Authour's Note: My first Avatar fanfiction. Hope you enjoy.

01. Threat

"How come you can't see what he is?" exclaimed Katara, the girl with wild blue eyes, hand pointing towards the slumped figure, Zuko, wearing rumpled red clothes. "He's going to murder us all in our sleep!"

Aang stepped up at that and said softly, "Katara. Open your mind. He's changed. He can't hurt us anymore."

And her arm went down as she hissed. "You're all blind. Can't you see? We can't trust him."

02. Empire

"Remember Zuko. You give your all to the empire. Everything you do is for the empire. You live for the Empire. And you will die for the Empire." His father's face was shielded by the fire erupting from the floor of the throne room but the threatening steely tone of his voice still filtered through. Zuko meekly nodded. He was only seven.

03. Falter

The first time his resolve faltered (out of all the times to come) was when the water peasant touched his scar, fingers tenderly fleeting over it. No one else had been that gentle with him besides his mother and uncle.

04. Compliment

Sokka just stared confusingly at Zuko who was turning a pretty shade of red and making the temperature around him a boiling high. "So… you said my sister looked good in her dress and she slapped you?"

05. Glass

Her necklace was smooth, no nicks, no scratches. It reflected light. The one time he held it between his fingers, his uncle had fondly mused that it almost seemed glass like.

06. Honour

"You don't have to like me," snarled Zuko, his voice seeming louder than it was in the utter silence. "I don't like you. But there's no other way. My father's going to do terrible things unless the Avatar stops him… and I think it's my destiny to make sure you know how. I think… maybe that's how I'm supposed to get my honour back."

Aang looks up at that, a questioning stare in his eyes, and whispers, "Your father didn't return it?"

Zuko swallowed hard before replying, just as quietly, "I don't want the honour my father is offering. Not anymore."

07. Work

As Zuko surveys the view of the burning village atop his steed, he felt disgusted. He shouldn't be though. The people were just peasants. Rebels. But did they deserve this? His lieutenant next to him just grinned when the soon-to-be-banished Prince questioned him. "It's just work, Crown Prince." He sneered as screams rent the air. "Just orders."

08. Jealous

"It's not like I'm jealous or anything," fumed Zuko quietly as in the distance, Katara hugged Aang tightly. Toph just nodded sagely and smirked before folding her arms and leaning against the cave's wall. "Of course you're not," was her sardonic answer. "Why would you be jealous of Sugar Queen fawning over Twinkletoes?"

09. Strings

When asked why she didn't use blood bending more often, her lips thinned before replying. "I don't want to be a puppet master."

No one ever asked her that question again.

10. Semantics

They all stared at Zuko, expressions ranging from complete confusion to slight frustration. It was Sokka who said something first. "Who the hell says semantics nowadays when discussing battle plans? What the hell does that even mean? Stop using big words." He turned away before muttering under his breath. "Show off."

11. Innocence

It's said that it's so tragic for death to come to those so young and innocent, but they had stopped seeing themselves as children a long time ago.

12. Dispose

The orders came. "Burn the bodies. All of them."

Zuko's face blanched as the smell of burning flesh wafted over. It was his first battle field.

13. Blaze

She likes to think that he was like the sun when he fire bends, and not like the raging inferno that would consume them all. After all, the sun's the source of all life while the other will devour and destroy everything it finds.

She pauses for a second and snorted, nearly bringing Sokka from his slumber.

She dismisses the idea that he's growing on her.

14. Neglect

Sokka's mouth opened and a hysterical giggle escaped. "Sorry."

Zuko just stared in the mirror as he panicky scream back. "Sorry? Sorry? How am I suppose to explain to Katara that her fiancé now has purple hair? How the hell did you even get my hair to be this colour?"

Sokka's giggles dissolved into hiccups as he said between laughter, "I may have forgotten to tell Aang what colour you wanted to dye your hair. Remind me to never let the Avatar shop for hair products. Especially mine," and dodged the shampoo bottle and ducked out the door, still roaring with laughter.

"You shouldn't never chosen dare!"

15. Quake

After the rare earthquake had hit palace grounds, Zuko entered his room to find his belonging strewed around the place. He ignored them all, even the cherished sword that his Uncle had given him, and made a beeline towards the nightstand besides his bed.

His servant peered in and closed the door a second later.

The first object he saw the Crown Prince picked up first was a picture of the Fire Lady Ursa.

16. Guess

Sokka's eyes narrowed. "Do you have… a four?"

Zuko's lips curled up as he said, "No. Go Fish."

Everybody laughed as Sokka groaned. "This is the fifth time you've won!"

17. Quarrel

"I should have never said that. I didn't mean it. I'm sor-" Zuko starts, as Katara cut him off, with one finger against his lips. She leans close and whispers into his ear, "It's okay."

18. Brood

Suki was a warrior so she sympathizes with Sokka as he mourns about the loss of his space sword. But it's been a month. She's had enough.

"Sokka, if you don't get your butt up here and stop brooding, I swear I'm going to rip your arm off and beat you with it."

19. Effort

His veins were visible as he pulled Toph over the side of a cliff where she was dangling from.

Toph's mouth opened to say something when she was cut off.

"Jeez, can't you watch where you're going? I thought your mojo with the earth helped you see. How could you not see the damn cliff," Zuko gritted out through closed teeth.

"Gee, see if I ever try to thank you again, Sparky."

20. Now

"Ready?"

A breathless voice replied. "I think so."

"Good."

Both figures walked through the double arched doors into the sunlight to tumultuous applause.

An announcer called out, "Welcome Fire Lord Zuko and his new wife, Fire Lady Katara- the two who helped the Avatar bring around the end of the war."

Don't know if the ending did the whole thing justice. But eh.