologize day after day after day just because you had this brilliant plan and 'Accidentally' burned their children? Let me tell you, it's humiliating!" Zuko felt his anger flare up at the reminder, feeling so humiliated and embarrassed every time he was forced to remember that by the end of the day, Zuko was always the one left scrambling to apologize to people and lower his head to them; always getting criticized by everyone around as people sneered at him for 'Having no mother to teach him', and 'Poor Azula, a dead mother, an absent father, and a disgrace… probably why she lashed out so much' and the famous one 'How did the Royal Family have such a disgrace in their midst, couldn't even teach his sister right'.

"Zuko, settle down!" Azula squeaked and Zuko by then was too incensed to do so and he just growled and stomped his foot down, sending his sister a glare that promised her pain if she spoke one more time.

"No! I won't settle down!" Zuko snarled, throwing his hands in the air. "That's it! I am done! Done I say! From now on, you are on your own!" Zuko shrieked as he pointed at his sister, only to freeze in his place when he heard a 'Boom' coming from behind him and burning air blowing his back and hair. "…Please, tell me this was you…" Zuko pleaded as he swallowed, too afraid to turn back and see the type of damage he had caused when his temper got the better of him.

Azula just kept staring at Zuko before she let out a nervous laugh. "Well… I… this is an accomplishment? You… at least there is no visible lava so we could… survive…?" Azula gave a nervous smile, and Zuko swallowed picking the loose end of the rope that was still around him and giving it to Azula, the silent message was clear and Azula once more tied the rope around her waist. "Now what?" Azula questioned looking behind Zuko at the damage the teenager caused (A damage, Zuko still refused to look at).

Fissures started to appear underneath Zuko's legs and the sound of cracking resonated so loudly, that Zuko was sure it reached Caldera by now. "We run." Zuko gave his sister his 'Oh so brilliant' plan; part of him cursing himself for being so stupid and staying on top of the volcano while they should have descended the first time around and left.

Another ominous crack was heard, and by then the siblings just threw every rationality out and started to run like headless chickens toward the edge, trying not to scream their heads off when the ground under them was shaking and breaking and all but plummeting them to their death if they didn't use Fire Bending to Jet-Step and survive.

"Left, left, left!" Zuko screeched running left when the ground they were walking on started breaking and falling; Azula, his idiotic sister instead of listening to Zuko, ran right, causing the ropes to become taut and the two of them to trip and fall on their butts. "You call this left?!" Zuko shrieked as he scrambled to stand and jumped to hold onto the ledge before the rest of the ground underneath them broke down.

"Your left or my left?! You never specified!" Azula squeaked in annoyance, scrambling to follow Zuko who was running toward the only sturdy ground found that wasn't affected by the earthquakes that were destroying the volcano.

"We have the same left, you brat!" Zuko screeched loudly, jumping and taking hold of the rim of the volcano when the ground underneath him broke down. When the ropes tightened around his middle, Zuko could only squeak in pain and glance down at Azula who was swinging back and forth. "Azula? What are you doing? Hold on to something!" Zuko ordered his stupid sister, cursing when his hand almost slipped from the ledge.

"Wait a bit! I see a lily, let me just grape it!" Zuko's heart plummeted at that and he could only screech his sister's name like he was dying. How in the name of everything holy that even after everything and that they were near death, his stupid sister was still thinking about that damn lily that caused them to be in this situation in the first place?!

"Again, with this damn lily! We are going to die, and you are still after this lily?!" Moving fast, Zuko managed to get one of his Dao swords and sink it to the ground. "I will not have it put on my tombstone that I died because of a fucking lily!" Zuko got the other sword and sank it into the ground before using the swords to help him climb over the ledge.

"Oh, calm down, won't you? There is no visible lava! Probably just the pressure being released and causing an avalanche. So, we are safe!" Azula chirped before letting out a delighted 'Ha!' probably finally plucking that damn lily. Zuko on the other hand had so many curses that wanted to leave him because how safe could they be when they were about to be flattened into the ground because of the avalanche? "Besides, you should be proud! I will order them to write that you died because you were an idiot who lost control of his anger and unconsciously bent the lava in a dormant volcano! That would be more impressive than Death by a Lily." Azula snickered happily, not even deigning to help Zuko by climbing herself and allowing Zuko to drag her dead weight to the safe side.

