One Choice Changed

Chapter 3

"Fire Burning"

Hi guys! Sorry for not posting a new chapter sooner, some family business came up, but do expect more chapters on the way! I do want to give a shout-out to outsidersfanlovesdally for giving me my first review. It means so much to me! As of now, I will start posting updates along with my new chapters so you guys know what's going on. In this chapter, new POV's are introduced, so please review and give your opinion on it. With that said, please enjoy chapter 3 of One Choice Changed, which is my longest chapter yet to make up for my missed days!

Mai POV-

I glance at the clock. 12:48 AM. Zuko said he would be here by midnight, saying that was the only free time he had. Sighing, I stand up from my refuge on my bed and stretch my arms up. Zuko. He's been acting strange ever since his coronation, always agitated and under stress… Sure, the first few days, he gave me attention, but he's been drifting away more and more. I want to give him space, but this is just too much. I leave the room to go confront Zuko and give him a piece of my mind. He thinks he can leave his girlfriend behind like that? He'll see… Crossing the corridor, I pass by Katara's room, and see that the door is ajar. No Mai, don't snoop around like that. I am just about to turn around the corner when I hear a familiar voice.

Tiptoeing back to the outside of the room, I peek inside. My mouth falls open as I see Katara putting her hand on Zuko's chest. My mouth seems to fall off as I see them continue to talk, as if this is just a normal night, as if they are boyfriend and girlfriend. Anger boils inside of me, but I know if I just barge in there, Zuko might lose his cool because it would be obvious that I was spying on him. My thoughts clutter in my head as I head back to my room, not wanting to see what else plays out. What was MY boyfriend doing in a peasant girl's room? Why didn't he come to ME? I lie down on my bed once again, but this time I feel a single tear slide down my cheek.

"Mai? Are you okay?"

Quickly drying off my tears, I sit up on my bed and turn away from him.

"Way to come fifty minutes late for our first date since the crowning."

"Mai, you know I am busy with my duties of being Fire Lord. Why are you being so unfair?"

Zuko tries to reach over and touch my face, but I shove his hand away.

"It seems that you have more time for other girls then the one you are actually dating!"

I feel angry tears filling up in my eyes, and I walk towards my window to avoid looking at Zuko's now crestfallen face.

"No Mai, I just needed to talk to Katara about… some things that came up."

"Why didn't you talk to me? I have always been there for you, but it's never the other way around!"

"Well, you never listen! You give no emotion or feeling to anything I say! You are like a big rock that I happen to make out with!"

Zuko gasps as he realizes his words. Tears start to form in his eyes as he rushes to my side.

"No Mai, I didn't mean…"

Pushing him away once again, I yell, "Well now you have just been broken up by a rock!"

Running out of the castle, I tell the guards my stay here is over, and to call for a carriage to take me back to my home. As the servants bring back all of my belongings, I sit on the stone steps, looking out into the dead of night.

"Rough day?"

I glance up and see the Avatar looking down at me with a smile across his face, filled with knowing, as if he has gone through the same thing.

"More like rough life…"

"I know what you mean. I'm leaving as well. Mind if I join you on the ride back to your home? I'll make sure no bad people try to blow you up."

Aang waggles his eyebrows, but no smile is tugging at my lips.

"No thanks, I will be fine."

A maroon and black carriage finally comes around the corner, bearing my family crest.

"Bye…"

I grab my humongous suitcase, shove it next to the driver, and open the back door. Before I slam it shut, I hear a small whisper of goodbye from the Avatar. It fills me up with a new sense of melancholy, and I turn my head away in time before tears start dripping down my face once again.

Azula POV-

I am Azula. I should be Fire Lord. My brother, ZuZu, is Fire Lord. I will kill the Fire Lord. I will kill Zuko. These words circle around my brain, as they always do at this time of the night. Smiling, I allow these words to take over me, as they give me a sense of purpose. I slowly get up from my itchy bed, smash open the locked door, and knock both of the guards out. I head over to the kitchen. The chef doesn't hear my mismatched sounding footsteps. Good. His death will be that much more quicker. Blue fire blazes in my hand and illuminates the chef's round face, his eyes wide with fear. I am about to deliver the final blow when I see a familiar face in the corner of my eye.

"Oh Azula, this is why I never loved you. This is why Zuko was my favorite."

Feeling my blood pounding in my head, I slowly turn to face Ursa, my mother. I hear my prey scampering away, but I don't care. My eyes are fixated on my failure of a mother.

"I never needed your love! Father loved me! The Fire Nation loved me! I never needed you. Ever."

Chuckling amusedly, Ursa comes around to sit on a silver countertop.

"Oh Azula, Ozai never loved you. He is not capable of such a hard ability as loving another human being. You, Azula, are actually just like him."

Smashing the countertop with a hard kick, I scream, "I HATE YOU!"

Breathing heavily I look wildly around the room to finish off what I started. Then, the voices come again, but this time, it is my mother's voice.

Crumpling down to the floor, I let the voices fill me up until all I see is black. I will never love you. I will always love Zuko more. Always.

I know, I know. This chapter doesn't have any of our main shipping POV's in it. I wanted to introduce some new characters so that you guys know their side of the story. Don't worry; the next chapter is filled with Katara and Zuko POV's, so stick around!