Previously...

When Zuko finds out his Palace is invaded by the Dai Li he sees the Avatar in the hope that he could help him recapturing it. He finds him somewhere near an Earth Kingdom village near Omashu and luckily Aang wants to cooperate. Now they have beleaguered the main capital and taken control of the Central Plaza. Inside the Palace, Zuko was surprised by the appearance of AZULA! Yes, the Dai Li had set free their former master. Mai was also there and she was quite cross with him, because he hadn't told her the truth. She pinned him down using her shuriken to his own wall. From there he had to watch a fight between Azula and Sokka and Katara. Katara fell down and was knocked out by Azula. Then Sokka came in, saw his sister lying on the floor and tried to fight Azula, but it was no use. He too was easily defeated. Last, Aang entered the scene and tried to fight Azula as well, but she was too strong for him. Just like in Ba Sing Se he was struck down by Azula's lightning. Now the whole world is in grave danger. For, without the Avatar, the future doesn't seem so bright at all…

Book 4: Air

Chapter Seven: Fighting Old Battles Part Two: Revelations

Two children were playing in the promenade in front of the Palace: A boy and a girl. They were both about the same age and the girl's hair was braided in a lovely way. They were two happy children, without knowing of the war that had gone on for too long now. Their father always seemed to put the girl in advantage in comparison with the boy, while their mother seemed to spend more time with the boy. The two children were playing hide and seek and they had the entire promenade to hide in.

"Gotcha!", the boy laughed, when he looked behind a bush.

"No you didn't! I showed myself. That's not fair", the girl said.

"It's not my fault you showed yourself", the boy brought in.

"It maybe not, but this one still doesn't count."

"Oh, I see. You just can't stand losing, can you?", he tried to tease her.

"Of course I can."

"All right. Prove it!"

"Maybe some other time. Now I need to rest a little, because, gosh I'm tired."

"No you're not. A few moments ago you were just as active as you are now. You just don't want to prove it. You know I'm right!"

The girl was speechless. She didn't know what to say. Deep from inside she knew it was true, but she couldn't bear telling him the truth, so she lied, as she would for the rest of her entire life.

"I can stand losing", she said, showing no emotions at all, not a single clue that she lied.

She didn't even tremble, like most people do when they lie.

"All right", he said. "Then this one will count!"

"Oh, okay. This point counts. Are you happy now?"

"No, but that doesn't have anything to do with this."

"Children. Uncle Iroh's here!", Ursa said from the door opening.

"Yay!", Zuko said, but Azula wasn't so excited.

Ursa saw her depressed face and asked her what was wrong.

"Nothing", she lied and she walked on, her face down.

Zuko saw it, but he didn't pay much attention. Instead, he ran into his uncle's arms and greeted him like never before, as his father didn't have much time to spend with him. Iroh's son, Lu Ten was there too and he also greeted the crown prince.

"Uncle, I'm so happy to see you", Zuko said.

"I'm glad you are, my nephew", Iroh said.

"Hi, Zuko. Shall we play?", Lu Ten asked him excited, but Zuko declined.

"Nah, don't feel like playing now. Go play with my sister if you like."

"Aww, come on. Just for a few minutes. It'll be fun!", Lu Ten said, while he was jumping up and down like a monkey.

"Just go, Zuko. I think it's a good idea to play with Lu Ten for a while", Ursa said from behind him.

Zuko was scared of that sudden voice and quickly looked back to see who it was.

"Thanks, aunt. I'm glad you agree with me. Come on, Zuko."

"Oh, okay. I'm going already."

"Have fun, you two!", Ursa said to the two of them.

And the boys walked out.

Zuko was still stuck between the shuriken and the wall. He tried to move, but he couldn't. Then he saw Aang getting hit by a thunderbolt and everything suddenly went extremely slow in front of his eyes. Aang slowly fell out of the air and smacked down on the floor with a loud noise. His tattoos glowed for one moment and then the light faded. The Avatar had fallen.

Zuko felt all kinds of mixed emotions now in his heart. He'd have liked to burst out in rage and kill his sister with all the power he possesses. Or yell at her until she had became deaf. He'd have done horrible things to her, things that can't be imagined. But he couldn't. He was stuck and there was no one to help him. How can this be, he thought. She just took him out of mid-air and she just killed him, not feeling any compassion for him, showing no emotion at all. She didn't regret it at all. That is not human, that's monstrous.