Growling in anger, Zuko after finally managing to pull Azula up, plucked that damn lily from her hand and throw it over the edge, causing the girl to shriek like she was being murdered and almost dove after that flower if Zuko didn't hold her back from jumping to her death. "As for me, I will order them to write that you were the reason we died in the first place." Zuko hissed as he stood up and looked around, trying to find a safe way to descend the mountain without getting squashed like a bug or burned to a crisp (Or choked to death by gases and fumes), thankfully, the earthquakes had stopped for now, and this was Zuko and Azula's chance to escape before it was back.

"You ass! How could you do this after everything I went through to…" Azula shrieked jumping from her seat with her hands on fire, as if planning on blasting Zuko then and there, but Azula trailed off, and even the fires in her hands snuffed out, and that more than ever made Zuko turn his head to look where his sister was staring at. "What… is… that?" Azula narrowed her eyes and gazed at the volcano's crater. "Is… this normal?" Azula questioned, pointing toward the huge glowing crystal in the middle of the crater that all but plugged the opening of the volcano.

Zuko leaned down and narrowed his eyes, trying to see better through the reddish glow and letting out a confused noise mirroring his sister. "I… think so?" Zuko replied slowly not being too sure about the giant glowing crystal that seemed to have stopped the volcano's eruption. "I mean, volcanos are known to form gems inside of them, but one this large? I never read a book talk about this before." Zuko narrowed his eyes when he caught the shadow of something in the crystal. "H-huh… is that… wait is that… is that a person…?" Zuko mumbled to himself, falling to his knees and trying to see better, confusion and something else took hold of him when he spotted the shadow of a person inside the glowing crystal; turning to his sister, Zuko was about to order her to help him, only to screech his sister's name when he saw that idiot holding a large rock in her hands and was planning on throwing it at the crystal. "The fuck, Azula! We only just escaped death!" Zuko shrieked, jumping and trying to take that damn rock off of her hands before she caused another catastrophe.

"Psssht! As if we will die by something as tiny as a volcanic eruption!" Azula rolled her eyes when Zuko finally took that rock from her and stopped her in her crazy plan of causing another eruption. Agni and Taiyou! Why was Zuko cursed with a crazy sister that was his ticket to death?! Why was Azula a deranged brat, and Zuko had to suffer because of her? Why couldn't this girl be normal for once in her life?! …Now Zuko knew what their mother no doubt felt when Azula went on and caused mischief…

"Tiny? Azula we almost died! Twice!" Zuko screeched as he tried to remind that idiot that they almost died two times today and both times they survived by a miracle! Taiyou must have been looking down on them and took pity on Zuko! This was the only reason why they didn't turn into a crisp then and there! Dear Agni, Zuko was so done and was a step away from throwing his sister off this volcano and calling it an 'Accident'.

The little menace instead of repenting and apologizing, rolled her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest, and blew a raspberry at him… Yup, Zuko was going to throw this brat down the mountain… turning around, Zuko was planning on lowering the rock gently to the ground (Fearing that if he let it go it would cause another earthquake), but instead he was pushed toward the crater, making him squeak and let go of the rock to try and stabilize himself. "Oops!" Was all that was heard from behind him before he was pulled back by his sister, but by then, Zuko could only watch with dread as that damn rock descended down until it hit the top part of the crystalized sphere cracking it.

"Azula…" Zuko could only choke out as he saw fissures going down the sphere his eyes wide and his heart had dropped down to his feet. "I am so going to kill you." Zuko hissed, not having it in him to remove his eyes away from the fissures that quickly snaked their way over the whole crystal, and in a massive outward explosion, the entire orb of crystal destroyed itself.

A beam of light burst from the core of the crystal and rocketed into the sky turning the darkness around into morning with the display. Zuko's jaws could only drop and his eyes widened almost comically; his mind was all but wiped blank because this was definitely not something from this mortal world or a normal volcanic eruption at all… a hysterical part of his mind couldn't help but wonder if this was caused by the Spirits from the beyond or something more sinister.

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…(A boy stood on the deck; eyes wide with confusion and hope, his jaws dropping a bit as he gazed at the beam of light in the distance, signaling a sight that believed to have disappeared a hundred years ago. Shaky hands took the spyglass from his waist and he could only look through at the light, feeling his heart pounding in his chest and his breath stolen from him.

"Finally…" The boy breathed out; a small grin painted his lips as he lowered the spyglass down. "Finally…" He turned around to face a woman who was seated at a small table, humming to herself as she gazed at the light with a frown, her hand holding a tile. "Gran-Gran! Did you see that? Did you see that? You know what this means, right?!" The boy let out an elated laugh returning to gaze at the lights once more unaware of the stare that his Gran-Gran was giving him.

