Avatar: The Last Airbender is not my creation, the people at the Nickelodeon Studios created it, but that will not stop me from making my own little episodes of excitement and romance.
The only thing I own is the plot on your screen. If you plan to take my ideas and put them into your own fanfic, claiming to be your own mind that thought them up, get a hobby. Plagiarism is wrong, don't do it!
Welcome to Beware the sequel to my first fanfic, Unsuspecting Love. This fanfiction can also be read alone, so don't fret fellow readers. I hope you enjoy this read to its fullest. Please review whenever possible because reviews make me, the author, very happy. XD
"You never truly love someone until it kills you to see them hurting." -unknown
People have the common misconception of thinking that once two beings fall in love and get married, they live happily ever after. Unfortunately, this isn't always true. Sometimes things go wrong. Terribly wrong.
Money. Power. Deceit. Revenge. Jealousy.
Zuko and Katara had to learn these things first hand. Don't get me wrong, they were happy. They had gotten everything that they had ever wanted. They had fallen in love, gotten married, taken over the Fire Nation, and had a beautiful baby girl.
It was the perfect picture. That is, up until their daughter's life was put to risk.
…three years ago…
Fire Lord Zuko sat upon his fiery throne and waited patiently for the condemned man to arrive. He looked over to his side and smiled weakly at his fairly new wife. They had married just six months ago and taken over the Fire Nation after Avatar Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai - two months since.
The doors of the common room opened and a strong man with light brown hair walked in. Zuko tightened his grip on the arms of his throne as he watched the Admiral send the Lady a provocative smile. The flames aroundthe Lord'sthrone cracked furiously and Zhao cautiously stepped back.
"Do you know why you're here?" Katara asked coldly and sat on the edge of her seat.
The Admiral Zhao shook his head. "No."
The Fire Lord rose to his feet and stepped down from his throne. He held his hands behind his back and circled the Admiral like a vulture. "Really? You haven't the slightest idea why you're here?" Zuko smiled deceitfully at the man before walking back to his seat. "Lady Katara, inform this man why he's here."
"Yes my Fire Lord, I will." The Water Tribe girl smirked at Zhao and leaned back against the back of her throne. "Admiral Zhao, do you remember six months ago when you arrived at my wedding uninvited?" She smiled when Zhao nodded and continued. "Do you remember the promise I made you?"
Zhao racked his brain for any promises that Katara might have made that day. He took a sharp intake of breath as realization began to rear it's ugly head. "As soon as Zuko and I take over the Fire Nation, you will be banished. Forever." He blinked a couple of times and shook his head, he hoped that that wasn't what she was talking about.
"Really? You don't remember?" Katara paused. "Well, let me refresh your memory," she stated coldly that the flames around her seat seemed to hesitate whether staying alive or burning out. "You tried to dishonor me. I know you remember that." She smirked upon seeing him take a few steps back. "You thought I would never get you back. You thought that a measly waterbender could never do you in. Well, you are oh so wrong. Have you ever heard the expression 'revenge is a dish best served cold' ? Let me tell you Zhao, cold is my specialty."
Zhao frowned at Katara. Where was she heading to? What did she have in mind for him? Murder?…Banishment? "Where are you heading with this?" he asked, his chin up high.
Katara smiled innocently, making him wince. He hated her so damn much.
"Thought you'd never ask." She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. Immediately a soldier from the side of the room walked up to her and handed her a scroll. She extended it slowly and looked over it, at the Admiral. "I really don't need this, but I think it makes things more dramatic. Don't you agree?"
Zhao didn't budge, but he agreed. Every moment of his training seemed to go down in flames. He felt weak and helpless for the first time in his life.
"First off," she began, "you will be stripped of all your titles. You are no longer Admiral. You have no authority over anyone. You will no longer be paid. You will no longer be in the military. All of the benefits that you previously had…are hereby gone. You will have to find your own way to earn your money and your home."
Zhao's shoulders slumped. No longer in the military… He no longer felt weak. He was weak.
"Secondly, you are banished. You are not to step on Fire Nation land for the rest of your days. If you do, you will be apprehended and brought forth to me where I will decide your fate. You will not be given a ship or a crew. Your form of transportation is not my concern. I don't care if you decide to live in the North or South Pole, or if you decide to take homage in the Earth Kingdom. It really depends on who will stand you. You may buy a ship with the money you own, but that's it. If anyone decides to follow or be with you, so be it. Just stay off of the Fire Nation."
Zhao wanted to kill her. He wanted to run up to her and strangle her with both hands until she begged for his mercy. But - he sighed, trying to restrain himself- that would have to wait until another occasion. For now, he'll just stand her punishment and think of a plan later. If that presumptuous waterbender thought that he will take this sitting down, she is wrong. Terribly wrong. Vengeance will wreck her home…even if he's an ocean away.
"You realize that I could've gone much harder on you. I could've caused you to have a horrible and painful demise, but I have pity on souls like you. I've given you a chance to turn over a new leaf, I suggest you take it." Lady Katara grabbed the scroll that was in her lap and threw in into the flames that burned beside her. "Please turn in your uniform when you leave the palace. You'll have one week to take care of everything. Fire Lord Zuko and I will personally see you off."
The man stood there, not knowing what to do. He just stared incredulously at the angry woman before him. Indeed, it goes without saying:
A woman scorned is a woman feared.
"Good day Zhao," Katara said after losing patience. Leave! she yelled mentally, narrowing her eyes.