No one said a word when Aang hit the floor. It was silent. Everything was silent. Even Azula, who normally would have gone through with her doings, unlike the rest of the people, was silent. Outside, the whole world felt that they had lost Aang's presence. The Four Nations were silent.

A light. A shining bright light. It enlightened the area. A blue tattooed boy was ascended by a cerebrum-biblical cord towards the light. His eyes went open. He didn't see with his eyes, but with his mind. He saw the light covering everything. Although the light was brighter than the sun's, he wasn't blinded by it. Then, also by using his mind, he heard a voice speaking. It was a low, strong voice and it seemed somehow familiar.

"AVATAR. YOU ARE CHOSEN. YOU WILL FINISH YOUR QUEST. ONLY THEN YOU WILL HAVE PEACE WITHIN YOURSELF. NOW GO AND FULFILL YOUR DESTINY."

The cord broke and the boy fell hundreds of meters down, away from the light, towards his body in the mortal world.

"Uncle, haven't you had a brother or sister?", Zuko asked, serving a cup of tea.

They were in a Fire Nation Ship, a few weeks after Zuko was banished.

"I suppose you have forgotten that I'm your uncle and therefore your father's brother", Iroh answered.

"Oh yes, of course I didn't forget that", Zuko laughed, a little embarrassed.

"Although, I did have another brother", Iroh continued in a more serious way.

"You mean I have another uncle!"

Zuko was stunned.

"Uhh, no, you HAD another uncle."

"Tell me!"

"It was in the time that my father, Azulon, was the Fire Lord. There was your father Ozai, Imao and me. We were about the same age, but I was the oldest, so I would be the next Fire Lord. However, I didn't really care about my future and my childhood passed by very quickly. Before I knew it I was a General of the Fire Nation. Imao was my youngest brother and there was quite a gap between our ages. He was only a teenager when I was already a full-grown man. Unlike your father, Imao was pretty jealous of me being the crown prince. He wanted to be the crown prince himself. He wanted to be the Fire Lord. At first it wasn't that much of an issue, but after a while it became an obsession of his. For instance, he tried everything to outstand us, just to become Azulon's favorite child."

"Really, what'd he do?"

"Well, in the beginning he just tried to seem better than me, which I didn't mind by the way. But after a while I sensed dark feelings and even plots to injure me and sometimes even kill me! I guess he wasn't aware of the fact that he had another brother who would become Fire Lord before him. Anyway, after a lot of failures he eventually gave up and didn't speak to me for almost a month. And then one morning, he was gone."

Zuko watched him with for a while and he didn't say anything.

"But, but how?", he asked him.

"He vanished, just like the Avatar."

"Don't you start about the Avatar again. Do you know why I have this bandage covering my eye?", he said angrily, pointing at his forehead. "It's all because of him! He did it. He's the cause of all bad things in the whole wide world. That's why, when I find him, I will torture him until he begs me to stop!"

Iroh just sat there and drank up his tea. He didn't pay much attention to what his nephew had to say.

"IF you find him", Iroh said, between two gulps. "Get real. He hasn't been seen by anyone in a hundred years, so why'd we find him?"

"Because I think I know where he might be", Zuko said determined. "To the Western Air Temple!", he yelled at his crew.

Within the Palace walls, everything was silenced by the efforts of Azula. A light had gone out and darkness now covered everything. Zuko couldn't bear to watch, just like Sokka. Their friend had been ripped out of their hearts. He would only exist in their hearts.

Suddenly, a small straw of light appeared. It shone through the thick ceiling as if there was no ceiling. It was not bright, but it was definitely there. It slowly descended to the body of the fallen. Only Azula saw this happen. Then, the tattoos started to glow and there was slight movement. The Avatar opened his eyes once again and they glowed like never before. He was slowly put down on his feet by the light and eventually it disappeared. The Avatar stood fast and faced his opponent once again. Azula was speechless. She couldn't grasp the fact that he had actually returned from his death.

"This…", she muttered while witnessing a light brighter than she had ever seen. "… this is impossible."

Sokka and Zuko turned their heads simultaneously because of the light that had suddenly appeared. Their jaws dropped open and they were speechless.

Outraged, the Avatar Spirit took control over Aang's body and enlightened it from inside out. All Avatar Spirits were now working together as one and he had entered an alternative Avatar State, for his body wasn't glowing blue, but scarlet red, as were his eyes.