The woman hummed once more, returning her gaze toward the tile in her hand, letting out a tired sigh as she answered her grandson calmly while placing the tile on the table upon another tile that held the symbol for the Fire Nation. "It means that I won't finish my game." The boy laughed heartily at that and gestured toward the light while facing the woman.

"No, it means that our search is about to come to an end." The old woman gazed at the boy, and despite herself, an amused smile played on her lips. "That light came from an incredibly powerful source!" The light in question dwindled and disappeared completely, leaving behind it the darkness of the night sky to blanket everyone once more. "It has to be him! It has to be the Avatar!" The woman hummed the air of disinterred surrounding her.

"Sokka…" The woman sighed, looking at her grandson tiredly and with a look full of empathy and resignation. "We have been down this road before." The woman returned back to her game and picked up another tile, looking at the symbol of the Air Nomads on the tile. "I don't want you to get too excited only to…" Her words trailed off before she let out a tired sigh and placed the tile on the previous one she put.

"Gran-Gran! This time it's different, I can feel it in my gut!" Sokka pointed at where the light once shone before, a look of desperation on his face. "I am sure, and this time we will capture the Avatar and end this pilgrimage." The elderly woman pressed her lips tightly at that, gazing at the boy who wasn't paying any attention to anything but the source of the light. "Helmsman, head a course for the light!" Sokka ordered, his voice loud and clear to the crew.

The elderly woman let out another sigh, frowning when a gust of wind washed all over her and shook the tiles on the table scattering them. She glanced at the source where she saw the light, and then glanced at where she knew Caldera was with a complicated look on her face. With another tired sigh, the woman stood up, her hands crossed behind her back as she walked slowly to her room not knowing what to do with the miracle that presented itself to her then and there but she knew that the right people needed to be informed…

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The Avatar was back…)…

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"Zuko look! Someone is floating in there!" Azula squeaked and pointed toward the beam of light; Zuko could only follow his sister's direction and look at what she was pointing at, only to get the shock of his life when his eyes found a man with glowing eyes and tattoos floating midair.

"Wait a minute…" Zuko mumbled to himself, taking a step forward toward the edge trying to get as close as he could to confirm what he was seeing was true. "…Arrows…" Zuko breathed out, his heart skipping several beats as his eyes widened. "…Air Monks' tattoos…" The lights disappeared and the floating man fell toward the ground, almost as if he was a doll that had its strings cut off. "…Air Monks… Air Nomads…" Realization struck Zuko then and there, and he could feel his breath still in his chest. "The Avatar!" Zuko let out a laugh at that, and in a fit of craziness that was so uncharacterized of him and heedless of the danger and death he could face; Zuko ran and jumped down the crater, ignoring his sister's screech as she was pulled with him by the ropes that still connected them. "Azula, we found the Avatar! We found him!" Zuko laughed manically as he used his Fire Bending to slow down his descending, ignoring his sister who was screeching and cursing.

"Stop! Zuko, stop!" Azula ordered, but by then, Zuko managed to land on the part of the crystal that wasn't destroyed (Thankfully, still plugging down the volcano) and started running toward the man (Teenager like Zuko, now that he saw him after reaching him) with his heart pounding in his throat.

Reaching the other man, Zuko fell on his knees beside the man, putting his hand under his nose and letting out a relieved sigh when he felt a gentle breathing hitting his hand, informing him that the man was alive. Studying the tattoos over the man's forehead and arms, Zuko let out a hysterical chuckle… he found him… he finally found him… Zuko finally found the Avatar after years of… Zuko finally found him!

"Fuck… fuck… I… we found the Avatar… Mom… Mom was right… we found him…" Zuko muttered to himself, his lips trembling so much that he had to press them tightly to stop them from doing so. A scuff was heard from behind and Zuko turned to look at his sister who was glaring at the Avatar, like he was nothing but an annoying bug.

"Don't get too excited, Dum-Dum. It could be a ploy from the Ice Savages and nothing more." Azula sneered, picking a small crystal from the ground and throwing it at the Avatar, scrunching her nose in distaste, and picked another crystal and did the same, and another, and another.