Getting the subtle hint, Zhao bowed and turned on his heel, heading towards the large double doors. A smile crept on his lips as he walked closer to the exit. Just wait, my dear. As soon as I come up with a plan to get you back, I will attack. I just have to wait for the right moment to strike. Be afraid of me -- both of you. I will get you back. He reached out his hands and pulled open both doors. He turned around and smiled at the Royals. "Good day."
Fire Lord Zuko and Lady Katara never saw him again.
They don't know what happened to Zhao. Some people say that they've seen him in the Earth Kingdom. Others say that he died. No one is quite sure. And quite honestly, no one really cared.
Nowadays, Katara and Zuko are happily married. The Nation has no major problems, besides a couple battles that still break out here and there; old Fire Lord Ozai minions that want to take control again. "Poor fools," Zuko had once said, "they don't want to accept the fact that my father is dead and that the world is free."
Zuko and Katara had a little girl, Princess Luna, whose about one year old now. She has her mother's clear blue eyes and the Fire Lord's fair skin. When the Lady had first given birth to their child, the Fire Lord had been upset about recieving a daughter, but his vain disappointment soon went away when General Iroh discovered that she was a Firebender.
The news that Luna was a Firebender didn't take long to spread throughout the land. Everyone had seemed to sigh in relief at the wonderful news, claiming that the last thing that they needed was another waterbender on the throne.
---
Katara held her sleeping child in her arms as they walked down the quiet garden. Zuko's arm was graciously wrapped around Katara's waist and he looked down at Luna's dormant face. She was so peaceful. "I really didn't want her to fall asleep," Katara said with a hint of frustration in her voice. "She's going to wake us at night and I'll be the one to get up." Luna shifted in her arms and her mother sighed.
The Fire Lord kissed his wife on her head. "If she cries, I'll take care of her."
Katara let out a small laugh. "That's what you said yesterday and as soon as she started crying, you pushed me off the bed." She pulled her baby's blanket over her small head when she felt a cold breeze brush over them.
Zuko smiled and pulled her closer. "Sorry. I promise to care of her this time," he whispered. He stepped forward and opened the back door to the palace. He signaled for Katara to pass and walked in after she did so.
The long corridors of the palace were mind bending, considering that they all looked alike. Katara remembered getting lost several times and having to ask guards where her own bedroom was. How embarrassing. But in the end, she finally memorized all the hallways and all the rooms.
Fire Lord Zuko opened the door to Luna's nursery and Lady Katara walked in, heading for the elegant crib that Iroh had bought for his "beautiful granddaughter". The teenage mother pulled aside the pink curtain and was about to set her baby down, when she noticed a letter propped up on her small pillow. "Zuko," she whispered and jerked her head towards the paper.
Zuko grabbed the insignificant piece of parchment and waited for Katara to set the baby down, before opening it. He read the few lines it contained and felt the blood drain from his face.
"What is it?" Katara asked worriedly and grabbed the piece. She pulled it up to her face and read…
Fret Reader...
This letter holds no wonderful news
Nor it contain names or unexplained clues
This letter just forewarns the Royal Family
A baby will be executed from their family tree
Someone will come and steal her away
She will be gone some horrible day
Fire Lord and Lady…watch your Princess,
Whoever kills her, is anybody's guess.
Tears stung her blue eyes and she felt a lump form in her throat. "Who would do this?" she whispered desperately and glanced down at Luna, who was sleeping peacefully. Her heart felt like it fell down to her stomach and a sudden need to scream overwhelmed her.
The Fire Lord regained his composure and hate began to pump throughout his being when he saw a horrible sadness strike his dear wife. Zuko stormed out of the room and searched the hallway for the nearest guard. Finding one, he approached and grabbed him. "Have you seen anyone enter my daughter's room?" he yelled furiously.
The guard shook his head nervously. "N-no," he stammered.
"Don't lie to me!" the Fire Lord yelled and shook the man angrily. "Call all the guards that have passed by this corridor, and bring them to Princess Luna's room at once," he ordered as he let him go and watched the guard stumble back a couple of steps. "Hurry!"
"Y-yes sir," the guard said and ran off.
Zuko jogged back to Luna's room and found Katara crying on a chair, the letter crumpled in her shaky hand. She felt so helpless. "My baby," she muttered between sobs. "Who would do this?" the Lady waterbender asked when she felt Zuko's presence in the room.
"I don't know but I'm going to find out," the Fire Lord said through gritted teeth. He turned around sharply when he heard a small commotion outside the room. He strode out of the room and looked at all the guards angrily. There weren't many and that meant that the chances that anyone saw anything were slim. "Has anyone seen anybody enter this room?" His voice sounded threatening.
Someone stepped forward just when Zuko began to feel hope slip through his fingers. "Who did you see?" he asked desperately.
"I was walking down here earlier and I saw a nurse walking down this hallway. She seemed to be leaving one of these bedrooms," the guard declared timidly.
"A nurse?" he asked himself curiously. Zuko paced in front of them, thinking. Then it clicked. "Tell all the guards to search for any suspicious people. Anyone at all. If they do, bring them to me as soon as possible." He turned and was about to head back into the room when a shy voice stopped him.
"Did something happen to Princess Luna?"
The young father turned around and looked at all the guards. "Someone left an anonymous letter in her crib. Someone out there wants to murder her to get back at me or Lady Katara. Most likely me." Zuko didn't recognize the weak voice that escaped his lips. He smiled pathetically at the guards before heading back into his daughter's room.
"What's going on?" Katara asked when he sat on a chair beside her.
The Lord looked at Katara's tearstained face and frowned. He couldn't remember the last time she had been this sad and this frustrated. "Somebody saw a nurse walking down this hallway."
"A nurse?" She paused and thought for a moment. "Zuko, we don't have any nurses."
"I know."
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