Uncle. He knows. I know he knows. And he knows that I know he knows. And now, neither of us know what to say.

Disappointed in me and somewhat disgusted, he shakes his head and turns. I stand up, follow him quietly, and we walk to his room. I close the door when we get in there, and he stands, his back facing me. I wait in fear of his words.

"Zuko..." He says gruffly, voice thick with emotion. He sighs tiredly, rubbing his hands over his face for a moment, and the looking upward. He shakes his head, and turns back toward me with a defeated look. " I cannot bring myself to be angry with you, no matter how much I should be and want to be. Because I saw this new battle within you, and I recognized that it was already lost, before moment it started. I knew you could do no other than submit. This journey has changed you... taking care of another human being, and falling in lust with him."

I turn red and cry angrily, " It isn't lust! It's more tha-"

"Zuko!" He snaps severely, and I stop. He sighs again, his face a mixture of fatigue, disgust, and pity. He says thickly, " You realize this cannot go on. Yes? And you remember what I said at the Agni Kai... Well.. There's only one way to do this. The boy must be put to death."

My heart drops and splashes in my stomach, and I feel sick. He goes on, " I have already arranged it with Firelord Ozai. They should be arriving just about now."

I look up, seething. I've never hated someone so much. I feel steam building up in my body, just waiting to be turned into flame and let loose. I have to save him! I turn and run to the door, pulling the knob - it's locked from the outside. I whip back to face him, and his face is stony.

He begins talking, in a comforting tone that is somehow sinister and deceptive to my ears now. I shake my head desperately, blocking his words out, and I begin talking over him : " No no no, it isn't fair, it isn't right! No, shut up shut up!"

"Zuko, this is for your own good and his as well! It will do you no good if Ozai finds out about this, or anyone, and he will be put to death eventually anyway! Zuko, please listen! This is for his sake as well!"

" No no no, you liar, no, shut up, shut your lying mouth! Bastard!" I scream angrily. I pound on the door and pound and pound until the gaurds are forced to open is to see if we're okay. I blast them away and rush out. "ZUKO!" Uncle screams at me. I stop for a moment, and turn around. I stare at him. He is the only person I have been able to trust and depend on in my life - my father has always loved Azula more. Iroh and my mother were my allies in a world of enemies. I stare for a moment longer... and turn and keep running. I can't think about him now, I have to save Aang.

"Zuko! Zuko...! Zuuuuu..."

As I get farther away, his cries get softer and softer.

" Prince Zuko! Is everything ok- Hoowah!" I kick a gaurd in the stomach, sending him flying down the hall. I've got to keep my mind on this single track - I've got to-

" Zuzu? What on earth are you doing?" Asks Azula, standing in front of me suddenly. I only looked away for two seconds to hit that gaurd and already...

I pul to a halt and stare at her hatefully. She smiles and then - steps out of my way! Shocked, I can only ask, " Why?"

She smiles and says, " You don't have time to hear the answer. Just go, dumdum!"

I nod, deteremined, and hurry on. The vigor, though, is gone, replaced with a kind of bitter dread. What does she know that I don't? What is going on!?

I finally make it down to the room - it's empty, but there are clues. There was a struggle, and I feel my heart twist in pain, imagining Aang, terrified, screaming my name, needing my help... Damn you, Uncle. Damn you.

I follow what little bit of a trail is left - by the time it ends, though, I have figured out where it's heading. The Agni Kai arena.

I hurry down, and when I get there, I see Aang in shackles, being stoned by the people of our city. I rush foward but I'm stopped by a hand pulling at my shirt. I'm prepared to burn this person's face off, but I see Azula. She turns me back around and talks quietly in my ear, so that I can't see her face: " Zuzu, there's only one way to help him now. Send him into the avatar state! He can save you both in the avatar state!"

Her plan makes shockingly perfect sense, but, " How do I do it?"

I could feel her smile. " The avatar state is triggered a lot of the time by rage. What would make him angriest right now? What could YOU do that would make him the angriest?"

I suddenly realize what she means and I whip around to tell her off, but she's already gone. I look around helplessly and then turn back around. Aang spots me. We meet eyes briefly and his grow wide with hope and happiness.

Aang.

"Zuko!" I cry, relieved. "Zuko, help me!" I wait excitedly for him to do something heroic - but his eyes are shaded by the light, and I can't see his expression, when he suddenly comes to the front of the crowd of people. Everyone stops and bows, crying, " Prince Zuko! Sir!"

"Zuko?" I plead quietly, waiting for a response. Suddenly, he cries out, " Whore!" I stumble a bit. I feel like my body just lost all it's bones.

"Whore!" He repeats. " I used you! That's the truth, alright? Don't you want to go into the AVATAR state now?" His eyes are implying that his mouth isn't saying what I think it means, but I'm too far gone to notice. My eyes and tattoos start glowing as my rage builds - the chain I was held by are suddenly breaking off as I rise, and then -

ZAP!

Aang's lifeless body suddenly begins falling from the sky, smoking and convulsing with the power of the electric shock delivered by my very own father. I stare at him in disbelief. He nods his head at me, as though we were working together. I run to Aang, ignoring my father, and pick him up. I begin sobbing - I can't help it, when his eyes open, struggling.

I gasp and immediately begin crying and screaming apologies, explanations, but he shushes me. He smiles sadly, saying weakly, " It's okay Zuko, you just did what you had to. I really loved you, I hope you know that, when you're marrying some princess and ruling and destroying the world. I really loved you. And now, the world is doomed. Goodbye, Zuko.." And the warmth fades from his eyes, as does the glow from his arrows.

I stare in disbelief - the world is doomed? What about the next ava- When it suddenly hits me - there won't be another avatar. Aang was killed while in the avatar state. The cycle has ended.

But right now, none of that matters. All that matters to me is that he is gone, forever, because of the stupid laws in this stupid, fucked up nation, and my, and my fathers, and my uncles stupid pride. I can't take it. I drop him and turn from him, running. I can't bear to look at him, as I rush to the weapons room.

When I make it, I find the most prized sword of my families' collection. It is an original from Piandou, the fire nation's greatest swords maker. He made it in honor of my father and mother's engagement. I take it now, and bid my silent farewells to the ones I love. Just as I am about to plunge it, I see Uncle. Not in my mind, in the room. He stares at me with saddened eyes, but I'm not affected, for once, nor am I guilted to stop. I plunge it straight into my heart, and the world goes blurry.

Iroh whispers, " Both of my sons are dead," and in a matter of moments, they are. It was only a dream, all of it. And Aang and I, as wide-eyed children, explored this dream hungrily and with abandon. We were unsatiable in our passionate pursuit of this notion. We were thrust into it, lost in it, chained to it. But in the end, all it could be.... was a dream.

Yep yep, that's the end. -.- Sad ending... Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did writing it, even if I did occasionally take some long breaks... XD Sorry about that ( Grades get me grounded DX)

Obviously, it would be pretty hard to do a sequel, so yeah...