"Azula enough!" Zuko snapped out, shielding the other man's face from the sharp crystals thrown his way by his annoying sister. "Also, it's impossible for the Water Savages to be able to do that. Not only because It's practically impossible, crystal prison and all, but look at this." Zuko pointed at the arrows running down the man's forehead and the elegant details unseen unless you leaned very close and knew where to look (Telling a story of mastery, of events, of life, of death, of a future… or at least that's what Zuko read about in the old scrolls). "Air Bending Tattoos!" Azula rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yeah right, anyone could paint this or tattoo it on themselves and call it a day, it doesn't mean anything." Azula narrowed her eyes, looking at another sharp crystal this time, and looked at it with a contemplating look like she was planning on kicking it and hitting the man with it. Zuko on the other hand only rolled his eyes, not in the mood to try and explain to his sister that her conclusion was impossible because, for one, the paint used in these tattoos was sacred (And one of its key components was said to be the shell of a Lion Turtle, an extinct mythical creature that wasn't seen for over three hundred years!), and another, details like what Zuko was seeing in this tattoos were impossible to replicate because everything about the Air Nomads was burned/drown/confiscated by the Water Tribes.

A groan sounded, making both Zuko and Azula jump and whirl to gaze at the man who opened his eyes and was looking at them with a dazed and confused look. "Oh, shit, he is waking up… Ok, Ok! I need to calm down and talk to him and then…. Fuck… I don't know the native language of Air Benders…" Zuko's eyes widened at the realization that yup, Zuko didn't know anything about Air Benders when it came to their language because everything was destroyed, and not only that, it was said to be the hardest language and impossible to master if someone wasn't born an Air Bender.

"Wait, What?! What do you mean you don't know Air Benders' language?" Azula squeaked then, looking at the other teenager who was still looking at them with a confused look and then at Zuko. "You spent all of your life with your head buried in those damn books about the Avatar and Air Nomads, how do you not know their language already?!" Azula hissed, glaring at Zuko and then glaring at the other teenager who was still staring at them.

"Why excuse me for not being able to learn an ancient language that doesn't exist anymore and has no books or records talking about it!" Zuko huffed and rolled his eyes at his sister's stupidity. "The only thing known about Air Nomads' language was that it was soft, gentle, musical in a way, and sounded like the chirps of the oriole or the soft jingling of bells," Zuko narrated to his sister the only thing he found about the Air Nomads' language, a language forgotten with time and were hard to preserve because it was said that the sounds made were impossible to replicate with the normal human's throat unless that human was an Air Bender.

Azula opened and closed her mouth several times upon hearing this, and then she looked at the Avatar (Who was still looking at them this time with a raised eyebrow) with a scrunched nose and then turned to Zuko. "Are you trying to pull my leg?" Azula questioned and Zuko sent her a look that translated into 'I wish I was', which made his sister's face fall before she scowled. "Fine then, I think I know that language." Azula huffed proudly, and Zuko almost sassed his sister, reminding her that she had never once in her life held a book about anything related to Air Nomads and read through to say such words to him; seeing the mischievous look on his sister's face, Zuko's eyes couldn't help but widen in horror when the girl started clucking like a Pig-Hen. "Bawk! Bawk! Baaagggggaaaaaawwwwwwkkkkkkk!" Never in Zuko's life did he feel as mortified as he did today; gazing at his sister making a joke out of them in front of the Avatar, Master of all Elements, and the Bridge between the Spirit and Mortal Worlds.

"Azula!" Zuko could only screech, his face flaming red and he could only beg Agni to strike him with lightning and save him from the humiliation he was suffering at the hands of his sister in front of the strongest being alive who was looking at Azula with furrowed eyebrows and dropped jaw… Oh my Agni, oh my Agni, oh my Agni! The Avatar would take this as an insult and leave! He would leave! Their only hope in winning this war would leave them because Azula couldn't keep her mouth shut for five seconds!

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…(At first, everything was in a haze of pain, confusion, and loud noises that made Aang's head pound as pain all but split his head open, making him hold back a cry of pain and almost curl into a tiny ball, hoping that the pain would go away if he made himself as tiny as he could.

Voices were shouting over him, a language so foreign but at the same time familiar enough that Aang didn't have any difficulty placing it as the language of the Fire Nation… Oh… So, I made it… That was the only thing on Aang's mind and he finally managed to relax at the thought that he had made it safely to the Fire Nation after that storm that came and swiped him from the sky not that long ago.

Good… that's good… then I could find Kuzon and then… Aang thought to himself, furrowing his brows when he felt several tiny things being thrown at his face, followed by a boy's voice snapping something and then finally the attack on him had ceased.