The shining appearance ascended and levitated through the air, moving to a motionless, trembling, Azula. She watched him approaching and suddenly she felt fear like she's never felt before. At first she walked away from him slowly, but since he kept following her she started running. The outraged, red Avatar Spirit was now preparing to cast a blazing Fireball at her. Suddenly, she stopped running and there was true despair in her eyes. She knew she couldn't run forever, so she fell on her knees and begged the spirit for mercy.

"Please Avatar, I'm sorry! Don't kill me! Please." She even cried with it.

It touched Aang's soul. He couldn't kill her now. She was too vulnerable right now. Aang regained control over his body and left the Avatar state. He looked at her, but he didn't know what to think of her. Was she really sorry for everything? Did she feel genuine guilt?

"I think everyone deserves a second chance", he eventually spoke and walked over to her, offering her his hand.

Everyone was astonished. Did he really say this? Did he really accept Azula's apologies after all she had done to him?

When he got close, she revealed a huge Fireball she had created and cast it at him. She had proven she had deceived everyone once again. There was no time to think for Aang. He jumped away quickly and the cast Fireball crashed on the wall, leaving a black, burned spot. "Does this never stop?", Aang asked himself out loud while leaning against a wall. He also realized the fight wasn't over, not by a long shot. With pain in his heart he regained his strength and opposed his archenemy one more time. He stretched both his arms, Earthbending the floor under Azula. He closed her in by forming a pile of rocks into a cage. Unfortunately, her Firebending skills got her out of that trap. As this technique didn't work the Avatar swung around his arms and formed a tornado. Then he pushed both his hands in Azula's direction and a wave of earth was sent after it. Surprisingly, Azula's agility got her out of this too, for she climbed against the wall up the ceiling, crawled out of the opening on the top, made by the Avatar's attack, until she stood on top of the Palace. Realizing she had an advantage from the high ground, Aang opened his air glider and flew upward to the roof. She already stood there, waiting for him.

"I'm going to end this, Avatar, for once and for all!", she yelled at him.

"So be it", Aang said confident, when he had set foot upon the roof.

Azula took the offense and cast lightning at the Avatar, which he blocked by sweeping his air glider in front of it. Avatar opened his air glider and quickly evaded the fireball sent at him. He flew high up in the sky and started to make circles. His Airbend abilities caused his air glider to circle faster and faster. He kept flying in circles and eventually a tornado showed up in the circle. He floated upward high above the air cylinder and pushed it forward to Azula. She saw the tornado getting closer and tried to think of a solution to get of there, but she had to think fast; the tornado was on its way. When it reached the roof of the Palace, tiles were lifted up and they joined the ever growing chunk of debris. Azula still stood there, motionless, as she couldn't think of an evasion plan. As a last refuge she tried to grab hold on some tiles, but they too were lifted into mid-air. Eventually, the storm took her out of sight and she disappeared in the distance.

Exhausted, Aang jumped down from the roof to the floor and checked on his friends. Katara was still unconscious, but Zuko and Sokka weren't. They asked him how it went.

"She's gone for now", he started positively, "but I don't think it's over yet", he added sadly.

"Me neither", Zuko said rather disappointed.

"What happened?", Sokka asked.

"I blew her away with a giant tornado", he said while thinking he must be blind or something that he missed that. "Oh, yeah", he thought out loud and stopped at once when he realized he talked to himself. He couldn't have seen it, because he was lying on the ground, powerless.

"What?", Sokka asked curiously.

"Nothing", Aang replied quickly, as if he knew that question would come.

Realizing Katara was still lying unconscious on the ground, he ran over to her the moment he spotted her.

"Katara, Katara, wake up!", he said, while shaking her tender body roughly.

When she didn't respond tears appeared in Aang's eyes and he hugged her tight.

"Come on, Katara! It's over. The bad dream, it's over", he whispered in her ear, hoping it would bring her back. Aang felt his hand rubbing over several burn marks and he feared he would never see his love again.

Then, some coughs and Katara's beautiful eyes slowly opened, peering in Aang's.

"A-A-Azula. Is she gone?", she asked, while looking into his big, bright eyes.

"For now", Aang said and he looked away, to the beautifully adorned Royal Garden.

"But something tells me she'll be back."

When Zuko enters the bedroom he spots the note on the bed. Even from a distance he could see it was written by Mai. He jumped up his bed and read the letter carefully.