It was a battle and a half to open his eyes, but when Aang did, his breath all but left him when he saw the familiar boy in front of his eyes… Huh… Kuzon? …Aang could only think, blinking his eyes open and furrowing his brows in confusion when he noticed the burn scar enclosing the left side of the teenager's face and then there was the hair…

Wait… that wasn't Kuzon… Aang after staring at the other teenager for what felt like ages, concluded, feeling surprised and unbalanced as this teenager who looked like Kuzon (In a startling way) but wasn't Kuzon looked at him.

"…Ok… calm down… talk…. Fuck… I don't know… language… Air Benders." Aang understood bits and pieces of what the boy was muttering to himself in his native language, having studied it thanks to Kuzon, but still even Aang wasn't able to follow what the boy was saying because the rapid pace was too fast Aang's dazed mind to keep up with.

The little girl standing not that far away, started to argue with the teenager in their language just as fast, making Aang frown as he tried to follow what they were saying but failed; a headache started to make itself known, Aang had to sigh tiredly, and when the girl started clucking like a Pig-Hen, Aang could only roll his eyes…

Of course, they would do that… Aang grumbled to himself feeling annoyed but nonetheless amused as the girl no doubt thought that she would be able to converse with Aang by making a nuisance out of herself and clucking away like an idiot, embarrassing herself, and the boy beside her whose face turned pale and then red and then pale once more as he screeched 'Azula!' on top of his lungs, no doubt that was the annoying girl's name. Sweet Merciful Lung-ta, the number of times people did this every time they saw an Air Nomad was too many to keep a tab on.

A chuckle against his will left his throat when he saw the teenager pick up a pebble and throw it at the girl's forehead, causing her to squeak and put her hands on her forehead, glaring at the boy with annoyance. That action made both the girl and boy stop in their squabble and turn to Aang who just gave an amused grin…)…

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A chuckle resonated around them, and Zuko almost flinched at the foreign sound, his heart pounding in his chest as he wondered from where it came (That terrified part of him was already on a high alert wondering if a Water Savage managed to find them) only to realize a second too late that the one who laughed was the Avatar and it was only because the man spoke. "You know… No need to overcomplicate things; you could just talk to me using the 'Common Tongue'." The Avatar chuckled, amusement in his voice as he talked to them in the language of the traders, looking at Zuko (Who flushed with embarrassment because Agni above, how did Zuko forget?!) and Azula who squeaked and pointed at the Avatar.

"Zuzu, it talked!" Words that made whatever hope Zuko had in this world vanish and he once more picked up a crystal and threw it at her forehead hoping that she would shut up this time and not embarrass him more than she already did. Gods above, why did Azula have to be like this?!

"Azula, shut it!" Zuko hissed, giving Azula the mean eye, trying to send her a telepathic message to inform her that if she said one more word, then Zuko would offer her no mercy and wouldn't cover her butt when their uncle punished them for this unauthorized adventure of hers. "Sorry… kind of slipped from my mind," Zuko replied back to the Avatar watching how the man looked around with confusion, looking at his robes and then skin and started to pat away the dirt, ash, and crystal dust on his robes and body.

"What's going on here?" The Avatar questioned after rubbing his head and trying to stand, staggering up a bit before he finally regained his balance and looked around the crater they were in, tapping his foot on the hard crystal they were standing on with worry and confusion in his eyes.

"You tell us!" Azula huffed aggressively, crossing her arms over her chest, and glared at the Avatar. "How did you get inside this volcano? How aren't you burned to a crisp? Or melted into a liquid of blood and viscera that would disappear like this! Poof!" Azula ignited her hands with her blue flames before blowing them out and allowing the smoke to disappear with the wind.

Zuko's jaws fell and horror couldn't even describe what Zuko was feeling as his sister took it upon himself to be the cause of his death, uncaring about how she was embarrassing all of the Fire Nation in front of the Avatar who was looking at his sister like there was something wrong with her, even if there was a nervous smile on his face. "I'm not sure." Aang offered Azula, looking at Zuko and sending him a look that Zuko was on the end of one too many times since he was young to the point he had perfectly translated it into 'What's wrong with your sister?'

'I don't know.' That was the only thing that Zuko allowed himself to mouth before he raised his hand and slapped the back of his sister's head, ignoring her squeak of indignation as she whirled around and started kicking Zuko in the shin for his action.

A low, gruff noise suddenly filled the air, causing Azula to whirl around and summon her fires, looking around as if preparing for an attack. "Wah, calm down, there is nothing to fear that's just Appa." The Avatar tried to calm down his sister before he quickly turned around trying to find where the source originated. It wasn't long before Zuko found where that sound came from, and his eyes widened with delight and awe as he saw a large furry creature with an arrow-shaped marking on its forehead.

Oh, my Agni, this was a Sky Bison! A living and breathing Sky Bison! This man was really the Avatar! Zuko really found the Avatar! …Zuko saw the Avatar walk toward the bison while talking to it in the Air Nomads' language. Zuko's breath hitched, and he could only gaze at the Avatar with wide eyes at what he was hearing; just as the legends said, Air Nomads' language really sounded like the chirping of oriole and the soft jingling of bells, musical and captivating. Zuko blinked and snapped himself out of his daze, turning to gaze at his sister who was staring at the bison with curiosity (And a mad glint that made Zuko close his eyes and promise to keep a watchful eye on this brat; knowing this idiot, he wouldn't put it past her to accidentally set the Sky Bison on fire, and if that did happen, then Zuko was assured their home would be destroyed and the Avatar would side with the Water Tribes because his sister was too stupid and burned the Avatar's animal companion).

"What's that thing?" Azula questioned when she saw the Avatar petting the creature's nose, walking fast toward the animal to touch it, Zuko had to hold her from the back of her armor and stop her from doing something stupid that would make the Avatar angry at them to the point of erasing them from this world.

"Oh, this is Appa, my Flying Bison." The Avatar introduced chuckling when the bison nuzzled him with his large head, Zuko's free hand twitched to draw this sight, and he could only lament that he hadn't brought his sketchbook or journal to record this. "Say 'Hi', buddy." The Avatar ordered and the bison looked at Azula and Zuko while rumbling.

"Nice, a giant beast! Does it breathe fire? Zuzu, didn't you tell me that the flying beasts went extinct?" Azula questioned, skipping toward the bison and looking at it from all directions with glee, ignoring the odd look the Avatar sent her and how he gave Zuko a questioning look. Zuko swallowed, opened his mouth, and closed it several times before he finally gathered the courage to look the Avatar in the eyes to say…

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"Avatar… a lot of things have changed since you disappeared a hundred years ago…"

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…(The smile fell from Aang's face and he could only gaze at the teenager who was looking at him with nervousness and determination… There was no deception in his eye… Something deep inside Aang whispered, and the boy's legs felt like jelly the longer he started at the other teen who looked him straight in the eye.

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It can't be…

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Is this a joke?!

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What do you mean by a hundred years?

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Wait, how did you know I was the Avatar? No one knows I was the Avatar!

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You are lying!

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Many things ran through Aang's head, and many more were trapped in his throat, and he wanted then and there to hold the boy by the front of his armor and shake him until he told him the whole truth and stop messing around. It was the sincere look in that boy's amber eye (A color so familiar that Aang was doubting himself), the unwavering and confident tone in the boy's voice and the way Aang didn't feel any lie coming from him that informed Aang he was telling the truth… a hundred years… a hundred years have passed…

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Aang felt his heart drop but still he whispered…

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"Tell me…")…

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---

So, what do you think?

I am back with a different ATLA story… and this time it's a role-reversal one!

All thanks to my noisy BFF who challenged me to write a Reverse Avatar story, buuuuuut I had to keep the personalities/backstories of the characters the same and try to follow the plot to the T (Impossible to do, so meh. But I created many lore and backstories I am excited to use!).

So, enjoy Zuko being a tired single Mom with two jobs and the only one with brain cells in the group.

As for Azula, she is a chaos gremlin who is hellbent on killing her brother by her careless actions and her no-brain-to-mouth filter.

Toph is just there for the ride and laughing her head off watching the soap drama about Aang trying to get close to Zuko without Azula shooting him with lightning for cozying up to her brother.

As for Sokka… the poor boy needs a break…

The different languages/language barrier is also thanks to my BFF who was like, imagine Aang smiling and looking someone in the eyes; cursing them six ways to Sunday, and no one patted an eyelash because they didn't understand what he said. Everyone just felt happy and proud because what they heard was so beautiful they were moved to the point of tears and thought the Avatar was praising them instead of cursing their stupidity and how a rock had more intelligence them all of them combined!

God, the way I laughed. I couldn't get this idea out of my head, and with that, the idea of every nation having its own language and its variation manifested, bringing with it many possibilities and lore.

As for the 'Common Tongue', it's considered the traders and travelers' language… think of it like English, everyone knew it to some degree and they were able to communicate with people of other nations using it because it was way easy to learn than a whole new language and its variations and slangs.

Read and Review

And tell me what you think…

Nazaki-Sama