Dear Zuko,

Don't look for me, because you won't find me. I've accepted the reality between you and your friend and I don't my hopes up. I could have known, but I was too blind to see it. Anyway, I have left you, because you have left me. I thought we could be together after the war. Apparently I was wrong, terribly wrong, because you left me again in secret. It was then that I knew that you were not in love with me. The only thing I ask myself is why. Why did you pretend to be in love with me? Why did you choose someone else over me again. I guess I'll never know.

The best,

Mai

Zuko had to read the letter multiple times to realize she had really left. She didn't know he was looking for his mother. She didn't know he was looking for the Avatar. He didn't even write her one letter and he was suddenly gone for supposedly two weeks. And she was also held hostage by corrupt agents of the Dai-Li and Azula. No wonder she believed Azula when she told her he was in love with Katara. He suddenly got tears in his eyes. He didn't want THIS to happen! It's true he has feelings for Katara, but that doesn't mean he doesn't love her anymore. He searched the letter one more time for clues of where he could find her, but in vain. She had carefully written this letter and hadn't left any clue in it that might lead him to her. Why, he asked himself. Why do all bad things happen to him? Why are things always complicated for him? Why can't he get rid of the feelings for Katara? And most importantly: Why did she choose hìm?

The next day Zuko was back on his throne and started a very important meeting with his best Generals and captains and even the Fire Sages.

"As you all might know, I'm currently in grave danger", the Fire Lord stated.

"Yes, we know", an old man, probably a captain, said. "Why did you mention that?"

"Because I'm leaving the Palace again", Zuko said.

Everyone was shocked by this sudden announcement and the entire council rumored about dozens of things, constantly interrupting the Fire Lord.

"That is why", Zuko said raising his voice, "I will leave the reign of this Nation to my uncle."

Rumors again and one of the Generals said: "But sir, isn't your uncle currently in Ba Sing Se."

"Yes, he is. That is why", he raised his voice again, "someone has to substitute for him and I will decide who that will be."

The rumoring faded.

"But sir", the same man asked again, "can't you just wait till he has arrived?"

"No, I can't, but I can't say why. That is a secret."

"All right, but who's the substitute then?"

"That's my highest ranked General, General Shinu."

The man in question stood up and walked to the throne. There he bowed deep for his superior.

"I'm honored to present my services to you, my Lord."

"All right. Then I'll be leaving now. I suppose you can handle it?"

Shinu, who had already stood up said with a suspicious grin on his face: "That I can, my Lord. That I can."

Zuko went to the Messenger Wing, picking a messenger hawk for his very important letter. He literally bumped into Katara while stepping through the doorstep. She seemed to have received a lot of mail from her father, because it was scattered all over the floor.

"Oops", he said in his usual voice.

"Doesn't matter", she said blushing, while squatting to pick up her scrolls.

"Quite some mail have you got there", he mentioned.

"Yeah, it's from my dad. He wants to know if we're okay. First you don't receive anything from him and the next moment he stuffs the paws of your messenger hawks full of scrolls. The poor thing had to fly all the way from the South Pole."

"I wish my father sent me some mail", he blabbed out.

Katara didn't know what to say. Instead she bundled her scrolls together in one pile and held them to her breast.

"I guess, I'll see you later", she awkwardly said goodbye to him.

"Yeah, later", he said, while entering the Wing.

When he tried to pick a messenger hawk, the beast started to peck his arm.

"Ow, stop that or you'll find yourself in a cooking pot."

Miraculously, his threat have kept the creature quiet. At least, he thought so. For when he tried to wrap a rope around its paw, the bird started picking again.

"Ow, what'd I just say?"

The beast kept on picking him.

"Hey, I mean it!"

It didn't stop, no matter what he tried.

"All right, you asked for it."

With one hand he grabbed the bird, while he bended a Fireball with his other hand.

"If you don't stop right now, you'll get fried", he threatened, moving the bird closer to the fire.

The creature stopped picking at once and the Fire Lord swiftly wrapped the rope with the piece of paper attached around the hawk's paw.

"All right, hawky. Bring this letter to my uncle in Ba Sing Se."

He released the bird and it flew through the sky in the direction of Ba Sing Se.

Behind the mountain, a bright beam of light appeared, zapping the messenger hawk. A huge figure emerged where the beast had crash-landed. His massive hand unwrapped the rope from the hawk's paw. He opened the scroll and his giant, three-eyed head scanned over it. He growled something and his third eye opened. A huge flash of light combusted the area and the messenger hawk was never seen or heard of again.